Hong Kong: 9 virus cases in Kwun Tong building The Government today announced that nine positive COVID-19 cases were found in the compulsory testing exercise for the restricted area concerning Kui On House of Wo Lok Estate in Kwun Tong. It made a restriction-testing declaration yesterday to cover the building where about 1,040 people were tested. Government staff also visited around 530 households there and will follow up on those who did not answer the door. This story has been published on: 2022-08-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: Cheaper digital connectivity within reach, report reveals Cheaper and better digital telecommunication connectivity in the country is in sight, the second quarter Operation Vulindlela report has revealed. This comes after government in April completed the auction of high-demand spectrum. Speaking during the release of the Operation Vulindlela (OV) report on Friday, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said analogue switch-off has already been completed in five provinces. OV was established in October 2020 as a joint initiative of the Presidency and National Treasury to accelerate the implementation of structural reforms. It is a governmentwide approach through which Ministers, departments and entities implement reforms. A Vulindlela Unit in the Presidency and National Treasury monitors progress, addresses challenges and actively supports implementation. OVs five key objectives are: stabilise supply of electricity; reduce cost and improve quality of digital communications; provide sustainable water supply to meet demand; provision of competitive and efficient freight transport and establish a visa regime that attracts skills and grows tourism. Godongwana said while the final switch-off date for analogue transmission has been delayed by a decision of the Constitutional Court, work continues to migrate remaining households to digital signal in order to complete this process. Government intends to provide a subsidised set-top box to any indigent households that have not yet migrated and complete switch-off in remaining provinces. The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies will shortly communicate a new date for analogue switch-off following consultations with stakeholders in the sector. To facilitate faster deployment of telecommunications infrastructure, Godongwana said the Rapid Deployment Policy and Policy Direction has been finalised for approval by Cabinet. We anticipate that a standard draft by-law for wayleave approvals will be adopted for rollout in municipalities by October 2022. Water sector Quarter 2 also saw significant progress achieved in the water sector, the report reveals. During this period, government cleared the backlog of water use licence applications to close to 1 000 outstanding. Godongwana said the challenges were cleared as a result of a turnaround plan supported by OV. This will unlock billions of rands in new investment in agriculture, forestry and other sectors, which was held up by outstanding licence approvals. Draft legislation for the National Water Resource Infrastructure Agency has been finalised, and will be published for public consultation shortly. This will enable much greater investment in our bulk water resources, he said. In addition, a Water Partnerships Office has been established between the Department of Water and Sanitation and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) to enable private sector participation in water infrastructure and management. The reinstatement of the Green Drop water quality monitoring system has enabled greater transparency regarding the quality of water and sanitation services at municipal level. Following on this report, the department is putting in place a range of measures to improve the quality of water services at municipal level. This includes intervening in municipalities that fail to meet minimum norms and standards. These reforms will have a fundamental impact on the way in which the water sector is managed, and will ensure future water security, Godongwana said. Tourism In an effort to support the tourism sector, last year government rolled out the e-visa system and extended it to 14 countries. The Minister said during the next quarter, government will explore the feasibility of a visa recognition programme, which will allow the holders of certain visas of recognised countries to enter South Africa without a new application process. Skills shortage Government has amended and published an updated the Critical Skills List for the first time since 2014. This now includes additional skilled occupations in the medical field, which are in short supply. In the last quarter, government completed a comprehensive review of the work visa system aimed at identifying improvements that could enhance the effectiveness of SAs visa system and will work to implement the recommendations of the report by March 2023. Our previous modelling has showed that attracting skills that the economy needs could have the second-highest impact on economic growth after resolving the energy shortfall. Significant progress has been made and is being made to implement these reforms, and to address the urgent challenges that our economy faces, said Godongwana. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-08-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Elon Musk speaking earlier in the year in Germany. Getty Images Europe Elon Musk hinted that Tesla could grow its network of Gigafactories, and could ultimately build 12. Tesla may be able to announce the location of a new factory later this year, Musk told stockholders. Tesla is on track to achieve a production run rate of 2 million EVs by the end of 2022, Musk said. Elon Musk hinted at plans to expand Tesla's network of Gigafactories as the company aims to meet his ambition to build as many as 20 million electric cars a year. Addressing stockholders at the firm's annual meeting, billed as Cyber Roundup 2022, Musk said that Tesla was on track to achieve a production run rate of two million vehicles by the end of this year. "Ultimately we will end up building, I don't know, probably at least 10 or 12 Gigafactories," Musk said at the meeting on Thursday. They will "really be Gigafactories," aiming for output of between one and a half to two million units per factory, Musk said. Musk's projections that Tesla could make as many as 20 million cars a year by 2030 have previously been met with skepticism by analysts for being too ambitious, but Musk said that the firm has recently completed its three millionth vehicle, "within the last few weeks" 10 years ago it had made less than 3,000 Musk pointed out. The company has factories in Fremont, California, Nevada, Shanghai, Berlin-Brandenburg, and Austin, Texas where Musk addressed stockholders. He said that Tesla might be able to announce the location of a new factory later this year. The Tesla chief asked the crowd where the company should build the new factory, prompting shouts from the crowd. "I'm getting a lot of Canadas," Musk said. Musk's outlook comes less than a month after the firm released its second quarterly earnings. The $2.3 billion figure was down on the record $3.3 billion it returned to stockholders during Q1. The drop was partly due to disruption caused by the shutdown at its Shanghai factory at the beginning of the year, in line with China's zero-Covid policy. Story continues According to Musk, manufacturing will be Tesla's "long-term sustainable advantage" over its rivals in the race to dominate the still nascent electric vehicle market. Tesla has faced multiple accusations that factory workers have been mistreated. These include claims by Black employees who alleged that they were subjected to racial harassment. Read the original article on Business Insider Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. Gotham/Getty Images Elon Musk filed counterclaims against Twitter that contain allegations about its user metrics. He accused the company of trying to "distract" from what he called its many "misrepresentations." Twitter pushed back, saying the billionaire's story was "implausible and contrary to fact." The 164-page countersuit that Elon Musk confidentially filed against Twitter is full of accusations around the validity of the social-media company's business claims. Insider obtained a copy of the countersuit, which is another escalation of the legal fight over Musk's attempt to back out of his $44 billion agreement to buy Twitter. The billionaire and the platform are scheduled to face off in an October trial in Delaware court over whether he is legally able to walk away from his deal to acquire the platform. In his counterclaims, Musk argues at length that he is entitled to drop the deal. He says he was led to believe through Twitter's public assurances to investors that its business, built around user metrics, was sound. He alleges they are far from it. For months, Musk has argued publicly that Twitter had more spam accounts, known as bots, than it has acknowledged. After pushing for more information about the issue, he at the start of July sought to call off the deal. Now, he is accusing the company of intentionally "miscounting" the number of spam accounts it hosts to juice its user metrics as part of what he called "its scheme to mislead investors about the company's prospects." He also describes it as misleading for Twitter to rely on the metric mDAU, or monetizable daily active Twitter users, as a basis of revenue. And at the same time, Musk claims Twitter actually has 65 million fewer daily users than it says. He says users who see ads, and should be considered "monetizeable," are as low as 16 million. His counterclaims also say Twitter's lawsuit to enforce the merger agreement is "filled with personal attacks against Musk and gaudy rhetoric more directed at a media audience than this court" and "is nothing more than an attempt to distract from these misrepresentations." Story continues "That has been Twitter's strategy all along: to distract from and obfuscate the truth about its disclosures first from its investors and then from the Musk Parties when they began to discern the truth," the claims continue. Twitter pushed back on Musk's accusations. It filed a reply with the court after-hours calling the billionaire's claims "a story" concocted "in an effort to escape a merger agreement that Musk no longer found attractive once the stock market and along with it, his massive personal wealth declined in value." "The counterclaims are a made-for-litigation tale that is contradicted by the evidence and common sense," Twitter added. Musk's counterclaims were initially not available to the public because Twitter's lawyers argued they contained private company information that needed to be redacted. After days of back and forth between lawyers on each side, the judge overseeing the case in Delaware Chancery Court said the suit needed to be made public by Friday. Musk faces an uphill battle in his efforts to back out of the deal, given the ironclad contract he signed earlier this year. But his countersuit is an attempt to create a path out of the deal. While Twitter has pointed out repeatedly that Musk waived his right to information before signing the merger agreement, Musk says he was going the traditional route of "trust but verify," meaning he trusted Twitter's public disclosures and went about validating them after, and negotiated the right to do so. The complaint said Musk's side "fully expected that Twitter would hide nothing from its would-be owner, including about the magnitude of its false or spam account problem." "Instead, the opposite happened," it continued. "Twitter played a months-long game of hide-and-seek to attempt to run out the clock before the Musk Parties could discern the truth about these representations, which they needed to close. The more Twitter evaded even simple inquiries, the more the Musk Parties grew to suspect that Twitter had misled them." Musk accused the company of intentionally misleading him. The counterclaims argue that the platform's process of user authentication is weak and that the company doesn't send email, text, or other push notifications to users to verify them. The counterclaims also say CEO Parag Agrawal couldn't explain to Musk how the company selected which accounts to run by human moderators. Twitter has handed Musk massive amounts of information on accounts and users. Though Musk's claims refer to it as "limited," they go on to say that analysis so far has produced "shocking results." In early July, for instance, a review carried out by Musk's experts concluded "one-third of visible accounts may have been false or spam accounts." To him, this means a "conservative floor" for spam accounts on the platform is 10%, not the 5% Twitter publicly says. Musk argues that this, combined with the allegation that Twitter's mDAU's are much lower than it has said, means he has the right to terminate his deal to acquire the company. Musk asked the court to rescind the merger agreement and for undisclosed compensatory damages. Are you a Twitter employee or do you have insight to share? Contact Kali Hays at khays@insider.com, on secure messaging app Signal at 949-280-0267, or through Twitter DM at @hayskali. Reach out using a nonwork device. Read the original article on Business Insider 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 The J. Marvin Jones Federal Building and Mary Lou Robinson United States Courthouse in Amarillo. A 30-year-old Friona woman is being accused in federal court of holding hostage 17 undocumented immigrants at her home. Manuela Magdalena Jimon Castro appeared Thursday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Amarillo for an initial appearance on a charge of harboring aliens, which carries a punishment of up to five years in prison. Her charges stem from an investigation by law enforcement agents in California and Texas that revealed Castro and a family member worked with an illegal immigrant smuggling operation to hold undocumented individuals hostage at their home, threatening to deprive them of food and water and refusing to allow them to leave until they paid $11,000 to $12,000 or worked off the debt, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office news release. The investigation began when a woman in Thousand Oaks, California told police there that her sister, a Guatemalan citizen, was being held hostage in Friona. Meanwhile, the woman's sister escaped her captors, went to police in Friona and led them to Castro's house where she said she was held until she paid off a $12,000 debt. Agents searched Castro's home and found 17 non-citizens hidden in the homes attic, cupboards and covered in blankets, according to the documents. Another witness also told agents that Castro told her the Guatemalan woman escaped from her house because she owed $12,000. Castro is expected to return to court for preliminary and detention hearings on Aug. 12. U.S. Attorneys officials said the investigation into the smuggling operation is ongoing. This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Friona, Texas, woman accused of harboring undocumented immigrants LOS ANGELES (AP) Authorities have arrested a driver after she allegedly sped through a red light Thursday and plowed into other vehicles in a crowded intersection, killing a pregnant woman, a child and three other adults in a fiery crash. The California Highway Patrol on Friday said Nicole Lorraine Linton, who sustained moderate injuries in the collision, was taken into custody on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. Charges are expected to be filed with prosecutors. The coroners office identified one of the victims Friday as Asherey Ryan, a 23-year-old pregnant woman from Los Angeles. Her unborn child was listed as baby boy Ryan in online coroner's records. Two other women and a man, as well as a boy, were killed but their names were not made public Friday. Shortly after 1:30 p.m. Thursday, a Mercedes-Benz sedan caused the crash involving as many as six cars near a gas station in the unincorporated Windsor Hills about 10 miles (16 kilometers) southwest of downtown LA, according to the California Highway Patrol. Several people were flung from the cars and two vehicles caught fire. Television reports showed the blackened and mangled cars, as well as a child's car seat among the debris covering the street. Video showed the Mercedes careening through an intersection, striking at least two cars that exploded in flames and were sent hurtling onto a sidewalk, winding up against the gas station's corner sign. A fiery streak led to one car. One vehicle was torn in half. The car was going at least 50 mph (80 kph) as it raced through the crowded intersection, CHP Officer Franco Pepi said. Eight people were taken to the hospital, including Linton. It was not immediately clear whether Linton, 37, had an attorney who could comment on her behalf. The other victims had minor injuries and included a 33-year-old woman and six children ranging in age from 13 months old to 15 years old, Pepi said. A memorial grew outside the intersection Friday, as mourners left flowers and candles in memory of the dead. Story continues Henry Sanchez, who works at nearby Sinclair Gas, was at the indoor register when he heard the loudest noise Ive ever heard. "The sound of it, it was gut-wrenching, he told The Associated Press on Friday. It was like two trains hitting each other, metal on metal. He saw people rush to the cars to offer aid but they were kept back by the flames until firefighters arrived. I remember everybody trying to get the fire down and help people out as much as they could, but nobody could do anything, he said. Veronica Esquival told KTLA-TV that she covered her head for protection as debris flew. All of the sudden, a baby literally flew from the middle of the intersection to the middle of the gas station and landed right on the floor in front of me, Esquival said. One of the workers came and saw me with the baby and took the baby out of my hands. Somebody tried to resuscitate the baby but the baby was gone. Debra Jackson, told KCBS-TV she was about to get out of her car to pump gas when she heard a big explosion. The flames just went over everybody, Jackson said. The flames went over my whole car and they told me to jump out of my car ... because I was trying to get out of my car, to go to the gas pump. And I jumped out of my car and just left my car sitting right there. ___ Associated Press Photojournalist Damian Dovarganes in Los Angeles and News Researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report. Finance of America Companies Inc. (FOA) came out with a quarterly loss of $0.12 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.14. This compares to earnings of $0.30 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -185.71%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post earnings of $0.25 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.20, delivering a surprise of -20%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times. Finance of America Companies Inc. , which belongs to the Zacks Financial - Mortgage & Related Services industry, posted revenues of $141.12 million for the quarter ended June 2022, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 58.65%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $389.12 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates just once over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Finance of America Companies Inc. Shares have lost about 49.6% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's decline of -12.8%. What's Next for Finance of America Companies Inc. While Finance of America Companies Inc. Has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Story continues Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Finance of America Companies Inc. Mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.16 on $330.98 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $0.68 on $1.28 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Financial - Mortgage & Related Services is currently in the top 35% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. Angel Oak Mortgage (AOMR), another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2022. The results are expected to be released on August 9. This real estate finance company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.45 per share in its upcoming report, which represents no change from the year-ago quarter. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 1.1% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. Angel Oak Mortgage's revenues are expected to be $30.2 million, up 148.7% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Finance of America Companies Inc. (FOA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Angel Oak Mortgage, Inc. (AOMR) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. (Independent) Floridas Board of Medicine has voted to consider a new standard of care for transgender youth in the state in conflict with major medical associations, federal guidance and urgent demands from LGBT+ advocates and health providers, in a move that critics have called a political attack against trans people by Governor Ron DeSantis and his administartion. On 5 August, the board agreed to a request from Floridas chief health official to reject what he falsely called experimental treatments that lack quality evidence after the state issued widely debunked guidance against affirming medical care, including social transitioning measures like changing pronouns or wearing different clothes. The boards decision initiates a formal rule-changing process that would deny trans youth from receiving such care and forcibly detransition them. Researchers cited in the Florida health departments April memo said their work was misrepresented in an attempt to justify denying gender-affirming care to Floridas trans youth. A report from Vice found that all 12 citations in the memo either distort the work that was cited or come from explicitly anti-trans sources, with Floridas Department of Health claiming that it could not find any evidence indicating that such treatments are safe, labelling them experimental despite the work they cited saying the opposite. The department asked the states Board of Medicine to prohibit sex reassignment surgery or any other procedure that alters primary or secondary sexual characteristics for the treatment of gender dysphoria including puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapies for patients younger than 18 years old. Adults seeking such care must also seek approval from the board, according to the health department. The department also suggested that physicians who are already supporting patients who are receiving that care should stop which would allow the state to forcefully detransition transgender people in Florida. This is a developing story In America today, the road to abundance is paved with rotting fruit. At least, that is a cringeworthy example of some of the most frivolous excesses of our waste-based lifestyle. This will not come as a shock to anyone who has ever stepped foot in a Ruby Tuesday salad buffet, but Americans waste an average of 30% to 40% of our food supply every year, or roughly 80 billion pounds. Forty-three percent of that waste comes from private households. At the same time, roughly 35-50 million Americans, including at least 10 million children, are estimated to be food insecure, lacking a reliable meal source. While you should get on cooking that two-week-old asparagus in your bottom shelf right after finishing this column, the most tangible target for policymakers comes from production and distribution. This represents the combined 57% of food waste in America that does not come from private households. On my recent study abroad trip, I was strolling through a French supermarket called Auchan Supermarche. I recalled once reading about laws in France that prohibit grocery stores from wasting food, which was comforting to know as I perused the aisles. Upon further research, I discovered that, while French food waste law is complicated, it is miles ahead of where we are in the United States. The first major law in 2016 mandated that supermarkets larger than 400 square meters, (about 4,300 square feet), must establish a relationship with a charity organization to donate their unsold food. Simultaneously, they prohibited retailers from destroying food that was still fit for consumption and mandated that unsold food be handled in accordance with a hierarchy. Thus, the store must first discount the product and inform customers of how their purchases can help prevent waste. After that, food that is still unsold must be donated to charity, then used as animal feed, then composted or used for anaerobic digestion (production of biofuels). If those options are exhausted and still impractical, only then is disposal in the trash permitted. Story continues France added to these laws in 2019 and 2020. They required commercial catering operations that produce over 3,000 meals a day to follow the waste prevention regulations. They also required caterers at this scale to offer a doggy-bag option, encouraging clients to take all leftovers home. Some purveyors were mandated to publicly display their waste-reduction efforts. The French catering company Servair prepared meals for an airline. Finally, the amendments strengthened fines for destroying unsold food and compelled donated products to be shipped out no less than 48 hours before their expiration date. Misunderstanding of best before and use by dates by consumers contributes massively to food waste and is a reason that dairy is the most common food group to end up in American landfills. The French laws have not been a panacea for obliterating food waste. As critics note, they do not require a minimum proportion of excess food be donated and do not mandate how frequently the donations must be made. Furthermore, food banks often do not have adequate storage or distribution infrastructure to handle a large influx, meaning they must throw out food too, especially perishable goods Nevertheless, the laws have encouraged conservation among French grocers, as over 90% of French supermarkets donated unsold food in 2018, compared to just 66% in 2016. A new industry has cropped up in France of grocery consultants who match stores with charities and recover their food for them, proving especially useful to rural grocers who may be farther from receiving communities. Overcoming Western stigmas around food aesthetics requires innovative branding tactics. French grocer Intermarche did this by planting an inglorious fruits and vegetables section in their stores. Since 2014, they have bought the produce that growers toss aside for not meeting industry beauty standards and sold it to customers at a 30% discount. Employing humor, they leaned into the stigma and referred to fruits as the grotesque apple or the unfortunate clementine. The campaign was a gleaming success, boosting store traffic by 24% in one month. The status quo is driving climate chaos as 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from food waste. Thirty percent of food in American grocery stores is thrown out and the restaurant industry loses $162 billion annually to lost food. The case for these changes makes business sense across the supply chain. France wastes 18% of their food, whereas we waste double that proportion. We should emulate the culinary icons across the pond and implement similar legislation in the United States to curb food waste. Sam Berens is a graduating senior at the University of Florida, double majoring in political science and international studies with a minor in urban and regional planning. Join the conversation Share your opinions by sending a letter to the editor (up to 200 words) to letters@gainesville.com. Letters must include the writer's full name and city of residence. Additional guidelines for submitting letters and longer guest columns can be found at bit.ly/sunopinionguidelines. Journalism matters. Your support matters. Get a digital subscription to the Gainesville Sun. Includes must-see content on Gainesville.com and Gatorsports.com, breaking news and updates on all your devices, and access to the eEdition. Visit www.gainesville.com/subscribenow to sign up. This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Sam Berens: France provides example for reducing food waste in U.S. BOSTON A former Cape Cod Community College police dispatcher was found guilty Tuesday of making false statements to buy two guns meant for law enforcement officers, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins. Justin Watson, 36, of Mashpee, was an institutional security officer and campus police dispatcher at the college from March 2018 to February 2019. He did not have the power to make arrests on campus or carry a weapon, the release said. More: Two top police officers on paid leave, one for a year. Barnstable officials won't say why. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani sentenced Watson to time served, (one day in prison,) one year of supervised release, with the first four months in home confinement, and 50 hours of community service. In August 2018, Watson ordered a Glock Model 22, GEN4, .40 caliber pistol from a Cape firearms dealer and gave his Cape Cod Community College identification badge, which listed him as "Campus Police" and "Faculty/Staff" to the manager of the dealership before receiving the gun. Mashpee man was campus police dispatcher Watson also filled out a public safety purchase form identifying himself as an institutional security officer. He called another firearms dealer about a Glock Model 26, and the store's operator told him only law enforcement officers with the power to make arrests could purchase that model of gun. Watson told the store he was a police officer with authority to make arrests, the release said. A former Cape Cod Community College police dispatcher was found guilty Tuesday for making false statements to purchase two firearms meant for law enforcement officers, according to a press release from U.S. District Attorney Rachel Rollins. On Nov. 17, 2018, Watson went to this firearms dealer with his girlfriend, who told the sales manager she was his boss and Watson had authority to make arrests, according to the press release. More: Impromptu police escort for Reid Mason at district court was not authorized, police say Watson identified himself as a police officer and bought a Glock Model 26, GEN4, 9mm pistol. The press release said he completed a required ATF Form and said he was the actual buyer of the firearms. Story continues Watson transferred gun to his girlfriend, officials said During this sale, Watson provided his Cape Cod Community College identification card and completed a certification letter that said he was purchasing the weapon for on- or off-duty use, and not for resale. The press release said Watson then transferred the Glock Model 26, meant for law enforcement officers, to his girlfriend on Dec. 19, 2018. Watson admitted to law enforcement after his April 2019 arrest he used his Cape Cod Community College identification card to purchase both firearms because he did not think he would be able to buy them without it, the release said. More: Horse patrols, earlier closures, more police: Ways Cape towns might control unruly crowds He also said he knew if the dealers had known he was not a police officer with arrest powers, they would not have sold him the weapons. Watson also recognized to law enforcement that his girlfriend, a civilian, could not have bought the Glock Model 26 he had purchased for her, the release said. Watson sentenced to time served, community service This buying of a gun for another person who either would not be allowed to own a gun or would not want their name attached to the transaction is referred to as a straw purchase, according to the Bureau of Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. According to the Giffords Law Center, there are more than 30,000 attempted straw purchases per year in the United States. Cape Cod Community College had no comment on Watson's sentencing. Sarah Carlon can be reached at: scarlon@capecodonline.com or on Twitter: @sarcarlon This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Former Cape college dispatcher made false statements to buy firearms Jared Kushner in the White House. Brendan Smialowski / AFP Jared Kushner wrote in his book that he was treated for thyroid cancer while at the White House. Peter Navarro said he never saw signs that Kushner was in pain and suggested that he made it up. Thyroid-cancer symptoms often don't show up early in the disease. Navarro is also no fan of Kushner. Peter Navarro, the former White House trade advisor, suggested that Jared Kushner faked a claim that he had cancer to help sell copies of his forthcoming memoir. Trump's son-in-law wrote in his book, "Breaking History: A White House Memoir," that he was diagnosed and treated for thyroid cancer while he was working at the White House as a senior advisor, The New York Times reported. According to the book, Kushner was diagnosed in October 2019 and sought to hide the illness from Trump, though the then-president eventually found out. Navarro was asked in a Thursday interview with Newsmax, shared by Mediaite, why Kushner would have hidden his diagnosis from Trump. "That thyroid thing, that came out of nowhere," Navarro said. "I saw the guy every day. There's no sign that he was in any pain or danger or whatever. I think it's just sympathy to try to sell his book now." Navarro has repeatedly criticized Kushner in the past, an example of one of the many feuds among those in Trump's orbit. According to the Mayo Clinic and Britain's National Health Service, thyroid cancer can cause swelling and pain in the neck, a sore throat, and difficulty swallowing, but symptoms might not be obvious in early stages of the disease. Kushner said his cancer was caught early, The Times reported. Navarro went on to call Kushner a "one-man wrecking crew" whose "only qualification was that he was the boss's son-in-law." Representatives for Trump and Broadside Books, the publisher of Kushner's memoir, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Navarro, then a little-known economist, reportedly had Kushner to thank for his White House job, with Kushner discovering Navarro's book on Amazon in 2017 and cold-calling him to invite him to work in the Trump White House. The book's themes jibed with Trump's criticism of China and his protectionist instincts. Story continues During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Navarro and Kushner helped lead a Trump administration task force to procure vital medical equipment, despite neither of them having public-health experience. Navarro was critical of Kushner's efforts in his 2021 book, "In Trump Time: A Journal of America's Plague Year," specifically criticizing "Project Airbridge," a short-lived program designed by Kushner to fly personal protective equipment from Asian manufacturers to US hospital suppliers. Navarro wrote that Kushner's project undermined US manufacturers, claiming that economic moves like Kushner's "helped drive up the trade deficit even as it careened this country further into its foreign import dependency ditch." Other revelations from Kushner's memoir include allegations that John Kelly, who worked as Trump's chief of staff from 2017 to 2019, secretly listened to all of the then-president's phone calls and once shoved Ivanka Trump, Kushner's wife and Donald Trump's daughter. Kelly emphatically denied the shoving claim. Earlier this week, the Justice Department sued Navarro to turn over communications he sent and received while working in the White House, accusing him of "wrongfully retaining" records that should have been turned over to the National Archives after Trump left office. Read the original article on Business Insider A man who was working for a furniture company died during a carjacking of his moving truck Friday morning, Fort Worth police said. Homicide detectives are investigating whether the victim was shot or if his fatal injuries were caused by jumping or falling from the truck while he was being carjacked, a police spokesperson said. The incident occurred around 11 a.m. in the 3800 block of Reed Street. The truck was found a few blocks away, police said. No suspects are in custody, and no description was released. A 911 call log said that the victim had lost a lot of blood. By the time police arrived, the man had succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The victim will be identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office. The homicide investigation remains ongoing. The Armed Forces destroyed a large amount of troops and material during the village's liberation According to him, during the liberation, Ukraines Armed Forces destroyed numerous enemy vehicles and killed Russian infantry. Read also: A whole Russian army has been destroyed at Izyum, Ukraine official reveals "Currently, the Armed Forces are occupying favorable lines and have strengthened their positions. More details to follow," Synehubov wrote. Moreover, the Russian invasion forces tried to break through Ukrainian defenses near Husarivka, Izyum district, but their offensive ended in failure again, and the enemy retreated with losses, Synehubov said. Read also: For first time, Ukraine gains chance to shape course of war ISW He said that the Ukrainian military had had other successes in Kharkiv Oblast, but gave no other details. Read also: Renewed Russian assaults in Kharkiv Oblast unlikely to succeed, says ISW Earlier it was reported that the Ukrainian military had dislodged the enemy troops from the village of Dibrivne near Izyum. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Associated Press Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and backers of universal school vouchers took a victory lap Tuesday over legislation the Republican-controlled Legislature enacted in June giving the state the nation's most expansive voucher system, and he also used the time to attack backers of public schools who are trying to block the measure at the ballot. Ducey touted the signature bill he signed in July that gives all Arizona parents the ability to take state money that would go to their local public school and instead use it for private school tuition or other education costs. The governor had a ceremonial signing at a central Phoenix Christian school that already gets large benefits from the state's tax credit donation programs and existing school voucher program. NEW DELHI (AP) Indian police detained dozens of lawmakers from the opposition Congress party, including key leader Rahul Gandhi, as they attempted to march Friday to the presidents palace and prime ministers residence to protest soaring food and fuel prices and an increase in the goods and services tax. Police also detained hundreds of party supporters inside it headquarters in New Delhi and elsewhere to prevent them from joining the protesting lawmakers, many of whom wore black. Several women protesters cooked food outside the party headquarters using wood for the fire, saying that cooking gas prices have risen beyond the means of poor and middle-class families. In New Delhi, police began barricading the Congress party headquarters and homes of party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday after the party announced plans to organize countrywide protests against the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. What we are witnessing is the death of democracy in India, Rahul Gandhi told reporters. Anybody who stands against this idea of the onset of dictatorship is viciously attacked, put in jail, arrested, and beaten. The idea is that peoples issues whether they are price rises, unemployment, or violence in society peoples issues must not be raised. That is the sole agenda of the government. Police prevented the party's efforts to hold similar marches in Mumbai, Indias financial capital, Gauhati, and some other cities, detaining party members and taking them away in buses and other vehicles. There was no immediate police comment. The lawmakers and their supporters were expected to be released after brief detentions a general practice by police in such protests. "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 the Modi government, the party said in a tweet. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman defended the governments handling of the economy in Parliament earlier this week and said there was zero probability of India slipping into recession. The opposition was infuriated by the government's decision last month to impose a tax on packed milk curd, cheese, buttermilk, packed rice, flour and wheat. The government earlier raised fuel prices. Authorities in Indonesia arrested three foreigners for distributing cocaine on the Indonesian resort island of Bali at the end of July. Officers from the National Narcotics Agency seized 844.6 grams (1.9 pounds) of cocaine along with other drugs including MDMA and cannabis from the three suspects, who are identified as British, Brazilian and Mexican. At a news conference Friday, Gde Sugianyar Dwi Putra, chief of Bali National Narcotics Agency, said the officers arrested the British man, who they suspect is the lowest-level distributor of the three, July 21 at a villa in Badung district after receiving some information about his alleged activities. The officers then arrested the Brazilian man, who is suspected of concocting drugs, at a separate place. The Mexican man, who has been in Bali since 2012 and is allegedly in the top level of their network, was arrested later. We are still running the investigation. The entry of the cocaine will most likely come from Europe, because this cocaine entry route is specific," Sugianyar said. "It is produced in South America, sent to Europe, and from Europe it is spread to other countries, including through Indonesia. The drug network the three men are allegedly involved in is known to target foreigners in some popular tourist areas in southern Bali. Bali is the destination for foreign tourists. But we should remember that some of them are also part of the crime one of them is narcotics, Sugianyar said. He added that the suspects would be punished according to Indonesias Narcotics Law, with five years' imprisonment at minimum and a death sentence at maximum as both dealers and distributors of various types of drugs. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says Indonesia is a major smuggling hub in part because international drug syndicates target its young population. Indonesias National Narcotics Agency estimates there are 5.6 million drug users in the country of 270 million people. In May, Indonesian navy officers deployed to secure travel during the Eid al-Fitr holiday made Indonesias biggest cocaine seizure after finding plastic packages containing 179 kilograms (nearly 400 pounds) of the drug floating at sea near Merak Port on the main island of Java. No one has been arrested. Most of the more than 150 people on Indonesias death row were convicted of drug crimes. About one-third of them are foreigners. Its last executions were in 2016, when one Indonesian and three foreigners were shot by a firing squad. Northampton, MA --News Direct-- Northern Trust Sustainable Investing Approach We employ a rigorous analytical investment approach, leveraging quantitative and fundamental research and expertise to uncover financially relevant information that can impact a companys performance. To implement this approach, our sustainability and stewardship specialists work in tandem with investment management teams to identify investment and engagement opportunities. Our actively designed investment solutions purposefully employ a robust four-step investment approach: analyze, measure, monitor and engage. Four-Step Investment Approach 1. AnalyzeWe seek out topics and issues that are financially material and industry specific that can shape short- and longterm results. We develop proprietary frameworks of measurable ESG targets by leveraging a mix of leading industrystandard frameworks, such as SASB and TCFD, and our more than 30 years of practical ESG portfolio-building experience. 2. MeasureWe believe the companies that put sustainability at the core of their business those with a strong strategic vision and a deep understanding of the interconnectivity between people, planet and profit are likely to reap long-term rewards. We use all the tools at our disposal external best-in-class ESG data sets, our proprietary research and analytics, custom exclusionary screens and decades of experience to select the key performance indicators that measure how well publicly traded companies are performing on the ESG topics and issues we deem businessrelevant and financially material. 3. MonitorWe continuously assess the sustainability performance of the securities we select for our ESG portfolios. From industry-specific frameworks to our proprietary ESG Vector Score and custom exclusionary criteria, we develop a comprehensive view that helps us separate the leaders from the laggards and flag the companies that require additional research or targeted engagement. Story continues 4. EngageStewardship is an integral part of our investment process, rooted in our firmly held belief that it is our duty to regularly engage with the companies in our portfolios. We communicate with these companies through dialogue and voting on issues of substance: those that can affect business on many levels. This active ownership approach applies to all companies we invest in, whether the investment strategy is actively managed or indexed. Our disciplined proxy voting policy and multi-cycle engagement program encourage the companies in which we invest to pursue and disclose sustainable business practices that we believe will lead to long-term value. Collaborating with Investment Research The sustainable investing and stewardship team regularly collaborates with NTAMs fundamental equity, fixed income and quantitative research teams. Our fundamental equity research team provides sector and company insights to help assess the financial impact of a companys ESG risks, which helps the stewardship team prioritize companies to engage with and topics to discuss. As thought leaders, the research teams participate in SASB Standards advisory groups on various topics, including social media content management, human capital management, and extractives and mineral processing. The teams collaborate on clientfocused research and thought leadership. The fixed income research team provides insights on the magnitude of ESG risks of bond issuers, aiding the stewardship team in determining the appropriate depth of engagement with those companies. In 2021, the fixed income research team began joining the stewardship team for company meetings. Lastly, a multi-disciplinary team of quantitative research analysts, product developers, strategists and portfolio managers supports the ongoing development of our proprietary ESG assessment framework, the ESG Vector Score. The Proprietary ESG Vector Score The ESG Vector Score focuses on the magnitude and direction of key ESG-related business issues likely to have a financial impact on companies, and hence a portfolios performance. It provides a consistent, transparent methodology to gain greater clarity when building and managing sustainable portfolios. Additionally, it acts as a valuable indicator of corporate management of sustainability risks and can play an important role in stewardship activities by drawing attention to financially material issues to engage and track progress on with companies. As the demand for ESG-driven investing has accelerated, so too has the number of data providers and varying ESG methodologies. This growing challenge has created the need for a more transparent and disciplined framework that helps reduce the confusion and subjectivity that exists today. Such a framework should draw upon the guidance from leading industry groups, which have paved the way in establishing more consistent standards and recommendations. ESG Vector Score Benefits Enables more purposeful and transparent integration of ESG considerations into investment processes, addressing the need for a consistent way to measure and report on ESG investments. Provides a consistent, transparent methodology to gain clarity when building and managing sustainable portfolios, by focusing on the magnitude and direction of key ESG-related business issues likely to have a financial impact on companies. Offers more precision in identifying ESG-related business risks that could impact portfolio performance, whether constructing portfolios using best-in-class security selection or exclusionary techniques. Assists in prioritizing corporate engagements, further aligning sustainable investments and stewardship leading to more deliberate engagements and the ability to track progress over time with a consistent metric. Our industry-first approach marries two leading sustainability disclosure standards and frameworks the SASB Standards, which are industry-specific sustainability disclosure standards focused on financial materiality, and the thematic structure of the TCFD recommendations. The design enables more purposeful and transparent integration of ESG considerations into investment processes, addressing the need for a consistent way to measure and report on ESG investments. The ESG Vector Score forms the core of several investment products. In 2021, we launched eight exchange-traded funds that use the score to help select equities, investment grade bonds and high yield bonds. Additionally, in the U.S., the ESG Vector Score and additional ESG-related exclusionary criteria support equity index strategies to provide exposure to companies with sustainable business practices in diversified portfolios. Similarly, in Europe, we designed a series of investment products that combine our quantitative factor-based equity investment process, exclusionary criteria and the ESG Vector Score. The products have a better aggregate ESG Vector Score than their benchmarks. Training and Education to Deepen ESG Integration The sustainable investing and stewardship team in 2021 led numerous training sessions for investment professionals, executive leadership, clients and employees to enhance their understanding of ESG, our sustainable investing business and sound investment practices. These included training or educational sessions on: The ESG Vector Score for the equity research, institutional sales and intermediary sales teams. ESG product launches and systemic climate risk for sales teams. Sustainable investment philosophy and ESG integration for new employees, on a quarterly basis. ESG-related strategy, policies, emerging regulations and market insights for our fund boards. Progress on our integration of sustainable principles into our investment process to the Northern Trust Sustainability, Inclusion and Social Impact Council and Northern Trust board of directors. Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI) reporting updates to clients, consultants and stakeholders globally. Our sustainable investing philosophy and business for our internal professional development groups, including NTAM Align, the Advancing Professionals Resource Council, and the Northern Trust Sustainability Network. Improving the Integration of Stewardship, Sustainability and Investing We are developing a process, between the stewardship specialists and the investment team, to link progress more seamlessly between our stewardship engagements and our investment decisions. As a guide for this effort, we are using the UN Principles for Responsible Investment Active Ownership 2.0 objectives, which encourage investors to shape sustainability outcomes through more assertive and effective stewardship activities. Read the full report here. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Northern Trust on 3blmedia.com View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/integrating-stewardship-investing-and-esg-at-northern-trust-966383561 DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran is seeking the release of one of its nationals it says was arrested in Saudi Arabia during the haj pilgrimage, as the two regional rivals appear poised to resume contacts aimed at restoring relations. Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian raised the issue during a call with his Iraqi counterpart in which he asked for the incident to be followed up by Iraq, which has hosted several rounds of Iranian-Saudi talks. "In this call, our foreign minister (Amirabdollahian) pursued the fate of an Iranian compatriot arrested during the haj in Saudi Arabia and asked that a message be conveyed towards his release," Iranian state media reported on Friday. No details of the reported arrest during the annual Muslim haj pilgrimage, which was held in July, were given. Tehran and Riyadh, the leading Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim powers in the Middle East, severed ties in 2016 with both parties backing opposite sides in proxy wars across the region. In May, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said there had been some progress in the Iraq-mediated talks with Iran but "not enough." (Reporting by Dubai newsroom) By Jack Queen (Reuters) -U.S. conspiracy theorist Alex Jones must pay the parents of a 6-year-old boy killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre $45.2 million in punitive damages - on top of $4.1 million in compensatory damages already awarded - for falsely claiming the shooting was a hoax, a Texas jury decided on Friday. Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, separated parents of slain 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, testified that followers of Jones harassed them and sent them death threats for years in the false belief that they were lying about their son's death in the Dec. 14, 2012, shooting that killed 20 children and six staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The 12 jurors decided on the punitive damages one day after determining the compensatory damages following a two-week trial in the defamation lawsuit presided over by Judge Maya Guerra Gamble in state court in the Texas capital of Austin, where Jones' radio show and far-right webcast Infowars are based. Jones, a prominent figure in American right-wing circles and a supporter of former President Donald Trump, had called the Sandy Hook massacre a U.S. government hoax staged using crisis actors to serve as a pretext for taking away Americans' guns. After the verdict, Lewis told reporters that the trial's outcome showed that "we can choose love," adding: "We're all responsible for one another." The parents had sought $145.9 million in punitive damages and $150 million in compensatory damages. Compensatory damages are awarded to cover a plaintiff's suffering and losses. Punitive damages are awarded to punish a defendant's actions. An attorney for Jones, Federico Andino Reynal, had asked jurors to return a verdict of $270,000 in punitive damages based on the number of hours Infowars devoted to Sandy Hook coverage. Outside the courthouse, Reynal told reporters the verdict was high but that Texas law caps punitive damages at $750,000 per plaintiff. Story continues Reynal later told Reuters he aimed to minimize compensatory damages throughout the trial knowing there is a cap on punitive damages. "We always knew that was going to be a backstop, so the strategy worked," Reynal said, referring to the cap. The punitive damages were put at $4.2 million for Jones defaming Heslin by questioning that he held his dead son after the shooting and $20.5 million apiece to Heslin and Lewis for mental anguish. "We ask that you send a very, very simple message, and that is: stop Alex Jones. Stop the monetization of misinformation and lies," Wesley Todd Ball, a lawyer for the parents, told jurors on Friday before they began deliberations on punitive damages. Jones sought to distance himself from the conspiracy theories during his testimony in the trial, apologizing to the parents and acknowledging that Sandy Hook was "100% real." The Sandy Hook gunman, Adam Lanza, used a Remington Bushmaster rifle during the massacre, which ended when he killed himself with the sound of approaching police sirens. 'TRULY A BAD ACTOR' The judge admonished Jones during the trial for not telling the truth during his testimony about his bankruptcy and lack of compliance with requests for documents. Attorney Doug Mirell, a defamation litigation expert not involved in the case, said the question of Jones's truthfulness on the witness stand could have played a role in the jury's award of punitive damages, noting that it is unusual to award significantly more in punitive than compensatory damages. "The jury may have simply latched on to their revulsion at the lies and decided Mr. Jones is truly a bad actor," Mirell told Reuters. Forensic economist Bernard Pettingill testified on Friday that Jones and Infowars are worth between $135 million and $270 million combined. Jones' company, Free Speech Systems LLC, declared bankruptcy last week. Jones said during a Monday broadcast that the filing will help the company stay on the air while it appeals. The bankruptcy declaration paused a similar defamation suit by Sandy Hook parents in Connecticut where, as in Texas, he has already been found liable. The bankruptcy will also pause another defamation suit by Sandy Hook parents in Texas, Reynal told Reuters. During closing arguments on Wednesday, Kyle Farrar, a lawyer for the parents, urged the jury to end what he called their nightmare and hold Jones accountable for profiting off their son's death. Reynal acknowledged during his closing argument that Jones and Infowars reported "irresponsibly" on Sandy Hook but said his client was not responsible for the harassment. The plaintiffs have accused Jones of approaching the trial in bad faith, citing broadcasts in which he said the proceedings were rigged against him and that the jury pool was full of people who "don't know what planet they're on." Reynal vowed on Friday that Jones will keep doing his job "holding the power structure accountable." (Reporting by Jack Queen in New York; Additional reporting by Jacqueline Thomsen in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham) Kari Lake Caitlin O'Hara/Bloomberg via Getty Images Kari Lake, a former news anchor who says she doesn't believe President Biden is the legitimate president, was declared winner of Arizona's Republican gubernatorial primary on Thursday. She narrowly defeated lawyer and land developer Karrin Taylor Robson, the candidate endorsed by outgoing Gov. Doug Ducey (R), former Vice President Mike Pence, and other mainstream Republicans. Former President Donald Trump, MyPillow's Mike Lindell, and former national security adviser Mike Flynn had campaigned for Lake. Lake will face Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who won the Democratic gubernatorial primary, in November. "This race for governor isn't about Democrats or Republicans," Hobbs said Thursday night. "It's a choice between sanity and chaos." Lake's victory completed a clean sweep of Arizona's Republican primaries by election deniers endorsed by Trump. GOP Senate nominee Blake Masters ran an ad saying "I think Trump won." State Rep. Mark Finchem, who won the primary for secretary of state, was outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2001, and says he would still decertify Biden's victory. Election denier Abe Hamadeh is the GOP pick for state attorney general. And Rusty Bowers, the Arizona House speaker who testified before the Jan. 6 committee, was unseated by a Trump-endorsed challenger. Lake has said if elected, she will seek to replace mechanical vote tabulators with hand-counting of ballots and end mail-in and early voting, holding one-day elections. She warned her own primary race could be marred by vote fraud, but when her victory was assured she told reporters, "We out-voted the fraud." "In some states where Trump's endorsed candidates have lost primaries this year, including in Georgia, Nebraska, and Idaho, institutionalists held on," David Siders writes at Politico. "But in one of the most critical swing states in the country and in a place where Trump's brand may be especially damaging in the general election and in 2024 the old Republican establishment has been replaced with election deniers from the top to the bottom of the statewide ticket." Story continues Arizona GOP strategist Barrett Marson called it "the doomsday ticket." Republican Maricopa County supervisor Bill Gates told Politico he would like to see the entire GOP slate suffer "humiliation at the ballot box," but "the problem is the Democrats aren't strong enough to do that." Tuesday's election "was a catastrophe for the Arizona Republican Party," he added, "and, I would argue, our democracy." You may also like Alabama girl escapes kidnapper, helps police discover bodies 11 golfers sue PGA Tour over suspension for playing in rival startup league China escalates military drills, sanctions Pelosi over Taiwan trip Former television news anchor Kari Lake has won the Republican nomination for Arizona governor, climbing past her opponents early lead and rounding out the victory for Trump-backed candidates in the swing state. The Associated Press called the race for Lake just after 7 p.m. Thursday. Lake won with a narrow advantage, just shy of 3 percentage points over opponent Karrin Taylor Robson. Having never held elected office before, Lake turned her more than two-decade career as a newscaster for Fox 10 in Phoenix into political success in part by attacking the news industry that made her locally famous. Lake ran a campaign that furthered stolen election lies and in many ways echoed former President Donald Trump's brash and populist approach. More: Primary recap: Kansas voters uphold abortion rights, Trump-backed candidates win in Arizona Along the trail, she pledged to secure the state's southern border using an untested legal theory and eradicate homelessness through a combination of providing more resources and criminalizing those who didn't take advantage of them. Though Lake had already declared victory a day prior, she did so again in a statement Thursday evening, and raised further doubts about the election process. "Though the results took longer than they should have, Arizonans who have been forgotten by the establishment just delivered a political earthquake," Lake said. It is typical that election results can take several days as counties tally mailed, dropped off and in person ballots. Taylor Robson, the real estate developer and former member of the Arizona Board of Regents, had a commanding lead among early voters. But Lake, who has spent months lambasting early voting and believes all voting should happen on a single day, picked up two election day voters for each one that cast a ballot for Taylor Robson. Ultimately, those voters helped push Lake to win the Republican nomination. Lake now will campaign against Democrat Katie Hobbs, Arizonas secretary of state, in the November general election. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who is in his eighth year in office, has reached a term limit and cannot run again. Story continues Speaking to reporters Wednesday, when she first declared victory, the 52-year-old Lake said she hoped Taylor Robson, who had put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this battle," would support her bid for governor. Asked how Lake might court Taylor Robsons support following the bitter attacks of the campaign, Lake offered a personal story from growing up as the youngest of nine siblings in Iowa. Trump's influence: Donald Trump, power broker: Primaries show he retains a degree of control over Republicans "You have good times, you have bad times, you have fights, and you have some dysfunction, but at the end of the day, you're still brothers and sisters, and you're still family," Lake said. And we are family in this Republican Party. We don't maybe agree on every single thing. but I think we agree on the most important issues of the day. And I believe that Karrin will come in because I know for a fact Karrin loves this state. Though she had said just a week prior that she had detected "stealing going on" in this year's election, Lake has refused to provide evidence. In declaring victory, she said her supporters "out-voted the fraud." Election guide: 2022 primaries Election results |Congressional races | State races |Mayor, city council races|How to vote Race tested power of Trump in AZ Lakes narrow victory comes after a 15-month campaign that saw unprecedented spending to defeat her and controversies over shadowy fundraising groups working to support her victory. The race quickly became viewed as the latest test of Trumps power within the Republican Party, and his endorsement last fall certainly helped boost Lake. Trump-endorsed candidates seeking statewide office had a banner night in Arizona on Tuesday, with each winning their partys nomination in sometimes crowded fields. A late-in-the-race campaign rally Trump held in Prescott Valley also helped energize support for Lake, and happened to fall on the same day Ducey and former Vice President Mike Pence held events elsewhere in the state for Taylor Robson. The duel brought more attention to Arizona, a battleground state that political observers say either party could win in November. Kari Lake, Republican candidate for governor of Arizona, holds a news conference at her campaign headquarters in Phoenix, Ariz. on Aug. 3, 2022. In nominating Lake, Republican voters showed they are still allegiant to Trump and ready for a departure from Duceys establishment arm of the party that rallied behind Taylor Robson. While Taylor Robson painted Lake as a phony conservative because of her past support of Democratic President Barack Obama, Lake attacked Taylor Robson as akin to electing Ducey for another four years. On policy, the two leading candidates had many similar priorities, including securing the states southern border, expanding school choice and improving teacher pay. The Republican field featured two other candidates, and a third, former Congressman Matt Salmon, who ended his bid for governor in June but did so late enough he still appeared on ballots. Salmon and Mesa businessman Scott Neely each drew votes that could have made the difference between a Lake and Taylor Robson victory. Former businesswoman Paola Tulliani-Zen of Scottsdale trailed the race leaders significantly. Kari Lake, a Republican candidate for Arizona governor, reacts to the crowd as she walks onto the stage to speak at a Save America Rally on July 22, 2022, in Prescott. On to November's general election With each partys nominees for governor locked in, candidates are now focusing on November and drawing in Arizonas independent and moderate voters. Lake and Hobbs have differences that go beyond their party and policy priorities. Lake is one of the states loudest voices furthering Trumps false claims that he won the election in 2020. Dozens of lawsuits across the nation and the Arizona Senates ballot review have found no evidence of widespread, outcome-changing fraud. Hobbs, meanwhile, has defended the election that was her constitutional duty to oversee. Hobbs has called for Arizonans to look forward instead of staring back to 2020, but that is likely impossible given the role false claims have played in Lake's campaign. "This race for governor isnt about Democrats or Republicans," Hobbs said in a statement late Thursday. "Its a choice between sanity and chaos. And its about electing a leader who will govern with vision and strength. Im confident Arizonans will reject Lake and her embarrassing sideshow, and we will win in November. A lingering question is who more traditional Republicans, those who have supported the late Sen. John McCain and align with Ducey, will support or whether they will sit out the race altogether. The Arizona Democratic Party has already signaled it will court those voters to support Hobbs, releasing a list of all the insults Lake has lobbed at her fellow Republicans, calling them Republicans in name only and lords of the swamp. Will the same Republicans that Lakes insulted hold their noses to support her? Josselyn Berry, a party spokesperson, said. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kari Lake wins Republican nomination for Arizona governor Kevin Spacey has been ordered to pay the House of Cards makers almost $31m (25m) of losses. The actor, who played Frank Underwood in the Netflix series, was fired from the show in 2017 after being accused of sexually harrassing crew members. It was Los Angeles Superior Court judge Mel Red Recana who made the ruling on Thursday (4 August), stating that Spacey, 62, must pay out $30.9 (25.4m) to production company MRC. An arbirtrator who has been investigating the case for the last three years found that the actor violated his contract clause that demanded he act in a professional manner. As a result of the accusations, MRC fired Spacey, which led to the delay in production of the shows sixth and final season that had to be rewritten to remove Underwood. Court documents claim that reducing the seasons episode count from 13 to eight, and shifting things so that Robin Wright became the main character, led to a loss of tens of millions. However, Spaceys attorneys claimed that his firing came before the crew members came forward with their allegations against him, meaning there had been no contract violation and that he was not responsbile for the losses. According to Recana, Spacey, who denied all allegations through his attorneys, failed to demonstrate that this was even a close case and did not demonstrate that the damages award was so utterly irrational that it amounts to an arbitrary remaking of the parties contracts. MRC attorney Michael Kump told The Associated Press: We are pleased with the court's ruling. Kevin Spacey in House of Cards (Netflix) Spacey has faced numerous allegations of sexual assault since 2017. In July, he pleaded not guilty to sexual assault charges dating back to 2005. In April, the actor asked a judge to dismiss the sex abuse suit brought against him by Anthony Rapp. He said through his lawyers that the claims in Rapps suit in which he alleges Spacey abused him at a party in 1986 when he was a teenager are untrue. Kim Kardashian cant wait for boyfriend Pete Davidson to return from Australia where he has been filming his new movie, Wizards!. Davidson, 28, has been noticeably absent from the 41-year-olds social media pages over the past few weeks as the pair have had to make their relationship long distance. Kardashian and Davidson were first linked in October last year, when the SKIMS mogul hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live that saw her and Davidson kiss during a skit. They made their relationship Instagram official in April, and Davidson is set to appear in the next season of The Kardashians, which will be streaming on Disney+ in September. Now, a source has told People that Kardashian is excited for Davidson to return to the US. They said: Kim loved visiting Pete in Australia in July. They had been apart for several weeks and they enjoyed a long weekend together. Pete is still filming, but will be finished now in August. He has another project in the US though, so he will continue to be busy. The source added that the long distance hasnt been easy on Kardashian, but the couple are making it work. They are still very happy. They are very much a serious couple, they added. The comments come as Kardashian posted a series of images of herself and her daughters North, nine, and Chicago, four, wearing Yeezy sunglasses. Yeezy is the fashion brand owned by Kardashians ex-husband and father of her children, Kanye West. Kardashian has also faced backlash after posting about her bone density and body fat loss. On Thursday (5 August), the reality TV star posted the results of a body composition scan on her Instagram stories and stated that her bones are stronger than 93 97 per cent of people. Social media users were quick to react with one person writing: So are we meant to be self conscious of .. bones now? EUROPEAN PRAVDA FRIDAY, 5 AUGUST 2022, 17:01 On Friday Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the President of Russia, commented on the lengthy break there has been in the telephone conversations between French president Emmanuel Macron and Russian president Vladimir Putin. Source: European Pravda, citing the Russian financial newspaper Kommersant "Firstly, France is an unfriendly country due to the actions France is taking with respect to our country. They dont call each other because they think that the moment has not yet arrived and there is just no need to right now. If the need arises, they can call at any minute," Peskov told reporters at a press conference. The President of France has been repeatedly criticised for talking to Putin on the phone during the war in Ukraine. For instance, Kaja Kallas, the prime minister of Estonia, said that talking to the President of Russia made no sense, and Dalia Grybauskaite, former president of Lithuania, referred to the conversations as "calls to a terrorist". After visiting Kyiv in June, Macron claimed that he often called Putin because Kyiv had asked him to, but mostly he called Putin on his own initiative. Macron also admitted that talking to Putin had failed to yield any result, and he started feeling this particularly acutely after visiting Ukraine. Read also: French media reveal details of the last call between Macron and Putin before Russias invasion of Ukraine Journalists fight on their own frontline. Become our patron, support our work! Aug. 5Some area school districts are getting funds for bolstering security measures as the new school year start approaches. Earlier this week Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced more than 1,000 K-12 individual school buildings and districts will be sharing parts of a $47 million in grants to enhance school security. Two Butler County school districts Lakota and Fairfield are among the Top 5 school systems in the state to receive the largest amounts of money, according to reporting from the Journal-News' media partner WCPO-TV. Lakota will get $950,000 while Fairfield Schools will receive $350,000. "The goal is that no matter where a child goes to school that these basic safety needs are met within that school where the child goes," DeWine said. Betsy Fuller, spokeswoman for the 17,000-student Lakota Schools, said the district, which is most populous in Butler County and ninth largest in Ohio, appreciates the security enhancement money. "We are very grateful to be a recipient of Gov. DeWine's K-12 School Safety Grant," said Fuller. "As part of our regular assessments of our buildings, we work in partnership with our school resource officers to identify areas that could be enhanced or updated to provide more security for our students and staff. And this money will be used to help fund this work." "While we will not make the specifics public because they are part of our safety plan, generally speaking, we are looking at improving security cameras and other areas in our facilities." Fairfield School officials were unavailable to comment on their plans for the $350,000 security funding for the 10,000-sudent district. Improving school building security has been a priority for years for all school systems but efforts to upgrade protections have jumped sharply in the wake of May's deadly school shooter attack in Texas that left 19 students and two teachers dead. Area districts, including Middletown this week and Talawanda next week, are conducting active shooter drills prior to start of classes. Story continues More schools and school districts can apply for future grants and according to officials in DeWine's office, there remains $53 million available for eligible applicant districts, WCPO-TV reported. In Lakota Schools Superintendent Matt Miller's online community chat this week, he said the new state funds will be used to update security cameras and "hardening the entrances" at some of the district's 24 school buildings that need such security upgrades. Lakota has school police officers at each of its school campuses and Miller said the district will add more for the 2022-2023 school year, which starts classes later this month. "We are also increasing the SROs (police school resource officers) at the high schools just because we have the most students there and I think that makes sense," said Miller. Lakota's two high schools Lakota East in Liberty Twp. and Lakota West in West Chester Twp. are among the largest student enrollments of any high schools in Ohio. Journal-News media partner WCPO-TV contributed to this story. SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) The white man who fatally shot Ahmaud Arbery after chasing the running Black man in a Georgia neighborhood says he fears he will be killed by fellow inmates if he's sent to a state prison to serve a life sentence for murder. Travis McMichael, 36, faces sentencing Monday in U.S. District Court after his conviction on federal hate crime charges in February. His defense attorney filed a legal motion Thursday asking the judge to keep McMichael in federal custody. Attorney Amy Lee Copeland argued McMichael has received hundreds of threats and won't be safe in a Georgia state prison system that is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department amid concerns about violence between inmates. On Feb. 23, 2020, McMichael and his father, Greg McMichael, armed themselves with guns and jumped in a pickup truck to chase Arbery after he ran past their home just outside the port city of Brunswick. A neighbor, William Roddie Bryan, joined the chase in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael blasting Arbery with a shotgun. The killing of Arbery became part of a larger national reckoning over racial injustice amid other high-profile killings of unarmed Black people including George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky. In Georgia, the McMichaels and Bryan were sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of Arbery's murder in a state court last fall. They have remained in a county jail in custody of U.S. marshals since standing trial in February in federal court, where a jury convicted them of hate crimes. Each defendant now faces a potential second life sentence. Once the men are sentenced Monday by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood, protocol would be to turn them over the Georgia Department of Corrections to serve their prison terms for murder. That's because they were first arrested and tried by state authorities. For Travis McMichael, his concern is that he will promptly be killed upon delivery to the state prison system for service of that sentence, Copeland wrote in her sentencing request. He has received numerous threats of death that are credible in light of all circumstances. Story continues Copeland said she has alerted Georgia's corrections agency, which has replied that these threats are unverified and that it can securely house McMichael in state custody. Greg McMichael, 66, has also asked the judge to put him in federal rather than state prison, citing safety concerns and health problems. Arbery's family family has insisted the McMichaels and Bryan should serve their sentences in a state prison, arguing a federal penitentiary wouldnt be as tough. His parents objected forcefully before the federal trial when both McMichaels sought a plea deal that would have included a request to transfer them to federal prison. The judge ended up rejecting the plea agreement. Granting these men their preferred choice of confinement would defeat me, Arberys mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, told the judge at a hearing Jan. 31. It gives them one last chance to spit in my face. A federal judge doesn't have the authority to order a state to relinquish its lawful custody of inmates to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, said Ed Tarver, an Augusta lawyer and former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. She can certainly make that request," Tarver said of the judge, "and it would be up to the state Department of Corrections whether or not they agree to do that. Copeland's court filing refers to a prior agreement between the judge, prosecutors and defense attorneys to keep the McMichaels and Bryan in federal custody "through the completion of the federal trial and any post-trial proceedings. She argued that means Travis McMichael should at least remain in federal custody through appeals of his hate crime conviction. Fox News host Tucker Carlson, seen in Hungary in 2021, has said Democrats are "openly and very aggressively anti-white." (Janos Kummer / Getty Images) To the editor: Jean Guerreros column on how the GOP has changed from claiming itself "color blind" to whining about "anti-white" racism makes these Republicans sound a lot like the "snowflakes" they like to mock as long as these snowflakes are people of color or others whove had actual injustices perpetrated against them. As my 35-year-old daughter, now living in and loving Montana, asks anyone there who complains about the government and their white rights being trampled: What has the government actually done to you thats so terrible? My Japanese American family was imprisoned in internment camps for three years, besides losing virtually everything they owned." And our family got off easy compared to what other Americans have suffered for centuries. It is both amusing and sad that the GOP has no empathy for those who were terribly wronged in the past and are still feeling its effects to this day, but it cant handle Americans being expected to simply better understand and acknowledge racism in this country in order to right these ongoing wrongs. So who's the real snowflake here? Pauline Hayashigawa-Flanders, Whittier .. To the editor: This is just another excellent column by Guerrero. She explains the issues of racism clearly and thoroughly. This is why she adds valuable racial depth to your newspaper. I am so proud of her and The Times. Rogelio Quesada, San Diego This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A man is in critical condition after a shooting outside a local restaurant. The shooting happened near Ubees at 521 S. Highland late Thursday night. Memphis Police officers responded to the shooting at 11:48 p.m. Memphis Fire officials confirmed a call about the incident came in at 11:45 p.m. Three victims were located, police said. One was taken to Regional One in critical condition; two others were treated at the scene. The suspect vehicle is a dark-colored sedan, police said. Call 901-528-CASH with tips. On August 4, 2022, at 11:48 pm, officers responded to a shooting at 521 South Highland Street. Three male victims were located. One was transported to ROH critical, and two were treated on scene. The suspect vehicle was a dark-colored sedan. Call 901-528-CASH w/tips. pic.twitter.com/X3gcChLjxQ Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) August 5, 2022 Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD Trending stories: Fugitives Anthony Fauci Anna Rose Layden-Pool/Getty Images A West Virginia man has been sentenced to over three years in prison after sending emails threatening to kill Dr. Anthony Fauci and his family. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced 56-year-old Thomas Patrick Connally, Jr. to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release for threatening Fauci and other health officials, including former National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins and Dr. Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to a Department of Justice news release. Connally admitted to sending the threats to Fauci as part of a plea agreement. He sent the emails from December 2020 to July 2021, writing in one that Fauci's family would be "dragged into the street, beaten to death, and set on fire," according to prosecutors. He also sent multiple emails to Collins threatening violence against him and his family if he didn't "stop speaking about the need for 'mandatory' COVID-19 vaccinations," the DOJ said. Connally was arrested in July 2021 after an investigation found he authored the emails, which were sent from an anonymous account. "Everyone has the right to disagree, but you do not have the right to threaten a federal official's life," Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, said. Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General also said the sentencing shows "that individuals threatening violence against federal officials and others will be held accountable for their crimes." You may also like How the U.S. killed Ayman al-Zawahiri and only al-Zawahiri with a R9X 'flying Ginsu' missile Amazon to buy Roomba maker for $1.7 billion Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson break up The peace deal Senegal has signed with rebels from the country's south is "an important step" towards permanent peace in the home of one of Africa's oldest active rebellions, a mediator said Friday. Rebel leader Cesar Atoute Badiate, head of a unit of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC), and an emissary of Senegalese President Macky Sall signed the peace deal in Guinea-Bissau on Thursday. The rebels pledged to lay down their arms in the nearly 40-year-old conflict in the Casamance region. "This is an important step towards definitive peace," mediator and former Senegalese cabinet minister Robert Sagna told private Senegalese radio station Iradio. "For nearly four years, the MFDC has said it would lay down its arms but had never signed it," the head of the Reflection Group for Peace in Casamance added. The agreement, the content of which was not disclosed, was reached following mediation by Guinea-Bissau's head of state, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who is also the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Rebel leader Badiate was in June sentenced in absentia in Ziguinchor, the main city in Casamance, to life in prison for murder and armed insurrection in connection with the January 2018 massacre of 14 men in the region. "It is to be hoped that the whole MFDC will be able to join" this agreement, Sagna said on Friday, referring to the group's various political and military branches. Senegalese President Sall -- who had made a "definitive peace" in the Casamance region one of the priorities of his second term -- said on Twitter that he welcomed the peace agreement and remained "committed to the consolidation of lasting peace in Casamance". Casamance, Senegal's southernmost region, is almost separated from the rest of the country by the tiny state of The Gambia. It has a distinct culture and language derived from its past as a former Portuguese colony. The MFDC has led a low-intensity separatist campaign since 1982 that has claimed several thousand lives. Story continues But the conflict was mostly dormant until Senegal launched a major offensive last year to drive out the rebels. In a clash on January 24, four Senegalese soldiers were killed and seven were captured alive and taken across the border to The Gambia. The rebels released the hostages the following month. In March, the army launched a new operation in which it claimed to have destroyed several rebel bases for the loss of one soldier and eight wounded. mrb/blb/prc/ah NEW YORK (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley agreed to pay $200 million to U.S. regulators to resolve investigations into its record-keeping practices, it said on Friday. The bank will pay the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission $125 million and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission $75 million to resolve probes into employee communications on messaging platforms that had not been approved by the company, it said in a filing. Morgan Stanley had already set aside $200 million in its second quarter earnings to prepare for the penalty. Separately, Bank of America earmarked about $200 million for unauthorized electronic messaging by its employees, while Citigroup and Barclays also put aside cash to cover similar expected fines. The SEC has been looking into whether Wall Street banks have been adequately logging employees' text messages and emails as bankers moved to remote working during the pandemic. Regulators require banks to keep records of their staff communications, and typically ban the use of personal email, texts and messaging applications for work purposes. (Reporting by Saeed Azhar; Editing by David Gregorio) Amazon employees looking to attend a historically Black college and university (HBCU) recently received great news, as the company just established an education partnership with Morgan State University (MSU). On Wednesday the announcement was made in a statement from MSU. Today, Morgan State University announced a new partnership with Amazon naming Marylands largest historically Black college and university (HBCU) as a new Education Partner for the technology companys Career Choice program, the Baltimore-based HBCUs news release read. Offered in collaboration with the Universitys College of Interdisciplinary and Continuing Studies (CICS), the Career Choice program now allows Amazon hourly employees located throughout Maryland and neighboring states to select Morgan as a destination to pursue a degree or learn new skills, with prepaid tuition covered by Amazon, the announcement continued. This is BIG! @amazon is covering the tuition for hourly employees to upskill and earn a degree at Morgan State, thanks to our new partnership. Were excited to be the tech companys 1st 4-year #HBCU #CareerChoicepartner!https://t.co/sbJB16SM4K Morgan State University (@MorganStateU) August 3, 2022 This collaboration is part of an initiative Amazon unveiled back in March, which involved the company pledging to expand its Career Choice program by partnering with more than 140 national and local universities to provide fully-funded college tuition. Were committed to empowering our employees with easy access to the education and training they need to grow their careers, whether thats with us or elsewhere, Alicia Boler Davis, Amazons senior VP of global customer fulfillment, said in a news release. Whether someone is looking to build their English proficiency skills, prepare for GED testing, or earn their bachelors degree, were working to meet our employees wherever they are on their educational journey. Story continues Career coaching College advising Specialized career services In partnership with @Beyond12 and @KaplanNews, these are three new offerings our 750,000+ hourly employees can now access as part of our Career Choice program. https://t.co/tEe0iSoY0a Amazon News (@amazonnews) August 2, 2022 With this expansion, Amazons hourly employees can now build on their education at little-to-no cost through one of MSUs many degree programs. Through strategic partnerships and initiatives like Amazons Career Choice Program, Morgan is working to expand opportunities for even more adult learners to pursue degree attainment and have access to in-demand programs that can lead to higher paying careers and advancement, MSU President David K. Wilson said in the HBCUs announcement. Morgan is proud to be an Amazon educational partner, and we look forward to playing a role in the educational journey of their employees, he continued. In addition to MSU, other Maryland-based institutions that have partnered with the Career Choice program include Towson University, the University of Maryland Global Campus, Anne Arundel Community College and the Community College of Baltimore County, according to the Baltimore Sun. You can learn more about Amazons Career Choice program at MSU here. The mother of two girls who were allegedly killed by their father has told his murder trial that he molested the teenagers. Texas father Yaser Said stands accused of shooting and killing his daughters in his taxi, in what has been reported as an honour killing. Mother and ex-wife Patricia Owens testified in Dallas County Court in the 64-year-olds capital murder trial on Thursday that he sexually assaulted the girls two years before the killing and then threatened to murder them if they didnt backtrack on their police statements, according to The Daily Beast. An emotional Ms Owens said that Sarah and Amina told her back in 1998 that their father had sexually assaulted them. She added that after she was told of the assault, she took her daughters to make a report at the Hill County Sheriffs Department. They then moved to another area, closer to Ms Owens sister. Amina was around eight years old at the time, while Sarah was seven years old. Ms Owens said the charges against Mr Said were dropped after the girls withdrew their statements to police because they were scared of Mr Said. He wanted me to go back to him and if I didnt go back to him, he threatened to kill me and my family, Ms Owens said, The Daily Beast reported. She added that Mr Said said that he wanted to murder her after the charges were filed. He said nothing would happen to him, Ms Owens said, with Mr Said present in the courtroom. Patricia Owens, the mother of 18-year-old Amina Said and 17-year-old Sarah Said, takes the stand on the third day of trial of her ex-husband Yaser Said at the Frank Crowley Courts Building in Dallas on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022 (AP) Yaser Said, 65, looks behind him during his first day on trial at the Frank Crowley Courts Building in Dallas, on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022 (The Dallas Morning News) Prosecutors say that Mr Said shot and killed his daughters on New Years Day in 2008. The honour killing allegedly occurred outside Dallas after he found out that they had begun dating and that he wasnt able to control them. The killings took place just days after Ms Owens had taken her kids and left Mr Said. They moved to Oklahoma but later went back to Texas when Mr Said reported them as missing. Mr Said evaded capture for 12 years after the murders, according to prosecutors. After ending up on the FBIs Most Wanted List, he was located in 2020 in Justin, Texas only 40 minutes from where the alleged murder took place. Story continues He pleaded not guilty to the charge of capital murder. His defence attorneys have claimed that he was blamed for the killings because hes Muslim. Prosecutors have said that he was obsessed with possession and control. Ms Owens said during the third day of testimony in the trial that Mr Said would insist on deciding on where they would live and who they would speak to. In her opening statement on Tuesday, prosecutor Lauren Black said that he controlled what they did, who they talked to, who they could be friends with, if they and who they could date. And he controlled everything in his household. Ms Owens testified that she left Mr Said multiple times but that fear forced her back. One such time was when the abuse allegations were revealed in 1998. She set off for Garland, Texas, saying that she filed a second police report after facing threats of harm from her then-husband and his brother if they didnt come back. She later dropped the charges filed in Garland, but Ms Owens added that she sought a protective order against Mr Said for her daughters in October 1998. She said that she didnt finish the process to get the order because they went back to Mr Said. Not long after that, the daughters withdrew their claims of abuse. I was scared not to go back, Ms Owens said in court on Thursday. Yaser was abusive. Prosecutors say that Mr Said had become increasingly enraged in the weeks before the killings because he felt he had lost control of both Ms Owens and the teenage girls. They had been dating men who werent Muslim. Ms Owens testified that she had been aware that her daughters had boyfriends, but that the three of them had kept it quiet for fear of reprisals. In December 2007, Mr Said put a gun to Aminas head and threatened to kill her, prompting the mother and daughters to plan an escape before Christmas that year. On Christmas Day, after Mr Said went to work, Ms Owens testified that they fled to Oklahoma with their clothes in trash bags. He reported them missing the next day, forcing Ms Owens to call the Lewisville Police Department to say she was alive and well but that she was scared of Mr Said, The Daily Beast reported. The daughters went back to the area around Dallas on New Years Eve, following numerous calls from Mr Said and his brother telling them to come back. Ms Owens said he left messages claiming to have changed and that he would vacate the house they wanted him to. Ms Owens added that another factor in the return to Texas was for Amina for graduate high school and not put her college scholarship at risk. Mr Said told Ms Owens to stay home while he went for a drive with the teens to talk. The authorities think that the daughters were shot and killed around 7.30pm close to the Omni Hotel. It was at about that time that Sarah called 911 two times, saying that she was dying after being shot by her father. Shes asking for help and she names her killer, her father, Yaser Said, Ms Black said. A member of the defence team claimed during opening arguments that Mr Said had been targeted for being Muslim, adding that all the 911 calls reveal is that Sarah was in extreme trauma. Lawyer Joel Patton claimed that some of Ms Owens allegations were untrue and that she was being led by prosecutors instead of independently answering questions. It is wrong for the government to generalize an entire culture, criminalize an entire culture, to fit their narrative, and to fit their objective, Mr Patton said in court on Tuesday, according to The Daily Beast. The state wants to convict Yaser for being Muslim in 2008. BREAKING: A 24 yr old suspected shooter has been taken into custody in Cheatham County in relation to this afternoon's homicide of an adult woman and the wounding of 3 of her relatives at Stonebrook Apts off Old Hickory Blvd in South Nashville. This appears to be domestic related pic.twitter.com/jsUQBMB6o4 Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) August 4, 2022 A Murfreesboro 19-year-old was killed in a shooting while trying to help her cousin move out of a Hickory Trace Drive apartment Thursday afternoon, Nashville police said. Don Aaron, a Metro Nashville Police Department spokesman, identified the 19-year-old victim as Saniya Lofton. Lofton's mother, cousin, and 16-year-old brother were also shot. Her other 16-year-old brother was treated for minor injuries after jumping out of a second floor window to escape the gunfire, Aaron said. Shaquavius Moore, 24, of Decatur, Illinois, faces a criminal homicide charge in connection with the shooting, along with four counts of attempted criminal homicide. Moore admitted to opening fire inside the apartment and claimed it was in self defense. He is being held in a Davidson County jail on a $650,000 bond and is set to appear in court Monday, records show. How the shooting unfolded Officers were called to the scene in the 300 block of Hickory Trace Drive about 3 p.m. Thursday. A 22-year-old woman, who lived in the apartment with her 4-year-old son, called upon her 36-year-old cousin and her cousin's three children including Lofton to help her move from the unit. Moore, who is the 4-year-old child's uncle, was in town and staying in the apartment. Aaron said police believe an argument ensued because of the move. That's when police believe Moore retrieved a gun from inside the apartment and started shooting. Story continues Lofton stumbled out to the front stoop and died there, Aaron said. Her mother was shot in the arm, her cousin was shot in the leg and her brother was shot in the chest. The three were taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for treatment, along with Lofton's other brother who jumped from a window. Moore fled and discarded the gun near the apartment complex, Aaron said. Police were able to find the pistol. Moore later pulled off Interstate 24 in Cheatham County at a barbecue restaurant before calling police to speak with them about the shooting, Aaron said. Police took Moore into custody at the restaurant. Reporter Rachel Wegner contributed to this story. Contact Tennessean reporter Kirsten Fiscus at 615-259-8229 or KFiscus@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KDFiscus. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville apartment shooting on Hickory Trace Drive: 1 dead, 4 hurt Debris suspected to be from a Chinese rocket booster in Sepupok, Malaysia. Malaysia News Agency Mysterious large pieces of wreckage were discovered across Southeast Asia over the weekend, and evidence is growing that they came from a Chinese rocket booster that fell to Earth uncontrolled. The booster of China's 25-ton Long March 5B rocket pushed a new segment of the country's space station into orbit in late July. Then, instead of pushing itself into the Pacific Ocean a standard practice called controlled reentry the booster entered Earth's orbit and slowly lost altitude over the course of a week, ensuring that it would fall randomly in an unpredictable location. On Saturday, the booster succumbed to gravity and fell to Earth, breaking apart in the atmosphere. Soon photos of scattered objects that appear to be parts of the rocket emerged from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines along the path of the booster's uncontrolled fall. Two people in hazmat suits test for radioactivity on an object believed to be part of the Long March 5B rocket booster, in Sarawak, Malaysia. Malaysia News Agency Only China can officially confirm that those pieces belong to its rocket booster, but orbital-debris experts say they have no doubt that the mystery objects are chunks of Long March 5B. "They sure look like rocket parts to me," Ted Muelhaupt, a consultant for the Aerospace Corporation's Chief Engineer's Office, told Insider, adding, "I've got no reason to dispute that it's pieces of this rocket." There's a roughly 10% chance that debris will hit one or more people within a decade, according to a study published in the journal Nature in July. Even if they don't strike anybody, pieces of spacecraft that have fallen through the atmosphere are dangerous to approach because rocket fuel can linger on them. Photos suggest the booster disintegrated piece by piece as it fell A mysterious metal object discovered in Balaikarangan, Indonesia, in a screenshot from local news reports, on July 31, 2022. Malaysia News Agency In the village of Pengadang, near Balaikarangan, on the Indonesian side of the island of Borneo, locals discovered a large rounded object resembling the Chinese rocket's core stage. The image above comes from Borneo News Network footage. Story continues "There's a picture of the big piece at the end of the fuel tank sitting on a field that's very convincing. It's the right diameter. It looks like a piece that sort of survived reentry and is right on the path of the reentry," Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and avid tracker of objects in Earth's orbit, told Insider. A map shows the Long March 5B booster's descent path (orange line) passing over Balaikarangan, where mysterious debris was discovered. Jonathan McDowell Muelhaupt agreed that object looks like the dome of a fuel tank. Two smaller pieces of debris were discovered in the small towns of Batu Niah and Sepupok in Sarawak, on the Malaysian side of Borneo, according to the Borneo News Network and The Star, a Malaysian news outlet. A map shows the Long March 5B booster's descent path (orange line) passing over Batu Niah, where more mysterious debris was discovered. Jonathan McDowell Photos show "a little piece of metal dug in the ground, which may well be a bit of the rocket, but it's just too hard to tell," McDowell said. The rocket's launch dropped debris, too The Long March 5B rocket, rolling to the launchpad in July, has the same flag and space-agency symbol that photos of debris in the Philippines, circulated on the social media platform Weibo, claim to show. CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images Images circulated on China's social media platform Weibo claimed to show pieces of the rocket's fairing, which falls away during launch, in the Philippines' Mindoro Strait. The photos, which Insider has not independently verified, show people pulling panels from the water marked with the same Chinese flag and blue space-agency symbol that are on the rocket fairing. On Wednesday, the Philippine Space Agency released a statement saying the torn metal sheet found by fisherman off the coast of Mamburao was part of the rocket's fairing. The agency also said that parts of the falling booster may have dropped off the coast, in the Sulu Sea. McDowell and Muelhaupt also said they believe these images show parts of the rocket fairing, dropped during launch. Fire department workers examine debris suspected to be from a Chinese booster rocket in Sepupok, Malaysia. Malaysia News Agency Then, when the rocket's booster fell from space, its descent path carried it right over the Mindoro Strait. "This means we've been hit twice by debris from this launch: at the beginning, and at the end of the rocket's flight," Jay Batongbacal, a professor at the University of the Philippines Institute for the Maritime Affairs and the Law of the Sea, told Philippine news outlet the Inquirer. "This shows that the risk is higher for us, because we are under the flight path of most Chinese rocket launches," he said. However, no government agency has reported debris from the uncontrolled fall in the Philippines. This is the third time China has launched a Long March 5B rocket and allowed its body to fall to Earth uncontrolled. In May 2021, pieces of another Long March 5B landed in the Indian Ocean. And in May of 2020, another launch ended in an uncontrolled fall that dumped debris near two villages in Ivory Coast, leading to reports of property damage. Read the original article on Business Insider MONTREAL (AP) Rafael Nadal withdrew from the upcoming hard-court tournament in Montreal on Friday because of the abdominal injury that caused him to pull out of Wimbledon ahead of the semifinals. The Spaniard had been 19-0 in Grand Slam matches this year when he decided the injury was too much at Wimbledon. He won the Australian Open and the French Open to increase his major total to a men's record 22 one more than Novak Djokovic and two more than Roger Federer. Nadal is a five-time champion in Montreal. I have been practicing for a while now without serving and started with serves four days ago. Everything has been going well. However, yesterday, after my normal practice, I felt a slight bother on my abdominal and today it was still there, Nadal said in a statement. After speaking with my doctor, we prefer to take things in a conservative way and give a few more days before starting to compete. American player Mackenzie McDonald will replace Nadal in the draw. Djokovic withdrew from the Montreal tournament on Thursday because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19 and is therefore not allowed to enter Canada. ___ More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Nasas Curiosity Mars rover undergoing testing on Earth in 2011. The rover will celebrate its 10th anniversary of landing on Mars on 5 August, 2022 (Nasa) On Friday, Nasas Curiosity rover will celebrate its 10th birthday on Mars, and counting. The small car-sized rover made a soft landing at the bottom of Gale Crater on the evening of 5 August, with a mission to find evidence of past habitability on the Red Planet. A decade later, Nasa can call Curiositys mission a resounding success. It established the long term presence of liquid water on the surface of Mars in the planets ancient past, a prerequisite for the existence of life. It also established with certainty the presence of organic chemicals that are the building blocks of potential life. And moreover, Curiositys is a mission thats still ongoing, with the plucky rover still climbing a mountain of sedimentary rock in what was once an ancient lakebed on Mars. About the state of the rover, overall, were just thrilled, Ashwin Vasavada, project scientist for the Curiosity mission, told The Independent. The rover is still able to do all the science that matters to the mission, even 10 years in. Curiosity and the science it enabled serves as an important bridge in Nasas Mars science program, connecting earlier missions such as the Spirit and Opportunity Rovers and even the Viking landers of the 1970s with the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter that are also exploring the Red Planet. Perseverance may represent the cutting edge, drilling samples of Martian soil that will be returned to Earth for study in the 2030s, but Curiosity still has much to teach scientists, according to Dr Vasavada. Theres still more to come, he said, Thats the bottom line. Martian curiosity Curiosity, and Dr Vasavada, really draw their inspiration from the same place Mars in the 1970s. The pictures that really caught me when I was like, 10 years old, were the Viking lander taking pictures of this endless desert landscape going off into the distance, he said. The surface of Mars as photographed by the Viking 1 lander. (Nasa) Viking 1 landed on Mars on 20 July, 1976, and in addition to taking stunning photos from the surface, conducted the first ever astrobiology experiments on the Red Planets surface in hopes of finding evidence of alien life. Mars, after all, combined two very attractive traits for scientists looking for signs of life, according to Dr Vasavada: It carried a decently high chance of having hosted life and was close enough to study. Story continues There may be places that have a better chance of life, you know, maybe now like oceans on Europa, but theyre too far away to explore efficiently, he said. Mars has always had that attraction and the way I like to describe it is like, Viking was the attempt to hit a home run. A failed attempt, according to most scientists. Although some scientists still maintain the Viking 1 and 2 landers found evidence of life on Mars, the scientific consensus remains that the Viking results were inconclusive. I think if you were to ask planetary scientists in 1977 they would just say, were excited because theres liquid water [on Mars], but we really dont know much more beyond that, Dr Vasavada said. After that, NASA really had to regroup for a couple decades. It wasnt until the 1990s, when the space agency made the search for life in the universe a main focus, that Mars research picked up again. And they laid out a strategy where they wouldnt go for the home run anymore, Dr Vasavada said. Nasa would send orbiters, like the Mars Global Surveyor launched in 1996, to Mars to study the surface and find the best places to land future missions. Then they would send down rovers to confirm evidence that Mars once held large amounts of liquid water. If liquid water was never there, theres no chance life was there, Dr Vasavada said. Thats where [the rovers] Spirit and Opportunity fit in. They were really sent there to look for signs of liquid water. The next part of NASAs strategy was then to broaden the search beyond water to habitability, and that is Curiositys main objective, Dr Vasavada said. Curiosity wouldnt just look for signs of liquid water, but of persistent liquid water, lakes and rivers flowing long enough for life to have a shot. And it would need to search for the chemical building blocks of life. Thats why the rover is kind of large, Dr Vasavada said. It has a number of different instruments that look at all these different aspects of what would make a habitable planet. And then we needed to be able to drill into rock samples, because were looking in the past. Of course, what past you look into depends on where you drill, So we sent it to Gale crater, which is a 100 mile diameter crater that has a big pile of sediment, sedimentary rock in it, Dr Vasavada said. And this was super exciting, because sedimentary rocks record a time history: sediment is laid down progressively over millions of years. The hope was that Curiosity could climb a five kilometer high pile of sedimentary rocks that had built up in what Nasa believed was an ancient crater lake, drill into the mud rocks, and find evidence of ancient water and organic chemistry. So thats where we were on August 4 of 2012. The day before we landed, Dr Vasavada said. We had a great rover, and we had a landing site that offered the best chance we thought of anywhere on the planet of finding a habitable environment, but there were definitely no guarantees. Proof of habitability In the years since its landing 10 years ago, Curiosity has climbed 600 meters up the sedimentary rock mound in Gale Crater, according to Dr. Vasavada. What we found is that nearly all of that 600 vertical meters, is made of rock layers that have abundant evidence for the interaction with liquid water, he said. Theyre mud that formed at the bottom. It takes time to build up 600 meters worth of muddy sediment, and so those measurements lead to one of the major discoveries of the Curiosity mission, according to Dr Vasavada: Liquid water was present in Gale Crater, on Mars, for a long time. Its like hundreds of thousands of years, but probably more likely millions or tens of millions of years, he said. Tied with that discovery, is the discovery of all of the chemical requirements for life, Dr Vasavada added. We were able to drill into these lake bed mudstones, and within those mudstones, we were able to find these organic molecules. So three of four billion years ago, in Gale Crater, conditions favorable for life to arise existed on Mars. And whats kind of fascinating is that much of the history that Curiosity has explored, predates the time on Earth, Dr Vasavada said. Earth became the habitable planet it is today largely after the time period were exploring in Gale crater on Mars. Four billion years ago, alien scientists passing through our solar system wouldve chosen Mars as the most likely place to find life, not Earth. Signs of life But did Mars play host to life all those billions of years ago? Thats not a question Curiosity was designed to answer, but it is one that could be answered by way of Perseverance. Curiositys successor landed in a dry riverbed on Mars on 18 February, 2021, and has so far spent its nearly 18 months on the Red Planet drilling rock and soil samples and storing them for later retrieval as part of Nasas Sample Return Mission. When the samples are returned to Earth in the 2030s, scientists will be able to bring full laboratories to bear on the question of whether those samples contain signs of Martian life, extant or ancient. Its a mission that takes the baton from Curiosity, and a mission that never would have happened with the successes of Curiosity. If we found Gale crater was a barren wasteland, Dr Vasavada said, If we found a big pile of dust and we were completely wrong in our hypotheses about it prior to landing; It would have been more difficult for NASA to go ahead with a mission like Perseverance and put all that focus on looking for signs of life. But as he mentioned, Curiosity isnt done yet. The rover will celebrate its 10th birthday by continuing its slow climb up the sedimentary mound of rocks in Gale Crater, where its most recent samples are beginning to hint at big changes on ancient Mars. Samples that once showed abundant clay minerals now exhibit sulfate rich rocks, according to Dr Vasavada. We dont know what it means but one of our leading hypotheses is that those sulfate minerals were enriched through something like what happens when lakes and water dries out and they leave salty minerals behind, he said. It may be a sign of the planet as a whole doing that. So as Curiosity roves on, it may not only prove to have found evidence of a past period of habitability, it may provide clues to when and how that period came to an end. Assuming the tough rover can keep on trucking. Dr Vasavada thinks the odds are good. Weve had some pretty significant challenges. Weve had to redesign how we drill twice in the mission now Due to some anomalies that have occurred and loss of a couple mechanical parts of the rover, he said. Weve had a lot of issues in 10 years as aging machines do, but weve always been able to recover. Yuri Borisov, the newly appointed chief of Roscosmos, recently announced that Russia is pulling out of the International Space Station after 2024. NASA and Russia's space agency work in tandem to keep the station running, and the latter's exit would change ISS operations tremendously. According to Reuters, though, NASA has actually been preparing for such a possibility way before Borisov made his announcement and even before the invasion of Ukraine began in light of the increasing tensions between Russia and the US. Reuters' sources said NASA and the White House drew up contingency plans for the ISS late last year. Those plans include ways to pull astronauts out of the station if Russia leaves abruptly and ways to keep the ISS running without Russian hardware. While the US module keeps the station balanced and provides the electricity it needs to run using its solar arrays, Roscosmos' module has the thrusters needed to keep the flying lab in orbit. And that is why NASA's contingency plans also reportedly include examining ways to dispose of the station years earlier than planned. Apparently, NASA was working on creating a formal request for contractors to conjure up ways to deorbit the space station over the past few weeks. That said, the agency roped in private space companies into its contingency planning in hopes of keeping the ISS in orbit even without Russia. The sources said Boeing already formed a team of engineers to figure out how to control the ISS without Russia's thrusters. SpaceX chief Elon Musk also previously expressed interest in helping out when former Roscosmos director Dmitry Rogozin slammed Western sanctions against his country, asking who would "save the ISS from uncontrolled deorbiting" if the West blocks cooperation with Russia. Back in June, Northrop Grumman was successfully able to adjust the station's orbit for future operations using its Cygnus capsule, which was then docked to the ISS. Reuters' sources said SpaceX is also looking into the possibility of using its spacecraft to boost the station's orbit. Borisov said Russia hasn't set a date for its exit yet, but that it would honor its obligations and will give partners a one-year notice before it leaves. Roscosmos and NASA will most likely continue working closely until Russia pulls out of the program they even recently agreed to swap seats on Crew Dragon and Soyuz flights to the ISS. The school system in Madison County, N.C., plans to put AR-15 rifles in emergency safes in each of its six schools as a part of a plan for enhanced security in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting earlier this year. We were able to put an AR-15 rifle and safes in all of our schools in the county, Sheriff Buddy Harwood told the Asheville Citizen-Times. Weve also got breaching tools to go into those safes. Weve got extra magazines with ammo in those safes. The breaching tools are intended to allow police to break down barricaded doors without having to wait for the fire department. Harwood said that he wants to make sure my deputies are prepared in the event of a school shooting, especially after the Uvalde police failed to take down the shooter at Robb Elementary School for over an hour. Those officers were in that building for so long, and that suspect was able to infiltrate that building and injure and kill so many kids, said Harwood. I do not want to have to run back out to the car to grab an AR, because thats time lost. Hopefully well never need it, but I want my guys to be as prepared as prepared can be, he added. The schools where the safes will be located are Brush Creek Elementary, Hot Springs Elementary, Mars Hill Elementary, Madison Middle, Madison High and Madison Early College High. Madison County Schools Superintendent Will Hoffman said that the systems administration has been in regular contact with Harwood and the rest of the police department about school security. Our partnership with law enforcement is a critical part of our daily preparations. We have to be vigilant and prepared for any possibility at any time. Our students have to feel safe in order to be safe, said Hoffman. Harwood acknowledged that people might have concerns about AR-15s being located in school, but he argued that it would be safer on the whole. I hate that weve come to a place in our nation where Ive got to put a safe in our schools, and lock that safe up for my deputies to be able to acquire an AR-15. But, we can shut it off and say it wont happen in Madison County, but we never know, he said. Harwood continued: I want the parents of Madison County to know were going to take every measure necessary to ensure our kids are safe in this school system. If my parents, as a whole, want me to stand at that door with that AR strapped around that officers neck, then Im going to do whatever my parents want as a whole to keep our kids safe. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Looking at Craneware plc's (LON:CRW ) insider transactions over the last year, we can see that insiders were net buyers. That is, there were more number of shares purchased by insiders than there were sold. Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. Check out our latest analysis for Craneware Craneware Insider Transactions Over The Last Year Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Co-Founder Keith Neilson for UK50k worth of shares, at about UK23.50 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than UK18.60 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when an insider has purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price. Keith Neilson was the only individual insider to buy during the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date! Craneware is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Insider Ownership Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Craneware insiders own 17% of the company, currently worth about UK109m based on the recent share price. This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders. Story continues So What Does This Data Suggest About Craneware Insiders? It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Craneware shares in the last quarter. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Judging from their transactions, and high insider ownership, Craneware insiders feel good about the company's future. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. To assist with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Craneware. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. A Tired Mother Covering Her Eyes As She Breastfeeds Her Baby Boy Lying Down On A Bed Maresa Smith / Stocksy When the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released updated feeding guidelines in Juneextending the recommended duration for providing human milk to children from 1 to 2 yearsit drew swift backlash for being unrealistic. Other agencies, like the World Health Organization, have long recommended providing human milk to children for at least two years. The AAP's updated guidelines also called for support, including paid family leave, to change the reality for American families and support longer chestfeeding. Why the backlash? Cecilia Tomori, Ph.D., the director of global public and community health at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, says it's because the recommendations may come off as a directive to individuals to figure out a way to meet these guidelines. But that's not the point. "Recommendations facilitate policy change," says Dr. Tomori, who wrote Nighttime Breastfeeding: An American Cultural Dilemma. "They are written for that purpose. Individuals are not responsible for the system. We need to fix the system." A new survey from Aeroflow Breastpumps further highlights what little supports exist for lactating parents. Nearly two-thirds of the 1,600-plus respondents said that more support would have allowed them to lactate longer, and more than half said there wasn't enough awareness about support services. But what does support mean? Dr. Tomori says it takes a village. Lactation Data, At a Glance Breastfeeding rates have increased in the last century. In the mid to late 1940s, only 25% of people ever initiated breastfeeding. But new programs, such as the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), have helped. According to 2018 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 83.9% of children born that year were breastfed as newborns. However, there was a significant drop to 57.7% still breastfeeding by the six-month mark and 35% at one year. Rates may rise amid an ongoing formula shortage. Nearly 2-in-5 respondents to the Aeroflow survey said they were planning to breastfeed longer due to the formula shortage, and 18% said they were planning to seek lactation support. Story continues For many, choosing to chestfeed or not is a personal decision. For others, the decision is complicated by systemic inequities. Chestfeeding is not easy or free, and those in historically oppressed communities are not given the support or access to succeed at chestfeeding if they do want to do so. "Privilege becomes a part of breastfeeding," says Dr. Tomori. According to the CDC, nearly 86% of non-Hispanic white people ever breastfeed and 69.4% of non-Hispanic Black people breastfeed. "Only people able to mobilize these resources are able to breastfeed," adds Dr. Tomori. In order to increase rates and help people meet their goals, access to resources and support is essential. What Lactating Parents Need Medical experts acknowledge the benefits of human milk, such as the reduced risk of some cancers in lactating people and respiratory and gastrointestinal issues in babies. But the system doesn't provide the necessary structure to help families meet the recommendations. Then individuals blame themselves if it does not work out. "In most instances, women believe that these struggles are their own fault and that they or their bodies have failed," Dr. Tomori writes in a recent paper on breastfeeding. "This is, of course, not the case. The majority of breastfeeding challenges are attributable to structural drivers rather than individual physiology or even personal decisions." Here's what needs to change. Paid parental leave Dr. Tomori says access to paid leave is an anchor in setting families up for success with lactation and, frankly, should be given regardless of how a family is feeding their child. The United States remains the only developed nation without federal paid leave. In March of 2021, fewer than 25% of civilian, private-sector, and state and local government workers had access to paid family leave, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "It's a right," says Dr. Tomori. And when it comes to the lactation, it's essential. Lactation relies on proximity, supply, and demand. The more milk removed from a lactating person, the more the person will make. "Babies feed very frequently, especially early on," Dr. Tomori explains. "If you interfere with that, you undermine lactation." One 2016 study showed that individuals with at least 12 or more weeks of paid leave were more likely to initiate and still be breastfeeding after six months. Research shows that Black and Latinx birthing people are significantly less likely to have access to paid leave, so it's not surprising they are less likely to breast/chestfeed. Dr. Tomori recommends at least one year of paid leave. "Societies that value raising the next generation understand the significance," she says. "Of course, people could return earlier if desired. At the minimum, we should be complying with International Labour Organization recommendations of 14 weeks." Workplace accommodations Workplace support doesn't end when any applicable leave does. To continue providing milk to a child, a lactating person who has returned to work will need to express milk at least as often as the baby eats, says Sheila Janakos, IBCLC, and founder of Healthy Horizons Breastfeeding Centers and Corporate Lactation Services. In an eight-hour workday, that may be about two to four times. It can take about 20 minutes or more with a double-electric pump, which insurance provides for free under the Affordable Care Act. Under federal labor laws, most employers must provide pumping breaks and a space other than the bathroom. Those breaks can be unpaid. The PUMP Act, which would have clarified that pump breaks need to be paid, failed to pass in July. The lack of paid pump breaks expands inequity for individuals who must clock out to pump. "People who don't have to clock out don't have to stress about not getting paid," says Janakos. Jankos adds workplace support for breast/chestfeeding parents should include a clean place to pump, a refrigerator to store milk, and paid shipment of milk if a person has to travel for business while pumping. Acknowledgement of the effects of systemic racism Access to paid leave and other resources, such as money to pay for lactation support, are key cogs in the low breastfeeding rates in Black communities. But centuries of trauma also play a role, notes Lydia Boyd, IBCLC, CBE, CLE, BPC, of The Lactation Network and The B.L.A.C.K. Course. Black enslaved women were often forced to be wet nurses or, after giving birth, sent back to work in the fields while someone else may or may not have cared for their child. Boyd says the Black body has also been demonizedcalled unhygienic, used for medical experimentation, including by James Marion Sims, the "Godfather of Modern Gynecology." "It makes it difficult for us to embrace the natural beauty of our nakedness, much less during breastfeeding," says Boyd. And because rates of Black breastfeeding have historically lagged, Boyd says that new parents may not have the same village that may be able to offer advice, such as on effective latching. It doesn't help that many of the images in gynecology offices, on international board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) exams, and in other literature are of white people. "The fact is in 2022...we center white anatomy so much that people don't know what [Black anatomy] looks like," says Boyd. Nekisha Killings, MPH IBCLC, from The Melanated Mammary Atlas, agrees. "Starting at the top, the organizations that drive education and testing for lactation professionals must prioritize inclusion and cultural humility in their curriculums and examination," says Killings. "This would force those entering the field and renewing certifications to have some level of acumen regarding engagement with and assessment of [Black, Indigenous, and people of color]." Killings also calls for people in health care and lactation professionals to reach out to historically oppressed communities about what they need to be successful. "We cannot effectively meet the education and support needs of marginalized and historically oppressed communities without inviting them to the table to have input on creating solutions that are relevant to them," says Killings. Education before birth There's an idea out there that breastfeeding is naturalmammals do it in the wild, after all. But Janakos says that prenatal education is critical. Courses exist, often through hospitals and OB-GYN offices, but Janakos said there needs to be an increased priority in raising awareness about them. Overall, education should cover how lactation works, what's normal, and what support is available while also dispelling myths and offering support with creating a birth plan that includes immediate skin-to-skin. Studies show that skin-to-skin within the first hour of life increases breastfeeding initiation. Jessica Madden, M.D., IBCLC, the medical director at Aeroflow Breastpumps, says education should include a plan for a support person's role. "The breastfeeding parent has to be able to breastfeed the baby," says Dr. Madden. "That's it. That partner can take on everything else like laundry, cooking, and diaper changes." More education for health care providers Pediatricians are only required to have three hours of lactation education to care for newborns. International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) need a minimum of 95 hours of lactation education. Dr. Madden says that many pediatricians have improved at referring individuals to IBCLCs if they flag a potential feeding problem, such as slow weight infant gain. Others have them on staff. The AAP suggests pediatricians consider the latter. There isn't data on how many have taken this suggestion. Dr. Madden believes it's rare, and Dr. Tomori thinks that's problematic. "Physicians will state they are supportive," Dr. Tomori says. "The words are there. The practices aren't. They aren't understanding the way lactation works or babies need to feed frequentlyand may encourage practices that interfere with lactation, such as not feeding during the night [which hurts supply], supplementing without moving milk, limiting time on the breast, and interval feedings [rather than on-demand feedings]." The solution when something goes wrong is too often formula rather than support. "Whenever something goes wrong with breastfeeding, they don't fix the underlying issue with breastfeeding," says Dr. Tomori. "They go to formula." One program developed in part to curb this issue is the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), launched by the WHO and UNICEF. It aims to give people the education, information, and support to initiate chestfeeding in the hospital, starting with their Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding guide. Offering options is critical. According to the CDC's Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care, 76% of people wishing to formula feed say they received information in the hospital on how to safely prepare formula, which is higher than the 70% of lactating people who say they were shown or taught techniques, like latching and hand expression. In cases where breastmilk supply is not or cannot be established, Dr. Tomori would like to see more acknowledgment of donor milk, which the WHO recommends over formula when possible. Access to lactation consultants IBCLCs are highly trained in lactation, but they may also be expensive and not always covered by insurance. Costs vary, but visits can be $100 or more, and many parents need multiple visits for appropriate support. Boyd and Madden believe policies requiring insurance companies to cover these visits would help make IBCLCs more accessible and increase equity in chestfeeding rates. There has been progress in providing support to more families. For example, WIC, a supplemental income program for lower-income women, infants, and children, has peer counselors available to help individuals who qualify Grace Advocating for structural support, as the AAP has done, is essential in helping people meet their feeding goals. But those supports do not currently exist, particularly in historically oppressed communities. Untiland even whenthey are in place, Boyd says it's important to remember chestfeeding may look different for everyone. Also, in rare cases, the lactating person is biologically unable to produce enough milk. "We have to meet people where they are," says Boyd. "We may have a better chance at getting people to breastfeed for two years if we tell them that you can pump, give donor milk, or if we have to give them a little formula, that's OK. You should still get credit for breastfeeding." Dr. Tomori wants individuals to understand that it's not a lactating person's fault if chestfeeding doesn't work out. "People succeed in systems or fail in systems because of the system," says Tomori. In other words, parents are doing their best, and it's long past time for the system to follow suit. Tameron Honda president/general manager Danny Braden, in partnership with the Etowah County Sheriff's Department and the Etowah County Board of Education, will fund a school resource officer at Glencoe Elementary School, according to a press release Glencoe Elementary School now will have a permanent school resource officer, according to a press release from Etowah County Sheriff Jonathan Horton. More: Glencoe 12-year-old's birthday party becomes a community teddy bear drive More: Etowah County Schools look toward new infrastructure, enhanced SRO presence in new year According to the release, the school's new SRO will be funded through a partnership with the Etowah County Sheriff's Office, the Etowah County Board of Education and Danny Braden, general owner/president of Tameron Honda. The position has guaranteed funding for five years, the release said. The City of Glencoe and the Glencoe Police Department also were cited as being big contributors to devising the plan and helping make it work. SROs provide a campus with a presence meant to identify and deter trespassers and be on the lookout for any criminal or suspicious behavior. More: After Uvalde, Etowah County officers prepare with active shooter training The duty of an SRO has become much more important and necessary in a day and age where tragedies such as the Uvalde, Texas school shooting, where 19 children and two teachers fatally were shot, sadly are becoming more commonplace. The presence of a school resource officer is a step in the direction of helping make sure all students, visitors to campus and school employees are as safe as possible. "I am honored and excited to provide a school resource officer to Glencoe Elementary School," Horton said in the release. "Any time we can add DARE-certified deputies to any of our county schools, we are pleased it gives us that much more opportunity to make a positive impression and/or be a resource to a child in need and keep our children safe and ease the minds of their parents while their children attend school. "We are all in this together," Horton added. "This is in addition to 14 deputies that currently are funded tri-part by the sheriff, County Commission and Board of Education. This is a great example of community partners investing in the community." Contact Gadsden Times reporter Donna Thornton at 256-393-3284 or donna.thornton@gadsdentimes.com. Contact Gadsden Times reporter J.J. Hicks at jhicks1@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Horton, Tameron Honda, Etowah Co. BoE provide SRO to Glencoe Elementary By Sakura Murakami and Kiyoshi Takenaka TOKYO (Reuters) -U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday praised Taiwan, pledged U.S. solidarity and said her trip through Asia, which led to unprecedented military drills by an angry China, was never about changing the regional status quo. Pelosi and a congressional delegation were in Japan on the last stage of an Asian trip that included a brief and unannounced stop in Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing considers its own - and prompted an infuriated Beijing to hold live-fire drills in waters around Taiwan, with five missiles landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone(EEZ). Her stop in Taiwan, the highest-level visit by a U.S. official in 25 years, came as Tokyo, one of Washington's closest allies, has become increasingly alarmed about China's growing might in the Indo-Pacific and the possibility that Beijing could take military action against Taiwan. "We have said from the start that our representation here is not about changing the status quo in Taiwan or the region," she told a news conference after meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. "The Chinese government is not pleased that our friendship with Taiwan is a strong one," she added. "It is bipartisan in the House and in the Senate, overwhelming support for peace and the status quo in Taiwan." China has condemned Pelosi's trip, which took the delegation to Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea as well as Taiwan and Japan. Its state broadcaster said the military exercises, which began on Thursday - the day after Pelosi left Taiwan - and are set to end on Sunday, would be the largest conducted by China in the Taiwan Strait. The exercises have involved live fire on the waters and in the airspace around the island. Japan said that five of nine missiles fired towards its territory landed in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Tokyo lodged a diplomatic protest over the incident, which Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi termed "unprecedented." Story continues Pelosi lauded Taiwan's democracy, economic successes and - in a veiled dig at China - its human rights record, noting support by Taiwan, the first Asian government to allow same-sex marriage, for LGBTQ rights. "The fact is, I have said it again and again, if we do not speak out for human rights in China because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak out about human rights any place in the world," she said. "China has some contradictions - some progress in terms of lifting people up, some horrible things happening in terms of the Uyghurs. In fact, it's been labelled a genocide." Human rights groups accuse Beijing of abuse against Xinjiang's Uyghur ethnic group, accusations China rejects. Delegation member House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Gregory Meeks was even blunter. "They surely don't want us to continue to talk about what's happening in Xinjiang (with) the Uyghurs," he said. "We're going to speak up and speak out for human rights, human dignity, and democratic process. That's what this trip was all about." Pelosi left Japan to return to the United States on Friday afternoon. WORRIED ALLY, MAINTAINING PEACE Earlier, Pelosi met with Kishida, who said afterwards that they would work together to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, a key shipping route - a view echoed by U.S. ambassador Rahm Emanuel. "It is clear that the U.S.-Japan Alliance will stand strong, shoulder-to-shoulder, to defend our interests and our values," he said in a statement. Japan, whose southernmost islands are closer to Taiwan than Tokyo, has warned that Chinese intimidation of Taiwan is an escalating national security threat. Tensions between Japan and China also ramped up a notch on Thursday when China announced that a meeting between the two nations' foreign ministers, set to take place on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting in Cambodia, had been called off due to its displeasure with a G7 statement urging Beijing to resolve the tension over Taiwan peacefully. China summoned the Japanese ambassador in Beijing to lodge stern representations over its participation in the "erroneous" G7 statement, its foreign ministry said on Friday. While visiting Japan in May, U.S. President Joe Biden said he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan - a comment that appeared to stretch the limits of the U.S. policy of "strategic ambiguity" towards the island. Kishida's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has also pledged to double military spending to 2% of GDP. (Additional reporting by Elaine Lies, Mariko Katsumura and Kentaro Sugiyama; writing by Elaine Lies; Editing by David Dolan, Stephen Coates & Simon Cameron-Moore) A pregnant postal carrier was delivering mail along her regular route when a man with a hidden 10-inch butcher knife stabbed her in rural Louisiana, federal prosecutors say. The woman, who was five months pregnant at the time, had delivered mail in Vivian for two years, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Nearly one year later, Derrick J. Thomas, 28, of Vivian, was sentenced to 11 years and five months in prison, an Aug. 4 news release from the attorneys office says. (Thomas), without provocation, committed a violent, inexcusable crime and deserves every day in the jail that the court gave him, U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown said in a statement. McClatchy News contacted Thomas attorney for comment on Aug. 5 and was awaiting a response. On the morning of Aug. 12, 2021, the postal carrier, while working at the Vivian Post Office, began delivering mail in the area when she passed Thomas sitting outside his home which was described as abandoned and parked nearby, according to the release. Eventually, the woman got back in her vehicle and began driving when she saw Thomas waving her down, prosecutors say, but she didnt know Thomas was hiding a 10-inch butcher knife. Thomas suddenly stabbed the woman in the right shoulder, and she slammed her foot on the cars accelerator and drove away before he could stab a second time, according to the release. Prosecutors did not specify a motive for the stabbing, which was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. On March 22, Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a deadly weapon, waiving his right to a jury trial, according to a plea agreement. Our federal employees and contractors must feel safe while in the course and scope of their employment, Brown said. This is especially true when our employees are working in rural areas where law enforcement resources are limited. Vivian is roughly 30 miles northwest of Shreveport. Story continues Missing birthday cards led to arrest of Louisiana postal employee, feds say Man accused of trying to kill letter carrier with a baseball bat faces federal charge Man kidnapped, robbed USPS workers to steal packages, feds say. Hes prison bound Mail carriers keep getting attacked in California neighborhood, so USPS halts service A prison inmate serving a sentence out of Brown County has died. Jordan Ward, 30, was found unresponsive in his cell overnight Wednesday at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls, according to a news release from the Department of Corrections. More: Bond set at $50,000 for man involved in Monday standoff Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful, and his death is under investigation, per the release. Ward was serving sentences for first-degree burglary, accessory to a crime and possession of a controlled substance. This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: South Dakota prison inmate serving a Brown County sentence dies Protesters weathered a thunderstorm in Tampa Thursday night to protest Gov. Ron DeSantis removal of the countys state attorney, Andrew Warren. More than 40 people sheltered from the downpour under the concrete overhang of the Hillsborough County courthouse in downtown Tampa. As they waited to begin, a white pickup truck parked on the corner, its tires partially submerged, blared music and recordings of Warrens campaign ads that were occasionally interrupted by the rattle of thunder. The protesters numbers swelled as the clouds broke and speakers passed around the microphone. Supporters of both U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried the frontrunners in the Democratic gubernatorial primary attended. DeSantis issued an executive order Thursday morning to oust Warren, effectively firing him. The order claimed Warren neglected his duties by signing letters pledging not to enforce laws that limit abortion or ban gender-affirming care for minors. Speakers, including local leaders and representatives from the Hillsborough County Democratic Party, described DeSantis move as authoritarian and an abuse of his power. They argued the decision represented an attempt to remove a democratically elected political opponent, and that Warren had acted lawfully. We have a governor who is running over his political opponents, Tampa Rep. Fentrice Driskell, the incoming leader of the Florida House Democrats, told those gathered at the rally. Gov. DeSantis is an attorney. He knows better. Were all trained in criminal law, and we know that our prosecutors have broad discretion. Warren, a Democrat, has been a sharp critic of DeSantis and his policies. DeSantis order alleged Warrens statements regarding abortion and gender-affirming care amount to blanket refusals to enforce state law, whereas prosecutorial discretion the lawful right of prosecutors to decide when to bring charges must be exercised on a case-by-case basis. Judge Susan Lopez, a former county prosecutor DeSantis named to the bench last year, will replace Warren. Story continues Christie Hattersley, a member of the Fierce Tampa Warriors Facebook group, which helped organize the protest, said Warren was right to not prosecute abortion cases while questions remain about the bans legality under the state constitution. Florida Supreme Court precedent holds that abortion is protected under the state constitutions guarantee of privacy. Barring a brief injunction, the ban has been in effect since July 1, but it continues to face legal challenges. Its a gross overreach of power, Hattersley said in an interview with the Times. If we let this happen, were giving him permission to go and do this across the state. Those comments echoed remarks Warren made at a news conference earlier in the afternoon. At that conference, Warren said the governors order is pure conjecture and lies and is an attempt to overturn the will of the voters who elected him Hillsboroughs state attorney. Warrens fate will fall to the Florida Senate, which will decide whether to remove him from office or reinstate him. (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin and Tayyip Erdogan meet on Friday for the second time in just over two weeks, after Turkey helped broker a deal to resume Ukraine's Black Sea grain exports which were blocked by Russia's invasion. President Erdogan's supporters say the agreement, which could curb soaring global food prices, highlights the importance of NATO member Turkey's diplomatic contacts with both sides. Although Turkey has criticised the Russian invasion and provided Ukraine with arms, it has broken with Western allies by not imposing sanctions on Russia. That careful balance reflects the complexity of its ties with Russia, ranging from close cooperation on energy supplies to military competition in Syria, Libya and Azerbaijan. UKRAINE Days after President Putin and Erdogan met in Tehran last month, Turkey oversaw a deal for the resumption of Ukraine's grain exports. Under the agreement, Turkey is hosting a joint centre where Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish and United Nations representatives will work to ensure the safe transit of Ukraine's exports to world markets. Turkey depends heavily on Russia and Ukraine for grain. Russia accounted for 56% of Turkish grain imports in 2021 at $2.24 billion, while imports from Ukraine amounted to $861 million ARMS SALES Turkish Bayraktar drones sold to Ukraine played a prominent role in slowing the advance of Russian forces when they pushed into Ukrainian territory in February. But Turkey also has growing defence ties with Russia. It bought Russian S-400 missile defence batteries in 2019 and has suggested it could buy more, angering Washington which cancelled the sale of U.S. F-35 fighter jets and sanctioned Turkey's defence industries. Erdogan said last year Turkey was considering more joint defence industry steps with Russia, including for fighter jets and submarines. RIVALS IN WAR In Syria, Turkey backs fighters who once appeared close to toppling President Bashar al-Assad, until Russian intervention shored up the Syrian leader and helped drive the insurgents back to a small pocket of northwest Syria on the Turkish border. Story continues In February 2020, when an air strike killed at least 34 Turkish soldiers, Turkey poured reinforcements into the northwestern Idlib region to stall advances by Russian-backed Syrian government forces which had displaced 1 million people. Erdogan says Turkey plans another incursion into northern Syria targeting areas controlled by Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters, drawing criticism from Russia, Iran and the United States. In Libya, Turkey's military intervention turned back an assault on the internationally-recognised government in Tripoli by eastern-based forces who were supported - according to United Nations experts - by fighters from the Russian Wagner Group. In Azerbaijan, Turkey supported a military assault to drive ethnic Armenian forces out of much of the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in the south Caucasus - a region which Russia considers part of its sphere of influence. ENERGY Russian natural gas made up 45% of import-dependent Turkey's gas purchases last year, which hit a record level as a result of drought and a related rise in gas-driven power production. Russian nuclear conglomerate Rosatom is also building a nuclear plant at Akkuyu in southern Turkey, which Putin has said will start working next year. The plant is expected to provide up to 10% of Turkey's energy needs and will continue to be operated and managed by Rosatom for several decades. TOURISM Seven million Russian tourists visited Turkey in 2019, the largest number from any country, before the coronavirus pandemic drastically cut foreign travel. Tourism remains a significant source of hard currency for the Turkish economy. PERSONAL CHEMISTRY Putin and Erdogan have led their countries for two rollercoaster decades. In 2015 Turkey's military shot down a Russian jet which crossed into Turkish air space, prompting a crisis in relations. But less than a year later, Putin was one of the first world leaders to express support for Erdogan when he survived a coup attempt, laying the foundation for their growing defence ties. Both, however, have kept each other waiting at summit meetings, prompting media speculation about games of one-upmanship. Erdogan was left waiting for two minutes by Putin in 2020, only for the tables to be turned in Tehran last month. "Was it revenge?" asked Turkey's T24 website in a headline. (Reporting by Dominic Evans; Editing by Christina Fincher) WASHINGTON Raytheon-owned Blue Canyon Technologies opened the doors of a new satellite manufacturing facility in Colorado that will increase its production capacity to 85 space vehicles per year from 50 and could help cement its parent companys position as a leader in the technology. The 31,000 square foot plant is dedicated to building cubesats, a class of small satellites that weigh between one and 10 kilograms and are typically the size of a loaf of bread. Since Raytheon acquired Blue Canyon last year, it has expanded production capacity in Boulder and at a facility in nearby Lafayette that builds microsatellites, or those weighing 10-100 kilograms. This new manufacturing facility allows us to produce at a larger scale, provide innovative solutions and deliver top-performing satellites to meet our customers needs, John Carvo, Blue Canyons executive director of cubesats, said in a statement announcing the plants Aug. 4 grand opening. Blue Canyon produces a range of small space vehicles for customers at the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA. Later this summer, two weather satellites it developed for a joint program led by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and the United Kingdom Defence Science and Technology Laboratory will launch as part of the first space mission to lift off from British territory. Roy Azevedo, president of Raytheons intelligence and space business, told C4ISRNET the companys investment in Blue Canyon is part of a broader strategy to become a leader in small satellite technology. In the last two years, weve invested over $1 billion dollars and thats in small satellites, space-qualified electronics, optics, constellation management systems, Azevedo told C4ISRNET during a July 19 interview at the Farnborough Airshow. We have every intent of being a small sat leader. Along with its purchase of Blue Canyon, Raytheon last year acquired space-qualified electronics company SEAKR Engineering and in July announced it would buy a United Kingdom-based space domain awareness startup called Northern Space and Security. That deal is expected to close by the end of this month. Azevedo said Raytheons recent acquisitions, while focused on leadership in the small satellite market, are also meant to differentiate the company at a technology level. Blue Canyon and SEAKR provide the company with satellite and sensor hardware expertise and NORSS adds specialization in orbital analysis and surveillance. Its quite congested in space, and that is what their tool sets are made for, he said of NORSS. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) wants the Justice Department to prosecute former President Donald Trump if it finds evidence related to his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack. Cheney, vice chair of the Jan. 6 House select committee, weighed in on whether a potential prosecution could add to Trumps political clout with supporters. The question for us is: Are we a nation of laws? Are we a country where no one is above the law? And what do the facts and the evidence show? Cheney told CNNs Kasie Hunt on Thursday. And certainly, Ive been very clear, I think hes guilty of the most serious dereliction of duty of any president in our nations history. Cheney also referenced a California federal district judge who said Trump, along with his former attorney John Eastman, more likely than not had committed crimes related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election. She said the Jan. 6 committee would offer an opinion on criminal referrals to the Justice Department but added that any prosecution was ultimately up to the DOJ. Understanding what it means if the facts and the evidence are there, and they decide not to prosecute: How do we then call ourselves a nation of laws? I think thats a very serious, serious balancing, Cheney said. Watch a clip from the interview below: Rep. Liz Cheney says if the Justice Department does not prosecute former President Donald Trump for his role in the insurrection at the US Capitol, the decision could call into question whether the United States can "call ourselves a nation of laws" https://t.co/lhqRO5XvGFpic.twitter.com/DCB8t68NjK CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 4, 2022 Trumps lawyers have reportedly been in touch with the DOJ and were told that indictments were possible, sources told CNN. Story continues Cheney, who is running for re-election against a Trump-backed opponent, gave the CNN interview on the same day her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, called Trump a coward in an ad for her reelection campaign. A recent poll by The Casper Star-Tribune showed Cheney was trailing behind her opponent, Harriet Hageman, by 22 percentage points. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... Milwaukee will host the 2024 Republican National Convention, committee chair Ronna McDaniel announced Friday. I am excited to announce that the RNC has voted unanimously to select Milwaukee as the host city for the 2024 Republican National Convention! McDaniel tweeted. Milwaukee is a world-class city, and we are eager to see it shine in the spotlight come 2024." Milwaukee was recommended by a GOP site selection panel in mid-July and formally chosen as the host city during the RNCs August meeting this week in Chicago. Milwaukee and Nashville were both floated as host cities, but the Tennessee capital lost out after two city council members pulled the draft agreement to host the convention from the councils agenda at the last minute. The GOPs choice of Wisconsin puts the party's nominating convention in a key battleground state. Former President Donald Trump won the state in 2016 but lost it to President Joe Biden in 2020 by less than a percentage point. The Democratic National Committee also selected Milwaukee to hold its convention in 2020, though it was a mostly virtual format due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. McDaniel told Fox News on the eve of the RNCs vote that Wisconsins position as a bellwether state was a factor in the RNC considering it to host its presidential nominating convention. "It is a purple state," McDaniel told Fox. "It is exactly the voters that we are trying to bring into our party, and they have done such a great job. We're excited not only to elect our future president out of Milwaukee as a Republican, but we're excited to showcase a wonderful city and a wonderful state." The GOP will host its 2024 national convention in Milwaukee, the party announced Friday following a unanimous vote by the Republican National Committee. Milwaukee is a world-class city, and we are eager to see it shine in the spotlight come 2024, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeted after the vote. The announcement makes Milwaukee a convention host for the second straight presidential election cycle. Democrats planned to host their convention there in 2020 but ultimately decided to hold much of the event virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic. The convention will feature speeches from major party figures and will culminate in the formal nomination of the Republican Partys ticket for the 2024 presidential election. Milwaukee welcomes the 2024 Republican National Convention. My city is ready to show the world what a great destination we are for conventions and tourism, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said in a statement. We look forward to the positive economic impact of the Presidential nomination convention, and, as the host city, I am confident all the attendees will find Milwaukee to be a splendid location for the event. Wisconsin is typically a key swing state and will likely be one again in 2024. Former President Trump has continued to pressure Wisconsin officials over the results of the 2020 election there, where President Biden defeated Trump by nearly 21,000 votes. Nashville, Tenn., was the other city in contention to host the Republican convention in 2024. Democrats have yet to announce where they will hold their 2024 convention. The party is still mulling a shake up to its primary calendar that would replace Iowa and New Hampshire as the first states in the nominating process. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday in Cambodia that the Kremlin is ready to discuss a prisoner swap for WNBA star Brittney Griner. The Russian government is ready to discuss the topic, but within the framework of the channel that has been agreed by the presidents, Lavrov said according to CNN. There is a specified channel that has been agreed upon by [Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden], and no matter what anyone says publicly, this channel will remain in effect, Lavrov said at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit. Secretary of State Antony Blinken followed up on Lavrovs comment at the same summit, CNN reported, saying that the U.S. will continue to pursue discussions with Russia. We put forward, as you know, a substantial proposal that Russia should engage with us on. And what Foreign Minister Lavrov said this morning and said publicly is that they are prepared to engage through channels weve established to do just that. And well be pursuing that, he said. Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison on Thursday after spending months in detention for carrying an illegal substance through airport security in the country. Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney, President Biden said after learning of the sentence. The ruling puts a spotlight on [Washingtons] very significant concern with Russias legal system and the Russian governments use of wrongful detentions to advance its own agenda using individuals as political pawns, Blinken said, according to CNN. The same goes for Paul Whelan, he added. Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, has been in captivity in Russia since 2018 and has received more attention after Griners detention in the country. David Whelan, Paul Whelans brother, told The Hill that it will be really hard if his sibling is excluded from a deal freeing Griner. If Paul is left behind again it will be really hard, and yet we realize that Ms. Griners case is a different case and its a different person and its a different family, and the U.S. government has to deal with each of these cases one by one, David Whelan said on Tuesday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Alex Jones attempts to answer questions about his text messages asked by Mark Bankston, lawyer for Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, during trial on August 3, 2022. Briana Sanchez/AP A lawyer representing two Sandy Hook parents told the jury in Alex Jones' trial to "Take him out." "Alex Jones is patient zero for our society's inability to speak without lies," the attorney said. The jury in Jones' defamation trial is weighing punitive damages against the Infowars founder. "Take him out." That's what a lawyer representing two Sandy Hook parents who have sued Alex Jones for defamation over his false "hoax" claims about the massacre asked a Texas jury to do on Friday as they weigh punitive damages against the Infowars founder. "Take him out of this discourse of this misinformation, of this peddling of lies and make sure he can't do it again," attorney Wesley Ball said of the far-right conspiracy theorist during his closing arguments in the punitive damages phase of Jones' defamation damages trial. "I ask that with your verdict you not only take Alex Jones' platform away, you make certain he will not rebuild the platform," he added. "That is punishment. That is deterrence." The jury in the civil case on Thursday awarded $4.1 million in compensatory damages to plaintiffs Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis the parents of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, who was one of the 26 killed in the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, massacre. Now lawyers for the parents want the jury to force Jones to pay $145.9 million in punitive damages to them to come to $150 million in total damages like they originally asked for at the beginning of the two-week trial. "Alex Jones is patient zero for our society's inability to speak without lies," Ball told the Travis County District Court jury. "He is patient zero for alternative facts." "I hope we never see someone like him again," Ball said, adding, "I hope that with your verdict he can go away." Heslin and Lewis sued Jones and his media company, Free Speech Systems, for defamation over his falsehoods about the mass shooting. Jones has already been found liable by default by the Texas court and a court in Connecticut for his depiction of the rampage, which was the deadliest K-12 school shooting in American history. Story continues Ball told the jury that though he is "incredibly grateful" they already awarded $4.1 million to his clients because it is a sum that will change their lives "forever," it "doesn't affect Alex Jones' life one bit." "Your verdict doesn't punish and it doesn't deter thus far in any way and that's what this stage is for," Ball said. Earlier Friday, a forensic economist testified in the case and estimated that the combined net worth of Jones and his media company is between $135 million and $270 million. Ball told the jury that contained in the contents of Jones' cell phone that was inadvertently sent last month to opposing counsel was a text message from Jones saying that he made $4 million in one week "years after" he was de-platformed from social media sites. "We know that everything the man said on the [witness] stand is virtually a lie," Ball said of Jones, who testified in his own defense during the trial. "When he breathes he lies." Jones' defense attorney, F. Andino Reynal, asked the jury on Friday to return a verdict that is "fair and proportionate," which he suggested was $270,000. "You have already sent a message," Reynal told the jury. "You sent a message for the first time to a talk show host, to all talk show hosts that their standard of care has to be different." The jury has begun deliberations in the matter. Read the original article on Insider Upset parents in the Millcreek and North East school districts sued over the mask mandates and quarantine rules that school directors followed to deal with COVID-19, a brand-new disease. A 128-year-old court ruling is standing out as the school districts' biggest ally as they seek to vindicate their actions and impose a costly defeat on the parents in Erie County Common Pleas Court. At a hearing on the parents' lawsuits, Judge Erin Connelly Marucci repeatedly referred to an 1894 ruling from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court as she sharply questioned the parents' lawyer about why she should not grant the school districts' request to toss the parents' suits as legally groundless. Connelly Marucci was also skeptical about the argument of the parents' lawyer that some Christians might deserve religious exemptions from wearing masks during the pandemic. The lawyer said mask-wearing, for those people, could be tantamount to "satanic ritual." The odd religious reference aside, the 1894 state Supreme Court ruling, which remains precedent, was at the center of a wide-ranging court hearing on Thursday on the lawsuits. The ruling affirmed a school district's authority to require smallpox vaccinations. Ready for argument:Anti-mask lawsuits against Millcreek, North East schools reach next stage in court The Millcreek and North East school districts are arguing that the decision, other court rulings and state law gave the respective school boards the authority to require facemasks and quarantines for students and staff to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. "In my assessment, that appears to be very on point," Connelly Marucci told the parents' lawyer, referring to the 1894 ruling. After hearing arguments from both sides for an hour, Connelly Marucci said she would issue a ruling "sooner rather than later" on the school districts' motion to dismiss the parents' cases. The districts also want the judge to order the parents to pay the districts' legal fees if the parents lose. Story continues On Aug. 23, 2021, protesters demonstrate against COVID-19 vaccinations and facemasks outside the Millcreek Township School District's Education Center. The lingering dispute over masks is the subject of lawsuits against the Millcreek and North East school districts in Erie County Common Pleas Court. School districts call lawsuits 'frivolous' The parents want Connelly Marucci to remove from office the school board members who approved the mask and quarantine requirements. The parents are citing a part of the Pennsylvania School Code, Section 3-318, that allows a Common Pleas Court judge to oust school directors who fail to perform certain duties or neglect their duties. The judge would appoint the new school directors. Setting precedent:In 1894, PA Supreme Court ruled in favor of smallpox shots for students. What does it mean today? A number of parents sued the Millcreek Township School District on April 25, and a group of North East parents filed a virtually identical petition on May 19. The parents said they sued under the auspices of a group called Erie County PA Parents Protecting Children. The Millcreek School District has not required masks and quarantines for its 6,400 students since March 1. The North East School District lifted similar requirements for its 1,600 students on Feb. 28. The parents, in a local example of the lingering opposition to masks and other COVID-19 measures nationwide, are claiming that the school districts nonetheless violated the rights of their children by imposing the mandates. The school districts are arguing that the school directors were following the state directives at the time, and that the 1894 court decision, other court rulings and state law all give school boards the authority to take actions to safeguard student health. Millcreek case:Parents' group sues to remove Millcreek school directors over previous mask requirements District's response:Calling it 'nonsense,' Millcreek School Board wants parents' mask lawsuit tossed "To suggest that the school district lacks the authority over health and safety there is no basis for that," one of the lawyers for the school districts, Michael Musone, told Connelly Marucci. As he listed some of the decisions that he said set precedent, Musone said "the cases go back a century." He called the Millcreek and North East lawsuits "frivolous." Parents' lawyer mentions 'satanic ritual' The lawyer for the parents, J. Chadwick Schnee, of Lebanon County, argued that the mask and quarantine rules violated students' and parents' rights under the Pennsylvania constitution. He questioned the applicability of the 1894 decision, Duffield v. School District of the City of Williamsport. He said requiring students to wear facemasks violated the Pennsylvania constitution's guarantee that "the people have a right to clean air." "Masks interfere with the ability to breathe clean air," Schnee said. He said the masks had also violated students' religious freedom because he said the school districts had not considered exempting students from wearing masks due to their religious beliefs. "Under what religion can't you wear a mask?" Connelly Marucci said to Schnee. He responded that, based on his understanding, some "fundamental Christians" believe that wearing a mask is "participating in some kind of satanic ritual." Courtroom packed as lawyers spar over what is 'good faith' Connelly listened to the arguments in a courtroom so packed with spectators that sheriff's deputies had to turn people away because no seats were left in the gallery. Many of the members of the audience were supporting the parents who were the lead petitioners in the cases Troy Prozan in the Millcreek case and Erin Beckes in the North East case. In the audience, those supporting the parents' positions included Lou Aliota, a former Millcreek school director who has been involved with extensive litigation against the Millcreek School District. Also supporting the parents was Greg Hayes, a former Republican candidate for state representative who has been outspoken in his opposition to masks. For the school districts, supporters in court included Millcreek schools Superintendent Ian Roberts and Millcreek School Board President Gary Winschel. North East case:North East School Board hit with anti-mask lawsuit; follows case against Millcreek board As he closed out his arguments for the parents, Schnee, their lawyer, asked Connelly Marucci to refrain from making any decision that would force the parents to pay the legal fees for the school districts. He said the parents had filed reasonable petitions to address legitimate concerns. "We have good faith legal issues," he said. Musone, the lawyer who argued for the school districts, countered that school directors have been trying to act in the best interest of students, and that the petitions for removal have "no basis in law and fact." Musone asked Connelly Marucci to follow precedent most notably, the 1894 state Supreme Court decision and set precedent of her own by tossing the cases and forcing the parents to pay the districts' legal costs. Statewide concern?:Court fights could increase as Erie, other Pennsylvania schools reinstate mask mandates Connelly Marucci, "should draw a line in the sand," Musone said, and ensure that the local courts will not tolerate such lawsuits. Otherwise, Musone said, "What is the next case that is going to be brought before this court?" Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNpalattella. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Anti-mask lawsuits: Erie judge hears arguments on whether to toss cases The Cartwheel galaxy, located 500 million light years away, as seen by the James Webb Space Telescopes near and mid-infrared instruments (Nasa) A world-renowned scientist has been forced to apologise after he shared what he claimed was a stunning picture of a star and turned out to be a slice of chorizo. Etienne Klein, a celebrated French physicist, shared an image of what he said was Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to Earth. He said the picture had been taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, from which a host of stunning images had been revealed in recent weeks. This level of detail... he wrote. A new world is revealed day after day. Photo de Proxima du Centaure, letoile la plus proche du Soleil, situee a 4,2 annee-lumiere de nous. Elle a ete prise par le JWST. Ce niveau de details Un nouveau monde se devoile jour apres jour. pic.twitter.com/88UBbHDQ7Z Etienne KLEIN (@EtienneKlein) July 31, 2022 At first glance, the image looked legitimate, showing the deep red and swirling white colours of a star. But on closer inspection the image was something rather more down-to-Earth: a slice of chorizo against a black background. About an hour after he first sent the tweet, Dr Klein made clear he had been joking. He quipped that when people got hungry they give into cognitive biases and that people should be aware. According to contemporary cosmology, no object belonging to Spanish charcuterie exists anywhere but on Earth, he continued. Then, hours after the original post, he said that he needed to respond to comments that appeared to be suggesting he had been mistaken himself. He said that the picture had been a form of amusement and once against reminded his followers that they should be suspicious both of arguments from authority as well as the convincing nature of such images. Still, many of Dr Kleins followers appeared to believe that he had been irresponsible in attempting to trick people. One noted that it was important to be able to trust scientists, precisely to avoid being manipulated by false stories, and that many people will have seen his original post but not the follow-up clarifications. Story continues The joke also appeared to have been made by a host of other Twitter users, before Dr Klein posted it, with other users reprimanding the scientist for not giving credit for the original quip. Some days later, Dr Klein was continuing to apologise for what he had done. He said that he wanted to give his apologies to anyone who was shocked by the hoax, and confessed that his joke was unoriginal. He once again stressed that in posting the picture he had only intended to make people cautious about spectacular images that were not properly contextualised. Dr Klein also tweeted a copy of the distant Cartwheel galaxy, which he stressed was real this time. WASHINGTON (AP) The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Friday he plans to hold an oversight hearing on the crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons after The Associated Press reported that the agency is keeping its embattled ex-director on the payroll as an adviser to his successor. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who demanded Michael Carvajal be fired last November amid myriad failings, told the AP in a statement he was dismayed by continuing misconduct within the agency and by its unwillingness to completely cut ties with the former director. Carvajal submitted his resignation in January but remained in charge of the Bureau of Prisons until the new director, Colette Peters, was sworn in Tuesday following a lengthy search process. On Thursday, the AP reported that Carvajal is staying on through the end of the month as a senior adviser to Peters, the former director of Oregons state prison system. After speaking with Peters this week, Durbin said hes hopeful for serious reforms at BOP, but it is time to move on from Carvajals failed leadership. Its no secret that the Bureau of Prisons has been plagued by misconduct, Durbin said, noting his calls for Carvajals ouster last fall. Its time to leave the scandals and mismanagement of the Carvajal era in the past and focus on fixing this broken institution. Thats why, in addition to my commitment to working with new BOP leadership, I plan to hold a BOP oversight hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee when we return from the August state work period, Durbin said. Durbin didnt provide a date for the hearing or say what witnesses might be called or topics discussed. The Senate returns from its August recess after Labor Day. Peters has pledged to overhaul the federal agency, which was plagued by myriad problems during Carvajals two years in charge. She has pledged greater transparency and accountability for the Bureau of Prisons, the Justice Departments largest component with a budget of more than $8 billion. Story continues Carvajal, a Trump administration holdover, submitted his resignation on Jan. 5 amid increasing scrutiny over his leadership in the wake of AP reporting that uncovered widespread problems at the Bureau of Prisons, including rampant sexual assault at a California women's prison, widespread staff criminal conduct, dozens of escapes, deaths and staffing woes hampering responses to emergencies. Durbin demanded Carvajals firing last November after the AP revealed that more than 100 Bureau of Prisons workers have been arrested, convicted or sentenced for crimes since the start of 2019. Durbin doubled down on his call for Carvajals removal in a speech on the Senate floor last December. Since day one, Director Carvajal has shown no intention of reforming the institution, Durbin said. For years, the Bureau of Prisons has been plagued by corruption, chronic understaffing, and misconduct by high-ranking officials. By then, Carvajal was already on the hot seat. Biden administration officials had discussions in the spring of 2021 about whether to remove Carvajal, after the AP reported that widespread correctional officer vacancies were forcing prisons to expand the use of cooks, teachers, nurses and other workers to guard inmates. In one of his final acts as director, Carvajal clashed with senators at a hearing last week as he refused to accept responsibility for a culture of corruption and misconduct that has plagued his agency for years. Carvajal, testifying before the Senates Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, insisted he had been shielded from problems by his underlings. But he had been copied on emails, and some of the troubles were detailed in reports generated by the agencys headquarters. Carvajal blamed the size and structure of the Bureau of Prisons for his ignorance on issues such as inmate suicides, sexual abuse, and the free flow of drugs, weapons and other contraband. ___ On Twitter, follow Michael Balsamo at twitter.com/mikebalsamo1 and Michael Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak. Send confidential tips by visiting https://www.ap.org/tips/ Nancy Pelosis much-watched Asia tour has included a run of high-profile meetings: conversations with the prime ministers of Singapore and Malaysia; a meeting with the president of Taiwan; and a likely dialogue with the prime minister of Japan by the end of the week. Missing from that list is the president of South Korea, who missed an in-person get together with the House Speaker as he takes a staycation in Seoul. Ms Pelosi arrived in South Korea on Wednesday evening. At the time Yoon Suk-yeol was in north Seoul attending a theater performance, grabbing selfies and dinner with the cast of a comedy about a subway station worker. Mr Yoons office has explained he was unavailable to meet in person with the US leader. I have received questions about whether the president avoided meeting with the House speaker because he was wary of China, his spokesperson told The Washington Post . All these things are decided based on a thorough consideration of our countrys national interest. Instead, the pair of allies had a 40-minute phone meeting on Thursday. The pair discussed the US alliance with South Korea and deterrence against North Korea, according to a readout of the call. The House Speaker, for her part, seemed pleased with the South Korean leg of the tour, which included conversations with the Speaker of the South Korean National Assembly, and a visit to the Demilitarised Zone between North and South Korea. A relationship that began from urgency and security many years ago has become the warmest of friendships, Ms Pelosi said at a press conference with South Korean leaders. We want to advance security, economy and governance in an inter-parliamentary way, she added. Internally, the perceived snub was met with a mix of reactions. South Korean opposition member Kim Eui-kyeom praised Mr Yoon for skipping out, saying he had avoided jumping into the fire of the US-China conflict that has dogged Ms Pelosis trip, especially its controversial leg in Taiwan. Story continues Yoons avoidance of Pelosi meeting may send wrong signals to the U.S. and China, the right-leaning Chosun Ilbo newspaper argued in an editorial, warning of a submissive attitude towards Xi Jinping. Mr Yoon, who took office in May, argued on the campaign trail it was possible to coexist with the US and China; the former is a major defence partner in South Korea and the latter who is the South Koreas largest trading partner. Its still early on in his presidency and Yoon has to walk a fine line, Choi Jin, head of the Seoul-based Institute of Presidential Leadership think tank, told The Wall Street Journal . Mr Yoon hasnt always tiptoed around Chinas wishes. In June, he angered China by attending a Nato summit in Madrid, while this month the South Korean military will resume full-scale military drills with the US. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrapped up her two-day visit to Seoul on Thursday, but her non-in-person meeting with the president has led to controversy among South Koreans. Pelosi is the first sitting speaker to visit South Korea since Dennis Hastert visited Seoul in 2002. She met her counterpart, Kim Jin-pyo, the speaker of the National Assembly, and agreed to support both governments efforts to achieve denuclearization and peace on the peninsula under strong deterrence against North Korea. However, public criticism has soared over South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol who skipped an in-person meeting with Pelosi due to his being on his summer vacation in his nation's capital, Seoul. Despite her official visit to Seoul, the South Korean presidential office gave several responses over the meeting with Pelosi. PELOSI DOESN'T MENTION TAIWAN IN SOUTH KOREA, AS CHINA LAUNCHES RETALIATORY MISSILE STRIKES Initially the president's office told reporters that the meeting between Yoon and Pelosi was not arranged because of Yoons scheduled summer vacation. Then it suddenly said that it was coordinating with Pelosis office to arrange a meeting, but then reversed its announcement again, saying there was no coordination between the two offices. Although Yoon has been staying at his home in Seoul, his office finally confirmed on Thursday that the two would have a phone call and not a face-to-face meeting. The call between the two lasted 40 minutes. Earlier on the trip, she met with the leaders of Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan before she arrived in Seoul. She is also expected to have a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday. SOUTH KOREA CANCELS FLIGHTS TO TAIWAN AMID CHINESE LIVE-FIRE MILITARY DRILLS Choi Young-bum, the senior presidential secretary for public relations, said the decision not to have a meeting with Pelosi was made based on "the national interest." However, the official refused to answer further questions from reporters on what "the national interest" referred to in this situation. Story continues Adding to the controversy was when Pelosi's delegation arrived at Osan Air Base on Wednesday where a photo showed the absence of Seoul officials welcoming her and the delegation on-site. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., far right, talks with South Korean National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, far left, during their meeting at the National Assembly on Aug. 4, 2022, in Seoul, South Korea. Kim Min-Hee - Pool/Getty Images Choi said that Pelosis counterpart, the National Assembly speaker, was the one who should have been responsible for holding a welcoming ceremony. He also claimed that Pelosis office turned down a ceremony given her delegations late-night arrival on Wednesday. Pelosis office has not yet made a statement over the controversies arising from the criticism aimed at the South Korean president by many in the public there. Influencer sparks conversation about cultural appropriation after sharing recipe for spa water (TikTok / Gracie Norton) An influencers attempt to share a recipe for spa water has sparked a conversation about cultural appropriation after users pointed out the drink shares the same recipe as the popular Mexican drink agua fresca. The trend began with Indiana-based influencer Gracie Norton, who boasts more than 550,000 followers on the app, where she shares health and wellness tips, and who posted about the drink late last month. In the since-deleted videos, Norton touted the drink, consisting of water, cucumber, lime juice and sugar, as being anti-inflammatory, packed with antioxidants and being able to help with digestion. And its personally just my favourite way to stay hydrated, Norton said, before showing followers how to create the drink. Norton also created subsequent recipe videos about the drink, in which she swapped out cucumber for other fruits, according to Today. The videos soon sparked backlash on the video-sharing platform, where many users noted the similarities between Nortons so-called spa water and agua frescas. Agua frescas, which translates to fresh juice, are found throughout Mexico and central America. Girl made an agua fresca and passed it off as spa water, TikTok creator @strawberrryc0ugh captioned a video of Nortons recipe, while another user, @themadzness, noted in a video of their own that they are now gentrifying agua fresca. They are calling it spa water. You know what I think of when I think of spa water? I think of this, the TikToker continued as they showed a bathtub full of dirty water, before showing a photo of the centuries-old drink and noting that this is agua fresca. Nortons video also prompted some creators, such as @erikangel_, to mock the influencers beverage and pretend to order the spa water at an agua fresca stand. Hi, how much for the spa water? Erika asked in the skit, to which a woman speaking Spanish responded with confusion as she asked what spa water was. Spa water, the one with great benefits, the TikToker continued, to which the vendor replied: Ah, agua fresca. Story continues The backlash over the spa water trend also extended to Twitter, where users continued to condemn the recipe as cultural appropriation. Being Latina is like a trend nowdont get me started on spa water. Its pretty annoying, you can love what we have to offer but dont take credit for it, one person tweeted, while another said: Calling agua fresca spa water is the biggest form of cultural appropriation I have seen yet. Daniela Rabalais, a TikToker who recently went viral for calling out the cultural appropriation rampant on the app by jokingly referring to hot dogs as sausage tacos, also shared her criticism of Nortons recipe. She told Refinery29 that she thought the criticism spa water received was valid. The criticism that spa water received is valid. It is definitely cultural appropriation as its something that we as Mexicans and Latin Americans have been enjoying for generations that is being presented as a new idea by white creators, she explained. Following the backlash, Norton removed the videos from her TikTok, and shared an apology to her Instagram Stories. Recently I filmed a spa water series, which I titled incorrectly. The proper name for this drink is agua fresca, and the origin belongs to the Latin community, Norton wrote, according to a screenshot. Many of you have let me know that you would feel more comfortable if the videos were completely removed, so that is what I have done. Norton then went on to note that her content is about celebrating the many ways we can show our bodies love through trying new recipes, and that she is now aware that it is her responsibility to continue to educate myself on the origin of those recipes. I sincerely apologise to the Latin community and those of you that I have offended, she said. While speaking to The Sun, the 24-year-old influencer also said that she is aware why many found the recipe offensive, but that she had nothing but good intentions. After talking with several people who commented on the situation, I now understand why I have offended so many people. I had nothing but good intentions, and was hoping to share a recipe I thought may help people with their PCOS [polycystic ovary syndrome] symptoms, she said. However, upon reflection, it has become clear to me why this was so harmful to the Latino community. I hope that in time, everyone will know how much I have learned from this experience and that I am truly so sorry to the people I have offended. While she acknowledged the issue, Norton also said that it is important for people who make mistakes to be given the opportunity to grow and learn. I strongly believe in learning and growing from our mistakes, but people need to be given the opportunity to do that, she said, adding: If we cancel everyone who makes a mistake, we dont give them the chance to correct it and truly evolve, and I think thats a shame. The Independent has contacted Norton for comment. Gifted programming, already uneven across the country and prone to racial discrimination, has yet another blind spot: twice exceptional students. These advanced learners, who may also receive special education services, can languish academically, their skills overlooked. The same holds true for low-income children, students of color and those learning to speak English. Related: We Dont Have Any Talented Students: Confronting English Language Learners Drastic Under-Representation in Elementary Gifted & Talented Experts say most teachers have only limited training in gifted education and tend to focus on students limitations rather than their strengths, leaving twice exceptional learners particularly vulnerable. Sign up here for The 74s daily newsletter. Donate here to support The 74's independent journalism. In some cases, these students disabilities can mask their aptitude. In others, their accelerated nature can hide their challenges. In both instances, they often go without the support they need and may come to feel unintelligent as their confidence wanes. Nearly 7 million children ages 3 through 21 were served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 2017-18, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. They represented 14% of the nations overall student population but only 2.8 percent of the 3.3 million children enrolled in gifted programming that year, the last for which such data was compiled by the U.S. Department of Education. That figure jumped to 7.2 million, or 15 percent, in 2020-21. Experts say schools failure to help these students reach their potential amounts to a loss not only for the child themselves, but for the community and nation. If they are not identified and supported properly, gifted students are often in classes below their abilities, said Megan Cannella, family services manager at the Davidson Institute, a Nevada-based nonprofit dedicated to profoundly gifted students age 18 and under. The work can seem redundant, boring and slow. In these situations, students are typically not learning new information or growing their skills. Over time, this becomes discouraging, and they may underachieve by rushing through work, doing the bare minimum or refusing to do work. Story continues Roughly 8% of the 846 students identified as gifted in the McAllen Independent School District in South Texas are twice exceptional. They have either a 504 plan, which provides for support services and accommodations, or are enrolled in special education classes, a district official said. Broward County Public Schools in Florida reported a slightly higher rate at 8.4%. Of the 1,364 students in Denver Public Schools gifted or highly gifted program in grades K-5, 131 have special needs, bringing the percentage to 9.6. Children with either 504s or Individualized Education Plans, special schemes to help disabled students succeed in school, made up 10% of the 6,666 students in Floridas Hillsborough County Public Schools gifted elementary school program, officials said. Orange County Public Schools in that same state came in at 9%. Baltimore City Public Schools has made a concerted effort to include under-represented children in this group: It came in at the highest level with 358 of its 3,114 elementary-aged gifted and advanced students having a learning disability nearly 11.5%. Gifted and talented offerings across the country have been under fresh scrutiny since former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio moved, in October 2021, to end the program at the elementary school level because it perpetuated decades of discrimination against Black and Hispanic children. Eric Adams, who struggled in school himself with dyslexia and replaced de Blasio in January, decided to preserve and expand the program, despite its well-documented deficiencies. Related: Problems With NYCS Gifted and Talented Program Shared Across the Country Along With Fears for Gifted Eds Future Deborah Alexander, of Astoria, Queens, recalls the frustration she and her son, Augustus, endured when he was in the first grade. He wasnt learning to write letters properly, she said. His hand strength was not there. We had him evaluated by the school and they told us, erroneously, his grades were too good to qualify for services. Alexander, who has served on the Community Education Council for District 30 for a decade, is also a member of New York Citys Parent Leaders for Accelerated Curriculum or PLACE, which is currently investigating how twice exceptional children are being treated. She asked, back when her son was young, if he could type on a computer rather than write by hand, but the request was denied. Rising sophomore Augustus Alexander, who struggles to write by hand, said his educational experience greatly improved when he was permitted to use a tablet in class Augustuss grades started to slip, but that all changed when he was allowed to type on a tablet in middle school. Augustus, diagnosed with disorder of written expression, a learning disability, and obsessive compulsive disorder, said the accommodation transformed his educational experience: The 15-year-old rising sophomore at the prestigious Bronx High School of Science said he no longer worries about his work being illegible. Finally, he could share all he knows, he said, adding that every child should be given the tools they need to succeed. Its really important that everyone can learn, not just for the larger benefit of society, but because it develops you, he said. Even just last year, if I had to write by hand, I dont think I would be as prepared for next year or for college. Brandon Wright of the Fordham Institute said all students should be screened for gifted programs with multiple on ramps throughout their school career. Brandon Wright, editorial director at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative education policy think tank, understands this population. I had a bad stammer and was also gifted, he said. My school offered me a speech therapist, giving me the tools I needed to thrive in the classroom. But he knows not all children have this opportunity, which is why he advocates universal screening in which all students test scores are examined for standouts. But test results should be only one element, said Wright, who just launched a bi-monthly newsletter, Advance, to chart the progress of gifted education in America. Teachers should be better trained to spot these students and they should be admitted on a rolling basis with constant on-ramps, giving children multiple opportunities to join such programs as their skills develop. Related: WATCH: How One Gifted and Talented Program in Texas Dropped Its Screening and Opened Up Higher Order Learning to a Whole New Community Yet Nielsen Pereira, associate professor of Gifted, Creative and Talented Studies at Purdue University, who instructs educators, said many of his students, including those who have been in the classroom for years, are surprised these types of students even exist. Many college and university programs dont mandate proficiency on the topic: An educators exposure might amount to a single lecture buried inside another, unrelated course. A lack of funding for these programs, which are not mandated at the federal level, helps explain why they are available in some locations and not others and why their quality varies so widely, he said. We focus so much on making sure everyone is meeting the minimum standards that we forgot about how to bring kids to their highest potential, he said. And there are other characteristics among twice exceptional children that can make them hard to spot. Not all have high marks: Disillusionment with school coupled with the challenges of their disabilities can cause them to give up, further camouflaging their talents. Gifted & Talented The 74's ongoing news and opinion coverage of how schools serve gifted and talented students. Read More... Felicity Ross, who teaches mathematics to gifted children inside Baltimore City Public Schools, said its easy for teachers without proper training to correlate low test scores to low skills. It can take years to diagnose kids with disabilities and years to identify them as being gifted, she said. This is particularly tough for new teachers. But, she said, there are tactics that can help: When it comes to evaluating those children who have trouble writing, for example, educators should consider other factors. We need to listen to them verbally, she said. What they can tell us and explain might be at a different level than what they can write down or show. For math kids, they cant explain it but produce a correct answer. The problem there, she said, is that current standards around mathematics require students to show their progress and explain the strategy. But that doesnt align with their skills and abilities, she said. Megan Roddie, 25, graduated high school two years early and earned two masters degrees. Diagnosed with autism at age 12, she didnt recognize her own abilities for years. Later, she tattooed 2e on her shoulder after learning of the term twice exceptional. (Meghan Roddie/Rachel Hope Photography) Megan Roddie, 25, graduated high school two years early, earned two masters degrees and enjoys a thriving career in cybersecurity. Diagnosed with autism at age 12, she didnt recognize her own abilities for several years and the teachers in her Houston-area schools didnt know how to handle her. I talked a lot and out of turn, she said. I was ahead of the curriculum I was given and when I got bored, I acted out. They decided I wasnt paying attention and that was an issue. But why pay attention when she already knew the answers, she reasoned. And, she said, her teachers didnt always recognize her needs: When she scored stellar marks in mathematics in middle school, they moved her to the back of the classroom so the struggling kids could sit up front. I felt like I was being punished, taken away from my favorite spot, she said. Especially as an autistic kid, you dont mess with my routine. It takes time and communication for teachers to learn what their students need. And, experts say, teachers should remember children do not have to be advanced in all subjects to be considered gifted. Some kids would benefit from advanced math but may not benefit at the moment from an advanced English class though that could change in the future, the Fordham Institutes Wright said. We dont want to have exclusionary gifted services, but a spectrum of increased intensity that meets as many kids as possible where they are. Homero Chavez, the Early College Program director at Gadsden Elementary School District No. 32 in San Luis, Arizona, at the nations southern border, relies heavily on student test results to identify those who are gifted in mathematics. The highest scoring on standardized exams at each campus in the 5,000-student district are invited, starting in the fifth grade, to join a program that allows them to take for-credit college-level courses and the ACT. Disabilities are not considered in the admissions process although students are accommodated as needed, Chavez said. If they wish to be in a high-level class and they excel, why not? he said. They do have the right to be there. China military drill Taiwan A Taiwanese microchip tycoon has pledged $100m (82m) towards his countrys defences and urged citizens to stand up to the evil Chinese Communist Party. In a spirited press conference, Robert Tsao said he was donating the money to Taiwans defence department to help safeguard freedom, democracy, and human rights. The 75-year-old urged people to stand up and fight rather than give way to unification with a gang of outlaws. His comments came hours after China sent ballistic missiles streaking over the Taiwanese mainland, including the capital Taipea, while fighter jets buzzed the islands defences. Beijings unprecedented show of force, which also includes four days of military exercises ending on Sunday, is meant as a punishment after Taiwan hosted a visit from Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the US House of Representatives, earlier this week. Mr Tsao said the displays of military might showed why Taiwanese voters should not support parties that backed unification with China in upcoming local elections. He is the founder of United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), one of the worlds biggest chip makers and Taiwans second largest behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC). Mr Tsao urged his fellow citizens to see through the evil nature of the Chinese Communist Party, according to Taiwan News. He said: The nature of the CCP is rogues acting against the rule of law, and this was manifested by their endless power struggles since 1927, the Cultural Revolution in the 1970s, and persecutions against various groups today. He also accused Beijing of acting so despotically towards Taiwan, adding: Perhaps they think Taiwanese people all fear death and covet money? The tycoon is one of several business figures to speak up for the island in recent months. His two sons hold Taiwan citizenship and he has previously revealed that one of them has completed military training while the other is to be trained in the summer. He said they would both fight if Chinas military launches an invasion. Story continues Separately, the boss of TSMC said this week that no one could control the companys chip foundries by force, suggesting that the facilities could be remotely switched off or rendered useless to any occupiers. Mark Liu, chairman of TSMC, said: If you take a military force or invasion, you will render the TSMC factory non-operable, because it is such a sophisticated manufacturing facility. Responding to recent Chinese military displays, Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen has insisted the island will firmly defend its sovereignty. We are calm and not impetuous, we are rational and not provocative, but we will also be firm and not shirk, she said. Mr Tsao claimed there was little need to speculate over whether China would ultimately use force to take Taiwan. They definitely will, but strength is not enough," he told journalists, arguing that the communist leadership in Beijing were "hooligans" who "only believe in violence. He pointed to the recent crackdown in Hong Kong and said China had betrayed its promise to allow the former British territory to retain some freedoms under the "One China, Two Systems" policy. And he predicted that Taiwanese businesspeople would begin to abandon China after years of previous investment. "I believe all of them will leave, one after the other, because Chinas economic prosperity has already passed and domestic troubles will increase going forward, the economy will stop growing, problems with loans will continue to explode, plus locking down cities will cause the economy to decline. Taiwanese businesspeople should leave Chinas cities. Dane DiLiegros hands are as meaty as beefsteaks. He could hold an entire deck of cards fanned out without anyone seeing them. Theyre butchers hands offered Dario Cecchini, an eighth-generation butcher in Tuscany, where DiLiegro has deboned cattle pretty much every summer since 2016. And those hands cradled a basketball like a protective father during the eight seasons in which DiLiegro played professional hoops overseas. Lately, his hands tend to be swathed in rubber gloves, sometimes balled into fists the size of honeydew melons, sometimes enhanced with 4-inch talons that would make Barbra Streisand envious. DiLiegro has quickly become one of Hollywood's top "creature actors." Sheathed in form-fitting, foam-and-latex get-ups, he appears on-screen in the guise of ghouls, space aliens and whatever a screenwriter can dream up. Its an inside job for which hes particularly well suited. Having already amassed credits including "The Walking Dead" and "American Horror Story," DiLiegro now has the lead or more accurately, the featured creature in the seventh installment of the Predator franchise. Titled "Prey," directed by Dan Trachtenberg ("10 Cloverfield Lane") and starring Amber Midthunder as the very human heroine, it starts streaming Aug. 5 on Hulu. Like the monster in the original 1987 sci-fi action horror film, DiLiegro's Predator is a writhing, heat-seeking extraterrestrial with superhuman strength and the ability to disappear into its surroundings. I shot the entire movie essentially blind, with my head in the neck of this being, he said. In order for the Predator to look forward, I had to stare at my feet through two tiny neck holes. Sticks were laid on the ground so Id know where to walk or run. During one scene, DiLiegros fiberglass-and-foam latex pate was accidentally set ablaze. He became aware of this only when the assistant director exclaimed, I think Danes head is on fire! DiLiegro took it in stride. It felt like a sort of monster bar mitzvah for me, he recalled. A rite of passage for all creature actors. Story continues The 34-year-old DiLiegro is not the kind of actor who can be hired to play in the background of a scene: he can't blend into a crowd shot. He stands 6 feet 9, which makes him one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and a man who dominates every scene. Since arriving in Los Angeles two years ago with no acting experience, the slender, loose-limbed native of the Boston burbs has played otherworldly grotesqueries in half a dozen movies and TV shows. DiLiegro follows in the thunderous footfalls of such immortals as 5-foot-11 Boris Karloff, the monster in Frankenstein (1935), and 5-foot-6 Haruo Nakajima, the quintessential baby boomer in Godzilla (1954) and 11 sequels. His personal horror pantheon includes 6-foot-2 Kane Hodder best known for his portrayal of supernatural serial slasher Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th series. One of DiLiegros most treasured childhood keepsakes is a plastic knife that Hodder autographed for him at Spooky World in Foxboro, Mass. Professional creature performing is one of the most esoteric careers in show business. DiLiegros voice is seldom heard and his face, encased in masks or obscured with prosthetic makeup, is never seen. A lot of times the people in the production department think they can just stick a stuntman in there and all will be groovy, he said, skeptically. But a creature actor is very much an actor. Despite the cumbersome rubber suit, he must express a varmints essence through a profound nonverbal interpretation, exuding a sense of great strength while broadcasting pure emotion. You're telling your story with your shoulders, your posture, the way you're walking, the way you're moving, DiLiegro said. In some ways it's more difficult than speaking. For an actor to create the breadth of a monsters personality masquerading in layers of latex from the top of his head to the tip of his occasionally webbed feet takes hours of prep work and no bathroom breaks. You have to learn to live in discomfort, DiLiegro said. Youre glued into suits that are hot and heavy and absorb your sweat. You're sitting and standing in them for up to 12 hours. It gets itchy and numbing and restricting. If the heat and the weight and the unpleasantness doesn't get you, the claustrophobia probably will. To bear the weight of a 65-pound suit and 40 pounds of animatronic equipment, hes got to stay thin and robust. Slipping into the skin of one space invader required him to lower his percentage of body fat from 18 to eight. How did I do that? Diet, exercise, lots of hikes and bikes. Limited caloric intake. Stopped eating breakfast. The mild-mannered DiLiegro has firm opinions about everything from meat-cutting to the resplendence of the Boston Red Sox. He's also something of a philosopher, expounding endlessly on the Zen of lifecasting. I find it to be a little therapeutic, especially when my face is covered with a silicone-and-plaster shell, he said. You just sit there and you're completely confined and it's warm and kind of meditative. Other people might freak out: the process involves a lot of breath control. He took a serpentine path from Beantown to Tinseltown: the 3,000-mile trip snaked through New Hampshire, Sardinia, Israel, the Italian cities of Ostuni, Trieste, Siena, Verona and Forli, and several other towns too obscure to mention. It turned out to be a 12-year trek. DiLiegro was raised, if not spawned, in Newton, Mass., the youngest son of a Nike account manager and a wedding invitation calligrapher. As a kid, Id prowl around my house on all fours, like a beast, he said. I was always hungry and stuffing food in my mouth as fast as possible. My mom would say, You eat like a wild animal. Nowadays he tends to use a knife and fork. He grew up in Lexington. And grew. And grew. He got serious about basketball only at age 15 and despite his height didnt make the varsity of his high school team until his junior year. Coming up through public schools, I never really cared much for sports, he says. And to be honest, I was never really that good at them. By the time the University of New Hampshire offered DiLiegro a hoops scholarship, he was 6 feet 7 and 235 pounds. Nicknamed Psycho D for his manic focus, he graduated as the schools second all-time leading rebounder. He might have been first if he hadnt drawn a three-game suspension as a senior for using a fake parking pass. Passed over in the 2011 NBA draft, he headed to Europe to play pro ball. He signed a series of one-year contracts with teams in Italy (his fathers grandparents were from Gaeta and Canosa di Puglia) and Israel (his mother is Jewish). I was a rebounder, a defender, a screen-setter, he said. I was the blue-collar guy who did the dirty work, kept his mouth shut and accepted the fact that his job was to make the stars look good. Bringing that athletes mentality to acting has been extremely helpful. When not on the court, he learned to speak fluent Italian and filmed a web series called Adventure Monday. Id explore the Italian countryside, stumble upon interesting restaurants and interview the chefs, DiLiegro said. The idea was to create content so that I could eventually host a culinary travel TV show. A 2016 installment of Adventure Monday centered on Antica Macelleria Cecchini, a 246-year-old butcher shop in the hilltop town of Panzano in Chianti. The owner, Dario Cecchini, fell in love with DiLiegros hands and invited the baller to stay with him during the off-season. By day, DiLiegro deboned bovines on a chopping block in Cecchinis commercial establishment. By night, he waited tables in Cecchinis steakhouse. Butchering was kind of a tradition in my family, DiLiegro said. My mothers father, Al Moll, once owned a kosher meat market outside Boston. During the summer of 2019, while home in Lexington training for the upcoming Italian season, DiLiegro got a phone call from a casting agent who wanted him to be a stand-in in the Ryan Reynolds comedy Free Guy. DiLiegro drove down to the set in Boston the next day. During a break in the action, the films supervising stunt coordinator, Chris OHara, told DiLiegro that he had all the makings of a creature actor. He noted that there were only a handful of performers in Hollywood with DiLiegros build, flexibility and athleticism, and that they got nearly all the monster parts. Chris warned me that the work is cramped, unpleasant, you cant go to the bathroom and you struggle to move, DiLiegro said, but you're paid the SAG rate and you get to be in movies. The following week DiLiegro flew to L.A. to pitch his food show, look at apartments and check out a couple of special effects shops. His break came a week later when he heard about a Netflix show called Sweet Home that was about to be shot in Korea. He landed a gig as a stunt double for the creature actor hired to inhabit a bodybuilding mutant named Muscle Monster. When the actor dropped out, DiLiegro stepped in. The role led to a turn as Halos Master Chief in Xbox ads, a walker in The Walking Dead, the fertility demon Baal in the FX anthology American Horror Story, Bigfoot in Blink-182 frontman Tom Delonge's upcoming feature Monsters of California and the forest fiend Dragio in the competition series The Quest on Disney+. With the Predator, he takes on arguably his most iconic creature role yet. I love being these monsters and creatures, DiLiegro said. When I get into character, I truly believe that I'm no longer human and have become invincible. Its an indescribable feeling. Still, DiLiegro aspires to someday shed his second skin, play a member of his own species and transcend the world of comic book geekdom. No, I dont long to play Hamlet, he said. A pause. On the other hand, James Bond This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. ISLAMABAD (AP) A bomb hidden in a cart went off on Friday near a mosque in a minority Shiite neighborhood of the Afghan capital, killing at least eight people and wounding 18, a Taliban official said. Also Friday, hundreds of Afghans apparently organized by the Taliban rallied in several provinces, denouncing the U.S. drone strike last Sunday that killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri on the balcony of a Kabul safe house. According to Khalid Zadran, the Taliban-appointed spokesman for the Kabul police chief, the cart bombing happened in western Kabul, in the Sar-e Karez area. Initial reports said two people were killed but the casualty toll swiftly rose as the wounded were taken to local hospitals. "Once again, the enemy carried out an attack on (holy days) and killed innocent civilians," said Zadran. He added that the police has launched an investigation. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but blame is likely to fall on the Islamic State group, which has targeted Afghanistans minority Shiites in large-scale attacks in the past. The regional affiliate of IS, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, has increased attacks on mosques and minorities across the country since the Taliban seized power last August. IS, which has been operating in Afghanistan since 2014, s seen as the greatest security challenge facing the countrys Taliban rulers. Following their takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban have launched a sweeping crackdown against the IS headquarters in the country's east. On Wednesday, in a gunbattle between the Taliban and IS gunmen killed five, including two Taliban fighters. The fighting erupted near the Sakhi shrine in the Karti Sakhi neighborhood as people were busy preparing for Ashoura, which commemorates the 7th century death in battle of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. In the anti-U.S. rallies following Friday prayers, religious scholars and protesters condemned the strike that killed al-Zawahri, calling the attack a violation of international principles and in particular, the agreement that the U.S. administration signed with the Taliban on the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Story continues The protesters carried banners with Death to America slogans on them and chanted against President Joe Biden. The Taliban have not said al-Zawahri was killed in the drone strike. In a statement on Thursday, they insisted they had no knowledge of the arrival and residence of the al-Qaida leader in Kabul. However, despite the Taliban denial of knowledge of al-Zawahris presence, U.S. officials have said he was staying at a Kabul safe house linked to the deputy leader of the Taliban. The strike killed al-Zawahri when he stepped out onto the safe houses balcony. The strike further strained relations between the Taliban and the West, particularly as Afghanistans rulers seek an urgent infusion of cash to handle the catastrophic collapse of the economy that came after the U.S. withdrawal a year ago. By Sofia Ahmed and Ted Hesson NEW YORK (Reuters) -Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said on Friday he has started to send buses carrying migrants to New York City in an effort to push responsibility for border crossers to Democratic mayors and U.S. President Joe Biden, a Democrat. The first bus arrived early on Friday at the city's Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown Manhattan carrying around 50 migrants from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras and Venezuela. Volunteers were helping to steer people who had no relatives in town to city resources. "Most of them don't have anybody to help. They don't know where to go, so we're taking them to shelters," said one volunteer at the bus station, Evelin Zapata, from a group called Grannies Respond. One family of four from Colombia, who ended up at a homeless intake center in the Bronx, were unsure of where they would spend the night. Byron and Leidy, both 28, said they left the country's capital Bogota because they were having trouble finding work. They did not provide their last name. "It's a little easier to enter the country now, before it was very hard to come here with children," said Leidy, who traveled with her kids Mariana, 7, and Nicolas, 13. She said the family had hoped someone they knew in New York would take them in, but that plan did not work out. "We came here because they said they would help us find a place to sleep to not have to stay in the street," Leidy said. Abbott, who is running for a third term as governor in November elections, has already sent more than 6,000 migrants to Washington since April in a broader effort to combat illegal immigration and call out Biden for his more welcoming policies. Biden came into office in January 2021 pledging to reverse many of the hardline immigration policies of his Republican predecessor, former President Donald Trump, but some efforts have been blocked in court. Story continues Abbott said New York City Mayor Eric Adams could provide services and housing for the new arrivals. "I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief," Abbott said in a statement. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, another Republican, has followed Abbott's lead and bused another 1,000 to Washington. U.S. border authorities have made record numbers of arrests under Biden although many are repeat crossers. Some migrants who are not able to be expelled quickly to Mexico or their home countries under a COVID-era policy are allowed into the United States, often to pursue asylum claims in U.S. immigration court. 'POLITICAL PAWNS' Adams' office has in recent weeks criticized the busing efforts to Washington, saying some migrants were making their way to New York City and overwhelming its homeless shelter system. On Friday the mayor's press secretary Fabien Levy said Abbott was using "human beings as political pawns," calling it "a disgusting, and an embarrassing stain on the state of Texas." Levy said New York would continue to "welcome asylum seekers with open arms, as we always have, but we are asking for resources to help do so," calling for support from federal officials. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Friday called the Texas initiative "shameful" and an unnecessary burden on taxpayers in that state. Costs for the effort amounted to $1.6 million in April and May, a local NBC News affiliate reported in June, more than $1,400 per rider. Texas officials declined to provide the cost when asked by Reuters. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has also said her city's shelter system has been strained by migrant arrivals and last month called on the Biden administration to deploy military troops to assist with receiving the migrants, a request that has frustrated White House officials. A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had declined a request for D.C. National Guard to help with the transportation and reception of migrants in the city because it would hurt the troops' readiness. Bowser suggested on Friday that she would submit a more targeted troop request, reiterating her stance that the federal government should handle what she called a "growing humanitarian crisis." "If the federal government's not going to do it, they need to at least get out of our way and give us the resources that we need," she told reporters. Many migrants are arriving after long and difficult journeys through South America. Venezuelan migrant Jose Gregorio Forero said before traveling more than a day by bus from Texas he had crossed through eight countries. "It's taken 31 days to get here, on foot and asking for rides," he said, saying he was glad to be in New York where he thought there would be more job opportunities. New York City, he said, "is very beautiful. I love it." (Reporting by Sofia Ahmed in New York and Ted Hesson in Washington; Additional reporting by Idrees Ali and Jeff Mason in Washington, Roselle Chen and Dan Fastenberg in New York; Editing by Mica Rosenberg and Daniel Wallis) A 21-year-old Texas man will spend 25 years in prison on hate crime charges after attacking an Asian family he believed to be responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a news release from the U.S. Justice Department. Jose Gomez III, of Midland, pleaded guilty to three counts of committing a hate crime, according to the release. He was sentenced Thursday. According to facts Gomez admitted to in his plea, he entered a Sams Club in Midland in March 2020 behind an Asian family with young children. He said hed never seen them before but thought they were a threat because they were from the country who started spreading that disease around, he said in his plea. Gomez went to find a serrated steak knife in the store that he bent so the blade rested against his knuckles when he was holding it, the sharp edge facing outward, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Texas Western District. He then found the family again and punched the father in the face, cutting him, then turned to the two young children, at the time 6 and 2 years old, seated in the front basket of the shopping cart. He slashed at the children and cut open the face of the 6-year-old child, cutting millimeters from the childs right eye, splitting his right ear and then wrapping around to the back of his skull, according to the release. He also stabbed a white Sams Club employee who intervened to stop Gomez from further assaulting the Asian family. Gomez admitted in his plea that he intended to kill the 6-year-old boy, according to the Justice Department. While being held down to the ground, Gomez yelled for the Asian family to get out of America, the release said. Pandemic-driven and racially-motivated acts of violence are deplorable crimes, and the Justice Department stands ready to use our hate crimes laws to hold perpetrators accountable, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division said in the release. Hate crimes targeting Asian Americans have spiked during the pandemic and must be confronted. All people deserve to feel safe and secure living in their communities, regardless of race, color or national origin. Story continues FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffery Downey, of the FBI El Paso field office, called the attack cowardly and racially motivated and said it doesnt represent the West Texas community. It is our hope todays sentence will help the victims with the healing process, Downey said. Rest assured, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue anyone who commits these violent acts to ensure the civil rights of all Americans are protected. The case was investigated by the FBI and Midland police. The cargo ship Razoni crosses the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul on Wednesday. (Khalil Hamra / Associated Press) Three more ships carrying thousands of tons of corn left Ukrainian ports Friday, in the latest sign that a negotiated deal to export grain trapped since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly six months ago is slowly moving forward. But major hurdles lie ahead to get food to the countries that need it most. The ships bound for Ireland, Britain and Turkey follow the first grain shipment to pass through the Black Sea since the start of the war. The passage of that vessel heading for Lebanon earlier this week was the first under the breakthrough deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations with Russia and Ukraine. The Black Sea region is dubbed the worlds breadbasket, with Ukraine and Russia key global suppliers of wheat, corn, barley and sunflower oil that millions of impoverished people in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia rely on for survival. While the shipments have raised hopes of easing a global food crisis, much of the grain that Ukraine is trying to export is used for animal feed, not for people to eat, experts say. The first vessels to leave are among more than a dozen bulk carriers and cargo ships that had been loaded with grain but stuck in Ukraine's ports since Russia invaded Feb. 24. And the cargoes are not expected to have a significant effect on the global price of corn, wheat and soybeans for several reasons. For starters, the exports under the deal are off to a slow, cautious start because of the threat of explosive mines floating off Ukraines Black Sea coastline. And while Ukraine is a major exporter of wheat to developing nations, there are other countries, such as the United States and Canada, with far greater production levels that can affect global wheat prices. They face the threat of drought. Ukraine is about 10% of the international trade in wheat, but in terms of production it is not even 5%, said David Laborde, an expert on agriculture and trade at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington. Story continues The three ships left Friday with more than 58,000 tons of corn. Much of the grain that Ukraine exports is used as animal feed, experts say, but that is a fraction of the 20 million tons of grain that Ukraine says is trapped in the countrys silos and ports and that must be shipped out in order to make space for this year's harvest. Around 6 million tons of the trapped grain is wheat, but just half of that is for human consumption, Laborde said. There is an expectation that Ukraine could produce 30% to 40% less grain over the coming next 12 months because of the war, though other estimates put that figure at 70%. Prices of grains peaked in the first weeks after Russias invasion, but some have since come down to their pre-war levels. Corn prices are running about 70% above the levels seen at the end of February 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Jonathan Haines, senior analyst and data and analytics firm, Gro Intelligence. He said wheat prices are currently 63% above the levels seen at the end of February this year, when the invasion was launched. One reason prices remain high is the impact of drought on harvests in North America, China and other regions, as well as the higher price of fertilizer needed for farming. When fertilizer prices are high, farmers may use less fertilizer. And when they use less fertilizer, they will produce less. And if they will produce less, supply will continue to remain insufficient, Laborde said. The three ships that departed Ukraine on Friday give hope that exports will ramp up to developing nations, where many are facing the increased threat of food shortages and hunger. The movement of three additional vessels overnight is a very positive sign and will continue to build confidence that were moving in the right direction," Haines said. If the flow of grain from Ukraine continues to expand, it will help relieve global supply constraints." The Turkish-flagged Polarnet, carrying 12,000 tons of corn, left the Chornomorsk port bound for Karasu, Turkey. The Panama-flagged Navi Star left Odesa's port for Ireland with 33,000 tons of corn. The Maltese-flagged Rojen left Chornomorsk for Britain laden with more than 13,000 tons of corn, according to the U.N. It added that the Joint Coordination Center run by officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the U.N. overseeing the deal signed in Istanbul last month authorized the three ships and inspected a ship headed for Ukraine. The Barbados-flagged Fulmar S was inspected in Istanbul and is headed for the Chornomorsk port. 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. The vessels are accompanied by Ukrainian pilot ships for safe passage because of explosive mines strewn in the Black Sea. After Turkey, which has relations with both Russia and Ukraine, helped broker the food deal two weeks ago, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin later Friday in Sochi, Russia. That meeting follows another face-to-face meeting the two leaders had in Iran three weeks ago. The grain exports took place as the war continued to claim lives in Ukraine. The Ukrainian presidential office said at least eight civilians were killed and 16 others were wounded in the latest Russian shelling. The eastern Donetsk region has been facing the most intensive Russian barrage, and Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko repeated his call for all residents to evacuate. Shellings and bombings are going round the clock, and people who refuse to evacuate risk being killed on their pillows, Kyrylenko said in televised remarks. In Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, three districts have come under massive shelling. Several apartment buildings and a street market were damaged, and three people were wounded. Russian shelling also targeted the city of Zaporizhzhia and several towns along the front line in the region. For a second consecutive day, the Russians shelled the city of Nikopol facing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant across the Dnieper River. Dozens of houses were damaged. The Russians also hit the southern city of Mykolaiv. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Sen. Tim Scott Thursday defended his endorsement of Sen. Lisa Murkowski for re-election, amid blowback from some Republicans who support her Trump-endorsed opponent, Kelly Tshibaka. "The road to socialism runs right through a divided Republican Party," Scott, R-S.C., said. "I like winning and frankly the best shot at us keeping that seat is without doubt Lisa Murkowski." Scott said that among the reasons he thinks Murkowski, R-Alaska, gives Republicans the best chance to hold on to her seat in a key election year is that "the power of incumbency is undeniable." He added that "she works really hard." Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., endorsed Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who is facing Trump-backed primary challenger Kelly Tshibaka. Rod Lamkey/Pool via REUTERS TRUMP BLASTED BY DICK CHENEY AS FORMER VICE PRESIDENT STARS IN HIS DAUGHTER'S LATEST AD The senator's endorsement puts him at odds with former President Donald Trump in the key Senate race a move that angered some on the right. But Scott is far from the only Republican to be on the opposite side of a Senate race from Trump this cycle. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas; former Vice President Mike Pence; Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.; and others have endorsed 2022 GOP primary candidates in races where Trump endorsed their competitor. Scott on Thursday acknowledged Trump's continued influence over the GOP, and said Trump's endorsements overall this cycle have been effective for Republicans. SEN. TIM SCOTT CONFRONTED TRUMP ON RACISM AND IT LAUNCHED A MAJOR ECONOMIC INITIATIVE: EXCLUSIVE BOOK EXCERPT "You can tell by the number of races hes won. I mean, the bottom line is that he still is the most powerful force in Republican politics, and I think all of politics," Scott said. "Thats one of the reasons I enjoyed working with him on tax reform and HBCUs and opportunity zones and sickle cell anemia and all the priorities that we set, we were able to see them get accomplished," he added. "I think his endorsement is a powerful one." Alaska will hold a "ranked choice" primary election on Aug. 16, in which the top four candidates, regardless of political affiliation, will advance to the general election. Murkowski and Tshibaka are both likely to move on to the November election. Last year, the Alaska Republican Party voted 53-17 to censure Murkowski and discouraged her from identifying as a Republican candidate in 2022 after she voted to impeach Trump. Tshibaka stepped into the race last year as well, and quickly became the consensus candidate for pro-Trump Republicans upset with Murkowski. But Murkowski is used to challenges from the right, including in 2010 when she lost the GOP nomination to a Tea Party candidate then staged a successful write-in campaign to retain her Senate seat. Tom Cruise stunned a British couple on a hike when the star paraglided off a cliff while filming a stunt for the upcoming Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning movie. Husband and wife Jason and Sarah Haygarth were taking their usual hike through the Lake District in the UK with their dog, Edward, when they suddenly heard helicopters flying above them. In an interview with Extra, the couple explained how they were walking up a hill when they saw the helicopter coming up a ravine and dropping people off at the top of the hill. We were like, this didnt seem right, Jason said. When we came to the peak, we got stopped by what must have been a production team member, saying, You cant go. Were going to land the helicopter off the top. Once the helicopter had landed, the couple were allowed to continue their hike. When they turned a corner, Sarah said they noticed a man strapping himself into a paraglider who just happened to be Tom Cruise himself. I could tell it was him straight away, she said. By the time we got there, people were talking about Mission: Impossible was being filmed, but I was expecting a stunt double. Cruise, 60, chatted with the couple before he took flight in his parachute. Sorry, guys, I know we spoiled your walk with the noise, Jason said Cruise told them. Sarah added, And then he said, I like your dog. We asked, What are you doing? Then he said, Im going to jump off, Jason recalled. I was like, Youre going to do what? He said, Im going to jump off. The couple then filmed Cruise as he ran towards the edge of the cliff and jumped off into the ravine. The Sun shared footage of the action star filming the stunt for the next Mission: Impossible installment. Just before he jumped off, he said, See ya! Hopefully this goes well, Jason added. We said, Good luck, Tom. The Top Gun: Maverick star is famous for performing his own stunts. For the seventh Mission: Impossible film, Cruise reportedly trained for an entire year to perfect a stunt in which he performs a motorbike jump off a cliff into a valley in Norway. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning will be released in theaters 14 July 2023. (Bloomberg) -- Investors who have been trying for two years to reclaim money trapped in H2O Asset Management have had a new problematic investment dumped on their books: a ride-hailing app whose valuation has tumbled 75%. Most Read from Bloomberg German entrepreneur Lars Windhorst -- as part of an ongoing attempt to repay money owed to the money manager -- in January agreed to hand over notes linked to London-based hailing app Gett, according to a letter published on the firms website last week. H2O clients are owed about 1 billion euros ($1 billion) from assets that were frozen by the French regulator. Back in January the Gett notes, which pay out if the company goes public, were valued at $106 million because the company was about to list through an already announced deal with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company, or SPAC. But that deal has since been shelved and the companys valuation slashed to around $250 million from more than $1 billion. The note adds to complications for investors still waiting for H2Os outsize bet on Windhorst to come good. In 2019 the money manager saw billions leave its suite of funds after a Financial Times article detailed the scale of investments in companies linked to the entrepreneur. A year later the money manager was forced to freeze the funds by the French Market Regulator, reopening them only after sidepocketing the Windhorst notes. A spokesperson for Windhorsts investment firm Tennor Holding declined to comment. An H2O spokesperson confirmed broad details of the Gett investment and said the firm has been fully engaged, with the help of advisers, in the search for solutions to dispose of the assets held within the sidepocketed funds. Russia Exposure Gett has expanded rapidly since it was founded by Moscow-born Israeli entrepeneur Dave Waiser in 2011. It drew backing from Volkswagen AG and billionaire Len Blavatniks investment firm Access Industries. Windhorst took an undisclosed minority stake in the business when he contributed to a funding round, according to a person familiar with the matter. Story continues The aborted SPAC deal, backed by Rosecliff Venture Management LLC, would have valued the company at around $1 billion. The firm was initially set up as a ride-hailing app, but now offers an aggregation service using existing ground transportation platforms. In March this year the firm announced it was not going to follow through on the SPAC deal and that it would exit its Russian business, one of its three main markets. Waiser, who had been chief executive officer, moved on and was replaced by Matteo De Renzi. A spokesperson for Access declined to comment. Representatives for Gett and VNV didnt respond to requests for comment. Evergreen Windhorst had initially attempted to pay back H2O through a company called Evergreen. To help fund the potential deal, Evergreen issued a bond, sold in part to high-profile German investors, including fashion retail magnate Friedrich Knapp and health care entrepreneur Ulrich Marseille. The buy back, which was intended to take place in several steps, stumbled as the French regulator ordered H2O to freeze redemptions from some of its funds because of valuation difficulties, while Windhorst was also unable to arrange sufficient financing. Read more: H2Os Crastes Faces Solo Future for London Fund Manager He Built Tennor then reached another deal with H2O to restructure the outstanding bonds instead of buying them back. The new transaction includes the issuance of 1.45 billion euros of notes due next year to retire debt linked to companies owned by Tennor, according to a statement from Windhorst to business partners and clients last year. Tennor was declared insolvent in the Netherlands in 2021, a ruling later reversed on appeal. At the end of 2021 H2O wrote down those notes by around 40% and acknowledged how little had been paid back so far and the Dutch court decision. H2O is aiming to begin repaying clients inside the sidepockets later this year, according to the letter sent to clients last week. (Updates with additional comment from H2O in fifth and last paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Tory leadership contender Liz Truss today vowed to take action against militant activists after her speech to a campaign hustings was interrupted by hecklers. Two female environmental protesters were removed from the event in Eastbourne after shouting shame on you and green new deal at the would-be prime minister. A livestream of the hustings on the Conservative Party website was briefly halted as the protesters were taken out of the hall. As the audience chanted Out! Out!, the foreign secretary halted her speech, saying: I think we have some infiltrators and I will wait until they are evicted. And when she resumed her speech, Ms Truss won applause from Tory activists by announcing that as PM she would never, ever, ever allow our democracy to be disrupted by unfair protests. Speaking after the removal of the two hecklers, the frontrunner in the race to replace Boris Johnson won loud applause as she said: Can I just say a few words on the militant people who try and disrupt our country and who try and disrupt our democratic process and try and disrupt our essential services. I would legislate immediately to make sure that we are standing up to militant trade unions who stop ordinary commuters getting into work. And I would legislate to protect our essential services. I will make sure that militant activists such as Extinction Rebellion are not able to disrupt ordinary people who work hard and do the right thing and go into work. And I will never, ever, ever allow our democracy to be disrupted by unfair protests. Fox News Tucker Carlson on Thursday addressed comedian Jon Stewarts recent advocacy on a veterans health care bill by ignoring the legislation entirely and focusing on what matters more to him: Stewarts height and general appearance. Spurred by Republican senators voting against the Senate bill to help veterans exposed to toxic burn pits, Stewart made several appearances on Capitol Hill last week into early this week, when on Monday he was filmed shouting at right-wing conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec and calling him a fucking troll not acting in good faith. Carlson decided to highlight that encounter instead of anything else Stewart said over the past few days. After playing the clip, Carlson said Stewart looked like a guy who lives in the mens room at your public library, eating imaginary insects out of the air. Carlson didnt bother to explain why Stewart was there. In fact, the Fox host actually mischaracterized Stewarts purpose on Capitol Hill, claiming he showed up to yell at Posobiec. He was there to getfor some reasoninto a shouting match with the fringe figure, as Carlson framed it. He then diminished the significance of the legislation that he failed to describe. Whats really the most interesting part of [the video] is not the policy debate, Carlson said, using a mocking tone for those last two words, but Jon Stewart himself. Hes totally unrecognizable. He looks demented. Carlson wasnt done, though. After a few more comments about Stewarts appearance, Carlson fixated on his height. Stewart, he said, is very short. Really short. Too short to date. Was he always that short? Stewart responded to Carlson on Twitter late Thursday night. The primetime Fox host believes me too short to date and yet somehow, miraculously, I remain tall enough to not know what Victor Orbans ass tastes like! Stewart wrote, referencing Carlsons frequent praise for Hungarys authoritarian prime minister, who warned against a mixed-race world in a speech last month. Story continues Friends. Tonite I am sad. @TuckerCarlson believes me too short to dateand yet somehow, miraculously, I remain tall enough to not know what Victor Orbans ass tastes like! Is it goulash Tucky? Seems like it would be goulash. Jon Stewart (@jonstewart) August 5, 2022 In an MSNBC interview last Thursday, Stewart also skewered Fox News for not having him on to discuss the PACT Act. The network responded by booking him the following morning, during which Stewart explained the legislation while throwing in a few quips at Fox for good measure. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. The lawsuit says the men were removed even after a manager determined there was nothing alarming about the text messages in question. Two Black Muslim men are suing Alaska Airlines, claiming they were wrongfully removed from a flight in February 2020 because another passenger complained about one of them texting in Arabic. The Seattle Times reported that Abobakkr Dirar and Mohamed Elamin filed a federal lawsuit this week against the airline, alleging racial discrimination and violation of their civil rights. Alaska Airlines is being sued by two men, who are Black and Muslim and allege racial discrimination and violations of their civil rights. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) According to the lawsuit, the men are both male, Black, Muslim, bearded, Middle Eastern, Sudan-born citizens of the United States who predominantly speak Arabic and some English with a pronounced Arabic accent. They were seated in the second row of the first-class section on opposite sides of the aisle, occasionally conversing with one another in Arabic. The Feb. 17, 2020, incident happened as Dirar and Elamin were about to embark on a business trip from Seattle to San Francisco, The Seattle Times reported. The pair claim they were unjustly kicked off Flight 304 after Dirar was observed texting in Arabic by a passenger who couldnt read or understand the language sitting next to him in first class. The passenger alerted a flight attendant of the digital dialogue before proceeding to exit the aircraft. An airline manager removed both Dirar and Elamin from the aircraft after learning of the passengers complaint over Dirars text messages. While Elamin wasnt the subject of any complaints, the lawsuit claims he was subjected to racial discrimination because he looked and sounded like Dirar. Since September 11, 2001, persons who are, or are perceived to be, Muslims have endured heightened levels of discrimination due to bigotry and fear mongering, particularly in air travel, according to the lawsuit. This prevalent Islamophobia is often wrapped in racism and xenophobia aimed at Black and Brown people of Arab origin or from Muslim majority countries. Story continues The suit further asserts that people with similar identities have faced discrimination across the country simply for existing in such public places. Specifically, they are unjustly perceived as threats by airline staff and passengers. Despite the fact that an airline manager who could read and speak Arabic reviewed Dirars text messages and found nothing alarming, airline staff deplaned the rest of the passengers for additional security screening, which included the emptying of the first-class lavatory tanks used by Elamin prior to takeoff. Through its actions, Defendant essentially weaponized Islamophobic, racist, and xenophobic fears, the suit claims, by using Plaintiffs as human props in an admittedly unjustified, unnecessary, and self-serving display of discriminatory security theater. Alaska Airlines ultimately refused to let Dirar and Elamin board the plane again and instead booked them on separate flights, preventing them from traveling together. The men landed hours after their initial flight to San Francisco and were too humiliated and traumatized by Defendants actions to enjoy their trip. When we traveled that day, we were not treated the same as other people, and it made me feel like I was not equal to other people, Dirar said in a statement, as reported by The Seattle Times. I dont want this to happen again, to anyone, Muslim or not Muslim. In addition to an injunction ordering Alaska Airlines to offer racial and religious sensitivity training to all staff members, the men are seeking punitive damages, as well as compensation for economic losses and mental suffering. Speaking for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington state, which is representing Dirar and Elamin, Katie Walker told The Seattle Times, Alaska Airlines could have in that moment chosen to not listen to a passengers complaint, but they did. Due to the ongoing legal proceedings, Alaska Airlines declined to comment on the specifics of the lawsuit. The company issued a statement saying, Alaska Airlines strictly prohibits unlawful discrimination. We take such complaints very seriously, The Seattle Times reported. Our greatest responsibility is to ensure that our flight operations are safe every day. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Two Black Muslim men sue Alaska Airlines, allege they were kicked off plane for texting in Arabic appeared first on TheGrio. Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to Volodymyr Zelenskyys chief-of-staff Read also: No ceasefire without complete withdrawal of Russian troops Podolyak To freeze the war is to get a new DPRK with millions of hostages. We need weapons. We must liberate our people," Podolyak said. Read also: For first time, Ukraine gains chance to shape course of war ISW He was reacting to recent calls from international commentators, including the wife of the Irish president, for there to be a ceasefire in Ukraine. Read also: Ukraine's FM rules out potential concessions to Russia to achieve ceasefire Podolyak said the Russian occupation of southern Ukraine has been marked by mass arrests and torture. "What does the ru-occupation of southern Ukraine look like? Podolyak wrote. Read also: NATOs Secretary General warns of rising risk of direct conflict with Russia over Ukraine Filtration concentration camps. Mass arrests and torture. Limited supplies of products. No rights and freedoms. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine VALENTYNA ROMANENKO FRIDAY, 5 AUGUST 2022, 08:38 The Russian forces in Luhansk Oblast are deploying all weapons at their disposal in order to dislodge the Ukrainian Armed Forces from their positions, but the latter have repelled these Russian assaults. Source: Serhii Haidai, Head of the Luhansk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote from Haidai: "[The Russian forces] are shelling towns and villages, as well as our troops fortifications, in an attempt to advance on Bakhmut. Enemy aircraft carry out strikes in these areas [i.e., areas on the approach to Bakhmut - ed.] several times a day. Yesterday, [the Russian aircraft] conducted four airstrikes. The Russians conducted another three artillery shellings, deployed rocket artillery, and twice used tanks to support their assault operations. Six mortar attacks also took place. The occupiers are attempting to create favourable conditions to advance on cities in Donetsk Oblast. They are conducting offensive and assault operations in order to improve their tactical positions, but have so far been unsuccessful." Details: Haidai has also reported that four Russian assaults were thwarted by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and the Russian occupying forces retreated to their earlier positions. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda! 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 The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Thursday reinstated the state judgment and sentence given to Victor Manuel Castro-Huerta, implementing the U.S. Supreme Courts mandate in a case that altered criminal jurisdiction in Indian country. The appeals court issued a brief order two days after Oklahoma Attorney General John OConnor urged quick action on the case to prevent Castro-Huertas release from federal custody. Responding to the Supreme Court ruling in June, the appeals court on Thursday withdrew its own decision, from 2021, that Castro-Huerta was improperly prosecuted for child neglect in state court because the child is Native American and the crime occurred on the Cherokee Nation's reservation. More:Anti-corruption PAC Clean Up Oklahoma largely funded by dark money group That reversal of Castro-Huerta's conviction came as a result of the Supreme Courts 2020 decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma, which has led to the affirmation of six tribal reservations. The decision required a reshaping of criminal jurisdiction in eastern Oklahoma because federal law generally requires cases involving Native Americans in Indian country to be prosecuted in federal or tribal courts. Court ruling reinstates Castro-Huerta's 35-year sentence The Oklahoma attorney generals office challenged the long-held understanding that a non-Native accused of a crime against a Native American victim in Indian country couldnt be prosecuted by the state. The Supreme Court agreed to consider the question using the Castro-Huerta case and ruled in June that the state and federal government have concurrent jurisdiction when a non-Native commits a crime against a Native American in Indian country. That decision meant Tulsa County prosecutors did have the authority to charge Castro-Huerta in state court for neglecting his stepchild to the point of near death. Castro-Huerta has been in federal custody for months. The U.S. attorneys office in Tulsa filed federal charges against Castro-Huerta when his state conviction was reversed, and a plea deal was reached calling for a seven-year sentence. He was set to be formally sentenced on Aug. 8. However, a federal judge on Thursday reset sentencing for October. Story continues OConnor told the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals this week that Castro-Huertas state conviction needed to be reinstated immediately because of the potential of him being released or deported after his federal sentence was rendered; Castro-Huerta is a Mexican national. The state appeals court on Thursday reinstated the judgment and 35-year sentence rendered in 2015 in Tulsa County and said it would issue an opinion addressing other issues later. Several other similar cases were returned to the state appeals court after the Castro-Huerta decision was reached. More:Oklahoma AG pushes for more state prosecutions in Indian country Madelyn Hague, press secretary for O'Connor said: What the Court of Criminal Appeals did today was expected after our victory in the Castro-Huerta decision at the U.S. Supreme Court. Our office is grateful that the decision to vacate Castro-Huertas conviction for child neglect on a meritless technicality has now been set aside. It was not clear Thursday when the state would seek to take custody of Castro-Huerta. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: State appeals court reinstates Castro-Huerta conviction After causing quite the controversy, Jeff Bezoss multimillion-dollar megaycht just made a very quiet escape. In the wee hours of Tuesday morning, the epic $485 million vessel was towed away from Oceancos Alblasserdam shipyard where it was being built to a port in Rotterdam, as reported by Marine Industry News. It seems a rather anticlimactic end to the months-long Bridgegate saga. More from Robb Report For the unversed, the Amazon founder sparked outrage last February when Oceanco requested the historic Koningshaven Bridge in Rotterdam be dismantled to allow his marine behemoth to pass. See, the 417-footer, known as Y271, exceeded the 144-year-old bridges 131-foot clearance even without its three towering 229-foot masts fully erected. The solution was to temporarily disassemble the middle section of De Hef. Koninginnebrug Bridge in the Netherlands will, thankfully, remain in tact. - Credit: Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons Suffice it to say, Rotterdam locals were none too pleased about the idea. Thousands of residents even went so far as committing to egg the billionaires schooner in protest. Following the public outcry, Oceanco withdrew its request to dismantle the bridge. Lo and behold, Y271 has still managed to escape. Local yachting enthusiast Hanco Bol witnessed the yachts stealthy departure at 3 am on August 2 and subsequently posted a video of the three-hour journey on YouTube. Bol speculated that Oceanco opted for an alternate route (were guessing one with fewer bridges) to keep the launch and transport under wraps. The yacht reportedly hit an average speed of 8 knots and arrived at the Port of Rotterdam at 6 am. By Bols account, it was a quiet and quick getaway. Bezoss Oceanco Y271 at the Dutch yard. - Credit: Dutch Yachting/YouTube Dutch Yachting/YouTube We never saw a transport going that fast, the YouTube post reads. Oceanco has been tightlipped about the gigayacht and did not immediately respond to Robb Reports request for a comment. Upon completion, Y271 will not only be Hollands largest superyacht to date, but it will also be the worlds biggest sailing yacht. It just might be the most controversial, too. Story continues Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Thirteen Lives, the new film that chronicles the 2018 Thai cave rescue, has arrived on Amazon Prime Video and viewers are blown away by it. The Ron Howard-directed feature is based on the true story of the 18-day rescue mission to save a football team trapped in a cave in Thailand. The group had become stranded deep within the tunnels after a flood. Thirteen Lives stars Colin Farrell and Viggo Mortensen as rescuers John Volanthen and Richard Stanton, respectively. Farrell recently revealed that he experienced panic attacks while filming underwater scenes for the film. The movie only came out today (5 August), but fans are already taking to Twitter to share how much they loved it. Highly recommend watching Thirteen Lives on Amazon Prime, posted one viewer. @RealRonHoward does an incredible directing job. The ingenuity and teamwork shown to rescue the young boys is amazing. Another fan wrote: What a brilliant, brilliant film #ThirteenLives and what a rescue. Hats off to all volunteers and the boys. What a gripping example of humanity, courage, prayer and determination. You have to watch this move, your hearts will be on fire, wrote a third. A fourth posted: Thirteen Lives is a harrowing, uplifting and constantly gripping docudrama about the miraculous Thai cave rescue effort that uses its ripped-from-headlines story to celebrate the extraordinary heroism that comes from a community of ordinary people working together. 9/10. Thirteen Lives ( 2022 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.) Another said: Thirteen Lives is terrific! Thrilling, intense and claustrophobic, with some of the most nerve-wracking underwater sequences Ive seen in recent memory. Masterfully directed with great performances. Simply put, it is one of the best films Ive seen this year. Read The Independents review of the film here. Thirteen Lives follows on from the 2021 National Geographic documentary about the mission, The Rescue. Read our interview with cave diver Stanton, who featured in that film, here. Aug. 5A week after Ohio Task Force 1 left for Kentucky to help with search and rescue efforts following deadly flooding, the task force said it has completed its current missions and is resting and working on equipment while it waits for its next assignment. The team's tasks so far have included search and rescue operations using boats near the Hindman and Knott County line, as well as wide area search operations in the Breathitt County area southeast of Jackson. It also works to evaluate structural damage and following up with house emergency visits. The original 16-person team expanded to 48 with the gradual addition of 29 more task force members and five canine handlers. The team is operating as a Type III Search and Rescue team. Ohio Task Force 1 was deployed in the wake of heavy rain that caused flash flooding and mudslides in southeastern Kentucky, killing at least 16 people. A couple in their 70s celebrating their anniversary and a 29 year-old man have died after a lightning strike near the White House during a storm Thursday evening, authorities said. One other person is hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. The lightning struck just before 7 p.m. in Lafayette Park across the street from the White House, according to the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. James Mueller, 76, and Donna Mueller, 75, both from Janesville, Wisconsin, died from their injuries, Brianna Burch, spokesperson for the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, told USA TODAY. The third victim, the 29 year-old, was pronounced dead Friday. The fourth person, a woman, was in critical condition, police said. Their identities were not immediately released. Authorities did not reveal how the people were injured, other than to say they were critically hurt in the lightning strike. "We are saddened by the tragic loss of life after the lightning strike in Lafayette Park," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. All four were transported to hospitals with "critical life-threatening injuries," D.C. Fire and EMS said in a tweet Thursday. Spokesperson Vito Maggiolo said the lightning strike was witnessed by members of the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Park Police, who responded to the scene, D.C. Fire and EMS spokesperson Vito Maggiolo said. Parts of the D.C. metro area were under a severe thunderstorm warning Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service. James and Donna Mueller were celebrating their 56th wedding anniversary with a trip to the nation's capital when they died, said Michelle McNett, the couple's niece. She remembered them as high school sweethearts who loved to dance and host gatherings for their close-knit family. Donna was a retired teacher who worked part-time at a Janesville furniture store while Jim owned a drywall business, McNett said. They had five children, 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Story continues "Both would do anything for family or friends," McNett said. There have been nine other lightning fatalities in the U.S. this year, John Jensenius, lightning safety specialist for the National Lightning Safety Council, said in an email to reporters. The incident is the first lightning fatality in Washington, D.C. since 1991 when one person was killed and 10 others were injured while they sheltered near a tree at a lacrosse game, he said. Jensenius said people should find a safe place to shelter, such as a building, any time a thunderstorm is in their area. Sheltering under a tree can prove dangerous because "lightning tends to strike the tallest object in the immediate area, which is often a tree." Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY; Steven Martinez and Joe Taschler, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; The Associated Press Contact News Now Reporter Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lightning strike near White House: 3 dead, 1 injured Camille Seaton documenting having monkeypox Camille Seaton Despite recovering from monkeypox, Camille Seaton finds herself hesitant to leave the house for long periods of time, having groceries and food delivered to her house. The Georgia resident's journey with the virus began on July 11 when she noticed several bumps forming on her face, assuming it was acne and disregarding it. "But that night, they already turned white. So I knew something was up," Seaton, 20, tells PEOPLE. After more bumps quickly appeared on her face, Seaton went to the hospital on July 16 for lab testing. She learned days later she had a confirmed case of monkeypox one of the first in her state and what she thought was acne were actually lesions. She says she believes she contracted the virus by constantly handling money at the local gas station she works at. "I was touching a lot of money. The mask laws were lifted so we weren't wearing any masks. I wasn't wearing any gloves," Seaton explains. "I just wasn't being careful and I touched my face and my body and I'm transferring a whole bunch of germs subconsciously." RELATED: Can Monkeypox Spread Through Objects like Doorknobs? An Expert Explains as U.S. Cases Surpass 6,500 Camille Seaton documenting having monkeypox Camille Seaton RELATED: Andy Cohen Slams Government's 'Abysmal' Monkeypox Response, Warns His 'Gay Brothers' to Stay Safe Monkeypox is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, however experts say it can also spread by large respiratory droplets. According to Dr. Linda Yancey, infectious disease specialist at the Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, it is "absolutely a possibility" for monkeypox to be transmitted through items like money as the virus can survive for days in an environment. "So, monkeypox is a sibling of smallpox ... This could absolutely be transmitted in that fashion," Yancey tells PEOPLE. "And in fact, one of the cases in the U.S. was a lady who was exposed to bed linens. She cleans Airbnbs for a living. So any high touch items like money, doorknobs, shopping carts, have the potential for transmission." Story continues Seaton says she didn't know anything about monkeypox until she contracted it and her symptoms escalated quickly while isolating at home. Along with the lesions, she experienced a fever, rash, headaches, fatigue, joint pain and muscle pain. "It was uncomfortable. I was sanitizing everything, you know, like washing my hands every 15 minutes," Seaton says. "The lesions on my face were the first to pop up and the bumps stayed on my face for a whole week and a half. And when my face started healing, bumps started appearing on my body." "I have a lot on my hands, so it was hard for me to do anything with my hands," she adds. "I couldn't hold my phone. I couldn't do anything around the house. I couldn't even fold my clothes. It was extremely painful." RELATED: WHO Declares Monkeypox Outbreak a Public Health Emergency of 'International Concern' Camille Seaton documenting having monkeypox Camille Seaton RELATED: California Man Details 'Excruciatingly Painful' Monkeypox Recovery to Show 'How Serious This Is' Seaton explains that getting through the symptoms was just a waiting game since she was not offered the vaccine. Monkeypox can be prevented with the Jynneos smallpox vaccine, which can also be effective after a person is diagnosed, according to the CDC. Along with the vaccine, medical professionals have also used antiviral treatments, such as tecovirimat (TPOXX), for monkeypox with patients who are more likely to get severely ill. Despite medical staff being unable to provide any antiviral treatments for Seaton, she was prescribed amoxicillin and steroids because she was simultaneously diagnosed with strep throat. For Monkeypox, doctors just gave her Tylenol to break her fever. "The healing process for monkeypox ranges from anywhere from two to four weeks, some people are fine in a week, some people are fine in two weeks, some people take the whole four weeks. In my case, I took three and a half weeks to heal," she continues. Camille Seaton documenting having monkeypox Camille Seaton Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "I was in contact with someone from the CDC and she was actually with me throughout the whole process," Seaton notes. "I was checking in with her and sending pictures every time something changed up until I was healed." After weeks on a stay-at-home order, Seaton was cleared on August 1 after CDC officials said she was "officially past being contagious." However, she still has reservations after recovering and doesn't feel comfortable bringing her 3-year-old daughter back into the house yet. Seaton tells PEOPLE that she's had a "hard and emotional" few weeks and urges others to return to wearing masks and gloves, admitting that she wants the state to "lock us down again." "It really attacks you and takes a toll on you. It's very, very painful. I want people to know that it's here and it's spreading. It's not a joke," Seaton says. "I can do what I can for the scarsthey will fade but you will forever notice that they're there." After a nearly one-month closure, Yosemite National Park's famed Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias reopened to the public this week, drawing hundreds of people who came together to celebrate the survival of the towering trees after they had been threatened by wildfire. The 4,886-acre Washburn fire, which had posed danger to the grove's 500 mature sequoias, was 100% contained, Yosemite park ranger Scott Gediman said, though some fire crews remain doing mop-up work and extinguishing hot spots. The crews will probably stay in the area for about another week or two, Gediman said. Only a few trails in the grove remain closed, including the Washburn trail, the western portion of the perimeter trail, and the trail from Mariposa Grove to Wawona, but the most popular trails opened Wednesday, Gediman said. "There's definitely evidence that a fire came through. If you're a visitor and you drive up, you're going to see the burned area between the depot and the grove, but once you get to the grove and go up, everything's great," Gediman said. The Washburn fire ignited July 7 along a forested trail in Yosemite National Park and initially caused fears of an environmental catastrophe, threatening the grove's ancient trees. However, firefighters were able to attack the blaze early on, with no damage to structures or injuries, and major damage to the grove was averted. "I've been through dozens of fires over my career and this one was just phenomenal. I've never seen such outpouring of support and care among visitors and firefighters," Gediman said. "The whole region really came together to save the Mariposa Grove." There are fire scars on some trees, but no sequoias died, Gediman said. He also noted that because some of these trees are 2,000 to 3,000 years old and have seen a lot of fires, it's difficult to determine which blaze caused the scars. The Washburn fire burns in the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias on July 8. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) Gediman headed to Mariposa Grove early Wednesday to celebrate the reopening and said he experienced "one of the best days I've had in a long time." He met a family from Utah, who made a special trip to Mariposa Grove on their last day in Yosemite, and families from all over the world, including France, Israel and England. Story continues "It was just a real sense of relief, a sense of excitement and celebration," Gediman said. "People were thrilled to see the Mariposa Grove and relieved a little bit because they were worried about the trees. " As he was walking the Grizzly Giant Loop one of the most popular trails in Mariposa Grove with visitors, Gediman experienced what he called "the perfect alignment of everything." The group was left mesmerized as they came across a bear with jet-black fur, which walked right next to a fire scar and around the trail for a few minutes before leaving. "It was an unbelievable and magical moment. I just thought to myself, 'Oh, my God, the [visitors] are here on opening day, on the Grizzly Giant, and you got a beautiful bear,'" Gediman said. "To me, that was just perfect." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Visitors to and residents of the Town of Bedford can now explore the locality with Bigfoot in an interactive, scavenger hunt-style experience through an app called Traipse. Part of the towns tourism initiatives, Traipse creates scavenger hunts with brain teasers to promote local tourism and small businesses in various communities. Interactive, themed excursions are aimed at growing tourism and supporting the local economy through engaging, educational tours while also offering physical activity and mental exercise. Users in Bedford can download the app on a smartphone from www.traipse.co, advertised by the famed U.S. cryptid Bigfoot. Bigfoot is like our spokesperson, said Mary Zirkle, Town of Bedford Economic Development Authority coordinator. Our spokesquatch. Themed explorations are developed with Traipse. History-based excursions or small business tours are two popular examples. Bedford opted for a route focused on local small businesses in its Centertown area, but Zirkle hopes to expand the Traipse offerings in the future to include the towns many historic sites. There currently are 32 stops on the route, which starts at Bridge Street Cafe. Initially, Zirkle had about 50 stops planned, combining local businesses and historic sites. However, she said she had to trim it down by half due to available funding. The Traipse endeavor was funded by a $24,000 grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation. The money was part of a state initiative aimed to help businesses and tourism recover from the effects of COVID-19, Zirkle said. Bedford fared quite well through the pandemic in terms of small businesses, actually adding several new businesses to the area and having some existing small businesses expand, she said. Boosting tourism helps bolster local businesses. Zirkle had been interested in using an app to promote local tourism and business for some time. She was persistent in her search for a viable option. I got a quote about what building an app for the town would cost, and Im like, There is no way that we can afford whatever $80,000 it was to customize an app, Zirkle said. Still, she did not give up. A contact with the Virginia tourism corporation told her about Traipse. It just started with a real big app idea that we couldnt afford, Zirkle said. With codes to crack and puzzles to solve, incentives such as discounts or free samples might be offered at different stops for users who solve them. Local businesses in downtown Bedford have been supportive of the Traipse initiative, Zirkle said. After discussions with Zirkle and her colleagues at the Bedford County tourism department to formulate a vision, a team of two from Traipse came to town to scout out the downtown area. They selected small businesses to include based on a list of recommendations provided by town staff, created puzzles and brain teasers to solve related to each destination, then mapped the route and made it available on the app. Altogether, developing the tour took a day and a half of field work and another week of database work to load everything into the app, according to Austin Auclair, director of creative content at Traipse. We dont always send multiple people to set up a tour, but two of us really wanted to check out Bedford, Auclair said in an email. Plus, for tours that emphasize small businesses, it helps Traipse to have two people on scene: one person to talk with the staff and learn about the businesss history and priorities, and another to concentrate on building the puzzles for the scavenger hunt. We try to build our scavenger hunt puzzles to bring customers physically into businesses, and to get customers to slow down and actually pay attention to whats being offered by those businesses. Bedfords Traipse experience launched Wednesday. Joining other Virginia localities on the platform, Zirkle said this puts the Town of Bedford more prominently on the Virginia is for Lovers state tourism campaign. Traipse is used throughout Virginia, including tours in Staunton, Harrisonburg, Winchester, Fredericksburg and the counties of Abingdon, Augusta and Shenandoah. The mother of a 2-year-old girl found dead in an Oceanfront hotel room this week was arraigned Wednesday on a felony child abuse charge. Leandra Andrade, 38, of Washington, arrived Tuesday at the Virginia Beach city jail, shortly after her release from a hospital. Shes being held without bond. Her arraignment was held in Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. A bond hearing is scheduled for Thursday. Andrade told substitute Judge Anthony Nicolo shes a housewife and wasnt sure if shed be able to afford an attorney. She said she plans to ask family for help. The judge said hed appoint a public defender if shes unable to get assistance. Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Tabitha Anderson said afterward that her office is waiting to receive reports from various agencies before deciding whether to charge Andrade with more serious offenses. The cause and manner of her daughters death has yet to be released but police said the circumstances appeared to be suspicious. Virginia Beach police responded to a hotel in the 3600 block of Atlantic Avenue Monday and found the girl dead and the mother suffering a medical emergency after D.C. police were alerted to their location. The woman left Washington after the girls father was awarded full legal custody of the child in a hearing July 26, according to D.C. police. Physical custody was split evenly between the two parents. An attorney for the girls father, Fabio E. Andrade, released a statement Wednesday in which he mourned the loss of his child and asked for privacy for himself and his family. My daughter Lanoix loved life and loved to make her friends and family smile, the statement said. I am devastated that the opportunity for Lanoix to continue living a happy and loving life was senselessly taken from her. The statement went on to say that Fabio Andrade had been fighting tirelessly since March to obtain full physical and legal custody of his daughter. The court ruling last week awarding me temporary sole legal custody was one of several successful steps toward that goal, the statement said. But that ruling did not affect the existing, court-ordered temporary shared physical custody schedule that put Lanoix with her mother last weekend. Leandra Andrade was last seen Friday in Washington, according to the areas Metropolitan Police Department. Posts on Leandra Andrades Facebook account contain numerous photos of Lanoix. Before the girl was born, there were multiple posts of Leandra and Fabio Andrade together at their 2015 wedding, on their engagement day, and on vacations to places like the Bahamas and Costa Rica. The posts began to indicate a change in their relationship starting in January. SoftBank has raised as much as $22bn in cash from deals that would sharply reduce its stake in Alibaba over the coming years, as the Japanese investor responds to a market downturn that has ravaged its technology portfolio. The group, led by billionaire founder Masayoshi Son, has this year carried out the sale of about one-third of its Alibaba stake through prepaid forward contracts -- a type of derivative to which SoftBank has increasingly turned to raise cash immediately while retaining the possibility of holding on to the shares. SoftBank has now sold more than half its Alibaba holdings through these forward sales. That could shrink its stake in the Chinese e-commerce giant below the threshold for retaining its board seat and prevent the Japanese group from recognizing its share of Alibaba's income in its financial statements. If SoftBank opts against buying back the Alibaba shares, it would mark the end of an era. Son built his fortune on the back of leading a $20mn funding round for Jack Ma's fledgling e-commerce startup more than two decades ago, generating a huge return on investment. "At one point Alibaba made Jack Ma the richest man in China and Masa the richest in Japan -- it's enabled all of his subsequent investing adventures," said Duncan Clark, chair of Beijing-based tech consultancy BDA China. "If [Son's] selling it down now, it shows his mindset toward China and the pressure he's under." SoftBank has scrambled to raise cash this year as dozens of its Vision Fund investments have slumped amid a broader market sell-off in tech stocks. Son promised investors he would play "defense" in May after unveiling a $27bn investment loss for the Vision Fund during the previous business year. ...continue reading A plunge in blood donations has reduced the American Red Cross blood supply by almost 20% in recent weeks, according to a press release from the Red Cross. The organization is urging people to sign up to donate in August to ward off a blood shortage. Type O negative blood donors are especially needed now. This is a concerning trend that may soon make it tougher to keep blood products on hospital shelves, said Paul Sullivan, Red Cross senior vice president of donor services. By choosing a time to give now, donors can help pump up the blood supply for those in immediate need of lifesaving care and those who rely on transfusions for treatment. Those who keep such appointments in August will automatically be entered for a chance to be one of three people who will win gas for a year, the press release stated. In addition, everyone who comes to blood drives and collection sites in August will receive a $10 egift card to a merchant of choice. Donors can schedule an appointment to donate using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767). The Red Cross follows a high standard of safety and infection control. The Red Cross will continue to socially distance wherever possible at blood drives, donation centers and facilities. While donors are no longer required to wear a face mask, individuals may choose to wear one for any reason. The Red Cross will also adhere to more stringent face mask requirements per state and/or local guidance or at the request of blood drive sponsors. Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at a drive. August donation opportunities in southwest Iowa include the following: Harrison CountyAug. 10 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., West Harrison High School, 410 Pine St., Mondamin Aug. 25 noon-6 p.m., Woodbine High School, 501 Weare St., Woodbine Mills CountyAug. 4 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Glenwood High School, 504 E. Sharp St., Glenwood Page CountyAug. 17 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Essex City Hall, 412 Iowa Ave., Essex Aug. 22 11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Elks Lodge, 701 S. Fremont St., Highway 59 Aug. 26 7:45 a.m.-1:45 p.m., Shenandoah Medical Center, 300 Pershing Ave., Shenandoah PottawattamieAug. 5 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Hy-Vee, 1745 Madison Ave. Suite 1, Council Bluffs Aug. 6 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Shelby Community Building, 500 East St., Shelby Aug. 6 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Ditmars Orchard & Vineyard, 19475 225th St., Council Bluffs Aug. 8 noon-6 p.m., New Horizon Presbyterian Church, 30 Valley View Drive, Council Bluffs Aug. 9 11 a.m.-5 p.m., DeWitt Community Building, 404 Potter St., Macedonia Aug. 12 6:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Holiday Inn & Suites, 2202 River Road, Council Bluffs Aug. 12 12:30-6:30 p.m., Holiday Inn & Suites, 2202 River Road Aug. 24 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Courtyard by Marriott, 2501 Bass Pro Drive, Council Bluffs Aug. 25 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce, 149 W. Broadway Shelby CountyAug. 23 noon-6 p.m., Portsmouth Community Hall, 502 Fourth St., Portsmouth We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Algeria has taken another unilateral move in its relations with Morocco by pushing forward with the exploitation of a huge iron mine in Tindouf region in total disregard for a 1972 border treaty with Morocco which provided for the shared and equal exploitation of the mine. The pact was interpreted as the price that Morocco accepted for officially giving up claims on Tindouf region-where the mine is located- a historically Moroccan region attached by France to colonial Algeria. But, as the Algerian government gives go-ahead to the extraction of iron from that mine, backpedaling on previous commitments to export the iron through Morocco with the two countries sharing equally the returns of the mine, the Algerian regime has once again shown its real hostility to Morocco and to regional integration. Had the pact materialized, it could have offered a vivid example of inter-regional cooperation and made the borders a simple administrative factor that does not impede economic cooperation. So far, Morocco has not made any comment on Algerias backtracking on its 1972 border deal. Some commentators now declared the deal void due to Algerias unilateral moves, shrouding uncertainty on the validity of the colonial borders themselves. The military junta that took power in Algeria overthrowing the civilian government has scrapped promises given by the provisional government to Moroccan king Mohammed V to redraw the borders once Algeria wins its independence. In return, France punished Morocco for its support for the Algerian resistance and for offering a rear base for the Algerian liberation army amputating territories and attaching them to colonial Algeria. South Africa: Transnet steadily improving performance: Operation Vulindlela report State-owned enterprise (SOE) rail and port company, Transnet, is steadily improving its performance and has made progress in improving its financial position to enable greater investment, says Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana. The development is contained in the second quarter report of Operation Vulindlela (OV). In the second quarter, the OV noted progress in: National Energy Crisis Committee (NECOM) established to oversee the implementation of additional measures to address the electricity shortage and end load shedding. Comprehensive review of the work visa system completed, with detailed recommendations to attract skilled immigration and investment. National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency Bill approval by Cabinet for public consultation. Backlog of water use licenses cleared. Revised Raw Water Pricing Strategy developed to provide policy certainty in the water sector. OV was established in October 2020 as a joint initiative of the Presidency and National Treasury to accelerate the implementation of structural reforms. It is a governmentwide approach through which Ministers, departments and entities implement the reforms. A Vulindlela Unit in the Presidency and the National Treasury monitors progress, addresses challenges and actively supports implementation. OVs five key objectives are: supply of electricity stabilise Reduced cost and improved quality of digital communications Sustainable water supply to meet demand Competitive and efficient freight transport A visa regime that attracts skills and grows tourism Releasing the report on Friday, Godongwana said the country had experienced significant challenges with both the ports and rail infrastructure. These, he said, were as a result of security issues, inadequate investment in equipment, procurement processes that were tainted by state capture, and poor operational performance. He said: However, Transnet is steadily improving its performance and has made progress in improving its financial position to enable greater investment going forward. This month, he said, requests for proposals in respect of private sector participation in rail are due for 16 slots made available by Transnet on the Durban-City Deep and Pretoria-East London lines. It is important to recognise that this is only the first step in enabling third-party access to the freight rail network, he said. The Minister said OV in the coming months anticipates the passage of the Economic Regulation of Transport Bill, which will establish an independent Transport Economic Regulator and enable properly regulated, non-discriminatory access to the network beyond these initial slots. In addition, RFPs for private sector participation in the container terminals at the Ports of Durban and Ngqura will also be issued this month, in order for partnerships to be in place by January 2023. This is a major step forward to enable experienced international terminal operators to invest in the expansion of infrastructure and improve the management of port operations, he said. The Minister said the logic of these reforms was that port and rail infrastructure would remain state-owned, while encouraging and enabling competition in operations to improve efficiency and leverage private sector investment. During the next quarter, we will prioritise reforms in the transport sector with the same degree of urgency with which we have responded to the energy crisis during the previous quarter, he said. Also speaking at the briefing, Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, said since OV was established, government had steadily addressed constraints binding the South Africa from creating jobs and stimulating economic growth. We have identified the key ingredients for higher growth in South Africa, he said. He said if OV achieved the key five objectives, government was confident it could place South Africa on a fundamentally different growth trajectory and start creating jobs. This is the premise of (OV) and the reason why the President has made structural reforms our foremost priority. Last month, President Ramaphosa unveiled the countrys energy action plan, which was aimed at addressing power generation. Gungubele said the actions build on the foundation that has already been laid in the energy sector over the past year. Certain licensing threshold was raised. The pipeline of embedded generation projects has grown to more than 80 projects with a combined capacity of over 6000 megawatts, he said. The joint task team set up by OV, led by Minister Godongwa, to support investment in new generation capacity has implemented several key changes. These, he said, include designating the projects as strategic infrastructure projects and streamlining regulatory requirements. "Through these efforts, the average time taken for registration of projects by NERSA has been reduced from as long as four months to just 19 days. The time it takes to obtain an environmental authorisation has been reduced from close to 150 days to just 57 days. Shell capacity has been built in the grid access unit within Eskom to expedite grid connection approval [for] this project to proceed as quickly as possible. Work, he said, had already begun to ensure that the energy action plan was swiftly and fully implemented. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-08-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Director General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance, Abdellatif Hammouchi, held a meeting, Tuesday in Rabat, with the Inspector General of the Israeli police, Yaakov Shabti, that focused on cooperation relations in the security field. The Israeli official is on a working visit to Morocco at the head of a large security delegation. The visit is meant to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the security field and lay the foundations for security cooperation to serve the common interests of the Morocco and Israel, a statement by the Directorate General of National Security said. The visit also aims to share experiences and expertise in various security fields, particularly in the areas of combating terrorism and various forms of transnational organized crime, the statement added. The Hammouchi-Shabti meeting was an opportunity for both sides to emphasize their firm commitment and their shared determination to open new opportunities for the development of bilateral security cooperation, so as to consolidate security and stability in the region and to fight firmly the various threats and criminal perils that threaten the citizens of both countries, the statement said. Head of Israels liaison office in Rabat, David Govrin, who announced Shabtis first visit to Morocco last Monday, said in a tweet: The visit will enhance bilateral cooperation in the security field and exchange experiences. Shabti is accompanied by the head of the intelligence department and the head of external relations department, Govrin had tweeted. Several senior Israeli officials have visited Morocco lately to discuss ways of deepening bilateral relations. Last week, Israels Minister of Justice Gideon Saar and Minister of Regional Cooperation Issawi Frej were in the Kingdom for talks with Moroccan officials on ways of strengthening bilateral cooperation in various fields. Moroccos automotive exports have recorded a 30.1% increase in the first half of 2022, reaching $5.1 Billion, compared to $4.0 billion a year earlier. The Moroccan automobile exports have thus confirmed their upward trend, during the first six months of the year, their highest level compared to the same period of the last five years, indicates the Foreign Exchange Office. Auto sales continue to boom. Exports from the sector increased by 30.1% at the end of June 2022, amounting to 52.84 billion dirhams against 40.61 billion dirhams a year earlier, indicates the Foreign Exchange Office. Meanwhile, the shares of sales in the automotive sector declined by 2.1 points during the same period. Recent statistics from the Association of Vehicle Importers in Morocco reported a decrease in the sales of new cars in the North African country. Compared to the same period last year, the association said the sales of new cars saw a decrease of 11.3% as of July 2022. In addition to the automotive sector, the exchange office revealed data on overall exports of goods, which increased by 41.2%, totaling MAD 215.07 billion ($20.89 billion) against MAD 152.35 billion ($14.8 billion) a year earlier. The increase in exports is not specific to the automotive sector, but concerns all sectors, topped by phosphates and derivatives, agriculture and agri-food as well as the textile and leather sector. Sales of phosphates and derivatives thus increased by 84.3% to reach $5.6 billion in the first half of 2022 against $3.1 billion in the same period a year earlier. This development follows, mainly, the increase in sales of natural and chemical fertilizers (+19.72 billion dirhams) due to the price effect which more than doubled (8,656 DH/T at the end of June 2022 against only 3,671 DH/T at the end of June 2021). On the other hand, the quantities exported fell by 15.1%, according to the Foreign Exchange Office. At the same time, exports of the agriculture and agri-food sector stood at $4.48 billion at the end of June 2022 against $3.6 billion for the same period of the previous year, an increase of 24.8%. This development is explained by the simultaneous increase in sales of the food industry (+30.8%) and agriculture, forestry and hunting (+19.1%). Growth was also scored in the sectors of textile and leather whose exports increased by 32.4% in the first six months of 2022. This development is attributable to the increase in sales of the main segments of this sector, in this case, ready-made garments (+36.3%), knitwear (+27.4%) and footwear (+27.9%). The management of Al-Makassed Charity Hospital in Al-Quds, the largest hospital in Palestine, commended Morocco for its support for the health sector in Al Quds city. The hospital management expressed, in a statement released Wednesday, its thanks and gratitude to Morocco for its generous and continuous support to al-Makassed hospital, through the Bayt Mal Al Quds Asharif Agency, stemming from the Al Quds Committee, which is chaired by King Mohammed VI. It praised the parties and donor bodies, which helped the hospital to continue to fulfill its mission in Al-Quds despite all difficulties and obstacles, which reflects the commitment of the hospital to continue to perform its national and human duty and provide distinguished medical services to the Palestinian people in all parts of the country. The director general of al-Makassed hospital, Adnane Farhoud, surveyed the strategic plans to develop the hospital and offer new services to expand the number of beneficiaries of medical services in the city of Al-Quds and to increase the hospitals income as well. He added that the reform plans carried out by the management of the hospital, which require more time, have helped to pay off some of the accumulated debts and reduce the debt rate by about 30%. The budgetary difficulties suffered by the Palestinian Authority have impacted on the financial commitments of the Palestinian Ministry of Health, which caused an accumulation of debts of the hospital. Bayt Mal Al Quds Asharif Agency continues to support hospital institutions in Al-Quds through medical supplies and medicines for emergency services, including the citys main hospitals and the Arab Health Center in the Al Aqsa Mosque compound. In recent years, the Agency has equipped advanced laboratory medicine services at the hospital, a special service for patients suffering from kidney failure, as well as dental offices. There is solid evidence that Rwandan troops have been fighting alongside the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and providing it with weapons and support, according to a United Nations group of experts. Despite repeated denials by Kigali, there is solid evidence that Rwandan troops attacked soldiers inside DR of Congo and aided the M23 rebel group with weapons and support, a United Nations group of experts has said. The DRC has repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing the militia, which stems from the long fallout from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and has captured swathes of territory in recent months. Kigali repeatedly denied supporting M23 and the armed group maintains it does not receive Rwandan support. A 131-page report by UN Security Council experts found Rwanda launched military interventions inside Congolese territory since at least November 2021, providing troop reinforcements for specific M23 operations, in particular when these aimed at seizing strategic towns and areas. But Rwandas government has said in a statement it would not comment on an unpublished and unvalidated report, adding that an earlier report by the experts group in June contained none of these false allegations. Across the border in DRC, the government welcomed the work of the UN group, saying that the truth always triumphs in the end. We hope that conclusions will be drawn quickly to put an end to Rwandas interference and bring back lasting peace. The UN experts found evidence that, in late May, M23 fighters and Rwandan troops jointly attacked a large DRC army base in eastern North Kivu province only a day after Rwandan forces had crossed into the DRC. African nations are free to buy grain from Russia but could face consequences if they trade in US-sanctioned commodities such as Russian oil, the US ambassador to the United Nations warned Thursday. Countries can buy Russian agricultural products, including fertilizer and wheat, Linda Thomas-Greenfield said during her visit to Ugandas capital city Kampala, after a meeting with the countrys President Yoweri Museveni. Museveni is a US ally who has, however, not criticized Russias invasion of Ukraine and has expressed sympathy with Moscow. She added that if a country decides to engage with Russia where there are sanctions, then they stand the chance of having actions taken against them. Her trip comes a week after the Africa visit of the Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov who dismissed charges that his countrys invasion of Ukraine is solely responsible for a dangerous food crisis in countries ranging from South Sudan to Somalia. He blamed food shortages in the market on the absolutely inadequate reaction of the West, which announced sanctions following the conflict with Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia are key global suppliers of wheat, barley, corn and sunflower oil, with fighting in the Black Sea region, known as the breadbasket of the world, pushing up food prices, threatening political stability in developing nations and leading countries to ban some food exports. Many African countries including some with areas that are on the threshold of famine depend heavily on grain imports from Russia and Ukraine. Ghanas President Nana Akufo-Addo has urged European nations to pay reparations to Africa for damage wrought by the historic slave trade. Speaking at the recent Reparations and Racial Healing Summit in Accra, Ghanas leader said compensation for the trauma of the trans-Atlantic slave trade is long overdue and compared Africas lack of reparations to the enormous sums paid to slaveholders at the end of the trade. The effects of the Slave trade have been devastating to the African continent and to the African diaspora, with the entire period of slavery stifling Africas economic, cultural and psychological progress, Akufo-Addodo said. Calls for reparations for damage wrought by the slave trade have been growing in recent years, and have been given impetus by the global Black Lives Matter movement for racial justice. Proponents argue that slavery wrought a devastating economic legacy that stymied the development of former slave colonies and the countries from which slaves were forcibly removed. Akufo-Addo argued that Africans should be compensated in a similar way to the victims of other historic atrocities. To that end, he compared the lack of reparations paid to Africa to the enormous compensation paid to British, French and American slaveholders when the trade was finally outlawed in those countries. Modern-day Ghana was a major exit point for millions of slaves forced to endure the brutal Middle Passage to the United States, West Indies and South America. Morocco, in partnership with U.S. Africa Command, hosted in Marrakesh Aug.1-5, the 2022 Africa Endeavor symposium within the frame of the longstanding and strong military cooperation between Morocco and the United States. Africa Endeavor is an annual senior leader and communications symposium designed to encourage interoperability and advance national cyber strategy across African partner nations. During the Marrakesh meeting, Moroccan and American military experts, in addition to representatives of 21 African countries discussed encrypted communications, emerging technologies, cyber-security, information sharing, maritime security, mobile power solutions, joint actions against illicit activities, expanding & Improving IT infrastructure and capacity. Participants also looked into ways of improving interoperability between the Royal Armed Forces, their U.S. allies and African partners during multinational operations. Africa Endeavor symposium comes one month after the completion of the Moroccan-American exercise African Lion, U.S. Africa Commands premier and largest annual military exercise on the continent. By hosting Africa Endeavor 2022, Morocco continues to demonstrate its leadership role in maintaining regional peace, security and stability. Great Plains Health is collaborating with the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing for accelerated clinicals in North Platte for the bachelor of science in nursing program. A ceremonial signing of the agreement was held Thursday afternoon in North Platte. Qualified applicants with bachelors degrees can complete the accelerated program in a year. Students will complete their didactic courses at the UNMC campus in Kearney while they receive clinical training at Great Plains Health. Its no secret that we need more nurses across the state, Ivan Mitchell, the hospitals CEO, said in a media release announcing the collaboration. There are many wonderful efforts in North Platte and in Nebraska to help train the next generation of health care professionals. We are pleased to deploy another strategy to encourage nursing careers. Nebraska is facing a growing shortage of nurses. In 2020, the state faced a shortage of about 4,100 nurses; by 2025, the Nebraska Center for Nursing estimates shortfalls exceeding 5,400 nurses. This prediction takes into account the 3.8% predicted growth as nurses graduate from nursing programs and enter the workforce. Applications for the Clinical Pathway Partnership are being accepted, and opportunities for tuition and housing assistance are available. The first cohort of students will begin in 2023. Applicants must have earned 58 credit hours of required prerequisites in the sciences and general studies, which may be completed through the applicants existing bachelors degree. This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to break into nursing or take the next step in their health care career and make an immediate impact on our community, Tina Pate, chief nursing officer of Great Plains Health, said in the release. Students will receive an outstanding education through UNMC, coupled with immersive clinical experience at Great Plains Health. We will be alongside these nursing students through every part of their journey. Those interested can visit unmc.edu/nursing/educational-programs/undergraduate-programs/kearney-accelerated-program/index.html for additional information. "Kiwi the blue chicken (Indian Ringneck parakeet) cant help but try and take my snacks. He wont stop until he gets what he wants! He sure did win in the end " Johnny Depp and Jeff Beck are accused of plagiarizing "Hobo Ben," a toast performed by Slim Wilson and recorded by esteemed folklorist Bruce Jackson in the 60s.https://t.co/p4fpU36JVy Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) August 4, 2022 Jackson and Wilson: Depp and Beck: Johnny Depp and Jeff Becks Sad Motherfuckin Parade appears to share numerous lines with Hobo Ben, a toast performed by Slim Wilson and recorded by folklorist Bruce Jackson in the 60s. Slim Wilson was in Missouri State Penitentiary for armed robbery when he met Jackson in 1964. Wilson was, according to Jackson, one of the best narrators of poetry hed ever heard. During their time together, Wilson shared stories from his life and several toasts a wildly outlandish form of narrative Black folk poetry with Jackson. A decade later, he featured heavily in Jacksons 1974 book and album about toasts, Get Your Ass in the Water and Swim Like Me.Nearly 60 years after Jackson recorded Slim Wilson, it appears Depp and Beck have ripped them off with no formal credit and Jackson is not happy. "The only two lines I could find in the whole piece that [Depp and Beck] contributed are Big time motherfucker and Bust it down to my level, Jackson says. Everything else is from Slims performance in my book. Ive never encountered anything like this...this is the first time anybody has just ripped something off and put his own name on it."A rep for Depp and Becks album did not immediately return Rolling Stones request for comment. Jackson is looking into legal action, however there will be a hard road since toasts usually have no definitive authors. Jackson does not claim authorship of Hobo Ben or any of the toasts he recorded but he does own a copyright to his transcriptions of those toasts as recorded in his book and album.Jackson is ticked because not only is someone using his work without credit, but they're passing off another persons words as their own.I dont know if this record is selling, Jackson says of Depp and Becks album. Ive seen some reviews that Id be very embarrassed to have gotten had they been my album. But if it is selling, Johnny Depp is making a lot of money on it. Should it go to him, or should it go to some place that helps the people who produced this culture?According to Rolling Stone, "Their song, Sad Motherfuckin Parade, off their new album, 18, appears to pull numerous lines from Hobo Ben, including one that ostensibly gives the song its title:[Y]ou better try to keep you ass in this corner of shade/cause if the Man come you make a sad motherfuckin paradeIm raggedy, I know, but I have no stink,God bless the lady thatll buy me a drink,andWhat that funky motherfucker really needs, child, is a bathKevin J. Greene, a lawyer and law professor known for his extensive and groundbreaking work on Black music and copyright law, agrees that its unlikely Depp and Beck independently created the lyrics to Sad Motherfuckin Parade. The words are so similar, it looks like they really did base their song on [Hobo Ben], he says. He adds that in the eyes of the law, Jackson basically owns the copyright to the toasts.The source has audio comparisons and expanded information on copyright law. I was trying to find a new show to start watching and I think Ill check this out, thanks for giving me some inspiration op Reply Thread Link Chidi is in this!!! Okay I'll make room for it in my life somewhere. Reply Thread Link I hadn't heard of it before now but it looks really good! Will definitely watch! Reply Thread Link I binged the first three but then was half paying attention today. Im enjoying it but I need to wait until all the eps are out to watch at once tbh weekly viewing doesnt work for me Reply Thread Link Yeah, having to only watch one today was painful! I needed more. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm with you, OP! I binged the first three eps so quickly when they came out and I love the cast, excited to see where this goes :) Reply Thread Link I was looking for a new show to watch. Going to check this out. Reply Thread Link This show is wonderful. I started it last week fully ready to binge the whole thing. I was UPSET when I realized there were only 3 eps. Reply Thread Link does this have a comedy vibe or it's more adventure/mistery? Reply Thread Link I'd say it's a good mix of both comedy and mystery! The first episode was the ~darkest in terms of setting up one of the main characters, but it's a good balance. Reply Parent Thread Link Chidi! I saw him in Midsommar and he did a good job because I totally forgot he was also Chidi. Reply Thread Link This looks interesting, I'm going to add to my list to check out once I can binge. Reply Thread Link This is looking very unrealistic but also fun. To the high seas! Reply Thread Link I randomly stumbled upon it last week and binged the three episodes right away it is ridiculous and I love it! Reply Thread Link This show wishes it was White Lotus. There's something smug about it, I'm not really vibing with it. Reply Thread Link - A reference water level at Kaub, where tankers need to have at least - Coal-fired power plants situated along the Rhine and further to the south have already voiced concerns about low stocks as for weeks already tankers can only reach them with partial loads. - Water levels on one of Europes largest inland arteries, the Rhine River, are so low that navigation might be banned completely, jeopardizing the energy security of central Europe. - Attesting to the groups demand worries, OPEC+ is gradually cutting its forecast for this years average supply surplus a mere two months ago it stood at 1.9 million b/d, by now the Joint Technical Committee lowered it to a mere 0.8 million b/d. - Even though the likes of Saudi Arabia and UAE have acknowledged having issues with readily available spare capacity, this time around OPEC+s limitations even made it into the meetings communique. - The likelihood that the oil group will fulfill the output target seems somewhat slim, considering that members compliance rate stands at 320% as of June, equivalent to an underproduction rate of 2.85 million b/d. - In a move widely perceived as the undoing of the widely publicized Biden-MBS fist bump, OPEC+ has agreed to a 100,000 b/d production quota increase for September 2022. 1. OPEC+ Agrees on Lowest Monthly Increase in Years - In a move widely perceived as the undoing of the widely publicized Biden-MBS fist bump, OPEC+ has agreed to a 100,000 b/d production quota increase for September 2022. - The likelihood that the oil group will fulfill the output target seems somewhat slim, considering that members compliance rate stands at 320% as of June, equivalent to an underproduction rate of 2.85 million b/d. - Even though the likes of Saudi Arabia and UAE have acknowledged having issues with readily available spare capacity, this time around OPEC+s limitations even made it into the meetings communique. - Attesting to the groups demand worries, OPEC+ is gradually cutting its forecast for this years average supply surplus a mere two months ago it stood at 1.9 million b/d, by now the Joint Technical Committee lowered it to a mere 0.8 million b/d. 2. Extremely Low Rhine Levels Send Shockwaves Across Europe - Water levels on one of Europes largest inland arteries, the Rhine River, are so low that navigation might be banned completely, jeopardizing the energy security of central Europe. - Coal-fired power plants situated along the Rhine and further to the south have already voiced concerns about low stocks as for weeks already tankers can only reach them with partial loads. - A reference water level at Kaub, where tankers need to have at least 1.5 meters of clearance to sail fully loaded, dropped to a mere 55 centimeters this week. - Similarly, the warming of the Rhine and adjacent rivers has been curtailing nuclear power generation in France as cooling water becomes harder to come by, pushing continental electricity prices even higher. 3. Global Energy Crisis Rekindles Hope in Nuclear - Just as the 1970s oil crises buoyed the development of second-generation nuclear power plants across the world, the ongoing surge in fossil fuel prices has the potential of starting a new wave of nuclear construction. - As of today, however, new nuclear capacities are almost exclusively focused on Asia with China alone seeing 21 GW of capacity under construction. - With 41 nuclear projects across Asia, the share of nuclear in regional power generation is expected to rise to 8% from the current level of 5%. - Western nuclear projects are prone to cost overruns and hefty delays, as could be seen with two reactors at Plant Vogtle that are set to launch next year after a 6-year delay and a budget doubling to $30 billion. 4. The Glencore Strategy Has Finally Worked Out - Glencore's H1 2022 earnings have surpassed analysts expectations and more than doubled year-on-year to $18.92 billion, boosted by the companys mining operations. - Whilst many other miners focus on coking coal, too, Glencores strict focus on thermal coal has allowed coal profits to skyrocket as global benchmarks are still trading at $350-400 per metric ton. - Sticking to an industrywide trend, Glencore has pledged to buy back a further $3 billion in stock, with another $1.5 billion invested towards a special dividend. - The bumper profits come despite Glencore paying out $1.5 billion to authorities in the US, UK, and Brazil to settle charges of bribery and price manipulation, as well as concurrently taking a Russian asset impairment of similar value. 5. Expensive or Not, Europe Is Trying to Stock Gas - Europe is facing a soaring energy bill for replenishing gas inventories ahead of the winter season, with total costs estimated at $51 billion, 10 times more than previously. - For the first time this year, gas storage levels have moved above the 5-year average this week by reaching a 70.54% replenishment rate, mostly thanks to increased LNG imports. - EU countries have imported 21.4 million tons of LNG in the first half of 2022, up 160% year-on-year, with most of the incremental deliveries coming from the United States. - With EU rules mandating that gas storage reach 80% of capacity by November 01, member countries will be compelled to continue buying more even though spot TTF prices remain above 200 per MWh ($67/mmBtu). 6. Venezuela Remains Hamstrung by Endless Power Cuts - Venezuelas crude production declined last month amidst ongoing logistics-related bottlenecks, averaging some 675,000 b/d, an almost 100,000 b/d drop month-on-month. - Witnessing ever steeper decreases in crude exports, falling almost 30% from June to 460,000 b/d, loading operations were hamstrung by pipeline explosions and a widespread power cut around the Jose export terminal. - With crude upgraders also seeing a downturn following the power cut, Venezuelas state oil company PDVSA will be partially reinvigorated by the arrival of two tankers full of Iranian condensate, a key diluent to render local heavy viscous crude transportable. - Venezuela has recently restarted its crude exports to Europe, with Italys ENI and Spains Repsol both seeing a delivery each in June-July. 7. Despite Limited Export Opportunities, US Gas Inventories Still Low - Freeport LNG will be allowed to resume operations in early October at almost full capacity, Bloomberg writes, potentially increasing the pressure on US inventories of natural gas. - Gas stocks held in US salt caverns and depleted aquifers are currently 12% below the 5-year average, at 2.46 TCf, some 260 bcf lower than year-ago levels. - At the same time, production has been surprisingly robust recently, trending around 98 Bcf, leading to a bigger-than-expected gas inventory build this week at 41 bcf. - With bullish production and bearishly low stocks offsetting one another, front-month Henry Hub gas futures have been seen slightly above the $8 per mmBtu mark. So just how influential is Al Sadr - a Shiite who opposes Shiite Iranian control in Iraq? He is influential enough to have a completely compliant public force of protesters to demonstrate his power, but not influential enough to have won a majority to form a government in last Octobers parliamentary elections. His party won, but the win wasnt solid enough, and he refused to form a coalition government. This week saw al Sadrs protesters enter Iraqi parliament to create a standstill following the nomination of a pro-Iranian figure as a prime ministerial candidate. Al Sadr runs his protesters like the conductor of an orchestra. Normally, in such a situation, the leader of protests loses control and the protests take on a life of their own, but no such thing is happening here. On Tuesday, the fourth day of protests, Al Sadr ordered those same protesters to leave the building but set up right outside, in Baghdads Green Zone, and called for the dissolution of parliament and early elections. While everyone is monitoring a war in Europe, Iraq - OPECs second-largest producer - is experiencing the climax of a long-running political stalemate that will have major geopolitical ramifications. Mass protests led by influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, the premier anti-Iranian force, have taken the political situation to its breaking point. This is where Iraqs future is decided, pro- or anti-Iranian. While everyone is monitoring a war in Europe, Iraq - OPECs second-largest producer - is experiencing the climax of a long-running political stalemate that will have major geopolitical ramifications. Mass protests led by influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, the premier anti-Iranian force, have taken the political situation to its breaking point. This is where Iraqs future is decided, pro- or anti-Iranian. This week saw al Sadrs protesters enter Iraqi parliament to create a standstill following the nomination of a pro-Iranian figure as a prime ministerial candidate. Al Sadr runs his protesters like the conductor of an orchestra. Normally, in such a situation, the leader of protests loses control and the protests take on a life of their own, but no such thing is happening here. On Tuesday, the fourth day of protests, Al Sadr ordered those same protesters to leave the building but set up right outside, in Baghdads Green Zone, and called for the dissolution of parliament and early elections. So just how influential is Al Sadr - a Shiite who opposes Shiite Iranian control in Iraq? He is influential enough to have a completely compliant public force of protesters to demonstrate his power, but not influential enough to have won a majority to form a government in last Octobers parliamentary elections. His party won, but the win wasnt solid enough, and he refused to form a coalition government. In October this year, it will have been a full year since Iraq had a functioning government. Its interim prime minister - Mustafa al-Kadhimi - is ineffective, at best. What we are witnessing now is the run-up to a potentially violent outcome after nearly a year of paralysis. Oil markets should be paying very close attention. Al Sadrs protests are sparking counter-protests, and this is where the fight becomes (partially at least) pro- and anti-Iranian. One of Al Sadrs fiercest rivals is former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki - a pro-Iranian puppet. Instability is rife in Iraq, including in northern Iraqs Kurdistan region, where Iranian proxies have been launching missiles, targeting energy facilities, in an apparent bid to push the Kurds toward a pro-Iranian solution in the Iraqi government. As it stands, Iran is angry that Kurdish leader Masoun Barzani has allied with Al Sadr in the government, even though the Kurdish parties refused Al Sadrs overture to form a coalition government with them and Sunni parties against the Iranian-backed Shiites. Irans missile attacks on Kurdish targets are meant to push this to a conclusion that suits Tehrans agenda. But the broader agenda here is more subtle: Iran simply wishes to further weaken Iraqs central institutions, rendering them unstable enough to control by proxy. Why could the Kurds be pressured to fall into this trap? Because they would also like a weak Baghdad that lacks the power to essentially take control of Kurdish oil operations and contracts - a move that is already in motion and has been a long-running battle between Erbil and Baghdad. Al Sadr himself benefits from a weak Baghdad, and while this is now largely a battle between Al Sadr and Al Maliki - both are corrupt and neither has Iraqs interest in mind. From all sides, then, the ultimate goal is a paralyzed Iraq that can contain high-end corruption and be used by all as a proxy for various nefarious ends. The pro-Iranian and anti-Iranian elements of the latest manifestation of this battle between Al Sadr and Al Maliki are not necessarily genuine. They are a means to an end, and either one would change pro for anti should it benefit them (and they have, in the past). Even without this turning into a civil war, Iraqs oil industry is at risk, run by a government that isn't real and faced with major challenges in moving the industry forward at a time when OPEC+ is stretching spare capacity thin. Germanys year-ahead electricity prices hit a record high on Friday after several utilities across Europe warned of lower power supply due to hot and dry weather that affects nuclear and coal power generation. The price of electricity in the biggest market in Europe, Germany, rose by 2% early on Friday to a record $419 (410 euro) a megawatt hour (MWh), per Bloomberg estimates. More and more utilities in Europe are looking to switch to fuels other than natural gas because of sky-high prices and uncertainty in Russian supply as the continent scrambles to fill gas storage sites ahead of the winter. But coal supply is constrained due to low water levels on the Rhine River, a major coal and fuel transportation corridor in Europe. Power prices were further pressured upward on Friday by an announcement from Switzerlands Axpo Holding, which is reducing output at the Beznau nuclear power plant because of restrictions on using warm water to cool reactors. Frances EDF has warned for weeks its nuclear power generation in France would be reduced as high temperatures of rivers Rhone and Garonne make them too hot to cool reactors. Utilities in Germany, for their part, are warning that some coal-fired power plants could see irregular operations for a month because of limited coal supply due to low water levels on the Rhine, which complicates transportation of coal via barges. According to notices posted on the power bourse EEX, Germanys energy giant Uniper the one the government bailed out last month with a $15-billion package warned that units at two coal power plants it operates could experience irregularities until September 7. The hot and dry weather in Germany is expected to continue for weeks, which could see German and European power prices climb even higher ahead of the winter if utilities continue to limit power generation. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Japanese industry ministry has asked Mitsui and Mitsubishi to "think positively" about their participation in the Russian Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project after the Russian government announced it would boost state ownership. Reuters reports that industry minister Koichi Hagiuda today asked the two companies, which are minority shareholders in Sakhalin-2, to consider staying on, saying he was due to discuss the matter with a Mitsubishi executive in the coming days. "The public and private sectors will work together to protect the interests of Japanese companies and ensure a stable supply of LNG," Hagiuda said. A day earlier, Hagiuda told media that "The Sakhalin-2 project is extremely important for stable energy supply to Japan, and we will basically continue to maintain the stakes." Japan is one of the biggest LNG importers in the world and gets about a tenth of the LNG it consumes from Russia. Earlier this year, the Japanese industry minister said that the Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 projects "are essentially important for energy security because the projects allow Japan to procure supplies below the market price, especially amid current high energy prices." In early July, Moscow said it would set up a new state-owned company to take over the assets and debt of the Sakhalin-2 consortium, with Gazprom to get a little over 50 percent of the new entity. Shell, the third foreign minority shareholder in the project, has already announced it would be leaving it and is looking for buyers. The Japanese shareholders, however, were in no rush to leave. "We continue to work on finding an acceptable arrangement that enables us to withdraw from our share in Sakhalin Energy in line with applicable legal requirements and project agreements," the supermajor said earlier this week, per Reuters. Under the terms of a new decree announced earlier this month, Mitsui and Mitsubishi could claim their stakes in the new company within the next month. The two companies said today they will cooperate with the Japanese government and with their business partners "to decide on whether or not they would join the new entity," Reuters reported. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russia banned companies from what it considers unfriendly countries from selling stakes in key energy projects and oil and gas production sharing agreements by the end of the year under a new decree signed by Vladimir Putin on Friday. Russia is thus upping the ante in the standoff with the West, which has imposed massive sanctions on Russia. The U.S. has already banned imports of Russian energy, including oil, natural gas, and coal, while the EU plans to enact an embargo on seaborne imports of Russian crude oil and refined products at the end of this year. Western majors hastened to announce they are abandoning joint projects in Russia after Putin invaded Ukraine at the end of February. Some international companies have managed to exit their participation, such as Norways Equinor, which said at the end of May that The exit from all Joint Ventures has been completed in accordance with Norwegian and EU sanctions legislation related to Russia. Shell has already completed the sale of its retail and lubricants businesses in Russia to Lukoil, but hasnt exited the Sakhalin-2 LNG project yet. Earlier this week, the Russian government gave Sakhalin-2 minority foreign investors Shell, and Japans Mitsui & Co and Mitsubishi one month to claim their stakes in a new entity that will replace the existing project. Shell has confirmed it is looking at ways to exit the project. The Japanese companies are expected to continue to keep their stakes, Japans Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda said on Thursday, as carried by Reuters. U.S. supermajor ExxonMobil, for its part, has said it would quit the Sakhalin-1 oil project in Russia and has said it is in the process of transferring the 30% stake to another party. Russian giant Rosneft blamed Exxon on Thursday for the low oil production at the Sakhalin-1 project. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Photo: The Canadian Press Telus Corp. saw its net income soar by 45 per cent in its most recent quarter as the company nabbed more mobile phone and internet customers. The Vancouver telecommunications firm revealed Friday that it swung to a net income of $498 million in its second quarter, up from $344 million in the same period last year. The earnings for the period ended June 30 amounted to 34 cents per share, up 36 per cent from 25 cents per share. "In the second quarter, the TELUS team once again demonstrated continued execution excellence, characterized by the consistent combination of industry-leading customer growth, resulting in strong operational and financial results across our business," said Darren Entwistle, Telus president and CEO, in a news release. Our robust performance reflects the potency of our globally leading broadband networks and customer-centric culture, which enabled record second quarter total customer additions of 247,000." Those additions included 93,000 net new mobile phone subscribers and 34,000 net new internet service customers in the quarter. On an adjusted basis, Telus reported a $422 million profit in the quarter, up more than 21 per cent from $348 million during the same period in 2021. Its revenue reached $4.4 billion in the second quarter, up seven per cent from $4.1 billion a year ago. The revenue flowed in during the same quarter that Telus announced it will buy LifeWorks Inc., an HR firm formerly known as Morneau Shepell. LifeWorks helps companies with employee and family assistance plans, absence management, pension and benefits administration and retirement planning. The company was valued at $2.9 billion including debt and was meant to help Telus push further into employee wellness and health care services. Telus Health offers virtual care and provides patients access to digital pharmacy options, home health monitoring and electronic health records. The deal was approved by shareholders Thursday, Entwistle said. The earnings release and news of the shareholders' approval comes after the telecommunications sector began facing questions about the reliability and interconnectedness of their networks following a July service outage from rival Rogers Communications Inc. that affected millions of Canadians and knocked out access to some health-care, law enforcement and banking services. The telecommunications giants along with counterpart BCE Inc. have now been tasked with developing a backup plan to mitigate the impact of future outages and other emergency situations. Russias oil refinery that was struck by drones in June has resumed full operations, Interfax said on Friday, citing authorities. Russias Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery, located in the Rostov region, was struck by two drones in June, after which production at both primary crude oil distillation units was suspended. The attack created an explosion that erupted in fire, Russian news agency TASS said at the time, damaging the refinerys crude oil tank. Russian police had said the drones were Ukrainian. Novoshakhtinsk has a capacity of up to 7.5 million tonnes annually, making it one of the largest oil refineries in southern Russia. Ukraine has not affirmed or denied that it was responsible for the attack. The drone was one of several attacks on Russian oil and gas operations following Russias invasion of Ukraine. Also in June, Ukraine reportedly attacked offshore oil and gas drilling platforms in the Black Sea, Russian-installed head of Crimea said. Ukraine has accused Russia of strikes that were too near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, using the term nuclear terrorism. Russia, however, said that Ukraine had carried out artillery strikes near Zaporizhzhia. A tight refined products market and shrinking global refining capacity have placed increased scrutiny on any refinery production outages as diesel and other finished product inventories fall. Russias refinery restart, which processed 5.2 million tonnes of crude last year, will give Russia additional outlets for its crude oil as many of its usual customers look to curtail imports of Russias crude. Europe currently has a plan in place to stop 90 percent of Russian crude oil imports by the end of this year in order to limit Russias access to oil revenues. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Yemens Houthi-led government has accused the countrys Saudi-backed coalition forces of siphoning off $13 billion in Yemeni oil revenues over the past five years, with reports claiming that another $180 million in looted oil left the country this week on a Greek oil tanker. In a tweet published by local media sources, Houthi National Negotiation Delegation official Abdul Malik Al-Ajri claimed that the $13 billion looted from Yemens oil revenues is based on figures from an OAPEC (Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries) and maritime traffic data. Yemen has been embroiled in a civil conflict since 2014, when Houthi insurgents, backed by Iran, attempted to overthrow the Sunni government, taking over the capital and the countrys largest city. A coalition led by Saudi Arabia launched a counteroffensive in 2015, and the conflict has continued since and is considered a proxy war largely between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Houthis now control most of Yemens north, while a four-month ceasefire deal is expiring. Al-Ajris accusations were echoed in July by Yemeni Oil Company spokesman Issam Al-Mutawakkil, who claimed that Yemens oil revenues are diverted to the Saudi National Commercial Bank, depriving the country of its oil wealth. "Yemen as an oil producing nation is suffering the same as countries that don't possess any oil wealth", adding that "Yemen doesn't benefit from the crude oil revenues that are exported to the Saudi National Commercial Bank, Al-Mutawakkill said. Yemen produces oil in the provinces of Marib, Shabwa and Hadhramaut, and the revenues from those operations bypass Yemens Central Bank, diverted to accounts controlled by officials tied to the Saudi-backed coalition, he added. On Thursday, the Yemen Press Agency, cited by the Middle East Monitor, alleged that Saudi coalition-backed sources had recently sold another two million barrels of Yemens Al-Masila crude worth $180 million at current prices, and is expected to be loaded this week on a Greek vessel at the port of Dhaba. Also on Thursday, the United Nations announced that both sides in this conflict had agreed to extend a truce for two months, with the current four-month ceasefire deal coming to an end and sparking fears of a return to bloodshed. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: GREENBELT, Md. (AP) A West Virginia man was sentenced Thursday to three years in federal prison after he sent emails threatening Dr. Anthony Fauci and another federal health official for talking about the coronavirus and efforts to prevent its spread. Using an anonymous email account based in Switzerland, Thomas Patrick Connally, Jr. threatened to kill Fauci or members of his family, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release. One of his messages said they would be dragged into the street, beaten to death, and set on fire." Another email said Fauci would be hunted, captured, tortured and killed, according to court records. Fauci is President Joe Bidens chief medical adviser and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is part of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Fauci has been a vocal supporter of vaccines and other preventive measures against COVID-19. He said he expects to retire at the end of Biden's current term. Another target was Dr. Francis Collins, who was director of NIH at the time of Connally's threats. Collins and his family were threatened with physical assault and death if Collins continued to speak about the need for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations, the Justice Department said. Connally also admitted to sending emails threatening Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania's then-Secretary of Health, the Justice Department said. An unidentified public health official in Massachusetts and a religious leader in New Jersey were also threatened. Everyone has the right to disagree, but you do not have the right to threaten a federal officials life, Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, said in a statement. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Connally to 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Connally most recently lived in Snowshoe, West Virginia. He was arrested last summer, and pleaded guilty in May to making threats against a federal official. The new home of the Porcupines is looking sharp. Officials from the Omaha Public Schools on Thursday celebrated the opening of Pine Elementary School a celebration that featured porcupine quills, a person in a porcupine suit and a live porcupine. The school built at 10th and Pine Streets lies in Omahas historic Little Italy area half a block north of Cascios Steakhouse and a block south of St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church. Built with a capacity for 600 kids, the school initially will enroll about 300, relieving overcrowding at Castelar and Bancroft Elementary Schools, according to Pines principal. Students will report Aug. 17. Principal Adriana Vargas said her previous school, Castelar, where she was principal, had 650 kids. We actually even had two houses across the street that we were using for classrooms, she said. Darland Construction Company built the new school. The architect was Jackson-Jackson & Associates. The new school is one of several built with a $409.9 million bond measure approved by voters in 2018. It cost about $19 million, officials said. School board President Shavonna Holman spoke at the event. She called the school an important investment for students and thanked the voters who made it possible. Superintendent Cheryl Logan told the crowd that children deserve a place like this thats warm, inviting and is special. Its all about the relationships, and we look forward to many years of relationships where children will be known, will be loved and hopefully they will be inspired, Logan said. According to OPS, among the key features are main-floor kindergarten and pre-kindergarten rooms that exit directly to their respective playgrounds. The upper-floor art room has large windows, and the media center is near the technology center to allow for collaboration. The 112,000-square-foot facility also has an outdoor learning space. Giant oak trees, located on the school property along 10th Street, were preserved during construction, providing a shady spot for students. The design of the school incorporates the gymnasium of the former Grace University that occupied the site previously. While larger than the typical elementary school gym, it will benefit students throughout the district, officials said. I can now brag that I am in the only elementary school in OPS with a college-size gym, Vargas told the crowd of about 250 people who gathered in the gym for the celebration. Vargas noted the area around the school has a rich Italian culture. As a matter of fact, a couple of weeks ago was the Santa Lucia festival, and they were just a block away, she said. About 70% of the students who will attend the school are from Latino families, she said. Many parents with children were invited to join in the celebration and tour the new school. Tammy Mancilla said she was involved with the committee that named the school and chose the colors and mascot porcupines. After the formal ceremony, she took pictures of her daughter, Lindsey, on the gym floor. Lindsey will be a third grader at the school. Ive lived here my whole life moved away for a year and a half other than that Ive been here for 44 years, Tammy Mancilla said. It would have been pretty neat to have the name Little Italy for the school, but I thought of it a little too late. Emily Echeverria, who will attend third grade at the school, was among a crowd of children and adults who got a close-up look at a live porcupine, compliments of the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium. The well-behaved animal stood on a table and nibbled on treats. What did Emily think of that? Cool. LINCOLN Gov. Pete Ricketts and Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac, adjutant general of the Nebraska National Guard, traveled to Kuwait this week for a rare overseas change of command from one Nebraska Army Guard team to a detachment of fellow Nebraskans. A Kearney-based detachment of the 1057th Military Police Company relieved a Scottsbluff-based team of the 1057th at Camp Arifjan Army Base. The Scottsbluff team deployed in October last year and is heading home now. The 1057th has been tasked with securing the base and ensuring law and order. Camp Arifjan is south of Kuwait City, the capital of a Persian Gulf state that shares its northern and western borders with Iraq and its southern border with Saudi Arabia. The companys jobs include doing background checks and regular screening of everyone who works on the base, whether contractors, military personnel, State Department diplomats or local service providers. Given the large size of the base, people enter it every day to provide routine services such as delivering food and supplies or collecting trash. Speaking to the two detachments, Ricketts congratulated the first team on a successful deployment and offered prayers for the safety and success of the second team. He noted that Nebraska Guard members rarely deployed overseas 25 years ago, but now prepare for and expect deployments. Theyre eager to support U.S. military missions abroad, and they have the training and skills to take on major responsibilities, Ricketts said. Bohac joined the governor in thanking the Guard members. Although nowhere on our uniform does it say Nebraska when we serve overseas with our U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force fellows, our soldiers and airmen of the Nebraska National Guard distinguish themselves through their skillful and dedicated service, he said. They represent the people of our great state exceedingly well and make all of us proud. The two officials were then headed to Qatar, where they were to visit with members of the Nebraska Air National Guard deployed there. Qatar occupies a peninsula in the Persian Gulf and shares a border with Saudi Arabia. The Nebraska Guard currently has 425 soldiers and airmen supporting U.S. military missions around the world. Ricketts left Nebraska on Monday and is scheduled to return Friday. He took a commercial flight and paid for it personally, spokeswoman Alex Reuss said. She described the trip as an official one. Under the hot summer sun, the sounds of giggling and the click-clack of polyurethane wheels over cracks in the concrete filled the Miller Park neighborhood. It was the final day of skate school, a two-month, twice-a-week program for fourth and fifth grade students at Nelson Mandela Elementary School. As instructors asked the students to reflect on the experience, the group of tie-dye shirt-clad kids grew impatient as they eyed a row of brand-new skateboards. From the crowd, a common refrain: Do we get to keep the boards? The instructors exchanged a knowing glance as they continued with their questions. This summer marks the second year that Rabble Mill, a Nebraska-based nonprofit centered around skateboarding, digital art and music, partnered with Nelson Mandela Elementary, a private, tuition-free K-5 school in North Omaha. I think our missions align well, which is why we choose to keep working with them, Katie Temple, the education programming manager at Rabble Mill, said of the partnership. Opened in 2015 and fully funded by the Lozier Foundation, the school prioritizes offering a high-quality, tailored education to kids in the Miller Park area. This includes having music lessons built into the curriculum, requiring parents to be actively involved in the school community and a year-round school schedule with a three-week summer vacation in August. Throughout June and July, 76 students spent some of their school day on Wednesdays and Thursdays in the smoothly paved parking lot. Rabble Mill instructors set up a makeshift skate park, complete with obstacles to maneuver around and small ramps to practice gaining speed. Connor Johnson, 21, has been skating for most of his life. When his friends told him about the chance to teach kids to skate through Rabble Mill, he jumped on the opportunity. When I started skating back in the day, there was a group of skater kids who lived in my neighborhood, he said. They were the older, cooler dudes, and I wanted to be like them. The coolest thing about working with kids is that you are the cool older kid now. They want your advice and they look up to you in that way. Many of the kids had never stepped foot on a skateboard before this summer. The instructors focused on building confidence and meeting each student at their respective skill level. As some students were eager to learn new tricks, others were still getting comfortable balancing on the board. Regardless of their skill, Johnson says that all the students made great strides from where they started. Thats why each kid got a skateboard and a helmet to take home with them. A few weeks before the final lesson, six Rabble Mill employees gathered around a box of skateboard parts. For more than three hours, they went through the same tedious process of assembling a skateboard 76 times: measuring the board, adding grip tape, sanding the edges, poking the holes, inserting bearings and attaching wheels and trucks. The hard work paid off when instructors told the kids that they would be able to keep practicing on their very own boards. Squeals and cheers were audible from around the neighborhood as the students ran to take their pick. They were so psyched, Johnson said. Theyve all been working so hard, and they truly deserve these boards. Id be working with some of the kids and theyd talk about how they want to skate more and practice, but they dont have a board. For the rest of the lesson, students used paint pens to decorate the new gear and sign their names on each others boards. Johnson and the other instructors watched with a smile as the kids rolled back and forth across the parking lot. Before retiring back into the school building, the students thanked their instructors for the skateboards, of course, but also for helping many of them find a new hobby. Thank you, one student said. I didnt know that I loved skateboarding until now. The citations against Mid-Nebraska Disposal Inc. stemmed from an incident on Feb. 7 in which the federal agency said a 20-year-old employee fell into a baler while trying to remove a piece of cardboard. DALLAS (AP) Hungarys autocratic Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged cheering American conservatives on Thursday to take back the institutions, stick to hardline stances on gay rights and immigration and fight for the next U.S. presidential election as a pivotal moment for their beliefs. The exuberant cheers and standing ovations at the Conservative Political Action Conference for the far-right prime minister, who has been criticized for undermining his own country's democratic institutions, demonstrated the growing embrace between Orban and Republicans in the U.S. He mocked the media in this country and in Europe. And in a speech he titled How We Fight, Orban told the crowd gathered in a Dallas convention ballroom to focus now on the 2024 election, saying they had two years to get ready," though he endorsed no candidate or party. Victory will never be found by taking the path of least resistance," he said during one of the keynote slots of the three-day CPAC event. "We must take back the institutions in Washington and Brussels. We must find friends and allies in one another. Referring to liberals, he said: They hate me and slander me and my country, as they hate you and slander you for the America you stand for. His entrance drew a bigger welcome than the governor of Texas, Republican Greg Abbott, received moments earlier on the same stage. From there, the cheers continued as Orban weaved through attacks on LGBTQ rights, boasted about reducing abortions in Hungary and celebrated hardline immigration measures back home. Other speakers will include former President Donald Trump who met with Orban earlier this week and will address the gathering on Saturday Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Republican candidates fresh off GOP primary election victories Tuesday. Orban's visit to the U.S. came amid backlash back home and in Europe over anti-migrant remarks in which he railed against Europe becoming a mixed race society. One of his closest associates compared his comments to Nazi rhetoric and resigned in protest. Orban told the crowd in Texas the media would portray him as a racist strongman and dismissed those who would call his government racist as idiots. His invitation to CPAC reflects conservatives' growing embrace of the Hungarian leader whose country has a single-party government. Orban also is considered the closest ally in the European Union to Russian President Vladimir Putin. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday that President Joe Biden had no plans to speak with Orban while hes in the U.S. Asked if the administration had any concerns about CPAC inviting such a leader to speak at the high-profile conference, Kirby demurred. Hes coming at a private invitation, Kirby said. Mr. Orban and the CPAC, they can talk about his visit. Trump praised Orban, who has been prime minister for 12 years, after their meeting this week in Florida. Few people know as much about what is going on in the world today, the former president said in a statement after the meeting. To some attending the three-day conference, Orban is a model leader who makes an impression beyond Hungary because of his policies and personality. They praised him for his border security measures and for providing financial subsidies to Hungarian women, which Orban has called an effort to counter Hungary's population decline. Lilla Vessey, who moved to Dallas from Hungary with her husband, Ede, in the 1980s, said what she hears back in Hungary is that Orban is not anti-democratic. I don't know how it happened that the conservatives kind of discovered him," said Ede Vessey, 73. He supports the traditional values. He supports the family. Scott Huber, who met Orban along with other CPAC attendees at a private event hours before the speech, said the prime minister expressed hope the U.S. would moderate a little bit from the far-left influences in November's midterm elections. The 67-year-old Pennsylvanian said he would not disagree with descriptions of Orban as autocratic and that he has upset democratic norms, but said he thought it would change in time. As to why Orban is winning over so many conservatives, Huber noted Orban's attacks on George Soros, the American-Hungarian billionaire and philanthropist who is a staunch critic of Hungarys government and a supporter of liberal causes. That's why I was so interested in seeing him," Huber said. Through his communications office, Orban declined an interview request by The Associated Press prior to his speech in Dallas. The AP and other international news organizations also were prohibited from covering a CPAC conference held in Budapest in May, the group's first conference in Europe. During that gathering, Orban called Hungary the bastion of conservative Christian values in Europe and urged conservatives in the U.S. to defeat the dominance of progressive liberals in public life. He has styled himself as a champion of what he calls illiberal democracy. Orban served as prime minister of Hungary between 1998 and 2002, but its his record since taking office again in 2010 that has drawn controversy and raised concerns about Hungary sliding into authoritarian rule. He has depicted himself as a defender of European Christendom against Muslim migrants, progressives and the LGBTQ lobby. Last year, his right-wing Fidesz party banned the depiction of homosexuality or sex reassignment in media targeting people under 18. Information on homosexuality also was forbidden in school sex education programs, or in films and advertisements accessible to minors. Some of the biggest applauses during Orban's speech came when he described Hungarys family framework. To sum up, the mother is a woman, the father is a man, and leave our kids alone, full stop, he said. Orban has consolidated power over the the country's judiciary and media, and his party has drawn legislative districts in a way that makes it very difficult for opposition parties to win seats somewhat similar to partisan gerrymandering efforts for state legislative and congressional seats in the U.S. That process currently favors Republicans because they control more of the state legislatures that create those boundaries. Orban's moves have led international political observers to label him as the face of a new wave of authoritarianism. The European Union has launched numerous legal proceedings against Hungary for breaking EU rules and is withholding billions in recovery funds and credit over violations of rule-of-law standards and insufficient anti-corruption safeguards. Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report. Photo: The Canadian Press U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland listens during ceremonies before a meeting to hear about the painful experiences of Native Americans who were sent to government-backed residential schools. The president of the National Congress of American Indians says Canada's progress on Indigenous issues is helping to push the United States in the same direction. Fawn Sharp says it's no accident that the U.S. is getting more serious about investigating residential schools and missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. The other big catalyst, of course, is Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Indigenous member of cabinet in U.S. history. Haaland launched a comprehensive investigation of former Indigenous boarding schools less than a month after the discovery of what are believed to be human remains at a residential school site in B.C. last year. Now, Haaland has set her sights on the disproportionately high rate of unsolved killings and disappearances in what the U.S. refers to as Indian Country. Sharp says she expects Indigenous communities in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico to work together going forward to ensure the issue gets addressed in all three countries. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday appointed Palm Beach County Judge Renatha Francis to the Florida Supreme Court. The Republican governor announced Francis' appointment to the conservative-controlled Supreme Court at a news conference in West Palm Beach. Francis is scheduled to join the court on Sept. 1, replacing retiring Justice Alan Lawson. In a short speech, Francis, who was born in Jamaica, said she is the epitome of the American dream and described her judicial philosophy with a reference to U.S. founding father Alexander Hamilton. The Florida Supreme Court protects the people's liberty, and inherent in the way we do that as a judiciary, is by respecting and observing the limited role that judges play in our constitutional system of government," she said. "Alexander Hamilton explained what that meant, that we exercise neither force nor will but merely judgment, we apply the law as written. This timeless principal in a civil society not only promotes uniformity, predictability, it's essential to preserving liberty. It restrains arbitrariness. It restrains abuses of power. DeSantis tried to appoint Francis to the court in 2020 but her appointment was nullified by the Florida Supreme Court under a provision of the state constitution requiring justices to be members of the Florida Bar for at least 10 years. At the time of her previous appointment, Francis was four months shy of the 10 year requirement. Her appointment on Friday came a day after DeSantis suspended the elected state prosecutor in Tampa for pledging not to enforce a new law banning abortions after 15 weeks. The governor referenced the suspension at the beginning of the news conference Friday, comparing the prosecutor's pledge to judges that have taken power away from people's elected representatives and have legislated from the bench. Our government here in the United States and in the state of Florida is supposed to be what's called a government of laws, not a government of men," he said. And what the founding fathers meant by that is that it's not one individual who gets to impose a will outside the context of a constitutional system, but that the best way to preserve our freedoms is have a society that is based on the rule of law. Francis operated a bar and trucking company in Jamaica before moving to the United States as an adult and working her way through law school. She has been a judge in Palm Beach County since 2019 and was previously a judge at the Miami-Date County Court. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) A deeply divided Indiana House voted Thursday to keep exceptions in cases of rape or incest in a bill that would ban nearly all abortions in the state. The Republican-dominated House voted 61-39 to defeat an amendment that would have removed those exceptions, with a majority of GOP members wanting their removal. The House vote displayed a similar division among Republicans seen in the state Senate over exceptions for rape and incest, which remained in the bill when an attempt in the Senate last week also failed to strip those exceptions. Republican Rep. Karen Engleman sponsored the amendment, arguing that even a child conceived in a rape or incest attack deserved a chance at life. The intentional ending of human life has no place in medical practice, Engleman said. The Indiana proposal follows 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, usually around six weeks of pregnancy. Democratic legislators questioned Engleman on whether that girls abortion would be prohibited if her amendment was adopted. Engleman, who said she had a child as an unmarried teenager, responded that doctors could still determine whether the pregnancy threatened the life of a young girl. Republican leadership said earlier this week that they support exceptions in cases of rape and incest. Republican House Speaker Todd Huston and GOP Rep. Wendy McNamara of Evansville, who is sponsoring the bill in the House, both said Monday that they favored allowing those exceptions. McNamara said Monday that the law needed to be conscientious of those people who experienced trauma in rape and incest situations. While 39 House Republicans voted Thursday to strip the rape or incest exceptions from the bill, 32 Republicans joined all 29 House Democrats in keeping them in the bill. With a likely unified Democratic opposition to the full bill, Republican opponents of the exceptions will have to vote in favor of the bill for its passage. That vote could come Friday. The Republican-controlled state Senate narrowly passed its abortion ban Saturday, 26-20, securing the minimum 26 votes needed to send it on to the House. The House on Thursday also rejected, largely on party lines, a Democratic proposal that called for placing a non-binding question on the statewide November election ballot: Shall abortion remain legal in Indiana? The proposal came after Kansas voters on Tuesday rejected a measure that would have allowed the states Republican-controlled Legislature to tighten abortion restrictions or ban the procedure outright. The vote was the first test of voters feelings about abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. McNamara spoke against the ballot question, pointing out that Indiana law doesnt provide for statewide referendums. The only such statewide votes are on proposed constitutional amendments after they've been endorsed two separately elected Legislatures. Democratic Rep. Sue Errington of Muncie argued that Indiana voters want the chance to express their view on whether abortion should be legal. I dont know if it will come out like it did in Kansas, Errington said. I hope it does, but I dont have that guarantee. Last week, thousands of demonstrators on all sides of the abortion issue filled Statehouse corridors and sidewalks around the building as the Senate debated the bill. More than 100 people testified during an approximately nine-hour House committee hearing Tuesday. Only a handful of demonstrators watched Thursdays debate from outside the chamber and in its gallery. A House committee on Tuesday moved forward its version of the Senate-approved bill. The House bill would allow abortion exceptions for the physical health and life of the mother, as well as if a fetus is diagnosed with a lethal anomaly. It also adjusted the time frame when abortions would be permitted in cases of rape and incest. The Senate voted to allow abortions up to 12 weeks post-fertilization 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. 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 JOHANNESBURG (AP) Violence against illegal miners in South Africa spread Friday despite calls for restraint from the country's president, following the arrests of more than 80 men, some thought to be miners, over the gang rapes of eight women last week. Miners' camps were torched and roads around the townships of Munsieville and Bekkersdal outside the town of Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg, were barricaded with rocks and burning tires as residents protested against the presence of illegal miners. Many of the miners are migrants from other African countries, and the violence has raised concerns over xenophobia. Police said eight women were raped on July 28 when a television crew filming a music video at a mine dump in the township of West Village near Krugersdorp was attacked by heavily-armed men, some thought to be illegal miners. Police said they were investigating 32 counts of rape. Local residents enraged at the incident torched illegal miners' camps in the neighboring Kagiso township on Thursday, and attacked miners whom they stripped naked and beat before handing them over to the police. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday condemned the violence in Kagiso. We need to distinguish between legitimate protest and criminality, addressing the concerns and grievances of communities while acting to prevent loss of life and destruction of property," he said. We can all understand the public outrage in Kagiso sparked by the gang rape of eight young women last week and we all deeply and sincerely share in the pain of the victims, their families and the neighboring communities, Ramaphosa added. Kopanang Africa, an advocacy group against xenophobia in South Africa, has warned that the recent events in Krugersdorp were dangerously fueling anti-migrant sentiment. Unfortunately, because some of ... the illegal miners would be undocumented migrants, this has created an element of xenophobic politics where people say all illegal immigrants must go and all foreigners must leave the country, said Kopanang Africa spokesman Dale McKinley. He said some people were taking advantage of the legitimate concerns of the community to further their own agendas. When the protests started, we started seeing political formations that have clear xenophobic policies taking advantage and making irresponsible and immature statements for their own purposes," he said. Researcher and analyst Ziyanda Stuurman told The Associated Press that communities frustration at the deterioration of policing and their living conditions contributed to their anger. South Africa suffers from rising poverty levels, 35% unemployment, an electricity crisis and stagnant economic growth. People are living in incredibly tough economic conditions and they feel desperately unsafe, and an issue like this sparks those emotions that have been there for a very long time, Stuurman said. She likened the situation to the social unrest and riots in South Africa in July last year, where more than 400 people in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces died. South Africas national police commissioner and other senior government officials are expected to hold large community meetings in Kagiso and Krugersdorp over the weekend to discuss illegal mining and crime in the area. A man suspected of killing four of his neighbors in the northeast Nebraska town of Laurel on Thursday was charged Friday with 10 felonies stemming from the chaos that enveloped the tight-knit community. The tragedy unfolded early Thursday when four bodies, all with gunshot wounds, were discovered in two homes that had been set on fire. The next morning, law enforcement arrested a suspect in his home just across the street from the first fire. The Nebraska State Patrols SWAT team surrounded the home of Jason Jones, a 42-year-old Laurel resident, around 2:30 a.m. Friday, according to the patrol. Jones did not come out willingly but was taken into custody without incident after officers entered the home. Speaking at a Friday morning press conference, Col. John Bolduc with the State Patrol said it was too early in the investigation to provide a motive for the killings. He said he couldnt comment on possible connections between the victims and Jones. According to an arrest affidavit for Jones obtained by The World-Herald, the first 911 call came into Cedar County dispatch at 3:11 a.m. Thursday. The caller reported that an explosion had occurred at 209 Elm St. in Laurel. Local volunteer firefighters and medics responded to the scene. They found Michelle Ebeling, 53, down in a pool of blood inside of the back entry to the home. She had been shot once in the head and once in the chest, and a bullet casing was found by her body. She was pronounced dead at the scene. According to Laurel Police Chief Ron Lundahl, Ebeling had moved to the city within the past few years. Inside her residence, burn marks were present on the floor, walls and furniture. First responders noted smelling gasoline and smoke, according to the affidavit, and a red fuel container was found inside of the front door. Officials were still investigating the first fire when another 911 call came in at 9:30 a.m. A neighbor called to report smoke coming from a residence at 503 Elm St. Inside of that home, three people were found dead: Gene Twiford, 86, Janet Twiford, 85, and Dana Twiford, 55. They all sustained gunshot wounds and a Molotov cocktail was found in the residence. A pry bar was used to pry open the back door, according to the affidavit. Smoke and soot damage was present in the home. The Twifords had lived in Laurel their entire lives and were a fixture in the community, Lundahl said. Despite the disparity in call times, law enforcement believes that both incidents occurred around 3 a.m. Thursday. Signs of fire were not visible from outside the Twiford home until later in the morning. Police executed search warrants in both residences Thursday morning. In the Twiford home, a Ruger .57 pistol was found on the floor of the living room. Law enforcement tracked the gun and found that Jones bought it in February 2021, according to the affidavit. The pistol was used to shoot the Twiford family, according to the affidavit, but authorities believe Ebeling was killed with a different gun that has not yet been found. A black backpack was found in the kitchen of Ebelings residence. Multiple receipts were found inside of the backpack, indicating multiple purchases at local gas stations and the purchase of an auto-shutoff gas can from Fleet Farm in Sioux City, Iowa. Police have linked those receipts to Jones, according to the affidavit. One receipt for a purchase at Raths Mini Mart, a gas station in Laurel, led police to security footage of Jones pumping gas into two red gas cans on Wednesday evening. According to the affidavit, the cans seen in the video resemble the ones that were found at the first scene. Jones has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder, four counts of use of a firearm to commit a felony and two counts of arson. He is currently receiving treatment for severe burns at a hospital in Lincoln. As of Friday morning, Bolduc said the patrol had not identified any additional suspects and he did not believe the community faced any additional danger. Correction: This article has been updated with the correct first name of Janet Twiford. Last month, headlines were filled with news about space. The Webb Telescope shared incredible images of deepest space and anniversaries of NASA and the moon landing were noted. All these events launched a memory of when I met an astronaut 46 years ago. Way back in 1976, a presidential election year, former President Gerald Ford campaigned in Central Illinois in his (unsuccessful) bid against Jimmy Carter. He traveled via a whistle stop train tour, from Chicago to St. Louis, including my hometown Pontiac. My father was a local helicopter pilot and agreed to transport Secret Service agents in exchange for two tickets to ride the train between Pontiac and Bloomington. The plan was for my grandmother and me to ride the train, and my grandfather to meet us at the station in Bloomington. It was an exciting day; my grandmother was even wearing white gloves. I could hear the president speaking. Let me introduce some of the very special guests we have on the Honest Abe Special, he said. Sen. Chuck Percy; Jim Thompson, the next governor of the state of Illinois; and then a favorite of mine (laughing), Betty Ford. Ed, how are you? Ed Madigan, a fine, fine congressman. Re-elect him, too. Incredibly, my grandmother was not listening. Instead, she was arguing with a member of the security detail. Apparently there had been a mix-up. Clearance for my grandmother, a 63-year-old, card-carrying member of the DAR, had been denied, but I was approved. The agents, however, were reluctant to allow an unescorted 13-year-old on the train. My grandmother insisted, and as the presidents speech was ending, (I will never forget this), she pushed me up the trains steps just as it pulled away from the depot. Once aboard, I wasnt sure which way to go so I ducked into the car to the left. A man dressed in vaudeville garb was playing the banjo and someone put a Styrofoam hat on my head. I plopped into an empty seat. Little did I know, I was in the celebrity car. A man leaned over and said, Do you know who these people are? Theres actor Hugh OBrian (from Wyatt Earp) and Peter Graves (from Mission Impossible, before Tom Cruise) and theres astronaut Alan Shepard. Mr. Shepard was slowly making his way to a seat next to me. I wanted his autograph, but was afraid to speak so I cleverly tossed my hat into the seat just as he was sitting. Is this your hat? he asked, handing me the squished souvenir. Why, yes, and would you please autograph my ticket? The first American in space was quite nice and didnt seem to mind chatting with an eighth grader. He was impressed with the Illinois landscape and credited the fine harvest to the outstanding soil and abundance of rain. Theres no water on the moon, you know, he said. I tried to envision a pipeline that could reach from Illinois to the moon. In the blink of an eye, the train was pulling into Bloomington and I spotted my grandparents in the crowd. (How did they get there so fast?) Years later, after President Ford died in 2006, I wrote about that experience and heard from local readers who shared their own great stories. I was a conductor on one of the five presidential trains which ran that day, wrote W.T. Abbott. Unbeknownst to me, four "decoy" trains also rode the rails along with the Honest Abe Special. I received a thank you letter from President Ford thanking me for our service on that special day," he said. Another reader named Shirley was there at the train depot in Pontiac on that sunny day. She was playing in the Flanagan High School band. It was exciting," she wrote. "We were told to keep playing Hail to the Chief regardless of distractions. Well, when the president approached the band, you can imagine what happened. The music faded as many of us put out our hands. Mine was one of the few to receive a handshake. Clovers are making a comeback in lawn seed mixes. Today many families want to attract more pollinators to their yards. They are searching for ecologically sound ways to grow grass, including adding white clover back to the turf seed mix. Clover adds diversity to lawns and provides food for bees says Nicole Flowers-Kimmerle, University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator. If you are looking for an eco-sustainable alternative to lawns, try adding clover to your lawn. The short growing, self-fertilizing, low maintenance, long-living microclover species will provide a more biodiverse, durable grass lawn. White clover, Trifolium repens, was common in lawns before the introduction of broadleaf weed herbicides in the 1950s. Although broadleaf weeds were typically the target of these chemicals, white clover was often damaged or killed. All clovers are in the legume, or pea, family. Legumes are very useful plants for our environment because they pull nitrogen from the air and convert it into nitrogen in the soil that helps feed plants. Unlike any other plant, legumes create their own fertilizer. Because of these characteristics, there is interest in using microclover in lawns to enhance turfgrass growth and reduce nitrogen fertilizer applications, which helps limit fertilizer runoff into waterways. Unfortunately, white clover sometimes forms clumps and competes with desirable turfgrass, resulting in a non-uniform lawn appearance. Microclover (Trifolium repens var. "Pirouette" and "Pipolina") is a selection of white clover with smaller leaves and a slower, less aggressive growth habit. Preliminary research finds that microclover mixes better with most turfgrass species than common white clover when seeded at appropriate rates. The microclover seed often comes coated with a Rhizobium bacterium a natural organism that the plant needs to fix nitrogen, sometimes lacking in residential lawn soils. There are many benefits to adding microclover to a lawn. It mixes well with turf grasses and provides a uniform appearance while its flowers are a food source for bees. Microclover is competitive with weeds, so less herbicide is necessary. And it helps prevent soil compaction, which reduces nutrient runoff. But microclover may not be suitable for every lawn. It does not tolerate high heat and drought and does not do well in shady conditions. Microclover may require reseeding for long-term growth in the lawn and its top growth dies back in the winter, which can leave bare spots and lead to erosion. Its seeds are expensive and not readily available in retail stores. Most broadleaf herbicides labeled for use in lawns will kill microclover. To establish micro-clover in a lawn, plan to plant between early spring to late summer. No tilling is required. Mow the grass low before seeding. Set the mower to the lowest setting to reduce competition with existing grass. Rake and core aerate the soil. Sow microclover seed by hand or use a broadcast spreader for a more even distribution in larger areas. Water the area every day for the first seven to 10 days because the soil needs to stay moist until the microclover has sprouted. White clover typically blooms in mid-March and grows slower during the summer months. BLOOMINGTON A 32-year-old Bloomington man was sentenced to four years in prison for possession of a firearm by a felon in 2019. McLean County Circuit Court records state Maurice S. Sutton pleaded guilty June 29 to the Class 2 felony weapons charge. Another felony charge of possession of a stolen firearm and a misdemeanor charge of violating bail bond were dropped. The Pantagraph previously reported that in May 2019, a Bloomington woman had reported her handgun as stolen. She told police that the only person who had access to her home at the time it was taken was Sutton, her ex-boyfriend. At his June plea hearing, Sutton was credit for 27 days served in jail. He must also serve one year of mandatory supervised release. BLOOMINGTON A McHenry County man faces sex assault and abuse charges in McLean County. Matthew Kiely, 44, is charged with two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault and three counts of aggravated sexual abuse. Kiely, of Harvard, Illinois, was taken into custody Thursday on an arrest warrant in Harvey following a lengthy investigation by the Bloomington Police Department. McLean County's online court records indicated the offenses involve a victim under age 13. His bond was set at $1 million with 10% to apply. He has not yet appeared in McLean County court. Further information was not immediately available. 100 years ago Aug. 5, 1922: The Chicago & Alton management had decided to obey the recent decision of the United States railroad labor board, reducing the scale of pay for all track laborers and common laborers in the maintenance of way department and in all shops and roundhouses, by 5 cents per hour effective Aug. 1. 75 years ago Aug. 5, 1947: Declaring that the Bloomington Belt Line is the most serious traffic hazard in Central Illinois, Hollis O. Frey, chairman of the Kiwanis Club Safety Committee, is asking the governor to investigate. Figures showed 14% of accidents reported to the sheriff's office from 1945-47 took place at three belt Line intersections. 50 years ago Aug. 5, 1972: Whether McLean County taxpayers should continue to subsidize a state headquarters for the American Legion in Bloomington, as they have done for the past 50 years, seems due for the next McLean County Board meeting. The county owns the property. 25 years ago Aug. 5, 1997: The next time you think you can't do something because you're too old, too young, too weak or too afraid, think about Mary and Jerry Parsons. At the tender ages of 83 and 79, respectively, the Bloomington couple went hang-gliding for the first time, soaring at 2,100 feet above the ground. Photo: File photo Dan Toulgoet. John Coupar, seen here after losing the NPAas nomination race in 2018 to Ken Sim, has resigned as the partyas mayoral candidate. John Coupar has resigned as the NPAs mayoral candidate, leaving the party without a leader with less than three months before the Oct. 15 Vancouver municipal election. The party, which has run a mayoral candidate in every election for the past two decades, made the announcement in a news release Friday (Aug. 5) but didnt provide details why Coupar left the race. The NPA board met during the evening of August 4 to discuss the progress of the campaign, the release said. Regrettably, the NPA has accepted Johns resignation as our mayoral candidate. We thank John for his remarkable service and tireless dedication to Vancouver as an elected park board commissioner since 2011 and we wish him well. The NPA said it will announce a new mayoral candidate at a future date. Vancouver Is Awesome left a message for Coupar Friday but had not heard back before this story was posted. He issued a brief statement via Twitter Friday morning, saying he was grateful to the NPA for the opportunity to run. "I love this city and have enjoyed serving the residents of Vancouver over the last 11 years," he wrote. "I have always strived to walk with the utmost integrity and with an unwavering commitment to those I serve. As I move on, I am looking forward to spending time with my family and friends." 'He looked at the lay of the land' Elizabeth Ball, vice-president of the NPAs board, said in an interview Friday that it was Coupars decision to leave the race and that he was not pressured by the board to resign. Recent polls have shown Coupar trailing in the race. No, there wasn't any of that, Ball said. I truly just think he looked at the lay of the land and what was happening out there. We're really sorry to see that John isn't available at this time, but we understand everybody has a right to choose the best time for them [to run]. Asked for more details about a replacement, Ball said you're not going to go out and get a replacement overnight, and then spring that on your already chosen candidates. Youre going to have discussions and talks and it's not going to be an instant process, she added. But it will be a quicker process than one would hope. One doesn't hope for these kinds of things, but when they happen, you just cope. The NPA boards selection of Coupar as its mayoral candidate was controversial because there was no nomination race. City councillors Colleen Hardwick and Sarah Kirby-Yung, who were members of the NPA when Coupar was appointed in April 2021, had interest in becoming the partys mayoral candidate. Hardwick is now the mayoral candidate from Team For a Livable Vancouver and Kirby-Yung left the NPA to join the ABC Party, which is being led by the NPAs 2018 mayoral candidate, Ken Sim. The NPA has been in turmoil in recent years, with Hardwick, Kirby-Yung and councillors Rebecca Bligh and Lisa Dominato all leaving the party; Bligh and Dominato are also seeking re-election with the ABC Party. The reasons for their departure were many the boards alleged shift to the far right, calls for an AGM being ignored and the resignation of four centrist board members in July 2020 over concerns the board was lacking enthusiasm and energy to move forward on city issues. Melissa De Genova lone NPA councillor Coun. Melissa De Genova, who is seeking re-election, is the only remaining NPA council member elected in 2018. In a text message she sent Vancouver Is Awesome in April 2021 in response to being the lone NPAer on council, she wrote: The reality is, little will change for me. As a caucus, sometimes we would vote together, sometimes not. I expect that to continue. Coupars departure will conceivably come as good news to the campaigns of Sim, Hardwick and Mark Marissen of Progress Vancouver, who are challenging Mayor Kennedy Stewart and his bid for a second term at city hall. In an interview in April 2021, Coupar responded to the turmoil in the party and the departure of the councillors. Im disappointed, but they made their choice, he said. I wish them well. Ive worked with all of them, including working with Sarah on park board for a number of years. I actually like to think I was kind of a mentor to her, and helped her at that time. Politics is always interesting in Vancouver, thats for sure. BLOOMINGTON Representatives of the U.S. Secret Service's National Threat Assessment Center visited Normal West High School on Thursday to provide specialized training on identifying and preventing targeted school violence. About 200 educators and law enforcement from 39 different districts and entities attended the presentations, according to the Regional Office of Education District 17. NATC has studied targeted school violence and educated faculties since the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, which left 15 people dead. Thursday's presentation highlighted a multidisciplinary approach communities can use to identify and intervene with students exhibiting threatening behavior. Aaron Cotkin, a social science research specialist for the U.S. Secret Service, presented three publications: a 2018 report on how threat assessment can identify students of concern and get them help, a 2019 report that examined 41 cases of targeted school violence that left at least one person injured and a 2021 report that looked at 67 instances of current or former students who plotted to attack their school. However, NATC does not just study incidents of firearm violence. Of the 41 cases examined in the 2019 report, 25 involved firearm violence and the other 16 involved bladed weapons. "We don't focus on the weapons that are used when we're doing these reports," Cotkin said. "Instead, we focus on the intentional infliction of violence for the sake of inflicting violence when we're looking at instances to include." Cotkin said one thing audiences are consistently shocked by is that there is no accurate or useful demographic profile of someone going on to commit a targeted act of violence against a school or community. Individuals planning acts of violence can come in all ages, races, genders, sexual orientation and social circles. "What's important rather than profiling is looking at the behaviors that they are engaging in and looking for students who need help and then intervening to get them the help that they need," Cotkind said. Kristen Weikle, superintendent of McLean County Unit 5, encouraged all families or students to report any behaviors or activities that seem unusual. "We would much rather take the time to investigate a matter (and) provide the proper resources and support for our students rather than not," Weikle said. "And so it's really important for that communication flow between our students' homes, the community and the schools to occur." Students may also use the Safe2Help app, which allows students to find online resources if they're at risk of hurting themselves or are concerned about the well-being of a friend. Weikle said the app is not meant to be punitive in nature but rather a tool to help students find proper support. The line begins to form before sunrise outside Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, with some people arriving as early as 2 a.m., bringing fold-up chairs and blankets to protect against the Bay Area's overnight chill. They wear face masks, and keep a social distance from others, obeying the ground rules from the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic -- when the desperate need for vaccines far outweighed what federal and state governments could supply. This line of mostly men is waiting for the monkeypox virus vaccine. The illness is spreading rapidly and on Thursday the Biden administration declared it a public health emergency. Many however will leave empty-handed as local hospitals and clinics have had to rely on an inconsistent and insufficient supply of vaccines, a dilemma that has infuriated patients and advocates. San Francisco General opens the clinic doors at 8 a.m. and the line inches forward slowly. The hospital will distribute the available doses until the supply runs out. For Cody Aarons, 31, it was his third attempt. He stood calmly with more than 100 people already in front of him. "I was in New York for the past month for work, and I tried with their online portal system and was unsuccessful in getting a vaccine," said the health care worker who thought he might have a better chance in San Francisco. But 45 minutes after starting the day's distribution, a hospital staff member passed by with an announcement. "Folks we have reached our limit for today," he shouted. "However, we will try to find you more shots." Although with no guarantee of getting the monkeypox vaccine that day, Aarons -- and just about everyone in line -- stayed put. "People want their vaccine," said Rafael Mandelman, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. "I know one person who was in that line four different days before he finally got his vaccination." Mandelman, who got up at 4:30 a.m. and waited for hours before getting his vaccine shot days earlier, is frustrated with the rollout. "After having come through a pandemic where we were able to discover a new vaccine, [and] distribute tens of millions of doses within a matter of months, the fact that with an existing known vaccine we cannot get more than these paltry little dribbles out is very frustrating to people," he said. In California, the vast majority of those infected -- more than 98% -- are men, with more than 91% of patients identifying as LGBTQ. Mandelman feels he and others in the gay community have been left to advocate on their own, without support from the federal government. Desperate and fearful For health care workers, the outbreak is a frustrating new chapter after the punishing Covid-19 pandemic. "At the peak of Covid vaccinations, we averaged 1,400 to 1,500 (doses) a day. So we are completely used to the mass vaccination process," nurse manager Merjo Roca said. But Roca and her staff are limited in what they can do given the vaccine shortage. San Francisco health officials initially requested 35,000 doses, but say they've only gotten 12,000 from the federal stockpile. The state of California informed city leaders that San Francisco will receive 10,700 more in the next allotment, yet there's no clear indication when those doses will arrive or how many will reach San Francisco General Hospital for distribution. "I think one of our biggest challenges is really just the inconsistency of the supply," Roca said. "Our vaccine clinic prides itself on being able to help and vaccinate people when they come through our doors. So, it's super hard for all of our staff not to be able to do that and have to turn people away and not even have information to say when we will get the doses next." With many of those in line fearful about monkeypox's rapid rise in cases, the clinic staff feel an added burden by not being able to deliver for everyone. "It's very hard to listen to someone explaining why they want the vaccine and why they need the vaccine and we just don't have it," Roca added. "It was like someone taking a hole-puncher all over my body" The government argues it acted urgently and with the date. And there are clear differences between the response now and the response to HIV/AIDS. The lack of governmental urgency in addressing a public health crisis that impacts queer communities today mirrors what gay men were experiencing decades ago. Between October 1980 and May 1981, five young men from across Los Angeles -- described by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the time as "active homosexuals" -- were diagnosed with an unusual lung infection and two of them died. It was the first time acquired immunodeficiency syndrome -- the devastating advanced-stage of HIV infection that would go on to claim the lives of more than 40 million people globally -- was first reported in the US. Exchanges between then-President Ronald Reagan's press secretary and reporters in 1982 and 1983 indicate that the nation's top officials and mainstream society viewed the disease as a joke and not an issue of great concern. That stemmed from the perception of AIDS as a "gay plague" -- a condition thought to be tied to the lifestyles and behaviors of gay men -- even though cases had also been reported in women, infants, those with hemophilia and people who injected drugs. Now, more than 40 years later, the gay community is once again grappling with feeling ostracized and neglected by their own government. "We have a responsibility to not further stigmatize or politicize this issue for a community that has long faced many issues, has long been marginalized in our community," said Tyler TerMeer, CEO of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. "Dating all the way back to the earliest days of the HIV epidemic in our country, we saw our community abandoned by federal government in their response," he said. The foundation opened its doors in 1982 "in a moment of crisis in our community, when the federal government abandoned us ... there are parallels between that moment and this one," according to TerMeer. "President Biden has called on us to explore every option on the table to combat the monkeypox outbreak and protect communities at risk," said White House National Monkeypox Response Coordinator Robert Fenton. "We are applying lessons learned from the battles we've fought -- from COVID response to wildfires to measles, and will tackle this outbreak with the urgency this moment demands." Monkeypox is a poxvirus, related to smallpox and cowpox and it generally causes pimple- or blister-like lesions and flu-like symptoms such as fever, according to the CDC. The lesions typically concentrate on the arms and legs, but in the latest outbreak, they're showing up more frequently on the genital and perianal area, which has raised some concerns that monkeypox lesions may be confused with STDs. "I had between 600 to 800 lesions all over my body ... It was like someone taking a hole-puncher all over my body. There were points where I couldn't walk, couldn't touch things," said Kevin Kwong, who recently recovered from monkeypox after being diagnosed in early July. He chronicled his ordeal on social media to bring awareness to the outbreak and now wants to "focus on destigmatizing the gay community." The first case of monkeypox in the US was announced on May 18 in a patient hospitalized in Massachusetts who had traveled to Canada in private transportation. Less than three months later there are more than 7,000 confirmed cases of the outbreak across the country, identified in all but two states -- Montana and Wyoming, according to the CDC. Since the start of June, the CDC says it has been doing extensive education and outreach to the LGBTQ community, including working with local Pride organizations, releasing educational videos and creating campaigns on social media sites and dating apps popular in the gay community. According to the World Health Organization, there have been 25,054 cases confirmed by a laboratory as of August 3, and 122 probably cases. "For the moment this is an outbreak that's concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those who have multiple partners," World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in late July when WHO declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern. But while the outbreak has disproportionately impacted some gay communities, there is growing concern over the spread of infection. "This is a reminder that everyone, regardless of age or sexual orientation, can get monkeypox if they come into contact with the virus," the City of Long Beach cautioned, echoing CDC guidance that while the risk of infection in children is low, they are "more likely to be exposed to monkeypox if they live in or have recently traveled to a community with higher rates of infection." There are over 500 cases of the outbreak identified across California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York and Texas, the latest CDC figures show. New York has the distinction of having the most cases -- 1,748 -- followed by California with 826 confirmed cases. "We need everyone to be rallying behind this issue and quickly," TerMeer said "There is an imminent window of time by which we can get ahead of the fast spread of monkeypox across our country and that window continues to close." The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Those that refuse to acknowledge history are often condemned to repeat it. But what about those who want to keep a particular part of history front and center, with the suggestion that we are or should be repeating it? References to Nazism, Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust have multiplied the further we're distanced from their existence. The most recent example is Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey. Footage of a 2017 Facebook live appearance he did while running for the Illinois House in 2017 has resurfaced. Reading from prepared notes Bailey said, The attempted extermination of the Jews of World War II doesnt even compare on a shadow of the life that has been lost with abortion. That comes on the heels of U.S. Rep. Mary Miller's remarks last year at a Moms for America event. Miller, who just defeated Rep. Rodney Davis for the Republican nod for candidacy in Illinois' 15th district, said at the event, Hitler was right on one thing. He said, Whoever has the youth has the future. (She later issued a statement claiming she was sincerely sorry for any harm her words caused.) Other very public and very loud comparisons have been made between Nazis and public policy or politicians. President Donald Trump was compared to Hitler by both CNN and ex-Trump adviser Steve Bannon, presumably for very different reasons. Trump compared U.S. intelligence agencies to Nazi Germany. Students advocating for tightened gun control were compared to Hitler Youth by Mary Franson, a Republican state representative in Minnesota, and by disgraced broadcaster Alex Jones. Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made comparisons to Nazism as she complained about treatment of children separated from their parents at the U.S. border with Mexico. Travel bans, COVID-19 regulations and animal rights issues have all prompted accusations of Nazism. Can we just stop? Can we agree that references to Nazism, Hitler and the Holocaust -- during which millions were murdered for the offense of where they were born, their religion, or their chosen lifestyles -- are extreme and should be avoided unless we're discussing actual occurrences from Germany in the 1930s and 1940s and from World War II? There are even names for the phenomenon. Goodwin's law says the longer an internet discussion goes on, the more likely a comparison with Hitler or Nazis emerges. "Reductio ad Hitlerum" (Latin for "reduction to Hitler"), also known as "playing the Nazi card," is an attempt to invalidate another's position on the basis that the same view was held by Adolf Hitler or the Nazi Party. Jonathan Greenblatt, director of the Anti-Defamation League, said that "misplaced comparisons trivialize this unique tragedy in human history... particularly when public figures invoke the Holocaust in an effort to score political points." Invoking Nazis when attempting to argue a topic makes a discussion a clear good-vs.-bad issue, leaves people with little room for nuance and results in anger that boils to the point where issues are obfuscated. It's dangerous rhetoric, used purely as a scare tactic. We have let it become commonplace. We have to fight back against the combative language and realize that extremism has no place in our public debates, political or otherwise. Not doing it at all is the best idea. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) marketers in Ghana have called off the strike they started last Monday. The decision, the group said, was because their concerns had been addressed by the government through the National Petroleum Authority (NPA). Key among those concerns was the lifting of the ban on the construction of LPG stations across the country. The Vice-Chair of the LPG Marketers Association, Gabriel Kumi, at a news conference yesterday, explained that fortunately, the government has heeded to our call and concerns, and we received communication from the NPA that Cabinet, at its meeting yesterday, had lifted the ban on the construction of LPG stations across the country. He said with that assurance, the association was calling off the strike with immediate effect, although some of the issues had not been completely resolved. We have also resolved to do well to address the concerns of our drivers over poor remuneration. However, the concerns of the drivers over their harassment as a result of a new tracking device that has been introduced into the system remains unresolved. It is something that we would strongly want addressed because that is creating a lot of confusion and has led to about 76 drivers losing their lives. Fortunately, there is a meeting tomorrow to try and resolve these and other issues; we will be at the meeting with the drivers to sit with the NPA and the Ministry of Energy to amicably resolve that issue, Mr Kuma said. Strike Last Monday, the Ghana National Tanker Drivers Association parked their trucks as they pressed for attention and resolution of a number of concerns they raised. The association closed their stations in solidarity with a strike by the drivers in protest of treatment by the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited and the NPA. The drivers also raised concerns with the seals and tracking devices that check the integrity of the fuel in the transportation process and the continuous ban on LPG stations under construction since 2017. The situation was exacerbated as the marketers joined the industrial action, refusing to serve customers. Statement Meanwhile, a statement from the LPG Marketers, signed by the Chairman of the association, Mallam Bukari Amadu, expressed gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his intervention. We are grateful to the good people of Ghana for their tremendous support. We also wish to thank the President, the Minister of Energy and the Chief Executive of the NPA for reversing a decision that has cost us the lives of some of our members and millions of Ghana cedis, the statement said. Decision The decision, it said, was without prejudice to the associations concern about NPAs communication on the lifting of the ban as we are particularly worried about the lack of details in the statement. It said it was the expectation of the association that the Ministry of Energy and the NPA would bring all other regulatory bodies on board to ensure the smooth implementation of the directive from Cabinet. The association embarked on a nationwide strike over the ban on construction of new LPG stations, adding that it had for the past five years cost its members over $10 million. Source: graphic.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the global Anglican church, Justin Welby, has affirmed the validity of a 1998 declaration that gay sex is a sin. The Guardian reports that he told more than 650 bishops attending the once-a-decade Lambeth conference that, for a large majority of conservative Anglicans, questioning biblical teaching was unthinkable. Welby said: In many countries, [it] would make the church a victim of derision, contempt and even attack. For many churches, to change traditional teaching challenges their very existence. In a letter sent to bishops shortly before what was described as a robust discussion on sexuality, Welby said the 1998 resolution, known as Lambeth 1.10, was not in doubt. But he also indicated that he would not seek the authority to discipline or exclude churches including those in Scotland, Wales and the US that conduct or bless same-sex marriage. And in a hint at a possible future change in the Church of England, he told the conference that for churches in liberal democracies, not updating traditional teaching could also challenge their very existence. They, too, could be a victim of derision, contempt and even attack. His comments come nine months after he expressed grave concern about a proposed law in Ghana, which would impose harsh penalties on the LGBT community. The bill is supported by the Anglican Church of Ghana, despite a previous agreement by all Anglican churches not to support discriminatory legislation. Gay sex is already punishable in Ghana with a prison term of three years. The bill seeks to increase jail terms to up to a decade and force some to undergo "conversion therapy", where attempts are made to change people's sexuality. It also make cross-dressing and public displays of same-sex affection punishable by fines or detention, and makes the distribution of material deemed pro-LGBT by news organisations or websites illegal. Christianity is the largest religion in Ghana, with about 70% of the population belonging to various Christian denominations. Source: Graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Central Regional Police Command has arrested Paul Kwah, the driver in charge of an articulated truck which was involved in a fatal motor accident on 3rd August 2022, at Eduagyei Village on the Cape Coast-Takoradi highway. Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect driver, Paul Kwah, was driving a Dad Flat Body Articulated Truck No. GM 2670-12, loaded with 850 bags of cement from Takoradi to Accra. On reaching Eduagyei village, he carelessly overtook some vehicles and collided head-on with an oncoming Toyota Hiace mini bus No. WR 1347-17. The driver and 11 passengers on board the Toyota Hiace vehicle have all been confirmed dead by a medical officer at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. One female passenger who survived the accident is responding to treatment at the same Hospital. The Police is working with the families of the deceased to assist in identifying the victims of the accident. While we commiserate with the affected families, we continue to entreat all road users to be disciplined, responsible and demonstrate a sense of humanity and adhere to road regulations in order to avoid such preventable accidents. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Deputy Minister for Communications and Digitilisation, Mrs. Ama Pomaa Boateng, has opened the training of this year's Girls in ICT for SHS on Cyber Security and Data Privacy targeted at a 100,000 girls across seven regions. The beneficiary regions are Northern, Bono East, Bono Ahafo, Volta and Oti. https://twitter.com/mocghana/status/1555155521061224450?t=nWixXMrTdcty8BajHvgzNg&s=08 The program is organised by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MoE); Ghana Education Service (GES) and Huawei Technologies, Ghana. https://twitter.com/mocghana/status/1555183725968867329?t=JqaPGs_Ds5MmlUfadRgLKg&s=08 Speaking at the St Mary Girls Vocational Institute - a TVET school in the Northern region, Ms Ama Pomaa Boateng stressed the importance of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Cyber Security in the day-to-day operations of entrepreneurs as well as building successful businesses online. She advised the students to take keen interest in acquiring ICT skills to participate in e-commerce and and choose their career paths that would make them become globally competitive within the digital space. Mrs. Ama Pomaa Boateng encouraged the students to expand their entrepreneurship ideas to target potential clients through the reputable and secure social media platforms, financial apps and courier services. Noting that every aspect of daily life as well as their entrepreneurial skills requires the constant application of digital technologies to perform tasks and increase productivity in real time. She advised the students to pay attention to Ghana's Cyber security Act and the Data Protection Act to protect the way they act as digital citizens and having good digital habits. According to the deputy Minister, the digital space grants women the opportunity to learn and work remotely at their convenience. She said, now in the comfort of your home, you can have your courses online and get a degree from any country in the world. Interviews are also now conducted online remotely; one can buy and sell products and services through online platforms irrespective of ones location,e-health, e-banking & payments(Transfers like momo) , online Meetings, and all these are the possibilities of ICT advancement. Tamale Girl's Secondary school At the Tamale Girl's SHS, Mrs Pomaa Boateng reiterated that, the internet was a whole new world on its own with ability to store information online forever and posts on social media could be retrieved at any time anywhere, hence, students must be guided and mindful what contents they post and share online. According to Deputy Minister, the digital space has many predators hiding behind the internet, therefore students should avoid downloading apps and accepting strangers request for friendship online. The most worrying she mentioned was posting or sending nude pictures and that should be avoided at all cost. She cautioned that, inappropriate contents posted online could damage a persons reputation and could affect his/her career in future because employers nowadays investigate a prospective employees background checks via their online activities and posts. She acknowledged the fact that, though the ICT space is male dominated, girls could venture into that space as long as they were prepared to learn. To address the gender digital gap, the Deputy Minister said the Ministry had implemented the Girls-In-ICT programme with the aim of providing the basic ICT skills and to also encourage more girls to take career paths in the ICT as well as encouraging girls and women in the usage securely of it. The Principal of St Mary's TVET, Tamale, Rev Sister Cynthia Anabire expressed gratitude to the MoCD and partners for the training, adding, " this is timely". She was full of praise for TVET for the resources provided to enable the students get ICT education. "We are grateful for the Cyber security awareness program for the students. With all these computers provided by TVET, I am hopeful that the cyber security training will help the students stay safe online". Last year, the Ministry collaborated with the Ministry of Education and Huawei educated 60,000 Senior High School girls from St. Louis, Yaa Asantewaa Girls, Krobo Girls, Adventist Girls, Holy Child, Wesley Girls, Afua Kobi Girls, St Marys, St Monicas, Mamfe Methodist Girls, St Roses and Kumasi Wesley Girls. Topics that these beneficiaries benefitted from include Cyber Security and Artificial Intelligence . Some beneficiary schools for this years training in the seven regions include; Our Lady of Mount Camel Senior High School, St Ann's Girls Senior High, Our Lady of Providence Senior High, Notre Dame Girls Senior High, Ola Girls Senior High, Serwaa Kese Girls Senior High, Tamale Girls Senior High, E.P.C Mawuko Girls Senior High, St Catherine Girls Senior High and Kyabobo Girls school among others. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) has organized a one-day community durbar at Jamestown as part of the MyTVET campaign which aims to change negative perceptions about TVET and increase enrolment in Technical and Vocational Institutions in Ghana. The campaigns objective is to inspire world-class excellence in skills development and to introduce the youth to a variety of skilled careers, using such tools as the National Skills Competition, TVET clubs in Junior High Schools, Career Guidance Counselling and the use of TVET Ambassadors and Role Models. The community durbar was organized on March 26, 2022, to among other things explain the activities of CTVET to the community, promote TVET to parents, students, opinion leaders and also to create awareness about the ongoing Ghana Jobs and Skills Project being implemented by the Commission. CTVET was established by the Education Regulatory Bodies ACT 2020 (ACT 1023) to regulate, promote and administer technical and vocational education and training, for the transformation and innovation for sustainable development in Ghana. The Head of Corporate Affairs for CTVET, Mr. Albert Opare in a speech read on behalf of the Director General of CTVET, Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah said the government had over the years made a significant investment in TVET because it was part of President Akufo-Addo's vision of industrializing Ghana. He said the commission was set up to ensure that duplicity in the TVET sector is curtailed among other things, and also to ensure the progress being made in the sector is sustained. Mr. Opare added that, Skills acquisition today holds a great importance in societies the world over particularly following the global employment crisis that has shaken our world. Young people are drivers of change and must be fully engaged in decisions affecting their future. This is why the Commission for TVET is organizing this event to provide a platform for the community to be informed about what the government is doing in the TVET space and also build relevant connections and networks to ensure that our collective objectives are realized. The government of Ghana has commenced the implementation of the Ghana Jobs and Skills Project. This project seeks to expedite the development of competency-based training curricula on the National TVET Qualification Framework for 100 trades/professions from level one (1) (National Proficiency 1) to level five (5) (Higher National Diploma) as well as training some 25,000 beneficiaries. It will also seek to implement the Ghana Labour Market Information System, and upgrade of district public employment centres and services. Overall, the project is expected to create between 199,500 to 252,000 jobs in the country over the next five years." Source: Graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghana has asked the UN Security Council to adopt a new approach to peace operations in Africa and have the costs shared equitably by the international community, in order to combat terrorism and instability on the continent more effectively. Security, as it is sometimes said, is indivisible, and the absence of peace in any part of the world creates insecurity for all of us, Ghanas Permanent Representative at the UN, Mr Harold Agyeman, told the Security Council in New York on Wednesday, July 27. Ghana began serving a two-year term in January this year as a member of the UN Security Council. Mr Agyeman said where the Security Council was unable to act in the face of threats to international peace and security, regional institutions had a responsibility to act. It is also our view that the burden that regional actors take be equitably shared by the wider international community through contributions assessed by the UN, he said. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has pledged to use his countrys tenure to vigorously combat terrorism in the Sahel and West Africa and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. Also on Ghanas agenda is climate change as it led to poverty which, in turn, left communities vulnerable to recruitment by terrorist groups in the region. The meeting on the topic Collective Security through Burden Sharing: Strengthening Regional Arrangements for the Maintenance of International Peace and Security, received briefings from four other speakers, including Dr. Donald Kaberuka, head of the African Unions US$300 million Peace Fund. Dr Kaberuka, a former President of the African Development Bank (ADB), supported Ghanas initiative and assured the Security Council of the integrity of the AU Peace Fund. I can assure you that the AU financial governance is as good as the UNs. The two sides have been working together to ensure standards and compliance are similar, the former Rwandan finance minister added. Ghana hopes to build momentum towards firm decisions in November when it takes over the presidency of the Security Council. Reactions to the well-attended meeting that brought together Security Council members and the other Member States were positive. Many UN observers noted that the leadership shown by Ghana had moved the controversial issue of assessed contributions for African security initiatives in the right direction. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield has praised Ghana as a leader in food security in Africa ahead of her visit to the country on Friday. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield is currently on a three-nation trip to Uganda, Ghana and Cape Verde. She is expected to discuss the impact of Russias war on Ukraine, specifically the impact its having on global food security tomorrow in Accra. Before she departed for her first stop in Uganda today, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield told a U.S. Department of State Africa Regional Media Hub Briefing, that all three countries face serious food security situations because of the significant rise in the cost of food and energy. However, she said Ghana had been a leader in dealing with it and she will be visiting a market, meeting farmers and going to a grain factory in the country to see how we can help them improve on their production. "Its about how we partner with African countries to address the long-term consequences of food insecurity, how we work with these countries to bring their own resources to the table," she said. "Ghana, for example, has been a leader in food security. As the as a Feed the Future partner for more than a decade, they have been joining initiatives and performing better than most of their peers on the continent in their agricultural sector. So we will be looking at how countries can bring their own resources, how Africa broadly can start to develop the capacity to address its food needs so that it is not dependent. "So what Im looking to do on the continent of Africa is talk about solutions, to talk about how our relationships and our partnerships can help Africa get to better a better place in feeding its own people, in addressing the crisis on the ground, and ensuring that prosperity is available to all the people across the continent of Africa". She said high energy prices, climate change, COVID-19 and increasing conflict had pushed millions of Africans to the brink, and that Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, had added to the crisis, especially since some countries in Africa once got up to 75% of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine. "The reason that there is a food insecurity crisis on the continent of Africa at this moment is because of Russias unprovoked attack on Ukraine. These countries are dependent on about 75% of their food aid from Russia, as well as from Ukraine. And this unprovoked war has led to shortages, it has led to price increases, and it has led to additional suffering of the people on the continent of Africa. Russian food is not sanctioned by our sanctions. There are no sanctions on any agricultural products from Russia. So, it is completely a disinformation, misinformation campaign in which Russia does not want to accept responsibility for what they have done to international food markets across the continent of Africa," she said. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield is scheduled to deliver a keynote address in Ghana on the global food security crisis on Friday. Source: Graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The US government has declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency following a spike in cases. The decision will speed up the distribution of vaccines, treatments and federal resources to curb the spread of the virus. It comes less than a fortnight after the World Health Organization (WHO) issued its highest emergency alert following a worldwide surge in cases. Cases have topped 6,600 in the US, according to health officials. A quarter of these cases have appeared in the state of New York, which declared its own state of emergency over the disease last week. The two states with the next highest caseloads - California and Illinois - declared states of emergency earlier this week. More than 26,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide this year, data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows. Some public health experts have expressed concern the emergency declaration could further stigmatise the disease. Although anyone can catch monkeypox, the outbreak has been largely concentrated among men who have sex with men. But it is not purely a sexually transmitted infection (STI), and can also be passed on by close contact with an infected person. The virus typically causes pimple-like rashes, which can be extremely itchy and painful, to develop and spread across the body, as well as other complications. Infections are usually mild and clear up on their own in adult patients without treatment or hospitalisation - but the WHO has warned that young children have died at higher rates from the disease. Officials in the US and elsewhere have recommended that people at the highest risk of exposure - including some gay and bisexual men, as well as some healthcare workers - should get the jab on a priority basis. Pressure had been building on President Joe Biden to do more to stop the spread of monkeypox. Public health officials say the disease is particularly prevalent amongst men who have sex with men. In cities like here in San Francisco, with a large LGBT presence, politicians have claimed not enough is being done to protect the community. Unlike when Covid-19 surfaced, there are pre-existing vaccines for monkeypox. But many who have tried to get the jab have reported waiting in long lines, only to be told there aren't enough to go round. Some have questioned whether Mr Biden should have called this nationwide state of emergency earlier - and whether this will be enough to prevent further spread. San Francisco introduced a public health state of emergency on Monday. In doing so, the mayor invoked memories of the HIV/Aids crisis in the 1980s - when she says the city was ignored. "We are in a very scary place", she said. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Parliamentary Committee on Education has appealed to the government to grant local printing firms tax rebates on some of its imported inputs for production, in a bid to help curtail the cost of textbooks produced in the country as compared to those imported. The Committee made the call during an inspection tour to Appointed Time Printing Limited in Accra. Appointed Time Printing is one of the printing firms designated by the government to print science textbooks of the new curriculum for basic schools. In his address, Mr Kwabena Amankwa Asiamah, the Chairman of the committee, said the rebates would go a long way to enable local printing firms compete with the international market. He said: "The printing houses are doing well. They were given the order to print textbooks on the 1st of June and they were mandated to finish on the 27th of August." "But it looks like all of them will finish before the 27th of August. My appeal to the government is to consider giving them some form of tax rebate if it is educational," he said. According to Mr Amankwa Asiamah, in terms of importation of the firms' raw material, it made their books a little bit costly and more expensive than those that come from China and India because they did not pay anything at all when they brought in their finished product. Madam Jacqueline Afful, General Manager, Appointed Time Printing Limited told the Media that out of the 800,000 science textbooks mandated to be distributed for basic schools across the country, 600,000 had already been printed, and added that the firm was determined to print and distribute the remaining 200,000 textbooks by the end of August 2022. On his part, Mr Clement Apaak, Deputy Ranking Member of the committee, charged the printing firms to deliver the textbooks for the basic schools on time. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, has paid a working visit to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi. The visit on Wednesday, August 4, 2022, was to inspect the progress of work on the maternity and children blocks of the hospital. The project was commissioned for reconstruction by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on May 15, 2020. This was after the 45-year-old maternity and children units uncompleted buildings were declared unfit for purpose when they were subjected to a comprehensive risk assessment by some engineering companies. The buildings were subsequently demolished to make way for the new edifice currently under construction. Speaking to the media during his visit to the site, Kwaku Agyemang Manu expressed shock over the pace at which the project is being carried out. According to the Minister, he feared that the government could not complete the project on time and would be severely criticised by the public in the face of the challenges that have bedevilled the country. He said: When I came to Okomfo Anokye I was a little taken aback because at the time we awarded the project to the contractor, there were a lot of challenges. The first project which is the 45-year-old building, which the president thought should be rehabilitated, the consultant we contacted came back and said the building would not be fit for purpose and that he fears for the lives of all who would even work on the building We did estimates and the cost was rising astronomically and the money we were going to invest could demolish the building and reconstruct it. So we laid it before the President, and parliament and cabinet approved it We also implored the Asantehene to speak to the people on our behalf to bear with us that we would demolish the building and reconstruct it. When I heard of the demolishing I didnt come here but I was apprehensive of the backlash we would receive if the work is not done. So when I came and saw it I was delighted, the Minister added. Kwaku Agyemang Manu is optimistic, however, that the project would be completed before 2024 due to the speed with which the work is being done. Meanwhile, KATHs maternity and children blocks are one among other construction projects he has inspected in the Ashanti region. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The husband of the missing staff of the Lands Commission, Dr Wilberforce Aggrey, has finally been granted bail but has yet to meet the GH300,000 bail condition slapped on him after spending almost 10 months in police custody. The accused, who is standing trial at the Kumasi High Court on charges of kidnapping and deceit of the public, was granted GH300,000 bail with one surety to be justified by the court presided over by Justice Duniel Obeng on Friday, July 29, 2022. Dr Aggrey, a Senior Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), was arrested in October 2021 over the disappearance of his wife, Rhodaline Amoah Darko. The court had previously denied him bail and remanded him into police custody since November 2021. Accomplices Dr Aggrey is standing trial with two others, Yaw Boateng currently at large, and Justice Appiah. Appiah was found in possession of Rhodaline's phone which he claimed to have bought from Boateng. He has since been granted bail while Boateng is at large and being sought by the police. The accused is alleged to have kidnapped his wife, who has been missing since August 2021. Read also: High Court denies husband of missing woman bail Opposition The State Attorney, Edward Charles Addo Yirenkyi, who led the prosecution, initially objected to the bail application by counsel for the accused person for fear of him compromising the witnesses in the case. Three of the prosecution witnesses were people who worked directly under the accused and prosecution believed that granting him bail would jeopardise their case However, last Friday, the prosecution did not put up a strong objection to the bail application by the defence after the third witness had been crossed examined by the defence lawyer. Background Rhodaline Amoah-Darko, the staff of the lands Commission in the Ashanti Region, was reported missing after she allegedly left home at Gyenyase in Kumasi, on August 30, 2021, and did not return. The husband reported the case to the police on September 2, 2021, after she went missing. However, communication from her mobile phone allegedly from suspected kidnappers demanding a ransom emanated from a location (cell tower) close to her residence, The messages from Rhodaline's phone to the husband's phone and later from the husband's phone to other relatives all emanated from a location (cell tower) near their residence, according to police investigations. Based on that, the husband was invited for interrogation and according to the prosecution Dr Aggrey allegedly admitted that he sent those messages from Rhodaline's phone because he was threatened that his family would be harmed if he did not do that. According to the police, the accused claimed to have sent the wife to a location close to Volta Lake to ensure her safety. He could, however, not lead the police to the said location of the wife. The case has since been adjourned to October 17, 2022. Source: Graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Chief Executive Officer of Atta Mills Institute, Koku Anyidoho has asked the family of the late President Atta Mills to forgive him for not seeking their permission to renovate Asomdwee Park. According to him, he had too many responsibilities at hand, hence his failure to follow due process. Speaking on Angel FMs Anopa Bofo Morning Show on Friday, August 5, 2022, he said, to err is human. Im on my knees, and Im asking for forgiveness from the Ekumfi family and the Otuam family. "The responsibilities were too many. If I didnt follow the due process, Im sorry. They should forgive me, he added. Koku Anyidohos apology comes barely a week after Cadman Atta Mills, brother of late president John Evans Atta Mills, revealed the family would take legal action against him to stop the unrecognized Atta-Mills Institute, AMI, led by Koku Anyidoho. He admits that it wont be easy to stop Anyidoho from operating, but adds that the family is exploring two angles to keep Anyidoho from misusing the name of his brother. "It (stopping AMI) is not going to be easy, it is not going to be easy, he stated at a 10th-anniversary commemorative event. Source: Ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Police Ladies Association (POLAS) today flagged off its 70th Anniversary celebration at a colorful ceremony at the forecourt of the police headquarters, here in Accra. The occasion was well attended by both serving and retired members of the Police Service, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman -Rawlings, MP for Korle Klottey constituency, captains of industry, sister organizations from other security organizations including the Ghana Armed Forces, the customs division of the Revenue Authority, the Prisons Service, the Police Service and EOCO. Recounting the history and impact of the organisation, COP/ Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo- Danquah, National President of POLAS and Director General of the Economic and Organized Crime Office noted Female participation in policing in Ghana began in 1952 when the first 12 ladies were recruited into the service. Since then, ladies have served the colours diligently in the Service, rising to high strategic rank. Currently, though constituting 28% of the service, police ladies perform all the core functions of the service, in strategic, tactical, and operational roles, across board. This impact has been felt not only in Ghana but has been brought to bear on peacekeeping missions abroad. The high point of the event was a donation by the Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) of a GHS 100 thousand to POLAS, to support the anniversary celebration. Nana Dwemoh Benneh, CEO of the Bank said the pride of every Bank is its customer base, and in POLAS we have the most excellent customer. Indeed, in this same year, UMB is celebrating its 50th Jubilee, and so we feel your celebration even more keenly. Since 1972, our Bank has taken great pride in serving Ghana, especially the public sector. We will continue to take great pride in serving the Police Service and POLAS, and look forward to offering bundled services, including insurance, and recruiting packages to our most diligent and hardworking citizens in the forces. In a speech read by COP /Mr Christian Tetteh Yohunu on his behalf, the Inspector General of Police Dr. George Akuffo Dampare congratulated POLAS and extended a hearty AYEEKO. He admonished POLAS to continue to align and support the Transformation agenda of the Service. The official launch was achieved in a flag-off speech by the Honourable Minister of Interior. Mr. Ambrose Dery, which was read on his behalf by the Chief Director, Mrs. Adelaide Annor Kumi. The Minister urged POLAS to continue living true to their motto of ARISE and to continue to work towards full gender equality in all things related to the service. The Jubilee celebrations for POLAS will continue for the next 12 months, across Ghana. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video MyHelp-YourHelp Foundation, a Christian charitable organisation (NGO) with a focus on education, health and social services, on Saturday, July 30, 2022, organised a free health screening exercise for the people of Ashiaman and its environs in the Greater Accra. The health screening exercise, which has become part of the Foundation's annual event, saw more than 700 people, including children being screened for various diseases including malaria, hypertension diabetes, and HIV/AIDS. The beneficiaries were also sensitised to heart diseases, stroke, alcoholism and drug abuse, among others. Those whose conditions needed further clinical diagnoses and treatment were referred to bigger health facilities. The Foundation also teamed up with the National Health Insurance Scheme to register residents without health insurance onto the Scheme while those with expired membership had it renewed for them. Myhelp-Yourhelp Foundation assembled a team of medical practitioners from all the major health facilities in the Greater Accra Region, such as Korle Bu Teaching hospital, Cocoa Clinic, Ridge hospital, Tema General Hospital, Ashaiman Polyclinic, and 37 Military hospitals to conduct the exercise. These health workers were all members of the Foundation and they were led by Dr Riches Esiape, the Head of the Medical Team of the Foundation. Speaking with the media after the exercise, Dr Esiape said the gesture had helped to inform the people about their health status. Surprisingly we found a lot of children with blood in the urine and we intend to alert the District Director of Health," he said. Based on the discovery, he said, they were suspecting that the children with blood in their urine might be swimming in the river bodies around the neighbourhood, saying So we have a high suspicion for Schistosomiasis. Dr Esiape, who is also the Medical Manager of Cocoa Clinic, has, therefore, advised parents in Ashiaman and its adjourning communities to discourage or prevent their children from swimming in the nearby water bodies. He also called for mass treatment for the children in the Ashiaman areas by the District Health Directorate against Schistosomiasis. Touching on the need for regular medical checkups, Dr Esiape advised the general public to prioritise regular medical checkups to enable early detection of diseases in their systems. We encourage everybody to go to the hospital because hypertension, for example, is not going to give you symptoms. Until you go to the hospital and you check, you can never know, he explained. He added, So we encourage everybody to go to the hospital, have your BPs checked, have your sugar levels checked, and do a general medical examination. There are a lot of things in the body that until you are checked, you cant tell what you have. The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, Mr Nicholas Cofie explained that the foundation was established to make a difference in the life of the less fortunate people in communities by providing access to lifes basic needs including healthcare, quality education and other basic human needs. He said the exercise was targeted at providing an opportunity for people, especially those who could not afford frequent medical check-ups due to financial constraints, to have access to medical care. It is important that once in a while, once every few months, the clinic is able to offer such a screening programme, he said, adding that it provided an avenue for early detection, management and treatment of serious and sometimes chronic diseases. Mr Cofie said he was excited about the successful outcome of the screening given what he called the impressive turnout of people to be screened. For him, the screening was a social responsibility of the foundation to the community. He also commended Cocoa Clinic, Widama Pharmacy, Dannex Ayrton starwin PLC and Kafnam Company Ltd for supporting the exercise with medical kits and drugs for the exercise, saying their sponsorship greatly contributed to the success of the event. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Energy Minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has subtly endorsed Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as suitable candidate to lead the New Patriotic Party(NPP) into the 2024 elections. The Minister wished for a Bawumia against Mahama contest during the Presidential elections, noting it will be an interesting competition. Potential Candidates Though it is almost one year for the yet-to-be announced NPP presidential primary, the race for the ticket keeps getting keener. Last month, a new face joined the fray of interested presidential aspirants. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, a former Press Secretary to former President John Agyekum Kufuor from 2001 to 2006, former General Secretary of the NPP and one of 17 aspirants who contested for the partys nomination to replace former Presidential Kufuor as presidential candidate for the 2008 general election, announced his intention to put his name up for consideration by delegates. His announcement followed on the heels of Kennedy Agyapong's declaration to contest the NPP flagbearership race. Front-runners At the moment, the front-runners for the slot are Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and the Minister of Trade and Industry (MOTI), Mr Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen. Also in the running are the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, and a former Minister of Energy, Mr Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko. Historic Polls in 2024 The 2024 elections will mark another historic moment in Ghana's politics; it will be the second time a former President will be contesting the Presidential seat against a new candidate from the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP). It is obvious that Ex-President John Dramani Mahama will lead the NDC into the next Presidential elections but who leads the NPP remains unknown until the party holds its primaries next year. Why Napo Opted For Bawumia But ahead of the primaries, the Energy Minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly called "Napo", seems to have made his pick for the best person to give the NPP victory in 2024. Speaking in an interview with host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme, he strongly believed former President John Mahama will be no match for Dr. Bawumia, stressing the latter will have an upperhand. He noted 2024 will be a battle of records. "I will be very glad to have the Head of Economic Management Team, Bawumia compete with Mr Mahama. If you're from the North, I'm from the North, after the North to North; we then get to the Zongo to say I am a Muslim, you are not a Muslim. Then we get to when you were a Vice President, a Committee was set up to investigate corruption but none of that has been recorded under this Vice President; from there we move to you were gifted a car but this one doesn't have that record. "From there, we go to BBC interview; you said you can't define corruption but this one says he can define it. Then we move to the purchase of a plane, this person didn't buy one but you did...Lest I forget, last one, a President that recorded four years of dumsor against someone who has no such record," he teased the former President John Mahama. He concluded that "2024 will be interesting". Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ashanti Regional Communications Directorate is set to launch comprehensive plans and strategies aimed at improving the communications machinery of the party in the region, ahead of the 2024 general elections. The Directorate, headed by Dennis Kwakwa, is reportedly set to enrol the services of hardworking and prominent party personalities to augment the publicity and communication department of the party. The party, sources disclosed, is setting up a full communication strategy which will involve various committees to oversee the smooth and effective implementation of the communication and publicity machinery. According to information available, some prominent names may feature in the list which is expected to be released in the next few days. Some include the Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon. Simmon Osei Mensah, Economic Advisor and Spokesperson to the Vice President, Dr Gideon Boako, Deputy Minister of Finance, Hon. Dr. John Ampontuah Kumah, CEO of Ghana Gas, Dr. Ben Asante, Mr. Boateng Genfi of EximBank Ghana, and the Director General of NADMO, Nana Agyemang Prempeh. Others include the MP for Effiduase Asokore, Hon. Nana Ayew Afriyie, Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu of the EPA, KMA Mayor, Hon. Sam Pyne, Hon. Kennedy Kankam, MCE for Asokore Mampong, amongst others. This according to sources, forms part of an ongoing restructuring which is geared towards preparing the party to be on a strong footing in terms of promoting the achievements of the government and also counter wicked lies and propaganda of the opposition National Democratic Congress and their assigns. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Electoral Commission (EC's) decision to use the Ghana Card as the only source document for continuous voter registration can disenfranchise millions of qualified electorate, a former Chairman of the EC, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, has stated. Speaking exclusively to Graphic Online, he said with many Ghanaians finding it difficult to get their Ghana Cards, making it the only form of identification for voter registration was against electoral inclusivity, fairness and justice. Ghanaian citizens dont lose their citizenship if they are 18 years or older but do not have the Ghana Card. So, the moot question is: why make the Ghana Card the only means of identification for purposes of establishing eligibility to register to vote, Dr Afari-Gyan queried. The longest-serving chairperson of the EC in the history of the country was sharing his thoughts in a statement made available to Graphic Online exclusively on a new Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) on voter registration which has been laid before Parliament by the EC. Read the full statement in the Monday, August 8, 2022 edition of the Daily Graphic. Figures The Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Professor Kenneth Attafuah, disclosed to the media last month that his outfit had handed over 15.7 million Ghana Cards to Ghanaians, out of 16,969,034, who had registered. For Dr Afari-Gyan, who served for 22 years between 1993 and 2015, the fact that the number of people with Ghana Cards included those below the voting age of 18, and juxtaposing that with the Ghana Statistical Services projection that people aged 18 years and above would hit 19.5 million in 2023, the potential for many people to be disenfranchised as a result of the use of the Ghana Card as the only source document for voter registration was high. He advised the EC to take a careful look at its insistence on the Ghana Card because in spite of its crucial role in elections, the EC was not the decider of elections, but rather the electorate. The electorate are the kingmakers. So, a basic responsibility of any electoral commission is to facilitate the realisation of the people's right to register as voters, and not to obstruct that right by demanding for registration purposes documents that are not easily accessible to the people, he added. New C.I Last month, the EC placed before Parliament a draft C.I titled: Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2021, which is expected to regulate continuous voter registration. Per the new C.I, which would become law after 21 sitting days of Parliament, the EC is seeking to make the Ghana Card the sole form of identification for eligible voters who want to get unto the electoral roll. The C.I has been referred to the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament. By convention, the committee is chaired by a member of the Minority group. Orders, rules or regulations made pursuant to provisions of the Constitution or an Act of Parliament must be laid before Parliament for 21 sitting days before they come into force. Any such subsidiary legislations so laid are referred to the committee to determine whether it is in accordance with the general objectives of the constitution or the Act pursuant to which it is being made. It also determines whether the legislation contains any matter, which in the opinion of the committee should be dealt with in an Act of Parliament; directly or indirectly bars the jurisdiction of the courts; gives retrospective effect to any provision contrary to provisions of the Constitution or an existing Act; involves expenditure from the Consolidated Fund or has a form or structure which calls for further elucidation, among other things. Concerns Even before the EC had laid the new C.I before Parliament, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) accused the EC of planning to compile a new voters register for the 2024 general election, with the Ghana Card as the only source document. The Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, said any move by the EC to compile a new voters register with the Ghana Card solely as the mode of identification would not bode well for the country, especially when the EC had already expended huge sums of money to compile a new register which was used for the 2020 general election. The EC debunked the assertion by the NDC and said the new C.I was only meant to regulate continuous registration, with the Ghana Card as the source document. We are not compiling a new voters register. The one we compiled in 2020 is a credible one, a very good register so we are not dispensing it, the Director of Electoral Services of the EC, Dr Serebour Quaicoe, told the media. Meanwhile, in Parliament, the new C.I laid by the EC caused heated debates, with the Minority calling for the EC to come and explain the rationale for the use of the Ghana Card as the only source document. At Parliaments sitting on July 21, this year, the First Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ibrahim Ahmed, said it was necessary for the EC to brief the House on the new C.I. to erase any controversial issue of mistrust. For his part, the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, rejected the call by the Minority, describing it as premature, adding that the next general election was not yet due. Registration centres Another concern raised by Dr Afari-Gyan on the new C.I bothered on the registration centres and registration supervisors for the voter registration exercise. Per the new C.I, the E.C envisages to conduct the exercise from its district offices, with the district registration supervisor and the registration centre supervisor reporting to the regional officer. To Dr Afari-Gyan, with the proposed arrangement, it meant fewer registration centres as compared to the number of polling stations, a situation he fears could be problematic with regard to the polling centres that will be assigned to the registered voters, and how the voters will know their assigned polling stations. One way to dodge this problem is to use a voters register that is not polling station specific on Election Day, he said. With regard to the supervisors, the political scientist and former lecturer advocated that for accountability purposes, the registration reports should not only be sent to the regional officer of the EC, but to the district officer as well, since the district officers were closer to the registration proceedings in their various districts. Two registers The former EC boss, who succeeded Justice Josiah Ofori Boateng, who headed the Interim Electoral Commission which conducted the 1992 general election, also faulted the new C.I for proposing two new kinds of voters register, namely electoral area register and constituency register. Such a move, Dr Afari-Gyan contended, could give rise to multiple voting and ballot stuffing, because the Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs) at the various polling stations were not interlinked to know a voter who had already voted. Until such time that the BVDs are configured to be interactive in this way, my concern about any of the two registers being used at the polling station on Election Day is that it opens the door more widely to two kinds of voting infractions, namely multiple voting and ballot stuffing, he added. Source: Graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Actors Guild of Nigeria has announced the release of its members, Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Agbogidi, released by their abductors. According to a statement by the Actors Guild of Nigeria on its official Instagram page on Wednesday, August 3, the movie stars were released unhurt. It read: This is to gladly inform the public that the kidnapped actors, Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Cornel Agbogidi, have been released unhurt. The elated National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Ejezie Emeka Rollas, announced their release by the abductors who were touched by the spirit of God to set them free and unharmed. The Guild has arranged for medical checks and psychological support for the victims. On behalf of their families, the National President expressed our heartfelt appreciation to Nollywood industry and Nigerians at large for the support and prayers during the trying period. He urged members to be security conscious on and off film sets and always take precautionary measures on their personal security at all times. Source: Vanguardngr Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video " " Shiite Muslim mourners take part in a Muharram procession for Ashura, in Srinagar, India, Aug. 4, 2022. TAUSEEF MUSTAFA/AFP via Getty Images Ashura () is a Muslim holiday that's observed in 2022 from sundown Sunday, Aug. 7 to sundown Monday, Aug. 8. Ashura, which means "tenth" in Arabic, corresponds with the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar. For Shia Muslims, who comprise roughly 15 percent of the world's Muslim population, Ashura is the most solemn and significant date on the calendar, a day to mourn and remember the martyrdom of Hussain, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in 680 C.E. For Sunni Muslims, who represent the majority of Muslims worldwide as well as in the U.S., Ashura is a New Year's celebration that also commemorates miraculous events from the Quran (and the Hebrew Bible), such as Moses parting the Red Sea and Noah landing the ark on dry land. "It makes for an odd fit," says Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, the former (and first) Muslim chaplain at Howard University. "One Muslim community is saying, 'Happy New Year!' while the other is saying, 'It's so sad that our beloved Hussain was murdered.' All Muslims are observing something on Ashura, but the spirit of it is quite different." Advertisement Shia Versus Sunni Celebrations of Ashura The divergent meanings of Ashura reflect the differing beliefs and practices of Shia (or Shiite) and Sunni Islam, the two major branches of Islam that formed immediately following the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 C.E. There was a split among Muhammad's followers collectively called the ummah or people of Islam between those who believed that a descendent of Muhammad should rightfully take the prophet's place as leader, and those who thought that the community should choose its next leader. The first camp called themselves the "Shiat Ali" or the "Party of Ali," because they backed Muhammad's son-in-law, Ali, as the first imam or leader. The opposing group chose a different leader, who they called the caliph or successor. Ali's supporters ultimately became the Shia (or Shiites) and the second group became the Sunni. As it turned out, Ali ended up serving first as imam and later as caliph, but he was assassinated five years into his caliphate, which prompted another succession fight. Ali's oldest son, Hasan, thought he should take his father's place, but Hasan was poisoned in 670, his murder ordered by a rival Sunni caliph. According to Shia tradition, that left Hussain, Ali's youngest son, as the sole biological heir to Muhammad's legacy. A Sunni caliph named Yazid, described by Shia as a corrupt and power-hungry leader, demanded Hussain's allegiance, but Hussain decided to stand up to Yazid, knowing that it would likely cost him his life. "Death with dignity is better than a life of humiliation," Hussain said in a sermon. During the Battle of Karbala in 680, Hussain and 72 of his close supporters and family members were surrounded by Yazid's massive army, reportedly 30,000 strong. Hussain and his small band fought valiantly, but it was a bloodbath. After all his supporters and male family members were killed on the battlefield (including his 6-month-old son), Hussain was the last to die on the 10th day of Muharram, also known as Ashura. " " Shiite Muslims re-enact the seventh-century battle of Karbala, in Iraq, Aug. 19, 2021 on the day of Ashura. HUSSEIN FALEH/AFP via Getty Images Advertisement How Shia Muslims Observe Ashura Hussain's brave sacrifice became the central story of Shia tradition, and Ashura is the day that Shiites have set aside for centuries to mourn and celebrate their martyred hero. Imam Dawud Walid lives in Detroit, where he's the executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI). While Shiites comprise only around 16 percent of American Muslims, Walid says that there's a large Shiite community in nearby Dearborn, Michigan, which he calls the "Shia Muslim capital of America." Every year, members of the Shia community in Dearborn observe Ashura as a period of public mourning, and as a modern call for justice in memory of what Hussain did 14 centuries ago. For the first 10 days of Muharram, there are community gatherings and events in Dearborn dedicated to the moral teachings of Hussain. Then, on the day of Ashura, there's a large street procession, in which marchers wear black clothing, chant prayers, wave flags and ceremoniously beat their chests in mourning. " " Iraqi Shiite Muslims participate in a mourning ritual in the city of Nasiriyah in Iraq, marking the beginning of Ashura, Aug. 3, 2022. ASAAD NIAZI/AFP via Getty Images In predominantly Shia countries like Iran and southern Iraq, the mourning rituals of Ashura can get a lot more intense, with men engaging in painful self-flagellation, or cutting the skin of their foreheads until blood pours down their faces, a practice some Shiite clerics have spoken out against. Also, hundreds of thousands of Shia make an annual pilgrimage to Karbala, Iraq, to visit the burial shrine of Hussain and re-enact the Battle of Karbala. Advertisement How Sunni Muslims Observe Ashura Ashura is viewed very differently within the Sunni Muslim community, explains Imam Dawud. For Sunnis, Ashura has nothing to do with Hussain, but instead commemorates the day that God saved Moses and the Israelites from the cruel Egyptian pharaoh by parting the Red Sea. For Sunnis, Ashura is observed by fasting on at least the 10th of Muharram, but for up to three days, if possible. As during the month of Ramadan, fasting means abstaining from food or drink from dawn to dusk. "It's viewed as highly recommended and meritorious for Muslims to fast the day of Ashura," says Imam Dawud. "This is what Sunnis agree upon." The Sunni fasting tradition comes from the Hadith, a collection of sayings and teachings of the prophet. According to the text, when the Prophet Muhammad arrived in the city of Medina, the local Jews were fasting on the 10th of Muharram in remembrance of Moses and the Israelite exodus from Egypt. Muhammad vowed to fast for one, two or three days the next year. " " Sunni Muslims join in an Ashura procession in Karachi, Pakistan, Sept. 10, 2019. RIZWAN TABASSUM/AFP via Getty Images Imam Abdul-Malik says that there's also a New Year's component to the Sunni celebration of Ashura. Since it takes place in the first month of the Islamic year, it's a natural time for reflection and resolutions. Sunnis who fast on Ashura today also believe that it's a way to be forgiven of sins committed during the past year. "Ashura is an opportunity for Muslims to say, 'This is a new year, I'm going to do better and be better,'" says Imam Abdul-Malik. "For Sunnis in both America and across the Arab world, there's also gift-giving on Ashura, special candies, and a focus on charity." Advertisement Can Ashura Be an Opportunity For Reconciliation? For centuries, Shia and Sunni Muslims lived in harmony, but warring empires began to invade and conquer in the name of Shiism or Sunnism. And much of the recent violence in the Middle East is sectarian in nature, waged by Sunni extremist groups like the Islamic State, or brutal Shia regimes in places like Iran and Syria. "We have to stop intra-faith violence, brother killing brother, sister killing sister it's wrong," says Imam Abdul-Malik. "Ashura should be a reminder to all Muslims about the sanctity of life. That we should not have fallen into this conflict within the family and the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be unto him)." And for all of the differences between the ways that Shia and Sunni observe Ashura, Imam Dawud sees a striking theological thread running through both versions of Ashura. "There are some Sunni Muslims, like myself, who also revere Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, and remember his martyrdom," says Imam Dawud. "From my understanding, the martyrdom of Hussain is a reflection of the struggles of Moses, in the sense that Hussain was resisting the tyranny of the pharaoh of his time. In fact, I don't see Hussain as being defeated that day in Karbala, but that day being a victory for him." " " A Shia woman in Bangladesh lights a candle during the day of mourning to commemorate Ashura. Habibur Rahman/Eyepix Group/Future Publishing via Getty Images Now That's Cool The volunteer organization Who Is Hussain? uses the example of Hussain to organize blood drives, prepare food for the homeless and serve the neediest in their neighborhoods. A screenshot of the enhanced Ad Observatory dashboard, where researchers and journalists can search for digital political ad spending. Credit: NYU Cybersecurity for Democracy Ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, projected to draw some $1.2 billion in digital political spending, NYU Cybersecurity for Democracy (C4D) at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering today launched a new, enhanced version of Ad ObservatoryAdObservatory.orgavailable in both English and Spanish, with increased search functionality. This public, free dashboard provides journalists and researchers with the ability to search digital political ad spending across Meta (formerly Facebook) properties, see visualizations of spending patterns, and search researched topics such as abortion, guns, and immigration. C4D unveiled the new site today in conjunction with the NABJ/NAHJ annual convention in Las Vegas. This updated version of Ad Observatory builds on the project's success in the 2020 elections, when the site was used by dozens of researchers and journalists to identify spending by political candidates, demonstrate shortcomings in Facebook's transparency, and to research investigations about scams and political extremism. For this new version of Ad Observatory, the C4D team met with journalists and researchers to find out what kinds of questions they want to answer that they can't find with other tools. An interest in Spanish-language ads topped the list, as did the need for data visualizations providing insights on the messaging within the ads, via topics and keyword searches. "We know that in 2020, Spanish-language political misinformation popped up as a major problem on digital platforms, but that transparency tools were not tuned to be able to capture it." said Laura Edelson, co-director of NYU Cybersecurity for Democracy, and postdoctoral researcher in Computer Science at NYU's Tandon School of Engineering. "With this new version of Ad Observatory, journalists and researchers can track and analyze trends with both English and Spanish-language political ads." "The lack of transparency on political advertising on Meta and other digital platforms means that the public is vulnerable in ways that we don't even understand sufficiently," said C4D co-director Damon McCoy. "With Ad Observatory we're shining some light in corners so that researchers and journalists can find these weak spots and suggest ways to make online spaces safer." In recent elections, political advertisers have increasingly turned to digital platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, to influence voters; in 2020, one out of five campaign dollars was spent on digital ads. In the absence of mandated transparency, the public remains vulnerable to decisions by private platforms on what information they make public and how they do it. Explore further New research tool tracks political advertising on Facebook More information: For more details, please visit: For more details, please visit: https://cybersecurityfordemocracy.org/ad_observatory Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The SNAD team, an international network of researchers including Matvey Kornilov, Associate Professor of the HSE University Faculty of Physics, has discovered 11 previously undetected space anomalies, seven of which are supernova candidates. The researchers analyzed digital images of the Northern sky taken in 2018 using a k-D tree to detect anomalies through the 'nearest neighbor' method. Machine learning algorithms helped automate the search. The paper is published in New Astronomy. Most astronomical discoveries have been based on observations with subsequent computations. While the total number of observations in the 20th century was still relatively small, the volumes of data drastically increased with the arrival of large-scale astronomical surveys. For example, the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), which uses a wide-field view camera to survey the Northern sky, generates 1.4 TB of data per night of observation and its catalog contains billions of objects. Manually processing such enormous amounts of data is both expensive and time consuming, so the SNAD team of researchers from Russia, France and the US came together to develop an automated solution. When scientists examine astronomical objects, they observe their light curves, which show variations of an object's brightness as a function of time. The observers first identify a flash of light in the sky and then follow its evolution to see whether the light becomes brighter or weaker over time, or goes out. In this study, the researchers examined a million real light curves from the ZTF's 2018 catalog and seven simulated live curve models of the types of objects under study. In total, they followed some 40 parameters, including the amplitude of an object's brightness and the timeframe. "We described the properties of our simulations using a set of characteristics expected to be observed in real astronomical bodies. In the dataset of approximately a million objects, we were looking for super-powerful supernovae, Type Ia supernovae, Type II supernovae, and tidal disruption events," explains Konstantin Malanchev, co-author of the paper and postdoc at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "We refer to such classes of objects as anomalies. They are either very rare, with little-known properties, or appear interesting enough to merit further study." The light curve data from real objects was then compared to that of simulations using the k-D tree algorithm. A k-D tree is a geometric data structure for splitting space into smaller parts by cutting it with hyperplanes, planes, lines or points. In the current research, this algorithm was used to narrow down the search range when looking for real objects with properties similar to those described in the seven simulations. Subsequently, the team identified 15 nearest neighbors, ie real objects from the ZTF database, for each simulation105 matches in total, which the researchers then examined visually to check for anomalies. The manual verification confirmed 11 anomalies, of which seven were supernova candidates, and four were active galactic nuclei candidates where tidal disruption events could occur. "This is a very good result," comments Maria Pruzhinskaya, a co-author of the paper and research fellow at the Sternberg Astronomical Institute. "In addition to the already-discovered rare objects, we were able to detect several new ones previously missed by astronomers. This means that existing search algorithms can be improved to avoid missing such objects." This study demonstrates that the method is highly effective, while relatively easy to apply. The proposed algorithm for detecting space phenomena of a certain type is universal and can be used to discover any interesting astronomical objects, not limited to rare types of supernovae. "Astronomical and astrophysical phenomena which have not yet been discovered are in fact anomalies," according to Matvey Kornilov, Associate Professor of the HSE University Faculty of Physics. "Their observed manifestations are expected to differ from the properties of known objects. In the future, we will try using our method to discover new classes of objects." Explore further A new anomaly detection pipeline for astronomical discovery and recommendation systems More information: P.D. Aleo et al, SNAD transient miner: Finding missed transient events in ZTF DR4 using k-D trees, New Astronomy (2022). P.D. Aleo et al, SNAD transient miner: Finding missed transient events in ZTF DR4 using k-D trees,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.newast.2022.101846 Provided by National Research University Higher School of Economics Credit: CC0 Public Domain A team of researchers, led by Swinburne's Professor Akbar Rhamdhani, has published the first detailed study of its kind on metal production on another planet. The team are focused on metal extraction on Mars. They are developing a process that would take processed air, dirt and sunlight on Mars to create metallic iron. It uses concentrated solar energy as a heat source and carbon, which is produced by the cooling of CO gaswhich is a by-product of oxygen production in the Mars atmosphere. This oxygen production has been demonstrated on Mars, on the Perseverance rover, through the MOXIE (Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment) NASA project. Hence, Swinburne's metal extraction process is intended to be coupled with a future oxygen generator plant (one that is much larger than MOXIE) to co-produce oxygen and iron alloy, which can be used to create metals. This can then be used to further human mission and development on Mars. Why do we need metals on other planets? Launching technology into space is expensive, time-consuming, and bad for the environment. Producing resources from other planets allows for more efficient, cheaper, and more sustainable development in space. This allows for greater human exploration and extension of technology, like satellites, that help gather data and solve problems back on Earth. Next steps The teampostdoctoral researcher Dr. Reiza Mukhlis and Ph.D. students Deddy Nababan, Matthew Shaw and Matthew Humbert from Swinburne's Fluid and Process Dynamics Research Group and Space Technology and Industry Instituteare currently working closely with CSIRO Minerals and the CSIRO Space Technology Future Science Platform to take the research to the next stage. Professor Akbar Rhamdhani says, "We would like to develop a metal extraction process on Mars that is truly utilizing in-situ resourceswithout bringing reactants from Earthto support further human mission and development on Mars. "If you wanted to build something large on Mars without having to pay to launch everything from Earth (think large satellites, mars colonies, refueling depots and more), this could be a very valuable process." Swinburne director of the Space Technology and Industry Institute, Professor Alan Duffy, says, "Australia is committed to supporting NASA's Return to the moon and going beyond to Mars in Project Artemis, and they will require the use of the resources of the moon and Mars to make that feasible. We are using Swinburne's expertise and industry partnerships in resource extraction and processing to help make NASA's vision of astronauts walking on the red planet that little bit easier. This work is one small step for metal processing, that can make a giant leap for humanity building off-world." Explore further In first, Perseverance Mars rover makes oxygen on another planet More information: D.C. Nababan et al, Metals extraction on Mars through carbothermic reduction, Acta Astronautica (2022). Journal information: Acta Astronautica D.C. Nababan et al, Metals extraction on Mars through carbothermic reduction,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2022.07.009 Photograph depicting an example of victim with pout face being consoled by a juvenile bystander. Credit: Zana Clay/Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary Psychologists from Durham University, UK have found in their study that bonobos produce a variety of signals including "baby-like" signals to strategically display distress when they are attacked by other bonobos. The researchers carried out this study on two bonobo groups comprising over 40 bonobos at the Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), the world's only bonobo sanctuary. The researchers examined how bonobo victims communicate about their distress after a fight, and whether these signals affect the responses of bonobo bystanders. They found that when the bonobos produce certain types of signals of their emotional distress, they have higher chances of being comforted by other bonobos watching. These signals resemble those typically used by baby bonobos such as pouting, whimpering and showing tantrums. Post-conflict communication, including baby-like (paedomorphic) signals in an immature bonobo victim with consolation by a young bystander. Credit: Zana Clay/Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary The adult bonobos usually stop signaling their distress when they get supported by others, while immature bonobos still continue afterwards. The study reveals that adult bonobos are also less likely to be re-attacked by their former opponent when they display these "baby-like" signals following a conflict. The researchers further discovered that bonobos are sensitive to their audience as such they produce more signals in general if more bonobos in the social audience are nearby, suggesting bonobos adapt their signals depending on who is nearby. For a long time, it was thought that great apes had no control over their emotional expressions. The study findings suggest that emotion expressions are not mere read-outs of internal states but can be used in flexible and strategic ways to purse social goals, even in emotionally-charged contexts. The full research has been published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. Lead author of the study, Dr. Raphaela Heesen of Durham University, said: "Bonobos are highly sensitive to social situations and who is surrounding them. They have rich emotional lives and are able to communicate their emotional states in flexible ways to influence their group members. "In using specifically "baby-like" signals, bonobos might increase their chances to be consoled by others and alleviate their own stress level following aggressive attacks. Our research shows that emotions and their expression do not only play a role in the regulation of social life in our own species, but also in our closest living primate relatives" Senior author of the study, Dr. Zanna Clay of Durham University, said: "The act of comforting a victim in distress has long been considered a form of empathy that is initiated by the bystander. However, our study reveals that the victim's own signals may be used strategically to shaping these responses. "By producing signals that make them seem more like infants, bonobo victims can promote the chances of receiving comfort from others. This highlights the important role that communication plays in shaping empathic responding." The researchers thus emphasize that bonobos have flexible ways of communicating their emotions, just like humans. The study sheds light on understanding the emotional life of bonobos with a focus on the potential evolutionary origins of emotion communication. This project was conducted by members of the Comparative and Cross-Cultural Development Lab led by Dr. Zanna Clay. Explore further Chimps communicate in context More information: Flexible signalling strategies by victims mediate post-conflict interactions in bonobos, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences (2022). Journal information: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Flexible signalling strategies by victims mediate post-conflict interactions in bonobos,(2022). DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0310 This photo provided by the Washington State Department of Transportation shows smoke from a wildfire burning south of Lind, Wash. on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. Sheriff's officials are telling residents in the town of Lind in eastern Washington to evacuate because of a growing wildfire south of town that was burning homes. Credit: Washington State Department of Transportation via AP California firefighters made gains against the state's deadliest and largest wildfire of the year just as an eastern Washington town was evacuated Thursday because of a blaze that was burning homes. At about 1:30 p.m. the Adams County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook that homes in Lind had burned. "At this time all residents of the town of Lind need to evacuate immediately," the sheriff's office said in the post. Later Thursday, Sheriff Dale Wagner said six homes had burned as well as eight other structures. With the help of state and local resources, Wagner said the fire was starting to calm down and all evacuations were lifted as of 8 p.m. "They will be fighting it through the night to make sure it doesn't flare up anymore or get worse," he said, adding that firefighters were dealing with high heat and windy conditions. He said one firefighter suffered smoke inhalation and was flown to Spokane for treatment. Lind is a community of about 500 people approximately 75 miles (121 kilometers) southwest of Spokane. The State Fire Marshal's office said the blaze had burned through about 3.9 square miles (10.1 square kilometers). Homes, infrastructure and crops were threatened. The cause of the fire was under investigation. This photo provided by the Washington State Department of Transportation shows smoke from a wildfire burning south of Lind, Wash. on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. Sheriff's officials are telling residents in the town of Lind in eastern Washington to evacuate because of a growing wildfire south of town that was burning homes. Credit: Washington State Department of Transportation via AP Meanwhile, in California, forecasters warned Thursday that spiking temperatures and plunging humidity levels could create conditions for further wildfire growth. After five days of no containment, the McKinney Fire in Siskiyou County near the Oregon border was 10% surrounded by Wednesday evening. Bulldozers and hand crews were making progress carving firebreaks around much of the rest of the blaze, fire officials said. At the fire's southeastern corner, evacuation orders for sections of Yreka, home to about 7,800 people, were downgraded to warnings, allowing residents to return home but with a caution that the situation remained dangerous. About 1,300 people remained under evacuation orders, officials said at a community meeting Wednesday evening. The fire didn't advance much at midweek, following several days of brief but heavy rain from thunderstorms that provided cloudy, damper weather. But as the clouds clear and humidity levels drops in the coming days, the fire could roar again, authorities warned. 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 "This is a sleeping giant right now," said Darryl Laws, a unified incident commander on the blaze. Weekend temperatures could reach triple digits as the region dries out again, said meteorologist Brian Nieuwenhuis with the National Weather Service office in Medford, Oregon. "The heat, the dry conditions, along with afternoon breezes, that's the kind of thing that could keep the fire pretty active," he said Thursday. The blaze broke out last Friday and has charred nearly 92 square miles (238 square kilometers) of forestland, left tinder-dry by drought. More than 100 homes and other buildings have burned and four bodies have been found, including two in a burned car in a driveway. The blaze was driven at first by fierce winds ahead of a thunderstorm cell. More storms earlier this week proved a mixed blessing. A drenching rain Tuesday dumped up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) on some eastern sections of the blaze but most of the fire area got next to nothing, said Dennis Burns, a fire behavior analyst. 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 The latest storm also brought concerns about possible river flooding and mudslides. A private contractor in a pickup truck who was helping the firefighting effort was hurt when a bridge gave out and washed away the vehicle, Kreider said. The contractor's injuries were not life-threatening. The progress against the flames came too late for many people in the scenic hamlet of Klamath River, which was home to about 200 people before the fire reduced many of the homes to ashes, along with the post office, community center and other buildings. 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 don't get emotional about stuff and material things," Simms said. "But when you hear my next-door neighbors died ... that gets a little emotional." 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 Their names haven't been officially confirmed, which could take several days, said Courtney Kreider, a spokesperson with the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office. Simms, a 65-year-old retiree, bought his property six years ago as a second home with access to hunting and fishing. He went back to check on his property Tuesday and found it was destroyed. "The house, the guest house and the RV were gone. It's 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. 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 elseincluding her art collectionwent up in flames. In this photo released by the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office is the washed away pick up truck of a private contractor who was aiding the firefighting efforts near Klamath River, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. Amid storms Tuesday the contractor was hurt when a bridge gave out and washed his pickup truck away, said Courtney Kreider, a spokesperson with the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office. 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 in the parched region. Credit: Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office via AP "I'm sad. Everybody says it was just stuff, but it was all I had," she said. Meanwhile, firefighters expected Thursday to fully surround a 1,000-acre (404-hectare) spot fire on the northern edge of the McKinney Fire. To the southeast, wet weather was a concern for burn scars from last year's big wildfires along the Sierra's eastern front. The weather service issued flood watches for Thursday and Friday along the California-Nevada line. They included areas burned in the Caldor Fire east of Sacramento and the Tamarack Fire west and south of Lake Tahoe. Despite the scattered storms, 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. 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 The Elmo Fire burns near Elmo and Dayton, Mont., on the western shore of Flathead Lake on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. Credit: Hunter D'Antuono/Flathead Beacon via AP Flames from the Elmo Fire burn around Dayton, Mont., on the western shore of Flathead Lake on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. Credit: Hunter D'Antuono/Flathead Beacon via AP 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 An aircraft dumps water on the edge of the Elmo Fire burning on the western shore of Flathead Lake, Mont., on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. Credit: Hunter D'Antuono/Flathead Beacon via AP A plane dumps fire retardant to contain the Elmo Fire burning on the western shore of Flathead Lake, Mont., on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. Credit: Hunter D'Antuono/Flathead Beacon via AP This photo provided by the Washington State Department of Transportation shows smoke from a wildfire burning south of Lind, Wash. on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. Sheriff's officials are telling residents in the town of Lind in eastern Washington to evacuate because of a growing wildfire south of town that was burning homes. Credit: Washington State Department of Transportation via AP 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 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. 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. And a wildfire in northwestern Nebraska led to evacuations and destroyed or damaged several homes near the small city of Gering. Explore further Deadly California wildfire wipes out scenic river town 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The dwarf galaxy NGC1427A flies through the Fornax galaxy cluster and undergoes disturbances which would not be possible if this galaxy were surrounded by a heavy and extended dark matter halo, as required by standard cosmology. Credit: ESO According to the standard model of cosmology, the vast majority of galaxies are surrounded by a halo of dark matter particles. This halo is invisible, but its mass exerts a strong gravitational pull on galaxies in the vicinity. A new study led by the University of Bonn (Germany) and the University of Saint Andrews (Scotland) challenges this view of the Universe. The results suggest that the dwarf galaxies of Earth's second closest galaxy clusterknown as the Fornax Clusterare free of such dark matter halos. The study appeared in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Dwarf galaxies are small, faint galaxies that can usually be found in galaxy clusters or near larger galaxies. Because of this, they might be affected by the gravitational effects of their larger companions. "We introduce an innovative way of testing the standard model based on how much dwarf galaxies are disturbed by gravitational ,tides' from nearby larger galaxies," said Elena Asencio, a Ph.D. student at the University of Bonn and the lead author of the story. Tides arise when gravity from one body pulls differently on different parts of another body. These are similar to tides on Earth, which arise because the moon pulls more strongly on the side of Earth which faces the moon. The Fornax Cluster has a rich population of dwarf galaxies. Recent observations show that some of these dwarfs appear distorted, as if they have been perturbed by the cluster environment. "Such perturbations in the Fornax dwarfs are not expected according to the Standard Model," said Pavel Kroupa, professor at the University of Bonn and Charles University in Prague. "This is because, according to the standard model, the dark matter halos of these dwarfs should partly shield them from tides raised by the cluster." The authors analyzed the expected level of disturbance of the dwarfs, which depends on their internal properties and their distance to the gravitationally powerful cluster center. Galaxies with large sizes but low stellar masses and galaxies close to the cluster center are more easily disturbed or destroyed. They compared the results with their observed level of disturbance evident from photographs taken by the VLT Survey Telescope of the European Southern Observatory. Elena Asencio says that "the comparison showed that, if one wants to explain the observations in the standard model. The Fornax dwarfs should already be destroyed by gravity from the cluster center even when the tides it raises on a dwarf are sixty-four times weaker than the dwarf's own self-gravity." Not only is this counter-intuitive, she said, it also contradicts previous studies, which found that the external force needed to disturb a dwarf galaxy is about the same as the dwarf's selfgravity. Contradiction to the standard model From this, the authors concluded that, in the standard model, it is not possible to explain the observed morphologies of the Fornax dwarfs in a self-consistent way. They repeated the analysis using Milgromian dynamics (MOND). Instead of assuming dark matter halos surrounding galaxies, the MOND theory proposes a correction to Newtonian dynamics by which gravity experiences a boost in the regime of low accelerations. "We were not sure that the dwarf galaxies would be able to survive the extreme environment of a galaxy cluster in MOND, due to the absence of protective dark matter halos in this model," said Dr. Indranil Banik from the University of St Andrews. "But our results show a remarkable agreement between observations and the MOND expectations for the level of disturbance of the Fornax dwarfs." "It is exciting to see that the data we obtained with the VLT survey telescope allowed such a thorough test of cosmological models," said Aku Venhola from the University of Oulu (Finland) and Steffen Mieske from the European Southern Observatory, co-authors of the study. This is not the first time that a study testing the effect of dark matter on the dynamics and evolution of galaxies concluded that observations are better explained when they are not surrounded by dark matter. "The number of publications showing incompatibilities between observations and the dark matter paradigm just keeps increasing every year. It is time to start investing more resources into more promising theories," said Pavel Kroupa, member of the transdisciplinary research areas modeling and matter at the University of Bonn. Dr. Hongsheng Zhao from the University of St Andrews added that their "results have major implications for fundamental physics. We expect to find more disturbed dwarfs in other clusters, a prediction which other teams should verify." Explore further New spin on galaxy rotation saves controversial gravity theory More information: Elena Asencio et al, The distribution and morphologies of Fornax Cluster dwarf galaxies suggest they lack dark matter, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2022). Journal information: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Elena Asencio et al, The distribution and morphologies of Fornax Cluster dwarf galaxies suggest they lack dark matter,(2022). DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stac1765 Credit: CC0 Public Domain While conducting fieldwork at a lab at Princeton University, Talia Dan-Cohen, associate professor of sociocultural anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis, observed a common but perplexing problem. For her book "A Simpler Life: Synthetic Biological Experiments," Dan-Cohen was tracking the work of practitioners in the developing field of synthetic biology, and she noticed two researchers discussing the same peer review report again and again. For months, the scientists had a hard time convincing reviewers that what they saw as the big result of their work was actually a result at all rather than an artifact, or a flaw in the data caused by their equipment or technique. For Dan-Cohen, the dispute pointed to larger questions: What is an artifact, anyway? When does an artifact become a result, or vice versa? Who gets to decide? Dan-Cohen posed these questions to the philosophy of science reading group at WashU, thinking that surely an account already existed in a journal somewhere. She soon learned that despite being a common problem for every researcher who works with data, no standard definition could be found in the philosophy of science literature. With Carl F. Craver, professor of philosophy and philosophy-neuroscience-psychology, she set out to write a quick paper outlining a definition. They would find the task much more challenging than they anticipated. Making use of artifacts Scientists deal with artifacts regularly. Researchers are trained to look for the kinds of standard artifacts that come up day-to-day, but other kinds can lead to scientific controversies. Researchers place their careers on the line when they have to parse the difference between an artifact and a result that could lead to a major discovery. At the Princeton lab where Dan-Cohen conducted fieldwork, the conflict arose from the nature of the experiments. The researchers Dan-Cohen observed were carrying out basic science, but they were also building new things out of biological parts. "They didn't even know how exactly they had created something new, but part of their claim was that you didn't need to know how," Dan-Cohen said. "The reviewer described their result as an artifact, and the researchers wrote back that the reviewer was misunderstanding what an artifact is." Scientists talk about what goes wrong in an experiment in many different ways, and Dan-Cohen and Carver's paper attempts to make distinctions between the ways that things can go wrong. "Experiments are where the rubber of science hits the road of the world," Craver said. "Is there a principled way to say, this is good data and that is bad data? If there is no basis for that judgment, then at the place where the rubber is supposed to be hitting the road, there's a tremendous amount of slippage. This is a crucial question in understanding the epistemology of science: how can science purport to tell us something about the world?" A two-part definition An artifact occurs when an experimental setup or apparatus gives a researcher information that's seemingly about the thing that they are interested in but, for one reason or another, is misleading or about something else entirely. Dan-Cohen and Craver created a model defining artifacts that approaches the problem from two very different directions. The first component of their definition is causal. Researchers use instruments and methodologies that are designed to provide a causal chain between the observable world and their results, but sometimes the instruments themselves can introduce artifacts in their data. "The first part of what an artifact is involves some error in that causal chain, a deviant causal process that enters in and disrupts the regular relationship between what you observe and the thing that you're trying to learn about by observing," Craver said. In the second component, Craver and Dan-Cohen identify a more pragmatic element. Whether something counts as an artifact really depends on what a researcher is trying to learn about the target they have chosen as the subject of their investigation. Sometimes, one researcher's artifact is another's result. In the pragmatic component of their definition, what a researcher is interested in determines when the causal chain is the right kind of causal chain. Dan-Cohen and Craver give the example of sonograms to explain pragmatic artifacts. The artifacts produced in sonograms are useful in identifying kidney stones, which produce sparkly images on the screen. For an anatomy researcher, the sparkles are artifacts, as they are not present in the kidneys themselves. For a medical researcher, however, the sparkles indicate the existence of something scattering the sound waves in a distinctive way. The nuance of Dan-Cohen and Craver's two-pronged definition emerges from the interplay between their areas of expertise. Craver's philosophical work in the past has focused on the crucial role of causality in scientific explanation. As a sociocultural anthropologist, Dan-Cohen studies how subcultures within scientific fields establish rules for how science works. "I think there was a pull in the direction of 'artifacts are artifacts are artifacts' and the idea that artifacts are negotiated in practice," Dan-Cohen said. "We approached the problem from two very different vantage points as a philosopher and an anthropologist, and those differing perspectives influenced our findings in ways that were rewarding and ultimately reflected in the final product." Explore further Rare bone artifact discovered near Lower Murray River More information: Carl Craver et al, Experimental Artefacts, The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science (2021). Carl Craver et al, Experimental Artefacts,(2021). DOI: 10.1086/715202 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Is there a "fourth phase of water"? From time to time you might see people talking up the health benefits of so-called hexagonal water, or structured water, or exclusion-zone (EZ) water. A few weeks ago Kourtney Kardashian's Poosh website was spruiking a US$2,500 "structured water filter." Last weekend even Australia's Sydney Morning Herald got in on the act, running a now-deleted story on the virtues of "structured water." So what's going on? As a professor of chemistry, I can tell you "EZ water" is nonsense. But let's talk about what it's supposed to be, and how it's supposed to work. WTF @smh? If you can't spot that this is pure snake oil from a kilometre away, you should not be in the business of 'reporting," let alone 'science reporting." Disgraceful. https://t.co/mbcMrA2Gs5 Stuart Khan (@stukhan) July 30, 2022 What is EZ water? EZ water has its origins in observations by Gerald Pollack, a professor of bioengineering at the University of Washington. He was studying the behavior of water near "hydrophilic" surfaces, which are made of materials with a very strong attraction to water. Pollack found that water pushes away objects such as plastic microspheres, salt and even dye molecules from the region close to a very hydrophilic surface. Pollack's explanation for this behavior is that the structure of water changes in the "exclusion zone." While water molecules are made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom (with the familiar formula HO), Pollack believes EZ water has an extra hydrogen atom and an extra oxygen atom (formula HO). This change supposedly results in a negative electric charge and a layered hexagonal network arrangement of atoms in the water. Hydrophilic surfaces exists in the cells of the human bodies, so some have argued EZ water is "more natural" than ordinary water, and therefore must have manifold health benefits. Tenuous health claims The now-deleted Sydney Morning Herald article interviewed a supposed expert in water structure science called Rob Gourlay. He makes many common claims for structured water: it is more natural, it has negative electric charge, it flows into our cells more quickly than ordinary water, and has many other supposed health benefits. Though the article failed to mention it, a quick search reveals Robert Gourlay's job title as "chief scientist" of a company called Phi'on, which sells water structuring devices. From the plausible to the preposterous Let's have a look at these claims. Some of them are plausible, while some are preposterous. We know that water behaves differently near an interface with another substance, because it is no longer only interacting with other water molecules. Surface tension is a familiar example of this phenomenon. We also know that water behaves differently if it is confined in a very small space, on a scale of billionths of a meter. As such, there is no special reason to be immediately skeptical of Pollack's experimental findings about the behavior of water in the "exclusion zone." They are indeed interesting, and many aspects have been reproduced. But Pollack's explanations for the behavior have no basis. Follow the atoms If water somehow changed into a HO form, simple arithmetic shows that turning two molecules of HO into one of HO would leave an extra hydrogen atom floating around. We would expect to see this hydrogen released as H gas. Alternatively, the reaction would need to bring in extra oxygen from the air. A simple experiment would show that neither of these happen. EZ water, for all its interesting properties, cannot be anything but HO. Pollack does not propose the HO structure in a peer-reviewed publication, and other explanations have been put forth to explain his published experimental findings. And the hexagonal structure for HO which Pollack proposes, if stable and rigid, would not flow like a liquid. Water has no memory But suppose water in the exclusion zone did have some special structure. Could it be bottled and keep its properties? All signs point to no. In water with a neutral pH (neither acidic nor alkaline), about one molecule in every billion has an extra hydrogen atom that has jumped across from another molecule. This creates one positively charged HO+ ion and one negatively charged OH ion. The extra protons (H+) that make HO+ ions are highly mobilethey rapidly leap from one molecule to another. This happens so fast that each of the hydrogen atoms in a given water molecule is replaced 1,000 times each second. There are also short-lived attractions between the oxygen atoms in one molecule and the hydrogen atoms in a neighboring molecule called "hydrogen bonds." In liquid water at room temperature these bonds only last millionths of a millionth of a second. The rapid movement of hydrogen atoms, and the flickering on and off of hydrogen bonds, mean that any structure in EZ water would dissipate very quickly. In bulk, water has forgotten its neighbors within picoseconds and has switched its hydrogen atoms in milliseconds. This is why it is liquid. Experiments using intense laser pulses to disrupt the structure of water also show that it recovers within picoseconds. So any bulk water structure that is different from the usual kind that flows from our taps does not last much longer than a few millionths of a millionth of a second. Water is water So what does it all add up to? Put simply, it is not possible to buy any other type of water than regular water. You can change the pH, you can change the dissolved ions and gases, but not the water itself. The snake-oil merchants selling structured water products use scientific-sounding words that are generally meaningless and are at best based on misinterpretations and abuses of Pollack's experiments. Pollack distances himself from most companies selling structured water products. He has his own structured water company, which among other products sells a "filterless water filter." Explore further Potential energy surfaces of water mapped for the first time This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Tracy Baim, publisher of the Chicago Reader weekly newspaper, is seen in her office on May 9, 2022. Baim announced she will be stepping down as publisher of the alternative newspaper by the end of the year. (Charles Rex Arbogast / AP) Three months after completing a long and challenging quest to convert the Chicago Reader to a nonprofit, Tracy Baim announced she is stepping down as publisher of the storied alternative newspaper by the end of the year. Baim, 59, a veteran Chicago journalist who has helmed the Reader since 2018, navigated an arduous journey from money-losing publication to potentially solvent nonprofit, a process that was nearly derailed this year by an existential battle between its two owners, and allegations of censorship. Advertisement The publication was sold to the nonprofit Reader Institute for Community Journalism in May, and Baim said Friday she is ready for the next chapter in her own life. I have a sense of optimism and relief at the same time, because I know theres somebody out there thats going to be able to take this to the next level, Baim said. I can be satisfied that I accomplished what I set out to do, which was to diversify its revenue and make it stronger than it had been in a long time. Advertisement The future of the 51-year-old Reader seemed far more tenuous as the year began, when the planned transition to a nonprofit model was delayed by then co-owner Len Goodman, who took issue with attempts to retroactively edit a November opinion piece he wrote expressing concerns about vaccinating his 6-year-old daughter against COVID-19. In 2018, Goodman and Chicago real estate developer Elzie Higginbottom bought the Reader from the Chicago Sun-Times for $1 and the assumption of debt, rescuing it from dissolution. But the owners, who each pumped more than $1 million into the Reader to keep it afloat, locked horns as Goodman halted the nonprofit process while pushing for an investigation into the alleged censorship and the ability to appoint more members to the successor board. The situation deteriorated and by April, the Reader was running out of money and employees were rallying in front of Goodmans Lakeview East home to get the criminal defense attorney to relinquish control and let the newspaper move forward as a nonprofit. Goodman relented and the Reader completed the transition on May 16. A longtime Chicago journalist and co-founder of the Windy City Times, Baim became publisher of the Reader under the new owners and created the nonprofit plan. She said the struggle to get the publication over the finish line took its toll and may have influenced her exit strategy. I was definitely discombobulated, Baim said. It did exhaust me and it probably accelerated my decision-making. Baim leaves the Reader in better shape than she found it. Once bleeding red ink, the Reader has a $3 million annual budget and is operating at about break-even, she said. Published biweekly, the Reader has increased its press run from 50,000 to 60,000 copies, which are distributed for free at nearly 1,200 locations. The staff has more than doubled, from 17 to 38 employees. Formerly supported entirely by print advertising, the Reader now gets more revenue from digital ads and branded content than print, Baim said. While advertising still accounts for two-thirds of its revenue, the nonprofit Reader now gets a third of its support from donations and memberships, a category Baim expects to grow under new leadership. Advertisement The nonprofit board plans to retain a national search firm this month to find Baims successor. Baim said she will stay on through December, if necessary, to overlap with the new hire and help with the transition. She will also serve as an adviser to the board in its search for a new publisher. We expect to have somebody hired well in advance of Tracy leaving, so that she can do as much transition as possible, said Eileen Rhodes, board chair. We want it to be smooth and seamless, so the funders and advertisers and staff all have confidence that the Reader will continue and continue to improve. The shift to a nonprofit model is a growing trend in the declining newspaper industry, with the Salt Lake Tribune the first major daily newspaper to make the transition in November 2019. In January, the Sun-Times became a nonprofit newspaper when it merged with public radio station WBEZ-FM 91.5 under the banner of Chicago Public Media. Launched in 1971 by a group of Carleton College graduates as a free weekly, the Reader became known for its ambitious long-form journalism, arts news and offbeat classified ads. Like many print publications, the Reader has struggled in the digital age, leading to a series of ownership changes. The original ownership group sold the Reader in 2007 to Creative Loafing, a small chain of alternative weeklies based in Atlanta. Atalaya Capital Management, a New York-based hedge fund, acquired the Reader out of bankruptcy in 2009. Wrapports, a Chicago investor group led by Michael Ferro that acquired the Sun-Times in late 2011, added the Reader to its portfolio in May 2012 for about $2.5 million. In 2017, an investor group that included Goodman and Higginbottom bought the Sun-Times, the Reader and other assets for $1. One year later, Goodman and Higginbottom put up another dollar and kept a Chicago journalistic institution alive. Advertisement A prolific journalist who has spent 38 years in community media, Baim, who turns 60 in January, plans to focus on writing and continued advocacy for local media. Her role in saving the Reader, she said, has run its course. I was basically a foster parent for the last four years, who did my very best to shepherd it to its next parent, Baim said. I dont want to overstay my welcome. rchannick@chicagotribune.com Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Researchers from the University of Portsmouth have examined the dynamic changes in the resilience of UK wastewater treatment works, now known as Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs), and discovered that environmental stressors are increasing the potential for pollution events. WRRFs play a vital role in our day-to-day lives by producing clean water, removing nutrients, generating renewable energy, and extracting other valuable bio-based materials from wastewaters. These systems have been engineered to withstand process upsets or disturbances to an extent, but a new study suggests climate change and population growth is putting them under extreme stress. The collaborative project with Southern Water and Thames Water was the first to use instrument data from operational and compliance monitoring to track real-life stressors and their influence on WRRFs. It found dynamic stressors, including higher rainfall intensity and extended dry periods, could be linked to each event. This also echoes the future challenges noted in the latest IPCC report, which states with high confidence that extreme weather linked to climate change will cause damage to infrastructure. To avoid damaging pollution incidents, the team behind the study says it is crucial to understand how stressors manifest, leading to dramatic changes in wastewater volume and concentration. This will give water companies an extended reaction time to events and the possibility of reducing the impact on a WRRF. Lead author of the paper, Timothy Holloway from the University of Portsmouth's School of Civil Engineering and Surveying, said: "Improving asset and infrastructure resilience is a significant challenge for the water industry as operational disruptions caused by stressors become more common and difficult to predict. As we face significant political, social and environmental uncertainty, water companies and government agencies are forced to manage complex and dynamic changes in resilience to events outside of their control. "If we continue on the same path, it is extremely likely that we will experience more severe pollution events due to new and rapidly emerging stressors on wastewater systems. This could result in inland flooding, flood and storm damage in coastal areas, and damages to infrastructure." The study, published in Water Research, proposes using actual WRRF data to help mitigate further disruption to wastewater operators in the UK and globally. Dr. Yang, Process Growth Lead Water Quality at Southern Water, said: "Southern Water has been leading the industry in effluent monitoring for the last two decades. The valuable long-term data from our monitoring program enabled this pioneering research. Southern Water's current sewer monitoring program offers more exciting opportunities. We are at a time of digital transformation and climate change. "This research puts forward a new tool to capitalize the advance of digital and sensing technologies. It aims to enable the operator to implement the best strategies in operating a sewer network or a treatment works based on live data so that the customers and environment are better protected from adverse impact of external environment such as climate change. I am proud and feel privileged to work with the team at Portsmouth University on behalf of Southern Water. I look forward to more collaborations in future." Dr. Ben Martin, Lead Research Scientist at Thames Water, added: "At Thames Water, we have reached the point where digital tools can leverage our performance and monitoring datasets to produce unprecedented operational benefits. "We are now better able to cope with disruptions, predict and take proactive measures before asset failures, and create autonomous systems that ultimately improve the quality of water supplied to our natural environment. Seeing the value of these and similar efforts across industry and academia recognized in this white paper is heartening. Working with Mr Tim Holloway of the University of Portsmouth has been incredibly valuable, as we look to build cross-sectoral synergies in the field." Explore further Tapping into nontraditional water sources to increase green hydrogen More information: Timothy G. Holloway et al, Exploring the use of water resource recovery facility instrument data to visualise dynamic resilience to environmental stressors, Water Research (2022). Timothy G. Holloway et al, Exploring the use of water resource recovery facility instrument data to visualise dynamic resilience to environmental stressors,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118711 Credit: CC0 Public Domain After an exhaustive historical investigation into the barrels of DDT waste reportedly dumped decades ago near Catalina Island, federal regulators concluded that the toxic pollution in the deep ocean could be far worseand far more sweepingthan what scientists anticipated. In internal memos made public recently, officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined that acid waste from the nation's largest manufacturer of DDTa pesticide so powerful it poisoned birds and fishhad not been contained in hundreds of thousands of sealed barrels. Most of the waste, according to newly unearthed information, had been poured directly into the ocean from massive tank barges. Although shipping records noted the number of discarded barrels, regulators say the word "barrel" appeared to refer to a unit of volume, rather than a physical barrel. Further review of old records revealed that other chemicalsas well as millions of tons of oil drilling wastehad also been dumped decades ago in more than a dozen areas off the Southern California coast. "That's pretty jaw-dropping in terms of the volumes and quantities of various contaminants that were dispersed in the ocean," said John Chesnutt, a Superfund section manager who has been leading the EPA's technical team on the investigation. "This also begs the question: So what's in the barrels? There's still so much we don't know." These revelations build on much-needed research into DDT's toxicand insidiouslegacy in California. As many as half a million barrels of DDT waste have not been accounted for in the deep ocean, according to old reports and a UC Santa Barbara study that provided the first real glimpse into how the Los Angeles coast became a chemical dumping ground. Public calls for action have intensified since the Los Angeles Times reported that dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, banned in 1972, is still haunting the marine environment today. California sea lions, critically endangered condors, as well as multiple generations of women continue to be affected by this pesticide in mysterious ways. Numerous federal, state and local agencies have since joined with scientists and environmental nonprofits to figure out what's going on 3,000 feet underwater. A team led by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography jumped into action last year and started mapping the dumpsite with advanced technology. Other expeditions helped pull deep-sea sediment samples, and dozens of researchers have convened to discuss how to fill the most critical data gaps. Congress, at the urging of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has allocated $5.6 million to work on the issue. Gov. Gavin Newsom, in his finalized budget, just matched the federal funding with another $5.6 million. The scope of the pollution has turned out to be startling. In the process of trying to figure out how much DDT was dumped into the deep ocean, regulators discovered that from the 1930s to the early 1970s, 13 other areas off the Southern California coast had also been approved for dumping of military explosives, radioactive waste, and various chemical and refinery byproductsincluding 3 million metric tons of petroleum waste. Very little is known about these deep-water disposals beyond a grainy map from a 1973 technical report that labeled each dumpsite with a tiny dot or square. "The fact that here we are, more than 50 years later, and we don't even know what's in the 14 dumpsites other than a summary from a report in 1973 from the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project? That's just not acceptable," said Mark Gold, who has followed the DDT problem as a marine scientist since the 1990s and currently serves as Newsom's deputy secretary for coastal and ocean policy. "It really makes you question: OK, how big of a problem is deep-water ocean dumping along not just the California coast, but nationwide?" Gold noted that there are also more shallow areas off the Palos Verdes coast and at the mouth of the Dominguez Channel that have been known DDT hot spots for decades. Figuring out how to clean up those contaminated areas in an underwater environment has been its own complicated saga. Records also indicate there might actually be two DDT dumpsites, dubbed Dumpsite 1 and Dumpsite 2, because the company in charge of the disposal may have decided to dump in an area different from where it was supposed to. The dumping appears to be sloppy: The Scripps expedition spent two weeks mapping a swath of seafloor larger than the city of San Francisco, but it could find no outer boundary to Dumpsite 2. Initial sonar surveys suggest there still could be thousands of physical barrels underwater filled with who knows what. As for the mystery of the DDT barrels, regulators combed old aerial photos of the Montrose Chemical Corp. plant near Torrance and the berth from which the waste haulers set sail. They called on every possible government agency to dig up its records and considered all the logistics that would have gone into transporting half a million physical barrels at the time. Finally, they called up a retired EPA investigator who had been in charge of looking into the deep-sea DDT dumping. He explained that in the 1940s and '50s, local government agencies had asked waste haulers to report their quantities of waste with a default unit of measurement: barrels. The exact volume remains unclear, but the standard at the time ranged from 42 to 55 gallons per barrel depending on the industry. It's also likely that there were rounding errors when the companies converted their massive tanks of waste into barrels, and that more chemicals were dumped than logged. Regardless of how the waste got dumped into the ocean, sediment samples so far show that a lot of DDT is clearly down there. The big question now is whether the chemicals have been sequestered or embedded into the seafloor well enough to prevent them from remobilizingor whether they have been recirculating in a way that threatens human health and California's marine environment. The EPA has been meeting regularly with key state and federal agencies ("the Collaborating Agencies") and with numerous scientists to determine how to focus additional sampling and analysis. In the spirit of transparency and coordination, an online records repository was recently created to help inform the ongoing research as much as possible. Given the intense interest in the DDT dumpsite, some hope the groundbreaking research now underway could help regulators address the larger toxic legacy of deep-ocean dumping. "There's not an environmental program, particularly at the federal level, that was designed to address the challenges, the circumstances that these disposal sites pose," said John Lyons, acting deputy director of the EPA's Region 9 Superfund Division. "What the Collaborating Agencies are doing is molding and bending some of our existing program to put together this initial investigation, with the hope that it can inform how future investigations of the other siteswhether in Southern California or around the countrymay be formed and conducted." Allan Chartrand, an ecotoxicologist who first estimated the extent of the DDT dumping in the 1980s, said it has been heartening to see so many puzzle pieces from the past finally coming together. "It's time to do something," said Chartrand, who urged everyone working on the issue to start gathering the additional data necessary to take more targeted action. "There's tons of (DDT) out there, and we haven't done anything about it." David Valentine, the University of California, Santa Barbara scientist whose research team first came across dozens of mysterious barrels underwater, said that not having a physical object to search for makes the issue more complicatedand even more concerning. If highly acidic DDT waste wasn't considered too bad to dump straight into the ocean, he wondered, what could've been worse that had to be put into an actual barrel? "Maybe some of those barrels were the bad batches but we don't really know. It could be a whole lot of other stuff too," said Valentine, who has been thinking through the next steps for researchin the field and in the lab. He recently convened more than 50 scientists, regulators and environmental nonprofits in a conference to share ideas. Oceanographers explained how the DDT waste could move up and down the water columnand perhaps even out of Southern California watersdepending on the currents and ocean physics, as well as the particle size and density. Marine chemists discussed how the waste could react differently with the water depending on its acidity. Ecotoxicologists traded notes with human toxicologists, and everyone asked policymakers what kind of science would be helpful in their efforts to take action. Considering the latest information from the EPA, they described the material that got poured into the ocean as likely a hail or mist of DDT-laden particles raining down from the ocean surface. "It's been sitting now on the seafloor, potentially for 60, 70 years," Valentine said. "What's happened to all this material during that time? Has it moved around? Is it working its way back into the ecosystem? Those are the things that we really need to start answering." 2022 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Low-lying terrain and wild vegetation on an island of the Parana River's delta/wetlands/floodplain in Argentina; the city in the background is Rosario, Santa Fe Province, but the islands are on the jurisdiction of Victoria, Entre Rios. Credit: Pablo D. Flores/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 A new study analyzes human impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in 72 lakes distributed across four large neotropical wetlands of BrazilAmazon, Araguaia, Pantanal and Parana. The research spans a 3.7million km gradient of human activities in Brazil. The paper, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, shows that human impacts alter the controls that biodiversity exerts over wetland "multifunctionality"which refers to the diverse functions that these ecosystems provide. Dr. Pavel Kratina, senior lecturer in ecology at Queen Mary University of London, said: "This is one of a few studies that demonstrate how human pressures compromise the functioning of wetlands through their negative impact on biodiversity. To our knowledge, this work presents the first empirical evidence of a large-scale positive relationship between aquatic biodiversity across multiple organismal groups and multifunctionality of wetlands. This high-resolution dataset revealed strong and consistent associations between the diversity of multiple groups of aquatic organisms and wetland multifunctionality. These results underline the important role of species richness and functional diversity in driving functioning of Neotropical wetlands." The researchers use a broad-scale dataset of biodiversity for seven groups of aquatic organisms to show their control over 11 ecosystem functions. These included: total phosphorous and nitrogen available in the water ecosystem metabolism multitrophic standing biomass photosynthetically active radiation microorganism abundance variation in habitat complexity underwater. At the same time, they show these controls change across a gradient of wetlands that differ in their human pressure, which both directly and indirectly influences the relationships between diversity and ecosystem functioning. Human pressure on the wetland was quantified using the Human Footprint (HFP) index, a recently developed index that incorporates eight different human pressures into a standardized cumulative index. These include built environments, crop land, pastureland, human density, night-time lights, railways, roads and navigable waterways. Dr. Kratina said: "We show a decline in species richness and functional diversity with increasing Human Footprint. Human Footprint index has a large direct negative effect on multifunctionality, but HFP also had indirect negative effects on the multifunctionality, mediated by declining species richness. Although these indirect negative effects of human pressure were driven by the decline in the diversity of most organismal groups, these effects were strongly mediated by fish diversity, because fish diversity is very important for functioning of wetlands. The paper also showed that the Parana wetland, which is in the vicinity of one of the most populated areas on the planet, seemed to be the most affected of the four wetlands. Explore further Precipitation changes alter species diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality in desert steppe environments More information: Dieison A. Moi et al, Human pressure drives biodiversitymultifunctionality relationships in large Neotropical wetlands, Nature Ecology & Evolution (2022). Journal information: Nature Ecology & Evolution Dieison A. Moi et al, Human pressure drives biodiversitymultifunctionality relationships in large Neotropical wetlands,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01827-7 The ShadowCam instrument will acquire images of shadowed regions of the moon using a high-resolution camera, telescope, and highly sensitive sensors. Credits: Arizona State University / Malin Space Science Systems NASA's ShadowCam is heading to the Moon aboard Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI)'s Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) mission. KPLO, also known as Danuri, launched at 7:08 p.m. EDT on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Launch Complex 40 on the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on August 4. Developed by Arizona State University and Malin Space Science Systems, ShadowCam is one of five instruments on board KARI's KPLO spacecraft. A hypersensitive optical camera, ShadowCam, will collect images of permanently shadowed regions near the Moon's poles. This will allow ShadowCam to map the reflectance of these regions to search for evidence of ice deposits, observe seasonal changes, and measure the terrain inside the craters. The ShadowCam instrument was designed based on previous imagers like those found on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, but it is several hundred times more light-sensitive to allow for capturing details within the permanently shadowed regions. The data gathered from ShadowCam and the other KPLO instruments will support future lunar exploration efforts, including Artemis. The high-resolution imagery captured in extremely low-light conditions could help inform landing site selection and exploration planning for future Artemis missions by providing insight into terrain and lighting conditions, and the distribution and accessibility of resources like water ice that are useful for long-duration stays. The data from ShadowCam and the unprecedented views into the permanently shadowed regions could also help scientists learn more about how the Moon formed and evolved and about our solar system. In addition to ShadowCam, NASA is also contributing communications and navigation support to KPLO and science support to the KPLO team via nine NASA-funded scientists. The Republic of Korea (ROK) signed the Artemis Accords last year and continues to collaborate with NASA on lunar exploration efforts. In ROK, the orbiter is known as "Danuri" after a public naming contest resulted in a name combining the Korean words for "Moon" (dal) and "enjoy" (nuri). Over the next 4.5 months, KPLO will use a fuel-saving Korean Ballistic Trajectory 62-mile (100 km) lunar polar orbit, where upon arrival, it will then begin operations on a planned 11-month mission. Underwater view of seagrass growing on a seabed. Credit: Dimitris Poursanidis - Project Seagrass Experts at the forefront of efforts to restore the U.K.'s coastal seagrass meadows say the remarkable plant's contribution to the most important to-do list in the history of humankind should be reassessed. Seagrassthe world's only underwater flowering plantis not only vital for biodiversity, but also absorbs carbon dioxide, which helps to tackle climate change. In a new paper, just published in the journal Science, Swansea University researchers argue for considering the value of seagrasses beyond carbon in the context of the UN Sustainable Development goalsthe shared blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future. Conserving and restoring seagrass meadows actually contributes to achieving 16 out of the 17 goals. The authors, including Dr. Richard Unsworth and Dr. Leanne Cullen-Unsworth, explain that the planetary emergency is driving interest in using seagrasses as a nature-based solution for climate change and biodiversity recovery. However, seagrass sensitivity to stressors is acute, and in many places, the risk of loss and degradation persists. Dr. Unsworth, who leads the University's team and is a founding director of marine conservation charity Project Seagrass, said: "With the increasing realization of the planetary emergency that we face, there is growing interest in using seagrasses as a nature-based solution for greenhouse gas mitigation. "But if the ecological state of seagrasses remains compromised, then their ability to contribute to nature-based solutions for the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis remains in doubt." The team's latest research has examined the major ecological role that seagrasses play and how rethinking their conservation is critical to understanding their part in fighting our planetary emergency. Dr. Unsworth said: "Seagrasses are of fundamental importance to the planet but compared with terrestrial grasses, and even seaweeds, the body of research within seagrass is magnitudes smaller. "However, there are substantial ecological, social, and regulatory barriers and bottlenecks to seagrass restoration and conservation because of the scale of the interventions required. "Now advances in marine robotics, molecular ecology, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence all offer new opportunities to solve conservation problems in difficult environments at unprecedented global scales. "It is only by looking beyond carbon and recognizing the true value of seagrass meadows can we place it on a pathway to net zero loss and ultimately net gain." Explore further The value of seagrass in securing a sustainable planet More information: Richard K. F. Unsworth et al, The planetary role of seagrass conservation, Science (2022). Journal information: Science Richard K. F. Unsworth et al, The planetary role of seagrass conservation,(2022). DOI: 10.1126/science.abq6923 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Adam Wraight pulled a blue sewage "warning" sign out of the sand near Imperial Beach Pier on Thursday morning, replacing it with the more ominous yellow and red placard telling beachgoers that waters were officially closed. "There's more than just the normal ooze that's coming?" asked Imperial Beach native Colette Dominguez who happened to walk by. "It's an active spill," explained Wraight, a marine safety sergeant with the city's lifeguards. "A big pipeline broke." Shorelines from the border up through Coronado were closed to swimming Thursday as the result of a pipeline that ruptured in Tijuana near Smuggler's Gulch over the weekend. Sewage has been spilling over the border into the river's estuary for days, but it's just now making its way to the ocean and floating up the coast on surging northward currents. The situation will likely persist into next week, when public utility workers in Baja California are expected to complete repairs, according to federal officials in San Diego. "That pipeline handles 80 percent of the wastewater generated in Tijuana. It's huge," said Morgan Rogers, area operations manager at the San Diego field office of the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission. More than 135 million gallons of treated and raw wastewater have spilled over the border since Saturday, with roughly 25 million to 30 million gallons more coming every day. Most of that has flowed through the Tijuana River, after the pipeline break forced officials to shut down a diversion system that pumps water out of the main concrete channel. Another roughly 10 million gallons a day of raw sewage are being rerouted to the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant along the border in San Diego. The situation is putting some strain on the plant, which is now processing more than the 25 million gallons a day that it was designed for, Rogers said. "I think we could probably sustain 35 million gallons a day for a few weeks until the repairs are done," he said. "We'll probably have some cleanup in the plant to do, but no real damage. Summertime beach closures in the South Bay have become more prevalent since county public health officials rolled out a new DNA-based test for ocean water quality in May. Beaches saw a wave of closures earlier this summer when conditions were far less severe than under the current sewage spill. Leaders in Coronado and Imperial Beach have questioned whether the new testing is too sensitive. The county has, so far, not publicly embraced the idea of overhauling its new approach, which replaced the traditional culture method in which scientists look for bacteria growth in water samples. The presence of bacteria is considered an indicator for pathogens, such as E. coli, Vibrio and salmonella. Exposure can result in diarrhea, fever, respiratory disease, meningitis and even paralysis. The county started posting blue warning signs that give beachgoers discretion over whether to get in the water when bacteria levels are elevated but the presence of sewage hasn't been confirmed. While many residents and tourists have ignored the new blue signs, surf camps, junior lifeguard programs and several events have been closed as a result. Still, even the yellow and red placards that went up across the South Bay this week aren't enough to keep everyone out of the water. The risk of illness didn't deter Armie Ferrer, who was surfing at Imperial Beach Pier with her husband on Thursday. The 45-year-old Chula Vista resident said she relies more on her nose than any signage. "It's always been dirty because of the TJ sewage," she said. "There are certain times when it's really polluted. We base it on the water color and sometimes it has a really strong smell. Sometimes when the wave breaks, you'll see the brownish bubbles." It can be hard to determine just how polluted the water is in Imperial Beach and Coronado because sewage often floats up along the coastline from a crumbling wastewater plant about 6 miles south of the border. Officials estimate the plant is spewing 25 million to 35 million gallons of mostly raw sewage into the ocean every day. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a $630 million plan to address the pollution coming from the plant and through the Tijuana River. Officials have said projects could break ground in the next three to five years. In the meantime, Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina is pushing hard for interim fixes, especially at the aging facility in Mexico, known as the San Antonio de los Buenos wastewater treatment plant. "People are really traumatized and they're losing hope," he said. "We need to make some improvements here and show people that we're actually trying." Explore further Ongoing spill in Mexico is flooding Tijuana River with millions of gallons of raw sewage 2022 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. NASA's Curiosity Mars rover took this 360-degree panorama at a drill site nicknamed Avanavero on June 20, 2022. In its decade on the Red Planet, the rover has used the drill on its robotic arm to collect 41 rock and soil samples for analysis. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Despite signs of wear, the intrepid spacecraft is about to start an exciting new chapter of its mission as it climbs a Martian mountain. Ten years ago today, a jetpack lowered NASA's Curiosity rover onto the Red Planet, beginning the SUV-size explorer's pursuit of evidence that, billions of years ago, Mars had the conditions needed to support microscopic life. Since then, Curiosity has driven nearly 18 miles (29 kilometers) and ascended 2,050 feet (625 meters) as it explores Gale Crater and the foothills of Mount Sharp within it. The rover has analyzed 41 rock and soil samples, relying on a suite of science instruments to learn what they reveal about Earth's rocky sibling. And it's pushed a team of engineers to devise ways to minimize wear and tear and keep the rover rolling: In fact, Curiosity's mission was recently extended for another three years, allowing it to continue among NASA's fleet of important astrobiological missions. A bounty of science It's been a busy decade. Curiosity has studied the Red Planet's skies, capturing images of shining clouds and drifting moons. The rover's radiation sensor lets scientists measure the amount of high-energy radiation future astronauts would be exposed to on the Martian surface, helping NASA figure out how to keep them safe. Learn more about Curiositys 10th year on Mars from the missions deputy project scientist, Abigail Fraeman. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech But most important, Curiosity has determined that liquid water as well as the chemical building blocks and nutrients needed for supporting life were present for at least tens of millions of years in Gale Crater. The crater once held a lake, the size of which waxed and waned over time. Each layer higher up on Mount Sharp serves as a record of a more recent era of Mars' environment. Now, the intrepid rover is driving through a canyon that marks the transition to a new region, one thought to have formed as water was drying out, leaving behind salty minerals called sulfates. "We're seeing evidence of dramatic changes in the ancient Martian climate," said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity's project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "The question now is whether the habitable conditions that Curiosity has found up to now persisted through these changes. Did they disappear, never to return, or did they come and go over millions of years?" Curiosity has made striking progress up the mountain. Back in 2015, the team captured a "postcard" image of distant buttes. A mere speck within that image is a Curiosity-size boulder nicknamed "Ilha Novo Destino"and, nearly seven years later, the rover trundled by it last month on the way to the sulfate-bearing region. The team plans to spend the next few years exploring the sulfate-rich area. Within it, they have targets in mind like the Gediz Vallis channel, which may have formed during a flood late in Mount Sharp's history, and large cemented fractures that show the effects of groundwater higher up the mountain. Stay curious with NASA and celebrate the agencys Curiosity Mars rovers 10th anniversary on the Red Planet with a two-sided poster that lists some of the intrepid explorers inspiring accomplishments. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech How to keep a rover on a roll What's Curiosity's secret to maintaining an active lifestyle at the ripe old age of 10? A team of hundreds of dedicated engineers, of course, working both in person at JPL and remotely from home. They catalog each and every crack in the wheels, test every line of computer code before it's beamed into space, and drill into endless rock samples in JPL's Mars Yard, ensuring Curiosity can safely do the same. "As soon as you land on Mars, everything you do is based on the fact that there's no one around to repair it for 100 million miles," said Andy Mishkin, Curiosity's acting project manager at JPL. "It's all about making intelligent use of what's already on your rover." Curiosity's robotic drilling process, for example, has been reinvented multiple times since landing. At one point, the drill was offline for more than a year as engineers redesigned its use to be more like a handheld drill. More recently, a set of braking mechanisms that allow the robotic arm to move or stay in place stopped working. Although the arm has been operating as usual since engineers engaged a set of spares, the team has also learned to drill more gently to preserve the new brakes. This scene was captured by Curiosity on Sept. 9, 2015, when NASAs Mars rover was many miles from its current location. The circle indicates the location of a Curiosity-size boulder that the rover recently drove past. To the left of that is Paraitepuy Pass, which Curiosity is now traveling through. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech To minimize damage to the wheels, engineers keep an eye out for treacherous spots like the knife-edged "gator-back" terrain they recently discovered, and they developed a traction-control algorithm to help as well. The team has taken a similar approach to managing the rover's slowly diminishing power. Curiosity relies on a long-lived nuclear-powered battery rather than solar panels to keep on rolling. As the plutonium pellets in the battery decay, they generate heat that the rover converts into power. Because of the pellets' gradual decay, the rover can't do quite as much in a day as it did during its first year. Mishkin said the team is continuing to budget how much energy the rover uses each day, and has figured out which activities can be done in parallel to optimize the energy available to the rover. "Curiosity is definitely doing more multitasking where it's safe to do so," Mishkin added. Through careful planning and engineering hacks, the team has every expectation the plucky rover still has years of exploring to ahead of it. Explore further Curiosity Mars Rover reroutes away from 'gator-back' rocks More information: Mission details: Mission details: mars.nasa.gov/msl/home/ HORICON A New York City man died in a motorcycle accident in the town of Horicon on Tuesday. At 5:12 p.m., the Warren County Sheriffs Office responded to reports of a serious accident involving a 2005 Toyota Sienna driven by David R. McNamara, 72, of Schenectady, and a 2019 BMW motorcycle on Route 8. The operator of the motorcycle, Steven B. Schnall, 55, was pronounced dead on the scene, police said in a news release. Police said the investigation being conducted by the Sheriffs Office, members of North Warren EMS and the Horicon Fire Department is ongoing. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. Adam Levin left Chicago a few years ago and moved to Florida, and if you dont think thats hilarious, you should meet Adam Levin. He grew up in Highland Park, taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and for the past decade has been known as an admired novelist of intense, big books with bigger ideas. Hes married to French writer Camille Bordas, who teaches at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He studied at Syracuse University under (Oak Forest native) George Saunders, whose satiric, hallucinatory stories Levins own writing occasionally recalls. His first novel, The Instructions (2010, 1,026 pages) told the story of a Chicago boy who may or not be the messiah; his 2020 novel, Bubblegum (784 pages), imagined a cute economy in which consumers raise cuddly robots until they grow so adorable that their owners kill them. The only Florida thing about Levin is that he owns a Quaker parrot. And even the parrot is named Gogol as in Nikolai Gogol, Russian surrealist. Advertisement Were talking an exhausting, demanding, difficult writer but also, a very funny one. Mount Chicago, his new novel (592 pages), is yet another ambitious swing for the literary fences, or at the least, a rollicking yet mournful stab at returning the sprawling American novel to Chicago, home of Theodore Dreisers Sister Carrie and Saul Bellows Augie March. I mean, this plot alone youll wish you had thought of it. Some days you probably do: Much of downtown Chicago collapses into an enormous sinkhole. Advertisement Not funny, thousands die, but among the survivors are a celebrated comic, his biggest fan and the mayor of Chicago, who wrestles (in Strangelove-ian fashion) with the language to convey tragedy. (Seismic sounds a little too disaster movie for him.) Along the way, there are run-ins with Richard M. Daley and Perry Farrell and Ari Emanuel, the Rainbo Club in Ukrainian Village and the UIC campus. And a parrot named Gogol, and a writer named Adam Levin. Its a ton of book, but also, a touching account of grief. Levin spoke the other day on the phone from his home in (ahem) Florida. The following has been edited and condensed for length and clarity from a longer conversation. "Mount Chicago: A Novel" by Adam Levin (Doubleday August 9, 2022) - Original Credit: (Doubleday / HANDOUT) Q: How important is it for you not necessarily as a writer but reader to laugh? A: Maybe the most important thing. Except with one or two exceptions, a book doesnt blow my mind unless it makes me laugh. That doesnt mean every second. But a book a novel cant do the stuff I love if its trying to teach something. As a writer, I want to be aware the person reading has to engage, and as a reader, if Im laughing, its the quickest way to realize my own engagement. There are books I should read I havent because, when I start them, they dont get their sense of humor across fast enough. Q: I ask partly because theres a lot of stand-up in this book, but also the sense you think about the art of stand-up comedy a great deal. Do you learn about writing from stand-up? A: Yes. It is a completely different form, but like a novelist, I also dont think there is a stand-up I adore who is being him or herself entirely (on stage). They are playing a character, even if its a hyper version of themselves. Their work is written, theres timing, improv to a degree. But watching a stand-up, Im not thinking this is an author talking to me. When it succeeds, stand-up is more direct, very fast but what separates it from fiction to the advantage and disadvantage of fiction is it turns faster. If Bill Burr wants to start talking about something else, he makes a face and moves his body. But Im there for that voice. The world got more complicated by listening to him, and thats what great novels should do, too. Q: I know youre influenced by Kurt Vonnegut, who could be funny, but theres more hint of Philip Roth and Saul Bellow in Mount Chicago, who were funny but, unlike Vonnegut, not often seen that way. A: They were hilarious writers, and my grand, deeply uninformed theory on this is that we get taught to read literature in school and unless you get lucky with a good teacher, you are taught to read the way you might read a Bible or a Torah that there is a lesson in the pages. But thats not what great writers do. The reason people might not think of (Roth and Bellow) as funny is because them being funny was considered secondary to their importance, when in fact it was a driver of those guys. Not that they dont have serious things to say or fashion new ways to view the world, but their avenue was often comedy. Advertisement Q: You just described Chris Rock, too. A: One hundred percent. Q: Tell me about choosing a massive disaster for Chicago. Of all the possible apocalypses, a sinkhole that then creates a gigantic Mount Chicago from all the debris seems unlikely. A: I dont know, man. It cant happen. Its the least likely way for the Loop to go. Chicago is on a fault line. But its not a threat apparently. Part of doing that was to create Mount Chicago. How could that happen? Not being a physicist or anything, its my explanation and I got to make up the rules of what would transpire. Q: But then you do an interesting thing because, despite the magnitude of the premise, and how we think of disaster narratives, you move away from the disaster for long chunks of the book. A: Because I didnt want to write a disaster movie. I was more concerned with how the characters would respond, and though I have never suffered disaster like this, I imagine if all my family died among those thousands of other people OK, call me cold but I wouldnt be thinking of those thousands of others. Id be thinking about the people that I lost and how (expletive) I was and I would be wrapped up into myself. Advertisement Q: Did something happen in your life that spurred the premise? A: Probably. In the first chapter, a pseudo-autobiographical chapter, I write I am lucky in life. I am. I am an unscathed middle-aged man, and I have a lot of friends that is not true of. I have skated past all of it, but as I get older, I know something will happened that will destroy me. It has to. I was watching people suffer I was close to, so on some level I was trying to sort through and prepare. I was also going back to Vonnegut. The first line of the novel is the first line I wrote: None of this happened. The first line of Slaughterhouse-Five an obsession for me as a child is: All of this happened, more or less. Q: Speaking of that opening chapter, youre a character in it. Rahm Emanuel is also in it. Your wife shakes his four-and-two-thirds-fingered hand. Then Rahm mispronounces Don DeLillo. A: DeLillo was getting a Chicago Public Library award. It was a big to-do, and I was invited and I was so in awe of DeLillo, so I stammered some compliments to him. And then Rahm comes up to introduce the award and he says Don Duh-lee-lee-yo. And he says that twice! Seriously! That actually did happen! cborrelli@chicagotribune.com MAYS LANDING The case involving an Absecon man shot multiple times by police outside a Dollar General in May will proceed to a grand jury, a judge in Atlantic County Superior Court ordered Friday. The man, Jalial Whitted, 37, was shot outside the Absecon store near the citys border with Pleasantville on May 24 around 9:30 a.m. Police responding to the store have said Whitted was carrying a gun, which prompted them to use deadly force. Whitted is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and certain persons not to possess weapons. The charges were filed by the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office, and an investigation into the incident is being handled by the Ocean County Prosecutors Office. The charges were initially dropped through an administrative dismissal but were handed down again. Whitted, for a second time, appeared in court Friday in front of Judge Bernard DeLury. Whitted wore an orange prison outfit and relied on a walker and arm brace to keep him stable, evidence of his gunshot wounds and the hours-long surgery his family said he needed. He was previously detained June 29 during his first appearance. One of Whitteds family members and local activist Steve Young were present in the courtroom Friday but declined to comment immediately following the hearing. Whitted is being represented by Peter A. Wujciak, with the Clemente Mueller law firm, which is based in Morristown, Morris County. The case is going straight to a grand jury that will hear the facts of the case as state prosecutors present it, after which the jury will determine if theres probable cause for an indictment, Wujciak said. Its basically just one more step in the judicial process in order to determine if the charges that were brought are supported by some level of evidence, Wujciak said. Whitted will be in court again Sept. 16, DeLury said. Whitted has not made a plea to his charges. Evidence likely will be shared in the near future between the prosecution and defense, after which a plea offer may arise, Wujciak said, adding that he was just recently retained for the case. Whitteds mother, Kim Whitted, said her son has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, which may have contributed to the incident in May. Police have said Whitted entered the store armed, and the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office said he fired at least one shot off inside while some morning shoppers were buying groceries. Police body camera footage was released earlier this week by the Ocean County Prosecutors Office, which is handling the investigation under a New Jersey Attorney Generals directive. Several clips from separate officer cameras were made public, showing various angles of the shooting. The first officer at the store can be seen approaching Whitted while he is in the doorway, with the officer warning dispatch that he may be armed with what was thought to be a fake gun. The officer was pointing his gun at Whitted shouting commands at him, while the 37-year-old told the officer to shoot him. Moments later, the standoff took to the parking lot, where officers continued pleading with Whitted to surrender. One officer can be heard on the cameras audio saying he saw a firearm in Whitteds left pocket. The officers momentarily tell Whitted to drop the gun while he was was positioned behind a car in the parking lot. Then gunfire erupts, lasting seconds before officers moved into cuff Whitted before being approached by his frantic mother. He was then taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Division, where he was later released and then arrested. He remains in the Atlantic County jail. CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE A Middle Township man was arrested Wednesday following an investigation into his alleged relationship with a minor. Abdul Blackmon, 26, of the townships Whitesboro neighborhood, is charged with manufacturing child pornography, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. He was being held at the Cape May County jail, the countys Prosecutors Office said Thursday. Blackmon, of West Dunbar Street, was investigated by both township police and the Prosecutors Office. Blackmons charges are in first, second and third degrees, the Prosecutors Office said. First-degree crimes carry a 10-to 20-year prison term. Second-degree crimes carry five to 10 years, and third-degree offenses carry three to five years, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland said. The investigation into Blackmon is ongoing, and anyone with information pertaining to the case should contact the Prosecutors Office at 609-465-1135, or submit an anonymous tip online through cmcpo.tips. Cape May County Crime Stoppers can also also be reached, at 609-889-3597. Additionally, the Cape May County Sheriffs Office accepts anonymous tips at cmcsheriff.net. ATLANTIC CITY Paula Lunengas never imagined shed be standing in line for food at the Bangladesh Community Center, but after much of her family died from COVID during the pandemic, shell take any of the help she can get to alleviate her woes. Lunengas, who lives in Chelsea where the center is located, said she lost cousins, uncles, aunts and others to the pandemic, but a little more than a year ago when her husband lost his battle with COVID-19, things really got bad. She said paying bills and keeping her household of four afloat has been challenging to do by herself. What they give for social security isnt enough, said Lunengas, 64. Its just enough to pay for the mortgage and bills, but ever since my husband passed, mostly everything is going towards the mortgage. Thats why Im here. Lunengas, along with at least 30 other people, stood outside the Bangladesh Community Center on Fairmont Avenue in Thursday mornings heat, patiently waiting for the food distribution to begin. Everybody can come, said president of the Bangladesh Association of South Jersey, Mohammed Islam, who has been conducting the food distribution at the center for about three and a half years now. We want to make sure that not just this community, but all of Atlantic City gets their fair share. Islam said about 200 to 400 people come out each week to seek aid for themselves or their families. He estimates that in turn, thousands of children, spouses and family members with food insecurities are given a little relief. The weekly food distribution is hosted by the Bangladesh Association of South Jersey in partnership with several organizations. The food distribution varies from week to week. Often different organizations such as Atlantic Citys Multicultural Affairs and Services are on hand to help residents fill out paperwork and gain access to social services whenever they can. The Atlantic County Sherriffs Office also participates weekly to help people in the diverse Chelsea community get services they need. The system is difficult to navigate mainly because of the language barrier, said Chief Warrant Officer Timothy Reed of the Atlantic County Sherriffs Office. The Atlantic County Sherriffs Office has community healthcare workers at the food distribution every week to assist residents not only with access to healthy food, but also with other social services, COVID-19 vaccinations, education and services under the Sherriffs Office new Hope Exists program. The program helps people in underserved and hard-to-reach communities get access to COVID-related services, including vaccinations, booster shots and necessary health screenings. The program also targets people who are particularly at-risk of dying from COVID due to underlying health concerns like obesity and diabetes, helping them to reduce their risks for severe COVID by providing them with access and information on services, helping them fill out paperwork and translating important health documents. Other organizations like South Jersey Family Medical volunteers and Rowan Universitys School of Osteopathic Medicine students occasionally offer COVID vaccinations and booster shots, provide routine medical screenings like blood pressure checks. About 20 interns and volunteers from the Bangladesh Association of South Jersey, South Jersey Family Medical, Rowan University and the Atlantic Countys Sherriffs Office help out at the community center. We have every culture here, so with our weekly outreach weve built connections with the community, said Catherine Biglan, one of the community health workers in the Hope Exists program. We see them every week, so now people feel comfortable asking for our help. Biglan said the connection theyve built with the community has allowed residents to feel comfortable asking volunteers at the food distribution for help getting vaccinated, transportation to doctors appointments, getting medication, and more. Hope Exists, along with the Bangladesh Community Center and the Bangladesh Association of South Jersey also deliver food to residents who cannot get to the event, but reach out for help. The Community FoodBank of New Jersey provides the weekly food distribution with foods like rice, pasta, milk, and many other goods. This was Lunengas second time at the Bangladesh Centers weekly food distribution. The food helps a lot, said Lunengas referring to feeding her family, which includes her daughter, son and granddaughter, Ailena, 4, since getting food at the center is easier to get than access to Medicaid, food stamps and other welfare programs. When I dont have little things like vegetables, fruit or milk for my girl, I come here. It was David Quinteros first time at the Bangladesh Community Centers food distribution event. The last time he tried to get assistance, he was late and missed out. The economic situation for everyone is difficult right now, said Quintero, who decided to come on his day off from cleaning hotel rooms at the Claridge to get food assistance for his wife and two kids. He said he decided to come to the food bank figuring if he saved on food, he would have more money for other things like paying his gas bill, since he has to pay more for air conditioning in the summertime. Everythings going up. Gas is going up, food is going up. This shows how difficult everyones situation is, said Quintero as he referred to the line of people waiting for help Thursday morning. I just hope what they give me is enough. The Bangladesh Community Center and Bangladesh Association of South Jersey provide several community outreach events to help residents in need, but the food distribution at the community center is every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The little bit of help I can get is nice, said Lunengas. UPPER TOWNSHIP There have been surprising sightings in the dense woods off Tuckahoe Road this summer. No, not Sasquatch, and not the far-more-likely coyotes that can sometimes be heard howling in the township. Some people have reported seeing a brown cow loose in the woods. One person posted an image of the cow to a Facebook group dedicated to Upper Township. The cow can be seen behind a fence among trees. The poster said the image was taken off Elmwood Avenue, a residential street off Tuckahoe Road. Deep sections of woods surround the neighborhood, and a salt marsh is beyond that. He wrote that the cow ran off into the woods. The person declined to be interviewed or participate in the story, but Linda Gentille of Shore Animal Control, which handles animal control under a contract with the township, confirmed the animal was missing. She said the cow had been reported on Meadow Lark Road and then disappeared. Thats about 3 miles from the other sighting, and on the other side of a tributary to the Tuckahoe River. We have not been able to locate it since, she said. Other residents confirmed sightings of the cow but declined to give their names, lending the cow search the flavor of reports of sightings of Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster. Gentille confirmed that the cow is real, and really missing. She said the owner has not contacted animal control, however. Mayor Curtis Corson also confirmed the story Friday and said its not the first time a cow has gone missing in the township. It appears that the animal has been on its own for at least a month. A trooper at the Woodbine station of the State Police, which handles police services for Upper Township, said Friday he had not heard anything about a wayward cow being reported. Nobody came in and said they were missing their cow, he said. But, he said, he did respond to an accident involving a vehicle that struck a cow this summer in the area of Tuckahoe Road. The cow was not on-scene when we arrived, he said. He, too, declined to give his name. He said the driver of the vehicle was not injured and reported that the animal ran into the woods. There was no immediate response from the State Police public information office to a request Friday for more information about the accident. Most cows weigh 1,000 pounds or more. A lifelong Upper Township resident, who also declined to speak on the record for this story, said he was out with his dog this summer when he thought the dog had found a deer. He was surprised when he got closer and found a fully grown cow in the woods. There is both water and plenty of grass in the area, he said. He declined to identify the owner but said he passed on a message saying where he saw the cow. A commenter on Facebook indicated he owner knows the animal is missing and has been looking for it for about a month. The Mississippi Valley Fair grandstand was already filling up with country fans when the news came the Jimmie Allen concert was canceled. The country music star took to social media to explain the situation and ask the guilty party to start cutting some checks. In a video posted to Twitter Thursday evening, Allen explained that his flight from Pennsylvania to Illinois was canceled due to weather after a couple of hours of waiting on the plane. "American Airlines, didn't your parents teach you that communication is key?" Allen asked in the video. The artist's band and crew were already in Davenport, Allen said, but they had no frontman to perform with. He asked the airline company to write some checks to reimburse the fans that were disappointed at the cancellation. "I've still got to pay my band and crew, so y'all figure it out," he said. Since the headliner couldn't make it to the fair, Angela Meyer decided to bring together some musicians and put on a show of their own. Meyer was supposed to sing the National Anthem in the grandstand Thursday evening but pivoted to hold a small concert for fairgoers. After they started gathering tip money, Meyer decided to take what they made and donate it to the local 4-H chapter. "People were just really excited," Meyer said. "I don't think they're always aware of the ways that they can donate to 4-H unless they have a 4-H kid. So it was really cool to be able to open this up to the public that they could just swing by and give a few bucks." The "cow barn jamboree" featured music and some auction items, and ended the night with $1,200 in donations, all of which went to 4-H. As someone who used to show animals of her own at the fair, Meyer said she was happy to give back to the kids who put their time and effort into taking care of and showing animals. The artist will perform 2-5 p.m. at the Shed in the fair. "The kids that are in our program are super hardworking," said Scott County 4-H Youth Coordinator Emily Lyon. "They have a great drive and work ethic and it's really exciting to have someone come back in our community and be willing to not only donate that money ... but that they see the value in the program as well." Scooter McSquib riled up the crowd from his center-stage spot in the barn, lazily swinging his lasso in a loop while regaling families in the heat and shade. He flicked the rope at sheep running by without a small rider. This was the professional clown's first time at the Mississippi Valley Fair one of the biggest he's been to this summer. He was performing at the afternoon mutton busting competition, an event he described as an Olympics-level event for the kids. It's meeting the kids, parents and other fairgoers that take top spot in McSquib's fair loves, and he's not alone. "Everyday we get caught up in all the negative that's going on in the world, but if you come to these, everybody is kind and generous," McSquib said. "I see so many wonderful people day in and day out. It really restores my faith in humanity." Across the way in the Educational Center, Orion Mack showed off his ribbon-winning chickens and duck, offering the chance to pet one if people were interested. He wandered between their cages and cradled each bird while rattling off fun facts. Mack has traveled from Walcott for three years to show his birds one duck, one cockerel and several chickens. He had a couple of rare breeds for the area, earning him more than one blue ribbon. The 14-year-old got into 4-H after coming to the fair and seeing all the livestock shows, and if he had to pick a favorite part of the event, it's definitely not the food. "My favorite part of the fair is getting to see the smile on people's faces when they get to pet a chicken, or pet a cow, or hear our laughing roosters laugh," Mack said. Robert Roe watched from his seat as kids wandered around the educational and interactive exhibits. They'd stand in bird and butterfly habitats, listen to geese squawk and roosters crow and pause at the tall box he was stationed next to, looking closely at the bees as they conducted their busy work in the observation hive. The hobby beekeeper brought the bees with him from his home in Long Grove to teach people about the inner workings of a hive. Seeing the kids and showing them new things is his favorite part of the fair. The 2022 Mississippi Valley Fair Queen was one of those kids once upon a time, having come to the fair for as long as she can remember. Caelan Engelbrech was crowned earlier this week and has spent her time at the fair since going to events and meeting fellow fairgoers. She helped out with mutton busting in the afternoon, high-fiving successful riders. Engelbrech said she loves meeting people at the fair, and will take that love with her to the Iowa State Fair next week to try for another crown. "I really enjoy the fair, I think it's brought so much joy to me over the past years," Engelbrech said. "It's just like a family." The Iowa State Education Association (ISEA) awarded Quad-Cities local Valarie Garr with the 2022 Paul Mann Memorial Human Relations Award at their "Celebration of Excellence" banquet in Des Moines on August 1. Garr is the president and founder of the Quad-City Minority Partnership Committee and serves as the diversity coordinator at the University of Iowa College of Nursing. 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 bul A Rapid City woman made her initial appearance in court on Thursday in a wheelchair after a Rapid City Police Department officer shot her multiple times on May 31. Shania Watkins, 32, appeared before Pennington County Magistrate Judge Scott Bogue to address a criminal complaint against her accusing her of aggravated eluding, a class six felony. If convicted, she could face up to two years in prison and have to pay a $4,000 fine. The judge set a personal recognizance bond on the condition Watkins participate in the 24/7 program, which will require drug testing. A Pennington County Court judge signed an arrest warrant for Watkins on June 6. Assistant South Dakota Attorney General Scott Roetzel is prosecuting the case, but a state's attorney spoke on behalf of the Attorney General's Office during the initial appearance and said the office did not object to a personal recognizance bond. According to an affidavit filed by South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Adam Eggers, RCPD Officer Ekaras Jackson attempted to pull Watkins over in her vehicle at about 4:04 a.m. May 31 at the intersection of North Lacrosse Street and East Waterloo Street for not having a light illuminating her license plate. The affidavit states Watkins continued driving her vehicle, a white 2002 Mitsubishi Galant, at "a slow pace westbound on East Waterloo Street," before coming to a brief stop. An unidentified person exited the vehicle, and the Galant continued, turning eastbound onto East Van Buren Street, traveling approximately 46 mph before turning onto North Lacrosse Street and heading south. The Galant then traveled southeast through Rapid City by way of East New York Street, North Cherry Avenue, East Chicago Street, North Campbell Street, East Highway 44, Cambell Street, and Saint Patrick Street where RCPD Officer Josh Hoefler, who shot Watkins, attempted a Tactical Vehicle Intervention (TVI). According to the affidavit, a TVI is intended to spin a vehicle 180 degrees to stop it, but Hoefler's TVI spun the Galant 360 degrees, and it continued east on Saint Patrick Street. After the failed TVI, the Galant turned southbound on South Valley Drive, traveling approximately 45 to 60 mph before turning onto Terra Street, a gravel drive in Terra Mobile Home Estates, where Watkins later said a family member lives. The vehicle made a sharp right turn within Terra Street and stopped. Hoefler pulled his patrol vehicle near the front passenger side of the Galant and stopped as well. He got out of his patrol vehicle and stood between his open door and doorframe, according to the DCI summary of their investigation clearing Hoefler in the shooting. The affidavit states Hoefler told the driver, Watkins, to get out of the car. The summary states the Galant moved "simultaneously" to the commands, and struck Hoefler's vehicle. He then fired seven rounds through the passenger side door and window, striking Watkins multiple times. Hoefler told investigators he believed the direction of the Galant's travel would collide with his door, and he would be pinned between his door and door frame. A third officer, Nick Friedman, pulled his patrol vehicle parallel to Hoefler's and behind the Galant at "approximately the same time that the Galant started backing up," according to the DCI report. The Galant ultimately stopped after colliding with Friedman's vehicle. The DCI summary states the Galant was still running with the transmission placed in reverse with backup lights activated when agents arrived to investigate. Watkins said she stopped the car, placed it in park or neutral and put the keys in her pocket, according to the report. She also said she complied with the officer's commands to show her hands, and then Hoefler opened fire while she complied. The DCI report states Watkins had THC and methamphetamine in her system at the time, but she has not been charged with any drug charges. The arrest affidavit also alleges the white 2002 Galant's license plate belonged to a Silver 2006 Mitsubishi Galant, and advised Watkins be arrested for a class one misdemeanor for the illegitimate plates. That misdemeanor is not listed on the arrest warrant or court records. A preliminary hearing for the aggravated eluding charge has been scheduled for 10 a.m. Sept. 16. Two weeks ago the locally-shot indie Saint Frances was set to begin its Chicago run at the Music Box Theatre. But those plans were put on hold when the movie theater like all venues across the city closed its doors due to concerns about the coronavirus. The movies writer and star, Kelly OSullivan, and director, Alex Thompson, took the postponement in stride. Their film originally premiered last year at South by Southwest and had already been picked up for theatrical distribution two of the toughest hurdles for indie filmmakers once a movie is finished and they assumed that their Chicago dates at the Music Box would simply be rescheduled when everything returned to status quo. Advertisement But with the future looking increasingly uncertain, their distributor Oscilloscope Films decided waiting is no longer an option and Saint Frances will open virtually this weekend: $12 will get you a three-day streaming VOD window to watch the film, with a portion of rental proceeds going directly to the Music Box. [ Review: "Saint Frances" now streaming at Music Box Theatre ] The option to rent will be available over the next week, and the Music Box can extend that if things go well. Advertisement Ramona Edith Williams and Kelly O'Sullivan star in the Chicago-shot indie "Saint Frances." (Corey Stein) Set over the course of a Chicago summer, the film follows a young millennial (OSullivan, a longtime stage actor and familiar face to local theatergoers) who is just sort of floating along without much direction, personally or professionally. A hookup after a party results in an unexpected pregnancy, which she decides to terminate; shes not ready to raise a kid. Ironically, around the same time shes presented with an opportunity to work as a nanny for a lesbian couple (Lily Mojekwu and Charin Alvarez) who live in Evanston with their six-year-old daughter. You must really like kids, one of the moms says during the initial interview. I dont, comes the reply. But this wonderfully stubborn and funny child the Frances of the films title, played by Ramona Edith Williams has a way of changing that sentiment in meaningful and non-cloying ways. (You can read Michael Phillips review here.) The script for Saint Frances started from a personal place, OSullivan said; both the nanny and abortion experience draw from her own life. I wanted to write something where abortion was one of the events but not the event of the movie. And bring some humor into it as well; the irony of, shes just chosen not to be a mother and yet shes spending her day being a stand-in mother to this child. Just because you grow to love another child doesnt mean you regret the choice to not be a mother at that time. The film, both sweet and grounded in humorously uncomfortable moments, was shot locally. OSullivan and director Thompson (who are a couple) are based in Chicago as well. There was a good deal of anticipation around the Music Box premiere. But holding the film back for an undetermined period of time during the quarantine began to seem more and more untenable. "Saint Frances" director Alex Thompson. (Nate Hurtsellers) I cant overstate how difficult a decision it was for us to forgo the theatrical opening at the Music Box, said Andrew Carlin, who heads theatrical sales for Oscilloscope, which is distributing the film. I think our hearts all broke a little when we realized that wasnt going to be possible. Over the past two weeks, Oscilloscope has quickly ramped up its virtual cinema program with theaters all over the country, which allows their patrons an opportunity to rent the film digitally and at the same time support their local arthouse. A few weeks ago Oscilloscope first experimented with this rollout in Washington D.C. at the Avalon Theatre, which sold 100 virtual tickets in less than 24 hours after reaching out to moviegoers on its mailing list, per the Washington Post. According to Carlin, We opted not to go that route with the Music Box initially because it was always our intention to delay the release rather than cancel it. At the end of last week, however, it became clear that shelter in place would be part of our lives for the foreseeable future and virtual screenings were the only real path forward. Advertisement Because this VOD approach allows the Music Box to benefit financially as well, Thompson said it is a way to "direct Chicagoans to a link that supports their arts community and this iconic theater, thats the best case scenario better even than a screening in the unforeseeable future. After an unplanned pregnancy ends in abortion, a woman (Kelly O'Sullivan) finds herself confronted with motherhood and winds up as a nanny to a six-year-old girl (Ramona Edith Williams). (Music Box Theatre) OSullivan was philosophical about their circumstances. Everyone is experiencing loss and disappointment right now; ours is small in the grand scheme of things. Were healthy, were supported by our community and we have fantastic partners in Oscilloscope and the independent movie theaters whove come up with this brilliant new model. The fact that people will be able to watch our movie at home staying safe and being responsible, while supporting their local theater feels miraculous and resourceful, and Im grateful and proud to be a part of it. We still get to have our premiere with the Music Box, now just in a different way. Both OSullivan and Thompson decamped for Kentucky a few weeks ago to ride out the quarantine with Thompsons family. How have they been spending their days? Thompson said hes been cooking. And OSullivan said shes been taking walks, reading, doing voiceover auditions and listening to books on tape. Im going to be a part of the Hamptons screenwriting lab this weekend now virtually and Im thrilled for that opportunity to push work forward. I want to use this time, she added, but not feel pressured to use this time. Im mostly trying to stay positive, safe, and adaptable. For more information go to www.musicboxtheatre.com. A scene from "Saint Frances." (Corey Stein) nmetz@chicagotribune.com Senator Lee Schoenbecks recent op-ed in the Rapid City Journal trying to smear some of the states top conservative Republican legislators like Rep. Phil Jensen, Tony Randolph and Taffy Howard using the Elevate Rapid City scorecard as the tool, is like Congresswoman Liz Cheney telling us whos a good conservative Republican using the Democratic party platform as the measuring stick. Ironically, Congresswoman Liz Cheney is someone who Schoenbeck admires for her courage, in a room of wimps, which he tweeted on May 12, 2021. His assessment of Elevate Rapid Citys scorecard, as being a fair scorecard [that is] only about making your lives and your family lives better [with] no political agenda is nothing but disingenuous. Elevate Rapid City actively opposed legislation to stop forced sex changes on children (2020: HB 1057), and they consistently take taxpayer dollars for projects that could be easily funded by private enterprise and a free market. But it should come as no surprise coming from the self-proclaimed conservative, Senator Lee Schoenbeck, who referred to Trump as a con man in his tweet on Mar. 1, 2016, while chiding those that supported President Trump as fake conservatives infiltrating our party. Schoenbeck accusing real conservatives of supporting big government is also extremely hypocritical. He has voted to increase our states budget by $1.226 billion dollars since 2018 (2018: HB 1320, 2019: SB 191, 2020: HB 1294, 2021: SB 195 & 2022: HB 1340). He actively fought against the repeal the half-cent internet sales tax this year (2022: HB 1327), saying it was like throwing money away. This is the same tax that he broke kneecaps to impose the tax in the first place in 2016. He also has voted an exorbitant number of times to increase other taxes and fees during his legislative time since 2015. Perhaps worst of all, Senator Schoenbeck voted to expand emergency powers during the pandemic (2020: HB 1296), supported medical arrests (2021: SB 3) and supported President Joe Bidens Executive Orders without review (2021: HB 1194) Without a doubt, Schoenbeck is the pot calling the kettle black. Schoenbeck received a lower score than Democrats like former Sen. Craig Kennedy from Yankton on the Family Heritage Actions 2020 scorecard, while receiving failing grades from the American Conservative Union Foundation (57% Lifetime Avg), National Rifle Association (67% 2022 NRA-PVF), and even Americans for Prosperity (F 2020 & 2019). With a liberal record like this, Schoenbeck and his Senate puppets should stop deceiving voters and just switch parties. His support of big government aside, his recent outburst against his colleagues is par for the course for Schoenbeck, whos known for his unprofessional behavior and demeaning rhetoric. In 2016, after referring to Republican Majority Leader Brian Gosch as a coward, pond scum and a chicken, which resulted in him being banished from the Republican caucus by the Majority Leader, Schoenbeck threatened to resign from his legislative seat early. When it comes to scorecards, SD Citizens for Liberty scorecard is one of the best for showing how your legislators are voting in alliance with the Constitution and the South Dakota Republican party platform. Because of their strong scores, we would strongly encourage support for Representatives Jensen, Randolph and Howard. They are a few of the best conservative legislators, as nationally recognized by organizations like the American Conservative Union and other national groups, who are still fighting for your individual liberty and freedom. Senator-elect Tom Pischke will represent District 25 in the South Dakota legislature. The Insider editor-in-chief arrested in absentia in illegal border crossing case MOSCOW, August 5 (RAPSI) The Moscow Lefortovsky District Court has issued an arrest warrant in absentia for editor-in-chief of The Insider (recognized in Russia as a media performing functions of a foreign agent and an undesirable organization) Roman Dobrokhotov (recognized as a foreign media agent in Russia) in a case over illegal crossing of the state border, the press service of the court informs RAPSI. By the court decision, the pretrial restriction measure with respect to Dobrokhotov is to be detention for a period of 2 months from the moment he crosses the Russian state border and is placed under guard of officers of the Federal Penitentiary Service, or from the moment he is arrested on the territory of Russia, the statement reads. The criminal case against Dobrokhotov was initiated last year. In the course of investigation, the apartment of the journalist and the apartment of his parents were searched after the defendant himself secretly left Russia. According to the Federal Security Service (FSB), on the night of August 1, 2021, the journalist crossed into the territory of Ukraine through the Voronezh region, bypassing the official checkpoints. He is accused of illegal crossing of the state border of the Russian Federation; by law, such a crime is punishable with a prison term up to two years. Last October, the Moscow Cheremushkinsky District Court ordered Dobrokhotov to pay Dutch journalist Max van der Werff 156,000 rubles (over $2,000) upon the latters defamation lawsuit; the court also obliged the journalist to refute information distributed by him on Twitter. This case against Dobrokhotov was initiated in July 2021. Dialing for mental help just got easier. A new three-digit phone number for reaching mental health care has sped up the process. Individuals can easily dial "988" rather than "1-800-273-8255," although the 1-800 number will remain active. Brittany Blair who runs the Lifeline Call Center at the Western Montana Mental Health Center in Missoula said callers have easier access to reach caring support. 988 is open to individuals experiencing suicidal ideation, emotional distress, or are in crisis," she said. Individuals can call 988 and be connected with a trained call specialist to receive emotional support, resources, and follow-up care, Blair said. The Western Montana Mental Health Center is the host of 988 and our program is in Missoula. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, defines ideation as thoughts about self-harm, with deliberate consideration or planning of possible techniques of causing one's own death." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines suicidal ideation "as thinking about, considering, or planning suicide." Blair said that 988 is the new national mental health number and serves local communities and individuals. "Individuals will be connected with a call specialist that is familiar with the area and what the community has to offer," Blair said. The Missoula Call Center is operated every day, around the clock, and receives calls from seven counties Ravalli, Missoula, Sanders, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral and Flathead. This means that if someone from Ravalli County calls 988, a trained call specialist in Missoula will answer and provide the needed assistance, assuming the individual has a 406 area code. If callers do not have a 406 area code, their call goes to the state of their area code; however, they can be transferred to a Montana center. "The Missoula center offers extensive training to all staff and volunteers upon hire as well as ongoing training, Blair said. We are fully staffed at this time, but if for some reason our call volume is higher than our staffing capabilities our calls will go to Great Falls or Bozeman, the two other call centers in Montana. Across Montana, 988 has helped individuals receive 24/7 free and confidential support when they are experiencing suicidal ideation, emotional distress, or are in crisis. (Callers) are given support, connected with resources and offered follow-ups from center staff, Blair said. It depends on what the caller is looking for and what their needs are. We do offer a follow-up call where we set up an appointment to call them back and check in to see how they are doing. She said the center helps callers find a therapist or a doctor and explains how the ER works, the crisis house, the crisis team and what a welfare check looks like. We find them other resources that they need whether that be food, housing, bill assistance, things like that, Blair said. 988 will also lower 911's call volume so they can focus on dispatching Emergency Medical Services, fire and police as needed. Cory DeStein, the director of the 988 program in Missoula, said 988 is such an essential part of serving the Montana community. 988 isnt just an easy to remember number, its connecting individuals with other Montanans and supporting them through tough times in their lives, DeStein said. Hamilton Downtown Association is hosting First Friday Downtown where businesses stay open until 7 p.m., encouraging community members to shop local and attend special events in a festive atmosphere. First Friday was a regular event in Hamilton that faded away. HDA Executive Director Robin Pruitt said the official restart of First Friday was slow with a cold May, rainy June and busy July. Were trying to get First Friday off the ground again, Pruitt said. This will be our big push; we are putting our all into it. This Friday is coming right on the heels of a successful Daly Days weekend and Pruitt said consistency is important. We cant take a break, she said. When I started this winter there were some folks who wanted to see the return of First Fridays Downtown and also hanging flower baskets on Main Street. These have been my priorities. She said that when she asks community members what they want downtown they say, Later hours and many evening activities. Im really proud of our retailers because even with a nation-wide phenomenon of short-staffing, they are hosting later hours, Pruitt said. We set a small goal to go just a little later to have dinner and still have stores open for a bit. Its been going good. On the schedule for First Friday Downtown is a Colt Idol artist reception with wine and snacks at Art Focus until 7 p.m.; the 2nd Anniversary Sip & Shop wine and appetizers at Copper Poppy Boutique which will stay open until 7:30 p.m. and the artwork of John deCastro, fine food, drinks, and live music at Corwin Galleries which will stay open until 8 p.m. Pruitt said she is trying to tie things together that are happening around Hamilton to encourage connection. Saturday is Roberts Run with a Friday Runners Clinic featuring keynote speaker Bernard Lagat at 6:30 p.m. at Hamilton High School. Olympian and professional runner Lagat will talk about his experiences Friday night then will run the 5K while encouraging participants in the 1K and 10K on Saturday. Our community really comes out for that run, Pruitt said. In some communities where there is a run the next day, major businesses try to draw in runners and offer promotions. I think it is a great way to promote the run but also draw in out-of-town guests. It is a great way to ignite our community about something going on, even though it is not going on downtown. She said to show their support for the run there are local discounts from businesses. For runners who present their running bibs, Chapter One Book Store and Main Street Toy Store are offering 10% discounts (excluding Legos), Big Creek is offering $1 coffees and Flower Happy is offering 20% discounts. In addition to the number of visitors coming for Roberts Run, Pruitt noted it is the height of tourist season. People come into town and say, we had dinner and wanted to shop but nothing was open so First Friday will help with that, she said. Hopefully tourists and locals will enjoy themselves. We have businesses supporting each other as well. A new flower program has been added to downtown Hamilton thanks to donors Karen and Tom Talbot for donating the first four baskets, Becky Homan and Alex Shaffer for watering upgrades and Rick Gouchenouer for watering. Pruitt said the new flowers on the ground are from an anonymous donor and will be four seasons of color from K&S Greenhouse. We got new pots that drop into the planters on Main Street, Pruitt said. K&S Greenhouse has flowers growing in the greenhouse for the fall and when the petunias have completed their show, K&S will replace them with fully grown fall arrangements. These are growing and full and lovely. The Flower Basket Program for downtown is getting formalized with more opportunities for additional flowers coming soon. Everyone wants to participate and get a flower basket, she said. We have had so much positive feedback. The Hamilton Downtown Association has a business meeting at 8:30 a.m. on the second Thursday of each month in the community room of city hall. For more information, see visithamiltonmt.com. We are starting on planning the Halloween parade and Christmas, Pruitt said. Christmas we are really going to be working to update our decorations. Daly Days were so well attended and right now if anyone would like to be involved in planning Christmas they should because we need more interest, more volunteers and more donations. Pruitt said she appreciates the HDA board members for their active participation and support, including Will Ramsey, Saige Sturvist, Jeni Seifert, Mark Rud, Susan Wetzsteon, Kristin Hoenstine and president Gaby Eley. Its a really good time for the HDA, she said. We have a great group of committed people and there has been a renewed interest and new ideas. New people with fresh energy are Bea Paxson and Nichole Tenhaken. I feel very supported by the volunteers, they really pulled off Daly Days. HDA has a design committee working on downtown aesthetics. They have great ideas and great vision for the downtown aesthetics, Pruitt said. There is so much positive happening. For all of us living in the Bitterroot, I would wager at one time or another we have ventured to a lake, stream, or river. In doing so I would add to that wager that whether you know it or not you heard or saw one of North Americas most common shorebirds, the spotted sandpiper. This small bird is found throughout North America and once frozen temperatures hit the northern states, it will venture south as far as Central and South America. It is more typically associated with freshwater although it will seek out coastal estuaries that are often rich in invertebrates. This small shorebird can be seen striding along a shoreline or taking short flights from one gravel bar to the next in search of its preferred invertebrate meal. Spotted sandpipers have a unique flight where they have a quick flutter burst of wing beats followed by a short glide. While on land they constantly bob up and down as they probe the soil for small snails or aquatic larvae. They also have a unique call that you often hear before seeing the bird. Once you hear the call which sounds like short repetitive peeps, look in that direction and more often than not you will see this small grey bird land along a shore and begin its search for its next meal. While mostly a grey to slightly brown back the adults will have distinct black spots on its grey to white breast. Both male and female will have short bills with a slight orange color. The legs can appear slightly yellow but are for the most part a dull grey tone. These small shorebirds typically follow the shoreline as their short legs cannot navigate deeper water as with other larger members of the shorebird family. I once watched a spotted sandpiper on Teller wading behind its larger cousin, a willet, which was able to wade in four inches of water. The spotted sandpiper appeared to be paralleling the larger bird along the shore in one inch of water, perhaps taking advantage of any insect the longer legged birds scared its way. While common in the raptor world, where females are larger than males, this also is true for the spotted sandpiper. The females also have a polyandrous relation where one female will mate with several males. Not only will it produce several clutches of eggs, each from a different male, female spotted sandpipers leave the incubation of those eggs to the males. Researchers have found that male spotted sandpipers have an increased hormone called prolactin which promotes parental care. This would appear to be a significant factor in the passing on of the females genes to the next generation. Having produced five clutches of eggs that you would not have to risk your life incubating has its Darwinian advantages. Spotted sandpiper nests consist of a shallow dug out depression in the small gravel or sand usually within 100 feet of water. Both male and female will initiate nest building but only the male will actually finish the nest in which eventually the female will lay her clutch of three to five eggs. The nest is usually lined with a thin layer of dead grass which can serve to insulate the eggs. It usually takes about 20 days for the eggs to hatch and although I have mentioned in the past that killdeer chicks are hard to beat on the cute scale, these tiny puff balls win the prize. Immediately after hatching, the young shorebirds can scurry about in search of tiny insects. While I have not observed adult spotted sandpipers faking an injury when you approach a nest or young, they will initiate a series of alarm calls, which are intended to lure you off. From a conservation perspective this species appears to be in a population decline. From 1966 to 2015, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, there was a 50% decline in numbers. Yet, this tiny bird is still the most widespread of all North American sandpipers with an estimated breeding population of 660,000. Thoughts for the decline range from impacts associated with habitat loss to pesticide reducing prey base. Here in the Bitterroot, I suspect females of this species will continue enticing males to raise their next clutch for years to come. Next time you are on a float, watch for this tiny bird to flutter from one gravel bar to the next. As you do, give some thought as to why this bird constantly bobs up and down as it walks. Your guess is as good as mine! Sam Lawry, Teller Wildlife Refuge Executive Director has 35 plus years in the wildlife conservation profession. His contributions to the Ravalli Republic are intended to share some of that knowledge of wildlife in the Bitterroot with the community. If you would like more information about Teller Wildlife Refuge please visit our website at www.tellerwildlife.org. No, Eastern Montana customers of MDU are not at risk of summer blackouts, contrary to a press release issued Thursday by Montanas Public Service commissioners. Clarifying the issue after business hours, Montana Dakota Utilities said they have adequate power supply and expect no blackouts stemming from heat waves in the middle of the United States. MDU has 26,000 metered electric customers in Eastern Montana, including Sidney, Glendive and Baker. The bottom line: The company has sufficient generation resources to meet its peak demand requirements, said MDUs Mark Hanson in an email. While we do not anticipate any issues and a blackout or firm load shed event is not likely, there is always a possibility it could happen. At issue is an alarming afternoon announcement by Montana utility regulators in which commissioners Randy Pinocci and Tony ODonnell cite the probable lack of energy leading to rolling blackouts in eastern Montana this summer as well as frighteningly real possibilities of hugely inadequate shortages in Montana in winter. The commissioners specifically identify MDUs Montana customers as being at risk, this after the North American Electricity Reliability Corporation, or NERC, identified the regional transmission service to which MDU belongs as facing a capacity shortfall in its north and central areas. MDU uses the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, a transmission system that stretches from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Friday, Public Service Commission staff emphasized that the majority of the commission didn't agree with the blackout advisory. One commissioner recalled declining to sign onto the advisory when given the chance. The PSC regulates monopolies, more specifically the states largest utilities NorthWestern Energy and MDU. In that capacity, the PSC affects the household budgets of more than 400,000 Montana utility customers. Those customers are legally recognized as captive, meaning they lack the free-market choice of shopping around for a better deal. The commission is charged with assuring captive customers have reasonably priced, reliable electric and natural gas service, while assuring utilities receive a fixed rate of return. NERCs cautionary advisory for MISO was issued in May as part of its 2022 Summer Reliability Assessment. The report is not a commentary on current weather events. It is worth noting that at least since 2018, NERC has advised of summer energy reliability relative to retirements of both coal-fired and nuclear power plants. Similarly, the MISO hasnt issued warnings about rolling summer blackout within its service area, though it did on July 20 issue a two-day hot weather alert for the southern part of its footprint. MDU said that because it is in the far northwest section of MISO, the utilitys customers are unlikely to get caught up in a heat-related energy shortage further south. Shutting down power so far north isnt likely to help. North Dakota is an energy exporter, meaning it sells more electricity to other utilities than it buys, which is another buffer to blackouts in other parts of the country served by MISO, according to MDU. Blackout warnings aside, the purpose of the commissioners' announcement was to express fealty to coal power and more specifically Colstrip Power Plant, a southeast Montana generator facing an uncertain future as the majority of its owners prepare for bans on coal power in Washington and Oregon. If the legislatures in Washington and Oregon dont want to use any of our icky electrons, that is their choice, but there is simply no resource other than Colstrip that is large enough and dependable enough to keep Montanans from calamity in the extreme cold that Montana is well known for, said ODonnell, in the PSC announcement. The commissioners implored the state leaders to do all that may be necessary to retain Montanas last major baseload power plant. They cautioned that if Colstrip wasnt saved, Montanans would freeze to death in winter months when electricity demand was at its peak, something NorthWestern Energy, which owns a 15% share Colstrip, has also suggested. MDU doesn't have a stake in Colstrip. The power plant also doesn't deliver power to MISO. ODonnell told Lee Montana Newspapers the commissioners hadnt been in contact with MDU about whether the utility expected blackouts. Concerning Colstrip, he indicated he supported NorthWestern Energy buying more of the coal-fired power plant, which is something Northwestern attempted to do unsuccessfully in 2020. O'Donnell said he would also like to see the power plant's 40-year supply of coal ash used as an ingredient in concrete, and also be mined for rare earth minerals. More recently, NorthWestern has launched plans to build a gas-fired power plant near Laurel, the capacity of that plant is slightly smaller than the companys share of Colstrip. Earlier this year, NorthWestern announced plans to ween itself from fossil fuels, first by only adding new fossil fuel assets to its portfolio for another 13 years. Second, the utility plans to retire four coal-fired power plants, sometime in the 2040s. The Richmond Region League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is calling on Richmond Public Schools to establish a commission to support the success of Latino students in the district. According to state data from the fall of 2020, 18.5% of the districts student body was Hispanic, while Black students made up 55.4% of the student body and white students accounted for 21%. For the past three school years, according to state data and the organizations letter, Latino students in RPS have trailed all of their peers with on-time graduation rates. For example in the 2020-21 school year, 57.2% of Latino students graduated from RPS, compared with 80.1% of Black students, 93.3% of white students and 78.5% of all students, according to state data. Why these Chesterfield students are heading back to class now Hundreds of Chesterfield County students returned to classrooms on Monday, marking the begin Establishing a communitywide Commission on the Status of Latino students in RPS is needed to comprehensively assess current issues related to the academic and non-academic success of Latino students (including English learners) and to identify policy, programmatic, and administrative steps aimed at significantly improving academic and non-academic outcomes for RPS Latino students, according to an Aug. 1 letter from the Richmond chapter of LULAC. A report on K-12 performance that the Youngkin administration released in May found that following the states public school closures during COVID-19, the most devastating learning loss affected Black and Hispanic students and students living in poverty. Vilma Seymour, president of the Richmond branch, submitted the letter last week to RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras and School Board Chairwoman Shonda Harris-Muhammed. Seymour also read portions of the letter during public comment during Mondays School Board meeting. There was no formal discussion of the proposal. However, later during the meeting, School Board member Stephanie Rizzi asked her colleagues to consider LULACs proposal in full, including forming the commission. Harris-Muhammed immediately concurred. The proposal looks to charge a commission with assessing existing programming that is designed to meet the needs of Latino students and English learners, develop a multiyear plan to improve academic outcomes and the well-being of Latino students, gather perspectives from the Latino community and more. [While] Latino students are the fastest-growing segment of RPS enrollment ... RPS has never focused sustained system-wide priority attention on specific issues impacting the well-being and achievement of Latino students, the proposal letter reads. Youngkin names new members to Board of Education Gov. Glenn Youngkins new appointees to the Virginia Board of Education include members whos The commission, according to the proposal, would have between four and six community members (including parents of RPS Latino and English learner students), two or three Latino high school students, community organization representatives, RPS staff, two School Board members (with at least one representing a South Side district) and more. The Richmond LULAC chapter wrote that its proposal is consistent with the Dreams4RPS Strategic Plan and the districts overall commitment for equity for all students. Dreams4RPS, a five-year plan that ends in 2023, includes prioritizing safe and loving school cultures, hiring high-quality staff, fostering a passion for learning with engaging instruction, establishing community and family partnerships, and modernizing buildings. In a July appearance before the School Board, Seymour asked for the commission to be formed. She brought a letter from a concerned member of the George Wythe High community that she said detailed unacceptable treatment of the Latino and English learner population at the school. Seymour said English-learner students are crammed into small classrooms with not enough desks, forcing some to sit on the floor. Spanish-speaking school visitors are routinely ignored by front desk personnel, said Seymour, adding that teachers have been told they will not receive a substitute to cover their class because the substitutes only want to work with students who speak English. The Richmond LULAC chapter is asking for the commission to be established ahead of the upcoming school year and for members to be named no later than Sept. 20. The 2022-23 academic year begins Aug. 29. They look like monster trucks. They act like monster trucks. But theyre mini-sized remote-controlled monster trucks, and theyre heading to Colonial Heights this Friday through Sunday for the Solid Axle Showdown. Theyre modeled after real live monster trucks, like Gravedigger or Max D, but theyre much smaller in size. Most measure around 15 inches by 8 inches and weigh anywhere from seven to 14 pounds. But theyre not cheap. They range anywhere from $300 and up. Some people put thousands into them, said Marlon Cox, one of the organizers with Showtime R/C Motorsports. There will be trucks here that are worth $2,000 to $3,000. It gets crazy. Almost all of them are exact replicas of monster trucks. About 50 to 70 competitors are headed to Colonial Heights this weekend to race 300 remote-controlled monster trucks in 10 different classes. It will look like a Monster Jam with track obstacles, jumps and crashes, Cox said, but on a much, much smaller scale. There will even be mega mud trucks and a mud pit. Virginia has a big, big community following these trucks, he said. Cox and about 30 to 50 of his friends from Showtime R/C Motorsports meet up once a month to race their RC monster trucks. But this weekends rally is the biggest event of the year. This is one of the largest solid axle racing events in the country, Cox said. Racers from Virginia, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Maryland, New York and Illinois will be competing for trophies and awards. Cox said he got into RC monster trucks because hes a die-hard monster truck fan. Ive been loving them since I was a kid. I go to all the monster truck shows and know a lot of the drivers. Bari Musawwir, the first Black Monster Jam truck driver, will be at the showdown in Colonial Heights, racing his remote-controlled monster truck. Thats how Musawwir was discovered as a monster truck driver, Cox said, by his advanced skills driving remote-controlled trucks. This is the seventh Solid Axle Showdown, but the first time the group is making a concentrated media push and opening the event up to the public. Last year, after coverage from a local TV station, Cox said more people showed up to watch and brought their kids. Hes hoping for an even greater turnout this year. Solid Axle Showdown will be held at the Keystone Antique Truck and Tractor Museum at 880 W. Roslyn Road in Colonial Heights from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. There is a $10 fee to enter the museum. A child under the age of 5 from central Virginia has died of complications from influenza, the state health department announced, a rare occurrence given the low levels of flu in the state. The child was the first pediatric flu death in the state in the 2021-22 flu season. Information about the child was not released. The flu season begins in October, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Typically, flu cases rise from December to February, but this year, cases in Virginia continued into the summer. U.S. senators rip Richmond-based UNOS for mismanagement of organ transplantation At a congressional hearing, senators and health experts criticize UNOS technology, the number of kidneys going to waste and the organs damaged or sitting in overnight in an airports cargo hold. On average, three children in Virginia die of the flu each year. Children under 5, people ages 65 and older, pregnant women and people with immunocompromising conditions are at elevated risk. The flu has behaved differently lately, said Dr. Elaine Perry, director of the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts. In the fall of 2020, when many residents were still observing lockdowns, there were few instances. Study at VCU Massey Cancer shows new potential treatment for rare but deadly childhood cancer A molecule called SHP099, first discovered in 2016, showed the ability to disarm neuroblastoma, a cancer that is responsible for about 13% of all pediatric cancer deaths. The 2021-22 season brought low-to-moderate levels; there have been 23 outbreaks in the state. Nationwide, the CDC estimates there have been about 10 million flu illnesses and between 5,000 and 14,000 flu deaths this season. The flu hasnt been strong locally this summer, Perry added. Fourth COVID vaccine, Novavax, will come to Virginia in August But studies suggest that most people who are currently unvaccinated have no intention to get a shot. The best way to reduce flu risk, said state Health Commissioner Dr. Colin Greene, is to receive a vaccination. An updated version of the flu shot will be available in two months. Authorities on Friday released the identity of a woman found dead in Hanover County. After enlisting the publics help, investigators were able to identify the woman as Raquiah Paulette King, 20, of Hampton, according to the Hanover County Sheriffs Office. Police were called July 21 to a report of a dead body seen at Winns Church and Greenwood roads. The medical examiner has ruled the cause of death as a homicide. Investigators are working with the Hampton Police Department to determine the circumstances surrounding Kings death. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hanover Sheriffs Office at (804) 365-6140 or Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000. South Africa: Civil society key to national development President Ramaphosa The signing of the Social Sector Framework Agreement sets the basis for a strong State-civil society partnership to tackle poverty, inequality and employment. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who described the signing of the agreement as a milestone, said the agreement will further deepen democratic participation. President Ramaphosa, along with Social Development Minister, Lindiwe Zulu and Convenor of the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) Community Constituency, Thulani Tshefuta, signed the Social Sector Framework Agreement on Friday. We must seize this opportunity to deep our collaboration as we build a better South Africa that leaves no one behind I have no doubt that government, civil society and all social partners will continue to work together meaningfully beyond this summit, as we have done for many years, to improve the lives of our people and build a better country, the President said. The President delivered a keynote address at the closing ceremony of the Presidential Social Sector Summit at Birchwood Conference Centre in Boksburg on Friday. The two-day summit was held under the theme: Fostering Social Cohesion to Enable Socio-economic Participation in Communities. President Ramaphosa said a strong, vibrant and activist civil society is key to the development of any nation. He emphasised that it is critical that the interface between government and civil society is improved and strengthened. We have a common appreciation that we are all heading in the same direction and on the same road towards the realisation of a better South Africa. We know that to reach this goal, we have to be partners and not adversaries, he said. At the same time, the President said they have an expectation that where either party falters or falls short, they we will hold each other to their promises, and that both government and civil sector will require transparency and accountability of each other. Since before the dawn of democracy, civil society organisations in South Africa have taken up the causes of the marginalised, the oppressed and the vulnerable. From the HIV/Aids pandemic to substance abuse, from poverty to illiteracy, from unemployment to gender-based violence, civil society has been crafting constructive strategies and driving collaborative approaches that put the needs of the poor first, the President said. Fighting crime and lawlessness Turning to crime and lawlessness in the country, President Ramaphosa said that these incidents are of grave concern and highlight many of the challenges SA faces. Over the past few days, the country has witnessed scenes of violent protest, damage to public infrastructure and, in some cases, loss of life in areas such as Kagiso in the West Rand and Tembisa in Ekurhuleni. As we address these incidents, we need to distinguish between legitimate protest and criminality, addressing the concerns and grievances of communities, while acting to prevent loss of life and destruction of property, he said. The President said as the country commends the police for apprehending suspected illegal miners and shutting down their operations, they must double their efforts to catch those responsible for the heinous crime of the gang rape of young women. This horrific crime is a reminder that as government, and as a society, we must do more to tackle gender-based violence. Over the last few years, as a result of cooperation between government and civil society, we have strengthened the response of the criminal justice system to such crimes, the President said. The President encouraged communities to deal with problems by working with law enforcement agencies and not resort to mob justice. The Commissioner of Police, together with the Minister [of Police], have set up teams that are going to deal with the issue of illegal mining and deal with those Zama Zamas in the illegal activities they get involved in, particularly terrorising our communities. We will put this to an end and we will do it as effectively as possible, he said. The President said government, represented by the South African Police Service and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, will convene an imbizo with the community of Kagiso over the weekend to interrogate issues of illegal mining and crime. He said overcoming the challenges of crime, lawlessness, GBV and corruption requires all sectors of society to bring their respective capabilities together and unite behind a common vision. Civil society organisations are where our people are, whether as NGOs, as community, professional and faith-based organisations, as academia or as worker representative organisations, he said. President Ramaphosa said one of the priorities of this administration is to drive people-centred, localised development through the District Development Model (DDM). The DDM seeks to promote an approach to development that takes into account needs, circumstances and priorities on the ground. Civil society reaches where business and government often cannot. You have a solid track record of organic interventions and activations that yield results. For this reason, this summit is crucial for us to align our efforts and actions, the President said. Corruption The President reiterated that government remains steadfastly committed in its fight against corruption. In the last financial year, for example, he said the specialised commercial crimes unit finalised 380 cases, with a 90% conviction rate. The President acknowledged that there is much more that needs to be done but the fight against corruption is gaining momentum. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-08-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Dear Amy: I have been married to my husband for 10 years. We have a 5-year-old son. My husband is fantastic; however, he takes zero interest in what is going on in my life. He never asks me how my day is, or wants additional details about anything, even if he knows that something important is going on. Advertisement I have expressed this frustration multiple times, and he may ask once, but hell never ask again. I will ask him about his day, and he always says, the usual. Advertisement How can I get him to care about what is going on in my life? Bewildered Dear Bewildered: Most of us learn our communication styles from our family of origin. Your husband may have learned very early on that staying quiet was the best course for him. You see this as him not caring about what is going on in your life. I see this as the two of you not knowing how to engage in intimate spoken communication. It takes practice. Just because you love and care about each other doesnt mean that you can read one anothers minds. Speaking really needs to happen. If your husband always answers: the usual when you ask him about his day, hes not providing any information for you two to engage in a conversation. Advertisement You might encounter a similar dynamic once your child is a little older. (How was school? Fine.) Asking more open-ended questions might draw him out. Instead of How was your day, try, Tell me about your day. In addition to not telling his own story, your husband is not being responsive, but this doesnt necessarily mean that he doesnt care about whats going on with you. One suggestion is for you to call a meeting. In my (sometimes very crowded) family, we will occasionally call a meeting when we have something important to discuss. This is giving other family members advance notice that cellphones will be down, eyes will be up, and people are expected to listen and participate. There is evidence that the presence of a cellphone (even face-down on the table) suppresses communication. Advertisement Learning intimate communication is not easy but it can be done. The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships, by John M. Gottman and Joan DeClaire (2002, Harmony). Well-known relationship researcher John Gottman has done important work in decoding how people make bids for connection. Once you recognize communication patterns, you can begin to change the way you interact, which will influence others. Dear Amy: I just got upset at my husband because I found out that he put my mother-in-law (his mom) as his first contact on his drivers license. He listed me as his second contact. Am I overreacting or being selfish? I feel hurt because Im his wife! Advertisement Hurt Dear Hurt: Depending on where you reside, emergency contacts are registered on a state-run emergency contact database/website. This way, these contacts are quickly accessible to law enforcement, and also easily updated. Listing his mother as his emergency contact might have been your husbands first instinct, but Id say it might be a poor choice. Of the two of you his mother or you which person is more likely to be able to react quickly if your husband is in an accident? Most likely you, assuming that you are healthy and able, and always have your phone nearby and charged. All the same, I think you might be overreacting. Depending on how healthy your relationship is, this seems more a curious choice than a deliberately hurtful one. Advertisement Dear Amy: Betrayed was mad at her cousin for taking advantage of Betrayeds mom when she was providing care for the elder woman! Just looking at it from a monetary perspective, if the cousin spent only 40 hours a week at minimum wage, she should have been paid $1,160 per month. Ask Amy Daily No-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. For a limited time, sign up for the Ask Amy newsletter and get the book Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from Americas Favorite Advice Columnist for $5. > But, I assume she took care of the mother 24/7! The cousin had to completely change her daily life to accommodate her aunt, apparently something the daughter was not willing to do. Caregivers give up their time, their energy, their autonomy, and sometimes their health to be the lifeline for people who can no longer take care of themselves. Betrayed needs to forgive herself and thank her cousin. Advertisement Took Care of My Mom Dear Took Care: Betrayed made other accusations against her cousin, but I agree that from a monetary point of view, the cousin absolutely should have been compensated for her service. 2022 Amy Dickinson. Richmond police are investigating a death after responding to a shooting Tuesday in the Forest Hill area. Police responded to reports of random gunfire around 3:13 p.m. near the 4000 block of Forest Hill Avenue. At the scene, officers located a vehicle nearby on West 44th Street that had collided with a curb near the Forest Hill intersection, though detectives say they believe the shooting may originally have occurred off Roanoke Street. Police said they discovered a man and woman occupying the vehicle, both suffering from gunshot wounds. The victims were transported to the hospital, where the woman later died. The mans injury is not considered life-threatening, police said. The victims identity has not been released, and the shooting is still under investigation. Anyone with information about this death investigation is asked to contact Richmond police at (804) 646-3246 or Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000. The Hanover County School Board on Tuesday is expected to introduce and discuss a new proposed policy regarding the treatment of transgender students. The proposed policy would require transgender students, along with their parents or guardians, to submit a written request asking for access to restrooms, locker rooms or changing facilities that align with the students gender identities. The proposed policy states that the written request may include signed statements from the students personal physician, therapist or licensed counselor verifying that the student has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and/or that the student consistently and authentically expresses a binary gender identity. Other items that may be included in the request include statements from the students parent or guardian and the students disciplinary or criminal records. After the request is compiled, the principal of that students school would then provide a written summary of the request to the School Board, who would retain the final authority to approve or decline the request for the transgender student to use the bathroom or locker room that aligns with their gender identity. The proposed policy was crafted by the School Board, its legal counsel and the outside organization Alliance Defending Freedom, according to School Board Chairman John Axselle. ADF is a conservative legal advocacy organization with overt anti-LGBTQ views. In March, the School Board voted 4-3 to allow ADF to review School Board policy. The proposed policy is slated for a discussion, and the board is not expected to vote on the item on Tuesday. The school divisions string of controversy surrounding the treatment of transgender students began last year when School Board did not put into place Virginia Department of Education guidelines regarding the treatment of transgender and nonbinary students. A 2020 law required school boards to implement appropriate policies by the start of last school year. The board took a vote in November, which covered some parts of the requirements but stopped short at language involving transgender students access to bathrooms. The Virginia ACLU filed a lawsuit in December on behalf of five parents of transgender students. On Thursday, a spokeswoman from the Virginia ACLU said that the organization is currently reviewing the proposed policy and is not prepared to comment. Henrico County Public Schools new chief of staff is a former Virginia Department of Education official. Holly Coy will be officially appointed at the Henrico School Boards meeting next week. Coy served as assistant superintendent of policy, equity and communications at the VDOE from May 2020 to March of this year. Before that, she was the deputy secretary of education for Virginia from 2015-20 under former Govs. Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam. She replaces Beth Teigen, who worked in HCPS administration for six years, the last four of those as chief of staff. Teigen left her post in Henrico in July to take the role of superintendent of Powhatan County Public Schools. Teigen replaced Eric Jones, who retired from his superintendent post after nine years. He also came from Henrico schools, where he worked for more than a decade. As chief of staff, Teigen was one of HCPS most public-facing figures. At the time she left HCPS, Teigens salary was $188,470, according to salary records. In Powhatan, her salary is $173,810, and she will also receive $700 per month for a car allowance, according to her superintendent contract. Coy is the second former VDOE official to join HCPS since the new state administration took over in January. Coy left the VDOE in early March, less than two weeks after the departure of Ken Blackstone, who worked as the VDOEs executive director of communications for about a year. Blackstone joined HCPS in April as assistant director of communications. Two years after adopting codes regulating the short-term rentals of homes through digital platforms like Airbnb, Richmond city officials are preparing to revise the rules to address lingering concerns. Upcoming city meetings on proposed zoning changes 6 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 9 Main Library 562 N. Second St. Noon, Wednesday, Aug. 10 Virtual meeting Phone access: Call 804 316-9457. Enter code 783 019 883# Video access: Visit bit.ly/3d961tC The city will also hold telephone town halls on Tuesday, Aug. 16, at 6 p.m. and Wednesday Aug. 17, at noon. Register at bit.ly/3bvgAGN Specific ordinances have not yet been introduced, but the city announced Thursday that it will hold a series of community meetings this month to share information about the potential changes and gather public feedback before legislative hearings this fall. Under the citys short-term rental code adopted in June 2020, Airbnb and other short-term rental operators must reside in their rental units or a home on the property for at least 185 days of the year. The number of nights a year each short-term rental can operate is unlimited. The rules also require that renters pay a $300 fee every two years for a short-term rental permit, but few operators have actually obtained the permit. In a presentation at a January meeting where the Planning Commission voted to re-evaluate the code, planning director Kevin Vonck said there have been about 600 to 800 rentals listed online at various points since the adoption of the ordinance, but that the city had received only 84 permit applications. The other two zoning changes under consideration are also based on adopted City Council and Planning Commission resolutions. Under the citys new Richmond 300 master plan for growth and development over the next 20 years, a section of the 262-page document recommends that the city allow accessory dwelling units by-right with some regulations in all residential zones. The purpose of the recommendation is to encourage the development of more housing throughout the city and increasing density along transit corridors and areas targeted for more development, such as Downtown, Southside Plaza, the Richmond Highway corridor and the Greater Scotts Addition area. Advocates of accessory dwelling units say more of them would also help create more affordable housing options for people struggling to find a place to live in the city. Seeking to lower building costs for new apartments, homes and offices, 1st District Councilman Andreas Addison proposed that the city study the possibility of eliminating parking requirements for new development projects. While some council members have said they are skeptical of the idea, fearing that it will lead to significant on-street parking constraints and complaints from residents and businesses, Vonck has said he thinks the idea is worth considering because surface parking lots in new developments can cost about $10,000 to $20,000. Were built out and our boundaries cant expand, so we need to make the most efficient use of our land, Vonck said last year. Surface parking lots are definitely one of the most inefficient uses of that land. After threatening legal action when state lawmakers passed legislation that undermined his companys plans to build a casino in Richmond, Urban One CEO Alfred Liggins announced Thursday night that he will focus on promoting a casino referendum in 2023 instead of this fall. Speaking at a community meeting in the city district where national media conglomerate Urban One has sought to build a nearly $600 million casino resort, Liggins said he has asked the city to suspend its plan to hold a second casino referendum this year because of the legal situation and uncertainty about whether it could be litigated and resolved before the election process begins next month. After 51% of Richmond voters rejected the casino plan last year, the Virginia General Assembly in June adopted a budget that included a provision prohibiting Richmond from holding another referendum until 2023, and only after the state completes a study about the potential economic impact a casino located in Petersburg would have there, about a 30-minute drive south of Richmond. This has created a legal conflict and a huge cloud of doubt, Liggins said before an audience of approximately 100 people at the Satellite Restaurant and Lounge on Richmond Highway, about one mile from the proposed casino location at the Philip Morris industrial complex off Interstate 95. We dont think that a protracted legal battle is in the best interest of the city of Richmond and the state of Virginia, and also would probably not get decided in time for us to have early voting in late September, he said. In a statement Thursday evening, the city announced it would file a petition to remove the question from the ballot for this years election. Understanding Urban Ones reason, the city stands ready to move the proposed One Casino and Resort forward in 2023, the statement reads. This temporary delay will not deter Urban One or the City of Richmond from working together to ensure a bright future for our residents. After last years referendum, several state lawmakers and officials from the city of Petersburg pushed to amend the states new casino gambling law so that Petersburg residents could decide whether a casino should be built there. The casino law, originally adopted in 2020, authorized only Richmond, Norfolk, Danville, Bristol and Portsmouth to permit casinos with the approval of local voters. Voters in every locality but Richmond have since approved casino plans in their communities. While legislative efforts to add Petersburg to the list failed earlier this year, Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond, and other lawmakers sought to block a second Richmond referendum this year through a budget amendment. Richmond officials said at the same time that they wanted to roll the dice again, often highlighting how $30 million in projected annual tax revenue for the city had been left on the table. Seeking to make the project more appealing to voters in a second vote, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney also proposed cutting the citys real estate tax by 2 cents if the referendum passes. Urban One and city officials have contended that the budget provision was unlawful, as the Richmond City Circuit Court had already granted the citys request for another ballot referendum prior to the adoption of the state budget. In a joint statement after the state budget was passed, both Urban One and the city said they would work together to resolve the issue, potentially through litigation, to still hold the referendum this year. Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor, said the law is clear that Richmond cannot hold the referendum this fall. The budget would generally supersede any prior court order, and someone would probably challenge Richmonds efforts to conduct the referendum, if the city decides to proceed, Tobias said in an email Thursday. If there were no court challenge and the referendum passes, a court might nullify it. Just hours before the meeting Thursday night, Morrisseys office disclosed that he and Del. Kim Taylor, R-Dinwiddie, had sent a letter to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin asking him to intervene if the city moves forward with holding another referendum. Both lawmakers districts include Petersburg. Though Morrissey had supported the One Casino and Resort project in Richmond last year, he has since advocated for allowing Petersburg to hold its own referendum. In the letter to the governor, the two state legislators said they had contacted Keith Balmer, the citys elections director, to determine whether the city has ordered him to include the referendum question on the election ballots for this year. The letter says they were not provided a definitive answer, as Balmer said the city had not told him what to do yet. We find this answer unacceptable and shows Richmonds intent to possibly ignore the law, the letter to the governor says. We are respectfully requesting that you direct the Attorney Generals Office to utilize its legal authority to prevent Richmond from placing the above mentioned referendum on the November, 2022, ballot. Balmer told the Richmond Times-Dispatch in an interview Wednesday morning that he had asked city officials to let him know within the next three weeks, as he must soon print the ballots so that the citys office of elections can be ready to send out mail-in ballots and begin early in-person voting on Sept. 23, in accordance with state election law. In an interview Wednesday, before he and Taylor sent the letter to the governor, Morrissey said city leaders have been making a mistake in continuing to promote the idea that another referendum could be held this fall. I dont know what to say. ... Theyre misleading their constituents, he said. It shows complete and utter disregard for the laws of the commonwealth. The COVID-19 pandemic took thousands of lives in Virginia, but the diseases destabilizing effect on residents and institutions had an unanticipated impact that has gained increased attention: a surge in killings throughout the state. The number of murders and non-negligent manslaughter killings soared in 2020 to the highest level since 1994, jumping from 428 killings in 2019 to 528 in 2020, or 23%. That trend continued in 2021 but at a slower rate, as homicides climbed an additional 6.4%, to 562 killings. The troubling rise is eclipsed only by the percentage of Black people who fell victim during the pandemic. They accounted for 68% of those killed in 2021, the highest percentage in at least 41 years, a Richmond Times-Dispatch analysis of state crime data shows. The states homicide count is exceptionally high even when factoring in population growth. Virginias homicide rate last year surged to 6.49 killings per 100,000 people, the most since 1997. The decade of the 1990s was one of the worst on record for killings in Virginia, fueled by the crack cocaine epidemic of the period. Theres no consensus among criminologists and law enforcement officials on the reasons for the surge, but the pandemic is cited more often than not as a principal factor. On a national level, some also point to a police pullback in the wake of the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis, as well as officers leaving departments in droves as the profession became less desirable, especially in big cities. Others have blamed bail reform measures that released some violent offenders back onto the streets, plus record sales of firearms that resulted in some weapons ending up in the wrong hands. Virginia gun sales soared to historic levels in 2020 during a tumultuous year marked by the long-term uncertainty of COVID, the economic turmoil it brought, protests over racial injustices, and demands to defund the police. Estimated firearm sales based on mandatory criminal background checks on buyers smashed monthly records first in March 2020 with 80,228 transactions, and again in June 2020 with 81,204 transactions. The pandemic absolutely played a role in a national increase in violent crime for a couple of years, said William Pelfrey Jr., a professor and criminologist at Virginia Commonwealth Universitys L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. And theres a few explanations for that. I think the minimization of social contact and the abrogation of social networks was one piece of it. Pelfrey was referring to the disconnect that occurred among people especially those living in high-crime areas and the absence of many of the positive things they typically rely on during normal times, such as schools, churches, mentors and counseling. Those examples were cited earlier this year by John Roman, a senior fellow in the Economics, Justice and Society Group at NORC at the University of Chicago, in a Wall Street Journal article on the reasons for the national surge in homicides. The overarching explanation for the increase in violence over the last two years is the pandemic, Roman said. Pelfrey believes forced contact within households, or people essentially being restricted to their own homes, as another piece of it. He cited an example he provides to students who take his class on research methods: Violent crime skyrockets in Alaska for about six months during winter, and then it goes way down. So during the winter, youre stuck in your house with only your family members, or a few neighbors, he said. Alcoholism goes up; drug use goes up; violent crime goes up. Reciprocity in violence The economic impact of the pandemic is another factor that likely contributed to the violence, Pelfrey said. The people who were most affected during the COVID pandemic were daily or hourly employees, rather than annual salary people, he said. So there were a lot of people who lost their jobs, who are struggling financially, and that creates reciprocity in violence. Youre angry; you dont know where the next paycheck is coming from. The pandemic is going on, and the kind of jobs you need are disappearing. And violence is an inevitable and predictable outcome. A pullback by law enforcement officers reluctant to engage in proactive policing after Floyds killing, along with the protests and riots that followed, has been cited by law enforcement officials in various parts of the country as another factor in the rise of killings. Pelfrey views that with a healthy dose of skepticism, because thats an extraordinarily difficult thing to measure. Its impossible to measure the impacts on police reluctance to enforce the law, he added. That did happen during the pandemic and subsequent to the riots. But we dont know how much that happened. Very few police chiefs will come right out and say, the police didnt do their job with the same enthusiasm that they usually do. In Dallas, the city recorded its highest murder total in more than 15 years in 2020, but killings fell 13% in 2021 after officers were encouraged to re-engage with the community, according to news accounts. Our police officers nationally have felt underappreciated, they felt under fire, Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia told the Wall Street Journal in January. Thats what led to disengagement in our communities where we need to engage even more. The sizable reduction in the ranks of police officers available to enforce the law particularly in large cities may have had a much greater impact than a police pullback, Pelfrey noted. So post-George Floyd, policing became a less desirable job, he said. And many big city police departments have seen significant increases in officer departures. Those numbers have gone way up. Its usually about 5% a year; now, its more like 10 to 15%. And police agencies are having a real hard time recruiting and hiring new officers. Richmond is an example of that. Consequently, having fewer officers usually results in less proactive policing, Pelfrey said. And if you couple that with a reluctance by police to go out and look for offenders as a result of the pandemic, or the post-George Floyd protests, then youve got fewer police officers on the streets with some less inclined to do proactive work, he said. And that could contribute to an increase in violent crime. Thats a really hard thing to measure, but its the kind of thing that makes sense. The number of homicides exploded in five of Virginias largest cities, including Richmond, from the pre-pandemic year of 2019 to 2021. Killings rose 61% in Richmond, from 56 in 2019 to 90 last year a 17-year high. They surged even higher in four other Virginia cities, spiking 75%, 80%, 125% and 257%, respectively, in Norfolk, Hampton, Portsmouth and Chesapeake, between 2019 and 2021, state crime data shows. Black victims historically have been over-represented in the states homicide count, but those numbers rose even higher during the two years of the pandemic. Black people make up 19.05% of Virginias population, but they accounted for 68% of all homicide victims last year. Thats up slightly from 2020 when 66% of state homicide victims were Black. The percentage of Black people killed during the pre-pandemic years of 2016 through 2019 averaged about 7 points lower, or 60.5% of all homicide victims, compared to 2020-21. The percentage was even smaller during the 16-year period from 2001 through 2015, when the number averaged 58.2%. The only comparable rates of Black killings to 2020 and 2021 occurred in the 1990s, when the crack cocaine epidemic ravaged Black neighborhoods and led to a surge in homicides. The number of Black victims as a percentage of all killings hovered around 65% during that period, and only topped 66% one year, in 1992. The tragic loss of Black lives in Virginia is one side of a deadly equation that includes an equally disproportionate number of Black offenders. Of the 381 homicide arrests that were reported in the states recently released Crime in Virginia report for 2021 killings, 282 are Black, or 74%. During the first year of the pandemic in 2020, 64% of the 344 people charged in homicides statewide were Black. In the United States and in Richmond, race is largely a proxy for socioeconomic status, Pelfrey said in addressing the large percentage of Black homicide victims. If youre African American, or Black, youre likely to be on the lower end of the socioeconomic status continuum. So those are the people who are hourly workers or daily workers, and most likely to have lost their jobs or had curtailed income during the pandemic. And thats where the predictable violent outcomes are most likely. Pelfrey said Black Americans are over-represented in prison, in the homicide rate, in arrests and pretty much every dimension of the U.S. criminal justice system. The only question is, how disproportionately disadvantaged are African Americans? Pelfrey asked. And in the past couple of years in homicide rates in Richmond, its a substantial disadvantage. As one of eight gubernatorial appointees on the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, James Minor gets a vote on an anticipated permit request for a natural gas pipeline expansion south of Petersburg. Public records show that hes been lobbying elected officials to support the project; he and the company that wants to build it wont say if he was paid for the work. The commission regulates fishing and marine resources in Virginia. Public records show Minor emailed and called elected officials in Petersburg between February and May on behalf of a pipeline expansion project from TC Energy and its subsidiary, Columbia Gas Transmission. Minors work included sending draft support letters for Petersburg City Council members to sign and send to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which is now considering whether TC Energys Virginia Reliability Project is necessary. The upgraded pipeline would run through Surry, Sussex, Southampton and Isle of Wight counties and the cities of Suffolk and Chesapeake. Compressor stations are part of the network that moves gas along the pipelines. A compressor station near Petersburg would be upgraded, according to TC Energy information submitted to the federal government in May. Minor also sent the Petersburg mayor a draft op-ed and asked him to put his name on it, and emailed some City Council members with TC Energy talking points in support of the project. The Energy and Policy Institute, a utility watchdog that advocates for renewable energy, discovered Minors work for the company in records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request to officials in Petersburg. The organization, which researches utility campaign donations, front groups and political influence, shared the records with the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Minor, who is a city of Richmond employee and the Richmond branch NAACP president, declined to say how he came to promote a fossil fuel project thats headed to him for consideration as a Virginia Marine Resources Commission board member. He said he didnt work for the company but wouldnt say if he was paid by the company or a subsidiary, or say if someone approached him to do the work. When it comes to the VMRC, then Im going to have to recuse myself from it. Thats all, he said in a phone interview. Minor said he supports the project because its important for jobs and economic growth, and said it will bring millions in local and state tax revenue. Throughout my career Ive worked on countless projects as a consultant, a volunteer and in a leadership capacity, Minor said by email. I only work on those that I believe will benefit the Commonwealth and our communities. TC Energy officials did not respond to a voicemail and two emails with specific questions. The companys proposed Virginia Reliability Project would replace about 49 miles of 12-inch pipeline with 24-inch pipeline to send more natural gas to Hampton Roads for residential, commercial and industrial consumers. The project includes upgrades to two natural gas compressor stations the one in Prince George County near Petersburg and one in Emporia. TC Energy says the pipeline infrastructure is outdated and needs replaced to keep up with the increasing demand for natural gas in Hampton Roads. Documents filed by TC Energy at FERC show a significant minority population near the compressor stations and along the pipeline route. The Virginia State Conference NAACP sent a letter to federal regulators asking for a thorough assessment of the projects impacts on the environment and air quality. In addition to its federal review, TC Energy said in filings that it expects to apply for various state permits, including from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The company said it expects to request a river and stream crossing permit from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission in October. Ghostwritten letters According to public records, Minor using a personal email account emailed Mayor Sam Parham on Feb. 22 with a draft letter Parham could send to FERC. The letter included TC Energy talking points about the jobs and economic growth that the project would bring, expressed the mayors strong support, and asked FERC to support the project. An aide to the mayor and the council emailed Minor back that day with a copy of the letter this time on Petersburg city letterhead with the mayors signature. But the letter apparently did not get sent to FERC. On April 19, Minor emailed Councilman W. Howard Myers and Councilwoman Treska Wilson-Smith with a draft letter similar to the one sent to the mayor. Myers sent the letter back an hour later with his electronic signature. Minor replied a week later to thank him and ask him to mail the letter to federal regulators. Myers letter showed up at FERC. On April 28, Minor sent some council members a company update that began, Hello from Team VRP! That is the acronym for the Virginia Reliability Project. Its been an exciting few months and were looking forward to continuing our work to communicate openly and actively with the public about our plans, Minors email said. On May 17, Minor sent the mayor a draft op-ed with TC Energy talking points and asked if hed sign on. Its unclear from the records if the mayor agreed or if the op-ed was published anywhere. The mayor and two council members referred questions to a Petersburg spokeswoman, Joanne Williams. She said the mayor didnt send his letter to FERC because he wanted more information and never received it, Wilson-Smith didnt receive a template to consider, and Myers sent his letter because he thinks the project will produce jobs. Lack of disclosure Minor is a management analyst in Richmonds Department of Housing and Community Development, earning $69,347. Some of his emails to the Petersburg officials came during business hours. The city of Richmond has a policy that says employees must get written approval before doing any paid outside employment or activity. The departments director said the city had no record of Minor having secondary employment. Then-Gov. Ralph Northam appointed Minor in 2020 to a second term on the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. Minor and other state appointees are required to fill out a public financial disclosure statement each year. The purpose is so the public can identify whether state officials have any conflicts of interest. Minor signed his most recent form on Jan. 31. Asked on the form to disclose each employer paying him more than $5,000 annually, he did not list any employer. Fossil fuel projects tend to be located in communities with heavier percentages of people of color or people with lower incomes, so companies seek to enlist support from public officials. The Virginia Reliability Project website touts support from several members of the Virginia General Assembly. As president of the Richmond NAACP, Minors backing of the Virginia Reliability Project contrasts with the Virginia State Conference NAACP, which urged FERC in a letter to protect public health and cited a 2017 NAACP report about the pollution impacts of oil and gas facilities on African American communities. TC Energy said there are schools, day care centers and churches within one mile of the Petersburg compressor station. Prince George has a higher minority population than the state, and the compressor station is located within a mile of even more heavily minority portions, according to the TC Energy filing. ABINGDON An inmate has been sentenced to 41 months in prison for beating and pepper-spraying a correctional officer while being held at the Western Virginia Regional Jail in Roanoke County. Michael Selvidge, 38, received another 110 months for possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances at a sentencing hearing this week in U.S. District Court in Abingdon. While the drug charge was pending, Selvidge was being held at the regional jail. On Jan. 16, a corrections officer was conducting security rounds when he encountered Selvidge and directed him to return to his cell. Selvidge became upset, made threats, and ultimately attacked the officer by striking him numerous times with his fists, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office. During the attack, the officer attempted to repel Selvidge with his pepper spray but dropped the canister on the floor. Selvidge picked up the pepper spray, emptied it onto the officers face and body, and then threw the empty canister at the officer, the news release stated. The drug charge stemmed from 2019, when Selvidge was incarcerated at the federal penitentiary in Lee County. He received 48 Suboxone strips from a visitor that he intended to distribute within the prison, federal authorities said. The house the city of Joliet bought a near a building that houses sex offenders is pictured on Aug. 4, 2022. The city plans to bulldoze it and turn the land into a park to force the sex offenders out of the building where they are living. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Joliet City Council members unanimously voted Tuesday night to buy a house, with plans demolish it and turn the land into a park a tactic they hope will legally allow them to force out convicted sex offenders who are living in an apartment building nearby. The move has drawn the ire of the company that houses the sex offenders and some legal experts who argue that the citys actions are inhumane and actually make the public less safe by making it difficult for people who have completed their sentences to find stable housing. Advertisement The dispute over the building erupted earlier this year when Joliet officials learned that about five sex offenders were placed there, a conflict that highlights the difficulty of finding housing for people paroled after being convicted of sex offenses when community members object to placements. Illinois law prohibits people convicted of sex offenses involving minors from living within 500 feet of schools, playgrounds and day cares. Some residents of the Joliet neighborhood spoke out about their concerns with the building in meetings that grew heated. Criminal justice experts and the company that provides the housing, though, counter that laws that restrict where sex offenders can live put the public more at risk by removing opportunities for affordable housing and increasing the risk of homelessness. This makes it more difficult for officials to monitor parolees and offer services essential for rehabilitation, they argue. Advertisement The house the city of Joliet bought a near a building that houses sex offenders is pictured on Aug. 4, 2022. The city plans to bulldoze it and turn the land into a park to force the sex offenders out of the building where they are living. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) This has absolutely nothing to do with community safety and everything to do with lawmakers manipulating the law to rid the community of a population they dont like, said Adele Nicholas, a civil rights attorney who is an expert in this area. Its an outrageous waste of taxpayer money. The building, located north of the downtown area, was purchased in December by NewDay Apartments, a company that specializes in affordable housing for sex offenders. When they first learned of the building, city officials argued that housing sex offenders together violates state law, but they later learned that the provision had been declared unconstitutional by a federal judge. The judge ruled that the law violated the rights of the offenders who had served their time but were held for months or years longer because the Illinois Department of Correction could not find a place for them to live that complied with the states many restrictions. The citys strategy now is to build a park within 500 feet of the building, with Tuesdays City Council vote paving away for the purchase of the nearby house. Building small parks meant to drive away sex offenders is an approach that municipalities have taken before. Back in 2013, Los Angeles began planning to install a park in a city neighborhood in order to remove sex offenders in the area, according to the LA Times. The plan for the tiny park barely allowed room for two jungle gyms, some benches and a brick wall, the newspaper reported. A contract says Joliet has agreed to pay $124,000 for the residence, which it plans to bulldoze. Its unknown when the house was last occupied. Joliet Mayor Bob ODekirk said the funds for the park are available in the citys annual $280 million budget. He said there isnt a timetable yet for completing the project. Advertisement This was not fair to people in these communities, ODekirk told the Tribune. Its not fair to the kids. Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. > The measure to purchase the house passed the council with little discussion. One council member said the kids in the neighborhood deserve a park while another questioned whether the residents of the building would be grandfathered in under Illinois law. Nicholas noted that many states with laws restricting where sex offenders live do have provisions that allow offenders who established a residence prior to a park or school being built to stay in their home, but Illinois does not allow for that exception. However, in a statement released through an attorney, NewDay Apartments said the 500-foot restriction doesnt apply to all people required to register as a sex offender. If the park plan were to go through, the company said it would still use the building for housing offenders who wouldnt be subject to the restriction. It called city officials plan unwarranted and deeply concerning. Adding a park within 500 feet of NewDay may change the name of the tenants at NewDay, but it will not stop NewDay from housing registrants there, the statement said. The company pointed out that there are more than 30,000 registered sex offenders in Illinois living in every community. The Illinois sex offender registry lists scores of other sex offenders living throughout Joliet. It also said housing sex offenders in clusters makes it easier for officials to monitor them and noted that the occupants of the Joliet building are mandated to attend therapy, wear GPS ankle monitors and are regularly visited by parole officers. Advertisement Every human being needs a safe and stable place to live including people who have committed crimes, Nicholas said, and as a practical manner, it doesnt make communities safer. It makes people homeless. mabuckley@chicagotribune.com During Virginias tax-free weekend, Aug. 5-7, the school divisions of Roanoke, Roanoke County and Salem are teaming up to collect school supplies so students across the Roanoke Valley can start the year with what they need to be successful. On Friday, the annual Load the Bus for Kids supplies drive kicked off with school spirited fanfare at the Walmart on Challenger Drive in Roanoke County. Environmental nonprofit group Appalachian Voices filed a lawsuit Thursday to obtain a reported document from the Virginia attorney generals office that would undercut Gov. Glenn Youngkins desire to pull Virginia out of a regional environmental cap and trade market. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative dubbed RGGI is a consortium of several states where energy producers trade emission reductions for credits, or they buy credits to emit carbon dioxide past a capped amount. Proceeds from participation in the initiative go toward various environmental and energy efficiency projects. Virginia joined RGGI in 2021 after the state legislature passed a law in 2020. The month after his November election, Youngkin said he wanted to pull Virginia from the initiative, terming it a tax on electricity ratepayers and a bad deal for them and for business. But for Virginia to pull out of RGGI, the move would have to come from the states General Assembly, which passed the law in the first place according to the purported opinion from the attorney generals office. During an April 20 meeting of the State Air Pollution Control Board, member Hope Cupit said she received an opinion from the attorney generals office back in March saying that [removing Virginia from RGGI] is not the responsibility of the board, that its the responsibility of the General Assembly. The lawsuit, filed in Charlottesville Circuit Court, seeks to obtain the document. The Southern Environmental Law Center filed the suit on behalf of Appalachian Voices. SELC is representing the organization and its policy director, Peter Anderson, who had been denied in a Freedom of Information Act request from the board and the attorney generals office. Because Cupit made public the existence of the document at a public meeting, senior SELC attorney Mark Sabath said that should not exempt it from FOIA. Sabath said that if theres not a valid exclusion, then you have to provide the public with the document. Pressed as to whether the attorney generals office provided Cupit with anything in writing, a special counsel in the office, Stephanie Hamlett, said there was a document. She said the attorney general declined to release it, and she cited a discretionary FOIA exemption for written advice of legal counsel, the Richmond Times-Dispatch previously reported. They could have said we dont have any documents responsive to your request. Thats not what they said, Sabath explained. They said, theres a record and were withholding it. In an email, Victoria LaCivita, a spokesperson in the attorney generals office, declined to comment as the litigation is pending. According to Sabath, the case has a hearing scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 12 in Charlottesville. Presumably the court will decide whether were entitled to the document or whether it was properly withheld, he said. The Lynchburg Humane Society announced Thursday it has received 21 beagles from a group of thousands that were removed from a mass-breeding facility following animal welfare concerns. The Humane Society of the United States is coordinating the removal of approximately 4,000 beagles that were housed at the Envigo facility in Cumberland County, which bred dogs to be sold to laboratories for animal experimentation. The transfer plan came as a result of a lawsuit filed against Envigo by the Department of Justice in May, alleging Animal Welfare Act violations at the facility, according to a news release from LHS. Transferring the dogs away from the facility is taking place over a 60-day period, and the dogs will be up for adoption via Lynchburg Humane Society and other shelters and rescues. Those interested in adopting a beagle from the Lynchburg Humane Society can fill out an adoption questionnaire at www.lynchburghumane.org/adoption or stop by the Center for Pets at 1211 Old Graves Mill Road during open hours to speak with the adoptions team, the release stated. The Lynchburg Humane Society is honored to be involved in saving the lives of these precious dogs, Jill Mollohan, LHS executive director, said in the news release. We would not be able to commit to this lifesaving journey without our amazing community. Please help by adopting, donating, and fostering to help these dogs begin their life with love and happiness. Rescued Envigo beagles getting second chance at life We are honored to be involved in this operation. I think it's incredible that these beagles are being released and get a second chance at life. Feds seize 145 beagles from Envigo; U.S. urges judge to act against breeder U.S. officials have seized 145 beagles from breeder Envigo's Cumberland County facility and a federal prosecutor is asking a judge to compel the company to stop mistreating dogs in violation of the Animal Welfare Act. Shelters, rescue groups helping find homes for 4,000 beagles from Virginia breeder mill Federal authorities have formally secured the surrender of Envigos 4,000 remaining beagles at its Cumberland breeder mill, and rescue and shelter groups are working with the Humane Society of the United States to place dogs and puppies for adoption. PHOTOS: Youngkin signs 'beagle bills' against animal cruelty Gov. Glenn Youngkin signs five bills to penalize animal cruelty and prohibit the sale of dogs or cats for experimental purposes. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. CALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. Dan Walters has been a journalist for nearly 60 years, spending all but a few of those years working for California newspapers. EXPLAINER: What will it take to get Brittney Griner home? Now that WNBA star Brittney Griner has been convicted of drug possession and sentenced to nine years in prison, attention turns to the prospect of a prisoner swap between the United States and Russia that could get her home Firefighters have gotten their first hold on Californias deadliest and most destructive fire of the year and say the blaze probably will remain stalled through the weekend Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The University of Chicago campus in the Hyde Park neighborhood is seen in November 2021. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) A Chinese University of Chicago student who had been missing since May and was recently found spent over two months working at a charitable organization in Los Angeles, according to his familys attorney. John Huang told the Tribune that Diwen Fan, 20, left the U. of C. campus on May 8. Fan then reportedly took a Greyhound bus to Dallas with a final destination to Los Angeles. According to previous reports, Fan had last been seen May 5. His parents had offered a $10,000 reward for anyone with information on their sons whereabouts. Advertisement Diwen Fan, 20, a second-year student at the University of Chicago has been missing since May 5, 2022. His family is offering a $10,000 reward for information on his disappearance. (Family photo provided by attorney Yilun Hu) - Original Credit: (Family photo) His familys attorneys previously told the Tribune they thought Fan was on his way to San Antonio, Texas, since they believed he had bought a Greyhound ticket and was between Kansas and Dallas. After arriving in Los Angeles, Fan stayed in California for more than two months, Huang said. The student lost his belongings, including his phone, credit card and personal ID. He then contacted his parents in China. Advertisement His father immediately flew to meet Fan in Los Angeles on July 24, and they are now back in Chicago, Huang said. The family visited the U. of C. campus and met with the college dean and other university officials Friday. You have permission to edit this collection. Edit Close FLORENCE, S.C. Retired Francis Marion University biology professor John Rae III said he was surprised and honored the university named the new Freshwater Ecology Center in his honor. The university held a ceremony at the Freshwater Ecology Center to unveil the sign and recognize Rae for his 20-plus years of teaching aquatic biology at Francis Marion University. The 146-acre Freshwater Ecology Complex opened in January. Its focus is research and education about freshwater ecosystems. The complex includes a conference center, which is located on the shores of a 20-acre spring fed lake. After the ceremony, Rae said he was amazed because he retired from FMU about nine years ago. He and his wife, Susan, visit the campus occasionally from his home in Charlotte, N.C. I taught freshwater ecology here for quite a few years, Rae said. I see this as a huge blossoming for the future. The opportunities that are here are amazing. The Freshwater Ecology Complex has a variety of labs, boats and all sorts of equipment. The university has started research on clams. Rae said he saw the entire Freshwater Ecology Complex for the first time Wednesday. It is impressive. Im really impressed, he said. Its going to be a real strong point for the university to have this. We are going to attract some really good students. Rae earned his bachelors degree in biology from Ohio University, a masters degree in marine sciences from the University of Pacific. He received his doctorate in zoology from the State University of New York Stony Brook. He served as the Shirley Malloy Professor of Biology, teaching ecology, aquatics and invertebrate zoology to thousands of students for more than 25 years at FMU. During the ceremony, Rae thanked Francis Marion University President Fred Carter for the universitys support of research and funding research. Rae conducted research on a rare cactus that grows in Florida and freshwater midges while at FMU. Just before I came here I started research on a highly endangered cactus down in Florida, Rae said. I continued it up here for another five years. I had a few publications about that. He hopes his research will help protect the endangered species that is only found in a several-hundred-acre area of Florida. Then, he found his beloved midges in the Lynches River. He surveyed the area and studied the sediment to see how the midges adopted to various types of pollution. Its a long process, he said, to get these little guys they are only about one or two millimeters in size, identify and correlate them with where they live and water chemistry. I hope Ive added to the literature. The Freshwater Ecology Complex was made possible by a donation of 146 acres to the university by the Drs. Bruce & Lee Foundation, Carter said. Our appreciation to the Drs. Bruce & Lee Foundation for that and the many other things they have done for us, he said. Rep. Phillip Lowe and the late Sen. Hugh Leatherman worked together to secure funding for the complex, Carter said. We are deeply appreciative to both of them for all that money, Carter said. STORY: Villagers came to the help of firefighters to confine the spread of numerous blazes in the area. Some carried hoses and removed beehives as flames neared their fields and houses. Like other European nations, Albania experienced a scorching heatwave in recent weeks. With human-caused climate change triggering droughts, the number of extreme wildfires was expected to increase 30% within the next 28 years, according to a February 2022 U.N. report. 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% Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa Hundreds of volunteers, representing Okoboji-area churches and the community at large, will be packing food Aug. 10 to send to Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Teresa Goehring, director of youth ministry with St. Joseph Catholic Church in Milford, Iowa, said $59,000 has been raised through a youth-led fundraising effort co-organized by St. Joseph and St. Mary's Catholic Church in nearby Spirit Lake. This money is enough to acquire and ship 168,000 freeze-dried meals. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began back in February, and the subsequent rush of Ukrainian refugees into neighboring countries, Goehring said that members of St. Joseph and St. Mary's wanted to help but were uncertain of how to go about it, given the 5,100 miles or so (and an ocean) that lies between Dickinson County and the Ukraine. "Just like most Americans, we've been having our parish priest talk about the Ukrainian refugees, we've been praying for them, we did a fundraiser and sent money through Catholic Relief Services," she said. "But I had some kids come, and Father (Brian Hughes) as well, and say -- we need to do something, and you feel so helpless. I mean we're so far away, but yet, they're just like us. The Ukrainians are farmers, they're highly educated. They're the breadbasket of Europe." Children in the parish sought a "tactile" way to help, Goehring said, and eventually the St. Joseph and St. Mary congregations found The Outreach Program, a nonprofit relief organization based in Union, Iowa, that has sent about 500,000 meals to Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Transporting the food to Europe is handled by a partner organization, Convoy of Hope. The Outreach Program -- like countless other relief organizations -- was long-accustomed to sending food relief to Africa, where malnutrition and starvation have been entrenched for decades. Food intended for the developing world is typically formulated to combat nutrient deficiencies and provide quick, hefty doses of nutriment. But the food needs of Ukrainians, who, by and large, were adequately fed at least until the hostilities started, were different, Goehring said. So the food relief for Europe was reformulated in hopes of better reflecting the needs of Ukrainian refugees. Millions of Ukrainian refugees have crossed the Polish border this year; assistance has been furnished by the Polish government and private citizens alike. Last month, a United Nations official praised the generosity shown toward the Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Nevertheless, there are a lot of displaced mouths to feed. "One of the hidden things that's happened during this time, is the Ukrainian people have flooded all these surrounding countries, and it's really put a stressor on their food supply. So we want to relieve that by providing for the Ukrainian refugees," Goehring said. The Outreach Program offered to bring a meal-packing event to Dickinson County, with the stipulation that $14,000 be raised -- enough to purchase 30,000 meals. "And that day the kids were just like, 'We can do this.' So excited," Goehring said. After about eight phone calls, those funds were secured. From there, committees were set up, in part to bring in greater community participation and to offer leadership opportunities for the kids. More churches and schools in the Iowa Great Lakes area got involved in the fundraising effort, which eventually yielded $59,000. Five hundred volunteers -- from elementary schoolchildren to residents of assisted-living facilities -- are set to take part in the packing drive, which will take place at the Expo Building at the Dickinson County Fairgrounds in Spirit Lake. "This is a great opportunity to do two things -- one, feed some folks that are desperately in need of our support and two, raise awareness in our community of the importance of standing in solidarity with men and women across the world who are fighting for democracy for their children and grandchildren," Fr. Hughes said in a statement provided by Goehring. "I saw this packing event as an opportunity to get my hands dirty and grow closer to the people in the community while serving those so far away," added Zach Steffens, a St. Mary's committee member, in a provided statement. Any further donations received will "be put towards food packing, in some way, shape or form," Goehring said. All volunteer slots are currently filled, she added. "When people serve, the message of Christianity comes alive, the message of the Gospel comes alive, and I think it's just a great opportunity to roll up our sleeves and make a tangible impact for the Ukrainians," she said. SIOUX CITY Jessica Goodman maintained her composure as she heard the judge announce that her fiancee's killer had been found guilty of first-degree murder. But her body couldn't control its involuntary reaction. "Once I heard it, my whole body got goosebumps," Goodman said Thursday, minutes after a jury found Dwight Evans guilty of first-degree murder and going armed with intent for the May 1, 2021, shooting death of Martez Harrison outside Uncle Dave's Bar in Sioux City. The five-man, seven-woman jury reached the verdict after more than four hours of deliberations that began late Wednesday afternoon and resumed Thursday morning. Goodman was on edge that whole time, she said, but remained confident jurors would find Evans guilty. "There was proof. There was video," she said. "I was there that night, and I witnessed it for myself." Evans, 18, faces life in prison for murder and five years for going armed with intent. Because Evans was 17 and a juvenile at the time of the shooting, Poulson must decide if and/or when he could be eligible for parole. Had Evans been an adult, he would automatically have been ineligible for parole. Senior Judge Jeffrey Poulson scheduled a hearing for Oct. 4 in Woodbury County District Court. Evans showed no visible reaction to the verdict and kept his eyes focused forward as he was led from the courtroom while his mother called out "I love you" to him. Public defender Michael Adams declined to comment after the verdict. During the first day of the four-day trial, Goodman testified she was a few feet away from Harrison while he was fighting with Lawrence Canady outside the bar at 1427 W. Third St. Canady was among four people apparently seeking revenge on Harrison, who they said had struck a friend's girlfriend days earlier. Surveillance video outside the bar showed Goodman pull up in her car to pick Harrison up at 1 a.m. After she got out, Canady punched her in the face, drawing Harrison outside, and the two began to fight. The fight spilled into the street, where Evans walked up and fired a shot into Harrison's left flank. Six seconds later he fired a second shot into Harrison's upper abdomen before fleeing the scene on foot. Harrison, 22, died a short time later at MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center. Canady was apprehended two blocks away minutes after the shooting. Evans was located about three hours later a mile away near Canady's house. The revolver was found nearby in an alley. Adams and his co-counsel, Jill Eimermann, never disputed that Evans pulled the trigger. They argued he was intoxicated at the time and was defending himself and others. Evans' mother testified that Canady brought Evans home hours before the shooting and her son was so "wasted" that he could not hold his head up or walk without help. He was sleeping when she left for work at about 9:30 p.m., but Canady and another friend came and took him out. Jurors were shown a video of Evans recorded on a convenience store security camera two hours before the shooting in which Evans appeared to be walking normally, though his mother testified his movements indicated he was intoxicated. Police officers who apprehended Evans testified said they saw no indications he was intoxicated. Adams had encouraged jurors to review and play close attention to the videos, especially one recorded in a police interrogation room more than four hours after the shooting 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. Evans was not looking to hurt anyone that night, Adams said in his closing argument, and watched the fight between Canady and Harrison unfold without getting involved until he felt threatened to act. "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. Jurors, obviously, did not accept the intoxication defense, providing Goodman and her family with relief they've sought for more than a year. "We got justice, justice for Tezzo," she said, referring to Harrison by a nickname. Canady, 22, of Sioux City, was tried for first-degree murder and other charges, but a jury in December found him guilty of the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, plus willful injury causing bodily injury and serious assault. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Evans still faces a second trial for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and failure to affix a drug tax stamp, charges stemming from officers' discovery of marijuana and a scale during a search of his home after his arrest. Poulson previously ordered a separate trial on those charges. A woman who died after a shooting at an apartment complex Thursday night in Morris, Illinois, has been identified according to officials. Beverly A. Lambert, 25, of Shorewood, was pronounced dead at 6:55 p.m. Thursday at Morris Hospital, according to the Grundy County coroners office. An autopsy was planned for later Friday. Advertisement The shooting happened at a large apartment complex in the 400 block of Twilight Drive about 68 miles southwest of Chicago where there was an active incident, according to a Morris police dispatcher and a law enforcement source. The suspect is at large, we have a very active scene here and a lot of support from surrounding law enforcement searching for the suspect, said Stan Knudson, spokesperson with the city of Morris on Thursday evening. Were asking residents to shelter in place and lock their doors and be vigilant. Advertisement Knudson said the situation was not an active shooting scene and that its believed to be domestic at this point but, again, those details are just emerging. SWAT officers responded to the scene, according to a source. ONAWA, Iowa Looking straight at Jay Lee Neubaum, one of his victims told him she was forever changed when he raped her when she was 13 years old, and so were other girls he assaulted. "We live in fear because of you," the girl said. "Someday I hope you realize what you have done, and I hope you open your eyes and realize the pain you have caused." A second victim told District Judge Zachary Hindman that after she was raped at age 14 by Neubaum, she shut down. "I was broken down and hurt in many ways. ... He has taken away my innocence in ways I'll never get back," the girl said Friday in Monona County District Court. Neubaum, 19, of Onawa, stared forward while the girls spoke, not appearing to meet their eyes or glance in their direction. He did not speak when given the chance before Hindman sentenced him to 20 years in prison on three counts of third-degree sexual abuse. Hindman ordered the sentence to be added to a 50-year sentence Neubaum is currently serving for second-degree murder, increasing his total sentence to 70 years. He could be released on parole before serving the whole sentence. If he is, he will be on court supervision for the remainder of his life because of the sexual abuse conviction and he also must register with the Iowa Sex Offender Registry for life. Hindman presided over Neubaum's trial in December and in June announced his verdict, finding Neubaum guilty of two counts involving the rape and assault of one of the girls and one count for the rape of the other. Hindman found Neubaum not guilty of seven other counts of sexual abuse involving five more girls, saying he had reasonable doubt about their claims because of inconsistencies in their trial testimony and statements. Neubaum had been charged with assaulting the girls, ranging in age from 13-16 at the time, from August 2019 through March 2020 in and around Mapleton, Iowa, where he attended school. Neubaum's attorney, Theresa Rachel, had asked for all of Neubaum's sentences to be served concurrently, or at the same time. Going further, she asked for a suspended sentence on the sexual abuse charges so Neubaum could be on probation when he's paroled from prison on his murder charge. She said Neubaum is better off out of prison because he's currently receiving no counseling or therapy services, though he desires them. If he were released from prison, he could resume the therapy he was receiving while on pretrial release before his murder trial. He also could receive sex offender treatment, which has not yet been provided to him in prison. "We are not asking for leniency, we are asking for rehabilitation," Rachel said. Rachel called Neubaum to the witness stand to talk about his progress toward his high school diploma and also his lack of access to counseling. If given probation and released on parole, Neubaum said, he would get a job and continue counseling sessions to prove he's not a threat to the community. "People call me a murderer and stuff. I take that pretty serious," Neubaum said. Calling for consecutive prison sentences, Monona County Attorney Ian McConaughey countered that Neubaum has shown no remorse for any of his crimes. Neubaum is currently incarcerated at the Anamosa State Penitentiary, where he's serving his second-degree murder sentence for the Jan. 31, 2020, shooting death of 16-year-old Joseph Hopkins in Mapleton. A Monona County jury convicted him of the crime in May 2021. Hopkins, of Mapleton, was shot once in the forehead with a 12-gauge shotgun while he, Neubaum and two other teenage boys were working on a demolition derby car in a garage. The Iowa Court of Appeals affirmed his conviction last month. SIOUX CITY -- A Sioux City man has pleaded not guilty of robbing a woman at gunpoint outside a Sioux City convenience store. Asa Starr, 18, entered his written plea Thursday in Woodbury County District Court to charges of first-degree robbery, going armed with intent, assault while participating in a felony and felon in possession of a firearm. Starr is charged with the June 27 robbery of a woman while she was filling her car with gas at Select-Mart, 4103 Floyd Blvd. According to court documents, the woman was at the gas pump when a car pulled up, and Starr got out of the passenger side, approached her and demanded her belongings while displaying a gun. The woman grappled with Starr before complying with his demands for not only her credit card, but a bag inside her vehicle. The woman complied out of fear for the safety of her children inside her vehicle, court documents said. Starr got back into the car and fled into Plymouth County, where, according to court documents, he fired the gun at another person after discarding some of the stolen items at the person's property. Starr was seen burying what was believed to be a pistol in a dirt pile at a third location, and police retrieved a .25-caliber handgun from the site. STORM LAKE, Iowa A Texas man is in custody on charges that he attempted to kill another man in a Storm Lake hotel room early Friday. Storm Lake police officers were called to the Budget Inn, 1504 N. Lake Ave., at 12:48 a.m. for a fight in progress. Upon their arrival, officers found the victim in a hallway with facial and leg injuries. According to court documents, the victim, Mario Zamora Cordova, was in Room 14 at the hotel to discuss a job with Miguel Garcia Montelongo, who offered him drugs. When Cordova refused, Garcia Montelongo became upset, pushed Cordova to the ground and grabbed a 10-15-inch knife. Montelongo got on top of Cordova and began gouging his eyes before flipping him over and attempting to sexually assault him. Cordova fought back and kicked Garcia Montelongo, causing him to fall on Cordova's right leg, breaking it and dislocating his ankle. Cordova was able to stand up and punched Garcia Montelongo in the face, giving him enough time to exit the room and call his wife, who called 911. Police found Garcia Montelongo in the hotel room and took him into custody without incident. Garcia Montelongo, 55, of Monte Alto, Texas, was booked into the Buena Vista County Jail on charges of attempted murder, assault while participating in a felony, assault with intent to commit sex abuse, going armed with intent, willful injury, assault causing serious injury and assault while displaying a weapon. His bond was set at $62,000. UPDATED 8:22 A.M. FRIDAY LAUREL, Neb. The Nebraska State Patrol arrested a suspect in connection with four homicides in Laurel early early Friday. The Nebraska State Patrol is planning a 9:30 a.m. press conference today to release information about the arrest. LAUREL, Neb. A total of four people were found dead at two different crime scenes in Laurel, authorities said Thursday afternoon. Nebraska State Patrol Col. John Bolduc said, during a news conference, that foul play is suspected in the deaths. He described the investigation as being in "the very early stages" and said the victims' identities are not being released at this time. "We have two fires with deceased people three blocks apart. It would be a stretch to say that there's no connection," he said. "We hope to find those answers in the coming days." Just after 3 a.m., Cedar County dispatchers received a report of an explosion at a residence in the 200 block of Elm Street. Bolduc said firefighters found a deceased individual inside the home. As investigators from the Laurel Police Department, Cedar County Sheriff's Office and Nebraska State Patrol were at the scene, a second fire was reported in the 500 block of Elm Street. Bolduc said firefighters and officers found three individuals deceased inside of the second residence. "Fire crews have worked diligently to put out the fire, but also to preserve evidence that may be located inside the home," he said. Investigators believe accelerants may have been used in both fires, according to Bolduc. He said anyone who was inside of the homes at the time of the fires may have been burned. "It is possible that our suspect or suspects received burn injuries during these incidents," he said. Shortly after the second fire was reported, Bolduc said law enforcement received a tip that a silver sedan had been seen leaving Laurel. The vehicle was headed westbound on Highway 20. "It was reportedly driven by a Black male. The vehicle may have picked up a passenger before leaving town," Bolduc said. Cedar County Sheriff Larry Koranda said the community of about 1,000 people is a "tight-knit" one. He said everybody knows everybody in Laurel. "I just think that people need to be diligent. If they see something out of the ordinary, something they're not used to, please contact the State Patrol," he said. Racquel Holloway, who has lived in Laurel since 1998, told The Journal that she saw emergency lights a few blocks away from her home, but didn't give the sight a second thought, at first. Once she heard what had happened, her reaction changed. "Oh my gosh, I just walked to my car. And, if the suspect was anywhere around, I could've been..." she said, trailing off. Bolduc encouraged members of the public to contact the State Patrol at 402- 479-4921, if they have any information about the crimes. He said investigators, who are canvassing the entire community, are also seeking security camera footage that may be pertinent to the case. "Incidents like this can shake a community, but I want to emphasize that we have an outstanding public safety team on scene here and a number of our partners to keep the community safe," he said. Law enforcement officers set up a perimeter, which encompassed multiple blocks of residential area, near Laurel United Methodist Church. Alex Jones ordered to pay Sandy Hook parents more than $4M AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A Texas jury Thursday ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay more than $4 million significantly less than the $150 million being sought in compensatory damages to the parents of a 6-year-old boy killed in the Sandy Hook massacre, marking the first time the Infowars host has been held financially liable for repeatedly claiming the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history was a hoax. The Austin jury must still decide how much the Infowars host should pay in punitive damages to Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose son Jesse Lewis was among the 20 children and six educators who were killed in the 2012 attack in Newtown, Connecticut. The parents had sought at least $150 million in compensation for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Jones attorney asked the jury to limit damages to $8 one dollar for each of the compensation charges they considered and Jones himself said any award over $2 million would sink us. It likely won't be the last judgment against Jones who was not in the courtroom over his claims that the attack was staged in the interests of increasing gun controls. A Connecticut judge has ruled against him in a similar lawsuit brought by other victims' families and an FBI agent who worked on the case. He also faces another trial in Austin. Jones lead attorney, Andino Reynal, winked at his co-counsel before leaving the courtroom. He declined to comment on the verdict. Trump ally Kari Lake wins GOP primary for Arizona governor PHOENIX (AP) Kari Lake, a former news anchor who walked away from her journalism career and was embraced by Donald Trump and his staunch supporters, won the Republican primary for Arizona governor on Thursday. Lake's victory was a blow to the GOP establishment that lined up behind lawyer and businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson in an attempt to push their party past the chaotic Trump era. Lake said she would not have certified President Joe Biden's 2020 victory and put false claims of election fraud at the center of her campaign. Arizonans who have been forgotten by the establishment just delivered a political earthquake, Lake said in a statement after the race was called. Republicans now enter the general election sprint with a slate of nominees closely allied with Trump who deny that Biden was legitimately elected president. Lake will face Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in the November election. This race for governor isnt about Democrats or Republicans. Its a choice between sanity and chaos, Hobbs said Thursday night in a statement on Lake's victory. Pelosi: China cannot stop US officials from visiting Taiwan TOKYO (AP) U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that China will not isolate Taiwan by preventing U.S. officials from traveling there. She made the remarks in Tokyo, the final leg of an Asia tour highlighted by a visit to Taiwan that infuriated China. Pelosi, the first House speaker to visit Taiwan in 25 years, said Wednesday in Taipei that the U.S. commitment to democracy in the self-governing island and elsewhere remains ironclad. Pelosi and five other members of Congress arrived in Tokyo late Thursday after visiting Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. China, which claims Taiwan and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary, called her visit to the island a provocation and on Thursday began military drills, including missile firing, in six zones surrounding Taiwan. US declares public health emergency over monkeypox outbreak WASHINGTON (AP) The federal government declared a public health emergency Thursday to bolster the response to the monkeypoxoutbreak that has infected more than 7,100 Americans. The announcement will free up money and other resources to fight the virus, which may cause fever, body aches, chills, fatigue and pimple-like bumps on many parts of the body. We are prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus, and we urge every American to take monkeypox seriously, said Xavier Becerra, head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The declaration by HHS comes as the Biden administration has faced criticism over monkeypox vaccine availability. Clinics in major cities such as New York and San Francisco say they havent received enough of the two-shot vaccine to meet demand, and some have had to stop offering the second dose to ensure supply of first doses. The White House said it has made more than 1.1 million doses available and has helped to boost domestic diagnostic capacity to 80,000 tests per week. EXPLAINER: What will it take to get Brittney Griner home? WASHINGTON (AP) Now that WNBA star Brittney Griner has been convicted of drug possession and sentenced to nine years in prison, attention turns to the prospect of a prisoner swap between the United States and Russia that could get her home. Secretary of State Antony Blinken went public with that possibility last week, revealing in an unusual announcement that the U.S. had made a substantial proposal aimed at securing the release of Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan. With her court case concluded and her sentence pronounced, such a deal assuming one can be reached with the Russians is Griner's best chance of being freed early. Though the guilty verdict was seen as a foregone conclusion, the imposition of a sentence her lawyers decried as far longer than average could give the U.S. extra impetus to strike a deal palatable to Russia as soon as possible. And the formal end of the court case could be the opening both sides need to forge a diplomatic resolution, too. A look at what's at stake: Democrats say they've reached agreement on economic package WASHINGTON (AP) Senate Democrats have reached an accord on changes to their marquee economic legislation, they announced late Thursday, clearing the major hurdle to pushing one of President Joe Biden's leading election-year priorities through the chamber in coming days. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., a centrist who was seen as the pivotal vote, said in a statement that she had agreed to changes in the measure's tax and energy provisions and was ready to move forward on the bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said lawmakers had achieved a compromise that I believe will receive the support of all Democrats in the chamber. His party needs unanimity to move the measure through the 50-50 Senate, along with Vice President Kamala Harris' tie-breaking vote. Schumer has said he hopes the Senate can begin voting on the energy, environment, health and tax measure on Saturday. Passage by the House, which Democrats control narrowly, could come next week. Final congressional approval of the election-year measure would complete an astounding, eleventh-hour salvation of Biden's wide-ranging domestic goals, though in more modest form. Democratic infighting had embarrassed Biden and forced him to pare down a far larger and more ambitious $3.5 trillion, 10-year version, and then a $2 trillion alternative, leaving the effort all but dead. Autocratic Hungarian leader Orban hailed by US conservatives DALLAS (AP) Hungarys autocratic Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged cheering American conservatives on Thursday to take back the institutions, stick to hardline stances on gay rights and immigration and fight for the next U.S. presidential election as a pivotal moment for their beliefs. The exuberant cheers and standing ovations at the Conservative Political Action Conference for the far-right prime minister, who has been criticized for undermining his own country's democratic institutions, demonstrated the growing embrace between Orban and Republicans in the U.S. He mocked the media in this country and in Europe. And in a speech he titled How We Fight, Orban told the crowd gathered in a Dallas convention ballroom to focus now on the 2024 election, saying they had two years to get ready," though he endorsed no candidate or party. Victory will never be found by taking the path of least resistance," he said during one of the keynote slots of the three-day CPAC event. "We must take back the institutions in Washington and Brussels. We must find friends and allies in one another. Referring to liberals, he said: They hate me and slander me and my country, as they hate you and slander you for the America you stand for. Seven years of sex abuse: How Mormon officials let it happen BISBEE, Ariz. (AP) MJ was a tiny, black-haired girl, just 5 years old, when her father admitted to his bishop that he was sexually abusing her. The father, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and an admitted pornography addict, was in counseling with his bishop when he revealed the abuse. The bishop, who was also a family physician, followed church policy and called what church officials have dubbed the help line for guidance. But the call offered little help for MJ. Lawyers for the church, widely known as the Mormon church, who staff the help line around the clock told Bishop John Herrod not to call police or child welfare officials. Instead he kept the abuse secret. They said, You absolutely can do nothing, Herrod said in a recorded interview with law enforcement. Herrod continued to counsel MJs father, Paul Douglas Adams, for another year, and brought in Adams wife, Leizza Adams, in hopes she would do something to protect the children. She didnt. Herrod later told a second bishop, who also kept the matter secret after consulting with church officials who maintain that the bishops were excused from reporting the abuse to police under the states so-called clergy-penitent privilege. Polio fears rise in New York amid possible community spread ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) New York state health officials issued a more urgent call Thursday for unvaccinated children and adults to get inoculated against polio, citing new evidence of possible community spread of the dangerous virus. The polio virus has now been found in seven different wastewater samples in two adjacent counties north of New York City, health officials said. So far, only one person has tested positive for polio an unvaccinated adult in Rockland County who suffered paralysis. But based on earlier polio outbreaks, "New Yorkers should know that for every one case of paralytic polio observed, there may be hundreds of other people infected, the state's health commissioner, Dr. Mary T. Bassett, said in a statement. Coupled with the latest wastewater findings, the Department is treating the single case of polio as just the tip of the iceberg of much greater potential spread," she said. "As we learn more, what we do know is clear: the danger of polio is present in New York today. We must meet this moment by ensuring that adults, including pregnant people, and young children by 2 months of age are up to date with their immunization the safe protection against this debilitating virus that every New Yorker needs. Tennessee primary features GOP House fight, Dem governor bid NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Voters on Thursday will settle a nine-way Republican fight in Nashville's newly carved-up congressional district while also choosing a Democratic gubernatorial nominee in what could be a history-making bid to topple the GOP incumbent in Tennessee. Two of three Democratic candidates for governor would be the states first Black Democratic nominee for that office; the third is a physician running for political office for the first time, spurred by Republican Gov. Bill Lee's hands-off response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lee is unopposed and will have a strong advantage in a general election in a state that has not elected a Democrat to statewide office since 2006. Redrawn congressional districts helped put Tennessee among the states where Republicans hope to flip a seat in a push to reclaim control of the U.S. House, providing the main drama in Tennessees primaries. Tennessee held the only statewide elections nationally Thursday. Nashville's 5th Congressional District drew heavy interest from Republicans after GOP state lawmakers carved Democratic-tilted Nashville into three districts, favoring their party in each seat. The longtime incumbent in the 5th District, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, decided to retire, saying there was no way he could win reelection under the new redistricting maps. The new district favored Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Joe Biden by 12 percentage points in 2020. In the other two Nashville-area districts, the Republican incumbents don't have primary opponents. The new maps weight their districts in their favor. Alex Jones ordered to pay Sandy Hook parents more than $4M AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A Texas jury has ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay more than $4 million in compensatory damages to the parents of a 6-year-old boy who was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre over Jones' repeated public claims that the attack was a hoax. The jurys decision Thursday marks the first time the Infowars host has been held financially liable for falsely claiming that the attack that killed 20 children and six educators in Newtown, Connecticut, was staged. It might not be the last such judgment against him, as a judge in Connecticut has already ruled against him in a similar lawsuit. The Texas jury must still decide how much to award in punitive damages. Typically bombastic Alex Jones makes for complicated court AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones bulled through the first trial that could decimate his personal fortune and media empire in his usual way: Loud, aggressive and talking about conspiracies both in and out the courtroom. Its business as usual for the gravelly voiced, barrel-chested Jones. But by courtroom standards, his erratic and, at times, disrespectful behavior is unusual and potentially complicated for the legal process. Jones and his media company, Free Speech Systems, were ordered to pay $4.11 million in compensatory damages by the parents of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, who was killed with 19 other first graders and six educators in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. And punitive damages could be more. Trump ally Kari Lake wins GOP primary for Arizona governor PHOENIX (AP) Former television news anchor Kari Lake has won the Republican primary for Arizona governor. Lake walked away from her journalism career and was embraced by Donald Trump and his staunch supporters. Her victory Thursday is a blow to the GOP establishment, which lined up behind lawyer and businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson. Lake said she would not have certified President Joe Bidens 2020 victory and put false claims of election fraud at the center of her campaign. Former Vice President Mike Pence, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and others tried to push the GOP to move on from the Trump era of election conspiracies and lies. Pelosi: China cannot stop US officials from visiting Taiwan TOKYO (AP) U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says that China will not isolate Taiwan by preventing U.S. officials from traveling there. She made the remarks in Tokyo on the final leg of an Asia tour highlighted by a visit to Taiwan that infuriated China. Pelosi, the first House speaker to visit Taiwan in 25 years, said Wednesday in Taipei that the U.S. commitment to democracy in the self-governing island and elsewhere remains ironclad. Pelosi and five other members of Congress arrived in Tokyo late Thursday after visiting Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. US declares public health emergency over monkeypox outbreak WASHINGTON (AP) The U.S. has declared a public health emergency to bolster the federal response to the outbreak of monkeypox that already has infected more than 7,100 Americans. The announcement Thursday by the Department of Health and Human Services frees up federal funding and resources to fight the virus, which may cause fever, body aches, chills, fatigue and pimple-like bumps on many parts of the body. Xavier Becerra is the head of HHS. He says the agency is ready to take the U.S. response to the next level. US to issue ID to migrants awaiting deportation proceedings U.S. immigration authorities are planning to issue photo ID cards to immigrants in deportation proceedings. Official say the proposal by Immigration and Customs Enforcement is still being developed as a pilot program, but the idea is to slash paper use and help people stay up-to-date on required meetings and court hearings. The cards would be issued for use by the Department of Homeland Security and not as an official federal ID. Critics say they're concerned about the security of the cards and whether they could be used for other purposes. The Biden administration is seeking $10 million for the so-called ICE Secure Docket Card in a budget proposal for the next fiscal year. Republicans to announce site of 2024 national convention MADISON, Wis. (AP) Republicans are to announce whether the 2024 national convention where the partys presidential nominee will be officially named will be held in Milwaukee or Nashville. The Republican National Committee is to announce its decision on Friday, the final day of its summer meeting in Chicago. Milwaukee is the odds-on favorite to get the event given Nashvilles refusal to adopt an agreement for hosting the convention. There was broad bipartisan support for the event in Milwaukee, a city that was selected to host the 2020 Democratic convention that had to be moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. EXPLAINER: What will it take to get Brittney Griner home? WASHINGTON (AP) Now that WNBA star Brittney Griner has been convicted of drug possession and sentenced to nine years in prison, attention turns to the prospect of a prisoner swap between the United States and Russia that could get her home. Secretary of State Antony Blinken went public with that possibility last week, revealing in an unusual announcement that the U.S. had made a substantial proposal aimed at securing the release of Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan. With her court case concluded and her sentence pronounced, such a deal is Griners best chance of being freed early. A look at what's at stake. Democrats say they've reached agreement on economic package WASHINGTON (AP) Senate Democrats say they have reached an accord on changes to their marquee economic legislation, clearing the major hurdle to pushing one of President Joe Bidens leading election-year priorities through the chamber in coming days. Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a centrist who was seen as the pivotal vote, says she is ready to move forward on the bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York says lawmakers have achieved a compromise that will receive the support of all Democrats in the chamber. His party needs unanimity and Vice President Kamala Harris tie-breaking vote to move the measure through the Senate over certain solid opposition from Republicans. Ogles wins House race; Tennessee Dem gov bid still too early NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles has won Tennessees bruising nine-candidate Republican primary for an open congressional seat in Nashville. The longtime Democratic incumbent, Rep. Jim Cooper, retired after GOP state lawmakers carved the city into three districts, favoring their party in each seat. The Democratic race for governor, meanwhile, remained too early to call Thursday between Nashville physician Jason Martin and Memphis City Councilman JB Smiley Jr. Smiley would be the states first Black Democratic nominee for governor if he wins the primary. Republican Gov. Bill Lee will have a strong advantage in November in the state, which has not elected a Democrat to statewide office since 2006. Federal prosecutors are recommending an eight-year prison sentence for an off-duty Virginia police officer who was convicted by a jury of storming the U.S. Capitol. In a court filing Thursday, prosecutors say former Rocky Mount Police Sgt. Thomas Robertson used his law enforcement training to block police officers who were trying to protect the Capitol from a mobs attack on Jan. 6, 2021. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper is scheduled to sentence Robertson next Thursday. An eight-year prison sentence would be the longest among hundreds of Capitol riot cases. The lengthiest so far is seven years and three months. LOS ANGELES (AP) A pregnant woman who died along with her young son and three others in a fiery crash caused by a speeding car was heading to a prenatal doctor's appointment, her sister said Friday. Thursday's crash killed Asherey Ryan, her 11-month-old son Alonzo Quintero and her boyfriend, Reynold Lester, Sha'seana Kerr said in a GoFundMe posting. Everybodys heartbroken, Kerr told KABC-TV. She literally walked out the door, because we all live together, and she said, Ok, I love yall. Im going to my doctors appointment to check up on the baby. We asked, Oh, why dont you leave our nephew here? She said, No, I want to take my son for a ride. So, knowing that really, really broke our hearts. Lester's family told KABC-TV that the 24-year-old security guard was the father of the unborn child, who was listed as baby boy Ryan" in online coroner's records. Two other women and a man were also killed but their names weren't made public Friday. Shortly after 1:30 p.m. Thursday, a Mercedes-Benz sedan ran a red light at high speed and caused the crash involving as many as six cars near a gas station in the unincorporated Windsor Hills about 10 miles (16 kilometers) southwest of downtown LA, according to the California Highway Patrol. The California Highway Patrol said Nicole Lorraine Linton, who sustained moderate injuries in the collision, was taken into custody on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. Prosecutors said they could receive the case as early as next Monday and will then decide whether to file criminal charges. It was not immediately clear whether Linton, 37, had an attorney who could comment on her behalf. The Mercedes-Benz sedan never appeared to brake as it flew through the intersection and Pepi said detectives are looking into whether Linton had a medical episode or was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It was definitely one of the most horrific crashes that weve seen, CHP Officer Franco Pepi told The Associated Press on Friday. Several people were flung from the cars and two vehicles caught fire. Television reports showed the blackened and mangled cars, as well as a child's car seat among the debris covering the street. Video showed the Mercedes careening through an intersection, striking at least two cars that exploded in flames and were sent hurtling onto a sidewalk, winding up against the gas station's corner sign. A fiery streak led to one car. One vehicle was torn in half. The car was going at least 50 mph (80 kph) as it raced through the crowded intersection, Pepi said Thursday. Eight people were taken to the hospital, including Linton. The other victims had minor injuries and included a 33-year-old woman and six children ranging in age from 1 to 15 years old, Pepi said. A memorial grew outside the intersection Friday, as mourners left flowers and candles in memory of the dead. Henry Sanchez, who works at nearby Sinclair Gas, was at the indoor register when he heard the loudest noise Ive ever heard. "The sound of it, it was gut-wrenching, he told the AP on Friday. It was like two trains hitting each other, metal on metal. He saw people rush to the cars to offer aid but they were kept back by the flames until firefighters arrived. I remember everybody trying to get the fire down and help people out as much as they could, but nobody could do anything, he said. Veronica Esquival told KTLA-TV that she covered her head for protection as debris flew. All of the sudden, a baby literally flew from the middle of the intersection to the middle of the gas station and landed right on the floor in front of me, Esquival said. One of the workers came and saw me with the baby and took the baby out of my hands. Somebody tried to resuscitate the baby but the baby was gone. Debra Jackson, told KCBS-TV she was about to get out of her car to pump gas when she heard a big explosion. The flames just went over everybody, Jackson said. The flames went over my whole car and they told me to jump out of my car ... because I was trying to get out of my car, to go to the gas pump. And I jumped out of my car and just left my car sitting right there. Associated Press Photojournalist Damian Dovarganes in Los Angeles and News Researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report. Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ministers have issued a joint statement after a series of meetings in the Cambodian capital, criticizing fellow member Myanmar for its lack of progress in ending violence there, but with weaker language than several countries had hoped for. Ahead of the meetings, Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah accused Myanmar of making a mockery" of a plan for peace proposed by the group. But in their final statement, the foreign ministers only expressed our concerns over the prolonged political crisis in the country" and said they were deeply disappointed by the limited progress in the implementation of the plan. WASHINGTON (AP) China cut off contacts with the United States on vital issues Friday including military matters and crucial climate cooperation as concerns rose that the Communist government's hostile reaction to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit could signal a lasting, more aggressive approach toward its U.S. rival and the self-ruled island. China's move to freeze key lines of communication compounded the worsening of relations from Pelosis visit and from the Chinese response with military exercises off Taiwan, including firing missiles that splashed down in surrounding waters. After the White House summoned China's ambassador, Qin Gang, late Thursday to protest the military exercises, White House spokesman John Kirby on Friday condemned the decision to end important dialogue with the United States as irresponsible. The White House spokesman blasted China's provocative actions since Pelosi's trip to Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory. But Kirby noted that some channels of communication remain open between military officials in the two countries. He repeated daily assurances that the U.S. had not changed its policy toward the Communist mainland and the self-ruled island. Bottom line is were going to continue our efforts to keep opening lines of communication that are protecting our interests and our values, Kirby said. He declined to speak about any damage to long-term relations between China and the United States, calling that a discussion for later. Taiwan has put its military on alert and staged civil defense drills, but the overall mood remained calm on Friday. Flights have been canceled or diverted and fishermen have remained in port to avoid the Chinese drills. On the Chinese coast across from Taiwan, tourists gathered to try to catch a glimpse of military aircraft. A minister at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, Jing Quan, told reporters that Pelosi's mission of support for the democratic government of Taiwan has had "a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, seriously infringed upon Chinas sovereignty and (territorial) integrity and ... undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits. Long term, a significantly more confrontational relationship between China and the U.S. threatens an equilibrium under which Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping's governments have sparred on human rights, trade, competition and countless other issues but avoided direct conflict and maintained occasional top-level contacts toward other matters, including cutting climate-damaging emissions. A joint U.S.-China deal to fight climate change struck by Xi and then-President Barack Obama in November of 2014 is credited as a turning point that led to the landmark 2015 Paris agreement in which nearly every nation in the world pledged to try to curb emissions of heat-trapping gases. Seven years later during climate talks in Glasgow, another U.S.-China deal helped smooth over bumps to another international climate deal. China and the United States are the worlds No. 1 and No. 2 climate polluters, together producing nearly 40% of all fossil-fuel emissions. Ominously, experts in China-U.S. relations warned that China's diplomatic and military moves appeared to go beyond retaliatory measures for the visit and could open a new, more openly hostile era, and a more uncertain time for Taiwan's democratic government. China-U.S. relations are in a downward spiral," said Bonnie Glaser, head of the Asia program at the German Marshall Fund. And I think that China is likely to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait in ways that are going to be harmful to Taiwan and are going to be disadvantageous to the United States," Glaser said. In recent years, other rounds of tensions between China and its neighbors over the India border, regional islands and the South China Sea have ended with China asserting new territorial claims and enforcing them, noted John Culver, a former East Asia national intelligence officer, now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. The same could happen now over Taiwan, Culver said. So I don't know how this ends. We've seen how it begins. China's measures this week are the latest steps intended to punish the U.S. for allowing the visit to the island it claims as its own territory, to be annexed by force if necessary. China on Thursday launched threatening military exercises just off Taiwan's coasts, running through Sunday. Some missiles were sent flying over Taiwan itself, Chinese officials told state media a significant increase in China's menacing of the island. China routinely complains when Taiwan has direct contacts with foreign governments, but its response to the Pelosi visit she was the highest-ranking American official in 25 years has been unusually strong. It appears to derail a rare encouraging note high-level in-person meetings between top officials in recent months including the defense chiefs at an Asia security conference in Singapore and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a Group of 20 meeting in Indonesia. Those talks were viewed as steps in a positive direction in an otherwise poisoned relationship. Now, talks have been suspended even on climate, where the two countries envoys had met multiple times. China stopped short of interrupting economic and trade talks, where it is looking to Biden to lift tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on imports from China. On Friday, China's Foreign Ministry said dialogue between U.S. and Chinese regional commanders and defense department heads would be canceled, along with talks on military maritime safety. Cooperation on returning illegal immigrants, criminal investigations, transnational crime, illegal drugs and climate change will be suspended, the ministry said. China's actions come ahead of a key congress of the ruling Communist Party later this year at which President Xi is expected to obtain a third five-year term as party leader. With the economy stumbling, the party has stoked nationalism and issued near-daily attacks on the government of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, which refuses to recognize Taiwan as part of China. China said Friday that more than 100 warplanes and 10 warships have taken part in live-fire military drills surrounding Taiwan over the past two days. Also, mainly symbolic sanctions against Pelosi and her family were announced. On the China coast, fighter jets could be heard flying overhead, and tourists taking photos chanted, Lets take Taiwan back," looking out into the blue waters of the Taiwan Strait from Pingtan island, a popular scenic spot in China's Fujian province. Pelosi's visit has stirred emotions among the Chinese public, and the government's response makes us feel our motherland is very powerful and gives us confidence that the return of Taiwan is the irresistible trend, said Wang Lu, a tourist from neighboring Zhejiang province. China is a powerful country and it will not allow anyone to offend its own territory, said Liu Bolin, a high school student visiting the island. China's insistence that Taiwan is its territory and its threat to use force to reclaim control have featured in Communist Party statements, the education system and the state-controlled media for more than seven decades since the sides were divided amid civil war in 1949. Taiwan residents overwhelmingly favor maintaining the status quo of de facto independence and reject China's demands that the island unify with the mainland under Communist control. Beyond Taiwan, five of the missiles fired by China landed in Japans Exclusive Economic Zone off Hateruma, an island far south of Japans main islands, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said. He said Japan protested the missiles to China as serious threats to Japans national security and the safety of the Japanese people. In Tokyo, where Pelosi is winding up her Asia trip, she said China cannot stop U.S. officials from visiting Taiwan. Far-right candidate Andy Ogles has won Tennessees crowded Republican primary for an open congressional seat in Nashville. The longtime Democratic incumbent, Rep. Jim Cooper, retired after GOP state lawmakers carved the city into three districts, favoring their party for each seat. The Democratic race for governor, meanwhile, remained too early to call Thursday between Nashville physician Jason Martin and Memphis City Councilman JB Smiley Jr. Smiley would be the states first Black Democratic nominee for governor if he wins the primary. Republican Gov. Bill Lee will have a strong advantage in November in the state, which has not elected a Democrat to statewide office since 2006. WASHINGTON (AP) Facebook owner Meta is quietly curtailing some of the safeguards designed to thwart voting misinformation or foreign interference in U.S. elections as the November midterm vote approaches. It's a sharp departure from the social media giant's multibillion-dollar efforts to enhance the accuracy of posts about U.S. elections and regain trust from lawmakers and the public after their outrage over learning the company had exploited peoples data and allowed falsehoods to overrun its site during the 2016 campaign. The pivot is raising alarm about Metas priorities and about how some might exploit the worlds most popular social media platforms to spread misleading claims, launch fake accounts and rile up partisan extremists. They're not talking about it," said former Facebook policy director Katie Harbath, now the CEO of the tech and policy firm Anchor Change. Best case scenario: They're still doing a lot behind the scenes. Worst case scenario: They pull back, and we don't know how that's going to manifest itself for the midterms on the platforms." Since last year, Meta has shut down an examination into how falsehoods are amplified in political ads on Facebook by indefinitely banishing the researchers from the site. CrowdTangle, the online tool that the company offered to hundreds of newsrooms and researchers so they could identify trending posts and misinformation across Facebook or Instagram, is now inoperable on some days. Public communication about the company's response to election misinformation has gone decidedly quiet. Between 2018 and 2020, the company released more than 30 statements that laid out specifics about how it would stifle U.S. election misinformation, prevent foreign adversaries from running ads or posts around the vote and subdue divisive hate speech. Top executives hosted question and answer sessions with reporters about new policies. CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote Facebook posts promising to take down false voting information and authored opinion articles calling for more regulations to tackle foreign interference in U.S. elections via social media. Meta says that elections remain a priority and that policies developed in recent years around election misinformation or foreign interference are now hard-wired into company operations. With every election, we incorporate what weve learned into new processes and have established channels to share information with the government and our industry partners, Meta spokesman Tom Reynolds said. He declined to say how many employees would be on the project to protect U.S. elections full time this year. During the 2018 election cycle, the company offered tours and photos and produced head counts for its election response war room. But The New York Times reported the number of Meta employees working on this year's election had been cut from 300 to 60, a figure Meta disputes. Reynolds said Meta will pull hundreds of employees who work across 40 of the company's other teams to monitor the upcoming vote alongside the election team, with its unspecified number of workers. The company is continuing many initiatives it developed to limit election misinformation, such as a fact-checking program started in 2016 that enlists the help of news outlets to investigate the veracity of popular falsehoods spreading on Facebook or Instagram. The Associated Press is part of Meta's fact-checking program. This month, Meta also rolled out a new feature for political ads that allows the public to search for details about how advertisers target people based on their interests across Facebook and Instagram. Yet, Meta has stifled other efforts to identify election misinformation on its sites. It has stopped making improvements to CrowdTangle, a website it offered to newsrooms around the world that provides insights about trending social media posts. Journalists, fact-checkers and researchers used the website to analyze Facebook content, including tracing popular misinformation and who is responsible for it. That tool is now dying, former CrowdTangle CEO Brandon Silverman, who left Meta last year, told the Senate Judiciary Committee this spring. Silverman told the AP that CrowdTangle had been working on upgrades that would make it easier to search the text of internet memes, which can often be used to spread half-truths and escape the oversight of fact-checkers, for example. Theres no real shortage of ways you can organize this data to make it useful for a lot of different parts of the fact-checking community, newsrooms and broader civil society, Silverman said. Not everyone at Meta agreed with that transparent approach, Silverman said. The company has not rolled out any new updates or features to CrowdTangle in more than a year, and it has experienced hourslong outages in recent months. Meta also shut down efforts to investigate how misinformation travels through political ads. The company indefinitely revoked access to Facebook for a pair of New York University researchers who they said collected unauthorized data from the platform. The move came hours after NYU professor Laura Edelson said she shared plans with the company to investigate the spread of disinformation on the platform around the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, which is now the subject of a House investigation. What we found, when we looked closely, is that their systems were probably dangerous for a lot of their users, Edelson said. Privately, former and current Meta employees say exposing those dangers around the American elections have created public and political backlash for the company. Its something thats so politically fraught, theyre more trying to shy away from it than jump in head first. said Harbath, the former Facebook policy director. They just see it as a big old pile of headaches. Meanwhile, the possibility of regulation in the U.S. no longer looms over the company, with lawmakers failing to reach any consensus over what oversight the multibillion-dollar company should be subjected to. Free from that threat, Meta's leaders have devoted the company's time, money and resources to a new project in recent months. Zuckerberg dived into this massive rebranding and reorganization of Facebook last October, when he changed the companys name to Meta Platforms Inc. He plans to spend years and billions of dollars evolving his social media platforms into a nascent virtual reality construct called the metaverse sort of like the internet brought to life, rendered in 3D. His public Facebook page posts now focus on product announcements, hailing artificial intelligence, and photos of him enjoying life. News about election preparedness is announced in company blog posts not written by him. In one of Zuckerberg's posts last October, after an ex-Facebook employee leaked internal documents showing how the platform magnifies hate and misinformation, he defended the company. He also reminded his followers that he had pushed Congress to modernize regulations around elections for the digital age. I know its frustrating to see the good work we do get mischaracterized, especially for those of you who are making important contributions across safety, integrity, research and product, he wrote on Oct. 5. "But I believe that over the long term if we keep trying to do whats right and delivering experiences that improve peoples lives, it will be better for our community and our business. It was the last time he discussed the Menlo Park, California-based companys election work in a public Facebook post. Associated Press technology writer Barbara Ortutay contributed to this report. Follow AP's coverage of misinformation at https://apnews.com/hub/misinformation. PHOENIX (AP) Kari Lake, a former news anchor who walked away from her journalism career and was embraced by Donald Trump and his staunch supporters, won the Republican primary for Arizona governor on Thursday. Lake's victory was a blow to the GOP establishment that lined up behind lawyer and businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson in an attempt to push their party past the chaotic Trump era. Lake said she would not have certified President Joe Biden's 2020 victory and put false claims of election fraud at the center of her campaign. Arizonans who have been forgotten by the establishment just delivered a political earthquake, Lake said in a statement after the race was called. Republicans now enter the general election sprint with a slate of nominees closely allied with Trump who deny that Biden was legitimately elected president. Lake will face Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in the November election. This race for governor isnt about Democrats or Republicans. Its a choice between sanity and chaos, Hobbs said Thursday night in a statement on Lake's victory. Early election results showing only mail ballots received before Election Day gave Robson a solid lead, but that was whittled down as votes from polling places were added to the tally. Lake's victory became clear Thursday when Maricopa County released results from thousands of mail ballots dropped off at the polls on Tuesday. The voters of Arizona have spoken, Robson said in a statement conceding to Lake late Thursday. I accept the results, I trust the process and the people who administer it. In a midterm primary season with mixed results for Trumps favored candidates, the former president came out on top in Arizona, a state that has been central to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and cast doubt on Biden's victory. In addition to Lake, Trumps picks for U.S. Senate, secretary of state, attorney general, U.S. House and the state Legislature all won their GOP primaries. If they win in November, Trump allies will hold sway over the administration of elections in a crucial battleground state as he considers another bid for the White House in 2024. The results also show that Trump remains a powerful figure in the GOP as longtime party stalwarts get increasingly bold in their efforts to reassert control ahead of the next presidential campaign. Former Vice President Mike Pence, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie all campaigned for Robson in the days before the election. Robson, who is married to one of Arizonas richest men, largely self-funded her campaign. She called the 2020 election unfair but stopped short of calling it fraudulent and pushed for the GOP to look toward the future. Lake now faces the daunting task of uniting the Republican Party after a bruising primary. On Wednesday, as Lake declared victory prematurely, she attempted to reach out to Robson and others she fiercely criticized as RINOs, or Republicans in Name Only, who don't align with Trump on key issues. Frankly, this party needs her to come together, and I welcome her, Lake said of Robson. And I hope that she will come over for this. Robson said shes spent her life supporting Republicans, and it is my hope that our Republican nominees are successful in November. Like Trump, Lake courts controversy and confrontation. She berates journalists and dodges questions. She burned masks during the COVID-19 surge in the summer of 2021 and attacked Republicans like Ducey who allowed restrictions on businesses, though as a news anchor she encouraged people to follow public health guidance. Lake spent the days leading up to her own election claiming there were signs of fraud, but she refused to provide any evidence. Once her victory was assured, she said voters should trust her win is legitimate. We outvoted the fraud, Lake said. She pointed to problems in Pinal County, which ran out of ballots in some precincts and had to print more, but she and her attorney, Tim La Sota, refused to provide evidence backing up her claims of fraud. She said she has no plans to stop talking about election fraud even as she needs to broaden her appeal beyond the loyalists her powered her primary 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. Hobbs, Lake's opponent in November, went after the candidate over her opposition to abortion rights and gun control and a proposal she floated to put cameras in every classroom to keep an eye on teachers. Republicans, moving toward November as a divided party in Arizona, need to make an appeal to the independent voters who decide close races, said Chuck Coughlin, a longtime Republican strategist who left the party during the Trump era. MADISON, Wis. (AP) Republican hopes to reclaim a crucial governors seat in swing-state Wisconsin this year long appeared to rest on Rebecca Kleefisch, a former TV news anchor who spent eight years as former Gov. Scott Walkers heir apparent and vowed to continue his sharply conservative policies. Then a wealthy construction company owner jumped in, dumped $12 million of his own money into the race and won Donald Trumps backing. Now Tim Michels is in a competitive race against Kleefisch heading into Tuesdays primary to decide who will face Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in November. The contest is part of a deepening proxy fight between Trump and his estranged former vice president, Mike Pence, who has thrown his support to Kleefisch. And it could ultimately have implications for 2024, when Trump has dangled the possibility of another White House bid and has shown his willingness to pressure elected officials, including those in Wisconsin, to overturn election results. Michels has focused on shaping an outsider candidacy bolstered by the Trump endorsement while Kleefisch has embraced her establishment support as evidence that shes a more reliable GOP choice. Trump appeared with Michels at a Friday night rally in Waukesha, the heart of Milwaukee's conservative suburbs. Trump called Kleefisch a career politician and a political insider. Ive known her for a long time. Shes the handpicked candidate of the failed establishment, the RINOs. That's a derogatory term standing for Republican in name only." Rebecca Kleefisch does not have what it takes to beat Tony Evers," Trump said. Hes going to win if he runs against Rebecca." Michels appeared on stage with Trump, but did not call for overturning the 2020 election. Kleefisch and Michels have both questioned President Joe Bidens victory over Trump in Wisconsin in 2020 an outcome that has withstood recounts, lawsuits and reviews but neither has taken up Trumps pressure campaign to have those results decertified. Kleefisch has called the 2020 election rigged but said she wont consider decertification because its not constitutionally possible. Michels initially called decertifying Bidens 2020 win in Wisconsin not a priority and then later said everything will be on the table. Both Michels and Kleefisch want to do away with the current bipartisan commission that runs elections in the state. A third Republican candidate for governor, state Rep. Tim Ramthun, has repeatedly called for decertification and made it the centerpiece of his longshot campaign. Bidens win in Wisconsin has withstood two partial recounts, numerous lawsuits, a nonpartisan audit and a review by a conservative law firm. Republican legislative leaders have repeatedly said decertification is impossible. Kleefisch has racked up support not only from Pence, but also her former boss Walker, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, GOP leaders of the Legislature, 56 lawmakers, the state chamber of commerce, the Tavern League and a majority of the states county sheriffs. I am the one who is tested and proven and ready to go, Kleefisch said after Pence touted her at a stop in suburban Milwaukee on Wednesday. I am the one who has won statewide four times. Michels claims that he is not a politician, but hes been a power player largely behind the scenes for decades and previously ran for U.S. Senate in 2004, losing to then-Sen. Russ Feingold. Hes been a regular donor to Republicans, including both Walker and Kleefisch. People want an outsider, people want a veteran, people want a businessman, Michels said in a candidate debate. Wisconsin is the third state where Pence and Trump have been on opposite sides in governor's races that highlighted deep divisions about the GOPs future. In Georgia, Pence-backed Gov. Brian Kemp thumped Trumps choice, former Sen. David Perdue, by more than 50 percentage points. In Arizonas governor primary, Trump-backed former TV news anchor Kari Lake and Pence-backed businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson were in a race that was too early to call on Thursday. The territory that drew Pence and Kleefisch on Wednesday is the heart of Republican Wisconsin and home to the key suburban Milwaukee voters who will likely decide the fall election. Its also Kleefischs home turf. Trump, whose support in the area declined from 2016 to 2020, held his Friday rally for Michels just three miles from where Pence came for Kleefisch. There is no candidate for governor in America who is more capable, more experienced, or a more proven conservative than Rebecca Kleefisch, Pence said in touting Kleefisch without mentioning Trump or Michels. Kleefisch is a former Milwaukee television news anchor and teenage beauty pageant contestant who got into politics in 2010 and won a five-way primary for lieutenant governor. After Evers beat Walker in 2018, Kleefisch started laying the groundwork for her own run. She has reminded Republicans about the fights she went through with Walker, when his proposal effectively ending collective bargaining led to massive protests in 2011 and eventually a failed attempt to recall both him and Kleefisch from office. This cycle, she has focused on issues like instituting a flat income tax, expanding school choice programs and investing more in law enforcement. Michels co-owns the states largest construction company, Michels Corp., along with his brothers, and has spent nearly $1 million a week of his own money since getting into the race. Though he uses the Trump endorsement as evidence of his outsider status, hes also backed by Wisconsins ultimate Republican political insider four-term former Gov. Tommy Thompson, who briefly flirted with his own run. Michels has stumbled at times. He flip-flopped this week when asked whether he would back a Trump run in 2024, first refusing to say, then 24 hours later saying he would back Trump for president. At an earlier debate, he didnt appear to know what DACA Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a highly contentious immigration program stood for. And hes faced criticism for purchasing $30 million in properties in New York and Connecticut between 2015 and 2020 and splitting time between Wisconsin and the East Coast, where his children attended and graduated from high school. Michels positions on the boards of various transportation-related industry groups have caused him some heartburn, with Kleefisch seeking to tie him to those groups past support for raising the state gas tax. Michels says he opposes an increase. He is also running ads taking a strong anti-immigrant position, even though he headed the board of directors of a transportation group that opposed an anti-immigrant bill that would have prevented companies that employ illegal aliens from getting state contracts. While the Republicans battle, Evers has raised more than $11 million this year and is casting himself as the only block against Republicans who want to overhaul elections for the 2024 presidential campaign and keep in place an 1849 state law banning abortions. Both Kleefisch and Michels support the ban and the law, which is being challenged in court by Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul. I have a good record, Evers said, highlighting the states 2.8% unemployment rate, increased funding for public schools, expanded rural broadband access, emphasis on repairing roads and a 15% cut in income taxes. Let them bring it on. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Ousted San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who was recalled from his post in June, said Thursday that he will not campaign for his old seat in the November election. The progressive criminal justice reformer tweeted that nonstop campaigning has taken a toll on his family, which includes his son born last September and his elderly father, a former Weather Underground radical who was released from prison after serving more than four decades for his role in a fatal robbery. My son is on the verge of taking his first step and speaking his first word, Boudin said. My wife's research on multiple sclerosis at (University of California, San Francisco) deserves the same support she has offered my work. Boudin said that sitting out the November election does not preclude him for running for district attorney in 2023 for a full four-year term. Boudin, 41, was recalled from office in June barely three years after he won office in November 2019 amid frustration and anxiety over the pandemic and viral footage of Asian seniors being assaulted in San Francisco. His platform of seeking alternatives to incarceration, offering restorative justice and giving defendants second chances did not resonate with some voters who became convinced that the city was sinking into petty lawlessness. San Francisco Mayor London Breed appointed Boudin recall campaign leader Brooke Jenkins as interim district attorney until the November election. Jenkins on Wednesday announced she has revoked 30 open plea offers to accused fentanyl dealers presented by Boudin's administration, saying the deals' terms were too lenient. Jenkins plans to run in November in an attempt to serve the rest of Boudin's term through 2023. Also in the race is Joe Alioto Veronese, a civil rights attorney and grandson of former San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto. Boudin said in his announcement that he was gravely concerned that the progessive policies implemented by his administration are being rolled back by Jenkins. Boudin, whose mother died in May, said the demands of his job had prevented him from has cleaning out her apartment and planning her memorial. His mother was Kathy Boudin, also a former Weather Underground radical. She served more than two decades in prison for her role in the 1981 armored truck robbery and died of cancer. Her husband, David Gilbert, was granted parole last October. HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) The developer of a major pipeline system that connects the Marcellus Shale gas field in western Pennsylvania to an export terminal near Philadelphia pleaded no contest Friday to criminal charges that it systematically polluted waterways and residential water wells across hundreds of miles. Dallas-based Energy Transfer Operating agreed to independent testing of homeowners' water and promised to remediate contamination in a settlement of two separate criminal cases brought by the Pennsylvania attorney general. Under a plea deal, the company will also pay $10 million to restore watersheds and streams along the route of its Mariner East pipeline network. "We are holding Energy Transfer accountable for their crimes against our natural resources," Attorney General Josh Shapiro said at a news conference after the hearing in Harrisburg. An Energy Transfer spokeswoman called the $10 million fund not a fine or penalty of any kind but the product of a voluntary collaboration with the state. While we understand Mr. Shapiro is running for office, it remains disappointing that he would mischaracterize the facts of this voluntary agreement to his political advantage rather than acknowledge the good faith efforts of Energy Transfer to resolve this dispute, the spokeswoman, Laura Atchley, said in an email. The companys Mariner East 1, Mariner East 2 and Mariner East 2X pipelines carry propane, ethane and butane from the Marcellus and Utica shale gas fields to a refinery processing center and export terminal in Marcus Hook, a suburb of Philadelphia. Construction wrapped in February. Mariner East has been one of the most penalized projects in state history. The owner has racked up tens of millions of dollars in civil penalties, and state regulators repeatedly halted construction over contamination. The attorney general stepped in last October, charging Energy Transfer with releasing industrial waste at 22 sites in 11 counties and failing to report spills to regulators. The company fouled the drinking water of at least 150 families, prosecutors have said. Under the plea agreement, residents who live near the pipeline and have private water can request independent testing. More than 800 residents along the pipelines route have been notified of the testing, and residents have until Aug. 19 to sign up. Residents were wary of the plea deal, given their fraught history with Sunoco Pipeline LP, the Energy Transfer subsidiary that operates Mariner East. I'm hopeful, but knowing Sunocos track record, I am skeptical, said Karen Katz, of Edgmont Township in Delaware County. She said Sunoco strong-armed residents into signing agreements to allow the pipeline, tore up the neighborhood during construction, and fouled the aquifer. She said she still does not drink her well water. How do you take contaminated aquifers and un-contaminate them? How many years does that take? Katz said. Energy Transfer's state permits already require it to fix the damage its pipeline construction caused. But prosecutors said the plea deal goes a step further by requiring the company to submit to water testing by geologists picked by the attorney generals office. Previously, Energy Transfer itself had been testing water. The company must abide by the independent experts recommendations on how to restore the fouled water, prosecutors said. Another part of the plea deal requires Energy Transfer to pay $10 million to address contamination of groundwater and streams. The money is a drop in the bucket to a pipeline company with surging profits. Energy Transfer reported this week that its net income jumped 90% in the second quarter, to $1.33 billion, as the companys pipelines carried record volumes of natural gas liquids. Shapiro, a Democrat running for governor, has long complained that Pennsylvanias criminal environmental laws are too weak. His office said the statutory maximum for the crimes for which Energy Transfer was charged amounted to only $1.45 million, making a plea deal more beneficial to victims than taking the case to trial. Even if we had won every single count at trial, Energy Transfer would've walked away paying just pocket change for their crimes," Shapiro said Friday. "Nothing more would have come to make our water cleaner and safer, and residents would've been screwed. The Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance, a trade group, said that most of what it called Mariner Easts construction woes had already been addressed by regulators. Hopefully this brings closure to the issue, because its time to put the past to rest, said the group, adding that Mariner East is operating safely. Residents who live near the pipeline and some state lawmakers have said Mariner East should be shut down entirely, but the administration of Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf has ignored such calls. Friday's plea deal also resolves a separate criminal case involving the 42-mile Revolution pipeline near Pittsburgh, which runs from Butler County to a natural gas plant in Washington County. In that case, prosecutors alleged Energy Transfer's negligence led to a 2018 explosion and fire that destroyed a home, a barn and several cars, collapsed transmission towers, and prompted an evacuation. Energy Transfer pleaded no contest to 14 criminal counts in the Mariner East case and to nine criminal counts in the Revolution case. More than 800 competitors will be trudging through the Florida Everglades for the next eight days, in search of invasive Burmese pythons that will bring in thousands of dollars in prize money. The python hunt officially began Friday morning and runs through 5 p.m. on Aug. 15, according to officials who gathered in Miami to kick off the annual event. This is significant because every python removed is one less invasive species preying on our native birds, mammals and reptiles," said Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis. Since 2000, more than 17,000 pythons have been removed from the Everglades ecosystem, according to a news release. Burmese pythons, which are not native to Florida, prey on birds, mammals and other reptiles. A female python can lay as many as 100 eggs a year. Cash prizes of up to $2,500 are available in both the professional and novice categories for those who remove the most pythons, officials said. There are additional prizes for the longest python in each category. Each python must be dead, with hunters facing disqualification if they kill them inhumanely or kill a native snake. So far, the registered hunters represent 32 states and Canada. Registrations are being accepted throughout the competition. It costs $25 to register and participants must also complete an online training course. LAS VEGAS (AP) A man arrested early Friday in the killing of one person and wounding of two others during a family argument in a Las Vegas Strip hotel room has a criminal history including felony convictions dating to 1987 and served several years in Nevada state prisons, records show. Billy Deray Hemsley, 54, was jailed on suspicion of murder and attempted murder in the 8:30 p.m. Thursday shooting that killed a man and left two women wounded at The Mirage resort, Las Vegas police said. A department statement said Hemsley was apprehended before dawn in a southeast Las Vegas neighborhood and he was booked into the Clark County Detention Center to await an initial court appearance scheduled for Saturday. It was not immediately clear if Hemsley had a lawyer who could speak for him. Attorney James Gallo represents Hemsley in pending DUI cases in Henderson and Las Vegas justice courts, but said Friday he does not represent Hemsley on new charges. The shooting prompted a lockdown at The Mirage for more than two hours after tourists watched police rush into the iconic casino and hotel on Las Vegas Boulevard. The injured women were taken to a hospital in critical condition, police said. No additional details were disclosed about their wounds and they were not immediately identified. The Clark County coroner did not immediately identify the slain man. Capt. Dori Koren, the police homicide division head, told reporters at the scene the shooter had a Las Vegas address and the incident did not pose a wider threat to the public. The police statement said the shooting stemmed from an argument with several family members in an eighth-floor room. Court and prison records show that Hemsley has also used the last name Moore and has spelled his first name several ways. He was released by the Nevada Department of Corrections in September 2019 after being sentenced in February 2013 in Las Vegas for convictions on charges of battery with a weapon. He had been accused of stabbing his girlfriend and stealing her vehicle after they fought at their apartment about him allegedly using cocaine, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported, citing an arrest report. Prior convictions were for felony drug possession, DUI and weapon charges, according to court records reviewed by The Associated Press. Officials with MGM Resorts International, operator of The Mirage, referred questions about the incident to police. The Polynesian-themed property, with a fire-spewing volcano and more than 3,000 rooms, opened in November 1989. It is credited with helping transform Las Vegas from a gambling hub into a luxury resort destination with international appeal. MGM Resorts announced last December it will sell operations of The Mirage for nearly $1.1 billion to Hard Rock International, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The new operator plans to replace it with a huge guitar-shaped hotel. The sale is pending regulatory approval. South Korea is on its way to the moon. SpaceX launched the Asian nation's first lunar explorer Thursday evening from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The satellite is taking a long, roundabout path and will arrive in December. It's designed to orbit the moon for at least a year, collecting scientific data. It will also scout out potential landing spots for a spacecraft that South Korea plans to launch by 2030 or so. NASA is up next with the debut of its new moon rocket in late August. The space agency wants to send an empty crew capsule around the moon in a test flight before astronauts climb aboard. Federal pandemic relief funds delivered Nebraska child care providers a $98 million lifeline over the past nine months, according to state officials. Reports from the Department of Health and Human Services show that 2,269 providers or 80% of all licensed child care centers, family child care homes and preschools have gotten help through the Child Care Stabilization Grant program since October. Stephanie Beasley, children and family services director for HHS, said the money has been critical in supporting a key part of the states economy and in keeping quality child care available for children and working parents. The successful grant cycles impacted the statewide provider network and brought stability and reliability to a vital industry in Nebraska, she said. The (grants) also ensure Nebraska families have access to quality child care options and the child care workforce is rewarded for the important work they do each day for the benefit of Nebraska children. State officials established the grant program with Nebraskas share of some $24 billion in federal child care relief dollars provided through the American Rescue Plan Act. Nebraskas portion amounted to $140 million. State officials awarded a total of $104 million in two rounds of grants, with the bulk of the money already disbursed. The last $6 million is set to be disbursed to second-round recipients in September. An agency spokesman said HHS officials are working on plans to distribute the remaining $36 million and will be making an announcement when they are final. Susan Sarver, director of workforce planning and development with the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska, said the stabilization grants really helped providers keep their doors open and called the 80% response rate pretty tremendous. Grants were awarded in every county with at least one licensed child care provider. Twelve Nebraska counties have no licensed facilities. Sarver said the stabilization grants were in addition to money provided through the federal Paycheck Protection Program, an earlier COVID relief program. Surveys done by the Buffett Institute found that most providers used COVID funds to pay rent and utilities, followed by purchasing personal protective equipment and sanitation supplies, buying general goods and services for their business, improving their facilities and boosting wages and benefits. However, the surveys also showed that Nebraska child care providers continue to struggle, Sarver said. The most recent survey found that two-thirds of providers made less money in the past year, staff turnover was widespread and nine in 10 providers employing staff had difficulty hiring for open positions. There is still a lot of stress and pressure on the system, she said. Nationally, the pandemic exacerbated the shortage of reliable and affordable child care, which in turn has restricted the growth of the broader economy. The shortage forced many people mostly women to leave the workforce and contributed to a deepening labor shortage. A shortage of child care options creates particular problems in Nebraska. Pre-pandemic figures showed that more than 76% of Nebraska children under age 6 lived in homes where all adults worked, higher than the national average of 68%. The speaker of the Nebraska Legislature is gauging his colleagues' support for a special session to debate a 12-week abortion ban, according to an Omaha lawmaker. State Sen. Megan Hunt posted a Tweet Wednesday night saying that Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers is calling all members and asking them to sign on to a letter supporting a special session to take up the proposal. Hilgers, of Lincoln, told the World-Herald on Thursday that he has contacted multiple lawmakers to discuss a special session, but would not confirm whether he is proposing a 12-week ban. "I don't have additional comment until I've finished those conversations and had the chance to comprehensively discuss with my colleagues," Hilgers said. Hilgers has not called all lawmakers. Omaha Sens. Machaela Cavanaugh and Justin Wayne said they hadn't received a call as of Thursday afternoon. Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn said she hasn't received a call on this specific issue, but she talks to Hilgers multiple times a week, and they have discussed abortion restrictions and a special session. She said she may not receive a call at all, because she is confident Hilgers already knows her stance. "He knows where I'm at," Linehan said. Linehan said she is "all in" on a special session, provided officials are confident the proposed bill would pass. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in late June, Gov. Pete Ricketts said he would work with Hilgers to evaluate what policies could pass in the Legislature during a potential special session. The governor has avoided commenting on the topic since then, and a spokesperson for Ricketts did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. A 12-week ban wouldn't go as far as the bans that many Southern and Midwestern states passed after the Supreme Courts ruling. It would also be scaled back compared with a trigger bill that nearly passed in the Legislature earlier this year. The trigger bill would have banned all abortions in Nebraska in the event the Supreme Court overturned Roe. The bill would have made it a felony for anyone to provide any medication or undertake any procedure with the intent of ending the life of an unborn child, starting at fertilization, with no exceptions for rape or incest. The bill died when it failed to reach the 33 votes necessary to end a filibuster against it. Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston, who introduced the trigger legislation, said Wednesday that the bill is "completely off the table." She said she is not writing the legislation that could be proposed in a special session, but predicted it would propose further abortion restrictions, rather than a complete ban, which she felt had a higher chance of passing. "I can't say what the governor is going to settle on," Albrecht said Thursday. Linehan, who supported the trigger bill, said that while a 12-week ban would not eliminate all abortions, she would support any legislation that leads to fewer abortions in the state. Currently in Nebraska, abortions are legal up until 20 weeks after fertilization. A total of 2,360 abortions were reported in 2021, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. That marked a slight decrease from the 2,378 reported in 2020. According to the report, more than 85% of the abortions performed in 2021 occurred before an estimated 12 weeks of gestation. Hunt, who led the eight-hour filibuster against the trigger bill, said in a follow-up Tweet that she also opposed a 12-week ban. "Politicians might think that a 12 week ban will make them look moderate, but they know what everybody else knows: Putting government between a doctor and a patient for no medically necessary reason is never moderate," Hunt said in the Tweet. LAUREL, Neb. (AP) Police on Friday arrested a man in the killings of four people in a small northeast Nebraska town where it had been more than 100 years since it last saw such violence. Around 2:30 a.m. Friday, a police team surrounded the Laurel home of 42-year-old Jason Jones and barged inside, with guns drawn and using flash bangs. Jones' home is just off the main downtown street in the town of 1,000 people and directly across the street from one of two houses where occupants were shot before the homes were set ablaze, police said. Jones was so badly burned that he had to be flown to a hospital in Lincoln instead of being booked into jail, Nebraska State Patrol Col. John Bolduc said. Jones was charged later Friday with 10 felonies, including four counts of first-degree murder. The Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy which often handles capital murder cases was appointed to represent Jones and declined to comment on the case. Police allege that Jones killed 53-year-old Michele Ebeling early Thursday morning before causing some type of explosion and fire in her home that's across the street from him. According to police, Jones then went about three blocks south, broke into another home and killed Gene Twiford, 86; his wife, Janet Twiford, 85; and their daughter, Dana Twiford, 55. Charging documents allege Jones carried out some of the killings in the course of a burglary, but Bolduc declined to give a possible motive for the slayings or say if Jones knew the victims. Several people in Laurel said they knew little about Jones, other than he had moved into the home within the last few years. Court records say Jones had lived in the Elm Street house since at least 2019. Receipts and a gun left at the scene of the killings were linked to him. The killings came as a shock to the community that's about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Omaha. Despite its small size, Laurel is home to five churches and the Knuckleheadz bar that also serves as the towns cafe. The last criminal homicide in Laurel happened in 2005, when a man died following a bar fight and that case was deemed to be manslaughter, not murder. To find the towns last known multiple murder, one would have to go back more than 100 years to 1918, when Dr. C.C. Sackett and Harold Crownover were shot and killed by suspected burglars they had been chasing, according to town historian Roger Tryon. Tryon writes a column titled Pages of History for the weekly Laurel Advocate. People still talk about it. That was the crime of the 20th century for Laurel, Tryon said. I suspect whats happened here this week will be the crime of the 21st century. Michele Ebelings daughter, Richele Ebeling, 31, of Oklahoma City, told The Associated Press that her mother moved to Laurel about two years ago with her boyfriend, who travels for his job and was not home when she was attacked. Honestly, this is so bizarre and so surreal that I cannot even wrap my head around this, she said, noting she had last talked with her mom around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday by phone. She said it is not clear whether her mother knew Jones or whether she knew the Twiford family down the street. The Twifords were lifelong Laurel residents, and almost everyone there knew them. Their next-door neighbors, Doug and Lynette Krie, said they didn't hear anything like gunshots before dawn Thursday. They were alerted to trouble around 9:30 a.m., when they spotted the town's lone law enforcement officer in their driveway, who said a passerby had noticed smoke coming from the Twifords' home. The officer and the Kries then went over to the Twiford home together to check the doors. They were all secure and then I saw one of the doors in the back cracked open, Lynette Krie said. Firefighters from the town's volunteer department then went in to find the source of the smoke. When they emerged, they fell to their knees. That's when I knew they were gone," Krie said, fighting back tears. But the Kries and many others in town didn't find out about the shootings until later. We just assumed they had died of smoke inhalation or something, Doug Krie said. Nobody expected this. - Associated Press reporters Scott McFetridge and David Pitt contributed to this report from Des Moines, Iowa. On Thursday, a Texas jury awarded the parents of Jessie Lewis, who was killed in the 2012 shooting in Sandy Hook, $4.1 million in compensatory damages against Alex Jones for defamation and emotional distress caused by suggesting that the six-year-olds father lied about the boys death. The family had sought $150 million, but it was suspected they might be granted a much lower amount as Texas civil juries are notoriously stingy. But perhaps more interesting than the ultimate damages against the conspiracy theory maven and Jan. 6 leader would be forced to pay was the utterly calamitous performance of his latest defense team that could ultimately put Jones on the hook for a criminal charge of perjury. Advertisement This past week of the trial unearthed a series of revelations that could have devastating consequences for Jones. For starters, Jones had already lost a default judgment in this case and another in Connecticut. Now, he stands accused of perjury and faces a high likelihood of his phone history being handed over to the House Select Committee investigating Jan. 6. Both of these developments are the result of the utter incompetence of Jones attorney, F. Andino Reynal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That ineptitude was on full display starting on Wednesday, when plaintiffs attorney Mark Bankston confronted Jones on the stand with a series of text messages and emails that seemed to show he had been lying in an earlier deposition. Jones claimed he had searched through his own phone history and he had no texts or emails relevant to the case. Bankston then revealed rather dramatically that he knew Jones was lying about the messages, because Reynals team had messed up and sent me your entire cell phone texting history 12 days ago. Advertisement Advertisement 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 Advertisement Jones should be frightened about potentially being charged with perjury. Advertisement I would say when youre Alex Jones the possibility of a prosecution is ratcheted up by, one, his high profile and, two, his unlikability if thats the right word, Georgetown Law Professor Michael Frisch told me. I mean the reality is prosecutors in criminal cases exercise discretion and hes a pretty big get. He almost begs for it. Bankston, in a separate hearing on Thursday, suggested that theres already a potential law enforcement investigation of Jones underway. As Frisch noted, it would not only be the Department of Justice that might have jurisdiction in a perjury case, but rather its much more likely to be a state court prosecutor in Texas. Advertisement Advertisement In a hearing on Thursday over a request by Reynal for a mistrial due to the publicization of the inadvertent disclosure to the jury, Bankston revealed more about how the cell phone data got into his hands, why it was fair game to use in court, and what he might do with it next. The revelations should make Jonesand anyone with whom he may have had compromising text messagesshudder. Advertisement Advertisement As Bankston told the court, Reynals legal assistant accidentally sent opposing counsel a 300 gigabyte file with much of Jones data history on it. Also on the file were medical files for plaintiffs against Jones in a separate Sandy Hook defamation case, which clearly should not have been released to anyone. Bankston told the court that he deleted the medical files, but not the rest. Reynals initial response to the inadvertent disclosure was to reply please disregard and I will work on preparing you a new link. Advertisement Advertisement As Bankston noted to the court, though, and as the judge accepted, the plaintiffs attorney was under no obligation to treat please disregard as a legally binding request. Indeed, under Texas Civil Rules of Procedure 193.3which Bankston noted Reynal had cited in his mistrial motion Reynal had ten days to assert specific privileges, such as attorney-client privilege, over specific portions of the disclosures. Reynal did not do so, and 12 days later, Bankston made the revelations in court. Advertisement Further, Bankston told the court: I am under request from various federal agencies and law enforcement to provide that phone. Absent a ruling from you saying you cannot do that Mr. Bankston, then I intend to do so immediately following this hearing. I believe that there is absolutely nothing, nothing that Mr. Reynal has done to fulfill his obligations to protect his client and prevent me from doing that. Advertisement At this point, Reynal pleaded with the court not to let Bankston hand over Jones cell phone data to federal agencies and law enforcement. Judge Maya Guerra Gamble asked Bankston to clarify who was requesting the documents. Right now, Ive been asked by the Jan. 6 committee to turn over the documents, Bankston said. Advertisement Advertisement Addressing Reynal, Judge Gamble laughed and said I dont know that you get to stop that anyway. Ultimately, she told Reynal she would allow him to research whether there is some reason I should not allow Mr. Bankston to make the disclosure, but clearly viewed her own ability to block the release to the committee very skeptically. As for the mistrial request, Gamble was incredulous. I dont think its a mistrial based on this. That was kind of a throwaway, I dont know if you really meant it, Gamble said at one point to Reynal. He didnt respond, but Gamble asked the question again later in the proceeding: You didnt tell me if youre really trying to move for a mistrial or if that was just a throwaway? Advertisement No, we are moving for a mistrial, Reynal responded. Thats like the 17th time or something, remarked a bemused Gamble. As for whether any of the remaining texts from Jones search history will see the light of day in this proceeding, another defamation trial, or through another venue, Judge Gamble instructed Reynal to make any requests to mark documents confidential under a previous court agreement he might have as soon as possible. However, she also suggested she would look upon those requests skeptically. When Reynal complained that the data release was a tremendous amount of information, your honor to review so quickly, the judge replied: I know. The problem is it probably should have been disclosed a year ago or longer and then there would have been plenty of time to look through it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier in the hearing, Bankston noted that it is unlikely that many of these textssome of which could interest the Jan. 6 committee or law enforcementwould be covered by the confidentiality agreement anyway. Things like Mr. Jones in his intimate messages to Roger Stone are not confidential, they are not trade secrets, none of them, Bankston noted. All in all, Thursday was probably a worse day in court for Alex Jones. He seems to have little recourse. It will be no defense to Jones to say this should not have been submitted therefore a perjury prosecution cant be [initiated], Frisch told me. Reynal, as well, could face all sorts of problems for the revelations. Claiming his lawyer had violated his obligation to his client could be a basis for [a] malpractice, case by Jones against Reynal, Frisch said. If a perjury prosecution goes forward, Reynal could be in even more trouble. If the documents show that Jones committed perjury, leading to criminal charges, Reynal could be subject to bar sanctions or civil liability. Moreover, the court in the Texas defamation case might get involved if Reynal had documents relevant to the case and failed to disclose them to the court. Its worth noting that this is not the first time Reynal has embarrassed himself in Gambles courtroom. Earlier in the trial he had to apologize after being photographed giving Bankston the middle finger during an angry confrontation. Parents of Sandy Hook victims finally got to face Alex Jones in court this week after he spent years claiming their children never existedthat they were actors in an elaborate plot to take away Americas guns. Jones has built a media empire on stories like this, earning him tens of millions. Now, with a $4 million verdict so far for two of the parents, and with punitive damages and several other trials still to come, hes facing some kind of consequences. [Update, 6:08 p.m.: The jury awarded an additional $45.2 million in punitive damages to two parents on Friday, though under Texas law, the final payout is likely to be much lower.] Advertisement Will it matter? How much trouble is Jones really in? Dan Friesen, the co-host of the podcast Knowledge Fight, a play on Joness Infowars, has been in court in Austin and watched the trial unfold. On his podcast, he spends hours upon hours chronicling Jones show and public statements, creating a dizzying ledger of what Americas foremost conspiracist is pumping out to his audience. He started the show in 2017 because he wanted to get inside Jones mind; five years and hundreds of episodes later, Friesen watched what Jones was doing in court with clearer eyes than most. Over the phone, he described what its been like in the court room, what he noticed that others have overlooked, and whether or not these trials will have a real impact on Jones empire. Our conversation has been condensed and edited. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aymann Ismail: You watch Alex Jones full time, everything he does. How exceptional has this week been? Dan Friesen: These two weeks have been pretty big for Alex. But I think its important to contextualize this trial as a part of all of the cases against him. He has the Lafferty case in Connecticut, the Pozner case in Texas. I might be forgetting one or two, but for all of these cases, hes stonewalled and refused to cooperate in any way with discovery, which is dragging this process out forever. This week, he heard the first part of the jury verdict on damages. And theres a real sense that this is a moment that didnt feel like it was ever going to come. Alex probably isnt happy its come. There are side issues too, like the text messages being accidentally sent to the plaintiffs attorneys. This is going to be very significant in his life, I think. Advertisement So far he has to pay $4.1 million, with punitive damages to come. How significant is that to him? That is low for what many expected. Theres still the punitive damages portion that hasnt come yet, and he has a number of suits, so youve got to multiply this by a few. But its a little bit depressing because he just got that $8 million donation in Bitcoin. So this is half of that. It doesnt seem like that meaningful of an amount for him. Advertisement Do these trials in general pose a real threat to Jones empire? His financial circumstances are mysterious even to folks like myself who really try to understand him. $2 million would obviously be not fun for Alex to pay. But some anonymous person gave him that $8 million in Bitcoin. This anonymous multimillion dollar donor he has raises the question of how much access Alex has other mega-donors who might be able to keep him afloat. Obviously, there is the possibility that these cases as a whole could put him in trouble. But I dont think anybody really fully knows what he may or may not have access to in terms of resources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Do you think the lawsuit did what it set out to do, then? I think its more important to understand this case more from the plaintiffs perspective than Alexs. Even if this doesnt end up completely destroying Alex, theres something to [Sandy Hook parents] Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslins culmination of what theyve gone through to Alexs face in court. Ms. Lewis in particular testified while Alex was in court. It was very meaningful for her to express some things to him there. Were talking about years and years of suffering. How do you put a value on being able to speak your piece to someone who has caused you years and years of pain? Whatever letdown anybody has about the number not being high enough to destroy Alex is, I dont want to say missing the point, but is projecting a hope that maybe isnt what the plaintiffs fully were looking for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From my sense, I dont think that Lewis and Heslin were setting out to bankrupt Alex and make sure he can never work again. On the stand, Heslin said that he hoped that Alex would be able to stay in business. Their hope was to create enough of a consequence that he wouldnt do this sort of thing again to anybody else. Unfortunately, as someone who studies him, I can say that no amount of money, short of him going out of business, will ever teach him a lesson. But thats me, as opposed to what I believe the plaintiffs feel. What have you noticed in watching Alex Jones on the stand that someone who isnt as familiar with him wouldnt have? Advertisement When his lawyers were asking him questions, I think he was putting on an act. He wanted to look like a normal and rational person. But when he was being questioned by the judge, he would answer questions that werent being asked, and the judge would have to tell him to stop. Thats really how he works. If you listen or watch his show, youll notice its almost impossible to focus on what hes saying if youre not paying close attention. He goes off in tangents constantly. On the stand, you could see that. Thats just how he is. Advertisement Advertisement But that torn larynx and coughing thing I dont think was real. I think that was a ploy to avoid subjects that were hyper uncomfortable for him. He would have some coughs or say excuse me a minute to control the pace of questions that he didnt know how to handle. Advertisement Jones was forced to admit that he was wrong and that the Sandy Hook massacre was 100% real. Were you surprised to see that? Not at all. He said that trying to cover his ass before. Thats not really that groundbreaking. Its somewhat meaningless in terms of the central question of the case, because great, you figured it out eventually, but the damage that you did was done. It also certainly doesnt qualify as a sincere apology, given that his behavior has not really changed. Alex can present whatever he wants on his show without legal consequences. When he did his deposition in December, he said he believed it was fake for a bit, then came around and realized that it all happened. Then he got on his show the day after and was said, Now going through all this, maybe I was right. He can say what he wants in court, and it wont have as much of an impact on his influence or his audience that someone might think. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Is Alex Jones lawyer as bad as he seems to be? I dont believe his lawyer is that bad. He is a highly qualified lawyer. He was appointed to a position by Eric Holder. He isnt somebody whos like fresh out of law school. But he showed witnesses something he hadnt shown the plaintiffs lawyers, which you cant do. He got chastised for it, and it happened again. There are a couple reasons why he would make those kinds of mistakes, and none really make sense. Alex could be telling him what to do, and he is doing it. Thats a possibility. Sloppiness maybe is a possibility. I think the most likely reason is that he was attempting to get a mistrial by poisoning the jury so they cant give a fair verdict. I think thats saner than most other options, because Ive been experiencing this entire process throughout the case. Alex has had like 10 lawyers, and the only thing hes done with his legal team is try to delay and derail the processes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What has the energy been like in the courtroom? Honestly, Im impressed with how respectful its been. When I headed down to Austin, I was really worried about it turning into a zoo. I had seen Alex events before and the type of folks who come out and yell Infowars.com! and what have you. Its an open court, so anybody can come. Legitimately, there were more fans of my podcast than Infowars that came to the actual trial. There wasnt a swarm of media, either, a few local outlets at most. Advertisement There wasnt any media blitz or the sense that this was some kind of a huge event that Alex could exploit for promotional value. I thought that was really, really good. Everyone in the courtroom was confused by a lot of Alex, his behavior, but more importantly, I think everybody was deeply moved by the testimonies that were delivered by Neil and Scarlet. I think the vibe was pretty reverent, and my sense was this is as good as it could be for an Alex Jones trial. Advertisement The day that Alex and Neil and Scarlet were to testify, the judge said that if at any point things seemed like they were performances more for the media than the case, then she would shut down the livestream and take all media out of the room. We cant pretend that this isnt something of interest, but that interest is secondary to giving these people their day in court. Alex Jones is still producing his show while in court. Has his show changed as the trial intensified? I havent watched all of it because it would just not be humanly possible to be taking in the trial and his show, but Ive seen bits. I watched like an hour here. It doesnt feel that different to me. Hes asking for money and lying about things. Its standard. The day he testified, while Neil Heslin was testifying, Alex was on his show suggesting that he and Scarlett were both being used in some sort of a nefarious legal conspiracy against him. He also talked about how pride parades are full of people eating poop on the streets and giving each other monkeypox. So, hes doing what he always does. I didnt see any change in behavior. Youve talked about how powerful the testimony was. Do you think any words from the family got through to him? He doesnt care. I think that its hard for people to understand because we care. But he doesnt care at all. He doesnt care that these people were hurt. Hes rewritten his own history in his mind like a child might, in order to absolve himself of any blame for any of his actions. He can abstractly maybe think like, Oh no. Their kid died. Thats real sad. That doesnt have anything to do with me. I was just asking questions! and go about his life. It sucks, but in my experience, he does not care at all. I dont know how to put it any more bluntly than that. A year ago, calling someone a Christian nationalist was an insult. The phrase was in the air after Jan. 6 rioters had come to the Capitol wielding Christian iconography and speaking of their cause as a religious crusade. Crosses and bibles and banners citing scripture were held aloft by a crowd calling to hang Mike Pence and overthrow a democratic election. In the aftermath, as many horrified Republicans scrambled to condemn the violence, evangelical pastors decried Christian nationalism as deeply dangerousespecially in response to experts and reporters who noted that support for Trumpian extremism had become inextricable from some parts of white evangelical power in America. Advertisement Al Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, called Christian nationalism idolatrous and pushed back on the idea that evangelical Christianity was linked to what had happened at the Capitol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nationalism is always a clear and present danger, he wrote a week after the insurrection. But linking it to American evangelical Christianity, he said, was an unfair accusation. By this summer, Mohler had updated his thinking. Speaking on his podcast on June 15, the theologian said: We have the left routinely speaking of me and of others as Christian nationalists, as if were supposed to be running from that. He added: Im not about to run from that. Mohler is not alone in changing his tune. Far-right politicians are warming to the label, too. Advertisement I am being attacked by the godless left because I said Im a proud Christian nationalist, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote in a recent tweet. Two days later, she was hawking mercha Proud Christian Nationalist T-shirt, for sale on her Instagram. Share your love for our great nation with this shirt, available EXCLUSIVELY at the Official MTG Shop, the caption said. This is a remarkable shift. What was, not long ago, a scholarly term used to describe an ideology that holds that the U.S. was founded asand should be governed asan explicitly Christian nation has been reclaimed as an identity. In a matter of months, Christian nationalist transformed from being a taboo to cultural signifier. Advertisement Advertisement And experts say that shift is not limited to a few extreme people. Inside evangelical spaces, as recently as a few months ago, there was more deflection, said Kristin Kobes Du Mez, the author of Jesus and John Wayne, a history of the past half-century of white evangelicalism in the United States. It was, Oh, Christian nationalism, what even is that? This is just a tactic on the part of liberals and the left to smear good, patriotic, and godly Americans. In the last few months, Du Mez said, the attitude has changed to be more like: Oh yeah? Of course, Christian nationalism is what were supposed to do. Advertisement Advertisement Christian nationalism is an academic term that encompasses different degrees of intensity. It includes more harmless, everyday God-and-country white evangelicals who believe politicians and courts should eliminate barriers separating church and stateperhaps by allowing for prayer in schools or other public spacesas well as those with a dominionist perspective, compelled to bring the nations institutions under control of people who will enforce Gods law. Advertisement Advertisement It also includes violent extremists willing to tear down democratic processes to bring about their vision of a white Christian nation. And while the vast majority of people who could be categorized as Christian nationalists fall into the first two camps, experts worry that the idea of a self-identified label could bring different kinds of Christian nationalists more closely together. Advertisement Advertisement Its a dangerous normalization. You have surveys that show theres correlation, that the more staunchly people hold Christian nationalist profiles, the less they defend democracy, said Du Mez. Other scholars have shown that Christian nationalism seems to incline people toward baseless conspiracy theories. It may have been inevitable that some on the political right would reclaim the term. Groups that see themselves as victimized often tend to reappropriate accusatory language, and social media makes for a useful place to experiment with identities and test out the publics reaction. Christian nationalism is simultaneously becoming more stigmatized in the mainstream, said Sam Perry, a sociologist at the University of Oklahoma who studies Christian nationalism. And yet the people that do affirm it are becoming more radicalized, more militant, more really open about it. Like, OK, if this is who we are, we just need to embrace this thing. Advertisement Scholars and self-proclaimed Christian nationalists may not always mean the same thing when they use the term. Some self-identifying Christian nationalists might simply be social conservatives who advocate against gay marriage, for example. This is different from the scholarly study of those who believe the American political process itself should be overhauled to serve Godor that the reasoning undergirding the laws of the U.S. should be explicitly Christian. Advertisement Advertisement But many Christian nationalists who identify that way likely know what theyre advocating for. Greene may have missed some of the nuances of the conversation, but she opportunistically and openly represents brash, aggressive, stop-the-steal types of Americans. And she knows she can use the shock of the label to burnish her brand. As Andrew Whitehead, a sociologist studying Christian nationalism at Indiana UniversityPurdue University Indianapolis, put it: Its, if it makes the left or liberals upset, Im more than willing to claim it. Advertisement Other politicians who promote the ideals of Christian nationalism include Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee in the Pennsylvania gubernatorial race, who justified his participation in the Jan. 6 riots in religious terms and who promised that above all he would bring God back to Pennsylvania. Theres Michael Peroutka, the Republican nominee to be Marylands attorney general, who believes leaders should take a biblical worldview and apply it to civil law and government, and who has said laws supporting gay marriage are null because they violate Gods law. Theres Rep. Lauren Boebert, who floated the idea of mandatory biblical citizenship training, who has said the church is supposed to direct the government and that shes tired of this separation of church and state junk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It seems its only a matter of time before the Mastrianos and Boeberts come to embrace the label of Christian nationalism, too. Partly in response to this softening of the term, some critics have begun using the phrase Christo-fascism, meant to be an unambiguously negative term, to refer to the violent, extremist form of Christian nationalism seen during the Jan. 6 insurrection. Phil Gorski, a Yale professor who studies white Christian nationalism, said he thought Christo-fascism could apply both to the white nationalist groups that have begun strategically using Christian language as a cover to make their racist aims more palatable, as well as to the extreme Christian nationalists who openly embrace the idea of using violence to achieve their ends. Thats the most worrisome development I see, Gorski said. More overlap in some cases with militia groups, more of this gun fetishism. Right now, theres some debate as to whether Christo-fascism more accurately describes the danger posed by this increasingly emboldened segment of the Christian rightor if, conversely, it lets self-identifying Christian nationalists (and other evangelical Christians) off the hook for tacitly supporting extremism. A hallmark of fascism is this idea of regeneration through violence, Gorski said. And thats something theyre always talking around the edges of. In the fertile plains of Washington states Yakima Valley, maximum summer temperatures typically approach 90 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning sweaty, potentially dangerous work for the people who harvest the regions bounty: 77 percent of U.S.-grown hops, a huge portion of our apples, and plenty of pears and cherries as well. But for the past two years, fierce heat waves have descended, making an uncomfortable job even more punishing. Starting on July 16, Yakima experienced eight straight days of triple-digit temperatures, peaking at a demonic 108 degrees F on both July 28 and July 29. Advertisement Under emergency rules for outside labor adopted during a record-smashing summer 2021 heat wave and reinstated this year, when the temperature hits 89 degrees, Washington state employers have to provide workers with a paid 10-minute break, in full shade with the opportunity to sit, every two hours, as well as enough suitably cool water to allow workers to drink at least one quart each per hour. These measures have helped keep workers safe but arent quite enough, says Yakima-based Adriana Cruz, organizer at the Fair Work Center, a Washington group that defends workers in low-wage sectors like agriculture and food service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When I caught up with her in late July, she had just met with several apple pickers. To avoid extreme heat and interruptions from required breaks, the workers told her, farm managers have pushed harvest shifts into the early hours, starting around 4:30 a.m. and ending late morning, when the temperature approaches the 89-degree threshold. Even so, things can get perilously hot. One reason is that the Washington rules dont account for humidity, which typically isnt a concern in semi-arid Yakima. But because of the heat, [growers] need to be watering orchards pretty frequently, says Cruz. Irrigated ground in 80-plus-degree weather can create pockets of humidity that make people feel much hotter while working outside. Advertisement Advertisement One apple orchard picker told Cruz that her crew stopped working at noon last week, with the temperature surpassing 90 degrees and irrigation-related humidity building. She told me it was a horrible feeling, because she was nauseous, dizzy, and having trouble breathing, Cruz says. On top of the sweltering weather, pickers have to climb a ladder to reach the apples, and even the actual ladder gets really hot, and its really hard to touch it without burning yourself in these temperatures. Advertisement Yakimas harvesters have it better than their outdoor-toiling peers in most of the United States. As the climate warms, the frequency of U.S. heat waves has nearly tripled since the 1960s, and theyve also gotten more severe and longer-lasting. People who make their living outdoors have paid a severe price. Back in 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calculated that crop workers die from heat stress at 20 times the rate of non-farm employees. A 2021 analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data by NPR and Columbia Journalism Investigations found that heat-related fatalities among U.S. workers have doubled since the early 1990s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And its only going to get worse. In a 2020 paper, University of Washington researchers calculated that the average number of days spent working in unsafe conditions due to excessive heat will likely double by midcentury, and triple by the end of it. Yet Washington is one of just four states with specific rules to protect workers from dangerous heat, along with California, Oregon, and Minnesota. Legislatures in Nevada, Maryland, and Colorado have passed laws requiring state agencies to develop heat standards for workers, but those havent come into effect yet. And no federal standards exist for working in the heat. Advertisement Advertisement Under federal labor law, employers are required to assure safe and healthful working conditions on the job. The agency that exists within the Department of Labor to enforce that standard, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, occasionally rolls out rules designed to protect workers from specific threats that might otherwise fall through the cracks. Back in 1983, for example, OSHA introduced rules requiring employers to train and inform workers about how to avoid exposure to toxic chemicals on the job. Last June, OSHA released emergency rules designed to protect health care workers from Covid-19a move the Trump administrations Labor Department had refused to make, despite severe pressure from worker advocates. Advertisement Advertisement Last September, in the wake of the hottest U.S. summer on record, OSHA initiated a rulemaking process to develop a workplace heat standard that could ultimately bring the rest of the United States in line with Washington and its West Coast peers in requiring paid, shaded breaks, and access to cool drinking water when temperatures hit hazardous levels. In its announcement, OSHA stressed that humidity should be accounted for in setting the threshold. But the federal process grinds at a slow pace. A 2012 U.S. Government Accountability Office study found that the time between initiation and fruition for new safety and health standards averages seven yearsand can take as long as 19 years. Advertisement Advertisement Given the present and growing menace of heat stress for workers, thats too little, too late, many advocates say. In a report released in June, the progressive advocacy group Public Citizen urged the Biden OSHA to release emergency rules to protect workers while it continues the slow process of proposing and finalizing a permanent standard. Advertisement But the conservative turn of federal courts in recent years, including most spectacularly the Supreme Court, makes such a move vulnerable to legal challenge. I think the current judiciary would not permit OSHA to issue an emergency standard for heat, David Michaels, OSHA administrator under President Barack Obama and current George Washington University professor, told Mother Jones. A heat standard is clearly a high priority for OSHA, but the standard-setting process is broken, so unless Congress intervenes and passes legislation that lets OSHA move faster, it will take several years for the agency to issue a standard. In 2021, a group of senators including Ohios Sherrod Brown, Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren, Vermonts Bernie Sanders, and New Jerseys Cory Booker co-sponsored a bill that would require OSHA to enact a final standard on prevention of occupational exposure to excessive heat within three-and-a-half years of its being signed into law. They called the bill the Asuncion Valdivia Heat Illness and Fatality Prevention Act, named after a California farmworker who died of heatstroke in 2004 after picking grapes for 10 straight hours in 105 degree temperatures. Instead of calling an ambulance, the bills text adds, his employer told his son to drive Mr. Valdivia home. On his way home, he started foaming at the mouth and died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the summer of 2022 sweltered on, Brown staged a press conference on July 20 promoting the bill and declaring, We know too many workers still work in dangerous conditions, putting their health and safety on the line every day to provide for their families. Theres not much dignity in a job where you fear for your health or your life. The House version of the bill advanced through the House Education and Labor Committee on July 27. Yet it remains stuck in the Senate, unlikely to get a vote, much less achieve the 60-vote threshold required to overcome the filibuster, given that no Republican senators signed on as sponsors. Advertisement Advertisement Unfortunately, Republican senators havent shown any interest in joining us yet, Brown wrote in an emailed statement. Ill continue to work with my colleagues to find a path forward for pro-worker legislation like the Asuncion Valdivia Heat Illness and Fatality Prevention Act. Meanwhile, through the first week of August, most of the country languishes under a heat index (a metric that combines heat and humidity) that necessitates extreme caution to remain safe while being outside. A lot of people will continue making their living relatively unbothered, getting cooled indoors by air conditioning. Others dont have that option. Beer consumption falls, but it's still hen night on the highway. Your daily dose of news from Slovakia is ready. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Welcome to the last news digest of this week. Read the news from August 5, 2022 in less than five minutes. US Senate confirms new American ambassador to Slovakia The US Senate confirmed the nomination of Gautam Rana as ambassador to Slovakia on August 4. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Rana, a career diplomat of Indian-American descent, will come to Slovakia from Algeria, where he has served at the US embassy there since 2020, most recently as its deputy chief of mission. He previously served at the embassies in Slovenia and India, and has worked in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates. Gautam Rana will take up a post that has been vacant since May, when his predecessor Bridget Brink moved on to serve as the US Ambassador in Kyiv. Slovakia is drinking less beer since the pandemic The average inhabitant of Slovakia drank approximately 120 large beers (equivalent to 106 pints), or 60.2 litres of beer last year. The figure marks a 30-year low: per capita consumption was 90 litres in 1990. The inhabitants of Slovakia do not drink even half the amount of beer that their former compatriots in the Czech Republic do: average consumption there was 135 litres per capita in 2020. More International Beer Day news: If you decide to 'improve' Slovakia's stats today, take it easy: alcoholic drinks may not be the wisest choice during the heatwave that is continuing to affect the whole country. However, reading more statistics about beer drinking in Slovakia will do you no harm. You may also want to learn how to read a Slovak beer label. Plan your weekend Take a look at our tips for outings and good reads. This week, Peter Dlhopolec writes about a display on 11 amazing women, a historical gay love story, and a trip to an overlooked plateau. If you haven't done so yet, sign up for his Spectacular Slovakia newsletter. Featured story for today If a person whose job it is to think can tie himself into a mental pretzel over someone as inoffensive as President Caputova or something as morally unambiguous as the defence of Ukraine, what hope for the rest of us? In his latest Nice Driveway! column, James Thomson offers an answer to this (and other) questions. Related article Related article Why would you hate President Caputova? Read more In other news: REFUGEES: More than 10,000 people have asked the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Slovakia for assistance since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February this year. People fleeing the war most frequently ask whether they will lose their temporary protection status if they visit relatives in Ukraine. CORONAVIRUS: Out of the 1,881 samples that laboratories tested yesterday, 947 were positive. Six more people died of Covid, taking the count of Covid victims in Slovakia to 20,248 as of August 5. There are currently 638 people with Covid in Slovak hospitals. (NCZI) COALITION: After Za Ludi MP Jana Zitnanska suggested there could be something like an "opposition agreement" with SaS, in which the party would pledge not to vote out the government even while in opposition, SaS leader Richard Sulik said SaS was not planning to sign any such agreement. OLaNO leader Igor Matovic wrote a Facebook post accusing Sulik of being a "professional manipulator and liar", and added that "I do not hate you, only pity you". MONKEY POX: Slovakia reported two new monkey pox cases; a total of eight people have been diagnosed with the illness so far. The new patients are in the 20-59 age range and are isolating at home. There is no known epidemiological connection between them. (NCZI) TB CASES DOWN: In 2021, Slovakia reported the lowest number of tuberculosis cases in the last 12 years: there were 137 cases altogether in the National Tuberculosis Register, which is 376 fewer than in 2009 and 21 fewer than in 2020. Vaccination against tuberculosis has not been compulsory in Slovakia since 2012. (NCZI) TRANSFORMING TRANSPORT: The European Commission approved Slovakia's scheme to support changes in transport. Slovakia will thus be able to use 30 million within the Recovery and Resilience Facility to transform solely road transport into combined road-rail-water transport by December 31, 2027. (TASR) HEN NIGHT: About 50 crates containing live hens fell out of a Polish truck on the D1 highway last night. Some 400 birds were left running up and down an 80-metre strip of the highway. Highway police from Trnava helped round up the birds. If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk. For Chen Yan, 21 and not having had a college education, becoming a cultural worker had never been on her agenda. But foregoing her job in the city to become a performer of her acquainted traditional culture has also stood to reason. She puts on a bride's red robe and sits in a sedan chair at 10:30 a.m. every day. The wedding procession marches hundreds of meters down the street to the center stage of Shuangshigou Village, where she attends the traditional Chinese wedding ceremony with a "bridegroom" in front of tourists. The village is under Yunxi County in central China's Hubei Province. Yunxi boasts its geographical relationship with the Qixi Festival, or the Chinese Valentine's Day, which falls on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, and celebrates the legend of the annual meeting between the mythological figures of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. The latest census shows that Qixi culture existed and was inherited in 18 townships under Yunxi. Shuangshigou preserves the ancient appearance of the village and highlights the traditional Chinese marriage customs. Thursday marks this year's Qixi. After the wedding ceremony performance, Chen went back to the village's souvenir store and began peddling handicrafts. She also weaves at an old-fashioned loom in the store when she is not busy. Chen is from a village near Shuangshigou. She left home when she was 15. Two years ago, her parents persuaded her to return as a tourism village themed on Qixi was being built. She has since found the job of "playing bride" with a monthly income of 3,000 yuan (about 442 U.S. dollars). She said the income from working in the city was higher, but life was difficult and unstable. Seeing that her hometown was developing fast, she decided to go back, not only to be with her parents, but also to do her bit to demonstrate traditional culture to more people. She got married not long after she was back, and now her son is almost one year old. "My husband is still a migrant worker in the city. I hope that he will soon find a job back here, or maybe we can start a business together," she said. As the summer travel season has come, she is particularly dressed up in her pink "hanfu"-- the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group, sitting beside the loom or walking in the fields, adding a unique scene to the folksy village in the eyes of tourists. Chen, after leaving school for so many years, picked up the book again and made plans to study traditional poems and mythologies related to Qixi. Rao Huibing, an operator of the tourist village, said Chen is expected to grow into one of the village's first docents, telling Qixi stories and customs in front of tourists. Trot Insider has learned that longtime harness racing industry participant Laurie Bell passed away on August 1, 2022 at his home in Macnutt, Sask. at the age of 71. Laurie Riel Bell was born on July 17, 1951 in Roblin, Manitoba. He was predeceased by his parents Riel Mitchell Bell and Marie Beatrice Bell (nee Brazeau) Siblings; Gary Bell, Laura Carriere and Marilyn Bell. After working at Intercontinental Packers for a number of years he found his passion with Standardbreds and harness racing, and did so throughout the prairie provinces. Through his career he had much success and accolades including a lifetime achievement award. In his later years he worked for Royston Farms. Laurie was an all-around horseman who owned, trained, drove and did a lot of his own shoeing. He worked alongside his wife Elaine who ran their stable for all the years they raced in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta from the early 1970s up until around 2010. Those who raced on the prairies most likely attended a Bell BBQ or gathering at the barn at some point. Laurie always enjoyed having his family and friends around, sharing stories and jokes. He married Elaine Flamont on February 20, 1971. They had their first daughter Laurel in 1971, then Nadine in 1973. Laurie is survived by his wife Elaine, brothers Ellwyn, Mervin and Gordon, daughters Laurel (Kelly) and Nadine, grandchildren Blake (Brielle), Lindy and Taylorr, and great grandchildren Lilly, Mason and Jade. Harness racing remained in his heart and he always wanted to pass on his knowledge to his daughters and his grandson. His grandson was his biggest fan. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Laurie Bell. Longtime harness racing industry participant Ronald (Monty) Males of Trenton, Ont. passed away peacefully in his 84th year on July 15, 2022. Ron tenaciously worked for 40 years with his Father-In-Law, Donald Farrow, doing plastering and building. In 1972 he purchased his first Standardbred racehorse and enjoyed this as a hobby. Then, in 1974 he started farming and spent five years as a Brighton Township Councillor, later spending time in Florida and Kentucky training and racing horses. Along with his wife Donna, Ron owned and operated The Village Coin Laundry in Lexington, Ky., where they got to meet many great participants during Grand Circuit at the Red Mile and Keeneland. He had a thrill driving in a fair race at the Kentucky Horse Park. Monty was handy and always there to lend a hand to help anyone in need. Anyone who knew him quickly recognized his love of animals, quick wit and sense of humour. Loving husband of Donna (Farrow) for 62 years and father of Cheryl Spence (Edgar) and predeceased by his son Bradley. Grandfather of Rachel and Zachary Spence, James (Krystal) Agnew and C. Brad Males and Great Grandfather of six. As per Monty's wishes, there will be no funeral service. The family would like to thank the team at Trenton Memorial Hospital Palliative Care. If you wish to make a donation in his memory, please make it to your local Humane Society or, as Monty had said, you can make it out to his loving wife, "who put up with me for 62 years!" Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Ron Males. At the Battle of Cedar Mountain in Culpeper County on Aug. 9, 1862, Confederate troops led by Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Stonewall Jackson prevailed over Federal troops led by Gen. Nathaniel Banks at a cost of 3,800 men killed or wounded, according to the Friends of Cedar Mountain Battlefield. In commemoration of the battles 160th anniversary, the Friends will host anniversary events 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. The battlefield is along U.S. 15 south of the town of Culpeper. Visitors of all ages are welcome to enjoy a variety of activities that will bring to life the experiences of soldiers and civilians impacted by the battle, according to event publicity. The event has expanded this year to include a battle reenactment each day. Were grateful to the more than 300 reenactors who are supporting this exciting feature for the 160th anniversary, said Diane Logan, president of Friends of Cedar Mountain Battlefield. With participating infantry and three artillery groups, visitors can expect the battle reenactments to be thrilling. Among highlights, the 73rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Band will perform Civil War-era music throughout the weekend. A combined arms demonstration of Civil War weaponry, the school of the soldier will offer opportunity to participate in basic drill and instruction, work with infantry and learn how to handle a musket, how to march, drill and fight and even serve on a gun crew. Military encampments representing Union and Confederate forces will be open for visitors to learn about the life of a soldier. Living historians will share the stories of civilians impacted by the war. Hands-on learning experiences for kids will include trying on soldiers uniforms and equipment and period civilian attire. Artifacts to explore include shell fragments, bullets and old maps and photographs of Cedar Mountain. Photographer Robert Szabo, nationally recognized for his expertise with 19th-century wet-plate collodion photography, will demonstrate how to prepare glass plates for use in his old-style camera and develop glass-plate negatives on site. During the Civil War, Culpeper County was one of the conflicts most photographed settings. Visitors will see demonstrations of signal flags and learn how messages were coded, sent and decoded. Another station will offer the opportunity to learn about the role of cavalry in the battle. A Memorial Ceremony at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 7, will recognize the fallen at Cedar Mountain whose names have been submitted to the FCMB Ancestors Roll by their descendants. See the schedule at friendsofcedarmountain.org/annual-event. SIOUX FALLS, S.D.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 tribes 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 councils 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. The state Department of Education is finalizing model policies to ensure parents are notified if their children are being taught sexually explicit instructional materials in the classroom. Wednesday marked the last day for Virginia residents to weigh in on the new policies that the department drafted. Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a bill in Aprilsponsored by Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henricorequiring the education department to developand local school boards to adoptsuch policies. According to the VDOE policy, parents will be notified at least 30 days in advance if any instructional materials with sexually explicit content (as defined by the model policy) will be taught in their childs classroom. At that time, parents will be able to review the materials. On school websites, principals will maintain a current list of sexually explicit instructional materials by grade and subject. Local school boards have until January to adopt either VDOEs model policies concerning instructional materials with sexually explicit content, or more comprehensive policies. Youngkin, who has advocated for more parental involvement in the classroom, ran a campaign ad in October that criticized his opponent, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, for vetoing a similar bill when McAuliffe was governor. The so-called Beloved bill named after Nobel laureate Toni Morrisons book Belovedthat McAuliffe vetoed would have required school districts to notify parents of assignments containing sexually explicit content. Dunnavant, who sponsored the bill in the most recent legislative session, was not immediately available for comment. Policies should be drafted which empower parents to exercise their right to decide whether the use of sexually explicit content in instructional materials is appropriate for their child, the model policy states. The online public comment period, which closes midnight Wednesday, garnered roughly 1,500 comments as of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. The online forum has a mix of comments in support of and against the model policies. One supportive commenter said the policies were a common-sense program, while another supporter wrote, these model policies are a wake-up call to school boards and teachers to attend to the voices of those who innately care most about the children: their parents. An opponent said, classrooms should be a place where students are free to ask questions, explore new ideas, and learn about diverse viewpoints. On Tuesday, the ACLU of Virginia submitted a comment to the town hall and sent a letter to Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow in opposition to the proposed model policies. Educators and librarians cannot do their job if they are constantly being required to justify their curricula and instruction to parents who may hold diametrically opposing viewpoints, the letter states. Nor was the public education system put in place to present a homogenized viewpoint. The education of young Virginians will be disrupted by efforts to use classrooms to support a political agendaa space of control rather than a thriving ground for free speech and freedom of thought. The proposed model policies, according to the ACLU of Virginia, will force school divisions to adopt anti-free speech practices and deny students the opportunity to be inspired by stories of people from all walks of life. The ACLU of Virginia argues that the proposed model policies will lead to classroom censorship and will likely target curriculum by and/or that includes LGBTQ people and Black, Indigenous and other communities of color. The Pride Liberation Project, a student-led LGBTQ rights advocacy organization, published a letter with over 600 student signatures calling on the VDOE to explicitly state that instruction about LGBTQIA+ people is not inherently sexual. Failing to do so would have a chilling effect on our education, the letter states, adding that every student, including LGBTQIA+ students, deserves to be accurately represented in school curriculum. Erasing Queer people from our classes would lead to fictionalized and over-simplified instruction, given the immense contributions that LGBTQIA+ people have made to our state and county, the letter states. While Susan Muskett, president of Pro-Family Women, a pro-life organization based in Arlington, wrote positively of the model policies in the online town hall, she cited some concerns with the document. Muskett characterized the policies as a much-needed tilt toward restoring parental rights and welcomes all efforts toward making parental notification of sexually explicit material a more standardized and open procedure. The organization took pause with a sentence that says: when determining whether instructional materials contain sexually explicit content, teachers, principals, and division staff should consider student age and maturity, and whether a parent might reasonably consider the instructional content harmful to their child. Pro-Family Women wrote in the public comment section that including the sentence would undermine the law because it would allow school staff to make subjective assessments as to whether instructional material contains sexually explicit content impact[ing] whether or not students parents are given notice. Charles Pyle, a spokesperson for VDOE, said in an email Wednesday that the model policies became available at the beginning of July. After reviewing public comments, the department will communicate the final document to school divisions to inform the adoption of local policies by January 1, 2023, as required by the legislation, Pyle wrote. About 150 firefighters from several departments battled a large fire on West Overland Thursday night and into Friday morning. Firefighters with Scottsbluff Rural, Scottsbluff and Gering Fire Departments responded to a structure fire at Paradise Acres on West Overland after 9 p.m. on Thursday. Multiple structures were threatened and the size of the fire increased rapidly due to wind speeds and an inability to access. It was a very fast moving fire, with heavy timber and other materials feeding the fire, Scottsbluff Rural Fire Chief Carissa Schank told the Star-Herald. She said the cause of the fire is being investigated by the Nebraska State Fire Marshals Office. The fire started in Paradise Acres, which Schank explained is a group of homes south of West Overland. It quickly progressed to north and west of KOLT Lane and Highway 92. She said that Highway 92 acted as a barrier to preventing additional spread of the fire. About 170 acres were burned in the fire. Crews have determined that one home and 10 outbuildings were destroyed in the fire. Firefighter Ministry is assisting the man who lived in the home and have made referrals to other organizations. Some radio infrastructure on KOLT Lane was also damaged. There were no injuries, though Schank said some instances of heat exhaustion were reported among firefighters. Firefighters with several departments, such as Lyman, Western Nebraska Regional Airport, Minatare-Melbeta, Morrill Banner County and Torrington, also responded and provided mutual aid. By 3 a.m., all forward progress of the fire had stopped, Region 23 Emergency Management reported in a press release. By 5 a.m., two departments remained on scene after the fire was able to be contained and extinguished. Schank did report that Scottsbluff Rural and Banner County firefighters remained on scene Friday, monitoring the fire which did have some spots rekindle. Many of the other departments had been pressed into response in this weeks Carter Canyon fire, Schank told the Star-Herald. During the fire, firefighters freed horses and livestock in the area. Riverside Discovery Center reportedly evacuated some of its animals to the Panhandle Humane Society. Residents in the area were also notified through alerts that they may need to evacuate. Law enforcement had to be used to block off a large area around the fire due to people going to the area to the see the blaze. Traffic had to be blocked on West Overland, Highway 92 and South Beltline Highway and other areas to prevent people from going into the fire area and obstructing firefighting efforts. In some instances, law enforcement reported, people were stopping cars in roadways to photograph or film the fire. On social media, people living in the area reported people parking in their yards and hindering their abilities to evacuate. NEMA also responded to the fire. A Scottsbluff man arrested as a suspect in a Scottsbluff shooting had been involved in a contentious divorce involving custody disputes and protection orders, according to court documents filed in Scotts Bluff County Court. Scottsbluff Police arrested Alexander J. Maldonado, 35, of Gering, in connection to a shooting Thursday in the parking lot of Main Street Market, according to information released by Capt. Lance Kite. Alexander J. Maldonado is accused of shooting Martin Maldonado Jr., 34. Police and paramedics were called to the Main Street Market parking lot around 4:57 p.m. Thursday. Dispatchers relayed a report of a man in his vehicle suffering a gunshot wound to his abdomen, according to scanner traffic. The man, identified as Martin Maldonado Jr., 34, suffered a single gunshot to the abdomen. He was transported to Regional West Medical Center for treatment. Police arrested Alexander Maldonado on suspicion of attempted murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony, prohibited person in possession of a firearm, protection order violation and discharge of a firearm within city limits. He is being held at the Scotts Bluff County Detention Center. Martin Maldonado Jr. is an officer at the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution in Torrington. According to the Wyoming Department of Corrections, he remains hospitalized. Court records filed in Scotts Bluff County Court indicate that Alexander and his estranged wife have been involved in a contentious divorce since May 2020. At different times, Alexander Maldonado has had visits with his children limited or required to be supervised. Custody issues were scheduled to be heard during trial this month. According to court records, subpoenas were issued to several individuals in the case Thursday as a trial had been scheduled for Aug. 22. In June, Alexander Maldonados estranged wife filed a protection order on behalf of herself and a minor child. A hearing on the protection order occurred Wednesday, and court records noted that Alexander Maldonado and the woman had agreed to a four-hour weekly, supervised visitation with his child. The case had been continued for hearing later this month. The woman says in the filing that she is dating Martin Maldonado Jr. and cited specific incidents involving Alexander Maldonado that she said made her fear for her safety and well-being, as well as for her child. Martin Maldonado Jr. had also filed a harassment protection order against Alexander Maldonado in September 2021, alleging Alexander Maldonado had assaulted him on one occasion, which resulted in criminal charges, and other confrontations with the man. That protection order remained in place. Formal charges against Alexander Maldonado had not yet been filed in Scotts Bluff County Court, and he did not appear in Fridays scheduled jail arraignments, according to court records. Anyone with additional information about this case is asked to contact the Communications Center at 308-632-7171 or Crime Stoppers at 308-632-STOP (7867). Emails can be sent to crimestoppers@scottsbluff.org. The Scottsbluff Fire Department, Gering Police Department, Scotts Bluff County Sheriffs Office, Mitchell Police Department and Valley Ambulance also responded and assisted at the scene. The China Writers Association recently held a launch ceremony for new creative writing plans within the mountain villages of Yiyan, Central China's Hunan province. Dozens of writers, officials of the association and local government representatives attended the event. It was held in Yiyang due to the city being hometown to Chinese novelist and translator Zhou Libo (1908-79), who wrote literature classics The Hurricane and Great Changes in A Mountain Village. The Writers Publishing House is in charge of the first stage of the creative writing, which will last five years, starting in 2022. They looked for original full-length novels, which showcase the great changes of the country's agriculture. They also looked for representations of rural China and Chinese agriculture. They requested contributions from across the country and asked for recommendations from experts. By June 30, among 603 manuscripts had been submitted, 18 were chosen by the publishing house. The association's vice-president Zhang Hongsen said in a speech that the ambitious plan aims to encourage those who live in the rural areas to tell their personal stories of China in the new era, and raise a group of new literature workers. The association also launched the literature summit plan for a new era in Yiyang. Representatives from major publishing houses and literature periodical across the country signed an agreement to work with each other to publish and promote good-quality literary works. Episode 49: A recent Gallup poll found that small businesses are the most-respected institution in America today. And, according to the Better Business Bureau, if consumers spend $100 at a local business, roughly $68 stays within their local economy. However, a column last year by Matthew Yglesias, points out that, unlike small businesses, larger companies look for more qualified candidates for leadership jobs instead of often relying on family members when hiring for top jobs. Links to stories discussed during the podcast: Pittsburgh Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw complains about Walmart in Illinois, by Zach Roth, State Journal-Register About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Former Republican U.S. Senate candidate Matt Innis is arrested by Kearney police on suspicion of trespassing and assault. Prosecutors decided Thursday not to charge him in the case. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN Former U.S. Senate candidate Matt Innis wont face criminal charges from a scuffle with security staff while he tried to enter the Nebraska Republican Partys state convention. Based on the information this office received and a review of the evidence, please be advised our office has decided NOT to file a case against you at this time, Buffalo County Attorney Shawn Eatherton wrote in a letter to Innis. The GOP had rejected credentials for Innis and five other potential delegates to its July 9 convention at the Younes Conference Center South in Kearney. A few of those who received rejection letters waited outside the convention hall. Innis spent part of the day at his hotel, but eventually he went to the convention center. Innis has said he tried to go inside because Lancaster County GOP vice chairman Todd Watson had texted him to say delegates were discussing voting to let Innis and others in. The vote had not yet taken place, and plainclothes security staff told police at the time that they warned Innis not to enter. A scuffle ensued, and security staffers called Kearney police. One security staffer told police that Innis had lunged at him and assaulted him. Innis was arrested on suspicion of second-degree trespassing and third-degree assault. Innis has maintained he was shoved or grabbed by someone but didnt know it was a security staffer and defended himself. Innis said a video of the incident backs up his version of events. His lawyer, Perry Pirsch, emailed prosecutors this week to say that independent witnesses would verify what happened and that no charges should be filed. He hinted that Innis might sue. Many delegates at the convention, including some who wrested state party leadership away from Gov. Pete Ricketts team and some who didnt, bristled at the idea of rejecting delegates credentials. Shortly after news of Innis arrest began to circulate on social media, delegates voted to let him and other rejected delegates into the hall. Innis entered to applause. Today they made the only choice that they could have, Innis said Thursday. They didnt have a case. It will be 30 years this September when a pair of men killed two people and robbed others on Washington Street in Statesville. Since then, there had been no charges or hope for justice for the families of the victims. Until now. Statesville Police Chief David Onley announced on Thursday that Reaco Wesley Burton, 50, and Sheldon Demetrius Summers, 54, have been named as suspects in the crime. An Iredell County Grand Jury recently returned indictments against Burton and Summers. While Onley said the case has touched a lot of investigators hands over the years, he credited former chief and part-time investigator Steve Hampton for getting the investigation to where charges could be brought to the two suspects. For Hampton, he credited everyone who played a part and said it was important to not let the case remain unsolved. Youre able to meet with a family and bring them some degree of closure, Hampton said. This is a step in the process, but a huge step. Whether the men suspected are found guilty will play out in court, but Burton and Summers face two counts of murder, one count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and four counts of armed robbery stemming from the crime in 1992. On Sept. 25, 1992, a pair of masked men approached 746 Washington St., a liquor house where a number of people were. Shots were fired at those on the porch, which killed Michael Scott III and injured Kirk Douglas Gray. Inside, Willie Gene Allison was killed while four others were robbed. Burton is in prison facing a 63-year sentence on a different murder charge while Onley said Summers wasnt believed to be in North Carolina at this time but hopes these charges could get U.S. Marshals involved with finding and apprehending him. Burton is being held at Tabor Correctional Institution in Tabor City. Cold case no more It wasnt long ago Hampton felt he had hit another brick wall with the investigation as had been the case time and time again over the last three years. Hampton had set a deadline for himself and that had come and gone without a significant break in the investigation. As he packed up his things on what he said would have been his last day, he noticed a light on his phone indicating a message had been left. He thought about ignoring it and leaving it for the next person. However, he thought better of it and checked it. I turned out to be a link, Hampton said. That link wasnt a smoking gun, but he described it as part of a culmination of evidence from the past 30 years that allowed the Statesville Police to submit charges to the district attorney with a degree of confidence. The former police chief said being able to run that information down proved critical and kept him working on the case. You never know whats important and whats not, Hampton said. We spend a lot of time going after information that is inaccurate or cant be corroborated. With the case being nearly 30 years old, three of the victims of the crime had died. Onley and Hampton noted that outside agencies had assisted over the years and the SPD had investigated witnesses multiple times, but it didnt get any easier to break the case as time went on. With a case like this, time is not always your best friend, Hampton said. Onley noted that if some of the people the police talked to had come forward in 1992, this case might have been solved then. However, he said, there are many reasons why witnesses are hesitant to come forward in cases. Housing Opportunities of Southwest Washington received a $250,000 grant from PeaceHealth for its low-income housing project in Longview. Sunrise Village to be located at 38th Avenue and Pennsylvania Street will include 40 units of affordable housing with supportive services, like budgeting and employment help, according to the housing authority. In 2020, Longview Presbyterian Church donated the 2-acre lot, adjacent to the church and Mint Valley Elementary School, on the condition affordable housing would be built on the property. Including the new grant to help cover development expenses, Housing Opportunities has received $852,000 for the project, expected to cost more than $14.7 million total. The date to break ground has not been released, but a Housing Opportunities representative previously estimated construction could take a year. Housing Opportunities is applying for money from the Housing Trust Fund, the state Department of Commerce, the city of Longview and Cowlitz County to help pay for the project, according to the agency. The project aims to help address the countys low housing vacancy rate and homelessness, according to Housing Opportunities. In 2021, Cowlitz County had a 1% vacancy rate for all types of housing, driving up costs while availability dwindled, the agency stated. A Cowlitz County renter making minimum wage, $14.49 per hour, would have to work 43 hours a week to spend 30% or less on a one-bedroom, or 56 hours for a two-bedroom, according to an annual report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. County residents making an estimated mean renter wage of $17.95 per hours still fall short of the hourly wage needed to afford a two-bedroom: $20.29, according to the report. The report uses a common affordability measure that housing costs should take up no more than 30% of monthly income. In 2019, 51% of Longview-area renter households paid more than 30% of income for housing, according to the Join Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. In a media briefing on Thursday, state schools Superintendent Chris Reykdal unveiled a new plan that would allow Washington students over the age of 16 to earn an elective credit toward graduation through any out-of-school work opportunity of their choosing. According to statewide student surveys, Reykdal said, high school students are asking for more freedom in their work-school schedule balance and have reported a need to work to help financially support their families amid a time of economic turmoil. An increasing number of students say they are under a growing amount of pressure, Reykdal said. Students are saying theyre looking for more connections between where they want to go and what theyre learning. This is about how students choose their time. Easing obstacles Starting in the 2023-2024 school year, students of working age will be eligible to earn one elective credit for 360 hours of work or 0.5 credit for 180 hours of work. One credit is equivalent to one year of class; students in Washington are required to complete 24 credits to receive a high school diploma. The work credit would not count toward core credits, such as math, science and English language arts. Though a form of this program already exists, Reykdal said on Thursday that it featured far too many obstacles for a majority of students. Out of an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 students over 16 that work at least a part-time job in Washington as of 2021, Reykdal said only 6,000-7,000 are actively receiving in-class credit for the work experience. Students are required to complete necessary forms with a verification of employment to their respective school, which will then periodically reach out to the employer to monitor student progress throughout the year. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction will initiate rulemaking for the proposal in the coming weeks. They will then seek input from community stakeholders and district administrators in a series of yet-to-be-scheduled public hearings on how to best implement the program and whether to seek additional funding from the Legislature in the coming year. The plan is the second piece of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instructions nine-part series of transformational budget and policy proposals being released through November titled Washington State Innovates: K-12 Education for the 21st Century and Beyond. What it could mean locally School officials in Southwest Washington said Thursday that the plan should be beneficial to students in the area, where many districts already maintain similar, smaller-scale work-study programs. What better way for students to apply what they have learned in the classroom than on the job in real-life situations, said Margaret Rice, the director of Career and Technical Education and culinary services for the Washougal School District. Its also a great way for students to advance their knowledge, gain confidence and build long-lasting business connections/relationships, not to mention the value-add for businesses. Through Educational Service District 112 students are able to get connected with local businesses and careers through a program called Career Connect SW. ESD 112 employs two career navigators in the program, who work to place youth in paid internships or apprenticeship programs that connect to students selected pathways within their personalized, work-integrated learning plan for graduation. At specific school districts like Washougal, select staff known as worksite learning coordinators work to connect local businesses with students interested in work-based learning and help to monitor them throughout the year. As of now, many of those positions are only able to support students if their work takes place during the school day. Were student work opportunities to be expanded under Reykdals plan in the coming years, said Rice, these positions would need additional funding. If (students) cant fit worksite learning into their six-period-a day schedule, there is no funding to support the student to enroll in the class outside of their scheduled day, Rice said. For this program to be robust, funding needs to be available and flexible to meet the students where they are and support their educational goals no matter what their schedule dictates. NEWS PROVIDED BY Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights Aug. 5, 2022 NEW YORK, Aug. 5, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on remedies for monkeypox: Imagine if those who drink too much alcohol and wind up damaging their liver were to band together demanding a cure for their malady, without first pledging to change their behavior. What would we say? What would we say to heavy smokers if they demanded a cure for lung cancer without first pledging to change their behavior? Yet when it comes to homosexuals and monkeypox, or AIDS before that, gay leaders demand that we find a cure for their disease without first pledging to change their behavior. When Covid hit, we locked down the economy, closed schools, and banned church services. So why didn't health officials cancel the "Pride" events in New York City at the end of June? A predictable surge in monkeypox followed. Why didn't health officials ban the Dore Alley gay festival at the end of July in San Francisco? Those who attended this event said there were no warnings posted anywhere. The Washington Post interviewed people at the Dore Alley event and noted that some were quite worried. "Many revelers kept their clothes on or donned full latex outfits inside crowded bars." In other words, had they not been afraid of catching monkeypox, they may have not have kept their pants on. This is not normal. What kind of people act this way? Scott Wiener is a California state senator and a gay activist. He says the monkeypox vaccine "can't come fast enough." What about gays changing their behavior? "If people want to have sex, they are going to have sex." He just doesn't get it. Vaccines are no panacea for behaviorally induced diseases. The August 5 edition of the New York Times has an op-ed by Kai Kupferschmidt advising gays what to do before the vaccine is widely available. "That includes talking about reducing the number of sexual partners, creating 'pods' of sex partners (where people can keep sexual activity within a group) and other strategies to reduce the risk." Why the compulsion on the part of so many homosexual men to have multiple sex partners with anonymous men? This is not normal. And why is it that the best Kupferschmidt can do is recommend that gays have sex with multiple partners whom they know? One voice of sanity in the medical profession is Don Weiss, the top epidemiologist at the New York City Department of Health. His advice is seminal. In an email he sent to other health officials, he said, "We cannot vaccinate our way out of this, nor can we isolate our way out of this. The only way out is to abstain. I know I sound like a bible thumping preacher, but this is the exposure we need to PREVENT." Weiss added that "This disease is entirely preventable had we the courage to send out prevention messages. We seem paralyzed by the fear of stigmatizing this disease while we totally ignore the epidemiology. If we had an outbreak associated with bowling, would we not warn people to stop bowling." We need to send Catholic moral theologians and doctors into the gay community to advise them of the merits of Catholic sexual ethics. Agreeing to temporarily keep one's pants on in public is not a strategy that works. As thousands of visitors explore the ancient alleys and mansions in Sanfang Qixiang, a popular attraction in Fuzhou, Fujian province, every day, few of them are aware of the efforts made to protect the area by the city's leaders. Home to one of the nation's largest preserved old-town districts, the area once boasted more than 200 examples of ancient architecture and was hailed as a "museum" for buildings from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. However, before the 1990s, many of the mansions were subdivided into squatter homes. Some were on the verge of being demolished as the authorities in Fuzhou stepped up real estate development. In 1991, when Xi Jinping was secretary of the Communist Party of China Fuzhou city committeethe city's top officialhe led local efforts to protect and renovate the ancient buildings and heritage sites. Wu Yujian, head of the Fuzhou Cultural Heritage Administration, said a series of important measures adopted by Xi during his time in the city laid the foundation for preserving Sanfang Qixiang. The importance of a meeting presided over by Xi was highlighted by Wu. The meeting adopted a policy document on protecting the residences of historical figures and other heritage sites in Sanfang Qixiang and elsewhere in Fuzhou. "Xi called for the restoration of many cultural heritage sites that would later become the city's landmark buildings and key tourist attractions," Wu said. One ancient building under threat was the birthplace of Lin Zexu, a scholar, official and native of Fuzhou who led the fight against opium smuggling during the Qing Dynasty. The building was protected from developers after Xi chaired a meeting in 1996 that decided to form a special leading group to investigate renovating the site. The city government allocated funding of 12 million yuan to compensate developers. The former residence of Lin Juemin, a revolutionary in the Qing Dynasty, was also protected and renovated after a meeting chaired by Xi. Wu said Xi's tenure in Fuzhou reflected his long-standing focus on protecting cultural heritage, and he led the way for his successors in the city to continue this work. In March last year, Xi visited Sanfang Qixiang during an inspection trip to Fujian. He said ensuring the sound protection of ancient neighborhoods, buildings and cultural relics preserves the history and cultural traditions of a city. He also reiterated the need to value and respect old buildings and neighborhoods. Wu said Xi laid a solid foundation for cultural heritage protection efforts in Fuzhou, which now boasts 4,783 cultural heritage sites, including 25 under national protection. The city hosted the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee in July last year, an occasion widely seen as recognition of Fuzhou's remarkable achievements in protecting cultural heritage. In a congratulatory message to the session, Xi said China, while continuing to enhance its capacity to safeguard heritage, is ready to support the global cause of such protection and jointly preserve mankind's cultural and natural treasures. At the session, China pledged to provide 100 scholarships for students from developing countriesparticularly those from African nations and small island statesto nurture expertise in conserving and managing World Heritage sites over the next five years. LIND, Wash. A small town in Washington state was evacuated due to a fast-moving fire that burned a half-dozen homes, as crews in California made progress against the states deadliest and largest wildfire of the year. In Washington, the Adams County Sheriffs Office said on Facebook early Thursday afternoon that residents of Lind needed to flee due to the encroaching flames. At this time all residents of the town of Lind need to evacuate immediately, the sheriffs office said in the post. Later Thursday, Sheriff Dale Wagner said six homes had burned as well as eight other structures. With the help of state and local resources, Wagner said the fire was starting to calm down and by 8 p.m. all evacuation orders had been lifted. They will be fighting it through the night to make sure it doesnt flare up anymore or get worse, he said, adding that firefighters were dealing with high heat and windy conditions. He said one firefighter suffered smoke inhalation and was flown to Spokane for treatment. Lind is a community of about 500 people approximately 75 miles southwest of Spokane. The State Fire Marshals office said the blaze had burned through about 3.9 square miles. Homes, infrastructure and crops were threatened. The cause of the fire was under investigation. Meanwhile, in California, fire crews on Friday morning were working amid thunderstorms that brought light precipitation along with the possibility of dry lightning that could spark new blazes. A separate set of firefighters in the area have been put on standby to jump on any new fires, according to Mike Lindbery, a spokesperson for the McKinney Fire in Californias Siskiyou County near the Oregon border. The Smokey Fire, which ignited Thursday, was one such new fire. Crews have kept it to 34 acres and hope to have it contained within the next day or two, Lindbery said. Forecasters have also warned that spiking temperatures and plunging humidity levels could create conditions for further wildfire growth. 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 throughout the region. After five days of no containment, the nearly 60,000-acres McKinney Fire remained 10% surrounded on Friday. Bulldozers and hand crews were making progress carving firebreaks around much of the rest of the blaze, fire officials said. At the fires southeastern corner, evacuation orders for sections of Yreka, home to about 7,800 people, were downgraded to warnings, allowing residents to return home but with a caution that the situation remained dangerous. About 1,300 people remained under evacuation orders, officials said at a community meeting Wednesday evening. The fire didnt advance much at midweek, following several days of brief but heavy rain from thunderstorms that provided cloudy, damp weather. But as the clouds clear and humidity levels drops in the coming days, the fire could roar again, authorities warned. This is a sleeping giant right now, said Darryl Laws, a unified incident commander on the blaze. Weekend temperatures could reach triple digits as the region dries out again, said meteorologist Brian Nieuwenhuis with the National Weather Service office in Medford, Oregon. The blaze broke out July 29 and has charred nearly 92 square miles of forestland, left tinder-dry by drought. More than 100 homes and other buildings have burned and four bodies have been found, including two in a burned car in a driveway. The fire was driven at first by fierce winds ahead of a thunderstorm cell. More storms earlier this week proved a mixed blessing. A drenching rain Tuesday dumped up to 3 inches on some eastern sections of the blaze but most of the fire area got next to nothing, said Dennis Burns, a fire behavior analyst. The latest storm also brought concerns about possible river flooding and mudslides. A private contractor in a pickup truck who was helping the firefighting effort was hurt when a bridge gave out and washed away the vehicle, Kreider said. The contractors injuries were not life-threatening. The progress against the flames came too late for many people in the scenic hamlet of Klamath River, which was home to about 200 people before the fire reduced many of the homes to ashes, along with the post office, community center and other buildings. 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 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. The Moose Fire in Idaho has burned more than 85 square miles 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. iPhone Tips: Download videos from Google Drive to your iPhone amazingly fast THIS way This Instagram feature is AMAZING! Watch Instagram videos without sound this way Change iPhone text font in simple steps through this trick iPhone camera not working? Know how to FIX iPhone camera or flash in simple steps How to edit sent messages on iPhone 12, iPhone 13 and more Are you a Chrome user? Google just added these new features to your web-search browser, but Apple slammed this one feature! Google Chrome has rolled out its new version Chrome 104 on August 2! Unlike its previous releases, Google released its new version a bit late. The last one was Chrome 103, which landed back on June 21. The trend is for Google to release an update every 4 weeks, but this one took 2 weeks extra. Chrome 104 offers to its users many new and some revamped features including Privacy Sandbox screen in settings to multi-screen enhancements for desktop and there's a lot more. However, one of the highlighted features of this version got a negative response from Apple as well as Mozilla! Know all about this Chrome 104 feature here. Google Chrome 104 update got ONE controversial update There is one specific feature amongst many in Google Chrome 104 that has not received a good response from Apple and Mozilla, it is the Web Bluetooth API in Chrome 104. According to Chrome, this basically allows webpages to communicate with devices over Bluetooth. Though, this software is not allowed to do so from cross-origin iframes. According to Google, this Web Bluetooth API opens multiple productivity and communication opportunities without compromising on security. On the other hand, Apple believes Web Bluetooth compromises security and enables fingerprinting behaviours, which involves measuring the uniqueness of static device configuration such as built-in hardware, dynamic device or browser configuration and user browsing data Similarly, Mozilla has also shown its concerns regarding the Web Bluetooth API and called it harmful. This API provides access to the Generic Attribute Profile (GATT) of Bluetooth, which is not the lowest level of access that the specifications allow, but its generic nature makes it impossible to clearly evaluate...This model is unsustainable and presents a significant risk to users and their devices, Mozilla voiced its concerns regarding this API. However, besides this, there are a number of new fixes to the existing issues and new developments in the latest Chrome version 104. James Webb Space Telescope has captured Jupiter center, and its moon Europa via its NIRCam instrument 2.12 micron filter. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been astonishing us by sharing glimpses of stars, planets, and galaxies while studying the solar system. This time JWST has captured an image of glowing Jupiter in its infrared gaze. The black and white image shows Jupiter glowing in the dark, highlighting its Red Spot in bright White. According to Nasa, the raw image was captured by using the telescope's Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) instrument. Jupiter's rings stand out in the NIRcam long-wavelength filter image. It shows distinct bands encircling the planet as well as the Great Red Spot, and a storm big enough to swallow two or three Earths. John Stansberry, observatory scientist and NIRCam commissioning lead at the Space Telescope Science Institute, said that the planet's images in the narrow-band filters provide nice images of the entire disk of the planet. He shared, the wealth of additional information about very faint objects (Metis, Thebe, the main ring, hazes) in those images with approximately one-minute exposures was absolutely a very pleasant surprise. The new images are proof that James Webb Telescope can capture the satellites and rings near bright solar system objects like Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars. It will help researchers to explore the plumes of material spewing out of moons like Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus. I think that's just one of the coolest things that we'll be able to do with this telescope in the solar system, said Stefanie Milam, Webb's deputy project scientist for planetary science at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. According to NASA, the James Webb telescope has been designed in a way that can track objects moving as fast as Mars i.e, maximum speed of 30 milliarcseconds per second. It's really exciting to think of the capability and opportunity that we have for observing these kinds of objects in our solar system, added Milam. China successfully launched an experimental reusable spacecraft Friday to test technologies that will help provide support for activities in space, state media reported. China successfully launched an experimental reusable spacecraft Friday to test technologies that will help provide support for activities in space, state media reported. The spacecraft was launched on a Long March-2F rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia and will return to a scheduled landing site after a period of in-orbit operation, Xinhua News Agency said. China has been expanding its space exploration efforts, including constructing its own space station. US officials criticized China last weekend after remnants of a rocket fell to Earth over the Indian Ocean, saying there was a lack of information-sharing about the trajectory of the debris. The interstellar meteor, named CNEOS 2014-01-08, was detected off the coast of Papua New Guinea in January 2014. A meteor from outside our solar system crashed into the Earth back in January 2014 off the coast of Papua New Guinea. The interstellar meteor, known as CNEOS 2014-01-08 is believed to be the first known interstellar object that actually exists on earth. The meteor was first identified as "originating from an unbound hyperbolic orbit with 99.999% percent confidence" by Harvard University physicists Amir Siraj and Abraham Loeb. On the basis of the catalog data regarding the object's trajectory, both Siraj and Loeb concluded that the object might be traveling from beyond our solar system due to its unusually high heliocentric velocity. However, Siraj and Loeb's paper remains unpublished as the database of NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies did not disclose how correct readings are. However, their claim was backed by the US Space Force's Space Operations Command's Chief Scientist, Joel Mozer in April 2021 after he reviewed the classified data in question. He confirmed that the velocity estimate reported to NASA is sufficiently accurate to indicate an interstellar trajectory. This made Siraj and Loeb to hunt for the object and study it up close. Know how researchers would find the CNEOS 2014-01-08. How would will they find the meteor? According to Universe Today, most of the meteor burned up during its descent into Earth's atmosphere, leaving only fragmented meteorites behind. However, the tracking data from the satellite combined with wind and ocean current data, can give a reasonable search area of just 10km by 10km. The fragments are expected to be magnetic so they can be pulled out from the ocean floor. Siraj and Loeb have even proposed to do that, and have also teamed up with an ocean technology consulting company to make it happen. Loeb was quoted by Universe Today as saying, Universe Today last year, Loeb explained that such a search could offer us the opportunity to actually put our hands on the relic and figure out whether it's natural, whether it's a rock, or whether, you know, a small fraction of those [interstellar objects] might be artificial. As previously reported last week, the HONOR X8 5G has landed in Malaysia officially. At a recommended price of RM999, interested customers can now get the phone with a 1-year extended warranty worth up to RM119. In terms of tech specs for the local set, the HONOR X8 5G is the same as the China version as it features a 6.5-inch TFT LCD panel with a 20:9 aspect ratio. Powered by a Snapdragon 480 Plus chipset, the X8 5G is also accompanied by 6GB of RAM (+2GB extended RAM) and 128GB of storage. The Magic UI 4.2 operating system is based on Android 11. For the triple rear camera, it consists of a 48MP primary camera followed by the depth and macro secondary lenses. The front camera is only 8MP and finally, the battery pack is 5000mAh supporting a 22.5W fast charging technology. Besides 5G connectivity, the X8 5G also supports NFC. As a reminder, the HONOR X8 4G variant is still priced at RM899 just like before. For more information, you can visit the official web portal of the HONOR X8 5G here. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com. How the heterogeneous catalyst integrates properties of the components to enhance catalytic performance. Credit: Southeast University, China Ammonia is a strong-smelling, colorless gas that has become an essential chemical for agriculture and pharmaceutical companies, with around 200 million tons produced and consumed each year. The Haber-Bosch process is the only option currently available for industrial production of ammonia, but the elevated temperature and pressure it requires, leads to high energy use and CO 2 emission rates. As a result, researchers have been seeking new energy-saving and eco-friendly methods for ammonia synthesis. The electrocatalytic reduction of dinitrogen, a colorless, odorless gas that makes up approximately 78% of the Earth's atmosphere, is proving a promising approach. In a study published in the KeAi journal Green Energy & Environment, researchers screened dozens of single-atom and double-atom catalysts in a bid to find a new, more green option for the dinitrogen reduction process. Study author Qiang Zhou, who is currently a Ph.D. student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Japan's Tokyo University, explains: "Catalyst design is the most crucial element in successful electrocatalytic dinitrogen reduction. We knew that heterogenous catalysts, in other words, catalysts with multiple phases, have the highest ammonia yield rate, but we wanted to find out why, and then use that knowledge to identify new, even more effective electrocatalytic options." Zhou and his colleagues used density functional theory (DFT), a computational quantum mechanical modeling method used to investigate the electronic structure of systems, such as atoms and molecules. According to Zhou, "it is widely employed to design novel catalysts, to support experimental results, and to investigate catalytic mechanism. We knew that DFT simulation would not only help us know which catalysts worked well, but know why they worked well. And that would help us better understand the reaction process and design better catalysts." Using DFT computation, the research team systematically screened and compared dozens of single-atom catalysts. This gave them vital information to develop a general strategy for the design of dual-atom (heterogeneous) catalysts. They found that a dual-atom approach using a hybrid of iron and molybdenum was the most effective at activating the dinitrogen. According to Dr. Feng Gong, an investigator from Southeast University, China, who led the study, this finding has the potential to greatly impact the field of heterogeneous catalysis. He adds: "It is our hope it will provide some guidelines for future experimental synthesis of dual-atom catalysts and encourage scientists to continue exploring the mechanism of catalytic reactions." Explore further New review highlights innovative catalysts: Design and application More information: Qiang Zhou et al, 1+1>2: Learning from the interfacial modulation on single-atom electrocatalysts to design dual-atom electrocatalysts for dinitrogen reduction, Green Energy & Environment (2022). Qiang Zhou et al, 1+1>2: Learning from the interfacial modulation on single-atom electrocatalysts to design dual-atom electrocatalysts for dinitrogen reduction,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.gee.2022.06.005 Provided by KeAi Communications Co. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Unprecedented heat waves, storms, and wildfires are pushing electrical grids in the United States to their limits. To work towards a safe and reliable power system in the coming years, utilities will need to factor the potential effects of climate change and extreme climate change-driven events into their plans for power distribution, generation capacity and back-up energy storage, and infrastructure repair and replacement. But how do you plan for the future given the wide range of plausible ways that climate change can impact "the new normal" and extreme weather events? Liyang Wang and Andrew Jones, two scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), are part of a team working to provide practical tools and guidance for grid planners. In this Q&A, Wang and Jones share findings of a review study that identifies how best practices in planning for uncertainty can be applied in the electricity sector, and discuss an upcoming project supported by the California Energy Commission that will evaluate alternative grid resilience strategies under a comprehensive range of climate futures. Their study is part of the ongoing Department of Energy-funded HyperFACETS project that is developing new ways of evaluating and producing climate information in close collaboration with stakeholders. Liyang Wang is a senior research associate in the Building Technology & Urban Systems Division of Berkeley Lab's Energy Technologies Area. Andrew Jones is a staff scientist in the Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division of the Earth and Environmental Sciences Area. Both are affiliated with the Energy and Resources Group at UC Berkeley. Q. Is climate change being factored into grid planning at all, as of now? Jones: You don't have to look very far into the recent past to find dramatic examples of how extreme weather events can stress electricity grids. These include recent wildfires, extreme heat waves that lead to high air-conditioning demands, plus direct risks to infrastructure from storms and flooding. Fire is a particularly tricky issue, both in terms of grid-driven ignitions and damages to the grid itself. So, there's certainly a lot of interest in understanding how climate change is influencing these events and their associated risks. However, the technical barriers to actually using climate science in an effective way are pretty significant. It's not that electricity planners haven't dealt with uncertainties before, but the uncertainty that climate change presents is not one where you can just gather more and more observations until you understand the uncertainties. Climate resilient planning involves projecting multiple plausible future conditions through models. For example, we don't know how much greenhouse gas the world is going to emit in the next 30 years, so there are multiple different future emission scenarios. There are also many different, equally credible models of the physical climate processes. These are not things we can understand simply with more weather stations. So, one big change needed in grid planning is going from a framework where you're primarily using historic observations to one where you're using multiple future projections. Wang: Yes, I think people are trying. I think particularly in locations that have experienced significant disruptions from extreme weather, utility companies and their regulators are trying to figure out how to factor climate change into their planning processes. But it's a really hard problem. For one, there's a degree of uncertainty about the future that is reflected in climate science models, yet it is not immediately clear which of those uncertainties are substantial enough to make a difference to decision-makers. Because of that, people are a bit hesitant because they're not entirely sure how to use the data in the first place. And two, I think there's also maybe a lack of innovation in how to apply principles of decision sciencea field devoted to generating techniques for decision-making using statistics, economics, machine learning, and psychologyin the energy sector. Most of the time, utilities use historical weather data instead of future climate projections. The very few operators that are starting to use projections are kind of limited in the range of future scenarios. They're not considering the complete plausible range of what the future climate could look like or how it could impact the grid. And it's very challenging; our current grid infrastructure is really old and it's not designed for both the unprecedented changing climate that we're seeing and the need to lower carbon emissions, simultaneously. In our paper, we talked a lot about how the existing modeling tools that people are using don't have the ability to incorporate a lot of the inherent deep uncertainty of climate projections or how climate will affect consumer behavior. So, it's a lack of tools, and then also, I think it's kind of a lack of prioritizing planning for climate changethere isn't a formal process that guides utilities in how to plan for climate change. Q. So what are some tools utility planners can use? Wang: The main concepts that we have distilled from the decision science literature are robustness, adaptive planning, and multi-stakeholder engagement. The idea of robustness is you're trying to move away from finding one optimized solution, which is what traditional decision-making approaches focus on. Instead, a robust solution is one that will perform reasonably well across a wide range of future scenarios. And the idea of adaptive planning is actually not super new. People have been doing it for a while in conservation and in the water sector; but in the energy sector, we haven't seen it too much. Adaptive planning basically calls for more proactive planning where you monitor changes that you're seeing in the current environment. And based on those changes, what are the next steps that you can take? Concurrently, it also calls for a formalized institutional process to develop those actions and a monitoring system. Rather than choosing a single strategy today, which may mean over-investing or under-investing in corrective measures, adaptive planning means identifying a range of appropriate actions for the range of possible conditions, then monitoring for signs that indicate which scenario is indeed unfolding. So for instance, there is some uncertainty about just how much and how quickly climate change will impact hydropower resources. If hydropower remains stable then it may be acceptable to "wait and see" while continuing to plan for possible declines; if hydropower is clearly declining rapidly then it may be time to invest in additional generation; and if hydropower is becoming more variable from year to year, then it may be appropriate to invest in additional storage. Planning for each possibility now and identifying "signposts" that indicate which path we should be on are hallmarks of adaptive planning. Then the multi-stakeholder engagement concept is also a proven approach. This is seen pretty commonly across a lot of different sectors. The idea here is to facilitate a discussion among a range of people with different priorities and expertise. Jones: Right, the way I think about the multi-stakeholder part is that every energy decision has multiple competing objectives. For example, if you think about electricity sector planning, you have to balance cost with reliability and sustainability. You have to think about performance under very extreme conditions versus performance on normal days. How much do you want to invest or pay for resilience during those extreme times that affect different stakeholders in very different ways? You know, for somebody who is on a ventilator, a power outage is life-threatening. That person will have a very different perspective than someone in a different situation. And so, the multi-stakeholder perspective explores how these different priorities might play out under different scenarios, to make the tradeoffs more clear, and hopefully to find the solutions that work most broadly. Wang: Something else we highlighted is the lack of trained professionals that understand both the climate science side and the power system planning side. And that is maybe where the multi-stakeholder engagement could come in. It could facilitate an environment where climate scientists can communicate with power system engineers in a more effective way, and together, they can integrate the most up-to-date climate science in the planning process. Q. How are you putting these ideas into action? Wang: We have a pair of related projects starting next year, in collaboration with Energy & Environmental Economics and Eagle Rock Analytics, focused on planning a climate resilient power system for the state of California. It's a team of climate scientists, engineers, decision scientists, and modelers, and we are going to work together to develop tools that will allow decision-makers to account for uncertainties in our changing climate. So that's a work in progress now and what we are envisioning is that one of the end products will be an interactive online modeling tool. Users will be able to select different climate variables that they care about and see how they might impact a specific region. Visualizing those impacts might be helpful for long-term grid planning. And seeing how the uncertainty in climate variables such as temperature or rainfall would affect things like energy demand or other factors they care about. Jones: Adding to that, I don't know that we can or will know exactly what the right solution is until we have more extended dialogue between climate science experts and practitioners from the electricity sector. In our ongoing DOE-supported work on the HyperFACETS project, we are developing new foundational ways of producing and evaluating climate science in close collaboration with stakeholders. Our new CEC-supported project extends that dialogue to focus on practical tools that translate the science into usable information. Together this portfolio of projects covers the full spectrumfrom how we model climate-driven extreme events all the way to how we consider alternative adaptation solutions across the range of possible outcomes. It's notable that the electricity sector is regulated in a very complex way and very differently in different states and different geographies as well. So, there are certain elements that we need to figure out, which these collaborations are going to address. But I think it's clear that, from a technical point of view, we do need tools that allow us to explore the implications of a wide range of possible scenarios and then to evaluate the implications for multiple objectives. Our hunch is that if you can do that in an interactive and intuitive way, that it will enable a different kind of planning that can account for many different possible future outcomes. So that's maybe the fundamental shift. Explore further Researchers propose a framework for evaluating the impacts of climate change on California's water and energy systems More information: Anna M Brockway et al, Climate-aware decision-making: lessons for electric grid infrastructure planning and operations, Environmental Research Letters (2022). Journal information: Environmental Research Letters Anna M Brockway et al, Climate-aware decision-making: lessons for electric grid infrastructure planning and operations,(2022). DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ac7815#erlac7815s5 Children aged between six months and three years in Hong Kong may receive the Sinovac vaccine starting from Thursday, according to a press release of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government. Ingrid Yeung, secretary for the civil service of the HKSAR government, visited a kindergarten-cum-child care center in To Kwa Wan Thursday to view the vaccination of children and appealed to parents to arrange COVID-19 vaccination for their children as soon as possible. She said the HKSAR government will continue to increase the number of vaccination venues to facilitate the early vaccination of the public. Maternal and Child Health Centers under the Department of Health of the HKSAR government are also preparing to provide the Sinovac vaccination service to children aged from six months to three years when they receive regular services with bookings from mid-August. Since the start of a mass inoculation program in February last year, over 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 6.52 million, or 89.6 percent of the eligible population, have taken two doses. As of Thursday, 67.7 percent of the eligible people in Hong Kong have taken the third dose, and 215,523 people have taken the fourth jab. On Thursday, Hong Kong registered 4,773 confirmed locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 and 247 imported cases, official data showed. Shoppers in Bryan-College Station got their first chance to check out Costco Wholesales College Station location Thursday morning. The store, which is located off Texas 6 in Midtown, held a grand opening at 8 a.m. LaVergnee Carlson, a College Station resident, said she had been waiting for a Costco to open for several years. Carlson said she enjoyed the steak sample, one of a number of samples the store was offering inside to customers. We waited this long [for it] to get here, we had to come and share the glory, Carlson said. Were pretty excited about it and its really, really crowded today. The Bryan-College Station and Navasota chambers of commerce held a ribbon cutting before the stores opening and College Station Mayor Karl Mooney spoke at the event. The store features a bakery, deli, food court, tire center, pharmacy and food court. This is Costcos 36th store in Texas, the state with the second-most Costco locations behind California (132), but just the fourth store location not in the metro area of Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston or San Antonio. The closest Costco locations to College Station are over 60 miles away in Cypress and The Woodlands. Costco filed a site plan with the city of College Station in April 2021 to build a 160,534-square-foot facility. Just over two weeks later, the College Station City Council approved Costcos economic development and property purchase agreements for about 19 acres. Construction of the stores building began in March. Ethan Worsham, a sophomore at Texas A&M, said he thought Costco had good prices and deals. Ive actually never been before because Ive never had a membership, so it was really cool to see everything they had, Worsham said. I was kind of expecting just a bigger Wal-Mart, but not quite. It was really different, but cool. WASHINGTON The Pentagon rejected a request from the District of Columbia seeking National Guard assistance in what the mayor has called a growing humanitarian crisis prompted by thousands of migrants being bused to the city from Texas and Arizona. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin declined to provide Guard personnel and the use of the D.C. Armory to assist with the reception of migrants into the city, according to U.S. defense officials. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Friday that the district may send an amended, more specific request, adding that she believes this is the first time a D.C. request for National Guard has been denied. One official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a decision not yet made public, said that the Federal Emergency Management Agencys food and shelter program has provided funding for the problem, and has indicated those funds are sufficient at this point. Bowser, the districts Democratic mayor, formally asked the White House last month for an open-ended deployment of 150 National Guard members per day as well as a suitable federal location for a mass housing and processing center, mentioning the D.C. Armory as a logical candidate. During the spring, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, both Republicans, announced plans to send busloads of migrants to Washington, D.C., in response to President Joe Bidens decision to lift a pandemic-era emergency health order that restricted migrant entry numbers by denying them a chance to seek asylum. The rule remains in effect under court order. On Friday, Abbott said the first group of migrants from his state had now been bused to New York as well. Because of President Bidens continued refusal to acknowledge the crisis caused by his open border policies, the state of Texas has had to take unprecedented action to keep our communities safe, Abbott said in a statement. In a later tweet, the governor said: In addition to Washington, D.C., New York City is the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing that Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city. He said the migrants are being dropped off at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. In response, Fabien Levy, a spokesman for Adams, tweeted that Abbotts continued use of human beings as political pawns is disgusting. NYC will continue to welcome asylum seekers w/ open arms, as we have always done, but we still need support from DC. The Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless issued a joint statement ripping Abbott while calling on the city to ensure beds and other critical services were available to the new arrivals. Governor Abbott is shamelessly exploiting these migrants human beings who have endured immense suffering in their home countries and on the journey to the United States, seeking safe haven and a better life to serve some myopic purpose, the two organizations said. Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, branded Abbott as a cold-hearted publicity-seeking bigot. As of mid-July, about 5,200 migrants had been bused from Texas to D.C. since April. As of Aug. 3, more than 1,300 had been sent from Arizona since May. The governors call the practice a voluntary free ride paid for by state taxpayers that gets migrants closer to family or support networks. But Bowser last month dismissed that characterization, saying that the asylum-seekers are being tricked, as many dont get close enough to their final destinations and some are ditched at Union Station near the U.S. Capitol and the White House. Often they arrive with no resources and no clue what to do next. On Friday, Bowser told reporters that the Pentagon appears to be concerned about the open-ended nature of our request and that a more specific one would help. We want to continue to work with the Department of Defense so that they understand our operational needs and to assure that political considerations are not a part of their decision, Bowser said, adding that she believes the crisis will only worsen. We need the National Guard. If we were a state, I would have already done it. A coalition of local charitable groups has been working to feed and shelter the migrants, aided by a $1 million grant from FEMA. But organizers have been warning that both their resources and personnel were nearing exhaustion. This reliance on NGOs is not working and is unsustainable they are overwhelmed and underfunded, Bowser said in her letter. She has repeatedly stated that the influx is stressing her governments ability to care for its own homeless residents and now requires a federal response. Bowser sharply criticized Abbott and Ducey, accusing them of cruel political gamesmanship and saying the pair had decided to use desperate people to score political points. As mayor of D.C., Bowser does not have the authority to personally order a National Guard deployment, an issue that has become emotionally charged in recent years as a symbol of the districts entrenched status as less than a state. DALLAS Texas Gov. Greg Abbott took aim at Democratic leaders in Texas and across the country in his appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference gathering Thursday in Dallas. The governor boasted about the states business-friendly policies bringing in companies from California, and the busloads of newly arrived migrants the state has sent to Washington, D.C. American Conservative Union Chairman Matt Schlapp and his wife and CPAC senior fellow Mercedes Schlapp interviewed Abbott about his record on business, immigration and education in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Abbott and the Schlapps took jabs at California and the states governor, Gavin Newsom, who has jousted regularly with Texas Republicans. The California Democrat most recently ran ads in Texas newspapers, criticizing Abbott and other Texas Republicans policies on abortion and gun control. Abbott shot back at Newsom on stage. Hes just pissed off that all of his businesses are moving to Texas, Abbott said of Newsom. Immigration and border security were a major talking point for Abbott on stage. He called for Republicans to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas if the party takes control of the House after the midterm elections. Abbott also criticized Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, who asked the White House for assistance from the National Guard in managing the thousands of migrants who have arrived on buses sent by Texas and Arizona. Abbott said the state has transported over 6,500 migrants from the border to Washington. They cannot handle that one single challenge. We deal with that number every single day, Abbott said. I have one thing to say to you and to them: There are more buses on the way as we gather at this convention. Several other Texas conservatives are set to speak during the conference, including Sen. Ted Cruz, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton. The governor also attacked Democratic rival Beto ORourke over school choice and parental involvement in education. The mention of ORourkes name drew raucous boos from the audience. You love your children more than any government employee ever can, Abbott said. You have the right to be the decision maker for health care and educational decisions for your child. You should have the right to choose the school that is best for your child, rather than the government mandating what school your child should attend. ORourke has pushed back against Republican proposals for school choice vouchers. Abbott could be facing a tighter race than in years past as he seeks his third term as governor. A poll from the University of Houston, conducted in late June and early July, found Abbott polling five points ahead of ORourke. Though the governor potentially faces a closer race than in previous years, Republicans are favored to win back the majority in Congress in the Nov. 8 midterm elections. Abbott asserted the partys electoral strength, especially among Hispanic voters. He touted Rep. Mayra Flores special election win that flipped the majority-Latino 34th district red as an indicator the party will keep winning votes from Latino voters. For the Hispanic Community, the core is faith in God, putting family first, and respecting the freedom that exists in no place better than the United States of America, Abbott said. Thats what Mayra Flores campaigned on, thats what conservatives believe in, and thats one reason why we are winning Hispanics. Lasarahlee Kelley, a 13-year-old student at Davila Middle School, wandered the aisles of Walmart on Briarcrest Drive in Bryan on Thursday to find new shoes, clothes and a watch to start the school year. She was shopping with a $100 gift card she received from the Salvation Army of Bryan-College Stations Womens Auxiliary, for the Salvation Armys 13th annual Back to School Shopping Event. Cathy Withers, a Salvation Army volunteer who helped Lasarahlee search for clothes and shoes, realized that Lasarahlee would surpass her $100 budget if she picked out all of her items, including a watch she really wanted. At the checkout, Withers decided to pay the difference on the total and hand delivered the watch to Lasarahlee as a surprise. That is what I wanted to do. It was a gift to me, for me to be here, Withers said after purchasing the watch. This is my first year as a volunteer and it feels wonderful to be able to help someone, and see them get the things that they need to start the new school year. Lasarahlee was one of 30 students who received $100 for the shopping event, after completing annual character-building classes through the Salvation Army, which are open to any student ages 6 to 18. The students and their families who participated in the shopping spree sought out clothes and shoes, and at the end, were gifted a new backpack donated by the Bryan Walmart. Captain Andrea Israel, Salvation Army Bryan-College Station corps officer, said this event is a big stress reliever for the families before school starts. School costs can be so expensive, and being able to take off just a little bit of that cost with being able to get the children new clothes and new shoes; it is a wonderful boost to each child as well, she said. With how gas prices have just been through the roof and the cost of everything has just increased, it is an opportunity to communicate hope to so many of these families and that the Salvation Army and the Womens Auxiliary cares for them. Israel said one of her favorite things about the event is the opportunity for the children to choose a free backpack as an added treat. They have already picked out these clothes they like and have gone to check out, and think they have exhausted their funds, and suddenly there is a bookbag they get to choose from, she said. This is a great way to reward the children who have been participating in our character-building programs that happen throughout the year. These are children who have been coming faithfully throughout the year, and the Womens Auxiliary is putting the funds that they raised specifically for this. Pamela Moorehead, Lasarahlees mother, said she has been participating in Salvation Army programs since 2006 and is grateful for the help. I am a single parent with two kids and ever since we have been going, the Salvation Army has been a big help, she said. This is a blessing, when [things happen] you dont know who you might need, just help any and everybody you can. The Salvation Army has been there a lot for us. When Moorehead saw Withers gift the watch to her daughter, she said that was truly special. When she realized Withers had also helped pay the difference on the total, Moorehead said, God is good. Kdomedaundra Kelley, 16, is Mooreheads son and a student at Rudder High School. He also participated in the shopping spree, and said he feels great starting the year with new boots. Larry Beavers, general manager for the Briarcrest Walmart, said it is unbelievable they are able to help out local organizations such as the Salvation Army. They do a great service to Brazos County and the Brazos Valley, Beavers said. We want to provide the students something. A lot of times in the years past, we have been unable to provide the backpacks, so if we are able to provide that, they can actually focus on themselves as far as concentrating on finding clothing and what to wear to get ready for school. JoAnn Grandjean, a member of the Womens Auxiliary, said it is important to help someone in need any way you can, no matter how big or how small. There are so many people that need help; and just a small amount, I hope, does help, she said. This is a really touching experience to work with the kids and their families. It is exciting to see them get something extra, something new. For more information about the B-CS Salvation Army, visit salvationarmybcs.org. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Jason Griess, formerly of Ashton, was sentenced Monday in Lincoln to 12 1/2 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for distribution of child pornography. U.S. District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Griess, 32. There is no parole in the federal system. Griess was additionally ordered to pay $6,000, which will contribute to funds established for victims of these types of cases. Beginning on or about Aug. 10, 2019, until on or about Aug. 16, 2019, an Online Covert Employee (OCE) working with the FBIs child exploitation task force engaged in conversations with Griess. Griess tried to make arrangements with the OCE to travel to Utah, where the OCE indicated he lived, to have intercourse with the OCEs fictitious 9-year-old daughter. Through the course of their conversation, Griess sent an image of child pornography to the OCE. The FBI received search warrants for Griess residence and devices. Griess consented to a voluntary interview in which he confessed to distributing the image to the OCE and to saving and storing child pornography. Approximately 124 images of child pornography were found on his cellular phone. An additional 172 videos and 11 images were found on other accounts that belonged to Griess. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. From live music to burgers fresh off the grill, the National Night Out was fun for all. Everybodys getting together. Its positive vibes, said Yolanda McCord, who brought 10-year-old daughter Aziya Adgerson and 8-year-old son Azaiden Adgerson to the event. National Night Out was held Thursday at Orangeburgs Centennial Park. It was sponsored by the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety in partnership with the Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office. Aziyas favorite parts of the event were getting school supplies, playing games and touring the Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office mobile command unit bus. Azaiden said, It was cool meeting the police officers. He liked getting candy, a book bag and drinks. National Night Out is an annual effort promoting police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie, according to its website. In spite of what you see going on in the city and county of Orangeburg, we are a people that stick together. We are family. We are like glue, Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler said during his remarks at the event. And all the bad news that happens that you see in the media, we dispel it tonight to let you know that we can come together and we can have fun, that we can cross racial lines and we can have a good time with each other, he said. This is a great place. Were looking forward to great things to happen in the city of Orangeburg, Butler said. Were also looking forward to our students to go back to school, to have a safe and wonderful school year and that they will learn, he said. We dispel gun violence and parents that are scared to send their children to school. Theyre going to be safe this year. We have resource officers in the school. So we are so happy for all our students. God bless you all, Butler said. ODPS Director Charles Austin Sr. spoke to the crowd, saying, This community belongs to us and were not going to surrender the soul of our community to anybody. We are going to lay claim on our community and we are going to be together in terms of anything that poses a threat to our community. So thank you all for coming out. I know in the past couple of years its been a challenge because of the COVID pandemic and with some other things that have been going on around us, but we are living proof that when we come together as a family of one, there is nothing we cant achieve. With God on our side, all things are possible, Austin said. We have to show not only our neighbors - the rest of the county, the rest of the state, the rest of this country, the world that Orangeburg city is a crown jewel in this state and in this country, he added. We want this to be a place where people feel comfortable coming into knowing they will be safe and they will be welcome and that we will provide hospitality unlike any hospitality they will have experienced anywhere else in this world, Austin said. John Graves of the Orangeburg Coalition Revitalization was among the people enjoying the event. This is a chance to get out and be with the community, he said. I found out I know a good many of the officers who are here tonight. This is a good thing for Orangeburg to get together and share ideas and socialize. For the kids, its wonderful for them, Graves added. At the event, Austin and ODPS provided plaques of appreciation to representatives of three groups who are community partners: Fogles Piggly Wiggly, the Sunnyside Community Village Association and Hotep Protective Services. Moses the Promise Land band performed at the event. ODPS Officer Devon Gilmore organized the event. Residents are encouraged to give suggestions about National Night Out or any public safety topic to Gilmore by calling 803-383-8731. Orangeburg retailers are anticipating larger crowds this sales tax holiday as shoppers search for savings amid rising prices. The sales tax-free weekend begins Friday, Aug. 5 and runs through Sunday, Aug. 7. At Goldstein's on Russell, a hot back-to-school item is expected to be clear book bags. The bags are going to come in handy because the Orangeburg County School District is now requiring elementary school students to have clear book bags. Middle and high school students in the district are already required to have clear book bags as part of a districtwide effort to enhance safety. Goldstein's owner Jerry Hannah said he has a full stock of clear book bags. Clear book bags right here, Hannah said. Not a lot of people have them. A person came in here and said, Atlanta is out them, he continued. That is what I was told. They come and tell you. Hes also got school uniforms, face masks, jackets, sweaters and more. But he said supply shortages are a challenge. The key to the whole thing is not only clear book bags are in short supply, but all school uniforms are in short supply, he continued. We have already back ordered on our sweaters and jackets for four weeks. We don't know what expect the date of that. Hannah said pretty much all of the merchandise in the store will be tax free as the store sells a lot of college merchandise. Hes ready for whatever the weekend may bring. You have to expect a good crowd, he said. If not, then if you get one you will be in bad shape. The expectation is for persons to come and shop in numbers. COVID held down the number of shoppers last year, but this year they are full bloom, Hannah said. We anticipate the amount of sales to rise, he said. We are ready for that. During the sales tax holiday, eligible items can be purchased online and in-store without paying the state's 6% sales tax and any applicable local taxes. Tax-free items include computers, printers, school supplies, book bags, clothing and accessories, shoes and certain bed and bath items. These tax-free items can be new or used and are eligible regardless of price. Items that are not tax-free during the sales tax holiday include digital cameras, smartphones, jewelry, cosmetics, eyewear, wallets, watches and furniture. Last year, South Carolina shoppers bought more than $24.5 million in tax-free items during the sales tax holiday Prince of Orange Mall's Jimmy Jazz Store Manager Alanda White is expecting more foot traffic this weekend. We have been pretty busy so far, so we are expecting maybe a little bit more traffic than we have been getting the past two weeks, White said. The past two weeks have been really busy. There will be sales during the weekend and the store is increasing staffing. A lot of people are already shopping. We are going to get some more merchandize and kind of push out what we are trying to liquidate in our store, he said. Belk Human Resource Manager Demetrius Chisolm said, We are expecting a good bit of people this weekend because we normally get busy this time of year, especially for this weekend. The store is holding a Kids Fest event from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, including raffles, coupon opportunities, childrens activities and sales on kids clothing, especially denim. There will also be refreshments. Chisolm, who has been at the store for four years, says the sales tax-free weekend is a big one for the store. It is one of the bigger weekends for this time of year for us, he said. We had a hiring event three weeks ago in preparation for this week coming up. We are staffed nicely right now. It is prepping us for the holiday season as well. This is the kick-off. For a detailed list of tax-free items, shopping lists, and FAQs, visit this story at TheTandD.com. The mass graves and bombed-out cities targeted by Russian forces in Ukraine have shocked the civilized world. But to Syrian war refugees and Syrian-born Americans like myself, Vladimir Putin's barbaric assault on Ukraine is less a shock than it is a grim reminder of the overwhelming destructive forces he and his fellow dictator, Syria's Bashar Al-Assad, unleashed on our home country over a decade ago. The West's response to Putin's invasion of Ukraine has been swift. Yet the ongoing Syrian crisis, which began in 2011 when protesters rose up against Assad's repressive government, is now, tragically, all but ignored. It's a mistake to see these two conflicts as separate. The failure of the United States and its allies to stand up to the Russian-backed Assad government opened the door for Putin to wage all-out war against Ukraine. Unless Western leaders commit to helping Syria's opposition topple Assad and achieve the Syrian people's aspiration to transition to a democratic country, the world will remain needlessly vulnerable to the whims of dictators. In the first years of Syria's civil war, opposition forces made steady progress, gaining control of large segments of several provinces. That all changed in 2015, when Putin came to the aid of Assad. Putin's forces didn't just bomb military targets -- they intentionally bombed schools, hospitals, and markets, killing 24,743 defenseless civilians, by one estimate, and leading to the world's largest refugee crisis since World War II. My own brother, along with his wife and children, were forced to flee the Damascus suburb of Ghouta to avoid the bombings and a terrifying chemical attack that killed scores of their neighbors. They joined tens of thousands of Syrians who fled to overcrowded and unsanitary refugee camps in Idlib. These joint Russian-Syrian assaults were critical in helping Assad stave off opposition forces. But for Putin, they were a proving ground for tactics he would later deploy in Ukraine. And it's here that the connection between these wars is most critical. Had the United States and other Western countries rallied behind Syria's opposition, it would have sent a strong message to Assad and Putin both. Specifically, it would have shown these dictators that targeted assaults on helpless civilians won't be tolerated, no matter where they occur. But no such response materialized. At no point has the United States ever provided enough support to the Syrian opposition to even remotely threaten Assad's power, much less Putin's. Putin was permitted to perpetrate horrific war crimes against the civilians of another nation with impunity. Is it any wonder he believed he could do the same in Ukraine? Thankfully, the West has taken notice, showing solidarity with those fighting for their freedom in Ukraine. But an effective response to Putin's uncivilized behavior can't ignore his past and ongoing crimes against the Syrian people. It's time for the West to make up for its failure in Syria, and finally provide my home nation's opposition forces with the support they need to beat back both Assad and Putin and achieve the Syrian people's desire to transition to democracy. In disregard of China's strong opposition and solemn representations, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited China's Taiwan region this week, seriously violating the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques. The move has also severely impacted on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, seriously infringed upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, gravely undermined peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sent a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for "Taiwan independence." China has voiced firm opposition and strong condemnation, vowing to take all necessary measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. All consequences arising from this shall be borne by the U.S. side and "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. Respecting each country's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity is a basic principle in international law and a basic norm governing international relations. The historical context of the Taiwan question is crystal clear, and so are the fact and status quo that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China. This historical fact and legal grounds have never changed and cannot be changed. There is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. The one-China principle is a commonly recognized basic norm governing international relations and a universal consensus of the international community, with an unshakable basis of international law. The one-China principle is the prerequisite for forging China-U.S. diplomatic ties, as well as the political foundation of China-U.S. relations. The United States has made a solemn commitment to China on the Taiwan question. The China-U.S. Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations clearly stipulates that "The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People's 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." The U.S. 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 earnestly honor its political commitments to China. Since Pelosi is a leader of the U.S. Congress, her visit to Taiwan, in whatever form and for whatever reason, is a major political provocation as it upgrades U.S. official exchanges with Taiwan, causing severe damage to peace across the strait, China-U.S. relations and international order. The Taiwan question is the most important and most sensitive issue at the very heart of China-U.S. relations. However, for quite some time, what the United States did was totally different from what it said it would do on the Taiwan question. Attempting to use Taiwan to contain China, the United States constantly distorts, obscures and hollows out the one-China principle, steps up its official exchanges with Taiwan, and emboldens separatist activities seeking "Taiwan independence." The U.S. side has claimed that it adheres to its one-China policy, does not support "Taiwan independence," does not want conflict and confrontation with China, and hopes for peace across the Taiwan Strait. On the other hand, it uses Taiwan as a tool to contain China and places its unilaterally-concocted "Taiwan Relations Act" and Six Assurances above the three China-U.S. joint communiques. The United States intensifies its military collusion with Taiwan, and continues arms sales to Taiwan to support Taiwan's attempt of "resisting reunification by the use of force." The gross interference in China's internal affairs tramples on the international law and basic norms governing international relations. The Taiwan Strait is facing a new round of tensions and severe challenges, and the fundamental cause is repeated moves by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities and the United States to change the status quo and make trouble. The DPP refuses to recognize the 1992 Consensus, goes all out to push forward "de-sinicization", promotes "incremental independence," and becomes even more utterly brazen in the provocative attempt to seek "independence." The U.S. collusion with Taiwan gravely infringes on China's core interests and increases tensions across the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese government has taken decisive, forceful, reasonable and necessary counter-measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests. These acts of justice will definitely win broad understanding and firm support from the international community. History has shown that when the one-China principle is fully recognized and earnestly followed, there would be tranquility and peaceful development across the Taiwan Strait. When the one-China principle is wantonly challenged or even undermined, there would be dark clouds or even violent storms across the strait. The more unequivocal the commitment to uphold the one-China principle is and the more forceful measures are taken to contain separatist forces, the more likely it is to ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and the more likely it is that peace and prosperity in the region will be guaranteed. The position of the Chinese government and people on the Taiwan question is consistent. Their firm will of resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity cannot be defied, and the historical trend cannot be reversed. The U.S. side must fully understand the facts and status quo that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China. It must take credible actions to observe strictly the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques. The U.S. side should stop meddling with Taiwan affairs and interfering in China's internal affairs, and stop supporting and conniving at "Taiwan independence" separatist forces in any form. Otherwise, the United States will only reap the bitter fruits of what it has sown and be spurned by the international community. The Chinese people's affairs should be decided by the Chinese people. The Taiwan question is a matter of China's internal affairs, which concerns China's core interests and the dignity of the Chinese people and brooks no external interference. No one should underestimate the strong resolve, will and ability of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. China must be and will surely be reunified. No matter what actions the anti-China forces in the United States take, the historical and legal facts that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China will not be changed, and the historical process of China's reunification will not be stopped. Any dirty trick that goes against the historical trend, aims to make an issue out of the Taiwan question and undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity is doomed to fail. (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. According to the police, a shoplifter was caught red-handed by a security official in a shop located in Grand Rue on Tuesday afternoon. The culprit was held at the shop until the police arrived. He was arrested on the orders of the public prosecutor's office and presented to an examining magistrate on Wednesday morning. The police emergency number 113 registered 124,000 calls in 2021. The police also withdrew over 1,600 driving licences, the large majority of which for drink-driving. Police officers carried out nearly 10,000 checks related to Covid-19 restrictions. These figures are all from the police's activity report, which confirms that the pandemic dominated their work in 2021. Besides the Covid-19 checks, the pandemic also kept the police busy in relation to the protests against the government's coronavirus policies, which became increasingly violent towards the end. The scale of the protests was unusual for Luxembourg's police at the time. Alain Engelhardt, the head of strategy and performance at the Luxembourg Police, explained that there was a "shift in attitude towards the police". While the police was used to be present at demonstrations, events up until that point had always been "relatively peaceful" in Luxembourg. In October 2021, some 2,000 Polish demonstrators protested against the closure of a coal plant in Luxembourg City. The Luxembourg police worked alongside the Belgian police to ensure security in Kirchberg and Limpertsberg. The number of police officers has increased in recent years. In 2021, the Luxembourg police counted 2,815 collaborators, which is "a substantial increase". The number of police officers increased by 9%, while the number of civil employees increased by 17%. Since 2018, residents can contact the police via an "electronic police station". Last year, some 7,800 cases were filed online an increase of 40%. Police were alerted after a vehicle stolen on Wednesday evening was spotted in Schuttrange on Thursday. A police search took place for the vehicle after a sighting was reported in Schuttrange, the day after it had been stolen in the capital. Officers followed the vehicle from Sandweiler to the Iergartchen roundabout, via Rue de Treves to Findel and Heienhaff. The car's occupants attempted to flee on foot after they were prevented from driving any further by a barrier. However, police were able to catch up with them as they entered the forest. All three men were arrested by order of the public prosecutor, and were brought before magistrates on Friday. The car in question was stolen in Luxembourg City overnight on 2/3 August. A police search revealed further stolen items within the vehicle itself. Luxembourg is currently re-negotiating teleworking agreements for cross-border workers with Germany, Belgium and France. After two years of exemptions following the coronavirus outbreak, teleworking for employees in Luxembourg is returning to normal. The Grand Duchy and its neighbouring countries lifted limits on the number of days cross-border workers were permitted to work from home to allow employees to continue working during lockdown - however, the bilateral agreements ended on 1 July. In terms of social security, European regulations offer some room for respite, with a six-month "transitory period" granted to workers employed in Luxembourg, who may continue working from home beyond the 25% threshold. However, tax is a different story, with thresholds that need to be respected. In response to a parliamentary question submitted by CSV MPs Marc Spautz and Laurent Mosar, the Ministry of Finance confirmed the current thresholds are being re-negotiated. Belgian cross-border employees will temporarily be better off than their counterparts in Germany and France - the threshold for teleworking days will soon be increased from 24 to 34 days per year. MPs in Luxembourg have already signed the agreement and are now just waiting for Belgian authorities to complete the procedure. Once this has occurred, the agreement will come into force, retroactively from 1 January 2022, meaning in theory workers will already be able to make use of the additional days. In France, negotiations appear to be heading in a similar direction. An accord "in principle" was struck last autumn to increase the threshold from 29 to 34 days per year. Both sets of authorities have been in contact to discuss the technicalities to be included in the tax treaty addendum, which will then be put to MPs for a vote. Discussions with Germany are somewhat less advanced, in contrast. The Ministry of Finance confirmed that contact between the relevant authorities had taken place in order to initiate negotiations for the tax convention. Luxembourg hopes to increase the threshold of teleworking days, which currently stands at 19 days per year. In the longer term, a study will examine the possibility of increasing the teleworking threshold for cross-border workers up to two days per week at European level. Flash Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday firmly refuted a Taiwan-related statement made by the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers. The ins and outs of the current tension over the Taiwan Strait are crystal clear, so are the rights and wrongs. It is the United States which started the trouble, created the crisis, and continuously escalated the tensions, Wang said on the sidelines of meetings of foreign ministers on East Asia cooperation. "The flagrant provocation by the United States has set an egregious precedent. If it's not corrected and countered, will the principle of non-interference in internal affairs still exist? Will the internatioanl law still be upheld? How can the regional peace be safeguarded?" he asked. Wang stressed that the statement of the G7 foreign ministers distorts facts and confounds right and wrong. "Where did they get the right to groundlessly criticize China's reasonable and lawful measures for safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity? Who granted them the authority? Isn't it absurd that the infringer is shielded whereas the defender is accused?" he asked. Noting that the G7's wrongdoing has aroused great indignation among the Chinese people, Wang said the sovereignty and independence of China and other countries were earned through bloody battles fought by the people and should never be infringed upon again. Today's China is no longer the China of the 19th century, and history should not and will not repeat itself, he stressed. The international community should unequivocally oppose any act that challenges the one-China principle and resist all infringements on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, Wang said. Regional countries should be more united against any hegemony bullying the region, he said, adding only in this way can regional countries truly safeguard their own security as well as regional peace and stability. EU sanctions against Russia do nothing to prevent the delivery of pipeline turbine, an EU spokesman said Friday, accusing Moscow of fabricating an excuse to cut off gas supplies. Russian energy giant Gazprom said on Wednesday that the delivery of a turbine needed to keep gas flowing to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline was "impossible" due to international sanctions Read also: Potential energy shortages: Luxembourg should prepare for the worst-case scenario, says energy minister But Eric Mamer, spokesman for the European Commission, dismissed this and accused Moscow of using energy supplies as a lever to blackmail Europe over its opposition to the invasion of Ukraine. "There is nothing in the sanctions that prohibits the turbine, the Siemens turbine that is currently meant to go to Russia, to go there," Mamer told reporters. "Anything else that is being said on the issue is purely and simply wrong ... and anything that the Russians are saying on this is basically an excuse not to not to provide gas to the European Union." Earlier this week, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz accused Russia of blocking the delivery of the key turbine to throttle gas supplies to Europe. But Gazprom said the delivery was impossible, because of "sanctions regimes in Canada, in the European Union and in Britain". Gazprom has already blamed an initial reduction in gas deliveries via the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline in June, on a delayed return of the turbine from Canada, where the unit was being serviced. It is now in Germany, but the firm is still insisting it needs a sanctions waiver to accept its return. Mamer, citing previous comments by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, said "of course there is blackmail on the side of Russia when it comes to the supply of energy to the European Union." The European economy, and in particular Germany's energy and chemicals industries, is highly dependent on deliveries of natural gas from Russian fields. Many other Russian exports and imports have fallen foul of EU sanctions since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February. But Berlin and Brussels are keen to keep Russian gas flowing, even if EU capitals have spent hundreds of millions of euros per week on Russian energy since the start of fighting. Gazprom, however, has slashed supplies of gas, arguing that its Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany can not run at full capacity until the refurbished turbine is returned. EU plan comes into effect next week A European Union plan to cut gas use and help Germany wean itself off dependency on Russia will come into effect early next week, the bloc's presidency said Friday. Last week, EU member states agreed to reduce their use of gas by 15 percent over the winter, with exceptions for some countries and despite opposition from Hungary. Officials have since been working on the legal texts of the plan, which will be voluntary unless the member states agree to give the European Commission emergency powers. The EU's rotating presidency, held by the Czech Republic, announced Friday the Council of the European Union -- which represents member states -- had formally adopted the plan. "The text will be published in the Official Journal at the beginning of next week and will enter into force one day after the publication," the presidency said. A diplomatic source told AFP that publication would take place on Monday and the plan would come into effect on Tuesday. The plan for all member states to cut gas use is designed to combat rising prices and lower the pressure on member states like Germany which are struggling to find alternative energy sources. Scottsbluff police are investigating a shooting that occurred at a local grocery store and left one man hospitalized. Scottsbluff Police arrested Alexander J. Maldonado, 35, of Gering, in connection with the shooting, according to information released by Capt. Lance Kite. Police and paramedics were called to the Main Street Market parking lot around 4:57 p.m. Dispatchers relayed a report of a man in his vehicle suffering a gunshot wound to his abdomen, according to scanner traffic. The man identified as Martin Maldonado Jr., 24, suffered a single gun shot to the abdomen and he was transported to Regional West Medical Center for treatment. Martin Maldonado is a staff member at the Wyoming Medium Correction Institution in Torrington, according to a release from the Wyoming Department of Corrections. He was off duty, the release states. Were still trying to figure out everything thats going on, Kite told the Star-Herald. Were still trying to put the pieces together. At the scene, a late-model white Toyota Camry and a late-model black Dodge Ram could be seen behind police tape with at least seven evidence markers surrounding them. Police arrested Alexander Maldonado on charges of attempted murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony, prohibited person in possession of a firearm, protection order violation and discharging a firearm within city limits. He is being held at the Scotts Bluff County Detention Center. Anyone with additional information about this case is asked to contact the Communications Center at 308-632-7171 or they may contact Crime Stoppers at 308-632-STOP (7867). Emails can be sent to crimestoppers@scottsbluff.org. 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. The public is advised that as at 1:05 a.m., with the exception of a small segment at St Luci The magical charm of the Manzanilla-to-Mayaro vista is not the only gift of nature that could be lost to future generations. Natural phenomena combined with the human-induced impacts of climate change are already altering our lives, and are projected to do so in even more drastic and dramatic ways within the lifetimes of most people alive today. Kari Lake proved this week that she has the backing of the largest share of Arizona Republicans at least those who voted in the primary. Now she has to figure out how to appeal to everyone else. It starts with the 53% of Republican voters who wanted one of the other four candidates on the GOP ballot to be the partys nominee for governor. Senate President Karen Fann issued a call Friday for unity, praising both Lake and Karrin Taylor Robson, Lakes main rival, as strong leaders who ran respectable campaigns. She then launched into a full-throated endorsement of Lake, who now faces Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in the November general election. But that call has yet to be answered. It is my hope that our Republican nominees are successful in November, Robson said in her concession statement late Thursday. But there was no endorsement of Lake and no indication she will do anything to help her former foe. This part of my lifes journey has come to an end, Robson said. Now, I need time to be with my family and get back to my business. There also was a snub of sorts by Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, whom Lake repeatedly insulted during the campaign by calling do-nothing Ducey. The Republican Governors Association put out a statement Thursday night congratulating Lake on her victory. Of note, though, is that the quote came from Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, the organizations vice chair, and not from Ducey, who chairs the organization and had endorsed Robson. Even on Friday there was no response to inquiries made to Duceys press aide about Lakes win. But Republican strategist Stan Barnes said he thinks the party faithful eventually will come around. The partys been through really bad fights in the past, said Barnes, a former state legislator. I think the dust will settle. The reason is the desire to win, he noted. To be unifying, you dont have to have 100% love, Barnes said. You have to have voters see you represent a better picture than the other guy, he continued. And I believe that will happen. Barnes said Lake, a former, longtime news anchor in Phoenix, has something else unrelated to her stance on issues. If youre with her at a rally, if youre with her in a living room, she is the most unifying and likable charismatic politician that I have seen in decades, he said. It was that super power, he said, that enabled Lake, vastly outspent by Robson and her political allies, to pull out a win. And it could be Lakes path to victory, said independent pollster Mike Noble. Theres a big difference between Kari Lakes personality and Hobbs personality, he said. And that could be the X factor. Noble said Hobbs best bet is not to get in the mud with Lake. That could mean avoiding at all costs any face-to-face debate, or letting Lake set the political agenda, he said. The biggest opportunity for Lake is for Katie Hobbs to mess up, Noble said. Conversely, he said, to the extent Lake continues to make her campaign about the 2020 presidential race, she will end up meeting the same fate as Donald Trump in Arizona losing the votes of the more affluent Republicans, who were the same people who supported Robson. The strategy for Hobbs, said Noble, is to take a page from the playbook used by the states two U.S. senators, Democrats Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly, who portrayed themselves right in the middle. GOP consultant Chuck Coughlin agreed that the model being used again this year by Kelly is the one for Hobbs to follow. He noted the endorsement of Kelly by Mesa Mayor John Giles, a Republican, complete with a commercial. Theyve got to do, Hey, were problem solvers, Coughlin said of Hobbs and her campaign. Thats an appealing message to unaffiliated voters, he said. Thats an appealing message to the Republican base, or the Republican portion of Karrin Taylor Robsons crew. What that also means, Couglin said, is not getting wrapped up in the progressive message and not letting Lake put Hobbs on the defensive that shes a Joe Biden clone or a socialist or a supporter of an open border. If they can just talk about solving problems, if they can embrace that message, thats where the narrative needs to be in order to make themselves available to that portion of the electorate that wants to show up and wants progress, he said. Fann, for her part, acknowledged that primaries are by their nature divisive, as candidates from each party stake out positions that can span the political spectrum. And thats what happened among Republicans. But when its time to go on to the general (election), its not so much about the person, its about the issues, the Prescott Republican said. That often means asking voters if they are happier now than they were several years ago, Fann said presumably meaning before President Biden took office. That can play very well for Lake, she said. A question that remains, though, is can or will Lake make the changes necessary to broaden her base beyond what has been a central theme that elections were rigged and that Trump actually won the 2020 race in Arizona. Fann said she believes that now, with the primary over, Lake is going to surround herself with some good policy that will also help her navigate and guide through that. She said Lake has one other asset that works in her favor. Lakes background in the media means she has her finger on the pulse on what people are thinking and the issues and everything else, Fann said. Shes not somebody out of the blue, Fann said. Shes somebody thats been engaged in politics for a long time now. But so, for that matter, has Hobbs, who was an elected state legislator before becoming secretary of state four years ago. And Lake clearly still has at least one foot in the election conspiracy camp: an active lawsuit playing out in federal court seeking to bar Arizona from using machines to tabulate ballots. In legal papers, Lake and Mark Finchem, now the Republican nominee for Arizona secretary of state, contend the machines are unreliable because they are subject to hacking. They say the use of components in computers from other countries makes them vulnerable. No date has been set for a hearing. Polling so far is sparse. A survey run by Beacon Research of 504 likely voters suggested Hobbs was the choice over Lake by a 49% to 40% margin. But that was conducted in early July, before Lake became the nominee. Flash Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand announced Thursday that Canada has authorized the deployment of up to 225 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel to train new recruits from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Under Operation UNIFIER, Canada's military training and capacity building mission in Ukraine, the CAF will deploy personnel to the United Kingdom, Anand said in a news release, adding that the majority of them will work as trainers, for an initial deployment of approximately four months. The first of up to three training cohorts, consisting of approximately 90 soldiers, are scheduled to depart on Aug. 12 and will begin leading courses in the following weeks, the minister said. The first Canadian-led courses will take place at a military base located in South East England, and will teach a flexible curriculum focused on individual skills required for frontline combat, including weapons handling, battlefield first aid, fieldcraft, patrol tactics and the Law of Armed Conflict, according to the release. Operation UNIFIER was launched in 2015 at the request of the Ukrainian government, and early this year, was expanded and extended until March 2025. Since the start of the operation, the CAF has trained over 33,000 Ukrainian military and security personnel in battlefield tactics and advanced military skills. Be careful what you wish for. Thats the lesson emerging from the GOP primary in Legislative District 17. Sen. Vince Leach, an incumbent from a different district, worked behind the scenes to ensure his home area of Saddlebrooke was included in the new LD 17, a Republican-dominated district wrapping around Tucson from the northwest side to the southeast. He got what he wanted Saddlebrooke became part of the district that is otherwise almost completely in Pima County. And now hes on the verge of losing. With almost all the votes counted, Justine Wadsack was leading Leach by 1,493 votes a margin of 4.75 percentage points. And all the votes from Pinal County, Leachs stronghold, have already been counted. Research by a Democratic-aligned firm last year showed that in October 2021, Leachs senate staff began working on a letter to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, arguing in favor of a Republican-leaning district that wrapped around Tucson and included Saddlebrooke. The letter went out on the letterhead of the mayor of Marana, Ed Honea, and was signed by Honea, Leach and four others. The Southern Arizona Leadership Council also weighed in with their support. Before long, LD 17 became the most overtly gerrymandered district in Arizona. The chair of the redistricting commission, Erika Neuberg, even acknowledged out loud she was trying to draw a district for Southern Arizona Republicans, although partisan groups are not supposed to be considered communities of interest under the law. I am focused on ensuring some accountability in the Tucson area for right-of-center folks, a community of interest, to not be neglected, she said. It wasnt just Leach who got what he wanted, but the Southern Arizona Leadership Council as well. They had claimed that they needed more Republican representation in the Tucson area so that they could get proposals more easily considered in the Republican-controlled chambers at the Capitol. Of course, they already had Republican representation Rep. Mark Finchem, for one, and Leach for another. It just wasnt representation that would carry their water. Now they could find themselves in a similar situation. The three winners of the GOP primaries for House and Senate in LD 17 were part of a slate that called themselves the Arizona Freedom Team: Cory McGarr, Rachel Jones and Wadsack. These are not corporate Republicans in the mold of Gov. Doug Ducey, the kind that are more likely to concern themselves with the priorities of the council, which is made up of local CEOs and other business leaders. They are more like Finchem Trump-aligned conservatives. Wadsack herself has dabbled with the QAnon conspiracy theory and stormed a Vail school board meeting last year protesting mask mandates, although she has no children in the district. With Leach out of the way, the Democrats are gunning for the seat now, giving stronger backing to candidate Mike Nickerson than they probably would have otherwise. I think Mike can beat her easily, Pima County Democratic Party Chair Bonnie Heidler said. A pastor, a moderate, a sane person come on. Pima County Republican Chair Shelley Kais did not return an email or phone call seeking comment before deadline. So, for the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, too, the lesson may be be careful what you wish for. Spend big, still lose Democrats in Legislative District 18 grew increasingly surprised as mailers supporting senate candidate Morgan Abraham filled their mailboxes this summer. They werent just from Abrahams well-funded campaign, which had spent about $243,000 as of the last campaign-finance report. Beyond that, outside groups have spent at least $107,000 supporting Abraham, as well. They were funded in large measure by homebuilding and other real estate interests, as well as the Arizona Chamber of Commerce. Abraham runs a real-estate investment firm focused on affordable housing. Abraham has already been serving in the Legislature, because he was appointed to serve out the state House term of Stephanie Stahl-Hamilton, who had replaced Kirsten Engel in the state Senate, when she stepped down to run for Congress. But he served in a different chamber, representing an old district. Priya Sundareshan, a faculty member focused on environmental law at the UA Law School, had spent a comparatively paltry $64,000 as of the last report. But she was leading Abraham by 2,686 votes in the latest tally a margin of about 8 percentage points and Abraham has conceded. Abraham received some pushback for his financial support, including a letter by former state legislator Tom Chabin to the precinct committeemen in the district, which is heavily Democratic. Chabin accused Abraham of being allied with utility companies and urged support for Sundareshan. That caused its own stir in the party. Now Sundareshan will face Republican Stan Cain in the general election. Hernandi lose one The three Hernandez siblings Daniel, Consuelo and Alma, who call themselves the Hernandi have run up a remarkable record of wins in their parallel political careers. Daniel Hernandez started in 2011 by winning election to the Sunnyside school board, then the state Legislature in 2016. Alma Hernandez won election to the state House in 2018, and their sister Consuelo won election to the Sunnyside school board in 2018 and now the state House. She led the three Democrat candidates in Legislative District 21 with 46% of the votes, to second-place finisher Stahl-Hamiltons 33% and third-place finisher Akanni Oyegbolas 22%. The top two move on. Alma Hernandez and her current seat mate in the state House, Andres Cano, were the only two Democratic candidates in the new Legislative District 20. So, though the pioneer Hernandez politician will be out of office soon, for the first time in a decade, his sisters will carry on the family tradition in the state House. Alex Jones ordered to pay $45.2M more over Sandy Hook lies AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A Texas jury has ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages to the parents of a child who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, adding to the $4.1 million he has to pay for the suffering he put them through by claiming for years that the nations deadliest school shooting was a hoax. The parents of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis say they were tormented by the Infowars hosts false claims that the worst classroom shooting in U.S. history was orchestrated by the government to tighten gun laws. The total of nearly $50 million marks the first time Jones has been held financially liable for peddling lies about the 2012 attack in Newtown, Connecticut. 'What recession?': US employers add 528,000 jobs in July WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. employers added an astonishing 528,000 jobs last month despite flashing warning signs of an economic downturn, easing fears of a recession and handing President Joe Biden some good news heading into the midterm elections. Unemployment dropped another notch, from 3.6% to 3.5%, matching the more than 50-year low reached just before the pandemic took hold. The economy has now recovered all 22 million jobs lost in March and April 2020 when COVID-19 slammed the U.S. The red-hot numbers were reported Friday by the Labor Department. Economists had expected only 250,000 new jobs last month, in a drop-off from Junes revised 398,000. Instead, July proved to be the best month since February. China cuts off vital US contacts over Pelosi Taiwan visit WASHINGTON (AP) China says it is cutting off dialogue with the U.S. on a range of vital issues from climate change to military relations and anti-narcotics efforts in retaliation for a visit this week to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The measures announced Friday are the latest steps intended to punish Washington for allowing the visit to the island claimed by Beijing as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary. China also is firing missiles in military exercises off the coast of the island. U.S.-China expert Bonnie Glaser warns China may be heading toward changing the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, with results that are negative for both Taiwan and the U.S. Israeli strikes on Gaza kill 10, including senior militant GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) Israel unleashed a wave of airstrikes on Gaza, killing at least 10 people, including a senior militant. That's according to Palestinian officials who spoke Friday. Israel says it targeted the Islamic Jihad militant group in response to an imminent threat following the recent arrest of another senior militant. Hours later, Palestinian militants launched a barrage of rockets as air-raid sirens wailed in Israel and the two sides drew closer to another all-out war. Islamic Jihad claimed to have fired 100 rockets. Israel and Gazas militant Hamas rulers have fought four wars and several smaller battles over the last 15 years. Blaze kills firefighter's 10 relatives, 3 of them children NESCOPECK, Pa. (AP) Authorities say a fast-moving fire has killed seven adults and three children in northeastern Pennsylvania. One of the firefighters who responded to the blaze early Friday discovered the victims were his family. Investigators are looking into the fire in the community of Nescopeck. Pennsylvania State Police say the children who died were ages 5, 6 and 7. Volunteer firefighter Harold Baker says the 10 victims included his son, daughter, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, three grandchildren and two other relatives. GOP Rep who voted to impeach advances in Washington primary OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse, who voted to impeach Donald Trump, advanced to the general election following days of vote counts in Washington states primary. But fellow Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler saw her advantage against an opponent endorsed by Trump rapidly shrink to within recount territory. Both drew interparty challenges due to their vote to impeach Trump following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Newhouse, the four-term incumbent in the 4th Congressional District in central Washington and Democrat Doug White were essentially tied, with each capturing about 25% of the vote on a crowded ballot. White also advanced to the fall ballot. Sinema gives her nod, and influence, to Democrats' big bill WASHINGTON (AP) Sen. Joe Manchin sealed the deal reviving President Joe Bidens big economic, health care and climate bill. But it was another Democratic senator, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who quietly shaped the final product. Democrats pushed ahead Friday on the estimated $730 billion package that in many ways reflects Sinemas priorities. On taxes, health care and climate change, Sinema has pushed her priorities into the bill. In the 50-50 Senate, every vote matters. She is putting hers to uses that infuriate some, wow others and point to her emergence as a powerful political figure. Breonna Taylor supporters relieved by charges against police LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Louisville activists who put in long hours protesting the death of Breonna Taylor at the hands of police say they felt relief this week when federal officials charged four officers. They say the new civil rights charges turned the tables after more than two years of setbacks. Louisville Urban League President Sadiqa Reynolds says the charges have begun to lift the cloud that has been hanging over us. The indictments represent the first time Louisville police officers have been held accountable for Taylors shooting death. The 26-year-old Black woman was shot after officers knocked down her door during a search for drugs. None were found. Record floods strand 1K people in Death Valley National Park DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) Record rainfall triggered flash flooding at Death Valley National Park that buried cars, forced officials to close all roads in and out the park and stranded about 1,000 people. Park officials say about three-quarters as much rain typically is recorded in an entire year fell in a single day on Friday. About 60 vehicles were buried in debris and about 500 visitors and 500 park workers were stranded. There were no immediate reports of injuries. California transportation officials estimated it would take into the night to open a road that would allow park visitors to leave. The park service says 1.46 inches of rain fell Friday. The annual average is 1.9 inches. NCAA hoops leagues grapple with unequal pay for women's refs The NCAA earned praise last year when it agreed to pay referees at its mens and womens basketball tournaments equally. The gesture only cost about $100,000, a tiny fraction of the roughly $900 million networks pay annually to broadcast March Madness. Now, as the NCAA examines various disparities across mens and womens sports, pressure is rising to also pay referees equally during the regular season. Two Division I conferences told The Associated Press they plan to equalize pay, and another is considering it. Others are resisting change, even though the impact on their budgets would be negligible. PHOENIX Drivers may not know what catalytic converters do, but its clear that they are valuable. Thefts of the emissions-control devices from under vehicles are skyrocketing across the country, authorities say. The National Insurance Crime Bureau reports that the number of catalytic converter theft claims to insurance companies jumped from 3,389 in 2019 to 14,433 in 2020 a 325% increase. Arizonans reported 2,046 thefts in 2021, an increase of 1,340% over 2019 and a spike second only to Colorado, according to an analysis by BeenVerified, which reports on public data. And in May, Phoenix police found 1,200 catalytic converters in a storage unit after investigating a crime ring, the Associated Press reported. Deterring and prosecuting catalytic converter theft is difficult because they dont come with a serial number or other distinguishing characteristics, so theres no way to prove a stolen converter belongs to someone else. But there are steps you can take. Catalytic converters can be hardened to deter theft, and a unique number can be acid-etched onto the converter to increase the chance of recovering it if stolen. In addition, police recommend that drivers be intentional about where they park. Catalytic converters contain precious metals, such as platinum, palladium and rhodium, which are valuable on the black market and make them a target for thieves. Replacing one can cost more than $1,000, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The bureau tracked 26 states in 2021 that proposed legislation to combat converter thefts, and in 2022, Arizona joined the list. The law, signed by Gov. Doug Ducey in May, makes it unlawful to purchase or sell catalytic converters in many instances outside garages and auto parts stores, and requires anyone who buys a used converter to register the transaction with the Arizona Department of Public Safety. People who solicit or advertise unregistered converters can be fined up to $4,000. The law also gives police more power to investigate scrap metal businesses and requires scrap buyers to mark a legally bought converter with the serial number of the car and keep it in its original condition for a week. Sgt. Brian Bower, Phoenix Police Department spokesperson, said one of the best deterrents is to be more intentional about parking locations and making sure that youre parking your vehicle in a well-lit area. If you know that theres surveillance cameras nearby, definitely work within view of those surveillance cameras. Bower said police also work with pawn shops and scrap metal facilities to recover stolen converters and investigate who is stealing them. Courtesy Chevrolet in Phoenix offers car buyers a way to mark the catalytic converter with a unique number thats registered to the vehicle. The Safecat program uses a sticker with the number written in perforations. Once the sticker is secured to the converter, a technician applies acid over it, burning the number into the converter. As the exhaust system warms up, the rest of the sticker melts onto the converter, making it extremely difficult to remove and easier to link a stolen converter to a vehicle or owner. What it does is it marks a catalytic converter, said Jason Church, chief operating officer at Courtesy Chevrolet. In the event that there is a theft, the police force can look it up on the database, type in the serial number and tie it back to the actual car that was stolen. So you have a lot more accountability, a lot more prosecutions. A downside to Safecat is that it doesnt prevent theft per se. However, potential thieves may recognize theres a higher chance of being caught, which could deter them from stealing the converter. Safecat, which costs $300 at Courtesy, includes $3,000 in insurance. A common way to deter such theft is to attach a metal cage or box around the catalytic converter, making it more difficult and time intensive to cut away with the tools most converter thieves use. But theyre also difficult to install and can cost $500 to $750. Another approach is to wrap a wire around the converter and attach the wire to the vehicles frame. The wire is difficult for thieves to cut, but not as difficult as a metal cage or box. However, the added time it would take to remove can be a deterrent in itself. Theres a lot of small things that individual property owners can do to help protect themselves. It goes to just any kind of property crime, Bower said, emphasizing securing personal property, parking in well-lit areas and putting personal markings on high-value objects. BROKEN ARROW Patrick Whalen, who works for TAT Limco, doesnt mince words when it comes to the impact the pandemic had on the local aerospace company. Covid killed us, said Whalen, Limcos director of human resources and organizational development. The companys employee roster slipped from about 200 pre-COVID to below 100 during the pandemic, he said. Now, firm has returned to 198 workers. We have another 100 to hire, at least in the next six months or eight months, Whalen said. So, were doing everything we can to make it a more quality on-boarding experience. Were doing signing bonuses and incentives, all kinds of things. Labor shortages and supply chain issues were among the subjects broached Thursday during a manufacturing round table discussion organized by U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., at the Broken Arrow campus of Northeastern State University. Representatives from 17 area businesses, including such companies as TAT Limco, Milos Tea, Vacuworx and CymSTAR, attended the event, along with leaders from the Tulsa Regional Chamber, Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce and Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance. Any of these kinds of things that we get to do are very important for a small company like us, Whalen said. We are massively growing and any way we can find to grow and stay competitive among all the troubles with supply chain is huge. The hour-long round table was closed to the media, but Hern and some business reps made themselves available afterward. Matt Mason, purchasing coordinator for Milos Tea in Owasso, talked about the struggle to hire truck drivers as many are approaching retirement. He also spoke about the need to focus more on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs. There are a lot of people in Washington D.C. talking about the problem of supply chain, Hern said. We hear it all the know. But its really good to hear from people who are experiencing it every single day trying to make the products for Americans and seeing how they are overcoming that. A nationwide shortage of truck drivers, a lack of available warehouse space, and rising consumer demand are among the supply chain challenges that are expected to continue to impact retail operations throughout 2022. Were very blessed in our state to have a lot of career techs, and we need to get more folks who are getting those kind of skills who can be functional as soon as they graduate, said Hern, a former McDonalds franchisee with interests in several businesses that include banking and manufacturing. We need to build that workforce certainly as manufacturers are trying to grow in this environment. Featured video: Owasso student Auburn Lane attended the 2022 American Farmers & Ranchers Youth Leadership Summit July 24-30. The annual retreat develops leadership skills in junior high and high school students that will prepare them for future educational and professional experiences. More than 200 students from across Oklahoma participated in one of two AFR Leadership Summit sessions Teen Summit and Senior Summit with Lane attending the latter. The theme for this years AFR Leadership Summit was Jump All In. Summit attendees like Lane participated in development activities that will benefit them now and in the future. He and others learned life skills, such as setting and achieving short- and long-term goals and working in teams. They also learned the value of personal responsibility, respect for their peers and other positive attributes. The AFR Leadership Summit is a great way for the youth of Oklahoma to learn skills that will benefit them throughout their lives, said AFR Cooperative President Scott Blubaugh. We are proud to invest in the future of Oklahoma through our states agricultural youth. This is just one way of demonstrating that investment in communities across our state. In addition to this years leadership development activities, Summit attendees participated in a camp-wide service project. For this years Summit project, students prepared more than 1,000 care boxes for active military personnel serving overseas. AleXa, a K-pop music artist from Jenks who elevated her profile by winning NBCs American Song Contest in May, committed to an eight-city tour in October that will include a performance in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma City show date is Oct. 25. A venue was not immediately announced. Alexaundra Schneiderman is a 2015 graduate of Jenks High School, where people knew her as Alex Christine. Her stage name is AleXa and she gained a global following after moving to South Korea to pursue a career as a K-pop artist. AleXA was selected to be Oklahomas representative in the inaugural season of American Song Contest, a reality competition which featured performers from every U.S. state and territory debuting original songs. AleXA won the competition with the song Wonderland. For tickets to her October tour stops, go to kpoptickets.com. Tulsa World Scene podcast: Reservation Dogs season two to new Blake Shelton book COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Sri Lanka's 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 Wickremesinghe's 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 Lanka's 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 India's 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 government's 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 president's 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 country's 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. Over the past few years, the hobby of woodworking has experienced a massive boom, said Allan Chaney, owner of several Woodcraft stores across Oklahoma, Kentucky and Cleveland. With the rise of social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, woodworking hobbyists all over the world took to sharing their projects on the internet, inspiring those who came across their videos to try their hand at the craft, as well. Additionally, government restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic caused more people to stay home than ever before, which gave many woodworkers the time and space they needed to hone their hobby in solitude, Chaney said. In the last couple of years, social media has skyrocketed, and visibility has increased so much for woodworking, said Tony Fisher, assistant manager at Woodcraft in Tulsa. The inspiration is out there you can see normal people making amazing things, which makes people say, I can do this, too. It makes it so available to the everyday person at home. Even with the recent growth of the woodworking hobby, a vibrant woodworking community has called Tulsa home for many years. Dr. Bob Block is a member of the Eastern Oklahoma Woodcarvers Association, a charitable nonprofit organization created in 1975 for the preservation and expansion of the art of woodworking in Oklahoma. Block was introduced to woodworking while on a family trip to Minnesota. He spontaneously decided to take a class taught by a skilled woodcarver from Greece, and from then on, he was hooked, Block said. I found out it was something I could really do I cant draw worth a hoot, I cant paint, but woodworking was something I really enjoyed and could spend hours doing, Block said. Block moved to Tulsa in 1975 and joined the OU College of Medicine faculty, where he worked for several decades as a child abuse pediatrics specialist. Upon coming to Tulsa, Block joined the EOWA, where he fostered his woodworking abilities as an artistic outlet and found a community of fellow hobbyists. I love the friendship, Block said. Everybody is willing to help each other. If Im stuck on something or if I screw something up and it needs to get fixed, another carver can help me and I can help them, too. Its really nice to be in a group that has that common interest. Since retiring nearly a decade ago, Block has dedicated more time to his woodworking hobby. In his backyard studio, Block said he can spend up to five hours each day creating intricate carvings by hand. With his set of tools and the large selection of wood he has at home, Block creates remarkable wooden renderings of subject matter ranging from the natural to the mystical and everything in between. Carvings of wooden faces, wild animals, leaves and even a dragon wrapped around a castle decorate his Tulsa home. I have models for some carvings, but most I just do from imagination, Block said. I like the creativity of it. Sometimes a carving was meant to be one thing, but turned out to be something else in the end, and thats a fun part of the process, too. As Block gets older, he said its important to him to pass the woodworking tradition to the next generation. When his grandkids visit, he teaches them woodworking fundamentals to try to instill in them the joy of carving. I had my grandchildren here last week, and they wanted to carve, Block said. I took them out to my shop and we carved a rectangular piece of basswood into round parts that look like a drop necklace. We drilled holes in it and added a leather strap, and you wouldve thought my grandson carved the Michelangelo, he was so excited. Block and the EOWA are working to encourage youth woodworking in Oklahoma. The EOWA offers a variety of free woodworking classes and workshops to kids over 13 in hopes of keeping the tradition alive. Its really important for us to get the kids started and teach them how to carve safely, Block said. Woodworking experts at Woodcraft in Tulsa said theyve noticed a change in demographic in their store over the past few years. Weve seen a shift in clientele to include a lot more of the younger generation, said Laura Kane, store manager at Woodcraft. Were glad to see that because woodworking is a dying art, so teaching it to young people is important. Handmade things just mean so much more to people. New hobbyists will often come to Woodcraft with not much more than a photo of a project theyd like to try, Fisher said. Fortunately, an idea is all they need to get started. The first thing we do is ask someone what theyre interested in and what they saw that made them want to try woodworking, whether it was a jewelry box, a carving or a bowl, Fisher said. Then, we talk them through what the woodworking process will look like for that project and if they want to work by hand or with power tools. Woodworking is just a genre, there are so many different avenues you can take with it. It may be tempting for a first-time woodworker to purchase a host of expensive tools in the excitement of starting a new hobby, but its better to start with the basics or take a class, Fisher said. Someone might want to build a dresser because they saw a YouTuber with 30 years of experience who made it seem really easy, but then theyll get home and be frustrated because they dont know what theyre doing, Fisher said. Theres a lot you need to be aware of before you walk out of the store with a $300 handplane because you might not actually know what to do with it. Woodcraft offers a variety of small entry-level classes for new woodworkers that teach them how to make small crafts, like wooden bowls and pens. We always steer people toward our classes, even if its not what theyre particularly interested in, because it lets them get a feel for the craft, learn to use the tools and make some sawdust, Fisher said. Then, theyll walk out with a new craft and new knowledge. Once the woodworking fundamentals are established, hobbyists can easily find whatever they need for any project at Woodcraft. The store supplies power and hand tools, hardware, wood, finishing supplies, project kits and more to suit the needs of any hobbyist. Woodworking is so vast you can take a Swiss army knife, cut a branch off a tree and make a slingshot, or you can get professional tools and make a beautiful chifforobe, and everything in between, Fisher said. Youre working with something thats natural, something that just grew, and youre using it to create something of value that has purpose and use. To learn more about woodworking and to shop supplies, visit woodcraft.com. To see artisanal woodworking on display and to shop for other art such as mosaics, jewelry, leatherworks and more, the EOWA will host its Woodcarving and Arts Festival on Aug. 12-13, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Central Park Community Center in the Broken Arrow Rose District. Admission is free. For more information, visit eowa.us. What the Ale: Wild Brew has a new beer for this years event Flash Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the China-ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting on Thursday, during which the Chinese and ASEAN sides spoke highly of the achievements in their cooperation and pledged to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future. The meeting, co-chaired by Wang and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, was attended by the foreign ministers of 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi. Wang said that since Chinese President Xi Jinping and leaders of the ASEAN countries jointly announced the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership in November last year, the development of the partnership has got off to a good start with promising results yielded in various fields. The two sides have worked together to meet the challenges from various spillovers, and jointly maintained the hard-won peace and stability in the region, safeguarding "an oasis of peace," he said. Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, both sides showed solidarity in fighting the disease and strengthened cooperation in emergency management so as to build "a shield of safety," said Wang. Both sides also jointly implemented the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and accelerated connectivity, creating "a highland for development," he said. In addition, the two sides have strengthened cooperation to boost green development, address climate change, enhance ecological environmental protection, and promote energy transformation, while cementing the public support by increasing direct flights, helping students from ASEAN countries to return to study in China in an orderly manner, and strengthening exchanges and cooperation in culture, tourism, think tanks and sports, he said. Wang said that China is willing to work with ASEAN to continue advancing the building of a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home together, to implement the important consensuses reached by the leaders of the two sides, to continue deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership, and to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future, so as to make greater contributions to regional peace and development. Wang put forward a four-point proposal in this regard. First, the two sides should build a model of common development. Both sides should strengthen the synergy between their development strategies to achieve a higher level of mutual benefit. China is stepping up efforts to honor its commitment to providing assistance to ASEAN countries for their development, and facilitate the implementation of the Global Development Initiative (GDI) in ASEAN countries, Wang said. He noted that both sides should jointly address pressing challenges such as public health, food and energy. Second, the two sides should set an example of connectivity. Wang said both sides should join hands to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, welcome more countries to participate in the construction of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and ensure the safety and smooth flow of industrial and supply chains. He said the two sides should work together to push for high-quality RCEP implementation, accelerate the follow-up negotiations on the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, and expand cooperation in digital and green economy. Third, the two sides should strengthen coordination on global governance. Wang said the two sides should uphold open regionalism, promote true multilateralism, expand and strengthen the ASEAN-led regional structure, and jointly safeguard the interests of developing countries, so as to make "Asian contributions" to global governance. China appreciates that the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) adheres to independence, openness and inclusiveness, and focuses on development and cooperation, Wang said, adding China is willing to work with ASEAN countries to jointly enhance the synergy between the outlook and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as well as between that and the GDI. Fourth, the two sides should jointly maintain regional peace and stability. Noting that the Global Security Initiative (GSI) shares the security philosophy advocated by ASEAN, Wang said China is ready to work with ASEAN to explore the implementation of the initiative in ASEAN countries. He said both sides should speed up their consultation on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), and hold the key to the issue in the hands of regional countries, so as to turn the South China Sea into a sea of peace, cooperation and friendship. Wang proposed the establishment of a China-ASEAN year of cooperation on agricultural development and food security, as well as the issuance of a joint statement on food security cooperation at the China-ASEAN leaders' meeting. The Chinese side also circulated a document on China's support for ASEAN's central position, a list on supporting cooperation in the four priority areas of the AOIP, a progress report on building a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home together, and a fact list on building a China-ASEAN blue economy partnership, among others. The foreign ministers attending the meeting spoke highly of the dynamic ASEAN-China cooperation with rich substance and remarkable achievements since the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides, appreciated China's consistent support for ASEAN's central position, and thanked China for providing vaccines to ASEAN countries in their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Viewing China as a partner with mutual benefit and a shared vision, ASEAN countries said they fully endorse President Xi's proposal to build a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home together, and look forward to the synergy of the BRI and the AOIP, and to further exploring the implementation of the GDI and the GSI in ASEAN. The foreign ministers expressed satisfaction with the progress made in RCEP implementation, and appreciated China for taking the lead in reaching a free trade agreement with ASEAN. They said they look forward to accelerating follow-up negotiations on upgrading the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, and pushing for substantive progress in the consultation of the COC to jointly safeguard regional peace, stability and prosperity. During the meeting, Wang further expounded on China's solemn stance on the provocation by the U.S. side to infringe on China's sovereignty. All parties at the meeting said they adhere to the one-China policy, and support China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The ASEAN foreign ministers also issued a statement on the cross-Strait situation, reiterating their countries' firm adherence to the one-China principle. The meeting also approved an action plan of the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership, which will be submitted to the China-ASEAN leaders' meeting for endorsement. At times, it has been suggested the University of Tulsa aspires or should aspire to be more like Dallas Southern Methodist or St. Louis Washington University. President Brad Carson thinks Pittsburghs Carnegie Mellon is a better model. Formed in 1967 by the merger of two older institutions founded by industrial giants Andrew Carnegie and Richard Beatty Mellon, Carnegie Mellon is known for its innovative science and research programs as well as the nations oldest drama school. Carnegie Mellon is considered one of the key pieces in Pittsburghs transformation from a coal-and-steel town to a technology center. Speaking Tuesday to the Tulsa Press Club, Carson said Tulsa and TU need to find a similar path. I often tell people that the city of Tulsa will not succeed unless the University of Tulsa becomes more than it is today, Carson said. We dont have any of the natural advantages of coastal cities. We dont have a state capitol that brings an educated workforce to it. Nobody has to be in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We choose to be here. Cities like Tulsa that dont have those locked-in advantages often struggle. People ask, Why would you come to Tulsa? I say you come because there is an ecosystem you cant resist. The university, he said, is part of that ecosystem. The example I give is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which reinvented itself from a coal-steel town. Uber, Disney, Google, Oracle. Theyre all there. And Pennsylvania gave them no tax dollars to come there. Not like Oklahoma. Wipe our tax base away, right? he said. You know why they came there? They cant avoid being there because of the interesting people that are around Carnegie Mellon especially but also the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne, the Penn State University system. Thats how universities succeed. And so, if Tulsa is going to really make it, you have to have a University of Tulsa that aspires to be like those schools are, Carson continued. Thats why I tell people my vision is a 30-year plan. We should be like Carnegie Mellon is today. Its one of the great universities in the world, and it should be here. Asked about the controversial True Commitment initiative announced several years ago, Carson said that while some of its recommendations made sense, anything that causes a civil war on campus is not good. He said that while some of the recommended changes were made, the plan itself no longer drives decision-making. Were not a cybersecurity school, although our cyber programs are world-ranked, Carson said. Were not an engineering school. Were not a liberal arts school. Were all of those things. Were an idea. Were a community of learning that keeps a flame alive thats existed for 1,000 years since universities were formed. Universities, Carson said, are not trade schools or technical boot camps. People say, What skills are you teaching my children? And there are skills we will teach you to be a great engineer or programmer, whatever it might be. But my vision of college, what I hope TU does, is more than that. You go to college to learn wisdom, your place in the world, the world around you, these things. You dont just learn how to type (computer code). Featured video: The president of Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education is asking the State Board of Education to reverse its decision to penalize the district for allegedly violating a state statute meant to limit discussion on race and gender in public school classrooms. In an email obtained by the Tulsa World, TPS board President Stacey Woolley made the request Wednesday to all seven members of the state board, asking them to reconsider their decision to accept a determination from State Department of Education General Counsel Brad Clark that an August 2021 professional development session on implicit bias was not in compliance with House Bill 1775. Adopted in 2021, HB 1775 prohibits teaching that one race or sex is inherently superior to another. It also prohibits causing a student to feel guilty or uncomfortable because of their race or gender, as well as teaching that anyone is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or otherwise. Implicit bias, which appears to be the issue at hand, is not about a persons bias that is informed or inherent in their race, sex or other inherited trait, Woolley wrote. It is solely about ones lived experiences and how those experiences shape their view of the world. It is how we generalize behaviors and stereotypes that we experience in our own environment. This is not what the bill or your resultant rules claim to prohibit. At the boards June meeting, Clark told the board that his office had determined that the district had violated the law with an implicit bias professional development session offered in August 2021 through a third-party vendor after investigating a complaint submitted in February from a science teacher at Memorial High School. Under the law and administrative rules previously approved by the State Board of Education, a violation of HB 1775 is considered a deficiency with respect to accreditation. However, the State Board of Education voted on July 28 to accredit both TPS and Mustang Public Schools with a warning specifically because of violations of that law. In both his remarks to the State Board of Education and the notice of violation letter sent to the complaining teacher and TPS on July 7 via email, Clark said the content of the slides shown in the training session did not constitute a violation. However, in the letter, Clark noted that audio from the session could be construed to violate the provisions barring making someone feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress due to their race or sex and the concept that someone is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously, by virtue of their race or sex. Specifically cited in the letter were discussions about suspension statistics, stereotypes that can still be found in classrooms and the need for additional supports to better adapt to changing student demographics. To be clear, while there may not be express statements that an individual is inherently racist because of their race, consciously or unconsciously, there is evidence making it more likely than not that the training incorporated and/or is based on such concepts, Clark wrote. An open records request from the Tulsa World for that audio is still pending. Citing a limited access agreement with the third-party vendor, the audio was not provided to state school board members at the July 28 meeting. That in turn prompted an objection from Tulsa-based state board member Carlisha Williams Bradley, one of two board members who voted against demoting TPS accreditation status. The missing audio was also referenced in Woolleys request for reconsideration. It does not seem that the evidence was actually presented to you (which might explain how the vote was achieved) but that the teachers statement of the event and the feelings it caused said teacher was enough to satisfy a breach of the law, Woolley wrote. When reached Thursday afternoon, a spokesman for the Oklahoma State Department of Education said there is nothing precluding the board from reconsidering its decision, which could in turn impact TPS accreditation status. However, he also noted that the departments attorneys could not recall the boards ever granting a mid-year upgrade to a districts accreditation status. The first day of school for TPS is Aug. 18. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the State Board of Education is Aug. 25. Featured video: Tulsa Public Schools accredited with a warning over HB 1775 violation With area schools starting classes as early as Tuesday, local businesses are preparing for a 1-2 punch of back to school sales and Oklahoma's annual tax-free holiday, which starts at 12:01 a.m. Friday. A judges ruling in a lawsuit brought by Tulsa Race Massacre survivors rejects the arguments of an ongoing public nuisance but gives some plaintiffs another chance to seek relief through the courts. Lessie Benningfield Randle, 107; Viola Fletcher, 108; and Hughes Van Ellis Sr., another centenarian, are seeking declaratory relief as well as abatement by way of reparations and rebuilding the Greenwood community. Since the suit was first filed in 2020, several arguments have been made for Tulsa County District Judge Caroline Wall to dismiss it, with multiple reasons cited. In her order filed Wednesday, Wall affirmed the validity of some of those arguments while characterizing the political questions at the heart of the case. This court declines to engage in the management of public policy matters that should be dealt with by the legislative and executive branches, Wall wrote. Her order allows for plaintiffs attorneys to reframe their argument for abatement, related directly to the 1921 massacre, in a new brief to be submitted by Sept. 2. Hopeful that the order allows the case to move forward, attorneys representing the survivors spoke Thursday in a virtual news conference. The case was narrowed in certain ways. But we are studying our options right now, said Michael Swartz, an attorney with New York-based Schulte, Roth & Zabel. We are considering whether we take any additional steps with regard to that. But we are mindful that the three plaintiffs that we have, the three living survivors of the massacre, are all over 100 years old, and the community owes it to them to move forward as promptly as possible. Walls order removes all but the three survivors as plaintiffs; the lawsuit originally listed some survivors descendants, Vernon AME Church and the Tulsa African Ancestral Society. Defendants who remain named, as entities in existence in 1921, are the city of Tulsa, Tulsa Regional Chamber, Tulsa County Board of Commissioners, Tulsa County Sheriffs Office and Oklahoma Military Department. The plaintiffs attorneys had built the civil case on framework from the state of Oklahomas landmark public nuisance case against Johnson & Johnson. However, the Oklahoma Supreme Court tossed out that ruling last year, saying the pharmaceutical company could not be held liable under the states public nuisance law as the law was never intended to address a sweeping public crisis like the opioid epidemic. As to the claims of ongoing public nuisance for events in the decades subsequent to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, the court finds these ongoing claims of public nuisance must be dismissed with prejudice because these claims request relief that violates the separation of powers provide by the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma, Walls order states. Eric Miller was among a group of lawyers including Johnnie Cochran who, in 2003, represented 150 survivors of the Race Massacre when a federal court declined to hear the merits of that case. On Thursday, he celebrated Walls order for paving a way for the three remaining survivors to reach the discovery stage and present the merits of their case, but he noted the limitations the judge also cited. (Wall) said that resolving the problems of the descendants and those neighborhoods is beyond her capacity, Miller said. She strongly indicated its not beyond the citys competence or capacity. Miller echoed the message of survivors attorneys Thursday that the community can help by contacting local lawmakers to demand they take action on reparations for north Tulsa, Greenwood and the diaspora. (Wall) said a large part of the remedy for this is up to the County and state of Oklahoma to do on its own, Miller said. Damario Solomon-Simmons, attorney for the survivors, pointed to specific abatement steps the city and state could take to resolve the concerns of the lawsuit: establishment of a north Tulsa hospital, profit sharing from the Greenwood Rising Black Wall Street History Center, a scholarship program and reparations. A spokeswoman confirmed early Thursday that city of Tulsa officials do not comment on pending litigation. District Judge Caroline Wall gave three survivors another chance to seek relief through the courts, but she said "a large part of the remedy for this is up to the County and state of Oklahoma to do on its own." NESCOPECK, Pa. (AP) Fire tore quickly through a house in northeastern Pennsylvania early Friday morning, killing seven adults and three children and horrifying a volunteer firefighter who arrived to battle the blaze only to discover the victims were his own family, authorities said. The children who died were ages 5, 6 and 7, Pennsylvania State Police said in a news release, while the seven adults ranged from their late teens to a 79-year-old man. Autopsies were planned for this weekend. Harold Baker, a volunteer firefighter in the town of Nescopeck, said the 10 victims included his son, daughter, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, three grandchildren and two other relatives. He said his two children and the other young victims were visiting their aunt and uncle's home for swimming and other summertime fun. He said 13 dogs were also in the two-story home, but didnt say if he knew whether any survived. All I wanted to do was go in there and get to these people, my family. Thats all that I was thinking about, getting in to them, Baker said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. Baker grabbed a hose and air pack, and started pouring water on the fire, desperate to make his way inside and calling out to his son. His chief realized whose house it was, and fellow firefighters escorted Baker back to the firehouse. A preliminary investigation suggests the fire broke out on the front porch at around 2:30 a.m., Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce said Friday evening. The information I have is that the fire started and progressed very quickly, making it very difficult to get out, he said. Three people were able to escape the blaze, Sanguedolce said. Four state police fire marshals are involved in the investigation, although it won't be classified as a criminal probe unless they determine the fire was intentionally set, he said. Nescopeck is a small town on the Susquehanna River, about 20 miles southwest of Wilkes-Barre. The house was on a residential street of largely owner-occupied, single family homes. Baker said the address initially given for the call was a neighboring house. He realized it was his family members' residence as the firetruck approached. He said his unit was the first on scene, and the house was already engulfed in flames. There wasn't nothing we could've done to get in there. We tried, but we couldn't get in, said Baker, 57, who's been a firefighter for 40 years. His son, 19-year-old Dale Baker, had followed both of his parents into the fire service, joining when he was 16. He said it all his life, he was just going to be like his dad, Harold Baker said. Heidi Knorr, the Nescopeck Volunteer Fire Company secretary, called Dale Baker such a fun-loving soul. He just loved life. The family was always willing to help lend a hand to anyone in need, Knorr said. Dale's mother was not among the dead listed by Harold Baker. Mike Swank, who lives two doors away across the street, said he happened to be awake early Friday and looked outside after hearing a sharp explosion. He saw the porch was really going and went outside, using another neighbors hose to keep the blaze from spreading to a garage. I seen two guys outside and they were in various states of hysteria, Swank told the AP by phone. One man was on a cellphone, and Im trying to ask him if everybodys out, he said. The other guy was out in the street and he was just running around in circles. Swank said he wasnt able to get information from them. A fence prevented him from getting to the back of the property. Baker said 14 people were living in the home. One was out delivering newspapers, and three others escaped. Swank said the family had moved in a few months ago under what he understood to be a rent-to-own agreement, and spent a lot of time on the cluttered front porch. It was so quick and so much smoke, you just knew nobody was going to make it out, Swank said. He saw cadaver dogs being used to search the scene until the bodies were located. Scolforo and Brooke Schultz reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Schultz 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. MILAN (AP) Italys firebrand former interior minister, Matteo Salvini, put migration at the center of his electoral campaign during a visit Thursday to Italys southernmost island of Lampedusa, a gateway for tens of thousands of people crossing the perilous central Mediterranean Sea to Italian territory each year. Salvini pledged to move screening centers for people seeking political asylum to northern Africa, in a bid to prevent economic migrants from pouring into Italy. He said just 15% of current arrivals qualify as refugees. He also voiced concern that the migrant center on Lampedusa, Italys largest, was nearing collapse due to overcrowding, calling it unworthy of a civilized country. Salvini distinguished between those who qualify for asylum, saying they cannot be massed on the ground on mattresses in 40-degree heat, and those who do not: We cannot throw open the doors of Italy to thousands of clandestine migrants who are not fleeing war, he said. Salvini is pledging a return to his tough-on-immigration policies should the right-wing coalition win the Sept. 25 parliamentary vote. The early elections were forced after his right-wing anti-migrant League party, along with two other parties, yanked their support for outgoing Premier Mario Draghis 17-month-old pandemic unity government. During Salvinis short but dramatic tenure as interior minister in 2018-19, migrant arrivals in Italy dropped sharply as he pursued policies of deterrence, including long government delays in assigning safe ports to rescue ships. He is currently on trial in Sicily, charged with kidnapping in one such case, while the charges were thrown out in another. I think in 2018-2019 Italy was a safer country, more protected, more normal, more European, Salvini said. Lampedusa is the gateway of Europe. It cannot be the refugee camp of Europe. While his League led the right-wing coalition in Italy's 2018 election, it sank in popularity after joining Draghis consensus government. It is now lagging badly in the polls behind another right-wing coalition partner, the far-right Brothers of Italy led by Giorgia Meloni. That leaves Salvini fighting for political relevance. If the right-wing coalition wins the Sept. 25 vote, the leader of the party with the most votes would be tapped as premier to form a new government. Meloni is seeking to become Italy's first female premier, but Salvini is not counting himself out. And he insists that in either case, the interior minister should come from his League. Not everyone on the island of Lampedusa was keen to be part of Salvinis electoral rhetoric. The islands mayor is worried about the impact on tourism, and insists the current system of transferring migrants to Sicily and beyond was averting the emergency situations experienced during the peak arrival years from 2014 to 2016. With new arrivals daily from Libya and Tunisia, migrants typically spend less than 24 hours on the island. The crucial element is not to slow down or jam the transfer to the mainland, Mayor Filippo Mannino told The Associated Press on Thursday. A handful of aid workers and activists held a sit-in in Lampedusa ahead of Salvinis arrival, displaying banners disputing his depiction of an island swamped by migrants. Whoever comes to Lampedusa, doesnt see migrants. There is no emergency. The only emergency is for the migrants who are at the (migrant center), said Luca Casarini, an activist and chief of mission on Mare Jonio Italian rescue ship. He accused Salvini of propaganda to gain votes on the skin of people ... who die at sea, who are much worse off than us. Flavio Di Giacomo, a spokesman with the Italian offices of the International Organization for Migration, said while migrant arrivals are up this year by about one-third over 2021, they are still well below the 120,000 to 180,000 registered annually from 2014-2016. These are not emergency numbers. We are not facing a numerical emergency. But we are facing a humanitarian emergency, Di Giacomo said, citing 905 people who have died or gone missing at sea this year. David Lohmueller in Lampedusa, and Paolo Santalucia in Rome contributed. Follow all AP stories on global migration issues at https://apnews.com/hub/migration. TOKYO (AP) China will not be able to isolate Taiwan by preventing U.S. officials from traveling there, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday in Tokyo as she wrapped up an Asia tour highlighted by a visit to Taipei that infuriated Beijing. Beijing has tried to isolate Taiwan, including by preventing the self-governing island from joining the World Health Organization, Pelosi said. They may try to keep Taiwan from visiting or participating in other places, but they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there, she said, defending her trip that has escalated tensions in the region. Pelosi said her visit to Taiwan was not intended to change the status quo for the island but to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait, which separates Taiwan and mainland China. She praised Taiwan's hard-fought democracy and success in technology and business, while criticizing Chinese violations of trade agreements, weapons proliferation and human rights problems, including its treatment of its Muslim Uyghur minority. If we do not speak out for human rights in China because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak out about human rights any place in the world, Pelosi said in a news conference. China has some contradictions some progress in terms of lifting people up, some horrible things happening in terms of the Uyghurs. In fact, its been labeled a genocide. Pelosi said the two big countries" the United States and China must communicate in areas such as climate and other global issues. It isn't about our visit determining what the U.S.-China relationship is. It's a much bigger and longer-term challenge and once again, we have to recognize that we have to work together on certain areas." China announced Friday that it is canceling or suspending dialogue with the United States on a range of issues from climate change to military relations and anti-drug efforts in retaliation for Pelosi's visit. It also announced unspecified sanctions on Pelosi and her family. Such sanctions are generally mostly symbolic in nature. China, which claims Taiwan and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary, called Pelosi's visit a provocation and on Thursday began military drills, including missile strike training, in six zones surrounding Taiwan, in what could be its biggest since the mid-1990s. Pelosi, the first House speaker to visit Taiwan in 25 years, said China launched the strikes probably using our visit as an excuse. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Chinas military exercises represent a grave problem that threatens regional peace and security after five missiles launched as part of the drills landed in Japans exclusive economic zone near a remote southwestern island. Kishida, speaking after a breakfast meeting with Pelosi and her congressional delegation, said the missile launches need to be stopped immediately. Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said he believes China intentionally fired the five missiles into the Japanese-claimed zone, which China refuses to recognize. The ministry said it believes four other missiles fired from Chinas southeastern coast of Fujian flew over Taiwan. Tetsuo Kotani, a Meikai University professor and senior fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs, tweeted that the trip gave China an excuse to ignore the mid-line in the Taiwan Strait that for decades has been an unofficial buffer zone, and the Japanese exclusive economic zone, and could add risks to U.S. warships and others passing through the strait. Japan has in recent years bolstered its defense capability and troop presence in southwestern Japan and remote islands, including Okinawa, which is about 700 kilometers (420 miles) northeast of Taiwan. Many residents say they worry their island will be quickly embroiled in any Taiwan conflict. Okinawa is home to the majority of about 50,000 American troops based in Japan under a bilateral security pact. Pelosi and five other members of Congress arrived in Tokyo late Thursday after visiting Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. In their breakfast meeting, Kishida said Pelosi and her delegation discussed shared security concerns over China, North Korea and Russia and pledged to work toward peace and stability in Taiwan. Pelosi also held talks with her Japanese counterpart, lower house Speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda, after observing a plenary session at which they were welcomed by a standing ovation. Japan and its key ally, the U.S., have been pushing for new security and economic frameworks with other democracies in the Indo-Pacific region and Europe as a counter to Chinas growing influence amid rising tensions between Beijing and Taipei. Days before Pelosis Taiwan visit, a group of senior Japanese lawmakers, including former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, visited the island and discussed regional security with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. Ishiba said Japan, while working with the United States to prevent conflict in the Indo-Pacific, wants a defense agreement with Taiwan. The Chinese military exercises launched Thursday involve its navy, air force and other departments and are to last until Sunday. They include missile strikes on targets in the seas north and south of the island in an echo of the last major Chinese military drills in 1995 and 1996 aimed at intimidating Taiwans leaders and voters. Taiwan has put its military on alert and staged civil defense drills, while the U.S. has numerous naval assets in the area. China also flew warplanes toward Taiwan and blocked imports of its citrus and fish. China sees the island as a breakaway province and considers visits to Taiwan by foreign officials as recognizing its sovereignty. The Biden administration and Pelosi have said the United States remains committed to a one China policy, which recognizes Beijing as the government of China but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. The administration discouraged but did not prevent Pelosi from visiting. Pelosi has been a long-time advocate of human rights in China. She, along with other lawmakers, visited Beijings Tiananmen Square in 1991 to support democracy two years after a bloody military crackdown on protesters at the square. As leader of the House of Representatives, Pelosis trip has heightened U.S.-China tensions more than visits by other members of Congress. The last House speaker to visit Taiwan was Newt Gingrich in 1997. China and Taiwan, which split in 1949 after a civil war, have no official relations but multibillion-dollar business ties. Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and Huizhong Wu in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report. Firefighting and emergency response professions have always been grueling, back-breaking and physically demanding work. An average 25-year career often leaves first responders with at least a moderately sized book full of injury reports, surgical interventions and the aches, limps and scars to carry into retirement. Yet many times, the most painful scars they will carry are not visible. According to numerous studies, almost one-third of our firefighters, law enforcement officers and emergency medical workers will experience a diagnosable disorder or form of mental illness during their tenure of service. Even more staggering, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration reports that firefighters are more than three times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population. Studies show that more firefighters and police officers will die each year by suicide than by any other line-of-duty cause. When it was discovered that cardiac health posed the most significant risk to first responders in the 1970s and 1980s, we responded by creating mandatory fitness regimens and medical assessments. As cancer emerged as the No. 1 killer of firefighters in the 1990s and early 2000s, we responded with presumptive laws and interventions ranging from greater emphasis on decontaminating our bunker gear to federal bans on known carcinogens. It is becoming clear that post-traumatic stress and suicide have emerged as the greatest long-term threats to our first responders today. It is vital that we identify these root causes and craft effective solutions. For starters, you only have to look at the ever-changing landscape of emergency response in the last generation to see underlying reasons for increased mental health trauma. In 1991, Tulsa firefighters responded to 10,087 calls for service. In 2021, it was more than a six-fold increase to 67,488 calls with fewer firefighters than we had 30 years ago. We used to respond primarily to structure fires. Now, it is an ever-expanding list including working on the front line of heath care issues like cardiac arrests, trauma, the opioid epidemic and COVID-19. We respond to hazardous materials calls of the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive variety. We jump into technical rescue disciplines in every environment from swift-water to trenches to structural collapse in disaster zones. Even a single exposure can be enough for lasting mental health effects. Compounding that thousands of times over the course of a career can be too heavy a load for the strongest of men and women. Tulsa firefighters have been working to provide resources at the local level through our own Fire2Fire peer support team and a partnership with First Responder Support Services. Under Oklahoma Secretary of Public Safety Tricia Everest and the Department of Public Safety, the First Responder Wellness Division was created to assist all state emergency response personnel in accessing such resources. Our parent organization, the International Association of Fire Fighters, invested millions of dollars founding the Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery in Maryland. This is a one-of-a-kind clinic focused on treating firefighters battling issues from post-traumatic stress to substance abuse and addiction. Unfortunately, there are still significant gaps in the recognition and treatment of such issues here in Oklahoma. Dr. Robert Block, a retired pediatrician who spent a lifetime transforming the diagnostic approach to child abuse, neglect and trauma and fellow member of the Tulsa World Community Advisory Board, introduced us to the term brain health, which the board listed as a top community concern coming into 2022. For the last five years, firefighters and our fellow first responders have advocated for comprehensive health care options be included in workers compensation as a line-of-duty injury or illness. Oklahoma House Majority Leader Josh West began introducing legislation for this change in 2017. His legislation and similar bills from Rep. Chris Kannady have passed the House floor each session from 2018-2022, only to fail to be heard in the Senate. The leadership of more than 4,000 firefighters and 6,000 law enforcement officers will continue to press for the support we need to take care of first responders, so that we can care for and protect the public. Ignoring the impact of unseen wounds is not an option. We must be vigilant and continue to take action to save the lives of those sworn to save others. Matt Lay is the president of Tulsa Firefighters IAFF Local 176 and member of the Tulsa World Community Advisory Board. Featured video: You are here: World Flash Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Thursday met with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on bilateral ties and cooperation, a senior official said. Lavrov is in Cambodia for the ASEAN-Russia Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings. "Lavrov briefed the prime minister on the situation and Russia's position on the Ukraine conflict, and stressed the need to further strengthen and expand existing cooperation with Cambodia in tourism and investment, among others," Eang Sophalleth, a personal assistant to Hun Sen, told reporters. For his part, Hun Sen thanked Lavrov for briefing him on Russia's position on the conflict, Sophalleth said. The Cambodian leader also thanked Lavrov for bringing along COVID-19 vaccines for Cambodia. "The prime minister also agreed with Lavrov on strengthening relations and cooperation between the two countries," the assistant said. On the Ukraine issue, Hun Sen said Cambodia wishes to see solutions through peaceful dialogues. Both sides agreed that the Cambodia-Russia intergovernmental commission on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation will be a key platform for the two countries to broaden bilateral cooperation in various fields, he added. Lam Son, a Hanoian, first learned about the nomadic lifestyle after watching American movies depicting mobile homes parked in the middle of vast valleys. This was the source of inspiration for the Vietnamese YouTuber to set out on his first road trip in a mobile home with his family a couple of years ago. Son converted his old Mercedes Sprinter into a mobile home fully equipped with essential items for long-haul road trips. This was originally a van. When traveling, my family members sit in the drivers cabin full of safety equipment. We only use the renovated part on the back of the vehicle at rest stops or campgrounds, the 35-year-old said. Since he renovated his first mobile home, the Son family has traveled to many parts of Vietnam on the vehicle, bringing exhilarating experiences to their two children. He expects the road trips will make their childhood more colorful and help them unplug from screens to fully experience van life. Lam Son's children view natural landscapes from their mobile home during a trip. Photo: Supplied Giving kids experiences My two kids greatly enjoy mobile home road trips. They can bathe in a stream, in a river, fly kites or play on grass, which hardly happens in major cities, he continued. During their first road trips, it took even one week for them to prepare as everything seemed new to them. The more they traveled, the more experience Son and his wife got to pack essential things for their next trips. On a recent trip, his family visited mountainous provinces in northern Vietnam. They had been to many popular destinations such as Cua Tu Stream in Thai Nguyen, Ba Be Lake in Bac Kan, Ban Gioc Waterfall in Cao Bang, or Lung Cu Flag Tower in Ha Giang. The eight-day road trip across 1,000 kilometers helped the kids widen their worldview, especially the grandeur of the S-shaped country. The kids seemed terribly excited as they admired the extraordinary beauty of limestone mountain ranges, visited historical relic sites such as Pac Bo Cave and Lenin Spring, in addition to learning more stories of the nations history, he said. Children growing up in urban areas usually have fewer chances to engage with nature and immerse themselves in cool, crystal-clear waters than their rural peers. Hence, the camping and road trips brought them much joy and made them bolder. Further, they also made more friends and were able to disconnect from technology for a healthier lifestyle, even though their skin got darker and they had more insect bites after the trips. But these experiences made them much braver and more confident, the father of two added. 'After camping road trips, my children have become bolder and their skin got darker and healthier,' Son said. Photo: Supplied Memorable trips in mobile home Son and his wife often had to spend much time planning for upcoming trips and taking into account possible risks they could encounter to make sure that their family are safe and have a good time on each trip. Son also takes their German shepherd dog on each trip to help warn the family of threats. We need to put our safety on top of things and stay highly cautious when traveling to new places. As getting lost or having vehicles broken down can completely happen, we make careful preparations as well as coping plans, Son said. Before each long-haul trip, his mobile home will be equipped with a sufficient amount of water and electricity to serve camping and daily activities throughout the trip. Sometimes, their family has to ask local people for a favor to recharge their equipment to have enough power to use at campgrounds. Thanks to those experiences, he gets a chance to chat with the locals and learn more about their culture. The kids also learned to play and make friends with new people while waiting for the car to be fully recharged. His family enjoys local food specialties in every place they have been to. The refrigerator in the car is nearly full of food. We alternate between cooking in the car and enjoying local food. We are big fans of stream fish and fresh and clean veggies offered by the locals, he said. "However, living a nomadic life is not always as wonderful as we expected. It will put travelers to certain inconveniences even though they have made thorough preparations for the trip. "Van dwellers will find it uncomfortable when doing daily activities in a confined space of the car. "But, looking on the bright side, this is an opportunity for the kids to practice staying neat and tidy for an optimal living space." Sometimes, what they had planned did not go their way. On the most recent trip, his family opted to stop and sleep overnight in their car near a square in the northern upland province of Cao Bang, but they could not sleep well due to the street lights, the sound of vehicle horns, and the music of people doing morning exercises. 'The upside of living a van life is that every trip is completely different. We have no idea what is awaiting us ahead, whom we will meet, and which culture we will experience.' Photo: Supplied Its not difficult to drive mobile home Most of the mobile homes in Vietnam were converted from old cars that have been in use for 10-15 years. Mobile home users should be seasoned drivers. As the roads to the northwestern part of Vietnam are quite rough, we need to be highly experienced so as to drive uphill and downhill in a safe manner," Son said. I think people with little driving experience should try easy routes first to get used to driving a mobile home." After getting acquainted with the car, long-distance driving will be a piece of cake, Son said, adding that exploring new places lifted his mood and helped him escape driver fatigue. I will take regular rest breaks during the trip to ensure the safety of my whole family," he shared. The upside of living a van life is that every trip is completely different. "We have no idea what is awaiting us ahead, whom we will meet and which culture we will experience." 'We need to put our safety on top of things and stay highly cautious when traveling to new places.' Photo: Supplied 'Dont worry about lacking certain stuff when traveling in a mobile home. Lets hit the road as its not a big deal to travel without some necessities.' Photo: Supplied To date, his family has completed their road trip to northern mountainous provinces and is planning for another to the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau, the southernmost point of Vietnam. The upcoming one-month trip is expected to be full of joy and advantages thanks to the experience they have gained during the past trip. Below are some stunning photos of the Son family during their mobile home trips: Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A beluga whale that swam up France's Seine river appears to be underweight and officials are worried about its health, regional authorities said Thursday. The protected species, usually found in cold Arctic waters, had made its way up the waterway and reached a lock some 70 kilometres (44 miles) from Paris. The whale was first spotted Tuesday in the river that flows through the French capital to the English Channel, and follows the rare appearance of a killer whale in the Seine just over two months ago. French rescue services as well as firefighters and biodiversity officials mobilised swiftly and kept a close eye on the whale throughout the day to evaluate the "worrying" health of the mammal, the local prefecture said. It added the whale seemed to have "skin changes and to be underweight". It is "currently between the Poses dam and that of Saint-Pierre-la-Garenne", around 70 kilometres (43 miles) northwest of Paris. Gerard Mauger, deputy head of French Marine Mammal Research Group GEEC, said the mammal spent "very little time on the surface" and appeared to have "good" lung capacity. But Mauger said rescuers were struggling to guide the whale to the mouth of the Seine. Officials did not specify the size, but an adult beluga can reach up to four metres (13 feet) in length. Authorities in Normandy's Eure department urged people to keep their distance to avoid distressing the animal. Lamya Essemlali, head of the non-profit marine conservation organisation Sea Shepherd, said some of her team would arrive with drones in the evening to locate the whale more easily. "The environment is not very welcoming for the beluga, the Seine is very polluted and cetaceans are extremely sensitive to noise," she said, adding that the Seine was "very noisy". In late May, the killer whale -- also known as an orca, but technically part of the dolphin family -- was found dead in the Seine between Le Havre and Rouen. The animal had found itself stranded in the river and was unable to make its way back to the ocean despite attempts by officials to guide it. "The urgency is to feed the whale to prevent it from suffering the same fate as the orca who died after starving to death," Essemlali said. The prefecture said it would assist and monitor Sea Shepherd's efforts. The Eure authorities said lone belugas do sometimes swim further south than usual, and are able to temporarily survive in fresh water. While they migrate away from the Arctic in the autumn to feed as ice forms, they rarely venture so far south. United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres confirmed he would visit Vietnam this year during a meeting with Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc in New York on Wednesday (U.S. time). At the meeting, held on the sidelines of the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Ngoc reiterated President Nguyen Xuan Phucs invitation to the UN secretary-general to visit Vietnam. Guterres replied that he would make every effort to arrange a visit to the Southeast Asian country at an appropriate time this year. The visit, when realized, will be a meaningful event given that 2022 marks 45 years since Vietnams accession to the UN. Secretary General Guterres praised Vietnams active and responsible contributions to the UNs common work and also expressed his special feelings for the nation. The UN head mentioned Vietnams strong commitments in responding to climate change and promised to continue supporting the nation in this area. He also expressed his positive impression of Vietnams socio-economic achievements, especially in the post-pandemic recovery process. The last time a UN secretary general visited Vietnam was in May 2015, when Ban Ki Moon from South Korea paid a two-day visit to the country. Guterres, the ninth secretary general in the UNs history, is currently in his second five-year term, following the first that began on January 1, 2017. Vietnam joined the UN on September 20, 1977. The agencys support for Vietnam first focused on war reconstruction and humanitarian assistance, and then on strengthening institutions, policies, social protection, health, education, and agriculture, among others. During the past 45 years, Vietnam has achieved many milestones within the UN, including serving twice as a non-permanent member of the Security Council in 2008-09 and 2020-21. Vietnam has also contributed to UN peacekeeping operations in 29 missions to South Sudan and the Central African Republic since 2014, according to the website of the UN Office in Vietnam. The country deployed its first level-2 field hospital to the UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan with 63 members in 2018. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! What you need to know today in Vietnam: Politics -- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is expected to visit Vietnam at an appropriate time this year, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday. -- Vietnams National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue hosted receptions for the new ambassadors of Cuba and Russia in Hanoi on Thursday, according to the Vietnam News Agency. Society -- Transportation authorities in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam have demanded that bus company pay close attention to their operations and services after reports that a bus ignored a limbless man in the province recently. -- The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transportation has used 14 types of solvent to remove vandalizing paint on the newly-opened Thu Thiem 2 Bridge but that effort has proved fruitless, departmental deputy director Bui Hoa An said at a meeting on Thursday. -- The Peoples Court of An Giang Province in southern Vietnam sentenced on Thursday four people to death and one to life in prision for trafficking 34kg of drugs from Cambodia. -- The northern, Central Highlands, and southern parts of Vietnam will have heavy rains from Friday afternoon to Sunday, according to the national weather service. Business -- The number of Indian applicants for a Vietnamese visa surged to 6,000 a day from 250 daily in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pham Sanh Chau, Vietnamese Ambassador to India, said on Thursday. Chau added that many Indians have requested assistance in organizing weddings and conferences in Vietnam. -- Online shop operators are trying to find ways to avoid tax or shift the liability to end users as Vietnams taxman has been beefing up their campaign to collect e-commerce tariffs. World News -- Some airlines have cancelled flights to Taipei and rerouted others using nearby airspace that has been closed to civilian traffic during Chinese military exercises sparked by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, Reuters reported. -- North Korea on Friday said all of its fever patients have recovered, marking the end of its first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, but challenges linger with economic hardships deepening and an unvaccinated population exposed to future resurgences, Reuters cited analysts as saying. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Two people were sentenced to death earlier this week while many others received prison terms from two to 20 years for murder and storing and using military weapons in Vietnam. The People's Court in Long An Province ordered a death sentence for To Nhut Khanh, 29, and Tran Trung Thanh, 29, as well as a 20-year prison term for Le Thanh Phuc, 29, on Wednesday. Vo Tuan Vu, 23, will be jailed for two years and three months for storing military weapons and failing to report crimes. Pham Huynh Phuc Thien, 19, will also serve two years in prison, while To Phuoc Loc, 20, will spend a year and six months behind bars for failing to report crimes. Aside from Thanh, who resides in Ho Chi Minh City, all of the defendants live in Tien Giang Province in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. According to the verdict, due to a conflict between himself and Dao Quoc Lieus group and Dao Quoc Thinh, who is Lieus biological child, Khanh bought four homemade guns, two homemade revolvers, 33 bullets and grenades, and a variety of tools he planned to use for self-defense. On April 30, Thien drove Khanh on a motorbike with a plan for him to shoot Thinh. Thinh suffered an injury rate of 25 percent from the shooting. After hearing that someone in Khanhs group was slashed by Lieu, the gang and Khanh met to discuss the issue. Thanh was once helped by Khanhs family so he agreed to help Khanh take revenge. Khanh gave Thanh a gun and drove him to shoot Lieu. Phuc and Thanh then proceeded to chase down and murder Lieu in Long An on July 25. After they committed the crime, Thanh and Phuc traveled to Ho Chi Minh City to hide. Thien, Loc, and Vu all knew of the murder but none denounced the crime. Furthermore, Vu participated in hiding Khanhs weapons. In court, all of the defendants expressed remorse and asked for commutation. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in Ha Tinh Province, north-central Vietnam are investigating a case of suspected child abuse after a video clip spread on social media showed a half-naked man beating a teen girl with nothing on. In the four-minute clip, the unclothed girl was hung against the ceiling of a house with a string that tied her hands while the man was beating her with a rod. The video has triggered deep indignation among the online community after it was posted on Friday morning. The incident took place at a house in Cuong Gian Commune, located in the provinces Nghi Xuan District, as far as Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper had learned. Hoang Van Ha, chairman of the communes administration, confirmed to Tuoi Tre that the incident occurred in the locality, adding local police have launched an investigation into it. The girl in the clip is N., 11, and the man beating her is her father, N.V.T., 36, Ha said. N. is the second child in her family of three siblings and N.s mother is now a guest worker in Taiwan, according to local authorities. The incident happened a few days ago. After the video clip appeared, local authorities and police came to T.'s house for verification but he had left, Ha said. T. works as a seaman and often drinks alcohol and beats his children, Ha added. Local police are continuing to investigate this suspected child abuse case. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A group of tourists from Ho Chi Minh City have filed a complaint with relevant agencies following reports by a newspaper that local authorities found the swimsuits they wore while cleaning a local beach in Ninh Thuan Province, south-central Vietnam to be offensive. On Wednesday, a local newspaper reported that the Management Board of Nui Chua National Park was coordinating with the People's Committee of Vinh Hai Commune, Ninh Hai District, Ninh Thuan Province to reprimand a group of tourists for wearing bodysuits while picking up trash on a local beach. The Management Board of Nui Chua National Park was quoted in the article as saying that the tourists' behavior was offensive. Netizens were taken aback by the report, with many confused as to why park authorities were upset that people chose to wear swimsuits on a beach. Ngo Nhu Quynh, one of the tourists involved in the incident, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the group's goal was to clean the beach and swimsuits seemed like appropriate beach attire. A swimsuit-clad tourist poses while collecting garbage on a beach in Ninh Thuan Province, south-central Vietnam. Photo: Supplied We did not enter Nui Chua National Park directly, but instead took a speedboat to the islands to swim in [Nui Chua National Parks] Vinh Hy Bay, Quynh said. We were at a beach so swimsuits were an obvious choice. We thought that cleaning the beach would be a meaningful experience and hoped other tourists at Vinh Hy would join us. "We also took photos to help us remember the experience." After posting those photos on Facebook, Quynh and her friends received praise from the public, but were surprised when a local newspaper reported that the Management Board of Nui Chua National Park and the People's Committee of Vinh Hai Commune, where Vinh Hy is located, were upset by their actions. In fact, Quynh and her friends Tran Quang Vinh and Bui Thi Anh were amazed by the report that they filed a complaint to relevant authorities to seek clarification on the matter. A group of friends pose while collecting garbage on a beach in Ninh Thuan Province, south-central Vietnam. Photo: Supplied They have also considered hiring a lawyer in order to explore the possibility of filing a defamation claim. In response to the incident, Nguyen Thanh My, secretary and chairman of the People's Committee of Vinh Hai Commune, said on Wednesday night that he had heard of a group of tourists picking up trash in Vinh Hy Bay while wearing "inappropriate attire," but was not aware of specifics. The information wasnt clear at first so I would look into the incident and, if [the photos] were offensive, I'd ask whoever uploaded them to take them down," My said. During an inspection, I saw that the group had been cleaning up garbage at the beach in order to help protect the local environment. The area where they were was far from residential areas, and there is a lot of waste on the beach and on the mountain." Tran Van Tiep, director of the Management Board of Nui Chua National Park, has yet to issue a statement regarding the incident. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The number of Indians applying for visas to Vietnam jumped by a whopping 2,400 percent following the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating Indian peoples growing interest in visiting the Southeast Asian country. The Department of Tourism in Da Nang City, central Vietnam and Vietnamese budget carrier Vietjet Air organized a program in New Delhi, India on Thursday to promote Da Nang tourism. The event was an opportunity to introduce the coastal city's tourism to Indian businesses and tourists, as well as highlight its popular attractions and exciting festivals. The program also provided information on products and services, especially service packages at beach resorts, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) tourism, and wedding tourism. The demand for overseas travel of Indian citizens is extremely high following a two-year halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau. The number of Indian citizens applying for Vietnamese visas on a daily basis has increased by about 24 times in the wake of the pandemic, Chau continued, adding that the Embassy of Vietnam in India currently receives about 6,000 visa applications each day. There have also been requests for assistance in organizing wedding ceremonies and conferences in Vietnam. At the event, Vietjet Air introduced to its Indian partners a direct flight network from major Indian cities to Vietnam, including Da Nang. Two direct flights from Mumbai and New Delhi to Da Nang will launch on October 17 and 18. The airline is also scheduled to launch three new routes to Da Nang from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad on November 28, November 29, and December 1, respectively. Nguyen Duc Quynh, vice-president of the Da Nang Tourism Association, believed that India will be an important market for the Vietnamese citys tourism industry during the period of post-pandemic recovery. The countrys relaxed policies and increasing travel demand will give rise to a source of visitors that will help offset the drop in tourists from traditional markets in Northeast Asia, where many nations have yet to fully reopen to international tourism, Quynh elaborated. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Update: OzTAM has this afternoon reissued numbers for Neighbours finale as follows: Total TV numbers for Neighbours finale has seen its numbers lift from 1.088m overnight viewers (873,000 metro / 215,000 regional) to a new number of 1.382m in Total TV. Total TV adds together Overnight + Regional + BVOD (both Live & catch up) giving it a lift of 27% on its Overnight metro number. This puts the show just behind Underbelly: Vanishing Acts 1.507m but the number will likely inch a little higher once 28 Day Consolidated viewing is in. The number is also 10s biggest total audience since Oprah With Meghan And Harry in 2021 which was 1.78m in metro + regional overnight. 10 has indicated it is open to Neighbours specials or reunions in the future. On those numbers it should get cracking on the idea. Updated. This Sunday, 60 Minutes looks into the death of a mother and unborn child in a private Melbourne hospital, plus a cryptocurrency conference leads to the FBI wanted list. Dying for Help When it comes to hospital care, many Australians believe going private easily beats going public. But now it might be time to think again. In a 60 Minutes special report, the Today shows Christine Ahern investigates the tragic case of 37-year-old Annie Moylan. She was 18 weeks pregnant with her second child when she developed a fever and went to the emergency department of a private hospital in Melbourne for treatment. The hospital was brand new, so she thought shed receive the best care. But the series of terrible mistakes and failures that happened next was appalling. Annie didnt get better she and her unborn child died. Reporter: Christine Ahern Producer: Thea Dikeos No Mans Land Unassuming and easygoing, its hard to believe how Chris Emms has managed to wedge himself into so much trouble. He is stuck in a bizarre no mans land, caught in the middle of a dangerous and frightening power play between enemies North Korea and the United States. As Tom Steinfort reports, the saga started innocently enough when Chris was invited to the rogue nation for a cryptocurrency conference. A bit of a geek, he thought it would be fun, but the Americans got wind of his visit and decided there was evil in the adventure. He is now wanted by the FBI, accused of being the criminal mastermind of a scheme to circumvent international sanctions. Chriss great fear is that if prosecuted, he will spend the rest of his life in prison. Reporter: Tom Steinfort Producer: Garry McNab 8:45pm Sunday on Nine. This week Will Smith made an apology for that slap at the Academy Awards. But before he shocked onlookers with his awards outburst, Australia went there first. Back in 2006 veteran Canberra political correspondent and Insiders regular, Glenn Milne, lashed out at Crikeys Stephen Mayne at the Walkley Awards. It took an SBS production crew to intervene, with Milne later apologising, I lamentably mixed alcohol and migraine medication with shocking consequences. I apologise too to Stephen Mayne and the organisers of the awards. Theres no excuse for my behaviour. And for those with longer memories folklore has it that Don Lane and Ernie Sigley got physical at the 1988 Logies, but it never made it to camera. Roberta Williams, widow to gangland identity, has pleaded guilty to blackmail and recklessly causing injury to a TV producer, whom she had hired to help her make a reality TV series about her life. The Herald Sun reports court gag order was lifted yesterday detailing how a plan to ambush producer Ryan Naumenko took place in Collingwood in 2019. The court heard Williams and four men came to an agreement they would intimidate Mr Naumenko because he had not paid them after the project fell apart. Naumenko was tied him to a chair, before being repeatedly punched in the face and threatened with a gun. They then tried to force him to transfer money to them. Prosecutors said Williams had agreed to participate in the confrontation, and although she didnt take part in the assault itself, she was complicit. Criminal lawyer Emma Turnbull said Williams was sorry for her involvement but did not commit any acts of physical violence. She said her client is the carer for her son, who has significant disabilities, and should be placed on a community-based order. All five accused have pleaded guilty, with Williams to be sentenced later this month. (Changes slug for media clients, adds comment from Philippine Airlines and Vietnam regulator, context on airspace closures) By Joyce Lee and Jamie Freed SEOUL, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Airlines have cancelled flights to Taipei and rerouted others to avoid airspace nearby that has been closed to civilian traffic during Chinese military exercises sparked by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. China deployed scores of planes and fired live missiles near Taiwan on Thursday in its biggest-ever drills in the Taiwan Strait, set to run until noon local time (0400 GMT) on Sunday in six zones encircling much of the island. The airspace involved is comparatively small, but the disruption from the largest military exercises by China in the area since it fired missiles off the coast in 1996 is hampering travel between Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia. Temporary airspace closures and route changes during major military exercises occur regularly around the world. This situation is unusual in that China's exercises bisect Taiwan's claimed 12 nautical miles (22 kilometres) of territorial waters - something Taiwanese officials say challenges the international order and amount to a blockade of its sea and airspace. Korean Air Lines Co Ltd and Singapore Airlines Ltd said they had cancelled flights to and from Taipei on Friday due to the exercises, with the Korean carrier also cancelling its Saturday flights and delaying Sunday flights. Japan's ANA Holdings Inc and Japan Airlines Co Ltd are still operating flights to Taipei as normal, spokespeople for the airlines said, but are avoiding the affected airspace on those flights, as well as on routes to Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd and Philippines Airlines said their flights were avoiding designated airspace zones around Taiwan, in a move that could lead to more flying time for some flights, while Vietnam's aviation regulator warned its airlines to avoid the area. Story continues Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 showed Taiwanese carriers China Airlines Ltd and EVA Airways Corp were still flying to and from the island as of Friday morning, as were cargo carriers FedEx Corp and United Parcel Service Inc, though avoiding the areas affected by the military drills. Emirates, United Airlines Holdings Inc and Turkish Airlines had flights en route to Taipei on Friday morning local time, Flightradar24 showed. Taiwan, along with mainland China and Hong Kong, is one of the few places in the world that still requires quarantine for arrivals because of COVID-19, triggering reduced demand for travel to the island that means there are far fewer flights than before the pandemic. OPSGROUP, an aviation industry cooperative that shares information on flight risks, said the exercises would affect major routes between Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia, leading to re-routings that could take longer and burn extra fuel. The airspace involved, however, is minor in its impact on the global aviation industry compared to the decision by most airlines to bypass overflight of other places like Russia, Ukraine, Afghanistan, North Korea, Iraq and Syria. The avoidance of Russian airspace, for example, has led to a near four-hour increase in flight times between Finland and Japan. Taiwan said on Wednesday it was negotiating with neighbouring Japan and the Philippines to find alternative aviation routes, the official Central News Agency (CNA) reported. (Reporting by Joyce Lee in Seoul and Jamie Freed in Sydney; Additional reporting by Maki Shiraki in Tokyo, Neil Jerome Morales in Manila, Khanh Vu in Hanoi and Twinnie Siu in Hong Kong; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell) While WNBA star Brittney Griner's sentencing in Russia dominates headlines, members of Congress are urging the White House to do more to free yet another prominent figure -- Paul Rusesabagina, who inspired the acclaimed 2004 film "Hotel Rwanda." In a letter shared exclusively with ABC News on Thursday, Reps. Joaquin Castro and Young Kim asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken to "use all the diplomatic means at your disposal to ensure Mr. Rusesabagina's safe return to the United States." They implored the secretary to push Rwanda's president for Rusesabagina's "immediate release" during Blinken's visit next week to the East African nation, where Rusesabagina has been held for nearly two years. Rusesabagina, a lawful U.S. permanent resident, was the manager of the Hotel des Mille Collines in Kigali during the Rwandan genocide of 1994, when divisions between Rwanda's two main ethnic groups came to a head. The Rwandan government, controlled by extremist members of the Hutu ethnic majority, launched a systemic campaign with its allied Hutu militias to wipe out the Tutsi ethnic minority, slaughtering over the course of 100 days more than 800,000 people, mostly Tutsis and the moderate Hutus who tried to protect them, according to estimates from the United Nations. MORE: Paul Rusesabagina was called a hero after 'Hotel Rwanda,' now he's accused of terrorism More than 1,200 people took shelter in the Hotel des Mille Collines during what is often described as the darkest chapter of Rwanda's history. Rusesabagina, who is of both Hutu and Tutsi descent, said he used his job and connections with the Hutu elite to protect the hotel's guests from massacre. The events were later immortalized in "Hotel Rwanda," with American actor Don Cheadle's portrayal of Rusesabagina earning an Academy Award nomination for best actor in 2005. Rusesabagina, who fled Rwanda with his family in 1996 and later settled in San Antonio, Texas, rose to fame and was lauded as a hero after the movie's release. In 2005, he was awarded the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor given by the American president. He also wrote a book, gave paid speeches, and became an outspoken critic of Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who has been in office for the last two decades. Story continues In August 2020, Rusesabagina traveled to Dubai to meet up with a Burundi-born pastor who Rusesabagina alleges had invited him to speak at churches in Burundi about his experience during the Rwandan genocide. The pair hopped on a private jet that Rusesabagina believed would take them to Burundi's capital, according to Rusesabagina's international legal team. MORE: Jailed hero of 'Hotel Rwanda' claims he was tortured at 'slaughterhouse' after arriving in Kigali Rusesabagina did not know that the pastor was working as an informant for the Rwanda Investigation Bureau and had tricked him into boarding a chartered flight to Kigali. He was subsequently arrested and tried on a slew of terrorism-related charges, with Rwandan prosecutors alleging that Rusesabagina wanted to go to Burundi to coordinate with rebel groups based there and in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo. Last September, Rusesabagina, who has maintained his innocence, was convicted on eight of nine terrorism-related charges and sentenced to 25 years in prison. In May, the U.S. Department of State determined that Rusesabagina has been "wrongfully detained." In June, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan resolution calling on the Biden administration to demand Rusesabagina's release on humanitarian grounds. In their letter to Blinken, Castro and Kim warned that if the U.S. does not take a firm stance on Rusesabagina's detention, others may be at risk. "Failure to address the actions of the Rwandan government will only embolden it to continue to target U.S. citizens and U.S. residents," they wrote. MORE: 'Hotel Rwanda' hero Paul Rusesabagina sentenced to 25 years on terrorism charges According to the State Department, Blinken intends to discuss Rusesabagina's case during his upcoming visit to Rwanda. Speaking to ABC News on Thursday, a senior U.S. official declined to say whether Blinken would communicate any consequences for the Rwandan government if it fails to release Rusesabagina, but insisted that the Biden administration has been "very clear with the government of Rwanda about our concerns about his case, his trial, and his conviction, particularly the lack of fair trial guarantees." Castro and Kim said the Biden administration must move as a quickly as possible to secure Rusesabagina's freedom due to his age and failing health. "We also ask that you visit Mr. Rusesabagina, who is imprisoned under unsafe conditions and suffering from health issues that jeopardize his life," they wrote in their letter. "Paul Rusesabagina is a 68-year-old cancer and stroke survivor who remains in poor health. He has been imprisoned for over 700 days without proper medical care." In a statement to ABC News on Thursday, Rusesabagina's family expressed their gratitude that his case "is receiving attention from senior levels within the [Biden] administration and across Capitol Hill." "We appreciate in particular Secretary Blinken's dedicated visit and hope his direct engagement will help bring our family nightmare to an end," said Rusesabagina's daughter, Anaise Kanimba. "Rwanda is not an adversary country like Russia, China or Iran; it is a country that significantly benefits from U.S. taxpayer money and judicial cooperation," she added. "If the administration can bring back other wrongfully detained [citizens] from Russia, it can certainly leverage its relationship with Rwanda." Exclusive: Members of Congress urge Blinken to demand 'Hotel Rwanda' hero's release originally appeared on abcnews.go.com $200K Coin Rivet Invitational to Feature Main Event Champ Espen Jorstad August 05 2022 Calum Grant Cyprus is set to be a hot bed of poker activity later this month with the inaugural Luxon Pay Mediterranean Poker Party kicking off on August 19. A host of amazing tournaments are planned and the festival has been boosted by the inclusion of Triton Poker Series Cyprus and the PokerNews Cup, which run in conjunction with the Luxon Pay Mediterranean Poker Party. It has also been announced that the Coin Rivet Invitational, an event within the Triton Poker Series Cyprus, will be held at the Merit Royal Diamond, North Cyprus from September 10-12. Songul Bekem, President of Merit Poker said: Were delighted to be hosting this unique event as we open our new poker room and new Merit Diamond Hotel for the Luxon Pay Mediterranean Poker Party. Were happy to be welcoming back the Triton Poker Series after hosting their last schedule back in April. Best Free to Play Slots Coin Rivet Invitational The Coin Rivet Invitational is a $200,000 buy-in single reentry tournament which mirrors the record-breaking 2019 Triton Million London, which was won by Aaron Zhang for $16.7 million. The tournament sees professional and recreational players pair up, with both players stumping up the $200K entry fee. The first day of action sees the two player types separated from each other, with the field merging on Day 2. Which players falls under the professional or recreational category is determined by a special committee made up of GGPoker Ambassador Jason Koon, Paul Phua and Rob Yong. The event is capped at 64 entries and will be made up of 32 recreational and 32 professional players. Read More: Aaron Zang Wins Triton Million Current Pairings A plethora of big names have already signed up to innovative event, with the likes 2022 WSOP Main Event winner Espen Jorstad, Phil Ivey, Ben Lamb and Steve O'Dwyer already paired up. Delighted to confirm that @WSOP 2022 Main Event Champion @UhlenPoker will be my invited pro for $200K @CoinRivet In https://t.co/VQ4B96HvFN Rob Yong (@rob_yong_) Joining the quartet under the recreational banner are the aforementioned Yong (Team Jorstad) and Phua (Team Ivey). Poker Hall of Famer Bobby Baldwin teams up with Lamb while Paul Newey has paired up with O'Dwyer. Pro Player Recreational Player Collective Tournament Earnings Espen Jorstad Rob Yong $11,030,355 Phil Ivey Paul Phua $62,578,085 Ben Lamb Bobby Baldwin $17,264,581 Steve O'Dwyer Paul Newey $37,233,653 The pairings of the recreational players with the professionals is generating interest in the community and the early confirmations for the event look encouraging people are interested in who pairs up and which pairing might be considered the favourites to win, said Neil Barrett, Business Development Director of Luxon Pay. Triton Poker fans will also be able to follow all the action from the Coin Rivet Invitational and the Triton Poker Series Cyprus after Andy Wong, CEO of Triton Poker Series confirmed that the events will be broadcasted. "All the action will be live streamed in true Triton Series style by our great team, "Every player that plays a Triton Poker Series event is a VIP and we are looking forward to this new event in the schedule and returning to Merit Resorts for the opening of their brand new poker room and hotel. All the action will be live streamed in true Triton Series style by our great team, he said. Check out the triton poker series cyprus schedule 888poker Qualifiers Reflect After "Dream Come True" WSOP Experiences August 05 2022 Will Shillibier 888poker spent this summer celebrating its 20th birthday in Las Vegas, after sending a total of 34 players to the 2022 World Series of Poker Main Event. For 888poker, it's all about the players and they have put together a special video featuring some of its qualifiers and ambassadors who were able to have their dreams come true in Las Vegas. Qualifiers "Overwhelmed" by Las Vegas Experience One of the players who was rewarded with a 2022 WSOP package was Danny Lavoie who signed up for 888poker in 2022 and has been playing on the site for twenty years. "When I had the call from 888poker I expected a surprise, for sure, but not that big," he told 888poker. Lavoie was handed a $13,000 Road to Las Vegas package to play in the WSOP Main Event, something he described as a "dream come true." He eventually finished in 296th place for $40,900. Other qualifiers included David Docherty and Dov Markowich. Docherty said he was overwhelmed by how much the entirety of the city of Las Vegas looked like a movie set, while Markwocih said that just being in the WSOP tournament room was an overwhelming feeling. "When you walk into the room, it's like your jaw hits the ground [...] like an endless sea of players and tables." 7 (Incredible) 888poker Client Features You Should Check Out NOW! 888poker Cashes in the 2022 WSOP Main Event There were a number of 888poker players who cashed in the WSOP Main Event in addition to Lavoie including 888poker Ambassador Alexandre "Cavalito" Mantovani and Thiago Pirani, who had the deepest run of any 888poker qualifier. Player Position Payout (USD) Nick Eastwood 1,214th $15,000 Danny Lavoie 296th $40,900 Alexandre "Cavalito" Mantovani 266th $46,800 Padraig O'Neill 258th $46,800 Thiago Pirani 157th $62,500 888poker Qualifier Thiago Pirani Turns $22 into Over $60k in "Magical" WSOP Experience Life-Changing Opportunity for Ambassadors And it wasn't just qualifiers and satellite winners who were enjoying the WSOP experience. Ambassadors and members of the 888poker Stream Team were also out in force representing the site in Las Vegas. Jordan Banfield has previously said that being part of the Stream Team has enabled him to combine his personal career goals with the expectations from 888poker, and in Las Vegas he was able to continue to advance both. "Being part of 888poker I've had the opportunity to be a part of playing live in Barcelona, London and now Las Vegas," he said. "I'm just so thankful to be part of 888poker." Vivian Saliba said that getting to play the WSOP Main Event and marking 888poker's 20th birthday was "the icing on the cake" of a life-changing experience getting to be an 888poker Ambassador, while Alexandre Mantovani said that being an Ambassador was always a goal of his. "I always dreamed of being an Ambassador for a poker site when I started playing. I would watch every single Ambassador I could find and thought one day I want to be this guy. And this is happening right now. I'm an 888poker ambassador and that's just amazing!" Watch the 888poker Ambassadors and Stream Team in Action! $88 Free Plus a $400 Welcome Bonus Now is the perfect time to join 888poker if you have not already done so. Download 888poker via PokerNews, create your free account, and 888poker will give you a free $88 worth of cash game and tournament tickets this is a free 20 for residents of the United Kingdom just for reaching this stage. Your first deposit is matched 100% up to $400 in the form of a releasable bonus. You have 90 days to release as much bonus as you can. Contact 888poker support for more details. EPT Returns to Barcelona; PokerNews to Report on 14 Events August 05 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor The European Poker Tour (EPT) returns to Casino Barcelona for the first time since 2019 and PokerNews' Live Reporting team will be with you every step of the way, bringing you unrivaled coverage from 14 of the schedule's biggest events. EPT Barcelona is one of the most popular stops on the live poker circuit, and there is no reason that the 2022 edition of the EPT Barcelona Main Event cannot break its attendance record, which was set in 2019 when 1,988 players bought in and created a 9,641,800 prize pool. The 2020 and 2021 editions of EPT Barcelona fell victim to the global COVID-19 pandemic, so PokerStars is determined to make the return of the tour a memorable one. EPT Barcelona runs from August 8 through August 21, combining the EPT and Estrellas Poker Tour in one mega schedule. PokerNews' Live Reporting team are on the ground throughout the festival, bring you live and exclusive coverage from 14 of the tour's most popular events. PokerStars Heads Back to Bahamas for PCA and PSPC in January 2023 EPT Barcelona Events Covered by PokerNews' Live Reporting Team DTD Regular Adam Maxwell Wins the UKIPT Nottingham Main Event You do not have long to wait to feast your eyes on the first updates of EPT Barcelona because we are covering the 10,200 Mystery Bounty tournament from August 8. Mystery Bounty tournaments are all the rage right now, and this one should be huge. The 3,000 Mystery Bounty event between August 17-19 has a $30,000 PSPC Platinum Pass waiting to be won. PokerNews cannot wait to see which looking bounty winner pulls out that potentially life-changing prize. Also on the agenda are the ever-popular 25,000 and 50,000 Single Day High Rollers, in addition to the eagerly anticipated 10,300 EPT Barcelona High Roller and 100,000 Super High Roller. Chris Hunichen triumphed in the 10,300 High Roller in 2019, outlasting 539 opponents on his way to banking 841,345 and the famous Spadie trophy. Spain's Sergi Reixach won the 100,000 Super High Roller, denying Sam Grafton the title. Reixach banked 1,816,210, leaving Grafton to pad his bankroll with 1,303,950. Of course, PokerNews is also bringing all the action from the 5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event. Running from August 15-21, the EPT Barcelona Main Event has every chance of breaking its attendance record set in 2019 when 1,988 players turned out in force. Sweden's Simon Brandstrom emerged victoriously that day and got his hands on 1,290,166, ending a run of two straight victories for Polish player; Sebastian Malec won in 2017 with Piotr Nurzynski becoming the champion in 2018. PokerStars Launches The Value-Packed PSPC Ticket Machine Promotion PokerStars EPT Barcelona Main Event Champions More Off The Felt Activities Than You Can Shake a Stick At Although those of you jetting off to sunny Barcelona will have poker front and center in your mind, PokerStars is running plenty of off the felt activities to help you have fun and relax between grinding. The PokerStars Summer Fiesta welcome party is scheduled for August 11th, with an exclusive Player's Party at the awesome CDLC beach club on August 14th. Fancy something a little more relaxing? Then enjoy daily paddle board sessions every morning through EPT Barcelona, or head off on a catamaran brunch excursion on August 12, 14, and 19. Here's to seeing you in Barcelona! (Bloomberg) -- Russia escalated a dispute over the removal of a Soviet-era memorial in neighboring Estonia, compounding tensions in a European Union member state that has fiercely condemned the invasion of Ukraine. Most Read from Bloomberg President Vladimir Putins chief spokesman on Friday called the plans to remove a World War II tank in the eastern Estonian city of Narva, which sits on the border with Russia, a war against history. Estonias president had earlier reinforced the governments pledge to remove communist-era monuments, saying Putins invasion had disgraced memories of the Soviet Unions victory over Nazi Germany. Putins order to the Russian army to attack Ukraine on Feb. 24 changed the meaning of many World War II memorials in Europe, President Alar Karis said in a statement. I have myself seen in Ukraine the pain and grief caused by almost identical Russian tanks. The westward-facing T-34 tank, emblazoned with a red star and resting on a pedestal next to the Narva river, was erected by Soviet authorities in 1970 to mark the 1944 Battle of Narva. Estonia, along with Latvia and Lithuania, was part of the Soviet Union until it reclaimed independence in 1991. Speaking in Moscow, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned the order to remove the monument from the pedestal. The war against history, moreover with a common history and the disposal of monuments for those who saved Europe from fascism, is of course outrageous, Peskov said. The push to remove hundreds of Soviet monuments cuts into the countrys cultural divide, with Russian speakers making up nearly a quarter of the population. Story continues In Narva, whose population of some 57,000 is mostly Russian speaking, officials have refused to dismantle the monument, a favorite backdrop for locals for wedding photographs. Earlier this week, demonstrators went to the site of the monument to protest against its removal. A similar row over the relocation of a Soviet monument in the capital Tallinn in 2007 set off rioting and a cyber attack on Estonian government websites, with authorities blaming the Kremlin. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Ending the war in Ukraine and starting a new one in Syria are expected to dominate talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan will be riding high from the diplomatic success of helping orchestrate the resumption of Ukrainian grain shipments across the Black Sea when he visits Sochi this Friday for his second talks with Putin in just over two weeks. But tensions remain. The Turkish leader was told by Putin in Tehran last month that Russia remains opposed to any new offensive that Turkey might be planning against Kurdish militants in northern Syria. Analysts believe these strains form part of the "competitive cooperation" that has defined the two leaders' relationship over the past 20 years. The European Council on Foreign Relations published a report last week saying "Russia's war on Ukraine has restored Turkey's self image as a key geopolitical player and given Erdogan more visibility than at any time in the last few years." "Most Turks support their country's balancing act and quasi-neutral position between the West and Russia," it concluded. Truce talks Attempts by NATO member Turkey to remain neutral in the face of Moscow's historic standoff with the West over Ukraine are starting to pay off. Months of Turkish efforts have seen Moscow and Kyiv sign a UN-backed agreement in Istanbul last month to resume grain deliveries from Ukrainian ports. The first ship from Ukraine crossed Istanbul on Wednesday. Three more are expected to set sail this Friday under a landmark deal designed to relieve a global food crisis caused by the war. Turkey wants to translate this success into truce talks in Istanbul between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. On Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said after talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Asia: "We discussed if the grain agreement could be an occasion for a sustainable ceasefire." Story continues Complicating these efforts are repeated threats by Erdogan to launch a new military operation in Syria a country where Russian and Turkish interests collide. Russia's army helped Syrian President Bashar al-Assad survive a decade-long rebellion by groups backed by Turkey. But Erdogan is threatening to invade northern Syria to establish a buffer zone that pushes out Kurdish groups he links to "terrorists" waging an insurgency against the Turkish state. Military technology Some Turkish media speculate that what Putin really wants is drones. Turkey has been supplying Kyiv with lethal Bayraktar aerial vehicles that have proved effective in destroying Russian armoured columns across the Ukrainian war zone. US officials say a Russian team has visited Iran to scope out the purchase of hundreds of drones for its own forces in Ukraine. Erdogan has added to the intrigue by telling his cabinet that Putin asked him to start selling the Bayraktars to Russia. Turkish officials later dismissed the suggestion as a joke. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov appeared to lend credence to the idea, saying: "Military and technological cooperation are always on the two countries' agenda." HCM CITY An international medical, hospital and pharmaceutical exhibition will take place from August 11 to 13 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in HCM City. Vietnam Medi-Pharm Expo is set to attract more than 260 exhibitors from 20 countries and territories including Poland, Russia, Japan, Pakistan, France, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Switzerland, Australia, and China. Turkey will participate for the first time with a national pavilion along with others from India, Germany, South Korea, and Malaysia. The event will feature two seminars on the Vietnamese medical equipment market and digital transformation in health to provide foreign businesses with information about the countrys healthcare market and regulations on import and trading of medical products. There will be a B2B matching event. With its annual growth rate of 18 per cent and valued at US$1.5 billion, Viet Nams medical devices market is one of the most promising sectors for foreign investors, Hua Phu Doan, deputy chairman of the HCM City Medical Equipment Association, said. The country imports more than 90 per cent of its medical devices, he said at a press briefing on Monday. Many manufacturers from Japan, South Korea and Europe are looking to enter Viet Nam to tap its burgeoning market, he said. He suggested that the country needs an industrial park specialising in medical devices to attract foreign investment flows and enhance R&D in the industry. The expo is organised by Vinexad JSC in collaboration with the association. VNS U.S. Marine Granted Emergency Relief From Discharge and Eviction NEWS PROVIDED BY Aug. 5, 2022 TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 5, 2022 / Christian Newswire / -- Within two hours of Liberty Counsel's request , Judge Steven Merryday granted a temporary restraining order for a U.S. Marine First Lieutenant to stop the Department of Defense from ordering administrative separation and eviction from his home for merely requesting an accommodation of his sincere religious beliefs. The military has forced the First Lieutenant, who is a Supply Officer with the U.S. Marine Corps Expeditionary Force, to choose between his religious beliefs and accept the COVID shot or face discipline and administrative separation. In addition, the military threatened him with only two days' notice for discharge from the Marine Corps and ordered him to remove himself, his wife, and his two minor children from Camp Pendleton by August 5, 2022. In fact, seven months after the denial of his appeal, the Marine Corps suddenly issued First Lieutenant his discharge orders on August 3 and only gave him two days to move himself and his family from their home at Camp Pendleton and to return to a "home of record or to any other place you may elect." In addition to the military's recommendation to administratively separate this First Lieutenant from the Marine Corps for merely requesting a religious accommodation to the shot mandate, the Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs stated to him that his failure to accept an injection that directly conflicts with his sincerely held religious beliefs "demonstrates he has no potential for future service and outweighs any positive aspects of his career." However, in his order Judge Merryday wrote, "The plaintiffs append First Lieutenant's religious accommodation packet, a review of which strongly suggests that the denial of First Lieutenant's request for a religious accommodation and the denial of his appeal are subject to the same infirmities that plagued the denial of Lieutenant Colonel 2's appeal and USMC Captain's appeal. Also, the denial bears an unsettling resemblance to the other appellate denials submitted." Judge Merryday ordered a hearing by videoconference on August 10 at 9:00 a.m. on whether to convert the temporary injunctive relief into a preliminary injunction. Liberty Counsel continues to pursue class action relief from the unlawful federal COVID shot mandate on behalf of those who currently serve in the United States Marine Corps as well as for all the military branches. Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, "We are grateful to Judge Merryday for acting so quickly to provide relief for this First Lieutenant. It is unfathomable that the Department of Defense would stoop so low as to discharge and evict a service member who has honorably served his country and the Marine Corps for merely requesting an accommodation of his sincere religious beliefs. However, the military no longer seems interested in upholding the law or the Constitution." Liberty Counsel provides broadcast quality TV interviews via Hi-Def Skype and LTN at no cost. SOURCE Liberty Counsel CONTACT: Mat Staver, 407-875-1776, Liberty@LC.org Related Links lc.org/ HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said the banking sector had all the factors to be pioneering and, in fact, was at the forefront of the digital transformation process. Digital transformation was an inevitable trend, and an urgent requirement, noted the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister, who is also Chairman of the National Committee on Digital Transformation, attended and delivered a keynote speech at the Conference on Digital Transformation in the Banking Sector organised by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) in Ha Noi on Thursday. Speaking at the conference, SBV Governor Nguyen Thi Hong said that in the Prime Minister's Decision No 749/Q-TTg approving the programme on national digital transformation by 2025, the finance - banking sector was identified as one of eight sectors that needed to prioritise digital transformation. The SBV has established a steering committee for the digital transformation of the banking sector and chose May 11 as the day of digital transformation of the sector. The plan puts people and customers at the centre, with very specific goals, such as 50 per cent of banking operations to be digitised by 2025, 70 per cent of customer transactions conducted on digital channels, and 50 per cent of retail loans and consumer loans for individual customers are digitised and automated. The SBV's Payment Department said banking services on digital platforms in Viet Nam were developing, especially e-payment services with digitalisation and rapid growth. Non-cash payment transactions increased by 77.2 per cent in volume and 29.8 per cent in value in the first six months of this year. Nearly 70 per cent of Vietnamese adults have bank accounts; 5.5 million accounts and approximately 8.9 million bank cards have been opened electronically; 1.77 million Mobile Money accounts have been opened, of which more than 67 per cent are in rural, remote and isolated areas. Many leading Vietnamese banks in digital transformation have now achieved 90 per cent of customer transactions on digital channels, far ahead of the target set in the programme on national digital transformation at 70 per cent by 2025. Besides the positive results, the Prime Minister stated that the process of national digital transformation and bank digital transformation still faced many difficulties and challenges. Mechanisms and policies still had many shortcomings, especially in terms of identification and electronic authentication; inadequate information technology infrastructure, while connection and exploitation of population data, insurance and tax was still narrow in scope, he said. The participation and coordination of financial technology enterprises was still limited; and high-tech crimes involved increasingly sophisticated forms, added the Prime Minister. Resources, especially highly qualified human resources for digital transformation, were still lacking, including in information technology, he said. In the future, the situation around the world and in the region would continue to develop unpredictably, with far-reaching impacts on countries, said the Prime Minister. Noting that it was necessary to identify difficulties and challenges rather than opportunities and advantages, the Prime Minister emphasised a number of requirements such as promoting a change in thinking, methodology and working methods of the banking sector in a modern direction; boosting the development of e-commerce, digital society, and digital economy; promoting integration, connection and sharing of national databases on population and specialised databases to gradually build a digital citizen ecosystem. The Prime Minister requested the State Bank of Vietnam and the banking sector to make great efforts and more effective actions in digital transformation; carefully assess the situation, results, causes, limitations, inadequacies, and lessons learned from domestic and international experiences; analyse and forecast the upcoming situation, determine short-term, medium-term and long-term goals; and develop an digital transformation programme for the whole sector with appropriate and specific roadmaps, solutions and resources. VNS BINH DUONG Japanese investors have so far poured almost US$6 billion in the southern province of Binh Duong, Permanent Deputy Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee Mai Hung Dung said at a working session with a delegation of the Kansai Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI Kansai) on Thursday. Head of the Japanese delegation, Director of International Trade of METI Kansai Hosokawa Yoichi appreciated Binh Duongs efforts to protect the environment. He said enterprises in Kansai want to increase investment and cooperation with Binh Duong, with a focus on the environment. Deputy Chairman Dung affirmed that Binh Duong has always paid attention to environmental protection in its development process. The province is ready to work with Japanese enterprises in general and those from Kansai region in particular to development technological solutions for environmental protection, he said. VNS HA NOI Joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was the first step for Viet Nam in the process of international integration, and the bloc has served as a gateway for the countrys integration into the region and the world, said Pham Quynh Mai, deputy director of the Multilateral Trade Policy Department at the Ministry of Industry and Trade. She made the remark during an interview with the press on Thursday on the sidelines of a conference on communications ahead of ASEAN's 55th founding anniversary (August 8, 1967 - 2022). Viet Nam became an official member of ASEAN on July 28, 1995, a turning point that marked the end of a period full of difficulties, helping the country escape from sanctions, and opening up a period of integration for common development in Southeast Asia. Since becoming part of ASEAN, Viet Nam has played a proactive part in the common activities of the association, especially economic cooperation. Promoting the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) was always one of the top priorities in the countrys international economic integration process. Together with other member states, Viet Nam worked hard to carry out commitments and initiatives to implement the master plan for the AEC building. As a result, the AEC came into being on December 31, 2015, with the goal of turning ASEAN into a single market and production base, Mai said. She went on to say that Viet Nam has also joined other ASEAN members in promoting extensive economic ties with partners such as China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, the US, the EU, Canada, and the UK, as well as signing and enforcing the blocs free trade agreements with some of those partners. This has helped boost trade and economic partnerships between ASEAN, including Viet Nam, with partners. As Chair of ASEAN in 2020, the country and other members brought into play the Cohesive and Responsive spirit through hundreds of virtual meetings and numerous initiatives to create conditions for consolidating regional supply chains and addressing the COVID-19 pandemics impact on economies. Furthermore, as Chair of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministerial Meeting, Viet Nam also coordinated with ASEAN members and partner countries to promote consensus in dealing with issues during the RCEP negotiation process, finalising talks, and signing the deal on November 15, 2020. This was a result of great efforts during Viet Nams ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020 and won high evaluation from partners, helping strengthen the countrys reputation in the region and the world, according to Mai. After 27 years of being an ASEAN member, the Vietnamese economy has recorded breakthroughs in all aspects, with per capita GDP surging by over 13-fold, the economy expanding over 17-fold to US$362.6 billion in 2021 from $20.7 billion in 1995, and export turnover rising to $336.3 billion in 2021 from $5.2 billion in 1995. The official added the economic integration into ASEAN has created a solid stepping stone for Viet Nams international economic integration, practically helping to generate breakthroughs in economic development over the past years, increase exports, expand partnership opportunities for enterprises, improve peoples life quality, create more jobs, and boost peoples access to diverse and quality goods with reasonable prices from around the world. As such, the implementation of cooperation commitments within the AEC has been bringing practical benefits to Viet Nam, its businesses, and people, as well as ASEAN at large, she noted. VNS Last week, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) sent a document requesting airlines to comply with the daily flight plan with confirmed slots and issued flight permits. If flights are found to be moving at the wrong time compared to the confirmed slot, the service will be refused and reported to the authority. This is the second time that the CAAV has decided to remind airlines about daily plans, with delays and cancellations of flights forcing initial action earlier in July. Airline delays increase during peak season According to data from the agency, the number of delayed flights in June reached around 5,600, accounting for 18.2 per cent and up 16 per cent over the same period in 2021. Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet are the two airlines with the most late return flights, at nearly 1,500 and 2,300 flights, respectively. On average, these two airlines have 45-70 late flights every day. Among the three largest domestic airlines, Vietnam Airlines has the highest cancellation rate at 1 per cent. Vietjet ranked second with 0.3 per cent of flights scrapped and Bamboo Airways has a rate of 0.1 per cent. The reason for cancellations and long delays stems from the fact that airlines have increased the frequency of operations during the peak period. But, more importantly, airlines are suffering from a serious shortage of personnel in all positions after many workers changed professions during the pandemic peak. This has, in turn, lowered the quality of service and prolonged waiting times. Saigon Ground Services, a service provider for nearly 50 international airlines at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, has organised four rounds of recruitment since March in an attempt to find thousands of full-time and part-time employees, but the number of people taken on is still not enough. Bamboo Airways is also recruiting for many positions such as pilots, flight attendants, airline representatives, and technicians. On peak days, 30 Bamboo planes can make nearly 200 flights. Vietjet, meanwhile, is trying to recruit captains and co-pilots for at least until the end of the year. Meanwhile, charter airline Vietravel Airlines, which owns three aircraft, is also looking for more pilots for its Airbus A320 series. According to preliminary statistics from the CAAV, in recent recruitment rounds, the number of new flight attendants that Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, and Vietravel Airlines need to recruit is more than 2,000. Tan Son Nhat International also needs to recruit hundreds of airport security, medical staff, construction engineers, and more The shortage of personnel in many departments has been a dilemma for airlines and airports around the world. American Airlines cancelled more than 2,800 flights and delayed flights affected over 20,000 passengers during the Memorial Day holiday on May 30, according to tracking website FlightAware. In the UK, the airline industry employed 81,000 employees in March 2020, but that number bottomed out at 66,000 last year and is rising again only slowly. Closer to home, Changi Airport in Singapore is hoping to soon fill 6,600 roles at the city-state airport. CAAV asked to tackle high rates in flight delays, cancellations Deputy Minister of Transport Le Anh Tuan has asked the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) to promptly tackle flight delays and cancellations after latest data shows that up to 5,602 flights by domestic carriers were delayed in June (May 19 Jun 18), accounting for 18.2per cent. In his more than 50-year journey, he has gone from a soldier on an arduous battlefield to a fierce marketplace with a legal corridor of shortcomings and a tempting corporate environment. Thanks to his strong courage, bravery, and wisdom, Giap has been publicly respected to be a leader of morality, vision, intelligence, and bravery, who has improved the brand of the 36 Corporation to become a leading reputable enterprise in construction. With outstanding achievements throughout his career, Giap has been awarded many noble titles and awards by the Party and the state. In 2010, he was the only individual in the country awarded the title of Hero of Labour. Most recently, he was honoured with the 3-year Asia-Pacific Entrepreneur Award by Enterprise Asia. Colonel and Hero of Labour Nguyen Dang Giap, chairman of the Board of Directors of 36 Corporation With the bravery of a soldier who gained a lot of battle experience and possesses the quality of keeping cool to cope with multiple unexpected changes, Giap has made the impossible possible. In 2003, he was designated to be the director of 36 Corporation. Under his leadership, Giap developed a loss-making subsidiary into a corporation with a revenue of around 174 million and was awarded the title of Hero of Labour by the state of Vietnam in 2013. Giap has transformed a small business of several dozen people, which nearly went bankrupt, into a corporation of more than 7,000 officers, employees, and workers, which now has 16 member subsidiaries and a branch in Laos. The corporation began on the basis of almost nothing for facilities, but now owns a block of assets of trillions of VND with over 600 engines and modern equipment. The corporation performed and changed from a business on the brink of bankruptcy into a business that has the potential and stature of a large construction corporation of the military. That is the Golden Epic, a miracle that Giap and the 36 Corporation have created. Giap is always aware that a true businessman has to show his leadership skills in a fiercely competitive environment for his business to survive and thrive. Therefore, he actively volunteered to equitise the corporation to publicise corporate health. Overcoming the remaining difficulties and shortcomings along with his high determination, Giap and the leaders of the 36 Corporation have successfully implemented the equitisation. Under his leadership, the 36 Corporation will develop further and achieve greater heights in the integration period, continuing to assert its brand of sustainability. Giap's motto is We will go where we need to get We will think of what no one has thought and do unprecedented work. The Vietnam National Innovation Centre (NIC) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and the United Nations Development Programme have organised a workshop in Hanoi on August 3 on the innovation index framework in the public sector in Vietnam. This was the first workshop to collect comments of experts and scientists for the very first concept in Vietnam, which targets local agencies, ministries, and sectors that can self-assess and improve innovation capacity. The PII is aimed to provide an overview in conceptualising and measuring innovation in the public sector, measuring the innovation capacity of public organisations and helping policy-makers understand different levels of innovation and dynamics in different parts of public sector organisations to have solutions to promote innovation in the public sector. Highlighting the positive impact of innovations, NIC deputy director Vo Xuan Hoai said they contribute up to 95 per cent of the national economic competitiveness, 91 per cent to the green economy, 88 per cent to new works, 86 per cent to partnership, and 66 per cent to innovation values impact peoples daily activities. Economists shared the view that innovations are necessary for both public and private sectors, adding that they will create opportunities for the public sector to lead and orient the private one. In the opinion of Pham Thi Thu Trang from the NIC, the PII measures the innovation capacity of public organisations, giving policymakers insights into innovation levels and momentum in agencies and organisations in the sector and serving as a basis for the agencies and organisations to promote innovations. Ly Dinh Quan, director of the Han River Startup Incubation Centre, said that innovation in the public sector plays an important role in promoting the private sector and accelerating the economic growth of Vietnam. The PII would promote positive changes in the public sector, especially in the context of a rapidly developing digital economy. Pham Ngoc Thach from the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) said the PII would promote positive changes in the public sector, especially in the context of a rapidly developing digital economy. He added that according to a recent survey of VCCI, many public units have initiatives and changes in the provision of public services and handling administrative procedures. It is necessary to find out which initiatives are effective in localities and ministries. If measured, it will be very useful, said Thach. Some said to maximise the innovation index framework, it is necessary to ensure fair development between agencies and localities. Innovation attracts large venture capital This year will be pivotal for the next stage of development of innovative enterprises and Vietnam's digital economy to attract investment capital. NTU bringing research and innovation to Vietnam Singapore is creating new cooperation models between education and business in Vietnam. Prof. Lam Khin Yong, senior vice-president at Nanyang Technological University, talked with VIRs Nguyen Huong about experiences and solutions to promote research and innovation in both universities and businesses. LDG Group is a developer with many unfinished projects that cannot be deployed in Ho Chi Minh City because of legal issues and cash flow. To solve the situation, chairman Nguyen Khanh Hung in June said he wants to mobilise capital from outside, and a merger and acquisition (M&A) is one potential method. Vietnam boasting buoyant real estate M&A activities We are looking to finish legal documentation for two projects of the High Intela and the West Intela with a total of around 800 units which can be taken into M&A for other potential partners. This would be a good solution for LDG because these projects are small in scale, and LDG should leave them to drive focus towards improving its governance and construction capacity, Hung said. According to Do Duy Thanh, manager of Savills Hanoi Investment Advisory Department, M&As are considered a safe and beneficial solution for both parties because the domestic enterprise can solve the capital shortage, while foreign partners can reduce the legal risk when they can acquire legalised projects. However, experts and businesses still admit that foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into Vietnams real estate still face many challenges. Two-thirds of foreign-invested enterprises in Vietnam today are large-scale with increasingly diversified and better quality forms. But in general, the amount of overseas capital over the years is actually not disbursed as committed, Thanh said. The biggest reason for ventures being on hold is the legal system. Thanh pointed to a typical example that condotel and officetel models, although attracting attention, do not have a full legal framework set up in Vietnam. The selection of foreign investors also needs to be carefully implemented and ensured, through the appraisal of financial capacity, total investment capital, implemented projects, business reputation, and investment criteria, Thanh said. For management authorities, the legislation for new types of real estate should be reviewed and foreign investment policies should also be adjusted to keep up with the fluctuations of the global economy. Because of such issues, most large enterprises coming to Vietnam are looking to M&As with domestic enterprises, as advantages in the current domestic community include regional expertise, flexibility in capital flows, and at the same time, playing a pioneering role in new and suburban markets. Some existing hurdles for M&A activities could be cleared this year. The Party issued Resolution No.18-NQ-TW dated June 16 with important new guiding points on the requirement to increase marketability, transparency, and efficiency in state management of land. Once institutionalised and practically implemented, it is expected to bring a greater multi-faceted impact on Vietnams real estate market. Vietnam saw a record $11.57 billion disbursement of FDI in the first seven months of 2022, marking the highest growth in five years. Real estate ranked second among the most invested sectors, accounting for 26 per cent of the total inflows. Groups from Singapore, South Korea, Denmark, China, and Japan are the leaders in terms of pouring money into Vietnam so far this year. Trade pact sets up stronger M&A interest from Europe In strong signals of EU interest in Vietnam over the past few months, a batch of leading companies has signed deals to purchase businesses and expand their merger and acquisition footprint. Big M&A deals forecast in banking industry in 2022 Vietnams merger and acquisitions (M&A) market in 2022 is forecast to include big deals worth billions of dollars in the banking industry. The ceremony to announce the top 50 prestigious and effective public companies in 2022 (VIX50) took place at the Reunification Hall in Ho Chi Minh City on August 3. The awards recognised public companies with outstanding financial capability, media reputation, growth potential, sustainable development, quality management, and strong position in the industry. In the list of VIX50, PDR is among the top enterprises with a capitalisation of over $1 billion and a profit of over $42.7 million. PDR reached a market capitalisation of over $2.1 billion by the end of 2021. Its reputation is spread far and wide with positive feedback from the community, investors, and customers. PDR has achieved great results in several aspects. The company has successfully established a new position in the group of leading enterprises in the real estate industry and listed companies in the stock market. PDR's pre-tax profit has continuously increased from $47.44 million in 2019 to $66.9 million in 2020 and $100 million in 2021. In 2022, PDR commits to generating a pre-tax profit of $155.6 million. PDR's profitability ratio also grew well in the period of 20192021 on the basis of improving profit margin, while its return on equity remains higher than the industry average. It is clear that PDR has a healthy financial structure when the debt/equity ratio has been regularly maintained at a safe level of 0.3x-0.5x in recent years, lower than the average level in the real estate industry. Located in the central square of Quy Nhon, CADIA Quy Nhon is one of the outstanding projects by PDR PDR is pursuing sustainable development and portfolio restructuring strategies. The company is constantly developing land funds in many localities across the country. Currently, PDR boasts a land reserve of over 7,404 hectares. This land fund is sufficient for PDR to realise its development strategy in the next 5-10 years. Besides the main segment of housing, PDR is also developing a new product line of high-end resorts. Currently, PDR is operating in the main markets including Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Binh Dinh, Danang, and Quang Ngai. PDR has demonstrated its exceptional abilities and strong internal strength by continuously driving its growth. The achievement is attributable to PDRs clear, consistent strategy with its broad vision for the new era. Our group departed for Phu Quoc Island in the middle of December. With the optimum time to visit between December and March each year, this period is only just around the corner and the excitement to book a new trip here will soon be high. This is also the dry season on Phu Quoc, when the weather is clear and ideal for sight-seeing and tourism. And indeed, as soon as I got off the plane, I sensed a totally differ-ent vibe from the city: the freshness and tranquillity of the sky here with every breeze. The wind from the ocean whips through the hair as if blowing away all the work tired-ness. Phu Quoc, the biggest island in Vietnam and located in Kien Giang province ranked among the top 25 finest islands in the world by the Worlds Best Places survey in July. It is a site where nature bestows riches, with a diverse ecosystem: from ancient forests of melaleuca to coral reefs and seagrass beds. Visitors may not be able to comprehend and appreciate all of the natural beauty here if they are merely on a short vacation. Phu Quoc Island an orchestra of wonder Pristine nature of the north After a day of rest, our group rented a motorcycle to return to the islands northern re-gion and begin the experience. We choose motorcycles since if you take a cab, you wont be able to fully enjoy the islands true essence: driving in the sun, the sea breeze, the forest areas along the roadside, and travelling on asphalt highways to muddy path-ways. We arrived at Ganh Dau after travelling for approximately 90 minutes. From here, we rented a canoe and began heading further north, passing through Rach Vem in the Ham Rong region, and finally the fishing hamlet of Rach Tram. After a lengthy driving excur-sion of about 50km, the splashes of water from a canoe breaking the waves and being immersed in the cold breeze refreshed and enhanced everyones delight. The water here is amazing. Under the brilliant light, the water was jade green and trans-parent enough to glimpse the ocean floor. The more I journeyed, the clearer Phu Quocs environment becomes: the untamed, pristine landscape with strangely curved tree branches mirrored on the waters surface. This location is a magnificent work of nature. After approaching Rach Tram fishing village, the canoe entered the estuary in a gentle manner. Here, a completely strange new world showed up before my eyes: the placid water surface with each gentle wave, as gentle as the lake surface, reflecting the spar-kling sunlight to the bottom, surrounded by countless species of trees that appear to have existed for hundreds of years. Visitors can probably hear a pin drop there are no signs of other humans, and only our awe and amazement are left with the majestic nature. The scene before my eyes was so unique and more magnificent than I had ever dreamed. If you are already adventurous, missing this location would be a significant oversight. Magnificent coral The next day, our crew resumed its adventure to conquer Phu Quocs landscape. The next stop is Gam Ghi island, a coral wonderland in Phu Quoc with an area of up to 480ha and more than 360 kinds of hard coral and dozens of species of soft coral coex-isting. This time, we continued our motorcycle journey to An Thoi port. This island is the most distant component of the An Thoi archipelago, situated 35km south of the city of Dong Duong. It is a desolate, uninhabited island that completely isolates travellers from the citys bustle and activity. To visit the island, we rented a boat and took a tour of four islands: May Rut Ngoai, May Rut Trong, Mong Tay, and Gam Ghi; nevertheless, Gam Ghi island is the most memorable. At 10 am when the boat arrived, the sun was already high and blazing. Not to mention the breathtaking scenery, simply hearing the waves break against the side of the ship and the wind makes my pulse race nonstop. Just a few minutes earlier in An Thoi port, where restaurants, resorts, and busy urban areas were full of voices and laughter, the canoe carried us to a completely new world, a tranquil and calm zone filled with only the melody of creation singing. Upon arrival to Gham Ghi island, a whole unique biological heaven is seen. If the scen-ery and atmosphere in the north of the island have a mystical and majestic beauty, the space here is vibrant and youthful, giving the impression of a 20-year-old teenager. The water in Hon Gam Ghi has the distinctive emerald green hue of Phu Quocs oceans. The ocean seems to be much more pristine than in the islands north. Under the shade of coconut leaves, the coastline winds along the glistening, smooth white sand. The gentle breeze of coconut palms, whispering day and night, performs a duet with ocean waves, admiring the glory of divine creation. A distinctive feature of Gam Ghi island is its abundance of large boulders. Layers of bil-lowing waves take turns crashing onto the cliffs, and the white foam adds to the dra-matic and magnificent scene. We saw shoals of swimming fish and coral reefs by just standing atop a boat and glanc-ing. Without hesitation, I put on my special coral sight glass, put on my life jacket, and promptly jumped into the calm water. I was stunned by the sun-glistening coral reefs that spread to the depths of the ocean in a variety of colours and were surrounded by vibrant fishes. Not only is snorkelling a unique experience here but so is simply swimming. After scu-ba diving and appreciating the awe-inspiring beauty of nature, we totally rest, lie on the water, enjoy the push of the waves and the soothing of the ocean, and admire the pris-tine ecosystem. This is without a doubt an incredible experience. The nature of Phu Quoc is something that will never disappoint me. The more I under-stand and the more I encounter, the more I am overcome by the mystical and lyrical beauty of undiscovered nature. Phu Quoc is unquestionably an essential location that must be on the map of all serious travellers. Park Hyatt Phu Quoc Residences certified as EDGE green building Park Hyatt Phu Quoc Residences has received the EDGE certificate for green building standards at the beginning of July. Aviation authority considers flight ban on aviation regulation violators The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has requested making a list of troublemakers who violate aviation regulations so they can be banned from flying. Hoi An, Phu Quoc listed among worlds leading destinations by US magazine The ancient Hoi An town in Vietnams central province of Quang Nam has found itself voted to the 20th place in a new global listing of 25 best cities chosen by readers of US magazine Travel + Leisure. Can you give an overview of SANSE, its goals, and past results? Nguyen Trang Linh, head of development at SANSE, founded in 2016 by students at the United Nations International School in Hanoi SANSEs mission is to promote the sustainable growth of impoverished, geographically challenged, and agriculturally dependent regions in Vietnam; foster an understanding and connection between urban and rural communities; and promote the local educational systems and other learning opportunities as a tool to assist the sustainable growth of rural regions in Vietnam. Were currently working to achieve these goals in the ethnic Tay village of Ban Lien in Lao Cai by providing infrastructure and education. Over the last six years of operation, weve invested around $8,700 into building new roofs, a well, and a kindergarten in Ban Lien. Weve also helped to provide equipment for a medical station in the area. Were now planning to build a library for the primary and middle schools. This infrastructure should improve the quality of life for residents. In education, weve provided numerous full-ride high school scholarships to residents of Ban Lien. However, I believe our next steps will be the most significant. In the 2022-23 school year, we will be introducing a new high school curriculum for Ban Lien schools. It is a career-oriented curriculum that will clarify options for high school students going into the workforce or higher education. We will look to orient students towards careers that are suitable for them, and give them concrete milestones that they need to achieve to get closer to their goals. We noticed that, due to structural issues, education in Ban Lien doesnt prepare students very well for college entrance exams. We wanted to ensure that students in Ban Lien have a legitimate opportunity at a good education through the academic resources that SANSE strives to provide. Weve focused so much on education because we truly believe that education is the way to break the cycle of poverty. Ideally, students graduate, find jobs, and come back to Ban Lien to contribute to the community, perhaps as teachers or administrators. It all goes back to the idea of sustainable development: we want to make sure that our investment has a long-term positive impact. I have to mention also that in all our activities, we are aided by a local coordinator who lives in and understands the community. He helps plan trips for SANSE members to Ban Lien, and he is the point of connection between us and the village. In the future, we want to help communities beyond Ban Lien. Presently, we are formulating plans for expanding our operation to two more villages in Lao Cai. Where does SANSE get its funding from? Before the pandemic, we did fundraisers, like bake sales and social nights. However, our main source of revenue is San Se tea. We work with a company producing tea in Ban Lien (the owner of the tea production facility is actually our local coordinator) to promote and sell their tea. In exchange, we receive a share of the profit and then reinvest it into Ban Lien. Over the last six years, weve raised around $17,000 through the sale of San Se tea. Otherwise, we have partnerships with companies that help us fund projects in Ban Lien. For example, our partnership with a clothing company helped us bring masks to Ban Lien during the pandemic. How has COVID affected SANSEs plans? It weakened our connection with Ban Lien. Before the pandemic, we had 35 annual trips to Ban Lien to establish a bond with the community. We also had plans to ensure that high school graduates who received our scholarship had jobs when they graduated. Due to COVID, we havent been able to keep up these trips, and weve lost frequent contact with some of these students. Seeing as SANSE is an organisation run by high school students, how do you deal with a rotating group of members? Were very aware of the fact that members will move on after they graduate, so we make sure that our projects are in the spirit of what our founders set out to do. We have a board of directors, comprised of co-founders and former heads, who oversee the work we do on a macro level. All of our big decisions, like the construction of the library and the expansion into parts of Lao Cai, go through them. We believe that our work can only be done effectively when the members are truly passionate about aiding communities. So, we recruit through applications. We look mostly at the care the student shows for our cause, regardless of age or school personally, I started working for SANSE at the end of sixth grade. After members are accepted, we have alumni return to help students transition into their new roles. The race for mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in the real estate industry has continuously increased, with foreign investors sealing many deals in recent months. Vietnam boasting buoyant real estate M&A activities CapitaLand Development revealed on July 14 that it was acquiring a prime mixed-use site in Thu Duc district of Ho Chi Minh City, with an estimated gross development value of $720 million. This 8-hectare project will provide 1,100 apartments and will go into operation in 2027. A couple of weeks previously, Thai retail giant Central Retail also announced that it would invest an additional $869 million in the Vietnamese market, including developing complex projects and commercial centres over the next five years. The group also said that in the coming time, it will maintain the M&A target to accelerate its expansion in the retail real estate sector. Olivier Langlet, general director of Central Retail Vietnam, said, We see Vietnam as one of the key strategic markets, with on-year growth reaching revenues of nearly 38.6 billion Thai baht ($1 billion) within 10 years, accounting for 22 per cent of our total revenues, Langlet said. At the beginning of this year, the office real estate market for M&As emerged with the acquisition of the Capital Place office building, a Grade A office building in the centre of Hanoi by Viva Land from CapitaLand Development for $550 million. This high-class office project consists of two 37-storey office towers, selected to house the main offices of many multinational corporations in Hanoi. Particularly in the housing segment, the market also witnessed a series of blockbuster deals. Novaland Group has acquired the Kenton Node project and changed its name to the Grand Sentosa, consisting of more than 1,640 luxury apartments in Nha Be district of Ho Chi Minh City. It took over from Tai Nguyen Construction Production Trading in February. In June, US investment fund Warburg Pincus announced capital of $250 million into Novaland, aiming to increase its land fund and develop Novalands existing projects in strategic locations, to take advantage of the gradually improving infrastructure in the South. Warburg Pincus investment in Novaland was in the top five largest transactions in the Asian real estate industry in June, according to GlobalData. The upper hand The hottest segment in the market continues to be industrial real estate, accounting for 35 per cent of the total value of transactions with a series of outstanding deals, according to statistics from Cushman & Wakefield Vietnam. With the brand name of Core5 Vietnam, Vietnam Investment Q Ltd., which is under Indochina Kajima Development, a joint venture between Indochina Capital and Kajima Corporation of Japan, plans to roll out factories and warehouses for lease in current and up-and-coming manufacturing and logistics hubs throughout Vietnam. The developers current portfolio covers 90ha of land, including seven projects in the north of Vietnam and one project in the south. At construction completion, these assets will comprise a total net leasable area of approximately 700,000 square metres and will amount to a total investment cost of nearly $450 million. Core5 Vietnams first project in Vietnam, located in a prime location within Deep C Haiphong 2, will offer nearly 96,000sq.m of net leasable area to the market. Construction of this project will commence imminently and handover of the first factories is set for early 2023. Elsewhere, major logistics and renewable energy group GLP established GLP Vietnam Development Partners I at the start of the year, with a total investment of over $1.1 billion across six logistics central projects covering an area of up to 900,000sq.m. Not long after that, CapitaLand Development announced cooperation with Bac Giang Peoples Committee. The two sides will promote the development of an urban-industrial-logistics scheme with a total area of more than 400ha across the province and a commitment of $1 billion. In addition to traditional real estate types, in June, funding in data centre real estate was also announced by Hong Kong-based private investment fund Gaw Capital Partners, with a level-3 data centre over an area of 6,000sq.m in Ho Chi Minh City High-tech Park. Attractive marketplace Many experts see this as the right time for foreign businesses to accelerate in the race to find negotiating opportunities with the domestic sector in the context that the Vietnamese real estate market is burdened with a lot of pressure on development capital flows. Oh Dong Kun, general director of Tokyu Corporation in Vietnam, sees the country as one of Asias leading vibrant real estate markets, with much changed and expanded over the past 10 years. This market is like a growing child; the process of growing up will face many obstacles, but the important thing is whether businesses have enough patience and the potential to change and wait for its development. Vietnams growth is the basis for international corporations to continue to expand in Vietnam, expressed Kun. That is why after developing a series of residential projects in Binh Duong New City in cooperation with Becamex IDC, Tokyu recently announced the establishment of a joint venture with Danh Khoi Group to implement the Meraki resort apartment project in Ba Ria-Vung Tau. In this development, Tokyu contributes 49 per cent of the investment capital, and the remaining 51 per cent belongs to Danh Khoi. Kun believed that international corporations will continue to expand their portfolio in Vietnam. However, apart from residential, Tokyu Corporation aims to drive its investment into the office segment, possibly starting in attractive markets such as Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi and then to the central provinces. Anti-abortion speakers took the floor at Tuesdays Waco City Council meeting in response to another group asking the city to deprioritize enforcement of abortion laws. But the council has not taken any action on the issue, and Mayor Dillon Meek said he does not think the city has a clear role to play. During a meeting last month, speakers from Pro Choice Waco asked the council to consider passing a resolution similar to the Guarding the Right to Abortion Care for Everyone Act, or Grace Act, passed by Denton and Austin. The act would instruct local law enforcement to prioritize other crimes above investigating people seeking abortion or medical professionals who terminate pregnancies. Council Member Kelly Palmer requested during the meeting last month that the council discuss the possibility during a future meeting. But the item was not on the agenda when a large crowd of anti-abortion speakers gathered to voice opposition to the Grace Act on Tuesday during the hearing of visitors portion of the city council meeting. During an interview Thursday, Waco Mayor Dillon Meek said the exact scope of the citys power and functions is always up for debate, but he does not think the city council should weigh in on how abortion laws are enforced. He said he is always open to hearing from residents during council meetings on issues the council is considering. I dont know if people will continue to use that forum or not, but I hope they do if its in that realm of the business of the city and things that we can actually have an impact on, Meek said. Meek said he looks for issues that have broad consensus among council members, data supporting the need to act, and the opportunity for substantial action the council can take to address the issues. He used the citys attempts to create racially equitable economic policies and its COVID-19 response as examples of issues that are not traditionally the citys responsibility, but that city officials can still impact. The federal government has a role, the state has their own, city government has a role and theres overlap in different issues, certainly, Meek said. But ultimately, sometimes theres only so much the city government can do for specific issues. Before the councils 6 p.m. business session started Tuesday, Meek explained to the crowd that there was nothing related to the Grace Act or abortion on the nights agenda. Under the state Open Meetings Act, the council cannot legally discuss anything that was not included in the agenda or even respond to anyone speaking at the dais, he said. A resolution is not scheduled to be on a future agenda at the time, and I dont know if it will be on a future agenda, and that can always change, Meek said. If it does, the entire community will have notice because it will be posted on a public agenda in advance of any discussion, vote or action. He said kindness and civil discourse are part of Wacos culture and said he wanted the hearing to stay focused on the complex issue at hand, not personal attacks of city officials, staff or anyone else. Once the hearing started, the tone remained civil and kind, Meek said. He said the stack of cards, one for each person speaking, was the largest he had ever seen during a council meeting. The meeting lasted just under four hours, with about two hours of comments from visitors. The clear majority of the almost 50 people who spoke on the issue gave an anti-abortion message, though several gave a pro-abortion-rights message. Many more attended the meeting, and several also signed up to speak but did not. We as a city and region must not turn a blind eye to those who would commit infant sacrifice on the altar of convenience or hopelessness or fear, said Carol Scott, executive pastor of Christ the King Church. Erin Shank, an attorney and Texas House of Representatives candidate for District 56, said she has been studying Roe v. Wade since she was a law student in the 1980s. She said imprisoning people for seeking abortions or doctors for providing them is barbaric and not American. (Attorney General Ken) Paxtons latest request is a full-throated request that prosecutors prosecute doctors, nurses and medical staff with punishments of life in prison or a $100,000 fine and loss of medical license, Shank said. She said the states law strictly limiting abortions has a chilling effect on medical professionals trying to treat difficult pregnancies or other complications, and that she is grateful her doctor did not have to think about any of those legal consequences when she was going through her own difficult pregnancy years ago. Also during the meeting, District 56 State Rep. Charles Doc Anderson said he is pro-life, called abortion dismemberment and said people should respect the legislative process and state laws. Josh Tetens, local Republican candidate for district attorney, asked the city council to never consider the Grace Act. Here in our community we believe in the rule of law and the rule of law and order, and these laws protect the preborn, Tetens said. In an interview Thursday, Tetens Democratic opponent, Aubrey Robertson, said his biggest priority as DA would be lowing violent crime rates. We will look at the facts of every case, but I cant imagine designating a dollar amount to hunting down doctors and potential rape victims, Robertson said. By 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, the council voted to extend the meeting to 9:30 p.m. As that time approached and Meek called for another vote to extend, Council Member Josh Borderud joked that the night is still young and motioned to continue to 11 p.m., which drew approving cheers from the crowd. The council voted to continue until 10:30 p.m. instead. Assistant City Manager Ryan Holt said Tuesday was not the first time state and federal issues have brought larger groups of people to a Waco City Council meeting. I think most cities across the country, of any size, are prepared for those, Holt said. He said the biggest safety concern was making sure the crowd did not exceed the Bosque Theaters maximum occupancy under the fire code. City workers solved that by directing the crowds to two overflow rooms outfitted with TVs showing the meeting room, which are always on standby on meeting nights. DETROIT (AP) A Florida man who was killed in a traffic crash last month could be the 20th death in the U.S. caused by exploding Takata air bag inflators. Authorities say the driver of a 2006 Ford Ranger pickup truck was killed in a crash last month near Pensacola, Florida. The driver's air bag inflator apparently exploded, spewing shrapnel that hit the unidentified driver, a 23-year-old man. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Thursday it is working to confirm details of the crash before deciding if more action is needed. Takata used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash. But the chemical can become more volatile over time when exposed to moisture in the air and repeated high temperatures. The explosion can blow apart a metal canister and hurl shrapnel into the passenger compartment. Potential for the dangerous malfunction led to the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 67 million inflators recalled. The U.S. government says that millions have not been repaired. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide. If the air bag is confirmed as the cause, the death would be at least the 29th worldwide caused by the inflators. Most of the deaths have been in the U.S., but they also have occurred in Australia and Malaysia. According to a Florida Highway Patrol report, the crash happened just before 6 p.m. on July 7 when a white sedan failed to yield and pulled out in front of the gray pickup truck. The driver of the Ford pickup truck died as a result of his injuries, the report said. A person who said they were a Florida Highway Patrol trooper later filed a complaint with NHTSA, saying that the driver suffered fatal injuries due to the driver's side air bag deployment. The complaint posted in the agency's database said the driver was pronounced dead at the scene after a minor traffic crash. In January of 2016, Ford recalled about 391,000 Rangers in the U.S. and Canada from the 2004 to 2006 model years to replace the drivers inflators. Before the Florida crash, two drivers had been killed. The Ranger in the Florida crash had been recalled and notices were sent out, according to Ford spokesman Said Deep, but repairs were not done. The company said it sent a representative to the owner's home in an effort to schedule recall repairs. Ford is urging all Ranger owners to get recall repairs done due to the safety risk, Deep said. The last death caused by a Takata air bag occurred in a Honda in Lancaster County, South Carolina in January of 2021. NHTSA said vehicle owners should go to the agency's website and key in their 17-digit vehicle identification number to see if there are any open recalls. The agency says people should get the free recall repairs done as soon as possible. The recalls drove Japans Takata into bankruptcy and criminal charges were brought against the company. Eventually it was purchased by a Chinese-owned auto parts supplier. AP Writer Freida Frisaro contributed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This story has been corrected to say that the Florida death apparently is the 20th in the U.S. and at least the 29th worldwide due to exploding Takata air bag inflators, not the 19th in the U.S. and 28th worldwide. Even as Europe has been dealing with its hottest summer on record, it has been fearfully aware that it may face its worst winter since the one at the end of World War II, from 1944 to 1945. Electricity shortages and unpayable fuel prices for many households are in store for Europe. Industrial production in Germany, Europes economic driver, is threatened, and governments from London to Athens are struggling with how they will help with energy bills right now, let alone in the dead of winter. Electricity production on the European grid was already strained due to the change from coal and gas generation to renewables. Germany worsened a tight supply by shutting down its nuclear plants, and the new reliance on wind power was severely questioned by a wind drought last fall, especially in the North Sea. When Russia invaded Ukraine in March, things went from tightness of supply to impending disaster. Russia, through a complex network of pipelines, is the principal supplier of natural gas to Europe and all petroleum products to Germany. Now it has curtailed normal flows. Europe is heavily dependent on gas for heating and for making electricity. As things stand, all of Europe is hurting, especially Germany. The country may suffer as dreadful a winter as it did at the end of World War II when there was no coal, the essential fuel at the time. The unknowns revolve around Russias war in Ukraine. These are possible scenarios: Russia wins outright; Europe continues sanctions and is punished with gas interruptions. Result: Europe freezes this winter. There is a political settlement, the rebuilding of Ukraine begins and the gas flows again. Ukraine repulses Russia on the ground; Russia changes regime and abandons the fight. The conflict worsens, and NATO is drawn in. Europe rations fuel, including kerosene. It is a wartime footing for all of Europe. Germany decides it has had enough and makes a deal with Russia. Ukraine is figuratively thrown under the bus. While the United States and other gas-producing nations will export all they can to Europe in the form of liquefied natural gas, those sources are already heavily committed. The United States, for example, has just seven LNG export terminals. These take years to license and build; the same goes for the receiving terminals and LNG tankers. Additionally, most European receiving terminals are in the west, and the severest shortages are in the east. It is too late to change one certainty about the coming winter: high food prices everywhere, including in the United States, and starvation in developing countries. Ukraine is exporting grain haltingly, but those shipments are too small and too late. Afghanistan and Somalia are already in a food crisis, starting what is set to be a world run on grain provided in humanitarian relief. The terrible European winter of 1944 to 1945 is known as the Hunger Winter. Prepare to hear that term resurrected. The world must brace for the coming winter in the Northern Hemisphere with political uncertainty and weak, inward-looking leaders in many countries. In the United States, the midterm elections are set to produce division. In France, President Emmanuel Macron has lost control of the National Assembly. Britain is seeking a new Tory prime minister to replace Boris Johnson. Italy is facing an election that some forecasts say will go to the isolationist fascists. The democracies are riven with culture wars and other indulgences as Europes crisis is in the making. For much of the rest of the world, a new Hunger Winter looms. Many will be cold this winter, others will be hungry. Untold numbers will die. This week, he has a high-visibility time slot on the opening day of CPAC Texas, the once annual conservative conference thats become such a successful grift for Republicans, its now held multiple times a year. While hell be warmly welcomed in the Trinity Ballroom of the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, the list of his anti-democratic intrusions is long, and alarming: Attempts at obstructing free and fair elections. Undermining democratic institutions, including the media. Expanding executive powers. A far-right politicization of the highest courts. Exerting political influence over education. Bans on speech pertaining to gender and sexuality. Marginalizing minority groups. Promoting ethnonationalism and white pride. Corruption and graft at the highest levels of government. Use of propaganda to mislead the public. Embracing world dictators and autocratic regimes. It may sound all too familiar, and this list could easily describe former President Donald Trumps remaking of the American right. But it also describes Prime Minister Viktor Orbans remaking of Hungarys political system over many years and four terms as the countrys populist head of state. So its probably no coincidence that Orban was invited to speak at CPAC this year. Pro-Trump Republicans and right-wing nationalists have embraced Orban and his hold over Hungary what Zack Beauchamp calls his soft fascism. Or, in H. David Baers assessment, the ways in which Orban controls the pursuit of happiness. The things that have made him a fixture in right-wing circles here at home, a rising star in the MAGA universe, are the same things that prompted Freedom House, the oldest American organization devoted to the defense of democracy around the world, to downgrade Hungary to a partial democracy in 2020 a transitional or hybrid regime existing somewhere in the gray zone between democracies and autocracies. The nation maintains that ominous distinction today. Birds of a feather Nonetheless, Trump has praised Orban repeatedly. In a statement backing his reelection, he wrote glowingly, He has done a powerful and wonderful job in protecting Hungary, stopping illegal immigration, creating jobs, trade, and should be allowed to continue to do so in the upcoming Election. He is a strong leader and respected by all. Orban also endorsed Trump, saying, What the president represents is good for Central Europe, which is why we are rooting at least me personally for him to win the election. Sounding very much like Orban and Trump, Tucker Carlson has lauded the leader for not allowing this nation of 10 million people to be changed forever by people we didnt invite in and who are coming here illegally. He says Orbans government offers a lot of lessons for the rest of us. Presumably, he means positive ones. Orban has returned the favor, telling a CPAC Hungary (yes, that happened) crowd that the key to power for the American right was to have their own media or, in other words, propaganda outlets. He then proceeded to call Fox just that, saying: Only friend Tucker Carlson places himself on the line without wavering, and programs like his should be broadcasted day and night. Steve Bannon, freshly convicted on contempt of Congress charges and also appearing at CPAC, once called Orban the most significant guy on the scene right now, and Trump before Trump. Bannon has tried to do for Orban in Hungary what he did for Trump in America, saying, All Im trying to be is the infrastructure, globally, for the global populist movement. And, despite his detestable recent comments, where Orban said of Hungary, We do not want to become peoples of mixed-race or join in Western Europes mixed-race world, CPAC will all too happily host him. Given a platform Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, has justified his appearance by sheepishly hiding behind non-existent threats of cancel culture, saying, When we silence people we skip the chance to learn why [we] agree or disagree [with] their POV. The funny thing is, the new far-right never does go ahead and disagree with people like Orban, because they dont. Its obvious to a fifth grader that the point of these invitations is to elevate Orban and other terribles, not warn voters off their bad ideas. Orban isnt the first or only strong man CPAC is cuddling up to. In 2021, Brazils so-called Trump of the Tropics, President Jair Bolsonaro, spoke at CPAC Brasil, where Don Jr. also livestreamed in from the U.S. At the 2022 event, his son, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, spoke alongside Trump aide Jason Miller. The younger Bolsonaro is also speaking at the Texas CPAC this week. Whats next? A CPAC Russia? A Vladimir Putin address at the next CPAC Texas? With the rights growing embrace of dictators and autocracies, I guess we shouldnt be surprised. DES MOINES 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. Thats 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 were able to access the right people and the right resources when we need them for farmers, he said. WATERLOO Bond has been set at $100,000 for the latest person to be arrested in an investigation into drug proceeds that were wired to a drug trafficking organization in Mexico. Waterloo police arrested Jordan Elizabeth Aswegan, 23, of 714 Newell St., on Thursday on four counts of money laundering. Authorities allege Aswegan obtained drugs from people involved in the Manjarrez drug trafficking organization and used Western Union to wire money to a person in the organization in Culiacan, Mexico, in January, June and August 2021. The amounts sent ranged from $950 to $970. Authorities allege the organization is involved in trafficking heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl. At least five other people have been charged in the investigation in recent weeks Samuel Roland Monroe, Rylee Diane Wenman, Megan Heying, Richard Mohorne and Mark Sayles. Aswegan is also currently awaiting trial on theft and ongoing criminal conduct charges in an investigation into the theft and sale of catalytic converters. A Bettendorf medical office and a doctor accused of submitting false Medicare claims have agreed to pay $1.66 million to resolve the allegations. Eastern Iowa Dermatology, PLC, and Dr. Manish Kumar allegedly submitted false claims for office visits and the removal of skin tags and lesions, according to a news release issued Thursday by the United States Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Iowa. Kumar and the dermatology office also agreed to an integrity agreement and to submit to monitoring by officials of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to the news release. The federal prosecutors and the Inspector Generals Office of the federal health and human services department cooperated to develop and accomplish the agreement, the release states. The release states that the resolved claims were allegations only and liability had not been determined as of Thursday. A copy of the settlement provided with the news release is available on the newspapers website. WATERLOO One person has been arrested in connection with a shootout outside a Waterloo nightclub in May. On Thursday, officers with the Violent Crime Apprehension Team and U.S. Marshals Service Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force arrested Jaylon Jerrod Holmes, 23, of 112 Leland Ave., on charges of felon in possession of a firearm and reckless use of a firearm. Bond was set at $10,000. Holmes is currently on probation for burglary and conspiracy charges for allegedly trying to break into a drug dealers home while it was under surveillance by police in April 2018. Corrections officials have filed a probation violation because of the new charges. According to court records, police investigators obtained surveillance video of Holmes standing near the door to Club Legacy, 120 Sumner St., and firing wildly into the parking lot around 10:55 p.m. May 30. In all, police found 22 spent shell casings from different firearms. Some 9 mm casings were found in the area where Holmes was shooting. One person was shot in the leg during the shootout, but it wasnt clear if Holmes had fired the shot. Photos: Gun Violence Press Conference Police allege that the driver of the vehicle in the crash later killed a woman in nearby Nescopeck and the county coroner identified her as his 56-year-old mother. Investigators have released information on one of the weapons a Nebraska man used to kill three members of a Cedar Falls family in July at Maquoketa Caves State Park. 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. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE The governor and state attorney general are seeking dismissal of an anti-abortion lawsuit filed by Republican state Sen. David Gallegos and others, describing it as a flawed attempt to create controversy where none exists. In motions to dismiss Thursday, attorneys for Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Attorney General Hector Balderas said there is no legal question or injury for the court to weigh in on. The petition filed by Gallegos and others asks a judge to declare that New Mexico has no law allowing abortion. But Lujan Grishams attorneys said its clear that abortion is legal in New Mexico, despite the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. That decision ended the constitutional right to an abortion and allowed states to decide the issue. In New Mexico, the Legislature has already repealed a 1969 statute that sought to make it a crime to end a pregnancy. Abortion rights are also protected by the Equal Protection Clause and Equal Rights Amendment outlined in the state Constitution, according to the governors legal team. Gallegos, a Republican from Eunice, said he hadnt seen the motions to dismiss. But its a perfectly legitimate question, he said, to ask the court to issue a declaratory ruling on abortion, given that lawmakers repealed the criminal abortion statute, but did not replace it with anything. I know theyre going to try to cover their tracks, he said. I still think we as a legislature did it wrong. Besides Gallegos, the plaintiffs seeking a court ruling on abortion are Roswell oil and gas producer Larry Marker and anti-abortion activist Ethel Maharg, who ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination for governor this year. Attorneys for Lujan Grisham and Balderas said the plaintiffs failed to meet the legal requirements necessary to seek a ruling from the judge. Lujan Grishams attorneys also slammed their argument on the merits. They said it would flip the legal system on its head if a court determined that anything not specifically mentioned in law is prohibited. For example, the governors legal team said, there is no law specifically allowing for vasectomies, penile augmentations or circumcisions do plaintiffs really believe those procedures are illegal, too? The case is pending in the 5th Judicial District Court in southeastern New Mexico. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Albuquerque police believe a man arrested in a recent attempted robbery was involved in a road rage shooting in March that left a 13-year-old girl dead and an 11-year-old and her mother injured. Concepcion Guilez, 19, is charged with armed robbery, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault and conspiracy in an incident that happened Monday in Northeast Albuquerque. He has been booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center, and it is unclear if he has an attorney. Guilez has not been charged in the March 28 shooting that left Alexus Miller dead and her friend and the friends mother injured, but authorities say they have linked his truck to the triple shooting. More recently, Guilezs truck was caught on video of an attempted robbery of a man at 10 a.m. Monday in Northeast Albuquerque. Guilez told police his passenger had the idea to rob the man and fired a rifle, and Guilez only used his truck door to knock the man over. Albuquerque Police Deputy Cmdr. Kyle Hartsock called the incident a brazen daylight attack. He said police are exploring all options that there was another person who fired the gun or that Guilez was the shooter. We clearly believe he was involved. We think hes very dangerous, Hartsock said. Court records show Guilez was charged in a drive-by shooting in January 2021 where nobody was injured. The case was dismissed due to prosecutors not having been ready to proceed. The essential witness in this case was uncooperative, Lauren Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the 2nd Judicial District Attorneys Office, said of the dismissal. Then in November 2021, Guilez was accused of firing a gun in the air during a fight, according to court records. He was ordered on March 9 into the pre-adjudication diversion program for three months, required to obey all laws and not possess any guns. It was during that three-month span that a road-rage incident in Southeast Albuquerque left Alexus Miller dead and two others injured. On March 28, police responded around 2 a.m. to gunfire at Avenida Cesar Chavez and Interstate 25, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. Officers found a bullet-riddled car crashed into a pole. Police said the driver had been shot in the chest, her daughter had a bullet graze her forehead and Alexus was shot in the back of the head. The 13-year-old eventually suffered blood clots due to the gunshot wound and died on April 29. At the time of the crash, the driver told police a white truck ran a red light nearly hitting her car and she honked before someone fired at them, according to the complaint. The 11-year-old told police the driver stopped and a passenger leaned out of the truck window to fire a gun at them. Police used surveillance video to identify the truck as a Ram 1500 with distinct damage to the front grill. Then, on Aug. 1, a man called 911 to report someone shot at him in a neighborhood southeast of Constitution and Louisiana. The man told police he was on a walk with a gun in his waistband when he was hit by the door of a truck. He said the driver got out of the truck with a rifle and chased him, firing one shot before picking up the bullet casing and fleeing, according to the complaint. The incident was caught on a neighbors video camera, and the man shared it on social media. Police said the truck in the video matched the one in the road rage incident, and a tip came in that the driver was Guilez. Officers located a July 14 report where Guilez allegedly threw his girlfriend over their apartment balcony in Southeast Albuquerque. Police went to the apartment and arrested Guilez, who agreed to speak with them. Guilez told police he was driving with an unknown friend when they saw a man walking with a gun on his hip, according to the complaint. He said his friend wanted to rob the man so Guilez hit the man with the door of the truck, knocking him over. Police said Guilez told them his friend then got out and chased the man, firing a rifle into the air. The families of eight Metro-area women missing for 16 years or more may not have much hope theyll be found alive, but at least they have the comfort two committed investigators are still trying to solve the disappearances. Retired Albuquerque Police Department Investigator Ida Lopez and retired APD homicide Sgt. Elizabeth Thomson want the womens families to know they havent been forgotten. The two women continue to investigate the disappearances for APD on a contract basis. The investigators dont know for certain, but they believe the missing women many of whom struggled with drug addiction and trauma and worked as prostitutes may have met a similar fate as 11 women buried on the West Mesa. These women, who lived a similar lifestyle to the missing, are believed to have been victims of a serial killer. Lopez compiled the list of eight women, who went missing in 2003-2006 and who she believes could have been killed by the same suspect. Theyre our drive to keep going, Lopez says. Meanwhile, the latest chapter of one of the most gruesome child abuse cases in Albuquerque history ended this week on a hollow note. Jurors found Fabian Gonzales, 37, guilty of child abuse, recklessly caused, resulting in the death of a child under 12, seven counts of tampering with evidence and a single count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence in connection with the death of 10-year-old Victoria Martens. The child was killed in her apartment on her 10th birthday in 2016, her body dismembered and burned. Gonzales cousin, Jessica Kelley, and girlfriend, Michelle Martens (Victorias mother) are already doing time in connection to the slaying. But no one has been charged with killing young Victoria. In her case, as with the eight women missing for more than a decade, until investigators charge someone with murder, justice remains on hold. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. Navajo Nation officials declared a state of emergency Thursday due to increased flooding from recent monsoon rains. The declaration by the tribes Commission on Emergency Management will allow local chapters to access additional resources to help mitigate the impacts of heavy rainfall. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said the tribes emergency response personnel have been out in the communities every day helping people recover from recent flooding. Yes there are many challenges and not enough personnel to get to every site immediately, but they are making progress, Nez said. The Navajo Division of Transportation also continues to work on repairs to roads that were damaged. We recommend all Navajo households, communities and organizations be prepared as we continue to see scattered thunderstorms throughout the Navajo Nation this week, Nez added. As we move forward into the fall and winter seasons, we need everyone to be proactive and plan ahead for more severe weather. Nez said tribal health workers have been going to various communities providing support and assistance for elderly residents and those with health conditions. A flood watch remains in effect throughout this week on the tribes vast reservation that covers parts of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico and southeastern Utah. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Two young New Mexico composers will make Albuquerque proud when they perform at the Golden Key Music Festival of Vienna. Octavia Rossi Pressley and Natalia Sofia Lopez Hinojosa will perform their original music, as well as a Mozart piece, at Mozarthaus in Vienna on Saturday. The pair also performed at Ehrbar Hall in Vienna on Wednesday. The Golden Key Piano Composition Competition of Vienna announced the winners of its 2022 World Composers competition, which included a group of New Mexicans from Garland Piano Studio in Albuquerque. I am so proud of all the emerging composers for their creative dedication to new music and so excited for those who are going to Vienna to embrace their place in the musical world, said Elizabeth Garland, composer, teacher and owner of Garland Piano Studio, in a news release. Garlands solo piano and ensemble has been featured in films and documentaries, and she has performed her works in America and internationally. Many people learn to play music. Very few learn to compose, Garland said. The skills required to compose and notate music both enhance the knowledge and skill of the player and allow for a much wider range of creativity to be called upon than simply playing standard repertoire, as the recognition of the art of composition is crucial to the establishment and preservation of a societys culture. This competition had 126 participants competing from 22 countries, with five winners from New Mexico including: Garland, first in professional national category for Precipice. Isaac Amor Garcia, 19, second in senior national category for Esperanza, dos bailes espanoles. Rossi Pressley, 10, second in the elementary national category for The Robot and the Wolf, and will play in Vienna. Lopez Hinojosa, 13, Dublin, third place in junior national category, and will perform in Vienna. Symmes Lin Cannon, 16, fourth in senior national category for Cirque Solitaire. Octavias mother, Giovanna Rossi, helped her daughter make the trip across the pond to perform. Oh, it was an amazing feeling, we are so proud of her for working so hard, and whether or not she placed anywhere, we were just pleased for her to be involved, Rossi said. But when she won a prize, we were really proud of her and really encouraged that young people are composing their own music. For Octavia, musical talent runs in her family. Her dad plays all kinds of different instruments and her aunt is a trained musician, while her grandma is a former music teacher, Rossi said. So she definitely has it in her family. In August, the Golden Key Music Festival of Vienna celebrated its 15th edition with a series of special events. This is actually my first one and I wrote a story about a robot and a wolf, Octavia said. I liked writing the piece and learning how to compose. The festival combines a unique artistic, performing and educational experience for professional musicians and students. The Good News File is a series of uplifting stories in partnership with KOAT-TV and KKOB Radio. The Journal will publish a Good News feature the first Friday of the month, KOAT-TV will present its feature each second Friday and KKOB each third Friday. ISTANBUL Three more ships carrying thousands of tons of corn left Ukrainian ports Friday and traveled mined waters toward inspection of their delayed cargo, a sign that an international deal to export grain held up since Russia invaded Ukraine was slowly progressing. But major hurdles lie ahead to get food to the countries that need it most. The ships bound for Ireland, the United Kingdom and Turkey follow the first grain shipment to pass through the Black Sea since the start of the war. The passage of that vessel heading for Lebanon earlier this week was the first under the breakthrough deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations with Russia and Ukraine. The first vessels to leave are among more than a dozen bulk carriers and cargo ships loaded months ago but stuck in ports since Russia invaded in late February. While the resumed shipments have raised hopes of easing a global food crisis, much of the backed-up cargo is for animal feed, not for people to eat, experts say. The Black Sea region is dubbed the worlds breadbasket, with Ukraine and Russia key global suppliers of wheat, corn, barley and sunflower oil that millions of impoverished people in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia rely on for survival. However, the initial shipments are not expected to have a significant impact on the global price of corn, wheat and soybeans. For starters, the exports under the deal are off to a slow, cautious start due to the threat of explosive mines floating off Ukraines Black Sea coastline. And while Ukraine is a major exporter of wheat to developing nations, there are other countries, such as the United States and Canada, with far greater production levels that can affect global wheat prices. And they face the threat of drought. Ukraine is about 10% of the international trade in wheat, but in terms of production it is not even 5%, said David Laborde, an expert on agriculture and trade at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington. The three ships departing Friday were accompanied by Ukrainian pilot ships for safe passage because of explosive mines strewn in the Black Sea. The vessels set out with over 58,000 tons of corn, but that is still a fraction of the 20 million tons of grains that Ukraine says are trapped in the countrys silos and ports and that must be shipped out to make space for this years harvest. Around 6 million tons of the trapped grain is wheat, but just half of that is for human consumption, Laborde said. There is an expectation that Ukraine could produce 30% to 40% less grain over the next 12 months due to the war, though other estimates put that figure at 70%. Grain prices peaked after Russias invasion, and while some have since come down to their pre-war levels, they are still higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Corn prices are 70% higher than at the end of February 2020, said Jonathan Haines, senior analyst at data and analytics firm Gro Intelligence. He said wheat prices are around 60% higher than in February 2020. One reason prices remain high is the impact of drought on harvests in North America, China and other regions, as well as the higher price of fertilizer needed for farming. When fertilizer prices are high, farmers may use less fertilizer. And when they use less fertilizer, they will produce less. And if they will produce less, supply will continue to remain insufficient, Laborde said. The three ships that departed Ukraine on Friday give hope that exports will ramp up to developing nations, where many are facing the increased threat of food shortages and hunger. The movement of three additional vessels overnight is a very positive sign and will continue to build confidence that were moving in the right direction, Haines said. If the flow of grain from Ukraine continues to expand, it will help relieve global supply constraints. The Turkish-flagged Polarnet, carrying 12,000 tons of corn, left the Chornomorsk port destined for Karasu, Turkey. The Panama-flagged Navi Star left Odesas port for Ireland with 33,000 tons of corn. The Maltese-flagged Rojen left Chornomorsk for the United Kingdom carrying over 13,000 tons of corn, the U.N. said. It added that the Joint Coordination Center run by officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the U.N. overseeing the deal signed in Istanbul last month authorized the three ships and inspected a ship headed for Ukraine. The Barbados-flagged Fulmar S was inspected in Istanbul and is headed for the Chornomorsk port. 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. After Turkey helped broker the food deal two weeks ago, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Russia, on Friday. In a statement after the talks that lasted four hours, Putin and Erdogan emphasized the necessity of a complete fulfillment of the package deal reached in Istanbul including unhindered export of Russian grain and fertilizers. In other developments Friday, Ukraines presidential office said at least eight civilians were killed and 16 others wounded in the latest Russian shelling. The eastern Donetsk region has for weeks faced the most intensive Russian barrage. Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko repeated his call for all residents to evacuate. Shellings and bombings are going round the clock, and people who refuse to evacuate risk being killed on their pillows, Kyrylenko said in televised remarks. In Ukraines second-largest city of Kharkiv, three districts have come under massive shelling. Several apartment buildings and a street market were damaged, and three people were wounded. Russian shelling also targeted the city of Zaporizhzhia and several towns along the front-line in the region. For a second straight day, the Russians also shelled the city of Nikopol that faces the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant across the Dnieper River. Dozens of houses were damaged. Energoatom, which operates Ukraines nuclear power plants, said three shells landed in the evening on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia plant, which is Europes largest. No casualties or damage to the reactors was reported. This is an open and audacious crime, an act of terror, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. The Russians also hit the southern city of Mykolaiv. The regional governor, Vitaliy Kim, said Russian forces fired on the city after lunchtime, causing extensive damage, killing an unspecified number of people and injuring at least nine. He said the fire came from the direction of Kherson, the Russian-occupied city about 50 kilometers (30 miles) to the southeast. ___ Batrawy reported from Dubai. PHNOM PENH, Cambodia U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that Chinas military exercises aimed at Taiwan, including missiles fired into Japans exclusive economic zone, represent a significant escalation and that he has urged Beijing to back down. China launched the drills following a visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan that infuriated Beijing, which claims the self-governed island as its own territory. Blinken told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Cambodia, however, that Pelosis visit was peaceful and did not represent a change in American policy toward Taiwan, accusing China of using it as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait. He said the situation had led to a vigorous communication during East Asia Summit meetings in Phnom Penh in which both he and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi took part along with the ASEAN nations, Russia and others. I reiterated the points that we made publicly as well as directly to Chinese counterparts in recent days, again, about the fact that they should not use the visit as a pretext for war, escalation, for provocative actions, that there is no possible justification for what theyve done and urge them to cease these actions, he said. Blinken did not sit down one-on-one with Wang but said he had spoken with the Chinese foreign minister already about the possibility of a Pelosi visit to Taiwan before it had taken place during meetings in Bali, and had made the U.S. position clear. China on Friday announced unspecified sanctions on Pelosi for her visit. A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said she had disregarded Chinas concerns and resolute opposition to her trip. Pelosi received a euphoric welcome as the first U.S. House speaker, and highest ranking U.S. official, to visit Taiwan in more than 25 years. China opposes any engagement by Taiwanese officials with foreign governments, and has accused the U.S. of breaking the status quo with the Pelosi visit. The U.S. insists there has been no change to its one-China position of recognizing the government in Beijing, while allowing for informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. Despite the aggressive Chinese reaction to the visit, Blinken said the U.S. would also not change its commitment to the security of our allies in the region, and that the Defense Department had ordered the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier group to remain on station in the general area to monitor the situation. We will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, he said. Well continue to conduct standard air and maritime transits through the Taiwan Strait, consistent with our long-standing approach to working with allies and partners to uphold freedom of navigation and overflight. As the East Asia Summit opened, Wang patted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the shoulder as he entered the room and gave the already-seated Lavrov a quick wave before taking his own seat. Lavrov waved back in response. Blinken, who entered the room last, did not even glance at Lavrov as he took his own seat about a half dozen chairs away, or at Wang who was seated farther down the same table as Lavrov. Ahead of the Phnom Penh talks, the U.S. State Department indicated Blinken had no plans to meet one-on-one with either man during the course of the meetings. Following the meetings, Lavrov told reporters there had been a lot of fiery statements about the aftermath of the Pelosi visit. There have been rather sharp statements from our Chinese partners, who we support, he told reporters. And there have been responses from the U.S. and Japan that its not Chinas business and that the declared policy of supporting the one-China principle doesnt mean one has to ask Beijing for permission to visit Taiwan. Surely, its a weird logic. The talks came a day after WNBA star Brittney Griner was convicted of drug possession and sentenced to nine years in prison by Russia in a politically charged case amid antagonisms over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Blinken said the conviction and sentence compounds the injustice that has been done to her. It puts a spotlight on our very significant concern with Russias legal system and the Russian governments use of wrongful detentions to advance its own agenda using individuals as political pawns, he said. Blinken has suggested the possibility of a prisoner swap for Griner and another American jailed in Russia, Paul Whelan, but Lavrov told reporters that such a deal could only be decided upon by Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden. Were ready to discuss this topic, but to discuss it within the channel that was agreed on by presidents Putin and Biden, Lavrov said on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting. On Thursday, China canceled a foreign ministers meeting with Japan to protest a statement from the Group of Seven industrialized nations that said there was no justification for Beijings military exercises, which virtually encircle Taiwan. Japan, together with other member of the G-7 and the EU, made an irresponsible statement accusing China and confounding right and wrong, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in Beijing. When Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa began to speak Friday at the East Asia Summit, both Lavrov and Wang walked out of the room, according to a diplomat in the room who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the private session. In the wake of the Chinese missile launches into Japans economic zone, Blinken said the U.S. stands in strong solidarity with Japan following the dangerous actions China has taken. ___ Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report. AUSTIN, Texas Far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones bulled through the first of several trials against him that could decimate his personal fortune and media empire in his usual way: loud, aggressive and talking about conspiracies both in and out the courtroom. It was business as usual for the gravelly voiced, barrel-chested Jones. But by courtroom standards, his erratic and, at times, disrespectful behavior was unusual and potentially complicated for the legal process. Jones and his media company, Free Speech Systems, were ordered Friday to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages on top of $4.11 million in compensatory damages to the parents of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, who was killed with 19 other first graders and six educators in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. And significantly more could be on the way. The total damages of nearly $50 million was significantly less than the $150 million in damages Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis were seeking. Jones faces two more Sandy Hook trials to determine damages later this year: One for parents of a 6-year-old boy in an Austin court, and another for eight families in Connecticut. Heslin and Lewis have testified that Jones constant push of false claims that the shooting was a hoax or staged made the last decade a living hell of death threats, online abuse and unrelenting trauma inflicted by Jones and his followers. After years of false hoax claims, Jones admitted under oath that the shooting was 100% real and even shook hands with the parents. But the bombastic version of Jones was always lurking under the surface or even on full display away from the courthouse. During a break on the first day, he held an impromptu news conference just a few feet from the courtroom doors, declaring the proceedings a kangaroo court and show trial railroading his fight for free speech under the First Amendment. On the first day, he arrived at the courthouse with Save the 1st written on silver tape over his mouth. When he came to the courthouse, it was always with a security detail of three or four guards. Jones, who wasnt in court for the verdict, often skipped testimony to appear on his daily Infowars program, where the attacks on the judge and jury continued. During one show, Jones said the jury was pulled from a group of people who dont know what planet they live on. That clip was shown to the jury. So was a snapshot from his Infowars website showing Judge Maya Guerra Gamble engulfed in flames. She laughed at that. Jones was only slightly less combative in court. He was the only witness to testify in his defense. Gamble warned Jones lawyers before it even started that if he tried to turn it into a performance, she would clear the courtroom and shut down the livestream broadcasting the trial to the world. When Jones arrived for Lewis testimony, Gamble asked if he was chewing gum, a violation of a strict rule in her courtroom. Shed scolded his attorney Andino Reynal several times already. That led to a testy exchange. Jones said he wasnt chewing gum. Gamble said she could see his mouth moving. Jones opened wide and leaned over the defense table to show her a gap in his mouth where hed had a tooth extracted. Jones insisted he was only massaging the hole with his tongue. Dont show me, the judge said. Some legal experts said they were surprised by Jones behavior and questioned whether it was a calculated risk to boost his appeal to fans. Its the most bizarre behavior I have ever seen at a trial, said Barry Covert, a Buffalo, New York, First Amendment lawyer. In my opinion, Jones is a money-making juggernaut crazy like a fox, Covert said. The bigger the spectacle, the better. Kevin Goldberg, a First Amendment specialist at the Maryland-based Freedom Forum, said he found it hard to imagine what Jones might be thinking and what benefit he could derive from his behavior. I dont know what it is designed to accomplish other than being on brand for Alex Jones, said Goldberg. This seem to be a man who has built his brand on disrespecting the institutions of government and this court. Defendants at trial are often given some leeway because they have so much at stake prison in criminal cases and, in Jones civil trial, potential financial ruin. Monetary sanctions or even post-trial contempt charges are also a possibility. Gamble had to be careful how she handled it all, Covert said. Jones bizarre behavior is putting the judge in a very difficult box, said Covert. She doesnt want to appear to put her finger on the scales of justice. Jones skipped Heslins testimony when he described for the jury holding his dead son in his arms with a bullet hole through his head. Heslin said he wanted to confront Jones face-to-face and called his absence that day cowardly. Jones was instead appearing on his daily broadcast. Jones was in the room when Lewis took the stand, sitting barely 10 feet (3 meters) away as she looked directly at him. My son existed. I am not deep state, she said of the conspiracy theory of a shadowy network of federal workers running the government. I know you know that, Lewis said. When Lewis asked Jones if he thought she was an actor, Jones answered, No, but was cut off by Gamble, who scolded him for speaking out of turn. At the end of that day, Jones and the parents shook hands. Lewis even handed Jones a sip of water to help calm a persistent cough Jones said was caused by a torn larynx. Her attorney Wesley Ball quickly stepped in to break it up. No, Ball snapped at Jones, You are NOT doing this. Jones was the only witness in his defense. His testimony pushed the rules of the court so often that the plaintiffs openly questioned whether Jones and his attorneys were trying to sabotage the proceedings and force a mistrial. They filed a motion for sanctions against them after Jones claimed he was bankrupt, which attorneys dispute and was off limits in testimony. At one point, Jones appeared flabbergasted when the familys attorneys announced that Jones legal team had mistakenly sent them two years worth of data from his cellphone a massive data dump they said should have been produced in discovery but wasnt. They said it proved hed been receiving texts and emails about Sandy Hook and his media companys finances that he hadnt turned over under court orders. This is your Perry Mason moment, Jones snapped. Plaintiffs attorney Mark Bankston said Thursday that the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol had requested those materials and that he intended to give it to them. The Jan. 6 committee first subpoenaed Jones in November, demanding a deposition and documents related to his efforts to spread misinformation about the 2020 election and a rally on the day of the attack. During the trial, Jones often spoke out of turn, and was cut off when he veered into conspiracies, ranging from the Sept. 11 terror attacks being staged to a fake effort of the United Nations on world depopulation. He continued to call into question some of the biggest events and significant government institutions in American life. This, the judge told him, is not your show. ___ Tarm reported from Chicago. ___ Find APs full coverage of the Alex Jones trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-jones TOKYO China will not be able to isolate Taiwan by preventing U.S. officials from traveling there, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday in Tokyo as she wrapped up an Asia tour highlighted by a visit to Taipei that infuriated Beijing. Beijing has tried to isolate Taiwan, including by preventing the self-governing island from joining the World Health Organization, Pelosi said. They may try to keep Taiwan from visiting or participating in other places, but they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there, she said, defending her trip that has escalated tensions in the region. Pelosi said her visit to Taiwan was not intended to change the status quo for the island but to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait, which separates Taiwan and mainland China. She praised Taiwans hard-fought democracy and success in technology and business, while criticizing Chinese violations of trade agreements, weapons proliferation and human rights problems, including its treatment of its Muslim Uyghur minority. If we do not speak out for human rights in China because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak out about human rights any place in the world, Pelosi said in a news conference. China has some contradictions some progress in terms of lifting people up, some horrible things happening in terms of the Uyghurs. In fact, its been labeled a genocide. Pelosi said the two big countries the United States and China must communicate in areas such as climate and other global issues. It isnt about our visit determining what the U.S.-China relationship is. Its a much bigger and longer-term challenge and once again, we have to recognize that we have to work together on certain areas. China announced Friday that it is canceling or suspending dialogue with the United States on a range of issues from climate change to military relations and anti-drug efforts in retaliation for Pelosis visit. It also announced unspecified sanctions on Pelosi and her family. Such sanctions are generally mostly symbolic in nature. China, which claims Taiwan and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary, called Pelosis visit a provocation and on Thursday began military drills, including missile strike training, in six zones surrounding Taiwan, in what could be its biggest since the mid-1990s. Pelosi, the first House speaker to visit Taiwan in 25 years, said China launched the strikes probably using our visit as an excuse. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Chinas military exercises represent a grave problem that threatens regional peace and security after five missiles launched as part of the drills landed in Japans exclusive economic zone near a remote southwestern island. Kishida, speaking after a breakfast meeting with Pelosi and her congressional delegation, said the missile launches need to be stopped immediately. Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said he believes China intentionally fired the five missiles into the Japanese-claimed zone, which China refuses to recognize. The ministry said it believes four other missiles fired from Chinas southeastern coast of Fujian flew over Taiwan. Tetsuo Kotani, a Meikai University professor and senior fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs, tweeted that the trip gave China an excuse to ignore the mid-line in the Taiwan Strait that for decades has been an unofficial buffer zone, and the Japanese exclusive economic zone, and could add risks to U.S. warships and others passing through the strait. Japan has in recent years bolstered its defense capability and troop presence in southwestern Japan and remote islands, including Okinawa, which is about 700 kilometers (420 miles) northeast of Taiwan. Many residents say they worry their island will be quickly embroiled in any Taiwan conflict. Okinawa is home to the majority of about 50,000 American troops based in Japan under a bilateral security pact. Pelosi and five other members of Congress arrived in Tokyo late Thursday after visiting Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. In their breakfast meeting, Kishida said Pelosi and her delegation discussed shared security concerns over China, North Korea and Russia and pledged to work toward peace and stability in Taiwan. Pelosi also held talks with her Japanese counterpart, lower house Speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda, after observing a plenary session at which they were welcomed by a standing ovation. Japan and its key ally, the U.S., have been pushing for new security and economic frameworks with other democracies in the Indo-Pacific region and Europe as a counter to Chinas growing influence amid rising tensions between Beijing and Taipei. Days before Pelosis Taiwan visit, a group of senior Japanese lawmakers, including former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, visited the island and discussed regional security with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. Ishiba said Japan, while working with the United States to prevent conflict in the Indo-Pacific, wants a defense agreement with Taiwan. The Chinese military exercises launched Thursday involve its navy, air force and other departments and are to last until Sunday. They include missile strikes on targets in the seas north and south of the island in an echo of the last major Chinese military drills in 1995 and 1996 aimed at intimidating Taiwans leaders and voters. Taiwan has put its military on alert and staged civil defense drills, while the U.S. has numerous naval assets in the area. China also flew warplanes toward Taiwan and blocked imports of its citrus and fish. China sees the island as a breakaway province and considers visits to Taiwan by foreign officials as recognizing its sovereignty. The Biden administration and Pelosi have said the United States remains committed to a one China policy, which recognizes Beijing as the government of China but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. The administration discouraged but did not prevent Pelosi from visiting. Pelosi has been a long-time advocate of human rights in China. She, along with other lawmakers, visited Beijings Tiananmen Square in 1991 to support democracy two years after a bloody military crackdown on protesters at the square. As leader of the House of Representatives, Pelosis trip has heightened U.S.-China tensions more than visits by other members of Congress. The last House speaker to visit Taiwan was Newt Gingrich in 1997. China and Taiwan, which split in 1949 after a civil war, have no official relations but multibillion-dollar business ties. ___ Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and Huizhong Wu in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report. BARCELONA, Spain As a sex worker and adult film actor, Roc was relieved when he was among the first Spaniards to get a monkeypox vaccine. He knew of several cases among men who have sex with men, which is the leading demographic for the disease, and feared he could be next. I went home and thought, Phew, my God, Im saved,' the 29-year-old told The Associated Press. But it was already too late. Roc, the name he uses for work, had been infected by a client a few days before. He joined Spains steadily increasing count of monkeypox infections that has become the highest in Europe since the disease spread beyond Africa where it has been endemic for years. He began showing symptoms: pustules, fever, conjunctivitis and tiredness. Roc was hospitalized for treatment before getting well enough to be released. Spanish health authorities and community groups are struggling to check an outbreak that has already claimed the lives of two young men. They reportedly died of encephalitis, or swelling of the brain, that can be caused by some viruses. Most monkeypox cases cause only mild symptoms. Spain has had 4,942 confirmed cases in the three months since the start of the outbreak, which has been linked to two raves in Europe, where experts say the virus was likely spread through sex. The only country with more infections than Spain is the much larger United States, which has reported 7,100 cases. In all, the global monkeypox outbreak has seen more than 26,000 cases in nearly 90 countries since May. There have been 103 suspected deaths in Africa, mostly in Nigeria and Congo, where a more lethal form of monkeypox is spreading than in the West. Health experts stress that this is not technically a sexually transmitted disease, even though it has been mainly spreading via sex among gay and bisexual men, who account for 98% of cases beyond Africa. The virus can be spread to anyone who has close, physical contact with an infected person, their clothing or bedsheets. So part of the complexity of fighting monkeypox is striking a balance between not stigmatizing men who have sex with men, while also ensuring that both vaccines and pleas for greater caution reach those currently in the greatest danger. Spain has distributed 5,000 shots of the two-shot vaccine to health clinics and expects to receive 7,000 more from the European Union in the coming days, its health ministry said. The EU has bought 160,000 doses and is donating them to member states based on need. The bloc is expecting another 70,000 shots to be available next week. To ensure that those shots get administered wisely, community groups and sexual health associations targeting gay men, bisexuals and transgender women are taking the lead. In Barcelona, BCN Checkpoint, which focuses on AIDS/HIV prevention in gay and trans communities, is now contacting at-risk people to offer them one of the precious vaccines. Pep Coll, medical director of BCN Checkpoint, said the vaccine rollout is focused on people who are already at risk of contracting HIV and are on preemptive treatment, men with a high number of sexual partners and those who participate in chemsex (sex with the use of drugs), as well as people with suppressed immune responses. But there are many more people who fit those categories than doses. If we just consider the number of people (on prophylactic HIV treatment) plus the number of people with HIV, we are talking about some 15,000 people (just in Barcelona), Coll said. The lack of vaccines, which is far more severe in Africa than in Europe and the U.S., makes social public health policies key, experts say. As with the coronavirus pandemic, contact tracing to identify people who could have been infected is critical. But, while COVID-19 could spread to anyone simply through the air, the close bodily contact that serves as the leading vehicle for monkeypox makes some people hesitant to share information. We are having a steady stream of new cases, and it is possible that we will have more deaths. Why? Because contact tracing is very complicated because it can be a very sensitive issue for someone to identify their sexual partners, said Amos Garcia, epidemiologist and president of the Spanish Association of Vaccinology. Spain says that 80% of its cases are among men who have sex with men and only 1.5% are women. But Garcia insisted that will even out unless the entire public, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, grasps that having various sexual partners creates greater risk. The same thing happened with AIDS/HIV, when at one moment the group of men who had sex with men was the most affected (before spreading to other groups), and that can become the path that this takes if we are not able to send a strong message to society, Garcia said. Given the dearth of vaccines and the trouble with contact tracing, more pressure is being put on encouraging prevention. From the start, government officials ceded the leading role in the get-out-the-word campaign to community groups. Sebastian Meyer, president of the STOP SIDA association dedicated to AIDS/HIV care in Barcelonas LGBTQ community, said the logic was that his group and others like it would be trusted message-bearers with person-by-person knowledge of how to drive the health warning home. Community associations that represent gay and bisexual men have bombarded social media, websites and blogs with information on monkeypox safety. Officials in Catalonia, the region including Barcelona which has over 1,500 cases, are pushing public service announcements on dating apps Tinder and Grindr warning about the disease. But Meyer, who is on the monkeypox advisory boards for both Spains national government and for Catalonia, says there is still a lot to be done. Meyer believes fatigue from the COVID-19 pandemic has played a part. Doctors advise people with monkeypox lesions to isolate until they have fully healed, which can take up to three weeks. When people read that they must self-isolate, they close the webpage and forget what they have read, Meyer said. We are just coming out of COVID, when you couldnt do this or that, and now, here we go again People just hate it and put their heads in the sand. Meyer said that his group is currently brainstorming ways to revamp and relaunch their message. If you havent been selected for a vaccine, the answer is not to desperately hope that youll get one, he said. The answer is to be more careful. That is much better than any vaccine. ___ AP writer Raf Casert contributed from Brussels. MADISON, Wis. Republicans on Friday unanimously chose Milwaukee in swing state Wisconsin for the 2024 national convention, a win for the city on the shores of Lake Michigan after its hosting of the Democratic convention in 2020 was upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision in favor of Milwaukee over Nashville, announced at the Republican National Committees summer meeting in Chicago, was anti-climactic after Nashville essentially took itself out of the running when the city council on Tuesday rejected a draft agreement for hosting the event. That came after Democratic opposition sunk that citys chances and the RNCs site selection committee picked Milwaukee last month. Milwaukees Democratic mayor, Cavalier Johnson, joined with Reince Priebus, a former chief of staff to then-President Donald Trump, to praise the decision after it was announced in Chicago. Johnson thanked Priebus for his work in helping land the convention and said it was an example of bipartisanship that is much needed in the country. Johnson pitched Milwaukee, known for the Brewers baseball team, Bucks basketball team, brats and beer, as a city full of unexpected gems. He also made clear why he and so many other Democrats were eager to land the convention hosted by their political rivals. I want you to take all your money to Milwaukee, spend it that week, and leave it in Milwaukee, Johnson said. While Johnson urged bipartisan support, emphasizing the economic boost, some liberals bemoaned hosting Republicans in the city thats home to the largest contingent of Democrats in the state. Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, a liberal Milwaukee-based group, said having the convention in the city will make us feel unsafe and unwelcome in our own communities. We are calling for our elected officials to begin to take into account what is best not only from a financial standpoint, but the view of what is best for all of Milwaukee residents and communities, BLOC said in a statement. Other groups voicing opposition included Voces de la Frontera Action and SEIU Wisconsin State Council. Priebus, who served as Wisconsin Republican Party chair before moving on to head the RNC then serving under Trump, said choosing Milwaukee was politically significant and will give Republicans a chance to spend more time in the state. Its a battleground state, it matters, Priebus said. I know sometimes we debate it, but it matters. Wisconsin could determine who wins in 2024, while Tennessee has not backed a Democrat for president since 1996. But choosing Milwaukee is in line with recent Republican choices for the convention. For two decades, Republicans have placed their nominating convention in swing states North Carolina, Ohio and Florida. Trump narrowly won Wisconsin in 2016, but lost to President Joe Biden by a nearly identical margin in 2020. Wisconsin Republican Party Chair Paul Farrow, who was in Chicago for the RNC meeting, said having the convention in Milwaukee will energize our base even more to realize were a very important hinge in the entire country. The winner in Wisconsin has been elected president the past four elections. Milwaukee, a Democratic stronghold, was selected to host the 2020 Democratic National Committee convention, but that moved almost entirely online due to the coronavirus pandemic. Biden accepted the nomination in Delaware, not Milwaukee. The city used its preparations for that convention to argue to Republicans that it had a turnkey operation ready to host for real in 2024. 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. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Israel unleashed a wave of airstrikes Friday on Gaza, killing at least 10 people, including a senior militant, according to Palestinian officials. Israel said it targeted the Islamic Jihad militant group in response to an imminent threat following the recent arrest of another senior militant. Hours later, Palestinian militants launched a barrage of rockets as air-raid sirens wailed in Israel and the two sides drew closer to another all-out war. Islamic Jihad claimed to have fired 100 rockets. Israel and Gazas militant Hamas rulers have fought four wars and several smaller battles over the last 15 years at a staggering cost to the territorys 2 million Palestinian residents. A blast was heard in Gaza City, where smoke poured out of the seventh floor of a tall building. Video released by Israels military showed the strikes blowing up three guard towers with suspected militants in them. In a nationally televised speech, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said his country launched the attacks based on concrete threats. This government has a zero-tolerance policy for any attempted attacks of any kind from Gaza towards Israeli territory, Lapid said. Israel will not sit idly by when there are those who are trying to harm its civilians. He added that Israel isnt interested in a broader conflict in Gaza but will not shy away from one either. The violence poses an early test for Lapid, who assumed the role of caretaker prime minister ahead of elections in November, when he hopes to keep the position. He has experience in diplomacy, having served as foreign minister in the outgoing government, but his security credentials are thin. Hamas also faces a dilemma in deciding whether to join a new battle barely a year after the last war caused widespread devastation. There has been almost no reconstruction since then, and the isolated coastal territory is mired in poverty, with unemployment hovering around 50%. The Palestinian Health Ministry said a 5-year-old girl and a 23-year-old woman were among those killed in Gaza, without differentiating between civilian and militant casualties. The Israeli military said early estimates were that around 15 fighters were killed. Dozens of people were wounded. Islamic Jihad said Taiseer al-Jabari, its commander for northern Gaza, was among the dead. He had succeeded another militant killed in an airstrike in 2019. An Israeli military spokesman said the strikes were in response to an imminent threat from two militant squads armed with anti-tank missiles. The spokesman, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said al-Jabari was deliberately targeted and had been responsible for multiple attacks on Israel. Hundreds marched in a funeral procession for him and others who were killed, with many mourners waving Palestinian and Islamic Jihad flags and calling for revenge. Israeli media showed the skies above southern and central Israel lighting up with rockets and interceptors from Israels Iron Dome missile-defense system. An explosion was heard in Tel Aviv. It wasnt immediately clear how many rockets were launched, and there was no immediate word on any casualties on the Israeli side. Israel continued to strike other targets Friday, including weapon-production facilities and Islamic Jihad positions. The U.N. special envoy to the region, Tor Wennesland, said he was deeply concerned. The launching of rockets must cease immediately, and I call on all sides to avoid further escalation, he said. Following the initial Israeli strikes, a few hundred people gathered outside the morgue at Gaza Citys main Shifa hospital. Some went in to identify loved ones and emerged later in tears. May God take revenge against spies, shouted one, referring to Palestinian informants who cooperate with Israel. Defense Minister Benny Gantz approved an order to call up 25,000 reserve soldiers if needed while the military announced a special situation on the home front, with schools closed and limits placed on activities in communities within 80 kilometers (50 miles) of the border. Israel closed roads around Gaza earlier this week and sent reinforcements to the border as it braced for a revenge attack after Mondays arrest of Bassam al-Saadi, an Islamic Jihad leader, in a military raid in the occupied West Bank. A teenage member of the group was killed in a gunbattle between the Israeli troops and Palestinian militants. Hamas seized power in the coastal strip from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Its most recent war with Israel was in May 2021, and tensions soared again earlier this year following a wave of attacks inside Israel, near-daily military operations in the West Bank and tensions at a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site. Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah, speaking to Al-Mayadeen TV network from Iran, said fighters of the Palestinian resistance have to stand together to confront this aggression. He said there would be no red lines and blamed the violence on Israel. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the Israeli enemy, which started the escalation against Gaza and committed a new crime, must pay the price and bear full responsibility for it. Islamic Jihad is smaller than Hamas but largely shares its ideology. Both groups are opposed to Israels existence and have carried out scores of deadly attacks over the years, including the firing of rockets into Israel. Its unclear how much control Hamas has over Islamic Jihad, and Israel holds Hamas responsible for all attacks emanating from Gaza. Israel and Egypt have maintained a tight blockade over the territory since the Hamas takeover. Israel says the closure is needed to prevent Hamas from building up its military capabilities, while critics say the policy amounts to collective punishment. Mohammed Abu Selmia, director of the Shifa hospital, said hospitals faced shortages after Israel imposed a full closure on Gaza earlier this week. He said there were enough supplies and essential drugs to sustain hospitals for five days in normal times, but that with a new round of fighting underway, they may run out at any moment. Israel called off an expected fuel delivery for Gazas sole power plant, which was expected to shut down early Saturday if the fuel did not enter the territory. Even when the plant is running at full capacity, Gazans still endure daily power outages that last several hours. Earlier Friday, a couple of hundred Israelis protested near the Gaza Strip to demand the return of the remains of two Israeli soldiers held by Hamas. The protesters were led by the family of Hadar Goldin, who along with Oron Shaul was killed in the 2014 Gaza war. Hamas is still holding their remains, as well as two Israeli civilians who strayed into Gaza and are believed to be mentally ill, hoping to exchange them for some of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Israel says there can be no major moves toward lifting the blockade until the soldiers remains and captive civilians are released. Israel and Hamas have held numerous rounds of Egyptian-mediated talks on a possible swap. ___ Krauss reported from Ottawa, Ontario. Associated Press reporter Ariel Schalit in Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, Israel, and Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report. AUSTIN, Texas A Texas jury on Friday ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages to the parents of a child who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, adding to the $4.1 million he must pay for the suffering he put them through by claiming for years that the nations deadliest school shooting was a hoax. The total $49.3 million is less than the $150 million sought by Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose 6-year-old son Jesse Lewis was among the 20 children and six educators killed in the 2012 attack in Newtown, Connecticut. But the trial marks the first time Jones has been held financially liable for peddling lies about the massacre, claiming it was faked by the government to tighten gun laws. Afterward, Lewis said that Jones who wasnt in the courtroom to hear the verdict has been held accountable. She said when she took the stand and looked Jones in the eye, she thought of her son, who was credited with saving lives by yelling run when the killer paused in his rampage. He stood up to the bully Adam Lanza and saved nine of his classmates lives, Lewis said. I hope that I did that incredible courage justice when I was able to confront Alex Jones, who is also a bully. I hope that inspires other people to do the same. It could be a while before the plaintiffs collect anything. Jones lead attorney, Andino Reynal, told the judge he will appeal and ask the courts to drastically reduce the size of the verdict. After the hearing, Reynal said he thinks the punitive amount will be reduced to as little as $1.5 million. We think the verdict was too high. Alex Jones will be on the air today, hell be on the air tomorrow, hell be on the air next week. Hes going to keep doing his job holding the power structure accountable. Jones companies and personal wealth could also get carved up by other lawsuits and bankruptcy. Another defamation lawsuit against Jones by a Sandy Hook family is set to start pretrial hearings in the same Austin court on Sept. 14. He faces yet another defamation lawsuit in Connecticut. Plaintiffs attorney Mark Bankston said he believes he can challenge any attempt to reduce the damages. But he said even if the award is drastically cut, its just as important to take the big verdict into the bankruptcy court for the family to claim against Jones estate and company. Jones testified this week that any award over $2 million would sink us. His company Free Speech Systems, which is Infowars Austin-based parent company, filed for bankruptcy protection during the first week of the trial. Punitive damages are meant to punish defendants for particularly egregious conduct, beyond monetary compensation awarded to the individuals they hurt. A high punitive award is also seen as a chance for jurors to send a wider societal message and a way to deter others from the same abhorrent conduct in the future. Barry Covert, a Buffalo, New York, First Amendment lawyer with no connection to the Jones case, said the total damages awarded amount to a stunning loss for Jones. With $50 million in all, the jury has sent a huge, loud message that this behavior will not be tolerated, Covert said. Everyone with a show like this who knowingly tells lies juries will not tolerate it. Future jurors in other pending Sandy Hook trials could see the damages amounts in this case as a benchmark, Covert said. If other juries do, Covert said, it could very well put Jones out of business. Attorneys for the family had urged jurors to hand down a financial punishment that would force Infowars to shut down. You have the ability to stop this man from ever doing it again, Wesley Ball, an attorney for the parents, told the jury Friday. Send the message to those who desire to do the same: Speech is free. Lies, you pay for. An economist testified that Jones and the company are worth up to $270 million. Bernard Pettingill, who was hired by the plaintiffs to study Jones net worth, said records show that Jones withdrew $62 million for himself in 2021, when default judgments were issued in lawsuits against him. That number represents, in my opinion, a value of a net worth, Pettingill said. Hes got money put in a bank account somewhere. But Jones lawyers said their client had already learned his lesson. They argued for a punitive amount of less than $300,000. Youve already sent a message. A message for the first time to a talk show host, to all talk show hosts, that their standard of care has to change, Reynal said. Fridays damages drew praise from the American Federation of Teachers union, which represented the teachers at Sandy Hook. Nothing will ever fix the pain of losing a child, or of watching that tragedy denied for political reasons. But Im glad the parents of Sandy Hook have gotten some justice, union President Randi Weingarten said in a tweet. Lawyers for the Sandy Hook families suing Jones contend he has tried to hide evidence of his true wealth in various shell companies. During his testimony, Jones was confronted with a memo from one of his business managers outlining a single days gross revenue of $800,000 from selling vitamin supplements and other products through his website, which would approach nearly $300 million in a year. Jones called it a record sales day. Jones, who has portrayed the lawsuit as an attack on his First Amendment rights, conceded during the trial that the attack was 100% real and that he was wrong to have lied about it. But Heslin and Lewis told jurors that an apology wouldnt suffice and called on them to make Jones pay for the years of suffering he has put them and other Sandy Hook families through. The parents told jurors theyve endured a decade of trauma, inflicted first by the murder of their son and what followed: gunshots fired at a home, online and phone threats, and harassment on the street by strangers. They said the threats and harassment were all fueled by Jones and his conspiracy theory spread to his followers via Infowars. A forensic psychiatrist testified that 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. Throughout the trial, Jones was his typically bombastic self, talking about conspiracies on the witness stand, during impromptu news conferences and on his show. His erratic behavior is unusual by courtroom standards, and the judge scolded him, telling him at one point: This is not your show. The trial drew attention from outside Austin as well. Bankston told the court Thursday that the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has requested records from Jones phone that Jones attorneys had mistakenly turned over to the plaintiffs. Bankston later said he planned to comply with the committees request. By Friday, Bankston said, he had a subpoena sitting on my desk from the Jan. 6 committee. But he said he needed to tamp down expectations that it might reveal texts about the insurrection since it appears to have been scraped for data in mid-2020. Bankston said hes also had law enforcement interest in the phone data, but he declined to elaborate. Last month, the House committee showed graphic and violent text messages and played videos of right-wing figures, including Jones, and others vowing that Jan. 6 would be the day they would fight for Trump. The committee first subpoenaed Jones in November, demanding a deposition and documents related to his efforts to spread misinformation about the 2020 election and a rally on the day of the attack. ___ Associated Press writer Michael Tarm in Chicago and Susan Haigh in Norwich, Connecticut, contributed to this report. ___ Find APs full coverage of the Alex Jones trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-jones Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal A man is charged with driving while intoxicated after police say he drove an SUV through a parade Thursday evening and injured more than a dozen people including two Gallup police officers during the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Centennial Celebration. A court document states his breath alcohol content was three times the states presumed level of intoxication. Jeff Irving, 33, is charged with DWI, open container, driving with a revoked license, aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer, one count of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in great bodily harm and 14 counts of leaving the scene of an accident. Authorities say Irving, who is from Pinedale, New Mexico, had one prior DWI conviction on his record, and his license had been revoked. He has been booked into the McKinley County Detention Center. New Mexico State Police Lt. Mark Soriano said 15 people, including two Gallup Police officers who initially tried to stop the vehicle, were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. At this time, there is no reason to suspect this crime was motivated by hate. In addition, no shots were fired during this incident, he said. Contrary to rumors circulating on social media, there were no fatalities in this incident. Among those at the parade was Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, who said on social media that he and other tribal officials were in the path of the vehicle. In a video posted on Facebook he said he is thankful for the quick response of those around him. Im sure a lot of people are angry, a lot of emotions happening. Im angry, but we also have to pray and think about our relatives, Nez said. I appreciate everybodys concern. Im doing well, my familys doing well. Soriano said around 7:50 p.m. Gallup police were told people were drinking alcohol inside a brown Chevrolet Tahoe parked along the parade route, near South Seventh Street and West Coal Avenue. Soriano said as officers approached the SUV, Irving took off east toward the parade. The officers, who were still on foot, attempted to stop the driver but were unsuccessful. Both officers were injured, he said. The Tahoe continued eastbound toward parade participants while officers attempted to move spectators out of the Tahoes path. Soriano said the Tahoe went east on Historic Highway 66 and suddenly turned south and struck a parked vehicle. He said Irving then backed into a State Police vehicle before officers detained three people from the SUV. Soriano said the two passengers, a 23-year-old man and a 29-year-old man were taken to the Gallup Detox Center. According to a statement of probable cause filed in McKinley County Magistrate Court: Irving initially told State Police he had not been drinking. I explained to Mr. Irving that I could smell an odor of alcohol coming from his person, according to court records. Irving then told police he had drank a couple cans of beer about three hours earlier but did not say what kind of beer or how big the cans were. Irving failed multiple sobriety tests before he took a breathalyzer and blew a 0.24, or three times the states presumed level of intoxication. Tonya Jim told The Associated Press she went to the parade with several family members. She said the vehicle barreled down the parade route, turned and hit a man across from them who was sitting on a folding chair. She told the AP her 5-year-old granddaughter, KaRiah, had been with a group of dancers and was helped off the road by someone. She was not hurt. Im glad whoever was holding her hand just kept holding her hand and ran with her to get her off the road, Jim said. Im not sure who she was, but Im thankful for her. State Sen. Shannon Pinto, D-Tohatchi, called it a dreadful incident and said New Mexico must deal with its DWI problem. This should have been a time for our people, our families, and our children to gather and celebrate New Mexicos longest running and historic cultural event, she said in a statement. Once again, trauma has been transferred to another child, another family another generation exposed to the impacts of substance abuse. More than an hour after a Bernalillo County deputy threw a pepper spray canister into a home during a standoff last month, the SWAT team saw it smoldering on a mattress. They tried to grab the canister with a bomb robot, but the claw fumbled it. Then, they pulled the flaming mattress from the home. But the damage was done. The flames went on to consume the house after their target, Qiaunt Kelley, 27, surrendered, leaving 15-year-old Brett Rosenau dead inside from smoke inhalation. During a news conference on Friday, Albuquerque Police Department Chief Harold Medina said that regardless of who threw the device that likely caused the fire, it was APDs call from the start. I just want to make sure thats out there loud and clear, that this was an APD initiated response, he said. We wanted to take Kelley into custody and this is an APD issue. APD officials also noted at the news conference that Rosenau has been linked to a shooting days before his death. The family referred the Journal to a lawyer, who did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Capt. Jason Ramirez, of Albuquerque Fire Rescue fire investigations, said the fire has been ruled accidental, but he stopped short of saying whether the canister started the blaze. We were unable to eliminate that device being an ignition source, all other ignition sources in the room were eliminated at this point, he said. When pressed, Ramirez added, at this point in our investigation, there is no other possibility. Gilbert Gallegos said he didnt know if the device, a Flameless Tri-Chamber OC Grenade made by Defense Technology, has been used since the incident. Whether APD will continue to use the devices, he said, depends on what the investigation shows. Clearly this was an issue in this fire that weve never experienced before, but we are looking at that as well as maybe other options for when were dealing with a barricaded subject, what else can be done to mitigate that, Gallegos said. Investigations underway At the time of the incident Kelley was wanted on a parole violation, but he has since been charged in a recent homicide and an unrelated shooting. Detectives were following Kelley when he went to the home with Rosenau in tow. When police went to arrest Kelley, both ran onto the property, kicking off an eight-hour standoff. Under APDs command, SWAT members that included BCSO deputies used flash bangs, ferret rounds powder chemical munitions shot into the ceiling and the canisters. APD Deputy Cmdr. Kyle Hartsock said the SWAT teams incident commander makes decisions in real time with lots of consultation and experience and training. He said those decisions will be reviewed as part of an investigation by the Multi Agency Task Force. Others are going to also look at it in hindsight, which is always tricky to make decisions, Was that right? Even if it was right, do we want to change it up or retrain or redo something? If this were to happen again? Hartsock said. Were open minded to change. The Attorney Generals Office is conducting an independent investigation into the incident at the request of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, Rosenaus family and APD Chief Harold Medina. Rosenaus death was met with backlash from the community and hundreds protested in the weeks that followed, criticizing the actions of law enforcement. Hartsock said, after the fire, a gun found in the car that the pair drove to the house was tied to a July 1 shooting in an East Central neighborhood. The victim, according to police, picked Rosenau out as the shooter from a photo array. Its a non fatal shooting, but had Brett survived, he would have been charged with that shooting, Hartsock said. More than 80 calls to suspect went unanswered Hartsock gave a timeline of the incident and shared lapel footage, dispatch traffic, drone video and photos. He said around 12:40 p.m. on July 6 detectives with the Investigative Support Unit saw Kelley riding a bicycle in the area but lost sight of him. Hours later, Kelley and Rosenau drove up to the house in a vehicle that belonged to one of the residents. Hartsock said Kelley, Rosenau and others were seen coming in and out of the house over several hours and at 6:47 p.m. detectives tried to arrest Kelley. He said Kelley ran into a backyard shed, which was later discovered to have a tunnel into the home. Hartsock said Rosenau and others in the home came out but then the teen ran into the backyard and tried to jump a wall. Lapel video showed an APD officer with a rifle confronted Rosenau before the teen retreated back into the yard. He said at 9:45 p.m. a judge signed a warrant to enter the home and the SWAT team took over the incident. Hartsock said the team discussed having to rescue Rosenau, believing he was possibly held against his will. In radio traffic, one of the officers said Rosenau appeared to follow Kelley at his own free will. Another replied, but its a (juvenile) so the kids going to do what theyre told to do. Hartsock said that during the standoff crisis negotiators put a phone in the house to reach Kelley and made 83 phone calls, sent two text messages and left one voicemail, made by the homeowner. In the voicemail, the woman said, Q, this is mama bear. I need you to give yourself up. Were all sitting out here waiting for you to come out. OK, I need you just to surrender. We want you alive. OK. Dont give them any reason to do anything to you. Were waiting on you. Hartsock said that between 10:44 p.m. and 12:26 a.m. the SWAT team used multiple flash bangs and ferret rounds and threw one tri-chamber canister into the home. He said Kelley came out of the shed around 12:29 a.m., laid on the ground and then went back inside. This is the last time police will see him before hes arrested, Hartsock added. He said around 1:06 a.m. two more ferret rounds and three canisters were used. One of those canisters, he said, was thrown into the front window by a BCSO SWAT member and landed on a mattress. Hartsock said smoke or gas emitted from the same window around 2:30 a.m. and AFR was called after BCSO deputies smelled smoke. He said at 2:47 a.m. a drone was sent inside and captured the canister on a smoldering mattress. Hartsock added that by design and past performance of the trial chambers, it should no longer be emitting gas. Video showed a bomb robot struggle to grab the canister in its claw. Eventually it grasped the canister and lifted it before dropping the canister. Hartsock said by 3:04 a.m. the mattress caught fire and a rook pulled it from the home but the fire has spread and still stays inside the home. He said AFR arrived at the home and, around 3:12 a.m., an AFR incident commander ordered crews to fight the blaze from the outside while SWAT members with ballistic shields stood in front of them. Hartsock said Kelley ran out of the burning home around 3:16 a.m. and told SWAT members his little brother was still inside. Firefighters pulled Rosenaus body from the fire minutes later. A mattress that had been seen in the hallway earlier had been moved into the room in which Rosenau was found. Hartsock wouldnt speculate as to why the teen didnt leave the home like Kelley. When Albuquerque Fire Rescue found him, they were able to extract him from the house very quickly, he said. Kelley was also able to come out of the home quite easily when he chose to. We cant know everything that went on inside the house. We didnt want that to happen When APD searched the car the pair arrived in, they found a gun on the passenger side and it came back as a match to a shooting days earlier. On July 1 police had responded around 10:30 p.m. to a shooting near Pennsylvania and Central NE. A man was shot four times and was hospitalized in critical condition, according to a police report filed after Rosenaus death. The man told police he was shot by a young black male with curly hair and a tattoo between his eyebrows. The man said he had heard the shooter had died in a SWAT situation and picked Rosenau out of a photo array as the suspect, according to the report. A woman who saw the shooting also gave a description of the shooter that matched Rosenau. Hartsock said what happened to Rosenau in the end was tragic. We didnt want that to happen. I dont think anyone wanted Brett to die that night and he didnt deserve to die that way, he said. What we tried to show you today is what we knew at the time, and how that made us shape some of the decisions that were being made. Pueblo pottery forms a chamber of echoing voices. Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery showcases those stories in an exhibition of more than 100 works in clay at Santa Fes Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Originating in the cradle of the Indigenous Southwest, the show is a rare exhibition curated by the Native American communities it represents. Organized by Santa Fes School for Advanced Research and the New York-based Vilcek Foundation, it gives voice to more than 60 individual members of 21 tribal communities. These members chose and wrote about artistically or culturally unique pots spanning 1,000 years. The show marks the institutions first-ever exhibition. The exhibit also celebrates the 100th anniversary of the creation of SARs Indian Arts Research Centers pottery collection in 1922. Aware of the disastrous consequences of Manifest Destiny, a group of Santa Feans formed its Pueblo Pottery Fund because they wanted to save pueblo pottery as the Spanish flu decimated the pueblos. Grounded in Clay shifts traditional curatorial models by combining individual voices from the Native communities where the pots were made. The pueblos are not a monolith, said Elysia Poon, Indian Arts Research Director. Within each community, there are both individual and shared experiences. In many cases, the curators picked pots that werent even from their own community. It resulted in a much more complex and rich mixture than we imagined. There is no single curatorial voice. One curator chose a circa 1890 Zuni stew bowl because of its geometric design featuring lightning strikes to bring blessings to crops. Another chose a 1972 Joseph Lonewolf (Santa Clara Pueblo) seed jar with contemporary designs for its innovation. MIAC curator Tony Chavarria wrote of a circa 1900-era stone-polished blackware olla from his home at Santa Clara Pueblo. Its shape sparked a memory of his grandmothers favorite vintage dress: I see the flared collar and high neck in this jar, he wrote. I see my grandma in the beauty from the earth. Frances Mirabal Chavarria taught her children how to make pottery. One day, you might need to make a living from it, she said, as she talked about how we and clay are both of the earth, Chavarria said. San Ildefonso/Cochiti pueblo member Evone Snowflake Martinez chose a circa 1915 canteen by Maria (Poveka) and Julian Martinez (San Ildefonso Pueblo). Shapes of mountains, deserts, spirit lakes and springs can be seen on some pieces and their stories can be read in others, she wrote. I wonder what memories are embedded in their clays spirit, and it is then that I find myself drawn to a small tan vessel painted with red and black designs of clouds, kiva steps and a thunderbird. Tamaya ahsa (storage jar), ca. 1895, clay, paint, rawhide, 14x16 inches. (School for Advanced Research/ Peter Gabriel) Santa Clara water jar, 1880-1900, clay, 11 by 15-1/2 inches. (Courtesy School for Advanced Research, photo by Peter Gabriel) Acoma three-color polychrome water jar, c. 1920-30, clay and paint. (Courtesy Vilcek Foundation photo by Peter Gabriel) Prev 1 of 3 Next Acoma Pueblo Gov. Brian Vallo chose a circa 1920-30 Acoma water jar orbited by Zuni fat tail birds. The potter painted the fat tails in orange or in a deep red pigment that is hard to find today. The jar reminded him of his grandmother, who was of the Zuni Eagle Clan and a known master potter. Those families settled on the western side of the mesa top, a location given to them by the Antelope Clan. The women used the jar to collect rainwater from natural cisterns. This jar also reminds me that my grandmother always said a good water jar should be somewhat bulbous at its center and have a neck that reduces splashing and controls the movement of the water a scarce resource, Vallo wrote. Clay artist Kathleen Wall (Walatowa/Jemez) chose her aunts circa 1982 nativity set as a reconciliation of the religious persecution of the past. Although pueblo religion and culture have a long history of concessions and acceptance in order to appease the Catholic religion over the centuries, this has transformed into a beautiful syncretism and celebration of faith for New Mexico pueblo people, she wrote. Dating from precontact to the present day, the featured pots connect and contrast the lives of people living in pueblo communities spanning from New Mexicos 19 Rio Grande Pueblos to the West Texas community of Ysleta del Sur to the Hopi of Arizona. Curators of various ages, backgrounds and professions chose and wrote about one or more works. The exhibition will move to New Yorks Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Vilcek Foundation in 2023, Houstons Museum of Fine Arts in 2024 and to the St. Louis Art Museum in 2025. Weston Simons has always had a mind for mixing. That talent has garnered him national attention as the New Mexican was named one of the top 15 bartenders in the country. Beginning with 10,000 applicants, Simons navigated his way through the 2022 U.S. Bartenders Guild World Class to a top 15 finish. The bartending competition is put on but the USBC and sponsored by DIAGEO. Simons made the first cut to the Top 100 with an essay he wrote about tackling the culinary evolution of New Mexico through a cocktail. The regional finals were held in April in Tucson, Arizona. There, 10 bartenders competed. The final three were joined by competitors from four other regionals from across the country. Simons says the final 15 then competed in June at the national finals in Nashville, Tennessee. I didnt win, but I learned a lot along the way, he says. One of the big things I learned is how to value myself and my experience in a bigger way. When you start off in a small market like New Mexico, you compare it to New York and Los Angeles and look outward. This competition forced me to think about myself and my history. When Simons first applied for the competition, he never imagined he would make it as far as he did. After being selected, he decided to let everything fall where it may and see what the end result tastes like. Its sweet, he says. I really enjoyed the aspect of getting feedback after each of the rounds. Its a confidence builder and I tried my best. It was great to be in a room of fabulous competitors. The connections that I made have been phenomenal. Simons was so impressed with some of his competitors, he was taking notes on how to stand out. One woman created an iron brand and seared the outside of a coconut. Another competitor made root beer-infused brandy cherries. Ive got to step up my game, he says with a laugh. Each one of them were so inspiring. Simons began making drinks at the age of 8, while growing up in Bosque Farms. The first time, it was for a New Years party my parents were having, he recalls. (My parents) gave me a recipe and I was making mocktails for everyone. There was no liquor in them. I remember my mind being stimulated by the creation process. New Mexico-based bartender Weston Simons created the Cactus Flower. (Courtesy of Weston Simons) With cherries and chile, Weston Simons creates drinks with layers. Shown is the Different City. (Courtesy of Weston Simons) Silk Fizzr is topped with a lemon and a flower. (Courtesy of Weston Simons) Weston Simons is known for createing drinks. Shown is a Daiquiri. (Courtesy of Weston Simons) Prev 1 of 4 Next Years later, his family had a lemonade stand, which they would take to various community events and markets. It was there I would try to put together different flavors to add to the lemonade, he says. Ive never looked back. Simons has been a soda jerk and a barista. He began getting serious about it while he was working at Apothecary Lounge at Hotel Parq Central. I started working with Sara Mathews, he says. She noticed I had an eye for it. She started training me before I could tend bar. Simons would follow Mathews to Borrachos Craft Booze and Brews in Las Vegas, New Mexico, where he would train new bartenders. He would have stints at Ibiza inside Hotel Andaluz, as well as Q Bar in Hotel Albuquerque. He was also part of the team that helped open the bar at Hotel Chaco in Old Town. Then I went to Copper Lounge as it was reopening, he says. My wife grew up in Santa Fe and we lived there for over a year, where I worked at Santa Fe Spirits Distillery. I also did the cocktail program at La Casa Sena. Simons currently tends bar at Tonic in downtown Santa Fe three nights a week. Its a job that helps keep him sharp. Making drinks, its where art meets science, he says. I always tell people if you dont know what you want, describe it to me in adjectives. Simons has joined his wife, Rikki Carroll, studying comedy in Amsterdam. The couple were living there prior to moving to Santa Fe earlier this year. He began a consulting service called WestonDrinks. I want to spread that love I have, he says of making drinks. I teach classes and am constantly learning something new along the way. I constantly think flavors. Eighty percent of my time, I spend thinking of my day thinking about food and drink. Ideas are always floating around in my head, just ready to be mixed. Learning more To learn more about New Mexican Weston Simons and his journey in the world of mixology, follow on Instagram @westondrinks or visit westondrinks.com Jim Eckles is set to provide a gold mine worth of information about Victorio Peak. A tale of buried gold, coated with conspiracy, is something made for Hollywood, especially considering the treasures very existence is in question. Eckles aims to further explain the mystery in his presentation Victorio Peak: One Hundred Tons of Gold or Just One Hundred Tall Tales at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces on Thursday, Aug. 11. Eckles told the Journal, I dont know if Victorio Peak will attract folks or not. I have the feeling it will, because everyone loves a good treasure story, right? The story of Victorio Peak is nothing new to the region, but the intrigue of the historical mystery has grown through almost a century of scattered media coverage and even a recent series of novels, The Gold House Trilogy. At the base of the legend, Milton Doc Noss claimed he discovered a treasure room with a massive amount of gold bars hidden deep within Victorio Peak in the 1930s. Nothing has ever been confirmed to be extracted from the mine, Eckles explained, and even the tunnels stretching to the mystical room have yet to be validated. Yet, the legend never dies. Now, Eckles offers new information highlighting Noss character. The revelation will either bring people close to an answer or further the ongoing debate of legitimacy. Eckles said, Ive dug and found out quite a bit about Doc Noss. After tracing Noss from Oklahoma to New Mexico, which included multiple arrests for various crimes, Eckles simply states that Noss is the guy you probably didnt want your daughter to marry. Eckles came to New Mexico in 1977 to work in public affairs for White Sands Missile Range and never left, eventually retiring from the military testing site. In public affairs, I got to go places, do different things. You got your finger in all kinds of pots. With an academic background in English literature and psychology, a general curiosity for most things is ingrained in Eckles, but he became more interested in history after moving to New Mexico. It just seemed more real down here, he said. That was an attractive thing to me to go out and learn more. Eckles position in public affairs also strengthened his knowledge of not only the missile range, but the area, as he was constantly in contact with the media and setting up tours. They were asking questions and you got to know the answers, he said. It took years to learn all that stuff. He was able to showcase his experience and great knowledge in his book Pocketful of Rockets: History and Stories Behind White Sands Missile Range, published in 2013. Eckles connection to Victorio Peak, specifically, began just two years after arriving at White Sands. He said he was tasked with escorting Noss wife, Ova, and a television crew to the site. His interest grew from there. The conspiracies of the golds origin heightened the call for research. The unproven tales swelled to claims of Spanish explorers, a German presence and the U.S. governments proverbial vexed hand that appears attached to unsolved mysteries by conspiracy theorists aplenty. Eckles said, This story has gotten so big since its origins in the 1930s. Focusing on the geographical aspect of the tale, he continued, Theres no reason to talk about these other stories if there was no tunnel and there are no caves. If they dont exist, and never did exist, the treasure never existed. Eckles has slowly accumulated and absorbed information on Victorio Peak for over 40 years. Despite his vast knowledge and research, Eckles expects loyal backers of Noss claims to challenge his findings and argument. You gotta deal with people who have beliefs, because thats all theyve got, they have no proof. Richard Cameron-Wolfe took a giant step after taking to the stage at the National Opera Centers Marc A. Scorca Hall in New York. Cameron-Wolfe joined Spanish composer Agustin Castilla-Avila and Austrian composer Wladimir Rosinskij to perform Nomads-Oasis, a concert featuring five American premieres and two world premieres on Aug. 6. More than half of my music was composed in New Mexico, as I moved out from New York in 2002, Cameron-Wolfe said. I already was here composing music in 1974 at the foundation, the little artists residence place in Taos. This event began with In Memoriam Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Rosinskijs tribute to his old pal the great Siberian baritone. I was traveling to Russia, to Ukraine, Latvia, Azerbaijan, when I met Wladimir Rosinskij, actually in southern Russia, back in 1993, I think, Cameron-Wolfe said. Then we got this brainstorm since all of us are traveling all over the place within music, to have a loose collective that we call nomads, and we just look for a place where we can stop for a while, join some local musicians and put together a concert. Concluding the event was the world premiere of Cameron-Wolfes micro-opera Passionate Geometries, which features soprano Elisabeth Halliday-Quan. Theyre going to expect the unexpected and they are not going to hear phrases that remind them of such and such, or so and so, Cameron-Wolfe said. But I think, listening is an activity, not a passivity so if people show up, theyre already doing something. The team rehearsed in Minnesota before making the New York debut. It has been really wonderful, I mean, one of the things that we are really intent on doing wherever we go, is having a core group that includes the Ukrainian cellist and California-based pianist, Cameron-Wolfe said. We have an amazing group of players for that concert on the sixth. Cameron-Wolfe had plenty of anticipation as the date drew near and saw months of work coming to fruition. Everyone seems to be coming to the rehearsals, knowing their part perfectly, Cameron-Wolfe said. Im kind of the writer with a cookbook, and I deliver a recipe to the musicians, and then they do the cooking. Were very lucky that we have really fine performers who have a background in playing contemporary classical music. For Cameron-Wolfe, describing his sound is a difficult thing to do. Thats the impossible question that I have come upon, though I still love and use melody, Cameron-Wolfe said. Sometimes the music is very rhythmically complicated and faded to where you cant find a beat, but then as my sister says, therell be really beautiful harmony sections that are just delicious. Cameron-Wolfe looks to continue moving crowds everywhere he goes. My goal is always to just tell the truth, and hope that my truth resonates with an audiences sense of art, Cameron-Wolfe said. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE The State Ethics Commission unanimously approved a settlement Friday with state Rep. Rebecca Dow requiring her to pay a $500 civil penalty for violations of the state Governmental Conduct Act. She also paid court-ordered sanctions totalling about $4,115 at one point while contesting the ethics complaint against her. The fines came after she initially refused to sit for a court-ordered deposition. The settlement says Dow will pay the $500 civil penalty for two violations of the law restricting when lawmakers may represent someone before state agencies. Its the maximum fine allowed: $250 for each violation. The allegations centered on Dows work for AppleTree, a nonprofit group she founded that is funded mostly by state contracts and grants, according to documents filed in the ethics case. The ethics commissions general counsel cited emails Dow had sent to the Public Education Department and an invoice she submitted to AppleTree listing her meetings with Cabinet secretaries as evidence that she had violated the law. The Governmental Conduct Act prohibits state lawmakers from representing a person before a state agency unless the lawmaker is unpaid or working on behalf of a constituent, among other exceptions. Dow, a Truth or Consequences Republican who ran unsuccessfully for governor this year, has maintained that she worked diligently to comply with the law. In a written statement Friday, she noted that the ethics complaint was filed by her Democratic opponent in the 2020 general election campaign and used in attack ads. The allegations, she said, were outlandish. Yet in an effort to justify their existence, the bureaucrats at the office of the ethics commission continued digging, and have decided emails sent from my legislative account represented misconduct, Dow said. I disagree, yet have decided to settle in order to end their taxpayer-funded witch hunt and allow the nonprofit I founded and still care deeply about to move forward with their mission of serving New Mexico families and children. D2C beauty & personal care brand Pilgrim, recently announced their collaboration with premium frozen yogurt brand MyFroyoLand for their latest brand campaign. The brand campaign promotes Pilgrims newly launched Lip-Care Range. As part of the campaign, MyFroyoLand will be serving bespoke PilgrimXMyFroyoLand flavors in their outlets across India to promote the exciting new flavors of the lip range. Customers can buy the exclusive PilgrimXMyFroyoLand yogurt flavors- blueberry, peppermint, and bubblegum at all MyFroyoLand stores across the country. They will also be able to engage in fun in-store activities and giveaways arranged at all outlets. This promotion is applicable to 10 cities including Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and Hyderabad. Pilgrim has also roped in food and lifestyle influencers for the campaign who will be visiting select outlets to try on the exclusive yogurt flavors and share their experiences. Anurag Kedia, the co-founder of Pilgrim, added We are elated to kickstart this campaign with MyFroyoLand for the launch of our new lip care range. We truly feel that this clutter-breaking collaboration will offer a never-seen-before visual and flavourful treat with skincare. We look forward to working with their dynamic team and disrupting this industry with their support. This extensive lip care range is a part of Pilgrims Secrets of Seville, Spain range. The key ingredient of this range is Squalane which is derived from Spanish olives. Squalane is beneficial in treating dry and chapped lips and has the ability to lock moisture in, leaving skin beautifully moisturised and healthy. These Squalane-based lip formulations also include Pomegranate Extracts, Shea Butter, and Cocoa Butter. The squalane range, launched in March 2022 contributes 10% to the total revenue with major demand coming in from Maharashtra and Delhi. Patrick Henry understood the dichotomy our forefathers faced. And now we face the same options. We all see liberty slipping away -- no, being yanked out of our hands by forces so evil we can barely wrap our Pollyanna brains around it. Here? This can be happening here? We warn about losing our freedom. We give examples -- COVID mandates, travel restrictions, educational issues, etc. ad nauseam -- but Biden supporters still exist. RINO Republicans still exist. The swamp is still full of monsters. The situation has made me realize that too few people seem to understand what freedom and liberty really mean. Freedom is not some vague red-white-and-blue theme song. Its not drums beating and marching bands. Its not just a feel-good flag to wave. Its something that generations fought, bled, and died for, so shouldnt it have some solidity to it? Shouldnt it be something palpable, heavy, and real -- something you can grab hold of? Lofty ideas are necessary, but, like helium balloons, they have to be tied to something solid or they just float away. Freedom, where it exists, produces remarkable results. Freedom allows us to be good, to be our best. Harrison Bergeron, in the Kurt Vonnegut short story of the same name, says toward the end, Watch me become what I can become. Because he was so superior -- in mind, body, determination, and courage -- he had been made to endure terrible handicaps to keep those around him from feeling inferior (even though they were). He makes that declaration as he defiantly rips off the bags of lead weights and removes the mask that made him ugly. Freedom allows us to -- like Harrison -- become what we can become. What an exhilarating idea! What happens when we are not dissuaded from excellence? (And thats exactly what CRT and all its adjacent claptrap does -- dissuades us from excellence.) What happens when we get out of each others way? When no alphabet agency is intercepting our email, we can exchange ideas. And when no one is watching our pronouns, or editing our speech, we can express ourselves. When we do that and express a lame idea -- like the 1619 Project -- we can lay it open and expose its wormy guts. Without freedom we cant do that. We have to swallow whatever bilge they want to feed us. Each of us is born with a conscience and that conscience has to be free to operate. We all know deep in our souls that grooming small children to accept sexual deviance is wrong and damaging to the child, but in a controlled society, where such behavior is favored by those in high places, those who object are labeled terrorists and hounded into silence. It is true that in a free society not everyone will choose to follow his conscience, but in a community made up largely of good, God-fearing people, that wont be a problem because those good folks will express their disdain for all that is evil and will drive it from them. Very few formal laws will be necessary. But in a community where the citizens celebrate evil, it will prosper, and then, to make the society function at all, laws and regulations abound because the people will not control themselves. Evil hurts everyone. Good helps everyone. But, you say, isnt freedom about doing whatever you want to do? No. Its about being the best you can be -- not about being the worst you can manage. Its about having the leeway to create, not destroy. Its about building, not about tearing down. Its not about lounging around smoking weed; its about working, becoming, expanding. Our Declaration of Independence talks about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The burgeoning suicide rate should show us that were no longer catching up with happiness in spite of silencing our shared conscience. Freedom produces prosperity. Those who are free to study, to learn, to practice, to experiment, to tell the truth -- those people make things, things other people want and are willing to work to obtain. It creates an ever-climbing vortex energized by the human desire to excel. Why is it that the rich keep working? Because they want to become all they can become. The more rules and regulations placed on people, the less they will engage in productivity, the less creative they become. The more we are restricted, the more energy we must expend in order to get around the restrictions. (Ive never understood why the Left thinks it can pass a law and everyone will just get in line and obey. History proves thats not how it works.) Freedom is not only prosperity, which carries a sense of luxury and affluence, but it is life itself. How did Stalin maintain control of the people of westernmost parts of the Soviet Union? He starved them to death -- some 20 million of them. That is the ultimate control. But without freedom, starvation will happen naturally. If farmers can no longer have access (because of too much regulation -- see Sri Lanka) to good seed, decent soil, fertilizer, and farm equipment, they cant grow what we all need to eat. If farmers cant afford to get their crops to market, if there arent enough processing plants -- I mean, I wouldnt know what to do with a cow if you gave me one -- then there will be no food in the stores. If supplies get too short, but money too easy to come by then everything will cost more and we cant afford it even if it is grown, processed, and delivered. Without food we have no freedom. Without freedom we have no food. Without education we have neither. I dont mean indoctrination -- I mean the telling of truth to our children. We have lied to them now for several generations and now they are largely ignorant of the truths of science, literature, history, civics, math, and most practical skills. If we are to have both the necessities of life and some of the niceties, we have to have freedom, but if we dont have an intelligent, well-informed populace we cant have that liberty. Those man-on-the-street pop quizzes give me the willies -- people who vote and yet dont know the first thing about either the history or geography of this country. Its no wonder we have a White House stocked with ignoramuses. I have no doubt that we are going to have to stand with Patrick Henry and demand liberty or be willing to give our lives to gain it for others. We are going to have to fight. We can fight by informing ourselves -- try some of the free online classes from Hillsdale College or the Patriot Academy. We can fight at school board meetings. We can fight supporting those who are fighting -- buying and reading their books, reading their articles, watching their podcasts. We can fight by talking and writing ourselves. We can fight best by making sure that we, and our families, are lined up with the God of the Universe because it is ultimately He who will either save or abandon this nation. Deana Chadwell is an adjunct professor and department head at Pacific Bible College https://pacificbible.edu in southern Oregon. She teaches writing, logic, and literature. Image: Library of Congress The present poor decisions in every sector of our society's life economics, foreign policy, education, citizenship values, human sexuality, and ethics suggests a conscious effort to undermine longstanding institutional and social realities of American civilization. This writer's view is that this is being brought about by a premeditated and conscious alliance between the Democrat party and the far left, which had begun under President Barack Obama and has intensified under President Joe Biden. This intensification is the result of a landmark alliance between the far left and the Democrats taken in 2020, combined with the continuity of advisory personnel from the eight Obama years. In 1948, New Deal Democrats led by Harry Truman distanced themselves from Henry Wallace, who was a pro-communist New Dealer. Wallace formed his own party, the Progressive Party, and lost to Truman, as did the Republicans and the Dixiecrats. The alliance that would have been unthinkable for Pres. Harry Truman happened to our country in the summer of 2020. In July 2020, presidential candidate Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (to be called "B.S." for short) signed a pact on policy. It was 110 pages of some of the most turgid and boring prose ever written, and this policy pact was the foundation of the rotten changes this administration has wrought during the past one and a half years. Most of that pact appeared a second time a couple of months later as the Democrat party's platform (six out of the original ten sections of the Biden/Sanders pact were in the platform). The writing styles of both were pathetically vague and opaque. Not all party platforms are inherently poorly written. The Democrat party platform of 1936 is quite well written, clear, and engaging. The language of the 2020 platform was opaque and boring not only because of a lack of writing skills (although that may have played a part), but also to cover up the sinister implications of the pact. It signified that the Democrat party had acceded to the demands of the one Democratic Socialist in the Senate who had convened as a minority-of-one with the Dems for decades. Thus, the present radical agenda is a purposeful intrusion of destructive, leftist dogma into our lives as a result of the decision by the Biden camp to ally with the B.S. camp as a way of assuring Biden's nomination in August 2020. That decision was made in July 2020, and now, two years later, they are still on that path. This locking of arms with the far-left faction was a crucial turn in the road for the Democrat party. However, we can also track this in the context of continuity with the Obama administration and Biden's work within that administration. Major holdovers from those first eight years are key players in implementing the destructive policies in Afghanistan and at our southern border, promoting "sustainability" even if it harms the health and well-being of many citizens, and proposing a radical reorganization of our educational and social system based on some pop culture ideas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Susan E. Rice, who was national security adviser to Obama, is now the president's domestic policy adviser. Even politico.com, which Is hardly an extremist right-wing publication, notes about Ms. Rice's background, "Her ascendence to the role of point person on guns marks the latest chunk of policy turf over which she has claimed jurisdiction, joining a sprawling portfolio that stretches from policing and racial justice to student loan debt, immigration and health care policy, including a prime piece of protecting abortion rights [sic]." Ron Klain, who was Biden's adviser during the Obama years, is now the White House chief of staff. Jake Sullivan, like Klain, worked for Biden when he was vice president, and he is now national security adviser. We might also note the carryover from the Obama years of John Kerry, who served as secretary of state and is now our "sustainability" honcho. In addition, there have been many advisers appointed by the administration. I have selected three who have a history of leading causes that we deplorables find noxious. We are not surprised to see a radical leftie like Chiraag Bains appointed as deputy assistant to the president and deputy director of the Domestic Policy Council for Racial Justice and Equity. He, like Ms. Rice, has considerable writing skills and is more than capable of writing or supervising others in the writing of radical leftist policies and legislation. He is a supporter of H.R. 1, which would dramatically liberalize election laws, making it much more difficult if not impossible to prevent election fraud. Also, as recently as 2018 in the Indiana Law Journal, he wrote an article debunking the idea that there are only a "few bad apples" in our police forces. He thus is a strong advocate of defunding or "re-imagining" our policing and of the idea that our policing is inherently and systemically biased and even dangerous to non-white people. Another well educated adviser to Ms. Rice is Prof. Heather Gautney, who is a tenured associate professor at Fordham University. She was a senior adviser to B.S. for years and definitely has an anti-American bent. She has called the U.S. a predator nation; complimented Hugo Chavez; was delighted at the welcome she received by the fanatics running Iran; and, according to the Washington Times, has said that "capitalism and democracy cannot co-exist." While working as an adviser to B.S., she expressed the view that charter and private schools exacerbate apartheid schooling. She has also called for the forgiveness of student debt, and has even suggested that there be free college for all. Another White House staffer deeply committed to the radical policies being supported by this administration is Ponita Gupta, who holds the position in the White House of special assistant to the president for labor and workers. Among her many commitments to the diversity, equity, inclusion goals of the far left is her commitment to what is called "pay equity." Pay equity is "the discipline of eliminating pay disparities based on gender, race, and other criteria. This goes beyond pay equality, or equal pay for equal work, to also address occupational segregation and opportunity gaps." One online example to explain this: "For example, only 4.6% of web developers are Black, while 85% are white." The idea is that the companies should hire more black web developers to change that disparity. But, we ask, what if greater numbers of black Americans are not interested in that field or not studying with that goal in mind? Yes, we are looking at an Obama third term, but the notable leftism of that presidency has intensified even further because of the invidious alliance with the Sanders team in 2020 and the taking on of new, far-left White House personnel. Image via Picryl. George Soros has been using his vast wealth, either directly or indirectly, to fund campaigns for hard-left prosecutors. Once in office, these prosecutors institute explicit policies that see them refusing to prosecute whole areas of criminal violations because the prosecutors disagree with state or municipal laws. People are finally starting to rebel. In San Francisco, voters booted out Chesa Boudin. In Los Angeles, the county is banning observers from the vote-counting process on the George Gascon recall. And in Florida, Gov. Ron. DeSantis just fired State Attorney Andrew Warren for failing to carry out his duties as a prosecutor. In a democratic republic, which is the operating system in America, the people get to choose which behaviors they want to have criminalized and which they do not. Their preferences are expressed via their elected representatives or via ballot initiatives. Either way, the resulting criminal laws represent the will and values of the people. When a defendant comes into the criminal justice system, the prosecutor in the case is not a private citizen. Instead, he is an elected politician whose job is to put into effect the above-mentioned laws the people desired. To the extent the prosecutor has "prosecutorial discretion," it is very limited: the prosecutor looks at matters on a case-by-case basis to determine whether, in a specific case, he has the resources to try the case and the evidence and supporting law to win the case. Image: Governor Ron DeSantis (edited). Twitter screen grab. What the prosecutor cannot do is decide that there are types of cases he doesn't like and, therefore, will never prosecute. Doing that abrogates the legislative function, exceeding the prosecutor's authority. I would argue, too, that it means that, by leaving citizens as prey to criminals committing acts the citizens wanted to be criminalized, the prosecutor is violating law-abiding citizens' civil rights. Admittedly, I don't have case authority for that last point, but I think it's logical, and I'd love to see it argued in court. In Florida, for the past six years, Andrew Warren, who received money from one of the PACs that George Soros funds, has announced in advance that he will not prosecute specific categories of criminal activity because he personally disagrees with Florida's law. In other words, he has abandoned his prosecutorial role and asserted for himself a legislative role. To that end, over the years, Warren has announced that he will not prosecute people who could, in the future, be charged with criminally mutilating children in the name of so-called "gender-affirming health care," refused to prosecute people who engaged in criminal activity vis-a-vis police if the police stopped them while they were walking or riding a bike, and that he will not prosecute people who have violated Florida laws limiting abortion. Because a prosecutor is failing in his duty if he issues a blanket refusal to enforce the law and because the Florida constitution specifically vests in the governor the authority to fire prosecutors (unlike other states that require legislative impeachment or voter recalls), DeSantis did something wonderful: he fired Andrew Warren. I've embedded at the end of this post the executive order of suspension, which says in long form what I summarized in short form. I'm also embedding here videos of interest. First, DeSantis made a powerful statement today about firing Warren: BREAKING: @GovRonDeSantis makes MAJOR announcement suspending Soros-backed, social justice-obsessed 13th circuit state attorney Andrew Warren pic.twitter.com/N42JPGck11 Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 4, 2022 Second, Tucker Carlson's opening monologue discusses how the Soros prosecutors are deliberately ignoring and perverting American law and explains how Gov. DeSantis's actions are a great start to challenging this lawlessness: Third, here's Gov. DeSantis's appearance on Tucker, during which the governor summarizes the principles at issue: Governor Ron DeSantis @RonDeSantisFL joins Tucker Carlson to discuss why he suspended the Soros-backed progressive prosecutor Andrew Warren: DeSantis: "We took it seriously, we did a thorough review and we pulled the trigger today." pic.twitter.com/qThMgltHGA The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) August 5, 2022 Fourth, here's the complete, official executive order that DeSantis issued explaining his legal authority to fire Warren: Florida Executive Order 22-176 Firing Andrew Warren by Andrea Widburg on Scribd It's been known since 2015, when Donald Trump first came down the escalator, that the Bush family's allegiance is entirely with the Obama-Biden claque. It was no surprise, therefore, that Liz Cheney would be in the NeverTrump category. Still, it's been interesting seeing her personal animus toward Trump turn her into the Democrats' most vicious weapon on the January 6 Committee. And it's even more surprising and kind of disgusting to see her drag her dad, Dick, out of his retirement to demonstrate his own personal animus toward Trump. You know how I love context, so let me start with the automatically generated photo montage that you get when you go to Bing and do a search for "Bush and Obama families": Could the love fest be more nauseating? Incidentally, you don't get a montage like that when you do a Bing search for "Bush and Trump families." Nor do those pictures paint a false impression. The Bush family absolutely refused to support Donald Trump in 2016. Whether this was because they were mad that he insulted Low Energy Jeb! or because the Bush clan's "compassionate conservatism" was nothing more than an amalgam of soft leftism and globalism, the fact remained that the two living Republican presidents in 2016 (both named George Bush) effectively threw their weight to Hillary in 2016. Then, in 2020, the one remaining George Bush effectively backed Biden. Liz and Dick Cheney were part of this anti-Trump clannishness. During the early years of the Iraq War, the Bush-Cheney cabal seemed to be pro-American hawks fighting for America's security. However, given their relaxed attitude to the southern border and their war on Main Street in favor of Wall Street, it became increasingly clear that and I hate to say this the anti-war left was correct when it said that the administration's actors were and are nothing more than warmongers. With Ukraine, Liz Cheney once again sees her role as getting America into a foreign war that confers no benefit on it. Nothing made this more clear than their response to Trump's refusal to embroil America in new conflicts, his emphasis on border security, and his refusal to kowtow to the Bush clan: they sided with the Democrats because, as between their delicate sensibilities and globalist values, on the one hand, and America's well-being, on the other hand, America didn't stand a chance. No wonder, then, that Liz Cheney, given a choice between conservative values and trying to destroy Trump, opted to go after Trump. And if she must destroy hundreds of American lives along the way (remember those J6 prisoners), damage Congress by running a despotic kangaroo court, and abandon all her previously voiced principles to do so...well, omelets and broken eggs, right? Unfortunately for Liz, even though she's getting a lot of money, most of it is coming from people who don't vote in Wyoming. Within Wyoming, at least as of April, the big money was going to Liz's opponent, Harriet Hageman. The polls reflect the money: Wyoming voters are unimpressed by the out-of-state financiers, and Liz seems destined to lose the primary. The Republican voters whom CNN interviewed were very clear that Liz is not Wyoming's candidate. It's against this backdrop that Daddy Dick appeared for a TV commercial in which he assured voters that Trump is the greatest threat to America in its history and that only Liz can save the Republic: Dick Cheney: In our nations 246 year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our Republic than Donald Trump. This is an ad Liz Cheney is now running for her failing. campaign. pic.twitter.com/eT7WyakSVs Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 4, 2022 Are you sold? Will anyone who's already not a Busher-Cheneyer-NeverTrumper be persuaded? Image: Dick Cheney. Twitter screen grab. Babies love peek-a-boo. In a brand-new world, reality is defined by the limits of their senses. When your face vanishes behind your hands, as far as they are concerned, your face ceases to exist. That's why they are so thrilled when your face re-emerges. Reality has shifted. Leftists are just like babies: they think that their sensory and (sometimes pseudo-) scientific perceptions define the past, present, and future. Whatever they notice about a natural phenomenon is reality, and they cannot imagine a different status. Reality though, especially the Earth's mysteries, is not bound by leftists' infantile understanding. The Earth has been evolving for about 4.5 billion years. It's heated and cooled repeatedly. Continents have drifted. Magnetic fields have rotated. Even leftists understand how busy it's been. However, leftists are so dazzled by their recent observations that they've forgotten the Earth's dynamism. When it comes to historical temperature changes, I like to point to the Medieval Warming Period (when Greenland was actually green). The heat released water, creating perfect growing conditions. The medieval population boomed. Then the Mini Ice Age began its long, slow build-up. Water froze, the rain lessened, and crops failed. Because Malthusian rules inevitably applied before modern farming techniques appeared, food soon became limited even as the population continued the last growth cycle growth. That brought famine, making people vulnerable to disease and there was one heck of a disease coming to the fore in Central Asia. Over the next decades, the Black Death ravaged Europe, killing up to 60% of the population. All because of climate change. Then there are climate cycles (driven by the sun). I highly recommend this article discussing the Grand Solar Minimum, which is preparing to cool the Earth even as we cycle through a small global warming period. Keep in mind that modern temperature records go back at most about 170 years. Also, in recent years, the people behind the climate change cult have been systematically doctoring past climate records to justify future climate predictions. (In this regard, when you hear "climate denier," remember that it's meant to connote the idea of Holocaust denial. With that in mind, you can see the difference: Holocaust denial sees people denying mountains of hard evidence about a past event. Climate denial sees people denying highly contested computer-generated predictions of probable future events, with a long track record of failed predictions.) Image: Great Barrier Reef corals by Gokhan Tolun. CC BY-SA 4.0. My point is that the leftist climate changistas, who have amassed dangerous and extraordinary power, are ignorant about history and base all their predictions on an infantile and narrow range of observable data. So, when they noticed that the Great Barrier Reef off Australia was undergoing some bleaching, like the baby who sees a face vanish, they concluded that the reef was dying, even dead. And like the baby, who at least has an excuse for that mistake, they were dead wrong: Australia's Great Barrier Reef is doing just fine with vast sections defying every forecast of impending doom made by climate catastrophists over the past 30 years, a report Thursday outlines. Coral cover on two-thirds of the iconic reef, which is seen as a bellwether of ocean health, has reached its highest level since records began 36 years ago, according to marine scientists monitoring the ecosystem. The Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS) said in its annual report the reef is vibrant and flourishing although challenges do remain for such a "resilient system" that "still maintains that ability to recover from disturbances," AIMS monitoring programme leader Mike Emslie confirmed. Emslie makes the usual clucking about the fact that climate change is probably still going to kill the reef. Likewise, "[t]he Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, which manages the reef, says despite the latest positive news the outlook for the icon is 'very poor' due to 'climate change.'" For these people, mentioning climate change with regard to everything is as reflexive and meaningless as a teenager sprinkling her speech with irritating "likes" and "you knows." The reality is that the reef, like everything in nature, has a cyclical lifespan, and it's on an upswing now. We are stewards of the Earth, and we must be diligent in doing what we can to preserve its vitality and beauty for ourselves and future generations. I'm glad lakes aren't catching fire from chemical contamination as they did in the 1960s. Likewise, I never want to experience an airport that has smog inside because of pollution, as was the case when I was in Beijing a few years ago. Having said that, there is no reason whatsoever for us to continue to let the climate change cultists force us back into a dark, scary, and deadly premodern era solely because they are such babies that they are unable to understand that reality extends far beyond their limited, immediate, and very uninformed perceptions. Yesterday, I came across a video taken just a few days back at the Central Pennsylvania Pride Event. It featured a young boy, wearing a colorful tulle skirt, fumbling around a stripper pole while a gay man in underwear instructs him on the erotic dance form as his mother cheers them on. Tears of rage filled my eyes. I couldn't help but wonder what the grown man was thinking as he gawked at that precious little boy, or how a mother could hand over her own son to pedophilic exploitation her one job above all is to keep him safe in every way, but instead she acquiesces to his abuse. Easily detected by any viewer is this innocent child's desire for love and praise something that should be given so unconditionally that he has to earn through sexual performances in front of grown men. This is just one of many examples depicting the rapid rate at which a culture can descend into depravity when there is no steadying anchor. Emotions aside, it is the nature of the LGBT Agenda beast giving in to perversion reaps more perversion. Yet it's not hopeless, and a restoration of an American culture rooted in Judeo-Christian ethics can occur. Whether conscious Alinsky operatives or not, the reality is, the societal degeneracy so prevalent now is Alinskyism at play. The solution? Learn the tactics to neutralize their effectiveness. Alinsky's enumerated list covers thirteen tactics, but the most relevant to the topic at hand is, "Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy." Our current culture exhibits a sheer inversion of morality right is wrong, and evil is good and it happened so fast. Militant radicals for the Agenda relentlessly assault, leaving a wake of sexual sin and child abuse seemingly everywhere but they're not representative of a majority of Americans. Yet we're losing the war because we're completely out of our element, stumbling backwards, just trying to gain our footing. We've fallen victim to Alinsky's third tactic. We are the enemy of the fanatical left, and the leftists are operating outside our expertise we aren't used to witnessing such proud displays of the sexualization of children, or parents devouring their own. Just as Alinsky predicted, it causes chaos, confusion, and panic. Our only action is a reactionary bewilderment. We need to understand that these people remain fully indulgent in profane behaviors, which will continue to be their modus operandi. Refuse to cede another inch, and boldly denounce these aggressions for what they are. This is our country and these are our children there's no greater reason to go to battle. The never-ending saga of the Democrats continues... Unequal treatment in the name of fairness and equality. It's "fair" if the government seizes private capital and hands it over to those who didn't earn it the wealthy should pay more since they have more, right? Let's examine some approximate numbers. In a high-tax state, the federal corporate rate is around 21%, the federal individual rate 37.6%, the state corporate tax 6%, and the individual state tax rate 10% adding up to around 74.6%. Effectively, the people and companies earning the money, producing the product, and taking all the risk would retain only around 23% of the profit. Meanwhile, the government, which only hindered growth and earnings while taking no risk, would receive over 70% of the revenue through means of coercion via taxation eventually redistributing this money to its causes and its mafia. Now, that may seem acceptable and sensible to Democrats who like cronyism and corruption, but fiscal conservatives would disagree. Profitable businesses would flee to more welcoming and tax-friendly jurisdictions, in lieu of forfeiting their wealth. This isn't cosmic, so the only plausible explanation is the apparent goal of the Democrats is to make as many Americans as possible dependent on the government dole the modern-day plantation. The same Democrat mouthpieces we hear yakking about "fairness" via wealth redistribution are those who are grossly wealthy. The View co-hosts Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg make $7 million and $8 million per year, respectively. However, the average salary at Walt Disney Company the conglomerate that owns ABS, which runs The View is $90,000. Behar and Goldberg are making nearly 78 times what the average worker makes, so it's only "fair" they take a pay cut right? After all, don't we always hear journalists and Democrat pundits complain that "executives" make too much compared to average employees? As a reference point, the average CEO in America makes under $200,000, which is less than 3% of what Goldberg makes, and she works a lot less than a company's chief executive officer. Is that "fair"? Goldberg touts her status as a victimized minority, and the importance of addressing "climate change" from the comfort of one of her four homes, or aboard her private jet. The rest of the mockingbird media and their Democrat cohorts complain about political spending, so why don't the media outlets lower the cost of advertising? Or better yet, don't charge at all, and level the playing field at $0? Wouldn't that be patriotic and "fair"? On another note, can't we all recognize that it's unfair that grassroots candidates are up against powerhouse incumbents funded by Bloomberg, Soros, Zuckerberg, and their ilk? Shouldn't we bar political donations from these mega-donors? Is it any wonder why Congress, the media, and Biden have such low poll numbers and public trust? The United States is a federalist republic. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Anything not in the Constitution is left to the states and people. States have a largely free hand to govern as they wish, so long as the Constitution is not violated. Democracy is an important underpinning of both state and federal governments. Without it, there is no republic. Republics are democratic by definition. There are those Americans who hate democracy. They do not make up the majority; they are a small percentage of Americans. Part of being an American is seeing what other states are doing. We shake our heads, as is the case with much of what comes out of California, New York, etc. Or we look with longing at others who seem to get things right, more often than not. Most Americans accept that the democratic system that is part of our republic is going to come with losses at the ballot box. Then there are the small percentage who do not care how much of a minority they are. They will never accept that they are on the wrong side of anything. For instance, they would rather cheat than hold honest elections. In 2008, California had Proposition 8 on the ballot. It was a vote on redefining marriage. The people of California voted overwhelmingly to support marriage between one man and one woman. Rather than accept the will of the people in California, it was taken to the courts. The Supreme Court altered the definition of marriage to fit a political agenda. Because a small minority hate democracy and believe they know better than the voters, they ensured that it was thrust upon the entirety of the nation. Abortion was legal in most states, but not in Texas, leading up to Roe v. Wade. The people of Texas made clear their choices when they voted for their legislatures. They did not want abortion. Rather than accept the clear will of the people, it was off to the federal courts. Abortion, until the recent Supreme Court ruling, was forced on the whole of the people through an activist court acting on this Texas case. Taking prayer out of classrooms was another assault on democracy by a small minority. Congress never passed a law requiring prayer, which is the wording of the First Amendment. An activist court did not care that it violated no part of the Constitution. That Supreme Court forced prayer out. Had it gone up for a vote in every state, prayer would have passed. From prayer, it went to every religious symbol being attacked despite Congress never passing a law about anything religious. Fortunately, the Supreme Court has sided with the Constitution. People do have the right to worship as they see fit not when it is convenient for the small minority of atheists who want all religion stripped away. Those who are opposed to democracy do not hide their hatred. They openly attack the foundation of this country every chance they get. These are a small minority who believe they know better for the whole country. Being an American means making our own decisions, provided they fall within the law, not forcing everyone to submit to something viewed as superior. Whenever this happens, it is not just some minor issue. It is a serious crime that no one has been charged with. It falls under seditious conspiracy, defined in 18 USC, S 2384 under federal law. If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both. They oppose the government of the United States via judicial force. Every time activist courts force something to fit into the Constitution that is not there, they usurp the right of the states and people under the Tenth Amendment. There should have been charges brought long ago. It is overdue. Those who hate democracy do not hide what they do. They openly violate the Tenth Amendment in order to attack the Constitution, and they should be charged for their crimes. Bob Ryan is a writer who has an MBA. He is an American Christian Zionist who staunchly supports Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. He has been a weekly blogger at the Times of Israel since 2019. Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License. In the town of Murtoa, in the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia, there is a large grain storage facility that looks rather like an enormous cathedral than a grain silo typical throughout the rest the country. Referred to by some as the Cathedral of the Wimmera or the Murtoa Stick Shed, the building is 265 meters long, 60 meters wide and almost 20 meters high. The Stick Shed was built in the beginning of World War 2 to store grains that could not be exported. It was the first emergency bulk wheat storage shed built in Victoria and is the only remaining shed of this type in Australia. Photo: Faj2323/Wikimedia The Australian wheat industry was producing between 150 and 160 million bushels per year in the 1930s. About a 100 million of this was exported, mostly to Great Britain and Western Europe that was soon plunged into war. By 1939, it became apparent that wheat exports could not continue and it would be necessary to store and keep the upcoming harvests for the duration of the war. In 1939-40, Australia saw an exceptionally good harvest leading to increased grain stockpiling and a shortage of storage facilities. This prompted the Australian Wheat Board to design and build the first large bulk storages in Western Australia. They were referred to as bulkheads originally, then commonly known as Emergency Wheat Storage Sheds. Twenty-two emergency stores were built18 in Western Australia and four in Victoria. Due to its location at a key transport hub for the Victorian wheat industry, Murtoa was chosen as one of the sites. Photo: denisbin/Flickr The Murtoa Stick Shed was built over four months between September 1941 and January 1942. A steel shortage meant the shed was built largely from readily available timber, some 560 (56 rows of 10) unmilled mountain ash poles erected into the auger-dug footings in the ground. Concrete was manually poured around the footings. To reduce the use of nails, galvanised hoop-iron was used in most of its structural joints. Over this timber structure, 150 tons of iron roof was put covering an area 16,000 square meter. The roof angle was sloped to reflect the same angle a pile of wheat forms naturally. The shed had a capacity to hold 3.5 million bushels or about 92,500 tonnes of wheat. Bulk deliveries of grain were distributed through the Stick Shed via a system of mechanical elevators and conveyors, including a central conveyor running high along the center of the shed. Elevators transported wheat from delivery hoppers up to ridge level where it was distributed by conveyor along the length of the shed, creating a huge single mound of grain. A conveyor at ground level took wheat back to the elevator for transport elsewhere. The Murtoa Stick Shed continued to hold grain until it was phased out 1989, due to increased cost of maintenance. The building was listed on the Australian National Heritage List in 2014, recognizing its place "as a significant part of Australias history associated with Australias wheat industry and the impact of World War Two on the home front. Photo: Culture Victoria Photo: Adrian Tritschler/Flickr Photo: Adrian Tritschler/Flickr Photo: denisbin/Flickr Samsung may equip its upcoming foldable smartphones with the new UFS 4.0 storage solution. The company recently revealed that the next-gen storage chips are entering mass production this month. It coincides with the release of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 foldables. UF 4.0 storage chips enter mass production this month Samsung announced the UFS 4.0 storage standard in May this year. The new solution brings major improvements over the current USF 3.1 standard found in the likes of the Galaxy S22. The company is claiming per-lane bandwidth of up to 23.2Gbps, twice that of UFS 3.1. Sequential read and write speeds are reported at 4,200MB/s and 2,800MB/s, respectively. With a maximum dimension of 11 x 13 x 1 mm, UFS 4.0 storage chips will be pretty slim while simultaneously being superfast. Additionally, Samsung is touting energy efficiency of nearly 50 percent over the previous generation. These power gains should translate into notable improvements in the battery life of the device. Battery life is becoming increasingly critical as on-device data processing increases, thanks to high-resolution photography and graphic-intense games. Advertisement During the initial announcement in May, Samsung said that it will begin the mass production of UFS 4.0 storage chips in the third quarter of the year. The company has now revealed that it will start churning out the next-gen storage solution this month. The Korean behemoth shared the information during the recently concluded Flash Memory Summit 2022 in California. The Summit ran from August 2 to 4 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. As said earlier, this timeline coincides with Samsungs plans for the market release of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4. The new foldables go official on August 10 and will likely hit store shelves a couple of weeks later. As such, they appear to be likely candidates to debut the UFS 4.0 storage standard. The company says it will offer new storage chips with up to 1TB capacity. There havent been many smartphones with 1TB of built-in storage capacity but the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is rumored to be one. This further fuels the speculations. Thankfully, we will not need to wait much longer for the confirmation. The Galaxy S23 will certainly feature UFS 4.0 storage If the upcoming foldables miss out on the next-gen storage solution, Samsung will certainly use it on the Galaxy S23 series early next year. UFS 4.0 should also start shipping inside flagship smartphones from other brands in the coming months. The Korean firm sees its applications in AR, VR, and the mobility sector. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday affirmed the world body's one-China policy as U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit has created tensions. He clarified the position at a press conference for the launch of a report of his Global Crisis Response Group over the Ukraine crisis. "Our position is very clear. We abide by General Assembly resolutions, by the one-China policy, and that is the orientation that we have in everything we do," said Guterres. The UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 in 1971, which decides to restore the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the United Nations and to recognize the representatives of the PRC government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations. Produced by Xinhua Global Service The Motorola Razr 2022 was expected to launch on August 2, but that didnt end up happening. The event got canceled for some reason. It didnt take long for the company to reschedule, though. The Motorola Razr 2022 has a new launch date. The Motorola Razr 2022 & Moto X30 Pro get a new launch date The new launch date is August 11, and it has been announced by the Lenovo Mobile China GM, Chen Jin. He shared a new teaser for the Motorola Razr 2022, which has the August 11 date on the cover screen of the phone. Advertisement You will also notice that the time is set to 2 PM, which probably reveals the exact time the event will start. 2 PM China time translates to 8 AM CET, 7 AM BST, 2 AM EST, and 11 PM PST (August 1). Now, the Motorola Razr 2022 is the star of the show, but it wont be the only phone to launch. The Moto X30 Pro will also arrive. That is the companys upcoming high-end smartphone, so it will likely manage to get some spotlight as well. Both devices are expected to launch globally too Both of these phones are expected to launch elsewhere too, but during a separate launch. This is a China only launch, though a global one is expected to follow soon. Advertisement So, why did the August 2 event got canceled? Well, truth be said, we still dont know. Lenovo did not officially announce why, though there were assumptions. The main assumption is because of the rising tensions between China and Taiwan, and Nancy Pelosis recent visit to Taiwan. Considering that Lenovo did not reveal the truth thus far, chances are well never know for sure. The August 11 seems to be scheduled now, though, so well likely see these two phones announced then. The Motorola Razr 2022 is expected to include a rather large secondary display, and be considerably more powerful than its predecessors. Motorola is said to utilize the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 this time around, to make this phone a proper high-end offering. Robocalls within the US have slowed but not dropped off entirely but a new Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force led by Attorneys General Josh Stein of North Carolina, Indiana AG Todd Rokita, and Ohios Dave Yost may soon put a stop to the worst of it. Thats based on recently reported details about the task force, which will include Attorneys General from each of the 50 US states. Havent carriers within the US already put a stop to robocalls without this task force? Now, for clarity, the entities that the States Attorneys General are looking to rein in here arent the carriers themselves. Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and others have already widely implemented STIR/SHAKEN. That has, in and of itself, tamped down on a significant number of robocalls. Moreover, there are already plenty of apps to stop robocalls from coming through. Or at least a substantial number of those. Advertisement In spite of those efforts, though, providers continue to have issues with the calls. And, according to the most recent reports, thats because of the middlemen on the network. Namely, the gateway providers and other telecom operators responsible for routing calls into the US from outside of the country. According to the newly-formed task force, some of those are even intentionally letting bad calls through. Purportedly because theyre making a profit from it. In fact, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein sued one such gateway provider, Articul8, as recently as January. The company had been routing more than 65 million calls to North Carolina alone. Advertisement The latest effort and the new task force will focus chiefly on efforts to prevent those kinds of robocalls from getting through, and in every state within the US. The group only indicated that legal action will be taken against entities but it hasnt specified exactly what action will be taken. Presumably via lawsuits and the promotion of further legislation similar to STIR/SHAKEN. As has been the case in previous instances. (ANSA) - ROME, AUG 5 - Italy's COVID-19 case incidence fell to 533 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants in the July 29-August 4 period, down from 727 for July 22-28, the weekly coronavirus monitoring report of the health ministry and the Higher Health Institute (ISS) said on Friday. The Rt transmission number was down too, dropping below the key threshold of 1 to 0.9, down from 1.03 in last week's report. A Rt above 1 indicates that the epidemic is in a phase of expansion. The report said the proportin of Italy's intensive care places occupied by coronavirus patients dropped from 4.1% on July 28 to 3.6% on August 4. It said 15.2% of ordinary-ward hospital places were taken up by COVID sufferers, down from 17% last week. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, AUG 5 - Italy's COVID-19 case incidence fell to 533 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants in the July 29-August 4 period, down from 727 for July 22-28, the weekly coronavirus monitoring report of the health industry and the Higher Health Institute (ISS) said on Friday. The Rt transmission number was down too, dropping below the key threshold of 1 to 0.9, down from 1.03 in last week's report. A Rt above 1 indicates that the epidemic is in a phase of expansion. The report said the proportin of Italy's intensive care places occupied by coronavirus patients dropped from 4.1% on July 28 to 3.6% on August 4. (ANSA). (by Rodolfo Calo) (ANSAmed) - CAIROT, AUGUST 5 - One of the heads of an ongoing Italian-Polish archaeological mission west of Cairo has provided fresh details to ANSA regarding the discovery of the remains of what is likely to be a 'sun temple' from the Fifth Dynasty. Mission chief for the Polish Academy, Massimiliano Nuzzolo reported in a document for ANSA that the "remains of a building, probably one of four lost sun temples of kings from the Fifth Dynasty, dating back to the mid-25th century BC, were unearthed in Abusir, in the governorate of Giza, just a few kilometers south-west of Cairo", by a "joint mission of the University of Naples L'Orientale and the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw". Nuzzolo provided details of the discovery, which was announced last weekend by the Egyptian ministry of antiquities. He also said that the "mission will complete its work soon, in the attempt to completely unveil the ancient temple". Among the items discovered were "several fragments of clay seals bearing royal names, including the enigmatic king of the Fifth Dynasty Shepseskare, of whom we don't have much information", said in the text Rosanna Pirelli, the mission chief for the University of Naples L'Orientale. The discovery "could change our knowledge of the history of this king as well as of the Fifth Dynasty in general", the researcher said. "The sun temple is a particular structure of ancient Egyptian architecture which differs from the classic schemes used for buildings of worship, which were characterized by progressive walkways that led towards the most impenetrable obscurity", it was recalled. "The sun temple was instead the clear opposite; an entrance in the shade led, through immense and dark articulated passages, to a sacred courtyard inundated by sunlight. No burials took place here, only rituals in honor of the sun god. The characteristic element of the sun temple is the obelisk, set up at the center of the main courtyard, in front of which was placed an altar for offerings", the document explained. The Egyptian ministry of antiquities said in a statement that the remains of the building can be accessed through a monumental entryway built in limestone which leads to an area set up as a warehouse and to a large courtyard to the west characterized by a pavement in mud and some large blocks of quartzite, with 'smooth strips', encased in the pavement of King Niuserre's sun temple, the Italian statement also said the Italian statement. The mission is funded by the Italian ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation (Maeci) and the Polish culture ministry (Ncn), said Nuzzolo, adding that the website www.suntemplesproject.org can be consulted for further information. (ANSAmed). (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, 05 AGO - At least four people, including a five-year-old girl, were reported dead and 19 were wounded on Friday in an operation called 'Breaking Dawn' launched by Israel in Gaza against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the health ministry in Gaza said, quoted by local media. Reports said the victims included Tayasir Jabari, an Islamic Jihad commander in the northern Gaza Strip, and Salame Abed, also a Jihad member. An Israeli military spokesperson said that a "special situation" has been declared inside the country, against retaliation. The Iron Dome air defense missile system was deployed to cover up to 80 kilometers within Israel, including Tel Aviv and Modin, the spokesperson added. The Israeli air force targeted an apartment in Bourj Falastin, a ten-floor office building located in downtown Gaza City, according to local sources. A high column of smoke could be seen coming from the roof on Friday afternoon. According to these sources, the air force also bombed a target in Khan Yunes, in the southern part of the Strip. An Islamic Jihad position was hit in Beit Kahya, in the north of the Strip. "The enemy has launched a war against our people", said the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, shortly after the beginning of the first strikes carried out by the Israeli air force. "We must all defend ourselves. We will not allow the enemy to continue its systematic attempts to hit the armed resistance". "The army just hit Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza. This is an operation to remove a concrete threat against Israeli citizens and in areas close to Gaza." Premier Yair Lapid said this. "The government of Israel will not allow terrorists to threaten citizens. Anyone who tries to hit us knows that we will reach them." (ANSAmed) UN peacekeeping mission regrets DR Congo's decision to expel its spokesperson Xinhua) 16:57, August 04, 2022 KINSHASA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) deeply regrets the Congolese government's recent decision to expel its spokesperson, read a statement released Thursday morning. MONUSCO said in a statement that it "regrets the expulsion of its spokesperson by the Congolese government," noting that the mission is committed to continuing to work alongside the Congolese population and authorities to implement the mandate by the UN Security Council. The statement came after the DRC's foreign ministry released a diplomatic note Wednesday, asking MONUSCO's spokesman Mathias Gillmann to leave the Congolese territory "as soon as possible," given his "insensitive and inopportune remarks." The DRC 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 diplomatic note. 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 Movement 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. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) HARARE, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan violated the one-China principle, said Zimbabwean government spokeswoman Monica Mutsvangwa in a recent statement, calling on Washington to be "true and honest" to the one-China principle, and stop stoking and fanning separatist tendencies. In the statement released on Wednesday, Mutsvangwa, who also serves as the Zimbabwean information minister, said it is internationally recognized that there is only one China and Taiwan is an integral part of it. The one-China principle is the political foundation of the China-U.S. relations, said the statement, adding that conducts that violate the one-China principle "will inevitably lead to tension ... between the two leading economies of the world." Calling Zimbabwe "a long time friend that stands by Beijing," the statement noted that the country recognizes only one China, and firmly opposes any action or attempt that violates the one-China principle. Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party has also issued a statement to reaffirm its support to the one-China principle. Archaeology, Egyptian 'sun temple' from Fifth Dynasty found Discovery made by Italian-Polish mission west of Cairo (ANSAmed) - CAIRO, 05 AGO - (by Rodolfo Calo) (ANSAmed) - CAIROT, AUGUST 5 - One of the heads of an ongoing Italian-Polish archaeological mission west of Cairo has provided fresh details to ANSA regarding the discovery of the remains of what is likely to be a 'sun temple' from the Fifth Dynasty. Mission chief for the Polish Academy, Massimiliano Nuzzolo reported in a document for ANSA that the "remains of a building, probably one of four lost sun temples of kings from the Fifth Dynasty, dating back to the mid-25th century BC, were unearthed in Abusir, in the governorate of Giza, just a few kilometers south-west of Cairo", by a "joint mission of the University of Naples L'Orientale and the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw". Nuzzolo provided details of the discovery, which was announced last weekend by the Egyptian ministry of antiquities. He also said that the "mission will complete its work soon, in the attempt to completely unveil the ancient temple". Among the items discovered were "several fragments of clay seals bearing royal names, including the enigmatic king of the Fifth Dynasty Shepseskare, of whom we don't have much information", said in the text Rosanna Pirelli, the mission chief for the University of Naples L'Orientale. The discovery "could change our knowledge of the history of this king as well as of the Fifth Dynasty in general", the researcher said. "The sun temple is a particular structure of ancient Egyptian architecture which differs from the classic schemes used for buildings of worship, which were characterized by progressive walkways that led towards the most impenetrable obscurity", it was recalled. "The sun temple was instead the clear opposite; an entrance in the shade led, through immense and dark articulated passages, to a sacred courtyard inundated by sunlight. No burials took place here, only rituals in honor of the sun god. The characteristic element of the sun temple is the obelisk, set up at the center of the main courtyard, in front of which was placed an altar for offerings", the document explained. The Egyptian ministry of antiquities said in a statement that the remains of the building can be accessed through a monumental entryway built in limestone which leads to an area set up as a warehouse and to a large courtyard to the west characterized by a pavement in mud and some large blocks of quartzite, with 'smooth strips', encased in the pavement of King Niuserre's sun temple, the Italian statement also said the Italian statement. The mission is funded by the Italian ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation (Maeci) and the Polish culture ministry (Ncn), said Nuzzolo, adding that the website www.suntemplesproject.org can be consulted for further information. (ANSAmed). New production of Oedipus at Colonus evokes migrants' hardships On Sunday, August 7 on Mount Andranone with Mamadou Dioume (ANSAmed) - PALERMO, 05 AGO - The fourth edition of the theater event "Lucciole e silenzio" (fireflies and silence) is opening on Sunday, August 7, on Mount Adranone, the archaeological area at 1000 meters of height which dominates the Belice Valley and Sambuca di Sicilia, on the island of Sicily. At sunset Sunday, 'Oedipus at Colonus' by Sophocles will debut nationally, with the interpretation of Gina Merulla, the artistic director of Hamlet theater. "A physical-performative theater - said the director -, the idea stems from a meeting with Mamadou Dioume, a Senegalese actor from Peter Brook's historic group, with whom he realized the celebrated "Mahabharata". Today, Mamadou, 77, knows very well the terrible feeling of having to abandon his home, the loneliness, and of feeling different and refused. This brings him closer to Oedipus, who suffered an adverse fate. Guilty and innocent at the same time, he now wanders towards Colonus". The director explains that she has worked on the "actor's body, his physical part, but everything comes from within, the body obeys to the transformations of the soul, it follows inner reality. However, the story is obviously totally respected, including the voice-over of Edoardo Siravo who narrates what happened in Thebes and what Oedipus is experiencing in Colonus, where he finds hospitality with King Theseus". Oedipus is a tragedy of fate and, since the beginning, the end is tied to the strings that bind him and lead him perhaps where he does not want to go. "But Oedipus - observed Merulla, citing the current theme of migrants - is also a foreigner, he is not welcomed with benevolence, he is actually told 'let's free ourselves from the contamination of this man', there are so many similarities to what we are experiencing today. He and his daughter Antigone are two beggars, in search of asylum, they give one another strength, but then Creon who becomes king of Thebes will tear away Antigone to bring her back home". After Adranone, the performance will be in Segesta, for the Festival on August 8,9 and 10. The cast includes Alberto Bucco, Fabrizio Ferrari, Carlotta Mancini, David Marzi and Lorenza Sacchetto. The music reinterpreted in an electronic version is originally by Albinoni, Vivaldi and Beethoven. (ANSAmed). Alleged violence against Nigerian woman demanding pay probed (ANSAmed) - CATANZARO, 05 AGO - She filmed the alleged aggression of a Nigerian woman by her employer after she demanded to get paid and posted it on social media Prosecutors in the southern Calabrian city of Catanzaro have opened an investigation into the alleged aggression of Beauty, a 25-year-old worker of Nigerian descent. Beauty, who worked for a beach club and restaurant in Soverato, near Catanzaro, said she was hit by her employer when she asked to get paid. The young woman filmed the scene of the aggression, broadcasting it live on social media. She then went to the police in Soverato on Tuesday (August 2), accompanied by her lawyer, Filomena Pedulla, to report the aggression. The alleged attacker has been identified as Nicola Pirroncello, 53. He owns the Mare Nostrum beach club and restaurant. The son of a retired Carabinieri police officer, he does not have a police record. Woman was paid '200 euros instead of the 600 stipulated', attorney Carabinieri police are investigating the potential charges of personal injuries, theft and threats after Beauty's reported aggression, according to the woman's attorney, Filomena Pedulla. Pedulla said investigators are looking into payment slips. "Investigators are examining data regarding the contract and the verbal agreement between the two sides" on the worker's salary. "The young woman received a bank transfer of 200 euros although an agreement had been reached for the payment of 600 euros". The aggression allegedly occurred after the woman protested because she had not been paid the agreed sum, the lawyer said. After the employer's reaction to Beauty's request for money, Pedulla added, she "suffered a hand injury, proven by a bloody nail, contusions on a shoulder and an injury on her scalp". (A picture of Beauty (r) at a Carabinieri station, Soverato, August 3, 2022. Photo: ANSA/SALVATORE MONTEVERDE). (ANSAmed). Greece's intelligence chief quits over wiretapping scandal Secret services allegedly spied on politician, journalist (ANSAmed) - ROME, AUGUST 5 - The head of the Greek secret services (Eyp), Panagiotis Kontoleon, resigned on Friday after a scandal exploded over the case of a politician and a journalist who were allegedly spied through the illegal software Predator, the prime minister's office was quoted as saying by local media. " The director of the national intelligence services Panagiotis Kontoleon has resigned" and his resignation "was accepted by the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis", according to a statement. The resignation came a week after the attempt to allegedly spy the conversations of the leader of the Greek Socialist party (Pasok/Kinal), Nikos Androulakis, a member of the opposition, using Predator. The same spyware was allegedly used to tap the conversations of journalist Thanasis Koukakis of CNN Greece, an investigative reported specialized in financial crimes. Previously, the secretary general of the prime minister, Grigoris Dimitriadis, had resigned, officially to avoid "political speculations" on the case. The intelligence services, in Greece, depend on the premier's office. Kontoleon will now be replaced by the secretary general of the foreign affairs minister, Ambassador Themistoklis Demiris (the former Greek ambassador to Italy), who will "inform the commission for institutions and transparency after the resumption of Parliament's work", added the note. (ANSAmed) (ANSA). Warner Bros superhero blockbuster The Flash is still going ahead amid ongoing controversies surrounding its star Ezra Miller. Franchise boss David Zaslav said the studio was very excited about a spate of upcoming films including Black Adam, Shazam! Fury Of The Gods and The Flash. It comes after the surprise news that DC would be scrapping its upcoming Batgirl film, filmed entirely in Glasgow, months before it was due to be released in late 2022. We have seen The Flash, Black Adam and Shazam 2, Zaslav said, according to Variety, during the companys Q2 earnings call on Thursday. Miller, who identifies as they/them, has been embroiled in multiple controversies in the past several months including being arrested twice in Hawaii (Ian West/PA) We are very excited about them. Weve seen them. We think they are terrific, and we think we can make them even better. Miller, who identifies as they/them, has been embroiled in multiple controversies in the past several months including being arrested twice in Hawaii on charges including second-degree assault and disorderly conduct at a karaoke bar. The actors exact whereabouts are currently unknown, but they have also been accused of the abuse and grooming of a young girl. The Flash, part of the DC Justice League universe, is scheduled for release in June 2023. Following news that Batgirl was being axed by Warner Bros, directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah said they were saddened and shocked. In a joint statement on Instagram the pair wished fans could have the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves. Batgirl was due to star Hollywood A-listers Michael Keaton, Brendan Fraser, JK Simmons and Leslie Grace. Production reportedly cost an estimated 70 million dollars (57.6 million) and the film was scheduled for release in late 2022. After test screenings the studio decided to shelve the production completely, and it will no longer appear in cinemas or on streaming service HBO Max, according to US outlets. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has welcomed back fans for the first time since 2019. The Tattoo, which was last held at Edinburgh Castle before the pandemic, will see nearly 1,000 performers entertain visitors throughout August. The Massed Pipes and Drums perform on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle at this years Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Jane Barlow/PA) The Day of the Dead from Banda Monumental De Mexico thrills the crowd (Jane Barlow/PA) The Tattoo returns with the 2022 show titled Voices with more than 800 performers (Jane Barlow/PA) The Massed UK Military Bands perform (Jane Barlow/PA) The Highland Divas entertain on the eerily-lit esplanade of Edinburgh Castle (Jane Barlow/PA) Highland dancers demonstrate their skill (Jane Barlow/PA) Performers from across the world are taking part in this years show Voices, which creators said has been inspired by people around the globe who, despite being separated, continue to connect and share their voices creatively. Dancers from Banda Monumental De Mexico perform. The Tattoo includes international performances from Mexico, the United States, Switzerland and New Zealand among others (Jane Barlow/PA) The Electro Pipes bring more colour to the event (Jane Barlow/PA) The Tattoo has returned triumphantly after an enforced absence (Jane Barlow/PA) Members of the US Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team perform on the esplanade (Jane Barlow/PA) The ever-popular Massed Pipes and Drums (Jane Barlow/PA) On Thursday the Princess Royal told participants of the military spectacle she was hugely grateful to those who had risen to the challenge of performing in the event. She said: It is a great shame we have not been able to do this for the last couple of years. The Princess Royal views the working rehearsal for this years Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Jane Barlow/PA) Performers on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle (Jane Barlow/PA) The show, which runs until August 27, ends with a bang as fireworks will light up the skyline over the 3,000-year-old fortress. Police have re-issued an appeal to find a convicted rapist who absconded from prison over two months ago, warning he may be living off grid. Sean Phipps, 51, failed to return to HMP Leyhill in South Gloucestershire after being released on a temporary licence to visit Bristol on June 1. Phipps, who has convictions for kidnap and rape, is described as, white, 6ft 2in tall and slim. Avon and Somerset Police said on Friday it has a dedicated team following up all reported sightings of Phipps, as well as coordinating with other forces across the country. Phipps may be camping in a rural area and surviving by foraging, police say (Avon and Somerset Police/PA) It is thought he may still be in the greater Bristol area, including north Somerset or south Gloucester. Phipps is known to walk or hitch-hike over long distances, and to steal bikes for transport, investigators said. Avon and Somerset Police said Phipps has an interest in living off-grid, and may be camping out and foraging in rural areas. The force said he may approach people to ask for water or for work as a casual labourer. Or it said he may seek shelter in disused buildings in Bristol or other towns in the south west, and may be searching through bins for food. Investigators said that Phipps had previously handed himself in when he knew he was wanted by police. Anyone who sees him is asked not to approach him, and to call 999 immediately. Anyone with any information about his whereabouts can contact police on 101, quoting reference number 5222130002. Warner Bros bosses are reportedly considering a restructure of the DC superhero franchise and the implementation of a 10-year plan, to emulate the success of their Marvel competitors. Chief executive David Zaslav said the company would focus on the quality of upcoming blockbusters in order to protect the DC brand. It comes shortly after the company announced it would be scrapping its upcoming Batgirl movie, filmed entirely in Glasgow, five months before the scheduled 2022 release. DC films still due to hit theatres include sequels to Aquaman, starring Jason Momoa (Ian West/PA) DC films still due to hit theatres include sequels to Aquaman, starring Jason Momoa, Shazam! as well as Black Adam and The Flash, the latter starring Ezra Miller. Zaslav made the comments during the Warner Bros Q2 earnings report on Thursday, according to US media. You look at Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman these are brands that are known everywhere in the world, he said. We have done a reset. Weve restructured the business where we are going to focus, where there is going to be a team with a 10-year plan focusing just on DC. We believe we can build a much more sustainable business. It comes after Marvel boss Kevin Feige announced extensive plans, stretching into 2026, for the next stages of the Marvel Comic Universe (MCU) (Richard Shotwell/AP) It comes after Marvel boss Kevin Feige announced extensive plans, stretching into 2026, for the next stages of the Marvel Comic Universe (MCU). In a showcase at the recent San Diego Comic Con, Feige revealed details of the upcoming Phases Five and Six of the MCU, which are set to feature the return of popular superheroes. (DCs plan is) very similar to the structure Alan Horn, Bob Iger and Kevin Feige put together very effectively at Disney, Zaslav said the earnings report. We think we can build a much stronger, sustainable growth business out of DC. As part of that, we are going to focus on quality. We are not going to release any film before its ready DC is something we can make better. Batgirl, due to star Hollywood A-listers Michael Keaton, Brendan Fraser, JK Simmons and Leslie Grace, was scrapped after test screenings and Warner Bros say it will no longer appear in cinemas or on streaming service HBO Max. Production reportedly cost an estimated 70 million dollars (57.6 million) and the film was scheduled for release in late 2022. Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah said they were saddened and shocked by the news and that they wished fans could have the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves. The objective is to grow the DC brand. To grow the DC characters, Zaslav said. But also, our job is to protect the DC brand, and thats what were going to do. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is back with a bang as it welcomes back fans for the first time in three years. The Tattoo, which was last held in the grounds of Edinburgh Castle in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic saw the event cancelled, will see more than 900 performers wow tens of thousands of visitors over the next month. Michael Braithwaite, the shows new creative director, said he could not wait to see what audiences thought of it, as more than 8,000 eager Tattoo fans turned out for the Castle Esplanade on Thursdays preview night. The Swiss Top Secret Drum Corps during the working rehearsal for this years Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo at Redford Barracks, Edinburgh (Jane Barlow/PA) This is where it really comes alive, the audience are half the performance. The rehearsals were looking great but having the audience in is going to take it to a whole new level, he said. Weve got some new contemporary slots in the show, were doing some interesting new things with Scottish dancing and also with bagpipes, I dont want to give too much away, but weve got a couple of surprises up our sleeve. But also the things that people really expect, the mass pipes and drums coming across the drawbridge, the military bands, the precision drill, its a jam-packed programme this year. Members of the Massed Pipes and Drums taking part in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle (Jane Barlow/PA) The secret is hitting a number of bases. We know what the crowd are expecting but they also expect to be surprised and delighted as well so were pretty confident we have got it right based on initial feedback. On Friday performers from across the world are set to take part in this years show Voices, which creators said has been inspired by people around the globe who, despite being separated, continue to connect and share their voices creatively through spoken word, song, music and dance. The 2022 show includes performers from Canada, Germany and Australia, alongside other nations and homegrown talent from the UK. The New Zealand Army Band will make their seventh appearance at the show, and Mexicos Banda Monumental will storm the stage with more than 100 performers bringing dramatic costume and the bright carnival atmosphere of the country. The Princess Royal during the working rehearsal for this years Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Jane Barlow/PA) Swiss sensation The Top Secret Drum Corps are also part of the 90 minute show, with their energetic precision drumming which has received global recognition since they first appeared at the Tattoo in 2003, while The United States Army Field Band make their show debut bringing military mash-ups of traditional and contemporary hits. Buster Howes, chief executive of the Tattoo, said: Ive been blown away by the talents on display during rehearsals and Im confident the audience will be able to feel the electric atmosphere on the Esplanade tonight. The show, which runs until August 27, opens with with original composition and vocals from The Highland Divas and ends with a bang as fireworks light up the skyline over the 3,000-year-old fortress. Members of Banda Monumental de Mexico rehearse on Thursday (Jane Barlow/PA) On Thursday the Princess Royal told participants she was hugely grateful to those who had risen to the challenge of performing in the annual event. Speaking to bands, dancers and singers from the four corners of the world, Anne said: It is a great shame we have not been able to do this for the last couple of years. I hope you all know what pleasure it gives to so many and the good it does. Above all, I hope you enjoyed being part of it, and from my perspective, thank you very much indeed for giving me the time to do this. RAMALLAH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Thursday called for international intervention to stop the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and protect the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The international community has to intervene to stop Israel from confiscating land, demolishing homes, burning trees, and destroying infrastructure in the Palestinian territories, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "The Israeli measures turn any conversations, positions, or visions related to peace based on the two-state solution into a mirage and unrealistic dreams, which are difficult to achieve," the statement said. Israel has built dozens of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories in violation of the international law. Restaurant Brands CEO Jose Cil says don't expect $1 Whoppers to return to the Burger King menu as raging inflation leads U.S. consumers to demand more value. After years of heavy couponing, Cil told Yahoo Finance Live in February that he is looking to bring back the Whopper as the industrys most iconic hamburger and price the product at a premium. Some six months later, hes sticking to that plan. "No," Cil told Yahoo Finance Live on Thursday (video above) when asked if the well-known burger would be discounted as in years past. "We have a $5 Have It Your Way meal, which features a Whopper Jr. We think that's an amazing value and have seen a good response from our guests." In this photo illustration, a Burger King Whopper hamburger is displayed on April 05, 2022, in San Anselmo, California. (Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Despite economic stresses weighing on lower-income consumers, Restaurant Brands' solid second quarter suggests it may not need to discount aggressively in the near term. Same-store sales rose 12.2% at Tim Hortons on the back of new menu items like food bowls in Canada, 10% at Burger King due to overseas momentum, and 1.4% at Popeyes. Sales at all three fast-food chains beat Wall Street analyst estimates handily. Here is how Restaurant Brands performed in the second quarter compared to Wall Street estimates: Net Sales: $1.64 billion vs. $1.57 billion Diluted EPS: $0.82 vs. $0.73 Shares of Restaurant Brands rose nearly 7% to $58.68 as of 1:27 p.m. ET in Thursday's session as investors cheered the strong sales gains overseas. "Unit growth and Tim Hortons Canada are the two larger storylines with upside unlock potential, and no significant improvement in the BK US business is necessary to drive the stock," David Palmer, restaurant analyst at Evercore ISI, said in a flash note to clients. Palmer reiterated an outperform rating on Restaurant Brands with a $75 price target. Brian Sozzi is an editor-at-large and anchor at Yahoo Finance. Follow Sozzi on Twitter @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn. Click here for the latest trending stock tickers of the Yahoo Finance platform Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Download the Yahoo Finance app for Apple or Android Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and YouTube Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) continued to plummet on Thursday, dropping 16% in midday trading after the company reported a $3.42 billion loss in the second quarter, partly due to obstacles related to its recent merger. "We knew it was going to be messy, but this was pretty awful," Geetha Ranganathan, Bloomberg Intelligence senior media analyst, told Yahoo Finance. The company expects 2022 adjusted EBITDA to come in between $9 billion and $9.5 billion, a decline from previous forecasts of $10 billion. Management also cut its full-year 2023 EBITDA guidance from $14 billion to $12 billion. "This raises the question of what is the growth path for this company, because there's no imminent catalyst," Ranganathan said, explaining that the streaming business largely relies on future execution while the majority of the company's revenues remain tied in its legacy TV business a risk as consumers cut the cord. "The end of 2022 and into 2023 it looks pretty bleak," she continued. Analysts remain split on what the future might hold for the streaming giant. CFRA maintained its Hold rating on the stock. The firm also lowered its price target by $7 to $16 a share. "We think WBD lags in a tough competitive TV market facing larger streaming providers," analyst Ken Leon wrote in a new note. Cowen analyst Doug Creutz, meanwhile, reiterated his Outperform rating, setting a price target of $24 a share. The analyst credited the conglomerate's cost-cutting goals, writing that "the company will be managed first and foremost for free cash flow, and we think that is a message that will resonate." Warner Bros. Discovery previously said it expects to slash $3 billion worth of costs over the next two years. As a result, job cuts are largely expected with Ranganathan surmising that "layoffs will be inevitable" as the company maintains a "laser focus when it comes to extracting synergies." HBO Max, Discovery+ merger 'makes sense' Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav arrives for the Time 100 Gala celebrating Time magazine's 100 most influential people people in the world in New York, U.S., June 8, 2022. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs Zaslav provided a bit more clarity on the future of HBO Max during the company's earnings call. He confirmed that the streaming service will combine with Discovery+ to be one platform, set to launch next summer. Ranganathan said the move "makes sense" given the portfolio of assets with Discovery's content leaning more global and nonfiction, while HBO Max is comprised of more expensive, higher quality scripted programming. She added that the decision also makes sense from a financial perspective given the duplicate management costs. Combining the two entities "makes the product all the more robust a must-have kind of service, which is exactly what their approach is going to be," the analyst predicted. In the interim, the two services will share content. The company provided an update on its programming prior to the announcement, revealing that select content from Chip and Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Network will arrive on HBO Max in September. It will remain available on Discovery+, as well. Additionally, CNN will receive its own hub on Discovery+ that will include original series like "Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy" and "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown." Profitability has quickly materialized as a top concern for investors with streaming and production costs continuing to skyrocket. Amid its cost-cutting agenda, Warner Bros. Discovery revealed that the company is weighing a free, ad-supported streaming plan to attract cost-conscious consumers and reduce churn. HBO Max and Discovery+ already boast their own respective ad tiers, making the rollout a fairly seamless process; however, Ranganathan warned that the benefits of an ad-supported tier, similar to the company's streaming endeavors as a whole, will all "come down to execution." The company expects to see 130 million global streaming subscribers by 2025. It ended the second quarter with 92.1 million total subscribers, up about 1.7 million from the first quarter. For context, Netflix boasts just over 220 million global subscribers to date. It's going to come down to execution...Geetha Ranganathan, Bloomberg Intelligence senior media analyst Warner Bros. Discovery estimated that EBITDA for global streaming will hit $1 billion by 2025 with the streaming business breaking even by 2024. It expects peak EBITDA loss in streaming by this year. "There will be volatility but, in the long run, their goals seem very reasonable," the analyst maintained, explaining that the media conglomerate's $1 billion EBITDA target feels conservative, in addition to its margin goal of 20% for streaming. Overall, Ranganathan emphasized that the company won't have the most successful streaming platform on the market but, ultimately, that might not matter. "I don't think they're going to be the number one streaming service," she predicted. "But that's okay as long as they're able to make money." Alexandra is a Senior Entertainment and Food Reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193 and email her at alexandra.canal@yahoofinance.com Click here for the latest trending stock tickers of the Yahoo Finance platform Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Download the Yahoo Finance app for Apple or Android Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and YouTube MILAN For German start-up Air Up, improving human health conditions and environmental impact is as easy as drinking a glass of water. The Munich-based company has been making waves since its inception in 2019 with its clear, two-fold mission and a simple yet innovative execution. To encourage people to increase their daily water intake without the unnecessary use of sugar or artificial additives, as well as to minimize the plastic consumption, Air Up developed a refillable drinking system that flavors ordinary tap water through scent. More from WWD The approach quickly drew the attention of investors, including PepsiCo Inc., Ashton Kutcher and talent manager Guy Oseary, who have been backing the company and boosting its distribution and product expansion. Air Up recently debuted in the U.S. and launched new bottle designs. The brands overall concept centers on the phenomenon of retronasal smell. According to the companys scientific research, 80 percent of taste is based on scent, and the start-up leveraged this aspect to trick the brain into thinking that scent is taste. Air Up - Credit: Courtesy of Air Up Courtesy of Air Up This resulted in the development of lightly scented and interchangeable pods meant to be applied to the head part of a 650-ml. bottle, made from BPA-free Tritan. Available in eight colors, the bottle enables users to switch the scent on and off according to their preference. The company has gradually developed an array of pods for a total of 27 flavors so far, including cherry, peach and coffee, as well as combinations such as basil with lemon or raspberry with lime. Each pod can aromatize at least five liters of water. Since the company has reached more than two million customers, it estimated it has potentially saved 130 million single-use plastic bottles and more than 2,600 tons of sugar. Last year, Air Up raised more than 60 million euros in two investment rounds, first collecting 20 million euros at the beginning of 2021 from key players such as PepsiCo and French food-tech investor Five Seasons Ventures and then 40 million euros in September. In its first year, it generated 2.4 million euros in sales, which grew to 21 million euros in 2020 and jumped to more than 90 million euros last year. The company said it aims to double the 2021 revenues this year. Air Up - Credit: Courtesy of Air Up Courtesy of Air Up This exponential growth was propelled by the companys rapid expansion. Before launching in the U.S., the German brand rolled out in nine European countries, including Austria, France, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the U.K. and Sweden, in addition to its domestic market. The U.S. marks the first step outside the continent, as well as a strategic move for Air Up, which cited studies according to which 75 percent of Americans remain chronically dehydrated. This opened an opportunity for the start-up to further pursue its mission of making plain water an easy and attractive choice, while saving plastic and CO2 from bottles transportation in the process. Our goal is to offer a new, healthy and environmentally friendlier product without compromise, said cofounder Lena Jungst, who had the idea for the concept in 2016, while studying product design with Tim Jager at the University of Design in Schwabisch Gmund, Germany. Weve seen meteoric growth and excitement around the brand in Europe, and we know our drinking system presents a much-needed solution to the U.S. hydration problem, said Jungst. Air Up cofounder Lena Jungst. - Credit: Courtesy of Air Up Courtesy of Air Up For the moment, a portfolio of 10 flavors is available in the U.S., including classic options such as lemon and cucumber or combinations like mango and passion fruit. In the U.S., the aroma pods and bottles can be purchased exclusively on the brands e-commerce site, while distribution in Europe flanks the online store with a selection of physical retailers, too. Prices start at $39.99 for an entry set that includes a bottle and a pack of three pods, but consumers can also purchase stand-alone packs of pods starting at $7.99. This week, a new, more mature version of the brands design bottle debuted in Europe. Made of stainless steel and rendered in black, it keeps the water cool for up to 14 hours and comes with a price tag of 59.95 euros. Meanwhile, the company is also working on expanding the variety of pods as well as making the products, production and supply chain more sustainable. To this end, Air Up said it plans to relocate a large part of its production to Europe by the end of the year. The company has a pod production site in Turkey, but it is working on opening one in the Netherlands, which will add to warehouses already established in France and the U.K. Additional plants for bottles in Germany and Austria are on the agenda, too, with the goal to bring the product closer to customers and shorten transportation. The firms goal is to enable production of the European products in the continent by the end of 2023. Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. A West Virginia man who threatened Dr. Anthony Fauci and his family was sentenced to more than three years in prison. Thomas Patrick Connally Jr., 57, will serve 37 months in a federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for encrypted emails sent to the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Justice Department said. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies on Capitol Hill on May 11, 2022 in Washington. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies on Capitol Hill on May 11, 2022 in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/) Connally confessed in a plea agreement that he was responsible for sending unsolicited emails to Fauci for a nearly seven-month period that ended in late July 2021. One of those messages said that along with his family, Fauci, 81, would be dragged into the street, beaten to death, and set on fire. On one night in April 2021, Connally send more than a half-dozen late-night messages to the nations top immunologist. No indication that ivermectin is clinically useful says COVID study Threats like these will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, said Erek Barron, U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland. Fauci was said to have been one of several health officials menaced by Connally. The threats came at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when lockdowns were widely in effect. Fauci had become a pariah to many conspiracy theorists who faulted the Brooklyn native for relaying information that didnt jibe with their alternative views. What youre seeing as attacks on me, quite frankly, are attacks on science, Fauci told MSNC in June 2021. Alaska Airlines, one of only two commercial airlines providing nonstop service between Fresno and Los Angeles, will discontinue its route after the Labor Day holiday weekend next month. The airlines booking site shows that Tuesday, Sept. 6 will be the final departure from Fresno to Los Angeles International Airport, leaving Fresno Yosemite International Airport at 8 a.m. The last return flight on the schedule is later that day, leaving LAX at 6:40 p.m. and arriving in Fresno at 7:44 p.m. We are suspending FAT-LAX service in a month, the airline said in an email to The Fresno Bee on Friday. The reason is some regional capacity constraints were facing. The company added that the cut is due to an unanticipated shortage of available crew members to operate the flights. Alaska Airlines said it expects to resume the route in the spring of 2023.. Vikkie Calderon, a spokesperson for Fresno Yosemite International Airport, said the city-owned airport had not been notified by Alaska Airlines about the rationale for its decision. Alaskas flights were operated by Utah-based SkyWest Airlines under the AlaskaSkyWest brand. Alaska Airlines temporary pullout from the Fresno market will leave United Airlines as the only carrier offering service between Fresno, the fifth largest city in California, and Los Angeles. With United, we still have service to L.A. and connectivity for interstate travel beyond Los Angeles, Calderon told The Fresno Bee late Thursday afternoon. United offers two daily nonstop flights each way between Fresno and Los Angeles, Calderon added. Will Alaska Airlines still serve Fresno? Alaska Airlines will remain in the Fresno market on other routes. The airlines booking engine continues to offer at least one daily nonstop flight each way between Fresno and San Diego; two nonstop flights each way between Fresno and Seattle; and two daily flights most days between Fresno and Portland, Ore. The cut in service to Los Angeles by Alaska Airlines comes less than six months after the airline announced its Flight Pass program in which customers could purchase annual subscriptions for round-trip flights on its Fresno-Los Angeles and Fresno-San Diego routes, as well as other city pairs across the western U.S. The primary reason for our decision is a shortage of crew from our regional operator (SkyWest) that wasnt anticipated when we built our summer schedule several months ago, an airline representative told The Fresno Bee by email Friday afternoon. The suspension in service is planned through the winter with a return to service in the spring of 2023. The airline said the route represents a small fraction of Alaska Airlines Flight Pass subscribers, but we understand the inconvenience it may have on our guests to have relied on this route for business or to visit family and friends. Fresno customers with Flight Pass subscriptions can contact the airline to look at options for their subscriptions, including cancellation. Customers can call the toll-free Flight Pass line at 888-885-0155 to learn more. Alex Jones reacts to trial questioning on Wednesday. (Briana Sanchez / Associated Press) Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his company Free Speech Systems are worth up to $270 million, an economist testified Friday to a jury trying to determine if Jones should have to pay punitive damages to the family of a 6-year-old killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. The same jury ordered Jones to pay Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis $4.1 million in compensation for defamation. Jurors began considering additional punitive damages Friday as a separate issue. The parents want to punish Jones for a decade of pushing false hoax claims that they say led to a decade of trauma and abuse from the Infowars host's followers. Bernard Pettingill, who was hired by the plaintiffs to study Jones net worth, said records show that Jones withdrew $62 million for himself in 2021, when default judgments were issued in lawsuits against him. That number represents, in my opinion, a value of a net worth," Pettingill said. "Hes got money put in a bank account somewhere. The money that flows into Jones companies eventually funnels its way to him, said Pettingill, who added that he has testified in approximately 1,500 cases during his career. He is a very successful man, Pettingill said, calling Jones a maverick and revolutionary for finding ways to monetize his online messaging. Although the $4.1-million award Thursday was less than the $150 million the parents sought, it marked the first time Jones has been held financially liable for repeatedly claiming that the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history was a hoax perpetrated to try to bring about tighter gun restrictions. Mark Bankston, an attorney for parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose 6-year-old son Jesse was among 20 children and six educators killed in the school attack in Newtown, Conn., insisted that the $4.1-million compensation award wasn't a disappointment and said that they would be trying to punish Jones in the next phase. We aren't done yet, Bankston said Thursday. After tomorrow, he's going to owe a whole lot more. Another of the plaintiffs' attorneys, Wesley Ball, asked jurors in closing Friday to award an additional $145.9 million, which would bring the total amount in damages to that $150 million target. You are asked to punish Alex Jones," Ball said. "You are asked to deter Alex Jones from ever doing this awful thing again to another person or another family to deter anyone who wants to step into his shoes. "Send the message to those who desire to do the same: Speech is free. Lies, you pay for, he said. But Jones' lawyers said their client has already learned his lesson and asked for lenience. The jury's punishment should be less than $300,000, attorney Andino Reynal said. Youve already sent a message. A message for the first time to a talk show host, to all talk show hosts, that their standard of care has to change," Reynal said. Jones still faces two other defamation lawsuits from Sandy Hook families in Texas and Connecticut that put his personal wealth and media empire in jeopardy. Jones who was in the courtroom briefly Friday but left before Pettingill's testimony told jurors earlier this week that any award over $2 million would sink us." And a week ago, his company, Free Speech Systems, which is Infowars' parent company, filed for federal bankruptcy protection. Lawyers for the family suing Jones contend that Jones has tried to hide evidence of his true wealth and have sued him claiming he's tried to hide money in various shell companies. During his testimony, Jones was confronted with a memo from one of his business managers outlining a single day's gross revenue of $800,000 from selling vitamin supplements and other products through his website, which would approach nearly $300 million in a year. Jones called it a record sales day. Jones, who has portrayed the lawsuit as an attack on his 1st Amendment rights, conceded during the trial that the attack was 100% real and that he was wrong to have lied about it. But Heslin and Lewis told jurors that an apology wouldnt suffice and called on them to make Jones pay for the years of suffering he has put them and other Sandy Hook families through. The parents told jurors about how theyve endured a decade of trauma inflicted by the murder of their son and what followed: a home shot at, online and phone threats, and harassment on the street by strangers. They said the threats and harassment were all fueled by Jones as his conspiracy theory spread to his followers via his website Infowars. A forensic psychiatrist testified that 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. Throughout the trial, Jones has been his typically bombastic self, talking about conspiracies on the witness stand, during impromptu news conferences and on his show. His erratic behavior is unusual by courtroom standards, and the judge has scolded him, telling him at one point: This is not your show. The trial has drawn attention from outside Austin as well. Bankston told the court Thursday that the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has requested records from Jones' phone that Jones' attorneys had mistakenly turned over to the plaintiffs. Bankston later said he planned to comply with the committee's request. Last month, the Jan. 6 committee showed graphic and violent text messages and played videos of right-wing figures, including Jones, and others vowing that Jan. 6 would be the day they would fight for Trump. The committee first subpoenaed Jones in November, demanding a deposition and documents related to his efforts to spread misinformation about the 2020 election and a rally on the day of the attack. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Community members look on after apprehending illegal gold miners, beating them and stripping them naked Thursday before police arrested them near Krugersdorp, South Africa. (Denis Farrell / Associated Press) Protesters in the South African city of Krugersdorp beat suspected illegal miners with sticks and set fire to their camps Thursday following the arrests of more than 80 men, some thought to be miners, in connection with the gang rapes of eight women last week. Residents of Krugersdorp's Kagiso township also barricaded roads with rocks and burning tires during a protest against the miners' presence. They said they were frustrated with high levels of crime that they blame on the illegal miners and the alleged failure of police to deal with them. Some suspected illegal miners were stripped of their clothes and whipped by residents, who also chased others out of their camps and beat and kicked them before handing them over to police. Police responded by firing rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse the protesters, who clashed with officers. In some cases, officers rescued the people being attacked. We want support from the police because the illegal miners are terrorizing us. We cannot simply walk around the neighborhood at night because they rape us," said Nhlanhla Felatsi, who was part of the protest. We recently had an incident where two female security officers were raped by the same people. The police are not protecting us. Police said eight women were raped July 28 when a television crew filming a music video at a mine dump in the nearby township of West Village was attacked by heavily armed men, some suspected of being illegal miners. Police said they were investigating 32 counts of rape. The attack was shocking, even for a country used to high levels of violent crime. More than 80 men accused of being involved in the gang rapes appeared in court Monday. Illegal mining is rife in South Africa, with miners known as zama-zamas searching for gold at the many disused and abandoned mines in and around the Johannesburg region. Krugersdorp is a mining city on the western edges of Johannesburg. Illegal mining gangs are considered dangerous by the police, are usually armed and are known to fight violent turf battles with rival groups. The trade is believed to be dominated by immigrants who enter illegally from the neighboring countries Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Police said that some of the men suspected of raping the eight women were foreign nationals. That has aggravated the situation as South Africa is seeing an upsurge in xenophobic attacks sparked by locals blaming foreigners for crime. What upsets me is that we live as though we are not South Africans. How can someone from nowhere come and control us in our community?" said Thoko Setlhabi, a resident of Kagiso. "The people from Lesotho and Zimbabwe are coming into our houses and rape us. You must make sure you and your family are indoors by 6 p.m. When will our children be allowed to be free? Police say they are analyzing DNA evidence to link some suspects to the rapes. Residents have criticized the department for doing nothing despite their warnings that illegal miners were operating in the area as part of larger crime syndicates. We are not fighting only against the zama-zamas [illegal miners], but we are fighting against the entire crime. Our police must stand up, our police must pull up their socks, said Kabelo Matlou, a local government official. Clearly something is wrong here. If somebody takes out gold here, where are they taking it?" he said. "Our political leaders must come together and sort this out." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Imagine if a group of people regularly met with Xi Jinping, received widespread praise from Chinese state media and defended Beijings criminal actions here in America. Would you accept that group as a U.S. registered nonprofit? No you would immediately recognize it as a front for a foreign governments influence campaign. And you would expect our own government to do something about it. Right now, we have a group that is clearly in bed with Cubas communist regime and doing the regimes dirty work within our own borders. But instead of cracking down on that group, senior members of the Biden administration are granting it undue legitimacy. Puentes de Amor or Bridges of Love is a left-wing organization registered in the United States as a nonprofit. Despite its sentimental name, the organization really exists to advance the goals of Cubas repressive dictatorship around the world and in the United States. Like allied groups Code Pink and the Peoples Forum, Puentes de Amor advocates for the removal of sanctions against the Cuban regime. It also seeks Cubas delisting from Americas state sponsors of terrorism list. While President Obama granted that concession to appease Raul Castro, President Trump rightly reversed it. Delisting Cuba again would only aid the thugs in Havana and do nothing for the Cuban people. In addition, Puentes de Amor spreads communist propaganda on behalf of the Cuban regime. On July 31, the groups members staged a public celebration of the Cuban revolution in Miami-Dade County to demonstrate their allegiance to mass-murderer Fidel Castro and his successors. Its also obvious that Puentes de Amors leader, Carlos Lazo, has close ties to Havana. Cuban dictator Miguel Diaz-Canel routinely shares photos of him and Lazo on social media and uses Lazos advocacy to bolster the lie that Cuban Americans favor going easy on his criminal regime. Thugs like Diaz-Canel use the appearance of American support to strengthen their oppressive grip on citizens and legitimize their power abroad. U.S. residents should never contribute to those efforts, and they certainly shouldnt receive tax breaks for it. What Puentes de Amor is doing isnt just wrong its illegal. Federal law prohibits anyone in the United States from acting under the direction of foreign governments unless they first register as a foreign agent. But Puentes de Amor is doing Havanas bidding while claiming to be an ordinary nonprofit. This is clear cause for a federal investigation. Thus far, the federal government has failed to intervene. On the contrary, a member of Bidens State Department met with Puentes de Amor and posed for a photo with Lazo. That photo made its way onto Cuban state media and is now being used to support Diaz-Canels oppression against the Cuban people. This is embarrassing and unacceptable. Its why I wrote a letter to FBI Director Chris Wray urging him to investigate Puentes de Amor for its violation of U.S. law. Of course, Lazo denies having connections to the Cuban regime. He claims his group is a humanitarian organization with no political agenda. Regime apologists and Obama-era holdovers in the Biden administration will also resist efforts to crack down on Cuban influence campaigns. Theyre more interested in cozying up to Latin Americas far left than furthering U.S. interests or those of the Cuban people. But no matter what they say and no matter what ridiculous claims Lazo makes from his hideaway in Havana its obvious that Puentes de Amor is attempting to sow dissension and confusion on American soil to strengthen a communist dictatorship. That makes Bridges of Love an organization of foreign agents. Our government is duty-bound to do something about it. Sen. Marco Rubio is Floridas senior U.S. senator. Among the great things to enjoy this evening during Augusts First Friday downtown is the first-ever art show opening at 830 High. There, three artists, Rudy Mendes, Anna Richards and Erin Hawkins are featured in the 830 High St. space thats not so much a gallery as a business center with office and cooperative workspaces run by long-time Macon landscape architect Wimberly Treadwell. Seeing any of the three artists work is a treat, all three together being thrice the treat, but taken as a whole the show is a parable of threads of community that are happily weaving together to help grow Macons creative renaissance. First, about 830 High. The location was once home to Bibb Printing Co. and instead of the legendary facility falling into ruins Treadwell has turned it into an office for her successful, and one could say artful, landscape architectural business thats beautified Middle Georgia for 30 years. Only needing so much space herself, she turned the sites nooks and crannies into office space for others and part of it into cooperative space for those not needing or able to afford their own brick and mortar spot. Friendly serendipity plays a key part among Macon creatives and the community built among them and their patrons. The opening at 830 High is an example. Aside from their art, each is involved in the wider community in various ways professionally and as volunteers. Mendes and Richards day-jobs with Bike Walk Macon and the Knight Foundation respectively mean theyre at offices at 830 High. Hawkins uses the cooperative area to meet clients and do the business-ey commerce things her graphic design and artwork require. Maybe around the communal coffee maker or rubbing elbows otherwise, the idea rose to use the facilities plenteous, empty walls to show art. Thats something Treadwell envisioned from the beginning. But 830 High isnt a gallery proper because, even though new shows are planned on a quarterly basis, unlike full-time galleries 830 Highs first clients are those renting work, conference or other space. Doors have to be secured as a rule and cant be left open daily. But theres a workaround. Its mainly during show openings people can freely come see the art but even though our doors are routinely locked during the day people can arrange for an artist to show them in or contact me and we can make a way for them to get in, Treadwell said. My office is in the building but my front door is next-door to the coop spaces. Treadwell is thrilled at whats transpiring and how its furthering Macons art experience, further building community and, of course, enhancing the sites classic interior brick walls. Now on to the artists. Like his two show cohorts, Mendes is well known around town and beyond, he for his painting, work with fabrics, ceramics and multi-media creations. Have you been to Mercers Hawkins Arena and liked the bear? A fan tells me its his. Mendes has an arts degree from Howard University and studied welding at Central Georgia Technical College. Hes taught workshops and exhibited throughout the Mid-Atlantic region showing locally at Macon Arts Alliance, the Tubman Museum and the Museum of Arts and Sciences. Hes a Macon Arts Cultural Award winner and the education program coordinator for Bike Walk Macon. The 830 High show is the kind of thing we need, he said about the show and 830 Highs approach. There needs to be more places artists can show and sell their work whether its a traditional gallery or non-traditional space like this. That will really help. Mendes is also dedicated to helping other artists, as indicated by comments by local folk artist Rhonda Sunshine Miller who said, He taught me to find me in art and not someone else. As far as his own art, he draws inspiration from graffiti/street art and hip hop music and is motivated by the people and things he sees around him. He said motivation often comes from street scenes and people, such as those suffering homelessness and the realization of their value and the difficulties they face. If you can compose and arrange lines and colors and shapes through abstraction and create a feeling or emotion people can see and feel from it, thats where the magic happens, he said. I want my work to express that. Anna Richards has created a series of paintings each summer since 2017; her latest is in the 830 High show. This current series of abstract work is titled Sound and Vision and is a collection of paintings inspired by my travels over the past year and the connections that occur when experiencing new places, she said. I pick up on light, sound and landscape both natural and artificial. All of these elements come together and trigger memories, feelings and my imagination. I love capturing these visceral reactions and experiences either with photo, video or audio and then translating them into another medium. This translation can often look chaotic but I love processing through painting and making something beautiful from all the noise. From Nashville, shes been in Macon and involved in supporting others in the art scene since 2015. She served as gallery assistant at Macon Arts Alliance before taking the program assistant role at the Knight Foundation. Shes hosted artist conversations through On The Table Macon and created the Macon Artists Group, co-founded Creative Conversations and served on the Steering Committee for the Macon Cultural Master Plan. Shell graduate in 2023 as a non-traditional student from Wesleyan College with a degree in studio art. No doubt, youve seen Hawkins work even if youve never set foot in a gallery. Youve likely even driven over it. Hawkins, or Mama Hawk Draws, her professional designation, designed and led the execution of the river mural flowing literally on Cherry Street featuring the musical notation of Little Richards Southern Child. She is a designer-artist-muralist working on everything from stickers to T-shirts to walls and yes, streets. She serves individuals, families, businesses, organizations and virtually anyone wanting to add her considerable design skills to their whatever. After years as a corporate art director, she left to pursue her own business and passion in graphic design and hand lettering. She said she believes in the importance of community and supporting other women small-business owners and is co-founder of Creative Conversations and serves other roles community-wide such as being on the board for Macon Periods Easier. She loves exposing kids to art and showing them how to use it to impact their lives and society. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design from James Madison University. My paintings (for the show) include images of nature such as leaves, flowers and rainbows using many layers of paint and other media to explore the complexity of self-doubt and imposter syndrome. But these paintings bring optimism and whimsy to a room, evoking good vibes through the use of bright colors so that the subjects poke through the paint, representing how we must persevere through and grow from hard experiences. Hawkins said the self-doubt and imposter syndrome aspects are as much a part of the process as the finished work. I see it in the mess that first goes on the canvas and how it slowly gets covered over, redone and eventually works its way into a finished piece. The 830 High show is free and runs today from 5-8 p.m. Snacks and drinks will be on hand. As at any show or opening - and maybe especially this one - while theres value in seeing the art theres added value in meeting and talking with the artists and other art community members. Plus, theres the opportunity to support their work and take real art home as well as find out more about 830 High itself. More information can be found at www.830high.com, www.wimberlytreadwell.com, www.annarichardsart.com and www.mamahawkdraws.com. Mendes can be found by searching Diane Rudy Mendes on Facebook. Theres a lot going on at First Friday and a great way to track it is at NewTown Macons www.facebook.com/NTMacon page by going to their Events section. Also, dont miss touring The Weaver Center for Dance, 117 Orange St., from 10 a.m. until noon Saturday. See www.facebook.com/NutcrackerofMiddleGeorgia for details. Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com. Were tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back each week for updates. Nearly 15,000 COVID cases in SC last week The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Thursday, Aug. 4, reported 14,967 COVID-19 cases and 13 coronavirus-related deaths for the week ending July 30. The counts include probable and confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths. At least 1.6 million coronavirus cases have been reported in South Carolina, and more than 18,000 people have died of the virus since March 2020, according to state health officials. Data shows COVID-19 cases are down about 14% compared with this time last week and hospitalizations are up nearly 13%. As of July 30, an average 582 people in the state were hospitalized with the coronavirus, including 81 patients being treated in intensive care and 23 patients on ventilators, the latest data shows. The omicron variant accounted for 100% of coronavirus strains identified in South Carolina for the week of July 23, according to the latest data. The DHECs Public Health Laboratory conducts sequencing on randomly chosen samples as part of nationwide efforts to find out about new strains of the virus, the agencys website reads. About 52% percent of South Carolinians eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and just over 60% have received at least one dose, state health data shows. USC to offer COVID testing to the public. What to know The University of South Carolina is offering saliva-based coronavirus tests to the public after a campus-wide testing program helped keep the virus at bay for students and staff, according to The State. The universitys Diagnostic Genomics Laboratory at the College of Pharmacy will provide the tests at $70 for 48-hour results, the outlet reported. For same-day results, tests are $100. The testing site is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m, according to The State. Residents can also stop by on Fridays between 7:30 a.m. and noon. Lab hours will be extended once the semester starts on Aug. 18. For more on COVID-19 testing, read the full story here. Lower sex drive and hair loss among long COVID symptoms, study suggests A reduced sex drive and hair loss are among the lengthy list of symptoms reported by sufferers of long COVID, according to a new research study. Both were named alongside at least 60 other symptoms believed to be significantly associated with the condition in which the effects of COVID-19 linger in the body for weeks or months, McClatchy News reported, citing research published in the journal Nature Medicine on July 25. For the study, University of Birmingham researchers analyzed over 2 million medical records of people living in the United Kingdom and divided their reported symptoms into several different categories including breathing, mental health and reproductive health. Researchers determined the symptoms were linked to long COVID at least 12 weeks after an initial infection, according to the report. This research validates what patients have been telling clinicians and policy makers throughout the pandemic, that the symptoms of Long Covid are extremely broad and cannot be fully accounted for by other factors such as lifestyle risk factors or chronic health conditions, senior study author Dr Shamil Haroon, of the University of Birmingham, said in a statement. Read more about the research study here. Coronavirus updates for Aug. 4: Heres what to know in North Carolina this week Second US city declares monkeypox a public health emergency. The epicenter is NYC BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- 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. Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday announced the following countermeasures in response: 1. Canceling China-U.S. Theater Commanders Talk. 2. Canceling China-U.S. Defense Policy Coordination Talks (DPCT). 3. Canceling China-U.S. Military Maritime Consultative Agreement (MMCA) meetings. 4. Suspending China-U.S. cooperation on the repatriation of illegal immigrants. 5. Suspending China-U.S. cooperation on legal assistance in criminal matters. 6. Suspending China-U.S. cooperation against transnational crimes. 7. Suspending China-U.S. counternarcotics cooperation. 8. Suspending China-U.S. talks on climate change. Experts say its unlikely, but a powerful Midlands earthquake could threaten the Lake Murray dam and unleash up to 650 billion gallons of water. If the two 213-foot tall dams comprising the Dreher Shoals Dam facility known locally as the Lake Murray dam were fractured after a powerful earthquake, the resulting failure would unleash a massive amount of water. A breach of the structure which holds back nearly 650 billion gallons of water would subject the Midlands area to catastrophic flooding, with water reaching south of I-20 into the Congaree Swamp, according to Kim Stenson, the director of the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, and Dominion Energy. The nearly 8,000-foot-long main dam, which is owned by Dominion Energy, provides hydroelectric power generated from Lake Murrays 50,000 acres of water. The Gervais Street Bridge could be under water, with places like the Vulcan Quarry or the Riverbanks Zoo being inundated. John Davis, the director of animal care and welfare at the Riverbanks Zoo, told The State there is essentially nothing the Zoo isnt prepared for. The facilities and team are well-equipped and trained for any disaster, and Davis has connections with facilities around the Southeast should animals need to be evacuated. Jimmy Fleming, a vice president for permits and external affairs at Vulcan Materials, said the quarry has experienced flooding and natural disasters before and doesnt see anything to be worried about. Theres nothing that would occur to our side that we would consider catastrophic to something else. In other words, if something on our site broke, it wouldnt cause danger to anyone outside of our site, Fleming said. The dam has never suffered damage or failures. But in the early 2000s, local officials were ordered to devise a strategy for if the dam broke. The decision came after federal officials concluded the initial dam would not survive the potentially strongest earthquake in the area. In their planning, they envisioned the worst case situation: a flood would be unleashed, covering a 210-square-mile area as far as 35 miles away within half a day and raising river levels to 125 feet above normal. To remedy the potential calamity, a 213-foot tall backup dam that can withstand a 7.3-magnitude earthquake was built. The backup dam was completed in 2005 at the Saluda Hydro facility as an additional measure of safety to withstand an unlikely event of major seismic activity, a Dominion spokesman, Matthew Long, said in an email. The Saluda Hydro facility meets the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions rigorous safety criteria, and both dams undergo frequent, thorough inspections to ensure their readiness to perform as designed. The largest recorded earthquake in South Carolina history and one of the largest in the history of eastern United States struck Charleston in 1886 and was thought to be around 7.3 magnitude or stronger. Experts say an earthquake of that magnitude in the Lake Murray area is improbable, even after a recent string of South Carolina earthquakes. The problem is that there havent been enough that we really see any patterns at this point, said Tom Pratt, a research geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey. But we have no idea whether its going to lead to something bigger or not, its unlikely. There are a number of fault lines that run under Lake Murray and South Carolina, but a fault line must be proven active before it is considered hazardous. The faults running under Lake Murray have had no history of activity. Several minor to moderate earthquakes have rattled South Carolina in the last few months, with the largest reaching a magnitude 3.5. Since December, at least 64 earthquakes have struck the Columbia area, typically between Elgin and Lugoff. Pratt said significant damage only happens after a 6-magnitude earthquake. The dam at Lake Murray Instead of worrying about disaster, Pratt urged residents to think of the recent activity as a wake-up call for preparation. Its always a reminder to keep emergency plans updated, Pratt said. They (recent earthquakes) might die off and do nothing. They might make something bigger. They might just keep going the way they are. We just dont know. South Carolina has a state emergency operations plan used for all disasters as well as plans for specific types of disasters. They include a dam-focused plan that interprets disaster modeling from Dominion Energy. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division has used that data to create a plan that includes evacuation routes, evacuation zones and shelter locations. According to a baseline of the model, more than 150,000 people would be affected, said Stenson. Now the likelihood of something happening affecting the Lake Murray dam is probably fairly low, Stenson said. Stenson said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission mandates periodic exercises testing the emergency plans. The latest exercise was in March 2021. Emergency preparedness has greatly changed since the 2000s, Stenson said, with smart phone and alert systems. He said the number one concern in South Carolina is hurricanes. Lake Murray and the probability of a breach are of less concern, but still accounted for. SCE&G spent a lot of time and effort building that other backup dam. Were fairly confident that that will do the trick if we have a problem, Stenson said. South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. and its parent company, SCANA, were purchased by Dominion Energy in early 2018. Brandon LaVorgna, the public information officer for the Division, said an update for the emergency plan will most likely be concluded sometime next year and hasnt been updated since around 2010. It was planned for an update but stopped when COVID became an obstacle. Stenson said it is now on the front burner, although not much has changed in the near 20 years since its creation. He said the agency has tested flooding plans and have always executed them well, and he said 2015s response to the historic flood in Columbia showed that. 2015 posed a number of flooding problems after nearly 17 inches of rain fell on the Columbia area in just a few hours in October. Scores of small dams broke in the 2015 rain bomb, with the failures showing how even small dam breaks can swamp areas below. To stay safe in the case of an emergency, Stenson said to listen to local and state authorities and devise a personal plan of emergency preparedness of resources, education and evacuation. Its very unlikely, I think, we think, but theres always the potential to be flooded from some sort of dam break. They should have a plan, Stenson said. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava criticized Miamis plans to build tiny homes on Virginia Key for homeless people because it could be expensive, far from social services, harm the environment and ignore the history of segregation at the nearby historic beach park. Levine Cava issued a memo outlining her concerns one week after Miamis commission approved a pilot program to build 50 to 100 small dwellings on a stretch of land near the northeast shore of Virginia Key. The memo underscored the opposition from the county commissioner who represents the area, Raquel Regalado, who said she would fight the plan and even consider taking the city to court to have the county reclaim ownership of part of Virginia Key. Levine Cava wrote that county staff estimated it could cost up to $3 million to run water and sewer lines to the site near the islands northeastern shore and the project could hamper the countys effort to preserve Virginia Keys sensitive environment. Levine Cava said that the proximity to Virginia Keys historic site of the former segregated Black beach during the Jim Crow era would likely create significant friction within the community and fails to recognize the historic significance of the site. The mayor said that extremely low-income housing is a better solution, and the proposed transition zone is not close enough to hospitals and other social services. A transitional housing site far from basic services is likely to exacerbate the problem, Levine Cava wrote. READ MORE: Miami considering moving homeless people to island in Biscayne Bay Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo proposed the idea as a way to humanely provide temporary shelter away from city neighborhoods, where residents have complained about tents, furniture, human waste and urine on residential streets. He said he envisions social services being offered onsite. City staff have developed a preliminary concept that was approved July 28 when Carollo, Chairwoman Christine King and Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla voted in favor. In her memo, Levine Cava said her staff is still looking into whether the citys plan violates land restrictions put in place when the county deeded land on Virginia Key to the city in 1982. The deed restriction could be the basis of a movement to take ownership of the land away from the city. During a county virtual information meeting Thursday evening, Regalado said she wants to explore the idea of providing different forms of shelter elsewhere, but she is willing to take major steps to fight the citys plan because Virginia Key is 100% the wrong location. A homeless woman is seen by the Government Center in downtown Miami as many homeless people are refusing to be taken to a shelter by the City of Miami and The Homeless Trust, which are offering them a place to stay ahead of the chilly weekend, on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. Opposition mounting Meanwhile, neighboring Key Biscayne is watching closely. Mayor Mike Davey said the village would fight any plan that moves forward with moving homeless people to Virginia Key, but he thinks the concept is unlikely to clear the logistical hurdles. How are they going to get the infrastructure out there? he said, referring to the lack of water, sewer and electricity on the undeveloped land. Housing advocacy organization Miami Homes For All objected to the plan in a statement this week on social media. The group said the site is isolated from social services and transit, and the best solution is permanent affordable housing. Creating more temporary solutions to homelessness is not best practice, extremely costly, and diverts funding away from the evidence-based solution that would help these individuals: deeply affordable housing with on-site supportive services, a post on the groups Instagram account said. This solution is proven to be most effective and also the least costly to taxpayers. Maxie Espinosa, City of Miami outreach referral specialist, tries to persuade a homeless person in downtown Miami to be taken to shelter to stay ahead of the chilly weekend on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. The agency that manages the formerly segregated beach park south of the proposed transition zone, the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust, was not consulted before the Miami commissions vote on July 28. The Trusts chairman, N. Patrick Range II, told the Herald the park has historical value that his organization has sought to promote as a comfortable place for families to spend time together. We have church baptisms, birthdays, weddings, and other special events, Range said. So the concern would be the proximity, the potential danger of having homeless persons moving in and about the park as they please. Range, a land use attorney, said the city might have to change the lands zoning to build the transition zone, which could make the land vulnerable to pressure from private developers to eventually build something else there later on. King, the Miami commissions chairwoman, has pushed back against critics in a series of statements. She questioned why there hasnt been outrage over sidewalks in Overtown being blocked by homeless people in tents, or outcry over children in Liberty City who have to walk by people living on the street, human waste and syringes on the way to school. My vote was an effort to avoid attempts to place the encampment in District 5, which is one of the poorest areas in our City, King said in a statement on Instagram. The issue of homelessness received a few head shakes and sad looks as long as it was in the poorest neighborhoods, where Black people live. But now that the encampment is proposed to be situated in an affluent area, there is explicit outrage. The hypocrisy! King also pushed back on the idea that the tiny home site has anything to do with the beach park. This encampment is NOT proposed to be placed on the Historic Black Beach and is in fact more than a mile away from the beloved area, she wrote. Those who are claiming otherwise are endeavoring to hide the true cause of their objections. The two leading Democratic contenders in the Florida governors race held events in Tampa to denounce Gov. Ron DeSantis following his removal of Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren. Both U.S. Rep Charlie Crist and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried positioned DeSantis ousting of Warren a Democrat and outspoken critic of DeSantis policies as an overreach of power. DeSantis executive order, released Thursday morning, alleged Warren had effectively neglected his duties when he signed onto letters pledging not to enforce laws banning gender-confirming care for transgender kids or limits on abortion. On Thursday afternoon, Warren gave a news conference he had scheduled about an update to a decades-old cold case. Instead of holding it at the State Attorneys office, he delivered it out of a lawyers office, addressing DeSantis move only at the end. After Warren wrapped up, Crist began his own news conference out of the same room. Crist: DeSantis is an autocrat There, Crist, a Democratic candidate for governor and a former Republican governor of Florida, slammed DeSantis, calling him an autocrat that would love to be the dictator of Florida, and then America. Crist, who also previously served as the Florida attorney general, said prosecutorial discretion is necessary for state attorneys with limited resources to determine what theyre going to prioritize. In a large state like Florida, the interests and issues of one district wont mirror another, he said. Thats inherent in the job, to give that kind of flexibility, he said. He said DeSantis, a lawyer who attended Harvard and Yale University, should know better. Crist said the fact that Warren was reelected shows that hes popular with the district, and that voters chose not to remove him when they had the opportunity. DeSantis order argued that Warrens pledges represented a blanket refusal to follow the law, citing state Supreme Court precedent that holds prosecutorial discretion must be exercised on a case-by-case basis. Warren had not yet actually declined to prosecute any cases related to Floridas 15-week abortion ban, and the state currently has no law requiring criminal punishment of doctors or families providing gender-confirming care. On Twitter, Crist fundraised off the event, asking followers to chip in $10 to show Ron DeSantis that the people of Florida will not co-sign his authoritarian tactics. Fried: DeSantis is a threat to democracy Speaking in front of the Hillsborough County Courthouse Friday morning, where protesters had rallied against Warrens removal the night before, Fried said the power to remove Warren belonged to Hillsborough County voters and not DeSantis. It is not up to the governor to remove elected officials because he does not agree with their philosophies, Fried said. This is a local issue that needed to have stayed local. Fried likened the governors move to the actions of a dictator, calling DeSantis the greatest threat to democracy in the entire country. She contended Warren was using his prosecutorial discretion lawfully to protect the rights of Hillsborough County residents. Casting abortion as a central issue in the governors race, Fried alluded to the Kansas referendum in which voters struck down a proposed constitutional amendment that would have removed the right to abortion in the state. Fried said shed exchanged messages with Warren since the ousting. Chefs prepare dumplings at Din Tai Fung at the Americana at Brand shopping center in Glendale in 2017. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) After nearly 10 years of serving its famous xiao long baoat the Americana at Brand in Glendale, Din Tai Fung said this week it plans to leave for the neighboring Galleria mall in the fall of 2023. At the Galleria, Din Tai Fung will open along Central Avenue at the mall's main entrance and will occupy an 11,443-square-foot space, with an additional 2,260 square feet of patio area, making it the largest of the chain's locations in Los Angeles County, according to Lindsay Kahn, a spokesperson for Brookfield Properties, which owns the Galleria. A Gap clothing store currently sits in the Galleria space where the restaurant will be featured. It will relocate to another area within the mall, Kahn said. The restaurant also will occupy a mall store that is now vacant. "We have been looking for a larger space," Aaron Yang, Din Tai Fung's vice president, said in an emailed statement. "This move will allow us to include more seating, add a patio and provide a better working environment for our team." Among its reasons for the move, representatives for Din Tai Fung also cited the desire for a new landlord, according to a report by Eater LA, which broke the news about the relocation. The Americana at Brand is owned by real estate developer and Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso. Yang said he has been happy with Caruso and Americana's management during his restaurant's stay at the shopping center, calling the move "bittersweet." Caruso's management team did not respond to requests for comment Thursday. Ahead of its 2023 opening, Din Tai Fung will continue to operate at its Americana location on Brand Avenue. Located alongside each other, the Galleria and Americana have been direct competitors for more than a decade, with their struggles winding their way to the courts and an eventual $48-million settlement. Since moving into Glendale in the 2008, the Americana a retail and residential center designed to look like a historical American main street that boasts an avenue bearing Caruso's name has drawn higher-end brands and shoppers to the area, outshining the older Galleria mall, which opened in 1976. The significance of the aging mall nabbing a high-profile eatery such as Din Tai Fung from the Americana was celebrated on social media. When Din Tai Fung opened its Glendale location at the Americana in 2013, the move was seen as a bit of a risk since it was the chain's first restaurant outside the San Gabriel Valley. The location was even more unusual given that the neighborhood lacked a large Chinese presence, celebrated Times food critic Jonathan Gold noted after its debut. Already popular in Taipei, Taiwan, Din Tai Fung opened its first U.S. location in 2000 at a strip mall in Arcadia. The location quickly drew large crowds and, at times, two-hour waits. Although Chinese soup dumplings were already a staple of the San Gabriel Valley, it was Din Tai Fung that pulled Westsiders for a rare trip east along the 210 Freeway. In Glendale, the risk paid off, and the crowds followed. "The Glendale Din Tai Fung, an elegant dining room a few steps from the red-carpet entrance to Nordstrom, is as popular as the opening weekend of an 'Ironman' sequel, and the lines there are twice as long," Gold wrote in 2013. Since then, the Taiwan-based chain has expanded up and down the West Coast and now has four locations in Los Angeles County, as well as restaurants in San Diego, Costa Mesa, Oregon, Washington and Las Vegas. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Whatever you want to call the two-minute speech former Gov. Eric Greitens made on election night, it wasnt a concession. He did not congratulate Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt on winning the Republican primary for U.S. Senate. He told his supporters he was proud of them, but he never admitted defeat. Instead, he preached patience. God has a plan. It doesnt always work on our timeline, but it does work on his, Greitens said. And sometimes, sometimes we have to practice patience. What I can tell you that I love you guys and I will continue to work for you, continue to fight for you, continue to serve you, every single day of my life. When Greitens resigned as governor in 2018, people were quick to assume that it meant the end of his political career. By the old rules of politics, a politician typically cant recover from that kind of scandal. Greitens had been indicted twice in the span of months, including the high-profile sexual blackmail case, and was staring down a likely impeachment by his own party. But there are new rules. Politicians have shown they can weather scandals by ignoring them. In the mold of former President Donald Trump, theyve even begun to stop openly admitting defeat after they lose. Eric Greitens is the single most competitive person Ive ever known in my life, said Jeff Smith, a former Democratic state senator who grew up with Greitens. To think that losing an election is going to purge him from public life is naive. Its impossible to say how or when, or where, but Im confident that weve not heard the last of him. That is the way at least some of Greitens supporters took his speech on Tuesday. John Gotway, the mayor of Dardenne Prairie, said Greitens line about patience meant he will eventually be on the ballot again. It means hes not out of politics, Gotway said. Hes going to run for another office. Gotway, who was at the party, said he hopes Greitens chooses to run for Congress. He felt like Greitens was the candidate who best represented people who are fed up with the status quo in politics. Dylan Johnson, Greitens campaign manager, did not respond to a request for comment. But Tuesday raised questions about how powerful that base is. Greitens won only three of Missouris 114 counties and lost to Schmitt by nearly 27 percentage points. The lack of energy surrounding Greitens could be felt anecdotally. If a Trump rally is the apex of MAGA energy, then the Greitens party was its younger, darker, less fun brother. A Trump rally feels somewhat like a concert, with the former presidents fans showing up to hear their leaders greatest hits. The Greitens event had all the airs of a business reception that people attend out of obligation, from the buffet of poorly stocked charcuterie board fare to light conversations at the tall tables where people scrolled on their phones. The hall, when you entered, smelled vaguely of a public restroom. A group of teens wearing bright blue Greitens shirts sauntered around the room, patrolling it as if they were hired security. The showing may have further weakened the impression of Greitens political power in Missouri. James Harris, a Jefferson City-based Republican political consultant, said voters were shown the true nature of Greitens while his resignation was still fresh. Hes a monster, Harris said. Hes a person who probably needed a lot of therapy. If Greitens had been smart, he would have waited. There is also the question of money. As Greitens was being pummeled by outside spending associated with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, he lacked the money to fight back. While he was able to secure $1 million from fitness influencer Andrew Frisella late in the campaign, many of the donors who helped him become governor didnt donate to his Senate campaign. Big Republican donors like August Busch III instead helped Schmitt. Donors that Greitens once got big donations from, like Steve Cohen, a Connecticut hedge fund manager, and Michael Goguen, a California-based investor, didnt appear on the former governors campaign finance reports this time around. The fuel for any high-level campaign is money, Smith said. And hes burned so many of his bridges on that front that Im not sure how you refuel the engine. Still, Greitens was embraced by people associated with former Trump adviser Steve Bannon after he resigned and appeared frequently on Bannons podcast while running for Senate. In being close to Bannon, theres a chance Greitens will be able to continue building support among the far right. A couple of weeks ago Im confident he believed that he was on track towards redemption by winning a Senate seat and avenging, in his mind, what happened in 2018. This has to be a difficult reversal, Smith said. But again, he will find some vehicle for his public ambition. The Stars Jonathan Shorman contributed reporting This story has been updated to correct former state Sen. Jeff Smiths office. 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 have 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. Rocky Barker is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, a nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is a retired reporter who lives in Idaho and is the author of Saving All the Parts: Reconciling Economics and the Endangered Species Act. Youd think Republicans would do their best right now to help Gov. Greg Abbott. But not in Parker County, where County Judge Pat Deen and commissioners are undermining Abbott. Ten weeks before voting begins in an ever-narrowing Texas election, county leaders sided with a local secessionist faction and declared a countywide disaster, urging Abbott to claim fantasy military powers and use troops to violently expel those invading the sovereignty of Texas. Parker County is under foreign invasion, commissioners agreed unanimously July 25. They warned of a security threat and humanitarian disaster. Look, I know its been a few weeks since I made a run to the H-E-B. Sure, it was crowded. But I had no idea Hudson Oaks was facing international peril. Judge Pat Deen, center, and the Parker County Commissioners Court believe the county is under foreign attack. Maybe they were talking about all the cars from Illinois and California. If theres an invasion in Parker County, it is not coming from a border 350 miles south. In a phone interview, Deen said commissioners disaster declaration supports the governors efforts against cartels and traffickers, and isnt political. But one of the speakers the very day commissioners issued the declaration was a Peaster resident who said Abbott calls the border secure and it is not. .... Shut it all down! Hes not going to do it during an election year. We have to put pressure! Instead of claiming some imaginary powers, Abbott is spending public money to send illegal border crossers voluntarily by bus to New York, D.C. and maybe other states. FILE - A Border Patrol agent watches as a group of migrants walk across the Rio Grande on their way to turn themselves in upon crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in Del Rio, Texas, on June 15, 2021. The Supreme Court has certified its month-old ruling allowing the Biden administration to end a cornerstone Trump-era border policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court. It was a pro forma act that has drawn attention amid near-total silence from the White House about when, how and even whether it will dismantle the policy. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) Im not sure that helps either. But it shares the burden and better makes Abbotts political point. In a close election, the rule for Republicans right now is: Dont do anything stupid. Abbott cant legally send military troops to hunt border crossers down like enemies. He can keep peace along the Rio Grande. But he cant constitutionally declare international war. This is entirely unhelpful to Abbott and Republicans, political science professor Matthew Wilson, an expert on Christian conservative politics, wrote by email from Southern Methodist University. Republicans want to focus on President Joe Bidens failures, Wilson wrote. The best way to screw that up, he wrote, is by taking unprecedented steps of dubious constitutionality. Asking Abbott to violently capture border crossers plays right into the Democrats narrative that Republicans are extreme, unpredictable, and unsuitable, he wrote. Dallas-based Republican consultant Vinny Minchillo wrote by email there is a false belief that declaring an invasion would force stronger action. The governor is not going to declare an invasion because it does him no good, Minchillo said. In the interview, Deen tried to justify an invasion declaration based on the cost to county taxpayers when illegal border crossers are jailed for some other reason, or when they give birth. But we help pay for births. Babies are fellow Americans. The Parker County courthouse. Deen, a Hudson Oaks Republican and that citys former mayor, also said commissioners dont want jobs taken away. But that isnt a problem in Parker County, where the unemployment is 3%. Sheriff Russ Authier told Deen and commissioners George Conley, Steve Dugan, Craig Peacock and Larry Walden how Parker County has seen a huge influx of fentanyl. But almost all the fentanyl seized at the border is at ports of entry, not from border crossers. According to county records, the invasion declaration was proposed by state Republican Party committeewoman Rachel Horton of Lake Weatherford using similar declarations from border county judges. She did not return a call. The declaration, originally from Kinney County, cites a Fox News Channel entertainer as a primary source. A footnote says border crossers are not visible because they have disappeared into the fabric of America. In other words, Parker County has declared it is in imminent danger from foreigners who have disappeared. This resolution is definitely a disaster. First Lady Jill Biden visits with Slovak and Ukrainian mothers and their children celebrating Mother's Day in Kosice, Slovakia, on May 8, 2022. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) Jill Biden barnstormed the country during her debut year as first lady as if on a one-woman mission to help her husband's administration tackle the problem of the moment: getting people vaccinated and boosted against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. New headwinds blowing in Year 2 President Biden's low standing with the public and November elections that could put Republicans back in control of Congress have set her on a fresh mission: working to help elect Democrats who can help her husband. She's making no secret of her frustration with Washington. Joe truly believes in working with Congress and getting things done, but obviously the Republicans are pulling together and they're not budging. They are not budging, the first lady said at one of four fundraisers she headlined in the past month. Who would think that AR-15s make any sense for anything? Who doesn't believe in the need to deal with climate change? she said at a July fundraiser in Nantucket, Mass., referencing Republican opposition to the president's call for an assault weapons ban and more spending on climate change. With school out for the summer, the teacher-first lady was free to travel again in her role as the president's chief surrogate, highlighting administration accomplishments and showing a more political side while testing possible fall campaign messages before audiences big and small. She put a voice to the urgency she and the president feel over unfinished aspects of his agenda. After accompanying him to the scene of deadly mass shootings at a grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y., and an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, the first lady a community college professor urged audiences to demand tougher gun laws from Congress. We need to fight, now, for the lives of our children and for the safety of our schools, she told the National PTA Convention in June, shortly after they visited Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, where 19 pupils and two teachers were killed by a man firing an AR-15. Congress represents the will of the people," she said, "and thats why we need the people to speak up. Parents and teachers. All of us. She raised the gun issue later at the American Federation of Teachers convention in Boston in July, saying, We believe that AR-15s the weapon that tore apart 19 children and two teachers in their classroom have no place on our streets. And she turned the Supreme Courts decision overturning the constitutional right to an abortion into an argument for sending more Democrats to Congress come November. President Biden has promised to sign a bill enshrining the right to an abortion in federal law, but there isnt enough support for it in Congress, where Democrats have slim majorities. All of us have a teacher voice for when things go off the rails and now is the time to use it, she said in Boston. In Nantucket, the first lady defended her spouse of 45 years, saying, He's just had so many things thrown his way" that weren't expected, including the abortion ruling and Russia's war against Ukraine. He had so many hopes and plans for things he wanted to do, but every time you turned around, he had to address the problems of the moment," she told a group of about two dozen donors. She said she also had become first lady of the moment," reacting to problems and not pushing her separate agenda. Tammy Vigil, a Boston University communications professor, said it is typical for a first lady to defend the president and, for that reason, complaints about Republican opposition sound better coming from her than from President Biden. He would risk undermining his authority and appear whiny if he were to sound off about GOP roadblocks more often than he has, she said. If its going to be said, shes the better person to say it, said Vigil, who wrote a book about former first ladies Michelle Obama and Melania Trump. Jill Biden's summer has been busy and uncharacteristically bumpy at times. She went on a pair of solo foreign trips in May, traveling to Romania and Slovakia in Eastern Europe to meet Ukrainian refugees. The trip included an unannounced detour into western Ukraine to meet First Lady Olena Zelenska. She also visited Latin America, traveling through Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica. But by June, she had upset AIDS activists by hosting a White House event to unveil a postage stamp honoring First Lady Nancy Reagan. Activists noted the Reagans indifference toward gays and lesbians at the start of the AIDS crisis, which exploded during Ronald Reagan's presidency. Last month, she was forced to apologize, through a spokesperson, for offending Latinos during a trip to Texas by calling their diversity as "distinct as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as the blossoms of Miami and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio. The National Assn. of Hispanic Journalists tweeted in response: We are not tacos. The first lady was also heckled last month on her way into a Connecticut ice cream parlor. A man in the sidewalk crowd shouted, Your husband is the worst president we ever had, and, You owe us gas money. A new CNN poll recorded her favorability rating at a low 34%, though only 29% have an unfavorable opinion of her. An additional 28% said they have no opinion of the first lady and 9% said they hadnt heard enough of her. The president's positive COVID-19 tests have forced the couple to remain apart for about two weeks while he isolates at the White House and she stays at their home in Wilmington, Del. She had welcomed Zelenska to the White House just before the president's diagnosis. Jill Biden, 71, is the first first lady to work outside of the White House. She is expected to resume teaching in September and juggle those demands with campaigning. She signed a new contract with Northern Virginia Community College on the morning of her speech to the AFT, she said. So far this year, she's done seven fundraisers for the Democratic National Committee, and the party is happy to have her. Jill Biden is one of the Democratic Partys most important surrogates because she drives excitement from grassroots supporters across the country," Democratic Party Chairman Jaime Harrison said in a statement to the Associated Press. "Were grateful for the first ladys commitment to electing Democrats up and down the ticket. Robert Watson, a history professor at Lynn University, said modern first ladies have become effective fundraisers in their own right, popular with the party faithful, especially women. He said it would be surprising not to see more of Jill Biden in the runup to the Nov. 8 elections. She is a strong defender, said Watson, who studies the presidency. Nobody's interested in asking about her holiday cookie recipe." Whatever the outcome, the Bidens still have a happy occasion to look forward to after the election: the first White House wedding in nearly a decade. Granddaughter Naomi Biden is set to marry Peter Neal on the South Lawn on Nov. 19. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. By Jack Queen (Reuters) -U.S. conspiracy theorist Alex Jones must pay the parents of a 6-year-old boy killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre $45.2 million in punitive damages - on top of $4.1 million in compensatory damages already awarded - for falsely claiming the shooting was a hoax, a Texas jury decided on Friday. Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, separated parents of slain 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, testified that followers of Jones harassed them and sent them death threats for years in the false belief that they were lying about their son's death in the Dec. 14, 2012, shooting that killed 20 children and six staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The 12-person jury on Thursday decided on the compensatory damages following a two-week trial in the defamation lawsuit presided over by Judge Maya Guerra Gamble in state court in the Texas capital of Austin, where Jones' radio show and webcast Infowars are based. The parents had sought $145.9 million in punitive damages and $150 million in compensatory damages. Compensatory damages are awarded to cover a plaintiff's suffering and losses. Punitive damages are awarded to punish a defendant's actions. Jones, who has been a prominent figure in American right-wing circles and a supporter of former President Donald Trump, had called the Sandy Hook massacre a hoax by the U.S. government staged using crisis actors to serve as a pretext for taking away Americans' guns. "We ask that you send a very, very simple message, and that is: stop Alex Jones. Stop the monetization of misinformation and lies," Wesley Todd Ball, a lawyer for the parents, told jurors earlier on Friday before they began deliberations on punitive damages. The Sandy Hook gunman, Adam Lanza, used a Remington Bushmaster rifle to carry out the massacre. It ended when Lanza killed himself with the approaching sound of police sirens. An attorney for Jones, Federico Andino Reynal, asked jurors to return a verdict of $270,000 based on the number of hours Infowars devoted to Sandy Hook coverage. Forensic economist Bernard Pettingill testified on Friday on behalf of Lewis' parents that Jones "promulgated some hate speech and some misinformation" and "made a lot of money." Jones and Infowars are worth between $135 million and $270 million combined, Pettingill said. Jones sought to distance himself from the conspiracy theories during his testimony, apologizing to the parents and acknowledging that Sandy Hook was "100% real." Jones' company, Free Speech Systems LLC, declared bankruptcy last week. Jones said during a Monday broadcast that the filing will help the company stay on the air while it appeals. The bankruptcy declaration paused a similar defamation suit by Sandy Hook parents in Connecticut where, as in Texas, he has already been found liable. During closing arguments on Wednesday, Kyle Farrar, a lawyer for the parents, urged the jury to end what he called their nightmare and hold Jones accountable for profiting off their son's death. Reynal acknowledged during his closing argument that Jones and Infowars reported "irresponsibly" on Sandy Hook but said his client was not responsible for the harassment. The plaintiffs also have accused Jones of approaching the trial in bad faith, citing broadcasts in which he said the proceedings were rigged against him and that the jury pool was full of people who "don't know what planet they're on." (Reporting by Jack Queen in New York; Editing by Will Dunham, Howard Goller and Mark Porter) A Kansas City man has been taken into custody as a person of interest in the killing of 26-year-old Shaquille J. Jackson at an Overland Park gas station over the weekend, a police spokesman said Friday. The FBI Fugitive Task Force assisted in taking the person of interest into custody, who was being held in the Jackson County jail awaiting extradition back to Kansas, said Officer John Lacy, a spokesman for the Overland Park Police Department. The case has been forwarded to the Johnson County District Attorneys Office for a decision on charges, Lacy said. Jackson, also from Kansas City, was shot about 4:20 p.m. Sunday at the BP gas station at the corner of Antioch Road and College Boulevard. He was taken to a hospital where he later died from his wounds. The killing is Overland Parks fifth homicide of the year, according to data tracked by The Star. Last year, the city had one homicide. LIMA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Peruvian President Pedro Castillo on Thursday called on the country's political parties to help his government form a new "broad-based" cabinet, following the resignation of Anibal Torres as prime minister. "I am opening up this space to other political parties so we can once and for all form a broad-based cabinet to work for Peru," Castillo said. Castillo said he would name a new prime minister later in the day and swear in the new cabinet on Friday. It would be the fifth time the president has appointed a new cabinet since he took office on July 28, 2021. Torres announced his resignation on Wednesday, saying that for "personal reasons" he planned to return to teaching at university. FILE - Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies to a House Committee on Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearing, about the budget request for the National Institutes of Health, Wednesday, May 11, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. A West Virginia man was sentenced Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, to three years in federal prison after sending emails that threatened Fauci and other health officials for talking about the coronavirus and efforts to prevent it from spreading. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) GREENBELT, Md. (AP) A West Virginia man was sentenced Thursday to three years in federal prison after he sent emails threatening Dr. Anthony Fauci and another federal health official for talking about the coronavirus and efforts to prevent its spread. Using an anonymous email account based in Switzerland, Thomas Patrick Connally, Jr. threatened to kill Fauci or members of his family, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release. One of his messages said they would be dragged into the street, beaten to death, and set on fire." Another email said Fauci would be hunted, captured, tortured and killed, according to court records. Fauci is President Joe Bidens chief medical adviser and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is part of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Fauci has been a vocal supporter of vaccines and other preventive measures against COVID-19. He said he expects to retire at the end of Biden's current term. Another target was Dr. Francis Collins, who was director of NIH at the time of Connally's threats. Collins and his family were threatened with physical assault and death if Collins continued to speak about the need for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations, the Justice Department said. Connally also admitted to sending emails threatening Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania's then-Secretary of Health, the Justice Department said. An unidentified public health official in Massachusetts and a religious leader in New Jersey were also threatened. Everyone has the right to disagree, but you do not have the right to threaten a federal officials life, Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, said in a statement. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Connally, 56, to 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Connally most recently lived in Snowshoe, West Virginia. He was arrested last summer, and pleaded guilty in May to making threats against a federal official. The Senate is beginning consideration of Democrats massive tax, health care and climate plan, teeing up a weekend of around-the-clock votes. Well also look at what three former IRS chiefs have to say about the bill, an update on the nations jobless claims and more. But first, see which Democrats are dodging questions about Bidens 2024 bid. Welcome to On The Money, your nightly guide to everything affecting your bills, bank account and bottom line. For The Hill, were Sylvan Lane, Aris Folley and Karl Evers-Hillstrom. Someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. First vote set up for Schumer-Manchin deal Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that the Senate will begin consideration of a $740 billion budget reconciliation package that would reform the tax code and tackle climate change on Saturday afternoon, setting up a weekend of around-the-clock votes. For the information of Senators, the Senate will next convene on Saturday at noon. The next vote will be at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, on a motion to discharge a nomination. We expect to vote on the motion to proceed to the reconciliation legislation on Saturday afternoon, Schumer announced on the floor. If senators vote to proceed, theyll then debate for up to 20 hours before holding an open-ended series of votes, known as a vote-a-rama. That process would set the stage for a final vote on Sunday or perhaps early Monday morning, senators say. The announcement signals that Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), a key moderate, is expected to vote to proceed with the bill. The context: Sinema is still negotiating to make changes to the legislation, according to people familiar with the discussion, but it appears Schumer is optimistic he can strike a deal with her before the package comes to final vote on the floor. Alexander Bolton lays it out here. Read more: What does a vote-a-rama have to do with Bidens agenda? CATCHING CHEATS Ex-IRS heads say reconciliation bill will help agency target wealthy tax cheats Three former heads of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are throwing their support behind a Democratic effort to boost funding for the tax agency to help target higher-income individuals and corporations they say illegally evade their tax obligations. Fred Goldberg, who headed the agency under then-President George H. W. Bush, joined Charles Rossotti and John Koskinen, who led the IRS under the Clinton and Obama administrations, respectively, in signing onto a statement released Thursday backing the reconciliation spending bill effort. In the statement, the former commissioners bemoaned what they described as the status quo at the IRS, saying the agency has shrunk to 1970s levels with technological infrastructure that is decades out-of-date and an audit rate that has dropped by 50 percent. The commissioners argued Democratic efforts to invest $80 billion in the agency to help beef it up and bolster enforcement of tax laws would lead to vastly improved services for taxpayers. The proposal is one of several tax-related provisions included in Democrats Inflation Reduction Act to raise revenue to help cut the nations deficit over the next decade, which they argue in turn will combat inflation. There is disagreement among experts about how much of an impact the bill would have on rising prices, though. Aris has more here. NEW JOBS DATA Jobless claims tick higher as layoffs rise New applications for jobless benefits ticked higher during the final week of July, according to data released Thursday by the Labor Department. In the week ending July 30, initial claims for unemployment insurance rose to 260,000, up by 6,000 from the previous week. While claims still remain near pre-pandemic lows, theyve risen to the highest level since November as the job market slows down. As the Federal Reserve hikes interest rates, businesses tend to hire fewer employees and avoid offering higher wages. Still, the U.S. has added more than 2.5 million jobs since the start of 2022, including more than 1 million over the past three months alone. Sylvan has the details here. KEEP YOUR MONEY Inflation Reduction Act drops most of Bidens proposals to tax the rich The deal struck last week by Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), a slimmed-down version of the Build Back Better Act, leaves out most of President Bidens proposals to pull in greater government revenues from rich taxpayers. Increases in individual income tax rates for high earners, increases in the estate tax, increased taxes on capital gains like stock and property holdings, a tax on billionaires, a plan to build out the net investment income tax and a surtax on high-income households are plans that have been scrapped from the Inflation Reduction Act. The administration proposed many, many tax increases that arent reflected in this legislation, UCLA tax economist and former tax analyst for the Treasury Department Kimberly Clausing said on a call with reporters. Heres more from Tobias Burns. Good to Know Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) plans to call Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Chuck Grassleys (R-Iowa) antitrust bill targeting tech giants to a floor vote, according to a spokesperson for the top Democrat. Sen. Schumer is working with Sen. Klobuchar and other supporters to gather the needed votes and plans to bring it up for a vote, the spokesperson said in a statement. Heres what else we have our eye on: Semiconductor giants are pushing for immigration reform that would allow more highly skilled workers to remain in the U.S. after Congress passed a bill to strengthen domestic chip manufacturing. The retail giant Walmart is laying off about 200 corporate workers, a source familiar with the situation told The Hill, a week after it reported inflation was affecting its overall profits. A federal judge threw out two resource management plans developed by the Bureau of Land Management, finding they failed to account for the risk of fossil fuel leasing on public lands in Montana and Wyoming. Thats it for today. Thanks for reading and check out The Hills Finance 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. More than $3.3 million in assets is missing from the town of Swanseas coffers, according to a recent budget audit. The news comes as former Swansea Mayor Jerald Sanders awaits trial for charges of embezzlement and misconduct in office after being indicted last year on accusations he had checks written to him from public funds without authorization that were then deposited into an account only he had access to. Sanders pleaded not guilty to those charges. The audit, completed at the end of February, does not specify what assets are included in the missing $3.3 million, nor does it say where the assets may have gone. Sanders is not named in the audit. In addition to identifying just more than $3.3 million in missing assets, the audit lays out a number of accounting problems with the towns budget. They include no balances in accounts payable or receivable. The audit states most governmental entities have such balances that are reported at the end of each year. The audit also found accounts added to the towns general ledger that appear to be invalid and appear to be improperly accounted for. The audit identifies several other areas where income was improperly documented if it was documented at all. The Lexington County town is located about 20 miles south of Columbia and has fewer than 1,000 residents. Town Council member Doris Simmons said no one on council has been told what the $3.3 million might include. More than likely its money, she said, but added it could also include vehicles or equipment. Its unclear how the audit will impact the towns efforts to pass a budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year, which began July 1. That budget is for $1.7 million and assumes revenue and expenses are balanced. Simmons said despite the audit, she believes town council will pass the budget because it includes water rate increases as well as a millage increase. A public hearing has already been held. The council will read the budget a second time during an Aug. 22 meeting, Simmons said. Simmons said it is also unclear whether the missing assets have impacted town operations. Council members have been kept away from budget documents in prior years, she alleged. She suggested some of the $3.3 million may have been moved prior to the 2021-22 fiscal year. John Brown, a CPA who audited the towns budget, did not immediately respond to a request for more information Thursday. He previously told the Post and Courier the audit only looked at the 2021 budget. The news of the missing $3.3 million in assets was first reported by the Post and Courier. The towns current mayor, Viola McDaniel, also did not respond to a request for information Thursday. This story may be updated with additional information. A library in western Michigan will likely have to close its doors after a group of residents voted against the renewal of a property tax millage that funds most of its budget. On Tuesday, Jamestown Township residents voted to effectively defund the Patmos Library over its refusal to remove LGBTQ material from its shelves. With 1,905 residents voting against the millage, and 1,142 residents voting yes, the library will now lose 84% of its $245,000 budget. I'm running for County Commission in the fastest growing county in Michigan, and my opponent is proud she helped get an entire library defunded over a comic book because it had women loving women in it.https://t.co/O6XXvM0SQs Joe F Spaulding (@beyond_process) August 4, 2022 Larry Walton, the librarys board president, said that without the millage, Patmos will likely run out of money late next year. I wasnt expecting anything like this, Walton told Bridge Michigan earlier this week. The library is the center of the community. For individuals to be short-sighted to close that down over opposing LGBTQ is very disappointing. The Ottawa County township is a politically conservative community that voted for Donald Trump for president in 2020 by a margin of 76-21 percent. Before Tuesdays vote, a group of conservative residents campaigned against the renewal, urging people to vote no on the library millage. The group, the Jamestown Conservatives, singled out a book that is often criticized by fellow conservatives around the country and it was the most challenged book in the U.S. in 2021, according to the American Library Association. Gender Queer: A Memoir, an award-winning graphic novel written by Maia Kobabe, a nonbinary and queer author and illustrator from California, was described by a starred review in the School Library Journal as a great resource for those who identify as nonbinary or asexual as well as for those who know someone who identifies that way and wish to better understand. Amanda Darrow, director of youth, family and education programs at the Utah Pride Center, poses with books on Dec. 16, 2021, that have been the subject of complaints from parents in Salt Lake City. Amanda Darrow, director of youth, family and education programs at the Utah Pride Center, poses with books on Dec. 16, 2021, that have been the subject of complaints from parents in Salt Lake City. (Rick Bowmer/) Over the Memorial Day holiday, the group passed out flyers saying that the book which was displayed at the library in honor of Pride Month promoted the LGBTQ ideology. Pray that we can make changes and make the Patmos Library a safe and neutral place for our children, the flyer said, according to Bridge Michigan. Prior to Tuesdays vote, some residents displayed signs on their lawns telling people to vote against the proposal. One large sign read, 50 percent increase to GROOM our kids? Vote NO on Library! Walton told The Associated Press that he doesnt know when exactly the funds will dry up, but hes hopeful that the board can come up with a solution which could include seeking a new millage in a future election. I am optimistic that we will work through the hurdle the conservative group has thrown our way, he said. South Carolina has the sixth worst school system in the United States, a new report shows. Students will return to school in the Palmetto State this month, but theyll be doing so in a system that lags behind most others in the country on multiple key metrics, from various test scores to dropout rates, according to a new report from WalletHub, a major personal finance website. Still, some South Carolina education experts caution that while data on metrics like testing and pupil-to-teacher ratios have their use, much more granular statistics are needed to paint a full picture of a school system. According to WalletHub, its study takes a more comprehensive approach, unlike other research that focuses mainly on academic outcomes or school finance. It accounts for performance, funding, safety, class size and instructor credentials. The study compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 32 key metrics to determine the top-performing school systems in the nation. Below is a list of some of the most significant metrics that helped South Carolina obtain its low ranking, the report states. 41 st Math Test Scores 39 th Reading Test Scores 25 th Pupil-Teacher Ratio 40 th Median SAT Score 47 th Median ACT Score 42 nd Dropout Rate 33 rd Bullying Incidence Rate 43rd % of Threatened/Injured High School Students Reports like these can be helpful, but they also treat education systems as a monolith as if they are all uniform across the state. We know this is not the case in South Carolina, said Thomas Hodges, interim dean of the University of South Carolina college of education and director of SC-TEACHER, a research organization that studies teacher recruitment, preparation, retention and effectiveness throughout the state. Hodges said SC-TEACHER and its partners have studied teacher workforce issues and discovered that shortages are highly non-uniform. They are in geographic pockets in certain contexts. Hodges added that addressing any of South Carolinas lower ratings requires non-uniform solutions to non-uniform problems. While test scores can be an important metric when rating the quality of an educational experience, they are only proxies for what transpires in school settings, and may be of minimal benefit in understanding students success beyond P-12 schooling, Hodges said. In short, much more granular, state-level data is needed to address gaps in academic achievement. Tom Ramming, clinical associate professor emeritus, Buffalo, graduate school of education, told WalletHub what state and local policymakers can do to improve their school systems without raising taxes. School leaders should focus on research-based, strategically-focused initiatives that will likely provide the greatest return on investment. Resource allocation money, people and time should be aligned with the strategic initiatives, Ramming said. Also, research shows us that teacher quality, more than any other school-related variable, impacts student achievement. Hodges said the General Assembly and Governors Office made several investments in education for the 2023 fiscal year, including educator compensation, research and policy and improving the teacher pipeline. The College of Education at USC has designed innovative recruitment and retention strategies to address the states workforce needs. In particular, Carolina Collaborative for Alternative Preparation (CarolinaCAP) is an alternative preparation pathway for career changers, particularly focused on high needs schools, districts, and subject areas, he said. We know the strong impact the teacher has on student success, thus investments in creating a stable educator workforce are investments in South Carolinas children. Here are the 10 worst school systems in the U.S., according to the WalletHub report. New Mexico Alaska Louisiana Arizona West Virginia South Carolina Oklahoma Oregon Mississippi Alabama Here are the 10 best school systems in the U.S. The cargo ship Razoni crosses the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul on Wednesday. (Khalil Hamra / Associated Press) Three more ships carrying thousands of tons of corn left Ukrainian ports Friday, in the latest sign that a negotiated deal to export grain trapped since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly six months ago is slowly moving forward. But major hurdles lie ahead to get food to the countries that need it most. The ships bound for Ireland, Britain and Turkey follow the first grain shipment to pass through the Black Sea since the start of the war. The passage of that vessel heading for Lebanon earlier this week was the first under the breakthrough deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations with Russia and Ukraine. The Black Sea region is dubbed the worlds breadbasket, with Ukraine and Russia key global suppliers of wheat, corn, barley and sunflower oil that millions of impoverished people in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia rely on for survival. While the shipments have raised hopes of easing a global food crisis, much of the grain that Ukraine is trying to export is used for animal feed, not for people to eat, experts say. The first vessels to leave are among more than a dozen bulk carriers and cargo ships that had been loaded with grain but stuck in Ukraine's ports since Russia invaded Feb. 24. And the cargoes are not expected to have a significant effect on the global price of corn, wheat and soybeans for several reasons. For starters, the exports under the deal are off to a slow, cautious start because of the threat of explosive mines floating off Ukraines Black Sea coastline. And while Ukraine is a major exporter of wheat to developing nations, there are other countries, such as the United States and Canada, with far greater production levels that can affect global wheat prices. They face the threat of drought. Ukraine is about 10% of the international trade in wheat, but in terms of production it is not even 5%, said David Laborde, an expert on agriculture and trade at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington. The three ships left Friday with more than 58,000 tons of corn. Much of the grain that Ukraine exports is used as animal feed, experts say, but that is a fraction of the 20 million tons of grain that Ukraine says is trapped in the countrys silos and ports and that must be shipped out in order to make space for this year's harvest. Around 6 million tons of the trapped grain is wheat, but just half of that is for human consumption, Laborde said. There is an expectation that Ukraine could produce 30% to 40% less grain over the coming next 12 months because of the war, though other estimates put that figure at 70%. Prices of grains peaked in the first weeks after Russias invasion, but some have since come down to their pre-war levels. Corn prices are running about 70% above the levels seen at the end of February 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Jonathan Haines, senior analyst and data and analytics firm, Gro Intelligence. He said wheat prices are currently 63% above the levels seen at the end of February this year, when the invasion was launched. One reason prices remain high is the impact of drought on harvests in North America, China and other regions, as well as the higher price of fertilizer needed for farming. When fertilizer prices are high, farmers may use less fertilizer. And when they use less fertilizer, they will produce less. And if they will produce less, supply will continue to remain insufficient, Laborde said. The three ships that departed Ukraine on Friday give hope that exports will ramp up to developing nations, where many are facing the increased threat of food shortages and hunger. The movement of three additional vessels overnight is a very positive sign and will continue to build confidence that were moving in the right direction," Haines said. If the flow of grain from Ukraine continues to expand, it will help relieve global supply constraints." The Turkish-flagged Polarnet, carrying 12,000 tons of corn, left the Chornomorsk port bound for Karasu, Turkey. The Panama-flagged Navi Star left Odesa's port for Ireland with 33,000 tons of corn. The Maltese-flagged Rojen left Chornomorsk for Britain laden with more than 13,000 tons of corn, according to the U.N. It added that the Joint Coordination Center run by officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the U.N. overseeing the deal signed in Istanbul last month authorized the three ships and inspected a ship headed for Ukraine. The Barbados-flagged Fulmar S was inspected in Istanbul and is headed for the Chornomorsk port. 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. The vessels are accompanied by Ukrainian pilot ships for safe passage because of explosive mines strewn in the Black Sea. After Turkey, which has relations with both Russia and Ukraine, helped broker the food deal two weeks ago, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin later Friday in Sochi, Russia. That meeting follows another face-to-face meeting the two leaders had in Iran three weeks ago. The grain exports took place as the war continued to claim lives in Ukraine. The Ukrainian presidential office said at least eight civilians were killed and 16 others were wounded in the latest Russian shelling. The eastern Donetsk region has been facing the most intensive Russian barrage, and Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko repeated his call for all residents to evacuate. Shellings and bombings are going round the clock, and people who refuse to evacuate risk being killed on their pillows, Kyrylenko said in televised remarks. In Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, three districts have come under massive shelling. Several apartment buildings and a street market were damaged, and three people were wounded. Russian shelling also targeted the city of Zaporizhzhia and several towns along the front line in the region. For a second consecutive day, the Russians shelled the city of Nikopol facing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant across the Dnieper River. Dozens of houses were damaged. The Russians also hit the southern city of Mykolaiv. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Kari Lake, who put false claims of election fraud at the center of her campaign, won the Republican primary for Arizona governor. (Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press) Kari Lake, a former news anchor who walked away from her journalism career and was embraced by Donald Trump and his staunch supporters, won the Republican primary for Arizona governor. Lake's victory was a blow to the GOP establishment that lined up behind lawyer and businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson in an attempt to push their party past the chaotic Trump era. Lake said she would not have certified President Biden's 2020 victory and put false claims of election fraud at the center of her campaign. Arizonans who have been forgotten by the establishment just delivered a political earthquake, Lake said in a statement after the race was called. Arizona Republicans now enter the general election sprint with a slate of nominees closely allied with Trump who deny that Biden was legitimately elected president. Lake will face Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in the November election. This race for governor isnt about Democrats or Republicans. Its a choice between sanity and chaos, Hobbs said Thursday night in a statement on Lake's victory. Early election results showing only mail ballots received before election day gave Robson a solid lead, but that was whittled down as votes from polling places were added to the tally. Lake's victory became clear Thursday when Maricopa County released results from thousands of mail ballots dropped off at the polls on Tuesday. The voters of Arizona have spoken, Robson said in a statement conceding to Lake late Thursday. I accept the results, I trust the process and the people who administer it. In a midterm primary season with mixed results for Trumps favored candidates, the former president came out on top in Arizona, a state that has been central to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and cast doubt on Biden's victory. In addition to Lake, Trumps picks for U.S. Senate, secretary of state, attorney general, U.S. House and the state Legislature all won their GOP primaries. If they win in November, Trump allies will hold sway over the administration of elections in a crucial battleground state as he considers another bid for the White House in 2024. The results also show that Trump remains a powerful figure in the GOP as longtime party stalwarts get increasingly bold in their efforts to reassert control before the next presidential campaign. Former Vice President Mike Pence, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie all campaigned for Robson in the days before the election. Lake now faces the daunting task of uniting the Republican Party after a bruising primary. On Wednesday, as Lake declared victory prematurely, she attempted to reach out to Robson and others she fiercely criticized as RINOs, or Republicans in Name Only, who don't align with Trump on key issues. Frankly, this party needs her to come together, and I welcome her, Lake said of Robson. And I hope that she will come over for this. Robson said shes spent her life supporting Republicans, and it is my hope that our Republican nominees are successful in November. Like Trump, Lake courts controversy and confrontation. She berates journalists and dodges questions. She burned masks during the COVID-19 surge in the summer of 2021 and attacked Republicans like Ducey who allowed restrictions on businesses, though as a news anchor she encouraged people to follow public health guidance. Lake spent the days leading up to her own election claiming there were signs of fraud, but she refused to provide any evidence. Once her victory was assured, she said voters should trust her win is legitimate. We outvoted the fraud, Lake said. She pointed to problems in Pinal County, which ran out of ballots in some precincts and had to print more, but she and her attorney, Tim La Sota, refused to provide evidence backing up her claims of fraud. 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. Hobbs, Lake's opponent in November, went after the candidate over her opposition to abortion rights and gun control and a proposal she floated to put cameras in every classroom to keep an eye on teachers. Republicans, moving toward November as a divided party in Arizona, need to make an appeal to the independent voters who decide close races, said Chuck Coughlin, a longtime Republican strategist who left the party during the Trump era. I see it as a challenge the Republicans are going to have: How do they narrate to unaffiliated voters? Coughlin said. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Online supermarkets allowing Cuban Americans to pay for food for their families in Cuba have become a lifeline for many on the island during the pandemic, helping them survive amid widespread food shortages. Similar to websites offering groceries online, these platforms allow U.S. customers to select and pay for products that usually cannot be found in island stores, such as meat and milk, that will then be delivered to the address of the recipient in Cuba. But some of these online stores have become a marketplace for flagship Cuban products such as Havana Club rum produced by state companies and enterprises that are private on paper but maintain their links with the government, raising questions about compliance with the U.S. embargo and the legal basis for the business model. For instance, Miami-based Cubamax, a Cuba travel agency now offering food products for Cubans on the island, offers four different brands of rum made in Cuba, including Havana Club. Supermarket 23, another e-commerce platform registered in Florida, is marketing a $216 bottle of Havana Club Gran Reserva. The same bottle is $239 on Cubamax.com. Screenshot of the website Supermarket23.com, offering Havana Club products. Other products manufactured by Cuban companies are for sale, as well. Cubamax is selling well-known Cuban coffee brands such as Cubita and Serrano and buffalo ground beef from Empresa Pecuaria Genetica El Cangre, a state enterprise in the town of Guines, near Havana. And Supermarket 23 is offering products marketed by the states Empresa Integral Agropecuaria in Ciego de Avila. Screenshot of the website Cubamax.com offering Cuban coffee brand Cubita. How Cuban rum and other state-made goods ended up being marketed to U.S. customers despite embargo regulations is a question some activists are posing to authorities. Salome Garcia Bacallao, a Cuban human-rights activist, recently filed a complaint with the Office of Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody against Supermarket 23 for alleged embargo violations. Garcia Bacallao said she wanted to call attention to the companys activities following a report by Cubanet, an independent news website, showing the e-commerce platform was selling food products from Alcona, a Cuban state enterprise connected to Cuban general Guillermo Garcia. References to Alcona products have since been deleted from the website. Garcia Bacallaos complaint and at least three others involving Supermarket 23 are currently under active review, the Offices deputy communications director, Kylie Mason, said. Supermarket 23 is owned by Cuba-born Anibal Quevedo, the founder and CEO of Canadian-based Treew, which runs Supermarket23.com and several similar websites such as Treew.com and Supermarket.treew.ca. Under different names and registered in Canada and Spain, his online store has been in business for several years. An Angola war veteran, he was the former director of the Cuban governments first e-commerce website, Cubaweb.cu, in the 1990s. He also sold Cuban cigars online on his website Unicoshabanos.com. He could not be reached. It is unclear if Supermarket 23 conducts business in Florida, where Quevedos son, Anibal Quevedo Jr., registered it as a limited liability company in 2016. Quevedo Jr. did not reply to calls, text messages and emails left by the Herald. Reached by phone, Carlos Trujillo, owner of Cubamax, said he was busy and couldnt take calls from the Herald. He did not respond to questions sent by text message. All references to Havana Club and other Cuban rum brands have since been deleted from the Cubamax.com website. How does the business model work? Online grocery shopping for residents in Cuba has become a popular business but one that gets complicated because of the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba. The embargo prohibits all transactions involving Cuba unless theyre authorized by the Department of the Treasury or other laws. However, companies can export food and medicines to Cuba legally, and import certain goods (including most food products) and services produced by independent Cuban entrepreneurs. The State Department warns that those importing goods from private businesses in Cuba must obtain documentary evidence that demonstrates the entrepreneurs independent status or evidence that demonstrates that the entrepreneur is a private entity that is not owned or controlled by the Cuban government. U.S. persons can also request that the Treasury and the Commerce Department authorize a particular activity or transaction with a special license, which tends to be very specific. Not all these platforms follow the same model. Katapulk.com, for example, also offers private businesses in Cuba the opportunity to sell their products on its platform. Hugo Cancio, the Cuban-American owner of Katapulk, said in a statement that most of the products he sells through the online store come from the U.S. The vast majority of products on our platform are legally imported from the U.S., brands recognized by our customers at reasonable prices, he told the Herald. Katapulk is more than an online store; it is a marketplace where there are more than 145 independent stores that offer a wide variety of products and services. While these online platforms might be operating under a combination of general and specific licenses, experts and lawyers note that the regulations do not seem to authorize companies under U.S. jurisdiction to market and sell to U.S. customers products made by Cuban state companies or businesses with links to the state. Everything the administration has done and its going to do involves supporting the non-state sector, said John Kavulich, the president of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council. If someone uses a general or specific license to support the purchase or market Cuban government products, they are leaving themselves incredibly exposed. Screenshot of the website Supermarket23.com, offering Havana Club products. Lawyers also caution about trusting that other frequently cited embargo exceptions such as activities in support of the Cuban people would provide cover for these online businesses. For one, the support-for-the-Cuban-people category primarily refers to travel to Cuba; its not a broad license, says Robert Muse, a lawyer and Cuba expert who has opposed the U.S. embargo. Just because youre claiming youre doing Gods work in Cuba, that doesnt immunize you, Muse said. We do exist under the embargo, unfortunately. Private businesses linked to the Cuban government The increased attention over these online stores comes amid concerns shared by some Cuban activists and exiles that the Biden administrations policies to support the private sector in Cuba could be exploited by the Cuban government or those close to it. For U.S. officials, e-commerce platforms play an essential role at a time when food shortages in Cuba have worsened. The Cuban people are facing a dire economic and food security situation, a spokesperson for the State Department said. The United States has taken action to facilitate the delivery of private humanitarian donations and other agricultural and medical exports. Platforms permitting food purchases in the United States for delivery in Cuba connect the Cuban people with food supplies. A spokesperson for the Treasury Department stressed that the goal of the administrations policies is to encourage commercial opportunities outside of the state sector by helping independent Cuban entrepreneurs access e-commerce platforms. The spokesperson said the administration was also working to expand access to additional payment options for Internet-based activities, support electronic payments, and facilitate business engagement with independent Cuban entrepreneurs. But activists worry that the Cuban government is adapting to benefit from those regulations. The story behind Tuaba products offered on both Cubamax and Supermarket 23 websites shows how this could be happening. Screenshot of the website Cubamax.com showing Tuaba products for sale. Under Raul Castros command, Cubas Communist Party adopted a number of reforms to decentralize the economy, which were stalled for many years. But as the pandemic shut down tourism and the government became desperate for cash, some reforms gained pace, including transforming state companies into small and medium private enterprises. The first step was to create local, small-scale state enterprises that were granted more freedoms than the typical state company. Thats how Tuaba was born, as the brand of Media Luna, a local mini-industry project by the states Empresa Integral Agropecuaria in Ciego de Avila. Created in 2020, Media Luna started producing juices and guava bars, and it was so successful that it was featured on the Ministry of Economys website. Then without further explanation, state media announced in October last year that Media Luna was now a private medium enterprise, the first one in Ciego de Avila. In reality, not much had changed. Despite its non-state status, the enterprise was committed to the defense of the achievements of socialism, one of its officials said during a Communist Party meeting attended by Cuban leader Miguel Diaz-Canel, Cuban state news agency ACN reported in March. According to the ACN report, the companys chief economic officer, Yamilka Aviles, said the enterprise got into e-commerce with payments from abroad, confirming Media Luna marketed goods in several foreign platforms. That activity generated $5 million in revenue in 2021, and $1.2 million was handed directly to the states central budget account, the report says. Another $108,000 and 4.5 million Cuban pesos were delivered to the local government. Garcia Bacallao, who filed the complaint with Floridas attorney general, said U.S. officials might miss those connections. I think that now there is an urgency because the Cuban state is using this strategy around the private enterprises to give an idea of economic opening, of change, Garcia Bacallao said. And the United States government is accepting that as something true. A routine Minuteman III missile test at Vandenberg Space Force Base has been called off amid heightened tensions with China, White House officials announced Thursday. The missile test, once planned for late Wednesday night to early Thursday morning and delayed to Thursday night or Friday morning, had been set to occur from an underground silo on North Base near Lompoc. But tensions with China arose amid U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan, making the Congress member from California the highest ranking U.S. government officials to visit. Overnight, China launched an estimated 11 ballistic missiles toward Taiwan, impacting to the northeast, east and southeast of the island. John Kirby, the National Security Councils coordinator for strategic communications, said the United States condemned the actions and considered the launches irresponsible and at odds with our longstanding goal of maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait and the region. On Thursday, Kirby, providing a statement during the White House press briefing, announced the postponement of the Minuteman test from Vandenberg. The United States will be resolute but also steady and responsible, Kirby said. We do not believe it is in our interest, Taiwans interest, the regions interest to allow tensions to escalate further which is why the long-planned Minuteman III ICBM test scheduled for this week has been rescheduled for the near future. As China engages in destabilizing military exercises around Taiwan, the United States is demonstrating instead the behavior of a responsible nuclear power by reducing the risks of miscalculation and misperception, Kirby added. We will continue to demonstrate transparency in our U.S. ballistic missile tests through timely notifications as a practice that China has often rejected. A mariners notice warning boaters to remain off the water near the north section of Vandenberg was lifted midday Thursday. Rescheduling this test will not in any way impact the modernization, the readiness, or the reliability of Americas safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent, Kirby said. And the test will happen. It will be rescheduled for the near future. This is the second delay for a Minuteman III missile test from Vandenberg in 2022. Earlier this year, officials postponed a Minuteman test due to Russias invasion of Ukraine. Vandenberg typically conducts between three to four Minuteman III missile tests each year to collect data about the weapon systems accuracy and reliability. The Air Force has some 400 Minuteman weapons sitting on alert in and around Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming. Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook. A volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland spewed red hot lava and plumes of smoke as it captivated onlookers Wednesday, just eight months after its last eruption officially ended. According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), the Fagradalsfjall volcano, which is located in an uninhabited valley about 25 miles southwest of the capital, Reykjavik, erupted Wednesday at 1:18 p.m. local time. "It's impressive, it's a bit unreal. The colors are really flashy," Marion Roux-Calza, a French tourist, told AFP. "It's unreal for me ... It's very, very beautiful." After a series of earthquakes over the past week indicated volcanic activity was close to the crust, scientists from the IMO anticipated an eruption would occur somewhere on the peninsula. Iceland, with 32 volcanic systems currently active, is known as the land of fire and ice. On average, the country has experienced an eruption every four to five years, according to The Associated Press. Iceland straddles the mid-Atlantic ridge, which is a crack on the ocean floor, separating the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. AFP reports that the intense volcanic activity on this vast island near the Arctic Circle is partly due to the shifting of the tectonic plates. Nearly 12 years ago, the Eyjafjallajokull volcano left millions of air passengers stranded and canceled more than 100,000 flights, according to the AP. Concerns that the volcanic dust could damage jet engines interrupted air travel for days between Europe and North America. With Wednesday's eruption occurring about 10 miles away from Keflavik International Airport, Iceland's only major travel hub, concerns over potential aviation impacts are high. As of Thursday morning, the international airport remained open and operational. This recent eruption is expected to become a major tourist attraction after the 2021 eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula brought in more than 430,000 visitors, according to the Icelandic Tourist Board. Since the news broke Wednesday, shares of Iceland's flagship airline, Icelandair, have risen 10%. American tourist Heather Hoff has been waiting for years to see lava up close. She told AFP it was a "life goal" of hers. Wednesday's eruption during Hoff's visit to Iceland couldn't have occurred at a better time for her. "We were tracking down here and I had to stop," Hoff, 42, said. "I had to sit down and I had to have a little cry because it is so beautiful, so emotional and this is like the raw power of our planet." No ash plume had been reported as of Thursday, but the IMO warned that the gas released could be harmful to people and the environment. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the most abundant volcanic gas is water vapor, which is harmless. But significant amounts of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide can be emitted from volcanoes. Depending on the concentrations of these gases, they could pose a threat to people, agriculture and animals. Iceland's President Gudni Johannesson warned people who were planning to visit to do research and to be careful when visiting. "I thought I was gonna be able to get a lot closer," James Dills, an American traveling with Hoff, said, lamenting that the two couldn't get any closer than about 4 meters from the lava. Dills, 62, also marveled auditory experience the erupting volcano provided in addition to the visual one. "And then the sound of the lava erupting and the dramatic splashing, it is very very exciting." Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer. BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Ambassadors of multiple countries to China have expressed their firm support for the one-China principle and their opposition to Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan region, which they said infringes upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Pelosi's visit to Taiwan flagrantly violated the U.S. commitment made in the joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the United States, as well as a series of consensus reached between the governments of the two countries, said Hassane Rabehi, Algerian ambassador to China. Rabehi added that Algeria adheres to the one-China principle, and hopes that the U.S. side will abide by the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques with concrete actions and stop interfering in China's internal affairs. There is only one China in the world, and the government of the PRC is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, Rabehi said. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, which is made clear in Resolution 2758 adopted at the UN General Assembly in 1971, the ambassador said, adding that Pelosi's Taiwan visit violated the UN Charter and relevant resolutions. Since the founding of the PRC in 1949, 181 countries, including the United States, have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of recognizing the one-China principle. Since the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic relations in 1979, successive U.S. administrations, including the incumbent one, have made it clear that they adhere to the one-China policy, Rabehi noted, expressing the hope that the U.S. side will honor its commitment and cease actions that undermine world peace and stability. Iraqi Ambassador to China Shorsh Khalid Said reiterated that Iraq's stance of adhering to the one-China principle is "consistent and firm." At a time when the world is facing increasing security challenges, Pelosi's visit to Taiwan will adversely affect the situation across the Taiwan Strait and jeopardize regional peace and stability, Said noted, adding that China has the wisdom and ability to resolve this crisis, and Iraq supports China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Syria resolutely opposes Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, Syrian Ambassador to China Mhd. Hasanein Khaddam said, calling the move a blatant provocation. Syria condemns the United States for its interference in China's internal affairs and for undermining China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, he added. He said that the United States has been wreaking havoc around the globe and that the U.S. military continues to occupy the main grain and oil-producing regions in Syria, worsening the humanitarian crisis in the country. Pelosi's insistence on visiting China's Taiwan not only aggravates tensions in the Taiwan Strait but also undermines world peace and stability, the ambassador added. China has always adhered to the path of peaceful development, and the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative proposed by China benefit other countries, he said, adding that Syria will stick to the one-China principle, and support China in taking all necessary measures to safeguard its own sovereignty and territorial integrity. Mohammad Keshavarz Zadeh, Iranian ambassador to China, expressed Iran's stance on firmly adhering to the one-China principle, and condemned U.S. long-term acts of interference in the internal affairs of other countries and undermining their national sovereignty and territorial integrity. "We support China's actions in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity," the ambassador added. There were more electives There were better teachers There were less tests There were more exciting ways to learn Other Vote View Results YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh denies the statement of the Azerbaijani defense ministry according to which the Defense Army units violated the ceasefire regime. The Defense Army said that the situation in the Line of Contact is relatively stable despite the existing tension. The statement of the Azerbaijani defense ministry according to which the units of the Defense Army of Artsakh have violated the ceasefire regime 9 times by using sniper rifles and various caliber firearms is another disinformation and has nothing to do with the reality, the Defense Army said, once again stating that the Azerbaijani side is regularly violating the ceasefire regime. Despite the existing tension, the operational situation in the Line of Contact is relatively stable, it added. YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS. South Koreas Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is taking active steps to develop urban air mobility (UAM) sector. Korea plans to launch the program of the so-called flying taxis in 2025. As a first step, the Ministry plans to connect the countrys capital airport with the center of Seoul through the flying taxis. For the fulfillment of the program, South Korea is mobilizing the capacities of the countrys major companies. The country is also cooperating with the United States for the project. SK Telecom, the largest wireless telecommunications operator in South Korea, is also engaged in the activities of launching the program. During a media tour organized by the Korean Culture and Information Service, Irene Kim, Manager, Communication Planning Team at SK Telecom, told ARMENPRESS that Korea is making serious efforts to develop UAM in the country. This sector, in fact, is actively developing in the United States and Europe. In Korea, the Ministry of Land and Transport plays a key role in the development of this sector. In 2025 the Ministry seeks to connect airport with the city center through flying taxis. SK Telecom, Hanwha Systems and other companies have set up a consortium. A testbed will be created this November in Seouls district of Cheongdam-dong. And we plan to achieve the commercialization of this technology by 2025. Our country really seeks to develop this direction. We also cooperate with the United States on this matter, she said. During a tour at SK Telecom headquarters, reporters were provided with an opportunity to get acquainted with the companys Smart City project through a virtual tour. The company is presenting its own concept of the future, particularly how life will look like in 2052. Words are not enough to describe that virtual tour. You will see the future flying taxis during this tour, the launch of which is not far away. Incheon International Airport, the largest airport in South Korea, is 40km away from the capital Seoul. It takes 40 minutes, or up to an hour, to reach from downtown Seoul to the airport by car. According to different estimates, this trip with a flying taxi will last only 20 minutes. Some air taxi concepts have already been tested in a number of countries, particularly in US, Japan and also in South Korea. In some cases, these air taxis look like a small helicopter, or a small plane, but according to various estimates, they are safer and more eco-friendly. Irene Kim also introduced another major project of SK Telecom ifland. ifland is SK Telecoms metaverse service that offers a range of features for social networking and is growing into a globally accessible service fueled by cooperation with various partners. Its a platform where people can create their own characters in virtual domain and communicate with each other. These services have already been launched in Korea. During the spread of COVID-19 people were communicating in this platform a lot. After the mitigation of the pandemic these services are still very popular. Many people, especially, the youth, continue using infland. And we plan to launch these services in 80 countries of the world by the end of the year, Irene Kim said. SK Telecom Co., Ltd., a South Korean wireless telecommunications operator, was founded in 1984. It is one of the country's largest chaebols. The company leads the local market with 50.5 percent share. Shant Khlghatyan Photos by PENTA PRESS, SK Telecom YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS. A conscripted soldier of the Azerbaijani army was killed in a military base in the countrys Tovuz district, Azerbaijani media outlets reported August 5. The victim is identified as Pyunkhan Siyavush oglu Aghamirov. The serviceman was killed in non-combat conditions. According to preliminary information the soldier was murdered by a comrade. A criminal case on murder is opened. YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyans advisor Artashes Tumanyan held a meeting with the Ambassador of France to Armenia Anne Louyot, the Prime Ministers Office said in a press release. Tumanyan and Ambassador Louyot addressed the latest regional developments, as well as a number of issues pertaining to bilateral relations. Artashes Tumanyan presented the Armenian governments activities in the economy, particularly the ongoing programs for the development of infrastructures. In this context the possibilities for Armenian-French cooperation in building transport infrastructures, water and irrigation systems and in other areas were discussed. YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS. The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) will provide up to US $37 million to finance the construction of 11 solar power plants with a total capacity of up to 65 MW in the Gegharkunik and Aragatsotn Regions of Armenia. The relevant documents were signed in Yerevan by Nikolai Podguzov, Chairman of the EDB Management Board, and Hayk Harutyunyan, President of the New Energy Group, the EDB said in a press release. All the facilities are scheduled to be commissioned this year. The investment will be repaid from payments under electricity sales contracts between the borrower and the Electric Networks of Armenia. Developing renewable energy sources (RES) is a priority of the Armenian governments energy strategy. RES reduce the countrys dependence on fossil fuels, which are fully imported. The priority of RES and the intentions of Armenias government for their development are enshrined in the nations 20212040 Energy Strategy. The potential of solar power plants in Armenia is estimated at 8 GW. The average annual sunshine is 2,700 hours while the average annual solar radiation falling on a horizontal surface is about 1,720 kWh per sqm (the European average is 1,000 kWh per sqm). A quarter of the country is endowed with solar energy resources of 1,850 kWh per sqm per year. Today, Armenias energy system is based on thermal, nuclear and hydroelectric power. Natural gas remains the largest source of total energy supply and the main energy carrier in total final consumption. According to our strategy in Armenia, the EDB focuses on distributed solar power projects and the construction and modernisation of hydropower facilities. The Banks objective until 2026 is to help diversify the countrys sources of electricity generation. In doing so, we not only increase the reliability of the energy system, but also significantly improve the environment by reducing carbon emissions, said Nikolai Podguzov, Chairman of the EDB Management Board. PHNOM PENH, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son on Thursday on the sidelines of the foreign ministers' meetings on East Asia cooperation, with both sides agreeing to accelerate cooperation in key areas. The two sides said they will implement the consensus reached at the 14th Meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation and speed up the next phase of cooperation in key areas. Son wished the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China a great success, adding that the Vietnamese side will hold a series of celebration events at that time to demonstrate the mutual support between socialist countries. He said the Vietnamese side regards the relations with China as a strategic choice and top priority in its foreign policy and looks forward to maintaining high-level exchanges between the two parties and countries, carrying forward their traditional friendship, consolidating mutual political trust and deepening practical cooperation. The Vietnamese side reiterates its firm commitment to the one-China policy, Son said, adding that it has issued a related statement jointly with other countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), pledging to work together to maintain regional peace and stability. Wang said the two countries, both as socialist countries, have always firmly supported each other's major core interests. He said the two sides should strengthen exchanges and mutual learning, make it a visionary goal for them to build a community with a shared future that bears strategic significance, and jointly enrich the paths to modernization for developing countries. Wang appreciated the Vietnamese side's adherence to the one-China principle, stressing that the causes and consequences of the current situation across the Taiwan Strait are clear, and the rights and wrongs are obvious. The U.S. side's unpopular moves not only infringe on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also harm the common interests of the region and all developing countries, and breach the basic norms governing international relations, Wang noted. Wang stressed that around 100 countries have expressed their commitment to the one-China principle, and the Unite Nations Secretary-General has clearly stated that the UN will continue to adhere to the UN General Assembly Resolution 2758. Wang said China is willing to work with the Vietnamese side to give full play to their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, jointly safeguard the unity of socialist countries, and jointly defend international fairness and justice. Mahua Moitras bag replaced Ranveer Singhs butt in the meme stakes this week. Mahua Moitras bag replaced Ranveer Singhs butt in the meme stakes this week. Which is a good thing or a bad thing, depending on whether you are a bag or butt fanatic. Im still trying to wrap my head around the fierce attack launched against one of our most articulate MPs for hiding her pricey LVMH bag from prying, all-seeing cameras in the House, during a heated debate on mehngai (rising costs). I was at a dinner in Pune when the controversy over the bag was peaking. My host looked away dreamily and sighed: Forget her bag I really like Mahua shes hot. The other guests were up in arms, especially the hostess who icily corrected her husband with a sharp put down, telling him the issue was much bigger than his crush on Mahua. Really? Was it bigger or made extra big by people with nothing better to carp about than a ladys handbag? What is the issue? Do the critics mean lady parliamentarians, especially TMC types, should shun ostentatious displays and leave luxury bags at home when they attend Parliament? Why? Its the same old sniping that was heard back in the days when Rajiv Gandhi and his Doon School buddies were mocked for wearing Rolex watches and Gucci loafers. Bollocks! We are fine with fake displays of austerity, but roil at accessories that cost a pretty penny. I thought we had left glorifying the hypocritical jhola culture well behind. Clearly not, going by the over-reaction to Ms Moitras Rs 1.6-lakh bag. A few pertinent questions are worth raising here: One: Can Mahua, in her personal capacity, afford to buy such an expensive bag? The answer is yes. She was a successful professional (V-P of J.P. Morgan in the UK), with declared assets of Rs 2.64 crores. Question two: Did she deliberately duck and push her bag under the bench? Who knows? The timing being what it was, it does appear as if she became aware of being on camera and decided to keep the bag out of view. Good on her! Smart woman! She may have seen the irony of her luxury bag being prominently in the frame, when her colleague Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar was talking about the mehngai. Give her marks for her presence of mind and agility. The problem is not Mahuas bag or Ranveers butt. It is our own double standards and excessive guilt. We can neither handle prosperity, nor nudity. And obsess over both. These sort of distractions take away our attention from far more critical issues, like the rupee weakening by 44 paise this week to close at 79.16/$ over concerns of a widening trade deficit (a record $31 billion in July 2022). While the RBIs monetary policy committees recommendations have fiscal market watchers on tenterhooks, here we are haranguing a woman over her choice of handbag. And look -- theres a belligerent Smriti Irani screaming herself hoarse in Parliament, eyes blazing, index finger wagging Sonia Gandhi maafi mango during the Rashtrapatni debacle hoping nobody would go deeper into her own little hiccup in Goa, which was deftly sorted out for Ms Irani by the Delhi high court. So sweet of the judges, na? Sach muchh such Silly Souls, all those going after the Union minister and her daughter Zoish. The biggest bogey in India right now arent the nastiest netas in the land but their attack dogs -- the ED. Remember that movie The Russians are coming the Russians are coming? Well, we should make our own version -- The ED is coming the ED is coming! From tycoons to politicians, it is the ED which is giving people sleepless night. Nobody wept for Sanjay Raut or Partha Chatterjee when they were arrested and marched off to cool their heels wherever they were taken. Raut was the snarling Rottweiler of the Shiv Sena, and even a section of loyal Sainiks celebrated seeing Raut cut down to size. No matter what the more political argument is (BJPs eventual goal to grab the BMC coffers and finish off the Shiv Sena), nobody was shedding tears for the jailed Raut. Ditto for Partha Chatterjee -- pity the woman who hurled her chappal at him, and missed the mark. But reports of a bevy of obliging handmaidens wiping the sweat off Parthas brow made most of us feel very ill, indeed. Sonia Gandhi is not having the best time, either. But then, any surprises in the manner in which shes being treated? One wonders what took them so long? Under siege, screamed Congress Party loyalists as the police barricaded the roads outside the Congress headquarters and the residences of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. A deserted Akbar Road (name change coming up??) and Tughlaq Lane alerted citizens that something major was afoot. The pictures of a partially padlocked Herald House by the ED and leaks about Sonia being questioned for 11 hours, etc, sounded more like a strategy to scare the hell out of others that is, virtually anybody who is not playing ball with the big guys. This is what well be seeing much more of in the days and months to come. As a run-up to the celebrations (of Indias 75 years of Independence), citizens have been asked to fly the flag from their homes (Har Ghar Tiranga) -- lovely concept. Why not? I have been bombarded with forwards urging me to change my DP to a tiranga that also incorporates the letter of the alphabet representing my name. These are fine, inspiring gestures -- agreed! But somehow hollow and a bit too token for them to be anything more than a show of shallow pseudo-patriotism. Expect more and more disruptions in the House, with Opposition members rushing to the Well to protest. None of this is sounding particularly positive or uplifting. Dignity and democracy used to be inter-linked concepts in the distant past. Today, unless parliamentarians stoop to playing to the gallery, they feel theyre irrelevant. Every trick in the book is being used to get eyeballs and go viral. Whichever way one looks at this phenomenon it is still about garnering publicity at any cost. Showbiz by any other name is still showbiz. Now all we need is a parliamentarian posing in the buff to make a statement (hamam mein sab nangey hotey hai) and giving Ranveer Singh a run for his money Ranveer Singh, you had better watch out -- now you have competition! by Mathias Hariyadi SMAN 1 High School is located in Bantul. Backed by the principal, three teachers required students to wear the hijab, sparking an angry response from students who are backed by human rights and child advocacy groups. The governor of the Yogyakarta Special Region sacked the principal and the three teachers, pending the conclusion of the investigation. Jakarta (AsiaNews) In Indonesia, protests are mounting against the decision by a school in Bantul, Yogyakarta District, to impose the hijab, fuelling identity policies linked to Islam at the expense of individual freedoms. The controversy caused by the administration of Public High School No 1[i] in Banguntapan has sparked criticism from human rights groups Budhi Masturi, head of Yogyakarta's Ombudsmans Office, reports that three teachers deliberately demanded the students to wear the hijab. The schools principal and administrators have tried to cover up the affair, while the pupils opposed to the decision are considering moving to other schools because of the psychological stress caused by the controversy. Various education and child protection groups, like the Yogyakarta Education Care Alliance and the Indonesian Children Protection Commission (KPAI), have also expressed concern. The mother of a pupil published an open letter. In it, she rejects the school's accusations that her daughter's mental troubles are related to family problems, not the mandatory veil. "My daughter is fighting to defend her civil rights, Herprastyanti Ayuningtyas writes, including the right not to wear a hijab. On 26 July, the girl called her mother, crying, unable to say a word. Later, she sent a text message writing: Mum, I dont want to attend this school anymore; I want to go home. With opposition growing, the authorities in Yogyakarta waded into the controversy. Sri Sultan Hamengkubawono X, governor of the Yogyakarta Special Region, dismissed the school principal and the three teachers responsible for the dispute, who are not authorised to come to class until a full investigation is completed. [i] Sma Negeri 1. The other news of the day: Japan promises to work with the US for regional stability. ASEAN condemns the lack of progress for peace in Myanmar. Sri Lankan athlete goes missing at the Commonwealth Games. Tensions rise in Nagorno Karabakh. Zelensky wants to speak directly with Xi Jinping. NORTH KOREA According to a UN report, North Korea has made preparations for a nuclear test. Pyongyang has continued to develop its capability for the production of fissile material at the Yongbyon site" in the first six months of this year. The site is home to the country's main nuclear reactors. JAPAN UNITED STATES Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today agreed to work together to ensure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and a "free and open" Indo-Pacific. Yesterday five Chinese ballistic missiles landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone. ASEAN MYANMAR ASEAN foreign ministers expressed their disappointment over failed attempts to restore peace in Myanmar, criticising the military junta for not implementing the five-point plan proposed by the organisation. Despite the Association's limited coercive capabilities, this is the second time that a Myanmar domestic political issue has been included in a joint communique. SRI LANKA UNITED KINGDOM A Sri Lankan athlete has disappeared from the athletes village in Birmingham, where the 2022 Commonwealth Games are currently underway. Two members of the Sri Lankan judo team had also left the village, but were found by police. At present, according to the authorities, it is difficult to reach a concrete conclusion about their escape. RUSSIA IRAN INDIA Due to Western sanctions, Russia is increasingly turning to Asia. In July, 39 containers crossed Turkmenistan and Iran heading for India. This is the first major shipment using the International North-South Transport Corridor, a 7,200 km network of railways, highways and sea routes connecting Russia and Iran to India. Since the invasion of Ukraine, India's imports from Russia have increased almost fivefold, exceeding US$ 15 billion. UKRAINE CHINA Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to speak directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping, considering him the only person who could effectively influence Russia to end the war, this according to the South China Morning Post, which obtained the first interview with the Ukrainian leader by an Asian media outlet. ARMENIA AZERBAIJAN The head of the unrecognised Armenian republic of Nagorno Karabakh declared a state of partial military mobilisation, following attacks by the Azerbaijani army in Armenian-controlled territories, which resulted in two deaths and 14 injuries among the military. Azerbaijan's Defence Ministry decried shootings by the Armenian side, resulting in the death of one soldier. by Nirmala Carvalho They were celebrating the birthday of one of their children when neighbours called police., who arrested them after finding Christian religious texts in their possession. For Fr Vineet Pereira, the problem is community polarization. First application for bail was denied. Lucknow (AsiaNews) Police in Uttar Pradesh arrested six women on conversion charges when they were attending a birthday party in Maharajganj, Azamgarh district. Police found some religious texts with the women, who are currently held in Azamgarh district jail. According to the preliminary investigation, one of the women, Indrakala, from the village of Pipri in Kaptanganj, organised a birthday party for her son last Sunday inviting local families. Eventually, some residents went to police to complain that the get-together was designed to force people to convert. When police arrived, they found copies of Christian religious texts and other documents, and proceeded to arrest six women: Indrakala, Subhagi Devi, Sadhana, Samata, Anita and Sunita. "One of the women is disabled, one is a widow with three young children, and one is single, said Fr Vineet Pereira, a Catholic priest from the Diocese of Varanasi, who spoke to AsiaNews. "It's all about politics, he explained. The situation in Uttar Pradesh is such that no Christian can hold prayer services at home, this at a time when we will celebrate India's 75th year of independence. Not only are we not free to worship Jesus, but we are even prevented from celebrating a social event like a birthday, the clergyman lamented. This is due do communal polarisation in Uttar Pradesh" that "has sown seeds of suspicion in the minds of people, while before everyone lived in peace and harmony and celebrated each others festivals. "Having religious material in ones home is not a criminal offence or an illegal act," the priest stressed. "How can this be used as a pretext to accuse others of conversion? The six women were indicted under sections 504[*] and 506[] of the Indian Penal Code, and 3/5 of the Uttar Pradesh's Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion Ordinance. Sub Inspector Kamlesh Yadav of the Maharajganj police station was in the vicinity with other staff when he learnt that some women were pushing impoverished villagers to convert to their religion, said Police Superintendent Siddharth Kumar. The police have initiated a detailed investigation into the case. An initial application for bail was rejected. A second one is scheduled for 16 August. The six women now can only hope to be released soon to be reunited with their families. INDIAN MANDALA IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO INDIA. TO RECEIVE A WEEKLY UPDATE EVERY FRIDAY, CLICK HERE. [*] Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace. [] Punishment for criminal intimidation. The yacht in question is Good Vibes, built by Turkish shipyard Bilgin Yachts in 2010. It is a Bilgin 33 model and just one of three built by the shipyard. According to Boat International, with its excellent amenities and solid performance, Good Vibes had proved a popular charter vessel. Whether it can still be repaired remains to be seen.Local media reports that the fire started at 2.30 pm on August 3, and the guests on Good Vibes, with the exception of the owner and the captain, were rescued and transported to safety by a nearby vessel. The Salvamar Acrux rescue boat of the Spanish Maritime Safety and Rescue Society arrived at the scene shortly after, towing the yacht to the Ro-Ro towboat, which, in turn, took into the marina , in an area where its presence would not endanger other boats.It was a good thing that they did, too, because the fire kept burning for hours afterward. The same local media notes that firefighters also arrived at the scene, and the fire was eventually put out after more than five hours, with assistance from divers and the port authority. Video taken after the blaze was extinguished shows Good Vibes capsized , with severe damage to aft portion.On a design by Mahir Bestas, Good Vibes (ex Madness, La Rosa) was built with a wood and mahogany superstructure and marine ply superstructure, with accommodation for up to 10 guests in five lavish cabins and a crew of five. Amenities include a spa pool and a bar, as well as outdoor dining and generous lounge areas, including a beautiful sundeck.Powered by twin MTU engines of 1,850 hp each, Good Vibes was no slouch on the water, reaching top speeds of 22 knots (25.3 mph / 40.7 kph) and cruising at 18 knots (20.7 mph / 33.3 kph). Good Vibes was refitted in 2019 and 2021, the latter before it sold as Madness in December. The asking price was 1.6 million ($1.6 million at the current exchange rate).It is believed that the fire started in the engine room, though a cause has not yet been determined. The exact extent of the damage is also unknown at this time, but well update the story when more details are made public. Footage of the yacht burning in the marina, with a large column of smoke visible from a distance, was shared in the local press and on social media; you can see a couple of those videos below.No injuries have been reported as of the time of press. The Mitsubishi Delica is a very powerful off-road vehicle, considering its built on top of the Mitsubishi Pajeros platform. With its tiny footprint and cute cabin, you wouldnt guess it. Many people carrier versions have been transformed into camper vans able to reach the most inaccessible areas, thanks to their 4x4 transmission and powerful diesel engine. A lot fewer were factory-built motorhomes based on the pickup version of the Delica.This 1995 Delica JB500 is one of them, and you can see it doesnt look much different than other motorhomes, although it is smaller. Its a right-hand drive camper imported in December 2021 from Japan, so a few things are worth mentioning. Not a deal-breaker but also not ideal: the access door inside the camper is on the wrong side of the vehicle. This means you need to park in a safe spot before you can get off. Otherwise, youll end up in the middle of the road.Another thing to consider is that the electrical system works at 220 volts. You will need a converter to safely plug in most electrical appliances. If you are ok with that, the Delica camper might prove a good investment, considering its outstanding qualities . As youd expect, everything you might need for camping is provided onboard, including a bathroom with a shower. The cab-over bed is large enough to sleep two while at the same time offering a fantastic panoramic view.The kitchen features a two-burner stove operating on propane, a sink, and a refrigerator. The living quarters can be heated or cooled as desired, thanks to a propane heater and the front and rear air conditioning system. The camper is listed on Bring a Trailer , where three gentlemen have raised the price to $9,995. This is far from this rigs potential, so expect to at least double its price in the coming days. Of them all, my personal favorite is the Lancer . Initially meant to replace the Stratofortress (which, in the meantime, got its service extended to such a degree it will become the first military plane ever to turn 100 years old while in service), the bird had a troubled birth, with the first production version flying in 1984, about 14 years since the first prototype was made.Now, its the plane with the largest conventional payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the U.S. Air Force (USAF) arsenal. It can carry 75,000 pounds (34,019 kg) of the stuff, to altitudes that can reach 30,000 feet (9,144 meters) and across continents.In its first years, the Lancer was also nuclear-weapons capable, but its nuclear mission ended in 1994, and its conversion to conventional bomber started as per the START treaty back in 2007.Presently, the Lancer has 50 world records for speed, payload, range, and time of climb in its class to its name. All these impressive capabilities and achievements are enhanced in these eyes by the fact the Lancer is the best looking of the entire Trifecta Sadly, with just 62 of them in active inventory, we dont get to see Lancers all that often, so when one makes an appearance, we feel obligated to make that appearance public.When two of them come out to play, like in the main photo of this piece, theres even more reason to do so. Yes, look closely and youll see there are two Lancers in this pic, snapped by a master sergeant back in June and recently made public by the USAF.The planes, assigned to the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, were conducting a Bomber Task Force mission over the Pacific when they were caught on film. Thank you" Sweet Dragon 2" for a wonderful stay in Sardinia.#Magnums are the greatest boats in the world! pic.twitter.com/bYXhXHZlwe katrin theodoli (@KTheodoli) September 5, 2016 On Sunday night, at Il Nibani, near Porto Cervo, off the coast of Sardinia, the 88-foot (27-meter) luxury yacht Amore crashed into a wall of rock . The impact was so forceful that the entire bow of the yacht was smashed, and the owner, who was standing on the deck, was thrown into the water. Six other people were on board, and they were injured to varying degrees.The owner, British-German millionaire Dean Kronsbein, died shortly afterwards. He was recovered from the water but passed away before he reached the hospital. His wife and daughter have also received severe injuries, but the other four guests on the boat were luckier.Guests on Amore were rescued by another boat at the scene, and the boat itself was towed into port partially submerged.Italian authorities investigating the accident have included the Amore captain on the list of suspects, along with the captain of the boat at the scene. That would be the high-performance boat belonging to Silvio Berlusconi, the once-controversial and now-disgraced Italian MP, named Sweet Dragon II (pictured below).Investigators believe Amore crashed into the rocks while executing a maneuver to avoid collision with Sweet Dragon. They are also looking at the possibility that speeding might have been involved. The captain of Sweet Dragon has reportedly said that some kind of malfunction of Amore caused the crash.British tabloid the Daily Mail reports that, while Silvio Berlusconi wasnt on the boat when the crash happened, members of his family were. They will be interviewed in the following days as part of the ongoing investigation. Sweet Dragon wasnt damaged, and no one onboard was injured, either.Sweet Dragon II is a boat by Magnum Marine from the U.S., an older model of their successful Magnum 70 series, which was refreshed last in 2016. a Magnum 70 boat is a high-performance 70-foot (21.3-meter) boat with a planing, deep V hull designed to fly: offered with a variety of engines, it can hit top speeds of 58 knots (66.7 mph / 107.4 kph) and cruise at 52 knots (60 mph / 96.3 kph).The layout is also customizable, but one such boat can perfectly accommodate a smaller party on the day of adventure, with two cabins and three baths, offering sleeping for four guests, a galley, a dining room, and open-air lounge.Amore was previously described in the Italian media as a Magnum-type yacht, but Magnum Marine doesnt make boats of Amores length. The 2023 Honda Civic Type R will be the most powerful made so far. However, Honda is yet to release its performance numbers or technical specifications. On July 26, MotorTrend said leaked information suggested its 2-liter turbocharged engine would deliver 325 hp (330 ps) and 310 pound-feet (420 Nm). Lets work with these numbers in our hypothetical performance sedan.Should Honda produce it, it would be a fitting competitor to the Audi S3 . Costing less than the German competitor would be a plus, even if the Civic Type R was less luxurious and did not offer power on all four wheels as the S3 does. If Audi cares to have a vehicle in that market segment, that is one more reason to wonder why Honda decided to skip it.As we said before, people with families and a lot of stuff to carry on road trips should not have to go with a two-car garage solution if one vehicle could give them the performance experience they want and the practicality they need. A Honda Civic Type R Sedan would do that for them. On top of that, the Japanese company could still offer the hatchback for those that prefer a smaller car.If you think it through, a sedan may even offer a better weight distribution than a hatchback can. We do not doubt that someone will do in practice what Theottle did in renderings: a Honda Civic Type R Sedan. An engine swap and a lot of work on the suspension, brakes, and other components should make it relatively easy. BANGKOK, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- A fire at a nightclub in Thailand's Chonburi province in the early hours of Friday has killed at least 13 people and injured more than dozens, local media reported. The fire, which broke out at about 1:00 a.m. local time, has been kept under control and the injured people have been hospitalized, the Bangkok Post reported. Investigation into the cause of the accident was underway. The Concours of Elegance will hit its 10th Anniversary show in the UK, taking place from the 2nd to the 4th of September, at the Hampton Court Palace in West London. And this edition will celebrate one of the most appreciated British carmakers: Aston Martin.To mark this occasion, the show will include some of the rarest and most gorgeous models of them all, including HRH Prince of Wales beloved Aston Martin DB6 Volante.Aston Martin unveiled the DB6 Volante at the 1966 London Motor Show, one year after its Coupe version. And Prince Charles 1969 Aston Martin DB6 MK 2 Vantage Volante, which hes had since his 21st birthday, is one of the most famous open-top Aston Martins of all time. Not just that, but its also his all-time favorite car, despite his extensive collection.Finished in Seychelles Blue, the vehicle remains in its original condition, with some sustainable updates. In 2008, he asked Aston Martin to convert it to run on bioethanol, given his stance on environmental issues. The brand was reluctant to convert it, but the future King of England told Wallpaper magazine that they had to admit that the car now performs better than ever.He previously talked about the change on BBC. Ive got electric cars now but its been so difficult, His Royal Highness shared. My old Aston Martin, which Ive had for 51 years, runs on can you believe this surplus English white wine, and whey from the cheese process.The vehicle was also used as Prince William and Kate Middleton's getaway car during their Royal Wedding.Besides Prince Charles DB6 Volante , on display, there will also be a DB4 GT Zagato, a one-off DB5 V8 Prototype, a DB4, and many others. In total, the show will feature almost 1,000 vehicles across the weekend. As it so happened, they were no ordinary firemen and carried a secret weapon to the firefight. Named Big Wind, it took the shape of a double-jet-engine-strapped WWII Soviet tank - something no other fire brigade deployed in 1991 Kuwait had ever seen. A shocking crossbreed between two pure-war machines, the vehicle looked like the type of machine the Devil takes for a joy ride.Take an awe-inspiring T-34 tank, scrap its turret, and replace it with a pair of MiG21 interceptor jet engines. To up the cool factor, put a control cabin behind said turbojets and top everything off with six nozzles, three above each of the jet exhausts. A Mad Max view indeed, with its red paint and brutal 42-ton take-no-nonsense demeanor.Be that as it may, the mighty vehicle proved efficient against the 300-foot-high scorching furnaces. Once fired up (PUN definitely not intended!), the mega-beast of a fire engine would spray 220 gallons (830 liters) of water every second at the base of the raging fire.The two jets would provide the blowing power, while high-pressure water would gush through the nozzles atop the thrusters. Instantly turning into steam, it would quickly prevent the oxygen in the air from feeding the flame, asphyxiating and killing it.Sounds nice and clean, but to kill the fire, Big Wind would need to get up close and personal with the 2,000-degree Fahrenheit (1,100 Celsius) roaring oil thrusting out of the Earth's crust at 4,400 PSI (303 bar). Just 25 feet away (eight meters) from the hellish eruption, the temperatures inside the vehicle would skyrocket. The controls could only be operated with special heat-deflecting gloves. The three crewmen would each be protected by special full firefighting raiment.To manage the fire tank, the crew had to man the battle stations: the driver sat inside the tank, at the very front of the monster. The jet engine operator's place was inside the cabin at the back of the machine, leaving the fire chief to casually walk alongside the behemoth tracks. To communicate with its colleagues, the chief used a particular console that triggered lights and high-pitched sounds on panels inside the tank and the cabin.Every single command had to be acknowledged by the other team members with a push of a button to confirm the orders. An extra safety feature a dead man switch would also need to be engaged every 15 seconds by both driver and jet engine operator. Amid 130-dB deafening shriek, traditional comms were useless.All in all, Big Wind put out nine fires during its 1991 Kuwait mission (you can see it in action in a brief sequence of the Fires of Kuwait documentary). Having been sent into retirement soon after its heroic assignment, the vehicle got upgraded, and the chassis of a Czechoslovakian VT-55 tank replaced the aging original T-34 platform. Even more powerful, the red tank saw action one more time in 2013 to put out a fire during a gas well blowout drill.If you're interested in this Slayer of All Dragons specs, the tank has a 2,440 ci (40-liter!) V12 Diesel engine with an output of 580HP. At 419 in (10.6 meters) long, 171.3 in (4,3 meters) wide, and 157.5 in (4 meters) tall, the titanic fire extinguisher weighs in at 92,600 lb (42 tons).Top speed is limited to a steady walking pace of 3 mph (5 kph) for safety reasons concerning the jet engine blowers. Speaking of which, the twin turbojets are R-25 Tumansky with 30,000 lbs (13,607 kgf) of maximum thrust combined. However, the practical output was limited to 70% to prevent the engines from overheating before putting out the fire. It took weeks to legally prove the ownership of the Amadea superyacht, seize it, and take it to American territory. But at least the entire world knew where it was docked in Fiji. The latest famous vessel to be targeted has mysteriously vanished for months after having turned off its communications system so that its location would not be traceable.The last known location of Alfa Nero is Antigua, but that was a few months ago . For now, all that OFAC (the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control) could do was to officially designate it as blocked property while also mentioning that the vessels tracking hardware is shut off.In a document that was recently released, OFAC added A.G. Guryev (Andrey Grigoryevich Guryev) and his son A.A. Guryev (Andrey Andreevich Guryev) to the sanctions list. A.G. Guryev is described as a known close associate of Vladimir Putin and a former member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. He is also the founder of a large chemical company thats the biggest supplier of agricultural fertilizers in Europe.Like most Russian oligarchs, Guryev owns a pleasure craft thats impressive, to say the least. The 269-foot (82 meters) Alfa Nero was built by the prestigious Oceanco in 2008 and is a multi-award-winning superyacht. Initially built for a Greek shipping millionaire, the Alfa Nero was reportedly purchased by Guryev for $120 million.Designed by the famous Nuvolari & Lenard and Alberto Pinto, Alfa Nero is incredibly luxurious. The huge owners suite includes not just one but two hot tubs (an indoor and an outdoors one), in addition to a private office.The yachts most striking feature is an infinity pool thats not only the biggest one ever integrated on a superyacht, but it's also convertible. This infinity pool is 12-meter (39.3 feet) long and can be turned either into a helipad or a dancefloor, thanks to an advanced hydraulic system. According to Oceanco, this was the first statement rear pool ever integrated on a superyacht.Up to 12 guests can enjoy the Alfa Neros extravagant amenities, including a beauty salon, a spa, and a gym.This stunning vessel reportedly went dark as soon as the first sanctions against Russian oligarchs were announced. Back then, in March, it was hanging out in the Caribbean. Apparently, it has managed to become invisible for all of these months. Now that its officially being eyed by the U.S. authorities, its nowhere to be found, which means that it might not end up the same as the infamous Amadea. kW However, Maserati is one of the car brands that depreciate a lot over time. The Quattroporte, in particular, costs a pittance after a few years of use compared to the price when it left the dealership with its first owner.One of the best examples is this Maserati Quattroporte 4.2 V8 Sport GT (US import). The car sells somewhere in Germany and costs 12,880 (approximately $13,130). To understand how much it has depreciated over the years, at the time of launch, the car cost over $120,000 (117,700).Produced in 2007, it shows decent mileage - 119,280 km (74.117 miles) on the odometer, and it doesn't appear to have been involved in an accident in its past.According to the advert, this Quattroporte was imported from the US and has an American title. In order to be registered, it needs the electric parking brake motor, which is missing on this vehicle. The sales offer also includes an original exhaust system stored in the car's trunk. According to the owner, the engine runs very well, and the gearbox shifts perfectly. It also needs some other parts, such as the Bose sound control unit and the inner cover of the trunk. In addition, the windows' lifters don't work either.It's a 4.2-liter V8 gasoline engine producing 294- 400 ps (394 hp) and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque paired with a six-speed semi-automatic transmission that moves the rear wheels. As for performance, this Maserati needs 5.2 seconds for the 0-62mph (0-100 kph) sprint and a top speed of 171 mph (275 kph).The Sport GT was created to meet the customers' demands for more performance and sportiness from the Quattroporte flagship. From the technical point of view, the gearbox is the one that underwent the most significant changes. By activating the "Sport" function, gear changes became more than 35% faster thanks to an improved electronic control system.At higher revs, the V8 installed in the Quattroporte GranSport GT was meant to produce a more intense sound. The exhaust system is an important component. In the case of the car we found on Mobile , the original exhaust system is available but will need to be refitted. Maldivian President alongwith JNPA officials at JNPA Port Navi Mumbai The President of Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, President, who is on an official visit to India, went to JNPA (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority), Indias best performing Port, on Thursday. He was accompanied by senior dignitaries Maldives. President Solih visited one of the JNPAs terminal GTI to get an overview of the overall functioning of the port. The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) at Navi Mumbai is the premier container handling port in India, accounting for around 50% of the total containerized cargo volume, across the major ports of India. JNPA is connected to over 200 ports in the world and is ranked 26th in the list of top 100 Container Ports globally. Its vision is to become the premier container port of South Asia. According to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Highways, the JNPA Chairman, Sanjay Sethi gave a traditional welcome to the Maldivian President, in the presence of Unmesh Sharad Wagh, Deputy Chairman, JNPA, and all the heads of departments of JN Port. The President was briefed by Chairman, JNPA, on the various projects at JNPA. Highlighting JNPAs latest developmental projects, the Chairman said that he said aligning with the vision of the government JNPA has taken up several developmental projects like the development of the greenfield port at Vadhvan, dry ports in the hinterland of the state, the fourth container terminal, etc. which will contribute to the nations growing economy. The five-kilometer-wide corridor became Karabakhs sole overland link to Armenia following the 2020 war. Armenian forces pulled out of the rest of the wider Lachin district under the terms of the Russian-brokered ceasefire that stopped the six-week hostilities. The truce accord calls for the construction of a new Armenia-Karabakh highway that will bypass the town of Lachin and two Armenian-populated villages located within the current corridor protected by Russian peacekeeping troops. Karabakhs leadership revealed on Tuesday that Azerbaijan has demanded through the peacekeepers the quick closure of the existing corridor and suggested that the Armenian side use a bypass road which has yet to be constructed. Armenias government dismissed the demands as not legitimate before two Karabakh Armenian soldiers were killed and 19 others wounded on Wednesday in heavy fighting with Azerbaijani forces. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian argued on Thursday that the truce accord requires Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia to work out before 2024 a joint plan for the construction of a new Armenia-Karabakh road. No such plan has been drawn up yet, he said. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, however, that the three sides did agree on the route of the new corridor early this year and accused Yerevan of dragging out work on its Armenian sections. Later on Thursday, the few remaining residents of the town of Lachin said local officials told them to evacuate the town for good. A senior official from Stepanakert, Hayk Khanumian, communicated the same order to some 200 people living in the nearby village of Aghavno at a meeting on Friday. He said that the Azerbaijanis will come and the Russians will leave [the current corridor] on August 25, Mariam Hakobian, an Aghavno resident, told RFE/RLs Armenian Service. The people [of Aghavno] look like they are hypnotized, she said. We dont know what to do. Hakobian said that the Karabakh government promised that each Aghavno family will receive 10 million drams ($24,000) for buying a new home in Karabakh or Armenia. He dismissed the promised aid, saying that it is well below the current housing prices. We have nowhere to go, said Anna Margarian, who lives in the town of Lachin with her family. Officials in Yerevan and Stepanakert did not publicly comment on the planned evacuation. It is also unclear how traffic between Armenia and Karabakh will be carried out if the existing Lachin corridor is handed over to Baku by the end of this month. More than a dozen kilometers south of the corridor, Azerbaijani and Turkish firms are reportedly completing the construction of a 32-kilomer-long highway that should link up to new road sections in Armenia and Karabakh. Work on those sections has yet to start in earnest. I urged continued restraint and direct dialogue with Azerbaijan to resolve these issues, Blinken tweeted after his phone call with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. In a separate tweet, he said he assured Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that the United States is ready to facilitate such dialogue. According to the U.S. State Department spokesman, Ned Price, Blinken also called for de-escalation during his conversation with Aliyev. He told Pashinian that Washington is watching the situation in and around Nagorno-Karabakh closely, said Price. Pashinian was cited by his office as accusing Azerbaijan of deviating from key terms of the Russian-brokered ceasefire that stopped the 2020 war in Karabakh. Secretary of State Blinken expressed concern about the tension and willingness to assist in stabilizing the situation, added the office. The State Department urged immediate steps to reduce tensions and avoid further escalation on Wednesday hours after two Karabakh Armenian soldiers were killed and 19 others wounded in fighting with Azerbaijani forces. The recent increase in tensions underscores the need for a negotiated, comprehensive, and sustainable settlement of all remaining issues related to or resulting from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Price. Blinken already held phone calls with Pashinian and Aliyev on July 25. He said afterwards that he sees a historic opportunity to achieve peace in the region. European Council President Charles Michel also spoke with the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders by phone. Michel indicated on Friday night that he is poised to host fresh negotiations between them in Brussels. Ahead of our next leaders meeting in Brussels, pursuing dialogue and achieving concrete progress on all items on the agenda is key, he wrote on Twitter. Palestinians mourn their relative killed during an Israeli airstrike, at a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Aug. 5, 2022. At least eight Palestinians were killed and 44 injured on Friday in the intensive Israeli fighter jets' airstrikes on Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) targets in the Gaza Strip, medics and eyewitnesses said. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) GAZA, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least eight Palestinians were killed and 44 injured on Friday in the intensive Israeli fighter jets' airstrikes on Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) targets in the Gaza Strip, medics and eyewitnesses said. Taysir al-Jabari, a commander of Saraya al-Quds, the armed wing of Jihad, was among those killed, the PIJ said in a statement. The victims also included a 5-year-old girl, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said in a press statement. The ministry said that it raised the state of readiness and emergency in all hospitals and ambulance stations in the Gaza Strip. On Friday, Israeli fighter jets launched three intensive airstrikes on the PIJ targets in the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses. The Israeli army confirmed in a statement that the raid was part of a declared military operation "True Dawn." Israel public radio said instructions were issued to the residents in the vicinity of the Gaza Strip to stay near shelters, adding that all educational activities at a distance of 80 km from Gaza will be canceled. The radio said the Israeli army is preparing for the rockets launching from the Gaza Strip. Palestinians mourn their relative killed during an Israeli airstrike, at a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Aug. 5, 2022. At least eight Palestinians were killed and 44 injured on Friday in the intensive Israeli fighter jets' airstrikes on Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) targets in the Gaza Strip, medics and eyewitnesses said. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) A Palestinian man mourns his relative killed during an Israeli airstrike, at a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Aug. 5, 2022. At least eight Palestinians were killed and 44 injured on Friday in the intensive Israeli fighter jets' airstrikes on Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) targets in the Gaza Strip, medics and eyewitnesses said. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) A Palestinian girl injured during an Israeli airstrike is seen at a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Aug. 5, 2022. At least eight Palestinians were killed and 44 injured on Friday in the intensive Israeli fighter jets' airstrikes on Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) targets in the Gaza Strip, medics and eyewitnesses said. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) A Palestinian woman injured during an Israeli airstrike is seen at a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Aug. 5, 2022. At least eight Palestinians were killed and 44 injured on Friday in the intensive Israeli fighter jets' airstrikes on Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) targets in the Gaza Strip, medics and eyewitnesses said. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) Smoke rises from a building after an airstrike in Gaza City on Aug. 5, 2022. At least eight Palestinians were killed and 44 injured on Friday in the intensive Israeli fighter jets' airstrikes on Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) targets in the Gaza Strip, medics and eyewitnesses said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians inspect the rubble after an airstrike in Gaza City on Aug. 5, 2022. At least eight Palestinians were killed and 44 injured on Friday in the intensive Israeli fighter jets' airstrikes on Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) targets in the Gaza Strip, medics and eyewitnesses said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) The sister of a pregnant woman who died along with her young son and three others in a fiery California crash was heading to doctor's appointment for a prenatal checkup You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @_ishanidesai on Twitter. MORE INFORMATION The next Honor Flight is scheduled for Oct. 18-20, and while World War II and Korean War vets have priority, fewer of the surviving vets are applying for the experience, said Honor Flight Kern County Executive Director Lili Marsh. They have formed a wait list for Vietnam veterans interested in going. "Since it is likely that we will need to add additional flights to catch up, any fundraising and donations are very much needed and appreciated," Marsh said on the organization's website. To make a donation, or to fill out an application to take an Honor Flight, visit honorflightkerncounty.org. BEIRUT, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's Hezbollah on Friday expressed its support for Palestinians in responding to the deadly Israeli airstrikes against the Gaza Strip earlier in the day. "Hezbollah supports all the steps taken by the leadership of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) to respond to the Israeli aggression and its continuing crimes," the Lebanese Shiite political party said in a statement. The Israeli airstrikes, dubbed the "Breaking Dawn" operation, were launched against the Islamic Jihad Movement, an Islamist organization active in Gaza, to "eliminate" what the Israeli military called "the threat to the citizens of Israel." The airstrikes "will only increase Palestinians' determination to continue their path until victory and liberation are achieved," added Hezbollah, also a militant group. The Friday airstrikes killed at least 10 people, including Taysir al-Jabari, a commander of the armed wing of the PIJ, and injured 55 others, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and the PIJ. A Port Arthur woman, who claimed she found a senior citizen dead in his home, could now face court for his alleged murder, but that doesn't appear to be all of her legal trouble. Lace Skyler Christian, 24, on Wednesday was indicted for murder by a Jefferson County grand jury. The charge is in connection with the alleged May 10 shooting death of 71-year-old Russell Vernon Reado. The Port Arthur Police Department received a call for a shooting at approximately 5 p.m. that day in the 1600 block of Maple Street. Officers found a man, later identified as Reado, dead inside the home with a fatal gunshot wound. Related: Woman arrested for killing of Port Arthur senior According to court documents, Christian told the officers that she found Reado. But police had some concerns about her story, the documents said. She stated that she was there to borrow his car and later advised that she was just checking on his welfare, the probable cause affidavit said. She claimed that he called her to let her know that he wasnt feeling well, but phone records show that he did not call her. Christian stated that Reado was shot but from her vantage point, seen from the security video, it was impossible for her to determine this. Police said the security video showed Christians black Toyota Camry at or near the residence four times, although she told police she was only there two times. Police allegedly confirmed that Christian, who was wearing a GPS tracking device, was at the home four times. Christian was inside of Reados residence during the estimated time that I believe Reado was killed, police said. I was able to use his phone records to obtain this time frame. She claimed that she came to the residence twice, the second time she claimed that she didnt contact Reado, police said. However, the GPS tracker shows her inside of the residence for approximately one minute. Security video shows that no other person or vehicle went to Reados residence after she left May 10 at approximately midnight until she returns and finds him dead on May 10 at approximately 5 p.m., the court documents said. A warrant was issued for Christian, who was arrested in July. Jefferson County jail records showed on Wednesday that Skyler was arrested by the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office and has been held on a $1 million bond amount for murder since July 13. She is also being held on several other charges including continuous sexual abuse of a child, indecency with a child, evading arrest or detention for a $2,500 bond, theft for $2,500 bond and four other offenses related to speeding and failure to maintain financial responsibility. meagan.ellsworth@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/megzmagpie This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DALLAS (AP) The mother of two teens fatally shot in 2008 in the Dallas area told jurors Thursday that her ex-husband, who is on trial for the killings after evading arrest for over 12 years, was abusive and controlling during their marriage. When Patricia Owens was asked to identify her ex-husband in court, she pointed at Yaser Said, saying: That devil there. Said, 65, is charged with capital murder, accused of killing 18-year-old Amina Said and 17-year-old Sarah Said on New Years Day in 2008. Yaser Said has entered a not guilty plea. Said, who had worked as a taxi driver, faces an automatic life sentence if convicted. The sisters were found shot to death in a taxi parked near a hotel in the Dallas suburb of Irving. On Wednesday, jurors heard a 911 call Sarah Said made from a cell phone, telling the operator that her father shot her and she was dying. A former police detective testified Thursday that the taxi the girls were found in had been lent to Yaser Said. A week before the sisters were killed, they and their mother left their home in the Dallas suburb of Lewisville and went to Oklahoma to get away from Said. Both sisters' boyfriends also joined the three. Prosecutor Lauren Black said in opening statements that 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. Owens, who spoke softly and often hesitantly on the stand, testified that Said eventually convinced her to return to Texas. I didn't think anything would happen," she testified. Black said during opening statements that Said was obsessed with possession and control. Owens testified that when she married Said, she was 15 and he was 29. The evening the girls' were killed, Said wanted to take just the two sisters to a restaurant. 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 and that police were too quick to focus on Said. Black said Sarah Said was shot nine times and Amina Said was shot twice. In a Dec. 21, 2007, email that was brought into evidence, Amina Said told one of her teachers that she and her sister planned to run away. She wrote that she and her sister didnt want to live by the culture of their father, who was born in Egypt, nor did they want arranged marriages, as he planned. Her father, she wrote, had made our lives a nightmare. He will, without any drama nor doubt, kill us, the email read. Yaser 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. I started using backpack coolers after my beloved hard cooler lost a wheel while traversing bumpy terrain. Tired of hauling food and drink by hand, I was eager to adopt something more mobile and functional; the novel backpack cooler, which positions an insulated backpack on your shoulders, much like a traditional hiking pack, fit the bill. Unlike bulky hard-sided coolers that can retain ice for days, these more streamlined options from brands like Yeti and Icemule prize comfort and portability above all, helping you carry supplies to the beach, park, trail and all points beyond. Over the years Ive tested dozens of the best backpack coolers. Some are entirely insulated, while others divide space between food and gear. My favorites are made with lightweight but durable materials, have enough space for a days worth of food and drink, and provide support even when loaded with ice and a 24-pack of cold ones. Perfect for shorter outings from the backyard to the backcountry, one (or all) of these should meet your needs. The Best Backpack Coolers Yeti Hopper M20 Backpack Cooler Yeti The Best Overall Backpack Cooler: Yeti Hopper M20 The Yeti Hopper M20 is the Texas brands latest iteration of the backpack cooler, improving upon the original Hopper Backflip we loved not long ago. Like all good Yeti products, the M20 is exceptionally durable but its heavy-duty status doesnt come at the cost of comfort. The DryHide shell is puncture- and UV-resistant, and the entire surface is treated to withstand mildew both inside and out. Inside, Coldcell insulation performs admirably to retain ice and prevent food from getting warm, even as temperatures approach triple digits. Adding to its comfort, the BackFlip employs a chest strap to center the load across your torso, a feature we love when hauling lots of grub. But perhaps its newest feature of note is the redesigned closure system that uses powerful magnets across the top to stay closed (or open) no matter the task at hand. Hydro Flask Day Escape Backpack Cooler Hydro Flask Runner Up: Hydro Flask Daytrip Bundle Hydro Flask is well-known for its iconic insulated bottles, but the Oregon brand also knows a thing or two about backpack coolers. The Day Escape maintains key features from the original Unbound Cooler Pack: comfortable backpack straps, a stretchy mesh side pocket and a food-grade liner. But it replaces the flip-open lid with a wider opening that features a toothless waterproof zipper as well as lashing handles on either side. The compression base is molded to keep the pack upright when its not being worn, and its also beefed up with more insulation. Hydro Flask maintains the Day Escape will keep everything cold for up to 36 hours, making it a steal in comparison to costly rivals. We recommend picking up the Daytrip Bundle that includes the Day Escape cooler and a dry storage accessory pouch that delivers waterproof protection to your essentials. Icemule Boss Backpack Cooler Icemule Best Backpack Cooler for Massive Loads: Icemule Boss The Icemule Boss is one of the roomiest backpack coolers on our list. Its also one of the heaviest and most expensive, making it the best backpack cooler when youre simply carrying a ton of stuff. To maintain comfort, the packs shoulder straps and back pads are ventilated, while the hip belt is outfitted with a little extra padding. Icemule integrates a tri-fold top that seals out water like a traditional dry bag, and the shell fabric feels durable enough to handle backcountry wear and tear. For those looking to bring extra gear, three exterior pockets are a welcome addition; each one features a waterproof seal, extra padding and insulation. This pack can handle 60+ pounds, but we cant recommend lugging that much food and drink for more than a mile or two before discomfort sets in. Stoic Hybrid Backpack Cooler Stoic Best Basic Design: Stoic Hybrid Backpack Cooler Sure, the Stoic label is technically one of Backcountrys more affordable in-house brands, but the Salt Lake City designers did well to outfit this cooler with a basic, boxy profile thats easy to pack and equally comfortable. The 24-can capacity delivers more than enough space for a few drinks and while the insulation isnt incredibly effective, its capable of handling an afternoon in the sun. Stoic adds waterproofing, a compression-molded base and even a bottle opener, all of which make it a solid contender. Consider this if youre looking for a simple, no-frills backpack cooler thats built to get the job done. Coleman Soft Backpack Cooler Coleman Best Backpack Cooler for Under $50: Coleman Soft Pack The Coleman Soft Pack isnt winning any coveted awards this year, but it also wont burn a hole in your pocket unlike other noteworthy options on this list. Capable of hauling up to 28 cans of your favorite beverage, it looks and functions like a traditional school backpack. Shoulders straps are adjustable, side pockets store bottles, and the front pocket offers quick access to utensils, supplies and essentials. For added peace of mind, Coleman heat-welded the seams and introduced an antimicrobial liner to prevent mold and mildew from collecting where it shouldnt. While it isnt the most luxurious model, it gets the job done in a pinch. REI Co-op Cool Trail Split Pack Cooler REI Co-op Most Versatile Backpack Cooler: REI Cool Trail Split Pack Nobody likes a difficult decision. For instance, should you swap out a few beers to make room for a cozy fleece? Or should you ditch extra layers to make room for more brews? With REIs Cool Trail Split Pack, you dont have to decide. The 32-liter design features a lower compartment for ice and a top compartment for daily essentials. To prevent your gear from getting wet, REI outfits the lower compartment with a leakproof cooler insert, but its essentially just a rebranded lunchbox. Should you choose to forgo snacks, simply remove the cooler insert for additional space. And if you need a little more room, external pockets and lashing straps are quick to lend a hand. As for comfort, padded shoulder straps pair with a chest strap to dial in the perfect fit. Icemule Pro Backpack Cooler Icemule One More Great Backpack Cooler: Icemule Pro It may be the younger sibling of the Icemule Boss, but the Icemule Pro is no slouch. As one of our favorite alternative backpack coolers, the Pro is extremely comfortable over long distances (unlike its sibling) and just as capable when the time comes to manage heavy loads. Wide shoulder straps are soft and the coolers flexible shell molds around your back, creating a proper fit. It doesnt boast the best insulation, which explains why its a little lower on our list, but the roll-top design features an air valve for additional insulation if need be. Plus you can roll it up completely when you return home for easy storage. The bungee cords on the front are also helpful in a pinch, though most coolers have one or several pockets to store everyday carry items and we wish this thing had at least one zippered pocket. Sign up for more daily deals and recommendations from InsideHook's, The Goods, delivered straight to your inbox. The post The Best Backpack Coolers of 2022 appeared first on InsideHook. CAIRO, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Egypt is mediating between Israel and Palestinian factions in an effort to end the ongoing tensions in the Gaza Strip and preserve the 2021 cease-fire, official Ahram online news website reported Friday. "Egypt is conducting intensive communications with the Palestinian and the Israeli sides to end the ongoing escalation in Gaza," an Egyptian official told a local TV channel, according to Ahram. "Our goal is the continuation of the cease-fire, the stability of the region, and the safeguarding of the peace," he said. Ahram did not provide the name of the official. At least 10 people, including a commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), an Islamist organization active in Gaza, were killed in Israeli airstrikes on the Palestinian enclave on Friday, according to the Palestinian health ministry and the PIJ. The heightened tension came after Israeli forces arrested a senior official of the PIJ in the West Bank city of Jenin on Monday. The PIJ vowed to take revenge, prompting the Israeli military to raise its alert along the border with Gaza. Chinese company CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co. Ltd. announced that high-speed trains to be exported to Indonesia had rolled off its assembly line, Aug. 5, 2022. The first trains for Indonesias Beijing-backed high-speed rail line are being shipped from China, the Ministry of Transportation said Friday as questions linger about who should pay for a U.S. $2 billion cost overrun that has beset the controversial project. Meanwhile, an opposition lawmaker said he and others would seek an investigation into the project to connect Jakarta and Bandung. Once constructed, the nations first high-speed railway is expected to cut travel time by more than half between the two cities. Electric Multiple Units (EMU) or trains for the Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Rail (KCJB) project began shipping from China to Indonesia today, the ministry said in a statement on Friday. Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said the rail line was to undergo dynamic testing in November to coincide with the G20 summit in Bali that Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend. Dynamic testing is a procedure to ensure that the system works properly. Budi said the project is expected to be fully operational in June 2023. The rail line is a manifestation of friendship between Indonesia and China, he said. For that, lets support this project so that it can run well and in a sustainable way. The trains can travel at a speed of 350 kph (217 mph) and make up to 68 trips per day between the Indonesian capital and Bandung. Travel time is expected to be between 34 and 45 minutes, compared with 2.5 hours by regular trains, Budi said. Ballooning cost The cost of the rail line, however, has swelled to nearly $8 billion from its original $6 billion estimate. The project is part of the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinas $1 trillion-plus program to finance and build infrastructure across the globe. Since construction began in 2017, the rail line has been dogged by criticism about its impacts on surrounding areas as well as concerns about rising costs. In October 2021, President Joko Jokowi Widodo decided to allow the government to share the cost of the project, contradicting an earlier pledge and decree in 2015 that prohibited the use of state funds for its construction. A month later, the finance minister told a parliamentary panel that the government had decided to inject 4.3 trillion rupiah ($299 million) into the project. Critics had expressed concern that the move could deplete state coffers and lead Indonesia into a debt trap. The Indonesian government had proposed that the China Development Bank, which is financing the project, shoulder 75 percent of the cost overrun, with the consortium of Indonesian and Chinese companies covering 25 percent. KCIC, the rail line contractor, is a joint venture of a consortium of four Indonesian state-owned companies KAI, Wijaya Karya, PTPN VIII, and Jasa Marga and a consortium of Chinese companies. The Indonesian consortium controls 60 percent of KCIC, while China Railway Engineering Corp. and other Chinese companies control the rest. On Sunday, Alia Karenina, spokeswoman for the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, said the China Development Bank had asked the Indonesian government to fund the cost overrun. The request was not immediately approved by the government and discussions will still be carried out to ensure that if the government does indeed bear the burden of the cost overrun, then it is in accordance with applicable regulations, she said in a statement. Meanwhile, Arya Sinulingga, a spokesman for the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises, said 75 percent of the cost overrun might be funded through a loan. It [the loan] may come from China, or from elsewhere, Arya said on Wednesday, according to CNBC Indonesia. Opposition lawmakers seek inquiry A legislator from the opposition Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) said his faction wants an investigation into the project. The proposal to use the right of inquiry is very important to investigate and get to the bottom of the problems that beset the project, for the sake of accountability for the use of government money, said Jazuli Juwaini, chairman of the PKS faction in the House of Representatives. Jazuli said Chinas request that Indonesia bear the cost overrun and the projects financing structure puts the country at disadvantage. Chinas dominance in the project will be a problem for Indonesias national interests in the future, he said. The PKS faction will immediately communicate with the parliamentary leadership to submit an official proposal and garner support from other members so the project does not become a burden for the state, he said. In February, the consortium said the high-speed rail service was expected to become profitable 40 years after completion not 20 as earlier projected partly because plans to move the national capital from Jakarta to Borneo could sharply reduce the number of riders. Hidden debt An AidData study released last year noted that Indonesia owes $17.28 billion in hidden debt to China, more than four times its $3.90 billion in reported sovereign debt. Nearly 70 percent of Chinas overseas lending is directed to state-owned companies and private-sector institutions and the debts, for the most part, do not appear on government balance sheets, said the U.S.-based international development research lab. Bhima Yudhistira, director of the Center for Economic and Law Studies, said Indonesia must fund the cost overrun through a loan or it could request debt relief from China. Its a double whammy. The construction costs have swollen, and you have to look for a loan. Malaysian mothers wait at the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya for a verdict in their lawsuit seeking the right to citizenship for their children, who were born overseas to foreign fathers, Aug. 5, 2022. An appeal court on Friday overturned a ruling seen as a victory for women that for the first time would have allowed Malaysian mothers married to foreign men to pass citizenship to their children born overseas. In a 2-1 decision in favor of the government, Court of Appeal judges said it was up to Parliament, and not the courts, to resolve the issue because only the legislature could rewrite clauses in Malaysias constitution. In September 2021, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that Malaysian women living in such marital circumstances abroad were being discriminated against because, it said, the same rule about foreign births did not apply to Malaysian men. At the time, womens rights advocates hailed the ruling as a landmark victory for gender equality in the Southeast Asian nation. The case centers around a clause in the constitution stating that every person born outside the Federation whose father is a citizen at the time of the birth is a citizen by operation of law. In his ruling last year, High Court Judge Akhtar Tahir said the word father could be interpreted and understood to mean mothers as well. The appeal court disagreed with his interpretation and said only the legislature could debate and settle the matter because Parliament has the power to change constitutional clauses. The word father reflects father only, and does not reflect mother, local media reports quoted Appellate Judge Kamaludin Md Said as saying in Fridays ruling. The framers of the Federal Constitution would have used the word parent if it was intended to refer to either a father or mother, Kamaludin said. The framers deliberate choice of the word father in the clause, he argued, specifically refers to a male parent. Meanwhile the dissenting judge on the three-member panel, Justice Nantha Balan, argued that the law was indeed discriminatory in nature, local media quoted him as saying. In my view, there is patently a conflict, as the wording of the letter gives rise to interpretation that the bloodline of Malaysian mothers would be treated as inferior to that of fathers, as the jus sanguinis principle [citizenship by parentage] does not apply for Malaysian mothers to pass on citizenship, Nantha said, according to reports. The ordeal that mothers have had to go through under such circumstances was illogical, perverse and degrading to their rights and dignity, Nantha said. Some Malaysian women who fall into the category of those who are married foreigners and who gave birth abroad were with their children at the courthouse in Putrajaya on Friday. Many of these mothers were visibly distraught after the verdict came down. One mother, Adeline Adam Teoh, said she was appalled. I would like to ask should not every Malaysian citizen be given equal rights? Why do we take care of male but not female Malaysian citizens? she said. Another mother, Rachel Ng, has two children, one who was born abroad and one who was born in Malaysia. Under the countrys laws, because she gave birth in Malaysia to one of the children, that child automatically is a Malaysian citizen. Ng said she feared that her family might break apart because one of her sons, the non-Malaysian, may not be allowed to stay on in the country. As a mother, that is my concern, she said. Me returning home is good enough to show that I want to be here and I want my sons to be here, too. Family Frontiers, a group which supports the women and sued the Ministry of Home Affairs over the matter, said it would appeal the latest decision before the Federal Court, Malaysias highest court. Today, the decision is extremely disappointing. More so as our lives and the lives of our children continue to be affected by this unjust discriminatory interpretation of the Federal Constitution, said Suriani Kempe, the president of Family Frontiers. We stand firm on the belief that one day, our government will see us, the Malaysian women and Malaysian mothers, as we see ourselves as equal citizens [and] that our children have just as much right to be Malaysian as a child of Malaysian men, Suriani told reporters as her voice quivered and her eyes filled with tears. After the ruling on Friday, the home minister did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BenarNews. A Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) fighter-jet flies over the 68-nautical-mile scenic spot, one of mainland Chinas closest points to the island of Taiwan, in Pingtan island, Fujian province, China, Aug. 5, 2022. Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) appeared to have ended live-fire missile tests around Taiwan after only a few hours, amid international criticism and disappointment on domestic social media on Friday. The missile tests were part of an intensive round of PLA military exercises around Taiwan scheduled from Aug. 4-7, and Little Pink nationalist commentators online viewed their conclusion as disappointing. The drills and incursions by Chinese ships and planes into Taiwans waters are continuing, however. Does this mean they wont fire any more over the next couple of days? wrote @Fengyun_is_back, while others quipped that the army is done frying fish, a slang reference to saber-rattling directed at Taiwan. Did they only have so many missiles, and did they fire them all at once? one user commented. Current affairs commentator Zhao Qing said he was surprised that the PLA had announced an end to missile tests, in a move that appeared hasty. It lasted just two hours and 22 minutes from the launch of the PLAs first missile, Zhao said. I was really surprised by how short that was. I thought the live-fire missile launches would go on for 10 hours or more. That was really unexpected. Five more missiles missed [their targets] and landed in Japanese waters, and they stopped the exercise after Japan protested, Zhao said. Nobuo Kishi, Japans minister of defense, said five of the PLAs ballistic missiles landed in Japans territorial waters from between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. (local time) on Aug. 4. The Rocket Force, under the Eastern Theatre Command of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), conducts conventional missile tests into the waters off the eastern coast of Taiwan, from an undisclosed location, in this Aug. 4, 2022 handout released on Aug, 5, 2022. [Eastern Theatre Command/Handout via Reuters] Some blockades lifted On Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the missile launches, calling it a serious issue that affects our national security and the safety of our citizens. Chinas actions ... have had a serious impact on the peace and stability of our region and the international community, he told reporters after having breakfast with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. I told her that we have called on [China] to immediately cancel the military exercises. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying responded that China and Japan had never formally delineated the maritime area in question, so the missiles couldnt be said to have landed in Japanese waters. Meanwhile, blockades have apparently been lifted in at least three of the six maritime areas used for military exercises, Zhao said. Only the Chinese coastal waters to the west of Taiwan remain blocked, he said, citing a shipping tracker. The eastern side of the island is open to shipping, with military exercises completed on that side. The shipping tracker website shows no information about any military warnings, and the ships are sailing there as normal, Zhao said. A current affairs commentator with the surname Li said the abrupt end to the missile firings suggested something had gone wrong. Their exercise plan was likely made a long time beforehand, Li said. The exercise was announced as three days in length, but it only took three hours. There must be external factors in play [possibly because] the exercise was exposing them, because U.S. military intelligence collection capabilities are very strong, he said. A significant escalation Reports have also emerged of a personnel change on the first day of the military exercises around Taiwan. According to a report posted on a government website in the eastern city of Ningbo, a local official had met with Wang Zhongcai, deputy commander and naval commander of the PLAs Eastern Theater. That post had previously been reported in the state-backed news site The Paper as being held by Mei Wen. Meanwhile in Phnom Penh, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a news conference on Friday that Chinas launch of missiles into Japans exclusive economic zone represented a significant escalation of the situation. Weve seen how Beijing has attempted to change the status quo on Taiwan for some time for example, more than doubling the number of aircraft flown over the centerline that separates China and Taiwan over the past two years; pursuing economic coercion, political interference, cyber-attacks against Taiwan. Now theyve taken dangerous acts to a new level, Americas top diplomat said. He said the situation had led to a vigorous communication during East Asia Summit meetings in the Cambodian capital. [I said that] they should not use the visit as a pretext for war, escalation, for provocative actions, that there is no possible justification for what theyve done, Blinken said, adding that he had also called for an end to the military action in and around the Taiwan Strait. Yang Haiying, a professor at Shizuoka University in Japan, said the Japanese government has lodged a strong protest with China and canceled a planned meeting between the two countries' foreign ministers. This year was supposed to see celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the normalization of relations between China and Japan, but those five missiles have made it impossible to celebrate, Yang told Radio Free Asia (RFA), an online news service affiliated with BenarNews. There is no way of knowing now if the missiles targeting was intentional or not, he said. The Mandarin Service of Radio Free Asia produced this report. An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter takes off from the flight deck of amphibious assault carrier USS Tripoli, Aug. 3, 2022. The United States is monitoring Chinas military drills around Taiwan and could take further action, with the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group remaining on station, National Security Spokesman John Kirby said late Thursday. On Friday, day two of the three-day military exercise in response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan, Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) dispatched multiple military aircraft and warships to the Taiwan Strait, Taiwans Ministry of National Defense said in a statement. Some of the aircraft and ships crossed the median line dividing the Taiwan Strait, the ministry said, calling the PLA drills highly provocative and vowing to respond appropriately to such incursions. The Ministry of National Defense condemned the CCPs deliberately crossing the middle line of the strait and infringing on the sea and airspace around Taiwan. The National Army will act resolutely to safeguard national security and ensure that democracy and freedom are not threatened, the Taiwan ministry said in a statement, using an acronym for the Chinese Communist Party. On Thursday, the ministry said the Chinese military flew four drones over Taiwans outlying Kinmen islands. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said China firing missiles near busy international air and sea routes around Taiwan on Thursday was an irresponsible act and called on Beijing to act with reason and exercise restraint. An F/A-18E Super Hornet prepares to launch from the flight deck of the USS Ronald Reagan in the Philippine Sea, Aug. 4, 2022. [U.S. Navy] US will take further steps China decided to sanction U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her immediate family because of her stopover in Taiwan earlier this week, the Chinese foreign ministry said Friday. Pelosi is the highest ranking U.S. official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. They may try to keep Taiwan from visiting or participating in other places, but they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there, news agencies quoted Pelosi as saying on Friday in Tokyo, the final leg of her Asia tour. On Thursday, U.S. National Security Spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the Biden administration condemns Chinas actions. China has chosen to overreact and use the speakers visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait, he said, adding: We also expect that these actions will continue and that the Chinese will continue to react in coming days. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has directed the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group to remain on station in the general area to monitor the situation, Kirby said. The carrier strike group is in the Philippines Sea and two big deck amphibious ships, USS Tripoli and USS America, are on their way to the east of Taiwan, the U.S. Naval Institute reported. Besides conducting standard air and maritime transits through the Taiwan Strait in the next few weeks, the U.S. will take further steps to demonstrate our commitment to the security of our allies in the region including Japan, the National Security spokesman said. Washington, however, postponed a long-planned test of an Air Force Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile to avoid escalating tensions with Beijing. The U.S. military seems to have expanded aerial ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) operations around Taiwan on Friday, a Beijing-based think-tank that has been tracking regional military movements said. The South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCSPI) said it has spotted at least seven U.S. reconnaissance aircraft, supported by six military aerial refueling aircraft KC-135 in the area. An MH-60R anti-submarine Seahawk helicopter was also seen flying close to the southwest of Taiwan before moving north toward Japans Okinawa island, according to data provided by the flight tracking website Flightradar24. A map shows where Chinese missiles are believed to have landed in Taiwans waters and Japans Exclusive Economic Zone. [Japan Defense Ministry] Japans concerns On Friday morning, about 10 Chinese navy ships and 20 military aircraft briefly crossed the median line the tacit maritime border between Taiwan and Chinas mainland Reuters quoted an anonymous source close to the matter as saying. Chinas state media quoted Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the Naval Research Academy which is affiliated with the PLA, who said on Thursday at least one nuclear-powered submarine has been deployed. Zhang did not name the aircraft carrier. China has two carriers in operation the Liaoning and the Shandong. The third aircraft carrier, Fujian, is near completion. Taiwanese media reported that the two operating aircraft carriers have left their home ports of Qingdao in Shandong province, and Sanya in Hainan province, but this information cannot be independently verified. On Thursday Japan said it had lodged a diplomatic protest after five ballistic missiles fired by China appear to have landed inside Japans exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which stretches 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the outer limits of Japans territorial seas. To have five Chinese missiles fall within Japans EEZ like this is a first, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi told reporters. Japans Ministry of Defense provided a detailed report of the Chinese missile launches and a map showing the missiles projected routes. It appears that four missiles, launched from mainland China, flew over Taiwans capital, Taipei. This is the second time that Chinese missiles flew over Taiwans main island, the previous time was in 1996, said Shen Ming-Shih, acting deputy chief executive officer at Taiwans Institute for National Defense and Security Research, a government think-tank. That time, Chinese missile tests and live-fire exercises led to the U.S. intervention in the so-called Third Taiwan Strait Crisis. This time, an American involvement is yet to be seen but on Wednesday the U.S., together with six other developed countries including Japan, along with the European Union, released a G7 Foreign Ministers Statement on the situation in the Taiwan Strait. The G7 members expressed their concerns over threatening actions by China which risk increasing tensions and destabilizing the region. China responded by canceling a pre-scheduled meeting on Thursday between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi. On the same day, Chinas Defense Ministry repeated the threat of solemn deterrence against the collusion between the U.S. and Taiwan. The Chinese military always matches its words with deeds, said Senior Col. Tan Kefei, the ministrys spokesman. Philippine Special Weapons and Tactics officers stand guard along a popular market street in Manila as security forces go on heightened alert following twin bombings in Basilan island, near Jolo, June 1, 2022. Troops in the southern Philippines killed a suspected bomber identified as a member of the local affiliate of the Islamic State extremist group and captured another during a predawn encounter Friday on the island of Mindanao, the military said. Two improvised explosive devices (IED) were recovered following the clash with Daulah Islamiyah (DI) terror group members in the village of Dicalungan in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao province, a military official said. Lt. Gen. Alfredo Rosario Jr., commander of Western Mindanao Command, said troops from the 40th Infantry Battalion clashed with the DI-Hassan Group whose leader is known as Alpha King early Friday after tracking the groups location. The terrorists are desperate enough to show their force to gain popular support from the civil society, Rosario said. Rest assured that we will stop them from creating havoc on peaceful communities. The firefight resulted in one enemy killed and another captured, Rosario said while noting other members escaped. The DI is the Philippine name for the Islamic State. It has links to Abu Sayyaf, the dominant terrorist group in the south whose members have been blamed for suicide bombings, beheadings of kidnap victims and a five-month siege of the city of Marawi in 2017. The dead man was identified as Khamhed Akan Kambal alias Meds, a known DI Hassan Group bomber, while the captured suspect was identified as Nasrudin Sali Blah, 22, Rosario said. The military confirmed that Kambals body was turned over to village officials to allow for burial following Islamic rites. After the clash, troops recovered the two IEDs, including one with 105 mm howitzer round as its main charge, bomb components consisting of several pieces of 9-volt batteries, nine cellphones, a remote control and a .45-caliber pistol. The military and police said the howitzer shell could be unexploded artillery fired in a previous clash with insurgents. Xi's inspection tours reflect efforts to steer China's economy toward sustainable future Xinhua) 08:12, August 05, 2022 BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has conducted in-depth research in multiple localities on issues ranging from economic growth and epidemic control to grain and energy security in the first half of the year, and listened to the frontline voices. "We have confidence in our ability to coordinate epidemic prevention and control with economic and social development, and to bring the country's economic development this year to a relatively good level," Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said during his inspection tour in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, in late June. A month later, Xi presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to analyze the current economic situation and arrange for economic work in the second half of the year. It was stressed at the meeting that the country should maintain the momentum of the rebounding economy, ensure stable employment and commodity prices, and keep major economic indicators within an appropriate range while striving to achieve the best possible results. COVID-19 PREVENTION, CONTROL Since the beginning of the year, the COVID-19 situation has been complex and volatile. On multiple occasions, Xi has given important instructions on coordinating epidemic control and economic and social development. During his visit to north China's Shanxi Province in January, Xi told local authorities to stay alert, adopt science-based and targeted control measures, and ensure people's safety and necessities. In March, China saw resurgences of COVID-19 cases caused by the highly contagious Omicron variant. Taking note of the situation, Xi emphasized at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee that more effective measures should be taken to achieve maximum effect in prevention and control with minimum cost, and to reduce the impact on socioeconomic development as much as possible. From April 10 to 13, Xi inspected south China's Hainan Province, emphasizing the importance of tenacity in achieving success. "We must not drop our guard, lose drive, take chances, or slacken efforts. We should respond to the new features of virus variants and make our response measures more judicious and targeted," he said. During his visit to Wuhan, Xi said that if China had adopted the "herd immunity" policy or a hands-off approach, given its large population, the consequences would be unimaginable. With the leadership of the CPC and the grassroots foundation formed by communities, China has the capability and strength to implement the dynamic zero-COVID policy until the final victory is secured, he said. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi at its core, China has protected people's lives and health to the greatest extent. Xi noted that China has secured a victory in the battle against the virus in Shanghai, withstanding the most severe test since the outbreak of the epidemic in Wuhan. The country has adopted targeted and strict epidemic control measures in virus-hit areas and tried its best to ensure the normal production and life of people in most areas. Both the incidence rate and the death toll in China are the lowest among major countries at present. ENSURING ECONOMIC STABILITY By effectively keeping the epidemic under control, China has not only guaranteed people's lives and health but also fostered economic growth while restoring normalcy in work and life. Enabling people to live better lives has always been one of Xi's top priorities among all development aims. During his visit to Shanxi in January prior to the Spring Festival, Xi inspected the quality of the villagers' houses. Xi inspected the kitchen, bedroom and sheepfold, and inquired about the family's income and life when visiting the home of a local. "The CPC's resolve to ensure all Chinese people live happy lives has remained unchanged for more than a century, and it will not falter," Xi said. His inspection tours across the country also reflect China's continuous efforts to advance reform and opening up, and to pursue sci-tech innovation. During his visit to Hainan in April, Xi called for eliminating institutional barriers in all aspects and opening up wider at a higher level. When inspecting the southwestern province of Sichuan in June, Xi visited XGIMI optoelectronic company to learn about its independent innovation, job generation and local efforts to support the private sector. Noting the importance of implementing an innovation-driven development strategy, Xi underscored "keeping the lifeblood of science and technology in our own hands" during his visit to Wuhan. "China must make greater progress in self-reliance in science and technology, work to make its development more independent, autonomous and secure, and nurture more new technologies and industries," Xi said during the Wuhan visit. Work should be done to open up new fields and new paths for economic development and cultivate new strengths to provide the country an edge in international competition, he added. Recent data demonstrated the effects of China's endeavors to coordinate epidemic response with socioeconomic development. The Chinese economy expanded by 2.5 percent year on year in the first half of 2022. In June alone, major economic indicators rebounded, indicating that the strong resilience, huge potential and sound long-term fundamentals of the Chinese economy have remained unchanged. SAFEGUARDING DEVELOPMENT SECURITY Since the beginning of this year, the deteriorating geopolitical situation has added uncertainties to the international energy market, putting China's energy security under pressure. The supply of power and heat is vital to the overall economic development and social stability, Xi said during his inspection tour to Shanxi. During this tour, Xi inquired about the clean and efficient use of coal and the modernization of traditional industries. Stressing the importance of ensuring energy security, Xi called for strengthening domestic energy production and ensuring coal supply. Following his instructions, governments at all levels have ratcheted up support for stabilizing energy prices, balancing supply and demand, and encouraging high-quality production capacity, in a bid to ensure sufficient energy supply. In the January-May period, the country's raw coal output rose 10.4 percent year on year to 1.81 billion tonnes. Meanwhile, major Chinese oil and gas enterprises saw their inventory of refined oil products operating at a high level. Food security, a fundamental national concern, has also been constantly prioritized by Xi. During the inspection in Hainan, Xi visited a seed laboratory in Sanya, accentuating that seed resources must be "firmly held in our own hands" to ensure food security. On his inspection tour to Sichuan, Xi reiterated the importance of ensuring grain production. While visiting a high-standard paddy field base in the Yongfeng Village in the city of Meishan, Xi hailed the village's continuous efforts in helping safeguard national food security by planting grains. Efforts should be made to promote and apply modern agricultural science and technology, and advance relevant training, Xi said, calling for developing green, eco-friendly and high-efficiency agriculture. "We have the confidence and determination to ensure the food supply for the Chinese people through our own efforts," Xi said. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) NAIROBI, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Heads of foreign election monitoring groups on Friday called on Kenya to ensure the Aug. 9 national polls are carried out in a peaceful, fair, and transparent manner. "We call on all those with a specific mandate to the Aug. 9 elections to conduct their responsibilities with the utmost diligence and transparency as well as compliance with the legal framework of Kenya," the observer missions said in a joint statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. The groups from the African Union, the European Union, and the Commonwealth among others said they had faith in Kenyan institutions to facilitate credible polls where voters will elect a new president, county governors, senators, and lawmakers. Seven international election observer groups are already in Kenya to assess the country's preparedness to conduct polls in a manner that adheres to democratic tenets. Some 14 foreign envoys based in Kenya lauded political parties for making a firm commitment to peace, stability, and cohesion as the country prepares for general elections. The diplomats stated that all political actors play an important role in ensuring devotion to the principles of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. "This election is of huge significance. It marks the first full transition in the presidency and many governorships since the introduction of the 2010 Constitution. We call on all leaders - both in and out of elected offices - to work together after Aug. 9 to ensure the democratic progress of the last decade is preserved," they said in a separate joint statement. The diplomats from Europe and North America noted that Kenya remains a beacon of hope in the region, thanks to a robust constitution and political pluralism. While acknowledging the significance of forthcoming polls, the envoys called on aspirants for diverse seats to conduct peaceful campaigns and address grievances through legitimate channels. The envoys said Kenya has made huge democratic progress since the re-introduction of multiparty elections and commended the efforts made by all who have worked tirelessly to realize the elections, provide security and promote civic education, including religious leaders, civil society, media, and the private sector. "We trust that all their efforts will bear fruit as the campaign period draws to a close," they said and called for the inclusion of women, the youth, and politically marginalized groups, including persons with disabilities, and committed to fully supporting work to build a more inclusive and equitable political system even after the polls. The Aug. 9 election is set to be mainly contested between two major political alliances -- Kenya Kwanza headed by Deputy President William Ruto and Azimio la Umoja which is led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us 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. Pelosi: China cannot stop US officials from visiting Taiwan U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says that China will not isolate Taiwan by preventing U.S. officials from traveling there Kenn Turner, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, speaks at Lever Inc.'s Innovation Summit last October. The MLSC has launched the third round of its Angel Investor Tax Credit program PHNOM PENH, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said here on Friday that the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade agreement will be a booster for trade and investment relations between Cambodia and South Korea. Sokhonn, who is also a deputy prime minister, made the remarks during a meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin on the sidelines of the 55th ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting and related meetings in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, according to Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman Chum Sounry. "Prak Sokhonn also noted that the ROK (Republic of Korea) was ranked second in foreign direct investment in Cambodia and the implementation of RCEP will serve as a framework to bolster economic cooperation between the two countries," the spokesman said in a news release. Entering into force on Jan. 1, 2022, RCEP comprises 15 Asia-Pacific countries including 10 ASEAN member states -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- and their five trading partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. During their meeting, the two ministers also expressed satisfaction over the continued growth of the amicable bilateral relations, which features frequent exchanges at all levels and commitment to advancing existing cooperation, Sounry said. They also noted with satisfaction the resilient economic cooperation between Cambodia and South Korea, underpinned by high bilateral trade volume despite the COVID-19 pandemic, he added. According to the spokesman, Sokhonn is optimistic that bilateral trade activities will also be significantly boosted once the Cambodia-South Korea free trade agreement enters into force. Editor's Note Berkshire Eagle reporter Greta Jochem is providing dispatches from a trip north on the Massachusetts section of the Appalachian Trail. She hit the trail Monday at the Connecticut line. One of the first hikers she encountered told her: Backpacking, you get to see a lot of the world you normally wouldnt see. Over the next week, Jochem will bring that world to you. Trail magic, a blue sign proclaimed at a road crossing in Sheffield. It pointed hikers toward a clearing. Then no sign was needed. Beckoning us in: The sound of hot dogs and hamburgers sizzling on a grill. I found a half dozen hikers gathered in camp chairs, laughing and talking. Some were meeting for the first time, others catching up. More trail magic: This way station, hosted by two local churches, offered baked goods, watermelon, chilled water, and the all-important set up for phone recharging. In a broken world, often a bit of kindness is a profound thing, said the Rev. Jill Graham, pastor of the First Congregational Church of Sheffield, who helps coordinate it with her congregation and Christ Trinity Church of Sheffield. Why are churches doing this? Its not about proselytizing, Graham said. The trail runs through town. My husband was often bringing people home he picked up on Route 7. This kindness on the AT started in 2018, then expanded in 2021 from a few days a week to six by bringing in guest groups to volunteer. A group of workers from a church in the Connecticut River Valley was on hand Tuesday, cooking burgers and offering cold drinks and bug spray. Recently, members of the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce volunteered, Graham said. They do it for about eight weeks in the summer, ending in mid-August. This is the bubble here when the bulk of hikers come through, she said of activity this week. More than 20 guest groups have volunteered so far this summer, helping 600 hikers, or about 20 day. The church has received grants to support this work and accepts donations from volunteer groups to cover the cost of the project about $50 to $75 per day. Grahams stepson has spent time on the trail. When he was injured, he received what she terms profound trail magic. She wanted to pay it forward. Its the smallest of gestures that have a large impact on the lives of those traveling. Recently, Graham met a hiker who was whispering when he arrived, struggling to get words out, because he didnt have enough water. With the drought, water sources are limited. Sometimes she hears deeply personal reasons why hikers are on the journey, some of them working through grief. It has a mutual benefit of blessing, Graham said. What the hikers get out of it is as much as what the volunteers get. Blister attack This journey is fun and a challenge. But it can be hard on the body. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being you just woke up in a comfy bed from a blissful rest and 10 being get me to the ER, stat I think Im at a 4.5. I realized at the end of my second day that I had blisters forming. One was as large as a quarter. Ive had my shoes for about eight years, so I cant blame that. My feet just arent used to walking so much with a heavy pack. How heavy is the pack? I couldnt tell you. I was not brave enough to weigh it. Heavy. At the trails Tom Leonard campsite, I asked around to borrow a pair of scissors to cut blister padding I brought, after struggling to handle it with a pocket knife. A hiker packing up his gear didnt bat an eye when he saw the blister and handed me a special blister bandage he swears by. As I treated my injuries, another hiker shared blister stories. For several hours, my medical remedy worked. It no longer felt I had a water balloon near explosion under my sock. Thirty-two miles in, Im feeling a bit of pain in the leg I broke two and a half years ago. I took a hard hit playing roller derby and had surgery to fix it. Ive since retired from derby. My parting gift is a bunch of metal pins in my leg. I was surprised when my physical therapist told me it would be a year until I could do any intensive hiking again. Years later, it usually doesnt bother me, but does tire out more quickly. A little stretching and ibuprofen help a lot. The instant coffee tastes better and better each day. Truly. While things taste better after hiking, I havent hiked enough to make a spicy V8 tomato juice appeal. Still, I very much appreciated the gesture of getting one from a hiker I met. But I had to really work to finish it. Till I get there The last mile or two before the campsite Im staying at I find the most difficult I am often checking my GPS to see how much further, as if it makes a difference. Ill keep walking till I get there. At the summit of Mount Everett, one hiker told me he planned go into Great Barrington to resupply. He planned to hitchhike. To go more than half a mile off the trail, he likes to snag a ride. One hiker told me he usually hikes for four days at a time, then goes into a town to resupply his food, and if hes lucky, do laundry. A North Adams trail reunion While waiting at a road crossing Wednesday, I was surprised to meet a fellow North Adams resident on the trail. No way, youre from North Adams? I asked. Me too, added Kevin Boisjolie. Hed come out Wednesday for a day hike with his friend, Jim Wolfe. But its not just a day commitment for these two. Several years ago, someone hiking the Appalachian Trail told Wolfe hed heard, from somewhere, that the city of North Adams is not particularly friendly to hikers. Wolfe, who lives near the trail in North Adams, says he wanted to change that perception. He started putting items in a kiosk on the trail near Greylock Elementary School on Phelps Avenue. Someone else came by and warmed to the idea. Gee, thats a good idea, Wolfe recalls the person saying. Mind if I put a cooler there? Today, the offerings at this bit of trail magic can be very eclectic, with items like candy, sardines, dog food, juice, soda. And a lot of ramen noodles, Wolfe said. He said hell fill the cooler three times on the weekend, in the busy season. Hikers leave messages of thanks. When he reads the notes people jot in the logbook, it makes you run to the store and put stuff in. Boisjolie helps with the kiosk. Two years ago, he and Wolfe hiked all of the Massachusetts section. Boisjolie feels that people in the Berkshires could do more to interact with hikers. In some towns along the trail, from Georgia to Maine, they cater to people hiking, he said. I hiked with Boisjolie for a bit, talking about North Adams news and hiking spots. As I walked away from them, after they took a break at an outlook, Wolfe asked me to text him when I was close to the North Adams kiosk. He wanted to be there. Step by step, having a mantra helps The trail snakes along, crossing roads, streams and, at least once, railroad tracks. We hike past wooden structures added to make the trail easier, like wooden bridges over muddy areas or rivers. This off-road infrastructure seem well-maintained. Sometimes the route and terrain is flat and grassy, like walking through a field next to grazing cows, or making your way up a dirt road with valley views. Other times the trail leads you up an unrelenting rock staircase. Almost always, the sweat rewards you with a view. At least the directions are easy: follow the white blazes, or marks, on the trail. When going uphill now, I think about what one hiker, Erin Wolf, aka Lone Wolf, told me. When she goes up steep tough sections she repeats a mantra: Buns of steel, buns of steel, buns of steel. And a friend uses another mantra: I can do hard things. BOUNDARY COUNTY - On Thursday, August 4, 2022, Idaho Fish and Game staff in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service euthanized a large adult male grizzly bear in Boundary County, near the town of Porthill, ID. The decision to euthanize the bear came after a series of livestock losses in the area due to grizzly bears this spring and summer. According to the Idaho Fish & Game, on August 2 officials received a report of four sheep that had been attacked and killed along with two additional sheep that had been injured near Porthill. Upon further investigation by Fish and Game Conservation Officers, it was confirmed the bear was a grizzly. Traps to capture the bear were set that evening, and although the bear returned to the area, it did not enter the trap, according to the IDFG. Late that evening, the bear killed another sheep. The traps remained set and all additional livestock were corralled in a temporary electric fence to try and prevent additional livestock loss. The bear once again returned overnight on August 3 and was successfully trapped. Due to the bears repeated behaviors of killing livestock within close proximity of a home, the bear was euthanized after it was captured. The decision was made with consideration for the safety of people and property. Grizzly bears in Idaho are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, so any management action is done in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Photos: 1912 renovated schoolhouse hits housing market Here's a peek inside the newly renovated 1912 schoolhouse in Saint John that was recently listed... Rain doesn't stop Morley Community Center's Family Fun Day While rain put a damper on many events throughout the area Saturday, Aug. 13, that did not stop... This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate REED CITY Demolition of the former North End Grocery in Reed City took place July 26 to make room for a new Biggby Coffee franchise set to open up this winter. "Sad to see it go, but excited to bring Biggby to Reed City!" read a Facebook post from Sonya Bielecki, who is starting the Biggby Coffee store with her partner, Kelly Prielipp. who was born and raised in Reed City. Her first job was at North End Grocery, which is one reason why the couple chose that location. "With the cross-section of (highways) 10 and 131, we feel we will have a lot of business and a lot of customers who we will make happy every day. Kelly is originally from Reed City, born and raised, so to be able to help build the community, to put a known brand within the community, to bring those kinds of names into Reed City is a big deal to help the community thrive," Bielecki said. Bielecki and Prielipp are both "obsessed" with Biggby Coffee, and have been since it was originally called Beaner's Coffee. "I think one of the most exciting things for both of us, and why we are so committed to Biggby, is that we talked about opening a franchise 11 years ago. We have been Biggby connoisseurs since it opened," Bielecki said. Bielecki appreciates the fact that it is a Michigan brand, having been started in East Lansing. Despite supply chain issues potentially making the build more difficult, Bielecki has high hopes. "Were really committed to the smile that Biggby brings to our community. Were proud to serve people, no matter the way things have gone, we are dedicated to excellent customer service," she said. Bielecki said making a profit is just a bonus for doing the kind of work she hopes will teach high schoolers life skills and what it's like to be in on the ground floor of a business, as well as putting smiles on the faces of people who will end up there every morning for their daily cup of joe. "We are really committed to doing whatever we can to help people get employment that makes them happy and gives them more than just a job, or a paycheck, and really helps them grow professionally and personally," Bielecki said. The Biggby location will have a lobby/seating area, as well as a drive-thru, as Bielecki made it a point to create an area for people in the community to mingle, relax and enjoy themselves while sipping their drink of choice. The announcement of the franchise has already seen a good response from people on Facebook. "Were really grateful for the overwhelming response from the community, its amazing to be that welcomed. Were both humbled by it," Bielecki said. Were gonna have so much fun. Its all about having fun. 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 NEW DELHI, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- India's federal defense ministry on Friday said it has offered to sell 18 indigenously-developed light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas to Malaysia. The ministry said the six countries of Argentina, Australia, Egypt, the United States, Indonesia and the Philippines have also shown interest in the single-engine fighter jet. Last year, the Indian government approved the purchase of 73 LCA Tejas Mk-1A fighter aircraft and 10 LCA Tejas Mk-1 trainer aircraft at the cost of over 6 billion U.S. dollars from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a defense public sector undertaking (PSU) under India's defense ministry. A recent ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has allowed the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) to retain the power to make rulings on commercials of non-members. Since 1962, the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB), and the Advertising Standards Authority before it, have played a vital role in the South African advertising landscape. It is the sole body that regulates advertising in the country according to widely accepted international standards. Not only does it provide consumers with a forum for complaints, but it also provides protection for brand owners through dedicated resources and mechanisms which are less costly and more expedient than procedures through the courts. The High Court's determination that the ARB has no jurisdiction over non-members has been overturned by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) confirming the ARB's powers of and position in advertising regulation. The matter began when Colgate-Palmolive (a member of the ARB) lodged a complaint with the ARB arguing that Bliss Brands' (a non-member of the ARB) Securex hygiene soap packaging imitated its Protex hygiene soap packaging. The complaint was adjudicated by the ARB, which decided that the Securex packaging had breached provisions of the Code protecting against the deception of trade source/trade connection and protection against imitation. Bliss Brands was ordered by the ARB to withdraw the packaging. It appealed the decision to the High Court, which delivered its decision in 2021. The High Court decided that: The provisions of the ARB's Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI) were unconstitutional as they sought to allow for the exercise of a public power not sourced in law; The provisions of the MOI and Code which allowed the ARB to issue rulings against a non-member were an exercise beyond the jurisdiction of the ARB; and The proceedings allowed in terms of the MOI went beyond the jurisdiction of the ARB, since they exercised a judicial function. This determination was a devastating blow for the ARB and its members, as the inability to make rulings where non-members were concerned meant that the ARB's effectiveness would be severely undermined. Furthermore, the weakening of the ARB's regulatory mechanisms caused concerns that a 'Wild West' would follow, with parties able to escape the application of advertising standards by withdrawing from ARB membership and jurisdiction. The ARB and Colgate-Palmolive took the matter on appeal to the SCA, which decided that the High Court had erred in its decision. Following consideration of the arguments raised by Bliss Brands in the High Court, the SCA upheld the ARB's appeal, making the following findings: The ARB validly exercises its public power as its MOI and Code sufficiently amount to its empowering provisions; The ARB's decisions and regulatory mechanisms only have indirect impacts upon non-members and therefore do not go beyond its jurisdiction. It was further clarified by the SCA that the ARB may only make rulings on the advertisements of non-members for the benefit of its own members; and The ARB's MOI and Code were found to be sound in terms of the law, as they only allow the ARB to determine whether its Code has been breached and the engaged proceedings do not amount to judicial function. The SCA's decision is a welcome victory for the ARB, brand owners, and consumers. It has strengthened the ARBs position as an effective regulator of advertising and given clarity to players within the print, digital, and broadcast media space in South Africa. Creativity is code for empathy, connection and endless possibilities, that's it. And the Cannes Lions experience has always been a gentle reminder of that for me. Image supplied: Tumi Sethebe, ECD at the Riverbed Agency questions why agencies enter awards I remember about a year ago starting my Riverbed journey as ECD of the largest independent black female-owned creative agency in South Africa, thinking that before me stood the best opportunity for me to connect with that again. My first order of business then, was somewhat of a paradox. I asked the business to put a stop to entering any awards. Why? They asked In order to connect with our purpose to create positive impact, I said I wont forget the look of confusion from the faces of the management team in response. Immediate results And the results were immediate, in a space of a couple of months we lost the entire creative department. These were very talented people that had been at the agency for years and were responsible in part for some of the great work that had seen the agency be the most lauded at the Prism awards for a number of years. It was quite unsettling for the business, and we had many emergency meetings to see how we could resolve this, but the damage had been done and to be honest, had I been put in their shoes I probably would have done the same thing. As a creative, I understand our fixation with awards at all costs. The best way to describe what we were experiencing is perhaps in the words of Al Pacino in one of the scenes in the movie Scent of a woman when he saidwhen the bough breaks, the cradle will fall and it has fallen here, it has fallen. The impact of impact Its been a year now after that walk out and Im relieved to say that I still have my job. On reflection the biggest lesson for me was that talented individuals alone are not enough to build a successful agency, we needed a catalyst. One grounded in a belief in the impossible and a resolve to make great things happen. It did not come along by accident. It had been 15 years in the making and was inspired by our founder and CEO Monalisa Zwambila, the Advertising Industry leader of 2020. We call it care and as an agency we define it as leaving things better than how you found them. Its our unifying principle. A stimulant of not just ideas but whole ideas because those are the ones that transform behaviour. Its a methodology rooted in deep empathy and moves us from knowing to understanding our audience. Its a language that punctuates our speech and is understood by everyone. At its best, it is a tool that elevates our work and holds us to a higher standard. Its a compass that guides our daily actions. This change agent has enabled us to create a new kind of agency. One that cares about being a creative agency beyond a creative department. Having the right people on the bus, not just filling up positions. An agency that cares about impact, above awards. And at the risk of sounding cynical, what I know for sure is that care is a rare commodity in advertising. And when something is rare, its very valuable, just like winning a Cannes Lion. Who cares? As a creative I know the impact of winning a Cannes Lion and with over 30,000 entries its arguably the toughest competition and the most rewarding there is, and to see South Africa ranked number 13 in the Top 15 Countries at the 2022 Cannes Lions list is truly a remarkable achievement for our young industry. But with every passing year I do wonder just how much of that work that wins has had an impact on the brands and audiences its supposed to rather than just on us the creative community. In the same movie Scent of a woman Al Pacino articulates this point very wellMakers are men, creators are leaders, be careful what kind of leaders you are creating here You see, I remember a time not so long ago when ads were a welcome interruption when they entertained as well as informed in equal measure. In return audiences would give their valuable time to engage and even sometimes sing along or reference the ad in conversation. The impact was a connection between a brand and a stranger would be ignited. This is when advertising was like a team sport, one we all cared aboutand the very best work celebrated at the Olympics of advertising - Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity Awards. Thats how I remember Cannes, (whole) ideas create positive impact. For more: Many women juggle the role of both worker and matriarch, playing an integral role in society by not only taking on the responsibilities of raising the next generation and being the cornerstone of the family; but also by playing an active part in South Africa's economy. Marine van Brakel, chief operating officer at RCS. Source: Supplied This is according to Marine van Brakel, chief operating officer at RCS, who says that as we close in on the last half of 2022 (and properly adjust to the relaxing of pandemic restrictions), the country should reflect on how the onset of Covid-19, now two and a half years later, sent the lives of working moms into a state of absolute disarray especially those working in retail and the operational staff that support them and what has been learnt from the pandemic. A complex role Van Brakel explains that in South Africa, the role of women (and mothers and daughters as bastions of the family structure) in particular has become increasingly complex over the years as it requires more juggling than ever before especially when factoring in a pandemic and all the changes that came along with it. Research shows that 60% of children in South Africa have absent fathers, and that as a result approximately 40% of mothers and mother figures in South Africa are raising children alone, or looking after extended family, which makes the situation that more challenging. She says that as South Africa grappled with the pandemic along with the hybrid working and childcare difficulties that came along with it mothers in the local retail sector faced a particularly difficult time. Retail is an 'always on' industry, with the demand for high level service a constant. Due to these requirements, retailers and the industries serving them, like call centres, had to get creative in adapting to hybrid or remote work, flexible working hours and supporting family responsibility. Working in the retail sector was especially challenging for mothers and those supporting families during the pandemic, says van Brakel. They were on the frontline with customers, with the constant threat of contracting Covid-19 and spreading it to their children and family. In the retail environment, employees with direct customer exposure were five times more likely to test positive for Covid-19. Risk of burnout and exhaustion In addition to the health risks, burnout and exhaustion are just as concerning for women in the retail space. Van Brakel points to PWCs Women in Work Index 2021, which revealed that prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, women spent on average six more hours than men on unpaid childcare and caring for families every week. During the pandemic years, working women took on an even greater share and spent 7.7 more hours per week on unpaid childcare than men all in addition to their full-time jobs. This second shift equated to 31.5 hours per week, almost as much time as an extra full-time job. These statistics illustrated that working moms and cornerstone of their families make significant sacrifices to accomplish their career aspirations while providing for their families. Research published by Forbes magazine, underpins that the most commonly cited sacrifice mothers make when building a career is giving up time with their loved ones. Van Brakel explains that working mothers often dont have the flexibility to devote as much time as they would like to family relationships, and often must miss out on daily routines such as bath time or dinner with the kids. Its well documented that mothers in the retail space are particularly well-known for having to make these personal sacrifices on an even greater scale. Not only do they avail themselves to the needs of their children and their families, but they also avail themselves to the needs of their customers, whether in-person or via a call centre, which often entails long working hours and overtime. Well-honed emotional intelligence With all of that being said, she says that studies show that juggling wider family responsibilities provides an ideal training ground for developing skills that are highly advantageous in various industries, especially for those working in the retail sector. There is plenty of evidence that points to the benefits of employing working women and those that play a bigger role in their families and communities. For example, they tend to have well-honed emotional intelligence which they bring into the workplace. Matriarchs have an acute sense of empathy and compassion for their fellow workers due to their hands-on experience when it comes to catering for their familys emotional and development needs, while balancing their own personal and professional responsibilities at the same time, explains van Brakel. They are therefore well-equipped to handle challenging situations in the workplace, both with colleagues and customers. And as a result of juggling the demands of work and home, mothers are by nature uniquely skilled at multitasking and time management, both of which are highly sought-after skills in the retail environment. Van Brakel concludes by saying that South Africa should acknowledge and celebrate the working mother, who isn't able to be at every school event because she is busy looking after consumers needs or because she simply wasnt able to work from home during the pandemic due to in-office responsibilities. Heres to the women who fight traffic every day to drop the kids at school by 6am, then head to work for her an eight-hour workday, before heading back home to fulfil family duties again. They really are the real superheroes. South African Breweries (SAB) spritzer brand Brutal Fruit has been recognised as one South Africa's top 30 most valued brands in the latest Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable South African Brands report. In its mission to push the boundaries of innovation beyond beer, the South African Breweries (SAB) has always been driven to push its portfolio in a way that meets the ever-evolving needs of its consumers. In 2002, SAB drove this strategy by taking a leap of flavoursome faith with the launch of a fresh and innovative new brand of alcoholic beverages called Brutal Fruit. In 2018, the brand evolved to offer South African women access to a beautiful lifestyle, with an easy drinking spritzer and even a brand-inspired perfume. Over the last four years, this brand innovation has attracted the love of South African consumers to such a degree that Brutal Fruit has just been acknowledged as one of South Africas top 30 most valued brands in the latest Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable South African Brands report. This is the second brand in SABs Beyond Beer portfolio to be recognised on this list, with the first being the Flying Fish range of flavoured beers. Ever since its launch in 2018, Brutal Fruits Spritzer innovation has continued to push boundaries and make waves. Leanne Owens, VP of Insights & Innovation at SABs Beyond Beer division As the innovative mind who has championed this brand since it launched into the market, VP of Insights & Innovation at SABs Beyond Beer division, Leanne Owens, believes a new future is brewing for this portfolio and Brutal Fruit Spritzer is at the helm. Its exciting to see another one of our brands succeed, especially Brutal Fruit Spritzer which has been my baby since day one. It should be no surprise that these new innovative brands are a big deal and should be supported, says Owens. Under her leadership, SABs Beyond Beer category already accounts for around 20% of the brewers revenue, making this category an economic success. So much so, Owens was invited to present the Brutal Fruit Spritzer success story to 400 global investors linked to SABs parent company and worlds largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev. The success of Brutal Fruit Spritzer has led the Beyond Beer team to expand the brand into a lifestyle space with the introduction of a new line of Brutal Fruit fragrances. You Belong by Brutal Fruit was an ambitious move, but Owens believes that the expansion into the cosmetics industry will resonate with the consumers of its drink, who are mostly women. Led by women, as a product for women, Owens believes Brutal Fruit Spritzer can rightfully take its place among the best brands in the country. When we go beyond beer, we also transcend the stereotypes that come with the product. Designed to meet the needs of women, Brutal Fruit Spritzer has the potential to soar well beyond our own borders and dominate the category in markets across the world. Watch this space! Google released data on the questions and topics that interested South Africans the most in July. When Nasa released the very first images from the James Webb Space Telescope in July, the world sat up and took notice. And South Africans were no different, with the telescope becoming the top searched term for the month. The deaths of How To Ruin Christmas actress Busi Lurayi, ANC stalwart Jesse Duarte, Ivana Trump and hip hop artist Tumi Tladi also had people searching for more information, with all of these names ranking in the top ten most searched terms. How to Ruin Christmas, a movie in which Lurayi starred, also trended as the third most commonly searched question for the month. Newly crowned Womens Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) champions, Banyana Banyana also made an appearance in the most searched questions for the month as people looked for more information to find out when they were playing during the month. On the subject of crowns, South Africans also wondered about the Miss Supranational title, after South Africas Lalela Mswane walked away with the international pageant crown last month. Following the tragic deaths of 21 teenagers at a tavern in June, people sought more information about the suspected cause of their deaths- with searches for what is methanol? and methanol appearing in the top searched questions and terms respectively. Gauteng parents looking to place their children for the 2023 school year also turned to Google for assistance- with the registration website being the eighth highest ranked search term for July. South Africans also seemed to be interested in learning more about literature and writing - with the top questions also asking what is a folktale? and what is a short story? Below is a complete list of the top 10 searched questions and terms: Top searched questions What is vabbing? What is methanol? How to Ruin Christmas? What is a short story? What is Miss Supranational? When is Banyana Banyana playing? What is youth service? What is a folktale? How to reconfirm your SRD grant? What is civic responsibility? South Africa's Remgro Ltd said on Thursday it will buy hospital chain operator Mediclinic International in a consortium with Switzerland's MSC Mediterranean Shipping for 3.7bn ($4.49bn) A woman walks past the entrance of Mediclinic in Sandton, South Africa. The offer, which was the consortium's fourth after the earlier ones were rejected by Mediclinic's board, values the company at 6.1bn ($7.41bn), Remgro and Mediclinic said in a joint statement. Mediclinic is South Africa's third biggest operator of hospitals, and billionaire tycoon Johann Rupert's Remgro already owns up to 45% of the company. Remgro, an investment company with operations spread across financial services, consumer products, infrastructure and healthcare, had been under pressure from investors and shareholders to unlock value and simplify the group structure. Its plan to buy out Mediclinic is part of those efforts. Mediclinic had dragged on Remgro's earnings as the hospital chain was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and revenue from surgeries and other procedures dropped. However, it has largely returned to normal operations and analysts had said the time was ripe for Remgro to unlock value in the company that could benefit shareholders. Shareholders of Mediclinic will receive 504 pence in cash for each share of Mediclinic, a premium of 23% from the day before the final offer was made in early June, the companies said. Mediclinic also has operations in Switzerland and the Middle East and is listed in the UK and South Africa. If the offer is approved by shareholders, Mediclinic will be delisted and held as a private company by the consortium, they said. President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent 10-point power crisis plan has been welcomed by the Beefmaster Group. "We congratulate the government for finally taking the decisive action necessary to deal with this pervasive problem. We specifically welcome the allowance of businesses and individuals to connect the excess power generated from their privately-owned green energy solutions to the national grid, as well as bringing back the skills required to fix the problem," says Roelie van Reenen, supply chain executive at Beefmaster Group. Ramaphosas plan includes allowing Eskom to get power from private players such as mines, paper mills and shopping malls, as well as neighbouring countries. Van Reenen says that the new plan is a move away from punishing the private sector, to incentivising it, for funding alternative energy supplies. "In previous years there were talks of taxes or fees for owning a solar panel. But the new incentive is in line with governments around the world who are encouraging citizens to go green, giving them rebates if they move to alternate energy sources." Mitigating energy crisis risks Beefmaster Group, one of Kimberleys largest private employers and a major economic contributor in the area, has been producing beef products for local and international markets since 2003. In the last decade, the business has been negatively affected by loadshedding and power cuts. To mitigate this, it has undertaken significant investment into generators producing in excess of 2mva in Kimberley - to keep the plant operational and to minimise downtime. "The new plan will have major spin-offs for businesses in Kimberley, which is why we as a business are excited about its prospects." Van Reenen says that given that Beefmaster Group in Kimberley employs more than 600 people from the area, prolonged periods of downtime would threaten the livelihoods of its employees had it not invested in an alternative power supply. "In addition, we are reliant on power to produce food that is safe for consumption; it is non-negotiable. Yet, power disruptions threaten our food health and safety credentials, so we cannot afford to be affected, says van Reenen. There was simply no other option but to incur costs of additional power so that we could keep operating." Van Reenen adds that it is "very exciting" that the new plan will address the utility's skills shortages. "As a country we have not addressed the brain drain or the skills gap; but with a specific focus on bringing back engineers and other personnel, government has finally acknowledged that it is a problem. I hope this solution can be applied to other areas where we have seen skilled talent leave for greener pastures," says van Reenen. Eskom noted that it has reached out to the National Society of Black Engineers to ascertain if members of the NSBE are interested in assisting Eskom to bolster its skills. But, as with all new plans, van Reenen says the devil is in the detail. "Since many municipalities are failing to deliver on services and basic functions, as well as failing to collect revenue, and in turn cannot service Eskom debt; a solution would be for municipalities to step aside and allow Eskom to sell electricity directly and collect their own revenue." In addition, he says, the metering and administration of solar power selling may be a stumbling block if there is not a robust plan in place. "Privatisation is the answer in solving many of our failing entities and lack of critical skills. How are we going to take this further? Can we privatise our railway lines to alleviate the road freight issues in the agricultural sector? This will directly go back into the pockets of the South African consumer, increase competitiveness, and stimulate growth," concludes van Reenen. The 2022 Winter Whip Snowboard and Ski Festival presented by LW Mag took place as a four-day event from 28-31 July. Image by Dominic Barnardt: Winner Linze Veenstra Throughout the events seven-year history, this was the first time it snowed throughout the weekend, something not often experienced in Southern Africa, making for an interesting as well as an incredible weekend. Fridays practice kicked off in near perfect conditions as partly cloudy weather closed in and light snowfall began to cover the resort. On Saturdays official competition day, Afriski woke up to a snow-covered resort and snowfall that would continue throughout the day and into the evening. Although an amazing experience, this did not fall into the hands of the competitors who had to deal with low visibility conditions and slow running Slopestyle park. The decision was made to run the competition as quick as possible by narrowing it down to a two-run format instead of the usual three-run format. The resorts Kapoko Park course included five platforms that featured a host of rails, boxes and kickers offering a fun course that allowed competitors to progress through their runs. Judges took style, technicality and use of course into account when awarding points. Consistency was key in the weather conditions and riders that were able to put down solid runs while making use of all the features in the park scored the podium places. Image by Dominic Barnardt: The Ladies Division podium Mens division In the premier Pro Mens division, Andrew le Roux made his return to competing at Winter Whip and took a convincing victory. His runs consisting of a switch nose boardslide, switch front 270 on the flat to down, boardslide over the Rainbow and Hardway Front 360 saw Le Roux score the highest points of the competition. Wesley Schallen went all in attempting a 50-50 to Frontflip off the tanker feature in his first run, unfortunately going down, but back-to-back Backflips off the kickers in his second run secured him the 2nd place finish. Japans Shotaro Koyama, who came 3rd in the last Winter Whip competition, retained his 3rd place title with solid scoring runs through the park. The biggest field of the day was in the Open Mens division which saw a closely fought battle for the podium. In the end it was Nick Brodie and his 720 on the Butter Box, Tailgrab and Method that took the win over Englands Meka Ejindu and defending title holder Dean Cowley who finished in 2nd and 3rd respectively. Image by Dominic Barnardt: Mens Pro winner Andrew le Roux Ladies division Mawa Jekot was also back to competition in the Ladies division and, although dealing with Flu, managed to secure the overall win with her runs featuring a Lip Slide, Nose Slide over the Rainbow and stylish Method Air over the kicker. Bronwyn Rassmann went down early in her runs but pieced together the rest of the course to finish in 2nd place. Paige Verpoort, in her first ever Slopestyle contest rounded off the podium in 3rd. Ski and Junior Ski division It was great to see a strong contingency of local Lesotho skiers competing in both the Ski and Junior Ski divisions and battling for podium positions. The Ski division was again dominated by Linze Veentsra, aka JTK, whos stylish riding on the rails and back-to-back Backflips on the kickers took the win. Veenstras Switch Backflip in his second run also secured him the Best Trick of the competition and awarded a GoPro Max. USAs Gillean Szwedamittels slotted into 2nd place with Kabai Mokolo taking home 3rd. Image by Dominic Barnardt: The Junior Ski podium In the Junior Ski division, it was Sekholo Ramonotsi who took the win from Thabang Mabari in 2nd and Tumade Ramabanta in 3rd. Sekholo Ramonotsi also competed in the Junior Snowboard division taking the win there too. The weekend was topped off by the good vibes on the slope thanks to the Red Bull DJs, the afternoon apres-ski Andiamo Spritz Party on the Snow, and the official After Party that took place in the Gondola Cafe. Event organiser, Ryan van der Spuy commented, It was so good to be back at Afriski and what an amazing experience with the amount of snowfall we had. Were stoked to have been able to run the Slopestyle competition in the conditions we were dealt and it worked out in a fun-filled four days. Winter Whip is back and were looking forward to what the future holds! Thank you to our event partners for making this possible; Andiamo Spritz, Red Bull, GoPro and DC Shoes, and a massive shout-out to everyone that made it out to the resort. See you next year. The full 2022 Winter Whip Slopestyle results are: Pro Men 1st Andrew Le Roux 2nd Wesley Schallen 3rd Shotaro Koyama 1st Mawa Jekot 2nd Bronwyn Rassmann 3rd Paige Verpoort 1st Nick Brodie 2nd Meka Ejindu 3rd Dean Cowley 1st Linze Veenstra 2nd Gillean Szwedamittels 3rd Kabai Mokolo 1st Sekholo Ramonotsi 2nd Thabang Mabari 3rd Tumade Ramabanta The International Air Transport Association's (Iata) latest analysis of its global passenger data for June 2022 shows that the recovery in air travel remains strong. "Demand for air travel remains strong. After two years of lockdowns and border restrictions people are taking advantage of the freedom to travel wherever they can," says Willie Walsh, Iata's director general. Total traffic in June 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) was up 76.2% compared to June 2021, primarily propelled by the ongoing strong recovery in international traffic. Globally, traffic is now at 70.8% of pre-crisis levels. Domestic traffic for June 2022 was up 5.2% compared to the year-ago period. Strong improvements in most markets, combined with the easing of some Omicron-related lockdown restrictions in the Chinese domestic market, contributed to the result. Total June 2022 domestic traffic was at 81.4% of the June 2019 level. International traffic rose 229.5% versus June 2021. The lifting of travel restrictions in most parts of Asia-Pacific is contributing to the recovery. June 2022 international RPKs reached 65.0% of June 2019 levels. International passenger markets Asia-Pacific airlines had a 492.0% rise in June traffic compared to June 2021. Capacity rose 138.9% and the load factor was up 45.8 percentage points to 76.7%. The region is now relatively open to foreign visitors and tourism which is helping foster the recovery. European carriers June traffic rose 234.4% versus June 2021. Capacity rose 134.5%, and load factor climbed 25.8 percentage points to 86.3%. International traffic within Europe is above pre-pandemic levels in seasonally adjusted terms. Middle Eastern airlines traffic rose 246.5% in June compared to June 2021. June capacity rose 102.4% versus the year-ago period, and load factor climbed 32.4 percentage points to 78.0%. North American carriers experienced a 168.9% traffic rise in June versus the 2021 period. Capacity rose 95.0%, and load factor climbed 24.1 percentage points to 87.7%, which was the highest among the regions. Latin American airlines June traffic rose 136.6% compared to the same month in 2021. June capacity rose 107.4% and load factor increased 10.3 percentage points to 83.3%. After leading the regions in load factor for 20 consecutive months, Latin America slipped back to third place in June. African airlines had a 103.6% rise in June RPKs versus a year ago. June 2022 capacity was up 61.9% and load factor climbed 15.2 percentage points to 74.2%, the lowest among regions. International traffic between Africa and neighbouring regions is close to pre-pandemic levels. Domestic passenger markets Chinas domestic RPKs fell 45.0% year-on-year in June but this was a substantial improvement compared to Mays year-over-year performance as lockdown measures were eased. Japans domestic traffic was up 146.4% in June, compared to June 2021. "With the Northern Hemisphere summer travel season now fully underway, predictions that the lifting of travel restrictions would unleash a torrent of pent-up travel demand are being borne out. At the same time, meeting that demand has proved challenging and likely will continue to be so. All the more reason to continue to show flexibility to the slot use rules. The European Commissions intent to return to the longstanding 80-20 requirement is premature. "Just look at the issues that airlines and their passengers at some hub airports are being confronted with. These airports are unable to support their declared capacity even with the current 64% slot threshold and have extended recent passenger caps until the end of October. Flexibility is still essential in support of a successful recovery. "By capping passenger numbers, airports are preventing airlines from benefitting from the strong demand. Heathrow Airport has tried to blame airlines for the disruption. However, Service Level Performance data for the first six months of this year show that they have failed miserably to provide basic services and missed their Passenger Security service target by a massive 14.3 points. Data for June has not yet been published but is expected to show the lowest level of service by the airport since records began," says Walsh. We have previously discussed the fascinating and somewhat surreal issue of whether artificial intelligence (AI) can be listed as an inventor on a patent application. This is becoming an increasingly relevant issue given the exponential use of AI. Image source: Natthapong Khromkrathok 123RF.com A seminal player in this landscape is Dr Stephen Thaler, the CEO and president of Imagination Engines. The inventor of the patent was listed as Dabus (a device for the autonomous bootstrapping of unified sentience), a type of AI system. Patent Offices in the USA and Europe have already rejected patent applications filed by Thaler where Dabus was listed as the inventor, confirming that the patent laws in these territories do not recognise AI systems as inventors. South Africa Last year, the South African Patent Office made headlines around the world by issuing a patent filed by Thaler where the AI system, Dabus, was listed as the inventor. However, it certainly seems that the South African Patent Offices approach will be an exception to the rule, and given that there is no substantive examination of patent applications in South Africa, it is fair to assume that the granting of this patent was of fairly limited significance. Australia More recently, the Australian courts have considered the same question with regard to Thalers corresponding Australian patent application. The Australian Deputy Commissioner of Patents had originally rejected the application since no human inventor was named. However, when this decision was taken into review, a judge of the Federal Court of Australia found that although ownership of a patent is limited to the inventor or the person who derives title from the inventor, the term inventor is not defined in Australian legislation. According to the court, there is nothing in the legislation that excludes an inventor from being a non-human AI device or system. The position in Australia has been brought in line with the majority of Patent Office decisions now though, as when the decision of the judge was taken on appeal, the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia reversed the decision of the lower court. The Full Court said that the origin of entitlement to the grant of a patent lies in human endeavour. In other words, an inventor must be human. UK Similarly in 2021, with regard to Thalers corresponding UK patent applications, the UK Court of Appeal ruled against Thaler, who had argued that Dabus should be recognised as the inventor. In this case, the judge, said, Only a person can have rights a machine cannota patent is a statutory right and it can only be granted to a person. According to a recent UK IP Office (UKIPO) announcement, it is unlikely that things will change anytime soon. The UKIPO recently announced that it is of the view that, as things stand, an AI system cannot be the inventor for the purposes of patent law. This announcement followed a UKIPO investigation which established that there is much doubt among experts as to whether AI can invent without human assistance. The UKIPO acknowledged that it will have to keep its eye on the ball it said that it will need to understand how our IP system should protect AI-devised inventions in the future. It further undertook to be involved in international discussions on the issue in order to ensure that the UK remains competitive. Further findings The UKIPO made some further findings relating to AI developed inventions: No changes to patent law are envisaged. No changes are required regarding copyright protection for computer-generated works, in other words, works that are made without a human author. These works are protected under the UK legislation, the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Section 9(3) defines the author of such a work as the person by whom the arrangements necessary for the creation of the work are undertaken. UKIPO will, in due course, grant a new copyright and database right exception to allow for text and data mining (TDM) an activity that is often beyond the scope of humans for any purpose, not simply non-commercial purposes. This is an interesting and fast-developing area of IP law, and developments in jurisdictions like the UK tend to be very relevant to South Africa. It is also a reminder that on the cutting edge of technology, there will be developments that challenge the status quo for current IP laws and these will likely need to develop and adapt accordingly. ISLAMABAD, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- A soldier and a terrorist were killed in a military operation in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said on Thursday night. The security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation on the reported presence of terrorists in the Miran Shah area of North Waziristan district of the province, the army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. Troops executed a successful operation, the ISPR statement said, adding that the killed terrorist had remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces. Weapon and ammunition were also seized from the killed terrorist, the statement said. Sanitization of the area is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area, it added. "Pakistan security forces are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism in every nook and corner of the country," the Pakistani military said. As learners settle in to the final half of the school year, many matriculants (and university students alike) are considering their academic futures and how to fund their tertiary studies in 2023. Image source: Brian Jackson 123RF.com August and September are the perfect times to apply for bursaries you can use your mid-year results in order to secure funding for the upcoming year. Here are a few of the top bursaries on Bursaries South Africa, with deadlines closing in August and September 2022: 1) TETA Bursary: A bursary opportunity for various fields of undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications within the transport sector and related fields. Candidates must have a total household income of not more than R350,000 per annum and must not be older than 35 years. Applications must be submitted by no later than 17 August. Apply here. 2) Thuthuka Bursary: A bursary opportunity offered by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (Saica), for students who are studying towards a career in Chartered Accountancy. Applications must be submitted by no later than 31 August. Apply here. 3) MasakhiSizwe Bursary: A bursary opportunity brought to you by the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works. Available for studies at the University of Cape Town, the University of Stellenbosch and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, in fields within the Transport, Engineering and Built Environment sector. Applications must be submitted by no later than 31 August. Apply here. 4) Vodacom Bursary: An opportunity for Undergraduate studies within STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics). Aimed at students with strong academic records, who are in financial need. Applications must be submitted by no later than 31 August. Apply here. 5) Hollywood Foundation Bursary: A bursary opportunity for undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Accounting, Business Management, Computer Science, Digital Marketing, Finance, Graphic Design, Human Resources, Marketing, Media and Communications, Supply Chain & Logistics. Applications must be submitted by no later than 31 August. Apply here. 6) Shoprite Bursary: A bursary opportunity from one of South Africas biggest retailers, for studies in Accounting (CA Stream SAICA), Data Science, Food Science, Information Systems, Pharmacy, Retail Business Management, Supply Chain & Logistics, UI Design (Product Design). Applications must be submitted by no later than 31 August. Apply here. 7) MMEG (Margaret McNamara Education Grants) Bursary: A bursary opportunity for female students from South Africa (and other African countries). The bursary covers ALL fields of study, towards a Certificate, Undergraduate, Graduate or Post Doctorate qualification. Applications must be submitted by no later than 14 September. Apply here. 8) Sappi Bursary: An opportunity for undergraduate Engineering and Forestry and Wood Science students. Applications must be submitted by no later than 30 September. Apply here. 9) Coronation Exceptional Student Bursary: A bursary that covers all Commerce-related degrees, aimed at deserving students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Applications must be submitted by no later than 30 September. Apply here. 10) Sarb (South African Reserve Bank) Bursary: A bursary opportunity for students entering their first year of study in 2023, in any of these fields related to the bank: Accounting, Actuarial Science, Economics, Finance, Information Technology, Law, Mathematical Statistics (other fields may also be funded, such as Medicine, Dentistry, Social Work). Applications must be submitted by no later than 30 September. Apply here. These are just a few of the bursaries closing in August and September 2022. Students can find all our other bursaries open for application here: https://www.zabursaries.co.za/bursary-news/ SA Bursaries also provides a selection of articles to help students in their bursary applications, including: South Africa's health regulator reported on Thursday a causal link between the death of an individual and Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) Covid-19 vaccine, the first time such a direct link has been made in the country. Source: Supplied. Reuters. A healthcare worker administers the Pfizer coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine to a man, amidst the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 variant Omicron, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The person presented with rare neurological disorder Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) soon after being given J&J's Janssen vaccine, after which the person was put on a ventilator and later died, senior scientists told a news conference. "At the time of illness no other cause for the Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) could be identified," professor Hannelie Meyer said. The person's age and other personal details were not disclosed for confidentiality reasons. J&J said in an emailed statement that GBS was associated with the administration of various vaccines and other medicines and can also be triggered by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. The company said it strongly supported raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of rare events to ensure they can be quickly identified and effectively treated. US authorities issue a warning Last July, US authorities added a warning to a factsheet for J&J's vaccine saying data suggested there was an increased risk of GBS in the six weeks after vaccination. At the time it noted 100 preliminary reports of GBS in vaccine recipients, including 95 serious cases and one reported death. J&J said at the time of the US warning it was in discussions with regulators and the rate of reported cases of GBS in Janssen vaccine recipients exceeded the background rate only slightly. "The benefit of vaccination still far outweighs the risk," Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela, chief executive of the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), told reporters. "In our context we have administered about 9 million (doses) of the Janssen vaccine, and this is the first causally linked case of GBS." Europe's medicines regulator last year added GBS as a possible side-effect of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine which, like J&J's, uses viral vector technology. South Africa's Health Minister Joe Phaahla told Thursday's news conference that as of mid-July there had been just over 6,200 "adverse events" reported to SAHPRA out of the more than 37 million Covid vaccine doses administered in the country, equivalent to 0.017%. Semete-Makokotlela said the regulator had assessed around 160 deaths since the Covid vaccination rollout started but had not seen a causal link to vaccination until now. South Africa has been using shots from J&J and Pfizer in its Covid vaccination campaign. The rollout got off to a slow start due to difficulties securing supplies and protracted negotiations with pharmaceutical companies, but more recently it has been slowed by hesitancy. Around 46% of its adult population of 40 million is now fully vaccinated. A new poll from Rasmussen has found that a majority of voters agree that Democrats ran the economy straight into the ground, with close to a whopping 40 percent of Democrat voters agreeing that is the case. The poll found that 85 percent of Republicans at least somewhat agree with the statement made by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell that Democrats inherited an economy that was primed for an historic comeback, and promptly ran it straight into the ground. But the most startling finding is that a majority of 57 percent of unaffiliated voters agree, and even 38% of Democratic voters agree with 23% who Strongly Agree. Democrats inherited an economy that was primed for an historic comeback, and promptly ran it straight into the ground. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? AGREE Men: 63% Women: 56% DEM: 38% IND: 57% GOP: 85% All Voters: 59% Story https://t.co/lRz6FXQvp3 Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) August 3, 2022 The poll also found that a majority of 62 percent believe the United States economy is in a recession, despite desperate Democrat efforts to redefine what that means, with just 23 percent saying they dont think there is currently recession. Almost half (47 percent) of Democrat voters also said they believe the economy is in a recession. "Is the U.S. economy currently in a recession?" 1000 National Likely Voters Weighted D35, R33, I32 YES / NO / NOT SURE DEM: 47%/35%/18% IND: 57%/24%/19% GOP: 83%/10%/7% All Voters: 62%/23%/15% Story https://t.co/lRz6FXQvp3 pic.twitter.com/rh3knTBUnk Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) August 3, 2022 Going into the midterms, a huge percentage of Democrat voters believe their own party has ruined the economy, which they see as a top three issue. NEW: Top Voter Midterm Issues vs Top Media Issues Today we re-surveyed The Economy and it remains at #3. Concerned about The Economy rose from 89% to 91%, while Very Concerned fell from 69% to 66%. Please be kind and don't retweet this were the legacy media can see it. https://t.co/ATqLutzlzB pic.twitter.com/bO3L2erh68 Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) August 3, 2022 Follow on Twitter: Follow @PrisonPlanet Brand new merch now available! Get it at https://www.pjwshop.com/ ALERT! In the age of mass Silicon Valley censorship It is crucial that we stay in touch. We need you to sign up for our free newsletter here. Support our sponsor Turbo Force a supercharged boost of clean energy without the comedown. Also, we urgently need your financial support here. Police departments in New Jersey have recently come under fire for using DNA from newborn babies to solve crimes without public knowledge or consent. The DNA is also being obtained without a warrant, a blatant violation of the law. According to The Verge: New Jersey police may have used blood samples taken from babies to investigate crimes, according to public defenders in the state. According to a lawsuit filed by the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender (OPD), the practice came to light after a case in which New Jersey State Police successfully subpoenaed a testing lab for a blood sample drawn from a child. Police then performed DNA analysis on the blood sample that reportedly linked the childs father to a crime committed more than 25 years ago. The blood samples are not directly shared with law enforcement agencies. But if police are able to reliably obtain the samples through subpoena, then effectively, the disease screening process is entering all babies born in the state into a DNA database with no ability to opt out. According to the lawsuit, parents and the public at large are unaware that blood samples taken from their children could be used in this way. Biometric Update provides further details, stating: Unless parents claim a religious exemption, all babies in New Jersey are sampled. All states and the District of Columbia store the blood, but practices and policies vary. There seems to be a shared sense of the unusualness of taking DNA evidence without a warrant from a subject who could not provide informed consent and without a parents permission. New Jerseys public defender office learned of the practice and tried twice to use the states open public records law to get more information about the practice. They were twice denied, according to Law360, and the public defender office sued. The two agencies are due to appear in court September 8. The state of Michigan has revealed it will destroy more than 3 million dried blood spots taken from babies and kept in storage as part of a settlement over consent and privacy in the digital age. The state routinely draws blood by pricking the heels of newborns to check for rare diseases, but leftover samples are stored in cities like Lansing and Detroit and can potentially be used by scientists, for a fee, without parental consent. The practice has also occurred in other states such as California, New York, and Minnesota where the blood samples can be kept for decades. No to be outdone, private corporations are also involved in gathering large amounts of DNA and other health data. In 2019 Google partnered with Ascension, the second largest health care system in the country to develop an artificial intelligence-powered health service by collecting Americans medical data. The project was dubbed Project Nightingale and it gave Google access to over 50 million patient medical records. Google is using the records to create a system that can identify and predict health concerns before a patient has even visited a doctor. More recently at an Aspen Institute Security Forum, Jason Crow, a U.S. representative from Colorado and member of the House Intelligence and Armed Services Committees warned that DNA provided to companies such as 23andMe and Ancestry could be used to create bioweapons targeting specific individuals. The DNA obtained by these companies is innocently shared by customers expecting to receive reports that detail conditions of their health and/or genetic lineage, but could be used without their knowledge or consent for nefarious purposes. Crow further stated that: People will very rapidly spit into a cup and send it to 23andMe and get really interesting data about their background And guess what? Their DNA is now owned by a private company. It can be sold off with very little intellectual property protection or privacy protection and we dont have legal and regulatory regimes to deal with that. Its important to note that Ancestry was sold to Blackstone Group, a private equity investment firm and the worlds largest landlord for $4.7 billion in December 2020. The acquisition raised concerns that Blackstone could use the Ancestry DNA database to discriminate against potential tenants based on race, religion, and other categories, though company representatives have denied the accusations. Surveillance capitalism has thrived as people voluntarily hand over their most intimate details to unscrupulous companies looking to make a profit. Sadly, its unknown how many people have been duped into forking over their DNA to Ancestry and other companies believing it would never not be shared, sold, or stolen. Connecting people to their past and helping them understand their genetic makeup through DNA are noble services that could turn into a nightmare if that information is placed in the wrong hands. With the advent of precision medicine and the on demand drug manufacturing industry, representative Crows warning about DNA takes on even stronger meaning. When major corporations like Blackstone and Google have access to DNA and personal health records it further cements the idea that a biomedical security state is being built right before our eyes. We are experiencing a real-life Jurassic Park scenario where instead of dinosaur DNA being traded and replicated it is human DNA that is being bought and sold to the highest bidder. Data and DNA harvesting is turning humans into exploitable and controllable assets. Whats even worse is that this is now occurring in many states from birth. With much of our DNA being stored in giant databases owned by multinational American and Chinese corporations, governments, militaries, and intelligence agencies have access to a pool of information that could target individual citizens for a plethora of reasons under the guise of improving public health. The powers behind the budding biomedical security state want to know everything about us while hiding everything from us. Blowing the lid off of this high stakes agenda has never been more important. To protect against the threats raised by representative Crow and many others sounding the alarm, citizens should check consumer DNA services including Ancestry, 23andMe, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA and GEDmatch for a policy that allows for the removal and destruction of DNA data, though the damage may have already been done. It may also be wise to obtain legal representation in the event of an illegal seizure of DNA data by police without consent. Jesse Smith is an independent journalist who operates the Truth Unmuted website. Truth Unmuted is dedicated to exposing the lies, motives, and methods of the global cabal trying to force humanity into a new world order. The website covers issues such as technocracy, globalism, transhumanism, politics, health, and other relevant topics that tie into global agendas. 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 Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen, Pelosis brain underwent one of its increasingly common software glitches, causing her to begin babbling inarticulately. Here is a transcript of what Nancy Pelosis 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 dont have- we cant have either, if we dont have both. Of course Benjamin Franklin was neither a president of the United States nor a presidency, and the quote Nancys 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 pharmacists casual remark in 2017 that he had filled prescriptions to treat Alzheimers 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 Pelosis visit ahead of her arrival. The United States military was literally just used to help a dementia patient try to start World War Three. Chinas response to Pelosis provocation has thankfully been relatively measured, though were about to see Taiwan fully encircled by the Chinese navy for a show of force unlike anything weve 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 humanitys better angels have prevailed for now. None of this makes it acceptable for the worlds 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 Pelosis 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 Im concerned, its downfall cant come soon enough. ____________________ My work is entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, following me on Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud or YouTube, or throwing some money into my tip jar on Ko-fi, Patreon or Paypal. If you want to read more you can buy my books. The best way to make sure you see the stuff I publish is to subscribe to the mailing list for at my website or on Substack, which will get you an email notification for everything I publish. Everyone, racist platforms excluded, has my permission to republish, use or translate any part of this work (or anything else Ive written) in any way they like free of charge. For more info on who I am, where I stand, and what Im trying to do with this platform, click here. All works co-authored with my American husband Tim Foley. Bitcoin donations:1Ac7PCQXoQoLA9Sh8fhAgiU3PHA2EX5Zm2 Chinese drills will not deter the US Navy from operating in the area, the White House said US Navy ships and planes will transit the Taiwan strait in the next two weeks, the White House announced on Thursday. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby condemned Chinese military drills in the area and said the Pentagon had ordered the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and her escorts to remain near Taiwan to monitor the situation. The Reagan and her accompanying ships are based in Japan and were deployed to the East China Sea in recent days, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid a visit to Taipei against Chinese objections. Beijing has responded to Pelosis visit by launching extensive drills around Taiwan and firing a dozen missiles across the island. Amid heightened tensions, US President Joe Biden decided it would be prudent to order the US aircraft carrier strike group to stay in the area for a little bit longer than they were originally planned, according to Kirby. The spokesman also condemned the Chinese missile tests as irresponsible and at odds with our longstanding goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan strait and in the region. We will not be deterred from operating in the seas and the skies of the Western Pacific, consistent with international law, as we have for decades, supporting Taiwan and defending a free and open Indo-Pacific, he said. As part of that effort, the US will conduct standard air and maritime transits through the Taiwan strait in the next two weeks, Kirby added. The White House also confirmed earlier reporting that the US Air Force had postponed a scheduled test of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), but Kirby insisted that the test will happen in the near future and that the US nuclear deterrent was safe, secure and effective. 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. Washingtons hard power display of taking out Al-Qaedas Al-Zawahiri will not be reciprocated by Beijing over Pelosis provocative visit to Taiwan. It does however, definitively bury the decades-long era of cooperative US-Chinese relations. 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. 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. The Amnesty report said investigators had "found evidence of Ukrainian forces launching strikes from within populated residential areas, as well as basing themselves in civilian buildings in 19 towns and villages" in three war-torn regions of the country from April through July. Destroyed hospital in Ukraine, via CBS The report detailed that schools and hospitals, as well as people's homes, were put in harm's way, suggesting 'human shields' type tactics utilized by the Ukrainian military. "Such tactics violate international humanitarian law and endanger civilians, as they turn civilian objects into military targets. The ensuing Russian strikes in populated areas have killed civilians and destroyed civilian infrastructure," Amnesty continued, saying this resulted in Russian attacks on said civilian infrastructure. The report detailed further that in 22 of 29 schools visited by an Amnesty team between April and July, investigators found evidence of prior military activity. Additionally, five instances of Ukrainian troops using hospitals as bases were documented. The report went so far as to stress Amnesty was "not aware" of instances where Ukrainian troops first tried to evacuate civilians from these locations. Despite being under pressure to refrain from investigating the Ukrainian side and to not criticize it for human rights abuses, Secretary General of Amnesty International Agnes Callamard said in releasing the report: "Being in a defensive position does not exempt the Ukrainian military from respecting international humanitarian law." Naturally, that so respected a premier human rights organization based in the West condemned these practices of the Ukrainian army resulted in backlash from Kiev leaders, as well as some Western pundits who went so far as to level the usual "Putin-sympathizers!" charge... This report by @amnesty International is such a disgrace. It only amplifies the narratives of the Russian #propaganda targeted against #Ukraine. With this one, AI has hit the bottom. https://t.co/XUNywyYxTm Stanisaw Zaryn (@StZaryn) August 4, 2022 Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba was quick to blast the Amnesty report, saying, "I understand that Amnesty will respond to criticism by saying that they criticize both sides of the conflict. But such behavior on Amnestys part is not about looking for the truth and presenting it to the world, but about creating a false balance between the criminal and his victim." Other commentators said it was tantamount to "victim-blaming"... Amnesty International blames Ukrainian defenders for protecting civilians from attacks by Russian invaders. "Blame the victim" false equivalency reflects the moral void at the heart of @amnesty. It's a disgrace to people of conscience who value the protection of human rights. https://t.co/W49AnHeyl2 Michael MacKay (@mhmck) August 4, 2022 The Kremlin, meanwhile, said the report confirms what Russia has been saying for a long time. Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said, "Weve been talking about this constantly, calling the actions of the Ukrainian armed forces the tactics of using civilians as a 'human shield'." Photo taken on Aug. 5, 2022 shows the nightclub where a fire broke out in Chonburi province, Thailand. A fire at a nightclub in Thailand's Chonburi province in the early hours of Friday has killed at least 13 people and injured more than dozens, the rescue team said. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak) BANGKOK, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- A fire at a nightclub in Thailand's Chonburi province in the early hours of Friday has killed at least 13 people and injured more than dozens, the rescue team said. The fire, which broke out at about 1 a.m. (1800 GMT Thursday), has been put out and all the injured people have been hospitalized, said Wisarut Petcharat, a rescue worker at the scene with the Sawang Rojana Thammasathan Foundation. The victims, including nine males and four females, were all Thai nationals, Wisarut said. He said his team has rushed 18 injured people to a local hospital, of whom three were seriously injured. He said the club was a one-story building and an investigation into the cause of the accident was underway. Photo taken on Aug. 5, 2022 shows the nightclub where a fire broke out in Chonburi province, Thailand. A fire at a nightclub in Thailand's Chonburi province in the early hours of Friday has killed at least 13 people and injured more than dozens, the rescue team said. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak) Police are seen out of the nightclub where a fire broke out in Chonburi province, Thailand, Aug. 5, 2022. A fire at a nightclub in Thailand's Chonburi province in the early hours of Friday has killed at least 13 people and injured more than dozens, the rescue team said. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak) Photo taken on Aug. 5, 2022 shows the nightclub where a fire broke out in Chonburi province, Thailand. A fire at a nightclub in Thailand's Chonburi province in the early hours of Friday has killed at least 13 people and injured more than dozens, the rescue team said. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak) Police are seen out of the nightclub where a fire broke out in Chonburi province, Thailand, Aug. 5, 2022. A fire at a nightclub in Thailand's Chonburi province in the early hours of Friday has killed at least 13 people and injured more than dozens, the rescue team said. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak) Police are seen out of the nightclub where a fire broke out in Chonburi province, Thailand, Aug. 5, 2022. A fire at a nightclub in Thailand's Chonburi province in the early hours of Friday has killed at least 13 people and injured more than dozens, the rescue team said. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak) Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. SYDNEY, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- The government of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has warned younger and older residents to remain alert for symptoms of meningococcal disease following the recent emergence of a number of cases. NSW Health on Friday reported that there had been 15 cases of the bacterial disease. They also reported the death of a 40-year-old Sydney man from the disease, which they were notified of on Thursday. Meningococcal's symptoms include limb pain, severe headaches, sensitivity to light, stiffness in the neck, and a red-purple rash. Executive Director of Health Protection NSW Jeremy McAnulty said symptoms can progress extremely quickly and early intervention could be lifesaving. "If you suspect meningococcal disease, don't wait for the rash -- see a doctor immediately," said McAnulty, adding that the rash normally associated with the disease can often arrive at later stages of the disease. He added that parents should call emergency services if their children's symptoms rapidly worsen. Meningococcal disease is characterized by swelling in the brain and spinal cord, and proves fatal in between 5 and 10 percent of patients, with nearly half of infections resulting in permanent disability. The bacteria from the disease resides in the back of the throat and can only be spread through close contact with saliva. The disease is uncommon in Australia due to widespread vaccination but can still spike in late winter and early spring, particularly among children. In Australia, a free meningococcal vaccine is provided for children at 12 months of age and between ages 15 to 19. PHNOM PENH, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and Russia on Friday signed here the plan of consultations for 2022-2024, aiming at further strengthening the friendship and cooperation between the two countries. The deal was inked between Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the 55th ASEAN Ministers' Meeting and Related Meetings in Phnom Penh. According to a joint statement released after the signing ceremony, the two ministers agreed to promote further the development of long-lasting and time-tested bonds of friendship and mutual support between the two countries in line with the basic values and aspirations of the people of both countries. "Cambodia and Russia will maintain and intensify political dialogue, regular contacts between the governments, parliaments, local authorities and political parties," the statement said. The two countries will enhance mutually beneficial cooperation in trade and investment, science and technology, education and culture, defense and security, creating favorable conditions for activities of organizations and companies in all the areas, it added. "Cambodia and Russia will continue to respect legitimate interests of each other in bilateral relations and within the framework of regional and international fora," the statement said. The two ministers also agreed to promote mutual support on key issues on international and regional agenda, with emphasis on strengthening ASEAN centrality in the context of expanding multilateral interaction in Asia-Pacific space, it said. Johnathan McReynolds- Your World | CR 8 Agency GRAMMY and Stellar Award winner Jonathan McReynolds returns with a new sound on the brand new single, "Your World" (MNRK Music Group). "Your World" reminds the listener of God's sovereignty - it's a bop, intentionally upbeat, and happy. The song was written to help people lift the weights that hold them down. Known for bridging the gap between contemporary church music and the music of the past, Jonathan has included African American spiritual texts and the influences of Marvin Gaye. "Your World" will have listeners up moving and enjoying the beauty of God's creation. Jonathan McReynolds shares, "This song reflects my evolution and growth. I am not the same person I was when I wrote my first album. Now, I am secure enough to take more risks and remove any limits to my creativity. It's God's World, and we are just living in it!" "Your World" is available now wherever music is shared and streamed. Working from home appears to be exercising the minds of Victorians this week. LaTrobe University academics were interviewed in the media about their study of working from home (WFH) during the 2020 lockdowns, most commonly with a focus on reported negative health impacts. In another contribution, Liberal Melbourne City councillor and barrister Roshena Campbell argued in this masthead that working from home risks creating a new class divide. Ms Campbells piece was in response to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews saying that working from home is here to stay. This is not a good thing, apparently. The central business district will suffer from reduced footfall. Ms Campbell worries about productivity, and while falling short of accusing workers of lying on productivity surveys, she appears to believe that public servants are beyond the reaches of any measure of productivity. Working from home, when embraced with imagination by management, can extend to a wide variety of roles. Credit:iStock However, rhetoric aside, the main beef is that working from home is a middle-class privilege, removing the cheek-by-jowl solidarity of white and blue collar workers packed like pilchards into trams happily en-route to their industrial workplaces in the big smoke. This ignores the fact that throughout the ages work has been conducted in a variety of environments. Notwithstanding the fact that before the industrial revolution most work was conducted in or near ones home, there were always differences. Some got their hands dirty, others had to worry about no more than an ink stain. Some got frequent horse and cart points gallivanting off on crusades, whereas others toiled on the land. On a Friday in early March, Australian artist Jordy Kerwicks phone started buzzing. Text messages and calls were coming in from across the art world: collectors, gallerists, keen to get in touch. Thats how he discovered that one of his paintings had just sold for nearly half a million dollars. Artist Jordy Kerwick in his studio in France. Credit:Murial Cavanhac To be precise, Le Tigre (2020) sold for $US277,200 ($401,000) at Sothebys in New York. Not bad for a guy who just a few years ago, out of his makeshift studio in Williamstown, was selling work for $200 a pop on Instagram. It was a bit strange, Kerwick says, speaking from his home in Albi, France, where he moved in 2019 with his wife Ces McCully (also an artist) and sons Sonny, 8, and Milo, 6. I have zero interest in fame, none whatsoever. My wife and kids and I moved to the middle of nowhere for this not to happen. We live on an artistic desert island. This story is part of the August 6 edition of Good Weekend. See all 16 stories. The cars with blown-out windscreens stood out, as did the demolished shopfronts. Things like this led photojournalist Andrew Quilty closer and closer to the heart of ground zero in Kabul, where a bomb had been detonated, following the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban. Thats what I moved towards. And eventually, I got there, he says. And at the centre of it was this pile of bodies, probably 20 bodies, some of them still alive. That was when Quilty experienced a moment few people do in their professional life, but which comes with the territory when taking photographs within such combat zones. That moment when you have a question to answer: Do I work? Or do I help? Quilty says. You really have no time to make a decision at all. I think I did a bit of both. Quilty was speaking on the latest episode of Good Weekend Talks a magazine for your ears, in which top journalists from across our newsrooms host conversations with the people capturing the imagination of Australia right now. Their parents did not approve of the match, so the young couple moved first to England, where Raffel and one of his two sisters were born, then to Canada, which was too cold for a family from the tropics. In 1972, they moved to Sydney. Six months after they arrived, his father died of a heart attack. Raffels mother was alone in a foreign land with three children. They lived in Carlingford, in the citys north-west, where Raffel attended the local high school. After my sister left, I was the only non-white person in the whole school, he remembers. On the schools debating team, he argued against his future wife, Cailey. The children would say their Buddhist prayers at night, and when Wat Buddharangsee opened in the inner west in 1975, they would attend on special days, such the anniversary of his fathers death. Raffel was elected as Sydneys Anglican leader a little over a year ago, Credit:SMH He remembers his mother as a woman of deep integrity, compassion and independence. [She had] a Buddhist sense of caring for the poor, he says. She would throw parties for children at what was then known as the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, an act of charity that would accrue merit for her late husband. The Buddhist idea is that you can do good acts, and then commit the good karma to that person, Raffel says. That was her expression of her faith. When Raffel was in his third year of an arts-law degree at Sydney University he decided to deepen his understanding of his faith. He pored over books in the temple library. He meditated. And he pondered the metaphysics of rebirth. I was very committed to the program, as it were ... the shape of the ethics around wisdom and compassion and the eightfold path. That summer, he went on holiday with friends. One, medical student Andrew Shead now the head of Old Testament and Hebrew at Moore College told him that as a Christian, hed surrendered control of his life to Jesus. The idea startled Raffel. Id never heard anybody say anything like that. As a Buddhist, I was trying to cultivate a kind of control over my aspirations and ambitions and motivations, not to mention relationships. Shead gave him two gospels to read. Raffel read Mark the next day. Its the shortest gospel, and the most action packed. Weeks passed. Then, one restless night when heat kept him awake, he decided to keep his promise to Shead and read the other. Lunch at Spiced by Billus: (clockwise from top left) garlic naan, basmati rice, kadhai chicken, dhal makhani, Delhi goat curry, spicy mango chutney, and eggplant masala (clockwise from top left) Credit:Louie Douvis Johns is the most poetic gospel. It begins with a sentence In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God that reminded Raffel of a fairytale. He kept reading. You get a very strong sense of [Jesus] personality. You dont get that when you read Buddhist scripture ... [Jesus is] a very compelling character. The message was that Jesus divides. It made Raffel think about what side of the divide he was on. That hot, summer night, he became a Christian. Believers would say the Holy Spirit was at work. I just thought, well, this is what I have to do. Im going to follow Jesus. The arrival of goat and chicken curries, eggplant masala, dhal makhani, garlic naan and mango chutney jolt us back to the present where, in Sydney, seven Manly players are making headlines by refusing to wear a rainbow pride jersey due to their religion and, on the other side of the world, Anglican bishops are attending their once-in-a-decade conference in Lambeth, England, to discuss challenges facing the church such as disagreement about same-sex marriage. Put simply, the fault line is between progressive Anglicans most of whom are in the Northern Hemisphere and parts of Australia and socially and theologically conservative communities in the global south. Unlike Catholics, Anglicans have no central, papal authority. Its more like a family. And like many families, they can disagree and become estranged, to the point where some no longer turn up at the reunion. Kanishka Raffel (third from right) at an Easter Sunday service before he became archbishop. Credit:Kate Geraghty Sydney did not attend Lambeth, and has not been since the late 1990s. On women and same-sex marriage, Sydneys Anglicans align firmly with the south. They are heroic, joyful churches, says Raffel. The diocese is a member of GAFCON (the Global Anglican Future Conference), which is dominated by African countries and seeks to guard and proclaim the unchanging truth in a changing world. As the divisions between Anglicans over same-sex marriage and women grow, some believe the Australian church will become irrevocably divided and formally split. Critics argue the Sydney crew takes the bible too literally. Raffel disagrees. He does not believe its magic, and that sticking a pin in a random verse will provide an answer to the days problem. But he does believe that, when the Old Testament, the gospels, and the epistles are consistent on an issue, such as marriage being between a man and woman, then thats that. That teaching ... has been affirmed, he says. Jesus is kind of counter cultural, and he was in his own day. And I think its right to say the Christians whove made the biggest impact are probably the ones who are willing to stick with Jesus. Even when that was culturally awkward. He knows many Christians find the position hurtful. He regrets and laments their pain. The bill. Credit:SMH Most of the time, peoples religious views have little impact beyond offence on those who do not share them. But where church and state collide, there is increasing tension. The issue has flared in parliament, and in sport. It is festering in Anglican schools, where particularly in socially progressive parts of the city, such as the eastern suburbs the views of parents are increasingly at odds with those of the diocese. Raffel says Anglican schools welcome feedback from parents. But they are not parent-controlled schools, he says. We do think the heads of Anglican schools should be able to affirm Anglican faith. Thats only natural, really. The church sees its schools as a way to share our story, he says. We dont compel people to believe in it. At the most recent national Synod, bishops vetoed what would have otherwise been a successful motion by Sydney to affirm that marriage is between a man and a woman. It strengthened fears of a formal split. Raffel describes the tensions in the church as painful. But we are talking about what it means to be faithful to Jesus, he says. And if it is the case that there is no agreement about what faithfulness looks like, then there will be a very sad kind of distancing. To some extent, there is already. A senior Comancheros figure accused of being involved in the importation of 160 kilograms of cocaine to Melbourne has returned to Victoria after six years abroad. Flanked by security staff, bikie boss Mark Buddle, 37, faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday charged over his alleged involvement in the $40 million importation in May 2021. Mark Buddle in a prison vehicle leaving the Melbourne Magistrates Court. Credit:Jason South Buddles solicitor Stephen Zahr flew from NSW for the brief hearing where his client was remanded in custody to reappear in court on November 25. He made no application for bail and no custody management issues were raised. PHNOM PENH, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai here on Thursday, with both sides speaking highly of bilateral cooperation. During talks with Don on the sidelines of meetings of foreign ministers on East Asia cooperation, Wang said that China and Thailand have agreed to work towards the vision and goal of building a community with a shared future, providing positive expectations for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries and injecting strong impetus into bilateral relations. China appreciates Thailand's active participation in the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, and will continue to support Thailand in hosting this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting, he added. Don said he is pleased with the continuous progress of the all-round cooperation between the two countries, and thanked China for always responding to Thailand's needs at the earliest time possible. Thailand is willing to work with China to push for new and greater development of the Thailand-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, he added. Thailand is very concerned about the current situation in Myanmar, said Don, expressing hopes that China will continue to provide support and assistance for the settlement of the Myanmar issue. Wang said he believes that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has the ability and wisdom to stick to the ASEAN leadership and the ASEAN way to push for a "soft landing" of the Myanmar issue through dialogue and consultation on the premise of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs, while preventing improper interference by forces outside the region and avoiding further complicating the situation. China will continue to play a constructive role in its own way, he added. Don appreciated China's trust in and support for ASEAN, saying he will work hard to maintain ASEAN unity and be committed to properly handling the Myanmar issue. Wittmer defended the annual payments of $520,000 as fair recompense for capital he provided to the school in its early years. The recently renamed Colmont School was last week placed into administration and declared insolvent. Credit:Jason South I had hocked myself to the hilt and thrown a lifetime of business at the highest level into it, he said. He declined to disclose the 2019 sale price, but said the property holdings alone were worth $25 million. The Chinese company that bought the Kilmore school assets operates a school in the island province of Hainan and another in central China. Its spokesman, Locke Wang, said the company wanted the school to be successful and had planned to redevelop part of the Kilmore site into a Timbertop-style campus to immerse overseas students in Australian culture. Regrettably, such a plan did not attract genuine engagement from the school board, he said. The companys two local directors are a husband-and-wife team, Chien-long Tai and Yuyu Chen. Tai said an offer of rent relief and a proposed bailout involving unidentified investors had been rejected by the administrators. Administrator Paul Langdon, from Vince & Associates, told a creditors meeting on Friday that no restructuring plan had been put, or any additional funding offered, that would allow the school to stay open. The creditors, who are mostly parents and teachers from the school owed fees and unpaid entitlements, voted to dump the Vince & Associates team and appoint new administrators Rachel Burdett and Bruno Secatore from the firm Cor Cordis to explore the Chinese companys proposal to reopen the school. Former school directors told The Age this week that Steven Scroggie, the business manager for the Kilmore International School between 2016 and 2020, delved into the schools contractual history with Wittmer and raised concerns with the school about what he found. It is understood that Scroggie told school board members in the months leading up to the pandemic that despite its strong run of cash-positive years, the school was facing three years of financial losses. He urged the school to disentangle itself from its long-term licensing contracts and leases, wind up the Kilmore International School and rebrand under a new name. Loading For his troubles, Scroggie was sacked and escorted off the school premises in February 2020. He declined to comment when contacted by The Age, but his advice to the board proved prescient. In the two years since he left, the school has posted losses totalling $5 million and no longer has enough money to meet its operating costs. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Australias borders shut and an exodus of international students smashed a $6 million hole in the schools revenue. School chairman Rod Dally and principal Peter Cooper severed the schools international marketing and licensing obligations and explored the possibility of relocating the school to a proposed new development site in the nearby town of Wallan. Half of the boards six directors quit at the start of this year. A former director said the board became divided and dysfunctional, meetings were increasingly haphazard and that it was difficult to obtain financial information. Loading It went to a culture where there was a lack of transparency and basic culture, they said. Under a corporate structure devised by Wittmer, the land, buildings and intellectual property of the school were housed within companies he controlled, and a separate company was established, with no assets, to govern the operations of the school. In addition to the licensing fee, the school paid up to $1.75 million in rent and a fixed $1.6 million fee for international marketing services to the Wittmer companies. The international marketing services included the travel costs for overseas agents, translation services and pastoral care of students. Wittmer said a business consultancy engaged by the school, Verve Advisory, examined the international marketing and student services his company provided to the school and concluded they represented value for money. The author of the report did not reply to questions from The Age. The 2020 whistleblower complaint painted a different picture. It claimed that the school paid $180,000 rent to Wittmer for an abandoned Catholic primary school site that was never used by Kilmore for classes and, at one point, paid him a salary of $70,000 to be a member of the schools maintenance staff. The whistleblower was critical of the school board for allowing the arrangements to continue. Unless the business model is changed, I believe the school will become insolvent, the whistleblower warned. It is in my opinion that the board of this school places more value on protecting the income stream of RW than acting in the best interests of the school. A school insider put it more succinctly. It got sucked dry, he said. The demise of the 32-year-old school has rekindled a bitter feud between Wittmer, his supporters and his detractors. Loading A board-supported plan to shift the school away from Kilmore provoked allegations of conflict of interest against Walter Mott, a former school director. Mott is a director of the Crystal Group, a property development company involved in the creation of St Hilaire, a new town planned on the southern boundary of Wallan that will eventually be home to 180,000 people. During Motts time on the board, the school registered St Hilaire International Grammar School as a business name. Hilaire is Walter Motts middle name. Motts daughter Celina Mott, also a director of the Crystal Group, said her father stood down from the board to avoid a conflict of interest once it became clear the school was considering potential sites in the St Hilaire development. The school has since been renamed the Colmont School. The arc of history bends slowly towards justice but, 15 years on from the national apology to Indigenous people, its time to walk the next steps in the long journey to reconciliation. There has already been too much delay since Indigenous leaders signed the Uluru Statement from the Heart five years ago. Im not exactly a radical when it comes to the business of constitutional change. While hardly perfect, the basic machinery encoded in our nations founding document has served us well. For this reason, Prime Minister Albaneses proposed constitutional amendments achieve the right balance between our existing arrangements and what is needed for respectful consultation for the future. Anthony Albanese at the Garma festival in East Arnhem Land in July. Credit:AAP The PMs proposals recognise the indisputable history that this continent was previously occupied by Indigenous Australians. They establish with absolute clarity that the composition, functions, powers and procedures of the new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice will be determined and modified by the parliament. And they are plain that the Voices only constitutional power will be to advise on, not to veto, decisions of parliament and the executive. In summary, they enshrine the primacy of parliament while answering the call for recognition that is both symbolic and substantive. Although these are modest proposals, we still have bad actors like Tony Abbott screeching that such amendments would change our system of government by establishing the Voice as part of our parliament, and enable judicial intervention to strike down laws. How would it be structured? Under their model, the Voice would consist of 24 First Nations members appointed by local and regional Voice bodies. Two members of differing genders would come from each state, territory and the Torres Strait, and a further five members would come from remote areas of the NT, WA, Queensland and SA. One member would represent Torres Strait Islanders living on the mainland. Two co-chairs of differing genders would head it. It would be up to the regional bodies in each state to decide how they selected their national representatives. A report by Tom Calma and Langton would form the basis of Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses Voice proposal. Credit:Jacky Ghossein The assembly members would serve for four years, but half of the Voice members would be replaced every two years. There would be a limit of two consecutive terms per member. What would its powers be? The representatives jobs would be to advise parliament and government on matters relating to the social, spiritual and economic wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The advisory process could be initiated by the Voice, or a request from parliament or government. There are clear proposed parameters around the Voices powers in the report. It would not be able to veto policy or legislation. It would not deliver government programs or assess existing ones. The report says it could point out where evaluation of policies might be needed, or how that evaluation could be done better. It also would not be a clearing-house for research like, for example, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, which collects, organises and disseminates information on First Nations peoples, culture and history. It also would not act as a mediation and resolution service between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations. This would detract from the Voices advocacy and advisory function, the report found. Loading How would it be administered? The Voice would be supported by a newly established and independent Office of the National Voice, and would link with other existing bodies, without duplicating or undermining their roles. One of the main links would be a structural connection to local and regional Voice arrangements. The former Coalition government announced in December that it would, as a first step, initiate the development of these co-designed bodies, but didnt get far before the federal election campaign started in April. What are the regional Voice bodies? The make-up of the local and regional bodies would be flexible and decided upon by the communities they represent. They would connect to cultural leaders responsible for upholding and maintaining cultural law, lore and customs in a way that is appropriate for each community and region, the report proposes. Loading These regional bodies would appoint the two members to the national Voice assembly as required. The idea behind the local and regional Voice arrangements is to enable unheard voices that have been historically excluded, or who face unique barriers to participation to reach the national Voice, and federal parliament and government, the report said. This is what Jennifer Westacott, the CEO of the Business Council of Australia, has saidthat this legislation has brought Australia a step closer to ending the climate wars that have put a handbrake on progress and become a serious economic barrier. John Connor, chief executive of the Carbon Market Institute, an industry association of companies leading the transition to net-zero, says: It is a historic moment, and it is exciting now to move into the reality of policy. That reality must include an investment boom. The National Australia Bank published research last week estimating that about half a trillion dollars in net new investment will be needed in Australia to achieve the 2050 target of net-zero emissions. The Liberal Party, however, chose to stand outside all this outside the unifying policy, outside the consensus, outside the business community, and outside half a trillion dollars worth of new investment. Peter Dutton made a captains call months ago that the Liberals would not oppose the 43 per cent and net-zero targets, but they would not vote to legislate them, either. Instead, the Liberals decided to follow their Coalition partner, the Nationals, into a fringe fetish. The Coalition has decided to investigate nuclear power. Not that this is fringe in the global energy system. Its simply unrealistic in this countrys. Nuclear power never has been economic in Australia. It couldnt compete with cheap Australian coal; it cant compete with even cheaper Australian solar energy. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese endorsing the governments Climate Change Bill in the lower house on Thursday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The Liberals decision opened them to Albaneses ridicule. He not only mocked them for ignoring the power of the biggest nuclear reactor of all as he pointed skywards, he also brought The Simpsons into Question Time. Giving the oppositions energy spokesman Ted OBrien carriage of an inquiry into nuclear power bears an uncanny resemblance to Mr Burns putting Homer Simpson in charge of nuclear power safety in Springfield Albanese jibed. No one loves a reactor like a reactionary. He went on: Remember when the Liberal Party used to have a relationship with business? Remember that? But what we saw today was them isolated and alone, stuck in the same old trench fighting a fight that has passed them by. They were by themselves with their arms crossed, saying, No, no, no. The May 21 election showed that Australia was ready for a more active climate policy. By standing against it, the Coalition government chose oblivion. Now that it has refused to negotiate on the climate bill, it has chosen irrelevance. If the Liberals ever hope to win another election, they have to have the conversation about restoring the broad church, a church embracing moderates and not only conservatives, argues Walter. They cant only follow a small nutty segment on the populist fringe. They have to be able to bring back the disaffected Liberals who voted for teal candidates, and still manage to persuade people in the region that they have their interest at heart. Even after Duttons captains call, the leaders of the moderate faction in the Liberal Party argued that they should change position and support the 43 per cent target. It would be a sign that theyd heard the voice of the electorate. But Simon Birmingham, Marise Payne and Paul Fletcher lost the argument in the shadow cabinet on Monday night. One moderate said, we picked the wrong fight the fight shouldnt be about the 43 per cent target, it should be about how we meet the target. Because that will be the hard part. Is Dutton missing the unmissable message from the electorate? Not at all. For him, its about priorities. Does he try to win the next election today, or does he try to hold the Coalition together as it regroups after a devastating loss? Opposition leader Peter Dutton addresses his coalition colleagues in Canberra on Tuesday. Credit:James Brickwood Duttons calculus was that if we supported 43 per cent wed have more trouble from the Nationals and from Liberals crossing the floor than well have from moderate Libs by opposing it and he was right. Only one Liberal, Tasmanias Bridget Archer, crossed the floor to vote with the government on the emissions target. The next election will not be fought on the 2030 emissions targets, observes the Liberal. Indeed, the government soon will need to start working on Australias targets for 2035, which must be lodged by 2025. If it suddenly looks like we are struggling to meet the 2030 target, then the picture changes. The other major force in the Parliament now are the teals. How did they conduct themselves? They, much like the Greens, campaigned for more ambitious targets but chose to support the government bill as the only available route to any progress at all. All of which tells us what to expect from all these groups in the future. The Greens will continue to push for more, yet compromise in the service of practicality over ideology. Loading So, for example, on Albaneses draft proposal for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, we will take the same approach on the Voice that we did on climate, says the Greens leader in the Senate, Larissa Waters. We said we want progress on all elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and we are heartened by the minister [Linda Burney] saying thats possible. We will push to get improvements and push to get practical progress for Indigenous justice including deaths in custody and the Bringing them Home Report, Waters tells me. Unsaid is that the Greens wont veto possible gains in pursuit of impossible ones. Albanese will continue to operate from the political centre, seeking to advance centre left priorities such as climate policy and the Voice, while also working on centre right areas such as a firmly defending Australian interests against Chinese Communist Party demands. Labor intends dominating the centre; the intention is to force the Coalition to either support the government or move further to the right fringe and unelectability. Defence Minister Richard Marles has urged an end to Chinese live-fire military operations that have encircled Taiwan in a strong statement that accuses Beijing of breaching United Nations rules requiring countries to ensure peace and security in international waters. Marles made it clear China was flouting the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea by launching ballistic missiles in an escalating response to a visit to Taiwan by United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Defence Minister Richard Marles said: It matters that the rules of the road are asserted, and thats what we were doing. And thats what well continue to do. Credit:James Brickwood He also declared Australia had a vital interest in asserting freedom of navigation and would continue its regular surveillance in the region despite a dangerous Chinese interception of a Royal Australian Air Force plane in May. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea is a completely understood treaty and an accepted part of the architecture of the global rules-based order, said Marles, who becomes acting prime minister on Saturday while Anthony Albanese takes a weeks leave. The passage of Labors signature climate emissions laws has been thrown into question, with key crossbench senators David Pocock, Jacqui Lambie and Tammy Tyrrell joining forces to demand their own amendments before they pass the bill. They have warned the government they wont be a rubber stamp for the bill, which locks in at least a 43 per cent cut to emissions by 2030. It passed the lower house on Thursday with a raft of amendments from independent MPs and the Greens and will head to the Senate in September where the crossbench senators are crucial to its success. David Pocock was an early supporter of the Albanese governments target but has concerns about accountability. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The trio of senators want all budget measures above a certain dollar amount yet to be determined to be assessed for their impact on Australias carbon emissions. Im not there to be a rubber stamp for Labor and the Greens; there were seven amendments in the lower house [from crossbenchers], Pocock told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. The states public service commissioner has given a searing review of the recruitment process that saw John Barilaro appointed to a US trade role, saying she would never have signed off on a final selection report if she knew then what she knows now. Kathrina Lo, who was an independent member of Barilaros interview panel, told a parliamentary inquiry she has since learned key information that was never disclosed to independent panel members. Public Service Commissioner Kathrina Lo at the inquiry on Friday. Credit:Kate Geraghty This includes the degree of ministerial involvement, including input into shortlisting and provision of an informal reference, the long-serving public servant said. Had I known on 15 June, what I know now, I would not have endorsed the report [that selected Barilaro]. The inquiry is probing the recruitment process that led to Barilaro being appointed to the $500,000-a-year job. He claimed the role after an earlier offer was made to former bureaucrat Jenny West and then rescinded. Part of the problem, says IBAC commissioner Robert Redlich in an interview with The Age, is that the powers granted to his watchdog organisation are still not commensurate to the task. But in the wake of the federal election, where teal independents romped into parliament on the back of a strong anti-corruption and climate change platform, concerns are growing inside Labor that the Andrews government has come too late to its realisation, and that simmering integrity concerns might boil over ahead of Novembers state election. For a leader who has consistently dodged questions on accountability, and weathered a steady trickle of political controversies over eight years in office, perhaps it had finally dawned that voters are prepared to punish politicians who fail to act with integrity. Daniel Andrews was unusually contrite when Victorias integrity agencies handed down a damning report last month excoriating the rotten culture of the Labor Party. The Victorian Premier apologised for the shameful and absolutely disgraceful behaviour of his former ministers after an investigation into branch stacking and the misuse of publicly funded staff. It has taken a long time for Victoria to get to this point, but voters now appear concerned about issues such as the strengths and weaknesses in our integrity laws and rules, and how much transparency there really is about how our politics work. But this confronts the two major parties with a conundrum: they must be seen to be acting to clamp down on corruption, including soft or grey corruption, but that would fundamentally interrupt a business-as-usual approach to politics. It was once a political truism that integrity and transparency are not vote-changers. Now they could be the issues in an election year. Its not just Labor that has been dogged by integrity scandals. Opposition leader Matthew Guy, who had clearly read the tea leaves from the federal election, made honesty in government a major theme ahead of the November state poll. But his pitch was seriously undermined this week after The Age revealed his chief of staff asked a wealthy Liberal donor to make more than $100,000 in payments to his private marketing business in addition to his taxpayer-funded salary. This includes practices such as pork barrelling - using public money for private political gain - and using publicly funded electoral staff to do internal party work to advance the interests of one or another faction. If politicians put political expediency ahead of the public interest, says Redlich, then were on a slippery slope. There has not been sufficient recognition given to the importance of exposing soft corruption, he says. Redlich, Ombudsman Deborah Glass and integrity experts say they are increasingly worried about the lack of accountability. It is also why Redlich and Glass, in their joint Operation Watts report detailing Labors rotten culture, went so far as to describe Victoria as a laggard rather than a leader in parliamentary integrity. The governments decision-making is centralised and secretive. The Premiers Private Office (PPO), with its almost 90-strong battalion of advisers , is unaccountable to Parliament but arguably wields more power than the Labor caucus, ministry and public service. The government initially fought the Ombudsmans investigation into the red shirts scandal, then it took her to the High Court to prevent her from publicly investigating, before a damning report found Labor misused almost $400,000 in taxpayer funds to fight the 2014 election campaign. Today Andrews, who is close to becoming Labors longest-serving premier, faces questions over the growing list of scandals and his tendency to overlook process and the public release of information. The refusal to publish the advice of Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton during lockdowns, the lack of consultation around the Suburban Rail Loop, and the repeated denials of freedom of information requests are threatening to become a defining feature of his government. In 2018, Daniel Andrews won a landslide victory on his reputation as the can do Premier who kept his promises and built things. In some ways a disrespect for process and consultation was an electoral positive. (As planning minister in the Baillieu government , Matthew Guy prided himself on having a similar image.) Non-government MPs in the lower house cannot introduce private members bills, government backbench MPs cannot say much beyond their talking points, and the Opposition is rarely able to compel the government to produce documents. Hundreds of questions on notice remain unanswered. At the end of every parliamentary sitting week, bills in the lower house - where the government commands a thumping majority - are guillotined, meaning a vote is passed regardless of whether it has been properly debated. Information provided by the parliament shows just 1 per cent of bills goes through a consideration-in-detail process, part of the Westminster system that ensures proposed laws are thoroughly scrutinised. In the upper house, where the government does not have a majority, 79 per cent of bills have gone through the committee process. Take, for instance, the governments approach to the supremacy of the Parliament. Andrews isnt the architect of this culture. A number of integrity experts say its roots can be traced to the Kennett government of the 1990s. But Andrews has benefited from and perpetuated it. He was schooled in the Labor Partys brutal factional system and its a standard he has also set over the past 12 years as Labor leader. That sphere of influence has spread and means the risk arises that the individual ministers dont exercise the same level of independence and authority they had, and the Premiers private office exercises greater authority. If you have enormous numbers of advisers and theyre performing a function, that inevitably means theyre performing functions that will intrude into what previously was the responsibility of individual ministers and their advisers, Redlich tells The Age . Voters are, thus, kept in the dark. Currently, the NSW Parliament is scrutinising how former deputy premier John Barilaro was given a $500,000 trade job in New York. The Perrottet government has been handing over documents requested by the parliamentary committee investigating the saga. It is unclear if the Victorian parliament could have pursued a similar issue because the government claims executive privilege or cabinet-in-confidence and denies access. This practice of claiming executive privilege and withholding documents is problematic as there is no independent assessment as contemplated by the House, meaning the government regards itself as the sole arbiter of its own claim, Young wrote in a 2019 submission to a Tasmanian parliamentary committee. In a rare public assessment, the clerk of the Victorian Legislative Council, Andrew Young, criticised the withholding of documents. In September 2020, at the height of Victorias long COVID-19 lockdown, the Legislative Council resolved to compel the government to produce the evidence that underpinned the governments decision to impose a curfew. More than eight months later, the government responded by refusing to release relevant documents, citing executive privilege. The Andrews government often claims executive privilege over sensitive documents and refuses to release them to Parliament. Then Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings was suspended from Parliament for six months in 2016 for failing to produce documents relating to a range of projects. In 2017, a parliamentary committee inquiring into gaming licensing was blocked from receiving documents related to the issuing of gaming licences after the Attorney-General intervened. The integrity machinery Victoria has fallen behind other states and territories on some but not all integrity fronts, according to multiple integrity experts. Centre for Public Integrity research director Dr Catherine Williams says the Andrews governments lobbying regulations, and the power of its integritys commission, lags Queensland and NSW. And when the Queensland government implements a suite of reforms proposed by recent and forthcoming reviews, the Sunshine State will have the countrys best integrity regime, according to A.J. Brown from Transparency International in Australia. Victoria was late to embrace the idea of a dedicated anti-corruption watchdog, the Baillieu Coalition government only establishing the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission in 2012, years after similar moves in NSW (1988) and Queensland (2002). Even then, the original IBAC was slammed by integrity think tank the Accountability Roundtable as a toothless tiger because it was only allowed to investigate serious corrupt conduct, precluding it from investigating more grey areas, including misconduct in public office, conflicts of interest or MPs breaching codes of conduct. The Andrews government increased the jurisdiction of IBAC in 2016, removing the requirement for corrupt conduct to be serious and adding the ability to investigate misconduct in public office. Yet it remains more limited than the NSW ICAC, which has broad powers to investigate any allegation upon suspicion of corruption, including alleged breaches of the NSW ministerial and MPs codes of conduct. Victorias IBAC would have been unable to investigate, for example, former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian, who was probed by ICAC over whether she breached public trust or encouraged corrupt behaviour during her relationship with Daryl Maguire. Throughout his first four years as commissioner, Redlich largely avoided the media and remained tight-lipped about the relative strengths and weaknesses of the states anti-corruption watchdog. But in exclusive comments to The Age he has called on the government to revisit the commissions powers and lower the threshold for investigations in line with ICAC. We should not have a threshold which requires us to have a reasonable suspicion that a relevant offence has been committed before we can investigate, Redlich says. Very often when it comes to IBAC, whilst its plain enough there is unethical behaviour worthy of investigation, unless the material goes so far as to substantiate or meet that threshold, we must dismiss it. IBAC commissioner Robert Redlich and Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass detail the findings of their agencies. Credit:Paul Jeffers In many of our investigations we do not find ... that a relevant offence has been committed, but we uncover fundamental institutional failings, and thats the importance of integrity commissions. Redlich also wants the Parliament to amend the IBAC Act so people named in investigations cannot tie reports up in courts using the natural justice process. He still believes, though, that Victorias far more stringent requirements for public hearings are superior to the ICAC model. I do feel its important before you expose someone publicly to an examination you have to be satisfied youre not going to unreasonably damage their reputation or health and wellbeing, Redlich says. The lobbyist code Among the biggest contributors to integrity-related controversies are politically-connected lobbyists representing corporate interests to the government. Victorias code for lobbyists, introduced in 2009, has long been regarded by experts as ineffectual. Unlike NSW and Queensland, Victorias rules are not enshrined in legislation and Victorian ministers are not required to keep public diaries of their meetings and contacts with lobbyists. Those rules came under the spotlight in late June, when Andrews appointed Pascoe Vale MP Lizzie Blandthorn to the sensitive role of planning minister. This, despite Blandthorns brother John Paul Blandthorn being a director of Labor-linked lobbying firm Hawker Britton, which represents major development, construction and infrastructure clients. Integrity experts, including Monash University associate professor Yee-Fui Ng, say Victorias regulation of lobbying is weak compared with NSW, Queensland and overseas jurisdictions such as Canada and the US and is set to fall further behind, given even tougher new laws promised in recent weeks by the Queensland and NSW governments. The only penalty for a lobbyist contravening the code in Victoria is that they might lose their registration. In July, the government confirmed that no lobbyist had been deregistered in 13 years since the code came into effect. Last month, following the release of the Coaldrake review of accountability issues in Queenslands public sector, that states Labor government pledged that staff meetings with lobbyists will be published and cabinet documents - including submissions, agenda and decision papers - will be released within 30 days instead of 30 years. The Andrews government has, however, taken bold steps in one area: political donations. In 2018 it introduced what it claimed to be the strictest donation laws in the country. This years election will be the first contested under the new rules, including donations capped at $4000 (indexed to $4210) over four years, and real time (about three weeks) public disclosure of all donations over $1000 ($1080). Yet experts point to gaping holes. There is no cap on donations at local government level, and no cap on spending, leaving Victoria one of only two states in the country without spending caps. Ng says the lack of a spending cap generates an arms race for parties trying to outspend each other. Spending caps would also level the playing field for less well-funded and smaller parties, and independents, she says. Victorias high moral ground Counter-intuitively, some historians and political pundits argue that Victorias integrity shortcomings are, in part, the result of a cleaner political culture here than in other states. Integrity experts often note that major reforms tend to come in response to scandals. The Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) was introduced after the Fitzgerald inquiry exposed widespread corruption under the Bjelke-Petersen government. Proposed lobbying laws in NSW, meanwhile, are a response to an ICAC report warning of corruption linked to lobbyists. Its often argued that governance in Victoria has traditionally been a cut above the states to our north and west. The Rum Corps in NSW and a frontier ethos in Queensland, for example, are often cited as cultural backdrops conducive to corruption. Political culture is important, says Brown. One reason why Victoria and the federal government have been relatively slow to the party on integrity reforms is because, in the past, the culture and practices of governance have often been at a generally higher standard than in other jurisdictions. Not all agree with the Victoria is different argument. Either way, once in place, anti-corruption bodies and tough rules around lobbyists and donations tend to generate their own scandals by exposing them. In Victoria, IBAC is arguably in catch-up mode, and recommendations from recent investigations have the potential to have big implications for the states integrity regime if accepted by the government. John Woodman, the key figure in the Operation Sandon inquiry. Credit: Operation Sandon, an IBAC investigation into allegations of corrupt conduct involving councillors and property developers in the City of Casey in Melbournes south-east, exposed fundamental failings in Victorias planning and lobbying laws. Redlich is highly likely to recommend strengthening Victorias lobbying laws and transparency when he hands down his report, which has been held up in the courts. There needs to be a legislated code of conduct for lobbying, Redlich says. Transparency by ministerial advisers and ministers, so there is some record kept on who meets whom. The government is highly likely to adopt those recommendations. Minister for Government Services Danny Pearson said the government would take appropriate action when IBAC publicly releases the Sandon report. The government believes that reforms to lobbying rules are needed, Pearson told The Age. Victorians deserve to have confidence in the public institutions, politicians and political parties that serve them. Cutthroats and culture Behind the scenes, some senior insiders including ministers point to the Watts report as evidence of IBAC and Ombudsman purism, arguing that the agencies spend too much energy chasing matters that do not amount to serious corruption. They argue electorate staff are intrinsically political; that party members are an essential conduit into the electorate. They ask whether integrity agencies, experts and journalists in ivory towers really understand the cut-throat practicalities of politics. Redlich says this is a cop-out. And Glass offers a solution. The answer to integrity scandals, she says, is not another referral to police, IBAC or the Ombudsman of the sort political parties tend to resort to. The answer is for parliament and I include all of its members from all parties to get its own house in order, Glass says. That is why she and Redlich recommended an independent parliamentary integrity commissioner and parliamentary ethics committee in the Operation Watts report, and other reforms for an ethical framework. Its a package of reforms that need to be considered together, not cherry-picked. But Labors longevity brings with it the political problem of the public perception of a government picked away at by scandal. Growing tension between the government and integrity watchdogs is palpable. The longer a government is in office ... the greater the likelihood that integrity issues will arise and that becomes an occupational hazard for the integrity agency, who must examine those issues, Redlich says. Its one of the reasons IBAC is giving serious consideration to budgetary independence, removing its funding from annual budgetary decision-making, and will most likely make a submission on the matter to the government before Novembers election. It is not clear how the government will respond. Pearson said IBAC had broad powers and sufficient resources. Redlich has complained about the ability of people adversely named in his reports to hold them up in the courts. But the Victorian Inspectorate, which oversees IBAC, has given the government assurances that the current natural justice provisions are appropriate. Pearson said the most recent budget provided IBAC with $32.1 million in additional funding, and an $8.6 million ongoing uplift to its annual base funding. Redlich wants that funding to be independent of executive decision-making: for now, he must appeal to the Treasurer if he wants additional resources for an investigation. The Opposition is saying it is prepared to countenance the idea of an independent funding model. Governments should not intentionally or through process threaten the independence of agencies, says veteran Liberal MP David Davis. But integrity is not only a problem for Andrews. Matthew Guy was re-elected as opposition leader in September carrying baggage of his own from his time as planning minister, and from the lobster and Grange dinner with the alleged boss of the Victorian mafia during his last stint as opposition leader. More recently he has faced controversy over the attempt to solicit $8000 per month from a wealthy donor on top of the salary of his chief of staff Mitch Catlin. Loading From a recent spate of IBAC reports, Victorians can expect to see reform promises including, possibly, new rules on lobbyists, more restrictions on donations and greater transparency around ministerial diaries. But just as important and perhaps more difficult to achieve is a change in attitude. In his refreshingly frank integrity review to the Queensland government in June, academic and former Goss government insider Dr Peter Coaldrake said that while governments in panic will forever add more apparatus to the machinery of integrity, the key to lasting positive change is culture. Good government is not necessarily a comfortable government, Coaldrake explains to The Age. Long-term government requires preparedness for self-criticism and introspection, and shifting gears. The quest for clean and open government, for accountability and transparency, should be a never-ending journey. Experts have been predicting 3D printing would take the world by storm and change everything for almost a decade. And by some measures it has happened, just not in the way they thought it would. The technology has existed since the 80s, but it was in 2012 when the hype around its potential really kicked off. Enthusiasts were starting to print models and objects in their own homes. Excited artists, academics, analysts and futurists in that year spoke breathlessly about a future only five to 10 years away, where everything from clothing to food would be produced in-home from raw materials thanks to schematics available over the internet. Even entire homes, body parts, and that annoying broken bit from your dishwasher, would be produced on demand. Wellington: The government of the Solomon Islands has taken tighter control over the nations state-owned broadcaster a move that opponents say is squarely aimed at controlling and censoring the news. The government said on Friday that the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, known as SIBC, would retain editorial control and that government officials would not censor or restrain the outlet. Manasseh Sogavare, Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands. Credit:AP But earlier this week, it had lashed out, accusing the broadcaster of a lack of ethics and professionalism and saying it had a duty to protect our people from lies and misinformation propagated by the SIBC. In an interview with The Associated Press, Johnson Honimae, the SIBC chief executive, said he was proud of the broadcasters award-winning journalism. JAKARTA, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- A fire that broke out at a psychiatric hospital in the city of Surakarta in Indonesia's Central Java province on Friday has killed two patients. Hospital spokesperson Joko Mulyono told local media that the killed patients identified by their initials YA and YR were trapped in a locked room. When the incident occurred, he said, 18 patients were in the room and three nurses on duty were only able to rescue 16 patients. Both YA and YR could not be rescued because the fire had already grown, said Mulyono, adding that three other patients had suffered injuries. The hospital management has informed the families of the victims and was still awaiting the forensic investigation carried out by the provincial police. Despite strong Q1 results for the 2022-23 financial year (Q1FY23), gas marketing and trading public sector enterprise (PSU) GAIL saw a sell-off. The company reported Rs 37,572 crore in revenues, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) of Rs 4,365 crore, and profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 2,915 crore. Revenue was up 116 per cent year-on-year (YoY) while Ebitda was up 81 per cent YoY although the Q1FY23 margin of 11.6 per cent was down against 13.9 per cent YoY. The PAT was up 90 per cent YoY. Sequentially, revenues were up 39 per cent and Ebitda was up 17 per cent, but there was 2 per cent drop in margins and PAT was up 8.6 per cent. Segment-wise, gas trading saw a sharp jump in profitability but the transmission segment has seen a setback. Gas trading Ebitda was higher at Rs 2,400 crore in Q1FY23 versus Rs 1,780 crore in Q4FY22, which was driven by strong LNG prices. The trading margin jumped to Rs 2,618 per tcm (thousand cubic metres), up quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) from Rs 2,088 per tcm, and volume was also higher at 100.8 mmscmd (million standard cubic meters per day). But transmission Ebitda was lower at Rs 1,090 crore against Rs 1,150 crore in Q4FY22 and the transmission margin was lower at Rs 1,094 per tcm versus Rs 1,180 per tcm while volume was at 109.5 mmscmd. The management guidance was that current gas trading and transmission volume will be lower by 5-7 mmcmd due to disruption in gas supply since June 2022 from Gazprom where GAIL has a 2.5 mmtpa LNG supply contract. LPG Ebitda was lower at Rs 660 crore, down 12 per cent QoQ, with a realisation of $827 per tonne, up versus $704 per tonne in Q4FY22, given the higher domestic gas price of $6.1 per mmbtu (metric million British thermal unit) vs $2.9 per mmbtu (QoQ). The sales volumes were higher at 165,000 million tonnes (MT) versus 155,000 MT in Q4. GAILs petrochemicals sales volumes fell by 50 per cent QoQ due to plant maintenance shutdown. The segment Ebitda was at Rs 170 crore, down 66 per cent QoQ, with petrochemical spreads dropping due to lower volumes and higher cost. The management guidance includes a commitment to continue capex including Rs 47,000 crore for pipeline expansions and it will increase petrochemicals capacity. It has Rs 7,500 crore of capex scheduled for this fiscal. It has a strong balance sheet with very little debt so this is comfortable. Obviously the sector dynamics are driven by geopolitics with the Ukraine War dragging on and leading to volatile prices and fears of supply disruption. GAIL has contracts of 36 cargoes in the calendar year 2022, but since May 2022 it has got 8 less cargoes. It is trying to bring forward US cargoes given the probability of lower gas supply from Russia. It may be forced to cut back on the petrochemicals segment even after the full capacity is back online, if gas supply is lower. The positive assumptions are that high gas trading earnings will be sufficient to more than compensate for the weak transmission segment. Note that GAIL has significant investments in other listed and unlisted businesses downstream which add up to Rs 50 per share to the SOTP (sum of the parts) values. The long-term prospects should be good given the government policy encouraging gas usage to cut emissions. The share price dropped from Rs 140 to Rs 132 with the market showing nervousness about the possibility of supply disruptions in the sector. However, analysts remain positive about the sector with valuations ranging between Rs 176, Rs 190 to Rs 197 from various analysts. (HUL) expects a running rate of Rs 100 crore for its digital brands over the next few months. The fast-moving (FMCG) major has eight direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites, which are across beauty and personal care. Its brands in the D2C space include Dove Baby, Love Beauty and Planet, Simple, Dermalogica and Lakme. Lakme has always been one of the foremost beauty brands of this country and weve also got D2C for Tresemme, Ponds and Indulekha. And now, the premium business unit has added three brands, said Kedar Lele, executive director, customer development. During the companys conference call after its results, Ritesh Tiwari, chief financial officer (CFO), said, Lakme has the highest number of Instagram followers across any beauty brand in the country. It is a true digital brand and which is why there's no surprise that it has basically more than 30 per cent of the turnover which comes from e-commerce pure play, Amazon-Flipkart-Nykaa equivalent. Lakme also has its own D2C site and we get 2 million unique visitors every month on that site. Lele added that over a period of time direct-to-consumer is a beautiful way to serve a niche set of consumers with specific requirements and demand. They (consumers) are also more aware and they are more demanding, he added. The company also has five nano factories for its D2C brands. Lele said these are not standalone factories but have created dedicated spaces within existing factories to be able to do justice to the scale of D2C brands. The comapny has invested not more than a few (Rs)100 crore in its nano factories without giving the exact investment figure. We have started using a very different approaches of agile innovation cycles, speed-to-market, failing fast and pivoting something if it doesnt work, Lele added. He explained, when there are smaller volumes, it allow the team to fail fast using these online systems and close the loop better with consumers. And, by closing the loop better with consumers, the company can bring in a very different energy into the organisation. HUL also intends to bring in more of its global brands into India and introduce them through the D2C mode. While the company has its own set of D2C brands, it also started its own venture called Ushop, which it started during the pandemic to sell its products online. It also has Shikhar, through which its supply chain or distributors and retailers can order HUL products online. The Jalan-Kalrock Consortium has selected IBS Software, a Thiruvananthapuram technopark-based SaaS solutions provider to the travel industry globally, as technology partner to deliver capabilities in passenger service system to Jet Airways, which is planning to relaunch commercial operations in September 2022. The company said in a statement here that this selection will provide a range of technology platforms to support Jet Airways' relaunch as a people-focused airline for the digital age. As technology partner, will deliver cutting-edge capabilities in passenger service systems (PSS) encompassing bookings, inventory and revenue management, departure control system, loyalty management, as well as a latest generation website and mobile app, designed to optimize the entire passenger and retail experience, it said. said it is coming back determined to take technology, services, and customer experience to a new level. "In IBS Software, we found an ideal partner with the experience and expertise required to deliver the technology platforms and collaboration that will help us deliver on our promise to bring back an even better to those eagerly awaiting its relaunch, as we enter an exciting new era for the airline," said Sanjiv Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer for . Anand Krishnan, CEO, IBS Software, said Jet Airways is one of India's most-loved airlines and it is an absolute privilege to play a part in its highly anticipated relaunch. "Jet Airways is committed to putting technology at the heart of its entire operations, and we're thrilled to partner with their visionary team to continue to change the face of the airline experience in India and beyond," 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.) Drug firm on Friday reported 83 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 33 crore for June quarter 2022-23. The company had logged a net profit of Rs 200 crore in April-June period a year ago. Revenue from operations declined to Rs 593 crore in the quarter from Rs 749 crore in the year-ago period. The drug firm said exceptional items for June quarter comprised Rs 130 crore on account of a voluntary retirement scheme and Rs 6 crore for restructuring to drive business transformation. Shares of the company settled at Rs 4,230 apiece, down 0.72 per cent, on the BSE. (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.) State-owned Ltd (SCI) on Friday reported a 27.97 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 114.17 crore for the first quarter of this fiscal. The company had clocked a consolidated net profit of Rs 158.51 crore in the corresponding period a year earlier, it said in a regulatory filing. Its total income rose to Rs 1,500.53 crore in the latest June quarter against Rs 1,048.47 crore in the year-ago period. The company's total expenses during the quarter under review increased to Rs 1,390.13 crore from Rs 899.25 crore a year ago. SCI said the company has assessed the current scenario and based on internal and external information available, it believes that there is no COVID-19 impact in the first quarter of 2022-23, hence there is no impact on its ability to continue operations and meet its financial commitments. The government is selling its entire 63.75 per cent stake in the company along with the transfer of management control. (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.) Ten crore people have taken the precaution dose against COVID-19 so far, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Friday. The government had on July 15 launched a special 75-day special drive to administer precaution doses to all aged 18 years and above at public vaccination centres free of cost. "10 crore people now have an extra layer of safety. "Under PM @NarendraModi Ji's leadership, 'COVID Vaccination #AmritMahotsav' is going on in full swing to provide free precaution dose for all adults," Mandaviya said in a tweet. On July 26, the health ministry said only 7,30,96,284, i.e. 11 per cent of the nearly 69 crore eligible individuals aged 18 years and above had been administered the precaution dose until the previous day. Officials had attributed the slow uptake to complacency and the waning of fear among people. The precaution dose coverage among the 64,89,99,721 eligible people was only 8 per cent till July 14. The special 75-day drive 'COVID Vaccination Amrit Mahotsav' was launched as part of the government's 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India's Independence. According to sources, around four crore people are yet to take the first dose while about seven crore people are due for their second dose. "Complacency has set in among the people. Also, the fear of Covid is no more there as people have become familiar with the disease. These are the main reasons for the slow uptake of precaution dose among the eligible population," a source in the health ministry said. Asserting that Covid was not yet over, officials urged the public to get jabbed at the earliest. Studies at the Indian Council of Medical Research and other international research institutions have suggested that antibody level wanes in about six months and a booster dose increases the immune response. (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 five-member delegation headed by Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora will be on a two-day visit to from August 9 to discuss issues related to the inter-state boundary dispute, an official said on Friday. A special officer and private secretary to the border protection and development minister had on Wednesday informed the government that the delegation would arrive in Aizawl the next Tuesday to have two-day talks over the boundary issues, he said. Bora will be accompanied by Assam Housing and Urban Minister Ashok Singhal and three officials, including Assam border protection and development commissioner and secretary G D Tripathy, home department official said. He stated that the Assam delegation will discuss with representatives of the Mizoram government on the inter-state border issues. Home Minister Lalchamliana will lead the Mizoram team. Mizoram shares a 164.6-km long boundary with Assam, which has seen several flare-ups in the last few years. The decades-old boundary dispute between the two northeastern states mainly stemmed from two colonial demarcations in 1875 and 1933. Mizoram accepted the demarcation under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BERF) notified in 1875, which covers vast stretches of area, now falling under Assam, as its actual boundary. The Assam government, however, said the demarcation made under the 1933 notification was its constitution boundary. At least six policemen and a civilian from Assam died last year and around 60 people were injured in a clash that took place at a disputed area near the border between the two states. In August last year, the representatives of both states had held talks in Mizoram's capital Aizawl. They agreed to maintain peace and amicably resolve the inter-state boundary dispute through dialogue. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had on July 16 said at a press conference that Bora would soon visit the neighbouring state and hoped to begin the dialogue at the earliest. (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 Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested the chief mechanical engineer of in Odisha and three other persons including the middleman in a bribery case. The accused were identified as Saroj Kumar Das, chief mechanical engineer, Sumanta Raut alias Bana, Sankh Subhra Mitra, manager, port operations of KCT Group, Surya Narayan Sahoo, DGM, Orrisa Stevedores Limited. The official said that a case was registered against Das and others over allegations of bribery. Das was allegedly demanding and accepting bribes through Bana for extending undue benefits to various private stakeholders engaged in port service and activities at Paradip Port. Bana was in close contact with Mitra and other persons. While unloading cargo, Orrisa Stevedores Limited damaged the conveyor belt at Paradip Port. The cost of replacement of the conveyor belt was very high. Das allegedly in connivance with Bana, Mitra and Sahoo got the belt repaired at the cost of the Port Trust, giving huge monetary benefit to the private company. Bana allegedly demanded Rs 60 lakh as a bribe, allegedly on behalf of Das. Bana collected Rs 25 lakh from Cuttack and kept Rs 10 lakh separately for themselves. Bana handed over Rs 10 lakh to a real estate developer in Bhubaneswar, through whom Das had allegedly booked a property. The intercepted Bana in Paradip and recovered Rs 5 lakh of the alleged bribe money from him. Later, Rs 18.30 lakh also as part of the alleged bribe was recovered. During further searches, Rs 20.25 lakh, jewellery, documents related to investment and other incriminating papers were recovered from the residence of Das. Searches were also conducted at 15 locations including in Paradip, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur and Bhubaneswar at the premises of the accused. Rs. 41 lakh was recovered from the premises of Sahoo. The arrested persons will be produced in court later on Friday. --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.) The Delhi government may return to the old liquor policy after facing a lot of flak from the Opposition, a report said. The old excise policy will be reimplemented in the national capital on August 31. According to a PTI report on Thursday, the government is likely to operate as many as 500 vends from September 1. The move comes amid the absence of no private players in the sale of alcohol, officials told the news agency. A meeting was held on Thursday and a sub-committee of the govt gave a report stating, "that the four undertakings -- Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC), Delhi State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), Delhi Consumer's Cooperative Wholesale Stores (DCCWS) and Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation (DSCSC) -- will set up these vends by the end of this month." The report further added that another 200 vends will be added by the end of the year and out of these 700 outlets, each corporation will run five premium vends to sell high-end brands. Out of these five vends, two are expected to open up by month end, while the other three will be opened up by end of 2022. While DTTDC will run its stores in 1-9 zones, DSIIDC will run stores in 10-18 zones, DCCWS in 19-24 and DSCSC in 25-30. The DTTDC will be responsible for the airport zone, and DSIIDC will be responsible for managing areas under Delhi Cantonment and New Delhi Municipal Council. According to the report presented by the sub-committee, DTTDC and DSIIDC are expected to open as many as 150 vends each by month end, whereas, DCCWS and DSCSC will open 100 stores. By December 31, 2022, DTTDC and DSIIDC will add 60 more stores, and DCCWS and DSCSC will add 40 more fresh outlets each. In the old excise regime that was in place until November 17 2021, the four corporations ran 475 . MADRID, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Some areas of the Mediterranean Sea have reached temperatures of over 30 degrees centigrade due to the ongoing heatwave in Southern Europe, the Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) confirmed on Friday. The waters off the south and east coast of Spain are currently between 2.5 and 4 degrees centigrade warmer than the average for this time of year, while some areas off the Italian coast are up to five degrees above the norm, AEMET has said. Spain is currently experiencing its third major heatwave of the year. As well as temperatures between three and six degrees above the norm, a lack of wind also means that the heated surface water is not mixing with colder water at the bottom of the sea, and is therefore heating up even further. Water temperatures of 29 degrees off the coast of the region of Murcia, and 28 degrees off Almeria (both in south-eastern Spain), have been measured in recent days. "If things continue like this, we will be talking about a Mediterranean Sea which is getting more tropical all of the time," the geographer Samuel Biener commented on Spanish national radio network RNE. Temperatures are not just rising in the Mediterranean, they are also increasing on the Atlantic coast of Spain, with the water off the province of Huelva currently two degrees warmer than at the same time last year. Meanwhile, waters off the north coast have been measured at 24.5 degrees, which is close to the record of 25 degrees recorded in 2006. The effects of rising sea temperatures include increased humidity, and an increased quantity of algae and jellyfish in the water. There is also a worry that warmer sea water will lead to destructive storms at the end of the summer when the arrival of colder air from the north, together with a hot sea, creates a phenomenon known as 'cold drop'. This can lead to highly destructive rainfall of over 150 liters per square meter, and storms of this nature are becoming more common along the east and southeast coast of Spain. Enditem MADRID, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Some areas of the Mediterranean Sea have reached temperatures of over 30 degrees centigrade due to the ongoing hot summer, the Spanish Meteorological Agency, (AEMET) confirmed on Friday. The waters off the south and east coasts of Spain are currently between 2.5 and 4 degrees centigrade above the average for the time of year, while some areas off the Italian coast are up to five degrees above the norm, informs AEMET. Spain is currently suffering its third major heatwave of the year, but aside from temperatures between 3 and 6 degrees above the norm, a lack of wind also means that the heated surface water is not mixing with colder water at the bottom of the sea and is getting hotter and hotter. Water temperatures of 29 degrees off the coast of the region of Murcia and 28 degrees off Almeria (both south-east Spain) have been measured in recent days. "If things continue like this, we will be talking about a Mediterranean Sea which is getting more tropical all of the time," the geographer, Samuel Biener commented on Spanish national radio network, RNE. Temperatures are not just rising in the Mediterranean, they are also increasing on the Atlantic coast of Spain, with the water off the province of Huelva, two degrees warmer than at the same time last year, while waters off the north-coast have been measured at 24.5 degrees, which is close to the record of 25 degrees measured in 2006. Among the effects of the rising sea temperatures is an increased humidity and an increase of quantity of algae and jellyfish in the water. There is also a worry that the hotter sea water will lead to destructive storms at the end of the summer when the arrival of colder air from the north, together with the warm sea, creates a phenomenon known as a DANA or 'cold drop'. This can lead to very destructive rainfall of over 150 liters per square meter and storms of this nature are becoming more common along the east and south-east coast of Spain. Enditem (this note is reviewed by Meng Dingbo, tel +34-666717359) The (ED) on Friday took custody of suspended Gujarat-cadre IAS officer K Rajesh who was earlier arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in an alleged case. While the ED did not issue any statement, a senior official of the Sabarmati Central Prison here, where Rajesh was lodged, said he was handed over to the central agency as directed by a court. Last month, the filed a charge sheet against him for taking bribes for issuing arms licences to ineligible people, allotment of government land to ineligible beneficiaries and grant of other illegal favours when he was Surendranagar collector. Rajesh was in judicial custody since July 18 after his remand got over. The ED started probe into alleged money laundering on the basis of the CBI's FIR against Rajesh and his accomplice Mohammad Rafiq Memon registered in May, sources said. The 2011-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer was arrested by the in July. He was then serving as joint secretary in the General Administration Department of the Gujarat government. The state government subsequently suspended him. In May, the CBI had arrested Surat resident Memon who allegedly acted as a middleman and collected bribes on Rajesh's behalf. (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.) Over six kilograms of and electronic goods worth Rs 3.09 crore were seized in multiple incidents at the airport here in the last two days, the Customs department said on Friday. The air intelligence wing of the department recovered in paste form and two chains concealed in the pant pockets of two different passengers who arrived here from Dubai on August 3 and 4, respectively. The authorities also retrieved electronic goods and cigarettes from them, a press release from the Principal Commissioner of Customs said. In another incident, the authorities recovered six packets of gold in paste form that was lying behind the toilet at the arrival hall of the international airport. In total, 6.50 kg of gold and electronic goods worth Rs 3.09 crore were seized. An investigation was on. (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.) August 6, 2022, will mark the 77th anniversary of the US dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. United Nations (UN) chief Antonio Guterres will visit on Saturday, "at a time of nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War," as reported by Associated Press. On August 6, 1945, the US dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima in Japan, killing 140,000 people. Three days later, on August 9, 1945, it dropped another bomb on Nagasaki, killing nearly 74,000 people. On August 15, the same year, surrendered to the allies, ending World War 2. Four years later, in 1949, the Soviet Union tested its first nuclear bomb. The UK followed it in 1952, France in 1960 and China in 1964. Since the end of World War, the world has come close to seeing another nuclear attack several times. The most serious among these was the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, when the US and the Soviet Union confronted each other in a 13-day intense political and military standoff. What is the state of nuclear weapons today? In 2022, nine countries possess over 13,000 nuclear warheads. However, the exact number of these bombs is difficult to know as it is kept confidential by the governments. According to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Russia has 6,255 nuclear warheads, the highest in the world. It is followed by the US with 5,550 such bombs. And China comes in a distant third place with 350 nuclear warheads. The US and Russia combined own nearly 90 per cent of the world's nuclear weapons. Other countries that possess or claim to possess nuclear bombs are France, the UK, Pakistan, India, Israel and North Korea (Chart 1). Five other nations host America's nuclear warheads. These are Turkey, Italy, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. Turkey holds 50, the highest number of warheads on the list. The list, however, does not end here. Twenty-seven countries endorse the use of nuclear weapons on their behalf by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO). Australia, Belgium, Canada, Japan, South Korea and Spain are among these 27 countries. Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine received nuclear warheads from the Soviet Union after it was dismantled in 1991. However, they returned the warheads to Russia after joining the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1994. What efforts are being taken to prevent a nuclear war? The world saw the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with fear and dread. Soon after the war ended, countries came together to stop countries from using nuclear weapons. The most significant treaty in this regard is the . In 1968, the opened for signatures and was implemented in 1970. On May 11, 1995, it was extended indefinitely. According to the latest data from the United Nations website, the treaty currently has 191 (190 excluding North Korea) members, including five nuclear nations. Only India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea (uncertain) have not signed the treaty. North Korea's membership remains uncertain as it quit the treaty in 2003, but the member states have not accepted it. aims to "prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament," according to the UN. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspects the countries for compliance with the treaty. In 1996, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) opened for signatures. It aims to prevent countries from conducting any nuclear test or explosion. One hundred eighty-five countries have signed the treaty so far, and 172 have ratified it. However, it cannot come into force until 44 states ratify it. Eight of these are yet to sign the treaty, including the US, China, India and Pakistan. As widespread rains continued to lash different parts of the state, the Kerala government has cautioned people against the spread of various contagious diseases including air and water-borne, zoonotic and vector-borne infections and issued directives to be followed to prevent it. Rat fever, dengue, diarrhea, typhoid, jaundice and viral fever were of the diseases which could widely spread during times of floods, and utmost vigil should be paid against its outbreak, health authorities said. Detailing the situation, Health Minister Veena George said as the state is yet to be completely free from covid-19, extra vigil and care should be shown to comply with the department's directives. "Special care should be shown in the case of elderly and those with related diseases staying in the (relief) camps. Everyone should wear a mask properly. Through this,various types of other airborne diseases can also be prevented," she said. Health workers from nearby hospitals should visit the camps regularly, she said, adding those who are showing any uneasiness or difficulty should be shifted to the hospital at the earliest. Those who are facing any mental stress or any psychological related issues can avail the service of councillors in the state-run Disha Helpline, the minister added. Meanwhile, the Health Department directed people to disinfect the drinking water sources due to the possibility of being contaminated with the sewage from the septic tanks because of floods. (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.) Some "out of the box" thinking is required to unclog jails and reduce the burden of in courts, observed the on Friday while stressing that some steps should be taken by the authorities when the nation is celebrating 75 years of independence. The apex court said some "tokenism" can be done before independence day this year to send a signal that the government is looking into this aspect. A bench of Justice S K Kaul and M M Sundresh, which was hearing matters relating to the pendency of appeals in for a long, observed that clogging of trial courts by is an important aspect. The bench told Additional Solicitor General (ASG) K M Nataraj, who was appearing in the matter, that if something is done by the authorities this year in this regard then it would have a "very positive" effect. "Think a little out of the box. If you can do something, persuade the government to do something before the independence day, it may send a signal," the bench told the ASG. The apex court had last week expressed displeasure over the long delays in hearing bail applications of convicted prisoners pending their appeals and had pulled up the Allahabad High Court, saying it should start thinking "out of the box" and convene even on off days to ensure quick disposal. The top court had observed that it was prepared to "take the extra burden" and call the applications to the apex court if the high court was finding it "difficult" to handle them. It had noted that there were 853 pending criminal appeals where petitioners have spent more than 10 years in jail. During the hearing on Friday, the bench told ASG, "We are celebrating 75 years of independence. Why cannot some action be taken by the states and the Government of India." Nataraj said the authority is working out the modalities on this. He said in fact, the Prime Minister had recently spoken about the issue. On July 30, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that ease of justice was equally important as ease of living as India celebrates the 75th year of its independence. While addressing the first All India District Legal Services Authorities Meet here, the Prime Minister urged the judiciary to expedite the release of undertrials languishing in various jails. The bench observed on Friday that if every criminal case has to come right up to the apex court, then some out-of-the-box thinking has to be there. It also observed what is the point in keeping someone behind the bars for say 20 or 25 years. "The problem is, we see the punitive part only. The reformative part we do not see," the bench said, adding the solution cannot be to keep someone in jail for a long time. "The worrisome part is if the appeals are allowed, who is going to give them these years back," it said. The top court said a person who has committed the crime must suffer the sentence but prolonged litigation is not a solution to this. The bench observed that the Centre, in collaboration with the states, can come out with a policy in this regard. It said that if the authorities can do something in this regard this year, it will have a very positive effect, both in unclogging the jails and unclogging the trial courts also. The bench has posted the matter for further hearing in September. Earlier, the apex court had ordered the registration of a suo motu case to consider laying down guidelines to deal with the long pendency of criminal appeals in the Allahabad High Court. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 50 cattle died under mysterious circumstances at a cow shelter in the Hasanpur area of Amroha on Thursday. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered a probe into the matter and directed Animal Husbandry Minister Dharam Pal Singh to reach Amroha. District Magistrate of Amroha BK Tripathi told media persons that cows fell ill in the evening after eating fodder. Officials of the Animal Husbandry Department and veterinarians were rushed to spot to treat the cattle. Superintendent of Police Aditya Langeh later confirmed to PTI that over 50 cows at the shelter died. According to the DM, the management at the cow shelter has procured fodder from a person one Tahir. "An FIR has been lodged against Tahir and efforts are being made to arrest him," said the DM. "The village development officer, who is in charge of the cow shelter, has been suspended," he added. "Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the animal husbandry minister to reach the spot after taking cognisance of death of cows in Amroha," the CM's Office tweeted on its Twitter handle. The office said the CM has ordered to send a team of veterinarians for the treatment of ailing cows. "The CM has said that anyone found guilty for the incident will not be spared," read another tweet. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) While admitting that keeping precise count of social media platforms is not possible, the Central government said that all significant social media intermediaries are complying with the concerned IT rules. The cyberspace is virtual and borderless where any online intermediary can operate from anywhere in the world. All social media platforms are Internet intermediaries and there are large numbers of social media platforms accessible in India. Keeping precise count is not possible,a said the Minister of State, Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrashekhar in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. Compliance of social media intermediaries to the (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 ('IT Rules 2021') is tracked by the government as and when reported by the users alone. For significant social media intermediaries (SSMIs), the government tracks their compliance with the IT Rules, 2021. All the SSMIs are in compliance with rule 4(1) (d) of the IT Rules, 2021, as of today, informed the minister. As per the rule 4(1)(d) of the (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 ('IT Rules 2021'), the significant social media intermediaries (SSMIs) are mandated to publish compliance report on their websites or apps, every month. They are required to mention the details of complaints received and action taken thereon, and the number of specific communication links or parts of information that the intermediary has removed or disabled access to, in pursuance of any proactive monitoring conducted by using automated tools or any other relevant information. --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.) The on Friday agreed to hear on September 9 a plea challenging certain provisions of the 1991 law which prohibit filing of a lawsuit to reclaim a place of worship or seek a change in its character from what prevailed on August 15, 1947. A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana took note of the submissions of senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi that the plea against some provisions of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 has been deleted six times from the list of business. Now it is likely to be listed on September 9. Please direct that it be not deleted from the list, the senior lawyer told the bench which also comprised Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli. The top court had on March 12 last year sought a response from the Centre on the filed by lawyer and BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay on the issue. Recently, on July 29 this year, a bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud refused to entertain six other pleas separately on the issue and asked the petitioners to file intervention applications in the pending filed by Upadhyay. Updhyay, in his plea, said the 1991 law creates an "arbitrary and irrational retrospective cut-off date" of August 15, 1947 for maintaining the character of the places of worship or pilgrimage against encroachment done by "fundamentalist-barbaric invaders and law-breakers". The seeks that sections 2, 3, 4 of the 1991 Act be set aside on grounds including that these provisions take away the right of judicial remedy to reclaim a place of worship of any person or a religious group. The law has made only one exception -- the dispute pertaining to the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid at Ayodhya. The fresh plea assumes significance as there has been an ongoing demand by some Hindu groups to reclaim religious places at Mathura and Kashi, which are prohibited under the 1991 law. The provisions not only offend the right to equality and life, but also violate the principles of secularism, which is an integral part of the preamble and the basic structure of the Constitution, the plea says. The PIL claims that the provisions of the law "not only offend Articles 14 (equality), 15 (that prohibits discrimination of Indians on basis of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth), 21 (protection of life and personal liberty), 25 (freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion), 26 (freedom to manage religious affairs) and 29 (protection of interests of minorities), but also violate the principles of secularism, which is an integral part of the Preamble and the basic structure of the Constitution". The PIL contends that the Centre has barred the remedies against illegal encroachment on places of worship and pilgrimage of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs, who cannot file a suit or approach a high court. The petitioner has sought a declaration from the court that the provisions of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 are void and unconstitutional for being violative of the fundamental rights to equality, practise one's religion and maintain religious places, among others, as the law validates the "places of worship illegally made by barbaric invaders". The plea claims that the restriction to move court is against the principle of rule of law and secularism, and adds that "if the Ayodhya case had not been decided by the Supreme Court's constitution bench on November 9, 2019, Hindus would have been denied justice even after 500 years of the demolition of the temple". "The Centre by making impugned sections has, without resolution of the disputes through process of the law, abated the suit/proceedings, which is 'per se' unconstitutional and beyond its law-making power. "Moreover, impugned provisions cannot be forced with retrospective effect and the judicial remedy of dispute pending, arisen or arising cannot be barred. Centre neither can close the doors of Courts of First Instance, Appellate Courts, Constitutional Courts for aggrieved Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs nor take away the power of high courts and Supreme Court, conferred under Article 226 and 32," it says. Earlier also, another public interest litigation (PIL) petition was filed by the "Vishwa Bhadra Pujari Purohit Mahasangh" seeking directions to declare section 4 of the Act as ultra vires. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US, Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines are among six countries, which have shown interest in India's while Malaysia has already shortlisted the jet under its acquisition programme, the government said on Friday. The other two countries that have evinced interest in the aircraft are Argentina and Egypt, according to Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt. Tejas, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, is a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments. In February last year, the sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas light combat aircraft for the (IAF). Replying to a question in Lok Sabha on Tejas, Bhatt said the HAL responded to a Request for Information (RFI) or initial tender received from Royal Malaysian Air Force in February 2019. Subsequently, the HAL responded in October 2021 to a Request For Proposal (RFP) issued by Malaysia for 18 aircraft, adding the twin-seater variant of the Tejas was offered. Malaysia is procuring the aircraft to replace its ageing fleet of Russian MiG-29 fighter planes. The number of aircraft that Malaysia is looking at procuring is not immediately clear. "Other countries which have evinced interest in LCA aircraft are Argentina, Australia, Egypt, USA, Indonesia, and the Philippines," he said. Last month, the then Chairman and Managing Director of HAL R Madhavan said the has emerged as the top choice for Malaysia. To a separate question on whether the government proposes to manufacture a stealth fighter jet, Bhatt said "yes" and added the "autonomous flying wing technology demonstrator" has been successfully tested by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). "Further, the desired information is sensitive in nature and its disclosure is not in the interest of national security," 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.) Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary wrote to the Election Commission on Friday flagging his party's concerns over voter ID-Aadhaar linking. In his letter, Yechury said with all the previous electoral mis-practices with regard to Aadhaar, the lack of consultations with political parties before the start of this process is concerning. "The lack of all due procedures from and a hasty process to link Aadhaar of every voter will lead to incidents that have previously occurred like the deletion of genuine voters, he said. The lack of data security, voter deletions and subjecting the data with the Election Commission to various state surveillance databases is violative of the Representation of People's Act, he said. "It is the duty of the to investigate these serious lapses in voter deletions and data breaches that occurred. The is mandated to protect the constitutional rights of the voters. Until the Election Commission produces an investigation report into these incidents, and comes out with a clear checks and balances this linking exercise must be kept under abeyance, he wrote. Yechury demanded that the Election Commission must delete all the Aadhaar data collected before the amendments to the Representation of People's Act in 2021 allowing this linking procedure. "As the officials have carried the previous linking without due information to the voters, we demand that every voter whose Aadhaar was already linked with voter ID be notified. As this entire linking exercise is voluntary, the voters should be allowed to exercise their right to de-link their Aadhaar, he said. The entire technical process, privacy policies, including code and manuals for linking and delinking of Aadhaar-voter ID needs to be published and shared with all political parties and public before this exercise starts, he said. With the lack of a data protection law, Yechury said they opposed any potential sharing of voter IDs linked with Aadhaar with the Ministry of Home Affairs either for the purpose of building the Intelligence Grid database, the Population Registry, the Registry of Citizens and any new and upcoming databases of birth and death registries. We oppose usage of this data collected only for electoral purposes to be used for other purposes and demand a purpose limitation for this data. The Election Commission of India must ensure the need for privacy practices. The purpose of this data collection and usage has to be limited only for de-duplication of voters and that too cannot be mandatory, he said. The linking of Aadhaar numbers with the electoral roll began on August 1 with the Election Commission introducing a new Form 6B for the purpose. The Election Commission has introduced the new form with an aim to weed out duplicate entries in the electoral roll. However, furnishing of Aadhaar number is purely voluntary. (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.) China firmly rejects U.S. blatant provocation, political gamble: FM Xinhua) 08:13, August 05, 2022 PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi further expounded here Thursday on China's stance on U.S. act of provocation against China's sovereignty. Speaking on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' meeting, Wang said the U.S. side trampled on the international law, breached bilateral commitments, sabotaged peace across the Taiwan Strait, supported separatism, advocated confrontation between blocs, which is a blatant provocation against the Chinese people and the peace-loving people in all countries in the region, and a political gamble with an odious impact. He said the performance of Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, has caused the U.S. politics, foreign diplomacy and credibility to go bankrupt again, proving the United States is the biggest destroyer of peace across the Taiwan Strait and the biggest troublemaker of regional stability. Her performance also proved the extremely confrontational and harmful nature of the U.S. "Indo-Pacific strategy," as well as the U.S. hypocrisy and double standards when dealing with international rules, Wang noted. If the Chinese side doesn't firmly reject the manic, irresponsible and extremely irrational behavior of the United States, the principle of international relations on respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity will become a mere scrap of paper, various kinds of separatists and extremist forces will intensify their activities, and the hard-won peace and stability in the region will be severely damaged, he stressed. Wang stressed that this incident was orchestrated and incited single-handedly by the United States, as the causes and consequences are clear, and so are the rights and wrongs. To avoid this crisis being forced on China, Wang said, China made the greatest diplomatic efforts, but at the same time it would never allow its core interests and the process of national rejuvenation to be jeopardized. He said China would not sit back watching the United States play the "Taiwan card" to serve its domestic politics and the selfish desires of its politicians, nor would China ever tolerate deeds to create tension, stoke confrontation and instigate secession in the region. Wang said the comprehensive measures China is currently taking and will take in the future are necessary and timely defensive counterattacks, which have been carefully considered and evaluated with an aim to safeguard national sovereignty and security. These measures are in line with international and domestic laws, serve as a warning to provocateurs, and will maintain regional stability and peace across the Taiwan Strait, he added. Wang called on all parties to see through the cause and essence of the current crisis, jointly oppose the U.S. side's risky adventures and provocations, continue to support China's legitimate position and measures, and jointly maintain regional peace and peace across the Taiwan Strait. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Christian Flag Raising Symbolizes Freedom from Viewpoint Discrimination in Boston NEWS PROVIDED BY Aug. 4, 2022 In Shurtleff v. City of Boston, Liberty Counsel represents Boston resident Hal Shurtleff and his Christian civic organization, Camp Constitution. Shurtleff and Camp Constitution first asked the city in 2017 for a permit to raise the Christian flag on the "public forum" Boston City Hall flagpole to commemorate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (September 17) and the civic and cultural contributions of the Christian community to the city of Boston, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, religious tolerance, the Rule of Law and the U.S. Constitution. For 12 years, from 2005 to 2017, Boston approved 284 flag raisings by private organizations with no denials on the flagpoles that it designated a "public forum." However, the city official denied Camp Constitution's application in 2017 to fly the Christian flag on Constitution Day. Yesterday's historic ceremony included Shurtleff and Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver raising the Christian flag together on the flagpole in Boston City Hall Plaza. Speakers included Shurtleff, Staver, Liberty Counsel Vice President of Legal Affairs and Chief Litigation Counsel Harry Mihet, and Senior Counsel for Governmental Affairs Jonathan Alexandre. BOSTON, Aug. 4, 2022 / Christian Newswire / -- After five years of litigation and a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the Christian flag finally flew on the Boston City Hall Plaza public forum flagpole yesterday as an enthusiastic crowd cheered to celebrate the first day free of unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.In Shurtleff v. City of Boston, Liberty Counsel represents Boston resident Hal Shurtleff and his Christian civic organization, Camp Constitution. Shurtleff and Camp Constitution first asked the city in 2017 for a permit to raise the Christian flag on the "public forum" Boston City Hall flagpole to commemorate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (September 17) and the civic and cultural contributions of the Christian community to the city of Boston, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, religious tolerance, the Rule of Law and the U.S. Constitution. For 12 years, from 2005 to 2017, Boston approved 284 flag raisings by private organizations with no denials on the flagpoles that it designated a "public forum." However, the city official denied Camp Constitution's application in 2017 to fly the Christian flag on Constitution Day.Yesterday's historic ceremony included Shurtleff and Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver raising the Christian flag together on the flagpole in Boston City Hall Plaza. Speakers included Shurtleff, Staver, Liberty Counsel Vice President of Legal Affairs and Chief Litigation Counsel Harry Mihet, and Senior Counsel for Governmental Affairs Jonathan Alexandre. During the ceremony Shurtleff said, "Back in 2017, we wanted to have a simple ceremony to commemorate the Constitution Day and Boston's rich Christian history. The speakers we had planned for that event are here today. I want to thank you, a special thanks to Liberty Counsel, and I want to give the glory to God...We have a great Constitution, and we have a wonderful First Amendment. But just like when it comes to muscles, it you don't use it, you get weak. When I got the rejection email from the city, and it said separation for church and state, I knew we had a case." Staver said, "For 12 years prior to 2017, and for five years from 2017 to 2022, up until August 3, your viewpoint was excluded from this flagpole public forum. Every viewpoint was permissible to go on this public forum flagpole except a Christian viewpoint. You were excluded for 12 years before this issue began. For 12 years there were 284 applications, not a single denial, virtually no review and the only reason why Camp Constitution's request to fly this flag was denied was not because of the flag itself. It was Hal Shurtleffs view of that flag. It was because of one word in the applicationthe word 'Christian' that preceded the word 'flag.' He was told by the city official that if he changed the name of the flag to a non-religious name on the application, that flag could have flown in 2017 if Hal would have lied and called it the Camp Constitution flag. This is not the Camp Constitution flag. It is the Christian flag." After Staver argued the case before the U.S. Supreme Court on January 18, 2022, the High Court ruled 9-0 on May 2 that the city of Boston violated the Constitution by censoring a private flag in a public forum open to "all applicants" merely because the application referred to it as a "Christian flag." The High Court stated that it is not government speech, and because the government admitted it censored the flag because it was referred to as a Christian flag on the application, the censorship was viewpoint discrimination, and there is no Establishment Clause defense. With Justice Breyer writing the opinion, the High Court wrote that "Boston did not make the raising and flying of private groups' flags a form of government speech. That means, in turn, that Boston's refusal to let Shurtleff and Camp Constitution raise their flag based on its religious viewpoint 'abridg[ed]' their 'freedom of speech.'" In addition, the Court wrote, "Here, Boston concedes that it denied Shurtleff 's request solely because the Christian flag he asked to raise 'promot[ed] a specific religion.' App. to Pet. for Cert. 155a (quoting Rooney deposition). Under our precedents, and in view of our government-speech holding here, that refusal discriminated based on religious viewpoint and violated the Free Speech Clause." During yesterday's event, Staver also said, "When I argued this case on January 18, I realized that the city was in deep trouble when Justice Breyer and Justice Kagan asked the city attorney arguing the case 'why did you not settle this case?' I knew we had a big win." Mihet, who is originally from Romania, said yesterday, "Today is a great day for the city of Boston, for the Christian community in the city of Boston, for freedom itself and for the Constitution. The raising of this Christian flag today symbolizes the fact that the Christian community, the community of faith, across this whole country are not constitutional orphans. They are full heirs to the constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and free exercise of religion along with every other American." "Having grown up in communist Romania, having witnessed a government that was determined to stamp out religious expression from the public square at all costs, my friends, we need to do everything and anything in our power to make sure that free speech and free exercise of religion always remains free and protected in this great land of ours," said Mihet. After the speakers concluded, Alexandre led the crowd in song with a powerful presentation of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic." The entire ceremony can be viewed here. For more information on the case, visit www.LC.org/flag. Liberty Counsel provides broadcast quality TV interviews via Hi-Def Skype and LTN at no cost. SOURCE Liberty Counsel CONTACT: Mat Staver, 407-875-1776, Liberty@LC.org Related Links lc.org/ Reserve Bank Governor on Friday said India is unlikely to be impacted by any adverse developments in . The Governor said accounts for only 0.7 per cent of India's overall trade and the capital flows from the island are also not very high. This week witnessed rising tensions between and China, triggered by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island nation which Beijing views as a breakaway province. A belligerent has tested missiles and sent 100 warplanes and 10 warships for live-fire military drills in the close vicinity of Taiwan. "...so far as India is concerned, you know, our trade with Taiwan is miniscule. It's about 0.7 per cent of our total trade. So therefore the impact on India is expected to be very, very, very negligible," Das told reporters here. He added that capital flows from Taiwan in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) and other instruments are also very low. "So, therefore India is not really going to be impacted with regard to what's happening or what is likely to happen in Taiwan," he said. Quizzed about the developments in Sri Lanka, Das said any discussions will be done by the governments. The only studies the economic developments with regard to the ramification on the Indian economy, he added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Exporters and industry associations on Friday flagged a slew of concerns with the government. They include moderation in external demand as export orders from Western nations have been put on hold due to piled up inventory, people aware of the matter said. In a meeting with commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal, they called for some other fiscal or non-fiscal support to help exports, as exporters are not gaining much from depreciation of the domestic currency. Contrary to general perception, depreciation is not providing much competitiveness as currencies of most other countries are depreciating more steeply. Today, is the second-best performing currency in Asia. So, the competitiveness provided by the exchange rate is no longer with us, one of the persons cited above said. Goyal was reviewing the export scenario in his interaction with Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) and representatives of industry associations in the capital. According to preliminary data released by the on Tuesday, declined to a five-month low of $35.2 billion in July. Seven of the top 10 export items comprising 80 per cent of the total exports saw contraction during the month. These included engineering goods, products, gems and jewellery, pharmaceuticals, readymade garments, cotton yarn and plastic. Trade deficit also widened to a record high of $31 billion in July. Exporters fear a further slowdown in exports, especially from November. Commerce secretary B V R Subhramanyam said that with fears of recession looming in some of Indias largest export markets the US and Europe India should be worried. However, India will be able to compensate for the hit from these two regions, with the recently-signed trade deals with the (UAE) and Australia. Apart from that, the rupee-denominated trade arrangements announced by the (RBI) will boost trade with Russia and Sri Lanka, he had said. With headwinds clearly visible in merchandise trade, another official said there is a need to push Indias services exports in the current fiscal. This will give India the necessary cushion both on trade deficit and current account deficit. An official statement from the commerce and industry ministry said that India is on track to meet the expectations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The country touched the highest ever of $422 billion and all-time total exports of $667 billion an increase of 34.5 per cent over FY21. By July 2022, exports had reached $156 billion (19 per cent higher). Engineering goods exports were $38 billion (8 per cent higher) and readymade garments (22 per cent higher), the statement said. The total value of defence offset commitment that needed to be implemented over the last 15 years has been estimated at USD 6.83 billion, the government said in on Friday. Replying to a question, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said offset claims worth 82.13 per cent of the total offset commitment have been submitted till August 1. The figure of the total offset commitment of USD 6.83 billion is also till August 1. Under India's offset policy, the foreign defence entities, for all contracts worth Rs 2000 crore or more are mandated to spend at least 30 per cent of the total contract value in India through procurement of components, transfer of technologies or setting up of research and development activities. However, the offsets are not applicable to procurements under 'fast track procedure' and in 'option clause' cases if the same was not envisaged in the original contract. Further, no offsets are applicable in contracts under intergovernmental agreements. Asked whether the government is aware that over the last 15 year, a large number of foreign companies have not fully implemented their defence offset obligations within the original deadline set for their implementation, Bhatt said "yes". When asked about the total value of defence offset commitment that had to be implemented during the period, he said it is USD 6.83 billion till August 1. "Total of 15 companies have missed the first deadline set for implementation of their defence offset commitment. Further details being strategic and sensitive in nature, (and) cannot be disclosed," Bhatt said. "For unfulfilled offset obligations, penalty as applicable has been imposed on the defaulting vendors as per the governing defence offset guidelines," he added. Further, he noted that "re-phasing" of offset obligations has been allowed to enable vendors to discharge the pending offset obligations in genuine cases. In March, a parliamentary standing committee asked the to be more cautious and transparent in ensuring the fulfilment of offset requirements in defence contracts. (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.) Nearly 1.7 million men who have sex with men face the biggest threat from in the US, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates show. According to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, gay and bisexual men who are HIV positive face the greatest health risk from monkeypox, CNBC reported. Men taking medicines, called PREP, to reduce their chance of contracting HIV also face the risk. "That's the population we have been most focused on in terms of vaccination," Walensky said. Even as the US on Thursday confirmed more than 6,600 cases of monkeypox, nearly 25 per cent of the global total of 25,800 so far, the government declared a public health emergency. Health experts have been criticising the US government, as well as the health agencies like the CDC for its slow response to the raging infectious disease; and also for not learning lessons from the Covid pandemic. The declaration of a public health emergency "means CDC and state and local health departments can take critical actions more quickly and better meet the demands of this outbreak", Walensky wrote on Twitter. The CDC chief said testing against has also been ramped up in the country. "Monkeypox testing has significantly increased from 500 specimens tested each week in late May to nearly 8,000 specimens tested last week," she wrote on Twitter. "Laboratories can perform 80,000 tests each week, which is much more than the current demand," Walensky added. Meanwhile, the US has secured 1.1 million doses of the two-dose vaccine Jynneos so far, as per the Health and Human Services Department. The federal government has delivered more than 600,000 doses of the vaccine since May, the HHS data showed. Jynneos, made by the Danish biotech company Bavarian Nordic, is the only approved monkeypox vaccine in the US. It was approved by the USAFood and Drug Administration in 2019 for adults ages 18 and older who are at high risk of smallpox or monkeypox. --IANS rvt/ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed the hope that the Summit of the Future scheduled for the General Assembly (UNGA) high-level week in September will produce a Pact for the Future. The summit is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reinvigorate global action, recommit to fundamental principles, and further develop the frameworks of multilateralism so they are fit for the future, he said in a briefing to the General Assembly on the progress on his Our Common Agenda, Xinhua news agency reported. The outcome of a successful Summit of the Future will be an inter-governmentally negotiated Pact for the Future, he said. "At the heart of this pact should be a commitment to reinvigorate the multilateral system and make it fit for the challenges of today and tomorrow. It must reaffirm our fundamental belief in the Charter of the . And it should re-focus our efforts on meeting our existing commitments in the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement; addressing threats to peace and security; and realising our ambitions on human rights, justice, and gender equality," said Guterres. "The Pact for the Future must demonstrate to the world that while we face daunting challenges, we can overcome them with cooperation, compromise and global solidarity. We must show that through an emphasis on our shared humanity and a strengthened multilateral system, we can put the world on a better path," he added. It is almost a year since he presented the report on Our Common Agenda. During that period of time, the need for the proposals in the report has only increased, said Guterres. In addition to the triple planetary crisis of climate breakdown, air pollution and biodiversity loss, and the immense suffering caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, conflicts are raging around the world. Developing countries are being squeezed dry. Without resources to invest in recovery from the pandemic and deal with the impact of the Ukraine conflict, the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals have been thrown further off course, he said. The global economic forecast is perilous. Four countries have already defaulted on their debts; many others face the risk of default. Financing for development is drying up, or being diverted elsewhere. Meanwhile, overwhelming evidence of climate catastrophe is mounting by the day. Geopolitical competition has intensified. The risk of nuclear confrontation is now more acute than it has been in decades, he noted. "Our Common Agenda was intended as a wake-up call. One year on, we must ask ourselves: have we woken up?" he said. While the problems facing the world are unprecedented, they are not insurmountable, he said. "Our Common Agenda attempts to correct our course, guided by the Charter, to build the safer, more resilient and inclusive world set out in the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals." --IANS int/shs (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The has condemned the Chinese in Strait and described it as an action that is at odds with the longstanding goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Strait and in the region. Overnight, the People's Republic of launched an estimated 11 ballistic missiles towards Taiwan, which impacted to the northeast, the east, and southeast of the island," John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications told reporters. "We condemn these actions, which are irresponsible and at odds with our longstanding goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Strait and in the region, Kirby said. has chosen to overreact and use the visit of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait, he said. The United States, he noted, had anticipated that might take steps like these. We also expect that these actions will continue and that the Chinese will continue to react in coming days. The is prepared for what Beijing chooses to do. We will not seek, nor do we want, a crisis, he said. At the same time, the United States, he said, will not be deterred from operating in the seas and the skies of the Western Pacific, consistent with law, as the US has been supporting Taiwan and defending a free and open Indo-Pacific for decades. To that end, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday directed that the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and the ships in her strike group will remain on station in the general area to monitor the situation, Kirby said. The US will conduct standard air and maritime transits through the Taiwan Strait in the next few weeks, consistent, again, with its longstanding approach to defend freedom of the seas and law. Beijing's provocative actions, he noted, are a significant escalation in its longstanding attempt to change the status quo. As just one example, over the past two years China has more than doubled the number of aircraft that they have flown over the centre line that separates China and Taiwan as compared to the time period between 2016-2020, he said. Beijing has pursued economic coercion, political interference, and cyberattacks against Taiwan, all of which erode the cross-Strait status quo. The United States, he said, will be resolute but also steady and responsible. We do not believe it is in our interest, Taiwan's interest, the region's interest to allow tensions to escalate further, which is why a long-planned Minuteman III ICBM test scheduled for this week has been rescheduled for the near future, he said. As China engages in destabilising military exercises around Taiwan, the is demonstrating instead the behaviour of a responsible nuclear power by reducing the risks of miscalculation and misperception, he said. The United Stated, will continue to demonstrate transparency in our US ballistic missile tests through timely notifications. That's a practice that China has often rejected, he alleged. Rescheduling this test will not in any way impact the modernisation, the readiness, or the reliability of America's safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent. And the test will happen. It will be rescheduled for the near future, he said. In a joint statement, Senators Jim Risch and Bob Menendez, ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that China's dangerous and provocative live-fire exercises around Taiwan are yet another chapter in Beijing's unrelenting efforts to bully and coerce Taipei, and to upend cross-Strait peace and stability by changing the status quo with Taiwan. The extensive drills which essentially represent a blockade create immense risks for passengers in civilian airlines and ships on the high seas, they said. To be clear, Speaker Pelosi's visit to Taiwan provides no justification for this sort of measure. Beijing should not be under any false illusion that these will lessen resolve in the United States or elsewhere, or erode our commitment to stand with the people of Taiwan and their right to determine their own future. Just the opposite, the two Senators 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.) Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand announced that her country has authorised the deployment of up to 225 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel to train new Ukrainian recruits. Under Operation UNIFIER, Canada's military training and capacity building mission in Ukraine, the CAF will deploy personnel to the UK, the Minister said in a statement,. She added that the majority of them will work as trainers, for an initial deployment of approximately four months, reports Xinhua news agency. The first of up to three training cohorts, consisting of approximately 90 soldiers, are scheduled to depart on August 12 and will begin leading courses in the following weeks, Anand said. The first Canadian-led courses will take place at a military base located in South East England, and will teach a flexible curriculum focused on individual skills required for frontline combat, including weapons handling, battlefield first aid, fieldcraft, patrol tactics and the Law of Armed Conflict, according to the statement. Operation UNIFIER was launched in 2015 at the request of the Ukrainian government, and early this year, was expanded and extended until March 2025. Since the start of the operation, the CAF has trained over 33,000 Ukrainian military and security personnel in battlefield tactics and advanced military skills. --IANS ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An of magnitude 4.9 on the Richter scale hit Afghanistan's Fayzabad in the wee hours of Thursday at around 00 It occurred 93 km South-South East of Fayzabad at a depth of 150 Kilometres. " of Magnitude:4.9, Occurred on 05-08-2022, 00:38:08 IST, Lat: 36.38 & Long: 71.09, Depth: 150 Km, Location: 93km SSE of Fayzabad," tweeted National Center for Seismology. There have been no reports of casualties or loss of properties as of now. More details are awaited. Earlier, on June 22, a 5.9-magnitude jolted parts of including the capital city Kabul killing over 1,000 people across Barmal and Giyan districts in Paktika province and Spera district in Khost province. The disaster comes as continues to struggle with a severe economic crisis since the Taliban took over, as US-led forces withdrew following two decades of war. In addition, at least 1,455 people were injured across three of the six most-affected districts of Barmal, Giyan, and Spera - many of them seriously. Over 10,000 houses were destroyed. The United Nations allocated USD 10 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Funds (UNCERF) to support the people of affected by the earthquake that struck the eastern part of the country. Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF) of Bahrain has entered into an agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to distribute relief aid to support people in Afghanistan affected by the recent earthquake. India had also handed over the consignments of relief assistance to support the Afghan nationals affected by the earthquake. The relief assistance handed over by the Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary (PAI), JP Singh consisted of essential items including family ridge tents, sleeping bags, blankets, sleeping mats, etc to support the people of Afghanistan in quake-affected regions. India also deployed a technical team to the Embassy in Kabul to coordinate the efforts of stakeholders for the delivery of humanitarian aid. (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 Finnish government wants to tighten visa regulations for people from Russia, Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said Thursday, according to a media report. Russian citizens should no longer be granted tourist visas in the way they are at present, dpa news agency reported, citing Finnish radio station Yle. The Foreign Ministry in Helsinki is preparing measures to be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the end of the month, Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told the broadcaster. It is not enough for to make such a decision on its own, there must be the same guidelines throughout the Schengen area, he said. Lawmakers across the political spectrum backed the move, according to Yle, in sentiments sparked by Russia's war neighbouring Ukraine, which began in February. shares a 1340-km border with Russia, the longest of all the EU states. According to Yle, Russian tourists have so far been able to enter the Schengen area by bus or car across the Finnish border despite Moscow's attacks. --IANS int/shs (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne warned that is facing the most severe ever recorded in the country and announced the activation of a government crisis unit. Borne said in a written statement on Friday that many areas in are going through a historic situation as the country endures its third this summer. The exceptional we are currently experiencing is depriving many municipalities of water and is a tragedy for our farmers, our ecosystems and biodiversity, the statement said. Weather forecasts suggest that the heat, which increases evaporation and water needs, could continue for the next 15 days, possibly making the situation even more worrying, the statement stressed. The government's crisis unit will be in charge of monitoring the situation in the hardest-hit areas and coordinate measures like bringing drinking water to some places. It will also monitor the impact of the on France's energy production, transport infrastructure and agriculture. The drought may force French energy giant EDF to cut power production at nuclear plants which use river water to cool reactors. now has 62 regions with restrictions on water usage due to the lack of rain. The minister for ecological transition, Christophe Bchu, said during a visit to southeastern France that more than 100 municipalities are not able to provide drinking water to the tap anymore and need to get supplied by truck. The worst the situation is, the more we make drinking water the priority compared to other usages," 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.) will abolish its broadcasting licence fee, after the Senate approved a corresponding bill on the supplementary budget on Thursday evening. The National Assembly, the lower house of the French parliament, had already approved the bill in the afternoon, dpa news agency reported. Until the end of 2024, public broadcasting is to be financed by part of the value-added tax, among other things. For the period after that, the government must then present a separate plan for funding. Currently, the annual licence fee in is 138 ($141), due for all households that own a TV. President Emmanuel Macron promised to scrap the fee during his last election campaign, to counteract the increased cost of living. By approving the supplementary budget, parliament also gave the green light to some 10 billion to go towards fully nationalising indebted energy giant EDF, to facilitate major investments in nuclear power, among other things. --IANS int/shs (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former prime minister on Thursday rejected the election commission's verdict in the prohibited funding case against his party, accusing the poll body's chief of conspiring "in cahoots" with the "imported govt" to try a "technical knockout" of the party. His remarks came days after the former premier's party received a show cause notice for receiving prohibited foreign funds. (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.) New Delhi, Aug 5: India has once again stressed the need for early completion of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway - and its extension to Cambodia - to boost connectivity in the region as part of the government's Act East policy. As he conveyed Prime Minister Modi's personal greetings to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in Phnom Penh on Thursday, visiting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also called for speeding up connectivity from the north east to Vietnam through Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. The two also flagged defence, tourism, demining, investment, and community development, as well as repairing temples during the conversation. Hun Sen's office said later that the Cambodian PM encouraged the 'completion of technical studies' to promote the free trade agreement between the two countries and the investment protection agreement. He also requested India to promote direct flights to Cambodia to promote tourism and take the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation framework to the highest level. During his virtual meeting with his Cambodian counterpart in May this year, Prime Minister Modi also highlighted the historical and civilisational links between the two countries and expressed his happiness at India's involvement in the restoration of Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear temples in Cambodia, which depict the cultural and linguistic connect between the two countries. Earlier in the day, Jaishankar held a string of significant bilateral meetings, including with the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on the sidelines of ASEAN Ministerial in the Cambodian capital. The External Affairs Minister started the day with 'a warm conversation' with Blinken, discussing the 'ever-strengthening India-US relationship and the global situation' before meeting Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong. After discussions with his counterparts from Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore, the EAM addressed a 'productive' ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting, an annual event that takes stock of the ASEAN-India partnership. He stated that there is a 'strong convergence' on Indo-Pacific, UNCLOS, connectivity, Covid-19, terrorism, cyber security, Ukraine, and . 'Digital, health, agriculture education, and green growth will drive our partnership. Act East unfolds steadily,' he tweeted after the meeting. Jaishankar then met the new Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, reaffirming India's commitment as a dependable friend and reliable partner, to the economic recovery and well-being of Sri Lanka. Meeting Vietnamese Foreign Affairs Minister Bui Thanh Son next, Jaishankar emphasised maintaining the momentum of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) has reaffirmed its demand for the removal of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) from the US terrorist list in talks on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, refuting media claims that has rolled back its requirement. Citing an informed source close to Tehran's negotiating team, the official news agency IRNA reported that has not withdrawn the demand for taking the IRGC off the US Foreign Terrorist Organizations list in the talks to revive the nuclear deal, Xinhua news agency reported. The IRNA's report was a response to The Wall Street Journal's report that Tehran had dropped its demand on the IRGC issue. Dismissing the report as lacking credibility, the source stressed that Iran has proved its goodwill and determination to reach an agreement in the negotiations. Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear programme in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. However, former US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran. The talks on reviving the JCPOA began in April 2021 in the Austrian capital of Vienna but were suspended in March because of political differences between Tehran and Washington. Delegations from the remaining signatories to the JCPOA, as well as the US, are currently in Vienna for a fresh round of talks on the revival of the agreement. --IANS int/shs (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Israeli military said Thursday it is sending additional forces to the area around the Strip as it braces for possible attacks after the arrest of a senior militant in the West Bank this week. Authorities closed roads and other areas around after a raid Monday night, in which troops arrested a senior member of the Islamic Jihad militant group in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin. A Palestinian teenager, who Islamic Jihad claimed as a member, was killed during clashes with the Israeli forces. Islamic Jihad, which rejects Israel's existence and has carried out scores of deadly attacks over the years, said it was going on alert and raising its readiness in response. has been ruled by the Islamic militant group Hamas since it drove out rival Palestinian forces in 2007. holds Hamas responsible for all attacks emanating from Gaza, and the two sides have fought four wars and dozens of smaller battles over the last 15 years. The security arrangements that we decided upon are necessary as temporary preparation measures, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said after convening a security meeting on Thursday. We will not accept a long-term situation in which terrorist organizations disrupt citizens' lives. has carried out near-daily raids in the occupied West Bank following a series of deadly attacks targeting civilians inside earlier this year. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in the 1967 war, territories the Palestinians want for their future state. The peace process broke down more than a decade ago, leaving millions of Palestinians living under Israeli military rule with no end in sight. (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.) As it weans itself off Russian fuel and races to secure enough and coal, Europes quest to stay warm this winter will depend heavily on three nations on the other side of the world: Japan, and . The Asian countries, among the worlds biggest importers of liquefied and seaborne coal, all share a peak heating demand season during the natural gwinter with . Its still too early for meteorologists to make accurate predictions for winter weather patterns, but any forecast for steep dips in temperatures in the three nations could spark a more intense tussle for cargoes. competition for fuel has increased since Russias invasion of Ukraine upended flows, helping push prices of and to records. In Europe, the squeeze is just about to get tighter. The will implement a full ban on Russian beginning next week, while Gazprom PJSC has slashed pipeline gas flows to . Russia has historically been the European Unions biggest gas supplier, covering about 40% of demand. Weather is of course a wild card especially for and Korea, said Abhishek Rohatgi, a BloombergNEF analyst. A colder-than-normal winter could spike prices if Russian supplies to stay low, as it will be very difficult to find additional spot cargoes. European nations are racing to prepare for the winter, cutting gas consumption and boosting LNG imports to fill storage caverns, and also restarting mothballed power plants. Theyve received a helping hand from Asia so far: has slashed imports of coal and LNG after boosting domestic output, and is also suffering an economic slowdown due to virus lockdowns. All three Asian countries have produced more energy from renewable sources. and set records for solar power in May, while burned less coal over the first half of the year as clean sources like hydro power surged. Even still, the additional purchases from Europe have boosted costs of spot LNG and coal to records this year. Developing nations such as Bangladesh and Pakistan are already suffering from daily blackouts because they cant afford to pay for cargoes that could keep the lights on. The competition could get even more fierce heading into winter. Once and start building their gas stockpiles, the spot LNG market may see more buying from those countries, according to BloombergNEF. Japanese coal inventories are also extremely low, and the two nations will need to boost purchases of the power plant fuel toward the end of the year. Coal cargoes -- especially the high energy content coal ones which Japan and Korea use -- are in high demand and mostly contracted out, BloombergNEF analyst Ali Asghar said. Japan and Korea will be battling with Europe for most spot cargoes. China is in a more comfortable position. Record coal production combined with subdued power demand left inventories at the highest level ever for the mid-point of the year. And even as Russia cuts piped gas supplies to Europe, its increasing flows on a new line to eastern China, helping keep inventories ample despite the drop in LNG imports. Should there be a very cold winter, Japan and South Korea will likely need additional spot cargoes, in which case they can probably compete with European buyers, said Xizhou Zhou, head of global power and renewables at IHS Markit. China, on the other hand, would likely resort to more domestic coal. competition for fuel has increased since Russias invasion of Ukraine upended flows, helping push prices of coal and natural gas to records Foreign Minister Dr Narayan Khadka is set to embark on a three-day visit to to hold delegation-level talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. "At the invitation of Mr Wang Yi, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Hon. Dr Narayan Khadka, Minister for Foreign Affairs is visiting from 09 to 11 August 2022," Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a release. The two ministers will hold bilateral talks, along with their respective delegations on August 10 in Qingdao, . The planned visit of the Nepali Foreign Minister comes against the backdrop of rising tension between the US and China. Beijing has sought support from the Himalayan nation over the recent visit of Pelosi to Taiwan. Earlier this week, the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal- Hou Yanqi claimed the visit by US House Speaker Pelosi to Taiwan was "a serious violation of the one-China principle and the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Seeking Nepal's support, the Chinese ambassador in her statement said, "China and are good neighbours, 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." "China highly appreciates Nepal's longstanding commitment to the one-China principle and resolute opposition to 'Taiwan Independence.' It is also the political foundation of China- relations. We believe that the government of Nepal and its people will continue to abide by the one-China 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 envoy added. The Nepal government on the other side hasn't reacted to the heightened face-off between the two nations. "We are observing the development in the region," Sewa Lamsal, Nepal government spokesperson told ANI over the phone. The Nepal foreign minister's visit comes amid the rising tension between the US and China. Analysts believe that Nepal may face a hard time balancing ties with two world powers and continue to maintain its policy of non-alignment or not. The Nepal foreign ministry has informed that Khadka would wrap up his visit on August 11 and return back home. (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 new round of talks on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal between and world powers has began in after a 150-day hiatus, according to Iran's official news agency. The Iranian negotiating team, headed by Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani, held a meeting with the Russian delegation led by Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to organisations in and chief negotiator to the talks, Xinhua news agency reported, citing IRNA. "The two sides had a frank, pragmatic and constructive exchange of views on ways and means of overcoming the last outstanding issues," Ulyanov tweeted after the meeting. Bagheri Kani also met with Enrique Mora, the European Union chief coordinator for the nuclear talks, and Secretary General of the Austrian Foreign Ministry Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal respectively. signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (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 US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement. The talks on reviving the JCPOA began in April 2021 in the Austrian capital of Vienna but were suspended in March this year because of political differences between Tehran and Washington. --IANS int/shs (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Defiant anti-government demonstrations near the Sri Lankan presidential office can go on for another week following an assurance by the Attorney General in a top court here on Friday that no action to remove the protesters from the Galle Face protest site will be taken until August 10. The development comes a day after protesters vowed to defy an order from the police to vacate the area by Friday evening. The protesters said the police had not obtained a court order to remove them from the Galle Face area, which was the epicenter of anti-government protests here against the previous regime. Three writ applications were filed at the Court of Appeal on Thursday on behalf of the protesters after the police ordered the protesters to leave the protest site. The Attorney General told the court on Friday that the structures will not be removed without following the proper legal procedure. The Sri Lankan police on Wednesday set an August 5 deadline for the protesters to remove all illegal tents and camps at Galle Face near the presidential office. The police claim the structures were illegal and need removing according to the law as the site is the property of the Urban Development Authority. Some of the structures were removed by the protesters on Wednesday and Friday following the police order to quit. The protesters have been occupying the area, including the gate of the presidential secretariat, since April 9. They also claimed that the area was designated as an agitation site by the previous government headed by former President Gotabaya and there is no need for them to quit the protest site. Protesters in March began demonstrating against the family and demanded the resignation of the entire Rajapaksa family, leading to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on May 9, and his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country on July 13 and resigned the following day from Singapore. After the resignation of Rajapaksa and the appointment of his successor Ranil Wickremesinghe, the protesters were forcibly evicted from the presidential secretariat and the gate on Jul 22, drawing widespread condemnation. According to the Human Rights Watch group's statement, Sri Lankan security forces on July 22, Friday, forcibly dispersed people at a peaceful protest site near President's Secretariat, assaulted them leaving more than 50 persons injured. has been witnessing one of the worst economic crises since Independence in 1948. They have defaulted on loans as well. The United Nations has warned that 5.7 million people "require immediate humanitarian assistance," with Sri Lankans experiencing extreme shortages of essentials including food, fuel and medicines. The new Sri Lankan government faces the task of leading the country out of its economic collapse and restoring order. has seen months of mass unrest over the worst economic crisis, with the government declaring bankruptcy in mid-April by refusing to honour its debt. (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.) Three grain ships left Ukrainian ports on Friday while the first inbound cargo vessel since Russia's invasion was due in to load, as Kyiv called for the safe passage deal to be extended to other cargoes such as metals. The July 22 deal marked a rare diplomatic breakthrough as war rages in eastern Ukraine, with Kyiv trying to rebuild its shattered economy after more than five months of conflict. We expect that the security guarantees of our partners from the (UN) and Turkey will continue to work, and food exports from our ports will become stable and predictable for all market participants, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Facebook after the ships set off. The first grain ship left Odesa on Monday. This agreement is about logistics, about the movement of vessels through the Black Sea, Ukrainian Deputy Economy Minister Taras Kachka told Financial Times. Whats the difference between grain and iron ore? The UN and Turkey brokered the safe passage deal between Moscow and Kyiv after UN warnings of possible outbreaks of famine due to a halt in grain shipments from . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The has condemned China's "provocative" around and described it as an "irresponsible" action that is at odds with the longstanding goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Strait and in the region. The Chinese military on Thursday launched a four-day war game and held "precision missile strikes" in the Strait in retaliation to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's landmark visit to Taipei disregarding Beijing's stern warning to Washington against supporting "Taiwan independence". views Taiwan as part of its territory, despite having never controlled it and has long vowed to reunify the island with the Chinese mainland, by force if necessary. Overnight, the People's Republic of launched an estimated 11 ballistic missiles towards Taiwan, which impacted to the northeast, the east, and southeast of the island," John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, told reporters here on Thursday. "We condemn these actions, which are irresponsible and at odds with our longstanding goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the region, he said. has chosen to overreact and use the visit of Pelosi as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait, Kirby said. The United States, he noted, had anticipated that China might take steps like these. We also expect that these actions will continue and that the Chinese will continue to react in the coming days. The is prepared for what Beijing chooses to do. We will not seek, nor do we want, a crisis, Kirby said. At the same time, the United States, he said, will not be deterred from operating in the seas and the skies of the Western Pacific, consistent with law, as the US has been supporting Taiwan and defending a free and open Indo-Pacific for decades. To that end, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday directed that the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and the ships in her strike group will remain on station in the general area to monitor the situation, Kirby said. The US will conduct standard air and maritime transits through the Taiwan Strait in the next few weeks, consistent, again, with its longstanding approach to defend freedom of the seas and law. Beijing's provocative actions, Kirby noted, are a significant escalation in its longstanding attempt to change the status quo. As just one example, over the past two years China has more than doubled the number of aircraft that they have flown over the centre line that separates China and Taiwan as compared to the time period between 2016-2020, he said. Beijing has pursued economic coercion, political interference, and cyberattacks against Taiwan, all of which erode the cross-Strait status quo. The US, Kirby said, will be resolute but also steady and responsible. We do not believe it is in our interest, Taiwan's interest, the region's interest to allow tensions to escalate further, which is why a long-planned Minuteman III ICBM test scheduled for this week has been rescheduled for the near future, he said. As China engages in destabilising military exercises around Taiwan, the is demonstrating instead the behaviour of a responsible nuclear power by reducing the risks of miscalculation and misperception, Kirby said. The US will continue to demonstrate transparency in its ballistic missile tests through timely notifications. That's a practice that China has often rejected, he alleged. Rescheduling this test will not in any way impact the modernisation, the readiness, or the reliability of America's safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent. And the test will happen. It will be rescheduled for the near future, Kirby said. In a joint statement, Senators Jim Risch and Bob Menendez, ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that China's dangerous and provocative live-fire exercises around Taiwan are yet another chapter in Beijing's unrelenting efforts to bully and coerce Taipei, and to upend cross-Strait peace and stability by changing the status quo with Taiwan. The extensive drills - which essentially represent a blockade - create immense risks for passengers in civilian airlines and ships on the high seas, they said. To be clear, Speaker Pelosi's visit to Taiwan provides no justification for this sort of measure. Beijing should not be under any false illusion that these will lessen resolve in the United States or elsewhere, or erode our commitment to stand with the people of Taiwan and their right to determine their own future. Just the opposite, the two lawmakers 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.) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken joined the foreign ministers of and at a meeting on Friday with top diplomats from that comes at a time of increased tensions between Washington, Moscow and Beijing. The East Asia Summit of the ongoing Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings in Cambodia's capital was the first time the three men were scheduled to take part in the same forum. It came a day after WNBA star Brittney Griner was convicted of drug possession and sentenced to nine years in prison by in a politically charged case amid ongoing friction over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. China, meantime, is furious at the US following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit this week to Taiwan a self-governing island Beijing claims as its own and is in the middle of show-of-force military exercises in response. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi patted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the shoulder as he entered the room and gave the already-seated Lavrov a quick wave before taking his own seat. Lavrov waved back in response. Blinken, who entered the room last, did not even look over to Lavrov as he took his own seat about a half-dozen chairs away, or to Wang who was seated farther down the same table as Lavrov. Ahead of the Phnom Penh talks, the US State Department indicated Blinken had no plans to meet one-on-one with either man during the course of the meetings. The East Asia Summit's chair, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, opened the 2 1/2 hour talks saying he hoped that all delegates would use the forum as a means of engagement and communication with one another. Every year we have our set of challenges to address but I have to say that never before, not like this year, have we been confronted with so many perils at the same time, he said before ushering the media out to begin the closed-door talks. (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.) After several media outlets reported that may soon get to build his private airport outside of Austin, Texas, the tech billionaire denied the rumours and said it "would be silly". On the microblogging site, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO slammed the plans to develop a new private airport, mentioning that the news is untrue. "Not true. Tesla is 5 mins from Austin airport. It would be silly to build another private airport, however, the existing commercial airport needs another runway, as Austin is growing fast!" Musk wrote. As per the reports, the Austin Executive Airport has over 130,000 square feet of community hangar space and a 6,025-foot runway. Meanwhile, a recent report said the airport will be somewhere east of Austin near Bastrop. It mentioned that a private airport would be helpful for Musk and his companies, especially since three of them have a presence in Austin. Tesla relocated its global headquarters in Austin and so did The Boring Company. The electric car maker, recently, reported $16.9 billion in revenue for the second quarter, down from $18.8 billion in the first quarter this year. It reported $2.3 billion in second-quarter profit, below its record quarterly profit of $3.3 billion in the first quarter this year. --IANS vc/ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Equity benchmarks began the trade on a positive note on Friday in tandem with largely firm Asian and ahead of the RBI's policy meeting outcome. The 30-share BSE benchmark climbed 227.89 points to 58,526.69 in early trade. The broader NSE Nifty advanced 64.35 points to 17,446.35. On a weekly basis, the Sensex advanced 817.68 points or 1.42 per cent, while the Nifty gained 239.25 points or 1.39 per cent. "With the overhang of now behind us, the geo-political tension between China & Taiwan will be in focus, as any flare up in the region may lead to panic situations across the globe," said Amol Athawale, deputy VP , technical research, Kotak Securities Ltd. Among the Sensex constituents, UltraTech Cement, Bharti Airtel, Larsen & Toubro, Wipro, Dr Reddy's Laboratories, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank and Titan were the major gainers. Reliance Industries, Maruti Suzuki India, IndusInd Bank and HDFC were the laggards. In Asia, in Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo were trading in the green, while Hong Kong quoted lower. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The on Friday asked the (Sebi) to give Ltd access to documents used to investigate a share matter, saying it was the duty of the regulator to act fairly. Reliance had moved the apex court after the rejected its petition to get access to the documents relied upon to charge that there were irregularities when the company bought its own shares between 1994 and 2000. as a regulator has a duty to act fairly. It is not to circumvent the rule of law and has to show fairness. We direct to furnish the document sought by [Reliance], said the apex court on Friday morning. The court, earlier this year, had advised the regulator to give Reliance access to the documents but did not issue an order. Sebi had termed these documents as privileged information. The court in May told Sebi that the document must be in favour of the company, or else Reliance would not have asked about it. Sebi should give the copy to the accused, the court said. It observed that once a document is relied upon by the prosecutor, the defendant has a right to its access for a fair trial. Chartered accountant S Gurumurthy filed a complaint against Reliance in 2002, alleging irregularities in its associate companies, its promoters, including Mukesh Ambani and his wife, Nita; and 100 others in the issue of two preferential placement of non-convertible debentures in 1994. Acting on the complaint, Sebi moved a lower court in Mumbai in 2020 to initiate prosecution against the company. The court rejected the plea saying there was a delay of 18 years in acting on the complaint and was time-barred. Reliance then filed a plea in the and requested Sebi to furnish documents regarding the investigation. The High Court rejected the plea and Reliance approached the apex court. Kirti Dua, partner at ANG Partners, said according to the Supreme Court, the documents of Sebi are not covered under the Indian Evidence Act. Reliance said these documents were implicating in nature so they should have access to it and now the apex court has allowed it, she says. Axis Bank: Axis Bank had informed regarding entering into a Share Purchase Agreement with OpenPayd Holdings Limited, for sale of 100% stake in Axis Bank UK Limited, a subsidiary of the bank. Both the parties have mutually decided not to go ahead with this transaction and accordingly have terminated the above Share Purchase Agreement. The Bank will now initiate the winding up process of Axis Bank UK Limited. Adani Enterprises: The company has signed a Share Purchase Agreement with MAIF Investments India PTE Limited and MAIF Investments India 3 PTE Limited (collectively as "MAIF") in connection with its proposed acquisition of 100% stake in Swarna Tollway Private Limited and 56.8% stake in Gujarat Road and Infrastructure Company. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ): AD Ports Group, the leading facilitator of global trade, logistics, and industry, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with APSEZ, for strategic joint investments in end-to-end logistics infrastructure and solutions, which include rail, maritime services, port operations, digital services, an industrial zone and the establishment of maritime academies in Tanzania. BEML: The company has an order book of Rs 9,100 crore as pn 30 June 2022 including order booking of Rs 571 crore during the quarter ended June. Happiest Minds Technologies: The company announced the launch of its Cybersecurity services in the healthcare vertical. Cybersecurity for healthcare provides end-to-end security services for the Healthcare industry by applying a robust and proven framework tailored to meet regulatory requirements, digital security best practices, and cutting-edge tools & technologies. Choice International: The board has recommended the issue of bonus shares in the ratio of 1:1 i.e. one equity share for each fully paid up equity share held as on record date fixed for the purpose. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor EaseMyTrip Thai, a wholly-owned subsidiary of EaseMyTrip launched in 2021 in Thailand signs an exclusive General Sales Agreement with SpiceJet Airline to sell, promote and market passenger tickets and other services to passengers in Thailand effective 1st September, 2022. To have a strong foothold in the market, EaseMyTrip Thai will be extending operations of SpiceJet by opening an independent branded office and representing the airlines in Bangkok, Phuket and other locations in an attempt to cater to the larger travel markets. This is the first time that EaseMyTrip Thai, is entering in such an arrangement for two years exclusively with SpiceJet as a strategic intervention which is an attempt for both the companies to expand in its services in Thai Market. Under this arrangement, EaseMyTrip will be exclusively responsible for SpiceJet's ticket operations in the territory that will help Thai customers to avail the services of SpiceJet. Additionally, all the travel agents have to route their business through EaseMyTrip for buying tickets of SpiceJet from Thailand. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Infosys Ltd is quoting at Rs 1620.15, up 1.27% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The stock is down 1.82% in last one year as compared to a 7.28% jump in NIFTY and a 4.2% jump in the Nifty FMCG index. Infosys Ltd rose for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 1620.15, up 1.27% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 0.22% on the day, quoting at 17419.75. The Sensex is at 58478.24, up 0.31%. Infosys Ltd has gained around 8.61% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty FMCG index of which Infosys Ltd is a constituent, has gained around 7.07% in last one month and is currently quoting at 29782.9, up 0.69% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 35.84 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 54.12 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark August futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 1624.3, up 1.34% on the day. Infosys Ltd is down 1.82% in last one year as compared to a 7.28% jump in NIFTY and a 4.2% jump in the Nifty FMCG index. The PE of the stock is 31.5 based on TTM earnings ending June 22. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The opposition Congress-led UDF on Friday urged Kerala Chief Minister and Speaker M B Rajesh to convene a special midnight session of the state Assembly on August 14 to mark the 75th anniversary of the country's independence. Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly V D Satheesan submitted a letter to the Chief Minister and the Speaker suggesting the same. In the letter, he pointed out the precedents of the House in convening such special sessions on August 14, 1972 and August 13, 1987 to commemorate the 25th and 40th anniversary of the country's independence, respectively. Satheesan also wanted the Assembly to pass a resolution resolving to fight together to revive the glowing memories of the freedom struggle and to protect the constitutional principles including secular and democratic values. If there is any inconvenience to convene the session on August 14 midnight, a special session should be convened on another day as part of the 75th anniversary of the independence, the Congress leader further suggested. (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 Committee president Sake Sailajanath and several other leaders were taken into custody in Vijayawada on Friday as they tried to march towards the Raj Bhavan in protest against price rise. The protest was part of a nationwide call given by the Congress. The Congress workers, under the leadership of Sailajanath, staged a sit-in at the state party headquarters Andhra Ratna Bhavan and denounced the Central government policies that were pushing up the prices of all commodities. "That the Central government did not spare taxing even milk and curd denoted how bent it was on fleecing the common people. The Jagan Mohan Reddy regime in AP was equally burdening the people with many taxes, including on garbage," Sailajanath lashed out. While the Central government's borrowing crossed Rs 150 lakh crore, the regime under Reddy in the state borrowed over Rs 6 lakh crore in three years. "Where is all this money going," the former minister asked. Sailajanath and others were later taken into custody and shifted to the One-Town police station. In Guntur, PCC working president Sheik Mastanvali led the protest. In Kadapa, another working president N Thulasi Reddy organised the demonstration. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chief Minister met Prime Minister on Friday and raised a host of issues concerning her state, including GST dues and timely release of funds by the Centre under various schemes. The Prime Minister's Office shared a picture of the meeting, which lasted about an hour. In a memorandum to the prime minister, Banerjee said she had repeatedly sought his intervention for urgent release of funds due to the state on account of the implementation of the rural job scheme MGNREGA, PM Awas Yojana and the PM Gramin Sadak Yojana. The amount due to the state under these schemes now stood at about Rs 17,996.32 crore, she said. In her memorandum, Banerjee has tabulated the total amount due to the state under different schemes and benefits. The amount that is due to the state from the central government as on 31st July, 2022 has been estimated to be around Rs 1,00,968.44 crore. Banerjee has often accused the BJP-led central government of delaying the payment of Goods and Services Tax (GST) dues to states, especially the ones ruled by opposition parties. After the meeting, Banerjee directly went to meet President Droupadi Murmu. Banerjee, who arrived here on a four-day visit on Thursday, is likely to attend a Niti Aayog governing council meeting on August 7 to be chaired by Prime Minister Modi. She did not attend the meeting last year. Banerjee's meeting with the prime minister came close on the heels of the Enforcement Directorate arresting now-removed Minister Partha Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee and recovering huge cash and jewellery in connection with an alleged school jobs scam. However, it was not known if the issue featured in the meeting. Banerjee's meeting also holds importance ahead of the August 6 vice-presidential poll, from which her Trinamool Congress party has decided to abstain. The BJP-led Democratic Alliance (NDA) has fielded former governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as its vice-presidential candidate while the opposition parties have nominated Margaret Alva. (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 local court in on Thursday rejected the anticipatory bail application of Mau Sadar MLA and Mukhtar Ansari's son Abbas Ansari. The court had issued a non-bailable warrant against him in the case registered at the Mahanagar police station in in October 2019. Last month, Mau Superintendent of Police (SP) Avinash Pandey said that Mukhtar Ansari's wife Afsa Ansari, MLA son Abbas Ansari and brother-in-law were declared fugitives by the district police. The announcement came after the police raided four places including Mukhtar Ansari's ancestral residence of Ghazipur. "His family is absconding," the SP had said. During the assembly election earlier this year, Abbas had also made a threatening speech where he asked Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav not to transfer any local official for the first six months after coming to power as he had to do 'hisaab-kitaab'. The Police booked him under relevant sections. In his defence, later Ansari told ANI, "The government officials have harassed the people of UP unnecessarily by bringing out old issues, their family issues and even by registering fake cases." He added, "As per my knowledge they (government officials) have made money out of it. Hence, an inquiry will be done in these cases and so I used that statement." Ansari is contesting from the Mau Sadar constituency in elections as a candidate of the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), an ally of the SP. Mau Sadar will go to the polls on March 7 in the seventh phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a fresh twist to the row over an upscale bar which the Congress has linked with Union minister Smriti Irani's daughter, the district administration has issued a notice to the local village panchayat seeking relevant documents in response to a complaint alleging the outlet was built illegally. 'Silly Souls Caf and Bar' at Assagao village in North is at the centre of an ownership row ever since the Congress alleged it was operated illegally by Irani's daughter, a claim denied by the Union minister who has filed a defamation suit against the leaders of the opposition party. The Delhi High Court has held that Irani and her daughter are neither owners of the restaurant-cum-bar, nor a licence was ever issued in their favour. Bardez Block Development Officer (BDO) Shivprasad Naik, under whose jurisdiction the is located, on August 1 issued a notice to the local Assagao panchayat directing it to furnish all the documents pertaining to the outlet within seven days. The development came after Goa's Director of Panchayats Siddhi Harlankar, through an officer, on July 27 issued a memorandum to the Bardez BDO, asking him to take necessary action on a complaint filed by social activist Aires Rodrigues who has claimed the was illegal. Naik has asked the Assagao panchayat secretary to go through the memorandum and submit relevant documents. The has already been issued notices by the Excise Department and the Town and Country Planning Department on two different complaints related to issuance of licence and alleged violation of rules by the outlet. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid the multi-layered security arrangements outside the Congress party headquarters in the capital on Wednesday, the party workers staged an intense protest that was led by Vadra. The police had placed several barricades to stop the Congress workers from taking out any kind of march towards the Prime Minister's residence. As per latest reports, the party workers, raising slogans against the Central government, are continuously attempting to cross those barricades. Priyanka Gandhi, refusing to budge, crossed the 3-feet tall barricade after jumping it. As she tried to move forward, she was stopped by the women police personnel and subsequently the Congress General Secretary sat in the middle of the road in protest. Till now several party leaders, including Sachin Pilot have been detained by the police. --IANS uj/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.) Delhi Chief Minister and convener of (AAP) will be on a two-day visit of from Saturday as part of his campaign ahead of the Assembly polls likely to be held in December this year. On Saturday afternoon, Kejriwal will hold a town hall meeting with traders and shopkeepers of Jamnagar city to discuss their issues, the AAP said in a statement. "On Sunday, the AAP chief will address a public rally in Bodeli town in tribal-dominated Chhotaudepur district. He will also announce another guarantee for the people of the state, which the party will implement after coming to power," the release informed, though it did not give details of what this guarantee would be. During his earlier visits, Kejriwal had announced what his party claimed were guarantees like free power till 300 units as well as monthly unemployment allowance for the state's youth. (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 minister on Friday said the state government has ordered a probe into the land allotted to the Herald newspaper at the Press Complex in as commercial buildings have come up there through "violation of rules". The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has earlier questioned president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi into the alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian, which owns the Herald newspaper. "I have issued an order for the formation of an inquiry committee to probe into the land allotted to the Herald in Press Complex Bhopal, where commercial buildings have come up by violating the rules," Urban Administration Minister Bhupendra Singh tweeted on Friday. "We are getting it investigated. If any irregularities are found, we will take action and seal it off," Singh told a news channel when asked about the National Herald's land in . When he was asked that the land allotted by the Development Authority (BDA) to the newspapers houses in Press Complex are also being used for commercial purposes, he said, "Commercial use cannot be done. Such (commercial) use is not in accordance with the rules. It is wrong, we will take action." To a question regarding the cancellation of lease deed to the National Herald , he said, "The lease has been cancelled. The matter is in the court. We have sought entire details and the status of the case. If needed, we will go to the court, and if there is no case in the court, we will take direct action. (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.) Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday clarified that Members of Parliament do not enjoy any immunity from arrest in criminal cases during the session. Naidu also said that the members cannot avoid summons issued by law enforcement agencies. Naidu made this remark in response to the members saying that the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, has been insulted as he was summoned by the (ED) for questioning on Thursday during the working hours of the House. members are protesting against the alleged misuse of investigating agencies. Naidu said that members have a wrong notion that they have a privilege from action by agencies while Parliament is in session. "Members of Parliament enjoy certain privileges so they can perform their duties without any hindrances. However, in criminal cases, Members of Parliament are not on a different footing than a common citizen. Members of Parliament do not enjoy any immunity from being arrested in a criminal case during the session or otherwise," Naidu clarified. He advised the members not to cite House duty as reasons to avoid appearing before any investigating agency if one called upon to do so. --IANS ssb/uk (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 Yuva Sena leader and son of a rebel MLA has lodged a complaint, alleging that he received a threat call for supporting the party faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, police said on Friday. Vikas Gogawale, son of rebel legislator Bharat Gogawale, on Thursday lodged a complaint at Gamdevi police station in south Mumbai against unidentified persons, an official said. In his complaint, Vikas claimed that he had received a call from an unidentified person who threatened him with dire consequences for supporting the Shinde faction, he said. "With the permission of a court, the police have initiated a probe in the matter," the official added. Bharat Gogawale, who represents Mahad Assembly constituency in Raigad district, was appointed as the chief whip of the party by Shinde, soon after the latter raised a banner of revolt against the Sena leadership. (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.) Thousands of people joined a public rally organised by People's Action Committee (NPAC) on Friday to demand an early solution to the Naga political issue. A meeting on the issue held in June at Dimapur under the aegis of the Gaon Burah Federation (NGBF) or village chieftains, and participated by civil society organisations, tribal bodies, public leaders and intellectuals, constituted the NPAC to press for an early solution. The Confederation of Chamber of Commerce and Industries in solidarity with the public rally had called for two-hour shutter down across the state from 10 am to 12 pm. While there was a mixed response over the call for shutter down in other districts of the state, including state capital Kohima, the commercial hub of Dimapur witnessed a massive turn out at the rally in the Super Market Complex where various leaders expressed their demand for an early solution. Armed with banners and placards saying "No Peace, No Progress" and "No political will, no political solution", the participants sought a solution to the crisis. Addressing the gathering, NPAC convenor Theja Therieh said that when 25 years of negotiation could not bring any solution, why not just wind it up and leave it to the people. The motive behind organising the rally was to express public sentiments and anguish over the unending negotiations that have been dragging on for the last 25 years, he said. The process has taken a huge toll on the governance, security and safety of the people, he said. Therieh said that Naga people would like to send a clear message to the Centre that "enough is enough". Ao Union Dimapur president Meren said, "As stakeholders, we have every right to know what the Government of India is giving to us because the solution does not belong to a single person. The Naga political solution belongs to the Nagas." Dimapur Naga Council president E Kikon said that an acceptable and peaceful solution to the issue was needed without further delay. "It is a matter of concern to bring home a successfully negotiated agreement for which we appeal to each and every Nagas to work together for the betterment of the people," said Elizabeth, a member of the Dimapur Naga Women Hoho. Meanwhile, the rally resolved to submit a public representation for an early Naga political solution to Prime Minister Narendra through Governor Jagdish Mukhi. The public representation said that in 2018 when the civil societies and all political parties, including the BJP, unequivocally demanded a solution before election, the BJP "breached the trust of the people" and filed nominations with the slogan "Election for Solution". (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.) activists staged protests in front of the Raj Bhavan here and other places in the state on Friday, as part of the party's nationwide stir against price rise, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) hike on essential items and . Around 50 workers demonstrated outside the governor's residence, wearing black clothes, holding placards and shouting slogans. A minor scuffle broke out when security personnel attempted to physically lift the protesters and put them inside waiting police vans, officials said. A Kolkata Police officer said all the agitators were taken into custody and later released on PR bonds. Police used minimum force to disperse the protesters, the officer added. Former MLA Manoj Chakraborty told PTI that similar demonstrations were held at Baharampur in Murshidabad district and various other places in . (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister on Friday said Prime Minister has introduced innovation in governance and made it technology-driven. This is the essence of the success story of Modi's mantra of "reform, perform and transform", said Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel. Speaking after the launch of 16th edition of Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedure (CSMOP) 2022, he said, there is continuous innovation in reforms under Modi, who takes personal interest in all governance related issues. Singh said that besides making governance technology driven, Prime Minister Modi has also introduced innovation in governance reforms, according to a Personnel Ministry statement. He also informed that some of the success stories in governance reforms implemented by Modi as Chief Minister of Gujarat are being replicated at the Centre like the abolition of interviews, prompt redressal of grievances and weeding out of obsolete laws. Singh said, since 2014, when Modi took charge at the Centre, there is a visible change in the work culture and all the ministries are strictly adhering to timelines in execution of projects. Referring to CSMOP 2022, the minister said, after 2019, this is the second manual prepared by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) within such a short time under Modi government and this is a clear-cut reflection of continuity, consistency and innovation in reforms. Referring to productive and result-oriented reforms in grievance redressal, Singh said, the DARPG in the Union Ministry of Personnel has emerged as a role model, which many of the states and UTs are trying to emulate. He also pointed out that requests are pouring in from several states and UTs for linking their grievance portal with the Centre's CPGRAMS. The Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System or CPGRAMS - a portal -- allows citizens to register complaints against government departments. Singh said, after Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, several such requests are being received. Apart from the launch of 16th edition of CSMOP 2022, he also launched Impact Evaluation Report of the Initiative for Increasing Efficiency in Decision Making in the central secretariat 2022, Swachhta Assessment Report 2022 and CPGRAMS monthly report July 2022. The Swachhta Assessment Report 2022 highlights that the swachhta campaign has resulted in holistic process improvement in disposal of pending matters by central ministries/ departments with focus on cleanliness process adoption. The swachhta campaign activities are implemented on a regular basis in all ministries/departments for three hours/ week. The success of the campaign is highlighted by the efficient management of the space and bringing pendency down by significant margin. As many as 12 lakh sq feet of space was freed and scrap worth Rs 62 crore was disposed. V Srinivas, Secretary DARPG said that the CPGRAMS monthly report is a unique initiative to present a comprehensive analysis on types and categories of public grievances in government of India and nature of disposal along with relative performance of ministries/departments. The CPGRAMS monthly report says that 68,576 public grievances cases were redressed in July 2022 along with 8,539 appeals. The monthly report contains the grievance redressal index which ranks ministries/ departments on the overall quality and timely disposal of grievances. Department of Land Resources, Department of Public Enterprises and Department of Expenditure are the top performers in the grievance redressal index for July 2022. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi [India], August 5 (ANI/PNN): IBC Media has returned with one of the most prominent events in the Blockchain and Web 3.0 space, the much-awaited basket of events including the Hackathon series, Skill building programs, Startups pitch competitions, DeFi competitions and a mega conference with government and key Blockchain players. The Hackathon events leading to the Mega Hackathon and conference have already commenced with IBC-HACK-1 on July 30, 2022. The "Kick-off Event witnesses the presence of several top educational institutions leadership and reinforces the commitment towards skill building in the latest Blockchain technologies. It will also see the emergence of several ideas and their conversion into innovative startup companies down the line. IBC Media's 5-year program framework includes complementary events leading toward the overall goal of Blockchain ecosystem development at a rapid speed, solving some of the adoptions challenges that this industry is facing today. IBC Media has embarked on a 5-year journey to bring notable advancements in the field of blockchain and Web 3.0 with the chief regulators by its side. The event is set to be held at the Danube Auditorium, Tech Mahindra Learning Centre, Hyderabad. Additionally, IBC Media is hosting an innovation program in association with the Government of Karnataka across 1,000 engineering schools and top Web 3.0 ecosystems. The event aims to do so by bringing the likes of tech enthusiasts, state governments, sponsors, partners, and industry experts on common ground. Four major streams, including hackathons, Start-up Pitch Competitions, DeFi Competitions, and Government-led Conferences, constitute the IBC 2.0 CONTINUUM. The four events will pave the way for the main conference scheduled for January 9, 10 and 11, 2023. IBC 2.0 CONTINUUM is establishing itself as the biggest and the most significant event in the Blockchain and Web3 space. With the grassroots level efforts, in close collaboration with the government of Indian states, leading global blockchain companies, educational institutions, Investors, accelerators and startup entities, IBC Media is excited about bringing the much-needed skill enrichment to this industry, working towards mass adoption of the technology, helping in the evolution of the next set of innovative startups and building a much wide Blockchain user ecosystem !! This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) According to Dutch cybersecurity firm Surfshark VPN, India had the second highest number of data breaches in the first half of 2022. And on Friday, a Ukrainian cybersecurity researcher claimed that sensitive personal data of 280 million Indian citizens allegedly from the Employees Provident Fund Organisation database surfaced online. Each record allegedly included personal information like full name, nominee details, marital status, address, bank account numbers, Aadhaar details, income levels etc. India currently lacks a sound legislation for data protection. After five years in the making, the bill that was designed to protect the privacy of Indians, the Personal Data Protection Bill 2019, was withdrawn by the government on Wednesday. The government assured to table a new bill soon. A committee led by former Supreme Court Justice BN Srikrishna, constituted in August 2017, submitted the draft PDP Bill 2018 the following year. On December 11th, 2019, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology tabled the PDP Bill 2019 in Lok Sabha. The same day, it was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee, which tabled its report two years later, on December 16, 2021. IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the bill was withdrawn because the panel suggested 81 amendments and 12 major recommendations. The bill had alarmed big technology companies like Meta and Google, who feared it could increase their compliance burden, data storage requirements and restrict cross-border flow of data. As the bill provided large exemptions to government departments, several privacy advocates said it would allow agencies to abuse access to data. The parliamentary panel also said that non-personal data should be included in the purview of the bill, which originally focused only on individual privacy in tune with the 2017 Supreme Court verdict that held Right to Privacy as a fundamental right. Speaking to Business Standard, Tejasi Panjiar, Associate Policy Counsel, Internet Freedom Foundation says, there is no denying the bill was imperfect. But it went through long consultation and review process. What shouldve taken us forward brought us back to square one, he says. The delay has consequences for Indian consumers and companies alike Salman Waris, Managing Partner, TechLegis Advocates & Solicitors, says consumers will be the ultimate sufferers as their data is at risk. Govt may bring two bills for personal and non-personal data. India's outsourcing industry will face hurdles while serving global clients. The government says it is working on a comprehensive legal framework after considering the parliamentary panels report. Meanwhile, the Internet Freedom Foundation has argued that the existing legal vacuum on data protection is an infringement of the fundamental right to privacy. Whether or not the new bill addresses the existing concerns raised by companies and privacy advocates, the wait for a personal data protection law in India gets longer. Permanent TSB Group Holdings plc has announced the appointment of Nicola OBrien as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) following a competitive selection process. OBrien will also join the Board as an Executive Director. These appointments will take effect immediately. OBrien is currently Head of Finance and Investor Relations at Permanent TSB and a member of the Banks Senior Leadership Team. She has extensive finance, business, strategic and change experience. Prior to her current role, Nicola held a number of senior roles in Bank of Ireland, including; Head of Finance Group Customer Operations; Head of Group Finance Strategy; and, Divisional Financial Controller for the Retail Ireland Division. Following her appointment, OBrien will become a member of the Banks Executive Committee and will join the Permanent TSB Board as an Executive Director. Speaking this week, Nicola OBrien said, "I am delighted to be taking up the role of CFO at Permanent TSB and to be joining the Permanent TSB Executive Committee and Board. The Bank is undergoing an exciting transformation and is well positioned for significant growth and I look forward to working with Eamonn and the wider team to bring Permanent TSB to its next stage." Welcoming her in the role, Permanent TSB CEO, Eamonn Crowley said, "Nicolas strong business acumen and in-depth knowledge of Permanent TSB will be of huge value to the Bank, particularly as we complete the acquisition of certain elements of the Ulster Bank business in the months ahead. I look forward to working with Nicola as we evolve our business to achieve our ambition of becoming Irelands best personal and small business bank." Source: www.businessworld.ie A new report from the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) has shown a sharp decline in the number of pubs doing business throughout the country since 2005. 'The Irish Pub: Stopping the Decline report,' based on the groups analysis of Revenue license data and including an economic and social analysis by Dublin City University (DCU) Associate Professor Emeritus and economist Anthony Foley, shows a 21.2% decline in the number of pubs in Ireland from 2005 to 2021. All 26 counties experienced declines in pub numbers through the 16-year period. The largest decrease was seen in Laois with 30.6% less pubs since 2005. This was the only county with a decrease of 30% or more. The lowest decrease was in Meath with 1.4% less. Meath was followed by Dublin, reporting a decrease of only 4.3%. All the remaining 23 counties had decreases greater than 10%. Three counties, Carlow (10.4%), Kildare (13.6%), and Wicklow (10.1%) showed decreases between 10% and 14.9% while Cavan (17.2%), Kerry (15.3), Kilkenny (18.1%), Monaghan (19.8%), and Wexford (17.2%) were in the 15% to 19.9% decrease bracket. All the remaining counties had decreases of more than 20%. Six counties, Clare (24.7%), Galway (20.6%), Louth (20.3%), Sligo (24%), Waterford (23.5%), and Westmeath (24.4%) were in the 20% to 24.9% decrease band, while nine counties Cork (28.5%), Donegal (26.3%), Leitrim (26.4%), Limerick (29.1%), Longford (25.7%), Mayo (25.1%), Offaly (29.9%), Roscommon (28.3%), and Tipperary (26.3%) saw decreases between 25% and 29.9%. According to an economic and social analysis of the numbers, economist Anthony Foley notes that public houses contribute to the culture and vibrancy of villages, small towns, and rural areas in many ways. They contribute to tourism and provide an extensive network of physical facilities and services needed by tourists and locals. Foley cites concerns for the impact of the decline on rural Ireland, when taken in the context of wider challenges facing areas outside Dublin. When you consider decreases in the number of post offices, full bank branches, Garda stations, local retail enterprises and a wide range of other services and facilities, there are concerns about the commercial capability of small towns and villages with large levels of commercial building vacancy. According to the analysis, Foley suggests there is likely to be a negative social impact arising from the trend and extent of closures, especially in rural and remote areas in Ireland. Foley cites a number of reasons for the decline including non-replacement of pub operators on retirement or death, low levels of business volume and economic sustainability, regulatory changes such as tighter drink driving laws and enforcement allied with weak or non-existent public transport and population change and distribution, among others. Commenting on the report, recently appointed Chair of DIGI and Communications and Corporate Affairs Director at Irish Distillers, Kathryn DArcy said, "The Irish pub has been in a steady decline for years, and these stark figures once again highlight the need to secure the sustainable future of our pubs. Central to this is introducing policy measures which can make both an immediate difference and a long-term impact in terms of delivering sustainable policy to support these businesses. DIGI is seeking a reduction in Irelands high excise tax rate which would deliver on this." Source: www.businessworld.ie One of the worlds leading medical technology companies, Stryker, this week celebrated the official opening of a new high-tech facility at Anngrove with a visit from Taoiseach Micheal Martin TD, the IDA and other local guests. The new 156,000-square-foot development creates capacity for 600 high-tech jobs in the future, and will help further Strykers leadership in additive manufacturing. Stryker has made significant investments in Anngrove and will continue to invest for growth. Stryker provides additive manufacturing technologies, also known as 3D printing, to healthcare innovation, particularly for the manufacture of specialised medical devices. The company manufactures products to treat bone-related conditions across knees, hips, shoulder, ankle, craniomaxillofacial and spine, as well as patient-specific solutions for people with significant disease progression often with no alternative. In addition to housing Strykers manufacturing facilities, Anngrove is also the worldwide headquarters of the AMagine Institute, which is the center of excellence for additive manufacturing across Stryker. The institute develops breakthrough technologies, from early research and development to full commercial launch and scaling, and deploys these new technologies across its full portfolio of products and services. Speaking this week, Group President Global Quality and Operations at Stryker, Viju Menon said, "The new facility and talent will continue to unlock new opportunities that were previously not possible, accelerate innovation globally and further support our mission to make healthcare better together with our customers. With our experience and proprietary technology, we are excited to impact more patients and drive growth with this additional investment.We are also pleased to expand our talent base in Ireland with engaging roles across a range of disciplines. At Stryker we are committed to a diverse, safe and inclusive work environment." Welcoming the news, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said, "I am delighted to be at the opening of Strykers newly expanded Anngrove facility, a very welcome development for Cork and the South West region. Todays opening and announcement of the capacity for new jobs is testament to the capability, dedication and vision of the Stryker team, and of the growth and success of Stryker here. Government will work to ensure Ireland continues to be an attractive location for the med-tech sector, and business in general, supported by our highly-skilled and talented workforce." Source: www.businessworld.ie Discovery Late last year, animation historian Raul Manrupe found a listing on MercadoLibre, a local online marketplace, titled Pelicula 16 Mm Dibujo B/n Mudo Dibujante Cristiani Unica !! Accompanying the post were two photos, one of a title card which read Un gran partido de futbol and one of a drawing identical to preserved promotional material from Cristianis penultimate film Entre pitos y flautas. I saw those frames that were in the listing and I knew immediately what movie it was. The frame in the listing was one of the few known to have been widely shared from a film about which very little is known, Manrupe explained to Cartoon Brew. He quickly alerted the Buenos Aires-based film archive Cineteca Vida. After verifying the films authenticity, the organization then purchased the reel. According to the seller, it was found in a group of old film cans they had recently purchased. About The Film Little is known about the production or distribution of Entre pitos y flautas. The Fundacion Cineteca Vida was able to confirm that the film won an award granted by the municipality of Buenos Aires in 1941. Coincidentally, that was the year that Walt Disney visited Buenos Aires and met Cristiani. The legend goes that Disney offered Cristiani a job at his U.S. studio, but the Argentine declined. At the time, many short films were copied and rented out to theaters or for in-home use. Its likely that the found version of Entre pitos y flautas is one of those copies, which could also explain why it has a different title card than the original. Miraculously, the film was found in great condition. After acquiring the reel, Alejandra Portela at Cineteca Vida was able to scrape together enough money to fund the restoration of the 16mm film and produce a digitized 4K version. Visual gags and surreal humor The film has a lot of great gags and visual humor, said Manrupe. The referees are in cartoonish old-fashioned pants and caps and there are fans in the stands with machine guns. He also notes a degree of fantasy that is present in much of Cristianis work. There is a level of surrealism to it as well. One player kicks the ball at the referee and it makes a hole in his chest. Another passes the ball far into the sky and God kicks it back from the heavens. Exhibition Entre pitos y flautas, or in this case Un gran partido de futbol, screens on August 4, at 8:00 p.m. local time at the Centro Cultural 25 de Mayo in Buenos Aires, presented by the Fundacion Cineteca Vida. The film will be accompanied by a roundtable featuring Cristianis grandson Hector Cristiani, restorationist Laura Gomez, and esteemed animation filmmaker Juan Pablo Zaramella (Luminaris, The Tiniest Man in the World). PLA drills a deterrent to collusion between United States and China's Taiwan: spokesperson Xinhua) 08:17, August 05, 2022 BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese military spokesperson on Thursday said the military exercises around the Taiwan Island are a strong deterrent to collusion between the United States and Taiwan region. Expressing strong indignation and opposition towards Speaker of U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan region, Tan Kefei, spokesperson of China's Ministry of National Defense, said the Chinese armed forces will deliver what it says. The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has organized joint-service combat training exercises in the waters and airspace off the Taiwan Island, which include sea target assaults, strikes on land targets, and airspace control operations, as well as live firing of precision-guided munitions, according to Tan. Tan said Chinese armed forces will resolutely defend the country's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will never leave any room for any form of "Taiwan independence" activities and external interference. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) A dangerous kitchen fire on Thursday afternoon pinned family members in the second story of their Chattanooga house, but quick-thinking neighbors took action to help them get out as firefighters rushed to the scene. Multiple 911 calls were made around 4:30 p.m. with reports of smoke coming from a home in the 1200 block of Franklin Drive off East Brainerd Road. Several of the residents made it out safely, but others were upstairs and found themselves trapped. A neighbor spotted a girl in one of the upstairs windows and convinced her to jump into his arms, saving her. Then he saw her father in another upstairs window. The resident later told fire officials that the smoke was so thick and dark that he struggled to even find a window. The neighbor got help from another Good Samaritan who lives nearby and together they pulled a trampoline over so the man could jump out of the second story window without getting hurt. CFD Green Shift companies arrived and found heavy black smoke as well as flames through the roof on the side of the structure. They launched an interior attack and had the fire under control in less than 20 minutes. Firefighters rotated in the heat and did a thorough overhaul to make sure the flames were fully extinguished. The cooking fire was mostly contained to the kitchen area. It displaced two adults and six children. There were no injuries. Fire officials said, "We commend the heroic neighbors who stepped up to save lives in this terrifying and dangerous situation. Their fast thinking, resourcefulness and bravery were remarkable. Ladder 13, Squad 13, Quint 8, Quint 6, Squad 7, Ladder 7, Battalion 1 and Battalion 2 responded, along with the American Red Cross who will be assisting the impacted family. Highway 58s Rehab Truck, EPB, CPD and HCEMS were also on the scene." Also on this scene as crews were launching firefighting operations and working to establish a water supply, several drivers going past the location drove over the fire hoses. Officials said, "Please do not do this. It could potentially damage the lines and impede on efforts to attack the fire, endangering firefighters and any victims who could still be inside. It can also cause damage to your vehicle and leave you with a citation." The only Democrat on the ballot in Bradley County won over Cleveland businessman Allan Jones for the District 5 seat on the Cleveland School Board in the voting on Thursday. Jodi Riggins, a 71-year-old award-winning healthcare worker, won 715 to 596. Mr. Jones had hit the condition of the Cleveland Schools and said he would bring a number of improvements. Ms. Riggins helped launch the Good Samaritan Clinic in Cleveland and was honored by the General Assembly for her community accomplishments. Unopposed for Cleveland School Board were at large Matthew Coleman, District 3 Andy Lay and District 4 Peggy Pesterfield. Marsha McKenzie defeated Nolan Tippens 242-56 in the District 1 contest for the Cleveland City Council. Ms. McKenzie was appointed to the City Council Feb. 10, 2021, following the death of her husband, Councilman Charlie McKenzie. Bill Estes was unopposed in District 2 and Ken Webb had no opposition for the at large seat. Cleveland Mayor Kevin Brooks, a former state legislator, won another term as mayor unopposed. A collection of sayings of the late humorist, Lewis Grizzard was released in 1995 following his death on March 20, 1994, by his fourth wife of four days, Dedra K. Grizzard. They were called Grizzardisms and cover a variety of short quotes extracted from his published twenty-one books. Periodically, they will be quoted singularly as well as part of a bigger writing from the wealth of humor from a satirical genius who died too soon at the age of 47. The following quips on Politics are written, for an earlier time but are still relevant and pertinent to the political circus unfolding in 2022. No. 1: Politicians are a lot like wild beasts. Drugged, they are a lot less dangerous. No. 2: You dont mess with Charles Bronson, Mother Nature, or the Constitution. Sooner or later, they will all get revenge. No. 3: Watergate: The older I get, the more I think it was much ado about nothing other than a new breed of journalists running amok instead of covering fires. No. 4: I think Jimmy Carter would have been a lot better off as president if, when he moved to Washington, he had told brother Billy to wait in the truck. No. 5: Atlanta mayor Maynard Jackson is a person of size. Im not saying hes fat, or anything like that, but I will say when he steps on a cigarette, that sucker is out. * * * You can reach Jerry Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com) A woman on Harley Street told police she heard her neighbor scream. Police arrived on scene and spoke with the couple in the house next door to the woman. The couple told police there was no problem, they had just been having sex. * * * Police were called to a disorder prevention at a residence on Standifer Gap Road. A woman told police her son was arrested and his girlfriend drove his car away without the registered owner of the vehicle's permission. She told police the woman keeps telling her she will give the car back. Officers made contact with the woman and she gave officers the keys to the vehicle. * * * Officers responded to a disorder prevention at apartment on Reserve Way. Officers observed a white Trailblazer leaving the apartment complex. Other officers stopped the vehicle and detained the driver. The woman who had called police said they were in a verbal argument over a money order. She said nothing physical happened. Officers asked the man what happened, and he said they were in a verbal argument and that nothing physical happened. At that time, the man was taken out of handcuffs. Both of them left the scene and separated. * * * An anonymous caller texted 911 and said his friend was being robbed by four black males with guns at Bread Factory Lofts, 1615 Cowart St. Dispatch and police attempted to call the reporting person several times, however he would not answer. Police searched the area, but nothing was located. * * * A woman on Marigold Drive, known for making false calls, reported her boyfriend was texting her and that he's on probation and staying at a house on Dorsey Street. * * * A man on Walnut Street told police he needed assistance getting to a friend's house a few blocks away on High Street. Police gave the man a ride to his friend's at the 400 block of High Street. * * * A caller reported an automobile broken down at 700 Interstate 75 NB at the Jenkins Road off-ramp. Police located a silver Ford F-150 truck (TN tag) sitting stationary in the left lane of travel with its lights off. Police approached the vehicle and found it unoccupied with the doors locked. Due to the vehicle being in the lane of travel with its lights off, police had the truck towed by Les's Wrecker to their lot at 6221 Hwy. 58. * * * Security at the Walnut Street parking garage, 609 Walnut St., observed a man via surveillance footage on the property and requested he be removed by police. Police spoke with the man and told him not to be on the property, to which he complied. * * * A resident on Bible Lane told police there had been suspicious people on his property. He wished to be placed onto the Watch List to try to deter trespassers. Police put the residence on the Watch List. * * * A verbal disorder was reported at Dogwood Manor Apartments on Gateway Avenue. Police found a couple arguing in the lobby of the sixth floor. The verbal disorder was resolved while police were on the scene. * * * A woman on Cleveland Avenue told police that an older blue Chevrolet Impala (GA tag) had been parked outside her house for the past week. Police found that the vehicle had a valid tag and was not stolen. Due to the vehicle having a flat tire and having been there for a week, police proceeded to attach an unattended vehicle sticker on the driver's side window. * * * A woman on N. Natchez Road told police that overnight some property was stolen out of her unlocked Toyota. * * * A man told police that overnight someone entered his Nissan truck and moved his property from the cab to the bed while it was parked at his residence on Boylston Street. He said nothing had been stolen, the truck was locked and there were no signs of forced entry. * * * A man on S. Lyerly Street told police a woman took his keys and would not give them back. As police were arriving on scene, the man had gotten his keys and was getting into his vehicle to leave. He told police that everything was fine and he was leaving. The man left the scene and police attempted to make contact with the woman, but got no answer at the door. * * * EPB employees at 1806 Dixon St., told police they were getting numerous calls for outages in the area of Dixon Street. They discovered that the fiber wires ($24,000) between poles X4264 and X4176 had been damaged by what they believe was a projectile from a firearm. Chattanooga retired broadcaster and Chattanoogan.com writer Earl Freudenberg told members of the Kiwanis Club of Ooltewah-Collegedale of some of the events during his nearly 55 years on the radio as a reporter and talk show host. Mr. Freudenberg related a few of the news stories to the Kiwanis Club. They included the 1964 kidnapping of Dr. Robert Demos from his Riverview home. After a police pursuit to Rome, Ga., his kidnapper surrendered. He talked about the 1967 Peerless Woolen Mills fire in Rossville, when Fire and Police Commissioner James Bookie Turner sent the fire department across state lines. The fire left several thousand without a job. Commissioner Turner told the reporter, I made the decision because 40 percent of the Peerless employees lived in Tennessee. Commissioner Turner said, Thats a lot of food on family tables. Mr. Freudenberg said he reported the story on national CBS radio. The speaker told of the day the Hamilton National Bank in Chattanooga collapsed in 1976. He said he broke the story on WDOD, 25 minutes before the FDIC made the announcement. The broadcaster said in the mid 70s, he met President Gerald Ford when he addressed the Chattanooga Engineers Club at the Choo Choo and he traveled to the First Baptist Church of Calhoun, Ga. when Governor Jimmy Carter was running for President. Freudenberg said, "Reporters could not ask the Georgia Democrat any political questions but report on Mr. Carters Sunday School Lesson." As Mr. Freudenberg remembered, The lesson was on kindness. Mr. Freudenberg covered five members of Congress from the 3rd Congressional District including Bill Brock, Lamar Baker, Marilyn Lloyd, Zach Wamp and Chuck Fleischmann. In 1973, when Mr. Brock was Senator he called the Army Soldier at the American Forces Network in Frankfurt W. Germany. Senators Brock and Sam Nunn were on their way to NATO. The Chattanooga native remembered Presidential candidate and Senator Barry Goldwaters visit to the Scenic City and touring Combustion Engineering. Members of the E. Hamilton High School Key Club were special guests at the club meeting. Ralph Rimmy Miller, Jr. , high school classmate of the broadcaster, was also in attendance. Mr. Freudenberg was introduced by East Hamilton County insurance executive and program chairman Don Self. Club secretary Jacquelyn Brown presided over the meeting. Also in attendance were Chattanooga Funeral Home Vice President Stephen Pike and CFH directors - club members Bill Owens and Dean Gentry. With over 5,900 people voting and 3,271 of those coming in early voting, Rhea Countians elected a new county executive and several new commissioners for the next four years. Jim Vincent, who has been interim county executive since George Thacker had to step down after pleading guilty to wire fraud, was the winner. He led the field of seven by getting 1,585 votes to his closest challenger, Dayton Fire Department Assistant Chief Adam McRorie with 1,168 votes. Brittany Dean-Fisher received 967 votes followed by Dustin Henderson with 903. County Commissioner Rusty Rogers had 486 votes with Jeremy Horton getting 467. Marty Revis was at the end of the pack with 134 votes. County Commissioner Rusty Rogers had 486 votes with Jeremy Horton getting 467. Marty Revis was at the end of the pack with 134 votes. Mr. Vincent, a former County Commissioner in Hamilton County and state legislator, was chairman of the commission and represented the Seventh District after being appointed in 2019 after the death of Commissioner Ronnie Raper. Mr. Vincent bested Masen Cheeks in a 2020 race to fill the remainder of the term. He said, I really appreciate the county electing me and putting their faith and confidence in me. I truly love Rhea County and the people of Rhea County. It was an honor to serve the county as a whole. I love this community. We are blessed to live in Rhea County. I am ready to go to work for the best of this county." Mr. Vincent, who had thought of retirement after he turned 75 this year, decided to run for the county executive spot after the Thacker resignation. . Only commissioners Jim Reed and Emily Fugate did not face opposition. They will be joined by incumbent District 1 Commissioner Billy Thedford, who beat Jonathan Roberts by only 39 votes. This was Mr. Roberts' first time venturing into politics. Incumbent 3rd District Commissioner Phillip Dunn breezed back to serve four years on the commission besting Jennifer Gentry by 190 votes. Former County Commissioner Grover Parks received 29 votes. Mr. Dunn was appointed to the County Commission in November after the death of Harold Fisher. Fourth District Incumbent Leo Stephens held off challenges from two-time candidate Jack Kauffman. Commissioner Stephens got 327 votes to Mr. Kauffmans 136. Joe Burgess finished with 149 votes. Sandy Francisco held off a challenge by realtor Bailey Hufstetler getting 58 percent of the vote to his 42 percent. With Jim Vincent deciding not to run for the Seventh District seat, Tommy Ballard won the post beating his closest opponent Bradlee Brown by 108 votes. Bill Hollin, who has been on the commission for over 20 years, was defeated by newcomer Nick Welch in his first race. Mr. Welch gathered 68 percent of the vote to Mr. Hollins' 32 percent. Mark Cashman will replace Ninth District Commissioner Rusty Rogers after holding off two others. Mr. Cashman garnered 206 votes to Jimbo Miles' 175. Waldens Ridge resident Lealan McSpadden carried 144 votes. Jane Scott Graham, a retired teacher from the Rhea County School System, will become a new member of the Rhea County School Board. She beat Anthony Roddy 325 to 76. Brenda Hill, who had been on the board, decided not to run this year. In the only other contested school board race, Dennis Akin defeated Doug Colvin 623 to 203. Current board member Dale Harris was defeated by Mr. Akin in the May primary. The other three school board races were not contested. Returning for four-year terms are Johnny Mincy, Perry Massengill and Henry Reid. Incumbents Sheriff Mike Neal, Circuit Court Clerk Jamie Holloway, Trustee Neva Webb, Registrar of Deeds Teresa Hulgan, General Sessions Judge Jace Cochran, and longtime Court Clerk Linda Shaver all were re-elected without opposition. Ms. Webb led the elected officials getting a 4,668 complimentary vote. Mrs. Shaver has been in office for 24 years making her the current longest serving elected official. She started in 1978 working for Court Clerk Jimmy Wilkey and took over from him when he was elected county executive in 1998. Sheriff Neal now becomes the longest serving sheriff in the history of Rhea County besting Leon Sneed by four years. Sheriff Neal also holds the accolade of being the youngest sheriff elected in Rhea County. He has been in office since 2002 beating Chief Deputy Charlie Byrd for the top cop spot. The BLVD Project and Rossville Downtown Development Authority are hosting the last open-air market of the summer on Friday from 4-8 p.m. There will be a live performance by Barefoot Nellie, with food and alcohol available for purchase from Amigos at Peerless Mill. Guests can expect a wide variety of other retailers, including produce, flowers, original artwork, and consumable goods. The markets have drawn crowds of hundreds of people, with many residents requesting for them to continue. Due to the popular demand, the monthly markets will resume this fall, opening on the first Friday of October, November and December at 207 Chickamauga Ave. The monthly markets will each have their own themes, with a taco tour fiesta in October, a fall theme in November, and a holiday market in December. The executive director of The BLVD Project, Heather Herweyer, said the group decided to host open-air markets after completing a series of workshops led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The workshops were granted to a select few cities across the country to stimulate economic development, repurpose vacant lots, and increase community access to fresh produce. A market in this area seemed like it would have the most potential to lead to future development," said Ms. Herweyer. "Residents in our area are always traveling to other parts of Chattanooga/North Georgia to have fun and procure goods. We wanted to test our hypothesis that if fun events were offered in our area, people would stay here and spend their money on our local businesses here." Executive Director for Rossville Downtown Development Authority, Tobey Hill, says the markets will give residents a chance to feel Rossville. This event gives us a much-needed opportunity to be a destination - even if it is just for a few hours. We want people to begin to see and experience Rossville differently, and I think this outdoor market series will be a vital step forward in inviting people to come in and experience our community." Local business owner Jay Martin says the events are a welcomed change. As a new business in Rossville, Flora de Mel is thrilled to see more light coming to the area. Artists' markets bring energy, creativity, and much needed love to downtown Rossville, and we very much look forward to participating." The BLVD is a group of neighbors, businesses, property owners, and passionate citizens. Several sponsors are committed to the inaugural markets, including Bridge Innovate, Simply Bank, and CSL Plasma. To sponsor a fall market, email heather@theblvdproject.com. Aaron Wilkerson with Spectrum Concessions and Events, the organizer for the Moon River Music Festival, received a temporary beer permit for the event that will take place this year on Saturday, Sept. 10, and Sunday, Sept. 11. This is the seventh year for the music festival that was originally held in Memphis but moved to Chattanooga four years ago. Mr. Wilkerson described Moon River as a mellow, easy going music festival. He said the crowd of 10,000 each day will be mostly made up of adults. It will be held in Coolidge Park, 150 River St. This year there will be eight bars, including two VIP locations. Each will have an app which will scan IDs and to detect its status - valid or fake, for example and to ensure the person is 21 or above. All bartenders will be certified by the state of Tennessee, Mr. Wilkerson told the board. Another annual festival, Rail & Hops Brewers Festival, is scheduled for Sept. 3 and will take place at Miller Park, 850 Market St. from 5-10 p.m. The event is a fundraiser for SoundCorps, an organization that has a mission of supporting local music, Executive Director Stratton Tingle told the board. It will be a beer-only event with 30 breweries, each serving about two craft beers. This event is for ages 21 and up and IDs will be checked at the gate. A ticket includes a tasting glass and the ability to taste all the beers available. There will also be live music. The festival will be surrounded with fencing and Georgia Avenue and 10th Street will be closed to expand the footprint. Around 1,200-2,000 people are expected. Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful can now boast a fleet of two 26-foot river cleanup boats after celebrating the maiden voyage of the organizations second boat earlier this week with a cleanup held on Fort Loudoun Lake of the Tennessee River. The nonprofits board members and their families participated in the cleanup, removing 1,453 pounds of trash during the boats first venture on the water. The purchase of the custom aluminum john boat, named The Holston after one of the two rivers that converge to form the Tennessee River, was made possible largely through funding and donations from TVA, Yamaha Rightwaters, a Knoxville-based Home Depot (Schaad Road) store, and Premier Watersports of Knoxville. Having this second boat in our fleet is going to be a gamechanger that will allow us to arguably double our impact for the seven-state Tennessee River watershed, said Kathleen Gibi, KTNRB executive director. Were particularly proud that such a wide-ranging representation of sponsors who we see as champions for our waterways were willing to step up to help us acquire this boat, because its going to take an effort from all levels of the community to protect our precious river system. Having just one boat up until now, KTNRB hosts over 40 river cleanups a year throughout the seven-state Tennessee River watershed, with more than 700 volunteers helping them to remove over 152,000 pounds of trash in 2021. Following the cleanup held this week, nearly 300 volunteers have helped to remove over 85,000 pounds of trash in 2022 thus far. TVA, who helped to start Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful in 2016, provided funding that primarily assisted with the purchase of the custom john boat and trailer. Though TVA is primarily known for supplying power to 153 individual local power companies, it also has a Natural Resources group that supports more than 40 river cleanup groups each year. Since TVA helped KTNRB acquire their first boat in 2019 and was a founding partner, it only made since that we help with the expansion of obtaining the second boat," said Rebecca Hayden, director, Natural Resources at TVA. "Providing funding to organizations like KTNRB help TVA to meet is mission of service by providing natural resource stewardship and outdoor recreation opportunities on TVAs public lands and waters across the valley. Their efforts help to provide a safe, natural environment not just for the public, but also for wildlife. Yamaha Rightwaters donated the V MAX SHO 90 outboard motor and tiller arm. The motor matches a replica donation Yamaha made in 2020 for KTNRBs first boat, The Tennessee. Since the first motor donation was made in 2020, KTNRB has been able to remove over 293,000 pounds of trash from the Tennessee River watershed. Two Yamaha facilities call the Tennessee River home, so it only makes sense for Yamaha Rightwaters to work alongside of KTNRB to keep the Tennessee Rivers waterways clean, said John OKeefe, specialist, Government Relations, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit and KTNRB board member. This is an organization that is really making a difference its that simple. We look forward to helping KTNRB accelerate its mission with a second cleanup boat. Yamaha Rightwaters has also consistently sponsored KTNRBs annual Ripple Effect Awards, through which river champions are recognized for outstanding efforts to protect local waterways. Preparing a boat to be river-worthy involves expenses beyond the boat, motor and trailer purchase, and KTNRB received help on this front, as well. A Knoxville-based Home Depot (Schaad Road) store donated approximately $2,500 in supplies. This included a truck bed tool box that was welded onto the boat to serve as a dry box, pressure-treated wood that was used to make volunteer benches spanning the 26-foot boat, and a variety of river cleanup tools and safety gear that help the boat to meet U.S. Coast Guard standards. Premier Watersports of Knoxville saved KTNRB a large sum by donating the labor expenses of installing Yamahas motor and tiller arm. They also donated a gas tank (filled with gas), and a boat battery with a water-proof case. For a nonprofit with a humble budget like ours is, these covered costs go a long way for us to be able to make an even greater impact on our waterways, and were so very grateful to each of our sponsors for making this boat purchase possible, said Ms. Gibi. Until now, Ms. Gibi said that KTNRB was in the position of each cleanup relying on their one boat being operational. As their first boat had been through several years of service and as the requests for river cleanups have increased, they realized that a backup boat was essential. Soon, however, Ms. Gibi said that KTNRB staffing will add two positions that will serve as boat captains at cleanups, among other organizational responsibilities. Currently, Ms. Gibi is the only full-time staff member and sole boat driver for the nonprofit. She said theyre working on securing funding for the new positions now and hope to begin hiring in 2023. The momentum weve had from the support of volunteers, partners and sponsors over the last few years has been inspiring and overwhelming, said Ms. Gibi. Its our mission to inspire others to take action for this river, and thats what were seeing more and more. Representatives of the governments of Whitfield County and the cities of Dalton, Varnell, Tunnel Hill, and Cohutta tentatively approved a distribution arrangement for funding from the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) at a meeting Friday at Daltons City Hall. The agreement will now go to the respective governments for ratification at their next scheduled meetings. State law requires county and municipal governments in counties where a LOST is collected to negotiate distribution arrangements for the ten-year periods following a new Census. The distribution of LOST revenues between the City of Dalton and the other governments will remain at current level over the next ten years, with Dalton receiving 36% of LOST revenues. There are minor changes in the agreement, with the fees the City of Dalton pays to Whitfield County for stormwater regulatory program administration being reduced and the operations of the Senior Center being taken over by Whitfield County on Jan. 1, 2023. Im proud that weve worked together to have an agreement within the 60-day negotiation period as required by law, said Dalton city administrator Andrew Parker. At a county and city management level between (county manager) Bob Sivick and I, all the way down through the department heads, this round of LOST negotiations has been much more streamlined. And I think its just a testament to the great channel of open communication that we have and trying to work together to deliver the best services to the citizens of Dalton and Whitfield County. Daltons share of the LOST revenues increased by one percentage point every other year over the span of the most recent ten-year LOST agreement, from 32% to the current rate of 36%. Thanks to increases in collections of sales taxes driven by the growth of the local economy, the LOST collections have helped local governments avoid tax increases and Dalton leaders expect that to continue. Particularly in 2022, post-COVID lockdowns, weve seen large increases in sales tax collections in the city and in the county because of new businesses. Downtown, all of the downtown storefronts are full. Weve seen growth out in the West Walnut Avenue corridor from a retail/commercial restaurant service standpoint, Mr. Parker said. And thats all great because its a use tax, a sales tax so people who dont even live in the community are paying it and its really helped the city particularly to keep our millage rate for property tax as low as possible. The Dalton Mayor and Councils next meeting is schedule for Monday, Aug. 15, at 6 p.m. at City Hall where the council is expected to vote on ratification of the agreement. The National Urban Leagues prestigious Quarter Century Club inducted three board members from the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga (ULGC). Membership in the Quarter Century Club is based on the personal commitment of 25 years of service as a board member, an advisory committee member of the board, a board program committee member, a guild member, an exempt or non-exempt staff member or any combination of these positions held in the movement. Each year, the National Urban League evaluates nominees from local Urban League Affiliates across the U.S. The 2022 inductees from Chattanooga include Judge Curtis Collier, Dorothy Lee Grisham and Albert Waterhouse. Inductees were honored last month at the pinning ceremony and Quarter Century Club Mahlon T. Puryear Dinner during the National Urban Leagues Annual Conference. Marc Morial, National Urban League President, shared his thanks and remarks with the Quarter Century Club inductees at the dinner. Grisham and Johnson attended the National Urban League conference where President Johnson was able to pin Grisham with the special lapel pin that is worn by this elite group of Quarter Century Club members. Johnson received the awards on behalf of Judge Collier and Waterhouse, who were unable to attend in person. We are honored to celebrate these three individuals from our local movement who have shown tremendous dedication to our mission for decades, said Candy Johnson, president and CEO of the ULGC. As I have worked alongside each of these members, I can tell you how passionate they are about making a positive impact for Chattanoogas communities of color and those who lack access to resources. Ms. Grisham has been involved with the ULGC board since 2006. Prior to that, she was on the ULGC Advisory Board between 1996 and 2006. She served as the ULGC board chair from 2017 until 2020 and is currently the immediate past chair. Throughout her tenure, Ms. Grisham served on the Executive Committee for several years and participated on committees for Education and Youth Development, Shoes for School and Performance Assessment. Ms. Grisham has been a major fundraiser for ULGC for more than 25 years, through her personal contributions and corporate solicitations. She is a strong community activist, including serving on the Board as Presidents of the Cherokee Area Boy Scouts and CHI Memorial. Additionally, she served in the East Tennessee State University (ETSU) Alumni Association as president and secretary during her tenure. Grisham is a current member of the Board of Trustees for ETSU, and she currently serves on the Juvenile Court Foster Care Review Board. U.S. Federal Judge Curtis Collier has been involved with the ULGC Board since 2000. He served on the Advisory Board for several years before becoming a member of the ULGC Board of Directors. During his tenure, he has been an active board member and a strong supporter for youth civics education and leadership development. Judge Collier has a passion for young people and works to expose them to experiences that they may not have had the opportunity to be a part of in a traditional school setting. Judge Collier volunteers time to read to students in grades K-3, as literacy proficiency is also a passion of his. He is also a member of several civic, fraternal, social and religious organizations. He has won numerous awards and commendations for his trial performance and civic and community service and activities. Judge Collier was nominated for his position as a United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee by former President William Jefferson Clinton, and on May 8, 1995, he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate. On Oct. 7, 2005, he became Chief Judge of the court and served in that position for a seven-year term. Mr. Waterhouse, president of Waterhouse Public Relations, most recently served as the ULGC board chair from 2021-2022. He served on the advisory board from 1995 until 2007, when he joined the board of directors. In approximately 1995, when Mr. Waterhouse and Warren Logan, former ULGC President and CEO, met, they had an immediate bond much like two brothers. As a member of both boards, Mr. Waterhouse executed all facets of marketing communications for ULGC, and he volunteered countless hours in marketing and communications for the organization. His areas of work included race relations, government affairs, board member recruitment and youth mentorship programs, leading Mr. Waterhouse to start the first marketing committee in approximately 2008. The worlds largest supplier of small-quantity metals, Metal Supermarkets, has opened its newest location in Chattanooga. Metal Supermarkets specializes in the sales and distribution of all types and ranges of metal including hot and cold rolled, aluminum, copper, brass and stainless bars, tubes, angles, channel, sheet and plate to meet the needs of a wide and diverse variety of customers. Joining long term, established stores in Nashville and Knoxville, Metal Supermarkets Chattanooga is the third Tennessee store and will offer Tennesseans over 8,000 types, shapes and grades of metal, cut to each customers exact specifications. Along with its convenience, speed and commitment to customer service, Metal Supermarkets will be the one-stop-shop for manufacturers, machinists, maintenance and repair, tool and die shops, hospitals, hotels, universities, schools, homeowners, artists, hobbyists and more in the Chattanooga area, said officials. Throughout my career in manufacturing, I struggled to find a small-quantity metal provider that offered an easy, convenient option, said Jeff Wolaver, the owner of Metal Supermarkets Chattanooga. When looking at business ownership opportunities, Metal Supermarkets stood out, offering a solution to what I saw as a community-wide need. Im excited to bring a quality metal supplier offering superior customer service to businesses and hobbyists in Chattanooga. With 25 years of experience in manufacturing as an engineer, operations manager, consultant and business owner, Mr. Wolaver connected with Metal Supermarkets as a result of his industry expertise. A resident of Chattanooga, he possesses knowledge of the products and services needed by the local community and is determined to build trusting relationships by offering a premier service. He is dedicated to maintaining the quality standards and convenience customers expect from Metal Supermarkets with his new location. Each Metal Supermarkets location provides solutions to customers metal needs in both the business-to-business and business-to-consumer categories. With a diverse product base and a no-minimum order quantity, Metal Supermarkets will quickly earn long-lasting relationships with customers as a result of delivering an exceptional customer experience. With Jeffs industry experience and background, were confident that he will drive great success in the Chattanooga business community, said Stephen Schober, president and CEO of Metal Supermarkets. Were thrilled to have Jeff join our franchisee network as we expand our presence in Tennessee. With locations across the United States Canada and the United Kingdom, the Chattanooga opening comes amid a growth period for the international metal-supply business. Deemed an essential business, the supplier ensures each customer in Chattanooga will always be able to acquire what they need. Metal Supermarkets provides a recession-resistant, innovative and durable opportunity for interested franchise investors, said officials. Located at 6225 Vance Road, Suite 113, Metal Supermarkets Chattanooga is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-noon on Saturdays. For additional information about Metal Supermarkets Chattanooga, visit https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/location/chattanooga/. George Harrison loved his mother dearly, but they disagreed on some things, including her answering fan mail. From the day that George came home and asked for his first guitar, Louise Harrison supported her son. She encouraged him musically and let him leave school to travel to Hamburg, Germany, with The Beatles. When the band played at The Cavern Club, she always cheered them on in the front row. After The Beatles became famous and Beatlemania exploded, the only way she could support her son was to support his fans. So, she answered fan mail. All fans deserved a personal answer for loving him so much. George Harrison and his mother | Express/Express/Getty Images George Harrison went off to be a Beatle while his mother stayed home and answered fan mail The Beatles fame didnt just affect them. It also affected their parents and guardians. John Lennons Aunt Mimi didnt associate much with Beatles fans. However, Ringo Starr and Georges parents willingly invited bus-loads of fans whod traveled to Liverpool from all over the world into their homes. What could they do? Soon, excited girls started visiting and pointing at Georges house. Louise, in particular, made an effort to interact with her sons fans as much as possible, answered fan mail, and communicated with fan clubs. In Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison, Joshua M. Greene wrote, Harolds hesitations were swept away in the deluge of his sons success, brothers Harry and Pete basked in the reflection of their kid brothers glow, and mother Louise looked after Georges fans. Each week she traveled to Beatles Fan Club headquarters in Liverpool to pick up batches of promotional photos. Then she returned home and stayed up late answering fan mail longhand, often writing two thousand letters per month. Shelves along one wall of their new home displayed gifts sent from around the world. On Georges 21st birthday, almost a million cards, letters, and gifts arrived at the Harrison house. Seven truckloads of mail filled their homes entry. The postal department said it was the most mail delivered to one address outside the royal family. Meanwhile, screaming fans mobbed the house. Some even kissed the doorknob. Suddenly, Harold and Louise became celebrities, just like their son. People always think we must be different now, because of George, Louise said. We went to a fans wedding the other day, and people said, How can you enjoy yourselves with the likes of us? They expect us to wear mink all the time. Louise also became pen pals with a fan for five years. She told Lorraine OMalley about what was happening in The Beatles and even some personal things about her son. RELATED: 1 Guru Didnt Agree With Something Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Taught George Harrison George disagreed with his mother answering fan mail In a 1968 interview, Louise explained that she got fan mail from most parts of the world. She said when George saw all the fan mail, he always told her she was more popular than him. Louise said, He has a good laugh about it, especially when he reads some of them, they say, Dear Mum, you know, he says, Whos this then? [Laughs]. George mightve been good-natured in her presence, but Greene wrote that he wasnt impressed with his mother and her fan mail. The author wrote, Like all mothers and sons, they had had their occasional differences. Fan mail, for instance. Why she had insisted on always answering fan letters was beyond him. It was naive. To her way of thinking, a letter from a stranger halfway around the world deserved a personalized response and maybe even a snippet of lining from one of her sons old coats. It never seemed to occur to her that the letter might have been sent by a stalker, or that someone had found their home address and chose to invade their privacy. Then again, this was the woman who had taken on extra jobs at Christmas when George was a boy so that he and his siblings would have holiday gifts. It was Louise who had bought him his first guitar and who had urged his father to let him go to Germany despite their concerns for his safety. He wanted to play music, and that had been enough reason for her. Her love was unstinting. RELATED: George Harrison Liked Performing for Japanese Audiences Because They Werent Drunk and Screaming Like Americans Beatles fans awarded Louise for her unconditional love for them Fans worldwide recognized Louises unconditional love for every one of them, and they rewarded her for it. Greene wrote that on one of the Harrisons walls hung a gold plaque from the United Beatles Fans of Pomona, California. The plaque read: Presented to Harold and Louise Harrison for the time and effort they have shown to Beatle People everywhere.' George continued to let his mother write her fan mail, even though he didnt understand why she did it. Louise responded to fans, especially OMalley until she died in 1970. George wrote a song called Deep Blue while she died. Without Louise Harrison, thered be no George Harrison. She should have more than a gold plaque; she needs a gold statue. RELATED: George Harrison and Jeff Lynne Worked Well Together on Cloud Nine Because of Their Mutual Dislike of Pop Music Back in 2019, Stanford University researchers and colleagues revealed the surprising discovery that hydrogen peroxide a caustic substance used for disinfecting surfaces and bleaching hair spontaneously forms in microscopic droplets of ordinary, benign water. Researchers have since aimed to flesh out how the newfound reaction occurs, as well as exploring potential applications, such as eco-friendlier cleaning methods. The latest study has revealed that when sprayed microdroplets of water strike a solid surface, a phenomenon known as contact electrification happens. Electric charge jumps between the two materials, liquid and solid, producing unstable molecular fragments called reactive oxygen species. Pairs of these species known as hydroxyl radicals, and which have the chemical formula OH, can then combine to form hydrogen peroxide, H 2 O 2 , in minuscule but detectable quantities. The new study further demonstrated that this process occurs in humid environments when water touches particles of soil as well as fine particles in the atmosphere. Those additional findings suggest that water can transform into small amounts of reactive oxygen species, such as hydrogen peroxide, wherever microdroplets naturally form, including in fogs, mists, and raindrops, bolstering results from a related 2020 study. We have a real understanding now that we didnt have before about what is causing this hydrogen peroxide formation to happen, said study senior author Richard Zare, the Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor in Natural Science and a professor of chemistry in the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences. Furthermore, it appears that contact electrification yielding hydrogen peroxide is a universal phenomenon at water-solid interfaces. Zare led this work, collaborating with researchers from two universities in China, Jianghan University and Wuhan University, as well as the Chinese Academy of Sciences. On the origins of the hydrogen peroxide For the study, the researchers built a glass apparatus with microscopic channels in it where water could be forcibly injected. The channels formed an airtight water-solid boundary. The researchers perfused the water with a fluorescent dye that glows in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. An experiment showed the presence of the harsh chemical in the glass microfluidic channel, but not in a bulk sample of water also containing the dye. Additional experiments elaborated that the hydrogen peroxide formed quickly, within a matter of seconds, at the boundary between the water and the solid. To gauge if the extra oxygen atom in the hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) came from a reaction with the glass or within the water (H 2 O) itself, the researchers treated the glass lining of some microfluidic channels. These treated channels contained a heavier isotope or version of oxygen, dubbed oxygen-18 or 18O. Comparing the post-reaction mix of water and hydrogen peroxide fluid from the treated and untreated channels showed the signal of 18O in the former, implicating the solid as the source of the oxygen in the hydroxyl radicals and ultimately in hydrogen peroxide. The new findings could help settle some of the debate that has ensued in the scientific community since the Stanford researchers initially announced their novel detection of hydrogen peroxide in water microdroplets three years ago. Other studies have emphasized the major contributions of hydrogen peroxide production via chemical interactions with the gas ozone, O 3 , and a process called cavitation, when vapor bubbles arise in low-pressure areas within accelerated liquids. Zare pointed out that both of those processes also clearly yield hydrogen peroxide, and in comparatively greater amounts. All of these processes contribute to hydrogen peroxide production, but the present work confirms that this production is also intrinsic to the way microdroplets are made and interact with solid surfaces through contact electrification, said Zare. Turning the tables on seasonal respiratory viruses Nailing down how and in what situations water can transform into reactive oxygen species, such as hydrogen peroxide, has a host of real-world insights and applications, Zare explained. Among the most compelling is understanding the formation of hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide as an overlooked contributor to the well-known seasonality of many viral respiratory diseases, including colds, flus, and likely COVID-19 once the disease eventually becomes fully endemic. Viral respiratory infections are transmitted in the air as aqueous droplets when people who are sick cough, sneeze, sing, or even just talk. These infections tend to spike in winter and ebb in summer, a trend chalked up in part to people spending more time indoors and in close, transmissible proximity during the cold weather season. However, between work, school, and sleeping at night, people actually end up spending about the same amount of time indoors during the hot weather months as well. Zare said the new studys findings offer a possible explanation for why winter is correlated with more flu cases: The key variable at work is humidity, the amount of water in the air. In the summer, the higher relative levels of indoor humidity tied to higher humidity in the warm air outside likely facilitate reactive oxygen species in droplets having enough time to kill viruses. Contrastingly, in winter when the air inside buildings is heated and its humidity lowered the droplets evaporate before the reactive oxygen species can act as a disinfectant. Contact electrification provides a chemical basis for partly explaining why there is seasonality to viral respiratory diseases, said Zare. Accordingly, Zare added, future research should investigate any links between indoor humidity levels in buildings and the presence and spread of contagions. If links are further borne out, simply adding humidifiers to heating, ventilation, and cooling systems could lessen disease transmission. Taking a fresh approach to disinfecting surfaces is just one of the great practical consequences of this work involving the fundamental chemistry of water in the environment, said Zare. It just goes to show that we think we know so much about water, one of the most commonly encountered substances, but then were humbled. Cherokee Nation citizen Glenda Sellers sits at a students desk in what was her former second grade classroom at Grand View School in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Sellers taught second grade at the school for 25 years and now serves as the schools family services coordinator. Cherokee Nation leaders gathered with Wagoner County officials to cut the ribbon on a new Career Services satellite office in Wagoner on Aug. 2. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 The Assemblies of God (AG) has ordained, on average, more than 5 women per week every week for the last 14 years, bringing the total number of ordained women in the Pentecostal denomination up to 10,383. Currently, a record 27.6 percent of Assemblies ministers are women, according to a denominational report. The image of God is best reflected when the church of Jesus Christ is healthy, said Crystal Martin, national director of the denominations Network of Women Ministers, and women are empowered to fulfill their call at every level of church leadership. Women have been preaching and teaching in the AG since it was founded in 1914. The church embraced womens leadership based on its understanding of New Testament models of ministry and Scriptures testimony to the equal outpouring of the gifts of the Spirit. But 30 years ago, only about 300 women were leading AG churches. The trend toward more women in ministry started in the late 1990s. Many received support from the Network for Women Ministers, which was founded in 1999 as the Task Force for Women in Ministry. In 2010, the AG reiterated its support for women in ministry with a position paper laying out the biblical argument from a Pentecostal perspective. Some young women still find it hard to believe that they could be called to lead a church, though. I sat down with one young woman, and she shared her whole life vision, Martin told CT. And I said, It sounds like Gods calling you to be a youth pastor. And when I said that she felt uncomfortableshe had just never seen a female pastor. According to Pentecostal scholar Joy Qualls, support for women in ministry waned in the late 20th century as Pentecostals interacted with other traditions that looked down on what they saw as disruptions of the natural, God-given order. When cultural conflicts over gender roles erupted in American society, some Pentecostal leaders worried their tradition was lined up on the wrong side. As the movement institutionalized womens influence, leadership, and roles became increasingly constrained, wrote Qualls, a professor and dean at Biola University. The constraints placed on women in Pentecostalism had more to do with the influence of Evangelical culture, lack of education in our history and theology, and general discourse, than it did [with] Scripture or theological positions. Today, 7 in 10 self-identified evangelicals say they support women preaching. Even in complementarian traditions, such as the Southern Baptist Convention, about 65 percent say women should be allowed to serve as clergy. Still, in America today, only about 13.5 percent of congregations are led by women, and that drops to a little less than 2.5 percent when you just look at white evangelical churches. Women lead about 6 percent of Assemblies churches, a number that has doubled since the 1990s. Qualls and others point to top leadership in the denomination driving that change. In 2018, the denomination elected the first woman to the national leadership team. Donna Barrett, who became a credentialed minister in 1986, was made general secretary. Her election opened the door for more change. If you see a snapshot of the six executive leaders a few years ago, they were white men who are married and a little bit older, Barrett told CT. And now when you look at the six of us at the executive leadership team, you have an African American, a Hispanic, a female whos single. Were a little bit more diverse, and that gives a picture to other ministers and parishioners of the denomination that theres a place for everyone. According to Barrett, the Assemblies affirmation of women in ministry is deeply rooted in the denominations commitment to evangelism. They believe the harvest is plentiful and are eager to see the gospel preached everywhere. If we pray to God to send more workers and then we disqualify more than 50 percent of them, saying, Sorry, theyre the wrong gender, we have handicapped the church, Barrett said. Its important that if God calls a person, we don't step in and humanly interrupt that. The denomination is looking to diversify and empower its leadership team and members across the board, said Maricela Hernandez, who was elected as the West Spanish language area executive presbyter last year. She's served as a lead and assistant minister in Penitas, Texas, for more than 25 years, and is passionate about ensuring all people who feel called to serve God also have the opportunity to. I just thank God that he has allowed me to represent Hispanic people, the Hispanic ministers, she told CT. God is bringing the mission field to our place and our homes, and we have to be ready to embrace, to make room, to appreciate, and welcome all of our brothers and sistersregardless of their race, language or skin color." The focus on diversity was championed by the late George O. Wood, who served for 24 years as general secretary and general superintendent. When he began as general superintendent in 2007, the executive presbytery was made up of 14 white men. When he left, that executive team had expanded to 21 seats. Seven of those seats were held by racial minorities, and two by women. He had a unique ability to open doors for young people, women, and ethnic minorities by providing them a meaningful seat at the table, Doug Clay, Woods successor as general superintendent, told AG News. That has been a major force behind our growth in each of those areas. Leaders in the Network of Women Ministers still see more work to be done, though. Only five of the 206 AG district officials are women. And there are still young women in the denomination who have never seen a woman lead a church and dont realize they could be called by the Spirit to ministry. The work of our next decade is to mobilize women and to normalize women on decision-making tables at every platform, Martin said. She hopes women will recognize the abundance of Gods gifts and that the church will see an abundance of ministers preaching with the power of the Spirit. Why would we look through a scarcity lens of, We only have half the population who can handle a platform? Martin said. Its not where we sit theologically, and I pray in the next decade, it's not where we sit practically. Her mother died of cancer. Her father was killed in the war. When her home in Donetsk was destroyed by a Russian missile, retreating Ukrainian troops brought the eight-year-old orphan and her grandparents and uncle to volunteers serving with the Chernivtsi Bible Seminary (CBS), 680 miles to the west. Their only possessions were the clothes on their backs. Resettled in temporary housing, last month the uncle was called back to the front lines. The girl has been sent to a Christian camp, and the seminaryserving as a ministry hub for the internally displacedis doing what it can to assist. We did not think that serving a refugee is such a complicated process, said Vasiliy Malyk, CBS president. But no matter how difficult it may be, we can help them at least with some dignity. It is a team effort, and once tallied the numbers both stagger and pale in comparison to the need. The Alliance for Ukraine Without Orphans (AUWO) has mobilized 3,000 volunteers to provide temporary housing for 6,000 people, mostly women and children. It has evacuated 38,000more than two-thirds of which have been orphans. Nearly 59,000 people have received some sort of humanitarian aid. When the war started, everyone was focused on responding, said Ruslan Maliuta, a former AUWO president and current network liaison for One Hope. But then we realized the war is going to last, the crisis is huge, and the response will require us all to work together. To do so, in April the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) launched The ResponseUkraine Special Taskforce (TRUST), with Maliuta as its leader. AUWO united with Ukraines Baptists, Pentecostals, and seven other national church and parachurch organizations to coordinate refugee relief efforts, alongside ten regional partners from Poland, Moldova, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. Having churches reach across denominational lines to work together has been one of the most encouraging things, said Chris Guess, a Romanian pastor. We have volunteers from across the globe, [as] Gods people have jumped in with us. For example, volunteers from Argentina shipped 20,000 tons of rice. Comparing notes from March onward, the evangelical network has mobilized 64,000 volunteers. Temporary housing has been offered to 271,000. Over 346,000 people have been evacuated, while nearly 600,000 have received humanitarian aid. Over $1.1 million has been distributed to partners. TRUST is coming alongside the admirable work of professional aid agencies with no intention of competing or creating a new relief organization, said Thomas Schirrmacher, WEA secretary general. TRUST offers a bridge that connects. Yet the United Nations underscores the grim reality: 6.2 million need shelter, 10.2 million need food, and 12.1 million need health assistance. People are on the edge of exhaustion, said Rafal Piekarski, serving with Proem Ministries in Poland. Our Polish resources are over. We dont want to compete with each other, but be good stewards of what you can bring from your countries, your churches. In May, Piekarski was one of 72 leaders from 22 European nations to form the Christian Ukrainian Collaboration (CUC) to address the overwhelming need. Maliuta was also there, as both initiatives brought together individuals who had never previously interacted. Initial cooperation between the networks was minimal, as the CUC addressed the continental response while TRUST worked through channels in Ukraine and neighboring countries. But Maliuta later joined the CUC core leadership, to strengthen coordination. As the war enters its sixth month, the longterm needs are changing. But for many, the paralysis continues. Physical sensations of falling apart. Insomnia or, inversely, persistent sleepiness. Continuous nightmares. Ones mind is unable to shake off horrible images, Maryna Ashykhmina, vice rector at Tavriski Christian Institute (TCI) and a psychologist with PTSD experience, told ScholarLeaders Insights Journal. Every one of us is kneeling prayerfully. The infrastructure of my life had been ruined, and it is next to impossible to make long-term or even middle-term plans, Tanya Gerasymchuk, public relations assistant at Odessa Theological Seminary, told the theological education journal. The feeling I and many other Ukrainian women possess now is uncertainty about the future. Food, medicine, and shelter provisions are still vital, said Maliuta. But cooperation makes possible the forward vision necessary to rebuild. Trauma is a key area. Ukraines health ministry estimates that one-third of the population will require mental health care. TRUST partner Save Ukraine has provided 12 psychologists alongside its medical and legal volunteers to assist 32,000 beneficiaries. By Day 3 of the war, the affiliated European Freedom Network (EFN) had already distributed 100,000 brochures at border crossings to warn Ukrainians about human trafficking. But as criminal efforts now shift to the newly resettled, EFN has also responded with trauma care, to strengthen the vulnerable. Its top tips have been shared with the UN and ordinary local churches. But the larger need is now with the internally displaced in Ukraine, said Oleksandr Zibarov, national director for Cru. Of the 6 million refugees in Europe, 3.8 million have found temporary protection assistance from various national governments. Cru is still helping these, but most of its 4-week yellow box aid packageseach parcel advancing the gospel messageare distributed in Kyiv and central Ukraine. Many of the previously evacuated are returning. Zibarov summarized their rationale: Should I suffer here with strangers, or go back and contribute to my hometown? The UN counts 4.2 million refugee border crossings to Ukraine, which it cautions is not the same as a permanent relocation. But the displaced are coming with children, who need something to do. Therefore, another medium-term development has been the post-COVID reopening of summer camps. Mission Eurasia is providing trauma care to over 20,000 youth through its Camp of Hope network. An additional 1,000 will be at Camp Karabin. They get the opportunity to be kids again, and not hear the sounds of sirens or shelling, said Vadym Kulynchenko of Our Legacy Ukraine, a TRUST partner. The children hear about hope in the gospel, taken care of in a place that is safe. Camps additionally assist the parents, who are freed to begin the work of rebuilding their lives. Our Legacy and many others have raised funds to repair the roofs of damaged homes, before the rain and windy cold set in. According to Sergey Rakhuba, president of Mission Eurasia, this is becoming an essential medium-term need, due to Russian shelling. Residential power stations providing heat and hot water have been deliberately destroyed, he said. And so have warehouses of humanitarian supplies, seeking to spread fear and suffering. If the war continues into the winter and these issues are not addressed, Rakhuba said, it will be a disaster for millions of people in Ukraine. And for the shepherds assisting them. A June resolution recognized the role of clergy in Ukraines long-term recovery. Churches are key to the response, but churches rely on leadership, Maliuta said. Many pastors went through horrible things; we must support them, so they can continue to serve. Specific programs have yet to materialize. But pastors carry on. One in southern Ukraine burst into tears upon the delivery of potatoes. There had been no food in his area for many days, he told volunteers. War makes the presence of goodness and the showing of mercy incredibly important, Valentin Siniy, president of TCI, told Insights Journal. Under these circumstances, leadership becomes importantnot political, but in small groups. Ukraine is currently mounting an offensive to retake the occupied Black Sea port of Kherson, home to TCI, and other southern territories seized by the Russians. Long-range weapons supplied by the US have enabled the Ukrainian army to target ammunition stocks behind enemy lines. Analysts say such maneuvers are slowing the Russian advance in the eastern Donbas region, and the coming weeks may prove decisive. In the meanwhile, Ukrainian evangelicals are uniting in serviceand asking for help to help themselves. Our churches in these countries are seeing an incredible outpouring of manpower and passion from their congregations, said Schirrmacher. They need prayers and financial support from around the globe. And TRUSTwhether for orphans, housing, or pastorsis the WEAs recommended evangelical vehicle for coordination. People are not waiting for the war to be over, they are restoring their neighborhoods, said Maliuta. It is time to respond not just to urgent needs, but to build a foundation for long-term recovery. [ This article is also available in espanol, , and . ] Im a conservative college student. Heres how universities are failing to prepare our future leaders Polite discourse among citizens about political issues has become increasingly hard to find in recent years. This is especially true at colleges and universities around the country, where students are supposed to use debate and discussion with classmates to help develop their opinions. This begs the question: If college-aged students are afraid to engage in civil discourse about political affairs with their peers, how can we expect them to do so in the future when many of them will be leading our country? Growing up in the early 2000s, this lack of debate was anything but apparent to me. My very civically engaged parents saw no reason to withhold their political opinions and beliefs from my brother and me. They always boasted about being the first ones at the ballot box on Election Day in our small town of 200 people, and I even volunteered a few months before my 18th birthday to work as an election judge for the 2020 presidential primary. With a mom serving under the umbrella of the Department of Defense and a father who was a hardworking, conservative farmer, political opinions in our household were hardly divisive. It was not evident to me early on that politics could be such a taboo topic in a public setting. My neighboring friends and family often had signs for the same conservative candidates in their yards, and discussions on political viewpoints were not uncommon. By the time I was in high school, I looked forward to analyzing American history and current events on a daily basis with my left-leaning high school teachers. Anxious to be around young individuals who loved politics and government as much as I did, I jumped at the chance to attend a large university far from home to engage in passionate discussions on politics and government. I wanted to be a lawyer, after all, and constitutional and political debating was all I wanted to do. It was this dream that took me to the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, a lengthy 10 hours from my hometown in Illinois. UGA brought together several niche qualities that I was looking for in an institution. It is a large, diverse university in the epitome of a Southern state. In its small school for political science, there had to be students and teachers who came from both sides of the political aisle who were open to opinions from around the political spectrum, right? It was not until the first semester of my sophomore year that I realized I may have been very wrong about this assumption. I remember sitting in the last row in class, apprehensive at first because I was the only 19-year-old kid sitting in a graduate class with 30-year-old Ph.D. students talking about their marriages and children. UGA allows a small number of students to take 8000-level graduate classes during their undergraduate years to count toward honors credit. I would quickly learn that age would not be the only thing where my classmates and I would differ. Growing up, I had always been the quiet kid in class unless I knew for a matter of fact that I had the correct answer. My mother had taught me to be cognizant of the opinions of others and carefully consider my own thoughts before spewing them around to others. I knew this quality would come in handy in graduate classes where I was significantly outnumbered by those who were older than me and who didnt share my political opinions. I sat through a number of evening classes that semester in which I hardly talked. Instead, I sat back and soaked in the intelligent connections that my professor and fellow students made. I thrived on hearing from students who had devoted their academic careers to debating and analyzing government and political institutions. Very quickly, I noticed how my peers often referenced left-leaning politicians when highlighting positive policies enacted by the U.S. Congress. Moreover, I noticed how conservatives, or Republicans for that matter, were usually portrayed in a negative light, if they were mentioned at all. The overwhelming agreement on political opinions among this devoted group of political science students did not surprise me. By that time, I had been in plenty of classes with outspoken left-leaning students. However, the fact that none of my peers seemed to have conservative or right-leaning opinions on the topics we discussed was more than just a little odd. After one of my classes in my sophomore year, I remember another quiet student walking up to me. She had noticed the sticker on my laptop promoting a conservative candidate I had worked for, and she asked me if I was a Republican. I told her that I was, and she said she was shocked to find someone who was on the same side of the political aisle as her. We walked together for a while, and she told me about how reluctant she was to speak up in class amongst her left-leaning peers. This depiction threw me for a loop. She was a 24-year-old masters student attending a popular Southern school. Surely, there were other right-leaning individuals in her program, right? And surely, the political differences between her and her classmates did not mean that she was left out of most conversations altogether? I would come to find out that she was the only conservative in her cohort of graduate students. She told me about how she chose to focus on her research and avoided discussing politics with her classmates. I was shocked by how an individual in her position avoided discussing major components of her field of study with her peers because she feared the judgment and broken friendships that might ensue. It turns out that polite discourse about politics was not what either of us had found in our programs. Instead, students at our school avoided controversial topics and opinions that differed from those around them. Prominent issues were either not brought up or only portrayed by one side of the aisle. Whether you consider yourself to be a Democrat or a Republican, this is an issue that should be of importance to us all. Our country was built by Founders who made it their mission to debate controversial topics amongst themselves to better form our democracy. The framework of our government requires our leaders to debate and discuss issues with one another and their constituents to attempt to make the best decisions for the good of all individuals. As students attend major colleges and universities across the country, they should feel that they are free encouraged even to discuss relevant political issues with those who may disagree with them. The students who are attending these schools are members of the next generation that will lead our country. If they cannot engage in political discussions at an academic level, how are we ever supposed to expect them to do so as future leaders of our nation? Originally published at The Daily Signal. Ohio pastor known as generous evangelist killed crossing highway: He loved everybody A pastor of a Dayton, Ohio, church known for his faithful evangelism and generous giving to his community died after being run over by a vehicle while crossing a Florida highway. Joel Burton, 42, a pastor of a Harrison Township church, Simple Street, died Sunday morning on U.S. 98 near a Holiday Inn Express. The vehicle in question also hit another Dayton-area resident, Zebulon Dill, 32, who was with him, according to the Fort Walton Beach Police Department. Dill suffered significant leg injuries and received medical treatment at Fort Walton Destin Hospital. Many who knew Burton have shared their memories of the late pastor. "We are to not question God why but this is really shook me," Butron's friend Kevin Howard wrote in a Facebook post. "This man eat, slept and breathed ministry. He and his ministry helped so many people, families, he even donated to my mission trips. When we talk 1 body that what Joel was. He worked wherever, whenever. Such a loss for our community." Ian Chadrick, Burton's friend and co-worker, told Dayton Daily News that Burton "tried to bridge that gap and get everybody connected in the city, and he loved everybody." "Anyone he met, he tried to tap them into anything they needed, any resources that they needed, any connection that they would need," Chadrick said. Chadrick said Burton wanted to help as many people as he could. "This guy would do everything for everybody if he could," Chadrick recalled. "He was one man, but the awesome part of his legacy is that he is not just one man he has rubbed off on every single person he ever met, so now we all have the ability to be someone like Joel Burton and that's what people should remember." Burton's church made headlines in July after vandals broke into the building and vandalized the property. The church also received media attention following the racial justice protests in June 2020, when it held a foot-washing ceremonial event. Burton told the news outlet that the ceremony served as a way for those who were "carrying burdens" to receive comfort and "for them to feel cleansed." "We are coming together to love on our city, love on each other and to be a point of reconciliation," Burton said at the time. The nonprofit Shoes 4 the Shoeless called Burton one of "the finest men we will ever know." "Joel was a friend to all, the best father, husband, and family member you could ask for," the nonprofit wrote on its Facebook page. "He was a brother and a shepherd to the poor, the lost, the lonely, and those rejected and hated by society. This is a valley of disbelief and great suffering." Howard told Dayton News that the pastor was passionate about serving in his ministerial role. "He had a heart of gold and a heart for the people, but most importantly, he wanted people to know Jesus. When he found what the Lord had done for him, I think he just looked around the city and saw so much brokenness and he just tried to fix it," Howard said. "And what Joel did, he really did in a way fix it because he brought so many diversities of churches and people together. He brought them together from all over Dayton, Ohio, even places across the United States as well." David Renfro, the senior pastor at Evangel Church of God, told the outlet that he was close to Burton for eight years. The pastors worked on collaborations and discussed the best ways to practice servanthood to others and Jesus. "Burton loved serving God by serving people," Renfro said. "I think that had a lot to do with his passion toward benevolence, and a lot of the things he did community-wise was about helping others." 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." Boys Scouts file for bankruptcy, creates fund to compensate sex abuse victims The Boy Scouts of America said Tuesday that the national organization has filed for bankruptcy protection in a bid to ensure equitable compensation for thousands of sexual abuse victims who were harmed while participating in their programs and ensure they can continue to carry out their mission for years to come. The BSA also noted as a part of the Chapter 11 process, it has created a Victims Compensation Trust that would provide equitable compensation to victims. The BSA cares deeply about all victims of abuse and sincerely apologizes to anyone who was harmed during their time in Scouting. We are outraged that there have been times when individuals took advantage of our programs to harm innocent children, Roger Mosby, the organizations president and chief executive officer, noted in a statement. While we know nothing can undo the tragic abuse that victims suffered, we believe the Chapter 11 process with the proposed Trust structure will provide equitable compensation to all victims while maintaining the BSAs important mission. More than 12,000 Boy Scout members have been victims of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of 7,819 allegedly sexually abusive troop leaders and volunteers, according to an analysis of long-held records in the organization known as the perversion files. The perversion files, which have previously been highlighted, show thousands of offenders of childhood sexual abuse that have been removed from the Boy Scouts of America over the years. The files were kept private at the BSA headquarters. Jim Turley, national chair of the BSA, urged victims in an open letter to come forward. The BSA cannot undo what happened to you, but we are committed to supporting you and to doing everything in our power to prevent it from happening to others. It is a social and moral responsibility that I and the entire organization take extremely seriously. We believe that all victims should receive our support and compensation and we have taken decisive action to make that possible, Turley wrote encouraging victims to take advantage of the Trust set up to help them. I encourage you, and all victims to come forward and file claims so you can receive compensation from this Trust. We will provide clear notices about how to do so. I want you to know that we believe you, we believe in compensating you, and we have programs in place to pay for counseling for you and your family by a provider of your choice, he added. Founded in 1910, the BSA is composed of nearly 2.2 million youth members between the ages of 5 and 21 and approximately 800,000 volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories. In recent years, however, the BSA has courted controversy, lawsuits, and loss of membership for admitting openly gay scouts in 2013, then openly gay leaders in 2015, and then including the participation of girls in 2017. The organization noted in their announcement Tuesday that their changes now also include some of the strongest, expert-informed youth protection policies found in any youth-serving organization, including mandatory youth protection training and background checks for all volunteers and staff, as well as policies that prohibit one-on-one interaction between youth and adults and require all volunteers and staff to report any suspected abuse to law enforcement. The BSAs multilayered safeguards, their commitment to support victims, as well as their efforts to be part of the broader solution to child abuse is also published at www.scouting.org/youth-safety. Reacting to the news Tuesday, Mark Hancock, CEO of Trail Life USA, a Christian boys mentoring and discipleship movement, said he was deeply saddened by the situation. We are deeply saddened that the Boy Scouts of America, a long-standing American institution, is in this unfortunate situation, Hancock said in a statement to The Christian Post. Trail Life USA (www.TrailLifeUSA.org), a Christian boys mentoring and discipleship movement, wants to reinforce its commitment to providing a safe experience for all boys, from kindergarten through 12th grade. Our philosophy is derived from the Bible and set in the context of outdoor adventure. Boys are challenged to grow in character, understand their purpose, serve their community, and develop life-long leadership skills, he continued. Although no program can guarantee total protection, we believe Trail Life USAs child protection policy is very comprehensive, he added. "Trail Life USA has taken strong steps to ensure the risk of abuse in our program is minimized. All our adult leaders undergo regular background checks, complete youth protection training, and adhere to strict guidelines designed to reduce the potential for abuse. Abuse of power: Christian group slams Democrats push for IRS investigation of church status A prominent conservative Christian advocacy organization is denouncing efforts by several Democrats in the U.S. Congress to have the Internal Revenue Service investigate the organization's official designation as an "association of churches." The Family Research Council, a socially conservative organization based in Washington, D.C., has recently garnered controversy for having the IRS grant it the status of an "association of churches." Democratic representatives sent a letter on Monday to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and IRS Commissioner Charles P. Rettig. The letter came in response to a report published by ProPublica last month, which found that FRC filed an application with the IRS seeking reclassification as an "association of churches" in 2020. The IRS under the Trump administration approved the reclassification that summer. FRC President Tony Perkins defended the new designation in a statement emailed to The Christian Post on Thursday, noting that the organization had changed its designation previously in 2005. "In 2005, FRC shifted its 501(c)(3) status from an education non-profit to a religious non-profit. This change was made to reflect our mission," Perkins stated. "Additionally, this change was required so that we could be an organization that has a statement of faith, and has the ability to hire people and pursue our mission in accordance with our faith and not be imposed upon by regulations from the local government." According to Perkins, FRC "applied for an IRS designation as an association of churches" because it "more accurately reflects our expanding ministry work." "Based upon a lengthy application process and audit of our activities, the IRS granted our status as an association of churches," he added. Perkins denounced the recent effort by 40 Democrat members of the U.S. House of Representatives to have FRC's status reviewed, saying in the statement that they "continue in their efforts to weaponize the IRS and the government against Christian organizations like Family Research Council with whom they disagree." "This is an egregious abuse of power," he asserted. "The Democratic Party's attempts to silence religious organizations, with whom they disagree, will not stop with FRC." "If their targeting of FRC succeeds, they will turn their efforts towards churches that also teach and preach biblical truth," he warned. "This is not speculation. Since September 2019, House Democrats have sought to eliminate the tax exempt status of Christian groups that they deem 'hate groups.'" The Democratic representatives wrote in their letter that they are concerned with "the Family Research Council's (FRC) tax-exempt status as an 'association of churches.'" "In addition, we request a review of the existing Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance related to political advocacy organizations self-identifying as 'churches' to obtain the status of churches, integrated auxiliaries, and conventions or associations of churches," the letter states. The letter contends that the FRC's claim of being a church "strains credulity," noting that "they do not hold religious services, do not have a congregation or affiliated congregations, and do not possess many of the other attributes of churches listed by the IRS." The lawmakers identified FRC as "one example of an alarming pattern in the last decade rightwing advocacy groups self-identifying as 'churches' and applying for and receiving church status." "Tax-exempt organizations should not be exploiting tax laws applicable to churches to avoid public accountability and the IRS's examination of their activities," they proclaimed. Members of Congress who signed the letter included Suzan DelBene of Washington, Jared Huffman of California, Donald Beyer of Virginia, Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Adam Schiff of California, Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida and Rick Larsen of Washington, among others. In its report, ProPublica cited documents received via the Freedom of Information Act, speculating that the group sought a reclassification to reduce financial accountability. "Once the IRS blessed it as an association of churches, the FRC was no longer required to file a public tax return, known as a Form 990, revealing key staffer salaries, the names of board members and related organizations, large payments to independent contractors and grants the organization has made," states the report. "Unlike with other charities, IRS investigators can't initiate an audit on a church unless a high-level Treasury Department official has approved the investigation." On Form 1023, which organizations seeking classification as an "association of churches" must complete, FRC answered in the affirmative to a series of questions designed to determine whether an organization meets the definition of an "association of churches." Specifically, the organization maintained that it had a "written creed, statement of faith, or summary of beliefs," "a form of worship," "a formal code of doctrine and discipline" as well as a "distinct religious history." "FRC conducts regularly scheduled worship services at its headquarters," the form explains. "Local churches who share FRC's Christian beliefs, core values and sense of mission may associate with FRC (and other churches) to jointly pursue their common beliefs and mission." Stressing that "all FRC partner churches have regularly scheduled worship or prayer services, at least weekly and often more frequently," the document listed the church's shared mission as "to hold all life as sacred, to see families flourish, and to promote religious freedom." IRS reverses course, grants tax-exempt status to Christian group it accused of being too political The IRS has reversed an earlier decision denying tax-exempt status to a Christian organization it had previously deemed too political because it advises voters to read what the Bible says on issues such as the sanctity of life and marriage. Christians Engaged, a nonprofit group based in Garland, Texas, led by conservative activist Bunni Pounds, had previously applied for an exemption under Section 501(c)(3), only to be rejected earlier this year. However, the First Liberty Institute, which helped to represent the Christian group, announced Wednesday that the IRS has granted Christians Engaged's request for tax-exempt status. This is truly great news for our client, as well as religious organizations and churches across America, said First Liberty Institute counsel Lea Patterson in a statement shared with The Christian Post. We are grateful the IRS changed course to bring its decision into line with the Constitution and its own regulations. Christians Engaged President Bunni Pounds said she was incredibly thankful to the IRS for doing the right thing. we look forward to continuing our mission of educating more followers of Jesus to pray for our nation and to be civically engaged. When we stand up, our republic works for all Americans, she added in the statement. In 2019, Christians Engaged applied for tax-exempt status, only to receive a notice of denial from IRS Exempt Organizations Director Stephen A. Martin on May 18. In the notice, Martin argued that the group was too political, asserting that they engage in prohibited political campaign intervention. You are also not operated exclusively for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3), because you operate for a substantial non-exempt private purpose and for the private interests of the [Republican] party, wrote Martin. Pounds, who heads Christians Engaged, ran for Congress in 2018 but lost in the Republican primary. The organization's vice president is Trayce Bradford, who previously led the pro-family advocacy group Texas Eagle Forum. Martin claimed that the group should be denied tax-exempt status because it works to instruct people on what the Bible says about various issues that "generally distinguish candidates and are associated with political party platforms." Patterson noted in several media interviews that the IRS had granted a tax exemption to former first lady Michelle Obama and her activist group When We All Vote, as a counter to Martin's reasoning for denying Pounds' organization tax-exempt status. In June, Christians Engaged filed an appeal with the help of the First Liberty Institute, arguing that the IRS reasoning was flawed in multiple ways, namely that it invented a nonexistent requirement that exempt organizations be neutral on public policy issues. The appeal also argued that the agency wrongly assumed that "Christians Engaged primarily serves private, nonexempt purposes rather than public, exempt purposes because he [Martin] thinks its beliefs overlap with the Republican Partys policy positions." Christians Engaged received the backing of several Republican members of Congress who sent a letter to the IRS on June 25 imploring the government agency to reverse its decision against the nonprofit. The IRS must objectively analyze applications for tax-exempt status and cannot allow political biases to creep into its decisions, reads the letter in part. We urge you to immediately review Christians Engageds application for 501(c)(3) status personally, and terminate the IRS staff involved in the flawed and politically motivated reasoning behind the determination. In 2013, the IRS garnered controversy when the agency admitted to targeting conservative groups' tax-exempt applications with the terms Tea Party or Patriot in them during the 2012 presidential election season. Lois Lerner, then director of the IRS Exempt Organizations Division, gave an apology, stating at the time that it was absolutely inappropriate and not the way we should do things. Queen Elizabeth tells Lambeth Conference the 'teachings of Christ have been my guide' Queen Elizabeth II issued a message to the Lambeth Conference in London this week, telling the Anglican Communion's decennial gathering that the teachings of Christ have served as a "guide" in her life. The queen's message was sent to the conference on Wednesday, the same day bishops were set to visit Lambeth Palace to launch the Anglican Communion forest initiative. The 96-year-old monarch sent "warm greetings" and expressed "great pleasure" that the Lambeth Conference could take place after a delay of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bishops from over 165 countries are attending the conference, which runs from July 26 until Aug. 8. "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," she wrote in the address. "The bishops of the Anglican Communion set out a path for an ongoing commitment towards Christian unity in a changing world; a task that is, perhaps, even more important today, as together you look to the future and explore the role of the church in responding to the needs of the present age." Queen Elizabeth reflected on how she views the current time as a period of "immense challenge for bishops, clergy and lay people around the world" as many of them have been serving in places of "suffering, conflict and trauma." "It is of comfort to me that you do so in the strength of God," she stated. She also warned that the world is in a "time when the effects of climate change are threatening the lives and livelihoods of many people and communities, not least the poorest and those less able to adapt and adjust." "I was interested to learn that the focus of your programme at Lambeth Palace today is reflection and dialogue on the theme of the environment, a cause close to the heart of my late husband, and carried on by The Prince of Wales and The Duke of Cambridge," the queen continued. Towards the end of her message, she said the "message and teachings of Christ have been my guide" throughout life. "[A]nd in them I find hope," she stressed. "It is my heartfelt prayer that you will continue to be sustained by your faith in times of trial and encouraged by hope at times of despair." "I send my warmest good wishes to you all for a successful Conference and may God bless you in your ministry and service in his world," she concluded. In early June, Queen Elizabeth celebrated her 70th year on the throne through her Platinum Jubilee commemoration. "When it comes to how to mark 70 years as your Queen, there is no guidebook to follow. It really is a first. But I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee," the queen wrote in a message issued at the end of the commemorations. "While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family." Over the years, Queen Elizabeth has not refrained from highlighting her Christian faith. In her Royal Christmas Message in 2018, the monarch declared that Jesus Christ's message of "peace on Earth and good will toward all" is "never out of date" and "needed as much as ever." In 2016, the queen called Jesus Christ "the King she serves." Her late husband, Prince Philip, who died in 2021, was attributed with having "persuaded" her to talk more about her Christian faith during her broadcasts. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Queen Elizabeth gave her first-ever Easter address. "The discovery of the risen Christ on the first Easter Day gave his followers new hope and fresh purpose, and we can all take heart from this. We know that coronavirus will not overcome us," she said at the time. "As dark as death can be particularly for those suffering with grief light and life are greater. May the living flame of the Easter hope be a steady guide as we face the future." Richard and Brittini De La Mora share tips for Christian singles, warning signs to look for Single Christians should be wary of being deceived by "looks" and "words" when dating in search of a future spouse, cautioned husband and wife podcasters, Richard and Brittini De La Mora. Looks are deceiving, because someone can "look like the right one but it doesn't mean they are the right one, the couple said in their discussion about looking for the attributes of a godly partner in the most recent episode of their "Lets Talk Purity" podcast on edifi. They can say the right things, but that doesnt mean that they're the right person. And too often, we know people who are really good with their words, but their words dont reflect who they are, said Richard, an evangelist and founder of Love Always ministries. A lot of people get deceived because they think, Wow, thats a powerful man of God, or that's a wonderful, beautiful woman of God. And then, its like, Wait a minute, you switched up. How were you this person the first three months and then, you just changed to a whole different person? Richard also warned that a Christian can end up with a good person, but that doesnt mean they're your good partner. The first thing Christians should look for in a godly partner, according to the De La Moras, is that they are equally yoked, referring to 2 Corinthians 6, which warns Christians against being "yoked with unbelievers." Richard explained that there are "a lot of things that can go wrong with" dating a nonbeliever, warning that the "reason why is because theres a different value system." And whenever there is a different value system, there will be a different priority system, he explained. "But here you are, wanting to go to church, reading your Bible, and then you're mad because they dont want to go to church [and] read the Bible. But theyre so sweet, with dreamy eyes." "And youre like, 'Oh my gosh, I just want to be with them. But the reality is that you want to be with them, but they dont want to be with Him Jesus. So everything changes. While someone "can be a 'Christian' that doesn't mean they actually are a Christian, noting that just because they have the label doesnt mean they have the fruit. Brittni, who escaped the porn industry, said she and her husband want "to extend Gods grace" to Christians who are struggling with habitual sin and wonder if their struggles disqualify them from dating Christians who arent struggling with habitual sins. Maybe God is still dealing with certain issues in your heart; like you got extreme anger or youre still battling with some drugs. Maybe you have some secret sin, like pornography, Brittni continued. "We're here to extend God's grace, but we know that there is freedom and deliverance in Jesus." Though there are Christians who've been set free from their habitual sins, oftentimes those Christians don't know who to look for in a godly partner. You definitely want to find somebody that has that fruit of the Spirit; they're gentleness, kindness. Theyre filled with joy. They know who they are in Christ. Theyre faithful. They have good character, Brittni continued. Some people will say, 'How do I even know?' Even people who are battling with a lot of things privately, they can pretend to be a great person publicly, but maybe internally theyre full of pride or whatever it may be. Well, time will always tell." God does give us the gift of discernment," she added. "Its never for you to judge people when you have discernment. Its for you to give them grace, but also to pray over them. But you want to make sure that they have the fruit of the Spirit. Its important that couples dont rush toward marriage because it takes time to develop a godly romantic relationship, Richard added, echoing his wife's comment about how "time will tell." "Because time is literally our greatest asset," he continued. "Time is our friend. What Ive seen when people just jump right into relationships. but have only been with the person for two months, Richard shared as an example. Ive also known a plethora of people [where] that has not worked out. I mean, their marriages are in shambles. Why? Because you didnt allow time to unveil who that person is." Brittni stressed that "even when you get married, there might have been things you were hiding" that are revealed well into the marriage. For Christians in romantic relationships, the De La Moras warned that it is crucial to "be patient when it comes to the dating process. Get to know that person. And this is where you ask significant questions. I believe the greatest leaders and the greatest relationships are those who ask questions, Richard said. As an example, he referenced the biblical figure David who wanted to fight Goliath and asked King Saul various questions about the challenge. I love it. Heres this guy thats asking a plethora of questions. Thats good. I really believe that we should ask a lot of questions, Richard said, explaining that when he and Brittni were dating, he asked several questions, including ones about her finances and credit score. He also made sure they remained in the dating stage until they got to know each other better. Communication, they added, is the key to every relationship. Richard also felt it was important to inquire about Brittnis "sexual history." How many people do we know that cant deal with peoples sexual history? They get jealous," said Richard. "So many people have talked to me, saying, I dont know how you do it. And I say, because God gave me the grace and thats my wife, not yours." "I truly believe that I have the grace to be with you," he said to his wife. Listen to "Let's Talk Purity" and many other shows on the edifi Christian podcast app. Boy Scouts reach settlement with nearly 60K sex abuse victims that could exceed $1 billion The Boy Scouts of America has reached a historic settlement agreement with some 60,000 sexual abuse victims that legal experts believe is likely to exceed $1 billion in compensation, a restructuring support agreement filed Thursday in a federal bankruptcy court in Delaware shows. After months of intensive negotiations, the Debtors have reached resolution with every single official and major creditor constituency in these chapter 11 cases. The debtors now have a plan of reorganization that is supported by the Future Claimants Representative, the TCC, the Creditors Committee, JPM (the Debtors senior secured lender), the Coalition, and the AHCLC, attorneys for the BSA wrote. Attorneys for the tort claimants committee, or TCC, previously estimated the value of some 82,500 sexual abuse claims at about $103 billion, Fox News reported. Earlier this year, the BSA proposed in its revised bankruptcy plan to issue an unsecured promissory note for $80 million for a victims trust fund and to use its restricted assets to cover post-bankruptcy expenses, the Rockland County Times reported. Changes to the youth organizations original Chapter 11 filing increased the BSA's contribution to the trust fund from $120 million under its previous plan to $250 million. Under the latest plan, according to Fox News, the BSAs more than 250 local councils would contribute $600 million into the fund for abuse victims, and at least half of the councils contribution would be in cash. With their contributions to the trust fund and the transfer of insurance rights, the BSA and local councils would be released from liability, Fox News noted. Similar action by sponsoring organizations such as churches and civic groups could also release them from further liability. Ken Rothweiler, a lawyer representing a group of survivors, told USA Today that the new agreement, which reflects an initial settlement of $850 million, is the largest settlement of sexual abuse claims in United States history." "I am pleased that both the BSA and their local councils have stepped up to be the first to compensate the survivors, Rothweiler said. Paul Mones, another attorney also representing survivors, told USA TODAY that with contributions from insurance companies, he expects the settlement amount to exceed $1 billion. "It is important that people see this dollar amount, and know this is not the end; this is just the beginning," plaintiff attorney Jordan Merson told the publication. "There are billions of dollars in insurance money, and the fight to get that money is continuing." Attorneys for some insurance companies like Century Indemnity Company were displeased with the agreement and said they were shut out of the deal-making process. Century argued in a filing Thursday that the BSA allowed attorneys representing the victims to reframe the youth organizations restructuring plan to make it more favorable for their clients while paying themselves significant fees. The new Plan, new Disclosure Statement, and new TDPs are the product of the closed-door meetings between BSA and Claimants Representatives that have occurred from June 2nd, and from which the insurers were wholly excluded, Centurys attorneys argued. A review of publicly available documents indicates that, after BSA and the Local Councils reached an agreement fixing their contributions to a plan of reorganization, and thus no longer had an economic interest in what claims are allowed, BSA turned over the pen to the claimants representatives to re-draft the Plan and the terms for allowing and valuing the claims of their constituents, they continued. With only the fox guarding the henhouse, the outcome is utterly at odds with what BSA itself asserted was necessary for a confirmable plan and is permissible under the Bankruptcy Code. Roger C. Mosby, president and CEO of the BSA, noted in a declaration in support of the RSA, however, that it is the best path forward because it will allow the organization to compensate survivors and keep the BSA running. In my opinion, as well as the Boards, the path set forth in the RSA is the most realistic approach to achieve the Debtors objectives. Any other option would likely involve significant litigation and would not yield the support of holders of Direct Abuse Claims, whose acceptance is necessary to confirm a plan that includes third party releases, Mosby stated. I understand that these releases are essential for a global resolution of abuse claims for the Local Councils that are essential to the Debtors ability to carry out the charitable mission of Scouting after the conclusion of these chapter 11 cases, he added. The Southern Baptists pastor controversy: A study in terminologys pitfalls and their consequences Editor's Note: The author of this column was one of the 15-member study committee selected by the Southern Baptist Convention to propose revisions to the Baptist Faith & Message (1963) and to present those revisions for approval or rejection by the SBC business session in 2000. He was also one of three committee members (along with Charles S. Kelley Jr. and R. Albert Mohler Jr.) appointed by the study committee to answer questions during the floor debate on the proposed revisions. After the revised confession was overwhelmingly approved as the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 (BF&M), the Convention asked these three men to write a study guide to the confession (Kelley, Land, and Mohler, The Baptist Faith & Message, Nashville, LifeWay Press, 2007). Also, Land is the only person to have served on both the 2000 study committee and on the seven-member committee appointed to draft a confessional article on The Family for the BF&M, which was overwhelmingly approved by the Convention in 1998. What is the controversy roiling Southern Baptists concerning the term pastor all about? Is it a major doctrinal disagreement or is it merely a tempest in a teapot, unworthy of the heat it has generated? And why, in the larger scheme of things, does it matter? The truth is that it is neither of the above but instead falls somewhere between misunderstanding and disagreement. It matters a great deal to me because the SBC has always been my spiritual home as a Christian. However, it is also the largest Protestant denomination in the country, Evangelical or otherwise. What happens in Southern Baptist life impacts American Christianity for good or ill. If Southern Baptists catch a cold, American Evangelicals start sniffling. Part of the problem with the pastor terminology debate is that it is an ecclesiological (church) issue, and Baptists are pretty unique (at least within historical Protestant Christendom) when it comes to the doctrine of the church. I taught a course on Baptist Distinctives to Southern Baptist seminarians for 13 years and I always started the first lecture with the doctrine of the church. The first sentence of the BF&M on The Church says: A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. I would always tell my students, Almost every phrase of that definition separates Baptists from virtually all other major faith traditions arising out of the 16th and 17th century Reformation (Lutheran, Presbyterian, Anglican, even Congregational). Perhaps the most unique part of the definition, and often the most difficult for outside observers to understand, is that each local congregation is autonomous through democratic processes and under the Lordship of Christ. Consequently, there is no hierarchy or denominational vertical structure in Baptist ecclesiology. Each church calls her own pastors and staff members, owns her own property, and decides annually what percentage of her budget she wishes to contribute to Southern Baptist causes at the local, state and national levels. That is why the denomination is called the Southern Baptist Convention it is a convention of local churches (approximately 46,000 local congregations) who have voted voluntarily to be part of the Convention and have been accepted by the other throng of Convention churches as espousing the doctrines outlined in the BF&M confession. Each Baptist fellowship group, starting with the local congregation, the local association of churches, the state convention of churches, and the national Convention, decides for themselves (independently of what any other Baptist fellowship group may decide) whether a local church fits within acceptable Baptist doctrinal parameters. For example, a local church could be and sometimes is, a member of the national Convention, even after the church has been removed from the state convention and/or the local association. During the theological controversies which produced the Conservative Resurgence in the last quarter of the 20th century, it was often claimed by Southern Baptist moderates that being Baptist means you are free to believe anything you want to believe under the priesthood of the believer. That assertion is only partially true. Baptists do believe that humanly speaking, you are certainly free to believe whatever you wish. However, you do not have the right to believe, or disbelieve, anything you choose and still call yourself a Southern Baptist. Each fellowship group of Baptists, local church, local association, state convention, and national Convention, decides independently of each other whether you have strayed beyond the boundaries of what they each collectively believe it means to be Southern Baptist. At the national level, the BF&M defines the doctrines and theological parameters Southern Baptists, as a corporate body, believe are acceptable for Southern Baptists to affirm and espouse. The BF&M is not a creed and it is not binding on any individuals conscience. The Southern Baptist Convention does, however, have the right to say by a vote of its member churches that a particular church has moved beyond the boundaries and consensus of what the member churches believe represents Southern Baptists faith and practice. The BF&M is binding on the various entities owned and operated by the SBC at the national level (the six seminaries, the two mission boards, etc.) which are owned and operated by the Convention on behalf of the churches and for the benefit of helping the churches expand the Gospel around the globe. About 20 years ago I was preaching a revival in a city away from my home in Nashville. I was invited, after the evening services one weeknight, to have a late dinner with a group of Southern Baptists from another church in town. Since I never eat before preaching at night, I accepted their invitation. It soon became clear that these church members were very exercised about the fact that their church was in the process of being voted out of membership in the local association of Southern Baptist churches because they were no longer requiring a baptism by immersion in water, subsequent to a personal testimony of having made a profession of faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior as a prerequisite to membership in that local church. Evidently, they had invited me to dinner because they wanted to know what a denominational official thought about their controversy. They were quite exercised as they explained to me how persecuted they felt that this was being done to them and that it was a violation of local church autonomy and the priesthood of the believer. I listened politely to their indignation as I enjoyed an excellently prepared (seared on the outside, RARE on the inside) Porterhouse steak. Just as the dessert (a magnificent chocolate bread pudding souffle) arrived, they turned to me and said, Dr. Land, what do you think? I took a bite of the souffle, which was sublime (If you are what you eat, parts of me are chocolate). Then I asked them to please remember in about five minutes that they did ask me for my opinion. I told them, This is not a violation of local church autonomy. No one is trying to come in and remove your pastor and your church leadership. No one is proposing to confiscate your property. This is a local association of Southern Baptist churches that are saying that if you no longer require baptism by immersion in water after a profession of faith in Jesus as your personal Savior, then you are no longer a Baptist church by their collective definition of the term. They are removing you from fellowship in the association in order to witness to the surrounding world what their beliefs are about what a Baptist church is. I concluded by saying, Frankly, if I were in your association, I would vote to disfellowship you as well. The dinner party broke up quite quickly after that exchange. I hope this background helps to explain the non-hierarchal, horizontal nature of Southern Baptist ecclesiology and polity. Also, I used this example because of the current kerfuffle concerning the nomenclature used by churches in ordaining or dedicating certain women staff members as pastors with qualifying descriptors such as childrens pastor or pastor to senior adults as opposed to childrens minister or minster to senior adults certainly does not rise to the level of rejecting a proper definition and mode of baptism as a prerequisite for church membership in a local Baptist church. Instead, it is a question of whether or not the pastoral office is a position of authority and if so, does conferring even a restricted use of the term pastor inevitably give some people the impression, intended or not, that the church has conferred pastoral authority on a woman in violation of apostolic mandate. The BF&M does state that while both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture. Why do Baptists believe that? There are several reasons, all having to do with their understanding of the Manual for Faith, Order, and Practice in Baptist Churches the New Testament. In the section of the New Testament most directly applicable to things being done with order in the local church (The Pastoral Epistles) the Apostle Paul tells his son in the faith, Timothy, I suffer not a womanto usurp authority over the man (I Tim. 2:12). As Kelley, Mohler, and I point out in the BF&M Study Guide: The New Testament words that Baptists identify with the pastoral office include terms translated as bishop, elder, and pastor. Each term adds to our understanding of the pastoral office and the pastors responsibility. Bishop means overseersomeone who oversees the work of othersIn the Christian church elder was used for someone who presided over assemblies and served as a counselor. The term pastor describes a shepherd who loves and cares for the believers who make up the congregation. The Apostle Pauls requirement that a pastor be the husband of one wife (I Tim. 3:2) clearly indicates in the New Testament pastors were to be men. The verb form of all three of these words describing the office of pastor: episkopos (bishop), presbutero (elder), and poimaino (to shepherd, or pastor) are found in the Apostle Peters first epistle (I Pet. 5:1-5). There is also a vivid example of the authoritative and shepherding role of the pastor in the 13th chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews. The Hebrew Christians are exhorted to put themselves under the authority of those who watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy. (Heb. 13:7, 17, emphasis supplied). Those who watch for your souls were the pastoral elders of the early church. And the statement that the pastoral undershepherds are going to give an account to the Lord Jesus concerning their watch care should be sobering to all who have the privilege of being the Lords undershepherds here on Earth of some of the Great Shepherds flock. In life, and especially in religious life, with its eternal consequences, we have the responsibility to seek to be understood correctly. We have the additional responsibility to do our very best not to be misunderstood. From much experience, I know that some people, when reading this column will automatically assume that my position on this issue is dictated by my supposed prejudice toward women. So let me put my cards on the table (if a Baptist can be permitted to use such a phrase). I believe the New Testament does not allow women to be in authority over men in the local church. However, while serving as president of the Southern Baptist Conventions ethics and public policy entity (the Christian Life Commission, now the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission), I called a woman to be the head of our Washington, D.C., office (the home office is in Nashville). And yes, she did have supervisory authority over men, which was perfectly appropriate because the Washington office was not a church and her supervisory role was not pastoral. And by the way, her name was Shannon Royce and she did a great job until she felt that her responsibilities as a mother required her to resign. We were sorry to see her go and we missed her dedication and expertise. I personally would have no theological problem with a woman being the head of any Southern Baptist institution or serving as a dean or a professor in any Southern Baptist seminary or college. If former U.N. Ambassador Jean Kirkpatrick had wanted to run for president, I would have been all for it. If an American Margaret Thatcher (my personal favorite political leader) emerged on the current scene, I would enthusiastically back her political ambitions. And, having attended Southern Baptist churches all of my conscious life I am well aware that virtually all of our churches would implode upon themselves without the myriads of women who invest their spiritual gifts and time in local churches and in personal discipleship and other ministry efforts. At the time the Baptist Faith & Message study committee was appointed, the idea of women serving in a pastoral role, senior and otherwise, in a local church was a bigger issue than I believe it to be in the current SBC. At the time the committee felt that it had to be addressed forthrightly in the BF&M 2000, and it was. The present discussion is a disagreement among complementarians, not a debate between complementarians and egalitarians. On one side, you have complementarians who believe that, based on Scripture, women should not be given the title of pastor in any sense by the church because it would inevitably be perceived and interpreted as a church conferring some degree of pastoral authority on the individual woman given the title and that would contradict New Testament apostolic teaching. The other group is complementarians who believe that while the role of senior pastor is reserved only for men, women can be given the title of some type of pastor without violating the New Testament admonition of not having a woman in authority over men in the local church. I am certain that the overwhelming consensus among the study committee members was that the prohibition on women as pastors was meant to be inclusive, and did not leave room for female church staff members to be accorded even a qualified version of that title. Frankly, I believe it is impossible in Southern Baptist culture and tradition for a church to confer even a qualified portion of the term pastor on a woman staff member without conferring some degree of pastoral authority upon her, which would be a violation of New Testament teaching. As the discussion continues, Southern Baptists will have to decide how wide like faith and practice can be stretched and what is amenable to a significant majority of the local churches who will ultimately decide the matter. I do know that those who object to expanding the pastoral terminology to women believe that if the practice is widely accepted, there will be an inevitable vocabulary-driven mission creep and sooner rather than later the Convention will have to arbitrate the issue of women being accepted as the pastor of local assemblies of believers. This Southern Baptist would ask, Why invite the confusion such imprecise vocabulary would inevitably bring with it? Why invite confusion and discord by calling a woman pastor to senior adults when minister to senior adults conveys an understanding of her important role in the churchs ministry without inevitably conferring perceived pastoral authority upon her in violation of the Apostle Pauls clear direction. UMC to contribute $30M to Boy Scout abuse survivor fund The United Methodist Church will contribute $30 million to a fund created for the benefit of those abused while participating in the Boy Scouts of America. Last Friday, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Laurie Selber Silverstein approved initial settlements of approximately $2.3 billion to abuse survivors, including a $30 million contribution to the survivors' fund the UMC proposed last year. The UMC has a history with the BSA that goes back nearly a century through its predecessor denominations. Thousands of methodist congregations have chartered scouting troops. In recent years, tens of thousands of alleged abuse victims have come forward to make claims against the BSA. This strong connection to the BSA raised some questions as to what extent the UMC was liable for the sex abuse scandal within the prominent youth organization. Bishop John Schol, who chaired the team created to support the UMC chartering associations, told The Christian Post that the denomination "voluntarily participated in the mediation sessions for the BSA reorganization plan." "Our commitment was to put the survivors and their needs first," Schol said. "The United Methodists offered, and it was accepted by the lawyers representing the survivors and more than 85% of the survivors who voted on the reorganization plan." Schol said the money has been committed, but they are waiting until the plan has final approval as the judge rejected some other elements of the BSA bankruptcy plan. "We have three years to make our full payment," Schol said. UMC also agreed to have leaders hear the experiences of survivors, publish a series of articles on scouting group abuse and steps to prevent future abuse, and review their youth protection policies to ensure they are being adequately implemented. "Our settlement is an acknowledgement that scouts who were part of United Methodist troops were harmed. We are sorry, saddened and angered by what occurred to young people over the last 80 years," said Schol. "We prayerfully hope this acknowledgment and financial support will aid in the healing of survivors. We are committed to ... prevention of abuse as we go forward." In February 2020, BSA announced it filed bankruptcy to help afford the compensation expected to be paid to people abused in scouting. Last August, the UMC Office of Public Information released a statement expressing concern that legal developments were not addressing chartered organizations. "[T]he ad hoc committee is disappointed and very concerned that the BSA did not include its sponsoring organizations, charter groups, in the agreement with the claimants," the UMC said at the time. "Charter organizations were promised by the BSA to be covered by their insurance, but at this time, it is not clear to what extent United Methodist congregations will be covered." As a result, the UMC committee recommended that congregations with scout troops consider ending or altering their agreements with BSA last year. In February, the UMC announced an agreement with the BSA to extend existing charters with congregations until, at the very least, the end of June. Churches with scouting troops did not need to take action on the issue of charter renewal. However, they were encouraged "to move forward with the annual membership renewal process for all youth and adults who participate in Scouting programs." "Charter renewal and membership renewal are distinct processes. Charter renewal focuses on the organization-to-organization relationship, while membership renewal involves the relationship between individual Scouts and volunteers and the BSA," the UMC stated in February. "Annual membership renewal is a vital step in allowing Scouting to continue, as maintaining active membership registrations for all Scouts and volunteers is critical to ensuring that Scouts and volunteers are covered by BSA's insurance, that volunteers meet training and safety standards, and that both youth and volunteers continue to receive communications." Steven Scheid, director of the Center for Scouting Ministries of the General Commission on United Methodist Men, told CP that they recommended charter organizations "vote against the plan because as of the time of the voting, we did not have a settlement." "The voting was extended and we negotiated our settlement. Our voting charters then voted to pass the plan," Scheid explained. Scheid said although "there has been a reduction in Scouting because of the pandemic," membership in the troops increased 4% "year over year," and "congregations continue to support Scouting ministry." "Come Now, Ye Rich, Weep And Howl"; Understanding James In Proper Context link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 23:50 23:50 Jeff Meyers, author of Wisdom for Dissidents, an extensive new commentary of the Epistle of James, discusses James's denunciations of the rich in their historical and political context. Instead of being universal condemnations of wealth for all times and places, James wrote his letter at a time when a particular power faction in Jerusalem was using its wealth and power in an attempt to destroy the Jesus movement. Get Wisdom for Dissidents: The Epistle of James Through New Eyes on Amazon 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. 1 2 3 4 Next This content is paid for by an advertiser and published by CP Brand Solutions. The Christian Post newsroom was not involved in creating this content. Learn more about CP Brand Solutions. The film comes at a time of great upheavel over whether hell exists. Over 50% of American Christians no longer believe in hell. What is going on? "Hell is real," says Director Tim Chey. "It's very clear from Scripture. I wish hell didn't exist. I weep for my family members who rejected Christ that I will never see them again." According to Chey, the film actually has a happy ending. "Many have come to Christ through this film," he says. "We've had alter calls and this film is having a great impact for Jesus." The film is based on the best-selling, highly-acclaimed classic novel by John Bunyan about a man who almost drowns and dreams he goes a literal hell and wakes up a changed man for Christ. "Jesus spoke more of hell than anyone in the Bible," continues Tim Chey. "And I love Charles Spurgeon who said let's do everything we can to stop people from going there." Even if it means waking up the sleeping church? "It's scary how many Christians I've spoken to who don't believe in hell," says Chey. "Is it any wonder why you can't even tell the difference anymore between a true Believer and an agnostic?" Chey is a former athiest when he went to Harvard and later when practicing law. He became a filmmaker following his passions and is the most prolific Christian producer/director of over 15 movies, including 'Freedom' (Cuba Gooding, Jr. Sharon Leal), 'The Islands' (Mira Sorvino, John Savage), and 'Interview with the Antichrist'. "It's all about Jesus," says Chey. "I'm a nobody and the chief of sinners. But the blood of Christ saved me and I understand how awesome and merciful God is. I deserve hell more than anyone on this planet, but God forgave me. He wants no one to go to hell. Hell is actually the incredible manifestation of God in showing his justice. How can Kim Il Sung who murdered over 200,000 Christians in North Korea go to heaven? What kind of God would that be? Think long and hard about that." About RiverRain Productions RiverRain Productions is one of the top faith-based film studios in the U.S. of over 15 feature films. "Journey to Hell' opens in select cities on August 5, 2022. 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Last week, the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council voted to pass an ordinance that would have barred all activity of Christian missions on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Additionally, as reported by Native News Online, the ordinance required all religious organizations to complete an application to be allowed to engage in mission work. The next day, the tribal council voted 10-7 to rescind the ordinance, allowing missionaries and churches to continue their operations. Pastor Lori McAfee is president and founder of Wings as Eagles Ministries, which oversees The Dream Center, a non-denominational ministry that works on the reservation. In an interview with The Christian Post on Tuesday, McAfee said the current rules are for faith groups operating at the reservation to register with the tribal leadership. It was unconstitutional, so they rescinded it, McAfee noted, adding that they were now having churches and ministries register within 90 days of the ordinance being voted on. According to McAfee, the whole issue stemmed from a recent incident of another ministry coming in with a really, really bad brochure which was going around the reservation. I guess somehow we got blamed for it, she said, describing the situation as a real mess and emphasizing that the brochure came from a ministry that was from outside the reservation. McAfee, whose ministry has been working on the reservation for several years, told CP that the registration requirement was not a novel condition. Weve already done that over and over in the past, said McAfee, adding that every time there is a new tribal council, they implement rules on a host of issues. This tribal council wont be there unless they get voted back in, because they have voting in November. So, its only two years, so every two years theres a new council and they do new rules. So, it just continues. So, weve done it in the past. 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. European Court of Human Rights rejects appeal from Archie Battersbee's parents UPDATE: 8:30 a.m. ET Aug. 4: Archie Battersbee's parents submitted an application to a United Kingdom high court seeking to move their 12-year-old son to a hospice so he can receive palliative oxygen. The application was sent before the 9 a.m. Thursday deadline set by the lawyers for Barts Health NHS Trust. A hearing could come as early as Thursday afternoon. Original: The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rejected an urgent legal application from the parents of 12-year-old Archie Battersbee Wednesday to delay the removal of their son's life support. The parents' application was filed just before the 9 a.m. Wednesday deadline from the lawyers for Barts Health NHS Trust Tuesday. The trust, which oversees Royal London Hospital, set a deadline of 9 a.m. Thursday for the parents to file a legal bid to have their son moved to hospice. Parents Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee are considering their options after receiving offers from doctors in Japan and Italy to treat their son, according to a Wednesday statement from The Christian Legal Centre. Battersbee was found unconscious in April with a ligature around his neck, suffering a "catastrophic hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury." He has not regained consciousness. CLC has represented the family in their efforts to prevent the Royal London Hospital from discontinuing the boy's treatment. In a letter to the family and their legal team, ECHR stated that it would not interfere with the decision of previous judges who agreed with the hospital's assessment that removal of care was in Archie's "best interests." "We regret to inform you that on 3 August 2022 the President of the Court decided not to indicate to the Government of the United Kingdom, under Rule 39 of the Rules of Court, the interim measure you are seeking," ECHR wrote. "Therefore the Court will not interfere with the decisions of the national courts to allow the withdrawal of life sustaining treatment from Archie Battersbee to proceed." Dance said that the news is another "heart-breaking development" in her son's case. The mother questioned why he couldn't be given a chance if doctors in other countries are willing to treat him. "In a worst-case scenario, we want to take Archie to a hospice, but the hospital have said that we cannot do that despite previous promises," she said. "We have been told all along that this is all about Archie dying with 'dignity,' and yet we are told we cannot take him to a hospice where it is quiet and we can spend time with him as a family without the chaos at the hospital." "We will fight to end for Archie's right to live," she added. Lawyers for Barts Health NHS Trust informed his parents Tuesday that the boy's life support could be withdrawn Wednesday. On Tuesday, the U.K. Supreme Court refused the parents' permission to appeal the removal of the child's life support. Dance and Battersbee filed a last-minute application to the court after a Monday Court of Appeal hearing. Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Steve Barclay called for the U.K. Supreme Court to refuse the parents' urgent appeal. Government lawyers submitted to the U.K. Supreme Court on his behalf that the interim measures injunction by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) is "not binding" under international law. The UNCRPD had asked the United Kingdom last week to keep the boy on life support while it considered the case. Government lawyers wrote that "the notion that interim measures are binding has not been accepted as a facet of customary international law. There is no such consensus. On the contrary, the status of the committees' decisions is a subject of some controversy." Battersbee's parents argue that such an action breaches the U.N. Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Children. Last Friday, the UNCRPD said 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.'" In June, Justice Emma Arbuthnot ruled that the Royal London Hospital could discontinue Battersbee's life support, writing that the boy is likely dead "on the balance of probabilities." Arbuthnot granted the parents permission to appeal, and in a July 15 judgment, Justice Anthony Hayden ruled that it is in the child's "best interests" for his life support to be removed. MIAMI (AP) _ Opko Health Inc. (OPK) on Thursday reported a loss of $101.7 million in its second quarter. On a per-share basis, the Miami-based company said it had a loss of 14 cents. Losses, adjusted for non-recurring costs, came to 4 cents per share. DETROIT (AP) Tesla shareholders on Thursday approved a three-for-one stock split, a move that will make the company's shares more accessible to smaller investors. Preliminary results of the shareholder vote were announced at the electric car and solar panel maker's annual meeting at its new factory in Austin, Texas. CEO Elon Musk also discussed at the meeting a major factory expansion in the future as the company moves toward a goal of making 20 million vehicles per year. It now produces around 1.5 million per year. Musk said Tesla might announce another factory site this year, and it expects to have about a dozen in the future. Currently the company has assembly plants in Fremont, California; Austin; Berlin and Shanghai. Musk joked that many had suggested Canada as a site for the next new plant. The company made its 3 millionth vehicle in the past few weeks, Musk said. Tesla stock closed Thursday at $925.90, down 12.4% so far this year, but it almost completed a split itself, tumbling more than 40% by May after Musk made a $44 billion bid to buy Twitter in April. Investors were worried that Musk would be distracted from Tesla if he purchased the social media platform. But Musk backed out of the deal in July and Twitter sued him to force him to make the purchase. A trial is scheduled for October in Delaware Chancery Court. Tesla stock began to recover in July, boosted by better-than-expected second-quarter earnings. Tesla announced plans for the split in late March when shares were trading over $1,000. It will not affect Tesla's overall market value or its status as the world's most valuable automaker. Share splits are used by companies when their stock price gets too high for retail investors to buy individual shares, or when a company wants more shares to exist in the marketplace to make the stock more liquid to trade. Tesla has said it was trying to accomplish both of these goals: giving its employees greater quantities of shares as well as making the stock more accessible to retail investors. Musk sold some shares of Tesla for the Twitter purchase and had planned on using other shares as collateral. Shareholders also re-elected Ira Ehrenpreis and Kathleen Wilson-Thompson to the Tesla board. A History of Delusions: The Glass King, a Substitute Husband and a Walking Corpse By Victoria Shepherd Oneworld. 338 pp. $27.95 - - - Listen to the radio, watch the news or log on to social media, and it won't be long until you encounter some crazy new delusion (you can probably think of one or two off the top of your head). Yet despite how wild a theory may be or how easy it is to disprove, it seems there is always an audience ready to buy it. How, we ask ourselves, can people believe such foolish - and often dangerous - nonsense? In "A History of Delusions: The Glass King, a Substitute Husband and a Walking Corpse," Victoria Shepherd takes us back hundreds of years to investigate extraordinary and well-documented cases of delusion. In doing so, she invites us to understand the logic behind the madness. A delusion can be generally defined as "a fixed, false idea, not shared by others, unshakable in the face of decisive evidence contradicting it." It is important to note that simply having delusions isn't all that unusual. Many of us believe things, especially about ourselves, that disinterested observers might disagree with. (Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon slogan - "Where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking and all the children are above average" - comes to mind.) But the examples in this book are at the very far end of the delusion bell curve, representing landmark cases in the history of psychology. Shepherd's day job is producing documentaries for the BBC, including the 10-part radio series that begot this book. This helps explain the vaguely podcast feel of the text. Each chapter begins in the present tense, with a sort of breathless you-are-there commentary, giving the accounts an attractive immediacy. They are arranged in no obvious order, skipping back and forth in time to profile the patients and the physicians who studied them, all the while drawing on ample primary sources. It is quite a cast of characters. There is the clockmaker who thought his head had been chopped off and accidentally swapped for another (he wanted his original - and much better - teeth back). A London tea-broker interrupted Parliament to warn that a gang of villains was using a device called an "Air-Loom" to control the minds of British politicians. A middle-aged housewife, immortalized in medical history as Madame M, showed up at a Parisian police station to report that her entire family had been replaced by doubles. She also insisted that there were kidnapped children trapped in her cellar needing rescue. Digging deeper into their stories, it's possible to identify recurring patterns. One common theme is the need for respect, especially in lives that have taken an unexpected turn for the worse. When this happens, some individuals resort to delusions of grandiosity to reassert their dignity and sense of self-worth. A prime example is Margaret Nicholson, who after years of service in upper-class households found herself dismissed, abandoned by her lover and on the edge of poverty. She started to believe that she was descended from Queen Boudicca and thus the true heir to the English throne. Attempting to assert her rights, she accosted King George III with a butter knife and was saved from a traitor's gruesome fate by the king himself, who insisted that no one hurt her (he comes off much better here than in the musical "Hamilton"). Locked up in Bedlam hospital, she became a popular attraction for visitors and was granted occasional privileges because of her notoriety. Take delusions of grandiosity one step further and you get delusions of grandeur, one of the most widespread forms of delusion. That's when you aren't just related to important people, you are an important person. Believing you were Napoleon was so common in the mid-19th century that at one point the Bicetre asylum alone registered some 15 or so emperors among its inmates. Why not be Napoleon? He was the most powerful and consequential man of his era. At the other end of the spectrum are delusions of despair. Consider the case of Francis Spira, a 16th-century Venetian lawyer who converted to Protestantism only to recant under intense pressure from the Catholic Church. On his way home from making his public confession he believed he heard the voice of God, blasting his faithlessness. Convinced that he was unredeemable and condemned to the fires below, Spira took to his bed and refused food until he died. Almost immediately his story became a cautionary tale, the Renaissance equivalent of a meme. Spira's legal mind may have brought about his mental downfall. The theological writings he was drawn to emphasized predestination, and he thought his self-serving attempt to avoid earthly persecution was clear evidence he was going to hell. Unable to reconcile his religious beliefs with any hope for mercy, he chose uncomplicated despair. His plight illustrates another common denominator in people with delusions: an overwhelming desire for simple answers. It's one of the reasons conspiracy theories are so difficult to dislodge. As Shepherd observes, "It's not an easy sell to coax a person back from a gloriously neat world into a more nuanced and confusing one." Not content to rely solely on medical case notes, Shepherd repeatedly tries to see things from the patients' point of view. Like a true-crime reporter, she uncovers facts and background clues that provide insight and context. She doesn't want to amuse you with anecdotes about her hapless subjects; she aims to elicit your empathy for the afflicted. There are times when the evidence presented can feel a tad repetitive, and the frequent cross references between cases can be distracting. If you are looking for snark and biting humor, this is not your book - Shepherd plays it straight the whole way. But overall, "A History of Delusions" is a humane and thoughtful account in an age overflowing with vitriol. Its sincerity is refreshing. Next time, instead of dismissing someone as deluded, stop and ask yourself why they think as they do. Or to quote Ted Lasso, be curious, not judgmental. - - - Lucinda Robb worked for 15 years for the Teaching Company and is a co-author with Rebecca Boggs Roberts of the young-adult book "The Suffragist Playbook: Your Guide to Changing the World." Before the Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe and What Lies Beyond By Laura Mersini-Houghton HarperCollins. 240 pp. $27.99. - - - In the past century, astrophysicists have coalesced around the notion that our universe resulted from a big bang, when our prenatal universe was so small, hot and compressed that matter and time effectively did not exist. The evidence of this has mostly come from calculating several known quantities of universal expansion, chiefly its speed and contents, and running the tape in reverse to arrive at the universe's first minuscule fraction of a second. In her book, "Before the Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe and What Lies Beyond," quantum cosmologist Laura Mersini-Houghton focuses on the prequel to this galactic episode, pondering what happened beforehand that put our universe in the position to be banged open. There is no physical evidence for this era, so it's a little like investigating a murder before the murder's taken place. But this quandary is still possible to explore, at least in the field of theoretical physics. Theoretical physicists take a different approach to solving problems, which explains the old joke that a physicist is happiest when she identifies new questions instead of new solutions. New questions - especially ones unanswerable with human equations, theories or principles - imply a bigger discovery is still out there that, if you're lucky, will lead to a dramatic reordering of our understanding of our universe and its building blocks. Lucky for Mersini-Houghton, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, you don't need expensive equipment to arrive at theoretical conclusions. You can have a breakthrough while sitting in a coffee shop staring at your notebook, which is where she admits she had her first inkling of the universe's origins. By combining quantum mechanics, which explores how light and matter behave at subatomic levels, with string theory, which posits that energy and matter behave as tiny vibrating strings, she realized that our universe appeared to be a "wave function" of a much larger multiverse. And to take it one mind-boggling step further, her theory allows that, so long as there is sufficient energy to go around, it's possible new universes can be created as routinely as a queen bee popping out worker bees. This is a remarkable finding when you consider that the universe may have been born from such modest pre-bang origins. It's also remarkable for Mersini-Houghton, who intersperses her scientific theories with compelling memories from her constrained childhood. She was born during the Cold War in Albania, a country she describes as poor, paranoid and cut off from the rest of the world - "the North Korea of Europe," she writes. Her father, a university professor, sparked her imagination with books and art before he was exiled to the countryside. His fate was not bad in comparison; others in his family were imprisoned or killed. There are incredible scenes from Mersini-Houghton's life that demonstrate her sense of emotional whiplash, which almost certainly helped her build such a durable and vivid mind. After another of her father's forced absences, he persuaded his wife to claim in court that he abused her, so that she could be granted a divorce and keep the children in the family home. By chance, the judge hearing the motion was a childhood friend of Mersini-Houghton's father and spotted the ruse instantly. The divorce was denied, sealing the path of the family. But then the path changed again. Her dad was permitted to return home, and the family stayed together. Or there's the brush with chance when a British economist came to Albania in 1992 on a development mission. He and Mersini (in the days before she added the Houghton) became friends, but it wasn't until he surprised her in the Zurich airport, paged her over the loudspeaker and informed her that he had bought the seat next to her to accompany her to her new adventure in the United States that their future was settled. An astrophysicist marrying an economist feels like the start of a joke. But it worked, and for the early years of their marriage, they carried on like distant molecules, living separate lives on separate continents. Students of physics and the broader sciences will be deeply fascinated by this riveting tour of the cosmos from one of the brightest minds in astrophysics. But for anyone who got an A-minus or lower in high school physics and longs for the Cliffs Notes version, here it is: Our universe is large, far larger than we can conceive of, and possibly part of a strangely behaved multiverse, and it all started from a point infinitesimally small that erupted in a bang indescribably big. Mersini-Houghton has the receipts to prove it, or at least to show how she arrived at her persuasive conclusions. She soberly admits that her multiverse theory isn't for everyone. At one point she recalls when, during a debate with another astrophysicist, the two mostly agreed that only about half of their colleagues believe in the multiverse, and of those, there are a handful of different ideas about how it's shaped and how it behaves. But uncertainty about how energy expands is the propulsive force behind cosmology in general, and it's also how Mersini-Houghton seems to consider her path as a scientist. A spot of energy exploded, and a young girl from an unlikely place changed our sense of space and time. Sometimes boundaries can lead to remarkable things. - - - Daniel Stone is a former editor for National Geographic and the author of "The Food Explorer." His next book, "Sinkable: Obsession, the Deep Sea, and the Shipwreck of the Titanic," will be released in August. Houston-based hot chicken chain has global ambitions Clutch City Cluckers adds a location in Montrose, with a whole lot more to come. Long-lost brother and sister find each other at Texas hospital The man had no idea he had a sister until he received the results. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TORONTO (AP) Caribana. A Celebration of Freedom. Feathers. Glitter. Decadent floats. Booming music. The vibrant masquerade at the Carnival Festival in Toronto is far more than a visual delight. It is a celebration of freedom -- of liberation and exuberance never so necessary as after two years of the events cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic. The return of the 55th annual parade offers much-needed relief for Torontos Caribbean immigrant community, who rejoice, reconnect and remember emancipation from slavery in extravagant plumage on their streets. In major cities across the world, tens of thousands of revelers flock to the streets for Carnival celebrations. Toronto, for its part, has its parade on what the Canadian government recognizes as Emancipation Day weekend, the first Saturday of August commemorating the day slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire in 1834. The participants who hammer out rhythms on hundreds of steel pans and carefully craft the feathered costumes describe the parade as a fundamentally life-affirming event, a full-sensory experience. For the new generations of Trinidad, the carnival is a reminder of where they come from, Thadel Wilson, a steel pan drummer, told The Associated Press. The Caribbean Carnival is for everyone, a day to celebrate the positives in your life and let go of the negatives. Some 10,000 costumed festival-goers took over the exhibition grounds on Torontos central Lake Shore Boulevard, transforming the site into a kaleidoscope of feathered wings and bejeweled headdresses in every color imaginable. The city was buzzing -- literally. The soca-infused bass shook the ground. Drums clanged. Families and friends reunited after years of pandemic restrictions. And peacocking performers sashayed down the boulevard to the beat of the music. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAO PAULO - Fatima Mendes tightens her grip on her dogs' leashes as she crosses a street in the hemisphere's largest city. The narrow sidewalks here are clotted with people draped in blankets, many lying down. Drug users pick through trash bins in search of items they might sell for a few reals - enough to secure the next fix. They carry away a wheezing boombox, worn tennis shoes, busted combs. Dawn is breaking over Crackland. It's been two months since hundreds of drug-addicted people spilled into Mendes's neighborhood, and her morning walks have been tense ever since. Now, when she goes to the gym, the retired tourism manager takes only her key. She avoids going out at night at all. "You become a prisoner," says Mendes, 58. "You cannot bring your cellphone with you when you are out, even if you are going to work. You have to be constantly on alert." Brazilians call it Cracolandia: a 30-year-old colony of hundreds of drug users and dealers under the control of the First Capital Command, the city's most powerful gang, across more than two dozen blocks in downtown Sao Paulo. It's one of the world's oldest and largest open-air drug markets, moving an estimated $37 million of product each year. Since crack cocaine engulfed Sao Paulo in the 1990s, nearly every city administration has proclaimed victory over Crackland, only to see it resurge, whack-a-mole style, in a different location, to the horror of the residents and business owners affected. Successive governments have tried approaches ranging from tear gas and rubber bullets to free housing and treatment. In 2019, President Jair Bolsonaro signed a law to allow police and security to commit addicted people to hospitals by force. Former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is challenging Bolsonaro in the October election, says he would consider limiting prison terms for users and redefining definitions of drug trafficking to exclude smaller quantities. Now Crackland is on the move again. The latest in a decades-long series of police crackdowns this year is pushing the squatters beyond their long-standing boundaries and into adjoining neighborhoods. "It is an impressive social and economic phenomenon," says Mauricio Fiore, a researcher at the Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning. "It is more than a dilemma - it is unsolvable." The only way to break up Crackland, he says, is to raise the cost of staying for users and dealers, either by populating the area with other, more desirable people or by making life so difficult they leave. Elbio Marquez walks three blocks into the heart of Crackland, past people with open wounds and crutches, to open the heavy iron gates of Cristolandia church. His bright yellow uniform is stamped with "Jesus transforms." "Coffee? Shower? A change of clothes?" he offers to the people gathered. Suddenly, people rise to move. Run, run, they whisper. "Run where?" asks one man, confused. Across the street, a line of police officers, armed and grim-faced, orders the gathering to disperse. As people run, a tear gas bomb goes off. The chaos jars amid the architecture of downtown Sao Paulo. Crackland sits next to the Sala Sao Paulo, the extravagant theater that serves as headquarters for the city's symphony orchestra, blocks from the Perola Byington women's hospital, and close to the Pinacoteca, one of the country's most important museums of modern art. It's not only a public health nightmare but also a real estate headache. Until recent months, traffickers had full control of the region. But since the beginning of the year, police have launched a series of invasions to arrest traffickers and disperse users. Police say the operations have led to the arrests of several prominent traffickers. "We unrooted the problem. We broke the economic cycle of Crackland," says Alexis Vargas, head of strategy for Sao Paulo's city police force. The approach has shrunk Crackland from a height of 4,000 people in 2017 to a few hundred today. But as people disperse, residents in neighborhoods that were never affected are locking their doors and shutting down their businesses. The police are urging neighbors to be patient as Cracklanders move through the city. "There needs to be resilience," Vargas says. "Organized crime is resilient, so the public also has to be." At Cristolandia, 16 men and two women agree to attend a service in exchange for food, a bath, and new clothes. "The first time you use crack, that's it. Your life is over," says Alan Felipe, 32. He says he has not used in five days. Before he quit, he says, he stole electronics and items from the local market to sell for crack. But life in the last few months has grown more difficult: "They send us from one place to another. You are hit with rubber bullets, pepper spray." Jittery and anxious, he says he'll seek help from a government treatment center after the service is over. With a 9-month-old daughter, he's determined to stay clean. "It is a battle. You have no idea how hard it is." Valdomiro Sousa Lima, 54, says he has been using crack for 13 years. He pulls a homemade pipe, crafted from a car antenna, from a bag. "Now there is no place to stay. We have no space to gather. Everyone is spaced out." Aldino de Magalhaes runs a restaurant that has been in his family for generations. But sales have plunged 50% since the day in May when, without warning, addicted people moved into his block. "It was worse than the pandemic," he says. The newcomers, he says, have stolen cables and metal from the outside of his store. Customers have stopped coming by - some, scared of the addicted people; others told to work from home until they disperse. Maria Ines Sene, 61, was leaving her home. Sene has lived near Crackland since it began. Until this year, she says, she was able to walk and bike here without fear. Now the noise of the drug market keeps her awake at night. Before she walks out her door in the morning, she looks out the window to judge the mood. If the users seem calm, she says, she leaves. If she see fights or chaos, she waits. In May, she was returning home from the supermarket at dusk when four men blocked her path and demanded her bags. "What am I supposed to do at that point?" she asks. "It is hard to explain what I was feeling, a mixture of panic and fear. Of course, I see the human being in front of me, but I also felt so vulnerable being surrounded by four men." Now, she doesn't leave the house past 5 p.m. As night falls, Livia Pereira da Silva sits on a park bench, watching her son climb a tree. Unemployed and pregnant, she has been squatting in Crackland with her five children for years. "I have never had any problems with the users," she says. "The problem is with the clashes. My problem is with the police." During police operations, school is canceled, bullets fly and she closes the doors of her apartment to keep out the tear gas. But the users give her kids cookies and toys, and they don't smoke in front of them. Once, when her children were playing outside and got lost, a user brought them home. "If people saw them up close, they would have a different view," she says. "Before they are drug users, they are human beings." (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) William E. Butler, Penn State (THE CONVERSATION) The sentencing of WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years behind bars and a fine of 1 million rubles between US$10,000 and $20,000 depending on the exchange rate should come as no surprise to those familiar with Russian law. The country has long enforced strict drug laws and has a well-deserved reputation for zero-tolerance jurisdiction. Indeed, the crime Griner was prosecuted of smuggling narcotics in significant amount in violation of Article 229(2)(c) of the Russian criminal code carries a minimum sentence of five to 10 years deprivation of freedom along with the fine, and the upper end of the spectrum seems to be common. The prosecutor in Griners case asked for 9 years and, presumably, the maximum fine. He got most of what he wanted. The backdrop of the case worsening ties between Moscow and the Washington may lead some observers to wonder if Griner was handed an unduly harsh sentence to up her worth as a bargaining chip during discussions over a potential prisoner swap. U.S. President Joe Biden responded to the announcement of Griners sentence by denouncing the verdict and sentence as unacceptable. But as longtime scholar of Russian law, I can say the sentence announced in the Khimki District Court outside Moscow on Aug. 4, 2022, is more or less in line with what was expected. Moreover, I believe the sentence itself does little to change the equation when it comes to any quid pro quo with Russia regarding the potential exchange of detained nationals any negotiation over her fate will now take place outside the courtroom. The facts of the case Griner was detained at Sheremetyevo Airport on Feb. 17, 2022, after a sniffer dog detected vaping cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. The Russian Criminal procedure code provided that Griner, as a foreigner with no permanent residence in Russia, was ineligible for bail. The length of time Griner spent in detention after her arrest nearly six months is not unusual in drug cases of this nature in Russia and will be counted toward her sentence. And aside from the heightened international interest, the trial seemingly played out in line with Russian criminal procedure. Under the Russian criminal procedure code, there are no pleas; prosecutors have to prove guilt regardless of any confession. And the evidence was there in the shape of the vape cartridges seized by customs officials along with witness statements. In court, Griner acknowledged guilt and apologized for what she described as a mistake when packing her luggage. Her lawyers said that Griners cannabis oil was for medical purposes, to deal with chronic pain resulting from injuries sustained during her playing career. Griner, meanwhile, testified that she had no intention to break the law. But in line with other jurisdictions, including the U.S., ignorance of the laws is no defense in Russia. A pawn in US-Russian diplomacy? If the fate of Griner was set the moment she was caught with an illegal drug in a Moscow airport, her future is less certain. Griner has 10 days to appeal. The appeal will probably be heard rather rapidly, as standard Russian practice is to do so, but that also depends on the grounds of the appeal. If unsuccessful or unsatisfactory, additional appeals by way of cassation on issues of law may be heard at the discretion of the higher court, assuming grounds exist for this. If all appeals fail, Griners lawyers can apply to a presidential commission for a pardon or hope for amnesty. Given that Griner is being discussed in the context of a possible prisoner swap, it seems unlikely that the Kremlin will set Griner free without a reciprocal move from the U.S. government. But Griners currency as a pawn in U.S.-Russian relations, with Moscow seemingly willing to barter over the future of the high-profile prisoner, will likely change little as a result of her sentence. To many in the U.S., nine years imprisonment may seem like a harsh penalty for cannabis possession. But in Russia, it is par for the course for this crime. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/brittney-griners-sentence-is-in-line-with-russias-strict-drug-penalties-but-how-long-she-serves-will-be-decided-outside-the-courtroom-188271. OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Canada plans to temporarily ban the import of handguns into the country without the approval of Parliament, using a regulatory measure that comes into effect in two weeks. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said Friday the change will last until a permanent freeze is passed in Parliament and comes into force. TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) The top county prosecutor in the Tucson area will not ask a court to throw out convictions for a man who was imprisoned for decades in a 1970 hotel fire that killed 29 people yet was released from custody in a 2013 deal with prosecutors. Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said in a statement earlier this week that no new evidence of innocence was found for Louis Taylor in the blaze at the Pioneer Hotel. A unit of Conovers office that examines claims of innocence and excessive sentencing had reviewed the case against Taylor, who was 16 when he arrested at the hotel. Conover said no further action will be taken in the Taylor criminal case. Taylor was originally sentenced to life in prison, but he was released in 2013 after serving more than 40 years in a deal with Conovers predecessor. Under the agreement, Taylor pleaded no contest, allowing a judge to sentence him to time served. Prosecutors had concluded back then that modern fire science was inconclusive about whether the fire was an arson or accident, Conover said. Taylor maintained that he was innocent and has said he went to the to hotel to get free drinks and food from various parties during the holiday season. At the time of his release, prosecutors insisted Taylor was guilty and emphasized that the deal wasnt an exoneration. They also acknowledged that getting a conviction at a new trial would be dicey given that some evidence had been lost and witnesses have either moved or died. The Arizona Justice Project, which has represented Taylor in his criminal case since 2001, said in a statement this week that Conovers office has passed up an opportunity to correct one of the most severe injustices Pima County has ever seen. The project said the prosecutors office had advised it would file a motion in court to have Taylors convictions thrown out. For reasons never fully explained, however, that motion was not filed, the project said. Conover's office declined to comment on whether it had in fact indicated that it would file such a motion. The project said witnesses have recanted statements and instances of prosecutorial misconduct have surfaced, such as hiding exculpatory evidence from the defense team. The original fire investigator had said he profiled the suspect as a Black person, but insisted his statements had nothing to do with Taylors arrest. Taylor is Black. The Arizona Daily Star reports that Taylor sued Pima County and the city of Tucson in 2015 for violating his right to due process and a fair trial, alleging racism and civil conspiracy led to his arrest and conviction. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2019, however, that Taylor could not collect damages for his time in prison because of the no contest plea he made. DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Democrats are poised to strip Iowa of its traditional lead-off spot in the presidential nominating calendar in 2024, part of a broader effort to better reflect the partys deeply diverse electorate by allowing less overwhelmingly white states to vote first. The Democratic National Committee's rule-making arm had planned to recommend on Friday which states should be the first four to vote, while considering adding a fifth before Super Tuesday, when a large number of states hold primary elections. But it delayed the decision until after November's election, lest it become a distraction affecting Democrats in key congressional races. Still, the position of Iowa's caucus remains precarious after technical glitches sparked a 2020 meltdown. More than a decade of complaints that caucus rules requiring in-person attendance serve to limit participation are reaching crescendo. That's ignited a furious push for the No. 1 position between New Hampshire, which now goes second but traditionally kicks off primary voting, and Nevada, a heavily Hispanic state looking to jump from third to first. I fully expect that Iowa will be replaced," said Julian Castro, a former San Antonio mayor and federal housing chief. And that the primary calendar will be reordered to better reflect the diversity of the Democratic Party and of the country. Castro isn't on the rules committee but has criticized Iowa being first since his 2019 presidential run. A Democratic National Committee spokesperson said the rules committee is conducting a thorough process and will continue to let it play out. Iowa has survived previous challenges and may do so again, especially given that the final decision won't come for months. It argues that, aside from 2020, voters here have a strong track record launching the nomination process and that its caucuses keep Democrats relevant amid the state's recent shift to the right. Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Ross Wilburn said he'd fight to ensure that nearly 50 years of tradition hold. "When I became chair and we started this process, the word was Iowas done," Wilburn told reporters Thursday. "But no decision has been made. No calendar has been presented to the committee. We are still in this fight. But many rules committee members privately said that the party is leaning toward either New Hampshire or Nevada going first, or perhaps on the same day. They all requested anonymity to more freely detail discussions that remain ongoing. South Carolina, with its large bloc of Black Democrats, may move from fourth to third, freeing up a large Midwestern state to go next. Michigan and Minnesota are making strong cases, but both cant move their primary dates without legislative approval, requiring support from Republicans. If the committee adds a fifth early slot, that could go to Iowa to soften the blow. Iowa has kicked off voting since 1976, when Jimmy Carter scored a caucus upset and grabbed enough momentum to eventually win the presidency. Since then, it's been followed by New Hampshire, which has held the nations first primary since 1920. Nevada and South Carolina have gone next since the 2008 presidential election, when Democrats last did a major primary calendar overhaul. Nevada has now scrapped its caucus in favor of a primary. During a recent presentation before rules committee members, its delegation showed a video arguing that tradition is not a good enough reason to preserve the status quo. If a diverse and inclusive state isnt at the front of the primary calendar, Im really concerned that what were gonna keep seeing is the same criticisms that weve been seeing about the Democratic Party primary process, said Nevada Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen. Representatives from Iowa and New Hampshire argue that small states let all candidates not just well-funded ones connect personally with voters, and that losing their slots could advantage Republicans in congressional races. The GOP has already decided to keep Iowa starting its 2024 presidential nominating cycle. Just like when two more states were added to the early window, Nevada and South Carolina," there is a sense that, just like America isnt stagnant, "that the Democratic Party changes and grows with the times as well, said rules committee member Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. New Hampshire Democratic National Committeeman Bill Shaheen said he didnt know what wouldve happened if the rules committee vote wasn't postponed, but cheered it as one more chance to show what kind of state we are. When the DNC approved shaking up the primary calendar ahead of 2008, it called for Nevada's caucus after Iowa and before New Hampshire, only to see New Hampshire move up its primary. Shaheen said his state might do similar this time, regardless of the party's decision. Were going to do the first primary whether the DNC recognizes it or not," said Shaheen whose wife, Jeanne, is a senator. Theres a great likelihood of that. Those pushing for more diverse states to leadoff say Democrats can impose sanctions to prevent such jockeying this time. Non-white voters made up 26% of all voters and supported Joe Biden over Donald Trump by a nearly 3-to-1 margin in the 2020 presidential election, according to AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of the electorate. Nonwhite voters accounted for 38% of Democratic voters then. By contrast, 91% of 2020 Iowa Democratic caucus goers were white and 94% of New Hampshire primary voters were, according to VoteCast surveys. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., who is helping lead her states push to go early, said Michigan reflects diversity "and thats what we are missing in these early primaries. We are not testing candidates in what their general elections gonna look like, said Dingell, who added that Michigan's got more county fairs than anyone could want." That recalls Iowa's state fair, where generations of presidential candidates have worked the porkchop grill and wolfed down deep-fried versions of all imaginable foodstuffs. We're very good at junk food, Dingell said, laughing. If the rules committee approves a reshuffled framework, it would still have to be sanctioned by the full Democratic National Committee, though it usually endorses such decisions. This may be moot if Biden opts to seek a second term. In that case, the party likely will have little appetite to build out a robust primary schedule potentially allowing another Democrat to challenge him for the nomination. Some rules committee members suggested that the White House has taken a keener interest in the primary calendar process recently, but others expressed frustration that the Biden administration hasn't given them clearer guidance on where its preferences lie. In addition to diversity, Democrats are considering electoral competitiveness and states' efforts to relax voting restrictions. They're scrutinizing states racial makeup, union membership and size in terms of population and geography which can affect possibilities for direct voter engagement and travel and advertising costs. After results malfunctions that kept The Associated Press from declaring a winner, Iowa Democrats have proposed changing the caucus' presidential preference portion to require that all participants mail in their selections. But there also had been calls for a decade-plus from top Democrats to move the starting line elsewhere, thus highlighting the partys growth and potential among younger voters and those of color. Advocacy groups have cheered Nevadas bid for first, with Latino Victory, the board of the Asian American Action Fund, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Bold PAC, Somos Votantes and ASPIRE PAC, which represents Asian American and Pacific Islander members of Congress, endorsing it. Castro said that his position was once an outlier that irked party bosses but increasingly become accepted among top Democrats. This time feels different," he said. After the experience of Iowa in 2020 and after the push for equity and racial justice the last two years, the recognition that the Democratic Party is the only big tent party, the only inclusive party its fitting that our primary calendar would reflect that. __ Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire, and Hannah Fingerhut in Washington contributed. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A Texas jury on Friday ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages to the parents of a child who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, adding to the $4.1 million he must pay for the suffering he put them through by claiming for years that the nations deadliest school shooting was a hoax. The total $49.3 million is less than the $150 million sought by Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose 6-year-old son Jesse Lewis was among the 20 children and six educators killed in the 2012 attack in Newtown, Connecticut. But the trial marks the first time Jones has been held financially liable for peddling lies about the massacre, claiming it was faked by the government to tighten gun laws. Afterward, Lewis said that Jones who wasn't in the courtroom to hear the verdict has been held accountable. She said when she took the stand and looked Jones in the eye, she thought of her son, who was credited with saving lives by yelling run when the killer paused in his rampage. He stood up to the bully Adam Lanza and saved nine of his classmates lives," Lewis said. "I hope that I did that incredible courage justice when I was able to confront Alex Jones, who is also a bully. I hope that inspires other people to do the same. It could be a while before the plaintiffs collect anything. Jones' lead attorney, Andino Reynal, told the judge he will appeal and ask the courts to drastically reduce the size of the verdict. After the hearing, Reynal said he thinks the punitive amount will be reduced to as little as $1.5 million. We think the verdict was too high. ... Alex Jones will be on the air today, hell be on the air tomorrow, hell be on the air next week. Hes going to keep doing his job holding the power structure accountable. Jones' companies and personal wealth could also get carved up by other lawsuits and bankruptcy. Another defamation lawsuit against Jones by a Sandy Hook family is set to start pretrial hearings in the same Austin court on Sept. 14. He faces yet another defamation lawsuit in Connecticut. Plaintiffs' attorney Mark Bankston said he believes he can challenge any attempt to reduce the damages. But he said even if the award is drastically cut, its just as important to take the big verdict into the bankruptcy court for the family to claim against Jones estate and company. Jones testified this week that any award over $2 million would sink us. His company Free Speech Systems, which is Infowars' Austin-based parent company, filed for bankruptcy protection during the first week of the trial. Punitive damages are meant to punish defendants for particularly egregious conduct, beyond monetary compensation awarded to the individuals they hurt. A high punitive award is also seen as a chance for jurors to send a wider societal message and a way to deter others from the same abhorrent conduct in the future. Barry Covert, a Buffalo, New York, First Amendment lawyer with no connection to the Jones case, said the total damages awarded amount to a stunning loss for Jones. With $50 million in all, the jury has sent a huge, loud message that this behavior will not be tolerated, Covert said. Everyone with a show like this who knowingly tells lies juries will not tolerate it. Future jurors in other pending Sandy Hook trials could see the damages amounts in this case as a benchmark, Covert said. If other juries do, Covert said, it could very well put Jones out of business. Attorneys for the family had urged jurors to hand down a financial punishment that would force Infowars to shut down. You have the ability to stop this man from ever doing it again, Wesley Ball, an attorney for the parents, told the jury Friday. Send the message to those who desire to do the same: Speech is free. Lies, you pay for." An economist testified that Jones and the company are worth up to $270 million. Bernard Pettingill, who was hired by the plaintiffs to study Jones net worth, said records show that Jones withdrew $62 million for himself in 2021, when default judgments were issued in lawsuits against him. That number represents, in my opinion, a value of a net worth, Pettingill said. Hes got money put in a bank account somewhere. But Jones' lawyers said their client had already learned his lesson. They argued for a punitive amount of less than $300,000. Youve already sent a message. A message for the first time to a talk show host, to all talk show hosts, that their standard of care has to change," Reynal said. Friday's damages drew praise from the American Federation of Teachers union, which represented the teachers at Sandy Hook. Nothing will ever fix the pain of losing a child, or of watching that tragedy denied for political reasons. But Im glad the parents of Sandy Hook have gotten some justice," union President Randi Weingarten said in a tweet. Lawyers for the Sandy Hook families suing Jones contend he has tried to hide evidence of his true wealth in various shell companies. During his testimony, Jones was confronted with a memo from one of his business managers outlining a single day's gross revenue of $800,000 from selling vitamin supplements and other products through his website, which would approach nearly $300 million in a year. Jones called it a record sales day. Jones, who has portrayed the lawsuit as an attack on his First Amendment rights, conceded during the trial that the attack was 100% real and that he was wrong to have lied about it. But Heslin and Lewis told jurors that an apology wouldnt suffice and called on them to make Jones pay for the years of suffering he has put them and other Sandy Hook families through. The parents told jurors theyve endured a decade of trauma, inflicted first by the murder of their son and what followed: gunshots fired at a home, online and phone threats, and harassment on the street by strangers. They said the threats and harassment were all fueled by Jones and his conspiracy theory spread to his followers via Infowars. A forensic psychiatrist testified that 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. Throughout the trial, Jones was his typically bombastic self, talking about conspiracies on the witness stand, during impromptu news conferences and on his show. His erratic behavior is unusual by courtroom standards, and the judge scolded him, telling him at one point: This is not your show. The trial drew attention from outside Austin as well. Bankston told the court Thursday that the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has requested records from Jones' phone that Jones' attorneys had mistakenly turned over to the plaintiffs. Bankston later said he planned to comply with the committee's request. By Friday, Bankston said, he had "a subpoena sitting on my desk' from the Jan. 6 committee. But he said he needed to tamp down expectations that it might reveal texts about the insurrection since it appears to have been scraped for data in mid-2020. Bankston said hes also had law enforcement interest in the phone data, but he declined to elaborate. Last month, the House committee showed graphic and violent text messages and played videos of right-wing figures, including Jones, and others vowing that Jan. 6 would be the day they would fight for Trump. The committee first subpoenaed Jones in November, demanding a deposition and documents related to his efforts to spread misinformation about the 2020 election and a rally on the day of the attack. ___ Associated Press writer Michael Tarm in Chicago and Susan Haigh in Norwich, Connecticut, contributed to this report. ___ Find APs full coverage of the Alex Jones trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-jones This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) Record rainfall Friday trigged flash floods at Death Valley National Park that swept away cars, closed all roads and stranded hundreds of visitors and workers. There were no immediate reports of injuries but roughly 60 vehicles were buried in mud and debris and about 500 visitors and 500 park workers were stuck inside the park, officials said. The park near the California-Nevada state line received 1.46 inches (3.71 centimeters) of rain at the Furnace Creek area. Thats about 75% of what the area typically gets in a year and more than has ever been recorded for the entire month of August. Since 1936, the only single day with more rain was April 15, 1988, when 1.47 inches (3.73 centimeters) fell, park officials said. Entire trees and boulders were washing down," said John Sirlin, a photographer for an Arizona-based adventure company who witnessed the flooding as he perched on a hillside boulder where he was trying to take pictures of lightning as the storm approached. "The noise from some of the rocks coming down the mountain was just incredible, he said in a phone interview Friday afternoon. Park officials didnt immediately respond to requests for an update Friday night. The storm followed another major flooding event earlier this week at the park 120 miles (193 kilometers) northeast of Las Vegas. Some roads were closed Monday after they were inundated with mud and debris from flash floods that also hit western Nevada and northern Arizona hard. Friday's rain started around 2 a.m., according to Sirlin, who lives in Chandler, Arizona, and has been visiting the park since 2016. It was more extreme than anything Ive seen there, said Sirlin, the lead guide for Incredible Weather Adventures who started chasing storms in Minnesota and the high plains in the 1990s. A lot of washes were flowing several feet deep. There are rocks probably 3 or 4 feet covering the road, he said. Sirlin said it took him about 6 hours to drive about 35 miles (56 kilometers) out of the park from near the Inn at Death Valley. There were at least two dozen cars that got smashed and stuck in there, he said, adding that he didnt see anyone injured "or any high water rescues. During Friday's rainstorms, the "flood waters pushed dumpster containers into parked cars, which caused cars to collide into one another. Additionally, many facilities are flooded including hotel rooms and business offices, the park statement said. A water system that provides it for park residents and offices also failed after a line broke that was being repaired, the statement said. A flash flood warning for the park and surrounding area expired at 12:45 p.m., Friday but a flood advisory remained in effect into the evening, the National Weather Service said. ___ This story has been corrected to show that the National Park Service now says 1.46 inches of rain fell, not 1.7 inches as it previously reported. HELENA, Mont. (AP) A day after the federal government declared a public health emergency to respond to monkeypox, the Montana health department on Friday reported the state's first suspected case of the virus. Wyoming is the only state in the country that hasn't reported a case, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Montana health department and the Flathead City-County Health Department confirmed a presumptive case of monkeypox in an adult living in the county. The sample will be sent to the CDC for confirmation, officials said. The health departments and the patient's health care provider are working to identify people who may have been in contact with the patient while they were infectious. The patient is isolating at home, officials said. The virus spreads through prolonged skin-to-skin contact, including hugging, cuddling and kissing, as well as sharing bedding, towels and clothing. Symptoms can include fever, headache, body aches, swollen lymph notes, chills, exhaustion and a rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appear on the face, inside the mouth and on other parts of the body. The illness can last 2-4 weeks and most people get better on their own without treatment. Because the virus is similar to smallpox, antiviral drugs such as tecovirimat and vaccines developed to protect against smallpox may be effective to treat or prevent monkeypox. The health department has ordered a supply of tecovirimat, officials said. The federal government declared a public health emergency on Thursday to improve its response to the outbreak, which at that point had infected more than 7,100 Americans in 48 states. A total of 7,500 cases had been reported by Friday, the CDC said. Under the emergency declaration, the Department of Health and Human Services can draw from emergency funds, hire or reassign staff to deal with the outbreak and take other steps to control the virus. The federal government should also be able to seek more information from state and local health officials about who is becoming infected and who is being vaccinated. That information can be used to better understand how the outbreak is unfolding and how well the vaccine works. WASHINGTON - As the best run of his career at the Citi Open stretches on, Frances Tiafoe has an issue. He keeps breaking promises to his agent. "I had like 56 tickets coming today. I keep telling my agent, 'Yeah, this is the last one, last one.' Someone comes out of the woodwork," he said. Friends' and family members' requests for tickets is one of the handful of not-so-problematic problems Tiafoe faces when he plays in Washington, in front of the closest thing he has to a home crowd on the ATP Tour. Pressure to represent the region well is another. On Friday, the Maryland native deftly handled both as he defeated the No. 8 seed Botic van de Zandschulp, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, in a match spread across two days because of a weather delay. It is his first berth in the Citi Open quarterfinals, in his sixth appearance at the tournament. Tiafoe made his first main-draw appearance in an ATP Tour event here as a 16-year-old wild card in 2014. "Playing here in D.C., honestly, it could be if it was a 250 [level tournament] or whatever . . . I mean, to win this tournament would mean the world to me," Tiafoe said earlier this week. "I have been coming to this tournament since I was 4 years old. To have my name around the stadium would mean a lot to me." Tiafoe's sharp play in Washington, which he punctuated Friday with his usual roars and appeals to a crowd hollering its support for "Big Foe," follows a semifinal appearance in Atlanta last week and a fourth-round loss at Wimbledon as he gains momentum heading into the U.S. Open. His next match, scheduled for Friday night if weather permits, should be a doozy, with the exact type of amped-up atmosphere he craves. Tiafoe is set to face the 2019 Citi Open champion and his doubles partner in last year's tournament, Nick Kyrgios. The Aussie ousted Reilly Opelka, 7-6 (7-1), 6-2, in another match spread out over two days. For that matchup, Tiafoe will most certainly need more tickets. He was joined Friday in the quarterfinals by 22-year-old Floridian Sebastian Korda, who advanced with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over fifth-seed Grigor Dimitrov. No. 1 seed Andrey Rublev will face 23-year-old Ohioan J.J. Wolf, who has shorn his infamous mullet since his last Citi Open appearance but defeated ninth-seeded Holger Rune, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, nonetheless. In the women's tournament, tour veteran Kaia Kanepi was the only player to advance to the semifinals before weather delays kicked in Friday evening. The 37-year-old defeated Anna Kalinskaya, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-3. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DANBURY A visibly distraught Pedro Panjon was helped by two people to walk from St. Peter Church to a waiting car behind four hearses carrying the bodies of his wife and three young children on Friday morning. A little more than a week ago, Panjons wife, Sonia Loja, took her own life after allegedly strangling their three children 12-year-old Junior Panjon, 10-year-old Joselyn Panjon and 5-year-old Jonael Panjon at their Whaley Street home. The shocking nature of the deaths has had a profound impact on the community, especially the large population of residents from Ecuador, where Panjon and Loja are from. Many of them packed the church on Friday for a roughly 50-minute service before the bodies of the deceased, all in separate white and gold caskets, were transported to Saint Peter Cemetery. At least 100 people including many children gathered for the funeral at the church, where a wake was also held Thursday for the family. Outside the church on Friday, family and friends hugged amid tears, with pain written across the faces of many. The media was not allowed inside the church during the service, but many described the proceedings as a Catholic Mass. No family members spoke during the ceremony, according to many who were inside. Outside the church, Monica Arevalo, Panjons cousin, said attending the service was very difficult. As a mother, this is so painful, said Arevalo, who has children of her own. He is destroyed, she said of her cousin. Those close to Loja have said they didnt notice a huge change in her behavior, but noted she was suffering from depression. Pedro Panjon said through an interpreter last weekend that his wife started to worry about paying bills after the state Office of Early Childhood ordered her to shut down her unlicensed day care business that she ran from their house. Many who attended the funeral and the wake were neither friends nor relatives of the family, but rather community members moved by the tragedy. Also among the crowd outside the church after the funeral were former clients of Lojas day care. One woman said Loja had taken care of all three of her children at some point over the last 12 years, including one child she cared for since he was 3 weeks old. She was an excellent woman, an excellent friend, said the woman, who did not want to be identified. This has left me with an irreparable emptiness. Gonzalo Penaranda knew Loja well, as his daughter attended her day care for the last eight years, since she was 6 weeks old. She was a good person, he said. She took really good care of the children. Friends and neighbors often recommended Loja as a good babysitter. One client said Loja took care of her 6-year-old son as if he were her own. On the day of the tragedy, Loja called the same client, saying she wouldnt be able to watch her son until she got a license from the state. When Pedro Panjon returned home from work that evening, he said he found his wife and children dead. I opened the door and the first thing I found was a letter, and it explained to me that my wife was taking my kids, that she heard voice, Pedro Panjon said in Spanish two days after the incident. Panjon said at the time he didnt know his wife needed help. The incident has left those close to the family, as well as members of the community, shocked and confused. A makeshift memorial of flowers, balloons and stuffed animals decorated the homes front porch in the days following the deaths. Dozens gathered at the home each night in the days after the incident. Friends, family and members of the community have called for more open discussions about mental health to help prevent tragedies like this in the future. We should be more united, so that something like this does not happen again, Efren Otabalo, Pedro Panjons cousin, said in Spanish outside of the wake on Thursday. Anyone who has thoughts of harming themselves, or seeks access to free and confidential mental health support, can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 800-273-8255 (en Espanol: 888-628-9454; Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 800-799-4889) or visit 988Lifeline.org. People in need can also text the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. People in need can also text the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. Previous reporting by Peter Yankowski, Christine Dempsey, Sandra Diamond Fox, Alex Putterman and Richard Chumney contributed to this report. ATHENS - Outside the trim, whitewashed building that serves as the headquarters of Greece's public fish markets, the harsh Mediterranean sun was baking the port. Inside, the head of the country's fish markets, a 64-year-old lifelong civil servant named Vassilis Katsiotis was trying to figure out how to use less air conditioning. Ever since the Greek government, aiming to conserve energy supplies hard hit by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, ordered public building thermostats to be set no cooler than 81 degrees, he has been trying to cajole co-workers and subordinates into sweating more alongside him. The old rule was to set the thermostat so that employees felt comfortable. Now the temperature needs to keep geopolitics in mind. "It's very difficult. This is a cultural change," said Katsiotis, whose office in Keratsini, a port just outside Athens, is plastered with posters of fish species and watercolors of Greek village streets. Greece's decision to limit air conditioning in public buildings may seem like a simple enough response to Europe's energy shortfall, but as with so many aspects of the crisis, it has turned fraught, raising questions of which parts of society should be asked to make sacrifices, and for what. Greeks are asking what they should be sacrificing for Ukraine after years of suffering under austerity that cut pensions and slashed government spending. And they question how much they should help energy challenges in Germany, which they blame for a decade of economic depression and suffering. Similar kinds of questions are surfacing throughout Europe. Russian natural gas flows to the continent are slowing to a trickle as the Kremlin seeks leverage in the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin's bet is that by late winter, Europe will be facing an energy shortage so crushing that it will have no choice but to abandon support for Ukraine and beg Russia for fossil fuel. Europe's task now is to prove that wrong. Germany is turning off streetlights and telling its citizens to take shorter showers. French citizens have been asked to unplug WiFi routers when they leave the house. And Greece, Spain and Italy - all southern European countries contending with heat waves - are trying to dial back their air conditioning and bear with the heat. European leaders agreed last week to slash gas use by 15% ahead of the cold season. If they don't, leaders warn, some countries could run out of energy for heat and factories. "Do we want to have peace, or do we want to have the air conditioning on?" outgoing Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi asked in April, urging Europeans to make sacrifices and save on energy to help Ukraine. Making the change requires the buy-in of thousands of people like Katsiotis, masters of thermostats, tasked with turning government orders into reality. Greek leaders are wary of asking their citizens to do too much after the country endured a decade of grinding austerity that sparked a painful depression. Still, turning down the air conditioning is a quick and effective way to cut energy use, so public workers across the country are preparing to endure hot offices. The government order "came during a heat wave," Katsiotis he said, with temperatures routinely zipping toward 100 degrees Fahrenheit. There were no trees in sight at the wharf to offer any shade. "How can I convince people to do what they should be doing?" he said he was asking himself. "It's not like it's April. But if I can do it now, it will be a lot easier in October" if more energy savings becomes necessary, he said. To dream up potential ways to save energy, Katsiotis crisscrossed the fish market, pondering whether to use timers for the lights that illuminate the daily catch of scorpionfish and snapper. He chatted with skeptical, barrel-bellied fishermen. On the hottest days, he sent workers home an hour early to spare them the worst of the heat. The fish themselves are the stars of the market, so they have been granted a reprieve: Katsiotis will keep the refrigeration going full blast in the areas where they are stored and sold, since they won't last long at 81 degrees. Greece relies on Russia for about 40% of its natural gas, most of which is used to generate electricity. The country does have other choices - a new pipeline for natural gas from Azerbaijan opened last month, and Greece also has a terminal for liquefied natural gas that can come from the United States, Qatar and elsewhere. But with all of Europe's alternative pathways for gas operating at full capacity, anything saved now can help a neighbor later. In Greece, leaders this summer announced plans for the state to cut its energy use by 10% now, and 30% by 2030. In addition to the air-conditioning cuts, workers are being asked to save on lights and to make sure to turn off their computers at the end of the workday. The government announced a $648 million effort to make public buildings more energy efficient, but that won't be done fast enough to make the difference this winter, officials said. On Sunday, Environment and Energy Minister Kostas Skrekas went further, pleading with Greek citizens about the need to do more to save energy. He warned the country could face rolling power cuts this winter if it doesn't save enough energy now. "We must all understand that we cannot behave as if nothing's happening around us," Skrekas told the Kathimerini newspaper. "There is a war that is destroying a country and is also feeding an energy crisis the likes of which we have never seen. . . we must all realize we cannot waste energy." But Greece also has faced a dilemma about how to spread the pain of the cuts. Ordinary Greeks faced crippling unemployment that peaked at 28% during the height of their decade-long depression that ended just before the pandemic. That era, sparked by the global financial crisis and Greek government debt, nearly led to Greece's being ejected from the euro zone and left a generation impoverished. Now there is a sense they have little left to give - especially since energy prices have quadrupled in the past year. The increased costs have led to a double emergency, Greek policymakers say: one having to do with the supply of fossil fuels, the other having to do with its price. "The divisions in Europe are getting massive," said Georg Zachmann, a senior fellow at Bruegel, a Brussels-based think tank, who has been following the energy crisis. "The political problems because of the energy crisis are massive." Countries around the continent are making one painful cut after another. Spain this week became the latest, going further than Greece in restricting air conditioning by imposing an 81-degree cooling limit on movie theaters, shopping centers, airports and train stations in addition to public buildings. In winter, the spaces can be heated to only 66 degrees. In an odd echo of the economic crisis, Germany - whom many Greeks blame for the worst of their pain because of its insistence on austerity, a position it could enforce because of its dominant role in the European economic system - is much more reliant on Russian gas than Greece. So there is little desire to suffer yet more pain just because Germany deepened its reliance on Russian energy in recent years, analysts say. "There was a very strong economic depression for 10 years. Then there was the pandemic. Now with the crisis, people cannot afford any more pressure. This is creating turbulence to social peace," said Haris Doukas, an energy policy expert at the National Technical University of Athens who has been critical of the government's handling of the crisis. "The government does not want to put more pressure on society." Not every part of the economy is being asked to chip in, an additional challenge as the country tries to trim its consumption: In Greece's hotels, the air conditioning is just as powerful as it ever was. Instead, the government is expected to announce subsidies for businesses to purchase more efficient equipment and renovate their buildings. Tourism is a fifth of the Greek economy, and leaders reason that visitors who suffer through hot hotel rooms won't come back. Even without formal energy-cutting requirements, hotels are already struggling. "We are not sure what to do, and we are worried for the winter," said Melina Zisi, the manager of the Hotel Attalos in a crowded part of central Athens, whose rooftop deck sits below the Parthenon. She said her energy costs have spiked by 40% compared with right before the pandemic, and food costs have increased by 56% in the past year alone. But she hasn't been able to raise her rates to match it. "I would never stay anywhere that didn't have air conditioning. It's basic standards that you have to have," Zisi said. "I understand someone who wants to be on vacation and wants to have a cool room," she said - even if it runs up her electricity bill. But sparing such a big part of the economy from energy requirements forces difficult choices elsewhere. Greece plans to double the use of lignite, a soft, emissions-heavy type of coal, to reduce the natural gas the country is using to generate electricity. And Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made Athens the first stop on a rehabilitation tour of Europe last week, his first to the continent since what the U.S. intelligence community assesses was his ordering of the 2018 killing of Washington Post opinion writer Jamal Khashoggi. Greek leaders signed energy deals with him before he moved on to Paris. Even Greeks who don't use any air conditioning at all are facing painful bills. Last month, electricity costs were up 80% compared with a year ago - and then power companies announced price increased of an additional 55% this month, meaning that power bills have quadrupled since last year. Greek leaders announced subsidies to offset most of the latest price increase, but it's not clear how long they can sustain them. "I might have to shut down," said Dina Bilic, an Athens-based artist and jewelry maker. She was at the electricity company's payment counters on a recent afternoon to make a payment on what she said was a ruinously expensive bill. She opened her small handmade jewelry and home decor store in an Athens storefront late last year, she said, in a small space that isn't air-conditioned. But even when the cool air comes from open windows, she said, the energy bills have been so high that "I'm losing money." For now, policymakers say they think they're doing just enough to be able to squeeze through the worst of the winter months. "We are very concerned about what is happening, perhaps, who knows, from autumn. And we will have to redesign some things or put other measures on the table," said Alexandra Sdoukou, secretary general of the Ministry of Energy and Environment, who helped design the energy-savings measures. "We have prepared ourselves for the time being, taking into account the given circumstances," she said. "If things get worse, I don't know what we would have to decide." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PORTLAND, Maine - The opioid crisis was getting worse and Jesse Harvey was sick of people dying, so he began asking a pointed question: What would Jesus do? For Harvey, a young activist who had struggled with addiction, the answer was increasingly clear. He decided to start a church. Its core belief, Harvey said, was that people who use drugs do not deserve to die. The group was called the Church of Safe Injection. It distributed clean syringes, fentanyl test strips and doses of naloxone, an opioid overdose antidote, mostly from the back of Harvey's red Honda hatchback. Such efforts were partly illegal in Maine, but for Harvey they were a moral imperative. "Some people say that what I'm doing is too radical," he told an interviewer in 2019. "And I think my answer to that would be, isn't it time for radical solutions?" Harvey was a fervent believer in reducing harm to drug users, a once-controversial approach that has gained support from policymakers, including in the Biden administration, as overdose deaths have increased. In the shadow of the pandemic, the opioid crisis reached a grim record. Last year, drug overdoses killed more than 100,000 people in the United States, a 50% increase since 2019. At least 80,000 of those deaths involved opioids. The increasing lethality is driven by the nationwide spread of fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid that is also found mixed with other illicit drugs. "This is, right now, the most dangerous time to be a person taking drugs," said Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The story of Harvey and the group he founded shows the depths of the challenges facing those on the front lines of an emergency that is both unrelenting and under-resourced, one where the most difficult work is sometimes done by recovering drug users themselves. For Harvey and his closest colleague, Kari Morissette, preventing overdose deaths was intensely personal work. Both felt that harm reduction efforts had saved their own lives, and helping others was a source of hope at a time that too often could feel despairing. As the pandemic took hold, the duo continued to hand out sterile supplies to drug users in Maine. But Harvey's own recovery began to unravel. Morissette grew deeply worried about the person she considered her mentor and one of her best friends. In mid-2020, Harvey wrote to a friend that the work gave him a "sense of purpose and direction, rather than shame and despondency." --- Harvey arrived in Portland in 2015 after finishing college. Newly sober and full of energy, he became a vocal advocate in the recovery community, always carrying a tiny notebook in his pocket to record ideas. He began working for Greater Portland Health doing outreach to marginalized groups and developed a special closeness with the city's homeless population. Friends said it was a question of temperament: He never judged and always made people laugh. Harvey was born in Massachusetts but spent much of his childhood in Africa and South Asia, where his parents worked in international development. After the family returned to the United States, Harvey started middle school and his parents divorced. When his new classmates asked him where he was from, "he would have to say Kathmandu," recalled Catherine Nash, Harvey's mother. "The kids were like, 'Where's that?'" Harvey combined a sharp intelligence - "smarter than a lot of his teachers," recalled Mollie Kravitz, a friend who met him in seventh grade - with a goofy sense of humor. In high school, he was prescribed an anti-anxiety medication, which his mother believes started his path to addiction. One day in 11th grade during a psychology class, Kravitz saw Harvey crush a pill and snort it off his desk. Alarmed, she told a teacher, and Harvey was summoned to see the principal. Harvey's struggle with substance abuse - including alcohol, meth and, at times, opioids - deepened during college, his mother said. He ultimately graduated summa cum laude from King's College in Pennsylvania, but those years were punctuated by trips to the emergency room, treatment programs and several court-ordered commitments, she said. After he stopped using drugs and moved to Maine, Harvey threw himself into activism. He started Journey House, a group of recovery residences. He also founded the Portland Overdose Prevention Society, whose goal was to push the city to establish a supervised injection site. But none of this felt like enough to Harvey, his friends said. Ryan Hampton, a well-known recovery advocate and author of two books on the opioid epidemic, crossed paths with Harvey in 2017, and the two became close. They were both young and a couple of years into their sobriety; they loved to think up revolutionary solutions to big problems. Hampton remembers being at a conference where he and Harvey were "spitballing ideas left and right" as the "older, more, quote-unquote, experienced people" sitting at the table tried to tamp down their exuberance. Unlike some experts, the pair believed that abstinence was not the only path toward recovery. Harvey once said that his route out of addiction was not evidence-based but instead "evidence-hostile." Both Hampton and Harvey believed that people in recovery needed a greater say in policy decisions, instead of being told what to do by doctors and scientists. Both were inspired by the work of gay activists in the fight against HIV and AIDS. They embraced harm reduction, a strategy whose tenets include widespread distribution of naloxone, a drug that can immediately reverse opioid overdoses and goes by the brand name Narcan; providing drug users with clean needles; and opening supervised consumption sites where drug users can be monitored. (There are only two authorized supervised injection sites in the country, both in New York. The Biden administration has not endorsed the concept.) The approach remains politically contentious, with critics saying it enables drug use and fails to tackle the problem of addiction on a wider scale. But research has consistently shown that naloxone and needle exchanges save lives and reduce the transmission of HIV and hepatitis. The studies of overdose prevention sites also point to lifesaving impacts. "Dead people can't recover," said Chelsea Shover, an epidemiologist at UCLA. "You have to meet people where they're at." Harvey said his own life demonstrated the importance of this approach. Once, during a relapse, he injected drugs at an underground safe consumption site and experienced a fentanyl overdose. He was revived with four doses of naloxone, he told a friend in an email. If he hadn't been supervised, he said, "I'd be dead right now." --- One night in 2018, Harvey called Hampton to share his latest big idea: a church that would combat overdose deaths. Instead of talking about distributing sterile syringes and naloxone, Harvey decided to do it himself under the auspices of an interfaith church that he registered as a nonprofit organization. Hampton remembers thinking it was a brilliant idea but didn't believe Harvey would make it happen. Harvey was raised in the Christian tradition but wasn't particularly religious. He became ordained on the internet and made business cards for the Church of Safe Injection, complete with a quote from the Book of Matthew ("Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness . . ."). Together with a group of roving volunteers, Harvey distributed clean syringes, doses of naloxone, condoms and other sterile supplies on the streets of communities such as Portland, Lewiston and Auburn. At the time, it was illegal in Maine for an individual to possess more than 10 hypodermic syringes, which meant a key part of the church's activities was a crime. Harvey believed his work could be legally protected as an exercise of religious freedom, but the argument was never tested. The concept caught fire. Chapters of the Church of Safe Injection sprang up in West Virginia, Connecticut, Arizona, Montana and Tennessee, as well as in other parts of Maine. For Harvey, it meant a growing amount of media attention and police scrutiny. On a cold afternoon in April 2019, Harvey set up a small table in the parking lot of a Unitarian Universalist church in Auburn, a city in southern Maine. Arrayed on a brightly colored tablecloth were alcohol wipes, condoms, snacks, fentanyl test strips, doses of naloxone and a plastic container for used syringes. The Auburn police chief told Harvey that if he gave drug users clean needles in exchange for dirty ones, he would face criminal charges under state law. In a video of the exchange, Harvey, then 27, nodded, his face serious. "But under, you know, notions of righteousness and justice and health equity," he said, "there's no way we can't do this." Harvey worked constantly, friends said, and could be found writing grants at 2 a.m. Along with running the Church of Safe Injection, he was studying full time for a master's degree at the University of Southern Maine while juggling other projects. It was "hard for him to find balance," said Eric Skillings, a friend who helped start Journey House. "Which is like most people with substance use disorder - that's how we are, all or nothing." By mid-2019, Harvey had begun using drugs again. In August, he was involved in a minor car accident and charged with driving under the influence. He was also charged with assault and drug trafficking after a nurse at a hospital found him in a bathroom and alleged that he squirted her with a syringe of meth. Harvey later wrote that what happened that day was a "horrific accident" and expressed "extreme regret" for the incident. "There are so many things I would go back and change, if I could, to lessen the hurt I caused others." His public relapse was devastating, said his close friend Morissette, a Maine native who joined the Church of Safe Injection in early 2020. "He had spent so long being this person held up on a pedestal," Morissette said, and "ended up getting vilified." People he had worked with closely distanced themselves. He resigned from Journey House, the organization he founded. Harvey felt the media coverage of his relapse and arrest had turned him into someone unrecognizable: a violent criminal. The result was a kind of "stigmatization and ostracization more damaging than any I had previously known," he later wrote in a piece he shared with a friend. At the start of 2020, Harvey was placed in a court-ordered treatment program in Massachusetts that was housed in a prison. While a prior stay in a similar setting had helped him get sober, this one was disastrous. Harvey said the authorities kept him longer than necessary, jeopardizing his graduate studies. He went on a hunger strike. When he was released after five weeks, Harvey said he planned to write a book about the failures of the treatment system. He was consumed with the criminal charges pending against him. His lawyer attempted to reach a plea bargain with prosecutors that would avert time in prison. At a recovery meeting in Portland in February, Harvey met Morissette for the first time. Vivacious and outspoken, Morissette had recently returned to Maine from Florida. For a decade, she had used drugs and done sex work while living on the streets of Miami, sometimes feeling so desolate that she believed death would come as a relief. She knew how life-changing harm reduction could be. A year or two before she stopped using drugs, a group of volunteers began coming around her neighborhood offering access to treatment services and handing out clean needles. "I can't tell you the relief that it brings somebody," she told a podcast in 2021, to hear someone say, "'If you're ready, I am here, but while you're not ready, let me help you to be safe.'" When Morissette met Harvey, she was working at Dunkin' and feeling profoundly adrift. She told him she was looking for a sense of purpose. He offered to show her one. The two became inseparable. They spent hours together packing hundreds of kits to hand out to drug users, whether for administering naloxone or caring for needle wounds. Morissette quickly joined the board of the Church of Safe Injection. "I get to help people in situations that I literally just got out of a few months ago," Morissette told Molly Whyte, her best friend. Harvey and Morissette continued their work after the pandemic started, knowing that the vulnerable people they served would have even fewer options to get clean supplies or access treatment. One person who helped them: Zoe Brokos, who was the head of Portland's certified needle exchange program and had known Harvey for years. Brokos said that in the early part of the pandemic, the pair would sometimes arrive to exchange garbage bags full of used needles for clean ones. But by summer 2020, Harvey's life was beginning to fall apart. Friends described him as ashamed and often depressed. He was "just a shell of a person compared to when he was sober," Skillings said. Morissette checked in on Harvey constantly, but he began to withdraw from nearly everyone. The last time Brokos saw Harvey was in August 2020. He had been sleeping outdoors, she said, and just feeling "so awful." She told him she loved him and was glad to see him. On Sept. 7, Harvey died of an accidental overdose at age 28. Alcohol, fentanyl and heroin were found in his system. There was a flood of grief. Hundreds of people gathered for a memorial held on a grassy slope at Portland's Eastern Promenade, a large park overlooking the deep blue waters of Casco Bay. Tributes flowed in from friends, colleagues, even elected officials. Some said Harvey had saved their lives. One friend contrasted the compassion Harvey extended to everyone he met with the lack of it in his final days, quoting a poem by Rumi: Since you will come And throw kisses At my tombstone later Why not give them to me now This is me That same person --- After Harvey died, Morissette was crushed. She never fully forgave herself for not being there to help him. She had his name and the date of his death tattooed on her forearm and resolved to continue his work. She proved a formidable organizer in her own right. Last year, under Morissette's leadership, the Church of Safe Injection successfully applied to become a certified needle exchange in Maine, a status that came with $50,000 in state funding. Meanwhile, state legislators have passed legislation that support the group's mission. Officials repealed the law that made it illegal to possess more than 10 hypodermic syringes, the statute that police had cited to threaten Harvey with arrest. They also expanded Maine's "good Samaritan" law, which shields people seeking help with overdoses from arrest or prosecution. Each time there was a small policy victory, Morissette said, she wished Harvey had been there to see it. Earlier this year, the Church of Safe Injection, known as CoSI, reached a milestone. It opened its first brick-and-mortar location on the main street of Lewiston, a city of 36,000 people about 40 miles from Portland. The choice of Lewiston was a tribute to Harvey, Morissette said. He had distributed sterile syringes in the city while under surveillance by police at a time when drug users there had no authorized source of clean supplies. CoSI opened six days a week thanks to a rotation of devoted staffers, most of them volunteers. Morissette spoke with passion about making the premises a welcoming place free of stigma. There are comfortable couches, vases of fresh flowers and, against one wall, a discreet array of storage bins holding everything from naloxone to syringes to wound kits to toothpaste. Drug users can come inside, exchange used needles and receive supplies, some of which are already packed into small brown paper bags. Since CoSI opened its doors, Morissette said, it had served more than 650 people. It had exchanged 97,000 used syringes and provided connections to treatment services to any drug users who wanted them. Morissette would often drive the streets of Lewiston after midnight, trying to track down drug users she was worried about, said Whyte, her friend, who also works at CoSI. In an interview earlier this year, Morissette was excited to talk about Harvey's legacy and CoSI's plans. The state had recently increased its funding to the group, which would allow it to expand to four other locations. Behind the enthusiasm, however, she was struggling. In May, she revealed on Facebook that she was "mentally deteriorating" and had repeatedly attempted to take her own life. A friend had revived her using naloxone. "I thought that if I was open about my struggles that it would make me 'less qualified' to be a person people can call, that people can count on," Morissette wrote. "I am sorry for anyone that I disappointed." A week later, Morissette died of an accidental overdose. She was 33. On a sunny Sunday afternoon at the end of May, Morissette's friends and family gathered at the Eastern Promenade in Portland, the same spot where Harvey's memorial was held in 2020. Friends dressed in bright colors to honor Morissette's unapologetically bold fashion sense. They read poems and blew giant bubbles and threw flower petals into the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Nash, Harvey's mother, was there, as was Kravitz, Harvey's childhood friend. This is "a hard day in an endless string of hard days," said Jodi Cohen Hayashida, a pastor who was close to both Harvey and Morissette. She spoke of the "wider grief of having to say goodbye over and over." In Lewiston, CoSI closed for the month of June to mourn. At the start of July, it reopened its doors with a fresh influx of volunteers. ATLANTA (AP) A federal judge ruled Friday that Georgia's statewide election of its five public service commissioners illegally dilutes Black voting power, ordering the state to not prepare ballots for two races that had been scheduled in November. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Steven Grimberg, if it stands, would mean that state lawmakers would have to draw single-member districts for the body that regulates Georgia Power Co. and other other utilities, subject to court approval. An election would be held later. However, higher federal courts have shown significant skepticism about Voting Rights Act litigation in recent years, and the state could appeal. It could also argue that the ruling is too close to the election and seek a delay, an issue that Grimsberg considered and rejected in his opinion. Attorney General Chris Carr's office said it was reviewing the decision, while the Public Service Commission declined comment. Plaintiffs said they hoped the decision would bring to the forefront concerns of Black voters, including people with lower incomes who pay high utility bills. Black voters will no longer be ignored and have their concerns about clean energy, pollution, and high power bills drowned out because of unfair archaic laws, said Brionte McCorkle, executive director of Georgia Conservation Voters. Nico Martinez, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, called it "one of the most important decisions to advance voting rights in a generation. Grimberg had telegraphed his ruling months ago, finding at an earlier state of the lawsuit that statewide elections probably illegally diluted Black votes. The lawsuit was brought by leaders of the NAACP, Georgia Conservation Voters and Black Voters Matter. At-large voting that preserves white control has long been subject to legal attack, but most cases have focused on at-large voting in local elections. But Grimberg said the same rules apply to statewide elections, rejecting the state's arguments that commissioners needed to be elected statewide because their decisions apply statewide. He also overruled the state's arguments that statewide elections couldn't be challenged under the federal Voting Rights Act and that district elections would impermissibly change Georgia's form of government. Until now, commissioners have been elected statewide but required to live in a particular district. District 3 Commissioner Fitz Johnson and District 2 Commissioner Tim Echols, both Republicans, were seeking reelection. Johnson was being challenged by Democrat Shelia Edwards while Echols faced Democrat Patty Durand and Libertarian Colin McKinney. Both Johnson and Edwards, running to represent a district that includes Clayton, DeKalb and Fulton counties, are Black. However, Grimberg ruled that the plaintiffs had clearly proved that Black voters have generally been unable to elect the candidate of their choice in statewide voting, noting Black candidates won eight of 164 nonjudicial statewide elections between 1972 and 2021. The judge noted that white Republican Chuck Eaton beat Black Democratic incumbent David Burgess in a 2006 runoff in which Eaton won statewide but Burgess would have won if only voters in the Atlanta-area district had voted. The judge also noted that Eaton would have lost reelection in 2012 and 2018 if only voters in the district had voted. Grimberg ruled that the Black electorate is large enough and geographically compact enough to create at least one single-member district, that Black voters are cohesive and that racial bloc voting by the white majority defeats Black-preferred candidates in Georgia. Those are all key tests in a Voting Rights Act lawsuit. The state argued that Black voters arent getting the candidates they want because theyre Democrats, not because of their race. But the judge said the argument was faulty because it didnt consider that race and party preference are entangled in Georgia. They are not selecting Democratic candidates because they are Democrats; they are selecting Democratic candidates because they perceive, rightly or wrongly, that those candidates will be more responsive to issues that concern Black voters," Grimberg wrote. Grimberg wrote that his ruling would regrettably cause disruption to Novembers elections, and agreed that Echols and Johnson would remain in office beyond the end of their six-year terms until new districts could be drawn. The order anticipates lawmakers drawing districts in next years regular session. If lawmakers don't act, Grimberg would draw the districts. ___ Follow Jeff Amy at http://twitter.com/jeffamy. CLEMMONS, N.C. (AP) A man wanted on a murder charge was killed and a law enforcement officer was wounded in an exchange of gunfire Friday, officials in North Carolina said. The Forsyth County Sheriffs Office, Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Department, State Bureau of Investigation and Greensboro Police Department were collaborating to find the suspect Friday and when he was located in Clemmons, there was an exchange of gunfire, the county sheriffs office said in a statement. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and one law enforcement officer was shot, but his injuries werent considered life-threatening, officials said. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) Police in New Mexicos largest city are trying to determine if the ambush shooting deaths of three Muslim men over the past nine months could be connected. Albuquerque police have confirmed that local detectives and federal law enforcement officers are looking for possible ties among the separate crimes. Two of the men Muhammed Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Aftab Hussein, 41 were killed in the past week, and both were from Pakistan and members of the same mosque. The third case involves the November killing of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, a Muslim man of South Asian descent. Deputy Police Commander Kyle Hartsock wouldn't share specifics, but he said the commonality among the victims is race and religion. We are taking this very seriously. We want the publics help in identifying this cowardly individual, Hartsock said during a news conference Thursday in front of the Islamic Center of New Mexico. The governor, Albuquerques mayor and civil rights groups have raised concerns, saying violence against members of the community based on race or religion will not be tolerated. Hartsock reiterated that authorities cant say yet if the shootings were hate crimes until they have identified a suspect and can determine a motive. The killings came as Albuquerque is on pace for another record-setting year of homicides. The Council on American-Islamic Relations on Friday offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for the shooting deaths. The council is the nations largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. If a bias-motive is determined, state and federal authorities should apply appropriate hate crime charges, said Nihad Awad, the director of the national group. The two most recent killings were in southeast Albuquerque. Ahmadi was killed behind the market and cafe he owned with his brother. "In all three cases, the victims were ambushed with no warning, fired on and killed, Hartsock said. Ahmad Assed, the president of Islamic Center of New Mexico, said he didnt believe the three victims knew one another, according to the Albuquerque Journal. The community certainly is in need of understanding the egregiousness of the conduct displayed in all three of theses shootings, Assed said at a news conference. If its true that we were targeted as Muslims, then they need to be very vigilant in protecting themselves and taking measures of precaution. They need to watch out for their surroundings. Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Audrey M. Hale, 36, of 1130 Warren St., Jerseyville, was arrested at 2:35 p.m. Thursday on a retail theft charge. She was accused of taking about $500 worth of merchandise from Walmart, 1941 W. Morton Ave., without paying. Coleone M. Powell, 19, of 773 S. Church St. was arrested at 5:44 a.m. Thursday on a charge of criminal trespass to state-supported land after police said he was at a location in the 300 block of West Beecher Avenue from which he was prohibited. Jordan L. Ransom, 27, of Witt was arrested at 3:44 a.m. Thursday in the 1000 block of West Morton Avenue on a charge of violating an order of protection. ACCIDENTS A 17-year-old boy was cited at 2 p.m. Thursday on a charge of failing to yield at an intersection after the car he was driving and one being driven by Bryan D. Neeley, 53, of Jacksonville collided at West Morton Avenue and Massey Lane. THEFTS, BURGLARIES A saw and an impact drill were stolen between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thursday from a location in the 800 block of Nottingham Lane. About $300 in cash was stolen by someone who broke into a business in the first block of South Central Park Plaza, according to a report filed at 1:04 p.m. Wednesday. BOSTON (AP) A Massachusetts police department whose officers are accused of wrongfully arresting a Black man while pursuing a white suspect said Friday that an outside investigation found no evidence of racial profiling. The town manager for Arlington, a Boston suburb, and its police chief said in an emailed statement that the town intends to vigorously defend itself against the allegations made in the federal civil rights lawsuit filed this week. Police have not responded to questions about whether the officers involved were wearing body cameras or whether the department uses them, but there is no body camera footage listed among the information reviewed in the investigators report. Donovan Johnson alleged in the case filed in Boston federal court that a white officer who had been chasing a white suspect grabbed him, threw him to the ground and pinned him there with a knee on his neck as he was walking home after work one day in February last year. Johnson's lawsuit against the town of Arlington and three of its police officers alleges that his constitutional rights were violated when police stopped him, searched him, and placed him in the back of a cruiser before releasing him with no charges. The town said Friday that police previously hired a licensed private detective a former police officer in another Massachusetts town to look into the allegations. The investigator concluded that the officer followed proper use of force policy and that there was no evidence of racial profiling. The investigator also said the officer denied race played any role in his decision to stop the man and told the investigator he believed Johnson was an accomplice to the white suspect. The investigation also concluded there was no evidence Johnson had committed any crime before he was stopped. The investigative report said Officer Steven Conroy, who Johnson alleges stopped him, also denied pulling out a gun or placing a knee on the man's neck. A message seeking comment was sent to Conroy by The Associated Press. Conroy's LinkedIn page shows he has since left the police department. The investigator did find that the officers violated some department policies and three officers were disciplined, the town said. I believe in the Arlington Police Department. Its track record is one of balanced, honest and progressive policing," Town Manager Sandy Pooler said in the statement. Johnson's lawsuit says police 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 white man was known to police for prior criminal acts and when officers arrived at the hotel, 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. Johnson says Conroy threw him to the ground and pinned him there by placing a knee on his neck. The complaint says Johnson at one point yelled I cant breathe!" Another officer who arrived in a cruiser recognized the white man and put him in handcuffs, and the suspect told the officer he didnt 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. Johnson's attorneys say the officers had no reason to believe he 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. BOTHELL, Wash. (AP) The Snohomish County prosecutor has declined to file charges against a Bothell police officer who shot and killed a man in 2020. Prosecutor Adam Cornell announced the decision almost exactly two years after the officer fatally shot Juan Rene Hummel Jr., 25. Cornell wrote in a memorandum there was insufficient evidence to prove the officer committed a crime. He said a similarly situated reasonable officer would have also believed fatal force was necessary, the Everett Daily Herald reported. When Washington voters approved Initiative 940 in 2018, they overhauled state law on police use of force. It meant prosecutors no longer had to prove officers acted with evil intent when considering criminal charges for an officer. In its place, a new good faith test was implemented. Good faith is defined as an objective standard which shall consider all the facts, circumstances, and information known to the officer at the time to determine whether a similarly situated reasonable officer would have believed that the use of deadly force was necessary to prevent death or serious physical harm to the officer or another individual. Hummel had a history of mental health issues, including schizophrenia, an online fundraiser created to help with funeral expenses noted. Family described him as loving, playful and selfless. In a statement Thursday through their attorney, Braden Pence, the Hummel family said they are still processing the death. He is missed by his family and friends every second of every day, the family said. The Bothell Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. MANISTEE The Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts is working in conjunction with the city of Manistee to update the existing historic Ramsdell Theatre Master Plan. The plan will address preservation efforts and make major improvements to serve its patrons and community groups. The city, which owns the Ramsdell, received a $51,000 grant from the State Historic Preservation Office to create a master plan with the help of an engineering firm that could provide assessments in terms of what things would cost to complete renovations as well as upgrades for accessibility and other issues that the Ramsdell might have. The city approved an agreement with the architectural firm Wheeler/Kearns Architects, in Chicago, to conduct the review in January. This spring, Ramsdell officials began seeking community input for the plan. The master plan is the first step in a major capital campaign, scheduled to launch in 2023, when the community will celebrate 120 years of the Ramsdell Theatre, according to a news release. Public input sessions will be held next week, one from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 9 and one from 3-4:30 p.m. on Aug. 10, at the West Shore Community College Manistee Downtown Education Center, in classroom B. The architects have provided a 75% draft of the plan. Were at another point where wed like to get public input before we finalize the master plan, said Xavier Verna, executive director of the RRCA, in a news release. Ill be facilitating the discussion. There will be key areas of focus during the meeting and the architects will join us virtually to help answer questions. The presentation is expected to focus on the following: What are the preservation efforts and why are they needed? What efforts are being put in place to preserve history, not replace it? What is the RRCA hoping to address operationally? What changes can benefit people who rent the building, the RRCA staff, concert and art gallery patrons? What opportunities are there that maximize unused space? Will it generate more revenue to support a sustainable operation of the historic site? This project is funded by the State Historic Preservation Office through the Certified Local Government program. "Michigan SHPO's main function is to provide technical assistance to local communities and property owners in their efforts to identify, evaluate, designate, interpret and protect Michigan's historic above- and below-ground historic resources," reads the news release in part. "The knowledgeable SHPO staff is led by the state historic preservation officer, who is designated by the Michigan's governor to carry out provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended." Anyone interested in attending either of the sessions should RSVP to Verna via email at xverna@ramsdelltheatre.org or call 231-398-9770. Seating is limited. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) Federal transportation authorities said Friday that a helicopter returning home from a firefighting mission made a rapid descent without making any turns before plowing into the ground last month, killing the four first responders onboard. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board released their preliminary report, noting that two witnesses on a ridge about half a mile away were observing the sunset when they saw the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office helicopter go down in the hills near the northern New Mexico community of Las Vegas. It could take a year or more to make a final determination on the cause of the July 16 crash. It marked the single deadliest incident for law enforcement in state history and one of the deadliest for first responders. The preliminary report detailed the crash scene, noting that the main wreckage was found upside down about 160 feet (48 meters) beyond the area where the helicopter first crashed. One main rotor blade had minimal damage and the other blade was fractured, with the broken part found nearby. One of the four people onboard managed to call 911 before succumbing to his injuries, according to emergency dispatch recordings. That call to San Miguel County dispatchers sparked a frantic search. A rancher who also called 911 said she saw dust when the helicopter hit the ground but no smoke or flames. In emergency dispatch recordings, it was reported that gas was leaking from the aircraft, which the crew fully refueled for the trip home to Albuquerque. They had spent a few hours that afternoon dropping buckets of water on a wildfire burning on private land near Las Vegas. The crew included Bernalillo County Undersheriff Larry Koren, Lt. Fred Beers, Deputy Michael Levison and Bernalillo County Fire Rescue Specialist Matthew King. During memorial services over the last two weeks, the men were remembered as heroes for always being ready to serve beyond their jurisdiction. Koren, 55, was a veteran pilot who had been with the the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office for more than two decades. He was part of a New Years Day mission to rescue employees and a tram operator who got stuck while descending in the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway. Beers, 51, also helped with that winter rescue and had been with the sheriffs office for 13 years. Levison, 30, had been with the sheriffs office since 2017 and had served in the New Mexico Air National Guard. The recordings show King, 44, a husband and father of two children, was the one who dialed 911. Mortally wounded, he stayed on the line for more than a half hour trying to direct first responders to the crash site. Efforts by the state police officers who were first on the scene to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. A Normal, Illinois man will spend up to 120 months in prison and another 10 years under supervision after being sentenced in late July for child sex trafficking. Jahquan Howard, 29, was sentenced after pleading guilty in April to trafficking a young girl into prostitution. "Howard rented hotel rooms in the Peoria area, transported the girl to the hotels, and have her controlled substances," and U.S. Department of Justice press release reads. "He used online advertisements to solicit men to the hotel rooms to have sex with the girl and then collected payment for the act." U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris said sex trafficking is modern-day slavery and is particularly harmful when it involves minor children, such as it did in this case. "There is zero tolerance for sex traffickers in the Central District of Illinois and we will work tirelessly to bring these predators to justice," Harris said in the release. Howard was indicted in February 2020 and entered a guilty plea in April 2022. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. The statutory penalties for sex trafficking a minor are 10 years to life imprisonment, followed by 5 years to life of supervised release. A fine of up to $250,000 may also be imposed. U.S. District Court Judge James Shadid sentenced Howard July 21 to 120 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release for sex trafficking of a minor. Howard must also register as a sex offender. "The FBI and our law enforcement partners work every day to shut down sex traffickers and deliver justice for victims, said FBI Springfield Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Shannon Fontenot in the press release. While this sentence effectively ends Jahquan Howards ability to sexually exploit children, the damage caused by this crime can linger for a lifetime for the victim. The FBI remains constant in our commitment to provide resources for victims to assist in the healing process. The Bloomington Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office investigated the case with assistance of the McLean County States Attorneys Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Hollingshead-Cook represented the government in the prosecution. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MADISON, Wis. (AP) Republican hopes to reclaim a crucial governors seat in swing-state Wisconsin this year long appeared to rest on Rebecca Kleefisch, a former TV news anchor who spent eight years as former Gov. Scott Walkers heir apparent and vowed to continue his sharply conservative policies. Then a wealthy construction company owner jumped in, dumped $12 million of his own money into the race and won Donald Trumps backing. Now Tim Michels is in a competitive race against Kleefisch heading into Tuesdays primary to decide who will face Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in November. The contest is part of a deepening proxy fight between Trump and his estranged former vice president, Mike Pence, who has thrown his support to Kleefisch. And it could ultimately have implications for 2024, when Trump has dangled the possibility of another White House bid and has shown his willingness to pressure elected officials, including those in Wisconsin, to overturn election results. Michels has focused on shaping an outsider candidacy bolstered by the Trump endorsement while Kleefisch has embraced her establishment support as evidence that shes a more reliable GOP choice. Trump appeared with Michels at a Friday night rally in Waukesha, the heart of Milwaukee's conservative suburbs. Trump called Kleefisch a career politician and a political insider. Ive known her for a long time. Shes the handpicked candidate of the failed establishment, the RINOs. That's a derogatory term standing for Republican in name only." Rebecca Kleefisch does not have what it takes to beat Tony Evers," Trump said. Hes going to win if he runs against Rebecca." Michels appeared on stage with Trump, but did not call for overturning the 2020 election. Kleefisch and Michels have both questioned President Joe Bidens victory over Trump in Wisconsin in 2020 an outcome that has withstood recounts, lawsuits and reviews but neither has taken up Trumps pressure campaign to have those results decertified. Kleefisch has called the 2020 election rigged but said she wont consider decertification because its not constitutionally possible. Michels initially called decertifying Bidens 2020 win in Wisconsin not a priority and then later said everything will be on the table. Both Michels and Kleefisch want to do away with the current bipartisan commission that runs elections in the state. A third Republican candidate for governor, state Rep. Tim Ramthun, has repeatedly called for decertification and made it the centerpiece of his longshot campaign. Bidens win in Wisconsin has withstood two partial recounts, numerous lawsuits, a nonpartisan audit and a review by a conservative law firm. Republican legislative leaders have repeatedly said decertification is impossible. Kleefisch has racked up support not only from Pence, but also her former boss Walker, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, GOP leaders of the Legislature, 56 lawmakers, the state chamber of commerce, the Tavern League and a majority of the states county sheriffs. I am the one who is tested and proven and ready to go, Kleefisch said after Pence touted her at a stop in suburban Milwaukee on Wednesday. I am the one who has won statewide four times. Michels claims that he is not a politician, but hes been a power player largely behind the scenes for decades and previously ran for U.S. Senate in 2004, losing to then-Sen. Russ Feingold. Hes been a regular donor to Republicans, including both Walker and Kleefisch. People want an outsider, people want a veteran, people want a businessman, Michels said in a candidate debate. Wisconsin is the third state where Pence and Trump have been on opposite sides in governor's races that highlighted deep divisions about the GOPs future. In Georgia, Pence-backed Gov. Brian Kemp thumped Trumps choice, former Sen. David Perdue, by more than 50 percentage points. In Arizonas governor primary, Trump-backed former TV news anchor Kari Lake and Pence-backed businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson were in a race that was too early to call on Thursday. The territory that drew Pence and Kleefisch on Wednesday is the heart of Republican Wisconsin and home to the key suburban Milwaukee voters who will likely decide the fall election. Its also Kleefischs home turf. Trump, whose support in the area declined from 2016 to 2020, held his Friday rally for Michels just three miles from where Pence came for Kleefisch. There is no candidate for governor in America who is more capable, more experienced, or a more proven conservative than Rebecca Kleefisch, Pence said in touting Kleefisch without mentioning Trump or Michels. Kleefisch is a former Milwaukee television news anchor and teenage beauty pageant contestant who got into politics in 2010 and won a five-way primary for lieutenant governor. After Evers beat Walker in 2018, Kleefisch started laying the groundwork for her own run. She has reminded Republicans about the fights she went through with Walker, when his proposal effectively ending collective bargaining led to massive protests in 2011 and eventually a failed attempt to recall both him and Kleefisch from office. This cycle, she has focused on issues like instituting a flat income tax, expanding school choice programs and investing more in law enforcement. Michels co-owns the states largest construction company, Michels Corp., along with his brothers, and has spent nearly $1 million a week of his own money since getting into the race. Though he uses the Trump endorsement as evidence of his outsider status, hes also backed by Wisconsins ultimate Republican political insider four-term former Gov. Tommy Thompson, who briefly flirted with his own run. Michels has stumbled at times. He flip-flopped this week when asked whether he would back a Trump run in 2024, first refusing to say, then 24 hours later saying he would back Trump for president. At an earlier debate, he didnt appear to know what DACA Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a highly contentious immigration program stood for. And hes faced criticism for purchasing $30 million in properties in New York and Connecticut between 2015 and 2020 and splitting time between Wisconsin and the East Coast, where his children attended and graduated from high school. Michels positions on the boards of various transportation-related industry groups have caused him some heartburn, with Kleefisch seeking to tie him to those groups past support for raising the state gas tax. Michels says he opposes an increase. He is also running ads taking a strong anti-immigrant position, even though he headed the board of directors of a transportation group that opposed an anti-immigrant bill that would have prevented companies that employ illegal aliens from getting state contracts. While the Republicans battle, Evers has raised more than $11 million this year and is casting himself as the only block against Republicans who want to overhaul elections for the 2024 presidential campaign and keep in place an 1849 state law banning abortions. Both Kleefisch and Michels support the ban and the law, which is being challenged in court by Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul. I have a good record, Evers said, highlighting the states 2.8% unemployment rate, increased funding for public schools, expanded rural broadband access, emphasis on repairing roads and a 15% cut in income taxes. Let them bring it on. PHOENIX (AP) The U.S. Senate has confirmed a prominent Arizona election attorney for a position as a judge on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Roopali Desai was confirmed Thursday on a 67-29 vote, drawing bipartisan support after Arizona's two Democratic senators, Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema, touted her when President Joe Biden nominated her in June. Desai has been at the center of virtually every major election case in Arizona in recent years representing various arms of the Democratic Party, Democratic candidates and left-leaning interest groups. She also represented Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in cases filed by supporters of former President Donald Trump challenging the 2020 election results. Sinema took credit for personally ensuring that Desai's nomination was swiftly confirmed in just two months. Ms. Desai is known and respected for her integrity, fairness, and wealth of legal knowledge, and Im delighted to secure the broad bipartisan votes for her confirmation, sinema said in a statement. As a judge, Ms. Desai will make Arizona and America proud. Desai has been a partner at the Phoenix firm Coppersmith Brockelman and has practiced law there since 2007. She worked briefly as an associate at Lewis & Roca and was a law clerk for then-Chief Judge Mary Schroeder of the 9th Circuit. She has bachelors, masters in public health and law degrees from University of Arizona. The 9th Circuit is based in San Francisco but Desai will maintain chambers in Phoenix. The court handles federal appeals in nine Western states. A Black couple is suing the Rosenberg Police Department in federal court over alleged civil and disability rights violations that occurred during a traffic stop in November 2020. Attorneys from the National Police Accountability Project, who are representing the couple in court, say the alleged violations in the case reflect RPD's ongoing pattern of conducting searches and detentions without probable cause. According to the lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Houston, on the evening of November 6, 2020, RPD received a "weapons call," claiming that a group of Black teenagers had flashed guns at another group of kids in Rosenberg, Texas, a town of about 30,000 people located just southeast of Houston proper. Regina Armstead, 57, and her husband, Michael Lewis, 67, were driving back to their Rosenberg home after grabbing dinner at Captain D's Restaurant nearby when four RPD officers responding to the weapons call pulled them over, according to court documents. The suit states that officers were looking for a car "purportedly similar" to the one occupied by Armstead and Lewis. After pulling them over, officers used their intercom system to order Armstead, who was driving, to throw the keys out the window, exit the car and get on her knees with her hands up, according to the suit. Armstead complied with their orders, while the officers stayed near their vehicles with their guns drawn. The suit claims that after cuffing Armstead and putting her in the back of one of the responding officers' cars, Armstead informed police that her husband had a dialysis device implanted in his forearm and that it would be medically dangerous for him to be handcuffed because of his condition. Officers still proceeded to cuff Lewis while detaining him, according to the filing, even after he told them about the device in his arm and the danger cuffs would present. Filing documents state that officers then searched the inside and trunk of Armstead's and Lewis' car for about 20 minutes while the two sat cuffed in separate squad cars. According to court documents, one of the officers confiscated Armstead's cell phone while the others conducted the search. Armstead and Lewis didn't find out why they had been detained until about 45 minutes after the altercation began, according to the suit. After being uncuffed, officers told Armstead that they had been searching for three young men who had been "driving around and shooting at kids," the couple alleged. The ordeal didn't end after they left the scene, the suit states. As a result of officers handcuffing him, the medical device in Lewis' forearm malfunctioned, requiring three different procedures to replace it that caused Lewis "prolonged pain and suffering," attorneys said in court documents. The officers now stand accused of violating the couple's fourth amendment protections against illegal search and seizure. Armstead and Lewis also allege that officers used excessive force against both of them and violated Lewis' rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act when they cuffed him despite their knowledge of his medical condition. "This is a case that shocks the conscience," said Tiffany Sams, a Houston-based attorney co-representing the couple. "How the Rosenberg Police Department treated our clients is not how any person should treat a human being, let alone older people with medical disabilities," Sams added. The Rosenberg Police Department did not respond to multiple requests for comment Thursday. This article will be updated with any response received from the department. BRANDON BELL/Getty Images Texas Senator Ted Cruz proudly labeled the crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference "dangerous radicals" during his speech at the conference on Friday. The remark earned him one of the loudest rounds of applause from the boisterous crowd of several hundred gathered in the main event area of the Dallas Hilton Anatole. "As I look around and I see American flags and I see Gadsden flags and I see the Gonzalez battle flag it occurs to me that the Biden FBI believes this is a room of dangerous radicals, Cruz said. Houston has joined 24 other Texas cities in suing streaming service giants Netflix, Hulu and Disney+ for failing to pay millions of dollars in municipal franchise fees which are used to fund basic city services dating as far back as 2007. A lawsuit filed Thursday in Dallas County alleges that the streaming giants have not paid annual franchise fees required by the Texas Public Utility Regulatory Act of 2005 (PURA) which says municipalities can collect a 5 percent franchise fee from a video service provider if its programming is delivered over wireline facilities located entirely or at least partially in the public right of way. The streaming service giants are receiving revenue from Texas customers, but have not obtained state-issued certificates of franchise authorities from the Texas Public Utility Commission that PURA requires, the lawsuit said. "Under Texas law, these companies are technically video service providers, and even if they say they aren't, they're using public property without paying for it, so they're trespassing," Steve Wolens, McKool Smith principal and co-counsel on the case, told the Dallas Morning News. In addition to Dallas-based McKool Smith, co-counseling firms on the case include Austin-based Ashcroft Sutton Reyes LLC and St. Louis-based Korein Tillery. Texas cities currently listed in the filing are: Abilene, Allen, Amarillo, Arlington, Austin, Beaumont, Carrollton, Dallas, Denton, Frisco, Fort Worth, Garland, Grand Prairie, Houston, Irving, Lewisville, McKinney, Mesquite, Nacogdoches, Pearland, Plano, Sugar Land, Tyler and Waco. The cities are seeking reimbursement of annual franchise fees, as well as interest from Disney+, Hulu and Netflix dating back to the time each began streaming services in the Lone Star State. "Disney, Hulu and Netflix have long withheld statutorily require payments to cities throughout Texas, depriving them of fees that help fund essential city services," Wolen said in a news release. "This case was filed on behalf of our municipal clients to ensure future compliance with PURA and recoup significant fees owed by some of the nation's largest streaming services." Attempts to reach Hulu, Netflix and Disney+ for comment were not immediately returned Friday morning. Netflix has previously been the subject of legal action brought about by a Texas grand jury. In September, 2021 a grand jury in Tyler County indicted the streaming giant over its release of "Cuties," a French film about an 11-year-old Senegalese girl who joins a twerking dance team. The indictment stated that Netflix knowingly promoted "visual material which depicts the lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child who was younger than 18 years of age at the time the visual material was created." The indictment was thrown out in March, according to a KLTV report, after a motion to dismiss the case was submitted by Tyler County District Attorney Lucas Babin, one of the key figures in initiating the case. Although I wrote a column about my memories of John F. Kennedy titled Part of America died with JFK, this baby boomer acquired his political consciousness during the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. I was researching his post-presidential years the other day when I came upon a fascinating article by Leo Janus that appeared in The Atlantic Monthlys July 1973 issue. LBJ was aghast at some of Nixon's domestic policies. Shortly after leaving the White House, he remarked to a Texas businessman: 'When I took over the presidency, Jack Kennedy had left me a stock market of 711. When I left the White House, it was over 900. Now look at it. That's what happens when the Republicans take overnot only Nixon, but any of them. They simply don't know how to manage the economy. They're so busy operating the trickle-down theory, giving the richest corporations the biggest break, that the whole thing goes to hell in a handbasket." Trickle-down theory is the long-discredited notion that government policies designed to make the rich even richer will ultimately benefit everyone because dollars from the wealthy will eventually trickle-down to the non-wealthy. Republican presidents such as Reagan and Trump implemented trickle-down economics in the form of tax cuts for the rich. These tax cuts succeeded magnificently at making the rich even richer. Few, if any, dollars trickled down to non-wealthy Americans, however. One of the earliest uses of trickle-down in this context can be found in a column written by the humorist Will Rogers that appeared in the Nov. 26, 1932 edition of the old St. Louis Star and Times. Our nation was in the depths of the Great Depression and Franklin Roosevelt had just defeated Herbert Hoover for the presidency. Rogers wrote, They dident (sic) start thinking of the old common fellow till just as they started out on the election tour. The money was all appropriated for the top in the hopes that it would trickle down to the needy. The expression to hell in a handbasket has an Illinois connection. Despite having sent Lincoln to the White House, the Prairie State during the Civil War had more than its share of Confederate sympathizers known as Copperheads. An organization of Copperheads known as the Sons of Liberty in 1864 planned to launch an armed rebellion in Illinois in the hope of ensuring a Confederate victory. Thomas Henry Hines, a Confederate POW who had escaped from the Ohio State Penitentiary, made his way to Richmond, the capitol of the Confederacy, and presented a plan that he believed would ensure the defeat of the Union. He asked authorization to recruit escaped Confederate POWs who were living in Canada and combine them with armed members of the Sons of Liberty to create a Confederate army behind Union lines. This army would then attack POW camps in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio to free their prisoners, which numbered in the tens of thousands. Copperheads in the Northwest would rise up against the federal government, while this army of Confederate POWs moved south, cutting telegraph lines, pulling up railroad tracks and destroying every federal installation in its path. Hines and the leadership of the Sons of Liberty agreed to launch this rebellion in Chicago on July 4, 1864, which marked the opening of the Democratic National Convention. Armed members of the Sons of Liberty from downstate Illinois would come to Chicago under the pretext of providing security for the convention and liberate the 8,000 Confederate POWs at nearby Camp Douglas. This combined Sons of Liberty-POW strike force would then move on to assault other prisons including the one in Alton The uprising's date was postponed several times but finally set for August 29. Hines and his band of Confederate agents in Chicago stood ready to launch their attack but lacked one thing men willing to risk their lives in a military operation. The downstate Sons of Liberty who journeyed to the Windy City chickened out. Hines then made plans for assault on Camp Douglas that was scheduled for November 8 election day. The plot was betrayed, however, and a number of Chicagos Copperheads were arrested on charges of treason. A 2018 article on the Word Histories site states that an Illinois Copperhead made a lasting contribution to American English. According to I. Winslow Ayer in The Great North-Western Conspiracy, Chicago Judge Buckner Stith Morris boasted that the thousands of Confederate prisoners at Camp Douglas, when liberated, would send abolitionists to hell in a hand basket. This is the earliest recorded use of that phrase in the United States according to Word Histories. It represented creativity on LBJs part to use both expressions in the same sentence. And that old Texan was indeed correct in asserting that trickle-down policies send our economy to hell in a handbasket. WFO LAS VEGAS Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, August 4, 2022 _____ FLASH FLOOD WARNING Flash Flood Statement National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 402 PM PDT Thu Aug 4 2022 ...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY... At 402 PM PDT, Heavy rain south of Twentynine Palms has ended but runoff along Highway 62 between Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms remains possible. HAZARD...Life-threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms producing flash flooding. SOURCE...Radar. IMPACT...Life-threatening flash flooding of low-water crossings, creeks, normally dry washes and roads. Some locations that will experience flash flooding include... Twentynine Palms. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross flooded roads. Find an alternate route. The National Weather Service in Hanford has issued a * Flash Flood Warning for... Northeastern Madera County in central California... * Until 600 PM PDT. * At 405 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. The expected rainfall rate is 0.5 to 1 inch in 1 hour. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. SOURCE...Radar. IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas. * Some locations that will experience flash flooding include... Green Mtn. Flooding is occurring or is imminent. It is important to know where you are relative to streams, rivers, or creeks which can become killers in heavy rains. Campers and hikers should avoid streams or creeks. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, August 4, 2022 _____ FLASH FLOOD WARNING The National Weather Service in Hanford has issued a * Flash Flood Warning for... Northeastern Fresno County in central California... * Until 600 PM PDT. * At 414 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain have fallen. The expected rainfall rate is 0.5 to 1 inch in 1 hour. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. SOURCE...Radar. IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas. * Some locations that will experience flash flooding include... Upper Burnt Corral, Florence Lake, High Sierra, West Woodchuck Meadow, Lake Thomas Edison, Kaiser Point and Blackcap Basin. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Flooding is occurring or is imminent. It is important to know where you are relative to streams, rivers, or creeks which can become killers in heavy rains. Campers and hikers should avoid streams or creeks. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, August 4, 2022 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Albany NY 645 PM EDT Thu Aug 4 2022 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern Berkshire and southern Columbia Counties through 730 PM EDT... At 645 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Livingston, or 10 miles south of Hudson, moving northeast at 15 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... Livingston, Copake, Ancram, Philmont, Hillsdale, Taghkanic, Weed Mines, Churchtown, Craryville, Linlithgo Mills, North Hillsdale, Alander, Martindale, Copake Falls, Glenco Mills, Upper Hollowville, Boston Corner, Copake Lake, West Taghkanic and West Copake. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. 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 4204 7375 4216 7382 4231 7351 4206 7337 TIME...MOT...LOC 2245Z 247DEG 14KT 4211 7371 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, August 4, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Albany NY 750 PM EDT Thu Aug 4 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8 PM EDT FRIDAY... ...HEAT ADVISORY IS CANCELLED... * WHAT...Heat index values up to 98 expected. * WHERE...In Connecticut, Litchfield County. In Massachusetts, Southern Berkshire County. In New York, Eastern Ulster and Dutchess Counties. * WHEN...From 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. Heat index values have dropped well below 95 degrees, therefore the Heat Advisory has been cancelled. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, August 4, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Armstrong County in the Panhandle of Texas... Eastern Carson County in the Panhandle of Texas... Southeastern Hutchinson County in the Panhandle of Texas... Gray County in the Panhandle of Texas... Roberts County in the Panhandle of Texas... Donley County in the Panhandle of Texas... * Until 700 PM CDT. * At 557 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 10 miles north of Pampa to 4 miles south of Kingsmill to 11 miles south of Goodnight, moving east at 40 mph. HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect some tree damage. Damage is likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. * Locations impacted include... Pampa, Panhandle, Clarendon, Claude, Miami, White Deer, Mclean, Groom, Lefors, Skellytown, Howardwick, Hedley, Lelia Lake, Lake Mcclellan, Wayside, Goodnight, Lora, Kingsmill, Alanreed and Codman. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Temperatures between 103 and 105 and heat index values up to 108 expected. * WHERE...Central Texas. * WHEN...Now until 8 PM CDT this evening. * 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. Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. ...HEAT ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT FRIDAY... * WHAT...Temperatures between 103 and 106 and heat index values * WHERE...Much of North Texas. * WHEN...Until 8 PM CDT Friday. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO EL PASO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, August 4, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in El Paso has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Central Hudspeth County in western Texas... * Until 530 PM MDT. * At 450 PM MDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 4 miles southwest of Sierra Blanca, moving west at 10 mph. HAZARD...Quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected. * Locations impacted include... Sierra Blanca and Quitman Canyon. This includes Interstate 10 in Texas near mile marker 107. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. ...A thunderstorm along I-45 inside the South Loop is producing short periods of heavy rain and may be able to produce briefly gusty outflow winds spreading across the Houston core... At 548 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a thunderstorm over Greater Eastwood, moving west at 10 mph. HAZARD...Winds to around 30 mph. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include... Western Pasadena, South Houston, West University Place, Galena Park, Midtown Houston, Downtown Houston, Greenway / Upper Kirby Area, Second Ward, Greater Heights, Neartown / Montrose, Greater Eastwood, Near Northside Houston, Greater Fifth Ward, Memorial Park, Greater Third Ward, Fourth Ward, University Place, Astrodome Area, Macgregor and Afton Oaks / River Oaks Area. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. LAT...LON 2985 9530 2965 9521 2961 9539 2982 9547 TIME...MOT...LOC 2248Z 072DEG 11KT 2973 9534 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Sorry, no valid subscriptions were found for this Publication. Please select from an option below to start a subscription. SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 24 Hour Access Primeste notificari pe email Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare Granturi - Finantari Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele Anunt de contractare a serviciilor de consultanta pentru realizarea auditului de gen si elaborarea planului de actiuni de asigurare a egalitatii de gen We want to hear if youve received something looking like a local newspaper pushing political causes. The US media landscape has been radically altered in recent years. Many local outlets have been shut or gutted, with a 57 percent drop in newspaper newsroom employees since 2004 recorded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In this new terrain, many politically funded sites are moving into the gap, using the appearance of local news to reach voters. For instance, investigative reporting from the Tow Center for Digital Journalism discovered a network of over twelve hundred mysterious local news websites distributing algorithmic stories and conservative talking points. The German Marshall Funds Digital Innovation and Democracy Initiative discovered bad actors are using Trojan horse outletspartisan websites that disguise disinformation as real newsto push agendas. There are also fears political actors could use campaign leaflets disguised as legitimate newspapersa trend already happening in the UKto target swing voters while trading off the legitimacy of local reporting. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Have you received a mysterious newspaper, news flyer, or news leaflet that appears to push a political agenda? We want to hear about your experiences. Share your experiences You can get in touch by completing the form below. One of our journalists will be in touch before publishing anythingand you can remain anonymous if you preferso please leave contact details. Loading Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Tow Center provides journalists with the skills and knowledge to lead the future of digital journalism and serves as a research and development center for the profession as a whole. BEIRUT (AP) A large block of Beiruts giant port grain silos, shredded by a massive explosion two years ago, collapsed on Thursday as hundreds marched in the Lebanese capital to mark the second anniversary of the blast that killed scores. The northern block of the silos, consisting of four towers, had been slowly tilting for days before it collapsed, causing a huge cloud of dust. The silos had shielded Beiruts western neighborhoods in the Aug. 4, 2020 explosion that killed nearly 220 people, injured over 6,000 and caused damage worth billions of dollars. Thursdays collapse of roughly a fourth of the structure occurred an hour before hundreds of people were to gather outside the facility to mark the 2nd anniversary of the disaster. Authorities had evacuated parts of the port earlier this week after an initial section of the silos collapsed on Sunday as a precautionary measure and there was no indication that anyone was hurt. The 50 year-old, 48 meter (157 feet) tall silos had withstood the force of the 2020 explosion that destroyed much of the port. Many in Lebanon, including families of the victims, have been demanding that the silos be kept for future generations as a testament to a blast they say was caused by widespread corruption and mismanagement in the small Mediterranean nation. Sundays initial collapse was triggered by a weekslong fire, ignited by remnants of grains left over from the 2020 explosion. The grains had started fermenting and ignited in the summer heat last month. Firefighters and Lebanese Army soldiers were unable to put it out and it smoldered, a nasty smell spreading around. The environment and health ministries in late July issued instructions to residents living near the port to stay indoors in well-ventilated spaces. Experts warned of more collapses in the days to come and said the entire structure of the silos was in danger of coming down. The anniversary came amid calls for an international investigation into the blast, one of the most destructive single incidents in Lebanons troubled modern history. The domestic investigation has been stalled since December following legal challenges by charged and accused officials against the judge leading the investigation. Hundreds of people, including families of the victims, marched from three locations in Beirut toward the main road outside the port. Some carried white coffins with name of some of the victims while others carried gallows demanding punishment for those responsible. Two years later the pain is still the same, said one of the family members who lost his brother. Two years on, none of the top politicians have apologized to the Lebanese. The government called for a day of mourning, leading many businesses to close. Tarek Bitar, the judge leading the Lebanese investigation, had charged four former senior government officials with intentional killing and negligence that led to the deaths of scores of people. He also charged several top security officials in the case. But none of them have been detained and two of those charged were re-elected to parliament in May. There is no justice under the rule of militia and mafia, read one banner carried during Thursdays march an apparent reference to the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group that has been calling for the removal of Bitar, whom it describes as biased. Many have blamed the Lebanese governments longtime corruption and mismanagement, saying it paved way for the tragedy, when hundreds of tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate, a material used in fertilizers, detonated at the port. The state has no right to abstain from the Lebanese investigation and also prevent an international investigation, said Cardinal Bechara Rai, the head of the Maronite Catholic church, Lebanons largest, during a special prayers Thursday for the victims. Some of those marching made a brief stop outside the French Embassy to urge France, Lebanons former colonial power, to call on the U.N. Human Rights Council to send a fact-finding mission to investigate the blast. Official correspondence between political, security and judicial officials has revealed that many were aware about the hazardous substances stored in the port, without taking meaningful action to remove it. After the blast, port, customs and legal documents revealed that the ammonium nitrate had been shipped to Lebanon in 2013 on a worn-out Russian ship and stored improperly at a port warehouse ever since. About the photo: A portion of the silos damaged during the August 2020 massive explosion in the port collapsed sending smoke and dust in the air in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. A large section collapsed on Thursday as hundreds marched in Beirut to mark the second anniversary of the blast that killed scores. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. An insurer cannot escape liability for its share of a $6 million payout because the retailer it insured refused to accept a settlement offer by a customer who who was struck by a forklift, a panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday. The appellate panel rejected an argument by North American Elite Insurance Co. that under Illinois contract law, Menard Inc. had a duty to settle the injured customers lawsuit within its $2 million self-insured retention. The duty of good faith does not transmute North Americans actual insurance policy into one it would have preferred in hindsight, the panels opinion says. Menard operates warehouse-style home-improvement stores throughout the Midwest. On Aug. 10, 2016, Julian Andrades was visiting a Menards store in the Chicago suburb of Morton Grove when he was struck by a forklift. The appellate panels opinion doesnt give any detail about the accident, but a Cook County jury found that Andrades deserved $13 million in damages, minus 5% because of his own negligence. Before trial, Menard had rejected an offer by Andrades to settle the lawsuit for $1,985,000. After the trial but before a verdict was reached, it did agree to a high-low settlement offer whereby Andrades would receive a minimum of $500,000 but a maximum of $6 million, depending on the jurys decision. Menard had a policy with Greenwich Insurance Co. that covered the first $1 million of liability that exceeded the $2 million retention. North Americans policy covered liability exceeding $3 million, up to $25 million per occurrence. After the verdict, North American paid its $3 million share, but reserved its right to seek reimbursement. It then filed a lawsuit against Menard in US District Court for Northern Illinois to recoup the payment. North American said in the civil complaint that it warned Menard before Andrades case went to trial that it should settle for up to $2 million. Menard failed to even respond to the settlement offer. The employee who operated the forklift had violated multiple policies, the suit says. Its claim handlers said they believed they would get a defense verdict. That belief was unreasonable if genuine, North Americans complaint says. US District Court Judge Sara L. Ellis dismissed North Americans lawsuit. North American appealed. North American pointed to the terms of Menards policy with Greenwich, which required it to negotiate in good faith for settlements of less than $2 million. The insurer argued that the duty of good faith and fair dealing implied in all Illinois contracts required Menard to give North American the same consideration it promised Greenwich. But the appellate panel said the two policies are very different. The North American policy did not have a follow form clause that would have included the same terms as the Greenwich policy. Respect for the parties agreements requires us to take seriously the different bargains they consented to, the opinion says. Whats more, nothing in Illinois contract law creates a common-law duty for an insured to settle a lawsuit, the panel said. North American did not exercise its right to participate in the defense, which exposed it to the risk that Menard would make litigating choices that it did not like, the opinion says. Menards negotiation of a high-low settlement agreement with the plaintiff in the underlying trial shows that it took some steps to limit its insurers eventual liability rather than gambling with their money. The panel affirmed the District Courts order dismissing the insurers lawsuit. BISBEE, Ariz. (AP) MJ was a tiny, black-haired girl, just 5 years old, when her father admitted to his bishop that he was sexually abusing her. The father, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and an admitted pornography addict, was in counseling with his bishop when he revealed the abuse. The bishop, who was also a family physician, followed church policy and called what church officials have dubbed the help line for guidance. But the call offered little help for MJ. Lawyers for the church, widely known as the Mormon church, who staff the help line around the clock told Bishop John Herrod not to call police or child welfare officials. Instead he kept the abuse secret. They said, `You absolutely can do nothing, Herrod said in a recorded interview with law enforcement. Herrod continued to counsel MJs father, Paul Douglas Adams, for another year, and brought in Adams wife, Leizza Adams, in hopes she would do something to protect the children. She didnt. Herrod later told a second bishop, who also kept the matter secret after consulting with church officials who maintain that the bishops were excused from reporting the abuse to police under the states so-called clergy-penitent privilege. Adams continued raping MJ for as many as seven more years, into her adolescence, and also abused her infant sister, who was born during that time. He frequently recorded the abuse on video and posted the video on the internet. Adams was finally arrested by Homeland Security agents in 2017 with no help from the church, after law enforcement officials in New Zealand discovered one of the videos. He died by suicide in custody before he could stand trial. The Associated Press has obtained nearly 12,000 pages of sealed records from an unrelated child sex abuse lawsuit against the Mormon church in West Virginia. The documents offer the most detailed and comprehensive look yet at the so-called help line Herrod called. Families of survivors who filed the lawsuit said they show its part of a system that can easily be misused by church leaders to divert abuse accusations away from law enforcement and instead to church attorneys who may bury the problem, leaving victims in harms way. The help line has been criticized by abuse victims and their attorneys for being inadequate to quickly stop abuse and protect victims. Yet the Utah-based faith has stuck by the system despite the criticism and increasing scrutiny from attorneys and prosecutors, including those in the Adams case. `I just think that the Mormon church really sucks. Seriously sucks, said MJ, who is now 16, during an interview with the AP. They are just the worst type of people, from what Ive experienced and what other people have also experienced. MJ and her adoptive mother asked the AP to use only her initials in part because videos of her abuse posted by her father are still circulating on the internet. The AP does not publish the names of sexual abuse survivors without their consent. William Maledon, an Arizona attorney representing the bishops and the church in a lawsuit filed by three of the Adams six children, told the AP last month that the bishops were not required to report the abuse. These bishops did nothing wrong. They didnt violate the law, and therefore they cant be held liable, he said. Maledon referred to the suit as a money grab. In his AP interview, Maledon also insisted Herrod did not know that Adams was continuing to sexually assault his daughter after learning of the abuse in a single counseling session. But in the recorded interview with the agent obtained by the AP, Herrod said he asked Leizza Adams in multiple sessions if the abuse was ongoing and asked her, What are we going to do to stop it? At least for a period of time I assumed they had stopped things, but and then I never asked if they picked up again. `The Perfect Lifestyle The Adams family lived on a lonely dirt road about 8 miles from the center of Bisbee, an old copper-mining town in southeastern Arizona known today for its antique shops and laid-back attitude. Far from prying eyes, the Adams home a three-bedroom, open concept affair surrounded by desert was often littered with piles of clothing and containers of lubricant Adams used to sexually abuse his children, according to legal documents reviewed by the AP. Pauls wife, Leizza, assumed most of the child-rearing responsibilities, including getting their six children off to school and chauffeuring them to church and religious instruction on Sundays. Paul, who worked for the U.S. Border Patrol, spent much of his time online looking at porn, often with his children watching, or wandering the house naked or in nothing but his underwear. He had a short fuse and would frequently throw things, yell at his wife and beat his kids. He just had this explosive personality, said Shaunice Warr, a Border Patrol agent and a Mormon who worked with Paul and described herself as Leizzas best friend. He had a horrible temper. Paul was more relaxed while coaxing his older daughter to hold a smartphone camera and record him while he sexually abused her. He also seemed to revel in the abuse in online chat rooms, where he once bragged that he had the perfect lifestyle because he could have sex with his daughters whenever he pleased, while his wife knew and doesnt care. He would later tell investigators the abuse was a compulsion he couldnt stop. I got into something too deep that I just couldnt pull myself out of, he said. Im not trying to say the devil made me do it. The Adams family was deeply involved in the Mormon community, and on Sundays they attended services in Bisbee. So Adams turned to his church, and to Bishop Herrod, when he sought help and revealed his abuse of MJ. Herrod later told Homeland Security agent Robert Edwards he knew from the start that Leizza Adams was unlikely to stop her husband, after he called her into the counseling sessions. The bishop, who was also Leizzas personal physician, said she seemed pretty emotionally dead when her husband recounted his abuse of their daughter. The bishop also recognized the harm being done to MJ. I doubt (she) will ever do well, he said in his recorded interview with Homeland Security agents. Herrod also told Edwards that when he called the help line, church officials told him the states clergy-penitent privilege required him to keep Adamss abuse confidential. But the law required no such thing. Arizonas child sex abuse reporting law, and similar laws in more than 20 states that require clergy to report child sex abuse and neglect, says that clergy, physicians, nurses, or anyone caring for a child who reasonably believes a child has been abused or neglected has a legal obligation to report the information to police or the state Department of Child Safety. But it also says that clergy who receive information about child neglect or sexual abuse during spiritual confessions may withhold that information from authorities if the clergy determine it is reasonable and necessary under church doctrine. In 2012, when Herrod rotated out of his position as bishop of the Bisbee ward _ a Mormon jurisdiction similar to a Catholic parish _ he told incoming Bishop Robert Kim Mauzy about the abuse in the Adams household. Instead of rescuing MJ by reporting the abuse to authorities, Mauzy also kept the information within the church. In a separate recorded interview with federal agents obtained by the AP, Mauzy said church officials told him he should convene a confidential disciplinary hearing for Adams, after which Adams was ex-communicated in 2013. Mauzy and other church leaders still didnt report Adams to the police. Two years later, in 2015, Leizza Adams gave birth to a second daughter. It took her husband just six weeks to start sexually assaulting her, recording the abuse, and uploading the videos to the internet. The revelation that Mormon officials may have directed an effort to conceal years of abuse in the Adams household sparked a criminal investigation of the church by Cochise County Attorney Brian McIntyre, and the civil lawsuit by three of the Adams children. Whos really responsible for Herrod not disclosing? McIntyre asked in an AP interview. Is it Herrod, who says he followed the church lawyers instruction not to report the abuse to authorities? Or is it the people who gave him that advice? `The Call Comes To My Cell Phone When it comes to child sexual abuse, the Mormon church says the first responsibility of the church in abuse cases is to help those who have been abused and protect those who may be vulnerable to future abuse, according to its 2010 handbook for church leaders. The handbook also says, Abuse cannot be tolerated in any form. But church officials, from the bishops in the Bisbee ward to officials in Salt Lake City, tolerated abuse in the Adams family for years. They just let it keep happening, said MJ, in her AP interview. They just said, `Hey, lets excommunicate her father. It didnt stop. `Lets have them do therapy. It didnt stop. `Hey, lets forgive and forget and all this will go away. It didnt go away. A similar dynamic played out in West Virginia, where church leaders were accused of covering up the crimes committed by a young abuser from a prominent Mormon family even after hed been convicted on child sex abuse charges in Utah. The abuser, Michael Jensen, today is serving a 35- to 75-year prison sentence for abusing two children in West Virginia. Their family, along with others, sued the church and settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. Child abuse festers and grows in secrecy, said Lynne Cadigan, a lawyer for the Adams children who filed suit. That is why the mandatory reporting came into effect. Its the most important thing in the world to immediately report to the police. The lawsuit filed by the three Adams children accuses The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and several members, including Bishops Herrod and Mauzy, of negligence and conspiring to cover up child sex abuse to avoid costly lawsuits and protect the reputation of the church, which relies on proselytizing and tithing to attract new members and raise money. In 2020, the church claimed approximately 16 million members worldwide, most of them living outside the United States. The failure to prevent or report abuse was part of the policy of the defendants, which was to block public disclosure to avoid scandals, to avoid the disclosure of their tolerance of child sexual molestation and assault, to preserve a false appearance of propriety, and to avoid investigation and action by public authority, including law enforcement, the suit alleges. Plaintiffs are informed and believe that such actions were motivated by a desire to protect the reputation of the defendants. Very few of the scores of lawsuits against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mention the help line, in part because details of its operations have been a closely guarded secret. The documents in the sealed court records show how it works. The help line is certainly there to help to help the church keep its secrets and to cover up abuse, said Craig Vernon, an Idaho attorney who has filed several sex abuse lawsuits against the church. Vernon, a former member, routinely demands that the church require bishops to report sex abuse to police or state authorities rather than the help line. The sealed records say calls to the help line are answered by social workers or professional counselors who determine whether the information they receive is serious enough to be referred to an attorney with Kirton McConkie, a Salt Lake City firm that represents the church. A document with the heading Protocol for abuse help line calls, which was among the sealed records obtained by the AP, laid out the questions social workers were to ask before determining whether the calls should be referred to the lawyers. Mormon officials in the West Virginia case said they did not recognize the Protocol and could not authenticate it. But a ranking church official in a separate sex abuse lawsuit in Oregon confirmed that those answering the help line used a written protocol to guide them. There would be a page containing various topics to discuss and handle, said Harold C. Brown, then director of the churchs Welfare Services Department. The Protocol instructs those staffing the help line to tell callers they are to use first names only. No identifying information should be given. Under the heading High Risk Cases, it also instructs staffers to ask a series of questions, including whether calls concerned possible abuse by a church leader, an employee, or abuse at a church-sponsored activity. The protocol advises those taking the calls to instruct a priesthood leader, which includes bishops and stake presidents, to encourage the perpetrator, the victim, or others who know of the abuse to report it. But it also says, in capital letters, that those taking the calls should never advise a priesthood leader to report abuse. Counsel of this nature should come only from legal counsel. That counsel comes from attorneys from Kirton McConkie, which represents the church. Joseph Osmond, one of the Kirton McConkie lawyers assigned to take help line calls, said in a sealed deposition that hes always ready to deal with sex abuse complaints. Wherever I am. The call comes to my cell phone, he said. He then acknowledged that he did not refer calls to a social worker and wouldnt know how to do so. Osmond declined to comment through church officials. Peter Schofield, a Kirton McConkie lawyer long associated with the help line, also declined to answer questions from the AP. Maledon, the attorney for the church in the Adams lawsuit, said church clergy or church attorneys have made hundreds of reports of child abuse to civil authorities in Arizona over an unspecified number of years. But he could not say how many calls to the help line were not referred to police or child welfare officials and could not provide a referral rate. Two church practices, identified in the sealed records, work together to ensure that the contents of all help lines calls remain confidential. First, all records of calls to the help line are routinely destroyed. Those notes are destroyed by the end of every day, said Roger Van Komen, the churchs director of Family Services, in an affidavit included in the sealed records. Second, church officials say that all calls referred to Kirton McConkie lawyers are covered by attorney-client privilege and remain out of the reach of prosecutors and victims attorneys. The church has always regarded those communications between its lawyers and local leaders as attorney-client privileged, said Paul Rytting, the director of Risk Management, in a sealed affidavit. An Ominous Time Mormon leaders established the help line in 1995 and it operated not within its Department of Family Services, but instead in its Office of Risk Management, whose role is to protect the church and members from injury and liability in an array of circumstances, including fires, explosions, hazardous chemical spills and severe weather. The department ultimately reports to the First Presidency, the three officials at the very top of the church hierarchy, according to records in the sealed documents. Risk management also tracks all sex abuse lawsuits against the church, according to a sealed affidavit by Dwayne Liddell, a past director of the department who helped establish the help line. He said members of the churchs First Presidency knew the details of the help line. I have been in those type of meetings where the training of ecclesiastical leaders (and) the establishment of a help line have been discussed, Liddell said. When asked who attended the meetings, he answered, Members of the First Presidency and the presiding bishopric, or the top leaders of the church. Before establishing the help line in 1995, the Mormon church simply instructed bishops to comply with local child sex abuse reporting laws. At the time, child sex abuse lawsuits were on the rise and juries were awarding victims millions of dollars. The Mormon church is largely self-insured, leaving it especially vulnerable to costly lawsuits. There is nothing inconsistent between identifying cases that may pose litigation risks to the church and complying with reporting obligations, church lawyers said in a sealed legal filing. But one affidavit in the sealed records which repeatedly says the church condemns child sexual abuse, also suggests the church is more concerned about the spiritual well-being of perpetrators than the physical and emotional well-being of young victims, who also may be members of the faith. Disciplinary proceedings are subject to the highest confidentiality possible, said Rytting. If members had any concerns that their disciplinary files could be read by a secular judge or attorneys or be presented to a jury as evidence in a public trial, their willingness to confess and repent and for their souls to be saved would be seriously compromised. A Global Investigation In 2016 police in New Zealand arrested a 47-year-old farm worker on child pornography charges and found a nine-minute video on his cell phone, downloaded from the internet, showing a man in his 30s raping a 10-year-old girl. A global search for the rapist and his victim was on. It started with Interpol and led to the U.S. State Department, where investigators using facial recognition technology matched the rapist with a passport card photo of a U.S. Border Patrol employee living in Bisbee, Arizona, according to a Homeland Security synopsis obtained by the AP. Agents rushed to the Naco, Arizona, Border Station and arrested Adams, then a lanky, bearded mission support specialist with the Border Patrol. After some coaxing, Adams admitted to raping MJ and to sexually assaulting her younger sister, and to posting video of the assaults on the internet. When agents raided his home, they seized phones and computers holding more than 4,000 photos and nearly 1,000 videos depicting child sex abuse, many featuring the Adams daughters. But the nine-minute video stood out. This video is one of the worst Ive ever seen, Homeland Security agent Edwards later testified, adding that haunting dialogue between Adams and his older daughter helped make the video stand out in my mind and continue to stand out in my mind. That video represented nine minutes and 14 seconds in seven years of continual and unnecessary trauma for MJ _ and a lifetime of abuse for her tiny sister _ while Bishops Herrod and Mauzy and church representatives in Salt Lake City stood by. After Paul Adams died by suicide, Leizza Adams pleaded no contest to child sex abuse charges and served two-and-a-half years in state prison. Three of the Adams children went to live with members of Leizzas extended family in California. The other three were taken in by local families. The Survivors MJs little sister was only 2 when she met her adoptive mother for the first time. The toddler wrapped her arms and legs around Miranda Whitworths head, buried her face in her neck, and refused to look up to say good-bye to members of Leizzas family. It was the craziest thing, said Whitworth who, with her husband, Matthew, welcomed the toddler into their family. It was like when you see a baby monkey or baby gorilla cling to their mother, and they just wont let go. Over the next few days and weeks, the Whitworths would see additional markers of the unfathomable abuse the toddler endured at the hands of her father _ much of it recorded on video. She would howl in terror when any man attempted to touch her, whether it was Matthew or the family physician. The nurse was fine but the minute the doctor walked in she climbed onto me and started screaming bloody murder, Miranda said. The 2-year-old was also terrified of the water, which made bathing an ear-splitting ordeal. She wouldnt tolerate anything wrapped around her wrists. And at church, she would run and hide behind Miranda whenever anyone greeted her by an old family nickname. When they took in the toddler, neither Miranda nor Matthew knew very much about what had happened to her. But while sitting in on Leizza Adamss sentencing hearing, they learned about the repeated rapes, the videos, and the fact that church bishops knew about the abuse of the older daughter and did nothing to stop it. The Whitworths were converts to the Mormon faith and, like many new followers of a religion, they were especially enthusiastic about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In particular, they appreciated the efforts Mormons make to help fellow church members in times of need through church organizations established to give special attention to women, teens and children. Its all about family, Miranda said. Thats one of the things we absolutely loved. But after learning about what Adams did to their new daughter, and the failure of the church to stop him, the scales fell from their eyes. We decided to remove our records from the church, said Matthew Whitworth. I personally couldnt continue to provide tithing money to a church that would allow young children to be abused and not do anything to prevent it. Unlike the Whitworths, Nancy Salminen has never been a member of the Mormon church. But as a special needs teacher and a rape victim herself, she has a special affinity for MJ and others like her. Over the last five years, she has opened her home to 17 girls and boys who needed a safe place to stay. Her house is a modest, ranch-style structure she bought out of foreclosure. Everythings a little broken here and thats perfect because so are we, she said. Salminen said she met MJ after receiving an urgent call on a Friday evening to rescue a 12-year-old from another family. She was pretty scared and pretty confused when I picked her up, Salminen recalled. She spent a lot of time in her closet in her room when we got home, but we got to know each other and got to like each other. Like the Whitworths, Salminen knew very little about what MJ had endured until Leizza Adamss sentencing hearing. What I heard made me want to throw up, she said. And the more I learned the more I wanted to help her fight this fight that she didnt even know about. Safely settled in Salminens household _ which today includes a foster girl Salminen also plans to adopt _ MJ has been transformed from a victim of unimaginable abuse to a bubbly 16-year-old who plays in the high school band and proudly dons a crisp, new uniform for her job at a fast-food restaurant. She had every excuse to fail and to just fold into herself and run away, Salminen said. But instead, she came back stronger than anyone Ive ever known. So strong that she appears eager to play an active role in the battle she and her two siblings are waging against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I just want them to do what theyre supposed to do and report to the police, MJ said. The adoptive parents of the third Adams child who has filed suit declined to speak to the AP about the case. Like MJ, Miranda and Matthew Whitworth said they joined the lawsuit against the church on behalf of their young daughter not in hopes of a payday, but to change church policy so that any instance of child sexual abuse is immediately reported to civil authorities. We just dont understand why theyre paying all these lawyers to fight this, Matthew Whitworth said. Just change the policy. The Privilege That policy is the key to the churchs defense. In a recent filing asking a Superior Court judge to dismiss the case, Maledon and other lawyers for the church said the case hinges entirely on whether Arizonas child abuse reporting statute required two church bishops to report to authorities confidential confessions made to them by plaintiffs father. Whatever moral or public policy arguments one could make that the church should have told authorities that Paul Adams was raping his daughters are irrelevant, the lawyers argued. Arizonas reporting statute broadly exempts confidential communications with clergy, as determined by the clergyman himself, according to the church motion to dismiss the case. Reasonable people can debate whether this is the best public policy choice. But that is not an issue for a jury or this court. Bishop Herrod, in his recorded interview, said church officials told him he had to keep what Adams told him confidential or he could be sued if he went to authorities. But McIntyre, the Cochise County attorney, said thats false, noting the Arizona reporting law says that anyone reporting a belief that child sex abuse occurred is immune from any civil or criminal liability. Aside from the legal arguments over whether Bishops Herrod and Mauzy were excused from their reporting obligations under the clergy-penitent privilege, critics of the inaction by the two bishops and the broader church have raised ethical issues. Gerard Moretz, a seasoned child sex abuse investigator for the Pima County, Arizona, Sheriffs Department and an expert witness for the Adams children, is one of them. What aspect of your religious practice are you advancing if you dont report something like this? he asked. Associated Press editor Brady McCombs in Salt Lake City and investigative researcher Randy Herschaft in New York contributed to this story. About the photo: A playground ahead warning stands by the side of a road on the outskirts of Bisbee, Ariz., Oct. 26, 2021. Bisbee was home to Paul and Leizza Adams, and their six children, before Paul and Leizza were charged with child sexual abuse. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. KLAMATH RIVER, Calif. (AP) Firefighters have gotten their first hold on Californias deadliest and most destructive fire of the year and expected that the blaze would remain stalled through the weekend. The McKinney Fire near the Oregon border was 10% contained as of Wednesday night and bulldozers and hand crews were making progress carving firebreaks around much of the rest of the blaze, fire officials said at a community meeting. The southeastern corner of the blaze above the Siskyou County seat of Yreka, which has about 7,800 residents, was contained. Evacuation orders for sections of the town and Hawkinsville were downgraded to warnings, allowing people to return home but with a warning that the situation remained dangerous. About 1,300 residents remained under evacuation orders, officials said. The fire didnt advance on Wednesday, following several days of brief but heavy rain from thunderstorms that provided cloudy, damper weather. This is a sleeping giant right now, said Darryl Laws, a unified incident commander on the blaze. In addition, firefighters expected Thursday to fully surround a 1,000-acre (404-hectare) spot fire on the northern edge of the McKinney Fire. The fire broke out last Friday and has charred nearly 90 square miles (233 square kilometers) of forestland, left tinder-dry by drought. More than 100 homes and other buildings have burned and four bodies have been found, including two in a burned car in a driveway. The blaze was driven at first by fierce winds ahead of a thunderstorm cell. More storms earlier this week proved a mixed blessing. A drenching rain Tuesday dumped up to 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) on some eastern sections of the blaze but most of the fire area got next to nothing, said Dennis Burns, a fire behavior analyst. The latest storm also brought concerns about possible river flooding and mudslides. 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, Kreider said. The contractor had non-life-threatening injuries, she said. However, no weather events were forecast for the next three or four days that could give the fire legs, Burns said. The good news came too late for many people in the scenic hamlet of Klamath River, which was home to about 200 people before the fire reduced many of the homes to ashes, along with the post office, community center and other buildings. 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. Their names havent been officially confirmed, which could take several days, said Courtney Kreider, a spokesperson with the Siskiyou County Sheriffs Office. Simms, a 65-year-old retiree, bought his property six years ago as a second home with access to hunting and fishing. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. About the photo: In this photo released by the Siskiyou County Sheriffs Office is the washed away pick up truck of a private contractor who was aiding the firefighting efforts near Klamath River, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. Amid storms Tuesday the contractor was hurt when a bridge gave out and washed his pickup truck away, said Courtney Kreider, a spokesperson with the Siskiyou County Sheriffs Office. 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 in the parched region. (Siskiyou County Sheriffs Office via AP) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. PLA Eastern Theater Command launches unprecedented live-fire joint exercises around Taiwan Island Xinhua) 08:21, August 05, 2022 A missile is launched by the rocket force of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), targeting designated maritime areas to the east of the Taiwan Island, Aug. 4, 2022. The Eastern Theater Command on Thursday conducted joint combat exercises and training around the Taiwan Island on an unprecedented scale. (Photo by Li Youzhi/Xinhua) NANJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Thursday conducted joint combat exercises and training around the Taiwan Island on an unprecedented scale. In the long-range live-fire drills held at around 1 p.m. on Thursday, new models of rockets were fired by the theater command's army, hitting targets with precision in the eastern part of the Taiwan Strait. Desired results have been achieved. On Thursday afternoon, strikes involving various types of conventional missiles were launched by the theater command's rocket force, targeting designated maritime areas to the east of the Taiwan Island. All the missiles hit targets with great precision. The force's ability to launch precision strikes and perform area-denial tasks was tested. The theater command's air force and naval aviation corps flew more than 100 warplanes including fighters and bombers to conduct combat training exercises such as joint reconnaissance, aerial refueling, airspace control, and strikes on ground targets. Over 10 destroyers and frigates from the navy of the theater command conducted joint blockade operations in waters off the Taiwan Island. Liu Dongkun, a senior officer of the theater command, said the forces have demonstrated their brave and invincible fighting spirit. Liu said the forces will firmly fulfill their tasks entrusted by the Party and the people and resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. A missile is launched by the rocket force of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), targeting designated maritime areas to the east of the Taiwan Island, Aug. 4, 2022. The Eastern Theater Command on Thursday conducted joint combat exercises and training around the Taiwan Island on an unprecedented scale. (Photo by Wang Yi/Xinhua) Video screenshot shows a missile launched by the rocket force of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), targeting designated maritime areas to the east of the Taiwan Island, Aug. 4, 2022. The Eastern Theater Command on Thursday conducted joint combat exercises and training around the Taiwan Island on an unprecedented scale. (Xinhua) A missile is launched by the rocket force of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), targeting designated maritime areas to the east of the Taiwan Island, Aug. 4, 2022. The Eastern Theater Command on Thursday conducted joint combat exercises and training around the Taiwan Island on an unprecedented scale. (Photo by Hong Zhi/Xinhua) The air force and naval aviation corps of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) fly warplanes to conduct operations around the Taiwan Island, Aug. 4, 2022. The Eastern Theater Command on Thursday conducted joint combat exercises and training around the Taiwan Island on an unprecedented scale. (Photo by Fu Gan/Xinhua) Video screenshot shows warplane aerial refueling as the air force and naval aviation corps of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) fly warplanes to conduct operations around the Taiwan Island, Aug. 4, 2022. The Eastern Theater Command on Thursday conducted joint combat exercises and training around the Taiwan Island on an unprecedented scale. (Xinhua) A warplane of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducts operations around the Taiwan Island, Aug. 4, 2022. The Eastern Theater Command on Thursday conducted joint combat exercises and training around the Taiwan Island on an unprecedented scale. (Photo by Hua Junxiao/Xinhua) The army of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducts long-range live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait, Aug. 4, 2022. The Eastern Theater Command on Thursday conducted joint combat exercises and training around the Taiwan Island on an unprecedented scale. (Photo by Hong Wei/Xinhua) The army of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducts long-range live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait, Aug. 4, 2022. The Eastern Theater Command on Thursday conducted joint combat exercises and training around the Taiwan Island on an unprecedented scale. (Photo by Lai Qiaoquan/Xinhua) The army of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducts long-range live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait, Aug. 4, 2022. The Eastern Theater Command on Thursday conducted joint combat exercises and training around the Taiwan Island on an unprecedented scale. (Photo by Lai Qiaoquan/Xinhua) (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) While Pan India seems to be the new buzzword in the film industry, Dulquer feels the term is being overused.(DC Image) After the super-success of Mahanati, Dulquer Salmaan is now part of another Telugu film, Sita Ramam. He talks about his decade in the film industry, what pan-India means to him, about actors from the south doing well in Hindi, about Sita Ramam, and his role as Lt. Ram in the war drama directed by Hanu Raghavapudi. HOW CHALLENGING IT WAS TO PLAY LT. RAM IN SITA RAMAM I think the most challenging part was shooting in Kashmir in the freezing temperatures, and that too, during the pandemic. I am much older than Ram (smiles) and my real life was very different from his. So I had to unlearn a lot of things for the part. But when I heard the story, I felt it was something that needed to be told, says the actor. ON TRAINING FOR THE PART An Army officer who was present on the set throughout the film, trained the actors in holding a gun, adopting the right postures, etc. In the process, Dulquer says he came to learn more about a soldiers life, and the sacrifices they have to make. SHOOTING IN HYDERABAD Dulquer has been frequenting Hyderabad as he has been doing more Telugu films. He describes the city as magical land with a mystique charm. At school, I studied about the Mughal Empire and the Nizams. We shot Sita Ramam at King Koti Palace. When I learnt that it was the royal residence of the last Nizam of Hyderabad, I was thrilled, says the actor. If you had asked me 10 years ago whether I would do a Telugu film, I would not have seen it happening. People advise against juggling multiple industries but I am following my heart and enjoying it, he reveals. Dulquer has a diverse set of films lined up in Malayalam and Tamil, apart from a Hindi film, Chup: Revenge Of The Artist. ON STARS FROM THE SOUTH, LIKE HIM, YASH, ALLU ARJUN, DHANUSH, ETC., CURRENTLY RULING THE ROOST I feel the current generation of actors are gaining from their life experiences. Everyone is seeking experiences be it travelling or dancing. I resonate with that, he says, adding that as an actor, his willingness to explore and experiment has been very rewarding. I have worked with amazing filmmakers in, and I look forward to collaborating with more storytellers. I am fortunate to have worked with Mani Ratnam Sir for O Kadhal Kanmani. TYPE OF ROLES HE PLANS TO PLAY Dulquer says he will go easy on films belonging to the romantic genre. The audience has seen him as a romantic hero for a long time, and he wants to break that image. Also, Am I not getting older? he asks with a smile. I want to move away from the type of films I do, and work on more mature stories. He says while it is important to be challenged as an actor and learn new skills, it is equally important to unlearn skills, to discover ones hidden side. And thats exactly what I did in Sita Ramam, he beams. Doing out-of-the-box roles is something that isnt in my hands because I can only choose from what I get. But I always make an effort to look for different roles and surprise the audience with every film, he shares. HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MALAYALAM MOVIE AUDIENCE Dulquer may have done films in multiple languages but he feels a certain responsibility towards his core audience (Malayalam) who he loves the most. Because thats where I belong and thats where I originally got the acceptance from. Historically, actors like to explore new opportunities, and stars like Chiranjeevi Sir, Nag Sir, Rajinikanth Sir did it over the years by doing films in Hindi; but at the end of the day its their core audience who they love the most, explains the actor. THE CURRENT CRAZE FOR PAN-INDIAN FILMS While Pan India seems to be the new buzzword in the film industry, Dulquer feels the term is being overused. Didnt films of stars like Amitabh Sir, Rajini Sir, Chiru Sir and Nag Sir transcended boundaries long ago? I dont see this (Pan India) as a new concept, he says. When people across the country open up to a films success, we can truly become one industry (Indian cinema). I think thats a positive change and the common love for cinema will be celebrated, he believes. ON THE CHANGED TASTES OF AUDIENCES AFTER THE PANDEMIC Audiences have always appreciated good content and they continue to do so. Perhaps they might have become more rational in their approach and that could be due to exposure to world cinema they have seen during the lockdowns, he says, adding that such developments also challenge actors and filmmakers to be inventive. DID HIS SUPERSTAR FATHER MAMMOOTTY INFLUENCE HIS CAREER? I worked to have my own identity, Dulquer says. I am fortunate to have had the time to absorb so many things and observe several actors and make my choices. I have learnt my Dos and Donts and realised that its important for me to have my own identity. Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. Beginning on Wednesday, hospitals in Colorado will be prohibited from pursuing debt collections against patients if the hospitals arent in compliance with federal price transparency laws. The new state law, created by House Bill 1285, bans noncompliant hospitals from using debt collectors, filing negative credit reports against patients and obtaining state court judgements for outstanding debts. The hospitals can still bill patients, but if they pursue collection actions, they must refund any debt paid by the patient, in addition to all legal fees. This is a great step in improving the health care system to ensure affordable, high-quality care for all Coloradans and saving people money," said Gov. Jared Polis. People deserve to know what all their medical bills will look like and finally we will have better price transparency which is needed for the market to work better in health care and empower patients to take control of their own health care needs." Federal law requires hospitals to post procedure prices on a public website to increase transparency and allow patients to compare costs between hospitals. Under Colorados new law, patients who believe a hospital was not in compliance with federal law can sue to have their debt forgiven and other fees covered. This comes as, more than a year after it went into effect, only 6% of Colorado hospitals were in full compliance with the federal price transparency law, according to a February report by PatientRightsAdvocate.org. That is below the national average of 14.3% compliance. "Our law puts patients over profits and puts us one step closer to a health care system that is open and honest about medical costs," said House Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, who sponsored HB-1285. "Under our law, Coloradans will save money on health care because they'll know the costs upfront and hospitals will be required to follow the rules when it comes to their billing." For small, critical access hospitals with less than 25 beds, Colorados new law will not go into effect until February 2023. The law also specifies that patients can only complain about price transparency for procedures relevant to their own care. The bipartisan-sponsored bill passed the legislature overwhelmingly earlier this year, receiving only one no vote in the House and unanimous approval in the Senate. Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label. Advisor to NITI Aayog Sudhendu Sinha on Friday praised policies of Andhra Pradesh government for being innovative and exemplary in attracting investments. (Photo: Twitter) VIJAYAWADA: Advisor to NITI Aayog Sudhendu Sinha on Friday praised policies of Andhra Pradesh government for being innovative and exemplary in attracting investments. Speaking at the first virtual meeting organised by AP government with World Economic Forum as part of making Andhra Pradesh an electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing hub, he expressed confidence that the state will pave way for other states in the field of EVs. He maintained that AP has potential even to lead the global transition towards green mobility, emerging as light house of EV segment. Sudhendu Sinha said to realise net-zero carbon emission target by 2070, Andhra Pradesh has been steadily taking steps towards green mobility by way of using non-fossil fuels and focusing on future renewable energy solutions. Addressing the virtual CEO-Ministerial Dialogue, industries minister Gudivada Amarnath mentioned that the state is propelling itself towards growth in EV segment by working on development of charging network and establishing battery swapping stations across AP. He mentioned that integrated renewable energy storage projects of 5.23 GW capacity, including solar, wind and pumped storage hydro projects, will lead to greener manufacturing and facilitate charging of EV vehicles in the state. AP Economic Development Board CEO J.V.N. Subramanyam pointed out that AP is rich in 48 minerals, such as barite and silica, which are critical raw materials in battery manufacturing. He announced that AP has attracted 47,000 crore of investments so far, which is a testimony to the states capability in meeting the $4 billion target set for itself. He underlined that the state is 99.3 percent SLA compliant and has facilitated 50,000 approvals so far through its Single Window Portal. Industries, commerce and export promotion director Srijana Gummalla said the state aspires to be an enabler in building an ecosystem for EV segment, including manufacturing of components and ancillaries. She disclosed that AP is targeting to have 10 lakh EVs running in the state both in commercial and public ecosystems. Among the multitude of policy suggestions offered by CEOs during the dialogue, key points include availability of green power, building talent pool in engineering and R&D, developing EV ecosystem and hubs for the sector, and curating policy interventions for battery swapping. Principal secretary (Transport) M.T. Krishna Babu, special chief secretary (Energy) K Vijayanand, and top representatives of Kia India, Ola Electric, Evage, Gogoro, C4V, Avera, Bounce, Causis, Tata Power, Reliance New, Shell India, Epsilon Carbon, Hyundai Motors, EV Now, Hop Electric, Foxconn and JBM, among others, attended the high-level meeting. 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 The government's flagship tree plantation initiative, Haritha Haram, which was introduced in 2015, is facing a serious fund crunch that makes it difficult to maintain the saplings that have been planted. (DC File Photo) Hyderabad: The government's flagship tree plantation initiative, Haritha Haram, which was introduced in 2015, is facing a serious fund crunch that makes it difficult to maintain the saplings that have been planted. Government figures show that the seventh phase of the initiative was completed with 85 per cent success rate and planting of 258.137 crore sapling. However, several villages and mandals, according to sources, are having trouble planting and caring for the thousands of government-provided plants. "The plantation has been going on for eight years and there is not enough space for the plantation. So they are doing the plantation at the roadside every year," Ghatkesar mandal parishad president Y. Surdarshan Reddy told Deccan Chronicle. The primary concern is maintenance and survival. The success rate for plantation survival is only 5-10% after a year. Issues such as animals damaging the plants as there is no fencing and electricity board chopping the trees are making it difficult for the plants to survive, he stated. He expressed concern about the funds, saying, "We have to adjust within the funds provided. Every year, there is a nearly 50 per cent gap between the funds available and the funds needed to complete the plantation. We have written to the relevant authorities and officers, but to no avail." D. Narsimha Reddy, a city environmentalist, expressed his concerns about the programme's ground realities in terms of supply chain and maintenance. "An independent audit can provide accurate information about the survival rate of plantations," he said. According to the data, the overall survival rate in the state is less than 20 per cent, he added. According to him, the government amended the Panchayat Raj Act in 2018 and the Municipality Act in 2019, including a provision that any elected representative who fails to carry out the plantation programme will be suspended. Instead of a monetary incentive, they put the onus on the representative. As a result, the representatives are spending funds from their own pockets for the plantation and maintenance. "To gauge success, there are two indicators: one is that the floods have not stopped, and the second is that summer temperatures continue to rise. Both climate issues would be mitigated to some extent if the greenery increased with such an unprecedented number of plantations," he added. "If you look at the city, many saplings have been removed within 2-3 years because of developmental works. We don't know if these are the saplings planted under the Haritha Haram programme. The plantation has been undertaken by a number of bodies, including HMDA, GHMC, HGCL, and SRDP, making it difficult to keep track of who is planting how many saplings," said city conversationalist Uday Krishna. "The success rate is high in the state's northern districts and villages, such as Nirmal, Karimnagar, Sircilla, Adilabad, and Nizamabad, where saplings along the roads are flourishing." However, many plants are removed for development purposes in the city. "The figures look good only on paper, but we can't say the same about the ground reality," he added. The scheme will be implemented for the fourth time for the students of Andhra Pradesh. (DC Image) VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will start the fourth Jagananna Vidya Deevena for the students of AP State on August 11 at Bapatla. Minister for Social Welfare Merugu Nagarjuna, AP Legislative Assembly deputy Speaker Kona Raghupathi, Bapatla district collector Vijaya Krishnan, SP Vakul Jindal and other officials inspected the site for the Chief Minister's visit to Bapatla on Friday. Minister Nagarjuna stated that CM Jagan fulfilled 96 per cent of his promises and implemented new welfare schemes in the last three years. He said that CM Jagan was providing Jagananna Vidya Deevena for the past three years without fail, and this time he was going to disburse Vidya Deevena from Bapatla. He said the Chief Minister would address a public meeting on August 11 during the Jagananna Vidya Deevena disbursement programme and that the meeting would be held in the Bapatla Arts and Science College grounds. He added that Bapatla Engineering and Technology College, Bapatla Agriculture College, Bapatla Arts and Science College, and Police Ground were examined for suitable locations for setting up auditorium, VIP galleries, parking areas, and helipad. MLC Lella Appi Reddy, CM Programmes Coordinator Talasila Raghuram and other officials were present on the occasion. NAIROBI, Kenya, August 5, 2022 (Morning Star News) Muslim extremists on July 29 came to the home of an evangelist who had held open-air events in eastern Uganda and killed him, sources said. Cut with a sharp instrument that left his head and neck with deep wounds, Sozi Odongo was killed at his home in Omorio cell, Agule Town Council, Pallisa District, while his wife and four children hid in a room, she said. Odongo was 45. The previous week, sources said, Odongo had received threatening text messages, including one from Nasuru Ongom, a Muslim sheikh (teacher) in Palissa town, that read, Please stop preaching to our people using the holy Koran, or else you risk your life. Odongo had cited the Koran and the Islamic hadiths (sayings of Muhammad) in evangelistic events directed at mixed-race Arabs in several villages of Pallisa District, sources said. After such an event on July 29, he arrived home and had eaten dinner with his family when they heard a group of people coming toward their house at about 7:15 p.m., said his wife, Stella Kilo. They locked the door. We heard them talk in the Arabic language and wondered what could be the matter, Kilo said. They then arrived and knocked at the door. She and their children went into the bedroom, but Odongo unlocked and opened the door, and the assailants began beating him on all parts of his body, she said. He screamed while mentioning the name of Nasuru, saying, Leave me Nasuru, Nasuru, Nasuru, please dont kill me, just tell your colleagues to leave me, Kilo told Morning Star News. Then I heard a loud hit, and thereafter no more screaming. The assailants likely left, but she and the children remained in the bedroom for an hour, afraid that they were still there, she said. Kilo opened the bedroom door and found her husband in a pool of blood, she said. I tried calling to my husband, but he was unable to talk, and I then rang a neighbor and informed him about the situation, she said. The neighbor arrived and informed the LC1 chairperson of the area, George Ochola, who came and found Odongos body cut several times in the head, neck and arm, Kilo said. Ochola called police, and officers immediately arrived. Ochola filed a report with Agule police (CRB 434/2022), and sources said officers were searching for Ongom on suspicion of murder. The attack was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented. Ugandas constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate ones faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12 percent of Ugandas population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country. If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved. If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/donate/? Article originally published by Morning Star News. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Royalty Free This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN, Texas After four hours of deliberation, a jury awarded two Sandy Hook parents defamed by Alex Jones $45.2 million in punitive damages Friday. Jones was not in the courtroom when the verdict was read. The award comes one day after the same jury required Jones to pay the parents $4.1 million for intentional infliction of mental anguish they endured during years of Jones Infowars broadcasts that claimed the death of their son Jesse in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings was a hoax committed by crisis actors. This means the parents will be awarded $49.3 million in total damages. This falls about $100 million short of the parents request of $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. I think hes been held accountable, said Scarlett Lewis, mother of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, who was killed in the Sandy Hook massacre. And I am hoping that he really takes this to heart because in the end love is a choice, and what hes putting out there, lies, hatred, fear, thats a choice too, and I think sometimes we have to have the awareness to have a choice and I hope going forward that he will choose love. Alex Jones attorney challenged the verdict on the grounds that Texas has a cap of $750,000 in punitive damages. I'm sure the judgment will properly conform with the laws of Texas in that regard, Judge Maya Guerra Gamble said. The parents attorney has said hes prepared to fight any cap. Jones finances Alex Jones is probably worth between $135 million to $270 million and has been siphoning money from his main company, Free Speech Systems for years, especially after he lost three defamation lawsuits by default in 2021, according to an expert paid by two Sandy Hook parents in their lawsuit for damages. Jones withdrew $65 million in September 2021 after Judge Maya Guerra Gamble ruled that he had lost the lawsuits to Sandy Hook families by default for not complying with court orders, said financial forensic expert Bernard Francis Pettingill, Jr. on the stand in a Texas courthouse on Friday. He has a rabid following, Pettingill said. Hes a very successful businessman. After awarding $4.1 million to two parents Alex Jones defamed on Thursday, a jury heard evidence on Friday on his net worth, which they have to consider when deciding punitive damages. The jury must agree unanimously what the amount of damages will be, the judge said. They began deliberations on the damages phase around 1:30 p.m. Friday. The parents asked for $145.9 million in punitive damages, which would bring the total award to $150 million. Jones attorney recommended $270,000 in punitive damages. 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 that concluded Wednesday focused on how much the jury will award for intentional infliction of mental anguish to 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. You cannot separate Alex Jones from the companies, Pettingill said when asked by a juror if Jones net worth was the same as his companys net worth. He is the company. Pettingill did not have access to financial records that Jones was supposed to file as part of the lawsuit. Instead Pettingill looked at what was publicly available, he said. Free Speech Systems is a private company, not publicly traded, so Jones does not have to submit paperwork to the state of Texas, he said. He estimated that Jones makes about $70 million a year through Infowars and the various products the company peddles including health supplements and books. Jones is carrying a $54 million loan he took out for one of his companies, which makes it appear that his net worth is less than it actually is, Pettingill said. He also didnt suffer any financial loses since being deplatformed barred from several social media companies in 2018 for hate speech. He made as much money as before, Pettingill said. Attorney Wesley Todd Ball, representing Heslin and Lewis implored the jury to come back with a $145.9 million verdict for damages to bring the total amount with the $4.1 million to about $150 million, during his closing argument Friday. They reached the $150 million figure by seeking $1 in compensation and $1 in punishment for the estimated 75 million Americans who experts claim dont believe or doubt the shooting occurred. That award would send a message not only to Jones but to others like him who promote conspiracy theories, Ball said. It will make them understand that they will sit their (butt) in that chair and respond if they do the same thing Alex Jones did, Ball said. Jones attorney Andino Reynal pointed out that the trial has already discussed Sandy Hook for a longer period than had Jones broadcast the issue on the air. He ran a story irresponsibly, Reynal said. He shouldnt have done it, he explained to why it happened. Reynal wanted the jury to consider that despite the mistake, Jones was reporting on a topic of national significance. Reynal asked the jury to come back with a fair and proportional damages verdict of $270,000 based on the number of hours of broadcast about 19 that were presented in the trial. The night before Jones said he was maxed out and couldnt afford the $4.1 million verdict, let alone more in punitive damages. Thats more money than my company or I personally have, but we are going to work on trying to make restitution there, Jones said on his Infowars platform after the $4.1 million verdict was read. What I did to those families was wrong, but I didnt do it on purpose, Jones said before giving his audience a pitch to send money to keep Infowars on the air. Were in bankruptcy, were all maxed out, Jones said before adding, if you dont fund us, if you dont buy products, we will shut down. Jones Free Speech Systems filed for bankruptcy last week but the Sandy Hook families suing Jones in this case and two others have said the companys debt is based on a fabricated loan from another Jones-controlled company. It is possible that Jones attorneys could invoke a Texas state law that caps damages in certain cases to $750,000. But the parents attorney, Mark Bankston, argued the cap doesnt apply in this case and said hes prepared to challenge the constitutionality of Texas cap if the defense tries to enforce it. However, Bankston said he does not think it will get to that point because the multiple Sandy Hook families suing Jones will be carving up the corpse of Infowars in bankruptcy. In the first phase of deliberations, the jury decided compensation for Heslin for the loss of his reputation for Infowars coverage that occurred in 2017 including a report questioning whether he held his son in the hours after he died. The 12-member jury also had to decide how much Heslin and Lewis should receive for the intentional infliction of mental anguish that spanned from 2013 to 2018. The trial resumed Friday to determine punitive damages for the same incidents of defamation. The parents were in the courtroom throughout the testimony. Jones arrived at the beginning of the day but left after roughly 10 minutes of testimony and had not returned by early afternoon. Heslin and Lewis have been in court every day with the exception of when mental health clinicians testified about the effect that Jones repeated contention that their son didnt die has had on their lives. Both later took the stand to give heart-wrenching testimony about Jesse and his last hours before he was killed by a lone gunman with 19 of his classmates and six educators. I got to look into (Jones) eyes and I got to tell him what the impact of his actions had me and my family and not just us but all the others and all the people that live in Sandy Hook and the ripple effect that had through the world, Lewis said after the verdict. They are still in fear of Sandy Hook deniers and had to go into isolation under the protection of security due to some encounters this week, their attorney Mark Bankston said. The $4.1 million will go to the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement, Bankston said, referring to the nonprofit started by Lewis following her sons death. What a way to honor Jesse, Bankston said. To know that with this money thats being disgorged from Alex Jones, school children across this country are going to be taught social emotional learning. AUSTIN, Texas Alex Jones drew a few quizzical looks as he and his posse of security guards and attorneys strolled into lunch last Tuesday across the street from the courthouse where jurors have been tasked with deciding how much he should have to pay for the lies he made famous through his globe-spanning website, Infowars. Around the Texas capital, Jones is infamous for his angry run-ins with hecklers and protesters. But that afternoon, Jones was mostly met with indifference from the crowded lunchroom and after ordering a cup of coffee, he hastily left the restaurant leaving several of his attorneys behind. As if unable to help himself, he hurled a few loud insults at a table full of reporters on his way out the door. In a series of interviews over the last week, local residents said Jones reputation is not what it once was in Austin, the city where he built his first audience by spewing conspiracy theories on local public access television and radio before the internet lifted his ideas and spread them to millions of followers, including powerful figures like former president Donald Trump. One coffee shop patron noted years ago it was common to find stickers advertising Infowars plastered to light poles and street signs around town a kind of satirical homage to the citys Keep Austin Weird campaign. Now, however, he said its rare to see advertising for Jones around town, and his public image has soured amid his multiple legal battles with Sandy Hook families and embrace of a far-right message. But Jones got his practice promoting conspiracy theories like the one that has him facing three defamation damages trials in Texas and Connecticut on the Austin airwaves. He had this sort of history of trying to get attention and saying what needed to be said in order to get attention, said Amy Sanders, a former journalist and professor at the University of Texas at Austin Jones rise in Austin counter-culture Sergio Flores/For Hearst Connecticut Media Jones was born in Dallas in 1974 and later moved with his family to Austin, which is where he got his start in the 1990s hosting a call-in show on Austin Community Public Access Television. Several events around that time quickly became fodder for Jones early conspiracies and rants about government cover ups. In 1993, a siege by federal agents that resulted in the deaths of 86 members of a Branch Davidians compound in Waco, Texas about 100 miles from Austin became a topic of fascination for Jones, who later produced a documentary on the raid and led an effort to rebuild the church. Several years later, Jones began spreading false flag conspiracy theories about the Oklahoma City bombing by white nationalists, a theory that he later would use when talking about Sandy Hook. Sanders said that Jones beliefs did not depart very far from the culture of public broadcasting in Austin at the time noting that other hosts often used their airtime to discuss UFOs and other fringe beliefs. Most people today of course think of Austin as this very liberal bastion, but back when Alex Jones was running his public access television show, the counterculture was really sort of generically anti-authoritarian, a dont-tell-me-what-to-do kind of culture, Sanders said. Jones also found a receptive audience in Austins counter-culture scene, Sanders said, and he was soon hosting evening talk shows on KJFK, a local radio station. In 1997, the readers of the alternative weekly Austin Chronicle voted Jones Best Looking Crank, and two years later dubbed him the citys best talk radio host. Interestingly he was fired by the radio station shortly thereafter because advertisers had started to react negatively as he got, lets say, more grandiose in his conspiracies,'' Sanders said. By that point, however, Jones fame enabled him to secure a deal with Genesis Communication Network, a radio company that broadcast Jones show on over 100 stations across the country, according to Sanders. By the early 2000s, Jones had also launched Infowars as an online platform to sell products to his listeners. Reputation today As Jones fame grew, so did his notoriety in the city of Austin, with its large population of college students and an influx of residents from more traditionally liberal states like California. Dylan Lindsey, a 21-year-old former student at the University of Texas, likened Jones to the actor and Texas native Matthew McConaughey for the sporadic sightings that students and Austinites are known to report around town. Only with Jones, Lindsey said, those run-ins are often at local protests or parades where tensions run high and conflicts have occurred. While Lindsey said he's never personally encountered Jones, he said a few of his friends in college were "harassed" by the radio host at a demonstration several years ago. "This is definitely a more liberal city in general, so I think it's going to be difficult for him to find a favorable jury," Lindsey said while visiting with friends outside the Herman Marion Sweatt County Courthouse as jury selection took place last week. One current Texas student, 23-year-old Michael Hilborn, said he had seen Jones on several occasions around Austin while participating in Black Lives Matter marches and other protests. He just kind of shows up at large gatherings and tries to incite stuff to get attention, said Hilborn, referring to Jones as the town idiot. Yet while Jones public tirades often simply result in laughs from passers-by, Hilburn said that his show and conspiracy theories are still attractive to a small segment of the citys population. When people start taking what he says seriously, he becomes dangerous, Hilburn said. Jones himself was characteristically confident when asked about his reputation within the city, saying it was better than ever. All I get is like, basically high fives and support most places I go, Jones said. There are some areas where particularly super uneducated folks who arent into politics just dont know who I am. (A week later, Jones told reporters that he is planning to move out of the city to avoid its weaponized court jurisdiction). For others, however, Jones is little more than a longtime subject of local news coverage for his controversies, or perhaps a voice that comes over the airwaves while flipping through radio stations during long drives across Texas hinterlands. John Auchterlonie, a 65-year-old Travis County resident who was one of dozens people called for jury service last week, said he had occasionally come across Jones show on local radio over the years. His passing familiarity with Jones did not factor into jury selection, he said, and he was dismissed from the jury pool near the end of the day. I know who he is, Auchterlonie told a reporter outside the courthouse. Hes not my cup of tea. With Infowars broadcast online around the world, Sanders said that Jones today relies on his network of listeners who are willing to purchase everything from seeds and toothpaste to freeze dryers from the site, calling it the real key to Alex Jones success. Attorneys representing the families of Sandy Hook victims have estimated the size of Jones audience to be in the tens of millions of people just in the United States. Other than his occasional appearances in front of the media and television cameras at public demonstrations, however, Jones does little to make his presence in Austin well known. The location of his Infowars studios is nominally a secret kept by Jones company, Free Speech Systems LLC. In bankruptcy papers filed with the court last week, however, the company listed its place of business at an office park near the highway about four miles south of downtown. (In another set of filings, Jones listed the companys address as being on the top floor of a ritzy downtown office building). At the office park location last week there was a series of several small offices with tinted windows facing the parking lot. At least one of the offices appeared to be abandoned, while the others had blinds or black paper further covering whatever was inside. No one answered the door. When a reporter asked a man working at a nearby security services company whether Infowars was located next door, the man declined to discuss the topic and quickly closed the door. HYDERABAD: The TRS on Friday announced its support to Margaret Alva, the joint Opposition candidate for Vice President, a day ahead of polling on Saturday. TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao asked 16 party MPs, nine in the Lok Sabha and six in the Rajya Sabha, to vote for Alva. The TRS had stayed away from the meeting of non-BJP parties held in Delhi last month to finalise the candidate. This triggered speculation that the TRS would abstain from voting as it was against the selection of a Congress leader. However, Chandrashekar Rao took the decision to support Margaret Alva just a day before polling. This fuelled a debate in political circles over the TRS getting closer to the Congress. Political observers say that Rao has sent a signal that the TRS has no qualms in working with the Congress to fight against the BJP. The BJP has emerged as a major political force in Telangana and has been challenging the political supremacy of the TRS especially after the GHMC elections and Huzurabad and Dubbak Assembly bypolls. The TRS and the BJP are heading for another electoral battle in Munugode. The TRS which maintained distance from the Congress since 2014 has been adopting a soft approach towards it since the recent Presidential election. It supported the joint Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha, who was also supported by the Congress, on the ground that Sinha was never associated with the Congress. In the case of the Vice President election, the TRS went one step ahead and extended support to Alva, a Congress leader. Nama Nageswara Rao and K. Keshava Rao, TRS floor leaders in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, recently attended a meeting convened by Congress senior leader and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge in his chambers in Parliament for the first time to discuss on launching a joint fight against the BJP-led NDA government over the issue of misusing investigation agencies like CBI, ED and I-T to target Opposition leaders. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) China cut off contacts with the United States on vital issues Friday including military matters and crucial climate cooperation as concerns rose that the Communist government's hostile reaction to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit could signal a lasting, more aggressive approach toward its U.S. rival and the self-ruled island. China's move to freeze key lines of communication compounded the worsening of relations from Pelosis visit and from the Chinese response with military exercises off Taiwan, including firing missiles that splashed down in surrounding waters. After the White House summoned China's ambassador, Qin Gang, late Thursday to protest the military exercises, White House spokesman John Kirby on Friday condemned the decision to end important dialogue with the United States as irresponsible. The White House spokesman blasted China's provocative actions since Pelosi's trip to Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory. But Kirby noted that some channels of communication remain open between military officials in the two countries. He repeated daily assurances that the U.S. had not changed its policy toward the Communist mainland and the self-ruled island. Bottom line is were going to continue our efforts to keep opening lines of communication that are protecting our interests and our values, Kirby said. He declined to speak about any damage to long-term relations between China and the United States, calling that a discussion for later. Taiwan has put its military on alert and staged civil defense drills, but the overall mood remained calm on Friday. Flights have been canceled or diverted and fishermen have remained in port to avoid the Chinese drills. On the Chinese coast across from Taiwan, tourists gathered to try to catch a glimpse of military aircraft. A minister at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, Jing Quan, told reporters that Pelosi's mission of support for the democratic government of Taiwan has had "a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, seriously infringed upon Chinas sovereignty and (territorial) integrity and ... undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits. Long term, a significantly more confrontational relationship between China and the U.S. threatens an equilibrium under which Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping's governments have sparred on human rights, trade, competition and countless other issues but avoided direct conflict and maintained occasional top-level contacts toward other matters, including cutting climate-damaging emissions. A joint U.S.-China deal to fight climate change struck by Xi and then-President Barack Obama in November of 2014 is credited as a turning point that led to the landmark 2015 Paris agreement in which nearly every nation in the world pledged to try to curb emissions of heat-trapping gases. Seven years later during climate talks in Glasgow, another U.S.-China deal helped smooth over bumps to another international climate deal. China and the United States are the worlds No. 1 and No. 2 climate polluters, together producing nearly 40% of all fossil-fuel emissions. Ominously, experts in China-U.S. relations warned that China's diplomatic and military moves appeared to go beyond retaliatory measures for the visit and could open a new, more openly hostile era, and a more uncertain time for Taiwan's democratic government. China-U.S. relations are in a downward spiral," said Bonnie Glaser, head of the Asia program at the German Marshall Fund. And I think that China is likely to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait in ways that are going to be harmful to Taiwan and are going to be disadvantageous to the United States," Glaser said. In recent years, other rounds of tensions between China and its neighbors over the India border, regional islands and the South China Sea have ended with China asserting new territorial claims and enforcing them, noted John Culver, a former East Asia national intelligence officer, now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. The same could happen now over Taiwan, Culver said. So I don't know how this ends. We've seen how it begins. China's measures this week are the latest steps intended to punish the U.S. for allowing the visit to the island it claims as its own territory, to be annexed by force if necessary. China on Thursday launched threatening military exercises just off Taiwan's coasts, running through Sunday. Some missiles were sent flying over Taiwan itself, Chinese officials told state media a significant increase in China's menacing of the island. China routinely complains when Taiwan has direct contacts with foreign governments, but its response to the Pelosi visit she was the highest-ranking American official in 25 years has been unusually strong. It appears to derail a rare encouraging note high-level in-person meetings between top officials in recent months including the defense chiefs at an Asia security conference in Singapore and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a Group of 20 meeting in Indonesia. Those talks were viewed as steps in a positive direction in an otherwise poisoned relationship. Now, talks have been suspended even on climate, where the two countries envoys had met multiple times. China stopped short of interrupting economic and trade talks, where it is looking to Biden to lift tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on imports from China. On Friday, China's Foreign Ministry said dialogue between U.S. and Chinese regional commanders and defense department heads would be canceled, along with talks on military maritime safety. Cooperation on returning illegal immigrants, criminal investigations, transnational crime, illegal drugs and climate change will be suspended, the ministry said. China's actions come ahead of a key congress of the ruling Communist Party later this year at which President Xi is expected to obtain a third five-year term as party leader. With the economy stumbling, the party has stoked nationalism and issued near-daily attacks on the government of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, which refuses to recognize Taiwan as part of China. China said Friday that more than 100 warplanes and 10 warships have taken part in live-fire military drills surrounding Taiwan over the past two days. Also, mainly symbolic sanctions against Pelosi and her family were announced. On the China coast, fighter jets could be heard flying overhead, and tourists taking photos chanted, Lets take Taiwan back," looking out into the blue waters of the Taiwan Strait from Pingtan island, a popular scenic spot in China's Fujian province. Pelosi's visit has stirred emotions among the Chinese public, and the government's response makes us feel our motherland is very powerful and gives us confidence that the return of Taiwan is the irresistible trend, said Wang Lu, a tourist from neighboring Zhejiang province. China is a powerful country and it will not allow anyone to offend its own territory, said Liu Bolin, a high school student visiting the island. China's insistence that Taiwan is its territory and its threat to use force to reclaim control have featured in Communist Party statements, the education system and the state-controlled media for more than seven decades since the sides were divided amid civil war in 1949. Taiwan residents overwhelmingly favor maintaining the status quo of de facto independence and reject China's demands that the island unify with the mainland under Communist control. Beyond Taiwan, five of the missiles fired by China landed in Japans Exclusive Economic Zone off Hateruma, an island far south of Japans main islands, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said. He said Japan protested the missiles to China as serious threats to Japans national security and the safety of the Japanese people. In Tokyo, where Pelosi is winding up her Asia trip, she said China cannot stop U.S. officials from visiting Taiwan. ___ AP writer David Rising reported from Phnom Penh. AP writers Huizhong Wu in Taipei, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Seth Borenstein and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana on Friday became the first state in the nation to approve abortion restrictions since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, as the Republican governor quickly signed a near-total ban on the procedure shortly after lawmakers approved it. The ban, which takes effect Sept. 15, includes some exceptions. Abortions would be permitted in cases of rape and incest, before 10-weeks post-fertilization; to protect the life and physical health of the mother; and if a fetus is diagnosed with a lethal anomaly. Victims of rape and incest would not be required to sign a notarized affidavit attesting to an attack, as had once been proposed. Under the bill, abortions can be performed only in hospitals or outpatient centers owned by hospitals, meaning all abortion clinics would lose their licenses. A doctor who performs an illegal abortion or fails to file required reports must also lose their medical license wording that tightens current Indiana law that says a doctor may lose their license. "I am personally most proud of each Hoosier who came forward to courageously share their views in a debate that is unlikely to cease any time soon, Gov. Eric Holcomb said in the statement announcing that he had signed the measure. For my part as your governor, I will continue to keep an open ear. His approval came after the Senate approved the ban 28-19 and the House advanced it 62-38. Indiana was among the earliest Republican-run state legislatures to debate tighter abortion laws after the Supreme Court ruling in June that removed constitutional protections for the procedure. But it is the first state to pass a ban through both chambers, after West Virginia lawmakers on July 29 passed up the chance to be that state. Happy to be completed with this, one of the more challenging things that weve ever done as a state General Assembly, at least certainly while Ive been here, Senate President Pro-Tem Rodric Bray told reporters after the vote. I think this is a huge opportunity, and well build on that as we go forward from here. Sen. Sue Glick of LaGrange, who sponsored the bill, said that she does not think all states will come down at the same place but that most Indiana residents support aspects of the bill. Some senators in both parties lamented the bill's provisions and the impact it would have on the state, including low-income women and the health care system. Eight Republicans joined all 11 Democrats in voting against the bill, though their reasons to thwart the measure were mixed. We are backsliding on democracy, said Democratic Sen. Jean Breaux of Indianapolis, who wore a green ribbon Friday signifying support for abortion rights, on her lapel. What other freedoms, what other liberties are on the chopping block, waiting to be stripped away? Republican Sen. Mike Bohacek of Michiana Shores spoke about his 21-year-old-daughter, who has Down syndrome. Bohacek voted against the bill, saying it does not have adequate protections for women with disabilities who are raped. If she lost her favorite stuffed animal, shed be inconsolable. Imagine making her carry a child to term, he said before he started to choke up, then threw his notes on his seat and exited the chamber. Republican Sen. Mike Young of Indianapolis, however, said the bills enforcement provisions against doctors are not stringent enough. Such debates demonstrated Indiana residents' own divisions on the issue, displayed in hours of testimony lawmakers heard over the past two weeks. Residents rarely, if ever, expressed support for the the legislation in their testimony, as abortion-rights supporters said the bill goes too far while anti-abortion activists expressed it doesnt go far enough. The debates came amid an evolving landscape of abortion politics across the country as Republicans face some party divisions and Democrats see a possible election-year boost. Republican Rep. Wendy McNamara of Evansville, who sponsored the House bill, told reporters after the House vote that the legislation makes Indiana one of the most pro-life states in the nation." Outside the chambers, abortion-rights activists often chanted over lawmakers' remarks, carrying signs like Roe roe roe your vote and Build this wall between church and state. Some House Democrats wore blazers over pink Bans Off Our Bodies T-shirts. Indiana's ban followed the political firestorm over a 10-year-old rape victim who traveled to the state from neighboring Ohio to end her pregnancy. The case gained attention when an Indianapolis doctor said the child came to Indiana because of Ohios fetal heartbeat ban. Religion was a persistent theme during legislative debates, both in residents testimony and lawmakers' comments. In advocating against the House bill, Rep. Ann Vermilion condemned fellow Republicans who have called women murderers for getting an abortion. I think that the Lords promise is for grace and kindness, she said. He would not be jumping to condemn these women. ___ 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 ___ Find APs full coverage of the overturning of Roe v. Wade at: https://apnews.com/hub/abortion This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) Facebook owner Meta is quietly curtailing some of the safeguards designed to thwart voting misinformation or foreign interference in U.S. elections as the November midterm vote approaches. It's a sharp departure from the social media giant's multibillion-dollar efforts to enhance the accuracy of posts about U.S. elections and regain trust from lawmakers and the public after their outrage over learning the company had exploited peoples data and allowed falsehoods to overrun its site during the 2016 campaign. The pivot is raising alarm about Metas priorities and about how some might exploit the worlds most popular social media platforms to spread misleading claims, launch fake accounts and rile up partisan extremists. They're not talking about it," said former Facebook policy director Katie Harbath, now the CEO of the tech and policy firm Anchor Change. Best case scenario: They're still doing a lot behind the scenes. Worst case scenario: They pull back, and we don't know how that's going to manifest itself for the midterms on the platforms." Since last year, Meta has shut down an examination into how falsehoods are amplified in political ads on Facebook by indefinitely banishing the researchers from the site. CrowdTangle, the online tool that the company offered to hundreds of newsrooms and researchers so they could identify trending posts and misinformation across Facebook or Instagram, is now inoperable on some days. Public communication about the company's response to election misinformation has gone decidedly quiet. Between 2018 and 2020, the company released more than 30 statements that laid out specifics about how it would stifle U.S. election misinformation, prevent foreign adversaries from running ads or posts around the vote and subdue divisive hate speech. Top executives hosted question and answer sessions with reporters about new policies. CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote Facebook posts promising to take down false voting information and authored opinion articles calling for more regulations to tackle foreign interference in U.S. elections via social media. But this year Meta has only released a one-page document outlining plans for the fall elections, even as potential threats to the vote remain clear. Several Republican candidates are pushing false claims about the U.S. election across social media. In addition, Russia and China continue to wage aggressive social media propaganda campaigns aimed at further political divides among American audiences. Meta says that elections remain a priority and that policies developed in recent years around election misinformation or foreign interference are now hard-wired into company operations. With every election, we incorporate what weve learned into new processes and have established channels to share information with the government and our industry partners, Meta spokesman Tom Reynolds said. He declined to say how many employees would be on the project to protect U.S. elections full time this year. During the 2018 election cycle, the company offered tours and photos and produced head counts for its election response war room. But The New York Times reported the number of Meta employees working on this year's election had been cut from 300 to 60, a figure Meta disputes. Reynolds said Meta will pull hundreds of employees who work across 40 of the company's other teams to monitor the upcoming vote alongside the election team, with its unspecified number of workers. The company is continuing many initiatives it developed to limit election misinformation, such as a fact-checking program started in 2016 that enlists the help of news outlets to investigate the veracity of popular falsehoods spreading on Facebook or Instagram. The Associated Press is part of Meta's fact-checking program. This month, Meta also rolled out a new feature for political ads that allows the public to search for details about how advertisers target people based on their interests across Facebook and Instagram. Yet, Meta has stifled other efforts to identify election misinformation on its sites. It has stopped making improvements to CrowdTangle, a website it offered to newsrooms around the world that provides insights about trending social media posts. Journalists, fact-checkers and researchers used the website to analyze Facebook content, including tracing popular misinformation and who is responsible for it. That tool is now dying, former CrowdTangle CEO Brandon Silverman, who left Meta last year, told the Senate Judiciary Committee this spring. Silverman told the AP that CrowdTangle had been working on upgrades that would make it easier to search the text of internet memes, which can often be used to spread half-truths and escape the oversight of fact-checkers, for example. Theres no real shortage of ways you can organize this data to make it useful for a lot of different parts of the fact-checking community, newsrooms and broader civil society, Silverman said. Not everyone at Meta agreed with that transparent approach, Silverman said. The company has not rolled out any new updates or features to CrowdTangle in more than a year, and it has experienced hourslong outages in recent months. Meta also shut down efforts to investigate how misinformation travels through political ads. The company indefinitely revoked access to Facebook for a pair of New York University researchers who they said collected unauthorized data from the platform. The move came hours after NYU professor Laura Edelson said she shared plans with the company to investigate the spread of disinformation on the platform around the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, which is now the subject of a House investigation. What we found, when we looked closely, is that their systems were probably dangerous for a lot of their users, Edelson said. Privately, former and current Meta employees say exposing those dangers around the American elections have created public and political backlash for the company. Republicans routinely accuse Facebook of unfairly censoring conservatives, some of whom have been kicked off for breaking the companys rules. Democrats, meanwhile, regularly complain the tech company hasnt gone far enough to curb disinformation. Its something thats so politically fraught, theyre more trying to shy away from it than jump in head first. said Harbath, the former Facebook policy director. They just see it as a big old pile of headaches. Meanwhile, the possibility of regulation in the U.S. no longer looms over the company, with lawmakers failing to reach any consensus over what oversight the multibillion-dollar company should be subjected to. Free from that threat, Meta's leaders have devoted the company's time, money and resources to a new project in recent months. Zuckerberg dived into this massive rebranding and reorganization of Facebook last October, when he changed the companys name to Meta Platforms Inc. He plans to spend years and billions of dollars evolving his social media platforms into a nascent virtual reality construct called the metaverse sort of like the internet brought to life, rendered in 3D. His public Facebook page posts now focus on product announcements, hailing artificial intelligence, and photos of him enjoying life. News about election preparedness is announced in company blog posts not written by him. In one of Zuckerberg's posts last October, after an ex-Facebook employee leaked internal documents showing how the platform magnifies hate and misinformation, he defended the company. He also reminded his followers that he had pushed Congress to modernize regulations around elections for the digital age. I know its frustrating to see the good work we do get mischaracterized, especially for those of you who are making important contributions across safety, integrity, research and product, he wrote on Oct. 5. "But I believe that over the long term if we keep trying to do whats right and delivering experiences that improve peoples lives, it will be better for our community and our business. It was the last time he discussed the Menlo Park, California-based companys election work in a public Facebook post. ___ Associated Press technology writer Barbara Ortutay contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP's coverage of misinformation at https://apnews.com/hub/misinformation. A New Mexico man who was driving drunk without a valid license barreled through a parade that celebrates Native American culture in the western part of the state, injuring at least 15 people, officials said Friday. Jeff Irving, 33, was arrested late Thursday and faces charges that include aggravated driving while intoxicated, fleeing from officers and injuring parade-goers and two Gallup police officers who tried to stop the vehicle, court documents said. In a statement, New Mexico State Police said that investigators have no reason to suspect the crime was motivated by hate. No one was killed. The people who were hurt, including the police officers, suffered mostly minor injuries, said New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and his family were among those almost hit as the Chevrolet Tahoe drove through the parade route. The vehicle sped through downtown Gallup about 15 minutes after the nighttime parade started that served as the kick-off event for the 10-day Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Centennial Celebration. Irvings blood-alcohol content was three times the legal limit for driving, according to court records. His license had been revoked or suspended for another drunken driving charge and the SUV had no registration or insurance, police said. Court records didn't list an attorney for Irving who could speak on his behalf. His two passengers were detained and taken to a detox center in Gallup, a city of about 22,000 people, state police said in the statement. William C. Weaver IV/AP Many among the crowd of thousands lining the parade route in front of businesses that sell Native American jewelry, arts and crafts captured the chaotic scene on video. As the SUV sped near the parade, videos on social media showed people yelling for others to get out of the way and some pushing parade-goers to safety. One video showed parade-goers yelling obscenities at the SUV's driver and passengers while they were handcuffed on the ground. Children performing traditional dances appear to have been among the first to have seen the SUV heading toward them, the videos showed. They ran to the side amid screams and others scrambling to get out of the way. The images also showed blankets, shoes, banners and umbrellas left strewn along the street and on the sidewalks as people fled. Lujan Grisham said Friday that the state will send additional police officers and a behavioral heath crisis team to Gallup for the rest of the ceremonial event. Nez said the vehicle was coming at him and a group of tribal officials marching in the parade. He thanked people for taking quick action to get spectators and participants out of harm's way. We just ask for your prayers for all of the participants, Nez said in a video posted on social media. We're all shook up. You would see this on television, you would think it would never happen here. I'm sorry to say it happened here in Gallup, New Mexico." William C. Weaver IV/AP Tonya Jim said she went to the parade with her parents, grandchildren and children. Her 5-year-old granddaughter, KaRiah, was picked from the crowd to join a group of dancers. Shortly after, the vehicle barreled down the parade route, turned and hit a man across from them who was sitting on a folding chair, she said. KaRiah was helped off the road by someone and was not hurt. "Im glad whoever was holding her hand just kept holding her hand and ran with her to get her off the road, Jim said. Im not sure who she was, but Im thankful for her. Jim said the family burned cedar and prayed when they got home and did a tobacco smoke prayer Friday morning to calm down. I blessed my kids and thanked the creator they are still with me and (to) pray for the families who are hurt, said Jim, who is Navajo and lives in Fort Defiance. During the mayhem, the SUV swerved onto a side street and pulled into a parking spot before trying to pull out again. It hit a parked car and backed into a police car, state police said. Officers converged on the vehicle and detained the driver and two passengers who Irving identified as his brothers, according to court documents. Irving initially told police he was not drinking before admitting to having at least a couple of beers, according to court documents. He is from the small community of Pinedale and faces 21 charges, the documents and police said. City, state and tribal officials met Friday, with some urging more resources to address alcohol abuse. The state has long had a driving while impaired rate above the U.S. national average, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I think there's always room for improvement, said Gallup police Capt. Erin Toadlena-Pablo. I don't think anyone should ever look at it and say we're doing all we can. There's always other means. The nighttime parade is a highlight of the ceremonial celebration, which was founded in 1922 as a way for traders to showcase the culture and art of Native American tribes in the region, said Gallup Intertribal Indian Ceremonial Association board President Kyle Tom. A daytime parade will go on as planned on Aug. 13, the day before closing events, Tom said. Other events include dances, rodeos and a juried art show. People travel to Gallup from the vast Navajo Nation that extends into Arizona, New Mexico and Utah and from other tribal reservations to attend the parades and events. Nez, tribal lawmakers and others expressed anger and disbelief over what happened. It's supposed to be a celebration, but today it was a difficult time for us, Nez said. ___ Fonseca reported from Flagstaff, Arizona. Associated Press writer Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report. FAIRFIELD The school districts director of diversity, equity and inclusion has issued an apology after some parents spoke out about retweets they found disparaging toward white people. In one of the posts retweeted by Digna Marte, Fairfield Public Schools DEI director, someone stated, This is one of those times I have to say, What the f- - -, white people? Its getting to where I hate to acknowledge bei h (sic) Caucasian. The fact of the matter is, this country is coming apart at the seams, and WHITE PEOPLE ARE THE ONES DRIVING IT. Another retweet was an image consisting of the words, Do you ever WTF WHITE PEOPLE even though you are a white people? Board of Education members, including Chair Christine Vitale and Vice Chair Nick Aysseh, said they have received many emails about the tweets, but referred people to Interim Superintendent of School Stephen Tracy, as personnel matters are out of their hands. Tracy said he was aware of the tweets, but could not comment on the issue. I am able to tell you that Ms. Marte continues to be a member of the Fairfield staff and that I have taken appropriate action in response to this matter, he said. However I am not in a position to discuss disciplinary or personnel matters at this time. Marte has since made her Twitter account private. In a statement on Thursday, she said her retweets were in reference to a group of white nationalists marching on Bostons Freedom Trail in early July. Recently, I retweeted a series of Tweets, including one from the mayor of Boston, that represented the concerns and sentiments of others about a march that occurred in Boston during the July 4th weekend by a nationalist group, she said. In retweeting these messages, it was never my intention to hurt others or be divisive. If it was perceived that way, I apologize. On the contrary, my goal is always to build community, facilitate understanding, and help us work together for the better good of our students, community, and country. Hired late last year, Marte, who is Latina, said in February that she sees her role primarily as one of a facilitator. Essentially, she said, that means reflecting on everything the district does to see if it is the best it can be and if it serves every student well. Marte said at the time that there is a lot of work that has already been done or started in Fairfield in line with that goal, but its happening in isolation. When she started in her role, she began touring the district to listen to administrators on their school improvement plans. The reality is that diversity, equity and inclusion is not something that is supposed to be happening in isolation, she said. Its supposed to be happening in every conversation and everything that we do. So, by having the meetings with the principals independently, it gave me one perspective. But by seeing it play out in their school improvement plan, it gave me a better vision of where it landed. Marte said taking the time to see how the districts policies, curriculum and practices impact students who need it the most is an important goal for the district. She said data, such as that on the achievement gap between Black and Hispanic students and white and Asian students, highlights how that mission is important. Former Fairfield Superintendent of Schools Mike Cummings said in February that the district created the DEI program director role because officials found students different needs were challenging educators. He said officials knew they had to be more culturally responsive to their students, adding that they also were seeing more students struggling with engagement. NEW ORLEANS (AP) Albert Woodfox, a former inmate who spent decades in isolation at a Louisiana prison and then became an advocate for prison reforms after he was released, died Thursday of complications from COVID-19, his family said. He was 75. Woodfox and two other men became known as the Angola Three" for their decades-long stays in solitary at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola and other prisons. In 2016, Woodfox pleaded no contest to manslaughter in the 1972 death of prison guard Brent Miller and was released after about half a century in prison, almost all of it in solitary. Woodfox consistently maintained his innocence in Miller's death. Carine Williams, one of Woodfoxs longtime attorneys, said Woodfox had contracted the coronavirus in early July but rebounded. Then about a week ago, he started experiencing shortness of breath and was admitted to a New Orleans hospital. Doctors were initially optimistic he would make it, Williams said. When his condition worsened, he was intubated and never regained consciousness. With heavy hearts, we write to share that our partner, brother, father, grandfather, comrade and friend, Albert Woodfox, passed away this morning," the family said. Whether you know him as Fox, Shaka, Cinque, or Albert - he knew you as family. Please know that your care, compassion, friendship, love, and support have sustained Albert, and comforted him. Woodfox first entered prison in 1965 on an armed robbery sentence. Then in 1972, immediately after Millers body was found in an empty prison dormitory, officials put him in solitary where he was kept on extended lockdown every 90 days for decades. Woodfox and two other prisoners Robert King and Herman Wallace became known as the Angola Three because of their long stretches in solitary confinement. Woodfox and Wallace said they were singled out for harsh treatment, including isolation, because of their political activism. They had helped establish a prison chapter of the Black Panther Party at Angola in 1971, set up demonstrations and organized strikes for better conditions. Officials said they were kept in solitary confinement because their Black Panther Party activism would otherwise rile up inmates at the maximum-security prison farm, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Baton Rouge. Despite those decades confined to a cell 6 feet (1.83 meters) wide by 9 feet (2.74 meters) long for 23 hours a day, Williams said it was a matter of survival for him to not lose himself to anger or bitterness. In the book titled Solitary released after he got out of prison, Woodfox wrote about how in his 40s he chose to take his pain and turn it instead into compassion. Whenever I experienced pain of any origin I always made a promise to myself never to do anything that would cause someone else to suffer the pain I was feeling at that moment. I still had moments of bitterness and anger. But by then I had the wisdom to know that bitterness and anger are destructive, he wrote. I was dedicated to building things, not tearing them down. Wallace, who was convicted with Woodfox of murder in Miller's death, died days after a judge in 2014 freed him and granted him a new trial. King was released in 2001 after his conviction in the death of a fellow inmate in 1973 was reversed. At the time of his release, Woodfox was awaiting a third trial in Millers death after earlier convictions were thrown out by federal courts for reasons including racial bias in selecting a grand jury foreman. In a statement at the time, Woodfox said he had been looking forward to proving his innocence in court but that concerns about his health and age caused me to resolve this case now and obtain my release with this no contest plea to lesser charges. He said at the time he wanted to visit the gravesite of his mother, who died while he was in prison. Woodfox said he was not allowed to go to the funeral. After his release, Woodfox initially moved to Houston and then about a year later returned to New Orleans where he had grown up in the citys Treme neighborhood, said his brother Michael Mable. In New Orleans, he enjoyed walking on the levee with his partner and at one point as Woodfox described it to Williams he was adopted by a lost dog he found. Woodfox loved the outdoors and visited Yosemite National Park after his release, Williams said. His lawyer said on the first day he was released she noticed that he kept touching his wrists: For him it was just so fun and beautiful not to have shackles on his wrists. In the years after his release, Woodfox frequently spoke publicly about his life in prison and his views on issues like prison reforms or racial injustice. His book titled Solitary" detailed his teenage years when he was frequently arrested in New Orleans and his time in prison. The book, written with Leslie George, was a finalist for both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize in 2019. Mable said when Woodfox first got out of prison, he struggled a bit but that he never let his mind stay in prison. He continued to advocate for people in prison and shined a light on issues such as mass incarceration or disparities in how Black and white people were sentenced. Mable said other men might have lost their sanity living for so long in such a tiny cell, but his brother was determined that the experience would not break him. He wasnt bitter and angry. He just wanted change. He wanted justice. It wasnt justice for himself. It was for every inmate there," Mable said. In his book, Woodfox wrote that he was often asked what he would change about his life. My answer is always the same: Not one thing.' All I went through made me the man I am today. I had to be a better person, a wiser person, a more disciplined person to survive," he wrote. I paid a heavy price." ___ Follow Santana on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ruskygal. ___ This story has been corrected to show that Woodfox contracted the coronavirus in July, not June. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PHOENIX (AP) Officials in an Arizona county that was plagued with issues during Tuesday's primaries have fired their elections director and said he is no longer employed. Pinal County officials had promised swift changes during a Wednesday news conference where they did not assign blame directly on Elections Director David Frist, who was just hired in March. In a Thursday news release, they said elected Pinal County Recorder Virginia Ross had resigned and agreed to become the new elections director in order to restore confidence for voters. Ross has been the county recorder since being elected in 2012. The office oversaw elections until county supervisors separated the Elections Department from her office in 2017. There have been at least three election directors since then. Hundreds of voters complained Tuesday that they were unable to immediately vote at the polls because the county had run out of some ballots. One polling place was opened hours late because keys were not available. At Wednesday's news conference, Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer and Jeffrey McClure, chair of the Board of Supervisors, both blamed the problems on human error. McClure called it a major screw-up. Frist's county cell phone was disconnected. The problems were the second in the primary. When mail ballots were sent out early in July, many were missing city races and the county a growing suburban area south of metro-Phoenix and home to over 425,000 residents was forced to send supplemental ballots to those voters. On Tuesday, that earlier issue played a role during in-person voting at some of the countys 95 polling sites. Each site may have had as many as 10 ballot styles. A surge of people going to the polls led to some sites either running short or out of ballots. The county tried to print new ballots but old printers were limited and it took a long time in some cases to get new ballots to the affected polling sites. At most, about 750 voters could have been affected, out of about 50,000 total mail and in-person votes tallied from Tuesdays election, but that is purely a guess, Volkmer said. Many likely did vote. Quite frankly, we underestimated, he said of the ballot shortage. There were more people who showed up than we thought were going to show up. County officials were questioned by at least two state lawmakers at Wednesday's news conference. A voting rights group and the state and national Republican Party both complained about voters possibly losing their right to vote and the GOP called for Frist to resign. The party called his removal an important step towards restoring Arizonans faith in their elections." McClure said in a statement that the Board of Supervisors was deeply embarrassed and frustrated by the mistakes and were taking immediate action to ensure November's general election runs smoothly. It is vital that we restore trust with Pinal County voters, and I can assure the community that there is no better leader to take control of our Elections Department than Virginia Ross," McClure said, The board plans to appoint someone to fill the remainder of Ross' term on Friday. County recorders handle voter rolls and early ballot mailing and record and maintain documents like property records. As many Connecticut residents, and some public officials, increasingly behave as though COVID-19 is no longer a significant threat, the states weekly death toll continues to suggest otherwise. Connecticut on Thursday reported 28 additional COVID-linked deaths over the past week, bringing its total to 11,130 over the full pandemic. Though deaths are nowhere near as common as they have been at previous points during the past two and a half years, the recent totals are far from trivial. According to state data, Connecticut has lost 1,965 people to COVID-19 this year and 189 since the start of June alone. Meanwhile, the state currently has 352 people hospitalized with COVID-19, most at a time since late May. These numbers arrive as public officials in Connecticut increasingly downplay the states relatively high levels of COVID-19 transmission nearly 5,000 reported cases in the past week, not counting those that are recorded on at-home tests by noting that risk of hospitalization and death is relatively low. This logic has led the state to remove essentially all pandemic-related restrictions and to pare back the public reporting of COVID data. To Dr. Ulysses Wu, chief epidemiologist at Hartford HealthCare, the prevailing narrative understates the level of serious illness in Connecticut currently. I dont agree with it at all, Wu said. Our hospitalizations are still high, and deaths are still high. At least for now, COVID-19 continues to cause significantly more death than other respiratory diseases to which it is sometimes compared. Whereas Connecticut recorded 28 COVID-linked deaths in the past week, it reported only 12 flu deaths during the entire 2021-22 season. Even in a bad flu season, the state typically records fewer than 100 deaths, a toll that COVID-19 surpassed in the month of June alone. While Wu cautioned that comparisons between flu data and COVID data are not apples-to-apples due to the prevalence of COVID testing, Johns Hopkins University estimates that COVIDs mortality rate remains as much as 10 times higher than that of the flu. Additionally, experts note the risk of long COVID, which has afflicted nearly 1 in 13 American adults, according to a June survey from the U.S. Census Bureau. Still, as the pandemic has dragged on, public officials have softened their messaging around COVID-19, describing viral spread as inevitable. This week, for example, the state loosened its guidance for school districts, clearing students with minor cold symptoms to attend school as long as they tests negative for COVID-19 first. In explaining that decision, public health commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani described the pandemic as largely under control. What weve learned over these last couple of years is that we have the trifecta when it comes to an infection disease, Juthani said. We have diagnosis, we have treatment and we have prevention. For many experts, this stage of the pandemic is about finding the right balance between letting the virus dictate key aspects of life and forgetting about it altogether. To Wu, who still encourages masking indoors in public, public sentiment seems to have swung too far toward the latter approach. We can live with COVID, Wu said. But were not really living with COVID, were ignoring COVID at this point. COVID-19 cases in Connecticut have risen steadily over the past six weeks, corresponding with the arrival of the BA.5 subvariant. As of Thursday, the state had recorded 4,798 cases over the past week (a total experts say is almost certainly a dramatic under-count), with a test positivity rate of 11.8 percent. As of last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classified New Haven County as having high COVID-19 transmission, leading Juthani to urge masking for all people there, while Fairfield and New London Counties were not far off. With cases high and deaths still substantial, Wu cautions against confusing numbers that are better than they were with numbers that are where society might like them to be. We have descended from Everest, but were still at base camp, he said. Base camp is pretty high up there still. alex.putterman@hearstmediact.com 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. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) Israel unleashed a wave of airstrikes Friday on Gaza, killing at least 10 people, including a senior militant, according to Palestinian officials. Israel said it targeted the Islamic Jihad militant group in response to an imminent threat following the recent arrest of another senior militant. Hours later, Palestinian militants launched a barrage of rockets as air-raid sirens wailed in Israel and the two sides drew closer to another all-out war. Islamic Jihad claimed to have fired 100 rockets. Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers have fought four wars and several smaller battles over the last 15 years at a staggering cost to the territory's 2 million Palestinian residents. A blast was heard in Gaza City, where smoke poured out of the seventh floor of a tall building. Video released by Israel's military showed the strikes blowing up three guard towers with suspected militants in them. In a nationally televised speech, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said his country launched the attacks based on concrete threats. This government has a zero-tolerance policy for any attempted attacks of any kind from Gaza towards Israeli territory, Lapid said. "Israel will not sit idly by when there are those who are trying to harm its civilians." He added that Israel isnt interested in a broader conflict in Gaza but will not shy away from one either. The violence poses an early test for Lapid, who assumed the role of caretaker prime minister ahead of elections in November, when he hopes to keep the position. He has experience in diplomacy, having served as foreign minister in the outgoing government, but his security credentials are thin. Hamas also faces a dilemma in deciding whether to join a new battle barely a year after the last war caused widespread devastation. There has been almost no reconstruction since then, and the isolated coastal territory is mired in poverty, with unemployment hovering around 50%. The Palestinian Health Ministry said a 5-year-old girl and a 23-year-old woman were among those killed in Gaza, without differentiating between civilian and militant casualties. The Israeli military said early estimates were that around 15 fighters were killed. Dozens of people were wounded. Islamic Jihad said Taiseer al-Jabari, its commander for northern Gaza, was among the dead. He had succeeded another militant killed in an airstrike in 2019. An Israeli military spokesman said the strikes were in response to an imminent threat from two militant squads armed with anti-tank missiles. The spokesman, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said al-Jabari was deliberately targeted and had been responsible for multiple attacks on Israel. Hundreds marched in a funeral procession for him and others who were killed, with many mourners waving Palestinian and Islamic Jihad flags and calling for revenge. Israeli media showed the skies above southern and central Israel lighting up with rockets and interceptors from Israel's Iron Dome missile-defense system. An explosion was heard in Tel Aviv. It wasn't immediately clear how many rockets were launched, and there was no immediate word on any casualties on the Israeli side. Israel continued to strike other targets Friday, including weapon-production facilities and Islamic Jihad positions. The U.N. special envoy to the region, Tor Wennesland, said he was deeply concerned. The launching of rockets must cease immediately, and I call on all sides to avoid further escalation, he said. Following the initial Israeli strikes, a few hundred people gathered outside the morgue at Gaza City's main Shifa hospital. Some went in to identify loved ones and emerged later in tears. May God take revenge against spies, shouted one, referring to Palestinian informants who cooperate with Israel. Defense Minister Benny Gantz approved an order to call up 25,000 reserve soldiers if needed while the military announced a special situation on the home front, with schools closed and limits placed on activities in communities within 80 kilometers (50 miles) of the border. Israel closed roads around Gaza earlier this week and sent reinforcements to the border as it braced for a revenge attack after Monday's arrest of Bassam al-Saadi, an Islamic Jihad leader, in a military raid in the occupied West Bank. A teenage member of the group was killed in a gunbattle between the Israeli troops and Palestinian militants. Hamas seized power in the coastal strip from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Its most recent war with Israel was in May 2021, and tensions soared again earlier this year following a wave of attacks inside Israel, near-daily military operations in the West Bank and tensions at a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site. Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah, speaking to Al-Mayadeen TV network from Iran, said fighters of the Palestinian resistance have to stand together to confront this aggression. He said there would be no red lines and blamed the violence on Israel. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the Israeli enemy, which started the escalation against Gaza and committed a new crime, must pay the price and bear full responsibility for it. Islamic Jihad is smaller than Hamas but largely shares its ideology. Both groups are opposed to Israel's existence and have carried out scores of deadly attacks over the years, including the firing of rockets into Israel. It's unclear how much control Hamas has over Islamic Jihad, and Israel holds Hamas responsible for all attacks emanating from Gaza. Israel and Egypt have maintained a tight blockade over the territory since the Hamas takeover. Israel says the closure is needed to prevent Hamas from building up its military capabilities, while critics say the policy amounts to collective punishment. Mohammed Abu Selmia, director of the Shifa hospital, said hospitals faced shortages after Israel imposed a full closure on Gaza earlier this week. He said there were enough supplies and essential drugs to sustain hospitals for five days in normal times, but that with a new round of fighting underway, they may run out at any moment. Israel called off an expected fuel delivery for Gaza's sole power plant, which was expected to shut down early Saturday if the fuel did not enter the territory. Even when the plant is running at full capacity, Gazans still endure daily power outages that last several hours. Earlier Friday, a couple of hundred Israelis protested near the Gaza Strip to demand the return of the remains of two Israeli soldiers held by Hamas. The protesters were led by the family of Hadar Goldin, who along with Oron Shaul was killed in the 2014 Gaza war. Hamas is still holding their remains, as well as two Israeli civilians who strayed into Gaza and are believed to be mentally ill, hoping to exchange them for some of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Israel says there can be no major moves toward lifting the blockade until the soldiers remains and captive civilians are released. Israel and Hamas have held numerous rounds of Egyptian-mediated talks on a possible swap. ___ Krauss reported from Ottawa, Ontario. Associated Press reporter Ariel Schalit in Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, Israel, and Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report. HYDERABAD: TRS leaders from Nalgonda district met party president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao here on Friday and requested him to appoint party working president and minister K.T. Rama Rao as election incharge for Munugode Assembly bypoll to ensure the partys victory, it is learnt. Sources said Chandrashekar Rao assured party leaders that he would look into the issue adding that he would soon set up the party's election and strategy committee for the Munugode bypoll. It has been a tradition for the party to appoint minister T. Harish Rao as incharge whenever bypolls are held Narayankhed in February 2016, Dubbak in November 2020 and Huzurabad in November 2021. The TRS won Narayankhed but lost the other two. Rama Rao, on the other hand, was given the responsibility of ensuring the party's victory in the GHMC elections in 2016 and 2020. While the TRS secured a massive majority in the GHMC elections in 2016, it emerged as a single largest party in 2020 although its majority came down by nearly half of what it had in won in 2016. After the Dubbak bypoll in October 2020, Chandrashekar Rao appointed neither Harish Rao nor Rama Rao as incharge for the Nagarjunasagar bypoll in Nalgonda district in April 2021. He entrusted the responsibility to energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy, who represents Suryapet in Nalgonda district. He was successful in securing victory for the TRS against Congress heavyweight K. Jana Reddy. Now, the Munugode Assembly seat is heading for bypoll, which also falls under Nalgonda district. Jagadish Reddy has been leading the party's activities in Munugode by holding meetings with local leaders and cadres for the past two weeks. However, the local leaders now want Rama Rao to take charge. Rama Rao worked as election incharge only for Palair Assembly bypoll in May 2016 in which TRS candidate Tummala Nageswara Rao won with a good majority. Rama Rao was later given the responsibility of ensuring the party's victory in municipal corporations of Khammam, Warangal, Karimnagar, Nizamabad etc, a task he fulfilled. It remains to be seen whether the Chief Minister opts for Jagadish Reddy again for Munugode bypoll or ropes in Rama Rao to achieve victory. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LAUREL, Neb. (AP) Police on Friday arrested a man in the killings of four people in a small northeast Nebraska town where it had been more than 100 years since it last saw such violence. Around 2:30 a.m. Friday, a police team surrounded the Laurel home of 42-year-old Jason Jones and barged inside, with guns drawn and using flash bangs. Jones' home is just off the main downtown street in the town of 1,000 people and directly across the street from one of two houses where occupants were shot before the homes were set ablaze, police said. Jones was so badly burned that he had to be flown to a hospital in Lincoln instead of being booked into jail, Nebraska State Patrol Col. John Bolduc said. Jones was charged later Friday with 10 felonies, including four counts of first-degree murder. The Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy which often handles capital murder cases was appointed to represent Jones and declined to comment on the case. Police allege that Jones killed 53-year-old Michele Ebeling early Thursday morning before causing some type of explosion and fire in her home that's across the street from him. According to police, Jones then went about three blocks south, broke into another home and killed Gene Twiford, 86; his wife, Janet Twiford, 85; and their daughter, Dana Twiford, 55. Charging documents allege Jones carried out some of the killings in the course of a burglary, but Bolduc declined to give a possible motive for the slayings or say if Jones knew the victims. Several people in Laurel said they knew little about Jones, other than he had moved into the home within the last few years. Court records say Jones had lived in the Elm Street house since at least 2019. Receipts and a gun left at the scene of the killings were linked to him. The killings came as a shock to the community that's about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Omaha. Despite its small size, Laurel is home to five churches and the Knuckleheadz bar that also serves as the towns cafe. The last criminal homicide in Laurel happened in 2005, when a man died following a bar fight and that case was deemed to be manslaughter, not murder. To find the towns last known multiple murder, one would have to go back more than 100 years to 1918, when Dr. C.C. Sackett and Harold Crownover were shot and killed by suspected burglars they had been chasing, according to town historian Roger Tryon. Tryon writes a column titled Pages of History for the weekly Laurel Advocate. People still talk about it. That was the crime of the 20th century for Laurel, Tryon said. I suspect whats happened here this week will be the crime of the 21st century. Michele Ebelings daughter, Richele Ebeling, 31, of Oklahoma City, told The Associated Press that her mother moved to Laurel about two years ago with her boyfriend, who travels for his job and was not home when she was attacked. Honestly, this is so bizarre and so surreal that I cannot even wrap my head around this, she said, noting she had last talked with her mom around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday by phone. She said it is not clear whether her mother knew Jones or whether she knew the Twiford family down the street. The Twifords were lifelong Laurel residents, and almost everyone there knew them. Their next-door neighbors, Doug and Lynette Krie, said they didn't hear anything like gunshots before dawn Thursday. They were alerted to trouble around 9:30 a.m., when they spotted the town's lone law enforcement officer in their driveway, who said a passerby had noticed smoke coming from the Twifords' home. The officer and the Kries then went over to the Twiford home together to check the doors. They were all secure and then I saw one of the doors in the back cracked open, Lynette Krie said. Firefighters from the town's volunteer department then went in to find the source of the smoke. When they emerged, they fell to their knees. That's when I knew they were gone," Krie said, fighting back tears. But the Kries and many others in town didn't find out about the shootings until later. We just assumed they had died of smoke inhalation or something, Doug Krie said. Nobody expected this. - Associated Press reporters Scott McFetridge and David Pitt contributed to this report from Des Moines, Iowa. WASHINGTON (AP) The Pentagon rejected a request from the District of Columbia seeking National Guard assistance in what the mayor has called a growing humanitarian crisis prompted by thousands of migrants being bused to the city from two southern states. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin declined to provide Guard personnel and the use of the D.C. Armory to assist with the reception of migrants into the city, according to U.S. defense officials. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Friday that the district may send an amended, more specific request, adding that she believes this is the first time a D.C. request for National Guard has been denied. One official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a decision not yet made public, said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency's food and shelter program has provided funding for the problem, and has indicated those funds are sufficient at this point. Bowser, the district's Democratic mayor, formally asked the White House last month for an open-ended deployment of 150 National Guard members per day as well as a suitable federal location for a mass housing and processing center, mentioning the D.C. Armory as a logical candidate. During the spring, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, both Republicans, announced plans to send busloads of migrants to Washington, D.C., in response to President Joe Bidens decision to lift a pandemic-era emergency health order that restricted migrant entry numbers by denying them a chance to seek asylum. The rule remains in effect under court order. On Friday, Abbott said the first group of migrants from his state had now been bused to New York as well. As of mid-July, about 5,200 migrants had been bused from Texas to D.C. since April. As of Aug. 3, more than 1,300 had been sent from Arizona since May. The governors call the practice a voluntary free ride - paid for by state taxpayers that gets migrants closer to family or support networks. But Bowser last month dismissed that characterization, saying that the asylum-seekers are being tricked, as many dont get close enough to their final destinations and some are ditched at Union Station near the U.S. Capitol and the White House. Often they arrive with no resources and no clue what to do next. On Friday, Bowser told reporters that the Pentagon appears to be concerned "about the open-ended nature of our request. and that a more specific one would help. We want to continue to work with the Department of Defense so that they understand our operational needs and to assure that political considerations are not a part of their decision, Bowser said, adding that she believes the crisis" will only worsen. "We need the National Guard. If we were a state, I would have already done it. A coalition of local charitable groups has been working to feed and shelter the migrants, aided by a $1 million grant from FEMA. But organizers have been warning that both their resources and personnel were nearing exhaustion. This reliance on NGOs is not working and is unsustainable they are overwhelmed and underfunded, Bowser said in her letter. She has repeatedly stated that the influx is stressing her governments ability to care for its own homeless residents and now requires a federal response. Bowser sharply criticized Abbott and Ducey, accusing them of cruel political gamesmanship and saying the pair had decided to use desperate people to score political points. Explaining his decision to add New York City as a destination, Abbott said that Biden's refusal to acknowledge the crisis caused by his open border policies forced Texas to "take unprecedented action to keep our communities safe. He said the migrants are being dropped off at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. In addition to Washington, D.C., New York City is the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing that Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city," Abbott said. In response, Fabien Levy, spokesman for Adams, tweeted that Abbott's "continued use of human beings as political pawns is disgusting. NYC will continue to welcome asylum seekers w/ open arms, as we have always done, but we still need support from DC. As mayor of D.C., Bowser does not have the authority to personally order a National Guard deployment, an issue that has become emotionally charged in recent years as a symbol of the districts entrenched status as less than a state. Her limited authority played a role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. When it became clear that Capitol Police were overmatched by the crowds, Bowser couldnt immediately deploy the district guard. Instead, crucial time was lost while the request was considered inside the Pentagon, and protesters rampaged through the building. _____ Associated Press writer Ashraf Khalil in Washington, Karen Matthews in New York City and Bob Christie in Phoenix contributed to this report. Contrary to what the companys name might make you think, Alaska Airlines does not only serve the state of Alaska. In fact, the company is headquartered in Washington near the Seattle area. Its the 6th largest airline in all of North America and mainly focuses on flights along the West Coast, throughout the Pacific Northwest, and, of course, in Alaska. As a major airline in the country, Alaska Airlines isnt offering ultra-low fare ticket prices like Allegiant or Spirit. Its much more similar to the biggest names in the game like American and Delta. But the real question is, how does Alaskas carry-on policy compare to other major airlines? Alaska Airlines carry on policy All passengers who fly with Alaska Airlines are allowed to bring along one personal item and one carry-on bag free of charge, just like passengers of Delta, American, and Southwest. The carry-on policy on the companys website clearly lays out what you can bring and states that at least one of the two (typically the personal item) must fit under the seat in front of you during the flight. In place of the normal carry-on bag, the airline allows you to bring the following items even though their dimensions may exceed the size limits (which well look at shortly): Art & advertising portfolios Paintings Scientific equipment Fishing poles and other similar items Musical instruments Human organs Alaska Airlines also allows you to bring more things on board with you that won't count as carry-on luggage or a personal item. This includes umbrellas, coats, hats, food (to eat on the flight), reading material, properly-documented service animals, prescriptions, medical & mobility devices, and child restraint or assistive devices. One thing to note is that you cannot take carry-on luggage on flights that depart from Cold Bay Airport (CDB), even if it meets the size limits below. Alaska Airlines carry-on size The airlines website makes it clear in big bold letters what the carry-on size limits are. To make it easy, the restrictions match that of most other major airlines in the country. Carry-on luggage must be 22 x 14 x 9 at most, and these measurements include the wheels and handles. Just like the FAA recommendation, Alaska Airlines limits the total sum of all three dimensions (length, width, and height) to be less than 45 inches. The companys website says there are size checkers at the airports so you can quickly check and see if your bag can be considered a carry-on or if it must be checked. There are no restrictions on the type of carry-on luggage that you can bring on board, however, so the choice is yours. Roller bags, spinner bags, duffel bags, totes, backpacks anything that fits is fair game. A few examples of carry-on luggage that meet Alaska Airlines size limits are: Julys Signature Carry-On Bag Travelers Club Chicago Hardside Expandable Luggage All in Motion 21.5 Duffel Bag US Traveler Forza 2-Piece Softside Luggage Alaska Airlines personal item size Unlike some other airlines Im looking at you, Allegiant Alaska Airlines does not put a definite size limit on your personal item. The only restriction on the baggage policy is that one of the two items (the carry-on or the personal item) must be stowed under the seat in front of you. The airline does give you some recommendations for what might count as a personal item, including purses, briefcases, or laptop computers. But you can also use small backpacks, tote bags, and more. Here are some examples of good personal items for flying Alaska Airlines: The Away Everywhere Bag L.L.Bean Travel Bags, Totes, and Backpacks Amazon Basics Rolling Laptop Case Made by Design Hanging Toiletry Bag Alaska Airlines carry on weight limit Similar to many other airlines, Alaska Airlines does not specify the maximum weight of your carry-on luggage. The only stipulation is that the baggage policy states you must be able to lift the bag into the overhead compartment by yourself. So if its too heavy for you to lift above your head, then its probably too heavy to be a carry-on. In addition, it might be wise to adhere to the checked baggage weight limits just to ensure youre in compliance with all policies. With Alaska Airlines, bags are not considered overweight until they weigh at least 51 pounds, and will be accepted up to 100 pounds. So just to be safe, try to keep your carry-on under 51 pounds! Alaska Airlines Basic Economy carry on rules Unlike some of the other major airlines like United, even Basic Economy passengers can still bring along a carry-on bag with Alaska Airlines. The only times that youll have to pay baggage fees with this airline is if youre checking a bag, have special baggage, or have to gate check your carry-on because it does not meet the size restrictions. Alaska Airlines carry on liquids As a major US airline, Alaska Airlines adheres to TSA guidance when it comes to flying with liquids. If youre storing any liquids in your carry-on, you must follow the TSA's 3-1-1 rule, which states: All liquids must be 3.4oz or less All containers must fit in one clear quart-size resealable plastic bag Passengers are limited to one bag of liquids If you have some laying around the house, you could just use something simple like a Ziploc storage bag, but there are some better options out there: Container Store Zippered 1-quart Clear Plastic Bags Sea to Summit Travelling Light Clear Zip-Top Pouch 3-1-1 Travel Bags from Amazon This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Connecticut Siting Council will conduct two hearings about Tarpon Towers/AT&Ts proposed cell tower at 92 Greens Farms Road in Westport. The evidentiary hearing will be at 2 p.m. and a public comment hearing at 6:30 p.m. The purpose of the 2 p.m. hearing is to receive evidence on the applicants' assertions that the public need for the facility outweighs any adverse environmental effects from the construction, operation, and maintenance of it. No public comment will be accepted at the 2 p.m. one. Anyone wishing to speak at the 6:30 hearing must sign up in advance with the CSC by emailing siting.council@ct.gov with your name, email address and mailing address or calling by Aug. 8. To give comment by phone at the hearing leave a voicemail at 860-827-2935 with your name, telephone number, and mailing address. Public statements are limited to three minutes. Attendees can join on Zoom. The login-info is available on the town website. Public comments may also be submitted to the Council by email or by regular mail. Bobbles & Lace opens new shop Saugatuck Commercial Real Estate, recently represented Bobbles & Lace,with leasing their most recent location in Hingham, Mass. Bobbles & Lace is a womens clothing store and boutique that has nine locations. SCRE previously brokered the stores first location in Connecticut, at 11 Church Lane in the Bedford Square in Westport. Hamilton actress to headline Westport Country Playhouse gala Westport Country Playhouse has announced Renee Elise Goldsberry, who starred in Hamilton, will headline the theaters Back to the Playhouse! Gala event on Sept. 17. Goldsberry, who lives in Weston, might best be known for her performance of Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton, which earned her a Tony Award, a Grammy Award, a Drama Desk Award, and a Lucille Lortel Award. She was also nominated for an Emmy for the Disney+ film adaptation. She currently stars Tina Feys new series GIRLS5EVA Goldsberrys will perform Broadway, pop and soul music, backed by a seven-piece band. There will be a pre-show cocktail party, live auction, and an after party with a DJ and dancing, all while providing philanthropic support to the playhouse. Robin de Jesus, who lives in Norwalk, will be the events host. De Jesus is also a three-time Tony Award nominated actor, who can be seen in the Netflix streaming service adaptation of the movie Tick, Tick....BOOM! Barbara K. Streicker, a former chair of the playhouses board of trustees, will receive the playhouses leadership award. Supporter tickets are $350 per person and include access to the show and afterparty.. Patron tickets are $1,250 per person and includes include the pre-show cocktail party, valet parking, priority seating at the performance, recognition as a gala donor, and access to the after party. Benefactor tickets are $2,500 per person and includes the pre-show cocktail party, priority parking, premier seating at the performance, recognition as a donor for the gala, access to the after party, and the opportunity to meet the artists following the performance. Tickets are also available for people under 35 for $100 each and include the performance and after party. There are also corporate sponsorship opportunities available. Visit https://westportplayhouse.org/gala2022 for more information, and to buy the tickets, or call Westport Playhouse Operations and Special Events Coordinator Catherine MacKay at 203-571-1291. The playhouse is located at 25 Powers Court. Jazz at the Post every Thursday Noted tenor saxophonist Greg Wall,The Jazz Rabbi brings his bandleading and booking skills to Joseph J. Clinton VFW Post 399 at 465 Riverside Ave. at 7 p.m. every Thursday with Jazz at the Post. The series starts Aug. 11 with Brian Q. Torff, a renowned bassist and composer who is currently Music Program Director at Fairfield University. Torff is a featured bass soloist, leading his own trio, and musical director for the Django Reinhardt New York Festival, appearing at Lincoln Center and Birdland in New York City. Music begins at 7 p.m. and the $10 cover charge goes directly to the musicians. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and feature a five-course dinner catered by Chef Derek Furino of Latina Cantina in Fairfield ($25 per person and seconds are on the house.) The shows are open to all ages and a full bar is available to attendees 21-plus. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STRATFORD Amid rising demand for storage space, a Boston-based developer is seeking the towns approval to build a 230,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center on the site of an old factory. The real estate firm GFI Partners is proposing to construct the commercial building on a plot of land at West Broad Street between Interstate 95 and the New Haven line of Metro-North, according to an application recently submitted to the office of planning and zoning. The warehouse, which could house up to two separate companies, is expected to create more than 120 jobs, including distribution center workers, office staff and truck drivers, according to William Buckley, an official with GFI. We are excited about the opportunity to re-develop this under-utilized industrial site, Buckley told Hearst Connecticut Media in an email Tuesday. The proposal comes as the growing e-commerce market has helped to fuel a demand for distribution and warehouse space across Connecticut. Buckley said GFI has not yet identified future tenants for the building. As a part of the project, the developer intends to demolish an existing warehouse and clear the site of toxic contaminants left over by a since-demolished industrial facility, Buckley wrote in a letter to the Stratford Architectural Review Board. Up to $2,000,000 in environmental remediation costs are projected, Buckley wrote, adding the company plans to invest a total of up to $32 million in the redevelopment project. The towns architectural board, a five-member advisory panel tasked with developing local design standards, is scheduled to review the proposal at its meeting next week at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 11. Before work can begin on the warehouse, the project must be approved by the Stratford Inland Wetlands Commission and the Stratford Zoning Commission. The two commissions have not yet scheduled a hearing for the proposal. The multi-acre site, which contains wetlands, is currently home to a 77,000-square-foot bottle and can redemption center. An old manufacturing plant once sat on the eastern portion of the property, which was acquired through a purchase and sale agreement. The proposed warehouse was designed by applied Form + Space, a Boston-based architectural firm. According to site plans, the facilitys exterior would largely be made up of insulated metal panels and the base would feature concrete blocks painted to look like bricks. An office in the southeastern corner of the building, which would also serve as a storefront, would be clad with wood-colored fiber cement panels, the plans show. Darker, horizontal panels are used at the building corners, Buckley wrote to the town, Lighter, vertical panels are used in between. The warehouse would also feature more than 230 parking spaces and nearly 40 loading docks with 9 x 10 doors. The application states the docks would be situated on the buildings western and eastern sides to help hide the sight of tractor-trailers from motorists on the nearby interstate. The building is situated towards the rear of the site, Buckley wrote. This provides the maximum visual distance between the existing 1-story building on West Broad Street and the I-95 corridor. BRIDGEPORT Former Board of Education chairwoman Jessica Martinez, awaiting federal trial with state Sen. Dennis Bradley for alleged campaign finance fraud, won a reprieve from jail for violating the conditions of her pretrial release but was instead ordered confined to her home. Though the court scheduled the show cause hearing with the hope and expectation that the defendant would use the time period to address her issues with using cocaine, communicating with her probation officer and consistently attending drug treatment, the written status report filed on July 25, 2022 and the verbal update provided today in court, covering the time frame from July 26, 2022 through August 4, 2022, revealed that the defendant continues to violate the conditions of her release, U.S. District Judge Robert M. Spector stated following the hearing Thursday afternoon. On July 11, the judge issued a written order finding there was clear and convincing evidence that Martinez had violated the conditions of her release based on her continued cocaine use and her repeated failure to participate in drug treatment. Although the defendant appears to have acknowledged that she is regularly using cocaine, her participation in intensive outpatient drug treatment continues to be sporadic, according to the July 25, 2022 status report filed in this case, and she continues to test positive for cocaine, as evidenced by her positive drug tests on or about July 25, 2022 and July 26, 2022, the judge stated Thursday. But while the judge said he did consider revoking Martinezs bond and jailing her until the trial is held, he stated that instead he was ordering her placed on a 24-hour-per-day lockdown. The judge said Martinez is permitted to leave her residence only for medical necessities, court appearances, substance abuse treatment, any intake meeting for an inpatient substance abuse treatment program, and any other activity approved in advance by her supervising probation officer. Reached by phone Friday morning, Martinez declined comment. Martinez, who served as education board chair in 2020, was indicted last year with Bradley for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. In addition, Martinez was indicted for making false statements to the FBI and lying to the grand jury. The government alleges in the indictment that Bradley and Martinez, who served as Bradleys campaign treasurer for his 2018 campaign for state senate, conspired to defraud the Connecticut State Election Enforcement Commission, the Citizens Election Fund and the State of Connecticut by making misrepresentations concerning Bradleys compliance with state election law and the Citizens Election Programs statutory restrictions and requirements in order to fraudulently obtain or attempt to obtain $179,850 in campaign grants. The trial was delayed when federal prosecutors took an appeal after the judge refused to allow them to present what the prosecutors claim is a key piece of evidence in the case. Martinez was released in May 2021 after posting a $250,000 bond with the conditions she not violate state and federal laws. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) An Oklahoma court on Thursday reinstated the conviction and sentence of a Tulsa man whose case led to a U.S. Supreme Court decision on criminal jurisdiction in Indian Country. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals reinstated the child-abuse conviction and 35-year-prison sentence of Victor Castro-Huerta, 37. The court had vacated his conviction and sentence after a U.S. Supreme Court 2020 decision that the state lacked criminal jurisdiction in Indian Country in cases involving tribal citizens. DERBY Police say a Bridgeport man due in court this month was driving nearly 100 miles per hour before an August 2019 crash that killed a 20-year-old passenger on Route 8 in Shelton. The suspect, 23-year-old Markas Campo, faces charges of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree reckless endangerment, reckless driving, failure to drive in the proper lane, and driving without insurance in connection to the Aug. 9, 2019 crash. His lawyer did not return a message seeking comment. The man killed in the crash, 20-year-old Jarvis Jones, of Bridgeport, was so loved and will be greatly missed, his family said at the time. According to an arrest warrant written by State Trooper Alexander Horjatschun, Campo was behind the wheel of a 2005 Ford Five Hundred on Route 8 south, north of Exit 12, about 6:15 p.m. when he lost control of the vehicle, which swerved off the road and rolled into a tree. Jones, who was in the backseat, was thrown from the vehicle and critically injured. He was rushed to St. Vincents Medical Center in Bridgeport, but was pronounced dead about three hours after the crash. At the time, Campo was driving Jones and Jones brother home from work at a Watertown BMW dealership where they washed and detailed cars, according to the warrant. Interviewed at the hospital after the crash, Jones brother told police Campo usually speeds and he was (that) day, the warrant says. The brother also said that prior to the crash, Campo had been driving in the center lane and began to speed up because it looked like two other vehicles wanted to move into the lane. Jones brother said he remembered telling Campo youre crazy, according to the warrant, and that he looked at Jones, who was in the back seat and said the same thing. He said the last thing he remembered before being in the hospital was putting on his seatbelt. Other witnesses told police that it appeared that two other vehicles had been racing through traffic prior to the crash, and that one, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, swerved in front of Campos vehicle and might have hit it. The warrant says Horjatschun tracked down the owners of several similar vehicles in the area but couldnt link any of them to the incident. In an interview at the hospital the week after the crash, Campo told police this his recollection of what happened was a little fuzzy, but that he was driving at a good speed with the flow of traffic when another car cut him off. The next thing he remembers was going off the road and hitting the tree, the warrant says. Police obtained a search warrant to inspect Campos car, which showed no abnormalities or mechanical defects...that would have been a causative or contributing factor in the crash. The inspection also found no evidence that the vehicle made contact with another vehicle prior to swerving off the road, the warrant says. The vehicle also had a data recorder which showed it was traveling 96 mph 2.4 seconds prior to the crash, according to the warrant. The speed limit is 55 mph. Campo is due in court Aug. 15. He was initially charged in August 2020, but has not yet entered pleas in the case, according to court records, and remains free on a $5,000 nonsurety bond. 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In a statement, the MEC on Thursday said the proposed amendment would change the existing type to a collective executive type with ward participatory system. The intention to amend the existing type was intended to ally political instability and address the non-functionality of the mayoral committee (Mayco). Political instability The MEC said the unstable political climate has seeped into the sixth administration, characterised by killings and a slow pace of service delivery. He said: This new term is also riddled with instability as politics have spilled over to management to an extent that it has divided management and administration and created factions amongst them. The current coalition government has aggravated matters by creating a state of lawlessness and causing severe damage leading to the collapse of administration in the municipality. The Members of the Mayoral Committee (MMCs) see themselves as Mayors in their own right, and they do as they wish in their portfolios relying on the administration (the Executive Directors) to execute all that they want to implement. Non-functionality of the mayoral committee (Mayco) Nqatha said Metros Mayco does not sit to consider items that should go to the council. MAYCO members, he said, do not want to attend meetings that are called by the Executive Mayor. Instead they work with Executive Directors directly and want no interference by the Executive Mayor in their departments. There is basically an existence of a split municipality, he said. Some Section 80 Committees, he said, had not sat since the beginning of the new term. He said Municipal Public Accounts Committee had sat only twice since its establishment in January. It is worth mentioning that the Council does not sit for the legislated Ordinary Council Meetings but rather considers only compliance matters through Special Council Meetings. This compromises service delivery as matters of departmental performance and service delivery are not tabled to committees and council at large, said the MEC. There is generally no oversight that is played by the council over administration. The MEC said coalition politics were affecting decision-making within the council hence the failure to make a decision on the appointment of Executive Directors. Nqatha said the situation has had a negative effect on administration and service delivery. The coalition partners always have conflicting interests because of ideological gulf as a result self-serving interests manifest themselves when decisions that relate to resources are taken. The status quo in the municipality has attracted public concern especially the business fraternity whom the economy of the city depends on. Notice of the municipality amended by changing the type of the Municipality from being a Mayoral Executive Type with Ward Participatory System to be a Collective Executive Type with Ward Participatory System so as to have a more inclusive government, he said. The MEC on 25 May held a meeting with multiparty whippery. The Ministry said the MEC used the meeting to urge councillors to prioritise the interest of the people of the metro than their inter and intra political party interests. It is in this meeting that he shared his intention for a new model of governance by amending Section 12 Notice, it said. The meeting was attended by the ANC, DA, VF+, PA, PAC, GOOD, UDM, DOP, AIC and the NA. The EFF, AIM and ACDP could not attend the meeting and submitted apologies. In the same meeting all parties requested the MEC to reduce the intention in writing and he has welcomed the convening of the council to table the notice. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-08-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. China moves to unleash market demand for stronger growth against external uncertainties Xinhua) 08:24, August 05, 2022 * China is maneuvering its policy toolkit to bolster the demand of its super-large domestic market to perk up the economy for stronger growth. * Retail sales of consumer goods regained vitality and reversed the declining trend to climb 3.1 percent year on year in June, thanks to effective epidemic prevention and control measures and the adoption of a raft of policies to spur consumer spending. * Restaurant owners, retailers and other businesses susceptible to COVID-19 have been offered lower rents and platform commissions, as well as stronger financing support. BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and external complexities and uncertainties, China is maneuvering its policy toolkit to bolster the demand of its super-large domestic market to perk up the economy for stronger growth. At a high-profile meeting last week, Chinese leadership analyzed the current economic situation, stressing that macro policies should play a proactive role in boosting demand. Fiscal and monetary policies should be able to effectively offset deficiency in social demand. "Taking both immediate and long-term benefits into consideration, the policies emphasized efforts to expand domestic demand further, spur the vitality of market entities, and foster new growth drivers," said Wang Yiming, deputy head of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges. Staff members of a local bank promote financial services at a farmers' market in Nan'an District of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Aug. 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Huang Wei) BOOSTING INVESTMENT The meeting noted that the utilization of special local government bonds should be optimized and local governments should be encouraged to make adequate and good use of the special debt quota. Special-purpose bonds play a vital role in catalyzing investment and promoting the construction of a modern infrastructure system, said Vice Minister of Finance Xu Hongcai. In the first half of the year, local governments in China issued 3.41 trillion yuan (about 504.2 billion U.S. dollars) worth of new special bonds, which offered support to over 23,800 projects, official data showed. It was also stressed at the meeting that the monetary policy should help maintain a proper and adequate liquidity supply, increase credit support for enterprises, and make good use of new loans from policy banks as well as their funding for infrastructure projects. Last month, the country's central bank supported two policy banks to raise up to 300 billion yuan via financial bond issuance to fund the country's major projects. "Such policy-backed and development-oriented financial instruments can ease the capital strain of projects and at the same time guide financial institutions to provide more supportive financing," an official from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said. As the upward trend of economic recovery further consolidates, enterprises will have a bigger financing appetite, said Zou Lan, an official from the People's Bank of China. People visit the Kunming Dounan Flower Market in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, July 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo) PUSHING UP DEMAND Since March, COVID-19 flare-ups hit consumption hard and caused a decline. However, the country's retail sales of consumer goods regained vitality and reversed the declining trend to climb 3.1 percent year on year in June, thanks to effective epidemic prevention and control measures and the adoption of a raft of policies to spur consumer spending. Restaurant owners, retailers, and other businesses susceptible to COVID-19 have been offered lower rents and platform commissions, as well as stronger financing support. Local governments are handing out billions of yuan in vouchers and subsidies to shore up local spending. Purchases of big-ticket items such as automobiles are also warming up as policymakers flesh out details for a stimulus package, including slashing the car purchase tax to help the industry that plays a critical role in boosting demand. Auto sales in the country expanded 23.8 percent year on year in June, rebounding from a three-month declining streak, official data showed. In addition to consumption, the government has also strengthened measures to further ensure the smooth flow of logistics and circulation of freight transportation to stabilize the industrial and supply chains. By 2035, the country aims to basically build a modern national road network that is extensive, fully functional, efficient, green, intelligent, and safe, according to a plan unveiled by the NDRC in July. "The construction of national roads will continue to play a key role in stimulating effective investment and stabilizing the broader economy," said NDRC spokesperson Meng Wei. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices. When I was prime minister, I decided one evening to have the leaders of all Scotland's main political parties over for dinner at my house in Fife. The idea was to show literally that my door was open to them. It wasn't as ground-breaking an event as Sidney Poitier's Guess Who's Coming To Dinner and it didn't go perfectly. But nor did I expect it to. The then First Minister Alex Salmond used the occasion to launch his usual demand for independence. Meanwhile, the Scottish Green party leader Patrick Harvie was, unknown to me, not saying much but instead live-tweeting from the dinner table, giving his social media followers a very partial account of what was going on. But I was happy nonetheless that I'd taken the initiative. I felt as prime minister that it was important to offer the leaders in the devolved parliament the hand of co-operation. And that applied particularly to the leaders of the pro-independence parties. If we really believe in it, then the UK Government should always want to work with the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Irish Government even if, in Scotland's case, the administration is run by people who make no secret that they get up in the morning with the sole aim of tearing the UK apart, writes Gordon Brown I wanted to show, even if it was knocked back, that the offer of co-operation remained. And to be clear: if we are to hold the Union together, it is the duty of the UK prime minister above all else to lead by example. For this is what the United Kingdom should be about. If we really believe in it, then the UK Government should always want to work with the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Irish Government even if, in Scotland's case, the administration is run by people who make no secret that they get up in the morning with the sole aim of tearing the UK apart. I know Mail readers will need no reminding, but it is worth repeating the stakes if we get things wrong. Of course, to begin with, Scots would themselves face an uncertain future outside the Union. No credible observer disagrees that the newly independent nation would have huge questions to respond to but few answers when it comes to the currency, the border with England and the public finances. But this goes much wider than Scotland. Unless we solve the Scottish question, there will be no Great Britain, no United Kingdom, and no British army, no British navy and no British airforce. Unless we solve the Scottish question, there will be no Great Britain, no United Kingdom, and no British army, no British navy and no British airforce And our national stories would have to be told in very different ways. No longer, for example, able to repeat with the same conviction and current meaning Shakespeare's line about this 'sceptered isle' written in the 1600s at the moment when the crowns of England and Scotland were united without admitting that the island that so courageously stood together and alone in the early 1940s had become the island that split apart in the 2020s with our presence at the United Nations and in all international organizations, diminished in the eyes of the world. The SNP is planning to revive its independence campaign this autumn in the hope it can have a referendum as early as next year. Opinion polls show the country is divided evenly. It is therefore an extremely sensitive time in which the UK Government should and must play a careful and thoughtful role. It makes it all the more concerning therefore that, in the Conservative Party leadership race we have seen over recent weeks, they have often struck the wrong note. It makes it all the more concerning therefore that, in the Conservative Party leadership race we have seen over recent weeks, they have often struck the wrong note. That was evident most obviously on Monday evening when the woman most likely to become the next prime minister, Liz Truss, decided to launch an attack on First Minister Nicola Sturgeon That was evident most obviously on Monday evening when the woman most likely to become the next prime minister, Liz Truss, decided to launch an attack on First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. 'I think the best thing to do with Nicola Sturgeon is to ignore her,' declared Liz Truss to cheers from Conservative Party members at a leadership hustings. 'She's an attention seeker, that's what she is.' Leaving aside whether you agree with Miss Truss's assessment or not, the problem is that a likely future PM of the UK was announcing she did not propose to work with, or perhaps even meet, the elected Scottish Government. Rather than focusing the argument on how best to co-operate with Scotland in the interests of the United Kingdom moving forward together, Miss Truss had instead launched into precisely the kind of verbal warfare that the SNP craves. A Tory leader promising to 'ignore' the democratically elected First Minister of Scotland and deriding her as an 'attention seeker' is the stuff of the SNP's fantasies. The two candidates are right to say no one wants a referendum in the midst of an economic crisis but saying nothing more than 'No' over and over again is unlikely to attract any new converts from previous or prospective Yes voters or the battle for hearts and minds It makes it all the more concerning therefore that, in the Conservative Party leadership race we have seen over recent weeks, they have often struck the wrong note. That was evident most obviously on Monday evening when the woman most likely to become the next prime minister, Liz Truss, decided to launch an attack on First Minister Nicola Sturgeon This is what they think can unite Scots, and not just nationalist Scots, under their anti-British banner. And as the SNP prepares this autumn to respond to their action in the Supreme Court in pursuit of that second referendum, we can expect Miss Truss's words will be emblazoned on every Nationalist leaflet, used in every Nationalist speech, and paraded from doorstep to doorstep as the perfect example of English insults and insensitivity. These comments only cemented a pessimistic view about the standard of debate within what is the Conservative and Unionist Party about the future of Britain. Tax cuts, immigration, crime, defence, Ukraine and Brexit have all been pored over in minute detail. Even the sartorial choices of each candidate have been discussed, with sombre BBC political journalists examining the significance of Rishi Sunak's designer suits and Miss Truss's 4.50 earrings. Yet, when it comes to the most existential question of all whether our 300-year-old Union can or will survive there is very little imagination and positivity on display. Despite boasting of her time at school in Paisley, Liz Truss has said no more than that she intends to 'deliver' for Scotland. The question is: What does she plan to deliver? Mr Sunak's apparent willingness to come to Scotland more than Boris Johnson ever did and to fund projects with Scottish councils is welcome. But as a strategy for the Union, it barely scrapes the surface. For unless you can show the practical benefits of extending the hand of co-operation to the elected Scottish Government even if the offer of friendship is rejected then the UK Government is setting itself up in competition to Edinburgh, a battle London will lose. Simply by-passing the elected Scottish parliament and Government is not a way to solve the big fractures at the heart of our Union. It is a way of avoiding them. Instead of positive policies that would move things forward, the fire of all candidates has been almost entirely concentrated on opposing another referendum. The two candidates are right to say no one wants a referendum in the midst of an economic crisis but saying nothing more than 'No' over and over again is unlikely to attract any new converts from previous or prospective Yes voters or the battle for hearts and minds. Mr Sunak's apparent willingness to come to Scotland more than Boris Johnson ever did and to fund projects with Scottish councils is welcome. But as a strategy for the Union, it barely scrapes the surface As with Miss Truss's comments on Monday evening, it all suggests that when the leadership candidates think about the Union, they don't see any votes in it apart from with their predominantly English membership and so don't think about how to protect and improve it. But it is precisely when it is hardest and least politically advantageous to do so, and there is no immediate personal gain from taking up an issue of national interest and consequence, that the great leaders show that they are statesmen and women prepared to confront hard truths and to stand up and be counted where it really matters. When Penny Mordaunt made her dramatic entrance into the Tory leadership campaign, she cited the brilliant Paul McCartney performance at Glastonbury saying that while all of us clapped enthusiastically when he played his new tunes, what we really wanted to hear was the old familiar songs. But Paul himself would take issue with her, for his whole career has been one of breathtaking innovation and creativity, bringing new tunes to his audiences every decade of his remarkably long music career and ensuring Britain has been a leader in world pop music for more than 50 years. When Penny Mordaunt made her dramatic entrance into the Tory leadership campaign, she cited the brilliant Paul McCartney performance at Glastonbury saying that while all of us clapped enthusiastically when he played his new tunes, what we really wanted to hear was the old familiar songs And that is what is missing from the candidates prospectuses a creative and positive approach to the Union that after a decade of division seeks to bring the country back together again. Attempts to revive old songs or to promote 'muscular Unionism' in which people are asked to choose their Britishness at the expense of their Scottishness will fail. Just as patriotic voters across the UK resiled from the idea of a United States of Europe super- state which appeared to trample on British identity, so too proud Scots will oppose efforts to superimpose a British identity, if it is an attempt to downgrade their strong sense of Scottishness. Let me be clear: it is the Scottish Nationalists who bear responsibility for deliberately dividing our country. They are the ones who will find or even invent enemies where none exist and who are determined to stir up resentments and invent grievances even if more imaginary than real in the hope they can pull us apart. But the repetition from both London and Edinburgh of all the old songs leaves Scotland stuck in the rut of a never ending stand-off over a referendum. Of course the Nationalists know there will be no referendum before the next election and are using the demand for a referendum to build up to a general election that they want focused on a single issue: independence. If the new prime minister was accurately judging the mood of the Scottish people and especially the middle 40 per cent of Scotland who want change but are open to change within Britain he or she would announce a fresh start in relations with Scotland And they will use whatever indicator suits them opinion polls, local council election results, the size of marches and demonstrations and the number of seats they win even if it does not mean a majority of votes to suggest they have a mandate. But a new prime minister should be trying to break this deadlock rather than entrench it. If the new prime minister was accurately judging the mood of the Scottish people and especially the middle 40 per cent of Scotland who want change but are open to change within Britain he or she would announce a fresh start in relations with Scotland. Instead of appointing a Scottish Secretary of State whose sole job has been to be the Government's representative in Scotland, the remit should be to be Scotland's Representative in the Government, communicating the feelings, hopes and anxieties of Scots as we face a cost of living crisis that can only be solved by collaborating between all tiers of government. Devolution was intended to allow Scotland to do things differently not a platform from which the SNP refuses the offer to co-operate even when it's in Scotland's national interests to work with the rest of the UK. But it is up to us who want Britain to work to show that it is through co-operation, not conflict, that devolution can deliver most. If the new prime minister was accurately judging the mood of the Scottish people and especially the middle 40 per cent of Scotland who want change but are open to change within Britain he or she would announce a fresh start in relations with Scotland A Co-operation Council should be set up, chaired by the new PM, to deal with policy matters of concern to both governments, from day-to-day financial and economic pressures to the long-term issues of industrial regeneration and dealing with climate change. And we should show we want to improve on the current arrangements. By 75 per cent to 25 per cent, Scottish voters tell us they want greater co-operation on the issues that matter most sharing specialist health services, working together on policing and driving out international drug dealers, collaborating on the defence and security of our island, joint action to cut carbon emissions and dealing with a pollution that will never be a respecter of borders. And so we should set out how in each area the co-operation that is essential when two nations share the same small island can be enhanced. And the UK Government should offer to work with the Scottish Government to jointly achieve higher levels of growth. It is only by the two governments working together, and involving local councils too, that we can make the most of the potential for what really matters for our Scottish future: well paid new jobs in digital, environmental and life science industries the long-term answer to stagnant wages and the cost of living crisis. But co-operation is not an end in itself. Britain has always benefited from the interaction of its four nations and out of diversity has come a stronger country and the mostly successful multinational state the world has known. Each side whether for or against claimed they were basing their position on what their hero John F Kennedy would have done almost three decades before From the time more than two centuries ago, when the Scottish inventor James Watt teamed up with the English industrialist Matthew Boulton to develop his groundbreaking steam engine, Scots such as the inventors of TV, radar and penicillin have succeeded by working collaboratively in England. And English-born scientists, most recently the creators of Dolly the Sheep and the physicist Peter Higgs working at Edinburgh University, have become world leading pioneers, just as author JK Rowling has while resident in Scotland. Out of our intermingling and exposure to new ideas and insights, comes the British genius which makes us one of the most inventive and creative countries in the world. Lose that and we lose so much of the essence of Great Britain. Hardline Unionists will say: 'What's the point, the SNP just plays games or refuses to engage because they are bad faith actors?' All of us can recall manufactured confrontation deliberately stirred up by the Nationalists. But working only with those with whom you agree is a very shallow form of Unionism. It's precisely by offering the hand of co-operation to administrations in Edinburgh and Cardiff, even when they disagree with you, that a UK Government demonstrates its good faith in the Union, and its genuine commitment to making it work And English-born scientists, most recently the creators of Dolly the Sheep and the physicist Peter Higgs working at Edinburgh University, have become world leading pioneers, just as author JK Rowling has while resident in Scotland I remember attending a meeting of the US Democrat Congressional caucus 30 years ago, to hear different factions arguing about the merits of capital gains tax reductions. Each side whether for or against claimed they were basing their position on what their hero John F Kennedy would have done almost three decades before. What's struck me in this Tory leadership election is that every candidate is now not only presenting their policies as Thatcherite but attempting to legitimise their stances by claiming they are following what Lady Thatcher would have done. But Lady Thatcher would have been the first to admit that when the world changes, policies have to change. And as she regularly did, she would have summoned up the words of Winston Churchill. He told us that those who try to build the present purely in the image of the past will miss out entirely on the opportunities and challenges of the future. Today our country needs leaders whose eyes are fixed on the future. And co-operation is the way of the future. With global problems such as pandemics and climate change that cannot be solved by nation states on their own, and with every country's independence limited by their interdependence, nationalism is yesterday's response to today's challenges. Instead of Britain retreating into 19th century solutions and breaking apart, our country can become the leader of the post-nationalist world and, rather than picking self-defeating fights, the new prime minister should put constructive co-operation between our four nations at the heart of their vision for a British future. Liz Truss looks destined to be our next prime minister by early September. Those on the Left are already slavering at the prospect. They think she is inexperienced, inconsistent, unimpressive, ill-informed, accident-prone, with a weak grasp of the facts and leaden in action, whether under attack or on the offensive. The Left is not entirely wrong. Though Truss has grown in stature and confidence as the Tory leadership contest has progressed (as illustrated by her surest performance to date in Thursdays Sky News debate), there are still grave doubts that she has what it takes to be Prime Minister. Andrew Neil is the chairman of the Spectator magazine and host of The Andrew Neil Show on Channel 4 Margaret Thatcher may be her role model but she comes across as Thatcher without the clarity of purpose and steely determination to make things happen. Thatcher had ropey starts as Tory leader and prime minister but she quickly grew into the jobs, with confidence, stature and direction. We will soon find out if Truss has this in her, too. Unlike Thatcher, she doesnt have the luxury of learning in opposition. I doubt she or those around her have any idea of the onslaught from the Left that awaits her or what she needs to do to cope and see it off. Team Truss needs to get its act together the moment it crosses the Downing Street threshold or it wont be in residence for long. Ironically, the gravest threat to her is not from Labour. Keir Starmer has rescued the party from its Corbynista oblivion but still struggles to resonate with voters. It is quite remarkable that, as the leaderless, divided Tories have been knocking lumps out of each other, Labour cant establish a commanding lead in the polls. Liz Truss will need a communications director with experience and authority an Alastair Campbell figure who would limit her broadcast appearances and ensure she is fully briefed for those she does Indeed one recent poll had Labour and the Tories effectively neck and neck, which is frankly astonishing. Starmer has comprehensively ditched the Corbynista manifesto with which he disingenuously won the Labour leadership contest in 2020. But he hasnt replaced it with anything that strikes a chord with voters. There is not one signature policy with which Labour is associated that is likely to win votes. Even Starmers Mr Integrity schtick, which he played up during the deceit and obfuscations of Boris Johnsons tenure, is tarnished now that we know he breached the Commons code of conduct by failing properly to register more than 120,000-worth of land deals, corporate donations and Premier League tickets. Hardly a hanging offence but careless and incompetent when youre trying to differentiate yourself from a prime minister cavalier with the rules. In many ways most of the criticisms aimed at Truss wooden, weak, inconsistent, lacking pizzazz or broad public appeal can equally be made of Starmer. I suspect we can all agree that a Truss-Starmer general election is unlikely to be a barrel of laughs. But it is not Starmer Truss has to worry about. It is what is best described as the Left Blob, which is now omnipresent in British public life, dominant in the citadels of power, including most of the media (above all the broadcasters), the Civil Service, the NHS, the legal system (including the judiciary), education (especially the universities), social media, most public bodies and private charities. Its even wheedling its way into boardrooms. It put down strong roots during the Tony Blair/Gordon Brown years (both of whom did much to facilitate it). Since then it has grown more ubiquitous, more powerful and more Left, quick to embrace whatever is fashionably progressive, including, currently, the many shibboleths of wokery, cancel culture and identity politics. In many ways most of the criticisms aimed at Truss wooden, weak, inconsistent, lacking pizzazz or broad public appeal can equally be made of Starmer. I suspect we can all agree that a Truss-Starmer general election is unlikely to be a barrel of laughs It has a common language which baffles plain folk (sustainability, gender fluidity, stakeholding, governance, inclusion, diversity); its own shared ideology (pro-net zero, anti-Brexit, anti-grammar schools while sending their kids to expensive private schools, activism) and agreed abbreviations (LGBT+, BLM, CSR, CRT). It is one of the mysteries of modern British politics that 12 years of Tory rule have done nothing to dislodge or counter it. Indeed under the Tories its tentacles have continued to spread far and wide: to be a fully-paid up member of the Left Blob is now virtually a sine qua non for any major public position. It is not especially pro-Labour but it is viscerally anti-Tory. With Truss in Downing Street it will do Labours work for it. They think she can be taken down. They can already taste the blood. They are especially incentivised because she represents just about everything the metropolitan elite abhors: Right-wing, Thatcherite, middle-middle class, suburban, a traitor to Remain (now the Brexiteers Brexiteer), a traitor to her Left-wing activist parents. Her very existence and demeanour will drive them into a frenzy. Truss has no idea what is about to be unleashed on her. Constant and vitriolic assaults on social media, especially by the deranged Twitterati, to rouse the mob. A daily pounding on broadcast news, which has already largely decided it hates her. Relentless snide comments on BBC comedy shows. Subtle put-downs from the panjandrums of grand public bodies. Not-so-subtle put downs from our cultural tsars. In all this, The Blob will be assisted by Remain Tory grandees like John Major and Michael Heseltine whove already concluded shes a wrong un. Even Dominic Cummings, fresh from his (almost certain) failure to install Rishi Sunak as prime minister, will likely get in on the act. Truss is vulnerable because she makes too many mistakes, too many U-turns and offers too many hostages to fortune. So she will need the strongest of chiefs of staff in Downing Street, one with experience and authority, to impose order on the Truss operation but also to take her aside and tell her when shes about to make a mistake. Johnsons failure to have one is a major reason why hes packing his bags. That chief of staff will also need a strong team inside Downing Street around them to impose focus and discipline across Whitehall so that cabinet ministers and government departments are implementing the right policies and staying on message. The callow young advisers that dominate her leadership campaign wont do. Yes, Im talking about an Office of the Prime Minister. Tony Blair effectively had one, which is a major reason his government was so effective. Johnson couldnt be bothered, which explains his downfall. She will also need a communications director with experience and authority an Alastair Campbell figure who would limit her broadcast appearances and ensure she is fully briefed for those she does. Truss is not a natural media performer and too often blunders up cul-de-sacs in interviews, which she then has to reverse down at great speed. To do this as prime minister would mean heaven-sent opportunities for her enemies to cause mischief. She needs to ration her broadcasts until she grows in confidence and into the job, if she ever does. Modern prime ministers are inclined to give too many interviews anyway (except when its me doing the interviewing then Johnson and Truss are not inclined to give any!). Above all she needs to stay focused on what really matters and for the foreseeable future that is the cost of living, recession, the war in Ukraine and the energy fallout from it. All four are linked and blow back on each other. She should resist allowing The Blob to set the agenda for her and avoid getting sucked into their concerns and priorities. They should not be hers and they are not the priorities of those likely to vote for her. She needs to keep in mind Thomas Jeffersons dictum that the best government is the least government and that government should concentrate on doing well what only government can do. Its a tall order. Its not clear she has it in her to do it. There is a chance it will all unravel before winter is out and the Tories would be back in yet another leadership contest, which will stretch voters patience to breaking point. It would also make another Labour government inevitable, whether or not it was ready for prime time. So, yes, theres a lot hanging on the outcome of Truss v The Blob. Clive Myrie is a brave man, but play him a bit of Madam Butterfly and he dissolves. 'I'm in tears whenever I hear it,' says the man who fearlessly presented the news from a rooftop in Kyiv earlier this year, even as the Russians were advancing on the Ukrainian capital. The sounds of war don't seem to faze him, but listening to a Japanese woman pining for her lost American man he becomes a hot mess. 'You know it ain't gonna end well, but she's singing about love.' There's a faraway look in the eye of this 57-year-old, who's been with his wife Catherine for three decades. 'Music has always been a really important part of my life, it has the power to move me deeply,' he says. And suddenly I'm seeing a different side to Clive Myrie, who donned a flak jacket live on air in order to keep on reporting as the bombardment raged, and who had to flee to a bunker when his base was shaken by nearby missile fire. Clive Myrie (pictured) fearlessly presented the news from a rooftop in Kyiv earlier this year. But the UK-based war correspondent reveals that classic music can leave him in a mess Away from the war zones, of course, he moonlights as the interrogator on Mastermind, the sternest quiz on television. But is he trying to say he's actually a secret romantic? 'Yeah, I am really,' he says, screwing up his face and laughing. So why the grimace? 'Because I'm supposed to be a hard-nut war correspondent, aren't I? I'm not supposed to be some soppy old g**!' His voice is so loud, deep and distinctive that people on nearby tables at the West End hotel where we meet turn their heads to see him sitting here, looking muscular in a simple grey T-shirt and blue jeans. There's an attractive warmth about him, as he laughs again. Clive and Katie Derham (pictured) will be hosting BBC Proms this year. Clive looking forward to the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, which will be broadcast 'I'm joking, none of that reputation stuff matters. I like art of any kind that's moving and takes you to a different place.' And that sensitive, music loving side to his character is one of the reasons Myrie is hosting the BBC Proms this year. One Prom he's been looking forward to is that involving the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, which will be broadcast tomorrow night. 'It's a fascinating project put together in the wake of the conflict,' he says. 'It's made up of musicians who are refugees, many of them soldiers. It will be an emotional moment for the Albert Hall and for people watching.' Will the performance, including music by a Ukrainian composer, bring back memories of those he left behind? As a presenter, people have to want you in their front room every night. You're an invited guest 'Yes, I will think about the people I came to know back there, still having to deal with it all. But also the Russians caught up in it who do not support the endeavour.' He clearly feels it deeply. He appeared to shed a tear as he stood on that rooftop in Kyiv in February and told viewers Russia had invaded. That's highly unusual for a newsreader and got a massive amount of attention, but he tried to play it down. 'What can I say? It was windy on the roof. We were high up. The wind cut across my eye and blew something out. And it had been an emotional day.' He had flown in to Kyiv on a 29.99 Ryanair flight the day before, finding the city calm. 'I didn't expect Putin to invade, I didn't see what he could hope to gain from it.' These days Clive, pictured, is among the BBC's highest-paid stars, with a salary up to 259,999, not including Mastermind But soon Russian tanks were coming and men, women and children were dying in air strikes. So was it the wind or the emotion that caused the tear? 'I think it was a combination of the two.' Clive is no stranger to war: he was embedded with the Royal Marines during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and has covered many other conflicts since he joined the BBC graduate training scheme in 1987. But it was only after he became a newsreader on the News At Six and Ten a few years ago that people began to take more notice of him. 'As a presenter you're scrutinised a bit more. People have to want you in their front room every night. You're an invited guest.' BUBBLES WITH ROMAN ABRAMOVICH Clive enjoys attending the Verona Opera Festival (pictured) Clive's life, and he enjoys attending concerts. 'We're going to the Verona Opera Festival in northern Italy, as we did every year before Covid,' he says. 'The minimum is me and the missus, but usually a couple of close friends come too. We stay in the same hotel, eat at the same restaurants. 'I can completely relax. Verona is beautiful, and the weather is glorious.' Except when it isn't. 'You get thunderstorms sometimes so everyone rushes off the stage [in the Roman amphitheatre], they don't want to get their instruments wet. 'Then you're huddling under a canopy drinking a glass of bubbles and Roman Abramovich is standing there, because he's been in the audience. So it's intimate. 'A great place to chill out.' Does he play a musical instrument himself? 'Not any more. I used to play the violin and the trumpet in the town orchestra when I was a kid, I toured Europe with them, but for some reason I stopped as soon as I went to university.' Advertisement Then he started to appear on shows like Richard Osman's House Of Games and Have I Got News For You?, while his powerful reports from inside hospitals during the pandemic revealed the pressure everyone in the NHS was under. He was calm and full of authority, unafraid of showing emotion, which made him part of a new breed that includes the acclaimed international correspondent Lyse Doucet, who also reported magnificently from Ukraine. But some viewers were alarmed to see him there. 'People forgot what I had done before and were like, 'Oh my God, Clive, get off the roof! What are you doing there?', and saying to the BBC, 'Why are you sending him out there?' They were thinking, 'What's the guy from Mastermind doing in Ukraine?' It's like Magnus Magnusson covering the fall of Saigon!' So was he scared? 'You are prepared, but you're also scared. You've topped up your hostile environment training, you can tell the difference between an incoming shell and an outgoing shell, you know how to deal with troops from a foreign army waving guns, but at the same time you're wary. 'You know a missile could be fired from Russian soil and land anywhere. There is an element of hypertension and stress. But I like to think I know what I'm doing.' Did he have a choice? 'Yes. I know a lot of people who didn't want to go. Some reporters. Some producers.' Did his wife try to stop him? 'No. I met Catherine after I'd become a foreign correspondent. 'She knows that going is who I am. She's as sanguine as a spouse can be about this kind of thing, because she knows I'm not an idiot doing rash things.' Catherine was in publishing when the couple met in 1992, at the launch of a book about Swiss cheese. They live in north London and she now works as an upholsterer and furniture restorer. It's all a long way from war-torn Kyiv, and the day after the invasion the BBC asked if he or any of the crew wanted to go home. 'I made it clear I wanted to stay but I said to Kate Peters, our bureau chief, who had been in Moscow before, 'Look, you know the Russians, if they come in here, are they going to kill us?' She said she didn't think so. I said, 'OK, that's good enough for me.' Clive grew up in Bolton, the son of a factory worker and a seamstress who'd both come to Britain from Jamaica shortly before his birth in 1964. 'My chosen career was always journalism,' he says. 'Where did that come from? 'Seeing Alan Whicker's travel reporting on TV, opening up a world beyond Lancashire. The Proms run until 10 September and are broadcast on BBC TV, Radio 3, BBC Sounds and iPlayer 'Then I saw a guy who looked like me doing the same sort of thing: Trevor McDonald. That made me think I could do it too.' There was a problem though. 'I didn't hear a single voice on the television that sounded like mine.' He slips into Lancastrian vowels. 'Bath, castle, grass? There was no way I thought I could ever get that kind of career with a flat northern accent.' His voice changed when he went to Sussex University. 'I was hearing a lot of posh and middle-class voices, so it was easy to become a product of my environment.' Social mobility remains a big issue, he says. 'You can have a lot of Asian people at the BBC or big newspaper groups, you can have certain black people moving up the ranks, but they would all tend to be middle class. 'So the working class, particularly the male cohort, is underrepresented. I don't know how you crack that, but we're trying.' These days he's among the BBC's highest-paid stars, with a salary up to 259,999, not including Mastermind. Does he mind his earnings being made public? 'Well, that's the way it is. We're paid for by the licence fee. The public should know where that money goes.' A lot of his colleagues are leaving though, such as Emily Maitlis and Dan Walker. 'People make up their own minds about where their careers are going and what they feel they should be able to say in their working lives. 'Have I had offers? I mean, maybe.' He smiles. 'But hey, I'm still at the Beeb, so clearly I've made the decision to stay.' The public have only seen the newsy bits in the past. It's nice to show the other side of my personality What about those like Andrew Marr who leave because they want to voice their opinions free of BBC rules on impartiality? Clive is dismissive. 'I'm not a news robot, I have opinions on Jacob Rees-Mogg for example, very strong opinions, but you're never going to know them. I don't know why I need to be the man in the pub telling everybody what he thinks.' He does have one strong opinion, for anyone who sends him racist abuse. 'It's a tiny minority, but every now and again some idiot will send me a card with a monkey on the front or say, 'You're only getting to do this job because of positive discrimination.' Blah blah blah, whatever. It used to wind me up. Now I think, 'You're just a sad loser.' Some feared a backlash when he took over Mastermind, but the generosity and humour with which he asks the questions has given the show a huge lift. So millions of us have been slowly won over by Clive Myrie, who's now in danger of becoming as popular as his heroes. 'The public have only seen the newsy bits, wars and stuff in the past. It's been nice over the last few years to show a little bit of that other side of my personality and what I'm interested in. And next up it's the Proms' Despite $90m being spent and a release date being planned for the end of this year, this week Hollywood was rattled when Warner Bros announced that the highly- anticipated Batgirl film - planned for HBO Max - was being shelved. Batgirl, a 'woke', big-budget film featuring a female version of the iconic superhero, was branded 'irredeemable', despite being completely finished. Feedback at test screenings was so awful that it was canned, making it perhaps the most expensive film ever made that will never see the light of day, although it's by no means the only big budget production never to make it on to screens. It joins a graveyard of movies which were awkwardly shelved, including a Louis C.K. directed film about seducing a 17-year-old, a 3D mermaid fantasy, and a spy thriller starring Michael Flatley; of Lord of the Dance fame. Yesterday Hollywood was rattled when Warner Bros announced that the highly anticipated Batgirl flick - a $90m movie planned for HBO Max - was being shelved The studio attributed the axing of the nearly completed feature to 'leadership's strategic shift', insisting the choice was not made due to the 'incredibly talented' In the Heights star Leslie Grace. However, critics have claimed that the film's eagerness to be 'woke' was to blame. With a screenplay by Christina Hodson - who wrote the Harley Quinn-focused Birds Of Prey - some have claimed the film put its 'progressive' values ahead of all other concerns. According to Cosmic Book News, those who got to see the film were let down by costumes and Hollywood Michael Keaton's lack of screen time. Pop culture site Scallywag and Vagabond added:'...The fact that superhero films have a fanatically loyal audience, it all represents a jaw-dropping failure.' Here, Femail reveals the other films that have gone down in movie history in the worst possible way after being shelved before making it to the big screen. Scoob!: Holiday Haunt The nearly finished Scoob! sequel's fate was announced in the same breath as Batgirl's axing The nearly finished Scoob! sequel's fate was announced in the same breath as Batgirl's axing, although the exact reasons weren't made clear. The animated feature would have detailed the events following 2020's Scoob! in a multiverse setting. Yesterday co-directors Bill Haller and Michael Kurinsky took to social media to voice their thoughts on the choice. Bill tweeted: 'Despite happenings at WB, Im gonna brag about Scoob Holiday Haunt. 'I approved the last shot of animation last week & I can't wait for all the fans to see the amazing performances from this passion project which I know will make you very happy.' 'Thank you to all the Scooby Doo fans out there. It means everything to me. Let's get the word out,' Michael added. Tony Cervone, who directed the first Scoob! film added to the disappointment at the axing of the sequel. Taking to Instagram he wrote: 'The movie is practically finished and turned out beautifully. I am beyond heartbroken.' The film was set to star 14-year-old Iain Armitage, known for his role in Young Sheldon, as Shaggy. Tweeting after the film's cancellation was announced, the teen actor wrote: 'I'm very sorry to share this sad news. I LOVED working on this, and just did another session as Young Shaggy last week and the film looked just about complete.' While no official reason for the decision to shelve Scoob! Holiday Haunt has been given, people involved with production have been left guessing. The film's co-writer Paul Dini told a fan on Twitter that the movie was '95% complete' at the time the decision was made. He added a cut of the film being tested with audiences had gone down well, and argued it made 'no business sense' to axe what could have been a blockbuster. I Love you, Daddy C.K.'s role was that of China's father. A star-studded cast also included Rose Byrne, Charlie Day and Helen Hunt I Love You Daddy was written and directed by Louis C.K and featured an older director - portrayed by John Malkovich - seducing a much younger woman called China played by Chloe Grace Moretz. C.K. also starred in the film as China's father in the comedy-drama, a television writer and producer who was unnerved by his 17-year-old daughter's relationship with the older director. The star-studded cast included Rose Byrne, Charlie Day and Helen Hunt. However, the film was pulled from release just hours before the stars were to hit the red carpet for it's U.S. premiere in November 2017, following a New York Times story that detailed disturbing reports of multiple sexual misconduct allegations against C.K. He quickly disappeared from both the small and big screens after five women came forward to accuse the actor and comedian of masturbating in front of them or over the phone. HBO had announced that they would be cutting C.K. from their 'Night of Too Many Stars' special when the autism benefit airs on the network November 18. It was also announced that I Love You Daddy would not be arriving in theaters. The Orchard, who purchased the distribution rights to the film for $5 million after its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival said in a statement: 'The Orchard will not be moving forward with the release of 'I Love You, Daddy.'' Even the star of the film said that she didn't want to see it released. 'I think it should just kind of go away, honestly. I dont think its time for them to have a voice right now,' Chloe Grace Moretz said in an interview with The New York Times, referring to men accused of sexual harassment. 'Of course, its devastating to put time into a project and have it disappear,' she added, 'But at the same time, this movement is so powerful and so progressive that Im just happy to be in communication with everyone and to see the big change in the face of the industry, which I think is very, very real.' Empires of the Deep An action-fueled 3D movie featuring the adventures of mermaids - embroiled in a fantastical plot including a Demon Mage and merman knights - still has yet to see a theatrical release. Work on the film - a Chinese-American co-production - began in 2009 after the project was bankrolled by Chinese billionaire Jon Jiang, who also wrote the script. It is the most expensive film ever to come out of China and was conceived as a spectacular epic to rival Avatar. The lead role originally went to Italian actress Monica Bellucci, only for her to pull out and be replaced by Bond girl Olga Kurylenko. Similar problems dogged finding a suitable director. The Empire Strikes Back's Irvin Kershner, who died in 2010, was at one point linked to the project as was Catwoman director Pitof. Instead, Michael French, who directed 2008's low budget Heart Of The Dragon, saw the film through to competition. In 2012, instead of being seen as the over $130million masterpiece its makers intended, the film's U.S. trailer prompted scathing response from critics, who poured scorn on its 'woefully' amateur special effects. Kristy Puchko, writing on CinemaBlend.com, commented that its 'live action scenes seem as low-budget as TV's Xena: Warrior Princess, and computer graphics that look like a video game from the early 2000s.' Jack Cunliffe at TheFilmStage.com wrote: 'After some quick banter with actual humans (or possibly mermaids), we get a minute onslaught of some of the worst, potentially insanely entertaining footage of this disaster.' Referring to this difficult gestation period, website Twitch headlined its scathing article: 'Three years and $130million later, all we get is Olga Kurylenko with a shell on her head'. The Day the Clown Cried It is perhaps not too surprising that this 1972 film about a circus clown who is imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp has yet to see the light of day It is perhaps not too surprising that this 1972 film about a circus clown imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp has yet to see the light of day. The plot follows washed-up circus clown Helmut Doork who was once in high demand and toured the world, but found himself with no work at the beginning of World War II. After finding himself ousted from his circus troupe, Doork gets drunk and begins ranting about Adolf Hitler, which sees him arrested by the Gestapo. Doork is interrogated by the Gestapo who imprison him in a Nazi camp for three years, during which time he hopes he will get a chance to argue his case. While in the camp and exiled by other prisoners who mock him, Doork ends up performing for Jewish children, who are being kept separate from other prisoners. However he ends up being used by the guards to lead Jewish children to their deaths in the gas chambers. The enormously controversial storyline led to the film ultimately being axed, but questions about the plot plagued its star, Jerry Lewis, right up until he passed away in 2017. Film critic Jean-Michel Frodon, who is one of the only people to have seen a print of the film, told Vanity Fair: 'Its a very bizarre project. [Lewis is] not indulging himself, but he is self-caricaturing.' The movie, which Lewis also directed, remains unfinished, and the American comedian's son has claimed no complete negative of the film exists. However in 2015, Lewis donated an incomplete copy of the film to the Library of Congress, under the stipulation it would not be screened before June 2024. According to a 2018 New York Times article, although copyright battles and mixed criticisms exist, there is still a curiosity and appetite to see the work on screens. CobraGator This movie's title does what it says on the tin and lets viewers know they are about to watch a movie following a genetic cross between a cobra and an alligator This movie's title does what it says on the tin and lets viewers know they are about to watch a movie following a genetic cross between a cobra and an alligator. The movie follows a hectic rampage taken on by the genetically spliced hybrid. Not much information appears available on why the move is unreleased. In a 2014 interview with the Tallahassee Democrat, director Jim Wynorski described the plot as being about 'a Southern redneck who is still mad at the North so he stole some genomes from a lab and he created a Cobragator to get his revenge'. The movie is thought to have taken just 14 days to film in 2014 at Caverns State Park in Florida. Although the film was never released in full, the production company did produce a trailer. In 2014 USA Today went behind the scenes on the set of the film, which had largely been filmed within caves in the park. Reporter Mark Hinson wasn't able to determine the exact plot of the film, but he did reveal that at some point the CobraGator 'attacks and devours' one of the main characters. He added that filming had to be paused when a tour group was led through the cave. Wynorski was filmed chatting to the tourists and promoting his project as they wandered through the cave - but sadly, they never got to see the finished product. Blackbird Michael Flatley directed, wrote and stars in this thrilling espionage flick - which premiered in 2018 and then mysteriously 'vanished' Michael Flatley directed, wrote, self-financed and stars in this thrilling espionage flick - which premiered in 2018 and then mysteriously 'vanished'. However, the premiere itself at the Raindance Festival was questioned as it shut out journalists and did not seem to produce any fan reaction whatsoever, leading many to wonder if anyone at all had seen the flick. Despite not being released yet, Flatley somehow managed to bag himself the best actor accolade for his performance in Blackbird at last year's Monaco film festival. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the 'mythical' feature has now finally got a release date for September 2022. An excitingly elusive IMDb plot summary reads: 'Troubled secret agent "Blackbird" abruptly retires from service and opens a luxurious nightclub in the Caribbean to escape the dark shadows of his past. 'An old flame arrives and reignites love in his life but she brings danger with her.' Flatley himself confirmed the release date in a statement on Twitter last month. Blaming the Covid pandemic, he said there were several delays to production of the film and promised Irish fans they would have the first chance to see the film in cinemas. The Irish-American dancer said: 'Weve all put a lot into this project, and for me its very personal.' Flatley's co-stars in the film are largely unknown, but film buffs will spot an appearance from Eric Roberts, brother of Julia. Hippie Hippie Shake Hippie Hippie Shake is based on the memoirs of Australian editor Richard Neville - who worked on the satirical magazine Oz Hippie Hippie Shake is based on the memoirs of Australian editor Richard Neville - who worked on the satirical magazine Oz. Despite a cast of industry heavyweights - including Cillian Murphy, Sienna Miller, Sean Biggerstaff and Max Minghella - the movie remains unreleased. An article by Whynow suggests that issues around the portrayal of real individuals halted progression, as did other production issues. Originally picked up by British production company Working Title in 1998, the film was subject to a series of delays and was passed around between different directors and screenwriters. In September 2007 the film finally began shooting, with writer Richard Neville optimistic about its future. He said: 'Given that the world is at war, it couldn't be better timing to highlight the crazy, fun and political times of the 1960s... I think the timing is pretty terrific.' With big names behind the movie, including director Beeban Kidron, who also directed Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, there were high hopes. However, four years later in 2011, Working Title confirmed it would not be released. Back in 2017, 10 years after it began filming, Sienna Miller said she didn't think Hippie Hippie Shake would ever see the light of day. She told Yahoo! Movies: 'Im not sure whatever happened with that. I dont think its I dont think well see it at this point. 'I never really heard what happened. I did see a rough cut of it and it was a pretty beautiful film, but there was some legal something or other. I dont know.' 10 Things I Hate About Life The rom-com, starring Evan Rachel Wood, has never been released following delays and even a lawsuit Starring Evan Rachel Wood, Thomas McDonell and Billy Campbell, this unorthodox romantic comedy has a dark premise. A teenage boy and girl, who are both planning to take their own lives, end up falling in love. Filming for the movie began in 2012 but was interrupted just two months later when Wood fell pregnant. There were also management changes in the production company, which is thought to be the main reason filming was stalled. By the time production halted, there was enough footage for the production company to release a promotional trailer, but little progress was made on the film itself. In November 2013 it was announced that filming would resume and by the following year around 30 minutes had been completed. However, tensions arose when, in 2014, producers of the film sued Evan Rachel Wood for allegedly refusing to return to filming, Variety reported. The actress's lawyers dismissed the lawsuit as 'preposterous' and the lawsuit is thought to remain unresolved. Meanwhile, there is still no word on the fate of the rom-com - but fans probably shouldn't hold their breath. Television star Shelly Horton has revealed how she nearly abandoned her hard-won career after she spiralled into depression and began feeling ill three years ago. The bubbly media personality had to appear on set with a huge smile and laugh with her colleagues despite being overcome by a feeling of utter despair. The 48-year-old, who lives on the Gold Coast in Queensland, had never suffered from mental health issues before and began questioning her reality. Television star Shelly Horton has revealed how she nearly abandoned her hard-won career after she spiraled into depression and began feeling ill three years ago The star now knows she was suffering from the symptoms of perimenopause - but had never even heard the term before She has teamed up with her best friend, Doctor Ginni Mansberg, to educate people on the subject and break through the stigma Until she found out her waves of sadness, hot flushes and anxiety were all part of perimenopause. 'I had no idea what was going on. I hadn't even heard the term perimenopause,' she told FEMAIL. 'One of the things that triggered me to seek help was the complete lack of joy I had around work,' she added. Explaining her bullet proof work ethic has always been part of her identity and kept her cup full. 'I run my own company, ShellShocked Media and I work at Channel Nine and both of those things make me incredibly happy,' she said. 'But with perimenopause, I was having trouble getting out of bed. Depression was something I'd never experienced before.' 'I would drive into work pretending to be happy and pretending to be on the ball, so no-one would know how I was truly feeling,' she said. 'I would then get in my car and cry the whole drive home. I would be belittling myself saying, ''well, that was a waste of time going in there. You sounded like an idiot, and you've just embarrassed yourself in front of the nation. You may as well quit before they fire you, you're worthless.''.' She isn't alone and has since discovered one in ten women going through perimenopause walk away from their careers. 'I now know one in three women experience, anxiety and depression during perimenopause and menopause. It's actually the highest risk time in a woman's life. Higher than teenage girls and higher than postnatal depression,' she said. Shelly says it took six months of HRT and anti-depressants before she finally felt like she was getting back to her bubbly self Why do you need a menopause friendly workplace? The time has passed for topics like Peri and Menopause in the workplace to be considered taboo or secret women's business. It's time to face facts and provide practical solutions: Retain staff and reduce recruitment costs Create a culture of inclusivity, diversity and equality To make it suitable for all genders Decrease sick days Remove shame and stigma Reduce employment law issues Source: Don't Sweat It Advertisement During perimenopause - the few years before a woman's period stops for good - there are a lot of hormonal changes which are responsible for the brutal symptoms. The stigma attached to the transitional stage makes matters worse. Shelly has described peri-menopause as the mid-life glass ceiling women have to smash through to continue to kick goals after their 'child bearing years'. Shelly's husband Darren Robinson convinced her to see a doctor and she was put on anti-depressants and HRT medication. 'It took at least six months to ask for help, and then probably another three or so months to find medication that was right for me. That whole time I was crying nearly every day, which anyone who knows me is not my natural state,' she said. She teamed up with her best friend, Doctor Ginni Mansberg, 54, and 'Don't Sweat It' was born What are three big symptoms of peri-menopause that can impact women in the workplace? Shelly reveals three of the most hated peri-menopause symptoms and what workplaces can do to lessen the impact. 1 - Hot flushes: Workplaces can supply air con and cool water 2 - Anxiety and Depression: Consider WFH options and know when to get medical help 3 - Flooding: This is why it's so important to have access to sanitary items at work Source: Shelly Horton Advertisement 'So I now am on medication and feeling back to my bubbly self. It's not a straight road. I still have dips, but I'm really learning to be much kinder to myself.' After negotiating the perimenopause minefield herself Shelly realised she wanted to help other women do the same thing - and educate the broader community on how to make life for a woman going through the life change easier. She teamed up with her best friend, Doctor Ginni Mansberg, 54, and 'Don't Sweat It' was born. Now the women run workshops for business leader to help them help their staff through perimenopause. Their website also has heaps of free tips to help break down the stigma and explain perimenopause in a way that's easy to digest. 'I needed was a course like this. So I'm hoping that Don't Sweat It will help workplaces and women everywhere to become more menopause friendly,' Shelly said. A woman has gone viral on TikTok after spotting herself in a picture of her husband from years before they even met, in a spooky coincidence that completely shocked her. Ailiz Melina Zambrano Pinargote, 26, from Ecuador, was looking through childhood photos of her husband when she spotted something unbelievable. In the background of one of the pictures which was taken 15 years earlier, she spotted herself as an 11-year-old staring at a random boy. However little did Ailiz know, that at the time she was actually staring at her future husband, Pedro Pablo Pico Moreira, 29. Ailiz, now 26, from Ecuador, was pictured at 11-years-old striking a sassy pose as she eyed up her future husband Pedro, who was 14 in the picture taken at a local festival in 2007 Written in the stars: Ailiz and Pedro, pictured on their wedding day, met at university six years ago and got engaged just two years later. But little did they know that they'd already crossed paths Ailiz said: 'I don't remember anything about the photo, because I was a young girl and I didn't know him, I hadn't seen him. 'I just remember that every year we went to the city parades with my mom.' Recalling the day she made the incredible find, she said: 'One day we went to my mother-in-law's house and I asked her to show me my husband's photo album from when he was a child and that's when we discovered the photo. 'We were totally surprised, we couldn't believe it, it gave us fear, happiness, many emotions because it is incredible that the photographer in the middle of the parade stopped him right at that moment where I appear looking at him.' Pedro at 14, strolling around at the town festival (left). A young Ailiz (right), whose family also attended the town festival every year After sharing their amazing photo revaluation online, the video has gained more than 9 million views and 500,000 likes - leaving many TikTok users amazed. One user said: 'They say that before 16 you have already met the love of your life and I think it is real.' Someone else wrote 'I have read before that before meeting the person destined for you, they coincide in many places, they travel together without knowing each other yet!' Ailiz Melina Zambrano Pinargote with husband Pedro Pablo Pico Moreira. They were left feeling feeling 'fear and happiness' after seeing the pictures, and the TikTok video of their love story went viral Another viewer said: 'Sometimes I think that one must be crossed with the nose of our lives and ones does not even remember.' 'I think that to know someone is to see them consciously because it is likely that in this or another life we have already seen them without noticing.' One said: 'Oh, I'm starting to believe in that 'at some point in your life you already met the love of your life'.' Ailiz didn't think the sweet story would have such a momentous effect when she shared it, saying: 'I didn't think that our story would have so much admiration and reception by TikTok users and it would go viral in a few days, we received many likes, congratulatory comments, among others. 'For many this story seems incredible, but it is real, we believe in God and I know that he had already destined us to be together and that photo was one more proof of our love and union as spouses.' Ailiz Melina Zambrano Pinargote when she was younger at one of the town festivals Despite being pictured together as youngsters, Ailiz, didn't meet her future husband properly until she was 17-years-old. However, fate intervened again, bringing them together once again at University. Ailiz had seen Pedro around her local town for months, and knew instantly she was attracted to him, however she never had the courage to speak to him. It wasn't long before fate brought them together properly when Ailiz saw Pedro sat outside her University. Ailiz, who is now the director of the Spanish company Yanbal, said: 'I was about to enter my classroom when it turned out that Pedro was sat on a bench outside the classroom. 'I saw him and he looked at me (he had never seen me before), at that moment I smiled and I was very embarrassed because I'm not flirty and that was the first time something like this had happened. TikTok users fell in love with the couple's story, saying that 'lovers meet in many places' before they unite and that you 'meet the love of your life before you are 16' 'I carried on and entered my classroom(he says that with that smile it confirmed that I liked him) and after three days he wrote to me on Facebook.' After spending two weeks talking and calling each other, Pedro, who is now a teacher at a local institution, asked Ailiz to marry him and the loved-up pair became engaged. Ailiz and Pedro spent nearly six years dating before they officially decided to tie the knot in a civil marriage ceremony. Now, after being married for a year and 10 months, the couple can also tell people they have known each other a lot longer than they thought - 15 years to be exact. Ireland, Colombia Insiders Get First Dibs On An Xbox Game Pass 'Family Plan' Xbox Game Pass has made a name for itself due to the immense value it offers as a gaming subscription. And perhaps this new offering is going to be the one thing that definitively sends it beyond PlayStation Plus - leagues beyond, even, when talking about overall value. Windows Central reports that Microsoft's vaunted subscription service has already launched a family sharing option in Ireland and Colombia - though only to Xbox Insiders in the aforementioned regions. The limited-time test of the Xbox Game Pass Family Plan reportedly allows up to five individual users (including the main owner) on a single plan, within the same country. The price in Ireland is said to be 21.99 per month, while the tentative pricing for the US is reportedly around $24.99. According to Microsoft senior technical program manager Tyler Mittleider (via The Verge), the limited-time test for Xbox Insiders in Colombia and Ireland allows as much as five people to have their own unique access to Game Pass ultimate titles, content, and benefits, among others. Here's just how much value you can expect from the tentative 5-person Xbox Game Pass Family Plan. As previously mentioned, all of the perks of Game Pass Ultimate are accessible across all individual subscribers under one plan. Considering that a single Ultimate license costs $14.99 a month, this means that each person on one subscription basically has access to the service for a tiny $5 a month each. Again, that's an insane amount of monetary value to think about, especially if you compare it to competing game subscription services. With a subscription, you get access to Xbox Live Gold, unlimited access to over 100 rotating, high-quality console and PC games, and even the Xbox Cloud Gaming beta. Not to mention, Microsoft's service offers access to Day One releases of Xbox Game Studios releases, which is something that Sony doesn't offer with its first-party PlayStation studios and their revamped PS Plus. For now, Microsoft hasn't shared a timeline on when the Xbox Game Pass Family Plan will roll out in other regions beyond Colombia and Ireland. But as reported by PC Gamer, the company says it has "more to share" as the year progresses. Read also: Best Monitor For Xbox Series S 2022: Here Are The Top Picks Should You Go For Game Pass Now? With news of the Xbox Game Pass Family Plan, Microsoft is really playing hardball now. It's worth noting that Team Green is still lagging behind PS Plus in terms of overall subscribers due to the latter's combined "old" PS Plus and PS Now subs. But with the five-person family plan, Game Pass could finally be catapulted over its competitor - provided the circumstances prove perfect. That's because a family plan only makes sense if a single household had five avid gamers at once. Now, pray tell how many families of five or more that you know are all gamers. It's a little hard to imagine that such gamer households are common, even if they do exist already. But then again, it's way too early to assume things. Related: Former Xbox Exec Says Microsoft Basically Instigated The Console War With PlayStation Nearly half of men between the ages of 40 and 70 suffer from erectile dysfunction in the UK - this is around 4.3 million people. But reports suggest the 'little blue pill' is now becoming increasingly popular with younger individuals in their twenties and thirties. A 2020 survey of 5,000 people carried out for Upjohn, the maker of Viagra Connect, the over-the-counter version of the drug, showed that 18 per cent of 18-24-year-old men had erection difficulties. And more recently, the ease of getting the drug without a prescription seems to be fueling its popularity with a younger audience. According to figures from pharmaceutical company Viatris seen by The Independent this week, more than 60% of Britons using it are between 25-54 years old. Reports suggest the 'little blue pill' is becoming increasingly popular with younger individuals in their twenties and thirties The publication added that Viagra Connect sold more than seven million tablets in the UK from May 2020 to May 2021. An online pharmacist also told the outlet: 'Of our erectile dysfunction custom base, nine per cent are in their twenties and 21 per cent are in their thirties.' Reports in recent years have seen professional say they have seen individuals as young as 16 express interest in the drug. Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2020, a specialist nurse from the Sexual Advice Association said: 'I have been in this field for 27 years and 20 per cent of my erectile-dysfunction patients are now aged under 30, compared with two per cent 20 years ago...I'm seeing boys as young as 16, and quite a lot of young men in their 20s.' But what does Viagra actually do? Who can use it, what are the side effects - and why is it so popular? Here is everything you need to know about the drug. Viagra was originally cooked up by Covid vaccine manufacturer Pfizer in 1989, with hopes that sildenafil citrate could treat high blood pressure WHAT IS VIAGRA? Most men occasionally struggle to get or keep an erection due to stress, tiredness, anxiety or drinking too much alcohol. But up to one in five men in the UK (4.3million) suffer erectile dysfunction - when this keeps happening. It can be caused by high blood pressure or cholesterol, hormone problems or side effects from medication. Medicines containing sildenafil, originally developed to treat angina, are often used to treat the condition. It expands blood vessels and boosts blood flow to the genitals. Viagra was originally cooked up by Covid vaccine manufacturer Pfizer in 1989, with hopes that sildenafil citrate could treat high blood pressure. But clinical trials in Wales a few years later saw men report an unusual side effect they got more erections while taking the medication. The drug was approved in the US and EU in 1998, branded as Viagra, and became one of the fastest selling drugs of all time. The drug was approved in the US and EU in 1998, branded as Viagra, and became one of the fastest selling drugs of all time WHERE CAN YOU GET IT? Non-branded sildenafil can be available from the NHS, to treat erectile dysfunction or pulmonary hypertension. Branded versions - like Viagra - may only be given in exceptional circumstances. You may also get the drug via private prescription but the pills are also available over the counter. Just this summer Boots has started selling its own-brand Viagra, in a move hailed by doctors amid the cost of living crisis. The chemist now offers a four-pack of impotence pills for 14.99 5 cheaper than the original version. The rise and rise of Viagra 1989 Pharmaceutical company Pfizer cooks up a compound called sildenafil citrate which it hopes will treat high blood pressure. 1993 When it is trialled in Wales, one tester mentions that he got more erections while on it. The others say, So did we! Its a breakthrough moment. March 1998 The drug now branded Viagra is approved in the US as the first pharmaceutical product ever for erectile dysfunction. It quickly becomes one of the fastest-selling drugs of all time, with 10,000 prescriptions being issued a day. September 1998 Viagra gets its European licence. From July 1999, the NHS starts prescribing Viagra to men with underlying conditions such as Parkinsons disease or prostate cancer but Viagra is more widely available by private prescription or from foreign suppliers on the internet. July 1999 In Sex and the City, man-eater Samantha dates a wealthy older man who pops the blue pills. Viagra later stars in Ally McBeal and Law & Order. April 2004 The UKs first Viagra divorce is granted when a middle-aged woman claims the drug made her husband sexually aggressive. 2007 In England, 1,838,687 prescription items for erectile dysfunction are dispensed. Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas January 2010 Michael Douglas says hes glad his wife likes older men and praises the drug: Some wonderful enhancements have happened in the last few years Viagra, Cialis that can make us all feel younger. It also gets its own movie: Love & Other Drugs with Jake Gyllenhaal playing a Viagra salesman. Michael Douglas praises Viagra for making us all feel younger. God bless her that she likes older guys, he says of his wife, the actress Catherine Zeta Jones. And some wonderful enhancements have happened in the last few years - Viagra, Cialis that can make us all feel younger. June 2013 Viagras European patent expires, so with the unbranded drug sildenafil available at a 93 per cent price drop, the NHS allows prescriptions for a wider range of cases of male impotence. 2017 The number of prescription items dispensed for erectile dysfunction has risen to 4,223,282. March 2018 Viagra becomes legally available to men over 18 via pharmacy websites and over the counter as Viagra Connect. September 2018 Online health company Zava admits to stockpiling one million Viagra pills in case Brexit disrupts medical supplies. Advertisement It also available online. However, the NHS website warns: 'Be very careful if you do this as many websites sell fake medicines'. It adds: [Online medicines are not always regulated and the ingredients in them can vary from one pack to another. They can cause unpleasant side effects or may not be suitable for you. 'It's best to see your doctor before buying medicines online. They know your medical history and can discuss whether you might benefit from treatment.' WHO CAN USE IT? Most men over 18 may take sildenafil to treat erectile dysfunction, but adults and children (one year old and over) may also take the drug for pulmonary hypertension. However the NHS advises that it is not suitable for everyone, including individuals with serious heart or liver problems, recent stroke or heart attack victims and people with low blood pressure. See the full list here. WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS? Common side effects may include headaches, hot flushes, nausea, indigestion, dizziness and a stuffy nose. More serious possible side effects are painful erections (especially if they last for more than two hours), seizures and chest pain. An allergic reaction is also possible, alongside any listed in the leaflet which comes with your medicine. WHY ARE MORE MEN RESORTING TO VIAGRA? Many of the new generation of teenage and young adult Viagra users are otherwise physically fit, who use it as a prop to ensure sexual performance. However in recent years doctors are warning that others may be suffering sexual difficulties and impotence caused by obesity and obesity-related type 2 diabetes. This is a problem previously seen only in much older patients, and it's causing concern, Ian Eardley, a professor of urology at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, told the Daily Mail in 2020. However, there are multiple reasons why young men may be affected by problems in the bedroom, including the rising use of pornography, binge drinking and drug- taking, as these mean they need more stimulation to make anything happen. Doctors are now increasingly aware that erectile dysfunction (ED) might be a sign of underlying disease and fear that young men may be self-prescribing Viagra. As a result, the real cause of their issues remains untreated, despite it being treatable. 'There's no doubt that type 2 diabetes causes it and a 30-year-old diabetic is at least twice or three times as likely as a non-diabetic to suffer from erectile dysfunction,' Professor Eardley said. Elsewhere this April, Canadian experts found regularly taking the common erectile dysfunction pill Viagra may raise the risk of three serious eye conditions. Three other impotence medicines - Cialis, Levitra and Spedra - were also named as being potential triggers of eye problems. They found the medications may cause sudden losses of vision, flashes of light and dark spots or 'floaters' in those who take them. Increasing blood flow to the genitals with the pills could be hindering its supply to the eyes, which the experts suggested may be to blame. Lead researcher Dr Mahyar Etminan, an ophthalmologist at the University of British Columbia, said people using the drugs who develop vision problems should 'seek medical attention'. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU TOOK TOO MUCH? Viagra has a range of different side effects which range in severity. According to Medical Daily, too much of the drug may result in a painful, 'uncomfortably and disproportionately large erection' called a priapism which could go on for hours. According to the NHS site, if not treated promptly, this could cause permanent damage to the penis. It recommends seeking medical help if the erection lasts more than two hours. At the hospital, the patient could be treated with 'tablets or injections directly into your penis' or blood could be drained from the area via a needle or surgery. NHS guidance also says that a priapism 'may get better on its own within two hours' and suggests there are things you can do to try and reduce the erection. Going for a pee, having a warm bath or shower, drinking lots of water, going for a gentle walk, doing some exercises or taking painkillers such as paracetamol (if needed) are recommended. The NHS site says you should NOT apply ice packs or cold water to the area, have sex or masturbate, drink alcohol or smoke. BUT THERE CAN BE POSITIVE SIDE EFFECTS Taking Viagra could cut the risk of developing Alzheimer's, scientists say. Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic in the US examined the medical data of 7million Americans in their 70s, tracking them for six years. Results showed adults who took sildenafil, the main ingredient in the little blue pill, were 69 per cent less likely to develop Alzheimer's compared to people who didn't use the medication. Sildenafil, also used to treat high blood pressure, appeared to perform better than two drugs currently being used in human trials against Alzheimer's. Lead researcher Dr Feixiong Cheng admitted clinical trials are needed to confirm whether the impotence drug can truly ward off the disease. But separate laboratory projects showed it can increase brain cell growth and stop harmful proteins building up in the brain. HOW LONG DOES VIAGRA LAST FOR? According to Healthline, Viagra on average lasts between two to three hours, depending on several factors including dosage, age, and overall health. It can last for up to five hours, and a person may be able to get an erection more than once during this period. HOW OFTEN CAN YOU TAKE VIAGRA? Those taking sildenafil for erectile dysfunction may be able to get tablets in different doses ranging from 25 - 100mg. According to the NHS, the usual dose is 50mg - when you need it - no more than once a day. The site says to take it up to four hours before having sex. The dosage information for Viatris' Viagra Connect says: 'Take 1 Viagra Connect tablet 1 hour before sex. Do not take more than 1 tablet a day.' A heartwarming video shows a dad in complete shock after opening a car boot to find his daughter hiding in there as a surprise - after four years apart. Chris Newsham was left in tears after being reunited with his daughter Saxon Newsham outside their family home in Shawclough, Greater Manchester, last week. Saxon, 23, plotted with her sister Savannah to surprise their dad after returning back to the UK from travelling around Australia for more than three and a half years. Savannah told 50-year-old Chris she had a problem with her boot and filmed him as he walked outside in his dressing gown to inspect the supposed issue. The video then shows Chris sauntering around the grey Mercedes before opening the boot and being left gobsmacked when he sees Saxon smiling away and curled up inside. Saxon grins up at Chris who is left completely overwhelmed with emotion before he looks back at Savannah and says: Ohh you d**k. Saxon Newsham, 23, had not been home to the UK for three-and-a-half years after travelling around Australia Chris Newsham, 50, got a huge surprise when he opened the boot of his daughter Savannah's caar outside their home in Shawclough, Greater Manchester, last week Chris's daughter Savannah told him she had a problem with her boot and filmed him as he walked outside in his dressing gown to inspect the supposed issue Chris sauntered around the grey Mercedes before opening the boot and was left gobsmacked when he saw his daughter Saxon smiling away and curled up inside With a huge grin across his face, Chris then rushes to embrace Saxon in a tight hug whilst Savannah confesses: My boot was alright. Delighted to see his daughter, Chris looks like he doesnt know whether to laugh or cry. Saxon posted the video on TikTok on Tuesday (2 AUG), writing: Surprising my dad after being in Australia for nearly four years, he thought he was going to fix my sister's boot. The video has now collected more than 886,000 views with over 109,000 likes and 200 comments from social media users who loved the reunion. The last thing Chris expected was to find his daughter hiding in the boot of the car, after the plot was kept a total surprise by the sisters Delighted to see his daughter, Chris was initially not sure whether to laugh or cry, after being apart for almost four years Saxon, who was wearing a green tracksuit and white trainers, hopped out of the boot to give her dad a hug One said: It cracked me up the way you were just lying there staring up. Another added: Awww I love this so much. A third wrote: I cant imagine not seeing family for four years. I bet you were so looking forward to seeing him. A fourth commented: Im actually sobbing my heart out. A final replied: You can literally feel how tight the squeeze was. Speaking today (FRI), Saxon said: I have been travelling Australia for the past three and a half years and havent seen my family due to Covid etc and lots of things have happened whilst I was away. Proud dad Chris put an arm around his daughter's shoulder to pull her in for a hug as they reunited for the first time in several years Father and daughter embraced after the boot trick proved a huge success Saxon said that her dad was 'really emotional' and was verring between laughing and crying So I thought it would be nice to surprise my family. I firstly surprised my sister who then helped me surprise my dad. "We drove near his house, I jumped into the car boot and she said she had an issue with her boot so he came out to have a look at it and thats when I jumped out. It felt so good, it didnt feel real at first. We just all couldnt believe I was there after so long. It felt like wed been waiting for the day forever. He was really emotional. I think he wasnt sure how to feel, he kept laughing then starting to cry. Her intelligence was evident from the start she flew into Rochester Grammar School, a selective secondary, and her teachers thought that she could get into Cambridge University. Instead Alice Oseman, whose mum Trudi works at Kent university and whose father Matthew is a high-level computer engineer, flunked her Cambridge entrance exam and became a publishing sensation. She was just 17 when she signed her first two-book deal for the novel Solitaire. What she wanted to read, she explained, was a book about a strong female character who had a life-changing moment which didnt involve a man. Unable to find this, she simply wrote one herself. Ten years later, she is aged 27 and recently moved into a flat in south London on her own, and Oseman-authored books are selling more than J.K Rowling, David Walliams, Sally Rooney or Lee Child. Shes been selling around a million pounds worth of books a month in the UK alone. Alice Oseman is aged 27 and recently moved into a flat in south London on her own, and Oseman-authored books are selling more than J.K Rowling, David Walliams, Sally Rooney or Lee Child The reason is the phenomenon of the Heartstopper graphic novels. They started out in 2016 as crowd-funded, self-published graphic novels for teens about a shy 15 year old boy who falls in love with a rugby playing lad in his class at school. After being adapted for TV by Netflix the show started streaming in April - they have taken off as a global brand. They have already broken all records for the sales of a graphic novel in the UK. The show has been a huge hit for Netflix in over 50 countries, and the streaming giant has already ordered series two and three. Meanwhile, demand for the books is huge. Figures released by Nielsen show that total print book sales in the UK for Oseman titles amounted to 5.5 million from January to June. This puts her ahead of David Walliams (4.7 million) J.K Rowling (3.8 million), James Patterson (2.9 million, Lee Child (2.1 million) and Sally Rooney (1.3 million.) Publishers Hachette say that the novels have been topping the charts since the spring, with all four volumes and the colouring book selling briskly. This week, Heartstopper Volume 1 is in the number one slot.They are bringing out a Heartstopper Yearbook in October. Internationally, the picture is rosy. The Heartstopper books have sold over 4 million copies worldwide and its in the Top 10 in the UK, US and Latin America, with rights sold in 33 countries in total. Perhaps ironically, given how critics rave about her ability to convincingly tell the story of a school crush, and teen friendships, she describes herself as aromantic and asexual meaning that she doesnt have significant sexual of romantic feelings for others. The reason is the phenomenon of the Heartstopper graphic novels Alice Oseman grew up in suburban Rochester, Kent. Mum Trudi worked at a nursery and later for the University of Kent. Father Matthew is a digital engineer and leads a team at offices in nearby Dartford. She was a straight A student and had a passion for writing spending hours in her bedroom tapping out stories on her laptop. What drove her was a desire to blow up the lazy tropes of young adult fiction, and to explain to adults what their teens were going through. In an interview when she was 19 she said: When teenagers have these feelings of loneliness and melancholy, they're like: 'Oh yeah, that's just a teenage thing.' It's not. That's just undermining the way they're feeling. The word angst implies that the emotions aren't legitimate. She added that she wrote Solitaire to satisfy herself, telling The Times: I just really wanted to get across the mood of my peers. I'd read a lot of coming-of-age books; hadn't found anything that represented the people around me: everyone's a bit bored. At the same time I was very influenced by social networking: the internet was a place where people were able to express their innermost feelings, tell their darkest stories. It showed me a whole other side to my peers. That's what (the heroine) Tori discovers, that everyone is as melancholy on the inside. I really wanted a proper female coming-of-age story. I hadn't found very many. I hadn't really found anything then: they were either issue books about some specific problem, like the girl got bulimia or something, or all-about-boys books. It seemed to be one or the other. Now I know there are some out there. At the time I was like: 'Oh I'll just write my own.' She started writing Solitaire in the summer term of year 12 and finished it over the summer holidays. After receiving her results all and A stars and accepting a place at Durham University, she sent off the manuscript to agents. Alice Oseman grew up in suburban Rochester, Kent. Mum Trudi worked at a nursery and later for the University of Kent. Father Matthew is a digital engineer and leads a team at offices in nearby Dartford The book, about cynical teen Tori Spring, was snapped up. She spent her years at Durham quietly writing the follow up, Radio Silence and has explained that she didnt enjoy the course at all, and found it hard to make friends. She said: I didnt enjoy the course, I didnt enjoy the social aspect of it I didnt find many people I felt like I could be really good friends with. She kept her success as a novelist largely to herself. It always felt like quite a private thing I was doing and I didnt really like talking about it to other people. In another interview she said: I was a really high achiever at school, so my teachers all wanted me to go to Oxbridge. Id spent my whole life being praised for how academic I was, so I tried to get into Cambridge, but failed. I ended up at Durham studying English Literature and hated it. I didnt care about anything I was reading, and struggled to connect with anyone on a deep level. She continued writing after university, and in 2016 decided to return to the story of Nick and Charlie, who were minor characters in her first novel Solitaire. She wanted to tell the optimistic and joyful story of their romance. I kept thinking about them and I just knew I wanted to tell their story. I basically just wanted to write it so that I could read it, but then people of all ages ended up enjoying it, she said. She aimed to draw a page a day and shared them on free to read websites. By the end of 2017 the book was finished and she raised 58,000 via crowd funding for a self-published edition. She posted the first 2,000 books out to purchasers herself. In 2019, she sold the rights to See Saw films who took the project to Netflix. Oseman adapted the books, and was closely involved in the process. She was keen for teenagers to play the screen teens. There arent enough shows where teens are played by real teens, she said. Actor Kit Connor, who played the young Elton John in Rocketman is rugby player Nick, while newcomer Joe Locke is Charlie. Charlies friend Elle is played by trans TikTok sensation Yasmin Finney in her TV debut shes since been cast in Dr Who. She said: Nick and Charlie are such important characters, not just to me but to so many people, and I knew if we didn't find the right actors then the show just wouldn't work. We saw SO many actors. We did an open audition search for Charlie and so many talented people turned up, but not many who I saw and just thought, you could be Charlie. It was probably because I have such a clear idea of who these characters are in my head, but eventually Kit and Joe just showed up I have no idea how! It was very hard and we didn't have many options, to be honest. We just got very lucky. In the books and TV series, Charlie and Nick encounter homophobia. Oseman said: When I meet teenagers who have read my books, from some I get the impression theyve had such a better experience being LGBT+ in school now, but for others it sounds exactly the same. I like to think overall things have got better, but its still not blissful amazingness everywhere. In the shows, Nick has to educate his peers and himself about being bisexual. Oseman, who identifies as queer, said: Thats one thing bisexual and asexual people can totally relate to. Those are lesser known sexualities and youre more likely to get questions when you come out. Her novel Loveless, published in 2020 is about a girl who has never had a crush on anybody but is determined to fall in love during her first year at Durham university. There were obvious autobiographical elements for Oseman, who also identifies as asexual and aromantic. She told The Guardian this year: asexual and aromantic people have barely any representation in anything and hopes that it will help people to understand a friend or family member better. In another interview she said: The story was really personal to me. It explores asexuality and aromanticism which is what I am. Im an asexual aromantic. It was kind of a coming-out journey, a deep dive into something that had affected me throughout my life. Writing that story forced me to dig up some dark personal feelings, which is not really what you want to sit down at your desk to do every day. She added: I think I use my books as therapy. Radio Silence has a demisexual character, who I really identified with at the time that was my first exploration of those feelings. And looking back at Solitaire, the main character Tori heavily reads as being asexual. That wasnt intentional I didnt even know what asexuality was. As a creative person, writing is how I explore things that affect me. Shes believed to have now finished the eighth and final Heartstopper book, and is now contemplating her next move. She may move away from YA or young adult fiction. She said: I do feel drawn to writing about older characters now because I have grown up. But I dont know what that would be yet. Advertisement A converted bank-turned-four-bedroom-house - which is made out of pure marble and still has three original vaults inside of it - has gone up for sale for $765,000. Located in historic Bennington, Vermont, next to the stunning Green Mountains, the 6,650-square-foot building features two floors - a 3,700-square-foot ground floor with a classic mezzanine, perfect for a commercial space, and a 2,960-square-foot upstairs residence with its own private entrance. The top floor - which used to be the bank's offices - now contains four bedrooms and two three-quarter bathrooms, as well as a kitchen and dining area. A converted bank-turned-four-bedroom-house - which is made out of pure marble and still has three original vaults inside of it - has gone up for sale for $765,000 Located in historic Bennington, Vermont, next to the stunning Green Mountains, the 6,650-square-foot building features two floors - the bottom being a 3,700-square-foot ground floor with a classic mezzanine, perfect for a commercial space The downstairs area was once a bank, and it now serves an art gallery for the current owners, Joel and Nina Lentzner - but it can be turned into practically anything Three of the bank's original vaults, all of which are still in working order, still stand at the property - a perfect place to store your valuables It also features solid wood doors and huge windows with amazing views of the nearby Green Mountains. The building was first built in 1931 and has been meticulously preserved with much of its original features; the lower level features ornate moldings, seven polished brass chandeliers, ceiling medallions, and it even has the original marble teller still intact The downstairs area was once a bank, and it now serves an art gallery for the current owners, Joel and NIna Lentzner - but it can be turned into practically anything. 'The elegant commercial space is suitable for retail, professional, office, restaurant, etc.,' the listing reads. The building was first built in 1931 and has been meticulously preserved with much of its original features; the lower level features ornate moldings, seven polished brass chandeliers, ceiling medallions, and it even has the original marble teller still intact. And thats not all; three of the bank's vaults, all of which are still in working order, still stand at the property - a perfect place to store your valuables. The couple purchased the bank and its offices for $150,000 in 1999 from Chittenden Bank, a company that is now owned by M&T Bank. 'We were once turned down for a mortgage there when we were trying to buy our first house. It became available and we negotiated with the bank. We got it for an amazing price. They needed to unload it,' Joel explained to Burlington Free Press. The outside is made out of pure Vermont marble, while marble from Tennessee and Italy was used on the interiors. 'The Vermont quarry was owned by an Italian quarry that also owned a quarry in Tennessee,' Joel explained. 'The bank imported all these different marbles during the Depression because they had the money. The couple purchased the bank and its offices for $150,000 in 1999 from Chittenden Bank, a company that is now owned by M&T Bank. It is seen when it was still a bank 'The elegant commercial space is suitable for retail, professional, office, restaurant, etc.,' the listing reads 'We're looking for somebody who has an existing business and wants to live upstairs,' current owner Joel told Burlington Free Press. 'It's a very unique space, waiting for the right buyer, who has an idea what the next iteration of the bank will be' The top floor - which used to be the bank's offices - now contains four bedrooms and two three-quarter bathrooms, as well as a kitchen and dining area. It stretches across 2,960-square-foot and has its own private entrance The outside is made out of pure Vermont marble, while marble from Tennessee and Italy was used on the interiors. Joel explained, 'The bank imported all these different marbles during the Depression because they had the money' 'The details they used back then were incredible. The bank didn't really appreciate all the details. They painted over wood doors and paneling. We stripped that back down. It's beautiful.' The home is ideally located on Main Street, and is directly across the street from the Putnam Block re-development project, which includes new residential, office, restaurant, and retail spaces, so there's plenty to explore The home is ideally located on Main Street, and is directly across the street from the Putnam Block re-development project, which includes new residential, office, restaurant, and retail spaces, so there's plenty to explore. 'Looking down from our living room, we're right in the middle of protests, craft shows, car shows, everything that goes on on Main Street Vermont,' gushed Joel. 'It's a unique experience. [Our] kids have enjoyed that too. It makes you feel you're part of the community.' He added to NeedToKnow.online, 'Living in a bank in the very center of town is a unique experience... it combines the energy of downtown out of one window with the serenity of the Green Mountains in another.' The bank is also adjacent to two beautiful new parks and a local theater, not to mention its proximity to New York City, Albany, and Boston - which are all within a few hours driving. 'We're looking for somebody who has an existing business and wants to live upstairs,' Joel told Burlington Free Press. 'It's a very unique space, waiting for the right buyer, who has an idea what the next iteration of the bank will be.' This property is listed with listed with Jason Saphire at Home Zu and can be yours for $765,000. An Oxfordshire miniature car company have created a one-off Ferrari Testa Rossa J set for kids. The unique 2022 Pebble Beach Edition car has been made by Bicester-based The Little Car Company and is set to go under the hammer for 100,000 in California later this month. The lavish children's vehicle is a fully electric 75% scale reproduction of the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, of which an original version reportedly sold for over 33 million ($40m) in 2014. An Oxfordshire miniature car company, The Little Car Company, have created a one-off Ferrari Testa Rossa J set for kids The car has been developed and hand built from the original drawings kept by Ferrari Classiche. It is to be sold on August 19 without reserve and estimated to sell at between 74,6500- 99,514 (US$90,000 - US$120,000) by Bonhams in their 'The Quail Auction' in Carmel, California. All profits from the sale are being donated by The Little Car Company to The Pebble Beach Company Foundation, a youth education charity. To cater for drivers of all abilities and ages, four driving modes have been carefully developed to make the driving experience as safe as possible. The unique 2022 Pebble Beach Edition car has been made by Bicester-based The Little Car Company and is set to go under the hammer for 100, 000 in California later this month The lavish children's vehicle is a fully electric 75% scale reproduction of the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa The Ferrari is so precise it is even complete with a brown leather steering wheel and the signature Ferrari emblem They range from a 15mph 'novice' mode to a 'race' mode capable of 50mph. The three batteries powering the electric engine are positioned at the front of the car, and provide approximately 90 km range, depending on driving style. A key track protagonist in the 1950s and 1960s, the 250 Testa Rossa is renowned as one of the all-time great Ferraris The car has been developed and hand built from the original drawings kept by Ferrari Classiche It is to be sold on August 19 without reserve and estimated to sell at between 74,6500- 99,514 This particular example, a one-of-one special edition, commemorates 'Lucybelle II' (chassis 0732TR), which was the car raced by US driver Ed Hugus - a Pebble Beach resident - and Ray 'Ernie' Erickson at the 1958 Le Mans 24 Hours under the race number '22'. Donning the original paint scheme of Bianco Cervino with blue stripes, with the accompanying number '22', this will be the only Ferrari Testa Rossa J globally to hold this livery. The car also boasts period correct racing lights, with 'Lucybelle II' handpainted on one side of the car and the United States of America flag handpainted on the other. The Little Car Company have more classic examples of vehicles on their website including this red Ferrari Testa Rossa J Wow! The lavish classic cars range from a 15mph 'novice' mode to a 'race' mode capable of 50mph Ben Hedley, CEO of The Little Car Company, said: 'The Little Car Company are honoured to be able to support The Pebble Beach Company Foundation at this year's Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction, with the sale of the 2022 Pebble Beach Edition Ferrari Testa Rossa J, 'Lucybelle II'. 'As one of the most respected and highly regarded events on the motoring calendar, we are proud to be able to offer this wonderful tribute and are very excited to see this one-of-one car raise funds for a worthy cause.' A Palestinian refugee has revealed how she became a self-made millionaire - after overcoming homelessness and launching a med spa franchise out of her New York City apartment. Fatema Love spent most of her early years 'homeless and hungry,' before she and her family fled Palestine amid the country's war with Israel. However, after coming to America at age 15, things didn't get much easier for the businesswoman, since she said she struggled to 'fit in' with the people around her. But Fatema's rough past put a 'fire under her' backside, and inspired her to 'work hard' to ensure that when she got older, she could have a better life. A Palestinian refugee has revealed how she became a self-made millionaire - after overcoming homelessness and launching a med spa franchise out of her New York City apartment Fatema Love spent most of her early years 'homeless and hungry,' before she and her family fled Palestine amid the country's war with Israel. She is seen as a kid However, after coming to America at age 15, things didn't get much easier for Fatema (pictured in her teen years), since she said she struggled to 'fit in' with the people around her But Fatema's rough past put a 'fire under her' backside, and inspired her to 'work hard' to ensure that when she got older, she could have a better life She is now a business owner, entrepreneur, and mother-of-one who has earned more than a million dollars through her beauty bar, called AFL. Fatema now owns apartments in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami, and has a closet filled with Chanel bags costing an upwards of $22,000 and a slew of designer shoes worth an estimated total of $500,000 - but it was a hard road for her to get here. 'I came from nothing. I was homeless, I was hungry,' she told Truly during a recent interview. 'I was in a refugee camp in a war. I never thought in a million years that I would be here today. 'I lived in a freaking refugee camp. This is just such a dream come true, it really is a dream come true. I don't even know how I got here. I worked really hard to get here.' The mogul recalled growing up in the 'hood' in the Bronx, New York, after relocating to the United States with her family. And for years, she said she felt like an 'outcast' due to her background. 'Growing up as a Palestinian refugee was really hard, I'll be honest with you. I never really fit fully in American culture and I never fit in fully with my culture,' she explained. She is now a business owner, entrepreneur, and mother-of-one who has earned more than a million dollars through her beauty bar, called AFL Fatema now owns apartments in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. She is seen in her Miami apartment She has a closet filled with Chanel bags costing an upwards of $22,000 and a slew of designer shoes worth an estimated total of $500,000 - but it was a hard road for her to get here 'So I was always the outcast. That was always something I carried with me, like am I good enough? Will I ever be pretty enough? Will I ever be someone who fits in? The mogul (seen as a teen) recalled growing up in the 'hood' in the Bronx, New York, after relocating to the United States with her family. And for years, she said she felt like an 'outcast' due to her background 'My family situation growing up, we didn't have much but I'm very grateful for what my family was able to give me.' However, Fatema said that watching her parents 'struggle' was 'the key to her success.' 'I saw the struggle with them and I said, "When I get bigger, when I grow up, I'm gonna not be like that, I'm gonna work hard,"' she continued. 'I never wanted to struggle like they did. There was this deep rooted fire in my a** ever since I was younger to try to prove myself and I feel like that was the key to my success. 'I always put in more effort than the next person because I had to prove myself to be here.' However, Fatema said that watching her parents 'struggle' was 'the key to her success.' She explained: 'I said, When I grow up, I'm gonna not be like that, I'm gonna work hard' 'There was this deep rooted fire in my a** ever to prove myself and that was key to my success,' she added. 'I always put in more effort than the next person because I had to prove myself' The self-made millionaire added that she 'always knew' that she was 'meant for bigger and better' things, and that she is proud to now be her 'own sugar daddy' Fatema started AFL Beauty Bar in 2018 and it beauty salons has stores in Miami (pictured), Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta, with plans to open more in Chicago and Dallas soon The self-made millionaire added that she 'always knew' that she was 'meant for bigger and better' things, and that she is proud to now be her 'own sugar daddy.' 'When you're able to buy your own [stuff], that is so boss to me. It's a different flex,' she concluded She said: 'I've always envisioned myself in couture and designer, I envisioned myself as a princess my whole life. I worked so hard to make myself my own princess. I am my own sugar daddy.' Fatema started AFL Beauty Bar in 2018 and it beauty salons has stores in Miami, Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta, with plans to open more in Chicago and Dallas soon. According to Fatema, AFL serves 'A-list clients and celebrities' including Cardi B. The spa offers facials for upwards of $250, slimming shots that cost $1,500, lip fillers for $699, Botox (which ranges in price depending on the number of syringes and area you want it in), and under eye filler for $1,200, among other things. It also offers brow, cheek, and butt lifts. 'I don't judge anyone who gets things from others, I think that's great but when you're able to buy your own tickets and fly your man and your friends [around the world], that is so boss to me. It's a different flex,' Fatema concluded. One of Australia's favourite ice creams has been released in a new chocolate flavour after a collaboration with Oak milk. The renowned flavour of Oak chocolate has put a twist on the classic Golden Gaytime and giving it a rich chocolate flavour. The decadent new treat has an indulgent Oak-inspired centre dipped in a layer of chocolate and coated in the Golden Gaytime's famous biscuit pieces. Oak milk have teamed up with Golden Gaytime to release a new chocolate flavour of the classic Aussie ice cream which is available now in selected stores Customers can pick up a box of four for $9.90 from IGA, Ritchie's and Drakes & Romeos from today. Coles, convenience stores and petrol stations will be stocking the new Oak Gaytime from September. This isn't the first time Golden Gaytime has been given a flavour twist with a Coco Pops, Birthday cake and Crunchy Nut variety also available now. The decadent new treat has an indulgent Oak-inspired centre sipped in a layer of chocolate and coated in the Golden Gaytime's famous biscuit pieces Golden Gaytime spokesperson Annie Lucchitti said the new ice cream is sure to be a 'crowd pleaser'. 'Golden Gaytime Oak brings the iconic elements of Golden Gaytime together with the unmistakable Oak Choc Milk flavour hit. It's creamy, crumbly, choccy - delicious,' she said. The ice cream isn't the first classic Australian treat to be given a unique twist. A new Violet Crumble Espresso Martini has launched across Australia, leaving sweet-toothed cocktail fans delighted. Feminae Beverage Co. have teamed up with the classic Aussie chocolate to create a decadent boozy treat that is available to purchase now but only until stocks last. Each box is $79.95 and contains two-litres of ready-to-drink martini as well as a 30g bar of Violet Crumble to be crushed and used as a garnish. An Aussie cocktail company has teamed up with a classic chocolate to create a Violet Crumble Espresso Martini but foodies better be quick if they want to get a bottle for themselves The Feminae X Violet Crumble Espresso Martini is an indulgent blend of cold drip coffee, premium vodka and Australian cream. The blend is infused with the chocolaty, caramel and honeycomb flavours of the famous Violet Crumble. Perfect as a party-starter or after dinner treat the luxuriously creamy cocktail can be enjoyed straight from the fridge into a martini glass or shaken in a cocktail shaker with ice with a sprinkle or Violet Crumble crumbs. Feminae Beverage Co. have teamed up with Violet Crumble to create a decadent boozy treat that is available to purchase for $79.95 now but only until stocks last The two-litre box makes 24 standards drinks and is available to purchase online from the Feminae website for a limited time with shipping starting from Monday August 1. Foodies online have been tagging their friends and expressing their excitement at the unique new collaborative cocktail with one saying it could be their 'new favourite'. Feminae is an Australian owned beverage company that makes unique cocktails from Melbourne including the popular passionfruit and pavlova cosmopolitan and pink grapefruit gin. An Australian dating guru has praised American men for being more 'confident' than her homegrown counterparts after a recent trip to the US. Jana Hocking, 37, packed her bags for an 'eat, pray, love' journey in July stopping off in New York, London and Mykonos for some sun - and fun - after growing tired of the Sydney dating pool. She noticed above everything else on her trip that American men had far more 'game' when it came to asking for a phone number or a date than the blokes she had been conversing with Down Under. 'As I perused a shop, I watched as a very stereotypical NYC bloke caught eyes with an attractive shop assistant and boldly said: 'Hey baby girl, what you doing later?' BOLD,' Jana recalled to news.com.au. Jana Hocking, 37, packed her bags for an 'eat, pray, love' journey in July stopping off in New York, London and Mykonos for some sun - and fun - after growing tired of the Sydney dating pool She noticed above everything else on her trip that American men had far more 'game' when it came to asking for a phone number or a date than the blokes she had been conversing with Down Under 'So what is it specifically about New York guys that makes them stand out? 'That's an easy one to answer: confidence. Over the next couple of days as I watched these skilled creatures in their natural, high-rise habitat, I realised that they seemed to have a certain appeal.' Jana praised the Americans for actively engaging her in conversation and maintaining eye contact even if they were feeling shy. She 'couldn't imagine this in Sydney' and urged Aussie men to up their confidence to better their chances of finding a date. She 'couldn't imagine this in Sydney' and urged Aussie men to up their confidence to better their chances of finding a date Alexa, who is from Sydney but has been travelling around Europe, agrees with Jana, and 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?'. 'Should we all move to Europe?' Alexa captioned the clip that has amassed more than 41,000 views. 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 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'. Anyone with chronic pain knows there are certain triggers moving too suddenly, eating the wrong thing or a change in temperature. But doctors have revealed how a Canadian woman was blighted with 'sharp', sudden agony in her foot every time she had an orgasm. During what is meant to be one of the most pleasurable sensations a person can feel, the 34-year-old endured 20 seconds of constant hurt. She told doctors about the phenomenon after five months, when it started to ruin her and her husband's sex life and put stress on their marriage. The patient was found to have a compressed nerve in her pelvis that ran down her leg to the arch of her foot that was activated when she climaxed. A 34-year-old woman from Canada suffered 'sharp' pain in the arch of her right foot whenever she orgasmed What is dysorgasmia? Having cramps during sexual climax is known as dysorgasmia. The shooting pains usually occur in the belly and is usually caused by muscles in the pelvic floor contracting rapidly and pressing on nearby nerves. Endometriosis, where tissue similar to the womb grows in other parts of the body, and uterine fibroids non-cancerous tumours in the uterus can also cause it. Patients are usually given pelvic floor exercises to strengthen the muscles and prevent them from cramping during sex. Couples therapy is also recommended if sexual health professionals believe the condition is being caused or worsened by psychological issues. Advertisement Sometimes known as a 'trapped' or 'pinched' nerve, it occurs when the fibres are pressed by surrounding tissue, causing pain, tingling or numbness. The woman, from Vancouver, was referred to a physiotherapist who was able to cure her bizarre ailment in three months through various exercises. But she suffered long-term psychological damage and went to sex therapy with her husband to rekindle their ailing love life. The tale was revealed in the medical journal Sexual Medicine. The woman was referred to a gynaecologist where she complained of sharp pain in the medial arch the raised part of the foot running from the heel o the forefoot whenever she orgasmed. It occurred whenever she had sex with 'singular or multiple orgasms'. But she had an otherwise normal sex drive and her orgasms and arousal levels were regular. Doctors gave her ultrasounds to examine her pelvis but could not find anything wrong initially. She was referred to a physiotherapist who took her through movements to test the tightness of different nerves, which identified the pelvis as where the trapped nerve was. Ultrasounds then revealed her saphenous nerve was trapped near where the ligament attaching the oblique muscles to the pelvis and groin were. The nerve, which runs from the inside of the hip down the leg, was injured from a C-section three years earlier. She was referred to a physiotherapist at Diane Lee and Associates in Surrey, and given therapy to ease her pain taught pelvic floor exercises to release the nerve. But despite the pain being fully relieved, she still related sex to pain in her mind so her and her husband went to therapy to relieve her fears. The Christian couple, who had not had sex before marriage, were taught to communicate about what they wanted from each other in ways they hadn't before. After five sessions, the woman said she felt more loved and desired by her husband than she ever had even before the pain started. The team from West Coast Centre for Sex Therapy said the combination of physiotherapy and sex therapy led to a full recovery. They wrote: 'Through sex therapy, this motivated couple ended up with an improved sexual life beyond their sexual state prior to the introduction of pain with orgasm.' While pain specifically in the foot during orgasm is an extremely rare occurrence, having cramps after sex in general is a known condition called dysorgasmia. The shooting pains usually occur in the belly and is usually caused by muscles in the pelvic floor contracting rapidly and pressing on nearby nerves. Endometriosis, where tissue similar to the womb grows in other parts of the body, and uterine fibroids non-cancerous tumours in the uterus can also cause it. Patients are usually given pelvic floor exercises to strengthen the muscles and prevent them from cramping during sex. Couples therapy is also recommended if sexual health professionals believe the condition is being caused or worsened by psychological issues. NHS bosses have been accused of misogyny for removing 'women' from vital health pages but leaving men's guidance untouched. MailOnline exposed earlier this year how the terms 'women' and 'woman' were being quietly removed from online advice for female cancers and even the menopause. The woke language change still hasn't been reversed, despite a promise to strip out gender-neutral phrases a month ago by ex-Health Secretary Sajid Javid. Now, experts have accused health chiefs of sexism for only targeting women's health advice with inclusive language. Pages on testicular or prostate cancer have been left alone. 'A pattern seems to be emerging that women are the targets not men,' said Professor Jenny Gamble, a midwife at Coventry University. 'It looks and feels like misogyny.' Dr Karleen Gribble, a nursing and midwifery expert from Western Sydney University in Australia, said: 'Who decided that women should have less easily understandable information about medical conditions impacting them than men?' Sajid Javid promised to reverse gender neutral language in NHS advice after MailOnline revealed the term 'women' had been quietly erased from menopause advice in June Here are some examples of the woke language changes that have engulfed NHS communications. Some of these examples have been taken from national NHS communications while others are used by individual hospitals Men vs women in NHS advice pages Experts have accused health officials of misogyny for degendering NHS health pages on women's issues yet leaving men's untouched. Here are some examples of how language has changed for women, but not for men. Ovarian cancer vs prostate cancer In January NHS Digital, the body that runs the health pages on the NHS website, quietly updated the health service's page on ovarian cancer, a disease that only biological females can get. The old, now deleted version, of the overview page said: 'Ovarian cancer, or cancer of the ovaries, is one of the most common types of cancer in women.' It also said: 'Ovarian cancer mainly affects women who have been through the menopause (usually over the age of 50), but it can sometimes affect younger women.' But these paragraphs were deleted, and all mention of the female sex removed in the January update. The new gender-neutral description on the page now reads: 'Anyone with ovaries can get ovarian cancer, but it mostly affects those over 50'. In contrast, the NHS's page for testicular cancer, a disease unique to men, reads: 'Cancer of the testicle is 1 of the less common cancers, and tends to mostly affect men between 15 and 49 years of age'. The words 'men' and 'male' appear a total of 14 times on the page. Menopause vs the 'male menopause' In May the NHS updated its menopause page, removing six mentions of women from the overview. Visitors to the page have to clink through to the third page of the resource, about medication, before the word 'women' is actually used. The webpage used to describe menopause as 'when a woman stops having periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally'. But the new, gender-neutral description describes it as: 'Menopause is when your periods stop due to lower hormone levels'. No such changes have been made to the NHS's 'male menopause' page which exists to dispel myths about the so called andropause and give men advice on what might really be behind their symptoms. When asked about the changes a spokesperson for NHS Digital said: 'The NHS website provides information for everyone. We keep the pages under continual review to ensure they use language that is inclusive, respectful and relevant to the people reading it.' Advertisement In June, MailOnline exposed how the words 'women' and 'woman' were scrubbed from online guidance about the menopause, which is unique to biological females. That came just a month after this website revealed how NHS advice for womb and ovarian cancer had also been de-sexed. For example, the word 'women' on the ovarian cancer page was replaced with the phrase 'anyone with ovaries'. As of today, these pages have yet to have the terms reintroduced, raising concerns Mr Javid's commitment has been shelved since his resignation last month. New Health Secretary, Steve Barclay, has yet to address the concerns since taking office on July 5. This is despite health experts repeatedly warning that de-gendering medical advice could be dangerous for women by over-complicating vital health messaging. By comparison, male-specific health pages with gendered terms have been left untouched. The NHS's testicular cancer page simply declares: 'Cancer of the testicle is 1 of the less common cancers, and tends to mostly affect men between 15 and 49 years of age'. This is similar to the old lines on the ovarian cancer page: 'Ovarian cancer, or cancer of the ovaries, is one of the most common types of cancer in women.' And: 'Ovarian cancer mainly affects women who have been through the menopause (usually over the age of 50), but it can sometimes affect younger women.' These lines were deleted by NHS Digital, the body that manages the health services online health advice pages, in favour of: 'Anyone with ovaries can get ovarian cancer, but it mostly affects those over 50.' The NHS's 'male menopause' page, also called the andropause, has also been left untouched despite the female menopause getting revamped. The menopause webpage used to describe the condition as 'when a woman stops having periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally'. But the new, gender-neutral description introduced in May, changed this to: 'Menopause is when your periods stop due to lower hormone levels'. Dr Gribble said the discrepancy between how the male and female health pages were being treated raised questions about the NHS's processes. 'I think it does raise questions regarding the NHS processes in terms of how it was determined to prioritise de-sexing information in relation to women's health,' she told MailOnline. 'Where is the evidence that underpinned the decision to de-sex these pages?' NHS Digital has repeatedly told MailOnline the language changes on the women's health pages are part of a drive to be more 'inclusive'. The Department of Health and Social Care didn't provide an update on the status of Mr Javid's commitment when asked by MailOnline. Officials also failed to say why only women's health pages are being de-gendered. From 'chestfeeding' to 'human milk' and 'birthing PARENTS': How NHS language is going woke - with women quietly being scrubbed out of 'inclusive' advice pages 'Chestfeeding' instead of breastfeeding and asking men if they are pregnant before getting a scan are just two ways NHS language has gone woke recently. NHS chiefs have repeatedly defended the changes, saying they want to be 'inclusive, respectful and relevant'. But health experts have warned de-gendering medical advice could be dangerous as it over-complicates and obscures vital health messaging. Health Secretary Sajid Javid has promised to reverse gender neutral language in the NHS, following a string of MailOnline revelations including one yesterday that revealed midwives were being told sex was 'assigned' at birth. Here, we detail some of the ways the woke language storm has engulfed the health service. NHS removes the word 'women' from its MENOPAUSE page This month it was revealed the NHS's online guidance about the menopause had the terms 'women' and 'woman' removed. The webpage used to describe the condition as 'when a woman stops having periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally'. But a new, gender-neutral description made in May, says: 'Menopause is when your periods stop due to lower hormone levels'. The old advice also highlighted menopause usually occurs in women between the ages of 45 and 55, but about one in 100 women experience it before 40. But none of this information is included in the overview section of the updated webpage. In total six mentions of 'women' and 'woman' have been scrubbed from the page. Justifying the change, NHS Digital said they wanted language to be 'inclusive and respectful'. Experts warned that de-sexing the menopause page meant women with low English or health literacy could miss out and not read further. The NHS has quietly omitted the terms 'women' and 'woman' from its webpage on menopause. Pictured here is the older version of the menopause overview page (May 16) which mentioned women six times But the new version omits women from the overview entirely. Experts have warned women could be disadvantaged by de-gendered medical advice confusing health messaging NHS midwives told that sex is 'ASSIGNED' at birth Midwives denounced claims they 'assign' the sex of children at birth in a row on woke language yesterday. The wording came from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in an 'inclusivity' statement. Their document said: 'We recognise maternity and gynaecological services will be accessed by women, gender diverse individuals and people whose gender identity does not align with the sex they were assigned at birth.' But some midwives hit back at the colleges, arguing that they merely 'observe' the reality of a baby's sex at birth as opposed to deciding it themselves. Jo Gould, a midwife in Sussex, said she was 'ashamed' of her representative body and that the statement was 'nonsense' and 'offensive'. But the RCM said the phrase sex assigned at birth was used correctly arguing it is the UK governments Office for National Statistics legal terminology for the sex observed at birth and then recorded on the birth certificate. A statement on inclusivity from the Royal College of Midwives and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has provoked outrage from some midwives on social media for using the term 'sex assigned at birth' NHS pregnancy advice refers to 'chestfeeding' and refuses to mention breasts Earlier this month, the NHS was criticised over 'ideological' new advice for trans parents that failed to mention the word 'breast'. A page titled 'chestfeeding if you're trans or non-binary' makes no mention of breasts and refers to breast reduction operations as 'top surgery'. It was also accused of 'normalising' a potentially dangerous chest-binding technique. The guidance also encourages people to keep taking hormone transitioning drugs when they 'chestfeed', despite admitting 'it is unclear what effect this could have on your baby'. The advice was written a year prior to publication but was only issued online after nearly 12 months of internal NHS wrangling. It provoked concern among nurses and maternity experts, who said the advice fails to warn people about health risks of such practices to both parents and babies. The term chestfeeding is used throughout the page with the term 'breast' omitted. Breastmilk likewise has been replaced with 'milk from the chest' The page also says testosterone can pass through breast milk to babies but adds it is 'unclear' what affect passing the hormone on to a baby could have Critics of the page have said it normalises a potentially dangerous 'binding' technique used to make breasts smaller using fabric and which can cause a variety of health problems NHS bosses removed term 'WOMEN' on ovarian and womb cancer advice pages Official NHS advice pages about ovarian, womb, vaginal and cervix cancers were found to have quietly scrubbed the word 'women' from their webpages earlier this year. The term was missing from the landing pages of three sections explaining the cancers, which are only found in biological women. For example, the original version of the ovarian NHS cancer page featured the line: 'Ovarian cancer, or cancer of the ovaries, is one of the most common types of cancer in women.' Another line read: 'Ovarian cancer mainly affects women who have been through the menopause (usually over the age of 50), but it can sometimes affect younger women.' However, in an update sneaked out in January these were removed with the page now saying: 'Anyone with ovaries can get ovarian cancer, but it mostly affects those over 50.' The changes were made late in 2021 and early 2022 but only came to light in May. The old version of the NHS ovarian cancer page as of December 30 2021 (left) mentions women specifically twice, whereas the new version (right) omits them NHS reinstates the word women in its miscarriage advice In June, the health service added the word 'women' back to its miscarriage page following backlash. The health service replaced 'women who know they're pregnant' with 'people who know they are pregnant'. Another line on the page was also criticised for saying miscarriage 'only affects about one in 100 people' instead of women. Despite amending one of the sentences to state that having three consecutive miscarriages 'only affects about one in 100 women', other pages in the NHS guidance make no mention of women at all. A section called 'aftermath' refers to 'people' seven times but not once to women, including in its sub-paragraph about the emotional impact of a miscarriage. Another section titled 'causes' does mention women several times when attributing their age as a factor on their pregnancy, with one in ten expectant women under 30 having a miscarriage compared to five in ten over 45. NHS Digital has now partially amended the webpage to include the word 'women' once at the end NHS-backed guidance states transwomen can breastfeed Experts warned newborn babies could be harmed by woke NHS-backed guidance stating biologically born men can breastfeed. Guidance from the La Leche's charity linked to on the NHS's controversial 'chestfeeding' advice page states biological men who swap sex can stimulate milk supply using the Newman-Goldfarb protocol. But the procedure, which involves taking a powerful drug called domperidone, has been mired in controversy and is effectively banned in the US because of its side effects. NHS bosses only recommend it to women struggling to produce milk in some cases because domperidone carries a risk of giving a baby an irregular heartbeat. Experts told MailOnline how scientists have 'no idea about the implications', of breastfeeding in men and that the NHS should focus on improving access to breastfeeding rates for women. An NHS England spokesperson said the link to La Leche's advice on the chestfeeding guidance page was to an 'independent, non-profit support site' and added does not reflect NHS policy. Hospitals asking men if they are pregnant before scans In March, it was revealed that men were being asked if they are or could be pregnant before given radiotherapy by some NHS trusts. Male cancer patients, as well as those having X-rays and MRI scans, were asked if they were expecting a baby, because the word 'female' was replaced by 'individuals' for medical procedures. For example, the Walton Centre NHS in Liverpool now asks 'all patients under the age of 60, regardless of how you may identify your gender' whether they could be having a baby. The dangers that radiotherapy, diagnostic imaging and nuclear medicine pose to an unborn child mean medics must find out if biologically female patients are pregnant before carrying out the procedures. But campaigners warned the move could spark the beginning of a 'clinically dangerous' move to record only gender, and not sex, on medical records. Patients and their families have also complained of 'unnecessary confusion and agitation' for vulnerable patients. Student midwives being taught how to help biological MEN give birth In May this year, it was revealed that midwifery students at Edinburgh Napier University were being taught biological men could get pregnant and trans men could give birth even if they have a penis. In a coursebook that has since been revised, trainee midwives were given detailed instructions on how to treat a male-to-female trans person during childbirth. The book's introduction stated: 'You may be caring for a pregnant or birthing person who is transitioning from male to female and may still have external male genitalia.' Another section with photo demonstrations detailed how to fit a catheter in a person with a penis and scrotum during labour. The book also included special instructions for people with prostate glands which are exclusive to biological men who may feel particular 'discomfort'. Several experts criticised the university, describing the woke material as 'remarkably ignorant about basic biology, sex and anatomy'. Bosses at the university have now changed the wording to say, 'people transitioning from female to male' rather than 'male to female', following the uproar. NHS told to use inclusive birth terms to avoid offending transgender people NHS services were told to use 'inclusive' terms like 'chestfeeding' so trans pregnant people aren't offended by a Government-funded report published in April. Produced by charity the LGBT Foundation other suggestions of language change was avoiding terms like 'vaginal birth', recommending 'frontal' or 'lower birth' instead. The charity also says some trans and non-binary people would benefit from having a private space in hospitals to give birth, so that they are not made uncomfortable by seeing women. It detailed the experience of one trans person, who said: 'I didnt have to go to a ward full of women after giving birth, I was actually provided with a private room for me and baby which was very helpful and accommodating for me and my gender identity.' The report was based on a survey 121 trans Britons on their experience of pregnancy. It was commissioned by the Health & Wellbeing Alliance, a partnership between charities and the NHS, which is managed jointly by the Department of Health and Social Care and Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. NHS hospital tells staff to say 'birthing parents' and 'human milk' In February last year Brighton and Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust unveiled 'gender inclusive' phrases it wanted its staff to use. These included terms like 'birthing parents' and 'human milk' rather than 'mothers' and 'breast milk' to avoid offending transgender people. The Trust said using 'gender inclusive' phrases was part of a drive to stamp out 'mainstream transphobia'. Other changes include replacing the use of the word 'woman' with the phrase 'woman or person', and the term 'father' with 'parent', 'co-parent' or 'second biological parent', depending on the circumstances. The new terms will be used for documents, protocols and Trust-wide communication. The move was welcomed by inclusivity campaigners at the time, with the group TransActual tweeted: 'This is fantastic, well done. Let's hope many more trusts follow suit. Everybody deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.' According to a senior Russian diplomat, the Kremlin is getting concerned enough to consider a nuclear option due to US global provocations. Moscow Braces for Instability Senior Russian diplomat Alexey Drobinin claimed that US policies implemented by the Biden White House have led to Moscow being among nuclear powers preparing for nuclear war, reported RT. His comment as the chief of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Foreign Policy Planning Department is a window into how Moscow thinks about it. He authored Wednesday's article published in Mezhdunarodnaya Zhizn (International Life) magazine. It is claimed that the foundation for weapons limitation and strategic stability is now being undermined at the request of the United States. In their military doctrine, the Americans have decreased the first-strike threshold, noted Viuku. He noted that these and other worrying elements are bringing the most catastrophic scenarios of the nuclear option, loaded with disastrous repercussions due to US global provocations, back into the sights of military planners. Belief that an emerging multipolar international order, which the Kremlin is constructing, will offset the West's unipolar predominance, making it safer. It was stated that the US-led West should not obstruct or its well-being would be jeopardized. According to Drobinin, more benefits will accrue to multipolarity and deglobalization if no interested organizations, such as the hegemonic West, try to interfere with this new attitude that is not entrenched in a cold war ethos, citing CSM Times. Read Also: Vladimir Putin's 'Girlfriend': 5 Things To Know About Alina Kabaeva The Russian ambassador went on to describe how Washington and its European allies are worried about losing clout in a changing world that is moving away from them. US-Russia Arms Control Agreement In a letter to the ninth Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed that there would be no winners in a nuclear war and that it must never happen. New START is the only major weapons control pact between Moscow and Washington that is still in effect. The agreement was on the verge of expiration in early 2021, but it was saved shortly after Biden's inauguration when Washington finally accepted Moscow's request to extend the agreement without any limitations. It is currently due to expire in 2026. Besides keeping the world from self-destructing in the nuclear conflagration, Russia is establishing an economic framework for Greater Eurasia. A top diplomatic goal remarked Aleksey Drobinin, is also a senior strategist at the Russian Foreign Ministry. Free trade and multilateralism across larger Eurasia could become a priority for Russian foreign policy in the years ahead. The Greater Eurasian Partnership (GEP) aims to promote economic links among nations while not meddling in domestic politics. According to Drobinin, it serves as a mechanism to combine economic integration and security; it is open to all states and organizations on the continent. It's clear the Kremlin is ready to consider a nuclear option that US global provocations are pushing for, but concepts like the GEP on the sidelines assure a better future for multipolarity. Related Article: Russia's Sarmat ICBM Could Reduce Adversaries to Dust With Hypersonic Speed, Unpredictable Trajectory @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Monkeypox will become endemic in Britain unless the Government takes tougher action, LGBT+ groups warned today. They have called on the new Health Secretary Steve Barclay to expand the vaccine rollout, give patients financial support and issue 'clear, non-stigmatising messaging'. The UK recorded another 202 cases of monkeypox this week, taking the country's total to 2,759 since the outbreak began in May. The vast majority of cases have been among gay and bisexual men. A letter sent to Mr Barclay today claimed the country needs 250,000 vaccine doses double the amount thought to have been procured so far to get a grip on the ever-growing outbreak. It calls for a more 'direct' public health campaign using the 'queer media', such as dating apps and websites, rather than the current 'broadcast to all approach'. The letter signed by LGBT+ groups which represent the UK's major political parties also says people on low incomes should be paid if they are forced to isolate. Officials in the US declared a public health emergency yesterday, where there have been more than 6,500 infections. There are fears there the virus could spill over into children and old people, who are at a higher risk of becoming severely ill. It followed the World Health Organization calling monkeypox a global emergency two weeks ago. LGBT+ groups from across the political spectrum have joined forces to demand Health Secretary Steve Barclay (pictured) increase efforts to combat monkeypox or risk it becoming 'endemic' in the UK Officials are urging gay and bisexual men to be aware of new lesions, rashes or scabs and get in contact with a sexual health clinic The infection often starts with small bumps that scab over and are contagious Timeline of monkeypox 1958: Monkeypox was first discovered when an outbreak of a pox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research. 1970: The first human case was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the infection has been reported in a number of central and western African countries since then. 2003: A Monkeypox outbreak occurred in the US after rodents were imported from Africa. Cases were reported in both humans and pet prairie dogs. All the human infections followed contact with an infected pet and all patients recovered. SEPTEMBER 8, 2018: Monkeypox appeared in the UK for the first time in a Nigerian naval officer who was visiting Cornwall for training. They were treated at the Royal Free Hospital in London. SEPTEMBER 11, 2018: A second UK monkeypox case is confirmed in Blackpool. There is no link with the first case in Cornwall. Instead, the patient is though to have picked up the infection when travelling in Nigeria. They were treated at Blackpool Victoria Hospital and Royal Liverpool University Hospital. SEPTEMBER 26, 2018: A third person is diagnosed with monkeypox. The individual worked at Blackpool Victoria Hospital and treated the second Monkeypox case. They received treatment at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. DECEMBER 3, 2019: A patient was diagnosed with monkeypox in England, marking the fourth ever case. MAY 25, 2021: Two cases of monkeypox were identified in north Wales. Both patients had travel links to Nigeria. A third person living with one of the cases was diagnosed and admitted to hospital, bringing the total number ever to seven. MAY 7, 2022: A person was diagnosed with Monkeypox in England after recently travelling to Nigeria. The person received care at the expert infectious disease unit at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London. Experts have suggested the virus was spreading in the UK for months before this case was spotted. MAY 14, 2022: Two more cases were confirmed in London. The infected pair lived in the same household but had not been in contact with the case announced one week earlier. One of these individuals received care at the expert infectious disease unit at St Mary's Hospital in London. The other isolated at home and did not need hospital treatment. MAY 16, 2022: Four more cases were announced, bringing the UK total to seven. Three of these cases are in London, while one of their contacts is infected in the north east of England. The UKHSA first confirms that the spate of cases, described as 'unusual' and 'surprising', are mainly among gay and bisexual men and advises them to look out for new rashes. MAY 19, 2022: Two more cases were revealed, with no travel links or connections to other cases. The cases were based in the South East and London. Fears began to grow that infections are going undetected. MAY 20, 2022: Eleven more cases are announced, meaning Britain's monkeypox outbreak have doubled to 20. Minsters discuss the possibility of a public health campaign to warn gay men the disease may be more prevalent for them MAY 23-26, 2022: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland log their first ever monkeypox cases. MAY 29, 2022: World Health Organization (WHO) says risk of monkeypox is 'moderate', citing concerns about virus infecting children and immunosuppressed people if it becomes more widespread. JUNE 7, 2022: The UKHSA declares monkeypox a notifiable disease. It means all medics must alert local health authorities to suspected cases. The tropical virus now carries the same legal status as the plague, rabies and measles. Advertisement Britain is currently dishing out the vaccine to healthcare workers who care for patients with monkeypox, gay and bisexual men 'at the highest risk of exposure' and close contacts of confirmed cases. The Government has bought around 150,000 doses, enough to jab 75,000 people, which it thinks is enough to contain the outbreak. First doses are given within 14 days after contact, followed by a second dose 28 days later. But LGBT+ groups for the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Greens and the Scottish National Party have called for 100,000 more doses to be bought. In a letter to Mr Barclay and the public health minister Maggie Throup, they calculated there are 125,000 people at risk. They include gay and bisexual men who have HIV or are at a high risk of catching HIV, sex workers, patients who've had a bacterial STI in the past year, and health workers. The letter said: 'We are united as LGBT+ groups from across political parties in asking that the Government treat the monkeypox outbreak as a public health emergency. 'We cannot afford to allow monkeypox to become endemic in the UK. 'Luckily, we have the tools required to stop this outbreak and prevent further risk to health now. We ask that you do so urgently.' The letter, which was backed by the sexual health charity, the Terrence Higgins Trust, said the Government must rethink its public health messaging. 'Monkeypox is causing real fear and anxiety within the LGBT+ community and so targeted communication to those most at risk is essential,' it said. 'We need clear, non-stigmatising messaging, delivered direct to GBMSM about the symptoms of monkeypox and what to do if you suspect you have the virus to inform and reassure people (rather than the current broadcast to all approach that constantly mentions GBMSM). 'Messaging must reach communities at high risk of acquiring monkeypox, through targeted messaging on apps, online and in the queer media.' The groups also called for a Covid Test and Trace-like financial support package for people who are forced to self-isolate. 'We must learn the lessons of the Covid pandemic and ensure that no one required to self-isolate is forced to choose between protecting theirs and other peoples health, or affording essentials like food and rent,' the letter reads. 'There is currently no financial support available for those required to isolate as a result of monkeypox. 'The 21 day isolation period is placing huge financial strain on some of those affected. 'We urgently need a clear route to financial support for those who need it, to support people to stay at home safely. If funding is to be administered by local government, as with Covid isolation funding this needs appropriate resourcing and clear guidance.' While almost all monkeypox cases so far have been identified in gay and bisexual men, there are fears the epidemic could spill into straight groups and become even more widespread. Anyone can catch monkeypox if they have had prolonged close contact with an infected person. The virus is not normally a sexually-transmitted infection, but it can be passed on by direct contact during sex. It can also be spread through touching clothing, bedding or towels used by someone with the monkeypox rash or spots. Almost all of the cases so far have been mild and no deaths have been recorded. A fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion are the initial monkeypox symptoms, which are followed by a rash that looks like chickenpox or syphilis. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: 'Thousands of monkeypox vaccines have already been administered and the NHS is working to rapidly invite those at greatest risk. 'We have procured over 150,000 vaccines, and we're working with partners including the NHS and UK Health Security Agency to share targeted, non-stigmatising communications with the LGBTQ+ community. 'We are enabling local authorities to invest in essential frontline sexual health services by providing more than 3.4billion through the Public Health Grant.' How DO you catch monkeypox and what are the symptoms? EVERYTHING you need to know about tropical virus How do you catch monkeypox? Until this worldwide outbreak, monkeypox was usually spread by infected rodents including rats, mice and even squirrels in west and central Africa. Humans can catch the illness which comes from the same family as smallpox if they're bitten by infected animals, touch their blood, bodily fluids, or scabs, or eat wild game or bush meat. The orthopoxvirus, which causes monkeypox, can enter the body through broken skin even if it's not visible, as well as the eyes, nose and mouth. Despite being mainly spread by wild animals, it was known that monkeypox could be passed on between people. However, health chiefs insist it was very rare until the current outbreak. Human-to-human spread can occur if someone touches clothing or bedding used by an infected person, or through direct contact with the virus' tell-tale scabs. The virus can also spread through coughs and sneezes. In the ongoing surge in cases, experts think the virus is passing through skin-to-skin contact during sex even though this exact mechanism has never been seen until now. How deadly is it? Monkeypox is usually mild, with most patients recovering within a few weeks without treatment. Yet, the disease kills up to 10 per cent of cases. But this high rate is thought to be in part due to a historic lack of testing meaning that a tenth of known cases have died rather than a tenth of all infections. However, with milder strains the fatality rate is closer to one in 100 similar to when Covid first hit. The West African version of the virus, which is mild compared to the Central African strain, is behind the current spread. No deaths have been reported as part of the ongoing outbreak. How is it tested for? It can be difficult to diagnose monkeypox as it is often confused with other infections such as chickenpox. Monkeypox is confirmed by a clinical assessment by a health professional and a test in the UK's specialist lab the UKHSA's Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory. The test involves taking samples from skin lesions, such as part of the scab, fluid from the lesions or pieces of dry crusts. What are the symptoms? It can take up to three weeks for monkeypox-infected patients to develop any of its tell-tale symptoms. Early signs of the virus include a fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion meaning it could, theoretically, be mistaken for other common illnesses. But its most unusual feature is a rash that often begins on the face, then spreads to other parts of the body, commonly the hands and feet. The rash changes and goes through different stages before finally forming a scab, which later falls off. How long is someone contagious? An individual is contagious from the point their rash appears until all the scabs have fallen off and there is intact skin underneath. The scabs may also contain infectious virus material. The infectious period is thought to last for three weeks but may vary between individuals. What do I do if I have symptoms? The UK Health Security Agency advises Britons to contact their sexual health clinic if they have a rash with blisters and have been in close contact with a suspected or confirmed monkeypox case or have been in West or Central Africa in the last three weeks. Britons are asked to contact clinics ahead of their visit and avoid contact with others until they have been seen by a medic. Gay and bisexual men have been asked to be especially alert to the symptoms as most of the cases have been detected in men who have sex with men. What even is monkeypox? Monkeypox was first discovered when an outbreak of a pox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research in 1958. The first human case was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the infection has been reported in a number of central and western African countries since then. Only a handful of cases have been reported outside of Africa and they were confined to people with travel links to the continent. The UK, US, Israel and Singapore are the only countries which had detected the virus before May 2022. Monkeypox is a rare viral infection which kills up to one in ten of those infected but does not spread easily between people. The tropical disease is endemic in parts of Africa and is known for its rare and unusual rashes, bumps and lesions (file photo) Nurses and doctors are being advised to stay 'alert' to patients who present with a new rash or scabby lesions (like above) Is it related to chickenpox? Despite causing a similar rash, chickenpox is not related to monkeypox. The infection, which usually strikes children, is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. For comparison, monkeypox like smallpox is an orthopoxvirus. Because of this link, smallpox vaccines also provide protection against monkeypox. Are young people more vulnerable? Britons aged under 50 may be more susceptible to monkeypox, according to the World Health Organization. This is because children in the UK were routinely offered the smallpox jab, which protects against monkeypox, until 1971. The WHO also warns that the fatality rate has been higher among young children. Does it spread as easily as Covid? Leading experts insist we won't be seeing Covid-style levels of transmission in the monkeypox outbreak. A World Health Organization report last year suggested the natural R rate of the virus the number of people each patient would infect if they lived normally while sick is two. This is lower than the original Wuhan variant of Covid and about a third of the R rate of the Indian 'Delta' strain. But the real rate is likely much lower because 'distinctive symptoms greatly aid in its early detection and containment,' the team said, meaning it's easy to spot cases and isolate them. Covid is mainly spread through droplets an infected person releases whenever they breathe, speak, cough or sneeze. How is the UK managing the outbreak? MailOnline revealed monkeypox patients and their close contacts, including NHS workers, are being offered the Imvanex smallpox vaccine. The strategy, known as ring vaccination, involves jabbing and monitoring anyone around an infected person to form a buffer of immune people to limit the spread of a disease. Gay and bisexual men 'at the highest risk of exposure' are also offered a jab, with doctors or nurses advising whether they are eligible. Vaccines are also being offered to contacts of people with confirmed cases of monkeypox. Doses are given between four and 14 days after the contact. The Government said unprotected direct contact or high risk environmental contact includes living in the same house as someone with monkeypox, having sexual contact with them or even just changing their bedding 'without appropriate PPE'. As with Covid, someone who has come within one metre of an infected person is classed as a monkeypox contact. What if it continues to spread? Experts told MailOnline they 'could see a role' for a wider targeted jab rollout to more NHS staff and female sex workers in the UK 'if this isn't brought under control quickly'. Close contacts of the UK's known cases and some gay and bisexual men are already being offered the jab, which was originally designed for smallpox. The two rash-causing viruses are very similar. A health source told MailOnline 'there would be a number of strategies we'd look at' if cases continued to rise. Professor Kevin Fenton, London's public health regional director, said if the outbreak in the capital continues to grow then the rollout of vaccines and treatments could be broadened to more groups. He said there are 'plans in place' to have more antivirals if the outbreak keeps growing. What other countries have spotted cases? More than 80 countries including the US, Spain and Italy have detected cases of monkeypox. Most cases have been detected in the US, UK, Spain, Germany and France. There are a handful of antivirals and therapies for smallpox that appear to work on monkeypox, including the drug tecovirimat, which was approved for monkeypox in the EU in January Is there a vaccine for it? The smallpox vaccine, called Imvanex in the UK and Jynneos in the US, can protect against monkeypox because the viruses behind the illnesses are closely related. Data shows it prevents around 85 per cent of cases, and has been used 'off-label' in the UK since 2018. The jab, thought to cost 20 per dose, contains a modified vaccinia virus, which is similar to both smallpox and monkeypox, but does not cause disease in people. Because of its similarity to the pox viruses, antibodies produced against this virus offer cross protection. Are there any drugs to treat it? There are a handful of antivirals and therapies for smallpox that appear to work on monkeypox. This includes the drug tecovirimat, which was approved for monkeypox in the EU in January. Tecovirimat prevents the virus from leaving an infected cell, hindering the spread of the virus within the body. An injectable antiviral used to treat AIDS called cidofovir can be used to manage the infection, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It also works by stopping the growth of the virus. Long Covid is more common in people who are unemployed and not seeking work, figures suggest. Latest official estimates, based on self-reporting, indicate one in 20 economically 'inactive' people have the condition, excluding students and retirees. Meanwhile, the rate is thought to be around one in 30 for those in paid employment, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures up to July. The agency estimates about one in 34 retired people and one in 60 students had long Covid, based on a random sample of households surveyed last month. Rates of the condition have more than doubled in the economically inactive and retirees in the past year, for reasons that are unclear. Overall, 1.8million Britons were estimated to have long Covid defined as people with lingering symptoms four weeks after a Covid infection. It marked the second month in a row that rates of the poorly-understood condition fell, after rising in line with infections during the pandemic. Latest official estimates indicate one in 20 people who are unemployed and not seeking work (shown as 'inactive') had long Covid last month. The rate is thought to be around one in 30 for those in paid employment, one in 34 retirees and one in 60 students Overall, 1.8million Britons were estimated to have long Covid by July 2 defined as people with lingering symptoms four weeks after a Covid infection What is long Covid? Long Covid is an informal term, used to describe ongoing symptoms following a Covid infection that go on longer than four weeks, according to the ONS. A dizzying array of symptoms have been attributed to long Covid, including: extreme tiredness (fatigue) shortness of breath chest pain or tightness problems with memory and concentration ('brain fog') difficulty sleeping (insomnia) heart palpitations dizziness pins and needles joint pain depression and anxiety tinnitus, earaches feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite a high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste rashes There is no cure for the condition though the NHS does recommend a number of treatments designed to help alleviate the symptoms. Advertisement The ONS estimates are based on survey answers from 220,000 people across the UK in the four weeks to July 2. Experts have previously cast doubt over the figures, with some saying they are likely to be an overestimation given symptoms like headaches and fatigue can be linked to a variety of conditions. Rates rose from 1.9 per cent last July to 5 per cent last month among those who were unemployed and not looking for a job. Among the retired, the rate rose from 1.3 per cent to 2.9 per cent in the same time period. The increases among people in work and the unemployed have been slower, from 2 per cent to 3.3 per cent and 2.13 per cent to 3.5 per cent. Long Covid rates have remained broadly the same among students, who tend to be younger and less likely to get a severe initial Covid infection. The ONS said the rise in long Covid among economically inactive and retired people 'may be driven by people already in these groups developing long Covid symptoms, or people with long Covid moving into these groups from other status categories'. Overall, the ONS report indicates 1.79million people had long Covid last month, down from 1.9million in June and lower than the roughly 2million who had it at the peak in May. There had been great fears about the impact of long Covid earlier in the pandemic, with some researchers warning it could cripple the economy and trigger a mini-epidemic of its own. But studies suggest the milder Omicron subvariants that have been dominant in the UK throughout 2022 are less likely to cause long-lasting symptoms than previous strains. The number of people battling symptoms for at least a year also fell last month to 761,000, however, these patients still account for 40 per cent of cases. A further 380,000 said they had long Covid for two or more years. The majority - 1.4million - have had symptoms for three months. Seven in 10 people with the condition said it impacted their ability to go about daily activities, while a fifth said their life had been 'limited a lot'. Fatigue continued to be the most common symptom (54 per cent), followed by shortness of breath (31 per cent), loss of smell (23 per cent) and muscle ache (22 per cent). Prevalence was greatest in people aged 35 to 69, females, people living in more deprived areas, care home workers and those with a comorbidity. Advertisement One in three doctors and nurses who joined the NHS in England last year were recruited from overseas, raising concerns the health service is becoming over-reliant on foreign recruits. Data from NHS Digital show the share of healthcare staff recruited from overseas almost doubled between 2014 and 2021, according to an analysis by the BBC. Several unions said it was a sign the NHS is leaning on foreign recruits to plug staffing issues as they issued fresh calls for the Government to tackle the workforce crisis. The analysis found 34 per cent of doctors who joined the health service in 2021 came from overseas, with India, Pakistan, and Nigeria the most popular countries. This is almost double the proportion of overseas recruits in 2015, when the figure was just 18 per cent. The Government has played down the rise, saying foreign recruitment has always been part of its workforce strategy. In total, 39,558 UK trained doctors and nurses joined the NHS in 2020-21, which is about 3,200 more than in 2014-15. However, British trained health professionals are increasingly shrinking as a proportion of new joiners in NHS England's million strong workforce. The analysis found only 58 per cent of doctors joining the NHS last year trained in the UK, a fall from 69 per cent in 2015. For nurses, the proportion of UK trained joiners last year was 61 per cent, a fall from 74 per cent in 2015. Over the same time, the percentage of new joiners who qualified outside of the UK and EU has almost doubled and in some cases quadrupled. These charts, based on NHS workforce data, show the proportion of doctors and nurses joining the NHS in England based on where they originally trained. In both professions the number of UK trained joiners has decreased over time (red lines) whereas the number of non-EU trained professionals has increased (yellow lines). The proportion of EU professionals joining the NHS has declined over time, taking a sharp dive in the years after the 2016 Brexit vote India and Pakistan are two largest non-UK countries that doctors currently registered to work in Britain originally trained in with about 30,000 and 17,000 respectively. This is followed by Nigeria, Egypt , Ireland, South Africa, Greece, Sudan, Italy, and Romania Nurses recruited from overseas made up just 7 per cent of the workforce in 2015 compared to 34 per cent last year. Most nurses who registered to work in the UK in the last five years, but did not originally train here, hailed from countries like India, the Philippines, and Nigeria. Workforce issues have plagued the NHS for years, as highlighted by a damming MP led report last week. It concluded the health service in England is currently short of 12,000 hospital doctors and more than 50,000 nurses and midwives. That report, by the Health and Social Care Committee and led by former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, also projected the England's health system will need an extra 475,000 jobs by early next decade. Health unions have been concerned about the UK's overreliance on overseas recruitment for some time, both because Britain might not always be able to attract these workers and that we may be taking them away from the health systems in developing countries. Responding to the BBC's analysis, Patricia Marquis, director for England for the union the Royal College of Nursing, said ministers must do more to reduce the 'disproportionate reliance' on internationally trained recruits. This graph shows the country of training of all newly registered nurses and midwives in the UK over the past five years. Unsurprisingly, British trained nurses make the majority with about 120,000 joiners. India (about 21,000), Philippines (nearly 18,000) and Nigeria (nearly 5,000) are the biggest providers of overseas trained nurses and midwives registered to work in the UK Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, said it was 'high time for the government to commit to a fully-funded, long-term workforce plan for the NHS' to tackle 'chronic workforce shortages'. The British Medical Association (BMA) has warned medics trained in the UK are increasingly moving abroad to countries were where pay is higher and immigration fees are lower. A health and care worker visa to work in the UK costs up to 479 per person every three years, with a worker's partner and children also having to pay this amount. There also additional fees, such as mandatory memberships of the UK's health regulators, that these professionals must pay. BMA officials have said medical graduates are charged up to 2,400 to apply for indefinite leave to remain, with each of their dependents also facing the same fee. The BBC analysis found the percentage of doctors originally trained overseas who left the NHS in 2021 rose to 25 per cent in 2021, up from 15 per cent in 2015. While the number of NHS recruits from non-EU countries has increased, the number coming from the European bloc has fallen. Only 6 per cent of NHS joiners were from the EU last year, down from 11 per cent in 2015. Some have blamed the decline on Brexit making it harder for EU-trained professionals to come and work in the UK. But Department of Health and Social Care instead suggested the problem was the UK's nursing regulator introducing stricter language tests could be behind the decline. These increased language checks haven't deterred nurses from elsewhere in the world coming to the UK, with the number of nurses and midwives trained overseas rising to 113,579, according to NMC data, a 23.1 per cent increase on last year. In the same time, the number of EU trained registrants fell to 28,864 last year, down from 35,115 in 2017/18. Internationally trained nurses and doctors have to sit an English language exam before being allowed to practise in the UK, if their qualification was not taught in English. Nurses also have to sit a test of competence to register in the UK whereas doctors may have to go through a similar process depending on where they trained and their specialty. NHS staffing shortages are one factor experts have blamed on rising A&E waiting times this summer that have seen some Britons forced to wait in ambulances for hours as medics struggle to find extra beds. Advertisement England's summer Covid wave is collapsing rapidly, with official data today revealing infections have plunged by another fifth across the country. Office for National Statistics (ONS) analysts estimate 2.1million people were infected on any given day in the week up to July 26, the equivalent of roughly one in 25. This was down 20 per cent on the 2.6million logged the previous week. It is the second week in a row cases have dropped, signalling the end of the resurgence fuelled by the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron. Cases fell in all age groups and regions of England. Infections also dropped in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for the first time in weeks, with experts hailing the 'continued decreases'. Nationally, cases peaked in mid-July at around 3.1million, prompting calls from some experts to bring back face masks, outdoor mixing and free testing. But the wave has been short-lived, thanks to sky-high levels of immunity from vaccination and natural infection. The ONS stats show cases in Scotland fell 4.1 per cent from 272,000 to 260,800 last week, with around one in 20 people infected. Infections dropped 30 per cent to 108,800 in Wales one in 30 and 3.1 per cent to 109,800 in Northern Ireland one in 17 Long Covid more common in unemployed not seeking work Long Covid is more common in people who are unemployed and not seeking work, figures suggest. Latest official estimates, based on self-reporting, indicate one in 20 economically 'inactive' people have the condition, excluding students and retirees. Meanwhile, the rate is thought to be around one in 30 for those in paid employment, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures up to July. The agency estimates about one in 34 retired people and one in 60 students had long Covid, based on a random sample of households surveyed last month. Rates of the condition have more than doubled in the economically inactive and retirees in the past year, for reasons that are unclear. Overall, 1.8million Britons were estimated to have long Covid defined as people with lingering symptoms four weeks after a Covid infection. It marked the second month in a row that rates of the poorly-understood condition fell, after rising in line with infections during the pandemic. Advertisement Dr Rhiannon Yapp, co-lead for the ONS Covid-19 Infection Survey, said: 'Our most recent data suggests that infection rates have continued to decrease across much of the UK, although rates still remain high. 'We have seen continued decreases in all regions and age groups in England. With the summer holidays and more people travelling, we will continue to closely monitor the data.' The ONS stats show cases in Scotland fell 4.1 per cent from 272,000 to 260,800 last week, with around one in 20 people infected. Infections dropped 30 per cent to 108,800 in Wales one in 30 and 3.1 per cent to 109,800 in Northern Ireland one in 17. They are also dropping in every region of England, with the North West seeing the biggest drop at 34.1 per cent. It was followed by Yorkshire and the Humber (33.8 per cent), the West Midlands (28.1 per cent) and the North East 22.6 per cent). Covid remains most prevalent in London, with 4.1 per cent of people in the capital infected at any one time. Meanwhile, infections are also dropping in every age group, with the sharpest fall (48.9 per cent) seen in secondary school students, who are currently on summer holiday. The next biggest fall was in people aged 16 to 24 (44 per cent), two-to-six-year-olds (39.1 per cent) and those aged 35 to 49 (36.5 per cent). Covid hospital admissions in England have been falling since the middle of last month, attributed to the fact that while BA.4 and BA.5 are extremely transmissible, they are just as mild as their parent strain. Professor Paul Hunter, a public health expert at the University of East Anglia, said: 'Up to about two weeks ago the proportion of people testing positive for Covid was continuing to fall in all four nations. 'More recent data from the DHSC dashboard published on Wednesday, the ZOE app published today and NHS England hospital activity figures published yesterday show that infections and hospital admissions are continuing to fall in the time period since the most recent data included in todays ONS bulletin. 'Even deaths within 28 days of a positive test are now falling. At present there are no variants that I can see in the COG UK data that are bucking the trend. 'Even the BA.2.75 Centaurus lineage is not increasing, so hopefully this decline will be sustained for several weeks yet.' It comes after separate data today showed long Covid is more common in people who are unemployed and not seeking work. Latest official estimates, based on self-reporting, indicate one in 20 economically 'inactive' people have the condition, excluding students and retirees. Meanwhile, the rate is thought to be around one in 30 for those in paid employment, according to different ONS figures up to July. They are also dropping in every region of England, with the North West seeing the biggest drop at 34.1 per cent. It was followed by Yorkshire and the Humber (33.8 per cent), the West Midlands (28.1 per cent) and the North East 22.6 per cent). Covid remains most prevalent in London, with 4.1 per cent of people in the capital infected at any one time, but rates dropped 15 per cent over the week Meanwhile, infections are also dropping in every age group, with the sharpest fall (48.9 per cent) seen in secondary school students, who are currently on summer holiday. The next biggest fall was in people aged 16- to 24-year-olds (44.0 per cent), two- to six-year-olds (39.1 per cent) and 35- to 49-year-olds (36.5 per cent) The agency estimates about one in 34 retired people and one in 60 students had long Covid, based on a random sample of households surveyed last month. Rates of the condition have more than doubled in the economically inactive and retirees in the past year, for reasons that are unclear. Overall, 1.8million Britons were estimated to have long Covid defined as people with lingering symptoms four weeks after a Covid infection. It marked the second month in a row that rates of the poorly-understood condition fell, after rising in line with infections during the pandemic. New York officials are warning that hundreds of Empire state residents may already be infected with the devastating polio virus after it was detected in wastewater of a second county in the state. State surveillance detected presence of the polio virus in at least two different areas of Orange County, New York - around an hours drive from New York City - in June and July. It comes within weeks of officials announcing a confirmed polio case in Rockland County - just northwest of the Big Apple's Bronx borough. The virus was also detected in Rockland wastewater last month. The likelihood of this spread is low but not impossible. Because of advanced water treatment in America, it is rare a person ends up drinking truly contaminated tap water. It is possible that fecal matter could end up on a surface a person interacts with, though, and ends up transmitting the virus. Because polio is either mild or asymptomatic in a majority of cases, it is likely that the detection of one symptomatic case means there could be hundreds of others that will never be detected. Finding the virus in wastewater samples in multiple counties confirms fears that the virus has been spreading in the state for sometime before the Rockland case was detected. A vaccinated person has little to worry about, and the U.S. has vaccine coverage of over 90 percent. Many had to receive the jabs to go to primary school. Inoculation lasts for life and there is no booster required for a person to stay safe from the virus. Officials are urging the population to get vaccinated to prevent a resurgence of the devastating virus. Orange and Rockland are both among the counties with the lowest vaccine coverage against the virus - at 59 and 60 percent respectively. Officials in New York are warning that there may already be 'hundreds' of New Yorkers infected with polio after at least three wastewater samples were detected across two counties just outside of New York City, Rockland and Orange (pictured) Common symptoms of polio include high temperatures, extreme fatigue, headaches, vomiting, stiff neck and muscle pain 'Based on earlier polio outbreaks, New Yorkers should know that for every one case of paralytic polio observed, there may be hundreds of other people infected,' Dr Mary Bassett, the state's health commissioner said. Dr Mary Bassett (pictured), New York health commissioner, warns that there may be hundreds of undetected polio cases in the state 'Coupled with the latest wastewater findings, the Department is treating the single case of polio as just the tip of the iceberg of much greater potential spread. 'As we learn more, what we do know is clear: the danger of polio is present in New York today. We must meet this moment by ensuring that adults, including pregnant people, and young children by 2 months of age are up to date with their immunization.' New York state officials launched polio surveillance efforts in response to the case confirmed on July 21. The case was confirmed in an Orthodox Jewish man in his 20s. He himself is unvaccinated, and contracted the vaccine-derived version of the virus. Vaccine-derived polio can form when a person receives a live-virus vaccine - an oral immunization that can pass the virus on to others through fecal contamination. That vaccine is no longer used in America, meaning it likely transmitted from a person that receive it abroad and eventually made it back to this New York man. He suffered paralysis as a result of his infection and is now recovering at home after a hospital stay. It was reported earlier this week that he is still struggling to walk. Polio: Once the most feared disease in America that has now become a rarity Polio is a serious viral infection that used to be common all over the world. The virus lives in the throat and intestines for up to six weeks, with patients most infectious from seven to 10 days before and after the onset of symptoms. But it can spread to the spinal cord causing muscle weakness and paralysis. The virus is more common in infants and young children and occurs under conditions of poor hygiene. How deadly is it? Most people show no signs of infection at all but about one in 20 people have minor symptoms such as fever, muscle weakness, headache, nausea and vomiting. Around one in 50 patients develop severe muscle pain and stiffness in the neck and back. Less than one per cent of polio cases result in paralysis and one in 10 of those result in death. Of those who develop symptoms, these tend to appear three-to-21 days after infection and include: High temperature Sore throat Headache Abdominal pain Aching muscles Nausea and vomiting How does it spread? People can catch polio via droplets in the air when someone coughs or sneezes, or if they come into contacted with the feces of an infected person. This includes food, water, clothing or toys. Is polio still around in the U.S.? The last case of person-to-person transmission in the U.S. was in 1979, which was also marked the last wild polio case. But there have been several dozen cases of vaccine-derived polioviruses since, although they have been one-offs, with no onward transmission. Advertisement Given his lack of international travel during the standard infection period, it is likely that he contracted the virus stateside. This alerted officials to begin surveillance. Wastewater sampling detected polio in Rockland county in June. It was also detected in Orange county in June and July. 'Given how quickly polio can spread, now is the time for every adult, parent, and guardian to get themselves and their children vaccinated as soon as possible,' Basset said. Polio is a potentially disabling and life-threatening disease, which in serious cases can spread to the spinal cord triggering paralysis and even death. It is highly contagious and spreads after someone touches a surface contaminated with an infected person's feces and then their own mouth. About one in four people who catch the virus develop flu-like symptoms including a sore throat, fever, tiredness and stomach pain. One in 25 will go on to suffer meningitis when the spinal cord is infected and later paralysis. Of these, up to one in ten die from the infection. It was once the most feared disease in the U.S., sparking panic throughout the 1940s. Parents were left afraid to let their children play outside particularly in summer when the virus appeared to be more common , and public health officials would impose quarantines on homes and even whole towns where it was spotted. It was behind more than 15,000 paralyses every year, and hundreds of deaths. But in the mid-1950s the country began rolling out poliovirus vaccines to prevent the disease. By 1979, the United States declared the virus had been eliminated. There has been no known transmission on U.S. soil since. The vaccine was also rolled out globally, with the virus pushed back to just a few countries. It is now only known to be circulating in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The WHO warns that as long as it continues to spread there, it remains a threat to the world. But in recent years as the virus has retreated from the national memory vaccination rates have slowed in the United States. Latest figures show now about 92.6 percent of Americans are vaccinated against polio by their second birthday. This is below the 95 percent threshold the WHO says is needed to stop an outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all children should get the polio vaccine. It is given as four shots in the leg or arm, with the first given at two months old, the second at four months, the third between six and 18 months and the final dose between four and six years old. The vaccine is highly effective, with 99 percent of children receiving life-long protection against the disease. Advertisement The United States on Thursday became the first country to declare a public health emergency over the monkeypox virus, the only thing is: America's outbreak is four times smaller than the largest outbreak in Spain, with statistics showing that it has the eighth-highest case count per capita, official figures show. The U.S. has detected the most monkeypox cases out of any country, with its total reaching 7,102 Thursday more than a third higher than the 4,577 detected in the next highest country, Spain. But when this tally is considered per population a more accurate measure because it takes into account America's much larger head count the U.S. ranks eighth, with 21 cases per million people. That's equivalent to one in 47,000 people having a confirmed infection to date. Conversely, in Spain, the number is 96 per million or one in 10,000, also higher than every American state. Dr Jessica Justman, an infectious diseases expert at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health in New York City, said even though the U.S. was behind other nations the number of infections detected and nature of illness with patients suffering painful lesions meant it was right to declare an emergency. Hundreds of cases are still being detected daily in the U.S. whereas in other European countries like the UK the outbreak is now slowing down. America moved to an emergency footing yesterday, two weeks after the World Health Organization also declared an international emergency over the outbreak. Justman added that other nations would likely follow suit, but said it was also possible they had not moved to this level of alert because of differences in how they operate. Experts have warned it would be the 'worst public health failure in modern times' should monkeypox become entrenched in the United States because it 'could have been prevented'. Unlike with Covid, accurate tests and effective vaccines were already readily available but there has been a struggle to roll them out. Slide me The above left panel shows the total monkeypox infections detected per country over time, and on the right it shows this as a rate of per million people. Experts said it was more accurate to consider the data in this way because it shows the difference in infections between nations. Figures are from OurWorldinData, a data platform run by experts at Oxford University The above graph shows monkeypox cases per capita in Spain, which has the highest infection rate, and the five U.S. states with the highest rates of the virus New York, Georgia, Illinois, Florida and Maryland. It also shows the infection rate for the whole United States (the dotted line) The above shows the number of cases per state, and each states tally. This data is not shown as a monkeypox infection rate per million people Pictured above are people lining up to get a first dose of the monkeypox vaccine at Obregon Park in Los Angeles, California Figures for monkeypox infection rates per million people by nation were calculated by OurWorldinData, a platform run by experts at the prestigious Oxford University in the United Kingdom. DailyMail.com used population data from the US census bureau to calculate infection rates per million by state. At the ground level, it shows Spain currently has the biggest monkeypox outbreak in the world per head with 96 cases per million people (one in 10,000). Portugal has the second highest rate at 69 per million, followed by the Netherlands at 54 per million and the United Kingdom at 39 per million. Germany (34), France (33), and Canada (23) also have a higher tally than the US. EU nations are suffering shortage of monkeypox vaccine because of slow procurement programme The EU is set to repeat its COVID vaccine shambles with a failure to deliver monkeypox jabs. Doctors are having to turn away patients because of a lack of doses, with the bloc's collective procurement policy stalling again. While the UK has ordered more than 100,000 monkeypox vaccine doses, Eurocrats have procured just 160,000 for its 27 members. As many as 1,000 vaccinations were recorded in a single weekend in London. But in hotspot Madrid, where there have been monkeypox deaths, there have been only 790 vaccinations in total. Dr. Jean-Christophe Goffard, of the Erasme Hospital, in Brussels, said: 'The vaccine is not available in Belgium at the moment. 'We've had a growing demand for tests... and close to 90 per cent prove positive. 'We don't have the impression we are currently able to control the epidemic well.' The EU's two biggest powers, France and Germany, have turned their backs on the EU scheme and are buying their own vaccines. Advertisement Spain was one of the first countries to detect monkeypox in men who attended Pride festivals in May, and there are anecdotal reports that the virus may have been circulating in the country as early as February. Both Spain and Portugal are yet to launch a mass vaccination drive for all gay or bisexual men although this may be because both nations are struggling to get hold of adequate Jynneos doses from Bavarian Nordic, which is being used to treat the virus. But in Europe there are now signs that some monkeypox outbreaks may be starting to run out of steam as health authorities get a grip on the outbreak. In the UK, health authorities there say cases are now beginning to 'plateau'. They recorded 299 new infections over the past seven days, drawing level with the 261 infections detected the previous week. This is not the case in the United States, however, since which is now recording about 439 cases a day on average compared to just 224 two weeks ago. No clear data was available on testing rates, but if other countries are testing less this suggests their outbreaks may be outpacing the U.S. even further. America can currently carry out about 10,000 tests a day for monkeypox, but only about a tenth of these are being utilized. Asked whether the U.S. was right to shift to an emergency footing, Justman said: 'I think this is a situation that does require mobilization of resources of recruitment and access. 'Is it a response that has been done with careful thinking, and we should not dismiss this because it happens to primarily effect a smaller segment of the population.' She added: 'I am glad that the U.S. is declaring an emergency, that is a good thing.' There is no sign of other countries following suit. For example, in the UK monkeypox was only ever designated a level two outbreak reserved for transmission within a defined sub-population. This is two markers off level four or the highest level of alert, when there is evidence of wider community transmission of the virus. Breaking down America's figures into states also shows that none have a higher infection rate for monkeypox than that reported in Spain. New York had the highest at 88 cases per million, followed by Georgia (50), Illinois (45) and Florida (26). Compared to their European counterparts, New York, California (which ranks 10th out of US states) and Illinois have each already declared emergencies over the outbreak of the virus and started rolling out vaccines to gay or bisexual men. At a press conference Thursday, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, admitted officials were still not sure to what extent the cases they were detecting represented new spread or historic cases that were only now being picked up thanks to ramped up testing. But cases have risen by several hundred every day for the past few weeks, with the virus now being detected in every state except Montana and Wyoming which are both very rural. Last week officials warned the tally would likely continue to rise for weeks. Monkeypox is a serious disease that triggers flu-like symptoms in the early stages before patients develop a rash that will spread across almost all of the body. It is not like COVID, being spread via physical touch alone. Almost every case has been identified in men with the vast majority identifying as gay or bisexual to date in America. But there are fears that it will spill over into other groups that are more at risk of serious disease. Pictured is a man receiving his first dose of the monkeypox vaccine at Dekalb County Board of Health in Atlanta, Georgia. Second doses are being delayed in many areas because of a lack of supply Pictured above are men waiting to receive a first dose of the monkeypox vaccine in New York City. It is at the center of the nation's outbreak of the virus At least five cases have been spotted in children so far two in California, two in Indiana and one traveling through Washington, D.C. who likely caught the virus from 'household contacts' and one case in a pregnant woman. Both groups are more at risk of serious illness. Declaring the emergency yesterday, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources Dr. Xavier Becerra said: 'In light of all of these developments and the evolving circumstances on the ground, I want to make an announcement today that i will be declaring a public health emergency on monkeypox. 'We are prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus and we urge every American to take monkeypox seriously and to take responsibility to help us tackle this virus.' The declaration will make more resources available for states, allow for federal officials being deployed nationwide and enhance data collection on cases, hospitalizations and testing. Federal officials have been slammed for a delayed response to the virus so far, allowing it to potentially spread unrestricted for weeks before expanding access to testing and rolling out vaccines to the population. At current, the country can perform up to 80,000 monkeypox tests each week. Viagra is more widely available in America than ever, and with the rise of telehealth platforms that allow a man to easily and discretely receive a prescription for the little blue pill online - younger men are also using the drug more than ever. The drug, which has been manufactured by pharma-giant Pfizer since it first hit the market in 1998, was initially for older men dealing with erectile dysfunction. It's use among young men has grown in recent years as well, though, as rates of mild to moderate erectile dysfunction have reached up to 20 percent among men in their 20s and 30 percent among those in their 30s, according to City Care Family Practice. Younger men may feel reservations about approaching their doctor about the issue, though. This has led to the rise of companies like Hims, Lemonaid and Roman, which allow a person to quickly get a prescription for the drug after an online consultation. While the drug has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and deemed ok for proper use by regulators it - like all drugs - can be dangerous if misused. It can cause a priapism, where a person has a erection that lasts for hours and causes permanent damage to the penis. It also has a few dangerous interactions with drugs for high cholesterol. Here is everything you need to know about the drug: The 'little blue pill' is growing in popularity in the U.S., especially among younger people for which the drug was not designed for. Up to one-in-five American men in their 20s suffer from mild or moderate erectile dysfunction (file photo) The drug was approved in the US and EU in 1998, branded as Viagra, and became one of the fastest selling drugs of all time WHAT IS IT? Most men occasionally struggle to get or keep an erection due to stress, tiredness, anxiety or drinking too much alcohol. The National Institutes of Health reports that around 30 million men have erectile dysfunction, with it being most common among the elderly. It can be caused by high blood pressure or cholesterol, hormone problems or side effects from medication. Some younger men also suffer from 'performance anxiety', where mental distractions and other issues have give them trouble getting or maintaining an erection. Medicines containing sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, are often used to treat the condition. It expands blood vessels and boosts blood flow to the genitals. Viagra was originally developed by Covid vaccine manufacturer Pfizer in 1989, with hopes that sildenafil citrate could treat high blood pressure. But clinical trials in Wales a few years later saw men report an unusual side effect they got more erections while taking the medication. The drug was approved in the US and EU in 1998, branded as Viagra, and became one of the fastest selling drugs of all time. Hims, Roman and Lemonaid are among a spate of companies that has risen in recent years to allow for easier access to ED drugs WHERE CAN YOU GET IT? The drug is available in the U.S. via prescription. Usually, a script will be written by a man's primary care physician that they can then fill at a pharmacy. Online pharmacies and telehealth providers have allowed many to circumvent part of the process, though. Men can get prescription Viagra, or competitors like Cialis and Stendra from online providers. These include Hims, Lemonaid and Roman among others. While the companies are operating totally legally, some are asking for more regulation. Firms like Hims allow for a person to access the prescription drugs easily, with physicians often willing to write a prescription after a quick online consultation. 'These are lifestyle drugs, and they have potentially serious adverse effects, and this seems like too casual a way to be obtaining them,' Dr Adriane Fugh-Berman, a pharmacology professor at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. told the Associated Press in 2019. The UK's National Health System (NHS) also warns against obtaining the drugs through online pharmacies. '[Online medicines] are not always regulated and the ingredients in them can vary from one pack to another. They can cause unpleasant side effects or may not be suitable for you,' the agency writes. 'It's best to see your doctor before buying medicines online. They know your medical history and can discuss whether you might benefit from treatment.' Viagra was originally cooked up by Covid vaccine manufacturer Pfizer in 1989, with hopes that sildenafil citrate could treat high blood pressure WHO CAN USE IT? Most men over 18 may take the drug to treat erectile dysfunction, but adults and children (one year old and over) may also take the drug for pulmonary hypertension. However, experts advise that it is not suitable for everyone, including individuals with serious heart or liver problems, recent stroke or heart attack victims and people with low blood pressure. WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS? Common side effects may include headaches, hot flushes, nausea, indigestion, dizziness and a stuffy nose. More serious possible side effects are painful erections (especially if they last for more than two hours), seizures and chest pain. An allergic reaction is also possible, alongside any listed in the leaflet which comes with your medicine. The rise and rise of Viagra 1989 Pharmaceutical company Pfizer cooks up a compound called sildenafil citrate which it hopes will treat high blood pressure. 1993 When it is trialled in Wales, one tester mentions that he got more erections while on it. The others say, So did we! Its a breakthrough moment. March 1998 The drug now branded Viagra is approved in the US as the first pharmaceutical product ever for erectile dysfunction. It quickly becomes one of the fastest-selling drugs of all time, with 10,000 prescriptions being issued a day. September 1998 Viagra gets its European licence. From July 1999, the NHS starts prescribing Viagra to men with underlying conditions such as Parkinsons disease or prostate cancer but Viagra is more widely available by private prescription or from foreign suppliers on the internet. July 1999 In Sex and the City, man-eater Samantha dates a wealthy older man who pops the blue pills. Viagra later stars in Ally McBeal and Law & Order. April 2004 The UKs first Viagra divorce is granted when a middle-aged woman claims the drug made her husband sexually aggressive. 2007 In England, 1,838,687 prescription items for erectile dysfunction are dispensed. Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas January 2010 Michael Douglas says hes glad his wife likes older men and praises the drug: Some wonderful enhancements have happened in the last few years Viagra, Cialis that can make us all feel younger. It also gets its own movie: Love & Other Drugs with Jake Gyllenhaal playing a Viagra salesman. Michael Douglas praises Viagra for making us all feel younger. God bless her that she likes older guys, he says of his wife, the actress Catherine Zeta Jones. And some wonderful enhancements have happened in the last few years - Viagra, Cialis that can make us all feel younger. June 2013 Viagras European patent expires, so with the unbranded drug sildenafil available at a 93 per cent price drop, the NHS allows prescriptions for a wider range of cases of male impotence. 2017 The number of prescription items dispensed for erectile dysfunction has risen to 4,223,282. March 2018 Viagra becomes legally available to men over 18 via pharmacy websites and over the counter as Viagra Connect. September 2018 Online health company Zava admits to stockpiling one million Viagra pills in case Brexit disrupts medical supplies. Advertisement WHY ARE MORE MEN RESORTING TO VIAGRA? Many of the new generation of teenage and young adult Viagra users are otherwise physically fit, who use it as a prop to ensure sexual performance. However in recent years doctors are warning that others may be suffering sexual difficulties and impotence caused by obesity and obesity-related type 2 diabetes. This is a problem previously seen only in much older patients, and it's causing concern, Ian Eardley, a professor of urology at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, in the UK, told the Daily Mail in 2020. However, there are multiple reasons why young men may be affected by problems in the bedroom, including the rising use of pornography, binge drinking and drug- taking, as these mean they need more stimulation to make anything happen. Doctors are now increasingly aware that erectile dysfunction (ED) might be a sign of underlying disease and fear that young men may be self-prescribing Viagra. As a result, the real cause of their issues remains untreated, despite it being treatable. 'There's no doubt that type 2 diabetes causes it and a 30-year-old diabetic is at least twice or three times as likely as a non-diabetic to suffer from erectile dysfunction,' Professor Eardley said. Elsewhere this April, Canadian experts found regularly taking the common erectile dysfunction pill Viagra may raise the risk of three serious eye conditions. Three other impotence medicines - Cialis, Levitra and Spedra - were also named as being potential triggers of eye problems. They found the medications may cause sudden losses of vision, flashes of light and dark spots or 'floaters' in those who take them. Increasing blood flow to the genitals with the pills could be hindering its supply to the eyes, which the experts suggested may be to blame. Lead researcher Dr Mahyar Etminan, an ophthalmologist at the University of British Columbia, said people using the drugs who develop vision problems should 'seek medical attention'. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU TOOK TOO MUCH? Viagra has a range of different side effects which range in severity. According to Medical Daily, too much of the drug may result in a painful, 'uncomfortably and disproportionately large erection' called a priapism which could go on for hours. According to the NHS site, if not treated promptly, this could cause permanent damage to the penis. It recommends seeking medical help if the erection lasts more than two hours. At the hospital, the patient could be treated with 'tablets or injections directly into your penis' or blood could be drained from the area via a needle or surgery. Guidance also says that a priapism 'may get better on its own within two hours' and suggests there are things you can do to try and reduce the erection. Going for a pee, having a warm bath or shower, drinking lots of water, going for a gentle walk, doing some exercises or taking painkillers such as paracetamol (if needed) are recommended. The NHS site says you should NOT apply ice packs or cold water to the area, have sex or masturbate, drink alcohol or smoke. BUT THERE CAN BE POSITIVE SIDE EFFECTS Taking Viagra could cut the risk of developing Alzheimer's, scientists say. Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic in the US examined the medical data of 7million Americans in their 70s, tracking them for six years. Results showed adults who took sildenafil, the main ingredient in the little blue pill, were 69 per cent less likely to develop Alzheimer's compared to people who didn't use the medication. Sildenafil, also used to treat high blood pressure, appeared to perform better than two drugs currently being used in human trials against Alzheimer's. Lead researcher Dr Feixiong Cheng admitted clinical trials are needed to confirm whether the impotence drug can truly ward off the disease. But separate laboratory projects showed it can increase brain cell growth and stop harmful proteins building up in the brain. HOW LONG DOES VIAGRA LAST FOR? According to Healthline, Viagra on average lasts between two to three hours, depending on several factors including dosage, age, and overall health. It can last for up to five hours, and a person may be able to get an erection more than once during this period. HOW OFTEN CAN YOU TAKE VIAGRA? Those taking sildenafil for erectile dysfunction may be able to get tablets in different doses ranging from 25 - 100mg. According to the NHS, the usual dose is 50mg - when you need it - no more than once a day. The site says to take it up to four hours before having sex. The dosage information for Pfizer's Viagra says: 'For most patients, the recommended dose is 50 mg taken, as needed, approximately 1 hour before sexual activity. 'However, VIAGRA may be taken anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours before sexual activity... 'Based on effectiveness and toleration, may increase to a maximum of 100 mg or decrease to 25 mg... 'Maximum recommended dosing frequency is once per day.' Rolls-Royces incoming boss faces a long list of challenges as the aircraft engine maker tries to bounce back from its painful experience during the Covid-19 pandemic. Tufan Erginbilgic, a former BP executive, is due to take over running of the FTSE 100 group in January with an initial pay packet worth almost 9million. He will replace Warren East, who yesterday gave his final results announcement as boss of the jet-engine maker. Challenge: Tufan Erginbilgic joins jet-engine maker Rolls Royce in January with an initial pay packet worth almost 9m His stint at the top has been dominated by crisis-fighting, first with engine problems and then with the pandemic. The half-year results were no different, missing analyst expectations, with the company reporting a profit of 125million, down from 307million a year ago. Rolls has been hard hit by the slow recovery of the airline industry from the pandemic as international restrictions on travel have remained in some regions. East, 60, said that in the first half of 2022 Rolls-Royce engines flew about 60 per cent of the hours they flew in 2019, the year before the pandemic, and were now at about 65 per cent of that level. Covid-19 lockdowns in China had been the key retardant for the Rolls-Royce fleet of engines, East said. The company expects flying hours to recover to pre-pandemic levels by 2024. The only silver lining in the results was the groups cash burn, which dropped to 68million in the first half from nearly 1.2billion last year. East remained defiant saying he was very pleased with the progress the company had made adding that he would leave Rolls-Royce a leaner, agile organisation with a more modern culture. Perhaps most worryingly for his successor, Rolls also admitted it was having problems hiring experienced, highly-skilled engineers. Rolls Royce has been hard hit by the slow recovery of the airline industry from the pandemic as international restrictions on travel have remained in some regions Andy Chambers, industrials analyst at research house Edison, said one factor behind Rollss struggles to recruit could be the pandemic-induced downturn in the airline industry, which may have made a long-term career in the sector seem less attractive than other areas such as electric vehicles. He added that Rolls was also dealing with international competition and work permits and visas could turn off potential hires. But these difficulties do not seem to be shared by rivals with BAE Systems reported last week to be planning to hire 1,000 engineers over the next 12 months in a push to help build the supersonic Tempest fighter jet. AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould said: The incoming chief executive needs to find a more dramatic fix for a now rather broken business. With energy bills rising, families across Britain are already taking action to cut their energy use - and consumer expert Dom Littlewood surprised one Cardiff family with some new ideas. School worker Charlene and her firefighter husband, also called Dom, live in a terraced house with their two children, and were keen to try out new ideas to save money on their energy bills. Consumer expert Dom Littlewood teamed up with Smart Energy GB and experts from MoneyMagpie to offer helpful tips to families in Britain who are looking to curb their energy use. Littlewood says: Visiting homes across Great Britain was an eye opener. Its clear that people have become more energy conscious this year. Charlene and Dom, from Cardiff, are using their smart meters in-home display to keep on top of their energy use Whilst households are taking lots of positive steps to manage their energy use, by working directly with families we found we were able to identify some further small steps they could take, such as getting a smart meter to monitor energy use. Cardiff couple Dom and Charlene had already made plans to deal with rising energy prices and the cost of living crisis, with Dom taking on additional weekend work as an instructor training other firefighters, and Charlene working in a local pub. Weve definitely changed things The couple had a visit from Dom Littlewood for his Whats Watt video series, which sees him offering energy-saving advice to familes across Britain. Since we met Dom Littlewood, weve definitely changed things, says Charlene. We are a lot more proactive, so for example, we do bigger loads in the washing machine, but also use the Eco setting which we werent even aware of. The tumble dryer we barely use at the moment, because we are trying to hang things up instead, but again, we had an eco setting which we didnt even realise we had. Dom also pointed out the fact we didn't have a thermostatic valve on some radiators, so we couldn't control the amount of heat that was coming off. Families in Britain have been facing increased bills since the energy price cap increased in April. And many are already taking the obvious steps to cut waste. Smart Energy GBs research found that families are already turning off the lights in unused rooms (49%), unplugging devices at the socket (39%) and disconnecting chargers at the wall (37%). People with smart meters are 23% more likely to have adjusted their habits already. Smart meters come with an in-home display, which shows you how much gas and electricity youre using in pounds and pence, making it easier to stay on top of your budget and spot opportunities to cut waste. Is your fridge leaking energy? Dom and Charlene said that Dom Littlewood came up with lots of unexpected ways to save energy, such as making sure the seals on the fridge are intact (see the box below for more details). Dom Littlewood also persuaded the couple to bring their smart meters in-home display out the cupboard, where Dom had kept it, and put it out in the utility room where they can both see it. Checking the seal on your fridge is one way to cut down on waste Dom admits: I was less keen on it: I was worried it could become quite obsessive if you've got it there constantly. Charlene says: Now weve got it out in the open, it's definitely helping us to save money because we're more aware of it. Were able to track our electricity use better - and were more prepared when energy bills come in! We still have to live our life, but we are just making small changes just to reduce waste where we can.' When the winter months come round, the couple plans to use the smart meter to monitor (and hopefully cut down) on heating expenditure. Dom says: When we start using the central heating again, when the weather starts to turn, we can use the smart meter to monitor how we're doing over the space of four weeks and see if we can find and make adjustments (for example if it's better to have eating on for just half an hour rather than an hour). Small changes that all add up in the long term. Charlene says that even the couples eight-year-old daughter has become interested, and now unplugs her bedside light when she is not using it. You can check your smart meters in-home display whenever you want Charlene says shes even tackled some of the habits shes found hardest to change in the past. She says: Dom has been telling me for many moons to switch my hair straighteners off at the actual plug. But I've actually got into a daily habit of unplugging them from the wall.Im quite proud of that! The PLAAF deployed the J-20 stealth fighter in active combat duty over the Taiwan ADIZ as Nancy Pelosi's visit materialized in Taipei. As the PLA readied for what was to come, the Chinese media reported the Chengdu Mighty Dragon's initial action. Chinese PLA Showcases Strength China released footage of J-20 stealth fighter planes conducting military maneuvers. Last Tuesday, the stealth jets took off from an airstrip as Beijing prepared to counter Pelosi's arrival with rockets and missiles, reported EurAsian Times. According to the Global Times, Gu Zhong, the PLA Eastern Theater Command's deputy chief of staff, stated that military maneuvers comprised combined blockade, sea assault, land attack, air superiority, and live-fire precision weapon firing. Included among the 27 warplanes that hurtle into the air defense zone of Taiwan is the enclaves Ministry of Defense. The PLAAF fighters involved in the penetration of the ADIZ were six J-11s, five J-16s, and 16 Russian Su-30s as the combat package. China's Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon This Chinese heavy-weight interceptor, which first flew in 2017, is Beijing's answer to the F-35 and F-22; it has subsequently been modified. PLAAF's quest to get the aircraft they have now has taken a decade, with challenges from its US competitors, notably the F-22 Raptor. From the construction of the hefty two-engine interceptor to the enhancements it now has, it is faster than the F-35. These aircraft are developed in various ways, with the United States adopting a lengthy waterfall development and testing strategy and a model of pursuing long-term predictive requirements for the lightweight US stealth fighter. Read Also: US Army May Use These Futuristic Weapons to Face Adversaries in the Wars of Tomorrow After the 2011 actual test flight, China employed iterative approaches, with nine noticeable upgrades within five years. By March 2017, mission systems had been upgraded, and the first operational J-20 stealth fighter had been deployed to a front-line unit ahead of schedule. Issues on the Chinese 5th Gen Aircraft's 1st Flight According to its manufacturer, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the J-20 had issues on an early test flight that may have resulted in disaster, noted SCMP. On December 18, 2012, a jet was taxiing at high speed on a runway. The cockpit display indicators were green only three minutes into the test when the ground data detectors issued a warning, prompting ground control to seek an emergency test abort. Thanks to the Mighty Dragon's close shave, it's much better now. The fifth-generation fighter is active in the Indo-Pacific region, where it once met an F-35 over the East China Sea. It received positive feedback from Pacific Commander General Kenneth Wilsbach, who found the Chinese plane better than expected. Last April, the plane was given the go-ahead to patrol the Indo-Pacific. Mighty Dragon Compared to Its US Rivals According to Chinese specialists, data on the J-20's specifications shows it is equal to the F-35 and F-22. Like its US competitors, it has a stealthy airframe, jet nozzles, and air intakes. Mighty Dragon can engage beyond visual range (BVR); it can lock and fire a missile from a long distance (100 miles) and then bug out of the contested area. The next-generation fighter's rapid development has resulted in issues that must be resolved a year before it is completely operational. Most of the J-20 stealth fighter specs are not revealed and are supposed to steal tech from the US. But the concern it's on active combat duty in the Taiwan ADIZ. Related Article: Russia-Ukraine Conflict Exposes Main Battle Tanks Flaws Hindering Battle Victory @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A BBC Radio DJ branded the 'Jimmy Savile of trolling' has been found guilty of stalking Jeremy Vine and other stars by unleashing a 'tsunami of hate' over the course of nine years. Alex Belfield was accused of subjecting BBC presenter Vine to 11 months of 'personal and unpleasant attacks' on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. A court heard he also left BBC Radio Northampton DJ Bernie Keith feeling suicidal after targeting him as part of his campaign of abuse. The 42-year-old had denied stalking Vine and seven other alleged victims, and claimed he was the subject of a 'witch hunt'. But a jury at Nottingham Crown Court has today found him guilty of alternative charges of 'simple stalking' in relation to Vine and blogger Philip Dehany, and of stalking Keith and videographer Ben Hewis. He was cleared on four other charges of stalking other BBC employees and will be sentenced at a later date. Belfield, of Mapperley, Nottingham, showed no emotion and wrote on a piece of paper as the verdicts were delivered. Born in Nottinghamshire, Belfield started working in radio at age 17 and says he has worked for over 80 radio stations, including BBC Radio 2. Belfield was also a prolific freelance journalist, writing several front pages for tabloids in the early 2010s. He launched Celebrity Radio a decade ago, and now devotes himself to his Youtube channel 'The Voice of Reason' - which bills itself as offering 'daily news and topical content'. Jeremy Vine (left) gave evidence in the trial of former BBC Radio Leeds presenter Alex Belfield (right). They are both pictured outside court on July 13 Veteran broadcaster Vine had sobbed in court as he described being targeted by the 'Jimmy Savile of trolling' while giving evidence against a YouTube host accused of stalking him. The broadcaster said being harassed by 'dangerous' Alex Belfield, who has over 372,000 subscribers on the video-sharing platform, was 'like being caught with a fish hook in my face and my flesh was being torn'. Prosecutors said Belfield, 42, subjected Vine, 57, to a 'relentless' online campaign that included a 'wave of personal and unpleasant attacks' on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook over an 11-month period. Belfield was found guilty of stalking to cause alarm and distress to BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith (pictured) 'It left me numb with fear... this was absolutely Olympic level stalking,' Vine said. Belfield is also said to have encouraged his supporters to make hoax calls to Vine's Channel 5 TV and BBC Radio 2 shows, accused Vine of appointing his '10-year-old daughter' as a director of one of his companies in a bid to dodge paying tax, and tried to obtain private phone numbers for his family members. Vine also told Nottingham Crown Court that he had not been aware of Belfield until the 42-year-old said from a broadcasting studio that he liked to watch a female weather presenter on his leather sofa, 'naked and with a box of tissues handy'. The charges faced by the former BBC DJ Alex Belfield had been charged with stalking eight other broadcasters and media figures. After a trial at Nottingham Crown Court, a jury spent more than 14 hours deliberating before returning with the verdicts. The jury could either find him not guilty, guilty, or convict him of the lesser offence of 'simple stalking', which means stalking without causing alarm or distress. He was accused of stalking to cause alarm and distress to the following people: Count 1: The BBC's former head of north Rozina Breen - not guilty Count 2: Former BBC Radio Leeds presenter Liz Green - not guilty Count 3: Former managing editor of BBC Radio Leeds Helen Thomas - not guilty Count 4: Former BBC Radio Leeds presenter Stephanie Hirst - not guilty Count 5: BBC Radio Northampton DJ Bernie Keith - guilty Count 6: Videographer Ben Hirst - guilty Count 7: Theatre blogger Philip Dehany - not guilty, but guilty of simply stalking Count 8: BBC broadcaster Jeremy Vine - not guilty, but guilty of simple stalking Advertisement The BBC presenter added that he received an 'avalanche of hatred' from other internet users thanks to Belfield's videos and tweets, and had to put cameras in his home because he feared one of the YouTuber's 'disciples' may launch a knife or acid attack on him or his family. Vine told the court: 'We are dealing with serious criminality here. This is not a regular troll. This is the Jimmy Savile of trolling. Every reference to him makes my flesh creep. All he does is lie.' The court heard Vine even had to put up a picture of Belfield in his hallway and warn his 13-year-old daughter to be on her guard while on the street - causing her to burst in tears. Vine, wearing a navy blue suit and tie, frequently glared at Belfield from the witness box as he described him as a 'nasty, nasty man' whose actions were, he said, 'crazy and wicked'. He told how he'd never heard of Belfield, himself a former BBC radio host, until April 2020 when an acquaintance sent him a link to a video on YouTube that featured a 'rant' about him - with Belfield concluding: 'This guy really p***** me off.' Vine said that in hindsight, he 'wished he hadn't' viewed it, adding: 'Watching this man is like swimming in sewage.' He added that in one incident, which he understands may have got Belfield fired, a young weather forecaster was the subject of 'disgusting' remarks. Vine told the court: 'You [Belfield] were on the air and a young weather forecaster was sat down in Mr Belfield's studio. I listened to it again a couple of days ago to make sure my recollection was correct. 'You said, "I like to watch you on my leather sofa at home", "I'm usually naked" and "I like to have a box of tissues handy". I thought it was disgusting. 'I'm saying it contributed to you being fired as it rightly should have. You've said your name in court and you've got that right. Everything that brings me here is a lie. 'I haven't heard you say anything truthful in court today. I didn't want to be cross examined by you as you've caused so much turmoil in your life. 'You are the Jimmy Savile of trolling. You operate by proxy, you drive others to send messages. Not separated by weeks or months, they were separated by days, sometimes hours. You were broadcasting on consecutive days. 'I am scared of you.' Belfield, pictured here arriving at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday, was found guilty of two counts of simple stalking and two counts of stalking to cause alarm and distress Addressing Belfield, he added: 'I knew nothing about your BBC career until you made lude comments about a weather forecaster. I think because journalism holds truth, you're not (a journalist). 'Your desire to do me serious harm, that was clear from all of your broadcasts, frightened me. 'I refitted the camera system on my house. Having bought two, I gave two to my neighbour.' Jurors have been told a 'constant bombardment' of videos, tweets and messages then followed, with Belfield becoming increasingly abusive. Vine told the hearing: 'I can see he is really starting to personally dislike me, and I do not know why because I have never had anything to do with this man. 'This starts to get more worrying for me because clearly it is Alex versus Jeremy and he has an agenda, and I am wondering if I am starting to have a problem here.' Belfield had been accused of stalking Rozina Breen (pictured), the BBC's former head of north and his boss when at BBC Radio Leeds. He was found not guilty of this charge It was alleged he had stalked BBC Radio Leeds presenter Liz Green (pictured), but the jury cleared him of this charge He was also accused of stalking Stephanie Hirst (pictured), another BBC Radio Leeds presenter, something he was cleared of DJ Alex Belfield's 'constant presence' online meant he could be charged with stalking - despite never appearing at his victims' homes The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said ex-BBC DJ Alex Belfield's constant presence online meant he could be charged with stalking - despite not appearing at victims' homes. A statement released by the CPS said the 42-year-old's claims that the trial was as a result of a BBC prosecution were 'not the case', adding: 'These were criminal proceedings.' Belfield was convicted of causing serious alarm or distress to two victims and was found guilty of 'simple' stalking in relation to Channel 5 and BBC Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine and theatre blogger Philip Dehany. The prosecuting body said the 'sustained nature' of his abuse amounted to stalking - adding that his actions online had a 'devastating impact' on his victims. Explaining how they built the case, the CPS said in a statement: 'Alex Belfield did not appear at victims' homes or workplaces, but he was a constant presence online or on social media in the victims' lives. 'His actions online, whether in the form of messages sent directly to victims, personal comments directed at them from his broadcasts, or him contacting friends, family and colleagues, had the same devastating impact on his victims. 'They were not easy to avoid, as even when the victim turned off their social media or blocked him he would find other routes, change his email address or contact people close to them. 'He would also ask followers of his channel to assist by sending their emails and tweets to his victims. 'The CPS's case was that the sustained nature of this abuse amounted to stalking.' The statement continued: 'Belfield had made claims that this was a BBC prosecution. 'This is not the case - these were criminal proceedings. 'The CPS examined the evidence of his behaviour, including his broadcasts and emails, and determined that it amounted to stalking because of its relentless nature.' District crown prosecutor for the East Midlands, Sheryl Monk, said: 'Stalking is a very serious crime that has a severe impact on its victims. 'Alex Belfield's conduct, in the form of messages, broadcasts, insults and threats, left his victims fearful and anxious. 'Victims feared for their families and gave accounts to the jury of the terrible impact of Belfield's abuse on their private lives. 'Throughout this trial, victims and other witnesses have given evidence with dignity and I would like to thank them for their willingness to give evidence. 'Alex Belfield had no qualms about the abuse he handed out, in many cases publicly. 'The extent of his abusive behaviour provided clear evidence that this conduct was stalking.' Advertisement He added that in one period, Belfield had made 124 references to him in his online content in just 14 days - and started falsely claiming that Vine had 'stolen' 1,000 of licence fee payers' money to put towards a memorial for radio executive John Myers, who died at the age of 60. Vine broke down as he told jurors how that accusation, which he described as a 'complete lie', had led to one troll targeting an online tribute he posted to his father, who died of Parkinson's disease in 2018. He said: 'His comment was, "What would your father have said if he knew his son was a thieving toe rag?" 'I couldn't handle it. I went to the police and said I couldn't handle it any more.' The BBC star added that he has had 'scores of 'horrible messages' on Twitter. 'It's incredibly powerful thing to say, "this man took your money for his friends funeral and a p***up". None of that is true.' Turning to the jury, Mr Vine added: 'The threat that I felt Belfield posed to me was a scale dozen times higher. He doesn't know and I don't know if his 500,000 [YouTube] followers might find me.' Vine added that Belfield, of Mapperley, Nottingham, escalated the harassment from 'week to week' to 'day to day', claiming: 'He operates through persistence and repetition. 'I couldn't sleep. You are thinking about this 24/7.' The court was played a series of Belfield's videos about Vine, in which he repeatedly referred to the missing 1,000 and described him a 'c***', a 'sanctimonious p****', and said he had 'blood on his hands' over the Covid-19 pandemic. Shaking his head during the footage at times, Vine said: 'I have two daughters, they are 18 and 15 now. My daughter Anna was 13 at the time this happened. 'I had to sit her and her sister down and tell them about the situation. 'I said this man hates me, he has accused me of stealing, he has driven so much hatred towards me so we are going to have to be careful. 'We had a picture of him in our hallway. We thought it was possible that one of his half a million followers could have a knife or acid or something. 'Imagine telling a 13-year-old that? She was in tears, I saw her just shrink. It was a year before she had the confidence to leave the house again. 'She is his victim as well and he does not even know her name.' 'There's a good deal of stalking in broadcasting, but none of my friends in the industry has seen anything like this. 'This is Olympic-level stalking.' Describing the impact Belfield's alleged campaign had on him, Vine said it left him 'shredded'. He added: 'It launched incredible hate against me. I had 5,000 to 10,000 hateful personal tweets as a direct result of Belfield. 'He kept on and on. I was anxious. I couldn't eat or sleep for a time. 'I felt wounded, and felt there was absolutely no escape. 'I had a physical stalker who followed me. That was a picnic compared to this guy. His videos are still online. In 1,000 years my great, great grandchildren will see stories about how I stole 1,000, and there is nothing I can do about it.' Vine said the abuse only ended when the police started investigating Belfield, and his bail conditions meant he could no longer produce videos about him. He added: 'That has given me and the others a year where we just remembered what it was like 'BB' - Before Belfield.' After more than 14 hours of deliberations, the jury cleared Belfield of half of the eight charges against him. Belfield pictured taking a selfie outside Nottingham Crown Court before an earlier court appearance A jury at Nottingham Crown Court found Belfield guilty of stalking four people, but cleared him of four other stalking charges The jury found him not guilty of stalking the BBC's former head of north, Rozina Breen; former BBC Radio Leeds presenters Liz Green and Stephanie Hirst, and former managing editor of BBC Radio Leeds Helen Thomas. It found him guilty of stalking to cause alarm or distress against BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith and videographer Ben Hewis. It convicted him of alternative charges of 'simple stalking' in relation to Jeremy Vine and theatre blogger Philip Dehany, meaning stalking without alarm or distress. He is set to be sentenced at the same court on September 16. More damaging winds and possible flooding are on the way, with some parts of Australia receiving more than their average monthly rainfall in just 48 hours. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings for damaging winds up to 90km/h across southern parts of South Australia, including Mount Lofty on Friday. Warnings have been extended across the Victorian Alps and along southern NSW and up to Wollongong with the strong winds set to ease throughout the day. An intense cold front has led to powerful thunderstorms from Lightning Ridge down to Newcastle throughout the early morning. The wet weather has prompted several flood watches to be issued, with water levels rising at the Murrumbidgee, Macquarie and Lachlan rivers. The strong winds and flood warning add to a week of wild weather that has been battering the southern states of Australia, with homes left without power, roofs being torn off properties and a car being swept away into a flooded causeway. Meteorologist Jonathan Howe said average rainfalls for August had been smashed with significant downpours recorded over the last 48 hours. More damaging winds and possible flooding are on the way with some parts of Australia receiving more than their average monthly rainfall in just 48 hours (pictured, overturned motorhome in South Australia) The Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings for damaging winds up to 90km/h across southern parts of South Australia including Mount Lofty on Friday (pictured, fallen trees in South Australia) The Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings for damaging winds up to 90km/h across southern parts of South Australia including Mount Lofty on Friday (pictured, graphic of rain forecast across Australia) Scone, Dubbo and Mudgee usually receive between 25mm and 50mm throughout the month - with all three areas receiving above-average rainfall since Wednesday. Perisher has received more than 140mm over the last two days - more than half of its monthly average of 240mm. Canberra received 44mm - just 2mm shy of its average monthly rainfall of 46mm. Mr Howe reassured that the worst of the rainfall had passed with showers likely to continue and move up to south Queensland. 'Over the weekend, we will see easing trends right across the south-east of the country,' he said. 'It will be mostly clear by late Sunday and more likely Monday.' Mr Howe said a negative Indian Ocean Dipole was leading to wetter than average conditions across the country, with more rainfall expected up to Spring. The damaging wind warning across the southern part of Australia comes after wind gusts of more than 100km/h were recorded overnight. Strong winds damaged railings at Strathalbyn Racing Club, in South Australia, on Thursday The strong winds and flood warning add to a week of wild weather that has been battering the southern states of Australia with homes left without power, roofs being torn off properties and a car being swept away into a flooded causeway (pictured, caved-in roof of a garage in South Australia) Mr Howe said a negative Indian Ocean Dipole was leading to wetter than average conditions across the country with more rainfall expected up to Spring (pictured, fallen trees in South Australia) Damaging winds have pulled trees out of the ground by the roots and led to thousands of dollars worth of damages to properties (pictured, fallen tree in backyard of a home in South Australia) Thousands of Victorian households and businesses were without power after winds took out power lines on Wednesday (stock image) Weatherzone meteorologist Jessica Miskelly gusts of 109km/h were recorded at Strathalbyn, in South Australia, on Thursday. Trees were brought down while a motorhome was thrown onto its side at Woodchester. NSW has also been battered by strong winds, with Thredbo recording gusts of 98km/h and Falls Creek of 96km/h. The southwest coast of Victoria has endured 90km/h winds. Heavy rainfall led to a car being swept into Macdonalds Creek at Erudgere, in regional NSW. It is unknown if any people were in the vehicle at the time prompting emergency services to launch a search and rescue operation for the missing driver. NSW has also been battered by strong winds with Thredbo recording gusts of 98km/h and Falls Creek of 96km/h (stock image) Thousands of Victorian households and businesses were without power after winds took out power lines on Wednesday. AusNet Services reported the most unplanned outages on Wednesday morning, with more than 15,000 as of about 9am. The outages were significant east of Melbourne and in the state's far southeast. By about 11am, the number of properties without power had dwindled only slightly to nearly 12,900. Victoria's State Emergency Service fielded 254 calls for help in the 12 hours to 8.20am on Wednesday, with 214 for fallen trees. WA was slammed with the extreme weather event earlier this week with roofs ripped off houses and power cut to parts of Perth Airport after a high-voltage transmission pole was damaged. A California Sheriff's Office is threatening to press charges against an ABC News television news crew after they brought a civilian into the McKinney Fire evacuation zone up in their news van, walked around on private property and found where a victim had perished in the inferno. The Siskiyou County Sheriff has accused the news crew of 'televising the information prior to law enforcement properly processing the scene and notifying the family.' 'This is unacceptable and disrespectful to fire victims and their families and will NOT be tolerated,' the sheriff's office wrote on Facebook. California Sheriff's Office is contemplating press charges against an ABC News' Matt Gutman and his television crew whose report saw them take a resident up to the site of the fire Guttman could be seen chatting with resident, Sherry, seen right in the back of the ABC News van 'We were with her in the debris just moments ago as they discovered what they believed to be the remains of her uncle,' Gutman revealed to viewers The alleged offense occurred during Tuesday night's World News Tonight broadcast in which chief national correspondent Matt Gutman could be seen walking around the burned remains of a county resident and the home which she said was her uncle's. 'My uncle was sitting right there in that chair, I think, that is no longer there,' she says. 'Have you heard from your uncle?' Gutman then asks. 'No, he died, he had to have died. He lived right there,' she says, as she pointed to the rubble. Towards the end of the segment, Gutman reveals how the woman found her uncle. Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office say the site is being treated as a crime scene and that the media had left the site 'disturbed' following their presence 'My uncle was sitting right there in that chair, I think, that is no longer there,' Sherry said on camera Although ABC News were not named as the crew involved, the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office were furious A number of Twitter users were not impressed by the actions of the ABC News crew 'We were with her in the debris just moments ago as they discovered what they believed to be the remains of her Uncle.' ABC News said in a statement that the crew had permission to visit the site. 'Officials gave ABC News permission to cross the fire line. A resident gave us permission to be on the property where the house had burned down. As soon as the residents discovered the body, our team notified law enforcement.' The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office say that the area in which the report was filmed is being treated as a crime scene with the fire's 'cause and origin still under investigation.' California law allows press access to disaster scenes, but active crime scenes are excluded. The sheriff's office have stated that the home featured in the broadcast had not been processed by investigators or search teams when the ABC crew were on site. When officials were finally in the area, they found a deceased person on the property that 'media had disturbed.' Sherry, left, appeared distraught as she walked Gutman around the site of her uncle's home The pair could be seen walking around the site of the fire 'Since we are actively checking structures and properties for deceased individuals, and conducting various law enforcement investigations, it is imperative media respect the necessary restrictions on private property and stay on public property that has been cleared for media access,' the sheriff's office said. 'We haven't determined whether we're going to press charges,' Amy Travis, a spokesperson for the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office and the Office of Emergency Services, said. The massive California fire comes as more than half of the country is now experiencing some form of drought for the fourth week in a row with no region of the country free from the harsh conditions. A combination of extreme heat coupled with low amounts of rainfall is also pulling moisture from plants and soil resulting in tinder dry conditions, ripe for wildfires. Wildfire season has become longer and blazes more intense, scorching temperatures have broken records and lakes are shriveling. While it may come as no surprise that the western portion of the country including California is enveloped in a drought which has lasted for several years, even the northeast of the country is now experiencing a 'flash drought'. More than half the country is in some level of drought for the fourth week in a row, the US Drought Monitor reported on Thursday Wildfire season has also become longer and blazes more intense, scorching temperatures have broken records and lakes are shriveling. A Billings 4AJ helicopter makes a water drop at the Oak Fire near Mariposa, California last month The states of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine are all experiencing drought. 'Short-term moderate and severe drought continued to expand, especially in the New York City area, New Jersey, and New England, where rainfall was sparse and temperatures were a few degrees above normal,' the Drought Monitor said. Residents in northeastern states are being asked to be prudent with how they are using water. Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont asked residents to use less water in mid-July in the hope of prolonging the drought. There is no sight of the drought abating any time soon with 'temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal across the Northeast and New England on Thursday and Frida afternoon, where it will feel like the upper 90s and 100s,' according to CNN. Los Padres Hotshots firefighters seen last week battling California's largest wildfire of the summer near Yosemite National Park A combination of extreme heat coupled with low amounts of rainfall is also pulling moisture from plants and soil resulting in tinder dry conditions, ripe for wildfires Similar conditions to those in the Northeast are also being repeated in the Midwest and South, but there are also incidents of extreme rainfall resulting in flash flooding in Missouri and Kentucky. On Thursday, the suburbs of St. Louis were under a flash flood warning as several inches fell in just one hour. Scientists say that as climate change continues and the planet warms, there is likely to be extreme conditions at both ends of the spectrum. In other parts of the country, the drought has also continued to expand both in the Southern Plains and in Texas where temperatures are warmer than normal. 'Drought impacts across Texas ranged from crop failure to water supply problems, in one case from a well failure,' the Drought Monitor reported. Despite the area being familiar with triple digit temperatures, cattle ranchers have been forced to sell off livestock and sent them to the slaughter ahead of schedule with weather conditions so bad that they are not able to be looked after properly and be kept healthy. Flames make an upslope run at the McKinney Fire, in the Klamath National Forest near Yreka, California, on Tuesday. At least four people are now known to have died in the wildfire River-front property in the community of Klamath River lies in ruins after it burned in the McKinney Fire in the Klamath National Forest, northwest of Yreka, California, last week Only one region of the country saw conditions improve. The Texas Panhandle and eastwards into Oklahoma, Arkansas, northern Mississippi, together with parts of Tennessee experienced heavy rainfall leading to an improvement in conditions. In California firefighters made gains against the state's deadliest and largest wildfire of the year, but forecasters warned on Thursday that spiking temperatures and plunging humidity levels could create conditions for further growth. After five days of no containment, the McKinney Fire in Siskiyou County near the Oregon border was 10% surrounded by Wednesday evening. Bulldozers and hand crews were making progress carving firebreaks around much of the rest of the blaze, fire officials said. At the fire's southeastern corner, evacuation orders for sections of Yreka, home to about 7,800 people, were downgraded to warnings, allowing residents to return home but with a caution that the situation remained dangerous. About 1,300 people remained under evacuation orders, officials said at a community meeting Wednesday evening. The fire didn't advance much midweek, following several days of brief but heavy rain from thunderstorms that provided cloudy, damper weather. But as the clouds clear and humidity levels drops in the coming days, the fire could roar again, authorities warned. 'This is a sleeping giant right now,' said Darryl Laws, a unified incident commander on the blaze. A dramatic water line can be seen behind boats docked on the marina at Lake Mead, Nevada last week. Water levels in Lake Mead are at the lowest level since April 1937 when the reservoir was being filled for the first time Buoys that read 'No Boats' lay on cracked dry earth where water once was at Lake Mead, Nevada. Almost the entire American west is in the grip of a major drought A 'bathtub ring', a white band of mineral deposits showing previous water levels, is visible at Lake Mead at the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River at the Nevada and Arizona state border A previously sunken boat sits on dried land that was once underwater at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Boulder City, Nevada Weekend temperatures could reach triple digits as the region dries out again, said meteorologist Brian Nieuwenhuis with the National Weather Service office in Medford, Oregon. 'The heat, the dry conditions, along with afternoon breezes, thats the kind of thing that could keep the fire pretty active,' he said Thursday. The blaze broke out last Friday and has charred nearly 92 square miles (238 square kms) of forestland, left tinder-dry by drought. 2,000 residents have been evacuated, more than 100 homes and other buildings have burned and four bodies have been found, including two in a burned car in a driveway. The blaze was driven at first by fierce winds ahead of a thunderstorm cell. More storms earlier this week proved a mixed blessing. Destroyed property is left in its wake as the Oak Fire chews through the forest near Midpines, northeast of Mariposa, California A drenching rain Tuesday dumped up to 3 inches on some eastern sections of the blaze but most of the fire area got next to nothing, said Dennis Burns, a fire behavior analyst. 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. Alex Jones' ex-wife claims the conservative conspiracy theorist is 'mentally ill' and needs to be 'protected from himself and others.' Kelly Nichols, 54, is hopeful the jury returns with a verdict that teaches Jones his 'delusional' behaviors are 'not acceptable.' Nichols watched Jones apparently perjure himself in Texas court Wednesday when he testified that he never sent messages about the Sandy Hook massacre, despite text records indicating otherwise. She called the alleged perjury a 'come to Jesus moment' that a 'lot of people are going to be interested in.' Meantime, Jones, 48, has blasted his 'incredibly sick' lawyers for accidentally handing his phone and email records to the opposing counsel during a rant on his Infowars show. Kelly Nichols (left) says her ex-husband, conservative conspiracy theorist Alex Jones (right) is 'mentally ill' and needs to be 'protected from himself and others' Plaintiff attorney Mark Bankston told the court where Jones is on trial to determine how much he owes for defaming the parents of Sandy Hook victims on Wednesday that his attorney sent him the last two years' worth of texts from Jones' cellphone. 'Did you know 12 days ago, your attorneys messed up and sent me an entire digital copy of your entire cell phone with every text message you've sent for the past two years?' Bankston asked during cross examination. Jones had previously testified that he was unable to find any messages regarding the school massacre and was shocked when one was shown on screen to the court. Nichols, who was married to Jones for eight years, said she thinks his alleged moment of perjury may be eye opening to others. 'I think you saw someone, as we say in Texas, having a 'come to Jesus' moment,' she told Inside Edition on Thursday. 'The cat is out of the bag and a lot of people are going to be interested in that information.' 'Alex is truly mentally ill. To me, he should be protected from himself and others. 'He doesn't have any moral compass. He lives in his own universe. He's a very delusional man.' 'Alex is truly mentally ill. To me, he should be protected from himself and others,' Nichols (pictured) said. 'He doesn't have any moral compass. He lives in his own universe. He's a very delusional man' Jones (pictured in court Wednesday) was ordered on Thursday to pay $4.1 million to the parents of Sandy Hook victim Jesse Lewis after claiming the massacre was a hoax and that he could not pay anything over $2 million Jones was ordered on Thursday to pay $4.1 million to the parents of Sandy Hook victim Jesse Lewis after claiming the massacre was a hoax and that he could not pay anything over $2 million. The parents had sought at least $150 million dollars in compensation for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress for all the damage and harm his lies have caused them over the span of a decade. 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.' His company recently filed for bankruptcy. 'I know he had hidden money,' Nichols told the TV outlet. 'I think he's got a lot of buckets under a lot of shells.' She added: 'I hope the jury returns with the verdict that shows him this behavior is not acceptable.' Jones slammed his lead attorney, Andino Reynal, on his Infowars show Wednesday (pictured) saying Reynal 'should have gotten up at that point' in trial and demanded to see specific evidence of the alleged perjury Nichols' interview, which airs in full Thursday on Inside Edition, comes just one day after Jones launched a rant against his own 'damn lawyers' on his Infowars show Wednesday night. The broadcaster, noticeably horrified and embarrassed by the trove of text messages presented during court, slammed his lead attorney, Andino Reynal, saying he 'should have gotten up at that point' in trial and demanded to see specific evidence of the alleged perjury. 'I'm not attacking, it's just a fact,' Jones argued on his show. 'It's just so incredibly sick that I sit there and give the damn lawyers all the text messages and then they send it over to Connecticut. 'The Texas lawyers, before the new one I have never even gave them the stuff I gave them! Or that's what they claim.' He argued Reynal should've interjected during Bankston's cross-examination and demanded the attorney 'show us the deposition' where Jones allegedly committed perjury. 'Bankston has deposed me, is it three or is it four times?' he said. 'I've been deposed four times by Connecticut, but I never talked to them, so I'm defaulted.' 'They've got all this stuff, and I did search one of my phones, and it didn't have Sandy Hook stuff in it.' Jones was shocked to discover that his lawyers had handed over messages by mistake to the attorney for the Sandy Hook parents 'I'm not attacking, it's just a fact,' Jones (pictured outside court on Wednesday) argued on his show. 'It's just so incredibly sick that I sit there and give the damn lawyers all the text messages and then they send it over to Connecticut' He recalled his counsel saying the plaintiff's legal team accused him of hiding messages, so he handed over all his old devices to his attorneys and instructed them to 'search it and give it to the damn lawyers.' Jones said he gave handed over the evidence 'because I wasn't talking about Sandy Hook, I don't care about Sandy Hook.' 'We don't cover it other than when they force us to,' he explained, adding that the mishap never should have occurred in the first place. 'I then I'm sitting there, the final witness in a trial where I am already found guilty by the judge for not giving stuff over, and my lawyers give them the raw text messages of six months from 2019, early 2020. 'That's the reality and then I see a text message from Paul Watson saying 'this story sounds like Sandy Hook bull.' A story about COVID. How is that even pertinent? How is that lying about something?' Reynal asked Judge Maya Guerra Gamble to declare a mistrial over the mistaken transfer of records and said they should have been returned and any copies destroyed. She rejected the request. Bankston said his team followed Texas' civil rules of evidence and that Jones' attorneys missed their chance to properly request the return of the records. 'Mr. Reynal is using a fig leaf (to cover) for his own malpractice,' Bankston said. He said the records mistakenly sent to him included some medical records of plaintiffs in other lawsuits against Jones. Jones repeatedly claimed that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, which left 20 students and six teachers dead, was a 'hoax' and had been 'staged' Neil Heslin (pictured in court Tuesday), 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's mother, Scarlett Lewis (pictured in court Tuesday) said she feared for her life and confronted Jones on the stand as he said he did not believe she was an actor Rolling Stone, quoting unnamed sources, reported Wednesday evening that the Jan. 6 committee was preparing to subpoena the data from the Bankston to assist in the investigation of the deadly Capitol riot. Bankston said outside of court Thursday that the committee had requested the phone records, but hadn't subpoenaed them. He also said he wasn't familiar with everything that was in the records yet, including whether they include any information that the committee is seeking, because there was so much information in them. 'We don't know (yet) the full scope and breadth,' of the material, Bankston said. 'We certainly saw text messages from as far back as 2019. ... In terms of what all is on that phone, it's going to take a little while to figure that out.' 'The Jan. 6 committee doesn't have any more information about what's on that phone than I do. I don't know if it even covers the time period they are interested in,' he said. Jones didn't attend Thursday's court proceedings. But on his Infowars show Thursday, he said the records were from a year before Jan. 6 and had 'nothing to do with it.' 'And if anything, I say more radical things on air than I do on text messages. And the idea that there's some type of criminal activity on there is preposterous,' he said. 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 Scarlett Lewis (left) and Neil Heslin (right) rise once Judge Maya Guerra Gamble begins the third day of trial Thursday, July 28, 2022 Last month, the Jan. 6 committee showed graphic and violent text messages and played videos of right-wing figures, including Jones, and others vowing that Jan. 6 would be the day they would fight for Trump. The committee first subpoenaed Jones in November, demanding a deposition and documents related to his efforts to spread misinformation about the 2020 election and a rally on the day of the attack. In the subpoena letter, Rep. Bennie Thompson, the Democratic chairman, said Jones helped organize the Jan. 6 rally at the Ellipse that preceded the insurrection. He wrote that Jones repeatedly promoted Trump's false claims of election fraud, urged his listeners to go to Washington for the rally, and march from the Ellipse to the Capitol. Thompson also wrote that Jones 'made statements implying that you had knowledge about the plans of President Trump with respect to the rally.' The nine-member panel was especially interested in what Jones said shortly after Trump's now-infamous Dec. 19, 2020, tweet in which he told his supporters to 'be there, will be wild!' on Jan. 6. 'You went on InfoWars that same day and called the tweet 'One of the most historic events in American history,'' the letter continued. In January, Jones was deposed by the committee during an hourslong, virtual meeting in which he said he exercised his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 'almost 100 times.' Other drugs used as antidepressants, high blood pressure medications, diabetes medications, asthma drugs and more are also experiencing shortages Australians are facing a critical medicine shortage as supply chain issues and increased demand wreak havoc on pharmacy shelves. According to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), 343 medicines are currently facing shortages, with dozens listed yesterday, including widely used medications including Ritalin, which is used to treat ADHD. Other drugs used as antidepressants, high blood pressure medications, diabetes medications, asthma drugs are also experiencing shortages. However, it is Ritalin which many are saying is causing the biggest headache as the widely used stimulant is used to treat ADHD, an illness on the rise. The TGA say more than 300 medicines are currently facing shortages. This includes drug Ritalin (pictured), widely used to treat ADHD, a disease on the rise Psychiatrist Dr Tanveer Ahmed said his patients were struggling to go to school and work amid the drug shortage The TGA's drug shortage notice board lists Ritalin's 10mg, 20mg and 30mg doses - in short supply. A medicine shortage is officially defined as 'when there is unlikely to be enough of a medicine in Australia for the people who need to take it'. Psychiatrist Dr Tanveer Ahmed told The Daily Telegraph patients were struggling to go to school and work amid the drug shortage. 'We've had several calls from late last week to early this week of people not being able to pick up their meds. 'It has left people panicking and (has) a range of knock-on effects, people aren't functioning as well at work, some people have been forced to take days off, kids are more behaviourally disturbed in the schoolyard.' Other drugs used as antidepressants, high blood pressure medications, diabetes medications, asthma drugs and more are also experiencing shortages He also said while he has been prescribing substitute medications, swapping any mental health drug is not ideal as not everyone is going to respond in the same way. Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists President Dr Vinay Lakra said the government desperately needs to find a solution to the problem which has been coming for years. He said the shortage is causing relapses and urged patients to speak to their doctors and plan ahead. Advertisement New York's most prolific offender is a notorious thief who has been arrested 101 times for repeated raids on Target and other stores, DailyMail.com can reveal. Harold Gooding has been busted for dozens of larceny charges - including four heists on the popular department store - since being freed under lax bail reforms. The 53-year-old already has 15 convictions to his name, as well as 14 failures to show in court following his prolific crime spree. He has rocketed to number one on the NYPD's list for repeat offenders following his torrent of thefts - but somehow remains on the loose to carry out further raids. His former landlord told DailyMail.com about the 'tenant from hell' who would bring prostitutes over, take drugs, viciously argue with his neighbors and trash the apartment before disappearing around a year ago. Henry, who did not want to give his second name, said it led him to fear for the safety of his wife and daughters and left him feeling like 'a prisoner in his own home'. Speaking from the south Bronx building, which is Gooding's last known address, he claimed the thug would steal other resident's parcels and had the cops called on him at least 20 times. Meanwhile the local mailman described the criminal as a quiet man who 'wasn't the type to make conversation' but said he was stunned to hear about the crimes he had committed. He said Gooding would just wait on the street for his mail - because he did not have a key to his mailbox - and would take it inside without any small talk. It comes after Mayor Eric Adams, along with cops, released the top ten most prolific offenders in the city, with them making up more than 500 arrests between them. Out of the 10, a staggering six are not behind bars due to lax bail reforms dating back to 2020. They have been compounded by the woke District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who instructed his staff not to pursue cash bail in a majority of cases, when he took office. It has ramped up huge pressure on lawmakers to crack down on career criminals who continue evade justice and lock them up for good. Harold Gooding has been busted for dozens of larceny charges - including four heists on the popular department store - since being freed under the city's lax bail reforms Out of these, 74 were on petit and grand larceny charges that were all committed in Manhattan, with two pending cases against him for five alleged thefts from the Target store on Greenwich Street (pictured) NYC'S 10 WORST REPEAT OFFENDERS INCLUDING A CHRONIC THIEF WITH 101 ARRESTS CRIMINAL #1 - Thief with 101 arrests on his record Arrested 101 times total 74 arrests for theft in Manhattan 15 convictions 14 failure to appear Open case for stealing from Target CRIMINAL #2 - 67 arrests in the last two years 96 arrests total 44 convictions 26 failures to appear CRIMINAL #3 - 18 open cases 58 arrests total (55 since 2020) 18 open cases for theft and burglary CRIMINAL #4 - 22 convictions 62 arrests total 59 arrests since bail reform 47 theft charges in Manhattan Eight open cases CRIMINAL #5 - Arrested 23 times this year Serial burglar with 23 arrests, all in 2022 12 in Manhattan CRIMINAL #6 - 71 arrests for burglary and misdemeanors but is OUT 71 total arrests 57 arrests since bail reform 1 felony, 1 misdemeanor Out on parole for burglary charge CRIMINAL #7 - 33 arrests since 2020 17 arrests for burglary since 2020 in Brooklyn Five convictions Six open cases Still free on the streets CRIMINAL #8 - 87 career arrests 25 arrests since bail reform 20 convictions for burglary and robbery Out pending sentencing CRIMINAL #9 - 48 arrests with TEN open warrants Arrested 39 times since bail reform 17 grand larceny charges Four convictions Open cases for stealing from Sally's and L'Occitane CRIMINAL #10 - 39 arrests in two years including assaulting a police officer 13 arrests for Grand Larceny 19 convictions Three pending Grand Larceny Auto arrests Still free Advertisement Gooding, who also goes by Jamel White, has been busted an astonishing 88 times on larceny charges in the last two years but continues to roam the streets. Out of these, 74 were on petit and grand larceny charges that were all committed in Manhattan, with two pending cases against him for five alleged thefts from the Target store on Greenwich Street. The thug has been convicted 15 times, made up of two violent felonies, one non-violent one and 10 misdemeanors. He is also understood to have skipped court hearings at least 14 times. Meanwhile he has served time behind bars for robbery and burglary convictions, but continues to evade justice in a cell on Rikers Island due to woke bail reform laws brought in in 2020. DailyMail.com went to the south Bronx home that is Gooding's last known residence to find out about the city's most notorious career criminal. Henry, the landlord, who did not want to release his last name, told Dailymail.com Gooding was 'the tenant from hell,' and said there were times he feared for the safety of his wife and daughters, adding he felt like 'a prisoner in his own home'. Henry was floored when he learned Gooding had a rap sheet that goes back to 2016 and was arrested 101 times. He said: 'We didn't know. 101 times I can't believe it. The system made him do that. The politicians make it worse. 'When they passed bail reform we knew it was a problem. You get arrested and then you get out. I don't like bail reform and the way the city is run. 'I am not blaming the mayor, just the politicians who allow criminals not to get arrested.' Henry, who is from Nigeria and has a degree in mechanical engineering and four daughters, said he worked hard to get where he is today. He said one of his daughters is a senior advisor to Governor Kathy Hochul and his other two daughters are doctors, while the fourth still lives at home. He said Gooding would fight with the other tenants while he lived there. He said cops have come looking for the thug at least four times, with the most recent 10 days ago. The last time he was at his apartment was on June 22, 2021 when the cops came because he allegedly stole packages from the front of the house. When Henry called him out on it Gooding denied it. 'He called me a liar. He said the security camera wasn't right.' He said he called the cops and they came to the building but Gooding refused to come out of his apartment. The cops said they would come back in the morning and the next day at 6.30am Henry said Gooding was gone. 'I haven't seen him. He left everything in the apartment. He also took the key. I had to change the locks.' He said the first time he met Gooding was back in March 2018 when he rented him the second-story apartment. He said he was a veteran and when he asked him for next of kin in case of an emergency and he refused he realized the guy was 'trouble.' From March 2018 to June 2021 his behavior became more erratic. 'The first year we thought he was a good guy. He said he served in Iraq. He had PTSD then we realized he wasn't normal. 'He started asking me for money. I would give him $10, $5 and $4 three different times and than I stopped. He wasn't buying food it was for drugs. He was bringing home prostitutes all hours of the night. I tried to push him out.' The 53-year-old thug already has 15 convictions to his name, as well as 14 failures to show in court following his prolific crime spree Pictured: The apartment block in the south of the Bronx where Gooding had been living. His landlord said he had left the area but did not know where he was A post on Gooding's Facebook profile showed him showing off a pair of earrings that he was holding in what appeared to be a jewelry store Henry said he called the police at least 20 times but they were never able to arrest him because the police told him it was a landlord/tenant issue. He said that the tenant in the third floor was complaining of bugs and roaches coming into her apartment. Henry said he gave Gooding 48 hours notice, slipping the note under his apartment to see what was going on. When Gooding didn't respond he opened the door with his own key and saw crack pipes and tons of garbage strewn all over the floor, bugs everywhere, the toilet was clogged. He said: 'You can't imagine what was inside that room. Garbage he brought from the outside. Big black garbage bags. 'I purchased the building in 2000. In 22 years I never had a tenant like that. He was the worst. He did it to punish me. Henry said he took them to Bronx housing court when he tried to evict him and Covid delayed everything and he just got judgement last month and now he is waiting for Marshall to come. 'I took him to court two years ago he didn't show. Every time he was sent a letter he was a no show. He threw garbage in the apartment to spite me and he would use a crowbar and hit the ceiling and floor all hours of the day.' Henry said he had to hire a cleaning service and spent $850 of his own money to clean the apartment. He said the cleaning service found trash, rodents and rats and crack pipes. When I asked if there were any weapons Henry said no weapons. Henry said the last year (2020-2021) he was living in the apt he lost a lot of weight from the drugs. One time at 2:30am in the morning he heard a woman running from his apartment down the stairs screaming. 'Leave me alone.' He said the woman fell while she was running trying to get away from Gooding as he was chasing her. 'He had PTSD. Some days he behaved ok if he wanted something from me.' Henry said one of the Feiner tenants, who was a single man who worked as a teacher and had a cat, was verbally attacked by Gooding amid a row over the noise his pet made. That tenant moved out. Another one came in. A single woman from public shelter with two kids. He said Gooding would argue with her because of her children. She also moved out. His current client, who lives on the third floor, is a nice person with no problems, he said. He is waiting for the marshal to come so he can get the apt back to what it was before Gooding lived there. He said the city pays him $1500 a month for the one-bedroom apartment Gooding was living in. He said the law firm that placed Gooding was Lopez & Assoc. 'I believe Gooding is out of the city he knows the NYPD is looking for him.' The mayor (pictured at Wednesday's press conference) told how the 2020 reforms - ushered in under Andrew Cuomo and Bill de Blasio - made it almost impossible for criminals to be jailed Adams and top cops from across New York City revealed the top offenders who committed crimes across the area over the last few years Out of the top 10, a staggering six are not behind bars due to lax bail reforms. Pictured, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who has encouraged his office not to seek cash bail in a majority of cases PICTURED: NYC REPEAT OFFENDERS WHO HAVE BEEN LET OUT ON A NO-OR-LOW CASH BAIL TO TERRORIZE THE CITY 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 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 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. 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. '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'. '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, said 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. Queens shoplifter fell into a rut, robbing the same Walgreens pharmacy 23 times Isaac Rodriguez, who was 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. 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. 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. Advertisement Meanwhile Gooding's mailman told DailyMail.com he never had a key to the mailbox so he would wait on the street for him for hand delivery. He said he has not seen him for at least a year. When he found out that Gooding was the 'worst offender' in the city and had been arrested 101 times he appeared stunned and laughed. He said: 'That is wild. That is crazy. I didn't expect it. It's people you see every day and you don't know what people are capable of. I am out here just delivering the mail. I am surprised he actually lived on this route.' He said he and Gooding never made small talk. 'He wasn't the type to make conversation. Not the type to talk about the Yankees game with. We never had any angry exchanges. I just gave him his mail with his name on it nothing else.' He shook his head in disbelief and added: 'You got to be somebody if Eric Adams says your name. You know what I mean? 'You have to be notorious to be doing something bad. Eric Adams isn't saying my name.' Gooding topped the list of worst criminals in New York, which was released by Adams and the NYPD on Wednesday. He was referred to on the document as 'recidivist number one' and the mayor and top cops fumed at the fact he remains at large. Chief of Crime Control Strategies Michael Lipetri said at a press conference: 'We've arrested him 101 times, but how many crimes do you think he really committed? 200? 300? 1,000?' 'This individual I'm talking about, he has 14 failures to appear. He's walking around the streets today probably committing another crime as we speak.' Lipetri was joined by Adams, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell and other police chiefs at a press conference to outline the list on Wednesday. The mayor told how the 2020 reforms - ushered in under Andrew Cuomo and Bill de Blasio - made it almost impossible for criminals to be jailed. The former cop said: 'You have to work really hard to get to Rikers right now. To get there, you did something that is really bad.' He allowed some of the cops to dish out details on some of the ten offenders but refused to share their names or mugshots with the press because he had to 'follow the rules'. Another of them is a burglar who has been arrested 57 times since 2020, and another has assaulted a police officer and failed to show up to court but remains on the streets. 'He is a crime wave and guess what? He is walking around the streets of New York City, probably out there committing another crime.' Despite the fact that some of the men have open crime warrants out against them, Adams refused to name them at the press conference. He claimed he was bound by 'the rules of counsel'. Number two on the list, who has not been identified, is another career criminal who has been nicked 67 times in the last two years and 96 times in total. They have been convicted a staggering 44 times but failed to show up to court 26 times to face justice. Ranking at number three is a thug with 18 open cases against their name for theft and burglary and and 55 arrests since 2020. Fourth on the list, with 22 convictions and 62 arrests, was a person who has been caught by cops 59 times since bail reform and was charged 47 times for thefts in Manhattan. Bringing in the top five was another serial burglar, who has been arrest 23 times this year alone, with 12 of them coming in Manhattan. Sixth place managed a whooping 71 arrests for burglary and misdemeanors but remains out on the streets on parole for theft. Meanwhile number criminal number seven racked up 33 arrests since 2020, with 17 in Brooklyn resulting in five convictions and six open case. They are also not in police custody. Eight place is a thug who has 87 arrests in their lifetime - 25 coming in the last two years - as well as 20 convictions for burglary and robbery. They also have a pending sentencing against their name. The penultimate criminal is a thief with 48 arrests and ten open warrants registered to them. These include 39 since bail reforms and 17 grand larceny charges. Cases include stealing from Sally's and L'Occitane. Rounding out the top ten is a thug what has been nicked 39 times in two years, with one of them for assaulting a police office. Despite the sickening attack, the criminal is still at large, even though they have 13 arrests for grand larceny, 19 convictions and three pending grand larceny auto cases against them. Others who have also benefitted under the lax bail reform laws - but were not named in the document - including gunman, subway attackers, arsonists and burglars. Among them is the subway shooter who killed a 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 the subway on May 19. 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. Another is a criminal who smeared feces on a woman's face but was let out on bail after attacking someone in a store. 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 Meanwhile, last year, Craig Tamanaha set fire to the Christmas tree outside the FOX News studios in New York City. Luckily, no one was hurt. 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 occasions and charged with public intoxication, burglary and resisting arrest. Another who remains freed is Christopher Elder, 31, who 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. '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. Crime in NYC continues to soar as more repeat offenders are let out on now-or-low-cash bonds '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. Elsewhere, Michelle Kelley, 41, allegedly confessed to authorities she was a 'professional booster'. '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. Meanwhile sticky fingered Charles Wold, 59, said 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. 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 $10,000 bail was the only way to ensure he would show up to court after skipping his appearances in two pending cases and violating parole. Another, Isaac Rodriguez, was dubbed the 'Man of Steal' when he 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. That score landed him behind bars on $15,000 bail. And another, 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. 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. Amid the spiraling crime wave rocking New York City, Adams yesterday said New Yorkers want more police on the streets. Police officers are part of the mayor's 'public safety apparatus,' New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, adding: 'You can't remove police from this equation' 'Public safety and the criminal justice system includes police and when I go to my communities of color, and I've never heard them, never, heard them say: 'Eric we want less police.' Never,' Adams said on Tavis Smiley radio. Major crimes in NYC have risen approximately 37 percent, according to NYPD data, an increase that has been mainly boosted by grand larcenies, robberies and auto thefts. Adams indicated he won't be entertaining calls to decrease the number of cops in the city, but will discourage 'heavy-handed' policing from NYPD officers. Police officers are part of the mayor's 'public safety apparatus,' he said, adding: 'You can't remove police from this equation,' which includes dealing with the issues around homelessness and improving the school system. He added he doesn't plan to stop talking about the crime in the Big Apple, and said 'I'm not going to be inconsistent and not talk about the violence that has happened in our cities every day.' Adams emphasized the necessity of preventative measures rather than reactive measures, and said 'by the time a child picks up a gun, we've already lost.' While murders in the city are down 5.6 percent, robbery is up 39.2 percent, from 6,530 to 9,091, and burglaries increased by 32.9 percent, from 6,251 to 8,305, according to NYPD data. Felonious assault rose by 18.6 percent and rapes saw an 11 percent increase so far this year over 2021. 'It appears there's a normalization to this violence, and we're saying no to that,' Adams told Smiley. The Mayor said reforming a system takes time, and 'when you look at how to reform a system, you don't destroy a system.' 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. The abolition of Australia's $880m-a-year luxury car tax (LCT) has become a key block to a potential trade deal with the European Union (EU), while the right for Australian producers to call cheese 'feta' and 'parmesan' is also up for negotiation. The LCT was introduced 22 years ago by then prime minister John Howard to protect local manufacturers when Australia still produced cars in large numbers. But with the local car industry gone, the LCT remains on the books solely as a revenue-raising measure. Now, the 27-country EU is dangling the carrot of more access to Europe for Australian farmers in return for giving it more access to Australia's $20billion-a-year car market. Luxury cars such as the Lamborghini pictured are subject to very high tariffs when imported into Australia The EU's outgoing ambassador to Australia Michael Pulch said the LCT is up for negotiation because it's largely only European products that are affected by it. The LCT is charged at 33 per cent on the portion of a car price over $66,331, or $75,526 for more energy efficient vehicles. On top of that, European cars are also hit with a 5 per cent tariff, which raises $330m a year. 'It makes it too expensive for many Australians who would like to have safer cars and more energy-efficient cars, but they now find them too pricey,' Dr Pulch told The Australian. Negotiations for an Australia-EU trade deal will resume in October after a rocky period following the ousted Coalition government's cancellation of the $90bn French submarines deal as well as its climate change policies. With Australia hoping to sign an agreement by May, it will almost certainly have to make major concessions to the EU's huge car industry, which is mostly headquartered in Germany, Italy and France, but with plants across the continent. The EU would, in return, allow more access to its markets for Australian farmers, though any improvements are likely to be gradual. But protections for around 400 European products named for specific places - such as parmesan cheese from Parma and Prosecco sparkling wine, named after an Italian village - are also on the table. The outgoing EU ambassador to Australia Michael Pulch (pictured centre) said the upcoming negotiations on a trade agreement will include Australia's luxury car tax The EU wants only cheese from Parma to be called parmesan, the feta name to be reserved for cheese from Greece, and many other regional European names that are common on Australian-made food and drink, to be restricted, Australian Dairy Farmers president Rick Gladigau said Australia must protect its products with European names. 'People migrated here from Europe (and) brought their expertise in making feta and other cheese varieties,' he told the Weekly Times. 'They should be able to put those names on the label to reflect the skill that goes into making the product.' Porsche cars (pictured) are subject to a luxury car tax of 33 per cent when imported into Australia New Zealand's recent deal with the EU allows just $600million of tariff-free beef exports and 10,000 tonnes of dairy products into the EU, and only after seven years. But Australia has more bargaining chips than its trans-Tasman neighbour, being a vastly bigger economy and having the LCT to dangle in front of European negotiators. The Coalition's last Treasurer Josh Frydenberg previously told Daily Mail Australia that 'the government has no plans to phase out the luxury car tax'. It remains to be seen if his successor, Labor's Jim Chalmers, takes a more conciliatory tone in the upcoming negotiations with the European Union. Two neighbours were allegedly embroiled in a years-long dispute over a fence boundary line before one allegedly shot dead three members of a family and wounded another. The revelation comes after details emerged over how a young father, Ross Tighe, managed to escape alleged gunman Darryl Young by fleeing the scene in a ute despite being shot in the stomach and raising the alarm after watching his family members die. On Friday evening Queensland Police charged Young with three counts of murder. Ross had accompanied his older brother Graham, mother Maree Schwarz, and stepfather Mervyn to the boundary line of their Bogie property, in the Whitsundays region of North Queensland, at about 9 am on Thursday to meet their neighbours. Detectives said Young, 59, had allegedly invited them on Wednesday night to meet at the border of their farms early the following day. But Young allegedly pulled out a gun and shot all four members of the Schwarz-Tighe family, leaving Ross with a bullet wound to the stomach. The alleged shooter is expected to be charged on Friday afternoon. Despite his injuries, Ross miraculously escaped by jumping into a car and driving 40 kilometres to another property to alert police, who rushed to the scene in search of the three other alleged victims and gunman. Ross Tighe, pictured with his partner Kaitlyn, is recovering in hospital after allegedly being shot in the stomach Police say the alleged shooting took place after the Schwarz-Tighe family met their neighbours at the boundary line of the property Queensland Police locked down the area after his call and found Mervyn, 71, Maree, 59, and Graham, 35, dead on the Shannonvale Road property a few hours later. Graham Tighe bought the property with his mother and stepfather in May last year. He is pictured at a wedding Maree Schwarz's brother-in-law Greg Austen, a councillor on the Isaac Regional Council, told Daily Mail Australia the neighbours had been warring over where the boundary point should be between their two farms. 'It was a fence line dispute, and it's been going for many years,' he said. 'One bloke thought it was put up in the wrong place. It's just ridiculous. 'How it happened in this day and age is beyond me. It's not America.' Ross, who has a one-year-old daughter with partner Kaitlyn, was airlifted to Mackay Hospital in a critical condition, where he was rushed into emergency surgery. He remained in a stable condition in the intensive care unit and was able to be interviewed by police on Thursday night. Mr Austen said he was shocked by how the feud allegedly escalated as he paid tribute to his community-oriented loved ones. 'When we first heard something happened, we thought they were playing silly buggers in Collinsville, but we didn't realise the outcome which was so severe,' he said. Maree and Mervyn Schwarz died from gunshots wounds, along with Maree's son Graham Tighe. Pictured: The block of land owned by the Schwarz-Tighe family in Bogie, in North Queensland 'They were an honest Christian family. They were a bush family who worked seven days a week and had beers on Sundays, participated in events, very community-minded and well-respected in the community. Just a normal Australian family. 'Graham had a young family - they had a son who was taken to Brisbane because he was crook. He's the first boy born that can carry on the Tighe family name. I reckon Graham only spent about three days with his son. Mr Austen said his nephew-in-law showed incredible courage. 'Ross has two girls, but he's OK. I haven't spoke to him yet because he's about three hours away, but we're heading there,' he said. 'Ross is a very strong young man. 'To witness what unfolded in front of him and then to be able to walk back to the car shows real resilience, and I'm sure he won't forget it for the rest of his life.' Maree Schwarz's brother-in-law Greg Austen said Ross (pictured) is a strong man Pictured: One of the Schwarz-Tighe family's properties, situated on Sutherland Road The family were long-time graziers who owned a number of farms They had recently purchased the property were Graham, Maree, and Mervyn were found dead on Thursday. Pictured: Cows on one of the Schwarzes' properties Queensland Police Acting Superintendent Tom Armitt said a 59-year-old man has been taken into custody and is expected to be charged later today. Acting Superintendent Armitt said the man had invited the Schwarz-Tighe family to meet him at the property's boundary line. TIMELINE OF BOGIE MASS SHOOTING May 2021: The Schwarz family buy the 300-square-kilometre Bogie farm for $10million Thursday, August 4, 2022 9am: Mervyn and Maree Schwarz, and Maree's sons Graham and Ross Tighe meet neighbours at the boundary lines of their properties. An altercation occurs and all four are allegedly shot. Ross escapes and makes it to a property several kilometres away where he raises the alarm. 10am: Queensland Police confirm they have sent units to a rural property following reports four people have been shot 11am: Police announce they have located one man some distance from the property and he is being treated for gunshot wounds An emergency declaration is set up by police and members of the public are told to avoid the area 4pm: Police confirm three people have been found deceased at the Bogie property Friday, August 5, 2022 7.15am: Queensland Police Acting Superintendent Tom Armitt announces the alleged gunman has been taken into custody Advertisement 'I can't go into detail but what I can say is that there was an invitation for them to go there,' he said. 'We understand that there was a conversation that occurred the night before, which was the reason why the parties had met at the gate on the property.' Acting Superintendent Armitt said the man arrested was a 'long-time resident of the area'. 'He will be remaining in our custody, and we expect to lay criminal charges in relation to the matter sometime later on this afternoon,' he said. Acting Superintendent Armitt said the alleged shootings occurred in an extremely remote location. 'The crime scene is approximately 2.5 hours from Bowen and 1.5 hours from Collinsville. The distance between the two properties is a 45-minute drive and it is a 3km drive from the front gate to the house on the property,' he said. 'The wounded man fled the scene and contacted police. He was later located by police 40km away for where the shooting took place.' 'Police established where the shooting had occurred and then a team of police entered the crime scene on a property on Shannonvale Road and located a 71-year-old man and 59-year-old woman both from The Gums and a 35-year-old man from Bogie, all deceased from gunshot wounds. 'Police made contact with the people on the Shannonvale Road property and the five people were taken into custody to assist with the investigation.' Four of the five people that were taken into custody on Thursday night have since been released. Acting Superintendent Armitt said two of those persons were involved in a power company, and after taking statements from them, they were released. He said the three others included the 59-year-old man, his son, and another female family member, who have also since been released. Police said Ross was soaked in blood when he arrived at the property 'many, many kilometres away' to contact authorities. The sole survivor was in a 'very distressed state' when he initially spoke to officers, which led to confusion as police tried to narrow down the area where the alleged shooting took place. The Schwarzes were the owners of several farms across Queensland. Pictured: The couple's Bogie property that they shared with her son Graham Police are yet to determine a motive for the tragedy but said it appears there was a dispute. 'There is not too much detail I can tell you right now. What we do know is that the parties involved are neighbours, Acting Superintendent Tom Armitt told reporters on Friday. 'Some conversation has occurred between the parties and resulted in a meeting up of the parties at the boundary line in the early hours of yesterday morning when the incident occurred.' Local residents said there had been a disagreement about boundary lines between the neighbours. The family had only bought the huge 300sqkm plot of land for $10 million in May 2021, which is zoned for cattle grazing, breeding and farming purposes. The purchase - which was made by Mr and Mrs Schwarz, along with Graham Tighe, netted the previous owners a profit of almost $7 million after holding onto the property for just three years. Property records show Mr Schwarz and Mrs Schwarz, who was then Ms Tighe, bought a livestock farm for $1.8million in Mount Abundance, in the Maranoa region, in December 2003. The couple married sometime within the next eight years before going into business with Graham to snap up a Bogie cattle grazing plot in October 2011. SHOOTING VICTIM CELEBRATED BIRTH OF SECOND CHILD THREE WEEKS BEFORE TRAGEDY Three weeks before he was shot dead, Graham Tighe and his wife celebrated the birth of their second child. However, Maree Schwarz's brother-in-law Greg Austen told Daily Mail Australia the youngster was raced to the hospital in Brisbane 'because he was crook' and was only released this week. 'I reckon Graham only spent about three days with his son,' Mr Austen said. 'He's the first boy born that can carry on the Tighe family name.' On July 11, Mr Tighe's wife wrote a gushing social media post to introduce their newborn to family friends - their toddler sat next to her new brother, beaming at the camera. 'Congratulations guys, so happy for your beautiful little family of 4,' a friend wrote in the comments section. Graham Tighe (pictured left) leaves behind a young family, including a little boy who was recently sick Advertisement Five years later, the trio purchased a $2.6million farm, with land use for sheep breeding or growing grains, at The Gums, west of Tara in the Western Downs region. Ross had his second child just 18 months ago. At the time, his doting mother shared a photo online of herself cradling her newborn grandchild with a beaming smile on her face. Forensic specialists will return to the scenes on Friday morning to continue examining the regions for clues. Police revealed on Thursday afternoon the rugged terrain had proven difficult to navigate and would pose further challenges throughout the course of the investigation. The tragedy has rocked the small agricultural town, which is home to just over 200 people. When word spread throughout the community of a shooting, several of Mrs Schwarz' friends reached out via social media wishing her well. 'Hope all are safe,' one friend wrote on the notice, tagging Mrs Schwarz in her message. Whitsunday Regional Councillor Jan Clifford said 'everybody knows everyone else' in their 'little village', adding the community would be 'devastated'. 'To my knowledge, nothing like this has ever happened in the Whitsunday region before. 'We are all deeply saddened by the tragedy.' The investigation into the incident is ongoing and police are urging anyone in the Bogie area who has knowledge or information of any issues occurring in the area to please contact police. Detectives also want to speak with anyone who may have had interactions with the property owner in the past two months. Anthony Albanese has denied disrespecting Liberal frontbencher Sussan Ley after he was caught on camera 'shooing' her away in Parliament. The Prime Minister made the gesture towards the deputy Liberal leader while she was speaking during Question Time on Thursday, sparking uproar from the Opposition benches. A furious Ms Ley accused Mr Albanese of hypocrisy after he had promised during the election campaign to change politics to make it more inclusive for women. Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley said Mr Albanese's gesture was 'rude and dismissive' Poll Was the gesture disrespectful? Yes No Was the gesture disrespectful? Yes 692 votes No 288 votes Now share your opinion 'I don't mind the rough and tumble of politics, but I do mind the hypocrisy that he displayed in Question Time,' she said in a statement. 'If Anthony Albanese wants to be rude to a woman and dismissively wave her away when she's trying to speak in parliament, that's a choice for him, but it's completely out of step with the values of a modern workplace in this country.' In an ABC radio interview on Friday morning, Mr Albanese denied being disrespectful, insisting: 'I have been respectful and I'll continue to be.' He accused the Coalition of hypocrisy, claiming Opposition members had been constantly disrupting him throughout Question Time. 'The opposition have chosen the road of disruption that is what they're engaged in consistently,' he said. 'I dismiss the comments as being totally hypocritical, given the yelling that occurred every time I was on my feet, including non-stop gestures, yelling for me to sit down.' Mr Albanese (pictured) accused the Coalition of hypocrisy, claiming Opposition members had been constantly disrupting him throughout Question Time Immediately after the shooing gesture, Manager of Opposition Business Paul Fletcher asked Mr Albanese to apologise, telling Parliament: 'It was disrespectful to a senior female parliamentarian and I ask him to withdraw that.' But Mr Albanese said Mr Fletcher was simply playing politics after a bad week for the Coalition. 'Paul Fletcher was on, I think, naught out of about 50 this week in terms of his points of order, trying to score cheap points rather than engage constructively in debate,' he said. Education Minister Jason Clare also defended the PM on Sunrise on Friday morning, saying: 'I've seen politicians from both sides do gestures like that when someone's point of order is rejected.' He said the Opposition cannot give lectures about the treatment of women and said Ms Ley 'stands out like a cocktail bar in the Sahara' in the 'Dads Army' Liberal Party. Ms Ley said the 'shooing motion' amounted to Mr Albanese telling her 'sit down and shut up'. Mr Albanese pledged during the election campaign to make politics more inclusive and doubled down in his first speech to Labor members on May 31. 'We have an opportunity to shape the future from this position,' he said. 'We need to change the way that politics operates in this country. We need to be more inclusive. 'We need to be prepared to reach out. We need to be prepared to engage on those issues. We can do that in this parliament.' Also on Friday morning, Mr Albanese revealed he is going on holiday in Australia next week, leaving Richard Marles as Acting Prime Minister. The PM said he wanted to be upfront about his break after Scott Morrison was blasted for sneaking away to Hawaii during the 2019 bushfires. A new theory has emerged two Saudi sisters found dead could have feared persecution for their sexuality after it was revealed they attended a queer event. Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and Amaal, 23, were discovered in their Canterbury unit in Sydney's southwest on June 7. Detectives have yet to determine the cause of their death months later and are chasing several leads. A woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she met the sisters at a girls-only queer event in January, The Guardian reported. She claimed police believe one of the sisters identified as queer and are unsure of the sexual orientation of the other one. The woman described the sisters as 'shy' and said they were reluctant to talk more about their personal lives in Saudi Arabia. Two Saudi sisters found dead in their beds could have feared persecution for their sexuality after it was revealed they attended a queer event (pictured, Amaal Abdullah Alsehli) Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24 (pictured), and Amaal, 23, were discovered in their Canterbury unit in Sydney's south-west on June 7 'They mentioned that they were from Saudi Arabia, and we talked about what it is like to be queer there,' she said. 'They said women live in fear of their safety and that they were grateful to be living in Australia, where they could more freely express themselves.' 'What's terribly sad is they told me they were excited to be out at an event like this and that they were ready to start exploring more of Sydney.' The woman said she contacted police after recognising photos of the sisters that were released by police following the discovery of their bodies. NSW Police refused to comment when approached by Daily Mail Australia. 'As the investigation is ongoing, police continue to appeal for information in relation to the death of the two women,' a spokesperson said. 'No further information is available at this stage.' 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 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. More extensive testing is needed to determine the 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. 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 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 was 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 the food was left out in common areas. 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 woman 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.' Attorneys General from each of the 50 states in the US assembles to give the battle against robocalls some solid muscle. The new Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force is being organized by Ohio AG Dave Yost, Indiana AG Todd Rokita, and North Carolina AG Josh Stein. Stein stated in his announcement that the organization would focus on suing telecoms, especially gateway providers, for enabling or tolerating foreign robocalls made to US phones, as per a report from Engadget. He explained that gateway providers, which route international calls into the US telephone network, have the legal responsibility to ensure the traffic they bring in is legitimate. However, according to Stein, they frequently do not take any measures to prevent robocalls from entering the US phone network and, in many instances, purposefully permit robocall traffic to pass in exchange for consistent revenue. The attorney general stated: "We're... going to take action against phone companies that violate state and federal laws. I'm proud to create this nationwide task force to hold companies accountable when they turn a blind eye to the robocalls they're letting on their networks so they can make more money. Stein added that he "brought one pathbreaking lawsuit against an out-of-state gateway provider" and will pursue "legal action against others who break our laws and bombard North Carolinians with these harmful, unlawful calls." Stein has already engaged in combat with dubious gateway providers. In January, he filed a lawsuit against Articul8 for directing more than 65 million calls to North Carolina phone numbers and bombarding locals with up to 200 telemarketing scams per day. He has previously pushed the FCC to take action to curb fraudulent international calls made by companies like Articul8 as well. West Virginia Joins the Fight Against Robocalls In West Virginia, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced Tuesday that the state joined a nationwide Robocalls block task force. Read Also: Nancy Pelosi Visit: China Starts Massive Military Drill, Taiwan Fires Back at 'Irresponsible' Behavior "Over time, one of the most frequent complaints our office has received has concerned robocalls and the scams they often produce," Morrisey stated. He acknowledged that robocalls affect the entire country. "That is why this bipartisan effort is so important. We are now poised to take the fight to anyone who helps these robocallers, including those in the telecommunications industry." The task force has sent 20 gateway providers and other organizations civil investigative demands since they are reportedly in charge of the majority of international robocall traffic, per Yahoo! News. Millions of Scam Calls Target Americans Daily The National Consumer Law Center and Electronic Privacy Information Center estimate that every day, more than 33 million robocalls and phishing scams are sent to Americans. These calls include fraud committed by the Social Security Administration against senior citizens, Amazon frauds, and numerous other consumer scams. Through robocalls, an estimated $29.8 billion was stolen from consumers in 2021. The majority of this fraud activity is overseas. Robocalls prey on elderly or unwary customers. According to a recent survey, approximately 60 million Americans are estimated to have lost money as a result of phone scammers in the past year, with robocalls accounting for the majority of these scams. The goal of the Attorneys General is to close down the companies that make money off this scam traffic and would not take any other action to reduce these calls. For now, per PC Mag, users are advised to be careful in receiving calls from unknown phone numbers. In certain instances, Robocalls US scammers pretend to be legitimate governmental organizations, such as the Social Security Administration. The task force said scammers like to use pressure and fear tactics to persuade people "to make a quick decision without thinking." So If you feel rushed or terrified, that's a sign to hang up. Related Article: Joe Biden Pushes Directive To Help Women Access Abortion: "I told you I wouldn't back down" @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A third hosepipe ban has been announced in bone-dry Britain, with other water companies expected to follow suit. Welsh Water imposed its temporary ban for customers in Pembrokeshire and a small part of Carmarthenshire yesterday, which will begin on August 19. It means some 200,000 people will not be allowed to water their plants, wash their cars or clean windows using a hose. Ian Christie, from Welsh Water, said: We have not seen such prolonged dry conditions in Pembrokeshire since 1976. The hosepipe ban is not a decision we have taken lightly. However if we are to make sure there is enough water to see us through the rest of the summer and into the autumn then we need to act now to try and prevent any further restrictions later on. It follows similar restrictions by Southern Water in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and South East Water in Kent and Sussex, covering around three million people. South West Water has also warned customers it could introduce a ban. An aerial view of low water levels in the Carew River in Pembrokeshire, Wales, on July 11, 2022 But critics said the bans were the result of a farcical failure to plan ahead for dry weather. It comes as Thames Water, which is threatening to bring in a hosepipe ban, has been caught up in a furious row about its failure to run a 250million desalination plant, which was designed to deliver up to 100 million litres of water a day during times of drought. Thames Waters Gateway Water Treatment Works, in Beckton, east London, was built in 2010 to take fresh and saltwater from the tidal River Thames to provide tap water for up to 400,000 households. But the plant is currently out of service as southern England is experiencing the driest weather since records began. The desalination plant is expensive to run Thames Water said it costs 660 to produce one million litres of water, compared to 45 with a traditional large treatment plant. It said that the plant has only supplied water to customers twice, in 2016 and 2018. The water firm said that even if the plant had been working this summer, it would not have ruled out bringing in a hosepipe ban owing to the ongoing dry weather. Pictured: Low tide in the Carew River which runs alongside Carew Castle in Pembrokeshire It has not yet brought in a ban but said it will have no option but to do so if it does not rain in the next few weeks. Thames Water supplies 2.6 billion litres of water each day but loses nearly a quarter of supplies in leaks. The desalination plant was branded a white elephant by critics yesterday. Martin Salter, policy director of the Angling Trust, said that there had been a widespread failure by water companies to safeguard supplies, highlighting the lack of investment in new reservoirs. The situation is farcical and entirely typical of our abject failure to plan properly in this country. There hasnt been a new reservoir built in southern England since 1976, when Abba were topping the charts, yet in that time millions more people are living here and using more and more water. You dont need to be Einstein to know when faced with the twin challenges of climate change and a growing population we can no longer afford to let the winter rains run out to sea in the hope there wont be a summer drought. We need to store more water in times of plenty to avoid the economic and environmental damage caused when both our taps and rivers run dry. Tory MP John Redwood criticised Thames Waters failure to get the plant working. Pictured: A van crosses Carew Lane bridge during low tide in the Carew River on July 11, 2022 He said: Water companies should not talk about future hosepipe bans as that could persuade people to use hoses while they can. If they need them impose them. They should get on with mending pipes, putting in more capacity and ensuring desalination plants work. Tim Farron, a Liberal Democrats MP and the partys environment spokesman, said of the failure to get the desalination plant running: It is outrageous that this white elephant exists whilst millions face weeks of hosepipe bans. It is one scandal after another from Thames Water, from pumping foul sewage into our rivers to not even getting basic infrastructure working. Thames Water said the desalination plant the first for mainland UK was meant to be used during dry weather events and not for the day-to-day running of the business. A spokesman said: Since then we have used Gateway during dry spells to help keep our London reservoirs as full as we can as we continue to meet the increasing demands for customer supplies. Due to further necessary planned work the plant is currently out of service. Our teams are working as fast as possible to get it ready for use early next year, to achieve protection to our supplies if we were to have another dry winter. However, even if the Gateway water treatment works was operational this summer then we would still not rule out using temporary use bans. Desalination plants turn salt water into fresh water people can drink and use, but the energy needed to convert the water makes it an expensive way of meeting demand. Last year, Southern Water had to abandon plans for a 600million desalination plant in Hampshire in the New Forest area after opposition from local residents. A Melbourne family has spoken out after they were refused entry to a cafe because their autistic son was with an assistance dog. Kate and Murray, and their son, Noah, 9, tried to visit a popular Melbourne cafe for some breakfast along with the assistance dog, but they were turned away at the door. This is despite the family having a special permit which allows their dog into venues because Noah has autism. The manager told them dogs are not permitted at the venue, ruining their day and leaving their son traumatised. 'Noah was not happy at all. He hopped under a blanket in the car on the way home and that's how we travelled home,' his mother Kate told Sunrise. Noah (middle) and his support dog Claudia went to grab some breakfast with his parents Kate (left) and Murray (right) at a Melbourne cafe when a waiter informed them dogs weren't permitted, leaving Noah traumatised and hiding under a blanket on the trip home Noah is pictured with his support dog Claudia. Service Dogs Australia says autistic children with an assistance dog 'show remarkable improvement across their social, verbal and cognitive skills'. Kate said Noah's assistance dog, Claudia, is no different from a guide dog and had helped her son conquer many fears. 'She does this beautiful thing called the 'nudge', just saying "hello I'm here, can you give me attention",' Kate previously told the Herald Sun. 'He'll just pat her quietly, and it'll bring him out of what's going on in his head.' They say even other cafe goers were also shocked by the attitude of the manager who denied them entry. 'It is hard learning how to handle the dog and going out in public. So you know, just to be met with someone that says blatantly "No" is absolutely wrong. I would hate that to happen to someone else. It's not right at all,' Kate said. 'We had each other to protect and look after. But I just kept thinking, imagine if this was someone with visual impairment or you know, one of the guys with PTSD, and they were by themselves or a young adult with their first assistance dog going out to a cafe. Following the ordeal Kate says she has attempted on multiple occasions to call the cafe to speak to them but their phone just rings out Noah's mother has tried to speak to the cafe about the incident, but they are not picking up the phone. Autism is a persistent developmental disorder, evident from early childhood which affects almost 1 in every 150 Australian children. If a child is granted access to an assistance dog, the animal is allowed in any public place or transport - with the exception of zoos, aquariums, sterile environments, food preparation areas and quarantine areas. It is illegal for a venue to refuse entry for an assistance dog. Service Dogs Australia says autistic children with an assistance dog 'show remarkable improvement across their social, verbal and cognitive skills'. Liz Truss last night pledged to get more civil servants back to the office after it emerged many Whitehall desks are still empty. She backed Cabinet Office minister Jacob Rees-Mogg's efforts to curb the work from home culture in the civil service. The Foreign Secretary, who has previously suggested flexible working should 'become the norm', made the vow as Cabinet Office figures showed that in the week commencing July 25, just over half of Whitehall desks were occupied. The worst culprits were the Scotland Office on 27 per cent and Miss Truss's own department on 34 per cent. Numbers are falling as the weeks go on. Miss Truss said: 'I support the work Jacob Rees-Mogg has been doing... and I will be looking at that very carefully.' The Cabinet Office said workplace attendance will be lower in summer due to annual leave. Liz Truss (pictured at Sky News debate Thursday) last night pledged to get more civil servants back to the office after it emerged many Whitehall desks are still empty The Home Office, which was more than half full earlier in July, fell to 43 per cent by the end of the month, while the Department for Work and Pensions fell eight points to 44 per cent. The proportion of staff working in-person at the Cabinet Office - where Mr Rees-Mogg has been leading the calls to return to the office - fell by 16 points to 55 per cent. Miss Truss' own department saw a minor uptick from the previous week commencing July 18, but fell from 38 per cent at the beginning of July. Challenged on how her department has had among the worst desk occupancy rates in Whitehall, the Foreign Secretary said: 'The thing about the Foreign Office is obviously quite a lot of our people are travelling so it's quite hard to measure, but I would say that including the Foreign Office, we do need more people to come into work.' She added: 'We need more people to work in the office, I think that's very important.' Miss Truss, then the equalities minister, has previously said that the expansion of remote working would allow people outside cities to take up senior jobs. 'Flexible working doesn't just help women, it helps people who don't live in major metropolitan areas,' she told MPs last year. 'It's about bringing opportunity to those areas.' Ministers have said civil servants should avoid remote working to increase productivity and clear pandemic-era backlogs. A Cabinet Office spokesman said: 'We have been consistently clear that we want to see office attendance across the civil service consistently back at pre-pandemic levels. 'As you would expect, workplace attendance will be lower in summer as staff take annual leave and with the impact of recent rail strikes, but this has not prevented civil servants from delivering vital public services. Rishi Sunak will today vow to 'build the next generation of Tory voters' with a pledge to ensure houses are put up more quickly by tackling 'land-banking'. The Tory leadership candidate will promise to drive up rates of house-building so more people can get on the property ladder. He plans to do this by cracking down on 'land-banking', where developers acquire land but do not develop it in order to make more money. Mr Sunak says it will revitalise the market and allow younger people a better chance to buy a first home. Tory leadership candidate Rishi Sunak (pictured) will promise to drive up rates of house-building so more people can get on the property ladder Mr Sunak's proposals will require developers to finish a project before they can be granted new planning permission for other plots in the same local area 'We are the standard bearers for capitalism. But we can't expect future generations to share our belief in capitalism if they can't get their hands on capital,' he will say. 'That's why I'll do whatever it takes to build affordable, plentiful housing, building the next generation of Conservative voters.' Mr Sunak's proposals will require developers to finish a project before they can be granted new planning permission for other plots in the same local area. Councils will also have greater 'compulsory purchase' powers, allowing them to buy undeveloped land at a discount if it has not been built on in the agreed time frame. If developers do not put up houses on the land they have bought within a certain time period, they could also face a hefty 'build-out' levy, Mr Sunak has said. So that existing local communities are not overwhelmed by new residents, he has also pledged a new 'infrastructure first guarantee', which aims to ensure all new homes are supported by enough local GP capacity, schools and road networks. The promises follow evidence that there are a huge number of homes which have been granted planning permission but are yet to be built. Mr Sunak's leadership rival Liz Truss has said she will put an end to 'Whitehall-inspired Stalinist housing targets' if she is given the keys to No 10, pushing for tax cuts and deregulation to encourage developers to build more new homes. She said she would amend the Levelling Up Bill to replace centralised targets with tax cuts and reduce red tape in 'opportunity zones' to make it easier and quicker for developers to build on brownfield land in order 'to get our economy moving'. Liz Truss (pictured) has said she will put an end to 'Whitehall-inspired Stalinist housing targets' if elected Tory leader and becomes prime minister She also said last night she wanted to make housing more accessible for young people. One plan would be to allow a history of paying rent on time to be used to help people get a mortgage on a home. During a grilling from the public in a Sky News TV debate, she said: 'When somebody does rent they should be able to use their rental history towards getting a mortgage for their home and that will help people who are long-term renters get on to the housing ladder.' With ballots being sent out in the coming days, Miss Truss and Mr Sunak aimed to win the support of the 160,000 or so party members in order to become prime minister. Last night a poll suggested Miss Truss would beat Sir Keir Starmer in a general election if it was called now. A British student embarking on a gap year trip in the US says she is lucky to be alive after a bison charged into her, gored her thigh and threw her 15ft in the air. Amelia 'Mia' Dean, 19, is now partially paralysed after the 2,000lb animal tore the femoral artery in her left thigh during the shocking attack in South Dakota. As Mia, from Brockham, Surrey, lay bleeding and injured at the 71,000 acre Custer State Park, the wild beast - one of 1,500 in the reserve - stood directly next to her head before her friend bravely led it away. Although Mia and her friend had spotted the animal 100ft away, she was 'shocked into stillness' as it charged towards her. 'It's a surreal enough experience let alone the fact that we weren't doing anything that really warranted it. We were just having a walk in the park.' The keen dancer is now paralysed from the knee down and says she has 'no movement' in her foot. 19-year-old Amelia 'Mia' Dean from Brockham, Surrey, is paralysed after a 2,000lb bison tore the femoral artery in her left thigh during a shocking attack in South Dakota As Miss Dean, from Brockham, Surrey, lay bleeding and injured at the 71,000 acre Custer State Park, the wild beast - one of 1,500 in the reserve - stood directly next to her head before her friend bravely led it away. Pictured after the attack Although Miss Dean and her friend had spotted the animal (pictured) 100 feet away, she was 'shocked into stillness' as it charged towards her Speaking from her hospital bed, she told KOTA TV: 'I remember feeling the pressure on my hip, my hip being pushed back and I remember the sensation of flying in the air and going head over heels. 'It's a miracle I even lived until the ambulance got there, let alone kept my life and my leg. 'I can't walk without a walker or crutches. I can't walk very far. About 20 metres and I'm done, for a long time.' 'We're told that people usually, you know, bleed out between 2 and 8 minutes and die, but she didn't,' said Jacqueline, 57. When asked about her reaction to the phone call about their daughter's emergency, she said: 'Just disbelief. Her thing is to dance.' Jacqueline is a full-time hospital chaplain in Surrey and a lay reader at the parish church of Christ Church in Brockham. The vicar, Rev Jonathan Willians, said the whole village had been praying for her recovery. 'Mia nearly lost her life,' he told MailOnline. 'We've all been praying for her and thinking of the whole family since we heard what happened. 'I just hope Mia gets the help she needs.' Mia is the youngest of three children and has elder brothers Laurence, 23 and Alexander 26. On the day of the attack, Amelia had been walking on a trail through the park with her friend and his dog, when they ascended a hill and encountered the lone male bison, which was grazing. Amelia, 19, is pictured being taken away by an ambulance after the attack. Her parents are trying to raise 140,000 for her medical treatment in the US Miss Dean was on just the second day of her US trip when the attack occurred and she had been accepted on a course at the University of Edinburgh They considered turning back, but they were out of supplies in the final stretch of a 2-hour hike. 'I was really dehydrated, it was really sunny, and we'd both given our water to the dog like an hour ago,' Amelia told Kota TV. So instead of turning back, they kept distance between them and the animal and decided to skirt around it. At this point, the animal stopped grazing and began charging towards Miss Dean. Her parents Matthew, 59, a surveyor in the oil and gas industry, and Jacqueline wrote: 'Mia was shocked into stillness [and] the bison halted directly in front of her. 'The two stared at each other for a few seconds before the bison surged forwards, goring her in the left thigh with his horn, and threw her head over heels about ten to 15 feet in the air. 'When she hit the ground Mia was trapped, unable to move her bleeding leg, with the bison huffing directly over her, his feet by her head for some time.' Amelia's parents, pictured, have made an appeal for their fundraising efforts: 'Mia is English and while her travel insurance has paid so far for the femoral artery bypass, they are refusing to pay for even the initial examination by the specialist of her nerve injury' Since the attack seven weeks ago, Miss Dean has been left paralysed with nerve damage below the left knee. She is being treated at Rapid City, South Dakota, where her parents Matthew and Jacqueline flew to be at her side. Mr and Mrs Dean are fundraising 140,000 to transfer their daughter to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, for specialist treatment. Miss Dean was on just the second day of her US trip when the attack occurred and she had been accepted on a course at the University of Edinburgh. Mis Dean and her friend encountered a lone 2,000Ib bison while walking a trail in Custer State Park in South Dakota Her parents added on the Gofundme page: 'Mia is English and while her travel insurance has paid so far for the femoral artery bypass, they are refusing to pay for even the initial examination by the specialist of her nerve injury. 'Mayo clinic, a world-class hospital in the peripheral nerve field - a very niche field - has accepted Mia as a referral from Rapid City Hospital.' To donate to the Gofundme appeal please click here. Rules on shooting wild deer will be relaxed to control their surging numbers and protect trees. The countrys deer population has increased from 450,000 in the 1970s to two million today its highest level for 1,000 years. In light of the soaring numbers, ministers are proposing to allow land managers to cull male deer at any time during the year. It will also allow shooting deer at night. Previously, male deer were protected during a close season to allow their antlers to grow. Female deer will still be protected when they are caring for their young. Ministers also said they were was concerned about the spread of muntjac deer, which eat plants of conservation importance. But the RSPCA said: Deer management is largely a euphemism for culling. A new rule change will allow male deer to be hunted at any time during the year and at night, as the deer population hit two million Ministers also said they were was concerned about the spread of muntjac deer (pictured), which eat plants of conservation importance In a consultation document published today, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said rule changes would also allow shooting deer at night, as high quality night vision equipment makes night shooting safer and more accurate. It added that in some areas where the public has access, deer have become nocturnal, making night shooting particularly important. The government also said it wanted to encourage eating wild venison, which would result from culling greater numbers of the animals and would make small grants available to help businesses supply venison. There are six species of wild deer in England. Red and roe deer are native; fallow, sika, muntjac and Chinese water deer are introduced species. Some areas have up to five species of deer. The paper said that government plans to increase woodland cover in the UK would exacerbate the spread of non-native deer species which would hinder tree growth. Following the publication of the England Deer Management Strategy, the British Association for Shooting and Conservations head of deer management Martin Edwards said: The governments commitment to tackling the growing deer population in the UK is commendable. However, it will only succeed if it has the support of every deer manager, the majority of which manage deer on a voluntary basis. Russia is working to fake evidence to claim Western rockets destroyed a jail housing Ukrainian prisoners of war, Washington warned yesterday. US intelligence officials say Russia wants it to appear that Ukrainian forces were responsible for the July 29 attack on Olenivka prison that left 53 dead. Russia has said Ukraine's military used US rocket launchers to strike the prison in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). The Ukrainian defence ministry claimed to have evidence the DPR colluded with the Russian FSB and Moscow's mercenary group, Wagner, to mine the barrack before 'using a flammable substance, which led to the rapid spread of fire in the room'. A destroyed barrack at a prison in Olenivka, in the Donetsk People's Republic, an area controlled by Russian-backed separatist forces, eastern Ukraine, Friday on July 29 Russia has said Ukraine's military used US rocket launchers to strike the prison in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) but the Ukrainian defence ministry claimed the DPR colluded with Russia to destroy the barrack Satellite image of the Olenivka prison in the Donetsk region of Ukraine on July 27 A US official said Russia might even plant ammunition from High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems as evidence that the weapons provided by the US were used, as it anticipates independent investigators and journalists eventually getting access to the Olenivka site. Other Western officials yesterday said the lack of extensive damage, with bunk beds still left standing, would not have been seen had HIMARS been used. Ukraine has effectively used HIMARS launchers, which fire medium-range rockets and can be quickly moved before Russia can target them with return fire, and have been seeking more launchers from the United States. On Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he is appointing a fact-finding mission in response to requests from Russia and Ukraine to investigate the killings at the prison. A woman with fake blood stains brandishes a paper reading 'Olenivka' during a protest in Ukraine's capital Kyiv yesterday The Ukrainian POWs held there included troops captured during the fall of Mariupol. They spent months holed up with civilians at the giant Azovstal steel mill in the southern port city. Their resistance during a relentless Russian bombardment became a symbol of Ukrainian defiance against Russias aggression. More than 2,400 soldiers from the Azov Regiment of the Ukrainian national guard and other military units gave up their fight and surrendered under orders from Ukraines military in May. When word spread through Warrnambool that Kevin Knowles had been murdered, more than a few locals wanted to buy his killer a beer. Situated on the west coast of Victoria, Warrnambool is largely known for its rugged coastline and Kermond's Burgers, which has a national profile for its burger with the lot despite it not coming with beetroot. Knowles had tormented the town for much of his wretched 49 years above ground. Kevin Knowles was among two shot dead in Kirkstall on Friday. He is pictured arriving at the Coroners Court in June 2019 Travis Cashmore, 45, armed himself with a shotgun and blasted Knowles and his associate Emergency services on Kirkstall-Koroit Road, Kirkstall after Travis Cashmore shot dead Knowles and Ben Ray On July 22, he and his acquaintance Benjamin Ray were gunned down in broad daylight a few kilometres from Knowles home in Kirkstall, north-west of Warrnambool. The reasons why Travis Cashmore, 45, did what he did that day died with him. His body was found at his nearby home after he turned his gun upon himself after dispatching the pair. Days later a sign erected outside his Kirkstall home indicated Cashmore had fallen prey to Knowles' wicked games. 'Free,' the sign boldly stated. 'Trav! You and the Kirkstall community are now free from Kevin Knowles. RIP.' In the hours after the double murder suicide, locals interviewed by roaming television reporters expressed shock at the killings. Behind closed doors, no-one was really that surprised about how it was Knowles came to meet his end. Knowles had long been both loathed and feared in the community. At the time of his death his rap sheet stretched on for more than 50 pages. He was also suspected of committing at least two murders, including that of his long suffering partner Amanda Bourke, 44. While some might say it's in poor taste to speak ill of the dead, not many who spent time in Knowles' company would cast such aspersions. Exactly what drove Cashmore to pull the trigger on Knowles, and his unfortunate mate, will be covered in a police report to the coroner. What is publicly known is that 'Benny' Ray was most likely taken out by Cashmore in the heat of the moment. The 48-year old Dubbo man, in New South Wales, hadn't been in Victoria all that long and had reportedly only recently met Knowles at the bus stop. Wong place, wrong time: Benjamin Ray was run down and then shot by Travis Cashmore Cashman was found dead at a property nearby on Chamberlain Street shortly after the shooting (pictured, emergency services on Kirkstall-Koroit Road) He had been planning to return home up north to visit when he advised a mate he needed to attend to something, The Age reported. 'Hey mate, still coming to Dubbo. I wont be there on Monday, sorry mate. But will be there next week. Somethings come up that I have to attend. See you mate when I get there. Bye,' the message read. The father of three would be run down on Scotts North Road by Cashmore's car before being blasted at near point blank range with a shotgun. The local paper, The Standard, claimed Knowles was shot in the back of the head execution style. Like Knowles, Ray was due in court at the time of his death. Unlike Knowles, it had only been for driving matters. Knowles, a self-confessed ice addict, was up on drug charges. He had already spent time in jail this year after threatening to stab to death another local. Knowles had lobbed up to his victim's home with a dog and a knife. Few that knew Knowles doubted he had the capacity to use it. Victorian Coroner Simon McGregor put it in writing in 2019 when he bluntly stated Knowles was a killer. Amanda Bourke drowned while swimming with her partner, Knowles, in 2018. She had been with him when a coroner believes he beat a man to death Amanda Bourke was the only living person who knew what Knowles had done to Mr Johnston when she drowned The coroner had been looking into the suspicious death of Warnnambool man Stephen Johnston, who was last seen alive getting drunk with Knowles on December 8, 2016. The 57-year old's death was suspicious due to the fact that he appeared to have been bludgeoned to death. When police found him he was still clinging to life, but with 101 separate injuries, he died in hospital before he could tell them what had happened. What is known is that Knowles and his partner Amanda Bourke had been furiously boozing with him in his backyard the night before his mangled body was found. A witness told police he saw Mr Johnston chase the pair out of his yard that night while wielding a hammer. The pair claimed they returned that morning to find Mr Johnston naked and battered on his front lawn. They took him inside for a rest and then used his credit cards to go on a Maccas run, they told police. With no CCTV, no witnesses and no real evidence to pin the murder on him, Knowles walked free. The only witness to what happened that night, his partner, would die under mysterious circumstances in January 2018 while Knowles was still under investigation. A witness told police she heard at least two gunshots and the sound of a vehicle speeding off shortly before the grim discovery (pictured, police vehicle on Kirkstall-Koroit Road) Coroner McGregor had heard Knowles had been worried his partner would eventually dob on him. He had been shown letters from Knowles urging Ms Bourke not to be a 'dog' and squeal on him to the 'jacks'. Despite Ms Bourke being the only person who could link Knowles to Mr Johnston's murder, a coronial inquest into her death was never held. Instead, the coroner simply found Ms Bourke had agreed to go on a swim with Knowles in a notorious stretch of water halfway between Warrnambool and Port Fairy. Knowles told police she was swept away from him and drowned. A witness backed-up Knowles' claims that he had tried to help her. While Deputy State Coroner Caitlin English heard Knowles had a history of bashing Ms Bourke, the coroner found she was simply a tragic victim of the sea. Back in Kirkstall, a small town 275km south-west of Melbourne with a population of less than 400 people, Cashmore's neighbours still talk about what happened last month. Neighbours described Knowles' killer as a nice bloke, who lived an 'alternate' lifestyle. 'We never ever had cross words; we would talk over the fence about pets and stuff he was doing hes a lovely guy,' a neighbour told The Age. 'I dont know what to think of it. I dont know what could have possibly driven him to do that.' Others no doubt have a few ideas. Lawyers for Samantha Markle have said they have a 'viable' defamation case against her half-sister Meghan because they have 'actual proof of the falsity' of statements she made. Samantha is suing the Duchess of Sussex for allegedly peddling a 'rags to riches' tale in her Oprah interview, and also over comments in the book Finding Freedom as part of a campaign to 'destroy' her reputation. While Meghan's legal team are arguing the claims she made on Oprah were a result of 'how she felt' and that she did not write Finding Freedom so cannot be held liable, Samantha's counsel says she was labelled as a liar as a result of what was said, which they argue was based on falsehoods. Jamie Sasson, of the Ticktin Law Group, told Newsweek: 'This is a viable claim because we have actual proof of the falsity of these statements and that Meghan Markle made these statements. 'In Oprah they were directly made and in Finding Freedom it was instructed to put these things into the book by Mrs Markle [Meghan] through the email. If we didn't have the email it would be a different story.' 'The part that is missed in this whole thing is they're acting as if there was no harm that came from these statements that were made,' he concluded. Lawyers for Samantha Markle have said they have a 'viable' defamation case against her half-sister Meghan because they have 'actual proof of the falsity' of statements she made. Pictured: Harry and Meghan speak with Oprah Winfrey where Meghan said she grew up as an 'only child' Samantha Markle is pictured with her half-sister Meghan Markle at her graduation in 2008 'We clearly put into our complaint the damage that was caused to Samantha Markle by her being labelled a liar. She now faces online comments of 'Meghan's lying sister' and she never lied about anything.' In a court document, Samantha, the daughter of Thomas Markle, Meghan's father, claims the Duchess of Sussex launched a 'premeditated campaign to destroy' her and her father's reputation. She claims her sister tried to ruin their credibility so 'they could not interfere with or contradict the false narrative and fairy tale life story concocted by the defendant'. She also alleges Meghan lied when she claimed she 'essentially raised herself from virtual poverty' and from 13 had to take on low-paying jobs to 'make ends meet'. Meanwhile Samantha, 57, launched an astonishing broadside on her sister's friend and biographer Omid Scobie as she blasted Finding Freedom as 'a book of lies'. Samantha hits out at Scobie and Carolyn Durand's book Finding Freedom, which she dubs her sister's 'fairytale life story'. Her lawyers said that Meghan saying she 'grew up as an only child' can't be false because it is a 'textbook example of a subjective statement about how a person feels about her childhood' A young Meghan is pictured with her father Thomas Markle, from whom she is also estranged She claims the book caused 'substantial and irreparable prejudice, injury, and harm' to her reputation. She listed a series of texts in the biography she disputes, including that she dropped out of high school. Meghan's lawyer has previously hit back at the lawsuit, claiming it was 'baseless' and they would give it 'the minimum attention necessary'. Scobie also dismissed the claims. In their latest round of legal documents, Meghan's attorneys slap down Samantha's assertion that it was dishonest for Meghan to claim she grew up as an only child, claiming it is how she feels despite her technically having two half-siblings. 'It is hard to imagine a more personal and subjective feeling than how one views their own childhood. 'Moreover, Plaintiff's opposition completely ignores the context of the statement, where Ms Winfrey asked Meghan about her 'relationship' with Plaintiff (to whom Ms Winfrey referred as her 'half-sister on her father's side'). Meanwhile Samantha also hits out at the book Finding Freedom, written by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, which she dubs her sister's 'fairy tale life story' as well as 'a book of lies' 'Meghan's response to that question that she 'grew up as an only child' was obviously not meant to be a statement of objective fact that she had no genetic siblings or half-siblings.' But Mr Sasson told Newsweek that his team intend to argue being an 'only child' is not subjective, adding: 'Either you're an only child or you're not.' He said as a result of the comments made by Meghan, his client was perceived as a 'liar' by the general population who accused her of 'making up a story claiming that she was Meghan Markle's sister when, indeed, she truly was'. Meghan also dismisses Samantha's complaints about information in Finding Freedom, a book by her friend Omid Scobie, saying Meghan can't be held liable for its content because she didn't write it. One of the pieces of information reported to have been supplied by Meghan was that Samantha 'lost custody of all three of her children from different fathers'. 'Meghan did not make the statements; she cannot be liable for them. It is that simple,' her lawyers say. The Sussex's lawyer hit back at the lawsuit (pictured), claiming it was 'baseless' and they would give it 'the minimum attention necessary'. Scobie also dismissed the claims' Mr Sasson told Newsweek that they will argue Meghan 'instructed' that certain elements were included in the book. Referring to the Duchess by her first name throughout the documents, her lawyers asked the court: 'In sum, Meghan's motion to dismiss should be granted, as should her request for attorneys' fees, costs and other relief.' The sisters are thought to have last seen each other in 2008 but they have butted heads over versions of their childhoods in recent years. Samantha's rocky relationship with Meghan exploded into public view after her sister's engagement to Prince Harry was announced in 2017. She was quoted by journalists as saying 'The Queen would be appalled' and called her a 'ducha**' on Twitter. She gave numerous interviews attacking the Duchess but has since backtracked and complimented her. Samantha also released a book about her sister last year titled The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister: A Memoir, Part One. It lays bare details of the Markles' upbringing, including the rivalry when their father was still married to the actress's mother Doria Ragland. But Samantha also writes of her adoration for Meghan as a baby and described the infant as 'bi-racial, beautiful, and was both the color of a peach, and a rose'. A judge is set to rule on Meghan's filing to have her half-sister's lawsuit dismissed with no date set for when the ruling will be delivered. MailOnline contacted representatives for Meghan Markle. Georgia police are on the hunt for a thief who's the spitting image of actor Bradley Cooper. Police said the suspect, who bears a striking resemblance to a heavier Cooper, was caught on camera stealing a rotary laser from a Home Depot in McDonough on July 23. As Henry County Police put out a notice for help in tracking down the thief, many were quick to point out the suspect was a dead ringer for the Oscar-nominated actor. Others used the dopplegangers appearance to make jokes that Cooper was method acting or struggling to make ends meet as the cops' post received nearly 500 comments on Facebook over the last week. 'You know it's hard times when Braddley is having to steal,' Facebook user Brooke Adams wrote. Henry County Police put out a notice for help in tracking down the thief (left), who bares a striking resemblance to Oscar-nominated actor Bradley Cooper (right) The suspect stole a rotary laser from a Home Depot in McDonough on July 23 Many were quick to joke that the suspect in the case was the A Star is Born Actor While many took the chance to joke to police that Cooper was the suspect they're looking for, others couldn't help but to make puns about the A Star Is Born actor. 'Bradley Cooper stealing? He's really far from the shallow now,' wrote Facebook user Adam Veatch. Jeremy Gonzalez, another Facebook user, wrote: 'Must be hard...keepin it so hardcore.' Fellow Facebook user Mary Kethyrn Jenkins chimed in to suggest that the suspect was merely Cooper staying in character for his next project. 'Bradley Cooper really put [it] on for this role,' Jenkins wrote. Tom Sanford, another Facebook user, quipped: 'Bradley Cooper pulled a Wynona Ryder,' referencing the Stranger Things actor's brush with law in 2001 over shoplifting charges. The police's post received nearly 500 comments, with many poking fun at the doppleganger Cooper (pictured) has not publicly commented on his look-alike Despite the mountain of jokes over the doppleganger, Cooper has not commented on his look-alike The Hangover actor is currently busy on the set of his latest film, Maestro, which sees him starring as famed Broadway composer Leonard Bernstein. He was spotted last Saturday in New York City with Vogue editor Anna Wintour at his home the day before his girlfriend Huma Abedin's birthday. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday warned China that it should not "manufacture a crisis" or seek a pretense to increase its aggressive military action on the world stage. The remarks come as Beijing fired missiles towards waters near Taiwan as part of exercises near the self-governing island in the wake of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit. While speaking at the ASEAN-US Ministerial meeting held in Cambodia, Blinken talked about ASEAN and China. China-U.S. Relations He said that "many countries around the world believe that escalation serves no one and could have unintended consequences that serve no one's interest, including ASEAN members and including China." Blinken revealed that they have reached out to engage the People's Republic of China in recent days at every level of government to convey that message. He added that maintaining cross-strait stability is the interest that all countries in the region, including all within ASEAN, should strive for. The secretary said that the United States remains committed to its "One China" policy guided by its commitments to the Taiwan Relations Act, Three Communiques, and Six Assurances. He emphasized that nothing has changed about the country's position regarding the situation, as per CNN. Blinken's remarks come as the Chinese military's Eastern Theater Command released a statement on Thursday saying that multiple missiles were fired into the sea off the eastern part of Taiwan. It said that all of the targets hit their targets accurately. Read Also: Russian Official Guarantees Vladimir Putin's Participation If China Starts War Over Taiwan Issue China's statement noted that the entire live-fire training mission was successfully completed and that the relevant air and sea area control was lifted. The situation comes as Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is the first a House speaker traveled to the island nation in the last 25 years. According to US News, Blinken said prior to Pelosi's trip that she will make her own decisions about whether or not to visit Taiwan. He argued that Congress is an independent, coequal branch of government. Threats After Pelosi's Taiwan Visit However, the secretary also downplayed the significance of the California Democrat's planned visit to Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory. Blinken argued that if Pelosi chose to visit the island nation, and China tries to create some kind of crisis, the responsibility would fall on Beijing. In recent weeks, several senior Chinese political, military, and diplomatic officials have issued direct threats in response to the planned visit. Beijing said it considers the visit a direct affront to the fragile collection of diplomatic agreements that govern the U.S.-China relationship, which is similar to provoking a military response. Despite Blinken's attempts to calm the tensions between the two countries after Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, Chinese officials continue to criticize the recent incident. On Tuesday, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said that those U.S. politicians who "play with fire" on the Taiwan issue will "come to no good end." The remarks are another set of threats that Beijing officials have issued to American diplomats who have engaged in discussions with the self-governing island nation. Wang's remarks did not include any specific U.S. politician, Reuters reported. Related Article: Nancy Pelosi Visit: China Starts Massive Military Drill, Taiwan Fires Back at 'Irresponsible' Behavior @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The family of a 19-year-old black man who died in Maryland police custody in 2018 says his 'unreal and unnecessary' death split the community along racial lines. Anton Black died after he was chased by white police officers and held to the ground for six minutes outside his familys home in rural Greensboro. Now, nearly eight months after a judge refused to throw out the family's lawsuit alleging police acted with excessive force, Black's parents are speaking out. 'My son was George Floyd before George Floyd,' his father, Antone Black, told NBC Dateline. 'I seen him begging for his life. You know, He's hollering "Mommy." They never moved. They never got off of him.' Dateline launched a year-long investigation into Black's death and the parallels to Floyd's murder. The one-hour special report, What Happened to Anton Black?, airs Friday at 10pm EST on NBC. Anton Black, 19, (pictured) died in Sept. 2018 after he was chased by white police officers and held to the ground for six minutes outside his familys home in rural Greensboro, Maryland Black died on September 15, 2018 after an altercation with Greensboro police on the front porch of his mother's home. 'He's at his mother's doorstep. All he wanted to do was go home. He's home and you don't get off of him? That's not right,' Antone told Dateline. 'He didn't attack nobody. He didn't rob a bank. He didn't kill nobody.' 'When I opened up the door, how come they didn't let him up?' his mother, Jenell Black, recalled. 'I'm standing right there.' Body camera footage from the incident showed former Officer Thomas Webster IV confronting the teen in response to a 911 call reporting a man roughly dragging a child down the road in a headlock. The boy, a friend of Blacks family, told the officer that teen was 'schizophrenic' and had been acting strangely. When Webster ordered him to place his hands behind his back and told him he was under arrest, Black said: 'I love you.' He then turned, jogged back to his family home and got into a vehicle. Webster smashed the car window with a baton and then used a stun gun on Black. Later, a struggle ensued on the front porch. Black lost consciousness as Webster and two other cops - former Ridgley police Chief Gary Manos and Centreville police Officer Dennis Lannon - tried to restrain him. Manos and Lannon were off duty when they tried to help Webster arrest Black. 'It just seemed so unreal and unnecessary to me,' family friend Christina Robinson told Dateline. 'When I saw him go limp in the video, they still didn't get off of him.' Anton Black's father, Antone (left), recalled watching 'him begging for his life' as police held him down. Antone said: 'My son was George Floyd before George Floyd' Greensboro police confronted Black, 19, in September 2018 while he was in the 'midst of a mental health crisis', according to the family's lawsuit. Black is pictured left in body-camera footage from the incident Black lost consciousness after being restrained by three cops on his mother's front porch An autopsy report on Blacks death was released in 2019 two days after Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan expressed frustration at the pace of the investigation. The state medical examiners autopsy report lists Blacks death as an accident and said Blacks congenital heart condition, mental illness and stress from the struggle likely contributed to his death. But an expert cited in the family's lawsuit, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins University, concluded that asphyxiation was the cause of Blacks death. Dr. David Fowler - who was Maryland's chief medical examiner until his retirement in 2019 and responsible for the accuracy and integrity of Black's autopsy - also testified as an expert for the defense in Derek Chauvin's trial for the murder of Floyd. Robinson blames police for Black's death, but knows many of their white community members sided with the officers. 'Has it split the community?' NBC anchor Lester Holt probed. 'Along racial lines?' 'It definitely did,' Robinson responded. 'When I opened up the door, how come they didn't let him up?' his mother, Jenell Black, recalled. 'I'm standing right there' Blacks death fueled calls for an independent investigation. Last year, state lawmakers passed a bill named after Black that expanded public access to records about police disciplinary cases. Jason Johnson, president of The Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, told Dateline that although Black's death was a tragedy, he didn't 'see any indication of malice' in the body camera footage and thought it demonstrated 'the professional standard.' However, many have questioned Webster's actions, especially since he had a history of using force with suspects who were already subdued. In 2013, while working as an officer in Dover, Delaware, Webster was charged with assault for kicking Lateef Dickerson, a black man, in the face while he was already subdued. That incident was caught on dashcam video. He was acquitted of the assault charge in 2014. Months after the verdict, Webster was given a $230,000 severance and resignation package from the city of Dover. He also received pay and benefits, including his pension, for work missed during the case. In February 2018, Webster was hired as an officer for the Greensboro police department. 'I could tell you with some degree of certainty that Thomas Webster should not have been a Greensboro police officer at all,' Johnson added, after being pressed by Holt. No charges were filed against Webster in connection to Black's death. Family friend Christina Robinson told Dateline: 'It just seemed so unreal and unnecessary to me. When I saw him go limp in the video, they still didn't get off of him' US District Judge Catherine Blake in January 2022 refused to throw out the family's lawsuits claiming police used excessive force on Black (pictured) She said the bodycam footage (pictured) of the deadly encounter doesnt conclusively contradict the familys claims that police used excessive force US District Judge Catherine Blake in January 2022 refused to throw out the family's lawsuits claiming police used excessive force on Black. Blake, in her 27-page ruling, said the bodycam footage of the deadly encounter doesnt conclusively contradict the familys claims that police used excessive force on Black. The judge concluded that a reasonable jury 'could reach more than one conclusion' about whether officers used a reasonable degree of force against Black. She also said a persons mental health must be factored into the use of force by police. Black had been diagnosed with a severe form of bipolar disorder and was hospitalized less than two weeks before his death. The Greensboro Police Departments handbook suggests that Webster didnt try de-escalate or avoid overreacting to somebody in the grips of a mental health crisis when he smashed the car window and used the stun gun on Black, the judge concluded. She said the officers can renew their requests for her to dismiss the lawsuits excessive force claims after they finish sharing evidence with plaintiffs. It is unclear if Webster, Manos and Lannon have since moved forward with providing the requested evidence or renewed their motion to dismiss the suit. Some 200 years after it was written by a 13-year-old Charlotte Bronte, a tiny manuscript has returned to her home. The last of more than two dozen of the famous 'little books' in private hands was bought in April for 1.25million dollars (973,000) after surfacing for the first time in more than a century. Its buyers, the charity Friends of the National Libraries, have now donated the 15-page book, pictured, to the Bronte Parsonage Museum in Haworth, West Yorkshire. It is smaller than a playing card, is dated December 1829 and contains ten poems by the Jane Eyre author. Its buyers have said it is 'inch for inch, possibly the most valuable literary manuscript ever to be sold'. It was last seen at auction in 1916. The Charlotte Bronte miniature manuscript book was returned to the Bronte Parsonage Museum after being bought in April for 973,000 It is smaller than a playing card, is dated December 1829 and contains ten poems by the Jane Eyre author It was last seen at auction in 1916 in New York, where it sold for 520 dollars. Its whereabouts - and even its survival - were unknown until it was unveiled in New York earlier this year. At the time Ann Dinsdale, principal curator of the Bronte Parsonage Museum, said she was 'absolutely thrilled' by the news that the book would be returning to the place where it was written. She said: 'It is always emotional when an item belonging to the Bronte family is returned home and this final little book coming back to the place it was written when it had been thought lost is very special for us.' The miniature books created by Charlotte Bronte and her siblings as children have long been objects of fascination for Bronte scholars and fans. Curator Sarah Laycock with the last Charlotte Bronte miniature manuscript book known to be in private hands Thrown upon their own resources in Haworth, where their father was curate, the four Bronte children, Charlotte, Anne, Emily and Branwell, evolved a sophisticated imaginary world. They wrote adventure stories, dramas and verse in hand-made manuscript books filled with tiny handwriting intended to resemble print. This close, enchanted world of their childish imaginations fed into the creation of some of the most famous and popular novels ever written, including Charlotte's Jane Eyre; Emily's Wuthering Heights; and Anne's Agnes Grey and The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall. The miniature manuscript, entitled A Book Of Ryhmes By Charlotte Bronte, Sold By Nobody, And Printed By Herself, is a collection of 10 poems written by 13-year-old Charlotte Bronte. It is well known in the world of Bronte scholarship, and is mentioned in Elizabeth Gaskell's The Life Of Charlotte Bronte (1857). The titles of the 10 poems - including The Beauty Of Nature and On Seeing The Ruins Of The Tower Of Babel - have long been known, but the poems themselves have never been published, photographed, transcribed or even summarised. James Cummins Bookseller of New York City and Maggs Bros of London, who were selling on behalf of the owner, offered the book first to FNL and gave them several weeks to raise the 1.25 million dollars required. Funds were raised from more than nine donors, including the Garfield Weston Foundation and the TS Eliot Estate. ever to be sold'. It was last seen at auction in 1916. Four people have been critically injured after a lightning strike at Washington DC's Lafayette Square in front of the White House. The injured - two adult males and two adult females - were transported to area hospitals with life-threatening injuries, Vito Maggiolo, a D.C. Fire and EMS spokesperson, said. The lightning struck the four people near a tree that stands yards away from the fence that surrounds the presidential residence and offices. Officers of the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Park Police, which have a regular presence in the square, went to the assistance of the victims immediately, Maggiolo said. Four people were left critically injured following a lightning strike in Washington's Lafayette Square near the White House on Thursday afternoon Officers of the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Park Police, which have a regular presence in the square, went to the assistance of the victims immediately Officials have yet to identify the injured as Park Police are currently investigating the incident. Maggiolo said it was likely that the four people caught in the incident tried to seek shelter under the nearby tree when the storm passed along just before 7 p.m. The Fire and EMS spokesperson noted that trees are not the ideal shelter during thunderstorms. 'Trees are not safe places,' Maggiolo said. 'Anybody that goes to seek shelter under a tree, that's a very dangerous place to be.' Chris Vagasky, an analyst for a national lightning network, told the Washington Post that there were a total of six 'surges of electricity' that struck the same point near the white house within half a second of each other at 6:49 p.m. Fire and EMS officials said two adult males and two adult females - were transported to area hospitals with life-threatening injuries The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Washington D.C. between 6:30 and 7:15 p.m Lafayette Square, a seven-acre public park that lies directly north of the White House, is often crowded with visitors, especially in the summer months. A violent thunderstorm swept through the capital late in the day. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the area between 6:30 and 7:15 p.m., cautioning of wind gusts up to 60 mph. Temperatures in Washington exceeded 90 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday, although, with the high humidity, the heat felt like more than 100F, forecasters said. The powerful storms proceeding the heat have caused flooding in Baltimore and led to widespread blackouts in Maryland, with Gov. Larry Hogan reporting that more than 50,000 power outages in the state as of Thursday evening. A Pennsylvania hairdresser has defended teaching a young boy to pole dance at a Pride event, describing the activity as 'an avenue for fitness, creativity, artistry, and expression'. Mikee Bentz, from Harrisburg, spoke out after footage of him shirtless teaching a young boy in a rainbow tutu to pole dance went viral. The footage was taken at the Pride Festival of Central Pennsylvania, held on July 30 in Harrisburg. 'My kiddo is a natural!' the boy's parent captioned the clip. The little boy in his rainbow tutu is seen being helped by Bentz get onto the pole The child soon picks up how to swirl around the pole at the Pennsylvania event with several onlookers A shirtless Bentz shouts encouragement as the boy clings to the pole The boy is filmed flying around the pole, as his parent cheers him on The crowd looks on approvingly as the boy shows off his new skill Many found the footage troubling, calling it 'inappropriate' and unnatural, and describing it as 'grooming' - but Bentz insisted it was a creative outlet. Mikee Bentz, a Harrisburg-based hairdresser and pole dance instructor, said that he was proud of his instructing work 'I am proud to offer Harrisburg/Central Pennsylvania an avenue for fitness, creativity, artistry, and expression in businesses that are not only operated at the highest level of ethical behavior, but that also take into account inclusivity and a deep appreciation for protecting the environment,' said Bentz, speaking to Fox News. The organizers of the Pride festival, which featured a main stage, drag stage and kids' zone, also defended the activity. 'The Pride Festival of Central Pennsylvania stands behind the actions of Mr Bentz whose Metro Enterprises provided nothing more than a vehicle of fun and exercise at last weekend's Pride Festival,' a spokesperson said. Yet critics were unimpressed. 'This is profoundly inappropriate. Gays who promote this type of grooming are doing such a disservice to gay people,' tweeted Tristan Justice, a reporter with The Federalist. Political commentator Matt Walsh added: 'I will never support any Republican candidate on any level of government who does not pledge to use every available legal means to put a stop to this sort of thing and punish all those responsible.' Tanya Plibersek is set to block a new coal mine project proposed by billionaire Clive Palmer. The Environment Minister said she will likely refuse approval for his Central Queensland Coal Project near Marlborough, just 10km from the Great Barrier Reef coastline. Ms Plibersek said the 3,000 hectare open cut thermal and coking coal mine would pose 'unacceptable' risks to the environment. Tanya Plibersek is set to block a new coal mine project proposed by billionaire Clive Palmer Ms Plibersek said the open cut thermal and coking coal mine would pose 'unacceptable' risks to the environment. Pictured: The Great Barrier Reef 'Based on the information available to me at this stage, I believe that the project would be likely to have unacceptable impacts to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and the values of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and National Heritage Place,' she said in a statement on Thursday. 'The available evidence also suggests that the project would be likely to have unacceptable impacts on water resources in the area.' Last year the Queensland Government said the proposed mine - which would last for 24 years - was unsuitable because it risked damaging the reef and nearby ecosystems dependent on groundwater. Ms Plibersek will seek feedback on her draft decision over the next 10 days before likely banning the project under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Mr Palmer, whose company mineralogy owns Central Queensland Coal - and who spent $100million trying and failing to win more than one seat in Parliament at the last election - is yet to comment on her draft decision. The new Labor government has vowed to take better care of the environment than the Coalition and has passed a bill enshrining its 43 per cent emissions reduction target through the House of Representatives. The Greens have supported the bill but are pushing Labor to stop any new coal and gas projects. Mr Palmer, whose company mineralogy owns Central Queensland Coal, is yet to comment on the draft decision It comes as Australia's trade surplus hit a record $17.7 billion in June, aided by strong shipments of coal, iron ore and grain. With prices soaring due to Russia's war on Ukraine, Australian coal exports hit $113billion over the year to June, more than triple the previous year. Gas exports more than doubled to $88million and rural goods exports including meat and grain hit $64billion, up from $45billion the year before. The strong figures provide a major boost to the federal Budget, potentially cutting the predicted budget deficit for last year in half. The monthly trade surplus rose from May's $15 billion, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported on Thursday, far outpacing expectations of a fall to $14billion. Exports were up by $2.9billion, or 5.1 per cent, while imports rose just $324million, or 0.7 per cent. CommSec chief economist Craig James said the figure marked Australia's 54th monthly trade surplus. It comes as Australia's trade surplus hit a record $17.7 billion in June, aided by strong shipments of coal, iron ore, gas (pictured) and grain 'The income flowing into Australia is supporting Aussie businesses at a crucial time - a time when fears of recession are being expressed globally,' he wrote in a note. ANZ economists Madeline Dunk and David Plank said the strength in exports was driven by both price and volume, and the data pointed to a large contribution from net exports to second-quarter gross domestic product. But they added the country's surplus was probably near its peak and would start to slide. Australia's biggest buyer, China, is trying to limit its reliance on coal imports and produce less steel. Mr James noted Australia's exports to China of $170.5 billion in the 12 months to June were well down on the record of $179.5 billion set in the year to November 2021. In contrast, Australia's trade with India has soared, with exports up 108 per cent over the year and imports up 63.5 per cent. 'Exports to India are more important than the US and UK combined,' Mr James said. Iron ore exports were up 5.5 per cent to $15.5billion, with shipments rising significantly to China, Vietnam and Taiwan. Gold exports were up 63.8 per cent following a 71 per cent increase in May, rises only partly explained by high prices for the commodity. Rural goods exports including meat and grain hit $64billion, up from $45billion the year before The ABS also noted that lithium exports in June hit a record $1.1 billion, up a staggering 1189 per cent from a year ago. Nearly all Australian lithium is produced in WA and 94 per cent of all exports this year have been to China. Lithium is a key component in rechargeable batteries used in the electric vehicle industry as well as in consumer devices and the storage of renewable energy. Exports of the commodity are expected to continue rising, contributing $9.4billion in revenue to Australia's economy by 2023/24, the ABS said. A woman and three men have been charged over an alleged $1million fraud and identity syndicate - with cops seizing about $130,000 in cash, luxury jewellery and clothing and a Mercedes C200 valued at up to $76,900. NSW Police footage shows a 42-year-old woman being arrested and forced into the back of a wagon in Bankstown, in Sydney's south-west, in the early hours of Friday morning, as well as a 33-year-old man in a hoodie, believed to be her partner. Police will allege in court that the man was the leader of the syndicate, which allegedly involved two other men, aged in their 20s, who were both likewise arrested at units in Haymarket and Pyrmont. The woman's (pictured) charges included two counts of deal with identity info to commit indictable offence and two counts of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception Police stormed the couple's apartment about 5am. Prosecutors will allege the syndicate created a number of shell companies to obtain cheque books, EFTPOS terminals, and create banking profiles which were then used to procure fraudulent funds. The woman's charges included two counts of deal with identity info to commit indictable offence, two counts of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception, deal with property proceeds of crime more than $100,000, and participate criminal group contribute criminal activity. The man was charged with 52 offences, including 39 counts of deal with identity info to commit indictable offence, 11 counts of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception, deal with property proceeds of crime more than $100,000, and knowingly direct activities of criminal group. Both were refused bail to appear at Bankstown Local Court on Friday. Four people have been charged after a criminal syndicate in Sydney involving multiple identity and banking frauds of more than $1 million was intercepted (pictured, a 42-year-old woman was one of the four people arrested) Police discovered and seized around $130,000 cash, $5,000 USD currency, numerous EFTPOS terminals, luxury jewellery and clothing, a Mercedes Benz C200 (pictured) and electronic devices Police will allege the fraudulently obtained funds were then used to withdraw cash, purchase clothing, motor vehicles, and jewellery, and pay for day-to-day expenses. Two other men - 29 and 39 were arrested at units in Pyrmont and Haymarket. They were refused bail and appeared at Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday, where they were formally refused bail to appear in court on August 18. A judge on Thursday ruled that Kevin Spacey and his production companies must pay the makers of 'House of Cards' nearly $31 million because of losses brought on by his 2017 firing for the sexual harassment of crew members. The ruling from Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mel Red Recana gives the force of law to the $30.9 award in favor of MRC and other companies that produced the Netflix series by a private arbitrator who heard the case against Spacey. Recana wrote that Spacey and his attorneys 'fail to demonstrate that this is even a close case' and 'do not demonstrate that the damages award was so utterly irrational that it amounts to an arbitrary remaking of the parties contracts.' 'We are pleased with the court's ruling,' MRC attorney Michael Kump said in an email. A judge on Thursday ruled that actor Kevin Spacey and his production companies must pay the makers of 'House of Cards' nearly $31 million because of losses brought on by his 2017 firing for the sexual harassment of crew members MRC, the makers of the show had argued that Spacey owed them millions in lost profits because his misconduct forced them to remove him from the sixth season of the show Spacey has denied the allegations through his attorneys and his spokesperson, who did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. The arbitrator found that Spacey violated his contracts demands for professional behavior by 'engaging certain conduct in connection with several crew members in each of the five seasons that he starred in and executive produced House of Cards,' according to a filing from Kump requesting the approval. As a result, MRC had to fire Spacey, halt production of the shows sixth season, rewrite it to remove Spaceys central character, and shorten it from 13 to eight episodes to meet deadlines, resulting in tens of millions in losses, according to court documents. Spaceys attorneys argued in their own filings that the decision to exclude him from the shows sixth season came before the internal investigation that led the crew members to come forward, and thus was not part of a contract breach. Actor Kevin Spacey smiling as he leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court in London in June They argued that the actor's actions were not a substantial factor in the show's losses. The ruling from the private arbitrator came after a legal fight of more than three years and an eight-day evidentiary hearing that was kept secret from the public, along with the rest of the dispute, until a panel of three more private arbitrators rejected Spacey's appeal and upheld the decision in November. The 63-year-old Oscar winner's career came to an abrupt halt late in 2017 as the #MeToo movement gained momentum and allegations against him emerged from several places. Spacey was fired or removed from projects, most notably 'House of Cards,' the Netflix political thriller where for five seasons he played lead character Frank Underwood, a power-hungry congressman who becomes president. Last month, Spacey pleaded not guilty in London to charges of sexually assaulting three men a decade or more ago, when he was director of the Old Vic theater there. His lawyer said he 'strenuously denies' the allegations. He is set to face trial next year. Another criminal case brought against him, an indecent assault and battery charge stemming from the alleged groping of an 18-year-old man at a Nantucket resort, was dismissed by Massachusetts prosecutors in 2019. Spacey also faces lawsuits from other men, including actor Anthony Rapp. One person has been killed following a shooting at 3,000-room resort hotel The Mirage on the Las Vegas Strip. Police believe one person was shot with a further two injured on the eighth floor of the hotel according to 8NewsNow. Several people posted on social media saying the resort had been placed into lockdown and dozens of police officers had swooped on the scene. Officers from the Las Vegas Metro Police could be seen hurriedly walking through the gaming floor of the hotel following reports of a shooting on the eighth floor of the 3,000 room hotel Hotel guests were left standing around after being told that the place was going into lockdown Dozens of police vehicles were seen gathering outside the hotel on the Las Vegas strip Las Vegas Metropolitan Police asked people to avoid the area. 'We are investigating a shooting in a hotel room at the Mirage,' Metro police tweeted shortly after 10pm 'One person has been pronounced deceased. This is an active investigation and we will provide more information as it becomes available. Please avoid the area.' In one clip posted online, police and security personnel could be seen walking hurriedly through the gaming area of the hotel while guests could still be seen sitting at the slot machines, seemingly unaware of what was unfolding around them. Another video shot at the entrance of the hotel sees guests standing around in the lobby having been told they were not allowed to leave the property. Multiple users on social media said police locked the casino down and would not let anyone depart. The investigation remains active with the shooter not in custody as of 10pm reports News3LV. The lockdown was later lifted by 10:45pm according to the Las Vegas Review Journal. The entire resort was placed into lockdown ensuring no guests could either depart or arrive Host of The Sunday Project Hamish Macdonald was repeatedly called a 'w***er' during an awkward TV interview after he probed a computer scientist over his claims that he founded Bitcoin. The interview, to air on this Sunday's edition of the program, fell apart after Macdonald put pressure on Dr Craig Wright to show proof that he invented the currency. 'Pick up a law book, and look what proof is, and do a course,' Dr Wright tersely answered. 'And when you come back, and you actually know what the f*** you're talking about, then we can have a discussion. 'Otherwise you're just being a w***er.' Hamish MacDonald (pictured) asked the computer scientist why he had to swear during the tense discussion Dr Craig Wright (pictured in the interview) told Macdonald 'if you're going to be a w***er, I'll call you a w***er' A visibly disturbed MacDonald responded, 'Why get irritated and start swearing?' in a report on news.com.au. 'I'm Australian and if you're going to be a w***er, I'll call you a w***er,' Dr Wright replied. The premise of the interview had been a discussion on how the internet will overtake Silicon Valley, but the fiery exchange quickly derailed the exchange. Dr Wright is one of several individuals rumoured to be the brains behind Satoshi Nakamoto - the pseudonym given to the person said to be behind Bitcoin's invention. Macdonald (pictured in 2013) had asked Dr Wright what proof he had that he was the founder of cryptocurrency Bitcoin Cryptocurrency guru Dorian Nakamoto has also been named as its anonymous founder but has aggressively denied the allegation. Computer engineer Nick Szabo's creation of Bit Gold in 2008 is considered a precursor to the Bitcoin concept - also giving him frontrunner status as the mysterious Satoshi. Others have suggested Satoshi Nakamoto is a group of individuals, while the family of late computer scientist David Kleiman claimed he created the digital currency together with Dr Wright under the pseudonym. The Australian businessman claimed he is the only one behind the pseudonym but the crypto community takes his claims with a pinch of salt. He first made the claim in a blog post in 2016, also producing evidence of cryptographic keys linked to the same blocks of Bitcoin Nakamoto sent a developer, Hal Finney, as part of the the currencys first transaction in 2009. The full interview will go to air on Sunday. Former soldier Jacqui Lambie has broken down in tears during an emotional appearance before a veterans inquiry. The independent Tasmanian Senator welled up as she thanked her parents and youngest son Dylan for looking after her when her mental health spiralled before she attempted suicide in 2009. 'I want to thank my family for the 10 years of hell they had to go through,' she said. 'That was very difficult for them, watching their daughter, especially my mum and dad, go from being someone who was very fit with a military career to reduced to basically just an empty human being. The independent Tasmanian Senator (left today) welled up as she thanked her parents and youngest son Dylan for looking after her when her mental health spiralled 'I want to thank my two sons who went through a lot and watched their mother deteriorate so badly over a 10-year period and the ending of that.' Senator Lambie has previously told how she became addicted to painkillers and attempted suicide in 2009 after being medically discharged from the Army in 2000. Her youngest son Dylan struggled with a meth addiction afterwards. Directly addressing him in front of the cameras, Senator Lambie said: 'To my youngest son I know you have paid a very, very heavy price for what you had to do to care for me over that period of time, and I know you are still paying the price of that. 'Thank you sincerely. And I will speak on your behalf and tell them what you went through and the impact that it's had on your life. So, thank you very much.' Senator Lambie was speaking today before the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, after years of campaigning for an inquiry into the nation's armed forces. The outspoken politician, who served in the Army for 11 years, gave evidence about a lengthy legal battle with the Department of Veterans' Affairs over compensation. Senator Lambie previously discussed her battle with depression while appearing on I'm A Celebrity in 2019 and before that on Australian Story in 2014. Senator Lambie thanked her youngest son Dylan (pictured together in 2016) for looking after her when her mental health spiralled After she was medically discharged from the Army with a back injury, she lodged compensation claims with the Department of Veterans' Affairs. 'I think I was on the books for about four months and they decided I was maligned and they had video surveillance done on me,' she told Australian Story. That surveillance was used to discredit Ms Lambie and her entitlements were terminated and she was forced to go on a disability pension. That was when her life started spiralling out of control. In 2009 she made an attempt on her own life, leaving a goodbye note for her two sons. 'I'd written a letter to both the boys and left them in my draw and said right here's a perfect opportunity, I had a few drinks and off I went,' she said. 'I'd walked out in front of a car, I'd had enough, I'd had a gutful, that was it, I was finished, I was gone.' Senator Lambie sustained the loss of her two front teeth, a substantial scar to her forehead and a large hematoma to her thigh after she was hit by the car. After she was hospitalised, she got the psychological help she needed before things in her life started to turn around. Senator Lambie is pictured in a recent Instagram photo. She gave evidence in Hobart on Friday The Veterans commission is holding seven days of hearings in Hobart, its final evidence gathering before delivering an interim report on Thursday focusing on issues needing urgent action. The inquiry has been told of struggles providing services to veterans in Tasmania, because of the island state's isolated nature. There are more than 17,500 veterans living in Tasmania, believed to be the highest number per capita of any state or territory. The cohort is disproportionately affected by homelessness compared with the general population, the inquiry has been told. Tasmanian Veterans' Affairs Minister Guy Barnett said a 2019 RSL survey of more than 400 of the state's veterans found about one in two had experienced a mental health condition in the previous 12 months. The inquiry, which has received more than 1,900 submissions since being called by former prime minister Scott Morrison in April 2021, will provide final recommendations by June 2024. Former Vice President Dick Cheney attacked ex-President Donald Trump as a direct threat to the nation's future in a campaign commercial for daughter and struggling Republican legislator Liz Cheney on Thursday. Cheney, who is running for reelection against Trump-backed candidate Harriet Hageman, portrayed the ex-president in similar terms during her time on the special congressional committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021 insurgency. Dick Cheney Calls Trump a "Coward" During a series of hearings, Cheney and other committee members accused Trump of coordinating the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol in an attempt to fraudulently reverse his election defeat to President Joe Biden. The older Cheney stated in the commercial that Trump knows he lost the election and that he lied to supporters about phony accusations of voting fraud. He referred to Donald Trump as a coward and stated that a true guy would not lie to his fans. There has never been a greater threat to our Republic than Donald Trump in our nation's 246-year existence, the former vice president declared in an unusual assault on a former president from the same party. The former vice president also stated that his daughter's participation on the inquiry is part of an effort to prevent Trump from regaining the office in 2024, according to USA Today. As he featured in the newest video published for his daughter's re-election campaign, former Vice President Dick Cheney brands former President Donald Trump as a coward and argues that Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming is fearless. Liz Cheney was the most senior of the ten House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump on a charge of instigating a fatal January 6, 2021, the takeover of the United States. Capitol. Right-wing radicals and other Trump supporters launched the attack to prevent legislative certification of Biden's Electoral College victory in the 2020 election. Liz Cheney, a conservative politician, and military hawk, was instantly attacked verbally by Trump and his followers, and she was dismissed from her number-three House GOP leadership post in May of last year. Read Also: Pelosi Stunt Brings on Taipei Trade Backlash, Drives Asian Stock Markets Down Rep. Liz Cheney Emphasizes Importance of Democratic Process She has been outspoken about the need of safeguarding the nation's democratic process and putting the country before the party, and she is one of just two Republicans on a special select committee convened by House Democrats to investigate the Capitol incident. This summer, the committee made headlines and garnered a lot of national attention by holding broadcast hearings. Trump backed Harriet Hageman when she entered the campaign last summer, ratcheting up his attempts to remove Cheney from Congress. And the former president and his backers were successful in convincing some, but not all, of the other anti-Cheney candidates to withdraw from the primary and unite behind Hageman. Cheney was given a reprieve in March when the Wyoming legislature opted not to eliminate same-day party registration in primaries, which would have barred Democrats from crossing party lines and registering as Republicans to vote for her in the state's primary. The Wyoming legislature's decision was viewed as a loss for Trump and his backers, who had campaigned to prohibit same-day party registration. Trump's constant assaults on Cheney have also contributed to her record fundraising in the last year. Despite Cheney's massive money advantage against Hageman, the most recent primary polls indicated Hageman had a substantial double-digit lead over the troubled incumbent. Cheney stated on two recent Sunday talk shows that her leadership role on the House Jan. 6 select committee takes precedence over her efforts to gain re-election to a fourth term representing Wyoming in the House, as per Fox News. On January 6, when Cheney accepted a post on the House subcommittee investigating the Capitol attack, the attacks intensified. In a series of public hearings, she has operated like a federal prosecutor, setting out a case tying Trump in what the committee has labeled a sophisticated seven-point conspiracy to overturn the election, ABC News via MSN reported. Related Article: US Baby Formula Shortage: Americans Remain Struggling To Feed Their Infants as Biden Administration Fails To Solve Problem @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A man working as a stone mason has died after he was crushed by falling scaffolding and a brick wall. The incident occurred at Fort St High School at Petersham in Sydney's inner west shortly before 11.30am. Four rescue crews from Fire and Rescue NSW went to the scene along with NSW Police Rescue and NSW Ambulance paramedics. 'The gentleman has not been able to be revived,' Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry told reporters. 'It's going to be a protracted and complex operation to recover the person. 'It's likely we're going to have to use a crane to start lifting off some of the debris.' He said Fort St High students had been directed away from the scene. 'The students have been moved away from the area and looked after,' he said. The man's co-workers are understood to be distraught at the accident. The cause of the incident is not yet known. The incident that killed the stone mason occurred at Fort St High School (pictured) at Petersham in Sydney's inner west More to come House Speaker Nancy Pelosi vowed that China 'will not isolate Taiwan' by preventing US officials from traveling to the island nation, as Beijing increased its military intimidation. Pelosi made the remarks in Tokyo on Friday during the final leg of her Asia tour, which she alleged was 'not about changing the status quo.' Pelosi, the first House speaker to visit Taiwan in 25 years, said Wednesday in Taipei that the U.S. commitment to democracy in the self-governing island and elsewhere 'remains ironclad.' China, which claims Taiwan and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary, called her visit to the island a provocation and on Thursday began military drills, including missile firing, in six zones surrounding Taiwan. Airlines have cancelled flights to Taipei and rerouted others to avoid airspace nearby that has been closed to civilian traffic during the Chinese military exercises. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi vowed that China 'will not isolate Taiwan' by preventing US officials from traveling to the island nation, as Beijing increased its military intimidation Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (front, 3rd R), US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (front, 3rd L), US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel (front, 2nd R), and members of US House of Representatives pose for a photo session at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo Pelosi made the remarks about China and Taiwan while in Tokyo on Friday, during the final leg of her Asia tour, which she alleged was 'not about changing the status quo.' She is pictured with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida before their breakfast meeting at his residence 'They may try to keep Taiwan from visiting or participating in other places, but they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there,' Pelosi said during a press conference Friday following talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. 'We had high-level visits, senators in the spring, the bi-partisan way, continuing visits, and we will not allow them to isolate Taiwan.' Pelosi, responding to accusations that her trip to Taiwan demonstrated support for the island's independence, said her visits to Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan were 'not about changing the status quo.' 'We have said from the start that our representation here is not about changing the status quo here in Asia, changing the status quo in Taiwan,' she explained. 'It is about the Taiwan Relations Act, US-China policy, all of the pieces of legislation and agreements that have established what our relationship is. To have peace in the Taiwan Strait and have the status quo prevail.' Pelosi and her congressional delegation also discussed their shared security concern over China, North Korea and Russia, and pledged their commitment to working toward peace and stability in Taiwan. Pelosi is pictured in Tokyo on Friday U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, right, is greeted upon her arrival at the U.S. Yokota Air Base, in Fussa on the outskirts of Tokyo on Thursday Earlier Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that China's military exercises aimed at Taiwan represent a 'grave problem' that threatens regional peace and security. He is pictured speaking to the media Friday after a meeting with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, left, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Pelosi issued her warning to China after the nation ratcheted up its military intimidation of Taiwan on Thursday by firing ballistic missiles - which flew over the island and landed in Japanese waters. As promised by the ruling Communist Party, four days of war games encircling Taiwan began just before 2pm (local time) with wave after wave of rocket launches, while Chinese jets took to the skies and ten warships patrolled the sea. Five high-powered missiles fired from the mainland flew over Taiwan, Japanese officials said, and plunged into the sea south of Hateruma Island, part of Okinawa. The series of islands are part of Japan's 'exclusive economic zone', which extends 200 nautical miles from its coast. Earlier Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that China's military exercises aimed at Taiwan represent a 'grave problem' that threatens regional peace, national security and the 'lives of the Japanese people, which we strongly condemn.' Kishida, speaking after breakfast with Pelosi and her congressional delegation, said the missile launches need to be 'stopped immediately.' China ratcheted up its military intimidation of Taiwan Thursday by firing ballistic missiles which flew over the island and landed in Japanese waters Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, attending a regional meeting in Cambodia, called for an 'immediate stop' to the military drills, adding: 'China's actions this time have a serious impact on the peace and stability of the region and the international community.' US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned: 'Countries around the world believe escalation serves no one and could have unintended consequences that serve no one's interests. 'I hope very much Beijing will not manufacture a crisis or seek a pretext to increase its aggressive military activity.' Japan has in recent years bolstered its defense capability and troop presence in southwestern Japan and remote islands, including Okinawa, which is about 700 kilometers (420 miles) northeast of Taiwan. Many residents say they worry their island will be quickly embroiled in any Taiwan conflict. Okinawa is home to the majority of about 50,000 American troops based in Japan under a bilateral security pact. Taiwan held its breath for two hours Thursday as China flexed its military muscle, with the firing of 11 ballistic missiles being backed up by an array of smaller, shorter-range rockets which landed north-east and south-west of the island Chinese military helicopters fly past Pingtan island, one of mainland China's closest point from Taiwan, in Fujian province on Thursday ahead of massive military drills off Taiwan following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the self-ruled island The Rocket Force under the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducts conventional missile tests into the waters off the eastern coast of Taiwan, from an undisclosed location in this handout released on Thursday The Chinese military exercises launched Thursday involve its navy, air force and other departments and are to last until Sunday. They include missile strikes on targets in the seas north and south of the island in an echo of the last major Chinese military drills in 1995 and 1996 aimed at intimidating Taiwan's leaders and voters. China also flew war planes toward Taiwan and blocked imports of its citrus and fish. Taiwan has put its military on alert and staged civil defense drills, while the US has numerous naval assets in the area. Airlines have cancelled flights to Taipei and rerouted others to avoid the airspace involved - which is comparatively small. Temporary airspace closures and route changes during major military exercises occur regularly around the world. Airlines have cancelled flights to Taipei and rerouted others to avoid the airspace involved - which is comparatively small. Temporary airspace closures and route changes during major military exercises occur regularly around the world This situation is unusual in that China's exercises bisect Taiwan's claimed 12 nautical miles (22 kilometres) of territorial waters - something Taiwanese officials say challenges the international order and amount to a blockade of its sea and airspace. Korean Air Lines Co Ltd and Singapore Airlines Ltd said they had cancelled flights to and from Taipei on Friday due to the exercises, with the Korean carrier also cancelling its Saturday flights and delaying Sunday flights. Japan's ANA Holdings Inc and Japan Airlines Co Ltd are still operating flights to Taipei as normal, spokespeople for the airlines said, but are avoiding the affected airspace on those flights, as well as on routes to Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd and Philippines Airlines said their flights were avoiding designated airspace zones around Taiwan, in a move that could lead to more flying time for some flights, while Vietnam's aviation regulator warned its airlines to avoid the area. Emirates, United Airlines Holdings Inc and Turkish Airlines had flights en route to Taipei on Friday morning local time, Flightradar24 showed. Taiwan said on Wednesday it was negotiating with neighboring Japan and the Philippines to find alternative aviation routes, the official Central News Agency (CNA) reported. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attends a news conference along with US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel and Representatives Andy Kim (D-NJ), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Mark Takano (D-CA) and Suzan DelBene (D-WA), at the US Embassy in Tokyo House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (R) is welcomed by US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel (C) upon her arrival at Yokota Air Base in Fussa, Tokyo on Thursday House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (front) arrives at Yokota Air Base in Fussa, Tokyo on Thursday At the breakfast earlier Friday, Pelosi and her congressional delegation also discussed their shared security concern over China, North Korea and Russia, and pledged their commitment to working toward peace and stability in Taiwan. Pelosi was also to hold talks with her Japanese counterpart, lower house Speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda. Japan and its key ally - the US - have been pushing for new security and economic frameworks with other democracies in the Indo-Pacific region and Europe as a counter to China's growing influence amid rising tensions between Beijing and Taipei. Days before Pelosi's Taiwan visit, a group of senior Japanese lawmakers, including former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, visited the island and discussed regional security with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. Ishiba said Japan, while working with the United States to prevent conflict in the Indo-Pacific, wants a defense agreement with Taiwan. On Thursday, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven industrialized nations issued a statement saying 'there is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait.' It said China's 'escalatory response risks increasing tensions and destabilizing the region.' China cited its displeasure over the statement for the last-minute cancellation of talks between the Chinese and Japanese foreign ministers on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Cambodia on Thursday. Beijing said Friday it summoned European diplomats in the country to protest statements issued by the Group of Seven nations and the European Union criticizing threatening Chinese military exercises surrounding Taiwan. The Foreign Ministry said Vice Minister Deng Li made 'solemn representations' over what he called 'wanton interference in China's internal affairs.' Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her congressional delegation visited the heavily-fortified DMZ during their trip to South Korea Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she agreed to support Seoul's efforts to denuclearize Pyongyang US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, front, center left, and South Korean National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin Pyo, center right, inspect an honor guard upon her arrival at the National Assembly in Seoul on Thursday U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi poses with South Korean National Assembly speaker Kim Jin-pyo before their meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul on Thursday House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), left, attends a meeting at the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's house of parliament, with Tsai Chi-Chang, right, Vice President of the Legislative Yuan on Wednesday in Taipei, Taiwan Pelosi held talks on Thursday in South Korea, also a key US ally, which stayed away from the Taiwan issue, apparently to avoid upsetting China, focusing instead on North Korea's increasing nuclear threat. In recent years, South Korea has been struggling to strike a balance between the US and China as their rivalry has deepened. The Biden administration and Pelosi have said the US remains committed to the so-called one-China policy, which recognizes Beijing as the government of China but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. The administration discouraged but did not prevent Pelosi from visiting. Pelosi has been a long-time advocate of human rights in China. She, along with other lawmakers, visited Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1991 to support democracy two years after a bloody military crackdown on protesters at the square. As leader of the House of Representatives, Pelosi's trip has heightened U.S.-China tensions more than visits by other members of Congress. The last House speaker to visit Taiwan was Newt Gingrich in 1997. China and Taiwan, which split in 1949 after a civil war, have no official relations but multibillion-dollar business ties. Air travel chaos returns to the U.S. as more than 1,200 flights were canceled on Thursday and 452 more were called off for Friday, with Southwest Airlines leading the pack after delaying 40 percent of its trips. According to Flightaware, which tracks the status of flights around the world, 1,207 flights within, into or out of the US were called off on Thursday, with 7,648 flights delayed. Southwest Airlines had the most flights affected, with 356 canceled and 1,734 delayed, after a computer glitch in Phoenix caused the airline to lose connectivity. As of early Friday, the airline has canceled 49 additional flights and delayed 11, and more than 1,200 flights are scheduled to be delayed across the US. Fears of another Airmageddon in the US were stoked on Thursday as more than 1,200 flights were canceled and 7,648 delayed Southwest Airlines had the most flights affected, with 356 canceled and 1,734 delayed, after a computer glitch in Phoenix caused the airline to lose connectivity. Pictured: Crowds waiting for news about their Southwest flights in Las Vegas According to Flightaware, which tracks the status of flights around the world, 452 flights have been canceled as of Friday and 1,234 have been delayed Southwest Airlines said the glitch issue was fixed before Thursday noon, but by then, hundreds of flights had been affected UPDATE: Southwest Airlines worker tells me a lightning bolt during the storm hit their generator, causing their server to go down. Still no ETA on when it will be fixed. @PHXSkyHarbor @abc15 pic.twitter.com/8xu7WbGpYX Ashley Paredez (@AshleyOnABC15) August 4, 2022 Southwest Airlines spokesman Dan Landson said in a statement that the airline was affected by early morning storms that caused outages at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Although Landson said the issue was cleared before noon, hundreds of flights were already affected by the outage. The cancellations and delays caused travelers to vent their frustrations on social media, slamming the airline for the long waits and lack of service. Twitter user Alexis Nicole said she experienced multiple delays on Thursday, tweeting that this was her second 'bad experience with Southwest Airlines.' 'Why are we waiting [hours] for delayed flights, just to turn around... board a plane, to wait more [hours] for a 2nd pilot,' she wrote. 'Get y'all s*** together!!!' Another Twitter user with the handle Julianne wrote about her horrible experience with the airline company. 'Southwest Airlines u guys are really testing me,' she tweeted. 'First changing my flight without notifying me, then putting my bags on a different flight than me, THEN losing my bags while delivering them to me?? 'No compensation AND I got yelled at by two customer repsINSANE.' Fellow Twitter user Tori echoed the frustration and pleaded for the delays to never happen again. 'My flight was supposed to leave 6 hours ago and I'm just now boarding. Please don't hurt me like this again. I'm begging you @SouthwestAir.' The Southwest issue originated after a storm knocked out the power at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Thursday morning Black screens were seen throughout the airport as officials rushed to restore the systems As of Friday, Southwest Airlines has canceled 49 additional flights and delayed 11 Many took to Twitter to vent about the canceled and delayed flights from Southwest Along with the issues with Southwest, travelers also experienced headaches with American Airlines, which canceled nearly 200 flights on Thursday and delayed 877 trips, about 26 percent of flights. As of Friday, American is leading in reschedules with 98 flights called off and 39 delayed. The rescheduling comes as the airline announced that it would be cutting 2 percent of flights from its schedule in September and October, CNN reports. American called the cuts 'proactive adjustments' in order to accommodate the resources it currently has available and build a 'buffer' into the remainder of its summer schedule. The airline says it will reach out to passengers directly with 'alternative travel options' and provide full refunds to those who reject the new flight arrangements. It comes as the US Department of Transportation proposed a new rule that would expand the circumstances when airlines must offer refunds. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has proposed expanding the circumstances in which travelers can claim refunds from airlines Currently, passengers are only entitled to refunds if an airline has 'made a significant schedule change or significantly delays a flight and the travelers chooses not to board the flight. The DOT does not define what 'significant' means in this context, but the new proposal would change that. Under the new rule, significant changes would be defined as changes that affect departure or arrival times by three hours or more in domestic flights and six hours or more for international flights. It also includes if changes are made to the airport the flight is arriving at or departing from, as well as changes to the number of connections and if someone experiences a big downgrade in their travel experience. 'This new proposed rule would protect the rights of travelers and help ensure they get the timely refunds they deserve from the airlines,' Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. The current number of Americans traveling has increased since the height of the pandemic, but remains lower than the pre-covid era. On Wednesday, The US Transportation Security Administration screened more than 2.1 million passengers at airports nationwide, about 86 percent from the same day in 2019. The husband of Indiana Congresswoman Jackie Walorski has paid tribute to his principled and courageous wife, speaking at a vigil on Thursday - the day after her death in a car crash. Walorski, 58, died alongside her aides Zachery Potts, 27, of Mishawaka, Indiana, and Emma Thomson, 28, of Washington, D.C. Their SUV crossed the center line and crashed head-first into an oncoming vehicle driven by Edith Schmucker, 56, of Nappanee, who was also killed. The accident happened near the northern Indiana town of Nappanee. Friends and relatives of Walorski and her team gathered in Elkhart, near where she lived, to pay tribute. Dean Swihart, who was married to Walorski for 27 years, told the crowd at Jimtown High School how proud he was of his wife. 'Jackie took charge of whatever room she walked into, and it wasn't because she was six foot tall,' said Swihart. Dean Swihart is seen on Thursday night paying tribute to his wife Jackie Walorski, who was killed in a car crash on Wednesday Walorski and Swihart were married for 27 years, having met in Indiana in 1994 Crowds of well-wishers are seen on Thursday night at a vigil to pay tribute to the four people killed in the crash Swihart (center) is seen with friends and relatives at the vigil at Jimtown High School in Elkhart Walorski was born and raised in South Bend, graduating from Riley High School in 1981 and attending Taylor University. After college, Walorski returned to the area and became a television reporter for WSBT-TV. She then moved to work at the St. Joseph County Humane Society followed by a job at Ancilla College, which she served in from 1991-1996. Swihart and Walorski met in 1994: He took her to the St. Joseph County fair on their first date. 'She says: 'I met the man I'm gonna marry,'' Swihart recalled on Thursday night. 'She knew that on the first date. I'm slow.' Swihart and Walorski are pictured together. He remained in Indiana, working as a school teacher, as she represented the state in D.C. Swihart and Walorski were united by their deeply-held Christian beliefs; They are pictured at a charity event together The pair are pictured at home with their dog The pair married a year later, and in 2000 moved to Romania for four years, doing missionary work and launching Impact International, to help children and provide medical supplies. On their return to Indiana, Walorski entered politics. Swihart, a teacher, added: 'I could not be more proud of the life my wife has lived. 'She lived her faith. She knew she was. She wasn't going to be talked down she wasn't going to back down.' Other told how Walorski had inspired them. Tim Wesco, who replaced Walorski in the Indiana House of Representatives in 2010 and still holds her former seat, credited Walorski for believing in him when he decided to run for office at 23 years old. 'I called her and I said: 'Jackie, I'm thinking of running for your seat,'' he told the vigil. 'And she said: 'Tim, do it. We need more Christians in government.' 'She believed in me as a 23 year old kid, and because she believed in me, I believed in myself.' Swihart and Walorski are pictured together in Washington D.C. Investigators determined that the SUV driven by Zachery Potts, 27, (left) crossed the centerline for unknown reasons in a rural area near the town of Wakarusa. Walorski communications director Emma Thomson (right) was also killed Congresswoman Susan Brooks told the crowd: 'I represented Indiana's 5th Congressional District with Jackie. Proudly represented the 2nd District. 'We went in to Congress together and she was my sister. She was my best friend in Congress. She relied on that bible every night and every morning.' Walorski's brother told the crowd the family was suffering. 'This is really, really hard,' he said. 'I did not want my mom to have to go through this and a funeral and who knows what else. 'You can't believe how much this hurts.' But Tim Henke, the organizer of the vigil, said he hoped she would be remembered for her positive outlook. 'When Jackie looked at you, she looked with eyes of hope,' he said. Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer, who was one of the last people to speak with the lawmaker, claims she was in town to learn more about recent successes in the medical device industry. Cars are pictured being towed away from the crash site Walorski and her staffers' southbound vehicle collided with a northbound vehicle that veered into their lane Walorski and her staffers were in Warsaw, Indiana earlier Wednesday visiting Medartis Headquarters. A car is being towed away from the scene after the crash Indiana House lawmakers bow their heads while Republican Rep. Timothy Wesco (left) honors GOP U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski, Indiana GOP House Speaker Todd Huston, back left, bows his head during a tribute to the beloved lawmaker Under Indiana law, it will be up to local Republican officials to pick a candidate to replace Walorski on the election ballot. Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb has the authority to schedule a special election to fill the remainder of Walorski's current term, which ends this year. The governor's office and the state Republican Party both said Thursday it was too soon to say when those decisions would be made, as tributes to Walorski's public service continued. The U.S. Senate chaplain included her, Thomson and Potts in the chamber's opening prayer, and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell praised all three in his opening remarks. He acknowledged 'how great a hole Jackie and her team are leaving behind' at the Capitol. In Indianapolis, members of the Indiana House, where Walorski served for six years before running for Congress, bowed their heads Thursday while Rep. Wesco said a prayer for Walorski. Wesco called Walorski a 'mentor' who was 'passionate in everything that she did.' 'Her faith was central to her as a person, and her faith is what gives us hope today,' Wesco said. 'None of us are guaranteed tomorrow.' Indiana's last special election for a congressional seat was in 2010, when Republican Rep. Mark Souder resigned soon after winning the May primary. Then-Gov. Mitch Daniels decided to hold the special election at the same time as the November general election for the full two-year term, citing the potential cost of a separate election and convenience for voters. Indiana Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young described Walorski as incredibly smart with a great sense of humor. 'She wore her values and her conviction on that on her sleeve,' Young said. 'Unlike so many people in public life, she wasn't really guarded about who she was and why she believed different things.' Mr Tighe only spent three days with his newborn because his alleged murder Three weeks prior, his wife gave birth to their son who was then hospitalised A young dad spent as few as three days with his newborn son before he was allegedly shot dead by his gun-wielding neighbour over a long-standing dispute about a fence, a family member says. Graham Tighe, 35, was allegedly shot to death alongside his mother Maree Schwarz and step-father Mervyn Schwarz, 71, at 9am on Thursday at the boundary line of their property in Bogie, in the Whitsundays region of North Queensland. Mr Tighe's younger brother, Ross Tighe, in his 30s, was also shot in the stomach, but managed to escape to a ute and drive 40km to get help - while soaked in blood. Police have 59-year-old Darryl Young in custody. He was charged with three counts of murder on Friday evening. Greg Austen - who is Mrs Schwarz's brother-in-law - told Daily Mail Australia that Graham Tighe's infant son was hospitalised in Brisbane, 1,000km south of Bogie, soon after his birth three weeks ago 'because he was crook'. He was released this week. The little boy spent just three precious days with his father before the fatal shooting, Mr Austen said. Pictured: Graham Tighe and his pregnant wife, before their son was born three weeks ago Graham Tighe (pictured) leaves behind a young family, including a little boy who was recently sick, and his toddler daughter 'I reckon Graham only spent about three days with his son,' Mr Austen said. 'He's the first boy born that can carry on the Tighe family name.' On July 11, Mr Tighe's wife wrote a gushing social media post to introduce their newborn to family friends - their toddler sat next to her new brother, beaming at the camera. 'Congratulations guys, so happy for your beautiful little family of four,' a friend wrote in the comments section. Police allege that on Wednesday night, Young invited the family to meet him at the border of their farms early on Thursday. However, he allegedly pulled out a gun and shot all four members of the Schwarz-Tighe family, leaving Ross with a bullet wound to the stomach. Ross Tighe, pictured with his partner Kaitlyn, is recovering in hospital after allegedly being shot in the stomach Maree and Mervyn Schwarz died from gunshots wounds, along with Maree's son Graham Tighe. Despite his injuries, Ross Tighe miraculously escaped by jumping into a car and driving 40km to another property to alert police. Cops rushed to the small rural town in search of the three other alleged victims and gunman. Queensland Police locked the area down after his call and found the three family members dead on the Shannonvale Road property a few hours later. Mr Austen, who is Mrs Schwarz's brother-in-law, told Daily Mail Australia the neighbours had been warring over where the boundary point should be between their two farms. Graham Tighe bought the property with his mother and stepfather in May last year. He is pictured at a wedding 'It was a fence line dispute, and it's been going for many years,' he said. 'How it happened in this day and age is beyond me. It's not America.' Ross Tighe, who has a one-year-old daughter with partner Kaitlyn, was airlifted to Mackay Hospital in a critical condition, where he was rushed into emergency surgery. He remained in a stable condition in the intensive care unit and was able to be interviewed by police on Thursday night. Mr Austen said he was shocked by how the feud allegedly escalated as he paid tribute to his community-oriented loved ones. 'When we first heard something happened, we thought they were playing silly buggers in Collinsville, but we didn't realise the outcome which was so severe,' he said. 'They were an honest Christian family. They were a bush family who worked seven days a week and had beers on Sundays, participated in events, very community-minded and well-respected in the community.' 'Just a normal Australian family.' Maree Schwarz's brother-in-law Greg Austen said Ross (pictured) is a strong man People who live around the Bogie region started leaving flowers at the property on Friday morning (pictured) Pictured: One of the Schwarz-Tighe family's properties, situated on Sutherland Road TIMELINE OF BOGIE MASS SHOOTING May 2021: The Schwarz family buy the 300-square-kilometre Bogie farm for $10million Thursday, August 4, 2022 9am: Mervyn and Maree Schwarz, and Maree's sons Graham and Ross Tighe meet neighbours at the boundary lines of their properties. An altercation occurs and all four are allegedly shot. Ross escapes and makes it to a property several kilometres away where he raises the alarm. 10am: Queensland Police confirm they have sent units to a rural property following reports four people have been shot 11am: Police announce they have located one man some distance from the property and he is being treated for gunshot wounds An emergency declaration is set up by police and members of the public are told to avoid the area 4pm: Police confirm three people have been found deceased at the Bogie property Friday, August 5, 2022 7.15am: Queensland Police Acting Superintendent Tom Armitt announces the alleged gunman has been taken into custody Advertisement Mr Austen said his nephew-in-law showed incredible courage. 'Ross has two girls, but he's OK. I haven't spoke to him yet because he's about three hours away, but we're heading there,' he said. 'Ross is a very strong young man. 'To witness what unfolded in front of him and then to be able to walk back to the car shows real resilience, and I'm sure he won't forget it for the rest of his life.' Acting Superintendent Tom Armitt said the man arrested was a 'long-time resident of the area'. 'He will be remaining in our custody, and we expect to lay criminal charges in relation to the matter sometime later on this afternoon,' he said. Police have released four of the five people that were taken into custody on Thursday night to assist with their inquiries. Supt. Armitt said two of those persons were involved in a power company, and after taking statements from them, they were released. He said the three others included the 59-year-old man, his son, and another female family member, who have also since been released. Police said the sole survivor was in a 'very distressed state' when he initially spoke to officers, which led to confusion as police tried to narrow down the area where the alleged shooting took place. The family only bought the huge 300sqkm plot of land for $10million in May 2021, which is zoned for cattle grazing, breeding and farming purposes. The purchase - which was made by Mr and Mrs Schwarz, along with Graham Tighe, netted the previous owners a profit of almost $7 million after holding onto the property for just three years. Property records show Mr Schwarz and Mrs Schwarz, who was then Ms Tighe, bought a livestock farm for $1.8million in Mount Abundance, in the Maranoa region, in December 2003. The couple married sometime within the next eight years before going into business with Graham to snap up a Bogie cattle grazing plot in October 2011. Maree Schwarz, who died on Thursday morning, is pictured with one of her grandchildren Pictured: The entrance to the Schwartz-Tighe property on Friday morning. Flowers could be seen at the gate Five years later, the trio purchased a $2.6million farm, with land use for sheep breeding or growing grains, at The Gums, west of Tara in the Western Downs region. Ross Tighe had his second child just 18 months ago. At the time, his doting mother shared a photo online of herself cradling her newborn grandchild with a beaming smile on her face. Forensic specialists will return to the scenes on Friday morning to continue examining the regions for clues. Police revealed on Thursday afternoon the rugged terrain had proven difficult to navigate and would pose further challenges throughout the course of the investigation. Ross Tighe was raced to hospital on Thursday, after driving 40km with a gunshot wound (scene pictured) The tragedy has rocked the small agricultural town, which is home to just over 200 people. When word spread throughout the community of a shooting, several of Mrs Schwarz' friends reached out via social media wishing her well. 'Hope all are safe,' one friend wrote on the notice, tagging Mrs Schwarz in her message.' Whitsunday Regional Councillor Jan Clifford said 'everybody knows everyone else' in their 'little village', adding the community would be 'devastated'. 'To my knowledge, nothing like this has ever happened in the Whitsunday region before. 'We are all deeply saddened by the tragedy.' A jogger bravely fought off a stranger who allegedly sexually assaulted her in bushland during her Friday morning jog. Western Australian Police are searching for a man who allegedly attacked the woman in her 40s in Bilingurr, in Broome's northern suburbs, about 5.20am on Friday. The woman was jogging along a track when the man allegedly grabbed her - and then assaulted her - as they crossed paths. A sexual assault allegedly happened on Gubinge Road (pictured) in the northern Broome suburb of Bilingurr on Friday morning The woman fought the man off and screamed for help. Several members of the local community came to the womans aid and she was taken to Broome Hospital by ambulance. The alleged incident happened in an area of bushland alongside Gubinge Road, between Jigal Drive and Sayonara Road. The alleged offender is described as being between 35 and 45 years old. Detectives from Western Australia's Sex Assault Squad are travelling to Broome to assist local police officers with the investigation. Anyone with information regarding this incident, or who has CCTV, dash-cam or mobile phone vision of anyone in the area between 4.30am and 6am on Friday is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report the information online at www.crimestopperswa.com.au. A former Australian army major general has warned China could attack US resources in a similar way to the infamous surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in World War II. Liberal Senator Jim Molan believes it's possible China could achieve its twofold objective of removing American influence from the western Pacific and bringing Taiwan into its control by attacking US resources in the region. 'Having removed America from the Western Pacific they say to Taiwan, well, Taiwan, what are you going to do now? Are you going to fight on without the Americans backing you up? Of course they're not,' Mr Molan told Sky News Australia. He then went on to warn that Australia should be very careful about its commitment to the United States if such a scenario eventuated. 'Whatever it will be that war will be high technology, it will be sharp, it will be fast and we won't have a clue that it's coming,' he said. Jim Molan (left) says China may target US resources in a surprise attack similar to Pearl Harbor attack saying, 'It will be sharp, it will be fast and we won't have a clue that it's coming'. He also warned that Australia should be careful about what resources it commits Taiwan is located around 130km off the coast of mainland China, where the East China Sea meets the South China Sea Earlier this week China declared it would conduct a massive set of war games around Taiwan beginning on August 2 and lasting until August 8. The military drills blockade the island from the outside world and intrude into its territorial waters, and involve ground, air and sea forces carrying out live fire exercises in what is the largest threat to the territory's independence in decades. The increased aggression from Beijing was sparked by US Speaker Nancy Pelosi - the third most senior politician in America - provocatively visiting the island on August 3. Pelosi has been a high-profile critic of China's human rights record for decades, and the trip was seen as cementing that legacy as she nears the end of her career. Beijing appears to be rehearsing for an attack on the island, which President Xi Jinping vowed will 'reunify' it with the mainland. Should China invade, it's expected the US would take steps to defend Taiwan's independence despite its official position supporting a 'one China' policy which does not recognise Taiwan's sovereignty. Taiwan is a collection of islands that sits around 130kms off the coast of southern China, where the East China Sea blends into the South China Sea. It is home to 23 million people, and has been ruled at various times by Dutch colonisers, China's Qing emperors, and Imperial Japan. Chinese anti-aircraft batteries take part in military drills aimed at intimidating Taiwan Taiwan views itself as an independent country, while China views it as a breakaway province that needs to be 'reunified'. The most recent crisis between Taiwan and China was in 1995 when China tried to intimidate Taiwan with a series of missile tests, provoking a huge display of military might by the US causing Beijing to ultimately backed down. Xi Jinping (pictured) gave a speech in 2019 committing himself to 'reunifying' Taiwan, saying he would use force if necessary In 2019, Xi Jinping - the current president of China - gave a speech in which he vowed to 'reunify' Taiwan with the mainland, calling it the 'great trend of history'. He opened the door to peaceful reunification but added, 'We make no promise to abandon the use of force, and retain the option of taking all necessary measures.' Xi's remarks came amidst a huge update of the Chinese military, and after China had built bases on islands in the South China Sea and threatened US ships sailing near them. In the years since his speech, Beijing has been taunting Taiwan by flying military jets across the Strait in increasingly large numbers. Nancy Pelosi (left) meets with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (right) in Taipei on August 3, in a move that provoked fury in Beijing The USA, meanwhile, has been forging new alliances in the region with the likes of India, Australia and Japan as a counter-balance to Beijing's power. Ms Pelosi's visit came at a bad time for Mr Xi, who is preparing to be named president for an historic third term in the autumn and views 'reunifying' Taiwan as his destiny. He has reacted with an unprecedented show of strength, making the bold and destructive claim that 'those who play with fire will die by it'. A Chinese Xian H-6 bomber is pictured in the skies over the Taiwan Strait, amid huge military drills that will effectively blockade the island Any war between Taiwan and China - regardless if it involved the US - would certainly lead to bloodshed and destabilisation in the Asian region. Taiwan is well equipped and while much smaller in size compared with China, it has been preparing for a mainland attack for decades. Some 25 dogs were living on a property where a man was killed in a fatal pack attack on New Zealand's north island. The 69-year-old retired builder was found dead at his Panguru home on Thursday afternoon, with three of the canines breaking loose. Two of the dogs were found on Friday and put down, while the third is at large but is believed to be 'severely injured' in the remote community. Police said not to approach the dog and contact NZ police or Animal Control (pictured is a stock photo) if they come across a 'very large, brown' wandering dog It is unclear if the attacking canines were roaming domestic dogs or part of a wild pack that was known in the area (pictured, a road in Panguru) Authorities confronted six of the 25 dogs at the grisly scene - shooting one, capturing two, while three got away. The pack sparked an alert for residents in the area, warning locals to be on the look-out for a 'brown, very large dog' which was considered dangerous. If found, Animal Control warned it shouldn't be approached and to contact police or Animal Control. It is unclear if the attacking canines were roaming domestic dogs or part of a wild pack that was known in the area. Maliu 'Otutaha from the town church, St Peter's, told Stuff.co.nz the elderly victimwas 'kind and generous' and his death saddened the community. 'He built his own [Moari hut] and taught some of the young ones how to build,' the reverend said. 'His dog was his comfort in a sense his companion'. Investigations are continuing into the death of the dog owner who lived alone on the property. Investigations are continuing into the death of the dog owner who lived alone on the property as one dog remains at large (pictured, Hokianga Beach in the area) A British embassy worker was brutally raped and murdered by an Uber driver after a 'girls night out' in Beirut, an inquest has heard. Rebecca Dykes was strangled to death by taxi driver Tariq Houshieh as he attacked her after she tried to return home in the capital of Lebanon in December 2017. The 30 year old's body was later found dumped at a roadside - with investigations revealing she had been strangled with the cord of Houshieh's hoodie. He would be sentenced to death in 2019 for what the judge in the case described as a 'premediated and deliberate act'. Now an inquest into her death, which was opened in London this week, has heard that the murderer is trying to get his sentence commuted. Rebecca Dykes was brutally raped and murdered by an Uber driver in Beirut, Lebanon, in December 2017 Tarek Houshieh (pictured) strangled Ms Dykes' to death with the cord of his hoodie, before dumping her body A coroner at the Inner South London Coroner's Court in Southwark, heard that Ms Dykes had been working for the Department for International Development and was in Lebanon helping it to cope with refugees fleeing the war in Syria. She had been due to fly back to the UK for Christmas, but was instead brutally murdered after a night out in the Gemmayzeh district of Beirut and her body was found on December 16, 2017. The Briton's family said at the time that they would 'never fully recover' from their loss and she had 'improved the lives of countless refugees and vulnerable host communities' through her work in Lebanon. Houshieh, who had been tracked down using security camera footage, had been working as a taxi driver despite having a criminal record and being arrested twice in the past for alleged harassment and theft, reports Agence-France Presse. Following the incident the Government of Lebanon urged people to avoid using the company, with one minister calling it unsafe. Gloves are seen on the ground in the area where Ms Dykes' body is believed to have been found just outside Beirut Ms Dykes' was working with the British embassy in Lebanon to help the country cope with an influx of refugees from Syria at the time of her death At the inquest into her death coroner Andrew Harrison quizzed security staff at the British embassy in Beirut about whether there were any rules in place to keep staff safe outside of work, My London reports. Security officer Alyson King told the court all staff received a safety brief when they started, were given personal alarms, had regular workshops and there were women-only meetings. She added that at the time of Ms Dykes' death, staff had been advised only to use three taxi companies which had been vetted by the embassy for personal travel - Uber was not one of these. Ms King said: 'It came to light afterwards, many staff were using other taxi companies when they found them convenient.' When asked by Mr Harrison about whether the security briefing in place at the time was adequate, Ms King said 'yes', sparking the coroner to wonder how that could be the case if many staff were using non-vetted taxi firms. Bharat Joshi, head of security for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, said a review after Ms Dykes' death had found a 'very very strong' security culture. He said that many staff working at the embassy chose not to follow advice recommending they use vetted taxi firms, with many going to Uber due to their 'familiarity' with the brand and the potential wait times for the vetted companies. He added that there had 'never been a serious incident' before this involving Uber in Lebanon. Her heartbroken family said they would 'never fully recover' from her death. Pictured: a candle vigil outside Beirut's National Museum following her death Ms Dyke's sister asked witnesses if advice had been changed to actively urge staff to avoid using Uber following her death, to which she was told they had updated their advice to reflect that of the Lebanese government. Her mother, Jane Houng, told the court via video link the hopes 'no parent has to go through what we have'. She said: 'One thing that pained me very much was that now embassy staff wear personal alarms. I think if Rebecca had been wearing a personal alarm at that point in time it probably would have saved her life. 'When I went to Lebanon shortly after her death and sat around the table with Rebecca's friends and colleagues they all said they used Uber. It was common place for personal travel that people used Uber taxis.' Tarek Houshieh was suspected of faking his criminal record documents in order to work as a driver in the city The coroner recorded a conclusion of unlawful killing and said 'great steps' had been taken to improve security of staff working at the embassy in the years since Ms Dykes' death. In the meantime her murderer is fighting the death sentenced imposed on him by the Criminal Court of Mount Lebanon. Judge Hanna Braidi accused Houshi of raping and killing the British embassy worker in a 'premeditated and deliberate act'. Lebanese judges routinely call for death sentences in cases of murder, but Houshi's sentence can be appealed. Moreover, Lebanon has not carried out an execution since 2004, according to Human Rights Watch. Uber said at the time that it was 'horrified by this senseless act of violence'. Shocking footage has been captured of couriers carelessly throwing customers' parcels into the back of the truck. The video, shot at Mackay Airport in Queensland, shows two StarTrack workers picking up fragile parcels and tossing them up to 10metres into the back of a delivery truck. One customer, Ashlee Coath, believes the parcels she received from StarTrack were likely damaged in the incident and that the couriers should be sacked. StarTrack couriers (pictured) were filmed tossing fragile parcels into the back of their truck at Mackay Airport in Queensland Ms Coath revealed that many of the framed canvases she purchased online for herself and her daughter had arrived to their home broken and beat up. After seeing the video and reactions from social media, the realisation of the likely cause of the damage became clear. 'I put two and two together, and I figured out that's probably how it ended up breaking,' she told 7News. 'I always say, treat people how you want to be treated, and I believe that goes for things as well.' Customer Ashlee Coath said that her framed canvases arrived broken and battered (pictured) StarTrack is a subsidiary of Australia Post. It issued an apology on Thursday: 'These actions are not in line with the high service standards we expect of our people, and we sincerely apologise,' a spokesperson said. Others members of the public had also posted examples of items arriving damaged. The latest incident comes after a similar one where Australia Post couriers were caught throwing packages around in a depot with little regard to potential damage. Employees at StarTrack were filmed by a tradesman near the Newcastle depot after he heard the noise of items crashing onto a concrete floor. Australia Post was forced to apologise after the footage was shared on a Central Coast social media page. The Facebook page lit up after the minute-long clip showed workers hurling and flipping items onto the floor and into containers near parked vans. One large package was tossed into a container as workers walked about sorting through the mail. Chris Heaney, who caught the event on camera, said he sent the video to StarTrack but was not satisfied with its response, so decided to make it public. Some viewers said they received broken contents in the mail, and others slammed the 'disrespectful' workers. Footage shows one large parcel tossed into a container (pictured) at the Newcastle depot 'Take some pride in your work and treat others how you would want to be treated', one wrote. One user said the video explained the big dent on the box of their new Samsung Galaxy s22. Australia Post apologised and said its workers, including at StarTrack, were working hard to deliver a record number of parcels. 'However, these actions are not in line with the high service standards we expect of our people and we sincerely apologise,' it told Daily Mail Australia. A human rights non-government organization (NGO) remarked that Ukrainian forces had placed civilians at undue risk as they made camps or used non-combatant structures. Putting troops and equipment in restricted non-combatant areas, even hospitals are used as cover from Russian fire. Moscow has asked for probes but was largely ignored by the west, encouraging the Ukrainian Nazis. Kyiv Guilty of Placing Civilians at Risk The charge is based on research conducted by Amnesty International in Ukraine's east in April and July. Ukrainian soldiers have conducted strikes inside residential areas in 19 towns and villages, reported RT. Amnesty International investigators found indications of military activity in 22 of the 29 schools visited. The Ukrainian military used hospitals as headquarters in five different locations, which was against international humanitarian law. This non-government organization said these weren't on the frontlines and were intentionally used to prevent attacks from the Russian army. They further claimed that the residents were not allowed to leave the area as combat ensued. Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard stated that the Ukrainian army uses citizens as shields in residential areas as a common practice against the rules, citing Fars News. Callamard explained that Ukrainian forces must adhere to international humanitarian law; however, battle conditions were for them. Using a non-military structure is the last resort, but Kyiv allows the neo-Nazis and Ultranationalists to act wrongly. Read Also: Donald Trump Net Worth 2022: Did Trump Get Richer Since Leaving the US Presidency? According to the human rights NGO, Russia has also attacked non-combatant areas where there are no enemies. Furthermore, the presence of Ukraine in civilian areas does not warrant striking it. In response to the report, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova clarified that Russian forces have repeatedly underlined Amnesty's methodology and have consistently claimed that Ukraine is exploiting civilians as human shields. Russia Denies Accusations All the accusations that Russia attacked non-combatants used civilian structures, or hit civilian infrastructure are false. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his forces have been using residents to prevent retaliation for their atrocities. According to Zakharova, the Russian army devised strategies to avoid involving all non-combatants in operation. Zelensky is the one who allowed Ukrainian forces to violate humanitarian law. Contrary to the propaganda, Moscow asserts it never targets civilian installations and takes every measure to protect civilians when assaulting Ukrainian forces in cities and villages. According to the foreign ministry spokeswoman, Ukraine forces have abused the locals too many times, even threatening them if they go. Zelensky has blamed Moscow for all the atrocities committed by neo-Nazis and Ultranationalists, to frame Russia each time. However, Western politicians have their agenda by ignoring what their proxy army commits as war crimes, and these frameups have maligned Russia. Amnesty International, a human rights NGO, revealed in their report that Ukrainian forces have continually put civilians at undue risk as they have flouted humanitarian international law, and Russia seconded the conclusion. Related Article: Moscow Reports Ukraine Neo-Nazis Uses Civilians as Human Shields in Donetsk and Lugansk Republics After the Battle of Mariupol @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Noeline Dalzell's teenage children screamed and tried to shield her from their father before he reached between them and fatally stabbed her in the neck. Every day the three children relive the trauma of watching James Leonard Fairhall murder their 49-year-old mother. 'There is an enormous hole left in their lives by the loss of their mother, three young lives forever changed by your despicable violence,' Victorian Supreme Court Justice Jane Dixon said, jailing him on Friday for 25 years. The 47-year-old man was jealous and enraged when he pursued Ms Dalzell through her Seaford home, in Melbourne's southeast, in February 2020. She had become romantically interested in an old school friend after ending her 20-year on-off relationship with Fairhall, who had been violent towards her in the past. Fairhall moved back into the family home a few months earlier when he had nowhere else to live. The death of mother-of-three Noeline Dalzell, 49, had left 'an enormous hole left in their lives by the loss of their mother, three young lives forever changed by your despicable violence,' Victorian Supreme Court Justice Jane Dixon told her killer James Fairhall Two days before the murder, Fairhall had told friends he wanted to kill the man Ms Dalzell was speaking to. Hours before the stabbing, he called her new love interest and apologised to him. When his children arrived home from school on February 4, they found their parents arguing. Fairhall yelled at Ms Dalzell and accused her of cheating on him. When he put down scissors he had been holding, their youngest child, then 13, hid them. Fairhall then armed himself with a large kitchen knife. The eldest daughter, aged 16, and son, 15, pushed their mother into the son's bedroom to protect her, but Fairhall followed them. The two children put themselves between their parents, while the younger daughter watched on. All three screamed at him to stop before Fairhall reached over and stabbed their mother in the neck. Fairhall's son tackled him to the ground and he dropped the knife, allowing Ms Dalzell to flee to a neighbour's home. Fairhall continued to pursue her, armed with a second knife, but Ms Dalzell collapsed in the street and died from her neck wounds. The scene at the Seaford home, in Melbourne's southeast, after Fairhall had stabbed Ms Dalzell in the neck in February 2020 Justice Dixon said Fairhall's offending was a serious example of intimate partner murder. 'The tragic legacy of your crime is that your three children have effectively lost both parents as a result of your actions,' she said. Fairhall tried to blame his children in letters he wrote them from prison. They were never handed over, but were used by prosecutors to show his lack of remorse for the crime. With time served he'll be eligible for parole in 16 years. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) A dogwalker who was bludgeoned with a dumb-bell by a convicted murderer in a random attack has said she blames a lack of police checks, and not him. Linda McDonald was brutally attacked by Robbie McIntosh while she walked in woods near her home in Dundee, Scotland, in August 2017. The grandmother, who was a complete stranger to him, pleaded for mercy, but McIntosh would only stop when her screams alerted two passers-by who came to help. It would later be revealed that McIntosh, who is now 36, had been serving a life sentence for stabbing a woman to death when he was 15, and had been on leave from prison ahead of a parole hearing at the time of the second attack. He was given a five year sentence for the assault on Mrs McDonald, but has now been granted an automatic parole hearing. That's despite being given an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) by the court, which means he may never be released from prison. Mrs McDonald, pictured here with her Jack Russell terrier Betsy, had her pleas for mercy ignored by the McIntosh during the attack Robbie McIntosh, pictured here arriving at court in 2017, had been on home leave ahead of a parole hearing when he attacked Mrs McDonald Mrs McDonald, pictured here in hospital after the attack, said she had 'played dead' during the attack As the five-year anniversary of the attack comes up this weekend, Ms McDonald has said she has forgiven the murderer, who a judge said displayed psychopathic tendencies. Speaking to the BBC, she said: 'I forgive him, I don't even feel angry at him. I know some of my family and friends feel different. 'I feel angry at the systems that fail to keep the public safe.' Instead, she says she blames the checks that saw him released on home leave ahead of a parole hearing in 2017, after spending 16 years in prison for the murder of Anne Nicoll in Dundee. He had only been out of prison for a number of days before he senselessly assaulted Mrs McDonald in the unprovoked attack. Mrs McDonald, who is now 57, is calling for stricter checks on people convicted of violent offences before they are released. 'If you're really wanting Scotland safe and you're wanting your policies and your systems to work, listen to the people who've survived when they don't work,' she said. The convicted murderer spent 16 years behind bars before being released and carrying out the second attack. Pictured: McIntosh being led away from Forfar Sheriff Court after being found guilty of Ms Nicoll's murder in 2002. Linda McDonald (pictured) was almost murdered in a random attack while she walked her dog in woods near her home in Dundee in August 2017 She has since called for more stringent checks on violent offenders before they can be released from prison. Pictured: Mrs McDonald and her husband Matthew leaving Edinburgh High Court in 2017 She also hit out at the Scottish Prison Service for refusing three requests to let her see its report on the attack, with the reason given for denying the request as data protection concerns. A Scottish Prison Service spokesman told the BBC: 'As we have previously made clear, we are profoundly sorry for what happened to Mrs McDonald. 'We are fully aware of the life-changing consequences, for her and her family, as a result of this dreadful act. 'We have engaged with Mrs McDonald and will continue to do so.' When taken to court, a judge was shown CCTV of McIntosh calmly walking to the scene of the gruesome attack, before casually strolling back with his hands in his pockets a few hours later. Soon after the police arrived at his home and led him away in handcuffs. Robbie McIntosh (pictured) had been serving a life sentence for murder and had only been out of prison for a number of days when he attacked Mrs McDonald Speaking after the sentencing, Mrs McDonald's husband, Matthew, said: 'Given his past conviction for a brutal murder I can't believe the Scottish Prison Service deemed that this sick individual, who attempted to murder my wife, was allowed to be in the public domain. 'The fact that they did raises serious questions about the criteria followed by the appropriate authorities and if there had been strict monitoring, supervision and tagging in place we wouldn't be going through this hell. 'To ensure no other family has to endure what we are experiencing the Scottish Prison Service and the Parole Board should, as a priority, examine their release criteria and assessment systems. That is the least we would expect.' The court heard he marched past his victim in the woods before turning back to attack her. McIntosh had been given a life sentence for stabbing Anne Nicoll to death as she walked her father's dog in a park in Dundee in 2001. Advocate Depute Iain McSporran QC said: 'He was expressionless as he passed her. After a few more steps his footsteps stopped and he ran up to her at speed. 'She turned to face him and saw him with his hand high above his head holding a metal object which has since been identified as a dumbbell. 'This was being brought down towards Mrs McDonald's head. She raised her hands to cover her face and he brought the dumbbell down on her head. 'She described him as expressionless and he continued to strike her on the head and body. She was certain she was going to be murdered.' Dog walkers Peter and Charles Connor, who had seen Mrs McDonald earlier, heard her screams and rushed to her aid. They saw McIntosh crouched over something on the ground with a 'vacant' expression on his face before he ran off. They dialled 999 and stayed with Mrs McDonald until emergency services arrived. She suffered two skull fractures and five head wounds in the attack and her thumb was broken in several places as she tried to defend herself. Solicitor Advocate Chris Fyffe, defending McIntosh, said his client felt 'ashamed, contrite and penitent' about his actions. Judge Lord Arthurson described the attempted murder as 'one of the worst cases of violence I have had to deal with'. A British woman has died and her partner left in critical condition after the boat they were riding in crashed off the coast of Turkey. The 44-year-old Briton was killed around 1.30pm Thursday off the coast of Marmaris, southern Turkey, when her tour boat collided with a water taxi. Her partner was critically injured and was in a stable condition in hospital last night. Four people riding in the water taxi - two of them also British - were hurt, but sustained less-serious wounds. Police have not yet said what caused the crash, but local reports suggested the speedboat captain was distracted 'while fixing his hair'. A 44-year-old British tourist has died after a speedboat she were riding in (right) smashed into a water taxi (centre) near Marmaris, southern Turkey CCTV captured from the shore shows the water taxi standing motionless in the water as the smaller speedboat slams straight into it The water taxi passengers were were named localy as Tamer Altndag and Mrvat Jakmara, both 43, Lush Elin, 21, Peter Jordin, 40, and 19-year-old Clein Svetiellu. Images taken from a CCTV camera that captured the crash show the water taxi stationary in the ocean, when the smaller tour boat slams straight into it. More pictures published by local media show the tour boat on shore, with a large section of the front of the vessel torn away by the force of the impact. Turkish new site Super Haber said the speedboat captain did not have a licence to sail, and was not registered with the coast guard. He is now being investigated for negligent manslaughter. The water taxi was due to ferry passengers between Marmaris and Turunc, a smaller town around five miles down the coast. The crash happened in front of the five-star Elegance Hotel in Marmaris, which is towards the western end of town away from the main marina. The woman's husband was also seriously injured in the crash, and is now in intensive care in hospital (scene, pictured) The Sri Lankan 'Biloela' family have been granted permanent Australian visas after a lengthy community battle against immigration officials. The Nadesalingam family were given the news at their Queensland home by the Department of Home Affairs on Friday afternoon after a four-year immigration battle. Priya Nadaraja, Nades Murugappan and their daughters Kopika, 7, and Tharnicaa, 4, will now call Australia their permanent home after years at the centre of a debate about Australia's immigration policy. It comes following a personal intervention in their case by immigration minister Andrew Giles. Priya Nadaraja, Nades Murugappan and their daughters Kopika and Tharnicaa (pictured) will call Australia home forever with permanent visas granted for the four Priya thanked Mr Giles for granting her family the permanent visas. 'At last we feel peace,' she said in a statement. 'Now I know my daughters will get to grow up safely in Australia. Now my husband and I can live without fear. 'This is a very happy day for our family and for all the people of Biloela and Australia who have supported us.' The family were removed from their central Queensland town of Biloela in 2018 after their bridging visas expired, sparking a community-driven campaign to keep the Tamil family in Australia. The family then spent four years in immigration detention. The Labor government granted them new bridging visas in June, allowing the family to return to their regional home town. Priya (left) and Nades (right) said their family finally feel at peace and thanked the immigration minister and Australians. Kopika (left) and Tharnicaa (right) were born after their parents met in Australia and have lived their whole lives under the threat of deportation Mr Giles said he personally intervened in the case of the Nadesalingam family. 'My intervention provides the family with visas allowing them to remain permanently in Australia.' 'This decision follows careful consideration of the Nadesalingam family's complex and specific circumstances,' he said. 'I extend my best wishes to the Nadesalingam family.' Priya and Nades (pictured middle and right) were at the centre of a nation-wide debate on asylum seekers as the country followed their battle for asylum But the minister said the Government's stance on illegal boats wouldn't change. 'We will continue to intercept any unauthorised vessel seeking to reach Australia, and safely return those on board to their point of departure or country of origin or take them to a regional processing country,' he added. 'I do not want people to die in a boat on a journey when there is zero chance of settling in Australia. 'We are not considering changing this policy.' During a visit from the Department of Home Affairs on Friday the Sri Lankan 'Biloela' family were informed they had been granted permanent visas One organisation at the centre of the fight broke the news early on Friday evening the family had been granted permanent Australian visas. 'At 2.30pm today the Nadesalingam family, affectionately referred to as the 'Biloela family', were visited by the Department of Home Affairs team at their Biloela home and given the news that they have been granted permanent visas,' the 'Home to Bilo' group posted on social media. Biloela family friend and Home to Bilo campaigner Angela Fredericks told the ABC they were with the Nadesalingam family when Home Affairs officials visited. 'We knew they were coming but had no idea what for. So when they said the words 'permanent', there were just immediate tears and just such excitement and jubilation,' she said. 'They let us know the news the minister was deciding to intervene and use his powers to grant all four family members permanent visas.' Shadow Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said allowing the family to permanently live in Australia 'undermines' current asylum-seeker policy. 'Actions have consequences and this sets a high profile precedent. It undermines the policy that if you come here illegally you will never settle in Australia,' she said. 'Together with Labor's policy to abolish Temporary Protection Visas, this gives people smugglers a product to sell to desperate families and people.' Online, public response has exploded as many thanked campaigners for their efforts in raising the profile of the family's fight. The 'Biloela' family (pictured) spent four years in immigration detention after their visas expired while they were living in the small Queensland town of Biloela 'Finally. How can we ever make it up to them for the trauma they have experienced? Those poor young Australians have seen the worst of our country. What a wonderful local community effort,' wrote one Australian on Twitter. 'Great news for this one family. Sadly there are tens of thousands of other people like them still suffering,' posted refugee advocate Shane Bazzi. Nadesalingam Murugappan arrived in Australia on a people-smuggler's boat in 2012, fleeing persecution as a Tamil in Sri Lanka. Kokilapathmapriya 'Priya' Nadaraja fled Sri Lanka in 2001, seeking asylum in Australia in 2013 and meeting Nadesalingam. Nades and his daughters were seen smiling ear to ear (pictured) when they were allowed to return to Biloela in June after the government granted them bridging visas In the years following, the pair moved to Biloela where they married and settled. In March, 2018, Australian Border Force officials, police and private security guards took the family from their home as Priya's visa was expiring. The family were ferried between different detention centres, Melbourne and Christmas Island, and given deportation notices. Their home community and social advocacy groups rallied in support of the family - with a petition carrying nearly 200,000 signatures calling on then-Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton to allow the family to return to Biloela. Visa appeals made by Priya put the family's deportation on hold, but multiple appeals saw the department find the family's case fell short of the country's protection obligations. The Biloela community have long been by the family's side and behind huge appeals to bring the deported family back to Biloela since 2018 (Pictured: Supporters welcoming the family off the plane in Biloela in June) After the High Court denied the Tamil family's final appeal to stay, they were put on a plane out the country, until it was stopped by solicitors lodging a last-minute injunction. The injunction was granted as Nades and Priya's daughter Tharnicaa hadn't yet been assessed for a protection visa, and the family were taken back to Christmas Island. Last year, Tharnicaa was evacuated from the island for medical treatment, and the rest of the family were granted bridging visas, though no such visa was granted for Tharnicaa. The family remained in community detention in Perth until the Labor government granted the family further bridging visas and allowed a return to Biloela in June this year. Family and friends in Biloela were joyous on Friday afternoon, with many locals involved in the fight for the family to remain in the country. Ms Fredericks told The Project the family were going to head to the local pub and celebrate with those who helped them. The saga is behind the family and Nades will continue working at the local meat-works while the girls settle back into school. A desperate Vladimir Putin is considering turning to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un for help in his invasion of Ukraine, and is willing to offer energy and grain in return for 100,000 soldiers, according to reports in Russia. North Korea has made it clear through 'diplomatic channels' that as well as providing builders to repair war damage, it is ready to supply a vast fighting force in an attempt to tip the balance in Moscow's favour, reported Regnum news agency. They would be deployed to the forces of the separatist pro-Putin Donetsk People's Republic [DPR] and Luhansk People's Republic [LPR], both of which Kim has recently recognised as independent countries. A desperate Vladimir Putin is considering turning to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un for help in his invasion of Ukraine, and is willing to offer energy and grain in return for 100,000 soldiers, according to reports in Russia. Pictured: Kim inspects his troops in April, 2022 'The country is ready to transfer up to 100,000 of its soldiers to Donbas,' said the report by the pro-Kremlin news agency. 'Pyongyang will be able to transfer its tactical units to Donbas.' In return, grain and energy would be supplied to Kim's stricken economy. A leading defence expert in Moscow, reserve colonel Igor Korotchenko, told Russian state TV: 'We shouldn't be shy in accepting the hand extended to us by Kim Jong-un.' Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of Russia's National Defence journal on Rossiya 1 channel, said: 'There are reports that 100,000 North Korean volunteers are prepared to come and take part in the conflict.' He was challenged by other presenters of the propaganda channel on whether they could be volunteers from North Korea where total obedience is required. But he said North Korean people were 'resilient and undemanding' and 'the most important thing is they are motivated'. He told viewers: 'We shouldn't be shy in accepting the hand extended to us by Kim Jung-un North Korea has made it clear through 'diplomatic channels' that as well as providing builders to repair war damage, it is ready to supply a vast fighting force, reported Regnum news agency. Pictured: Kim Jong Un presiding over an event marking the 69th anniversary of the Korean War in Pyongyang, North Korea, July 27 North Korea leader Kim Jong Un (left) attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) in Vladivostok, Russia, on April, 25, 2019 A leading defence expert in Moscow, reserve colonel Igor Korotchenko (left), told Russian state TV: 'We shouldn't be shy in accepting the hand extended to us by Kim Jong-un' 'If North Korean volunteers with their artillery systems, wealth of experience with counter battery warfare and large calibre multiple launch rocket systems, made in North Korea, want to participate in the conflict, well let's give the green light to their volunteer impulse.' He said: 'If North Korea expresses a desire to meet its international duty to fight against Ukrainian fascism, we should let them.' It was the 'sovereign right of the DPR and LPR to sign the relevant agreements,' he said. Russia has repeatedly claimed Ukraine is a 'fascist' country as one of its many ways to attempt to justify Putin's brutal invasion, that has killed thousands of civilians and caused millions of people to flee their homes. Meanwhile Russia should end its participation in international sanctions against Kim's regime, Korotchenko claimed. Ties between Russia and North Korea dates back to 1948, when the Soviet Union became the first country to officially recognise the DPRK. During the Korean war, the Korean People's Army was supported by the USSR. Relations between the two countries continued even after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, with Vladimir Putin giving it more importance when he was elected president in 2000. Kim Jong Un accepted an invitation to visit Russia in 2015, and the pair met on Russian soul - in Vladivostok - on 2019. When Putin launched his invasion in Ukraine on February 24, North Korea was one of five countries to vote against a United Nations resolution condemning the invasion. North Korea also became the third country to recognise the independence of the breakaway states of Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics in Eastern Ukraine - territory seized by Russian forces during the invasion. Ukraine reacted by severing all diplomatic ties with North Korea. The recent addition of to Ukraine's arsenal of U.S.-made HIMARS missile systems (pictured) has begin to move the dial in Kyiv's favour in some regions, allowing Ukraine's forces to neutralise Russia's use of artillery strikes. Pictured: Ukrainian MSLR BM-21 'Grad' shoots toward Russian positions at the frontline in Kharkiv region, August 2 Pictured: Residents carry their belongings near buildings destroyed in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict, in the southern port city of Mariupol The claim over North Koreans comes as Russia is desperately seeking to boost its frontline forces by recruiting prisoners in exchange for waiving their jail sentences. A Dad's Army of men in their 50s and 60s is also being recruited with the offer of pay higher than many receive in Putin's moribund economy. It comes as Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its sixth month, after Moscow brazenly expected to seize Kyiv in a matter of days. Instead, Putin's forces have found themselves fighting a protracted conflict against a fierce Ukrainian defence, with predictions putting Russian fatalities in the tens-of-thousands. The recent addition of to Ukraine's arsenal of U.S.-made HIMARS missile systems has even begin to move the dial in Kyiv's favour in some regions. Ukraine officials have said they operate up to a dozen HIMARS systems, whose accuracy and long range have allowed Kyiv to reduce Russia's artillery advantage. Korotchenko is known for his fierce pro-Putin rhetoric. Recently he urged Putin to bomb Kyiv with a Kalibr cruise missile inscribed 'Hasta la vista baby!' during any Boris Johnson farewell visit - not to 'murder' the UK prime minister but in a show of strength. Russians should feel 'no shame' of its ambition of obliterating Ukraine as an independent state, he also said recently. Such an objective was 'absolutely healthy', he said. 'It was said here that Russia is trying to wipe Ukraine off the geopolitical map of the world,' he said. 'It isn't quite that. We are wiping an anti-Russia project off the geopolitical map of the world' Ukraine had 'never existed' as a truly independent state in the past, he falsely claimed. 'It is an artificial 'formation' which was born thanks to the national policy conducted after 1917 by the Bolsheviks,' he said. But now it had become 'a springboard for a strike against Russia'. Its political elite 'have no right to exist from the point of national interests of our country'. The West 'will not be able to influence the decisiveness of the leadership of our country and our people to make it so that such a threat from the territory now called Ukraine never exists.' This is the terrifying moment a waterspout swept across a Maryland island, injuring at least one person and destroying several homes and businesses. Footage taken on Thursday evening just before 7.30pm shows the intense waterspout on Chesapeake Bay in Smith Island, Maryland, moving ashore as a tornado in Rhodes Point and then sweeping north across the water towards Ewell. The natural disaster's damage has caused over 50,000 power cuts in the Ewell and Rhodes Point areas after severe thunderstorms hit the region on Tuesday night. The video was filmed by Amy Somers, who was on Smith Island with her children for a summer camp meeting, who said that the waterspout developed 'extremely quickly', with her husband Daniel adding that it took off the story of an Airbnb and 'destroyed' the house next to it. Images circulating on social media show the disastrous aftermath of Smith Island, with homes completely destroyed and debris sprawled around the ruins of properties. Two others also in the 51-second clip shout out to Mrs Somers, 'Where are the kids?' as the waterspout goes up the bank and makes its way further onto land. The mother-of-two reassures the others that her children were inside. Footage taken on Thursday evening just before 7.30pm shows the intense waterspout on Chesapeake Bay in Smith Island, Maryland, moving ashore as a tornado in Rhodes Point and then sweeping north across the water towards Ewell The video was filmed by Amy Somers, who was on Smith Island with her children for a summer camp meeting, who said that the waterspout developed 'extremely quickly', with her husband Daniel adding that it took off the story of an Airbnb and 'destroyed' the house next to it Two others also in the 51-second clip shout out to Mrs Somers, 'Where are the kids?' as the waterspout goes up the bank and makes its way further onto land (pictured) - the mother-of-two reassures the others that her children were inside 'Also several shanties were destroyed as well as a boat flipped over,' Daniel Somers told Chesapeake Bay magazine. He initially shared the video on his Facebook page where many people sent he and his family well wishes. Posting the clip, he wrote: 'Amy and the kids are on Smith Island this week. She just sent me this. Thankful everyone is ok. Lots of damage though.' One user responded: 'Houses and materialistic things can be rebuilt. Lives cannot. God is good and had his protection over all the people on the island.' Another commented: 'OMG that's the worst one I've ever seen. I don't know how they were able to stay right there at the water and watch it. I would have been running for cover and scared to death.' Damage has caused over 50,000 power cuts in the Ewell and Rhodes Point areas after severe thunderstorms hit the region on Tuesday night. Pictured, a home destroyed by the tornado Pictured, a home completely destroyed after being hit by the tornado on Smith Island, Maryland. A series of severe storms are expected to expected to slam into the eastern coast of the United States as sweltering temperatures leave 255million Americans under heat warnings Ewell Fire Department President Robert Jones told locals: 'We had multiple tornadoes and waterspouts knocking out houses and powerlines along the way. 'Some minor injuries but overall nobody is badly hurt. I would have never imagined this to happen here.' He added that there was no tornado warning ahead of it coming into Chesapeake Bay on Thursday evening. Governor Larry Hogan has urged residents to stay off the roads in affected areas and that emergency management teams were tracking the damage from the storms. He wrote on Twitter: 'Our emergency management team is tracking the damage from tonights storms & coordinating with local jurisdictions. Ewell Fire Department President Robert Jones told locals that there were some minor injuries. Pictured, the aftermath of the tornado on Thursday evening 'Currently more than 50,000 power outages. Please stay off the roads in affected areasespecially anywhere tree-clearing crews need to work. 'Somerset County is reporting that a waterspout landed onshore, causing significant damage on Smith Island. We stand ready to assist the local response.' The National Weather Service has also issued a Special Marine warning for Chesapeake Bay and Tangier on Thursday evening following the dramatic sight of the spinning column of air and water mist. Over $10,000 has already been raised for recovery and cleanup efforts after the tornado destroyed several homes and businesses. The National Weather Service has also issued a Special Marine warning for Chesapeake Bay and Tangier on Thursday evening following the dramatic sight of the spinning column of air and water mist. Pictured, the aftermath of the natural disaster Pictured is a three-storey home, which had it's top floor completely removed by the tornado on Thursday evening Intense humidity and heat in the area in recent days has led to the waterspouts dragging itself across the water and then onto the land to become a tornado. A series of severe storms are expected to expected to slam into the eastern coast of the United States as sweltering temperatures leave 255million Americans under heat warnings. New York City, Boston, Albany, and Burlington, Vermont, are among the major Northeast cities meteorologists say could experience torrential rain, damaging winds, hail, and possibly isolated tornadoes in afternoon storms on Thursday. Rains could serve as a brief respite in a nation that has seen temperatures soar throughout the week, with the forecasters expecting temperatures to continue climbing into the weekend. Temperatures in Boston and New York City could reach 95 degrees on Thursday, and over the weekend the could continue to climb towards the 100 degree mark. Across the Midwest temperatures have already cracked 100 degrees in some cities and are well on there way in the South, where Richmond is expected to reach 99 degrees today. Tensions boiled over after two teenagers were jailed for their involvement in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Jack Beasley on the Gold Coast. Supporters of Jack's family clashed with another group in Brisbane Supreme Court after the two boys were sentenced on Friday. 'Your son is a f***ing murderer,' a supporter screamed. Jack's father Brett Beasley said tempers flared after an 'absolutely disgusting' comment by the other group. 'One of their family members at the end of it yelled out "At least our brother is coming home" - who says that?' he told Nine Network. Security ensured the two groups left the building separately. Supporters of stabbed Jack Beasley's family (mother Belinda pictured) clashed with another group in Brisbane Supreme Court after his two killers were sentenced on Friday One boy was just 15 when he fatally stabbed Jack Beasley (pictured) in 2019 and received a 10-year jail sentence and the other - who was 17 - seven years for charges including manslaughter Emotions ran high after one boy who was just 15 when he fatally stabbed Jack in 2019 received a 10-year jail sentence and the other - who was 17 - a seven-year term for charges including manslaughter. The two boys were called cowards by Jack's mother Belinda Beasley in a tear-filled victim impact statement she read in court. 'You have taken away Jack's life and ruined so many others with the choices that you made that night - and for what?' she said. 'You ran away like cowards and left Jack ... to die on the footpath without a care in the world - what sort of people are you?' The two boys were among five teenagers - aged between 15 and 18 at the time - charged after Jack was killed in December 2019. Jack was stabbed in the heart and later died in hospital after a fight broke out between his group and the five teens in Surfers Paradise. Belinda Beasley said her family had endured a 'living nightmare' ever since Jack (pictured with dad Brett) was stabbed to death Mrs Beasley said her family had endured a 'living nightmare' ever since. She said the sight of Jack's lifeless body at the hospital will 'haunt us for the rest of our lives' and the sound of an ambulance siren sparked flashbacks of the night she lost her 'beautiful boy'. 'We will never be the same. You didn't just kill Jack that day, you killed our entire family - the pain never goes away.' Mrs Beasley said being a juvenile was no excuse for their 'unforgivable' actions. Justice Soraya Ryan said she hoped the boys 'carry (Jack's) mother's words with you for the rest of your life'. The boy who stabbed Jack tendered a written apology that was read in court before briefly standing up to say he was 'very, very sorry'. 'There are no words ... that are going to take away any pain that I have caused,' the letter read. 'I understand that I may never be forgiven but I hope one day I will.' Jack Beasley's father Brett (pictured left) said tempers flared after an 'absolutely disgusting' comment by the other group. Mother Belinda told the court the family had endured a living nightmare since her son's death Crown prosecutor Todd Fuller said the stabbing 'heightened fear' for people going out socialising on the Gold Coast. Justice Ryan agreed, telling the boys: 'Good parents of young people are scared when their children leave home to go out because of people like you'. The younger boy admitted to not only stabbing Jack but also another 17-year-old boy twice during the fight, pleading guilty to murder and two counts of committing malicious acts with intent. The boy - who is now 17 - must serve 70 per cent of the 10-year sentence. The other boy - who is now 20 - pleaded guilty to manslaughter and two counts of grievous bodily harm. Jack Beasley was stabbed in the heart and later died in hospital after a fight broke out between his group and the five teens in Surfers Paradise On Friday he also pleaded guilty to three other charges including robbery and assault offences that occurred in July 2019 and August 2020. He must serve 50 per cent of his seven-year term. He has been in custody for two and a half years - considered time served - and is eligible for parole in 12 months. Ma-Mal-J Toala - aged 18 at the time - and two teenage boys who can't be named were each found not guilty of manslaughter and two counts of grievous bodily harm after a judge-only Supreme Court trial this year. Since the tragedy, Jack's family has established a non-profit foundation to curb youth violence. 'Absolutely gutted. How can you put a value of 10 years as a life sentence for taking someone's life,' the foundation posted on social media. Taiwan has condemned its 'evil neighbor' China as huge military drills once again encircle the self-governing island - drawing harsh criticism from its allies. Taipei said multiple Chinese warships and fighters today crossed the 'median line' that runs down the center of the Taiwan Strait, separating it from the mainland. The line is an unofficial but previously widely-recognized border that Beijing insists 'no longer exists', as it tries to exert control over its much smaller neighbor. It comes after a day in which China fired barrages of missiles at Taiwan - some of which flew over the island for the first time - during massive war games that state media admits are a rehearsal for an invasion. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized those missile launches - some of which landed in Japanese waters - calling them a 'significant escalation.' A Chinese fighter jet armed with missiles flies out over the Taiwan Strait early Friday, as Beijing continues to host huge war games around the island Chinese warship Changchun, a Type 052 destroyer, is escorted by the Cheng Kung, a guided-missile frigate, as they sail in the Taiwan Strait Taipei said multiple Chinese jets and warships (pictured) had today crossed the 'median line' - the unofficial maritime border between Taiwan and China A Chinese fighter jet - believed to be a J-11 - flies over the Taiwan Strait amid huge war games that are due to continue until Sunday Beijing began the military drills late Tuesday, as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island, and say they will continue until midday Sunday. Taipei reported that Chinese fighter jets and ships crossed the 'median line' that runs down the Taiwan Strait on Friday morning. 'As of 11am, multiple batches of Chinese warplanes and warships conducted exercises around the Taiwan Strait and crossed the median line of the strait,' Taipei's defense ministry said in a statement. Chinese incursions have become more common since Beijing declared in 2020 that the unofficial border no longer existed. AFP journalists on the picturesque Chinese island of Pingtan saw a fighter jet flying overhead, prompting tourists to snap photos as it flew along the coast. A Chinese military vessel was also visible sailing through the Taiwan Strait, they added. Beijing has insisted its war games are a 'necessary' response to Pelosi's visit to the self-ruled, democratic island, but Washington countered that China's leaders had 'chosen to overreact.' They point out that a similar visit by male senators just weeks before had passed off without a response. Pelosi was greeted in Taipei by dozens of cheering supporters with welcome banners outside the her hotel. The TAIPEI 101 skyscraper, the tallest building on the island, was also illuminated ahead of the visit, with signs reading: 'TW hearts US' and 'Welcome to TW Speaker Pelosi.' US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, wearing a pink suit, touches down in Taiwan at 10:45pm local time despite threats from China People lined the streets of Taipei ahead of Pelosi's arrival, with banners that read: 'democracies together stronger' and 'madam speaker welcome to Taiwan' French-made Mirage 2000 fighter jets taxi for take-off at a Taiwanese military base in Hsinchu, near the capital of Taipei, early Friday Taiwan has condemned what it called its 'evil neighbor' China over the drills, which are due to last until Sunday (pictured, a French-made Taiwanese jet taxis for take-off) Pelosi defended her visit Friday, saying Washington would 'not allow' China to isolate Taiwan. 'We have said from the start that our representation here is not about changing the status quo here in Asia, changing the status quo in Taiwan,' she told reporters in Tokyo on the final leg of an Asia tour. Taiwan's premier Su Tseng-chang, meanwhile, called for allies to push for de-escalation. '(We) didn't expect that the evil neighbor next door would show off its power at our door and arbitrarily jeopardize the busiest waterways in the world with its military exercises,' he told reporters. China's drills involved a 'conventional missile firepower assault' in waters to the east of Taiwan, the Chinese military said. The state-run Xinhua news agency said the Chinese military 'flew more than 100 warplanes including fighters and bombers' during the exercises, as well as 'over 10 destroyers and frigates.' State broadcaster CCTV reported that Chinese missiles had flown directly over Taiwan. Tokyo said five Chinese ballistic missiles were believed to have fallen in Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), with four of those presumed to have flown over Taiwan's main island. The EEZ extends up to 200 nautical miles from Japan's coastline, beyond the limits of its territorial waters. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the missile launches as a 'serious problem that impacts our national security and the safety of our citizens'. China on Thursday launched at least 11 ballistic missiles, some of which are thought to have flown over the island for the first time before landing in Japanese waters Parts of Japan's southernmost Okinawa region are close to Taiwan, as are islets at the center of a long-running dispute between Tokyo and Beijing. In May, US President Joe Biden also angered Beijing on a visit to Japan, when he said US forces would defend Taiwan militarily if China attempted to take control of the island by force. But Biden and his team insisted at the time that their decades-old approach to Taiwan remained in place. This means support for its government while diplomatically recognizing Beijing over Taipei, and opposing a formal independence declaration by Taiwan or a forceful takeover by China. On Friday, Pelosi said the United States wanted to find 'common ground' with China on issues from rights to climate change. 'Again, it isn't about our visit determining what the US-China relationship is. It's a much bigger and longer-term challenge, and one that we have to recognize that we have to work together in certain areas,' she said. Tetsuo Kotani, a professor at Meikai University and senior fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs, said the Chinese drills could give the Japanese public a 'more realistic' view of Tokyo's defense capacity compared to Beijing, which has steadily expanded its military might. 'The latest military exercise has shown that what's happening in Ukraine can happen in Asia,' he told AFP. Taipei's military said it would not confirm missile flight paths, in a bid to protect its intelligence capabilities and not allow China 'to intimidate us'. China's ruling Communist Party views Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to one day take it, by force if necessary. But the scale and intensity of the drills have triggered outrage in the United States and other democracies. 'China has chosen to overreact and use the speaker's visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait,' John Kirby, a White House spokesman, told reporters. Chinese rocket artillery opens fire during training drills on Thursday, which saw more than a dozen rockets fired out over the Taiwan Strait A view from the cockpit of a Chinese fighter jet shows the aircraft refueling in mid-air as a show of strength to Taiwan and its allies A Chinese ballistic missile is launched from somewhere in the Ganzhou region towards Taiwan in what the US called a 'major escalation' 'The temperature's pretty high,' but tensions 'can come down very easily by just having the Chinese stop these very aggressive military drills,' he added. Japan lodged a formal diplomatic complaint against Beijing, with five of China's missiles believed to have landed in its exclusive economic zone. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called China's exercises a 'serious problem that impacts our national security and the safety of our citizens' and called for an 'immediate cancellation of the military drills'. But Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the 'flagrant provocation' by the United States had set an 'egregious precedent.' The maneuvers are taking place along some of the busiest shipping routes on the planet, used to supply vital semiconductors and electronic equipment produced in East Asian factory hubs to global markets. Taiwan's Maritime and Port Bureau has warned ships to avoid the areas being used for the Chinese drills. 'The shutting down of these transport routes - even temporarily - has consequences not only for Taiwan, but also trade flows tied to Japan and South Korea,' Nick Marro, the Economist Intelligence Unit's lead analyst for global trade, wrote in a note. Taiwan said the drills would disrupt 18 international routes passing through its flight information region while several international airlines told AFP they would divert flights. But markets in Taipei appeared to shrug off the tensions, with the Taiwan Taiex Shipping and Transportation Index, which tracks major shipping and airline stocks, up 2.3 percent early Friday. And analysts broadly agree that despite all its aggressive posturing, Beijing does not want an active military conflict against the United States and its allies over Taiwan - just yet. 'The last thing Xi wants is an accidental war ignited,' Titus Chen, an associate professor of political science at the National Sun Yat-Sen University in Taiwan, told AFP. Tesla billionaire Elon Musk told a podcast that he had to prove to the US federal government that he was not a drug addict after he publicly smoked marijuana on the Joe Rogan Show. The world's richest man came under a government microscope because of 'one puff' in September 2018, telling the Nelk Boys and John Shahidi podcast it was 'pretty nutty'. But he pointed the finger at his rivals in the space industry for inciting the government to investigate him. 'I did get a lot of backlash, because it's still federally illegal,' the tech titan said. 'Space X has federal government contracts, so our competitors were like ''why aren't you doing anything, look at him brazenly smoking weed on Joe Rogan's podcast.'' 'They drug tested me for everything.' The world's richest man came under a government microscope because of 'one puff' in 2018, which is still federally illegal, telling the Nelk Boys and John Shahidi podcast it was 'pretty nutty' Musk had sent Tesla stock briefly tumbling after he was filmed taking a marijuana and tobacco joint from Joe Rogan and having a tentative puff while discussing Tesla's plans for an airplane Elon Musk also weighed in on the fate of basketball star Brittney Griner, facing nine years in a Russian penal colony for having vape cartridges with hashish oil in her luggage Musk had sent Tesla stock briefly tumbling after he was filmed taking a marijuana and tobacco joint from Joe Rogan and having a tentative puff while discussing Tesla's plans for an airplane. The video quickly went viral as one of the world's richest and most influential men was seen consuming drugs on camera. Although the drug is legal in California - where the incident took place - the one puff by Musk knocked billions off Tesla's value, with shares falling more than nine per cent. Musk was forced to reassure investors and the public that he was not 'on weed' shortly afterwards. But he continued to show his support for weed users when he tweeted about the fate of basketball star Brittney Griner, who was recently sentenced to a Russian gulag for nine years for having vape cartridges with hashish oil in her luggage. Upon the news that Joe Biden is willing to swap arms deal Viktor Bout for Griner, Musk wrote: 'Maybe free some people in jail for weed here too?' He accompanied the tweet with a meme of a nonplussed man, captioned: 'People in the US in jail for weed while the government trades a Russian war criminal to free a woman's basketball player in jail for weed.' In 2020, the Tesla CEO tweeted: 'Selling weed literally went from major felony to essential business (open during pandemic) in much of America and yet many are still in prison. Doesn't make sense, isn't right.' However, he has not always been a proponent of weed users, telling the New York Times before his puff on Rogan: 'weed is not helpful for productivity.' 'There's a reason for the word 'stoned,'' he told the outlet. 'You just sit there like a stone on weed.' As well as founding Tesla, with a market capitalization of nearly a trillion dollars, entrepreneur whizz Musk also founded SpaceX, which won the federal contract to ferry US astronauts into space after the retirement of the space shuttle. Most recently, in January, the US government awarded Musk's company a $102million contract to transport military supplies and humanitarian aid around the world using a rocket. SpaceX footage shows the Falcon 9 launch of the Korea Lunar Pathfinder Orbiter (KPLO) to a ballistic lunar transfer orbit from Cape Canaveral in Florida yesterday Blue Origin took NASA to court over losing a $2.9billion lunar landing contract to SpaceX last fall, with the US Federal Court of Claims ruling against Musk's rival and prompting Musk to tweet a Judge Dredd meme Some of SpaceX's competitors include British aerospace company BAE Systems, United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin, founded by Musk's personal rival for the world's richest man, Jeff Bezos. Blue Origin took NASA to court over losing a $2.9billion lunar landing contract to SpaceX last fall, which they claimed was 'unfair' and showed favoritism to SpaceX. The US Federal Court of Claims ruled against Musk's rival. Musk responded in maverick fashion by tweeting a meme of Judge Dredd and the caption: 'You have been judged!' Bezos tweeted that it was not the decision they wanted, but 'we respect the court's judgement' and he wished NASA and SpaceX success. The incident goes some way to illustrating the mutual antipathy that exists between Musk and Bezos. The weed furor was just one of countless scandals that continually dog the eccentric billionaire and unnerve investors. His personal life is frequently the subject of tabloid gossip, with rumors of an affair with the wife of Google billionaire Sergey Brin. And recent court documents revealed that the tech billionaire quietly had twins with one of his top executives in November, weeks before he welcomed a child with music star Grimes via surrogate. The brother of an Islamic terrorist has been jailed for 10 years for violently raping a teenage girl over two years, with a judge slamming his twisted sense of 'entitlement'. On Friday Arken Abdull Rahim Sharrouf, 35, was found guilty by Sydney Downing Centre District Court of 24 counts of historical physical and sexual abuse against a teenage girl in 2007 and 2008. The court heard Sharrouf would force the 'isolated and vulnerable' girl to perform degrading sexual acts while using violence to keep her under his control. Arken Abdull Rahim Sharrouf (above) was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on Friday for sickening sexual and physical abuse against a teenage girl in 2007 and 2008 In one instance, the court heard Sharrouf forced the young woman's head down after they had sex and forced her to perform a sexual act on him until she vomited. Judge Peter Whitford said the act 'would have been degrading, humiliating and likely terrifying for the victim', News.com.au reports. Rahim is the brother of Australian Islamic extremist Khaled Sharrouf, who made international headlines in 2014 when he shared a photo of his son holding a Syrian soldier's severed head. He was later killed in Syria during a US airstrike in 2017. Sharrouf is the brother of Islamic terrorist Khaled Sharrouf (pictured with his children), who gained infamy in 2014 after sharing a photo of his son holding a Syrian soldier's decapitated head The court heard Arken Sharrouf continued to degrade the woman several times over the two years with Judge Whitford noting: 'The offences reflect the offender's disdain in those moments for the rights and feelings of (the victim)'. The court heard the woman felt 'dirty, horrific and disgusting' after the continual abuse and recalled a time where Sharrouf continued a sex act while she was crying from pain. She said she would often comply with his orders 'out of fear of what might occur otherwise'. 'Many, if not all of the offences, involved an affront to the victim's dignity. Certainly much of the offender's conduct was calculated or intended to try and dominate or control the victim,' Judge Whitford said. Sharrouf was found guilty of eight counts of sexual intercourse without consent, aggravated sexual assault inflicting actual bodily harm and attempting to choke the girl to intimidate her. He was also convicted during a judge-alone trial of six counts of common assault, five counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault with an act of indecency, and two counts of using an offensive weapon with the intention of intimidation. However, Judge Whitford ruled the offences were not premeditated. 'None of them represented planned conduct but were all rather spontaneous representations of, among other things perhaps, the offender's perverse perception of his entitlement,' he said. Judge Peter Whitford at Sydney Downing Centre District Court (above) ruled Sharrouf will spend his sentence in a mental health facility after hearing he was diagnosed with treatment-resistant schizophrenia and depression after the offences He also considered that Sharrouf was diagnosed with treatment-resistant schizophrenia and depression after the offences. 'It is more likely than not that the offender was less than fully aware of the consequences of his actions at the time of the offending,' he said, noting Sharrouf was in a 'psychotic state' at the time of offence. Sharrouf was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment which he will serve inside a mental health facility. He continues to deny his guilt and claims the offences are fabricated. Sharrouf will be eligible for parole on January 30, 2025. In their latest musical collaboration, actor Johnny Depp and British guitar hero Jeff Beck are accused of plagiarizing a poem read by a jail prisoner decades ago. Depp, 59, and the 78-year-old former Yardbirds axman published "18" last month, just weeks after the actor won his defamation battle against ex-wife Amber Heard. Johnny Depp, Jeff Beck Accused of Plagiarism on New Album According to Rolling Stone, one of the album's tracks contains Depp saying remarks that were said by a convicted murderer and robber named Slim Wilson in 1964. Slim Wilson, actual name Willie Davis, was a railway hopper and gambling fraud who delivered a series of filthy poetry. The poetry, dubbed "toasts," was recorded by folklorist Bruce Jackson when Wilson was incarcerated at Missouri State Penitentiary, according to the source. In his 1974 book 'Get Your Ass in the Water and Swim Like Me,' Bruce Jackson taped Wilson reading a toast named 'Hobo Ben,' and provided a copy of the piece. Lines from 'Hobo Ben' were virtually verbatim repeated on Depp and Beck's new experimental spoken-word song 'Sad Mother--n' Parade,' for which the duo earned the sole composition credit. According to the publication, Jackson's son, Michael Lee Jackson, is a lawyer who specializes in music and intellectual property. Michael is said to be considering legal action against the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star and 'Going Down' guitarist. According to the report, legal action would be difficult because "Hobo Ben" was an oral tradition with no confirmed creator. According to Jackson, who is a SUNY Distinguished Professor and the James Agee Professor of American Culture at the University of Buffalo, the stolen lyrics are more of an ethical concern than a legal one. New York Post reported. Read Also: After Luna, Is Crypto Dead? This Crypto Payroll App's Numbers Tell A Different Story Christina Ricci Recalls How Johnny Depp Explained Homosexuality Depp's aide reportedly acknowledged that the Hollywood star kicked Amber Heard in the head in text messages that were deleted from the former couple's defamation trial. Over the weekend, more than 6,000 previously sealed pages in the case, which made headlines around the world when it was aired, were made public. The US defamation trial began on April 11 in Fairfax, Virginia, and resulted from a lawsuit brought by Depp against his ex-wife in March 2019. Depp claimed that Heard defamed him in a Washington Post op-ed in which she identified herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse. In November 2020, Heard filed a counter-suit, requesting immunity from Depp's accusations. According to Independent, on June 1, a jury ruled decisively in Depp's favor that Heard had defamed him in three remarks. Jurors also determined that one of three remarks emphasized in Heard's counter-suit defamed her. Depp was granted $10.35 million in damages, while Heard received $2 million. They have both filed appeals against the jury's verdicts. Another recent charge comes from two-time Emmy nominee Christina Ricci, who claims that three-time Oscar nominee Johnny Depp explained what homosexuality was to her when she was nine years old. The 42-year-old former child star appeared on the set of Mermaids in Massachusetts, when she was in her debut film, with co-star Winona Ryder, in 1989, someone accused her of being homophobic. When they began their four-year affair, which ended in 1993, the 59-year-old nineties heartthrob was 26 and the 50-year-old Oscar nominee was 17. In Sally Potter's 2000 indie thriller 'The Man Who Cried,' the California-born, New Jersey-raised actress filmed her first sex scene with Johnny Depp, which she described as strange because he was like a big brother. Ricci and Depp also had a moment in Terry Gilliam's 1998 black comedy Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, where they portrayed love interests in Tim Burton's 1999 supernatural horror 'Sleepy Hollow,' as per Daily Mail. Related Article: Brad Pitt Praises Daughters Zahara, Shiloh; Relationship with Son Maddox Needs Repair @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Amnesty International today defended its report accusing Ukraine of endangering the lives of its own civilians in the country's defence against Russia's on-going invasion, saying it 'calls out human rights violations no matter who is responsible'. In a coup for Vladimir Putin's propaganda machine, Amnesty on Thursday listed incidents in 19 cities and towns in which it claimed Ukrainian forces appeared to have put civilians in harm's way by establishing bases in residential areas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky furiously lashed out at the group over the report, accusing it of victim blaming. He said it had sought to offer 'amnesty (to) the terrorist state and shift the responsibility from the aggressor to the victim'. In response to widespread criticism, Amnesty on Friday said it fully stood by its accusations. In a statement given to MailOnline, an amnesty spokesman said 'we will never ignore human rights violations'. And later on Friday, the organisation's Secretary General Agnes Callamard told AFP news agency that Amnesty 'fully stands by our research'. 'The findings... were based on evidence gathered during extensive investigations which were subject to the same rigorous standards and due diligence processes as all of Amnesty International's work,' she added. Scroll down for video Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has furiously lashed out at Amnesty International after it accused his forces of violating international law and endangering civilians in their defence against Russia's on-going invasion. Pictured: Zelensky speaks in his late night address on Thursday, in which he criticised Amnesty International over its report In a report on Thursday (pictured being shared on Twitter), Amnesty listed incidents in 19 cities and towns in which Ukrainian forces appeared to have put civilians in harm's way by establishing bases in residential areas - findings Zelensky equated to victim blaming In his Thursday evening address, Zelensky said: 'There is no condition, even hypothetically, under which any Russian strike on Ukraine becomes justified. Aggression against our state is unprovoked, invasive and terrorist. 'If someone makes a report in which the victim and the aggressor are supposedly equal in some way... then this cannot be tolerated.' Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba also slammed the human rights organisation over the report. 'This behaviour of Amnesty International is not about finding and reporting the truth to the world, it is about creating a false equivalence - between the offender and the victim, between the country that destroyed hundreds and thousands of civilians, cities, territories and a country and it defending itself,' he wrote on Facebook. Others, such as Ukrainian MP Inna Sovsun, pointed out the reason Ukrainian forces are inside cities in the country is because those cities are being attacked by Russia. 'Yes, Ukrainian military is in populated areas. Because Russia is attacking populated areas,' she wrote on Twitter. 'Not fields, not forests, but cities. Therefore, the Ukrainian army must be in villages and cities to protect people there.' Ukraine's Ministry of Defence also published a statement saying that its defence systems were in cities to defend against Russian attacks, and that when reports of Ukrainian soldiers committing war crimes had surfaced - such as in 2014 - it had referred itself to the International Criminal Court to allow it to investigate. This, it said, is something Russia has not done. The ministry also noted that Ukraine regularly evacuates its civilians from cities that come under attack, but that not all citizens want to leave. Russia, meanwhile, saw the Amnesty report as a boon for its propaganda machine, with the Russian Embassy in the UK happily sharing it on its Twitter feed. 'Amnesty confirms Ukraine tactics violate international humanitarian law & endanger civilians,' the embassy wrote. '[Ukraine] forces set up bases in residential areas, incl schools & hospitals; launch attacks from populated civilian areas exactly what Russia has been saying all along.' The report was also covered on Russian state TV, with Putin's favourite channel Russia-1 saying Amnesty had 'accused Ukraine of violating the laws of war'. 'Even the international crooks and scoundrels of the so-called human rights organisation Amnesty International have accused Ukraine of violating the laws of war by placing military equipment in educational and medical facilities, thus endangering civilians,' one of the channel's presenters Yevgeny Popov said. 'If even they are saying that the rules of warfare have been violated then Ukrainians should reflect on it. Western analysts have started to suspect that hospitals and schools in Ukraine are not being used for their intended purpose,' he added. krainian MP Inna Sovsun pointed out the reason Ukrainian forces are inside cities in the country is because it is those cities being attacked by Russia Russia, meanwhile, saw the Amnesty report as a boon for its propaganda machine, with the Russian Embassy in the UK happily sharing it on its Twitter feed (pictured) After a four-month investigation, Amnesty said it had found that the Ukrainian military had established bases in schools and hospitals, and launched attacks from populated areas, asserting that the tactics violated international humanitarian law. The group noted, however, that the tactics 'in no way justify Russia's indiscriminate attacks', which have battered civilian populations. 'We have documented a pattern of Ukrainian forces putting civilians at risk and violating the laws of war when they operate in populated areas,' said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International's Secretary General in the report. 'Being in a defensive position does not exempt the Ukrainian military from respecting international humanitarian law.' The group went on to say that not ever Russian attack 'followed this pattern'. The report said: 'In certain other locations in which Amnesty International concluded that Russia had committed war crimes, including in some areas of the city of Kharkiv, the organization did not find evidence of Ukrainian forces located in the civilian areas unlawfully targeted by the Russian military.' At the end of the report, Callamard - a French human rights lawyer - also called on Ukraine to move 'its forces away from populated areas, or should evacuate civilians from areas where the military is operating. 'Militaries should never use hospitals to engage in warfare, and should only use schools or civilian homes as a last resort when there are no viable alternatives.' In a statement following the report's release, Oksana Pokalchuck - head of Amnesty International's Ukraine team - said concerns were raised by her branch about the report, but it was published by the English-Language branch anyway. 'The Ukrainian office was not involved in the preparation or writing of the text of the publication,' she wrote on Facebook. 'And, unfortunately, already at the initial stage of developing this report, we reached a dead end, where the arguments of our team regarding the inadmissibility and incompleteness of such material were not taken into account. 'For their part, representatives of the Ukrainian office did everything they could to prevent this material from being made public. When our repeated objections were answered with a firm no, we also did everything we could to minimize the distribution of the material.' She continued: 'We asked the authors to send us all versions of the material in advance (unfortunately, this did not happen), we convinced them to ask for an official comment from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, but at the same time, unfortunately, they did not give us enough time to receive an answer and published it research without their comment. 'We also categorically refused to publish this press release on our website or translate it into Ukrainian, due to its, in our opinion, one-sidedness. We are very sorry that even after all possible arguments 'against' we were still not heard.' In response to the criticism, an Amnesty International spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Our findings on Ukrainian violations come in the context of our continued condemnation of Russia's invasion. 'We continue to call for Russian forces to be held accountable for serious violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes. 'We will never ignore human rights violations. We will continue to call them out whenever and wherever they occur, and no matter who is responsible for them.' Since Putin's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, several Russian missiles have hit civilian infrastructure. Pictured: Mariana Vishegirskaya stands outside a maternity hospital that was destroyed by shelling in Mariupol, March 9 Pictured: A view shows a theatre building destroyed during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern port city of Mariupol in March. Video taken on July 15, 2022. It is believed thousands of people were using the theatre as shelter, and hundreds were killed in the strike This photograph taken on April 8, 2022 shows the train station, seen from a train car, after a rocket attack in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine. Around 60 people were killed In the north of Ukraine, in places such as Bucha in Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv, Russian war crimes were uncovered as Putin's forces pulled out of the region. Pictured: A woman navigates a debris-filled street where destroyed Russian military vehicles stand in Bucha, April 3 Ukrainian civilians were found to have been tortured, raped and executed by Russian soldiers during their month-long occupation of the region. Pictured: An aerial picture taken on April 18, 2022 shows coffins being buried during a funeral ceremony at a cemetery in Bucha The report was published as Russian bombardments targeted several towns and villages on Thursday, including Mykolaiv in the south, where residential buildings were damaged in two neighbourhoods, according to the mayor. Eight people were killed and four wounded on Thursday by a Russian strike that hit a bus stop in Toretsk, near the eastern front line, the regional governor announced. And in Kharkiv, the country's second most populous city, local authorities reported Russian missile attacks on industrial zones. These were just the latest in countless indiscriminate Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian areas since Putin ordered his forces in Ukraine on February 24. Some high profile attacks included March missile strikes on a Mariupol maternity hospital and a Mariupol theatre being used to shelter hundreds of civilians, and on a train station in Kramatorsk in April where thousands were waiting to be evacuated. Thousands have been killed in such attacks. In the north of Ukraine, in places such as Bucha in Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv, Russian war crimes were uncovered as Putin's forces pulled out of the region. Ukrainian civilians were found to have been tortured, raped and executed by Russian soldiers during their month-long occupation of the region. Investigations into these atrocities are on-going, but they have all been branded as war crimes by Western leaders on several occasions. Earlier this week, former British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn faced a similar backlash when he was branded a 'disgrace' after attacking Britain for 'pouring arms into Ukraine' instead of seeking peaceful negotiations with Vladimir Putin. The former British Labour leader said providing military aid would only 'prolong and exaggerate' the on-going conflict in Ukraine He made the remarks during an interview with Al Mayadeen, a Lebanon-based TV channel accused of having sympathies with terrorist organisation Hezbollah and Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. Jeremy Corbyn was branded a 'disgrace' last night after attacking Britain for 'pouring arms into Ukraine' instead of seeking peaceful negotiations with Vladimir Putin Corbyn, who infamously refused to blame Russia for the Salisbury poisoning in 2018, said leaders should instead force a peace deal between the pair - turning to the African Union and Arab League, including Syria, for mediation. He also bemoaned the fact that 'Ukrainians are dying... and Russian soldiers are dying' in an interview with a pro-Assad TV channel, whilst condemning NATO expansion for causing 'greater strain and greater stress.' Former Labour MP Mike Gapes said: 'So many Labour MPs and members were prepared to support this threat to our national security. And he is still a member of Labour. Why?' Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons defence committee, warned: 'Russia will re-broadcast his words in an attempt to show UK support for Ukraine is slipping. Zelensky's rebuke of Amnesty came as Ukrainian forces are conducting a counter-offensive in the country's south, where they claim to have retaken more than 50 villages previously controlled by Moscow. Meanwhile, three more ships laden with Ukrainian maize were set to depart on Friday morning - two from the city of Chornomorsk, and one from Odessa, where the first grain shipment to leave Ukraine since the war began set sail on Monday. Grain shipments to global markets have been able to resume under a deal struck last month between Kyiv and Moscow - mediated by Turkey and under the aegis of the UN - in a bid to alleviate a crisis that has seen food prices soar in several countries. Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar credited Friday's expected departures to 'the intensive work of the Joint Coordination Center', according to the Anadolu state news agency. The centre is overseeing the implementation of the agreement. The deal provides for the establishment of secure corridors in the Black Sea to allow merchant ships to export between 20 and 25 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain held up in port. A similar agreement signed at the same time allows Russia to export its agricultural products and fertiliser despite Western sanctions. Turkey hopes the agreements could build confidence and lead to a ceasefire between the two countries. Ukrainian MSLR BM-21 'Grad' shoots toward Russian positions at the frontline in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022 Malta-flagged bulk carrier M/V Rojen vessel, carrying tons of corn, leaves the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk, before heading to Teesport in the United Kingdom, on August 5, 2022 A combine harvester of Continental Farmers Group agricultural company harvests wheat on August 4, 2022 in the Ternopil region of Ukraine Separately, the European Union on Thursday announced it was slapping sanctions on former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych and his son Oleksandr for allegedly undermining Ukraine's security. Yanukovych was overthrown in 2014 by a popular uprising against the pro-Russian stance his government had taken. Following his ouster, Moscow moved to annex Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and the eastern Donbas region. The EU argues that the now 72-year-old Russia-based Yanukovych still plays a 'role in undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine and the state's stability and security'. The sanctions document accuses him of plotting to return to power if the Russian invasion succeeds in toppling Zelensky. His son stands accused of 'conducting transactions with the separatist groups in the Donbas region', a reference to Russian proxy forces. Finland, meanwhile, presented plans on Thursday to limit tourist visas for Russians, who have increasingly flocked to the country to transit to other European nations after flights from Russia were interrupted by EU sanctions. Finland, along with Sweden, is seeking NATO membership, with the US ratifying the two countries' accession protocols on Wednesday. French officials are racing to save a beluga whale which has become trapped in the River Seine. The whale, which is normally found in the cold waters of the Arctic, was first spotted swimming up the river from the English Channel on Tuesday, August 2. It headed upstream towards Paris, which the Seine flows through, before reaching a lock 44 miles (70km) from the French capital where it has stayed since then. The appearance of the protected species has sparked concerns from rescue services and biodiversity officials, as they draw up plans to rescue the animal. It is unclear what has driven the whale to swim so far from its natural habitat, and there are concerns that if it does not return it could die in the 'polluted' river. The beluga whale was first spotted in the River Seine on Tuesday, and has since become trapped in between two locks 40 miles from Paris Observations of the whale, which has drifted between two locks on the river and barely moved yesterday, have indicated has appears to have 'skin changes and to be underweight'. Drone footage showed the whale swimming slowly, its white silhouette just below the waterline and coming up to breathe. The local prefecture said firefighters and biodiversity officials have evaluated the 'worrying' health of the animal, and plans are being drawn up to get it back where it belongs. Gerard Mauger, deputy head of French Marine Mammal Research Group GEEC, said the mammal spent 'very little time on the surface' and appeared to have 'good' lung capacity. Firefighters and biodiversity officials used drones to keep an eye on the beluga whale. Pictured: The white outline of the whale is shown on a drone camera yesterday Rescue services have been monitoring the condition of the whale, which appears to be underweight. Pictured: Rescue services on the river yesterday But Mauger said rescuers were struggling to guide the whale to the mouth of the Seine. It is 'currently between the Poses dam and that of Saint-Pierre-la-Garenne', around 43 miles (70km) northwest of Paris, past the port of Rouen. Officials did not specify the size of this individual, but an adult beluga can reach up to four metres (13 feet) in length. Authorities in Normandy's Eure department urged people to keep their distance to avoid distressing the animal. Lamya Essemlali, head of the non-profit marine conservation organisation Sea Shepherd, said some of her team would arrive with drones in the evening to locate the whale more easily. 'The environment is not very welcoming for the beluga, the Seine is very polluted and cetaceans are extremely sensitive to noise,' she said, adding that the Seine was 'very noisy'. There are concerns surrounding the health of the protected species, with one expert saying it is very sensitive to noise and is trapped in a 'very noisy' river. Pictured: Rescue services on the river in speed boats yesterday 'The challenge now will be to help feed it, and try to accompany it towards the ocean.' 'The urgency is to feed the whale to prevent it from suffering the same fate as the orca who died after starving to death.' She told Reuters: 'The challenge now will be to help feed it, and try to accompany it towards the ocean.' The prefecture said it would assist and monitor Sea Shepherd's efforts. The Eure authorities said lone belugas do sometimes swim further south than usual, and are able to temporarily survive in fresh water. While they migrate away from the Arctic in the autumn to feed as ice forms, they rarely venture so far south. Beluga whales (file image) are normally found in the cold waters of the Arctic ocean, although they do sometimes swim further south The sighting follows the rare appearance of a killer whale in the Seine just over two months ago. In late May, the mammal - also known as an orca, but technically part of the dolphin family - was found dead in the Seine between Le Havre and Rouen. The animal had found itself stranded in the river and was unable to make its way back to the ocean despite attempts by officials to guide it. A month later, another whale, believed to be a 10-metre-long (33 foot) Minke whale, was spotted in the Seine. In September 2018, a beluga whale was spotted in the River Thames near Gravesend for a few days, in what was then the most southerly sighting of a beluga on British shores. This is the moment six Russian commanders were killed in a Ukrainian ambush, according to one of Kyiv's senior officers. Dramatic footage captured how a two-vehicle convoy - said to be carrying the Russian top brass back from a meeting - were struck by anti-tank missiles. Footage, thought to have been captured on the Donbas frontline near Avdiivka, shows how the lead vehicle was blown to smithereens before the second rolled over. Six Russian commanders and five soldiers were killed in Donbas after Ukraine launched a missile ambush on their convoy, one of Kyiv's colonels says The video was posted online Friday by Anatonly Shtefan, who is a colonel in the Ukrainian armed forces. Shtefan, who goes by the online moniker 'Stirlitz', said the strike was carried out on an undisclosed date by troops from the 56th brigade - thought to refer to the 56th Motorized Brigade. According to Ukraine's ministry of defence, the 56th Motor is currently in action around Avdiivka, located a few miles north of the Russian-held city of Donetsk. The 56th used to be based in Mariupol until the city fell to Russian forces in May. Shtefan wrote: 'The Russian commanders were on their way back from a meeting. 'This time, our glorious soldiers were waiting for them. 'Six Russian commanders and five soldiers were official de-Nazified and demilitarized [killed.] Glory to Ukraine!' It comes after Lieutenant Colonel Olga 'Kursa' Kachura, 52, who was Ukrainian-born but fought for Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine's east, was reported killed. Colonel Anatonly Shtefan posted the footage online, saying the Russian commanders were heading back to base from a meeting when the ambush took place Footage shows the first vehicle was blown up by a missile while the second rolled over, with all occupants killed in the crash Kachura, who commanded an artillery battalion, was said to have died after a missile struck her car as she drove near Horlivka, not far from Avdiivka. It is not currently clear whether the missile strike captured on video and the strike that killed Kachura are one-and-the-same. She is Russia's first female frontline officer to be killed in fighting, having dubbed herself 'she-wolf' and boasted on state TV about how she enjoyed killing Ukrainians. Kyiv's military intelligence service says Kachura joined the ranks of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic in 2014 when Putin last invaded the country, and was responsible for shelling civilians in the Donbas during that war. Kachura helped found the local militia, and had led hundreds of men into combat. She had gained near-mythic status among Russia's rank-and-file after appearing in Kremlin propaganda in which she revelled in the bloodshed. 'I enjoy killing Ukrainians every time,' she said in one clip, while giving herself the moniker 'she-wolf' in another. 'She guards the hearth, her children, her family. In nature, no wolf will defend a cub as aggressively as a she-wolf,' Kachura said. At the time of her death, Kachura was commanding an artillery unit accused of indiscriminately shelling civilians Agents also say she sometimes disguised herself as a Ukrainian officer in order to discredit their armed forces. President Putin has granted her a posthumous medal, the Hero of Russia, the country's highest award. He said the medal was for 'courage and heroism in the performance of military duty'. The footage was revealed just a day after reports said Lieutenant Colonel Olga 'Kursa' Kachura - who fought for pro-Russian forces in Donetsk - had been killed in a missile strike on her car Kachura is the 97th known officer to have been killed in Putin's war, as Kyiv's troops continue to bleed Russia's top ranks. The toll in Russia's officer corps is thought to be so high due to poorly-encrypted communication networks that allows Ukraine to intercept calls and messages, identifying the location of commanders to be killed. Analysts say officers are also being forced to the frontlines to try and fix Russia's poor battlefield performance, putting them in greater danger. Russia is now more than five months into what was supposed to be a days-long war in Ukraine to topple the pro-Western government and install a puppet regime. In that time, Putin is thought to have lost 75,000 men wounded or killed - more than half the force he invaded with - along with tanks, planes, warships and drones worth tens of billions of dollars. Russia has managed to take a small amount of Ukrainian territory in exchange for those losses, including the cities of Kherson and Mariupol and the Luhansk region - most of which it occupied before the war started. That is far-short of Putin's aims laid out before the war - and even short of his general's revised goals, which called for the capture of the whole of Donbas. Meanwhile Ukraine has managed to re-take some territory, and is thought to be preparing for a major counter-attack in the south towards Kherson. Kyiv officials have said they expect the city to be back under their control by the end of the month. Two police officers were among multiple injured when a car plowed through a parade celebrating Native American culture in the city of Gallup, New Mexico. The injured were being treated at the scene after a person in a large SUV drove through crowds causing panic at the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Centennial Celebration Thursday. State Police Lt. Mark Soriano said no one was killed in the incident and he couldn't elaborate on the extent of the injuries, the Albuquerque Journal reported. New Mexico State Police said on Twitter that the driver and three passengers were in custody and they were investigating the incident. 'Multiple people, including two Gallup PD officers, injured and are being treated on scene,' the tweet said. Video of the event posted to social media shows crowds lining the street as children and adults in traditional Native American and indigenous dress dance in the street. The gold-colored SUV ploughed into bystanders at the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Centennial Celebration in the town of Gallup, New Mexico Thursday Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Centennial Celebration, which started in 1922, was disrupted by a speeding SUV that hit crowds Local police were immediately on the car after it crashed to a halt, pulling out the passengers and drivers and arresting them Panic quickly spread as a large, gold-colored SUV accelerated through the spectators before crashing to a halt. Local police were immediately on the car, pulling out the passengers and drivers and arresting them. 'The Navajo Nation stands with resilience against any acts of violence and sends prayers of protection to those affected,' they said in a statement on Facebook. 'This was a traumatic and triggering event for many, especially for our youth, elders, and our veterans who acted quickly.' Hundreds of people were enjoying the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Centennial Celebration, an 11-day event celebrating its 100th anniversary. The event website describes it as Native American & Indigenous Tribal Processions & Performance Showcases, with events such as rodeos, pageants, Navajo song and dance and a 5k run. Advertisement An enraged China has halted dialogue with the US on climate change, military issues and anti-drug work in invoked the murder of George Floyd as part of their retaliation for Nancy Pelosi's 'provocative' Taiwan visit -with diplomatic tensions reaching boiling point. Earlier, Beijing decided to sanction House of Representatives Speaker Pelosi and her immediate family in response to her 'vicious' actions and after their military fired 11 ballistic missiles into the Taiwan Strait - with five landing in Japan's exclusion zone - and surrounded the island. 'Despite China's serious concerns and firm opposition, Pelosi insisted on visiting Taiwan, seriously interfering in China's internal affairs, undermining China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, trampling on the one-China policy, and threatening the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait,' a foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement. A spokesman for the communist government then compared the United States' behavior to the slaying of George Floyd at the hands of cops in Minneapolis. Hua Chunying wrote: 'We cannot allow the US to take itself as "world policeman" and treat other countries George Floyd whom it can bully and strangle at will.' It comes as it emerged that the White House summoned Chinese ambassador Qin Gang on Thursday to condemn escalating actions against Taiwan and reiterate that the United States does not want a crisis in the region. The Biden administration has thrown their support behind Pelosi's trip as a way to promote democracy in Taiwan and have criticized Beijing's 'sabre rattling' and 'unnecessary' military drills. 'After China's actions overnight, we summoned Ambassador Qin Gang to the White House to demarche him about (China's) provocative actions,' White House spokesman John Kirby told the Washington Post. A demarche is a protest through diplomatic channels. 'We condemned the PRCs military actions, which are irresponsible and at odds with our long-standing goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.' On Friday morning, Taiwan condemned its 'evil neighbor' China as huge military drills once-again encircled the self-governing island - drawing harsh criticism from its allies. Taipei said multiple Chinese warships and fighters today crossed the 'median line' that runs down the center of the Taiwan Strait, separating it from the mainland. The line is an unofficial but previously widely-recognized border that Beijing insists 'no longer exists,' as it tries to exert control over its much smaller neighbor. The Pentagon ordered the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier to stay in the region and 'monitor' the situation. The Reagan Carrier Strike group has moved into the East China and Philippine seas from its base in Japan Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized those missile launches and called them a 'significant escalation. The U.S. delayed a test of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile to avoid enraging Beijing further. Japan protested China's missile tests as a 'serious threats to Japans national security and safety of its people. Japans Defense Ministry also speculated that four missiles flew over Taipei, the capital city China has decided to sanction U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her immediate family in response to her 'vicious' and 'provocative' actions, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday A Chinese fighter jet armed with missiles flies out over the Taiwan Strait early Friday, as Beijing continues to host huge war games around the island Taipei said multiple Chinese jets and warships (pictured) had today crossed the 'median line' - the unofficial maritime border between the two A Chinese fighter jet - believed to be a J-11 - flies over the Taiwan Strait amid huge war games that are due to continue until Sunday Chinese rocket artillery opens fire during training drills on Thursday, which saw more than a dozen rockets fired out over the Taiwan Strait A Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft flies over the 68-nautical-mile scenic spot, one of mainland China's closest points to Taiwan on Friday as tensions spiralled The White House on Friday once again rapped Beijing for its rhetoric and recent escalations. 'We dont want a crisis. Were not seeking a crisis,' White House communications coordinator for national security John Kirby told reporters. 'And quite frankly theres no reason for a crisis to erupt out of this.' 'Its the Chinese side that has been issuing bellicose rhetoric and threats,' he said. He called on China to stop 'provocative military exercises' and end the rhetoric. 'There was nothing inconsistent about the speakers trip about the one China policy,' he said, calling China's latest move an 'overreaction.' He said despite China's move to pull back military contacts with the U.S., there were still channels between 'very senior members,' and that 'unit-to-unit' contacts were still possible. But he acknowledged that during a 'At a time of tension, and things are certainly tense, you want to be able to talk.' Beijing's latest moves comes after a day in which China fired barrages of missiles at Taiwan - some of which flew over the island for the first time - as it held massive war games, that state media say are a rehearsal for an invasion. Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized those missile launches - some of which landed in Japanese waters - calling them a 'significant escalation. Beijing began the military drills late Tuesday as Nancy Pelosi, US House Speaker, visited the island and says they will continue until midday Sunday. Taipei reported that Chinese fighter jets and ships crossed the 'median line' that runs down the Taiwan Strait on Friday morning. 'As of 11am, multiple batches of Chinese warplanes and warships conducted exercises around the Taiwan Strait and crossed the median line of the strait,' Taipei's defense ministry said in a statement. Chinese incursions have become more common since Beijing declared in 2020 that the unofficial border no longer existed. AFP journalists on the picturesque Chinese island of Pingtan saw a fighter jet flying overhead, prompting tourists to snap photos as it flew along the coast. A Chinese military vessel was also visible sailing through the Taiwan Strait, they added. Beijing has insisted its war games are a 'necessary' response to a visit to the self-ruled, democratic island by Pelosi, but Washington countered that China's leaders had 'chosen to overreact.' They point out that a similar visit by male senators just weeks before had passed off without a response. China on Thursday launched at least 11 ballistic missiles, some of which are thought to have flown over the island for the first time before landing in Japanese waters French-made Mirage 2000 fighter jets taxi for take-off at a Taiwanese military base in Hsinchu, near the capital of Taipei, early Friday Taiwan has condemned what it called its 'evil neighbour' China over the drills, which are due to last until Sunday (pictured, a French-made Taiwanese jet taxis for take-off) Taiwan Navy's Chi Yang-class frigate Ning Yang (FFG-938) is anchored at a harbour in Keelung city during the spat with China over Nancy Pelosi's trip Pelosi defended her visit Friday, saying Washington would 'not allow' China to isolate Taiwan. 'We have said from the start that our representation here is not about changing the status quo here in Asia, changing the status quo in Taiwan,' she told reporters in Tokyo on the final leg of an Asia tour. Taiwan's premier Su Tseng-chang, meanwhile, called for allies to push for de-escalation. '(We) didn't expect that the evil neighbor next door would show off its power at our door and arbitrarily jeopardize the busiest waterways in the world with its military exercises,' he told reporters. China's drills involved a 'conventional missile firepower assault' in waters to the east of Taiwan, the Chinese military said. The state-run Xinhua news agency said the Chinese military 'flew more than 100 warplanes including fighters and bombers' during the exercises, as well as 'over 10 destroyers and frigates'. State broadcaster CCTV reported that Chinese missiles had flown directly over Taiwan. Tokyo said five Chinese ballistic missiles were believed to have fallen in Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), with four of those presumed to have flown over Taiwan's main island. The EEZ extends up to 200 nautical miles from Japan's coastline, beyond the limits of its territorial waters. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the missile launches as a 'serious problem that impacts our national security and the safety of our citizens'. Parts of Japan's southernmost Okinawa region are close to Taiwan, as are islets at the center of a long-running dispute between Tokyo and Beijing. In May, US President Joe Biden also angered Beijing on a visit to Japan, when he said US forces would defend Taiwan militarily if China attempted to take control of the island by force. But Biden and his team insisted at the time that their decades-old approach to Taiwan remained in place. This means support for its government while diplomatically recognizing Beijing over Taipei, and opposing a formal independence declaration by Taiwan or a forceful takeover by China. On Friday, Pelosi said the United States wanted to find 'common ground' with China on issues from rights to climate change. 'Again, it isn't about our visit determining what the US-China relationship is. It's a much bigger and longer-term challenge, and one that we have to recognize that we have to work together in certain areas,' she said. Tetsuo Kotani, a professor at Meikai University and senior fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs, said the Chinese drills could give the Japanese public a 'more realistic' view of Tokyo's defence capacity compared to Beijing, which has steadily expanded its military might. 'The latest military exercise has shown that what's happening in Ukraine can happen in Asia,' he told AFP. Taipei's military said it would not confirm missile flight paths, in a bid to protect its intelligence capabilities and not allow China 'to intimidate us'. China's ruling Communist Party views Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to one day take it, by force if necessary. But the scale and intensity of the drills have triggered outrage in the United States and other democracies. 'China has chosen to overreact and use the Speaker's visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait,' John Kirby, a White House spokesman, told reporters. A view from the cockpit of a Chinese fighter jet shows the aircraft refueling in mid-air as a show of strength to Taiwan and its allies A Chinese ballistic missile is launched from somewhere in the Ganzhou region towards Taiwan in what the US called a 'major escalation' 'The temperature's pretty high', but tensions 'can come down very easily by just having the Chinese stop these very aggressive military drills', he added. Japan lodged a formal diplomatic complaint against Beijing, with five of China's missiles believed to have landed in its exclusive economic zone. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called China's exercises a 'serious problem that impacts our national security and the safety of our citizens' and called for an 'immediate cancellation of the military drills'. But Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the 'flagrant provocation' by the United States had set an 'egregious precedent.' The maneuvers are taking place along some of the busiest shipping routes on the planet, used to supply vital semiconductors and electronic equipment produced in East Asian factory hubs to global markets. Taiwan's Maritime and Port Bureau has warned ships to avoid areas being used for Chinese drills. 'The shutting down of these transport routes - even temporarily - has consequences not only for Taiwan, but also trade flows tied to Japan and South Korea,' Nick Marro, the Economist Intelligence Unit's lead analyst for global trade, wrote in a note. Taiwan said the drills would disrupt 18 international routes passing through its flight information region, while several international airlines told AFP they would divert flights. But markets in Taipei appeared to shrug off the tensions, with the Taiwan Taiex Shipping and Transportation Index, which tracks major shipping and airline stocks, up 2.3 percent early Friday. And analysts broadly agree that despite all its aggressive posturing, Beijing does not want an active military conflict against the United States and its allies over Taiwan - just yet. 'The last thing Xi wants is an accidental war ignited,' Titus Chen, an associate professor of political science at the National Sun Yat-Sen University in Taiwan, told AFP. Grieving relatives who spread ashes and leave plaques of their loved ones on Snowdon are ruining the mountain, national park bosses have warned. Snowdonia National Park Authority spoke out after the latest tribute, a slate plaque saying 'Love You Always', appeared on Crib Goch, an infamous knife-edge ridge on the 3,350-foot high peak in North Wales. The authority also said that scattered ashes are having a 'significant' impact on the landscape and could damage Snowdonia's sensitive mountain range environment. It was assumed the Crib Goch memorial was a tribute to someone who had fallen to their death, but turned out to be for a man who loved climbing mountains and died last year after a long illness. The authority is now pleading with people to consider other ways of remembering loved ones. Grieving relatives who spread ashes and leave plaques of their loved ones on Snowdon are ruining the mountain, national park bosses say. Pictured: Tributes at the top of Mount Snowdon in North Wales Snowdonia National Park Authority spoke out after the latest tribute, a slate plaque saying 'Love You Always', appeared on Crib Goch (pictured), an infamous knife-edge ridge on the 3,350-foot high peak in North Wales A spokesperson said: 'The National Park Authority understands that people can form a special attachment to places, and that friends and family may wish to honour the memory of loved ones by placing a plaque or memorial in a particular place. 'The park authority receives many requests for plaques and memorials, but because the accumulative effect on the landscape would be significant, especially in popular areas, the authority cannot support such requests.' The authority added that it has a duty to preserve the natural environment and the impact of too many memorials would 'be significant'. If the families of people commemorated with mountain tributes can be identified, they will be politely asked to remove plaques and memorials. Others will be taken down by staff if those responsible cannot be traced, warned the authority. The authority has also been forced to confront the issue of human ashes being scattered on mountain summits. For many, Snowdon in particular is seen as a fitting final resting place for loved ones who enjoyed walking and climbing. People's ashes have also been scattered and the authority say the tributes are having a 'significant' impact on the landscape and might damage Snowdonia's sensitive mountain range environment Despite it being the highest peak in Wales, the SNPA fears the sheer volume of ashes is damaging the mountain's delicate ecosystem. A spokesman said: 'However well-intentioned, the dispersal of ashes is problematic as it can be upsetting for others in the vicinity and we have received many complaints from the public in the past. 'In terms of ecology, the area's soils are low acidic types, and the spreading of what is calcareous materials will lead to changes to the existing soils and subsequently the natural ecosystems.' Formal requests are usually rejected but, in practice, the authority is powerless to prevent people climbing up and scattering ashes. Despite it being the highest peak in Wales, the SNPA fears the sheer volume of ashes is damaging the mountain's delicate ecosystem Families are asked to find alternatives for the sake of the environment and out of consideration for other climbers. As for memorials, the SNPA said there are other ways to remember lost friends and relatives. The spokesman said: 'In recent years, as an alternative to traditional plaques, we have received contributions towards work on footpaths, gates and benches. We consider these to be an appropriate means of commemorating loved ones.' The gates and seats do not have plaques dedicated to donors or their loved ones but the SNPA said they provide an unspoken connection between people and places. In contrast, the National Trust will accept donations for physical dedications to people on benches or trees at its properties. But as demand is so high, it asks donors to consider dedicating a tree online as an alternative. Critics have called for restrictions on memorial benches to avoid turning beauty spots into 'graveyards'. They have included National Trust Jersey chief Charles Alluto, who claimed Britain's beauty spots are being ruined by too many benches. In May the National Trust said it might be forced to remove a memorial on a Welsh beach dedicated to one of the most popular characters in the Harry Potter books amid concerns that there were too many visitors. Dobby the House Elf died in the last book of the series having helped the protagonist and his friends escape imprisonment. In the 2010 film adaptation the scene depicting his death and burial was shot at Freshwater West beach in Pembrokeshire. A driver who installed an electric charging point on his rented home without the landlord's permission says they are being 'heavy-handed' after being told to remove it. Joe Keating installed the device on the wall next to his parking space at his rented home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, in an effort to reduce his carbon emissions and save on fuel costs. But soon after, he was sent a letter from letting agency Stevenson Whyte asking him to remove the power point - a move which he claims shows a reluctance to support the 'green agenda'. The agency say they have a responsibility to everyone living at the development and not just one tenant and renters cannot all just install their own equipment whenever they wanted. Mr Keating admitted he did not ask Stevenson Whyte for permission before installing the charging point for his vehicle, which is worth almost 50,000. However, he said he 'welcomed' a constructive conversation about the issue. He also said he had been denied any opportunity to appeal the decision. Joe Keating installed the device on the wall next to his parking space at his rented home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester Now he has been forced to charge his 50,000 electric car through a first-floor apartment window after being told to remove his self-installed charging point (pictured) Mr Keating said: 'I can't be the only person that lives in that type of accommodation and will be now starting to think about trying to move towards a low carbon economy, and we're all going to have to have these kinds of vehicles eventually. 'There's no immediate plans from the developing agent to put any charge points in, so what am I supposed to do?' He also pointed out that the UK suffered its hottest day on record in the last month, saying that people will 'have to get on board a bit more' with electric vehicles given the climate emergency. Mr Keating said: 'It just feels a bit heavy-handed in the backdrop of the highest temperatures the UK has ever had. We've got impending charges around Greater Manchester with all the Clean Air Zone plans. As a society, we need to change these barriers that are in the way needlessly.' Mr Keating said: 'It just feels a bit heavy-handed in the backdrop of the highest temperatures the UK has ever had.' Mr Keating is now faced with the nightmare of using an extension lead instead of his point His ordeal comes among worries that inner city residents will be excluded from the electric car revolution due to a lack of charging stations. The Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) website says there are currently 360 electric vehicle chargers in Greater Manchester. The government is also funding an EV home-charge scheme, where it pays 75 per cent of the cost of installing an off-street charging station. But for those renting or living in communal buildings, they are subject to landlord permissions and limitations, and installing a power point can be challenging. A spokesperson for Stevenson Whyte, which manages the building in Falinge, said: 'We have a duty of care to ensure the safety of all individuals at the development and a responsibility to ensure the lease terms are complied with. 'If all leaseholders were to install their own equipment on the development without permission or control there would be significant issues with long-term management, aesthetics and safety. 'The installation of electrical charging points in apartment blocks is an issue that all leaseholders/freeholders across the country will continue to face in the coming years and hopefully with time, more safe and compliant methods will be achievable for all leaseholders.' A Russian shell has hit a high-voltage power line at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, according to Ukraine's state nuclear power company. Energoatomy said Russian fire had hit Europe's largest nuclear power plant on Friday, currently in Russian-controlled territory, but that it still worked and no radioactive discharges had been detected. The statement came shortly after the Russian-installed administration of the occupied Ukrainian city of Enerhodar said power lines at the plant had been damaged by a Ukrainian strike. The United Nation's nuclear chief has warned that the site is 'completely out of control' due to the battles raging around it, although it is still being operated by Ukrainian staff. The shelling comes as the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said occupying forces have 'undermined the security and safety' of the power plant, and claimed Putin's army is using the power plant as a shield. It has led to concerns that a Chernobyl-like disaster could take place after the Russians took control of the site in March. 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 Zaporizhzhia nuclear complex are pictured in March after coming under attack by Russian forces during the early stages of the invasion of Ukraine While it remains operational, experts have said they are worried about the condition of its 15 nuclear reactors, especially after shots were fired in its direction during the Russian advance. The MoD said the area surrounding the power plant is being used as a base for artillery units to target Ukrainian forces on the banks of the Dnipro river, which runs alongside the site. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued an urgent plea to Russia and Ukraine to quickly allow experts to visit the sprawling Zaporizhzhia complex to stabilize the situation and avoid a nuclear accident. Whether this visit takes place remains to be seen, with the MoD posting an update today about the power plant after five months of Russian occupation. On it's daily intelligence update on Twitter, the MoD said: 'Following five months of occupation, Russia's intentions regarding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remain unclear. However, the actions they have undertaken at the facility have likely undermined the security and safety of the plant's normal operations. 'Russian forces are probably operating in the regions adjacent to the power station and have used artillery units based in these areas to target Ukrainian territory on the western bank of the Dnipro river. 'Russian forces have probably used the wider facility area, in particular the adjacent city of Enerhodar, to rest their forces, utilising the protected status of the nuclear power plant to reduce the risk to their equipment and personnel from overnight Ukrainian attacks.' Earlier this week Bridget Brink, the US ambassador to Ukraine, said there were 'credible reports' that Russian troops are using the site 'as the equivalent of a nuclear shield, firing at Ukrainians from around the plant'. 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 Zaporizhzhia 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 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 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.' Pictured: Zaporizhzhia's six reactors are shown in this 2019 photograph 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 Zaporizhzhia 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 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. A Russian serviceman stands guard outside Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in May after Putin's troops occupied the site A Russian tank covered in green sheets outside the power plant. The UK Ministry of Defence has said Russia is using the power plant as a place to store equipment safe from Ukrainian strikes 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 Zaporizhzhia. '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. There are warnings that the power plant, which lies on the banks of the Dnipro river, is 'out-of-control' and fears a Chernobyl-like incident could take place A Russian soldier stands guard in the grounds of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in May. Although the plant remains operational, there are concerns the Russian occupation has undermined security and safety at the station 'I'm trying to put a mission back together to go there as soon as I can.' 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. 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, Zaporizhzhia region, southeastern Ukraine, 14 July 2022 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. 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.' Nearly 100 criminals convicted of drug-dealing, robbery, arson and violent assaults have tried to become prison officers - sparking corruption fears behind bars. An investigation by MailOnline has uncovered a rogues gallery of offenders who have attempted to get the high security roles. Among the 90 individuals are some 169 convictions or cautions, with crimes ranging from battery and assault to misconduct in a public office. Others include shoplifting, using racially abusive words, harassment and possession of a knife. The findings suggest fears aired by the National Police Chiefs' Council some three years ago of gangs infiltrating prisons to smuggle in contraband are still very real. In March this year Rio Moran, 30, was jailed for two years after helping get drugs into HMP Doncaster where she worked. Rio Moran, 30, jailed for two years after helping get drugs into the prison where she worked HMP Doncaster where Ms Moran worked was where she helped to get drugs in behind bars Prison officer David Whitfield was jailed for six years and nine months after demanding sexual favours from 12 female inmates in return for cell privileges. And last month prison officer Emma Johnson, 25. was imprisoned for smuggling iPhones into HMP Sudbury for an inmate she had fallen in love with. Speaking about MailOnline's findings, David Spencer, Research Director at the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: 'It is crazy that convicted criminals would even be considered for jobs as prison officers. 'It would clearly present a huge potential security risk as well as increase the prospects of contraband being smuggled into prisons and even crime lords continuing their nefarious activities behind bars. 'The lunatics would literally be taking over the asylum and this is one instance where sanity has to prevail.' Former Detective Chief Inspector Mick Neville added: 'If the vetting is anything like the police, you don't know who might have managed to slither through if these are the ones that have been flagged. 'It is crazy to think cons are trying to look after cons. There is already corruption in prisons with people smuggling contraband in. They don't need this on top of it.' David Whitfield, guilty of misconduct in public office and jailed for six years and nine months HMP Low Newton (pictured above) where David Whitfield had worked and carried out offence Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service do not have a blanket ban on employing staff with criminal records. But all of those applying to work inside a jail do have to undergo a security vetting process. One of the systems is a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, which is designed to help employers make safer recruitment decisions. The data obtained by MailOnline came through the Freedom of Information Act and shows the number of convicted criminals applying for the prison service role in the past year. Emma Johnson, 25, made thousands of pounds and discussed how much money she was making with serving prisoner Marcus Solomon The court that the pair had met when Johnson was working as a senior prison officer at HMP Sudbury (pictured) in Derbyshire Most common offences of crooks trying to become prison officers Drink-driving - 28 Battery - 14 Possession of goods with false trademark for sale or hire - 12 Assault occasioning ABH - 12 Fail to notify change (benefits) - 8 Criminal damage - 7 Resist or obstruct constable - 5 Robbery - 3 Breach of non-molestation order - 3 Burglary - 1 Arson - 1 Misconduct in public office - 1 Source: MailOnline FOI request Advertisement Criminal records are not a definitive bar to becoming a prison office and decisions on suitability are made on a case-by-case basis. It is understood it means the Ministry of Justice does not centrally hold information on how many of the 90 criminals uncovered in the figures were accepted for the role. In 2019 Assistant Chief Constable Jason Hogg, the then National Police Chiefs' Council's lead on prison intelligence, said he feared organised criminals were asking associates or family members to secure jobs with the intention of sneaking illegal items behind bars. He said he 'strongly suspected' gangs were infiltrating the prison service, but explained it was difficult to prove. 'There are some examples of staff, very soon after they work in that prison estate, whether it's as a prison officer or a maintenance worker, if you like, they move towards supplying contraband,' Mr Hogg said at the time. Mark Fairhurst, the national chairman of the Prison Officers Association, also said it was 'very easy' to traffic drugs and other illicit items into prisons, with officers rarely searched. 'We have got intelligence to suggest people prison officers and civilian staff have been targeted and recruited by criminal gangs to get drugs into prisons,' he said. 'It's very rare. Less than 1 per cent of our staff are corrupt, but it does happen.' A Prison Service spokesman said: 'Serious criminals can never become prison officers. 'Everyone applying to be a prison officer faces rigorous vetting, including strict risk assessments for those with prior convictions.' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the controversial Voice to parliament will 'be just an advisory group' as he slammed Pauline Hanson's 'apartheid' comparison. Mr Albanese said the proposed change will create an Indigenous body to provide advice to parliament but will not involve compensation to Indigenous groups or create a powerful body 'above parliament'. Australia will vote in a referendum on adding the Voice to Parliament to the constitution but Mr Albanese has faced accusations from Senator Hanson that it will give Indigenous people more powers than the non-Indigenous. The outspoken critic even branded the move as 'reverse apartheid'. But the PM has hit back at the attacks and insisted the Voice will have no right of veto over legislation. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (above) said an Indigenous Voice to parliament will 'be just an advisory group' and will not involve any policies regarding repatriation to Indigenous people or groups 'It is something that is subservient to the parliament,' he told the Daily Telegraph. WHAT IS APARTHEID? Apartheid was a segregation system used in South Africa between 1948 and 1991. The system's laws worked to divide the country by race and advantage a ruling white minority over black Africans. Apartheid saw black Africans denied civil rights, forced to live in segregated communities and saw them systematically discriminated against in housing and employment. The system was only overturned after it came under intense international scrutiny. Advertisement He said Australians should be proud to 'have the oldest continuous civilisation' and that adding an official Indigenous advisory group to parliament would see Indigenous people recognised on the 'nation's birth certificate'. 'People should be consulted on matters that affect them, that's just good manners,' Mr Albanese said. He added that the One Nation leader's comparison of the proposed group to South Africa's apartheid was 'disrespectful'. Senator Hanson has been the leading voice opposing the proposed Voice and referendum change, saying not enough is known about the proposal and that it will only create a racial divide between Australians. 'I'm confident Australians will resist giving a minority of people more power than the majority based on race,' she said on Friday. 'That sort of thing was known as apartheid and it was rightly consigned to the dustbin of history. How can we possibly be contemplating this in Australia?' Her comment reiterated the point of her parliamentary speech on Wednesday, in which she said the constitutional change was a power-motivated move. Mr Albanese slammed One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's (above) comparison of the Voice to apartheid as 'disrespectful' '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. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called for a referendum to change the Australian Constitution and create an Indigenous Voice to parliament WHAT IS THE ULURU STATEMENT FROM THE HEART? The Uluru Statement from the Heart is a 12-paragraph document created and signed by hundreds of Indigenous leaders. The document calls for 'constitutional reforms' that will improve the lives of Indigenous people and recognise their authority. It was created after a Referendum Council heard 13 First Nations Regional Dialogues supported the idea of a Voice to Parliament in 2015. Critics of the Statement say it will only provide symbolic change and believe time should be spent focusing on bigger issues, such disparate as violence and poverty in remote Indigenous communities. Advertisement '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's speech also addressed Indigenous Senator Jacinta Price's opinion on the constitution change. Senator Price is the only Indigenous MP who has opposed the Voice on the grounds that the Indigenous community is tired of being 'symbolically recognised'. 'No, prime minister, we don't need another handout and no, we Indigenous Australians have not come to agreement on this statement,' Senator Price said. '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 added that the Voice was not universally accepted among the Indigenous community. Mr Albanese responded to Senator Price's opposition on Monday, saying the Voice was not symbolic but offered 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. Indigenous senator Jacinta Price (above) said the Voice will only be a symbolic gesture, adding: 'We don't need another handout' Senator Hanson addressed Mr Albanese's response in her speech on Wednesday, saying: 'This comment has come from an Aboriginal woman. The prime minister has dismissed her comments saying, 'they don't stack up'.' '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.' Senator Hanson also accused the prime minister of holding 'contempt' for those opposing the 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. Senator Hanson said the Voice is an 'empty gestures which make progressives feel good' and drives the 'gravy train (that) relies on separating Australians by race and entrenching Indigenous disadvantage' 'He is not promoting unity at all. The prime minister is deliberately stoking division and stoking it on racial lines.' Senator Hanson claimed she was contacted by elders who informed her they did not have a say in the Uluru Statement from the Heart, despite the statement being designed to recognise Indigenous voices. She claims the elders said they do not support the statement. Senator Hanson also addressed Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe's 'black power' gesture to parliament on Wednesday by accusing Senator Thorpe of racism. Senator Hanson also accused Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe (above) of racism, saying: 'She told me to go back to where I came from' 'I note Lidia Thorpe's racist interjection in the past when she told me to go back to where I came from,' Senator Hanson said. '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.' The One Nation leader finished her five-minute-long speech by calling the Voice an excuse for parliament to feel accomplished. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has declared herself the leader of the opposition to the Voice and said she represents several Indigenous elders who do not agree with the Uluru Statement from the Heart '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.' Former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd chimed in on the debate on Friday to slam former prime minister Tony Abbott's comments. Former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd weighed in on the debate adding that opposition to the Voice were 'screeching' against 'modest proposals' 'Although these are modest proposals, we still have congenital bad actors like Tony Abbott screeching that such amendments would "change our system of government" by establishing the Voice as "part of our parliament", and enable "judicial intervention" to strike down laws,' he wrote in an opinion piece for the Sydney Morning Herald. 'On both counts, Abbott is wrong. It speaks volumes that his most trusted Indigenous adviser in government, Noel Pearson of the Cape York Institute, has strongly endorsed Albanese's proposal. 'Like on climate action, Abbott seems determined to stoke anxiety and fear.' Mr Abbott shared his thoughts on the Voice in an opinion piece for The Australian on Wednesday in which he said the proposed group 'makes race an element in who can vote and who can stand for election'. 'A voice to the parliament would not actually be power unless it turns out to be much more than just an advisory body,' Mr Abbott wrote. 'The fundamental issue at the heart of all this is the degree of separation of Australias Indigenous people from the wider Australian community.' According to classified United Nations report, North Korea planned a nuclear test during the first six months of this year. The US has long warned that North Korea is preparing to conduct a seventh nuclear test and has stated that if this occurs it will try to increase UN sanctions on Pyongyang. North Korea Prepares For Atomic Tests The UN monitors also stated that investigations had revealed Pyongyang was responsible for plundering hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency assets in at least one significant breach. North Korea has already been accused by observers of conducting cyber assaults to support its nuclear and missile programs. The UN Security Council has for years prohibited North Korea from conducting nuclear testing and ballistic missile launches and has stepped up sanctions against Pyongyang to attempt to cut off funds for those projects. North Korea fired 31 missiles combining ballistic and guidance technology, including six intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) tests and two missiles specifically labeled as ballistic weapons. North Korea continued to purchase oil and export coal illegally, avoiding sanctions, according to the monitors. International negotiations to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs have essentially frozen since 2019, Reuters reported. According to the analysts, the DPRK began re-excavation operations at the entrance of Tunnel 3 at Punggye-ri in March and repaired support buildings initially removed in May 2018. Analysts claimed in September that satellite photographs showed North Korea expanding a uranium enrichment unit at its major Yongbyon nuclear complex, indicating that it wanted to increase production of the critical bomb material. Read Also: Nancy Pelosi Visit: China Starts Massive Military Drill, Taiwan Fires Back at 'Irresponsible' Behavior Kim Jong Un Expands Ballistic Missile Program Nuclear talks between the US and North Korea have been stuck since 2019 because of disputes over Pyongyang's desire to relieve punishing US-led sanctions and Washington's demand for major measures toward nuclear disarmament. Despite the diplomatic pause, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has expanded his ballistic missile program, and analysts believe another nuclear test would escalate his brinkmanship aimed at cementing the North's status as nuclear power and negotiating economic and security concessions from a position of strength. The DPRK continued to accelerate its missile programs, launching 31 missiles combining ballistic and guidance technologies, including six ICBMs and two explicitly described as ballistic weapons, and claiming to have advanced its development of tactical nuclear weapons, as per ABC News. According to two security council members, preparations for a nuclear test were nearing completion in early June. Pyongyang continues to engage in massive hacking and other cyberattacks, taking millions of dollars in cryptocurrency. Kimsuky, a hacker outfit headed by North Korea's spy service, was behind these attacks. According to the study, North Korea is smuggling large volumes of refined petroleum products across its borders. Imports from UN member nations reached just 8.15 percent of the yearly quota of 500,000 barrels established by a UN Security Council resolution on July 27. However, North Korea has purchased around 458,898 barrels, which is close to the limit, according to Express. Related Article: Russian Official Guarantees Vladimir Putin's Participation If China Starts War Over Taiwan Issue @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. This is the moment a distraught father who had just watched his daughter killed by a speedboat propeller brawled with the man now accused over her death. British-born Jonada Avdia, seven, had been holidaying with father Bledar and her mother on Potam beach, in their native Albania, when she was hit and killed by the boat around 2pm Tuesday. Horrified onlookers captured the moment off-duty cop Arjan Tase, who is now facing a manslaughter charge over Jonada's death, came back to shore - and was confronted by Bledar. Pictures show Tase - wearing pink swimming shorts - locking armed with Bledar - in black - as people rush to separate them. Images of the brawl were posted online by Albania's former prime minister Sali Berisha in the wake of the tragedy. Bledar Avdia (left), the father of a seven-year-old girl killed in the sea in Albania, is pictured brawling with Arjan Tase (right), the off-duty cop accused of hitting her with a speedboat. The image was posted online by the country's former Prime Minister Jonada (left) was playing 15ft from shore when Tase (right) allegedly hit her with a speedboat while pulling 'dangerous manoeuvres' Recounting the horror day to local media, Bledar said: 'I was bathing together with my daughter near the shore, I saw a white boat with two people on board. 'The boat parked on the beach near a hotel and I saw a girl get off from there.' He recalled how a woman and children got into the boat, which then set off again through an area roped off for swimmers, heading towards him and his daughter. 'It came in our direction and came at hellish speed and separated me and the girl. 'I dived down under the water and the craft hit my daughter with the engine part, cutting her all over. 'I saw that the vehicle left, but then the boatman came back, stopping the boat and coming to the shore.' Bislim Ahmetajm, a teacher who was on the beach that day, recalled on Facebook how Bledar came up to him afterwards and said: 'I should have died instead of her.' Tase was arrested a short time later, and is due in court in the city of Vlora today. Investigators say he was taking members of his own family from Porto Palermo to Potam - a distance of around five miles - when the crash happened. A man - believed to be Tase - is seen behind the wheel of the speedboat at the beach after being accused of hitting the young girl The boat in question is shown tied up to the shoreline, as police impound it as evidence for an investigation that is now underway British-born Jonada Avdia, seven, had been holidaying with father Bledar and her mother on Potam beach, in their native Albania, when she was hit and killed by the boat around 2pm Tuesday They say he drove through an area meant only for swimmers, that was clearly marked with buoys, and up on to the beach. After dropping off his relatives he put the boat back into the water in the same area, and pulled some 'dangerous manoeuvres'. It was then that he hit Jonada as she played around 15ft off shore. The boat's spinning propeller blades 'caused serious injuries that led to immediate loss of life', a police spokesman said. Tase is now being investigated for 'negligent homicide' while 15 police officers who were supposed to be guarding the water that day have been sacked. Tase, reportedly a police chief from the city of Elbasan, is due to appear in court in Vlora today. Hundreds of candles and flowers have been placed where Jonada lost her life, as well as in front of the Prime Ministers office. Protests have also broken out across the country in fury at the death, with dozens of marchers clashing with police in the capital of Tirana yesterday. Tase is said to have used this boat to drop his relatives off at the beach before driving back out to sea and pulling 'dangerous manoeuvres' which killed Jonada 15 police officers who should have been guarding the ocean that day (pictured) have since been sacked, while protests have broken out around the country. They are called for the resignation of the interior minister, the head of police, and the tourism minister - accusing the state of killing Jonada, local media says. It is the third such accident to happen on the beaches of Albania this summer. A couple were injured by a speedboat on Jale beach, also in southern Albania, last month - while a second seven-year-old child was hurt in a crash just two days later. Mirela Kumbaro, the tourism minister, has laid blame for the crash at the feet of Tase and the national chief of police. She told Albanian Daily News: 'An angel is no longer among us because of the stupidity of a man who broke every law, every rule and every norm with tragically irreversible consequences. 'With awareness that there are no words to serve as a consolation for the parents, the family for the tragedy they suffered, the request goes to justice to do its job, without compromise, with maximum punishment for anyone who breaks the law. 'The request goes to the state police as well, to each of its employees in the territory, to be at the level of vigilance and punishment that the uniform imposes on them.' A 54-year-old man was identified Friday as the suspect arrested in the killing of one person and wounding of two others during a family argument in a Las Vegas Strip hotel room. Billy Hemsley was arrested within six hours of the 8.30pm Thursday shooting at The Mirage resort, Capt. Dori Koren and the department said. A department statement said detectives located and apprehended Hemsley in a southeast Las Vegas neighborhood and he was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. It was not immediately clear if Hemsley had an attorney who could speak for him ahead of an initial court appearance scheduled for Saturday. The shooting prompted a lockdown for more than two hours after tourists watched police rush into the iconic casino and hotel on Las Vegas Boulevard. The injured women were taken to a hospital. No details were disclosed about their conditions and they were not identified. Billy Hemsley, 54, was identified Friday as the suspect arrested in the killing of one person and wounding of two others during a family argument in a Las Vegas Strip hotel room Hotel guests were left standing around after being told that the place was going into lockdown Koren, head of the department homicide division, told reporters that the shooter had a Las Vegas address and the incident did not pose a wider threat to the public. A police statement on Friday said it stemmed from an argument 'with several family members' in an eighth-floor room. An official with MGM Resorts International, operator of The Mirage, did not immediately respond Friday to messages. The Polynesian-themed property, with a fire-spewing volcano and more than 3,000 rooms, opened in November 1989. The property is credited with helping transform Las Vegas from a gambling hub into a luxury resort destination with international appeal. MGM Resorts announced plans last December to sell operations of The Mirage for nearly $1.1 billion to Hard Rock International, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The new operator plans to replace it with a huge guitar-shaped hotel. The sale is pending regulatory approval. A row of seafront holiday lets built on council land sold for just 165,000 has been put on the market for almost 3.5 million. The seven cottages in Whitstable, Kent have been slapped with the hefty price tag by estate agency Christie & Co, who said the properties generated 430,000 in income from holidaymakers in the past year. Consisting of one and two-bedroom houses, the lucrative site on Sea Street in the seaside town forms part of The Warehouse development that incorporated the formerly Canterbury City Council-owned Oval Chalet plot and land previously occupied by a tile firm. The local authority struck a deal with house-builders to hand over its chunk for 165,000 in 2014, a decision that still riles critics of the scheme. Locals have branded the pittance generated by the councils sale a missed opportunity and said that the holiday properties are contributing to an over-abundance of second homes in the area. A row of seven holiday homes in Whitstable, Kent (pictured) have been put on the market for 3.5million The 'purpose-built' holiday lets consist of a mixture of one and two-bedroom properties Graham Cox, of residents group the Whitstable Society, said: Theyre adding to the serious problem of making the area dead off-season. The streets behind the beach seem to be 80 per cent holiday lets and holiday homes. The 2014 sale sparked a High Court challenge with a judge ruling that the council did not get the best price for the 0.2-acre plot. Despite this, the judge ruled the sale to Sea Street Developments Ltd - headed by Whitstable Oyster Company boss James Green - could go ahead. The Warehouse development also featured the erection of eight luxury homes which were marketed for almost 10 million combined last year. The properties were built partly on land formerly owned by Canterbury City Council, which was sold in 2014 for just 165,000. Pictured: the view from one of the holiday cottages on Whitstable seafront Estate agency Christie & Co say the holiday homes generated 430,000 in income from holidaymakers in the past year Mr Cox added: It was sold for a pathetically cheap price. It was a missed opportunity for the council on a massive scale. We got professional valuers who said the site was worth between 300,000 and 500,000 - not the pittance they paid for it. Its left a lot of people very, very angry. Advertising material produced by Christie & Co says the holiday homes, which opened two years ago, are already enjoying a good level of occupancy and strong average daily room rates of about 220. The firm also added that trading data for the properties shows revenues of just under 430,00 in the year to May. A spokesman said: The Warehouse Cottages represents a rare opportunity to purchase a high-quality, purpose-built terrace of seven holiday cottages on the seafront. Each unit has private parking and offers accommodation for up to four people. Whitstable, where the seven homes are located, is one of many holiday locations where locals are getting angry at the over-abundance of second homes Responding to criticism of the sale this week, Canterbury City Council spokesman Rob Davies said: The issues around the sale of the Oval Chalet site have been fully investigated. Lessons were learned and processes around the disposal of land have been changed. As such we have no further comment to make on this historic matter involving a sale eight years ago. Earlier in the summer, Whitstable and other 'second home hotspots' began to rise up against wealthy 'outsiders' who have been snatching up properties to convert into holiday lets. Britain's 'staycation spots' including St Ives, Salcombe, Whitstable and Tideswell are beginning to rise up against wealthy 'outsiders' who have been snatching up properties to convert into holiday lets and seaside boltholes. It comes after Whitby locals turned out in their droves to vote to impose limits on second home owners The towns were inspired by Whitby's historic decision to ban out-of-towners buying new builds. In June residents in the fishing port on the Yorkshire coast turned out in their droves and won a landslide 93% vote to stop new builds being sold to rich Londoners amid mounting fears that families are being priced out of the housing market. Architect and Kent coast resident Matt Hayes said that Whitstable - the top destination for second homeowners in the South East - could 'consider' backing its own ban on 'outsiders', 'given the plethora of Airbnb key safes you see dotted about'. Network Rail managers have voted to accept a pay offer, their union has announced - but the RMT union is still in deadlock. The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) said its management grade members accepted the 4% increase in a ballot. TSSA organising director Luke Chester said: 'While falling short of our aspirations on basic pay, this agreement has the significant benefit of addressing many of our members' long-standing concerns, including staff travel facilities. 'It's very good news that our union was able to stand up collectively and win concessions across the board from the company which will really benefit our members. The RMT Union's General Secretary Mike Lynch arrives at the RMT Headquarters last month The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) said its management grade members accepted the 4% increase in a ballot but the RMT Union is still not budging 'However, it's a shame that managers had to vote for industrial action before we could make progress. 'We remain committed to further dialogue with Network Rail (NR) to build on these gains and deliver a fair deal for our members going forward.' Tim Shoveller, Network Rail's lead negotiator, said: 'We are pleased that the TSSA's management grade colleagues have voted to accept the pay deal we offered, which includes a 4% increase on base pay from 1 July and heavily discounted leisure travel for employees and their immediate families. RMT supporters protest outside offices of Network Rail as a nationwide strike called by the RMT Union was held today on July 27, 2022 in Glasgow, Scotland How Britons face another month of travel chaos AUGUST 13 Train drivers from Aslef union across nine operators go on strike, bringing much of the network to a grinding halt AUGUST 18 AND 20 Militant RMT union stages national walkouts of staff for Network Rail and 14 train operators, cutting off rural areas with around one in five services overall running AUGUST 19 RMT workers for London Underground walk out, causing mayhem for commuters and holidaymakers in the capital Advertisement 'We believe this is a deal that is both fair for our employees and affordable for passengers and taxpayers.' The TSSA announced on Thursday that thousands of its NR members in general grades and controllers will strike on August 18 and 20, alongside members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union in a continuing row over pay, jobs and conditions. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: 'It's fantastic news that TSSA's management grade members have recognised the fairness of Network Rail's pay offer and voted to accept it. 'When unions work collaboratively and productively with industry like this, they can come to agreements which benefit both staff and passengers alike and deliver the essential modernisations our railways need. 'This acceptance by these TSSA members will mean that we have a strong, reliable contingency staff for any future strikes. 'It means we will be able to run services for passengers and minimise disruption to lives of everyday people. 'Unions working with industry instead of against is the only way forward out of this dispute and a necessary step to end these destructive strikes and to put our railways on a secure footing for the future.' A source added: 'This is the same offer the RMT wouldn't accept for their members.' Advertisement The first bus of migrants sent from Texas by Governor Greg Abbott arrived in New York City on Friday morning. The group was dropped off at Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan after making the almost 2,000-mile trip from the border that lasted days. A group of charity workers and volunteers greeted the roughly 50 migrants, who were mostly men, before they ventured into the city for hotels or shelters. One of the arrivals Jose Rodriguez, 38, told DailyMail.com he chose New York because it has the 'best opportunities' of the options he was given when he crossed the border. He added that the group wasn't allowed to leave a building in Texas building they were housed in and he lost all of his documents in his journey over the Rio Grande. Bertilio Rosale, 54, also told DailyMail.com on arrival: 'I want to see the Statue of Liberty and the rest of the city. There are more job opportunities here, I will do anything I can. The bus here was good, we have all come from all over.' The first footage of the bus arriving in New York at 6.30am Friday was captured by Fox News. The Big Apple now joins Washington D.C. as a drop-off location for migrants who have recently crossed from Central America, have been processed and are awaiting their immigration court dates. The Biden administration has accused Republican states of using migrants as a 'political ploy' and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser last week said the buses are causing a 'humanitarian crisis' in the nation's capital. She called in the National Guard to assist with the more than 5,000 migrants who have been sent to D.C. Scroll down for video Bertilio Rosale (left) and Jose Rodriguez (right) arrive at New York's Port Authority Bus Terminal after their almost 2,000-mile trip from New York. Rodriguez, 38, told DailyMail.com he chose New York because it has the 'best opportunities' of the options he was given when he crossed the border Charity workers and volunteers met the migrants after their journey to help them get to shelters or hotels in New York The Big Apple now joins Washington D.C. as a drop-off location for migrants who have recently crossed from Central America, have been processed and are awaiting their immigration court dates The first bus of migrants sent from Texas by Governor Greg Abbott arrived in New York City on Friday morning at around 6.30 'Because of President Biden's continued refusal to acknowledge the crisis caused by his open border policies, the State of Texas has had to take unprecedented action to keep our communities safe,' said Governor Abbott. 'In addition to Washington, D.C., New York City is the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing that Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city. 'I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief.' Abbott also invited Adams and Bowser to visit the border and see the crisis first hand, but Adams declined. A day earlier Abbott spoke at a conservative conference in Dallas describing how he came up with the idea after speaking to leaders in Uvalde and Del Rio who said they couldn't cope with the number of arrivals. 'And they were talking about getting the illegal immigrants that border patrol had dropped off into their communities that they were incapable of dealing with, and them actually busing them to San Antonio,' he told the Conservative Political Action Conference. 'I said don't do that. I have a better idea. The group was dropped off at Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan after making the almost 2,000-mile trip from the border in footage captured by Fox News 'We're gonna bust him all the way to Washington D.C. 'We deal with that number every single day, I got one thing to tell you and to tell them there are more buses on the way as we gather at this conference today.' The audience responded with whoops and cheers, before Abbott plugged a crowd-funding website that helps pay for the buses. Last Monday, Adams declared a city-wide emergency and called on the federal government to step in as a major influx of migrants strains New York City's shelter system. Roughly 4,000 asylum-seekers have come to NYC since May, Adams' office stated. 'New York is a city of immigrants, and we will always welcome newcomers with open arms. Over the past two months, we have seen a significant increase in the number of asylum seekers arriving in our city's shelter system,' Adams said in a statement. A group of charity workers and volunteers greeted the roughly 50 migrants, who were mostly men, before they ventured into the city Last Monday, Adams declared a city-wide emergency and called on the federal government to step in as a major influx of migrants strains New York City's shelter system Adams has warned Republican states against sending the buses north. Greg Abbott has said the buses are an opportunity for Democrat-run cities to see the border crisis first hand He had been calling the Biden administration for help since at least last month. Many of the group arriving today had been told less than 24 hours before that they were being moved, with many losing any form of identification when crossing the river. Clutching bags given to them by charities, the groups were spilt off with the men reportedly sent to men's only shelters across the city. Adams pledged in the Monday statement that he will 'continue to work with federal and state partners to procure additional financial resources immediately' to assist with the surge. During a July 21 press conference on the matter, Adams slammed Abbott and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey as 'heartless' over their bussing orders. New York's The Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless also attacked Abbott's move on Friday as a 'cynical' stunt. 'Governor Abbott is shamelessly exploiting these migrants - human beings who have endured immense suffering in their home countries and on the journey to the United States, seeking safe haven and a better life - to serve some myopic political purpose,' the organization said in a statement. 'Regardless of who these people are, where they are from, or for what cynical reason they are being sent here, New York is a sanctuary and right to shelter city, and the City must ensure that beds and critical services are immediately available to meet any demand. 'As representatives of homeless New Yorkers and the legal team who secured New Yorks historic right to shelter law, we will continue to monitor this development, including onsite at the Citys shelter intake centers for both individuals and for families. We call on City Hall to immediately provide this Administrations plan for addressing the needs of all migrants arriving in New York City and requiring our help.' Republican Senator Lindsey Graham appeared on Fox News on Friday morning to react to the arrival in New York City and said: 'We have lost operational control of the border'. He added that it was a 'formula for disaster' and linked the crisis to the reemergence of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan following the CIA drone strike that killed leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul on Saturday. In June, 240,991 migrants were caught crossing the border, including six who were on a terror watch list. It was a 14 per cent decline from May, but the surge in crossings over the last year has broken records. Biden is still trying to end Title 42, a Trump-era COVID policy that saw migrants deported straight back to Mexico, but a judge has ordered the president to continue enforcing it. Twenty-six percent of all crossers in June had previously attempted to cross the border within the last year, which is up from the usual 15 percent between 2014 and 2019, CBP said. The largest group to come through was single adults, making up 68 percent of the crossing, with 140,197 people. A total of 207,416 migrants were encountered at the US southern border in June 2022 The majority of those who crossed in June were single adults, with 140,000. There was also 51,780 in family units and 15,271 unaccompanied children, as well as, six on terrorists lists Watch the latest video at foxnews.com Germany fears millions of houses will be left without heating this winter as low pressure in gas pipelines - caused by Russian president Vladimir Putin cutting supplies - causes breakdowns in the country's energy infrastructure. As with many EU countries, concern about the winter ahead has been growing in the bloc's largest economy, with fears over energy shortages and the need to ration growing as winter approaches. But in a meeting between the head of the Federal Chancellor's Office - Wolfgang Schmidt - and the heads of the state chancelleries on Wednesday, concerns were also raised about a lack of pressure in the pipelines, according to Bild. Germany fears millions of houses will be left without heating this winter as low pressure in gas pipelines causes breakdowns. An exterior view of the natural gas landing station of the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea Pipeline on August 04, 2022 in Lubmin, Germany Should heating systems fail, there will also be a delay in restarting them because work would have to be carried out to reconnect them to the gas supply. This means homes could be left without energy for days until they can find an engineer. Germany's federal government has demanded that utility companies give at least 24-hours' notice should supply issues arise. Officials hope this will prompt the Federal Network Agency to take control of the gas distribution. In response to sanctions imposed on Russia by the west over Putin's invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has cut off some of its supplies to Europe - that remains heavily reliant on gas exports from Russia. Prior to the war in Ukraine, Russian gas accounted for around 40 percent of the EU's usage. By comparison, that figures is roughly 4 percent for the UK. Some countries - including Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands - saw their supplies cut over their refusal to pay for Russian gas in roubles, after Moscow ordered them to pay in the country in a bid to bail out its ailing economy. Germany, Italy, France, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have also seen their supplies reduced. Germany recorded a 40 percent decline in flows through its Nord Stream 1 pipeline - a huge 745 mile pipeline that runs under the Baltic sea and connects Russia to the city of Greifswald. May saw Russia close the Yamal gas pipeline, which runs through Belarus and Poland and supplies gas to Germany and other countries in Europe. Then, a few weeks later in mid-June, Russian state-run gas exporter Gazprom cut its deliveries through Nord Stream 1 by 75 percent, and in early July it shut it down entirely for 10 days, citing 'maintenance' work. Now, shortly before opening, Gazprom has halved the amount supplied through Nord Stream 1 to 20m cubic meters per day - around 90 percent below what it was delivering before the first cut, when it was pumping 170m cubic meters per day. The wholesale price of gas in Europe shot up by 10 percent the day after Russia announced its intention to restrict supply, with gas prices in Europe now 450 percent higher than they were at this point last year. A stand-off over the return of a turbine that Russia says is holding back gas supplies to Europe showed no sign of being resolved on Thursday. Moscow said it needed documentation to confirm the equipment was not subject to sanctions. Pictured: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stands in front of a turbine of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline during a visit on August 3, 2022 Yesterday, Germany's cabinet agreed to introduce a planned levy on gas consumers from October to help suppliers hit by soaring gas import prices caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The plan, announced last week, comes as the country tries to reduce its dependence on Russian energy. It is facing a collapse in gas supplies and soaring prices, raising fears of energy shortages and insolvencies among gas traders. 'The temporary levy is a result of the crisis caused by Russia. It is not an easy step to take, but a necessary one to guarantee heating and energy supply in private households and the economy,' said Economy Minister Robert Habeck in a statement. The levy on consumers, to be accompanied by targeted relief, is aimed at helping importers, especially Uniper, Germany's largest recipient of Russian gas, which is receiving a state bail-out. Other companies include EnBW's gas division VNG. The levy is expected to take effect from October 1 and end on April 1, 2024, said the ministry. Its exact size will be published in mid-August, said the ministry. Habeck said last week it would be between 1.5 euro cents and 5 euro cents per kilowatt hour (Kwh), with the proceeds available to any company having to replace Russian gas. Government and parliamentary sources have told Reuters it still has to be clarified how the levy will be applied to customers with fixed-price contracts. Meanwhile, a stand-off over the return of a turbine that Russia says is holding back gas supplies to Europe showed no sign of being resolved on Thursday. Moscow said it needed documentation to confirm the equipment was not subject to sanctions. Germany's Siemens Energy carried out maintenance in Canada on the turbine for the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline and said it was ready to be returned immediately. Gazprom reiterated sanctions imposed by Canada, the EU and Britain prevented the equipment from being shipped back to Russia. It added three other turbines also needed major overhauls, and only one of six main gas turbines was currently working at the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, excluding an emergency spare. That means it can pump no more than 33 million cubic meters of gas per day, or about a fifth of capacity, it said in a statement. Germany's Siemens Energy carried out maintenance in Canada on the turbine for the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline and said it was ready to be returned immediately Some Western leaders have accused Russia of using the stand-off as a pretext to cut energy supplies in revenge for sanctions imposed on Moscow over Ukraine. 'Gazprom would very much like to get this turbine back, but it was not Gazprom who introduced sanctions,' Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. 'Gazprom needs to protect itself (from sanctions risks), this turbine is its property.' Russia's Kommersant newspaper cited a source familiar with the details as saying that on Aug. 3 Gazprom received a package of documents from Siemens Energy, including a green light from Germany's Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control for the turbine to pass custom controls until July 26, 2023. Siemens Energy also told Gazprom there was no need for an official sanctions explanation from the European Commission and that the United Kingdom had also confirmed to Gazprom in writing that there were no sanctions preventing the return of the turbine, Kommersant said. The paper added there was no need for a separate transportation waiver as the turbine is not covered by sanctions and that Siemens Energy was ready to support maintenance of the Nord Stream 1 equipment by providing a resident engineer. Siemens Energy told Reuters the turbine was ready for operation and could be transported immediately. 'If the operator really wants the turbine, he'll get it,' it said via email. Germany's Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Earlier this week, the United Nations chief has called for 'greedy' oil and gas companies to have their enormous profits taxed at at time of spiraling energy bills as ordinary people pay the price. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it was 'immoral' for energy firms to be profiting from the Ukraine crisis and called for a one-off windfall tax Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made his comments as energy prices surge and the big energy firms make record profits off the back of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 'This grotesque greed is punishing the poorest and most vulnerable people, while destroying our only common home,' Guterres said. 'I urge all governments to tax these excessive profits, and use the funds to support the most vulnerable people through these difficult times.' Guterres warned that rocketing energy prices had the potential to destabilize the global economy and usher in 'a wave of economic, social and political upheaval that would leave no country untouched.' 'Many developing countries - drowning in debt, without access to finance, and struggling to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic - could go over the brink.' A woman has been charged with murder after 'melting the skin off' her boyfriend at a Texas gas station and driving away 'smiling'. Breana Johnson, 24, doused Ricky Doyle, 25, in petrol as he sat in the backseat of a Jeep and set fire to him after a row on July 18, according to the Arlington Police Department. Doyle died on Tuesday in a Dallas-area hospital after a two weeks struggle for survival following the horrifying attack, prompting the Johnson's aggravated assault charge to be upgraded to murder. Doyle's mother Lisa told NBCDFW how doctors said his foot 'was the only part of his body I could touch. That's all that was left.' Johnson was heard to tell Doyle 'I'm going to kill you' at a Shell gas station during the argument, and went inside and paid for $0.50 worth of gas. Witnesses saw her return and pour the gasoline over Doyle and walk around to the driver's seat and set it on fire in what had seemed like a premeditated and thought-through attack. Breana Johnson, 24, doused Ricky Doyle, 25, in petrol as he sat in the backseat of a Jeep and set fire to him after a row on July 18 Deceased man Ricky Doyle, pictured, escaped from the car engulfed in flames after his girlfriend doused him in petrol and set him alight. He was seen screaming through the parking lot unable to stop his body from burning Doyle escaped from the car engulfed in flames and was seen screaming through the parking lot unable to stop his body from burning. A customer rushed to his aide with a fire extinguisher and put the flames out. A witness said Doyle was 'bleeding and had skin that appeared to have melted off his body,' said the police charging document. Johnson told witnesses that she was smoking while pumping gas which was the accidental cause of the fire. However, witnesses who had seen Johnson allegedly deliberately set Doyle on fire confronted her, with one trying to detain her until the police arrived. But Johnson pushed the person to the ground and drove away while smiling, the police report said. Johnson was heard to tell Doyle 'I'm going to kill you' at a Shell gas station (pictured) during the argument, and went inside and paid for $0.50 worth of gas Doyle's little sister, Mikayla, said she knew Johnson was abusive but 'we didn't know this was going to come' Doyle's family said he was first taken to Medical City Arlington before being transferred to a hospital in Plano, where he was being treated for burns covering more than 90% of his body. They said the top of his head, groin and buttocks areas, along with the bottoms of his feet were spared. Doyle's little sister, Mikayla, said the argument between Johnson and Doyle initially started outside the family home in Arlington. 'She [Johnson] just started beating on his chest. She took his phone. She threw his phone. Then she came back and she picked his phone up, threw it at him, and then started beating his chest,' Mikayla recalled. 'We knew she was abusive to him, but we didn't see this. We didn't know this was going to come.' Johnson is currently in the Tarrant County Jail. An elderly couple and an unidentified person who were hospitalized on Thursday after being critically injured by a lightning strike while sight-seeing at Lafayette Square near the White House, have died. Donna Mueller, 75, and James Mueller, 76, were visiting DC from Janesville, Wisconsin, when lightning struck them near a tree along with two others. Police confirmed on Thursday afternoon that a third person has died. They have not yet been identified. 'We are saddened by the tragic loss of life after the lightning strike in Lafayette Park,' White House Press Secretary Karine Jeane-Pierre wrote in a statement. 'Our hearts are with the families who lost loved ones, and we are praying for those still fighting for their lives.' The other two victims, a male and a female, haven't been identified. Fox News cameras may have captured the lightning strike that injured the four victims. A video posted shows a lightning strike around the same time as the incident. A CBS News reporter was on the White House North Lawn on Thursday when a lightning struck nearby. The reporter is seen jumping in fear while another person is heard saying, 'That's too close, we're shutting down.' Donna Mueller, 75, and James Mueller, 76, were sightseeing at Lafayette Square near the White House when they were struck by lightning along with two others. The map above shows where lightning hit on Thursday NEW: Our @fox5dc cameras caught the lightning strike that may have caused the injuries near the White House. Clearly hits either the ground or nearby tree. You can see the sparks on the ground after the contact. NEVER shelter under a tree during a storm. Lightning can be deadly! pic.twitter.com/ZCCDzRXMEJ Mike Thomas (@MikeTFox5) August 5, 2022 Our camera was rolling on the White House North Lawn tonight when lightning struck Lafayette Park nearby, injuring four. The thunder was so loud, @gabrielle_ake and I jumped up in fright. Thats too close were shutting down advised photographer Ron Windham. pic.twitter.com/oTtU9VeQBw Nancy Cordes (@nancycordes) August 5, 2022 BREAKING NEWS: 2 people have died after a lightning strike near the White House yesterday. The victims are a 76-year-old man and a 75-year-old woman. @BrittaMerwinWX @thekatiebyrne pic.twitter.com/wB79iLq2uE FOX Weather (@foxweather) August 5, 2022 Officers from the US Secret Service and US Park Police went to assist the victims immediately, according to VIto Maggiolo, a DC Fire and EMS spokesperson. Maggiolo said it was likely that the four people caught in the incident tried to seek shelter under the nearby tree when the storm passed along just before 7pm. The Fire and EMS spokesperson noted that trees are not the ideal shelter during thunderstorms. 'Trees are not safe places,' Maggiolo said. 'Anybody that goes to seek shelter under a tree, that's a very dangerous place to be.' Lafayette Square (pictured) is near the White House. The four victims were immediately assisted Officers of the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Park Police, which have a regular presence in the square, went to the assistance of the victims immediately The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Washington D.C. between 6:30 and 7:15 p.m Lafayette Square, a seven-acre public park that lies directly north of the White House, is often crowded with visitors, especially in the summer months. A violent thunderstorm swept through the capital late in the day. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the area between 6:30 and 7:15 p.m., cautioning of wind gusts up to 60 mph. Temperatures in Washington exceeded 90 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday, although, with the high humidity, the heat felt like more than 100F, forecasters said. A high-profile businessman and his passenger plummeted more than 2000 metres to their death when their helicopter smashed into a Snowy Mountains hillside, a preliminary report has found. Barbecues Galore co-founder Peter Woodland, 75, was piloting the bright red Bell LongRanger chopper with his un-named passenger, 64, who was believed to be his partner. Investigators found Mr Woodland had flown on in poor weather before the aircraft crashed on the afternoon of April 3 in the remote Kiandra Flats area of Kosciuszko National Park in NSW. The crash inquiry found the helicopter made a series of ascents and descents on the final flight before losing control in a sweeping turn. The helicopter plunged towards the ground at a speed of 19 metres per second. The couple did not survive the impact and were said to be almost unidentifiable amid the twisted wreckage. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's preliminary report, released on Friday, revealed the chilling details of the couple's final minutes. Barbeques Galore founder Peter Woodland (above), 74, and his partner, 64, were killed in a Snowy Mountains helicopter crash in April A new report from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau reveals the final details of why this helicopter a red and white Bell 206 Jet Ranger (above) fell out the sky The businessman and avid pilot had a helipad and hanger at his Terrey Hills home in Sydney's northern beaches to allow him to fly off on regular jaunts. Mr Woodland had departed the Canberra suburb of Majura as part of a flying tour of seven helicopters of the Riverina and New South Wales' south. The pair battled on through poor weather despite six of the other helicopters landing at a property at Wee Jasper to the northeast of Canberra while Mr Wooldland carried on and landed further south, When the Mr Woodland's helicopter failed to arrive at Wee Jasper, the other pilots contacted authorities who began a search, however this was called off when the pilot reached mobile reception. The helicopter was found crashed 200m east of the NSW Snowy Mountains at Kiandra Flats in April Close to four hours after landing at Long Plain Road just before 3pm, the Mr Woodland's helicopter took off again, according to recorded flight tracker data. Police officers sent to look for the helicopter saw the ruby-red craft flying low to the south through rainy, overcast conditions, the bureau's director of transport safety Stuart Macleod said. Tracking data showed the helicopter followed geographical features along the lower lying terrain, flying less than 150m above ground level. Mr Woodland was educated as a geophysicist. About ten minutes into their second flight, the chopper turned towards Tumut, which was their refuelling site. The report shows the helicopter then began to climb for about six minutes, reaching about 2134m above sea level, before it descended to 2073m, then climbed again, to a height of 2255m. 'After climbing to (2255m) the helicopter commenced the steep turn,' Mr Macleod said. 'Its ground speed increased to (246 km/h), and its descent rate exceeded (1158m) per minute,' Mr Macleod said. Emergency services were called to Kiandra Flats in April after a request from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority rescue centre The helicopter hit the ground at 3.36pm, in an area covered in grass and bare rocks. Investigators from the ATSB found evidence the helicopter's engine was providing power to the rotors at the time of impact. A search began the following morning after Mr Woodland and his partner failed to meet with their tour group. Their helicopter, crinkled and broken up, was located at the accident site that evening. The ATSB said they have not found evidence of defects with the helicopter's drive train or flight controls, nor any suggestion of an in-flight break-up. Further investigation will analyse the pilot's maintenance, witness information and pieces of the helicopter recovered from the site. A final report will be published at the end of the investigation. Advertisement Ten teenagers who murdered an 18-year-old 'for excitement and pleasure' after attacking him at random as he walked home from a funfair in County Durham were today sentenced to life. Jack Woodley pleaded with his killers 'I just want to go home' moments before the gang of 15 to 17-year-olds punched, kicked and stabbed the teenager with a 25cm 'Rambo style knife'. Jack's mum Zoe McGill said: 'We always used to call him our cheeky chappy, blue-eyed boy. 'He used to light up any room he was in. He hated to be serious, he always wanted to make a joke. He was happy go-lucky and very adventurous.' The teen was 'surrounded and isolated' by the gang of youths who chased him down an alleyway and attacked him 'like zombies attacking an animal'. The victim, who had been due to start a job the Monday after he was attacked, was on the way to pick up keys for a new flat when he was punched, kicked, stamped on, and stabbed with a 25cm 'Rambo style' knife during the attack on October 16. Prosecutors said the group had gone out 'looking for serious trouble that day' and tried to 'create conflict' with Mr Woodley at the festival as they 'looked for any excuse to attack someone'. One of the teenagers first put Mr Woodley in a headlock and punched him, before the others 'joined in', the court heard. Jurors were told one of them was heard shouting 'get the chopper' - referring to the knife - in mobile phone footage of the incident. Today, the 15-year-old who inflicted the fatal wound by stabbing Mr Woodley in the back was detained for a minimum of 17 years. Witnesses described Mr Woodley as visibly 'so scared' as he curled up into a ball and received a torrent of kicks to his face and body from the attackers, who acted like a 'herd of lions'. Judge Rodney Jameson QC sentenced the other nine defendants, aged between 15 and 18, to minimum terms of between eight and 15 years' detention. He told them that if they are then released, they will remain on licence for the rest of their lives. He said they had shown 'regret', but 'regret is not remorse'. The total minimum terms for all the defendants adds up to 124 years and six months. Jack Woodley was fatally stabbed after being 'surrounded and isolated' by a gang of youths who chased him down an alleyway in Houghton le Spring, Sunderland, last year Today's sentencing was delayed due to a disturbance outside Newcastle Crown Court which led to police being called Pictured is the 25cm long knife that was used to murder Jack Woodley in County Durham last October after he left the Houghton Feast Pictured are Supporters of the family of murdered Jack Woodley have gathered outside Newcastle Quayside Crown Court Friday with a banner The scene in Houghton-le-Spring where Jack Woodley tragically lost his life after he was set upon by the gang of ten thugs The scene in Houghton-Le-Spring where the attack took place is pictured. Nine of the youths, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had denied murder and manslaughter. One pleaded guilty to manslaughter, admitting he stabbed Mr Woodley but denying he intended to kill him, Newcastle Crown Court heard. Prosecutor Mark McKone QC had told jurors that Jack had been enjoying a day out with his girlfriend at the Houghton Feast funfair when the defendants, who he did not know, 'surrounded and isolated' him near the Britannia Inn pub on Newbottle Street on October 16. Mr McKone said: 'The attack took place outside the pub but the group also chased Jack down an alleyway at the side of the pub. Many people in the pub saw the attack.' At the start of the trial in March, prosecutor Mark McKone QC said that while only one youth stabbed Mr Woodley, the other nine were guilty due to 'the concept of joint enterprise'. A jury convicted all 10 defendants of murder in June. Jack's mum warned youths against carrying knives, asking them to avoid putting 'yourself in that position where you might possibly use it.' She added: 'There is never an acceptable excuse to carry a knife, and don't hang around with those who do. Devastated mother Zoe McGill, from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, with her husband, Chris 'If you know someone has a knife run, tell - don't involve yourself, don't be part of the violence because you will ruin your life and other people's lives too.' Nine of the defendants intend to appeal against their convictions, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed this week. Sentencing the group, the judge said: 'No sentence can restore Jack to his family and loved ones, or reduce the pain they will endure now and in the future. 'It may seem unfair that you will be able to live at liberty while still young men, while Jack cannot because of what you did.' Judge Jameson said the group had attacked Mr Woodley 'solely for the excitement and pleasure of inflicting serious injury on an entirely innocent and randomly selected stranger'. The judge told the defendants the violence inflicted on Mr Woodley 'though short-lived, was appalling' and all of them 'played a part in causing Jack's death'. He said six of the teenagers had given evidence during the trial, but none 'was prepared to tell the truth about what the others did'. He told them: 'You decided to put the interests of yourself and your co-defendants before those of Jack and his family. You did everything you could to deny them justice. 'I'm sure you do regret what happened for many reasons, but regret is not remorse.' Judge Jameson told the teenager who stabbed Mr Woodley: 'I have concluded that you intended to kill when you inflicted the second stab wound. I accept that intention may have been formed in the heat of the moment. 'It is, however, that sort of escalation that can occur when violence is carried out mob-handed and when armed with a deadly knife.' Murdered teenager Jack Woodley's mother Zoey McGilll, pictured outside on Newcastle Quayside Crown Court Jack, who had been due to start a job the Monday after he was attacked and was on the way to pick up keys for a new flat, was punched, kicked, stamped on, and stabbed with a 25cm 'Rambo style' knife during the attack on October 16 'Don't do it': Jack's devastated mother warns against carrying a knife After the hearing, Jack's mum said: 'My message? Don't do it. Don't carry a knife, don't put yourself in that position where you might possibly use it. 'And don't think that just because you're not the one carrying the knife that you can't be prosecuted - because you can and Jack's case has proved that. 'There were children there that night that kicked and punched Jack, held him down, swarmed him and they think that because they didn't hold the knife they're not guilty of murder. 'But they involved themselves and they chose to involve themselves. You don't need to be the one holding the knife to contribute to a death or to be found guilty of murder. 'There is never an acceptable excuse to carry a knife, and don't hang around with those who do. 'If you know someone has a knife run, tell - don't involve yourself, don't be part of the violence because you will ruin your life and other people's lives too.' She added: 'He used to light up any room he was in. He hated to be serious, he always wanted to make a joke. He was happy go-lucky and very adventurous. 'Things were really coming together for Jack and he was making his mum proud. We were just numb, I remember screaming. I think I was just in shock. 'The days after his death were horrific. I just remember waking up and looking out my bedroom window and I kept saying to myself over and over, it was just a bad dream. 'I kept thinking of my son in a morgue. Things that you never would expect to go through as a parent, I think I was just unable to even process some of it, to take it in. 'I never want anyone else to ever go through that - to go through this. No sentence will make a difference but I hope it sends a strong message to other kids, to stop this happening to other families.' Advertisement One of the teenagers first put Mr Woodley in a headlock and punched him, before the others 'joined in', the court heard. Jurors were told one of them was heard shouting 'get the chopper' - referring to the knife - in mobile phone footage of the incident. The teenager is survived by his father, John Woodley, mother Zoey McGill, stepfather Chris McGill and siblings Jayden, Jenson and Tyler. Speaking during an earlier court hearing this week, Zoe said the whole family would be 'forever haunted about how horrific Jack's injuries were'. Ms McGill said that Jack had been looking forward to the future, and she added: 'This has ruined our family's lives and life will never be the same again without Jack.' In an earlier statement, she told the court: 'Jack was my reason to live and succeed in life. From the moment Jack was born he brought light and love to us all. 'In the months before October, Jack had sat and passed his English and Math Level 3, CSCS Operatives Card, Forklift Truck License and had secured a job with Amazon which he was due to start the Monday after his death. 'Jack had also secured his own accommodation and had received the keys for this on the day he was attacked. We were all very proud of Jack and this should have been a very exciting time in his life. 'The devastation of losing Jack is immense and far reaching. The trauma of reliving this whole incident over a long trial has had a devastating effect [on] us all. We cannot see a way of recovering from this. The statement concluded: 'We will never be able to share treasured family moments with our cheeky chappy blue-eyed boy ever again.' Jack's mum recalled how the boy had helped a homeless man and his dog he met by giving him money and buying dog food. The man would later go to his funeral and write a verse for him. Zoe said: 'He gave him his money and went and got his dog food from Aldi that was how Jack was. He always looked out for people who were less fortunate than himself. From a young age, he was like that. 'I think he did make it on the news one time for helping the homeless at 11, he was in secondary school at Woodham. He always had a heart of gold, he wasn't an angel by no means but his heart was always in the right place.' The second teen, who is 16-years-old, was the first to attack Jack. He was described as having 'average intelligence' and was sentenced to serve a minimum term of 13 and a half years. The third teen, 15, who went to collect the knife with the youth who inflicted the stabs, had one previous conviction for burglary and. He was sentenced to a minimum term of 15 years. The fourth teen, who is now 18-years-old, had attended the fair in possession of a knuckle duster, but did not hit Jack with it. Despite being one of the oldest, the court heard he was of low intelligence and was not a leader. He was sentenced to serve a minimum of 15 years. Supporters gathered outside Newcastle Crown Court today which a banner that read 'Justice 4 Jack. Life for a knife' The youngest of the defendants, a 15-year-old, was said not to have attended the fair wanting to fight. The court heard he may have been called a 'girl' if he didn't attend and was said to have a learning disability. He was sentenced to a minimum of eight years. The sixth teen, also 15-years-old, had drank vodka and smoked cannabis on the night of the murder and was heard to shout 'get the chopper out'. The court heard the youth's parents and family had also been involved in criminality. He was sentenced to serve a minimum of 13 years. The seventh teen, 15, had attempted to fight Jack outside a nearby dentist surgery, and was said to have a low IQ and was 'easily led'. He has problems with mental health, 'anger management' and had been involved in 'some bad behaviour' while in custody. He must serve a minimum of 10 years. The eighth teen, who is 16-years-old, became involved in the attack on Jack at a 'late stage' and cried in the dock as he was told he must serve a minimum of 11 years. The ninth youth, 16, had written a letter to the judge describing how he is determined to turn his life around in the future. He must serve a minimum of 11 years. The tenth teen, the second 18-year-old, was said to be 'lacking in self confidence', has a low IQ and ADHD. However, the court was told he was the most 'heavily disguised' of the group at the time of the murder. He must serve a minimum of 11 years. China, Cambodia to further strengthen partnership Xinhua) 08:33, August 05, 2022 Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (3rd R) holds talks with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn (2nd L) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Aug. 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Wu Changwei) PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- China and Cambodia have pledged to further advance their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and jointly build the China-Cambodia community with a shared future. During talks with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi here on Wednesday, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said the United States has recently violated China's sovereignty, reneged on its own promise and heightened the tension across the Taiwan Strait, which exposed Washington's failure to match its words with actions as well as its hegemonic nature. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, he said. Cambodia firmly adheres to the one-China policy and backs China's justified position on its internal affairs including Taiwan, Xinjiang and Tibet. Cambodia supports China in safeguarding its legitimate rights and interests, and in responding resolutely to U.S. provocative actions, Sokhonn said. He noted that the Cambodian and Chinese leaders have maintained close communication, which has injected great vitality into bilateral relations. Sokhonn expressed gratitude to China for its long-time firm support for Cambodia in pursuing a development path suited to its own national condition, and in facilitating economic construction and improving people's livelihood. Cambodia is ready to cement its "ironclad" friendship with China and push for ever more achievements from their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, he added. For his part, Wang appreciated Cambodia's upholding of justice, stressing that the rights and wrongs concerning the current intense situation across the Taiwan Strait is crystal clear that it is the U.S. side that infringed on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and it is also the U.S. side that sabotaged the stability across the Taiwan Strait. Many countries have made clear their adherence to the one-China principle and their support for China's legitimate position, Wang said, adding that it is the inherent requirement of the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership to support each other in safeguarding their core interests. China is willing to work with ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries to safeguard the most basic norm of international relations -- non-interference in internal affairs of sovereign states -- to defend international fairness and justice, and to protect the hard-won regional peace, stability and development, he said. Facing the turbulent international situation, it is of great significance for China and Cambodia to strengthen solidarity and coordination, Wang said, noting that the more complicated the outside environment has become, the more resolute the two countries must be to do their own business well and to develop China-Cambodia friendship. He said China supports Cambodia in safeguarding its sovereign independence and national dignity, and is willing to take as an opportunity the new action plan on building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future and the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year, to carry forward the traditional friendship forged by the older generation of leaders of the two countries, and promote the building of the community with a shared future, so as to create a new future for bilateral friendship. The two sides exchanged views on strengthening coordination over regional affairs. Wang said China supports Cambodia in fulfilling its responsibility as the rotating ASEAN chair for 2022 and holding meetings of foreign ministers on East Asia cooperation. China is ready to join hands with the ASEAN nations, including Cambodia, to better implement the consensus reached at the ASEAN-China special summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations in November last year and work together to reach an agreement on the action plan on the ASEAN-China comprehensive strategic partnership as soon as possible, so as to add fresh strong impetus to the two sides' cooperation in various fields, Wang said. Wang and Sokhonn also exchanged views on the Myanmar issue. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) On Monday, a mother was charged with child abuse and neglect after her 2-year-old kid was discovered dead in a hotel room along the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Around 3:30 am, Virginia Beach Police responded to the 3600 block of Atlantic Avenue. They discovered the infant dead and the mother in critical condition Mom Faces Child Abuse, Neglect Charges According to officials, the child's cause of death is unclear, and information on how the infant died is unknown at this time. The Virginia Beach Detective Bureau, on the other hand, is looking into this matter as a suspicious death. Based on a search warrant , a friend of the child's mother, Leandra Andrade, contacted Virginia Beach Police after receiving a text message from Andrade in which she stated, "They would gaze down on [the friend] from heaven." Andrade also used the past tense when commenting about her 2-year-old kid on Instagram. After Andrade texted a friend about her whereabouts, officers arrived at the property and discovered Andrade unconscious and her kid dead at the Cutty Sark Motel. Police used Narcan to save Andrade's life before transporting her to Virginia Beach General Hospital for treatment. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Andrade departed Washington, DC, last week following a custody dispute and was last seen in the city on Friday. The MPD was made aware of Andrade's possible presence in Virginia Beach, prompting the VBPD to offer help, WTVR reported. On Sunday, police in Virginia Beach, Virginia, claimed they were notified by Leandra Andrade's friends, who were worried about her Instagram posts. She was blogging on the social networking app about her marital problems and her divorce from her husband. She also used the past tense to allude to her two-year-old daughter, saying, "I'm so sorry, baby." Fabio Andrade, the toddler's father, recognized her as Lanoix. Police said Andrade was discovered in a serious condition in a hotel room in Virginia Beach early Monday, with her daughter deceased in the same room. The judge granted Andrade interim shared physical custody, allowing Lanoix to spend the weekend with her mother. The reason for death and the mother's strange condition remain unknown while police await the findings of an autopsy, as per Mirror. Read Also: Alex Jones Acknowledges Sandy Hook Attack After Being Confronted With Evidence of Deception Virginia Girl's Father Expressed Concern About Her Safety During Trial In March, a parent told a Washington, D.C., area newspaper that he was worried about his wife's worsening mental health and worried about his daughter's safety when she was with her mother. According to the search warrant, Leandra Andrade also posted images of her daughter on Instagram and referred to Lanoix in the past tense. Fabio and Leandra Andrade's custody dispute began on March 17 when the father filed an emergency application for temporary custody in Washington, D.C. The family court Investigators got a copy of that emergency application, which showed Fabio Andrade telling the judge that his wife was in "mental anguish" and that he was concerned she might endanger herself and their kid. Leandra Andrade's severe shift in conduct, including heightened paranoia, shutting off communication with close family members, and forcing her spouse to reside in the basement, were all mentioned in the petition. According to her husband, Leandra attempted suicide twice as an adult in 2004 and 2007. Court documents reveal that Fabio Andrade stated that his wife kept the suicide attempts a secret from him, and he was notified of them by her aunt, who was also worried about Leandra Andrade's shift in behavior. Fabio Andrade said that his relationship with his wife had deteriorated to the point that he had to contact the Metro Police Department on her on March 16 after she awakened him up by shining a flashlight in his face and began interrogating him. Arriving officers discovered that Leandra Andrade had filed a police report against her husband the week before and ended their interaction with the couple by arresting Fabio Andrade under the department's second citation policy. He was released from custody and the case against him was dismissed later that day, according to Wavy. Related Article: Fake Federal Agent Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy, Other Charges After Infiltrating Jill Biden's Secret Service @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A wave of Israeli air strikes killed at least fifteen people and wounded 40 more on Friday, according to Palestinian officials, prompting a Islamic militant group to warn Israel has 'started a war'. Initial reports said one of the fatalities was that of a senior Islamic militant, while another had been a five-year-old girl. Israel said it was targeting the Islamic Jihad group amid days of heightened tensions following the arrest of a senior militant in the occupied West Bank this week, with an Israeli army spokesperson saying after the strikes: 'We haven't finished yet'. In response to the strikes, the Islamic Jihad group's leader Ziad al-Nakhalah said: 'We are heading to battle, and there is no truce after this airstrike. 'The results of this war will be in favour of the Palestinian people. The enemy should expect a battle, not a truce.' He said Tel Aviv will be 'one of the targets of the resistance's missiles, and the coming hours will prove to the enemy that all the forces of the resistance are one.' Hamas - the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza - also responded to the strikes. 'The resistance, with all its military arms and factions, is united in this battle and will say its word with full force,' spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said. 'It is no longer possible to accept the continuation of this situation as it is.' A wave of Israeli air strikes killed at least eight people and wounded 40 more on Friday, according to Palestinian officials, as tensions once again reached boiling point. Pictured: Smoke rises after attacks carried out by Israeli army over Gaza Strip on August 5 Smoke rises from a building following an Israeli air strike on Gaza City on August 5 Smoke rises from a building after Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, August 5 This picture shows the damage caused by an Israeli air strike on the 'Palestine building' in on Gaza City, on August 5 The strikes risk igniting yet another war in the territory, which is home to about 2 million Palestinians. The assassination of a senior militant would likely be met by rocket fire from Gaza, pushing the region closer to all-out war. A blast could be heard in Gaza City, where flamed and smoke poured out of the seventh floor of a tall building on Friday afternoon, while wounded Palestinians were evacuated by medics. 'The Israeli government will not allow terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to set the agenda in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip and threaten the citizens of the State of Israel,' Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement. 'Anyone who tries to harm Israel should know: We will find you.' The Palestinian Health Ministry said eight people were killed, including a five-year-old girl, and at least 40 were wounded. Islamic Jihad said a Gaza commander, Taiseer al-Jabari, was among those killed. A few hundred people gathered outside the morgue at Gaza City's main Shifa hospital. Some entered to identify loved ones, only to emerge in tears. One shouted: 'May God take revenge against spies,' referring to Palestinian informants who cooperate with Israel. The Israeli military said it was targeting Islamic Jihad in an operation named 'Breaking Dawn.' It also announced a 'special situation' on the home front, with schools closed and limits placed on other activities in communities within 50 miles of the border. Israel's army said its air strikes in Gaza killed an estimated 15 enemy combatants, warning that the operation against the Islamic Jihad militant group was not over. 'We are assuming about 15 killed in action', army spokesman Richard Hecht told reporters. 'We havent't finished yet,' he added, describing the operation as a 'pre-emptive attack' targeting a senior commander of Islamic Jihad. Israel had closed roads around Gaza earlier this week and sent reinforcements to the border as it braced for a revenge attack after the arrest of the Islamic Jihad leader in the occupied West Bank on Monday. A teenage member of the group was killed in a gun battle between the Israeli troops and Palestinian militants. Israel and the Hamas fought four wars and several smaller skirmishes in the 15 years since the militant group seized power in the coastal strip from rival Palestinian forces. Pictured: A young Palestinian man carries a small boy through the streets of Gaza after Israeli missile strikes rocked the enclave of Friday evening An injured Palestinian receives first aid at the site that was targeted by Israeli airstrikes Pictured: An elderly woman is carried on a chair to receive medical help after air strikes on Gaza, August 5 The most recent war was in May 2021, and tensions again soared earlier this year following a wave of attacks inside Israel, near-daily military operations in the West Bank and tensions at a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site. Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah, speaking to the al-Mayadeen TV network from Iran, said 'we are starting the fight, and the fighters of the Palestinian resistance have to stand together to confront this aggression.' He said there would be 'no red lines' in the confrontation and blamed the violence on Israel. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said 'the Israeli enemy, who started the escalation against Gaza and committed a new crime, must pay the price and bear full responsibility for it.' Islamic Jihad is smaller than Hamas but largely shares its ideology. Both groups are opposed to Israel's existence and have carried out scores of deadly attacks over the years, including the firing of rockets into southern Israel. It's unclear how much control Hamas has over Islamic Jihad, and Israel holds Hamas responsible for all attacks emanating from Gaza. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited communities near Gaza earlier on Friday, saying authorities were preparing 'actions that will remove the threat from this region,' without elaborating. Rescuers and firefighters put out a fire amid the destructionb following an Israeli air strike on Gaza City, on August 5 A Palestinian firefighter fights the blaze amid the destruction following an Israeli air strike on Gaza City, on August 5 'We will operate with internal resilience and external strength in order to restore routine life in Israel's south,' he said, 'We do not seek conflict, yet we will not hesitate to defend our citizens, if required.' Earlier Friday, a couple of hundred Israelis protested near the Gaza Strip on Friday to demand the return of a captive and the remains of two Israeli soldiers held by Hamas. The protesters were led by the family of Hadar Goldin, who along with Oron Shaul was killed in the 2014 Gaza war. Hamas is still holding their remains, as well as two Israeli civilians who strayed into Gaza and are believed to be mentally ill, hoping to exchange them for some of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The protesters pushed through two police checkpoints on a road near the heavily-guarded Gaza frontier before stopping at a third. They held a large sign demanding the return of the soldiers' remains as well as Avraham Mengistu, an Israeli of Ethiopian descent in his late 20s or early 30s. Mengistu's family took part in the protest. In June, Hamas released a rare video showing another captive, Hisham al-Sayid, an Arab citizen of Israel, in a hospital bed with an oxygen mask and an IV drip. It said his health has recently deteriorated. Reporters covering the protest did not hear any mention of al-Sayid. Israel and Egypt have maintained a tight blockade over the territory throughout that time. Israel says the closure is needed to prevent Hamas from building up its military capabilities, while critics say the policy amounts to collective punishment of Gaza's 2 million Palestinian residents. Israel says there can be no major moves toward lifting the blockade until the soldiers' remains and captive civilians are released. Israel and Hamas have held numerous rounds of Egyptian-mediated talks on a possible swap. Western Australian police mounted a daring rescue mission for a family of ducklings lost and wandering onto a busy freeway in the rain. The waddle was spotted attempting to cross the northbound lanes of the Mitchell Highway north of Perth on Tuesday morning. Police had received calls the shelduck ducklings were trying to cross the highway and arrived at the road's edge to escort the ducklings away from traffic. Police officers braved the traffic and torrential rain to mount the rescue operation Waddling orders: Police (pictured) stopped a lane of traffic to help the ducklings walk off the road With one police car holding the entire left lane closed, two officers in hi-viz marched the ducklings along the white paint. The ducks were looking at certain death on the highway with low visibility in the slippery wet weather conditions. But the drama stepped up a notch when one of the officer noticed one of the young ducks had fallen into a roadside drain. The traffic enforcement officer launched a full-scale rescue operation, climbing into the drain and fishing out the tiny duckling before returning it to the group. Nice weather for ducks: One officer climbed into a drain to search for a missing duckling, getting drenched in the process before retrieving one lucky duck Thick as thieves: The duck troop was reunited at the animal shelter to dry out and recover 'With assistance from Perth Traffic, one of our Traffic Enforcement Group officers managed to rescue one of the ducklings after it fell down a roadside drain,' WA police said. The ducklings were taken to a native animal rescue shelter in Malaga where they received attention and care. 'Howd they chose who went down the hole? Rock, paper, scissors?' one viewer asked under WA police's tweet. 'Good work everyone!' said another. New York Mayor Eric Adams is asking prospective workers to send in headshots in an apparent bid to increase diversity in City Hall, according to a new report. Adams has requested that city agencies all supply photographs of any potential hires during the interview process for various jobs. They range from assistant commissioner to a departmental press secretary, with the mayor claiming the new initiative is so he can recognize new staffers in the building. But a report seen by Politico claims that his request is actually in an effort to hire a more diverse range of staffers - with the City employing 325,000 people. One ex-City Hall employee said: Everyone knew what it was. There was no question. It was the first thing everybody said: Were going to start counting complexions now."' The majority of officials, who have remained anonymous, said that they were supportive of a more diverse workforce. But they expressed concerns that the practice could mean that the Adams administration will make hiring decisions with more emphasis on race and ethnicity than the merit of the candidate. New York Mayor Eric Adams is asking his staff to access headshots and pictures of potential hires, claiming it is to ensure that he 'knows who is working for him' But several workers have expressed concerns that the mayor is putting 'race over merit' with the potential new recruits Officials also claimed that the headshot requests were slowing down the drawn-out hiring process, despite the mayors motto of get stuff done.' According to data from the Citizens Budget Commission, around eight percent of municipal jobs were vacant as of April. Politico obtained emails from the mayors team to high-ranking officials at other city agencies asking them for the headshots. The email referred to people they hoped to employ for Adams to review, with an email on April 19 containing a template of photos and job descriptions of current employees. Those in charge of the hiring process are not expected to ask potential candidates for headshots but take photos from social media sites like LinkedIn to complete the mayors request A mayoral staffer reportedly wrote: Clarifying also that the avatars in the attached should be actual photos as the Mayor likes to begin to recognize folks faces. One official claimed that they were told that Adams wanted agencies to hire people who reflect the constituencies we serve. Those in charge of the hiring process are not expected to ask potential candidates for headshots, but take photos from social media sites like LinkedIn to complete the mayors request. Another official added: The whole hiring process this City Hall set up is difficult enough, and the photo requirement just takes it from hard to bizarre and uncomfortable. When asked about the police at a separate press conference on Thursday, Adams administration said the photo requests are a way for him to learn and recognize the faces of who he employs. Adams himself said: Nothing, I think, is more disrespectful than when people work for you on your executive team and you dont know who they are. I should know my employees. Before I walk in, I look over the org chart. I look at their faces so I can walk in and say, Hello."' Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones begged his viewers to donate to him on Thursday after he was ordered to pay more than $4 million to the parents of a child killed in the Sandy Hook massacre, which he once claimed was a hoax, as an economist testifies in court that he and his company are worth $270 million. In a video posted Thursday to Infowars.com, Jones said the amount he's ordered to pay is 'more than my company has [and] more than I personally have,' claiming 'we are so broke.' Jones told viewers it's their responsibility to keep him and his company afloat, saying in the video 'if you don't fund us... we will shut down' and telling them 'it's your decision' whether Infowars shuts down. He added the company 'can barely keep the crew employed' due to their financial issues, but his website was found to have made over $800,000 a day during their peak in 2017, though Jones called that their best day ever. Alex Jones released a video asking his viewers to help fund him, and said it's their responsibility to keep him and his company afloat, saying in the video 'if you don't fund us... we will shut down' Jones admitted during the trial and to the families of the victims that he was wrong to call the mass shooting a hoax and admitted it did, in fact, happen, a sentiment he reiterated in the video. But Bernard Pettingill, an economist who was hired by the plaintiffs to study Jones net worth, testified Friday that Jones is worth up to $270 million. He said records show that Jones withdrew $62 million for himself in 2021, when default judgments were issued in lawsuits against him. 'That number represents, in my opinion, a value of a net worth,' Pettingill said. 'He's got money put in a bank account somewhere.' Pettingill also said Jones began funneling $11,000 a day into one his shell companies after he was alleged to have defamed parents of victims of the Sandy Hook massacre, though Jones' lawyer maintained it is a real company. How is Alex Jones worth $270 Million? Economist Bernard Pettingill testified Friday that Alex Jones and his company's net worth could be as high as $270 million. Pettingill said Jones rakes in approximately $70 million a year from his website Infowars.com. He added Jones likely makes a significant amount from products he sells, like vitamin supplements called Anthroplex and Survival Shield X-2. He tracked Jones' funds and found the media figure brought in $165 million from September 2015 to December 2018. Infowars reportedly garners over 3 million unique readers and 25 million total site views a month, which Pettingill said contributes to his finances. He also said Jones took a $54 million loan from one of his companies, which makes his net worth appear smaller. Over three years, 'It averages to $53.2 million-a-year, but that is the starting point,' Pettingill said. Jones also withdrew $61.9 million from Free Speech Systems in 2021 and another $18 million from 2015-2016. Advertisement The money that flows into Jones' companies eventually funnels its way to him, said Pettingill, who added that he has testified in approximately 1,500 cases during his career. 'He is a very successful man,' Pettingill said, calling Jones a 'maverick' and 'revolutionary' for finding ways to monetize his online messaging. Multiple bankruptcy filings, however, revealed that Jones has profited approximately $22 million over the past 17 months and has received $9 million in cryptocurrency donations. the trial begins today. He also has other defamation lawsuits pending against him. During the trial, Jones' main company, Free Speech Systems, filed for bankruptcy as a small business in an attempt to protect Jones and the company from oversight that would occur if they filed as a bigger corporation. Jones admitted during the trial and to the families of the victims that he was wrong to call the mass shooting a hoax and admitted it did, in fact, happen, a sentiment he reiterated in the video. 'I admitted I was wrong, I admitted that I made a mistake,' Jones said as he pleaded for help. 'What I did to those families was wrong, but I didn't do it on purpose.' The bleak video comes as Jones' ex-wife, Kelly Nichols, said the controversial media figure is 'mentally ill' and needs to be 'protected from himself and others.' 'He doesn't have any moral compass. He lives in his own universe. He's a very delusional man,' she added in an interview with Inside Edition. Jones was ordered on Thursday to pay $4.1 million to the parents of Sandy Hook victim Jesse Lewis, after claiming the massacre was a hoax and that he couldn't pay anything over $2 million. 'At the end of the day, I don't have all these millions of dollars they claim I have, so I'm at peace,' Jones said in the video. But his ex-wife says otherwise: 'I know he had hidden money. I think he's got a lot of buckets under a lot of shells.' The parents sought at least $150 million dollars in compensation for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress for all the damage and harm his lies have caused them over the span of a decade. 'I'm not attacking, it's just a fact,' Jones (pictured outside court on Wednesday) argued on his show. 'It's just so incredibly sick that I sit there and give the damn lawyers all the text messages and then they send it over to Connecticut' 'Alex is truly mentally ill. To me, he should be protected from himself and others,' Nichols (pictured) said. 'He doesn't have any moral compass. He lives in his own universe. He's a very delusional man' Neil Heslin (pictured in court Tuesday), 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 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 during the trial that any award over $2 million 'would sink us.' In a dramatic courtroom revelation, the plaintiff's attorney, Mark Bankston, told the court on Wednesday that Jones' attorney sent him the last two years' worth of texts from Jones' cell phone. 'Did you know 12 days ago, your attorneys messed up and sent me an entire digital copy of your entire cell phone with every text message you've sent for the past two years?' Bankston asked during cross examination. Jones had previously testified that he was unable to find any messages regarding the school massacre and was shocked when one was shown on screen to the court. The broadcaster, noticeably horrified and embarrassed by the trove of text messages presented during court, slammed his lead attorney, Andino Reynal, saying he 'should have gotten up at that point' in trial and demanded to see specific evidence of the alleged perjury. 'I'm not attacking, it's just a fact,' Jones argued on his show. 'It's just so incredibly sick that I sit there and give the damn lawyers all the text messages and then they send it over to Connecticut. He argued Reynal should've interjected during Bankston's cross-examination and demanded the attorney 'show us the deposition' where Jones allegedly committed perjury. 'Bankston has deposed me, is it three or is it four times?' he said. 'I've been deposed four times by Connecticut, but I never talked to them, so I'm defaulted.' 'They've got all this stuff, and I did search one of my phones, and it didn't have Sandy Hook stuff in it.' He recalled his counsel saying the plaintiff's legal team accused him of hiding messages, so he handed over all his old devices to his attorneys and instructed them to 'search it and give it to the damn lawyers.' Jones repeatedly claimed that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, which left 20 students and six teachers dead, was a 'hoax' and had been 'staged' Scarlett Lewis (left) and Neil Heslin (right) rise once Judge Maya Guerra Gamble begins the third day of trial Thursday, July 28 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 said he gave handed over the evidence 'because I wasn't talking about Sandy Hook, I don't care about Sandy Hook.' 'We don't cover it other than when they force us to,' he explained, adding that the mishap never should have occurred in the first place. 'I then I'm sitting there, the final witness in a trial where I am already found guilty by the judge for not giving stuff over, and my lawyers give them the raw text messages of six months from 2019, early 2020. 'That's the reality and then I see a text message from Paul Watson saying 'this story sounds like Sandy Hook bull.' A story about COVID. How is that even pertinent? How is that lying about something?' Reynal asked Judge Maya Guerra Gamble to declare a mistrial over the mistaken transfer of records and said they should have been returned and any copies destroyed. She rejected the request. Bankston said his team followed Texas' civil rules of evidence and that Jones' attorneys missed their chance to properly request the return of the records. 'Mr. Reynal is using a fig leaf (to cover) for his own malpractice,' Bankston said. He said the records mistakenly sent to him included some medical records of plaintiffs in other lawsuits against Jones. A jealous bridegroom has been jailed for 18 years for beating his new wife to death on their wedding day in front of shocked guests. Stepan Dolgikh, 35, beat wife Oksana Poludentseva, 36, to death then dumped her body in a ravine in Novosibirsk, Russia. The unrepentant killer told a court that he believed his new bride had been cheating on him. Dolgikh had a previous conviction for murder but the wife - who got to know him while he was in prison as a penpal - believed she could tame him. Witnesses said he started kicking and punching mother-of-one Poludentseva after becoming 'jealous' of her communication with another guest at their wedding party in a private house in Chik village. He accused his new wife of 'behaving incorrectly', it was alleged. Chief investigator Kirill Petrushin said: 'He began to punch and kick her outside the house.' Stepan Dolgikh, 35, (right) beat wife Oksana Poludentseva, 36, (left) to death then dumped her body in a ravine in Novosibirsk, Russia Dolgikh (left) had a previous conviction for murder but his wife Poludentseva (right) - who got to know him while he was in prison as a penpal - believed she could tame him Other guests were reportedly too scared to intervene but they called law enforcement as the beating went on out in the street He continued to attack her inside the house. 'He grabbed her by the hair, hit her, pushed her out into the street, where he also continued to strike her body and head.' When she appeared lifeless 'he dumped her into a nearby ravine'. The incident was several hours after the couple had exchanged vows at their wedding. Other guests were reportedly too scared to intervene but they called law enforcement. The groom was detained at the scene by the Russian National Guard. Dolgikh confessed to the killing, said Petrushin, senior regional detective of the Russian Investigative Committee. 'He beat her for a long time, in front of witnesses, and struck her vital organs - in the torso and head,' he said. Stepan Dolgikh, 35, in a cage during his trial He 'fully admitted guilt during the investigation' but failed to repent, he said. 'He was jealous of her with one of the male guests,' said Petrushin. 'It seemed to her husband that she had behaved incorrectly, which caused a scandal. All the rest were afraid of him, so they tried to intervene, but were rebuffed.' A friend said: 'She truly loved him, and was waiting for release.' The man had previous convictions for murder and robbery, but Poludentseva believed she could help him mend his ways. 'The deceased woman knew about his criminal record,' said Petrushin. 'They met while he was serving a sentence in prison for his previous crimes.' He added: 'She did not think that while drinking alcohol or just in a fit of anger, a person like this may go over the limit and commit a serious crime.' Police are searching for a brazen girl gang who stole croissants and hundreds of pounds worth of cigarettes from a Tesco Express. CCTV footage shows the girls sauntering around the store in Hove, East Sussex before one is confronted by a member of staff and the four flee. Two of the youngsters were seen going behind the counter and grabbing age-restricted goods that appeared to include lottery scratch cards, before pulling aside the cigarette display and taking multiple packets. Another pair bagged up bakery items such as croissants, right next to a Tesco employee, and appeared to be holding bottles of soft drinks and other treats. The four women are now wanted in connection with the stealing rampage at the Tesco Express in the affluent seaside town. The four girls (pictured) stole baked goods and cigarettes before fleeing the Tesco Express store in Hove, East Sussex Semi-detached houses in this street - Denmark Villas near Hove train station - can sell for around 1.7million, while the average property price for the area is about 630,000. Sussex Police released CCTV footage of the incident, which took place at around 7.25pm on July 18, and is asking for help from the public in tracking down the women. One was seen accessing and taking items behind the counter. She is described as white, with dark hair in plaits, and was wearing sunglasses, a dark top and shorts. One of the girls, wearing a leopard print jacket, appeared to take multiple packs of cigarettes from behind the till Another bagged up a croissant while a girl with blonde hair and sunglasses on her head appears to be holding snacks and a soft drink A second young woman entered the store and went behind the counter to take items, police said. She is described as white with brown hair and wore a leopard print jacket, a black vest top and sunglasses. The third young woman took items from the shelves. She is white with dark hair and wore a grey hooded Puma top and sunglasses, according to Sussex Police. The fourth young women took items from shelves is said to be white with blonde or light brown hair and wore a black top, shorts and fluffy sliders. The thefts took place at a Tesco Express in an affluent part of Hove, East Sussex where houses can sell for around 1.7million A Tesco employee came to replenish the bakery section just seconds after the girls had stolen a croissant from the shelf After being confronted by an employee, the four girls fled the store Officers also believe the group may be linked to a theft at the Co-op store in Field Place Parade, Goring, West Sussex on June 14 at 5.45pm. That time, two girls were seen entering the store, taking items off the shelves and then leaving without paying. One girl is described as white, with her hair tied back. She wore a black jacket, a white top, blue jeans and white trainers. The second girl is described as white or mixed race. She wore a black coat with a fur-lined hood, a white T-shirt, either black shorts or a short black skirt, and dark shoes. Anyone who can identify or who recognises the four girls who stole from the Tesco Express can contact Sussex Police online or call 101 and quote serial 215 of 18/07. For the incident at the Co-op on Field Place Parade in Goring, quote serial 103 of 20/06. A teenager who beat a rabbi over the head with a concrete brick has been sentenced to three years and seven months in a young offender institution. Rabbi Rafi Goodwin was driving his car with his three children, aged two, four and five, in the back in Chigwell in north-east London when two men walked from behind a parked van into the path of his car, causing him to brake. Rabbi Rafi Goodwin (pictured) was driving his car with his three children, aged two, four and five, in the back in Chigwell in north-east London The judge, Recorder Richard Conley, said the two men, 19-year-old Souraka Djabouri and a second man who has not been identified, then embarked on an 'ugly and shameful course of conduct', damaging Mr Goodwin's car, attacking him and stealing his phone. 'The reason for this behaviour was the fact you and your associate recognised Mr Goodwin was a member of the Jewish faith,' the judge, sitting at Chelmsford Crown Court, said. The judge said one of the men shouted 'he's a Jew' during the incident, at around 1pm on May 16 last year. He said Djabouri denied it was him, but that Mr Goodwin recalled that the person who made the remark was the same person who spat on his windscreen. DNA testing established it was Djabouri who spat on the windscreen, the judge said. He said Djabouri kicked the car's wing mirror, which snapped off, and the other man kicked the car door. The judge said that one of Mr Goodwin's children asked him 'why are they kicking the car'. 'Mr Goodwin told them he didn't know, but of course he did know, it was because they were Jews,' he said. Mr Goodwin, from the Chigwell & Hainault United Synagogue in Limes Avenue (pictured), needed stitches for his head wounds and now has scarring to his forehead He said Mr Goodwin 'bravely drove after' the two men and got out of his car to try to take photos of them on his phone. The judge said Djabouri then began a 'merciless assault, punching Mr Goodwin five times in the face until he fell to the floor'. He said one of the two men then struck Mr Goodwin on the head with a brick and stole his phone, which had the photos on. The phone has not been recovered. 'It's nothing short of miraculous that Mr Goodwin didn't sustain life-threatening or life-changing injuries,' the judge said. He said both men 'fled the scene leaving Mr Goodwin bleeding on the floor, not caring whether he was alive or dead or how serious his injuries may have been'. He said the person who Mr Goodwin identified as being Djabouri was described by Mr Goodwin as 'the main guy'. The judge said his sentencing powers had been 'significantly curtailed by the decision to accept a guilty plea to a considerably less serious' charge than what he had originally faced. Djabouri, of Ilford, east London, admitted at an earlier hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court to grievous bodily harm without intent. Pictured: Rabbi Rafi Goodwin. Two men walked from behind a parked van into the path of his car, causing him to brake The two men, 19-year-old Souraka Djabouri and a second man who has not been identified, then embarked on an 'ugly and shameful course of conduct', damaging Mr Goodwin's car, attacking him and stealing his phone. Pictured, Rabbi Rafi Goodwin This was an alternative to the more serious charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. The defendant also admitted to the theft of the phone and to the religiously aggravated criminal damage of the car. The judge said he had 'absolutely no doubt whatsoever' that Djabouri would have been facing a longer sentence if he had greater sentencing powers and that Djabouri had played 'a leading role in group activity'. 'Attacks on members of the Jewish community in this country are becoming increasingly and worryingly commonplace,' the judge said, adding that 'unlike members of some other communities they're easily identifiable by their clothing and appearance'. Rachel Law, prosecuting, said one of the men had picked up a 'concrete brick and repeatedly struck the back of Mr Goodwin's head'. Mr Goodwin, from the Chigwell & Hainault United Synagogue in Limes Avenue, needed stitches for his head wounds and now has scarring to his forehead. 'The reason for this behaviour was the fact you and your associate recognised Mr Goodwin was a member of the Jewish faith,' the judge, sitting at Chelmsford Crown Court (above), said In a victim personal statement read to the court by Ms Law, Mr Goodwin said that since the attack he has been 'hypervigilant about who's around me' and 'looking over my shoulder'. He said the incident was 'distressing' for his family and that some members of the Jewish community had removed their Mezuzahs - parchment with scriptural verses in a decorative case - from their front doors. Ms Law said Mr Goodwin had 'fully recovered' from his injuries. Mohammed Bashir, mitigating, said it was a 'despicable offence' and Djabouri 'shows a genuine level of remorse'. The bearded defendant, who wore a grey tracksuit and had his dark hair in a ponytail, tried to catch the attention of his barrister from the secure dock after the judge read out his sentence. Djabouri asked a question, and Mr Bashir told him: 'I'll tell you downstairs.' A CPS spokesperson said: 'Our decision-making in this case, which took into account the views of the victim and the police, was based on an assessment of whether we had a realistic prospect of conviction in accordance with our legal test. 'The CPS takes antisemitism extremely seriously because of the devasting impact it has on victims and wider society. 'Where there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest, we will prosecute these cases.' While Brittney Griner's Russian incarceration dominates headlines, another American woman is sitting behind bars in the same jail waiting for the world to take the same - or at least some - interest in her case. Sarah Krivanek, also known as Sarah Rae Burns and Sarah Duncan, is a 46-year-old teacher and mother from Colorado who has been behind bars in Moscow since last year, when she was arrested for assaulting her abusive, drunk Russian boyfriend Mikhail Karavaev. He had beaten her up in a drunken rage and she retaliated by cutting him in the nose. Russian media states that she tried to slice it off, but she insists it was nothing more than a scratch. The boyfriend has tried to retract his police claim but Sarah remains incarcerated. Her friends are now pleading for the White House to take notice in her case, which remains unresolved. Griner was yesterday sentenced to nine years behind bars for smuggling a cannabis pen into the country. She was detained at Moscow airport shortly after arriving on a flight from the US. The 31-year-old WNBA star knows Russia well, having played multiple off-seasons there. Sarah Krivanek, also known as Sarah Rae Burns and Sarah Duncan, is a 46-year-old teacher and mother from Colorado who has been behind bars in Moscow since last year Sarah's arrest came as the result of a bust-up with her alcoholic boyfriend Mikhail Karavev (shown) Sarah, 46, had been living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but is a California native. She moved to Russia in 2017 after divorcing her military husband and she began teaching English to Russian children. She and her boyfriend Mikhail Karavaev had a troubled and abusive relationship. Friends of hers told NewsNation's Banfield that she told them how he would regularly beat her up. Krivanek was somewhat of an open book on social media, posting medical reports which detailed the injuries he allegedly gave her, and talking often about domestic violence. In November, the pair's violent relationship took its worst turn. A day after he broke her fingers, she took a knife to his nose, scratching it but not doing permanent damage. He called the police and she was arrested then released on bail, ordered to return to court at a later date. Krivanek's friends say she sought advice from the US Embassy in Moscow and was instructed to leave as soon as possible. On November 11, 2021, Sarah sliced her boyfriend's nose with a knife. The previous day, he beat her so badly that she was left with black eyes and broken fingers. He went to the police and drunkenly signed papers to charge her, then retracted it, admitting he was in the wrong Krivanek was in an abusive relationship with Mikhail Karavaev. He beat her regularly, according to her friends and photos that she shared of her injuries She was given a $200 loan from the government and was escorted to the airport by a diplomat, but she was arrested before she could get on the plane. Krivanek's wrist injury from another beating The woman has been in custody ever since, with little information about her case emerging. It wasn't until Griner was arrested and taken to the same jail, and until a human rights activist went to visit Griner and came across Sarah, who was begging for help. 'She hugged me and burst into tears. She said, "How have I ended up in here? 'It's all untrue. 'I'm a good person,"" Ekaterina Kalugina, the activist, told People earlier this week. The State Department would not comment on the specific details of her case, but a spokesman told DailyMail.com they were aware of it. 'We can confirm the arrest of a U.S. citizen in Moscow in December 2021. We take our role in assisting U.S. citizens abroad seriously and are monitoring the situation. Sarah is shown trying to leave Russia in December last year after consulting the embassy The woman is shown being taken into custody in December 'We continue to urge that Russian authorities allow consistent, timely consular access to all U.S. citizen detainees in Russia in line with its legal obligations and allow us to provide consular services for U.S. citizens detained in Russia. 'Our requests for access are consistently delayed or denied.' They declined to give a figure for the number of US citizens currently incarcerated in Russia, saying: 'We are unable to provide a number for detained individuals, as the number of U.S. citizens detained in any country is fluid, and we do not want to provide a number that is outdated or inaccurate.' Sarah's friends are now asking for her to be shown the same level of interest as Griner. President Biden immediately rushed to condemn Griner's sentence yesterday, claiming she was 'wrongfully detained' and that he would do anything he could to get her out. Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison yesterday. The Biden administration has rushed to offer her assistance and says it will do 'anything' to get her out Griner and Sarah are both being held in Correctional Colony No. 1 in Dmitrov, near Moscow Sarah's friends say they want her home. She had been planning to return to the US after four years in Russia when she was arrested That is likely to come down to a prisoner swap of Griner for notorious Merchant of Death arms Viktor Bout, who has been in prison in the US since 2010. Yesterday, after Griner was sentenced, DailyMail.com reported exclusively that Russia was in talks with the US to swap the pair after holding off for weeks. The process is now likely to be completed within a few weeks, unless there are any delays to the appeals process that Griner's team has ten days to complete. Many have criticized the deal, saying Bout's crimes far surpass Griner's and that letting him go free just to save her makes Biden look weak. Among critics is Donald Trump, who last week said: 'It is not a good trade.' The swap is likely to enrage Sarah's friends, who have no idea when they may hear from her again. The Queens duck sauce killer has committed suicide in his apartment ahead of a court hearing today over claims he shot dead a Chinese restaurant delivery driver. Glenn Hirsch, 51, had been released on bail after being charged with the murder of Zhiewn Yan, and was set to appear in court today in relation to the allegations. A source told DailyMail.com that the accused killer shot himself in the hours before the court hearing, and was found dead by police officers. He was set to appear in connection with the murder of Yan, a father-of-three, who he allegedly shot in the chest while Yan was fulfilling deliveries for a Chinese restaurant on his scooter in Forest Hills. Hirsch, who was believed to have had several run ins with the restaurant before, is accused of shooting Yan before fleeing the scene on April 30. He was discovered on the couch, which was covered in plastic, wearing rubber gloves with the gun in his hand blaring the radio loudly, according to the New York Post. His attorney, Michael Horn, said that the case had been closed and 'abated by death.' In a statement to DailyMail.com he said: 'The officers went to Mr. Hirsch's apartment this morning and found him deceased, apparently through a gunshot wound - self-inflicted. 'Duck sauce killer' Glenn Hirsch committed suicide just hours before he was set to appear at Queens Supreme court over claims that he shot and killed a Chinese delivery driver in April. Sheriff's officers discovered him dead at his apartment, alongside a note A body bag was removed by authorities from Hirsch's apartment in Jamaica, after the alleged killer shot himself A source confirmed to DailyMail.com that the alleged killer had shot himself ahead of a court hearing today. His attorney, Mike Horn (pictured), said that Sheriff's officers had found his client dead in his apartment Zhiwen Yan, 45, (pictured) with his wife in what appears to be a wedding photo. Yan, who worked as a Chinese food delivery man, was shot dead in New York City. Hirsch reportedly had 'multiple' disputes with the restaurant over his orders and twice threatened workers with a gun He was ordered to wear an ankle bracelet monitoring him and banned from leaving his neighborhood in Jamaica, Queens, before his death 'It seems to be suicide, there was a note in which he expressed that he wasn't guilty, that the process was not treating him fairly. 'But that is obviously the thoughts of a person who was anxious, depressed, and refused to seek counselling.' Hirsch sent the note to his lawyers, prosecutors and those involved in the case in the lengthy note which was also left in his apartment by cops who discovered him. He feared that he would be returned to prison over further weapons charges ahead of Fridays hearing, writing that he didnt want to sit in a cell for years or fight the charges from behind bars. In a statement Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said: The loss of a human life is always tragic. 'Obviously, we would have preferred to try Mr. Glenn Hirsch for the calculated murder of Mr. Zhiwen Yan in a court of law, but this is no longer an option. We once again express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Zhiwen Yan, who continue to grieve his tragic and senseless loss. Police say that Hirsch, who is believed to have been driving an older model of a Lexus RX3 SV at the time, briefly exchange words at a traffic light before Yan was shot near 108th Street and 67th Drive. At Hirsch's Briarwood home, cops discovered his refrigerator packed with sweet and sour duck sauce. 'His whole refrigerator was filled with duck sauce,' a police source told the New York Daily News. 'And other condiments.' 'He's a hoarder. And when you open the refrigerator, it's like, condiments - there's duck sauce, soy sauce, ketchup.' The source suggested the piles of condiments at his apartment on 141st Street were all a part of what was going on in Hirsch's brain that may have lead him to kill. 'I guess in some pathology people like that take that stuff very seriously - you didn't give him enough duck sauce,' they said. The altercation, police say, saw Yan and the suspect briefly exchange words before he was shot once in the chest near 108th Street and 67th Drive, in what is usually a quiet, close-knit community. Cops are pictured at the crime scene, looking over Yan's scooter Dorothy Hirsch, 62, during her arraignment on Monday in Queens Supreme Court. On June 3, Hirsch was arrested after police conducted a raid at her home two days after her husband and fanatic customer, Glenn Hirsch, was charged in the April 30 shooting death of Zhiwen Yan Authorities today remained on the scene in Jamaica, Queens, where Hirsch had been residing while waiting for the court case A photo of the contents of the closet that authorities searched during the June raid at his wife's home. Dorothy Hirsch, 62, was arraigned on weapons charges after cops raided her home Eight firearms' concealed in garbage bags and kept in a closet in the Briarwood home of Dorothy Hirsch, a registered nurse. Dorothy hasn't lived with her husband, Glenn Hirsch, for years, the attorney said According to a colleague of Yan's at Great Wall restaurant, pictured, Hirsch had 'multiple' disputes with the Forest Hills eatery, and pulled a gun on staffers last January Hirsch, who had nine prior arrests on his record, previously pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. His brother reportedly posted the $500,000 for his bail in a certified check, though attorney Michael Horn says that the money came from his client. He was ordered to wear an ankle bracelet monitor at all times and remain at his Jamaica home 24 hours a day. Yan, who worked seven days a week and held three jobs to support his family, had been working at the Great Wall restaurant for more than a decade prior to his death, 53-year-old employee Kai Yang told the New York Daily News. Hirsch was arrested 9 times between 1995 and 2012, but none of them are disclosed as they are sealed. One of the arrests is related to Hirsch committing a robbery with a gun, police sources told the Daily News. His wife Dorothy Hirsch, 62, pleaded not guilty earlier this week after she was arraigned on weapons charges when cops raided her Briarwood home. According to her lawyer, her husband used part of his suicide note to try to exonerate his wife of all wrongdoing. On June 3, Hirsch was arrested after police conducted a raid at her home two days after her husband and alleged killer was charged with shooting Yan. Her lawyers said that she had not lived with her husband for years, with her attorneys saying the registered nurse is absolutely innocent. Speaking to DailyMail.com Mark Bederow said: In his suicide note he makes reference to his wifes innocence. 'The point is that it is ridiculous that Dorothy was being prosecuted in the first place for these firearms offences, given that they are glens. At the time he wrote this, he was facing a murder indictment. To continue the prosecution against her now, in light of his suicide, his apparent possession of another firearm in his apartment, and his remarkable confession that the guns were his, and that Dorothy had no involvement whatsoever. Hirsch, 62, pleaded not guilty at a hearing earlier this week. Her attorney Mark Bederow, left, today told DailyMail.com that her husband had said that his wife was innocent in a note that he left after his apparent suicide 'She is absolutely innocent of possessing any firearms in her apartment certainly with the intent to use unlawfully,' Hirsch's attorney, Mark Bederow (pictured left), said. 'She is a good and decent, law-abiding woman who is being prosecuted merely because she is legally married to the person who is accused of committing a heinous murder.' His letter acknowledges that he purchased the guns, they were his and maintained them in a storage unit that he closed when she got her apartment and allowed him to use the closet as storage. At which point he moved the guns and other stuff in boxes and bags, ad she had no idea that the guns were included in his possessions. He completely exonerates her, and details why she is innocent. To continue a prosecution against her in these circumstances is unconscionable. He explains in his note why the guns were there, and why she let him keep them there. She was being a nice person, allowing him to keep his things there. She wasnt going to go through, no sane person is going to go through the boxes of crap to se what is there. The theory that she knew the guns were in her closet, and that she had unlawful intent to sue them, is ridiculous. It has always been ridiculous. What happened today, and the letter has amplified that. Dorothy learned today that her husband took his own life. That is upsetting. The only responsible thin for the DA to do is immediately dismiss the charges, and let her grieve her husband without the added stress of looking potentially at prison. They never should have charged her. In light of today, and in light of what he confirmed in detail it makes it that much more outrageous. If we end up in a courtroom now where the only person being prosecuted in connection with this whole thing is Dorothy Hirsch then we are living in strange times. During the bust authorities seized eight handguns and ammunition from Hirsch's Briarwood home, officials said. Police records show the couple live in separate homes with Glenn living in nearby Jamaica. The District Attorneys office say in documents that they acknowledge that her husband had access to her apartment. The guns were discovered in boxes and garbage bags amongst Hirschs other belonging in a closet used by him. Scene at the Great Wall Chinese food restaurant in Forest Hills were a makeshift memorial was set up for murdered delivery man Zhiwen Yan Mourners left flowers, candles, photos, and drawings at the scene at the Great Wall Chinese food restaurant in Forest Hills for murdered delivery man Zhiwen Yan A restaurant employee, Soi Chung, 70, told DailyMail.com that Hirsch had 'multiple' disputes with staff at the eatery and pulled a gun on staffers during one incident in January. Another incident last year saw the angry customer become peeved over the amount of duck sauce given to him in one of his orders, spurring a campaign of harassment, vandalism, and threats from the customer. The most brazen threat from the customer, Chung said, came earlier this year, when Hirsch menacingly waved a gun at the restaurant workers, spurring them to call 911. Restaurant owner Kai Yang told the Post that the angry customer was put to the ground by employees, which included Yan, shortly after he came inside with the firearm. Yan leaves behind a wife and three children, aged two, 12, and 14, with his wife, Kunying Zhao. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help support the family. His nephew, Michael, said: 'This was a father of three children working three jobs - all food delivery. 'He came here in 2001. He has been in this country over 20 years.' 'It's unacceptable that this happened. This is a very peaceful community. This never happened, this kind of issue.' Despite Yan's colleagues' claims concerning Hirsch's threatening behavior, it is currently unclear if the delivery man was a specific target. Advertisement Firefighters are battling a burning tower of a thousand tyres on an industrial site, where a huge column of smoke can be seen for miles around. Ten crews from three different departments battled the blaze in an isolated location in Ranskill, Nottinghamshire at 10.23am this morning. Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said two people who were staying at the site were treated for smoke inhalation. Firefighters warned others to 'stay away' from the scene after receiving reports that 'crowds' had gathered to watch the inferno and huge smokestack rising from the tyre pile. Emergency services also told people to keep their doors and windows closed to avoid inhaling the dangerous smoke. Ten crews from three different fire and rescue departments battled the blaze in an isolated location in Ranskill, Nottinghamshire at 10.23am this morning (August 5) Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said 'around 1000' tyres were burning on the industrial site and warned people to stay away The raging fire could be seen from the A1(M) road, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire and even further afield Shocking photos taken at the site showed fire teams trying to control the raging fire, which could be seen from the A1(M) road, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire. A spokesperson from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said: 'We were called at 10.23am to a fire on an industrial site in Ranskill. 'Around 1000 tyres are on fire and a large black smoke plume can be seen from surrounding areas. 'Crews continue to tackle the fire in Ranskill. We are being assisted by Derbyshire, South Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Services. 'Two people who were staying on site are being treated by EMAS for smoke inhalation. 'There have been reports of a number of people gathering at the scene, please stay aware from the area and allow our crews to resolve this incident safely.' Meghan Markle is being blamed for leaking tabloid reports alleging that Prince William cheated on Kate Middleton with Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley. According to a source, the Duchess of Sussex is fascinated by the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, which led to her learning about her brother-in-law's suspected extramarital affair. Source: Meghan Markle Is Behind Prince William Cheating Rumor Everyone suspected Meghan in 2019 when reports about William cheating were all over the American news, one source told OK! Magazine. Meghan and Prince Harry were freshly married and living in England, and they knew everything that was going on within the royal family. According to the insider, the former 'Suits' actress always wanted to know what they were doing and how they spent their time together as a private couple. Similarly, it is reported that the Duchess of Sussex had a bizarre fascination with Hanbury. Meghan Markle's links with tabloid publication In Touch Weekly allegedly helped spread suspicions about Prince William's romance with Hanbury. The source claimed to have been featured in the magazine many times while she was attempting to be famous and had cocktails with various writers and editors as she worked hard to get noticed. According to In Touch, Kate Middleton addressed her husband about the infidelity rumors in April 2019. However, he just laughed it off stating there was nothing to it, as per royal writer Richard Kay. At the time the claims surfaced, Prince William and Kate Middleton, as well as Hanbury, discussed legal action. However, they opted to disregard it because there was no substance for the purported affair charges. There is also no evidence that Meghan Markle was the one who leaked the rumors to the magazine. According to reports, Prince Harry pondered taking particular legal action against the accusation. Read Also: James Webb Telescope Captures Image of Stunning Cartwheel Galaxy 500 Million Light-Years Away Viral Hashtag About Prince William "Pegging" Persists Prince William and Kate Middleton did the proper thing Thursday by wishing their estranged sister-in-law, Meghan Markle, a happy 41st birthday, but people on both sides of the royal schism continued to argue online, and not just about which duchess cried at Meghan's bridesmaids' dress fitting in 2018. The "#PrinceOfPegging" hashtag has been trending on Twitter this week, as apparent supporters of William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, accused followers of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, of circulating a particularly lurid story about William. The chatter concentrates on a sex act known as "pegging," which those presumably sympathetic to the Sussex point of view believe indicates that the loyal heir to the throne and father of three isn't the straight-arrow family guy he's represented himself to be. Last week, the rumor surfaced as a royal blind item on the celebrity/PR Instagram DeuxMoi. The anonymous British royal's extramarital affair was addressed in the blind item. According to the article's author, the claimed affair is an open secret in London and amongst the English artist set, and is the talk of every party and newsdesk. Pegging also seems like it may appeal to males in some sections of British high society. Unfortunately for Prince William, he quickly rose to prominence as the main contender for the title of 'PrinceOfPegging.' Prince Philip is no longer alive, and Prince Andrew has no wife, even if he continues to live with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. Given that Prince Harry left the UK more than two years ago to live in California with Meghan, his sex life is unlikely to be the talk of London, East Bay Times reported. Related Article: [Report] Prince Charles Won't Let Prince Andrew Make Royal Life Return Under Future King's Reign @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The police have shot a man believed to be carrying a gun before evacuating roads in south-east London. Officers responded to multiple 999 reports of a man with a firearm in Creek Road, Greenwich, at just after 2.30pm on Friday. The Metropolitan Police said: 'Firearms officers attended the scene. The man was located. A police firearm was discharged and the man sustained a gunshot injury. Gemma Daly, 31, from Whitstable, but staying in Greenwich, said she heard some shouting and then 'a big bang' which she believes was a gunshot. She said she heard police sirens straight away, adding that the emergency services then started arriving. Officers responded to multiple 999 reports of a man with a firearm in Creek Road, Greenwich, at just after 2.30pm today. Pictured: Officers at the scene The Metropolitan Police said: 'Firearms officers attended the scene. The man was located. A police firearm was discharged and the man sustained a gunshot injury' 'Police were attending to a man on the side of the bridge,' she said, adding that he was 'clearly injured'. 'They removed his clothing', she said, describing how 'a lot of people' were working on the man before he was put on a stretcher. Ms Daly said police 'started to go around' a silver car, which was still on the bridge. Pictures of the scene showed emergency vehicles, including police cars and an ambulance, stopped in the middle of the road. Greenwich MPS tweeted: 'We are responding to a serious incident in Greenwich. Armed officers are on the scene. We will provide further updates when we can.' A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We sent a number of resources including an ambulance crew, an advanced paramedic, a motorcycle paramedic, a medic in a fast response car and an incident response officer, and we also dispatched medics from London's Air Ambulance. The spokesman added: 'London Ambulance Service and the Air Ambulance also attended. He was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital. We await an update on his condition' 'We treated a man at the scene and took him as a priority to a major trauma centre.' A spokesperson for London's Air Ambulance said: 'Our advanced trauma team was dispatched via aircraft by London Ambulance Service at 1447 today to reports of a shooting in the Greenwich area. 'After treatment on scene the patient was transferred by road to a major trauma hospital accompanied by London's Air Ambulance.' The Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed. Police say they do not believe the incident is terror related or that there is an ongoing threat to the wider public. America's airport nightmares continued on Friday as thunderstorms loomed over the East Coast and airlines kept canceling and delaying flights, much to the chagrin of passengers. According to FlightAware, which tracks the status of flights around the world, 1,142 flights within, into or out of the United States were called off on Friday, while 3,944 flights were delayed. American Airlines were the worst offenders, with 218 flights canceled and another 467 flights delayed. Southwest Airlines led American airlines in terms of delays with a whopping 1101 delayed flights on Friday, which made up 27% of their total flights. They also cancelled 143 flights. Many planes may encounter delays as they aren't in the correct position because of Thursday's delays, but the Federal Aviation Administration said thunderstorms could disrupt flights along the East Coast. Travelers wait in line at an American Airlines counter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va. Airlines have said thunderstorms could disrupt flights along the East Coast Twitter users were up in arms about the delays and made a point to tweet their grievances at the official accounts of the airlines. One user, @royalewithchief, asked American Airlines: 'Is there a worse product we pay a lot of money for to not get a guaranteed level of service with no recourse to the provider when they fail consistently?' Another user, @chrischen815, tweeted his flight was canceled after booking 'nonrefundable hotels.' He also said 'AA said it was doing us a courtesy of providing a refund even it was the one who canceled the flight.' The rescheduling comes as American Airlines announced it would be cutting 2 percent of flights from its schedule in September and October, CNN reported. According to the airline, the cuts were 'proactive adjustments' in order to accommodate the resources it currently has available and build a 'buffer' into the remainder of its summer schedule. The airline says it will reach out to passengers directly with 'alternative travel options' and provide full refunds to those who reject the new flight arrangements. The airline also announced it will be cutting service to four smaller cities starting on September 7. They said they will no longer be flying to Islip and Ithaca in New York, Toledo, Ohio or Dubuque, Iowa. American Airlines spokesperson Brian Metham said the changes were due to a 'lack of regional pilots.' 'Like many network carriers, we have reduced our regional flying in recent months in response to the regional pilot shortage,' he said. The flight scrambles come as the US Department of Transportation proposed a new rule that would expand the circumstances when airlines must offer refunds. Currently, passengers are only entitled to refunds if an airline has 'made a significant schedule change or significantly delays a flight and the travelers chooses not to board the flight. The DOT does not define what 'significant' means in this context, but the new proposal would change that. Under the new rule, significant changes would be defined as changes that affect departure or arrival times by three hours or more in domestic flights and six hours or more for international flights. Passengers stand in line to go through security at Charlotte Douglas International Airport as delays and cancelations plague the nation due to factors such as limited airline staff Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has proposed expanding the circumstances in which travelers can claim refunds from airlines It also includes if changes are made to the airport the flight is arriving at or departing from, as well as changes to the number of connections and if someone experiences a big downgrade in their travel experience. 'This new proposed rule would protect the rights of travelers and help ensure they get the timely refunds they deserve from the airlines,' Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. The current number of Americans traveling has increased since the height of the pandemic, but remains lower than the pre-covid era. On Wednesday, The US Transportation Security Administration screened more than 2.1 million passengers at airports nationwide, about 86 percent from the same day in 2019. Thousands of spider crabs have swarmed the beaches at the height of the summer season in Cornwall. A mass of them gathered in the shallow water at St Ives in Cornwall to shed their shells before returning to the depths of the sea. While their presence at Porthgwidden Beach was enough to put many bathers off entering the sea, some did take the chance to snorkle above the carpet of crabs. Spider crabs, that are instantly recognisable for their long legs and pincer claws, have a venomous bite that is poisonous to their prey but harmless to humans. A mass of them gathered in the shallow water at St Ives in Cornwall to shed their shells before returning to the depths While it is not unusual to see them in UK waters, mass gatherings like this one are becoming more common in the summer due to rising sea temperatures. Once the crabs grow another tough outer shell they will disperse to depths of 300ft and paddling will become far more appealing. Kate Lowe, a marine photographer, captured the event in the same week a woman snorkeller was bitten by a blue shark further around the Cornish coast, off Penzance. Kate said: 'I go snorkelling most of the time throughout the year but I have never seen spider crabs in such numbers. While it is not unusual to see them in UK waters, mass gatherings like this one are becoming more common in the summer due to rising sea temperatures 'When we turned up at the beach it looked as though there were lots of dark rocks under the surface. 'But it turned out that there were thousands of crabs just two or three steps into the water. 'It was just really incredible, they were only knee deep. I was able to float on the water above them and tried not to step on them. 'A lot of the tourists were squeling at the sight of them. 'Their shedded shells were just floating around.' Sen. Ted Cruz lambasted the Biden administration as 'cheese eating surrender monkeys' on Friday for failing to stand up more vigorously to China when a former editor for its state media called for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's plane to be shot down when she visited Taiwan. He said the White House was making the world less safe. Pelosi's visit - the first by a House speaker in more than 20 years - has heighted tensions between Washington and Beijing, which launched live fire exercises in the seas around the autonomous island. It was preceded by calls on social media for Pelosi's plane to shot down if it did not divert from its course. 'The White House press secretary was asked what does the White House think about this and, I kid you, not their answer was: We have no position on that,' he told an audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Texas. 'Like what the hell is wrong with you? 'I'm no fan of Pelosi. 'But the only answer to an enemy of America threatening to murder the speaker of the House of the United States is that would be an act of war, and the result would be devastating consequences. 'And the weakness and appeasement that comes from these cheese eating surrender monkeys is making America and in the entire world far less safe.' Sen. Ted Cruz addressed conservatives at a conference in Dallas, Texas, Thursday. He said the White House was making the world less safe by failing to stand up forcefully to China House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan enflamed tensions between Washington and Beijing. China has launched live fire military exercises around the island Donald Trump is due to close the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday Last week, Hu Xijin, a former editor-in-chief of the Chinese state-owned Global Times, made incendiary comments on social media. 'The [People's Liberation Army] has the right to forcibly dispel Pelosis plane and the US fighter jets, including firing warning shots and making tactical movement of obstruction,' he wrote. 'If ineffective, shoot them down.' Cruz offered his response during a speech filled with red meat for an enthusiastic conservative audience. He spoke soon after China raised its own level of rhetoric, sanctioning Pelosi and raising the murder of George Floyd as it sought to ridicule what it said were U.S. efforts to police the world. Beijing announced it was imposing sanctions on Pelosi on her immediate family in response to her 'vicious' actions. 'Despite China's serious concerns and firm opposition, Pelosi insisted on visiting Taiwan, seriously interfering in China's internal affairs, undermining China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, trampling on the one-China policy, and threatening the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait,' a foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement. A spokesman for the communist government then compared the United States' behavior to the slaying of George Floyd at the hands of cops in Minneapolis. Hua Chunying wrote: 'We cannot allow the US to take itself as "world policeman" and treat other countries George Floyd whom it can bully and strangle at will.' It comes as it emerged that the White House summoned Chinese ambassador Qin Gang on Thursday to condemn escalating actions against Taiwan and reiterate that the United States does not want a crisis in the region. The Biden administration has thrown their support behind Pelosi's trip as a way to promote democracy in Taiwan and have criticized Beijing's 'sabre rattling' and 'unnecessary' military drills. China ratcheted up its military intimidation of Taiwan yesterday by firing ballistic missiles which flew over the island and landed in Japanese waters 'After China's actions overnight, we summoned Ambassador Qin Gang to the White House to demarche him about (China's) provocative actions,' White House spokesman John Kirby told the Washington Post. A demarche is a protest through diplomatic channels. Four days of war games around Taiwan began just before 2pm (local time) with wave after wave of rocket launches, while Chinese jets took to the skies and ten warships patrolled the sea. Five high-powered missiles fired from the mainland flew over Taiwan, Japanese officials said, and plunged into the sea south of Hateruma Island, part of Okinawa. The series of islands are part of Japans exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 nautical miles from its coast. On Friday, Taiwan accused Chinese warships and fighter planes of crossing the 'median line' that runs down the center of the Taiwan Strait, separating it from the mainland. The line is an unofficial but previously widely-recognized border that Beijing insists 'no longer exists,' as it tries to exert control over its much smaller neighbor. Eight former teachers have appeared in court accused of child cruelty and sexual abuse at a boarding school over more than a decade. The defendants were charged in connection with the alleged sex abuse scandal at Rhydd Court School, in Worcestershire, between the late 1970s and early 1990s. Five men and three women, aged between 51 and 82, appeared before Worcester Magistrates Court yesterday. They are charged with conspiracy to commit child cruelty - to assault, ill-treat, neglect or abandon a child to cause unnecessary suffering or injury between 1979 and 1991. Each also faces a series of other, individual charges ranging from indecent assault, conspiring to commit sexual offences and gross indecency. The defendants spoke only to confirm their dates of birth and addresses during the short hearing where no pleas were entered or indicated. 76-year-old David Sykes (pictured outside magistrates court yesterday), of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, is accused of wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm in an alleged assault said to have involved a perforated eardrum. Half appeared via videolink and half attended the court in person from homes across the country, including Worcestershire, the South West, Scotland and the East Midlands. Anita Gunning, 59, of Plymouth, is charged with conspiring to indecently assault a boy under 14 and indecently assaulting the same boy in a tent between 1987 and 1991. She is also accused of indecently assaulting a second boy under 14 between January and October 1990. Cynthia Moore, 81, of Bude, Cornwall, is charged with conspiring to commit a sexual offence with a boy under the age of 16 between January 1990 and July 1991. She also faces charges of conspiring to indecently assault a boy under 16 and child cruelty between 1987 and 1991. Marie Handy, 51, of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, is accused of indecently assaulting a boy under 14 between September 1987 and July 1991. Michael Connor, 69, of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, is charged with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm between 1987 and 1991. Marie Handy (pictured left), 51, of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, was one of four defendants to attend Worcester Magistrates Court in person; as was Charmaine James (right), 62, of Buckie, Scotland He also faces one count of indecent assault and conspiring to commit a sexual offence and conspiring to commit indecent assault. Terence Heath, 74, of Hanley Castle, Worcestershire, is accused of two counts of conspiring to commit a sexual offence and two indecent assaults between 1987 and 1990. John Dixon, 82, of Skegness, Lincolnshire, is accused of conspiracy to commit child cruelty, two charges of conspiring to commit a sexual offence, four sexual offences and six indecent assaults. These offences cover a period between 1989 and 1991 and are said by the prosecution to involve both adults and boys under 16. David Sykes, 76, of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, is accused of wounding/inflicting grievous bodily harm in an alleged assault said to have involved a perforated eardrum. He is also accused of indecently assaulting a boy under 16 between June 1987 and February 1990. Charmaine James, 62, of Buckie, Scotland, is charged with gross indecency with a boy under 14 and two indecent assaults on a boy aged under 16 and a man aged over 16. The charges follow an investigation by West Mercia Police into allegations at a time when the premises was owned by the local authority. Vincent Scully, prosecuting, said: I ask all these cases are sent forthwith to the crown court. Magistrates declined jurisdiction for the case. Unconditional bail was granted to all eight defendants until the next hearing at Worcester Crown Court on August 31. A leading Russian hypersonic missile expert has been detained on suspicion of high treason. Professor Alexander Shiplyuk, 55, was held in a swoop by the FSB counter-intelligence agency in Novosibirsk, Siberia where he heads the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. The respected academic is the latest to be held in a wave of arrests of leading researchers on suspicion of handing secrets to foreign powers. Like the others he was flown to notorious Lefortovo prison in Moscow for interrogation. Announcing his arrest, TASS state news agency called him an 'acclaimed Russian scientist'. Professor Alexander Shiplyuk, 55, pictured, was held in a swoop by the FSB counter-intelligence agency in Novosibirsk, Siberia where he heads the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. The respected academic is the latest to be held in a wave of arrests of leading researchers on suspicion of handing secrets to foreign powers In June, the institute's chief researcher Professor Anatoly Maslov, 75, pictured, a pioneer of hypersonic technologies, was held Three days later Professor Dmitry Kolker, 54, pictured, of the Institute of Laser Physics in Novosibirsk, was also held, despite having fourth stage cancer. He was also held on suspicion of treason, and died in custody on 2 July In June, the institute's chief researcher Professor Anatoly Maslov, 75, a pioneer of hypersonic technologies, was held. Scientific director Vasily Fomin told TASS today: 'Investigative activities were held in the institute. 'They are linked with our director, Alexander Shiplyuk, who has been arrested. 'He is faced with the same charges as Maslov - high treason.' Three days later Professor Dmitry Kolker, 54, of the Institute of Laser Physics in Novosibirsk, was also held, despite having fourth stage cancer. A Western diplomat source has said of the arrests that Putin's government sees 'traitors' everywhere. Pictured: Alexander Shiplyuk, the latest to be detained for treason He was also held on suspicion of treason, and died in custody on 2 July. A Western diplomat source said: 'Putin's government sees traitors everywhere in a sign of rising paranoia. It's like a witch hunt.' Those convicted face up to 20 years in jail. The arrests come during the damaging war with Ukraine. If Alexander Shiplyuk, pictured, is convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. Shiplyuk's institute specialises in high-speed aero-gas dynamics Putin has insisted that Russia's hypersonic technology is superior to any in the world. The Maslov and Kolker cases were seen as being linked to espionage by China, supposedly a Russian ally. Shiplyuk's institute specialises in high-speed aero-gas dynamics and experimental research of gas flows. Key areas of his research interest include experimental aero-thermal dynamics of hypersonic aircraft with straight jet engines. A married senior US Air Force scientist accused of tricking a colleague into hiring a 'really hot' prostitute to join their top military research team, killed himself when he realized he was about to be exposed. James Gord, 57, hanged himself with a braided nylon rope in the garage of his home in Beavercreek, Ohio, according to an autopsy report obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com. Gord's death on September 10 last year came as investigators were closing in on him for persuading colleague Sukesh Roy to hire $400-an-hour sex worker Amanda Savino to a highly sensitive position, even though she could barely use a computer. Gord worked in the hypersonics directorate in the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. At the time Roy was a contractor whose company Spectral Energies provided laser imaging of turbine engines for the lab. The two men had known each other for 17 years and had become close friends, FBI agent Jacqueline Horton wrote in an affidavit to support the search warrant request. Gord had awarded millions of dollars in annual grants to Roy's company for his work. Dr. James Gord was accused of tricking a supervisor into hiring sex worker Amanda Savino, 32, onto a team tasked with developing hypersonic jet engines DailyMail.com can reveal that Gord, 57, hanged himself in the garage of his home in Beavercreek, Ohio, on September 10, 2021 Roy would not come to the door of his house in Dayton. His wife said he was napping and would not comment anyway. Attempts to contact Savino were unsuccessful. The sleazy details of Gord's case were unsealed by a federal court in Ohio last month after the file was closed. A search warrant, released by the court showed the FBI wanted to comb through Google and Yahoo computers to find proof of his scheme. Spectral Energies CEO Sukesh Roy hired Savino after Gord spoke on her behalf and provided a false story about her background But Gord's suicide put an end to the case before he could be prosecuted. In 2017, Gord told Roy that he had met Savino, 32, on a plane and 'was very impressed with how she presented herself,' Horton wrote. He claimed they were sitting next to each other on a flight from Dallas to Dayton when Savino noticed the work he was doing on his laptop and they struck up a conversation because she had an interest in the subject. The truth was that they had met when he hired her at $400-an-hour through a Cincinnati escort service called Discreet Desires. 'Gord highly encouraged Roy to hire Savino, speaking favorably of Savino's technical expertise,' Horton wrote. 'He then finished by stating ''she's also really hot.''' But Roy soon found that Savino wasn't up to the job, Horton added. 'Roy quickly grew frustrated with Savino's lack of capability in the position. '(She) did not fully understand how to use basic word processing and document creation software and struggled to formulate coherent interoffice emails.' And when she couldn't provide her college transcripts supposedly for an art degree from the University of Florida, a biochemistry degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and from time studying for a medical degree at the University of Cincinnati Medical School he confronted Gord, who was forced to admit he was having an affair with her. But by this time Savino had already found new clients on the air force base. One man, a contractor on the Ballistic Missile Systems Integration Flight, identified only as Dr. IK, paid her $20,000 a year to clean his apartment in the nude and give him oral sex, according to the warrant. Sex worker Amanda Savino, 32, was employed on a team tasked with developing hypersonic jet engines and rockets at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio The autopsy report obtained by DailyMail.com reveals that Gord killed himself by hanging When agents searched Gord's computer they found he had kept a record of at least 27 prostitutes he had slept with during travels around the country for his job. Many of them, Horton revealed, 'were foreign nationals from countries considered U.S. National Security concerns.' Gord told Roy he would take out cash advances against his government travel card to pay the women so his wife Renee and their children would not find out. He said he paid Savino, who he also persuaded to claim she was a certified firefighter and EMT, $400 an hour for 'various sexual acts.' Despite revealing Savino's true identity, Gord still asked Roy to expand her technical research responsibilities with the military contractor, and even to include her name on research publications. He also urged him to appoint her representative for Spectral Energies for any duties outside of the Dayton area. 'Roy refused both requests, citing Savino's position with the company as an administrative technician and because she was not a technical expert in their field,' Horton wrote in the affidavit. The warrant said that Roy met with his attorney to discuss firing Savino, but was advised to wait until her one-year review in November 2018 to 'limit the company's potential liability.' But when Gord discovered his friend wanted to dismiss his lover, he threatened the Bangladesh-born scientist. 'Gord then stated he would come to Building 5 with one of his many guns to ''end it all,''' the warrant read. 'Roy perceived this to mean that Gord would kill Roy and then himself.' He also told Roy that, as an immigrant, the 'old boys club' at research lab would never believe his version of the story. But two weeks before Savino's one year review, she decided to leave Spectral and join a competitor company, Innovative Scientific Solutions Incorporated (ISSI). Gord then cut an annual Air Force Research Lab grant to Roy's company from $250,000 to $100,000, giving the other $150,000 to ISSI. The crimes laid out against Gord and Savino, as listed in the warrant issued. They included embezzlement/misuse of government property, false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims, ethnic intimidation, aggravated menacing, and extortion of officers or employees of the United States 'This was the first time in years that Gord did not allocate his entire research budget to Spectral Energies,' Horton wrote. 'The timing of Gord's decision corresponded to Savino's new position at ISSI,' Horton wrote, noting that a search of Gord's phone revealed that he told Savino the grant would cover her ISSI salary. That was too much for Roy who then reported his former friend to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, which soon realized Savino had fabricated her college education. When agents searched Gord's office in April 2019 they found women's underwear, a box of Trojan condoms a 12pack containing only 10 and several empty bottles of erectile dysfunction medication. When they searched his computer they found an email from Gord to Savino explaining his preference for 'sexy lingerie' and erotic clothing and asking her to spend entire nights with him saying that sleeping together was 'very important to him.' He also asked her to 'bring her Screaming O.' Horton dryly interpreted that as 'A request that Savino orgasm during sex.'' A Georgia Southern graduate left paralyzed after a routine chiropractic neck adjustment is able to move her leg for the first time in nearly two months since the shocking incident. Caitlin Jensen, 28, was hospitalized on June 16 after an appointment with Dr. TJ Harpham, 42, left her with four ruptured arteries that led to a stroke and three heart attacks. 'At first, we weren't sure if it was simply spasticity, but then she did it again. And again,' Caitlin's mother, Darlene shared in a video on Facebook on August 1. Caitlin was only able to wiggle her toes and open her eyes after she became paralyzed after visiting Harpham to treat back pain. Now after six weeks in hospital, Caitlin, who is being treated at Memorial Health University Center in Savannah, Georgia, can move her right leg, arm and hand. Caitlin Jensen, 28, was hospitalized on June 16 after an appointment with Dr. TJ Harpham, 42, left her with four ruptured arteries that led to a stroke and three heart attacks. Her mother, Darlene, share a Facebook video showing her daughter moving her leg. The massive progression is one of many as Caitlin begins to slowly regain arm movement Caitlin Jensen, who was left paralyzed after a neck adjustment, moved her leg for the first time in nearly two months since the shocking incident 'Can you move it,' a voice can be heard telling Caitlin in the background of the video posted by Darlene. 'Look at you! Oh my goodness.' Caitlin showed off a big smile as she moved her leg back and forth. Caitlin's progression was a step towards the 28-year-old being referred to one of the top rehabilitation centers in the country, the Shepherd Center. She was accepted into the center on August 3. WE'RE GOING TO SHEPHERD!!!!!' Darlene wrote on Facebook while sharing a previous photo of Caitlin smiling with a dog. 'We just got the official work - they accepted her!!!!!' 'She will do an ICU to ICU transfer next week. IT'S GO TIME!!!!' Caitlin's progression led her one step closer to being accepted into one of the top rehabilitation centers in the country, the Shepherd Center. Caitlin's mom, Darlene, has sought to get her daughter admitted to the center since she became paralyzed Before the remarkable movement Darlene shared, her daughter was gradually making process despite battling pneumonia. 'A few days ago, Caitlin lifted her arm from the elbow and threw a little ball,' Darlene wrote on Facebook on July 28. 'Now, she can lift her upper arm. Yesterday, she was able to grasp a tissue and wipe her mouth. These are enormous accomplishments for her! 'She can also turn her head to the right. She cannot willingly move her right limbs YET, but we have hope that she will be able to reconnect those pathways in the brain.' Caitlin has gradually been increasing in movement on the right side of her body since the incident. Her brother, Caleb, is seen by her bedside Caitlin's mom, Darlene, documented her daughters progress on July 38. Darlene shared Caitlin can now lift 'her arm from the elbow and threw a little ball.' Caitlin's mother Darlene previously told DailyMail.com that her daughter had been to Harpham on several occasions to address neck stiffness she was experiencing from 'sitting at her desk for months working on her last classes,' but had never undergone a neck adjustment, according to her mom. 'You don't think that a 28-year-old healthy woman is going to be having such an emergency and having a stroke,' she said. Darlene previously recalled the shocking call she received from Harpham on her daughter's phone. Caitlin's mom, Darlene, is optimistic her daughter will recover after she suffered a stroke. The 28-year-old had gone to the chiropractor to address back pain 'I just thought maybe she was dizzy,' Darlene said. 'It didn't ever occur to me that it was a serious event. I just thought maybe she stood up too fast or she was slightly dizzy and they were being over cautious.' 'I thought no big deal, I'll go check on her. When I got there, I could very quickly see that we were in a serious situation.' Darlene said she was by her daughter's side when her heart stopped for 10 minutes. 'They had done a CAT scan and brought her boyfriend and I back into the room to be with her and she started to deteriorate. They were trying to get her back to CAT scan and that's when she went into cardiac arrest. We were there with her.' Meanwhile, Harpham, 42, hasn't commented on the incident, but was seen arriving at Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport amid the controversy on July 18. Chiropractor TJ Harpham was seen arriving at Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport with his family on July 18 amid the controversy surrounding his patient who was left paralyzed after he allegedly treated her Harpham declined to discuss the incident with a DailyMail.com reporter, saying: 'No, I have no comment. I have no comment about her or any other patient.' At the time of Caitlin's chiropractic accident, he said an incident like the 28-year-old's has never happened before, Caitlin's grandmother, Linda Foster, previously told DailyMail.com. 'I think [Caitlin's mother] Darlene is considering a medical malpractice suit she has been advised to, I know. 'It's just because we want people to know and we want to take care of Caitlin. It's going to be a life-changing event for her no matter what her outcome is. 'There will be physical therapy and they'll have to refit their house as it is, she won't even be able to get in the house with the steps at the back and the front.' New Yorkers were on Friday warning of rising levels of crime, shootings and homelessness as a busload of 54 asylum seekers arrived from Texas before being settled in shelters, hotels or joining relatives elsewhere. DailyMail.com visited an established New York shelter for asylum seekers beneath St Mary's Episcopal Church in Harlem and spoke to locals about their concerns for a community that has long battled crime, drugs and mental health crisis. They spoke after the first bus of migrants sent from Texas by Governor Greg Abbott arrived at Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan on Friday morning after making the nearly 2,000-mile trip from the border that lasted days. We don't know anything about them. We don't know if theyre criminals. Theyre refugees so they could be disguising themselves as good people, said Juan Manuel, 69, a retired publisher who lives blocks from the shelter. Manuel said he feared an influx of new asylum seekers would add to the pretty high crime levels in the city, where a spike in shootings and murders in July fueled a 31 percent increase in the citys crime rate over the same month last year. Juan Manuel, 69, Frankie Michael, 38, and Gail Harper, 85, live close to one of New York's long-established shelters for ayslum seekers, and worry about already-high rates of crime and homlessness in the neighborhood These refugees can come to those shelters and find theyre not such safe places inside, theyre worried about stuff being stolen or being stabbed, and so they go and live on the streets instead, added Manuel. Gail Harper, 85, a retired shop assistant, mum of four and now a great-grandmother, warned that the Manhattanville neighborhood was already overcrowded with undesirables and homeless people erecting makeshift tents in nearby parks. Why are they gonna have so many more of them come in here? And there's so many homeless that's out there now, Harper said, recalling when eh moved to the area in the 1970s, when it didn't have all the homeless and shootings. Frankie Michael, 38, an event manager, said New York was a weird place right now after the Covid-19 pandemic, racial justice protests and deepening social ills and questioned whether the city could accommodate newcomers. The basement of St Mary's Episcopal Church in Harlem is one New York's established shelters for asylum seekers I just saw guys sleeping naked underneath the bus stop, said Michael, pointing towards Amsterdam Avenue. I've seen a lot of homeless lately, more than ever, and in recent years this area has gotten a little shady, especially at night, with homeless people trying to come off heroin. And the east side is like Skid Row. The first footage of the bus arriving in New York at 6.30am Friday morning was captured by Fox News. The Big Apple now joins Washington D.C. as a drop-off location for migrants who have recently crossed from Central America, have been processed and are awaiting their immigration court dates. A group of charity workers and volunteers greeted the 54 migrants evenly split between single men and family groups. About 40 stayed in New York and others travelled on to join relatives and friends in other cities. Those that stayed in New York either joined relatives in the city or took taxis to processing centers and then temporary shelters or hotels in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx, said organizer Ilze Thielmann, from the charity Team TLC NYC. Thielmann said the group was preparing for busloads of more arrivals after the Texas governor's office indicated New York was a drop-off point in its effort to push responsibility for border crossers to Democratic mayors. She accused Gov. Abbott of 'using human beings as pawns in a political publicity stunt'. 'When you just ship out a bunch of people to a city where they have nowhere to go, you're endangering human lives, including little kids,' said Thielmann. She bashed the Texas Republican for calling the group illegal immigrants, when all had lawful papers. One of the arrivals Jose Rodriguez, 38, told DailyMail.com he chose New York because it has the 'best opportunities' of the options he was given when he crossed the border. He added that the group wasn't allowed to leave a building in Texas building they were housed in and he lost all of his documents in his journey over the Rio Grande. Bertilio Rosale, 54, also told DailyMail.com on arrival: 'I want to see the Statue of Liberty and the rest of the city. There are more job opportunities here, I will do anything I can. The bus here was good, we have all come from all over.' The Biden administration has accused Republican states of using migrants as a 'political ploy' and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser last week said the buses are causing a 'humanitarian crisis' in the nation's capital. She called in the National Guard to assist with the more than 5,000 migrants who have been sent to D.C. Scroll down for video Bertilio Rosale (left) and Jose Rodriguez (right) arrive at New York's Port Authority Bus Terminal after their almost 2,000-mile trip. Rodriguez, 38, told DailyMail.com he chose New York because it has the 'best opportunities' of the options he was given when he crossed the border Charity workers and volunteers met the migrants after their journey to help them get to shelters or hotels in New York The Big Apple now joins Washington D.C. as a drop-off location for migrants who have recently crossed from Central America, have been processed and are awaiting their immigration court dates The first bus of migrants sent from Texas by Governor Greg Abbott arrived in New York City on Friday morning at around 6.30 'Because of President Biden's continued refusal to acknowledge the crisis caused by his open border policies, the State of Texas has had to take unprecedented action to keep our communities safe,' said Governor Abbott. 'In addition to Washington, D.C., New York City is the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing that Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city. 'I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief.' Abbott also invited Adams and Bowser to visit the border and see the crisis first hand, but Adams declined. A day earlier Abbott spoke at a conservative conference in Dallas describing how he came up with the idea after speaking to leaders in Uvalde and Del Rio who said they couldn't cope with the number of arrivals. 'And they were talking about getting the illegal immigrants that border patrol had dropped off into their communities that they were incapable of dealing with, and them actually busing them to San Antonio,' he told the Conservative Political Action Conference. 'I said don't do that. I have a better idea. The group was dropped off at Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan after making the almost 2,000-mile trip from the border in footage captured by Fox News 'We're gonna bust him all the way to Washington D.C. 'We deal with that number every single day, I got one thing to tell you and to tell them there are more buses on the way as we gather at this conference today.' The audience responded with whoops and cheers, before Abbott plugged a crowd-funding website that helps pay for the buses. Last Monday, Adams declared a city-wide emergency and called on the federal government to step in as a major influx of migrants strains New York City's shelter system. Roughly 4,000 asylum-seekers have come to NYC since May, Adams' office stated. 'New York is a city of immigrants, and we will always welcome newcomers with open arms. Over the past two months, we have seen a significant increase in the number of asylum seekers arriving in our city's shelter system,' Adams said in a statement. A group of charity workers and volunteers greeted the roughly 50 migrants, who were mostly men, before they ventured into the city Last Monday, Adams declared a city-wide emergency and called on the federal government to step in as a major influx of migrants strains New York City's shelter system Adams has warned Republican states against sending the buses north. Greg Abbott has said the buses are an opportunity for Democrat-run cities to see the border crisis first hand He had been calling the Biden administration for help since at least last month. Many of the group arriving today had been told less than 24 hours before that they were being moved, with many losing any form of identification when crossing the river. Clutching bags given to them by charities, the groups were spilt off with the men reportedly sent to men's only shelters across the city. Adams pledged in the Monday statement that he will 'continue to work with federal and state partners to procure additional financial resources immediately' to assist with the surge. During a July 21 press conference on the matter, Adams slammed Abbott and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey as 'heartless' over their bussing orders. New York's The Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless also attacked Abbott's move on Friday as a 'cynical' stunt. 'Governor Abbott is shamelessly exploiting these migrants - human beings who have endured immense suffering in their home countries and on the journey to the United States, seeking safe haven and a better life - to serve some myopic political purpose,' the organization said in a statement. 'Regardless of who these people are, where they are from, or for what cynical reason they are being sent here, New York is a sanctuary and right to shelter city, and the City must ensure that beds and critical services are immediately available to meet any demand. 'As representatives of homeless New Yorkers and the legal team who secured New Yorks historic right to shelter law, we will continue to monitor this development, including onsite at the Citys shelter intake centers for both individuals and for families. We call on City Hall to immediately provide this Administrations plan for addressing the needs of all migrants arriving in New York City and requiring our help.' Republican Senator Lindsey Graham appeared on Fox News on Friday morning to react to the arrival in New York City and said: 'We have lost operational control of the border'. He added that it was a 'formula for disaster' and linked the crisis to the reemergence of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan following the CIA drone strike that killed leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul on Saturday. In June, 240,991 migrants were caught crossing the border, including six who were on a terror watch list. It was a 14 per cent decline from May, but the surge in crossings over the last year has broken records. Biden is still trying to end Title 42, a Trump-era COVID policy that saw migrants deported straight back to Mexico, but a judge has ordered the president to continue enforcing it. Twenty-six percent of all crossers in June had previously attempted to cross the border within the last year, which is up from the usual 15 percent between 2014 and 2019, CBP said. The largest group to come through was single adults, making up 68 percent of the crossing, with 140,197 people. A total of 207,416 migrants were encountered at the US southern border in June 2022 The majority of those who crossed in June were single adults, with 140,000. There was also 51,780 in family units and 15,271 unaccompanied children, as well as, six on terrorists lists Watch the latest video at foxnews.com Paul Newman's drinking was so bad that his long-suffering wife Joanne Woodward once found him lying insensible on the floor, his head bleeding after falling out of bed. She came close to leaving him that night. 'It was one of many, many scenes,' she said. When she did finally snap, bundling their three young daughters into a car and driving to their Malibu beach home, Newman came in hot pursuit, banging on the door and shouting to be let in. She refused and Newman, the blue-eyed actor lusted after by women worldwide, spent several nights sleeping in his car on the drive until they reached a compromise. He couldn't give up the booze completely, he said, but he would stick to beer rather than whisky and the half dozen martinis he was downing every night. Given this was a man who would drink a six-pack of beer at breakfast, it wasn't much of a concession. But, as a new TV series reveals, the episode offers an intriguing insight into how the 50-year partnership of 'Hollywood's golden couple' long regarded as blissfully happy and stable was very different in reality. Newman was one of the biggest pin-ups in cinema history and his success in holding down what was, by Tinsel Town's standards, an epically long relationship with the same woman was a cause for endless congratulation on TV chat shows and interviews. The Newmans would just smile modestly and soak up the applause as the 'It' couple of the era, a pair who made 16 films together and who seemed to be everything the rest of their industry wasn't grown-up, devoted and normal. Golden couple: But all was not what it appeared for Newman and Woodward, pictured here in 1965 As director Otto Preminger acidly observed: 'Paul is an oddity in this business. He really loves his wife.' When Playboy magazine asked him about his reputation for fidelity, Newman famously replied: 'Why go out for a hamburger when you have steak at home?' In fact, Woodward loathed that laddish remark it made her feel 'like a piece of meat', she said just as she loathed other aspects of being married to Newman, including his alcoholism, and the fact that she had to give up her acting dreams to bring up their children while he, arguably a lesser actor, became a superstar. She hated his philandering, too indeed there was at least one hamburger. This loving but deeply complicated relationship, not to mention the restlessly unhappy personality that lay underneath Newman's on-screen charm, is detailed in a six-part documentary made by Ethan Hawke. The actor, who made his name in the Dead Poet's Society, was asked by Newman and Woodward's children to make The Last Movie Stars (on HBO in the U.S. and coming to the UK soon) because they felt there needed to be an account of the pair's often fraught life together. Hawke, who went to high school with some of their children, was helped enormously not only by their very frank contributions but by more than 100 taped interviews Newman had conducted with everyone in his life not only him and Woodward, but everyone from co-stars and directors to nannies for a memoir. Newman stopped the interviews in 1991 and seven years later threw all the tapes on a fire at his local dump. Unknown to the actor, however, they had already been transcribed. On the strength of Hawke's moving and often shockingly candid film, it's not surprising that the notoriously private and bottled-up Newman got cold feet about a memoir that would contain some very unvarnished opinions. Temptation: Journalist Nancy Bacon, who had an 18-month affair with Newman The revelations certainly puncture his image as the perfect husband and father although his reputation as one of Hollywood's Mr Nice Guys survives battered but intact. A flawed but fundamentally decent man who devoted his later years to philanthropy after his only son, Scott, died from a drug overdose, Newman was nothing like the swaggering, self-confident macho figure utterly irresistible to women he played in films such as The Hustler, Hud, and Cool Hand Luke. Deeply insecure, he suffered from a crippling lack of faith in his acting ability, was non-plussed about his sex appeal and riven by guilt over his desertion of his first family for Woodward. They met in New York on an oppressively hot August day in 1952. She was an aspiring 22-year-old actress looking for work when she stopped by her agent's office largely because it had air-conditioning. There, she ran into another jobbing thespian, whose piercing blue eyes, Greek god-like looks and pristine appearance in a seersucker suit initially left her cold. She said Newman, who was five years older and had served in the U.S. Navy in World War II, looked like 'an ad for ice cream soda', adding: 'I thought, 'Yuck, that's disgusting'.' But months later they worked together as understudies in a Broadway play called Picnic and fell for each other. Newman said: 'It took me time to persuade her I wasn't as dull as I looked.' As the actors they were understudying danced on-stage, Newman and Woodward did the same behind the scenes. 'Soon I'd begin to have this terrible problem in my pants and she'd say, 'My goodness, what is this?',' Newman said in an interview for his memoir. 'I was in pursuit of lust.' This was a problem, as Newman was already married. He and wife Jackie Witte had two young children and would soon have a third. But clearly it wasn't too much of a problem for Newman who found the gregarious Woodward, a beautiful Southern belle from Georgia, so much more attractive than his shy and retiring wife. 'We left a trail of lust all over the place motels, hotels, public parks and bathrooms,' Newman admitted of his affair with Woodward, adding coyly: 'All of it's better left to the imagination.' Aside from the physical attraction, Newman and Woodward, pictured, also bonded through their upbringing. Both were the children of successful businessmen fathers and difficult mothers Aside from the physical attraction, they also bonded through their upbringing. Both were the children of successful businessmen fathers and difficult mothers. Indeed, Newman identified so closely with his father, an Ohio sporting goods retailer, that he was convinced that, like him, he would die at 55. And he got on so badly with his overbearing mother that, after she once suggested Woodward was having an affair with their friend Gore Vidal, he threw her out of their taxi and didn't speak to her for 15 years. He and Woodward conducted an affair for five years, during which time they both moved to Hollywood and won studio contracts. Eventually, in 1958, he divorced Jackie and married Joanne, leaving the former with three children Scott, Susan and Stephanie under the age of five. Jackie was interviewed for Newman's memoir, saying: 'I was very angry. I felt very betrayed and do still to this day.' Stephanie Newman, tells the documentary that her mother was 'destroyed' by the divorce and that she was 'disgusted' by how her father had treated her. Ironically it was Woodward who was the bigger star initially and, in 1957 aged 27, she won a Best Actress Oscar for The Three Faces Of Eve. She was even hailed as the most promising actress of her generation 'I was a baby and had to watch my dad and step-mum ride off into the sunset with Hollywood contracts.' However, she concedes that Newman and Woodward did feel enormously guilty about their behaviour and Woodward in particular put much effort into incorporating the three older children into their family. Even so, Newman conceded he felt bad that his children with Jackie lived modestly in the Los Angeles suburb of San Fernando Valley while his 'princesses' Elinor, Melissa and Claire with Woodward lived in a huge Beverly Hills mansion. Ironically it was Woodward who was the bigger star initially and, in 1957 aged 27, she won a Best Actress Oscar for The Three Faces Of Eve. She was even hailed as the most promising actress of her generation. Two years later she had their first child and from the start felt immensely torn between career and motherhood. When she once left the toddlers to film on location, she said she 'felt overwhelmed with guilt' and didn't do it again. She could only watch enviously as Newman's career took off with Somebody Up There Likes Me and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, co-starring Elizabeth Taylor. 'I hope the children understand that although they were each and every one of them adored, if I had to do it all over again... I might not have had children,' Woodward admitted bluntly years later. 'Actors don't make good parents.' Actors don't always make good spouses either. Two years later she had their first child and from the start felt immensely torn between career and motherhood 'From the first time I met Paul I always knew he was a drunk,' said Woodward. 'We always had Christmas Eve dinner and Paul would get drunk and pass out, leaving me feeling like the last of the great Christian martyrs at one o'clock in the morning, filling all the stockings and putting the things under the Christmas tree 'What a wonderful person I am while that sh*t over there is getting drunk!' She believed her troubled husband only really found peace when he was 'dead drunk' or, later in life, when he took up motor racing. His daughters tell the documentary that Newman was a 'functioning alcoholic' who was never late for work nor, indeed, looked the worse for wear in public. Melissa recalled he would often fill up a sink with ice and water and then plunge his face in it before heading off for filming. In his own interview for the memoir that was never written, Newman said that he believed he drank because he allowed himself to be overwhelmed by his frustrations with life. In the 1970s, when he started making films he hated such as disaster movie The Towering Inferno, he admitted his drinking was 'out of control'. He 'must have driven Joanne crazy' he admitted but he said that she drove him mad, too. Woodward could be refreshingly nonchalant about celebrity and regularly used to turn up on chat shows with her knitting. However she found it hard to cope with being married to an international sex symbol Melissa concedes her mother could be 'very difficult' mercurial, neurotic and given to bearing grudges. 'They were artists and so when they got into a fight there was a lot of yelling and throwing and storming off,' adds her sister Claire. But they also shared a passionately physical relationship. Their daughters say they could never understand why they had to go through two doors to enter the couple's bedroom and one of those had a bolt. Woodward could be refreshingly nonchalant about celebrity and regularly used to turn up on chat shows with her knitting. However she found it hard to cope with being married to an international sex symbol. 'Paul and I were walking down the street one day and we passed these two girls both of whom gave Paul the usual response,' she said. 'Then one looked at me and said: 'Is that her?' I just felt like running after them and shouting, 'Yes! It's me! I don't know what my name is but it's me!' For his part. Newman insisted that women realised he wasn't remotely sexy once they met him and 'their level of sexual interest declines with every passing moment'. But was that just false modesty? The film refers obliquely to his rumoured infidelity, with Woodward saying: 'I could never make him understand that I had the most awful terror of what might have been happening ... my instincts are incredible which is probably why he finally confessed it all.' Exactly what he confessed is not clear although, in 2009, biographer Shawn Levy revealed that Newman had an 18-month affair with a curvaceous journalist named Nancy Bacon. It started when she was sent to interview him while he was filming Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid in 1968. When rumours appeared in the Press, Newman and Woodward took out a half-page advert in the LA Times to mock them, only for Bacon to confirm it was all true and call their affair 'the worst kept secret in Hollywood'. She said his friends would joke: 'Paul may not go out for hamburger, but he sure goes out for Bacon.' Melissa Newman says her mother was always aware she was 'taking a risk' by having a relationship with a man who'd cheated on his first wife and was likely to be ready to do it to her, too. 'I found a book written by somebody he had an affair with ... in a drawer in the bathroom,' said her sister Elinor. 'There's a terrible moment there where you realise your dad is fallible.' Newman certainly felt fallible when his only son, Scott, a stuntman, died in 1978, aged 28 from a drug overdose. The actor's troubled eldest child had taken his parents' divorce particularly badly he was caught sniffing glue when he was just 12 and would beat up his step-sisters. From this point on Newman's acting roles became darker and deeper while he established himself as one of Hollywood's great philanthropists setting up a drug rehabilitation centre, a camp for desperately ill children and launching 'Newman's Own', a food company that started with the salad dressing he would make and give to friends that has raised more than $550 million for charity since 1982. He didn't care that some thought it was tacky and his friends said it was an obvious bid for 'redemption' after allowing Scott to die. Paul Newman died of cancer aged 83 in 2008 a year after his wife, now 92, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and retreated from public view. His perfect looks had propelled him to the top of Hollywood. Perhaps it was always too much to expect he would have a perfect private life, too. According to a source, Donald Trump's attorneys are meeting with Justice Department officials, indicating that a federal criminal investigation into the former president's participation in the Capitol riots is moving forward. The negotiations with the US Attorney's office in Washington, DC, and lead Jan. 6 prosecutor Thomas Windom have centered on whether Trump may utilize executive privilege to prohibit conversations he had while in the White House. Donald Trump's Legal Team in Contact With Justice Department The Justice Department allegedly declined to comment while Trump's staff dismissed the idea that the discussions might be used to indict him. The legal conversations were reported after investigators summoned several former White House officials in recent weeks while investigating lawyers engaged in the administration's bid to alter the outcome of the 2020 election. According to the network, Trump, 76, believes he will not face charges in connection with the rebellion but has interrogated his attorneys and members about possible prosecution. The possible 2024 contender is claimed to have lately defied recommendations to avoid communicating to past and present aides who are embroiled in the select House committee's inquiry into the riots and might face criminal charges. Trump's advisers are believed to be especially anxious about cutting off the connection between the Republican and his former chief of staff Mark Meadows, who has been intensively investigated by the Congressional panel, while his former assistant Cassidy Hutchinson cooperates with the DOJ. According to the story, Trump and Meadows had talked several times although their friendship has lately deteriorated, New York Post reported. Trump's political team issued a statement condemning the Justice Department's actions, claiming that there is a clear coordinated effort to undermine the vital, Constitutionally-based Executive and Attorney-Client Privileges. He referred to the Justice Department's investigation and other inquiries partisan as political persecution. CNN was the first to report on discussions about whether Trump might be able to disguise conversations he made while president from federal investigators. Read Also: Monkeypox Outbreak Is Getting Problematic as US Cases Near 7000; Joe Biden Declares Public Health Emergency Pat Cipollone Subpoenaed by Grand Jury Should the Justice Department request information on Trump's conversations with advisers and members of the White House Counsel's Office, Trump is anticipated to invoke executive privilege. A federal grand jury probing the Capitol attack and the drive to overturn the 2020 election has subpoenaed former White House lawyer Pat Cipollone, a source familiar with the case said earlier this week. The Justice Department's move against Cipollone followed his testimony last month before a House committee in its separate investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack. As protesters stormed the Capitol, Cipollone pushed then-President Donald Trump to intercede and backed Justice Department employees who refused Trump's requests to investigate phony charges of election fraud. The Justice Department has refused to comment on the subpoenas or any interaction with Trump's legal team. Cipollone is the most senior known member of Trump's White House to have been brought before a grand jury, which is a key milestone in the federal probe. Former Vice President Mike Pence's top advisers, including Chief of Staff Marc Short, has already testified before the grand jury. Trump is dealing with more than just the Justice Department investigation. He is the subject of a separate criminal investigation in Georgia, where an Atlanta-area prosecutor is heading an investigation into election meddling. Trump's January 2021 call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which he asked the state's top election official to find enough votes for Trump to win the state's 2020 presidential election, is included in the investigation, according to USA Today. Related Article: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema Raises Concern on Proposed Tax Bill as Democrats Race To Get a Vote for Manchin-Backed Spending Agenda @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Technology giant Apple has warned suppliers shipping from Taiwan to ensure that they abide by strict Chinese custom regulations banning them from saying 'Made in Taiwan'. The company has asked their suppliers to follow China's long-standing rule that anything made in Taiwan has to be labeled as either 'Taiwan, China' or 'Chinese Taipei.' Tensions have been rising within the US and China, after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan despite repeated warnings from the Chinese not to, claiming it is a 'violation of the one-China principle.' She touched down in Taipei earlier this week and was greeted by Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, before China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately blasted the move, calling it a 'serious disregard of China's strong opposition.' According to a report by Nikkei Asia, the visit 'stoked fears of rising trade barriers,' making Apple nervous about 'possible disruptions.' The iPhone maker has now warned suppliers that the country has started enforcing their strict customs, so to ensure that they abide by them to prevent further issues. Apple bosses have reportedly been concerned that any issue with supply could delay the launch of their new iPhone 14 handset in September The iPhone maker has now warned suppliers that the country has started enforcing their strict customs, so to ensure that they abide by them to prevent further issues Apple has asked their suppliers to follow China's long-standing rule that anything made in Taiwan has to be labeled as either 'Taiwan, China' or 'Chinese Taipei' 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' Apple's iPhone assembler Pegatron Corp confirmed that its mainland China plant is operating normally amid claims that their shipments were being held by officials for scrutiny. The penalty for violating the rule is a fine of up to 4,000 yuan ($592), or the shipment being rejected, according to the report. Taiwan is home to the world's biggest producer of computer chips, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). TSMC's chips are used in a wide variety of phones, including the iPhone 13; cars including the Renault Arkana SUV; gaming consoles including the Nintendo Switch and Playstation 5; and smart home devices including the Revcook smart toaster. TSMC's hold on microchip production means that Apple is very reliant on China and Taiwan to make its phone's most crucial component. The Information reported last year that Apple CEO Tim Cook struck a five-year $275 billion deal with the China in 2016 in order to ease strict regulations on its business in the country. That deal appears to have been rocked by renewed tension between China and Taiwan. Apple did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment. The company is preparing to launch their next generation of iPhones later this year, with suppliers ramping up manufacturing efforts for the new phone in September. It comes after major concerns were sparked in the tech industry over supply because of the rising tensions between Taiwan and Chine. Apple's chipmaker, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), has warned that a war between Taiwan and China would make 'everybody losers,' sparking economic turmoil. TSMC Chair Mark Liu, pictured, said earlier this week that the chipmaker's plant, which is the world's largest semiconductor manufacturer, would not be able to operate if the Chinese invaded as it cannot be run 'by force' Amid the intensifying warnings from China over Pelosi's visit, four US ships, including the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (pictured in a file photo), were positioned in waters east of Taiwan on 'routine' deployments TSMC Chair Mark Liu said earlier this week that the chipmakers' plant, which is the world's largest semiconductor manufacturer, would not be able to operate if the Chinese invaded. He told CNN: 'Nobody can control TSMC by force. If you take a military force or invasion, you will render TSMC factory not operable. 'Because this is such a sophisticated manufacturing facility, it depends on real-time connection with the outside world, with Europe, with Japan, with U.S., from materials to chemicals to spare parts to engineering software and diagnosis.' He urged Bejing to think twice before taking any action, because China accounts for 10 percent of the TSMC's business. Taiwan manufactured more than 60 percent of the globe's semiconductors last year, with Liu urging all parties to think of ways to avoid war so the 'engine of the world economy can continue humming.' He added that lessons from the Russian invasion of Ukraine should be learned, as the war there has created a 'lose, lose, lose' situation for the Western world as well as Russia and Ukraine. Advertisement White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Friday that President Joe Bidens administration is helping New York and Washington D.C. with the migrants populations that have arrived from Texas. FEMA is also as famous providing support, including through grant funding, so we are helping in that regard, she said in response to a question from DailyMail.com. The federal agency is using funds from its Emergency Shelter and Food Program to help cities provide shelter and services to the immigrants after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, started to send busloads of them from the Lone Star state up the East Coast. Jean-Pierre accused Abbott of using the migrants as a stunt and a political ploy. This is what he's been doing and it's shameful, she said. New York City received its first busload of migrants from the countrys southern border on Friday. Washington D.C., in the last few weeks, has had two to four, sometimes five bus loads of migrants arriving daily. The level of influx is exhausting local and volunteer resources. But Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin denied a request from Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowsers request for the National Guard to assist with migrants. A Defense Department spokesperson said such a move could hurt the readiness status of the D.C. National Guard, which reports to the secretary of defense, and noted the capital city is receiving funds from FEMA. "We have determined providing this support would negatively impact the readiness of the DCNG and have negative effects on the organization and members, the spokesperson said. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that President Joe Bidens administration is helping New York and Washington D.C. with the migrants populations that have arrived from Texas Washington D.C., in the last few weeks, has had two to four, sometimes five bus loads of migrants arriving daily Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin denied a request from Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowsers (above) request for the National Guard to assist with migrants Bertilio Rosale (left) and Jose Rodriguez (right) arrive at New York's Port Authority Bus Terminal after their almost 2,000-mile trip from New York. Rodriguez, 38, told DailyMail.com he chose New York because it has the 'best opportunities' of the options he was given when he crossed the border Bowser told reporters on Friday that she wants to continue to work with the Pentagon to ensure political considerations are not a part of their decision. She previously said the city received a $1 million grant from FEMA. Jean-Pierre said the White House also is working with Bowser. We have had constructive conversations with Mayor Bowser and her team. We will continue to do that we are committed to working with them as we do with all other elected officials as well, she said. On Friday a busload of migrants was dropped off at Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan after making the almost 2,000-mile trip from the border that lasted days. A group of charity workers and volunteers greeted the roughly 50 migrants, who were mostly men, before they ventured into the city for hotels or shelters. One of the arrivals Jose Rodriguez, 38, told DailyMail.com he chose New York because it has the 'best opportunities' of the options he was given when he crossed the border. He added that the group wasn't allowed to leave a building in Texas building they were housed in and he lost all of his documents in his journey over the Rio Grande. Bertilio Rosale, 54, also told DailyMail.com on arrival: 'I want to see the Statue of Liberty and the rest of the city. There are more job opportunities here, I will do anything I can. The bus here was good, we have all come from all over.' The first footage of the bus arriving in New York at 6.30am Friday was captured by Fox News. Scroll down for video Charity workers and volunteers met the migrants after their journey to help them get to shelters or hotels in New York The Big Apple now joins Washington D.C. as a drop-off location for migrants who have recently crossed from Central America, have been processed and are awaiting their immigration court dates The first bus of migrants sent from Texas by Governor Greg Abbott arrived in New York City on Friday morning at around 6.30 Abbott said he was sending migrants to other cities because Texas can't handle the influx at the border. 'Because of President Biden's continued refusal to acknowledge the crisis caused by his open border policies, the State of Texas has had to take unprecedented action to keep our communities safe,' said Governor Abbott. 'In addition to Washington, D.C., New York City is the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing that Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city. 'I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief.' Abbott also invited New York Mayor Eric Adams and Bowser to visit the border and see the crisis first hand, but Adams declined. A day earlier Abbott spoke at a conservative conference in Dallas describing how he came up with the idea after speaking to leaders in Uvalde and Del Rio who said they couldn't cope with the number of arrivals. 'And they were talking about getting the illegal immigrants that border patrol had dropped off into their communities that they were incapable of dealing with, and them actually busing them to San Antonio,' he told the Conservative Political Action Conference. 'I said don't do that. I have a better idea. The group was dropped off at Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan after making the almost 2,000-mile trip from the border in footage captured by Fox News 'We're gonna bust him all the way to Washington D.C. 'We deal with that number every single day, I got one thing to tell you and to tell them there are more buses on the way as we gather at this conference today.' The audience responded with whoops and cheers, before Abbott plugged a crowd-funding website that helps pay for the buses. Last Monday, Adams declared a city-wide emergency and called on the federal government to step in as a major influx of migrants strains New York City's shelter system. Roughly 4,000 asylum-seekers have come to NYC since May, Adams' office stated. 'New York is a city of immigrants, and we will always welcome newcomers with open arms. Over the past two months, we have seen a significant increase in the number of asylum seekers arriving in our city's shelter system,' Adams said in a statement. A group of charity workers and volunteers greeted the roughly 50 migrants, who were mostly men, before they ventured into the city Last Monday, Adams declared a city-wide emergency and called on the federal government to step in as a major influx of migrants strains New York City's shelter system Adams has warned Republican states against sending the buses north. Greg Abbott has said the buses are an opportunity for Democrat-run cities to see the border crisis first hand He had been calling the Biden administration for help since at least last month. Many of the group arriving today had been told less than 24 hours before that they were being moved, with many losing any form of identification when crossing the river. Clutching bags given to them by charities, the groups were spilt off with the men reportedly sent to men's only shelters across the city. Adams pledged in the Monday statement that he will 'continue to work with federal and state partners to procure additional financial resources immediately' to assist with the surge. During a July 21 press conference on the matter, Adams slammed Abbott and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey as 'heartless' over their bussing orders. New York's The Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless also attacked Abbott's move on Friday as a 'cynical' stunt. 'Governor Abbott is shamelessly exploiting these migrants - human beings who have endured immense suffering in their home countries and on the journey to the United States, seeking safe haven and a better life - to serve some myopic political purpose,' the organization said in a statement. 'Regardless of who these people are, where they are from, or for what cynical reason they are being sent here, New York is a sanctuary and right to shelter city, and the City must ensure that beds and critical services are immediately available to meet any demand. 'As representatives of homeless New Yorkers and the legal team who secured New Yorks historic right to shelter law, we will continue to monitor this development, including onsite at the Citys shelter intake centers for both individuals and for families. We call on City Hall to immediately provide this Administrations plan for addressing the needs of all migrants arriving in New York City and requiring our help.' Republican Senator Lindsey Graham appeared on Fox News on Friday morning to react to the arrival in New York City and said: 'We have lost operational control of the border'. He added that it was a 'formula for disaster' and linked the crisis to the reemergence of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan following the CIA drone strike that killed leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul on Saturday. In June, 240,991 migrants were caught crossing the border, including six who were on a terror watch list. It was a 14 per cent decline from May, but the surge in crossings over the last year has broken records. Biden is still trying to end Title 42, a Trump-era COVID policy that saw migrants deported straight back to Mexico, but a judge has ordered the president to continue enforcing it. Twenty-six percent of all crossers in June had previously attempted to cross the border within the last year, which is up from the usual 15 percent between 2014 and 2019, CBP said. The largest group to come through was single adults, making up 68 percent of the crossing, with 140,197 people. A total of 207,416 migrants were encountered at the US southern border in June 2022 The majority of those who crossed in June were single adults, with 140,000. There was also 51,780 in family units and 15,271 unaccompanied children, as well as, six on terrorists lists Watch the latest video at foxnews.com Solicitor Helena Biggs, 47, has won over 150,000 in a sexism discrimination case after successfully suing an international shipping insurance firm A 'ballbreaking' female lawyer who was sacked after complaining she was paid less than her male colleagues has won over 150,000 in a sexism case. Solicitor Helena Biggs, a 47-year-old mother of two, successfully sued international shipping insurance firm, A Bilborough and Company, for sex discrimination in 2020. Now, she has been awarded 151,811 in compensation. She claims she heard director Ian Barr tell a female colleague to keep her legs shut on hearing that Ms Biggs was pregnant and remarked of another that she looked like a dyke. She claimed to have witnessed repeated sexist behaviour from male bosses at the firm she joined in 2003. The solicitor was allegedly warned she was in danger of scoring an own goal when she demanded to know why her salary wasnt the same as a male executive she shared an office with. The Bristol University graduate - who was criticised for being pushy, overambitious and a ballbreaker - claimed she suffered a campaign of victimisation that ended in her dismissal as a result of her complaint. And she said the firms use of her as an enforcer to tackle underperforming staff led to her being viewed in the office as the Wicked Witch of the West. As part of her case Ms Biggs alleged that she had witnessed repeated sexist behaviour from male bosses at the firm she joined in 2003. Mr Barr also tried to play down an incident when Ms Biggs complained she had been groped by a lawyer representing one of the firms clients during a lunch, she claimed. Meanwhile her direct manager Steve Roberts - who described her as overly dominant and incredibly ambitious - advised her to use her charms to win him round. The tribunal heard that the qualified solicitor, from Redhill, Surrey, was promoted to Associate Director at the company - where she worked as a claims executive - in 2010. In 2013 she accidentally discovered that a similarly ranked male colleague was getting paid 2,000 a year more than she was, a disclosure that she found particularly upsetting but that she decided to keep quiet about. In 2015 she raised the issue with Mr Roberts. 'Mr Roberts responded by telling her that she should be careful and that the issue could be "dangerous",' the tribunal heard. A 47-year-old mother of two solicitor Helena Biggs successfully sued international shipping insurance firm, A Bilborough and Company, for sex discrimination in 2020 He told the hearing that pursuing this issue could be an own goal for Ms Biggs and she would be better off leaving it alone. However, she persisted and in October the firm agreed to give her a pay rise although it did not backdate the award to 2010 because, Mr Roberts said, it had paid for her to go on a management course. Over the following two years Ms Biggs claimed she was victimised and targeted, the tribunal heard, being unfairly criticised, overburdened and losing out on promotion and training opportunities. She launched a grievance, accusing Mr Roberts of abusing his power and exhibiting intimidating or demeaning behaviour. She also claimed he had acted improperly over a $1million insurance claim involving a consignment of rice. The majority of her complaints were dismissed by the firm and there was a discussion about whether Ms Biggs - who had been signed off sick - should return to work. However, Mr Barr conducted a staff survey which he said indicated that she would be unwelcome back in the office. East London tribunal concluded that Ms Biggs had been unfairly dismissed and had been the victim of sex discrimination, victimisation and harassment After concluding that her relationship with the directors and other staff had broken down, the firm sacked her in January 2018. However, the East London tribunal concluded that Ms Biggs had been unfairly dismissed and had been the victim of sex discrimination, victimisation and harassment. In relation to his keep your legs shuts and dyke remarks the tribunal criticised Mr Barr for derogatory comments which stereotyped women. It said Mr Roberts had been sexist and clumsy to describe Ms Biggs as pushy and suggest she use her charms on him. 'This is a comment often made to females in the media and in society,' the judgement found. 'It is highly unusual to see a reference to an adult man using his charms.' The tribunal concluded that by the end of 2017 the firm wanted her gone as she had challenged their authority and had caused them difficulties. The difficulties included her complaint of unequal pay and her allegations surrounding the $1million insurance payout, the judgement found. These were the real reasons for her dismissal, not her relationship with directors and staff, it said. The White House on Friday backed up House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on having 'every right' to visit Taiwan, even after the blowback that has ensued, with Beijing engaging in a series of escalatory steps including war games around the island. The defense came even as White House officials once again chided Beijing for its 'bellicose rhetoric' amid tensions in the region. 'The speaker had every right every right. It is her right to have gone to Taiwan,' White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday, when asked if Pelosi bears any blame for the apparent rupture in Sino-U.S. relations and if it could grow even worse. 'Members of Congress Congress make those decision. We do not tell them what they can or cannot do or where they can travel. We've said this many times before,' she continued. 'We provide a full, thorough briefing when they do travel. And, and so again, there was no reason to have this escalation that we're seeing from China. You know, it is it is fundamentally irresponsible,' she added. 'The speaker had every right every right. It is her right to have gone to Taiwan,' White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday, as China continued to ratchet up tensions following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan The White House has long defended the right of Pelosi and other lawmakers to travel. But earlier, it had done so after news of the probable trip had leaked But China had yet to take concrete steps in response. The stance continued even after Beijing compared its treatment to that of George Floyd, and said it would back away from cooperation on climate issues and even roll back defense contacts with U.S. counterparts. When pressed, Jean-Pierre said: 'The speaker had the right to go to Taiwan. She's the Speaker of the House, she should speak to the impact of her travel on her own that is for her to answer. And our focus is on defending our interests.' Her comments came after White House communications coordinator for national security John Kirby blasted China for its rhetoric and recent escalations, and repeatedly called for it to act like a responsible power. National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby hit China for its 'bellicose rhetoric' in response to Pelosi's visit 'We dont want a crisis. Were not seeking a crisis,'' Kirby told reporters on a zoom call. 'And quite frankly theres no reason for a crisis to erupt out of this.' 'Its the Chinese side that has been issuing bellicose rhetoric and threats,' he said. He called on China to stop 'provocative military exercises' and end the rhetoric. 'There was nothing inconsistent about the speakers trip about the one China policy,' he said, calling China's latest move an 'overreaction.' Kirby said despite China's move to pull back military contacts with the U.S., there were still channels between 'very senior members,' and that 'unit-to-unit' contacts were still possible. But he acknowledged that during a 'At a time of tension, and things are certainly tense, you want to be able to talk.' To date, China's response has been focused on Asia, but given the magnitude of the U.S.-China relationship, there are fears it could have other ramifications, at a time when the U.S. is arming Ukraine to fight off Russia's invasion. 'We have long been hearing China and Russia sort of cozying up to each other, at least in the public space,' Kirby said in a separate appearance on Fox News. 'But we need to remember that these are two countries that are not strategically aligned on every issue. They don't have a long history of working well together. And so we're gonna have to see how this plays out.' An enraged China has halted dialogue with the US on climate change, military issues and anti-drug work in invoked the murder of George Floyd as part of their retaliation for Nancy Pelosi's 'provocative' Taiwan visit -with diplomatic tensions reaching boiling point. Earlier, Beijing decided to sanction Pelosi and her immediate family in response to her 'vicious' actions and after their military fired 11 ballistic missiles into the Taiwan Strait - with five landing in Japan's exclusion zone - and surrounded the island. 'Despite China's serious concerns and firm opposition, Pelosi insisted on visiting Taiwan, seriously interfering in China's internal affairs, undermining China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, trampling on the one-China policy, and threatening the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait,' a foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement. A spokesman for the communist government then compared the United States' behavior to the slaying of George Floyd at the hands of cops in Minneapolis. Hua Chunying wrote: 'We cannot allow the US to take itself as "world policeman" and treat other countries George Floyd whom it can bully and strangle at will.' It comes as it emerged that the White House summoned Chinese ambassador Qin Gang on Thursday to condemn escalating actions against Taiwan and reiterate that the United States does not want a crisis in the region. The Biden administration has thrown their support behind Pelosi's trip as a way to promote democracy in Taiwan and have criticized Beijing's 'sabre rattling' and 'unnecessary' military drills. 'After China's actions overnight, we summoned Ambassador Qin Gang to the White House to demarche him about (China's) provocative actions,' White House spokesman John Kirby told the Washington Post. A demarche is a protest through diplomatic channels. 'We condemned the PRCs military actions, which are irresponsible and at odds with our long-standing goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.' On Friday morning, Taiwan condemned its 'evil neighbor' China as huge military drills once-again encircled the self-governing island - drawing harsh criticism from its allies. Taipei said multiple Chinese warships and fighters today crossed the 'median line' that runs down the center of the Taiwan Strait, separating it from the mainland. The line is an unofficial but previously widely-recognized border that Beijing insists 'no longer exists,' as it tries to exert control over its much smaller neighbor. The Pentagon ordered the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier to stay in the region and 'monitor' the situation. The Reagan Carrier Strike group has moved into the East China and Philippine seas from its base in Japan Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized those missile launches and called them a 'significant escalation. The U.S. delayed a test of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile to avoid enraging Beijing further. Japan protested China's missile tests as a 'serious threats to Japans national security and safety of its people. Japans Defense Ministry also speculated that four missiles flew over Taipei, the capital city China has decided to sanction U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her immediate family in response to her 'vicious' and 'provocative' actions, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday A Chinese fighter jet armed with missiles flies out over the Taiwan Strait early Friday, as Beijing continues to host huge war games around the island Taipei said multiple Chinese jets and warships (pictured) had today crossed the 'median line' - the unofficial maritime border between the two A Chinese fighter jet - believed to be a J-11 - flies over the Taiwan Strait amid huge war games that are due to continue until Sunday Chinese rocket artillery opens fire during training drills on Thursday, which saw more than a dozen rockets fired out over the Taiwan Strait A Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft flies over the 68-nautical-mile scenic spot, one of mainland China's closest points to Taiwan on Friday as tensions spiralled Beijing's latest moves comes after a day in which China fired barrages of missiles at Taiwan - some of which flew over the island for the first time - as it held massive war games, that state media say are a rehearsal for an invasion. Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized those missile launches - some of which landed in Japanese waters - calling them a 'significant escalation. Beijing began the military drills late Tuesday as Nancy Pelosi, US House Speaker, visited the island and says they will continue until midday Sunday. Taipei reported that Chinese fighter jets and ships crossed the 'median line' that runs down the Taiwan Strait on Friday morning. 'As of 11am, multiple batches of Chinese warplanes and warships conducted exercises around the Taiwan Strait and crossed the median line of the strait,' Taipei's defense ministry said in a statement. Chinese incursions have become more common since Beijing declared in 2020 that the unofficial border no longer existed. AFP journalists on the picturesque Chinese island of Pingtan saw a fighter jet flying overhead, prompting tourists to snap photos as it flew along the coast. A Chinese military vessel was also visible sailing through the Taiwan Strait, they added. Beijing has insisted its war games are a 'necessary' response to a visit to the self-ruled, democratic island by Pelosi, but Washington countered that China's leaders had 'chosen to overreact.' They point out that a similar visit by male senators just weeks before had passed off without a response. China on Thursday launched at least 11 ballistic missiles, some of which are thought to have flown over the island for the first time before landing in Japanese waters French-made Mirage 2000 fighter jets taxi for take-off at a Taiwanese military base in Hsinchu, near the capital of Taipei, early Friday Taiwan has condemned what it called its 'evil neighbour' China over the drills, which are due to last until Sunday (pictured, a French-made Taiwanese jet taxis for take-off) Taiwan Navy's Chi Yang-class frigate Ning Yang (FFG-938) is anchored at a harbour in Keelung city during the spat with China over Nancy Pelosi's trip Pelosi defended her visit Friday, saying Washington would 'not allow' China to isolate Taiwan. 'We have said from the start that our representation here is not about changing the status quo here in Asia, changing the status quo in Taiwan,' she told reporters in Tokyo on the final leg of an Asia tour. Taiwan's premier Su Tseng-chang, meanwhile, called for allies to push for de-escalation. '(We) didn't expect that the evil neighbor next door would show off its power at our door and arbitrarily jeopardize the busiest waterways in the world with its military exercises,' he told reporters. China's drills involved a 'conventional missile firepower assault' in waters to the east of Taiwan, the Chinese military said. The state-run Xinhua news agency said the Chinese military 'flew more than 100 warplanes including fighters and bombers' during the exercises, as well as 'over 10 destroyers and frigates'. State broadcaster CCTV reported that Chinese missiles had flown directly over Taiwan. Tokyo said five Chinese ballistic missiles were believed to have fallen in Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), with four of those presumed to have flown over Taiwan's main island. The EEZ extends up to 200 nautical miles from Japan's coastline, beyond the limits of its territorial waters. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the missile launches as a 'serious problem that impacts our national security and the safety of our citizens'. Parts of Japan's southernmost Okinawa region are close to Taiwan, as are islets at the center of a long-running dispute between Tokyo and Beijing. In May, US President Joe Biden also angered Beijing on a visit to Japan, when he said US forces would defend Taiwan militarily if China attempted to take control of the island by force. But Biden and his team insisted at the time that their decades-old approach to Taiwan remained in place. This means support for its government while diplomatically recognizing Beijing over Taipei, and opposing a formal independence declaration by Taiwan or a forceful takeover by China. On Friday, Pelosi said the United States wanted to find 'common ground' with China on issues from rights to climate change. 'Again, it isn't about our visit determining what the US-China relationship is. It's a much bigger and longer-term challenge, and one that we have to recognize that we have to work together in certain areas,' she said. Tetsuo Kotani, a professor at Meikai University and senior fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs, said the Chinese drills could give the Japanese public a 'more realistic' view of Tokyo's defence capacity compared to Beijing, which has steadily expanded its military might. 'The latest military exercise has shown that what's happening in Ukraine can happen in Asia,' he told AFP. Taipei's military said it would not confirm missile flight paths, in a bid to protect its intelligence capabilities and not allow China 'to intimidate us'. China's ruling Communist Party views Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to one day take it, by force if necessary. But the scale and intensity of the drills have triggered outrage in the United States and other democracies. 'China has chosen to overreact and use the Speaker's visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait,' John Kirby, a White House spokesman, told reporters. A view from the cockpit of a Chinese fighter jet shows the aircraft refueling in mid-air as a show of strength to Taiwan and its allies A Chinese ballistic missile is launched from somewhere in the Ganzhou region towards Taiwan in what the US called a 'major escalation' 'The temperature's pretty high', but tensions 'can come down very easily by just having the Chinese stop these very aggressive military drills', he added. Japan lodged a formal diplomatic complaint against Beijing, with five of China's missiles believed to have landed in its exclusive economic zone. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called China's exercises a 'serious problem that impacts our national security and the safety of our citizens' and called for an 'immediate cancellation of the military drills'. But Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the 'flagrant provocation' by the United States had set an 'egregious precedent.' The maneuvers are taking place along some of the busiest shipping routes on the planet, used to supply vital semiconductors and electronic equipment produced in East Asian factory hubs to global markets. Taiwan's Maritime and Port Bureau has warned ships to avoid areas being used for Chinese drills. 'The shutting down of these transport routes - even temporarily - has consequences not only for Taiwan, but also trade flows tied to Japan and South Korea,' Nick Marro, the Economist Intelligence Unit's lead analyst for global trade, wrote in a note. Taiwan said the drills would disrupt 18 international routes passing through its flight information region, while several international airlines told AFP they would divert flights. But markets in Taipei appeared to shrug off the tensions, with the Taiwan Taiex Shipping and Transportation Index, which tracks major shipping and airline stocks, up 2.3 percent early Friday. And analysts broadly agree that despite all its aggressive posturing, Beijing does not want an active military conflict against the United States and its allies over Taiwan - just yet. 'The last thing Xi wants is an accidental war ignited,' Titus Chen, an associate professor of political science at the National Sun Yat-Sen University in Taiwan, told AFP. Advertisement Actress Anne Heche is in critical condition but 'expected to pull through' after crashing her Mini into a garage before speeding off and smashing it into an LA apartment block, where it exploded. The actress and ex-girlfriend of Ellen DeGeneres remains intubated in hospital after the Mar Vista horror crash yesterday morning. Ex Thomas Jane told DailyMail.com that Heche has his 'thoughts and prayers' and is 'expected to pull through'. He also described her as 'one of the true talents of her generation'. The 53-year-old suffered horrific burns during the collision and was recorded being dragged out of the mangled wreck by firefighters after it burst into flames in LA around 11am. She writhed around on the stretcher before she was bundled into the back of an ambulance and rushed to a nearby intensive care unit. Actress Anne Heche has been intubated in a critical condition after crashing her Mini into a garage before speeding off and smashing it into an apartment block where it exploded Shocking images also show the burnt out wreckage of her Mini Clubman as it was towed out of a hedge across the road from a school in the Mar Vista area. An earlier shot also shows Heche moments before the second accident at the wheel, with what appeared to be a vodka bottle sitting in the cup holder. Video captured by a doorcam shows the vehicle owned by the actress speeding down a Mar Vista street moments before crashing into a home, sparking the blaze. The actress, who dated Ellen DeGeneres before they split up, suffered severe burns and has been intubated but is expected to live following the horror crash. An earlier shot also shows Heche moments before the second accident at the wheel with a bottle of vodka with a red cap plonked in the cup holder The 53-year-old suffered horrific burns during the collision and was recorded being dragged out of the mangled wreck by firefighters after it burst into flames in LA around 11am An overhead view shows the massive amounts of damage caused by the fiery car crash to Anne Heche's Mini Heche can be seen being removed from the scene on a stretcher and taken towards a waiting ambulance Heche is perhaps best know for dating Ellen Degeneres. They are pictured in 2000 Smoke can be seen billowing out of the roof of the home which the LA Fire Department say has been destroyed Firefighters dampen down the remains of the blaze as they stand on the rooftop of the home Shocking images also show the burnt out wreckage of her Mini Clubman as it was towed out of a hedge across the road from a school in the Mar Vista area An interior shot shows the Mini Clubman's airbag had blown out along with most of the decor being burnt through following the crash Pictures and video showed her looking dazed at the wheel after the first crash, with a witness capturing her with a bottle with a red top on it in her car. It is not clear what was in the container but it looked like a vodka bottle The actress, who dated Ellen Degeneres before they split up, suffered severe burns and has been intubated but is expected to live following the horror crash Heche had been driving her blue Mini Clubman in the Mar Vista area of Los Angeles when she careered into a garage of an apartment complex. Locals rushed to help the stricken actress with one man demanding she get out of the car. She ignored the advice and restarted the ignition, slammed her car into reverse and sped off down the road at speed. Pictures and video showed her looking dazed at the wheel after the first crash, with a witness capturing her with a bottle with a red top on it in her car. It is not clear what was in the container. She later quickly veered off the road again, smashed through a hedge and and rammed into a nearby home in the 1800 block of South Walgrove Avenue. The horrific crash caused the car to explode into flames before Heche was dragged away by firefighters and raced to hospital in an ambulance. The Los Angeles Fire Department said it took 59 firefighters 65 minutes to put out the 'stubborn flames' and 'rescue one female adult found within the vehicle.' 'The house was tons of smoke. I think they used the crane to move the car to extract the driver. It was crazy,' an eyewitness told NBC Los Angeles. Aerial footage showed her with brutal scarring across her back from the fire after her top appeared to have been shredded by the heat and she writhed across the stretcher in pain. Firefighters were able to get the flames out within about an hour, according to Fox 11 but Heche suffered severe burns in the resulting blaze and is now in intensive care. 'If there's somebody alive in there this is going to be a miracle' Fox 11 reporter Stu Mandel said as he watched from a helicopter hovering above the scene. Jawdropping pictures from the scene showed the burnt out hull of the car as it was recovered from the hedge before being towed away by the authorities. 'We really had a multifaceted incident here,' LAFD Capt. Erik Scott said. 'We had a significant traffic collision, we had entrapment of a woman inside that, we had car that erupted into fire, and then we had a home that had significant fire that is red tagged. It's at this point destroyed.' 'Her condition prevents doctors from performing any tests to determine if she was driving under the influence of alcohol,' TMZ reported. Jawdropping pictures from the scene showed the burnt out hull of the car as it was recovered from the hedge before being towed away by the authorities Smoke could be seen billowing from the home following the crash on Friday morning Firefighters survey the scene with Heche's wrecked car in the middle of the picture Firefighters can be seen at the home where Heche's car ultimately came to a stop, having put out the flames Video captured on a doorbell camera sees the vehicle speeding down the street at excessive speeds One resident estimated the car to have been traveling at close to 100mph. The video ends seconds later with a loud crash DailyMail.com spoke exclusively with neighbor David Manpearl who caught the incident on his doorbell camera. Manpearl's home office looks out to his front yard on a quiet residential street about five houses away from where Heche plowed into a home. 'At about 10:50am I heard a car go speeding by and looked out my window where I saw the car going about 90 miles an hour. Within seconds I heard a loud crash at which point I ran outside in my flip flops because I knew someone was hurt and boy was I right.' DailyMail.com spoke exclusively with neighbor David Manpearl who caught the incident on his doorbell camera Manpearl who has lived in the family friendly neighborhood said he ran towards the intersection where the Mini had crashed into the home. 'Before I approached the car, I saw the resident of the home standing barefoot in the debris. She was in shock and frantically asked me to help get her pets out of the house. I was able to get the leashes for her two small dogs and escorted her out of the side of her house. She had her two dogs with her and a tortoise.' Manpearl explained how he then went to the car to help the driver who was wedged inside between the airbag and the seat. 'I tried speaking with her a few times asking if she was ok but she wasn't responding so I had to get closer. I was able to open the back door of the car and crawled half-way inside. This time when I asked her if she was ok, she said no.' Manpearl asked Heche if she could raise her hand to see if she was ok and she said no and made some grunts. That's when the hero neighbor felt water dripping on him only to realize another neighbor was squirting a hose at the car which had now caught on fire and was quickly spreading up the walls of the house. 'I tried to talk to her again and noticed it was getting smokey and the flames were now on my right and my left so I quickly made my way out of the car.' The engineer made his way to the front of the house and attempted to put out the flames with another hose but realized it was useless because the whole house was ablaze. By now nearly ten fire trucks had arrived on the scene. 'I was positive that the driver was dead. That she had burned up. It took at least 30 minutes for the fire department to douse the flames, extract the car and pull her out of the car.' 'I was surprised to find out that it was Anne Heche. I think I knew she had had problems in the past.' The owner of the home, together with all her pets, tortoise included, spent the remainder of the day at Manpearl's house where neighbors brought her food and clothes. The LAFD said her whole house is now destroyed. The driveway of the home was cordoned off following the accident which has left Heche in intensive care Firefighters were able to get the flames out within about an hour, according to Fox 11 but Heche suffered severe burns in the resulting blaze and is now in intensive care Heche had been driving her blue Mini Clubman in the Mar Vista area of Los Angeles when she careered into a garage of an apartment complex Locals rushed to help the stricken actress but she immediately slammed her car into reverse and sped off down the road The horrific crash caused the car to explode into flames before Heche was dragged away by firefighters and raced to hospital in an ambulance Firefighters were able to get the flames out within about an hour, according to Fox 11 but Heche suffered severe burns in the resulting blaze and is now in intensive care 'We really had a multifaceted incident here,' LAFD Capt. Erik Scott said. 'We had a significant traffic collision, we had entrapment of a woman inside that, we had car that erupted into fire, and then we had a home that had significant fire that is red tagged. It's at this point destroyed' 'Her condition prevents doctors from performing any tests to determine if she was driving under the influence of alcohol,' TMZ reported Officers and firefighters are pictured on the scene following the horrific crash in Los Angeles on Friday morning Heche, a native of Aurora, Ohio , most recently starred in the action pic 13 Minutes,'in which she starred alongside Thora Birch, Amy Smart and Will Peltz She went through a very public divorce in January 2018 from her ex-husband James Tupper. The couple were together for 10 years and share a son, Atlas, 13 Heche, a native of Aurora, Ohio, most recently starred in the action pic 13 Minutes,'in which she starred alongside Thora Birch, Amy Smart and Will Peltz. She went through a very public divorce in January 2018 from her ex-husband James Tupper. The couple were together for 10 years and share a son, Atlas, 13. She was well known for her romance with Ellen DeGeneres in the 1990s. She brought the talk show host to the premiere of her movie Volcano in 1997. She claimed the act saw her being 'blacklisted' from Hollywood. 'I didn't do a studio picture for 10 years,' she told Page Six. 'I was fired from a $10 million picture deal and did not see the light of day in a studio picture.' Following her and Ellen's breakup, she was found incoherent and babbling in the California desert. She stumbled into a stranger's home before being carted off to a hospital hours after breaking up with the comedian. 'I was told to go to a place where I would meet a spaceship. I was told in order to get on the spaceship that I would have to take a hit of ecstasy,' Heche explained. 'Fresno was the culmination of a journey and a world that I thought I needed to escape to in order to find love.' Shortly after the couple dated, the director tied the knot to Coley Laffoon, while the talk show presenter started a relationship with her now-wife Portia de Rossi. Heche's divorce from the cameraman was finalised in 2009, two years after they initially ended their romance. The blonde later started dating Men In Trees co-star James Tupper in 2007, before they split in 2018. More recently, Heche had been involved with fellow actor Thomas Jane. The pair had co-starred as an acrimoniously divorced couple in the provocatively named 2009-2011 HBO series Hung. At the time, they were both involved with other people. She with James Tupper and he with Patricia Arquette. Almost a decade later, the pair worked alongside each other once more as they portray a married couple in the Netflix indie thriller The Vanished. In late 2019, the pair went public with their romance, although they are not together anymore. 'While Anne and I are no longer an item, todays tragic news was devastating to me and to all who love her. My heart goes out to Anne and her two sons. As of right now Anne is stable and expected to pull through. My thoughts and prayers are with Anne, one of the true talents of her generation. Thank God no one else was hurt,' Thomas Jane told DsilyMail.com. Anne Heche had been dating her on-screen co-star Thomas Jane until 2020. The pair are no longer together Heche has also previously been open about her battles with substance abuse. 'I drank. I smoked. I did drugs. I had sex with people. I did anything I could to get the shame out of my life,' she told ABC News in 2001. She said her choices were because of a painful childhood in which she was sexually abused by her father, Donald Heche. 'I'm not crazy, but it's a crazy life. I was raised in a crazy family and it took 31 years to get the crazy out of me. 'I had a fantasy world that I escaped to. I called my other personality Celestia. I believed I was from that world. I believed I was from another planet. I think I was insane.' 'He raped me, he stuck his d**k in my mouth, he fondled me, he put me on all fours, and had sex with me,' Heche said of the abuse by her father. 'I think it's always hard for children to talk about abuse because it is only memory. I didn't carry around a tape recorder I didn't chisel anything in stone Anybody can look and say, 'Well how do you know for sure?' And that's one of the most painful things about it. You don't,' Heche said in the 2001 interview. Heche also revealed that she had herpes as a young girl, but did not know if her mother knew she was being molested by her father. 'I had a rash, I had sores, I had welts on my nose and on my lips.' Heche said she does not describe herself as straight, gay or bisexual. 'I would never limit myself to saying I would be with a man or a woman,' she said. Anne Heche and Ami Goodheart are pictured attending the 24th Costume Designers Guild Awards at The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in March 2022 in Santa Monica, California It is believed Heche was back to dating women once again. Last month she shared photos with fashion designer Ami Goodheart Ami Goodheart with Anne Heche in a May 8, 2022 photo from her Instagram page. Caption reads: #11oclocklive @anneheche every day see you here There was plenty of emergency services in attendance in the aftermath of the crash Heche could be seen, arms flailing, as she was placed into the back of an ambulance Heche's vehicle crashed into a home setting it ablaze This is the Mar vista home which Anne Heche crashed her car into engulfed the house and her mini, Anne was reportedly severely burned and taken away by ambulance Media crews can be seen filming outside of the home where the accident occurred Onlookers try to catch a glimpse of the carnage as they pass by the site of the accident on Friday The properly has been 'destroyed' according to the LAFD and has been cordoned off Fire crews were on scene as they attempted to put out the flames which took about an hour Smoke could be seen coming from the home into which Heche has crashed ino EMTs quickly ushered Heche into the back of an ambulance The home into which Heche crashed into suffered significant fire damage with much of its roof destroyed Horrified witnesses watch on as the car is towed out of the garden following the horrendous crash on Friday morning in LA One clasps her hands to her mouth as she watches the carnage unfold in front of her following the explosion near a school The apartment complex with adjoining garage is pictured following the crash on Friday morning in Los Angeles The interior of the home which was struck appeared to be an almighty mess following the blaze A warning sign tells people not to venture inside the home which was badly damaged by fire on Friday morning Firefighters are seen outside the home after the flames were put out Heche, 53, is now said to be in critical condition in hospital where she is intubated Ex-Towie star Lauren Goodger's boyfriend has been arrested over allegedly assaulting her just hours after their baby daughter's funeral. Charles Drury, 25, was arrested and taken into custody following the attack in Upminster in the early hours of Thursday morning, according to The Sun. Lauren, 35, had to go to hospital for serious facial injuries and was also interviewed by police. She had attended her daughter's funeral with her family and was attacked later that night. The couple's baby girl tragically died last month after she was born with her umbilical cord tied around her neck. Police were called at 00.37am on Thursday to reports of an altercation and Drury was arrested on suspicion of assault. He was released on bail in the early hours of Friday morning, according to police. Lauren Goodger was taken to hospital hours for facial injuries after being assaulted just hours after her baby's funeral (pictured with partner Charles Drury in March) Devastating: The couple's child died on July 8 and they held the funeral this week Charles Drury was arrested on suspicion of assault in the early hours of Thursday morning and has since been released on bail, according to The Sun The incident happened only hours after a private funeral for baby Lorena. Lauren is pictured with partner Charles Drury in an Instagram story Dancing on Ice and Big Brother star Lauren was taken to hospital by her friend after the incident for medical check-ups and returned to hospital today for X-rays. Lauren and Charles met in October 2020 and announced they were expecting a child together three months after going public with their relationship. The Towie star had teased she was dating someone new before the identity of Charles, a builder and former lover of Katie Price, came to light. The couple have a one-year-old daughter Larose together. In January she revealed she was expecting her second child. Lauren was already at 'rock bottom', as just five days before her child died on July 8, her ex-boyfriend Jake McLean, 33, died in a car accident in Bodrum, Turkey. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said on Friday night: 'Police were called at 00.37 hrs on Thursday, August 4 to reports of an altercation. 'Officers attended. At the scene a woman, aged 30s, was found with facial injuries. 'A man was arrested on suspicion of assault. 'He was taken to an east London police station and subsequently bailed pending further inquiries. Inquiries continue.' A source told The Sun: 'Everyone who knows [Lauren] is so upset - she was already at absolute rock bottom but it's somehow got worse.' Lauren's rep declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline. Lauren was said to have been taken to hospital by her friend after the incident for medical check-ups and returned to hospital today for X-rays Lauren and Charles' romance first came to light in October 2020, they announced they were expecting their first child together just three months after going public The alleged assault happened just hours after Lauren attended the funeral of her baby daughter Lorena. Doctors tried in vain to save the 9lb baby but she was born with two knots in her umbilical cord which was tied around her neck. After she died, her traumatised mother spent hours saying goodbye to her. The heartbroken star also later revealed she still 'has a bit of a bump' which sometimes tricks her into thinking her baby girl was 'still there'. She said: 'It's weird. My body feels like it's unsettled, like it's missing a newborn.' Lauren posted an Instagram message telling how much she loved her daughter, who died minutes after being born on July 8, saying: 'I carried you, I 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.' Lauren Goodger's ex-boyfriend Jake McLean sadly died in a car accident in Turkey last month Her ex-boyfriend Jake Mclean, who she dated from 2012 until 2016 and reportedly secretly reconciled with until 2020, died last month when he 'lost control' of the vehicle in Turkey. After the accident she shared a heartbreaking series of lyrics to her Instagram Stories. Lauren's post featured a black backdrop while the song's lyrics gradually appeared on the screen. The lyrics were: 'Search your heart, search your soul. When you find me there, you'll search no more.' Advertisement Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been ordered to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages to the family of slain 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, one of the 26 people were shot dead in the Sandy Hook massacre. That's in addition to the $4 million in compensatory damages the InfoWars host was ordered to pay yesterday to parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis. In his closing statement, a lawyer for the victims' families said: 'Alex Jones is worth almost $270 million that we know of. Please take an amount that punishes him, and an amount that ensures he never does this again.' Earlier on Friday, forensic economist Bernard Pettingill testified on behalf of Lewis' parents that Jones 'promulgated some hate speech and some misinformation' and 'made a lot of money.' Jones and InfoWars are worth between $135 million and $270 million combined, Pettingill said. This is the first of three trials that Jones will face in relation to his claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax. Last year, he was found guilty of defaming the families of the victims. Two others are set for September, one in Texas and one in Connecticut, where the shooting took place. A total of eight families will be represented in the Connecticut trial. The 12-person jury on Thursday said Jones must pay the parents $4.1 million in compensatory damages for spreading conspiracy theories about the massacre Jesse Lewis' mother, Scarlett Lewis addresses the media following the verdict in Austin Lewis told the media: 'This is an important day for truth, for justice and I couldn't be happier. This has been a long battle, a long time spent 10 years and to have the result a strong message to the world that literally, choosing love is what we need to do' Scarlett Lewis tweeted in the aftermath of the jury's decision: 'Sandy Hook happened. Jesse was a hero. Alex Jones was held accountable. Today the jury proved that most of America is ready to choose love over fear and I'll be forever grateful to them.' She added: 'Ironically, Alex Jones ended up giving me a larger platform to share Jesses story and message.' Lewis posted a link to her Choose Love Movement charity's website. In court, Lewis said: 'This is an important day for truth, for justice and I couldn't be happier. This has been a long battle, a long time spent 10 years and to have the result a strong message to the world that literally, choosing love is what we need to do.' She continued: 'I got to look into his eyes and I got to tell him the impact his actions had on me and my family. And not just us all the other Sandy Hook families, all the people that live in Sandy Hook and then the ripple effect that that had throughout the world. That was a cathartic moment for me.' Following Thursday's verdict of $4 million in damages, Jones, who was not present in court on Friday, bizarrely invited the Heslin and Lewis to appear on his show 'to discuss feelings about how the trial unfolded.' For years Jones claimed on his InfoWars platform that the shooting in Newton was a 'false flag' operation perpetrated by the US government to further gun control. Jones' lawyer Federico Andino Reynal asked jurors for the fine to be $270,000 Neil Heslin, father of 6-year-old Sandy Hook shooting victim Jesse Lewis, becomes emotional during his testimony during the trial for Alex Jones Jones' lawyer, Federico Andino Reynal, immediately objected to the ruling citing a Texas law that caps plaintiff compensation at $750,000 per person. Judge Maya Guerra Gamble acknowledged the objection. Speaking the media outside of the courtroom, Reynal said: 'We are very pleased with the result. We think the jury seriously considered the issues. We think the verdict was too high.' He went on: 'Alex Jones will be on the air today, and he will be on the air next week. Hes going to keep doing his job holding our power structure accountable.' In an interview with Fox Austin, Reynal was asked about Jones' reaction to the verdict. He said: 'His reaction was that hed been found guilty before he ever had a chance to defend this case on the merits. The First Amendment is under siege, and he looks forward to continuing the fight.' Judge Gamble went on to say she was not blocking Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin's lawyers from handing over Jones' phone data to law enforcement. On Wednesday, it emerged that Jones' lawyers accidentally sent his phone's data to the Lewis and Heslin's lawyers. The data contained two years of text messages. After the judge left the court, one of the plaintiff's lawyers, Mark Bankston, said: 'I'll take it,' in response to the verdict. The damages break down as $4.2 million for defaming Neil Heslin, $20.5 million to Heslin for mental anguish and $20.5 million to Scarlett Lewis for mental anguish. During the trial, the parents testified that they received harassment and even death threats from Jones' fans after he made repeated false claims about the shooting. 'We ask that you send a very, very simple message, and that is: stop Alex Jones. Stop the monetization of misinformation and lies,' Wesley Todd Ball, a lawyer for the parents, told jurors before they began deliberations. Reynal asked jurors to return a verdict of $270,000 based on the number of hours Infowars devoted to Sandy Hook coverage. The 12-person jury on Thursday said Jones must pay the parents $4.1 million in compensatory damages for spreading conspiracy theories about the massacre. That verdict followed a two-week trial in Austin, Texas, where Jones' radio show and webcast Infowars are based. Scarlett Lewis, mother of 6-year-old Sandy Hook shooting victim Jesse Lewis, tells Alex Jones while testifying in court, "you're not going to stop' Mark Bankston, lawyer for Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, reacts while jurors take a break during closing arguments Economist Bernard Pettingill Jr. reveals Alex Jones' estimated net worth and yearly revenue across all of his companies, including offshore account In an interview with Inside Edition, Jones' ex-wife, Kelly Jones, said: 'I know that he's hidden money. I think he's got a lot of buckets under a lot of shelves.' She added: 'Alex is truly mentally ill. To me, he should be protected from himself and others. He doesn't have any moral compass, he lives in his own universe and he is a very, in my opinion, delusional man.' Jones sought to distance himself from the conspiracy theories during his testimony, apologizing to the parents and acknowledging that Sandy Hook was '100% real.' Jones' company, Free Speech Systems LLC, declared bankruptcy last week. Jones said during a Monday broadcast that the filing will help the company stay on the air while it appeals. The bankruptcy declaration paused a similar defamation suit by Sandy Hook parents in Connecticut where, as in Texas, he has already been found liable. Gangland widow Roberta Williams will spend the rest of her life on taxpayer funded welfare despite flaunting her lavish life on social media. Williams is best known for being the jilted wife of Melbourne gangland killer Carl Williams, who had dumped her by the time he was bludgeoned to death in April 2010 by prison enforcer Matthew Johnson. Carl had been serving 35 years for ordering the murders of three people and conspiracy to murder a fourth. Roberta Williams (pictured outside Victoria County Court on July 12, 2022) is best known for being the jilted wife of Melbourne gangland killer Carl Williams Roberta Williams continues to cry poor despite looking anything but in recent images posted to social media A 2007 file photo of convicted murderer Carl Williams as he sat in the dock at the Melbourne County Court. It would be the last public photo ever taken of him before his 2010 murder On Friday, a County Court of Victoria lifted a gag order forbidding the media publishing details of her latest charges. In July, Williams was back among familiar territory caged within the prison dock of Melbourne's County Court. The court heard she was broke, battered and confined to welfare payments for the rest of her life because of who she is and her unfortunate lot in life. It was a familiar tale from the convicted drug dealer, who still manages to appear in social media posts looking a million dollars. In 2004, while still married to Carl, Williams spent time behind bars for her role in a $450,000 drug trafficking operation. She had pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking a commercial quantity of ecstasy and was sentenced to 18-months in jail. Roberta Williams (pictured here with an associate outside court on July 12, 2022), sported bandages on both hands and appeared leaner and slightly younger than she did in 2019 Roberta Williams outside the County Court of Victoria in September 2019 Sporting bandages on both hands and appearing leaner and slightly younger than she did during her 2019 arrest, Williams again played the part of tragic victim of circumstance. While her arrest that year made national headlines, her admissions of guilt and subsequent sentence had been kept a secret by the court to allow her co-accused to get a fair trial. That all ended when he finally conceded his role in the doomed plot. Williams pleaded guilty in May to charges of blackmail and recklessly causing injury to her one-time tv producer Ryan Naumenko. Naumenko had made the mistake of contacting Williams with an idea to film a reality television series about her life. What that show may have looked like is anyone's guess, but if Williams is to be believed - and County Court Judge Fiona Todd took the bait hook, line and sinker - it might have featured a destitute housewife caring for her autistic child. By the time his deal was cancelled with extreme prejudice, Naumenko had been bashed by Williams' mates - John James Harrison, Jake Sexton, Hassam Al Zwainy and Daniel De Silva - robbed and threatened with death at gunpoint. Ryan Naumenko, then 36, went public with the allegations against Williams in 2019. He showed off his injuries to a television reporter Ryan Naumenko was beaten, bashed and threatened with a gun after getting into a doomed business agreement with Roberta William Roberta Williams (centre) departs the Melbourne Magistrates' Court after being granted bail in on August 7, 2019 over the attack on Naumenko Naumenko, who was 36 at the time and still living with his mum, had been lured to a warehouse in Collingwood - just outside of Melbourne's CBD - where he was ambushed. While Williams was initially accused of choking Naumenko with an electrical cord during the attack, she pleaded guilty to the assault charge on the basis she took no part in any physical attack on him after securing a deal with the Office of Public Prosecutions director Kerri Judd, QC. The court heard Williams told her mate to 'kill the c*nt' during the horrifying assault that lasted three hours. Williams told Naumenko he was fortunate they didn't kill his mother and children, who had been present at the very same warehouse before the attack. The court heard Williams turned on Naumenko amid fears he was scamming her after he made promises to hand over up to $50,000 raised from a GoFundMe page to finance the 'Mob Wives' styled reality show. Blackmail in Victoria carries a maximum jail sentence of 15 years, while the assault charge tops out at five. Williams will walk this month on a community corrections order likely without having to do a single day of community work. Even her co-accused, who faced the same charges, but had no prior offences to his name, was forced to carry out 150 hours of community work. Williams claims she is too sick and too busy with motherly duties to perform such work. Her fate will be officially decided on August 26, but the presiding judge has already told her she won't be jailed. While Williams survived Melbourne's infamous gangland war that claimed the lives of 36 underworld figures, the now 52-year old claims she still fears she and her family could be whacked at any moment. Roberta Williams vomits into a paper bag while waiting to be assessed by a police doctor after her 2019 arrest Roberta Williams after being arrested over a bungled blackmail attempt on a tv producer Williams' longtime barrister, Emma Turnbull, told the court her client was unable to get a job because of who she is. 'She's Roberta Williams,' she said. 'She's entirely unemployable.' Ms Turnbull said employers shunned Williams because of her public profile as a gangland widow. Besides, even if Williams was inclined to get a day job, she was unable to because of the special needs of her youngest child Guiseppe - born to another villain in Robert Carpenter. Carpenter is a convicted killer, who once stomped a 14-year-old boy to death under a house in Melbourne. The court heard 'Seppe', now aged 11, needs constant care from his deadbeat mum. During her preliminary hearing in the magistrates' court, Williams had been shown vomiting into a paper bag before launching into a rage, lifting up a police desk and smashing chairs. Extraordinary video showing Williams berating police before trashing the interview room was released by prosecutors at the time. For half-an-hour Williams had bombarded police with a host of conspiracy theories before she was sick in a brown paper bag. The video was captured inside a Melbourne West police station interview room just weeks after Williams allegedly threatened to kill the television producer. A tearful Williams was seen throughout the hour long video in a state of distress, leaning back on her chair and preaching to two fraud squad detectives. 'You murdered my husband in a facility that was meant to be safe ... who murdered my husband? Why did you get him killed,' she asked straight off the bat. 'Cos that's what you do. You have people killed. You wear a badge and you can do that.' Carl Williams was bludgeoned to death in April 2010 by prison enforcer Matthew Johnson after reading in a newspaper that his cellmate was a police informer. He had been serving 35 years for ordering the murders of three people and conspiracy to murder a fourth. Johnson was convicted and sentenced in December 2011 to 32 years in jail. Carl Williams had split with his wife years earlier from behind bars. Years before he died, with his divorce looming, the once feared gangster had appeared at court with a new woman altogether. Williams was famously pictured shouting at Renata Laureano as she left a County Court of Victoria hearing for the gangster in 2007. 'On the 19th of April 2010, I died that day,' Williams told police. 'I was told they were laughing while Carl was dying on the floor too.' Roberta Williams continues to cry over the prison death of her ex-husband Carl (left) who was murdered in jail in 2010 Carl Williams is pictured reading a copy of a Melbourne newspaper that revealed him to be a rat. Behind him stands Matthew Johnson, who is about to end his life The World According To Roberta Williams Williams was thrown onto the mean streets of Frankston as a nine-year old. She never had her own bed and now claims to help children obtain their own bedrooms. Williams said her daughter's worst fear was having her mum killed while behind bars: 'And that kills me to hear that from my f**king daughter,' she said. Williams claimed Channel 7 ran the Naumenko interview (aired before Williams was charged) because they 'hate her guts' because she refuses to work with them. 'They're untrustworthy and I can't stand untrustworthy people,' she said. Williams blames police for the death of Carl Williams behind bars Claimed her arrest was part of a conspiracy to stop her giving evidence at the Lawyer X royal commission Believes police officers would trust her with their own children Fears police will have her killed Advertisement Williams epeatedly accused police of trying to 'shut her up' before the royal commission into Victoria's management of police informers. Her dead husband Carl had been among the first to suspect lawyer Nicola Gobbo had been working for the police. Williams further accused the detectives of having 'judges in their pocket' and conspiring to have her murdered. 'I know I sound like a crazy woman, I know that. But you can't deny the fact that Carl was murdered in prison can you?' she asked. The bewildered detectives were forced to repeatedly assure the 51-year old that not only had they not conspired to kill the gangster, they had not even been in the police force at the time. 'All I can say in relation to that is I wasn't a police officer when that happened,' an officer told Williams. She had repeatedly denied any wrong doing over the allegations put forward by the television producer. Williams claimed she was the real victim and that she had messages - allegedly on behest of police - warning her someone was going to 'spray her house with pellets' and stab her when she visited Brisbane. 'So which police officer gave those instructions?' she said. 'I'm not going to shut up. I've got all the time in the world.' 'There is no victim. There is no fudging victim. Like you said, you wanna shut me up before the royal commission.' 'I didn't say that,' the detective explained, again. The video showed Williams repeatedly talk over the detectives as she spouted off conspiracy theories about corruption within the state. 'How would you feel if your wife was murdered by corrupt police officers? Sickening isn't it. How would you like to tell your child that your wife was murdered corruptly and then have them show photos of your dead wife laying there with blood all over the floor,' she said. Detectives were forced to stop the interview after just 10 minutes as Williams continued to rant. At one point, Williams asked to see her psychiatrist before going off the handle accusing yet another police officer of murder. 'I need my medication right now because I'm about to have a mental breakdown,' she warned. She then asked for a bin in case she needed to vomit. Instead she received a bag, which she used with gusto. When finished literally spilling her guts, Williams continued to go on the attack, declaring a detective tried to have her killed by a bikie. Among a range of allegations, Williams accused Victoria Police of not only killing Carl, but murdering his mum and bashing in the head of her infant son. 'My mum committed suicide, allegedly, but the police killed her too,' she said. 'So Vic Pol has taken three lives in my family and I'm meant to be okay?' Barbara Williams - Carl's mum - suicided in 2008 with an overdoes of pills. Williams claimed police had killed her with a hot shot of heroin. 'I wonder who is going to stick the sharp object in my throat when I hit jail,' she said. 'They'd wanna be given it a good go, because I won't have my back turned like Carl was ... it will be going straight in their f**king eye. I won't be sitting like f**king Carl was.' Williams lectured one young officer about the evils she had seen committed at the hands of police during her wretched life. 'I've seen em kick doors in babies' faces and leave em bleeding f**king on the ground,' she said. 'That was my 18-month old son. He was left to bleed like a f**king animal.' Williams only appeared to calm down when the detective entertained a discussion with her about her supposed love for kids. 'I'm loud, yes I'm f**king loud. I'm always loud. I'm loud wherever I am, but I don't attack people and I'm not violent,' Williams assured. She told the officer her love for children was well known among Victoria Police, with officers refusing to enter their bedrooms when executing search warrants. 'The cops even say "Roberta I'd leave my kids with you, you're amazing",' she said. Comanchero boss Mark Buddle has appeared in a court after being flown across Australia in chains to face two charges for allegedly importing about $40million worth of cocaine. The nation's most wanted man was apprehended by Australian Federal Police in Darwin on Tuesday after being deported from Turkey, where he was arrested last month for visa issues. Held behind protective glass, Buddle appeared in person before Magistrate Kieran Gilligan inside the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Friday. Comanchero boss Mark Buddle has appeared in a Melbourne court on drug charges Mark Buddle as he looked in his Year 9 class in 1999 Mark Buddle was extradited from Darwin to Melbourne on Friday morning (pictured) Such was the security and secrecy regarding Buddle's movements his appearance seemed to have caught even Commonwealth prosecutors off guard. Due up at 10.30am, court staff were still trying to track a prosecutor 10 minutes after the bikie was due in the prison dock. When the prosecutor finally arrived, Buddle was nowhere to be seen and needed to brought up from the jail cells deep below the belly of the court. Buddle was represented in court by Sydney lawyer Stephen Zah, who made no application for bail on behalf of his bikie client. Dressed in grey, the bikie said nothing during his short appearance from behind the protective glass. The bikie looked light years away from his appearance in the back row of the Year 9 photo in 1999 at JJ Cahill Memorial High School in Mascot. The picture, published in the Daily Telegraph on Friday, offered no indication of the wicked path the bikie would take in life. Schoolmates described how Buddle was always a 'very hard man'. The court heard it will take federal agents six weeks to compile their brief of evidence against Buddle, who was remanded in custody until his next court date in November. After spending the past few days in a cell, Buddle was flown from Darwin to Victoria on Friday morning, where he is accused of importing more than 160kg of cocaine in the state's capital city in March, 2021. Footage released by AFP showed at least four officers escorting the handcuffed 37-year-old across the tarmac and onto the plane, with two of the officers holding Buddle under each arm while pressing his back. After boarding, Buddle was shuffled down the aisle and thrust onto a seat while officers watched guard from neighbouring rows. Assistant Commissioner Nigel Ryan said Buddle, who was the subject of an Interpol red notice, said Buddle touched down in Australia 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 on Tuesday. Buddle faced court in Darwin on Tuesday, where AFP applied to have him extradited to Melbourne to face 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. The AFP will allege that Operation Ironside South-Britannic linked the man to a transnational 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. Mark Buddle pictured with his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his two kids Mel Ter Wisscha AFP officers escorted Buddle onto the charter flight to Victoria, where he is facing two drug importation charges AFP will allege Buddle imported 160kg of cocaine - which has a street value of about $40million into Melbourne in March 2021 The AFP alleges that in mid-2021 it identified Buddle 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, AFP engaged with the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions in preparation to seek a warrant for Buddle's arrest, with a full brief of evidence submitted in January. 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, a transnational off-shore disruption task force, since March 2021. 'This is the first time the AFP has publically 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.' Assistant Commissioner Ryan said the AFP had strong global partnerships and recently hosted Turkish authorities in Canberra, where crucial intelligence was shared between agencies. Comanchero boss was taken into police custody in Darwin on Tuesday (pictured) after being deported from Turkey Mark Buddle pictured with his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his two kids Mel Ter Wisscha '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.' 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 long-time girlfriend Mel Ter Wisscha and their two children. 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. Amid all the hustle and bustle of modern lives, it may often seem like time is flying. But it turns out it really is, after Earth recorded its shortest day since records began in June. The 1.59 milliseconds shaved off the usual 24-hour spin on June 29 raises the prospect of a negative leap second having to occur to keep clocks aligned which would be the first time in history that global clocks have been sped up. So just why is Earth spinning faster than usual? Scientists claim climate change, seismic activity and ocean circulation could all be to blame, as could the pull of the moon and the so-called 'Chandler Wobble' a change in the spin of the Earth on its axis. The 'Chandler Wobble' The 'Chandler Wobble' is a wobbling motion that happens as the Earth rotates on its axis. It works in a similar way to how a spinning top wobbles as it slows down. However, in recent years the spin has become less wobbly, which scientists think might be linked to the increasing speed of the Earth's rotation, resulting in shorter days. 'The Chandler wobble is a component of Earth's instantaneous axis of rotation motion, so called polar motion, which changes the position of the point on the globe where the axis intersects the Earth's surface,' said Dr Leonid Zotov, of the Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Moscow. 'The normal wobble amplitude is about four metres at Earth's surface, but from 2017 to 2020 it disappeared.' This historic minimum was reached just as the length of days began to shorten. Speeding up: Earth recorded its shortest day since records began back in June, but why is our planet spinning faster than usual? Scientists claim climate change, seismic activity and ocean circulation could all be to blame Each day on Earth contains 86,400 seconds, but the rotation isn't uniform, which means over the course of a year, each day has a fraction of a second more or less WHAT IS A LEAP SECOND? A leap second is an adjustment of a single second to the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This is designed to keep atomic clock time and solar time inline. There are difference between the incredibly precise International Atomic Time (TAI) measured by atomic clocks, and the imprecise observed solar time (UT1), linked to Earth's rotation. UTC time standard, inline with Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is widely used for global timekeeping, including in astronomy. Without the leap second, added every few years, UTC would be out of line with the Earth's rotation speed. While this wouldn't be noticable to most people, over hundreds of years it could shift the point of Noon, and would impact the internet. However, it isn't a popular practice, proving distruptive to some internet services, with Google 'smooshing' time over a year to add the increase in microseconds to each day. International standards bodies responsible for time are debating whether to drop the practice, as even over 100 years it would only drift by about a minute. Advertisement There's not much explanation as to the cause of this lack of wobble, however. Matt King, a professor at the University of Tasmania who specialises in Earth observation, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: 'It's certainly odd. 'Clearly something has changed, and changed in a way we haven't seen since the beginning of precise radio astronomy in the 1970s.' Climate change Global warming is also considered to be having an effect, by melting ice and snow at a faster pace. Research has suggested that as glaciers melt as a result of rising atmospheric temperatures from the burning of fossil fuels the redistribution of mass is making Earth shift and spin faster on its axis. This is because it is leading to the loss of hundreds of billions of tonnes of ice a year into the oceans, which has been causing the North and South Poles to move eastward since the mid-1990s. Previously, only natural factors such as ocean currents and the convection of hot rock deep inside the Earth contributed to the drifting position of the poles. But since 1980, the position of the poles has moved about 13ft (4m) in distance. Earth's spin axis an imaginary line that passes through the North and South Poles is always moving, due to processes scientists don't completely understand. But the way water is distributed on Earth's surface is one factor that causes the axis, and therefore the poles, to shift. One example of this is the decrease in Greenland's ice mass as temperatures increased throughout the 20th century. In fact, about 7,500 gigatons the weight of more than 20 million Empire State Buildings of Greenland's ice melted into the ocean during this time period. This makes it one of the top contributors of mass being transferred to the oceans, causing sea levels to rise and, consequently, a drift in Earth's spin axis. While ice melt is occurring in other places (like Antarctica), Greenland's location makes it a more significant contributor to polar motion, as NASA's Eric Ivins explains. 'There is a geometrical effect that if you have a mass that is 45 degrees from the North Pole which Greenland is or from the South Pole (like Patagonian glaciers), it will have a bigger impact on shifting Earth's spin axis than a mass that is right near the Pole,' he said. But if a change in water mass distribution and sea level rise can cause Earth's rotation to speed up, what can have the opposite effect? NASA says that stronger winds in El Nino years can slow down the planet's spin, extending the day by a fraction of a millisecond. Either way, the impact climate change has on the Earth's rotation is still considered among the scientific community to be relatively small. Seismic activity Earthquakes and other seismic activity can also have an impact on how fast our planet rotates. This is because they, too, can move mass toward the centre of the Earth like a spinning person pulling their arms in and therefore shifting its weight once again. For example, the 2004 earthquake that unleashed a tsunami in the Indian Ocean shifted enough rock to shorten the length of the day by nearly three microseconds. Major earthquakes in Chile in 2010 and Japan in 2011 also increased the Earth's spin and hence decreased the length of the day. Ocean circulation Ocean circulation and pressure on the seabed pulls on the Earth's axis, too. In November 2009, events in the Southern Ocean made the Earth spin ever-so-slightly faster, shortening half of the days in the month by 0.1 milliseconds each. It turned out the powerful ocean current that rings the continent the Antarctic Circumpolar Current was to blame. About 7,500 gigatons of Greenland's ice (pictured) melted into the ocean during the 20th century. This makes it one of the top contributors of mass being transferred to the oceans, causing sea levels to rise and, consequently, a drift in Earth's spin axis FOUR LAYERS OF THE PLANET EARTH Crust: To a depth of up to 70km, this is the outermost layer of the Earth, covering both ocean and land areas. Mantle: Going down to 2,890km with the lower mantle, this is the planet's thickest layer and made of silicate rocks richer in iron and magnesium than the crust overhead. Outer core: Running from a depth of 2,890- 5,150km, this region is made of liquid iron and nickel with trace lighter elements. Inner core: Going down to a depth of 6,370km at the very centre of planet Earth, this region has been thought to be made of solid iron and nickel. But this new study suggests that it contains both mushy and hard iron. Advertisement Experts at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California and at the Institute of Earth Physics of Paris in France noticed that it slowed abruptly on November 8, 2009, only to speed up two weeks later. Precise day-length data then revealed that the changes immediately caused the Earth to spin faster, shortening each day by 0.1 milliseconds, before day length returned to normal on November 20 that year in line with the current. Mystery in the Earth's core Some experts believe that the explanation lies within the Earth itself, with something perhaps happening to the planet's core and mantle. 'We are not sure because Earth is a very complex system, but I believe it's causing the Chandler wobble to decay and the length of day to decrease synchronously,' said Zotov. 'Nobody expected that the Earth would accelerate.' The speed our planet rotates on its axis has varied throughout history. 1.4 billion years ago, a day would pass in less than 19 hours, compared to 24 today. So, on average, Earth days are getting longer rather than shorter, by about one 74,000th of a second each year. But the planet is currently spinning faster than it was half a century ago. Sometimes the speed of rotation varies slightly, affecting the global timekeeper the atomic clock requiring leap seconds to be added. Or in the latest case, a negative leap second potentially having to occur. A total of 27 leap seconds have been needed to keep atomic time accurate since the 1970s. Some experts believe that the explanation lies within the Earth itself, with something perhaps happening to the planet's core and mantle (stock image) The last was on New Year's Eve 2016, when clocks paused for a second to allow the Earth to catch up. But since 2020, that phenomenon has reversed; the previous fastest day, on July 19 that year, was 1.47 milliseconds shorter than 24 hours. Humans can't detect the change, but it could affect satellites and navigation systems. Each day on Earth consists of 86,400 seconds, but the rotation isn't uniform, which means over the course of a year, each day has a fraction of a second more or less. The atomic clock is extremely precise, and measures time by the movement of electrons in atoms that have been cooled to absolute zero. The International Earth Rotation Service in Paris is responsible for tracking how quickly the Earth spins, and does so by sending laser beams to satellites and using that to measure their movement. It will tell countries when leap seconds must be added or taken away, giving them six months' notice. North Korea could deploy up to 100,000 soldiers to help Russian forces in its attack on Ukraine, according to a top defense expert. Reserve Colonel Igor Korotchenko, who is based in Moscow, told a government broadcaster that Russia should not be "shy" in welcoming the "hand extended" by Kim Jong-un, as per a report from Mirror. According to Regnum news agency, North Korea has made it known through "diplomatic channels" that in addition to providing construction workers to fix war wreckage, it is also prepared to provide a substantial military presence. They would be assigned to the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic, two pro-Putin separatist states that Kim recently recognized as sovereign countries. Moscow-backed rebels have been in charge of the Donbas, the southeastern areas of Donetsk and Luhansk, for eight years. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not recognize Donetsk and Luhansk as official republics until February 21, three days before the start of the Russia-Ukraine War. All UN members, except for Russia, believe that the DPR is still technically a part of Ukraine and not a separate country. According to the report of a pro-Kremlin news outlet, North Korea "is ready to transfer up to 100,000 of its soldiers to Donbas." Kim's struggling economy would receive grain and energy in exchange. The claim was seized on by Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of Russia's National Defence journal, on Rossiya 1 channel. He said there are reported, "100,000 North Korean volunteers prepared to come and take part in the conflict." North Korean Forces May Help in Restoration of Devastated Areas Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora, in a July interview, said that the self-declared people's republics of Donetsk and Luhansk might use the assistance of North Korean laborers to restore the infrastructure that the fighting has destroyed. Notwithstanding UN sanctions, Matsegora suggested there might be "a lot of opportunities" for economic cooperation between the North and the self-declared republics in the Donbas region of Ukraine, The Guardian reported. In an interview, he reportedly said that highly skilled and diligent Korean builders, who are capable of working in the most challenging situations, "could help restore" social, infrastructure, and industrial facilities, according to NK News. Read Also: Donald Trump's Legal Team Coordinates with Justice Department on Jan.6 Investigation, Proving Federal Criminal Probe's Progress Days after becoming one of just a few nations to recognize the two regions, North Korea accused the Ukrainian government of being a part of Washington's "hostile" policy toward Pyongyang in his remarks. Russia Has 'No More Allies' Dmytro Kuleba, the foreign minister of Ukraine, claimed that Russia's request for assistance from North Korea demonstrated that Moscow has "no more allies in the world" aside from nations that rely on it economically and politically." Ukraine had already stopped its political and economic ties with North Korea as part of UN-led sanctions intended to intensify pressure on Pyongyang to halt its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, Due to Pyongyang's intercontinental ballistic missile launches, the U.N. Security Council, of which Russia is a permanent member, issued a resolution in December 2017 banning member states from hiring North Korean laborers. According to VOA news, Pyongyang has traditionally sent North Korean laborers to Russia to earn foreign currency to give back home. Before the U.N. imposed sanctions, the U.S. estimated 30,000 North Korean employees were in Russia. Many people continued to live and work in Russia on travel or student visas. In a document delivered to the U.N., Russia acknowledged that 511 North Koreans still stayed there in March 2020. Related Article: China Recently Deploys J-20 Stealth Fighter First Time on Active Combat Duty Into Taiwan ADIZ @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A rare multi-coloured sea slug has been spotted in UK waters for the first time. The slug, called Babakina anadoni, was found by a diver off the coast of the Isles of Scilly, an archipelago southwest of Cornwall on July 29. It's just 0.8 of an inch (2cm) long, less than half the size of a little finger, and is covered with an array of jewel-like 'cerata'. These soft finger-like projections, coloured purple, yellow and orange, contain the animal's gut and may also act as a warning to predators. B. anadoni is usually found in warm sea waters around the west coast of Spain, so climate change or recent high UK temperatures could account for its appearance further north. Babakina anadoni is a colourful species of sea slug in the family Babakinidae. The slug is a member of the aeolid nudibranch group, characterised by their bright colours and unusual shapes A specimen of Babakina anadoni (right), which is just 2cm long, was found by a diver off the coast of the Scilly Isles BABAKINA ANADONI: A JEWEL-COLOURED SEA SLUG Babakina anadoni is a colourful species of sea slug in the family Babakinidae. B. anadoni is usually found in warm sea waters around the west coast of Spain, but in August 2022 a specimen was found off the Isles of Scilly, unusually far north. Climate change or high UK temperatures could account for its appearance further north. The species was first described in 1979 and placed in the genus Rioselleolis but was later assigned to the Babakina genus. Advertisement The Babakina anadoni specimen was found by Allen Murray, a volunteer 'seasearcher' for the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. He made the find while diving near Melledgan, an uninhabited rock island in the archipelago, as he was taking part in the trust's National Marine Week. Mr Murray told MailOnline that he didn't recognise the species immediately. 'I just knew that it wasnt something Id seen before or recognised, and nor did anyone else on the boat when I surfaced,' he said. 'We then checked our ID guides for the UK when we got back to land but without success. 'But one of the group had a vague recollection of having seen something similar on a Facebook discussion group and did some digging and tentatively IDd it as Babakina.' His photograph of the sea slug is the first confirmed record of the species in the UK, according to the Cornwall Wildlife Trust It has been sighted only a handful of times elsewhere, mainly along the west coast of Spain and further south in the Atlantic, the trust said. Babakina anadoni feeds on the stinging cells from Hydroids, small creatures that are related to coral and jellyfish. Amazingly, the Babakina anadoni's gut extends into each one of its finger-like cerata, and so this is where it processes the food. 'It's incredible that they dont get stung themselves when they process the stinging cells,' Matt Slater, marine conservation officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust, told MailOnline. Babakina anadoni also has red receptors called rhinophores, which it uses to feel its way around and detect smell and taste. The sea slug is a member of the aeolid nudibranch group, characterised by their bright colours and unusual shapes. The species was first described in 1979 and placed in the genus Rioselleolis, but was later assigned to the Babakina genus. Allen Murray made the find while diving near Melledgan, an uninhabited rock island in the archipelago Pictured is a previously-taken photo of B. anadoni. The species is usually found in warm sea waters around the west coast of Spain It's possible climate change or recent high UK temperatures could account for its appearance further north Slater told MailOnline that the Trust is definitely seeing more warm water species in nearby waters, which could be related to climate change. The Trust's Seasearch project recruits volunteer divers to record marine habitats and species found around the Cornish coast. Slater called the discovery an 'incredible find'. 'We were extremely excited to hear about the sighting of this colourful nudibranch a species that we believe has never been recorded in the UK before,' he said. 'It's one of the prettiest sea slugs I've seen and, given it's less than half the size of your little finger, it's amazing Allen spotted it at all. 'There's still so much out there that we don't know about our marine environment.' The Cornwall Wildlife Trust's 'Seasearch' project recruits volunteer divers to record marine habitats and species found around the Cornish coast. Pictured, the Isles of Scilly 'Records like this from our Seasearch divers are vital in helping us understand and better protect our seas.' Lucy McRobert, communications manager at Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, added: 'We never cease to be amazed at the wildlife turning up in Scillonian waters. 'From rare and beautiful nudibranchs to violet sea snails to great whales like humpbacks and fins, every time we dive beneath the surface we learn and see something new.' While their big mouths and pointy teeth may look fearsome, crocodiles and alligators are no match for humans. More than half of all crocodilians which includes crocodiles, alligators and caimans are facing extinction, say scientists. This is due to hunting, bycatch in fishing, damming of rivers and habitat loss as a result of human development. Researchers, led by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), have analysed the species' ecological functions, and found their loss would have a 'devastating ecological impact'. They identified which species are most in need of conservation, and are demanding better protection for the threatened reptiles. Lead author Phoebe Griffith said: 'Many people think of crocodilians as large predators, grabbing zebra in wildlife documentaries, but that's just a small part of the behaviour of a single species. 'There are around 28 species of crocodilian, and they've evolved to be surprisingly different to one another. 'Quantifying the diverse ecological roles of these species is an important factor in understanding and conserving global biodiversity and looking at the scale of what we are set to lose if these key players disappear.' The gharial (pictured) is the most 'functionally distinct' of the 28 crocodilian species studied. It is listed as 'critically endangered' on the IUCN Red List (stock image) The Chinese alligator (pictured) is also critically endangered and serves important ecological functions. It has been marked as priority by ZSL's EDGE of Existence programme (stock image) Percentage of functional diversity recovered as species are sequentially protected from extinction according to different metrics for extinction risk. Steeper accumulation curves indicate more diversity recovered per species protected Each crocodilian species plays a different role in the wider ecosystem. The conservationists developed a database of characteristics that influence these ecological functions, like skull shape, body size and habitat use. They found that the Chinese alligator creates shelter for other animals by burrowing, while the Philippine crocodile feeds on apple snails, that are regarded as invasive, agricultural pests. The saltwater crocodile travels hundreds of kilometres across the ocean, going from land to fresh and salt water, and carries nutrients between these different ecosystems. Other species possess different traits that help the species survive; those that reproduce a lot, are highly adaptive to different habitats or can tolerate climate extremes. CROCODILIAN SPECIES WITH MOST UNIQUE ECOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS Gharial ( Gavialis gangeticus ) - Critically endangered ( ) - Saltwater crocodile ( Crocodylus porosus ) - Least concern ( ) - Least concern Broad-snouted caiman ( Caiman latirostris ) - Least concern ( ) - Least concern American alligator ( Alligator mississippiensis ) - Least concern ( ) - Least concern Chinese alligator ( Alligator sinensis ) - Critically endangered ( ) - Freshwater crocodile ( Crocodylus johnsoni ) - Least concern ( ) - Least concern Orinoco crocodile ( Crocodylus intermedius ) - Critically endangered ( ) - Cuban crocodile ( Crocodylus rhombifer ) - Critically endangered ( ) - Philippine crocodile ( Crocodylus mindorensis ) - Critically endangered ( ) - Siamese crocodile ( Crocodylus siamensis ) - Critically endangered Advertisement In research published today in Functional Ecology, it was revealed that up to 38 percent of the ecological functions the reptiles provide for other creatures are at risk of being lost. Of the ten crocodilian species that have the most unique ecological functions, six are 'critically endangered'. This means they are so few in number that they are considered functionally extinct in most of the areas where they have traditionally lived. The coastlines and freshwaters they inhabit are fragile and under heavy human pressure, particularly in and around Asia, which the study identified as having the most threatened hotspots. Ms Griffith, a ZSL PhD student, added: 'If we lose these species, we stand to lose the important roles they play, forever. 'We are only just beginning to investigate what these roles are, but some species may be lost before we have chance to understand their place in the ecosystems they are found. 'This is especially worrying as many of the crocs we highlight as ecologically distinctive are also the species at immediate risk of extinction.' The study found that conserving threatened crocodilians based on their evolutionary uniqueness would help preserve the diversity of the species worldwide. The two most threatened species, the gharial and Chinese alligator, have been marked as priority by ZSL's EDGE of Existence programme. The gharial is especially adapted to living in water. It has a long, narrow snout ideal for catching fish, and its presence indicates a clean and healthy waterway. ZSL said it has been working with partners in India and Nepal as well as local fishing communities to monitor the reptiles and help them live alongside people. The conservationists investigated the ecological functions of crocodilian species by measuring characteristics such as skull shape, body size and habitat use, which influence the way they behave in their environment. Clockwise from top left: Gharial skull and male and female; Saltwater crocodile skull and individual in ocean; Chinese alligator skull and male and female; African dwarf crocodile skull and adult; False gharial skull and adult; and West African slender-snouted crocodile skull and adult Co-author of the current study, Professor Jeffrey Lang of the Gharial Ecology Project, said: 'People are the key to crocodilian conservation. If we value having these dinosaur relatives around, then conserving the world's alligators, caiman, crocodiles, and gharials will be a priority. 'Studying them and understanding how important these aquatic predators are, in the places where they still live, is the necessary first step in ultimately conserving not only the most impressive crocodilians, but also their many interesting and diverse lifestyles. 'Community gatherings and environmental programmes in village schools are vital for local awareness of and appreciation for all resident wetland species, including crocodilians.' Ms Griffith added: 'Our study highlights the highly threatened nature of crocodilians and that immediate, stronger conservation action for many of these species is essential if we are to protect their ecological functions in the freshwater habitats they occur in. 'This is so important as freshwater habitats are amongst the most threatened on Earth, but provide many critical services for our planet.' The saltwater crocodile (pictured) travels hundreds of kilometres across the ocean, going from land to fresh and salt water, and carries nutrients between different ecosystems (stock image) EDGE Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Dr Rikki Gumbs said: 'From miniature burrowing alligators to giant sea-faring crocodiles, the vast evolutionary journey of crocodilians has produced a dazzling variety of shapes, sizes and behaviours. 'Sadly, many of the world's most unique crocodilians are in decline and, along with the functions they perform in their ecosystems, are on the brink of being lost forever. 'However, our research shows that we can safeguard much of the diversity we stand to lose by prioritising the most unique species for conservation action. 'Interestingly, we can also efficiently protect the threatened functions of crocodilians by aiming to conserve their evolutionary history. 'In essence, by looking to the distant past we can effectively conserve crocodilian diversity, and the benefits this diversity provides to ecosystems, into the future.' Tonga's volcanic eruption in January blasted enough water to fill more than 58,000 Olympic-size swimming pools - and could weaken the ozone layer. Scientists who examined the amount of water vapour ejected by the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano described it as 'unprecedented'. The powerful steam was formed when seawater in the South Pacific came into contact with the lava and was 'superheated'. The eruption created sound waves heard as far as Alaska 6,200 miles away, in a sonic boom that circled the globe twice. In a new study, experts from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory predict the volume of water could be enough to temporarily affect the global average temperature. It could also temporarily boost chemical reactions in the atmosphere that worsen the depletion of the ozone layer. 'We've never seen anything like it,' said atmospheric scientist Dr Luis Millan. In a new study, experts from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory predict the volume of water expelled during the eruption could be enough to affect the global average temperature Just before nightfall reached Tonga, the eruption (lower left) created sound waves heard as far as Alaska 6,200 miles away, in a sonic boom that circled the globe twice Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, an underwater volcano in the South Pacific, spewed ash and other debris as high as 25 miles into the atmosphere when it erupted in January In the study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, Dr Millan and his colleagues estimate that the Tonga eruption sent around 146 million tonnes of water vapour into the stratosphere. The stratosphere is the layer of the atmosphere between about 8 and 33 miles (12 and 53 kilometres) above the Earth's surface. Water from the January 15 eruption equates to approximately 10 per cent of the water content already present in the stratosphere. Comparable amounts of water have only been blasted to such high altitudes by volcanoes twice before in the 18 years that NASA has been taking measurements. These were the 2008 Kasatochi event in Alaska and the 2015 Calbuco eruption in Chile. The water from these events dissipated quickly, but NASA researchers claim the liquid from the Tonga volcano could remain in the stratosphere for up to ten years. A: The water vapour entered the stratosphere primarily in the tropics, where rising dry and moist air is recorded in annual cycles. The vapour from the eruption has disrupted this 'heartbeat' signal. B: Time series of near-global water vapour at atmospheric pressures of 100 and 31 hPa using data from MLS and GOZCARDS The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption caused many effects, like atmospheric waves, extreme winds and unusual electric currents, that were felt around the world and into space To determine the volume of water vapour, scientists analysed data from Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instrument on NASA's Aura satellite. This measures atmospheric gases, including water vapour and ozone, by observing natural microwave signals emitted from Earth's atmosphere. The researchers noticed readings increased dramatically after the Tonga volcano erupted. Dr Millan, who manages the instrument from Pasadena, California, USA, said: 'We had to carefully inspect all the measurements in the plume to make sure they were trustworthy. 'MLS was the only instrument with dense enough coverage to capture the water vapor plume as it happened, and the only one that wasn't affected by the ash that the volcano released.' Ash from the Tonga eruption was seen from SPACE Ash sent spewing into the air from the massive underwater volcanic eruption in Tonga was photographed by International Space Station astronauts. NASA shared the remarkable pictures taken out of the ISS Cupola windows, showing a blanket of ash from plumes spewing thousands of feet into the atmosphere. The event was so striking that satellites captured the moment of the eruption, with astronauts on the ISS taking images of plumes and blankets of ash over the region. Read more: Ash from the volcanic eruption in Tonga is seen from SPACE Advertisement When the water molecules break down in the stratosphere, they release reactive hydrogen oxide molecules. These react with and destroy ozone by themselves, but also convert chlorine-containing gases into other destructive molecules. Water vapour also traps heat, so the eruption could result in a temporary warming effect on the surface of Earth, for what the researchers think may be the first time. While it is counted as a 'greenhouse gas', like carbon dioxide and methane, any warming would not be enough to exacerbate climate change effects. This is because the warmth would dissipate as the extra water was naturally cycled out of the stratosphere. Conversely, previous massive volcanic eruptions, like Krakatoa, blasted ash, dust and gases into the atmosphere that reflect sunlight back into space, and produced a cooling effect. In the paper, Dr Millan wrote: 'It is critical to continue monitoring volcanic gases from this eruption and future ones to better quantify their varying roles in climate.' The researchers believe that the Tonga volcano was only able to produce the vast amounts of water vapour it did because of its precise depth underwater. Its caldera - the large crater formed while magma begins erupting - is thought to be located about 490 feet (150 metres) down. If it were any shallower, there wouldn't have been enough seawater superheated by the magma to account for the volume of stratospheric water vapour. However, any deeper and the pressure from the ocean could have muted the violent eruption. Slide me Radar surveys before and after the eruption show that only small parts remain of two uninhabited Tongan islands above the volcano Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai Elon Musk unveiled a new teaser image of his company's Optimus humanoid robot that will be fully revealed at the end of next month. The tech mogul showed off a picture of robotic hands making a heart shape at the company's annual shareholders meeting in Austin Thursday evening and touted a full reveal of Tesla Optimus at AI Day September 30. Few details are known about the robot, but Musk has said it would handle tasks that humans find boring or repetitive and could even serve as a companion. 'AI Day, part two, I think people will be blown away,' Musk said. 'But that's at the end of next month, so we'll leave that - there's gonna be a lot of cool stuff.' Scroll down for video Elon Musk showed off a picture of robotic hands making a heart shape at the company's annual shareholders meeting in Austin Thursday evening and touted a full reveal of Tesla Optimus at AI Day September 30 'AI Day, part two, I think people will be blown away,' Musk said. 'But that's at the end of next month, so we'll leave that - there's gonna be a lot of cool stuff.' The Tesla bot, which would be 5'8 and weigh 125 pounds, is set to include the Autopilot computer used in the company's electric cars, which will allow the humanoid to recognize real-world objects, although the robot will have its own customized sensors and actuators. It will also be able to 'deadlift' up to 150 pounds, carry 45 pounds, walk 5 miles per hour and have human-like hands plus visual sensors giving it the ability to 'see.' '[You can] talk to it and say, "Please pick up that bolt and attach it to a car with that wrench," and it should be able to do that,' Musk said last August about the robot. '"Please go to the store and get me the following groceries." That kind of thing. I think we can do that.' Tesla's Autopilot cameras will be fitted in the front of the bot's head and its inner-workings will be powered by the company's Full Self-Driving computer. The bots will be apparently operate through Teslas Full Self-Driving computer interface, which is what's in the Tesla Model 3, X, S, Y and Roadster. Few details are known about the robot, but Musk has said it would handle tasks that humans find boring or repetitive and could even serve as a companion Previously released renderings have shown that it could end up looking like the 'NS5' robots in the 2004 film I, Robot. But for anyone worried about a Terminator-style situation, Musk tried to set those fears to rest as well. What do we know about Tesla Optimus? Originally called Tesla Bot, Elon Musk announced the humanoid robot at AI Day in August 2021 The robot would stand 5'8 and weigh 125 pounds It will move at 5 mph, deadlift 125 pounds and carry 45 pounds Tesla Optimus will have human-like hands and feet and sensors for eyes The bot will be 'friendly' to humans Humans will also be able to outrun and overpower the robots if needed The robot will be able to perform tasks that are repetitive or boring, but could also serve as a companion Tesla is set to unveil a prototype of the robot September 30 at AI Day Advertisement 'Its intended to be friendly, of course,' Musk said during the initial Tesla Bot announcement last year. 'And navigate through a world built for humans.' The tech leader said at the initial presentation that humans would be able to outrun and overpower the Tesla Optimus if they needed to. During a question period following Teslas AI Day last year, Musk said: 'We should be worried about AI. What were trying to do here at Tesla is make useful AI that people love and is unequivocally good.' Presumably the public will learn more about actual production plans for Optimus on September 30, when Musk is set to unveil a prototype of the machine. 'We have a very talented team at Tesla that I'm working with closely to have a prototype humanoid robot ready by the end of September. And I think we are tracking to that point,' Musk said at a business event in June. The notion of robotic companions may seem far-fetched. However, Intuition Robotics, which makes a bot called ElliQ, was recently taped by New York officials for 834 of its machines that can help senior citizens who are dealing with loneliness. Robots are already having a major impact on manufacturing. The adoption of robotics in warehouses will increase 50 percent or more in the next five years, according to the Material Handling Institute. With the Twitter turmoil hanging a dark cloud over Elon Musk, shareholders worry the CEO could step down from his role at Tesla if forced to purchase the platform, but Musk ensured them his talented team could continue the work even if he 'was kidnapped by aliens' or returned to his home planet. The humorous remarks were made during Tesla's 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders held Thursday at the company's new headquarters in Austin, Texas, and were given during the Q&A portion of the presentation. The question came from Tesla bull and managing partner of The Future Fund, Gary Black, who asked: 'So how does the board think about your succession and especially when you a judge who's going to decide in a couple months whether or not you have to take over Twitter. How would you split your time?' After ensuring the crowd Tesla would live on, Musk then said 'I am not leaving to be clear.' Scroll down for videos Elon Musk is not worried about the fate of Tesla, even if he has to stepped down from his role as CEO. He said the company would succeed even if he was abducted by aliens The billionaire continued to explain that Tesla is definitely gathering a lot of momentum, which he was referring to an earlier announcement during the presentation about the carmaker recently produced its three millionth electric vehicle since inception in 2004. 'I wonder how many cars we will have in 10 year,' Musk said while taking a quiet pause to reflect. '10 years ago we had less than 3,000 cars and now we've made three million.' Someone in the audience quickly yelled out '300 million,' which triggered a laugh from Musk who quickly said that '100 million is pretty doable.' The remarks were made during Tesla's 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders held Thursday at the company's new headquarters in Austin, Texas, and were given during the Q&A portion of the presentation The question came from Gary Black, who asked: 'So how does the board think about your succession and especially when you a judge who's going to decide in a couple months whether or not you have to take over Twitter. How would you split your time? According to the billionaire this will be done by expanding the four fully-operating Gigafactories into 12 and Tesla will likely reveal a location of a new factory later this year. However, Musk still has to face the lawsuit against him filed by Twitter. The Tesla CEO had offered to purchase the social media platform for $44 billion, but then backed out claiming Twitter failed to provide enough information on the number of fake accounts on the site. On Wednesday, Twitter denied in a court filing that it had deprived its would-be acquirer of necessary information or misrepresented details about its business. That fate of that acquisition, which Musk agreed to without taking the time to examine the details of Twitter's business, now rests with a Delaware court where Twitter sued to force Musk to complete the deal. The case is scheduled to go to trial on October 17. The court's decision could ultimately determine the future of a social platform used daily by 238 million people around the globe a small audience by the standards of Facebook and other major platforms, but one that include political leaders, major entertainers and experts on a variety of subjects. Until January 2021, it was also home to former President Donald Trump. In an unexpected twist, Twitter was able to file its response to Musk before Musk's own counterclaims have surfaced in public. A judge ruled on Wednesday that Musk's counterclaim will be made public by Friday. Musk also announced that Tesla had produced its three millionth electric vehicle Parts of Musk's counterclaim, however, was included in Twitter's response. These include accusing the company of fraud and 'delay tactics' and only providing Musk 'sanitized, incomplete information' in answer to his questions about spam accounts and other company metrics. While Twitter has claimed that Musk is inventing reasons to get out of buying the company, Musk's lawyers say that Twitter is the one holding back the deal by 'dragging its feet' and providing insufficient data to the billionaire's requests. In a reply filed Thursday in Delaware Chancery Court, Twitter calls Musk's reasoning 'a story, imagined in an effort to escape a merger agreement that Musk no longer found attractive.' Musk is also dealing with a lawsuit from Twitter, which he touched on at the meeting. He told the audience that Twitter fit into the grand vision for his holding company. He said that since he uses Twitter a lot, with more than 100 million followers, he knows what to do with it 'The Counterclaims are a made-for-litigation tale that is contradicted by the evidence and common sense,' Twitter's response says. 'Musk invents representations Twitter never made and then tries to wield, selectively, the extensive confidential data Twitter provided him to conjure a breach of those purported representations.' At the same time, the response says, Musk also accused Twitter of breaching their agreement by 'stonewalling' his information requests. Representatives for Musk did not immediately return a message for comment Thursday, although Musk briefly talked about Twitter at Tesla's annual shareholders meeting. He told the audience that Twitter fit into the grand vision for his holding company. He said that since he uses Twitter a lot, with more than 100 million followers, he knows what to do with it. 'I do understand the product quite well,' he said. 'So I think I've got a good sense of where to point the engineering team at Twitter to make it radically better,' he said. Advertisement Today marks exactly 10 years since NASA's Curiosity rover touched down on Mars. The one-tonne vehicle launched from Earth in November 2011 and after an arduous nine-month journey which included the 'seven minutes of terror' down to the Martian surface it set out to look for evidence that the Red Planet may once have supported life. Since then, Curiosity has driven nearly 18 miles (29 kilometres) and ascended 2,050 feet (625 metres) as it explores Gale Crater and the foothills of Mount Sharp within it. The rover has analysed 41 rock and soil samples, relying on a suite of science instruments to learn what they reveal about Earth's rocky sibling. Such has been its success, what was originally intended to be a two-year mission was later extended indefinitely, leading to a rather busy decade. Curiosity has studied the Red Planet's skies capturing images of shining clouds and drifting moons while the rover's radiation sensor has allowed scientists to measure the amount future astronauts would be exposed to on the Martian surface, helping NASA figure out how to keep them safe. But most importantly, Curiosity has determined that liquid water as well as the chemical building blocks and nutrients needed for supporting life were present for at least tens of millions of years in Gale Crater. Today, Curiosity's Twitter account wrote: 'Happy 10-year landiversary to me! It's been a decade of discoveries. 'Ive explored Gale Crater and Mount Sharp, analysed rock samples, and studied the Martian clouds and sky. In the years ahead, I'll study a region rich in salty minerals called sulfates.' Here, MailOnline looks back at some of the rover's biggest achievements during its decade on Mars, including what it could yet discover as it powers into the future. Milestone moment: Today marks exactly 10 years since NASA's Curiosity rover (pictured) touched down on the Red Planet 1. Detection of organic compounds Organic molecules are the building blocks and 'food' for life. In 2018, Curiosity provided the most compelling evidence yet of the existence of life on the Red Planet when it detected organic molecules preserved in 3-billion-year-old sedimentary rock. The rock samples were collected from Gale crater, which once held a lake that waxed and waned in size over time, and the presence of the organic material suggests Mars could have supported life, if it ever was present. Organic molecules contain carbon and hydrogen, as well nitrogen and other elements. These molecules are typically associated with life on Earth, but can also be created through non-biological processes. The rover extracted and heated samples from Mojave and Confidence Hills in the Gale Crater both of which are known to contain mudstones dating back roughly three billion years. This revealed the presence of molecules that resembled organic-rich sedimentary rock found on Earth, according to scientists, including thiophenes, benzene, toluene, and small carbon chains, such as propane or butene. 'Those organic molecules could have come from life,' astrobiologist Dr Jennifer L. Eigenbrode said at the time, 'but we don't know that there was ever life on Mars. 'So those specific molecules are not evidence of life.' Instead, the researcher explained, these molecules could be traced to non-life sources, such as meteorites. Scientists also said that while the isotopes in carbon dioxide and methane measured during some of the analyses could be consistent with ancient biological activity producing the organics observed, importantly there are also non-life-based explanations. For example, the isotopic signal could be a result of an interaction between ultraviolet light from the sun and carbon dioxide in Mars's atmosphere producing organics that fall to the surface, so no life required. 2. Methane variability The 2019 revelation that methane had been found on Mars sent shockwaves throughout the scientific community, as almost all of the gas on Earth is produced by life. Methane is said to be a promising clue in the search for life due to its links to biological activity on our planet. NASA's Curiosity rover first measured a 'strong signal' of the molecule on 15 June, 2013, but some experts questioned the reliability of the discovery. It wasn't until six years later that both Curiosity and the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft confirmed the presence of methane. The rover detected fluctuations in the abundance of methane in the near-surface atmosphere where the rover gathers samples. Six methane spikes were discovered by Curiosity's Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS), which is able to find small amounts of methane at less than one-half part per billion (ppb). Mesmerising footage of the Martian sky showing clouds drifting overhead was captured by NASA's Curiosity rover this year Martian clouds are very faint in the atmosphere, so special imaging techniques are needed to see them and produce footage like these two eight-second clips One definite detection of about 15 ppb was discovered, while the others registered around 10 ppb. The measurement from Curiosity found 21 parts per billion of methane in the air, three times what was found during a 2013 measurement. NASA made sure that the methane was not from the rover itself, with the team operating it checking extensively. Between 90 and 95 percent of the methane in Earth's atmosphere is 'biological in origin,' with much of it stemming from cows, goats and yak burps. Other sources include termites, rice paddies, swamps and natural gas leakage and photosynthetic plants. Methane can be produced through both biological and geological processes, so its presence is not a definitive sign of life. But, it can point scientists in the right direction for where they should look. Curiosity isn't equipped to determine whether or not the methane it has detected originates from biological processes, but the host of Red Planet missions continue to piece together the tantalizing puzzle. Earlier this year, the rover also captured mesmerising footage of the Martian sky showing clouds drifting overhead. Martian clouds are very faint in the atmosphere, so special imaging techniques are needed to see them and produce such footage. 3. Rock formation and exposure age in Gale Crater Curiosity had only been on Mars for a little more than a year when scientists determined both the formation age and the exposure age of a rock on the surface of another planet for the first time. The rocks around the rim of Gale Crater were formed about 4 billion years ago, then transported as sediments to Yellowknife Bay. 'Here they were buried and became sedimentary rocks,' said Amy McAdam, Curiosity's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument deputy principal investigator. 'From there, weathering and erosion slowly broke down and exposed the rocks to surface radiation about 70 million years ago. 'Apart from providing insight into Mars's erosion rates, knowing how long a sample was exposed enables scientists to consider possible radiation-induced changes to organic compounds which could affect the ability to identify potential biosignatures.' Wish you were here! NASA's Curiosity rover marked the 10th anniversary of its launch to Mars by sending back a spectacular 'picture postcard' from the Red Planet in November last year 4. Homing in on the history of water on Mars MARS: THE BASICS Mars is the fourth planet from the sun, with a 'near-dead' dusty, cold, desert world with a very thin atmosphere. Orbital period: 687 days Surface area: 144.8 million km Distance from Sun: 227.9 million km Gravity: 3.721 m/s Radius: 3,389.5 km Moons: Phobos, Deimos Advertisement Curiosity has also shed light on Mars's wetter past and how the planet ultimately dried out. Water is vitally important to life as we know it, and 'multiple lines of evidence indicate that the rocks of Gale Crater record a rich history of water,' said Charles Malespin, SAM's principal investigator at Goddard. Part of that evidence is the presence of jarosite, a ruddy-yellow mineral only formed in watery environments, McAdam added. An age-dating experiment with SAM and another Curiosity instrument (APXS) found jarosite hundreds of millions of years younger than expected. This finding suggests that even as much of the surface of Mars was becoming dry, some liquid water remained below the surface in the Gale Crater environment, extending the period of habitability for any Martian microbes that might have existed. In addition, analyses by SAM provided insight into the loss of Mars's atmosphere that led its long-term evolution from the early warm and wet state to the current cold and arid state. Water, H2O, contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. The hydrogen can be swapped for a heavier form of itself, called deuterium. Through measuring the deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio in its samples, Curiosity uncovered evidence of a history of hydrogen escape and water loss on Mars. 5. Biologically useful nitrogen On Earth, nitrogen is an essential ingredient in the recipe for life but not just any nitrogen will do. For most biological processes to make use of it, the nitrogen atoms must first be 'fixed': freed from their strong tendency to interact only with themselves. 'Fixed nitrogen is required for the synthesis of DNA, RNA, and proteins,' Malespin said. 'These are the building blocks of life as we know it.' SAM detected fixed nitrogen in the form of nitrate in rock samples it analysed in 2015. The finding indicated that biologically and chemically usable nitrogen was present on Mars 3.5 billion years ago. 'While this nitrate could have been produced early in Martian history by thermal shocks from meteor impacts,' McAdam said, 'it is possible that some could be forming in the Martian atmosphere today.' No finding from SAM or Curiosity's other instruments can offer proof positive for past life on Mars, but importantly, these discoveries don't rule it out. Curiosity has previously snapped a spectacular 360-degree selfie of the Red Planet using a camera on its robotic arm What's next for Curiosity? Earlier this year, NASA extended Curiosity's mission at least into 2025, allowing the rover and its mobile SAM chemistry lab to stay focused on the tantalising matter of Mars's habitability. However, experts have admitted that the 10-year-old rover does 'have a little bit of arthritis, a little bit of aches and pains in the joints'. Next up, it will look into what happened to the once-habitable climate of Mars. Curiosity will aim to determine how long the region it is surveying remained habitable as the water began to dry up. And while the rover spent the past decade exploring lake environments, scientists are now sending the vehicle higher up to Mount Sharp. 'We're so close to reaching what we call the Layered-Sulfate unit, which is a completely different portion of Mount Sharp,' Curiosity deputy project scientist Abigail Fraeman told Space.com. 'We see from orbit that it has a different texture, a different mineralogy, and we think this is going to represent a very different environmental time on Mars. 'We're excited to see just what this environmental change was, how it's reflected in the rock record, and what that means for habitability.' The explorer, which was launched to Mars 10 years ago, previously shared a panoramic view of its desolate surroundings More than 800 people have ventured into the dense vegetation of Florida's Everglades, where they will compete to humanely capture invasive Burmese pythons for the next 10 days in a bid to win thousands of dollars in prize money. The annual python removal competition kicked off Friday at 8am ET and will run through 5pm ET on August 14. Pythons are native to Southeast Asia, but have been wreaking havoc in the Florida since the 1970s, as they pose a threat to the native wildlife and studies show these large snakes have wiped out populations of rabbits and foxes in the Everglades National Park. The group of hunters includes Amy Siewe, 45, who told NBC: 'I don't look like I can catch a 17-foot snake. 'But I can.' Siewe, who is five feet, four inches tall and weighs 120 pounds, is a paid contractor of the state and hunts pythons all year long. Contractors have removed 10,000 of the snakes since Florida began hiring them in 2007. So far, the registered hunters represent 32 states and Canada. Registrations are being accepted throughout the competition. It costs $25 to register and participants must also complete an online training course. Cash prizes of up to $2,500 are available in both the professional and novice categories for those who remove the most pythons, officials said. There are additional prizes for the longest python in each category. Each python must be dead, with hunters facing disqualification if they kill them inhumanely or kill a native snake. Scroll down for video Hundreds of people are searching for Burmese pythons in Florida's Everglades for the states annual hunt to control the large population The Florida Python Challenge has led to the removal of more than 17,000 snakes since its inception in 2000. Under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, FWC, South Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida host the Florida Python Challenge to increase awareness about invasive species and the threats they pose to Florida's ecology. The annual competition encourages people to get directly involved in Everglades conservation through invasive species removal. Participants in the 2021 Florida Python Challenge removed 223 invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades, more than double the number that was removed in 2020. Over 600 people from 25 states registered to take part in the 10-day competition in 2021. The annual python removal competition kicked off Friday at 8am ET and will run through 5pm ET on August 14. Pictured is a young boy learning how to humanely capture a Burmese python Just like Siewe, another contractor was on the prowl last month in search of Burmese pythons that led him to a nursery with two massive females, 23 eggs and dozens of new hatchlings. Matthew Rubenstein, an officer for the commission, and python contractor Alex McDuffie found two nesting areas in Big Cypress National Preserve, located in South Florida. The pair first snagged a 10-foot female Burmese python while it sat on 23 unhatched eggs and 18 new hatchlings slithering nearby. McDuffie reported to Rubenstein that upon returning to the same site the following evening, he removed a second breeding female that measured 17 feet, six inches long. Last month, FWC officer Matthew Rubenstein and python contractor Alex McDuffie raided a python nest. They found two large pythons, eggs and hatchlings Researchers at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida captured this massive female python that turned out to weigh 215 pounds and measure 17.7 feet long Although Burmese pythons are all over the Everglades, they are hard to capture due to them living deep within the swamps. However, snake hunters have become creative to find these snakes they are using males to hunt down females. Douglas Main, senior writer and editor at National Geographic, spoke with DailyMail.com last month about how this technique was used to capture the largest python ever recorded in Floridaor anywhere outside its native range. Researchers at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida captured this massive female python that turned out to weigh 215 pounds and measure 17.7 feet long. Happy landiversary to one of NASAs proudest accomplishments. On August 5, 2012 the Mars Curiosity Rover eased its way onto the surface of the Red Planet and began a journey that has gone on eight years longer than planned, collecting valuable data about whether life can be supported there - and if those conditions existed in the past. As part of the celebration, scientists and mission members from NASAs Jet Propulsion Lab and Goddard Space Flight Center, as well as the United States Geological Survey took part in a Twitter Space - basically a chat room of sorts - where they shared fond memories and lessons of the historic mission to the fourth rock from the sun. Scroll down for video On August 5, 2012 the Mars Curiosity Rover slowly eased its way onto the surface of the Red Planet. The rover used the camera at the end of its arm in April and May 2014 to take dozens of component images combined into this self-portrait where the rover drilled into a sandstone target called 'Windjana' 'It plays a special role in NASA's Mars exploration program,' said Mars Science Laboratory project scientist Ashwin Vasavada. 'The ultimate goal is to figure out if life ever evolved on Mars, if it existed in the past or even today.' To do so, Curiosity was launched on November 26, 2011 from Cape Canaveral. After its months-long journey through space, the 2,000 pound, car-sized rover touched down inside the 3.7 billion-year-old, 100-mile long Gale crater and began its methodical exploration of Mars surface. JPL systems engineer Sophia Mitchell spoke about her job as a 'space Uber driver,' as she pilots the Curiosity rover from over 100 million miles away. 'Its definitely a dream job,' she said. 'I'm an aerospace engineer and but I really think of myself as an explorer and so the ultimate exploration job in my mind is getting to drive a massive science robot around on a different planet.' 'It plays a special role in NASA's Mars exploration program,' said Mars Science Laboratory project scientist Ashwin Vasavada. 'The ultimate goal is to figure out if life ever evolved on Mars, if it existed in the past or even today.' The Red Planet is pictured above in a handout from NASA NASA scientists say that now-dusty Mars was once covered in bodies of water an indication that this barren planet may have once been host to some form of life, or at least had the capacity to do so. The Mars Curiosity Rover snapped this panorama (above) of the Red Planet What the rover learned has helped scientists paint a picture of what the planet likely looked like billions of years ago. The answer is that now-dusty Mars was once covered in bodies of water an indication that this barren planet may have once been host to some form of life, or at least had the capacity to do so. That possibility was reinforced by Curiositys discovery of organic molecules found while drilling into shallow parts of the planets surface. The team spoke excitedly of future missions, such as the European Space Agencys ExoMars rover, which will be able to dig deeper than Curiositys tools allowed. While the past decade has been filled with discovery, its also been fraught with challenges. What was supposed to be a two-year mission has been extended indefinitely and Curiosity has started to show its age, with wear-and-tear on the wheels and a drill that doesnt operate the way it once did. As Mitchell noted, when something breaks on Mars, 'We cant send someone there to repair it. We just have to figure out how to use what we have to still be able to do what we want.' Though robots have visited our closest celestial neighbor, thats a trip that no human has yet been able to take. The team enthusiastically endorsed the possibility of mankind one day making it to Mars, a trip that will be aided by vital data on radiation being collected by Curiosity - and probably with the help of Elon Musk's Starship, after it successfully conducts a orbital launch test and brings people to the moon first. 'I can just say I hope you go to Mars,' Vasavada told one curious child who was picked to ask a question. 'We're looking forward to seeing you on Mars one day and I can tell you that Curiosity is going to help protect you.' Advertisement From a picture of a troop of snow monkeys in a group cuddle in Japan to a snowy lake resembling 'Ghostface' in Poland, these images unsurprisingly amazed the judges in a prestigious photo contest. The One Eyeland Photography Awards 2021 set out to 'crown the very best' professional and amateur photographers around the globe 'based on originality and quality of execution'. Based in India, the photo-sharing site One Eyeland was founded by photographer Sharad Haksar in 2008. In its awards, an 'illustrious jury comprising creative professionals from the fields of advertising and art' were tasked with choosing the overall winners from over 3,300 images from 56 different countries. Covering a broad range of photography styles, photographers were ranked in categories such as 'Architecture - Cityscapes', 'Nature - Landscapes' and 'Sports - Extreme Sports'. Other standout images that impressed the judges include a shot of a magical, misty picture of a castle in the Czech Republic, a glittering picture of Manhattan by night and a breathtaking picture of a surfer 'inside' a wave off the coast of Sydney. Scroll down to see some of the spectacular winners and finalists... This haunting drone image is the work of Polish professional photographer Arkadiusz Dalak, snared in Lagiewnicki Forest in the Polish city of Lodz. Dalak says of the setting: 'It is one of the largest forest areas within the city limits in Europe (it covers 1,205 hectares / 2,978 acres). When this shape appeared on the [drone] controller screen, I couldn't believe my eyes!' He notes that Norwegian painter Edvard Munch's 1893 masterpiece The Scream 'immediately came to mind' when he took the picture, which is appropriately titled 'Scream of the Forest'. Moviegoers, meanwhile, would also see the similarity with the Ghostface mask from the Scream franchise. Dalak adds: 'It's amazing what kind of images nature itself can shape! It's as if the forest wanted to tell us something, or maybe shout out?' The shot bagged a silver medal in the 'Nature - Aerial' category This adorable picture, which is part of a wider portfolio that won a bronze award in the 'Nature - Wildlife' category, is the work of New Zealand photographer Stue Rees. It shows two brown bear cubs 'play fighting' in Silver Salmon Creek in Lake Clark's Cook Inlet in Alaska. Rees was also named 'Photographer of the Year' in the overall 'Nature' category Above is another striking shot by professional photographer Rees, this time showing a brown bear 'shaking down after feeding on salmon' in the Katmai National Park and Preserve in southern Alaska Above is a third photograph from Rees' impressive portfolio, this time showing a pair of 'courting' silvereye birds in New Zealand Amateur photographer Thomas de Franzoni behind the lens for this dramatic shot, which shows a scene in the Dolomites mountain range in his native Italy. It's from a wider portfolio of work by de Franzoni, which earned a silver award in the 'Nature - Landscapes' category Professional photographer Kantapat Phutthamkul, who hails from Thailand, captured this mesmerising photograph of New York City. Unsurprisingly, it impressed the judges and earned a bronze award in the 'Architecture - Cityscapes' category Phutthamkul also snared this magical shot of Kirkjufell, a 463m- (1,519ft) high hill, under the Northern Lights in western Iceland. Titled 'Light Up The Sky', the image landed a bronze award in the 'Nature - Landscapes' category This mesmerising image of an Alpine church before the 'Tre Cime di Lavaredo' peaks in Italy's Dolomites snapped up a bronze award in the 'Nature - Landscapes' category. Commenting on the shot, Swiss professional photographer Matteo Rolfi says: 'Here I tried to frame the mountains a bit differently, looking for a not-so-common composition. The colour of the tent on the right was, by chance, perfectly matching the roof of this little church' LEFT: Every evening beginning at dusk, the falls of Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada, are illuminated in a multi-coloured light show. Canadian photographer Alex Doroshev captured this event in January of this year, the result of which is this enchanting photograph, which received a bronze award in the 'Nature - Landscapes' category. Amateur photographer Doroshev notes that there was 'a lot of snow around and the falls [had] almost frozen after few days at -15/-20 degrees Celsius (five / minus four degrees Fahrenheit).' RIGHT: U.S professional photographer Peter Lik captured this stunning autumnal shot, titled 'Infinity Tree', which nabbed a bronze award in the 'Nature - Trees' category This powerful shot of two short-eared owls fighting over a vole was taken by Canadian professional photographer Tin Sang Chan. Catching the attention of the judges, it earned a bronze award in the 'Nature - Wildlife' category LEFT: Picking up a bronze award in the 'Sports - Water Sports' category, this dynamic photograph was taken by Australian photographer Steve Turner in January of this year on Maroubra Beach, Sydney. It shows local surfer Lukas 'captured in that special moment of intense concentration' while riding a wave, professional photographer Turner reveals. RIGHT: Describing this captivating shot, U.S professional photographer Aaron Lynton says: 'Two sub-adult [an animal that is not yet fully adult] humpback whales dance and play in the clear waters of French Polynesia.' Lynton's picture earned a bronze award in the 'Nature - Wildlife' category Lynton also captured this spectacular shot of professional surfer Nathan Florence, which was a finalist in the 'Sports - Extreme Sports' category. Sharing the story behind the picture, which was captured on Peahi beach on the north shore of Maui, Hawaii, Lynton says: 'Nathan Florence was able to stick a heavy air drop [a surf move], but was forced to go straight. As the avalanche of white water exploded, it sent him cartwheeling underwater hundreds of metres' This heartwarming picture of a troop of Japanese macaques, also known as snow monkeys, in the 'bitter cold winter' claimed a bronze award in the 'Nature - Wildlife' category. Japanese amateur photographer Hiromichi Shimizu was behind the lens, and notes that the behaviour of the monkeys taught him 'what [a] "bond" should be, which we humans must emulate' This magical shot - part of a portfolio that received a bronze award in the 'Nature - Landscapes' category - is the handiwork of Czech professional photographer Jan Bavor. It shows the mist surrounding Kuneticka hora, a 15th-century castle by the village of Raby in the Czech Republic's Pardubice Region. In the awards, Bavor was also named the Czech Republic's overall 'Photographer of the Year' Bavor was also behind the lens for this beautiful picture of Hradec Kralove, a city in north-central Czech Republic. The city's history is thought to date back to the 10th century Above is yet another atmospheric, misty shot by Bavor, this time depicting Nachod Castle, a 13th-century fortress that lies near the Polish border in the Czech Republic Like all things fashion, drag comes at a cost. And it appears there's no budget when it comes to the costumes featured on Stan's RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under. One Season 2 contestant exclusively told Daily Mail Australia it cost her a whopping $30,000 for materials to make her outlandish outfits in the lead up the show. EXCLUSIVE: Inside the VERY expensive wardrobes of Stan's RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under stars The unnamed star said she kept 'pretty good track' of her spending. 'It's a lot of money and I worked really hard to get that money as well in the first place,' she exclusively told Daily Mail Australia. According to past contestants on RuPaul's Drag Race, the queens can spend anywhere from $4,000 to $20,000 on materials such as wigs, fabric, costumes, shoes and makeup. And in the wonderful world of drag, it's a rite of passage to be colourful and chaotic - but there's more than meets the eye than just the final product. For drag queen and fashion designer Kirsten Damned, there's a much bigger process behind just glamourous looks and designs. Drag queen and fashion designer Kirsten Damned has created beautiful and elegant pieces for stars on RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under. Pictured: Hannah Conda wearing Damned by Design 'Pop culture is always the biggest inspiration for Drag when people approach me to construct a piece,' Kirsten told Daily Mail Australia. 'Personally though, a lot of my inspiration for my bespoke looks just float into my head during dreams.' But just like pop culture, drag trends are rapidly changing in today's climate. Queens rely heavily on social media apps like Instagram to get their content seen, which Kirsten says is 'a big change from the drag of the early 00s'. 'As long as youre an adaptable human, keeping up with the latest trends from a drag fashion standpoint isnt difficult,' he explained. Kirsten also designed the promo outfits for Hannah Conda (left) and Minnie Cooper (right) ahead of Season 2 However, there are a number of designs and materials that are strictly off-limits. 'Obviously things that are flat out offensive cant be used, copyright designs etc,' Kirsten added. 'They also might say you cant use a certain fabric due to a background thats being used [on the show].' Kirsten, who's designed pieces for Season 2 stars like Hannah Conda and Minnie Cooper, noted that usually the production is 'pretty open' about the designs, hence why viewers can see some fabulous looks this season as well as Season 1. A Season 2 contestant of Drag Race Down Under told Daily Mail Australia that it cost her a whopping $30,000 for materials in the lead up to appearing on the show. Pictured: Maxi Shield from Season 1 Kirsten Damned says there's a much bigger process behind just glamourous looks and designs Pictured: Maxi Shield from Season 1 Season 2 of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under has already kicked off with a bang following its premiere last Saturday. Faux Fur, 27, was eliminated in the first episode after a shocking detail cost her a spot in the next round. 'It was tough,' she told Daily Mail Australia last week of her elimination. 'I broke down.' The show, which has new episodes every Saturday from 4pm AEST, will see 10 drag queens from Australia and New Zealand battle it out for the top prize of $50,000. Kirsten noted that usually the production is 'pretty open' about the designs, hence why viewers can see some fabulous looks this season as well as Season 1 According to other contestants, the show will be more fierce and fiery than ever as the queens battle it out to reign supreme. 'The claws do come out at Drag Race,' drag queen Molly Poppinz told Daily Mail Australia at Stan's blue carpet premiere last week. 'You're gonna get your drama, you're gonna get your wild moments, good looks, talent, everything!' There are a number of celebrity guest stars - Australia's beloved wildlife warriors Bindi and Robert Irwin have already made their appearance in the first episode, while Lucy Lawless is set to feature. RuPaul is also joined by returning judges Michelle Visage and Rhys Nicholson. There is a diverse range of talent this season, including a fire-breather, an Australia's Got Talent semi-finalist, and queens with First Nations and Maori heritage. Stream RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under only on Stan, with new episodes available on Saturdays at 4pm Tech tycoon Elon Musk has reportedly accused Twitter of lying about the exact number of bots on its platform. According to a legal brief made by the Tesla CEO's team, 10% of the social network's daily active members who see ads are fraudulent profiles, according to the New York Times. Musk deferred his planned acquisition of the social network in mid-July to find out if Twitter's long-standing claim that bots make up less than 5% of its user base is true. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and a frequent user of Twitter, reportedly started an ambitious acquisition of the social media platform in April when he became the company's biggest shareholder. Although Twitter swiftly accepted his offer, they soon got into a disagreement over the number of bogus accounts on the platform; he also claimed that the firm did not give him adequate data access to check the number of bots, according to a report from Engadget. However, Musk eventually informed the Securities and Exchange Commission that he intended to cancel the transaction due to "false and misleading representations" made by Twitter. In response, Twitter offered him complete access to its internal data. In this latest filing, Musk's team stated that its analysts identified a significantly larger proportion of fraudulent accounts than Twitter had estimated using Botometer. The Indiana University-developed machine learning system in question that "checks the activity of Twitter accounts" and assigns them a score based on the probability that they are bots. Twitter Lied About Bot Problem Musk's Lawyers Claim According to Musk's attorneys, the social network misrepresented its bot issue to persuade Musk to pursue the Twitter buyout at an overvalued price. "Twitter was miscounting the number of false and spam accounts on its platform, as part of its scheme to mislead investors about the company's prospects. Twitter's disclosures have slowly unraveled, with Twitter frantically closing the gates on information in a desperate bid to prevent the Musk parties from uncovering its fraud," Elon Musk's lawyers also claimed. The company's petition on Thursday comes in reaction to Musk's countersuit, which he filed under seal last week and which is scheduled to be made public on Friday. Twitter sued Elon Musk last month to pressure him to complete the acquisition. Read Also: Child Tax Credit 2022: Eligible Americans May Soon Receive $3,000 for Soon-To-Be Parents This Year The latest turn in a spectacular Elon Musk Twitter legal battle came when the social media company rejected Elon Musk's arguments in court that he had good cause to pull out of a $44 billion deal to buy the platform. Twitter referred to Musk's justifications for pulling out of the deal as a narrative, created "in an effort to escape a merger agreement that Musk no longer found attractive once the stock market" and with it, his vast personal wealth, diminished in value," according to a document that was made public on Thursday, as per a report from The Guardian. Musk's answer to Twitter's lawsuit contains "repeated mischaracterizations" of the merger agreement, particularly concerning the metrics Twitter offered. Twitter Says Musk is The One Lying Per Axios, Twitter said Elon Musk attacks "alleged inaccuracies" in the social media company's user statistics reports to discontinuing the agreement because he cannot find any inaccurate or deceptive statement of fact in his declaration. Twitter alleges that Musk "invents representations" about its metrics that Twitter has never made and then attempts to use, selectively, the vast amounts of "confidential data" that Twitter has given him to create a breach of those alleged representations. Related Article: Russia-Ukraine War: North Korea Could Help Vladimir Putin's Army in Exchange for Grain, Energy [RUMOR] @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Katy Perry took a playful jab this Thursday at Kim Kardashian's romance with Saturday Night Live alum Pete Davidson. During a game of MASH on her TikTok page, Katy, 37, was assigned Pete as a 'lover' - and cringed on camera at the prospect. 'No offense @Kim Kardashian (and Orlando?)' she wrote in her caption, referring to her heartthrob fiance Orlando Bloom. Goofing about: Katy Perry took a playful jab this Thursday at Kim Kardashian's romance with Saturday Night Live alum Pete Davidson Katy's previous celebrity feuds have included Taylor Swift, although the pair have since buried the hatchet and even starred in a music video together. Taylor happens to have also engaged in a public war of words with Kim and her third husband Kanye West, whom Kim has since left. As it happens, Kanye in recent months carried on an increasingly lively feud with Kim and Pete, who struck up their romance late last year. Katy's latest TikTok comes after she gushed that she would 'of course' like to have more children with her sizzling future husband Orlando. By the way: During a game of MASH on her TikTok page, Katy, 37, was assigned Pete as a 'lover' - and cringed on camera at the prospect During the coronavirus lockdowns they welcomed their firstborn daughter Daisy Dove, who will celebrate her second birthday this month. And in a new interview with People, Katy revealed that '[h]opefully in the future' they will expand the family. 'I'm a planner. So we'll see,' she said. 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.' The pop star and her hunk: Katy recently gushed that she would 'of course' like to have more children with her sizzling fiance Orlando 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. 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.' Baby mine: Katy is pictured while pregnant with the couple's firstborn daughter Daisy Dove, who will celebrate her second birthday next month 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. 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.' 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 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.' Big Brother Australia is on the hunt for outgoing, energetic individuals who won't mind being isolated from the outside world for several months. Show producers have issued a public casting call for the 2023 season and are inviting 'all single Housemates to come and play Big Brothers game.' Production company Endemol Shine Australia will be auditioning thousands of hopefuls over the next few months to find a handful with the 'it' factor to make it on national television. Big Brother producers have issued a public casting call for the 2023 season and are inviting 'all single Housemates to come and play Big Brothers game' The show posted details of the casting call on Instagram, which caught the attention of many followers. Potential housemates will get a taste of fame and the chance to win $250,000. A number of former housemates used their stint on BBAU to launch their media career, including Neighbours star Blair McDonough and radio personality Chrissie Swan. BBAU 2003 winner Reggie Bird (pictured, left) made show history in July by becoming the only Housemate to be crowned champion a second time In the online application form show producers say 'thousands of potential housemates will apply to be on Big Brother Australia.' Applicants must be 18 or older, with shooting scheduled to take place over two months beginning in October 2022. The closing date for applications is September 10, 5pm AEST. Glamourous television presenter Sonia Kruger (pictured) hosts Big Brother Big Brother Australia was first broadcast on Channel Ten from 2001 - 2008, then moved over to Nine from 2012 - 2014, and has been screened on Channel Seven since 2020. 2003 winner Reggie Bird, 48, made show history in July by becoming the only Housemate to be crowned champion a second time. The former fish and chip shop owner was swarmed by family and friends moments after the announcement was made and told host Sonia Kruger, 'I can't believe it!' She recently defended herself over accusations that she failed to follow sanitary protocols while visiting a lab in Milan for her make-up collection. But Kylie Jenner appeared unfazed by the drama as she stepped out hand-in-hand with her daughter Stormi, four, and boyfriend Travis Scott on Thursday. The Kardashians star, 24, cut a glamorous figure as she headed out for dinner at celebrity hotspot Nobu in London. Stunner: Kylie Jenner stepped out hand-in-hand with her daughter Stormi, four, and boyfriend Travis Scott on Thursday Wow! The Kardashians star, 24, cut a glamorous figure as she headed out for dinner at celebrity hotspot Nobu in London She flaunted her enviable figure in a strapless black mini dress with a sweetheart neckline, which she teamed with a pair of black heeled sandals. The TV personality carried her essentials in a black handbag on one arm as she held hands with her four-year-old daughter, who walked in-between her and Scott. She styled her dark tresses loosely in glamorous waves and let her outfit do all the talking as she kept her accessories minimal. Kylie accentuated her striking features with a dramatic silver smokey-eye make-up palette and a touch of nude lipstick. Eye-popping: She flaunted her enviable figure in a strapless black mini dress with a sweetheart neckline, which she teamed with a pair of black heeled sandals Sweet: The TV personality carried her essentials in a black handbag in one hand as she held hands with her four-year-old daughter, who walked in-between her and Scott Gorgeous: She styled her dark tresses loosely in glamorous waves and let her outfit do all the talking as she kept her accessories minimal Duo: Kylie co-ordinated with her daughter Stormi as they both wore black clothing for the meal Doting mom: The reality television mainstay appeared to be enjoying her outing with her daughter Loving the attention: Stormi flashed a slight smile as she stayed by her mother's side Keeping her safe: Jenner made a point of holding Stormi's hand as her child stepped into a car She was joined by her boyfriend Travis - who she shares Stormi and six-month-old Wolf with - as he is set to perform at the O2 this weekend. For their family meal out, the rapper, 31, cut a trendy figure in washed out jeans and a graphic T-shirt, which he wore underneath a black leather jacket. He kept comfortable in a pair of cream and black trainers and accessorised his edgy look with an extravagant chain pendant necklace and silver earrings. Travis wore his dark locks in braids as he walked hand-in-hand with his daughter Stormi. Visit: She was joined by her boyfriend Travis - who she shares Stormi and six-month-old Wolf with - as he is set to perform at the O2 this weekend Bombshell: Kylie accentuated her striking features with a dramatic silver smokey-eye make-up palette and a touch of nude lipstick Edgy: For their family meal out, rapper Travis, 31, cut a trendy figure in washed out jeans and a graphic T-shirt, which he wore underneath a black leather jacket Casual: Travis kept comfortable in a pair of cream and black trainers as he walked hand-in-hand with his daughter Stormi Shining bright: The performer rocked a flashy silver chain as he spent time with his daughter and partner Their outing comes after Kylie defended herself against accusations she failed to follow proper sanitary protocols while visiting a lab in Milan for her make-up collection. She responded specifically to Kevin James Bennett, an Emmy-award winning make-up artist who called out Kylie on Instagram after she posted photos from the lab on Wednesday. Kylie insisted the photo he posted was not actually taken in a manufacturing facility, and insisted she would 'never' bypass sanitary protocols. The reality star hit back at Kevin in the comments section of his post, writing: 'kevin - this picture is not taken in a manufacturing facility. i would never bypass sanitary protocols and neither would any other celeb or beauty brand owner. that's completely unacceptable i agree. Glam: Kylie cut a very glamorous figure as she showed off her toned legs in the show-stopping ensemble Adorable: Kylie and Travis walked on either side of their daughter Stormi, who held each of her parents' hands for the dinner out 'I would never bypass sanitary protocols': It comes after Kylie defended herself against allegations she failed to follow proper sanitary protocols while visiting a lab in Milan 'this is a small personal space creating my own fun samples and taking pictures for content nowhere near the mass manufacturing. no one is putting customers at risk ! shame on you kevin for spreading false information !!!!' A back-and-forth ensued between the duo as Kevin accused her of 'gaslighting' her followers. 'So you were standing on a platform, looking into an expensive homogenizing kettle that had processed at least 50 liters of a complexion product (the product still covering the mixing paddles) without PPE or your hair tied back , wearing a @weareregi lab coat? 'But this is not a cosmetics manufacturing facility? It's a personal space? Wow, there's some serious gaslighting going on here,' he replied. 'shame on me? NO, shame on you or whoever takes care of your social media for trying to gaslight everyone into thinking I'm the one to blame. Just take responsibility for your mistake and move on,' he wrote in a separate comment. Kylie hit back once again, this time insisting she would have to change her dog Kevin's name due to the altercation. 'oh were you there kevin ? ugh now i have to change my dogs name,' she added. 'Are you seriously going to lie and then troll me? Wow,' he posted. Kylie faced scrutiny on Wednesday after she posted snaps of herself at the lab where her Kylie Cosmetics products are made. The Los Angeles-born star captioned the clip, 'In the lab creating new magic for you guys ... better than ever,' tagging the name of her brand into the post. This led to commenters pointing out Kylie was not wearing a hair cap, gloves, and mask as she checked out the facility with her long hair dangling down. One user wrote, 'Wear a hair cap,' while another asked 'aren't you suppose to wear gloves, mask and the hair net thingy???' Bennett, an Emmy-winning make-up artist and cosmetic professional, posted a critique of the images she posted on Wednesday Another user said, 'I just see so many lab rules not being followed,' while another said, 'No gloves or a hair net in a lab??? or even a mask???' Sources told Dailymail.com that Kylie was not on the production floor and was in the accessible lab area where she could play around with colors and ideate concepts. Eventually, the images caught the attention of Kevin, who weighed into the matter. 'I have very short hair, and I've NEVER been allowed into the lab or onto the manufacturing floor without a hair net, shoe covers, mask...and disposable GLOVES.' A number of Instagram commenters were critical of the protocols being followed in the clip Kevin claimed Jenner was 'gaslighting her followers into thinking she is creating cosmetics,' while questioned 'what ignorant manufacturer ... let her stage this photo-op in their lab and on the manufacturing floor - without following proper sanitation protocols. 'I need the name because I want to make sure my clients NEVER work with them.' He wrapped up in saying, 'Folks, this is not the way we create cosmetics and misrepresents how our industry works. Credible manufacturers follow STRICT sanitation protocols to protect you.' Dailymail.com has reached out to Jenner's reps for comment on the criticism. She is relishing in motherhood ever since welcoming her first child - a daughter called Starr - five months ago. And Brynne Edelsten shared another adorable photo of her baby girl on Thursday evening. The socialite, who was once married to late Melbourne businessman Geoffrey Edelsten, posted a close snap of the tiny tot, who has sparkly blue eyes and blonde hair just like her mother. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree! Brynne Edelsten shared an adorable photo of her baby girl Starr on Thursday night The little one sported a cute Snugglepot and Cuddlepie onesie. A smitten Brynne captioned her post - 'My happy girl' along with two star emojis. Brynne recently told the Herald Sun Starr is a 'miracle' and providing for her has given her a new perspective on life. The SAS Australia contestant explained she originally thought motherhood 'was not on the cards' for her and she feels so blessed to have a perfect daughter to care for. American-born socialite Brynne welcomed her 'miracle baby' on April 21 'I don't know myself anymore, everything is about her. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me,' she said. She added although she had to make some necessary adjustments to provide for Starr it was well worth it. 'Finding time to do anything by myself is almost unheard of, but she is everything to me,' she explained. Brynne said she feels blessed to have a perfect daughter to care for American-born socialite Brynne welcomed her 'miracle baby' on April 21. She recently told New Idea that she'd chosen to give her baby girl the surname Gordon - her maiden name - so she would 'feel connected' to her family in the U.S. The identity of Starr's father has not been made public. However, Brynne confirmed to the publication the man had met his daughter twice. Starr is pictured with Brynne's mother Mariel Gordon 'I haven't had a good night's sleep since Starr arrived,' Brynne said of motherhood. 'But I wouldn't trade being a mum for anything I'm the happiest I've ever been.' The pregnancy was delightful news for Brynne, who discovered during her high-profile marriage to Geoffrey that it was unlikely she could ever conceive naturally. The Oklahoma-born television personality became famous in 2009 when she married Geoffrey, who was 40 years her senior. The Oklahoma-born television personality became famous in 2009 when she married Melbourne businessman Geoffrey Edelsten (pictured), who was 40 years her senior Their marriage, however, was short-lived and the pair divorced in 2014 after Brynne alleged her husband had been unfaithful to her. The socialite recently made headlines after making bombshell claims her ex-husband tried to choke her with her own headband after she caught him sending large sums of money to young women on 'sugar daddy' dating apps. The reality star is suing Edelsten's estate for maintenance and support after his death last year. She claimed Edelsten caught her contacting the women through his phone on one occasion and 'punched her in the chest' at their Melbourne CBD penthouse. Nicky Hilton was spotted while spending some quality time with her youngest daughter Theodora in Malibu on Thursday afternoon. The 38-year-old socialite held hands with her little girl as they ventured across a shopping center parking lot. Their outing comes nearly a month after Hilton revealed that she'd welcomed her third child, a baby boy, with husband James Rothschild, 36. Mother-daughter time: Nicky Hilton was spotted while spending some quality time with her youngest daughter Theodora in Malibu on Thursday afternoon Hilton was seen wearing a lovely blue boho-style dress with buttons up the front and flirty puff sleeves. The younger sister of Paris Hilton also rocked a pair of light brown sandals and fastened a single silver pendant chain around her neck. She protected her eyes from the intense California sunshine with a pair of black shades and her voluminous blonde locks were worn down. Hilton and James share little Theodora, as well as their older daughter Lily, aged six, and their baby son. The now-married couple initially met at a mutual friend's wedding that took place in Italy in 2011. Sweet: The 38-year-old socialite held hands with her little girl as they ventured across a shopping center parking lot The socialite was previously married to Todd Meister, although their union was annulled after just three months. She eventually moved on with her now-husband, to whom she became engaged in 2014. Hilton and Rothschild subsequently tied the knot during a wedding ceremony that took place in London the following year. The pair went on to start a family when the former gave birth to Lily in July of 2016. New addition: Their outing comes nearly a month after Hilton revealed that she'd welcomed her third child, a baby boy, with husband James Rothschild, 36 The happy couple subsequently added Theodora to their lives the following December. The socialite gave birth to her first son, whose name has not been revealed to the public as of yet, last month. Hilton spoke about parenting during an interview with Yahoo! Life's So Mini Ways and noted that she was happy about the fact that her daughters were getting along well. Family: Rothschild and Hilton seen with Theodora and Lily-Grace in 2020 Parenting: Hilton spoke about parenting during an interview with Yahoo! Life's So Mini Ways and noted that she was happy about the fact that her daughters were getting along well; The trio seen in 2019 'I love the bond of sisterhood it's unbreakable and you have a built-in best friend for life. And I love seeing my girls look after each other and play with each other. They are each other's biggest cheerleaders and I love that,' she stated. The entrepreneur also discussed how her style had changed ever since becoming a parent. 'Becoming a mother has definitely influenced the way I dress and the way I design...I'm running around to meetings, pick-up, drop-off and playdates, so I really need something comfortable,' she said. Tom Cruise may be a superstar actor, but he still hasn't forgotten his manners. The actor, 60, reportedly apologized for ruining a couple's hike while filming a stunt for Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One. The couple, Jason and Sarah Haygarth, told Extra they ran into a production team for the film and the actor during a walk at a national park in the United Kingdom called Lake District. Gentleman actor: Tom Cruise may be a superstar actor, but he still hasn't forgotten his manners (pictured 2018) The couple first realized something was up when they saw a helicopter flying over one area in the mountains. 'Toward the end of the walk, last peak, we start seeing helicopters coming up a ravine and dropping people off the top We were like, this didn't seem right,' Jason told the publication. 'We found out the people, they were the cameramen. When we came to the peak, we got stopped by what must have been a production team member, saying, "You can't go. We're going to land the helicopter off the top" So we took a selfie,' he said. Always working on stunts: The actor, 60, reportedly apologized for ruining a couple's hike while filming a stunt for Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One (pictured 2000) Spending time in a park: The couple, Jason and Sarah Haygarth, told Extra they ran into a production team for the film and the actor during a walk at a national park in the United Kingdom After the choppers landed, the couple continued on their way where they ran into Cruise strapping on a paraglider. 'I could tell it was him straight away,' Sarah said. 'By the time we got there, people were talking about Mission: Impossible was being filmed but I was expecting a stunt double.' 'He apologized first for the noise,' Jason added. '"Sorry, guys, I know we spoiled your walk with the noise." And then he said, "I like your dog."' Apologies: 'He apologized first for the noise,' Jason added. '"Sorry, guys, I know we spoiled your walk with the noise." And then he said, "I like your dog"' Coming soon: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One has a current release date of July 14, 2023 'We asked, "What are you doing ?" Then he said, "I'm going to jump off." I was like, "You're going to do what?" He said, "I'm going to jump off." Just before he jumped off, he said, "See ya! Hopefully this goes well," and we said, "Good luck, Tom."' Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One has a current release date of July 14, 2023. The film, the seventh in the franchise, will star Cruise alongside Captain America: The First Avenger star Hayley Atwell, Hot Fuzz star Simon Pegg, Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson and The Princess Bride star Cary Elwes. Sunrise hosts Natalie Barr and David Koch struggled to get through an interview with Daley Pearson, the executive producer of the beloved children's show Bluey, on Friday. The pair couldn't contain their laughter when they talked about Bluey being compared to the meth-making series Breaking Bad. The trio were discussing a ranked list on IMDB for the most popular television episodes of all time, where Breaking Bad had the number one spot and Bluey a close second. Sunrise hosts Natalie Barr and David Koch struggled to get through an interview with Daley Pearson, the executive producer of the beloved children's show Bluey, on Friday Daley was asked whether being compared to Breaking Bad was ever something he thought of and he jokingly responded with 'it was always the dream, it was always the goal. 'To be associated with that show is just a testament to Joe, Charlie, the animators here and everyone who makes the show.' The discussion was sparked after Bluey became the target of Anime trolls who have set out to review bomb the beloved Australia children's show. The pair couldn't contain their laughter when they talked about Bluey being compared to the meth-making series Breaking Bad The trio were discussing a ranked list on IMDB for the most popular television episodes of all time, where Breaking Bad had the number one spot and Bluey a close second Pearson recently shared a tweet celebrating Bluey's popularity. Posting a screenshot from the IMDb website, Pearson said an episode of the wildly popular program had been ranked by fans on the platform as the No.2 show of all time after Breaking Bad. The Bluey episode, called 'Sleepytime', was awarded the highest score possible by users, a star rating of 10 out of 10. But three days after Pearson's tweet, the show plunged to No.17 in the ratings, with many users giving the episode only one star The discussion was sparked after Bluey became the target of Anime trolls who have set out to review bomb the beloved Australia children's show Meanwhile, episodes from Anime series like Attack on Titan and Code Geass surged into the top ranks of the IMDb's most popular episodes. Fans speculated that Pearson's Twitter thread caused Bluey to fall victim to trolls. 'Since this tweet went out some people went and messed up the user score,' wrote one irate fan under Pearson's story. Pearson recently shared a tweet celebrating Bluey's popularity The Bluey episode, called 'Sleepytime', was awarded the highest score possible by users, a star rating of 10 out of 10, but three days after Pearson's tweet, the show had plunged to No.17 in the ratings, with many users giving the episode only one-star The controversy has created a storm on social media site Reddit, which openly speculated that Anime fans are responsible for reviewing bombing the show. 'Its a badge of honour really,' said one user. 'Anything starts to get haters once it gets enough elevation.' They continued: 'The fact that its getting review bombed, the silly recent attacking articles - all just testament to how good this show is that its hit that level. And that its a kids show makes this all more amazing.' The controversy has created a storm on social media site Reddit, which openly speculates that Anime fans are responsible for reviewing bombing Bluey Bluey follows the adventures of 'a loveable, inexhaustible six-year-old Blue Heeler dog' along with her family and friends. The much-loved 'Sleepytime' episode won a Kids Emmy in 2019 and involves characters Bingo and Floppy in an intergalactic adventure. Launched in 2018 on the ABC, Bluey was soon hailed for its refreshing characters - particularly Bandit as a capable and astute father as opposed to a bumbling background character common in kids' programming. It also earned rave reviews from critics and parents alike, who applauded its good-natured storylines and riffs on modern parenting. The cartoon has become wildly popular in the U.S. after premiering on the Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney+ in September 2019. Last year, The New York Times described the show as 'the biggest Australian export since The Wiggles' - the country's most famous children's band. Bullet Train (15, 126 mins) Rating: Verdict: Not worth boarding The Japanese don't do rail strikes. Or at least, when they do, everything still runs on time disgruntled staff just stop charging passengers for tickets. But if ever there was a moment to wish for the abrupt cancellation of a service between Tokyo and Kyoto, it's about ten minutes into Bullet Train. The journey has hardly begun before there are serious signal problems. Specifically, the signal that the screenplay has been written by someone (Zak Olkewicz) with a fourth-form sense of humour. Thus, a grown-up assassin (Brian Tyree Henry) turns out to be devoted to the Thomas the Tank Engine stories. 'Everything I learnt about people, I learnt from Thomas,' he says, and plainly we're all meant to cherish the irony of a deadly hitman on a train travelling at 250 mph citing the wisdom of an anthropomorphised locomotive intended for five-year-olds. If ever there was a moment to wish for the abrupt cancellation of a service between Tokyo and Kyoto, it's about ten minutes into Bullet Train The joke, you see, is in the dissonance. Although when I say joke, what I mean is burden, one which poor doughty Henry is obliged to carry forwards, well beyond the point at which you wish the Fat Controller would sit on him and put us all out of our misery. In fairness to the writer, Olkewicz, maybe he merely lifted the running Thomas gag from the novel by Kotaro Isaka on which this idiotic and disagreeably violent comedy-action thriller is based. Either way, someone at Sony Pictures must have thought there was material here worthy of a proper heavyweight cast, led by Brad Pitt, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson in support, and Michael Shannon, Channing Tatum, Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in cameos. Pitt plays a hitman codenamed Ladybug. His extended 'joke' is that he's not temperamentally a killer, being rather a sensitive cove. He wears a bucket hat to put even more distance between him and the standard movie representation of an assassin, although of course he's as brutal as the script needs him to be. Feeding jaunty instructions into Ladybug's earpiece is his own controller a rather skinny one it transpires, played by a mostly unseen Bullock. She wants him to board the bullet train to Kyoto and snatch a mysterious briefcase. This assignment brings him into conflict with another pair of mercenaries played by Henry and Johnson, West Ham-supporting cockneys codenamed Lemon and Tangerine. Let me add here that I went to see this film on Tuesday night with my grown-up daughter and she pronounced it 'quite good fun'. There are certainly a few excellent stunts. So just because it didn't punch my ticket, doesn't mean it won't punch yours The latter, looking and sounding remarkably like Eric Idle as his 'nudge-nudge wink-wink' character from Monty Python, also seems unsuited to the killing business, being slow-witted in the extreme. But he, too, turns out to be a kind of compound of James Bond and John Wick, making him a Bond who gets on your wick. Anyway, these two dimwits are on the train escorting the son of a fearsome gangster known as The White Death (Shannon). Are you with me so far? If not, it really doesn't matter. Other passengers include a sneaky schoolgirl killer (Joey King), a Mexican assassin called Wolf (the rapper Bad Bunny), and a Japanese martial arts expert (Andrew Koji) intent on punishing the person who threw his son off a high-rise building, leaving the child in intensive care. That's not a storyline especially relevant to the plot, incidentally, yet its significance lies in the way it is blithely inserted into the script, as if we might all be completely impervious to such a distressing image. As long as we know it's for comic effect, right? Attempting and largely failing to make all this cohere is director David Leitch, whose credits include Atomic Blonde (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018) and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019). In other words, it's probably fair to assume that he is not a man much influenced by the Merchant-Ivory canon. If there is a conspicuous influence in Bullet Train, it's Guy Ritchie. Indeed, the extreme violence and tricksy camerawork, not to mention those two East End hitmen with their strained comic banter, made me check I hadn't missed Ritchie's name on the bill. Let me add here that I went to see this film on Tuesday night with my grown-up daughter and she pronounced it 'quite good fun'. There are certainly a few excellent stunts. So just because it didn't punch my ticket, doesn't mean it won't punch yours. But compared with some of the great cinematic thrillers set all or partly on trains down the years (The Lady Vanishes, Strangers On A Train, The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three), this one should never have left the sidings. Also intended for comic effect, somewhere on the train there's a deadly snake at large, so poisonous that it makes you bleed from every orifice after being bitten. For some of us, that seems like a pretty decent metaphor for the film itself. Also showing Predator vs. Comanche proves a surprise hit Prey Rating: Our Eternal Summer Rating: Predator, such a mighty, steamrolling vehicle for Arnold Schwarzenegger, seemed very much of its time when it came out in 1987, directed by Die Hard's John McTiernan. But it spawned a franchise which is still going strong, and the latest incarnation, a prequel to the other four films, is Prey (99 mins), set in Comanche territory in the early 18th century. If you're a Predator fan then you'll probably find this a worthy addition, though I can imagine what Arnie thinks about its straight-to-streaming release. The Native American actress Amber Midthunder dominates the story as Naru, a bold young hunter desperate to prove her worth to the doubting men of the tribe. Most of the cast, by the way, are Native American, which is admirable but raises a question over the dialogue, which is full of modern white-man colloquialisms. 'Who invited you?' sneers a haughty male warrior when Naru turns up on a hunting expedition, a line that might have been lifted from any 21st century high-school drama. The Native American actress Amber Midthunder dominates the story as Naru, a bold young hunter desperate to prove her worth to the doubting men of the tribe As it turns out, casual sexism is the least of Naru's problems. She can throw a tomahawk with unerring accuracy but there are snarling mountain lions to contend with, and hostile French fur trappers, and of course, most challenging of all, a translucent killer alien. Director Dan Trachtenberg does a decent job building up to an exciting finale, and headdresses off to his skilled cinematographer, Jeff Cutter, who worked with Trachtenberg on the latter's terrific debut feature, 2016's 10 Cloverfield Lane. Another debut feature, Our Eternal Summer (72 mins) is a French film in which a bunch of carefree adolescents, doing all the things virile French teenagers do in the movies, abruptly have their innocence snatched from them when one of their number drowns off a Mediterranean beach after an ill-advised late-night swim. At barely an hour and a quarter long, Emilie Aussel's admirably concise film deals mainly with the grief, guilt and recriminations that follow this tragedy. It's a coming-of-age story, really, which sensibly keeps grown-ups out of the picture and is very nicely acted by a group of first-timers. Prey is available on Disney+. Our Eternal Summer is on Mubi. Kim Kardashian cherishes the tight-knit relationship her daughter has with her cousins. The reality TV star, 41, shared an adorable photo of her baby girl Chicago, four, enjoying a boat ride with cousins Dream, five, and True, four, to her Instagram on Thursday. The SKIMS founder captioned the sweet photo of the girls having a fun day out on the water writing: 'BFFAE best friends forever and ever.' 'Best friends!': Kim Kardashian, 41, shared an adorable photo of her baby girl Chicago, four, enjoying a boat ride with cousins Dream, five, and True, four, to her Instagram on Thursday The cute trio were clad in bathing suits and pictured looking over a boat rail on the water, with their hair blowing in the wind. Kim shares Chicago as well as daughter North, 9, and sons Psalm, three, and Saint, six, with ex-husband Kanye West, 45. Meanwhile Dream is her brother Rob Kardashian's, 35, daughter with ex-girlfriend model Blac Chyna, 35, while True is sister Khloe Kardashian's, 38, child with ex-boyfriend Tristan Thompson, 31. Snoozing: Kim also took to her Stories to share yet another look at Chicago - whom she shares with ex-husband Kanye West, 45 - this time as she was sleeping New look: The mom-of-four went on to share some some intriguing clips of herself, including one with a nosebleed filter The adorable photo earned a comment from Rob, who posted a blue heart emoji, while Khloe left six white ones. Paris Hilton also loved the photo, commenting three heart-eye emojis underneath the cute snap. Meanwhile Kim took to her Stories to share yet another look at Chicago - this time as she was sleeping. Edgy: She utilized the 'bby demon' filter, which gave her the appearance of a nose bleed, as well as red eyes and horns Seductive: The platinum blonde star made seductive poses at the camera, placing her index finger in her mouth at one point 'She's a 10 but she sometimes snores,' she jokingly wrote over the snap, in reference to a TikTok trend. The mom-of-four went on to share some some intriguing clips of herself while in the backseat of a driving car. She utilized the 'bby demon' filter, which gave her the appearance of a nose bleed, as well as red eyes and horns. Feeling blue: She also shared a more close-up video with a filter that turned her brown eyes a mesmerizing deep blue color The platinum blonde star made seductive poses at the camera, placing her index finger in her mouth at one point. She also shared a more close-up video with a filter that turned her brown eyes a mesmerizing deep blue color. It comes after reports that Kim and Kanye are in a much better place when it comes to raising their four children together, after having a very contentious co-parenting relationship not that long ago. 'Kim and Kanye have been coparenting very well as of late,' a source told Us Weekly. 'They are very civil with each other right now, there are no issues. They are both treating each other with mutual respect.' Co-parents: Kim and Kanye are said to be in a much better place when it comes to raising their four children: Chicago, daughter North, 9, and sons Psalm, three, and Saint, six. The couple were declared legally single on March 2, after six years of wedded bliss The drama between the exes frequently unfolded in public earlier this year with Kanye often going on social media tirades about Kim and her new boyfriend Pete Davidson, 28. After six years of wedded bliss, Kim and Kanye were declared legally single on March 2, and their next status conference divorce hearing is scheduled for August 5. West has past expressed anger toward Davidson since he's been dating Kardashian, and drew him into the drama surrounding their custody arrangement earlier this year, giving him the derisive nickname 'SKETE.' In June, however, Kim spoke highly of Kanye as she wished him a happy Father's Day. She wrote: 'Thank you for being the best dad to our babies and loving them the way you do! Happy Father's Day Ye!' Kylie Jenner shared a sweet TikTok video from a recent shopping spree with her four-year-old daughter Stormi Webster at Harrods in London, England, earlier this week. While visiting a display for her brands, Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin, at the luxury department store, the 24-year-old makeup mogul documented filmed herself in the car on the way over while rocking a hot pink figure-hugging top and black miniskirt. After expressing her excitement about their plans, the reality star twirled her little girl before stocking up on some of her products, including a few lip kits. Adventurous: Kylie Jenner shared a sweet TikTok video from a recent shopping spree with her four-year-old daughter Stormi Webster at Harrods in London, England, earlier this week 'Two of themone for me, and one for you,' she told her firstborn, who held onto a shopping basket. While looking around, Jenner gushed that everything, from the pink chairs to fake bubble bath in the window, looked 'so cute.' Afterward, the duo enjoyed some high tea, fancy finger sandwiches and freshly baked scones. So fun: While visiting a display for her brands, Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin, at the luxury department store, the 24-year-old makeup mogul documented filmed herself in the car on the way over while rocking a hot pink figure-hugging top and black miniskirt Shopping away: After expressing her excitement about their plans, the reality star twirled her little girl before stocking up on some of her products, including a few lip kits 'Two of themone for me, and one for you,' she told her firstborn, who held onto a shopping basket Proud entrepreneur: While looking around, Jenner gushed that everything, from the pink chairs to fake bubble bath in the window, looked 'so cute' Next, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians alum showed off a room full of clothing, purses and shoes for her little girl to try on. 'Look what Harrods did for Stormi to go shopping,' Jenner said. 'Is this not the craziest? You are a spoiled, spoiled girl.' Already the budding fashionista, Stormi tells her mom: 'Mommy I'm gonna try these on.' On her way: Jenner professed her excitement in the car Delicious: Afterward, the duo enjoyed some high tea, fancy finger sandwiches and freshly baked scones Adorable: Next, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians alum showed off a room full of clothing, purses and shoes for her little girl to try on In a separate TikTok video, Jenner can be seen getting glammed up for a 'date night' with her beau, Travis Scott, who is the father of Stormi and her six-month-old son. After a makeup artist applied a sultry grey eyeshadow to her eyelids, the beauty filmed a woman curling her long brown hair. She then swiped a nude gloss across her plump pout before slipping in a strapless black gown. Gorgeous: In a separate TikTok video, Jenner can be seen getting glammed up for a 'date night' with her beau, Travis Scott, who is the father of Stormi and her six-month-old son Glamorous: After a makeup artist applied a sultry grey eyeshadow to her eyelids, the beauty filmed a woman curling her long brown hair Beautiful: She then swiped a nude gloss across her plump pout before slipping in a strapless black gown Authorities from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday that the country would halt its cooperation with the United States on a range of issues and issued sanctions against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over her Taiwan visit. The cooperation issues include military and climate response, with the ministry announcing eight "countermeasures" against the Democrat. The decision comes after Pelosi traveled to Taiwan in "disregard of China's strong opposition and serious representations." China Sanctions Nancy Pelosi The announcement noted that China will no longer take part in the previously planned China-U.S. Theater Commanders Talk, Defense Policy Coordination Talks (DPCT), or Military Maritime Consultative Agreement (MMCA) meetings. The Chinese government is also suspending cooperation on the repatriation of illegal immigrants, legal assistance in criminal matters, cooperation against transnational crimes, counternarcotics cooperation, and talks on climate change. The U.S. House Speaker and a delegation of House Democrats touched down in Taipei City, Taiwan, on Tuesday. There, they discussed security issues with the Taiwanese government as part of a larger trip to the Indo-Pacific region, as per The Hill. Chinese officials claimed that Pelosi's visit violated their "one-China policy" and that it "gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. They argued that it also sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for "Taiwan independence." The spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry announced on Friday the sanctions against Pelosi for her alleged "disregard of China's grave concerns and firm opposition" to the visit to Taiwan. The ministry wrote that the trip gravely "undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Read Also: Russia-Ukraine War: North Korea Could Help Vladimir Putin's Army in Exchange for Grain, Energy [RUMOR] According to CNN, China's Foreign Ministry also said that it would suspend anti-drug cooperation with the United States. The cooperative effort has already been strained in recent years due to various factors. The U.S. blamed China for failing to stop synthetic opioids from reaching the U.S. as both Beijing and Washington disagree on how to counteract the problem. One-China Policy The announcement of the sanctions came after Beijing revealed its plans to issue such decisions that would affect Pelosi and her immediate family. China also conducted military drills and warplane incursions around the self-governing island nation. The ministry also said on Friday that Pelosi's trip meant that the United States government was "seriously interfering in China's internal affairs." The U.S. House Speaker's trip to Taiwan, where she met with President Tsai Ing-wen, infuriated China's Communist Party. During a news conference held in Tokyo, which was Pelosi's last stop on her Asia tour, struck a defiant tone, arguing that China had sought to isolate Taiwan from the international community but would not prevent U.S. officials from traveling there. Spokesman John Kirby said that senior U.S. officials have been meeting regularly with their Chinese counterparts over the dispute. While calling China's actions "provocative." He said that the Biden administration condemned Beijing's military maneuvers as irresponsible and "at odds with our long-standing goal of maintaining peace and stability and across the Taiwan Strait. The official also said that the U.S. is prepared for whatever China chooses to do in response to the American government's decisions regarding Taiwan. Kirby noted that The U.S. is not seeking and does not want a crisis, the Associated Press reported. Related Article: Do Not 'Manufacture a Crisis': Antony Blinken Tells China Amid Military Drill Because of Nancy Pelosi Taiwan Visit @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino told Angelina Pivarnick that her 'life was f***ing dumpster fire' when she confronted him about conspiring with her estranged husband on Thursday night's Jersey Shore: Family Vacation on MTV. 'You need to get a hold of your life,' Mike, 40, said. 'When you hang around clowns, don't be surprised when your life becomes a f***ing circus.' When the episode titled Mike vs. the World opened Mike drove to have a sit down with Angelina, 36. Mike says: Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino told Angelina Pivarnick that her 'life was f***ing dumpster fire' when she confronted him about conspiring with her estranged husband on Thursday night's Jersey Shore: Family Vacation on MTV Circus: 'You need to get a hold of your life,' Mike, 40, said. 'When you hang around clowns, don't be surprised when your life becomes a f***ing circus' 'I am definitely dreading this conversation because I know her life is extremely messy,' Mike said in a confessional. 'Her mess has become our stress.' Angelina printed all the 'receipts' of what Mike had been tweeting and was prepared to confront him. 'It's like I'm going to f***ing war,' Angelina said. 'I kind of feel bad for Mike right now because the wrath of Angelina is about to f***ing come out.' Dreading: 'I am definitely dreading this conversation because I know her life is extremely messy,' Mike said in a confessional. 'Her mess has become our stress' Wrath: 'It's like I'm going to f***ing war,' Angelina said. 'I kind of feel bad for Mike right now because the wrath of Angelina is about to f***ing come out' Angelina asked Mike how he got in touch with Chris. He said Chris and 'Old Bridge' called him and they both wanted him to expose her. Mike said he didn't want to get involved. 'Exposing someone is just not my brand right now,' Mike said. Angelina confronted Mike with his own text messages about exposing her. Not involved: Angelina asked Mike how he got in touch with Chris. He said Chris and 'Old Bridge' called him and they both wanted him to expose her. Mike said he didn't want to get involved Texts: Angelina confronted Mike with his own text messages about exposing her 'You f***ing stirred the pot with everybody,' Angelina said. 'It's bullsh**.' Mike said he just wanted to find out what they had on her. 'I got the information,' Mike said. 'You were in Mexico with your other f***ing side piece. Let's be real, you had multiple side pieces. They got mad at each other. Side piece wars happen. They become besties with your husband and they all wanted to expose you. And then you're mad at everybody for finding out that you're f***ing cheating with everybody.' Stirring: 'You f***ing stirred the pot with everybody,' Angelina said. 'It's bullsh**' Find out: Mike said he just wanted to find out what they had on her. Angelina said it wasn't messy on her side. 'Are you kidding, your life is a f***ing dumpster fire,' Mike said. Angelina said in a confessional that she really needed a friend right now. Dumpster: 'Are you kidding, your life is a f***ing dumpster fire,' Mike said Confessional: Angelina said in a confessional that she really needed a friend right now 'And Mike's not being a friend,' Angelina said. Angelina pointed out that Mike said 'let's get this party started.' 'You need to stop getting involved in people's lives,' Angelina said. Party: Angelina pointed out that Mike said 'let's get this party started' Stop: 'You need to stop getting involved in people's lives,' Angelina said She confronted him about why he just didn't call her when Chris reached out to him. Mike changed the subject. 'You take no f***ing accountability in your life,' Mike said. 'Your life is crumbling right now.' Angelina admitted that she was in the middle of a messy divorce but that Mike was just adding to it. Change: She confronted him about why he just didn't call her when Chris reached out to him. Mike changed the subject Crumbling: 'You take no f***ing accountability in your life,' Mike said. 'Your life is crumbling right now' 'I need to be respected,' Angelina said. 'What about consoling me? What about asking me how I feel?' Angelina said that Chris lied to her. 'He stood there at that f***ing altar crying his eyes out,' Angelina said. 'Meanwhile, he knew the whole time that he didn't really love me.' Respected: 'I need to be respected,' Angelina said. 'What about consoling me? What about asking me how I feel? No love: 'He stood there at that f***ing altar crying his eyes out,' Angelina said. 'Meanwhile, he knew the whole time that he didn't really love me' Angelina broke down crying. 'It's just too much,' Angelina said. Angelina said in the future she wanted to trust him to have her back. Crying: Angelina broke down crying 'I made a mistake,' Mike said. 'All it was a moment of me being imperfect, and I entertained a phone call, and I'm sorry.' They hugged and Angelina said she would unblock Mike's wife Lauren, 36. Mike went home and told Lauren what happened. Mike said there was a lot of yelling. Mistake: 'I made a mistake,' Mike said. 'All it was a moment of me being imperfect, and I entertained a phone call, and I'm sorry' Hugs: They hugged and Angelina said she would unblock Mike's wife Lauren, 36 'Angelina can bring the Staten Island out of anybody,' Lauren said in a confessional. Mike then texted Jenni 'JWoww' Farley, 36, and said that Angelina played the victim and blamed them both for what happened. The next day Mike texted Angelina to meet for a follow up meeting. Lauren: 'Angelina can bring the Staten Island out of anybody,' Lauren said in a confessional Victim: Mike then texted Jenni 'JWoww' Farley, 36, and said that Angelina played the victim and blamed them both for what happened Follow-up: The next day Mike texted Angelina to meet for a follow up meeting 'I've known you for 15 years, I'm just here for support,' Mike said. 'I'm not here to judge,' though footage shown from their first meeting seemed slightly judgy. Mike said he didn't want to bring out the 'Old Mike.' Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi, 34, Deena Cortese, 35, went over to Jenni's house to discuss what was happening with Angelina. Jenni said it was confusing that Mike was being nice to Angelina but then talking to them about exposing her. Support: 'I've known you for 15 years, I'm just here for support,' Mike said. 'I'm not here to judge,' though footage shown from their first meeting seemed slightly judgy No old Mike: Mike said he didn't want to bring out the 'Old Mike' 'You are a switch hitter, bro,' Jenni said in a confessional. Jenni said that Lauren texted her and told her to unfollow Angelina. 'I was drunk on my couch like, okay,' Jenni said. Switch hitter: 'You are a switch hitter, bro,' Jenni said in a confessional In a confessional, Jenni said that Angelina blocked Lauren and her on Stories. She said she then blocked Angelina in return. Lauren then invited Angelina to her skin care launch party. 'I just feel like playing both sides, it backfires,' Jenni said. 'So messy,' Snooki said. Blocked: In a confessional, Jenni said that Angelina blocked Lauren and her on Stories. She said she then blocked Angelina in return. Lauren then invited Angelina to her skin care launch party Messy: 'So messy,' Snooki said Jenni said she didn't know why she was involved in all this. Jenni said she didn't know how she would move forward with Mike now. 'Mike is trying to fix his problem by throwing other people under the bus,' Deena said in a confessional. The next day, Deena had 'she-shed' delivered to her house for her new show with Snooki. Snooki brought over construction outfits for them to wear to help the workers build the shed. Confession: 'Mike is trying to fix his problem by throwing other people under the bus,' Deena said in a confessional Shed: The next day, Deena had 'she-shed' delivered to her house for her new show with Snooki. Snooki brought over construction outfits for them to wear to help the workers build the shed Mike showed up at Jenni's house with pizza because she hadn't been answering his text. Mike said he realized that his group text could have been lost in translation. Mike told her he was just being sarcastic in his message. 'I didn't take it that way,' Jenni said. 'I felt betrayed yesterday because I'm hearing that you're talking to Angelina on the side and then you are talking to us about Angelina.' Mike and Jenni: Mike showed up at Jenni's house with pizza because she hadn't been answering his text. Mike said he realized that his group text could have been lost in translation Didn't take: 'I didn't take it that way,' Jenni said. 'I felt betrayed yesterday because I'm hearing that you're talking to Angelina on the side and then you are talking to us about Angelina' Jenni said it makes him look like a bad friend and then he invited Angelina to Lauren's skin care launch party. Mike said he didn't like to be on bad terms with anyone. 'Or do you not like looking like the bad guy?' Jenni said. 'It just went too far and now you look like the bad guy.' 'Just don't be a sh** friend,' Jenni said. Bad friend: Jenni said it makes him look like a bad friend and then he invited Angelina to Lauren's skin care launch party. Mike said he didn't like to be on bad terms with anyone Jenni said she felt bummed out that her name was thrown out. 'You don't know what other people are saying so you have to trust the other people in your life, to hold you in high regard' Jenni said. Jenni said it was terrifying that her name was brought up because that speech leaking ruined her life for a year. Bummed: Jenni said she felt bummed out that her name was thrown out Speech: Jenni said it was terrifying that her name was brought up because that speech leaking ruined her life for a year 'I didn't leave my house,' Jenni said crying. 'I'm at an age and point in my life where it's not worth it.' Mike said he tried to not speak negatively about anyone. Mike thanked her for hearing him out. In a confessional, Jenni said she was concerned about what was being said about her. Not worth it: 'I didn't leave my house,' Jenni said crying. 'I'm at an age and point in my life where it's not worth it' Thanks: Mike said he tried to not speak negatively about anyone. Mike thanked her for hearing him out 'All the girls are mad as hell at Mike and no amount of pizza is going to make me forgive and forget what he did,' Jenni said. 'He's still trying to justify his actions but backpedaling never works out and actions have consequences.' Vinny Guadagnino, 34, who was in Vegas met up with Paul Pauly D' Del Vecchio, 42, and they went on a Hog Tour of the city. Jersey Shore: Family Vacation will return next Thursday on MTV. Hog tour: Vinny Guadagnino, 34, who was in Vegas met up with Paul Pauly D' Del Vecchio, 42, and they went on a Hog Tour of the city Zoey Deutch has revealed she once 'peed her pants' on Robert De Niro's plane. The actress, 27, made an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday where she made the admission during a game of Two Truths And A Lie. The Set It Up star read out three statements from a card, with Jimmy trying to guess which one was untrue. Awkward: Zoey Deutch has revealed she once 'peed her pants' on Robert De Niro's plane She said: 'In a span of two years, I got stuck in three different elevators. I took my pet beetle to school with me for a month. I once peed my pants on Robert De Niro's plane.' Jimmy speculated the elevator claim was fake, saying: 'I feel like maybe you were a baby or something and you might have done that? I think the first one is a lie.' Deutch confirmed the beetle story was fake, with Fallon desperate to know what happened on De Niro's plane. He asked: 'How old were you when you peed your pants on Robert De Niro's plane?' Accidents happen: The actress, 27, made an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday where she made the admission during a game of Two Truths And A Lie (Robert De Niro pictured in June 2022) She replied: 'That was really recently unfortunately. The bathroom didn't work and I had to pee. The actress sat down to chat with the talk show host in an elegant black dress with silver trim. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and she added bright pink lipstick to the look as well. After playing a round of Musical Beers, an alcoholic variation of Musical Chairs, with Joel McHale and Tariq Trotter, Fallon and Deutch ran through the conversational gamut. Their conversation began by reminiscing about Deutch's brief moment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 'I played girl in the bathroom who got attacked by the lizard coming out of the toilet,' she said. 'I'm sure you guys all saw me in that, right?' While she may have filmed a part for the movie, Deutch was quick to tell the audience that her scene ultimately ended up on the cutting room floor. Game: The Set It Up star read out three statements from a card, with Jimmy trying to guess which one was untrue Stylish: The actress sat down to chat with the talk show host in an elegant black dress with silver trim Thinking back: Their conversation began by reminiscing about Deutch's brief moment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, after which they played a game of Two Truths and a Lie Fallon, however, said he has 'friends in high places' and played the never before seen clip. After the clip, Deutch said, 'CGI has gotten a lot better in the last 10 years. And I hope my acting too.' Fallon asked Deutch if she always knew she wanted to be an actress, and she shared a clip where, while sitting on her mother Lea Thompson's lap, the star admitted that she did want to be one. Finally, Deutch discussed her recently released film Not Okay, which follows a woman who lies about going to Paris to impress a co-worker and then lies about surviving a terrorist attack that happens there. Social: Deutch teased her Tonight Show spot on her Instagram, which included a fun clip with host Jimmy Fallon Having a blast: The duo acted out audio from What We Do in the Shadows, the popular television show about vampires based on the indie film of the same name Accent: They showed a pail when the voice says 'pal' with a bit of an accent Deutch teased her Tonight Show spot on her Instagram, which included a fun clip with host Jimmy Fallon. The duo acted out audio from What We Do in the Shadows, the popular television show about vampires based on the indie film of the same name. They pantomimed along with the audio in the clip, saluting during the term 'rotten soldier' and showing a pail when the voice says 'pal' with a bit of an accent. Wanting to showcase her elegant late-night look, Deutch uploaded a full-body snap of herself rocking a black cocktail dress and white kitten heels. Searchlight Pictures re-posted Deutch and Fallon's funny video and captioned it, 'The Queen herself @zoeydeutch stopped by @fallontonight to chat @notokaymovie.' All smiles: The two were clearly laughing throughout filming Alessandra Ambrosio was all about her own personal health and well-being when she headed out the front door of her home in Santa Monica on Friday. It didn't take long before the supermodel, 41, made her way for a pampering session at SKINIC Body Aesthetics Center in nearby Beverly Hills, which is promoted as the latest and 'most advanced body contouring and skin tightening treatments.' Wanting to work out her 5ft9.5in statuesque figure in one of her happy places, the Brazilian-born beauty also made her way to the ocean for 'beach volleyball day' in Santa Monica, that she documented with a few Instagram photos. Taking care inside and out: Alessandra Ambrosio, 41, focused on her health and well-being and made her way to SKINIC Body Aesthetics Center in Beverly Hills for a pampering session Ambrosio kept it casual in the fashion department dressed in cut-off white denim shorts and a blue and yellow-patterned Ciao Ciao Vacation shirt with a floral design. In keeping with her laid back vibe for the day, the former catwalk queen also wore stylish white flip flops and pulled her long brown tresses back into a loose bun. And with the sun glaring down on and the temperature in the mid-70s Fahrenheit as a high along the shore and into the 80s more inland, Ambrosio also donned stylish mirrored sunglasses. Pampering: The longtime supermodel kept it casual in the fashion department dressed in cut-off white denim shorts and a blue and yellow-patterned Ciao Ciao Vacation shirt with a floral design for her visit to for some body contouring at the media spa After taking part in one of the 'non-invasive treatments curated by experts', Ambrosio was spotted leaving the facility for the short walk back to her parked vehicle. She would eventually head west towards the beach in Santa Monica, which isn't too far from the home she shares with her two children: daughter Anja, 13, and son Noah, 10. By the time she hit the sand and met up with her friends to play volleyball, Ambrosio had stripped out of her shorts and shirt to reveal her orange bikini from the Gal Floripa line that she co-founded with childhood friend Gisele Coria and sister Aline Ambrosio. Own best advert: The Brazilian beauty would slip out her her shorts and shirt to play beach volleyball with friends in an orange bikini from the Gal Floripa line that she co-founded Smokin' hot: The former catwalk queen's hooked up with friend Marina Bruzadi, who also showcased her fab figure in a red bikini from Gal Floripa The beach enthusiast revealed that it was in fact, 'Beach volleyball day @galfloripa,' in the caption of her Instagram post just after the noon hour. She first struck a pose for the cover page wearing retro sunglasses alongside friend Marina Bruzadi, who also showcased her fab figure in a red bikini. He gal pal would also wear stylish dark sunglasses to help with the glare from the sun, which a big bonus when playing volleyball on the beach. It appears as though boyfriend, Richard Lee, did not make it out for all the fun in the sun on this day. Baby got back: The two gal pals gave a backside view to their social media fans and fokllowers Chazz Bryant shocked his fellow Islanders by picking newcomer Katherine 'Kat' Gibson to couple up with on Thursday night's episode of Love Island USA on Peacock. 'Ever since I've been in this villa, I've had an undeniable connection with this girl,' Chazz, 21, of Clifton, New Jersey, said. 'I believe this girl is one of the most beautiful girls I've seen in this villa.' Chazz said he knew that the woman he was picking in the recoupling would appreciate him for who he was. Shocked: Chazz Bryant shocked his fellow Islanders by picking newcomer Katherine 'Kat' Gibson to couple up with on Thursday night's episode of Love Island USA on Peacock Connection: 'Ever since I've been in this villa, I've had an undeniable connection with this girl,' Chazz, 21, of Clifton, New Jersey, said. 'I believe this girl is one of the most beautiful girls I've seen in this villa' 'This wasn't an easy decision,' Chazz said. 'I do think this girl deserves to stay in this villa and by my side.' 'Come here, Kat,' Chazz said. Sereniti Springs, 28, of Clovis, California, just stood there crying realizing that he had picked Kat over her and that she would now be leaving the Island. Not easy: 'This wasn't an easy decision,' Chazz said. 'I do think this girl deserves to stay in this villa and by my side. Kat: 'Come here, Kat,' Chazz said Leaving: Sereniti Springs, 28, of Clovis, California, just stood there crying realizing that he had picked Kat over her and that she would now be leaving the Island When the show opened, the three new Islanders went on dessert dates as the rest of the cast watched from above. Deborah 'Deb' Chubb, 26, of Dallas, sat with newcomer Jared Hassim, 23, a dog park attendant from Los Angeles. She baked him a brownie tower for dessert. 'I really suggest you don't eat it,' Deb said of her rock hard burnt brownies. 'They're already hugging,' Jesse Bray, 27, of Springfield, Ohio, said. 'I can't watch this bullsh**.' Jared and Deb: When the show opened, the three new Islanders went on dessert dates as the rest of the cast watched from above. Deborah 'Deb' Chubb, 26, of Dallas, sat with newcomer Jared Hassim, 23, a dog park attendant from Los Angeles. She baked him a brownie tower for dessert Hugging: 'They're already hugging,' Jesse Bray, 27, of Springfield, Ohio, said. 'I can't watch this bullsh**' Deb laughed when Jared said he couldn't cut her brownies. 'This is a brick,' Jared said. Jared talked about his mixed heritage. He asked her about her relationship with Jesse. Mixed: Jared talked about his mixed heritage. He asked her about her relationship with Jesse 'I don't know if he's the right one for you,' Jared said. 'I'm kind of concerned about Deb's head getting turned,' Jesse said in a confessional. Chazz made newcomer Kat 21, a content creator from Manassas, Virginia, a cookie and cream milkshake. Don't know: 'I don't know if he's the right one for you,' Jared said Concerned: 'I'm kind of concerned about Deb's head getting turned,' Jesse said in a confessional Kat and Chazz: Chazz made newcomer Kat 21, a content creator from Manassas, Virginia, a cookie and cream milkshake 'You are like what every girl needs,' Kat said. 'I like that,' Chazz said smiling. Kat said she didn't go to college but instead started a mukbang YouTube channel. Needs: 'You are like what every girl needs,' Kat said Like that: 'I like that,' Chazz said smiling 'You are really pretty,' Chazz said. 'It doesn't take me that long to eat a dessert,' Sereniti said, watching them from above. Newcomer Nadjha Day, 22, a college student from Barranquilla, Columbia, told Isaiah Campbell, 21, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that he was really attractive. Like: 'I like that,' Chazz said smiling Not that long: 'It doesn't take me that long to eat a dessert,' Sereniti said, watching them from above Eye: 'You definitely had my eye the entire time,' Nadjha said 'You definitely had my eye the entire time,' Nadjha said. She said she liked his vibe. Sydney Paight, 22, of Houston, nervously watched from above with her arms crossed. Nadjha told Isaiah that she was definitely attracted to him. 'I'm definitely interested in you,' Nadjha said. Attractive: Nadjha: Newcomer Nadjha Day, 22, a college student from Barranquilla, Columbia, told Isaiah Campbell, 21, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that he was really attractive Vibe: She said she liked his vibe. Sydney Paight, 22, of Houston, nervously watched from above with her arms crossed. Nadjha told Isaiah that she was definitely attracted to him Nadjha asked him if he was set on Sydney. 'Obviously, it's Love Island, you can never be super set on someone,' Isaiah said. 'You can't ever be 100 % on someone. Now, I can get to know you.' After the dates, the newcomers mingled with all the Islanders. Set: Nadjha asked him if he was set on Sydney Not super set: 'Obviously, it's Love Island, you can never be super set on someone,' Isaiah said. 'You can't ever be 100 % on someone. Now, I can get to know you' 'Everyone's been so welcoming,' Nadjha said. 'So I really do appreciate that.' Deb asked Jesse to go talk. Deb told Jesse that the whole time she was with Jared she was just thinking of him. 'The whole night I just wanted to hang out with you,' Deb said. Deb and Jesse: Deb asked Jesse to go talk. Deb told Jesse that the whole time she was with Jared she was just thinking of him Whole night: 'The whole night I just wanted to hang out with you,' Deb said 'I missed you,' Jesse said. 'I couldn't watch.' Jesse told her he was really trying to win back her trust. 'You're doing good,' Deb said. The two made out. Deb said later that they had a really good make out session. Missed: 'I missed you,' Jesse said. 'I couldn't watch' Make out: The two made out. Deb said later that they had a really good make out session Isaiah went to talk to Sydney. She asked how it went. 'Katherine, I really didn't feel sh** with at all,' Isaiah said. 'Nadjha was good. And I was like, 'yeah, I'm open to talk to you more for sure. Obviously if there's dudes walked in you would feel something for someone.' Sydney said he couldn't speak for her. Isaiah and Sydney: Isaiah went to talk to Sydney. She asked how it went Something: 'Katherine, I really didn't feel sh** with at all,' Isaiah said. 'Nadjha was good. And I was like, 'yeah, I'm open to talk to you more for sure. Obviously if there's dudes walked in you would feel something for someone. Speak: Sydney said he couldn't speak for her 'You wouldn't say no 'me and Isaiah are married,' Isaiah said. Sydney cried in a confessional. 'Like I don't want to scare him off, I don't know,' Sydney said. 'I don't like this.' Don't like: 'Like I don't want to scare him off, I don't know,' Sydney said. 'I don't like this' Chazz was conflicted after his date. . 'The villa gods brought someone in that was f***ing perfect for me,' Chazz said in a confessional. 'But at the same time me and Sereniti have something solid forming.' Chazz told Sereniti she was still a priority. Chazz confession: 'The villa gods brought someone in that was f***ing perfect for me,' Chazz said in a confessional. 'But at the same time me and Sereniti have something solid forming' Later, the Islanders changed for bed and Sydney broke down crying. She told the girls that Isaiah said he was open to getting to know Nadjha. In the morning, Chazz told the men that he didn't even hug Sereniti last night. Sereniti said to Sydney that Chazz didn't speak to her in the morning and just made his side of the bed. 'Let's talk some sh** up since you want to sit her and be a petty little b****,' Sereniti said. Petty: 'Let's talk some sh** up since you want to sit her and be a petty little b****,' Sereniti said Chazz made Kat breakfast while Sereniti stared at him. Nadjha pulled Jeff Christian Jr., 25, to talk. 'I'm so glad you came,' Jeff said. 'I feel like I could take care of you and protect you.' 'I feel we would look cute together,' Nadjha said. Breakfast: Chazz made Kat breakfast while Sereniti stared at him. Nadjha pulled Jeff Christian Jr., 25, to talk Talk: 'I'm so glad you came,' Jeff said. 'I feel like I could take care of you and protect you' Cute: 'I feel we would look cute together,' Nadjha said Mady McLanahan, 26, brought Jared to talk to him in the treehouse. 'I'm a strong independent woman and I bring a lot to the table,' Mady said. Nadjha and Isaiah spoke. Jared: Mady McLanahan, 26, brought Jared to talk to him in the treehouse Mady: 'I'm a strong independent woman and I bring a lot to the table,' Mady said Spoke: Nadjha and Isaiah spoke 'You're just dangerous,' Isaiah said to Nadjha. Chazz went to talk to Sereniti and apologized for ending the night on a bad note. Sereniti asked him where his head was at. Dangerous: 'You're just dangerous,' Isaiah said to Nadjha Apologize: Chazz went to talk to Sereniti and apologized for ending the night on a bad note 'I'm still here to pursue you,' Chazz said. 'I care a lot about you.' Isaiah talked to Timmy Pandolfi, 29, of New York City, about Nadjha. 'She just f***ed me up, bro,' Isaiah said. 'If I get to know this girl more though the vibe with Sydney is going to come crashing.' Care: 'I'm still here to pursue you,' Chazz said. 'I care a lot about you' 'Follow your heart,' Timmy said. Kat got a text and announced to everyone that at night there would be a recoupling. 'The boys will choose and the girl not picked will be dumped from the island,' Kat read. Kat said declared that her top interest was Chazz. Kat chatted with Chazz. Top: Kat said declared that her top interest was Chazz. Kat chatted with Chazz 'I'm hoping you could see some potential for furthering it and digging deeper,' Kat said to Chazz. 'I'm hoping for a chance.' Chazz said he needed to choose what was right for him. Isaiah told Nadjha she was very beautiful. Deeper: 'I'm hoping you could see some potential for furthering it and digging deeper,' Kat said to Chazz. 'I'm hoping for a chance. 'You're just so understanding and consoling to me, that that's honestly what was f***ing with me so much,' Isaiah said. 'With you I get butterflies in my stomach,' Nadjha said. In a confessional, Sereniti said she will find out whether Chazz and her were as strong as she hoped. Find out: In a confessional, Sereniti said she will find out whether Chazz and her were as strong as she hoped 'If not, I will be very, very upset,' Sereniti said crying. At the recoupling, Jesse chose to stay with Deb and picked her. Bryce Fins, 30 picked to stay with Courtney Boerner, 24, of Florida. 'When the time comes for me to be exiting through those archways, I can only hope that this girl will be by my side,' Bryce said. Jesse and Deb: At the recoupling, Jesse chose to stay with Deb and picked her. Bryce Fins, 30 picked to stay with Courtney Boerner, 24, of Florida Courtney and Bryce: 'When the time comes for me to be exiting through those archways, I can only hope that this girl will be by my side,' Bryce said Timmy picked Zeta. 'There are so many things I respect about this woman,' Timmy said. 'She motivates me to be the man I want to be each day here.' Jared picked Mady. Isaiah went next. Timmy and Zeta: Timmy picked Zeta 'I would like to couple up with this girl because the way she makes me smile from my lips to my ears, the way she carries herself, she makes men feel so comfortable and safe,' Isaiah said. 'Whenever I look into her eyes, I get butterflies.' He picked Sydney. Jeff picked Nadjha. Butterflies: 'I would like to couple up with this girl because the way she makes me smile from my lips to my ears, the way she carries herself, she makes men feel so comfortable and safe,' Isaiah said. 'Whenever I look into her eyes, I get butterflies' 'There's a spark there and I'm just waiting to ignite it,' Jeff said. Love Island USA will return on Friday on the Peacock streaming service Married At First Sight star Domenica Calarco has revealed the bizarre treatment she uses to manage her stress and anxiety. Speaking during a Q+A segment on her podcast Sit With Us alongside co-star Ella Ding, the 29-year-old opened up about her struggle with mental health over the years. 'I've dealt with anxiety and depression since I was 16 years old,' she said. 'I've got every trick in the book.' Married At First Sight star Domenica Calarco (left) revealed the bizarre treatment she uses to manage her stress and anxiety. Speaking during her podcast Sit With Us alongside co-star Ella Ding (right), the 29-year-old opened up about her struggle with mental health over the years 'Look it's odd but whatever. Everyone's got their own little thing.' The makeup artist explained she carries Vicks VapoRub around no matter where she goes. 'For me, when I smell Vicks, it instantly calms me,' she explained. 'So Vicks is like my safety blanket.' 'It's always in my bag. If I'm feeling a bit anxious before I get out of the car or I've got a meeting or something, I just smell my Vicks. I put some on the inside of my wrists or a little bit on my chest and it just calms my nerves.' The makeup artist explained she carries Vicks VapoRub around no matter where she goes Dom's admission comes after her dramatic makeover following her split from her former talent manager. Late last month, she unveiled her cropped bleach-blonde hair in a selfie posted to Instagram, after jetting to London for a working holiday. 'Blonde, bra-less and in London,' Dom captioned the photo. 'Obsessed [with] this look!' one fan commented, while another wrote: 'Loving this icy blonde moment.' Domenica recently debuted her stylish 'breakover' after splitting from her former talent manager. (Left: on MAFS, and right: in London on Wednesday_ Dom parted ways with leading celebrity agent Sharon Finnigan, who handles major TV stars including Karl Stefanovic and Natalie Barr. The former makeup artist confirmed the split by updating her Instagram bio this week, removing all references to SF Management. She is now on the hunt for an international agent and has lined up several meetings while she is in the UK, a source tells Daily Mail Australia. Late last month, she unveiled her cropped bleach-blonde hair in a selfie posted to Instagram, after jetting to London for a working holiday 'Domenica is determined to get her own reality show, and only cares about boosting her OnlyFans numbers, while Sharon had other plans of her' the insider added. According to the source, Dom thought Sharon 'could help land her a TV gig since she works with top-notch clients like Karl Stefanovic and Natalie Barr'. It follows reports her relationship with Sharon was 'anything but harmonious'. The pair went their separate ways because the OnlyFans creator's expectations 'exceeded reality'. Dom parted ways with leading celebrity agent Sharon Finnigan, who handles major TV stars including Karl Stefanovic and Natalie Barr Dom had enlisted Sharon to manage her fledgling career in April, following her breakout appearance on Nine's Married At First Sight. Pictured: Dom (left) with MAFS partner Jack (right) Daily Mail Australia understands Sharon decided to end their professional relationship early, despite being contractually bound until September. Dom had enlisted her to manage her fledgling career in April, following her breakout appearance on Nine's Married At First Sight. They held a series of meetings in which Dom reportedly expressed her desire to launch her own podcast and makeup range. She has since started the podcast with her co-host Ella Ding, and also collaborated with online retailer Showpo for a clothing line. Larry Emdur has spoken out about his unlikely rise to fame after revealing that he was an illiterate high school dropout before becoming a television star. The Channel Seven star, 57, made the surprising revelation during an interview on Nova's Fitzy & Wippa radio show on Friday to promote his new memoir, Happy As. Larry explained that his teachers thought he was such a terrible student that he was kicked out of school before he even knew how to read or write properly. Larry Emdur has spoken out about his unlikely rise to fame after starting his working career as a high school dropout. Larry pictured posing with his new memoir, Happy As 'I did terribly at school, horribly,' he explained. 'That's why I got kicked out, without being able to read or write, so it's an interesting concept to write a book.' He told hosts Ryan Fitzgerald and Michael Wipfli that he then spent his days surfing and doing little else. Meanwhile, he held down a job working the night shift as a copy boy at a now defunct afternoon tabloid. 'I just started writing bits and pieces for the local newspaper,' he told the hosts. While still a teenager, Larry wrote to Channel Nine asking for a job as a journalist. Larry said that he was 'so terrible' at school that his teachers threw him out - he then started working at a local newspaper and built his career from there They turned him down at first, telling him there were no positions available for 'juniors'. 'I wasn't going for a junior position!,' Larry joked. 'Im talking about 60 minutes what are you talking about?' Soon after, Larry became Australia's youngest newsreader at age 19 on Channel Seven. Larry also spoke about his upcoming memoir, Happy As, which details his upbringing and rise to fame as one of Australia's most prominent TV stars. Larry pictured as a young boy Elsewhere in the chat Larry talked about his upcoming memoir, Happy As, which details his upbringing and rise to fame as one of Australia's most prominent TV stars. In a surprising twist, Larry said that once he announced he was writing a book, friends and family remained unenthusiastic. Fitzy teased Larry by revealing that his wife of thirty years, Sylvie, had told the Dancing with the Stars favourite he would never win a Pulitzer Prize. He later posted the comment to his Instagram. Larry and Morning Show co-star Kylie Gillies 'Did anybody say ''good on you Laz, cant wait?'',' Wippa asked. 'Not a single person in my life,' Larry said sadly. 'Not a single person.' Fans can look forward to reading in the new book the truth behind whether or not Larry discovered Gold Logie winner Rove McManus. Advertisement She's famous for her stunning looks and enviable physique. And on Thursday, Irina Shayk exhibited her supermodel frame in a neon yellow bandeau bikini during a relaxing beach day in Ibiza, Spain. The 36-year-old Vogue supermodel from Russia displayed her slim waist and toned pins in the strapless swimwear set. Wow! on Thursday, Irina Shayk, 36, showcased her supermodel frame in a neon yellow bandeau bikini during a relaxing beach day in Ibiza, Spain The thong bikini showed off her gym-honed body in all its glory as she topped up her tan in the sunshine. Irina went fresh-faced for the sunny outing, with a large pair of black sunglasses shielding her eyes. 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. Sensational: The Vogue supermodel from Russia displayed her slim waist and toned pins in the strapless swimwear set Stunning: Irina let her natural beauty shine as she went fresh-faced for the outing Helping hand: Following her dip in the sea, Irina was given a helping hand as she made her way back onto dry land '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. 'I didnt feel pressure to lose kilos and color my hair, and I always, still now, stick to that. I think the industrys changing for the better,' the Burberry model stated. Incredible: The thong bikini showed off her gym-honed body in all its glory as she topped up her tan in the sunshine Refreshing dip: Irina appeared to enjoy the refreshing dip in the Mediterranean Sea Mom's Ibiza getaway: Missing from her fun in the sun was Irina's five-year-old daughter Lea De Seine Cooper 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, Irina and Bradley 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. Fun times: Irina had surf boards at her disposal for her beach day The actor 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. They were both vying for the affections of Italian hunk Davide Sanclimenti during their time in the Spanish villa. But on Thursday night, Ekin-Su Culculoglu, 27, insisted she is now friends with romance rival Nathalia Campos, 23, as they reunited at the Love Island wrap party in London. The Turkish actress - who won the series with her now-boyfriend Davide, 27 - looked incredible in the busty LBD as she cosied up to her man - but the pair were nowhere to be seen at Antigoni Buxton's after party. Hot couple! Ekin-Su Culculoglu, 27, insisted she is friends with romance rival Nathalia Campos, 23, at the Love Island wrap party - as she cosied up to her man Davide Sanclimenti, 27 A source for Ekin-Su told MailOnline: 'Ekin-Su and Natalia made up at the Love Island Reunion and she insisted that there are no hard feelings between the pair. 'Ekin-Su believes that she would have been friends with Natalia during their time on the show - had Natalia not come into the villa as a bombshell.' They also added that the winner's Ekin-Su and Davide decided to swerve the raucous afterparty hosted by Antigoni and opted to do their 'own thing' instead. Gorgeous: She reunited with sequin-clad Nathalia at the bash, as a source confrimed insisted that 'there are no hard feelings between the pair' (pictured with Antigoni Buxton, 26) The Turkish actress looked incredible in the busty LBD with a structured corset style waist that enhanced her amazing figure. Davide looked handsome as ever in light grey check trousers and a short sleeve white shirt worn unbuttoned to show off his buff chest. Meanwhile, Nathalia slipped her model physique into a dazzling white-and-nude coloured Nadine Merabi jumpsuit, which boasted feathered cuffs. The Brazilian bombshell partied the night away with Lacey Edwards, 25, and posed for a photograph with Antigoni Buxton, 26, who commanded attention in a plunging white frock. Fun with friends: The Brazilian bombshell partied the night away with Lacey Edwards, 25 After Ekin-Su and Davide's landslide Love Island victory, the Essex-based actress has already been tipped to become the show's highest earner in history. She has already scooped 25,000 in prize money, and a source has told MailOnline she's already being inundated with lucrative offers. This means she could surpass multi-millionaire Molly-Mae Hague, 23, who was runner-up on the 2019 series, to become the show's richest ever star. Ekin-Su, who entered the villa on the third day as a bombshell, has already had a taste of the spotlight, having starred in Turkish soap operas and reality shows before entering the Love Island villa, and the brunette is now set to cash in with an estimated 1 million payday. A source close to Ekin-Su told MailOnline: 'We've never seen the likes of the deals that are already coming through the door. It's not just your typical reality TV fodder. 'She's absolutely inundated with lucrative offers from brands and they're prepared to pay big money to get her onboard. She's going to be the new Molly-Mae Hague!' Love Island's George Tasker has revealed his plan to 'break' David Sanclimenti and Ekin-Su Culculoglu up at the reunion show. The Turkish actress, 27, and the Italian businessman, 27, were crowned winners of the eight series on Monday after securing a staggering 63.69 per cent of the public vote. But George, 23, doesn't think the couple will live happily ever after as the feud between him and Davide continues. Drama: Love Island's George Tasker has revealed his plan to 'break' David Sanclimenti and Ekin-Su Culculoglu up at the reunion show Casa Amor bombshells Mollie Salmon and Samuel Agbiji joined George on a livestream to discuss their predictions prior to the final. Mollie stated: 'I kind of what Ekin-Su and Davide to win, I ain't going to lie to you all,' with Samuel agreeing. A smug George then quipped: 'They'll win and then I'll break them up at the reunion,' leaving all three of them giggling. It comes after Davide unfollowed his love rival George as soon as he was reunited with his phone. Couple: The Turkish actress, 27, and the Italian businessman, 27, were crowned winners of the eight series on Monday after securing a staggering 63.69 per cent of the public vote Tense: George, 23, doesn't think the couple will live happily ever after as the feud between him and Davide continues over Ekin-Su drama Ekin-Su and George were seen sharing a cuddle in bed in Casa Amor earlier in the series, with George telling the other boys the next day: 'Something pretty mad happened last night. There was some touching going on.' As the pair got close, Ekin-Su said: 'For f*** sake,' and George later told her that she was a 'nightmare' as she revealed 'We're just friends.' After the incident, Ekin-Su said to George: 'It was hot in there, obviously we're both attractive people and we're in the same bed together. Do you know what I mean? Nothing happened.' And when the clip was aired during Movie Night, Davide was less than impressed, resulting in an explosive argument between the pair. Casa Amor bombshells Mollie Salmon and Samuel Agbiji joined George on a livestream where he quipped: 'They'll win and then I'll break them up at the reunion' Adding some fuel to the fire, one Instagram fan questioned George on what happened between him and Ekin-Su in the villa - after they appeared to get heated in bed one night. Posting a cryptic response, he wrote 'what does everyone think?' before adding a host of emojis, including a cry laughing face. It comes after George claimed producers 'set up' his bed scene with Ekin-Su. It is being reported that he contacted Ekin-Su's social media account handler, which is her parents, to clear things up. It is claimed he told them 'nothing happened' between them, and it is all being 'blown out of proportion'. Spill: Adding some fuel to the fire, one Instagram fan questioned George on what happened between him and Ekin-Su in the villa - after they appeared to get heated in bed one night It comes after Davide and Ekin-Su were crowned the winners of Love Island 2022. As the news was announced, emotional Ekin-Su, 27, jumped into her Italian beau's arms as they celebrated their win and speechless Davide exclaimed he 'couldn't believe it'. Congratulations rushed in for genetically-blessed couple Ekin-Su and Davide as viewers celebrated their win on social media, admitting that they thought the 'right couple had won'. The couple finished ahead of Gemma Owen, 19, and Luca Bish, 23, who were awarded second place and narrowly missed out on the money, with bosses deciding to ditch the 'split or steal' twist that usually comes at the end for the first time in the history of the ITV2 show. In previous years, winners have picked an envelope which either has the prize money or nothing enclosed, with one person in the couple being given the 50,000 with the option to 'split or steal' the cash. This year, host Laura Whitmore, 37, announced during Monday night's live final they would automatically be sharing the money as producers opted to scrap the tradition which has been in place since series one. Advertisement The cast of Love Island 2022 were reunited on Thursday for the first time since leaving the villa, with plenty of funny, awkward and romantic moments discussed by show host Laura Whitmore for the annual reunion show. And after reflecting on their once in a lifetime experience together, the cast let loose with a raucous afterparty hosted by Antigoni Buxton, with the group seen downing shots, dirty dancing and tucking into slices of pizza. An array of Islanders who were unable to meet in the villa were brought together for the wild celebrations - yet the show's finalists, Ekin-Su Culculoglu, Davide Sanclimeni, Indiyah Polack, Dami Hope, Tasha Ghouri, Andrew Le Page, Gemma Owen and Luca Bish were nowhere to be seen at the celebrations. Downing booze from the bottle, twerking with pizza slices and PLENTY of dirty dancing: The Love Island stars let loose at Antigoni Buxton's wild reunion party on Thursday night - but why did the finalists snub the celebrations? A source revealed to MailOnline that Ekin-Su and Davide did not attend the festivities as they wanted to enjoy a private evening together, with the pair later seen heading out together in Soho. Despite the lack of finalists at the party - which was hosted by celebrity favourite sparkling wine brand Luc Belaire - the Islanders still had a great night, with songstress Antigoni seen throwing shapes on the dancefloor while clad in a very sexy white dress with a cut away along the chest and hips. The blonde beauty seemed in high spirits as she grabbed bottles of vodka and poured the contents directly down her neck before showing off her best moves. Earlier in the night it was reported that Coco Lodge and Summer Botwe got into a 'very heated exchange' during filming for the reunion show - which is set to be full of drama. Yum: Antigoni provided pizza for her pals and the group were seen chowing down on Franco Manca pizza slices while dancing around with one another as the DJ played a selection of songs The reunion, which will air on Sunday night, was pre-recorded on Thursday evening with most of the 2022 cast in attendance. And one audience member shared her experience on social media, claiming that producers had to 'step in' as the Casa Amor bombshells had an explosive row, which fans are convinced is over Josh Le Grove. The fan wrote on Twitter: 'Just been at the #LoveIslan reunion episode filming, very heated exchange between coco and summer production had to step in and close it down Summer made a comment about friends not being real friends on the outside, and Coco was trying to defend herself by saying It was all banter, kept going back and forth over the boys (Josh & Billy) for a fair few minutes, production obvs had no idea of context from podcast ep. Throwing shapes: Paige Thorne looked in high spirits as she danced sexily with her friends while Danica Taylor also twerked up a storm during the party Singing sensation: Antogini performed for her pals at the party and was seen using a bottle of Belaire Luxe as a microphone while belting out some hits for the crowds Fun times for all: Antigoni was joined by Nathalia Campos, Josh Le Grove and Lacy Edwards as they let loose on the dancefloor and chowed down on pizza The ITV viewers then revealed Coco stormed off, with audience members encouraging her to return: 'Coco left after that exchange and we had to cheer her to come back in... 'Luca ran over to Jay, Charlie and antigonis table to get the gossip as the reaction on the sofa was a bit mad.' Things recently turned frosty between the girls as they unfollowed each other after leaving the villa. Fans believe the former friends are feuding after Coco made it known she had rejected Josh's sexual advance - while he was thought to be dating Summer. Fun times for all: The group were seen letting loose and throwing shapes after filming the hotly-anticipated reunion show Pour it up: The group were delighted to be treated to big bottles of tequila as they danced around and caught up with one another while dancing and swilling drinks Coco appeared on the Saving Grace podcast, where she described Josh as 'so fit' and implied the pair of them nearly slept together after being dumped from the villa. She revealed to host Grace Barry that after she and Josh were dumped they were placed in a nearby villa with two chaperones. Grace immediately cut in to ask: 'Did you sh*g him?' Coco replied: 'No and I'm actually annoyed because I feel like I could have now. Talking to him now after I'm like I feel like it could have happened. 'He was like 'Oh I'm horny' and I was like right I'm gonna take myself to bed. But I don't know why I did that because sorry he's so fit'. Famous faces: Rapper Chipmunk was seen at the festivities (left) as he joined the Islanders letting loose on the dancefloor Dancing all night: There was no slowing down the Islanders as they were seen dropping to the floor and popping bottle corks while they partied the night away She went on: 'But we are really close now, like we spend like every day, like all day together and I'm like just let me try once. I even say to him: "Just let me try once please Josh!"' This surprised fans who were under the impression that Coco was friends with Summer after being in Casa Amor with her. Summer and Josh had appeared to confirm their relationship last week, when they stepped out hand-in-hand to The Prey gala screening on Tuesday. Letting loose: Casa Amor stunner Chyna Mills and original Islander Ikenna Ekwonna beamed broadly as they partied Bump and grind: Late bombshells Lacey and Nathalia puckered up for the camera while Adam Collard was seen dancing The former Love Island stars hinted there was a spark between them when they were interviewed on Aftersun on Sunday by host Laura Whitmore, with the pair enjoying a date live on the show. And after Josh declared he couldn't 'wait to see' what happened between the pair during his Aftersun appearance, the pair put on a cosy display as they stepped out in the UK capital just 48 hours later. Meanwhile, Love Island winners Ekin-Su and Davide were dressed to the nines as they posed for a glamorous picture together ahead of filming the reunion show. All smiles: Love Island winners Ekin-Su and Davide were dressed to the nines as they posed for a glamorous picture together ahead of filming the reunion show - but they opted to skip the afterparty hosted by Antigoni Here we go! Also getting their glam on before the show were Gemma Owen and Luca Bish - who reunited on social media after claims of him being snubbed on her Instagram The Turkish actress, looked incredible in a busty white dress ahead of heading to the set as she cosied up to the Italian hunk, also 27, who was dapper in an open shirt. Also getting their glam on before the show were the other three finalist couples Tasha, Andrew, Dami , Indiyah , Gemma and Luca - who reunited on social media after claims of him being snubbed on her Instagram. Ekin wowed in her revealing number that had a thigh-split and showed off her tan and was teamed with bow silver heels. She wore her honey tresses in loose waves over her shoulders while opting for a glamorous makeup look as she wrote in the caption: 'Guess who's back!' Elsewhere dancer Tasha, 23, showed off her abs in a silver co-ord as she slipped into a crop top and high-waisted trousers with belt detailing. Stunning: Elsewhere dancer Tasha, 23, showed off her abs in a silver co-ord as she slipped into a crop top and high-waisted trousers with belt detailing as she posed with Andrew ahead of the reunion show filming Beside her estate agent Andrew Le Page, 27, held her and looked smart in a white T-shirt and navy chinos. In a second shot shared to the their Instagram they packed on the PDA with a steamy kiss. Dressage rider Gemma, 19, also took to her Stories as she travelled in a car to the reunion show with fishmonger Luca, 23, by her side. She looked beautiful in a silk black slip dress and had her brunette tresses swept up into a sleek pony tail, a hairstyle which Luca complimented in the clip. Luca looked smart in a black shirt as he posed next to Gemma while she filmed them together. Earlier in the day Gemma showed off her getting ready process as she captioned a stunning selfie 'Love Island Reunion Glam' and asked fans how she should do her hair. Lovely: Former hotel worker Indiyah, 23, took to her Stories too as she posed in a striking orange leather and feather dress while having hr hair and makeup done ahead of the reunion filming Former hotel worker Indiyah, 23, took to her Stories too as she posed in a striking orange leather and feather dress while having hr hair and makeup done ahead of the reunion filming. Earlier on Thursday Gemma posted her first Instagram picture since leaving the Love Island villa on Monday evening - and it didn't feature her beau Luca. The Love Island runner up posed for the solo shot after returning to her family home in North Wales, Lower Soughton Hall, a Grade II listed manor house near Mold. While Luca was notably absent from the snap, he did comment on the post - finally admitting he was 'punching' with Gemma, after insisting he wasn't. Reunion: Dressage rider Gemma, 19, also took to her Stories as she travelled in a car to the reunion show with fishmonger Luca, 23, by her side It came after Love Island fans spotted an apparent snub towards Luca from Gemma's family on social media. Following Gemma and Luca's second-place finish, the fishmonger's family were quick to congratulate the couple, posting a snap of them together with a gushing caption. It read: 'Thank you SO much from the bottom of our hearts for all of the support you've shown this gorgeous couple. So excited to continue watching your journey from the outside. You really did win by finding each other.' This was in stark contrast to Gemma's Instagram, which noticeably only posted solo snaps of the brunette beauty in the lead-up and following the final, with beau Luca noticeably absent. Ekin-Su and Davide were crowned the winners of Love Island 2022 on Monday night, and voting figures have revealed they secured more than half of the public vote. Across Sunday and Monday, viewers were able to vote for their favourite couple to be crowned as winners and go home with the 50,000 cash prize - which for the first time ever wasn't offered as a 'split or steal' deal. Glowing: Earlier in the day Gemma showed off her getting ready process as she captioned a stunning selfie 'Love Island Reunion Glam' and asked fans how she should do her hair And final voting figures released by ITV have revealed that fan favourites Ekin-Su and Davide, both 27, secured a staggering 63.69 per cent of the public vote. They won the ITV2 dating contest by a landslide as runners-up Gemma and Luca secured just 14.47 per cent of the viewers' final votes. Gemma and Luca followed behind as runners-up, while Indiyah and Dami came in third place and Tasha and Andrew were fourth. Getting ready: Tasha shared her excitement for the reunion show filming as she shared another solo picture of her outfit Incredible: Earlier in the day the blonde beauty showed off her hair and makeup being done by the pros All smiles: Paige Thorne and Adam Collard also made their way to the reunion show together in a cab After Ekin-Su and Davide's landslide victory, the Essex-based actress has already been tipped to become the show's highest earner in history. She has already scooped 25,000 in prize money, and a source has told MailOnline she's already being inundated with lucrative offers, meaning she could surpass multi-millionaire Molly-Mae Hague, 23, who was runner-up on the 2019 series, to become the show's richest ever star. Ekin-Su, who entered the villa on the third day as a bombshell, has already had a taste of the spotlight, having starred in Turkish soap operas and reality shows before entering the Love Island villa, and the brunette is now set to cash in with an estimated 1 million payday. A source close to Ekin-Su told MailOnline: 'We've never seen the likes of the deals that are already coming through the door. It's not just your typical reality TV fodder. 'She's absolutely inundated with lucrative offers from brands and they're prepared to pay big money to get her onboard. She's going to be the new Molly-Mae Hague!' In the studios: Danica and Jamie also posed together for a sweet selfie ahead of filming the show In the studio! Dami shared a clip to his Instagram Story as he got ready for the reunion show too Commanding attention: Indiyah made sure all eyes would be on her in the orange dress as she shared a pre-show selfie Back together: Paige and Adam looked as loved-up as ever as they posed together in the back of the car Question Everything! Purpose and Intent of this website: Globalization, greed and reality By George Ochenski August 04, 2022: Information Clearing House - It wasnt long ago that economists in our capitalist system were absolutely giddy over what they dubbed globalization. In this reality-denying construct, nations all over the planet would work together, each producing commodities using available resources, and wed all be happily living in a Golden Age of peace and prosperity for all. A rising tide would lift all boats we were told. But now globalization has run headlong into the grim realities of war, resource depletion, and a planet on fire. Toss in wars, international sanctions, the pandemic, and globalization, for what it was ever worth, is deader than a doornail. Looked at objectively, one can credibly wonder how these economists and politicians ever expected humanity to suddenly just get along. What, they didnt foresee Russian attempting to continue its excursion into Ukraine? What have nations ever done except to invade and plunder resource-rich countries for themselves? Or how about the latest Congressional political theater that now sees hundreds of billions of dollars being shoveled out to subsidize the already fabulously wealthy moguls of Silicone Valley so we can compete with China on semiconductor production? In fact, the whole concept that we must now posit China as an opponent on the world stage is farcical. If China wanted to cripple the U.S. it could do so without firing a shot in less than a month. First, it could call in the incredible debt our government has racked up by borrowing from our competitor. But if China really wanted to bring this nation to its knees, theyd do what Russia did with its natural gas shipments to Europe theyd shut down Chinese exports to the U.S. Its almost laughable to think about that. The real challenge these days is trying to find something that isnt Made in China. Following the very bad advice from globalization advocates, the U.S. happily gave up domestic production because, as the economists will tell you, the price was right. Cheaper labor and fewer regulations of all sorts produced commodities so cheap the profit margins were simply irresistible to the investment class. When the global pandemic trashed those much-lauded supply chains it didnt take a genius to foresee the result. But Wall Streets Masters of the Universe ignored the foibles because of the enormous profits flowing into their bank accounts and CEO salaries. Suddenly, the few domestic manufacturing industries still operating couldnt get the parts they needed like semiconductors to produce their goods. As usual, our feckless politicians refuse to acknowledge any fault whatsoever. Instead they point accusing fingers at China as if the Chinese were immune from the pandemics social and economic disruptions. With our politicians, its always someone elses fault especially the former guy. And with our so-called leaders in a reactive mode, theyve resorted to their usual solution of throwing money at the problems and there are many, many problems. So where will they get all the money? Oh yeah, theyll borrow it from our global competitor China. After decades of politicians blathering about energy independence, how can Americans suddenly be victims of one nation invading another nation on the other side of the world? Yet, our citizens are being mercilessly gouged thanks to prices based on global commodities in a global marketplace. The economists and politicians have never explained how can we have infinite growth on a finite resource base. And while globalization killed itself, the simple truth is its time to abandon endless greed and give our citizens what they desperately want and need a stable environment in which to live and raise families with a predictable, non-globalized future. George Ochenski is a columnist for the Missoulian https://missoulian.com The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Reader financed- No Advertising - No Government Grants - No Algorithm - This Is Independent Get Our Free Newsletter 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 Advertisement She's recently wrapped filming on the ninth series of First Time Mum. And Ferne McCann looked incredible as she slipped into a white bikini during a well-deserved holiday to Mallorca on Thursday. The former TOWIE star, 31, was in great spirits as she frolicked in the sea with fiance Lorri Haines amid their trip to the beach in Illetas beach in Calvia. Beach babe: Ferne McCann looked incredible as she slipped into a white bikini during a well-deserved holiday to Mallorca on Thursday Ferne showcased plenty of her sun-kissed skin in the halterneck two-piece, which she teamed with chunky white sunglasses which had an even chunkier white chain. The beauty accessorised her beach look with a smattering of gold jewellery including a snazzy watch and a Van Cleef & Arpels Necklace. Meanwhile, Lorri showed off his tattooed physique in a pair of green shorts, with the hunk also adding a stylish watch. The couple were certainly making the most of their time together as they chatted and laughed together in the sea. Just the two of us: The former TOWIE star, 31, was in great spirits as she frolicked in the sea with fiance Lorri Haines amid their trip to the beach in Illetas beach in Calvia As they then headed to dry land, Ferne slipped into a white mini dress, which she teamed with matching white sliders. Ferne had been keeping her fans up to date with their travels, and Wednesday on shared a video of her toned figure clad in a skimpy pink Aztec bikini before getting a cheeky smooch from her husband-to-be Lorri. Enjoying an ice cold cocktail, Ferne showed off her incredible figure in a revealing pink bikini with an Aztec print. The reality star displayed her flawless natural complexion as she relaxed in the hot sunshine, embracing a well-earned break after completing filming. Fabulous: Ferne showcased plenty of her sun-kissed skin in the halterneck two-piece, which she teamed with chunky white sunglasses which had an even chunkier white chain What a look: The beauty accessorised her beach look with a smattering of gold jewellery including a snazzy watch and a Van Cleef & Arpels Necklace There he is: Meanwhile, Lorri showed off his tattooed physique in a pair of green shorts, with the hunk also adding a stylish watch Fun in the sun: The couple jetted off for a Spanish break after wrapping up filming for First Time Mum Holiday joy: The couple were certainly making the most of their time together as they chatted and laughed together in the sea Posting a video from her holiday, Ferne told her fans: 'Hey my beauties I've got a very happy Sunday behind the screen, she is loving life. 'It is so lovely to be in vacation mode. I've just finished filming series nine. I get asked all the time why they end after four episodes, they're miniseries and we film them back to back.' She went onto add that she and Lorri, who proposed in July, had checked into the most 'beautiful' hotel for their holiday before posting a loved-up video of her fiance leaning in to kiss her while she lay on a sunbed. It comes after Ferne shared her engagement news with Instagram followers last month, alongside a first look at her sparkling engagement ring. Walk this way: Lorri led the way as they waded into the sea together Holiday bliss: The reality star couldn't keep the smile off her face as she enjoyed a refreshing dip in the sea with her beau New man: The TV personality confirmed her romance with the businessman in January, shortly after the collapse of her six-month relationship with DJ and marketing manager Jack Padgett Captioning a photo of herself and her new fiance locked in an embrace, she wrote: 'So happily ever afters do exist. I cannot wait to do forever with you baby.' Sharing a similar picture with his own followers, a delighted Lorri, also 31, added: 'She said yesssss.' The TV personality confirmed her romance with the businessman in January, shortly after the collapse of her six-month relationship with DJ and marketing manager Jack Padgett. Speaking to the Sam & Billie podcast in May, Ferne admitted he had already changed the family dynamic of her ITVBe show, First Time Mum, and looked forward to viewers seeing her happy. Holiday chic: As they then headed to dry land, Ferne slipped into a white mini dress, which she teamed with matching white sliders Out and about: Ferne carried her beach essentials in a straw shopper bag slung over her shoulder But she admitted that it was difficult introducing her daughter, Sunday, four, to Lorri as they also navigated having the cameras around. She said: 'Filming this series was a completely new experience for me. It was the first time I filmed with a partner in a relationship and that was a completely different dynamic. 'Going from being a single parent and Sunday having to manage that, I think people are going to love that about this series, seeing the dynamic between our family. 'It is hard, it's not straight forward introducing your child to your new partner and you want it to go right, then obviously there's cameras following you around.' Man v. Food star Adam Richman has revealed that he contracted the deadly MRSA infection from a moustache follicle - and that he almost died from the bug. The famous foodie, 47, said in a podcast interview with Celebrity Catch Up: Life After That Thing I Did, that he noticed that there was something wrong at a Michelin event in Zurich in 2018. He revealed that he noticed a pimple-like growth on his follicle which did not go away - and that his lip eventually inflated like a banana. 'One of my mustache follicles just looked like a pimple and it was just not healing well,' Richman said. 'I'd gone to a doctor and then eventually my lip inflated like a banana - it was grotesque. I remember I went to tear a piece of medical tape and I couldn't get to my teeth.' Shock: Man v Food star Adam Richman suffered a deadly MRSA infection from a moustache follicle which left him needing surgery and almost dying Touch and go: The 47 year old needed surgery to tackle the antibiotic resistant infection and almost died The star had to be quarantined and needed surgery and 'serious courses of antibiotics' to help tackle and clear out the infection. 'I found out from maxillofacial surgeons that the area from the inside of your eyes to the outer corner of your lips, they call it the 'danger triangle' because there's multiple opportunities for a surface infection to go intracranial.' It's still not known how the food lover caught the infection: 'The doctor said it could have been anything from a water glass to a hotel towel, shaking someone's hand and then invariably [touching my face]. There's any number of ways. 'At the moment, it never felt like 'you're going to die' - it was never something that they posited, but it was always sort of understood. I think they didn't want to freak me out.' Quits: After four years of taking on extreme eating challenges, the 47-year-old Brooklyn native quit the show which made his name in 2018. He lost 70lbs The star said the incident made him confront his own mortality and gave him a guiding principle: 'Gratitude is the attitude because fate, God, disease, the higher power of your choice can take it away just like that. Every day above ground is a gift.' After four years of taking on extreme eating challenges, from slurping down two-gallon sundaes to devouring 190-pound burgers, the Brooklyn native quit the show in 2012 which made his name. Concerned about his health and non-existent love life, he retired from the show, embarked on a healthy eating plan and exercise regime, and quickly managed to lose 70lbs off his six foot frame. At the time, Richman said the tipping point came when he caught sight of himself in the mirror one day and his body appeared to be 'the size of a Smart car.' With the final episode of his show airing in April 2012, Richman saw it as the perfect opportunity to get fit before hitting 40. The former host of Man v. Food, Adam Richman has lost 60lbs since retiring from the extreme-eating show - pictured (left) in December 2011 and (right) in August 2013 The former Man v. Food host celebrated his weight loss with a naked spread in Cosmopolitan UK's July 2014 issue.He managed to lose 70Ibs in 10 months. Richman posed lying down with a soccer ball precariously covering his gentiles. He wore soccer cleats and knee socks and was surrounded by a smattering of soccer balls that read 'USA', in reference to the summer's World Cup. The foodie used to indulge in crazy food challenges that he says contributed to his weight gain. In a 2018 interview with The Project, Richman revealed the one food he can no longer stomach, oysters. Adam recalled one of the various eating challenges that ruined the food for him: 'I had to do 180 oysters,' he said. Advertisement She has made a fortune thanks to her billion dollar makeup business. And Kylie Jenner proved no expense is spared when it comes to travel as she had twenty suitcases sent to her hotel room in London on Friday. The reality star, 24, is in the UK capital with her partner Travis Scott and their daughter Stormi, four, to see a new display for her cosmetics line unveiled at Harrods. Luxury: Kylie Jenner proved no expense is spared when it comes to travel as she had twenty suitcases sent to her hotel room in London on Friday The businesswoman, who arrived in London on Thursday, had four luggage carts worth of Away suitcases hauled to her hotel room in the city centre. Kylie and Stormi certainly weren't short of expensive accessories as the youngster was later seen clutching on to a 2,600 ($3,137) Dior bag. The mini fashionista even donned a pair of her dad's Travis Scott x Nike Air Max 1 trainers along with her perforated oblique saddle bag. Travel: The businesswoman had four luggage carts worth of Away suitcases hauled to her hotel room in the city centre Business: The reality star is in the UK capital with her partner Travis Scott and their daughter Stormi to see a new display for her cosmetics line unveiled at Harrods Meanwhile, Kylie set pulses racing as she shared a sizzling snap of herself in a black strapless mini dress with a plunging neckline. The beauty showcases her assets as she grabbed her chest while leaning towards the camera. Wearing a light palette of makeup, Kylie let her brunette locks fall loose down her shoulders for the stunning shot. Mini fashionista: Kylie and Stormi certainly weren't short of expensive accessories as the youngster was later seen clutching on to a 2,600 ($3,137) Dior bag Designer wardrobe: The mini fashionista even donned a pair of her dad's Travis Scott x Nike Air Max 1 trainers along with her perforated oblique saddle bag Low-key: Elsewhere, Travis was met by crowds of adoring fans as he departed their hotel and hopped into a waiting car earlier in the day Out and about: The rapper attempted to fly under the radar in his protective face mask and grey ensemble On Thursday, Kylie shared a snap of herself and Stormi posing next to her makeup display in Harrods department store. Alongside the snap, she said: 'stopped by @harrods today with goosey girl to see @kyliecosmetics & @kylieskin wow what a dream!!!!!!!! thank you for having us'. The makeup mogul documented filmed herself in the car on the way over while rocking a hot pink figure-hugging top and black miniskirt. After expressing her excitement about their plans, the reality star twirled her little girl before stocking up on some of her products, including a few lip kits. Crowds: Fans waited outside as they attempted to snap a photo with Travis Stunner: Kylie stepped out hand-in-hand with her daughter Stormi and boyfriend Travis on Thursday Looking good: The star caught the eye earlier on Thursday as she left Claridges hotel in a pink top and black mini skirt Fashion: The star made sure she wouldn't run out of outfits on her British trip While looking around, Kylie gushed that everything, from the pink chairs to fake bubble bath in the window, looked 'so cute.' Afterward, the duo enjoyed some afternoon tea, fancy finger sandwiches and freshly baked scones. Next, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star showed off a room full of clothing, purses and shoes for her little girl to try on. 'Look what Harrods did for Stormi to go shopping,' Kylie said. 'Is this not the craziest? You are a spoiled, spoiled girl.' Married At First Sight star Hayley Vernon has lashed out at political correctness in a fiery rant, saying minority groups are taking away freedom of expression and speech. The 35-year-old, who is now an award-winning porn performer, shared her beliefs on the Gold Coast's Radio Metro this week. 'Lets talk about political correctness gone wrong. I am a firm believer that we are slowly as a society getting to a place where our freedom of expression, our freedom of speech, is quite literally getting taken away from us by minority groups,' she said. Married At First Sight star Hayley Vernon, 35, (pictured) slammed political correctness on Tuesday, saying minority groups are taking away freedom of expression and speech She continued: 'Now as controversial as that might sound, listen to this: Lizzo just recently, her song Girls, has the word "s**z" in it and people kicked up a fuss, and she had to change her song. 'We've got Father Christmas that can't be referred to as Father. My personal opinion is we are living in a society which has become far too soft.' She went on to say it was 'absurd' the English language was being policed to 'ensure we don't offend anyone'. Hayley said: 'Do we lock ourselves up in our straight jackets right now, sit in a padded room and not talk for the rest of our lives because God forbid we make a joke or we say something that could offend someone.' The reality TV star-turned-porn performer shared her beliefs on Radio Metro 'I am a firm believer that we are slowly as a society getting to a place where our freedom of expression, our freedom of speech, is quite literally getting taken away from us by minority groups,' she said Of the few comments left at the time, most agreed with her sentiment. One follower said, 'It's ridiculous, becoming way too much,' while another wrote: 'Preach! The world has lost it.' Meanwhile, others believed she had missed the mark completely, with one person commenting: 'People aren't tolerating hearing things that are hurtful. Making a "joke" at someone's expense isn't funny. We have progressed as a society, thankfully.' 'Society changes, that's life, look at all the positive changes we have made. Accepting sex work as a profession for example,' another said, referring to Hayley's main source of income. She went on to say it was 'absurd' the English language was being policed to 'ensure we don't offend anyone' Hayley was recently crowned Australia's Best New Porn Star at The Adult Industry Choice Awards. She recently revealed in a documentary by The Wash that she'd made more than $1.3million doing hardcore porn on OnlyFans in just two years. 'Can you imagine that opening my legs has got me this far?' she said. Hayley recently revealed in a documentary by The Wash that she'd made more than $1.3million doing hardcore porn on OnlyFans in just two years Before becoming one of the country's most successful adult entertainers, Hayley was hooked on crystal meth and had to steal food from Coles and Woolworths to survive. She shot to fame on the seventh season of Married At First Sight in 2020. Hayley was paired with farmer David Cannon on the show, but their union ended in disaster when he scrubbed a dirty toilet with her toothbrush after an argument. The Australian film and television industry is in mourning this week following the death of acclaimed writer and director Shirley Barrett. Barrett, 60, died on Wednesday following a five-year battle with cancer after being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2017. She's best known for directing some of Australia's most notable TV dramas and for winning the Cannes Camera dOr prize in 1996 for her debut film, Love Serenade. The Australian film and television industry is in mourning this week following the death of acclaimed writer and director Shirley Barrett (pictured) Celebrity tributes from many of the Aussie A-listers that Barrett worked with over the years have come pouring in on social media over the last few days. Rebecca Gibney, who worked with Barrett on Packed To The Rafters, called the director 'one of a kind' in an emotional post on Thursday. 'From my burlesque dancing on Rafters to our debates on what makes a must-view. You pushed for excellence and you never wavered,' Gibney wrote. 'What a brilliant exceptional human. Im going to watch Love Serenade for the 50th time tonight. Go gently beautiful you, until we meet again.' Barrett, 60, died on Wednesday following a five-year battle with cancer after being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2017 Julia Morris commented on the post, writing: 'Loved Shirley so much. She was my first director in House Husbands and was such an inspiration. What a loss.' Asher Keddie, who worked with the late director on Offspring, wrote: 'Therell always be a piece of you with me on every set, egging me on to be my best, bravest self. 'Ruffling everyones feathers with delight, always reaching for more. Insisting on joy. You incomparable, brilliant, wickedly funny, wondrous human Shirley Barrett RIP.' Other celebrities that paid tribute included Georgie Parker, Kat Stewart, and Kerry Armstrong. Julia Morris (pictured) paid tribute, writing: 'Loved Shirley so much. She was my first director in House Husbands and was such an inspiration. What a loss.' Asher Keddie, who worked with the late director on Offspring, wrote: 'Therell always be a piece of you with me on every set, egging me on to be my best, bravest self.' Asher and Shirley pictured together on set Barrett directed some of Australia's most popular TV dramas during her career, including Home and Away, Heartbreak High, Love Child, and Packed to the Rafters. She got her big break in 1996 with her first feature film, Love Serenade, which wowed critics and swept the awards circuit. Hollywood soon came knocking, but Barrett made a number of bad career decisions, including turning down both Erin Brokovich and American Beauty - two films which went on to sweep the Oscars. Despite fumbling Hollywood stardom, Barrett says she has no regrets about her life. 'I feel Ive had a lucky and privileged life, even though Im dying a bit earlier than Id have liked to,' she previously told The Guardian. 'Ive had a loving family, a wonderful husband, beautiful kids, and a career where Ive been able to do exactly what Ive wanted to do. I dont feel Ive missed out on anything.' Russell Crowe was pictured in a priest's garb on the set of his upcoming supernatural thriller The Pope's Exorcist in Dublin, Ireland on Thursday. He was joined on set by American girlfriend, actress-turned-real estate agent Britney Theriot. The 58-year-old Oscar winner portrays Father Gabrielle Amorth, a real-life figure who was based at the Vatican and is said to have performed 60,000 exorcisms. Russell Crowe was pictured in a priest's garb on the set of his upcoming supernatural thriller The Pope's Exorcist in Dublin, Ireland on Thursday The Gladiator star was dressed in a large tight-fitting black cassock. He sported a grey beard and freshly cropped hair. Underneath his priestly costume, the Kiwi actor was wearing red socks and black sneakers. His girlfriend Britney wasn't far from his side on set that day. Crowe was joined on set by American girlfriend, actress-turned-real estate agent Britney Theriot The 31-year-old was dressed casual in blue tights, sneakers, a black top and a wind breaker. Her blonde tresses were pulled back in a loose, casual bun. She accessorised with a pair of gold earrings and wore her sunglasses pushed up on her head. Underneath his priestly costume, the Kiwi actor was wearing red socks and black sneakers Russell and Britney were seen in Rome last month as the Beautiful Mind star was researching his role for the new film. He will play a priest battling demons in the upcoming supernatural thriller. Based on Gabrielle Amorth's published memoirs, the film will be directed by Julius Avery, who is best known for the 2018 horror film Overlord. Angeline Jolie and Salma Hayek have become best friends. This week Hayek called Jolie one of the best directors she has ever worked with as the ex of Brad Pitt has been directing the Latin superstar in the film Without Blood in Rome this summer, according to People. The A listers bonded when they co-starred in the 2021 Marvel film The Eternals. BEST! Angeline Jolie and Salma Hayek have become best friends. This week Hayek called Jolie one of the best directors she has ever worked with as the ex of Brad Pitt has been directing the Latin superstar in the film Without Blood in Rome this summer, according to People 'She is probably the best director I have ever worked with, and I have worked with some pretty good ones,' said Hayek who has appeared in Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn and Steven Soderbergh's Traffic. 'I've always loved her as a director, but I think this might be her best, or one of the best,' said the mother of one. Without Blood is a drama with the press release sharing: 'An unforgettable fable set in the aftermath of an unidentified conflict, it explores universal truths about war, trauma, memory, and healing.' The new movie: Here Salma, left, and Angelina, right, are seen working on Without Blood in Rome in July So close: Here the ladies are seen promoting The Eternals last year In September the Oscar-winning Maleficent actress was seen with the Frida star during her 55th birthday celebrations. Jolie even participated as the Hollywood beauty let her face be pushed into a white cake while her pals chanted 'Mordida.' Mordida - which means 'bite' in Spanish - is a Mexican tradition at birthday parties. Usually the person who is having the birthday gets their hands pulled back while their face is pushed into the cake, which is typically a fluffy and creamy tres leches. A closer look: Gere the stars are seen in a selfie with Eternals costar Kumail Nanjiani The guests yell Mordida! over and over. And Angelina was seen doing some of the pushing herself as her hand was on Salma's back. Jolie was dressed in all black with black high heels with her long brunette hair worn down as she joined in the chant. Hayek was in blue with boots and a long necklace and her dark hair down. Pals: Jolie was at Hayek's 55th birthday party in September The family chanted Mordida as Hayek gets nervous for the dunk but seems prepared as she holds her locks back. 'My brother @hayekstudio and me trying to teach Angie how to do the mexican mordida @angelinajolie Mi hermano sami y yo ensenandole a #anjelinajolie como se hace la mordida!' wrote the mother-of-one in her caption. The Eternals is an action movie about a race of immortal beings with superhuman powers who have secretly lived on Earth for thousands of years, reunite to battle the evil Deviants. Strong lady: Angelina has her hand on Salma's back as she pushes the star's face into the cake, nose and all Their big film: The Eternals with Jolie, far left, and Hayek joined by Richard Madden, center, and Gemma Chan, far right The past: In London, from left, Hayek, Eternals director Chloe Zhao, Jolie and Gemma Chan in 2021 Jolie plays Thena and Hayek is Ajak. The superstar has still be involved in a custody fight with ex Pitt. Together they have raised six kids: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Vivienne and Knox. This week Brad has been talking up his kids while promoting Bullet Train. He said Shiloh was 'beautiful' and Zahara was 'smart.' Neighbours star Olympia Valance enjoyed a sunny day at the beach in Mykonos on Wednesday with her new husband Tom Bellchambers and some of their friends. The 29-year-old appeared picture perfect in a skimpy G-string bikini as she waded in the shallows wearing sunglasses. At times, she kept the sun out of her face with a black visor while Tom, 33, donned a pair of blue swim shorts that showed off his muscled frame. Neighbours star Olympia Valance, 29, (pictured) enjoyed a sunny day at the beach in Mykonos on Wednesday with her husband Tom Bellchambers The happy couple were also joined by a brunette beauty in a white bikini, who appeared to be one of their pals. The group had fun splashing around in the water together and making the most of the sunny afternoon weather. The beachside frolic comes after she and sister Holly celebrated the highly anticipated finale of Neighbours. The 29-year-old protected herself from the sun with sunglasses and a black visor Tom, 33, donned a pair of blue swim shorts that showed off his muscled frame as he chatted with friends The happy couple were also joined by a brunette beauty in a white bikini, who appeared to be one of their pals 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.' The beachside frolic comes after she and sister Holly Candy (right) celebrated the highly anticipated finale of Neighbours. The pair were pictured drinking champagne at sunset after the soap bid farewell Olympia accessorised with oversized silver hoop earrings and a pair of sunglasses The actress had her own Baywatch moment as she exited the water Holly began her career on Neighbours as Felicity 'Flick' Scully back in 1999. She 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 charged out of the water and headed back to the sandy shore 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 played Paige Smith on Neighbours from 2014 to 2017, but 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. The Flash is still slated for release despite a series of scandals involving star Ezra Miller. The 29-year-old actor, who plays Barry Allen, aka the Flash, in the upcoming release has been involved in some allegations involving abusive behavior of late. They are accused of putting a woman in a chokehold at a bar in Iceland in 2020. The Flash is reported as being in post-production. Warner Bros confirmed the film is still slated for a June 2023 release on a Q2 call Tuesday. Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav said, 'We have seen The Flash, Black Adam and Shazam 2. We are very excited about them. We've seen them. We think they are terrific, and we think we can make them even better.' Flash forward: Warner Bros said it will go ahead with plans to release The Flash in June 2023, in spite of some recent legal scandals involving star Ezra Miller, 29 The Stand star reportedly refused to leave the home of an acquaintance in Germany until the woman called police after repeated requests that they leave. It was reported last month that the investigation had been dropped due to Ezra's no longer being in the country. The troubled actor has been arrested twice in Hawaii this year, once for disorderly conduct and harassment and another time for second-degree assault. Troubling behavior: The actor is accused of putting a woman in a chokehold at a bar in Iceland in 2020 and refusing to leave the home of an acquaintance in Germany in February/Pictured London June 2021 Arrested: Ezra has been arrested twice in Hawaii this year - once for disorderly conduct and harassment and another time for second-degree assault/Pictured New York November 2019 The Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore actor was also accused of sheltering teenage runaway Tokata Iron Eyes, whose parents filed a restraining order against the star. The Flash is reported as being in post-production, and Warner Bros. and the company confirmed the film is still slated for a June 2023 release on a Q2 call Tuesday. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said, 'We have seen The Flash, Black Adam and Shazam 2. We are very excited about them. We've seen them. We think they are terrific, and we think we can make them even better.' Reprise: The New Jersey native played The Flash in 2018's Justice League and in the 2021 Zack Snyder cut Ezra played the role in 2018's Justice League and again in the 2021 Zack Snyder cut. The Flash will boast not one, but two Batmen. Michael Keaton has put on the cape 30 years after starring in Batman Returns. Ben Affleck will star as the Justice League version of the crime fighter. Vanderpump Rules star Brittany Cartwright posted a pinup photo this week to Instagram that lit up her page. The 33-year-old reality TV siren said in her caption, 'Sunshine & Positive Vibes! I feel incredible!' This comes after she said she has lost a whopping 39lbs after welcoming her first child, son Cruz, with her husband Jax Taylor. Slim and sweet: Vanderpump Rules star Brittany Cartwright posted a pinup photo this week to Instagram that lit up her page The 33-year-old reality TV siren said in her caption, 'Sunshine & Positive Vibes! I feel incredible!' In January she teamed up with Jenny Craig which has helped her with weight loss. 'I'm down 39lbs!! Woo hoo,' wrote Brittany, who shot to fame alongside Jax during their time on Vanderpump Rules. She took the show to her main Instagram page, where she posted a behind-the-scenes video montage from her latest Jenny Craig shoot. Brittany treated her more than million and a half followers to a few glimpses of the various outfits she modeled for the shoot, which took place at home. She stood for the shutterbugs out in the backyard, showcasing looks ranging from a busty lace floor-length gown to a sleek cocktail dress. Making it happen: Cartwright gleefully announced on her Insta Stories that she has lost a whopping 39lbs Then and now: Brittany is pictured in September 2021, before embarking on her Jenny Craig journey and now during her latest shoot for the weight-loss brand (right) Baby mine: The Vanderpump Rules star gave birth to her son Cruz by her husband Jax Taylor in April 2021 and then teamed up with Jenny Craig this January Her new photo-shoot also allowed her to go California casual in a tank top and Daisy Dukes as she posed by her kitchen island with some Jenny Craig foods. 'Im feeling great!' she gushed in the caption of the post, where her husband Jax Taylor leapt into the comments and wrote: 'Hot wife alert!!!' Jax and Brittany began dating in 2015 and the ups and downs of their relationship unfolded in front of reality TV cameras on Vanderpump Rules. Keeping it at home: Brittany treated her more than million and a half followers to a few glimpses of the various outfits she modeled for the shoot, which took place at home Although they broke up at one point because of his infidelity with their co-star Faith Stowers, they eventually patched up their relationship and married in 2019. They welcomed their bouncing baby boy Cruz in April 2021, and Brittany proudly posts frequent pictures of him to her Instagram. Brittany, who grew up on a farm in Kentucky, teamed up with Jenny Craig in January and embarked on their Max Up weight loss program. When she first signed onto Max Up, an official press release announced that she intended to take off at least 30lbs, a goal she has now exceeded. She eventually announced that that after she adopted the Jenny Craig program, she lost a whopping 22lbs in just 11 weeks. Celebs ranging from singing stars Mariah Carey and Jennifer Hudson to sitcom stars Valerie Bertinelli and Jason Alexander have endorsed the brand in the past. dressed in a khaki uniform, his hair cut short and sporting a long, neatlygroomed brown beard, is seated behind a plexiglass screen, speaking into a telephone receiver at the federal prison in Marion, Illinois. I hold a receiver on the other side of the plexiglass and listen as he describes his journey from working for the National Security Agency and the Joint Special Operations Task Force at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan to becoming federal prisoner 26069-07. Hale, a 34-year-old former Air Force signals intelligence analyst, is serving a 45-month prison sentence, following his conviction under the Espionage Act for disclosing classified documents about the U.S. militarys drone assassination program and its high civilian death toll. The documents are believed to be the source material for The Drone Papers published by The Intercept, on Oct. 15, 2015. These documents revealed that between January 2012 and February 2013, U.S. special operations drone airstrikes killed more than 200 people of which only 35 were the intended targets. According to the documents, over one five-month period of the operation, nearly 90 percent of the people killed in airstrikes were not the intended targets. The civilian dead, usually innocent bystanders, were routinely classified as enemies killed in action. [You can see my interview with Hales attorney, Jesselyn Radack, here.] The terrorizing and widespread killing of thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of civilians was a potent recruiting tool for the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents. The aerial attacks created far more hostile fighters than they eliminated and enraged many in the Muslim world. Hale is composed, articulate and physically fit from his self-imposed regime of daily exercise. We discuss books he has recently read, including John Steinbecks novel East of Eden and Nicholson Bakers Baseless: My Search for Secrets in the Ruins of the Freedom of Information Act, which explores whether the U.S. used biological weapons on China and Korea during World War II and the Korean War. Hale is currently housed in the Communications Management Unit (CMU), a special unit that severely restricts and heavily monitors communications, including our conversation, and visitations. The decision by the Bureau of Prisons to lock Hale up in the most restrictive wing of a supermax prison ignores the recommendation of the sentencing Judge Liam OGrady, who suggested that he be placed in a low-security prison hospital facility in Butner, North Carolina, where he could get treatment for his PTSD. Hale is one of a few dozen people of conscience who have sacrificed their careers and their freedom to inform the public about government crimes, fraud and lies. Rather than investigate the crimes that are exposed and hold those who carried them out to account, the two ruling parties wage war on all who speak out. These men and women of conscience are the lifeblood of journalism. Reporters cannot document abuses of power without them. The silence on the part of the press over Hales imprisonment, as well as the persecution and imprisonment of other champions of an open society, such as Julian Assange, is stunningly shortsighted. If our most important public servants, those with the courage to inform the public, continue to be criminalized at this rate, we will cement in place total censorship, resulting in a world where the abuses and crimes of the powerful are shrouded in darkness. President Barack Obama weaponized the Espionage Act to prosecute those who provided classified information to the press. The Obama White House, whose assault on civil liberties was worse than those of the Bush administration, used the 1917 Act, designed to prosecute spies, against eight people who leaked information to the media including Edward Snowden, Thomas Drake, Chelsea Manning, Jeffrey Sterling and John Kiriakou, who spent two-and-a-half years in prison for exposing the routine torture of suspects held in black sites. Also under The Espionage Act, Joshua Schulte, a former CIA software engineer, was convicted on July 13, 2022, of the so-called Vault 7 leak, published by WikiLeaks in 2017, which revealed how the C.I.A. hacked Apple and Android smartphones and turned internet-connected televisions into listening devices. He faces up to 80 years in prison. Assange although he is a publisher and not a U.S. citizen, and WikiLeaks is not a U.S.-based publication, was indicted by the Trump administration under the Act Obama used the Espionage Act against those who provided information to the media more than all previous administrations combined. He set a terrifying legal precedent, equating informing the public with spying for a hostile power. I published classified material when I was a reporter at The New York Times. Prosecution for mere possession of such material, along with its publication is a short step from criminalizing journalism to the imprisonment and murder of reporters, such as Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in 2018 in Istanbul. While Assange was sheltering in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, the C.I.A. discussed kidnapping and assassinating him following the release of the Vault 7 documents. The Espionage Act has been abused in the past. President Woodrow Wilson used it to throw socialists, including Eugene V. Debs, in prison for opposing Americas participation in World War I. But not until the Trump administration was it turned on the press. Wholesale government surveillance, about which many charged under the Espionage Act tried to warn the public, includes surveillance of journalists. The surveillance of the press, along with those who attempt to inform the public by providing information to reporters, has largely shut down investigations into the machinery of power. The price of telling the truth is too costly. Hale, trained in the army as a Mandarin linguist, was uneasy the moment he began working in the secretive drone program. I needed a paycheck, he says of his work in the Air Force and later as a private contractor in the drone program, I was homeless. I had nowhere else to go. But I knew it was wrong. While stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, he took a week off in October 2011 to camp out in New Yorks Zuccotti Park during the Occupy Wall Street movement. He wore his uniform a gutsy act of open defiance for someone on active duty and held up a sign that read, Free Bradley Manning, who had not yet announced her transition. I slept in the park, he says. I was there the morning [Mayor] Bloomberg and his girlfriend made the first attempt to clear the occupiers. I stood with thousands of protestors, including Teamsters and communications workers, who ringed the park. The police backed down. I learned later that while I was in the park, Obama ordered a drone strike in Yemen that killed Abdulrahman Anwar al-Awlaki, the 16-year-old son of the radicalized cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, killed by a drone strike two weeks earlier. Hale was deployed a few months later to Afghanistans Bagram Air Force Base. He described his work in a letter to the judge: In my capacity as a signals intelligence analyst stationed at Bagram Airbase, I was made to track down the geographic location of handset cell phone devices believed to be in the possession of so-called enemy combatants. To accomplish this mission required access to a complex chain of globe-spanning satellites capable of maintaining an unbroken connection with remotely piloted aircraft, commonly referred to as drones. Once a steady connection is made and a targeted cell phone device is acquired, an imagery analyst in the U.S., in coordination with a drone pilot and camera operator, would take over using information I provided to surveil everything that occurred within the drones field of vision. This was done, most often, to document the day-to-day lives of suspected militants. Sometimes, under the right conditions, an attempt at capture would be made. Other times, a decision to strike and kill them where they stood would be weighed. The first time that I witnessed a drone strike came within days of my arrival to Afghanistan. Early that morning, before dawn, a group of men had gathered together in the mountain ranges of Patika province around a campfire carrying weapons and brewing tea. That they carried weapons with them would not have been considered out of the ordinary in the place I grew up, much less within the virtually lawless tribal territories outside the control of the Afghan authorities. Except that among them was a suspected member of the Taliban, given away by the targeted cell phone device in his pocket. As for the remaining individuals, to be armed, of military age, and sitting in the presence of an alleged enemy combatant was enough evidence to place them under suspicion as well. Despite having peacefully assembled, posing no threat, the fate of the now tea drinking men had all but been fulfilled. I could only look on as I sat by and watched through a computer monitor when a sudden, terrifying flurry of hellfire missiles came crashing down, splattering purple-colored crystal guts on the side of the morning mountain. Since that time and to this day, I continue to recall several such scenes of graphic violence carried out from the cold comfort of a computer chair. Not a day goes by that I dont question the justification for my actions. By the rules of engagement, it may have been permissible for me to have helped to kill those men whose language I did not speak, whose customs I did not understand, and whose crimes I could not identify in the gruesome manner that I did. Watch them die. But how could it be considered honorable of me to continuously have laid in wait for the next opportunity to kill unsuspecting persons, who, more often than not, are posing no danger to me or any other person at the time. Nevermind honorable, how could it be that any thinking person continued to believe that it was necessary for the protection of the United States of America to be in Afghanistan and killing people, not one of whom present was responsible for the September 11th attacks on our nation. Notwithstanding, in 2012, a full year after the demise of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, I was a part of killing misguided young men who were but mere children on the day of 9/11. Hale drifted after leaving the Air Force, dropped out of the New School where he had been attending college and then got a job with a private contractor working at the governments National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. He worked there as a political geography analyst between December 2013 and August 2014. I was making $ 80,000 a year, he says into the receiver. I had friends with college degrees who could not make that kind of money. Inspired by peace activist David Dellinger, Hale decided to become a traitor to the American way of death. He would make amends for his complicity in the killings, even at the cost of his freedom. He leaked 17 classified documents that exposed the high number of civilian deaths from drone strikes. He became an outspoken and prominent critic of the drone program. Because Hale was charged under the Espionage Act, he was not permitted to explain his motivations to the court. He was also forbidden from providing evidence to the court that the drone assassination program killed and wounded large numbers of noncombatants, including children. Evidence of the defendants views of military and intelligence procedures would needlessly distract the jury from the question of whether he had illegally retained and transmitted classified documents, and instead convert the trail into an inquest of U.S. military and intelligence procedures, government attorneys said in a motion at Hales trial. The defendant may wish for his criminal trial to become a forum on something other than his guilt, but those debates cannot and do not inform the core questions in this case: whether the defendant illegally retained and transferred the documents he stole, the government motion continued. Drones often fire Hellfire missiles equipped with an explosive warhead weighing about 20 pounds. A Hellfire variant, known as the R9X, carries an inert warhead. Instead of exploding, it hurls about 100 pounds of metal through a vehicle. The missiles other feature includes six long blades tucked inside which deploy seconds before impact, shredding anything in front of it including people. Drones hover 24 hours a day in the skies over countries including Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan, Syria and, before the U.S. defeat, Afghanistan. Operated remotely from Air Force bases as far away from the target sites as Nevada, drones fire ordinance that instantly and without warning obliterates homes and vehicles or kills clusters of people. Hale found the jocularity of the young drone operators, who treated the killings as if they were an enhanced video game, disturbing. Child victims of drone attacks were dismissed as fun-sized terrorists. Those who survive drone strikes are often badly maimed, losing limbs, suffering severe burns and shrapnel wounds, and losing their vision and hearing. In a statement he read at his sentencing on July 27, 2021, Hale said: I think of the farmers in their poppy fields whose daily harvest will gain them safe passage from the warlords, who will, in turn, trade it for weapons before it is synthesized, repackaged, and re-sold dozens of times before it finds its way into this country and into the broken veins of our nations next opioid victim. I think of the women who, despite living their entire lives never once allowed to make so much as a choice for themselves, are treated as pawns in a ruthless game politicians play when they need a justification to further the killing of their sons & husbands. And I think of the children, whose bright-eyed, dirty faces look to the sky and hope to see clouds of gray, afraid of the clear blue days that beckon drones to come carrying eager death notes for their fathers. As one drone operator put it, he read in court, Do you ever step on ants and never give it another thought? Thats what youre made to think of the targets. They deserved it, they chose their side. You had to kill a part of your conscience to keep doing your job ignoring the voice inside telling you this wasnt right. I, too, ignored the voice inside as I continued walking blindly towards the edge of an abyss. And when I found myself at the brink, ready to give in, the voice said to me, You, who had been a hunter of men, are no longer. By the grace of God, youve been saved. Now go forth and be a fisher of men so that others might know the truth. It was, ironically, the election of Obama that encouraged Hale to join the Air Force. I thought Obama, who as a candidate opposed the war in Iraq, would end the wars and lawlessness of the Bush administration, he says. However, a few weeks after he took office, Obama approved the deployment of an additional 17,000 troops to Afghanistan, where 36,000 U.S. troops and 32,000 NATO troops were already deployed. By the end of the year, Obama increased troop levels in Afghanistan again by 30,000, doubling U.S. casualties. He also massively expanded the drone program, raising the number of drone strikes from several dozen the year before he took office to 117 by his second year in office. By the time he left office, Obama had presided over 563 drone strikes that killed approximately 3,797 people, many of whom were civilians. Obama authorized signature strikes allowing the C.I.A. to carry out drone attacks against groups of suspected militants without getting positive identification. His administration approved follow-up or double-tap drone strikes, which deployed drones to strike anyone who assisted those injured in the initial drone strike. The Bureau of Investigative Journalists reported in 2012 that at least 50 civilians were killed in follow-up strikes when they had gone to help victims, during Obamas first three years in office. Additionally, more than 20 civilians have also been attacked in deliberate strikes on funerals and mourners the report read. Obama expanded the footprint of the drone program in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, and established drone bases in Saudi Arabia and Turkey. There are several such lists, used to target individuals for different reasons, Hale writes in an essay titled, Why I Leaked the Watchlist Documents, originally published anonymously in May 2016 in the book The Assassination Complex: Inside the Governments Secret Drone Warfare Program by Jeremy Scahill and the staff of The Intercept. Some lists are closely kept; others span multiple intelligence and local law enforcement agencies, Hale writes in the essay. There are lists used to kill or capture supposed high-value targets, and others intended to threaten, coerce, or simply monitor a persons activity. However, all the lists, whether to kill or silence, originate from the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE), and are maintained by the Terrorist Screening Center at the National Counterterrorism Center. The existence of TIDE is unclassified, yet details about how it functions in our government are completely unknown to the public. In August 2013 the database reached a milestone of one million entries. Today, it is thousands of entries larger and is growing faster than it has since its inception in 2003. The Terrorist Screening Center, he writes, not only stores names, dates of birth, and other identifying information of potential targets but also stores medical records, transcripts, and passport data; license plate numbers, email, and cell-phone numbers (along with the phones International Mobile Subscriber Identity and International Mobile Station Equipment Identity numbers); your bank account numbers and purchases; and other sensitive information, including DNA and photographs capable of identifying you using facial recognition software. Suspects data is collected and pooled by the intelligence alliance formed by Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, known as the Five Eyes. Each person on the list is assigned a TIDE personal number, or TPN. From Osama bin Laden (TPN 1063599) to Abdulrahman Awlaki (TPN 26350617), the American son of Anwar al Awlaki, anyone who has ever been the target of a covert operation was first assigned a TPN and closely monitored by all agencies who follow that TPN long before they were eventually put on a separate list and extrajudicially sentenced to death, Hale wrote. As Hale exposed in the leaked documents, the more than one million entries in the TIDE database include about 21,000 U.S. citizens. When the President gets up in front of the nation and says they are doing everything they can to ensure there is near certainty there will be no civilians killed, he is saying that because he cant say otherwise, because anytime an action is taken to finish a target there is a certain amount of guesswork in that action, Hale says in the award-winning documentary National Bird, a film about whistleblowers in the U.S. drone program who suffered moral injury and PTSD. Its only in the aftermath of any kind of ordinance being dropped that you know how much actual damage was done. Oftentimes, the intelligence community is reliant, the Joint Special Operations Command, the CIA included, is reliant on intelligence coming afterwards that confirms that who they were targeting was killed in the strike, or that they werent killed in that strike. The people who defend drones, and the way they are used, say they protect American lives by not putting them in harms way, he says in the film. What they really do is embolden decision makers because there is no threat, there is no immediate consequence. They can do this strike. They can potentially kill this person they are so desperate to eliminate because of how potentially dangerous they could be to the U.S. But if it just so happens that they dont kill that person, or some other people involved in the strike get killed as well, there are no consequences for it. When it comes to high-value targets, [in] every mission you go after one person at a time, but anybody else killed in that strike is blankly assumed to be an associate of the targeted individual. So as long as they can reasonably identify that all of the people in the field view of the camera are military-aged males, meaning anybody who is believed to be age 16 or older, they are a legitimate target under the rules of engagement. If that strike occurs and kills all of them, they just say they got them all. Drones, he says, make remote killing easy and convenient. On Aug. 8, 2014, the F.B.I. raided Hales home. It was his last day of work for the private contractor. Two F.B.I. agents, one male and one female, shoved their badges in his face when he opened the door. About two dozen agents, pistols drawn, many wearing body armor, followed behind. They photographed and ransacked every room. They confiscated all his electronics, including his phone. He spent the next five years in limbo. He struggled to find work, fought off depression and contemplated suicide. In 2019, the Trump administration indicted Hale on four counts of violating the Espionage Act and one count of theft of government property. As part of a plea deal, he pled guilty to one count of violating the Espionage Act. I am here to answer for my own crimes and not that of another person, he said at his sentencing. And it would appear that I am here today to answer for the crime of stealing papers, for which I expect to spend some portion of my life in prison. But what I am really here for is having stolen something that was never mine to take: precious human life. For which I was well-compensated and given a medal. I couldnt keep living in a world in which people pretended things werent happening that were. My consequential decision to share classified information about the drone program with the public was a gesture not taken lightly, nor one I would have taken at all if I believed such a decision had the possibility of harming anyone but myself. I acted not for the sake of self-aggrandizement but that I might some day humbly ask forgiveness. I know a few Daniel Hales. They made my most important reporting possible. They enabled truths to be told. They held the powerful accountable. They gave a voice to the victims. They informed the public. They called for the rule of law. I sit across from Hale and wonder if this is the end, if he, and others like him, will be completely silenced. Hales imprisonment is a microcosm of the vast gulag being constructed for all of us. Authors Note to Readers: There is now no way left for me to continue to write a weekly column for ScheerPost and produce my weekly television show without your help. The walls are closing in, with startling rapidity, on independent journalism, with the elites, including the Democratic Party elites, clamoring for more and more censorship. Bob Scheer, who runs ScheerPost on a shoestring budget, and I will not waiver in our commitment to independent and honest journalism, and we will never put ScheerPost behind a paywall, charge a subscription for it, sell your data or accept advertising. Please, if you can, sign up at chrishedges.substack.com so I can continue to post my Monday column on ScheerPost and produce my weekly television show, The Chris Hedges Report. This column is from Scheerpost, for which Chris Hedges writes a regular column. Click here to sign up for email alerts. Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist who was a foreign correspondent for 15 years for The New York Times, where he served as the Middle East bureau chief and Balkan bureau chief for the paper. He previously worked overseas for The Dallas Morning News, The Christian Science Monitor and NPR. He is the host of show The Chris Hedges Report. Kate Hudson soaked up the summer sun as she put her fabulous figure on display in a recent Instagram post to plug her King Street vodka brand. The 43-year-old mother of three is a vision of health, beauty, and all-around summertime cool in the main image in which she is laying poolside with a watermelon cocktail in hand. The image, a repost from the brand's recent campaign, was shared again in honor of National Watermelon Day which fell on August 3. Cheers: Kate Hudson soaked up the summer sun as she put her fabulous figure on display in a recent Instagram post to plug her King Street vodka brand Bottoms up Kate: The 43-year-old mother of three is a vision of health, beauty, and all-around summertime cool in the main image in which she is laying poolside with a watermelon cocktail in hand The caption personifies the image of Hudson basking in the sun perfectly. 'Taking meetings outside today. #nationalwatermelonday' is a fitting message for the liquor company owner who has leveraged her own personal brand to make King Street Vodka a success. King St. Vodka launched in 2019. The stunning image of the award-winning actress posted recently lends itself to the strategic messaging the brand has effortlessly shared all summer. Wearing a classic high-necked one-piece royal blue swimsuit with metallic stud embellishments and a small cutout at the midriff thoughtfully showing a subtle amount of skin, Hudson's strong and sleek physique is on display. Taking a dip: Hudson was seen enjoying the watermelon cocktail in the pool Her short wet hair is slicked back and tucked neatly behind her ears. Completely makeup-free, Hudson dons a casual grin with her eyes closed and her face pointing towards the sun as she holds up half of a watermelon with its center hulled out and a silver straw inferring King St. Vodka pairs well with the favorite summertime fruit. Also pictured, are colorful playing cards and what appears to be a watermelon martini in a classic martini glass. At one time during the summer, the vodka brand posed the question, 'Glass or watermelon? Comment your cocktail vehicle of choice,' to which Hudson publicly commented with a watermelon emoji. Basking in the sun: Bikinis and cocktails seem to be a summer staple for Hudson Other images shared throughout the summer by both Hudson and the @KingStVodka Instagram accounts show off the blond beauty's fun personality as she's frequently seen in bathing suits enjoying time in and around the pool. Hudson has spent much of her summer promoting King Street Vodka in her backyard. Many posts on the actor's personal social media accounts as well as the company's are shared pictures, videos, reels, and boomerangs of the svelte star sporting various swimsuits and swimming, splashing, or sunning. The captions are always apropos and cheeky. 'National Bikini' Day was July 5 and true to the vibe of Hudson and King St.'s summer campaign, the brands collabed and posted an image of Hudson in a sexy bikini perched atop a pool wall basking in the sun with a cocktail within reach captioning the image, 'It's #NationalBikiniDay! Or, as we like to call it, National Drink in Your Bikini Day! I'll cheers to that.' Hudson walks the walk and talks the talk. Her entire summer has been filled with two things: bikinis and vodka. Shaken or stirred? Kings St vodka posted this to Instagram with the caption 'Cleans up nice and makes a dirty martini nicer' Those who know the story behind Hudson's King St. Vodka brand know that she conceived the idea of creating her version of the popular spirit when her affinity for martinis made her realize there were no vodkas on the market that paired as well with her favorite elixirs as the one she could create. Known for advocating a healthy and balanced lifestyle, Hudon's craft vodka was created to align with those who value health, wellness, and letting loose once in a while. Made in Santa Barbara, California, the gluten-free spirit is 7x distilled, non-GMO, made with alkaline water and 43% alcohol by volume. Healthy and fun, Hudson's summer wouldn't be complete without her vodka and sun. Michael Redfern - who iconically starred in the Oxo adverts - has died aged 79. His son Ashley confirmed the sad news on Friday as he paid tribute to the 'much-loved figure' who was part of one of 'Britain's favourite television families'. Actor Michael, who appeared alongside his on-screen wife Lynda Bellingham in the adverts, passed away last Friday at his home in Spain following an illness. Sad news: Michael Redfern - who iconically starred in the Oxo adverts - has died aged 79 (pictured with on-screen wife Lynda Bellingham in 1987) Ashley, told the Mirror: 'Over the years, he was cast in a variety of roles including leading parts in the soap opera United!, The Newcomers as well as roles in classics such as The Two Ronnies, Porridge and Some Mothers Do Av 'Em. 'He of course was best known for his role in the Oxo commercials, which he did for 17 years and became a much loved figure in one of Britain's favourite television families. 'He will be greatly missed by his wife Carol and his family.' Michael was best known for his role at the Oxo dad on the advert which aired for 16 years between 1983 and 1999 where he starred alongside Lynda as Oxo mum. Loss: His son Ashley confirmed the sad news on Friday as he paid tribute to the 'much-loved figure who was part of one of 'Britain's favourite television families' Gone too soon: Actor Michael passed away last Friday at his home in Spain following an illness Lynda died aged 66 in husband Michael Pattemore's arms in a London hospital in 2014 after a year-long battle with colon cancer, which had spread to her lungs and liver. Just before her death, the Loose Women star had revealed plans to end her chemotherapy but hoped to spend one last Christmas with her family. In a statement on behalf of Bellingham's family, her agent, Sue Latimer, said: 'Lynda died peacefully in her husband's arms yesterday at a London hospital. 'Her family would like to thank the nurses and staff for their tremendous care and support. Actor, writer and presenter - to the end Lynda was a consummate professional.' Tough: Lynda (pictured) died aged 66 in husband Michael Pattemore's arms in a London hospital in 2014 after a year-long battle with colon cancer, which had spread to her lungs and liver Star: He kept a low profile after the ads came to an end in 1999 and left the UK with his wife Carol Michael previously said of working with Lynda: 'I was a face but she was a name and a very good actress.' He kept a low profile after the ads came to an end in 1999 and left the UK with his wife Carol. The star previously told the Dorset Echo of his life after the Oxo ads: 'The other work dried up over those years because I was so high-profile. 'But it was fabulous, they were really nice people. Linda was smashing it was a very happy job.' Sad day: Michal is pictured on November 3 2014 attending Lynda's funeral in Crewkerne after her death from cancer As well as the iconic adverts Michael also starred in The Young Detectives, Crossroads, The Offence, And Mother Makes Five, George & Mildred, Robin's Nest, The Young Ones, Filthy, Rich and Catflap, Boon and Fool's Gold: The Story of the Brink's-Mat Robbery. He also had roles in comedies such as Man About the House with Richard O'Sullivan, Bless This House with Sid James and Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em with Michael Crawford. He was also in one episode of EastEnders and Doctors, while also making an appearance in the 1982 Porridge and The Two Ronnies Christmas Special. The first Oxo family appeared on screen in 1958 in the form of Katie played by Mary Holland a devoted wife committed to caring for her husband Philip, played by Richard Clarke. Talent: As well as the iconic adverts Michael also starred in The Young Detectives, Crossroads, The Offence, And Mother Makes Five and George & Mildred Katie and her catchphrase that Oxo 'gives each meal man-appeal' proved so popular that housewives across Britain began writing to her for advice. She appeared for 18 years before she was phased out in the 1970s to be replaced by Minder star Dennis Waterman. The Oxo family was then launched in 1983 prompting a 10 per cent rise in sales as Britain warmed to the squabbling, bickering family. The award-winning campaign was hailed as ground-breaking because it showed a working mother juggling a job with taking care of her warts-and-all family, rather than an idealised 'domestic goddess'. Much-loved: A scene from the Oxo advert screened in September 1999 which brought an end to the series starring Lynda (second from left) and her screen husband, Michael that had been running since 1983 It ran for 16 years, spanning 42 'episodes', before it was axed with a final instalment, showing the family packing up their belongings as they prepared to move house. Oxo tried a new, 'modern' family in 2001 featuring a script from Four Weddings and a Funeral writer Richard Curtis. And in 2009 the brand was revamped again when it launched 'The Oxo Factor'. Real-life families filmed their own dinners and the winning film was shown during The X Factor final on ITV1. Director of grocery brands at Premier Foods, Mark Tyldesley, said: 'Because the OXO TV family were so well-loved, we wanted to bring back a piece of the brand's iconic heritage but at the same time update it to reflect family life today. 'We recognise that the 'traditional' roles within the typical British family have changed and that children are just as likely to turn to their dad for advice in the kitchen or life in general, as they are their mum, which why we've decided to return to the popular OXO family but with the twist that this time, 'dad's in charge'. ' Garcelle Beauvais has opened up about including her alleged 'scary' encounter with Bill Cosby in her new memoir Love Me As I Am. The topic came up as Beauvais, 55, met up with Dorit Kemsley and revealed she was busy recording the audio version of her then yet-to-be released memoir on the latest episode of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills. Beauvais admitted she was 'a little scared' releasing the book as she was 'telling stories that I've never told.' 'I'm a little scared': Garcelle Beauvais opened up about including her alleged encounter with Bill Cosby in her new memoir, Love Me As I Am Beauvais said some of her stories 'may shock people' but was praised by Dorit for still including them. She then mentioned Cosby by name in a confessional: 'There are stories in the book that I never talked about,' she admitted. 'I had an experience with Bill Cosby. That was really scary.' 'There were things I thought I had peace around, and when writing the book I realized, "No, there's no peace around that, it's still haunting you,"' she added. Garcelle opened up about her encounter with the star, which allegedly occurred during the 1980s, during an interview on Radio Andy earlier this year. New book: Garcelle opened up about her encounter with the star, which allegedly occurred during the 1980s, during an interview on Radio Andy earlier this year Garcelle, who was modeling in the 1980s, recalled she received word from her agency that the Grammy winner wanted her phone number. 'At the time, he was everybody's dad. He was bigger than life.' The young actress agreed and quickly received a call from TV icon who, she said, told her 'I've seen you around and I think you'd be great for the show. I'm going to offer you a small part, but I also think education is really important.' Small part: The RHOBH star claimed the TV icon tracked her down and offered her a small part on the top rated sitcom. Seen here as a nurse in a 1986 episode The Coming to America star explained she thought the last part of the conversation was 'really weird' because 'someone that I didn't really know' thought she needed more education. According to her IMDB page, the fledgling actress was cast in a 1986 episode of The Cosby Show as a nurse, but did not receive an on-screen credit. Garcelle called the experience a 'cautionary tale about really listening to your gut instincts.' Ran: Garcelle said she ran out of the comedian's house after her served in a drink claiming, ' I just didn't feel right. And something told me to get out of there' She recollected being invited to the would-be mentor's home to discuss her career and education. 'I get there and he asked me if I want to have a drink and I, I was a baby. I was like, 'Sure.' And he gave me Sambuca. And I remember that very well because I, I didn't drink and I had never heard of Sambuca. And I remember taking a sip and not feeling great.' 'And I don't know, I just didn't feel right. And something told me to get out of there. And I literally got up and I ran out of there and I got into a cab and I went to my apartment and I was freaked out.' Coming forward: The star explained she didn't come forward when dozens of women mounted similar accusations against Cosby because she didn't have 'anything concrete to add to the story' When asked if she thought the drink was drugged, the Models, Inc. star answered unequivocally, 'I absolutely think there was.' The star explained she didn't come forward with her accusations when dozens of women mounted their own, similar, accusations against the NAACP Image Award winner, because she didn't have 'anything concrete to add to the story,' and because people may have thought she was 'jumping on the bandwagon.' Bill Cosby was convicted and sentenced to prison for aggravated indecent assault in 2018, stemming from an attack on a Temple University employee at his home in 2004. Accused: More than 50 women have accused the I Spy star of assault He served nearly three years behind bars on a sentence of three to 10 years before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned the conviction. That decision was based on promises from the former district attorney that he would not be prosecuted for testimony made in depositions for a 2005 civil case in which he was sued by the same woman. In documents released from that civil trial, the entertainer admitted to casual sex involving recreational use of the sedative-hypnotic (Quaaludes) with a series of young women, and he acknowledged that his dispensing the prescription drug was illegal. He also claimed any sex was consensual. More than 50 women across the US have accused the former entertainer of sexual assaulting them. In June, a Los Angeles County jury found Cosby guilty of sexually assaulting Judy Huth, then 16, at the Playboy Mansion in 1975. They ordered him to pay her $500,000. Amanda Seyfried arrived to the SoHo set of Apple TV Plus's upcoming series The Crowded Room on Friday with her Australian Shepherd sidekick Finn in tow. Wearing a 1970s pant suit and hair and makeup reminiscent of that era, Seyfried looked very much the part of the clinical psychologist she plays opposite Tom Holland in the 10 series show slated to air soon on the platform. Seyfried's character Rya is a devoted psychologist and single mother who spent the day on the streets of NYC filming the scene at a police precinct. Good dog: Amanda Seyfried arrived on set with her dog Finn and filmed a walking scene outside a police station in Soho in New York City on Friday Wearing a tweed brown sport coat and forest green high waisted trousers, Seyfried effectively looked like she stepped out of a time warp. The wide leg swing pants, a staple of 1970s fashion, were gathered neatly at the waistline with a thin brown leather belt. The actress wore a soft tan and green print blouse buttoned up under the sport coat and carried an oversized tan leather tote. Cognac colored leather boots finished off the groovy professional's look. Working girl: Seyfried's natural beauty and soft hair and makeup further enhancing the 1970s wardrobe Seyfried's natural beauty was put on display with soft hair and makeup further enhancing the 1970s wardrobe. Her long blonde hair was notably parted down the side and loosely pulled back with a simple twist and pin technique to keep her hair styled to the era and also keep her long lochs out of her face. Keeping with a less is more appeal, the actress's makeup was simple. Green eyeshadow and glossy colorless lip were the choice for this scene. Female lead: Seyfried's long blonde hair was notably parted down the side and loosely pulled back off of her face Serious business: The Dropout star seemed to be dresses for success on the Soho set The actress has been spotted filming scenes for her new role opposite Tom Holland in Apple TV Plus anthology series The Crowded Room. The blonde beauty appears to be taking her role as Rya seriously as she takes the streets of New York by storm. Amanda has been wearing different variations of bland business attire during the filming of this period piece. On standby: Amanda chatted with director Kornel Mundruczo between takes Amanda chats with director Kornel Mundruczo between takes Seyfried has shot several scenes throughout the last week in and around New York and always with her dog Finn waiting patiently for her behind the scenes. The upcoming drama anthology explores various mental health issues and stories of those who have learned to live successfully with them. This comes after she won acclaim for playing convicted criminal biotechnology entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes in the series The Dropout. Directors notes: Seyfried takes cues from Mundruczo on set Puppy love: While taking a break from filming, Amanda kissed and petted her loving pooch Lots of animals: In addition to Finn, Amanda and her husband Thomas Sadoski, 46, own several other animals including ponies, horses, goats, donkeys, chickens, ducks and a farm cat Rehearsals for the upcoming season of Strictly Come Dancing are back in full swing. And the show's professional dancers, including Katya Jones and Diane Buswell, celebrated the end of another week on Friday as they headed on a night out. The dancers put on a playful display following a gruelling day of training, as they prepared to let their hair down. On the town: Strictly's Katya Jones and Diane Buswell, both 33, were all smiles on Friday as they posed with their fellow professional dancers before heading for a night out Katya and Diane, both 33, beamed for the camera as they prepared for the evening out - joined by co-stars Nancy Xu, Lauren Oakley, Jowita Przysta, Ash-Leigh Hunter and Michelle Tsiakkas. Dianne opted for a bright green, form-fitting bodysuit for the outing, paired with a geometric mini skirt. Her signature red tresses were left to fall freely in a straight style, as she opted for a bold red lip. Smile! Katya and Diane, both 33, beamed for the camera and were joined by co-stars Nancy Xu, Lauren Oakley, Jowita Przysta, Ash-Leigh Hunter and Michelle Tsiakkas Beauties: Dianne opted for a bright green, form fitting bodysuit for the outing as she stepped out following Katya While Katya showed off her toned physique in a pair of distressed denim shorts and a white T-shirt. She layered a patterned bomber jacket on top, as her brunette tresses were left to fall freely. Lauren also displayed her taut abs as she made her way out, sporting a wrap-around crop top and khaki cargo trousers. Stunner: While Katya showed off her toned physique in a pair of distressed denim shorts and a white T-shirt Dancer physique: Lauren also displayed her taut abs as she made her way out, sporting a wrap-around crop top and khaki cargo trousers Cameron Lombard and Neil Jones were also spotted, as the pair put on a cheery display despite the day of rehearsals. They both sported white T-shirts, as Neil opted for baggy jeans and a pair of Jordan trainers, while Cameron went for Nike jogging bottoms. The latter pointed at the camera while giggling alongside his pal, with a Nike crossbody bag over his torso. Cheeky: Cameron Lombard and Neil Jones were also spotted, as the pair put on a cheery display despite the day of rehearsals The show is set to return in September, with four celebrities already announced in the much anticipated line up. Coronation Street star Kym Marsh, actor Will Mellor, radio presenter Richie Anderson and Loose Women panelist Kaye Adams will all be hitting the famous dance floor - with the rest of the lineup yet to be released. While judges Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse and Anton du Beke will make a comeback - as Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly will return to host. Strictly Come Dancing is set to return to BBC One on Wednesday September 7. Alana Thompson, better known as Honey Boo Boo, is going to be high school senior this fall. On Friday the 16-year-old former reality TV queen - who got her start at age six on Toddlers And Tiaras before landing her own show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo - shared images from a photo shoot for her last year in school. The star looked proud as she wore a yellow cap and gown. There was no sign of her mother, 42-year-old Mama June - birth name is June Shannon - whom she is estranged from. Her sister Pumpkin - also known as Lauryn - Shannon - who has been raising her for years, was seen on set. Cute kid! Alana Thompson, better known as Honey Boo Boo, is going to be high school senior this fall and this week she posed for her senior photos Proud moment: On Friday the 16-year-old former reality TV queen - who got her start at age six on Toddlers And Tiaras before landing her own show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo - shared images from a photo shoot for her last year in school. The star looked proud as she wore a yellow cap and gown She has been attending Wilkinson County High School in McIntyre, Georgia. The star was seen with both casual clothing on and more formal attire as she posed for the professional shoot. In one set up she had on a black sweatshirt that said SENIOR on front with a white mini skirt. The pictures will appear in the yearbook of her Georgia high school. 'Senior year!!' wrote Boo Boo in her caption ash she uploaded a carousel of images. She was also seen with sister Pumpkin, 22, and her new baby Bentley, age one. Pumpkin shared, 'Today my not so little sister had senior pictures done. Her sister: There was no sign of her mother 42-year-old Mama June - birth name is June Shannon - whom she is estranged from. Her sister Pumpkin - also known as Lauryn - Shannon - who has been raising her for years, was seen on set with her baby 'I'm so proud of how far you've come against all odds that have been thrown at you,' she added. 'Here to Alana's last year of high school. Excuse me while I ugly cry lol . We love our lana @honeybooboo.' On their show, Honey said she did not know if her mother would come to her high school graduation in 2023 if she asked her to. On Mama June: Road to Redemption she told her therapist, 'I'm kind of over it at this point. I think I'm at the age where I'm not like sitting there like, oh I just wish my mommy was coming home. Like Mama is gonna do what Mama is going to do.' Good auntie: Alana is seen here holding her young nephew in her arms It's a good thing Pumpkin has stepped in. In June Lauryn was granted sole custody of Alana. This agreement allows mom June to call Alana daily but Lauryn determines the visitation rights. And Mama has to pay $800 per month in child support. The setup ends when Alana turns 18. Mama has had a challenging past few years. Edit time: The pictures will appear in the yearbook of her Georgia high school. 'Senior year!!' wrote Boo Boo in her caption ash she uploaded a carousel of images Her look: The star was seen with both casual clothing on and more formal attire as she posed for the professional shoot School pride: In one set up she had on a black sweatshirt that said SENIOR on front with a white mini skirt She was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. And was given felony charges for drug possession in 2019. June is grateful Pumpkin has taken over. Her love: Boo Boo seems to be doing well as she continues to date her college boyfriend Dralin Carswell 'I'm very thankful for her because the situation could have been a lot different,' Mama June told Page Six in June. 'Pumpkin stepping up, I'm very grateful because it could have turned into a bad situation. At the time Alana went to go live with Pumpkin at the beginning, I couldn't even take care of my own self more or less take care of anybody else.' Boo Boo seems to be doing well as she continues to date her college boyfriend Dralin Carswell. Gigi Hadid was spotted walking alone in a New York City neighborhood on Friday afternoon. The supermodel and mother-of-one showed off her tight midriff in a tiny top that tied in front as she added dark jeans and a shoulder purse. This sighting comes just as she announced on Instagram that she has launched her own clothing line called Guest In Residence: 'Been workin on something.with love, @guestinresidence :) - founder, creative director @guestinresidence.' Goth girl: Gigi Hadid makes all black chic Hadid's all-black outfit was comprised of laid-back elements that the 27-year-old model is known for. Pairing wide black denim pants with a loose sheer black short sleeve crop top held suggestively together by two strings tied together, Hadid left just enough to the imagination as her flat tummy was kissed by the sun. The bustling beauty chose black low top Converse All-Star sneakers as her shoe of choice as she bustled by foot around the city. Struttin' her stuff: Hadid makes the sidewalk her runway in belly-baring top Multitasking model: Gigi works on her mobile phone while navigating her way Hadid accessorized her Friday afternoon outfit with a chunky silver necklace, oval shaped 90s inspired wire rimmed sunglasses, and a classic shoulder bag with pops of neon green that stood out against the dark backdrop. Looking focused, the beautiful blonde let her long hair flow naturally down her back as she pulled double duty working on her mobile phone en route to her destination. The supermodel has graced the cover of almost every fashion magazine such as Vogue and InStyle and has also been in campaigns for the world's top designers such as Versace, Fendi, and Valentino. Boss babe: This sighting comes just as she announced on Instagram that she has launched her own clothing line called Guest In Residence: 'Been workin on something.with love, @guestinresidence :)' In charge: The beauty also called herself, 'founder, creative director @guestinresidence' Hadid officially announced today via Vanity Fair that she is trying her hand as a fashion designer. She teased the launch of her new clothing line Guest In Residence on Thursday on her Instagram profile. Hadid made the official announcement via Vanity this morning. The model and mother, who has been the vessel in which designers display their masterpieces is now trading places and becoming a designer herself. Having added to her resume, she now also calls herself Founder and Creative Director of the soon to be released line of knit apparel. Bouncing back quickly from her pregnancy, the flawless model and entrepreneur is primed and ready to take on the fashion world in more ways than one. John Leguizamo has slammed the decision to cast American actor James Franco as the Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro in an upcoming film. It was revealed earlier this week that Franco, 44, will be playing Castro in the indie project Alina of Cuba, and Lequizamo, 62, took to his Instagram on Friday to speak out over the casting choice. 'How is this still going on? How is Hollywood excluding us but stealing our narratives as well?' Leguizamo began in his rant, that received almost 10,000 likes. 'No more appropriation Hollywood and streamers! Boycott! This Fd up! Plus seriously difficult story to tell without aggrandizement which would b wrong!' 'He ain't Latino!' John Leguizamo has slammed the decision to cast James Franco as Fidel Castro and demands fans to boycott the film over 'appropriation' Adding: 'I don't got a prob with Franco but he ain't Latino!' The View co-host Ana Navarro then commented under the post, telling Leguizamo that she would 'join' him in boycotting the film. Navarro wrote: 'Id like to think no Latino actor worth their salt would sign up to play and aggrandize a murderous dictator who terrorized the people of Cuba for six decades. For both reasons you articulated, I join you in the boycott.' Role: It was revealed earlier this week that Franco, 44, will be playing Castro in the indie project Alina of Cuba (Pictured; 2010) Franco is se to appear in the film that is being helmed by Spanish director Miguel Bardem. The Oscar-nominated actor will be joined in the cast by actress Mia Maestro, 47, who will play the role of socialite Natalia 'Naty' Revuelta, who was Castro's one-time mistress, Deadline reported Thursday. The pair join actress Ana Villafane, 33, in the cast, as she is playing the role of Alina Fernandez - the daughter of Castro and Revuelta - in the motion picture. The motion picture - of which the script was penned by Jose Rivera and Nilo Cruz - will depict the life story of Fernandez, a Cuban exile and social activist. When she was 10, Fernandez found out that she was Castro's daughter, as her mother revealed to her the truth after Castro had visited the family home secretly for years. Revuelta had given her and her doctor husband's wealth to finance the beginning stages of the communist revolution. Fernandez eventually became an anti-communism activist who was arrested multiple times for her attempts to depart Cuba, and banned from traveling outside the country. Fernandez in 1993 defected to Spain and eventually settled in Miami. The film will begin shooting August 15 in the Colombian cities of Cartagena and Bogota, according to the outlet. Rant: Leguizamo hit out on Friday via his official Instagram account... and caught the attention of The View's Ana Navarro The latest: James Franco, 44, has been cast as late Cuban leader Fidel Castro in the upcoming film Aline of Cuba from director Miguel Bardem. The actor was snapped in Italy in June Producer John Martinez O'Felan told Deadline that 'finding and convincing James Franco to play Castro, was a fun and challenging process and has been the collaborative work of the universe, because our director's original order was to find an actor who holds a close physical resemblance to the real Castro to build from, along with finding someone Alina Fernandez would strongly endorse. 'To get there on such a tough look to cast, we used Fidel Castro's ancient Galician heraldry as our focal compass, and then combed through the entire ranks of actors with Latin roots in Hollywood to find someone who has a similar facial structure.' O'Felan said that after a comprehensive search 'into our hopefuls through the eye of Spanish and Portuguese genealogy which the Galicians held,' Franco was found to have 'had the closest facial likeness of our industry's leading actors, meaning that the focus would be to build out his character accent and we'd have a stunning on-screen match to intrigue audiences and bring the story to life with true visual integrity.' He said that casting Villafane and Maestro 'were no-brainers because, besides the trajectory of their past work, one represents modern Cuban-America and the other Argentina.' O'Felan told the outlet that the focus of the project is to 'produce an artistic piece of modern Hispanic history, with the vision for the project as being truly inclusive through uniting actors and creatives from both intergenerational and recent Latin roots from the U.S, Latin America, and the world.' Woody Harrelson is reacting to a viral photo of an 'adorable' child that bares an uncanny resemblance to the actor. The 61-year-old actor penned a short original poem for his mini-me, who clearly had warmed his heart. Harrelson first saw the child after her mother Dani Grier Mulvenna noted the similarity in a tweet that set social media ablaze on Friday. Lovely poem: If Woody Harrelson ever decides to retire from acting, he could always take up poetry 'Ok but how does our daughter look like Woody,' she wrote next to side-by-side photos of her daughter and the three-time Academy Award nominee. Woody then shared a screenshot of the photo and wrote on Instagram, 'Ode to Cora-/Youre an adorable child/Flattered to be compared/You have a wonderful smile/I just wish I had your hair @danigriermulvenna.' Dani was quick to give an ecstatic reply to Harrelson's follow up post. Woody Harrelson original: The 61-year-old actor penned a short original poem for a baby that looked almost exactly like him on Twitter (pictured 2019) Fan for life: 'Youve made our day [heart emoji]cant wait to show her this when shes older, you have another fan for life xxx,' the child's mother wrote 'Youve made our day [heart emoji]cant wait to show her this when shes older, you have another fan for life xxx,' she responded. Several of Harrelson's famous friends and fans showed their support for Harrelson's work in the comments section. Magic Mike actor Alexander Pettyfer typed several laughing emojis into his comment while notable magazine editor Jay Fielden wrote, 'Luck girl!' Famous for a long time: Harrelson first rose to public prominence in for his role as Woody Boyd in the beloved television series Cheers (pictured May 2022) Recent starring role: More recently, he starred in the movie The Man from Toronto alongside Kevin Hart and Kaley Cuoco Harrelson first rose to public prominence for his role as Woody Boyd in the beloved television series Cheers. More recently, he starred in the movie The Man from Toronto alongside Kevin Hart and Kaley Cuoco. Fans will soon be able to see the Texas native as E. Howard Hunt, President Richard Nixon's aide, in the upcoming series The White House Plumbers. A parent with a passion knows it is wise to introduce your child to it at the earliest possible age. And Bernie Ecclestone has wasted no time with his two-year-old son Ace, who got behind the wheel on an arcade ride as his Formula One boss father looked on. The 91-year-old, who all those years ago harboured dreams of becoming a champion racing driver, was enjoying a day out in Gstaad, Switzerland, with his wife, Brazilian lawyer Fabiana Flosi, 44, who is Aces mother. They have been married since 2012. Bernie Ecclestone has wasted no time with his two-year-old son Ace, who got behind the wheel on an arcade ride as his Formula One boss father looked on Mr Ecclestone entered the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix but failed to qualify. Now the father-of-four is putting his skills to good use apparently giving his son driving tips as he stood by the toy car. In other pictures he can be seen walking through the streets of the high-end ski resort in the Swiss Alps, before bumping into a fan and posing for photos. It is the first time Mr Ecclestone has been seen since he was charged with fraud by false representation last month after an investigation into overseas assets believed to be worth more than 400million. Mr Ecclestone, who is Britains 74th richest person with an estimated net worth of 2.5billion, will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on August 22. In other pictures he can be seen walking through the streets of the high-end ski resort in the Swiss Alps, before bumping into a fan and posing for photos Nancy Pelosis Utterly Reckless Election-Season Gambit By David Stockman August 04, 2022: Information Clearing House -- " Antiwar " We dont know how it could have been any clearer than this warning from Chicom mouthpiece and ultra-hawk, Hu Xijin. Prior to Americas other senile leader putting herself in harms way by touching down in Taiwan today, Xijin let loose a volley of histrionics that left little doubt as to where Beijing stood: "If US fighter jets escort Pelosis plane into Taiwan, it is invasion," Hu Xijin of Global Times wrote on Twitter. "The [Chinese military] has the right to forcibly dispel Pelosis plane and the US fighter jets, including firing warning shots and making tactical movement of obstruction. If ineffective, then shoot them down." For want of doubt, an official Chinese spokesman chimed in shortly thereafter: At a daily press briefing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying reiterated Chinas opposition to Mrs. Pelosis visiting TaiwanNo matter for what reason Pelosi goes to Taiwan, it will be a stupid, dangerous and unnecessary gamble," Ms. Hua said. "It is difficult to imagine a more reckless and provocative action." She got that right. Pelosi has now completed an utterly "stupid, dangerous and unnecessary gamble", and for what earthly purpose? Mainly to provide obeisance to the dead hand of history, wed say. Indeed, there is no more egregious case of the latter than Washingtons 75-year obsession with the political status of Taiwan. Yet the latter is a geopolitically irrelevant piece of island real estate the size of Maryland that has everything to do with US domestic politics and nothing whatsoever to do with the safety, security and liberty of the American homeland. So lets start with the facts. The Chinese supremacists of the Middle Kingdom through the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) considered Formosa a pile of mud inhabited by savages and of no interest to Chinas rulers. But when the Spanish and Portuguese colonized parts of the island, the successor Qing dynasty did an about face, expelling the Europeans and establishing administrative control over the territory from 1683 onwards. The latter included the welcoming of Han and other Chinese settlers on Formosa, such that by 1811 an estimated 2 million Chinese immigrants had settled on the island. For all practical purposes, therefore, by the end of the 19th century todays Taiwanese society and economy had become an integral part of China. But thats when history took a fateful turn that has everything to do with Beijings current hysteria about Pelosis blatant provocation. To wit, the Qing government was humiliated by defeat during the 1895 Sino-Japanese War and forced to cede Formosa to Japan in a one-sided peace treaty. Moreover, for the next 50-years Formosa became the industrial and military launch pad for Imperial Japans relentless and ruthless expansion into China and southeast Asia generally, including the occupation of Manchuria and Korea. By the height of the the Allies WWII battle against Japan, in fact, Taiwan became known as the "unsinkable aircraft carrier" that enabled Japans brutal attacks on Chinas main cities. Accordingly, a major provision of the Cairo Declaration of 1943, which established the Allies war aims in the Pacific, was the return of Formosa to Chinese control. And from the viewpoint of Chinese patriots, nationalists and communists alike, the very idea of Formosa being controlled by a hostile foreign power became a "never again" line in the sand. As it happened, Formosa was returned to China under a United Nations mandate at the end of WWII. The only question which remained was who would rule the mainland and therefore Formosa too the nationalists under Chiang Kai-shek or the communists under Mao Tse-tung. That question was settled with the communist victory in 1949, and that should have been the end of the matter. But by then the Cold War was turning red hot and the out-of-power Republicans, egged on by the Luce publishing empire and the so-called China Lobby, waged a vicious "who lost China" campaign that ultimately degenerated into the McCarthy witch hunts and Americas equally foolish participation in the Korean War. Stated differently, had Washington possessed the sense to recognize that Maos red totalitarianism was destined to become a social and economic basket case that posed no threat whatsoever to Americas security, the status of Formosa would have never mattered. In that event, Washington could have allowed Chiang Kai-cheks band of butchers and bandits to whither on the vine on their island redoubt and eventually disappear from the face of history. In fact, without continuous, fulsome US diplomatic, military and economic assistance, that is exactly what would have happened during the long-decades of the brutal Kuomintang dictatorship after 1950. And Americas security would have been no worse for the wear. Ironically, approximately 25-years later it took the worst of the red-baiters and who-lost-China demagogues, Richard Nixon, to partially correct Washingtons pro-Taiwan mistake. Owning to his historic election year trip to China in February 1972 and President Jimmy Carters subsequent abrogation of the mutual defense treaty with the Republic of China on Taiwan in 1979, any legal or moral obligation to defend Taiwan against China lapsed 43 years ago! So again, that should have ended the matter once and for all. Without Washingtons constant diplomatic support and weapons sales, the post-Kuomintang leaders of Taiwan would have eventually recognized the handwriting on the wall and made some kind of affiliation arrangements with Beijing. After all, a few years later, Maoist economics was officially abandoned and Mr. Deng set China firmly on a path of export-led economic growth. Taiwan would have likely been its most prosperous province. But the Washington China Lobby remained in business, wrapping itself in a bureaucratic stupidity called "strategic ambiguity": Our military posture has been one of "strategic ambiguity." We will not commit to go to war to defend Taiwan, nor will we take the war option off the table if Taiwan is attacked. What cockamamie nonsense. As Pat Buchanan rightly asks: We would be risking our own security and possible survival to prevent from being imposed on the island of Taiwan the same regime lately imposed on Hong Kong without any U.S. military resistance. If Hong Kong, a city of 7 million, can be transferred to the custody and control of Beijing without resistance from the US, why should it be worth a major US war with China to prevent that same fate and future from befalling 23 million Taiwanese? So, yes, Hong Kong residents may not be as free as they were five years ago and certainly much less so than before the city-states reversion to China in July 1997. But so what? Thats the way the cookie of world history crumbles. Americas security does not depend upon upholding freedom in every distant precinct of planet earth no matter how loudly the hegemonists, the neocons and Warfare State lobbyists insist. The fact is, the safety and security of the citizens in Springfield MA and Spokane WA have not been diminished a whit since the 1997 event. Thats because our freedom is the unique product of our constitution, our history, the great Atlantic and Pacific moats and Americas industrial and technological prowess, which makes a foreign invasion of the homeland inconceivable. Nice as freedom might have been for the residents of Hong Kong previously and for the citizens of Taiwan today, when push comes to shove our liberties do not depend upon who governs these historic provinces of Greater China. And it is most certainly not the role of desperate, vote-seeking Washington pols like Nancy Pelosi to poke in the eye the rulers of China after they have made it unequivocally clear that political meddling in their backyard is distinctly unwelcome. So its time to un-clench the dead hand of history. Washington policy-makers did not "lose" China back in 1949 because it was never theirs to loose. Nor did Americas security ever depend upon the decades of domestic political machinations over the status of the Chinese province of Taiwan. At least now the stupidity of the whole affair has been made starkly evident by Nancy Pelosis utterly reckless election-season gambit. Her trip had no other purpose than to bolster the Dems flagging prospects come November. After all, at least when the self-confessed warmonger, then Speaker Newt Gingrich, made the Taiwan stop back in 1997 he did so after completing his official visit to Beijing first. The Chinese leaders of the day tolerated his second stop in Taiwan only after he threatened to otherwise skip Beijing on his itinerary. Even then, the former Speaker recently revealed that Beijing had one precondition for him, which he complied with: Namely, that he wouldnt fly directly to Taiwan from the Chinese mainland. So after he wrapped up meetings in Beijing and Shanghai, including with senior Chinese leaders, Mr. Gingrich flew to Tokyo and then to Taipei. Needless to say, a lot of water has gone over the dam of US/China relations during the last 25 years much of it needlessly un-constructive. So if there was any time for the Washington War Party to exercise a modicum of restraint, now was that time. Yet Americas crushing $1 trillion per year Empire of global hegemony and intervention would wither and die without constant provocations against foreign adversaries. And this one was among the most dangerous and shameless yet. David Stockman was a two-term Congressman from Michigan. He was also the Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Ronald Reagan. After leaving the White House, Stockman had a 20-year career on Wall Street. Hes the author of three books, The Triumph of Politics: Why the Reagan Revolution Failed, The Great Deformation: The Corruption of Capitalism in America and TRUMPED! A Nation on the Brink of Ruin And How to Bring It Back. He also is founder of David Stockmans Contra Corner and David Stockmans Bubble Finance Trader. A girl mourns the death of her brother at Friday's funeral Mourners on Friday buried 10 people killed during anti-UN protests in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, some chanting slogans against peacekeepers, an AFP reporter said. Last week, demonstrations demanding the departure of the UN peacekeeping mission, known as MONUSCO, took place in the eastern city of Goma and quickly spread to several towns in the east of the country. Thirty-two civilians and four UN peacekeepers were killed during the protests, according to a government tally. Anger has been fuelled by perceptions that MONUSCO is failing to do enough to stop decades of armed conflict. More than 120 militias operate in the DRC's troubled east. On Friday, a crowd gathered to pay respects before the coffins of ten of the protesters in a stadium in Goma, an important commercial hub of about 1 million people. Health workers carry the coffin of an activist killed during a demonstration against UN peacekeepers last week Mourners chanted slogans hostile to the peacekeepers, according to an AFP journalist, and touted banners reading "MONUSCO is killing Congolese people". "We will continue to fight to expel this army from our country," said Josue Wallay, a member of the activist group Lucha that spearheaded the protests. After the ceremony, the 10 bodies were buried in a graveyard on the outskirts of the city. The United Nations first deployed an observer mission to eastern Congo in 1999, and established MONUSCO in 2010 with a mandate to conduct offensive operations. The peacekeeping operation is one of the largest and costliest in the world, with an annual budget of around $1 billion. Late last week, the DRC's government requested the expulsion of MONUSCO spokesman Mathias Gillmann, citing "indelicate" remarks that he had made. Thirty-two civilians and four UN peacekeepers were killed in total during the protests last week, the government says Gillmann had told a journalist that the UN lacked the military means to defeat a notorious armed group called the M23, according to a senior government official who asked for anonymity. The militia had lain mostly dormant for years before resuming fighting last November, capturing swathes of territory in eastern DRC. An unpublished report by independent experts for the UN Security Council, seen by AFP this week, pointed to neighbouring Rwanda backing the M23. The Congolese government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the M23, although Rwanda has denied the claims. dhbm-mbb/blb/eml/ah Indonesia has approved Steam, PayPal, and Yahoo to continue their operations in the country after the companies have complied with the government's registration mandates. Steam, PayPal, and Yahoo are now Unblocked in Indonesia According to Engadget's report, Valve, the owner of Steam, PayPal, and Yahoo, have all been cleared by Indonesia, enabling them to continue the business. The nation barred citizens from using the services of certain firms that failed to register with a government database by the deadline on July 29. After registering, the Communications Ministry unblocked access to PayPal, Yahoo, and Valve services. "PayPal is entirely dedicated to abiding by all rules and regulations that are in effect in the areas in which we do business," a representative for PayPal told Engadget. Paypal has established direct contact with the Ministry of Communication and Informatics and has registered as an Electronic Systems Operator in Indonesia. Customers of PayPal can now send, receive, and retrieve their funds as usual. Indonesia's 2020 licensing requirements empower authorities to force platforms to hand over user data. Moderation is another issue. The platform must delete "disruptive" or unlawful material. Urgent removal requests are due within four hours; if not, they have 24 hours to delete them. Even though the regulations were introduced two years ago, several renowned businesses reportedly struggled to register in time and maintain their services. Meta, Amazon, and Google allegedly joined a few days before the deadline. However, Epic Games Store and EA's Origin service are still prohibited. Read Also: Lucid Motors Cuts Down EV Production Goals for the Second Time This Year Domestic and Foreign ISPs were Demanded to Register as PSEs in Indonesia Last month, Internet Service Providers (ISP) from domestic and international countries were required to legally register with the Information and Communications Ministry as an Electronic Systems Provider (PSE). Operating restrictions that have been in effect nationwide since July 20 will be imposed for noncompliance. According to reports, the ministry's no-PSE list included Google and its suite of services, which includes YouTube and Meta's Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Other well-known companies on the list include Netflix, PUBG Mobile, and Mobile Legends. Gojek, Tokopedia, and Traveloka are examples of regional apps that have registered as PSEs. Spotify and Linktree are examples of international ones. The ministry's threat of a ban is certainly not new, and companies that have missed deadlines in the past without suffering severe consequences. For user protection and cyber security, the ministry announced legislation requiring digital services to register as PSEs by November 24, 2020, or face a ban in Indonesia. Despite several extensions, the threat has proven to be a farce since local and international IT companies who missed the registration deadline did not even get a warning. On moral or legal grounds, the ministry has been known to prohibit apps and websites recently. These include the homosexual dating app Blued for its "immoral" LGBT material, TikTok for its general "poor content," and Telegram for allegedly encouraging the spread of extremist ideas. However, the latter two have since had their suspensions lifted. Related Article: Steam, PayPal Have Been Blocked in Indonesia - But Why? Skip to main navigation For Release: Friday, August 5, 2022 New York State Announces $15,000 Pay Increase to Attract and Retain DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers and Forest Rangers in Lower Hudson Valley and Downstate Locations Sign up for law enforcement civil service exam by August 10 The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Department of Civil Service today announced a $15,000 Geographic Pay Differential was approved for Environmental Conservation Police Officers and Forest Rangers located in the lower Hudson Valley and downstate areas. The measure will help the agency address recruitment and retention challenges for law enforcement in lower Hudson Valley and downstate regions. DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said, "ECOs, Investigators, and Forest Rangers are on the front lines of our comprehensive efforts to protect the environment and public safety and we must continue to attract the best and brightest to our ranks. We commend Governor Hochul and the Department of Civil Service for supporting this Geographic Pay Differential for our law enforcement staff deployed to Long Island, New York City, and the lower Hudson Valley, which is an important part of our efforts to recruit and retain expert Forest Rangers and ECOs." Department of Civil Service Commissioner Timothy R. Hogues said, "DEC's ECOs and Forest Rangers patrol and protect New York's bountiful natural resources, and this pay increase will help DEC retain these talented and dedicated employees in the downstate regions. This marks the latest measure the Department of Civil Service is taking to ensure our compensation is competitive to attract the next generation of talent to public service careers. There is still time to apply to take the entry-level law enforcement exam, and I encourage all New Yorkers who may be interested in a career in law enforcement to sign up now." The increase would boost the starting salary for Environmental Conservation Police Officers from $66,140 to $81,140, and for Forest Rangers from $63,034 to $78,034, effective July 21, 2022. The raise will help address a disparity in compensation between the State and competing employers in lower-Hudson and downstate areas. Individuals who are contemplating a career with the DEC can apply for New York State's entry-level law enforcement civil service exam by August 10, 2022. People interested in being considered for entry-level law enforcement positions within state government must first meet the minimum qualifications for the title or titles of interest and register for the civil service exam by submitting all the required information (leaves DEC website) on the Department of Civil Service website. The exam, a multiple-choice test, will be offered during the fall. To learn more about working for the State of New York and how to take the next step in pursuing a rewarding career in public service, please visit the Department of Civil Service website (leaves DEC website) and follow the Department on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn (leaves DEC website). NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the seventh governing council meeting of the NITI Aayog on Sunday and this, his office said, will pave the way for a new era of collaboration between the Centre and the states. This will be the first physical meeting of the council after July 2019 and its members include all the chief ministers. As the country commemorates 75 years of its independence, there is a reinforced need for the states to be agile, resilient and self-reliant and move towards "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" in a spirit of cooperative federalism, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said. "In the drive towards building a steady, sustainable and inclusive India, the seventh governing council meeting of the NITI Aayog will be held on August 7 and this will pave the way for synergies towards a new era of collaboration and cooperation between Centre and states/Union territories," it said in a statement. The prime minister is the chairperson of the government's apex policy thinktank. To be held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan Cultural Centre, the agenda of the meeting includes crop diversification, achieving self-sufficiency in oilseeds, pulses and agri-communities, implementation of the National Education Policy and urban governance. The meeting is particularly important as the country enters "Amrit Kaal", a phrase first used by Modi to describe the next 25 years in the run-up to the centenary of India's independence, against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and in light of the country hosting the G20 presidency and summit next year, the PMO said. "The meeting would also lay emphasis on the importance of the presidency for India for the federal system and the role that states can play in highlighting their progress at the G-20 platform," it said. It noted that a national conference of chief secretaries was held in Dharamshala in June in preparation for the council's meeting, which will endeavour to finalise a roadmap and an outcome-oriented action plan on the issues on the agenda. The NITI Aayog's governing council is the premier body tasked with evolving a shared vision of national priorities and strategies with the involvement of the states and Union territories. It presents a platform to discuss inter-sectoral, inter-departmental and federal issues, the PMO noted. VISAKHAPATNAM: Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Tammineni Sitaram appealed to the people not to believe the rumours that were making rounds that all the shops in Amadalavalasa town would be closed on Saturday afternoon during Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddys visit to attend Sitaram sons marriage. Addressing a press conference in Amadalavalasa on Friday, the Speaker also clarified that the police would not clamp prohibitory orders under Section 144 in view of the VIPs' visit to the town. How can we celebrate a wedding if Section 144 was imposed? Some mischievous elements are spreading these rumours for the last one week. No shop will be closed for my sons marriage or during the Chief Ministers visit, Sitaram said. He said apart from the Chief Minister, ministers from both the Telugu states, MPs, MLAs, chairpersons of corporations, DGP and chief secretaries would be attending the marriage function. The police would provide security as per the protocol and requirement. Hence day to day life in Amadalavalasa town will not be affected in any way, he said. As per the programme, the Chief Minister will arrive in Visakhapatnam at 2.20 pm by a special aircraft and fly by helicopter and reach Thimmapuram helipad at Amadalavalasa at 3.20 pm. He will interact with the local leaders for about 20 minutes and attend the marriage function at 3.50 pm. He will fly from Amadalavalasa at 4.30 pm and reach Visakhapatnam at 5.10 pm. After a brief meeting with the local leaders, he will fly to New Delhi at 5.20 pm. Tsai Ing-wen's obstinate pursuit of "Taiwan independence" extremely harmful: experts Xinhua) 08:38, August 05, 2022 BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The obstinate pursuit of "Taiwan independence" by Tsai Ing-wen and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities is extremely harmful and has an egregious impact, experts said. Since taking office as Taiwan's leader in 2016, Tsai has carefully packaged her words and deeds advocating "Taiwan independence" under the guise of "no provocations" and "maintaining the status quo," said Li Zhenguang, deputy head of the Taiwan research institute of Beijing Union University. Despite the efforts, Tsai could not conceal her nature of making provocations to seek "Taiwan independence," said Li. The DPP authorities demonize and smear the "one country, two systems" solution to the Taiwan question, Li said. These actions aim to make fool of the people in Taiwan and serve only the DPP authorities' interests in elections, and their vicious scheme is fully exposed, Li added. Yan Anlin, deputy head of Shanghai Institutes for International Studies noted that after Tsai became Taiwan's leader, the DPP authorities refused to recognize the 1992 Consensus, and their relevant erroneous remarks, in essence, are denial of the fact that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China. "Tsai Ing-wen and the DPP authorities have undermined the common political foundation of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and as a result, the institutionalized exchange mechanism between the two sides of the Strait has stopped functioning and the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations has been seriously damaged," Yan said. Li Peng, director of the Graduate Institute for Taiwan Studies of Xiamen University, said that the DPP authorities enthusiastically play along with the United States in the latter's actions of playing "the Taiwan card." Nancy Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan region is an upgrade of collusion between Taiwan and the United States, said Li, adding that it is egregious in nature and will have grave consequences. The experts emphasized that Tsai and the DPP authorities have degraded themselves to be the pawns of anti-China forces in the United States. Their reckless provocations will only push Taiwan further into the abyss of danger. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) SharpTongue, a North Korean-backed threat group, has been discovered to be responsible for the SHARPEXT malware. SHARPEXT is a malware that masks itself as a browser extension. This malware can infiltrate a user's Gmail and AOL accounts. It was discovered that these threat actors were making use of the SHARPEXT malware, which gives them the ability to read and download email along with attachments from the accounts of users who have been infected. The researchers working for Volexity were the first people to investigate these new avenues in depth and find them. According to ArsTechnica, the malware has been detected for a year, Volexity said that SharpTongue is backed by the government of North Korea, and its activities overlap with those of a group known to other researchers as Kimsuky. North Korea's SharpTongue Group North Korea's SharpTongue threat group has been discovered to target specific individuals who are working on topics regarding North Korea's strategic interests, nuclear projects, and weapons from countries like South Korea, United States, and Europe. Through responding to numerous attacks, Volexity has discovered that the malware SharpTongue deploys a malicious Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome extension called "SHARPEXT". SHARPEXT is distinct from other extensions that have been documented as having been utilized by the "Kimsuky'' actor because it does not make an attempt to steal usernames and passwords. Instead, the malware directly examines and steals information from the webmail account of a victim while they are using it to browse the internet. Volexity's initial analysis of SHARPEXT found that the malware only supported the Google Chrome web browser. However, Whale, Edge, and Chrome are the three web browsers that are supported by the most recent version, which is 3.0 according to the internal versioning. People are familiar with Edge and Chrome as well-known browsers, but people from South Korea almost exclusively use the first browser, which is called "Whale." "Whale" was developed by Naver and is used by people from South Korea. Read Also: Former T-Mobile Retail Store Owner Allegedly Hacked T-Mobile's Internal Systems to Unlock Phones, Makes $25 Million North Korea's Customized Attacks The email service providers are usually not aware of the attack because it takes place while the user is already logged in, so detection is extremely difficult. The stolen email data is then sent to the attacker. Additionally, because of the way the extension operates, any suspicious activity that may have occurred with the user's email account will not be logged in the "account activity". According to Volexity, the attacker needs to first gain access to the original browser security preferences file of the victim before they can deploy SHARPEXT. The rollout process is highly personalized. After that, this file is altered, and it is then utilized to carry out the malicious extension's deployment. Volexity has observed these hackers for some time now. In each instance, a specialized folder is created for the infected user that contains the necessary files for the extension. It is recommended to do the following in order to detect and investigate attacks of this type: The activation of PowerShell ScriptBlock logging and the subsequent analysis of its results may prove beneficial for the detection and prioritization of malicious activity. It may be a good idea for security teams to review the extensions that are installed on the devices of high risk individuals in order to identify extensions that are not available on the Chrome Web Store or that were loaded from an unusual path. Related Article: Microsoft Discovers Connection between Holy Ghost Ransomware and North Korean Hackers Telangana HC faulted the principal secretary, home, and the DGP prisons, for not complying with its orders to release a life prisoner for good conduct. (Photo PTI) HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court faulted the principal secretary, home, and the Director-General of Police, prisons, for not complying with its orders to release a life prisoner for good conduct, though he completed around 25 years in prison. The authorities had not only not obeyed the court orders but also rejected the representation made by the prisoner to release him prematurely on remission. The officials stated that the Governor had to decide whether or not to release him on remission. Justice Kanneganti Lalitha was dealing with a petition by the son of Sk. Zakaria, send to life in prison for the murder of one M.A. Khadeer, former deputy secretary of the AP State Wakf Board. Zakaria has been in jail since 2003; before that, he was in remand for around five years. The Ranga Reddy district probation officer in 2011 had submitted an enquiry report that the conduct of Zakaria in jail was very good and since the policy of the government was to reform the prisoner to be properly rehabilitated he may be released. Since no action was taken on the recommendation, Zakarias son approached the court thrice since 2015. A contempt case was filed against the officials. While hearing the contempt petition, the court in 2020 refuted the submissions of the home ministry officials who said the Governor was the deciding authority in this case and the prisoner was not eligible for release as he had murdered a public servant and had to complete 18 years of jail term apart from the time period of remand. The court, in its order, said that the power under Article 161 of the Constitution could be exercised by the state governments but not by the Governor on his or her own. Moreover, the court clearly stated that the Governor would decide the remission in the cases when the life convicts did not complete 14 years of jail. As the orders in the contempt case were not complied with, Zakarias again approached the High Court. Pushpinder Kaur, counsel for the petitioner, brought to the notice of the court as per the nominal roll of the convict as on March 27, 2020, the petitioners father had completed 24 years, five months and 14 days as on October 31, 2020. Justice Lalitha also said that the authorities had scant regard to court orders. Taking the issue seriously, Justice Lalitha directed the officials to consider the case of Zakaria, in terms of Supreme Court orders and take appropriate orders within three weeks. HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao will skip the seventh meeting of the Governing Council meeting of Niti Aayog in Delhi on Sunday, to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This would be the first in-person meeting of the Governing Council since July 2019. The CM will also stay away from the national committee meeting of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav being held to mark the 75 years of independence, which will be chaired by Modi in Delhi on Saturday. Rao last met Modi in September last year in Delhi prior to Huzurabad Assembly bypoll in November. After the TRS lost, the two have not met though Modi was in Hyderabad thrice in February, May and July. Rao also went to Delhi and stayed for a week at a time but did not meet the PM. HYDERABAD: The powerful Komatireddy brothers from Nalgonda district, Venkat Reddy and younger sibling Rajgopal Reddy, on Friday sent the Congress into a tizzy after they met with Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. Though the two met with Shah separately, and for different purposes according to them, the meetings assumed serious political significance as the brothers are known to have a firm grip on politics in Nalgonda district. More than Rajgopal Reddys meeting with Shah, it was Venkat Reddys meeting that left the Congress guessing about the Komatireddys moves. Rajgopal Reddy had, after meeting with Shah, said he discussed his joining the BJP along with many of his supporters in Shahs presence at a public meeting that will be held as part of the Praja Sangrama Yatra of state BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar. Rajgopal Reddy, speaking to media persons after meeting with Shah, also narrated how the TRS had courted him for four years from 2014 to 2018, with emissaries from Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and minister K.T. Rama Rao reaching out to him with the promise of a Cabinet berth. He said he would work hard under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president J.P. Nadda, and Shah to ensure the undemocratic and family rule of the TRS ended. The byelection in Munugode is not about parties or candidates. It is about bringing back democratic governance in Telangana and putting an end to family rule, he said. Addressing the media separately after his meeting with Shah, which preceded the one with Rajgopal Reddy, Venkat Reddy said his meeting was not about politics but about seeking Central aid, assistance for the flood- and rain-hit farmers and people. Venkat Reddy said he had requested Shah to see the flood damage to the state adding that he shared information on how the recent floods and rains destroyed crops. Though Venkat Reddy repeatedly said he did not discuss politics with Shah and declared that he would be with the Congress till his very end, the meeting coming on the same day his younger brother met with the Union home minister, set some alarm bells ringing in the Congress. Venkat Reddy said there was no question of his leaving the Congress after serving the party for decades, and the people of Nalgonda under its flag. Venkat Reddy said he was a star campaigner for the Congress and slammed state party president A. Revanth Reddy for organising a meeting on Friday in Munugode without informing him. He took the TPCC chief to task over admitting Telangana Inti Party leader Cheruku Sudhakar into the Congress fold without as much as informing him. Venkat Reddy said Revanth Reddy was pushing away every Congress leader who has been with the party for decades and believes in the partys principles. I will take this up with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Revanth Reddy is hatching conspiracies to get me out of the Congress, he said. Venkat Reddys outburst was expected as he was insulted repeatedly by the TPCC president, Congress sources said. What he will do next is his decision, but Venkat Reddy, the face of the party in Nalgonda district for decades, he is very hurt, the sources said, adding that the outcome, whatever that might be, does not bode well for the party. Adding to the tension, Rajgopal Reddy, during his press meet, said it was time for his elder brother to take a good decision. Whatever decision that he will take will be for the welfare of people of Nalgonda and not out of selfish reasons. He added: We never sold ourselves for positions or posts. Revanth Reddy is trying to defame us. Revanth is a petty thief and his biggest mistake was using unparliamentary language against the Komatireddy brothers. If he shows proof that I sold myself out to the BJP, then I will leave politics, if not Revanth should do so, he said. HYDERABAD: Union home minister Amit Shah will visit Telangana on August 21 and address a BJP public meeting where Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, who resigned from the Congress and is set to quit his Munugode MLA seat, will join the BJP. This was announced by Rajgopal Reddy at Delhi after he met with Shah. He was accompanied at the meeting by former MP Vivek Venkatswamy and BJP leaders. Rajgopal Reddy said there would be others from the Congress from Munugode who would be joining the BJP along with him in Shah's presence. He said a final decision on the venue for the public meeting would be decided after consultations with BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar who is currently on the third leg of his Praja Sangrama Yatra. Meanwhile, Sanjay, confirming the August 21 public meeting plan, told reporters at Muktapur village in Pochampalli mandal of Yadadri-Bhongir district that it was surprising to see the Congress attack Rajgopal Reddy once he announced his decision to quit the party. "The allegations that he is joining the BJP in return for some business contracts is laughable. The Munugode bypoll will once again show that BJP will win because people are vexed with the TRS government," he said. If youth has no respect for age It puts all heaven in a rage. If fashion dominates your fate It predicts the ruin of the state O Bachchoo though your words are wise Sometimes you have to compromise! From Kabhi Kabhi Meyrey Ghar Mein Polees Aajaatha Hai; by Bachchoo Comrades, the UK Labour Party has taken the bold step of producing a report on whats gone wrong within its ranks. This Forde Report is 850 pages long -- only 83 pages shorter than the Penguin Classic edition of Joyces Ulysses -- so theres a lot to remedy. Not that Labour has always been a calm lagoon with no contrary currents and ideological waves. Decades ago, members of the Communist Party and several Trotskyist groups infiltrated the Labour Party and attempted to push it leftwards, though they didnt succeed in causing more than some turbulence. The decisive change in Labour in recent decades was the rise to the leadership of Tony Blair, who declared that he would delete Clause 4 from the partys constitution which specified that it was dedicated to the ownership of the means of production by the working class. Tony Blairs party would be, in keeping with the disposition of the late-twentieth-century population, a socialist-welfare democracy with no Leninist ambition to abolish capitalism. The left of the party was, understandably, outraged but, as the three subsequent elections which put Mr Blair in No. 10 testified, not quite in touch with the electoral instincts and inclinations of the electorate. If you participate in elections, it is surely to win? Mr Blair proceeded with several initiatives in governance, not all of which comrades (OK! Gentle readers) I agreed with. For instance, he kowtowed to the United States and pulled Britain into the Iraq war, getting rid of the cat and encouraging the Islamicist mice to emerge from their labyrinths. Mr Blair was replaced by Gordon Brown, his chancellor of the exchequer, who then lost an election to a Tory-Lib Dem coalition. Labour cooled its heels in Opposition and then, in a surprising election, chose Jeremy Corbyn as its leader. Jeremy was and is outspokenly left-wing. He has always been pro-Palestine and against Israeli government policies. The Forde report says very clearly that under his leadership a certain amount of blatant anti-Semitism prevailed in the party. At the time very many of those accused of anti-Semitism protested that they were anti-Israeli government policies, but not anti-Jewish per se. The readers of the 850 pages are left to judge. Under Mr Corbyn the factional fights between the Left, who referred to anyone who disagreed with them as Blairites, became irreconcilably bitter. The Forde Report sets out the detail and progress of this factionalism and, without being partial to either wing of the party, comes to the unchallengeable conclusion that the leadership of the party failed to deal with these divisions and instead exacerbated them. The report confirms my judgment at the time that Labour had moved on from being a coalition of views to being two parties in one. Mr Corbyns Labour suffered a massive defeat at the last election, handing over perhaps 80 seats which had always voted Labour to BoJos Tories. The satirical magazine Private Eye jokes that BoJos retirement honours list will ennoble this and that person for services to the media, professions, charities, etc, and will make Mr Corbyn a peer of the realm for services to the Conservative Party. One of the chapters in the Forde report is devoted to racism in Labour. The most prominent Afro-British MP is Diane Abbot, a senior and long-standing member of Labour and of Parliament. She and other black MPs say they receive racial abuse from members of their own party. Its true that Diane has been called utterly disgusting by members of the opposite faction of Labour, and she may have received specifically racial abuse -- of which I admit I have no evidence. Disgust is, gentle reader, not specifically a racially pointed emotion or reaction. I find the present home secretary Priti Patel disgusting. Her opinions and actions weigh on my mind -- so much so that Ive troubled myself to write a limerick to her: Priti Patel the foul grand-stander/ Wants to send asylum seekers to Rwanda,/ Did her parents come over/ On a boat bound for Dover/ So, what about that goose and that gander? Being Indian myself, can I be accused of racist abuse? The racism that the Forde report points to is the lack of racial and gender diversity in the recruitment of officials. Instead, there is a prevalent cronyism in such recruitment which leads to a lack of racial justice. That should be a central concern. There are 40 serving MPs of ethnic origin in the Labour Party. The report doesnt detail any abusive comments they have received or suffered, though it does say such comments have been aimed at members -- perhaps not specifically using their skin colour or racial origin as expletives, but more likely vileness originating from ideological dissension. It is, as the report recognises, necessary to identify such abuse of minorities and eradicate it through severe disciplinary action. No party, not in the civilised democratic world, with any pretensions to decency should harbour members who abuse or spread lies about and provocations to hate against members of racial or religious minorities. Yes, maniacs do abound, but they should not only be rooted out of democratic parties but be subject to legal punishment. The police custody of the terror suspects arrested by the Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths ended on Wednesday. The police produced the duo before the court and they were remanded to judicial custody (JC) at the Central Prison, Parappana Agrahara. The arrested are Akthar Hussain Laskar, 24, a native of Assam, who was arrested from Tilak Nagar on July 24 and Abdul Mondal alias Zaba, 20, a native of West Bengal, who was arrested from Salem in Tamil Nadu July 25. The duo were taken into police custody for 10 days. During the interrogation, the police seized their mobile phones which they used to communicate with members of the terror outfits -- Al-Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Digital evidence A senior officer said they have found sufficient digital evidence to file a charge sheet against the duo. "They were radicalised, used to post about violence in Kashmir and 'jihadi' on their social media accounts. We have found that the duo were a part of a group in mobile chat applications (telegram, WhatsApp and others). There were 25 members in that group. The discussions in the group revolved around 'jihadi'. They also expressed their desire to join the outfits", said the officer. The team also found a youth from West Bengal staying in close contact with Zaba. The team went to Bengal and questioned the youth and searched his house. They didn't find any evidence of him being radicalised. So, they didn't arrest him. Further investigation is on. India and the United States on Thursday once again called for a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific even as China stepped up its military aggression across the Taiwan Strait in response to the recent visit of the Speaker of American House, Nancy Pelosi, to Taipei. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had a bilateral meeting with the US Secretary of State, Antony J Blinken, on the sideline of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Phnom Penh in Cambodia. We have a shared vision together for a free and open Indo-Pacific that we work on in so many different ways every single day, Blinken told Jaishankar during the meeting. Were both strong proponents of ASEAN centrality (in the Indo-Pacific region). India, Japan, Australia and the US revived the Quad in 2017 and elevated the four-nation coalition to the level of the leaders to build a bulwark of democratic nations to counter the hegemonic aspirations of China in the Indo-Pacific region. Discussed the ever strengthening India-US relationship and the global situation with US Secretary of State @SecBlinken, tweeted Jaishankar. A warm conversation to start meetings on sidelines of ASEAN Ministerial in Phnom Penh. Discussed the ever strengthening India-US relationship and the global situation with US Secretary of State @SecBlinken. pic.twitter.com/JzcrBSklx4 Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 4, 2022 We have some immediate challenges that were both concerned with, to include the situation in Sri Lanka, Burma, and a number of other number of other hot spots, Blinken said at the beginning of his meeting with Jaishankar. They exchanged views on global and regional issues, including Russias brutal aggression against Ukraine and the implications it has had on food insecurity around the world, Ned Price, the spokesperson of the US State Department, said. They discussed Sri Lankas economic crisis and emphasized that both nations stand with the people of Sri Lanka and support their aspirations for a return to economic and political stability through democratic and constitutional processes. The US Secretary of State also condemned Myanmars military regimes execution of democracy activists. He and the External Affairs Minister discussed promoting accountability for the regimes atrocities as well as collective efforts to put Myanmar back on the path to democracy, according to the spokesperson of the US State Department. In a relief to Uddhav Thackeray's group, the Supreme Court on Thursday orally asked the Election Commission not to decide on a plea made by Eknath Shinde's group to recognise them as "real Shiv Sena". Shinde and his supporting MLAs have ousted Thackeray as Chief Minister and separately approached the EC for recognising them as Shiv Sena. On Thursday, a three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice N V Ramana asked the Election Commission not to take any precipitative action on the claim raised by Shinde group while the court decides on referring the legal issues to a larger bench. Also read: Sanjay Raut's ED custody extended till August 8 The top court told the EC if Thackeray-faction seeks time to file response to its notices on Shinde-faction petition, then it should consider their request keeping in mind the views expressed by the court. Let them file affidavits. But can't you hold...? Let no precipitative action be taken.we are not passing any order. But at the same time don't take any precipitative action, the bench, comprising Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli, told senior advocate Arvind Datar, appearing for the EC. Datar, for his part, submitted that disqualification proceedings under the Tenth schedule operated in a different territory and it does not affect the ECs power to decide the claim of rival factions for official recognition. The top court said it will decide by Monday whether to refer to a larger bench as questions of constitutional importance are involved in Maharashtra political scenario, caused by rebellion by Shinde group and subsequent developments. Shinde faction moved the Election Commission seeking their recognition as the "real Shiv Sena" ahead of BMC polls. However, the Thackeray-faction challenged it saying that a few MLAs can't decide about the entire political party. The matter before the top court arose out of a batch of petitions by rival factions, including those related to disqualification. On Thursday, the court also took into record legal issues redrafted by senior advocate Harish Salve on behalf of Shinde for adjudication, including as to when a disqualification is incurred by a member of a political party. As the war in Ukraine grabbed the world's attention earlier this year, a key concern emerged for Indian strategic planners: Would the conflict in Europe distract the United States from the Indo-Pacific, where New Delhi, Washington and their friends are locked in competition with Beijing? The visit to Taiwan earlier this week by Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, despite threats from Beijing, answers that question in a manner that should bring relief to New Delhi. Congress Member of Parliament Manish Tewari has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla proposing a similar visit by a delegation of Indian parliamentarians to Taiwan, under Birla's leadership. Also ReadUS will 'not allow' China to isolate Taiwan, says Pelosi But the heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait in the aftermath of that trip should also serve as a reminder to India that it must stay careful not to cheer on a 21st century knife fight between the world's two biggest powers, the US and China. Any military escalation involving Beijing and Washington will directly impact all onlookers and India more than most others. China has announced live-drill military exercises close to Taiwan's land borders and within the island's maritime territory, starting Thursday. These drills represent an escalation of Beijing's show of military strength compared to 1996, during the last major crisis with Taipei, when it conducted exercises a little further away from the self-governed territory that China claims. In eyeball-to-eyeball confrontations like this, a miscalculation by either side cannot be ruled out. But even if such dire scenarios are avoided, the rhetoric from China in the wake of Pelosi's visit suggests that it intends to draw a line in the sand and make sure that the world knows it. Beijing's diplomatic relations with all nations are based on their acknowledgement of the One China policy under which they recognise the communist regime on the mainland as the only China and reject formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. While legislators from the US and multiple other democracies including India have repeatedly visited Taiwan, China views a trip by Pelosi as a provocation because of her seniority: She is the first US Speaker to visit Taiwan since 1997. China has accused the US of reneging on its bilateral commitments, while the Biden administration insists that it still upholds the One China policy. Also ReadUS condemns China missile launches near Taiwan, urges deescalation But far too much is at stake domestically for both Biden ahead of US midterm elections in November and Chinese President Xi Jinping who must defend his record at the Chinese Communist Party's Congress later this year for either side to walk away easily. The result: It is unlikely that China's protest will be limited to a handful of days. Already, the drills around Taiwan effectively represent a blockade of the island nation, where most of the world's high-end semiconductor chips are manufactured. If this trade barrier remains in place or if security concerns make ships rethink travel to the Taiwan Strait India and the rest of the world will suffer. But the tensions could also easily expand beyond the Taiwan Strait into the South China Sea and Malacca Straits, through which 55 per cent of India's global trade passes. Uncertainty in those waters is not in India's interests even if the crisis is fundamentally centred around China. By trying to imitate Pelosi's trip, India and chest-thumping politicians from both sides of the aisle would risk further inflaming an already incendiary situation. For its big talk aimed at the US, China's retaliatory actions so far have focused on Taiwan, including through a set of economic sanctions. Neither geography nor capabilities favour Beijing in mounting a military warning to the US. What China can do and has done with Taiwan is to try to punish countries in the Indo-Pacific. Chinese troops are already occupying parts of Indian territory in Ladakh and adopting increasingly threatening postures along the Line of Actual Control. The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears unable to do much about this encroachment. Is it really a good idea, then, to kindle a fresh fire with China over Taiwan? To be sure, India must look to bolster economic and trade ties with Taiwan. It should also strengthen political relations. And it must not allow itself to be strong-armed by Beijing. But there's a difference between getting bullied and provoking a bully. India should do neither. (Charu Sudan Kasturi is a journalist) Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH. Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States and was in office from 2009 to 2017, serving two consecutive terms as President. During his time in office, he faced challenges posed by the Great Recession that occurred from December 2007 to June 2009. According to the White House archives, he took steps to help the hardest-hit Americans, such as the Recovery Act and various tax reliefs. He also made it easier for responsible homeowners to stay in their homes by stabilizing the housing sector. He also improved the country's education sector, granting more children access to high-quality preschool for children from low-income families and keeping college within reach for more Americans. However, those are not his only achievements. He also made sure that America's technological sector kept going and improving to make the country better. Here are some of the legacies he left behind in the technology sector that we still enjoy to this day to celebrate his 61st birthday: The Implementation Of The National Strategy For Trusted Identities In Cyberspace The internet is a developing technology back in the Obama administration. During his first term, he saw the growth of most of the social media platforms we come to know and love (or hate) today, such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. However, the public was skeptical and understandably wary of the internet's capabilities, especially when it comes to privacy. To address this, Obama and his administration implemented the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace to promote the free flow of information while also guaranteeing the security and privacy of data and the integrity of interconnected networks, per a separate White House archive page. Expansion Of Broadband Access With the internet seeing more usage by the day, a fast and reliable internet connection slowly became a necessity than a luxury amongst the public. Read More: Ticketmaster is Now Selling Tickets to Concerts, Live Events in TikTok To expand fast internet access, he expanded broadband access nationwide with $7 billion in targeted investments from the Recovery Act. The Washington Post mentioned that although the Obama administration was unable to bring "true broadband [to] every community in America," he was able to bring broadband services to 94% of Americans. Lab To Market Initiatives The Obama administration's Lab to Market initiatives was an effort aimed at helping to strengthen the "commercialization of the nearly $148 billion in annual federally-funded research and development." Thanks to the initiatives, Federal agencies were encouraged to streamline their technology-transfer procedures and the commercialization of novel technologies from Federal laboratories. According to the White House archives, the Sonic Leak Quantifier is one of the technologies that became a reality thanks to the Lab To Market Initiatives. Digital Promise The Obama administration also utilized technology to improve the technology used to teach children and help them learn. To do so, it launched a new national center for advancing learning technologies called Digital Promise. Thanks to the establishment of Digital Promise, 173 districts in the US have received improved learning technologies, helping more than 3.8 million students and more than 180 thousand teachers in the process, per Digital Promise's official website. The National Robotics Initiative Robots can be of great help to people to extend or augment their capabilities. As such, President Obama and his administration started its National Robotics Initiative to help people develop more robots to do just that. The initiative was created to augment worker productivity in the manufacturing sector with robots as well as people working in dangerous and expensive missions. It also helped scientists further accelerate the discovery of new, life-saving drugs, and improve food safety with robots quickly sensing microbial contamination. Related Article: Obama's Blueprint For A Clean And Secure Energy Future Maps Green Energy Progress It has been three years since the fateful day of August 5, 2019, when the Narendra Modi government sprang a surprise on the people of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir by taking away its special status and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was always ideologically committed to doing away with the special status of J&K with its separate flag and Constitution, land rights and the "state-subject" rights in education and employment. But its earlier governments led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee could not act so unilaterally because they were coalitions. Even Prime Minister Modi could not have moved so boldly for most of his first term because the BJP party was in alliance with the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), helping it get its first taste of power in J&K. In August 2019, with no elected government in the state, the BJP was confident of pushing its ideological agenda under President's Rule. What has been its outcome? If the security establishment is to be believed, then terrorism has come to an end. All big militant leaders, it claims, have been eliminated, and no big terrorist attacks have occurred. At least one reason for this is that Pakistan is no longer in a position to escalate terrorist activities in J&K. Under pressure from the international community and desperate to get out of the Grey List of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), it has to be seen as acting against terrorism. Nor is the prevailing internal situation in Pakistan conducive to aggravating the situation in J&K. This is not to deny that thanks to drone drops along the Line of Control of pistols and grenades, small arms keep finding their way into the Kashmir Valley. However, the Director General of Police of J&K, Dilbagh Singh, claims that the nature of militancy has changed. He made a statement marking three years of the revocation of Article 370, claiming that most of the identifiable militant leadership had been neutralised. He admitted, however, that the security forces now confront the challenge of "faceless militancy" where militants have no past record. According to Singh, the operational mode of the militants has changed -- "they immediately ask them (new recruits) to commit an act of terror. once they are involved, it becomes a way of preventing their return to society." Other security experts, however, see a different trend where a new militant is made to shoot someone and then asked to merge into normal society and lie dormant. They feel that such faceless militancy, where an individual performs an act of terror and then disappears into society, can be dangerous. These "small instances" of pistol shootings are also not insignificant as they strike fear into those willing to collaborate with the BJP or the Centre. As for feeling more integrated into India, the people of Kashmir seem to see even fewer possibilities than earlier. The Kashmiris see that in the New India the BJP is trying to forge, Muslims are less than equal citizens: their food habits, dress and modes of prayer are targeted, their loyalty is seen as extra-territorial, and their politics tending towards extremism. Watching empowered Hindu zealots spew venom against Muslims only heightens their apprehensions. Hypothetically, some Kashmiris may have gone along with the Centre had the events of August 5, 2019, been followed by a workable plan for restoring democratic rights with a clear roadmap to statehood. Instead, in the last three years, dozens of politicians have been jailed (now mostly released), and all separatist leaders locked up for good. Nobody is left to speak for the people with the government's brutal crackdown on the media and civil society activists. Neither the central government's attempt to generate 'grassroots' democrats through local body elections nor the effort to put together a credible pro-Centre party has succeeded. Citing the reorganisation of the state, the Centre set up a Delimitation Commission, which predictably increased Jammu's share of assembly seats from 37 to 43 and those of Kashmir Valley from 46 to 47. Some Muslim-dominated constituencies were redrawn to change the balance of voters, the mainstream Kashmiri parties claim. The Commission also recommended reserving two seats for displaced Kashmiri Pandits and some nominated seats for refugees from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (mostly Hindus and Sikhs, referred to as "PoK refugees"). However, the BJP is reluctant to hold state assembly elections as an election could yet bring in a government that could pass an embarrassing resolution on the abrogation of rights under Article 370. The party is unsure whether it can ensure a pliant legislature. This is because even in Hindu majority Jammu there is perceptible anger against the BJP. The discontent stems not only from changes in land ownership laws but also because Jammu-ites find themselves at a disadvantage now with having to compete with entrepreneurs from the rest of India for market share, trade and even jobs. Even if two seats were given to displaced Pandits, the BJP is not sure it can win or control the elected legislative assembly. Political discussions, however, suggest that the J&K Reorganisation Act 2019 may be amended again to further increase representation for both Pandits and PoK refugees, thus changing the complexion of the legislature to favour the BJP. One suggestion is that the Central government reallocates a portion of the 24 seats reserved for PoK, currently lying vacant, to the PoK refugees in Jammu. It may also give a seat or two to Kashmiri Pandits who migrated to other parts of India -- of the 60,0000 families that migrated out of the Valley, only 23,000 stayed in Jammu. Meanwhile, an organisation claiming to represent an estimated 17 lakh PoK refugees in Jammu has demanded that 8 of the 24 seats reserved for PoK be released. With terrorism harder to monitor, the average Kashmiri more distanced from the Indian mainstream and the new architecture of democratic representation still very much on the drawing board, one wonders then what the BJP has achieved in three years. (Bharat Bhushan is a journalist based in Delhi) (Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.) Distorted and poorly stitched flags are being sold by the state BJP at its headquarters in violation of the Flag Code of India. On July 31, Minister S T Somashekar inaugurated a stall at the party office in Malleswaram to sell the tricolour to the public as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign to mark the 75th year of Indian Independence. The BJP has set a target of hoisting 75 lakh flags across Karnataka, including 10 lakh from its state headquarters in Malleswaram. The Union government amended the Flag Code of India on December 30, 2021, to allow the production of polyester and machine-made national flags for the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign. While the flags sold from the BJP office are made from polyester, the party has also taken some liberties. As per the Flag, the tricolour should be rectangular in shape. It can be of any size but ratio of the length to the height (width) should be 3:2. Secondly, Ashok Chakra should be placed at the centre. Thirdly, three horizontal stripes (saffron, white, green) should be in equal proportion. During a visit to the state BJP office, DH found that many of the flags being sold were neither rectangular in shape nor did they conform to the 3:2 ratio. Some placed the Ashok Chakra away from the centre. In some flags, the green stripes are larger than the saffron and white ones. The quality is so poor that the loop of the flag has been stitched over, blocking the space to insert the stick. Many flags appeared badly tailored. Each of these flags is being sold for Rs 25, to be paid in cash. No card/UPI payment is accepted. No receipt is given. The buyer must give their name. The defects notwithstanding, the flags seem to be selling like hot cakes. Sales are good and most people are buying in bulk, a party worker said. We have already sold about 3 lakh flags from our office, said N Ravi Kumar, party MLC and general secretary in charge of the Tiranga campaign in Karnataka. While Kumar claimed he hadnt noticed any manufacturing defects in the flags, he promised to look into the distorted versions of the flag. He said flags had been supplied by different vendors and some party workers had volunteered to stitch them. We are buying it for Rs 25 and selling it at the same rate. We are not charging anything for transportation, etc, he said. A legal expert said some of the flags being sold by the ruling party clearly violate the guidelines stipulated in the Flag Code of India. Derry's addiction recovery service, ARC Fitness, is partnering with experienced trauma therapist, Vivian McKinnon, to showcase her new short film, The Magic is Within You, at the Waterside Theatre in Derry on September 6. The short film, which is 30 minutes long, depicts Vivians own personal story of triumph from a place of trauma where she overcame adversity and how she personally transformed a breakdown into a breakthrough. The screening is open to the public and will be followed by a Q&A with Gary Rutherford, founder and director of ARC Fitness, as the pair discuss the inner workings of connection and self-compassion in relation to recovery. Vivian is the Founder and Managing Director of Hydro-ease, Northern Ireland's only dedicated floatation Centre. She is also a Clinical Hypnotherapist, Certified CBT Therapist, and Regional Coordinator for SMART Recovery UK. Vivian said: "Im extremely proud of The Magic is Within You. Not just because its my own personal story but because I also believe the rawness and vulnerability within it has the power to inspire others in similar situations resulting in personal connection and healing. "I also want to say a massive thank you to Gary and my friends at ARC Fitness for joining me to bring the film to a Derry audience. "My heart behind this event with ARC is that it will open up unrestricted and honest dialogue around the subject of trauma, what it is, how it manifests and more importantly how we can grow from it allowing us to collaboratively share strategies of recovery and help those in attendance to recognise that post-traumatic growth can bring about context and meaning to even the emptiest of hearts and minds. Vivian will also be joining Gary and the ARC Fitness team as a keynote speaker at the organisations Recovery Conference that is taking place at the Millenium Forum on Wednesday September 7. Vivian is the Founder and Managing Director of Hydro-ease, Northern Ireland's only dedicated floatation Centre Talking about the screening, Gary Rutherford said: Were so pleased to be partnering with Vivian to host this event and bring her fabulous short film to Derry. "There is so much power in hearing peoples stories and learning that recovery is possible and Im honestly excited to watch Vivian bring her story to life through this screening. "At ARC we work hard to empower people to know that recovery and change is possible so the message Vivian is bringing through this short film is one that is very close to our heart and we look forward to seeing the potential breakthrough it could bring. Tickets for the screening and Q&A event are 8 each and are available from eventbrite. To learn more about ARC Fitness and the different services it offers or if you would like to partner with ARC in any way, please visit https://arcfitness.co.uk/. There has been yet another petrol bomb attack in Coleraine overnight. The attack, which took place in Glenvara Drive, brings to nine the total number of recorded petrol bomb attacks in the town since March 2022. A petrol bomb was reported to have been thrown at a property in the area in the early hours of this morning, Friday August 5. Detective Sergeant Galbraith said: Shortly after 3am, it was reported that the occupants of the house were asleep in bed when they heard a loud bang from downstairs. A petrol bomb was found alight in the living room, and the residents managed to extinguish the fire themselves, before colleagues from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the scene. The device had been thrown through the window, resulting in damage to the furniture, floor, and roof. Fortunately, the fire was contained and did not spread to any other parts of the house, or any neighbouring properties, and there was no requirement to evacuate any other residents living nearby. Colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service also attended the incident, however, thankfully, there were no reports of any injuries. However, this reckless attack could very well have resulted in serious consequences. Our enquiries into this report, which we are treating as arson, are continuing, and we are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time and saw any suspicious activity, or who has any information which may assist, to call 101, and quote reference number 151 of 05/08/22. Alternatively, you can submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/ makeareport/. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/. An extremely rare Lalique vase is among the items from a distinguished Belfast family which are set to go under the hammer. It is part of the contents of the historic Shakespear House in Adelaide Park in the south of the city which is also set to be sold at a later date. The house was first designed in 1891 for J F Warden, proprietor of the Grand Opera House in the city, and was later bought by John Haslett, who was a surgeon in the Royal Army Medical Corp in 1912. Bloomfield Auctions managing director Karl Bennett said he believes the Lalique vase is of the like never seen before in Ireland. He described the full range of lots as intriguing, including family portraits, dresses dating to the 1700s and a collar and trophy from a champion greyhound. This house and the Haslett family, who have owned it for the past 110 years, are truly intriguing, he said. The entire contents of the house are up for sale on Tuesday and will feature a number of items dating back to the 1600s including family portraits, a Masonic vase from the late 1800s, a stunning bedroom suite, dresses dating back to the 1700s and an Italian inlaid marble table that was brought back from the Grand Tour of Italy in the 1860s. (There is) even a silver collar and trophy that belonged to the familys greyhound, which won a race back in 1851 at the Ballymena Coursing Club. Without a doubt though, the star of this sale is the Lalique vase. A very beautiful piece, this vase is extremely rare, and we dont believe that anything like this has ever been seen in Ireland before. We also have a silver arts and crafts style bowl which is very eye-catching. I would estimate the vase to make between 4,000 and 6,000 and the bowl to go for 3,000 to 4,000. The Haslett family held a number of influential roles, including the Rev Henry Haslett, who became the Minister of the Presbyterian Church in Castlereagh, was best friends with Samuel Cooke, the founder of May Street Church and whose statue stands outside Belfast Academical Institute. Mr Bennett said: It is believed that the Rev Henry penned his sermons on a settee in Shakespear House which also features in Tuesdays sale. Brothers John Wilson Haslett and Sir James Horner Haslett founded a wholesale grocery business named J & J Haslett which was later sold to the Mace group of businesses in the 1990s. Sir James Haslett went on to become an MP for Belfast West in the UK Parliament from 1885 to 1886 and then became Mayor of Belfast in 1887, the same year he was knighted. Sir James statute currently stands outside Belfast City Hall. Mr Bennett added: Its not unreasonable to suggest that the Haslett family have helped to mould the lives we live today. They were very interesting and the entire contents of their house hold some incredible history as well as some beautiful pieces. This sale is perfect for someone who enjoys collecting antiques or even someone who has an interest in local history. The entire contents of the house will be sold on Tuesday at Bloomfield Auctions in East Belfast, with bidding taking place in person and online. Two men have been arrested after the hijacking of a Tesco delivery van in Co Down. Police received a report that the vehicle had been hijacked at Georges Street in Newtownards shortly before 5pm on Friday. It was reported that two males forced the driver from the van and made off in it . The van was then driven from Newtownards through Dundonald and Holywood before officers used a stinger device at Dee Street, bringing the vehicle to a halt a short distance away on the Sydenham by-pass, just outside Belfast. Two men arrested following van hijacking incident in Newtownards. pic.twitter.com/vPoZWWEL6x Police Ards and North Down (@PSNIArdsNDown) August 5, 2022 Two men, aged 23 and 39, have been arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including hijacking, using a motor vehicle without insurance, driving whilst disqualified and assault on police. Both men are in custody helping officers with their inquiries. The PSNI said that a number of reports of collisions involving the stolen van and other vehicles have been received. Officers are appealing to anyone involved in a collision but who has not reported it to police to get in touch with detectives in Bangor on 101, quoting reference number 1273 05/08/22. Subscriber content preview Conceptual renderings courtesy of KieranTimberlake [enlarge] The five-level, 70,000-square-foot building will be across the street from the HUB. The University of Washington announced yesterday that Boeing will provide $10 million to support its $90 million Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, which should be under construction this fall on the school's Seattle campus. . . . Subscriber content preview Photo by Brighton Development Group [enlarge] The long, low-rise building is on the corner of South Holly Street. Down in the Rainier Valley, the 25-unit Arches traded for just under $6.4 million in June, as the DJC then reported. The buyer of record at 6601 Rainier Ave. S. was the Southeast Seattle Senior Foundation (dba Brighton Development Group), which borrowed the full amount via a short-term loan from 1st Security Bank. Brighton will become the official owner via a new LLC, it says, after some minor paperwork is soon inked. . . . Subscriber content preview SEATTLE The Etta, at 1710 N.W. 57th St., sold for $20 million, according to Kidder Mathews, which brokered both sides of the deal. The seller, via an LLC, was Auctus Capital Partners, which acquired what was then a senior community in 2015 for almost $7.9 million, then converted it to the market-rate Sage apartments. . . . The writer/director of the HBO Max series "Peacemaker," James Gunn, took to Twitter his message to jittery fans who are worried about a Season 2 following the unexpected "Batgirl" cancellation, as per the Deadline. Director Assures Fans that 'Peacemaker' is Still in Production One fan on Twitter posted "Is 'Peacemaker' Season 2 safe?" after "Batgirl" was shelved by Warner Bros. Discovery management. Gunn gave a brief but powerful answer, "Yes, guys, calm down." Is Peacemaker Season 2 safe? Tom (@TomMCJL) August 2, 2022 Later on, the director posted a behind-the-scenes photo from the "Peacemaker" Season 2 set showing actor Jennifer Holland full of movie prop blood all over her face while eating a salad, as per Variety. Holland plays Emilia Harcourt on the show. The image simply illustrates that "Peacemaker" Season 2 is still in production and everything is proceeding according to plan. Viewers are wondering about the future of HBO Max as rumors continue to spread around about the potential merging of the streamer and Discovery+. Viewers are starting to question if HBO Max is in turmoil following the recent decision to shelve "Batgirl" and to quietly remove other Warner Bros. films off the streamer. Rumors are also circulating that HBO Max will be reducing budget on scripted programming. However, as far as "Peacemaker" is concern, Gunn assured that the series is "safe" and is moving ahead with Season 2. "Peacemaker," is a spinoff of Gunn's movie "The Suicide Squad," which starred John Cena in the title role. When it debuted at the beginning of 2022, it was a big hit for HBO Max. In February, a second season was officially announced. "The Suicide Squad" debuted on the same day in August 2021 in theaters and on HBO Max. The film earned positive reviews. Cena eventually led the "Peacemaker" spinoff in January 2022. Read Also: $90 Million 'Batgirl' HBO Max Movie Will No Longer Release in Platforms, Theaters Movies that Warner Bros. Discovery Shelved Despite being in post-production already, Warner Bros. Discovery decided to cancel "Batgirl" starring Leslie Grace in the title role of Barbara Gordon, as per an iTech Post report. The movie will no longer be released in theaters or even on HBO Max. "Batgirl" is initially designed to be an HBO Max release. However, it was eventually considered for theatrical distribution. But Due to COVID issues and shutdowns, the budget for filming ballooned to $90 million. In spite of reshoots and increased in budget, the management of Warner Bros. Discovery still eventually decided to cancel the movie. Accordingly, "Batgirl" was cancelled because Warner Bros. Discovery executive David Zaslav and new Warner Bros. head Michael De Luca wanted to reduce costs and concentrate on films for theaters. Moreover, the management wanted to create DC titles for big theatrical event films, and unfortunately, "Batgirl" doesn't fall in that category. According to an iTech Post report, the script for "Batgirl" is not made for theatrical release and the movie is not produced for theater. Aside from "Batgirl," Warner Bros. Discovery has also decided to shelve the animated feature "Scoob!: Holiday Haunt" having a budget of around $40 million. Related Article: 'Peacemaker' Season 2 Officially Confirmed: Watch the Season 1 Finale on HBO Max After a whirlwind tour of 12 dates across the country in 2021,Iron Annie, which is set in Dundalk, is back - bigger, better, and brighter, with a fresh new look and feel! And Iron Annie is on its way to Dundalks Spirit Store on Saturday the 6th of August, after a very successful run in Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin, and Accidental Theatre in Belfast. The production will also be showing in Edinburgh, as part of the renowned Edinburgh Festival programme. There is a definite buzz surrounding the show this year as Luke Cassidys novel Iron Annie was recently shortlisted for the 2022 Desmond Elliott Prize. This award is regarded as the most prestigious award for first time novelists in the UK and Ireland. From a longlist of ten, Iron Annie featured on the shortlist with two other debut novels. Luke Cassidy is also delighted to have been longlisted in France for the Festival du premier roman de Chambery (Chambery First Novel Festival). This is a unique prize highlighting the best Francophone and European debut novel of the year. The Irish Independent described the book Iron Annie as "probably the most ambitious and well-written debut this year." Author Derek Owusu, chair of the judging panel for the Desmond Elliott Prize said the following about the shortlisted novel: Luke Cassidy takes us on a road trip through the gritty underworld and complicated elements of friendship, love, and society. With a language all his own, Cassidy has produced an incredible debut, filled with energy, oddball characters and a lot of compassion. In bringing the story to the stage, Cassidy intends to give audiences the same experience readers have been enjoying. Iron Annie tells the story of Aoife, and her doomed relationship with the beautiful but capricious Annie. Set against the backdrop of the larger-than-life criminal underworld of Dundalk, their adventures also take them on a whirlwind road trip across the Irish Sea to offload ten kilos of cocaine swiped from a rival. Expect erotic interludes and a story that is in turn tender and violent. Iron Annie stars actor and Dundalk native Georgia Cooney, who will be playing the inimitable Aoife. A recent graduate of TU Dublins Conservatoire of Music and Drama, Iron Annie is Georgias professional theatre debut. Georgia, speaking about the role, said: I am very excited to be bringing the character of Aoife to life. Its extra special that my first professional theatre production is centered around my hometown of Dundalk, showing all its complexities and dark humour. I feel honored to be representing a character like Aoife on stage, to give her a voice, especially in a home-grown live theatre production. Theatre Director and Associate Director for Prime Cut Productions, Rhiann Jeffery, will be joining the production as director this year. Rhiann promises a fresh take on the show, bringing her considerable experience to the table. Musical performances feature original material inspired by the book, written, and performed by newly formed border punk band False Slag. False Slag describe themselves as a collective incarnation of the atmosphere of the Irish border banditry, in keeping with the theme of the book and the production. Irish artist and musician Annie June Callaghan will also be performing original songs by the Dandelion Few which have been composed exclusively for the show. Iron Annie promises to be a rollicking adventure. Author and playwright Luke Cassidy said: It has been a real journey with Iron Annie, and what an honour it is to be shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize. I am hopeful that this will help bring Iron Annie to new audiences. I am thrilled to be taking this one-of-a-kind live stage show back on 2the road. "I think audiences are in for a real treat: think Reservoir Dogs meets Fleabag, with a badass original soundtrack played live to accompany the action. Iron Annie is not only an exciting piece of theatre, its a piece of work that has a lot to say about Irish culture, literature, and home-grown talent right now. A must see! The production has been made possible thanks to the support of the Arts Council. Tickets cost 16.50 (inc booking fee) and are available on the Spirit Store website. The private space flight services company successfully gave six space tourists a quick journey to the edge of space and back. Blue Origin, the Jeff Bezos owned, Kent, Washington-based private aerospace firm successfully launched its sixth New Shepard passenger flight or NS-22 mission on Thursday. Six space tourists were taken on a supersonic journey into the skies and onto the edge of space and back to earth, with an out-of-this-world experience of weightlessness and breathtaking views of the Earth about 66 miles away. CBS News reported that as the spacecraft reached the highest points of its trajectory, expressions of wonder and excitement were abound, with participants of the NS-22 mission unstrapping themselves to experience less gravity as they marveled at the sight of Earth from space. New Shepard's single-stage rocket took off from Blue Origin's facility in Van Horn, Texas at 9:57 a.m. EDT on Thursday, successfully launching the space tourist mission straight into a clear blue sky that day. Blue Origin Takes Several Passengers to Space Among those who made it to space on Blue Origin's NS-22 mission on Thursday was British-American mountain climber Vanessa O'Brien, an engineer expert in autonomous driving systems Clint Kelly III, and a former CEO of a large telecommunications company and now a restaurant developer Steve Young from Melbourne, Florida. Also on the space tourist mission was Portuguese investor Mario Ferreira, 29 year old Egyptian mechanical and biomedical engineer Sara Sabry, and Coby Cotton, who is one of the five founders of the widely followed YouTube channel called "Dude Perfect." Blue Origin's NS-22 mission took a total of 10 minutes and 20 seconds from its launch to the landing. But for Sabry, the length of the mission was not as important as what it symbolized, saying that she was "honored to be representing Egypt in space for the first time." Her flight was sponsored by Space for Humanity, a non-profit organization founded in 2017 by former Colliers International president Dylan Taylor. Read Also: Jeff Bezos Space Prediction: Blue Origin Founder Sees Humans Being Born in Space, Earth Becoming Tourist Attraction Blue Origin's NS-22 Space Tourist Mission Takes Steps in the Commercial Flight Industry The NS-22 mission was powered by a rocket equipped with a hydrogen-burning BE-3 first-stage engine that boosted the New Shepard crew capsule to a velocity of up to 2,239 mph and an eventual altitude of 351,232 feet. This distance is well above the US and international standards for what is the real "boundary" between the Earth's atmosphere and space. While Blue Origin does not disclose how much these trips cost per person, Quartz said that MoonDAO, a "decentralized autonomous organization" on the ethereum blockchain paid $2,575,000 for two seats on the space tourist mission, including Cotton's. The second seat has not yet been filled. The NS-22 mission is the 12th piloted commercial, non-government sub-orbital spaceflight and Blue Origin's sixth. The space tourist mission held a deep meaning for each of the six passengers on the flight. According to Space.com, O'Brien applauded Blue Origin for revolutionizing space flight for regular people who would otherwise need to enter the military or undergo training just to go to space. She also carried the United Nations' Women Flag(opens in new tab) with her into space as a move to advance gender equality worldwide. Cotton, on the other hand, had many plans to film footage of his trip for his YouTube channel but ended up forgetting about it just from the sheer wonder of his experience in space. He remarked that it was truly an "unbelievable" experience that made him "feel so small in a really cool way." Related Article: Blue Origin is Aiming to Launch Its Next Space Tourist Flight on August 4 Seven hundred Amazon employees went on strike in support of a $2.44 hourly hike after the company said it would not concede to the union's requests for a wage increase. Amazon Workers Went on Strike After the Corporation Refused to Grant Their Request This week's strike by more than 700 warehouse employees at an Amazon facility in England seeking a salary raise. The trade union for the workers sought a 2 (or $2.44) hourly wage rise. Amazon offered a raise of 34 pence in place of that proposal. Workers at the Tillbury factory (an Essex suburb in Eastern England), according to GMB, the trade union that represents them, walked out on Wednesday (August 3) and Thursday (August 4). Steve Garelick, a regional organizer with GMB, said, "Amazon is one of the most successful firms on the globe." The least they can do is provide adequate wages, given the growing living expense. After receiving the word from Amazon that it would not accept the union's requests, the Tillbury employees started their walkout, and Garelick released a video of them doing so. The facility's management allegedly "withdrew catering" and threatened to fire staff members if they left the premises. In 2013, GMB started advocating for improved compensation and working conditions for Amazon warehouse employees in the UK, including requesting a parliamentary investigation into the company's hiring procedures. At Tillbury or any of its other UK-based facilities, Amazon does not recognize the GMB union. Yesterday, Amazon workers in Rugeley, UK, walked out over a payment problem. Amazon Rugeley announced a 50p wage raise, citing the local average. A worker told The Birmingham Mail that more than 100 employees left the canteen protesting, disrupting customer shipments. Read Also: Indonesia Allows PayPal, Steam, and Yahoo to Resume Operations Amazon UK Drivers and Warehouse Workers Asked the Company to Slow Down Drivers and warehouse employees for Amazon in the UK have urged the online retailer to stop making them work at an "inhuman pace." The corporation is urged to bin unjust targets and stop the continuous monitoring in an open letter signed by 135 employees. They said working at an Amazon warehouse today was very difficult since Prime Day pushed them harder than before. Even the instruments we use, such as scanners, keep tabs on us. Everyone enjoys a good deal, but Prime Day is one of the riskiest days of the year for Amazon employees, according to Martha Dark, director at the legal organization Foxglove, which is assisting Amazon personnel. Nine of 10 UK consumers use Amazon, which has seen its revenues in the country increase from 3 billion (3.6 billion USD to 27 billion (32.8 billion USD) in the last ten years. It now has a staff of 33,000 working in warehouses and logistics. With more than half (55%) of consumers admitting that Amazon was crucial during the lockdowns in 2020, the epidemic has only served to accelerate the growth of online commerce. However, employees have said that the pressure to meet these goals has made them feel like "slaves" and "robots." Ambulances have reportedly been summoned to the company's "fulfillment centers" about 1,000 times since 2018 - including 178 callouts to its plant in Tilbury, Essex, according to a report from the previous year. One Amazon employee who works at the company's facility in the Midlands described how they were 'unfairly' disciplined due to a persistent health concern. They said that if they missed even one day of work, the sentence would be extended, and they would face further disciplinary actions. Related Article: Amazon Warehouse Problems 2022: This Internal Memo Reveals That in Two Years Amazon May Lose Workers in the US Our website uses cookies We are always working to improve this website for our users. To do this, we use the anonymous data provided by cookies. Learn more about how we use cookies By Cate McCurry, PA The Minister for Justice said lessons will be learned from the murder of a prisoner who died following a vicious beating at Dublins Mountjoy prison. Helen McEntee said that while the killing of prisoners is very rare, the tragic death of Robert OConnor is not acceptable in the prison service. Gardai are now treating the investigation as a murder. The 34-year-old died at the Mater Hospital on Wednesday morning, days after he was attacked by a group of men in his cell. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee (Brian Lawless/PA) Ms McEntee said it is a tragic situation and offered her condolences to Mr OConnors family. I would stress that this is a very rare type of incident to happen within our prisons, its the first time in eight years, Ms McEntee added. Saying that, any type of death of this kind is simply not acceptable within the prison service. There are very strict rules, there are very strict protocols in place within prisons to keep people safe. But obviously this has been upgraded to a murder investigation. Its important that An Garda Siochana are able to conduct that investigation to ascertain exactly what happened. I think with any type of incident of this kind and of this severity, we have to make sure that any lessons are learned and that anything that we can take from this to ensure that it doesnt happen again. Obviously no situation is without risk, but every effort is made and every protocol is put in place within our prisons to prevent this from happening. I think its a very, very sad day for everybody that this has happened. Ms McEntee said there be a review carried out by the Inspector of Prisons, as well as the Irish Prison Service. Obviously, there will be an investigation carried out. There will be a criminal investigation on top of that, and as Ive said, there will always be something that we can learn from a situation like this. As tragic as it is, we need to make sure that if there are to be changes or new mechanisms put in place then we will. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said Mr OConnors murder is subject to a very thorough investigation. I have to say theres an investigation ongoing, were obviously gathering all the evidence in terms of what the prison authorities can tell us and also then physical evidence around CCTV of the scene itself, Mr Harris said on Thursday. Its subject of a very thorough investigation, obviously a murder investigation and in time then well report the matters to the DPP, but we also are very aware of our responsibility in terms of the system, the Irish prison service and safety in the prisons. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said a thorough investigation will be carried out into the murder of prisoner Robert OConnor Obviously if there are immediate things that we can see within investigation, we need to bring to their attention, we will do so. On a day-to-day basis, there is an exchange of information on intelligence between ourselves and the Irish Prison Service and thats all about preventing crime and the safety and good running of the prisons. He said that gardai are very conscious of the tensions outside prisons, particularly among gangs, and how those can effect what happens inside prisons. We are in day-to-day contact with the prison authorities, that is about that exchange of information around those sorts of tensions, and ongoing feuds that there may be between different crime gangs outside of prison and how they may reflect in the prison, Mr Harris added. So that is an ongoing fundamental piece of the information on intelligence that we would exchange. Meanwhile, a former governor of Mountjoy Prison said there is a sense that the system has failed when a prisoner is killed in an attack. John Lonergan, who was governor of Mountjoy for more than two decades, said a prisoners death can lower morale and is upsetting for staff and prisoners. Mr Lonergan told RTEs Morning Ireland that the fundamental purpose of the prison service, and the top priority of the prison service, is the safe custody of prisoners. There are more than 400 prisoners in protection in Irelands prisons, Mr Lonergan said, which is about one tenth of the prison population. I always felt myself personally that was a failure of Mountjoy and the system, myself included, when somebody lost their lives, especially lost their lives, because thats the ultimate that can happen. So from a management and staff perspective, it is a depressing occurrence and it does certainly lower morale, and its certainly upsetting for people because again, the culture is to ensure the safety of people. When that does happen, there is that sense of failure. We have failed to carry out our number one priority, which is the safety of prisoners, but unfortunately the reality is that you could never guarantee in a prison environment that will never happen again. He said that prisoners should expect that their safety is guaranteed in the prison. The reality is, of course, that theres always a risk factor and unfortunately on rare occasions it actually comes into reality, and people do suffer serious injury and often a very small number of cases lose their lives, he added. He also said that attacks are common. He said that gangland and drugs feuds have been the biggest single contributing factor in a rise in the level of prison violence. Theres a massive increase in violence in prisons over the last 20 years, and this despite a huge amount of resources being put into security and to preventative measures, Mr Lonergan added. There is intelligence that would identify prisoners at risk and the movement of prisoners and the containment of prisons. By Cate McCurry, PA Irelands greenhouse gas emissions were 4.7 per cent higher last year when compared with 2020, new research shows. Figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows that Irelands greenhouse gas emissions were 61.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2021, which was 4.7 per cent higher than 2020. The 2020 figure was during a time when Covid-19 restrictions had led to a significant lowering of emissions. The CSO has published Irelands UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Goal 13 Climate Action 2021. This report is the thirteenth in a series of CSO publications which monitor how Ireland is progressing towards meeting its targets under the 17 UN SDGs. Irelands contribution to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was 89.2 million euro in 2020, an increase of 19 million euro from 2019. In 2021, Ireland announced a funding package of 3.5 million aimed at assisting the least developed countries adapt to the effects and impacts of climate change. All local government bodies in Ireland have adopted and implemented local disaster risk reduction strategies. CSO senior statistician Kevin McCormack said: This new report, Goal 13 Climate Action 2021, has data on eight indicators for Ireland, divided over two chapters, climate and strategy. Data are presented in categories such as gender, age group, vulnerable groups and geographical location, where possible. The SDGs and their associated indicators are, by design, wide-ranging in their coverage. As a result, the Irish data is provided by a number of sources including Government departments, official organisations and international organisations such as the UN. The publication for Goal 13 was developed in collaboration with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He added: Irelands greenhouse gas emissions were 61.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2021, which was 4.7 per cent higher than emissions in 2020. Emissions in 2021 were 1.1 per cent above the 2019 pre-Covid-19 restriction levels data. Irelands contribution to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was 89.2 million in 2020, up from 70.2 million in 2019. This is also known as the contribution to the international $100 billion commitment for climate finance under the UNFCCC. Irelands 3.5 million funding package aimed at assisting the least developed countries consists of two elements, including 1 million to the National Adaptation Plan Global Network to support national-level adaptation in developing countries. The other contributed 2.5 million to the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), to support adaptation activities in some of the worlds most climate-vulnerable countries. Mr McCormack added: According to the UN SDG Global Database for SDG 13.1.3, in Ireland, the proportion of local governments that adopted and implemented local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies was 100 per cent. 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 report from Utah Rivers Council, the Glen Canyon Institute and the Great Water Basin Network is calling for government action to repair plumbing in the Glen Canyon Dam. Without action, the report warns that it could lead to parts of the Colorado River namely, the iconic section that runs through the Grand Canyon to dry up. Glen Canyon Dam is located along the Colorado River and upriver of the Grand Canyon. The 50-year-old dam is also responsible for creating Lake Powell, which has water levels that recently fell to a record low and is only 46 feet away from being unable to produce hydropower. The minimum water level necessary is 3,490 feet, and the lake is now at 3,536 feet above sea level, just 25% of its capacity. With water levels low in the lake, Glen Canyon Dam cannot move water downriver, where it is supposed to flow through Lake Mead and the Grand Canyon. This is because the hydropower penstocks are the primary means of complying with the water delivery obligations of the 100-year-old Colorado River Compact, yet they will be unusable at just 45 feet below current water levels, the report explained. The report noted that the antique plumbing of the dam is part of the problem, with pipes that arent equipped for generating hydropower or effectively moving larger amounts of water. Without proper infrastructure, the dam may impact utility customers that depend on the hydropower for electricity. Further, the low water levels could impact farmers who rely on water for irrigation and may even leave many municipalities around the southwestern U.S. and Mexico short on water supply. As reported by E&E News, if the water drops below levels required to generate hydropower, the dam could release a maximum of 3.5 million acre-feet of water. The 1922 Colorado River Compact divides the river resources among seven states, with each supposed to receive 7.5 million acre-feet of water based on a 16-million-acre-foot river. Current estimates say the river could be just around 11 million acre-feet. The report authors are urging the federal government to fund a redesign and construction for a retrofit of the dam in order to avoid a water delivery crisis. They request urgent action, as they estimate the dam could stop moving water as soon as 2025 without improvements. A spokeswoman for the Bureau of Reclamation said there is now $2 million to go toward studying ways for the dam to deliver more water and power. For the sake of our future, the time to act is now, the report concluded. Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions. The Great Bubble Barrier was installed to prevent Amsterdam canal plastic from flowing into the North Sea. The Great Bubble Barrier Plastic pollution has quickly become one of the biggest environmental issues of the 21st century. Plastics that end up in waterways are the cause of millions of animal deaths each year when birds, turtles, fish and other marine organisms ingest or become entangled in plastic waste. Plastics contain toxic chemicals like PCBs and DDT that can contaminate waterways, and they can absorb and carry harmful pollutants and invasive species from rivers to the ocean. Once plastic is in the ocean, it slowly decomposes, breaking down into tiny microplastics that can enter the marine food chain. But what if there was a way to prevent plastics from reaching the ocean in the first place? According to Plastic Smart Cities, more than eight million tons of plastic pollute the worlds oceans each year, and 60 to 80 percent of that comes from rivers. In order to reduce the amount of plastic that makes its way from rivers to the ocean, co-founder of nonprofit Coast Busters, Claar-els van Delft, developed a new way to stop plastic from migrating that wont disrupt fish or ship traffic: The Great Bubble Barrier. Van Delft noticed something five years ago that indicated that the plastic waste washing up on the beach of the seaside town of Katwijk in the Netherlands was coming from a local river, reported The Guardian. We started picking up litter and we noticed, near the river entrance, pieces that came from fresh water all kinds of plastic, said Van Delft, as The Guardian reported. Tampon sheaths, brush bristles, but also crisp packages, drink packages, everything. Last month, Katwijk became the home of the first river bubble barrier in the world. According to The Great Bubble Barrier website, the barricade of bubbles comes from air being pumped through perforated tubing that produces a diagonal curtain of bubbles that guides plastics to the surface and then to a catchment system on the side of the waterway. The team at The Great Bubble Barrier is made up of surfers, sailors and other water lovers who won a Postcode Lottery Green Challenge in 2018 and started their first trial bubble barrier the next year in an Amsterdam canal, reported The Guardian. The success of the pilot led a dozen municipalities, the Rijnland water board, Coast Busters, the Holland Rijnland and Zuid-Holland regions and community fundraisers to put more than $470,000 into the construction of the companys first river bubble barrier. We notice plastic pollution by visitors to the beach, leaving wrappers and other plastic behind, but we are also the last stop before all the plastics collected along the Oude Rijn flow into the sea. With this bubble barrier we can stop those plastics, said Deputy Mayor of Katwijk Jacco Knape, as The Guardian reported. Executive board member of the Rijnland water board Bas Knapp, who is investing in the operations of the bubble barrier, does not believe the barrier will interfere with fish migration. Knapp said they expected the bubble barrier to remove from 86 to 90 percent of the plastic pollution in the river. In a test in Amsterdam using tangerines released into the water, on the catchment side of the barrier the capture rate was as high as 90 percent, but on the other side it was much lower, likely due to lesser bubble intensity, said environmental hydrodynamics researcher Dr. Frans Buschman, as reported by The Guardian. Buschman went on to say that floating objects also had the potential to be blown over the barrier, but that the technique still had great potential. Other Great Bubble Barrier projects are being discussed in Portugal and Southeast Asia. With the variety of types of waterways worldwide, strategies to deal with plastic pollution like The Great Bubble Barrier will work better in some scenarios and not others, said assistant professor at Wageningen Universitys hydrology and quantitative water management group Tim van Emmerik, The Guardian reported. Of course, consuming and polluting less plastics will help no matter where you go, and may in fact have the greatest impact, Van Emmerik said. Twitter is rolling out a new feature that would benefit business owners globally. The social media company made an announcement today that all businesses having professional accounts are now allowed to display their location address, hours of operation and additional contact information on their profiles. The Location Spotlight feature began rolling out in June but only to a limited number of professional accounts. The feature was initially available only to users in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia, as per TechCrunch. Now, according to 9to5Mac, Twitter is making the Location Spotlight feature available to any business account globally. Twitter Rolls Out Location Spotlight Globally While regular Twitter users can only include a URL and a brief location to their profile, those with business account will be able to put a phone number, email, and full address. You can find this extra information displayed just below the profile bio. According to Twitter, the new feature also offers customers a means to reach businesses directly via phone, text, email or DMs, as per TechCrunch. In addition to the location and contact information, a map of the business location can now be added to the business' profiles of those with professional account using Google Maps. Directions to navigate to the business's physical location will be given to customers once they click the map. If you'll notice, Twitter's Location Spotlight feature has similarities with business info cards on Google Maps. The new feature similarly displays information about the business, including its location, operating hours and contact info. The launch of the Location Spotlight feature globally is likely giving Twitter the opportunity to provide its users with information about businesses directly on its platform, according to TechCrunch. This move of the social media company is seen as a means to prevent users from clicking away from the platform and finding the said information on Google. Read Also: Twitter is Testing a New Shopping Feature That Alerts You of Upcoming Product Drops Other Features are Rolling Out on Twitter In addition to Location Spotlight, Twitter also hinted some upcoming features for professional accounts. One of the features is a resource hub called the "Professional Home." Professionals will be able to use the hub in tracking performance, discovering product offerings and driving performance. It will target users who want more insights to enhance their performance on Twitter. According to Twitter, they will roll out Professional Home to all professional accounts globally in the coming weeks. Additional updates are expected to be available throughout the year. Additionally, the social media company is providing a new monthly live workshop series called "Taking Care of Business." Debuting this month, the series is created to aid professionals who are new on the platform to get a better understanding of the resources available on Twitter. There will also be 10 courses that will roll out soon on Twitter Flight School. The courses will cover several topics, including learning how to establish a community of engaged followers. Twitter first introduced Professional profiles last year. The option was made available to all users in March. A professional account or known as "Twitter for Professionals" provides brands and creators access to more tools to make their profile recognizable. Related Article: Twitter Is Testing a New 'Custom Timelines' Feature - How Does It Work? One August 5, 2010, a disaster left 33 miners trapped at a mine in Chile's Atacama Desert. The miners were trapped at 2,050 feet vertically underground in a small copper-and-gold mine. The situation is dire and the rescue seems to be an impossible mission. It seems that only a miracle could save the 33 miners. But on October 13, 2010, with science, engineering and faith, all 33 miners made it to the surface safe. How were the miners rescued? The Accident That Trapped the Miners The unexpected disaster started on a day shift at around lunchtime. The miners are working inside a mountain, mining for copper, gold and other minerals when they started to feel the vibrations. The vibrations were followed by a massive explosion and suddenly, the passageways of the mine was filled with dust cloud. Once the dust settled, the miners found out what caused the explosion: "There a single block of stone as tall as a forty-five-story building that had broken off from the rest of the mountain. It had fallen through the layers of the mine, which caused a chain reaction as the mountain above it began collapsing, too," as per NPR. The megablock of stone trapped 33 miners inside the mountain. There's 770,000 tons of it sealing the passageway. Several hours after the accident, the mine's owners, local private company Compania Minera San Esteban Primera, informed the authorities, telling that they first had to assess the situation. Read Also: ESO Shares Photo of Milky Way Galaxy with Two of Its Telescopes The Efforts to Save the 33 Miners On August 6, the rescue workers began moving toward the shelter through a ventilation shaft but a day later, they are forced to abandon that route when a fresh cave-in blocks the duct, according to Reuters. On August 22, a drill reached a depth of 2,260 feet. The rescuers then heard tapping on the drill. Later in the afternoon, a note from the miners was tied to the drill saying: "The 33 of us in the shelter are well." A second probe reached the miners on August 23. Communication between the rescuers and the miners now became possible. The rescuers are also able to send food and water to miners. Prior to this, the miners were able to make it by sharing small amounts of tuna and mackerel in the shelter, as per Reuters. On August 31, the drilling starts for "Plan A" and a few days after, on September 3, the Schramm T-130 drill, or known as "Plan B," arrived at the rescue area. The Schramm T-130 drill is typically used for boring water holes. By September 17, Plan B was able to bore a hole that reached the 33 miners but the hole is only 12 inches wide. A few days later, on September 22, the rescuers started drilling for "Plan C." The rescue workers used a rescue capsule to haul the miners to the ground. On September 25, the rescue capsule arrived at the mine. Two additional capsules plus a winch, which is a device used for winding and tension adjustments, arrived at the mine site on October 6, Reuters reported. By October 7, Plan B drill is already less than 100 meters from the target. Two days after, on October 9, 2010, the Plan B drill was able to break through the roof of the mine and the rescuers finished drilling an escape shaft. Finally, On October 13, all 33 trapped miners were hauled to the surface after two months of being trapped underground. Related Article: Chile Earthquake: Christmas Celebration Disrupted By Magnitude 7.6 Tremor Team IOM Medals >> 0 0 0 Day Eight: Jessica Li knocked out Badminton Singles Fri, 05 Aug 2022 CGA Isle of Man / Facebook The Isle of Man's Jessica Li was knocked out of the Women's Singles at the Commonwealth Games this evening. Jess took on Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour in Court 5 at the NEC in Birmingham. There was a strong crowd watching from the Island including the Chief Minister. Jess spoke to Energy FM afterwards: Media Jess Li PM IV Videos Jessica Li Now's a great time to pick up Apple's iPad ahead of the upcoming school year. The base, 10.2-inch tablet is $30 off right now and down to $299, which is the best price we've seen it. It may not have all the bells and whistles that the iPad Air does, but it's a solid, budget-friendly tablet that will likely be able to handle anything you throw at it. Elsewhere online, you can pick up the Chromecast with Google TV for only $40 and the Beats Studio Buds for $100. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today. 10.2-inch iPad Nathan Ingraham / Engadget Apple's base iPad is on sale for $299, while the model with 256GB of storage is $80 off and down to $399. This is the most affordable iPad you can get, and we gave it a score of 86 for its strong performance, Center Stage cameras, first-generation Apple Pencil support and excellent battery life. Turn on browser notifications to receive breaking news alerts from Engadget You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. Not now Turned on Turn on Apple TV 4K The Apple TV 4K is back in stock at Amazon and on sale for $120. While not quite as cheap as it was on Prime Day last month ($109), this remains one of the best prices we've seen no our favorite high-end set-top box. We gave the device a score of 90 for its fast performance, Dolby Vision and Atmos support, HomeKit integration and much-improved Siri remote. 16-inch MacBook Pro The 16-inch MacBook Pro is down to $2,199, or $300 off its usual price. We gave it a score of 92 for its powerful performance, lovely Liquid Retina XDR displays and new bevy of ports. Chromecast with Google TV Engadget The Chromecast with Google TV is back on sale for $40, or $10 off its normal price and a record low. We gave the dongle a score of 86 for its 4K HDR content with Dolby Vision and Atmos, its handy integration with the Google Assistant and its easy to use remote. Jabra Elite 7 Pro Jabra Jabra's Elite 7 Pro earbuds are $70 off and down to a new low of $130. These buds are the successors to the excellent 85ts and they use bone conduction tech combined with microphones and algorithms to improve voice quality on calls, plus they have ANC and an 11-hour battery life. Blink Outdoor + Blink Mini Amazon includes a free Blink Mini camera when you buy a Blink Outdoor kit, so you'll save $35 in total on the bundle. Blink cameras are a relatively affordable way to outfit your home with security cameras all of them record 1080p video and support two-way audio and motion alerts. The Outdoor cameras are wireless and weather-resistant, while the Blink Mini is a smaller, wired camera that's designed to fit into tight spaces inside your home. Beats Studio Buds Billy Steele/Engadget The Beats Studio Buds are back on sale for $100, or $50 off their usual rate. These are some of the best Beats earbuds for most people and we gave them a score of 84 for their comfortable design, good sound quality and ANC and fast pairing with both iOS and Android devices. Sony LinkBuds S Sony Sony's LinkBuds S are on sale for $148, which is 26 percent off and a new all-time low. These buds came out earlier this year and support smart playback, which lets them automatically play and pause music depending on what you're doing. Samsung Freestyle projector Samsung Samsung's Freestyle portable projector is $100 off and down to $798 at Amazon, and just about the same price form Samsung directly. The company debuted this projector at CES earlier this year as a 1.83-pound home theater device with auto focus and auto leveling features, along with a 1080p resolution and support for multiple voice assistants. PNY XLR8 CS3040 SSD Another one of our favorite PS5 SSDs, the PNY XLR8 CS3040, has dropped to $105. It's an already affordable drive made even better by this sale, and we like its 5,600 MB/s read speeds and its five-year warranty. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice. Netflix will have to shell out a hefty sum in a fight over screenwriter pay. As Deadline reports, the Writers Guild of America has won an arbitration ruling that will have Netflix pay 216 theatrical movie writers an extra $42 million in unpaid residuals. The WGA is also seeking another $13.5 million in interest for late payment. The WGA accused Netflix of "self-dealing" that helped it skimp on writer pay. Residuals for theatrical releases are supposed to be paid on revenues earned in a given market, according to the guild, and licenses like Netflix's (where it's both the producer and distributor) demand fees based on more conventional relationships a Sony movie licensed to Netflix, for example. Netflix, however, reportedly negotiated deals with the Directors Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) that let it pay residuals on its own movies for "significantly less" than the cost of the film. The win was helped by an earlier victory over the Sandra Bullock movie Bird Box, the WGA claimed. An arbitrator found that Netflix significantly underpaid a screenwriter using a formula like that from the most recent dispute. The officiator told Netflix to pay the writer $1.2 million in residuals and interest. Turn on browser notifications to receive breaking news alerts from Engadget You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. Not now Turned on Turn on We've asked Netflix for comment. The WGA wasn't shy about its criticism, however. It characterized Netflix as one of the "worst violators" of the guild's basic agreements for residuals, and saw the arbitration as a pushback against media companies trying to "depress" pay through streaming services. Don't be surprised if there are more battles like this across the industry. Are you ready for Samsungs summer salvo of foldables, wearables and peripherals? Yes, its that time again, and the companys Unpacked event is likely to share two foldable smartphones, a new Pro wearable and probably some new software tricks. Judging by the leaks, it wont be a major shakeup, but the new Galaxy Z Fold may borrow design cues from the S22 Ultra, ensuring a more contemporary look. The next-gen Galaxy Z Flip, the clamshell one, looks even more like its predecessor, so were waiting on confirmation on exactly what has changed. This is the series helping Samsung sell its foldable family to the world hopefully, the company has ways to capitalize on this enthusiasm. And throw in a bigger battery. Samsung looks set to reveal its Galaxy Watch 5 Pro next week, too. You might not get the knurled bezel of previous Samsung smartwatches, but the Pro would upgrade from a steel case to light-but-strong titanium. Samsung inadvertently hinted at the Pro name in its Health app, although it didnt provide further clues. Samsung Unpacked will stream on Wednesday, August 10th at 9 AM ET, and were reporting live on all the big reveals. Well probably have some minty fresh opinions on foldable phones, too. Turn on browser notifications to receive breaking news alerts from Engadget You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. Not now Turned on Turn on Mat Smith The biggest stories you might have missed A guide for beginners, from A to Z trigger. The Switch continues to approach the status of Nintendos best-selling home console ever and seven Switch games have already outsold the Wii U console. Its thanks to the Switchs unique hybrid format and an ever-growing game library with uncharacteristically strong third-party support. However, the Switch's online store isn't the easiest to navigate, so this guide helps the uninitiated start their journey on the right foot, once again updated for 2022. Continue reading. It's not just leaning on Star Trek. Well, not completely. ViacomCBS has revealed that Paramount+ added 3.7 million subscribers in the second quarter, with more than 43 million total users. And that's after withdrawing from Russia. The company partly credited the surge of expansions to more countries, including the UK, Ireland and South Korea. These gains are good, but the overall Paramount+ subscriber count is still tiny compared to Netflix (220.7 million) and Amazon Prime Video (over 200 million). Continue reading. A negative leap second may be needed to correct clocks. Buena Vista Images via Getty Images Sure, it sounds like some bleak sci-fi premise, but its happening. According to scientists, midnight on June 29th arrived 1.59 milliseconds sooner than expected. It was the shortest day in over half a century. Scientists believe earthquakes, stronger winds in El Nino years, ice caps melting and refreezing, the Moon and the climate could all affect rotation speed. Some have suggested the Chandler wobble a small deviation in the Earths point of rotation may be having an effect, too. Continue reading. Folks in Ireland and Colombia can try it out now. After months of rumors , Microsoft is starting to test an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate family plan in the wild. Xbox Insiders in Colombia and Ireland can try out the new offering that allows them to add up to four other people to their plan, as long as they're in the same country. Those folks will get access to all the benefits of Game Pass Ultimate, including a library of hundreds of titles for console, PC and cloud gaming. If you're in either country, you can buy the Xbox Game Pass Insider Preview plan from the Microsoft Store, though enrolment is limited. Continue reading. The app started a public test of NFTs in feed posts, messages and Stories in May. Once weve all collectively sighed, Instagram is doubling down on digital collectibles. After a test launch in May, the app is expanding its NFT features to more than 100 countries across Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and the Americas. Instagram users can include NFTs in their feed and messages, as well as in augmented reality stickers in Stories. NFT creators and collectors are automatically tagged for attribution. You can't buy or sell NFTs on Instagram just yet, but the company has strongly hinted it's working on a marketplace. Perfect timing, Meta: The non-fungible token (NFT) market just fell off a cliff. Continue reading. Actor Brad Pitt in a scene from the film, "Bullet Train" / Courtesy of Sony Pictures By Kwak Yeon-soo Hollywood star Brad Pitt will visit Korea this month to promote his new movie, "Bullet Train," the film's distributor said Friday. It would mark his fourth visit to the country since the first visit in 2011 to promote "Moneyball." He will make the visit together with actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson, best known for his roles in films like "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015), "Tenet" (2020) and "The King's Man," Sony Pictures said. This is Taylor-Johnson's first time coming to Korea. In Seoul, the two will engage in various promotional activities for the film ahead of its Korean release set for Aug. 24, according to the company. "Brad Pitt, who has deep affection for Korean fans, expressed his intention to visit Korea by adjusting his busy schedule. He will meet with the press and fans on Aug. 19," a Sony Pictures official said. "Bullet Train" revolves around Ladybug (Pitt), a trained assassin who is returning to the job after a brief hiatus. Hired by his handler Maria Beetle (Sandra Bullock), he is tasked with collecting a briefcase on a high-speed passenger train in Japan. But he realizes that the train is packed with other elite assassins, including Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry), Tangerine (Taylor-Johnson) and Prince (Joey King), all with interconnected goals. The comedic action thriller, which was adapted from Kotaro Isaka's 2010 novel "Maria Beetle," is directed by David Leitch, whose credits include "Atomic Blonde," "Deadpool 2" and "Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbes and Shaw." As the world learns to live with COVID-19, Hollywood stars are resuming their film promotion activities overseas. In June, Tom Cruise visited Korea with his "Top Gun: Maverick" co-stars, including Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Jay Ellis and Greg Tarzan, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Following their visit, the film topped 7 million admissions in Korea. The UK government may soon start using facial recognition smartwatches to monitor migrants who have been convicted of crimes. The offenders would need to scan their faces up to five times per day, according to The Guardian . The measures may come into effect as soon as this fall. Those subject to the conditions would need to take photos of themselves throughout the day and have their locations tracked around the clock, according to documents obtained by The Guardian. The photos will be compared with ones the Home Office has on file. If the government's systems cant verify the persons identity, a manual check would be required. The photos along with migrants names, nationalities and dates of birth will be stored for up to six years, under the Home Office and Ministry of Justice plans. The rules will only apply to foreign nationals who have been convicted of crimes. The UK government reportedly won't monitor others, such as asylum seekers, in this fashion. Turn on browser notifications to receive breaking news alerts from Engadget You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. Not now Turned on Turn on In May, the government gave a 6 million ($7.2 million) contract to a company called Buddi Limited to secure non-fitted devices to track specific cohorts under the Home Office's Satellite Tracking Service. "A non-fitted device solution will provide a more proportionate way of monitoring specific cohorts over extended periods of time than fitted tags," the contract reads. "These devices will utilize periodic biometric verification as an alternative to being fitted to an individual." The number of smartwatches Buddi will supply and the cost of each has been redacted. The Home Office hasn't explicitly said it will use smartwatches with facial recognition functions to track convicted migrants. A spokesperson told The Guardian that the Home Office will soon implement a portable biometrically accessed device that will work alongside ankle tags. Friday, August 5, 2022 Is there such a thing as being a little drunk? Underage drinkingWhen going from being sober to tipsy or buzzed, there is a point when you are beginning to feel the effects of alcohol. This could be after 1-2 drinks per hour for women and 2-3 drinks per hour for men. This also depends on: Your past experience with alcohol How much food is in your stomach? How much you weigh Healthline.com What is tipsy? Being tipsy is the first sign that the alcohol youre drinking is having an effect on your body. This tipsiness begins when alcohol enters the bloodstream and starts to affect the functions of both your brain and your body. When a person becomes tipsy, they: Become more talkative and seem more self-confident. Are likely to show risky behavior and their speech and reactions slow down. Have a shorter attention span and poor short-term memory. A person who is tipsy is at greater risk of injury than a sober person. Healthline.com What is the quickest way to sober up? There is nothing a person can do to quickly bring down the blood alcohol concentration or BAC level in their body. The only thing that will help your body to become completely sober is time. Medical News Today Can coffee or high caffeine Power drinks help you sober up? Caffeine may help a person feel more alert, but it does not break down alcohol in the body. And just because a person feels more alert does not mean they are not impaired and intoxicated by the alcohol in their system. Medical News Today How about a cold shower? Cold showers do nothing to lower BAC levels. A cold shower may make a person alert for a short period of time, but they are still impaired. Its important for someone to be with the intoxicated person if they choose to shower, because cold showers may cause shock or unconsciousness for some intoxicated people. Medical News Today Will eating or drinking water help you sober up? Its true that eating before, during, and after drinking can help slow the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. Drinking plenty of water can assist with dehydration and help flush toxins from the body. Also, drinking fruit juices can help the liver flush out alcohol more successfully. Although these methods can help process alcohol, they do not affect signs of drunkenness or bring down your BAC level. Medical News Today Should I go sleep it off? Yes, sleep is the best way for a person to sober up. Sleep allows the body to rest and recover. It also helps to restore the bodys ability to remove alcohol out of the system. Even a quick nap can help. But the more sleep a person gets, the more sober they will feel, and time gives the liver the chance to absorb the alcohol. Medical News Today Can you drive after you have a few beers? Although beer has less alcohol than wine or other drinks, even a couple of drinks will affect your ability to do two tasks at once like steering a car and quickly putting on the brakes. Even small amounts of alcohol will affect your ability to watch out for other moving cars. This could also mean that you wont accurately judge your distance from other vehicles. Or, that you fail to spot hazards, like a child or animal in the road. Renegade Brewing Is it legal to drive with an open container in the vehicle? Open container laws forbid the presence of any type of unsealed container that contains or previously contained an alcoholic beverage. These can include: Bottles Cans Flasks All other types of containers that hold alcoholic beverages. FindLaw Resources Is it legal for teens to drink in their own home? The legal age for purchasing or publicly consuming alcohol in the United States is 21. No state has an exception that permits anyone other than a family member to provide alcohol to a minor on private property. There is an exception for wine being used in religious services. Alcohol.org How about a minor drinking on a camping trip when no one is driving? No, underage drinking is not allowed. Many states require that a minor can only drink when its provided in their home with a parent present. Another adult over 21 is not allowed to provide you with alcohol, even if no one is driving. Alcohol.org Can the police arrest you as a minor for drinking in a private home? A citation can be issued to a minor drinking underage, for possession of alcohol on private property. Under some circumstances, police officers who respond to a complaint at a home or apartment have the right to enter the property. These conditions include: if they see any illegal activity, such as minors possessing or consuming alcohol. In such cases, officers may detain or arrest those involved. Lawrence, KS Are parents responsible if unrelated teens drink in their home? Many states have laws that require social hosts to be responsible for underage drinking on property they own, lease, or otherwise control, whether or not the social host actually provides the alcohol. Alcohol.org What happens when someone over 21 furnishes alcohol to minors? Providing alcohol to a minor is most often a misdemeanor offense. However, the crime may be considered a felony, if someone was seriously injured or killed because they illegally supplied the alcohol. Criminal Defense Lawyer Is it legal to furnish marijuana edibles to minors? In all U.S. states that have legalized marijuana, you must be over the age of 21 to use recreational weed. In most legal states, any person over 18 can get a medicinal marijuana card, which they can then use at any dispensary. Civilized.com Health and Safety Code 11361 HS is a California marijuana law that makes it a crime for adults to: sell, give or offer marijuana to a minor, induce a minor to use marijuana, or employ or use a minor to transport, sell or give away marijuana. Shouselaw The rate of overdose is high among minors as the candy resembles normal candy and its very easy to eat too much at one time. What happens to a kid who gets caught drinking at school? Bringing alcohol onto the property of a middle school or high school can have harsh consequences. If caught underage drinking these situations, a student may face suspension or expulsion. Many schools consider bringing alcohol to school a Level IV offense. This offense can leave a mark on a students permanent record. In the future, the student may be required to list this infraction on a college application or with a licensing board after they finish college. AsseltaLaw What does BAC mean? Blood alcohol content (BAC) is the unit used to measure the amount of alcohol in a persons bloodstream. How is BAC measured? There are only two ways to measure BAC: a breathalyzer test or a blood test. Both can be issued by a police officer if they are suspicious that your driving is impaired. A citation can be issued even if you are underage drinking and still under the legal limit for intoxication. But for a minor, there is a zero tolerance for alcohol. This means that any alcohol found in the system of a minor can be punished by law enforcement. BBM Lawyers What is the legal BAC limit for driving in most states? The legal BAC in most states is 0.08, with the exception of Utah, where the legal BAC for driving is 0.05. A safe rule of thumb is: If you have been drinking, do not drive. If you are with someone who has been drinking, do not get into the car with them. It doesnt matter what they say. You might hear the words, Im okay to drive. I didnt drink that much. Or they might say, Its been a while since Ive had a drink. Im sure Im fine. Or Dont worry about it, I can hold my liquor. No! No! No! Dont get into a car as a passenger with someone who has been drinking, period. State by State BAC As defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a standard drink is half an ounce of alcohol. That means one 12-ounce beer, one five-ounce glass of wine, and or 1.5-ounce shot of distilled spirits or hard liquor. Each of these count as one standard drink. But remember, for a minor, underage drinking is illegal, no mater what your BAC may show. The limit for minors is zero. How many drinks does it take? Utah percentage laws Friday, August 5, 2022 Not long ago in a writing workshop, a colleague offered to read a personal essay I had written about a difficult life experience. My kind friend reported back that he felt as if I was dragging him, sad and depressed, to the abysmal end of the story. I dont want to feel as if Im being forced to feel bad, he said. Wheres your sense of humor? And youre not having any fun, either. Humor? I didnt see anything funny about the story of my trip to Washington, DC, to see my husbands name on the Vietnam Memorial for the first time but maybe I was taking myself a little too seriously. Perhaps Colette, the French writer whose husband locked her in a room to keep her writing, was right when she said that total absence of humor renders life impossible. Humor in nonfiction writing demands taking a firm, self-confident position about our self and then flipping the situation upside down. Writer Leigh Anne Jasheway calls this creative misdirection; engaging readers by taking them someplace they dont expect to go, choosing words and metaphors that make readers giggle without knowing why. She says a smiling reader wants to read on even if the topic is inherently sad. Where was my sense of comic relief? Obviously, I had forgotten that humor creates a bond with readers and cuts down on tension and anxiety. People need to cry and laugh. Humor fosters a sense of immediacy, a close personal connection. There was little to joke about in my essay, but there were some curious ironies that I hadnt yet dug deeply enough to discover. As Dorothy Parker said in Writers at Work, Theres a hell of a distance between wisecracking and wit. Wit has truth in it; wisecracking is simply calisthenics with words. How do I find my wittiness when I feel like Im climbing a mountain wearing flip-flops? Is there a proven way to access my artistic funhouse? EB White said, Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies. But wait, how do Woody Allan, Steve Martin, David Sedaris and Nora Ephron inject humor? It turns out there are some methods in their madness. Comparisons, using well-chosen metaphors, are one specific approach writers use to create an unexpected smile. Comic essayist David Rakoff, when faced with potential amputation of his left arm and shoulder because of cancer, quipped: If they remove my left arm, how will I know when Im having a heart attack? Humor in grim situations humanizes the writer and shelters the reader, inviting them to laugh with us even as we travel in humorless territory. A dash of self-deprecation, a small argument with oneself, and honest skepticism are also helpful. Among Jasheways tools for adding a touch of comedy to writing is The K Rule. Words with the k sound (Cadillac, quintuplet, sex) are perceived as the funniest, along with words with a hard g (guacamole, gargantuan). Perhaps I could say that the crowds of passengers at Union Station in Washington, DC, felt like a kangaroo roundup. Jasheway speculates that much of what makes Americans laugh today has its roots in Yiddish humor and these sounds come the closest. Readers are subconsciously amused just hearing these sounds. Jan Hornung in Seven Steps to Better Humor Writing, says that whether or not a writer is personally funny is not important and please dont tell the reader that something is funny. But do use descriptions with all five senses and let the reader discover the funny parts themselves. Blending description, metaphors, and similes with dialogue is another way to generate humor. Hornung offers the sample simile, we were wrestling around like two pigs in the mud, only he was enjoying it and I was just getting dirty. Now were approaching something of which even Mark Twain might approve or chance a smile. It was the second part of my friends comment that created the most pause in my thinking. He was right. I wasnt having much fun writing the story about the trip to Washington. And shouldnt I be having some fun if Im dedicating most of my time to writing? I had sucked the life out of my essay by taking myself too seriously. My father used to say: If you cant fix it, get a bigger hammer. I went back in and operated with hammer and tongs, glockenspiels and Guatamalas, and became the good-time girl as I remembered some humorous and ironic moments on my trip to the memorial especially the spectacular wedding happening simultaneously in our Washington hotel. At least one of us is enjoying the essay, now. If you are trying to lighten up your writing, find an author whose writing you enjoy and read the work deeply by reading it outloud to yourself. See if you can discover the moments when something happens that suddenly makes you smile even in the midst of a serious situation. Ask yourself how did the author do that? You may soon be laughing at yourself. gettyimagesbank By Anna J. Park The country's capital market act revision that requires the mandatory appointment of a female member on corporate boards came into effect on Friday. The revision was first enforced as a law in August 2020, but it had a two-year grace period before going into effect. The statute prohibits the single-gendered formation of a company's board, when the company's entire asset size exceeds two trillion won ($1.5 billion). As many large-sized companies' board members are mostly male-dominated, corporations are now in urgent need of searching for competent female board members. According to data by Korea ESG Research Institute, some 81 percent of companies are subject to the revision as of the end of April this year. Yet, 31 companies out of the subjected 167 firms have yet to secure a spot for female board members, including container transportation firm Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM), energy generating and solution firm Doosan Enerbility, construction and engineering firm Doosan Bobcat and leading aviation firm Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). As seen in the aforementioned cases, companies involved in the heavy industries, machinery or energy sectors tend to have a harder time finding appropriate female executives, as the proportion of female personnel is slimmer than other industries. Thus, some firms complain that it is not easy to find competent female executives, because of the uniqueness of their industries. Some even say the compulsory implementation of such gender-based board formation rules could impede on the rights of shareholders. Regarding such complaints, the Financial Services Commission (FSC), the country's top regulator, said that it is fully aware of some companies' burden due to the revision, saying it will later examine whether to add penalty clauses in the law. Currently, the law does not contain any penalty obligations. Yet, the Korean Women Lawyers' Association once again urged companies to abide by the law. The association said it is unfortunate that the law is not even kept among large-sized conglomerates. "Reflecting diverse values, including genders, is an obligatory global standard, not only in the area of the public but also in the private industries," the association stressed. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is denying news reports that hes building a private airport near Bastrop. On Thursday morning, he took to Twitter to push back on stories reporting the rumored development east of Austin. Not true, he tweeted in response to an article posted by Express-News sister site MySA.com. Tesla is 5 mins from Austin International airport. Would be silly to build another private airport. Multiple news outlets had earlier reported on the rumored development. A story Monday by the Express-News quoted a Bastrop County official saying the county hadnt been notified of plans for an airport. The story also sought but received no comment from Austin-based Tesla, SpaceX and The Boring Co. A boring endeavor: Elon Musk firm wants to build Austin-to-San Antonio tunnel loop for commuters The possibility of a private airfield was first reported by Austin news site Austonia. Without identifying them, Austonia a week ago reported multiple sources had confirmed the existence of conceptual plans for such a facility. The story drummed up attention about how the globe-hopping billionaire would use the airport. While denying he was building an airport, Musk said Thursday that Austin does need more infrastructure for air travel. The existing commercial airport needs another runway, he tweeted, as Austin is growing fast! Musk officially moved the $1.1 billion Tesla headquarters to its factory near Austin from Fremont, Calif., in December. Gigafactory Texas sits on 2,200 acres off Texas 45 and U.S. 130 near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. 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. Tesla to roll on: Despite supply chain hell, Musk says production about to grow at Gigafactory Texas The trip between the Gigafactory and city-owned airport is six miles a nine-minute drive southeast. Its also about 16 miles, or a 24-minute drive, north to the private Austin Executive Airport, headed toward Pflugerville, the home of Musks tunneling business The Boring Co. The Boring Co. is 3 miles from Austin Executive Airport. SpaceXs rocket testing facility in McGregor is about 97 miles north of the Austin-owned airport. Again Thursday, The Boring Co., SpaceX and Tesla didnt respond to requests for comment. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A lawyer angered a San Antonio bankruptcy judge by disclosing in open court that ex-attorney Christopher Chris Pettit accused of plundering millions of dollars belonging to his clients had tried to commit suicide. At a hearing to determine whether Pettit should be allowed to have more than $10,000 a month for living expenses, attorney Tom Keyser revealed that his client attempted to hang himself in February. Keyser divulged the sensitive information to support Pettits request for $850 in mental health services as part of a monthly budget. Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Craig Gargotta turned him down in ruling Pettit wasnt authorized to spend any money. He had wildly spent more than $260,000 including on trips to Disney World and Kennedy Space Center after his June 1 bankruptcy filing. On ExpressNews.com: Judge declines to hold ex-lawyer Chris Pettit in contempt; puts him on $100 per diem for next 10 days But Thursdays denial of living expenses was overshadowed by a flash of anger from the usually mild-mannered Gargotta, who admonished Keyser for announcing in court information that should have remained confidential. Mr. Keyser, I dont know what in Gods name you were doing, the judge said at the end of the all-day hearing. Ive been on the bench almost 15 years and Ive never dressed down a lawyer. Jessica Phelps / Jessica Phelps Keyser earlier had told the judge that Pettit had reached out to him through the Texas Lawyers Assistance Program after his suicide attempt. The program helps lawyers who have substance use and other mental health issues and treats such assistance as strictly confidential, its website says. Keyser has credited the program for saving his life and career that were in tatters as a result of a drug addiction more than 30 years ago. After Pettit, 55, was discharged from a Florida psychiatric hospital, Keyser said he referred him to a San Antonio psychiatrist and a counselor. I dont want Chris Pettit hurting himself, Keyser told the judge in attempting to validate the $850 Pettit wanted for mental health services. I want him to be able to walk through this. On ExpressNews.com: Christopher Pettit, ex- San Antonio lawyer accused of stealing millions, has medically related issues, his attorney says Saying Keyser was opening himself up to cross-examination by lawyers for creditors opposed to Pettit getting any money, Gargotta directed Keyser to just be quiet and sit down. Keyser could have revealed Pettits suicide attempt in the privacy of the judges chambers rather than in court, Gargotta said. You have put me in a very difficult situation, Gargotta added. I, of course, do not want any harm to come to Mr. Pettit. But Pettits legal team put on zero evidence to support the $850 expense, let alone the rest of the expenses outlined in his proposed budget. On ExpressNews.com: Tragedy deepens in scandal enveloping ex-San Antonio attorney Chris Pettit Expenses not reasonable That came after the revelation this week that San Antonio police are treating the death of Pettits younger brother, Charles, as a suicide. Charles Pettit, 49, had worked as a non-lawyer at Chris Pettit & Associates up until it closed in May amid mounting allegations from clients that their money had been stolen. A police incident report shows Pettit had asked for a welfare check on his brother July 12 after not hearing from him in nearly a month. Police discovered Charles Pettits body at the house where he lived on Deer Crest. Petitt had indicated to police that his legal issues may have caused his brother to harm himself. With lawsuits piling up against him and his firm, Chris Pettit in June surrendered his law license and filed for bankruptcy protection, reporting about $40.5 million in assets and $112.2 million in debts. The exchange between Gargotta and Keyser capped a puzzling day for Pettits legal team, which offered only his testimony to support his request for $10,310 a month to cover living expenses. No bills or receipts were presented as evidence, as is normal in such cases, leading Gargotta to deny the motion to grant him a limited budget. Pettits monthly budget request included $3,000 for child care; $2,000 for his 10-year-old sons tuition at Saint Marys Hall, a private school; $400 for cable and internet; $450 for a cellphone; and $400 for prescriptions and co-pays for healthcare services. He and his son live in a 5,000-square-foot home in a gated community in Stone Oak. Pettit valued it at $1.8 million. These expenses are not reasonable in any stretch of the imagination, the judge said. He also wasnt convinced that Pettit is doing his best to reduce his spending and find a job. Gargotta sided with the Chapter 11 trustee and lawyers for several creditors, who opposed the request. On ExpressNews.com: A San Antonio-area high school has a Chris Pettit problem Pettit evasive Many of the people sitting in this gallery today, your honor, dont have the means to meet their daily obligations because Mr. Pettit stole their money, attorney Leslie Luttrell said, referring to the roughly dozen creditors who attended the hearing. The court needs to keep that in mind as it is analyzing whether or not he should be afforded a dime. Jerry Lara, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Pettit had tapped a significant amount of money from his retirement accounts to fund his post-bankruptcy lifestyle. His bankruptcy lawyer has argued the accounts were funded with legitimate earnings, so creditors cant claim them as assets of the bankruptcy estate for distribution to them. No determination on whether the retirement money is exempt from the bankruptcy estate has been made, however. 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. Luttrell countered that her clients contend all of the retirement money that Pettit wants to use to support himself is tainted by fraud and breach of fiduciary duty. Its Pettit burden to show the money is not tainted, she said. He couldnt explain numerous money transfers that Luttrell asked him about including $125,000 moved from a trust account meant to hold client money to his personal checking account on April 18. Gargotta found Pettits testimony evasive and not all that credible, noting how he repeatedly answered, I dont know or dont recall when questioned by the creditors lawyers. The situation Mr. Petitts in is of his own creation, the judge said. So hes going to have dig himself out. SA Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox Get a job The judge gave Pettits side the opportunity to refile a budget request, but hes going to have get a job. Pettit had a job offer in Orlando but that was yanked from him after the employer found out about his legal troubles. Pettit testified he has filled out job applications at more than 100 businesses, including at Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld. In the meantime, Pettit isnt even permitted to use airline points hes earned to book flights. Since a couple weeks before the bankruptcy, Pettit has been traveling between San Antonio and Orlando, where he had been living in a more than $6 million mansion at Disney World. The points are considered an asset of the bankruptcy estate. Pettit has said the mansion is owned for the benefit of his sons trust. A lawyer for the trust told Gargotta they are working toward a sale of the mansion and a New Orleans apartment building that the trust also owns. The trust was created for the health, education and support of Pettits son, but it no longer has a bank account or cash assets. They were used to buy real estate and Pettit, who is trustee for the trust, acknowledges he probably owes it money. As a Texas lawyer and as a trustee of the trust, you know that that trust prohibits self-dealing, right? asked Martin Seidler, a lawyer for creditors. Yes, Pettit answered. Also Thursday, Pettit testified he has waived discharging any of his debts in the bankruptcy case. That means hes on the hook to repay creditors. pdanner@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Inside the sprawling H-E-B plus! store at U.S. 281 and Evans Road, customers browse colorful throw pillows, rugs, vases, frames, chairs, ottomans, doormats and bundles of dried lavender. Mirrors and wall hangings are displayed near table linens, lamps and plant holders below a sign that reads: Welcome to your happy place. The new department, dubbed Home by H-E-B, is one of the San Antonio-based grocers latest moves to grow its business. While adding store locations which its doing as it pushes into the Dallas-Fort Worth area is a key avenue to growth, in mature markets like San Antonio, growth can require something new. Integrating higher-margin categories like home into the mix allows H-E-B to plump up profits without stepping too far out of its geographic footprint, said Carol Spieckerman, president of retail advisory firm Spieckerman Retail, based in Bentonville, Ark. Retailers like Walmart and Target use grocery as a traffic-driving lure that translates to sales in more profitable categories. Grocers like H-E-B can reverse that game by layering on non-grocery categories. The strategy is not new. Supermarket chains such as Iowa-based Hy-Vee, Ohio-based Kroger and others have experimented with new formats that add home goods, apparel and even fitness equipment. They know expansion into such non-food categories provides a means for increasing traffic, sales and profits. H-E-B this year is pushing hard into the home goods segment. After launching the Home by H-E-B concept in April at its Walnut Avenue store in New Braunfels, the company has since expanded it to four other stores, in San Antonio, Brownsville, Burleson and Corpus Christi. On ExpressNews.com: Inside H-E-Bs new home decor department in the swanky New Braunfels location It plans to add it to about 27 stores across the state this year, including new stores in Frisco and Plano. Two years of planning Home by H-E-B has been in the works for nearly two years, said Sabina Israelian-Garcia, the companys group vice president of general merchandise, drug store and beauty. Were always looking at new categories and always making sure that were putting the best in front of our customers, she said. At its store in San Antonio, the roughly 2,500-square-foot section within the 130,000-square-foot store includes more than 500 items and is among the largest Home by H-E-B departments. It includes two brands: Haven + Key and Texas Proud. The former includes furniture, accent pieces and home textiles, and the latter features items made by Texas-based artisans and businesses, such as leather goods from Lucio Tailoring Co. in San Antonio. The company is known for tailoring its stores to their surrounding areas, and the home department will be no different, Israelian-Garcia said. Beyond local connections, H-E-B has long capitalized on the wellspring of Texas pride and its foray into home decor reflects that wall art is emblazoned with the state flag, longhorn throw pillows are lettered with Howdy, and a display features God bless Texas signs. On ExpressNews.com: Report: H-E-Bs grip on the San Antonio market tightened in 2021, but a new competitor is on the way From a product perspective and a brand perspective, we will continue to innovate and evolve as time goes on, so customers can expect continued freshness of products over time, Israelian-Garcia said. Why it makes sense In the San Antonio area, where the company last opened a new store in 2020, H-E-Bs expansion into non-food categories is necessary for increasing sales and profits, retail experts said. It and other grocers are facing more competition in an industry with razor-thin margins and must move beyond traditional grocery items to grow. Margins on nonfood, including homewares, are much better and can bolster H-E-Bs profits, said Neil Saunders, managing director of the retail division at London-based data analytics and consulting company GlobalData. If the offer is good, adding home products can help boost sales as shoppers will explore the range as they do their grocery (shopping) and will probably buy things on impulse, Saunders said. Amid high gasoline prices, its also important to customers to get more of their shopping done at a single store offering yet another rationale for category expansion, said Spieckerman, the Arkansas-based consultant. Another factor in diversification is that H-E-B has large stores, providing it with room to test various concepts, said Venky Shankar, director of research at Texas A&M Universitys Center for Retailing Studies. They have the space, and post-pandemic when people want to indulge in looking around, why not try a few concepts? he said. While H-E-B has built a loyal following in part by emphasizing its Texas ties through its product assortments, competitors such as Walmart and Target are not nearly as proficient at that, said Jon Hauptman, senior director of e-commerce at Inmar Intelligence, a retail analytics company in Winston-Salem, N.C. Theyve built their entire business on appealing to local tastes and local needs, Hauptman said. On ExpressNews.com: H-E-B beats out Amazon and Walmart as top the U.S. online grocery retailer, a new study finds But new product lines come with new challenges. Managing housewares and decor involves a different business model than managing groceries, Hauptman added. The speed at which an item is put on a shelf and purchased is much longer for nonfood items, and higher gross margins are necessary to offset higher costs of bringing in and handling those items, he said. By bringing in the right people to do it and dedicating the resources and space in the store, it is possible to do it very well, Hauptman said. But its not easy. H-E-Bs other efforts H-E-B has experimented with other departments inside its stores. Along with Home by H-E-B, the store at U.S. 281 and Evans includes nearly 4,000 square feet devoted to beauty items. S.A. VOTES Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas runoff election A breakdown of key state and local races and candidates in the May 24 primary runoff. The company added the department in 2019. It includes cosmetics, hair products and skin care, along with test stations and an interactive screen where customers can pose for photos. H-E-Bs store in New Braunfels has the companys first two-story True Texas BBQ restaurant, which provides another stream of customers who may come for a bite and stay to pick up groceries. It also has small shops at some of its stores: Mias Mirror, Bonita Brows Bar, Diamond Decks and River City Flooring. On ExpressNews.com: The 5 best shops inside H-E-B Plus! stores in San Antonio And the company is pursuing other avenues to boost its bottom line. H-E-B is opening more health clinics, which offer primary care, nutrition and pharmacy services, and physical therapy. In May, it added its first clinic in Austin after opening locations in San Antonio and Houston, and said it plans on rapidly expanding throughout Texas with both primary care and nutrition services over the next few years. The clinic openings are reflective of retailers pushes into solutions and services, particularly in health and wellness, Spieckerman said. Also in Austin, H-E-Bs Central Market in April opened what it calls a meatless butcher, the companys response to increasing demand for plant-based foods. If it works there, it could be rolled out to H-E-Bs other stores. The company is also investing in curbside and delivery services by building more facilities and devoting more square footage within its stores to stocking and preparing orders. On ExpressNews.com: Even as H-E-B invests in pickup, delivery, stores, a report shows it lost ground in S.A. Convenience is another major expansion area for retailers, and curbside and delivery services add to H-E-Bs convenience arsenal, Spieckerman said. Such moves are important as competition keeps growing for online shoppers. In recent days, for example, Kroger has re-entered San Antonio with a delivery-only service. H-E-B opened an e-commerce fulfillment center in Leander in mid-July, the fifth it has constructed since 2018. The company plans to add more such facilities across Texas, including in Plano, as it pushes into the Dallas-Fort Worth market with its first namesake stores. It has operated its upscale Central Market stores in North Texas since 2001 but not H-E-B stores. Its namesake stores in Frisco and Plano are scheduled to open later this year, and two others under construction in McKinney and Allen are slated to be finished next summer. H-E-B also continues to expand in its existing markets, including in the San Antonio area. New stores in Cibolo and near Fair Oaks Ranch are in the works. madison.iszler@express-news.net The woman, eyes steeped in tears, stood before the San Marcos City Council. As I speak, I am still bleeding from an illegal abortion I had, the woman said, pausing to cry. Just last week. The woman, who the Express-News is not naming, offered an emotional and powerful testimony in front of elected officials on Tuesday, just hours before they weighed options that might limit the local impact of the states near-total ban on abortion. San Marcos, which took no official stance this week, is weighing similar measures passed in cities such as San Antonio and Austin that aim to limit funds and de-prioritize law enforcement resources surrounding abortion. The womans testimony is a glimpse into what seeking an abortion is like in Texas after the Supreme Courts reversal of Roe v. Wade in June. In case you missed it: Abortion opponents call anarchy as San Antonio City Council approves resolution in favor of access The woman told the City Council that she discovered she was pregnant seven weeks after having sex with a man she described as emotionally and verbally abusive. She experienced spotting, which she thought was her period. The woman said she went to the only San Marcos free clinic she could find. It advertised itself to be a bipartisan safe space for women seeking an abortion. She quickly learned that the clinic provided no such services. I told them I was in a verbally and emotionally toxic situationship with what would have been the father, and Im not ready to have a child, and they still made me hear the heartbeat and tried convincing me to work things out, she said, her voice shaking. She did not elaborate on how she got the procedure, which she described as an illegal abortion. However, she expressed concern about whether the fetus had been aborted properly. The woman said she was scared to seek medical treatment out of fear of being arrested. You might also like: 'He was difficult': Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo was demoted years before the massacre Within city limits, the woman wouldnt be, according to city staff. In mid-July, San Marcos Police Chief Stan Standridge issued an administrative directive that states the police department will not devote resources to investigate abortions. Many of the actions likely taken by San Marcos will be modeled after the Guarding the Right to Abortion Care for Everyone or GRACE ACT passed by the Austin City Council. Among the protections under consideration in San Marcos include: a de-prioritization of abortion investigations and preventing city funds from being used to report procedures; amending city code to prohibit discrimination based on reproductive health in regard to housing and employment; and looking at benefits for city employees to support access to reproductive health services that arent lawfully available in Texas. timothy.fanning@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN, Texas After a full day of deliberations, a jury awarded two Sandy Hook parents $4.11 million in the first verdict in the Alex Jones defamation trial. Punitive damages must still be decided. 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 that concluded Wednesday focused 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. Heslin and Lewis were in the courtroom when the judge read the jurys verdict and had no discernible reaction. Thats a darn good start and we now have the punishment phase, said their attorney Mark Bankston. Jones attorney Andino Reynal said his client was satisfied with the amount the jury decided to give the parents. I think on behalf of the entire legal team today was an absolute vindication for the American legal system," Reynal said. "Were very pleased with the verdict thus far and we look forward to presenting the rest of the case. The jury will return on Friday to hear from more witnesses to decide punitive damages. The parents asked 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 his Infowars platform. But Bankston said thats not the point of this first verdict. Were going to go back and talk to the jury tomorrow about how much they're (Infowars) worth and how much it will take to deter them, he said. But this verdict, this is merely about Scarlett and Neils mental stress. It has nothing to do with Mr. Jones and how much his business is worth. Jones was already ordered to pay about $1.5 million in sanctions toward the parents, Bankston said. After tomorrow, hes going to owe a lot more, Bankston said. Lewis and Heslin already have plans to use the money to further the aims of the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement, Bankston said, referring to the nonprofit started by Lewis following her sons death. What a way to honor Jesse, Bankston said. To know that with this money thats being disgorged from Alex Jones, school children across this country are going to be taught social emotional learning. The jury was to decide damages for Heslin for the loss of his reputation for Infowars coverage that occurred in 2017 including a report questioning whether he held his son in the hours after he died. The 12-member jury also decided how much Heslin and Lewis should receive for the intentional infliction of mental anguish that spanned from 2013 to 2018, the judge said during her instructions. The jury began deliberating for a brief period late Wednesday afternoon following closing arguments and came back with a verdict around 5 p.m. Thursday. The six-day trial included several twists and turns with Lewis and Heslin providing heart-wrenching testimony about the loss of their son who was called a hero for telling his classmates to run when the shooter went to reload his gun. Lewis and Heslin spoke of being tormented by Jones followers who would send emails questioning their sons death. In one case, someone shot at Heslins home, he said. Minutes after Lewis left the stand, Jones started his testimony after being chided by the judge for chewing on a wad of gauze in his mouth from a pulled tooth. Jones was often bombastic on the stand, staying that he tried in the last few years to show he knew that children died in the shooting but the media wouldnt let him walk back his original claims that the killings were a hoax. He apologized to Lewis and Heslin, saying that we never intentionally meant to hurt you. Jones also admitted on the stand that it was irresponsible of him to portray the deaths as a hoax. I really could believe it was fabricated, Jones said Wednesday when he was asked about his Sandy Hook coverage. You do understand that was irresponsible? Reynal said. Yes, Jones said, especially after I met the parents, now I believe its 100 percent real. Jones faces a similar but separate trial in Connecticut and will face another in Texas. 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 John Moritz and Jordan Fenster contributed to this story. Sujata Jana / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the man shot and killed at a North Side gym earlier this week as 34-year-old Brandon Broadnax. Officials said Broadnax died from a gunshot wound to the head. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Stefan Schmitt, Florida International University (THE CONVERSATION) The United Nations reports that at least 5,237 Ukrainian civilians have been killed in the Ukraine war but other estimates place this figure at more than 10,000. Ukraine, meanwhile, has started more than 16,000 investigations into suspected war crimes committed by Russians. For me and my colleagues who since 1998 have worked in securing forensic evidence of these types of crimes in Afghanistan, Guatemala and other places it is apparent that identifying and collecting evidence of international crimes like killing civilians during conflict is beyond the capabilities and resources of local police crime scene teams, criminal investigators and prosecutors. Its also likely that the full extent of war crimes committed by both Ukraineand Russia wont be investigated and possibly prosecuted until after the war finally ends. This means that in the case of the Ukraine war, a new, unbiased judiciary and investigatory organization will likely need to be set up to handle the claims and questions about tens of thousands of victims on all sides. This will take decades of work and cost a large amount of money, requiring the support of rich countries. Proving war crimes War crimes, under international law, happen when civilians, prisoners of war, hospitals or schools essentially anyone and anything that isnt involved in military activities are targeted during a conflict. Both the Ukrainian government and Donetsk Peoples Republic, a Ukrainian breakaway region occupied by Russians, have prosecuted and convicted both Russian and Ukrainian soldiers for war crimes since February 2022. These prosecutions raise questions about how evidence is collected and handled to support these cases and about credibility. Ukraine has a history of government corruption, and Donetsk is both not recognized internationally and is backed by Russia, which has a judicial system known to tolerate torture. Previous recent conflicts that resulted in war crime allegations and investigations offer context for understanding the challenges in independently investigating them. I investigate cases in which law enforcement, military and police are alleged to have committed crimes against civilians and are not held accountable for it. In many cases, these alleged crimes happen during a civil war, like the Guatemalan civil war in the late 1970s and early 1980s, or the Rwandan conflict and genocide in the mid-1990s. This means that I often work with international organizations like the United Nations to travel to these places and document physical evidence of war crimes take photographs, take notes, do measurements and draw sketches to illustrate a potential crime scene. The idea is that any other experts can pick up this evidence and reach their own conclusions about what happened there. Crime scene investigators like me generally do not determine whether a war crime was committed. That is a decision reserved for the prosecutor or a judge who is given the evidence. Lessons from Afghanistan Shortly after the U.S. invaded Afghanistan in 2001, about 2,000 Taliban fighters surrendered to the Northern Alliance, an Afghan military coalition allied with the U.S. They later went missing. An investigation determined that these prisoners might have suffocated or were killed in containers used to transport them. It was suspected that they were buried in a mass grave in Dasht-e-Leili, a desert area in northern Afghanistan. In 2002, the United Nations invited a group of forensics experts from the nonprofit group Physicians for Human Rights to investigate this alleged mass grave. As part of this team, I documented heavy equipment tracks, human remains and personal items in this area. Physicians for Human Rights exposed over a dozen bodies in a test trench, and autopsies by one of their forensic pathologists determined the cause of death was consistent with suffocation. Evidence of medical gloves on the surface of and inside the mass grave struck me as unusual, as it indicated that logistically prepared personnel had handled the remains of the dead. At the time, Afghans barely had any medical supplies to take care of their injured. To me, it was indicative of the presence of foreign troops with the necessary supplies such as medical gloves at this site when the bodies were buried there. Considering that in late November 2001 the U.S. and its allies were searching for al-Qaida members, this might be a reasonable explanation for their presence. In 2008, in a follow-up visit to the area, I discovered two large pits in the desert, indicative of the removal of any human remains that might have been buried there. Later analysis of satellite imagery provided evidence of a large-scale excavation using a backhoe and trucks, dating it to late 2006. Everyone from former Afghan Vice President Rashid Dostum, also a warlord, to U.S. military and government experts offered different answers as to what happened there. The answer to whether war crimes were committed in Dasht-e-Leili remains unresolved to this day. Neither Afghanistan, the U.S., nor another country or organization took on investigating these deaths. Beyond political interests Since Ukraine is fighting Russia in an active war, it will not have the independence required to fairly investigate and prosecute potential war crimes cases. That will require other countries and international groups to help set up an independent, unbiased organization to investigate the fate of victims on all sides of the war. In March, the human rights branch of the United Nations also launched an international commission to investigate human rights violations in Ukraine. But the U.N. does not identify and return human remains to their families. While the International Criminal Court is also investigating war crimes in Ukraine, this organization tends to focus on high-level cases that go after political leaders and is not tasked to provide answers to families of all victims. These investigations will not extend beyond justice meaning the arrest and prosecution of soldiers or political leaders. War crimes involving massive numbers of casualties leave behind a multitude of surviving family members, all of whom have the right to know the fate of their loved ones. This goes for Ukraine as well as any other country where international crimes are committed. Families also have the right to the truth about what happened. This requires an institution with the independence, staff, scientific resources, legal capabilities and money to reach this understanding. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/proving-war-crimes-isnt-simple-a-forensics-expert-explains-whats-involved-with-documenting-human-rights-violations-during-conflicts-from-afghanistan-to-ukraine-182579. An 18-year-old man was hospitalized after a shootout with police on a Southwest Side road late Thursday night. The unidentified suspect is in critical condition. Police were searching for the teenager because he had allegedly shot at his girlfriend's vehicle sometime Thursday evening, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said. The officers on the call knew the suspect from prior contact and went to speak with the suspect's father at his home. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Frances Hall, the Helotes woman convicted of murder in 2016 for knocking her husbands motorcycle off Loop 1604 as she chased his lover in another vehicle, has been indicted on an insurance fraud charge, accused of underpaying more than $9 million in premiums. Hall, 59, was indicted June 30 by a Travis County grand jury, accused of participating in a scheme that started years before she killed her husband and continued until her prison sentence removed her from control of Bill Hall Jr. Trucking. Between 2009 and 2016, Hall provided false payroll information to Texas Mutual Insurance Company and concealed payroll reports to get lower premiums for the San Antonio gravel hauling business the couple built together, the Texas Department of Insurance said Thursday, citing an investigation by its Workers Compensation Division. A warrant for her arrest was issued July 8, according to court records. Hall faces a charge of securing execution of a document over $200,000, a first-degree felony. She turned herself in to Bexar County authorities this week and was released after posting a $20,000 bond. Bill Hall Jr. died of his injuries in the 2013 chase. The jury at Frances Halls 2016 trial didnt buy her story that it was an accident but gave her the lowest possible prison sentence. Related: Frances Hall, convicted of killing husband 2 years ago, heads back to San Antonio Frances denies the allegations in the indictment and looks forward to her day in court so she can exonerate herself, said her attorney, Leigh Cutter of San Antonio, who was part of the defense team at the murder trial. In the meantime shell continue to be the best she can for her family and grandbabies. Cutter added that Hall has received an unprecedented outpouring of support from many people. Shes a good woman, Cutter said. Officials said the ongoing insurance scheme allowed the company and its owners to avoid more than $9 million in premium payments, according to a statement released Thursday by the state agency. It quoted Travis County prosecutor Jessica Bergeman saying that workers comp fraud is far from a victimless crime. The Texas workers compensation system is funded through premiums that employers pay, she said. The system relies on the integrity of all who participate to ensure that workers compensation is viable and able to protect injured workers. Frances Hall was on South Loop 1604 on Oct. 10, 2013, in her Cadillac Escalade SUV when she saw the Range Rover she owned with her husband being driven by Bonnie Contreras, his lover of three years. Bill Hall Jr. was driving his motorcycle and following Contreras when the womens eyes met as they drove in opposite directions, according to testimony at the murder trial, which became a local courthouse spectacle and eventually drew national tabloid TV attention. When Frances Hall saw them, she turned around, caught up with the Range Rover and rammed it, Contreras told the jury, and the trio embarked on a highway chase that ended when the Escalade and motorcycle collided. Bill Hall was thrown from his bike and died later that day at a local hospital. Frances Hall who continued to follow Contreras but finally drove back to the scene of the crash was later arrested. A Bexar County jury convicted her after a three-week trial before a packed courtroom that featured numerous experts and other witnesses, including both of the women with whom the victim was involved. Frances Hall sobbed throughout her testimony, telling the jury that she never meant to kill her husband of 32 years and the love of her life. More local crime: Jury finds man who ran over ex-wife in San Antonio guilty of murder Frances Hall faced five to 99 years or life in prison, but State District Judge Jefferson Moore allowed the jury to consider that Hall acted under sudden passion when deciding punishment. The jury decided that she had, and it lowered the first-degree felony punishment to that of a second-degree felony, with a possible sentence ranging from two to 20 years. The jury assessed two years on the murder charge, and two years on an aggravated assault against Contreras. The sentences were served at the same time and Hall was released from prison in 2018. If Hall is convicted in the fraud case, she faces up to life in prison and fines up to $10,000. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 South Korea plans to raise the limit of the duty-free allowance for inbound travelers to $800 per person from the current $600, the finance ministry said Friday. Currently, international arrivals both Korean nationals and foreigners can receive tax exemptions for the purchase of items worth up to $600 per person. The government has decided to raise the threshold in a bid to take into account an increase in income levels per capita and better support the tourism industry hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The limit was last raised in 2014. The revised enforcement rules of the Customs Act also calls for allowing international arrivals to bring in two bottles of alcohol from the current one bottle. Currently, the limit of the duty-free allowance for alcohol is set at a 1-liter bottle valued at $400 or less. The threshold will be raised for the first time since 1993. After a two-week notice period for the public, the revised rules will go into effect before the Chuseok fall harvest holiday set for Sept. 10-12. (Yonhap) This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate One of the men accused of helping smuggle dozens of migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border to San Antonio in an overheated tractor trailer, resulting in the deaths of 53 of the migrants, has pleaded not guilty to four federal human trafficking charges. Christian Martinez, 28, of Palestine in East Texas, made the plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry Bemporad during an arraignment hearing at San Antonios federal courthouse on Thursday. Martinez, also known as Gordito or Gordo, allegedly worked with the truck driver, Homero Zamorano, to ferry the migrants from the Laredo area to San Antonios Southwest Side on June 27 in a big rig disguised as a produce truck. The migrants who died, including three children, came from Mexico and Central America. Another 11 migrants were injured, overcome by the heat. Authorities have described the incident as the worst human smuggling catastrophe in U.S history. At the scene, San Antonio police officers discovered several dozens of migrants deceased. Several more, who were incapacitated, were transported to area hospitals where they died. Temperatures that day hovered around 100 degrees, and experts have said it could have been more than 140 degrees in the trailer. On ExpressNews.com: They had dreams ceremony honors 53 migrants who died in sweltering trailer on San Antonios Southwest Side Later, police officers found Zamorano, 46, hiding in the brush nearby, attempting to disguise himself as one of the migrants. After securing a warrant to inspect Zamoranos cellphone, agents discovered text messages between him and Martinez discussing where to pick up the tractor trailer in Laredo, leading to Martinezs arrest on June 29. Last month, after Martinez and Zamorano were indicted by a federal grand jury, authorities revealed that Martinez and Zamorano had worked together on three prior smuggling trips before the one on June 27. This defendant helped coordinate that incident, and not only did he do it on one occasion, this defendant has done it on multiple occasions, according to his own admission, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Spears said during a hearing in July in San Antonios federal court. But Michael Gross, who was appointed to represent Martinez, said at the time that his client might have been coerced into speaking with agents. Martinez attended special education classes and cant read or write, Gross said. At best, Gross said in July, the governments allegations paint his client as a middle man. On ExpressNews.com: Truck driver who abandoned trailer of dying migrants in San Antonio made prior smuggling trips, feds say I do not mean to downplay the significance of the death of the 53 individuals, Gross told Bemporad at the hearing in July. However, Mr. Martinez was not present when either the air conditioner went out or when the decision to abandon those people was made. Both men remain in federal custody. Martinez and Zamorano each face four federal charges, including one count of transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death and one count of transportation of illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury. If convicted, they face the death penalty or life in prison. The U.S. Attorney Generals Office has said it will decide whether to seek the death penalty at a later time. Gross and David Shearer, another attorney appointed to represent Martinez, declined to comment Martinezs plea of not guilty. Staff Writer Guillermo Contreras contributed to this story. eeaton@express-news.net The Lighthouse Lounge near Woodlawn Lake Park is expanding, and those who live near the Northwest Side bar are concerned a new patio and outdoor speakers will further disrupt their sleep. Over protests from the bars neighbors and against city staffs recommendation, San Antonio City Council this week approved a zoning change that allows the bars owners to move forward with an expansion. District 1 Councilman Mario Bravo, who represents the area, expressed his support, and the measure passed 9-0. The community surrounding Woodlawn Lake and the Lighthouse Lounge is residential, and some neighbors said loud music is a problem even now. Athena Santos said shes already lost sleep. Margie Santos said the expansion would be devastating for residents who need a good nights rest. But Lighthouse Lounge owner Rene Zamora said hes monitored sound coming from his bar, and it has remained in compliance with the citys limits on noise. Not everyone was against the expansion. Zamora had the support of Woodlawn Lake Community Association and others. Feel the noise: San Antonio businesses with the most noise violations, from bars to BBQ restaurants JD Morales, president of the Woodlawn Lake Community Association, said the majority of neighbors supported the expansion. They feel the Lighthouse Lounge is a cultural hub and asset in the community, offering artistic experiences and special events. City staff had recommended council deny the zoning change because it could create noise in the neighborhood and would create a higher intensity use for the property that doesnt align with the surrounding community. But both the planning and zoning commissions gave the go-ahead, with certain conditions. Zamora opened the Lighthouse Lounge in 2019. It then had a lakeside deck with a view of the city skyline and outside music that drew people in. But late last year, a neighbor made a noise complaint. Also last year, the city told him the deck was not in compliance with occupancy rules under its zoning designation. Zamora removed it. Now, he wants to rebuild it. Bravo said the zoning change was really about outdoor speakers and the patio. To those in opposition, I heard you and your concerns. Im concerned about the amount of noise you may hear at your house, Bravo said. But Im also hearing those noise complaints dont have to do with outdoor speakers. Hes worked with the citys noise whisperer at Lighthouse Lounge before and said they might need to visit again. They could work with Zamora to change the direction of the speakers or make other adjustments. District 3 Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran, who represents the South Side, said she saw the opposition as a citywide issue. Everyone should join a discussion on San Antonios growth and possible revisions to the citys noise ordinance, she said. The city last fall created a task force to look into its noise ordinance and determine if it needs to be updated. Noise complaints had been consistent near popular San Antonio nighttime hangouts. Residents near the St. Marys strip, also represented by Bravo, have expressed similar issues as a residential community with nearby bars. Earlier this year, the city hired an outside consulting firm, Sound Music Cities, whose founder is known as the noise whisperer. The group was meant to review San Antonios noise ordinance and help find a balance of relief for both residents and business owners. megan.stringer@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate UVALDE More families fearful of returning to Uvalde schools because of the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School have asked neighboring Hill Country school districts to accept their kids as the fall semester approaches. The student exodus has been limited to a few dozen so far from a district that enrolled 4,116 students last year. The neighboring districts are much smaller, and the ones receiving most of the requests, Knippa and Sabinal independent school districts, have had to turn some parents away, officials there said. The deaths of 19 fourth-graders and two teachers brought a torrent of criticism down on Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District. Upgrades to security have postponed the start of its school year to Sept. 6. The district is preparing other campuses to absorb students from Robb, which will be demolished and replaced. But other schools in the area, public and private, are hardening their campuses, too, dealing with the same questions and trade-offs, officials said. The tragedy at Robb has impacted our community as well, said Richard Grill, superintendent at Sabinal ISD. Theres a lot of fright impacting parents. They arent mad at the (Uvalde) district, they are just scared and uncertain about the situation. Eighteen students from Uvalde applied for transfer to Sabinal ISD, just a 20-minute drive away, he said. Only one has been turned down so far, in its pre-K program, for lack of space. We are a small school so 18 is a significant number for us to accommodate, Grill said. We are not going to take so many kids in that we have to hire additional personnel or buy portables. And overcrowding classrooms isnt in the best interest of the kids. Elda Alejandro, the interim superintendent at Knippa ISD, estimated her district fielded about 50 calls in the past two weeks from parents in Uvalde who wanted to transfer their students. She only had room for 16 more kids, she said. On one hand, we are glad we are here for them but we are also having to tell them we are full and, Sorry, Alejandro said. We also feel bad for Uvalde CISD. On ExpressNews.com: Uvalde DA: Release of school shooting records would compromise investigations Sacred Heart Uvalde, the citys only Catholic school, has doubled its enrollment since last school year, from 55 to 111, but it has room for more and gets calls from interested families daily, principal Joseph Olan said. The San Antonio Archdiocese has been raising funds to help provide tuition assistance, a full-time school counselor, bullet resistant windows and other safety measures at the campus, which teaches up to sixth grade. Enrolling students from Uvalde isnt unusual for Sabinal ISD. Last year, 17 percent of its students were from Uvalde, and a bus shuttled about 50 of them back and forth. With the additional transfers, the district wants to add a second bus, but will struggle to find a driver for it given the national bus driver shortage. We might have to run two routes with the same driver, Grill said. He said a third of his teaching staff are either from Uvalde or live in Uvalde now and commute. On ExpressNews.com: After Uvalde, school police forces rethinking mass shooter plans Sabinal ISD upgraded security in recent years, adding solid fencing and electronic access on all doors, Grill said. Right now, the district is installing bulletproof windows and doors and investing in undercover officers and more uniformed officers. It has also offered teachers the option to become licensed to carry weapons on campus, but Grill doesnt predict many will take up the offer because it is a huge responsibility which comes with many hours of additional training. Theres no pressure on our end that they have to carry (a weapon) at school or be in a defensive posture at school, Grill said. Uvalde Classical Academy, a private Christian school in Uvalde, saw only a couple of new students who transferred because of the tragedy, said Larri Ann Wright, the head of school. We have had a lot of people inquiring and asking if there is space, particularly in our fourth and fifth grade classes, Wright said. Some parents were even considering having their student repeat the fourth grade because of COVID-19 and what happened at Robb. The school only has 10 students per grade so there is not a lot of room for expansion. It, too, is adding security, enclosing the back of the campus with fencing. On ExpressNews.com: Uvalde kids getting help from 200 San Antonio counselors Leakey ISD, which is about 40 minutes from Uvalde, is taking in one student who lost a sibling at Robb on May 24, said Katherine Antes, the business manager and communication liason at the district. DHanis ISD so far has not received requests from Uvalde families, but it might still happen, said Bunny Voigt, the districts information management system coordinator. Thats the dilemma we have, because we are such a small school. We have to go by class size and we might not have a spot for a certain student in a certain grade, Voigt said. claire.bryan@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate An infectious-diseases researcher at Texas Biomedical Research Institute has been cited by a federal watchdog agency for falsifying data in a scientific paper on treatments for tuberculosis, as well as in two grant applications. The Office of Research Integrity, an arm of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, said Deepak Kaushal, director of Texas Biomeds Southwest National Primate Research Center, admitted to research misconduct. The ORI ordered Kaushal to conduct all of his research under supervision for one year, a term that started last month. Kaushal will continue in his position at the San Antonio nonprofit, which said in an emailed statement that he has not received a research misconduct finding before and all data from studies carried out at Texas Biomed has been reviewed and found to be accurate. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio scientist leads study in fight against the coronavirus The scientific paper cited by the ORI titled Isoniazid and Rifapentine Treatment Eradicates Persistent Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in Macaques was retracted, and no grant funding from the National Institutes of Health was awarded based on it. The ORI listed 10 instances in which Kaushal either falsified and fabricated information, such as the numbers of primates involved in the study and time intervals between treatments, or in which he included data derived from falsified treatments. He stated, for example, that seven primates were given a treatment regimen while seven were in an untreated control group. However, eight primates were given the treatment and six were in the control group. Texas Biomed said in its statement that the study was repeated with the correct design and produced the same results. Much of Kaushals research relates to tuberculosis, and he is the principal investigator or co-investigator on more than two dozen NIH-funded grants, according to Texas Biomeds website. He also has received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private granting organizations. Under the ORIs directive, a committee of two or three senior faculty members at Texas Biomed who are familiar with Kaushals field, but not including his supervisor or collaborators, will oversee his research for a year. The committee will review primary data from his lab quarterly and report to the ORI regarding Kaushals compliance with research standards and confirm the integrity of his research. On ExpressNews.com: We need to breed more monkeys: Texas Biomeds new animal care complex to address shortage The committee is also expected to review applications that Kaushal submits for Public Health Service grants and to certify to the ORI that data presented in such applications and associated documents are supported by the research. The two grants applications in which he included falsified data were for PHS funding. Also, during the supervision period, Kaushal will exclude himself from being a PHS adviser or consultant. A plan detailing how Texas Biomed will supervise Kaushal must be approved by the ORI before he can participate in any PHS-funded research. tony.quesada@express-news.net On Wednesday, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department posted photos on social media of a "very rare sighting" in Texas. "A Snail Kite has been spotted at Lake Somerville State Park," the agency wrote. "This raptor is a very rare sighting in Texas. They are common in Central and South America but in the U.S., they are normally only seen in Florida." The bird's name is derived from the fact that it only preys on and feeds on apple snails. The birds fly slowly and low over fields in order to spot snails, according to the National Audubon Society. The Florida population of Snail Kites is listed as endangered due to the disruption of water flow and its impact on the bird's habitat and snail populations. An invasive species of snail has also recently established itself in Florida, with the impact on snail kites currently unknown, the national society said. On ExpressNews.com: TikTok video captures calf riding shotgun down a Texas highway The bird is found in fresh marshes and canals as well as large freshwater lakes in Florida. In the American tropics, the bird is also found in wet savannahs, rice fields and sugarcane fields where snails may be populous. During times of scarcity of large snails, including during droughts, the bird may eat small turtles, small snails, rodents and crabs, although they do so rarely. According to the TPWD, multiple types of kites can be found in Texas, including more common kite species like Swallow-tailed, Mississippi and White-tailed kites. A fourth, the hook-billed kite, is found only along the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The snail kite has been spotted in Texas once or twice before and is considered an accidental, meaning a species that has appeared in a given area only a few times and whose normal range is in another area. shepard.price@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The scene outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday evening looked cinematic. At an impromptu press conference, dozens of veterans, supporters and politicians celebrated the passage of the most sweeping expansion of VA benefits in 30 years. Minutes before, the Senate passed the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, known as the PACT Act, in an 86-11 vote. The bipartisan bill will help an estimated 3.5 million veterans who were sickened from exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, radiation and other toxins during their military service. Tears, hugs, smiles, high-fives, fist bumps and handshakes flowed through the crowd. With signs and stories, some people honored those who didnt survive their diseases to see this day. Others FaceTimed or called loved ones too sick to attend. On ExpressNews.com: Burn pit vets cant wait, yet Congress dithering Emotions from decades of trauma and loss poured out against the backdrop of the Capitol Rotunda aglow in the August twilight. The PACT Acts passage would have been special whenever it came, but after a week of protest and turmoil, the moment felt different due to politics. On July 27, a group of 25 Republican senators voted against the bill during a procedural vote to address administrative issues in the legislation. Some of the lawmakers, including Sen. Ted Cruz, shook hands and fist-bumped after blocking the bill. PACT Act supporters were shocked. Surprise morphed into frustration and resolve. On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: Take care of our veterans, pass burn pit legislation Social media was soon ablaze with calls for action. Instead of packing up, going home and waiting, a group of veterans, family members and advocates canvassed senators offices to voice their disappointment. Rosie Lopez Torres, co-founder and executive director of BurnPits360, a Robstown-based nonprofit, helped lead the charge. Her husband, Le Roy Torres, fell ill from burn pit fumes during an Army deployment to Iraq, and after numerous delays and denials of his care, the two started the organization to help others. Together, theyve lobbied politicians to act on toxic exposure legislation since 2010. Le Roy, however, was too ill to be in D.C. for this trip. Comedian and activist Jon Stewart, longtime supporter of the PACT Act and efforts to help those poisoned by toxic exposure, was in town to help. He shared a video that blasted Cruzs false comments about how the bill included a budgetary trick by Democrats. Marine combat veteran Tim Jensen, co-owner of San Antonio-based apparel brand Grunt Style and president of the companys nonprofit, is another staunch supporter of the legislation who was in D.C. On ExpressNews.com: After the battlefield, vets left battling toxic exposures Shortly after he visited Cruzs staffers, Capitol Police told Jensen and the group they were not allowed to walk the halls of Congress despite having appointments and an escort from New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrands office. The police eventually escorted the group from the building. Dejected and disappointed, Jensen, Lopez Torres and Amanda Barbosa an Army spouse whose husband is also sick from burn pits stopped for lunch to regroup. We were like, were not gonna leave. Why are we leaving? he said. So, we came up with the idea of Firewatch. The term is military jargon for guard duty. They mobilized veterans and supporters to stand watch at the Capitol until the PACT Act passed. On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: SCOTUS gets it right in burn pit decision For six days, the group stayed on the Capitol. In military fashion, they did not complain about the heat, rain or Capitol Police requests. We had some great support people from all over the country were DoorDashing and having things dropped off to us. We werent even asking for it, Jensen said. He estimated more than 1,000 people joined the peaceful protest at some point during the week. We did a great job of being respectful, being organized and showing our message and showing the passion of why we believe so vehemently in this bill, he said. I think we sent a very good example on how to petition your government. While the last battle of the PACT Act felt like a movie, the joyous moments outside the Capitol do not offer the tidy closure of film. The battle continues for those suffering from toxic exposure illnesses, their families and the loved ones of those who have died. Then there are the vets not yet diagnosed, living with the ticking time bomb of toxins in their bodies. The difference now, thanks to the hard work of so many, is a clearer path to proper care and benefits for the nations veterans. Thats something we should all celebrate. brandon.lingle@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Texas students want to be seen and heard. They want history and social studies to be inclusive and accurate. Will the State Board of Education see and hear them? More than 120 parents, educators and advocates signed up to testify at Mondays State Board of Education hearing about a once-in-a-decade revamp of the states social studies curriculum. Education advocates say theyre encouraged by whats in the draft of proposed changes to state standards, known as Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS, and are hopeful the board will choose inclusive, accurate history and social studies curriculum. Thats the hope. But the concern is GOP politics will succeed in more whitewashing of social studies and history. One little girl who testified had to stand on a chair to see over the podium. She introduced herself and said her father is from India and her mothers parents are from Hong Kong but she was born in Texas. She said a lot of students in her class are Asian American. I hope we can learn our stories, she said. Thank you for taking care of all kids. Ayaan Moledina, a 13-year-old, first-generation Pakistani American student from Austin, spoke about wanting accurate representation and offered several powerful examples, including that every year, they watch the same 9/11 video without a mention of the hate directed at Muslim Americans in the aftermath of the terrorist attack. Is having empathy controversial? Is learning about each others history controversial? Our communities have become so heavily divided, he said. All of you have been elected with an obligation to serve the students of Texas and you owe it to us to make us feel welcome. Many of the speakers advocated for students to be taught inclusive and accurate social studies that reflect the voices of Texans who are Black, Latino and LGBTQ+, but some also fought such efforts. Curriculum in Texas is a flashpoint and has shown to be especially salient with conservative voters. This past summer, Gov. Greg Abbott said House Bill 3979 didnt go far enough to abolish critical race theory in Texas classrooms, so GOP lawmakers created the more restrictive Senate Bill 3 to replace it. The new bill was enacted during the second special session that ended Sept. 2. On ExpressNews.com: Preyor-Johnson: Why the social studies bill fails students, teachers and history Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, whos served on the education committee for 30 years, said he voted against SB 3 because he believed lawmakers overstepped and the legislation derived from misinformation regarding critical race theory, or CRT. Of course, critical race theory, a university-level academic discipline, isnt taught in K-12 public schools. Conservatives hijacked it to stoke fears about discussing anything about race in public secondary schools. At the Monday hearing, a Fort Worth mother testified shes afraid the proposed new curriculum, which she called popcorn of culture, would confuse children and erode American freedom. She also brought up CRT. Marisa B. Perez-Diaz, a State Board of Education member from Converse, spoke about a narrow and misguided narrative taught in history classes. She asked the Fort Worth mother, What would you say to a young brown child who has always questioned, What is my culture? because they have not been exposed to it in the curriculum? Perez-Diaz told me shes encouraged by the draft and hopes the board will move forward in a timely way to provide pathways for all children to see themselves in the curriculum, engage in a deeper way and have some agency in what theyre learning. Aicha Davis, a State Board of Education member representing Dallas-Fort Worth, said SB 3 was a cloud looming over educators. She said some teachers were afraid to teach and some had left the profession due to it. That many students are begging for more accurate and inclusive curriculum and teachers are leaving because they cant do so is a painful lesson. Its something our State Board of Education can fix if they ignore politics. Nancy.Preyor-Johnson@express-news.net While Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke was on the campaign trail on Wednesday, he was warned to slow down while driving through part of Galveston County. O'Rourke was stopped by a Hitchcock Police Department traffic enforcement officer on Wednesday morning as he was driving in the 3900 block of Texas 6, Hitchcock Police Chief Wilmon Smith said on Thursday night. The officer stopped the pick-up truck O'Rourke was driving after he was clocked going 61 mph in a 45 mph zone, Smith said. O'Rourke was issued a warning for driving more than 10 percent over the limit, Smith said.The stop was listed by police at 10:27 a.m. AFTER UVALDE: In Beto O'Rourke ad, teacher recalls terrifying school lockdown 3 days after Uvalde massacre An O'Rourke campaign spokesman on Thursday night confirmed the stop happened and declined to comment. Still, O'Rourke's full name appeared in Galveston County's daily online police bulletin, which includes basic details about every arrest and alleged traffic law violation in the county. At least one person spotted O'Rourke in the bulletin and posted a screen shot of his name on Facebook. Smith said it's normal for drivers to be going too fast in the spot where O'Rourke was pulled over. The speed limit drops in that section of the highway, he said. "It's not unusual for people to not notice the change in the speed limit right there," Smith said. Smith called the stop typical. O'Rourke wasn't given any sobriety tests, he said. "We cut him a warning and cut him loose." Smith said. Smith said it was the officer's discretion to not administer any sobriety tests. CAMPAIGN NEWS: In O'Rourke ad, Houston teacher recalls terrifying school lockdown 3 days after Uvalde massacre O'Rourke is in the midst of a 49-day tour through Texas, where he plans to visit more than 65 counties, according to The Texas Tribune. He made a campaign stop in Galveston on Wednesday night and then traveled to Lake Jackson, in Brazoria County, on Thursday afternoon. john.ferguson@chron.com Air Serbia is planning the introduction of flights between Belgrade and Havana this coming winter season, the carriers CEO, Jiri Marek, said. It comes following Mr Mareks remarks that the airline would launch up to a dozen new routes, some of which will commence as early as the 2022/2023 winter season. We are starting to consider long haul flights to some exotic destinations. In that respect, we are looking towards the East and the West. One such destination, that is looking more and more certain this winter, is Havana, Mr Marek said. If the service goes ahead as planned, it will mark the first time the Serbian and Cuban capitals have been linked with a scheduled air service. Air Serbia is planning the introduction of flights between Belgrade and Havana this coming winter season, the carriers CEO, Jiri Marek, said. It comes following Mr Mareks remarks that the airline would launch up to a dozen new routes, some of which will commence as early as the 2022/2023 winter season. We are starting to consider long haul flights to some exotic destinations. In that respect, we are looking towards the East and the West. One such destination, that is looking more and more certain this winter, is Havana, Mr Marek said. If the service goes ahead as planned, it will mark the first time the Serbian and Cuban capitals have been linked with a scheduled air service. In 2016, Air Serbia considered introducing long haul leisure flights in order to better utilise its sole Airbus A330-200 aircraft over the winter months when it maintains fewer frequencies on its scheduled New York service, which will be complemented by Tianjin this winter. The National Association of Travel Agencies of Serbia (YUTA) told EX-YU Aviation News that the Serbian carrier was exploring long haul charters, in partnership with YUTA, several years ago. Keeping in mind that YUTA is one of Air Serbia's biggest partners in charter travel through our members, Air Serbia suggested a meeting with tour operators where we would discuss possible charters to far-off destinations. At the time, tour operators were interested in long haul charter flights to Thailand and Cuba during the winter months, as there is sufficient demand for those markets. The realisation of these charters was to be carried out during the winter season, YUTA said. Ultimately, the idea never came to fruition. During the pre-pandemic 2019, just over 4.500 passengers flew indirectly between Belgrade and Havana. Serbian citizens do not require a visa to visit the island and Cuba has no Covid-19 entry requirements, with neither a PCR test or vaccination certificate required. There were earlier attempts to establish flights between the two countries. In 2010, several tour operators joined forces in an attempt to organise charter flights between Belgrade and Havana once every fifteen days, or twice per month. However, chartering a foreign carrier was too expensive, while Jat Airways did not have the necessary aircraft to perform the route. Pelosi's visit an ugly political show and vain attempt 08:56, August 05, 2022 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan region, which risked universal condemnation, was a seriously violation of the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques. The visit seriously infringed on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, sparking strong resentment of the Chinese people and wide opposition of the international society. Pelosi's visit was a deliberate and vicious act to escalate tensions across the Taiwan Strait. The Taiwan question is the most important and sensitive issue at the very heart of the China-U.S. relations, and the one-China principle remains the political foundation for China-U.S. relations. The U.S. Congress, as a part of the U.S. Government, is inherently obliged to strictly adhere to the political promises made by the U.S. Government concerning the one-China policy in the three China-U.S. joint communiques. However, Pelosi claimed her visit didn't contradict the U.S. policy towards China and the U.S. would not abandon its commitment to Taiwan. This in essence instigated "Taiwan independence" and once again revealed the scheme of the U.S. to strategically contain and consume China with the Taiwan question. Such mean trick fully exposed the hypocrisy of the U.S. on the Taiwan question. The U.S.-Taiwan collusion and provocation came before China's legitimate countermeasures, which is an undeniable fact. However, Pelosi, to deflect the blame on China, accused Beijing of dramatically increasing tensions with Taiwan in recent years. 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 U.S. 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 U.S., 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. Pelosi noted her visit aimed at promoting regional peace, but it exactly proved that the U.S. has become the "biggest destroyer" of peace across the Taiwan Strait and for regional stability, as well as the chief culprit escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait. China's countermeasures are justified and necessary, and it's a right enjoyed by any independent sovereign country. Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, disregarding the general picture of the China-U.S. relations, was totally an ugly show of her to seek personal political profits. The U.S. mid-term elections are approaching but there have been scandals around the Pelosi family. To divert attention and gain an advantage in the elections, Pelosi resorted to the "Taiwan card," sowing discord between China and the U.S. to leave a so-called political legacy. She claimed to "stand with Taiwan," but is indeed taking Taiwan as a pawn on her chessboard. Her "democracy" and "human rights" are in essence private profits and businesses. U.S. mainstream media and the international society have widely criticized Pelosi for her irresponsible act, saying the visit was stupid, dangerous and unnecessary. The political farce cannot change the historical and legal fact that there is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. It is a consensus of the international community and a basic norm governing international relations. On the day of Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, the spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, reiterated UN's support for the one-China policy, and many countries also expressed their support for the one-China policy. Violating the one-China principle and the "five noes" commitment, the U.S. showed no sense of responsibility as a major country and further damaged its credibility. People with insight from the international community believe that any U.S. attempt to distort and break the one-China policy, directly or indirectly, would stain the history and law, break the promises made by the U.S., and hurt the international credibility of the U.S. The People's Liberation Army are currently conducting joint military operations around Taiwan Island, which are a stern deterrent against the recent major escalation of the negative acts by the U.S. on the Taiwan question, and a serious warning against separatist activities seeking "Taiwan independence." These operations demonstrate China's firm resolve, determination and capability to safeguard its state sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the country's responsible manner in protecting peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese government is capable of building a strategic environment for national reunification and defeating "Taiwan independence" separatist forces in any form. Any foreign intervention is doomed to failure. China's reunification is inevitable. It is an unstoppable trend of history that will never be changed because of Pelosi's visit. Any individual or country that attempts to reverse the trend and play the "Taiwan card" to undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity will pay a huge price. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.) (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Jeju International Airport is crowded with tourists on July 22. Newsis By Lee Hae-rin The government plans to introduce a system called Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) on the southern resort island of Jeju, because an existing visa-waiver program has served as a conduit for illegal immigration and resulted in visitors from other countries staying beyond the dates listed on their travel documents, the Ministry of Justice said on Thursday. Also known as K-ETA, with K standing for Korea, the electronic travel authorization is the Korea Immigration Service's online system that authorizes foreigners to enter via internet and mobile applications. Passengers from 112 visa-waiver countries who wish to enter Korea may register their travel information and receive authorization before departure. The system has been in place nationwide since September last year, but Jeju, the country's top travel destination for international tourists, has been an exception. On June 1, the island's borders reopened along with a 30-day visa waiver program, which had been suspended since February 2020 to reduce COVID-19 infection cases. During the suspension period, the number of foreigners visiting the island plummeted from the pre-pandemic level of 1.73 million to 210,000 in 2020 and to 40,000 last year, according to the Jeju Tourism Association. However, the number of foreign visitors attempting to take advantage of the visa waiver program and remain beyond their authorized period of stay has been increasing. On Tuesday, 112 Thai nationals out of 183 who arrived on Jeju via a chartered flight were denied entry as they were found to have unclear reasons for travel. The next day, 108 additional Thai visitors out of 182 were also turned down. Also, 23 Mongolian nationals who entered the country on a group tour of 156 people have not returned to their home country 30 days after entering Korea and became illegal residents. One of these illegal residents was caught at the Port of Jeju while attempting to aboard a boat headed to the southwestern city of Mokpo. Two others were found illegally employed on Jeju Island. In response, the justice ministry plans to introduce K-ETA to the island's border control as an additional step to preventing the entry of foreign nationals illegally seeking employment or in the country. An overwhelming 93 percent or 206 out of 220 Thai nationals who were denied entry by the immigration office this week at Jeju airport had been denied entry on the K-ETA system before departure, the ministry said. There has been no signs of a decline in the number of tourists due to the implementation of the electronic travel authorization system in countries like the U.S, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the ministry said. Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said the ministry will streamline the immigration process for legitimate entries and enforce border controls against attempts at unlawful entries. Fairfield, MT (59436) Today Mostly sunny. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low near 55F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. An experienced Welsh shearer will be making a record-breaking attempt to shear more than 873 lambs in nine hours later this month. Brecon-based Lloyd Rees, who is 28 years old, will be attempting to beat the current 9 hour solo British Lamb Shearing Record set by Stuart Conner in 2021. Lloyd started shearing around home with his dad and uncles and at the age of 16, attended a British Wool training course with Greg Evans near Llandrindod Wells. Competing from an early age, Lloyd soon realised he needed more training and several British Wool courses helped him move from propping up the bottom of the tables to a winning position. In 2012, aged 18, he took his first trip to New Zealand and returned from his 10th season in February this year. Lloyd said: I enjoy the physical and mental challenges of shearing. A particular favourite is racing other shearers, both in work and in the shows. "If I'm not shearing then I'm usually at home farming with mum and dad and will just get on with whatever dad throws at me! Since being part of the 4 stand team that set the British record in 2019, where Lloyd sheared 725 lambs, he has had the solo record in his sights. Lloyd said: I want to challenge myself to see if I can shear the most lambs ever in an official 9-hour day, while also raising money for two charities that are very important to me - Parkinson's UK and the Wales Air Ambulance. On advice for any young shearers, he said: Get on as many British Wool courses as possible as bad habits seem to come a lot easier than good ones - if you can start the right way, it'll put you right for the future. "I would also say its important to travel - if you are serious about shearing it's a must. Richard Schofield, shearing manager, British Wool said record attempts were an excellent opportunity to showcase the highly skilled individuals driving the industry forward. As a key industry body, we are totally committed to supporting champions as representatives and ambassadors. "Were delighted to be supporting Lloyd to help him achieve his goal and wish him the very best of luck. Fundraising for two charities - The Welsh Air Ambulance and Parkinsons UK will take place on the day A new case of highly-pathogenic bird flu has been confirmed in backyard poultry on a Devon farm, with all affected by the disease to be culled. Avian influenza of the H5N1 subtype was confirmed on Friday (5 August) at a premises near Ashburton, Teignbridge, Devon. The latest discovery makes it England's 106th case of the virus since the start of this year's avian influenza crisis, which began in late October 2021. The disease was discovered in poultry, Defra said in an online update. A cull has been ordered. A 3km Protection Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone has also been enacted around the site. Defra said: "The Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) remains in force across Great Britain until further notice, with only the housing measures component being lifted. "This means, while birds are allowed to range outside, if you keep birds you must continue to take effective and precautionary biosecurity measures until further notice." Defra added: "While the risk levels have reduced infection may still be present in the environment." It comes as a major research consortium convened last month to help combat this winter's outbreak of avian flu, which has been the largest and longest ever in the UK. The group is comprised of eight of the country's top scientific organisations, including the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), APHA, the Pirbright Institute and the Roslin Institute. The consortium was awarded 1.5 million of government funding to bolster research projects and develop new strategies to effectively tackle future outbreaks. The UKs chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss welcomed the new consortium: "[It] will allow us to combine our expertise at a national level to increase the speed and quality of our research, ensuring we can develop new strategies to aid our efforts against this insidious disease." An immediate ban is needed on the sale of disposable barbecues in an effort to prevent more wildfires damaging the countryside, rural campaigners say. The call comes following a spike in wildfires breaking out across the country due to the prolonged hot weather and ultra-dry ground. In response, Marks & Spencer announced that it had taken the 'precautionary step' of removing disposable barbecues from its shelves. Now the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents 28,000 farmers and rural businesses, is urging other supermarkets and retailers to do the same. The rural group says wildfires are not only damaging the countryside, but they are also threatening rural communities. CLA President, Mark Tufnell said: "The CLA is demanding that retailers immediately ban the sale of disposable barbecues across the UK this summer in a move to curb fires spreading in the countryside. "[They] cause great damage to rural communities, businesses and jeopardise the safety of all those in the surrounding areas." He added: "It is encouraging to see that Marks and Spencer has taken this decision, however it is now time for other major retailers to follow suit as soon as possible. "We warmly welcome people to the countryside as they seek to enjoy the glorious weather. But we ask them to help us protect farmland by not lighting barbecues, fires and other potentially hazardous materials such as sky lanterns." Weeks of unusually dry weather have put the UK countryside at high risk of fires which could be started by careless visitors, NFU Mutual warned recently. Rebecca Davidson, rural affairs specialist, said: A dropped match or smouldering barbecue is all thats needed to start a serious fire in our fields and forests. With more hot weather forecast, as many people are heading to the countryside, were urging visitors to take care to avoid starting a fire. "All too often, disposable barbecues, which seem to have gone out, smoulder for hours and start fires which can engulf acres of growing crops and wildlife habitats." Warrenton, VA (20186) Today A few showers this evening with mostly clear conditions overnight. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight A few showers this evening with mostly clear conditions overnight. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, left, poses with National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin Pyo before their meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, in this pool photo. AP-Yonhap Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, highlighted the strength of the U.S.-South Korea alliance on Thursday, wrapping her two-day visit to Seoul. She said the visit by her and other members of U.S. Congress reaffirmed the "strong bond" between Seoul and Washington. "The United States and South Korea share a strong bond formed for security and forged by decades of warm friendship," Pelosi said in a released statement. "Our Congressional delegation traveled to Seoul to reaffirm our treasured ties and our shared commitment to advancing security and stability, economic growth and democratic governance," she added. The speaker also posted several photos of her visit to the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on her official Twitter and Facebook accounts. "It was a special honor to engage with General LaCamera and other @USForcesKorea servicemembers on the ground at the DMZ/JSA and Osan Air Base," she tweeted, mentioning the top commander of the American forces in Korea and the air base, located south of Seoul, which she used for the two-day trip. JSA is the acronym for Joint Security Area, another name for Panmunjom. Image: Shutterstock As Michelle Obama rightly quotes Communities and countries and ultimately the world is only as strong as the health of their women. It is integral to understand the significant role that women play in society and this was correctly acknowledged and understood by the power-dynamic-duo Neharika and Kuntal Mehta. With more than two decades of experience providing technology to start-ups as well as being involved in multiple businesses, they commenced working around women's healthcare and better access to its services with a digital health care platform, Cicle. In addition, they have been constantly trying to revolutionise the health industry through compassion and hard work. Neharika Mehta Considering the inadequacy of resources for women's health in India and the lack of attention offered to their wellbeing, the couple worked diligently to create Cicle, under SheResolved, an app and website that offers a 360-degree shift in the women's health paradigm. A pan-India project addressing working women and housewives, facilitating their gynaecology consultations from the comfort of their homes. Health and comfort, as they believe, should go hand in hand. As part of Cicle, Neharika and Kuntal aim to empower women to prioritise, assess and reach out to healthcare providers for health concerns, including PCOS, infertility, pregnancy, and mental and physical wellbeing. Cicle specialises in fitness, offers customised nutrition plans, specifically meal plans for PCOS and pregnancy. In addition, it also has a team of competent and professional doctors onboard who come together to offer the finest services to each patient. Good healthcare services are a basic right, however, a challenging pursuit even for women in metros and mega cities. The duo understood how there was a lack of bare minimum knowledge and awareness concerning PCOS, PCOD, mental health, and others. That was their calling! Neharika and Kuntal Mehta The idea emerged during a visit to their hometown in India. During their everyday routine at home and with their families they observed and realised the lack of importance women at their home give to their health. The families were also least concerned and that made them introspect the whole situation and raise concerns about womens health. It was then that they decided to step up and create a positive impact by leveraging the situation at hand, changing it into an opportunity to intervene. With Cicle, they envisioned a digital healthcare service provider platform that could assess womens health charts and notify them regarding their menstrual cycle, ovulation days and pill intake with mental and physical health management. They were particular and highly rigorous in innovating new systems and analyses that could help with such nitty-gritties. The app and website are one-stop solutions for women, and function on tangible attributes such as sleep patterns, heart rate, past period dates, and others. It is also a knowledge-sharing and imparting platform driven by medical and scientific data. Its credibility is reflected in the intricacies that the platforms offer. Neharika and Kuntal are passionate about ensuring that women in India have easy access to healthcare. To them, such a basic right shouldnt become a treasure hunt. With such diligence and hope for a better future for women, they have been persistently working towards a new India. The one that challenges the existing paradigms and seeks justice for its women's health. What started as a venture in 2020 has now transformed into a belief to upscale women's health and wellbeing. As Cicle grasps the importance of providing end-to-end women's health and care services, it is foreseeing developing solutions that will enable quick access to these services. Image: Shutterstock The couple started this journey with a high leap from the built-start-ups to their very own venture and had adequate experience to build something of their own. With a vision to become the leading women's healthcare provider within the next two years, they are on a speedy expedition to success. At present, all their efforts are aligning to amplify the initiative and as of now, they stand at an amazing number of 1,50,000 users with daily downloads increasing by over 40% month over month. Cicle will soon be facilitating IVF and women's surgeries across 40 Indian cities. Their competency, diligence, and passion are what stand out, and their journey has been nothing but an inspiration for many. To find out more, head to www.cicle.health Also read: A Lifestyle Guide For Mompreneurs To Strike Work-Life Balance India-Mauritius merchandise trade rose to $786.72 million in fiscal 2021-22 from $690.02 million in fiscal 2019-20. Both sides recently agreed to enhance collaboration to further increase bilateral trade and realise the true potential of the relationship, especially under the India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership agreement (CECPA). Both the countries recently held the 1st session of India-Mauritius High-Powered Joint Trade Committee in New Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired by Srikar K Reddy, joint secretary in the Indian department of commerce, and Narainduth Boodhoo, director of trade policy for regional integration and international trade at Mauritius ministry of foreign affairs. The committee had been constituted as per the mandate of the CECPA, which entered into force on April 1, 2021, to review its general functioning and implementation. The CECPA is the first trade agreement signed by India with a country in Africa. India-Mauritius merchandise trade rose to $786.72 million in fiscal 2021-22 from $690.02 million in fiscal 2019-20. Both sides recently agreed to enhance collaboration to further increase bilateral trade and realise the true potential of the relationship, especially under the India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership agreement.# Both sides agreed to the inclusion of the general economic cooperation (GEC) chapter and automatic trigger safeguard mechanism (ATSM) in CECPA, according to an official release from the Indian government. The GEC chapter will enable enhancement of export competitiveness and enlarging the existing scope for collaboration in investment, financial services, textile, small and medium enterprises, handicrafts, port infrastructure and renewable energy among other sectors. Both the sides expressed willingness to enter into a Customs Mutual Administrative Assistance Agreement (CMMA) and agreed to initiate discussions on that soon. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) Though competitors in global textile market, India and Thailand also supplement each other for raw materials. Bilateral trade of textile products between the two countries is yet to recover after a dent of COVID-19. Mutual trade of fibre, yarn and fabrics was $255.911 million in 2021. Total bilateral trade touched a record $15 billion last fiscal. Recently, Indias minister of state for external affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh informed at an event, Thailand is the fourth largest trading destination for India in the ASEAN region. Bilateral trade between India and Thailand has reached an all-time high of around $15 billion in 2021-22. The Indian market remains attractive for Thai investors. The economic cooperation between the two countries in trade, investment and tourism have continued to flourish during recent years, Singh said at the recently concluded second edition of the North East India Festival, in Bangkok. Though competitors in global textile market, India and Thailand also supplement each other for raw materials. Bilateral trade of textile products between the two countries is yet to recover after a dent of COVID-19. Mutual trade of fibre, yarn and fabrics was $255.911 million in 2021. Total bilateral trade touched a record $15 billion last fiscal.# According to Fibre2Fashions market insight tool TexPro, India had exported textile products like fibre, yarn and fabric worth $126.898 million and imported worth $129.013 million in the same category during 2021. Bilateral trade was $260.082 million in 2019 and $188.612 million in 2020 for the same category. It shows slow recovery in the trade after the COVID-19 pandemic. Indias exports of textile products were valued at $174.007 million, and import was valued at $86.752 million in 2019 which totalled $260.082 million. The export of textile products was valued at $118.516 million, and import was valued at $67.096 million in 2020. The total bilateral trade was $188.612 million. As per TexPro, Indias export was $64.377 million for fabric, $33.822 million for yarn and $28.699 million for fibre during 2021. It had imported fibre of $69.322 million, yarn of $39.061 million and fabric of $20.629 million from Thailand. It shows that Thailand is mostly dependent for raw materials on India. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL) Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 4, 2022) - Lendified Holdings Inc. (TSXV: LHI) (the "Company" or "Lendified") announces the resignation of Guy Charette as a director and chair of the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") and the appointment of Kevin Dane as a director of the Company, effective immediately. Chris Tambakis, a director of the Company, will succeed Mr. Charette as chair of the Board. The Board wishes to thank Mr. Charette for his service as chair and member of the Board. Mr. Dane brings a wealth of experience when it comes to supporting the growth of entrepreneurs. He spent many years at a large Canadian financial services business and has helped finance the growth and development of hundreds of Canadian companies. Kevin has extensive experience in debt, mezzanine and venture capital financing, as well as consulting services to support business growth. The Board of the Company is now comprised of Chris Tambakis (Chair), Perry Dellelce, Peter Ostapchuk, Kevin Dane and Eoghan Bergin. ABOUT LENDIFIED HOLDINGS INC. Lendified, a company located in Ontario, Canada, is a Canadian company operating a lending platform which provides working capital loans to small and medium-sized businesses across Canada. Further Information For further information regarding Lendified, please contact: Eoghan Bergin, Chief Executive Officer and Director 1-844-451-3594 eoghan.bergin@lendified.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange ("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. This news release may contain forward-looking statements which reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events. The forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan, "estimate", "expect", "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties, which could cause results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Many risks are inherent in the industries in which the Company participates; others are more specific to the Company. The Company's ongoing quarterly filings should be consulted for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. Investors should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Management assumes no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, further events or otherwise. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132926 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2022 / Forward Water Technologies Corp. (TSXV:FWTC) (the "Company") is pleased to announced that it has issued a total of 502,999 common shares in the capital of the Company in settlement of compensation to AGORA Internet Relations Corp. ("AGORA") for certain advertising services provided by AGORA to the Company over the last six months. The Company has received significant exposure through millions of content brand insertions on the AGORACOM network and extensive search engine marketing over the last six months. In addition, exclusive sponsorships of invaluable digital properties such as AGORACOM TV , the AGORACOM home page and the AGORACOM Twitter account have served to significantly raise the brand awareness of the Company among small cap investors. President and CEO, Mr. Honeyman comments, "AGORA has proven to be a valuable partner over the past six month period. We are delighted to have their services to continue to expand our presence in the clean technology sector." As disclosed in the Company's December 17, 2021 press release the Company entered into an agreement with AGORA for the provision of marketing services for a period of one year. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement with AGORA, the Company agreed to pay a total fee of $100,000 + HST. The fee is payable, through the issuance of common shares of the Company and the 502,999 common shares being issued are being issued at deemed prices equal to the closing prices of the shares at each of the following dates: $20,000 + HST Shares for Services upon commencement November 15, 2021; $20,000 + HST Shares for Services at end of Third Month February 15, 2022; $20,000 + HST Shares for Services at end of Sixth Month May 16, 2022. The shares are subject to a hold period that will expire on December 5, 2022. About AGORACOM AGORACOM is the pioneer of online marketing, broadcasting, conferences and investor relations services to North American small and mid-cap public companies, with more than 300 companies served. AGORACOM is the home of more than 7.7 million investors that visited 55.2 million times and read over 600 million pages of information over the last 10 years. The average visit of 8min 43sec is more than double that of global financial sites, which can be attributed to the implementation and enforcement of the strongest moderation rules in the industry. About Forward Water Technologies Corp. Forward Water Technologies Corp. is a publicly traded Canadian company dedicated to saving the earth's water supply using its patented Forward Osmosis technology. The Company was founded by GreenCentre Canada, a leading technology innovation centre supported by the government of Canada. The Company's technology allows for the reduction of challenging waste streams simultaneously returning fresh water for re-use or surface release. The Company's mandate is to focus on the large-scale implementation of its technology in multiple sectors, including industrial wastewater, oil and gas, mining, agriculture and ultimately municipal water supply and re-use market sectors. In addition, the Company has initiated early stage R&D for the treatment of food and beverage process streams. For more information, please visit www.forwardwater.com . Contact Information: For more information or interview requests, please contact: C. Howie Honeyman - Chief Executive Officer howie.honeyman@forwardwater.com 416-451-8155 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. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws including statements regarding expansion and uptake of the Company's technology and the ability for the Company to achieve its growth strategy and business plan. 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, the ability to scale the technology and the adoption of the technology by potential customers. 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: the impacts from the coronavirus or other epidemics, general economic conditions in Canada, the United States and globally; unanticipated operating events; the availability of capital on acceptable terms; the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory authorities; stock market volatility 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. 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. SOURCE: Forward Water Technologies Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/710935/Forward-Water-Technologies-Corp-Issues-Shares-for-Payment-of-Services-by-AGORA-Internet-Relations-Corp LONDON, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Institute for Health Care & Excellence (NICE) have issued guidance recommending that NHS/Local Authority Smoking Cessation Services should make Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking Live Group Seminars available as a drug-free alternative to existing options such as nicotine replacement therapy, Bupropion, Varenicline, and nicotine-containing e-cigarettes. The NICE 'Guideline on Tobacco: preventing uptake, promoting quitting and treating dependence (August 2022 update)' paves the way for all local authority smoking cessation services to offer Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking Live Group Seminars as an exciting, A-list celebrity endorsed, clinically proven, easy-to-access, drug-free alternative to their current offerings. NICE found that the Allen Carr's Easyway Live Group Seminars were not only cost-effective but cost-saving when compared to existing treatments and that the evidence proving the effectiveness of the method is comparable to that which exists for 'nicotine e-cigarettes' which maintain the addiction. UK-based Allen Carr's Easyway, celebrating the 40th Anniversary of its conception next year, already has a proven track record of providing live group seminars as part of local authority smoking cessation services after conducting a number of successful pilots over the past two years - with more local authorities already commissioning their services as a result. The Easyway live seminars, which can be taken "in the room" or via Zoom, comprise of a live presentation of the method delivered by a former smoker who used the method to quit themselves. This fully trained facilitator guides smokers through a process described as 'cognitive restructuring', helping smokers understand why they smoke and how their addiction to nicotine creates a flawed belief system - a system that not only keeps them hooked, and discourages them from attempting to stop, but also causes immense discomfort and difficulty when they do attempt to quit. Once that flawed belief system is fully understood, smokers can actually enjoy the process of getting free from smoking. Most need just a single 5-6 hour seminar to succeed, but shorter back up sessions are available for the few that require them, along with post-seminar telephone, email, & text message support. The seminars are equally effective regardless of whether they are attended "in the room" or via Zoom. John Dicey, Global CEO of Allen Carr's Easyway comments: "This is one of the most significant days in the history of Allen Carr's Easyway, second only to the day, 39 years ago last month, when Allen Carr stubbed out his final cigarette and told his wife, Joyce, that he intended to cure the world of smoking. Well, we haven't quite got there yet - but with an estimated 50 million smokers helped worldwide we've made tremendous progress. This guidance from NICE will enable us to help millions more UK smokers, many of whom are suffering as a result of health inequalities and the ongoing cost of living crisis. The fact that all smokers, regardless of income may now have an opportunity to enjoy this innovative, easy to understand, interactive, drug-free live seminar programme in the same way as paying members of the public, A-list celebrities, and those fortunate enough to have employer or health insurance funding - will make a major contribution to local authorities' levelling up efforts. Supported by the most brilliant team, it has been my privilege to have spent the last 24 years making the method as widely available, as inexpensively as possible. We have utilised all formats- from computer games or books written specifically for people who find reading difficult, to online video programmes, to workbooks, and versions of the method to help prevent kids taking up smoking. Now, the original, most effective, gold standard version of the method - the live seminars - can be made available to those most in need and least able to afford them." Professor Dan Frings, from the Centre for Addictive Behaviours Research at London South Bank University comments "The Allen Carr's Easyway approach has been steadily gaining evidence from a variety of sources, and it is great to see NICE recognise its efficacy in their independent review. These updated NICE guidelines should encourage health care providers to adopt Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking Live Group Seminars as an effective option for those quitting smoking." www.allencarr.com Notes to Editors: Tobacco: preventing uptake, promoting quitting and treating dependence - NICE 04.08.22 Allen Carr's Easyway, founded & headquartered in London , is the world's most successful stop smoking method. Over 39+ years, Allen Carr's Easyway method has cured an estimated 50 million people of their addiction worldwide. Easyway, founded & headquartered in , is the world's most successful stop smoking method. Over 39+ years, Easyway method has cured an estimated 50 million people of their addiction worldwide. Interviews with John Dicey , Global CEO are available on request. , Global CEO are available on request. John was an 80 a day smoker before he successfully quit using Allen Carr's method and became Allen's protege, taking responsibility for his original London Clinic, and becoming co-author of Allen Carr books. You can find out a little more here. method and became Allen's protege, taking responsibility for his original London Clinic, and becoming co-author of books. You can find out a little more here. Allen Carr's Easyway has clinics in 50+ countries across the globe and the method isendorsed by a wide variety of celebrities and opinion formers. Easyway has clinics in 50+ countries across the globe and the method isendorsed by a wide variety of celebrities and opinion formers. Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking seminars are available throughout the UK costing 329 per person, including post seminar support & a money back guarantee. Easyway to Stop Smoking seminars are available throughout the UK costing 329 per person, including post seminar support & a money back guarantee. Vitality Health Insurance have funded 100% of the cost for corporate and individual policyholders to attend Allen Carr's Easyway Seminars for more than 10 years. Easyway Seminars for more than 10 years. Global corporations such as Google, UBS, Facebook, Vodafone, Sony, Ford, BP, Unilever, Total, Pfizer, IKEA, JCB, Telefonica, BMW, and Nestle have provided Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking Seminars to their employees as part of their wellbeing programs for many years. Easyway to Stop Smoking Seminars to their employees as part of their wellbeing programs for many years. In 2021 Allen Carr's Easyway were asked by the World Health Organisation to help in their global 'Commit to Quit' campaign (Commit to Quit video) which saw the UK-based company helping smokers in more than a dozen countries and sitting alongside corporate giants such as Facebook Amazon, Facebook, WhatsApp, Google, and Johnson & Johnson as one of WHO's commercial partners. to help in their global 'Commit to Quit' campaign (Commit to Quit video) which saw the UK-based company helping smokers in more than a dozen countries and sitting alongside corporate giants such as Facebook Amazon, Facebook, WhatsApp, Google, and Johnson & Johnson as one of WHO's commercial partners. Allen Carr's Easyway method has now been applied to a host of addictions and issues and is available via books, audiobooks, online video programmes, and live group seminars; smoking, vaping, alcohol, sugar/weight, cocaine, cannabis, 'other drugs', gambling, emotional eating, debt, fear of flying, caffeine, & tech/smartphone addictionwww.AllenCarr.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1872569/John_Dicey.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1872568/Allen_Carrs_Easyway_Logo.jpg Dallas, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - August 4, 2022) - Jaclyn Singletary Gibson LLC (JSG LLC), a small advertising business in Texas, has just announced the upcoming release of its new casual wear line, Perspective. The company is a marketing and advertising entity, and its limited-edition collection will be created from a blend of natural eco-friendly fibers, such as cotton, bamboo, and modal, and will feature a variety of inspirational phrases, primarily "Perspective". The line will be offered online approximately Fall 2022 and the company's goal is to move the collection into select stores in the Dallas area by Spring 2023. Targeting Modern Casual Style The collection's centerpiece will be a premium sweatshirt emblazoned with the motto Perspective, as this word and ideal are key to the company overall. JSG LLC explains that its Perspective line is meant to embody the founder's classic, feminine style: "We want each piece to be about comfort and effortlessness, no matter whether the wearer is going out on the town or staying home with friends. Our ideal look is elegant and casual. As a company we do not sacrifice quality for style, so our customers can trust that each garment is built to last." "We hope to expand Perspective into a wider range of products eventually," says JSG's spokesperson. "Right now we're starting with casual high quality sweats but we can see moving into different types of casual wear, like the classic white button-up shirt but with an oversized fit, or linen pants that look professional but are also comfortable." The company has also found that today's customers are often less concerned with lower price points and show an indication toward spending a bit more on quality products designed to last through multiple seasons. Environmentally Responsible Products A spokesperson for JSG LLC has shared that in designing its clothing line, the company is focused on reducing the carbon footprint of each item produced and of the company overall. "We have tested different kinds of fabrics," says JSG LLC, "and we're leaning toward modal, an ultra-soft wood fiber that is carbon neutral. The healthy environmental footprint of modal has definitely encouraged us to explore this option." JSG LLC is also considering bamboo, which some environmental groups support as sustainable due to its versatility. "We are considering bamboo in our new line because as a crop, it grows with little water and does not require pesticides or fertilizer," says JSG's spokesperson. "This, we hope, will help our pieces to be even more comfortable, affordable, and kind to the environment. Whichever direction we opt to go in, we are committed to and influenced by availability and sustainability." Promoting Non-Profits JSG LLC has announced that a portion of every purchase from its new clothing line will go toward supporting several charitable organizations. Part of JSG LLC's mission statement includes utilizing the company's marketing and advertising know-how into the promotion of non-profit organizations. The company is particular about what it supports and promotes to ensure that customer dollars are being utilized to truly help those in need. One of the company's featured donation recipients is Changing Our Perspective, a non-profit based in Chicago's inner city that seeks to fill the gaps left in health and mental wellness, educational access, and vocational opportunities for underprivileged children and their families. Every purchase from the line will also help JSG LLC to support Breakthrough, which is also based in Chicago and is dedicated to improving the educational opportunities for inner-city children. JSG LLC continues to provide financial support toward the non-profit. JSG began as a marketing and advertising business designed to promote products that its founders believed in. Through this experience the company found that today's customer base is more likely to purchase from businesses that are both environmentally aware and socially responsible. This is in line with JSG LLC's mission statement. Giving Back in Style The company is excited to delve into the fashion world with the release of the Perspective casual wear collection. JSG LLC looks forward to the release of its Perspective line of clothing and continues its work in advertising and marketing for its clients. Jaclyn Singletary Gibson LLC is an online business based in Dallas, Texas, and is focused on promoting and marketing featured brands. The founder, Jaclyn Singletary Gibson, started JSG LLC with the intention of branching out from her successful photography business. JSG LLC offers insight into its own success by sharing videos on various social media platforms encouraging potential small business owners and sharing trade secrets to help those interested. Contact Jaclyn Gibson via e-mail: jackiemichellegibson@gmail.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/jaclynmgibson TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@jaclynmgibsonn To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/131838 Foreign Minister Park Jin will visit China next week for talks with his counterpart Wang Yi, Park's ministry announced Friday. Park plans to leave for the eastern port city of Qingdao on Monday in his first trip to China as Seoul's top diplomat. He is reportedly scheduled to hold talks with Wang on Tuesday. The two sides opted to meet there instead of Beijing due to COVID-19 concerns, according to a source. They plan to discuss "issues of mutual concern including South Korea-China relations as well as regional and global affairs," the ministry said without elaborating. Pending bilateral issues include Beijing's opposition to Seoul's potential deal with Washington for the deployment of an additional advanced missile defense system, called THAAD, on the peninsula. Seoul is also under thinly-veiled pressure to join the U.S.-led Chip 4 Alliance for semiconductor cooperation with Japan and Taiwan. Seoul and Beijing are to commemorate the 30th anniversary on Aug. 24 of the establishment of their diplomatic ties. Park's China visit comes amid keen attention to the geopolitical policy direction of the conservative Yoon Suk-yeol administration. Yoon's government has stated a commitment to a stronger alliance with the United States and Yoon attended a NATO summit held in Madrid in late June. But he did not meet with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during her visit to Seoul earlier this week, instead holding a 40-minute phone call. Presidential aides cited Yoon's ongoing summer vacation scheduled well ahead of Pelosi's decision to travel here following a diplomatically controversial visit to Taiwan. Many observers, however, said Yoon seems to be trying not to antagonize Beijing. They said the upcoming talks between Park and Wang may set the tone for overall Seoul-Beijing ties in the coming years. (Yonhap) Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 4, 2022) - C21 Investments Inc. (CSE: CXXI) (OTCQX: CXXIF) ("C21" or the "Company"), a vertically integrated cannabis company, is providing a default status report in accordance with the alternative information guidelines set out in National Policy 12-203 - Management Cease Trade Orders ("NP 12-203"). As previously announced on May 30, 2022 (the "Announcement"), the Company applied for a management cease trade order ("MCTO") from the British Columbia Securities Commission (the "BCSC") due to an expected delay in filing of the audited consolidated financial statement for the year ended January 31, 2022, annual management's discussion and analysis for the same period and management certifications of annual filings (collectively, the "Annual Filings") beyond the deadline of May 31, 2022 prescribed by Canadian securities laws. The MCTO was granted by the BCSC on June 1, 2022. The MCTO prohibits the Company's management from trading in the securities of the Company until such time as the Annual Filings are filed. The MCTO does not affect the ability of any other shareholders of the Company to trade securities of the Company. C21 advises that there has been no change to the unaudited operational results (Sales, cost of sales, gross profit, expenses, income from operations) year end reported in the June 9, 2022 news release. C21 and its auditors continue to work diligently toward completing the Annual Filings as soon as possible. The ongoing auditor review is primarily addressing non-operational derivative accounting and certain other non-cash items for restatement of previous periods. Upon completion of the auditor's internal review process, the Annual Filings will be filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). The Company confirms that since the date of the Announcement: (i) there has been no material change to the information set out in the Announcement that has not been generally disclosed; (ii) the Company is satisfying and confirms that it intends to continue to satisfy the provisions of the "alternative information guidelines" under NP 12-203 and issue bi-weekly default status reports for so long as the delay in filing the Annual Filings is continuing, each of which will be issued in the form of a news release; (iii) there has not been any other specified default by the Company under NP 12-203; (iv) the Company is not subject to any insolvency proceedings; and (v) there is no material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed. Update on Interim Financials As a result of the delay in filing the Annual Filings, the Company also announces that the filing of its unaudited interim financial statements for the three-months ended April 30, 2022, the management's discussion and analysis for the same period and management certifications of interim filings (collectively, the "Interim Filings"), has been delayed beyond the filing deadline of June 29, 2022. The Company is working to complete the Interim Filings as soon as possible and expects the Interim Filings to be filed following the Company's filing of the Annual Filings. For further inquiries, please contact: Investor contact: Investor Relations info@cxxi.ca +1 833 289-2994 Company contact: Michael Kidd Chief Financial Officer and Director Michael.Kidd@cxxi.ca About C21 Investments Inc. C21 Investments is a vertically integrated cannabis company that cultivates, processes, and distributes quality cannabis and hemp-derived consumer products in the United States. The Company is focused on value creation through the disciplined acquisition and integration of core retail, manufacturing, and distribution assets in strategic markets, leveraging industry-leading retail revenues with high-growth potential multi-market branded consumer packaged goods. The Company owns Silver State Relief and Silver State Cultivation in Nevada, including legacy Oregon brands Phantom Farms, Hood Oil and Eco Firma Farms. These brands produce and distribute a broad range of THC and CBD products from cannabis flowers, pre-rolls, cannabis oil, vaporizer cartridges and edibles. Based in Vancouver, Canada, additional information on C21 Investments can be found at www.sedar.com and www.cxxi.ca. Cautionary Statement: Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, the Company's continued ability to satisfy the information guidelines set out in NP 12-203, the duration of the MCTO and the completion and anticipated timing of the Company making the Annual Filings and Interim Filings. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company, including, without limitation, information based on the current state of the Annual Filings and Interim Filings; the Company's belief that its external auditor will complete its audit and release its audit opinion in a timely manner that will allow the Company to file the Annual Filings; that the unaudited financial statements prepared by management of the Company will not differ materially from audited financial statements once available; and the ability of the Company's management to execute its business strategy, objectives and plans. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties arising from any delay in filing the Annual Filings and Interim Filings; the Company's ability to satisfy the requirements of NP 12-203; the revocation of the MCTO and replacement with a cease trade order; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's operations and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release represent the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities regulations. 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/132952 NEW YORK CITY (dpa-AFX) - Credit Suisse Group (CS) disclosed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or CFPB is investigating some of its credit card practices. The Swiss lender said in the filling that it is cooperating with the CFPB in connection with the investigation of GS Bank USA's credit card account management practices, including with respect to the application of refunds, crediting of nonconforming payments, billing error resolution, advertisements, and reporting to credit bureaus. The filing did not disclose other details about the probe and did not name the specific credit cards or accounts that are included in the investigation. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. LONDON, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WeGift, the industry leader in digital rewards and incentives, announced a number of significant achievements in the first half of 2022. In the first six months of the year, the WeGift team added more than 120 major, beloved brands to its catalog, signed more new clients than in the entire previous year and passed 100 full-time employees. "After closing our best year ever in 2021, we've taken things to a whole new level in 2022," said Aron Alexander, CEO and founder. "Payouts from organizations to individuals have long been slow, cumbersome and expensive. We're on a mission to fix that. The customers, partners and team members we've added in the first half of this year will help us accelerate our growth and bring more innovation to an industry that sorely needs it." In the last six months, WeGift has added some of the world's most-beloved brands to its catalog, including AirBnB, Nike, Instacart, Dunkin', Dick's Sporting Goods, Aldi and many more. In many cases, WeGift is the first and only gift-card platform to integrate with these brands, adding to an industry-leading catalog that offers rewards and incentives that will delight any recipient. "WeGift continues to be a major partner," said Joel Tobias, director of Strategic Alliances at Perkbox. "The integration was simple, and we saw an impact almost immediately. We've increased our available brands, continue to improve customer satisfaction, and cut our administrative time significantly. Working with WeGift has been nothing short of a huge win." Customers are taking notice, as WeGift's client roster has exploded. In the first half of the year, notable new customers included WishList, ThanksBen and Xoxoday, among many others. The company has signed more new customers in the first six months of the year than were added in all of 2021, while existing customers are extending their engagements and renewing agreements. Organizations of all types are tapping WeGift's network to underpin rewards through their platforms, as a solution for their own reward and incentive needs or both. WeGift clients report significant time savings, cost reductions and improved results upon adding WeGift functionality via API integration. Whether they're using WeGift to reward high performers, power marketing campaigns, drive customer loyalty or disburse funds, powerful reporting tools and an intuitive UX lead to happy users and happier recipients. WeGift solutions support rewards of all types, including retail gift cards, prepaid cards, subscriptions, charitable donations and more, available in 30 countries and 18 currencies. They are aggressively hiring across the organization. To join WeGift - whether as a customer, prospective employee or to be added to the reward catalog - please visit https://www.wegift.io. About WeGift Sending disbursements, incentives, and non-cash payouts is manual, expensive, time-consuming, and error prone. WeGift changes this by removing friction from the payouts process, so businesses can instantly transfer value to build relationships with the people they care about. Operating in more than 30 countries, and dozens of languages and currencies, WeGift's digital payouts platform and open API solution is directly integrated into every brand on its platform, offering corporate buyers the only true global network with direct access to more than 1,300 brands. Habito, Perkbox, Seated, Sodexo, Vodafone, and Vouchercodes all rely on WeGift to digitally engage their audiences. About Perkbox Perkbox is the global benefits and rewards platform that allows companies to care for, connect with and celebrate their employees, no matter where they are and what they want. With over 10 years' experience, Perkbox is trusted by more than 4,500 companies across 51 countries and counting. Its location agnostic platform helps companies with diverse and dispersed workforces harmonise their Employee Value Proposition (EVP) - keeping each employee happy, healthy, and motivated. Media Contact: stephen.fidgeon@wegift.io Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1872201/WeGift_Logo.jpg NEW DELHI (dpa-AFX) - Axis Bank Ltd said it has terminated a deal on sale of entire stake in its UK unit to OpenPayd Holdings. The Bank will now initiate the winding up process of Axis Bank UK Limited. '... the parties have mutually decided not to go ahead with the aforesaid transaction and accordingly have terminated the above Share Purchase Agreement,' Axis Bank said in a statement. In March, 2021, Axis Bank had said it entered into an agreement with OpenPayd for sale of 100% stake in Axis Bank UK Limited. 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. SHANGHAI, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dizal presented positive clinical updates highlighting the therapeutic potential of sunvozertinib in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor exon 20 insertion (EGFR Exon20ins) mutation at 2022 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC). Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and leading cause of cancer death globally.1 NSCLC accounts for approximately 85% of all lung cancers. NSCLC patients with EGFR Exon20ins mutation lack effective treatment options. Sunvozertinib, which was granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by US FDA and China NMPA, is a rationally designed, oral, potent EGFR Exon20ins inhibitor, with wild-type EGFR selectivity. It is currently being evaluated in late-stage development of multiple global pivotal studies as = 2nd line treatment after platinum-based chemotherapy and 1st line treatment for treatment-naive patients. Updated findings from the studies were presented at 2022 WCLC. As of April 30, 2022, in platinum-pretreated patients (n=119), the best ORR (at the RP2D of 300mg QD) assessment according to RECIST guidelines (version 1.1) was 52.4%. In patients with baseline brain metastasis, the best ORR at 300 mg QD reached 44%. The safety profile of sunvozertinib was amenable to long-term treatment. The most common drug related TEAE (treatment emergent adverse event) were diarrhea and rash, the majority of which were Grade 1/2 and clinically manageable. "We are excited to share these updated findings to peer clinicians, researchers and scientists at WCLC." said Dr. Xiaolin Zhang, CEO of Dizal, "With its superior antitumor efficacy and favorable safety, we are confident that sunvozertinib has the potential to become a best-in-class treatment option for NSCLC patients harboring EGFR Exon20ins mutation with persisting unmet medical need." About Dizal Dizal is a clinical-stage, biopharmaceutical company, dedicated to the discovery and development of differentiated therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and immunological diseases. Deep-rooted in translational science and molecular design, it has established an internationally competitive portfolio of five clinical-stage assets with two leading assets in global pivotal studies. About WCLC The World Conference on Lung Cancer is the world's largest multidisciplinary oncology conference dedicated to lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. The 2022 annual meeting will be held in Vienna, Austria, online and offline, from August 6-9, hosted by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). Founded in 1974, IASLC is a global organization in the field of lung cancer. It is committed to the research on the etiology, epidemiology, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies, providing the most cutting-edge innovative ideas and scientific research results in eliminating the threat to human health of lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements that are, by their nature, subject to significant risks and uncertainties. The words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", and "intend" and similar expressions, as they relate to Dizal, are intended to identify certain forward-looking statements. Dizal does not intend to update these forward-looking statements regularly. These forward-looking statements are based on the existing beliefs, assumptions, expectations, estimates, projections, and understandings of the management of Dizal with respect to future events at the time these statements are made. These statements are not a guarantee of future developments and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond Dizal's control and are difficult to predict. Consequently, actual results may differ materially from information contained in the forward-looking statements as a result of future changes or developments in our business, Dizal's competitive environment, and political, economic, legal, and social conditions. Dizal, the Directors, and the employees of Dizal assume (a) no obligation to correct or update the forward-looking statements contained on this site; and (b) no liability in the event that any of the forward-looking statements does not materialize or turn out to be incorrect. Source: curaJOY launches a free emotional wellness directory which gives marginalized communities access to global mental health providers and evidence-based methods. Las Vegas, Nevada--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2022) - Nonprofit developer of the family emotional wellness platform Quest Depot, curaJOY, is launching its global emotional wellness directory, ensuring that Asian Pacific Islander, multicultural, cross-cultural, and third-world adults and children have access to inclusive and effective health care that caters to their specific needs. More details can be found at https://www.curajoy.com curaJOY Reveals Global Emotional Wellness Directory For Underserved Communities To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/132955_e43e3dd024f3daa8_001full.jpg curaJOY's newly launched directory aligns with the company's vision to drive greater advocacy, acceptance, and innovation of emotional wellness programs for families across different cultures. The nonprofit investigates barriers to care for families with children and adolescents in emotional distress. The most frequently reported obstacles include limited financial resources, time constraints, cultural stigma, language barriers, lack of family support, and insufficient parental awareness of mental health and developmental issues. According to the latest research, Asian Pacific Islander adults are least likely to seek mental health treatment - with only 4.9 percent using mental health services annually. Other studies found that API individuals often lack family support due to the prevalent stigma around mental health. This crisis is compounded by insufficient resources and specialists who can provide race-informed care. To address this pressing need, curaJOY aims to improve access to specialist mental health care for Asian Pacific Islander individuals and other minorities through its new directory. Advocating for better access to emotional wellness for families of all cultures, curaJOY features a wide range of vetted service providers who have extensive experience working with people from Asian, Pacific Islander, third-culture, cross-culture, and multicultural populations - as well as immigrants in general. All providers on the new platform offer evidence-based treatments and must undergo a vetting process. The directory does not allow advertised content or paid listing. Founder Caitlyn Wang, who has struggled to find appropriate schooling and adequate behavioral support for her autistic child from Asia to the US, hopes curaJOY's Global Emotional Wellness Directory will ease the burdens of other parents on similar journeys. Along with increasing access to emotional wellbeing tools for all populations, curaJOY collaborates with psychologists and educators worldwide to create digital emotional wellness solutions as supplementary support for families to identify the therapeutic method that works best for each individual without costly and time-consuming trial and error. The new directory and curaJOY's emotional wellness platform aim to provide preventative approaches to mental health and reduce inequity and service costs. About curaJOY A 501(c)3 non-profit, curaJOY provides a personalized solution for families around the world to raise children who can thrive in their social and emotional lives. The company promotes personal growth and authentic social connections through innovative, evidence-based digital solutions. curaJOY's transformative emotional wellness programs are tailored to children and available in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Interested parties can find out more at https://www.curajoy.com Contact Info: Name: Sherry Hsia Email: info@curajoy.com Organization: curaJOY Address: 304 South Jones Boulevard Ste #2986, Las Vegas, NV 89107, United States Website: https://www.curajoy.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132955 Eurocastle announces results of Tender Offer Company repurchases 864,980 shares at 10.26 per share and Eurocastle to Release First Half 2022 Financial Results on 9 August 2022 Guernsey, 5 August 2022 - Eurocastle Investment Limited (Euronext Amsterdam: ECT) today announces the results of the tender offer to repurchase up to 1,286,181 shares at a tender price of 10.26 per share (the "Tender Offer"). The circular describing the terms and conditions of the Tender Offer was published and made available to shareholders on 8 July 2022 (the "Circular"). The Tender Offer closed at 6:00pm (CET) on 4 August 2022. In accordance with the terms and conditions set out in the Circular and based on the final count by the Company's agent, ABN AMRO Bank N.V., Eurocastle accepted tenders of 864,980 Ordinary Shares at the fixed price of 10.26 per Ordinary Share for a total tender of 8.9 million, excluding fees and expenses relating to the Tender Offer. The shares accepted for repurchase represent approximately 47% of Ordinary Shares in issue as of 4 August 2022. The record date for the tendered shares repurchased was 4 August 2022 with settlement expected by 9 August 2022 at which point the repurchased shares will be cancelled. As a consequence, as at 9 August 2022: The total number of shares of the Company in issue will be 992,555; The total number of shares held by Eurocastle in treasury will be nil (0% of the shares in issue); The total number of voting rights exercisable by holders of shares of the Company will be 992,555; and The FIG Concert Party will continue to hold 539,638 shares of the Company, representing approximately 54% of Ordinary Shares in issue. The Company today also announces that it will release its financial results for the six months ended 30 June 2022 on Tuesday, 9 August 2022 before the market opens. Further details relating to the impact of the Tender Offer will be included in that announcement. Any capitalised terms not defined in this announcement have the same meaning as in the Circular. NOTICE: This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of the Market Abuse Regulation 596/2014. ABOUT EUROCASTLE Eurocastle Investment Limited. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 5, 2022 / (TSX:NANO) (OTC PINK:NNOMF) (Frankfurt:LBMB). Nano One Materials Corp. ("Nano One" or the "Company") is a clean technology company with patented processes for the low-cost, low-environmental footprint production of high-performance cathode materials used in lithium-ion batteries. Nano One has filed its unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements (the "financial statements") and management's discussion & analysis for the second fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2022 and is pleased to provide the following highlights from Q2 2022. Q2 Highlights and Headlines Working capital of ~$47.5 million; cash of ~$47.9 million Acquisition of Johnson Matthey Battery Materials Joint Development Agreement with BASF Strategic Investment by Rio Tinto for ~$12.5 million Corporate Milestones for Q2 Acquisition of Johnson Matthey Battery Materials On May 25, 2022, Nano One announced it had entered into a binding agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Johnson Matthey Battery Materials Ltd. ("JMBM Canada") a Canadian entity located in Candiac, Quebec, for approximately $10,250,000 paid in cash, subject to closing working capital adjustments. Acquisition to include the team, facilities, equipment, land and other assets Team has more than 360 years of scale-up and commercial production know-how Team and facilities proven in supplying tier 1 cell manufacturers for automotive LFP facility and land strategically located near Montreal and operational since 2012 Facility and equipment can serve Nano One's process needs with room to expand Expedites Nano One business strategy for LFP and other battery materials JMBM Canada also includes a 2,400 tonne per annum capacity LFP production facility occupying approximately one tenth of the 400,000 square foot property. The transaction is expected to complete by the end of calendar 2022, subject to JMBM Canada fulfilling contractual commitments and certain other customary closing conditions. Joint Development Agreement - BASF On May 31, 2022, Nano One announced the signing of a joint development agreement ("JDA") with BASF SE ("BASF"), a globally active chemical company with extensive experience in the development and manufacture of battery materials. Under the JDA, the companies will co-develop a process with reduced by-products for commercial production of next-generation cathode active materials (CAM), based on BASF's HEDTM-family of advanced CAM and using Nano One's patented One-Pot process and M2CAM technologies. BASF has a family of CAM products well-suited to the evolving requirements of batteries in automotive drivetrains and a proven track record of developing these products in collaboration with others. Nano One and BASF will also use the M2CAM process for higher flexibility in terms of manufacturing approach and resulting product performance, reduced energy consumption and environmental footprint. Strategic Investment by Rio Tinto On June 9, 2022, Nano One announced entering a strategic partnership with Rio Tinto, a leading global mining and metals group, providing iron and lithium products, collaboration and a US$10,000,000 ($12,536,500) investment into Nano One. This partnership and funding will accelerate Nano One's multi-cathode (multi-CAM) commercialization strategy and support CAM manufacturing in Canada for a cleaner and more efficient battery supply chain for North American and overseas markets. Nano One issued 4,643,148 common shares to Rio Tinto, approximately 4.9% of the issued and outstanding Shares of Nano One at the time of the share issuance, at $2.70 per share in a non-brokered private placement. The proceeds will be directed towards technology and supply chain development, commercialization, Nano One's acquisition of the Candiac facility in Quebec, its conversion to One-Pot LFP and industrial scale piloting of other Nano One CAM technologies, and for working capital purposes. Q2 Financial Position and Results Gross expenditures on research activities of ~$1,600,000 (Q1 2022 - ~$1,700,000) (Q2 2021 - ~$800,000) Purchase price consideration for JMBM Canada of ~$10,000,000 Proceeds from Rio Tinto strategic investment (private placement) of ~$12,500,000 Gross capital expenditures incurred of ~$275,000 Net use of cash of ~$800,000 (Q1 2022 - ~$3,900,000) Total assets of ~$60,700,000 (March 31, 2022 - ~$51,400,000) Total liabilities of ~$1,500,000 (March 31, 2022 - ~$1,400,000) Sources of cash during Q2 were from the Rio Tinto private placement (~$12,500,000), cost recoveries from strategic partners (~$637,000), interest income (~$123,000), proceeds from Government programs (~$69,000), and exercises of stock options and warrants (~$49,000). For a more detailed discussion of Nano One's second quarter and year to date 2022 results, please refer to the Company's financial statements and management's discussion & analysis, which are available at www.sedar.com ### About Nano One Nano One Materials Corp (Nano One) is a clean technology company with a patented, scalable and low carbon intensity industrial process for the low-cost production of high-performance lithium-ion battery cathode materials. The technology is applicable to electric vehicle, energy storage, consumer electronic and next generation batteries in the global push for a zero-emission future. Nano One's One-Pot process, its coated nanocrystal materials and its Metal to Cathode Active Material (M2CAM) technologies address fundamental performance needs and supply chain constraints while reducing costs and carbon footprint. Nano One has received funding from various government programs and the current "Scaling of Advanced Battery Materials Project" is supported by Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) and the Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund of the Province of British Columbia. For more information, please visit www.nanoone.ca Company Contact: Paul Guedes info@nanoone.ca (604) 420-2041 Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information in this news release includes but is not limited to: current and future collaboration engineering, and optimization research projects; closing of the pending acquisition of the Candiac facility in Quebec; the execution of the Company's plans, development of materials, methods of production and study for pre-pilot, pilot and scaled up manufacturing on the path to commercialisation which are contingent on support and grants; successful collaboration with Rio Tinto; and the commercialization of the Company's technology and patents. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of terminology such as 'believe', 'expect', 'anticipate', 'plan', 'intend', 'continue', 'estimate', 'may', 'will', 'should', 'ongoing', 'target', 'goal', 'potential' or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made are not, and cannot be, a guarantee of future results or events. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including but not limited to: closing of the pending acquisition of the Candiac facility in Quebec; any future collaborations that may happen with with miners, OEM's or others; the Company's ability to achieve its stated goals; the commercialization of the Company's technology and patents; the execution of the Company's plans, development of materials, methods of production and study for pre-pilot, pilot and scaled up manufacturing on the path to commercialisation; and other risk factors as identified in Nano One's MD&A and its Annual Information Form dated March 28, 2022, both for the year ended December 31, 2021, and in recent securities filings for the Company which are available at www.sedar.com. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that is incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. SOURCE: Nano One Materials Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/710925/Nano-One-Provides-Quarterly-Progress-Update-and-Reports-Q2-2022-Results Herzliya, Israel and Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2022) - Innocan Pharma Corporation (CSE: INNO) (FSE: IP4) (OTCQB: INNPF) (the "Company" or "Innocan") is pleased to announce that it has filed a new patent application (PCT) entitled "compositions for treatment of hair loss", claiming priority from an earlier US provisional patent application. The composition developed by Innocan research and development and disclosed in the current PCT can be used to treat and prevent hair loss and is applied topically to the skin or scalp. This application contributes to Innocan's continued expansion of its health and wellness intellectual property portfolio of 14 patent families. The application will ultimately result in more comprehensive international protection for the Company's intellectual property, including in the United States and the European Union, among other places. The hair loss treatment products market size was valued at almost US$16 million in 2020 and is projected to grow to more than US$45 million by 2028, representing a compound annual growth rate of 13.26% between 2021 to 2028. (February 2022, Verified Market Research) "Innocan's science is proving itself to have immense value in a variety of applications. We're proud of our intellectual property as the backbone of our Company and we are looking forward to the value that this activity will bring in the near term", said Innocan CEO Iris Bincovich. About Innocan Innocan Pharma is a pharmaceutical tech company that operates under two main segments: pharmaceuticals and consumer wellness. In the pharmaceuticals segment, Innocan focuses on developing innovative drug delivery platform technologies comprised of cannabinoids science, to treat various conditions to improve patients' quality of life. This segment involves two drug delivery technologies: (i) "LPT": a CBD-loaded liposome platform facilitating exact dosing and the prolonged and controlled release of CBD into the blood stream. The LPT delivery platform research is in the preclinical trial phase for two indications: epilepsy and pain management; and (ii) "CLX": a CBD-loaded exosomes platform that aims to provide a highly synergistic effect of regenerating and anti-inflammatory properties targeting the central nervous system. In the consumer wellness segment, Innocan develops and markets a wide portfolio of innovative self-care products to promote a healthier lifestyle. Under this segment, Innocan has established a joint venture named BI Sky Global Ltd. that focuses on advancing online sales. https://innocanpharma.com/ For further information, please contact: For Innocan Pharma Corporation: Iris Bincovich, CEO +972-54-3012842 info@innocanpharma.com NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Caution regarding forward-looking information Certain information set forth in this news release, including, without limitation, information regarding research and development, collaborations, the filing of potential applications with the FDA and other regulatory authorities, the potential achievement of future regulatory milestones, the potential for treatment of conditions and other therapeutic effects resulting from research activities and/or the Company's products, requisite regulatory approvals and the timing for market entry, is forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Innocan's control. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Innocan, including expectations and assumptions concerning the anticipated benefits of the products, satisfaction of regulatory requirements in various jurisdictions and satisfactory completion of requisite production and distribution arrangements. Forward-looking information is subject to various risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this news release. The key risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: general global and local (national) economic, market and business conditions; governmental and regulatory requirements and actions by governmental authorities; and relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, customers, business partners and competitors. There are also risks that are inherent in the nature of product distribution, including import / export matters and the failure to obtain any required regulatory and other approvals (or to do so in a timely manner) and availability in each market of product inputs and finished products. The anticipated timeline for entry to markets may change for a number of reasons, including the inability to secure necessary regulatory requirements, or the need for additional time to conclude and/or satisfy the manufacturing and distribution arrangements. As a result of the foregoing, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this news release concerning the timing of launch of product distribution. A comprehensive discussion of other risks that impact Innocan can also be found in Innocan's public reports and filings which are available under Innocan's profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information as actual results may vary materially from the forward-looking information. Innocan does not undertake to update, correct or revise any forward-looking information as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132905 Initial headline was incorrect. 05 August 2022 Inteliqo Limited ("Inteliqo" or the "Company") Admission to Trading on AQSE and First Day of Dealings Inteliqo Limited (AQSE: IQO), a start-up technology company that provides sales, marketing and distribution services to cutting edge consumer technology brands under long-term distribution agreements, is pleased to announce that admission of its shares to trading on the Aquis Exchange Growth Market ("AQSE") will take place and dealings will commence at 8.00 a.m. today, under the ticker "IQO" and ISIN number GG00BPLG4G55. The Company has been admitted to the Access segment of AQSE and the commencement of trading of the Company's Ordinary Shares follows a successful subscription and placing by Inteliqo Limited for a total of 2,370,000 Ordinary Shares at 0.0250 per ordinary share, raising gross proceeds of 59,250. The Company Gross Proceeds of the Fundraising and issue of Existing Shares is 832,250 (before expenses). On Admission, the Company will have 112,500,000 Ordinary Shares in issue and the market capitalisation of the Company will be approximately 2,812,500. About Inteliqo Limited Inteliqo is a start-up technology company that provides sales, marketing and distribution services to cutting edge consumer technology brands under long-term distribution agreements. The Company has agreed its first such agreement in respect of the Ipedia iQ product range. The iQ product is a smart translation earphone (earbuds) system and application which offers integrated real time speech translation in 42 languages, built in smart assist (google and siri), multiple microphones and HD sound (www.ipedia.co). The principal activities of the Company are to appoint and license resellers for defined territories on the basis that these resellers will enter into an agreement with the Company to purchase a minimum number of products from the Company on an annual basis with the intention of reselling them within their territory. The Company's admission document is available to view on its website https://inteliqo.com/. This announcement contains information that, prior to its disclosure, constituted inside information as stipulated under Regulation 11 of the Market Abuse (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019/310 (as amended). The directors of Inteliqo Limited accept responsibility for this announcement. Board members: Michael Joseph Hill, (Joe Hill) Chief Executive Officer Joe Hill has significant experience in the sales, marketing and distribution of products, gained over the past 18 years in business and has detailed and hands-on knowledge and experience in finance, operations, management, marketing and growth. Joe Hill was previously a retail Director for Specsavers Opticians where he served for 10 years. Joe provides the strategic vision and direction for the Company and acts as Chief Executive Officer. Alister Bruce Watterson, (Bruce Watterson) Non-Executive Director Bruce Watterson is an FCA-qualified accountant and has been appointed as a Non-Executive Board Director. He is the Client Director and Chief Operations Officer for the Dixcart Trust Corporation Limited with offices in Guernsey and looks after a diverse portfolio of commercial, corporate and private high-net- worth clients. Bruce has an extensive understanding of off-shore companies and fund management across a full spectrum of portfolios spanning both personal and business investments, and has previously served on the Round Table National Finance Committee. Raymond Matthew Smart, (Ray) Finance Director In the 27 years since qualifying as a chartered accountant, Ray has successfully undertaken a variety of senior management roles in a number of different fields including Banking, Insurance and Risk Management, Payment Services, Managing Corporate Structures, Mining, Health Clubs, Property and Accounting Public Practice. Before joining the Company, Ray ran his own outsourcing company providing consultancy, back-office services and support for corporate structures to local and overseas companies. Joseph Michael Truelove, (Joseph Truelove) Non-Executive Director and Chairman Joseph Truelove has 25 years of experience in financial services, including roles in audit, financial control, operations, business development and fund administration. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Trust and Estate Practitioner and holder of a Certificate in Company Direction (Distinction) from the Institute of Directors and is also a holder of a personal fiduciary licence issued by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission to provide Non-Executive Director services. Experienced in private equity, venture capital, real estate, infrastructure, liquid securities and debt, he has served as a Non-Executive Director on the boards of both listed and private funds, both closed- ended and open-ended, including chairman and chair of audit committee roles. Joseph has experience with companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, AIM, Aquis and The International Stock Exchange (TISE) listed companies and funds. He is currently an INED and Chairman of SuperSeed Capital Limited, an AQSE-listed company. For further information please contact: Inteliqo Limited Joe Hill, Chief Executive Officer j.hill@inteliqo.com First Sentinel Corporate Finance Limited (AQSE Corporate Adviser) Brian Stockbridge +44 (0) 203 989 2222 Brian@first-sentinel.com END Foreign Minister Park Jin met Friday with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and expressed concern about the possibility of North Korea carrying out another nuclear test, a source said. The ministers were seated next to each other during the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in Phnom Penh. They had a conversation just before the session. Park raised the North Korean nuclear issue, and Lavrov mentioned the word "tit-for-tat." The detailed background of why the top Russian diplomat used the wording was not immediately confirmed. The ministers also talked about the Ukraine war. Park told Lavrov the situation in Ukraine is having "adverse impacts" on South Korea-Russia relations. He voiced hope for an early restoration of peace in Ukraine and normalization of Seoul-Moscow ties, according to his ministry. It was their second meeting since Park took office in May. They met each other in Indonesia last month, where the Group of 20 foreign ministers' meeting took place. Among other attendees at the EAS session were U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Later in the day, Park is scheduled to join the annual ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). On Thursday, he met informally with Pyongyang's top delegate, An Kwang-il, during a welcome dinner. Park asked An to convey his congratulatory message for the North's Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui on being promoted to the post. Apparently, Choe is not joining the ARF in person due to the North's strict measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. An is the North's ambassador to Indonesia and doubles as point man on ASEAN. (Yonhap) Engineering, procurement and construction companies must take special steps to ensure that PV plants operate reliably and efficiently. Japan's ORIX Renewable Energy Management (OREM) is one such company. pv magazine recently caught up with Executive Vice President Kazuhisa Yurita to discuss the current challenges of O&M.You are currently operating C&I rooftop systems and ground-mount solar stations in Japan. In terms of O&M, what are the differences you experience between the two asset classes? In the C&I sector, it's approximately 400 assets, but in total is only 150 MW capacity. In the ground-mount ... 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. Individuals in Anaheim looking for experienced personal injury lawyers can now find vetted professionals using this online database. Tustin, California--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2022) - Local Attorneys Online has expanded its service area to include Anaheim in a bid to help locals find the right attorney or law firm for their personal injury claims. Its growing directory now includes listings from many major cities in Southern California, including Santa Monica, Glendale, Santa Anna, Calabasas, Culver City, and more. Further details can be found at https://localattorneysonline.com/personal-injury-attorneys Anaheim Personal Injury Lawyers Now Added To Local Attorneys Online's Directory To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/132957_5d5d7ce81434a9d9_001full.jpg The legal directory is ideal for anyone who has been the victim of a work-related accident, road rage incident, car accident, dog bite, slip and fall injury, nursing home abuse, or any other injury caused by the negligence or malice of another person. According to the company, these injuries often result in lost wages, exorbitant medical bills, and even death. "You didn't ask to be hurt, so you and your family shouldn't suffer financially," it argued on its website. Local Attorneys Online, however, warned that hiring just any lawyer for a personal injury claim is not the ideal course of action because these cases require knowledge in specific areas of law, particularly tort law. After browsing the listings, users can schedule a consult with the law practice of their choice to determine if they should go to court. "If you don't, they will inform you of that, so you don't waste time on a subject with little chance of a positive outcome," the company explained, adding that this exploratory stage of the engagement is offered at no cost. Local Attorneys Online said that personal injury lawyers are trained to secure witnesses and utilize technology and research to create convincing court arguments. Clients can also expect them to draw on the knowledge of legal assistants, investigators, and expert witnesses when preparing for a trial. In addition to personal injury cases, Local Attorneys Online offers listings for attorneys who specialize in criminal cases, bankruptcy, estate planning, divorce, and real estate disputes, among others. "From court appearances and title services to foreclosure assistance and contract disputes, the trusted team of attorneys we have compiled will thoroughly evaluate your case, listen to your concerns and advise you of your best legal options," the company said. Interested parties can learn more by visiting https://localattorneysonline.com/personal-injury-attorneys Contact Info: Name: Jim Redmond Email: james@localattorneysonline.com Organization: Local Attorneys Online Address: 2522 Chambers Rd V#164, Tustin, Ca 92780, United States Website: https://localattorneysonline.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132957 TOKYO, Aug 5, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda) today announced that it has signed an agreement to transfer all shares of Honda Lock Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Honda Lock), a consolidated wholly-owned subsidiary of Honda, to MinebeaMitsumi Inc., a manufacturer of machinery components and electronic devices.In the midst of major changes in the business environment, Honda is working to optimize its business portfolio to better leverage the strengths of each individual Honda company, including those of its consolidated subsidiaries. As a result of studying the future growth potential of Honda Lock, including the advancement of its key products into electronic devices, Honda concluded that Honda Lock will experience further growth in the future by conducting business as a part of the MinebeaMitsumi Group, which has strengths in technologies and value creation in a diverse range of industries and technology areas beyond automobile components. Based on this assessment, Honda decided to proceed with this stock transfer, which is expected to be completed before the end of 2022, after going through various transfer procedures including obtaining regulatory approvals.For more information, visit https://global.honda/newsroom/news/2022/c220804eng.html.Source: HondaCopyright 2022 JCN 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. The "Europe Cookers Ovens Market Size, Share Industry Trends Analysis Report By Distribution Channel, By Type, By Country and Growth Forecast, 2022 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Europe Cookers Ovens Market is expected to witness market growth of 5.5% CAGR during the forecast period (2022-2028). Pressure cookers are aimed to speed up the preparation of slow-cooked meals. It is cost-effective in terms of electricity consumption and is great for tenderizing lesser cuts of meat as well as it can cut cooking times in half and maintain nutrients effectively, making it a healthy cooking option. It's critical to keep the pressure cooker hygienic and operational. Suppliers frequently have replacement parts for worn-out parts on hand. For instance, a consumer might need to substitute the rubber gasket that guarantees a tight seal. It's also significant to maintain the valves clear of debris. Because pressure-cooked food does not brown, it's a good idea to do this before mixing liquid and closing the lid. Browning meat improves its appearance and flavor. The growth of tourism in European countries has resulted in a strong demand for innovative and improved technology in cooking appliances like ovens and cookers from hotels and restaurants in order to deliver orders quickly. The consumer's eating habits are heavily influenced by baked foods. Manufacturers are heavily spending on creating the products more advanced in the high-tech environment of the area consumer electronics sector. Falcon Foodservice, for example, has introduced a new line of cookers and ovens with enhanced functionality and connectivity. These ovens were created with the intention of being used in small spaces. Additionally, Europe's food and beverage industry contributes significantly to the region's economic growth. The Germany market dominated the Europe Cookers Ovens Market by Country in 2021, and is expected to continue to be a dominant market till 2028; thereby, achieving a market value of $14,910.4 million by 2028. The UK market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 4.6% during (2022 2028). Additionally, The France market is expected to showcase a CAGR of 6.3% during (2022 2028). Scope of the Study Market Segments Covered in the Report: By Distribution Channel Offline Online ByType Cooktops Cooking Ranges Ovens Cookers By Country Germany UK France Russia Spain Italy Rest of Europe Key Market Players Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. (Haier Group Corporation) Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group) LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation) Robert Bosch GmbH Groupe SEB Wilh.Werhahn KG (ZWILLING J.A. Henckels AG) Koninklijke Philips N.V. Fissler GmbH Electrolux AB Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1. Market Scope Methodology Chapter 2. Market Overview Chapter 3. Strategies Deployed in Cookers Ovens Market Chapter 4. Europe Cookers Ovens Market by Distribution Channel Chapter 5. Europe Cookers Ovens Market by Type Chapter 6. Europe Cookers Ovens Market by Country Chapter 7. Company Profiles For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/h5lpwe View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220805005151/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 TOKYO, Aug 5, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) today submitted a revised shelf registration statement to the Kanto Local Finance Bureau in preparation for planned issuance of a transition bond in the Japanese market. The issuance will be undertaken to raise funds for allocation to diverse initiatives toward achieving carbon neutrality.The planned issuance is based on MHI's selection as a model example of the "2021 Climate Transition Finance Model Projects" being supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), as announced in the Company's press release of March 18, 2022. One of the unique features of this model example is that MHI not only plans to achieve emission reduction from the economic activities of itself but also attempts to enable the realization of transition strategies of other parties through its products and services. Through issuance of its first transition bond, MHI looks to diversify its fund procurement methods and achieve its target of carbon neutrality by 2040.For more information visit https://www.mhi.com/news/22080502.html.Source: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Copyright 2022 JCN 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. BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks were subdued on Friday, as U.S.-China tensions simmered and investors awaited key labor market data from the United States later in the day for clues about the Federal Reserve's tightening path. Days after U.S. House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, the Chinese government has decided to impose sanctions on her and her family. China said it fired missiles over Taiwan for the first time, escalating tensions in the region. Investors were also reacting to the Bank of England's largest interest-rate hike in last 27 years and its warning that a long recession on its way. The pan-European Stoxx 600 slipped 0.2 percent to 437.99 after closing 0.2 percent higher on Thursday. The German DAX eased 0.2 percent even as data showed industrial output rose sequentially in June despite supply-china problems and higher energy prices. Output in Europe's manufacturing powerhouse rose 0.4 percent in June from the previous month in calendar-adjusted terms, Destatis said. France's CAC 40 index dropped half a percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 was down 0.1 percent. Credit Suisse declined 1 percent after reports that executives at the Swiss bank are discussing reducing thousands of roles globally. Pirelli & C. SpA surged 4.3 percent after the Italian tire manufacturer reported higher profit in its second quarter driven by strong revenue growth. The company also lifted its fiscal 2022 forecast for revenues. German logistics company Deutsche Post jumped nearly 6 percent after second-quarter earnings beat expectations. Insurer Allianz gave up 2.3 percent after reporting a 23 percent fall in Q2 net profit. Automotive and arms manufacturer Rheinmetall plunged 6.2 percent despite the company posting higher profit and sales for the first half of the year. Miners Anglo American, Antofagasta and Glencore were seeing modest gains in London as copper and other base metals rose on a weaker dollar. Oil & gas firm BP Plc fell nearly 2 percent and Shell dropped 1.2 percent as oil headed toward a 10 percent weekly loss on recession worries. Capita plunged 6.3 percent. The business process outsourcing and professional services provider said that its first-half profit before tax plunged to 0.1 million pounds from last year's 261.1 million pounds, reflecting business exits and portfolio goodwill impairment. London Stock Exchange Group rallied 3 percent on share buyback news. Advertising agency WPP plummeted 7 percent despite raising its sales outlook. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de A picture of the panel discussion from the World AI Show - Malaysia that was streamed live on July 13, 2022 KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5, 2022 - (ACN Newswire) - On 13 July 2022, Malaysia played host to a virtual conference with a wealth of AI, and future-tech related discussions. Trescon, the event's host, brought together more than 250 online participants, including important players in Malaysia's AI ecosystem like government officials, leading AI specialists, and solution vendors. Leading players in AI & Data space like Dataiku | Strateq, Denodo, Alteryx, TigerGraph, ServiceNow, ManageEngine and Snowflake gathered at the virtual conference to examine the prospects for AI in Malaysia.The event focused on key topics such as:- Leveraging digital transformation through Malaysia's AI national strategy- AI & RPA: Accelerating the pace of digital transformation- The democratization of analytics; transforming business with Artificial Intelligence- How data virtualization accelerates machine learning and AI projects- Leveraging intelligent automation: the role of AI and automation in ITOps- Analyzing the growth of conversational AI in a post-Covid world and much more.The event featured a ground-breaking alliance between specialists like:- Ms. Sofia Paes - Data Policy Advisor, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications of Estonia, Estonia- Mr. Navin Sinnathamby - Head, AgTech, Sectorial Pilots & DroneTech, Ecosystem Development Division, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation Sdn. Bhd (MDEC)- Ms. Judy Nam - Principal Solutions Engineer Director, Dataiku- Mr. Alexandre Hubert - RVP, Sales SEA, Dataiku- Ms. Katrina Briedis - Sr. Product Marketing Manager, Denodo, Australia- Mr. Teo Hong Sen - Solutions Engineer, Alteryx, Singapore- Mr. Pranay Roy - Solution Engineering Manager APJ, TigerGraph- Mr. Nilesh Timbadia - Chief Information Officer, The Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP), Malaysia- Mr. Badril Abu Bakar - Deputy Director, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI)- Dr. Waqas Khalid Obeidy - Chief Innovation Officer, TheLorry, Malaysia- Dr. Sasa Arvoski - Program Director AI & Robotics, Associate Professor, Raffles University, Malaysia- Mr. Fawzi Bessaih - Head of Data Science, Airasia Singapore; to name a few.The show kicked off with an opening keynote by Datuk Dr. Mohd Nor Azman Hassan, Deputy Secretary General Technology Development, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation where he shared his insights on, "Leveraging Digital Transformation through Malaysia's AI National Strategy."Judy Nam, Principal Solutions Engineer Director, Dataiku spoke at length of "Defining a Successful AI Project: A Framework for Choosing the Right AI Use Case." She was quoted saying, "Data needs to be relevant complete, high quality have sufficient number of records compliant and be timely."While speaking about "The Democratization of Analytics," Teo Hong Sen, Solutions Engineer, Alteryx mentioned that, "Companies are investing significantly in digital transactions, 99% in big data and 24% in AI shows reports in big data drivers."The event also witnessed a panel discussion on the topic 'Accelerate Innovation using AI/ML, Cloud and Data Analytics' that was moderated by Nadiah Hanim Abdul Latif."Since AI brings up a wide range of possibilities, finding the correct business context for it is critical to achieving success. Innovations like artificial intelligence, however, must be contextualized and integrated into a business use case," says Mithun Shetty, CEO of Trescon.The show was hosted on the virtual events platform Vmeets which helped the participants to network and conduct business in an interactive and immersive virtual environment. Participants were also able to engage with speakers in Q&A sessions and network with solution providers in virtual exhibition booths, private consultation rooms and private networking rooms.World AI Show Malaysia was officially Supported by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), & officially sponsored by:- Lead Sponsor - Dataiku & Strateq;- Gold Sponsors - Denodo, Alteryx, ServiceNow & TigerGraph;- Silver Sponsor - ManageEngine- Bronze Sponsor - SnowflakeAbout World AI ShowWorld AI Show is a thought-leadership-driven, business-focused, global series of events taking place in strategic locations across the world.It fuses top AI experts, enterprises, government representatives, data scientists, technology leaders, startups, investors, researchers, academicians, and global AI innovators - to discuss the latest challenges for the sector arising out of the pandemic situation.About TresconTrescon is a global business events and consulting firm that provide a wide range of business services to a diversified client base that includes corporations, governments, and individuals. Trescon is specialized in producing highly focused B2B events that connect businesses with opportunities through conferences, roadshows, expos, demand generation, investor connect, and consulting services.For further details, please contact:Zeba RashidPR, Media & Corporate Communications, Trescon+919555915156 | media@tresconglobal.comSource: tresconCopyright 2022 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. COPENHAGEN (dpa-AFX) - Danish container logistics company A.P. Moller - Maersk A/S (AMKAF.PK, AMKBF.PK) announced Friday that it has reached an agreement to acquire Martin Bencher Group, a Denmark-based project logistics company. The enterprise value of the transaction is $61 million post-IFRS 16 lease liabilities. With the intended acquisition of Martin Bencher, Maersk will also introduce a new product, Maersk Project Logistics. Martin Bencher is an asset-light logistics provider that specialises in project logistics, which covers the combination of solution design, special cargo transportation, and project management services. It has a presence in key locations globally through 31 offices in 23 countries, with almost 170 employees. Maersk and Martin Bencher Group remain two separate companies until obtaining all required regulatory approvals and closing of the transaction. Maersk expects the acquisition of Martin Bencher would enable it to deliver project logistics services with a high degree of reliability, and a strong focus on Health, Safety, Security and Environment or HSSE. Peter Thorsoe Jensen, CEO of Martin Bencher, said, 'Clients requiring project logistics are aware of the constraints and challenges facing them and are seeking strategic partners with sufficient ambitions and strength to handle their entire global supply chain now and in the years to come. Together with Maersk, we will have the scale, commitment, and capabilities to handle the entire logistics scope of work for clients around the world - as well as expand into new industries.' In Denmark, AP Moeller Maersk shares were trading at 20,600 kroner, down 6.5 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. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 5, 2022 / BeMetals Corp. (TSXV:BMET, OTCQB:BMTLF, Frankfurt:1OI.F) (the "Company" or "BeMetals") announces that it has entered into a loan agreement with strategic investor B2Gold Corp. (TSX:BTO, NYSE American:BTG, NSX:B2G) ("B2Gold") for an unsecured loan in the principal amount of US$5,000,000 (the "Loan"). The Loan matures on August 4, 2025 and bears interest at a rate of 4.7% per annum. The interest on the Loan is to be paid or accrued annually at the discretion of the Company and the Loan is repayable in part or in full at any time without penalty. The Loan will be used for general working capital. The Company is not issuing any securities or paying any bonuses, commissions or finder's fees with regards to the Loan. John Wilton, President and CEO of BeMetals stated, "Given the current conditions in equity markets for the mining sector, we are pleased to have arranged this non-dilutive financing with our strategic and largest shareholder B2Gold. This capital will be added to the Company's current treasury of approximately CA$3.0 million. The funds will continue to be diligently deployed to create value for investors with ongoing drilling of our exciting Kato Project and exploration of our other gold properties in Japan. The Company will also continue advancing its copper exploration in the Zambian Copperbelt and the South Mountain zinc project in Idaho, as well as accelerate its efforts in identifying and securing potential development projects." Related Party Transaction Disclosure As B2Gold is an insider of the Company, the Loan constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on exemptions from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation or minority shareholder approval based on sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(1)(f) of MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report related to this Loan more than 21 days before the closing of the Loan since the terms of the Loan were not determined until shortly prior to closing and the Company wished to proceed with closing for the efficient continuation of its corporate strategy. ABOUT BEMETALS CORP. BeMetals is a precious and base metals exploration and development company focused on becoming a leading metal producer through the acquisition of quality exploration, development and potentially production stage projects. The Company has established itself in the gold sector with the acquisition of a portfolio of wholly owned exploration projects in Japan. BeMetals is also progressing both its tier-one targeted, Pangeni Copper Exploration Project in the prolific Zambian Copperbelt, and advancing its high-grade, zinc-silver-gold-copper exploration at the South Mountain Project in Idaho. Guiding and leading BeMetals' growth strategy is a strong board and management team, founders and significant shareholders of the Company, who have an extensive proven record of delivering exceptional value in the mining sector, over many decades, through the discovery, construction and operation of mines around the world. ON BEHALF OF BEMETALS CORP. "John Wilton" John Wilton President, CEO and Director For further information about BeMetals please visit our website at bemetalscorp.com and sign-up to our email list to receive timely updates, or contact: Derek Iwanaka Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Development Telephone: 604-928-2797 Email: diwanaka@bemetalscorp.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 news release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward looking information" (as defined under applicable securities laws), based on management's best estimates, assumptions and current expectations. Such statements include but are not limited to, statements with respect to future exploration, development and advancement of the South Mountain Project, the Pangeni Project and the Japan properties, and the acquisition of additional base and/or precious metal projects. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects", "expected", "budgeted", "forecasts", "anticipates", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "aims", "potential", "goal", "objective", "prospective", and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "can", "could" or "should" occur. 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 expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the actual results of exploration activities, the availability of financing and/or cash flow to fund the current and future plans and expenditures, the ability of the Company to satisfy the conditions of the option agreements for the South Mountain Project and/or the Pangeni Project, and changes in the world commodity markets or equity markets. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The forward-looking statements and forward looking information are made as of the date hereof and are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such factors or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any forward-looking statements or forward looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as require by law. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. Please refer to the Company's most recent filings under its profile at www.sedar.com for further information respecting the risks affecting the Company and its business. SOURCE: BeMetals Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/710954/BeMetals-Announces-US5-Million-Funding-from-Strategic-Investor-B2Gold-Corp Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2022) - Green River Gold Corp. (CSE: CCR) (OTC Pink: CCRRF) (the "Company" or "Green River") is pleased to update the progress on the 2022 exploration program at its Quesnel Nickel/Magnesium/Talc Project, located 40 kilometers from the City of Quesnel, British Columbia, in the prolific Cariboo Mining District. Fargo Exploration conducted a geochemical survey, consisting of soil and rock chip sampling on Grid 1 from July 6 to July 18 (Figure 1). The bedrock outcropping locations were mapped and recorded during the 2.5 square KM soil sampling program. A total of 145 samples, including soil samples and rock chip samples, were taken during the survey. Figure 1. Geochem survey Grid 1 in the area referred as the Deep Purple Target To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7403/132958_46cb6a03146b1bb1_002full.jpg Photo 1. Serpentinite with carbonate veinlets. To view an enhanced version of Photo 1, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7403/132958_46cb6a03146b1bb1_003full.jpg Photo 2. Weathered greenish-colored serpentine. To view an enhanced version of Photo 2, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7403/132958_46cb6a03146b1bb1_004full.jpg The main bedrock type in Grid 1 is serpentinite, an ultramafic igneous rock (peridotite prototype) that underwent serpentine alteration. Carbonates veinlets (Photo 1) are abundant in the fine-grained, green-colored serpentine groundmass which is weathered red in most places where exposed (Photo 2). All the soil samples have been securely stored indoors at the company's facility in Quesnel. After the soil samples were dried, certified technicians tested the samples with a portable XRF analyzer. The test results were used by our geological team to create a thematic analysis of the mobility of various elements to support the selection of new drill targets. Step out drilling of the new targets is ongoing at the 14 KM long Deep Purple Target. Four additional shallow backpack drill holes have been completed to date. Hole DD-22-06 was drilled 350 meters north and east of the discovery drill holes, Hole DD-22-07 was drilled 1800 meters east and south of the discovery drill holes, Hole DD-22-08 was drilled 900 meters east and north of the discovery drill holes, and Hole DD-22-09 was drilled 500 meters east of the discovery drill holes. Hole DD-22-05 was previously reported on and the Company is awaiting assay results (see Company's press release dated June 27, 2022) Figure 2. Drilling Locations on The Deep Purple Target To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7403/132958_46cb6a03146b1bb1_005full.jpg Figure 3. Drilling Locations Showing Outcrop To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7403/132958_46cb6a03146b1bb1_006full.jpg Figure 4. Drilling Locations Showing Mag Anomaly To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7403/132958_46cb6a03146b1bb1_007full.jpg The drill core was delivered to the Company's facility in Quesnel and was scanned with an XRF analyzer. The following tables show the meter-by-meter XRF results of drill holes DD-22-06 to a depth of 4.4 meters, DD-22-07 to a depth of 4.5 meters, drill Hole DD-22-08 to a depth of 3.1 meters and Hole DD-22-09 to a depth of 1.7 meters. As with all the previous drill holes mineralization was present from surface. Hole ID DD-22-06 Measurement Unit Average Grade % Depth (M) Ni Cr 0 to 1.0 meter 0.203 0.125 1.1 to 2.0 meters 0.179 0.114 2.1 to 3.0 meters 0.197 0.139 3.1 to 4.0 meters 0.219 0.149 4.1 to EOH 0.195 0.102 Grade Average 0.199 0.129 Hole ID DD-22-07 Measurement Unit Average Grade % Depth (M) Ni Cr 0 to 1.0 meter 0.200 0.188 1.1 to 2.0 meters 0.202 0.136 2.1 to 3.0 meters 0.196 0.277 3.1 to 4.0 meters 0.204 0.159 4.1 to EOH 0.212 0.195 Grade Average 0.202 0.190 Hole ID DD-22-08 Measurement Unit Average Grade % Depth (M) Ni Cr 0 to 1.0 meter 0.219 0.147 1.1 to 2.0 meters 0.216 0.165 2.1 to 3.0 meters 0.210 0.140 3.1 to 4.0 meters 0.220 0.178 Grade Average 0.216 0.153 Hole ID DD-22-09 Measurement Unit Average Grade % Depth (M) Ni Cr 0 to 1.0 meter 0.210 0.103 1.1 to 2.0 meters 0.157 0.130 Grade Average 0.189 0.113 Note: The XRF data is taken as point values and will not represent the true grade of the samples assayed. The elemental data is highly dependent on the location of which the beam intersects the rock. The device used to take the data points is an Olympus Vanta C Series handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and produces a beam spot diameter of up to 3mm. It is designed to achieve laboratory-quality results in the field and provides rapid and accurate elemental analysis and testing. Perry Little, President and CEO of Green River Gold Corp. comments; "We are pleased to have achieved the highest XRF nickel readings to date at new locations on the property and at distances up to 1,800 meters from the discovery holes. The nickel grades in excess of 0.2% are almost double the XRF results that we encountered in the original discovery holes and over 30% higher than previous assays. This is only one outcropping from a magnetic anomaly that runs for over 14 kilometers in length. We are encouraged by what we are seeing thus far." Kyle Townsend, Mine Manager for Green River Gold Corp. comments; "We are very excited with the results of our step out drill program. This shows that our data-driven, low-cost and low environmental footprint approach to our exploration on this project is proving to be a success. We will use what we have learned with this approach and continue to apply it as we complete our exploration season." The maiden 2021 exploration drill program consisted of 9 shallow holes collared over exposed ultramafic rocks. These discovery holes returned broad intervals of Nickel and Magnesium mineralization. Assay results from the first 6 of those holes have been received and are presented in the table below as averages along the entire length of each drill hole. Hole Number Depth (M) Magnesium (%) Nickel (%) Chromium (%) Do-21-01 15.24 15.23% 0.1465 0.1386 Do-21-02 14.00 15.27% 0.1439 0.1579 Do-21-03 16.76 15.27% 0.1448 0.1703 Do-21-04 18.29 15.22% 0.1441 0.1624 Do-21-05 17.68 15.62% 0.1490 0.1629 Do-21-06 16.15 17.80% 0.1810 0.1573 Average of 6 holes 15.73% 0.1515 0.1582 Quesnel Nickel/Magnesium/Talc Project Highlights: There are 3 BC MINFILE occurrences as follows: 093A 013 - Sovereign Creek - developed prospect containing talc and magnesite, and a co-incident nickel sulfide showing. 093A 130 - Sovereign - showings containing talc and nickel sulfides. 093H 061 - R.T. - showing containing nickel, chromium, and cobalt. Historical records indicate four widely separated areas of talc alteration along a 1.4- kilometer trend. Having discovered the presence of nickel in the talc mineralization in the area of Do-Do- Creek, the Company will be further investigating the other three known areas of talc alteration for the presence of nickel this season. Fontaine Lode Gold Exploration Plan: Last year, the UAV magnetic survey identified many anomalies in the area. In 2022, the exploration crew will collect soil and rock samples from the anomalous locations. Meanwhile, the vein structures, outcroppings, and mineral showings will be recorded and mapped. A backpack drill will be utilized to execute strategic drilling on the outcrops to investigate mineralized occurrences. The project geologist will summarize historical mining activities and previous exploration records. The historical records will be plotted on a map and verified during the 2022 field season. Private Placement: Further to its news release of July 20, 2022, the Company is pleased to announce that due to increased demand it has increased the size of its previously announced non-brokered private placement of Flow-Through Common Shares ("Flow-Through Offering"). The Company has increased the size of the Flow-Through Offering to up to 7,000,000 Flow-Through Common Shares for gross proceeds of up to $525,000. The upsized Flow-Through Offering is expected to close on or about August 15, 2022. Qualified Person: Stephen P. Kocsis is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and he has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release. About Green River Gold Corp. Green River Gold Corp. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on its wholly owned high-grade Fontaine Gold Project, Quesnel Nickel/Magnesium/Talc Project, and Kymar Silver Project which are located in renowned mining districts in British Columbia. The Fontaine and Quesnel properties straddle an 18 km length of the Barkerville and Quesnel Terranes and are contiguous to Osisko Development Corp.'s mineral claim group containing a proposed mine location at its Cariboo Gold Project. The Kymar Silver Project is located in southeast BC, approximately 28 kilometers west of the town of Invermere in the Golden Mining Division. The property is made up of two mineral tenures, totaling 1,625 hectares, along the southeast flank of Mount Catherine. For more information contact: Green River Gold Corp. Mr. Perry Little - President and Chief Executive Officer perry.little@greenrivergold.ca 780-993-2193 Additional information about Green River Gold Corp. can be found by reviewing its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Forward Looking Information: This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Expressions such as "anticipates", "expects", "believes", "estimates", "could", "intends", "may", "plans", "predicts", "projects", "will", "would" and other similar expressions, or the negative of these terms, are generally indicative of forward-looking information. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. In addition, the forward- looking information contained in this release is based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as it is inherently uncertain, and no assurance can be given that the expectations reflected in such information will prove to be correct. The forward-looking information in this release is made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances. The securities of the Company have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This release is issued for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132958 The Black Eagles, the Korea Air Force's aerobatic flight team, stages a performance during the Pyramid Air Show over the Giza Pyramids in Giza, Egypt, Thursday (local time). Courtesy of ROK Air Force North African country interested in Korean military hardware By Kang Seung-woo, Joint Press Corps Following a massive arms deal with Poland, Korea has now set its eyes on Egypt, a new potential suitor seen as the next biggest market for defense products after the United States. According to Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), Friday, a delegation comprised of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the Air Force and KAI flew to Cairo to promote the company's FA-50 light attacker, a variant of the T-50 supersonic trainer jet, co-developed with Lockheed Martin. Ahead of a stop in Cairo, the delegation also visited Britain and Poland. "We have laid the groundwork for cooperation in various fields with Egypt in the medium to long term," said Lee Bong-keun, vice president and general manager of KAI's International Business Division. Egypt, one of the largest military powers across the African continent and the Middle East, plans to replace its trainers and fighters, and is regarded as a potential purchaser of the FA-50 as well as the newly-developed KF-21 Boramae fighter jet. The KF-21 is the nation's first warplane domestically manufactured under the KF-X program and it successfully conducted its flight test on July 19 and 29. Egypt is expected to purchase around 100 trainer jets, which is the second highest after 500 required by the respective programs of the U.S. Air Force and Navy to procure advanced tactical trainers. Egypt has expressed its interest in Korean-made military hardware. In February, the African country signed a 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) deal to buy some 200 K-9 self-propelled howitzers, produced by Korea's Hanwha Defense. But ahead of the contract, the North African country has been in negotiations with KAI about procuring the FA-50 and local production of the aircraft. Given that Egypt's per-capita income is $4,000, there might be speculation that its industrial competitiveness is low. But many say the number is not really indicative of how competitive the country is in the defense sector. Egypt developed and produced a supersonic fighter in 1964 and in addition it possess 1,360 M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks, most of which were locally manufactured, meaning that the country has a wealth of experience in local production of military hardware. The delegation believes that if Korea's technology is added to Egypt's experience and potential, the synergy effect would be significant, and it would be possible to meet the demands of the Egyptian military and even promote exports to a third country by locally producing aircraft following Korea's technology transfer. "Egypt is a country with the best defense capabilities on the African continent and the Middle East," Lee said. "Once the joint production and maintenance contract is signed, Cairo will become a major key hub covering the entire African and Middle Eastern markets." Korea's Ambassador to Egypt Hong Jin-wook also said, "Cooperation on the defense industry is only available with the highest level of trust between two countries, because it is directly related to the safety and lives of people." The promotion in Egypt came after Poland last month signed "frame contracts" with Korea to acquire 48 FA-50 jets, 980 K2 battle tanks and 648 K9 howitzers one of the Eastern European country's most important and largest defense orders in recent years, according to its government. In addition, KAI, the nation's lone aircraft manufacturer, seeks to sell 1,000 FA-50s within a decade. Last month, KAI President Ahn Hyun-ho said exporting 1,000 of the jets will open up a market worth 40 trillion won in sales and 100 trillion won in follow-up logistics support. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2022) - Buffalo Coal Corp. (TSXV: BUF) announces that, further to the transaction between Resource Capital Fund V L.P. ("RCF V") and Belvedere Resources DMCC ("Belvedere") for the transfer of ownership of RCF V's securities holdings in the Company previously announced in the press release of the Company dated as of June 15, 2022, the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") is pleased to confirm the appointment of Mr Alok Joshi as non-executive Board member with effect as of August 4, 2022. Mr Joshi has more than two decades' global leadership experience, built over mining and manufacturing industry segments and geographically spread across Africa, South-East Asia, Western Europe, Australia and the Middle East. Mr Joshi specialises in cross-border mergers and acquisitions and will continue in his current role as Director Finance of Belvedere, based out of Dubai, UAE where he leads Belvedere's strategic growth and investment initiatives. He played a pivotal role in the financial restructuring of Ikwezi Mining Limited, a South African based coal mining and processing company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, as its director from 2015 to 2020, and has a strong understanding of the South African and global coal markets. Mr Joshi also led Cemza (Pty) Ltd as its CEO, steering the greenfield venture to become a leading South African cement brand. He graduated from Sydenham College, Mumbai, articled with KPMG in India and is a Chartered Accountant (India). Craig Wiggill, the chairman of the Board, commented as follows: "We are pleased that Alok will be joining the Buffalo Coal Board as a representative of Belvedere Resources DMCC. Both our Board and management team look forward to working with him in furtherance of our Company's goals." About Buffalo Coal Buffalo is a coal producer in South Africa. It holds a majority interest in two operating mines through its 100% interest in Buffalo Coal Dundee Proprietary Limited, a South African company which has a 70% interest in Zinoju Coal Proprietary Limited ("Zinoju"). Zinoju holds a 100% interest in the Magdalena bituminous mine, the Aviemore East anthracite mine and the Balgray and North Adit anthracite projects in South Africa. Buffalo Coal has an experienced coal-focused management team. The Company has its primary listing on the TSX Venture Exchange and has a secondary listing on the Alternative Exchange, operated by the JSE Limited. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects the Company'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. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update such forward looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange, nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the exchange), accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Mr Craig Wiggill Chairman of the Board Email: info@buffalocoal.co.za Registered office: Greytown Road Industrial Area Dundee KwaZulu-Natal 3000 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132965 PARIS (dpa-AFX) - France's industrial production expanded for the second straight month in June, defying economists' expectations for a decrease, data published by the statistical office Insee showed on Friday. Industrial production advanced 1.4 percent month-on-month in June, well above the 0.2 percent rise in May. In contrast, economists had forecast a decline of 0.2 percent. Manufacturing output also grew at a faster pace of 1.2 percent monthly in June, following a 1.0 percent gain in May. Within manufacturing, production of capital goods grew 3.5 percent and food industry output logged an increase of 2.2 percent. Meanwhile, production in the coking and refining segment dropped 3.1 percent. Production in the utility sector registered an increase of 3.0 percent, while mining and quarrying output dropped 1.0 percent. Data showed that construction output was 1.9 percent lower in June compared to May's 0.4 percent gain. During the second quarter, manufacturing production expanded 2.0 percent compared with the corresponding period last year. 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. HELSINKI (dpa-AFX) - Finland's trade deficit widened in June with imports rising faster than exports, preliminary figures from the Finnish Customs showed on Friday. The trade deficit increased to EUR 600 million in June from EUR 285 million in the same month last year. In May, the trade deficit was EUR 1.24 billion. Exports increased 25.6 percent yearly in June and imports rose 29.7 percent. Shipments to the EU countries increased 33.2 percent in June and imports from them gained 15.6 percent. Exports to countries outside EU grew 16.4 percent in June and imports from those countries surged 52.6 percent. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 5, 2022 / As the 2022 exploration program continues at its 485 sq. km Gander North Project in Newfoundland, Gander Gold Corp. ("Gander Gold" or the "Company") (CSE:GAND)(OTCQB:GANDF) has identified a potential major new gold trend within the Gander Gold Belt starting approximately 12 km east of the GRUB Line and 25 km east of the Appleton trend that hosts the New Found Gold and Labrador Gold high-grade discoveries. Highlights: A main northeast-trending strike-slip shear zone extends more than 25 km across Gander North and remains open to the northeast; Numerous north-northeast trending dilational zones also cut across Gander North and could add significant economic potential to the property; In total, these zones already provide greater than 100 linear kilometers of structure which is highly prospective for gold; Abundant geochemical anomalies generated from 8,273 soil and till samples (2021) coincide with results from a recently completed airborne Mag/VLF geophysical survey and a LiDAR survey; soil and till samples (2021) coincide with results from a recently completed airborne Mag/VLF geophysical survey and a LiDAR survey; 192 soil samples ranged in grade between 25.1 ppb Au and 1,432 ppb Au, considered high for Newfoundland; soil samples ranged in grade between ppb Au and ppb Au, considered high for Newfoundland; The best outcropping quartz veins, identified initially with high resolution satellite and aerial photos, occur within the dilational zones and represent immediate targets for ground follow-up. Gander Gold, which launched on the CSE in March of this year, has a combined ownership of 63% between Sassy Gold (35.3 million shares, 48.3%) and Eric Sprott (10.6 million shares, 14.6%). Shawn Ryan, Gander Gold Technical Adviser, commented: "Broad areas of Gander North are lighting up from our Phase 1 Soil Sampling Program. Results from our 2021 Airborne Mag/VLF and LiDAR surveys are in and have been very helpful in adding the next layer of detail interpretation needed to advance the Phase 2 soil work." Mr. Ryan continued, "It is remarkable how this previously unexplored area has suddenly become a 'hot spot' for potential new gold discoveries in Newfoundland along what clearly appears to be an entirely new gold trend east of the GRUB Line. We eagerly anticipate results from this summer's work as we progress toward RAB drilling to prioritize the most prospective diamond drilling targets." Mr. Ian Fraser, Gander Gold VP-Exploration, added: "Our Phase 2 soil geochemistry program will consist of additional soil sampling to extend the known anomalies along strike, and to sample in greater detail in and around some of the most elevated gold-in-soil anomalies. Furthermore, there are numerous other interpreted structures we will test with soil geochemistry. From top to bottom, Gander North is revealing itself as an important area for potential new high-grade gold discoveries on the island." Gander North Soils/Structures To view a short video clip from Shawn Ryan on developments at Gander North, please visit GanderGold.com or use this direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cccdDoOxYPc Soil Program Results & Interpretation Soil geochemistry sampling performed perpendicular to numerous lineaments at Gander North has revealed multiple gold-in-soil anomalies directly over and within these lineaments. Gander Gold is very encouraged that initial detailed sampling along these lineaments has highlighted areas within a single lineament where continuous gold-in-soil anomalies occur over a significant distance. These first-pass gold-in-soil anomalies occur at areas interpreted to be of greater structural complexity and are thus viewed to be more favourable to host potential gold deposits. The Viking target (refer to December 8, 2021, Sassy Resources news release) has been extended to the southeast with additional sampling. Results up to 370 ppb Au-in-soil indicate a fertile environment for mineralization continuing to the southeast of the original Viking discovery. The additional soil geochemistry sampling in the Viking target area was designed to cover the known historic Jonathan's Third Pond Copper Occurrence. Prospecting within the Jonathan's Third Pond Copper Occurrence identified a wide zone of silicification 600 m x 500 m containing quartz veining, sericite alteration and up to 5% pyrite and 0.5% chalcopyrite and trace galena. Assay results returned values up to 0.50 g/t Au, 4,670 ppm Pb, and 1,785 ppm Cu, suggesting this area is prospective for base metals in additional to gold. The Jonathan's Third Pond Copper Occurrence trend aligns with a northeast-trending lineament extending more than 20 km in potential strike across the Gander North Project. Quality Assurance / Quality Control Gander Gold Corporation has contracted the services of GroundTruth Exploration to conduct its soil geochemistry programs in Newfoundland. Soil samples are collected at pre-determined sites, placed in soil sample bags and all metadata associated with a sample is recorded. Once sorted and logged, samples are shipped to Eastern Analytical in Springdale Newfoundland for sample preparation. At Eastern Analytical individual samples are dried and sieved and 50g splits are prepared and then shipped by courier to Bureau Veritas Commodities Canada Ltd. (Bureau Veritas) in Vancouver British Columbia for analyses. Eastern Analytical and Bureau Veritas are ISO / IEC 17025 certified laboratories and independent of Gander Gold Corporation. At Bureau Veritas the 15g splits are partially digested by aqua regia digestion and analysed for gold plus 36 additional elements by ICP-ES/MS (method AQ201). GroundTruth Exploration crews took a field duplicate every 25th sample and these field duplicates were inserted into the sample stream to monitor the quality of analyses for the soil sampling program. In addition, the lab was requested to do Repeat analyses at multiple intervals within the sampling stream. Qualified Person The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Ian Fraser, P.Geo., Vice President of Exploration for Gander Gold. Mr. Fraser is the Qualified Person responsible for the scientific and technical information contained herein under National Instrument 43-101 standards. Corporate Video To view the Gander Gold corporate video, visit GanderGold.com or use this direct link: https://youtu.be/DLeHGZSkjWQ About Gander Gold Corporation Gander Gold is an exploration stage resource company currently engaged in the identification, acquisition and exploration of high-grade precious metal and base metal projects in the Central Newfoundland Gold Belt. Its focus is on its eight projects in the Canadian province of Newfoundland & Labrador, namely the Gander North, Mt. Peyton, Cape Ray II, BLT, Carmanville, Gander South, Little River and Hermitage projects, which comprise 9,032 claims or approximately 2,257 km, making Gander Gold Corporation one of the largest claimholders in Newfoundland. Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements Investors are cautioned that, except for statements of historical fact, certain information contained in this document includes "forward looking information", with respect to a performance expectation for Sassy Resources Corporation. Such forward looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections formulated using assumptions believed to be reasonable and involving a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Such factors include, without limitation, fluctuations in foreign exchange markets, the price of commodities in both the cash market and futures market, changes in legislation, taxation, controls and regulation of national and local governments and political and economic developments in Canada and other countries where Sassy carries out or may carry out business in the future, the availability of future business opportunities and the ability to successfully integrate acquisitions or operational difficulties related to technical activities of mining and reclamation, the speculative nature of exploration and development of mineral deposits, including risks obtaining necessary licenses and permits, reducing the quantity or grade of reserves, adverse changes in credit ratings, and the challenge of title. The Company does not undertake an obligation to update publicly or revise forward looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. Some of the results reported are historical and may not have been verified by the Company. Contact Info: Mark Scott Chief Executive Officer & Director info@gandergold.com Terry Bramhall Gander Gold - Corporate Communications 1.604.833.6999 (mobile) 1.604.675.9985 (office) terry.bramhall@gandergold.com The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. SOURCE: Gander Gold Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/710943/Gander-Gold-Identifies-Potential-Major-New-Gold-Trend-East-of-Keats-and-Appleton-Zones DGAP-News: SinglePoint Inc. Shining a Light on One of the Fastest-Growing Companies in Solar Energy Space On the OTCQB 05.08.2022 / 14:00 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Governments worldwide are finally injecting serious funding into renewable energy, and consumer demand is seemingly shifting toward sustainable and healthier solutions. Now, an industry of hundreds of smaller, local players could see intense competition over the next few years. That's why SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING) says it has been leveraging an aggressive acquisition and partnership strategy to build a nationwide renewable energy network. This pairs with their goal of providing healthy living solutions with a current focus on solar energy and air purification. With a large-scale network and a synergistic portfolio of products and services that offer tons of opportunities for cross-selling, SinglePoint reports that it is increasing rapidly and ready for the competition. While the Company has not achieved profitability yet, it's been using capital raised from stockholders and other sources to fund an acquisition and partnership strategy that is starting to yield results. The Company has acquired five subsidiaries, including Energy Wyze, BOX Pure Air , Direct Solar America, Ecodaptive, and Boston Solar. In addition, the Company is in the process of closing the Frontline Power Solutions acquisition. SinglePoint achieved $1.5 million in revenue reported in the first quarter of this year. That represents a 650% growth over the $239,000 in revenue it reported in the first quarter of 2021. That's just the start of what SinglePoint described as a breakout year for the Company. BOX Pure Air, for example, accounted for nearly all of the Company's first-quarter revenue, and it's expected to generate $10 million to $12 million for SinglePoint by the end of 2022. As an approved supplier of air purifiers under the U.S. Department of Education's Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS) program, BOX Pure Air received a $5 million award, with deliveries slated to start in the third quarter. Launched in 2021 with an initial budget of $2.75 billion, EANS is meant to help eligible non-public schools around the country fund health and safety upgrades. Ranging from improving indoor air quality to providing personal protective equipment (PPE) and everything in between. In addition to the anticipated BOX Pure Air revenue, SinglePoint is targeting another $25 million from The Boston Solar Co. this year, a recent acquisition with a multimillion-dollar backlog of solar and energy storage projects. While the Company is still pursuing acquisitions, SinglePoint has also reported planning to use the projected revenue from 2022 to invest in its subsidiaries to grow that revenue further and leverage the existing synergies. In June, for example, SinglePoint added Ecodaptive Inc . to its portfolio through the Boston Solar acquisition. The Clean Energy Company is developing the SunRAYS Energy Program in Massachusetts to empower traditionally underserved communities to benefit from solar energy without the upfront investment it usually requires. Twenty-two states have policies to incentivize community solar programs. More than half of U.S. households cannot invest in solar because of a lack of financing, insufficient roof space, or limited sunlight to make individual solar systems viable. For those households, programs that spread the cost and share the benefits will make going solar a feasible and realistic option. Capitalizing on national and consumer interest in community renewable energy programs, SunRAYS will use a roof-lease structure. That means homeowners won't need to pay upfront installation costs. As an additional bonus, the homeowners will get paid through lease agreements to install solar on their rooftops. Along with regional energy providers like Eversource Energy (NYSE: ES) and National Grid plc (NYSE: NGG), the pilot program is a pioneer in solving some distribution problems holding renewable energy markets back. By installing the solar panels on the rooftops in the communities where that power will get used, fewer high-voltage interconnections and power transmitters are needed to move that energy from its source to its end user. Singlepoint Inc is a bright light in the solar space as one of the fastest growing publicly traded solar companies in the U.S. Based on their incredible journey over the last two years; it will be interesting to see what happens next. Under the leadership of CEO Wil Ralston and his team, this Company is said to have executed superbly on its business plan. A business plan the Company looks to continue for the foreseeable future. About SinglePoint Inc (OTCQB:SING) SinglePoint Inc.(www.singlepoint.com) is a renewable energy and sustainable lifestyle company focused on providing environmentally friendly energy efficiencies and healthy living solutions. SinglePoint is initially focused on building the largest network of renewable energy solutions and modernizing the traditional solar and energy storage model. The Company is also actively exploring future growth opportunities in air purification, electric vehicle charging, solar as a subscription service, and additional energy efficiencies and appliances that enhance sustainability and a healthier life. For more information, visit the Company's website (www.singlepoint.com) and connect on social media for the latest updates. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. SinglePoint Inc. TraDigital IR Investors@SinglePoint.com TraDigital IR Rick Lutz rick@tradigitalir.com http://www.tradigitalir.com 05.08.2022 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 After months of experimentation in partnership with some world-class schools of medicine and top-tier diagnostic providers, the much-anticipated T-Cell Test from Hyris, based on innovative qPCR technology, is finally available for the European market with a CE-IVD mark. The new Test will change the way laboratories and diagnostic providers track and monitor T-cell patients' immunity to SARS-CoV-2, leveraging the unique characteristics of the Hyris System. LONDON, Aug. 05, 2022, administered to more than 100 globally renowned immunologists, infectious-disease researchers and virologists, almost 90% of respondents think the Coronavirus will become endemic, continuing to circulate in pockets of the global population for years to come. The quality of life of this 'endemic future' will heavily depend on our capability to systematically assessandmonitor the type of immunity people acquirethrough infection or vaccination and how the virus evolves, thus maximizing vaccine effectiveness. A recently published Nature's studyconfirms that measuring the T cells' response is a new disruptive approach to fighting SARS-CoV-2. Responsive T cells could still protect an individual negative to an antibody test. "Long-term protection from viral infections is mediated by both the humoral (antibodies) and cellular (T cells) immune pathways", explains Lorenzo Colombo, General Manager and CTO at Hyris, a fast-growing global biotech Company renowned for its democratic approach to genetic analysis. "While SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG and neutralizing antibody quantification are being used as the typical clinical endpoints to determine immune protection, a precise measurement of cellular responses underlying virus protection also represents an important parameter of immune defence", continues Colombo. Although its strategic relevance is acknowledged worldwide, cellular immune response assays are rarely performed due to the associated technical challenges. "Detection of antigen-specific T cells is Typically quantified by flow cytometry, ELISpot or ELISA," points out Colombo. "These techniques, while robust and well accepted in the field, require a skilled workforce and are relatively costly and time-consuming." This is where the new T-Cell Test from Hyris comes into play. The fruit of months of experimentation in collaboration with some of the most important medical schools in the world, this new test is finally available for the EU Market after receiving the CE-IVD mark. "Our new T-Cell Test overcomes the limitations typically involved with immune cellular response testing, thanks to its unique two-part process", clarifies Colombo. Colombo also describes the main steps of the test: "At first, T cells are stimulated within a whole blood sample. Secondly, the sample is analyzed via qPCR in direct amplification to detect potential activation of the T cells". This test brings attention to the future deployment of portable qPCR-based systems and could enable immunology testing for a much wider number of patients. "Historically, qPCR-based diagnostic approaches have been limited by laborious, error-prone and expensive RNA extraction methods", says Andrea Fabbri, Chief Commercial Officer at Hyris. "The new assay on T cells response works in direct amplification, making this protocol more efficient, rapid and scalable". Fabbri goes even further, highlighting the disruptive features of the Hyris System, Hyris' unique AI-powered diagnostic suite. "Thanks to the unprecedented portability and modularity of the HYRIS bCUBE [the hardware device at the basis of the Hyris System, ed.], our System enables us to collect real-time PCR data and to provide any user with instant results anywhere and at any time". Fabbri also addresses the issue of energy consumption, an increasingly sensitive topic in the molecular biology industry. "The Hyris System is also green compared to other technologies traditionally used in this field, with an energy consumption similar to a single 20 w light bulb, more than a tenth of that of other comparable devices on the market". This new assay has been highly anticipated all over the world, both by the scientific community and healthcare specialists. The test immediately helps answer the crucial question at this pandemic stage: "How long is your COVID immunity good for, whether from a vaccine or prior infection?" The truth is, we do not know for sure yet: the temporal threshold commonly accepted is about three or four months, but the latest variants circulating proved to be more capable of breaking through our immunity. "In front of such a challenging frame, we cannot be content with our knowledge about antibody response, which is just half of the picture", holds Stefano Lo Priore, Co-Founder and CEO at Hyris. "The other half, T-cell response, is rarely sought due to the technical challenges involved. That is why we aimed for simplicity, by using technology that is widely accessible and can turn around results more quickly. Concludes Lo Priore: "Now that key response about our immunity can be tested affordably and massively, leveraging the immediacy, connectivity, and scalability of the Hyris System". Contact a Hyris expert to discover how to perform beyond your current diagnostic capability at info@hyris.net Related Images Image 1: Hyris T-Cell Test finally allows healthcare specialists to depict SARS-CoV-2 specific immunity A 3D rendering of a T cell. Our knowledge of immunity needs to go beyond antibodies. Hyris new T-Cell Test is finally available to the EU market under CE-IVD certification. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2022) - Tudor Gold Corp. (TSXV: TUD) (FSE: TUC) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Research Capital Corporation, as lead agent and sole bookrunner, on behalf of a syndicate of agents (the "Agents"), in connection with a best efforts, private placement offering (the "Offering") for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $7,000,000 in a combination of: units of the Company (the "Units") at a price of $1.44 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"); flow-through units of the Company (the "FT Units") at a price of $1.70 per FT Unit. Each FT Unit will consist of one Common Share that will qualify as "flow-through shares" within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Tax Act") and one-half of one Warrant; and flow-through units of the Company to be sold to charitable purchasers (the "Charity FT Units") at a price of $2.05 per Charity FT Unit. Each Charity FT Unit will consist of one Common Share that will qualify as "flow-through shares" within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Tax Act that will be issued as part of a charity arrangement and one-half of one Warrant. Each Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share (a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of $2.00 per Warrant Share at any time up to 24 months following the Closing (as defined herein). The net proceeds from the sale of Units will be used for the Company's ongoing exploration drilling program, working capital requirements and other general corporate purposes. The net proceeds from the sale of FT Units and Charity FT Units will be used to incur eligible "Canadian exploration expenses" ("CEE") that are "flow-through mining expenditures" (as such term is defined in the Tax Act) related to exploration expenses on the Company's Treaty Creek flagship property, located in Golden Triangle of northwestern British Columbia, as permitted under the Tax Act to qualify as CEE. The Company will renounce such CEE to the purchasers of the FT Units and Charity FT Units with an effective date of no later than December 31, 2022. The Agents will have an option (the "Agents' Option") to offer for sale up to an additional 15% of the number of Units, FT Units and Charity FT Units sold in the Offering, which Agents' Option is exercisable, in whole or in part, at any time up to 48 hours prior to the closing of the Offering. The Units, FT Units and Charity FT Units to be issued under the Offering will be offered by way of private placement in each of the provinces of Canada. The Offering is scheduled to close on or about August 25, 2022, or such other 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. The Units, FT Units and Charity FT Units and securities underlying the Compensation Warrants (as defined herein) to be issued under 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 equal to 6.0% of the gross proceeds from the Offering, including in respect of any exercise of the Agents' Option. In addition, the Company will grant the Agents, on date of Closing, non-transferable compensation warrants (the "Compensation Warrants") equal to 6.0% of the total number of Units, FT Units and Charity FT Units sold under the Offering (including in respect of any exercise of the Agents' Option). Each Compensation Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $1.70 per Common Share for a period of 24 months following the Closing. 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. About Tudor Gold Corp. Tudor Gold Corp. is a precious and base metals exploration and development company with properties in British Columbia's Golden Triangle (Canada), an area that hosts producing and past-producing mines and several large deposits that are approaching potential development. The 17,913 hectare Treaty Creek project (in which TUDOR GOLD has a 60% interest) borders Seabridge Gold Inc.'s KSM property to the southwest and borders Pretium Resources Inc.'s Brucejack property to the southeast. In April 2021 Tudor published their 43-101 technical report, "Technical Report and Initial Mineral Resource Estimate of the Treaty Creek Gold Property, Skeena Mining Division, British Columbia Canada" dated March 1, 2021 on the Company's SEDAR profile. The Company also has a 100% interest in the Crown project and a 100% interest in the Eskay North project, all located in the Golden Triangle area. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TUDOR GOLD CORP. "Ken Konkin" Ken Konkin President and Chief Executive Officer For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.tudor-gold.com or contact: Chris Curran Head of Corporate Development and Communications Phone: (604) 559 8092 E-Mail: chris.curran@tudor-gold.com or Carsten Ringler Head of Investor Relations and Communications Phone: +49 151 55362000 E-Mail: carsten.ringler@tudor-gold.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including the expectation that the Offering will close in the timeframe and on the terms as anticipated by management. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof 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" or the negative connation thereof. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the Company will complete Offering in the timeframe and on the terms as anticipated by management. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions 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 Company's plans or expectations include risks relating to the failure to complete the Offering in the timeframe and on the terms as anticipated by management, market conditions and timeliness regulatory approvals. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132938 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2022) - WonderFi Technologies Inc. (TSX: WNDR) (OTC Pink: WONDF) (WKN: A3C166 ) (FSE: WNDR) (the "Company" or "WonderFi") will release its financial results for the three and nine-month periods ended June 30, 2022, on August 15, 2022. Ben Samaroo, CEO, John Rim, CFO, and Kevin O'Leary will host a video conference call at 1:00 p.m. ET on August 16, 2022 to discuss the financial results. Shareholders and investors are welcomed to attend. Webinar Information The live video conference will be available at: https://wonder-fi.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ucF7kCFXQlyJ6arc_5ijzg Additional Information For additional information, please contact: WonderFi Technologies Inc. Ben Samaroo, CEO ben@wonder.fi (778) 843-9637 Investor Relations Contact: invest@wonder.fi Media Contact: Binu Koshy, Communications Director binu@wonder.fi ABOUT WONDERFI WonderFi is a leading technology company with the mission of creating better access to digital assets through compliant centralized and decentralized platforms. WonderFi provides unified access to digital assets including crypto, DeFi, gaming and NFTs, in a compliant and regulated environment. WonderFi's executive team and Board of Directors have an established track record in finance and crypto, with previous experience at Amazon, Shopify, PayPal, Galaxy Digital and Hut 8. WonderFi's core team of engineers and technologists believe that everyone should have equal access to finance, and are aligned in the mission to empower people around the world to access finance in a simple, smart and secure way. For more information, visit www.wonder.fi. Forward-Looking Information and Statements This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and may also contain statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated", or variations of such words. By identifying such information and statements in this manner, the Company is alerting the reader that such information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information and statements. In addition, in connection with the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release, the Company has made certain assumptions. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information and statements are the following: the ability of the Company to work effectively with strategic investors; and changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets, changes in applicable laws, and compliance with extensive government regulation. Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information or statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward- looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132935 Toronto, Ontario and Geraldton, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2022) - Tombill Mines Limited (TSXV: TBLL) (OTCQB: TBLLF) (the "Company", "Tombill"), is pleased to report on its 2022 near-surface Phase 2A diamond drilling program that was designed to evaluate a number of newly defined gold targets distributed across two of the three 100%-controlled claim groups the Company holds in the Geraldton gold mining district of north-central Ontario. The Phase 2A drilling campaign consisted of eight NQ-diameter boreholes for a total length of 2,941 meters (m). Seven of the eight drill-holes are located on the 51-patented claim Main Group property ("Main Group") which adjoins on the west the mining property of Greenstone Gold Mines GP Inc. ("Greenstone") where a large open-pit gold mine is currently being constructed. In addition, a single borehole was drilled on the smaller Original claim group property where the past-producing Tombill gold mine was located. Summary of the Phase 2A 2022 Drilling Program: The best assay results produced by the Phase 2A drilling program were obtained from drill-hole TB22-008. A 30-centimeter (cm) long sample from 288.8 m down-hole returned an assay of 2.61 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au), while another core sample from 292.1 m to 293.0 m (length of 90 cm) assayed 4.17 g/t Au. Six of the eight holes that constitute the Phase 2A program were distributed across the northern sector of Tombill's Main Group, with the TransCanada Highway giving good access to the drill-sites. Together, these drill-holes were designed to investigate the gold potential of the Ellis Syncline exploration target. Overall, assay results produced by these boreholes were disappointing. Hole TB22-002 intersected a zone of weak gold mineralization from 155.0 m to 161.0 m, with the maximum gold assay from this zone being 0.406 g/t Au. Two other zones of weak mineralization were intersected between 199 m and 218 m in the hole, with maximum gold assays for 1 m long core samples from these zones being 0.428 g/t Au and 0.396 g/t Au. No significant assay results were generated by drill-holes TB22-003 through TB22-007. Table 1. Significant Results of Phase 2A Drilling Program Hole ID UTM Coordinates Azimuth/Dip (degrees) From (m) To (m) Interval Length (m) Au (g/t) TB22-001A 501499 E / 5503943 N 180/-52 248.0 249.0 1.0 0.36 and 257.0 258.0 1.0 0.35 and 330.0 331.0 1.0 0.41 TB22-002 500198 E / 5503696 N 350/-45 158.0 159.0 1.0 0.41 and 209.0 211.0 2.0 0.36 and 215.0 216.0 1.0 0.40 TB22-008 493730 E / 5505580 N 30/-45 262.0 263.0 1.0 0.94 and 269.1 270.4 1.3 1.44 and 288.8 289.1 0.3 2.61 and 292.1 293.0 0.9 4.17 NOTE: WGS83, Zone 16 is the UTM Coordinate System that was used for the locations of drill-holes. Tombill Original Mine Hole TB22-008, which is in the central part of the 6-patented claim Original property, yielded two core samples that assayed 2.61 g/t Au and 4.17 g/t Au. This drill-hole was designed to test for the eastward continuation of the Key Lake-Jellicoe Gold Corridor that in past decades was extensively drilled by various resource companies on claims now owned by Greenstone which is currently constructing an open-pit mine some 13 kilometers to the southeast. According to Greenstone's NI43-101-compliant technical report1, the measured and indicated in-pit mineral resources of the Key Lake gold deposit are estimated to contain 141,000 ounces of gold at an average grade of 1.16 g/t Au. An additional inferred resource is estimated to contain 82,000 ounces at an average grade of 1.39 g/t Au. The two intercepts of gold mineralization made by hole TB22-008 are from a 5- to 6-meter-wide zone of hydrothermally altered greywacke which is interpreted to be the extension of the east-southeasterly trending Key Lake-Jellicoe Gold Corridor that includes the Key Lake gold deposit. In TB22-008, the gold-bearing zone is marked by moderate and pervasive sericite alteration of the foliated, fine-grained metasedimentary rock along with thin seams of quartz-sericite and veinlets of greyish quartz. Minor disseminated fine-grained pyrite accompanies the sericite alteration. This intersection of the Key Lake-Jellicoe Gold Corridor on the Tombill property is situated approximately 1,500 m east-southeast of the sealed shaft of the Jellicoe mine, a small gold producer in the late 1930's, and about 900 m east of Tombill's western property boundary. The strike continuity of the mineralized corridor is noteworthy, being at least 3.3 km from Key Lake in the west to drill-hole TB22-008, and it appears to extend another 2.3 km further to the southeast to include the gold-quartz lodes of the former Magnet gold mine. Ellis Syncline on Main Group The Ellis Syncline exploration target that was investigated on the Main Group by drill-holes TB22-002 through TB22-007 consists of an isoclinally folded package of Archean rocks dominated by greywacke, magnetite iron formation and quartz-albite porphyry. These lithologies and the fold structures they define on the property create a geological setting that has been interpreted to be analogous to the setting which hosts the multiple ore zones forming the multi-million-ounce Hardrock gold deposit being developed by Greenstone 3.5 km to the east. Individual drill-holes were designed to test for sheared porphyry contacts and zones of sulphide replacement mineralization hosted in complexly folded iron formations. While the drill-holes testing the Ellis Syncline target did in fact encounter the anticipated lithologies and even several altered zones marked by thin quartz veins, moderate sericite alteration and minor pyrite mineralization, no significant concentrations of gold were identified by these drill-holes. The best result obtained from these holes was made by TB22-002 which passed through the closure or 'nose' of a large, folded quartz-feldspar porphyry dyke. Three intersections of weak porphyry-hosted gold mineralization were made by this drill-hole; the interval 155-161 m yielded a maximum gold assay of 0.406 g/t Au, with the other two zones giving maximum assays of 0.428 g/t and 0.396 g/t gold. Drill-hole TB22-001A was designed to test for the westward continuation of a gold-bearing shear zone that had been identified by a few historical drill-holes passing beneath the north end of Mosher Lake, some 400 m beyond the eastern boundary of Tombill's Main Group. The targeted zone appears to have been intersected between 247.0 m and 258.0 m down-hole. The two best assays from this zone, were 0.356 g/t Au from a 1.0 m long sample of quartz-feldspar porphyry and 0.346 g/t Au across 1.0 m from a sample of greywacke at the contact with the porphyry. Figure 1. Phase 2A Drill Program Figure 1. Regional map showing location of Tombill mineral properties in the Geraldton gold mining district and collar locations of diamond drill-holes completed by the Company's 2021 and 2022 drilling campaigns. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7659/132962_d22e631944f1eb4d_004full.jpg. Implications for Future Exploration: Drill-hole TB22-008 essentially confirms that the laterally extensive Key Lake-Jellicoe Gold Corridor passes through Tombill's Original claim group, with about 1,000 m of strike potential existing on the property from the hole itself to its western border extending to the Corridor. For a gold deposit comparable in size or larger than Greenstone's Key Lake deposit to discovered on Tombill's claims, a considerable amount of diamond drilling would be required, with many drill-holes yielding mineralized intersections that are significantly greater in length and with higher gold contents than what was obtained by hole TB22-008. Drill-holes TB22-002 through TB22-007 confirmed the existence of a geological setting, i.e., lithologies and structures, that is comparable to the litho-structural setting hosting the large low-grade Hardrock gold deposit being developed a few kilometers east of Tombill's drilling. While the six drill-holes failed to discover a 'blind' zone of significant gold mineralization, the Company believes compelling exploration potential still exists in the favorable geology of the Ellis Syncline on the Main Group. The application of induced polarization (IP) geophysical surveying over the area of interest could assist in defining new drill targets, where chargeability anomalies might be indicating zones of gold-bearing sulphide replacement mineralization. Footnote N.I. 43-101 Technical Report, Hardrock Project, Ontario, Canada. Prepared by G Mining Services Inc. for Premier Gold Mines Limited. Effective Date December 16, 2020. Qualified Person Ron Burk, P.Geo., is the Company's designated Qualified Person for this news release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and has reviewed and approved its scientific and technical content. QA/QC Field samples produced by the 2A drilling program consisted of rock-sawn, half-core rock material collected from drill core intervals generally 1.0 meter in length. Gold assays were performed at the facilities of Actlabs-Geraldton, an accredited analytical laboratory and division of Activation Laboratories located in the town of Geraldton, Ontario. For quality assurance and control purposes, Tombill geologists inserted field duplicates, certified standards and unmineralized, so-called 'blank' samples into the sample stream at a rate of at least 2 QA/QC samples per 25 half-core samples. A chain of custody for the collected half-core samples was maintained from the drill-site to the assay lab. At the Actlabs-Geraldton facilities, the half-core samples were entirely pulverized and homogenized, with 50-gram aliquots being analyzed for gold using the fire assay-atomic absorption finish procedure. Assay results were reported in parts per billion (ppb). At present, the true widths of the mineralized intercepts have not been calculated. About Tombill Founded 1935, by Newmont Mining and prospectors' 'Tom' and 'Bill' Johnson, Tombill (TSXV: TBLL) (OTCQB: TBLLF) owns 2 of the 10 past-producing mines in the Geraldton gold district, 4 claim groups, of which 3 are situated in the Geraldton gold district of north-central Ontario (about 225 km NE of Thunder Bay). Geraldton offers optimal and installed infrastructure. Holdings comprise 74 royalty-free mining claims (60 fully owned patented claims, 5 leases, 9 mineral rights only). Of these, the 51-patented claim Main Group is in the center of the Geraldton Gold District and straddles the Trans-Canada Highway; the 5-claim Ellis Group lies 4 km south of the town of Geraldton; and the original Tombill Mine group of 6-patented claims sits 10 km west-southwest of Geraldton. The Tombill Gold Mine produced 68,737 high-grade gold oz between 1938 and 1942 in the southeast corner of the claim group. The Talmora Longlac Mine, located in the northeast of the Main Group property, was built in 1941, but saw only minor production before closing in 1942 (1,406 gold oz). The Main Group borders on the property of the under-construction Greenstone Mine, which will be one of Canada's largest gold mines with production aimed for 2024. Tombill Property Location Map To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7659/132962_d22e631944f1eb4d_005full.jpg. For more information, please visit www.tombillmines.com, and contact: Georgia Bevan Investor Relations Email: georgia@tombillmines.com Tel: +1 647 493 8270 Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the trading date of the Company's common shares on the TSXV. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "will" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. 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 to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. 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. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in filings by the Company with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in 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/132962 OAKVILLE, ON / ACCESSWIRE / August 5, 2022 / Spark Power Group Inc. (TSX:SPG), parent company of Spark Power Corp. ("Spark Power" or the "Company"), will host a conference call on Friday, Aug. 12 to discuss the Company's 2022 second quarter, ended June 30, with investors and analysts. The Company plans to release its second quarter results after markets close on Thursday, Aug. 11. Conference Call Details DATE: Friday, Aug. 12, 2022 TIME: 8:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time DIAL-IN NUMBER: 1-877-545-0523 or International 1- 973-528-0016 ENTRY CODE: 857570 WEBCAST: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2400/46301 It is suggested that those wishing to access the webcast log-in approximately 10 minutes in advance of the start time to register, download, and install any necessary audio software. For those unable to listen to the live webcast, an archive will be available shortly after the conclusion of the conference call for a period of 90 days. About Spark Power Group Inc. Spark Power, a wholly owned subsidiary of Spark Power Group Inc. (TSX:SPG), is a leading independent provider of end-to-end electrical contracting, operations and maintenance services, and energy sustainability solutions to the industrial, commercial, utility, and renewable asset markets in North America. We work to earn the right to be our customers' Trusted Partner in Power. Our highly skilled and dedicated people, located in the communities we serve, combined with our knowledge of the power industry, technology expertise, and commitment to safety, ensures we deliver the right solutions that keep our customers' operations up and running today and better equipped for tomorrow. Learn more at sparkpowercorp.com. Investor and Regulatory Inquiries: Richard Perri Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer richard.perri@sparkpowercorp.com +1 (905) 829-3336 Media Inquiries: Bryan Sparks, Manager, Corporate Communications & Brand media@sparkpowercorp.com +1 (905) 829-3336 SOURCE: Spark Power Group Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/710916/Spark-Power-Shares-2022-Second-Quarter-Conference-Call-Details First grade students at an elementary school in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, attend class on their first day of school, March 2. Newsis Five-year-olds' brain development requires play: experts By Lee Hyo-jin First grade in elementary school is widely considered a milestone year for children, when their academic learning begins in earnest, leaving behind the play-based activities of kindergarten. They also begin to create their individual identities outside of the home and acquire social skills through daily interactions with peers. The debate about the ideal age to start school is not new, with educators, child development experts, parents and policymakers offering differing views. Some believe the older the better, while some suggest that it is better to give children an educational experience from early on. Currently, children in Korea are enrolled in elementary school on March 1 following the year in which they have turned six in international age, under the Education Act established in 1949. But the country may see a change in this 73-year-old practice in the coming years, as the current administration is seeking to have children start formal education earlier. The Ministry of Education announced on July 29 that it plans to lower the school-entry age to five from as early as 2025 and thereby allow children to start public education a year earlier, with the premise of reducing the burden of education expenses on parents. The ministry also believes that bringing children into the public school system earlier would help address inequalities in education. Importantly, the ministry views that lowering the school admission age would help tackle the major labor shortage the country is facing amid a rapidly declining birthrate and aging population, as it would allow children to begin their working careers earlier after college graduation. However, child development experts are critical of the plan for a number of reasons. In particular, some believe that the move may do more harm than good, considering the developmental stage of five-year-old children in today's COVID-19 era. 'Pandemic children' A first grade student at an elementary school in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, looks at COVID-19 self-test kit distributed to students on their first day of school, March 2. Newsis One important aspect the government seems to be overlooking is possible developmental delays among children who were born and raised during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Lee Wan-jeong, head of the Korean Association of Child Studies. "The pandemic has had a significant impact on children's development. There are concerns that facemasks are slowing their language and social development, which usually takes place during the early stages of childhood," Lee told The Korea Times. She explained that a key part of learning to communicate for a child is watching the faces and mouths of adults, but they are not able to do so with the bottom halves of faces covered up outside of the home. Lee said that admitting five-year-olds to school from 2025 seems "too harsh for the children." The pandemic continues with no clear end in sight, and educators are still discovering whether the prolonged health crisis will have lasting effects on child development, she said. "Education policies for each age cohort should be designed with a tailored approach, based on understanding the characteristics of each age group," she said. "In that sense, it is highly regrettable that the government is trying to test out the new policy on today's COVID-19 generation of children. I do not understand why discussions on lowering the school entry age were brought up at this point of time." First grade students head to class on the first day of school at an elementary school in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, March 2. Newsis Sohn Hye-sook, a professor of early childhood education at Kyungin Women's University, also shared disapproving views about the government's planned policy. "The first critical period of brain development begins at around age 2 and concludes at around 7. This period is considered a prime opportunity to lay the foundation for holistic education," she said. "And during this period, a child should be able to engage in playful activities, rather than sitting in teacher-led classes. Neuroscientific studies show that playful activity leads to synaptic growth in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain which plays a crucial role in creative thinking," she said, explaining that five is not the optimal age to receive formal education under the current curriculum. Sohn went on to say that the average duration of a five-year-old child's attention span is from six to 15 minutes, well short of school classes, which last 40 minutes per period. "The children won't be able to stay focused during classes. It will be stressful both for the students and teachers," she said. Meanwhile, some experts believe lowering the age for entering school could be a viable scenario to be implemented in the long term, but that it should be reviewed thoroughly first. "Children nowadays seem to reach intellectual development milestones faster than in the past. They tend to grow up faster," said Sohn Gi-chang, a professor of education at Sookmyung Women's University. But Song didn't entirely oppose nor support the policy, because the government is yet to give further details on how it intends to realize its plans. "It's a very complicated issue to comment on. Not only because of strong opposition from parents and teachers, but also because the authorities did not give explanations on how it will revise the school curriculum, increase the number of teachers and prepare the resources needed for the additional influx of students," he said. Fierce backlash from parents, teachers A coalition of parents, teachers and civic groups hold a rally in front of the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, calling on the government to withdraw its plan to lower the school entry age, Aug.3. Yonhap The proposal has received strong backlash from educators, parents and civic groups. A large-scale rally was held in front of the presidential office calling for the government to withdraw its plans, Aug. 1. The protest included unions of school teachers, preschool teachers, parents groups as well as members of civic groups. Teachers were irked by the ministry's unilateral announcement, while parents expressed worries that their children may not be ready to cope in school, as well as over the lack of after-school day care programs. "It was out of the blue. I was very annoyed by the government's abrupt announcement without any discussions with the teachers who are closely involved in the matter," a 30-year-old elementary school teacher in Gyeonggi Province who wished to stay anonymous told The Korea Times. "It's absurd for the government to think that sending children to school earlier will alleviate the burden of private education fees on parents, given that schools end earlier than kindergartens. It will only come as a bigger burden for households where both parents work," said Choi, the mother of two children each born in 2016 and 2020, living in Nowon District of Seoul. Will gov't force through the policy? Education Minister Park Soon-ae, right, tries to shake hands with a representative of a parents' group after a meeting at Government Complex Seoul, held to gather public opinion about the ministry's plan to lower the school entry age, Aug. 2. Yonhap BURLINGTON, ON / ACCESSWIRE / August 5, 2022 / Murchison Minerals Ltd. ("Murchison" or the "Company") (TSXV:MUR)(OTCQB:MURMF) is pleased to announce Phase III - diamond drilling - of the summer exploration has commenced. The Company is focused on drilling at the high-grade nickel, copper, cobalt zone called Barre de Fer ("BDF") as well as the Syrah Target, on the 100% - owned HPM (Haut-Plateau de la Manicouagan) Project, located in Quebec. The Company anticipates drilling a minimum of 7,500 m over the course of the program. The majority of the metres will be allocated towards expansion and delineation at BDF. The remaining drilling will be focused on the Syrah Target - a 600 m long EM anomaly located approximately 240 m from BDF. The Company's current interpretation shows the possibility that Syrah and BDF are part of the same magmatic sulphide mineralizing system. As a result of the recently closed private placement (July 4th, 2022 news release) the Company is well funded to complete its objectives during the 2022 exploration program. Objectives of Summer Drill Program Expand the currently defined high-grade BDF Zone Test the extent of subsurface mineralization at the Syrah Target Define a near surface, high-grade nickel-copper-cobalt resource at BDF Barre de Fer Zone The BDF Zone (the "Zone") is currently defined by 25 diamond drill holes, with 5,564 m of drilling completed between 2001 and 2008 Based on the preliminary modelling, the Zone outcrops on surface, has a strike length of 315 m, and is composed of multiple stacked lenses over a maximum 150 m width. Individual lenses have a maximum thickness of 28 m. The modelled mineralization extends to a vertical depth of 295 m. Extensive mineralization has also been intersected outside the current model, up to a vertical depth of 440 m. The Zone remains unconstrained along strike and at depth. The best intersection to date is in hole HPM-08-03, drilled to a depth of 345 m, which intersected five zones of Ni-bearing sulphide mineralization totalling 60.07 m of composite mineralization, including: 52.15 m grading 2.04% NiEq (74.45 m to 126.60 m) including 12.04 m at 3.00% NiEq (100.71 m to 112.75 m) and 10.56 m at 2.92% NiEq (85.16 m to 95.72 m) (Table 1) of composite mineralization, including: Table 1: HPM-08-03 Highlight Assay Results Hole From (m) To (m) Length (m) Ni % Cu % Co % Ni Eq. %** HPM-08-03 52.54 54.96 2.42 0.5 0.19 0.03 0.61 70.86 71.36 0.5 0.4 0.29 0.02 0.54 74.45 126.6 52.15 1.5 0.79 0.08 2.04 includes 79.82 82.94 3.12 2.2 1.31 0.11 3.05 includes 82.43 82.94 0.51 2.3 4.81 0.12 4.44 136.07 139.4 3.35 0.3 0.14 0.02 0.44 174.75 176.4 1.65 0.3 0.2 0.02 0.45 * Reported as core length, true thickness is not known.?**Nickel Equivalent (NiEq) values were calculated using the following USD metal prices from Mar 23, 2022: $12.76/lb Nickel, $4.76/lb Copper and $37.20/lb Cobalt. Syrah Target Syrah is located just 240 m from BDF Zone, displaying a similar geophysical and geochemical signatures Nickel-bearing sulphide mineralization outcrops and sub-crops over an ~375 m strike length, within the footprint of an ~600-metre-long conductive geophysical anomaly Grab samples from the spring 2021 prospecting program returned grades as high as 0.83% Ni Equivalent* (0.58% Ni, 0.24% Cu, 0.05% Co) (Sept 1 st , 2021 news release) , 2021 news release) The Company's current interpretation, based on the similarity in geochemical and geophysical signatures, indicates that BDF and Syrah may belong to the same mineralizing system and have similar economic prospectivity Drilling Plans During Phase III - diamond drilling - the Company intends to drill approximately 6,000 m at BDF, comprising 15-20 drill holes. The focus of this portion of the program will be expansion of the current mineralized domains (Figure 1), followed by delineation - or in-fill drilling - designed to produce a maiden resource estimate. Exploration at the adjacent Syrah Target, will amount to approximately 1,500 m, comprising drill holes which are designed for optionality and flexibility based on results. Maxwell plate modelling from the recently completed 2022 VTEM and downhole borehole EM surveys, indicates drill hole HPM-08-14 was drilled parallel or oblique to the newly interpreted plates, missing the prospective electromagnetic target. Consequently, drilling at Syrah will focus on following up on mineralization intersected in this hole and nickel-bearing sulphide mineralization outcropping on surface. Furthermore, the Company will be testing the recently interpreted Maxwell plates, derived from the 2022 VTEM and borehole EM surveys. Figure 1: Barre de Fer Zone & Syrah Target, zones of expansion, Oblique view with VTEM overlay Operations Murchison has undertaken several initiatives that will provide real-time results and control expenditures. These initiatives include: Acquiring a helicopter portable track-mounted diamond drill, allowing for quicker drill moves which are not dependent on helicopter support All samples collected at the core facilities will undergo portable x-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) to provide accurate, real-time assays results prior to being shipped to the lab. A Thermo Scientific direct rock sampler (DRS) will be used to provide representative samples for XRF analysis. XRF analysis will be completed on all drill core undergoing standard assay analysis at a geoanalytical lab. This will provide Murchison with the flexibility to target the most prospective areas at BDF and Syrah in real time. A resource development team, from Understood Mineral Resources Ltd., has been integrated into the exploration process Murchison Minerals President and CEO Troy Boisjoli comments: "Murchison is extremely to excited to initiate the drilling phase for the 2022 summer exploration program at HPM, and unlock the potential at the high-grade nickel, copper, cobalt at the BDF Zone and Syrah Target. The team is eager to drill test numerous prospective areas for expansion of the BDF Zone in anticipation of producing a near surface high-grade nickel mineral resource estimate later this year. With a minimum of 7,500 m of drilling planned, Murchison is well positioned to achieve this goal and truly unlock the potential of BDF and Syrah." Murchison Minerals Vice-President of Exploration John Shmyr comments: "Extensive data compilation and prospecting at BDF and Syrah over the last year have led to this exciting phase of the 2022 summer exploration program at HPM. The exploration methods applied to date including geological mapping, Beep Mat surveying, and backpack drilling have identified exciting prospective target areas at BDF and Syrah that Murchison is keen to drill test this summer." About the HPM Project The HPM Project is located within the Haut-Plateau de la Manicouagan area, east of the Manicouagan structure, the site of a major 215 Ma impact event. The extensive reservoir at Manicouagan supports five hydro-power plants. The existing Quebec Cartier rail line, located eight kilometres west of the PYC target area, links Labrador City to Port Cartier and Sept Iles, two major iron ore port facilities. Figure 2: HPM Location Map The claims host prospective gabbroic, ultramafic and anorthositic bodies within the Manicouagan metamorphic complex and are associated with significant nickel-copper-cobalt sulphide mineralization first identified by Falconbridge in 1999, where they discovered extensive nickel-bearing sulphide mineralization at BDF during drilling in 2001 - 2002. Murchison Minerals Ltd.'s predecessor - Manicouagan Minerals - drilled in the area in 2008 and 2009. The majority of the past drilling at the HPM Project targeted the BDF geophysical conductor and confirmed the presence of nickel-copper-cobalt sulphide mineralization over approximately 300-metres strike length to a depth of 280 metres. The mineralization remains open at depth and partially along strike. The Company recently completed a comprehensive data compilation, verification and modelling program, comprising all drill hole data from the BDF Zone. The modelling program consisted of developing a preliminary 3D interpretation of nickel mineralization at BDF (Figure 3). Based on the modelling, the Zone outcrops on surface, extends to a vertical depth of 295 m, has a strike length of 315 m, and is composed of multiple stacked lenses over a maximum footprint width of 150 m. Individual lenses have a maximum thickness of 28 m. However, extensive mineralization has been intersected to a vertical depth of 440 m, and the Zone remains undrilled and unconstrained along strike and at depth. No resource estimates have been completed on the Zone to date. Figure 3: Barre de Fer Zone Preliminary Nickel Mineralization Model, isometric view looking Northeast (Nickel Equivalent (NiEq) values were calculated using the following USD metal prices from Mar 23, 2022: $12.76/lb Nickel, $4.76/lb Copper and $37.20/lb Cobalt.) After Murchison acquired 100% ownership of the property in 2019, the Company focused exploration work on the camp-scale potential of the region. Aerial EM surveys completed in the spring of 2021 identified more than 50 anomalous conductors. Prospecting crews were able to traverse three (3) of the more than 50 anomalies, and discovered new outcrops of nickel-bearing sulphide mineralization in the process. The prospecting program was followed by an inaugural drill program at the PYC Target area - an EM anomaly with a 1.95-km strike length. Subsequent to the completion of the drill program at PYC, the Company increased its dominant land position in the Haut-Plateau region from 139 km2 to 576 km2. Finally, as a result of the spring 2022 VTEM survey, completed over the remaining 85% of the HPM property area, the Company further increase its land holdings at HPM to 648 km2. Qualifying Statement The foregoing scientific and technical disclosures on the HPM Project have been reviewed by John Shmyr, P.Geo., VP Exploration, a registered member of the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan. Mr. Shmyr is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Murchison Minerals Ltd. (TSXV:MUR, OTCQB:MURMF) Murchison is a Canadian-based exploration company focused on nickel-copper-cobalt exploration at the 100% - owned HPM Project in Quebec and the exploration and development of the 100% - owned Brabant Lake zinc-copper-silver project in north-central Saskatchewan. The Company also holds an option to earn 100% interest in the Barraute VMS exploration project also located in Quebec, north of Val d'Or. Murchison currently has 218.2 million shares issued and outstanding. Additional information about Murchison and its exploration projects can be found on the Company's website at www.murchisonminerals.ca . For further information, please contact: Troy Boisjoli, President and CEO, Erik H Martin, CFO, or Justin LaFosse, Director Corporate Development Tel: (416) 350-3776 info@murchisonminerals.com CHF Capital Markets Thomas Do, IR Manager Tel: (416) 868-1079 x 232 thomas@chfir.com Forward-Looking Information Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking information that involves substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. This forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company, including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, and dependence upon regulatory approvals. FLI herein includes, but is not limited to: future drill results; stakeholder engagement and relationships; parameters and methods used with respect to the assay results; the prospects, if any, of the deposits; future prospects at the deposits; and the significance of exploration activities and results. FLI is designed to help you understand management's 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 obtain the assay results; 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 nongovernmental actions; and any impacts of COVID-19 on the deposits, the Company's financial position, the Company's ability to secure required funding, or operations. Risks and uncertainties about the Company'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. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Murchison Minerals Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/710926/Murchison-Minerals-Commences-Diamond-Drilling-at-the-HPM-High-Grade-Nickel-Copper-Cobalt-Project-in-Quebec SEATTLE (dpa-AFX) - Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) announced Friday an agreement to acquire consumer robot company iRobot (IRBT) for $61 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.7 billion, including iRobot's net debt. The companies expect to complete the deal subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by iRobot's shareholders and regulatory approvals. On completion, Colin Angle will remain as CEO of iRobot. iRobot designs and builds thoughtful robots and smart home devices. iRobot's product portfolio features technologies and advanced concepts in cleaning, mapping and navigation. The company, which introduced its first Roomba robot vacuum in 2002, now has sold millions of robots worldwide. Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot, said, 'Amazon shares our passion for building thoughtful innovations that empower people to do more at home, and I cannot think of a better place for our team to continue our mission. I'm hugely excited to be a part of Amazon and to see what we can build together for customers in the years ahead.' 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. BANGALORE, India, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Delivery Robot Market is segmented By Type(LiDAR Sensors, Control Systems), By Application(Food & Beverages, Retail): Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2028. It is published in Valuates Reports under the Heavy Machinery Category. Delivery Robot market size is estimated to be worth USD 20 million in 2022 and is forecast to be a readjusted size of USD 50 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 16.5% during the review period. Major Factors Driving the Growth of Delivery Robot Market The increasing need to cut costs in last-mile deliveries and rising use in the hospitality industry will fuel the growth of the market during the forecast period. Furthermore, the expansion of the eCommerce industry will drive the growth of the delivery robot market. Get Your Sample Today: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-19X7326/Global_Delivery_Robot_Market TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF THE DELIVERY ROBOT MARKET Delivery robots are bringing forth many advantages to several industry verticals. The use cases are immense from food delivery in restaurants to guidance in hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, etc. The automation of time-consuming and repetitive tasks is helping businesses overcome the challenges of labor shortage. This will boost the growth of the delivery robot market during the forecast period. Robots and automation are the perfect solutions for enabling organizations to serve customers at maximum volume and operate at peak performance. The onslaught of the covid 19 pandemic gave rise to the preference for contactless delivery systems. Robots add a layer of safety to food handling. Robotic delivery cuts operational costs and reduces congestion and pollution. It is easily trackable via smartphone apps. Their advanced features will bolster the growth of the global delivery robot market in the coming years. Delivery vehicles can get stuck in traffic whereas robots are able to navigate through any area as they come equipped with 360-degree cameras that allow them to quickly scan and overcome any obstacles while delivering the food when it's still warm. The expansion of the eCommerce industry and rapid digitization are fueling the shift towards robots. Robotic technology enhances the overall shopping experience of customers in the retail industry. They are able to capture more granular data about the products on shelves and buying patterns of consumers. This will push the delivery robot market forward in the forthcoming years. Straightforward jobs like material handling, cleaning, and inventory management reduce the requirement of workers and cut operational expenses. Robots conduct real-time information tracking and gathering allowing business owners to understand the buying patterns. Packages are delivered in a matter of hours. Browse The Table Of Contents And List Of Figures At: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-19X7326/global-delivery-robot DELIVERY ROBOT MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS: Based on application, the food and beverages segment is expected to dominate in the delivery robot market share as hotels and resorts are rapidly expanding their non-human staff. Robots have become an emerging technology trend due to the need for elevating the customer experience. Automation enables self-service and leads to improvements in terms of speed, cost, and accuracy. Based on region, North America will witness significant growth due to the presence of key market players, increasing use of robots in several end-user industry verticals, and technological advancements. Get Regional Data: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Auto-19X7326/Global_Delivery_Robot_Market Key Companies: Starship Technologies Panasonic System Solutions Savioke Nuro Amazon Robotics Robby Technologies Boston Dynamics Robomart Eliport Inquire for Chapter Cost: https://reports.valuates.com/request/chaptercost/QYRE-Auto-19X7326/Global_Delivery_Robot_Market Buy Now for Single User + Covid-19 Impact : https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-19X7326&lic=single-user SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. Please leave a note in the Comment Section to know about our subscription plans. SIMILAR REPORTS: - Automated Parcel Delivery Terminals market size is estimated to be worth USD 1045.6 million in 2022 and is forecast to be a readjusted size of USD 1743.9 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 8.9% during the review period. - Same-day Delivery market size is projected to reach USD 123050 million by 2027, from USD 11620 million in 2020, at a CAGR of 38.5% during the forecast period 2021-2027. - Last Mile Delivery market size is estimated to be worth USD 42860 million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 75510 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 9.9% during the review period. - Drone Package Delivery market size will be USD 241.53 Million and it is expected to reach USD 3694.38 Million by the end of 2027, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 57.55% during the forecast period 2021-2027. - Commercial Drone market size is estimated to be worth USD 6510.8 million in 2022 and is forecast to be a readjusted size of USD 34500 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 32.0% during the review period. - Dry bulk shipping market size is projected to grow from USD 35 billion in 2020 to USD 101 billion by 2027; it is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16% from 2021 to 2027. - The global parcel delivery market size was USD 47 billion in 2021, it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 11.5% from 2022 to 2028. - Dropshipping market size is projected to reach USD 621410 million by 2028, from USD 162550 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 20.7% during 2022-2028. - Continuous Delivery market size is projected to reach USD 3132.2 million by 2028, from USD 1546.2 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 10.5% during 2022-2028. - The global Drone Logistics and Transportation market size is projected to reach USD 12180 million by 2028, from USD 5752.2 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 10.8% during 2022-2028. - Digital Logistics market size is projected to reach USD 22170 million by 2028, from USD 10230 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 11.5% during 2022-2028. - The global express delivery market size was valued at USD 262.86 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 484.38 billion by 2030 registering a CAGR of 6.4% from 2021 to 2030. - The global IoT Fleet Management Market size is projected to reach USD 26410 million by 2027, from USD 6955.7 million in 2020 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 21.0% during 2021-2027. - The global logistics market size is valued at USD 7641.20 billion in 2017 and is projected to reach USD 12975.64 billion by 2027 registering a CAGR of 6.5% from 2020 to 2027. - Smart Parcel Delivery Locker market was valued at USD 502 million in 2020 and it is expected to reach USD 1022.8 million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 10.3% during 2021-2027. - Global Contactless Parcel Delivery System Market Insights, Forecast to 2028 - Global Electric Parcel Delivery Van Market Insights, Forecast to 2028 - Global Direct Store Delivery Software Market Size, Status, and Forecast to 2022 - Cloud Kitchen Market size was valued at USD 29,418.5 million in 2020 and is estimated to reach USD 112,741.7 million by 2030 with a CAGR of 13.12% from 2021 to 2030. Click here to see related reports on Delivery Robot Market ABOUT US: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains a detailed research methodology employed to generate the report. Please also reach our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources. CONTACT US: Valuates Reports sales@valuates.com For U.S. Toll-Free Call 1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp: +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports LinkedIn - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports Logo:https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg ZURICH, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VentiSwap, a new non-custodial, true cross-chain swap, has launched the beta version of its platform aimed at providing users with lower transaction fees, and more efficient cross-chain swaps. VentiSwap joins the small community of an ever-growing need of cross-chain platforms currently active in the industry. By not relying on the use of middle tokens, bridges, HTLC, or P2P functions to initiate and complete transactions, VentiSwap has differentiated itself from other cross-chain DEX platforms. The VentiSwap platform was developed to provide an intuitive, efficient method for users to trade any type of supported blockchain in one simple transaction by leveraging VentiSwap's proprietary algorithms. The advantages of the company's proprietary algorithms, which VentiSwap bases its cross-chain DEX platform around, are that they enable fast, efficient transactions which require no third-party middlemen to complete - providing users with the ability to perform true cross-chain swaps. VentiSwap has been able to optimize transaction exchange rates for users, encouraging traders to fully leverage multiple liquidity pools. VentiSwap is also the first to ever offer a refund function for failed transactions. The VentiSwap Token, an industry-leading DeFi and blockchain security audit company, to ensure code integrity, mitigate risk, and guarantee security. CertiK found zero critical, major, medium, or minor issues in its VentiSwap code security assessment, which allowed the VentiSwap team to move forward with the launch in Q2 2022. VST is currently available on 1Inch and Uniswap with CEX listings coming soon. In addition to the VentiSwap platform, VentiTech, VentiSwap's parent company, is also working on several cross-chain crypto projects: VentiNFT - a cross-chain NFT marketplace VentiWallet - a multi-chain wallet platform VentiPresale - a cross-chain presale platform VentiVerse - an interactive storefront to display NFTs, play games, and earn rewards VentiHeadz - a line of 80's style utility NFTs VentiSwap Token - an ERC20 "no reflections" and non-taxed utility token VentiHeadz, the company's line of 80's style utility NFTs, has already launched in Q2 2022. Only 5,000 will ever be minted. Advantages of holding a VentiHeadz NFT include full access to VentiTech's entire line of cross-chain platforms, a complimentary VentiHeadz t-shirt, access to a private online chat community, and an invitation to an exclusive in-person event. The price to mint one VentiHeadz NFT is 0.1 ETH. VentiHeadz website. About VentiSwap The VentiSwap project was initiated in March 2021, and the company is incorporated in Switzerland. VentiSwap's development teams are based in the UK, India, and Pakistan. The platform is officially affiliated with industry-leading Binance, which provides VentiSwap's back-end liquidity. VentiSwap does not offer money (fiat) transferring or transactions. It only offers token to token swapping. Purchasing and cashing out needs to be done on other platforms. The beta version of the VentiSwap platform can be experienced by visiting the official VentiSwap website. Media Contact - info@ventiswap.com This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / August 5, 2022 / Ahmed Said has joined medical job listing and candidate sourcing provider - Metropolis - as its first President. He joins Scott Edwards (Founder and CEO) to co-lead Metropolis as it continues its mission of revolutionizing the stagnant healthcare recruiting industry. Said is a 20-year industry veteran of e-commerce platforms, playing critical roles with Hotels.com and Verizon SuperPages, and most recently as Chief Technology Officer of QUANTIQ, where he strategically positioned the company for acquisition by Avanade. "The issue today is you have two sides to the healthcare recruiting industry," says Said. "On the one hand, you have the recruiting community that, for the most part, doesn't have access to the tools necessary to find and match with physicians that are passive job seekers - but may still be very valid candidates." "On the other side of the equation," continued Said, "you have physicians who don't have a place to call their own, a place where they can go to manage their career and financial goals without being hounded by unprofessional agency recruiters that will stop at nothing to get them on the phone if they happen to get ahold of their CV or contact information." The problem? Recruiters and physician candidates need each other, but today's healthcare recruiting tools put them at adversarial odds. That is not good for recruiters. That is not good for physicians. And ultimately, that is not good for U.S. healthcare consumers. "There is no one better than Ahmed Said to bring the best of e-commerce matching and transaction technologies to healthcare recruiting," says Scott Edwards, CEO of Metropolis. "Today, we can't imagine a world without sites like Hotels.com and Amazon.com. Tomorrow, the healthcare recruiting industry will cringe at how archaic life was before Metropolis 'e-recruiting' technology." About Metropolis Metropolis ( www.metropolis.tech ) is an aggregator of medical job listings for physicians and a candidate sourcing provider for medical recruiters throughout the United States. Metropolis puts candidates and recruiters directly in touch with one another. Unlike traditional job boards and candidate sourcing models, Metropolis does not work with recruitment firms, charges no placement fees to the hiring organization, and is completely confidential for the physician candidate. Metropolis is used by the largest healthcare organizations in the United States, including Advent Health, American Family Care (AHC) Health Centers, HCA Healthcare, Medstar Health, Shriners Hospitals for Children, and the U.S. Army. Press Contact Chad Perry (801) 319-041 chad@metropolis.tech SOURCE: Metropolis View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/710876/Ahmed-Said-Joins-Metropolis-a-Disruptive-Healthcare-Recruiting-Technology-Company SAN FERNANDO, Calif., Aug. 05, 2022is looking for investment partners to support the company's exponential growth following record sales. The Southern California company, headed by Anthony Alcazar, has already become Amazon's top-selling tortilla brandin the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom. Alcazar is currently searching for funding opportunities to further aid the market expansion. "It's certainly an exciting time for Mr. Tortilla," Alcazar said. "I couldn't be happier that our vision has led to such fantastic results. Access to healthy tacos at the click of a button means that customers can rapidly order delicious, quality products straight to their door. Our massive success in the U.S., Canada, and now the U.K. proves that we're really onto something good." Demand is growing for all of their products. Although Mr. Tortilla started selling directly to consumers, it now also sells to distributors, wholesalers, and restaurants internationally. Mr. Tortilla is also in the final stages of developing a vegan household staple that Alcazar will reveal next month. "The fantastic customer feedback to our growing selection of products speaks volumes. It's now time to take Mr. Tortilla to the next level with the support of financial growth partners," Alcazar added. "We're a pink diamond," Alcazar wants to remind potential investors. "Unlike many companies, we can actually scale profitably. This is the once-in-a-lifetime investment that investors search for their whole lives." Mr. Tortilla's e-commerce strategy was born from a frustration about the availability of low-carb tortillas on supermarket shelves. Instead of trying to compete with household brands, Anthony and his brother Ronald chose to reach a market that was looking for their products through their online shop and later Amazon. The results were staggering. Mr. Tortilla's sales grew by 3,000% and the brand is on the way to carving a name for itself among heavyweights as the go-to tortilla option. It's clear that technology and social media have aided the brothers in achieving their remarkable business growth in such a short period of time. Mr. Tortilla has already amassed an impressive 250,000 followers across their verified social media platforms. In June, Alcazar also spoke at the CEO Summit of the Americaswhere he reflected upon tapping into the benefits of digital tools. "Embracing the e-commerce model was certainly a risk, but one that has really paid off," Anthony's brother Ronald Alcazar, COO of Mr. Tortilla, said. "It all stemmed from a love and passion for good guilt-free food, quality ingredients, and delivering a product that customers want. The last few years have been a whirlwind for our team, but we have our sights set on even bigger goals. As a result, now is the perfect time to look for investors who can support us as we continue to make our dream a reality." Contact: Anthony@mrtortilla.com Related Files Mr. Tortilla - Press Release - Mr. Tortilla Bags #1 Sales Spot on Amazon US, Canada and UK And Now Looks for Banking Partners.do Related Images Image 1 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BGI's leading global position in life science research has been recognized in the 2022 Nature Index. BGI rose two places to 8th in the world among corporate institutions for its contribution to life science research and was the only Chinese corporate among the top 10. Within the Asia Pacific region BGI held the top spot among corporate institutions for life science research for the 7th consecutive year. BGI has held this position since Nature Index started including corporate research initiatives in 2015. Xu Xun, Director of BGI-Research, said: "While we are honored to be recognized by Nature Index, the ranking is only a result, not the goal of scientific researchers. Scientific research should benefit society and that involves transforming scientific research into industry breakthroughs." The Nature Index is a global indicator of high-quality research and tracks contributions to research articles published in 82 quality natural science journals, chosen based on reputation by an independent group of researchers. In 2021, the period covered by the 2022 Nature Index, BGI published 439 articles, including 41 articles in CNNS (Nature and its sub-journals, Science and its sub-journals, Cell and its sub-journals, and New England Journal of Medicine). BGI has continued in its quest for research breakthroughs in 2022. In March, BGI in collaboration with other institutions successfully cultivated human totipotent stem cells through somatic cell induction, potentially leading to in vitro regeneration of human organs in the future. In April, another collaboration helped create the world's first non-human Primate whole-cell atlas provides assistance for disease diagnosis and treatment, targeted drug development, and offering the possibility for humans to better explore the evolution of life. Both research papers were published by Nature. In May, BGI and other institutions, used BGI's self-developed spatio-temporal omics Stereo-seq technology, to create spatio-temporal maps of embryonic development or organs of four model organisms for the first time, providing a new way for understanding organ structure, life development, human diseases and species evolution. These research papers were published by Cell and Developmental Cell as cover stories. 2022 Nature Index: https://www.nature.com/nature-index/annual-tables/2022/institution/corporate/life-sciences/global https://www.nature.com/nature-index/annual-tables/2022/institution/corporate/life-sciences/regions-Asia%20Pacific Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares For immediate release 5 August 2022 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announces that it has today purchased 18,178 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 854.94 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 5,407,347; 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 219,583,956. The figure of 219,583,956 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 5 August 2022 Rightmove plc Share buy-back programme Rightmove plc - Transaction in own shares Rightmove plc ('Rightmove') announces that today it purchased 142,000 of its 0.1p ordinary shares at a volume weighted average price paid per share of 652.505p. The highest price paid per share was 668.200p and the lowest price paid per share was 645.600p. Rightmove purchased these shares through Numis Securities Limited. The number of shares purchased represented 0.0170% 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 469,740,229 ordinary shares. The total number of ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury shares) following this announcement is 836,930,429. 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 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2022) - SALAZAR RESOURCES LIMITED (TSXV: SRL) (OTCQX: SRLZF) (FSE: CCG.F) ("Salazar" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Adventus Mining Corporation ("Adventus") has entered into definitive agreements that constitute the Offtake Financing Agreement (the "OFA") with Trafigura Pte Ltd ("Trafigura") which secures up to US$55 million towards the advancement of the El Domo-Curipamba copper-gold project (the "El Domo Project"). This follows the binding commitment previously announced on January 17, 2022, together with the financial commitment by Wheaton Precious Metals Corp ("Wheaton"). With OFA completion, the joint venture has secured up to US$235.5 million for the advancement and future construction of the El Domo Project. Pursuant to the OFA, Trafigura will provide Adventus Mining with a senior debt facility (the "Facility") of US$45 million, US$5 million of which can be paid on an early deposit basis to be used for pre-construction activities at the El Domo Project. The remainder of the cash consideration is payable in two (2) staged installments during future construction of the El Domo Project, subject to certain customary conditions precedent being satisfied. About Salazar Resources Salazar Resources is focused on creating value and positive change through discovery, exploration and development in Ecuador. The team has an unrivalled understanding of the geology in-country and has played an integral role in the discovery of many of the major projects in Ecuador, including the two newest operating gold and copper mines. Salazar Resources has a wholly-owned pipeline of copper-gold exploration projects across Ecuador with a strategy to make another commercial discovery and farm-out non-core assets. The Company actively engages with Ecuadorian communities and together with the Salazar family it co-founded The Salazar Foundation, an independent non-profit organisation dedicated to sustainable progress through economic development. For further information about Salazar Resources, please contact Merlin Marr-Johnson, Executive Vice President and Corporate Secretary, at merlin@salazarresources.com or ir@salazarresources.com or at +1 604 685 9316. 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/133009 Volunteers from Rotary District 3710 pose in front of a shelter for Koryoin refugees in the southwestern city of Gwangju, Tuesday. Courtesy of Koryoin Village By Lee Yeon-woo A shelter has opened in southwestern Korea for Koryoin refugees who fled from Ukraine following Russia's invasion. Koryoin refers to the descendants of ethnic Koreans who migrated to the former Soviet Union region between 1860 and Aug. 15, 1945 when Korea was liberated from Japanese colonial rule. Koryoin refugees who arrived in Korea can stay there for two to three weeks while filing visa documents or receiving medical checkups. Located in Gwangsan District, southwestern Gwangju, Koryoin Village is home to many ethnic Koreans who migrated from Russia and post-Soviet Union countries such as Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year, members of Koryoin Village has rolled up their sleeves and helped ethnic Korean refugees enter Korea from Ukraine. Around 550 people received support with airfare from the local community's donations sent to Koryoin Village. After arriving in the city, the refugees were offered to stay in rooms in three buildings free of charge. Calls were mounting among the community members to offer shelters. Starting from this July, the village members renovated the buildings so that they could offer more accommodations to refugees. Local volunteers and civic group activists joined the effort to create a shelter for the refugees. "So far, around 400 of them (who left the shelter) settled in Koryoin Village and the surrounding neighborhood," Shin Jo-ya, the head of Koryoin Village, also known as the Korean Cooperative, said. The newly-opened shelter will also become a permanent accommodation for some. "The shelter will become a home for the elderly and disabled who find it hard to work and maintain a living," Shin added. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE/ August 5, 2022 / The Power Play by The Market Herald has announced the release of new interviews with CareSpan and Green River Gold on their latest news. The Power Play by The Market Herald provides investors with a quick snapshot of what they need to know about the company's latest press release through exclusive insights and interviews with company executives. CareSpan (TSXV:CSPN) collaborates with nurse practitioners to address U.S. health care shortages CareSpan (CSPN) offers integrated digital tools to empower patients and health care practitioners. Melissa Magstadt, CEO of American APN, CareSpan's nurse practitioner network, spoke with Daniella Atkinson about how the company is addressing U.S. shortages in primary, chronic and urgent care. For the full interview with CareSPan and to learn more about CareSpan, click here. Green River Gold (CSE:CCR) provides update on the 2022 exploration program at its Quesnel Project Green River Gold (CCR) has provided an update on the progress of the 2022 exploration program at its Quesnel Nickel/Magnesium/Talc Project. The project is located in the prolific Cariboo Mining District of British Columbia. Perry Little, President and CEO of Green River Gold Corp., sat down with Sabrina Cuthbert to discuss the results. For the full interview with Perry Little and to learn more about Green River Gold, click here Interviews for The Power Play by The Market Herald are released daily. To learn more about the companies featured in The Power Play or to explore our other interviews visit The Power Play by The Market Herald. About The Market Herald The Market Herald Canada is the leading source of authoritative breaking stock market news for self-directed investors. Our team of Canadian markets reporters, editors and technologists covers the entire listed company universe in Canada. We cover over 3,985 businesses, their people, their investors, and their customers. We write the stories that move the Canadian capital markets. DISCLAIMER: Report Card Canada Media Ltd. 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Please be sure to check the Privacy Policies of these sites as well as their "Terms of Service" before engaging in any business or uploading any information. CONTACT: The Market Herald Charity Robertson charity.robertson@themarketherald.ca themarketherald.ca SOURCE: The Market Herald View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/711037/The-Power-Play-by-The-Market-Herald-Releases-New-Interviews-with-CareSpan-and-Green-River-Gold NEWS RELEASE Paris: EUR EURO RESSOURCES REPORTS EARNINGS FOR THE SECOND QUARTER AND SIX MONTHSENDED JUNE 30, 2022 Paris, France, August 5, 2022: EURO Ressources S.A. ("EURO" or "the Company") (Paris: EUR) today announced its unaudited statutory interim financial results prepared in accordance with French Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") and its unaudited condensed interim financial statements prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") for the six months ended June 30, 2022. These unaudited interim financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on August 5, 2022. All financial amounts are expressed in Euros ("" or "euros") unless otherwise specified. Highlights Under French GAAP, EURO reported a net profit of 8.1 million (0.130 per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2022 (4.4 million for the second quarter of 2022 (0.07 per share)) compared to 4.5 million (0.072 per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2021 (1.1 million for the second quarter of 2021 (0.018 per share)). Under IFRS, EURO reported a net profit of 6.4 million (0.103 per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2022 (3.3 million for the second quarter of 2022 (0.052 per share)) compared to 3.3 million (0.054 per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2021 (1.5 million for the second quarter of 2021 (0.024 per share)). EURO recorded revenues of 10.3 million (excluding foreign exchange gain) in the first six months of 2022 (5.5 million in the second quarter of 2022) compared to revenues of 5.7 million in the first six months of 2021 (2.2 million reported in the second quarter of 2021). On June 9, 2022, EURO paid dividends of 15.6 million (0.25 per share). Liquidity and capital resources Cash at June 30, 2022 totaled 13.3 million as compared to 20.4 million at December 31, 2021. The decrease was mainly due to the dividends paid, partially offset by cash flow from operating activities. Marketable securities EURO holds marketable securities related to mining companies which are part of a volatile market. Share market price exposure risk is related to the fluctuation in the market price of marketable securities. Investments in marketable securities are recorded at fair value. As at June 30, 2022, marketable securities were comprised of 19,095,345 shares of Orea Mining Corp. ("Orea") (9.0% of outstanding shares; December 31, 2021: 9.3%) and 3,819,069 shares of Allegiant Gold Ltd. ("Allegiant") (3.7% of outstanding shares; December 31, 2021: 4.9%). During the six month period ended June 30, 2022, the Company recognized an unrealized loss under IFRS following the decrease of the fair value of these marketable securities. Under IFRS, this loss of 0.6 million was recorded in other comprehensive income (loss of 0.9 million during the six months ended June 30, 2021). Under French GAAP, the loss of 1.0 million was recorded in the financing charges in the statement of earnings. Royalty assets (Refer to MD&A for more detail) As at June 30, 2022, the Company's impairment review indicated that the facts and circumstances did not represent an indication of potential impairment for Rosebel and Bombore. An indication of impairment was identified for the Paul Isnard royalty asset as at June 30, 2022, due to the fact that the JV partner, Nordgold, has been sanctioned by the U.S department of Treasury, in connection with the Ukraine conflict. At this time, it is not known what impact the sanctions will have on Nordgold and its ability to continue its responsibilities under the shareholders' agreement in place between Orea and Nordgold, relating to the Montagne d'Or project. The statements by the French Government in 2019 regarding the Compagnie Miniere Montagne d'Or (the joint venture) have created some uncertainty around the delivery of the various authorizations and permits not yet obtained and required for developing the project, and can potentially affect the operational and financial capacities of the project. On May 10, 2022, Orea reported that the French Supreme Court has admitted the final appeal of the French Government on the renewal of the Montagne d'Or project mining titles, following the fact that the Administrative Court of Appeal in Bordeaux had rejected the French Government's appeal in July 2021. On June 30, 2022, Orea reported that it has initiated negotiations with Nordgold to obtain its 55.01% interest (for a total of 100%) in the Montagne d'Or joint-venture. In the impairment test performed at June 30, 2022, the Company considered if the various authorizations and permits would be granted under conditions that will allow the JV to go on with this project as well as the implications of the sanctions placed on Nordgold. Despite the uncertainty about the timing of obtaining the permits and the sanctions imposed on Nordgold, there is currently no indication that the permits will not be renewed by the French government or that the Company's royalty interest will be affected by the sanctions. The risk of non-recoverability is very low, even if the cash flows of the project are delayed. Therefore, the Company continues to assume that the various authorizations and permits would be granted under conditions that will allow the joint venture to go forward with this project, although the timing is somewhat uncertain. No impairment charges were recorded in the statement of earnings for the period ended June 30, 2022. Comments on financial results prepared in accordance with French GAAP for the six month period ended June 30, 2022 compared to the same period in 2021 Under French GAAP and IFRS, EURO accounted for revenues of 10.3 million (excluding foreign exchange gain), an increase compared to revenues of 5.7 million for the same period in 2021. Revenues were only attributable to the Rosebel royalty for the first six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021. The increase in revenues was mainly due to higher gold production of 74,723 ounces in the first six months of 2022 compared to 47,404 ounces in the first six months of 2021 (3.3 million), a weakened euro (0.9 million) and a higher average gold price in the first six months of 2022 of US$1,874 per ounce compared to US$1,803 per ounce in the first six months of 2021 (0.4 million). Under French GAAP, operating expenses (excluding amortization expense) for the six months ended June 30, 2022 were 0.35 million compared to 0.30 million during the same period in 2021. The increase was mainly due to higher administrative costs in 2022. The depreciation expense related to intangible assets was 0.11 million during the first half of 2022 compared to 0.07 million during the first six months of 2021. This increase was mainly due to higher production at the Rosebel mine. Financial results included a foreign exchange gain on bank accounts under French GAAP of 1.9 million in the first six months of 2022 compared to a foreign exchange gain on bank accounts of 0.57 million in the first six months of 2021. The increase of the foreign exchange gain was mainly due to the weakening of the Euro compared to the United States dollar in 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. During the first six months ended June 30, 2022, EURO recorded an income tax expense of 2.8 million compared to 1.7 million during the six months ended June 30, 2021. The increase was mainly due to the tax impact of higher earnings and translation adjustments, partially offset by the tax impact of the change in fair value of the marketable securities. Select IFRS financial results Since December 31, 2010, EURO no longer prepares and publishes consolidated financial statements for French purposes; only French GAAP can be applied for the presentation of statutory financial statements and approval by the shareholders. However, in order to comply with Canadian requirements and have equivalency of information between French financial requirements and Canadian financial requirements, the following information on the IFRS financial results is provided for comparison purposes. Six months ended June 30, 2022 compared to the same period in 2021 (IFRS) Under IFRS, EURO reported a net profit of 6.4 million (0.103 per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2022 compared to 3.3 million (0.054 per share) for the six months ended June 30, 2021. Under IFRS, revenues totaled 10.3 million in the first half of 2022 compared to revenues of 5.7 million during the same period in 2021, the same as under French GAAP as explained above. Operating expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2022 were 0.29 million compared to 0.26 million in the same period in 2021. The increase was mainly due to higher administrative costs, exchange and listing fees and audit fees, partially offset by lower legal fees. The amortization expense of 0.13 million during the six months ended June 30, 2022 was higher than the amortization expense of 0.08 million recorded during the same period in 2021, mainly due to higher production at the Rosebel mine. EURO recorded a foreign exchange loss of 0.24 million in the first six months of 2022 compared to a loss of 0.25 million in the first six months of 2021, mainly due to the revaluation of dividends payable, bank accounts and income tax payable. EURO recorded an income tax expense of 3.2 million in the six months ended June 30, 2022 compared to 1.8 million in the same period of 2021. The increase was mainly due to the tax impact of higher earnings and translation adjustments, partially offset by the tax impact of the change in fair value of the marketable securities. Second quarter ended June 30, 2022 compared to the same period in 2021 (IFRS) Under IFRS, EURO reported a net profit of 3.3 million (0.052 per share) for the second quarter of 2022 compared to 1.5 million (0.024 per share) for the second quarter of 2021. Revenues were 5.5 million during the second quarter of 2022, an increase compared to 2.2 million for the second quarter of 2021. Revenues were only attributable to the Rosebel royalty in the second quarter of 2022 and 2021. The increase in revenues was mainly due to higher gold production of 39,510 ounces in the second quarter of 2022 compared to 18,172 ounces in the second quarter of 2021 (2.6 million), a weakened euro (0.5 million) and a higher average gold price in the second quarter of 2022 of US$1,871 per ounce compared to US$1,816 per ounce in the second quarter of 2021 (0.2 million). During the second quarter of 2022, the Company recorded operating expenses of 0.18 million compared to 0.14 million during the same period in 2021. The increase was mainly explained by higher administrative costs, exchange and listing fees and audit fees, partially offset by lower legal fees. The amortization expense of 0.07 million during the second quarter of 2022 was higher than the amortization expense of 0.03 million recorded during the second quarter of 2021, mainly due to higher production at the Rosebel mine. EURO recorded a foreign exchange loss of 0.24 million in the second quarter of 2022 compared to a loss of 0.18 million in the second quarter of 2021, mainly due to the revaluation of dividends payable, bank accounts and income tax payable. EURO recorded an income tax expense of 1.8 million in the second quarter of 2022 compared to 0.4 million in the second quarter of 2021. The increase was mainly due to the tax impact of higher earnings and translation adjustments, partially offset by the tax impact of the change in fair value of the marketable securities. Outlook The Rosebel royalty production is anticipated to be between 113,000 ounces and 139,000 ounces in 2022. In 2022, the Rosebel royalty is expected to provide revenues to the Company of between approximately 12.3 million and 15.2 million (US$14.8 million and US$18.2 million). These pre-tax numbers assume a gold price of US$1,700 per ounce and an exchange rate of 1 for US$1.20. The impact of changes in the average gold price on EURO's annual revenues, based on an estimated production of 126,000 ounces, would be approximately US$1.2 million for each US$100 per ounce change in the gold price. The impact of a 5% change in the average foreign exchange rate on EURO's annual revenues would be approximately 0.7 million. The Bombore project is anticipated to reach commercial production in the third quarter of 2022. EURO's cash flow is expected to be primarily affected by income tax payments. The Company maintains certain cash available to pursue opportunities that would enhance the Company's long-term business. Global COVID-19 pandemic The global COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve. COVID-19 detection and mitigation protocols are reviewed on an ongoing basis to adapt to the evolving situation. The Company has been closely monitoring and taking necessary measures to manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all aspects of its operations. The COVID-19 situation at Rosebel and in Suriname has remained stable during the second quarter. The majority of the COVID-19 measures have been lifted in Suriname while Rosebel continues to require face masks indoor with additional mitigating measures to continue reducing the impact of COVID-19 at site. About EURO EURO is a French company whose main assets are a royalty on the Rosebel Gold Mine production in Suriname (the "Rosebel royalty"), a royalty on the Paul Isnard concessions, a silver stream from a subsidiary of Orezone Gold Corporation ("Orezone"), and marketable securities. The Rosebel Gold Mine is 95%-owned by IAMGOLD Corporation ("IAMGOLD"), and is operated by IAMGOLD. The royalty on the Paul Isnard concessions is a net smelter returns production royalty on future production of the Paul Isnard concessions and an area of interest surrounding the concessions in French Guiana, owned under a joint venture agreement between Orea Mining Corp. and Nord Gold SE ("Compagnie Miniere Montagne d'Or"). The silver stream entitles EURO to receive 50% of the payable silver production over the life of mine on Orezone's Bombore Project, located in Burkina Faso, West Africa. EURO has approximately 62.5 million shares outstanding. At June 30, 2022, IAMGOLD France S.A.S. ("IAMGOLD France"), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of IAMGOLD, owned 90% of all issued outstanding shares of EURO. As at June 30, 2022, IAMGOLD France held 56,242,153 shares representing 112,300,344 voting rights or 94.38% of the voting rights of EURO. Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information: Some statements in this news release are forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by management. Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. The securities referred to herein have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to a U.S. person absent registration, or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Additional information relating to EURO Ressources S.A. is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Further requests for information should be addressed to: Tidiane Barry Sophie Halle Directeur General Directeur General Delegue Tel. : +1 450 677 0040 Tel. : +1 450 677 0040 E-mail : tbarry@euroressources.net E-mail : shalle@euroressources.net Attachment Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2022) - Boosh Plant-Based Brands Inc. (CSE: VEGI) (OTCQB: VGGIF) (FSE: 77i) ("Boosh" or the "Company") announces that it has entered into a settlement agreement with an arm's length third party for the settlement of $191,428.52 in debt for services previously provided through the issuance of 1,519,274 common shares at a deemed price of $$0.126 per share. All securities issued in the debt settlement are subject to a four month and one day hold period expiring on December 04, 2022. Boosh Plant-based Brands continues its strong sales trajectory across Canada and the US with its premiere brand of better for you chips Beanfields, Boosh ready to eat meals and Amuse boosh vegan cheese and pate. On behalf of the Board of Directors Connie Marples Founder/Chief Executive Officer 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 chips 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 for additional financing, its plan for the proceeds of the placement. 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/133023 Beaumont, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2022) - Neches Group LLC a Texas-based consultancy firm located in Beaumont announces its coral jubilee in the logistics management market. The firm specializes in consulting and managing logistics and data of development projects in Southeast Texas, other parts of the US, and globally. Its expertise spans in fields related to transportation, energy, logistics, construction management, and governmental affairs. Neches Group, LLC deals in handling aggregates, selecting fill materials, readying mix concrete, and liquid hydrocarbon terminals, all associated with cost savings options on commodities that support every project. The firm also helps industries in meeting logistical supply challenges. Neches Group also offers regular consultancy services to Fortune 500 companies. About Bart Owens Bart Owens To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8723/133007_7c368f0ec46a4987_001full.jpg Neches Group LLC is the brainchild of Bart Owens. Owens is a leading industry expert when it comes to dealing with logistics based on developing, building, and operating large entities tied to energy, commodities, and efficiencies. Owens is an equity partner in GT Omniport/GT Logistics a multimodal development project with onsite terminal services and real estate development opportunities. He is also the conceptual creator and one of the founders of Iron Horse Terminals, a 2000 railcar storage and multimodal facility in Beaumont, Texas. Bart's work and experience in the ready-mix concrete and aggregates industry has helped him understand more clearly the importance of using railroads and maritime shipping to create efficiencies. Media Contact: Neches Group LLC Name: Bart Owens 5760 Calder Ave Email:- nechesgroupllc@gmail.com omniportbart@gmail.com Address: Beaumont, Texas USA 77706 Contact Number:- 409-284-3824 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/133007 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2022) - Liontown Resources Limited (ASX: LTR) ("Liontown"), advises that it has acquired 12,500,000 common shares in the capital of Currie Rose Resources Inc. (the "Company") and 4,000,000 common share purchase warrants of the Company under an agreement pursuant to which the Company acquired the Toolebuc Vanadium Project from Liontown. Liontown retains a 2% net gross revenue royalty payable on minerals extracted from the property (the "Royalty"). The common share purchase warrants expire 24 months from the issue date, each of which is exercisable prior to the expiry date to subscribe for one common share in the capital of the Company (a "Share") for a subscription price of CAD$0.10. Immediately prior to the acquisition, Liontown did not own or exercise control or direction over any Shares. Immediately following the acquisition, Liontown held 12,500,000 Shares, representing 13.1% of the total issued and outstanding Shares and 4,000,000 common share purchase warrants of the Company. The exercise of the warrants would result in the issuance of Shares, representing approximately 4% of the currently issued and outstanding Shares (taking into account the Shares issued upon such exercise) and, if all of the warrants issued by the Company to Liontown were to be exercised, Liontown would have an interest of approximately 16.6% and 13.4% in the Company on a non-diluted and on a fully-diluted basis, respectively. The 12,500,000 Shares, 4,000,000 common share purchase warrants, and the Royalty were issued to Liontown at a deemed price of AUD$625,000 (CAD$559,750 using the daily rate of exchange posted by the Bank of Canada on August 4, 2022 for conversion of AUD into Canadian dollars). Liontown acquired the securities for investment purposes and may, depending on market and other conditions, increase or decrease its beneficial ownership, control or direction over securities of the Company. Liontown's head office address is Level 2, 1292 Hay Street, West Perth, Western Australia, 6005. A copy of the Early Warning Report will appear under the profile of the Company on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. The Company's head office is located at Suite 2704, 401 Bay Street, P.O. Box 4, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 2Y4. Contact Information T: +61 8 6186 4600 E: info@ltresources.com.au To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/133024 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2022) - Chalice Mining Limited (ASX: CHN) ("Chalice"), announced that it has acquired 12,500,000 common shares in the capital of Currie Rose Resources Inc. (the "Company") and 4,000,000 common share purchase warrants of the Company under an agreement pursuant to which the Company acquired the Flinders River Vanadium Project from CGM Lithium Pty Ltd. ("CGM Lithium"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chalice, subject to CGM Lithium retaining a 2% net gross revenue royalty payable on minerals extracted from the property (the "Royalty"). The common share purchase warrants expire 24 months from the issue date, each of which is exercisable prior to the expiry date to subscribe for one common share in the capital of the Company (a "Share") for a subscription price of CAD$0.10. Immediately prior to the acquisition, Chalice did not own or exercise control or direction over any Shares. Immediately following the acquisition, Chalice held 12,500,000 Shares, representing 13.1% of the total issued and outstanding Shares and 4,000,000 common share purchase warrants of the Company. The exercise of the warrants would result in the issuance of Shares, representing approximately 4% of the currently issued and outstanding Shares (taking into account the Shares issued upon such exercise) and, if all of the warrants issued by the Company to Chalice were to be exercised, Chalice would have an interest of approximately 16.6% and 13.4% in the Company on a non-diluted and on a fully-diluted basis, respectively. The 12,500,000 Shares, 4,000,000 common share purchase warrants, and the Royalty were issued to Chalice at a deemed price of AUD$625,000 (CAD$559,750 using the daily rate of exchange posted by the Bank of Canada on August 4, 2022 for conversion of AUD into Canadian dollars). Chalice acquired the securities for investment purposes and may, depending on market and other conditions, increase or decrease its beneficial ownership, control or direction over securities of the Company. Chalice's head office address is Level 3, 46 Colin Street, West Perth, Western Australia, 6005. A copy of the Early Warning Report will appear under the profile of the Company on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. The Company's head office is located at Suite 2704, 401 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 2Y4. For further information, please visit www.chalicemining.com or contact: Corporate Enquiries Alex Dorsch Managing Director and CEO Chalice Mining Limited +61 8 9322 3960 info@chalicemining.com Media Enquiries Nicholas Read Principal and Managing Director Read Corporate Investor Relations +61 8 9388 1474 info@readcorporate.com.au Follow our communications LinkedIn: chalice-mining Twitter: @chalicemining Registered Office ABN 47 116 648 956 Level 3, 46 Colin Street, West Perth WA 6005, Australia PO Box 428, West Perth WA 6872 T: +61 8 9322 3960 F: +61 8 9322 5800 info@chalicemining.com www.chalicemining.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/133025 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2022) - Currie Rose Resources Inc. (TSXV: CUI) ("Currie Rose" or the "Company") is pleased to advise that it has completed the previously announced acquisition (See Press Release Dated October 27, 2021 , and January 14, 2022 ) of the Toolebuc and Flinders Rivers Vanadium Projects in Queensland, Australia (the "Project"), pursuant to the terms of the Tenement Sale Agreements with Liontown Resources Limited and Chalice Mining Limited (the "Fundamental Acquisition"). As previously announced and pursuant to the terms of the Agreements, the Company has acquired a 100% interest in both projects (Toolebuc and Flinders River). Technical Report A technical report (the "Report"), prepared in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101, entitled "Technical Report, North Queensland Vanadium Project, Queensland, Australia" and authored by Michael Dufresne, MSc., P.Geol., P.Geo., Steven Nicholls, BA.Sc., MAIG, and D. Roy Eccles, M.Sc., P.Geol., has been filed under the Company's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. The Report establishes the Project as a property of merit and confirms the presence of a historical Inferred Mineral Resource constructed in 2018 at the Cambridge Deposit of 84Mt @ 0.3% V2O5 (Dufresne et al., 2022; Standing, 2018), recommends the inclusion of additional recent drilling by the vendors to expand on the previous work and construct a current mineral resource on behalf of the Company, and suggests further metallurgical test work on the residual drill samples (that have been stored under strict QA/QC conditions) to establish a preliminary processing flow sheet. The Qualified Person, and the Issuer, are not treating the historical resource estimate as a current mineral resource. The Company's management is in the process of engaging specialist consultants to complete the first phase of works on the Project. Michael Griffiths, Currie's President and CEO, commented: "Completion of the Financing was the final condition for Currie Rose's transition to become a vanadium explorer and developer. We would like to thank Chalice Mining and Liontown Resources for their continued support throughout the process, and we look forward to having both companies as major shareholders of Currie Rose. Following the closing of the Fundamental Acquisition, the tenements will transfer (subject to Ministerial consent) to Currie Rose, upon which we will hold 100% of an advanced-stage, district-scale project containing a substantial underexplored ground package within a world-class critical metals hub." Acquisition Terms On closing and as per the terms of both Agreements, the Company has issued to each company, Liontown Resources Limited and Chalice Mining Limited: 12,500,000 common shares of the Company and 4,000,000 share purchase warrants at C$0.10 with a 2-year expiry date from August 5, 2022, being August 5, 2024. In addition, Currie Rose has granted a 2% Net Gross Revenue Royalty to both vendors over their respective tenure with the Company, holding the right to purchase 50% of either or both Royalties by making a cash payment of $1,000,000 to the Royalty Holder. Second Tranche of Non-Brokered Private Placement Currie Rose announces that it has closed the second and final tranche of the previously announced non-brokered private placement (See Press Release Dated October 27, 2021 , December 2, 2021 and January 14, 2022 ) and issued an aggregate of 5,460,894 Units at a price of C$0.05 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of C$273,044.70. Each Unit consists of one share in the capital of the Company (each a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (each a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one additional Common Share at a price of C$0.10 per Common Share at any time prior to August 5, 2024. If the volume-weighted average price of the common shares of the Company on the TSX Venture Exchange over the preceding 20 trading days is greater than C$0.25, the Company can elect to accelerate the term of the Warrants to 30 calendar days following the date a press release announcing the notice of acceleration is provided. In connection with the closing, the Company will pay compensation of C$4,500 and issue 90,000 finders warrants to Paloma Investments Inc. (the "Finders Warrants"). Each Finder Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one Common Share at a price of C$0.05 per share any time prior to August 5, 2024. All securities issued under the Offering are subject to a hold period of four months and a day from the date of issue. The net proceeds of the Offering will be utilized for the further development of the Project. The participation by insiders of the Company in the second tranche for C$32,394.70 or 647,894 Units constitutes a "related party transaction" pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company intends to rely on the exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in section 5.5(b) and Section 5.7(1)(b) of MI 61-101, respectively, on the basis that no securities of the Company are listed or quoted on any of the markets specified in Section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101 and the fair market value of the securities issued to related parties pursuant to the Financing, does not exceed $2,500,000, along with the other applicable circumstances contained in section 5.7(1)(b) of MI 61-101. About Currie Rose Resources Inc. Currie Rose is a publicly traded battery metals explorer focused on identifying high-value assets in mining-friendly jurisdictions. The Company's immediate focus is the advanced North Queensland Vanadium Project in Queensland, Australia. Please visit our website at www.currierose.com . For additional information, please contact: Mike Griffiths, CEO Office: 905-688-9115 Email: info@currierose.com Iryna Zheliasko, Investor Relations Office: 647-249-9298 ext. 322 Email: communications@currierose.com Qualified Person The scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 (Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects) and reviewed and approved on behalf of Currie Rose Resources by Michael Griffiths, FAusIMM, President & CEO for Currie Rose Resources, a Qualified Person. 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 that are based on the Company's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. Statements about the closing of the transaction, expected terms of the transaction, the number of securities of Currie Rose that may be issued in connection with the transaction, and the parties' ability to satisfy closing conditions and receive necessary approvals are all forward-looking information. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances, unless otherwise required to do so by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/133022 Clutch, a Houston, TX-based digital marketplace company connecting next generation creators with emerging brands, raised $1.2m in Pre-Seed funding. The round was led by Precursor Ventures with participation from Capital Factory and HearstLab. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate its beta launch and its continued investment in customer and product strategy.. Founded in 2020 by Madison Long and Simone May, Clutch is a digital marketplace connecting creators with emerging brands. With its people-first platform, creators have the opportunity to monetize their talents and passions by helping businesses with their content creation needs including content creation, social media management (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok and Twitter), video editing and graphic design. It is currently focused on connecting Gen-Z student creators with emerging brands in need of digital marketing. The open beta launch follows Clutchs successful closed beta phase that began in January 2022 and focused on connecting student creators with emerging brands resulting in students making over $10,000 on Clutchs platform every month. Leading CPG brands, consumer-focused startups and Gen-Z centric brands use Clutch to hire student creators for their digital marketing needs including heywell, Agua Bonita, Campfire and Zerotio. FinSMEs 05/08/2022 Sibel Health, a Niles, IL-based medical technology company spun out of the John Rogers Research Group and the Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics at Northwestern University, closed a $33m Series B financing round. The round, which brought total funding to date to more than $50m, was led by the Steele Foundation for Hope. The company intends to use the funds to scale up its FDA-cleared ANNE One platform for global deployments across the entire continuum of care from the home to the hospital. Led by Steve Xu, MD, CEO and co-founder, Sibel Health is a digital health company whose FDA-cleared ANNE platform includes advanced wearable sensors, AI-enabled data analytics, and an integrated mobile software and cloud platform. Partnerships include some of the most respected healthcare organizations worldwide. The company, which also has offices in Seoul (South Korea) and San Diego, has seen a significant increase in revenue since 2020. This has been driven by partnerships with leading Fortune 500 companies and funding support from the U.S. military, the National Institutes of Health, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In addition to the funding, Sibel has announced two new executive appointments. Jon Otterstatter, the former CEO and co-founder of Preventice (acquired by Boston Scientific in 2021), will join as chairman of the board. Matthew Banet, PhD, a world expert in advanced body-worn sensors and previously the CTO and cofounder of toSense and Sotera, joins as president from Baxter International. FinSMEs 05/08/2022 President Yoon Suk-yeol at the presidential office in Seoul's Yongsan District, July 29. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon President Yoon Suk-yeol's approval rating has sunk to the lowest since he took office in May, amid controversies over his personnel appointments and leadership turmoil in the ruling party, a poll showed Friday. Yoon's approval rating came to 24 percent, down 4 percentage points from the previous week, while 66 percent negatively assessed his handling of state affairs, up 4 percentage points. The poll was conducted by Gallup Korea on 1,001 voters nationwide from Tuesday to Thursday. Yoon's approval rating more than halved from 53 percent and his disapproval rating doubled from 33 percent since the second week of June. In Friday's poll, the rate of negative assessment was higher in most of responding groups, except for those in their 70s or above and ruling People Power Party (PPP) supporters. On the afternoon of July 29, 2022, President Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with President of Poland Andrzej Duda. Xi Jinping pointed out, at the beginning of this year, you came to China to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, and we had friendly exchanges and reached many important consensuses on advancing bilateral relations. Since then, various departments of the two countries have actively worked with each other for implementation, and made positive progress in the export of Polish agricultural products to China, China-Europe freight trains and personnel exchanges. The Chinese side cherishes its traditional friendship with Poland and regards Poland as its priority partner for cooperation in Europe, and stands ready to maintain close communication with the Polish side, enhance political mutual trust and elevate the China-Poland comprehensive strategic partnership. Xi Jinping stressed, the two sides should strengthen policy communication, make use of such mechanisms as the China-Poland Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee and the Joint Committee on Trade and Economy to strengthen strategic synergy, advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, deepen pragmatic cooperation in economy and trade, connectivity and other fields, and foster new growth points for cooperation in green development, digital economy and other fields. China welcomes more Polish quality products to enter the Chinese market and encourages more Chinese enterprises to invest in Poland. The two sides should make efforts to promote the early implementation of the China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) wholesale market for agricultural products, and actively cooperate in planning and organizing relevant events to mark the 10th anniversary of China-CEEC cooperation, so as to lay a solid foundation for cooperation in the next decade. He hopes that Poland will actively support the development of China-European Union (EU) relations and uphold the overall situation of China-EU relations. Duda said, I am glad to have attended the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 in China in February this year and held a good meeting with you, which is still fresh and impressive in my mind. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the important consensus we reached is being implemented. Relevant departments of both sides maintain close communication and cooperation in related fields continues to advance. Poland attaches great importance to China's international status and role as well as to developing relations with China. The Polish side stands ready to work with China to push for more achievements in bilateral cooperation in economy and trade, logistics, connectivity and other fields, and more Chinese enterprises are welcome to carry out investment and cooperation in Poland. Poland is ready to continue to actively promote CEEC-China cooperation and the development of EU-China relations. The two heads of state also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. Acesur, one of the leading exporters of olive oil, is predicting a rise in the products price in the next three to four months as heatwaves threaten production... Read More President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee attend Yoon's inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, May 10. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-keun By Nam Hyun-woo The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said Friday it has destroyed the list of guests invited to President Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration ceremony to protect personal information, dismissing allegations that it did so to conceal controversial figures suspected of having relations with first lady Kim Keon-hee. The ministry said in a press release that it has destroyed all personal information of the guests immediately after the inauguration ceremony on May 10. Also, it has destroyed relevant data remaining at the organizing team on May 13. The information includes guests' names, residential registration numbers and their contact numbers. The ministry added that it destroyed the information according to a relevant law "without any other purpose." The law it was referring to is the Personal Information Protection Act, whose Article 21 states that "a personal information controller shall destroy personal information without delay when the personal information becomes unnecessary." The explanation came after Rep. Ko Min-jung of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) claimed that the ministry attempted to conceal the list of the guests, as controversy stirred that Kwon Hyuk-min, CEO of Deutsch Motors, and Ahn Jeong-kwon, a controversial far-right streamer who have been staging rallies in front of former President Moon Jae-in's residence, attended the ceremony as VIP guests. The lawmaker urged Interior Minister Lee Sang-min to clarify why the list was destroyed and who ordered it to be destroyed. Kwon is the son of Kwon Oh-soo, chairman of the BMW dealer company, who was indicted of alleged stock price manipulation. The first lady is also under investigation on suspicions that she might have been involved. Streamer Ahn is also a controversial figure and his sister was revealed to be working at the presidential office as an official staff member assisting Yoon's photographers. Although the sister resigned after her family ties with the right-wing YouTuber were revealed, suspicions remained because Ahn has boasted about his relations with the first lady in his videos. "It is impossible to clear suspicions that the interior ministry is attempting to conceal the list," Ko wrote on Facebook. "Interior minister Lee Sang-min should reveal who ordered the destruction of the list." Members of professors' associations condemn Kookmin University for clearing plagiarism allegations against first lady Kim Keon-hee's academic papers during a news conference held at the National Assembly, Friday. Joint Press Corp By Lee Hae-rin Several associations of the country's university professors condemned Kookmin University for clearing first lady Kim Keon-hee of allegations that she had plagiarized some of her academic papers, urging the university to reveal the details of the investigation. A total of 13 associations, including the Korean Association of Private University Professors, and the Korea Federation of National University Professor Associations, held a press conference at the National Assembly, Friday, to denounce the university's decision earlier this week. They criticized Kookmin University for officially judging against Kim's plagiarism allegations while admitting her papers do not indicate some references to others' research and writings while using their words. "It's like saying stealing is different from theft a figurative contradiction to the extreme," they said, pointing out that all three academic papers that Kim had presented during her doctoral course face plagiarism allegations. Also, Kim's 2007 paper, which has been criticized for having an incomprehensible use of Romanized Korean words, yields a 43 percent score on the plagiarism index on a checker program, they said. The group said Kim's dissertation has "considerable portions of passages copied from a media article" and condemned Kookmin University for calling them free of the allegations after almost one year of investigation. The associations urged Kookmin University to reveal the details of its investigation that cleared the plagiarism allegations and to deprive Kim of her doctoral degree. Also, the Ministry of Education should reinvestigate the case and its minister Park Soon-ae should step down, the group said. The group claimed that Yoon is partially responsible for "neglecting such chaos within the Education Ministry" and called upon the president and his wife Kim to make an official statement about the issue. Millersburgs intermodal shipping container port is all but set to open, still targeting a fourth-quarter start date after the discovery of a gas line had delayed construction earlier this year. Before that hiccup, officials had planned a summer ribbon-cutting on what is expected to make the small burg north of Albany a logistics hub. Managers at the $25-million, 60-acre property said Mid-Willamette Valley Intermodal Center would open by the end of 2022, closer to mid-October, after construction crews encountered a buried liquid fuels pipeline on the north end of the property. Construction wrapped up in April, on hold at about 95% complete, said John Pascone, president of the nonprofit development corporation that helped pull in congressional attention and funding for the 40,000-container-per-year freight yard. Were anxious to see it going. Its going to be a good thing for everybody, Pascone said. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald. For now, the tarmac is empty and the large, container-bearing crane expected at intermodal shipping yards wont be visible in the run of industrial buildings near Millersburg until the company selected to manage cargo, ITS ConGlobal, moves in to the site later this year. That contractor will serve as a sort of middle man for mostly grass growers in the mid-Willamette Valley who contract with shipping lines out of ports in Portland, Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, taking freight off Interstate-5 and consolidating shipments sent north on rails. Union Pacific will bring empty cargo containers from the midwestern U.S. and western metro areas, like Denver and Salt Lake City, to the facility equipped with hydraulic lifts, a fleet of trucks and a massive boomed vehicle called a reach stacker to swap them out for containers full of local straw and grass seed. In April, Albany-Millersburg Economic Development Corporation posted video of the reach stacker maneuvering at the site where International Paper once operated a mill. Were just waiting for the north end to be connected back to the main line, Pascone said. County and state politicians pushed for state Transportation Commission attention in 2017, when a nonprofit economic development corporation was formed to apply for $25 million in Connect Oregon grant funds and draw the states efforts to site more container facilities in Oregon to Millersburg. Their application beat out a similar proposal in Brooks, just 28 miles north of Millersburg on Interstate 5. The state awarded another $26 million to a site in eastern Oregon. Linn County bought the 192-acre former mill site for $10 million, then sold 60 acres to the development corporation for $9.16 million. Pascone said Business Oregon will court industrial tenants to fill the remaining acreage. Pascone said he believes interest from agricultural shippers in the region remains high. Everybodys chomping at the bit to use this facility," Pascone said. Editor's Note: This article has been edited to correct the material type carried by a pipeline at Mid-Willamette Valley Intermodal Center. Related articles: U.S. indeed a country hit hard by forced labor 08:58, August 05, 2022 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily The so-called Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act comes from the huge lie concocted by the U.S. about "forced labor" in China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. However, no matter how the U.S. attacks and defames others, it has no way to whitewash itself. History and reality prove that the U.S., haunted by slavery and racism, is indeed a country hit hard by forced labor. Forced labor is a malignant tumor deep-rooted in American history and society. Slavery, which was legal for over 80 years between the founding of the U.S. in 1776 and the publication of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, spanned 1/3 of American history. From 1514 to 1866, at least 36,000 trans-Atlantic slave trading voyages brought millions of black slaves to the U.S. American journal Business Review at Berkeley pointed out that American history is largely intertwined with forced labor, whether it be outside on plantations or inside prison walls, and the products of forced labor can be found in everything from electronics to garments. The website of the University of Denver disclosed that there are currently at least 500,000 people living under modern slavery and forced labor in the U.S. The situation is particularly prevalent in 23 industries, including domestic service, agriculture, tourism sales, catering, medical care and beauty service. "White supremacy" is deeply imprinted on American society, where colored people are facing forced labor and discrimination. Today, colored people still make up the majority of the "modern slaves" in the U.S. While the U.S. frequently accuses others of "forced labor," it is actually the U.S. that should wear the label. Recently, 53 migrants were found dead of heatstroke, dehydration, and suffocation in an 18-wheeler in Texas, which shocked the world. However, it was just the tip of the iceberg in serious human trafficking and forced labor in the U.S. According to the U.S. Department of State, up to 100,000 people are trafficked into the U.S. for forced labor annually. Of all the trafficking victims involved in new U.S. criminal cases last year, 64 percent were sex trafficking victims, and 36 percent were forced labor victims, said the 2021 Federal Human Trafficking Report issued by the Human Trafficking Institute. According to the report, 57 percent of trafficking victims were minors and a whopping 93 percent of forced labor victims were foreign nationals trafficked into the U.S. Among all the forced labor victims, half were trapped in sweatshops or domestic enslavement. The malpractice of the U.S. government nurtures a hotbed of forced labor. The country has ratified none of the three important international legal documents directly concerning forced labor, including the Forced Labour Convention. A report issued by the University of California, Berkeley said the U.S. government is not taking the responsibility to fight forced labor, as a result of which a great number of suspects are still at large. Enforcement officers frequently fall short of their duty to safeguard victims and their families, shifting the burden from the government to the victims. Today, there are still about 500,000 child farmworkers in the country. The International Labour Organization has expressed concern for many years about the serious occupational injuries to children working on American farms. The U.S. government is even a direct driver of forced labor, particularly in the U.S. prison system. A U.S. website pointed out that America has the highest prison population and forced labor remains legal in American prisons. Therefore, prisoners in the U.S. are not protected by U.S. labor laws, which make U.S. prisons "modern slavery factories." According to the British newspaper The Guardian, 150 prisoners from a Kansas prison are requested to work at a local candy plant every day. Their wages are far lower than other workers, and they must pay for gas for the bus ride to and from the plant. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, many states in the U.S. require prisoners to dispose of medical waste and transport bodies for as little as 8 cents to a dollar per hour, without providing effective medical protections. U.S. politicians frequently claim to support "human rights," but they rarely do. Otherwise, the country wouldn't have become a source, transit, and destination country for victims of forced labor. The U.S. should reflect on its own severe and prevalent human rights problems, and take concrete actions to offset its human rights deficit. Containing other countries' development with the so-called human rights rhetoric, while turning a blind eye to its own human rights problems, the U.S. is merely digging its own grave. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.) (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States had discussions on regional and global issues, including relations with China, in Phnom Penh on Friday. The talks between Foreign Minister Park Jin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken were held on the sidelines of ASEAN-hosted annual sessions. "Our alliance is really a linchpin for peace and security in the Indo-Pacific. And, of course, we are working together to confront so many different regional as well as the global challenges," Blinken told reporters following the 25-minute meeting. Park also said he used it to explain Seoul's position on relations with China and Japan in light of the Indo-Pacific strategy. Among other issues discussed were how to cope with nuclear and missile threats from North Korea as well as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, they added. Asked about whether the sensitive matter of the Washington-led Chip 4 Alliance for the semiconductor industry was raised as well, Park just said, "We had useful discussions on various pending issues." Park had the one-on-one meeting with Blinken three days before heading to China for bilateral talks with the country's foreign minister, Wang Yi. It marked the fourth meeting between Park and Blinken since the minister took office in May. (Yonhap) Danuri launch ushers in new era of space exploration for Korea Korea launched "Danuri," its first mission to the Moon, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the United States, Thursday. The mission, also known as Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), succeeded in making the first communication with a ground station at 9:40 a.m., 92 minutes after the launch, via antennas installed in Canberra, Australia, the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) announced Friday. Danuri lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on a ballistic lunar trajectory. It is set to arrive at the Moon by mid-December and carry out diverse lunar explorations for one year. Equipped with state-of-the-art scientific instruments, it will conduct missions such as Moon mapping, resources explorations and so on. The launch of the KPLO comes on the heels of the successful liftoff the nation's own rocket, Korea Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV-II) or Nuri, to carry satellites into orbit. Should Danuri reach the Moon by the year-end as planned, Korea will become the world's seventh space powerhouse possessing both of its own space launch vehicle and mission. Danuri, a coinage of "dal and nuri" in Korea, meaning "enjoy Moon," has been an ambitious, seven-year project for Korea at the cost of 236.7 billion won ($182 million). The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) led the project. Many countries have been rushing to discover the Moon to expand their space territories and reap economic profits. The Moon allegedly contains scarce resources such as helium 3 and other rare earth elements that can emerge as highly-lucrative assets for humans. Helium 3, for instance, is a highly efficient fuel of which one gram generates the equivalent of 40 tons of coal in the process of nuclear fusion. Many nations are also targeting the Moon as the front base for navigation into deep space. Due to lighter gravity, rockets can be launched with less expense. Furthermore, it is possible to operate facilities that can accommodate humans by utilizing water, whose existence was already confirmed. Also, the Moon is a "living museum" showing the past of the Earth. With the state of vacuum paired with a thin atmosphere, it preserves the secret of the Earth's birth four and a half billion years ago. The U.S. has resumed its Moon exploration program "Artemis" for the first time in 57 years and is poised to launch a manned lunar lander in 2025. It also plans to construct a permanent exploration base there by 2028 to use it as forward base to explore Mars. The EU launched its Moon mission in 2003, followed by Japan in 2007 and India in 2008. Korea has become the 10th nation that joined the Artemis program. KARI President Lee Sang-ryool said he felt honored to be in charge of the space program. As Lee put it, Korea has ushered in a new era toward a leap in its space program. KARI plans to develop a more powerful rocket to carry a Moon lander by the early 2030s. It is high time for all related sectors such as the government, businesses and academia to combine efforts to enable the nation to jump toward becoming a space powerhouse in the real sense of the word. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Holy Cow Foods Inc. (NEO: HOLY OTC; Pink: HCWFF; Frankfurt: Z34) (Holy Cow or the Company), is pleased to announce that all resolutions considered by the shareholders of the Company at the Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders (the Meeting) held in Vancouver, BC on August, 3, 2022 were passed. Voting as to each of the director nominees were as follows: Director For % Withheld % Paul F. Rivas 9,612,000 100% 0 0% Norman Shung 9,612,000 100% 0 0% Connor Yuen 9,612,000 100% 0 0% Parimal Rana 9,612,000 100% 0 0% Liam Breen 9,612,000 100% 0 0% Please see the report of voting results led under the Company prole at www.sedar.com for the detailed results of all matters voted upon by shareholders at the Meeting. About Holy Cow Holy Cow is a multi-division food manufacturing operation that offers Ghost Kitchens, Commissary Kitchens, Co-pack Manufacturing and Private Label Manufacturing, as well as its own Holy Cow! brand of in-house plant-based and 50/50 products. Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Information This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws with respect to the Company. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by words such as "believe," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," and similar expressions. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable laws. The Neo Exchange has not reviewed or approved this press release for the adequacy or accuracy of its contents. For Further Information: For investor inquiries or further information, please contact: Paul Rivas, Chief Executive Officer 1 (236) 471-1357 privas@originalholycow.com Investors with Losses can contact the law firm at no cost to learn more about recovering their losses LOS ANGELES, Aug. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Portnoy Law Firm advises Carvana Co. (Carvana or the Company) (NYSE: CVNA) investors that a class action filed on behalf of investors. Carvana investors that lost money on their investment are encouraged to contact Lesley Portnoy, Esq. Investors are encouraged to contact attorney Lesley F. Portnoy, by phone 844-767-8529 or email: lesley@portnoylaw.com, to discuss their legal rights, or click here to join the case via www.portnoylaw.com. The Portnoy Law Firm can provide a complimentary case evaluation and discuss investors options for pursuing claims to recover their losses. On June 24, 2022, after market hours, Barrons published an article which alleged, among other things, that Carvana was selling cars faster than it could get them registered to their new owners, and had been issuing multiple temporary license plates from states where it has dealers licenses, instead of promptly providing permanent ones. On this news, Carvanas stock fell $6.78, or 21.5%, over the next two trading days to close at $24.74 per share on June 28, 2022, thereby injuring investors. The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) 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 positive statements about the Companys business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. Please visit our website to review more information and submit your transaction information. The Portnoy Law Firm represents investors in pursuing claims against caused by corporate wrongdoing. The Firms founding partner has recovered over $5.5 billion for aggrieved investors. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Lesley F. Portnoy, Esq. Admitted CA and NY Bar lesley@portnoylaw.com 310-692-8883 www.portnoylaw.com Attorney Advertising Trondheim, Norway, 5 August 2022: NORBIT, a global provider of tailored technology to carefully selected niches, will announce its results for the second quarter of 2022 on Friday 12 August 2022. The interim report for the first half-year and the presentation material will be available from 07:00 am CEST at the company's homepage, www.norbit.com and Oslo Stock Exchange's news site, www.newsweb.no . A presentation of the results will be held by CEO Per Jrgen Weisethaunet and CFO Per Kristian Reppe at 10:00 CEST. The presentation will be hosted by Pareto Securities in Dronning Mauds gate 3, Oslo. In addition to the physical presentation in Oslo, the event will be made available via a live webcast. Please use the following link to register your attendance: https://invitepeople.com/events/4c3f6ebe686e258f For further queries, please contact: Per Kristian Reppe, CFO, +47 900 33 203 About NORBIT ASA NORBIT is a global provider of tailored technology to selected niches, solving challenges and promoting sustainability through innovative solutions, in line with its mission to Explore More. The company is structured in three business segments to address its key markets: Oceans, Connectivity and Product Innovation & Realization (PIR). The Oceans segment delivers tailored technology solutions to global maritime markets. The Connectivity segment providing wireless solutions for identification, monitoring and tracking. The PIR segment offers R&D services, proprietary products and contract manufacturing to key customers. NORBIT is headquartered in Trondheim with manufacturing in Norway, has around 400 employees and a worldwide sales and distribution platform. For more information: www.norbit.com This information is subject to the disclosure requirements in the Norwegian Securities Trading Act 5-12. Dublin, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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/85m83w Attachment Dublin, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Air Traffic Management Market by Application (Communication, Navigation, Surveillance, Automation), End Use (Commercial, Military), Airspace, Investment Type, Offering, Service, Airport Size and Region - Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Based on Application, Communication segment is estimated to be the largest growing market An automatic terminal information system (ATIS) is a mission-critical ATC system that helps air traffic controllers to transfer meteorological and operational information to pilots when an aircraft approaches an airport for landing. The ATIS also helps broadcast airport-related information, including weather conditions and active runways, to the pilot and flight crew. The ATIS system is connected to a server, which communicates with outside systems and devices, such as meteorological data sources, telephone lines, radio transmitters, and client workstations, where the ATIS message is created. ATIS users, such as air traffic control officers, use client software interfaces to initiate, compose, review, and publish ATIS messages. In November 2020, ACAMS Airport Tower Solutions (Norway) was chosen to supply ATIS systems to Saudi Air Navigation Service (SANS). The ACMS delivery involves new hardware and software for 13 systems, supplied with the latest ACAMS ATIS technology and functionality. The systems run on ACAMS i6 software and include an upgraded speech engine and database. Rising use of amplifiers in surveillance systems to drive offering segment demand Amplifiers are used in communication and navigation systems. The systems and modules offer competitive output powers from 5-5,000 watts, spanning frequencies from 0.0-6,000 MHz. Teseo SpA (Italy) delivers military and air traffic control amplifiers, which are recognized worldwide as the leading amplifiers for RF systems. Empower RF (US) is a major supplier of amplifiers in L-band for long-range air traffic control and surveillance (IFF) as well as S-band for moderate-range surveillance and long-range weather. The air traffic management market is projected to grow from USD 8.0 billion in 2022 to USD 11.8 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 8.1%. In February 2022, Taiwan Air Navigation and Weather Service (ANWS) selected Thales Group (France) to replace 3 airport surveillance systems in Taitung, Hualien, and Songshan (Taiwan) with the STAR NG primary surveillance radars, combined with the RSM NG secondary radars. The upgrade would expand the air traffic control capacity of ANWS by offering a wider range of capabilities and functions and bolster confidence in the safety and reliability of air travel. Market Dynamics Drivers Launch of Sesar 3 Joint Undertaking to Modernize European Air Traffic Management Global Focus on Improving Air Safety Modernization of Air Traffic Management Infrastructure Restraints Stringent Regulatory Norms Associated with Aircraft Operation High Costs of Air Traffic Management Equipment Opportunities Advancements in Unmanned Traffic Management Growing Role of Digitalization in Aviation Challenges Risk of Cyber Threat due to Ads-B in Air Traffic Management Limited Availability of Skilled Personnel Upgrading Existing Aircraft with Advanced Air Traffic Management Systems Premium Insights Modernization of Existing Airports and Construction of New Airports to Drive Market Communication Segment to Lead Air Traffic Management Market During Forecast Period Modernization & Upgradation to Command Highest Growth Rate During Forecast Period Class C Commercial Airports to Grow Fastest During Forecast Period India and Australia Projected to Witness Highest CAGR (2022-2027) Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 5 Market Overview 6 Industry Trends 7 Air Traffic Management, by Airspace 8 Air Traffic Management Market, by Application 9 Air Traffic Management, by Offering 10 Air Traffic Management Market, by Airport Size 11 Air Traffic Management Market, by Investment Type 12 Air Traffic Management, by End Use 13 Air Traffic Management Market, by Service 14 Regional Analysis 15 Competitive Landscape 16 Company Profiles 17 Appendix Companies Mentioned Acams Airport Tower Solutions Adacel Technologies, Ltd. Advanced Navigation and Positioning Corporation Altys Technologies Amadeus It Group, S.A. Aquila Air Traffic Management Services Limited Bae Systems plc Cyrrus Limited Frequentis Ag Honeywell International, Inc. Ids Airnav Indra Sistemas, S.A. Intelcan Technosystems Inc. L3Harris Technologies, Inc. Leidos Holdings, Inc. Leonardo Spa Lockheed Martin Corporation Nav Canada Northrop Grumman Corporation Raytheon Technologies Corporation Saab Ab Saipher Atc Sita Group Skysoft-Atm Thales Group For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lipj40 Attachment Dublin, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Pet Insurance Market - Forecasts from 2022 to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The pet insurance market has a CAGR of 5.66% during the forecast period to reach US$84.996 billion by 2027, from US$57.811 billion in 2020. Introduction Pet Insurance is a protection policy that mostly covers veterinary healthcare for a person's sick or wounded pet. Insurance companies may compensate for a part or whole of the healthcare treatment cost of the pet, depending on the policy. Some policies also cover costs if the pet gets stolen or lost, or even in case of death. Market Trend: The global pet insurance market is likely to increase in the following years, owing to the increasing veterinary healthcare prices. The increasing trend of pet adoptions and pet purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic would also play a vital role in the pet insurance market. Europe is currently holding the largest market share in the pet insurance industry. Sweden currently holds the largest market share in Europe, with almost 90% of pets having reported pet insurance covers. However, North America has been regarded as the fastest growing market in recent years, rapid advancements in the pet insurance market. NAPHIA recently revealed many industry achievements in North America, including a remarkable US$2.174 billion in total pet health insurance premiums sold in 2020 (up to over 26% from $1.717 billion in 2019) and over 3.45 million pets covered across the region (up by 22.5% from over 2.81 million pets insured in 2019). Growth Factors Increase in veterinary healthcare costs With the increasing adoption and purchase of pet animals, the veterinary healthcare industry has also become substantially expensive. Knee replacements, sophisticated allergy testing, cancer treatments, and chiropractic therapy, which were previously exclusively available to humans, are now available to dogs and cats. According to the American Pet Products Association's (APPA) annual state of the industry report, pet expenditure in the United States hit US$103.6 billion in 2020, up by 6.7% from the previous year. Of that amount, US$ 31.4 billion was used for veterinary healthcare, which accounted for an increase of about 7.2% from the previous year. With the increasing costs of veterinary healthcare, people have started to understand the significance of pet insurance. This is consequently expected to drive up the demand for pet insurance. Moreover, pet owners have seen a significant increase in instances of dog thefts. According to information released under the Freedom of Information Act by Direct Line Pet Insurance, thefts have increased by 13%, totaling 2,670 instances in 2021 in the UK. This has been recorded as the highest number of thefts in the last seven years. Government agencies have tried releasing guidelines to safeguard the pets, but have been unsuccessful. The best option that pet owners have to safeguard their pets is to get a theft or straying insurance cover that would cover the costs for the loss of a pet. Such increases in the instances of pet thefts are also expected to drive up the pet insurance market. Restrain Increasing policy prices Pet insurance prices have been increasing rapidly over the past few years. Veterinary treatments have advanced to the point that veterinarians can now diagnose and treat pet ailments with much more accuracy than ever before. However, these treatments come at a price, and they will unavoidably affect pet insurance premiums. Moreover, some insurance providers are a lot more careful about their financial decisions and want to generate as much revenue as they can. Some of them are more active in raising their rates than others, and they are willing to risk losing clients as a result. Furthermore, even if a pet is currently in perfect condition and has never filed a claim, the pet insurance premiums may rise. As animals grow older, the likelihood of their being ill increases, raising the cost of insurance. Since pets live for a shorter amount of time on average than humans, it may seem that they are afflicted with more ailments and succumb to them sooner. Market Segmentation: By Animal Type Dog Cat By Policy type Lifetime Cover Illness Cover Accident Cover Non-Lifetime Cover Illness Cover Accident Cover By Geography Key Topics Covered: 1. INTRODUCTION 2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4. MARKET DYNAMICS 5. PET INSURANCE MARKET, BY ANIMAL TYPE 6. PET INSURANCE MARKET, BY APPLICATION 7. PET INSURANCE MARKET, BY COUNTRY 8. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT AND ANALYSIS 9. COMPANY PROFILES Companies Mentioned Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company Metlife Inc. Healthy Paws Pet Insurance, LLC. Crum & Foster Trupanion Petplan Limited Embrace Pet Insurance Agency, LLC Animal Friends Insurance Petsecure Pet Health Insurance 24PetWatch For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lzp2f9 Attachment TORONTO, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Achkar Law, an experienced law firm specializing in employment and human rights law, will be offering free consultations to employees who were laid off or terminated. Mass layoffs announced may only be the beginning The initiative is being offered due to recent mass layoffs in Canada. Recently, Netflix, Wealthsimple, and Shopify Inc., announced major job cuts due to poor economic conditions. 'Everyone who is terminated deserves help.' As economic conditions worsen, further layoffs should be anticipated by employees of companies, large and small. "If you are laid off or terminated from any company, you deserve help," says Christopher Achkar, founder of Achkar Law, "it's not just employees of big companies who matter." Small gestures are necessary during economic downturn, employment lawyer says In response to these concerns, Achkar Law has committed to improving access to justice for those experiencing termination. "The economy is not healthy, and if we don't offer each other help, then things will get much worse," says Achkar. Improving access to justice Until August 31, impacted individuals can set up a free consultation with Achkar Law to get expert legal advice. Terminated employees will have a chance to address financially devastating issues. "If you find yourself out of a job due to a termination or a layoff, send me a message or an email to Christopher@achkarlaw.com with the subject line 'Code Blue: I was Terminated' and we will schedule you for a meeting free of charge," says Achkar. Services will run until the end of August and may continue depending on circumstances. To book a free consultation with the legal team at Achkar Law, visit the Achkar Law website, or call 1-800-771-7882. Related Topics Contact Achkar Law - Employment and Human Rights Lawyers For more information, visit our website at achkarlaw.com or send inquiries to christopher@achkarlaw.com or call 1-800-771-7882. Related Images Image 1 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment People watch a television screen showing a live footage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching with South Korea's first lunar orbiter Danuri onboard from Cape Canaveral in Florida, at a railway station in Seoul, Friday. AFP-Yonhap South Korea's first lunar orbiter has successfully communicated with its ground control station, the science ministry said Friday, opening a new chapter in the country's space program. The Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter also known as Danuri made its first communication with a Deep Space Network antenna of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Canberra, Australia, at 9:40 a.m. (Korean time), about 90 minutes after being launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in the United States, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT. Danuri was released from the rocket around 40 minutes after liftoff at an altitude of 1,656 kilometers and was set to travel on a preprogrammed low-energy, fuel-efficient ballistic lunar transfer trajectory toward the moon. The ministry plans to announce whether Danuri successfully reached its intended trajectory in the afternoon. The trip to the moon is scheduled to take 4 1/2 months. Dublin, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "India Generic Drugs Market, By Type (Small Molecule Generics v/s Biosimilars), By Mode of Drug Delivery (Oral, Parenteral, Topical, Others), By Form, By Source, By Distribution Channel, By Application, By Region, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2018-2028F" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Indian Generic Drugs Market stood at USD 24.53 Billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a steady CAGR of 6.97% during the forecast period. The growing prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc., and sedentary lifestyle propel market growth. The expanding geriatric population is contributing to the market growth as the comorbidities are more in the old population, thereby needing proper medications with the easiest route for drug administration. In developing countries like India, government bodies and other regulatory bodies have encouraged manufacturers to launch effective generic drugs supporting market growth. The introduction of 3-D printing technology helps in manufacturing generic drugs with varying release dates and tastes and is expected to propel market growth. The short expiration and gap between re-filing of the new drug encourages various companies to produce generic drugs owing to rise in competition which further reduces the generic medication prices. Enhancing accessibility to healthcare services and growing healthcare awareness among the public drive market growth. Several initiatives are undertaken by government bodies towards awareness of the availability of generics like Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya and Jan Aushadi Yojana have become the highlight, offering quality medicines at affordable prices to the people. This scheme is currently running in each state of India with its high popularity among the people with average to low-income categories providing the public access to medications. The Indian Generic Drugs Market is segmented based on type, mode of drug delivery, form, source, distribution channel, application, and region. Based on type, the market can be split into small molecule generics and biosimilars. Small molecule generic drugs held the largest market share of 70.01% in 2022. This is due to the low cost of generic drugs compared to branded drugs and affordability to the large segment of patients from middle to low-income families. Objective of the Study: To analyze the historical growth of the market size of the Indian Generic Drugs Market from 2018 to 2021. To estimate and forecast the market size of the Indian Generic Drugs Market from 2023 to 2028 and growth rate until 2028. To classify and forecast the Indian Generic Drugs Market based on type, mode of drug delivery, form, source, distribution channel, application, regional distribution, and competitive landscape. To identify dominant region or segment in the Indian Generic Drugs Market. To identify drivers and challenges for the Indian Generic Drugs Market. To examine competitive developments such as expansions, new product launches, mergers & acquisitions, etc., in the Indian Generic Drugs Market. To identify and analyze the profile of leading players operating in the Indian Generic Drugs Market. To identify key sustainable strategies adopted by the market players in the Indian Generic Drugs Market. Competitive Landscape The significant market players operating in the Indian Generic Drugs Market include Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited Cipla Limited Lupin Limited Piramal Group Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited Biocon Limited Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited Aurobindo Pharma Limited Teva Pharmaceuticals Limited Report Scope: Years considered for this report: Historical Years: 2018-2021 Base Year: 2022 Estimated Year: 2023 Forecast Period: 2024-2028 India Generic Drugs Market, By Type: Small Molecule Generics Biosimilars India Generic Drugs Market, By Mode of Drug Delivery: Oral Topical Parenteral Others India Generic Drugs Market, By Form: Tablets Capsule Injection Others India Generic Drugs Market, By Source: Contract Manufacturing Organizations In- House India Generic Drugs Market, By Distribution Channel: Hospital Pharmacies Retail Pharmacies Online Pharmacies Others India Generic Drugs Market, By Application: Neurology Oncology Cardiovascular Diseases Diabetes Anti-Inflammatory Others India Generic Drugs Market, By Region: North South West East For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/e0z4ya Attachment NEW YORK and TORONTO, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OMERS Private Equity today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Pueblo Mechanical & Controls (Pueblo or the Company), an industry leading mechanical services provider, from Huron Capital Partners. Financial details were not disclosed. Founded in 2001, Pueblo provides HVAC and plumbing installation, retrofit and repair services to customers in education, municipal, and healthcare end markets. OMERS Private Equity will provide resources and expertise to further accelerate the Companys growth and support its strategic expansion through M&A. Pueblo is a world-class platform focused on delivering the highest-quality execution and customer service in a market poised for further growth, said Eric Haley, Senior Managing Director and Head of North America at OMERS Private Equity. As long-term investors, we are excited to partner with CEO Dan Bueschel and the talented Pueblo team to accelerate growth through strategic M&A and by pulling all levers to increase organic growth. OMERS Private Equity has a strong track record of helping companies in the industrial services sector grow into clear market leaders by supporting accelerated growth, including through M&A, said Dan Bueschel, CEO of Pueblo. We thank Huron for the support and are excited for the opportunities ahead as we begin the next phase of our growth journey with OMERS. Dan and the team have built Pueblo into an industry-leader, and we look forward to partnering with them. It is an exciting moment in the commercial services industry, and Pueblo is well-positioned to capitalize on the secular trends towards energy efficiency, sustainability, decarbonization, and digitization that are driving demand, said Jeff Kahn, Director, OMERS Private Equity. Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP acted as legal counsel for OMERS Private Equity and Solomon Partners served as financial advisor. About OMERS Private Equity: OMERS Private Equity manages investments globally on behalf of OMERS, one of Canadas largest defined benefit pension plans, with C$121 billion in net assets as at December 31, 2021, including approximately C$19.6 billion in net private equity investment asset exposure. With teams in New York, London, Toronto and Singapore, OMERS Private Equity invests across Industrials, Healthcare, Business Services and Technology, deploying an evergreen capital base to partner with strong management teams and transform good companies into industry leaders around the globe. For more information, please visit: www.omersprivateequity.com. About Pueblo Mechanical & Controls: Pueblo Mechanical & Controls performs a broad offering of HVAC and plumbing maintenance, replacement, retrofit, repair, and installation services for commercial facilities, school districts, governmental agencies, and municipalities throughout the southwest and Rocky Mountain regions. The company was founded in 2001 with a focus on delivering the highest-quality execution and customer service. Pueblo has an over 20-year history of consistently performing work while demonstrating honesty, dedication, and integrity, resulting in strong, long-lasting customer relationships. For more information, please visit: www.pueblo-mechanical.com. OMERS Contact: Olga Petrycki opetrycki@omers.com 647 407 1637 Dublin, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Virtual Private Network (VPN): Global Markets" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The report covers the overview of the global VPN market and analyses the market trends, considering the base year of 2021 and estimates for 2022-2027. VPNs create an encrypted tunnel between the computer and the internet, ensuring that data and communications are private even when users are using public networks. In terms of encryption, there are three main types: hashing, symmetric cryptography, and asymmetric cryptography. Each type of encryption has its strengths and weaknesses, but all encryption tools succeed in scrambling user data so that it becomes useless for others. There are many VPN protocols or methods of security. PPTP, a point-to-point tunneling protocol, is one of the oldest methods of tunneling, which is still in use today but is widely considered one of the least secure methods of tunneling. Other protocols include Transport Layer Security (TLS), Secure Shell (SSH), Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP)/internet protocol security (IPSec), Internet key exchange version 2 (IKEv2), and OpenVPN. Because OpenVPN is an open-source protocol, it is among the most secure as any vulnerabilities in its programming will be discovered and fixed very quickly. Major corporations are adopting VPN technologies because companies are more concerned with data security, thereby minimizing the cyber-attacks on business operations. These cyber-attacks include fraud, theft, and the destruction of data. Thus, a growing number of cyberattacks are propelling the growth of network protocols that allow the business to securely share its data over the network. This results in increasing demand for VPN solutions over the forecast period. In this report, the VPN has been segmented based on type, component, deployment mode, organization size, end user, and geography. Revenue forecasts from the period for segmentation based on type, component, deployment mode, organization size, end user, and geography have been estimated with values derived from manufacturers' total revenues. Report Includes An updated overview of the global market for virtual private networks (VPNs) within the Information Technology industry Analyses of the global market trends, with historic market revenue for 2021, estimates for 2022 and 2023, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2027 Highlights of the market potential for virtual private network, and areas to forecast this market into various segments and sub-segments Estimation of the actual market size for VPNs, revenue forecast, and corresponding market share analysis on the basis of type of VPN, organization size, component, deployment mode, end user, and geographical region Assessment of major driving trends, challenges, and opportunities in this innovation driven market, along with current trends, new developments, and regulatory implications within the marketplace In-depth information on increasing investments on R&D activities, key technology issues, industry specific challenges, major types of end-user markets, and COVID-19 implications on the progress of this market Competitive Landscape of the key players in the virtual private network market, and updated information on partnerships, agreements, and product launches in the global VPN market Descriptive company profiles of the leading global players, including Kape Technologies PLC, Nord security, OpenVPN and Proton Technologies AG Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1 Introduction Overview Study Goals and Objectives Scope of Report Reasons for Doing this Study Intended Audience Information Sources Methodology Geographic Breakdown Analyst's Credentials Custom Research Related Research Reports Chapter 2 Summary and Highlights Chapter 3 Market Overview Introduction Benefits of the Virtual Private Network Evolution of Vpn Technology First Phase - the Creation Second Phase - Adoption from Corporation Third Phase - Wide Adoption of Vpn in Population Fourth Phase - Current Stage Vpn Protocols Wireguard Openvpn Point-To-Point Tunneling Protocol (Pptp) Ikev2 (Internet Key Exchange Version 2) Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (Sstp) Layer 2 Forwarding Protocol (L2Tp/Ipsec) Vpn Use Cases Market Dynamics Drivers Restraints Opportunities Challenges Regulatory Landscape Patent Analysis Impact of Covid-19 on Virtual Private Network Market Chapter 4 Market Breakdown by Type Introduction Site-To-Site Vpn Benefits of Site-To-Site Vpn Types of Site-To-Site Vpn Remote Access Vpn Others Chapter 5 Market Breakdown by Organization Size Introduction Large Enterprises Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Chapter 6 Market Breakdown by Component Introduction Hardware Software Services Chapter 7 Market Breakdown by Deployment Mode Introduction On-Premises Vpn Cloud Vpn Chapter 8 Market Breakdown by End-user Introduction Individual Commercial Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance Healthcare Government It and Telecommunication Manufacturing Media and Entertainment Others Chapter 9 Market Breakdown by Geography Introduction Asia-Pacific China Japan India Rest of Asia-Pacific Europe Germany United Kingdom France Rest of Europe North America United States Canada Rest of the World Chapter 10 Competitive Landscape Introduction Strategic Analysis Product Launches, Agreement, and Partnerships Chapter 11 Company Profiles Alphabet Inc. Array Networks Inc. Avast Software Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. Cisco Systems Inc. Golden Frog GmbH Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. Ibm Juniper Networks Inc. Kape Technologies plc Netgear Inc. Nord Security Oracle Corp. Openvpn Purevpn (Gz Systems Ltd) Proton Technologies AG Safervpn (Safer Social Ltd.) Surfshark Tunnelbear LLC Verizon Communications Inc. Ziff Davis, Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/c1u3q2 Attachment Tampa, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The team at Turning Point of Tampa is proud to congratulate Dr. Hardeep Singh, Medical Director for receiving the Top Doctors 2022 honor from Tampa Magazine. Dr. Singh has been with Turning Point of Tampa since 2016 and was named a Top Doctor four times as a leading Addiction Medicine Doctor. Since 1991, Dr. Singh has been an Adult Psychiatrist. He is certified in Psychopharmacology and Addiction Medicine. He is a Fellow of the ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine) and a past President of the Tampa Psychiatric Society. Dr. Singh is committed to fighting for patients, he is a leader within our organization, and the Tampa community. Choosing to work with new patients that have addiction and mental health issues and those with co-occurring disorders takes a patient and kind person who has boundaries and the desire to believe in those who cannot believe in themselves Dr. Singh is that kind of doctor. CEO, Robin Piper. Quality Alcohol and Addiction Treatment Turning Point of Tampa has been a treatment provider to those who suffer from addiction, eating disorders and dual diagnosis. Our drug and alcohol rehab program at our residential treatment center is designed for individuals struggling with a drug or alcohol use disorder. At Turning Point of Tampa we emphasize community and utilize a combination of clinical approaches. We offer a safe, sober, supportive environment. Utilizing the twelve-step philosophy, we place an emphasis on the physical, emotional, spiritual, and environmental factors of the whole person. In May, Tampa Magazines sent surveys to 11,260 physicians practicing in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties asking them to nominate the peers they believe stand out from the rest. Tampa Bay physicians chose nearly 300 of their peers from 68 practice areas as this years Top Doctors. Our annual Top Doctors edition has become one of our most popular issues, says Shawna Wiggs, group publisher of Tampa Magazines. The winners list is a valuable resource that readers consult all year long when they find themselves in need of medical guidance and treatment. The 2022 Top Doctors list will be available in the August 2022 edition of TAMPA Magazine, South Tampa Magazine, Tampa Downtown Magazine and TAMPA Digest Magazine, as well as online at tampamagazines.com. About Turning Point of Tampa As a provider to those who suffer from addiction, eating disorders and dual diagnosis Turning Point of Tampa is a nationally recognized leader in behavioral health for over 35 years. Their drug and alcohol rehab program are designed for adult men and women struggling with a drug or alcohol use disorder. The Point is Recovery Podcast is part of giving back to the recovery community. Source: https://thenewsfront.com/addiction-medicine-doctor-tampa-floridadr-hardeep-singh-named-to-tampa-magazines-2022-top-doctors-list/ SAN FERNANDO, Calif., Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mr. Tortilla is looking for investment partners to support the company's exponential growth following record sales. The Southern California company, headed by Anthony Alcazar, has already become Amazon's top-selling tortilla brand in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom. Alcazar is currently searching for funding opportunities to further aid the market expansion. "It's certainly an exciting time for Mr. Tortilla," Alcazar said. "I couldn't be happier that our vision has led to such fantastic results. Access to healthy tacos at the click of a button means that customers can rapidly order delicious, quality products straight to their door. Our massive success in the U.S., Canada, and now the U.K. proves that we're really onto something good." Demand is growing for all of their products. Although Mr. Tortilla started selling directly to consumers, it now also sells to distributors, wholesalers, and restaurants internationally. Mr. Tortilla is also in the final stages of developing a vegan household staple that Alcazar will reveal next month. "The fantastic customer feedback to our growing selection of products speaks volumes. It's now time to take Mr. Tortilla to the next level with the support of financial growth partners," Alcazar added. "We're a pink diamond," Alcazar wants to remind potential investors. "Unlike many companies, we can actually scale profitably. This is the once-in-a-lifetime investment that investors search for their whole lives." Mr. Tortilla's e-commerce strategy was born from a frustration about the availability of low-carb tortillas on supermarket shelves. Instead of trying to compete with household brands, Anthony and his brother Ronald chose to reach a market that was looking for their products through their online shop and later Amazon. The results were staggering. Mr. Tortilla's sales grew by 3,000% and the brand is on the way to carving a name for itself among heavyweights as the go-to tortilla option. It's clear that technology and social media have aided the brothers in achieving their remarkable business growth in such a short period of time. Mr. Tortilla has already amassed an impressive 250,000 followers across their verified social media platforms. In June, Alcazar also spoke at the CEO Summit of the Americas where he reflected upon tapping into the benefits of digital tools. "Embracing the e-commerce model was certainly a risk, but one that has really paid off," Anthony's brother Ronald Alcazar, COO of Mr. Tortilla, said. "It all stemmed from a love and passion for good guilt-free food, quality ingredients, and delivering a product that customers want. The last few years have been a whirlwind for our team, but we have our sights set on even bigger goals. As a result, now is the perfect time to look for investors who can support us as we continue to make our dream a reality." Contact: Anthony@mrtortilla.com Related Files Mr. Tortilla - Press Release - Mr. Tortilla Bags #1 Sales Spot on Amazon US, Canada and UK And Now Looks for Banking Partners.do Related Images Image 1 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment SAN RAMON, Calif., Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CMG Financial's Chief Compliance Officer, Tara Pettersen, was honored by HousingWire as one of its 2022 Women of Influence. This annual award recognizes women in the housing industry who are making notable contributions to their companies and to the industry at large. Tara was honored for her inspiring leadership, caring mentorship, and ability to transform her department to better protect the company and its consumers from risks or losses. Since joining CMG in 2014, Tara has made a distinct impact both professionally and personally. She initially joined CMG to handle licensing, but quickly transitioned to Fraud Manager. With her talent and experience, she transformed the entire compliance department by redesigning its framework, hiring and training over 50 new team members, and establishing a risk management department. She eventually rose to the role of Senior Vice President (SVP) of Risk Management, but it didn't take long for her to become the company's Chief Compliance Officer. Despite the massive growth she's overseen in her department, Tara still prioritizes building strong relationships with every member of her team. As a leader, she recognizes that to get the best out of her team, she must invest in them not just as employees but as people. "Throughout Pettersen's 29-year career, she has maintained a distinct leadership style that inspires those around her to reach for greatness," states HousingWire. "She mentors risk managers with grace and kindness, acting as an instrumental aid in their career development." Tara's supervision of the quality control area has been proven successful by investors as it identifies potential loan errors and addresses how CMG intends to lower origination risk. She has made exhaustive efforts to ensure counterparties and vendors uphold their contractual obligations. With her efforts in recent months, Tara has improved CMG's regulatory compliance framework and ensured company operation within agency guidelines and investor agreements. This is evidenced by CMG's ability to maintain over 4,000 state licenses across the country while also adding several loan programs and initiatives over the past year. Both of these initiative and program efforts required extensive compliance structuring and coordination in order to adhere to different federal and state regulations. "Among their outstanding achievements, these women are using their platforms to support and empower others in the industry while simultaneously improving processes that can provide greater access to homeownership for women," writes Lesley Collins, HousingWire Program Manager for the Editor's Choice Awards. "Congratulations to this year's winners." To find out what it's like to work with inspirational leaders like Tara, visit: www.cmgfi.com/careers/recruiting. ### About CMG Financial CMG Financial is a well-capitalized, privately held mortgage-banking firm founded in 1993. The company makes its products and services available to the market through three distinct origination channels: Retail Lending, Wholesale Lending, and Correspondent Lending. CMG Financial currently operates in all states, including District of Columbia, and holds federal agency lending approvals with HUD, VA, RHS, GNMA, FNMA and FHLMC. Throughout the mortgage banking and housing markets, CMG Financial is widely known for responsible lending practices, industry and consumer advocacy, product innovation, and operational efficiency. About HousingWire HousingWire is the most influential source of news and information for the U.S. mortgage and housing markets. Built on a foundation of independent and original journalism, HousingWire reaches over 60,000 newsletter subscribers daily and over 1.0 million unique visitors each month. Our audience of mortgage, real estate and fintech professionals rely on us to Move Markets Forward. Visit www.housingwire.com or www.solutions.housingwire.com to learn more. Media Contact: Annaugh Madsen Phone: (667) 260-6360 Email: amadsen@cmgfi.com Related Images Image 1: Tara Pettersen, Chief Compliance Officer at CMG Financial Tara Pettersen, Chief Compliance Officer at CMG Financial and 2022 HousingWire Woman of Influence This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Forde, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EarlyBirds, a self-described Open Innovation Ecosystem, is honoured to announce that they have partnered with the Women in Leadership Summit taking place in Sydney in November of 2022. The platform works to connect talented innovators doing new and exciting work with enthusiastic early adopter organizations looking for new technologies to adopt to make any and all parts of their organization run better or solve problems they may have across a variety of industries. They are partnering with the Women in Leadership Summit to help support closing the gender gap in businesses worldwide and connect with people who are working on finding ways to do that work. The World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2022 found that the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple shocks in the global economy continue to hinder progress on closing the gender gap. EarlyBirds believes that the social order needs to prepare better for the future and to ensure that more women are entering the industries and professions of the future and designing future economies. If technology-driven economies are to represent everybody, then society must ensure that more women are going into artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data, biotechnology and more, and becoming a core part of how we design these systems for the future. The Women in Leadership summit, which runs from November 22nd to the 25th, will provide valuable advice for women trying to climb the corporate ladder, and how leaders at all levels can become a mentor and champion of other women in their organizations and beyond. More information about the Women in Leadership Summit can be found at https://www.theleadershipinstitute.com.au/women-in-leadership-summit/. According to Kris Poria, Cofounder and CEO of EarlyBirds, Many economists believe that, to put the global economy on a more sustainable footing, embedding resilience and inclusion is key. This is because fresh energy, ideas and leadership will be critical to changing ways of doing things to move into the future as a better, stronger social order. As such, this is not the moment to roll back on gender parity it is time to accelerate change, for all humans. According to Fortune magazine the right conditions for women are the same conditions under which anyone would thrive: encouragement; hands-on tech discovery in school; the presence of role models in leadership positions; mentorship; executive sponsorship; fair pay; workplace inclusion; and the flexibility to parent while employed. The great news is that substantially increasing womens involvement in technology is not a zero-sum game. The technology skills gap is well-documented, and there are more than enough job openings in technology to go around. According to Harvard Business Review, diverse teams outperform homogeneous ones. Gender diversity in particular has positive effects on radical innovation, a criterion that is crucial for tech companies. Some of the most successful companies now strongly believe that the best teams are made up of diverse talents that the collective sum of individual differences is a significant factor in the race to success. However, reaching gender parity in IT is a challenge that many other companies deem infeasible. Closing the gender gap within an IT organization wont be easy, but its an important task that will improve each teams overall performance. According to Forbes, women are capable, resilient and effective. The bad news is women still face tremendous headwinds in terms of biases. But women can find their strength, express their voice and apply their talents. They can also shape the conditions for others, supporting and influencing the systems which make the world welcoming for womens contributions. The state of womens progress in the workplace and in leadership isnt just a womens issue. It is an issue for everyone. EarlyBirds is pleased to be working with Early Adopter organisations and Innovators that supports closing the gender gap and enabling women in leadership roles. Customers can use the EarlyBirds platform and services to help guide businesses and individuals as to where they should be applying their talents to help close the gender gap. EarlyBirds has data on many types of industry innovators and their technology and services that is invaluable for support a business or an individual to shape strategies and outcomes. ### For more information about EarlyBirds, contact the company here: EarlyBirds Mr Kris Poria and Mr Jeff Penrose +61 401 287 060 support@earlybirds.io FORDE SUITE 10, LEVEL 1, 26 FRANCIS FORDE BOULEVARD, FORDE, ACT 2914 Carson City, Nevada, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Las Vegas, Nevada-based Talisman Casualty Insurance Company is reaching out to the wider community to share information about the range of services they offer. Talisman Casualty Insurance Company is a specialized insurance company that provides its clients with an alternative risk transfer option for liability and property insurance. A representative for Talisman Casualty Insurance Company says, If you are looking for a world-class insurance company, Talisman Casualty is here for you. We are one of the leading insurance providers for anyone who wants alternative risk transfer options that are refined, sophisticated and in line with modern standards. We are able to provide that and cater to each unique situation our clients face with our captive insurance setup. Our policies and bonds are duly licensed, regulated, and authorized insurance transactions governed by the laws of the state of Nevada. Talismans main service is captive insurance. Captive insurance is a unique kind of insurance where an insurance business is created that is completely controlled and owned by its own insureds. As the company explains, the purpose of captive insurance is to insure the risks of its owners. Under the captive model, insured companies are able to benefit from the underwriting profits of the captive insurer. When properly structured and managed, captive insurance can actually provide lower premiums and expand capacity where it is needed. Additionally, some risk that may be considered uninsurable can work within a captive by providing participants and their sponsors' with direct access to reinsurance markets. Captive insurance models also provide flexibility, efficiency, and more control to the insureds. Captive insurance can be set up (and disbanded) relatively quickly, and sophisticated insureds no longer have to pay premiums based on non-correlated factors of the market and they can allow their own risk management efforts to be rewarded with pricing that reflects better experience. The company also uses claims technology that substantially boosts the efficiency of the claims process because it can be streamlined within the cell, providing participants a high level of service. Participants in the cell captive are owners, and the close relationship between the insured participant and claims professionals allows quicker response and resolution to claims which could lead to litigation. In addition to captive insurance, Talisman Casualty Insurance Company also offers additional programs such as a Surety Program, Pet Professional Coverage and Marine Program. Across all their services, the company promises high-quality service. Learn more at the following link: Talisman Casualty Suit. Talisman Casualty Insurance Companys representative says, Taking control of your insurance experience means expecting the service that managing the most critical parts of your business risk deserves, and we are here to deliver. From the initial consultation, you have with us, through the setting up of the captive insurance and all the way till you are done with our services, you will be working directly with a representative of Talisman Casualty who will guide your team through the whole process. We take great pains to ensure that the customer service we provide is tailor-made for your needs. Talisman Casualty Insurance Company also boasts a highly experienced team. With industry veterans who have vast years of experience, the Talisman Casualty team is one that is committed to delivering excellent results. Each client can pick and choose what type of coverage and they can tailor a policy to meet their specific insurance needs. Thus, insureds are completely in control of the process throughout because they will have direct access to a qualified representative at all times. Talisman Casualty Insurance Company is proud to say that it has a proven track record of success as a captive premium insurer, with over 7,000 captives licensed worldwide and a staggering $55 billion of global captive premium. Within Nevada, where Talisman Casualty Insurance Company operates, the company has over 204 captives licensed and over $4 billion in captive premium. Those who want to learn more about Talisman Casualty Insurance Company and the various services they provide can find more information on the companys website. The company encourages interested parties to get in touch with their representatives directly via email or phone. Alternatively, they can also be reached through the contact form on their website. Talisman Casualty Insurance Company additionally maintains a presence on Facebook, and social media users are welcome to connect with the team here. ### For more information about Talisman Casualty Insurance Company, contact the company here: Talisman Casualty Insurance Company 800-318-5317 info@talismancasualty.com 7881 W. Charleston Blvd, Suite 210 Las Vegas, NV 89117 Tallinn, Estonia, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Embily crypto bank cards provider is delighted to announce the launch of a new referral program. Anyone can now invite their friends to join the Embily community and be eligible to get rewards, with both sides being granted - the affiliate and the referred person. Bonuses for referrals are 30 Euros for inviting users and 10 Euros for invitees. The bonus will be paid right after the referrals spend their first 100 Euros. There is no need to hold any tokens. The referral program provides payments in Euro which are then directed to the customers tethered Embily account. In addition to the welcome bonuses, the invitees will also receive the virtual crypto bank card for free. For the plastic card users will only pay for the shipping fee. For now, Embilys crypto bank cards are available only for residents of Europe, the United Kingdom, and immigrants from Ukraine to Europe. However, anyone can get the referral link and receive rewards for invites after completing registration on the website. To join the referral program, follow the LINK on the Embily official website to receive a referral code or link. The Embily crypto bank card service intends to significantly expand its geographic reach in 2022 by entering the markets of Singapore and the United States through a partnership with VISA corp. Media Contact: Company Name: Embily Email: elena@embily.com Website: https://embily.com/ City: Tallinn Country: Estonia There is no offer to sell, no solicitation of an offer to buy, and no recommendation of any security or any other product or service in this article. Moreover, nothing contained in this PR should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any investment or security, or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. It is your responsibility to determine whether any investment, investment strategy, security, or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your investment objectives, financial circumstances, and risk tolerance. Consult your business advisor, attorney, or tax advisor regarding your specific business, legal, or tax situation. Newsroom: abrelease.submitmypressrelease.com Attachment Merced, California, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This wouldnt be our fight, this shouldnt be our fight, said Sister Kate of the battle for control of the police department in the small town of Livingston, except for the fact that the Sheriffs department decided to make it about cannabis. Since they made it about cannabis, it is now our fight. In a little town in Merced County, in the Central Valley of California, on Tuesday night this week, the Sisters and the local activists succeeded in blocking the sheriff from occupying the town law-enforcement leadership. Several months ago, a vacancy opened for police chief in the town of Livingston nearby the farm of the Sisters of the Valley. The town has twice the number of cops per resident as the City of Merced. The Sheriff and his department govern the county, and even though Livingston is outside his jurisdiction, the Sheriff stepped in and declared he would save Livingston by assigning the infamous Chuck Hale to the job. And then, he wouldn't leave when they asked him to. A few months into Chuck Hale being interim police chief, the people began to wake to the realization that they had been assigned a police chief likely to have been rejected everywhere else because of his well-documented history of dishonesty. Look up the Ethan Morse trial, the Merced County case that settled in 2018 with Chuck Hale costing the taxpayers a half million dollars in a settlement for his sins. At the same time, the Sheriffs office became very aggressive in pushing the city council to make Hale's position permanent. The city council decided they were better off without a police chief than having a corrupt police chief and declined to renew or extend Hales presence on their payroll. It is not unusual for law enforcement to swap staff between agencies, but what is highly unusual is that when Sheriff Warnke realized that his crooked cop was being rejected, he and his department doubled down to reject their rejection. The Sheriff's department then engaged in some very foul acts, according to the Sisters, who are watching this closely. The Sheriffs department used the city council of Livingston to thwart due process - for just a recent moment in time -- to get Hale confirmed as police chief, but it was deemed an illegal motion and thrown out. Thats a matter of public record. The Sheriffs department sent a threatening letter on the matter to the city council, which is attached, as well, as a matter of public record. The Sheriffs department hired away local policemen from Livingston to make the appearance of a declining force and the appearance of a need for rescue by the Sheriff's department. In Tuesday night's council meeting, the under-Sheriff admits to it and says We are moving toward regional policing anyway.' According to the Sisters, it is clear that the Sheriff's department is creating a problem, and then blaming the city council for the very problem they (the Sheriff's) created. The Sheriffs department maligned and bullied the two city council members who questioned Hale's necessity, accusing them of blocking the position because of their belief in deregulating cannabis. The Sheriffs department and the city manager want the public to believe that the position was blocked not because the cop assigned is a dirty cop, not because Livingston is outside the governance of the Sheriffs department, but because two of the city council members once, a long time ago, argued for cannabis commerce in their town. Cannabis has nothing to do with the crooked cop they are trying to hoist on Livingston, said Sister Sophia. It was shocking to see them accusing two councilmembers of pursuing special interests because they believe in plant freedom, especially when we know this is Vern Warnke pursuing his own special interests. At Tuesday nights meeting, it became very clear that the Sheriffs department platform is that if you believe in plant freedom, you cant make good decisions about law enforcement. This is what they call gaslighting. The Sheriff has engaged his whole department in a gaslighting campaign to gain control over law enforcement of Livingston. In addition, it is clear from the YouTube video of the August 2nd City of Livingston Council Meeting, that the Sheriffs department went on the offensive and repeatedly shamed the city council members for no plan B. Meaning, no choice here but to use the Sheriffs department. But not once did the Sheriffs department offer up an alternative to Hale, the crooked cop. The Sheriffs themselves had no plan B, but they wailed about the council having no plan B. The Sheriffs department sponsored a false fear operation and the city manager (Vanessa) appears to be their puppet. On behalf of the Sheriffs department, she declared the fear campaign and she called in the Sheriffs department. Vanessa and the under-Sheriff urged the city of Livingston to declare a state of emergency because the Police Chief position would be vacant and the citizens would be unsafe. Said Sister Kate, We have known since this started that the city of Livingston has no need for help from the Sheriffs department, and that there are two people responsible for this false-fear operation, Vanessa, the City Manager -- listen to her speak if you can handle it, shes awful -- and the under-Sheriff -- listen to him, at least he can speak, but he's a bully." One might conclude that the Sheriffs department is using the city manager to pursue Vern Warnkes special anti-cannabis interests. One might conclude that Sheriff Warnke and his posse keep talking about how bad cannabis is because they want to protect their commercial interests in selling alcohol and tobacco products exclusively in that town. Thats why we have to come out to the public with this. said Sister Kate. Making it about cannabis was their way of inviting us into the fight. Making it about cannabis invited us to discover that indeed, a Sheriffs guy owns the gas station with liquor and tobacco licenses as part of a small monopoly in Livingston. At the meeting Tuesday night, the grown-ups prevailed. The dirty cop was rejected and there was no state of emergency declared in a city that is overstaffed with cops. There are 34 full time cops on the Livingston force and there are a number of good candidates that can fill that position, so I dont know what kind of game the city manager is playing with the Sheriffs department, but the public and the Sisters called bullshit and stopped them, for now, said Sister Kate. Sister Maria, newly arrived from New Zealand, was a witness to the political fight. She commented, It is all so unusual that, of course, it got our attention. County law enforcement fighting hard and dirty to put sheriffs in city police jobs, what is that about? And why Hale? Why the most infamous of the department? And why wont they take no for an answer from the council members? Why did the under-Sheriff come out and fight for it like his life depends on it? And why make it about cannabis? Whats the play there? There is something going on and the combination of the Sheriffs departments aggressive need for this position, their lack of transparency, and their verbal bullying is all very unsettling. The Sisters are encouraging the public to email the Sheriff's department at mercedsheriffsoffice@countyofmerced.com and tell Sheriff Warnke to stop promoting and hiding crooked cops, stop interfering in local decision-making, stop using extensive police force to bully minority councilmembers, and for goodness sake, stop feeding your own personal anti-cannabis agenda, while finger-pointing and applying your sins to others. The Sisters are clearly flabbergasted that this is happening in their own backyard and felt compelled to share the truth, as the local paper has not. For more information about the sisters, go to www.sistersofthevalley.org. Attachments The Danuri lunar orbiter, carried by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, Aug. 5 (KST). Joint Press Corps Danuri expected to enter lunar orbit in mid-December By Baek Byung-yeul, Joint Press Corps Danuri, Korea's domestically-developed lunar orbiter, began its journey Friday to reach lunar orbit as it was successfully launched into space, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT. The ministry said the lunar orbiter, carried by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 8:08 a.m., Friday (KST) and confirmed it successfully entered Earth-moon transfer orbit as of 2 p.m. As the launch process went off without a hitch, the Danuri will cruise through space for about four-and-a-half months before settling into lunar orbit in mid-December. It will then remain about 100 kilometers above the moon and conduct scientific missions for almost a year from January 2023, the science ministry said. If the orbiter succeeds in carrying out its operations, Korea will become the seventh nation to undertake a lunar exploration. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Danuri lunar orbiter, is launched into space from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, Aug. 5 (KST). Joint Press Corps "The Danuri was disconnected from SpaceX's Falcon 9 projectile at an altitude of about 703 kilometers at around 8:48 a.m. and made its first communication with the ground station at about 9:40 a.m., about 92 minutes after launch," the ministry said. "The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) analyzed the information given from SpaceX and confirmed that the Danuri separated as expected from the projectile and entered the target orbit," the ministry added. Revealing future plans for the Danuri, the science ministry said the lunar orbiter "will move toward the point where the sun and the Earth's gravity balance in order to minimize fuel consumption, and then change its direction around Sept. 2." Researchers at Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) in Daejeon celebrate the successful launch of the Danuri lunar orbiter, Friday. Courtesy of KARI Under its mid- to long-term space development plan, Korea began developing the lunar orbiter in 2016. It is equipped with six kinds of observation and analysis equipment and, excluding a ShadowCam device offered from the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the other parts were developed by Korean research institutes and universities. After the Danuri successfully made contact with the ground station, Science and ICT Minister Lee Jong-ho said the lunar orbiter is the first step in Korea making history in space exploration. "The Danuri, which has emerged from the Earth's full gravity and is heading to the moon, will be remembered as the first step in Korea's space exploration history. Thank you very much to the 59 government-run research institutions, universities and private companies that have developed the Danuri over a long period," Lee said. The minister added, "The Danuri has a lot of work to do in being placed in lunar orbit and carrying out a one-year mission," adding that the government will provide active support to ensure the mission's success. Members of the public at Seoul Station watch TV news showing the successful launch of the Danuri lunar orbiter, Friday. Yonhap PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AnPac Bio-Medical Science Co., Ltd. (AnPac Bio, the Company or we) (ANPC), a biotechnology company with operations in the United States and China focused on early cancer screening and detection, announced that effective August 2, 2022, the board of directors appointed Jiawen Kang as a member of the board of directors of the Company (the Board) and a member of the Audit Committee and Nominating Committee. On that date, the Company also appointed Yuyang Cui as (a) Co-Chairman of the Board and (b) Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Company. As Co-CEO of the Company, Yuyang Cui will be primarily responsible for (i) searching and presenting potential business opportunities to the Company and the Board as well as (ii) the capital markets strategy and related activities for AnPac Bio. Chris Chang Yu has since been re-designated as the Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Company, with primary responsibilities for the general operations and all related businesses except for the duties that are outlined for Mr. Cui. As previously reported, on July 14, 2022, written resolutions were passed by a majority of the votes of all shareholders entitled to vote at a general meeting authorizing, among others, (1) the removal of Aidong Chen and Sheng Liu as members of the Board; (2) the removal of Aidong Chen as Co-Chairman of the Board and Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Company; and (3) the re-designation of Chris Chang Yu as Chief Executive Officer of the Company and Chairman of the Board. About AnPac Bio AnPac Bio is a biotechnology company focused on early cancer screening and detection, with 155 issued patents as of March 31, 2022. With two certified clinical laboratories in China and one CLIA and CAP accredited clinical laboratory in the United States, AnPac Bio performs a suite of cancer screening and detection tests, including CDA (Cancer Differentiation Analysis), bio-chemical, immunological, and genomics tests. According to a report by Frost & Sullivan, AnPac Bio ranked first globally in multi-cancer screening and detection test sample volume (accumulative to January 2021). AnPac Bios CDA technology platform has been shown in retrospective validation studies to be able to detect the risk of over 20 different cancer types with high sensitivity and specificity. For more information, please visit: https://www.Anpacbio.com. For investor and media inquiries, please contact: Company: Phil Case, Marketing and Investor Relations Phone: +1-267-810-6776 (US) Email: phil_case@AnPacbio.com Investor Relations: Ascent Investor Relations LLC Tina Xiao, President Phone: +1-917-609-0333 (US) Email: tina.xiao@ascent-ir.com Safe Harbor Statement This announcement contains 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. These forward-looking statements are made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are relating to the Companys future financial and operating performance. The Company has attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminologies including believes, estimates, anticipates, expects, plans, projects, intends, potential, target, aim, predict, outlook, seek, goal objective, assume, contemplate, continue, positioned, forecast, likely, may, could, might, will, should, approximately or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, assumptions and uncertainties involving judgments about, among other things, future economic, competitive and market conditions and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond the Companys control. These statements also involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Companys actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, our ability to comply with Nasdaq Listing Rules, the implementation of our business model and growth strategies; trends and competition in the cancer screening and detection market; our expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of our cancer screening and detection tests and our ability to expand our customer base; our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protections for our CDA technology and our continued research and development to keep pace with technology developments; our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals from the NMPA, the FDA and the relevant U.S. states and have our laboratories certified or accredited by authorities including the CLIA; our future business development, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to obtain financing cost-effectively; potential changes of government regulations; general economic and business conditions in China and elsewhere; our ability to hire and maintain key personnel; our relationship with our major business partners and customers; and the duration of the coronavirus outbreaks and their potential adverse impact on the economic conditions and financial markets and our business and financial performance, such as resulting from reduced commercial activities due to quarantines and travel restrictions instituted by China, the U.S. and many other countries around the world to contain the spread of the virus. Additionally, all forward-looking statements are subject to the Risk Factors detailed from time to time in the Companys most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Because of these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements. In addition, these statements speak only as of the date of this press release and, except as may be required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason. HOUSTON, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- W&T Offshore, Inc. (NYSE: WTI) (W&T or the Company) today announced the timing of its second quarter of 2022 earnings release and conference call, as well as its participation in an upcoming investor relations event. The Company is scheduled to issue its second quarter of 2022 earnings release on Monday, August 8, 2022, before market open. A conference call to discuss financial and operational results is scheduled for Monday, August 8, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. Central Time (10:00 a.m. Eastern Time). Interested parties may listen to the call via webcast at the Companys website at www.wtoffshore.com under Investors. Alternatively, the call may be accessed by dialing 1-844-739-3797 for domestic parties and 1-412-317-5713 for international parties; phone participants are advised to call in 10 minutes in advance of the call start time and request to be joined to the W&T Offshore, Inc. Conference Call. An audio replay will be available on the Companys website following the call. Additionally, the Company is scheduled to participate in the EnerCom Denver Energy Conference to be held in Denver, Colorado from August 7-10, 2022. Tracy W. Krohn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will present on Monday, August 8, 2022 and management will host in-person one-on-one meetings with investors during the conference. The presentation will be webcast live by EnerCom on their conference website which can be accessed at www.enercominc.com. An updated investor presentation will also be posted on the Companys web site at www.wtoffshore.com in the Investors section on the Presentations page prior to the event. About W&T Offshore W&T Offshore, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas producer with operations offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and has grown through acquisitions, exploration, and development. As of March 31, 2022, the Company had working interests in 47 fields in federal and state waters and has under lease approximately 655,000 gross acres, including approximately 474,000 gross acres on the Gulf of Mexico Shelf and approximately 181,000 gross acres in the Gulf of Mexico deepwater. A majority of the Companys daily production is derived from wells it operates. For more information on W&T, please visit the Companys website at www.wtoffshore.com. Alexandria, VA, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Impact, on behalf of the Alliance for Advancing Health Online (AAHO), is pleased to announce the launch of an additional round of Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Vaccine Confidence Fund (VCF). The VCF is a program of AAHO and is financially supported by Meta and Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ USA (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada). This round of funding for global research will focus on harnessing the power of social media to increase vaccination confidence and uptake with an emphasis on enhancing routine immunization and educating health care workers on addressing vaccine hesitancy. Global Impact is publishing the Full Insights Report on the first Vaccine Confidence Fund which features findings from the grantees research and insights on potential ways to drive vaccination confidence and uptake. Following the success of last years open RFP, managed by Global Impact, where the Fund sought proposals that address how social media can be best utilized to better understand vaccine hesitancy and increase vaccination confidence and uptake, this additional round will build on the insights of the 33 prior grantees globally to continue to pursue new and transformative approaches using social media and behavioral science to bring new insights on both COVID-19 and routine immunization in communities. Weve been excited to see the results of the first Vaccine Confidence Fund and learn from how organizations around the world are using social media to drive positive health outcomes, said Luchen Foster, Head of Health Partnerships at Meta. We look forward to seeing more innovative projects with the next round of research. Grantees will be selected in a competitive, open process managed by Global Impact, the fiscal sponsor and Fund manager, with the support of the VCF Advisory Council, a small interdisciplinary group of domain experts from the vaccination confidence, public health, social media, and behavioral and data sciences fields. The projects selected will use a variety of novel research approaches and explore how behavioral nudges, natural language processing, the use of chatbots, and targeted influencers impact vaccination confidence and vaccine uptake. We are honored to be a founding member of the Alliance for Advancing Health Online (AAHO) and are enthusiastic about the initial insights seen in the Vaccine Confidence Fund research and how they contribute to filling the research and knowledge gap around how to reach hesitant populations through social media said Michael D. Fornwall, Associate Vice President, Vaccination Confidence, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ USA (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada). We are proud to financially support this next round of research to continue to advance the learnings to improve the health and resiliency of communities around the world. The report and open RFP have been announced in advance of the Insights Dialogue event, Using Social Media to Increase Vaccine Confidence,, on Tuesday, August 9, at 1:00 PM GMT, at which speakers will discuss key findings from the Vaccine Confidence Fund and share best practices from projects implemented in Guatemala, Algeria, Kenya, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Attendees are invited to learn how grantees effectively harnessed the capabilities of social media platforms and designed effective engagement activities and customized, targeted messaging to increase vaccine confidence in marginalized and underserved communities. For more information, please visit vaccineconfidencefund.org. About AAHO The Alliance for Advancing Health Online (AAHO) is a newly forming and evolving coalition of stakeholders across the technology, health, global development, and academic sectors who are united in exploring how social media and online engagement can increase the health and resiliency of communities around the world. Currently, stakeholders involved with the AAHO include the Bay Area Global Health Alliance, the CDC Foundation, The MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy, the Sabin Vaccine Institute, the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization. The $40 million multi-year initiative, funded by Meta and Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ USA (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada), will initially focus on addressing vaccine hesitancy and vaccine equity with a strong focus on historically excluded or marginalized communities. About Global Impact Global Impact works on charitable ventures to inspire greater giving and serves as a trusted advisor, intermediary and implementing partner across the private, nonprofit and public sectors. Through these partnerships, Global Impact has raised nearly $2 billion for causes such as disaster relief and global development. Global Impacts reach and services are complemented by the work of its subsidiary company, Geneva Global. Hyundai Motor President and CEO Chang Jae-hoon gives a welcoming address during "Hyundai Vision Conference 2022" at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas hotel in southern Seoul, Wednesday. The Korean automaker said Friday the conference took place for two days through Thursday as a part of a broader strategy to recruit talents for future growth engines. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Korea's top automaker pushes to hire engineering talents in overseas By Yi Whan-woo Hyundai Motor invited Ph. D. students at engineering schools abroad to Korea for the first time, as a part of a broader strategy to recruit highly-skilled workers to develop future growth engines, the company said Friday. The nation's No. 1 automaker said the students from top-ranked universities in North Americas and Europe came to Seoul to attend "Hyundai Vision Conference" from Wednesday to Thursday. The students came from 12 countries around the world, majoring in automotive engineering, advanced air mobility, artificial intelligence, robotics, eco-friendly cars _ all areas of Hyundai Motor's interests. The Korean firm carefully selected the participants after visiting their respective schools, where it held briefings and career consulting services to find out if their planned career paths are in line with the automaker's vision. Held at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas hotel in southern Seoul, the conference was joined by 100 executives and working-level managers from Hyundai Motor. Hyundai Motor President Shin Jai-won, who leads the firm's advanced air mobility division, speaks during "Hyundai Vision Conference 2022" at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas hotel in southern Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Among them were President and CEO Chang Jae-hoon and President Shin Jai-won who heads the advanced air mobility division at the carmaker. The conference began with welcoming speeches from Chang and Shin. Presentations and Q&A sessions followed to let Hyundai Motor engineers and invited students to share their achievements in a range of projects such as R&D. Hyundai Motor assessed the conference took place at a time when "having dibs on promising talents is becoming extremely important" to cope with a rapidly-changing mobility market "We will continue to be active in recruiting global engineering talents by bolstering promotional campaigns for our vision and technologies," the company said. A Ph. D. engineering student from an overseas university asks a question during "Hyundai Vision Conference 2022" at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas hotel in southern Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Red Bull Racing strategist Hannah Schmitz played a key role in Red Bull Racing's latest victory in Hungary. She works closely with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in the preparation for the races. Schmitz mentions the strengths of both drivers. Article continues under ad Schmitz names strengths of Verstappen and Perez The race in Hungary was not Schmitz's first strong performance, more often the strategist delivers decisive work for her team. In conversation with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf Schmitz explains more about Red Bull's preparation for races. She works closely with Verstappen and Perez and she finds this collaboration very pleasant. Schmitz has the data and the facts, but not the experience of the drivers. According to the strategist, both drivers add something different. "With the drivers we discuss everything beforehand. Perez is someone who wants to know a lot about the pace and tyre degradation of the others. Max is very good at talking through and understanding the scenarios." Schmitz: "For example, if I'm not sure which tyre to start on, we ask Max what he thinks and what his feelings are. Everything for the best possible result." Read more Leclerc knows why things have not escalated with Verstappen yet Facebook's Meta logo sign is seen at the company headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., on, Oct. 28, 2021. AP-Yonhap Facebook owner Meta is quietly curtailing some of the safeguards designed to thwart voting misinformation or foreign interference in U.S. elections as the November midterm vote approaches. It's a sharp departure from the social media giant's multibillion-dollar efforts to enhance the accuracy of posts about U.S. elections and regain trust from lawmakers and the public after their outrage over learning the company had exploited people's data and allowed falsehoods to overrun its site during the 2016 campaign. The pivot is raising alarm about Meta's priorities and about how some might exploit the world's most popular social media platforms to spread misleading claims, launch fake accounts and rile up partisan extremists. "They're not talking about it," said former Facebook policy director Katie Harbath, now the CEO of the tech and policy firm Anchor Change. "Best case scenario: They're still doing a lot behind the scenes. Worst case scenario: They pull back, and we don't know how that's going to manifest itself for the midterms on the platforms." Since last year, Meta has shut down an examination into how falsehoods are amplified in political ads on Facebook by indefinitely banishing the researchers from the site. CrowdTangle, the online tool that the company offered to hundreds of newsrooms and researchers so they could identify trending posts and misinformation across Facebook or Instagram, is now inoperable on some days. Public communication about the company's response to election misinformation has gone decidedly quiet. Between 2018 and 2020, the company released more than 30 statements that laid out specifics about how it would stifle U.S. election misinformation, prevent foreign adversaries from running ads or posts around the vote and subdue divisive hate speech. Top executives hosted question and answer sessions with reporters about new policies. CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote Facebook posts promising to take down false voting information and authored opinion articles calling for more regulations to tackle foreign interference in U.S. elections via social media. But this year Meta has only released a one-page document outlining plans for the fall elections, even as potential threats to the vote remain clear. Several Republican candidates are pushing false claims about the U.S. election across social media. In addition, Russia and China continue to wage aggressive social media propaganda campaigns aimed at further political divides among American audiences. Meta says that elections remain a priority and that policies developed in recent years around election misinformation or foreign interference are now hard-wired into company operations. "With every election, we incorporate what we've learned into new processes and have established channels to share information with the government and our industry partners," Meta spokesman Tom Reynolds said. He declined to say how many employees would be on the project to protect U.S. elections full time this year. During the 2018 election cycle, the company offered tours and photos and produced head counts for its election response war room. But The New York Times reported the number of Meta employees working on this year's election had been cut from 300 to 60, a figure Meta disputes. Reynolds said Meta will pull hundreds of employees who work across 40 of the company's other teams to monitor the upcoming vote alongside the election team, with its unspecified number of workers. The company is continuing many initiatives it developed to limit election misinformation, such as a fact-checking program started in 2016 that enlists the help of news outlets to investigate the veracity of popular falsehoods spreading on Facebook or Instagram. The Associated Press is part of Meta's fact-checking program. This month, Meta also rolled out a new feature for political ads that allows the public to search for details about how advertisers target people based on their interests across Facebook and Instagram. Yet, Meta has stifled other efforts to identify election misinformation on its sites. It has stopped making improvements to CrowdTangle, a website it offered to newsrooms around the world that provides insights about trending social media posts. Journalists, fact-checkers and researchers used the website to analyze Facebook content, including tracing popular misinformation and who is responsible for it. That tool is now "dying," former CrowdTangle CEO Brandon Silverman, who left Meta last year, told the Senate Judiciary Committee this spring. Silverman told the AP that CrowdTangle had been working on upgrades that would make it easier to search the text of internet memes, which can often be used to spread half-truths and escape the oversight of fact-checkers, for example. "There's no real shortage of ways you can organize this data to make it useful for a lot of different parts of the fact-checking community, newsrooms and broader civil society," Silverman said. Not everyone at Meta agreed with that transparent approach, Silverman said. The company has not rolled out any new updates or features to CrowdTangle in more than a year, and it has experienced hourslong outages in recent months. Meta also shut down efforts to investigate how misinformation travels through political ads. The company indefinitely revoked access to Facebook for a pair of New York University researchers who they said collected unauthorized data from the platform. The move came hours after NYU professor Laura Edelson said she shared plans with the company to investigate the spread of disinformation on the platform around the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, which is now the subject of a House investigation. "What we found, when we looked closely, is that their systems were probably dangerous for a lot of their users," Edelson said. Privately, former and current Meta employees say exposing those dangers around the American elections have created public and political backlash for the company. Republicans routinely accuse Facebook of unfairly censoring conservatives, some of whom have been kicked off for breaking the company's rules. Democrats, meanwhile, regularly complain the tech company hasn't gone far enough to curb disinformation. "It's something that's so politically fraught, they're more trying to shy away from it than jump in head first," said Harbath, the former Facebook policy director. Meanwhile, the possibility of regulation in the U.S. no longer looms over the company, with lawmakers failing to reach any consensus over what oversight the multibillion-dollar company should be subjected to. Free from that threat, Meta's leaders have devoted the company's time, money and resources to a new project in recent months. Zuckerberg dived into this massive rebranding and reorganization of Facebook last October, when he changed the company's name to Meta Platforms Inc. He plans to spend years and billions of dollars evolving his social media platforms into a nascent virtual reality construct called the "metaverse" _ sort of like the internet brought to life, rendered in 3D. His public Facebook page posts now focus on product announcements, hailing artificial intelligence, and photos of him enjoying life. News about election preparedness is announced in company blog posts not written by him. In one of Zuckerberg's posts last October, after an ex-Facebook employee leaked internal documents showing how the platform magnifies hate and misinformation, he defended the company. He also reminded his followers that he had pushed Congress to modernize regulations around elections for the digital age. (AP) Russia has banned investors from so-called unfriendly countries from selling shares in certain strategic businesses and banks until the end of the year, a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin showed on Friday. The ban, effective immediately, applies to the Sakhakin-1 oil and gas development in Russia's Far East. Its operator, U.S. major ExxonMobil, said this week it was in the process of transferring its 30 percent stake to another party. The decree also prohibits investors from unfriendly countries from selling their stakes in production sharing agreements which, apart from Sakhalin-1, include the Sakhalin-2 LNG (liquefied natural gas) project and the Kharyaga oil field, as well as in Russian banks, among other assets. The list of banks is to be prepared by the government and the central bank for Putin's approval. Italy's UniCredit and Intesa, U.S. group Citi and Austria's Raiffeisen continue to search for options to exit Russia, while others such as Societe Generale and HSBC have found a way out. (Reuters) Volkswagen of America is starting pricing for the 2023 ID.4 electric compact SUV at an MSRP of $37,495, with a new 62 kWh entry battery pack, upgraded exterior and interior design, new aluminum-alloy wheels, updated improved center console, and more features. Now assembled in Chattanooga, Tenn., the ID.4 is offered in three trim levels: Standard/Pro, S, and S Pluswith the option of 62 kWh and 82 kWh batteries and rear-wheel- or all-wheel drive. The entry ID.4, now called the ID.4 Standard, is equipped with a new 62 kWh battery, allowing for a lower price of entry and a preliminary manufacturer estimated range of 208 miles, based on a simulated EPA-test cycle. A single, permanent magnet synchronous motor powers the rear wheels and provides 201 horsepower. The ID.4 Pro continues with an 82 kWh battery that allows for a preliminary manufacturer estimated range of 275 miles, while ID.4 AWD Pro models add an asynchronous motor to the front axle, resulting in a bump to 295 horsepower, and an EPA-estimated range of 255 miles. Plug&Charge functionality is now standard on the ID.4, enabling owners to make even better use of their three years of included 30-minute DC fast charging sessions at Electrify America stations. The ID.4 continues to offer a complete suite of state-of-the-art driver assistance technology, further bolstered for 2023. Included are Forward Collision Warning with Automatic Emergency Braking (Front Assist) with pedestrian and (new for 2023) cyclist detection, Active Blind Spot Monitor (Side Assist), front and rear Park Distance Control, and High Beam Control (Light Assist). The advanced IQ.DRIVE driver assistance suite is standard on every ID.4 model, featuring Travel Assist 2.0 with adaptive cruise control, Lane Keeping System (Lane Assist), Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Traffic Sign Recognition, and Emergency Assist 3.0. New for 2023, ID.4 adds Park Assist Plus with Memory Parking and driver-initiated lane change functionality as an enhancement of Travel Assist. The US-assembled ID.4 is expected to reach dealers in the fall. Destination fee on all models is $1,295. In this photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, left, and Taiwanese President President Tsai Ing-wen gesture during a meeting in Taipei, Taiwan, Aug. 3. AP-Yonhap China has announced unspecified sanctions on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her visit earlier this week to Taiwan. A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said Friday that Pelosi had disregarded China's concerns and resolute opposition to her visit to the self-ruled island, which Beijing claims. China says it summoned European diplomats in the country to protest statements issued by the Group of Seven nations and the European Union criticizing threatening Chinese military exercises surrounding Taiwan. The Foreign Ministry on Friday said Vice Minister Deng Li made "solemn representations" over what he called "want on interference in China's internal affairs." China has dispatched navy ships and warplanes and launched missiles into the Taiwan Strait in response to a visit this week by U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, which China regards as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary. On the Chinese coast across from Taiwan, tourists gathered Friday to try to catch a glimpse of any military aircraft heading toward the exercise area. Fighter jets could be heard flying overhead and tourists taking photos chanted, "Let's take Taiwan back," looking out into the blue waters of the Taiwan Strait from Pingtan island, a popular scenic spot. On Friday morning, China sent military ships and war planes across the mid-line of the Taiwan Strait, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry said, crossing what had been an unofficial buffer zone between China and Taiwan for decades. Five of the missiles fired by China since the military exercises began Thursday landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone off Hateruma, an island far south of Japan's main islands, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said. He said Japan protested the missile landings to China as "serious threats to Japan's national security and the safety of the Japanese people." Japan's Defense Ministry later said they believe the other four missiles, fired from China's southeastern coast of Fujian, flew over Taiwan. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday that China's military exercises aimed at Taiwan represent a "grave problem" that threatens regional peace and security. In Tokyo, where Pelosi is winding up her Asia trip, she said China cannot stop U.S. officials from visiting Taiwan. Speaking after breakfast with Pelosi and her congressional delegation, Kishida said the missile launches need to be "stopped immediately." Deng said China would "prevent the country from splitting with the strongest determination, using all means and at any cost." "Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is a blatant political manipulation and a blatant and serious violation of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Deng said. "In response to the U.S.-Taiwan collusion and provocation, China's counterattack is only natural." China's Foreign Ministry said the meeting was held Thursday night but gave no information on which countries participated. Earlier Thursday, China canceled a foreign ministers' meeting with Japan to protest the G-7 statement that there was no justification for the exercises. Both ministers were attending a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Cambodia. China had earlier summoned U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns to protest Pelosi's visit. The speaker left Taiwan on Wednesday after meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen and holding other public events. She traveled on to South Korea and then Japan. Both countries host U.S. military bases and could be drawn into a conflict involving Taiwan. The Chinese exercises involve troops from the navy, air force, rocket force, strategic support force and logistic support force, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. They are believed to be the largest held near Taiwan in geographical terms, with Beijing announcing six exercise zones surrounding the island. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed the drills Thursday saying, "I hope very much that Beijing will not manufacture a crisis or seek a pretext to increase its aggressive military activity. We countries around the world believe that escalation serves no one and could have unintended consequences that serve no one's interests." U.S. law requires the government to treat threats to Taiwan, including blockades, as matters of "grave concern." The drills are due to run from Thursday to Sunday and include missile strikes on targets in the seas north and south of the island in an echo of the last major Chinese military drills aimed at intimidating Taiwan's leaders and voters held in 1995 and 1996. Taiwan has put its military on alert and staged civil defense drills, but the overall mood remained calm on Friday. Flights have been canceled or diverted and fishermen have remained in port to avoid the Chinese drills. In the northern port of Keelung, Lu Chuan-hsiong, 63, was enjoying his morning swim Thursday, saying he wasn't worried. "Everyone should want money, not bullets," Lu said. (AP) This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SEOUL, South Korea (AP) After infuriating China over her trip to Taiwan, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met South Korean political leaders in Seoul on Thursday but avoided making direct public comments on relations with Beijing and Taipei that could further increase regional tensions. Pelosi, the first House speaker to visit Taiwan in 25 years, said Wednesday in Taipei that the American commitment to democracy in the self-governing island and elsewhere remains ironclad. In response, China on Thursday began military exercises, including missile strike training, in six zones surrounding Taiwan, in what could be the biggest of their kind since the mid-1990s. After visiting Taiwan, Pelosi and other members of her congressional delegation flew to South Korea a key U.S. ally where about 28,500 American troops are deployed on Wednesday evening, as part of an Asian tour that included earlier stops in Singapore and Malaysia. She met South Korean National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin Pyo and other senior members of Parliament on Thursday. After that hour-long meeting, Pelosi spoke about the bilateral alliance, forged in blood during the 1950-53 Korean War, and legislative efforts to boost ties, but didnt directly mention her Taiwan visit or the Chinese protests. We also come to say to you that a friendship, (the) relationship that began from urgency and security, many years ago, has become the warmest of friendships, Pelosi said in a joint news conference with Kim. We want to advance security, economy and governance in an inter-parliamentary way. Neither Pelosi nor Kim took questions from journalists. Kim said he and Pelosi shared concerns about North Koreas increasing nuclear threat. He said the two agreed to support their governments push for denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula based on both strong deterrence against North Korea and diplomacy. Pelosi and her delegation later spoke by phone with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on the alliance, foreign policy and other issues. Yoon is on vacation this week, but critics accuse him of intentionally shunning a face-to-face meeting with Pelosi in consideration of ties with China, South Koreas biggest trading partner. Yoons office said it had reviewed national interests and that Yoons vacation plan had already been set up when, about two weeks ago, Pelosis side contacted his office about a possible meeting. During the phone conversation, Pelosi and other members of her congressional delegation didnt bring up the Taiwan issue, and Yoon also didnt raise the matter, Yoons office said. In recent years, South Korea has been struggling to strike a balance between the United States and China as their rivalry has deepened. Yoon, a conservative, took office in May with a vow to boost South Koreas military alliance with the United States and take a tougher line on North Korean provocations. Later Thursday, Pelosi visited a border area with North Korea that is jointly controlled by the American-led United Nations Command and North Korea. She became the highest-level American to go to the Joint Security Area since then-President Donald Trump visited in 2019 for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Sitting inside the 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) -wide Demilitarized Zone, a buffer created at the end of the Korean War, the JSA is the site of past bloodshed and a venue for numerous talks. U.S. presidents and other top officials have often traveled to the JSA and other border areas to reaffirm their security commitment to South Korea. Pelosi posted several photos at the JSA on Twitter and wrote: We conveyed the gratitude of the Congress and the Country for the patriotic service of our servicemembers, who stand as sentinels of Democracy on the Korean Peninsula. Yoon earlier said Pelosis visit to the JSA would demonstrate a strong deterrence against North Korea by the allies, said Kim Tae-hyo, a deputy presidential national security adviser. North Korea didnt immediately comment on her JSA visit. On Wednesday, the Norths Foreign Ministry slammed the United States over her Taiwan trip, saying the current situation clearly shows that the impudent interference of the U.S. in internal affairs of other countries (is) the root cause of harassed peace and security in the region. On Thursday evening, Pelosi flew to Japan, the final leg of her Asian tour. The Chinese military exercises launched Thursday and planned to last until Sunday involve its navy, air force and other departments. They include missile strikes on targets in the seas north and south of the island in an echo of the last major Chinese military drills aimed at intimidating Taiwans leaders and voters in 1995 and 1996. Chinas official Xinhua News Agency said the exercises are joint operations focused on blockade, sea target assault, strike on ground targets, and airspace control. Taiwan has put its military on alert and staged civil defense drills, while the U.S. has numerous naval assets in the area. Taiwans Defense Ministry called the Chinese drills unreasonable actions in an attempt to change the status quo, destroy the peace and stability of the region. China views Taiwan as a breakaway province to be annexed by force if necessary. It considers visits to Taiwan by foreign officials as recognizing its sovereignty. Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy, Pelosi said in a short speech during a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday. Americas determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad. The Biden administration and Pelosi have said the United States remains committed to the one-China policy, which recognizes Beijing as the sole, legitimate government of China but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. The administration discouraged but did not prevent Pelosi from visiting. Pelosi noted in Taiwan 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. Tsai said at her meeting with Pelosi that facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby 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. On Thursday, the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations called for calm in the Taiwan Strait, which separates mainland China and Taiwan, and urged the avoidance of any provocative action. ASEAN foreign ministers, who are meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for a regional forum, said they were concerned the situation could destabilize the region and eventually could lead to miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers. Pelosis focus has always been the same, she said, going back to her 1991 visit to Beijings 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. China and Taiwan, which split in 1949 after a civil war, have no official relations but multibillion-dollar business ties. ___ Wu reported from Taipei, Taiwan. Associated Press writer David Rising in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, contributed to this report. Donald Trump surprised Connecticut Republicans Thursday night by endorsing Leora Levy for U.S. Senate in a live phone call to an audience in Montville that included Levys two rivals, Themis Klarides and Peter Lumaj. Levy said the phone call from the former president came without warning during the Republican Town Committee fundraiser. She could be seen pacing the parking lot on her phone, deep in conversation. She said the call amounted to a brief interview with the former president, who quizzed her about issues and her competitors. Trump is full of surprises, Levy said. Asked after the event when she knew of the endorsement, she replied, Just this minute I almost didnt answer the call. She said the endorsement was a great honor. It will help me tremendously, she said. The phone call came as the Montville Republican Town Committee was nearing an end to its annual summer barbecue, where the three candidates for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate gave what will be among their final speeches before the primary Tuesday. The crowd applauded Levy and the master of ceremonies, Wills Pike, as they announced Trump was on the line. They held Levys cell phone to a microphone as Trump spoke. Im giving tonight my complete and total endorsement to Leora Levy, and shes going to go out and win this primary, Trump said. He said she will defeat Sen. Richard Blumenthal, whom Trump has repeatedly mocked on social media about his claims of service in Vietnam. Hes a total liar. Hes a sleazebag. But Leora is a great woman, he said. Its an honor to endorse her. Pike downplayed the impact of the endorsement, as did Klarides and Lumaj. The local town committee has endorsed Klarides in the primary. Klarides, the former House Republican leader, has publicly acknowledged she did not vote for Trump in 2020, while Levy and Lumaj frequently mention their continuing loyalty to the former president. Trump teased the crowd about his potential further involvement in Connecticut politics. Ill get up there and have a big rally or something, Trump said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ISTANBUL (AP) Three more ships carrying thousands of tons of corn left Ukrainian ports Friday and traveled mined waters toward inspection of their delayed cargo, a sign that an international deal to export grain held up since Russia invaded Ukraine was slowly progressing. But major hurdles lie ahead to get food to the countries that need it most. The ships bound for Ireland, the United Kingdom and Turkey follow the first grain shipment to pass through the Black Sea since the start of the war. The passage of that vessel heading for Lebanon earlier this week was the first under the breakthrough deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations with Russia and Ukraine. The first vessels to leave are among more than a dozen bulk carriers and cargo ships loaded months ago but stuck in ports since Russia invaded in late February. While the resumed shipments have raised hopes of easing a global food crisis, much of the backed-up cargo is for animal feed, not for people to eat, experts say. The Black Sea region is dubbed the worlds breadbasket, with Ukraine and Russia key global suppliers of wheat, corn, barley and sunflower oil that millions of impoverished people in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia rely on for survival. However, the initial shipments are not expected to have a significant impact on the global price of corn, wheat and soybeans. For starters, the exports under the deal are off to a slow, cautious start due to the threat of explosive mines floating off Ukraines Black Sea coastline. And while Ukraine is a major exporter of wheat to developing nations, there are other countries, such as the United States and Canada, with far greater production levels that can affect global wheat prices. And they face the threat of drought. Ukraine is about 10% of the international trade in wheat, but in terms of production it is not even 5%, said David Laborde, an expert on agriculture and trade at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington. The three ships departing Friday were accompanied by Ukrainian pilot ships for safe passage because of explosive mines strewn in the Black Sea. The vessels set out with over 58,000 tons of corn, but that is still a fraction of the 20 million tons of grains that Ukraine says are trapped in the countrys silos and ports and that must be shipped out to make space for this year's harvest. Around 6 million tons of the trapped grain is wheat, but just half of that is for human consumption, Laborde said. There is an expectation that Ukraine could produce 30% to 40% less grain over the next 12 months due to the war, though other estimates put that figure at 70%. Grain prices peaked after Russias invasion, and while some have since come down to their pre-war levels, they are still higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Corn prices are 70% higher than at the end of February 2020, said Jonathan Haines, senior analyst at data and analytics firm Gro Intelligence. He said wheat prices are around 60% higher than in February 2020. One reason prices remain high is the impact of drought on harvests in North America, China and other regions, as well as the higher price of fertilizer needed for farming. When fertilizer prices are high, farmers may use less fertilizer. And when they use less fertilizer, they will produce less. And if they will produce less, supply will continue to remain insufficient, Laborde said. The three ships that departed Ukraine on Friday give hope that exports will ramp up to developing nations, where many are facing the increased threat of food shortages and hunger. The movement of three additional vessels overnight is a very positive sign and will continue to build confidence that were moving in the right direction," Haines said. If the flow of grain from Ukraine continues to expand, it will help relieve global supply constraints." The Turkish-flagged Polarnet, carrying 12,000 tons of corn, left the Chornomorsk port destined for Karasu, Turkey. The Panama-flagged Navi Star left Odesa's port for Ireland with 33,000 tons of corn. The Maltese-flagged Rojen left Chornomorsk for the United Kingdom carrying over 13,000 tons of corn, the U.N. said. It added that the Joint Coordination Center run by officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the U.N. overseeing the deal signed in Istanbul last month authorized the three ships and inspected a ship headed for Ukraine. The Barbados-flagged Fulmar S was inspected in Istanbul and is headed for the Chornomorsk port. 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. After Turkey helped broker the food deal two weeks ago, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Russia, on Friday. In a statement after the talks that lasted four hours, Putin and Erdogan emphasized the necessity of a complete fulfillment of the package deal reached in Istanbul ... including unhindered export of Russian grain and fertilizers. In other developments Friday, Ukraines presidential office said at least eight civilians were killed and 16 others wounded in the latest Russian shelling. The eastern Donetsk region has for weeks faced the most intensive Russian barrage. Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko repeated his call for all residents to evacuate. Shellings and bombings are going round the clock, and people who refuse to evacuate risk being killed on their pillows, Kyrylenko said in televised remarks. In Ukraines second-largest city of Kharkiv, three districts have come under massive shelling. Several apartment buildings and a street market were damaged, and three people were wounded. Russian shelling also targeted the city of Zaporizhzhia and several towns along the front-line in the region. For a second straight day, the Russians also shelled the city of Nikopol that faces the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant across the Dnieper River. Dozens of houses were damaged. Energoatom, which operates Ukraines nuclear power plants, said three shells landed in the evening on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia plant, which is Europes largest. No casualties or damage to the reactors was reported. This is an open and audacious crime, an act of terror, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. The Russians also hit the southern city of Mykolaiv. The regional governor, Vitaliy Kim, said Russian forces fired on the city after lunchtime, causing extensive damage, killing an unspecified number of people and injuring at least nine. He said the fire came from the direction of Kherson, the Russian-occupied city about 50 kilometers (30 miles) to the southeast. ___ Batrawy reported from Dubai. Even though Google hasn't officially confirmed its upcoming foldable phone yet, the renowned tipster on Weibo, Digital Chat Station claims that the company is still planning to release one in Q4 this year. The production will likely be handled by Foxconn and will kick off as early as Q3 2022. Additionally, Foxconn will get the Pixel 7 orders manufacturing. The tipster reveals a couple of key details surrounding the Pixel Foldable. He believes that the device will feature a 2K display with a punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera while a 50MP periscope camera with variable focal lengths will be the star of the show. The camera will be aided by a secondary IMX787 sensor. Of course, a custom Tensor 2 chip will sit behind the wheel while the body will be made of ceramic. We wonder how much it would weigh as ceramic is quite heavy, especially when used in a big foldable handset. Source (in Chinese) The Motorola Razr 2022 is set to debut on August 11 but those who want to be among the first to receive the foldable can already reserve a unit via Chinese retailer JD.com. The phones landing page also has a few marketing images that show out the new design improvements made by Motorola. Razr 2022 features a new hinge mechanism that allows the phone to fold completely flat without any opening. The poster also mentions the screen gets a new 6-layer protective structure which should hold up better in terms of durability. The poster also confirms the three RAM/storage trims for the device - 8/128GB, 8/256GB and a top-tier 12/512GB model. Motorola Razr 2022 design details We also get to see the phone in action with its various screen modes. These include a multi-tasking mode with two apps running simultaneous in the two halves of the screen, a surround mode which shows notifications at a glance and a tripod mode that lets you position the phone on a surface and take pictures or videos. Source (in Chinese) These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. Those looking for family-friendly places to stay might find what theyre looking for at Lotte Hotel Guam. The hotel opened its new character rooms for children and their families this past Monday. The themed rooms which include several amenities are decked out in kid animation Bread Barbershop decor. Sunny Kim, the hotels sales assistant manager, explained that Lotte Hotel in Korea also has Bread Barbershop character rooms. We want to share this nice idea to Guams people and tourists from Korea to Guam, said Kim, whose children are also looking forward to staying in the new rooms. The show the rooms are modeled after is a popular childrens Korean animation that can be found on Netflix and YouTube. It is about a genius barber named Bread and his two assistants Wilk and Choco who run a barbershop together. Visitors have two different rooms to choose from if they want to stay in a character room. Baby room Option one can be found in the hotels island wing: the Bread Barbershop Baby Room. The hotel has six of these rooms which include a wide and low sitting bed, play pen, baby rocker, kitchenet, themed play rug, table and stool set, and a couch. There are the usual adult amenities along with a baby bathtub, kids toilet cover, bathrobe, slippers, a baby toothbrush and wipes. Poolside room Option two is the Bread Barbershop Poolside Club Room. The rooms are located near the hotel swimming pool which can be seen from the rooms balconies and the rooms also come with the usual adult amenities along with a kids bathrobe, slippers, a baby toothbrush and wipes. This option is kinder and elementary-age friendly, and it comes with club lounge benefits. Club lounge access includes a breakfast buffet from 7-10 a.m. at La Seine Restaurant. Afternoon tea at the Club Lounge is from 2-4:30 p.m. which includes soft drinks, cakes and cookies. Visitors can also attend happy hour at the club lounge from 5-7 p.m. and enjoy wine, beer, assorted drinks, cakes, fried rice, salad, soup, hot foods and more. And as an additional gift from either room, your child will be able to take home a Bread Barbershop-themed coloring book. A local promotional rate is currently available to visitors that show a local ID at check-in. The local rates for baby rooms are $270 plus an 11% tax and the poolside club rooms are $350 also with an 11% tax. To inquire about regular room rates call 671-646-6811 or email lotteguamreservation@lotte.net. Greetings everyone! Welcome to rainy season. Although the sky can be a bit difficult to see in August, there can be amazingly clear nights as well, so keep your eyes on the sky! You can still see four of the five visible planets in your early morning sky. Youve probably looked enough times to find them easily. If you still need directions, just go outside around 5 a.m. and face east where the sun will rise. Venus will be close to the horizon, but bright enough that its hard to miss. Mars will be almost straight overhead above the eastern horizon and Jupiter and Saturn are both in the southwestern sky this week. Planets return But the real planet news this week is that our long planetary absence in the evening sky is definitely over. Watch one of our magnificent sunsets and as it begins to grow dark, look close to the horizon and a fist-width to the right of due west and you might spot a bright star. Thats not a star, thats Mercury. That bright star just below Mercury is Regulus, the heart of Leo the Lion and you can still see the backward question mark that forms the Lions head. Then turn completely around, look close to the horizon and measure a little less than two fist-widths to the right of due east. That star isnt a star either, its Saturn. So you can see four planets in the early morning sky and two planets in the early evening sky. And Mercury and Saturn are both going to be easier to see as the month progresses. Summer Triangle Something thats also easy to see this week is the group of three bright stars called the Summer Triangle. To find it, simply face east at one hour after sunset (thats around 7:45 p.m. this week) and measure five fist-widths above due east. Thats Altair, the 11th brightest star and the brightest star in the constellation Aquila the Eagle. Measure five fist-widths to the left of Altair and a little over a fist-width down and youll find Deneb, the second star of the Summer Triangle and the brightest star in Cygnus the Swan. Deneb is the 19th brightest star in Earths skies. If you measure a little over two fist-widths straight up from Deneb, youll find a very bright star indeed. Thats Vega, the fifth brightest star and the third star of the Summer Triangle. Vega is in the small constellation Lyra the Lyre or Harp, and you can see the small rhombus of stars that forms the body of the Lyre to the right of Vega. Fox in the sky Interestingly enough, there are two very dim and obscure constellations inside the Summer Triangle. Find Albireo, the Swans head and look to its immediate right. Theres a dim star just above Albireo and one directly below that star. Theyre the brightest stars in Vulpecula the Little Fox. Bet you didnt know there was a fox in the sky! To the right of Vulpecula is another line of stars although this one has two dim stars very close together at the top of the line. That Sagitta the Arrow. Greek myth says that this was the arrow Hercules used to kill the Eagle. If the twin stars represent the feathers of the arrow, its pretty obvious that he missed! Bright stars, planets, arrows, birds, foxes and musical instruments. Its a rich feast. Enjoy it tonight! You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Guam law prohibits most government of Guam employees from keeping their jobs while running for elected office, but the Guam State Clearinghouse, which is run by the lieutenant governor, continued to employ program coordinator Roy Gamboa for weeks after he filed his paperwork to run for the Legislature. Gamboa is a Democratic candidate for senator in the Aug. 27 primary election. Although Gamboa submitted a letter of resignation June 28, when he filed his candidacy with the Guam Election Commission, the clearinghouse administrator asked him to continue to work and Gamboa stayed on the job. The clearinghouse continued to employ Gamboa until July 16, several days after former Republican Sen. Robert Klitzkie, who is now a radio host, sent the governors office an email asking for information about Gamboas continued employment. Klitzkie later filed a report with the Civil Service Commission, asking for an investigation. Restricted Guam law restricts political activity by employees of the executive branch, the judiciary and autonomous and semi-autonomous agencies. The restrictions do not apply to legislative employees. The law also is known as the Mini Hatch Act. Being a candidate is one type of prohibited activity, the law states. Gamboa didnt respond to an email and a phone message asking for comment. We are the ones who asked (Gamboa) to do a transition of two weeks, to transition the programs he was working on, clearinghouse Administrator Stephanie Flores said Friday. Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio has oversight for the clearinghouse and serves as the director for the office, which reviews proposed programs and projects to ensure they are consistent with and dont duplicate existing government programs. Among other things, the clearinghouse reviews federal grant applications by GovGuam agencies. Reporting Guam law states when any person has reason to believe a government employee has violated the Mini Hatch Act, he may report the matter to Civil Service Commission, which can investigate. Klitzkie in July asked the lieutenant governors office to provide copies of any reports it submitted to the Civil Service Commission related to Gamboas candidacy and employment. The governors office on July 15 told Klitzkie it didnt have any reports. Gamboa left the clearinghouse the next day and Klitzkie on July 18 asked the Civil Service Commission to investigate, stating the lieutenant governors office has taken no action on Gamboas violation of law. Roy T. Gamboa is a government employee and has embarked on an impermissible campaign for senator, Klitzkie told the commission. The commission on July 28 decided to investigate after agreeing that Gamboa is subject to the restrictions of the Mini Hatch Act. The Civil Service Commission is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. Aug. 16 to hear the commission staffs assessment of the alleged Mini Hatch Act violation. The commission has the authority to remove employees who violate restrictions on political activity. With more flights arriving from Japan this month, tourism officials and business leaders are looking forward to welcoming back more visitors from Asia. But to get a foothold in the competition for international travelers, Guam will have to make sure visitors have smooth experiences, few hassles and feel welcome by the community. Every person coming as a visitor is very important, said Monte Mesa, Guam Travel & Tourism Association board member. Mesa, who traveled to Guam from Fukuoka on Thursday, said the return of the Japanese market is crucial for the island. In June, the most recent month available, Guam Visitors Bureau reported 16,298 visitors arrived from South Korea, the most since the pandemic shut down the islands tourism industry in March 2020. Thats an increase of 64% over the 9,947 visitors from South Korea who came here in May. Before that, with a few exceptions, the number of monthly travelers from South Korea was generally in the hundreds. That changed, Mesa said, as more airline seats became available between South Korea and Guam. More flights This month, more flights are opening up between Japan and Guam. On Thursday, Japan Airlines resumed direct flights between Guam and Narita. There were 78 passengers on the inaugural flight, the first time the airline has flown the route since the pandemic began. United Airlines has expanded its service between Guam and Japan, and will offer 28 flights a week. One of those, the Fukuoka flight Mesa was on, brought 42 passengers to the island Thursday, In June, Guam welcomed 1,190 visitors from Japan, the most of any month in the last year, according to GVB records. With more flights, tourism officials are hoping to attract more visitors. Its a very important market for the island, Mesa said. Were celebrating 55 years of a tourism relationship with Japan. He said Japanese visitors tend to spend more money on island, staying at hotels, taking part in tours and shopping at retail stores. Price But Guam faces competition from Asian countries with currency that is weak against the yen, Mesa said. Price is a big consideration for Japanese travelers, especially post-COVID, he said. Streamlining He said one of the things Guam could do to compete would be to streamline operations at the airport so travelers dont face delays going through immigration and customs checks. A flight from Japan to Guam is faster and less expensive than a flight from Hawaii, but Hawaii provides a better experience at the airport, he said. Guam offers free COVID testing at hotels for travelers, but again the process could be streamlined, he said. Mesa said with a current wait of more than two hours, organizers should recruit more volunteers to administer tests. Mesa said most of the visitors coming to the island now are categorized as free, independent travelers as opposed to people traveling in groups, and it will be a while before Guam sees an uptick in organized tours returning to the island. In the meantime, he said, Guam should be as welcoming as possible to visitors. We want to continue to extend courtesies to both markets, he said. Karen Gayle, Bank of Guam communications officer, interacts with children as she teaches them basic money management skills during a Haanen Familia event at the Sen. Antonio M. Palomo Guam Museum & Educational Facility in Hagatna Aug. 10, 2019. Our View: Thankful for the final piece of normalcy returning as we welcome Japanese tourists Haiti - FLASH : Results of 9th A.F exams (2022) for 5 departments (by school and by subject) The Ministry of National Education has made available the results of the 9th fundamental year 2022 exams https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-36927-icihaiti-education-203-440-candidates-are-preparing-to-undergo-the-state-exams.html for 5 departments: Grand'Anse, Nippes, North-East, Center and South. According to the figures provided by the National Bureau of State Examinations (BUNEXE), the success rates (classified in descending order) are: GrandeAnse: Success rate 79% (slightly down) the previous year 79.28%; North-East: Success rate 78.33% (up) previous year 72%; Center: Success rate 75.29% (up) previous year 72%; South: Success rate 71.51% (down) previous year 82.45%; Nippes: Success rate 65.54% (down) previous year 78.68%. As announced by the Minister of National Education, the results are published by school and by subject and by department in order to allow each parent to better appreciate the quality of the educational services provided in the schools where they decide to entrust their children. Download the results by department, by school and by subject : GrandAnse : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/9af-Grand-Anse-2022.PDF Nippes : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/9af-Nippes-2022.PDF North-East : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/9af-Nord-Est-2022.PDF Center : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/9af-Centre-2022.PDF South : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/9af-Sud-2022.PDF School officials are encouraged to withdraw their institution's rankings in the school district of their respective zone. According to the Ministry, the results of the other departments will be published gradually, as soon as the data processing is finalized. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37314-haiti-flash-results-of-9th-af-exams-2022-for-4-departments-by-school-and-by-subject.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37298-haiti-flash-results-of-the-9th-af-2022-exams-for-3-departments-by-school-and-by-subject.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37283-haiti-flash-results-of-the-9th-fundamental-year-exams-2022-for-2-departments.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-36927-icihaiti-education-203-440-candidates-are-preparing-to-undergo-the-state-exams.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11781-haiti-education-exam-results-disappointing-the-minister-manigat-announced-a-package-of-measures.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - World Bank : Signing of 3 donation agreements totaling US$66 million Thursday, Michel Patrick Boisvert, Minister of Economy and Finance for the Haitian Government and Laurent Msellati, Head of Operations of the World Bank in Haiti, proceeded to the signing of three donation agreements totaling an amount of 66 million US dollars for the health and disaster risk management sectors. This is additional funding for three ongoing projects, which is directly in line with the priority given by the World Bank to respond to the various crises affecting Haiti and which contribute to increasing vulnerability and fragility that characterize the Haitian economy. In the health sector, additional funding of $35 million was approved on May 23, 2022, for the Haiti Covid-19 Pandemic Response Project, followed on June 16 by the approval of additional funding of 20 million for the Project to Strengthen Primary Health Care and Surveillance in Haiti (PROSYS English acronym) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36949-haiti-world-bank-additional-funding-of-$20m-for-the-strengthening-of-primary-health-care.html . Finally, on May 26, 2022, the Board of Directors of the World Bank allocated additional funding of 11 million for the Risk Management and Resilience to Climate Hazards Project (PGRAC). A large part of this additional financing represents the World Bank's contribution to the National Program for the Recovery and Reconstruction of the Southern Peninsula hard hit by the earthquake of August 14, 2021. During the February 2022 donors' conference, the Bank World has pledged to provide approximately 200 million USD to support the Haitian Government's response https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35978-haiti-flash-the-pm-obtains-promises-of-international-commitment-of-$600-million.html With the signing of these three Grant Agreements, the entire amount is now available to the Haitian Government to implement the program as soon as possible and to complete the interventions already underway. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Health : Breastfeeding, PM tribute to Haitian mothers Thursday, August 4, 2022, as part of the ceremony to launch Breastfeeding Week, Prime Minister a.i. Ariel Henry, paid a deserved tribute to Haitian mothers for "[...] their commitment, their sacrifice, their love for their newborns and infants [...] "My presence today demonstrates the importance I place on breastfeeding. May our dear mothers here and in the diaspora be assured of our determination to create an environment conducive to breastfeeding.e "[...] I would like to encourage all the efforts undertaken for several years by hospitals, service providers and the staff of health institutions. Persevere on this path. "[...] To all the other sectors of the Government, I ask to line up around the Ministry of Public Health, to carry out this true and noble combat : the promotion of breast-feeding in your respective circles for the harmonious development of our children." HL/ HaitiLibre China inaugurates world's first "gene bank" of ancient ceramics 08:59, August 05, 2022 By Zheng Na ( People's Daily The world's first "gene bank" of ancient ceramics was recently inaugurated at the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi province. An exhibition of ceramics ware with dragon patterns produced in Jingdezhen is held by the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum, east China's Jiangxi province, May 2020. (People's Daily Online/Hong Yonglin) The "gene bank," co-built by the museum and multiple top Chinese universities and relevant organizations, will carry out research programs on nearly 20 million pieces of ceramic specimens unearthed. Researchers will use modern sophisticated equipment to make "gene" specimens in both physical and digital forms to decode the origin and development of the ancient ceramics civilization. Jingdezhen is a renowned historical town that has made its name through ceramic-making. Its history of ceramic-making dates back over 2,000 years. Known as the "porcelain capital," Jingdezhen also has a 1,000-year history of official-run kilns and a 600-year history of imperial kilns. Tens of millions, maybe even hundreds of millions of pieces of ceramic specimens are buried at the imperial kiln site of Jingdezhen and surrounding areas. Kiln slag there is even as thick as a dozen meters. The Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum is built on the ruins of the imperial kiln site, and most of the exhibits displayed at the museum were spliced with ceramic fragments unearthed at the site. Weng Yanjun, head of the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum, told People's Daily that intact collections of ceramics produced at the imperial kiln site are too precious to be broken for studies. According to Weng, ceramic specimens are a better choice, and at least 100 pieces of information can be extracted from one single piece of specimen. Over the past years, the museum has launched academic exchanges and archaeological cooperation with multiple organizations, including Peking University, the Palace Museum, UCLA, the University of Tokyo and the Institute of Archaeology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Fair is held in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi province, October 2020. Photo shows an employee of an e-commerce company hosting a livestream show at the event. (People's Daily/Hu Dunhuang) They have collected nearly 20,000 pieces of data from over 10 kilns, which has preliminarily established a basic data base for the studies of ancient Chinese ceramics. The preparations for the "gene bank" started in July last year and were joined by the universities and organizations in cooperation with the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum. The "gene bank" integrates data collection, archaeological studies, scientific analysis, ceramics restoration and achievements demonstration. It is scheduled to complete the first batch of nearly 10,000 ancient ceramics specimens fabricated in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in a year and a half, and will spend another three to five years completing all the rest unearthed in Jingdezhen, Weng said. Xiong Zhe, who heads a lab at the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum, told People's Daily that the "gene bank" mainly collects ceramic specimens in fragment, section, slice and powder forms. The "gene bank" will share information about ceramic specimens with other institutions, Weng said. The information can be used to build elaborate models of exhibitions, cultural relics protection and 3D printing, and also offer science-based support for the development of ceramic cultural products, as well as the construction of digital museums. A student learns pottery making at the Xianghu campus of Jingdezhen Ceramic University, east China's Jiangxi province. (People's Daily Online/Xu Zheng) The techniques of Jingdezhen's imperial kiln site have profoundly impacted the global industrialized development of ceramic-making. Blue and white porcelain wares produced in Jingdezhen are considered fine examples and replicated around the world. Today, the physical remains of ceramic works produced at Jingdezhen kiln sites are kept in many countries including Turkiye, Egypt, Japan, Vietnam, North Korea, Italy, France and the Netherlands. "After the completion of the gene bank,' wed like to carry out active cooperation with academic institutions at home and abroad, Weng said, adding that they would also like to foster research projects on global ceramics civilization and build an international platform for ceramics-related cultural exchange. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) News Release Jan. 5, 2022 Contact information Radon in Minnesota homes is a common and preventable cancer risk Common misconceptions may be undermining testing, leading to lung cancer Of all the unwelcome house guests you may ever host, few are as nasty as radon. The colorless, odorless gas occurs naturally in Minnesota soils and is found at elevated levels in nearly 40 percent of all homes in the state. It also is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. In fact, each year this unwelcome house guest kills more than 21,000 people across the country. While there are cheap and easy ways to test for radon, many people are unaware of the risks and may not be getting the help they need to be safe. Fortunately, the radon risk is largely preventable through testing homes and eliminating radon problems through improved ventilation and other measures. With more people working from home, its more important than ever to test homes for radon because testing is the only way to know if a home has radon levels at or above the level that presents a health risk. During January, Radon Action Month, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is making a special push to urge everyone to test their home for radon. Unfortunately, many people are still exposed to high levels of radioactive radon without being aware of it and this puts them at increased risk for lung cancer, said Dan Tranter, supervisor of the MDH Indoor Air Program. Weve heard a lot of common misunderstandings that discourage people from testing their home for radon. For example, many people think their home does not need to be tested, or that if they test once they dont need to test again, or if their neighbors radon level is low, they dont need to test. Testing should be conducted in all homes, regardless of foundation type, soil type, age, presence of an air exchanger, or insulation, Tranter said. Even if the initial test shows the radon level is low, its a good idea to retest at least every five years because levels may change. Homes with mitigation systems should also be re-tested. The monitors on mitigation systems do not show the radon level, so its important to re-test at least every two years. New homes are built with radon resistant features, but they can still have elevated radon and should be tested. MDH is partnering with local public health departments and other organizations to make test kits available to all Minnesotans at low or no cost. Participating agencies and vendors can be found on MDHs Radon Testing website. Hardware stores may also stock test kits. Licensed professionals can also conduct testing. To help residents get a more accurate picture of radon levels in Minnesota, MDH developed a series of maps showing information about Radon in Minnesota. Some of the key findings were: The average radon level in Minnesota homes is about 4.5 pCi/L compared to 1.3 pCi/L nationwide. Only about 1% to 2% of homes in Minnesota are tested annually; health officials recommend that at least 20% be tested annually. Testing and mitigation are less frequent in communities with lower incomes and more renters. Health professionals recommend testing for radon during real-estate transactions. Sellers must disclose any prior radon testing and provide a two-page publication to buyers under state law. Radon tests should be incorporated into a home inspection. MDH licenses home inspectors and other professionals who test for radon. A list of currently licensed radon measurement professionals can be found on the Find a Radon Measurement Professional page on the MDH site. Tests should be done in the lowest level of the home that is frequently occupied. Test devices are usually placed in the home for two to five days. The best time to test is during the heating season, but testing can be done year-round. In homes with high radon levels, radon reduction typically involves installing a venting pipe and fan to pull the gas from under the home to the outside. Professionals conducting radon mitigation must be licensed by MDH, follow standards, and affix an MDH tag to the system. A list of licensed radon mitigation professionals can be found on the Find a Radon Mitigation Professional page on the MDH website. MDH conducts free inspections of radon mitigation systems installed after June 1, 2020. The inspections ensure systems were installed correctly, to make sure they meet minimum requirements. Contact the MDH Indoor Air Unit to request an inspection at health.indoorair@state.mn.us. More information about radon in Minnesota is available on the MDH website at Radon in Homes or by calling the MDH Indoor Air Unit at 651-201-4601 or 1-800-798-9050. MN Public Health Radon Data Maps Purchase a low-cost radon test kit -MDH- Doug Schultz MDH Communications 651-201-4993 doug.schultz@state.mn.us Opp House votes to dissolve, transfer assets to Buncombe Founded in 1961, the Opportunity House is now legally dissolved and in the process of shutting down permanently. The Opportunity House, which once boasted hundreds of dues-paying members who enjoyed a robust menu of arts and crafts shows, dances, bridge games and other programming for seniors, is in the process of going away for good. The nonprofits three-member board voted on June 10 to dissolve the 61-year-old organization, setting in motion the process to shut it down and liquidate its assets. The final chapters of the senior center have come into sharper focus in recent weeks with numerous actions of the nonprofits board and attorney, the Community Foundation of Henderson County, the courts, the county tax office and state attorney general. The actions include: After a hearing on Feb. 28, Henderson County Resident Chief Superior Court Judge Peter Knight entered an order on March 7 denying the Opportunity Houses motion to dismiss a lawsuit the Community Foundation of Henderson County brought in December 2018. That marked the second time the nonprofit tried and failed to win a dismissal of the foundations lawsuit, which called into question whether the Opp House was legally operating as a nonprofit. Three weeks after the Opportunity House board voted on June 10 to dissolve the agency, its attorney, Edward Bleynat, filed articles of dissolution with the North Carolina Secretary of State. After a conference with attorneys for the Opportunity House and the foundation on July 22, Knight appointed a receiver to wind down the organization, pay its creditors and coordinate the distribution of its assets. Knights order gives the receiver, Asheville attorney John Noor, broad authority to oversee maintenance, repair and operation of the nonprofit, pay bills and defend the Opportunity House in court proceedings. Knight authorized an hourly rate of $300 for Noor and other partners at the Roberts & Stevens law firm, $225 for associates and $100 for administrative assistants. The same day Knight appointed the receiver, Henderson Countys tax administrator, Darlene Burgess, informed County Attorney Russ Burrell that her office had revoked the Opportunity Houses tax-exempt status and was moving to collect current and back taxes for the past five years. Noor has already met with tax office officials to discuss the property tax issue, Burgess said. Valued for property tax purposes at $1,897,800, the real estate at 1411 Asheville Highway would result in an annual tax bill of $20,496 based on the combined tax rates of the city of Hendersonville and Henderson County not counting interest, penalties and other costs. The Opportunity House declared in its Plan of Dissolution it wanted to liquidate the assets and distribute the money after paying the total owed to creditors, which it estimated to be $390,000. The receivership and eventual transfer of assets or cash will be overseen by Judge Knight and state Attorney General Josh Stein. Bleynat, Noor and Steve Grabenstein, the Community Foundations attorney, discussed the wind-down process last week in a conference call with the attorney generals office. The Opportunity House has aggressively contested the lawsuit the Community Foundation filed in 2018 after it failed to get answers from the Opp Houses president and board members about its activities and service. The foundations lawsuit spelled out reasons it believed the foundation may no longer meet the definition of a nonprofit corporation and asked Judge Knight to hold a trial that would establish whether it is a valid nonprofit. In two different motions, the Opportunity House argued that the foundation lacked standing to question the agencys status, asserting that only the IRS, the N.C. Department of Revenue, the N.C. secretary of state or N.C. attorney general had that authority. For now, the lawsuit is on hold, Grabenstein said, and may ultimately be dismissed if the receivership protects the interest of nonprofits in Henderson County. The Order appointing John (Noor) was quite expansive in terms of what authority he has., Grabenstein said in an email answering a series of questions from the Lightning. We are trying to figure out what role, if any, the Community Foundation will have in the dissolution process. The Community Foundation is not a party to the process but I expect we will put something in the record that reflects the issues of concern to the Community Foundation. The Attorney General will play a role in reviewing the proposed sale of OHs assets. Who gets the assets? One unresolved point of contention is where the proceeds from sale of the Opp House asset would go. Reflecting its ongoing hostility toward the Community Foundation, the Opp House board in its Plan of Dissolution directed that the proceeds should go to an Asheville-based affordable housing agency or other nonprofits, then emphasized that the property will NOT be transferred to the Community Foundation of Henderson County. The Opp Houses choice of Mountain Housing Opportunity as the recipient of a half million dollars or more was a curious decision, since no one at the Community Foundation was aware of any Henderson County service MHO provides. According to its most recent IRS form 990, MHO in 2019 received $3.5 million in grants, $1.7 million in program revenue, paid $1.2 million in salaries and had $14.9 million in assets, up $2.1 million from the previous year. On its website, MHO says in its 32-year history it has built or financed more than 1,600 affordable homes and apartments and says it currently owns and leases 1,039 affordable apartments in nine counties in North Carolina. Mountain Housing works in Buncombe County, Sarah Grymes, vice president for housing impact for Dogwood Health Trust, said early Monday morning. They do not serve Henderson County. Later, Grymes said, I just talked to (MHO fundraising chief) Geoffrey Barton and he didnt know anything about this. Transferring a windfall to a Buncombe organization would trigger alarm in Henderson Countys nonprofit community. Grabenstein and Benson said their role at this stage is to advocate for Henderson Countys charities. We have identified a few issues that we hope will be addressed in the dissolution process, Grabenstein said. First and foremost, we have asked that the receiver and the Court ensure that the proceeds from the sale of OHs property be disbursed to non-profits in Henderson County. We are not asking for the Community Foundation to receive either OHs land or the proceeds from the sale of the land. There are plenty of viable non-profits in Henderson County which would benefit from a portion of the proceeds from the sale of OHs assets. Second, we are asking that the creditors claims from OH insiders be closely scrutinized and analyzed by the receiver, the AG and the Court. Construction consultant becomes board member The insiders would include the three board members, President Ken Rhoads; Jackie Roberts, the secretary who at one point was helping Rhoads manage the agency; and Chuck Snider, an Asheville home builder. Rhoads has not responded to calls from the Lightning seeking comment, and in particular to explain why the board wants an Asheville-based nonprofit to receive money from the sale of Opp House assets. Sniders relationship with the Opp House came about when Rhoads asked him to help with repairs. I was brought on board as a construction consultant to redesign that building (and) to fix all the problems and wound up being on the board because I was going out there all the time, Snider said last week. As far as the legalities of it, I just dont know much about it. Asked why the board favored MHO, he said, Well, its a state organization, chartered by the Secretary of State. I dont think Henderson County has much to do with it anymore. They can pretty well go anywhere inside the state of North Carolina. Asked if he was aware that the county tax assessor had revoked the Opp Houses nonprofit status, Snider said he did not think that was true. Currently, as far as I know, the state attorney general still declares it to be in good standing, he said. I dont know much about that part. Snider said he expected he might follow through with the construction plans under a new owner. He estimated the building held together with bailing wire and duct tape needs at least $50,000 worth of repairs. Its a moving target with all the stuff going on, the legalities of it, he said. Thats not my part of it. I just go to the meetings and go to the lawyers meetings. The ideal situation is to pass it on to another nonprofit and go from there. Pay off the bills and whatevers left goes to whoever the receiver decides. Rhoads is not making a dime off this, Snider added. Its costing him money if anything. Now that Rhoads and the board no longer control the Opportunity House, its future is in the hands of the receiver, the Superior Court and the attorney general. Thankfully, Judge Knight and Mr. Noor have been interested in hearing what is important to the Community Foundation in this process, Grabenstein said. PRESIDENT Mnangagwa will today join Sadc regional leaders for a high-level meeting that will culminate in the signing of a declaration providing for the protection of indigenous forests from rapid exploitation. The President arrived last night to attend the High-Level Session of the Regional Conference on Sustainable and Integrated Management of Miombo forests. He was welcomed at Maputo International Airport by Mozambican Foreign Affairs and Co-operation Minister Veronica Macamo and Zimbabwean Ambassador to Mozambique Victor Matemadanda. Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu was already in Maputo as part of an advance delegation. President Mnangagwa was accompanied by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Ambassador Frederick Shava, and Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications) Mr George Charamba. In an interview, Forestry Commission general manager Mr Abedinigo Marufu said the conference will culminate in the signing of a binding declaration enjoining parties to the agreement, to protect the Miombo woodlands. Miombo woodlands are tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome located primarily in Central Africa. We are talking about management of our indigenous forests; you know we have been talking about planting trees, primarily exotic trees, said Mr Marufu. He said Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi came up with an idea to look after the Miombo woodlands. These are woodlands where we have trees such as Munondo, Musasa and Mupfuti, among many others. In Zimbabwe, if you go to the Mashonaland provinces you will see vast areas of those woodlands, which provide livelihoods to communities. Mr Marufu said Miombo woodlands were fast disappearing on account of deforestation. In Zimbabwe, a lot of tobacco farmers are using Musasa trees to cure tobacco, he said, resulting in the loss of vast forests. So the (SADC) region nine countries that are here which have got those species is discussing how we can manage those trees which are very good for our bio-diversity. Our forests are also good for tourism so we want to protect them. We want to grow them and make sure that we deal with climate change. So this is a grouping of like-minded countries, including Zimbabwe, who are saying lets come together and sign a declaration which is what we came here to do. Mr Marufu said President Mnangagwa will sign the declaration on behalf of Zimbabwe. He is also expected to meet his Mozambican counterpart, President Nyusi. The two leaders are expected to discuss a range of bilateral issues, including power imports. Earlier, President Mnangagwa was seen off at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, Cabinet ministers, Service Chiefs and senior Government officials. Herald The Lakers spoke to the Jazz and Knicks a few weeks ago about a hypothetical three-team trade scenario that would see Donovan Mitchell land in New York, with Russell Westbrook going to Utah, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. As Scotto explains, the proposed deal would involve at least two Jazz players (likely some combination of Bojan Bogdanovic, Patrick Beverley, Jordan Clarkson, and Malik Beasley) going to Los Angeles, while the Knicks would send out players to both teams for salary-matching purposes. New York would need to trade at least $24.2MM in outgoing salary to match Mitchells $30.35MM cap hit. The Jazz who would buy out Westbrook if they acquired him, according to Scotto would receive significant draft compensation from both the Lakers and Knicks for trading Mitchell and taking on Westbrooks $47MM+ salary. According to Scotto, the Lakers have had interest in Knicks forward Cam Reddish in the past. Additionally, New York previously expressed interest in Beasley and now employs Gersson Rosas, who acquired and re-signed Beasley when he was working in the Timberwolves front office. So if the three teams were able to work out a deal, it would be worth keeping an eye on whether the Lakers could land Reddish or the Knicks could get Beasley. However, it sounds like its probably a long shot that the Jazz, Lakers, and Knicks will be able to reach an agreement. Utah, of course, wants a substantial haul for Mitchell, having reportedly asked the Knicks for three players and six draft picks last month. And teams that have talked to Los Angeles about Westbrook are believed to be seeking the Lakers 2027 and 2029 first-round picks (with as little protection as possible) to accommodate the salary dump. According to multiple reports, L.A. has thus far resisted attaching more than one first-rounder to Westbrook in any proposed trade. For the Lakers, Jazz, and Knicks to make a deal, theyd have to find common ground on the price tags for both Mitchell and Westbrook, which will be extremely challenging. Its unclear, based on Scottos report, whether or not the three clubs are still actively exploring this scenario or how viable they consider it to be. The new Dusit Princess Hotel Residences Nairobi features a unique hybrid collection of one-bedroom apartments, studio apartments, and deluxe hotel rooms in the leafy commercial hub of Westlands in the city of Nairobi. Dusit International, one of Thailand's leading hotel and property development companies, has continued its global expansion with the opening of a unique hybrid property in Nairobi - Dusit Princess Hotel Residences - which features 100 spacious deluxe hotel rooms and apartments in the city's prime Westlands neighbourhood, just 40 minutes by road from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport via the newly built Nairobi Expressway. Designed to meet the needs of business and leisure travellers alike, the new upper-midscale property is tastefully furnished in a contemporary style and offers superior in-stay essentials for short and long-stay guests. Throughout its 14 deluxe hotel rooms, 30 studio apartments, and 56 one-bedroom apartments, guests can expect highly comfortable beds with Egyptian cotton sheets, high-pressure showers, and thoughtful working spaces complete with USB charging ports and complimentary high-speed internet access. The one-bedroom apartments also feature a kitchenette and dining area with a built-in fridge, microwave oven, a four-plate induction cooker, and a washing machine with dryer. High ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows allow for plenty of natural light and stunning views of the city's skyline. Alongside Dusit's unique brand of Thai-inspired gracious hospitality, artfully blended with Kenyan culture and heritage, guests will enjoy a wide range of facilities, including a heated swimming pool, an ultra-modern rooftop gym, and five state-of-the-art meeting rooms whose combined capacity can seat up to 150 guests in theatre style. For dining, guests can choose from an efficient, convenient grab-and-go outlet and two exciting additions to Nairobi's food and beverage scene - The Olive Restaurant and The Aviary Lounge Bar. The Olive Restaurant is a modern Italian-inspired all-day dining outlet whose decor bears the colours and images of harvested grapes and olives. Alongside buffet breakfast, it offers a carefully curated variety of international cuisines and local favourites. The new rooftop hangout The Aviary Lounge Bar, meanwhile, is a vibrant place to meet, mingle and relax in a modern, stylish setting inspired by the life of birds, flora and fauna. Decorated with elegant bird cages and featuring sweeping views of the city, The Aviary Lounge elevates the bar experience even further with its wide range of classic, innovative cocktails, creative bar snacks, and atmospheric beats from an in-house DJ. Guests and residents at Dusit Princess Hotel Residences Nairobi will also benefit from the property's unique local connections offering numerous opportunities to explore the rich heritage of Kenya's capital and the natural wonders of its broader surrounds. The Nairobi National Park, the only national park in the world within a capital city, is only a 45-minute drive from the property. A day trip gives guests the opportunity to spot big game such as lions, buffaloes, leopards, rhinos, and more. Hotel website The Josie Hotel, Autograph Collection and The Velvet Restaurant and Lounge in Rossland, British Columbia welcomes Takashi Harada as their new executive chef. No stranger to hospitality and resorts, Chef Harada has worked in destination hotels and resorts around the world such as Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts in Vancouver (under well-known Canadian chef Ned Bell), Tokyo, Lanai (Hawaii), Hualalai (Hawaii), St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean, and most recently, the Farimont Jasper Park Lodge. A self-professed ski enthusiast, he also looks forward to hitting the slopes at RED Mountain Resort with The Josie just steps away. At the age of ten, Chef Harada began his culinary career by his mother's side in the kitchen. Making simple traditional Japanese dishes with his mother, he learned the importance of approaching cooking in an orderly, step-by-step fashion. In addition to The Velvet Restaurant and Lounge, Chef Harada oversees culinary for banquets and events as well as in-room dining at The Josie hotel. From the Red City to the coastal White City of Morocco, Chadi Chemaly takes leadership of Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca. Following an extensive 18-year international career in luxury hospitality, Chadi makes his next move and joins Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts as General Manager of Casablanca's urban oasis. Born in Lebanon and raised in the United States, Chadi's passion for hospitality led him across the world, starting his journey in North America where he held various management positions as part of the front office and housekeeping teams. After successful turns in both Charlotte and Boston, Chadi set sail to Saudi Arabia before heading to China, where he was assigned the position of director of rooms. Pursuing his drive for excellence, Chadi was named hotel manager in Singapore after a two year detour in Mexico, where he had a director of operations tenure. His career and travels saw him advance in management before accepting his first role as General Manager in Marrakech, where he fell in love with the Moroccan culture. Bringing forth his wealth of experience and luxury hotel expertise, Chadi is more ready than ever to take up the challenge and lead the award-winning Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca. Joining in his efforts with the management team of the Hotel, Chadi is committed to lead the Hotel towards a new era of success, cementing its position as the ultimate urban sanctuary in Morocco's liveliest city. Apex Hotel Groups youngest hotel, Apex City of Bath turns five this August. The launch of the hotel back in 2017 was a milestone as it became the only one of the hotels to open outside of Scotland and London and its the only one of the groups buildings that was built from scratch. To mark the birthday, we spoke to General Manager, Michael Musgrave about his experience in hospitality and at the hotel. What made you want to work in the hospitality industry? I started working in hotels when I was 16-years-old back in Northern Ireland. I enjoyed meeting new people and it fitting into something that suited my personality. I didnt know what I wanted to do after my GCSEs and so I flitted about for a year before I saw a National Diploma being advertised in Hospitality and knew immediately, that was for me. The theoretical and practical elements blended made sense and I chose to follow this career path, through to my BA Hons Degree in Hospitality Management. I then joined a Graduate Scheme, fast-tracked through the industry, and became a General Manager at the age of 29 in London. The opportunity to travel and explore many cities, was another reason I wanted to work to hospitality and my career has saw me work in Austria, USA, Belfast, Dublin, Southampton, London, Edinburgh and now Bath. How did you and the team navigate the Covid 19 pandemic and what changes have you noticed to tourism since? The pandemic was an unusually strange time for all in hospitality. There were so many questions at the time. We didnt know how long was the lockdown going to be for, would it be four weeks or much longer? As a team we stayed in touch as much as we could. Apex Hotels benefited from the use of the Furlough scheme. As a business, we stayed connected by the introduction of Engage4 app, where everyone across the group posted photographs and snapshots of what they were up to. A lot of home baking was showcased, and we also set up a weekly quiz evening to engage everyone across all the hotels, laundry, and head office. Since the return from the pandemic, the city of Bath proved a very popular destination. As a hotel we had a strong performance, assisted by travel restrictions and the booming UK staycation market. Since the travel restrictions have been lifted, we have seen the demand taper off in the Southwest and continue to remain competitive in the market. Whats been your proudest moment since working at City of Bath? Since working at the Apex City of Bath, there have been many proud moments. I do love reading positive reviews and getting email communications directly from guests who wish to commend members of the team. Our Best Companies survey in 2021 did see Bath obtain a 1* rating for team engagement and this was a huge achievement. Obtaining a Silver award to Green Tourism earlier in 2022 was also a great achievement down to the work and dedication of the Green Team here in Bath. Apex City of Bath Source: Apex Hotels The Green Committee has been established for a while how is the Green Roof Project going and what has been guests reaction to this? The Green Committee was originally set up in 2020 and between the three Covid-19 lockdowns, we finally managed to get a run at focusing on the green initiatives within the hotel. There have been many quick wins in all departments and centrally with the assistance of some initiatives in place with Head Office. Our Green Roof has been a project set up by one of our colleagues who was undertaking a study on bio-diversity of our roof space. It is a project that guests do not see, however has opened up opportunities for other organisations who would like to investigate the potential use for Beehives or assisting with Green Programmes in the city. What makes you happy in your job? Apex City of Bath is an amazing hotel in the centre of the Bath. The footprint of the hotel with the fitness and wellness facilities does set us apart from many of our competitors. What makes me happiest though is the team of people who work here. The genuine smiles we see every day are from passion and wanting to be here. It does take time to get great people to make a team and I believe after trying to rebuild from the pandemic and effects of Brexit, we are seeing the fruits begin to blossom. Walking around with a smile, greeting our guests and team is hugely important to me and one piece of advice Ive found from Stephen Covey 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is carry your weather so if you start the day with a smile and great attitude, the rest will follow! Heres to another great five years in Bath! About Apex Hotels Apex Hotels is one of the UK's leading operators of contemporary city centre hotels. The company currently operates three hotels in London, four in Edinburgh and one in Dundee. Customer service is the primary focus for all members of the Apex Hotel team. The company has a reputation for providing a 'friendly face' to all guests and aims to provide positive opportunities for interaction with staff at every property. Based in Edinburgh, Apex Hotels is a small family owned Scottish company, operating with a mission to provide chic and stylish destination properties in key markets across the UK. Management has adopted a philosophy of controlled, dynamic growth, with various key cities currently under review for potential expansion. Visit apexhotels.co.uk. Extended Stay America, Inc., the largest owner/operator of company-branded hotels in North America, owns and operates 682 hotels in the U.S. and Canada comprising approximately 76,000 rooms and employs approximately 10,000 employees in its hotel properties and headquarters. The Company owns and operates hotels under the core brand Extended Stay America, which serves the mid-priced extended stay segment, and other brands. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Somewhere around the time that the popular Montrose Mexican bistro Cuchara turns 10 in mid-September, it will have a little sister. Owners Ana Beaven and Charlie McDaniel, who created the beguiling Mexico City-style cafe Cuchara, are planning a second restaurant invested with the same creative energy they brought to their initial concept. Called Cucharita, the breakfast and lunch restaurant is expected to open sometime in late September only a block from Cuchara at 315 Fairview (the former Pepper Twins space). A project a year and a half in the making, Cucharita will offer what Beaven calls a refined breakfast experience with a menu of house-made breakfast breads, egg dishes, tacos (on corn tortillas fashioned from house-made nixtamalized corn masa), a coffee program, fresh juices, mocktails and a full menu of breakfast martinis (yes, there will be a full liquor license). 20 MOST INTERESTING: Alison Cook includes Cuchara on list of Houston's most interesting restaurants Earlier this week the owners treated friends and best Cuchara customers to a sneak peak of Cucharita, a construction site-themed party complete with musicians and an Aztec blessing ceremony. Guests sampled some of the dishes coming from Cucharita including tamales, tacos, chilaquiles, egg dishes and Mexican cookies and breads. Beaven said Cucharitas menu will include chilaquiles that will change every week from a library of about 50 recipes; tamales including specialty holiday varieties; breads and cookies that will change weekly; and a signature dish called Huevos Bernie made with two eggs fried in olive oil served in a clay cazuela and topped with a spiced ground beef served with a side of raw serrano peppers, chopped onions, oregano, salted yogurt and flour tortilla. Beaven said she named it in honor of her late cousin Bernardo, a fan of the dish created by the Lebanese community of Mexico City. EATING HOUSTON: Meet new Houston Chronicle restaurant columnist Bao Ong The Cucharita space will be designed to look more subtle and feminine than Cuchara, Beaven said, and it will include a pastoral mural created by her sister, Cecilia Beaven, responsible for the festive wall art at Cuchara. The new restaurant will have an industrial kitchen, much larger than Cucharas at 214 Fairview, which will allow for the restaurants growing catering business. When it opens, Cucharita will welcome diners 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The space also can be let out for private parties and meetings. Cuchara plans to hold a 10th anniversary party on Sept. 15, neatly coinciding with Mexican Independence Day, Sept. 16. Get your little spoons ready. Greg Morago writes about food for the Houston Chronicle. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter. Send him news tips at greg.morago@chron.com. Hear him on our BBQ State of Mind podcast to learn about Houston and Texas barbecue culture. Last week I spent a few hours helping a friend set up a new Google email account. Shes only had one email account, which was handed out by her internet service provider years ago. Shes changing ISPs and upgrading to fiber internet service. Her old email address is going away when she cancels her old service. I told her to hold off on canceling the old service to give her some time to notify everyone of her new email address. So, what is the best way to tell everyone youve got a new email address? You start by working your way back through your inbox and making a few lists based on the type of relationship you have with that contact. You can separate the messages into categories like personal, informational and business. Notifying your personal contacts is easy. You can send one message to everybody in your contact list and any other individual correspondents, notifying everyone that you have a new email address. Ideally, youd put your new address in the To: field and everyone else in the BCC: field so you are not exposing everyones email addresses. Your next list could be businesses you interact with financially. This might include your bank and other financial services like credit cards, insurance companies and retirement accounts. Also in this list would be utilities, any online services like Netflix or Amazon or other online retailers. Work your way back through several months of emails and write everything down. Youll need to visit the website of each business and log in to your account. Youll need to look for the account settings page, which is where you can change your email address. This will take a few hours (trust me, it did), and it is possible youll need to reset a few passwords along the way if you cant remember all the logins. Luckily, my friend had a pretty good list of all her various login names and passwords. I rely too much on my browsers to save my login information, which isnt ideal, but everyone should have a master list of how to log into their online accounts. It is important to note you should not cancel your old address too soon, because when you click the forgot password link on most sites, they will send a message to the old email address for verification. You can also create a category for websites that send you information. Perhaps youre on a weekly list to get the specials at your grocery store. You might not have an account with them, but you can visit their site again and sign up for their newsletter with your new address. Finally, you can set up an automated response on the old email to explain you are moving to a new email address. This is sometimes called a vacation responder or out-of-office response. You really dont know how long it will be active before the old ISP removes the email address, but it could be helpful. This process may take a month or two for everything to change over, and there may be some that you miss, like businesses you only interact with once or twice a year. These instructions also apply if you are moving to any email service, not just Google. The big benefit of having an email account from Google or Microsoft or Apple is you get to use it regardless of your internet provider. It can be your email address for the rest of your life. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Early in their 29-year marriage, Althea and Henry Lee traveled to Europe and soaked in the elegance of French design and the sleekness of Italian style. Henry's a radiologist but has a background in and love of art history, so he was as engaged as Althea was when it came time to start renovating in phases the 4,800-square-foot home they bought in Memorial. They called on interior designer Julie Dodson of Dodson Interiors, who had helped them when they built another home in Memorial a bit earlier for the Lees and their children, Natalie, now 22 and a recent University of Texas graduate, Nathan, a student at Trinity Classical School and their angel daughter, Nicole, who died 12 years ago from brain cancer when she was just 7. MORE FROM DIANE COWEN: Valspar launches 2023 Color of the Year picks with 12 shades that lean heavy on green After Nicole's death, Althea dedicated her time to volunteer work, and she's now the director of the Houston chapter of The Cure Starts Now, a non-profit that raises money for hospitals that do research in pediatric brain cancer. The Houston chapter has raised $500,000 in five years. Both Henry and Althea are first-generation Americans. Althea's parents were born in Hong Kong and came to the U.S. as college students. Just a month before she was born, they moved to Houston, where her dad worked in the energy industry. Althea occasionally works in commercial acting you may have seen her in a Methodist Hospital commercial, portraying a mother seeking online care. Henry's family moved from Taiwan to the U.S., settling in Chicago. His father was a nuclear engineer and Henry is the first doctor in the family, though his siblings all work in medicine, too. (His twin brother is a teaching pharmacist, another brother is a doctor and his sister is an optometrist.) Their goal was to make their house a comfortable, elegant home that could handle a family with children as well as their Siberian husky, Suki, a stray they found wandering around a church they used to attend. "I love that Julie isnt completely traditional or modern. She uses a nice mix of pieces so it doesnt feel stale. Its a great balance of both fun and whimsical," Althea said. Early on, they gutted the kitchen and used space from the back of the house to create a kennel area for Suki and a new powder bathroom with black and white Schumacher's Chenonceau wallpaper and black marble floor tile. They reconfigured the kitchen to be more functional and to eliminate the odd, pie-shaped island that had a stove in the middle of it. Althea didn't like the placement of the sink or the refrigerator, either, and she felt like she had very little work space for preparing family meals. The new design, which expanded the room by six feet, added 20 linear feet of work area. Having a great kitchen was important to the Lees, as Althea cooks a lot and the space is the hub of the house. She likes to work from here when her son is doing homework White marble replaced mottled brown-black granite counters and several of their upper cabinets now have glass-front doors to display pretty white dishes. The wood beams on the coffered ceiling were painted the same shade of pale gray as the cabinets. The showstopper in the room, though, is the antique backsplash tile that Dodson found at Chateau Domingue, a Houston business that specializes in architectural antiques and salvaged antique European building materials, much of which dates back centuries. These kitchen tiles, in a gray-cream palette with a chic circle-square pattern was once used as floor tile in a home in a French village sometime in the mid to late 19th century, according to Ruth Gay, who owns Chateau Domingue. The nearby breakfast area includes a table and chairs from their prior home, but they opted to reupholster the chairs, with pretty blue and white fabric for the back and vinylized white fabric for the seats so they can stand up to spills. MORE FROM DIANE COWEN: Big kid rooms transition from toddler to teens "I love traditional and I love transitional style and I love putting that puzzle together, finding the right pieces and mixing things you wouldn't think would work together," Dodson said. A blue linen wall treatment gives the dining room a dramatic new look as Dodson used yards of fabric to upholster walls similar to wallpaper but with a whole new look and feel. That fabric was used again in the family room in draperies hung along big windows. The dining chairs got a new treatment here, too, with Galbraith & Paul fabric with circles in subdued blues and grays and white vinyl for the seats. More Galbraith & Paul fabric comes into play in draperies in its delicate Sumi pattern, birds, tree branches and paper lanterns in a a blue-gray colorway. And an antique mirror they found for their prior home worked perfectly here, too. "We were able to repurpose a lot from their previous home, it was a matter of reupholstering and adding new things and changing some things," Dodson said. "Some people buy things and worry about whether they can use it again if they move. When you purchase classic, good quality pieces, you can always repurpose them as long as the scale isnt completely different." The family room got a makeover, too, bringing in a sectional sofa with a rounded chaise on one end to replace white slipcover sofas they gave to their daughter and adding a swivel chair in a stripe-y print plus an antique style chair that was recovered in an ikat print pattern. For fun, they added a pair of Made Goods stools surrounded by floor-length fringe. They might seem like a trendy piece elsewhere, but they'll be forever popular in Texas. "Fringe ottomans, they are so sassy," Althea exclaimed. "It feels like a dress you want to start shaking. It feels like high fashion with those in there." diane.cowen@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The developers of a project that will renovate the former Montgomery County Hospital on First Street into an affordable senior living apartment complex have been awarded $13.5 million in tax credits, company officials said. With the support of the city and the renaming of the hospital to The Landmark 301, Kansas-based Overland Property Group found success with their second attempt to secure the tax credits. Conroe Downtown Director Frank Robinson said it is not uncommon for a project to be submitted more than once for the competitive program. April Engstrom with Overland Property Group said the rehabilitation will be privately financed with the assistance of the proceeds generated from the sale of these federal, state, and historic tax credits to investors. Under state and federal law, Landmark 301 will be maintained as an affordable senior community for a minimum of 35 years. On YourConroeNews.com: 2 new deputies added in Montgomery County including one for dangerous Lake Conroe Overland Property Group has been working for nearly three years to secure funding for this rehabilitation in collaboration with the city of Conroe, Engstrom said. The city has been nothing short of supportive and Overland Property Group is excited for the opportunity to continue working in tandem with the city to bring this historic building back to its former glory. The Montgomery County Hospital at 301 S. First St. was built in 1938. The facility served the county through the 1970s when the Montgomery County Hospital District was formed for the creation of a new hospital for Conroe. A new Conroe medical complex opened in 1982 on Conroes south side and the old county hospital was abandoned. The East Texas Dream Center, a nonprofit, faith-based charitable organization, eventually found a new home at the property. However, in May 2018 a fire shuttered the building and it has sat vacant since then. In January 2021, the council took action to expand the Old Marketplace District south to encompass several city blocks including the 57,000-square-foot hospital to aid in applying for the tax credits. The council adopted the Downtown Conroe Development Plan in 2018 to help promote the revitalization of the area. That plan divided the area into districts, each with guidelines and goals for development. The district includes Neartown, Arts and Honors, Uptown, Central Business, Homestead and Old Town Marketplace. Overland Property Group President and CEO Brett Johnson presented a plan to the Conroe City Council last year to redevelop the historic building which served as the first county hospital into 42 to 45 one- and two-bedroom apartments for qualified seniors. We look forward to you guys getting this project to the finish line, Mayor Jody Czajkoski told Johnson. Engstrom said the Landmark is expected to be open in the first quarter of 2024. cdominguez@hcnonline.com A HARARE man is demanding US$200 000 from his wifes lover, who impregnated her, during the subsistence of their wedding. Cloudio Jume has since filed for adultery damages against Elton Sanyahwe, whom he accuses of bedding and impregnating his wife. The summons have been prepared under case number HC5126/22. In the summons, submitted to the High Court, Cloudio is demanding US$200k, or its equivalent in Zimbabwe dollars, at the prevailing bank rate, in adultery damages. Hes also demanding a further US$50 000, or equivalent in Zimbabwe dollars at the prevailing bank rate, for loss of companionship. Elton is yet to respond to the application. Cloudio is claiming that he was married to Thelma Gwakume, under the Marriage Act Chapter 5:11. Thelma gave birth to a baby girl on February 22, this year, after disappearing from their matrimonial home on December 7, leaving her two minor children. She was last seen on July 28. Efforts to get in touch with Thelma were fruitless, as she changed her mobile number, while Elton was also not reachable. According to sources, the pair have since changed their mobile numbers to avoid calls. Cloudio said he was shocked by his wifes conduct. We had our wedding in 2014 and I did everything for her, including furthering her studies. She did Financial Intelligence with a private tutor at home. The tutor happens to be Elton. Everyone just assumed that it was strictly an academic arrangement, yet they were sleeping together, he said. Cloudio said his wife and Elton spent a lot of time together and he just assumed they were having lessons. He said even relatives who visited knew him as Thelmas tutor. I didnt suspect anything until we had a misunderstanding in December last year and she decided to go to her aunts in Hwedza. Little did I know that she was already pregnant. She went on December 7 and I followed her the next day. After some talks, she apologised and promised to return home the next day. I left, but she didnt come home, and instead went to stay with Elton. I called her relatives enquiring about her whereabouts, but they said they didnt know, until I got information from neighbours that she had been seen on a close by street. Cloudio said during the search for his wife, he would bump into Elton all the time. On February 22, she gave birth, according to hospital records I got. But, all her relatives expressed ignorance. Then, on Thursday last week, I was told that she was seen in the neighbourhood, since Elton stays in the same area, he said. He drove around the area and saw her carrying the baby. I confronted her while holding our marriage certificate and other residents were shocked. We went back home together with the child and, on Sunday, we went to see her father, who was not happy with the developments. She confessed and said she was drunk when she got pregnant. I then filed for adultery damages against her lover. Imagine we have two minor children, aged three and seven years. To counter my lawsuit, she filed an assault report and we will be back in court in September. I am also planning to file another case of bigamy. Kunochaya mapoto nechikomba une muchato. H Metro This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate When the six-mile, all-electronic Tomball Tollway originally opened in April 2015, it consisted of three toll lanes in each direction between Spring Cypress Road and FM 2920. With explosive growth in the area since then, a $92 million project to build four direct connectors connecting the Tomball Tollway, also called Texas State Highway 249, to the Grand Parkway, or Texas Highway 99, began in March 2020. The east- and westbound direct connectors from the Grand Parkway to southbound Texas 249 opened to the public the weekend of July 16. TOMBALL NIGHT: 50th annual event to draw thousands for deals, parade, fireworks Construction continues on the remaining two direct connectors, northbound Texas 249 to east- and westbound Grand Parkway. Total closure of the tollways southbound main lanes from the Grand Parkway exit ramp to Northpointe Boulevard began on July 30 at 9 p.m. and will last through 5 a.m. on Aug. 6. Drivers are being detoured to the frontage road at the Grand Parkway exit ramp and able to re-enter the tollway using the Northpointe entrance ramp. Williams Brothers Construction Co. is using state-of-the-art technologies and construction methods new to the area to complete the project. Unlike previous similar additions, curved concrete girders are being used in lieu of steel girders. The Harris County Toll Road Authority anticipates construction on the remaining two connectors to be completed in late fall. BACK TO SCHOOL: What you need to know ahead of Tomball ISDs new school year The project, originally scheduled for completion in June 2022, was delayed as a result of several unforeseen issues, said Roxy Sibrian, assistant director of communications, HCTRA. The COVID pandemic lead to labor shortages. Material and supply chain issues have also been an ongoing challenge. The freeze of 2021 disrupted cement production in Texas, which in turn impacted this project, she added. Enthusiasm for the project is evidenced by those who live and work in the area, according to Bruce Hillegeist, the president of the Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce. The direct connectors are a very good thing for Tomball. Although inconvenient as they are being built, they will provide great value once the project is finished, he said. The addition of direct connectors was originally suggested when the Grand Parkway and Texas 249 expansion were being built, Hillegeist said. Four years ago, the chamber was told that a minimum of 15,000 vehicles a day per direct connector would be needed to warrant their construction. Well, just a few years later, we are getting our direct connectors, he said. The Texas Department of Transportation and the Harris County Toll Road Authority know bestbut as a Chamber, we are always looking out for better and best mobility infrastructure allowing quick, convenient access to and fromfor businesses and residents. Highway 249 (at) Highway 99 is quickly becoming valuable for businesses needing to get their products and goods distributed in a timely mannerthe direct connectors will help keep traffic flowing, he added. Rudys Country Store and Bar-B-Q has seen a slight increase in night sales since more traffic comes as a result of the direct connectors by commuters on their way home in the evenings, said Jon Mendoza, managing partner and general manager. During construction we did take a slight decline in sales due to traffic and people avoiding the area; however, in the long term it will not only be beneficial for our commuters, but it will give the area a better opportunity to grow other businesses, which in turn will bring more folks our way. In a community like Tomball, if one grows, we all grow, said Mendoza. Shoppers will also more easily reach the Tomball Marketplace Shopping Center, a new development located near this major Tomball intersection, which serves as a regional retail hub for both Tomball and Montgomery County. Major retailers include Target, Lowes, Kroger, Petsmart, Office Depot, Kohls, Bootbarn and H-E-B. Earlier this year in February, Macys, Inc. announced plans to expand its operations from its current Houston distribution center into a modern 900,000-square-foot facility in a 240-acre development of Highway 249 and Rocky Road, directly south of the Grand Parkway direct connectors, according to Kelly Violette, executive director for the Tomball Economic Development Corporation. United Kingdom-based JDR Cable Systems, a subsea power cable company, opened its United States headquarters in the Tomball Business & Technology Park, and Paradigm Brewing began operations at its 10,500 square-foot brewery there, as well, said Violette. The direct connectors will help make it safer and easier for companies to move people and products. Businesses consistently reference Tomballs convenient location when deciding to locate here, she added. Harris County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the country, with over 30 percent growth since 2000 alone. As the population has exploded in the vast unincorporated areas, so has traffic. The city of Tomballs population increased by 4 percent between April 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021, according to census.gov. While construction continues, drivers are encouraged to visit houstontranstar.org to plan their routes for ease of traveling through Tomball. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Beena Sarwar, Emerson College (THE CONVERSATION) Photos of civilians killed or injured in the Russia-Ukraine war are widespread, particularly online, both on social media and in professional news media. Editors have always published images of dead or suffering people during times of crisis, like wars and natural disasters. But the current crisis has delivered many more of these images, more widely published online, than ever before. Its all over social media, says Nancy San Martin, a longtime former foreign correspondent and editor at the Miami Herald. And not just online. Mainstream journalists are also departing from their traditional tendency to avoid prominently featuring images of dead people or particularly direct depictions of physical injuries. But in times of conflict overseas, those standard practices tend to ease, San Martin, now deputy managing editor for the history and culture desk at National Geographic, told me in a phone interview: War will always open that door. Part of our role is to document the consequences of war and all that it entails. Editorial oversight has traditionally been part of the equation the practice of a group of journalists who ensure context, balancing the significance and importance of what an image depicts with its gruesomeness. They might, for instance, choose a different angle of an injured or dead person that shows less blood, or crop an image so a dead persons face isnt visible, or choose to withhold an image altogether while providing written information about what happened. As a longtime journalist and editor following media, journalism and human rights, I know images can become public icons symbolizing major events. The flood of images from the Ukraine war runs deep and wide. It contains many potentially iconic images but also shows more raw carnage than in past conflicts. Powerful images From the earliest days of photography in the 19th century, war has been a common subject, including during the U.S. Civil War. Certain images have become famous, such as Joe Rosenthals World War II image of U.S. Marines raising the flag on Mount Suribachi, signaling the capture of Iwo Jima from the Japanese Imperial Army in February 1945. It was distributed by The Associated Press and ran on the front pages of many U.S. newspapers. There have always been powerful images emerging from conflict, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Patrick Farrell told me in a video call. A still image is still one of the most powerful forms of media. It will sit with you forever. Many of the famous images are not of victory or glory but rather of violence and death and also remain etched in public memory. Nick Uts photograph of napalm girl Kim Phuc and John Filos photo of Mary Ann Vecchio mourning student protester Jeffrey Miller at Kent State University show both the foreign and domestic toll of the Vietnam War. They were transmitted via wire services, too, and chosen to feature prominently in newspapers and magazines across the country. Photos of bodies piled in the streets after the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010 and floating in the water in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in the same year are examples of the choices made by editors across the nation to feature coverage showing the real human cost of significant natural disasters. Kevin Carters 1993 image of a vulture next to a starving child in Sudan is another lasting image of human tragedy that was published by editors worldwide. It won a Pulitzer Prize in 1994. Wire-distributed photos of other tragedies, including Nilufer Demirs image of Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian boy whose body washed up on a Greek beach, and atrocities, like the images from Abu Ghraib of U.S. military personnel abusing Iraqi prisoners, are also visceral reminders of complex events. Increased volume The difference between those situations and the present one in Ukraine is the sheer volume of images. There are, as usual in conflict situations, award-winning professional photojournalists in Ukraine sending images back to the media outlets they work for. But many of them are also posting images on their own or their employers social media accounts more images than might be published on a newspapers front page or homepage on the web. Also on social media are legions of ordinary citizens taking pictures with their smartphones and bearing witness, sharing countless images every day. With the floodgates opened by social media, as Farrell put it, the media environment in 2022 is different from previous decades. There are now many powerful images competing to become iconic. Its not more graphic than what we saw during Vietnam, in Farrells estimation, but the media cycle then, based on daily newspapers and nightly TV news broadcasts, meant there were breaks in the barrage of imagery. Whats of concern to Farrell, and to me, is that there is less editorial oversight about which images reach the most eyeballs even in professional newsrooms. With social media in the mix and the never-ending competition to be first, editors are publishing and distributing images with less consideration for traditional editorial restraint and balance between gore and meaning and with less context about the images themselves. Context is vital An important element of that context is that in some ways life goes on, says San Martin. Despite the carnage and mayhem of war, she says, the places experiencing war are still places where people make their lives. Her husband, Joe Raedle, an award-winning photographer with Getty Images, has been on the ground in Ukraine documenting both the refugee exodus and everyday life cultural performances, restaurants serving free meals, churches providing comfort and a man playing a piano on the street, having left his own behind when he fled the fighting. Its a different kind of war. Still heartbreaking, she says, noting that there is more happening than the dominant images show. Those elements, she predicts, will become more important to full coverage of events in Ukraine as the war continues. It is going to be, as she says, a long haul. Its normal for media to focus on the immediacy of conflict or disaster and to highlight the most dramatic, even horrific events. But what San Martin reminds me, and what I have seen in my work, is that the journalists often give less emphasis to the processes behind events and the surrounding context including the survival, determination and resilience of those affected. Sensational images circulating on social media are similarly incomplete or even potentially false, whether shared by propagandists or their innocent dupes. They represent an important, and alarming, reality. But theres more to the picture than that. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/social-media-provides-flood-of-images-of-death-and-carnage-from-ukraine-war-and-contributes-to-weaker-journalism-standards-181407. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that China's military exercises aimed at Taiwan, including missiles fired into Japan's exclusive economic zone, represent a significant escalation and that he has urged Beijing to back down. China launched the drills following a visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan that infuriated Beijing, which claims the self-governed island as its own territory. Blinken told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Cambodia, however, that Pelosi's visit was peaceful and did not represent a change in American policy toward Taiwan, accusing China of using it as a "pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait." He said the situation had led to a vigorous communication during East Asia Summit meetings in Phnom Penh in which both he and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi took part along with the ASEAN nations, Russia and others. I reiterated the points that we made publicly as well as directly to Chinese counterparts in recent days, again, about the fact that they should not use the visit as a pretext for war, escalation, for provocative actions, that there is no possible justification for what theyve done and urge them to cease these actions, he said. Blinken did not sit down one-on-one with Wang but said he had spoken with the Chinese foreign minister already about the possibility of a Pelosi visit to Taiwan before it had taken place during meetings in Bali, and had made the U.S. position clear. China on Friday announced unspecified sanctions on Pelosi for her visit. A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said she had disregarded Chinas concerns and resolute opposition to her trip. Pelosi received a euphoric welcome as the first U.S. House speaker, and highest ranking U.S. official, to visit Taiwan in more than 25 years. China opposes any engagement by Taiwanese officials with foreign governments, and has accused the U.S. of breaking the status quo with the Pelosi visit. The U.S. insists there has been no change to its one-China position of recognizing the government in Beijing, while allowing for informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. Despite the aggressive Chinese reaction to the visit, Blinken said the U.S. would also not change its commitment to the security of our allies in the region, and that the Defense Department had ordered the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier group to remain on station in the general area to monitor the situation. We will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, he said. We'll continue to conduct standard air and maritime transits through the Taiwan Strait, consistent with our long-standing approach to working with allies and partners to uphold freedom of navigation and overflight. As the East Asia Summit opened, Wang patted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the shoulder as he entered the room and gave the already-seated Lavrov a quick wave before taking his own seat. Lavrov waved back in response. Blinken, who entered the room last, did not even glance at Lavrov as he took his own seat about a half dozen chairs away, or at Wang who was seated farther down the same table as Lavrov. Ahead of the Phnom Penh talks, the U.S. State Department indicated Blinken had no plans to meet one-on-one with either man during the course of the meetings. Following the meetings, Lavrov told reporters there had been a lot of fiery statements about the aftermath of the Pelosi visit. There have been rather sharp statements from our Chinese partners, who we support," he told reporters. "And there have been responses from the U.S. and Japan that its not Chinas business and that the declared policy of supporting the one-China principle doesnt mean one has to ask Beijing for permission to visit Taiwan. Surely, its a weird logic. The talks came a day after WNBA star Brittney Griner was convicted of drug possession and sentenced to nine years in prison by Russia in a politically charged case amid antagonisms over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Blinken said the conviction and sentence compounds the injustice that has been done to her. It puts a spotlight on our very significant concern with Russias legal system and the Russian governments use of wrongful detentions to advance its own agenda using individuals as political pawns, he said. Blinken has suggested the possibility of a prisoner swap for Griner and another American jailed in Russia, Paul Whelan, but Lavrov told reporters that such a deal could only be decided upon by Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden. Were ready to discuss this topic, but to discuss it within the channel that was agreed on by presidents Putin and Biden, Lavrov said on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting. On Thursday, China canceled a foreign ministers meeting with Japan to protest a statement from the Group of Seven industrialized nations that said there was no justification for Beijing's military exercises, which virtually encircle Taiwan. Japan, together with other member of the G-7 and the EU, made an irresponsible statement accusing China and confounding right and wrong, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in Beijing. When Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa began to speak Friday at the East Asia Summit, both Lavrov and Wang walked out of the room, according to a diplomat in the room who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the private session. In the wake of the Chinese missile launches into Japan's economic zone, Blinken said the U.S. stands in strong solidarity with Japan following the dangerous actions China has taken. ___ Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report. Houston Chronicle file The big story on this day in 1962 was the story of Cecil McWhorter, a former officer who was responding to a burglary 10 years earlier when the tie rod link on patrol car snapped. He was thrown from the car and received severe head injuries. For 30 months he was in a coma. After he came out of the coma, he began physical therapy, which leads us to a point in his recovery where the Chronicle saw fit to give readers an update. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A former Missouri City police officer on death row convicted in his estranged wifes death is appearing to ask for female friends to witness his execution, which could happen as early as January, prosecutors revealed Thursday in court. Robert Fratta, 65, purportedly published the plea for companionship to the Write a Prisoner website in July in the weeks after the Harris County District Attorneys Office signaled to the judge in the 230th District Court that an execution order was pending his signature. Frattas defense team has sought to postpone the signing of the order, which would set the execution date for Jan. 10, amid the possibility of another appeal. He has spent 26 years on death row. FRATTA: Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Missouri City cop on death row Joshua Reiss, chief of the offices Post-Conviction Writs Division, showed a screenshot of the defendants pen pal profile to the judge and noted that the profile suggests that Fratta believes the execution to be inevitable. A portion of the profile, which features a photo of Fratta from March, reads: All of my official appeals are over and I dont have any female friends to be with me when Im executed. He views all his appeals as being exhausted, Reiss said in court. Defense attorney James Rytting, who has represented Fratta for nearly two decades, voiced his objection to the profile as an exhibit. We dont know who wrote it its complete hearsay, Rytting said, suggesting that someone other than Fratta could have written the profile. He questioned his clients mental health. He urged Judge Chris Morton to not sign the execution order until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on Frattas attempt to reopen federal proceedings in his case. Within 60 days, we will know what the Supreme Court is going to do, Rytting said, adding that his legal team is also in the middle of reviewing thousands of documents from the district attorneys office pertaining to Fratta. Declining to sign the document, Rytting argued, is easier than the alternative: Retracting the execution date. Judge Morton decided not to sign the order at that moment, but he gave Rytting until Oct. 11 to come forward with an argument that could merit a delay. If not, the judge said he will sign the order allowing the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to move forward with the scheduled execution date. EXPLAINER: What to know about the death of Houston Sgt. Sean Rios and the murder trial of Robert Soliz In the 351st District Court, Judge Natalia Cornelio has postponed signing an execution date for a death row inmate over concerns of judicial discretion and an intellectual disability. She questioned whether the signing of the death warrant is a ministerial duty meaning that a judge has little to no discretion over a matter. The Court of Criminal Appeals is reviewing the quandary. In recent court documents, Rytting cited the looming opinion over judicial discretion as another reason to hold off on signing of the order. Morton did not appear to agree with that argument. It is a ministerial duty, in my mind, Morton said, going on to say he disagrees with his fellow jurist. Unless there are intervening facts at that time, I will be signing it. Cornelio has said she will sign the order if the prosecutors can secure a date in late February or March for Arthur Brown to be executed. The defendant was convicted of killing four people in 1992. Fratta, sentenced in 1996, declined again to be present in the courtroom or by remote video as both parties addressed the judge. He is being held at the Polunsky Unit. Fratta was convicted of a murder-to-hire plot that led to the death of his wife, Farah Fratta, amid their divorce and a custody battle. Two men involved in the plot, including middle man Joseph Prystash and Howard Guidry the trigger man were also convicted and sentenced to death. Fratta would be the first of the three to face execution. Fratta has professed his innocence in his estranged wife's death and tried, but failed, to appeal his case. He has alleged that her father framed him. nicole.hensley@chron.com A string of fatal shootings in Pearland and Houston this past weekend started with a gun-deal-gone-wrong and involved a police pursuit and a shooting victim thrown from a stolen car, police said. Two separate fatal shootings claimed the lives of three men over the weekend, two teen suspects were taken into custody and charged with murder in Brazoria County and capital murder in Harris County. MISSOURI CITY: Ex-cop on death row appears to invite 'female friends' to execution as prosecutors seek to set date Houston authorities charged the two suspects initially with the double fatal shooting in Harris County, but then Pearland police found they were linked to a homicide in Brazoria County. Here's how the shooting and investigation have played out so far: Pearland teen shoots 'his number one drug dealer' Pearland police say 18-year-old Evan Redmond met Nathan Alaniz, 19, Sunday at Alaniz's grandparents' home for a gun transaction. During a probable cause hearing, Redmond said in a confession video Alaniz was his "number one drug dealer." There are no details available on what led to an altercation, but Redmond shot Alaniz, who died around 3 p.m., at the home in the area of Blakely Grove Lane, near Laurel Leaf Lane. Courtesy Escape plan turns into second fatal shooting After shooting Alaniz in Pearland, Redmond called 19-year-old Camren Johnson to help plan an escape, according to a confession played during a Harris County probable cause hearing. "The co-defendant (Johnson) confirmed that he was assisting this defendant (Redmond) to get a new ride and some money, so this defendant could leave town to avoid being caught for the previous murder," a court employee read during the hearing. Courtesy The pair confessed to police they planned to meet 20-year-old Joshua Perkins and an unidentified man who they also described as drug dealers in order to scam them for some money and take their car, according to the confession video. Video surveillance gathered by investigators from a gas station on the 10600 block of Monroe Boulevard near Fuqua Street showed Johnson driving a black Nissan Altima and dropping Redmond off to meet the men before at least one shot was fired inside of the white car, according to authorities. Perkins suffered multiple gunshot wounds and ran into the gas station, police said, adding Redmond then got out of the car, attempted to put on a mask and gathered money from the ground that the Perkins dropped. Perkins was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to authorities. MORE ON CRIME: Game of dominos triggers fatal shooting in north Harris County. Body thrown from car during pursuit After the gas station shooting, Johnson drove away in the Nissan while Redmond fled the scene in the Mercedes Benz, according to police. Redmond pushed the second victim, who had been shot multiple times, out of the stolen car around the 11000 block of Pearland Parkway just over four miles from the gas station. The unidentified victim was pronounced dead by Pearland firefighters at the scene. Suspects arrested, admit to crime Some time after the unidentified male was thrown from the car, Houston police spotted the vehicle and a pursuit began. Redmond crashed the stolen Mercedes Benz early Monday in the 2200 block of Dixie Farm Road near Beamer, according to authorities. He suffered non-life threatening injuries in the crash and was not hospitalized. Johnson was arrested a short time later at his residence without incident after Pearland police knocked on his door, authorities said, adding both later admitted their roles in the incidents to police. CAPITAL MURDER CASE: Teen charged with capital murder in shooting of two men in north Houston. What happens next Both teens remain in the Harris County jail as of Friday, according to jail records. They appeared in court Wednesday and were subsequently denied bail, according to court documents. They are scheduled to appear again before Judge Greg Glass of the Harris County 208th District Court on Monday, Aug. 8. In Brazoria County, the men have been charged with felony murder and their bonds have been set at $3 million, according to Pearland Police. Attempts to reach the Brazoria County District Attorney's Office for comment Friday morning were not immediately returned. It is unclear when the two are expected to appear before a Brazoria County judge. If convicted of capital murder in Harris County, both teens face the maximum punishment of the death penalty. Joel.Umanzor@Chron.com Several Houston-area colleges and universities are scrambling to draft monkeypox prevention and response plans with weeks to go before the fall semester. The lack of formulated strategies at least to date worries some medical professionals who say universities are a likely place for the disease to spread, especially in dormitory settings. Im in general a little bit concerned that were not taking this seriously enough, that were fatigued with COVID and were just going to wait and watch and see what happens before we act, said Luis Ostrosky, chief of infectious diseases with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and Memorial Hermann Hospital. It already has sort of been slowing down the response to monkeypox. MONKEYPOX IN HOUSTON: As monkeypox spreads in Texas, here's why the vaccine is so difficult to find Some college and university officials say their campuses are still monitoring the outbreak and working on more specific guidance to send to students. Few have issued plans related to vaccines, quarantining and their health departments abilities to spot the disease. The University of Houston, Rice University, Sam Houston State University, San Jacinto College and Houston Community College are among the local schools that say they are monitoring the situation. Some higher education institutions, such as University of Houston and Texas A&M University, have updated their websites with advisories or frequently asked questions about the disease. Texas A&M is one of the few Texas universities that has so far indicated that its student health services can test for monkeypox. College campuses have a long history of understanding how infectious diseases spread and have public health infrastructure in terms of contact tracing, said Jill Weatherhead, assistant professor of tropical medicine and infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine. But there has to be a plan in place, because this is different than prior infectious disease outbreaks. VACCINE SHORTAGE: Houstonians struggle to obtain monkeypox vaccine amid nationwide shortage The World Health Organization has declared monkeypox a global health emergency. Monkeypox for years has been endemic in certain parts of Africa but has spread worldwide, with most reported cases among men who have sex with men. The disease is not sexually transmitted. Transmission usually requires prolonged skin-to-skin contact, although monkeypox also can spread through respiratory droplets in lengthy face-to-face contacts, or via materials such as bedsheets or blankets that have picked up the virus. Symptoms include a rash, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, head and muscle aches, and fatigue. The rash can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus, according to the CDC. The risk to the general public is low, health officials say. There have been no reported deaths among the roughly 7,100 cases in the U.S., and hospitalizations are mostly for pain management. There were 143 cases in Houston on Thursday, according to the Houston Health Department. Weatherhead said properly educating students will be key to curbing transmissions. University and college students need to be aware of how monkeypox spreads, how to prevent it and what they should do if they notice symptom, including where to go for testing, she said. Combating stigmas will also be important, she said. UHs advisory containing preliminary information on symptoms and prevention also included a section disputing misinformation about the disease - emphasizing that it is not sexually transmitted or isolated to LGBTQ communities. As an inclusive and caring university community, we have a shared responsibility to refrain from using stigmatizing words or actions related to monkeypox virus, said Stephen J. Spann, UHs vice president for medical affairs. It is paramount that we share factual information so that people can make the best decisions for their health and the health of our community. samantha.ketterer@houstonchronicle.com Photo Courtesy Alief ISD Alief ISD on Tuesday named Gina Tomas, who previously worked in the district for more than 30 years, as its interim superintendent. The announcement comes after HD Chambers, the districts superintendent for 12 years and in Texas public education for nearly four decades, said he would retire and leave his position in December. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN, Texas After a full day of deliberations, a jury awarded two Sandy Hook parents $4.11 million in the first verdict in the Alex Jones defamation trial. Punitive damages must still be decided. 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 that concluded Wednesday focused 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. Heslin and Lewis were in the courtroom when the judge read the jurys verdict and had no discernible reaction. Thats a darn good start and we now have the punishment phase, said their attorney Mark Bankston. Jones attorney Andino Reynal said his client was satisfied with the amount the jury decided to give the parents. I think on behalf of the entire legal team today was an absolute vindication for the American legal system," Reynal said. "Were very pleased with the verdict thus far and we look forward to presenting the rest of the case. The jury will return on Friday to hear from more witnesses to decide punitive damages. The parents asked 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 his Infowars platform. But Bankston said thats not the point of this first verdict. Were going to go back and talk to the jury tomorrow about how much they're (Infowars) worth and how much it will take to deter them, he said. But this verdict, this is merely about Scarlett and Neils mental stress. It has nothing to do with Mr. Jones and how much his business is worth. Jones was already ordered to pay about $1.5 million in sanctions toward the parents, Bankston said. After tomorrow, hes going to owe a lot more, Bankston said. The jury was to decide damages for Heslin for the loss of his reputation for Infowars coverage that occurred in 2017 including a report questioning whether he held his son in the hours after he died. The 12-member jury also decided how much Heslin and Lewis should receive for the intentional infliction of mental anguish that spanned from 2013 to 2018, the judge said during her instructions. The jury began deliberating for a brief period late Wednesday afternoon following closing arguments and came back with a verdict around 5 p.m. Thursday. The six-day trial included several twists and turns with Lewis and Heslin providing heart-wrenching testimony about the loss of their son who was called a hero for telling his classmates to run when the shooter went to reload his gun. Lewis and Heslin spoke of being tormented by Jones followers who would send emails questioning their sons death. In one case, someone shot at Heslins home, he said. Minutes after Lewis left the stand, Jones started his testimony after being chided by the judge for chewing on a wad of gauze in his mouth from a pulled tooth. Jones was often bombastic on the stand, staying that he tried in the last few years to show he knew that children died in the shooting but the media wouldnt let him walk back his original claims that the killings were a hoax. He apologized to Lewis and Heslin, saying that we never intentionally meant to hurt you. Jones also admitted on the stand that it was irresponsible of him to portray the deaths as a hoax. I really could believe it was fabricated, Jones said Wednesday when he was asked about his Sandy Hook coverage. You do understand that was irresponsible? Reynal said. Yes, Jones said, especially after I met the parents, now I believe its 100 percent real. Jones faces a similar but separate trial in Connecticut and will face another in Texas. 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 John Moritz and Jordan Fenster contributed to this story. If you had asked me a few years ago what we should focus on to expand economic opportunity in America, I would have trotted out the usual suspects: early childhood education, improved schools, stable families, neighborhood jobs. Friendships would not have been on the top of my list. But as you may have seen, a giant new study led by Raj Chetty of Harvard and three others found that poor children who grew up in places where people have more friendships that cut across class lines earn a lot more as adults than children who dont. One of the most powerful predictors of whether you rise out of poverty is how many of the people you know are well off. The size of the effect is astounding. Cross-class friendships are a better predictor of upward mobility than school quality, job availability, community cohesion or family structure. If these results are true, then we have largely ignored a powerful way to help people realize the American dream. When I spoke with Chetty last week about the study, I asked him: What is it exactly about these friendships that is so powerful? He said the data doesnt enable us to answer that question. But we can easily speculate that some of it must be informational. Kids whose parents have already been to college can tell their poorer friends how to play the college admissions game, where to sign up for the SATs and so on. A lot of it, too, must be connections. Affluent people can connect you to the right people to help you get a plum job or into the best schools. But theres got to be more to it than that. Chetty mentioned theres a dosage effect. Kids who move into these economically diverse neighborhoods at age 2 tend to do better than those who move in at 14. Nobody is thinking about SATs or job openings at 2. I would point to the transformational power of friendship itself. Thats because your friends are not just by your side, they get inside you. If you want to help people change, help them change their friendships. We already know from the work by Yales Nicholas Christakis and others that behavior happens in friend networks. If people in your friend network quit smoking, then youre more likely to quit smoking. If your friend gains weight, you are more likely to gain weight. Heck, if one of your friends friends who lives far away and whom you have never met gains weight, then youre more likely to gain weight, too. Our friends shape what we see as normal. If our friends decide that being 15 pounds heavier is normal and acceptable, then well probably regard being 15 pounds heavier as normal, too. This is the key point. Your friends strongly influence how you perceive reality. First, they strongly influence how you see yourself. Its very hard to measure your own worth, your own competence, unless people you admire and respect see you as worthy, see you as competent. Plus, if your friends say, Were all smart, talented people, youll begin to see yourself that way, too. Second, your friends shape how you see the world. A few decades ago, a theorist named James J. Gibson pioneered the theory of affordances. The basic idea is that what you see in a situation is shaped by what you are capable of doing in a situation. Dennis Proffitt of the University of Virginia has demonstrated this theory in a bunch of ways: People who are less physically fit perceive hills to be steeper than people who are fit, because they find it harder to walk up them. People carrying heavy backpacks perceive steeper hills than people without them. The phenomenon works socioeconomically, too. Kids who grew up with college-educated parents walk on the Princeton campus and see a different campus than kids who have never been around a college at all. Without even thinking about it, more-affluent kids might communicate to their less-affluent friends ways of seeing that make such places look less alien, less imposing, more accessible. Third, our friends alter our desires. Desire is notoriously mimetic. We want what other people want and tell us is worth wanting. If you grow up around friends who naturally aspire to be doctors and accountants and engineers, you are probably going to aspire to such things, too. Entering into a friendship can be a life-altering act, and entering into a friendship with someone different from yourself can be life-transforming. Philosopher Alexander Nehamas argues that when we enter into a friendship, were surrendering our future selves to that relationship, in part because the friend may call forth parts of ourselves that dont yet exist. Writing in Comment magazine, David Henreckson observes that when you venture into a new friendship you may wind up taking on new interests, new pursuits and even new enemies. Its daunting: If in the early days of a relationship we knew all the ways that a particularly intimate friendship would change us, how it might transfigure some of our core values, we would be excused for being a little bit reluctant to jump in. But the upside is that friends see us and believe in us in ways wed like to see and believe in ourselves. Friends provide the comradeship that is the crown of a good life. Its interesting to me that one of the most powerful tools for improving a persons life prospects is something that is not intentionally about improving life prospects. We dont enter friendships with the goal of getting more successful (at least if its a true friendship). We dont enter into friendships to improve each other. We enter friendships because we delight in each others company. We enjoy the same activities and interests. The best cross-class community Ive ever been in is Incarnation Camp in Connecticut, which I went to and worked at from about age 8 to about age 22. We had campers whose parents led Goldman Sachs, campers from the poorest areas of Brooklyn and the Bronx, and campers like me from in between. Camp wasnt the rich kids tutoring the less-rich kids on how to live. Camp was a place where we lived, for a month or two each summer, intensely intermingled lives. We learned about one anothers worlds and created the joint world out of our own friendships. We learned a capacity that I wouldnt have been able to name until decades later social range. My camp friends have gone off to become teachers, electricians, homebuilders, social workers, doctors, a fireman. I would say they are extremely comfortable in social settings different from their own. I would say they have realized how fun it is to resist the natural temptation to hang out with people like themselves. All of us in our band have enjoyed the pleasure of unexpected friendship, something our segmenting society makes it harder and harder to create. Those unexpected friendships, the social scientists tell us, turn out to be awesomely powerful. David Brooks is a columnist for the the New York Times. AN appeal lodged at the Supreme Court by Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister Ziyambi Ziyambi seeking approval to impose a Reconstruction Order on coal miner Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL) has been dismissed with costs. Prior to the latest judgment by the Supreme Court, under reference number SC67/22, Ziyambi had initially filed an application at the High Court on February 12, 2020, seeking confirmation of the Reconstruction Order. The High Court dismissed Ziyambis application with costs, prompting him to appeal to the Supreme Court. The impact of the Reconstruction Order, which was announced in an Extraordinary Gazette on October 31, 2018, resulted in the dissolution of the enterprises board. The government holds a 52% stake in the entity, whose debt obligations stood at US$333 million owed to various creditors as at December 31, 2016. Following the announcement of the Reconstruction Order four years ago, Ziyambi appointed Bekithemba Moyo as the companys administrator, whose responsibility was to ostensibly steer the loss-making coal miner back to profitability under the reconstruction exercise. Great Dyke Investments chief operating officer Munashe Shava and Mutsa Remba, former managing director at Dube, Manikai and Hwacha Legal Practitioners, served as Moyos assistants. Relating to the latest Supreme Court ruling handed down by Deputy Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza, she struck off the roll Ziyambis appeal application with costs, highlighting that the minister acted contrary to the relevant statute when he placed the company under reconstruction. Justices Samuel Kudya and Nicholas Mathonsi also sat on the Supreme Court bench. The judgment reads: The order which the minister issued 17 months into the scheme of arrangement no doubt violates Section 2(a) of the Act. It is trite that an order which is issued in direct violation of the law stands on no leg. It is a nullity. Similarly, an application which is premised on a nullity cannot stand. Nothing begets nothing It is by parity of reasoning, evident that the application which the minister made to confirm a nullity cannot stand. It will simply collapse. In passing the judgment, the Supreme Court judges emphasised that Ziyambis appeal application was bound to crumble on the basis that the foundation upon which it is predicated does not exist. The court, in other words, cannot confirm a nothing. Ziyambi, who is cited as the appellant, was represented by Thembinkosi Magwaliba while the respondents, Juliana Muswe, Ntombizodwa Masuku, Edward Tome and Messina Investments were represented by Thabani Mpofu. Muswe, Masuku and Tome are board members of the embattled company which is listed on the London and Johannesburg bourses. Businessman Nicholas van Hoogstraten is also one of HCCLs major shareholders through Messina Investments. Andrew Lawson, a chartered accountant, was the scheme chairperson and a trustee appointed by the scheme creditors to represent their collective interests is cited as the fourth respondent in the court case. Prior to Ziyambis moves to impose a Reconstruction Order on HCCL, the companys shareholders and creditors had agreed on a Scheme of Arrangement, also known as the scheme whose sole purpose was to raise fresh capital, restructure management and rescheduling and settling debt. The scheme was led by Lawson. As part of the court case proceedings, culminating in the judgment, the judges weighed Ziyambis submission premised on the view that placing HCCL under reconstruction, in light of the operational challenges it was facing would save the company from total collapse. Ziyambis legal counsel had argued: The scheme had failed to turn around the fortunes of Hwange due to mismanagement for which the directors were ultimately responsible. He was impelled by the exigencies of the situation to act with speed to protect the public investment and a national strategic asset. Being the largest shareholder and creditor, government of Zimbabwe could not countenance the delays associated with the legal process for the dissolution of the scheme that was specified in the trust deed to which it was a party. But, the respondents countered Ziyambis averments, noting that his unilateral decision to place HCCL under reconstruction was illegal and meant to dismantle the companys legally constituted board, thereby prejudicing its shareholders. The respondents took several preliminary points a quo, against the confirmation of the Reconstruction Order. The directors and the fifth respondent contended that Part II of the Act violated the provisions of Section 56(1) (the equality and right to equal protection clause), 68(1) (the right to administrative justice clause), 69(1) (right to a fair hearing before an independent and impartial tribunal clause) and 71(1) (the right to the protection of private property) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, reads the judgment. They contended that the power reposed in government of Zimbabwe by the impugned provisions to act as both a prosecutor and a judge in its own cause and to unilaterally circumvent the audi alteram partem rule was inconsistent with these constitutional provisions. They further contended that the application did not disclose a cause of action in the face of an extant court order sanctioning the scheme. The aggrieved respondents, who opposed Ziyambis plans to place HCCL under judicial management, underscored that the minister was abusing his authority by passing orders which only favoured a single shareholder being government. The judgment reads: They (respondents) also contended that the invocation of the Act in favour of one shareholder constituted an abuse of authority. Finally, they argued that the appellants failure to make the material disclosure of the mala fides the minister harboured against them arising from some alleged impropriety he committed during his chairmanship of the board between 13 May 2016 and 8 December 2017 (when he assumed ministerial office), rendered the RO a nullity. After assessing the submissions by the contending parties, the Supreme Court Justices dismissed Ziyambis application, citing that it lacked merit. Accordingly, the following order will ensue: The appeal be and is hereby dismissed. The appellant shall pay the first to fifth respondents costs on the ordinary scale. The order of the court a quo is set aside and substituted with the following: The application is struck off the roll with costs, the judgment reads. At its prime, HCCL used to consistently supply coal to the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) for the generation of 400MW of electricity and to commerce, industry and agriculture. Between 2013 and 2016, due to a host of reasons attributable to antiquated equipment and undercapitalisation, the company suffered endemic losses that peaked at US$100 million in 2015 before tapering off to US$87 million in 2016. Zimbabwe Independent WASHINGTON Gov. Greg Abbott says hes sending a message to President Joe Biden by busing thousands of migrants from Texas border towns to D.C. But so far, its neither the Biden administration nor local officials who have borne the brunt of Abbotts gambit. A network of local aid groups and faith organizations have spent the past four months scrambling to build the type of infrastructure that has long existed along the Texas border, where non-government organizations regularly receive asylum seekers, offer them short-term assistance and help them get to their sponsors in the U.S. These groups have helped the more than 6,500 migrants who have arrived in D.C. so far with virtually no help from local officials and only a small amount of federal aid an effort they say is unsustainable as more buses arrive each day. He wants to make Washington feel the pain. Yeah, but federal Washington is not feeling the pain, said Abel Nunez, executive director of the Central American Resource Center, which was among the first groups on the scene when buses began arriving in April. Its inflicting it on local Washington on people and communities that have nothing to do with the federal government. Hes not sending them to the steps of the Capitol as he pronounced, Nunez said. Hes sending them to our local streets. MORE BUSES EN ROUTE: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott begins sending migrants to New York City as well as D.C. District officials have insisted its a federal problem. So far, the groups say, the city has only helped secure a $1 million grant from Federal Emergency Management Agency for one of the organizations, SAMU First Response, a D.C. nonprofit that is part of a larger network of international refugee assistance groups based in Spain. The district has invested virtually none of its own resources, the groups say, even as D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has claimed the city is overwhelmed. Bowser requested assistance from the National Guard, but the Department of Defense rejected the request on Friday. The mayors office did not respond to multiple requests for comment this week. Abbott, meanwhile, says he is expanding the busing campaign. On Friday, his office announced the first buses of migrants arrived in New York City. As of late June, the state had spent $5.3 million to send 90 buses to D.C. The Texas Department of Emergency Management, which is running the operation, would not provide updated costs this week. "Because of President Bidens continued refusal to acknowledge the crisis caused by his open border policies, the State of Texas has had to take unprecedented action to keep our communities safe," Abbott said in a statement. "In addition to Washington, D.C., New York City is the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing that Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city. I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief." Volunteer groups say Bowsers claims that the district is overwhelmed are exaggerated. They say just about 10 percent of the migrants who have arrived in D.C. have opted to stay, with the vast majority leaving to cities across the country where family or other connections take them in. Like many cities across the country, however, the district is facing a housing crunch after the pandemic, which has exacerbated homelessness issues, and some migrants without anywhere to go do end up on the streets. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Groups have pushed for the city to set up a central respite center where migrants can get food, clothing and shelter for a few days when they first arrive. They say that would give volunteers a chance to help them connect with their sponsors in the U.S. and book buses or flights to get there them where they are going. Those that decide to stay in D.C. could be connected to what resources are available to them locally, as well. Right now were doing that all of it at the same time all of it, everyday, Nunez said. We have to build that infrastructure and tear it down everyday. Sometimes that work is being done at Union Station, the busy transit station near where the buses arrive in D.C. Other times its in churches across the region that have offered up space. SAMU First Response, the group that started working with FEMA money in June, has established a more permanent shelter where migrants can stay for up to three nights. But it can only house 50 people while some buses arrive with 60 migrants onboard and is mostly for families and small children, said Tatiana Laborde, operational director for the group. The FEMA funding, while helpful, is not a perfect solution, Nunez said, in part because it comes with so many restrictions. The federal allotment for food, for instance, is just $3 per day per migrant. If were serving people at Union Station and we have to buy it retail, thats a bottle of water and thats all we can get you, Nunez said. Virtually none of the local groups welcoming migrants were set up to do the type of work they are now doing. Many are mutual aid organizations set up during the start of the COVID pandemic. Others work with the citys underserved, predominantly Black neighborhoods. One of the responding groups, the Central American Resource Center, was established in the 1980s to help Salvadorian migrants who were fleeing the Salvadoran Civil War. D.C. now has the second largest Salvadoran population in the country, and the group has programs to help immigrants who have been in the U.S. get jobs, find housing and more. Texas has done little to help the worsening situation, even as Arizona, another GOP-led state that has also started busing migrants to D.C., has been more cooperative, Nunez said. Arizona has coordinated with the groups in D.C., giving volunteers updates on buses en route every two hours. The Arizona buses also have a medical team on board and give migrants better food. They also will give volunteers a manifest of the people onboard so they can begin working to connect with their families and find out what they might need when they arrive. That has left groups in D.C. struggling to coordinate with non-government organizations along the border in Texas to figure out when buses are leaving, how many migrants they are carrying and when they might arrive. Nunez said on at least 10 or 20 occasions, migrants have arrived in D.C. only to turn back around en route to a final destination of Houston. I think that hes doing it in a very negative way, Nunez said of Abbott. If you turn it around, and he would have coordinated with us, it could have been a positive. I think hes just being mean-spirited, hes really weaponizing immigrants. ben.wermund@chron.com State lawmakers who successfully passed a measure last year extending postpartum Medicaid benefits said Thursday the Biden administration will reject the proposal, citing concerns over its eligibility criteria. The administration did not immediately explain the decision, but Texas Democrats said the issue has to do with the plans limitations. It only includes patients who deliver or have involuntary miscarriages excluding those forced to get abortions because of severe medical complications. Nearly all abortions are banned or unattainable in the state, except for life-threatening medical complications to a pregnant patient. The decision will not immediately impact mothers on Medicaid, since that coverage is protected temporarily under a federal health emergency for the pandemic. But it could become a problem if lawmakers cannot respond with a fix before the health emergency ends; its currently extended through Oct. 13. RELATED: Texas health programs report 21% drop in long-term birth control in runup to abortion ban Being disappointed is an understatement of how I feel about this, said Rep. Toni Rose, a Dallas Democrat who led the fight for the bipartisan measure. It was a historic win for Texas moms and families. Rose and other lawmakers, including Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan, said they were committed to pushing the measure when the Legislature convenes for its next biennial session in January. The Texas House will again prioritize passing legislation that extends health coverage to a year for new Texas moms in 2023 as well as other measures that focus on better supporting mothers, children and families in our state, Phelan said in a statement. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Friday that it was still reviewing the plan, and that no formal determination had been made. Low-income mothers who give birth in Texas have been typically eligible for two months of continued Medicaid coverage. The extension passed last year pushed it to six months, while most states have extended their postpartum coverage to a full year. Medicaid covers hospital visits and specialty care that other programs dont typically cover. The Biden administration had offered to fast-track approval for states that extended coverage to a full year, but since Texas chose six months, it was required to go through a lengthier approval process. Rep. Donna Howard, an Austin Democrat, said the state health agency submitted the application earlier this summer. The good news about this, if there is any good news, is that the public health emergency is still in place, and its expected it will be in place perhaps till January, which means that nobodys going to be dropped off of this program right now, Howard said. Howard, a trained nurse, said she was unsure where the term involuntary miscarriage had come from in the first place and that it was probably meant to rule out coverage for patients seeking elective abortions. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Where I think this could be of concern is for those who are further along in their pregnancies and have complications and elect to have an abortion to protect themselves, she said. And or to lessen the pain of having a non-viable fetus. Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the country, and many low-income women dont have access to the kind of postpartum care that experts say is critical to preventing maternal deaths and complications that disproportionately affect women of color. Howard said she is hopeful that Gov. Greg Abbott will expedite the measure next session and both chambers can pass a revised version that includes 12 months of coverage. The House had approved 12 months last year, but the Senate cut it to six. Both chambers are controlled by Republicans. *This story has been updated to include comments Friday from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. jeremy.blackman@chron.com While Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke was on the campaign trail on Wednesday, he was warned to slow down while driving through part of Galveston County. O'Rourke was stopped by a Hitchcock Police Department traffic enforcement officer on Wednesday morning as he was driving in the 3900 block of state Highway 6, Hitchcock Police Chief Wilmon Smith said on Thursday night. The officer stopped the pick-up truck O'Rourke was driving after he was clocked going 61 mph in a 45 mph zone, Smith said. O'Rourke was issued a warning for driving more than 10 percent over the limit, Smith said.The stop was listed by police at 10:27 a.m. AFTER UVALDE: In Beto O'Rourke ad, Houston teacher recalls terrifying school lockdown 3 days after Uvalde massacre An O'Rourke campaign spokesman on Thursday night confirmed the stop happened and declined to comment. Still, O'Rourke's full name appeared in Galveston County's daily online police bulletin, which includes basic details about every arrest and alleged traffic law violation in the county. At least one person spotted O'Rourke in the bulletin and posted a screen shot of his name on Facebook. Smith said it's normal for drivers to be going too fast in the spot where O'Rourke was pulled over. The speed limit drops in that section of the highway, he said. "It's not unusual for people to not notice the change in the speed limit right there," Smith said. Smith called the stop typical. O'Rourke wasn't given any sobriety tests, he said. "We cut him a warning and cut him loose." Smith said. Smith said it was the officer's discretion to not administer any sobriety tests. CAMPAIGN NEWS: In O'Rourke ad, Houston teacher recalls terrifying school lockdown 3 days after Uvalde massacre O'Rourke is in the midst of a 49-day tour through Texas, where he plans to visit more than 65 counties, according to The Texas Tribune. He made a campaign stop in Galveston on Wednesday night and then traveled to Lake Jackson, in Brazoria County, on Thursday afternoon. john.ferguson@chron.com Gov. Greg Abbott is vowing to send more buses of migrants to Washington, D.C. despite that citys mayor having to call for help from the National Guard to help with the influx of people coming from Texas. During a speech in Dallas to the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday, Abbott said D.C. officials are now feeling what Texas feels every day as the surge of migrants continues to come across the border. Abbott said Texas has now sent more than 6,500 immigrants to D.C. and they cannot handle it. I got one thing to tell you and tell them, there are more buses on the way as we gather at this conference today, Abbott said to cheers. READ MORE: Abbott buses first group of immigrants to D.C., arriving in front of the Fox News headquarters Last week, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called for the National Guard to help D.C. to deal with an influx of migrants coming to the city. We need space and we need the federal government to be involved, Bowser said at a press conference last week. D.C. officials have specifically requested the National Guard turn the D.C. Armory or another site around the area into a processing center for migrants. Abbott began busing migrants to D.C. because he said federal border officials were rerouting immigrants to San Antonio and other Texas cities, straining human services programs. He said by sending the immigrants to D.C. hes showing other cities what Texas is dealing with since President Joe Biden took office. Abbotts program cannot force migrants to go to D.C., but many migrants are accepting the offer to get to immigrant-friendly D.C., which has declared itself a sanctuary city and has large populations of Central American migrants already in the area. More than 400,000 of the 1.6 million border crossings since October have been by people from Honduras, Guatemala or El Salvador, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Abbott has been unapologetic about sending migrants north. Just on Monday, he sent a letter to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Bowser pressing them to come to Texas to see how much worse the situation is for small cities and towns in Texas than what they are experiencing. As Governor, I invite you to visit our border region to see firsthand the dire situation that only grows more urgent with each passing day, and to meet with the local officials, who like yourselves, realize this matter deserves immediate federal action, Abbott said in the letter. I also ask you to join me in requesting President Biden secure the border and put an end to this disastrous crisis. During his CPAC speech on Thursday, Abbott heaped praise on former President Donald Trumps immigration policies, specifically his efforts to build more walls and fences along the Texas border. Trump speaks to the group on Saturday, his first speech in Texas since May when he spoke at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting in Houston. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also had a 15-minute slot on Thursdays agenda, using his time on stage to offer much of the same advice he did at the Texas GOP convention in June: Republicans should unite ahead of the November election, no matter their place on the political spectrum, and they should also embrace God in their day-to-day lives. We are not the enemy, Patrick said. We must come together as one. We must do that in Texas. Because make no mistake: This election in November is not going to be an easy election. Cayla Harris contributed reporting. jeremy.wallace@chron.com WFO PORTLAND Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, August 8, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE...CORRECTED National Weather Service Portland OR 225 PM PDT Thu Aug 4 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON SUNDAY TO 8 PM PDT MONDAY... * WHAT...High temperatures 97 to 102. Low temperatures 60 to 70. * WHERE...In Oregon, Greater Portland Metro Area, Upper Hood River Valley, Western Columbia River Gorge and Central Columbia River Gorge. In Washington, Greater Vancouver Area, Western Columbia River Gorge and Central Columbia River Gorge. * WHEN...From noon Sunday to 8 PM PDT Monday. * 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. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Wait! Before you go Please sign up for our Evening Digest and Breaking Newsletters Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Cicero state Rep. Lisa Hernandez (24th), who was elected chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois Saturday, is pictured with outgoing chair Robin Kelly, a congresswoman from Matteson. The pair embraced briefly before the meeting Saturday morning in which Hernandez was elected unanimously after a contentious effort by Hernandez's backers to replace Kelly in the days prior. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. 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Iran demands IAEA withdraw accusations before reactivating surveillance cameras Xinhua) 09:04, August 05, 2022 TEHRAN, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Iran's top nuclear official said on Thursday the Iran will reactivate the surveillance cameras of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at its nuclear sites only if the IAEA withdraws its accusations against Tehran. Mohammad Eslami, president of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was also quoted by the official news agency IRNA as saying that Iran seeks to achieve a "good agreement" at the Vienna talks that would safeguard its people's interests. In June, the IAEA Board of Governors passed an anti-Iran resolution proposed by the U.S., Britain, France and Germany following the agency's reports that Tehran had not provided "technically credible explanations" for uranium particles found at three undeclared sites. After the adoption of the IAEA resolution, Iran announced a number of counter measures, including turning off the IAEA's surveillance cameras at its nuclear sites. Speaking of the ongoing talks in Vienna to revive the 2015 deal, Eslami expressed the hope for the U.S. side to show goodwill and willingness to reach an agreement, and refrain from breaking its promises. Iran signed a nuclear deal 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 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its commitments under the pact. The talks on reviving the nuclear pact began in April 2021 in the Austrian capital of Vienna but were suspended in March this year because of the political differences between Tehran and Washington. After almost five months, delegations from the remaining signatories to the JCPOA, as well as the United States, are currently in Vienna for a fresh round of talks on the revival of the agreement. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Two Live Debates for District Attorney Candidates Aug. 15 PITSFIELD, Mass. Pittsfield Community Television, in partnership with iBerkshires.com, will present live debates for the Berkshire County Sheriff and Berkshire County District Attorney races. The debates will both take place on Monday, August 15th, in the auditorium at the Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield. The first debate will feature Berkshire County Sheriff candidates Thomas Bowler and Alf Barbalunga at 6 p.m. and the second debate of the evening will be for Berkshire County District Attorney candidates Andrea Harrington and Tim Shugrue. The DAs debate will begin at 7:30 pm. The debates are moderated by representatives of iBerkshires and Pittsfield Community Television and will feature panelists asking questions. They are open to the public and will be broadcast live on PCTV CityLink Channel 1303 in Pittsfield, on the PCTV Select App available on Roku and Apple TV, and on the Pittsfield Community Television Facebook page. PCTV and iBerkshires are also soliciting questions from the public. You can submit your question for the candidates to election@pittsfieldtv.org and the panelists may work some of the questions into the debates. Both elections will be settled in the Democratic primary election which will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 6. iciHaiti - Strong operation : The PNH releases 6 hostages Thursday, August 4, 2022, during a strong operation carried out in Terre-blanche, commune of Croix-des-Bouquets, the National Police of Haiti (PNH) released safe and sound, 6 hostages (including a French national). The hostages had been sequestered for 10 to 22 days depending on the case in a house belonging to the former powerful gang leader "Koleg" of "Nan Remy" (former influential member of "400 Mawozo") fatally injured on Wednesday by the forces of the order during a confrontation https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37321-haiti-news-zapping.html "Operations aimed at the definitive dismantling of gang networks operating in the neighborhoods of Croix-des-Bouquets and the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince will continue in order to track down bandits and kidnappers to their last entrenchments," reiterates the PNH. IH/ iciHaiti The President of the All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU), Wangkhemcha Shamjai, was summoned and harassed by National Investigation Agency (NIA) officers on August 2. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Indian Journalists Union (IJU), condemn the harassment of the journalist and urge authorities to respect freedom of the press. The AMWJU, the Editors Guild Manipur and the Manipur Hill Journalists Union protest against the National Investigation Agency's harassment of the AWMJU president in Imphal, Manipur on August 5. Credit: IJU On July 31, Shamjai, the Editor-in-Chief of local daily newspaper Kangleipakki Meira, received a phone call summoning him to the NIA office on the morning of August 2 regarding an investigation into two journalists accused of aiding underground insurgent groups. According to the IJU, on arrival at the office, the journalist was left in a small room for approximately two hours before being interrogated until 5 PM by an NIA officer with uncomfortable and unrelated queries. Shamjai said he was also intimidated by NIA officers again the following day. The AMWJU, Editors Guild Manipur and the Manipur Hill Journalists Union held a sit-in demonstration and ceased work on August 5 from 10 AM to 4 PM in Imphal, Manipur in protest of the NIAs treatment of Shamjai. The media organisations demanded that the NIA cease its harassment of journalists and respect press freedom. The unions also issued a Memorandum to the Governor and Manipur Chief Minister condemning the NIAs treatment of Shamjai as an accused person and called for an end to the authorities arbitrary harassment of media workers without evidence. The NIA is currently investigating two former members of the AMWJU for their alleged involvement in recruitment for the United National Liberation Front, a banned group under Indias Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. AMWJU has suspended the membership of both journalists for one year. The IJU said: The harassment of the President of AMWJU, an affiliate, is unacceptable in any democratic society. Expressing solidarity with the media organisations, the IJU said NIAs actions are a big challenge to the functioning of the media and its independence. IJU joins them in urging the Governor and Chief Minister to look into the matter and take necessary actions to ensure the media fraternity is not further harassed by the NIA or any other investigating agencies in future. The IFJ said: The arbitrary harassment and intimidation of journalists and media workers by local authorities gravely undermines both press freedom and democracy.The IFJ condemns the harassment of AMWJU president Wangkhemcha Shamjai and calls for an immediate investigation into the incident. Photographer and activist Aye Kyaw, who was known for documenting anti-junta protests, has been reported dead in custody after his arrest on July 30. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly condemns the killing and urges Myanmars military junta to immediately investigate the incident and cease its persecution of journalists, media workers and activists. Myanmar's military participate in a parade on March 27. Photographer and activist Aye Kyaw has died in military custody after his arrest on July 30. Credit: STR / AFP Aye Kyaw, the owner of the Sagaing city Harman Photography studio and a member of the Upper Myanmar Photography Association, was arrested in the early morning of July 30. Speaking with Radio Free Asia, Aye Kyaws relatives said members of the military arrived at his home in a convoy of six vehicles, under the premise that weapons were allegedly stored on the property. The photographer was detained despite no weapons being found. Approximately ten hours later, the administrator of the Aung Chanthar ward contacted Aye Kyaws family to inform them that he had died, with his body being held in Sagaing City Hospitals mortuary. According to reports, the body was left outside of the hospital to be collected by a local charity burial organisation, the Ohbo Health and Social Assistance Association. The cause of Aye Kyaws death remains unclear and an official from the burial organisation said, we didn't see any superficial wounds on the body but I noticed his chest was sewn up like a postmortem. I didn't see any injuries or leaking body fluids. One Sagaing resident close to the deceased reported deep bruising on the photographers body, while another resident said the lack of external injuries indicated Aye Kyaw had died due to extreme torture. Aye Kyaw had been active in documenting protests and anti-junta activities in Myanmar, with his work often shared on social media by politicians and local media. The photographers death in custody comes amid widespread repression of press freedom and dissent following Myanmars military coup in February 2021. In the past two weeks, the IFJ has documented an increasing crackdown, with four pro-democracy activists executed on July 24, to international condemnation. On July 29, freelance journalist Maung Maung Myo was sentenced to six years in prison for possessing images and interviews of insurgent groups. The same day, Japanese video journalist Toru Kobuto was arrested during a protest in Yangon. IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: The military juntas continued assault on independent journalists and media workers has created a deeply hostile environment for the media in Myanmar. The arbitrary killing of a media worker in custody displays utter contempt for fundamental human rights, freedom of expression and freedom of the press. The IFJ strongly condemns the death of Aye Kyaw and calls on Myanmars authorities to immediately investigate the case so the perpetrators can be brought to justice. Amdocs, a leading provider of software and services to communications and media companies, today announced the extension of its managed services agreement with PLDT, a leading telecommunications and digital service provider in the Philippines, for an additional three years, extending the agreement through 2028. As part of the broader strategic partnership, Amdocs will continue to consolidate, modernize, and manage PLDT and Smarts IT Infrastructure and applications, enabling efficient delivery of services and optimized IT spends. Extension of managed services agreement will enable faster delivery of new offerings, with increased flexibility and choice for its consumers Under the deal, Amdocs will enable modernization of IT platforms and infrastructure, supporting all lines of business as an integrated telco. Amdocs and PLDT also put importance on environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria in IT operations, beginning with foundational steps such as e-billing adoption, to major initiatives such as transformation of PLDTs IT footprint to the cloud. PLDT is committed to empowering Filipinos everywhere with customer-focused digital innovations, helping them create a better tomorrow, said Alfredo S. Panlilio, President and CEO at PLDT. Our long-standing strategic partnership with Amdocs is enabling us to achieve this, as we move into the future with infinite potential of 5G and digital services evolution. We are delighted to strengthen our long-term partnership with PLDT, a journey of collaboration that builds on a shared vision to deliver amazing customer experiences, said Anthony Goonetilleke, Group President of Technology and Head of Strategy at Amdocs. We look forward to partnering with PLDT as they drive their business to new heights. Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL), the business incubation subsidiary of the Adani Group, has inked an MoU with the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA), the premier public-funded agency overseeing Israel's innovation policy, for cooperation in technological innovation between Adani Group and Israeli companies. This cooperation will deepen the existing partnerships that Adani has already established over the past six years in Israel, the company reported. Accordingly, the MoU will lead to the creation of a cutting-edge innovation platform that will allow Adani businesses to access tech solutions provided by Israeli start-ups whereby selected innovation projects will be supported by the partnership. The collaboration will span climate change, cyber, Al, 5G, agriculture, all of which are core businesses for Adani. Karan Adani, CEO and Whole-time Director, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd said, "The Haifa Port acquisition demonstrates the Adani Group's dedication to Israel. The partnership with the Israel Innovation Authority is yet another big step in deepening our relations within Israel and provides us a platform to access the hundreds of cutting-edge technologies that Israel continues to produce. The Adani-llA collaboration will also help to open various platforms for the latest technologies from Israel to enter India and accelerate digitization of other organizations." Dror Bin, CEO, Israel Innovation Authority said, "With this MoU, the Israel Innovation Authority will provide Israeli entities an opportunity to co-develop, pilot and scale-up innovative technologies in partnership with Adani's diverse businesses in the fields of renewable energy, Al, logistics and many more." At around 10:10 AM, Adani Enterprises was trading at Rs2,698.80 per share down by Rs24.4 or 0.9% from its previous closing of Rs2,723.20 per share on the BSE. Advertisements 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. 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. Having worked in the business for a while, Annu Kapoor has proven his talent as an actor by playing some iconic roles. The veteran actor has recently returned to the spotlight due to his work on his online series, but despite spending four decades in the industry, he still sees himself as a struggling actor. Instagram Annu Kapoor recently talked about his frustration in an interview. He stated that he has to put in a lot of effort to run his kitchen since he isn't Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, or Salman Khan. With his remarkable acting, we have seen the 66-year-old make us angry, amused, and emotional. Annu Kapoor Fans fondly remember him for his work in popular movies like Vicky Donor and Jolly LLB 2. He was also the OG host of the popular TV series Antakshari. Antakshari Despite all of his accomplishments, Annu admitted that he occasionally gets frustrated by the limited number of options available. Instagram Talking about the harsh reality he has to face despite being in the industry for over four decades, he spoke to Hindustan Times and said, "I feel frustrated from the inside, but what can I do? I have to run the kitchen and look after my family. I am not Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, or Salman Khan; I am just a very small, struggling actor, even after 40 years. And in this country, nobody is bothered about how talented or dedicated you are, as long as you are handsome and have done a couple of films as a hero. Its fine." Annu Kapoor also stated that actors aren't scared to appear on TV and OTT, although these platforms were despised in the past. Instagram "Initially, there used to be certain snobbery in the upper echelon of the so-called Hindi film industry. They will not work for television. But money talks, and bull**** walks. All the people, icons from Bollywood, will have to come because of money and exposure. So they all came to television and will all be coming to OTT." Annu Kapoor will be seen in a Crash Course web series. He will be seen playing the role of a ruthless businessman. (To get the latest updates from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment) As part of its efforts to strengthen the country's hijab and chastity laws, Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has barred women from appearing in ads. According to Radio Free Europe, the ministry informed advertising companies in a letter that women are no longer permitted to star in any type of advertisement or commercial. Screengrab The order to ban women in ads comes just days after a controversial commercial starring a lady in a loose headscarf biting suggestively into a Magnum ice cream sparked fury and outrage among Iran's hardline Islamic leaders. Screengrab According to a report in the Mirror, Iranian clerics were outraged by the video and demanded that the ice cream manufacturer, Domino, be sued. Officials retaliated by declaring that the advertisement was "against public decency" and an "insult" to "women's morals." Screengrab According to the letter addressed to advertising firms by Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, the ban is per Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution rulings. The body responsible for enjoining right and forbidding evil in the Islamic Republic of Iran has filed a lawsuit against the Iranian ice-cream manufacturer Domino over two controversial commercials, which it says are against public decency and insult womens values. pic.twitter.com/Brho4SGZj3 Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) July 5, 2022 Local legislation also established prohibiting the "instrumental use" of women, men, and children. And this is the second commercial by Domino company, which is accused by the Islamic Republic of making instrumental use of women. pic.twitter.com/dhcLDXoeWi Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) July 5, 2022 This law has always been, but its interpretation has changed depending on how strict the administration is at the time. Unsplash This entire incident is being taken in the context of a more significant issueIran's implementation of the public hijab, which many women have tried to protest. Unsplash In recent years, women in Iran have risked arrest and punishment by removing their headscarves in public to protest imposed clothing regulations. (For more trending stories from around the world, follow us on telegram.) In what can be considered a double tragedy, two brothers succumb to snake bites within a short period. According to authorities, a man was killed after being bitten by a snake while he was sleeping while attending the funeral for his brother, who had passed away from a snake bite. According to Circle Officer Radha Raman Singh of PTI, Govind Mishara, 22, attended the funeral rites for his brother Arvind Mishra, 38, that were held in Bhawanipur village on Wednesday. World Snake Day Unfortunately, the brother also passed away from a snake bite. Unsplash "Govind Mishara was killed after being bitten by a snake in his sleep. One of the family's relatives, Chandrashekar Pandey (22), who was in the same house, was also bitten by a snake," Singh said. "Pandey was rushed to a hospital, where his condition remains critical," the official added. According to the police, Govind Mishara and Pandey had both traveled from Ludhiana to the village to attend Arvind Mishra's funeral. Instagram Senior medical and administrative officials visited the village on Thursday. Local MLA Kailash Nath Shukla met with the grieving family and assured them of help. Shukla asked local officials to take measures to prevent such incidents in the future. USGS The World Health Organization (WHO) states that snakebite is a neglected public health issue in many tropical and subtropical nations. "About 5.4 million snakebites occur each year, resulting in 1.8 to 2.7 million cases of envenomings (poisoning from snakebites)," a report from May 2021 said. "There are 81,410 and 137,880 deaths and around three times as many amputations and other permanent disabilities each year." According to the report, up to 2 million individuals in Asia contract poison from snakebites each year. (With PTI inputs) Follow us on telegram. Read more: IBC 2022 5-Star Construction Lions Gate Underwriting LGU won in the builders risk/course of construction, commercial and contractor general liability, workers comp, environmental liability, third-party liability, and professional liability categories of IBCs awards. The secret to the companys success lies in working very closely with brokers, explained LGU director of construction Jamie Ross Dick. Whether its property coverage for buildings scheduled for demolition, ground up course of constructions, wrap-up and/or premises liability, even environmental liability, LGU wants to be with our brokers every step of the way, said Dick. LGU has exclusive domestic and Lloyds capacity in-house which allows our team to offer unique solutions to our brokers, quickly and effectively. Beyond our existing in-house capacity, LGU has excellent open market relationships, helping us find a home for those complex, hard-to-place construction risks. LGU has also managed to navigate the treacherous risk landscape brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic by being as adaptable as possible. Being entrepreneurial in spirit, LGU has remained nimble through the markets ebbs and flows and the ability to adjust to these fluctuations quickly and with relative ease has positioned us well for considerable growth, said LGU managing director and head of underwriting Meagan Woensdregt, who added that the company even posted record-breaking results in 2020 and 2021, as well as recording its highest income bound in June 2022. But at the end of the day, LGU believes that its staff are its greatest asset, responsible for keeping the business both afloat and successful through an unprecedented global health and economic crisis. LGU feels incredibly accomplished in the growth that weve seen in recent years, however, what we are most proud of is our people and the team dynamics that weve built, said LGU president Brian Gomes. We plan to continue investing in our people who are our greatest asset, as well as increasing our underwriting capacity and expanding our network of brokers to provide the most effective solutions. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has warned pet owners that regardless of size, gender, or age, any dog can bite, but added that most of the time, such instances can be prevented. Even the cuddliest, fuzziest, sweetest pet can bite if provoked, the organization explained in a dog bite prevention guide on its website. Remember, it is not a dogs breed that determines whether it will bite, but rather the dogs individual history and behavior. Read more: Revealed top 15 pet insurance providers in the US Why do dogs bite? There are several reasons why canines bite, according to AVMA, but often they do so as a reaction to something. If the dog finds itself in a stressful situation, it may bite to defend itself or its territory, the association noted. Dogs can bite because they are scared or have been startled. They can bite because they feel threatened. They can bite to protect something that is valuable to them, like their puppies, their food, or a toy. Some canines also become aggressive when they are sick or injured as they may want to be left alone. But even if they are feeling well or playful, there is still a risk that they may bite. Dogs also might nip and bite during play, the association added. Even though nipping during play might be fun for the dog, it can be dangerous for people. Its a good idea to avoid wrestling or playing tug-of-war with your dog. These types of activities can make your dog overly excited, which may lead to a nip or a bite. What is the average cost of dog injury-related claims? These instances demonstrate the importance of having the right type of coverage for many of the countrys dog owners. AVMAs data shows that pet insurance companies paid a total of $881 million in liability claims related to dog bites and other canine-related injuries in 2021, with the average cost per claim amounting to about $49,025. Among the insurers that have the highest dog-related injury claims payout in the past several years is State Farm, which has paid more than $1.1 billion between 2012 and 2021. Meanwhile, the top 10 states that reported the greatest number of dog bite incidents last year in alphabetical order are Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Read more: Dog breeds with the most and least expensive insurance rates What types of insurance policies do dog owners need to take out? Pet insurance, including that for dogs, typically provides three kinds of coverage, mostly health-related. These are: Accident and illness: The most common type of coverage, this type of policy covers injuries caused by accidents including broken bones, torn ligaments, bite wounds, eye trauma, and poisoning and sickness such as skin infections, cancer, arthritis, allergies, ear infections, diarrhea, and internal parasites. Accident-only: Some insurers offer this kind of plan, which essentially covers anything associated with sudden physical injury. This type of policy usually costs less than accident and illness plans, and suits pets with pre-existing conditions. Wellness: This optional coverage pays out for wellness expenses, including annual physical exams, spay or neuter procedures, routine blood panels, heartworm testing and treatment, fecal testing, urinalyses, routine vaccinations, teeth cleanings, and flea and tick treatments. However, experts advise canine owners to take out another form of protection, which covers injuries and damages their pets cause others. This type of policy is called pet liability insurance. How does pet liability insurance work? Most homeowners and renters insurance policies provide liability coverage up to a certain limit. This includes claims resulting from pet-related injuries and damages. Apart from dog bites, some plans cover property damage, including when a pet, for instance, chewed up another persons couch or peed on someone elses laptop. Canine owners can also purchase a separate dog liability coverage, especially if their pets are among those considered aggressive breeds or if they feel that coverage in their home insurance policies is not enough. Read more: Dogs bites are an increasing liability for businesses and pet owners Top 10 dog breeds that need pet insurance In a recent blog, Pawlicy Advisor listed the top 10 dog breeds that may need coverage due to different behavioral and health factors. To come up with the list, the pet insurance marketplace considered several parameters, including bite force data from industry information website Pet Comments, temperament scores which measures how well-mannered a dog behaves in various settings from the American Temperament Test Society (ATTS), and percentage of home insurers (among 42 providers) banning the breed from Forbes Advisor. These metrics reflect each breeds risk level when it comes to attacking or biting others. Pawlicy Advisor also factored in the different illnesses the breeds are exposed to. Here are the top 10 dog breeds that require coverage, according to the pet insurance marketplace. The list is arranged in alphabetical order: 1. Akita Bite force: 350 to 400 pounds per square inch (PSI) Bite force ranking: 11th Temperament score passing rate: 77.8% Percentage of home insurers banning the breed: 79% Common health issues: Sebaceous adenitis and hip dysplasia 2. Alaskan Malamute Bite force: 235 PSI* Bite force ranking: Not ranked Temperament score passing rate: 84.8% Percentage of home insurers banning the breed: 26% Common health issues: Bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus) 3. American Staffordshire Terrier (AmStaff) Bite force: 328 PSI** Bite force ranking: Not ranked Temperament score passing rate: 85.5% Percentage of home insurers banning the breed: 100% (classified under pit bulls) Common health issues: Elbow dysplasia, hypothyroidism, progressive retinal atrophy, and cerebellar ataxia 4. Bulldogs Bite force: 305 PSI** Bite force ranking: Not ranked Temperament score passing rate: 86.9% Percentage of home insurers banning the breed: 19% Common health issues: Illnesses related to the nose, eyes, teeth, and respiratory system 5. Cane Corso Bite force: 700 PSI Bite force ranking: 3rd Temperament score passing rate: 88.1% Percentage of home insurers banning the breed: 19% Common health issues: Epilepsy, gastric dilatation-volvulus, and eyelid abnormalities 6. Chow Chow Bite force: 220 PSI Bite force ranking: 22nd Temperament score passing rate: 71.7% Percentage of home insurers banning the breed: 95% Common health issues: Hypothyroidism, skin and ear infections, obesity, and depression 7. Doberman Pinscher Bite force: 245 PSI Bite force ranking: 16th Temperament score passing rate: 79.5% Percentage of home insurers banning the breed: 100% Common health issues: Certain types of cancer, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), liver inflammation, wobbler syndrome, and bloat 8. German Shepherd Bite force: 238 PSI Bite force ranking: 17th Temperament score passing rate: 85.3% Percentage of home insurers banning the breed: 45% Common health issues: Issues in the hips and gastrointestinal tract 9. Labrador Retriever Bite force: 230 PSI Bite force ranking: 20th Temperament score passing rate: 92.2% Percentage of home insurers banning the breed: None Common health issues: Elbow and hip dysplasia, as well as knee-related issues and eye problems 10. Rottweiler Bite force: 328 PSI Bite force ranking: 12th Temperament score passing rate: 84.7% Percentage of home insurers banning the breed: 100% Common health issues: Heart disease, including aortic stenosis * Data from Dog Breeds Expert ** Data from Hepper.com Read more: 25 most dangerous dog breeds How can owners prevent their dogs from biting others? While AVMA pointed out that dogs regardless of breed, age, or gender can bite others when provoked, there are several practical strategies that canine owners can do to prevent such instances from happening. These include: Over 100 visionary leaders in the American insurance industry have been inducted so far into the prestigious Hall of Fame, which recognizes role models who have influenced the industry landscape. Now in its sixth year, Insurance Business America is calling for entries for its 2022 showcase. Readers are invited to nominate an industry veteran who has paved the way for thousands of other professionals to succeed. To be considered, nominees must have at least 35 years of experience in the industry. Heffernan Insurance Brokers, one of the largest full-service, independent brokerage firms in the US, has announced that it has acquired California-based Beals Insurance Agency. As part of the transaction, Charley Beals, president of Beals Insurance Agency, has joined Heffernan Insurance Brokers as a vice president. Beals has more than 19 years of industry experience, and founded Beals Insurance Agency in 2014. He will be joining Heffernans HeffDirect division, combining the two firms specialty in residential long-term care facilities for the elderly. There were 40 L&H investments worth a total of $918 million in Q2, and 92 P&C insurtech deals worth a total of $1.49 billion, according to Gallagher Re. P&C deal flow was down 13.2%, but total investment rose 5.9% from Q1. Average deal size was $20.73 million. Early-stage insurtech funding totaled $368 million in Q2, a drop of 44.4% from Q1 and a drop of 26.1% year over year. An about-average 45.5% of deals benefited US-based insurtechs, while UK ventures saw a big spike, representing 12.1% of total global deals in the second quarter, up four points. Reinsurers made 28 Q2 investments, five fewer than in Q1. Their Series A investments accounted for almost a third of reinsurer deals, the highest since Q2 2020, driven by strategic investments announced as partnerships. Read next: Gallagher Re names North American EVP Global markets have struggled since the beginning of the year, with even the most robust stock valuations taking a beating, said Dr. Andrew Johnston, global head of insurtech at Gallagher Re. Insurtechs which are set to deliver growth and profitability over the long term now present confident investors with an excellent opportunity to diversify their portfolios. A number of them will undoubtedly change the face of our industry, or parts of it, and in some cases are already doing so. As markets begin to recover, those insurtechs should rise to the surface with the utmost buoyancy. Johnston said that the recent downgrade in company values could lead to M&A and divestitures that would have been unlikely six months ago. It has caused some insurtechs to coalesce, and thrown cold water over many other insurtechs that previously considered themselves special or unique, he said. In the wake of value realization, certain insurtechs should offload, and certain investors even certain insurtechs should acquire. For both sides of the trade, this moment could be seen as an enormous opportunity. Lemonade Lemonade reportedly laid off 20% of Metromiles staff about 60 people after closing its acquisition of the company in late July, according to people familiar with the matter. Former Metromile CEO Dan Preston, now SVP of strategic initiatives at Lemonade, sent an email to Metromile staff from his personal email address thanking colleagues for their contributions. Todays actions were not what any of us expected as we embarked on this path, and it was naturally a huge shock to all of us, Preston wrote in his email. But most importantly, its not a reflection of your performance, talent or potential. In a related move, EIS, a global core and digital insurance platform provider, disclosed plans to buy Metromiles Enterprise Business Solutions, an SaaS-based claims automation and fraud detection platform. Pie Insurance Pie Insurance, an insurtech focused on workers compensation insurance for small businesses, has formed partnerships with three commercial insurance platforms: Bold Penguin, Talage and Tarmika. The idea is that agents who patronize these partners will gain more flexibility to access quotes from multiple carriers. They can also quote Pie policies directly without leaving their chosen platform. Integrating with these third-party companies lets partner agents optimize production, scale their own business and improve client retention, Pie Insurance said in its announcement. Bold Penguin, Talage and Tarmika have built world-class digitally connected platforms that provide insurance agents with the tools they need to quickly quote and bind policies on behalf of their clients, Pie president and co-founder Dax Craig said in prepared remarks. By offering Pie to their widespread network of agents, well be able to deliver on our mission of empowering small businesses to thrive more efficiently Mulberri Embedded insurance platform Mulberri raised a $4 million seed round designed to help expand its infrastructure and data modeling efforts. Hanover Technology Management, MS&AD Ventures and Altamont Capital Partners led the round. Mulberri debuted in 2021. The California-based startup bills itself as being the first business insurance product built specifically for PEOs and brokers. The technology is designed to help PEOs, brokers and carriers come together to write business that helps them make intelligent data-driven decisions. PEOs typically administer employee health insurance or other benefits. The companys platform provides smart submission intake, automated quote and bind, data-driven insurance management and easily accessible protection and monitoring services. It also optimizes PEO business workflows, speeds up client acquisition and provides risk analytics by integrating with multiple systems like HRIS, Payroll and others. Carpe Data Carpe Data appointed Duck Creek Technologies veteran William Magowan as its new chief revenue officer. Carpe Data is a provider of emerging and alternative data products for the insurance industry. Magowan succeeds Jim Andrews in the position, who has been named to the newly created position of chief customer officer a position designed to advance the companys customer-centric philosophy during a time of accelerated growth. Magowan spent more than a decade as Duck Creeks director of sales. Before that, he served nearly 10 years at Insurity, a software company that services the P/C insurance industry. Carpe Data provides claims automation technology, but also markets to commercial insurers advanced classification, risk characteristics and predictive scores for more than 45 million businesses in the United States. Flow Security The startup Flow Security raised $10 million in new seed funding and has launched a data security platform designed to discover and protect data at rest and in motion. The Israeli startup serves customers in insurtech, fintech, healthcare, e-commerce and more. Amiti VC led the round. GFC, Amdocs Ventures, CyberArk CEO Udi Mokady and Demisto CEO and co-founder Slavik Markovich also participated. The companys technology centers around continuously mapping and detecting all data-related risks with the goal of an improved data security posture. Flow Security supports use cases including discovering and classifying data flows to external services, policy enforcement, automatic data-related threat modeling and reducing data access permissions to the minimum. Flow Security debuted in 2021. Counterpart Counterpart, an insurtech centered around a management liability platform, has made two big additions to its leadership team. The California-based company hired Claudette Kellner as insurance product lead and Eric Marler as head of claims. Both will be tasked with collaborating with Counterparts brokers and carrier partners, including Markel and Aspen Insurance, to expand Counterparts underwriting capabilities. Theyll also focus on boosting workflow efficiencies and further enhancing the companys platform. Kellner, named as one of Insurance Business Americas Elite Women of 2020, is an industry veteran with previous focus on management and professional liability books at several global insurers. Marler was previously assistant vice president of management liability claims at Hanover Insurance Group. New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! 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 mans 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 Johnsons neck. The complaint says Johnson yelled I cant 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 Johnsons 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 couldnt comment as neither police nor the town had yet been served the lawsuit. Johnsons lawyers say an internal investigation found that the officers violated several department policies and procedures. One of Johnsons 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. Johnsons 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 didnt 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. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Law Enforcement Massachusetts New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! Union Mutual Insurance Co. recently announced its participation in community-owned solar project under development by the Acorn Renewable Energy Co-op of Middlebury. As the sole Series A member investor, Union Mutual has provided roughly one-third of the capital to construct the project and will receive federal tax credits in return in addition to keeping investment costs down for Series B member investors. The project involves a 150 kW solar array on a capped former municipal landfill in Hinesburg, which will soon offer shares to residents who have an electric meter in the Vermont Electric Cooperative service territory. These investors will receive the projects net metered credits on their bills, and will take full ownership of the project when the equity structure is expected to flip in about six years. The Acorn Energy Co-op is a member-owned cooperative serving residents and businesses in Addison, Rutland and Chittenden counties. Union Mutual Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Galfetti cited the project as part of the insurers ongoing efforts to be a good corporate citizen and environmental steward. Galfetti said her company understands the importance of local, financially sustainable and affordable energy sources and appreciates opportunities to invest locally. Union Mutual of Vermont Companies consists of Union Mutual Fire Insurance and New England Guaranty Insurance Co., both based in Montpelier, and Community Mutual Insurance Co. based in Latham, New York. The three companies write $193 million in direct premium annually through independent agents throughout New England and New York. Topics Vermont Three grain ships left Ukrainian ports on Friday while the first inbound cargo vessel since Russias invasion was due in Ukraine later in the day to load, as Kyiv called for the safe passage deal to be extended to other cargoes such as metals. The July 22 deal marked a rare diplomatic breakthrough as war rages in eastern Ukraine, with Kyiv trying to rebuild its shattered economy after more than five months of conflict. We expect that the security guarantees of our partners from the U.N. and Turkey will continue to work, and food exports from our ports will become stable and predictable for all market participants, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Facebook after the ships set off. The first grain ship left Odesa on Monday. This agreement is about logistics, about the movement of vessels through the Black Sea, Ukrainian Deputy Economy Minister Taras Kachka told Financial Times. Whats the difference between grain and iron ore? The Kremlin said a solution can only be found if linked to lifting restrictions on Russian metal producers. The United Nations and Turkey brokered the safe passage deal between Moscow and Kyiv after U.N. warnings of outbreaks of famine due to grain shipments from Ukraine being halted. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, sparking the biggest conflict in Europe since World War Two and fueling a global energy and food crisis. On Friday, two grain ships set off from Chornomorsk and one from Odesa, carrying a total of about 58,000 tonnes of corn, the Turkish defense ministry said. The Turkish bulk carrier Osprey S, flying the flag of Liberia, was expected to arrive in Chornomorsk on Friday to load up with grain, the regional administration of Odesa said. Russia and Ukraine traditionally produce about one third of global wheat and Russia is Europes main energy supplier. But Russia said on Friday it might not reach its expected harvest of 130 million tonnes of grain due to weather factors and a lack of spare parts for foreign-made equipment. Ukraines grain exports were down 48.6% year on year at 1.23 million tonnes so far this season, its agriculture ministry said. Buffer Zone After five months of fighting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy this week described the pressure his armed forces were under in the eastern Donbas region as hell. Moscow is seeking to control the largely Russian-speaking Donbas, comprised of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, where pro-Moscow separatists seized territory after the Kremlin annexed Crimea to the south in 2014. Zelenskiy spoke of fierce fighting around the town of Avdiivka and the fortified village of Pisky, where Ukraine has acknowledged its Russian foes partial success in recent days. Russias TASS news agency cited separatist forces as saying Russian and pro-Russian forces had taken full control of Pisky. They also said that fighting was taking place in the city of Bakhmut, north of Donetsk. Ukraine has spent the last eight years fortifying defensive positions in Pisky, seeing it as a buffer zone against Russian-backed forces holding Donetsk city about 10 km to the southeast. Ukrainian General Oleksiy Hromov said his forces had retaken two villages around the eastern city of Sloviansk but had been pushed back to the town of Avdiivka after being forced to abandon a coal mine regarded as an important defensive position. The Russian defense ministry confirmed its offensive. Reuters could not immediately verify either sides assertions about battlefield developments. The war has displaced millions, killed thousands of civilians and left cities, towns and villages in rubble. Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Russian forces of targeting civilians and war crimes, charges Russia rejects. Putin said he launched what he calls a special military operation in Ukraine to ensure Russian security and protect Russian-speakers in Ukraine. Kyiv accuses Moscow of an imperial-style war to retake a pro-Western neighbor that shook off Russian domination when the Soviet Union broke up in 1991. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday the war was the most dangerous moment for Europe since World War Two and Russia must not be allowed to win. The Road to Stalemate in the Russia-Ukraine War from Reuters: https://tmsnrt.rs/3zg0pGp (Reporting by Reuters bureaux; writing by Michael Perry and Nick Macfie; editing by Stephen Coates, Robert Birsel and Mark Heinrich) Photograph: A boat with Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish and U.N. officials heads to the Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni, to check if the grain shipment is in accordance with a crucial agreement signed last month by Moscow and Kyiv. The Razoni was held at an inspection area in the Black Sea off the coast of Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. Loaded with 26,000 tons of corn, the Razoni set sail from Ukraines Odesa on Aug. 1 en route to its final destination in Lebanon. Photo credit: AP Photo/Emrah Gurel. Topics Ukraine TOKYO (AP) Hino Motors, a truck maker thats part of the Toyota group, systematically falsified emissions data dating back as far as 2003, according to the results of an investigation released Tuesday. President Satoshi Ogiso bowed deeply at a hastily called news conference and apologized to customers and other stakeholders. I am so deeply sorry, he said. Unfortunately, misconduct had been carried out for a widespread variety of models. Teams that were developing engines knew they couldnt meet targets and felt so pressured they falsified test results, Ogiso said. That led to more deception, as workers covered up their wrongdoing. No safety problems are believed to be involved, Ogiso said. Hino acknowledged in March that it had faked data on government required tests on emissions and mileage. A group of outside experts was set up to investigate. In a 17-page report, it blamed an inward-looking and conservative culture at the company that led to a lack of involvement and solidarity among the employees. The experts told reporters the companys leadership failed to engage with frontline workers, putting numerical goals and deadlines first and sacrificing operating procedures. Hino said it takes the findings seriously and will come up with measures to prevent a recurrence, including setting up a proper checking system, revising rules and beefing up corporate culture. Ogiso promised to educate Hinos workforce and nurture a more open corporate culture and proper work ethic, stressing the problem was company-wide, not just with the teams in question. I am determined to see that we are reborn, and we carry that out in clear action, said Ogiso, who formerly worked at Toyota Motor Corp., Japans top automaker. The unearthed misconduct included altering durability tests related to emissions on a wide range of models and tampering with fuel efficiency information in heavy-duty engines. Hino has recalled 67,000 vehicles in Japan related to the wrongful data. How Hinos financial results will be impacted by the latest disclosure is still unclear, Ogiso said. Affected vehicles may total nearly 300,000 vehicles, according to Hino. Whether he, as well as past executives, will resign to take responsibility will be decided later after a full review of the scandal, he said. Toyota Chief Executive Akio Toyoda relayed a message, read by Ogiso at the news conference. The wrongdoing at Hino betrayed the trust of customers and other stakeholders. I deeply regret what has happened, Toyoda said in the message. Regarding models sold abroad, Hino said it was cooperating with investigations by authorities in the U.S. and Europe. Hino produces vehicles sold under the Toyota brand, including the Land Cruiser Prado sport utility vehicle, in addition to Hino trucks. Hino has notified the Japanese government about the findings. Hino shares dropped 10% Tuesday in Tokyo. Toyota sank 2.6%. The scandal at Hino, 50.1% owned by Toyota, is the latest among many that have proved an embarrassment for a country that prides itself on a reputation for discipline, craftsmanship and attention to detail. In 2018, Suzuki Motor Corp., Mazda Motor Corp. and Yamaha Motor Co. admitted to falsifying emissions data, shortly after Nissan Motor Co. and Subaru Corp. acknowledged similar misconduct in their fuel-economy data. In 2018, Japanese prosecutors charged major steelmaker Kobe Steel with massive, years long falsification of information on a wide range of products sent to more than 680 companies, including aluminum castings and copper tubes for autos, aircraft, appliances and trains. In 2015, an investigation into Mitsubishi Motors Corp. found extensive cheating on mileage data over 25 years. The automaker had admitted to a cover-up in the early 2000s of vehicle defects such as failing brakes, faulty clutches and insecurely installed fuel tanks. That misconduct had begun in the 1970s. ___ AP reporter Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/yurikageyama Photograph: The first Hino truck assembled in North America was unveiled on Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2004, at the Toyotas longest operating U.S. manufacturing facility, TABC Inc., in Long Beach, Calif. Hino Motors, a truck maker thats part of the Toyota group, systematically falsified emissions data, dating back as far back as 2003, according to a special investigation disclosed Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. Photo credit: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Auto Manufacturing MOSCOW Russian e-commerce company Ozon said on Thursday it was still assessing the economic damage from a huge fire at its warehouse near Moscow, but that there were no significant risks to its liquidity and operational activities. At least one person was killed and 13 injured in the blaze, the RIA news agency quoted a source in the emergency services as saying on Wednesday. Ozon said on Wednesday it had evacuated more than 1,000 warehouse employees, with 12 having to seek medical assistance. Two employees were taken to hospital and one had been discharged, it said on Thursday. Unfortunately, nothing is known yet about the fate of the two people who were in the warehouse at the time of the fire, Ozon said. We are in touch with their loved ones. We want to believe in a miracle. The blaze covered an area of 55,000 square meters at a fulfillment center north west of Moscow, where Ozon handles and processes thousands of products. The company has stepped up capacity at other distribution centers, it said. Ozon said goods and equipment in the warehouse were insured for up to 11 billion roubles ($182.6 million). Ozons liability is also insured in the case of harm to life, health and property of third parties for up to 1 billion roubles, the company said. Ozon said it was working with authorities to establish the cause of the fire. RIA had reported that emergency services were considering arson as the likeliest cause. ($1 = 60.2500 roubles) (Reporting by Reuters; editing by Jan Harvey and Jane Merriman) Photograph: Smoke rises over a burning warehouse of the online retailer Ozon in Istra Municipal District, northwest Moscow Region, Russia, on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. The fire erupted at the warehouse belonging to Russias leading online retailer Ozon. Photo credit: AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko. Topics Russia Russia appears to have found a new means of getting its oil to market with western sanctions looming for Moscow. A cargo of about 700,000 barrels of Russian oil was delivered to Egypts El Hamra oil terminal on its Mediterranean coast early on July 24. A few hours later, another vessel collected a consignment from the port which may have included some or all of the Russian barrels according to vessel-tracking data monitored by Bloomberg. The unusual move makes the cargos ultimate destination harder to track, adding to a trend of Russian oil shipments becoming increasingly obscured since European buyers began to shun them following the nations invasion of Ukraine. El Hamra, operated by Egypts Western Desert Operating Petroleum Co., has six storage tanks, able to hold 1.5m bbl of crude, and a single buoy mooring facility for loading and unloading. The terminal was built to handle crude produced in Egypts western desert, creating possibilities to blend the Russian barrels with local volumes. The owner of the El Hamra terminal did not respond to multiple attempts to contact it by phone. A few hours after the first tanker the Crested left El Hamra another one, the Chris, arrived. It had already been at the terminal for several days, but moved off the mooring to allow Crested to dock, the tracking data show. When Chris finally left El Hamra on July 28, its cargo tanks were almost full, the tracking data show. It is now moored at the Ras Shukheir oil terminal on Egypts Red Sea coast. This terminal, too, offers possibilities to blend Russian crude with Egyptian barrels. Transit Route Egypt is already being used by Russia as a transit route for fuel oil. Its unclear if El Hamra is a one-off, or will become a more commonly used port for Russian oil flows. Previously, tankers carrying Russian crude have conducted ship-to-ship cargo transfers off the Spanish north African city of Ceuta and, more recently, in the mid-Atlantic. Thats an unusual location for such a tricky operation thats normally carried out in sheltered near-shore locations. Another crude cargo transfer appears to have taken place off Johor, near Singapore, in June. The area has already become a location for transshipping cargoes of Iranian crude heading to China. A European Union ban on oil shipments from Moscow and on providing insurance and other shipping services is due to come into effect later this year, adding pressure on Russia to identify and test different ways to get its cargoes to buyers. With assistance from Salma El Wardany and Sherry Su. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Russia Energy Oil Gas New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! Alliant Insurance Services fired back at rival Arthur J. Gallagher in response to a request from Gallagher for a temporary restraining order against Alliant, accusing Gallagher of rampant sexism, discrimination, and unfair treatment of women. The request for a restraining order from Gallagher came as part of its latest lawsuit against Alliant filed late last month. Eight women over several days in July gave abrupt notice effective immediately in a move Gallagher alleges was orchestrated by Alliant to steal clients. Gallagher Sues Alliant Again for Alleged Corporate Raid of Employees As part of Alliants August 3 filing in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Illinois in opposition to the restraining order, it said Gallaghers unfair treatment of women led to their resignations. This case concerns women who became so fed up with Gallaghers sexist and unfair treatment that they each separately decided to do what countless numbers of unhappy employees in this free country do almost every day: leave for a better opportunity, Alliant alleged in the court document. The only thing Gallagher can prove Alliant did is hire Gallaghers employees and offer them better opportunities. Of course, competing for talented employees who are free to leave is not a tort. Its called capitalism. The filing includes declarations from each of Alliants new female hires from Gallagher, outlining alleged sexism, discrimination, and lack of accommodations by Gallagher. One woman, apparently the first of the group to resign, said Gallagher sought a temporary restraining order against her but the court denied it and the matter was settled for monetary consideration. Contrary to Gallaghers papers, these women did not leave because of some conspiracy concocted by Alliant, said Alliant, adding that Gallagher has no evidence to supports its claims. Alliant said none of its new hires took any confidential information from Gallagher and did not solicit Gallagher clients. Gallagher said it has no comment. The latest: Gallagher Calls Alliants Filing in Poaching Suit a Masterclass in Deflection The case is Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. v. Alliant Insurance Services, Inc., 1:22-cv-03931, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. Topics Lawsuits A.J. Gallagher Alliant One firefighter was injured and two others were treated for heat exhaustion while fighting a wildfire in North Texas that burned almost half a square mile Wednesday, officials said. The fire near Tolar, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) southwest of Fort Worth, was completely uncontained as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. The injured firefighter was airlifted to a Dallas hospital with burns to 10% of his body, according to a Hood County statement. His condition was not immediately known. No structures have been reported damaged in that fire 16 miles (25.75 kilometers) north of the two-week-old Chalk Mountain Fire, which was 96% contained Wednesday after burning 10 1/2 square miles (27 1/3 square kilometers) and destroying 16 homes and damaging five others. Meanwhile, wildfires have erupted in Central Texas as hot, breezy weather and extreme drought persist in the area, officials said Wednesday. A fire on the Hays-Blanco county line about 30 miles (48.28 kilometers) west of Austin has destroyed three homes and an occupied trailer and blackened 1 1/4 square miles (3 1/4 square kilometers), Texas A&M Forest Service spokesman Walter Flocke said. That fire was 60% contained Wednesday, he said. A fire near Fredericksburg, 60 miles (96.56 kilometers) west of Austin, burned a little more than two square miles (5 2/3 square kilometers) and was 25% contained Wednesday, but it had burned no homes, according to a statement by Fredericksburg officials. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Texas Wildfire New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! World Insurance Associates announced its acquisitions of Consumers Choice Underwriters Inc. of Miramar, Florida, on June 1. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Consumers Choice writes property/casualty insurance throughout Florida including homeowners, commercial and special event insurance. The agency was founded in 2010 by Maria Pineda and is currently owned by Giovanni Gutierrez. World Insurance Associates, based in Iselin, New Jersey, ranks No. 24 on Insurance Journals Top 100 Agencies ranking with P/C revenue in 2021 of $154 million. Id like to personally welcome Consumers Choice to the World family, says Rich Eknoian, CEO and co-founder of WIA. I know they will continue to be successful as part of World. Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla provided legal counsel to WIA, and TAG Consulting Services advised them on the transaction. The Law Offices of Keith A. Schafer, P.A. provided legal counsel to Consumers Choice. No other advisors, diligence firms or legal counsel were disclosed. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Underwriting New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! Alera Group, an independent P/C and benefits firm, has acquired Jowers-Sklar Insurance, a Georgia-based independent agency specializing in property and casualty insurance in the Southeast. The agency serves Floyd County, Georgia, and the surrounding area, as well as clients in 16 states. It offers business and personal insurance, with specialities in equipment rental, childcare and restaurants. Jowers-Sklar joins Alera Group through Propel Insurance, an Alera Group company headquartered in Tacoma, Wash. The Jowers-Sklar team will continue serving clients in their existing roles. Alera is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, and has offices around the country. It was formed in 2017 from the merger of 24 companies. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Georgia Alera Group Richard James McGee, 47, of San Bernardino, California, was arraigned today on two felony counts of workers compensation insurance fraud after a California Department of Insurance investigation found he allegedly misrepresented injuries to his employer in order to receive more than $30,000 in undeserved disability payments. In August 2019, while employed as a motorcycle mechanic, McGee allegedly suffered an work-related injury to his arm and right shoulder when a gas tank fell and pinned his arm against a motorcycle. McGee began receiving Temporary Total Disability payments when his work restrictions could not be accommodated. An investigation was launched after McGees coworkers saw photos on social media platforms in which he was actively racing his motorcycle and riding his downhill mountain bike. It also was discovered that McGee was operating his own motorcycle mechanic shop out of his garage, Inland Empire Motorsports. During a Qualified Medical Exam in 2020, McGee reportedly told the physician that because of his injury he could no longer work as a motorcycle mechanic and he could no longer ride his mountain bike and had not done so since his injury. However, surveillance video reportedly showed McGee riding his mountain bike at a mountain bike park in Running Springs, California, in which he took his mountain bike off large jumps and crashed his mountain bike. When CDI detectives presented the social media posts and surveillance video to the physician who conducted McGees exam, the physician said McGee had not accurately represented his injury and physical abilities, and that McGee had lied during his original exam. As a result of misrepresenting his injury and physical capabilities, McGee received $30,629 in workers comp benefits. On June 2, 2022, CDI detectives arrested McGee and he was booked into the West Valley Detention Center. The San Bernardino County District Attorneys Office is prosecuting the case. Topics California Workers' Compensation Fraud A professional assassin in search of spiritual enlightenment, Ladybug (Brad Pitt) boards a Bullet Train (16s) travelling from Tokyo to Kyoto in order to steal a briefcase containing ten million dollars. Brad Pitt stars in Bullet Train. Ladybug, alas, is experiencing a Biblical run of bad luck that involves accidentally killing people hes not being paid to kill; mind you, thats not the worst habit to have when you find yourself on a train teeming with fellow assassins, among them Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry), Prince (Joey King) and The Hornet (Zazie Beetz). Adapted from Kotaro Isakas novel by Zak Olkewicz and directed by David Leitch, Bullet Train finds Pitt resurrecting his comic persona from The Mexican, that of the hapless klutz bedevilled by fate. Its a well-worn groove, if no less enjoyable for all that, although its the bickering duo of Lemon and Tangerine an unlikely pair of Cockney twins who provide the funniest moments as they attempt to return a prodigal son to the Russian mobster known as the White Death (Michael Shannon) who is also expecting to receive a briefcase containing ten million dollars. Bad Bunny and Brad Pitt star in Bullet Train. Frenetically paced and brutally violent, and featuring a number of unexpected cameos, Bullet Train comes on like a blackly comic Murder on the Orient Express featuring a woebegone Jason Bourne tortured by his life choices, and while the latter stages are unnecessarily complicated by retrospective exposition, the pulsating journey is a ride worth taking. (cinema release) Burma Myanmar Civilian Govt Auctions Another Junta Leader Property The NUG's Ministry of Planning and Finance has put another of the regime leader's illegally acquired properties on sale. Myanmars civilian National Unity Government (NUG) has launched the second sale of the regime leader Min Aung Hlaings illegally seized property in Yangon to help fund its revolution. The NUG in May put Min Aung Hlaings mansion at 14 Inya Road in an affluent Yangon neighborhood on sale. The first sale reached the target in share sales of US$10 million on July 30. On Friday, the NUGs Ministry of Planning and Finance announced the auction of another property in 6.5-mile Yangon, which is also beside Inya Lake and valued at over $20 million. Priced at one-third of the market price at $7 million, the NUG will sell 70,000, $100 shares for ownership of the 1.8-acre site. Shareholders will receive a proportion of the proceeds when the property is sold at auction if the NUG takes power. An objective is to give a message to both old and new dictators that if they attempt a coup, far from getting the wealth they longed for, they will lose everything they stole, the ministry said, calling on the public to participate in the project. The NUGs minister of planning and finance U Tin Tun Naing told The Irrawaddy at an online press conference in May that the ministry had identified 60 Yangon plots confiscated by regime leaders and the military-controlled defense and home affairs ministries for their benefit. The minister said those plots were being reviewed to be reclaimed and will be included in the ministrys auctions. They include four houses illegally acquired by Min Aung Hlaing and his family, including 14 Inya Road. The civilian government labeled the regime as a terrorist organization in June 2021. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Junta Airstrikes Continue in Kayah State Hell Hounds Are Loose in Myanmar; Who Can Stop Them? Burma Myanmar Regime Forces Detain, Kill Three Chin Resistance Fighters CDF-Zotungs former commander with resistance fighters / CJ Three resistance fighters including the former commander of a local resistance group in Chin States Matupi Township have been killed by the Myanmar military regime. Paaw Tha Ceu, 40, the former commander of the Chinland Defense Force (CDF)-Zotung, and two fighters, Paaw Aung Min Thang and Paw Tha Cin Mang, both 20, were killed and their bodies set on fire by regime forces, the headquarters of the CDF-Zotung confirmed to The Irrawaddy. Junta troops raided Ram Si Village in Matupi on July 22 and took 30 villagers captive at the village church. Paaw Tha Ceu and the other two were arrested by disguised junta soldiers a day after going to the village to find out what had happened to the detained villagers. The villagers didnt know [the three] had been arrested. The villagers said that when they were released on Wednesday, they saw three charred bodies near the village, a member of the CDF-Zotung told The Irrawaddy. The bodies had been reduced to bones, so it was impossible to verify their identities from the remains themselves. However, as partially burnt CDF-Zotung military uniforms and caps were found by the bones, CDF-Zotung officials were satisfied that they could confirm it was their former commander and two fighters who had been killed. Their ashes were collected and given a proper burial on Wednesday, CDF-Zotung leaders said. The Zotung are a tribe of the Chin ethnic group. Zotung people in Matupi formed the CDF-Zotung in May 2021 with Paaw Tha Ceu acting as commander to fight the military regime. The group marked its anniversary in May this year, at which a new commander was elected. Paaw Tha Ceu had since returned to his native village, where he continued to engage in revolutionary activities against the regime. Burma Over 50 Myanmar Regime Troops Reportedly Killed in Sagaing Resistance fighters from the Ranger Kale Defense Force. / RKDF Over 50 Myanmar junta soldiers have reportedly been killed in two days of intense clashes in Sagaing Region. Three resistance fighters also died in the fighting. At 5pm on Wednesday afternoon, a combined force of 12 Peoples Defense Forces (PDF), including ethnic Chin resistance groups, raided military regime soldiers stationed at Tharyargone Village in the south of Sagaings Kale Township, according to the PDFs. Resistance forces had to retreat from the area after regime troops responded with mortar fire, said Kale-PDF, which was involved in the attack. Fighting between the combined PDFs and junta forces continued on Thursday. The resistance groups were shelled during the firefight by regime forces based at the Technological University and the Myanmar military headquarters in Kale Town. PDFs responded by counterattacking the junta soldiers at the Technological University with heavy explosives, said Kale-PDF. During the clashes, 15 regime soldiers were killed, claimed Kale-PDF. Three resistance fighters were killed and 17 others injured, added Kale-PDF. Regime forces torched houses in Tharyargone Village after the fighting. One resident was killed and another 50 were detained, said the Chinland Defense Force for Kale, Kabaw and Gangaw, who took part in the clashes. Also on Thursday, Kale-PDF fighters used 12 landmines to ambush a detachment of 60 troops in the north of Kale Township. Some 20 regime soldiers were killed and many others wounded, according to Kale-PDF. The detachment is an advance unit from a military convoy of 14 vehicles travelling from Sagaings Tamu Township to Kale. After the ambush, regime forces arrested civilians from the nearby 55 Mile Village and also shelled the adjacent Yarzagyo Village. Regime soldiers and Kale-PDF units clashed at Yarzagyo Village, but casualties are still unknown, said Kale-PDF. Elsewhere in Sagaing, a combined force of PDFs ambushed a detachment of 64 regime soldiers on Thursday morning in Myinmu Township, said Zero Guerilla Battalion 7 from Myingyan Township in Mandalay Region, which coordinated the attack. Some 17 junta troops died in the ambush, according to Zero Guerilla Battalion 7, who said that a junta helicopter gunship attacked the PDFs after the ambush. The resistance groups said that the PDFs ambushed the detachment at close range, while they were traveling on foot after raiding and looting villages in Myinmu. No resistance fighters were killed or wounded in the attack. However, The Irrawaddy was unable to confirm military casualties independently. Regime forces are currently facing near-daily attacks from PDFs and ethnic armed organizations across the country. Burma Political Prisoners Injured in Myanmar Prison Crackdown Obo Prison in Mandalay. Two political prisoners were severely injured after being shot at Mandalays Obo Prison amid a hunger strike against the Myanmar juntas execution of four pro-democracy activists. A representative of the Assistance for Association of Political Prisoners (AAPP) told The Irrawaddy that a riot broke out in the prison on Friday morning. The source said prison staff injured two political prisoners. Obo prisoners have been staging a hunger strike against the hangings of Ko Jimmy, Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw, Ko Aung Thura Zaw and Ko Hla Myo Aung. According to sources, four political prisoners who joined the hunger strike were put in solitary confinement this week. The Basic Education General Strike Committee told The Irrawaddy that three of its members were among the four in solitary confinement. Three members, Ma Thet Su Hlaing, Ko Naung Htet Aung and Ko Naing Thiha Kyaw, were sent to solidarity confinement and they are in a life-threatening condition, the committee member said. It is unknown how big the protests have been and when they started as the authorities have tightened security. However, prisoners managed to smuggle out a handwritten statement declaring that they will boycott the junta-controlled judiciary and that prisoners condemn the executions and honor the martyrs who until their last breath opposed the regime and paid with their lives for the revolution as heroes. It urged the civilian National Unity Government, ethnic armed groups and resistance forces to unite against the junta. Many political prisoners in Yangons Insein Prison began a hunger strike on Wednesday for the activists. By Thursday, more than 14,900 people have been detained and at least 2,157 civilians have been killed by junta forces since the February 2021 coup, according to the AAPP. Burma Sergei Lavrovs Day in Myanmar: A Chopper Escort and Lunch at an Arms Dealers Hotel -- Naypyitaw residents awoke on Wednesday morning to see military choppers hovering in the sky. The road to the regimes Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Myanmar capital was blocked for hours. Though they didnt know the reason, the strangeness of the sight suggested that someone important was on their way to Naypyitaw. They had no idea who the visiting dignitary was due to an information blackout put in place by the regime for the visitors safety. But Russian media reported that their countrys foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, was on his way to Naypyitaw. As soon as Lavrov landed in the sweltering capital, the Myanmar regime implemented security measures unprecedented for a visiting foreign dignitary. The Russian minister was greeted at the airport by Myanmars deputy foreign minister and the director general of the Foreign Ministrys Strategic Studies and Training Department. The director general, U Zaw Phyo Win, is the son-in-law of former dictator Than Shwe. As the Russian ministers convoy made its way to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was escorted by two military choppersone on either sideaccording to diplomatic circles. The choppers hovered above the city for the entire day. As the place where regime chief Min Aung Hlaing resides, Naypyitaw is considered the most secure location in Myanmar. Nonetheless, the coup leader provided excessive security measures for Lavrov, probably as a show of gratitude for Russiaalong with Chinataking steps to block any action at the UN Security Council against the regime. The visitor seemed to be pleased with the way he was treated. Following a meeting between Lavrov and his Myanmar counterpart Wunna Maung Lwin at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the regime said both parties cordially exchanged views on promotion of bilateral relations and cooperation and reaffirmed their commitment to enhance cooperation between the two countries in the multilateral arena based on mutual trust and understanding. It said the Myanmar minister expressed his deep appreciation to the Russian Federation, a true friend to Myanmar, for the consistent support rendered to Myanmar both bilaterally and multilaterally. Lavrov responded with his thanks to Myanmar for backing Russias invasion of Ukraine, saying, We are in solidarity with the efforts [by the junta] aimed at stabilizing the situation in the country. Political observers remarked that it was nothing more than a meeting between two countries that have been shunned internationally for their atrocities. Russia, a major ally and arms supplier of the Myanmar junta, has been accused by rights groups of selling the regime many of the weapons it has used to attack civilians since last years coup. Lavrovs visit comes after the junta attarcted renewed international outrage with the recent executions of four democracy activists, including a former lawmaker and a prominent democracy activist, in the countrys first use of capital punishment in decades. Lunch at Aureum Palace Hotel Wunna Maung Lwin hosted a working luncheon for the Russian delegation at the Aureum Palace Hotel, which is owned by Myanmar crony Teza, one of the main brokers of arms deals between the Myanmar military and Russia. Lavrov then met regime leader Min Aung Hlaing at the Presidential Residence, which has been renamed by the junta boss since last years coup as the Office of State Administration Council and become his workplace. In the residences Credentials Hall, where President U Win Myint once met international dignitaries before he was ousted along with the National League for Democracy (NLD) government, Min Aung Hliang tried his best to assume the air of a legitimate head of the state as he welcomed the Russian foreign minister. During the meeting, the coup leader reiterated his worn-out reasoning for the coup, accusing the NLD of massive vote fraud in the 2020 election. Observers saw the Russian visit as a sign of support for the junta, which has been strenuously condemned for its post-coup atrocities against civilians and the recent executions of the democracy activists. They feared the Russian support would push Min Aung Hlaing to commit endless brutality against civilians. Lavrov previously visited Naypyitaw in 2013. Min Aung Hlaing has been to Russia eight times since 2013, most recently in July. He has yet to meet the countrys president, Vladimir Putin, however. In pictures released by his office, the Myanmar junta boss seemed elated to welcome one of Putins ministers. He even told him to move the Russian Embassy to Naypyitaw from Myanmars former capital, Yangon. Lavrov left for Cambodia on Wednesday afternoon to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers meetingfrom which the juntas foreign minister was excluded over its failure to implement the blocs peace plan for the country. Dominoes began to fall this week as one of the nation's most-respected insurance rating firms took action by downgrading three Florida insurance companies, including one based in Coral Gables. Demotech, a financial analysis and rating firm out of Columbus, Ohio, withdrew financial-stability ratings for Weston Property & Casualty Insurance Co., a South Florida group with more than 19,500 policyholders. Demotech officials told Islander News the company does not discuss its rating decisions publicly. Demotech, which reportedly rates 40 Florida-based insurance companies, also withdrew its rating for FedNat Insurance Co. (three months after downgrading its rating from an "A" rating to "S Substantial"), and changed United Property & Casualty Insurance Co.s rating from A Exceptional to M Moderate. Weston previously had been given an "A" rating. Rating withdrawals historically have preceded insolvencies or a change of direction for struggling carriers. The M rating may not be as severe, but it is not generally accepted by federal home loan buyers, known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That means a portion of Weston's policy holders who carry mortgages, for example, could find themselves in default of the terms of their home loans, although state officials might have come up with a solution. Tuesday, the state-created, "last resort" Citizens Property Insurance Co. threw out a critical life preserver by posting a bulletin for insurance agents, saying it was ready to assist carriers in the event of a rating downgrade by Demotech. Citizens now covers more than 900,000 homes. "This temporary reinsurance arrangement allows those insurers to remain viable, to continue to provide coverage for Floridians and to keep policies out of Citizens, Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier wrote in his bulletin. If Weston wants to seek another ratings agency, reports say it could take as much as eight months. Weston is licensed in 14 states and currently operates in Florida, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, the most vulnerable areas to hurricanes. On Dec. 17 of last year, Weston Insurance Company and Weston Specialty Insurance Company merged and incorporated to form Weston Property & Casualty Insurance Company. Messages left for either of the managers in the Coral Gables office were not returned as of this post. At least 17 insurance companies in Florida have either: withdrawn coverage; will stop writing future policies; have established caps on potential losses; or have been declared financially insolvent. Among the reasons cited for the downfall trend: "excessive litigation," rampant roofing fraud, and rising home repair costs. Last month, reports surfaced indicating Demotech had conversations with 17 insurers, with the likelihood of those companies facing a downgrade. Florida's Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, along with Altmaier, led a public outcry while concerned about the future of the insurance industry in the state. It prompted Demotech officials to waive off last week's anticipated release of new downgraded ratings en masse. Demotechs 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," states a message on its home page. To view how your property insurance company (if among the 40) is rated by Demotech, visit them online, click here, and type in the company whose grade you wish to see. UST says this is the eighth lab globally, which will see USTs team collaborate with a community of researchers and innovators to deliver better outcomes for its customers. UST added this will create 250 jobs in Victoria. Present at the launch were Minister for Economic Development and Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas and UST managing director ANZ Matthew McCormack. Global digital tech companies come to Victoria because we have the skilled workforce, the education and training infrastructure and the business environment they need to succeed, commented Pallas. UST established the lab at University of Melbournes innovation precinct to capitalise on the communitys industry, research, and start-ups. Melbourne Connect is a place that brings together the expertise of the University, industry and government to unlock new, creative research-driven solutions to some of societys biggest challenges. The addition of UST to Melbourne Connect will further enhance the citys reputation as an international research and innovation leader, said University of Melbourne vice chancellor Duncan Maskell. As part of its commitment and investment into Victoria, UST has established its ANZ headquarters in Melbourne. With this increased investment, we will better showcase USTs approach to solving business challenges. Known as Insights to Value, the approach uses human research and AI to generate insights and inform decision-making, revealing opportunities for growth and driving innovation to realise business value, said McCormack. The lab is more than a place. It represents a way of working that puts people, not technology, at the heart of innovation, which we will use to collaboratively solve the challenges that Australian organisations are facing, commented UST consulting director innovation ANZ Agnes Misiurny. INCO, a non-profit supporting the growth of Australias social enterprise ecosystem, has announced the launch of its first Australian Digitisation Fund designed to empower organisations using technology to redress inequities and improve access to areas of health, education and employment for First Nations communities. INCO says that technology was already changing the way people connect, learn and work, a trend only accelerated by forced shifts online as a result of the pandemic - and while post-COVID recovery discussions progress, nonprofits working with First Nations communities across Australia are taking the lead to create long-term tech solutions which ensure a sustainable and inclusive pandemic recovery for everyone. To support the growth of technology tailored to the needs of First Nations communities, INCO says it has identified four nonprofits with initiatives that demonstrate evidence of reducing structural and cultural inequities. These nonprofits will share more than $750,000 in funding, awarded by INCO with support from Google.org, Googles philanthropic arm. They will also have access to capacity building workshops, ongoing mentorship from Google employees and technical expertise, INCO said on Friday. INCO announced that the organisations improving access to technology and working to create better community outcomes are: IndigiTek (NSW) - a community-designed, community-led robotics and technology education program. As an extension to Indigenous education, the program provides alternate learning models or flexible options for First Nations communities to help build digital skills and literacy and open up new job opportunities in STEM related fields. STARS Foundation (VIC) - an online Alumni Engagement Platform to engage and inspire Indigenous girls. This will drive gender equity by enhancing visibility of STARS Alumni to inspire the next generation of First Nations girls and youth and ensure a positive pathway through employment, further education or training. KARI Foundation (NSW) - a mental health app, co-designed with First Nations peoples and community groups. The culturally-appropriate app will use storytelling and in-app wellness indicators to guide access to support services and information to break down barriers and stigma of mental health in Aboriginal communities. Clontarf Foundation (WA) - robotic process automation (RPA) to automate data entry within its Academies. The project will allow its mentors more time to develop and deliver activities focused on increasing First Nations participation and engagement in education geared towards positive employment outcomes as they scale towards supporting more than 16,000 Academy members by 2025. INCO says that to celebrate the programs launch, the four organisations were invited to Google's Sydney HQ where they could connect with Google experts and explore how to further the impact of their tech solutions. Throughout the pandemic, technology has been a lifeline. The First Australians Digitisation Fund will continue to support innovations and partnerships that bring technology closer to First Nations communities to help shape their future for the better. notes INCO. Fiona Madigan, INCO Country Manager in Australia, said: While digital inclusion is slowly increasing across Australia, a stronger focus is needed on supporting and amplifying on-the-ground organisations that are working to bridge the digital divide with, and for, First Nations communities.This is why the First Australians Digitisation Fund is excited to provide support to our four chosen non-profit organisations. Each has a tech solution that not only meets the needs of First Nations communities across Australia, but helps them to thrive, too. Ben Armstrong, IndigiTek Chief Executive Officer said.: One thing that we've learned is that there are layers to this digital divide that continue to impact further and further up. And, it's critical to change the way that Indigenous peoples and our communities are serviced. So in using technology, and working with young people in the community, our program provides the opportunity and access to learn tech related skills as an extension of Indigenous education. It is co-designed with the community and delivered with that community perspective, Andrea Goddard, STARS Foundation Executive Director, said: The Stars Alumni platform will help us to continue to engage our First Nations graduates as they move out of school and transition into their future lives. The platform will provide a readily accessible technological solution to build on relationships based on trust and respect; creating a space where Stars graduates from across Australia can come together to network, share experiences, build knowledge, and receive ongoing support as they navigate the future. We know the education of young women is key to positive change in communities and through our platform well be able to provide ongoing support in a meaningful way. Cain Slater, KARI Foundation Chief Operating Officer, said: With our app, we see an opportunity to use culture as an empowerment and belonging tool. If you don't know who you are, it's very hard to understand your place in life as well. We want to design something that can change the rhetoric around mental health, and hopefully inspire FIrst Nations peoples to take up a role in tech as well." Jane Conder, Clontarf Foundation Chief Financial Officer, said: By enabling this technology, our mentors can be more focused on kicking the footy with the kids, working with them around classrooms, helping them with homework activities. That's what they should be doing. The less time that we can have them sitting behind a screen and more time interacting with the boys and their families, the greater the impact that they're going to have. About INCO INCO Australia, part of the global INCO Group, is building a new economy that is green, inclusive and resilient. Since our founding, we have invested in and continue to support innovative businesses shaping the economy of tomorrow in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, to ensure a better future today and for all. We believe bottom-up initiatives work best. Innovative responses often come from those closest to the problem, those who live it day in and day out. These are the actionable, on-the-ground innovations which accelerate change. About Google.org Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, supports nonprofits that innovate to address humanitarian issues. Google.org was created to provide support for organisations pursuing, experimenting with, and building upon ideas to improve the world, and continues to take an iterative approach to philanthropy today. Google.org supports pursuits that can have measurable impact on local, regional and global issues, and rallies Google's people in support of these efforts with a singular goal of creating a better world, faster. At Google.org we seek out and support organisations who are innovating and using technology to combat the world's biggest challenges. We help nonprofits accelerate and scale by enabling their vision by rallying our employees and mobilizing their skills to help our grantees realize their projects, and we always aim to give the best of Google to our grantees. That includes both financial resources + Google product and people resources (Cash + Google). Around the world, Google.org donated over $100 million in grants, $1 billion in technology resources, and employees have contributed 200,000+ hours of volunteering to nonprofits in 2015 alone. The new arrangement involves country managers for Australia, New Zealand and Asia reporting to the newly created role of APAC managing director. Joseph Lyons (pictured above), currently managing director for Australia and Asia, will take on that new role. "These changes will allow us to better align and share leadership talent and resources across APAC, to ensure we continue to improve Xero's engagement with our small business customers and accounting and bookkeeping communities," said Xero chief customer officer Rachael Powell. "Joseph has excelled in his time as managing director (of) Australia and Asia, and I know he will take on expanded responsibilities in the APAC role with determination and passion, ensuring that we are engaging Xero's customers and partners." Will Buckley (currently Canada country manager) becomes Australia country manager, and Bridget Snelling (currently New Zealand marketing director) is promoted to New Zealand country manager. Koren Wines continues in the role of Asia regional director. Xero's New Zealand and Pacific Islands managing director Craig Hudson will leave the company in October after handing over to Snelling. "Craig has had a brilliant tenure at Xero and he is a much loved leader and influencer both inside and outside Xero. He has been a vocal champion for mental health, diversity and inclusion, and policies that directly impacted the productivity and success of small businesses in New Zealand. His advocacy to date leaves a significant legacy in New Zealand's small business economy that will be felt for years to come. I know he's very much looking forward to a well deserved break with family before he embarks on his next challenge," said Powell. Xero expects the new management structure will be fully implemented by early October 2022. Australia played a vital role in Apollo 11s iconic moon landing in 1969. Half a century later tells a different story: Australians view space more as a threat rather than a frontier full of possibilities. Furthermore, the evidence lies in the interest of Australians as only one in ten say they would like to work in the space industry, according to British satellite telecommunications company Inmarsat. Forty-nine percent of Australians are concerned about space junk and collisions while 44% are worried about polluting space, according to Inmarsats report What on Earth is the value of space?, which surveyed 20,000 people in 11 countries. Just over one third (36%) say they feel hopeful about the possibilities of space, one fifth (21%) say they dont understand much about space, and 10% say they dont care about space at all. As the space sector attracts record levels of investment and expands faster than ever before, it is essential for Australians to learn more about an industry that will impact their lives said Inmarsat. However, Australians are more interested in other things. The report found Australians are twice as likely to associate space with aliens (21%) than with communications and connectivity (10%). Most concerning for the future is that younger generations appear to have a view of space built on movie depictions rather than reality. Thirty-one percent of Australians aged 18-24 associate space with aliens, compared with just 11% of people aged 65+. In comparison, only 8% of this younger age group associate space with communications the sector that is leading global growth in the industry half that of the over-65s (16%). Meanwhile, 70% of Australians said they had never heard of or had no idea about space-based Internet. Thirty-six percent said the same for weather and climate monitoring despite the first weather satellite having been launched in 1960 and 31% had never heard or knew nothing about GPS and satellite navigation. I have a positive view that we can help people fall in love with space again. Ive worked in the industry for decades and see the truly amazing stories that are just waiting to be told, said Inmarsat Global Movement president Todd McDonell. Its understandable that with space-based technology so embedded in our everyday lives, it has become largely invisible, especially to a generation brought up with smartphones and tablets. Space can enable a better way of living for us all, but public support will make or break this vital contribution to a better future. What was really interesting is that, like their counterparts in other countries and despite a generally low level of awareness, Australians identified genuine causes of concern related to the space industry. As the sector goes through a period of major expansion with forecasts that the number of satellites in orbit will rise from 7,000 to over 100,000 by the end of this decade players in the industry have a vital duty to manage this growth responsibly, McDonnell noted. Having come so far, we cannot afford to destroy the gift of space through poor stewardship, fear, ignorance or inaction. Sustainability on Earth cannot exist without sustainability in space. Responsible space exploration and stricter regulation is a must, he recommended. McDonnell said space is playing a vital role in putting food on peoples tables, how it keeps us safe when we fly, how it enables us to buy goods from home and have these shipped to us from the other side of the world. He added when a natural disaster occurs and damages Earth-based telecommunications, satellites are deployed to support search and rescue operations. Perhaps most importantly for the future, space technology lies at the heart of efforts to combat climate change, he said. Im sure that if the industry can tell these stories, especially to the younger generation, then interest in space will grow and we will see a new generation emerge one, much like back in the 1960s, who regard space as an amazing opportunity both as a career and as a force for positive change. This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 4 August 2022. Today A mix of clouds and sun. 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 Sunny along with a few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 108F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. First grain-laden ship from Ukraine passes through Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait after inspection Xinhua) 09:11, August 05, 2022 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, Trkiye, 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 Trkiye, 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 Trkiye'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 Trkiye. 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, Trkiye, 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, Trkiye, 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, Trkiye, Aug. 3, 2022. (Turkish Defense Ministry/Handout via Xinhua) (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) 0:07 Hello, I'm Raj Yavatkar, Chief Technology Officer at Juniper Networks. With the 5G 0:14 deployments, one of the new developments is the emergence of Open RAN, ORAN architecture 0:21 that desegregates the vertically integrated systems for ORAN into multiple components, 0:28 such as RU, DU, CU, SMO and so on, which are interconnected by interoperable interfaces. So, 0:36 we can integrate them together into a complete solution. That has huge advantages for the service 0:41 providers, because first of all, it creates a thriving open ecosystem of application providers, 0:46 which can provide agility, automation, AI, ML based experiences for service provider customers, 0:53 and service provider operations. At Juniper, we are committed to making the ORAN ecosystem 0:58 successful and are contributing to that by providing our own open interoperable components. 1:06 So, today's my pleasure to introduce and welcome Sushil Rawat, who manages the 1:12 ran platform at Rakuten. So Sushil, thank you for joining me. Good to see you again. 1:18 Thank you, Raj. Thanks for inviting me for the conversation today. 1:22 So, one of the things, as I said, you are doing Sushil at Rakuten, is that you are truly a pioneer 1:28 and ground doing some groundbreaking work in terms of bringing Open RAN architecture to the 1:33 market. Can you tell me a little bit about your vision for ORAN and how do you plan to achieve it? 1:41 We have, we have done a lot of work on ORAN deployment in Japan. And when, 1:48 whenever there is a new technology introduction, it is always, you know who is going to deliver it, 1:55 how is it going work? So ,operator have all these natural questions, how the, how the technologies 2:01 goes to market, right? ORAN has been around. A lot of standards has been done for quite 2:06 some time. Now, you know, I would say a, a, a decent amount of work has gone into it, but to, 2:13 for a technology to be available, to operate, it has to come together as a complete solution. 2:19 And that is what we have been doing. That is what we have been trying to master over the 2:24 period of few, you know, last few years where we are doing, we are doing this deployment in Japan, 2:29 to basically take this technology, harden, it, deploy it, make it mature enough for for 2:36 other operators to, to go and adopt. And I think we have, we have been 2:41 successful in doing that, so far. We have, we have deployed a, a large amount of sites 2:46 using over technology on 4G and 5G, running commercial network and showing performance, 2:52 which are equal or better than the traditional offering that we have in the market today. 2:58 So, we we definitely see that ORAN is now mature enough for, for most of the operators to adopt. 3:06 And we are also seeing that traction coming from the market, a lot of Brownfield operators and, 3:11 and Greenfield operators are welcoming and adopting ORAN as a technology. 3:17 So, I think you said it well that there are certain challenges in making ORAN happen that 3:23 you simply have overcome. So, one example of such a challenge, I like to point out 3:28 is that if you take a distribution unit, make it a ODU and want to run it on a general purpose, 3:33 X 86 hardware, it's easier said than done, right? There are lots of challenges with 3:38 respect to orchestration, life cycle management. So can you say a little bit about how you are 3:44 able to achieve that? And the second part of my question would be, how do you plan to show other 3:50 operators the way to, towards achieving that? Yes. So, I think that is a very genuine concern 3:58 and you know, a very confusing questions to be honest, you know, because 4:05 at the same time ORAN promises that standard off the shelf hardware can be used, 4:10 which a lot of operator appreciate and want to do. And at the same time from, for some reason, 4:16 it is being questioned that, you know, X86 off the shelf, hardware is not as efficient as, 4:21 as it should be for ran kind of a use case where there's lots of thousands of sites being deployed. 4:26 And there are concern, you know, pertaining to OPEX and CapEx of, of such hardwares 4:32 which, which are genuine concern to an extent. What we have done is we have, we have pushed the 4:37 envelope of deploying video on such hardware. So a simple metrics of, of efficiency is, 4:45 you know, cost versus what we deliver, right? So, number of sites deployed over X86 4:53 hardware versus number of sites delivered over a traditional hardware. That is one aspect of simple 4:59 KPEX measurement. And the second aspect is how do we manage the manageability of open hardware, 5:05 become a little bit more complicated because there is no one party which manages it now. So, 5:10 what we have done is we have integrated not just the RAN piece on our X86 platform. What we have 5:16 done is we have also worked on cloud architecture, which does provide a strong and scalable 5:22 manageability of our standard hardware and combination of these two technologies, which is 5:28 I mean, specifically cloud is, is very well proven and widely used all over the IT technologies, 5:34 right? Our it industry now taking that mature technology and making it together 5:39 bringing it together into ORAN as a technology and use that for life cycle management. So two aspect, 5:45 basically one is cost versus performance. And second is manageability. Both these aspects 5:52 have been addressed and we have been successful in addressing that in Japan. And now we are trying to 5:57 expand it and, and, you know, let others be benefited out of it. 6:02 So to get others to adopt this particular architecture, as well as what solution or 6:09 platform you are building, you also need to have a very thriving open ecosystem. 6:15 So what is your vision for that? How do you make such a open ecosystem happen? 6:21 So, one major aspect for bringing a ecosystem together is the conflict of interest. You know 6:27 a lot of traditional vendors have end-to-end offering, or at least acquired this end to end 6:33 offering over the period of time, which kind of restrict them to work with third parties, 6:38 which are probably specialized and provide more benefits onto certain areas. Take an example of 6:43 Juniper, for that matter, right? You, you have a strong capability in IP and, and front hall and, 6:49 you know, overall cloud-native routing stack some other companies which have end-to-end stack may 6:56 have a conflict of interest there. However, we, as, as symphony, as Rakuten and are basically 7:03 providing a platform where companies can come together, our ecosystem partners can come together 7:09 and we offer services together. We are specialized. We have specialized ourself into 7:14 RAN domain including hardware and software. Also, we have a comprehensive offering of 7:21 automation tools, you know, which, which integrates into a marketplace. 7:26 And then we are working with suppliers like Juniper and others, two IP domain. And also 7:32 are you become a very significant challenge for ORAN because multiple bands, right? So we 7:38 are enabling that ecosystem by co-investing. Other operators are, are becoming together and investing 7:44 into developing those radios. So, we do see ORAN ecosystem getting mature rapidly in last few 7:52 years. This was not the growth for last five, six years, but in last one or two years, the ecosystem 7:57 has been growing significantly and we see it getting even more mature in couple of more years. 8:03 So, I think first of all, I want to thank you and Rakuten for 8:07 including us in your innovation ecosystem. Can you say a little bit more about our partnership, how 8:13 Juniper is trying to help you in your endeavor? Yeah, so it was an interesting partnership, right? 8:20 So this is, this is a work that that was one of the motivating factor for a lot of operators, 8:28 right? Why does operator want to have a open hardware is basically to utilize that hardware 8:34 more and more, if it has capacity available, otherwise traditional hardware does the job, 8:39 but the purpose of bringing a open hardware is to basically integrate with a open software. And we, 8:44 this was always the vision for, for Open RAN. And we were probably, you know, it just happened that 8:51 we were probably the first mover in this case also where we took a hardware and we said, okay, 8:56 we have certain resources computer resource available, right? Why do we put a, a separate 9:01 hardware there to do just the routing walk? And we reached out to Juniper. This was you know, 9:07 they came back very positively to the idea. See it's not easy for, for a hardware company or 9:12 a company that sell integrated hardware software to come up with the idea where you give away your 9:16 hardware. So, I would say thanks to Juniper for that perspective, you know, at least you came up 9:22 with that open mindset to integrate your software onto our or X86 hardware, right? We, we did a lot 9:28 of brainstorming you, you know, further optimized and, and make it more efficient to work on 9:34 minimum number of resources to be utilized. Right. And, you know, we had a very hard time 9:39 working together on those aspects, but today it's a perfect example where a standard hardware can 9:45 be used for two different software stack, which generally never seen coming from same 9:50 hardware. Right. You never see this happening in a traditional system where the basement hardware 9:55 is used for a routing tag also. So this is a, this is a excellent partnership that we have. 10:00 And not just to, just to say it, as I said, you know, you came with a very open mindset where you 10:07 give away your hardware and you want to integrate software only. And we are seeing a lot of you 10:11 know, efficiencies of this collaboration. And I think we'll do more in future in this regard. 10:19 Oh, thank you. Thank you for that. I think, you know, under the topic close to my heart 10:24 is RIC and SMO and our apps that application ecosystem that can be built on top of the RIC. 10:31 do you see the role of in the same on application ecosystem in the vision and the deployments? 10:39 Yeah, so SMO is definitely since we, as I said, the first, first question itself, right? So 10:47 orchestration is, is integral part of doing Open RAN, right? If you want do cloud native, if you 10:51 want to use make, make it more efficient, make it scalable. Then you have to use technologies 10:56 which are more cloud native, and which, which has been showing results. Right? So, 11:01 so more definitely there is no question about usability and, and efficiency that it brings. 11:05 It's, it's just an integral part of the whole network. Now, RIC, RIC is basically a platform 11:12 which, which today a lot of operators and a lot of vendors want to do, right. Efficiencies will 11:19 basically come from the applications right now, this, this ecosystem of application 11:25 has been worked out. There are, there are typical players who do sound application. They are also 11:31 proving their application onto a RIC platform. So, this opens up a new generation of development 11:38 onto RIC platform because it allows different industries to come together and bring in their 11:44 expertise. So, I think this is definitely a founding stone for, for next evolution 11:51 of technology in, in Open RAN, which opens our platform to, to smaller, specific skill set, 11:58 to yield benefit. Otherwise nobody will ever imagine that a smaller company coming with a very 12:03 small software stack can show any efficiencies into RAN network because that's a closed box. 12:09 Now, since it's open, there is a platform where such efficiencies can be plugged in. 12:13 It will directly start showing result in terms of performance and, and, 12:18 you know, expenditure savings to the operators. So I think RIC is definitely a, a founding stone for 12:24 next leap of innovation on Open RAN. And at Juniper, we hope with our RIC 12:29 platform, we can cooperate with you and collaborate with you to make that happen. 12:34 For me, the ORAN and Rakuten go together because you are leading the 12:38 entire world by actually showing the proof points and success of ORAN. So, 12:44 one last question for you is what is the, what is the next step for both Rakuten and ORAN? 12:51 So, as, as as you rightly said, we, we we have been working on it. So one important aspect of 12:59 doing mobile is now a lot of operators have more trust and, and have started to see that Open RAN 13:08 is no less efficient technology, or just a, just a research work. It is a, it is a technology, which 13:15 is, which is performing. We have a, a commercial network where commercial traffic is running, 13:19 which is benchmarked and compared against the global operators, which is showing performance 13:24 comparable with top class networks. So, now what we are saying is a lot of operators are adopting 13:30 into technology. Now adopting into technology like Open RAN is, you know, you need a lot of 13:35 motivation to do it, right, because there's lots of open pieces. You have to come together. So we 13:40 at symphony are basically doing that work. We are bringing in the whole ecosystem 13:45 of radios, of servers of our own in-house applications for, for automation end-to0end 13:52 automation. So we are building a marketplace where we have our own offering for end-to-end software 13:57 automation and deployment and integration of all the way from planning to, to operation. And that 14:03 marketplace is also open for ecosystem partners like Juniper and, and FI, we are publicly 14:08 announced and then others, right? So we basically are now going to the market as a system integrator 14:14 and a service solution provider where we, where the operator who want to have a complete offering, 14:22 we do that. We will give a service provider, a complete offering if they're looking for that. 14:27 But if a, if operator want certain specific pieces from us, they want to be 14:32 have more control on what they're deploying. We are also offering those individual pieces 14:38 that we have developed and gained over the past few years in our deployment in Japan. 14:41 So next for us and our partnership is basically this new announcement that we have around SIM 14:48 Wear and, and SIM World. We are going and opening our global opportunities and letting 14:54 operators utilize our stack to help them build Open RAN technologies in their, their networks. 15:00 No, that's wonderful. And thank you. Thank you for joining me and sharing 15:04 your thoughts and I look forward to continued collaboration and partnership. Thank you. 15:09 Thank you. Thank you, Raj. It was pleasure to talk to you today. Thank you. 0:08 Hello, I'm Raj Yavatkar, 0:10 CTO for Juniper Networks. 0:13 Today, the development and deployment of 5G network infrastructure 0:17 has seen a big push towards what is known as Open RAN 0:20 or O-RAN mobile network architectures. 0:24 That architecture disaggregates the traditionally integrated style 0:28 . --> into 0:28 many different components that can be supplied by many different vendors. 0:34 The service providers and developers would integrate those together 0:38 to provide a completely new value. 0:40 They can take advantage of artificial intelligence 0:42 and machine learning in the process to optimize the networks. 0:46 We, at Juniper Networks, 0:47 believe that removing the obstacles 0:51 for making the O-RAN desegregated architecture happen, 0:55 is important for growth of 5G networks 0:57 and also created a thriving open ecosystem of application developers. 1:02 Today, I have the pleasure of talking with Marc Rouanne, 1:06 executive vice president and chief network officer at Dish Wireless. 1:10 Marc, thank you for joining me today. 1:13 Thank you, Raj. 1:15 First, starting with your vision for Open RAN based 5G networks 1:20 and how you want to see the industry develop, 1:23 and what Dish Wireless is trying to do. 1:27 We're lucky at Dish because we're starting a brand new 5G network 1:30 when the ecosystem is maturing towards Open RAN. 1:36 Open RAN, for us, is a lot of things. 1:38 It's a virtualized software first. 1:43 Basically, we consume the RAN software, 1:45 like in the cloud, microservices, and scalable. 1:50 All the things we see on the cloud now we can see on the RAN. 1:54 The second thing is it's open. 1:56 Open means that you can mix and match different vendors and ideas. 2:04 It accelerates innovation because some very good vendors maybe busy doing some things, 2:10 but then you have a new startup or a new enterprise that is coming with new ideas 2:14 and they can drop in and bring innovation to us. 2:18 On top of that, what Open RAN brings is that it allows other players like the silicon vendors 2:26 to inject their know-how and their investment capabilities. 2:31 For us, we have new cards, new accelerators, 2:34 new silicon, it's Christmas every day. 2:38 That's pretty cool to see. 2:40 In that context, if I may, 2:41 how do you see Juniper Networks playing a role and helping Dish Wireless? 2:47 We see Juniper as a thought leader in the industry. 2:51 We've been working with Juniper for almost two years now. 2:55 Juniper has been at the forefront when it comes to virtualization 3:00 of software starting with the routing capabilities vRouters 3:06 and sales side routers that are capable to run on what we love, 3:11 which is Kubernetes and cloud architectures. 3:16 I think Juniper is going further now in terms of automation 3:20 and application ecosystems and sees, 3:23 at least that's what I understand, 3:24 sees the power of AI and data so that you can put on top 3:28 of the classic networking capabilities and the classic networks, 3:33 you can put all these data-driven intelligence. 3:37 we share the same views. 3:39 You and I and our teams, we have had some very deep discussions, 3:43 and I think we share the same ambition there. 3:46 Good, thank you. 3:47 I think one of the things I also want to understand from you is that 3:50 O-RAN is completely new architecture, somewhat controversial. 3:55 Some of the vendors are not likely to accept it. 3:58 How do you see it evolving? 4:00 How do you see it happen in the industry? 4:04 I was at Barcelona for Mobile World Congress, 4:07 and I got convinced that everybody believes that virtual RAN and Open RAN is the way to go. 4:13 The debate is more like how fast can you go there if you have existing roadmaps, 4:19 existing chipsets, existing networks? 4:22 How do you embrace this new technology? 4:26 I don't think anybody is debating anymore that you want to be innovating in the cloud, 4:31 you want to use Kubernetes stacks, 4:33 you want to be scalable and microservice-based. 4:36 Even the more traditional vendors, I think, 4:39 have accepted and are investing in that direction. 4:43 It's going to be a journey because you are going to see different flavors. 4:46 People like us, because we're in Greenfield, 4:49 we can consume today but some more established players 4:54 and operators will take more time to consume. 4:57 They may decide to consume it for the enterprise, for the standard, you know what I mean? 5:00 There are different ways. 5:02 Over time, I have no doubt that the whole world is going to a virtualized software, 5:06 Open RAN, and cloud-native capabilities. 5:09 Now, that's good to know because we are betting on that. 5:11 I think our investments in O-RAN, 5:14 first time we are entering the mobile networks 5:15 with our RAN intelligence controller or cloud orchestration, and so on. 5:21 One question related to that is how critical you see 5:25 the application ecosystem developing to make O-RAN successful. 5:29 Well, the application ecosystem, as you call it, 5:32 is where the intelligence is going to be. 5:35 When you define a cloud RAN, Open RAN network, 5:39 you make it observable. The data is coming up and, 5:45 once the data is up, you can put applications of any form, 5:49 and a lot of them we have not even thought of or invented 5:52 that can make use of that data and then bring an extraordinary number of new benefits. 6:00 Like we've seen in the app stores for the smartphones, 6:04 it's pretty much unlimited what you can do once you have the compute and the data. 6:11 One of the most expensive resource in the 5G O-RAN architecture or otherwise is spectrum. 6:18 Do you see applications driving some new ways 6:21 of achieving spectrum utilization and efficiency? 6:26 Yes, actually, 6:28 I'm a technology geek and I love demonstrations and experimentation. 6:33 I've seen several times, in my life, 6:35 applications that were capable of improving the spectrum all the way up to or %, 6:42 for very specific applications. 6:44 Which is, for an engineer like me seriously, %, %. 6:50 Of course, we're not going to get this across the board, but even if we can, 6:55 on average, get a few percent of spectrum efficiency 6:59 because we all know the price and the cost of spectrum, 7:02 this is an incredible capability. 7:06 I would start with that, the spectrum efficiency for drones or for transportation 7:11 or for some very specific use cases where you can define 7:16 and adapt your scheduler and all your channel estimation 7:21 to actually what's happening because, 7:24 with the data, you can learn much more in-depth. 7:29 What about the slicing that happens in the radio access network 7:33 but also slicing happens in transport and core? 7:35 For example, we, at Juniper, 7:38 we are one the first one to support transport slicing and core network slicing. 7:43 What's your view of slicing, 7:44 the role it plays both in RAN as well as on end-to-end point basis? 7:49 Yes, slicing will happen all the way from the services 7:54 to the core of the transport and the RAN. 7:57 Actually, you know what? 7:58 I think the link is a formidable prototype of intelligent controllers, 8:03 but I expect to see the same capabilities for the transport, having intelligent controllers. 8:08 I know you guys are investing there and have a lot of assets there, 8:15 but I expect to see it at the cloud optimization layer, 8:20 having intelligent controllers that can optimize your resources at the cloud level, 8:24 and all the way for slices during the day, during the night, 8:28 depending on the geographies. 8:32 As I said, it seems to be pretty much in limited the type of things you can do. 8:37 One other aspect of this open ecosystem 8:40 and application development could be impact on sustainability. 8:44 How do we make networks more sustainable? 8:46 Do you have any thoughts on that with respect to what we could do? 8:49 Yes, traditionally, wireless networks have been designed for peak, 8:56 either peak during the day so you have like one hour during 8:59 which people consume more because they commute or they are home, 9:03 or for certain events like New Year's Eve, 9:08 which makes mobile networks pretty much empty 9:13 in other parts of the day during the night or during empty seasons. 9:19 With intelligent data and scalability and cloud-native, 9:23 you can scale up and down, you can steer the traffic, 9:26 you can steer the compute like we do in the cloud today. 9:30 Then you have a much more sustainable network 9:33 where you transmit in a much more efficient way, 9:36 and you can take down the power of the radios. 9:42 They consume a lot of power there on top of the mast. 9:46 You can adapt. 9:48 You can also steer the traffic. 9:49 For example, upgrading smartphones, 9:52 you don't want to do that during the busy hour. 9:54 You want to do that when the network is less busy or you want to offload it on Wi-Fi. 10:02 Once you have all these visibility and those slices and use cases, 10:05 yes, you can really have an impact on the cost of OPEX 10:11 and the power consumption of the network. 10:12 Okay. 10:14 I want to give you last word, Marc, with respect to, 10:17 just tell us about your vision and roadmap for Dish Wireless. 10:21 Where do you want to be in the next two years and what do we expect? 10:24 How Juniper Networks can also be there as a partner to help you? 10:29 I'll go back to the discussion you and I we had a few weeks back. 10:33 Today, I consider that we have done a classic cloud-native network, 10:37 where we can distribute advanced services based on the smartphones 10:43 and other classic devices. 10:45 But the next focus, 10:46 what we are discussing and we are discussing that together is 10:49 when you go to the enterprise, 10:51 how do you equip your SD-WAN with advanced mobility? 10:55 How do you have equipped with advanced security? 10:58 How do you give seamless remote access to SD-WAN 11:04 or facilities with people that are working remotely? 11:08 Then you move this capability to machines and sensors. 11:14 A lot of the internet capabilities today are still managed by devices 11:19 that are connected to the internet. 11:21 With 5G, 11:22 we can expand all the things we are doing to any device 11:26 that can be connected through wireless, 11:30 whatever the wireless may be, Wi-Fi, 5G, 11:33 or any other CB or C-band capabilities. 11:36 That's where we focusing now, 11:39 exploring those capabilities because the technology is there 11:43 and now it's how you consume it and how you expose it 11:46 and how you combine and integrate it to serve enterprises. 11:51 To say the least, I think, we, at Juniper Networks, 11:54 are excited to join you in your journey. 11:57 I hope you all the best and thank you for joining me today. 12:00 Thank you for your support and your thought leadership. 12:04 This is helping us a lot understanding where we need to go. 12:08 Thank you. Amnesty International on Friday said it stands by its accusation that Ukraine is endangering civilians by creating army bases in residential areas to counter Russian forces, after a report from the rights group prompted a furious response from Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had lashed out Amnesty over the report published on Thursday, saying the rights group was drawing a false equivalence between Ukraine as victim of aggression and the Russian invaders. Amnesty "fully stands by our research," the organisation's Secretary General Agnes Callamard told AFP in emailed comments. "The findings... were based on evidence gathered during extensive investigations which were subject to the same rigorous standards and due diligence processes as all of Amnesty International's work," she added. Amnesty's report said Ukrainian forces were violating international law and endangering civilians by establishing bases in residential areas, including in schools and hospitals. Residential areas where Ukrainian soldiers based themselves were miles away from frontlines, and "viable alternatives" were available that would not endanger civilians, the report said. But Zelensky accused Amnesty of trying to shift "the responsibility from the aggressor to the victim". "If someone makes a report in which the victim and the aggressor are supposedly equal in some way... then this cannot be tolerated," he said. Callamard however expressed concern that the Ukraine government's "reaction risks chilling legitimate and important discussion of these topics". She said that the Ukrainian government did not respond to Amnesty's request for a response to its findings and also emphasised that the group had issued multiple reports "documenting war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine." Britain's ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons also appeared to criticise Amnesty on Twitter, saying that "the only things endangering (Ukrainian) civilians are missiles and guns and marauding Russian troops. Full stop." Adding to the controversy, the head of Amnesty's Ukraine office Oksana Pokalchuk, wrote in a statement on Facebook that Amnesty had ignored her team's pleas not to publish the report. Amnesty's Ukraine office would not translate the report into Ukrainian or upload the material on its Ukrainian website, she added. Callamard said that it was not appropriate at the current moment to comment on "inaccuracies" in Pokalchuk's statement but emphasised that its report "underwent a full internal review process" where Amnesty Ukraine could raise any concerns. sjw/jh/pvh Meta A UN human rights expert on Friday urged rebels in the war-torn Central African Republic to "lay down their arms" and engage in political dialogue. "I vehemently condemn the obstinacy of the Coalition of Patriots for Change and other armed groups who continue to spread terror, insecurity and suffering among the civilian population and victims of violations and abuses," Yao Agbetse, the UN independent expert on the situation of human rights in the CAR, said in a statement. One of the world's poorest countries, the CAR has been torn apart by civil wars for much of the past nine years. In late 2020, the most powerful of the rebel groups then controlling two-thirds of the country formed the Coalition of Patriots for Change and tried to oust President Faustin-Archange Touadera by launching an offensive on the capital Bangui. The army managed to repel the attack with alleged help from Russian mercenaries, but the Centrafrican government still struggles to establish its authority in many areas of the vast nation. After a 10-day visit, Agbetse painted a grim picture of the state of human rights in the country. He accused a rebel group, the Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central Africa (FPRC), of committing rape and sexual slavery, mostly against girls aged 11-17. He also alleged the CAR national army and the internal security forces and their auxiliaries had carried out "unacceptable" human rights violations in an attack on the village of Boyo in December last year. A UN report last month accused government forces and foreign private military contractors of training the militias behind possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Boyo. Machete-wielding militia members killed at least 20 civilians in the week-long attack, while five women and girls were raped and 547 houses were burned and looted. CAR's former colonial ruler France and its allies accuse Touadera of turning to private Russian military group Wagner to shore up his position in exchange for a share of the CAR's mineral wealth. Agbetse demanded Wagner not prevent the United Nations and its peacekeeping force in the country, MINUSCA, from doing their job. "The Wagner group must not prevent the deployment of MINUSCA protection operations and not obstruct the investigation of human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law," he said. In March, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, denounced "serious human rights violations" in the CAR, including killings and sexual violence against civilians, committed by rebel groups but also by the military and their Russian allies. Nam Joo Hyuk is back! The South Korean heartthrob returns to his activities and prepares for the new K-drama "Vigilante." It comes after the massive controversy that almost tainted his career. Nam Joo Hyuk Spotted Sporting a Police Uniform for 'Vigilante' On social media, netizens are thrilled to see photos of Nam Joo Hyuk on the set of the action thriller series. The actor was spotted wearing a police uniform as he took the role of Kim Ji Yong, a student at a police academy who turns into a vigilante over the weekend. The revenge was rooted after his mother was murdered at the hands of a local gangster when he was young. Fans Excited for Nam Joo Hyuk's Comeback for 'Vigilante' Following Nam Joo Hyuk's photo on the set of "Vigilante" circulated on Twitter, fans and netizens celebrated the actor's comeback. Many fans expressed how excited they are to see the actor on the small screen playing a different role. On the other hand, some are thankful that the issue has died down and are looking forward to seeing Nam Joo Hyuk in his new drama. 'Vigilante': What to Expect in Nam Joo Hyuk's New Drama? The upcoming action thriller K-drama is based on the popular webtoon of the same name. Joining Nam Joo Hyuk as the lead star is Lee Joon Hyuk, who is set to play Cho Kang OK, the vice chairman of DK Group and the creator of "Vigilante." He designed "Vigilante" due to his fascination with heroes. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Nam Joo Hyuk's Rapper Lookalike Apologizes for Having Same Visuals as the Actor Yoo Ji Tae from "Money Heist Korea" will portray Cho Heon, the head of the investigation team at the Metropolitan Investigation Unit. Adding to the list of lead stars is Kim So Jin from "Through the Darkness," who took the role of Choi Mi Ryeo. Set to air sometime in 2023, it is still undecided whether to air "Vigilante" on OTT platforms or broadcast networks. Interestingly, the upcoming webtoon-based series is Nam Joo Hyuk's follow-up project after the mega-hit K-drama "Twenty-Five Twenty-One" with Kim Tae Ri. It is also his first project since he got involved in the controversy. What Happened to Nam Joo Hyuk's Bullying Issue? The sighting of the actor comes months after his name was dragged into school violence and bullying issues. In June, three accusers came forward and claimed that Nam Joo Hyuk used to be a bully back in high school. The third accuser even accused the actor of sexually harassing them in their senior year. Amid the controversy, his agency, Management SOOP, denied the allegations and announced that they had taken legal actions against the reporter and the publication that first released the issue to protect the actor's image. KDramastars owns this article Written by Geca Wills Lee Joo Seung, whose last K-drama was with Park Hyung Sik and Han Hyo Joo, shares shocking revelations regarding his health. Although he is best known as an award-winning independent actor, this 33-year-old often plays villain roles in K-drama. Viewers might recognize him as the weird-looking cleaner named Andrew in tvN's K-zombie series "Happiness," later revealed to be the villain. During his appearance on MBC's "Radio Star," he shared the downside of playing antagonist roles. Lee Joo Seung Reveals he Dislocated his Jaw After Playing Villain Characters for 15 Years As obtained by a news portal, Lee Joo Seung had a facial injury after playing villain characters for 15 years. The actor mentioned that he often plays "secretive or killer-like roles in independent films," noting that one of them includes a scene where he is being tortured. "In the past, there was no martial arts director when filming independent films. They asked me if I could get slapped, and I said yes," he mentioned. Unfortunately, being an actor is not a walk in the park but may include action scenes and physical stunts. In his case, he had to endure the cold weather and being slapped several times. "In the middle of winter, I had to go into ice water and get slapped 20 times while tied up," he shared, adding, " However, I was hit more than 100 times due to NG. My body froze, and I felt so emotional that I said, 'I'm going to the bathroom,' then cried a lot there." IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Han Hyo Joo, Park Hyung Sik's Zombie Series 'Happiness' Tops Global Charts Unfortunately, the scene caused him injury, and he suffered from dislocating his jaw. He even had a hard time eating after the scene. "If I chew Stir-fried Cartilage, my jaw will hurt. I can't even eat Grilled Pork Belly." Lee Joo Seung's Drama List Before cementing his name as an independent actor, Lee Joo Seung studied theater at Seoul University. His first on-screen appearance was the 2009 movie "Members of the Funeral" followed by "One Night Stand'' in 2010, and he became the lead star of the youth-oriented drama "U.F.O." in 2012. From his various indie film appearances, Lee Joo Seung gained praise for his exceptional acting in the 2014 film "Shuttlecock." Interestingly, through this film, he bagged his first ever recognition as Independent Star Award at the 39th Seoul Independent Film Festival and brought home the Best New Actor from the 23rd Buil Film Awards. Besides his villain role in "Happiness," Lee Joo Seung also appeared in Namgoong Min's "Doctor Prisoner," where he took the role of one of the inmates. He also played the villain role in "Voice" and played the role of Hwang Kyung Il, who runs an explicit site called Huntingman and harasses his female victims. KDramastars owns this article Written by Geca Wills The Kenosha County Board earlier this week approved the appointment of the countys next public works director hiring, the woman who led a similar City of Kenosha department for the last six years. The board voted 17-3 confirming the appointment of Shelley Billingsley Tuesday night, but not before scrutiny from supervisors. Voting against the appointment were Supervisors Monica Yuhas, Jeffrey Gentz and John Franco. Last month, County Executive Samantha Kerkman recommended Billingsley, a Paris resident, for appointment. She initially assumed the role as interim director on Aug. 1 before the official hiring on Tuesday. Velodrome, Dream Playground issuesDuring deliberations, Yuhas asked Billingsley to address two issues during her tenure as the citys public works director, including the delayed opening of Kenoshas historic Velodrome, which had undergone a major yearlong renovation beginning in 2015. While the projects completion and opening was set for the spring of 2016, cracks in the new track and a void below the surface forced the city to require the contractor to resolve the issues. The Velodrome was installed by a contractor. We hired a firm to do the pipe inspection for that facility. We did have concerns about the settlement of a pipe, so we did some sonar testing and thats where we determined that there were some voids underneath the pavement due to the storm sewer installation project that was done, Billingsley said. And we went back to the contractor and negotiated that through (the citys) counsel and that was rectified. Yuhas further questioned Billingsley, asking about the additional cost to the city for resolving the issue. Billingsley said she would have to go back to her notes and could not recall, adding that costs had changed dramatically since that time. According to previous published reports, the city delayed full payment of the $670,000 and eventually settled for an additional $25,000 payment to the contractor. The Velodrome reopened in spring of 2017. Yuhas then questioned her on the installation of faulty flooring at the Dream Playground, the unique 15,000-square-foot playground open to people of all abilities at Petzke Park, 2900 14th Ave. The $1 million playground, which had originally opened in October 2015, was later closed in the spring 2016 to address flooring replacement. The flooring failed a majority of safety tests and had to be removed and reinstalled. Billingsley said the city had asked for and reviewed the materials for flooring that had originally met the specifications for the Dream Playground. But what had happened is the contractor had flipped the product on us without notifying us, without our approval of the specifications for the floor, she said. We found that out when we did the initial drop test, which is how we go about certifying the flooring. So, that floor was never certified, never accepted. We all found that through the investigation and testing of the floor after it was placed. A new contractor eventually replaced the flooring and the playground was re-opened in mid-November 2016. Hiring, salary negotiationsSupervisor Jeffrey Gentz also opposed the appointment saying he could not support hiring a new director at or near the top of the pay range. According to Clara Tappa, the countys human resources director, the top of the pay scale for the position is $139,683 annually. The starting pay for public works director is $100,491. Billingsley will earn $138,047 annually. Is that how were going to hire people is put them right at the top without working their way up the ladder? said Gentz, who asked Tappa for further explanation. Our policy allows for hiring up to midpoint, with human resources director approval. Beyond midpoint, it requires county executive approval, Tappa said. Salaries, especially for positions at this level, are often negotiated. Gentz objected to the process saying that the county is so tight on everything else but can afford to hire at the top of scale. I dont agree with that, he said. Billingsley began her career as an engineer with the City of Kenosha in February 2003. During her tenure with the city, she served as deputy director of engineering and deputy director of public works before becoming the public works director in 2016. Her last day as the citys public works director was July 28, according Steve Stanczak, the citys human resources director. Her final annual salary was $139,440. Her qualifications and accomplishments include a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and a Master of Business Administration from the University of WisconsinParkside. She was recently elected vice president of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Public Works Association. Billingsley received two Project of the Year awards from the APWA in recognition of the construction of Kenosha Fire Station No. 1 at the former Bain Elementary School and various stormwater improvements. Six finalists Billingsley was among six finalists interviewed for the county position from a field of 14 applicants, according to Tappa, who was reached following Tuesdays meeting. Supervisor Amanda Nedweski questioned Tappa on what the competitive wage was for the position in the geographic area. The county is conducting an ongoing compensation study, with the public works directors position among others under evaluation, Tappa said. She reiterated, however, that the county underwent negotiations in order to hire a highly qualified candidate in this role to be competitive with other similar employers in our area. Nerves ablaze, my voice cracked as I ended my remarks outlining the need for equitable data collection. I leaned towards the screen, adjusted my eyeline to make eye contact, and asked Representative Thomas Suozzi to support The Equitable Data Collection and Disclosure on COVID-19 Act. Representative Suozzi paused for a second, appeared to think over, or perhaps through the points of my argumentand then responded resolutely with, I will cosign that bill. As I looked across the boxes on my screen, I saw the gleaming faces of my peers. Just as it did then, and as it has for countless of my peers since, involvement in the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) Advocacy Day showed me the difference that medical student voices make. As the oldest student osteopathic advocacy organization in the U.S., SOMA has continued its 51-year commitment to osteopathic pride and excellence through advocacy opportunities for its more than 15,000 members. SOMA encourages members to participate in developing innovative health care policies and to play an active role in advocacy through internal processes and SOMA governing bodies. For example, as a new SOMA member, I had the opportunity to draft resolutions to be voted on by the SOMA House of Delegates. This improved my policy research skills and gave me insight into the policy drafting process. As a chapter leader, on the other hand, I found myself acting on behalf of hundreds of SOMA members at my school to debate, amend, and vote on member-originated resolutions; these resolutions had the potential to impact operations within both the body of SOMA, as well as our interactions with national stakeholder organizations. Like my experiences with embracing a more active role in the ever-changing health care climate, osteopathic medical students have exhibited a growing interest in opportunities to advocate for their future patients and the osteopathic profession. As students, one way to advocate is through participation in events such as the aforementioned Advocacy Day. However, as a national organization, SOMA can use its national platform to promote change through direct engagement with stakeholder organizations. A recent example of this process in action was during SOMAs August 2021 report to the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA). During this report, national leaders from SOMA advocated to COCA regarding member-originated policy about the evaluation and accreditation process for Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (COM). I had the pleasure of presenting resolution S-21-14 to the accrediting body, an extremely pertinent topic following the shift to a virtual environment in 2020. In response to this change, NYITCOM at Arkansas State University set a new osteopathic physician training precedent by successfully including telehealth education in their curriculum. In line with similar successes at local COMs, our membership voted to incorporate this policy, including telehealth training in COM curriculums. On behalf of SOMA and our membership, we requested the COCA to amend Standard 6: Curriculum to read, that students achieve all program objectives and participate in required in-person as well as telehealth clinical training experiences and environments. With previous experience working with the Special Olympics population of New York, I know how important it is to be mindful of your communication with your patient, and I very much hope for continued growth in osteopathic curricula. I was happy to discuss telehealth, as my family and I utilized it for our medications during the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking back on that early-summer day advocating to Representative Suozzi, I can see and appreciate the professional growth from the advocacy opportunities that SOMA has provided me. As Region 1 Trustee, I had the privilege of representing members of my region and alongside my phenomenal colleagues that I have learned so much. If you had asked me where I would be during my third year of medical school two years ago, I would not have anticipated the differences I have helped make in the profession by serving as a SOMA Trustee and now National Treasurer. I look forward to continuing to engage in meaningful advocacy on behalf of the osteopathic student body. Scott Landman is an osteopathic medical student. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Government featured School Board hopefuls differ on testing Retired physician Sue Woltanski and prosecutor Alexandria Suarez are vying for the Monroe County School Board Dist. 5 seat on Aug. 23. Woltanski, the incumbent, was elected unopposed to the non-partisan seat in 2018. Suarez made a previous bid for public office in 2020 as a District 120 Florida House of Representatives candidate, losing to Jim Mooney in the Republican primary. Woltanski Suarez Retaining high-quality educators in the school district and finding affordable housing for district staff are top concerns for both candidates. The biggest issue, by far, is not having teachers in the classroom, Woltanski said, referring to the larger issue affecting not only the Florida Keys but also the United States as a whole: the national teacher shortage. And with the affordable housing problem in the Keys, its even worse. We have been working very hard to recruit new teachers and try to find them affordable housing. We also have plans to build them affordable housing. But we just cant build it fast enough, Woltanski said. In the long term, we need to take a look at teacher salaries and continue to move forward in the housing arena. Aside from wages and housing, Woltanski says the community must show educators more appreciation and recognize their professionalism. We need to work on respecting the professionalism of teachers and allow them to use their creativity in the classroom, so they can do what theyre trained to do. I believe that the last two years have been especially challenging for a whole bunch of different reasons, but theres been a lot of disrespect, and that makes it harder for teachers to want to continue, she said. In the short term, we cant fix affordable housing, and our hands are tied by the state for funding, but we can, as a community, bring respect back to our teachers. You remember at the start of COVID, we had to cut down and go virtual, and there was this whole teachers are heroes sentiment. We need to get back to that, Woltanski said. Suarez said better pay for teachers and better recruiting are priorities. We cannot continue to maintain the cost of living in the Keys. It just continues to go up, she said. This is a key issue. Its something that the school board is already in the process of working on, but we need to keep at it, and as always, we need to make sure that we are recruiting quality workers. But we need to make sure we maintain that workforce. And something I bring different to the table than other people, including my opponent, is that I was a teacher. I left the profession because I couldnt afford to stay. Suarez also suggested relief could be provided to teachers with dependents. Its not just the teacher pay, its all of the other costs that teachers have to deal with so that they can remain in the classroom, she said. So we need to make sure that we are pressing to give our staff competitive rates. I left the industry at the time because it was costing me $1,000 per month just for my dependents. That was with the county paying my health insurance. A point of contention between the two candidates is the importance of standardized testing in the classroom. Suarez doubled down on her support for standardized testing, saying it discourages teachers from drifting into subject matter that is inappropriate in the classroom, such as critical race theory, an academic perspective taught in some colleges and law schools that racism is systemic, which Floridas Republican leadership has sought to ban from K-12 schools. What happens if you (dont have standardized testing)? Suarez asked rhetorically. Well, were promoting students on things rather than merit where they have to study. Its apportioning opportunities and grades. Were going to end up producing future students that have an unrealistic view of the future. China has been excelling when it comes to their students, and Ive got an opponent whos talking about eliminating standardized testing. Thats the key difference between us. Im not one to dummy down our education. Suarez also accused Woltanski of supporting critical race theory. The biggest difference between me and the person I am running against is critical race theory. I have researched the subject myself and learned a lot about it, and theres no place for it in Monroe County. Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Board of Education made sure of that. Thats why Governor DeSantis endorsed me, she said. Woltanski says she is not opposed to standardized testing. Rather, she is concerned that its over-emphasis has detracted from broader-based education. For the last 10 years, Ive been an advocate for bridging to prepare for not eliminating standardized tests, but just not focusing on them as much, she said. I feel like a lot of time spent practicing and preparing for tests for children couldve been better spent in more engaging and creative endeavors. For the little guys, we need more music, field trips, physical activity and projects. This whole school play thing, all of these things teach kids how to work together. The time spent practicing and taking these tests is time that you can never get back. Anyone with kids in the classroom knows theres too much stress with the testing, everyone is too focused on it. We need to restore that balance, so that school is a place where kids can get excited to learn, rather than be stressed and demoralized by standardized test scores. She added that teaching history involves offering different viewpoints, which should not be confused with support for critical race theory. Florida Standards require teaching about the Holocaust and slavery, so we are required to teach that. I think both are very difficult history, and we dont need to put a bow on it and make it look happier, she said. If it was a German exchange student in the class you would not blame them for the Holocaust anymore than you would blame a white child from the South for slavery. If you teach it right, people will understand what happened, and I dont think kids need to feel bad about themselves, but its hard history to learn. If you have a great teacher, they can get you through anything. Originally from Fremont, California, Woltanski grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area town, where her father was a local school administrator. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of California Santa-Barbara, earning a bachelors of arts degree in pharmacology, then shifting to UC Davis, where she earned a masters degree in exercise physiology. She later relocated to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to attend the University of Michigans School of Medicine, where she specialized in general pediatrics. She and husband Tom moved to Tavernier in 1999. Their daughter, a Coral Shores High School graduate, attends Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Their son currently attends Coral Shores. Suarez, meanwhile, has worked and lived in South Florida most of her life. She earned a bachelors degree in English from Florida International University and returned to college in 2015 to earn a law degree from the University of St. Thomas School of Law. During her professional career, she has worked as a public middle school teacher and a pharmaceutical representative. After earning her law degree, she began practicing family law in 2016 before joining the Monroe County State Attorneys Office as an assistant state attorney in 2020. The latest campaign contribution filings with the Monroe County Supervisor of Elections Office shows Woltanski with $54,705 and Suarez with $34,325. lee.wardlaw@keysnews.com There is just one craft school in Ireland and it is located in the scenic town of Thomastown at Island Mill, on the banks of the Nore for the past 40 years. The school is an integral part of the town and the craft and design heritage of Kilkenny. The course is full time over two years and the annual intake of sixteen students ensures that they receive a level of personal attention and mentorship that make the experience a very special one. Many former students say that their time at the college represents the best years of their lives. In celebration of the school's exceptional creative legacy, a group exhibition, 40 Mill Years will run at the mill from August 5 to 14, as part of this year's Kilkenny Arts Festival. Originally planned for 2021, the show was postponed due to the pandemic and was re-scheduled this year. The exhibition features a roll call of craftspeople who have studied and taught at the Grennan Mill school including Debra Bowden, Samantha Capatti, Lorna Donlon, Peter Donovan, Mary Ann Gelly, Seamus Gill, Nial Harper, Orla Kaminska, Sophie Longwill, Eva Lynch, Susan Byrne, Coilin O Dubhghaill, Angela O'Kelly, Annemarie Reinhold, Chrissy Shanahan, Michal Tylicki and school founder George Vaughan. Grennan Mill Craft School has its origins in the 1970s after a government agency brought international craft makers to work in Kilkenny as part of the Kilkenny Design Workshops initiative. The skilled craftspeople who arrived as part of that scheme worked in ceramics, jewellery, and printmaking and were given studios in the converted stables of Kilkenny Castle. It was decided with such a wealth of talent locally, to open a craft school. Under the direction of local art teacher, George Vaughan who became the course's visionary Course Coordinator and Brendan Conway, Grennan Mill Craft School opened in 1981 in the unique setting of the 18th century, five story converted grain mill, by the Nore. This unique exhibition offers a rare opportunity to appreciate the work of the many talented craftspeople who have graduated from the course as well as the creations of the tutors who have passed on their exceptional skills to new generations. 40 Mill Years at Grennan Mill Craft School, Island Mill Thomastown, Co Kilkenny from August 5 to 14, 10am to 6pm daily. Admission free. Irish police have launched a murder investigation after a man died in hospital six weeks after he was shot outside a Dublin hotel. The victim, aged in his 30s, had been treated in hospital for serious injures following the shooting in an underground car park of the premises on the South Circular Road in Kilmainham on June 24. He was pronounced dead in St Jamess Hospital on Friday. The office of the State Pathologist and the local coroner have been notified and a post-mortem examination has been arranged. Investigating gardai have renewed their appeal for witnesses to come forward. They are particularly appealing to road users with camera footage from the South Circular Road in the Kilmainham area on the morning of June 24 to make it available to them. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the incident room at Kilmainham Garda Station on 01 666 9700, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. No arrests have been made in the investigation. A featured Community Humane Shelter Pet of the Week was Lucy! Lucy is nearly 9-years-old now and has been at the shelter for nearly a year. She is a very sweet girl who loves to sit pretty for treats. If you are interested in miss Lucy, you can fill out the online application for adoption, which can be found at www.chssteubencounty.org. Please call the Community Humane Shelter at 833-2877 if you have any questions. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 55F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 55F. Winds light and variable. Auburn, IN (46706) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 56F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 56F. Winds light and variable. Happy birthday to EVERGLOW's leader, "queen" and "flower," Sihyeon! To commemorate her special day, let us recall stories related to the female idol. Is it true that she's BTS Jin's cousin? Read on to find out! Quick Facts About EVERGLOW Sihyeon Real Name: Kim Sihyeon Stage Name: Sihyeon Nickname: queen Sihyeon, mochi, positive queen, syeon, etc. Birthday: August 5, 1999 Nationality: South Korean Height: 170 cm Weight: 50 kg EVERGLOW Sihyeon's Family Background: Is She Really BTS Jin's Cousin? In 1999, Sihyeon was born in Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. She grew up with her parents, a grandmother and an older brother, making her the "princess" of the family. In K-pop, Forever, the fandom of EVERGLOW claims that Sihyeon is actually a distant cousin of global idol BTS Jin. According to social media platforms, this was mentioned by EVERGLOW members during a now-deleted V Live broadcast. It was allegedly confirmed by the members as well during an interview. However, there are NO receipts that this is a fact, as the said article and video are also nowhere to be seen. In conclusion, this is only a rumor yet to be confirmed by the two idols. Kim Sihyeon in 'Produce 101,' '48' Participation Although Gyeonggi is far from Seoul, Sihyeon decided to pursue her dreams of being an idol and moved to the capital to become a trainee. Despite being the only girl in the family, her parents were supportive and permitted her to follow her aspirations. In 2016, her face became known in the K-pop scene after joining Mnet's survival show, "Produce 101." She initially joined as an independent trainee and was eliminated in Episode 8. Following the show, Yue Hua scouted her in their company and signed with them. In 2018, the Yue Hua trainee Sihyeon joined Mnet's "Produce" series for the second time. Unfortunately, she was eliminated in Episode 11, completing the show at No. 27. Kim Sihyeon as Bae Suzy's Lookalike When she joined the program, Sihyeon became a hot topic for her strong resemblance with former Miss A Bae Suzy. The trainee was praised for her stunning visual, innocent and youthful image similar to the "Nation's First Love." She also impressed K-pop fans with her dance skills. Kim Sihyeon's Debut as EVERGLOW's Leader Despite failing to debut in I.O.I and IZ*ONE, Sihyeon finally had her much-awaited debut in 2019. She became the first one to be officially introduced as an EVERGLOW member and became the team's leader, visual, the face of the group and lead vocalist. She wasn't originally the leader but E.U.; although the latter passed the position to Sihyeon during their "Last Melody" promotions. Other Fun Facts About EVERGLOW Sihyeon: She was only a trainee for about two years and two months before she debuted. She loves cooking, and nail arts on top of singing and dancing. Her role models are TVXQ Yunho and Sunmi. She's close with IZ*ONE, especially to Yena and Eunbi. She shares the same birthday with UNIQ Yibo and WOODZ, her senior idols under the company. For more K-pop news, follow and subscribe to KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Eunice Dawson One of IVE's "I'VE SUMMER" comeback teaser photos garnered attention as it reminded people of a disbanded K-pop girl group. Curious? Continue reading to know what made them think of the previous artist. IVE's "I'VE SUMMER" Comeback Teaser Reminds People of THIS Disbanded Girl Group Since early this month, IVE has been releasing teaser pictures and clips for their second comeback with another single album titled "After Like." The album is a follow-up to their smash hit "LOVE DIVE," released in March. On Aug. 4, the "I'VE SUMMER" comeback teaser photos featuring the entire group were revealed after a series of individual pictures of the members. In the three images, the six IVE members are seen wearing all-white outfits and giving different poses to the camera while on a cargo bed and the green grass. In particular, one of the images shows the new girl group lying prone on a white sheet spread on the green grass. This certain photo was shared on the online community Nate Pann by a netizen who asserted it reminded them of a disbanded K-pop girl group. Titled "Seeing IVE Reminded me of GFRIEND," the post talks about how one of IVE's "I'VE SUMMER" comeback photo made the netizen remember GFRIEND, who unfortunately ended their group activities in May of last year. READ MORE: IVE Liz Garners Attention for Weight Gain The Nate Pann user wrote, "It gives me the GFRIEND vibes. It reminds me of 'Me Gustas Tu's album cover, so I like it." The album cover the netizen was referring to is the picture below. It is for GFRIEND's second extended play, "Flower Bud," which features the title track "Me Gustas Tu." In the image, the GFRIEND members can be seen lying on their bellies on a colorful sheet and showing bright smiles. Other notable things are the colorful sheet being spread on the green grass as well, and GFRIEND consisted of six members like IVE. Under the Nate Pann post, some netizens commented that the IVE's "IVE SUMMER" comeback teaser looks the same as GFRIEND's "Flower Bud" album cover. Below are a few of the comments: "It looks the same. They must've looked at GFRIEND and plagiarized them. "Oh, what the? It's the same." "IVE's teaser does give off a GFRIEND vibe." "It gives me nostalgic feelings." "I'm a Buddy, and I like it since they remind me of GFRIEND's debut days." However, the Nate Pann post has since been deleted. Do you agree that IVE's "I'VE SUMMER" comeback teaser photo exudes a GFRIEND vibe during their "Me Gustas Tu" era? Let us know what you think in the comment box below! IVE's "LOVE DIVE" Enters All Circle Charts In other news, IVE's "LOVE DIVE" consistently demonstrates its popularity in South Korea as it secures another spot on different Circle charts. For the week of July 24 to 30, "LOVE DIVE" ranked No. 23 on the Circle Album Chart with 6,082 copies sold and claimed No. 22 on the Retail Album Chart with 4,078 copies sold. Moreover, the album's title song (also called "LOVE DIVE") held onto its position at No. 2 on the Global K-pop Chart and stayed strong at No. 3 on both the Digital Chart (with over 24 million digital points) and the Streaming Chart. On the Download Chart, "LOVE DIVE" maintained its position at No. 24, while the track reached a new peak on both the BGM Chart and the Bell Chart at No. 55 and No 18, respectively. On the contrary, it dropped to No. 11 on the Singing Room Chart and climbed down to No. 88 on the Ring Chart. Finally, IVE climbed to No. 13 on the latest Social Chart. For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article Written by Maria Scott Chinese FM firmly refutes G7 statement on Taiwan Xinhua) 09:20, August 05, 2022 PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday firmly refuted a Taiwan-related statement made by the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers. The ins and outs of the current tension over the Taiwan Strait are crystal clear, so are the rights and wrongs. It is the United States which started the trouble, created the crisis, and continuously escalated the tensions, Wang said on the sidelines of meetings of foreign ministers on East Asia cooperation. "The flagrant provocation by the United States has set an egregious precedent. If it's not corrected and countered, will the principle of non-interference in internal affairs still exist? Will the internatioanl law still be upheld? How can the regional peace be safeguarded?" he asked. Wang stressed that the statement of the G7 foreign ministers distorts facts and confounds right and wrong. "Where did they get the right to groundlessly criticize China's reasonable and lawful measures for safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity? Who granted them the authority? Isn't it absurd that the infringer is shielded whereas the defender is accused?" he asked. Noting that the G7's wrongdoing has aroused great indignation among the Chinese people, Wang said the sovereignty and independence of China and other countries were earned through bloody battles fought by the people and should never be infringed upon again. Today's China is no longer the China of the 19th century, and history should not and will not repeat itself, he stressed. The international community should unequivocally oppose any act that challenges the one-China principle and resist all infringements on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, Wang said. Regional countries should be more united against any hegemony bullying the region, he said, adding only in this way can regional countries truly safeguard their own security as well as regional peace and stability. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) During Girls' Generation's comeback press conference on August 5, Hyoyeon sparked laughter for wearing THIS outfit. Read on to see the SNSD member's attire. Hyoyeon's Outfit at Girls' Generation's Comeback Press Conference Garners Attention On August 5, Girls' Generation held a press conference at the Intercontinental Hotel in Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul to commemorate the release of their seventh full-length album "Forever1." When the members arrived, the eight members turned heads with their visuals and 'fits. Taeyeon, Yuri and Sunny donned in black dresses, while Tiffany, Yoona and Sooyoung made jaws drop with their white ensembles. Yuri balanced the color scheme with her bellow-the-knee gray dress. Coincidentally, she coordinated her attire with SHINee Minho's suit, who is the MC of the press conference. All the members appeared dressed up in black or white, except Hyoyeon who chose hot pink coordinates. Of course, SHINee Minho didn't let the opportunity to tease his older sister and friend Hyoyeon. Thus, while introducing the song, the MC pointed this out, drawing laughter from the members. In the end, Hyoyeon confessed she felt "awkward." She said: "I didn't know the concept properly." Sooyoung, sitting next to her, also teased her, saying: "I told her it was black and white." The scene then became a sea of laughter when the members raised suspicions that Hyoyeon did not properly check their group chat messages. Girls Generation's True Feelings About Comeback in 5 Years As the press conference went on, the members also expressed their feelings about their comeback in about five years. The date of their return became even more special as they commemorate their 15th debut anniversary on this day. Sunny said: "Today is our 15th debut anniversary, and I tried to make it an event that everyone can celebrate, so please enjoy it with a good heart." Tiffany continued: "I think it's Girls' Generation season from early August, and I'm happy to greet you with a regular album on the 15th anniversary. We worked hard on it." Yuri also expressed her determination, saying: "As we gathered as a whole group for the first time in a long time, we will make August a month for Girls' Generation." Meanwhile, the group's full-length album "Forever 1" contains the title song with the same name. It will be a pop dance song with dynamic development and energetic melodies, and Girls' Generation's unique cool singing gives an exciting atmosphere as if you were at the festival site. The lyrics added meaning to the song as the group expresses eternal love for precious people regardless of the time and place. The song "Forever 1" will be released at 6 p.m. KST on August 5, while the album will be released on August 8. For more K-pop news, follow and subscribe to KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Eunice Dawson RACINE A Racine woman allegedly had multiple guns in purse, two of which had fully automatic switches. Lakiya A. Gresham, 44, of the 1400 block of Thurston Avenue, was charged with two felony counts of sell, possess, use or transport machine gun, a felony count of possession of a firearm by outstate felon and three misdemeanor counts of bail jumping. According to a criminal complaint: On Tuesday, Racine Police Department officers, Kenosha Police Department officers and FBI Milwaukee Area Safe Streets Task Force executed a search warrant at the 1400 block of Thurston Avenue. The warrant was the result of an investigation into a stolen vehicle and an armed carjacking. Contact was made with multiple residents including Gresham. Officers found a purse belonging to her that had: A Glock 22 .40 caliber with a loaded extended magazine A Glock 19 9mm with a loaded extended magazine A "ghost gun" 9mm with a loaded extended magazine The two Glocks had "switches" mounted on them that convert them from semi-automatic guns to fully automatic. Gresham admitted to owning the purse, but denied knowledge of the firearms. Gresham was given a $10,000 cash bond in Racine County Circuit Court on Wednesday. A preliminary hearing is on Aug. 11 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, online court records show. Gresham has previously been convicted of felony possession of a controlled substance in 2005 and felony vehicle theft in 1996 out of Illinois. Jim and Donna Mueller were on a trip to Washington, D.C., to celebrate their 56th wedding anniversary when they were killed by a lightning strike Thursday night outside the White House. "They were a very loving couple," said the Muellers' niece, Michelle McNett, of Janesville. "They were very, very family oriented. I think everyone's just in shock right now and kind of request privacy." She said the couple had five children, plus 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. McNett said Donna, 75, was a teacher and, in her retirement, worked at the Comfort Shoppe, a local furniture store. Jim, 76, was a retired contractor who had his own drywall business. She said she's not sure why they picked the nation's capital for their vacation, but added, "Donna was a constant learner." The couple had planned to go to Mount Vernon, George and Martha Washington's historic home 13 miles south of Washington on Friday. The couple were high school sweethearts who grew up in Cuba City, 65 miles southwest of Madison, and graduated from Cuba City High School, McNett said. They moved to Janesville when Jim got a job there. They are survived by a daughter, Michelle, Brookfield; and sons Maurie, Oregon, Wisconsin; Mark, Janesville; Matt, Columbus, Ohio; and Mitch, Texas. McNett said the couple loved having gatherings and just had a big family gathering a couple of weeks ago. "They were very religious," she said. "Just the kind of people who would give the shirt off their back to do anything for you, both of them." The Muellers died of their injuries after the lightning strike in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House, the Metropolitan Police Department said. Two other people, a man and a woman, also were struck and were in critical condition Thursday, the police department said. Their identities were not immediately released. "We are saddened by the tragic loss of life after the lightning strike in Lafayette Park," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. "Our hearts are with the families who lost loved ones, and we are praying for those still fighting for their lives." A severe thunderstorm hit the D.C. region around 7 p.m. Thursday. The victims were riding out the storm under a tree, according to a law enforcement source, CNN reported. The smells of bratwursts sizzling on a grill, the sounds of German-style music playing in the background and the excitement of people participating in German-themed competitions can be enjoyed as scheduled in the City of Lake Geneva. City council members unanimously approved an event permit Aug. 8 to allow the Lake Geneva Business Improvement District to host Lake Geneva Oktoberfest Oct. 7 through Oct. 9 at Flat Iron Park, 201 Wrigley Drive. Lake Geneva Oktoberfest is scheduled to be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Oct. 7; noon to 6 p.m., Oct. 8; and noon to 4 p.m., Oct. 9. The event is set to feature live music, beer tent, food vendors, craft fair, childrens activities and German-themed competitions. Alderman Richard Hedlund said, during the Aug. 2 finance committee meeting, that he is in favor of awarding the event permit to the Business Improvement District but questioned waiving $1,440 in parking fees for the organization during Oktoberfest. Representatives from the Business Improvement District are requesting to use Parking Lot B, which includes 24 stalls, during the three-day event. The cost to rent a parking stall in Downtown Lake Geneva is $20 per day. Im all in favor of Oktoberfest. I think its a great thing. It brings people to the city, Hedlund said. I think we need to get a handle on how much we are waiving parking fees for. Alderwoman Mary Jo Fesenmaier said she would like the city to develop a chart, which lists the criteria for waiving parking fees. She said that would make it easier for staff and the applicant to know if parking fees would be waived. It allows the staff to point to it, then everybody knows what the answer is, Fesenmaier said. Instead of putting them in the position of you can ask for it but we do not know for sure, I think its cleaner to have a chart. Alderman Ken Howell said, typically, parking fees are waived if it is for a nonprofit organization, charity event or an event that will benefit the City of Lake Geneva. If its something thats good for the city as a whole, we would waive, which is where this one supposedly comes under, Howell said. Whether you agree with it or not, thats our criteria now. Its not written down, but thats what the practice has been. City aldermen also approved to award a temporary Class B liquor license to the Lake Geneva Rotary Club to allow the organization to sell beer during the event. Rotary Club members donate proceeds from the beer sales to local organizations. Several Lake Geneva residents are asking city officials to slow their roll when it comes to a proposed trail extension project. City officials plan to extend the South Street bicycle trail, which runs near Badger High School and Lake Geneva Middle School, by about 1.5 miles. The trail extension would lead to the future site of a new Geneva Lakes Family YMCA campus, located near the intersection of Highway H and Highway 120. The trail also is set to be extended west along South Street and end at Lake Shore Drive, leading to Big Foot Beach State Park. The City of Lake Geneva has received a $835,316 transportation alternatives program grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to help fund the project. Several residents who live near South Street have expressed concerns related to the project including tree removal, potential water runoff, possible traffic concerns and the width of the trail, which is set to be about 40 feet. Residents expressed their concerns to city aldermen during a city council committee of the whole meeting, Aug. 1, and asked them to consider the project more closely. Jeff Waters said even though the city received a grant to help pay for the trail extension, there would be additional costs related to the project, which would end up being the responsibility of the Lake Geneva taxpayers. We are asking the council to slow their roll, Waters said. Obviously, you need to satisfy existing invoices for completed work but please halt future planning and any and all related work pertaining to the South Street trail. Waters also asked the aldermen to schedule a special meeting and invite a representative from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to discuss the best options for using the grant funding. Please call a special meeting to draw the most optimal path as it related to the South Street trail proposal, and please slow the roll, Waters said. Pleas to slow down Peg Esposito, member of the park board of commissioners, asked the aldermen to review the project more carefully and consider other options for the grant funding. We just cant do it because we saw we can get a grant and that this is a good place to put it, Esposito said. I ask you to slow the roll on this. This is a great thing to stop and look at and maybe putting the money elsewhere or just think about the plans overall. Kelly Nickel of Lake Geneva said she likes the idea of a path or sidewalk along South Street to give people a place to walk or ride their bicycles, but she is not in favor of a 10-foot-wide trail. Nickel said she is concerned that the trail would encroach on peoples properties. A 10-foot bike path, whos using this?, Nickel said. Are we running the Tour de France through here? I like the idea of taking bikes off of the road, but I dont know if we need 10 feet to do that. Shelley Rowell of Lake Geneva said she is concerned about the trees that would be removed as a result of the project. Its a beautiful town. By what you guys are going to do, youre going to destroy it, Rowell said. Theres trees that are 200 to 250 years old on South Street, and you just want to take them out. You cant replace trees that are 200 to 250 years old. Former Mayor Tom Hartz said the trail extension would provide another method for people to access areas of the community and give people another place to walk and to ride their bikes or skateboards. I dont think access in this community should be defined by owning a car, Hartz said. I think in order to make it as inclusive as we possibly can, we should consider all forms of mobility and this is certainly one. City has limited options Zach Simpson, project manager for Strand Associates, the company the city is working with on the project, said the city has to follow the design standards set forth by the grant. We have to meet the intent of the grant in order to use the funds. We have to adhere to design guidance, Simpson said. We cant really bend the rules of the design study report. Thats where all our design decisions are approved and documented by the DOT, so there are guidelines we have to follow for width and clearance and clear zones. Simpson said the grant requires that the path be 10-feet wide; however, it does allow for areas of the trail to be eight feet wide if the city is able to prove that there is a benefit for reducing the size. There has to be a benefit for the DOT to give you a variance, Simpson said. So they will let you come down to eight feet. Its only for interment portions of the corridor, and there has to be a reasonable benefit. Simpson said he realizes that several trees would have to be removed for the project, but the grant requires that the trail remains on city property and if the path was rerouted it could end up on areas of private property. He said Strand Associates representatives are trying to determine if the trail can be rerouted. The city as the grantee has to own the property, essentially, that the trail sits in. So thats one of the primary objectives with this design, Simpson said. The challenge were up against is trying to fit this trail in the citys corridor. The trees, for the most part, are in the right away, but we are certainly challenged with that and I dont disagree with that. Whats next? Simpson said the company plans to go out for bids on the project in late 2023 with construction to begin in 2024. Were in the middle of the process. Were pretty far along, Simpson said. The next steps would be to produce a transportation project plat, which identifies easements for grading, etc., and coordinating with utilities. At the end of the committee of the whole meeting, Alderwoman Mary Jo Fesenmaier voted against adjournment, because the council members had not scheduled a special meeting for the trail extension project to be discussed again in the future. Fesenmaier was the only alderman to vote against adjournment. You have all these people here, and we failed to put it on an agenda, Fesenmaier said. I understand we cant make an official motion, but it does say we can refer things to a committee. So now that we have everyone here, we have failed to do that, which I think is part of what theyre frustrated with. Communication towers could soon be allowed in all zoning districts in the City of Lake Geneva. City officials are in the process of amending a zoning ordinance which would allow communication towers to be installed in all zoning districts to comply with state law. Members of the Lake Geneva City Council unanimously approved, July 25, to direct City Attorney Dan Draper to draft an ordinance to allow for communications towers in all zoning districts. The plan commission unanimously approved, July 18, to allow for the ordinance change. Sonja Kruesel, project manager for city planning firm Vandewalle & Associates, said a state statute was approved in 2013 which requires municipalities to allow new communication towers to be installed in all zoning districts, and the ordinance change would allow the city to be aligned with the state statute. It says new cell towers must either be permitted or conditional uses within every single zoning district in the city and that includes the full spectrum from single-family to industrial land uses, Kruesel said. What we are proposing is that those be added as conditional uses in any zoning district, and that would comply with state law. Draper said, originally, the city restricted communication towers to industrial areas. When the state statute passed, they basically said you cant do that, Draper said. So we incorporated the provisions of the state statute into our ordinance. Kruesel said the issue of communication towers was discussed when representatives from the Walworth County Sheriffs Office announced plans to construct a 250-300 foot communications tower within the City of Lake Geneva at Cobb Park. Five-acre Cobb Park, 2101 McDonald Rd., is located at the western city limits. Its part of a new state-of-the-art $18 million countywide public safety radio communications system. This ordinance would not specify any specific tower or any specific location, but rather what this conversation lead to was just a realization that the ordinance is not in line with state law. Therefore, unfortunately, it is unenforceable, Kruesel said. What the state law did was really limit what the city can do in terms of regulating new towers. Kruesel said the city can regulate setbacks for new communication towers that would be installed next to single-family residential land uses. She said the setback would be equal to the height of the tower. If a tower is 100 feet, what the ordinance requires is a setback thats 100%, Kruesel said. So that would be a 100-foot setback on each side. State officials also have implemented new shot clock provisions which state that a municipality must notify a company within 10 days if their communication tower application is complete and the municipality must vote on the application within 90 days. Otherwise, its deemed approved, Draper said. According to state statute, communication towers cannot be installed on a persons property without their permission. Its not like they can have eminent domain and say, Well put a tower here, Draper said. Building and Zoning Administrator Fred Walling said the proposed ordinance amendment should not have much of an impact on city staff. Its just going to be another ordinance that we get to enforce thats now in line with state statues, which we try to catch as quickly as possible, Walling said. The Wisconsin Elections Commission is sending postcards to thousands of voters to ensure the absentee ballots due to be delivered to addresses different from those the voters previously had on file arent part of a recent wave of fraudulent absentee ballot requests. Those nearly 4,000 postcards are part of an Elections Commission effort announced Thursday to ensure secure absentee voting after two Wisconsin residents admitted to fraudulently ordering absentee ballots for others in an effort to show that such fraud is possible. Other initiatives announced Thursday include monitoring the statewide voter registration system and expediting formal complaints related to fraudulently ordering absentee ballots. Voters should rest assured that voting absentee remains a secure way to vote in the upcoming August 9 Partisan Primary, Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe said in a statement. However, to provide additional reassurance, election officials at the state and local level continue to closely monitor for any indication of potentially unauthorized absentee ballot requests, no matter how rare those incidents may be. The postcards will confirm receipt of the absentee ballot requests and state: The absentee request indicated you would like your ballot sent to an address other than your home/voter registration address. The postcards ask voters who didnt submit those requests to call or email the commission at elections@wisconsin.gov. It will tell voters who did make such requests that theyre not required to take further action. Commissioners also agreed to refer suspicious activity to municipal clerks, which could lead to clerks canceling potentially fraudulent absentee ballot requests. Clerks who identify and act upon suspicious activity are asked to report that to the commission and law enforcement. The commission and clerks would also work to fulfill law enforcement requests for data and information related to potentially fraudulent absentee ballot requests, the statement says. And while the website where people request absentee ballots, MyVote.wi.gov, previously contained some statutory language citing the rules, voters are now required to acknowledge a new warning before the request can be submitted that states, Any person who impersonates a registered elector, poses as another person for the purpose of voting at an election, falsely procures registration or election materials, or otherwise violates the law will be referred for prosecution. The commission also encouraged voters to check their status at MyVote to see whether an absentee ballot request has been made in their name. Kannur (Ker), Aug 5 (PTI) Culling of pigs in two private farms in Kanichar panchayat of Kannur district to prevent spread of African swine fever, which was recently reported here, was completed on Thursday. Also Read | CWG 2022: President Droupadi Murmu Congratulates Para-Powerlifter Sudhir on His 'Historic Feat' in Winning Gold in Commonwealth Games. The culling operations had to be put on hold on Wednesday due to stiff opposition from the owner of one of the affected farms. Also Read | Union Bank Robbery: Robbers Loot Rs 44 Lakh From Union Bank's Ankleshwar Branch in Bharuch, One Held; Caught on CCTV. On Thursday, the Deputy Collector intervened and convinced the farmer to cooperate with the process, a district official told PTI. Subsequently, 154 pigs were culled at the farm by the Rapid Response Team led by its chairman and District Animal Welfare Officer Dr. SJ Lekha, a statement issued by the district administration said. Over 90 pigs were slaughtered on the first day - August 2 - of the culling operation in the farm which was the epicentre of the infection, the statement said. Pig farms within a 10-km radius of the epicentre are being monitored, it said. Barely a week after over 300 pigs were culled in Wayanad district to prevent the spread of African swine fever detected there, new cases of the disease were reported from there as well as from Kannur earlier this week. Culling operations were also commenced in the recently affected Wayanad farms on August 2 and by August 3 they had completed the work by killing and burying 233 pigs, an official statement had said. Kerala had in July tightened biosecurity measures following an alert from the Centre that African swine fever had been reported in Bihar and a few northeastern States. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), African swine fever is a highly contagious and fatal viral disease of domestic pigs. It was first detected in Kenya, East Africa, in 1921 as a disease that killed settlers' pigs. Contact with warthogs was proven to be an important factor in transmission of the virus. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Patna (Bihar) [India], August 5 (ANI): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday expressed condolences over the death of labour in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased. According to Jammu and Kashmir Police, one labourer was killed and two others were injured in a grenade attack by terrorists in Pulwama district on Thursday night. All three labourers were from Bihar. Also Read | Nagpur: Man Appears for Driving Licence Test Posing As Applicant; 3 Booked. "The death of Mohammad Mumtaz of Bihar in the grenade attack by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama is sad. Rs two lakh will be given to the immediate dependent of the deceased from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. Along with this, instructions were given to get other benefits as per rules from the schemes of Labor Resource and Social Welfare Department," the Chief Minister said on Twitter. He said that the directions were given to the official concerned to make all proper arrangements for transporting the body of the deceased to his native village. Also Read | Haryana Govt Announces One Time Settlement Scheme for Indebted Farmers; To Be Applicable On All Types of Loans of Banks. "Instructed the local commissioner of Bihar in Delhi to make all appropriate arrangements for transporting the body of the deceased to his native village," he said. The Chief Minister also directed to provide proper treatment as well as all possible help to the injured labourers. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday condemned the cowardly terrorist attack on labourers in Pulwama. Taking note of the situation, LG Sinha assured of punishment to the miscreants. "Strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack on labourers in Pulwama. My sincere condolences to the family of Mohd Mumtaz in this hour of grief. Praying for the early recovery of the injured. I assure the people that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished," tweeted the official handle of the LG of Jammu and Kashmir. According to police, the terrorists lobbed a grenade at a tent housing labourers at Gadoora village in Pulwama on Thursday night, which resulted in the death of one labourer while two others sustained injuries. The deceased labourer has been identified as Mohammad Mumtaz, a resident of Sakwa Parsa, Bihar. "The deceased outside labourer has been identified as Mohd Mumtaz, resident of Sakwa Parsa, Bihar. Injured have been identified as Mohd Arif and Mohd Majbool, residents of Rampur, Bihar. Both are stable," Police added. Earlier on Wednesday, terrorists fired upon a vehicle-bound police party in the Allochibagh Bund area of Srinagar district of Jammu and Kashmir, said police. The police said no injury or other damage took place. (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 5 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested the Chief Mechanical Engineer of Odisha-based Paradip Port Trust and three private persons over bribery charges and recovered Rs 84.5 lakh, an official statement said on Friday. A case was registered against Chief Mechanical Engineer and others including private persons, a private company and unknown others, CBI said in a press statement. Also Read | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Likely To Come With Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC: Report. It was alleged that the Chief Mechanical Engineer of Paradip Port Trust was in the habit of demanding and accepting bribes through his close conduit for extending undue benefits to various private stakeholders engaged in port service and activities at Paradip Port. The said conduit of CME was in close contact with the Manager of Port operations also allegedly acting as a middleman with other Cargo companies of a private group of companies and other persons. Also Read | Congress Protest: Party Workers Clash With Police in Patna, Stopped From Going to Governor Phagu Chauhan's House (Watch Video). The cost of repairing/replacement of the conveyor belt was very high. The said CME in conspiracy with conduit, middleman and Director of the said private company got it repaired at the cost of Port Trust causing a huge monetary advantage to said private company, the press statement stated. In turn, the conduit allegedly demanded Rs 60 lakh as a bribe for the said favour, allegedly on behalf of CME. Accordingly, he collected the bribe amount of Rs 25 lakh from Cuttack and kept Rs 10 lakh separately for themselves. It was also alleged that the conduit handed over Rs 10 lakh to a real estate developer in Bhubaneshwar, with whom the Chief Mechanical Engineer had allegedly booked a property. CBI intercepted the said conduit in Paradip and recovered Rs 5 lakh of the alleged bribe money from him. Later, Rs 18.30 lakh also as part of the alleged bribe was recovered. During further searches, Rs 20.25 lakh (approx.), jewellery, documents related to investment and other incriminating documents were recovered from the residence of the Chief Mechanical Engineer. Searches were also conducted at 15 locations including in Paradip, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur & Bhubaneshwar at the premises of the accused. Rs 41 lakh (approx.) was recovered from the premises of the Director of a said private company, the release said. The arrested accused will be produced today before the Competent Court. (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 5 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has moved an application in the Delhi High Court seeking a day-to-day hearing of its appeals in the Delhi High Court asking it to expedite the case. The application stated that appeals pertain to the case known as the "2G Spectrum Scam Case" which has great public importance and involves probity in public life and issues of integrity amongst public officials, having national and international ramifications, early disposal of the said appeals is in the interest of justice. Also Read | @VPSecretariat Watch L Murali Sreeshankars 8.08m Jump on Loop! #CommonwealthGames2022 Latest Tweet by Prasar Bharati News Services. The case involves the interest of the public at large and it was for this reason that the Supreme Court was monitoring the investigation and trial. Keeping the above in mind, it is desirable in the interest of justice that arguments on leave to appeal be resumed on day-to-day basis, stated the plea. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain appearing for CBI submitted that a schedule be fixed for arguments on appeal. Also Read | OnePlus Nord 20 SE With MediaTek Helio G35 Chipset Launched, Check Price & Other Details Here. The bench of Yogesh Khanna in an order passed on August 2, 2022, after boring down the submissions said, list for arguments on leave to appeal application on September 22 and 23, 2022. The CBI stated that arguments on the aspect of the grant of leave to appeal in the present batch of matters had commenced with a hearing in 2018 and CBI concluded its arguments in the matter on January 15, 2020, whereafter the respondents were invited to submit their arguments limited to the aspect which commenced on February 7, 2020, however, could not be concluded due to supervening circumstances arising out the COVID-19 situation. It further started that in view of the respondents objecting to the request for an early hearing, this Court heard both sides in detail and eventually vide order dated November 29, allowed the said application for early hearing and directed the listing of the petitions on October 5, 2020 at 2.30 p.m. for hearing on day-to-day basis. Thereafter the present batch of matters have been listed before this Court on several dates, however, for one reason or other, the same could not be taken up for hearing. The Delhi High Court is presently examining an appeal filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the acquittal of all accused including former telecom minister A Raja in the 2G spectrum scam case. 'Leave to appeal' is formal permission granted by a court to a party to challenge a decision in a higher court. In December 2017, a special CBI Court had acquitted DMK politicians A Raja, Kanimozhi, and 15 others, implicated in the 2G spectrum allocation scam 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, Aug 5 (PTI)Depriving a child of education due to family circumstances should not be allowed as an educated kid becomes an asset to the nation, the Delhi High Court has observed while holding that no minor should suffer on the education front due to parents being in jail. The remarks were made by the high court which during the hearing of a bail plea took a suo motu cognisance to facilitate the admission of a minor girl to a school as her parents are in judicial custody for their alleged involvement in the murder of an old woman whose body parts were severed and disposed of in a drain. Also Read | Mumbai: 20-Year-Old Mans Body Wrapped With Plastic, Tied With Cable Wires Found in Ambernath Lake. It directed the SHO concerned to get the child admitted to the school adjacent to the senior branch of the school in which her elder sibling is studying and asked the principal to extend full cooperation for the admission. In my opinion, education is the first step towards tackling social evils, especially poverty, inequality, and discrimination. Every child, irrespective of caste, religion, sex, or economic background has been guaranteed the right to education. An educated individual can make informed decisions, first for themselves, and then be able to contribute constructively towards the progress of the nation and society at large, Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma said. Also Read | Rahul Gandhi Doctored Video Case: Supreme Court Grants Zee News Editor Rajnish Ahuja Protection From Arrest. The high court, in its order, also observed that once it comes to the notice of the court that a child or an individual is deprived of a fundamental right, the courts have to ensure that the fundamental right is enforced and there is no impediment for any individual to enjoy the same. Right to Education is a fundamental right guaranteed to every citizen under Article 21 A of the Constitution. A child must not suffer the consequences, on account of their parents having been in judicial custody for a crime which is yet to be adjudicated upon by the court. This court is duty bound to enforce fundamental rights of every citizen and in this case the right to education of the child, it said. The child's mother sought interim bail as she needed to come out of jail to get her eight-year-old daughter admitted to a school here. The woman, whose interim bail plea was earlier rejected by a trial court, informed the high court that her elder daughter was studying in a municipal school here and her younger daughter be also admitted there in nursery class. The high court was informed by the investigating officer of the case that as per the school principal, the child's admission can be done if she has a certificate bearing her date of birth from any government institution and any local guardian of the minor can also get her admitted in the school. The high court said that the child is an individual Indian citizen who enjoys her fundamental rights and the right to education is one of them. In the present unpleasant situation of the case, the court has to become the voice of the voiceless child. The parents are in judicial custody and the prime concern of the parents is the education of the child. "It is not only in cases dealing with family disputes that the rights and welfare of the child should be considered but also in the cases as the present one, the courts can become and act as the parent of the child and ensure that the child is not deprived of its fundamental right to education. Depriving any child of education due to family circumstances should not be allowed to every extent possible. An educated child educates the entire family and becomes an asset to the nation, the high court said. It said that in the present case, where the right to education of a child is at stake, it is imperative that the court intervenes timely and upholds the right envisaged in the Constitution to protect the future of the child. It said that the child must get admitted to a school at the earliest so that the shadow of no unpleasant happening falls upon the child's life to darken her future and took suo motu cognisance to facilitate the child's admission to a school so that the child does not lose out on the current academic year 2022-23. The high court called for a compliance report within 10 days and said that the girl's identity is not being mentioned in this order to protect her privacy and dignity. As the woman was seeking interim bail to fulfil her responsibilities as a parent and get her child admitted to school, she expressed satisfaction over the high court's order and withdrew her plea. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kulgam (Jammu and Kashmir) [India] August 5 (ANI): A civilian, who was injured during an encounter that broke out Friday morning between security forces and terrorists in the Redwani area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam succumbed to his injuries, said police. However, an Indian Army jawan who also sustained injuries is still hospitalized at 92 base Hospital Srinagar. Also Read | Assam Horror: Caught in Compromising Position, Wife and Her Lover Killed Husband, Cut His Body Into Pieces and Threw in Septic Tank in Nagaon. The deceased civilian is identified as Manzoor Lone, a resident of Redwani Bala, Kulgam. "Injured civilian namely Manzoor Lone S/O Abdullah Lone R/O Redwani Bala Kulgam succumbed to his injuries. Injured Army Jawan Kiran Singh of 1RR, R/O Ramban is hospitalised at 92 base Hospital Srinagar. Search operation concluded," Kashmir Zone Police said in a tweet. Also Read | Nagpur: Man Appears for Driving Licence Test Posing As Applicant; 3 Booked. Earlier in the morning, an encounter broke out in the Redwani area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Vijay Kumar had asserted that there have been no civilian casualties due to firing by security forces in the union territory in the past three years. "In the past three years, there have been no civilian casualties due to police, security force firing. There are no more incidents of stone-pelting at the site of an encounter. Now, we are quick to identify and nab terrorists," Vijay Kumar, ADGP (Law and Order), Kashmir told mediapersons. The ADGP's comments came hours after an encounter broke out at the Redwani area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam. On Thursday, a labourer died and two others were injured in a grenade attack by terrorists in Pulwama district. All three labourers were from Bihar. According to police, the terrorists lobbed a grenade at a tent housing labourers at Gadoora village in Pulwama on Thursday night, which resulted in the death of one labourer while two others sustained injuries. Earlier on July 31, one Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist, identified as Irshad Ahmed Bhat of Pattan, was killed in the Binner area of J-K's Baramulla district. According to the police, he was active since May 2022. In the July 30 joint operation of The Police, Army (29RR) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) (2nd Bn), that broke in the Wanigam Bala village of Baramulla, the J-K police eliminated one terrorist. In the operation, one Indian Army assault dog also lost its life, while three personnel of the security forces sustained minor injuries. The police acted on a specific input and launched a joint cordon-and-search operation, after which they recovered incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including one AK-47 Rifle, three AK magazines, seven AK-rounds, one pouch and one bag from the site of the encounter. The J-K police had also apprehended two hybrid terrorists of the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba during an encounter in Baramulla. (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 5: More than 60 Congress MPs, detained by the police during the party's protest in Delhi against price rise and unemployment, were released after about six hours, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Friday. Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K C Venugopal, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Gaurav Gogoi were among the MPs detained and taken away from Vijay Chowk, outside AICC headquarters and other places in the national capital. "Congress MPs have just been released after being detained for almost 6 hours for protesting peacefully and democratically against price rise, unemployment and GST," Ramesh, who had also been detained, tweeted. The Congress has opposed the Goods and Services Tax (GST) hike on essential items. Congress Leaders' Protests in Black Clothes Its Message Against Ram Temple Construction, Says Amit Shah. In a statement, the Delhi Police said a total 335 protesters, including 65 MPs, had been detained under the Delhi Police Act in order to "maintain law and order" in the area. Intimation about detention of MPs/MLAs is being sent to the respective competent authorities, the police said. The protesters were appropriately warned about the prohibitory orders in force in the area and repeatedly requested to disperse from the area, the police said. However, they continued the protest, thereby violating prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC, it said. Congress Protest: Party Leaders Detained During Protest Near Raj Bhavan in Mumbai. "When the police personnel moved in to contain the situation, the protestors tried to obstruct the police officers from performing their duties, manhandled and injured them. Appropriate legal action is being taken into the matter," the police said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI) The Delhi Police issued an advisory saying the traffic movement will be affected in parts of Lutyens' Delhi on Friday as the Congress is all set to stage a mass protest against price rise, unemployment and GST hike. The police have made special arrangements and diversions will be suggested based on expected spots of congestion on major roads. Also Read | Union Bank Robbery: Robbers Loot Rs 44 Lakh From Union Bank's Ankleshwar Branch in Bharuch, One Held; Caught on CCTV. According to the advisory, in order to facilitate smooth movement of traffic in New Delhi district, buses will be restricted beyond Dhaula Kuan, Ridge Road, Shankar Road, Panchkuian Road, Chelmsford Road, Minto Road, Mathura Road, W-Point, Lodhi Road, Aurbindo Marg, Africa Avenue, Moti Bagh red light (Shanti Path). The advisory also stated that due to special traffic arrangements, movement on the Kamal Attaturk Marg, Kautilya Marg, Teen Murti Marg, Rajaji Marg, Akbar Road, Safdarjung Road and Raisina Road will hardly be possible. Also Read | Assam Shocker: Man Poisons His Two Minor Kids, Kills Self in Sivasagar. The commuters should expect heavy congestion on Sardar Patel Marg, Shanti Path, Panchsheel Marg, Tughlak Road, APJ Abdul Kalam Road, Prithvi Raj Road, Shahjahan Road, Zakir Hussain Marg, Mulana Azad Road, Rafi Marg, Janpath Road, Ashoka Road, Rajender Prasad Road, Mother Teresa Cresent Marg, Baba Kharak Singh Marg and Mathura Road due to special traffic arrangements, it read. The advisory suggested that the commuters using vehicles are requested to plan their journey in advance accordingly for their convenience. "Special arrangements have been made and necessary diversions have been suggested on expected congestion points. We have made all the contingency arrangements for all types of situations, and we will ensure that least inconvenience is caused to the public," Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) S S Yadav had said on Thursday. The Congress has planned a mass protest against price rise, unemployment and GST rate hike on essential items on August 5. It will take out a march towards the Rashtrapati Bhavan and gherao the prime minister's residence as part of the protest. (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 5 (PTI) The Delhi University (DU) on Friday said it will organise a Tiranga rally next week to celebrate 75 years of India's independence under the 'Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan'. The rally will cover a distance of four kilometres and will see participation of teaching and non-teaching staff and students of the university, it said. Also Read | Mumbai: 20-Year-Old Mans Body Wrapped With Plastic, Tied With Cable Wires Found in Ambernath Lake. "A Tiranga Yatra will be organised by the University of Delhi on August 10 under the 'Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan'. The historic yatra will be led by Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Professor Yogesh Singh. All officials and teaching staff of the university will participate in this Tiranga Yatra," the DU 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 5 (PTI) Based on the recommendations made by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), the interval between the second and the precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccines was revised from nine months to six months for all beneficiaries aged 18 years and above from July 6, the government informed Parliament on Friday. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said as on August 1, a total of 9.07 crore (13 per cent) precaution doses of the Covid vaccines were administered against the due beneficiaries. Also Read | Indias Mens 4X400m Relay Team Clocked 3:06.97 to Finish 2nd in Their Heat and Latest Tweet by Prasar Bharati News Services. The Centre reviews the pace of Covid vaccination and has issued multiple advisories to the states and Union territories to cover the eligible beneficiaries with the precaution doses, the minister said. The "Har Ghar Dastak 2.0" campaign is being conducted across the country with an objective of vaccinating all due beneficiaries with the second dose and the precaution dose through door-to-door mobilisation and vaccination activity, she added. Also Read | Independence Day 2022: UDF Urges Special Midnight Session of Kerala Assembly On August 14. Under the "Covid Vaccination Amrit Mahotsava" initiative, from July 15, the precaution dose is available for free to all beneficiaries aged 18 years and above at the government Covid vaccination centres (CVCs) after an interval of six months from the date of administration of the second dose, Pawar 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 5 (PTI) Capturing the milestones India has achieved in its journey of 75 years since Independence, software giant Google on Friday unveiled a vibrant online project drawing from rich archives and featuring artistic illustrations to tell the story of the country. Named 'India ki Udaan', the project executed by Google Arts & Culture celebrates the country's achievements and is "themed on the unwavering and undying spirit of India over these past 75 years". Also Read | Nagpur: Man Appears for Driving Licence Test Posing As Applicant; 3 Booked. The project was officially launched at a glittering event held at the Sunder Nursery here in the presence of Union Culture and Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy and senior officials of the Culture Ministry and Google. As part of the countrywide celebrations, Google also announced its collaboration with the Ministry of Culture focused "on reaching informative online content that showcases the contributions of Indians and the evolution of India since 1947 to support the Government's year-long 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' programme", the search giant said in a statement. Also Read | Haryana Govt Announces One Time Settlement Scheme for Indebted Farmers; To Be Applicable On All Types of Loans of Banks. It also announced that its popular Doodle4Google contest for 2022, themed on 'In the next 25 years, my India will ', is now open for entries to students of classes 1-10. "The winner of this year's Doodle4Google will see their artwork on the Google homepage in India on November 14, and win a Rs 5,00,000 college scholarship, a Rs 2,00,000 technology package for their school/non-profit organisation, a recognition of achievement, Google hardware, and fun Google collectibles. Four group winners and 15 finalists will also win exciting prizes," it said in the statement. Reddy, in his address, urged the Google team to create a special doodle on 'Har Ghar Tiranga', which would encourage its employees and others to also enthusiastically take part in the campaign. In his speech, he also said Google could help the Culture Ministry in digital mapping of the boundaries of its over 3,000 centrally protected monuments that will help in better monitoring of the sites and checking encroachment. It can also help in digitisation of rare archival material, he said. "Therefore, we urge Google team to be a partner in the government's transformative journey, as also promote India's tourism destinations," Reddy said. "To mark 75 years of India's independence, Google today announced the launch of a series of special initiatives across its products and services that will offer content and experiences created especially for the occasion to hundreds of millions of Indians through the anniversary year," the statement said. The centrepiece of its celebrations is a new online collection titled 'India Ki Udaan' available on the Google Arts & Culture website. The collection pays tribute to India's rich cultural history and includes iconic moments from the last 75 years for people to relive, experience, and be inspired by, it said. Published in English and Hindi, it allows anyone to explore more than 120 illustrations and 21 stories created by 10 talented artists, alongside exhibitions from various institutions across India including the Ministry of Tourism, Museum of Art & Photography, Heritage Directorate of the Indian Railways, the Indian Academy of Sciences and Dastkari Haat Samiti. "This initiative offers a unique view of India's remarkable moments and lets people discover some of the most memorable moments in India's modern history, its iconic personalities, its proudest scientific and sporting achievements, and how women in India continue to inspire the world. This commemorative collection will be expanded with a unique blend of archives and artistry for people in India and across the globe," it added. Merging technologies and India's rich cultural heritage, the new Google Arts & Culture collection, 'India Ki Udaan', (literally translated as India takes flight), "is themed on the unwavering and undying spirit of India over these past 75 years," Google said. Simon Rein, senior program manager at Google Arts and Culture, told PTI that the 'India ki Udaan' project "marries the rich archival content with artistic talent as demonstrated by illustrators". A physical representations of the new digital collection was also set up at the venue, with kite-shaped digital screen, pictures with augmented reality experience, and other tech-driven experiences. Rein said kite has been used as a "optimistic metaphor" to describe India's journey in the 75 years, as also to engage and educate the audience at home and also those who are not from India but wish to learn about its journey. In its 10th year in India, Google Arts & Culture has showcased India's rich culture in many ways. Working with over 100 partners in India, it has brought India's cultural heritage to people all around the world. (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 5 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that India is witnessing the "death of democracy" and anybody who stands against the onset of dictatorship is "viciously attacked". Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here ahead of the nationwide protest by the Congress, Gandhi said the sole agenda of the government is that people's issues such as price rise, unemployment and violence in society must not be raised. Also Read | Meta Rolls Out NFT Support on Instagram to 100 Countries: Report. There is no democracy in India and there is a dictatorship of four people, he alleged. "What we are witnessing is the death of democracy. That is what India is witnessing. What India has built brick by brick, starting almost a century ago, is basically being destroyed in front of your eyes," Gandhi said. Also Read | CWG 2022: President Droupadi Murmu Congratulates Para-Powerlifter Sudhir on His 'Historic Feat' in Winning Gold in Commonwealth Games. "All of you know it, all of India knows it. Anybody who stands against this idea of the onset of dictatorship, does not matter who he is, where he comes from, which state, which religion, male or female, that person is viciously attacked, put in jail, arrested, beaten up," he said. The idea is that people's issues, whether they are price rise, unemployment, violence in society, must not be raised, Gandhi said. He alleged that the government is being run to protect the interests of four-five people and this "dictatorship" is being run in the interest of "two-three big business people by two people". The Congress is set to hold nationwide protests and will also 'gherao' Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence against price rise, unemployment and GST hike on some essential items. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs of the party will also hold a "Chalo Rashtrapati Bhavan" (march to Rashtrapati Bhavan) from Parliament to register the protest against price rise and unemployment. In all capital cities, the state units would organise a gherao of Raj Bhavans in which MLAs, MLCs, former MPs and senior leaders will participate. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) By Shalini Bhardwaj New Delhi [India], August 5 (ANI): The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) will review the data of genomic surveillance of variants today, sources informed ANI. Also Read | River Suvarnavathi at Bendrahalli in Chamarajanagar District of Karnataka Continues to Latest Tweet by Prasar Bharati News Services. "We review the data every week but no need to panic at all because hospitalisation hasn't increased and no new variant has been found so far.", said sources to ANI. According to the bulletin issued on 11 July by INSACOG, Omicron and its sub-lineages continue to be the dominant variant in India, "BA.2.75 subvariant has acquired more mutations in spike protein and other genes of the SARS-CoV-2," and it also mentioned that the variant is being closely monitored. Also Read | Edtech Firms Vedantu, LEAD School Lay Off 100 Employees Each Amid Funding Winter. INSACOG is jointly initiated by the Union Health Ministry of Health and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) The national capital Delhi has now become an active Covid hotspot. The Thursday data said that the national capital recorded a positivity rate of 11.84% and over 2,000 new Covid-19 cases. India on Friday witnessed a surge in the number of new COVID-19 infections as it recorded 20,551 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the data shared by the Ministry of health and family welfare. The country also reported 70 deaths during the same period. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, Aug 5 (PTI) Equity benchmarks began the trade on a positive note on Friday in tandem with largely firm Asian markets and ahead of the RBI's policy meeting outcome. The 30-share BSE benchmark climbed 227.89 points to 58,526.69 in early trade. The broader NSE Nifty advanced 64.35 points to 17,446.35. Also Read | Meta Rolls Out NFT Support on Instagram to 100 Countries: Report. Among the Sensex constituents, UltraTech Cement, Bharti Airtel, Larsen & Toubro, Wipro, Dr Reddy's Laboratories, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank and Titan were the major gainers. Reliance Industries, Maruti Suzuki India, IndusInd Bank and HDFC were the laggards. Also Read | CWG 2022: President Droupadi Murmu Congratulates Para-Powerlifter Sudhir on His 'Historic Feat' in Winning Gold in Commonwealth Games. In Asia, markets in Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo were trading in the green, while Hong Kong quoted lower. The US markets had ended on a mixed note on Thursday. The BSE Sensex ended 51.73 points or 0.09 per cent lower at 58,298.80 on Thursday. The Nifty dipped 6.15 points or 0.04 per cent to finish at 17,382. Meanwhile, international oil benchmark Brent crude went higher by 0.15 per cent to USD 94.26 per barrel. Foreign institutional investors remained net buyers in the capital markets as they bought shares worth Rs 1,474.77 crore on Thursday, as per exchange data. "The momentum in the market now is influenced by global cues and strong FII buying... The decline in Brent crude to USD 94 is positive for India's macros and the dip in dollar index to below 106 again augur well for capital flows to India," said V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, Aug 5 (PTI) A special court here on Friday remanded Salim Qureshi, a city resident arrested for allegedly aiding the terrorist activities of Dawood Ibrahim gang, in the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) till August 17. Also Read | Rahul Gandhi Doctored Video Case: Supreme Court Grants Zee News Editor Rajnish Ahuja Protection From Arrest. Qureshi, also known as `Salim Fruit', was a close aide of fugitive gangster Chhota Shakeel, as per the NIA. Also Read | Telangana MLA Rajagopal Reddy To Join BJP in Presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on August 21. He was being made a scapegoat for being a "relative of Shakeel", claimed his lawyer. Qureshi was arrested on Thursday and produced before a special judge for NIA cases here on Friday The central probe agency sought his remand for 15 days, claiming that Qureshi played an active role in extorting huge amounts of money in Shakeel's name from property dealings and dispute settlements to raise "terror funds for terrorist activities of D company (Dawood Ibrahim gang)." The agency had on February 3 registered a case related to "terrorist and criminal activities" like smuggling, narco-terrorism, money laundering, circulation of fake currency, raising terror funds and working in active collaboration with international terrorist organizations including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Al Qaeda" by fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his associates. Seeking Qureshi's remand, the NIA told the court that it had conducted raids at 29 places across Mumbai in May and recovered several incriminating documents pertaining to unlawful assets. Qureshi threatened real estate developers in the name of Dawood gang and extorted crores of rupees from them, it said. He gave evasive replies and misled the investigators during questioning before his arrest, the NIA claimed. Advocate Viquar Rajguru, appearing for Qureshi, opposed the remand application. The accused runs a medical shop in Byculla in south Mumbai and has no criminal background which could substantiate the charge of his being part of an extortion racket, said the lawyer. There is no First Information Report or charge-sheet pending against Qureshi to show his links with Dawood gang, he added. For two weeks the accused was made to sit in the NIA's office for several hours each day for questioning, the lawyer said, adding that he cooperated with the investigation. Qureshi was being made a scapegoat for being related to Chhota Shakeel, he added. The court, after hearing both the sides, remanded the accused in the custody of NIA till August 17. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Srinagar, Aug 5 (PTI) Law and order incidents in Kashmir have dropped by over 88 per cent in three years since the revocation of the erstwhile state's special status compared to the preceding three years, police said on Friday. From August 5, 2016, to August 4, 2019, the Valley witnessed 3,686 law and order incidents, as per the data shared by the police. Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Shocker: 21-Year-Old Man Dies in Damoh After Father Cuts Off His Hand with An Axe in Fight Over Motorcycle Keys. However, for the three years from August 5, 2019 -- when the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcated it into two Union territories -- the Valley recorded only 438 such incidents, which is a drop of over 88 per cent, the police said. The police said while 124 civilians were killed in law and order situations in Kashmir in the three years prior to August 5, 2019, no civilian was killed in such situations since then. Also Read | Taiwan-China Crisis: Developments in Taiwan Will Not Impact India, Says RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das. Similarly, six police and security forces personnel lost their lives in such situations from August 5, 2016, to August 4, 2019, but there was no such case since then, according to the data. Police said 930 terror incidents were recorded in the three years before August 5, 2019, and this number dropped to 617 in the next three years. Three years before the abrogation of Article 370, 290 security forces personnel were killed in terror incidents in the Valley, and this number dropped to 174, the police said. As far as civilian killings in terrorist attacks are concerned, police said the number dropped from 191 to 110 in the three years after the constitutional changes. A top police officer claimed that frequent shutdowns called by separatists and the resulting closure of markets and educational institutes and stone-pelting have ended. "There used to be hartal on the call of Hurriyat. Shops, markets used to remain shut. Schools and colleges used to remain closed and students would suffer. All that has ended," Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Vijay Kumar said. He said before the abrogation of Article 370, thousands of people used to attend funerals of slain terrorists, which led to radicalisation and recruitment. "It used to breed radicalisation, that has ended. Glorification of terrorists has ended. Incidents of stone-pelting near encounter sites, which used to lead to collateral damage, have ended. Because of all this, a good atmosphere is building up. "So, the people should understand the intention of terrorists and Pakistan, and cooperate with security forces, police and administration in maintaining peace," he said and attributed the "peaceful atmosphere" to the public's support. About Thursday's grenade attack in Pulwama in which a non-local labourer was killed, Kumar said it was carried by two bike-borne Lashkar-e-Taiba militants. "Two LeT terrorists on a bike attacked the three labourers with a grenade. One of the labourers was killed and the two others are in hospital. We have identified them and will soon either arrest them or neutralise them in an encounter," he said. The ADGP said hybrid militants was no more a challenge for the security forces. "A year ago, it was a challenge. But now, it is not a huge challenge because we identify them sooner and either arrest or neutralise them," he said. He appealed to the parents to prevent their children from treading the wrong path. "Those who have taken the path should be brought back with the support of police," 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 5 (PTI) Opposition Rajya Sabha members, Sandosh Kumar P and Jawhar Sircar on Friday called for increasing Indian's spending on healthcare as a percentage of GDP to lessen the burden of medical expenses on citizens. In a discussion on a private member's bill, The Right to Health Bill, 2021, which was introduced by RJD MP Manoj Jha last month seeking free healthcare for all, Kumar P of CPI, citing a report by WHO said 55 million Indians were pushed into poverty due to medical expenses. Also Read | Independence Day 2022: UDF Urges Special Midnight Session of Kerala Assembly On August 14. "This is alarming but it is a reality. Moreover, if one has to spend Rs 100 for medical expenditure, Rs 63 she or he has to spend from out of pocket," he said. Compared to many other Asian countries, India's medical expenditure is very high, the member said adding "the remedy is to make health a fundamental right and we have to spend more on healthcare...we need to spend 6-7 per cent of GDP on healthcare". Also Read | Banks Cannot Perennially Rely on RBI Money to Support Credit Offtake, Says Shaktikanta Das. Sircar of Trinamool Congress also supported the bill and lamented the country's low spending on healthcare. "India has a lot of firsts among many countries, there is no denial about that but India also stands out like a sore thumb when certain expenditures are concerned. Expenditure on health, for instance is pegged at 1-1.5 per cent of GDP, which remains an international shame," he said. BJP member Anil Agrawal, taking part in the discussion said importance must be given to providing adequate healthcare infrastructure first, without which right to health would be meaningless. He said the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already taken several steps to ensure affordable healthcare. Similarly, Radha Mohan Das Agarwal (BJP) also asserted that what the private member's bill attempts to cover has already been taken care of under the Ayushman Bharat scheme of the government. Earlier, when the Upper House reassembled for the afternoon session as many as 17 private members bills were introduced. These included The Information Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2022 moved by Derek O'Brien of TMC that seeks to protect women from online harassment and abuse. and Employment Guarantee Bill, 2022 by Sandosh Kumar P (CPI) to ensure minimum one hundred days of work to all citizens within the age of 18 to 40 years in accordance with their educational qualification or skill. However, the The Uniform Civil Code in India Bill, 2020 piloted by Kirodi Lal Meena (BJP) that seeks to provide for the constitution of the National Inspection and Investigation Committee for preparation of Uniform Civil Code and its implementation throughout the country was not introduced as the member was absent. (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 5 (PTI) A 35-year-old man was arrested for allegedly attacking a person with a paper-cutter after being refused money for liquor, police said on Friday. The accused was identified as Vikranta, a resident of Bihar. Also Read | Nagpur: Man Appears for Driving Licence Test Posing As Applicant; 3 Booked. The police received information of the attack on Wednesday after the victim's wife rushed him to the LNJP hospital for treatment, a senior police officer said. Police officials reached the hospital and found injured Abdulla (35) undergoing treatment. He had a deep cut injury on the left side of his neck caused by some sharp-edged object, the officer said. Also Read | Haryana Govt Announces One Time Settlement Scheme for Indebted Farmers; To Be Applicable On All Types of Loans of Banks. Abdulla identified his attacker as Vikranta but did not know his address, the official said. During the course of the investigation, the accused was apprehended from Yamuna Khadar near Signature Bridge and a paper-cutter, the weapon of offence, was recovered from him, Deputy Commissioner of Police (central) Shweta Chauhan said. Interrogation revealed that Vikranta was earlier arrested in a case of murder along with two associates, the police said. He was lodged in jail since 2009 after being sentenced to life imprisonment. Vikranta was released on parole on May 15, they said. The accused is a childhood friend of the victim, the DCP said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Sivagangai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 5 (ANI): The Special Court for Exclusive Trial under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention Act) here on Friday sentenced 27 people to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of three Dalits in the Kachanatham village in Tamil Nadu's Sivagangai district in 2018. The special court convicted all the 27 accused on August 1 and the quantum of punishments was pronounced on Friday. Accordingly, Judge G Muthukumaran has sentenced all the accused to life term imprisonment. Also Read | Amazon Great Freedom Festival Sale 2022 To Begin at Midnight; Check Top Deals on Smartphones, Electronics Here. Three men belonging to the scheduled caste community- Arumugam (65), Shanmuganathan (31) and Chandrasekar (34) from Kachanantham village near Tiruppachetty in the Sivagangai district were murdered brutally on the night of May 28, 2018. They were hacked to death by members of a dominant community in a feud related to paying respects at a temple festival. Five more Dalit people sustained injuries in the attack. Among the injured, Thanasekaran (32) died one and half years after the incident. Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Shocker: 21-Year-Old Man Dies in Damoh After Father Cuts Off His Hand with An Axe in Fight Over Motorcycle Keys. In connection with this case, Police had filed the chargesheet against 33 people including Suman, Arunkumar, Chandrakumar, Agniraj and Rajesh from Avarangadu village. Four accused were minors while two of them died during the trial and one absconded. In view of the court order today, heavy Police deployment was made outside the court premises as a precautionary measure to prevent any untoward incident. (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 (West Bengal) [India], August 5 (ANI): Arpita Mukherjee's advocate on Friday, while claiming a threat to her life, pleaded before the court to get her Division 1 prisoner category. ED advocate Phiroz Edulzi agreed with the argument of Arpita's lawyer of life threat and further said that she should not be kept with more than four prisoners in general. Also Read | Mumbai: 20-Year-Old Mans Body Wrapped With Plastic, Tied With Cable Wires Found in Ambernath Lake. Earlier today, former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee and his close aide Arpita Mukherjee were produced before the City Sessions Court. "No one has come out and said that he had asked for bribe, neither in the CBI case nor in ED. Can they show any witness that he has asked for a bribe? Partha Chatterjee is not connected with the crime and the allegations levelled by the CBI are not appropriate," argued Partha's lawyer. Also Read | Rahul Gandhi Doctored Video Case: Supreme Court Grants Zee News Editor Rajnish Ahuja Protection From Arrest. "In ED Case on July 22, when his house was raided nothing has been recovered. If you try to ask a man who is not involved in the crime, he will obviously be non-cooperative," he added. Meanwhile, Arpita Mukherjee's advocate said that there is a threat to her life. "Her food and water need to be tested first and then should be given," said the ED Lawyer. While Partha Chatterjee advocate pleaded for bail citing that he will not be harmful. "As he is not a political person now he can leave the MLA post if required," the lawyer said. ED also demanded judicial custody of Arpita. The court sent Arpita and former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee to judicial custody till August 18 in connection with the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam. The hearing concluded from both sides including Arpita Mukherjee and Partha Chatterjee. 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. (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 5 (PTI) Trinamool Congress MLA Asit Majumdar and his supporters were accused of beating up BJP workers in West Bengal's Hooghly district on Friday. Denying the accusation, the TMC alleged that the legislator was heckled by BJP supporters. Also Read | Mumbai: 20-Year-Old Mans Body Wrapped With Plastic, Tied With Cable Wires Found in Ambernath Lake. The incident happened at Khadinan More in Chinsurah during a rally of the BJP. Majumdar, a three-time MLA of the area, claimed that he confronted the BJP workers as they were making wild allegations against the TMC. Also Read | Rahul Gandhi Doctored Video Case: Supreme Court Grants Zee News Editor Rajnish Ahuja Protection From Arrest. "They stopped my car and heckled me after which our women workers intervened," Majumdar told reporters. The BJP workers alleged that the MLA and his supporters beat up the participants of the rally without any provocation. BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said that the law and order condition in the state becomes evident if a ruling party MLA "attacks opposition workers on the street with a stick". (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chennai, Aug 5 (PTI) It was like a scene from the films. The Idol Wing sleuths in Tamil Nadu posed as prospective buyers and seized an antique stately idol of a lady from the royal Sethupathy clan, which the smugglers attempted to sell for Rs 2.30 crore. Also Read | Parliament Monsoon Session 2022: Bill Introduced To Include Rajasthani Language in Constitution's 8th Schedule. Four persons were arrested for attempting to sell the stolen idol and remanded before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kumbakonam, the Idol Wing police said on Friday. Also Read | Mumbai: 20-Year-Old Mans Body Wrapped With Plastic, Tied With Cable Wires Found in Ambernath Lake. Experts who examined the seized idol, said to be worth several crores of rupees in the international market, confirmed it to be an antique idol of a royal lady of the Sethupathy clan, who ruled over areas in Sivagangai district 400 years ago. "An expert archaeologist has also pointed out that it is a very rare and exciting idol which portrays the royal garments and the accessories worn by royal ladies of that era which will be extremely useful to the students and researchers of Tamil history," a release from the Idol Wing police said. Director General of Police C Sylendra Babu lauded the Idol Wing CID Special team for their efforts and announced a handsome reward to the team for the excellent work. Following information that an attempt was being made by one P Arumugaraj of Padukkapathu, Sathankulam taluk in Thoothukudi district and M Kumaravel of Idaichivilai, Sathankulam taluk, to sell an antique idol, DGP, Idol Wing, K Jayanth Murali, along with Inspector General of Police, Idol Wing, Dinakaran and Superintendent of Police Ravi, hit upon an idea to disguise some of the staff as rich buyers and approach the sellers. Following this, a special team under ADSP Malaisamy, Madurai range, and comprising Inspector Kavitha, Sub-Inspectors Karthikeyan, Pandiarajan and Rajesh, Special Sub-Inspectors Selvaraj and Chandanakumar, and Head Constable Paramasivan, hoodwinked the sellers into believing that the Idol Wing staff were wealthy idol collectors. "The idol sellers were initially wary of the idol wing staff and it took more than a week for the staff to win their confidence," DGP Murali said. Thereafter, the sellers agreed to show the idol to them. They claimed the idol was with one K Musthafa of Mutheru in Tiruchirappalli district and demanded proof of cash after it was negotiated to buy the idol for Rs 2.30 crore, he said. After the proof was shown, they agreed to show the idol. Musthafa and the two brokers agreed to bring the idol to a pre-determined spot on the Old Trichy Road junction (Kalapatti Road junction). When Musthafa brought the idol wrapped in a black bag, the Idol Wing sleuths seized the idol and arrested the three persons. Upon interrogation, it was revealed that they had obtained the idol from one N Selvakumar of Kilamadam, Tirupattur taluk in Sivagangai district. Thereafter, the team rushed to Kilamadam and arrested him. After being questioned by police, Selvakumar said the idol was in his possession for the last 12 years and it was left behind by his father, Nagarajan, an astrologer, who died five years ago. The latter received the idol from a coconut merchant of Sivagangai. Selvakumar had met Musthafa and the brokers a few weeks ago and decided that the one-foot tall idol would be worth several crores of rupees as it was an antique piece. He had asked Musthafa and others to sell the idol for Rs 2.30 crore, the DGP said. Investigation is underway to find the temple from where the idol was stolen and the persons who stole it. (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 5 (PTI) The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) will support opposition nominee Margaret Alva in the Vice Presidential poll, party leader Keshav Rao said on Friday. Rao, the parliamentary leader of the TRS, said party president K Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to support the combined opposition candidate Alva. Also Read | RBI Retains Growth Forecast at 7.2% for Current Fiscal in Its Fourth Monetary Policy. TRS MPs have been advised to vote accordingly, Rao said outside Parliament. Alva will meet TRS MPs in the evening, he added. Also Read | Rural Banking Outlets in India To Get Distinct Identity Through 'RedBlue Revolution'. In the presidential poll also, the TRS had sided with the opposition and supported Yashwant Sinha. Alva has been fielded by the Opposition against the ruling NDA's nominee Jagdeep Dhankhar. The Vice Presidential poll will be held on Saturday. (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 5 (ANI): The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Friday asked all the universities and colleges to organise programmes and seminars to observe August 14 as "Partition Horrors Remembrance Day" to commemorate the sufferings and sacrifices of millions of Indians during the partition in 1947. Speaking to ANI, UGC chairman Prof M Jagadesh Kumar said that Prime Minister announced last year about August 14 as "Partition Horrors Remembrance Day" to remind the nation of the sufferings and sacrifices of millions of Indians and the need to remove the poison of social divisions, disharmony and strengthen the spirit of oneness, social harmony and human empowerment. Also Read | Rahul Gandhi Doctored Video Case: Supreme Court Grants Zee News Editor Rajnish Ahuja Protection From Arrest. "In the light of the above, UGC is writing to all the universities and their affiliated/ constituent colleges/ institutions to organize programmes/ academic discourses/ seminars/ exhibitions and similar events in remembrance of the tragedy of partition of India and to sensitise students and on the sacrifices made by the people of India and the sufferings they have undergone during the partition," he added. Prof Kumar said it is important to encourage students, staff and faculty members to participate in the observance of "Partition Horrors Remembrance Day" in large numbers. Also Read | Telangana MLA Rajagopal Reddy To Join BJP in Presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on August 21. Prime Minister Modi last year announced that August 14 will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in memory of the struggles and sacrifices of people, saying the pain of partition can never be forgotten. "Partition's pains can never be forgotten. Millions of our sisters and brothers were displaced and many lost their lives due to mindless hate and violence. In memory of the struggles and sacrifices of our people, August 14 will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day," PM Modi had said. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Lucknow, Aug 5 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to provide free bus ride to women on Raksha Bandhan, a spokesman said on Friday. Women will be able to travel for free for 48 hours from 12 midnight on August 10 to the midnight of August 12 in buses of Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, the spokesman said. Also Read | Nagpur: Man Appears for Driving Licence Test Posing As Applicant; 3 Booked. All buses operated for the service will also be fitted with the national flag, he added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 5 (ANI): A local court in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday rejected the anticipatory bail application of Mau Sadar MLA and Mukhtar Ansari's son Abbas Ansari. The court had issued a non-bailable warrant against him in the case registered at the Mahanagar police station in Lucknow in October 2019. Last month, Mau Superintendent of Police (SP) Avinash Pandey said that Mukhtar Ansari's wife Afsa Ansari, MLA son Abbas Ansari and brother-in-law were declared fugitives by the district police. The announcement came after the police raided four places including Mukhtar Ansari's ancestral residence of Ghazipur. "His family is absconding," the SP had said. During the assembly election earlier this year, Abbas had also made a threatening speech where he asked Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav not to transfer any local official for the first six months after coming to power as he had to do 'hisaab-kitaab'. The Uttar Pradesh Police booked him under relevant sections. Also Read | CWG 2022: President Droupadi Murmu Congratulates Para-Powerlifter Sudhir on His 'Historic Feat' in Winning Gold in Commonwealth Games. In his defence, later Ansari told ANI, "The government officials have harassed the people of UP unnecessarily by bringing out old issues, their family issues and even by registering fake cases." He added, "As per my knowledge they (government officials) have made money out of it. Hence, an inquiry will be done in these cases and so I used that statement." Also Read | Union Bank Robbery: Robbers Loot Rs 44 Lakh From Union Bank's Ankleshwar Branch in Bharuch, One Held; Caught on CCTV. Ansari is contesting from the Mau Sadar constituency in Uttar Pradesh elections as a candidate of the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), an ally of the SP. Mau Sadar will go to the polls on March 7 in the seventh phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 5 (ANI): The Varanasi district court will hear the Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi matter on August 18. A petition was filed before the Court by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee on Thursday, seeking at least 15-day time in wake of Advocate Abhay Nath Yadav's demise and the fact that all files are locked inside his chamber. Also Read | Union Bank Robbery: Robbers Loot Rs 44 Lakh From Union Bank's Ankleshwar Branch in Bharuch, One Held; Caught on CCTV. The Supreme Court last month adjourned the appeal filed by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee to October first week, saying it will wait for the decision of the Varanasi court on the Committee's plea questioning the maintainability of the suit filed by Hindu women. A bench of Justice DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant and PS Narasimha also declined to entertain a fresh plea to offer water to the 'Shivling', said to be found in the Gyanvapi mosque. Also Read | Assam Shocker: Man Poisons His Two Minor Kids, Kills Self in Sivasagar. The bench said such prayers cannot be entertained when the suit is already pending. The plea has said that since the month of 'Shravana' is starting, Hindus may be allowed to offer puja and exercise their right. It also declined to entertain another plea filed by seven women seeking carbon dating and ground penetrating radar survey of the discovered Shivling within the Gyanvapi Mosque.On May 20, the Supreme Court ordered the transfer of the case related to worship at Gyanvapi mosque from the civil judge to the District Judge, Varanasi. It had ordered that its interim order passed on May 17 -- to protect the area where the Shivling was found and access to Muslims for namaz -- shall continue in operation till maintainability of the suit is decided and thereafter for eight weeks to enable parties to pursue legal remedies.It had said that District Judge should decide the maintainability of the civil suit in the Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath on priority as sought by Committee of Management Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Varanasi. The appeal was filed by the Committee that manages the Gyanvapi mosque in the top court challenging an order of Allahabad High Court permitting a court-appointed commissioner to inspect, conduct a survey and videography of the Gyanvapi mosque to which Hindus and Muslims have laid claim for the right to worship. (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 5 (PTI) West Bengal Congress activists staged protests in front of the Raj Bhavan here and other places in the state on Friday, as part of the party's nationwide stir against price rise, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) hike on essential items and unemployment. Around 50 Congress workers demonstrated outside the governor's residence, wearing black clothes, holding placards and shouting slogans. Also Read | Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray Back As Saamana Group Editor Amid Sanjay Raut's Arrest in Money Laundering Case. A minor scuffle broke out when security personnel attempted to physically lift the protesters and put them inside waiting police vans, officials said. A Kolkata Police officer said all the agitators were taken into custody and later released on PR bonds. Also Read | Independence Day 2022: UDF Urges Special Midnight Session of Kerala Assembly On August 14. Police used minimum force to disperse the protesters, the officer added. Former Congress MLA Manoj Chakraborty told PTI that similar demonstrations were held at Baharampur in Murshidabad district and various other places in West Bengal. (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 5 (PTI) Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury wrote to the Election Commission on Friday flagging his party's concerns over voter ID-Aadhaar linking. In his letter, Yechury said with all the previous electoral mis-practices with regard to Aadhaar, the lack of consultations with political parties before the start of this process is concerning. Also Read | UPPSC Medical Officer Recruitment 2022: Apply Online for 611 MO Ayurveda Posts At uppsc.up.nic.in; Check Details Here. "The lack of all due procedures from Election Commission of India and a hasty process to link Aadhaar of every voter will lead to incidents that have previously occurred like the deletion of genuine voters, he said. The lack of data security, voter deletions and subjecting the data with the Election Commission to various state surveillance databases is violative of the Representation of People's Act, he said. Also Read | Parliament Monsoon Session 2022: Bill Introduced To Include Rajasthani Language in Constitution's 8th Schedule. "It is the duty of the Election Commission of India to investigate these serious lapses in voter deletions and data breaches that occurred. The Election Commission of India is mandated to protect the constitutional rights of the voters. Until the Election Commission produces an investigation report into these incidents, and comes out with a clear checks and balances this linking exercise must be kept under abeyance, he wrote. Yechury demanded that the Election Commission must delete all the Aadhaar data collected before the amendments to the Representation of People's Act in 2021 allowing this linking procedure. "As the officials have carried the previous linking without due information to the voters, we demand that every voter whose Aadhaar was already linked with voter ID be notified. As this entire linking exercise is voluntary, the voters should be allowed to exercise their right to de-link their Aadhaar, he said. The entire technical process, privacy policies, including code and manuals for linking and delinking of Aadhaar-voter ID needs to be published and shared with all political parties and public before this exercise starts, he said. With the lack of a data protection law, Yechury said they opposed any potential sharing of voter IDs linked with Aadhaar with the Ministry of Home Affairs either for the purpose of building the National Intelligence Grid database, the National Population Registry, the National Registry of Citizens and any new and upcoming databases of birth and death registries. We oppose usage of this data collected only for electoral purposes to be used for other purposes and demand a purpose limitation for this data. The Election Commission of India must ensure the need for privacy practices. The purpose of this data collection and usage has to be limited only for de-duplication of voters and that too cannot be mandatory, he said. The linking of Aadhaar numbers with the electoral roll began on August 1 with the Election Commission introducing a new Form 6B for the purpose. The Election Commission has introduced the new form with an aim to weed out duplicate entries in the electoral roll. However, furnishing of Aadhaar number is purely voluntary. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Nagpur, August 5: Three persons were booked for an alleged impersonation fraud at the Nagpur Rural Regional Transport Office to obtain a driving licence, a police official said on Friday. As per the complaint of Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector Amit Deulkar, a man identified as Sagar Shah (35) took the driving licence test by posing as applicant Kisan Lallare (44) on Thursday, the Kapil Nagar police station official said. Swine Flu in Maharashtra: Nagpur District Reports 21 Cases in Past Three Days. "Deulkar nabbed Shah during the test and alerted police. A probe found Shah was appearing for the test for Lallare on the advice of agent Raju Tayade. Shah, Lallare and Tayade have been booked under Indian Penal Code provisions for cheating by personation and conspiracy," 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) Phnom Penh [Cambodia], August 5 (ANI): Hoping China does not "manufacture" a crisis, US State Secretary Antony Blinken said that the US continues to hail peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and opposes any unilateral efforts to change the status quo, especially by force. Blinken's remarks came amid live-fire military exercises being conducted by China in areas around Taiwan as Beijing is irked by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. Also Read | Pakistan: PM Shehbaz Sharif-Led Ruling Alliance Prepares To Have Imran Khan Disqualified. "The United States continues to have an abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We oppose any unilateral efforts to change the status quo, especially by force. We remain committed to our "one China" policy, guided by our commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Communiques, and the Six Assurances," Blinken said. Blinken further emphasized that nothing has changed about our position, and he hopes very much that Beijing will not manufacture a crisis or seek a pretext to increase its aggressive military activity. Also Read | Chinese Military Conducts Precision Missile Strikes Over Taiwan Strait a Day After Nancy Pelosi's Visit. State Secretary's comments also comes ahead of the ASEAN-U.S. Ministerial Meeting. Moreover, the 55th meeting of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) began on Wednesday in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh to discuss COVID-19 recovery and regional issues. He said that US and countries around the world, believe that escalation serves no one and could have unintended consequences that serve no one's interests, including ASEAN members and including China. "We've reached out to engage our Peoples' Republic of China (PRC) counterparts in recent days at every level of government to convey this message. Maintaining cross-strait stability is in the interests of all countries in the region, including all of our colleagues within ASEAN." Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said that the presence of Blinken in Cambodia shows the U.S. commitment to further strengthen relations with ASEAN. She thanked US for hosting the ASEAN-U.S. Summit in Washington, D.C., on the 12th and 13th of May 2022. Speaking on the current global issues she said, "While COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, WHO has declared monkeypox as another public health emergency of international concern. In the meantime, the war in Ukraine continues. This situation creates significant impacts to the world, in particular the developing countries. Food and energy insecurity became more (inaudible) than before. The financial space is tightening. The question is: How can ASEAN-U.S. partnership help to ease these situations?" The foreign minister noted, "Indo-Pacific is the future of our region. Our future will depend on how we manage the Indo-Pacific. The Indo-Pacific region should not be approached with an either/or mindset, but rather with the mindset of Indo-Pacific cooperation, strategic trust, and, last but not least, always upholding the international laws." (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Beijing, August 5: India and Pakistan should resolve their differences over the Kashmir issue peacefully through dialogue and consultation, China said on Friday on the third anniversary of the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. In August 2019, the Indian government bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into Union territories and abrogated the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution which accorded special status to the erstwhile state. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on August 5, 2019 and passed on the same day. The Lok Sabha cleared it the next day. Asked for her comment on the third anniversary of the revocation of Article 370 by India, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing that the issue should be resolved peacefully by India and Pakistan through dialogue. On the issue of Kashmir, China's position is clear and consistent. This is an issue leftover from history between India and Pakistan. And this is also a shared view of the international community, she told a Pakistani journalist here. China Sanctions US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sends 100 Warplanes to Taiwan Drills. Three years ago, actually we already stated that there should be restraint and prudence by the relevant parties, especially parties that should avoid taking unilateral actions to change the status quo or to escalate tensions, Hua said. We call on both parties to resolve the dispute through dialogue and consultation peacefully for the region to remain peaceful and stable, she said. India has previously emphasised that matters related to the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir are entirely the internal affairs of India. "Other countries including China have no locus standi to comment. They should note that India refrains from public judgement of their internal issues, the Ministry of External Affairs had said in March this year. The ties between India and Pakistan nosedived after New Delhi abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution. India's decision evoked strong reactions from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian envoy. Lightning Strikes Near White House Leave 2 Dead, 2 Critically Injured; Watch Video. India has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir was, is and shall forever remain an integral part of the country. India has said it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Phnom Penh [Cambodia], August 5 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday departed for home after attending a productive ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting, an annual event that takes stock of the ASEAN-India partnership. Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said, "Departing Cambodia after a brief, but very productive visit." Also Read | North Korea Paving Way for New Nuclear Tests, Say UN Experts. Jaishankar arrived in Cambodia on Wednesday to attend the ASEAN ministerial meeting. On Thursday Jaishankar held a conversation with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and assured the continued assistance on heritage conservation. Also Read | UK PM Race: Rishi Sunak Wins Over Voters in TV Debate With Liz Truss. "Thank PM Hun Sen of Cambodia for receiving me. Conveyed personal greetings of PM @narendramodi. Appreciated his warm words on our covid cooperation. Discussed enhancing our economic, development, defence and cultural partnership. Assured our continued assistance on heritage conservation. Valued his views on regional developments," Jaishankar tweeted. On the last day of the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting, a cultural event took place. "An evening of warmth, friendship and conversations at Phnom Penh. ASEAN remains the crossroads of the larger region. Its centrality is so evident," EAM added. Jaishankar has held several bilateral meetings on the margins of the ASEAN event. He held his first meeting with newly-appointed Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry and reaffirmed India's commitment as a dependable friend and reliable partner to the economic recovery of the island nation. Jaishankar also met his counterparts from Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore. "ASEAN-India Meetings provide opportunities to catch up with valued colleagues and friends. Continued conversations with FM Retno Marsudi of Indonesia, FM Dato Haji Erywan of Brunei and FM @VivianBala of Singapore," he said. In his meeting with Singapore foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Jaishankar held a discussion on issues like Indo-Pacific, Covid-19, and Myanmar. He also promised to maintain the momentum of the India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during his meeting with foreign minister Bui Thanh Son. Before meeting with Singapore FM, Jaishankar also held talks with Australia's Penny Wong and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. With Blinken, the external affairs minister discussed the India-US relationship and the global situation. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kathmandu [Nepal], August 5 (ANI): Nepal Foreign Minister Dr Narayan Khadka is set to embark on a three-day visit to China to hold delegation-level talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. "At the invitation of Mr Wang Yi, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Hon. Dr Narayan Khadka, Minister for Foreign Affairs is visiting China from 09 to 11 August 2022," Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a release. Also Read | China Fires Missiles Over Taiwan for First Time Amid Nancy Pelosi's Visit to Japan. The two ministers will hold bilateral talks, along with their respective delegations on August 10 in Qingdao, China. The planned visit of the Nepali Foreign Minister comes against the backdrop of rising tension between the US and China. Beijing has sought support from the Himalayan nation over the recent visit of Pelosi to Taiwan. Also Read | US Condemns China's 'Irresponsible Action' and 'Provocative' Military Drills in Taiwan Strait. Earlier this week, the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal- Hou Yanqi claimed the visit by US House Speaker Pelosi to Taiwan was "a serious violation of the one-China principle and the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Seeking Nepal's support, the Chinese ambassador in her statement said, "China and Nepal are good neighbours, 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." "China highly appreciates Nepal's longstanding commitment to the one-China principle and resolute opposition to 'Taiwan Independence.' It is also the political foundation of China-Nepal relations. We believe that the government of Nepal and its people will continue to abide by the one-China 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 envoy added. The Nepal government on the other side hasn't reacted to the heightened face-off between the two nations. "We are observing the development in the region," Sewa Lamsal, Nepal government spokesperson told ANI over the phone. The Nepal foreign minister's visit comes amid the rising tension between the US and China. Analysts believe that Nepal may face a hard time balancing ties with two world powers and continue to maintain its policy of non-alignment or not. The Nepal foreign ministry has informed that Khadka would wrap up his visit on August 11 and return back home. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Lahore, Aug 5 (PTI) The newly-appointed government in Pakistan's Punjab province has proposed reducing the prison terms of inmates of minority communities if they memorise the holy texts of their respective religions. The home department of Punjab province on Thursday sent a summary to chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi for the remission of sentences between three and six months for Christian, Hindu, and Sikh prisoners lodged in prisons in the province. Also Read | China Sanctions US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sends 100 Warplanes to Taiwan Drills. "The home department of the Punjab government has sent a summary to the chief minister for proposing remission of sentence between three and six months for Christian and Hindu prisoners for memorising their holy texts -- The Bible and The Bhagavad Gita, respectively," a senior government official told PTI on Friday. According to the official website of Punjab's prison service, Muslim convicts who memorise the Holy Quran can gain sentence remissions between six months and two years. Also Read | France Experiencing Worst Drought Ever, Says PM Elisabeth Borne. After the chief minister's approval, the summary will be sent to the cabinet for approval, the official said. The home department will then issue a notification for the remission of Christian and Hindu prisoners. The move will encourage prisoners of minority communities to study their holy texts, the official added. In March, Lahore High Court sought a report from the Punjab government about education remissions being granted to minority prisoners after a Christian filed a petition seeking remissions for inmates of other religions as are granted to Muslims under Rule 215 of the Pakistan Prisons Rules 1978. At present, there are 1,188 minority prisoners, including Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs in 34 prisons in the Punjab province, according to official estimates. These include 829 prisoners awaiting trial, 320 convicts, and 39 condemned prisoners, it added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Colombo, Aug 5 (PTI) Defiant anti-government demonstrations near the Sri Lankan presidential office can go on for another week following an assurance by the Attorney General in a top court here on Friday that no action to remove the protesters from the Galle Face protest site will be taken until August 10. The development comes a day after protesters vowed to defy an order from the police to vacate the area by Friday evening. Also Read | China Sanctions US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sends 100 Warplanes to Taiwan Drills. The protesters said the police had not obtained a court order to remove them from the Galle Face area, which was the epicenter of anti-government protests here against the previous Rajapaksa regime. Three writ applications were filed at the Court of Appeal on Thursday on behalf of the protesters after the police ordered the protesters to leave the protest site. Also Read | France Experiencing Worst Drought Ever, Says PM Elisabeth Borne. The Attorney General told the court on Friday that the structures will not be removed without following the proper legal procedure. The Sri Lankan police on Wednesday set an August 5 deadline for the protesters to remove all illegal tents and camps at Galle Face near the presidential office. The police claim the structures were illegal and need removing according to the law as the site is the property of the Urban Development Authority. Some of the structures were removed by the protesters on Wednesday and Friday following the police order to quit. The protesters have been occupying the area, including the gate of the presidential secretariat, since April 9. They also claimed that the area was designated as an agitation site by the previous government headed by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and there is no need for them to quit the protest site. Protesters in March began demonstrating against the Rajapaksa family and demanded the resignation of the entire Rajapaksa family, leading to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on May 9, and his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country on July 13 and resigned the following day from Singapore. After the resignation of Rajapaksa and the appointment of his successor Ranil Wickremesinghe, the protesters were forcibly evicted from the presidential secretariat and the gate on Jul 22, drawing widespread international condemnation. According to the Human Rights Watch group's statement, Sri Lankan security forces on July 22, Friday, forcibly dispersed people at a peaceful protest site near President's Secretariat, assaulted them leaving more than 50 persons injured. Sri Lanka has been witnessing one of the worst economic crises since Independence in 1948. They have defaulted on international loans as well. The United Nations has warned that 5.7 million people "require immediate humanitarian assistance," with Sri Lankans experiencing extreme shortages of essentials including food, fuel and medicines. The new Sri Lankan government faces the task of leading the country out of its economic collapse and restoring order. 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) United Nations, August 5: UN experts say North Korea is paving the way for additional nuclear tests with new preparations at its northeastern test site and continues to develop its capability to produce a key ingredient for nuclear weapons. The experts also said in key excerpts from their latest report obtained late Thursday by The Associated Press that North Korea conducted two major hacks this year, resulting in the theft of cryptocurrency assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars. North Korea Making A 'Shortcut' to A Tunnel At its Nuclear Test Site in Punggye-ri, Say Sources. They said Pyongyang also continues illicitly importing oil and exporting coal in violation of UN sanctions, using the same companies, networks and vessels. South Korean and US intelligence officials have said they detected North Korean efforts to prepare its northeastern Punggye-ri testing ground for another nuclear test. It would be the North's seventh since 2006 and the first since September 2017, when it claimed to have detonated a thermonuclear bomb to fit on its intercontinental ballistic missiles. The panel of experts' report to the UN Security Council provides some details of the work being carried out at the site by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the country's official name. The experts said they observed that the DPRK started re-excavation work in March at the entrance to Tunnel 3 at Punggye-ri and reconstructed support buildings originally dismantled in May 2018. Satellite imagery showed increased numbers of vehicle tracks around this secondary entrance from mid-February 2022, followed by construction of a new building adjacent to the entrance at the beginning of March, the panel said. A pile of lumber, for possible use in the construction of the tunnel structure, was also detected around the same time." It added that, Piles of soil from the tunnel excavation around the entrance were observed during this period. Work at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site paves the way for additional nuclear tests for the development of nuclear weapons, the experts said, adding that this is an objective stated at the Eighth Congress of the country's ruling Workers' Party of Korea in January 2021. In another aspect of the DPRK's nuclear program, analysts said satellite images last September showed that North Korea was expanding a uranium enrichment plant at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex, a sign that it wanted to boost production of the key bomb material. The UN experts said in the new report: DPRK continued to develop its capability for the production of nuclear fissile materials at the Yongbyon site. Nuclear negotiations between the United States and North Korea have stalled since 2019 over disagreements over the DPRK demand to lift crippling US-led sanctions and Washington's demand for significant steps by Pyongyang toward nuclear disarmament. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has expanded his ballistic missile programme amid the diplomatic pause, and analysts say another nuclear test would escalate his brinkmanship aimed at cementing the North's status as a nuclear power, and negotiating economic and security concessions from a position of strength. The panel of experts said the DPRK continued to accelerate its missile programs, launching 31 missiles combining ballistic and guidance technologies, including six ICBMs and two explicitly described as ballistic weapons". It said the DPRK also claimed to have advanced its development of tactical nuclear weapons. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Laurel (Nebraska), Aug 5 (AP) Four people were found dead in two burning homes in a small community in northeastern Nebraska, authorities said. Nebraska State Patrol Col. John Bolduc said at a news conference that a man was seen driving away from the city of Laurel before the bodies were discovered and that investigators would like to speak to him. Also Read | Pakistan: PM Shehbaz Sharif-Led Ruling Alliance Prepares To Have Imran Khan Disqualified. Firefighters responding to a call on Thursday morning about an explosion and fire at one of the homes found the body of a person inside, Bolduc said. A short time later, firefighters were called to a second burning home, where the bodies of three people were found inside. Also Read | Chinese Military Conducts Precision Missile Strikes Over Taiwan Strait a Day After Nancy Pelosi's Visit. Authorities didn't release the names of the dead or say how they died, but they said witnesses reported seeing a man leaving Laurel in a silver car. Laurel is home to fewer than 1,000 people and is located about 161 km northwest of Omaha. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Buffalo (New York), Aug 5 (AP) A Black resident of Buffalo, New York, told investigators he anonymously tweeted out a fake threat to commit mass killings against Black people in his community, days after a real mass shooting, because he wanted to see if racists would cheer him on, according to federal prosecutors. The US Attorney's office said on Thursday that the suspect, 24, said in a May 16 post that he and associates would target Black people at area grocery stores two days after a white gunman from Conklin, New York, opened fire at a Tops Friendly Market and killed 10 people. Also Read | Pakistan: PM Shehbaz Sharif-Led Ruling Alliance Prepares To Have Imran Khan Disqualified. He "stated that the purpose of the post was to see what everyone would say and if anyone would agree with him, according to an FBI agent's affidavit supporting the charge. The suspect was charged with making an interstate threat. His assigned attorney declined to comment. Also Read | Chinese Military Conducts Precision Missile Strikes Over Taiwan Strait a Day After Nancy Pelosi's Visit. The affidavit said the suspect told law enforcement that he also created a second account in an effort to rectify the earlier post. He replaced only looking to kill blacks with ants, spiders and things of that nature." A search of his cellphone revealed a screenshot of a post from the second account claiming not to have meant any harm, the affidavit said. The suspect made an initial appearance in US District Court and was released. He faces up to five years in prison if convicted. Last month, authorities announced the arrest of a Washington state man after police said he made multiple calls to a Tops supermarket in Buffalo in which he referenced shooting and killing Black people. A different Buffalo resident was arrested in May for making similar threatening phone calls to two local business and also referencing the Tops supermarket shooting. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington, Aug 5 (PTI) The United States has condemned the Chinese military drills in Taiwan Strait and described it as an action that is at odds with the longstanding goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the region. Overnight, the People's Republic of China launched an estimated 11 ballistic missiles towards Taiwan, which impacted to the northeast, the east, and southeast of the island," John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications told reporters. Also Read | Pakistan: PM Shehbaz Sharif-Led Ruling Alliance Prepares To Have Imran Khan Disqualified. "We condemn these actions, which are irresponsible and at odds with our longstanding goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the region, Kirby said. China has chosen to overreact and use the visit of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait, he said. Also Read | Chinese Military Conducts Precision Missile Strikes Over Taiwan Strait a Day After Nancy Pelosi's Visit. The United States, he noted, had anticipated that China might take steps like these. We also expect that these actions will continue and that the Chinese will continue to react in coming days. The United States is prepared for what Beijing chooses to do. We will not seek, nor do we want, a crisis, he said. At the same time, the United States, he said, will not be deterred from operating in the seas and the skies of the Western Pacific, consistent with international law, as the US has been supporting Taiwan and defending a free and open Indo-Pacific for decades. To that end, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday directed that the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and the ships in her strike group will remain on station in the general area to monitor the situation, Kirby said. The US will conduct standard air and maritime transits through the Taiwan Strait in the next few weeks, consistent, again, with its longstanding approach to defend freedom of the seas and international law. Beijing's provocative actions, he noted, are a significant escalation in its longstanding attempt to change the status quo. As just one example, over the past two years China has more than doubled the number of aircraft that they have flown over the centre line that separates China and Taiwan as compared to the time period between 2016-2020, he said. Beijing has pursued economic coercion, political interference, and cyberattacks against Taiwan, all of which erode the cross-Strait status quo. The United States, he said, will be resolute but also steady and responsible. We do not believe it is in our interest, Taiwan's interest, the region's interest to allow tensions to escalate further, which is why a long-planned Minuteman III ICBM test scheduled for this week has been rescheduled for the near future, he said. As China engages in destabilising military exercises around Taiwan, the United States is demonstrating instead the behaviour of a responsible nuclear power by reducing the risks of miscalculation and misperception, he said. The United Stated, will continue to demonstrate transparency in our US ballistic missile tests through timely notifications. That's a practice that China has often rejected, he alleged. Rescheduling this test will not in any way impact the modernisation, the readiness, or the reliability of America's safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent. And the test will happen. It will be rescheduled for the near future, he said. In a joint statement, Senators Jim Risch and Bob Menendez, ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that China's dangerous and provocative live-fire exercises around Taiwan are yet another chapter in Beijing's unrelenting efforts to bully and coerce Taipei, and to upend cross-Strait peace and stability by changing the status quo with Taiwan. The extensive drills which essentially represent a blockade create immense risks for passengers in civilian airlines and ships on the high seas, they said. To be clear, Speaker Pelosi's visit to Taiwan provides no justification for this sort of measure. Beijing should not be under any false illusion that these military drills will lessen resolve in the United States or elsewhere, or erode our commitment to stand with the people of Taiwan and their right to determine their own future. Just the opposite, the two Senators said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Detroit, Aug 5 (AP) A Florida man who was killed in a traffic crash last month could be the 20th death in the US caused by exploding Takata air bag inflators. Authorities say the driver of a 2006 Ford Ranger pickup truck was killed in a crash last month near Pensacola, Florida. The driver's air bag inflator apparently exploded, spewing shrapnel that hit the unidentified driver, a 23-year-old man. Also Read | Pakistan: PM Shehbaz Sharif-Led Ruling Alliance Prepares To Have Imran Khan Disqualified. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Thursday it is working to confirm details of the crash before deciding if more action is needed. Takata used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash. But the chemical can become more volatile over time when exposed to moisture in the air and repeated high temperatures. The explosion can blow apart a metal canister and hurl shrapnel into the passenger compartment. Also Read | Chinese Military Conducts Precision Missile Strikes Over Taiwan Strait a Day After Nancy Pelosi's Visit. Potential for the dangerous malfunction led to the largest series of auto recalls in US history, with at least 67 million inflators recalled. The US government says that millions have not been repaired. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide. If the air bag is confirmed as the cause, the death would be at least the 29th worldwide caused by the inflators. Most of the deaths have been in the US, but they also have occurred in Australia and Malaysia. According to a Florida Highway Patrol report, the crash happened just before 6 pm on July 7 when a white sedan failed to yield and pulled out in front of the grey pickup truck. The driver of the Ford pickup truck died as a result of his injuries, the report said. A person who said they were a Florida Highway Patrol trooper later filed a complaint with NHTSA, saying that the driver suffered fatal injuries due to the driver's side air bag deployment. The complaint posted in the agency's database said the driver was pronounced dead at the scene after a minor traffic crash. In January of 2016, Ford recalled about 3,91,000 Rangers in the US and Canada from the 2004 to 2006 model years to replace the driver's inflators. Before the Florida crash, two drivers had been killed. The Ranger in the Florida crash had been recalled and notices were sent out, according to Ford spokesperson Said Deep, but repairs were not done. The company said it sent a representative to the owner's home in an effort to schedule recall repairs. Ford is urging all Ranger owners to get recall repairs done due to the safety risk, Deep said. The last death caused by a Takata air bag occurred in a Honda in Lancaster County, South Carolina in January of 2021. NHTSA said vehicle owners should go to the agency's website and key in their 17-digit vehicle identification number to see if there are any open recalls. The agency says people should get the free recall repairs done as soon as possible. The recalls drove Japan's Takata into bankruptcy and criminal charges were brought against the company. Eventually it was purchased by a Chinese-owned auto parts supplier. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington [US], August 5 (ANI/Sputnik): The United States has informed the Russian Embassy in Washington of the arrest of Russian citizen Alexander Vinnik, and diplomats stand ready to provide him with legal assistance, the diplomatic mission announced on Friday. On Friday, Vinnik's family said that Vinnik was taken from Greece to Boston on a private plane and then transported to San Francisco. Also Read | Israel Strikes on Gaza Kill 4, Injured 15 Militant Commander Taiseer al-Jabari Among Dead. "[T]he diplomatic mission is closely monitoring the situation related to the extradition of Russian citizen Vinnik to the United States," the statement said. "In the morning, information was received from the American authorities about the arrest of the Russian citizen. We have requested information from the State Department about his whereabouts and the lawyers working with him. The detainee will be provided with all the necessary consular and legal assistance, a telephone conversation will be organized." Vinnik was detained in Greece in 2017 at the request of the US, which accused him of laundering USD 4 billion worth of funds through a cryptocurrency trading platform. In the US, Vinnik faces 55 years in prison. France also filed charges against Vinnik. On January 23, 2020, Vinnik was extradited to France, where he was sentenced to five years in prison and a 100,000 euro (USD 119,433) fine in December that year. Vinnik has denied committing any criminal or administrative offences. Also Read | US Unemployment Rate Falls to 3.5%, Employers Added 528,000 Jobs Despite Raging Inflation. After serving his sentence in France, Vinnik was returned to Greece. (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 5: With 63 air routes being allotted to Uttar Pradesh, the state will have many more such connectivity under the regional connectivity scheme of the Centre, increasing the number of new routes to 108. The state will also have five international airports in the coming time, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Friday after inaugurating direct flights between Lucknow and Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Goa by Air Asia. Speaking on the occasion, Scindia said that it is a historic event that an airline has connected a city with eight connecting flights to five cities in India. Lucknow is now connected to Delhi with three flights, Bengaluru with two flights, Mumbai with one flight, Kolkata with one flight and Goa with one flight in a day, the minister added. The flight between Lucknow and Delhi, Bengaluru and Goa commenced effectively from Friday and between Lucknow and Mumbai and Kolkata from September 1. Yogi Adityanath-Led Uttar Pradesh Govt Plans To Double Farmers Income Under Panchamrut Yojana. Commenting on the works carried out by his ministry for promoting civil aviation in Uttar Pradesh, Scindia said, "It gives me immense pleasure to state that under the UDAN scheme, we have allotted 63 new routes to the state of Uttar Pradesh and in future we will increase it to 108, so that civil aviation can reach every corner of Uttar Pradesh. "We have also marked 18 airports in Uttar Pradesh under the UDAN scheme which will require an investment of Rs 1,121 crore for infrastructure development. Uttar Pradesh will have five international airports which itself will be a landmark in the country." The minister also said that Uttar Pradesh is a shining example of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and to achieve this, airports at Chitrakoot, Muradabad, Aligarh, Azamgarh and Shravasti apart from Jewar and Ayodhya are being constructed. These new projects will further strengthen connectivity between Lucknow and the key cities in the country, which will promote tourism, trade and commerce in the region. They will also offer affordable, on-time, safe and hassle-free travel experience to the people residing in Lucknow, Scindia said. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 05, 2022 07:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). The United States has condemned China's "provocative" military drills around Taiwan and described it as an "irresponsible" action that is at odds with the longstanding goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the region. PM Narendra Modi spoke on phone today with President of Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The two leaders reviewed various areas of bilateral engagement & expressed satisfaction at the rapid growth of cooperation between India & Philippines: PMO ANI (@ANI) August 5, 2022 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) The scenes of utter chaos prevailed outside the #Congress (@INCIndia) headquarters in the #Delhi as the party plans to carry out a protest march from there till the residence of Prime Minister #NarendraModi (@narendramodi). pic.twitter.com/sYEHc0U9cq IANS (@ians_india) August 5, 2022 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) Puerto Rico is becoming more famous worldwide due to some of its music artists, like Bad Bunny, Ricky Martin, and Ozuna. The beautiful U.S. territory, known as "the Island of Enchantment," lives up to its name in every way. Aside from its famous musicians, Puerto Rico is also popular for its natural beauty and landscapes that captivate travelers worldwide. With many tourist spots and attractions, travelers will not run out of things to do in Puerto Rico. The "Island of Enchantment" offers different adventures. READ NEXT: Puerto Rico Travel: Biggest Festivals on Caribbean Island You Should Not Miss 5 Things to Do to Enjoy Puerto Rico's Tourism Puerto Rico offers a vast array of places waiting to be discovered by travelers. To give you an idea of how to enjoy the "Island of Enchantment," here is a list of things to do when you visit the Caribbean island. Discover Puerto Rico's History Through El Morro A trip to a foreign land will not be complete if you do not touch the destination's rich history. El Castillo San Felipe del Morro or El Morro will offer you a piece of Puerto Rico's rich heritage. Located near San Juan harbor, the said six-story fortress was erected in 1539. The said building is built to deter sea attacks. It is also worth the visit because it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Be amazed at the fortress' maze, tunnels, barracks, and even prison cells. Take Instagram-Worthy Photos in Old San Juan A tourist destination can always be remembered through photographs, which can now be posted on Instagram. The streets of Old San Juan will be an exquisite addition to your IG feed, as it features colorful colonial houses, cobblestone streets, historical forts, and Spanish-style buildings. Why not check it out after your trip to El Moro? Discover Puerto Rico's Wildlife in El Yunque National Park When you visit Puerto Rico, it is a must to discover the wildlife and forest of the El Yunque National Park. The park is a tropical rainforest under the protection of the U.S. Forest Service. Prepare your hiking shoes if you want to trek near the Luquillo Mountains. Travelers should bring a waterproof camera and an extra cloth. You can get wet in this area. The Luquillo Mountains receive a greater proportion of precipitation or the highest rainfall on the island of Puerto Rico. Relax in Mosquito Bay Although Mosquito Bay sounds like a dangerous body of water, this attraction in the south of Vieques Beach is a must-travel destination at night. Who will not be relaxed by looking at the bioluminescent waters of Mosquito Bay at night while kayaking? Light-emitting dinoflagellates make the dark waters at night seem like magic, with their blue light making the experience awesome. Eat Street Foods at Pinones After those tiring adventures, relinquish your hunger and thirst while walking in the streets of Pinones. This beachside neighborhood is home to food kiosks that sell local cuisines in Puerto Rico, including mofongo, alcapurrias, and bacalaitos. READ MORE: Puerto Rico Dishes: Here's What to Eat When Visiting the Caribbean Island This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Joshua Summers WATCH: PUERTO RICO: 10 Most Common Tourist MISTAKES (2022 Travel Guide) (San Juan + More) - From Here Be Barr Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones had been saying that the Sandy Hook Massacre, which killed 26 people, including 20 children aged six and seven, was "staged" and was a "false flag operation" to increase gun control. He also accused parents of the slain children and family members of the victims as "crisis actors." The family members of the Sandy Hook victims have filed a lawsuit against Alex Jones and won. The host of Infowars must now pay these family members $4 million in damages. Alex Jones May Have to Pay More as Jury Deliberates on Punitive Damages The civil case against the Infowars host showcased how Jones' viral conspiracy theories inflicted real-world harm to the bereaved families of the Sandy Hook massacre. However, CNN reported that the $4 million in compensatory damages was far less than what the plaintiffs asked for originally. Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, parents of 6-year-old Jesse, sued Jones and his media company, Free Speech Systems, for at least $150 million in compensatory damages back in 2018. Jurors voted first to determine how much Jones should be ordered to pay and arrived at over $4 million. However, there will be another trial for punitive damages. The jurors will decide if the family is awarded additional money for punitive damages, and if they are, how much Jones would have to pay in addition to the $4 million he has to pay, according to CBS News. The attorneys representing the parents released a statement saying they are thrilled with the result and will put the money to good use. The statement then added that Jones will not sleep easy, as there is still the punitive damages hearing, as well as multiple other defamation lawsuits from other parents still pending, According to CBS News, Judge Guerra Gamble, who is overseeing the case, as well as the other defamation lawsuits against Jones in Texas, issued a default judgment last fall. She found that the infamous conspiracy theorist and his Infowars program are liable for defamation and emotional distress. She found that the harassment of the families of the Sandy Hook victims, including Heslin and Lewis, directly resulted from Jones' conspiracy theories, which he presented on his program. READ MORE: PACT Act Finally Passes After Republican Senators Shamed Into Voting for Bill; Jon Stewart and Joe Biden React Alex Jones Admits in Court That Sandy Hook Massacre Did Happen After Confronted With Evidence That He Lied One of the biggest conspiracy theories presented by Jones was that the Sandy Hook tragedy was a staged event, and everyone involved was just crisis actors. These conspiracy theories, which he presented to the public via his Infowars program, led to the harassment of the victims' family members. For years, Jones claimed in court that he had searched his phones for texts regarding Sandy Hook. However, a lawyer for the families has presented evidence that Jones perjured himself. This came after his lawyer accidentally sent Jones' phone records to the opposing counsel, according to the New York Times. The texts revealed more evidence against Jones, who was visibly uncomfortable when confronted with the evidence. After the confrontation in court, Alex Jones finally admitted that he 100 percent believes that the Sandy Hook massacre is real and that the murder of the 26 people, including 20 children, was not staged. Currently, Jones is facing multiple lawsuits and other court battles, including one for his involvement in planning the January 6 Capitol insurrection. He previously lost several other lawsuits relating to Sandy Hook. READ MORE: January 6: Dominican Rebublic-born Immigrant Capitol Police Officer Dealing With Pain After Capitol Insurrection This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Lawyer Asks Alex Jones if He Knows What 'Perjury' Is After Surprise Text Message Reveal - Law&Crime Network Ten Mexico miners are still missing ina coal mine in Coahuila that was flooded with water. Ten miners in Mexico are still trapped in a coal mining site in Coahuila on Thursday, following an accident that occurred on Wednesday in the northern state. Preliminary reports noted that only nine miners were trapped in the said site, but the federal government of Mexico updated the numbers of trapped to 10 as of 5 a.m. on August 4, per Infobae. Mexico News Daily reported that the incident occurred after water flooded the mine while miners were working, prompting some of them to be trapped at the site. Coahuila's state government also confirmed that miners carried out excavating work when they hit an adjoining area full of water, causing the shaft to collapse and flood the area, Al Jazeera reported. In a statement, Mexico's Security Ministry contended that they will not stop until the 10 miners are found. "The Mexican government guarantees all the necessary resources to carry out the search and rescue operations," the ministry added. Civil Protection Director Laura Velazquez revealed on Thursday that five miners were able to get out and be rescued at the mine shortly after the accident took place. The first five survivors were brought to the clinics of the Mexican Social Security Institute, and two were already discharged. One woman at the scene said in tears that two of her children worked in the mine, and only one of them managed to escape after the accident. READ NEXT: Joe Biden Calls Brittney Griner Verdict 'Unacceptable'; Athletes React to Russia's 9-Year Prison Sentence for WNBA Star Mexico Pres. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Mining Accident in Coahuila The mine is located near the small town of Agujitas, about 110 kilometers from the Texas border. On Friday, Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said that a group of 30 military personnel and specialized equipment were at the scene of the accident on Wednesday night. The president also noted that divers were also at the scene. Lopez Obrador furthered that he instructed the heads of the military, CFE, Pemex, and Conagua to support the search and rescue efforts. "What I wish with all my soul is that we rescue the miners," Lopez Obrador underscored. Mexico Mine Accident: Rescue Efforts Continue The coal mine in Coahuila is reportedly made up of three shafts approximately 60 meters deep. Reports noted that miners were in pit 1 when they ran into an adjoining area full of water, prompting the collapse of the walls in the tunnels and flooding everything. Mexico's National Defense Deputy Minister Agustin Radilla Suastegui noted that the water in the mine is estimated at 34 meters. Rescuers plan to reduce the water in the pit through extractor pumps provided by the National Water Commission. Velazquez emphasized that the number of pumps will also be increased, from five to seven, to allow rescuers to enter the mine, depending on the security conditions. "Right now, the important thing is to place the pumps strategically to extract the greatest amount of water and have immediate access to the mines," Velazquez noted. READ NEXT: California Border Agents Confiscate Drugs Worth $200K in 1 Day This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: At Least 9 Coal Miners Trapped Inside Flooded Mine In Mexico - From TODAY An opposition lawmaker in Venezuela, Juan Requesens, was sentenced to eight years in prison after a drone attack he conducted in August 2018 against President Nicolas Maduro. BBC News reported that Maduro was not hurt in the attack, while Requesens has denied any involvement in the incident. The opposition lawmakers' families said that he was targeted due to him being outspoken about the Maduro government. Requesens was a known former student leader who organized anti-government protests in 2014. He was also elected to the National Assembly, wherein he vowed that he would not give up until Maduro was not Venezuela's president anymore. Requesens' lawyer, Joel Garcia, said his client had been found guilty of conspiracy. However, he did not provide any more details regarding the matter. READ NEXT: Honduras Arrests Alleged Drug Cartel Boss Herlinda Bobadilla; Son Killed During Capture 2018 Drone Attack Against President Nicolas Maduro Jorge Rodriguez, the communications minister, said at the time that the attackers had used "several flying devices" and were detonated near where the president was standing. The New York Times noted that it was launched during an event the government that was meant to commemorate the anniversary of the country's National Guard. Maduro blamed the right-wing elements in Venezuela and Colombia for the attack, saying that Colombia's Juan Manuel Santos was also responsible. The Venezuelan president said that all investigations were pointing to Bogota. He added that they have tried to kill him that day. Maduro also suggested that unidentified Americans were involved in the attack, adding that some arrests have already been made of those responsible. Colombian government denied the allegations at the time, while a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said its Caracas embassy issued a security alert. However, the spokesperson did not address Maduro's claims of a plot against him. In 2016, Maduro was attacked by a mob who chased him down the street banging pots and pans while screaming that they had no food. Venezuela's President Maduro worked as a bus driver for Caracas Metro and was part of the transit union. He was also known to have campaigned for Hugo Chavez's release from prison for the 1992 attempted coup to overthrow former President Carlos Andres Perez. In 2013, he was sworn in as interim president after the death of Chavez, as reported by CNN. His presidency has been plagued with protests driven by economic and social turmoil, with citizens blaming those problems on the government. In 2018, Maduro had a reelection bid, with the opposition leaders claiming that votes were illegitimate. In 2019, he was sworn in for his second term, with most democratic nations refusing to acknowledge him as president. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights published a report highly critical of the Maduro administration, noting that there were patterns of violations, directly and indirectly, affecting all human rights. Maduro noted that the report contains "manipulations and inaccurate data." In 2021, the International Criminal Court announced its intention to probe whether crimes against humanity were committed during an anti-government protest in 2017, as reported by Al Jazeera. READ MORE: Honduras Travel: Safety Advisories and Tourist Attractions You Should See During Your Visit in Honduras This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Who Is the New Self-Declared President of Venezuela? | NYT News - from The New York Times Puerto Rico continues its campaign to root out corruption, and the U.S. territory has gone after one of the biggest fish there is. Former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez once held the highest position in the land. Now, however, she was arrested and charged with bribery last Thursday. According to the Associated Press, Vazquez was charged with bribery linked to the financing of her 2020 gubernatorial campaign. However, she was accused of engaging in a bribery scheme from December 2019 to January 2020 while still serving as the governor. She served as the U.S. territory's governor from 2019 until 2021. Wanda Vazquez Denies Allegations, Says She Is Innocent As she was getting arrested, Vazquez told reporters that she is innocent and that she did not commit any crime. Vasquez is accused of engaging in a bribery scheme with several people, including a Venezuelan-Italian bank owner, a former FBI agent, a bank president, and a political consultant, according to the New York Times. A spokesperson for the former governor declined to comment on her arrest. While she is only the second woman to serve as the governor of the island, she also made history by being the first former governor to face federal charges. Her arrest is considered a huge blow to her pro-statehood New Progressive Party, which is pushing for a referendum next year to become the 51st state in the United States of America. The arrest also sparked outrage in Puerto Rico, as many were angered and embarrassed by the former governor's arrest. They believe that Puerto Rico's already-shaky image was further tarnished by her arrest. This has led many to lose more faith in the local government officials and to look more to the U.S. federal government to help battle and root out corruption, according to a report by CNN. READ NEXT: EPA Head Michael Regan to Visit Puerto Rico for 'Environmental Justice Tour' Vazquez Received Over $300,000 During her Re-Election Campaign, Says DOJ Two of Vazquez's conspirators, consultant John Blakeman and bank president Frances Diaz, have both pleaded guilty. The investigations came when the international bank owned by Julio Martin Herrera Velutini came under the scrutiny of Puerto Rico's Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions because of some suspicious transactions. The former FBI agent involved in the scheme was identified as Mark Rossini, who provided consulting services to Herrera. Rossini allegedly promised financial support to Vazquez's 2020 campaign for governor. This was in exchange for Vazquez dismissing the commissioner and appointing one Herrera chose. Vazquez reportedly accepted the bribery offer and demanded the resignation of the commissioner. She appointed a new commissioner, who was a former consultant for Herrera's bank soon after. This led to Herrera and Rossini paying over $300,000 to political consultants in support of Vazquez's campaign. However, Vazquez lost the primary to Pedro Pierluisi, who is serving as the current governor of Puerto Rico. Authorities said that Herrera also tried to bribe Pierluisi to end an audit into his bank. The bank president used intermediaries from April 2021 to August 2021 to bribe a Pierluisi representative. However, the said representative was acting under FBI orders. Pierluisi himself is not involved in the case, according to Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for Puerto Rico. Vazquez, Herrera, and Rossini have been charged with conspiracy, federal programs bribery, and honest services wire fraud. They could face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty. Diaz and Blakeman could face five years in prison. READ NEXT: Ricky Martin's Nephew Withdraws Sexual Abuse Case | Puerto Rican Singer Has a Message to His Accuser This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin Former President Donald Trump's lawyers have reportedly been in contact with the U.S. Justice Department regarding the agency's January 6 criminal probe. According to USA Today, two people familiar with the matter revealed Thursday the move of Trump's legal team in trying to block access to conversations with his former top aides. The disclosure came after the federal criminal inquiry seemed to have ramped up as they issued subpoenas to former Trump White House officials and aides to former Vice President Mike Pence. The former president's political team issued a statement condemning the Justice Department's actions, noting that "there is clearly a concerted effort to undermine" the executive and attorney-client privileges, which are Constitutionally rooted. Trump is expected to claim executive privilege once the Justice Department seeks details of the presidential conversation with White House Counsel's Office's aides and members. Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone has been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury probing the January 6 Capitol attack. READ NEXT: Justice Department Prosecutors Laying Out Court Plans to Force Donald Trump's Inner Circle to Testify on January 6 Probe: Report Donald Trump Lawyers Talking to Justice Department Sources told CNN that the conversations between Donald Trump's camp and Justice Department officials are focused mostly on whether any communications that witnesses from the Trump West Wing had with the former president can be kept from the federal criminal grand jury under claims of executive privilege. The Justice Department is expecting a court fight with Trump over executive privilege. Trump's lawyers have warned the former president that indictments are possible. Sources said Trump has "grilled" his lawyers on whether they actually believe he will face formal charges. One person familiar with the matter noted that the former president had doubts he will be indicted. Another person close to Trump said he was more engaged when he was chatting with friends and advisers about the 2022 midterms and his possible presidential campaign in 2024. The same person noted that Donald Trump was dismissive in conversations about current legal challenges. Justice Department on January 6 Criminal Probe U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has been tapped to investigate another deletion of text messages and other communications by senior officials on January 6 last year by the Pentagon. A non-partisan watchdog group, American Oversight, revealed the deletion on Tuesday, The Guardian reported. It was discovered through the freedom of information requests to the Department of Defense. The Defense Department and army admitted that the phone messages of senior Trump officials were wiped after the turnover of the administration. It included the January 6 text messages. The Department of Homeland Security and Secret Service were also reported to have conducted the same deletion of communications around January 6. American Oversight said in a letter sent to Garland that they are urging him to investigate the Defense Department's failure to preserve the text messages of several top officials on the day of the January 6 attack. The officials involved in the questioned deletion of messages were former acting defense secretary Chris Miller; former army secretary Ryan McCarthy; and Kash Patel, who was Miller's chief of staff. Also included in the list were Paul Ney, formerly Pentagon general counsel; and James E. McPherson, formerly general counsel of the army. READ MORE: Donald Trump Admits He Didn't Win Presidential Election 2020 During Interview With Presidential Historians This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Donald Trump Lawyers in Talks With DOJ About Jan. 6 Criminal Probe - From CNN The administration of President Joe Biden on Thursday declared a public health emergency for the monkeypox outbreak. But despite this, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been relentlessly pushing back in treating the virus as an emergency. DeSantis has again expressed his disagreement with the White House decisions, noting that the outbreak was "overblown." Florida's monkeypox cases have ballooned to over 570, making them the third state with the highest number of cases. Joe Biden Administration Declares Monkeypox Outbreak a Public Health Emergency After several governors placed their respective states in a public health emergency because of the monkeypox outbreak, the White House followed suit. The Biden administration declared a public health emergency as the U.S. outbreak had grown into the largest in the world, Associated Press reported. This move will free up money and other resources to curb the rising cases of the virus, which has been primarily affecting many members of the LGBTQ+ community. However, despite the declaration, the state of Florida is standing its ground on not declaring a public health emergency. Ron DeSantis noted that his state will not bow to fear in response to the outbreak. READ NEXT: Can Monkeypox Virus Spread Through Clothes, Linens? Kentucky Doctor Explains How Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monkeypox Outbreak During a press briefing on Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he will not declare a public health emergency in his state. For DeSantis, declaring such an emergency is an attempt to sow fear among people. He has also hit the leaders of states that have declared public health emergencies, like New York Governor Kathy Hochul, saying it was a move to limit freedom. "I am so sick of politicians - and we saw this with COVID - trying to sow fear into the population. We had people calling, mothers worried about whether their kids could catch it at school," DeSantis noted. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) monkeypox case map, the current case count for the entire United States has hit 7,102. New York, which Kathy Hochul governs, accounts for 1,748 (24.61%) cases, which is the highest in the nation. California follows suit, with 826 (11.63%), while Florida has 577 (8.12%). Asked if DeSantis would reconsider declaring an emergency once the case spiked further, his office provided a rather vague response. ''Our public health decisions in Florida will be based on facts, not fear," DeSantis' office wrote to WESH 2. Florida Monkeypox Vaccine Availability, Efficacy Ron DeSantis' surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, affirmed Wednesday that Florida had an "adequate" number of monkeypox vaccines. But Ladapo has again downplayed the effectiveness of the monkeypox vaccines as he did on the COVID-19 vaccines. Ladapo claimed that very little data exists on their effectiveness. The United States is suffering from a nationwide shortage of monkeypox vaccines after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) failed to secure bulk orders of the monkeypox vaccine. The New York Times reported that the next half a million doses of monkeypox vaccine will be delivered in October. READ MORE: Monkeypox Vaccine for Children: Here's What Every Concerned Parent Should Know This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Ivan Korrs WATCH: Debate Over Potential Monkeypox State of Emergency - From WFLA News Channel 8 Like Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, Guadalajara Cartel founder Rafael Caro Quintero also complained about "torture" inflicted on him in a maximum-security prison in the state of Mexico. According to Borderland Beat, Caro Quintero filed an appeal against acts of torture inside the Altiplano prison. The lawsuit noted that the Guadalajara Cartel founder had suffered mistreatment and humiliation after being confined in the Altiplano prison following his arrest on July 15. Milenio reported that the amparo was presented before a judge based in the city of Toluca in Mexico state by a person who identified himself as Jose Mora Leon. The lawsuit alleged that Caro Quintero was a victim of "incommunicado detention, segregation, isolation, captivity with physical and psychological torments, mistreatment, abuse of authority, torture and life-threatening injuries." The judge immediately ruled in favor of the Guadalajara Cartel founder, ordering jail authorities to stop these acts. The judge also directed the responsible authority to issue a report on the compliance of the protection measures within a period of not more than 24 hours. A judge earlier granted an injunction to Caro Quintero that prevented his extradition to the United States at the moment. That means the Guadalajara Cartel founder cannot be handed over to U.S. authorities without a trial being held first. It is still unknown how long the trial will take, but any delays will likely disappoint U.S. officials. READ NEXT: El Chapo Case: Wives of Chicago Twins Who Helped Convict the Sinaloa Cartel Boss Used Drug Money on Lavish Trips, J.Lo Show Guadalajara Cartel Founder Rafael Caro Quintero Arrested Rafael Caro Quintero is one of the founders of Guadalajara Cartel, along with Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, and Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo. Caro Quintero was considered a pioneer in Mexico's drug underworld during the 1980s. He had already spent 28 years in prison for the brutal murder and torture of former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar. Caro Quintero was allegedly angry about a raid at Rancho Buffalo, a huge marijuana plantation in the Mexico's state of Chihuahua, at Camarena's demand. Mexican authorities seized the plantation. Camarena was kidnapped in Guadalajara in February 1985. A month later, his lifeless body was discovered, with signs showing that he was tortured. Caro Quintero, who was arrested in Costa Rica in the same year, has denied involvement in the killing of Camarena. In 2013, he was released by a Mexican judge on a technicality. After his release, Caro Quintero reportedly resumed his role as a violent drug trafficker. U.S. officials then put him on the FBI's Top 10 most wanted fugitives list and set a $20 million bounty on his head. The Guadalajara Cartel founder was arrested again in Sinaloa, Mexico last month. The U.S. government hailed the arrest and said it would waste no time requesting his extradition. Sinaloa Cartel Boss El Chapo Also Complained of 'Torture' in Altiplano Prison in Mexico State In 2016, El Chapo said he had been tortured through mistreatment while imprisoned in Altiplano. The Sinaloa Cartel boss also filed a formal complaint alleging he had been tortured and his health deteriorated while under prison officials' care. El Chapo said officials were not allowing him to see his family and to sleep due to roll calls every four hours. He also cited his prison cell, where the lights were kept on 24 hours a day, and his only human contact was with masked guards. El Chapo noted that he became depressed and suffered hallucinations and memory loss due to harsh conditions in the maximum-security prison. Los Angeles Times reported that his lawyers and psychiatrist reported his condition. The Sinaloa Cartel boss was first arrested in Guatemala in 1993 and extradited to Mexico. He escaped from prison in 2001 and was apprehended again in 2014 in Sinaloa, Mexico. El Chapo again escaped from prison through a tunnel the following year. In 2016, Mexican officials announced that the Sinaloa Cartel boss had been captured again and was sent back to Altiplano prison. El Chapo was extradited to the U.S. the following year. He was sentenced to spend the rest of his days in the ADX Florence "supermax" prison in Colorado after being sentenced to life imprisonment in 2019. READ MORE: El Chapo's Wife Emma Coronel Could Dismantle Sinaloa Cartel by Cutting Deal With U.S.: Report This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Mexico Captures Infamous Drug Lord Rafael Caro Quintero - From CBS 8 San Diego Amber Heard has reportedly participated in wild sex parties attended by billionaires like Tesla CEO Elon Musk. According to Marca, this information was revealed by Jessica Reed Kraus, who has been conducting in-depth research into Heard's past. The Kraus' report noted that "tech gods, capitalists, founders, top executives, and up-and-coming entrepreneurs" attended the Los Angeles wild party, which is held "roughly once a month." The parties were reportedly fueled by "alcohol, sex, and copious amounts of MDMA." The report noted that Heard not only attended such parties but also courted some women to attend them. Heard was reportedly the center of attention during the wild evenings most of the time. "A bunch of hot young girls, rubbing all over each other in satanic-styled leather outfits on stage, Amber on a throne-like chair at the center," the report noted. Amber Heard's ex, Tasha Van Ree, and Cara Delevingne also reportedly attended one of these sex parties. The report said Amber Heard quickly gained favor with the group as she can easily reel in other young struggling actresses to work "as escorts and make appearances or perform at these events" for Musk and his tech cronies. Thread: Unlike other threads, we want to make it clear that the following information came from someone named Gia, which is a pseudonym to protect her identity. TW: dr*gs, queerbaiting, violence, s*x parties pic.twitter.com/vlhaWEShdF mar (@vaersac) August 4, 2022 The report also included photos of the "Aquaman" actress from some of these private parties. A source cited in the report also claimed that Heard was a "blackmail queen." According to the report, one of the partygoers said Heard was always filming the SpaceX founder, and "she would get Elon really f**ked up, so incriminating events could transpire and then film it all." The report noted that Elon Musk was helping the actress with her legal bills from her defamation lawsuit because she had "some dark s**t on him." READ NEXT: Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Marriage: Here's the Real Reason Why the Hollywood Actor Married His Ex-Wife Johnny Depp's Camp Claimed Amber Heard Was a 'Stripper' Amber Heard's lawyers said Johnny Depp's camp had wanted to reveal embarrassing parts of the actress' personal life, including her short-lived time working as a stripper and an alleged escort. According to Toronto Sun, this was revealed in the more than 6,000 pages of court documents unsealed last weekend. The documents reveal how lawyers for Heard and Depp tried to get evidence about one another into the Virginia court. In one of the documents, Heard's lawyer Elaine Bredehoft wrote that nude pictures of the actress or stripping or escort services' comments "would be highly distracting and unfairly prejudicial to the extent they portray Amber Heard as a sex symbol instead of a women's rights activist against domestic abuse." Heard's camp also wanted to expose the actor's medications to prove that he allegedly has erectile dysfunction, arguing that this was relevant to why he assaulted the actress with a bottle, which Depp repeatedly maintained was a lie. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Defamation Trial Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have battled over a 2018 op-ed the actress wrote for the Washington Post, calling herself a domestic violence survivor. The piece did not mention Depp by name, but the actor claimed he was booted from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise due to the "clear implication" that he was the abuser in his ex-wife's op-ed. Depp also alleged that Heard was the actual "perpetrator" of the violent encounters that damaged their relationship. He asked for $50 million in damages. The actress countersued for $100 million for nuisance. On June 1, a Virginia court ruled that Heard must pay her ex-husband $10 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages. And with Johnny Depp's former lawyer referring to Amber Heards' claims as a "hoax," the actress was awarded $2 million by the jury in compensatory damages for her counterclaim but nothing in punitive damages. Both parties are appealing the judgment. READ MORE: Joe Biden Calls Brittney Griner Verdict 'Unacceptable'; Athletes React to Russia's 9-Year Prison Sentence for WNBA Star This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Joshua Summers WATCH: Bombshell! Amber Heard & Elon Musk Dark Past & Secrets Unsealed!? "She's the Blackmail Queen!" - From Popcorned Planet China, Laos vow to build unbreakable community with shared future Xinhua) 09:29, August 05, 2022 PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith here on Wednesday, with both pledging to build an unbreakable China-Laos community with a shared future. During talks with Saleumxay on the sidelines of meetings of foreign ministers on East Asia cooperation, Wang lauded the strong momentum of development of China-Laos relations, the continuously consolidated strategic mutual trust and the fruitful results of practical cooperation between the two countries. Wang noted that the opening of the China-Laos Railway in December last year elevated bilateral exchanges and cooperation to a new level, and injected new impetus into the construction of the China-Laos Economic Corridor. Both sides should deepen strategic communication and coordination so as to further build an unbreakable China-Laos community with a shared future, he said, adding that both sides should enhance the exchanges of experience in party and state governance, jointly improve governance capability and promote their national development and socialist causes. For his part, Saleumxay thanked China for its long-standing support and assistance to Laos' economic and social development, saying the two countries have worked together to overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and achieved remarkable results in practical cooperation, which demonstrates the true nature of bilateral relations that shares weal and woe. Laos attaches great importance to learning from China's experience in state governance and looks forward to strengthening bilateral cooperation in various fields and building well the Laos-China community with a shared future, he added. Saleumxay said that the recent provocative moves of the U.S. side on the Taiwan question broke its own commitments, violated the basic norms governing international relations, and infringed upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs has immediately issued a statement, making it clear that the Lao side adheres to the one-China principle and reiterating that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, Saleumxay said. Laos opposes any attempt to create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," and will continue to stand firmly with China and support China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, he noted. Wang stressed that the United States, for its self-serving interests, has used every means without a bottom line, ignored basic norms governing international relations, and blatantly violated China's sovereignty, adding that the U.S. national credibility has gone bankrupt. China will make firm and necessary responses to the U.S. retrogressive acts of "using Taiwan to contain China," he said, warning that any attempt by the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces "to look for U.S. support for their independence agenda" is doomed to fail, and will cause the greatest damage to the safety of the people in Taiwan. Noting that mutual trust and mutual support are essential to the China-Laos community with a shared future, Wang said China appreciates Laos' just position, and will continue to strengthen solidarity with the Lao side, firmly support each other in safeguarding their legitimate rights and development space, as well as uphold international fairness and justice. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Post-mortem examinations are due to get under way after a brother and sister were suspected to have drowned off Ballybunion Beach, Co Kerry. Emergency services were called to the beach on Thursday evening after they were alerted that a person had gotten into difficulty in the water. It is understood the alarm was raised by a teenage relative. Gardai confirmed a man, aged 50, and a woman, aged 62, were pronounced dead at the scene after they were recovered from the water. They were brother and sister. The man had an address in Co Roscommon, while the woman had an address in Malmo, Sweden. I was on #Ballybunion beach this evening and witnessed the efforts of the different rescue services @BallybRescue as they attempted to save two people who got into difficulties in the sea. Tragically they died and deepest sympathies to their family. Brenda Donohue (@BrendaDonohue) August 4, 2022 Their bodies were removed from the scene by ambulance and taken to the mortuary in University Hospital Kerry in Tralee. The Irish Coast Guard, Ballybunion Community Rescue Boat Ireland and Kilrush RNLI were involved in the operation. In a statement the Irish Coast Guard said Valentia Coast Guard received a report shortly after 5pm that a person was in difficulty in Ballybunion. A full-scale search and rescue operation was mounted with Shannon-based Coast Guard Helicopter R115, Ballybunion Community Rescue Boat Ireland and Kilrush RNLI all being tasked to scene, the statement read. Shortly afterwards, a second person was recovered from the water by Ballybunion Community Rescue Boat Ireland. The man and woman were pronounced dead on scene. The search was stood down following confirmation that no other persons were missing. The Coast Guard express sympathy to the family of the two casualties. Fine Gael TD Patrick ODonovan described the deaths as a desperate tragedy and expressed his sincerest sympathies to the families of the bereaved and to the people who witnessed the incident. From our perspective, here in Co Limerick, Ballybunion is an extension of our own place, the Limerick TD told RTEs Today with Claire Byrne Show. We know this place intimately. Some of my own extended family were in Ballybunion and saw the commotion that unfolded. Its a desperate tragedy. And theres really nothing that you can put into words to describe the pall of gloom thats around north Kerry and west Limerick area at the moment. Terrible news this evening of tragedy in #Ballybunion a place we know so well, a town that welcomes so many people from all over the country and beyond every day during the summer. The thoughts of people locally here are with the family of those that were lost. Patrick O'Donovan (@podonovan) August 4, 2022 Local Sinn Fein councillor Robert Beasley said the community has been left in shock after the horrible tragedy. The councillor, who lives near Ballybunion beach, told the PA news agency: There was a lot of people on the beach at the time, maybe 600 people or 700 people. I met a lot of people on the clifftop and, when they realised what was happening men, women and children were leaving in their droves and they were in a terrible distressed state. An hour and a half before, when I passed, people were happy, building sandcastles and generally having fun on the beach. Two deaths in the space of a couple of minutes on the water. Its terrible a terrible tragedy. People are shocked beyond belief. Mr Beasley offered his deepest condolences to the family affected. Local Fine Gael councillor Michael Foley told PA: Everybody is shocked by what happened. Its very tragic. We only live in Ballylongford, which is about 12 miles away, and the whole village is shocked here about the sad news. Everyone has said how tragic is it and how they feel for the family. A publican who pleaded guilty to an offence under the Health Act was ordered to make a donation of 1,500 to North West Hospice. Adrian Cox, Newtown, Tarmonbarry, Co Roscommon pleaded guilty to contravening a regulation under the Health Act to prevent, limit, minimise or slow the spread of Covid 19 on June 6, 2021 at Coxs, Dromod, Co Leitrim. Evidence in court was given that a complaint was made and Gardai were dispatched to the Dromod area on the above date as there was a large crowd outside Coxs pub making a lot of noise. Gardai witnessed 50 to 60 people drinking and a beer cart was outside the premises actively serving alcohol. There were three pergolas and eight umbrellas raised and at least ten members of staff were working. People were also using the toilets in the public house. The court heard that Gardai had been called to the area the previous day as well. The pub is a family run business and while Adrian Cox is not the owner or the licensee, he identified himself as the person in charge and was the specified person who the Gardai spoke with on the day. Solicitor, Colm Conway, said Coxs is a very well known business in the area and Adrian Cox is the owner of a nursing home in Rooskey. He said Mr Cox and his family have always enjoyed a healthy working relationship with the Gardai. This incident occurred three hours before the further easing of Covid regulations, he said. Mr Conway said that Mr Cox, as owner of a nursing home, goes through a rigorous interview with HIQA every three years and a conviction of this nature would cause him extreme difficulty. He said Mr Cox would be happy to provide a donation and asked Judge Sandra Murphy, in the circumstances, to apply her discretion. Mr Conway said it was a case of over-exuberance of patrons with the impending lifting of regulations which may have got out of hand. Judge Murphy said that particular time was horrendous for business owners and on the balance she would take a contribution of 1,500 for the North West Hospice and strike out the charge. On Thursday 28th July 2022, a ground-breaking record was set for the completion of The Leitrim Way by trail enthusiast Ellie Berry, accomplishing running the 56km route in just 12 hours and 4 mins. On completing her challenge, Ellie became the first ever recording of the Fastest Known Time of The Leitrim Way. Ellie Berry is best known among the hillwalking and trail community as a member of the Tough Soles duo, a pair of walking enthusiasts who walked every national waymarked ways in Ireland, totalling over 4,000km in distance. During their challenge to walk every one of these routes, the pair have produced helping video guides that describe each route in detail available via their website, www.toughsoles.ie The Leitrim Way Management Committee were impressed with this ground-breaking achievement and presented Ellie with a unique waymarker recognising her as the first ever recording of Fastest Known Time of The Leitrim Way. Bryan Fennell, Rural Recreation Officer for the Leitrim Development Company stated, we are delighted to hear of Ellies accomplishment. The Leitrim Ways primary provision is for long distance walkers to discover and enjoy the rural landscape of Leitrim over a number of days. However, it is great to hear that the route will be of interest to both local and visiting Trail Runners who are seeking a challenging route to enjoy. The route has seen much investment in recent years and its great to see a variety of user groups discover it. Ellie stated that she was delighted to receive recognition from the Leitrim Way Management Committee and that the route is very enjoyable. She described the route as very reflective of the mixture of terrain and rural landscapes Leitrim has to offer, showcasing North Leitrims mountainous regions, rural farmlands, local communities and South Leitrims lowland waterways in one journey. A bill enhancing health care and disability benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits won final approval in the US Senate on Tuesday, August 2, ending a brief stalemate over the measure that had infuriated advocates and inspired some to camp outside the Capitol. The Senate approved the bill, known as the PACT Act, by a vote of 86-11. It 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 had overwhelmingly 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 August 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 told them. The legislation expands access to health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs for millions who served near burn pits. It 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. We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback 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. Le Monde with AP Conservative leadership candidate Rishi Sunak in Cardiff (UK), on August 3, 2022. PETER NICHOLLS / REUTERS The Conservative leadership debate between foreign secretary Liz Truss and former chancellor Rishi Sunak that was broadcast on Sky News on Thursday, August 4, took an unexpected turn. While opinion polls back Ms. Truss to win the vote among Conservative party members, those sitting in the audience largely supported Mr. Sunak in final show of hands vote, in a result even presenter Kay Burley admitted she "wasn't expecting." Earlier, the former chancellor had faced tough questions from Ms. Burley and a quip about his taste in designer loafers. "People feel that you can't walk a mile in their shoes because you're walking in your Prada shoes," Ms. Burley told Mr. Sunak, whose father-in-law is a billionaire. She mocked Mr. Sunak's insistence on his humble roots after he mentioned that his father was a doctor in the national health service (NHS). "I grew up in an NHS household, as you may have heard on this campaign," the candidate said. "He never mentions it!" Ms. Burley interjected. 'Will the real Liz Truss please stand up?' Ms. Truss also faced acerbic questioning, including a run-through of her policy U-turns, after a damaging statement by her campaign team on Monday that the government could save 8.8 billion ($10.75 billion) a year if it paid lower salaries to public sector workers who lived outside London. "You wanted to cut civil servants' pay in the regions and then you said you didn't," Ms. Burley said, to which Ms. Truss responded the proposal was misrepresented by media. "Should good leaders own their mistakes, or should they blame others?" Ms. Burley asked, adding, "Will the real Liz Truss please stand up?" "I'm not blaming anybody else. I'm not. I'm not. I'm saying the policy has been misrepresented by various people," Ms. Truss anwered, appearing flustered. We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback Ms. Burley also challenged Ms. Truss on her comments soon after Russia's invasion of Ukraine that she would back Brits going to fight on the Ukrainian side. British fighters have since been captured and convicted as mercenaries by the Russian army in the Donetsk separatist region, facing a potential death penalty. The result of the vote to decide who will replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due on September 5. Le Monde with AFP As recently as three years ago, ShinyHunters was just a jargon term used by members of the Pokemon community, the cult franchise created in Japan. Starting in April 2020 however, as noted by cybersecurity firm Intel471, a particularly aggressive group of cybercriminals appropriated the term, however with much darker goals than chasing little monsters: stealing and selling data. Under investigation by the FBI, the ShinyHunters may have finally suffered a serious legal blow. As revealed by L'Obs, Sebastien Raoult, a 21-year-old Frenchman, was arrested on May 31 at Rabat-Sale airport in Morocco. He is the object of an extradition request by the American justice system, which suspects him of being a member of the cyber gang, and of having been involved in several computer hacks. According to his lawyer Philippe Ohayon, who wants the young man to be tried in France instead, Mr. Raoult is now facing a prison sentence of 116 years in the United States. A long list of victims According to an indictment dated June 23, 2021, and consulted by Le Monde, the ShinyHunters were allegedly involved in selling data from over 60 companies. A second legal document detailing the charges against Mr. Raoult dated June 10, 2022, which Le Monde was also able to obtain, estimated the damage in millions of dollars. An estimate appraised, precisely, by Intel471 to "tens of millions of dollars," in view of the cybercriminals' long list of victims. Among them was the photo editing application Pixlr, the clothing company Bonobos, the PDF editing service Nitro, the Indonesian e-commerce website Tokopedia and Big Basket, an Indian retail company. We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback The developers targeted were first contacted by email with messages containing links to phishing sites The ShinyHunters had a well-honed method, as noted by the FBI. Their modus operandi was centered around phishing, a technique that involves the impersonation of someone's identity to deceive the victim. The cybercriminals specifically targeted GitHub users, a platform acquired by Microsoft in 2018, that allows developers to store and share software development projects. The developers targeted were first contacted via email with messages containing links to phishing websites. These sites mimicked the GitHub login portal, which allowed attackers to get hold of their victim's credentials before seizing the available data. The cybercriminals then took advantage of this initial access and tried to attack the very network of the company that the developer belonged to. You have 52.23% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. Feature'The heralds of the forests' (2/6). On the Portuguese island of Madeira, biologist Helder Spinola takes us for a hike into the 'laurisilva', a fragile remnant of the vast greenery that once covered much of southern Europe and North Africa. A sea of clouds crowned the jutting hills of the northern coast of Madeira Island that morning. On the misty heights of this archipelago, situated not very far from the African coast, the humid subtropical vegetation retains the water evaporated from the Atlantic Ocean. Some foliage of intense green laurels appears from the vapor now and then, driven by the trade winds. On the ground, thick tree heathers shroud the already narrow forest road. The sudden flight of a pair of trocaz pigeons with their blue plumage, a wild species endemic to the island, wakes up the hiker from his mediation in this gentle dampness. So this is what it means to be inside a living relic. The laurisilva, Madeira's lauriferous forest, is indeed a natural relic inherited from the Tertiary period. Several tens of millions of years ago, this primary vegetation covered southern Europe and North Africa. Although protected from the last glaciations by its oceanic climate, the Macaronesia archipelago (Madeira, Canary Islands, Azores and Cape Verde) has managed to preserve only remnants of this precious laurel forest. Listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999, Madeira's laurel forest is its largest surviving portion, covering 20% of the island's surface. In 1419, when Portuguese navigators landed there, they named the island "Madeira" (which means wood): "The laurel at that time occupied almost the entire surface of the island. The colonization then gave rise to intense clearing for agriculture and wood exploitation. Fortunately, a precocious forest code prevented the disappearance of this native forest," said Helder Spinola, a biologist at the University of Madeira, who takes us into "his" forest. Read more Subscribers only Madeira, a place of perpetual spring On entering the verdant park of Queimadas, 850 meters above sea level in the northeast of the island, the researcher is delighted at the sight of a healthy specimen. "The laurel is a mother tree for me. It has always been there with me. It gives life to the forest, and shelters birds, insects and mosses. It plays a protective role for biodiversity," as he went on endlessly about his favorite tree with large dark green leaves and creamy-white flowers, that give off an exquisite scent. Since childhood, the laurisilva has been his playground. "We often wandered there with my brothers. Once, we got lost in the middle of the night... What a fright we had," he recalled with a smile. "Above all, I quickly understood that this lush nature was not just a simple forest." Helder Spinola in the Queimadas forest park, along the Levada do Caldeirao Verde, Madeira (Portugal), on May 21. VASSILI FEODOROFF POUR LE MONDE The biologist arrived in Madeira in 1976. His parents had just fled the civil war in Mozambique, another Portuguese colony, where Helder had been born three years earlier. Back in their homeland, the Spinolas settled in the village of Santana, in the northeast of the island. They lived a modest existence in a small house with a thatched roof. At school, the children of these "repatriates" were not welcome. But the imposing laurel tree that grew right next to his house has a far greater effect on Helder than the taunts of his classmates. "I was fascinated by the strength of this tree. Everything had changed around it in 50 years, houses had been destroyed, others built, roads and modern life had come, but this laurel tree had not moved." An ingenious system of moss cascades allows water to be channeled from the northern slopes, which receive more water, to the drier southern part of the island, where a majority of the population lives The laurel is integral to the daily life of Madeirans. Its fragrant leaves are used in cooking, its wood for skewers and its berries for making oil for treating skin diseases. "These trees existed well before humans arrived on the island, and their ability to regenerate never ceases to amaze me. See that mushroom growing along the trunk? That's the madre louro. It is rare to see it, it only grows on laurel trees and its presence is proof of the ecosystem's good health," the scientist explained. The parasitic fungus, whose shape resembles deer antlers, is an endemic species of Macaronesia. In the laurel forest on the Fanal trail, Madeira, Portugal, May 22. VASSILI FEODOROFF POUR LE MONDE Besides the typical Madeira laurel (Laurus novocanariensis), there are three other species of the same Lauraceae family (til, vinhatico and barbusano) that coexist in the forest. As we enter the laurel forest, the path narrows down so much that it becomes difficult to pass other hikers. As we come out of a hairpin bend, we hear a gushing sound. What our ears imagined to be a waterfall, is actually a stream of water running down plant walls covered with green moss, all the way from the top. This shower of water droplets feeds the irrigation channels that the hiking trail follows. "They are levadas," said Mr. Spinola, wiping his glasses fogged by moisture. "They are the result of an ingenious system that allows the island to never run short of water." As early as the 16th century, the levadas were designed to carry water from the northern slopes, which receive more water, to the drier southern part of the island, where a majority of the population lives. The construction of these hydraulic works that cross the mountains was a perilous human adventure. Laurel leaves in Chao da Ribeira, Madeira, Portugal, May 23. VASSILI FEODOROFF POUR LE MONDE On the northern side of the island, the fog is denser that morning. On the very touristic site of Fanal, cows are grazing in a clearing dotted with laurels. The passage of a mist makes this scene appear larger-than-life, which the tourists capture. A sight which does not please Mr. Spinola, who instead notices some weak-looking tree trunks on which only a few small green branches remain. "Laurel trees have the ability, at the base of their trunks, to develop shoots that will form young, strong trunks again, allowing the tree to survive," said Mr. Spinola. "But here in Fanal, these new shoots are destroyed by cattle. There are other places on the island where cows can graze...," said the biologist, who has been an active member of Quercus (which means oak), a Portuguese environmental NGO, since he was 21. The laurel forest in Boca da Encumeada, Madeira (Portugal), on May 22. VASSILI FEODOROFF POUR LE MONDE Concerned, he talks about the deceptive effect of the laurel and its evergreen foliage. "This permanent spring gives the illusion that all is well. Yet our forest is under attack from all sides." Further along the path, as he talks about the risk of fires, Mr. Spinola points out several human-introduced species that threaten the laurel forest, such as eucalyptus, acacia and ginger lily. Tourism is another danger looming over Madeira's lush greenery. That day, this problem makes it to the headline of the local edition of Diario de Noticias, featuring a rant" from the island's guides, who criticize the overcrowding of hiking trails that run through the forest. "We have already stalled a cable car project that would have brought even more tourists to the heart of the laurisilva. With all the existing levada trails, why concentrate tourists around the same spots?" said Mr. Spinola. Lesser-known areas such as the Chao da Ribeira valley near Seixal offer beautiful hikes with ideal access to the laurisilva. Helder Spinola shows an endemic fern in the Queimadas Forest Park, Madeira, Portugal, May 21. VASSILI FEODOROFF POUR LE MONDE We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback His greatest fear is the imminent project to tar the road known as "Ginjas," a dirt road opened in the 1980s that runs for 10 kilometers through the heart of the forest. "We have managed to maintain the laurisilva in Madeira because we have not fragmented it too much. Keeping areas compact, so as to preserve them from tourism and pollution, allows the forest ecosystem to regenerate." For this biologist campaigner, a relic is not destined to become a tourist attraction. A YOUNG Limerick artist with a knack for creating stomach turning emotion in his music is set to release his debut EP next month. Lloyd John from Caherconlish has been described as a blast of energy and a highly emotional performer and will never shy away from introducing new sounds to do so, blending alternative pop with contagious choruses. The upcoming EP is titled Homesick and is set to be released on August 26 and follows the successful release of his single Nobody has to Know in July. Lloyd describes what led to him creating his debut album: Ive had a lot of time to think about myself over the last two years. I think Ive finally figured out who I am as a person after battling with everything for so long. Realisation is a massive part of this project. Ive learnt how to be myself, to love and be loved and I feel when Im being used or can trust in someone, Lloyd said. Following the release of the EP Lloyd is set to begin a string of live shows around Ireland in 2023 for his Take Me Home tour. Lloyd started his journey of recording music when he was 16 by buying a 30 microphone and with just himself and his laptop he produced his best known track, Alive, which has over 1,500,000 streams worldwide. Homesick just feels right to perform to people and I can proudly say it is the best representation of me to date, Lloyd said. A DEVELOPER has called on council members to row in behind him on his plans for a major affordable housing development in Newcastle West. Denis Corbett is building 42 three-bedroom houses under the governments First Home Scheme, with the second phase kicking off in two weeks. He says while council officials have been supportive of his project at Woodfield Manor, its not always been the case with some members of the local municipal district who've questioned the quality and the delivery of the houses. For their part, two members of the district, Cllrs Tom Ruddle and Jerome Scanlan have denied this is the case, and welcomed the starter home plan, where prices range from 96,000 to 157,000. Mr Corbett was responding following a council meeting in which members criticised the authority, saying it had not delivered on a promise of affordable homes. He wants the councillors to properly engage with him on the properties they want to see in Newcastle West. Im borrowing money and putting my head on the block for families in Newcastle West. Id like help from the councillors to row in behind me and drive on projects in Newcastle West, he said. Anyone who has a problem, who wants to see the homes, we can talk, and Ill help them in any way I can. The developer said having given the council a 15% discount on the homes, he is only just breaking even although he acknowledged in a volatile world, having guaranteed income from council is a boost, even if it is at a lower level. I could tear up the contract and probably get 50,000 more per house. But Im going to honour the contract, and honour my position with the council. Ive more projects coming up, but I need the help of the councillors in Newcastle West, he said. Mr Corbett employs 200 people in Newcastle West at Woodfield Manor, and has other developments planned for the area. Councillor Ruddle, an auctioneer by trade, and the president of the towns Chamber said: We support affordable homes and incremental purchase. The problem we had is more to do with how the council is administering it rather than anything to do with him building homes. Nobody has any difficulty with the affordable housing. The process is the problem its an unholy mess, added Cllr Scanlan. TWO MEN who forced their way into a Limerick apartment and stole a large quantity of designer clothes have each received lengthy prison sentences. Imposing sentence, Judge Tom ODonnell said what happened was both frenzied and frightening and that a prison sentence had to be imposed. It is a very serious case of aggravated burglary - extremely, extremely frightening. Violence was used. Injury was caused. Property was taken. One of the defendants Eric McCarthy, aged 27, of Mount Kennett, Dock Road, Limerick city pleaded guilty while Sean Kerins, aged 31, of Moylish Road, Ballynanty, Limerick was convicted by a jury, after a trial last February. Mr McCarthy also admitted having cannabis, worth around 15,000, at his home. During a sentencing hearing, Garda Ryan Harkin said the owner of the apartment at Dock Road was watching TV with a friend at around 7am on January 30, 2021 when he heard a knock on the door. He said he was operating a business at the time selling designer clothes via Instagram and that when he opened the door, the culprits, who were armed with a knife, forced their way inside. The man sustained a slash wound to one of his arms and both he and his friend retreated to an internal room. They remained there until gardai arrived. The victim told gardai he feared he was going to be killed by the intruders and that he believes the culprits had scoped out the apartment a number of days earlier. I experienced something that nobody should every have to experience at their home true terror, he wrote in a victim impact statement. Garda Harkin said he has since moved away from Limerick. Judge Tom ODonnell was told the defendants, who both have previous convictions, were identified as suspects on CCTV as they can be seen walking to and from the apartment. DNA matching that of Mr Kerins was also found on a Bulmers bottle which was found during the forensic examination. Mr McCarthy was sentenced to five years imprisonment with the last 18 months suspended. A two-year sentence was imposed in relation to the drugs offence. Mr Kerins was sentenced to five years imprisonment - back-dated to reflect his time in custody. A COUNTY Limerick woman has told how she got scammed out of almost 10,000 in savings as the perpetrators used a number of ploys to bleed her dry. She details the sneaky, underhanded and devious methods they used to steal her hard-earned savings. The woman doesnt wish to be named but does want to warn others not to fall into the traps she fell into. I first saw an ad for online loans on Facebook in January 2020. I decided to apply for a car loan of 7,000. I got approval and then got back a message through email that if I gave them some money I'd get more of a loan. So I gave them 300, she said. The requests for more money kept coming. After a few months she had handed over 3,000 and no sign of my loan on the way. I had asked about it several times but got no reply from them, she said. If that wasn't bad enough, matters took another duplicitous turn. I got a message on WhatsApp from a man claiming to be a solicitor. He said they found the man that took the money off me for the supposed loan. The 'solicitor' said if I paid him a fee of 300 he could get me my money back so I paid it." Then there was another twist in the tale. A bank official sent me a message looking for money from me so he could send me over the money I had lost. It cost 400. I asked him why it was so expensive to transfer the money from his account to my account. He said the bank in his country do it that way. He wanted my passport photo, address, the whole lot. I gave him everything thinking I was going to be getting my money back in a few weeks, she said. But all she got was another demand for money this time purportedly from the customs office. It was about a parcel they received from France for me and it would cost 450 to transfer it to Ireland. I was getting suspicious about all the different people contacting me regarding my package. I was getting afraid that someone would call to my house when they had all my details. Then I received a message from a courier saying he had a parcel in a depot in Belfast for me but it would cost me money to get it to Limerick so I paid for it. At that stage she had paid almost 10,000 only to find out it was all a scam. There were all the different people letting on they were giving me a loan and no loan. I got worried about it all and decided to contact the guards. They said it was all a scam and to contact the banks I paid the money into through online banking. The money couldn't be traced due to it being paid into foreign bank accounts in Spain, UK and Portugal. I made contact with my own bank's fraud department but no luck in getting my money back. I have learned never to click on links on Facebook advertising loans. Money doesn't come easy. I lost my money instead of getting the money I was promised in a loan. She said she feels better after talking about how she was sucked in and hopes others won't make the same mistakes as her. However, it still brought tears to her eyes. The perpetrators robbed more than her money - they took her sense of security too. I'm still in fear of someone calling to my house because they have my address. I even feel under pressure to move house somewhere else for safety. I have also changed my bank accounts and my phone number since it all happened me. She says she is broke now with no chance of getting her money back but some compensation for her will be if others dont go through what she has. A NEW PIECE of public art honouring two recipients of the Freedom of Limerick is being put together at a popular riverside viewing spot. A memorial bench and art display to remember Frs Aengus and Jack Finucane, who founded the Concern aid agency is being constructed at Barrington's Pier, near where they grew up in Shelbourne Road on the city's northside. It will be unveiled at a special ceremony on Thursday, August 18 next. The Holy Ghost priests, pictured below in 2008, were conferred with the Freedom of Limerick three years earlier. They've been hailed across the world for their work with Concern which they founded during the early stages of the Nigerian Civil War in the late 1960s. Since then, Concern - Ireland's largest non-profit, aid and humanitarian agency - has grown to thousands of staff, and an annual budget of tens of millions. Over 200 Ukrainians a day using one-stop-shop in Limerick Business owner Derrick Amrein, Minister of State Niall Collins and Mark OBrien, English teacher at the hub at Chisel and Oak Back in 2018 the agency issued a call for submissions to design, create and install a memorial bench for the brothers, who dedicated their lives to the work of Concern, delivering interventions to some of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people. Tom Roche and Knut Klimmek were awarded the contract to design, create and install the bench, with the development being funded by money from private donors and companies. Limerick Twenty Thirty has also supplied old stone from the buildings which were demolished at its flagship Opera Centre development for the wall of the memorial. Metropolitan district leader Olivia O'Sullivan has given a cautious welcome to the plans, saying she will "reserve judgement" until the bench is unveiled. BARRINGTON'S PIER: A Memorial to Limerick's Finucane brothers Fr Aengus & Fr Jack who founded/led @Concern is currently under construction. The Finucane Memorial Bench project was approved 3yrs ago, it will be officially unveiled later this month. See https://t.co/aVyYk4DqJc pic.twitter.com/sVesCBwCpt Olivia O'Sullivan (@oliviaos) August 4, 2022 "Barrington's Pier is a favourite local visiting spot and people were wondering what was happening there [with the building work]. Lots of people walk along the Condell Road to it. Its always been a place people use to visit and meet up," she said. The Fine Gael member, who has a degree from the Limerick School of Art and Design is in favour generally of public art, pointing out: "This is commemorating two people from Shelbourne Road, and two of Ireland's leading humanitarians. These men have a huge legacy of humanitarian work and we should be very proud of them." Aengus Finucane sadly died in 2009, while his brother Jack passed away in 2017. The government would continue to curb imports for the next three months Pakistan's Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said on Friday. He warned of "bad days" ahead for the cash-strapped country. Finance Minister Ismail blamed the economic policies taken by the erstwhile Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) regime led by ousted prime minister Imran Khan for the suffering caused to the nation while addressing a ceremony at the Pakistan Stock Exchange. "During the previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, the country's budget deficit was USD 1,600 billion, and in the last four years under the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) regime, that figure ballooned to USD 3,500," Geo TV quoted Ismail as saying. No country can grow and be stable with this kind of current account deficit," Ismail asserted. He explained, "When you raise the budget deficit and also increase the loans by 80 per cent, it has an adverse impact on the economy." The Dawn newspaper quoted the finance minister on the issue of foreign trade saying. I will not allow imports to increase for three months and, in the meantime, we will come up with a policy. I understand that growth will be reduced for a bit but I have no other choice," Pakistans import bill for the previous fiscal year stood at USD 80 billion, while exports amounted to USD 31 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of USD 49 billion. He justified that the current government had to save the country from a possible default and had to take immediate and short-term measures. "Maybe it was unwise in the long-term," he lamented. Finance Minister Ismail cautioned and advised, "We are on the right track, but obviously we might see bad days. If we control our imports for three months, we can boost our exports through various means." Explaining the sharp fall in rupee against the greenback over the last month, Ismail stated that dollar outflows had been surpassing inflows. The Pakistani rupee appreciated 2.15 against the US dollar for the sixth consecutive session during intra-day trade in the interbank market, to touch 224 against the greenback on Friday. Since Imran Khan's ouster in April, Pakistan's currency has plummeted to an all-time low of 240, amid uncertainty about IMF assistance. Last week, New York-based rating agency S&P Global revised Pakistan's long-term ratings from 'stable' to 'negative' given the spiralling inflation and tighter global financial conditions. Pakistan desperately needs the IMF bailout Pakistan government which took power in April has followed measures of unpopular belt-tightening and has effectively eliminated fuel and power subsidies and introduced new measures to broaden the tax base. It was after these measures, Pakistan reached a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last month. The new government has slashed a raft of subsidies to meet the demands of IMF but risks the wrath of an electorate already struggling under the weight of double-digit inflation. Pakistan had hoped for a quick revival of the bailout, but the IMF has so far not released the much-needed instalment. IMF's Resident Representative for Pakistan Esther Perez Ruiz, following the staff-level agreement, earlier this week said the country had completed the last precondition increasing the petroleum development levy for the combined seventh and eighth reviews. An original USD 6 billion bailout package was signed by former prime minister Imran Khan in 2019, but repeatedly stalled when his government reneged on subsidy agreements and failed to significantly improve tax collection. In July, the fund said it would raise the value of the bailout from USD 6 billion to USD 7 billion if approved by its executive board, usually considered a formality. Sharif has repeatedly blamed the former prime minister's government, alleging that Imran Khan - a former cricket star turned Islamist politician - had deliberately violated IMF's conditions in order to remain popular among followers at home. With inputs from PTI Rishi Sunak on Thursday appeared to score a surprise win with a studio audience at a key debate with frontrunner Liz Truss in the race to become Britain's next prime minister. While opinion polls back Truss to win the vote among Conservative party members, those sitting in the audience at the Sky News debate overwhelmingly supported Sunak in a show of hands -- after an electronic voting system broke down. Truss had faced acerbic questioning from presenter Kay Burley, including a run-through of her policy U-turns and the question: "Will the real Liz Truss please stand up?" Truss had earlier been forced into another U-turn after a damaging statement by her campaign team on Monday that the government could save 8.8 billion ($10.75 billion) a year if it paid lower salaries to public sector workers who lived outside London. "You wanted to cut civil servants' pay in the regions and then you said you didn't," Burley said, listing her policy U-turns. Truss insisted the proposal was misrepresented by media. "Should good leaders own their mistakes, or should they blame others?" Burley asked her. "I'm not blaming anybody else. I'm not. I'm not. I'm saying the policy has been misrepresented by various people," Truss said, appearing flustered. Burley also challenged Truss on her comments soon after Russia's invasion of Ukraine that she would back Brits going to fight on the Ukrainian side. British fighters have since been captured and convicted as mercenaries and face a potential death penalty in the Donetsk separatist region. Truss stressed the travel advice was always that British people should not go to Ukraine. Sunak also faced tough questioning and a quip about his taste in designer loafers. "People feel that you can't walk a mile in their shoes because you're walking in your Prada shoes," Burley told Sunak, whose father-in-law is a billionaire. She mocked Sunak's insistence on his humble roots as he mentioned that his father was a doctor in the national health service (NHS). "I grew up in an NHS household, you may have heard on this campaign," he said. "He never mentions it!" Burley interjected. The final vote showed a larger number of hands for Rishi Sunak than for Truss, as Burley admitted: "I wasn't expecting that." The result of the vote between Truss and Sunak, to decide who will replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is due on September 5. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Click here to read the full article. Agusti Villaronga, one of the most versatile of higher-profile Spanish auteurs, is attached to direct Purgatory, a project which will be presented at Locarnos Match Me! Event by Nati Escobar at Spains Galapagos Media. Purgatory turns on Father Tomas, a scholar of ancient history and biblical theology sent to a remote sanatorium as a penance for his sins. There, the priest discovers that the small community seems to be entranced by the teachings of a patient. A title to track at Match Me!, a large networking event, Purgatory promises a study of the frontiers between faith and superstition, conviction and manipulation. The project will be produced by director-producer Pau Calpe and Nati Escobar at Spains Galapagos Media and co-produced by Xavier Crespo at Dacsa Produccions. Calpe has just directed Tros, a Film Factory-sold drama thriller.. Galapagos has been recently involved in the co-production of Iciar Bollains Yuli. When I read the script, what attracted me the most was the indirect exploration of how a sect originates and especially the splits that come from the Catholic Church, Villaronga told Variety, adding: I say this with a certain personal implication since I spent 13 years at a Jesuit school. In Purgatory, many aspects are touched upon the secrecy and manipulation within the Church, its characters crisis of faith, the spirituality that rises to the esoteric and the search for a new order. Villaronga (The Belly of the Sea, Uncertain Glory) is currently close to wrapping production his first dramedy, Loli Tormenta, a bittersweet tale produced by Barcelonas Vilaut Films, co-producers of Carla Simons Berlin Golden Bear winner Alcarras, and the Basque Countrys Irusoin, behind Spains Oscar submission The Endless Trench. Escobar is one of three Spanish producers selected to participate at this years Match Me! edition. We are interested in arthouse, low-budget projects, regardless of the shooting language. Mainly contemporary dramas intended for adult and urban audiences, she said. A second title in Galapagos production slate is Sea Men, a depiction of a world that is coming to an end, Escobar said. The feature is set at the Sole Bank, a sand bank between the south of England and the North Sea. When Spain joined the European Union in 1986, there were more than 400 Spanish vessels fishing on this fishing ground. Today there are only 80, she explained, adding that the story will focus on a cab driver accompanying her ill fisherman father on his maybe last trip to Sole Bank. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Audiences will get a chance to see Disneys inaugural feature documentary for free in select theaters during a one-week period beginning Aug. 5. Mija, which follows two daughters of undocumented immigrants navigating the music industry, will get its Academy Award qualifying run later in the month before debuting on Disney+ on Sept. 16. We werent able to get a rating in time for our planned theatrical, so our actual qualifying run is shifting a bit, says Marjon Javadi, VP of Documentary Film & Docuseries for Disney Original Documentary, a part of Disney Branded Television. But rather than pushing our entire release plans, we decided simply to keep our current releases and open them to the public. This film is a love letter to immigrants, their children and the power of a dream. The debut feature of Mexican American filmmaker Isabel Castro, Mija, premiered to rave reviews at this years Sundance Film Festival. In March, Disney Original Documentary acquired worldwide rights to 88-minute film. As we are looking to build out Disney Original Documentary, weve been very keen on finding authentic narratives, character-driven storytelling, and also filmmakers that bring in an approach and style to their work, says Javadi. Mija is such an authentic portrayal of what it means to be a first-generation kid and to pursue your dreams and balance those dreams while also caring for your family. The music element really spoke to us as well. A four-time Emmy nominated filmmaker, Castro began working on Mija in 2019 and continued to film throughout the pandemic. As a teenager, I felt like there was a shortage of stories about what it meant to come of age as an immigrant or as the child of immigrants in the United States, says Castro. I wanted to tell the kind of story I craved myself, as a Mexican immigrant when I was figuring out my identity, family, and community. Disney Original Documentary has two high-profile docus in production: Ron Howards untitled Jim Henson film and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances and the Years That Made His Legend, directed by R.J. Cutler and David Furnish. Our goal is to build global empathy through authentic storytelling and to embrace the creative nonfiction form, says Javadi. We want to show real-life journeys and real-life stories about inspiration and hope. Mija played the festival circuit throughout the spring, including runs at True/False Film Festival, Miami Film Festival, and CPH: DOX. Castro says she is looking forward to the films debut on Disney+ in September. To have this film, which is a film about being the daughter of immigrants, live on Disneys platform feels like my biggest professional and personal achievement, says Castro. To have the films themes and topics reach viewers worldwide is incredible and will hopefully prompt conversation about what the experience means. Last year, Disney Original Documentary qualified their first title, the docu short Sophie & the Baron, for Oscar consideration. The film made the documentary short shortlist. Tickets to Mija will be free in select theaters in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The way to think about it is that our films are serving an adult audience, but they are family-friendly, says Javadi. How we frame it is, if your four-year-old walks into a room, you dont need to shut (the doc) off. So there are themes and parameters that we really work with as Disney to make it family-friendly. But that doesnt mean you need to watch it with your five-year-old; it just means if your five-year-old is in the room, theres not a faux pas. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Spanish company Du Cardelin Studio is finalizing production on doc-feature Manolo Kabezabolo, about the life of iconic Spanish punk singer, directed by Jose Alberto Andres Lacasta. Manolo Kabezabolo is being introduced to the international market at Switzerlands Locarno Film Festival by Du Cardelin Studios Carmen Perez Mata, one of the 32 producers selected for the new edition of Match Me! the Locarnos networking forum which takes place Aug. 5-7. A Zaragoza-based production house, Du Cardelin has teamed with San Sebastians Maluta Films to co-produce the project. The documentary narrates the life story of Manuel Mendez Lozano, better known as Manolo Kabezabolo (Zaragoza, 1966), a punk artist who rather unpredictably has seemingly outlasted time, space and trends, without abandoning his essence and principles, to become a counter-cultural icon. Lensing will wrap by the end of September and a Spanish theatrical release is planned for next year, Perez Mata told Variety. According to director Andres Lacasta, Manolo has not given up any of the principles that led him to compose and play for some friends on the street for the first time; he remains faithful to his punk way of locating himself in the world 24 hours a day, attached to his guitar as the only vital handle to continue maintaining his faded fury. He added: [Manolo] is still attached to psychiatric hospitals and the mental illness that has accompanied him since he was 12-years-old and thats an inseparable part of his being a person and an artist, and on which a surreal apocryphal narrative has formed around his life and work. At Locarno, Perez Mata will be pitching Manolo Kabezabolo looking for a potential international sales deals. The documentary will re-discover a time and a figure that transcends the geographical and local area where [Kabezabolos] life has passed, meaning that its scope can cross borders, Perez Mata said. Foreign audiences will find a character that develops in musical range and the trail of an urban tribe that of punk- which quickly became universal. What Manolo experienced and starred in has a very clear and evident alignment of compression with audiences outside Spain. Our vocation is to bring out those elements that make the character empathic and understandable even outside our borders. Thats why the documentary is also born with a strong vocation of international distribution, she argued. Manolo Kabezabolo has won support in Spain from Zaragozas Town Hall and Provincial Council, the Huesca Filmmakers Association and regional public broadcaster Aragon TV. The Zaragoza-based company will also be pitching at Match Me! the in-development social drama Calle Varsovia, also written and directed by Andres Lacasta. The project is set in Toulouse in 1999 and revolves around Estela, a Spanish old woman exiled after the Spanish Civil War. In the twilight of her life, she battles to resolve a tense relationship with her three sons. A convalescence after an ictus will give her the opportunity to reunite with her loved ones, but economic tensions, open wounds from the past, and family secrets dating back to the times of the War will threaten to end everything with Estelas family, the synopsis runs. At Match Me! Calle Varsovias producer will be seeking international co-production, distributor and a TV agent. Since the story has to be shot in France, the film is designed as a Spain-France co-production. An emerging independent film, TV and even museum contents producer, Du Cardelin aims to explore new spaces through international co-production, while seeking transversality both in themes and audiences. Platforms are a very important part of the film industry today and we believe it is important to be open to working with them, although for emerging companies like ours, sometimes it is a bit complicated to access them, but we are interested in working with them in the near future, Perez Mata said. In this sense she added although our productions are medium and small in size, our vocation in the companys publishing house is universal, which is why now and in the future our goal is focused on global platforms. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Though their popularity peaked long before most of todays actual teenagers were born, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles never really went away. Were only six years removed from the most recent live-action film based on the pizza-loving reptiles, and it was just two months ago that a new TMNT video game was released. Ant Ward and Andy Surianos Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie, which arrives on Netflix this week, is based on the animated series that aired on Nickelodeon from 2018 to 2020. While unlikely to bring any nostalgia-minded fans of the series early-90s heyday back into the fold, Rise is a serviceable if also forgettable entry in the cowabunga canon. It would be difficult to overstate how obsessed with ninjas and martial arts children were in the 90s, with the franchise riding the same wave as Mortal Kombat, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and the 3 Ninjas movies. (That almost all of this was cribbed from Japanese pop culture didnt occur to those of us who were kids at the time, of course.) Most of those franchises persist, though the wave theyre riding now is one of nostalgia which, viewed from a certain perspective, might be the most profitable and ubiquitous genre in existence. To say that the plot of Rise borrows liberally from The Terminator would be putting it lightly; to assume that the films intended audience knows or cares would probably be wrong. It begins in the devastated New York City of 2044, where Masters Leonardo (Ben Schwartz) and Michelangelo (Brandon Mychal Smith) are so close to being defeated by an alien race known as the Krang that they do something desperate: open a portal and send longtime ally Casey Jones (Haley Joel Osment) back in time so that the disaster theyre facing can be stopped before it begins. The problem with this isnt that its derivative. Its that, if only by virtue of being different from the vast majority of TMNT fare weve already seen over the last 30-plus years, the future timeline is more compelling than the one we get. Michelangelo and Leonardo have advanced abilities weve never seen from them before, laser blasts and explosions blanket the battlefield, and theres an immediate sense of urgency that the rest of the film is sorely lacking. Its downright apocalyptic, in fact, and feels moments away from utter ruin. Middle-Aged Mutant Ninja Turtles might not roll off the tongue as easily, but it probably would have been a better movie. That wouldnt leave much time for fan service, though. What little we know of this future timeline tells us that thered be no pizza for the ninja turtles to dine on, not to mention fewer moments of levity when radical and/or bodacious would be appropriate to say. The catchphrases and fun-loving air of these heroes in a half shell is a large part of their appeal, and Rise is careful not to deviate from a formula thats kept the franchise at least semi-relevant for decades. For the kiddos this continuation of the Nickelodeon show is clearly targeting, thatll likely be enough never mind that it feels less like an actual movie and more like a very special episode of the series. There are some differences that carry over from the show, however. Here, the brothers have actual mystic powers in addition to their ninjutsu skills; theyre also more visually distinct from one another than usual, with Raphael (Omar Benson Miller) being much larger than his siblings and the ever-erudite Donatello (Josh Brener) donning a full face covering while bringing up concepts like the grandfather paradox to help his brothers understand time travel. But none of that prevents Rise from feeling samey. A longtime devotee such as myself would never suggest that its time for the ninja turtles to go away, but it might be time for them to grow up if only just a little. Reviewed on Netflix, Aug. 3, 2022. Running time: 85 MIN. Running Time: Running time: 85 MIN. Production (Animated) A Netflix release and presentation of a Nickelodeon Animation production. Producers: Mark Mertens, Andy Suriano. Executive producer: Christine Parisse. Crew Directors: Ant Ward, Andy Suriano. Screenplay: Tony Gama-Lobo, Rebecca May. Editor: Matt Feinman. With Ben Schwartz, Omar Miller, Brandon Mychal Smith, Josh Brener, Kat Graham, Eric Bauza, Haley Joel Osment, Rhys Darby, John Michael Higgins. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. One young girl with a love for slime is about to embark on a new journey for her business as she will be hosting the first-ever Slime Fest Saturday, a festival-style event featuring her and several other vendors who work with various slime products. Azul Garibi, who calls herself "Laredo's Slime Queen," is just 15 years old. But despite the fact she's still in high school, the young entrepreneur is the owner and CEO of Slimerella as well as the pop-up shop business Young Bosses Laredo. Slime Fest will run from noon to 9 p.m. and will be free for those in attendance. It will feature various activities related to slime products, live music and 60 other vendors under one roof at The Outlet Shoppes at Laredo, as Azul continues to expand her pop-up business model. It will celebrate her four years of business with Slimerella. Since it is back-to-school time, we want something fun for the kids and everybody to enjoy as we have had hard times with COVID. We just want everybody to have some fun and just to enjoy some time with their families, Azul said. I wanted to hold this Slime Fest to celebrate there at the Outlet Shoppes. This is a back-to-school event in which Azul will showcase her slime products and other things she sells. She will also provide activities for all people with slime. There will be live music as well as a childrens fashion show and a dog fashion show. School supplies will also be provided to some of the first children who attend. Still a child herself, she said she is glad to host the event, which she hopes makes many people feel great about school returning and helps them have fun. As a high school student in St. Augustine, she said she is glad she can continue doing her schoolwork online while also working on many of the projects she already has on hand. I am just glad it works this way, so I can give time for all the activities that we are going to have and all the dreams that I have, Azul said. Since it is going to be online, I am going to have a long time to plan out my future and what I want to do. Azul said she wishes she one day to have her own property and store dedicated to her Slimerella brand. She'd also like to have an area within the store dedicated to parties and other events, which can be infused with the slime theme for individuals to host slime parties. I just want to have my own space to make my own mess of the slime that I have where I can do all of that, and for Young Bosses I just want us to keep growing and do more pop-ups and in different locations, Azul said. One of the things that we thought of was imagine having Young Bosses in San Antonio or stuff like that and just let it grow and have it in different places. Azuls slime journey began when she was 11 as it began as a hobby until she eventually saw some business potential in what she was doing. As she grew and became a teen, her parents then asked her if she wanted a room dedicated to make her slime products and if she would like to sell them. Since then, she has been producing her products from home. Prior to the pandemic, Azul also began selling her products at local mercaditos and other pop-up shop areas. She also even participated in various slime conventions in cities like Houston and Dallas where she would showcase her product. As she began seeing more attention and growth, she started slime parties in which families with children celebrating their birthdays would hire her, and she would take her slime products and have games and other activities. Many parents then asked her to do small camps where she could teach other children to make slime, and that helped her gained popularity on her social media channels. Although Azul stopped doing slime parties because of the pandemic, she said just a few weeks ago she began them again in efforts to showcase how she wants to bridge the gap between her product and also using it for fun. As her social media popularity grew, she also began working with other small local businesses to get them traction online, and she would make videos to promote them as her community grew. A lot of people would message me then if they could help me with their business, and then I started promoting businesses. Azul said that's when she began taking a turn toward also being an influencer on social media. In 2020, she held her first pop-up with the art studio, and after it was a big hit, they did it again the year after. She said she was then contacted by the mall to do pop-ups there. At first, Azul said the mall pop-up shop vendors market event was going to be a one-day thing, but ever since that day, she created the company Young Bosses in efforts to get various vendors every weekend and put them inside to sell at the mall store while she also showcased her slime products. Azul said every weekend various vendors from the community gather to showcase her products, and she helps showcase them. I think it is a great opportunity for each and every one of the vendors, as I love being there and hearing their stories, Azul said. A lot of people may think about the vendors like, Oh, they have their business and are doing good, but everybody has their struggles, and I just like to share their stories. And maybe that is their job, or they are barely starting their small business or are a hard-working mom and stuff like that, so I just like talking to them and supporting them. Azul says YouTube star Karina Garcia, who also does videos with slime products, has been her inspiration. Although she will not divulge the secrets to her slime, Azul said she uses simple products like glue, foam, food coloring, scent and a little charm for those who purchase it to enjoy. There are different types of slime, and they can take longer to produce. Azul said thick slime is one of the hardest to make and takes the longest, but for slime that is more foldable and softer, it is much easier to create. The prices of her slime products vary from $5-7. I hope that everybody can come to Slime Fest, as I think it is going to be a super exciting event. I hope it goes super well and we can have it as an annual thing, but it is going to be a free event for all, Azul said. "There is going to be a lot of slime activities where you guys can walk on slime, be dumped by slime and don't forget all the vendors that are going to have a lot of awesome things. To all the kids, never forget to dream big, and even if you have a small dream or a big dream, everything is possible. To follow news about Azul's career, visit her Facebook or Instagram accounts @slimerella_azul and @youngbosseslaredo. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) Two Anchorage police officers violated department policy during a traffic stop last month when a woman in town for a rally by former President Donald Trump showed them a white privilege card instead of a drivers license and was not ticketed, an Alaska newspaper reported. However, its not clear what policy was violated or what disciplinary actions the two officers faced, if any, because the department is treating it as a confidential personnel matter, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Mimi Israelah said in a Facebook post that she was pulled over for weaving at 3:43 a.m. on July 9 while driving to a pizzeria in Anchorage after arriving on an early-morning flight from California for Trumps rally. She couldnt find her drivers license, she wrote on Facebook in a now-deleted post. When I saw my White Privilege card, I gave to him if its ok, she wrote. He laughed and called his partner. Its their first time to see a White Privileged (sic) card, she said. The top of the novelty card reads: White Privilege Card Trumps Everything. Israelah in her Twitter biography describes herself as Pinay, or a woman of Filipino origin. A video apparently taken by Israelah of the encounter has been reposted on Twitter. Two officers are seen standing outside her car window. She asks one, You like my White Privilege card? One officer says, Thats hilarious. Anchorage police officers identified in the incident were Nicholas Bowe and Charles Worland. Deputy Chief Sean Case said some people who saw the post had negative reactions to it, and believed it was inappropriate. We recognize that, he said. Israelah was not cited during the stop. She did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Anchorage municipal code requires that all drivers carry their license at all times when operating a vehicle. Police spokesperson Sunny Guerin said police can do a computer check to determine if a person has a valid drivers license. Police Sgt. Jeremy Conkling, president of the police union, said officers have discretion and generally dont write citations for minor offenses, like not having a physical license present. Especially in this circumstance, where you had a very, very low-level minor offense and the officers are really just focused on trying to find DUIs Im not at all surprised they didnt write a citation. I dont know that a lot of officers would have written that citation, if any, Conkling said. However, Celeste Hodge Growden, president of the Alaska Black Caucus, said she wonders if the lack of citation was tied to the novelty card. Is it because the white privilege card was effective? she asked. Worland and Bowe were placed on administrative during the 11-day investigation, Case said. Police would not provide additional information about the internal investigation, including which policies were violated and what, if any, repercussions the officers faced. The investigation regarding the incident is completed and is a part of confidential personnel files that will not be released publicly, Guerin said. Another police spokesperson said both officers remain employed by the department. Hodge Growden said she wants the police department to accept accountability for what happened and be transparent about any disciplinary actions the officers faced. This could have been a teachable moment, she said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TOKYO (AP) China will not be able to isolate Taiwan by preventing U.S. officials from traveling there, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday in Tokyo as she wrapped up an Asia tour highlighted by a visit to Taipei that infuriated Beijing. Beijing has tried to isolate Taiwan, including by preventing the self-governing island from joining the World Health Organization, Pelosi said. They may try to keep Taiwan from visiting or participating in other places, but they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there, she said, defending her trip that has escalated tensions in the region. Pelosi said her visit to Taiwan was not intended to change the status quo for the island but to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait, which separates Taiwan and mainland China. She praised Taiwan's hard-fought democracy and success in technology and business, while criticizing Chinese violations of trade agreements, weapons proliferation and human rights problems, including its treatment of its Muslim Uyghur minority. If we do not speak out for human rights in China because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak out about human rights any place in the world, Pelosi said in a news conference. China has some contradictions some progress in terms of lifting people up, some horrible things happening in terms of the Uyghurs. In fact, its been labeled a genocide. Pelosi said the two big countries" the United States and China must communicate in areas such as climate and other global issues. It isn't about our visit determining what the U.S.-China relationship is. It's a much bigger and longer-term challenge and once again, we have to recognize that we have to work together on certain areas." China announced Friday that it is canceling or suspending dialogue with the United States on a range of issues from climate change to military relations and anti-drug efforts in retaliation for Pelosi's visit. It also announced unspecified sanctions on Pelosi and her family. Such sanctions are generally mostly symbolic in nature. China, which claims Taiwan and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary, called Pelosi's visit a provocation and on Thursday began military drills, including missile strike training, in six zones surrounding Taiwan, in what could be its biggest since the mid-1990s. Pelosi, the first House speaker to visit Taiwan in 25 years, said China launched the strikes probably using our visit as an excuse. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Chinas military exercises represent a grave problem that threatens regional peace and security after five missiles launched as part of the drills landed in Japans exclusive economic zone near a remote southwestern island. Kishida, speaking after a breakfast meeting with Pelosi and her congressional delegation, said the missile launches need to be stopped immediately. Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said he believes China intentionally fired the five missiles into the Japanese-claimed zone, which China refuses to recognize. The ministry said it believes four other missiles fired from Chinas southeastern coast of Fujian flew over Taiwan. Tetsuo Kotani, a Meikai University professor and senior fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs, tweeted that the trip gave China an excuse to ignore the mid-line in the Taiwan Strait that for decades has been an unofficial buffer zone, and the Japanese exclusive economic zone, and could add risks to U.S. warships and others passing through the strait. Japan has in recent years bolstered its defense capability and troop presence in southwestern Japan and remote islands, including Okinawa, which is about 700 kilometers (420 miles) northeast of Taiwan. Many residents say they worry their island will be quickly embroiled in any Taiwan conflict. Okinawa is home to the majority of about 50,000 American troops based in Japan under a bilateral security pact. Pelosi and five other members of Congress arrived in Tokyo late Thursday after visiting Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. In their breakfast meeting, Kishida said Pelosi and her delegation discussed shared security concerns over China, North Korea and Russia and pledged to work toward peace and stability in Taiwan. Pelosi also held talks with her Japanese counterpart, lower house Speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda, after observing a plenary session at which they were welcomed by a standing ovation. Japan and its key ally, the U.S., have been pushing for new security and economic frameworks with other democracies in the Indo-Pacific region and Europe as a counter to Chinas growing influence amid rising tensions between Beijing and Taipei. Days before Pelosis Taiwan visit, a group of senior Japanese lawmakers, including former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, visited the island and discussed regional security with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. Ishiba said Japan, while working with the United States to prevent conflict in the Indo-Pacific, wants a defense agreement with Taiwan. The Chinese military exercises launched Thursday involve its navy, air force and other departments and are to last until Sunday. They include missile strikes on targets in the seas north and south of the island in an echo of the last major Chinese military drills in 1995 and 1996 aimed at intimidating Taiwans leaders and voters. Taiwan has put its military on alert and staged civil defense drills, while the U.S. has numerous naval assets in the area. China also flew warplanes toward Taiwan and blocked imports of its citrus and fish. China sees the island as a breakaway province and considers visits to Taiwan by foreign officials as recognizing its sovereignty. The Biden administration and Pelosi have said the United States remains committed to a one China policy, which recognizes Beijing as the government of China but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. The administration discouraged but did not prevent Pelosi from visiting. Pelosi has been a long-time advocate of human rights in China. She, along with other lawmakers, visited Beijings Tiananmen Square in 1991 to support democracy two years after a bloody military crackdown on protesters at the square. As leader of the House of Representatives, Pelosis trip has heightened U.S.-China tensions more than visits by other members of Congress. The last House speaker to visit Taiwan was Newt Gingrich in 1997. China and Taiwan, which split in 1949 after a civil war, have no official relations but multibillion-dollar business ties. ___ Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and Huizhong Wu in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report. Jub Rubjob/Getty Images A 33-year-old Mexican citizen was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for smuggling meth between the Mexican-American border in Laredo, according to a release from the U.S. Attorneys Office Southern District of Texas. After being convicted by a federal jury on Aug. 25, 2021 for conspiracy to import and importation of meth, Juan Victor Larraga-Solano received his 235-month prison sentence and five years of supervised release on Aug. 4. Larraga-Solano attempted to cross into the U.S. at the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge in Laredo on March 8, 2020, claiming he was transporting glass beer bottles, juice boxes and meat contained in coolers. After an inspection, law enforcement found 56 packages of meth and 12 bottles of liquid meth. In total, Larraga-Solano had 44.56 kilograms of meth, which is worth about $1.1 million, the release said. Franciscan Museum On Tuesday, the Franciscan Museum of Hebbronville held its grand opening at the historic SCOTUS College to celebrate its 96th anniversary as a Catholic faith landmark in South Texas. The historic landmark is "one of its kind" in Texas, according to Father Juan Jose Ibarra, and highlights the history of the church, its vocation and friars dating back to the early 1900s. An actor clad in an orange jumpsuit and a red "Make America Great Again" hat played the role of a despairing January 6 insurrection detainee at CPAC Dallas on Friday. The actor was truly committed to the bit, according to freelance journalist Laura Jedeed, who tweeted video and images of the man. Jedeed wrote in a tweet that the man wept non-stop for around 30 minutes in a makeshift prison cell with nothing but a chair and a threadbare cot inside. Some identified the actor as January 6 detainee and conservative influencer Brandon Straka, who received three years of probation after being arrested for participating in the insurrection at the Capitol. Conference-goers also had the option of participating in the booth by wearing headphones, which played testimony from people arrested in connection with the insurrection, according to Jedeed. Straka didn't just cry in one place while listeners took in alleged insurrectionists' testimony: every once in a while, he'd move from weeping on the floor, to weeping on the cot, to weeping while he tallied the number of days he'd been incarcerated while awaiting trial, Jedeed reported. The exhibit reflects a strategy popular amongst Texas GOP members: conflating alignment with conservative values with alleged participation in an attempt to overthrow the U.S. government. This framing posits that the 880-plus people arrested in connection with the January 6, 2021 insurrection in the U.S. Capitol are political prisoners unjustly persecuted for their conservative beliefs. For example, former Texas AG candidate and current U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert told Business Insider last year that J6 detainees are "victims of an unequal system of justice in a country where rioters and looters on the left are let off the hook while those on the right are considered hardened criminals without any record before a trial can even begin." Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, who spoke at CPAC Dallas on Friday, has also pushed the line that J6 suspects in pre-trial detention are there because liberals want to persecute and silence conservatives, not because they are suspected of participating in an attempted coup. (Bloomberg) -- New York City Mayor Eric Adams blasted Greg Abbott for using migrants as political pawns after the Texas governor bused a group of 50 people to the city on Friday. Abbott, who has been sending state-sponsored busloads of migrants to Washington, D.C. for months, said he wanted to test New Yorks commitment to being a sanctuary city. His continued use of human beings as political pawns is disgusting, and an embarrassing stain on the state of Texas, said Adams spokesperson Fabien Levy in a statement. Adams later called Abbotts actions despicable at an unrelated press appearance. Abbott sent out a press release on Friday morning announcing that Texas had sent what he called the first bus of migrants to New York Citys Port Authority station. I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief, Abbott said of Adams. Television footage from Fox News appeared to show a green bus pulling into the citys bus depot. Volunteers greeted a group of mostly men of Venezuelan descent, according to Fox. It wasnt clear which group the volunteers were from or whether the men were seeking asylum or whether they would stay in the city. By 8:30 a.m., they had dispersed from the Port Authority arrival gate. The mayors office said it wasnt notified beforehand and local nonprofits including the Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless said they didnt know about the arrival of migrants before Friday. Governor Abbott is shamelessly exploiting these migrants human beings who have endured immense suffering in their home countries and on the journey to the United States, seeking safe haven and a better life to serve some myopic political purpose, the nonprofits said in a joint statement. Regardless of who these people are, where they are from, or for what cynical reason they are being sent here, New York is a sanctuary and right to shelter city, and the city must ensure that beds and critical services are immediately available to meet any demand. Busloads of migrants have long crisscrossed the US, traveling from border towns to destinations within the interior. But Abbotts bus caravans are unique because they are part of a state-funded program to transport large groups of migrants across state lines to drop-off destinations unilaterally selected by state officials. In Washington, D.C., the busses Abbott dispatched were filled with migrants who volunteered to take the trip. Typically, US immigration officials relocate clusters of migrants from overcrowded processing and detention facilities at the border to less-crowded facilities elsewhere in the country. Nonprofits also work with the US State Departments office of refugee resettlement to transport groups of migrants to locales that have agreed to accept and resettle refugees. Border-town charitable groups sometimes give bus or plane vouchers or tickets to recently arrived migrants so they can join relatives in other states. Re-Election Campaign Abbott has made cracking down on undocumented immigration a prominent part of his re-election campaign, making regular trips to the border to hold press conferences with law-enforcement officials and issuing statements that blame President Joe Biden's administration for the surge in crossings and chaos along the frontier. He frequently criticizes Democratic politicians in other parts of the country for their open embrace of migrants, arguing that their communities are largely insulated from the burden of dealing with large groups of people routinely released into Texas cities by federal officials. Earlier this week, Abbott invited Adams and Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser to the Texas border to see the migrant crisis firsthand and meet with local officials themselves. Adams declined the invitation. Abbott has also been sending busses of migrants to the US Capital and warned mayors that there are more busses on the way, during an appearance at Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday. He has sent 6,500 migrants since April to Washington. Polls show Abbott with a mid-single-digit lead over Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke as he seeks a third term in November's election, though the gap has narrowed in the aftermath of the deadly school shooting in Uvalde. Abbott had 45% support compared with 39% for O'Rourke, a former congressman from El Paso, according to a University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll taken in June. Nationally, border security and migrants are a core political battleground, as Republicans hammer the Biden administration ahead of midterm elections to do more to physically stop crossings of people seeking asylum. Biden has also faced pressure from vulnerable Democrats facing reelection to put a stronger emphasis on border security, though he and Vice President Kamala Harris have sought to downplay the political dispute and have focused instead on pacts to ease the economic turmoil in countries that migrants flee in the first place. There were about 207,000 "encounters" -- recorded crossings-- at the border in June, or just shy of 7,000 per day, according to US Customs and border control data. That's up about 10% from the same month a year earlier. Federal Appeal Adams and Bowser both said theyll accept the migrants but appealed to the federal government for help. In New York City, about 4,000 asylum seekers entered the shelter system in the past three months, which has been the primary driver of the approximately 10% increase in people seeking homeless services, according to Gary Jenkins, commissioner of the New York City Department of Social Services. We are going to continue to be open arms, this is who we are as a city, we just need help from the federal government, Adams said on Friday. Were having a great conversation this afternoon with the federal government to figure out how we can get this right. In Washington, Bowser asked the federal government to deploy National Guard troops for help in what she called a humanitarian crisis that she expects to escalate. At a press conference on Friday, she said the Department of Defense denied the request for assistance and she was considering resubmitting the citys request to give the Pentagon some more specific parameters to be better able to respond. The White House said there was a process in place to manage migrants at the border and that the federal government would also support Adams and other local leaders through Federal Emergency Management Agency grant funding. It's the latest stunt from the governor another stunt of busing desperate migrants across the country and he's using them as a political ploy. I mean, thats what he's been doing and it's shameful, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a Friday briefing. It's costing the state of Texas $1.5 million. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Pets & Animal, Local News, Crime By Chris Boyle Published: August 05 2022 Suffolk County SPCA Chief Roy Gross said, "Alligators do not make good pets, are a danger to the public, and are illegal to own without a permit." Zachary, a 9 year old 5 foot American Alligator was recently turned over to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the Suffolk County SPCA. Chief Roy Gross of the Suffolk County SPCA said the alligator was surrendered to NYSDEC Police and Suffolk County SPCA by the owner, who had purchased the alligator out of state, did not have a permit to own it in New York State and could no longer care for it. The reptile will be transported to a licensed wildlife sanctuary. Gross said "alligators do not make good pets, are a danger to the public, and are illegal to own without a permit from the NYSDEC." The Suffolk County SPCA is reminding residents to be careful of reptiles found in the wild and not to touch or approach them. Alligators possess a keen sense of hearing, allowing them to determine the source of sounds. In the past, 22 alligators had been illegally released in one year on Long Island endangering the public. If you spot a dangerous reptile, please do not try to touch or handle it. Call professionals, like the Suffolk County SPCA or NYSDEC who can handle these animals and get them to proper sanctuaries. We are offering owners of these exotic animals the opportunity to surrender without penalty or charges for illegal possession. (Alliance News) - QinetiQ Group PLC said Friday it has agreed to acquire Avantus Federal LLC, a cyber, data analytics and software development services provider to US Federal agencies, for an enterprise value of USD590 million. The Hampshire-based science and engineering company will be acquiring Avantus from NewSpring Holdings. The acquisition is expected to generate a tax benefit of USD70 million, and strengthen QinetiQ's capabilities in information solutions, mission services and national security. The acquisition is expected to be immediately earnings accretive, with double digit growth in earnings per share by the end of its first full year after completion. The deal is conditional on regulatory clearances in the US, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2022. "This acquisition is an important step in the execution of QinetiQ's five-year ambitions to expand our presence in the US, the largest security and defence market in the world. Avantus significantly enhances our US offering and provides a strong platform from which to further grow our US operations. Avantus has a track record of high growth at attractive margins and is well-positioned across priority areas for key defence and intelligence customers in the US. We have a high confidence plan to integrate Avantus in order to deliver our global growth strategy," said Chief Executive Officer Steve Wadey. Shares in QinetiQ closed 0.6% lower at 373.42 pence on Friday in London. By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Michigan judge on Wednesday extended an order that bars county prosecutors from enforcing a 1931 state law that bans abortion. Leadership Team member Allison Wilcox of the Women of Michigan Action Network said members are relieved that there is temporary assurance until the next hearing on Aug. 17. "As the overwhelming support for the Reproductive Freedom for All ballot initiative shows, huge numbers of Michiganders feel that abortion should be legal and that we should trust pregnant people and their doctors to make private decisions about pregnancy, miscarriage treatment, and contraception," she said on Thursday. "Being able to control your own body is a bedrock freedom that all Americans should support, even those who are personally opposed to abortion." Oakland County Judge Jacob Cunningham agreed after lawyers for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer argued that pulling the plug on his Monday order would cause chaos around the state. The restraining order will hold at least until the next hearing. Michigan's 91-year-old abortion ban makes it a crime to perform abortions unless the life of the mother is in danger. If you need one, you need one today or very, very soon, Assistant Solicitor General Linus Banghart-Linn said of abortion services. We dont want more confusion. Wilcox agreed. She said the 1931 Michigan law preventing abortion is extreme and places women at risk, also causing doctors to question whether they can provide care needed to a patient without risking legal action against themselves. A Court of Claims judge in May suspended the law in a different lawsuit, saying it's probably unconstitutional. That step had kept abortion legal in Michigan even after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in late June. But the status became clouded this week when the state Court of Appeals said the decision in May applied only to the attorney general's office, not to prosecutors in counties where abortion services are provided. Photo provided/AP Governor Gretchen Whitmer filed an amicus brief with the Michigan Supreme Court in support of preserving the statewide injunction issued in mid-May that prevents enforcement of Michigans 1931 law. "Recent fire drills and a legal patchwork that changes day to day, county to county, prove that our current situation is unsustainable," Whitmer said in a press release on Thursday. "We need clarity. Every day we delay, women will suffer and health care providers will wonder if their work will lead to prosecution. I will continue fighting like hell to keep abortion legal in Michigan and protect nurses and doctors from prosecution. Separately, voters in November will likely get an opportunity to decide whether to add abortion rights to the state constitution and override the old law. "We are confident that when Michigan voters are given the opportunity to amend our state constitution to explicitly protect reproductive freedom, that we will see a result similar to what happened recently in Kansas - overwhelming support for the right to a legal abortion," Wilcox said. "We would also expect that at that (upcoming August) hearing, a reasonable court would affirm that the 1931 anti-abortion law should not be enforced until Michigan voters have had their say in the November general election." Lawyers for Whitmer, a Democrat who supports abortion rights, rushed to Cunningham's court for a restraining order, which was granted Monday. Democratic prosecutors in some of the state's largest counties, especially in the Detroit area, have pledged to not enforce the 1931 abortion ban. But Republican prosecutors in Kent and Jackson counties have expressed a different position. David Kallman, an attorney for the two GOP prosecutors, argued against maintaining the restraining order. Since when does a governor have the right to go after a law he or she doesnt like? Kallman said. Just come to court and just say, Hey, I might be harmed by this so I want this law overturned or I want it changed.' Thats ridiculous. Cunningham declined to allow attorney John Bursch to argue on behalf of Right to Life of Michigan and the Michigan Catholic Conference. The judge said these two anti-abortion groups aren't formal parties in the litigation. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Three European Union (EU) countries have held a conference with officials from several Libyan ministries and government institutions on e-governance, according to a statement from the EU Mission in Libya News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here South Africa: Access to land for women farmers remains a key priority Deputy President David Mabuza says access to land for current and prospective women farmers remains one of the key priorities of governments Land Reform Programme. Addressing the launch of the Female Farmers Dialogue held in Thaba Nchu in the Free State on Thursday, Mabuza said government has introduced proactive measures to ensure that beneficiary selection criteria focus on enhancing women ownership of land. When women own the land, they make it productive; families tend to be better fed, better educated, and healthier. We have already commenced with the allocation of state owned land to beneficiaries in need of agricultural land. Through our Land Reform Programme, we are re-allocating the land to the landless, labour tenants, farm workers, and emerging farmers for productive uses to improve their livelihoods and quality of life, Mabuza said. The dialogue, which marked the launch of the provincial Womens Month, brought together female entrepreneurs who are subsistence, smallholder and those who have reached commercial level from across the various districts of the province. Mabuza said that government will continue to collaborate across the three spheres to coordinate its support better, and ensure that all post-settlement programmes are well coordinated, integrated and effective. We do this because we know that the productive utilisation of land in communal areas is key to effective rural development. In the main, agriculture sustains economic activities and livelihoods in rural communities. We must find ways to support agricultural enterprises to drive the agenda of rural development. We must all come together and follow the example of African Farmers Association of South Africa (AFASA) to accelerate agrarian reform and to bring the marginalised poor into the economic mainstream. The Deputy President noted that while guaranteeing the long-term viability of the agricultural sector in South Africa, AFASA has achieved noteworthy strides in commercialising the nation's emerging agricultural sector and facilitating the meaningful engagement of black people in mainstream commercial agribusiness. He also stressed the need to develop strategies on how government can ensure a better legal framework that will ensure access and equity in the distribution of land for farming. As we grow agriculture and promote rural development, we have enjoined partnerships with traditional leaders to find ways of investing in rural infrastructure and service delivery. We will work with traditional leaders to ensure that women farmers are adequately supported. We promise that, as part of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Traditional Leadership, we will visit the province again to engage with traditional leaders on various matters of concern. Do more to support black women farmers The Deputy President further emphasised that the country must do more to support black women farmers and young girls, in order to capacitate them to unleash their potential. It behoves us to address artificial barriers that engender the exclusion of women from the agricultural sector across the entire value chain. We must enhance our practical measures and interventions to provide holistic support to women farmers in order increase agricultural production and impact on economic growth, food security and employment. Our integrated support to women in this sector must unlock land availability, mechanisation support, funding, training, access to markets and the introduction of new technologies for modern farming. The Deputy President added that government will continue to make resources available to support women farmers. We must therefore invest more in providing training, research and technological innovation to support those wanting to enter the agricultural sector. We must encourage young people to enrol in agriculture colleges and universities to acquire [the] necessary skills, we must do more to support black women farmers and young girls in order to capacitate them to unleash their potential. In terms of key infrastructure required for successful agriculture, government will continue to assist with the provision of bulk water and irrigation infrastructure, as well as logistics and storage infrastructure. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-08-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Chinese, Turkish FMs meet for enhancing cooperation Xinhua) 09:35, August 05, 2022 PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Turkiye's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu here Wednesday on the sidelines of meetings of foreign ministers on East Asia cooperation, vowing to promote cooperation between the two countries. Wang said China and Turkiye are both representatives of emerging economies, having closely-intertwined interests and similar positions. China is willing to work with Turkiye, in accordance with the guidelines set by the two countries' heads of state, to enhance mutual trust and cooperation, support each other in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, deepen the synergy of development strategies, and promote the healthy and stable development of strategic cooperative relations between the two countries, Wang said. He said that in the face of the current international landscape featuring a sharp increase in instability, uncertainty and disturbance, major countries should have taken the lead in abiding by the United Nations Charter, in upholding basic norms governing international relations, and in advocating and practicing multilateralism. However, Wang noted, the United States is doing the opposite, blatantly challenging China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and disrupting the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Noting that the international community has unanimously condemned the dangerous and foolish acts of the United States, Wang said that China, together with every party, is willing to abide by the basic norm governing international relations of respecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to safeguard regional and global peace and stability. Cavusoglu said his country firmly adheres to the one-China policy not only on the Taiwan question but also on issues concerning Xinjiang, adding that the Turkish side was glad to see United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet visit Xinjiang, and hopes to keep contact with China over affairs related to the visit to Xinjiang by a Turkish delegation, he said. Turkiye upholds multilateralism and opposes unilateral sanctions, said Cavusoglu, adding that amid the serious challenges induced by the Ukraine crisis to global economic recovery, Turkiye is willing to reinforce its solidarity with China and jointly cope with food security and other difficult situations. Cavusoglu said the Turkish side attaches great importance to the in-depth synergy between its Middle Corridor initiative and the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, and hopes to push for a more balanced bilateral economic and trade relationship, welcome more Chinese enterprises to invest and start businesses in Turkiye, and see more frequent direct flights between the two countries. Wang said the Chinese side appreciates Turkiye's active part in mediating the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and supports Turkiye in playing a constructive role in securing a soft landing of the Ukraine crisis. This year has seen China overcoming difficulties to provide over 30,000 tons of emergency humanitarian food aid to developing countries in utmost need, Wang said, adding that China, who proposed a cooperation initiative on global food security at the Group of 20 foreign ministers' meeting, will maintain a constructive role in tackling global food security challenges. Noting that Xinjiang affairs are part of China's internal affairs, Wang said China has always taken an attitude of being open and transparent on issues related to Xinjiang, and expects to welcome the arrival of the Turkish delegation. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) The al-Shabab extremist group has exploited Ethiopias internal turmoil to cross the border from neighboring Somalia in unprecedented attacks in recent weeks that a top U.S. military commander has warned could continue. The deadly incursions into Ethiopia, Africas second most populous country and long seen as an anchor of security in the Horn of Africa, are the latest sign of how deeply the recent war in the northern Tigray region and other ethnic fighting have made the country more vulnerable. Ethiopia has long resisted such cross-border attacks by the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, in part by deploying troops inside Somalia, where the extremist group controls large rural parts of the countrys southern and central regions. But the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and its security forces have struggled with unrest at home especially since the Tigray conflict began in late 2020. Experts say al-Shabab, also emboldened by instability under Somalias previous administration, is seizing the chance to expand its footprint and claim the killing of scores of Ethiopian security forces. But the group is also feeling the pressure of a renewed push by Somalias new government and the return of U.S. forces to the country after their withdrawal by former President Donald Trump. The turn to Ethiopia is a significant strategic shift by al-Shabab, Matt Bryden, a security analyst with the Sahan Foundation think tank, told The Associated Press. The extremist group had never been able to conduct major operations inside Ethiopia. The reports of clashes along the Ethiopia-Somalia border are just a fraction of the overall picture, Bryden said. We understand that planning for this offensive began more than one year ago, when the Ethiopian government appeared to be on the verge of collapse as rival Tigray forces pushed toward the capital, Addis Ababa. Those forces later retreated, and both sides are edging toward peace talks. Al-Shabab has trained several thousand fighters for its Ethiopian command, mainly ethnic Somalis and Oromos inside Ethiopia, Bryden asserted. Ethiopias federal government has said it fears al-Shabab will link up with the Oromo Liberation Army, which it has designated a terror organization, though other security experts have called that unlikely. Hundreds of al-Shabab fighters were able to slip into Ethiopia last week alone and their presence has been detected near multiple communities such as El Kari, Jaraati, and Imey, Bryden said. The incursions began in late July. There are also credible reports of al-Shabab units deploying in the direction of Moyale, the main border post between Ethiopia and Kenya, he said. Somalias previous president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, avoided any major confrontation with al-Shabab. But new President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said his government will take the offensive against the groups thousands of fighters, with the backing of returning U.S. forces. Al-Shabab therefore faces a much greater military challenge in Somalia than before and has therefore embarked on this Ethiopian campaign in order to preserve some of its forces and establish strategic depth, Bryden said. He warned that if al-Shabab establishes a stronghold in southeastern Ethiopia, the consequences for peace and security in the region could be very serious indeed. The fighters would be well-positioned to strike deeper into Ethiopia, into Kenya and even as far as Uganda to the west. Al-Shabab has carried out several high-profile deadly attacks inside Kenya over the years. The outgoing head of the U.S. Africa Command, Gen. Stephen Townsend, last month warned that al-Shababs activities inside Ethiopia were not a one-off and said the fighters made it as far as 150 kilometers into the country. Al-Shabab has long regarded Ethiopia an enemy for its long military presence inside Somalia countering the fighters. Via its Radio Andalus media arm, the extremist group has claimed killing at least 187 Ethiopian regional forces and seizing military equipment in its attacks. Ethiopian officials have expressed alarm. On Tuesday, the countrys Somali regional president, Mustefa Omer, told a regional assembly that more than 600 al-Shabab fighters have been killed. The region is in a lengthy war with the extremists, not just a one-time clash, he said, and the Ethiopian federal army is currently involved in the fight against the terrorists ... and we will also work with Somalia. He said the goal is to create a security buffer inside Somalia to guard against further incursions. We should not wait for the enemy to invade, he said. Also on Tuesday, the Somali region announced that Ethiopian military officials had arrived in Somalias town of Beledweyne to discuss strategies to counter al-Shababs incursion. The statement said Ethiopias soldiers in the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia will be deployed against the extremists. Residents of the Somali town of Yeed near the Ethiopian border told the AP they witnessed losses suffered by al-Shabab fighters in an Ethiopian attack last week. They spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution. And a resident of Somalias Bakool region, Isak Yarow, said Ethiopian military planes have carried out airstrikes in Garasweyne village in an area where Ethiopian and al-Shabab fighters have clashed. Ethiopias military has claimed the killing of three prominent al-Shabab figures including its propaganda chief, but the extremist group has denied it. While Al-Shababs ultimate aims inside Ethiopia are yet to be determined, its new actions signal its growing ambition, regional capabilities, and opportunism to exploit regional geopolitics, especially as the Abiy Ahmed government struggles to contain the various insurgencies inside Ethiopia, security analysts Caleb Weiss and Ryan OFarrell wrote late last month. Security analyst Ismail Osman, a former deputy of Somalias National Intelligence and Security Agency, told the AP that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamuds immediate priority is to eradicate al-Shabab and warned that regional tensions could worsen amid this new instability. ___ An Associated Press writer reported from Nairobi, Kenya. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LAS VEGAS (AP) A man arrested early Friday in the killing of one person and wounding of two others during a family argument in a Las Vegas Strip hotel room has a criminal history including felony convictions dating to 1987 and served several years in Nevada state prisons, records show. Billy Deray Hemsley, 54, was jailed on suspicion of murder and attempted murder in the 8:30 p.m. Thursday shooting that killed a man and left two women wounded at The Mirage resort, Las Vegas police said. A department statement said Hemsley was apprehended before dawn in a southeast Las Vegas neighborhood and he was booked into the Clark County Detention Center to await an initial court appearance scheduled for Saturday. It was not immediately clear if Hemsley had a lawyer who could speak for him. Attorney James Gallo represents Hemsley in pending DUI cases in Henderson and Las Vegas justice courts, but said Friday he does not represent Hemsley on new charges. The shooting prompted a lockdown at The Mirage for more than two hours after tourists watched police rush into the iconic casino and hotel on Las Vegas Boulevard. The injured women were taken to a hospital in critical condition, police said. No additional details were disclosed about their wounds and they were not immediately identified. The Clark County coroner did not immediately identify the slain man. Capt. Dori Koren, the police homicide division head, told reporters at the scene the shooter had a Las Vegas address and the incident did not pose a wider threat to the public. The police statement said the shooting stemmed from an argument with several family members in an eighth-floor room. Court and prison records show that Hemsley has also used the last name Moore and has spelled his first name several ways. He was released by the Nevada Department of Corrections in September 2019 after being sentenced in February 2013 in Las Vegas for convictions on charges of battery with a weapon. He had been accused of stabbing his girlfriend and stealing her vehicle after they fought at their apartment about him allegedly using cocaine, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported, citing an arrest report. Prior convictions were for felony drug possession, DUI and weapon charges, according to court records reviewed by The Associated Press. Officials with MGM Resorts International, operator of The Mirage, referred questions about the incident to police. The Polynesian-themed property, with a fire-spewing volcano and more than 3,000 rooms, opened in November 1989. It is credited with helping transform Las Vegas from a gambling hub into a luxury resort destination with international appeal. MGM Resorts announced last December it will sell operations of The Mirage for nearly $1.1 billion to Hard Rock International, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The new operator plans to replace it with a huge guitar-shaped hotel. The sale is pending regulatory approval. Courtesy photo/Getty Images GREEN TOWNSHIP A motorcyclist was transported to the hospital late Thursday after colliding with another vehicle in Green Township. According to a news release from the Mecosta County Sheriff's Office, about 11:10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, deputies responded to a personal injury accident on Northland Drive near 20 Mile Road. Police say a 51-year-old from Paris, heading south on Northland Drive on his motorcycle, crashed into a vehicle that was turning off of 20 Mile Road on to Northland Drive. MANISTEE COUNTY The Manistee County Council on Aging is set to host a number of events and other activities aimed at keeping older residents healthy, happy and active. Here is a list of what is planned for the week of Aug. 8 and beyond. Congregate meals The congregate meal site at the Wagoner Community Center is serving lunch Monday through Friday at noon. Call and reserve your lunch by noon the day before. The congregate meal site in Wellston serves lunches on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Onekama meal site at the Farr Center is handing out meals on Mondays and Wednesday at 11:15 a.m. The Marilla meal site serves lunches Wednesday at noon, and the Pleasant Valley Community Center in Arcadia serves meals Tuesdays and Fridays at 12:30 p.m. The meal site in Maple Grove Township serves meals Thursdays at noon. The menu is subject to change, as certain food shortages can affect the kitchen. Senior Nutrition Menu Monday: Fish sandwich on a bun, chef blend vegetables, lima beans, sliced pears. Tuesday: Homemade beef & noodles, steamed peas, winter blend vegetables, applesauce, roll Wednesday: Turkey & gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, fruit cocktail, biscuit Thursday: Homemade goulash, sliced carrots, asparagus, diced peaches, garlic toast Friday: Sausage, egg and cheese English muffin, seasoned diced potatoes, peppers and onions Menus are subject to change. See More Collapse Food bank The senior center food bank takes place from 9-11 a.m. on the third Friday of the month. Seniors from Manistee County who are 60 years of age and older are eligible to participate. If you are picking up for another senior, be sure you have a proxy note, along with their name, address, birth date and household information. Monetary and non-perishable food item donations are always appreciated. Next food bank is Aug. 19 at 260 St. Mary's Parkway. Emergency food assistance If you are a Manistee County senior and are in need of emergency food assistance, call the senior center at 231-723-6477 and speak to a staff member. We have an emergency food pantry that we use to help prevent food insecurity in our senior population during these times. Senior reimbursement program The council on aging has a program designed to help seniors remain independent, by reimbursing qualifying expenses. If you are a senior from Manistee County, you could receive reimbursement for payments you have made for house cleaning, yard work, snow removal services. For current clients in the program, take note, all receipts must be current, no more than 30 days old. Income requirements apply. New clients must fill out a registration form. Mail all receipts to 260 St. Mary's Parkway. Call the Senior Center at 231-723-6477 ext. 214, for more information. Once a senior has moved out of their home, they are no longer qualified for the reimbursement program. Exercise opportunities Sit and Get Fit is at 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Wagoner Community Center. Chair yoga classes, Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. Indoor walking group, during business hours, Monday through Friday. All classes are free to all seniors, and donations accepted for those under 60. Dementia support group The dementia support group will meet the second Thursday of the month. The group is a supportive, friendly gathering for caregivers, family members or anyone interested in learning more about and supporting our senior dementia community. The next meeting will be Aug. 11 at 3 p.m. Contact Jacki Krolczyk at 231-883-1341 for more information. Parkinson's support group The Parkinson's support group meets at 11 a.m. on the third Thursday of each month.The next support group meeting will be on Aug. 18 at the Wagoner Community Center. Call Marcia Holbrook 614-937-4442 for more information. Upcoming events Aug. 8 1 p.m. Pinochle 1 p.m. Mah Jongg Attorney (by appt. only) Aug. 9 9 a.m. Cards & Coffee 11 a.m. Toe Tapping Tuesday 12:30 p.m. Bridge 1 p.m. Pinochle 1 p.m. Tech class 2 p.m. Knit Crochet circle 3:30 p.m. Chair Yoga Aug. 10 10:30 a.m. TOPS 11 a.m. Fun Bingo Aug. 11 10 a.m. Cribbage 12:30 p.m. Wellston Jammers (bus leaves at 10:30) 3 p.m. Dementia Support Group 1 p.m. Chess Aug. 12 12:30 p.m. Huntington Bank presentation 1 p.m. Euchre Aug. 14 1 p.m. Senior Potluck Michigan's Court of Appeals vacated a life-without-parole sentence Thursday for a Midland County man in connection with a 1983 murder of a 32-year-old mother of three when he was 17. Brian Granger, now 53, was convicted of first-degree felony murder in 1983 for the killing of Sandra Nestle of Midland. We vacate Grangers sentence of life without parole and remand for reassignment and re-sentencing to a term of years consistent with MCL 769.25(9), according to the Michigan Court of Appeals decision. Per the court of appeals decision, the re-sentencing must occur within 28 days. In addition, the opinion has immediate effect. MCL 769.25(9) reads that if the court decides not to sentence the individual to imprisonment for life without parole eligibility, the court shall sentence the individual to a term of imprisonment for which the maximum term shall be not less than 60 years and the minimum term shall be not less than 25 years or more than 40 years. In a pair of seminal decisions from the past decade, the United States Supreme Court held that a mandatory life-without-parole sentence for a juvenile offender constitutes cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution, Miller v Alabama, and that this new rule applied retroactively on state collateral review. On May 5, 2020, Midland County Circuit Court Judge Stephen P. Carras issued a 39-page decision upholding Grangers original 1984 sentencing. The re-sentencing consideration was mandated by the United States Supreme Court decisions and Michigan legislation pertaining to life without parole sentences of offenders under 18-years-old. Granger was 17 years, eight months old at the time of the murder. Granger is housed in the Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility in Muskegon. According to the court of appeals, Granger attacked and killed Nestle, 32, while she was jogging. Granger admitted to killing Nestle, claiming that he choked her until she was unconscious. However, her body was discovered lying face down in a drain, with the cause of death determined to be drowning. Granger also admitted to removing Nestles clothes and stated that he took down his own pants to sexually assault her, but then changed his mind. At a bench trial, the court found Granger guilty of felony murder for killing Nestle during the commission or attempted commission of criminal sexual conduct. The court sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole, as required under Michigan law at the time. In 2012, the United States Supreme Court held in Miller that a mandatory life-without-parole sentencing scheme for juvenile homicide offenders violates the Eighth Amendments prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. Four years later, the Court announced that Miller applied retroactively, entitling Granger to a re-sentencing. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) State regulators on Friday approved an application from Dominion Energy Virginia to build an enormous offshore wind farm off the coast of Virginia Beach and recover the cost from ratepayers. No parties to the monthslong proceeding had opposed the approval of the project, which will help the utility boost the proportion of its generation that comes from renewable resources. But many had raised concerns about affordability and possible risks to the utility's captive ratepayers. In its Friday order, the State Corporation Commission noted that the 176-turbine Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project will likely be the single largest project in Dominion's history and said that because of its size, complexity and location, it faces an array of challenges. The commission included in its order three consumer protections," including a performance standard. The commissions order also approved facilities that will connect the wind farm to the existing transmission system. Robert Blue, Dominion Energy's president and CEO, said in a statement that the company was pleased with the approval but was reviewing the specifics of the order, particularly the performance requirement. The project, which will be located about 27 miles off the coast, has an expected capital cost of $9.8 billion and has drawn broad support from local officials, policymakers, business groups and trade unions, who say it will help fight climate change and create jobs. Backers quickly celebrated the commission's decision. We applaud the SCC for greenlighting new offshore wind power in Virginia. As the largest offshore wind project in the country, this project is a critical piece of our clean energy transition because it complements solar by generating power at night when the sun isnt shining, Will Cleveland, a senior attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center, said in a statement. Regarding costs, the SCC order said that over the wind farm's projected 35-year lifetime, including the construction and its 30-year projected useful life, a typical residential customer is expected to see an average monthly bill increase of $4.72, with a peak monthly bill increase of $14.22 in 2027. To be clear, total Project costs, including financing costs, less investment tax credits, are estimated to be approximately $21.5 billion on a Virginia-jurisdictional basis, assuming such costs are reasonable and prudent. And all of these costs ... will find their way into ratepayers electric bills in some manner, the order said. Dominion said in a news release that because offshore wind turbines have no fuel costs, the project is expected to save Virginia customers more than $3 billion during its first 10 years of operation. The consumer protections in the commission's order include a requirement that Dominion file a notice within 30 calendar days if it finds that the total project costs are expected to exceed the current estimate or if the final turbine installation is expected to be delayed beyond Feb. 4, 2027. Annual filings will also have to address any material changes to the project and explain any cost overruns. The SCC also ordered that beginning with the commercial operation and extending through the life of the project, customers will be held harmless for any shortfall in energy production below a certain threshold. Such a performance standard will protect customers who are paying for the project from also having to pay for replacement energy if the Project does not generate the amount of electricity upon which Dominion bases its request and its cost estimates," the order said. The order goes on to warn that the performance standard, however, will not protect customers from cost overruns, or if the project is abandoned. Commissioner Judith Jagdmann emphasized in a concurring opinion that the project was legislatively favored. The 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act, a sweeping overhaul of the states energy policy enacted by Democrats, included a number of renewable energy mandates intended to help address the threats of climate change and paved the way for the project. The General Assembly, Jagdmann wrote, could consider implementing additional consumer protections. Fridays decision came after months of voluminous filings in the case and a multiday evidentiary hearing in May. The company already has a two-turbine pilot project up and running. The 2.6-gigawatt, utility-scale project's schedule calls for construction to be complete in 2026. Dominion expects the project to generate enough clean energy to power up to 660,000 homes. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East More than 600,000 men and women worked on the Manhattan Project nationwide, but only one of them bore witness to all three major atomic blasts in 1945 that led to the end of World War II. Lawrence Johnston was aboard B-29 Superfortress bombers tending to instruments measuring the power of the world's first nuclear explosions in the "Trinity" test in New Mexico, as well as for the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which prompted Japan's surrender and brought the war to a close. Read next: This Is the Truth Behind WWIIs Creepy Philadelphia Experiment As the nation remembers the anniversary of Japan's capitulation on Aug. 15, 1945, when Emperor Hirohito went on the radio to announce that the time had come to "bear the unbearable" and accept the allied terms for unconditional surrender, Johnston's story is unique. A young physicist born to missionary parents in China, Johnston had done groundbreaking work on the atomic bomb's intricate trigger mechanism. When the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945, his first reaction on seeing the blinding flash and the mushroom cloud was: "Praise the Lord, my detonators worked." He was well aware of the immense destructive power and carnage that the bomb would inflict on the city after witnessing the Trinity test but -- like most of the scientists at Los Alamos who created the weapon -- saw its use as the horrific means to achieve the final end to a war that was causing far more killing. The final death toll from the Hiroshima bombing may never be known, but estimates say at least 80,000 were killed in the initial shock waves and firestorm, some vaporized and leaving only silhouettes to their existence on walls. About 135,000 died overall. Johnston said he knew that, "All those people that were going to be killed -- I was praying for them. I was praying that God would help us bring an end to the war." "So many people were being killed every day, so many Japanese being killed every day by the bombers" with conventional weapons, he said. Johnston reflected on his role in ushering in the "Atomic Age" in an oral history for the National World War II museum in New Orleans before he died at age 93 in 2011 at his home in Moscow, Idaho. In a statement, Rob Wallace, of the WWII Museum's education team, said that Johnston "was the only person to see all three atomic detonations in 1945. He was at the Trinity Test, and he was part of the scientific team accompanying deployment over both Hiroshima and Nagasaki." He studied physics at Los Angeles Community College and the University of California at Berkeley, and received a Bachelor's degree in 1940 from Berkeley, then a center for the study of atomic structure and the transformation of matter into energy. It was at Berkeley that he came in contact with the brilliant polymath and eventual Nobel laureate Luis Alvarez, who would become his mentor, Wallace said. Reconciling with Pacifist Daughter In the years after the war, his biggest critic for taking part in the use of nuclear weapons was his own daughter, Mary Virginia, Johnston said. "My daughter was a pacifist, and she gave me a lot of criticism," he said. "I got a lot of flak from her, but we get along very well together now." Mary Virginia "Ginger" Johnston would become pastor of a church in Oregon, he said. After graduating from Berkeley in 1940, Johnston said he expected to continue his studies there for a doctorate under his mentor, but Alvarez was called East to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Radiation Laboratory to work on ground-controlled approach radar. He brought Johnston along for his expertise in electronics, which Alvarez surmised from one of their conversations, Johnston said. At one point, Alvarez asked him, "What do you like to do?" Johnston said he replied, "Oh, I like to play with radios," and that was enough for Alvarez. Alvarez was later called to Los Alamos to work with the fractious group of great minds and even greater egos brought together by theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, director of the Manhattan Project. The project was named for the office building that still stands at 270 Broadway in Manhattan, across the street from City Hall, where the original planning began. Alvarez again summoned Johnston to come work with him. Upon arriving in the New Mexico desert, "I had no idea what they were doing except that it must be important to the war effort," he said. Alvarez "put me to work on detonators," Johnston said, seeking to devise a precisely timed implosion of conventional explosives that would trigger the nuclear core of the bomb to a chain reaction. He came up with what was called the "exploding-bridgewire detonator," a series of 32 detonators around the core that would go off within milliseconds of one another. The principles of the exploding-bridgewire detonator have since been used in automobile airbags, Johnston said. Three B-29 Flights into History In the early morning hours of July 16, 1945, the world's first atomic bomb had been hoisted atop a tower in in what was then the U.S. Army Air Forces Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range, now part of the White Sands Missile Range, for the test that Oppenheimer christened "Trinity." Oppenheimer was in a bunker about five miles away and had ordered all others beyond a select few to be at least 25 miles away, including Johnston and Alvarez. Nobody knew for sure how powerful the blast would be. Alvarez was "mad as socks about that," Johnston said. He convinced Oppenheimer to let him commandeer a B-29 and took Johnston with him to work instruments measuring the force of the blast. "We saw this big flash, and then we saw this column rising, the first mushroom cloud," he said. "I had developed all of the recording equipment that recorded the pressure wave." Then, it was off to the island of Tinian in the Northern Marianas chain with Alvarez to prepare for the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They were aboard a B-29 called the "Grand Artiste" that flew in formation with the B-29 called the "Enola Gay" that dropped the "Little Boy" atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. Johnston was again aboard the Grand Artiste when another atom bomb called "Fat Man" was dropped on Nagasaki on Aug. 9, but Alvarez did not make that flight. "Alvarez said, 'You will be the only one who saw all three of the A-bombs go off.' That made me oh so happy," Johnston said. He returned to the States and completed his Ph.D. in physics in 1950. He would become an associate professor at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and later worked at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center as head of the electronics department. He was a professor at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, until his retirement. He died in Idaho in 2011. Reflections on Hiroshima Aboard the Grand Artiste on Aug. 6, 1945, Johnston and Alvarez had a 1,300-mile flight ahead of them from Tinian to the target area over Hiroshima "On the long flight to Japan, I figured, 'Man, I don't know how big this explosion is going to be,'" Johnston said. Alvarez was asleep in the tunnel leading from the cockpit to the tailgunner's position, he said. "Finally, I decided I better talk to him" about the recording equipment. He said, 'I don't care. Set it up wherever you think,'" Johnston said. On the way back to Tinian, Alvarez sought to collect his thoughts on the immensity of what they had just witnessed. He jotted them down in a letter to his young son dated Aug. 6 -- "10 miles off the Jap coast at 28,000 feet." "The story of our mission will probably be well known to everyone ... but at the moment, only the crews of our three B-29s and the unfortunate residents of the Hiroshima district of Japan are aware of what has happened to aerial warfare," Alvarez said in the letter, now in the National Archives. "What regrets I have about being a party to maiming and killing thousands of people are tempered with the hope that this terrible weapon we have created may bring the countries of the world together and prevent further wars," he wrote. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Related: How the US Military Ended Japanese Air Dominance by Destroying the Legend of the Zero Want to Know More About the Military? Be sure to get the latest news about the U.S. military, as well as critical info about how to join and all the benefits of service. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox. A bright, young sailor from North Carolina was lost after going overboard in a European sea, Navy officials said. David L. Spearman is believed to have died after he disappeared from the USS Arleigh Burke on Monday, Aug. 1. As of Aug. 4, the Navy hadnt recovered Spearmans body, according to Richlyn Ivey, a public affairs officer for U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa. This bright, young man made an oversized positive impact on Arleigh Burke, Cmdr. Pete Flynn, a commanding officer for the USS Arleigh Burke, said in a news release. My entire crews thoughts and prayers are with Seaman Recruit Spearmans family and friends. We offer our most sincere condolences for their loss. Spearman, 19, went by the name Dee and was from the Etowah area, WLOS reported. The community is in Henderson County, roughly 25 miles south of the mountain town of Asheville. Spearman enlisted in November and trained in Illinois. He reported to the USS Arleigh Burke about three months ago, according to the Navy. Officials said Spearman went overboard while the ship was in the Baltic Sea, which borders several countries in Northern and Eastern Europe. Crews from Germany and Sweden participated in an extensive search for him, according to the U.S. military. On Aug. 2, officials said search and rescue efforts tied to Spearmans ship had stopped. 2022 The Charlotte Observer. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Officials at Ramstein Air Base in Germany are investigating a claim that a Security Forces airman bribed their way to a passing score on their annual physical fitness test. Sandra Archer-Harris, a spokesperson for Ramstein's 86th Security Forces Squadron, did not provide any additional details but confirmed that there is an "ongoing investigation" into allegations that surfaced on social media. News of the alleged incident was first shared July 30 with the popular Amn/NCO/SNCO Facebook page, where airmen often go to vent and share insider information about their duty stations. Read Next: Air Force Weighs Waist-Height Measurement to Replace Tape Test "An 86th SFS SNCO here at Ramstein got caught bribing the tester to change pt numbers so they would meet standards and not fail," the tipster posted on the Amn/NCO/SNCO page. Bribery is punishable under Article 124 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The tipster also alleged that the entire Security Forces squadron was going through more frequent and rigorous physical training than usual as a result of the incident. "Instead of punishing [the] 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 tipster wrote. That allegation is reinforced by a picture of a July 27 memo posted to the Facebook page, which was authenticated by an 86th Security Forces Squadron spokesperson. A new policy mandates three additional physical training sessions each week for those who scored below 95% on an internal fitness test. Archer-Harris said the policy was not punitive, but is a way to get Security Forces airmen ready for their missions and jobs. "The 86 SFS physical training policy is one of several initiatives designed to ensure 86 SFS Defenders meet both physical and combat readiness requirements," Archer-Harris said in an emailed statement. "Fitness programs are constantly evaluated to ensure every Defender is primed to execute Air Base Ground Defense at home station and abroad." Other Security Forces airmen have complained anonymously on the Facebook page, alleging they've been working nearly 18-hour days as a result of the additional PT. "The 86 SFS leadership empowers supervisors at the lowest level to maximize schedule flexibility and ensure our Airmen are not working unnecessary hours," Archer-Harris said. The alleged bribery incident comes as the Air Force, and many of the other military branches, are looking at modifying their physical fitness tests to offer more options for service members -- who know the score can often mean the difference between career advancement and being booted from the force. Last November, the Air Force changed its physical fitness test to offer a 20-meter shuttle run, hand-release push-ups and cross-legged reverse crunches or planks as new options, instead of the traditional 1.5-mile run, push-ups and sit-ups. Additionally, the service said the Air Force surgeon general has recommended the waist-to-height ratio as the best method for assessing body composition instead of the long-used tape test. -- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly. Related: What You Need to Know About the Air Force's Latest PT Changes A former Marine charged with disorderly conduct and unlawful entry of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was sentenced Thursday to two years' probation, 60 hours of community service and $500 in restitution after both the prosecution and defense used his prior military service to further their arguments in court. On Jan. 6, Andrew Cavanaugh, 37, entered the Capitol through the Senate Wing minutes after the initial breach of the building. He remained in the building for just over 30 minutes, excitedly pumping his fist before witnessing law enforcement engaging with rioters and then quickly climbing out of a window, according to court filings. Cavanaugh pleaded guilty in February to one count of parading, demonstrating, and picketing in exchange for law enforcement cooperation, according to his plea agreement. He does not have any known prior criminal record. Read Next: Did an Airman Offer a Bribe to Pass Fitness Test? Ramstein Officials Investigating While his sentencing was short relative to other veterans convicted of crimes in relation to the attack at the Capitol, Cavanaugh's court proceedings revealed attorneys from both sides of the courtroom drawing attention to his military service. "Any good defense team will use everything they can to argue for lighter sentencing on behalf of their client, and any good prosecution will do their utmost to protect the general public and ensure that justice is done," Andrew Mines, an extremism researcher with The George Washington University's Program on Extremism, told Military.com in reference to Cavanaugh's case. "At multiple phases of his and other January 6th trials involving defendants with military background, we have seen defense and prosecution teams use military experience to different ends, from opening arguments to the sentencing phase." The prosecution argued that Cavanaugh's experience as a Marine should have prevented him from entering the Capitol grounds at all, where he would have seen a police barrier intact upon his arrival. "As a former Marine security guard of U.S. Embassies, Cavanaugh was well aware of the great jeopardy posed by violent entry into a secure government building and he was aware of the violence required to breach a secure government building such as the Capitol," the Department of Justice said in a June court filing. Cavanaugh's last duty assignment as a Marine was as part of an embassy security detachment in Dublin, Ireland, according to his service record. Court filings said that Cavanaugh watched law enforcement deploy tear gas at the Capitol, knowing "he should not have gone inside." Two days before, he traveled from Bozeman, Montana, to Washington, D.C., to attend then-President Donald Trump's "Stop the Steal" rally. Court records noted he used his military training to treat other rioters for injuries and tried to exit the Capitol "quickly." "In this case, Cavanaugh's former military service makes his conduct on January 6 more egregious and demonstrates a very real need for a sentence that reflects the seriousness of the offense, promotes respect for law, and affords deterrence," the DOJ document continued. The prosecution requested 30 days in jail. The defense sought to use his military background as a means to describe his public service. NBC Correspondent Scott MacFarlane reported that his defense argued he used his military training to deescalate other rioters. Cavanaugh himself expressed remorse in court, saying that the attack changed his life "more than serving in combat" and lamenting the division in the country. Cavanaugh's attorney, Maria Jacob, declined Military.com's request for comment. But Mines said that defense counsel's raising of military service has been typical in Jan. 6 cases. "We have seen arguments that defendants' service to their country should be rewarded, whether as warranting dismissal of a defendant's case entirely, explaining why a defendant felt compelled by a sense of duty to act, or justifying lighter sentencing," he said. "Defense teams have argued that service to country should not be met with harsh punishment, but rather compassion and respect." Cavanaugh, a former infantryman, served in the Marines for eight years with one deployment to Afghanistan and one to Iraq, earning two Combat Action Ribbons, according to his service record. He left the service as a sergeant in 2011. Veterans groups have previously planned to expel those who participated in the attack at the Capitol from their organizations. Before handing down the probation sentence, Judge Amit Mehta said that Cavanaugh should have known better than to have entered the Capitol because of his military history, according to NBC, but added that he "laid his life on the line for this country" and was duped by those who claimed the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent. Cavanaugh, a Montana resident, was identified in part by the hat he was wearing at the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to a statement from a Bozeman-based FBI agent. The hat read "Tactical Citizen," the name for the company he owns and for which he is a "tactical instructor," according to a LinkedIn profile that appears to belong to him. More than 850 people have been arrested for their involvement in the Jan. 6 attack, according to the DOJ. The Pentagon faced pressure to assess extremism among those currently serving, and consider ways to diminish radicalization among veterans, given the number of military-connected rioters involved in the siege compared to their civilian counterparts. GW's Program on Extremism estimates that 102 individuals with known military connections, an overwhelming majority of them veterans, have been charged for Jan. 6. That's about 12% of total rioters federally charged. -- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence. Related: First Active-Duty Service Member Sentenced for Jan. 6 Hit with Lengthy Prison Time Some 1,200 soldiers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, will be displaced due to a sudden decision to evacuate several barracks after an inspection last week by Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston, who found the buildings were unlivable, Army officials announced Thursday. A dozen 1970s-era barracks are set to be demolished at the Smoke Bomb Hill area, impacting a wide roster of units, including U.S. Special Operations Command. In the meantime, Fort Bragg commanders will audit all available space in other barracks for those displaced soldiers to move into -- possibly forcing troops to relocate to areas far from their units and those they work with. The relocations will be a deliberate, phased approach, a statement from the service said. Army leaders have committed substantial resources to address the barracks issues to ensure our Soldiers are taken care of throughout the process. Read Next: Michael Grinston's Quiet War to Help Make the Army More Lethal, Wokeness Hysterics Be Damned There is no timeline for new barracks to be constructed. Yet the buildings have long suffered from mold issues leaders have seemingly known about for years, mostly a result of the barracks having half-century-old air conditioning that frequently gets clogged and then leaks. The cost of repairing or outright replacing the air conditioning systems could be so exorbitant the Army deemed it better just to construct new buildings. Mold and other quality-of-life issues have long plagued barracks, often prompting soldiers to take desperate actions to find living arrangements -- with reports of rushed marriages, among other tactics. The poor barracks quality across the Army is seen by senior leaders as a key exacerbating factor for mental health issues among the rank and file. Exposure to mold can lead to a long list of health ailments, ranging from flu-like symptoms to difficulty breathing and fungal infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon Related: Mold Issues, Poor Housing Conditions for Troops Are Rampant. What Can Congress Do? Gary Anderson was chief of staff of the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory and the first director of the Marine Corps' Center for Emerging Threats and Opportunities. The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. "First to fight," "Force in readiness," "Most ready when the nation is least ready": These are all mottos that the Marine Corps has used at one time or another in its nearly two and a half centuries of existence. Marines have tried hard to live up to those promises, and presidents have counted on Marine Corps to deliver in a pinch when fast-breaking crises have arisen. That is how the Corps has survived since its birth as what amounted to a small group of shipboard military police during the American Revolution. Recent developments within the service have raised questions as to whether it will be the force of choice when an unexpected need for rapid military response anywhere in the world occurs in the future. For the first time in its storied history, the Marine Corps has given up capabilities that might be needed worldwide to gain new equipment to specialize for a potential war with China. Those lost assets include tanks, a large portion of the Corps' artillery, heavy engineer equipment, reduced infantry battalions and many helicopters. The sacrifice of that kit poses two major problems. First, those discarded capabilities might be needed if the next flare-up does not occur in East Asia. Second, the Corps hasn't gotten the new capabilities it sought, the payoff to justify the sacrifice. Of all the military services, the Marine Corps has the greatest reputation for being paranoid. But even paranoids have enemies, and the Corps has had many over the centuries. Not all have been foreign. When the age of sail ended and shipboard police and boarding parties were no longer needed, some Navy officers advocated an end to the Corps. Marines responded by organizing landing parties to seize and defend coaling stations required in the age of steam. After World War I, some in the Army lobbied to absorb the Marine Corps, arguing that the nation did not need two land armies. Realizing that a coming war with Japan would require amphibious operations, Marines responded by developing a doctrine and equipment for modern landings against defended beaches. At the dawn of the Atomic Era, many Americans believed that conventional land and amphibious operations were no longer needed. President Harry Truman was among them, and he advocated returning the Marine Corps to the role of the Navy's military police. The Marines kept their powder dry, and their equipment maintained. That attitude was justified when the Korean War broke out. Truman was forced to relent. After heavy Marine Corps ground involvement in Vietnam, the second ground army argument resurfaced. The Corps responded by partnering with the Navy to preposition cargo ships in areas of potential heavy combat with tanks, artillery, heavy engineer equipment and other combat vehicles for rapid early deployment in likely areas of conflict. That investment paid off in spades when Saddam Hussein invaded Iraq in 1990. In 2001, the Marines were able to assist in the overthrow of the Taliban in Afghanistan because they had developed the capability to launch and sustain sea-based helicopters from hundreds of miles away. It should be noted that, during each challenge to the existence of the Marine Corps, it never discarded capabilities. Innovations were always additive. That is why so many retired Marines -- and secretly, many active-duty ones -- are so worried about the commandant's Force Design 2030 initiative, which is well underway. In implementing Force Design 2030, Gen. David Berger, the current Marine Corps commandant, has consulted with the secretary of defense. Apparently, however, Berger did not coordinate with the combatant commanders who now control military operations in the major theaters worldwide. Before the Goldwater-Nichols military reform legislation of the 1980s, the president, via the defense secretary, appointed a commander to manage a crisis and then assigned forces to that commander. Today, however, the combatant commanders plan and coordinate for potential crises in their assigned regions. The service chiefs vie to demonstrate capabilities in those theaters. Despite recent developments in Ukraine, the combatant commanders in the Middle East and Europe will want heavy combat equipment, which the Marine Corps no longer has. Berger has bet the farm that the next big war will be against China. If he is right, and the Corps contributes significantly, he will be a hero. If he is wrong and the next conflict occurs elsewhere, the Marine Corps faces irrelevance. Berger's ideas on sensor-to-shooter technologies, increased use of robotics and information operations are visionary and should be commended. In the 1990s, I was a senior member of the Marine Corps' experimentation establishment, and Berger was a midgrade staff officer. We hoped to leverage emerging technologies and field lighter, more lethal forces in situations where they were appropriate. However, I also believed that situations such as counterinsurgency and urban combat would still require conventional capabilities. We could always organize small forces for high-tech combat if needed from larger existing formations, but that is no longer an option under Berger's plan. The Corps cannot afford to ever tell a combatant commander, "Sorry, we don't do windows." Aug. 6 marks the anniversary of what has become known as the deadliest day for special operations in U.S. military history. On this date in 2011, a CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed, call sign Extortion-17, killing 38 personnel on board. Among the casualties were 30 Americans, including 17 Navy SEALs. Bart, a military working dog, was also killed. It was the worst single loss-of-life day for the U.S. in the war in Afghanistan and was also the worst in the history of Naval Special Warfare. The Chinook was carrying a quick-reaction force to provide back-up to troops on the ground in the eastern Afghan province of Wardak when a Taliban insurgent hit the helo with an unguided rocket-propelled grenade that brought it down. According to the International Security Assistance Force, the team on the ground -- believed to be Army special operators -- broke away from its firefight and moved to defend the crash site, but the damage had been done. The final death toll included 15 members of SEAL Team 6; seven Afghan National Army Commandos; five U.S. Naval Special Warfare support personnel; three U.S. Army Reserve personnel from the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment; two U.S. Navy SEALs from a West Coast-based SEAL team, two U.S. Army personnel from the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment, part of the Colorado Army National Guard; two U.S. Air Force pararescuemen from the 24th Special Tactics Squadron; one U.S. Air Force combat controller from the 24th Special Tactics Squadron; one Afghan civilian interpreter; and one U.S. military working dog. Names of those killed in the Extortion-17 crash These are the names, ranks and units of those killed in the Extortion-17 crash, according to the Navy SEAL Museum. Sailors killed in the Extortion-17 crash: Lieutenant Commander (SEAL) Jonas B. Kelsall, 32, of Shreveport, Louisiana Special Warfare Operator Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Louis J. Langlais, 44, of Santa Barbara, California Special Warfare Operator Senior Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Thomas A. Ratzlaff, 34, of Green Forest, Arkansas Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Senior Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Kraig M. Vickers 36, of Kokomo, Hawaii Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Brian R. Bill, 31, of Stamford, Connecticut Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) John W. Faas, 31, of Minneapolis, Minnesota Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Kevin A. Houston, 35, of West Hyannisport, Massachusetts Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Matthew D. Mason, 37, of Kansas City, Missouri Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Stephen M. Mills, 35, of Fort Worth, Texas Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Chief Petty Officer(Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist/Diver) Nicholas H. Null, 30, of Washington, West Virginia Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Robert J. Reeves, 32, of Shreveport, Louisiana Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Heath M. Robinson, 34, of Detroit, Michigan Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Darrik C. Benson, 28, of Angwin, California Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Parachutist) Christopher G. Campbell, 36, of Jacksonville, North Carolina Information Systems Technician Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Jared W. Day, 28, of Taylorsville, Utah Master-at-Arms Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) John Douangdara, 26, of South Sioux City, Nebraska Cryptologist Technician(Collection)Petty Officer 1st Class(Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) Michael J. Strange, 25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist) Jon T. Tumilson, 35, of Rockford, Iowa Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL)Aaron C. Vaughn, 30, of Stuart, Florida Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL)Jason R. Workman, 32, of Blanding, Utah Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL)Jesse D. Pittman, 27, of Ukiah, California Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 2nd Class (SEAL)Nicholas P. Spehar, 24, of Saint Paul, Minnesota Soldiers killed in the Extortion-17 crash Chief Warrant Officer David R. Carter, 47, of Centennial, Colo. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Aurora, Colorado Chief Warrant Officer Bryan J. Nichols, 31, of Hays, Kan. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment(General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kansas Staff Sgt. Patrick D. Hamburger, 30, of Lincoln, Neb. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Grand Island, Nebraska Sgt. Alexander J. Bennett, 24, of Tacoma, Wash. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kansas Spc. Spencer C. Duncan, 21, of Olathe, Kan. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kansas Airmen killed in the Extortion-17 crash: Tech. Sgt. John W. Brown, 33, of Tallahassee, Florida Staff Sgt. Andrew W. Harvell, 26, of Long Beach, California Tech. Sgt. Daniel L. Zerbe, 28, of York, Pennsylvania All three airmen were assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, North Carolina. In response to the tragedy, Marine Corps Col. David Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman, said at the time, "In the immediate aftermath, they press on with the mission ... It's an unfortunate part of the business we're in -- we take casualties. But our folks are well-trained to realize that they can't let the loss of their comrades deter them from the mission, and especially because this is a very dangerous undertaking, you can't afford to lose your focus and make the situation worse. Specifically, in the special operations community, they know very well how to soldier on." In the aftermath of the crash, questions were raised about operational security, as well as the wisdom of having such a large number of special operators together on one aircraft. A subsequent official investigation conducted by Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Colt concluded that everyone involved did what they always do on special operations raids, and there was no problem with commanders, the troops or the procedures involved. Three years later, the crash still haunts the special operations community and the families of the victims. In October 2013, The Washington Times acquired investigative files regarding the crash, suggesting that "the helicopter's landing zone was not properly vetted for threats nor protected by gunships, while commanders criticized the mission as too rushed and the conventional Chinook chopper as ill-suited for a dangerous troop infiltration." Others have suggested that the attack was a pre-planned retaliation against SEAL Team 6 for their part in the mission that had taken down Osama bin Laden a few months earlier. Charlie Strange, the father of Petty Officer Michael Strange, a Navy cryptologist who was among those who died in the crash, stated that he was convinced the attack was an "inside job." "Somebody was leaking to the Taliban," Charlie Strange said. "They knew. Somebody tipped them off. There were guys in a tower. Guys on the bush line. They were sitting there, waiting, and they sent our guys right into the middle." In 2014 a hearing was held by Congress to address these and other issues, including the belief that when a Muslim clerk had uttered words of prayer during a memorial in Afghanistan for the victims, he actually was condemning them to hell as infidels. In response, Garry Reid, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, said, "We have had people in our government listen to what he was saying. I'm told that there are verses that he is citing. He is commemorating the fallen -- all of the fallen. There are some interpretations that I have seen on the internet that he was condemning the Americans, the infidels. It's not my expertise, but what we have been told on good authority is that he is commemorating all of our fallen and condemning the enemy." Want to Know More About the Military? Be sure to get the latest news about the U.S. military, as well as critical info about how to join and all the benefits of service. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox. With a slew of players designated for assignment following Tuesdays trade deadline madness, well see several players claimed off waivers in the coming days but also several who pass through waivers unclaimed and remain with their organization. A few updates on some players who fall into the latter of those two categories. Giants righty Angel Rondon went unclaimed on waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Sacramento, per a club announcement. Rondon, 24, has pitched seven scoreless big league innings with the Cardinals between 2021 and 2022, allowing just two hits but four walks with five strikeouts in that time. Encouraging as seven shutout frames may be, hes also posted a 4.35 ERA in 51 2/3 Triple-A frames between the Giants and Cardinals organizations this season, striking out 24.3% of his opponents but also walking a whopping 16.1% of the batters hes faced in the minors. Rondon had not been previously outrighted, so electing free agency wasnt an option for him. righty went unclaimed on waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Sacramento, per a club announcement. Rondon, 24, has pitched seven scoreless big league innings with the Cardinals between 2021 and 2022, allowing just two hits but four walks with five strikeouts in that time. Encouraging as seven shutout frames may be, hes also posted a 4.35 ERA in 51 2/3 Triple-A frames between the Giants and Cardinals organizations this season, striking out 24.3% of his opponents but also walking a whopping 16.1% of the batters hes faced in the minors. Rondon had not been previously outrighted, so electing free agency wasnt an option for him. The Mariners announced last night that outfielder Jack Larsen went unclaimed on outright waivers and was assigned to Double-A Arkansas. The 27-year-old made his big league debut with the Ms this summer but appeared in just one game and fanned in his lone plate appearance. Its a tough blow for any longtime minor leaguer to get such a fleeting taste of the Majors, but Larsen is a .266/.371/.444 hitter in Double-A who can play all three outfield slots, so perhaps hell get another look down the line be it with the Mariners or another organization. Its his first outright assignment, so Larsen remains under Mariners control. announced last night that outfielder went unclaimed on outright waivers and was assigned to Double-A Arkansas. The 27-year-old made his big league debut with the Ms this summer but appeared in just one game and fanned in his lone plate appearance. Its a tough blow for any longtime minor leaguer to get such a fleeting taste of the Majors, but Larsen is a .266/.371/.444 hitter in Double-A who can play all three outfield slots, so perhaps hell get another look down the line be it with the Mariners or another organization. Its his first outright assignment, so Larsen remains under Mariners control. Although the move wasnt formally announced by the Rays, left-hander Angel Perdomo cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A Durham. The 28-year-old Perdomo was back on the mound in Durham last night, where he punched out two more hitters (and walked another) in a scoreless outing. Perdomo has punched out half the hitters hes fced in 8 1/3 minor league innings this season and 28 of the 79 he faced in the big leagues with the Brewers (35.4%). Unfortunately, as is so often the case, that prodigious bat-missing ability is accompanied by ghoulish command issues. Perdomo walked 24.1% of his big league opponents this season (plus a pair of hit-by-pitches). Hes also walked eight of 36 minor league opponents (22.2%) and plunked another. Now off the 40-man roster but sticking with the organization, hell work with the Rays development staff in hopes of refining his command to an at least passable level. Get new posts by email: Subscribe Nollywood actors Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Cornel have been freed by their kidnappers. In a statement issued by the Actors Guild of Nigeria on Instagram on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, the two actors were released unhurt and in healthy conditions. This is to gladly inform the public that the kidnapped actors Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Cornel Agbogidi have been released unhurt. The elated National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Ejezie Emeka Rollas announced their release by the abductors who were touched by the spirit of God to set them free and unharmed, it said. The Guild has arranged for medical checks and psychological support for the victims. On behalf of their families, the National President expressed our heartfelt appreciation to the Nollywood industry and Nigerians at large for the support and prayers during the trying period. He urged members to be security conscious on and off film sets and always take precautionary measures on their security at all times. "Thank you Signed Monalisa Chinda Coker Director of Communications Actors Guild of Nigeria. Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Cornel were kidnapped while they were returning from a movie set at Ozalla town in Enugu State on Friday, July 29, 2022. Fortunately, they gained their freedom on Wednesday. Rape in South Africa is systemic and endemic. The country's annual police crime statistics confirm this. There were 42,289 rapes reported in 2019/2020 , as well as 7,749 sexual assaults. This translates into about 115 rapes a day. South Africa has one of the highest rape statistics in the world, even higher than some countries at war . The picture has been more or less the same every year since the early 2000s, with the numbers going slightly up or down. But policies to deal with the urgency of these very high levels of sexual violence tend to individualise rape in a way that creates the impression that only some men rape. And that they are the rotten apples or the monsters . The response from the police as well as the governing African National Congress (ANC) underscores the failure to appreciate the systemic nature of the problem. This was evident again recently at an ANC policy conference where it was clear that ministers and the ANC Women's League continue to individualise rape. The conference agreed to a draft policy calling for chemical castration for rapists . Read more: Gender-based violence in South Africa: what's missing and how to fix it In my view, this is misplaced and shows a lack of understanding of rape as a social problem. Firstly, chemical castration does not work. Research has shown that chemical castration does not really contribute to reducing levels of rape. The reason for this is that chemical castration does not change attitudes or the underlying violent behaviour of rapists. It merely acts as a punishment. Secondly, the fact that the idea has been backed by the ANC shows that it continues to miss the point as to why men rape women. Extensive research has been done on the motives of rape. The overwhelming conclusion is that rape is not about sexual desire . It is about power and an entitlement to women's bodies. This was horrifically illustrated in South Africa at the end of June when eight young women were brutally gang raped in West Village outside Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg, while filming a music video on a mine dump. The crew was also robbed. The perpetrators were brazen and felt entitled to inflict this brutal violation on young bodies. What happened in Krugersdorp clearly displays this type of entitlement by violating women's bodies at gunpoint. Missing the point The state's response to the attack was to round up 80 illegal miners, called Zama Zamas. Police statements suggested that they were foreigners who lived near the crime scene. Very quickly the focus shifted from the brutal rapes and eight seriously violated women to illegal mining. The women became a footnote. It is the same display of hasty work by the police to show that they are doing something. This has happened before such as in the case of the rape and killing of Uyinene Mrwetyana, a University of Cape Town student in August 2019. She was brutally raped and killed in a post-office when she went to collect a parcel. Action after the outcry from citizens about her senseless killing and protests quickly died down . The latest attack also exposes police incompetence to deal with illegal mine workers who have been terrorising West Village for years. Illegal miners allegedly regularly rape women from West Village, and despite women reporting the rapes, the police were reluctant to investigate . Read more: Artisanal gold mining in South Africa is out of control. Mistakes that got it here But the foreigners are responsible for rape narrative is the same as men being singled out as bad apples. It ignores the systemic nature of rape in South Africa. And it creates the impression that South African men do not rape. The high statistics, however, show that many South African men rape. Understanding rape Intimacy and injury , a recent book on #MeToo and how it was experienced in the Global South, makes it clear in the introduction that women in post-colonial societies bear the brunt of government intransigence to deal with violence. They write: newly independent nation states and local elites failed to take account of this {sexual violence}, in spite of elaborate rhetorical commitments, leaving feminists to push for state and law to redress long histories of sexual violence. Political leaders and state functionaries the police and the army participated in an overall culture of normalising sexual violence and promoting a high tolerance for such violence over other crimes. Sexual violence has been at the heart of feminist concerns in India and South Africa (p5-6). What this suggests is that when rape is normalised, dealing with rape after it has occurred is too late. Preventative measures need to be put in place, such as addressing high levels of crime, including rape with impunity. And the attitudes of men about women's bodies and toxic masculinity need to be addressed through state level interventions, especially in schools to change the socialisation of boys. The state should also prioritise the upgrading and resourcing of laboratories where forensic DNA evidence is analysed. The huge backlog in South Africa means that victims wait for justice for years, and may never get it. In 2017 the government was forced to take decisive action on gender based violence following a series of marches and protests by activists who mobilised under the banner #TotalShutDown . They demanded action against gender-based violence. In the wake of this activism a National Strategic Plan on Gender Based Violence and Femicide was developed, and is now being rolled out. This plan rests on six pillars: accountability and leadership; prevention and rebuilding social cohesion, justice, safety and protection; care, support and healing; economic empowerment; and research and information management. The plan speaks to the systemic nature of gender based violence. But it also clearly shows that it will need long term efforts, with success only being determined over time. Read more: Change what South African men think of women to combat their violent behaviour The truth is that there are no easy and quick fixes, such as the ANC's recent castration idea which falls short on a range of scores. Firstly, because rape is about power. This is evident from the fact that many rapes are committed with objects such as sticks, brooms and glass bottles. So, those who are chemically impotent will find other ways to violate women. Secondly, such a policy would violate the human rights of perpetrators, such as bodily integrity. Rapists still have human rights even when convicted of rape. Such a law would therefore, also be unconstitutional . What rape does University of Stellenbosch philosopher Louise du Toit, in her book The Philosophical Investigation of Rape , clearly explains the damage of rape as an injury of the spirit. It destroys the victim's sense of self, her trust in others and her trust in the world. These are things that cannot be regained. As she states on p85 The horizon of this new, shrunken world is the victim's physical pain, fear of death and actual reduction to the less-than-human {she} is reduced to her body, lived as a thing, object, inanimate, finite, mortal This is the trauma, which the eight women raped in Krugersdorp, now have to live with. As well as the tens of thousands of South Africa's other rape victims. Amanda Gouws receives funding from the National Research Foundation through her SARChI Chair in Gender Politics By Amanda Gouws, Professor of Political Science and Chair of the South African Research Initiative in Gender Politics, Stellenbosch University South Sudan's leaders have announced they will remain in power two years beyond an agreed deadline, sparking criticism from foreign partners. Here's a look at the tragic history of the world's newest nation. 2011: New nation Celebrations in Juba as South Sudan joins the rollcall of nations. By MICHELE SIBILONI (AFP) On July 9, South Sudan proclaims itself independent from Sudan following six years of autonomy and decades of war. The president is Salva Kiir, with Riek Machar as his deputy. The rivals, who belong to two different ethnic groups, led the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) that spearheaded the push for independence. 2013: Civil war Kiir fires Machar and all government ministers, their deputies and several police brigadiers on July 23. After a night of fighting in the capital Juba, Kiir says on December 16 his forces had thwarted an attempted coup by Machar, who denies the claim. The fighting spreads beyond the capital, fuelled by rivalries between Kiir's Dinka group and Machar's Nuer. It sets off tit-for-tat massacres, spiralling into five years of war. 2016: Leader in exile April 2016: Machar, centre, and Kiir, right, send a message of unity. By ALBERT GONZALEZ FARRAN (cds/AFP/File) Machar and Kiir sign a peace accord in August 2015. Machar returns to Juba and is sworn in as vice president on April 26, 2016. But fighting between supporters of both leaders breaks out again in July. Machar goes into exile, accusing Kiir of trying to have him killed. 2018: Peace deal Kiir and Machar meet for the first time in two years on June 20. On September 12 they sign a new peace agreement to end a war that has killed nearly 400,000 people and displaced roughly four million. The deal paves the way for a power-sharing government which, after much delay concerted international pressure, is eventually installed in February 2020, with Machar reinstated as vice president. 2021: Violence continues Needy: Violence in South Sudan has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their home. By Simon Wohlfahrt (AFP/File) However, armed violence remains widespread, with recurring bloodshed beween rival ethnic groups, and an insurgency in the country's south displacing hundreds of thousands of people. The UN several times extends its peace mission, as well as an arms embargo. A UN report in April warns that the slow pace of implementing the peace accord risks a relapse into "large-scale conflict". On May 8, after a delay of more than a year, Kiir includes opposition lawmakers in a new parliament. 2022: Extension of power In March, the UN accuses the government of rights violations amounting to war crimes over attacks in the southwest last year, calling for investigations against dozens of individuals, including for abuses against children. The same month, the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) warns that over 70 percent of South Sudan's 11 million people will face extreme hunger this year because of natural disasters and violence. February: Machar, left, and Kiir attend a ceremony in Juba. By ALEX MCBRIDE (AFP/File) In April, Kiir and Machar agree on the creation of a unified armed forces command, a key provision of the peace deal after years of deadlock. Four months later, they announce that the transitional government will remain in power two years beyond the agreed deadline, in a move foreign partners warned lacked legitimacy. Martin Elia Lomuro, the minister of cabinet affairs, says the decision was taken "to address the challenges that impede the implementation of the peace agreement". But the United States, Britain and Norway boycott the announcement, expressing concern that the extension did not involve consultations with civil society or international partners, among other groups. A female broadcaster with the Accra-based Media General has expressed condolences to Citi FMs Bernard Koku Avle for her wife's demise. In a tweet monitored by Modernghana News today, August 4, Berla asks God to comfort Bernard Avle and his entire family in their grief. Oh no!!! Bernard Avle. Im so sorry for your loss. This must be the hardest thing to deal withMay God be with your family, she wrote. Bernard Koku Avle, the General Manager of Citi FM and Citi TV lost his wife, Justine Avle According to ModernGhana sources, his wife died on the evening of Wednesday, August 3. The award-winning journalist, Mr. Avle host of the Citi Breakfast Show on Citi FM and Point of View Show on Citi TV, married Justine in 2011. They have five kids; four boys and a girl. The last girl is only a few months old and was breastfeeding. A burial service was held on 30th July for the late John Apam Akparibo Esq, a bilingual lawyer, at the forecourt of his ancestral home at Tilli, in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region. The lawyer died at the Bolga Regional Hospital on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 after battling ill health. The late John Apam Akparibo served as a French interpreter at Nigeria High Commission/Embassy in 1979. In 1981, Akparibo entered the University of Ghana, Legon to read law and was called to the Bar between 1987 and 1989. He served as a Judge in many courts in Ghana and was later a secretary to Ghana Bar Association. He resigned and relocated to Kumasi where he 2004 established his Gaskiya Chambers. He contested the Zebilla constituency parliamentary seat in 2000 in the Bawku West District but lost the election and proceeded to continue his private practice. As a lawyer, John stood for the poor by making sure justice was for all. He was a successful lawyer and had won most of his cases in Court. In a sermon at his burial grounds, Very Rev. Fr. Lawrence Azure, Vicar General of Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese urged all sympathisers to lead good lives that would make an impact on others. Tears swelled up in the eyes of many mourners when Rev's sister Hellen Akparibo, his niece, broke down in tears when the casket was lowered down the grave. Her aunties and colleague reverend sisters held and consoled her. In attendance were Revered fathers within the Bolgatanga-Navrongo diocese, Members of Parliament, former DCEs, heads of departments, old students of Bawku senior secondary and Navrongo and among others. Chairman of telecel group, Hugues Mulliez 04.08.2022 LISTEN Telecel Group, headed by French tycoon Hugues Mulliez, said its in talks with Ghanaian authorities to get approvals for a deal to buy Vodafone Group Plcs operations in the West African country in an all-cash deal. The company said in a statement on Wednesday its signed a sales agreement with Vodafone for its operations in Ghana, as the British telecommunications giant looks to refocus on key markets. It hasnt received approvals for the deal yet. The tycoon, whos a shareholder in the Association Familiale Mulliez -- owner of French retailers including Decathlon and Leroy Merlin -- will fund the acquisition with Telecels partners. The potential sale of Vodafone Ghanas towers arent being considered as part of the deal funding. Telecel plans to spend about $500 million in the first three years to expand and refinance Vodafones network across the country. Vodafone entered Ghana in 2008, when it paid the government $900 million for 70% of Ghana Telecommunications Co. The state retains a 30% holding in the business. Source: Bloomberg Ketu North Municipal Directorate of NCCE engages Ghana National Association Of Garment Makers at Afife 05.08.2022 LISTEN The Ketu North Municipal Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) had a day sensitisation exercise with the Afife branch of the Ghana National Association of Garment Makers in the Volta Region. Speaking at the meeting, the Ketu North Municipal Director of NCCE, Mr Prosper K. Afealete encouraged the association members to pay tax which is part of their duties as citizens and holding leaders accountable as part of their fundamental human rights. He also educated them on the core values of Ghanas democracy which is to respect the rule of law, equality of opportunity and prosperity, as well as sustaining unity and national stability. They were also taking through the 1998 Children Act on the responsibilities of Madams and Masters on how to treat their apprentices under them. The right channel of conflict resolution among members were encouraged. A Chief Field Officer (CFO), Madam Mary Awoye also spoke about numerous opportunities out there for the association members to go on excursions out of their comfort zones to as part of leisure, in a way of enhancing their creativity. An Assistant Civic Education Officer (ACEO), Miss Juliet Obiri urged them to add value to their profession by learning new things, taking advantage of modern technology and fashion trends. Members of the association were impressed and also asked questions concerning laws governing gender and landownership, and where to seek advice. Some concerns about the SIM Card Re-registration Exercise and acquisition of the Ghana Card were also addressed. They were directed to the relevant authorities to seek help on some of the challenges. Weta rice farmers calls for gov't support 05.08.2022 LISTEN Rice farmers who are cultivating at the Weta irrigated field in the Volta Region have called on government for support to enable them reclaim the hectares of irrigable lands which is submerged under water. The farmers spoke to officers from the National Commission for Civic Education in the Ketu North Municipal Directorate when they visited Avalavi Rice Farm. According to Seth Amamu, who is a farmer and machine operator at Avalavi Rice Farm, nearly a quarter of the irrigated area allocated to the farmers has been submerged underwater for some years now, causing farmers to lose millions of Cedis every year. The farmers have tried helplessly to reclaim the land by their collective effort but to no avail, hence the call on government, especially Ghana Irrigation Authority to intervene. Governments intervention they say will help them contribute more effectively to avert the looming food insecurity in Ghana. Some of the farmers also complained bitterly to NCCE officers that, the cost of fertilizer, herbicides and insecticides are something they can no longer afford due to the high cost of purchasing these chemicals. They also need of machines that can separate chaffs from the rice and also help them dry the rice, since it is becoming hectic and affecting their health. According to the farmers, they cannot work in the drains for the water to run past the farm causing the whole area to flood. Humans and combine harvesters cannot go onto the field to work, the land has become too swampy, and they are losing all their produce. Some youth in the Weta and its environs told the Ketu North NCCE Officers that, they are interested in farming, so government should also come and work on that land for them. The Weta irrigation project owned by the government of Ghana was constructed by the Chinese in June 1982. The field is being cultivated mostly by women. An Education Think Tank, Africa Education Watch, is calling on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to immediately interdict the headmaster of the Duadaso Senior High Technical School in the Bono Region, Peterson Aning and some staff for engaging in examination malpractices. In an investigative piece by Corruption Watch, it was revealed that the headmaster and staff of the school allegedly connived with invigilators to supervise grand cheating by candidates of the 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). Speaking to Citi News, the Executive Director of the Education Think Tank, Kofi Asare said the actions constitute a breach of the code of ethics of the GES hence its call for a full-scale probe into the matter. We saw headmasters lead a team of teachers engaging in corruption, writing answers for students and dictating for students to write in the full glare of teachers and invigilators. Africa Education Watch also urged the GES to close down the All for Christ Senior High Technical School in the Bono Region for a similar offence. Mr. Asare said the school has gained notoriety for being the hub of examination malpractice in Ghana. I think it is time that the education service activates its powers and close down the school, he said. Mr. Asare further warned that the continued existence of that school is inimical to the interests of the Ghanaian public. We want to impress on WAEC to withdraw or to permanently revoke the licence or centre accreditation for All For Christ Senior High School. By Citi Newsroom Ending the war in Ukraine and starting a new one in Syria are expected to dominate talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan will be riding high from the diplomatic success of helping orchestrate the resumption of Ukrainian grain shipments across the Black Sea when he visits Sochi this Friday for his second talks with Putin in just over two weeks. But tensions remain. The Turkish leader was told by Putin in Tehran last month that Russia remains opposed to any new offensive that Turkey might be planning against Kurdish militants in northern Syria. Analysts believe these strains form part of the "competitive cooperation" that has defined the two leaders' relationship over the past 20 years. The European Council on Foreign Relations published a report last week saying "Russia's war on Ukraine has restored Turkey's self image as a key geopolitical player and given Erdogan more visibility than at any time in the last few years." "Most Turks support their country's balancing act and quasi-neutral position between the West and Russia," it concluded. Truce talks Attempts by NATO member Turkey to remain neutral in the face of Moscow's historic standoff with the West over Ukraine are starting to pay off. Months of Turkish efforts have seen Moscow and Kyiv sign a UN-backed agreement in Istanbul last month to resume grain deliveries from Ukrainian ports. The first ship from Ukraine crossed Istanbul on Wednesday. Three more are expected to set sail this Friday under a landmark deal designed to relieve a global food crisis caused by the war. Turkey wants to translate this success into truce talks in Istanbul between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. On Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said after talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Asia: "We discussed if the grain agreement could be an occasion for a sustainable ceasefire." Complicating these efforts are repeated threats by Erdogan to launch a new military operation in Syria a country where Russian and Turkish interests collide. Russia's army helped Syrian President Bashar al-Assad survive a decade-long rebellion by groups backed by Turkey. But Erdogan is threatening to invade northern Syria to establish a buffer zone that pushes out Kurdish groups he links to "terrorists" waging an insurgency against the Turkish state. Military technology Some Turkish media speculate that what Putin really wants is drones. Turkey has been supplying Kyiv with lethal Bayraktar aerial vehicles that have proved effective in destroying Russian armoured columns across the Ukrainian war zone. US officials say a Russian team has visited Iran to scope out the purchase of hundreds of drones for its own forces in Ukraine. Erdogan has added to the intrigue by telling his cabinet that Putin asked him to start selling the Bayraktars to Russia. Turkish officials later dismissed the suggestion as a joke. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov appeared to lend credence to the idea, saying: "Military and technological cooperation are always on the two countries' agenda." A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Lead Pastor of Cedar Mountain International Church in Accra, Rev Dr Stephen Yenusom Wengam has been elected general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Ghana. Rev Wengam, aged 50, was elected at the 30th biennial General Council Meeting of the Assemblies of God church held at the University of Cape Coast on Thursday, 4 August 2022. The General Council Meeting was attended by over 3000 delegates. Rev Wengam takes over from Rev Professor Yaw Frimpong-Manso. Rev Professor Frimpong-Manso, has been General Superintendent for 12 years. Delivering his victory speech, Rev Wengam said he would unite Assemblies of God, Ghana for true spiritual revival and greatness. He further promised a visionary and progressive leadership of integrity, shift, speed, open heavens, and fulfilment of the Great Commission. He also hoped to restore the church back to its past glory of being the lead Pentecostal church in Ghana which produced a President and a Chief Justice. We will regain our position to become the leading Pentecostal Church. Ours is a church destined for greatness and greatness is our portion. Remember, we are products of the Azusa Street Revival, Rev Wengam stated. 05.08.2022 LISTEN The President of the Republic, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is in the Upper East Region today, August 5, 2022. The President is in the region for a one-day working visit where he is expected to have several engagements. This is the first time the President is touring the Upper East Region since he did same in June 2021. H.E Nana Addos tour to the region follows recent concerns at the countrys border with regards to issues relating to hundreds of Burkina Faso nationals seeking refuge in the country. According to the reports gathered, the refugees are seeking a safe place in Ghana to escape the rising terrorist threats in the Sahel Region. Hundreds of Burkinabes are said to be feeling unsafe due to the military of the countrys struggle in dealing with the insurgency. Besides engagements with the leadership of the Upper East Region, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will also today inspect some ongoing projects in the Region. The Ethiopian government has chastised EU and US envoys who visited the war-stricken region of Tigray, accusing them of siding with the rebels' stance on peace talks and aid. Negotiations between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) are on the cards, but key obstacles remain, including over who should mediate. US Horn of Africa envoy Mike Hammer and EU counterpart Annette Weber visited Tigray's capital Mekele this week to press for the launch of talks under the auspices of the African Union. They also called for the restoration of basic services in Tigray and for unrestricted aid access to the region and neighbouring Afar and Amhara. But Abiy's national security adviser Redwan Hussein voiced the government's "dismay" over the envoys' mission in a post on Twitter late Thursday. "The team failed to press for unequivocal commitment for peace talks, and rather indulged in appeasement & fulfilling preconditions placed by the other party," he said. "Regarding restoration of services, the will of the government has been reaffirmed and preludes for that have been reiterated: ie creating enabling conditions and semblance of peace by beginning the talks." The war erupted in November 2020 when Abiy ordered troops into Tigray to topple the TPLF, accusing the rebels of attacking federal army camps. Tigray, the northernmost region of Ethiopia, has suffered food shortages and access to basic services such as electricity, communications and banking has been limited. There has been a lull in fighting since a humanitarian truce was declared in March, paving the way for the resumption of international aid convoys to Tigray's six million people. But more than 13 million people remain in need of food assistance across northern Ethiopia, according to the United Nations. Unfettered aid call In a statement on Tuesday, the US and EU diplomats called for unfettered aid deliveries to Tigray, Afar and Amhara, and urged the government to lift restrictions on cash and fuel to Tigray. But Redwan dismissed the envoys' entreaties, saying the issue had been addressed. "No limit on the number of flights; none either on the number of trucks carrying aid. The issue of fuel has also been addressed," he added. The UN's humanitarian agency OCHA said in a July 22 report that a lack of cash and fuel in Tigray was "heavily impacting implementation of food distributions". TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael has warned that key services would have to be reinstated in Tigray and the "blockade" lifted before dialogue could begin. The rebels also want any peace talks to be mediated by neighbouring Kenya, but the government insists they must be brokered by the AU. "The bottom line? The AU is the only channel and has been reiterated in no uncertain terms once again," Redwan said. The President of the Republic, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has given Ghanaians the assurance that the country will soon recover from the economic challenges it is facing. The countrys economy this year has gone through challenges. For leaders of government, this is largely not their doing but a result of the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic and the blowback from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Speaking at a state-sponsored event with some senior citizens to mark Founders Day on Thursday, August 4, President Akufo-Addo said he has no doubt his government will revitalise the economy. I am confident that we will revive and revitalise the economy and put our nation back on the path of rapid economic growth, H.E Nana Akufo-Addo said. The President added, This is a solemn pledge I am making to you. I remain resolutely optimistic about Ghanas future, which I continue to believe is bright. In addition to the government looking inward for solutions to revive the Ghanaian economy, a team that includes Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta engaged the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for support. The Electoral Commission (EC) has reacted to the directives given to the Clerk of Parliament by the Chairman of Parliament's Privileges Committee, Joseph Osei-Owusu, to inform the EC about the vacancy in the Dome-Kwabenya seat. Concerning whether the EC has been served with such a notice, Dr. Bossman Asare, Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Corporate Services, states that the Commission only heard about it in the news and has not received any official notice. Mr. Asare stated in an interview with Accra-based JoyNews that the authority is prepared for any election. He explained that it is entirely their responsibility to conduct by-elections. EC has always been ready for by-elections because it is part of our mandateyou mentioned Honorable Adwoa Safo, we followed the news like the ordinary Ghanaians also do and as we speak now we have not received any notification that a parliamentary seat is vacant, he said. He continues, the EC is an impartial institution so based on what the First Deputy Speaker said, that means if the Clerk hasnt notified us, the EC cannot jump the gun and say people are saying someone should resign so we are also joining the bandwagon. This conversation comes after the Dome-Kwabenya Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Adwoa Safo has been out of the country since December 2021. After many attempts to bring her back to her post by the Parliamentary Privileges Committee failed, the President recently revoked her appointment as Gender Minister. Though her fate as an MP is yet to be decided when Parliament resumes from recess in October this year her colleagues NPP MPs are pushing for Parliament to declare her seat vacant for a replacement. French animal health authorities are concerned that the Beluga whale which appears to have strayed into the River Seine is underweight and has suffered 'skin changes'. Belugas can survive in fresh water, but not indefinitely. Beluga whales are usually found in Arctic waters. This individual was spotted in the Seine, swimming up-river earlier this week, and has reached a river traffic control lock about 70 kms from the French capital. The whale was first sighted on Tuesday in the river that flows through Paris to the English Channel. French rescue services as well as firefighters and biodiversity officials mobilised swiftly and kept a close eye on the whale throughout the day to evaluate the "worrying" health of the mammal, the local police service said. Officials added that the whale seemed to have suffered "skin changes and to be underweight". It is "currently between the Poses dam and that of Saint-Pierre-la-Garenne", around 70 kilometres northwest of Paris. 'A very noisy river' Gerard Mauger, deputy head of French Marine Mammal Research Group GEEC, said the mammal spent "very little time on the surface" and appeared to have "good" lung capacity. But Mauger said rescuers were struggling to guide the whale to the mouth of the Seine. An adult beluga can reach up to four metres in length. Authorities in Normandy's Eure department have urged people to keep their distance to avoid distressing the animal. Lamya Essemlali, head of the non-profit marine conservation organisation Sea Shepherd, said some of her team would arrive with drones in the evening to help locate the whale. "The environment is not very welcoming for the beluga, the Seine is very polluted and cetaceans are extremely sensitive to noise," she said, adding that the Seine is "very noisy". Food the most urgent necessity In late May, a killer whale -- also known as an orca, but technically part of the dolphin family -- was found dead in the Seine between the port of Le Havre and Rouen. The most urgent need is to feed the beluga to prevent it from suffering the same fate as the orca which seems to have starved to death. The Eure authorities said lone belugas do sometimes swim further south than usual, and are able to temporarily survive in fresh water. While they migrate away from the Arctic in the autumn to feed as ice forms, they rarely venture so far south. The Fighter-General of the Economic Fighters League , Hardi Yakubu has expressed his opposing views on the ongoing SIM card registration exercise. He expressed gross concern over the governments decision to allow the various telecommunication companies, foreign dominated, to collect biometric data of citizens. The social advocate said the ongoing exercise is akin to giving an enemy in a major weapon to attack your base without any opposition. Some Ghanaians have been questioning the reasonability behind the need to re-register their SIM cards. For instance, the Minority in Parliament said that, they were not against any initiative by the government to provide a credible data base for persons holding identity cards in the country but they are against any attempt to illegally carry out what is supposed to be a legal exercise. Addressing a press conference in Parliament on Thursday July 28, Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Samuel Nartey George said as a minority caucus, we are not against any policy initiative that seeks to provide a clean, credible, reliable data based for persons who hold SIM cards in our country and use same for transacting private or public business. However, we are against any attempt to illegally carry out what should be a legal mandate. Fighter-General of the Economic Fighters League Mr. Yakubu questioned who or which government would in this day and age willingly and recklessly throw sensitive information such as biometrics of its people to a third party in such a manner. Taking to his Facebook wall, Mr. Yakubu wrote, In this day and age, data, especially individual data on a mass scale, is the most potent weapon of war in all spheres economic, social, cultural, geopolitical. Our biggest concern should not be about long queues, my brothers and sisters. It should be about how a government would be so reckless as to take such a decision with such serious geostrategic implications. I get it that services like Facebook already collect a lot of data on us and a responsible governments duty is to try and protect their citizens from such. But for a government to willingly hand over sensitive data of its citizens like this is mind-boggling, he continued. He also protested vehemently that he would rather have his sim card of 14 years disconnected as per the indications given by the Minister for Communications, c, than to indulge in divulging his biometrics to a foreign company in the name of re-registering a sim card. 3news 05.08.2022 LISTEN The Ghana Police Service is continuing with its investigations into the fatal accident on the Cape Coast-Takoradi highway. The fatal accident occurred on August 3 at Eduagyei Village when a Dad Flat Body Articulated Truck No. GM 2670-12 collided with an oncoming Toyota Hiace mini bus No. WR 1347-17. The driver and 11 passengers on board the Toyota Hiace vehicle sadly were subsequently all confirmed dead by a medical officer at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. Accused of careless driving leading to the accident, Dad Flat Body Articulated Truck, Paul Kwah who was behind the wheel has been arrested. The Central Regional Police Command has arrested Paul Kwah, the driver in charge of an articulated truck which was involved in a fatal motor accident on 3rd August 2022, at Eduagyei Village on the Cape Coast-Takoradi highway. Preliminary investigation revealed that, suspect driver, Paul Kwah, was driving a Dad Flat Body Articulated Truck No. GM 2670-12, loaded with 850 bags of cement from Takoradi to Accra. On reaching Eduagyei village, he carelessly overtook some vehicles and collided head on with an oncoming Toyota Hiace mini bus No. WR 1347-17, part of a press release on the official Facebook page of the Police Service reads. Meanwhile, one female passenger who survived the accident is responding to treatment at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. The Police are working with the families of the deceased to assist in identifying the victims of the accident. While we commiserate with the affected families, we continue to entreat all road users to be disciplined, responsible, and demonstrate a sense of humanity and adhere to road regulations in order to avoid such preventable accidents, the Police release concludes. 05.08.2022 LISTEN One of the children of a couple found dead in their home at Abuakwa Maakro in the Ashanti Region has revealed they starved themselves because their parents told them that food was a curse. Samuel Jackson and his wife Ernestina Jackson were found dead in their room on July 27, 2022, when police entered their rented apartment. Their two sons were also found in an unconscious state and were rushed to the Abuakwa Polyclinic. When Citi News visited the Abuakwa Polyclinic, the two children were in stable condition. The oldest son appeared to be highly traumatized and could not speak properly. The Medical Superintendent of the Abuakwa Polyclinic, Dr. Mensah Manye told Citi News the health professionals at the facility were taking the children through physiotherapy and psychotherapy to ensure they gain full fitness. The younger son who spoke to Citi News did not know the current state of their parents. He however disclosed that they refused to eat for religious reasons. We were not eating because our parents said food was a curse. Thats because they were worried over something. Now we know it. If you want to put the curse out of the food, you have to first pray and then eat. Our parents were not eating too. He further explained that they run out of food for a period of time in the house, but were locked inside their apartment. We run out of food for many days, and we became weak. The police came to our house and took us to the hospital. They took my mum and dad to the other hospital and brought me and my brother here. According to the medical superintendent of the Abuakwa Polyclinic, Dr. Mensah Manye, when the two children, who are about 12 and 13 years respectively brought to the facility, they were dehydrated and very weak. The police brought the two children here, who were both unconscious. The police narrated to me that the two children were being locked in their room with their parents for some months now. The two children were lying down helpless, unconscious, so they rushed them to the hospital. When they came, the assessment shows they were severely dehydrated. They had grown very lean. It was only their bony prominence that was showing. That shows the extent of weight loss theyve gone through. They could not talk or walk. They couldnt do anything. They lost a lot of fluid. We (my team and I) worked to resuscitate them. Dr. Mensah Manye says their observation shows that the woman may have died about a month ago, while the man may have died about two weeks ago. Apparently, the mother died and also the father died. From the polices observation when they broke into the room, they saw that the mother was decomposing. The husband also died on a water closet in a washroom. It appears the woman died about a month ago, while the man died about two or three weeks ago. Dr. Manye added that there were ice packs on the body of the woman to supposedly preserve the body. Family members of Ernestina Jackson who heard the news of her passing told Citi News that they were shocked as they did not know she and her family were in Ghana all this while. The two kids on admission at the Abuakwa Polyclinic are our grandchildren. Their mother was my niece. She had her traditional wedding with her husband at Bohyen. The family members of the man are in Tema. That was where they did the white wedding. They then travelled to the Netherlands after the marriage, so we lost contact at a point. They used to come to Ghana once a while. Had it not been for this incident, we wouldnt have known that they were in Ghana. We came here after we heard the news on the radio, Agyei Manu, a relative of Ernestina Jackson, stated in an interview with Citi News. The landlady of the couple in an interview with Citi News expressed shock following the incident. She said, although the Jackson family hardly socializes with others in the neighbourhood, the husband and wife were lovely. They are not the only family living in our house. After renting out the room to them, they have not at any point shown that they are violent. Their co-tenants can even attest to the fact that they are very lovely. They, however, hardly socialize with people within this area. They decide to greet people as and when they deem fit. Im really living in fear. Im shocked because I knew them. citinewsroom The winner of the Volta Regional Reading Competition, Sameilia Mekporsigbe has paid a visit to the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. The 8-year-old class 3 pupil of the Battor DA Priimary School was accompanied by a delegation led by the North Tongu Constituency Director of Education, Isabella Regina Ayimey. Ms Mekporsigbe won the competition sponsored by the USAID Learning Initiative when she emerged the best from the circuit, district and regional level. She competed with 17 other district champions and will represent the Volta Region at the national level. The North Tongu MP presented Ms Mekporsigbe with a Samsung Tablet plus free internet connectivity and a wide array of e-reading collections to enable her prepare for the competition. He also handed her an amount of GHS3000 to aid her preparations for the national reading competition in Accra. The class 3 pupil has also been placed on the MPs scholarship programme for additional academic assistance till she graduates from the university Source: classfmonline.com There is still a possibility thatgovernment can meet its projected revenue target for the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy), this is according to the Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana, Professor Peter Quartey. According to him, if the current charging rate of GHS1.50p is reviewed and reduced to encourage Ghanaians to use electronic transactions, it will help the targeted revenue to be reached. Speaking to TV3 during an engagement on the Ghana Tonight show, Prof. Quartey urged the government to look at available alternatives to make the failing Electronic Transaction Levy better. All we have to do is to make it better. We have to wait for a year or two if we want to scrap it. If we reduce the rate the needed revenue will be met. There are alternatives and even banks will transfer without paying e-levy and the exemptions attached. To reduce the rate, it has to go back to parliament, Professor Peter Quartey shared. Before the commencement of the Electronic Transaction Levy on May 1, the Finance Ministry targeted to rake in GHS6.9 billion as indicated in the 2022 Budget Statement. However, after making below 10% of the monthly expected revenue, that target has since been revised downwards to GHS611 million in the mid-year budget review. Clad in red and black armbands, concerned youth of Samreboi in the Western Region, today, Friday, 5th August demonstrated over bad roads in the town. The demonstration which started from Aboi fie taxi station through the principal street of Samreboi saw hundreds of residents participate with a call on relevant authorities to fix their roads. With inscriptions such as we produce cocoa to finance Ghana, give us our roads, our share of cocoa roads have been moved to the city, year of roads but we are not having good roads the angry residents said they will block any movement of goods from the community to the cities until their roads are fixed. Source: Classfmonline.com The Electoral Commission (EC) has warned that any person without a Ghana card will not be allowed to register for a voter ID ahead of the 2024 polls. "You will not be registered to vote if you do not have a Ghana card," the EC stressed. The Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Dr Serebour Quaicoe issued this warning in an interview on the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by Kwame Obeng Sarkodie on Accra 100.5 FM on Friday, August 5, 2022, He was categorical in saying "before one can be eligible to register and subsequently vote in the 2024 general elections, he or she must bear a Ghana card as a legal document." He explained that the Ghana card will help the EC eliminate the scenarios of age-cheating as well as minors on the electoral roll. According to him, the Ghana card as the sole document will also eliminate the abuse of the guarantor system. He emphasised that the use of the Ghana card as the primary document for enrolling on the voter's roll will clean up the system and minimise the situation of bussing people from one polling station to the other during registration exercises in the country. He added that the EC will open up its offices across the country for continuous registration for people who acquire their Ghana card late to be able to register after the limited registration exercise next year Source: Classfmonline.com The 20th anniversary of the UN World Conference on Racism, held in Durban, South Africa, in 2001, will be celebrated this August. There was much discussion at the conference about reparations to Africa for the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, in which millions of Africans were captured to provide free labour in North and South America and the Caribbean for over four and a half centuries. Unfortunately, the conference was overshadowed by the 9/11 attacks on the US several days after it ended. The question of whether reparations should be paid to the continent of Africa for the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade is still being debated. It is unlikely that former Western slave-trading countries will engage in reparative measures in the near future. The turn toward authoritarianism, xenophobia and racism in Western democracies makes it unlikely that even well-intentioned governments will propose reparations to Africa. But, despite these political changes in slave-trading nations, there remains a strong case for why the fight for reparations shouldn't be abandoned. Apology For The Slave Trade A 2005 United Nations document discusses different aspects of reparations, including apologies for past harms, the right to know the truth, and financial compensation. Over the past 15 years (following the 2005 UN report), there has been no progress on these issues, not even over the issuing of an apology. At the 2001 conference, a Dutch representative spoke of his government's deep remorse for the slave trade and enslavement. In 2006, British Prime Minister Tony Blair issued a statement expressing sorrow for the slave trade, but not apologising. None of these amounted to an apology. Nor has the US issued one. President Bill Clinton acknowledged the horrors of the slave trade in 1998 during a visit to Uganda. But he didn't apologise. On a visit to Senegal in 2003, President George W. Bush said that the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade had been one of the greatest crimes in history. Again, there was no apology. Some people might object to their government apologising for the slave trade on the grounds that neither they, nor their ancestors, were involved. But as the late Kenyan-American scholar Ali Mazrui argued, if you are a citizen of a country, you must take on its responsibilities as well as its benefits. Western slave-trading countries have a moral, if not a legal, obligation to apologise. A Truth Commission On The Slave Trade One way to identify the responsibilities of former Western slave-trading states might be through a truth commission on the slave trade. Critics might argue that such a truth commission should discuss all actors in African enslavement. About 14 million people were taken from Africa in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, but another 10 million were taken in the Arab trade. Africans also participated in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and held their own slaves. The Nigerian writer, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, was shocked to learn that her great-grandfather was a slave trader, selling slaves to Cuba and Brazil after the trade was abolished by the US and Great Britain. When her great-grandfather died, six slaves were buried alive with him. Acknowledging both Arab and African participation in enslavement, a truth commission on the slave trade could explain that internal African slavery was generally much more benign than American slavery. Enslaved people within Africa were frequently incorporated into the families of their owners. Similarly, Arab slave-owners were more likely to free enslaved children than were Western enslavers. This type of information would counter arguments that the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was no worse than internal African slavery or Arab slavery. In any event, the fact that other entities committed similar wrongs is not an excuse for a perpetrator state not to apologise. Financial Reparations One problem in the discussion of financial reparations for the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade is which former slave trading and slave-holding nations might owe financial reparations to Africa. About a quarter million enslaved Africans disembarked in the US between 1626 and 1875, whereas 5.1 million disembarked in Brazil between 1401 and 1875. Does Brazil owe reparations to Africa? Or does Portugal, a slave-trading nation, owe reparations to Brazil, which was then its colony? Similarly, do Arab countries and African slave-traders owe reparations for their part in the slave trade? The case of philosopher Anthony Appiah is instructive. He is of mixed Ashanti (Ghanaian) and British ancestry. Both his British and Ashanti ancestors traded in slaves. Do the Ashanti owe reparations to other ethnic groups within Ghana from whom they took slaves? As with apologies, however, these questions don't absolve Western slave-trading powers of their particular responsibilities. The US, the UK, the Netherlands, France, Spain and Portugal still bear collective ethical responsibility for the wrongs their societies committed in the past. Yet, even if these countries are responsible to pay financial reparations, critics might ask who should be the recipients of reparations. It is now possible through genetic research and research on slave-trading ships for Western slave-trading countries to determine where the bulk of their captives originated (for example Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal or Angola). Western states could then compensate those countries. Western critics might still ask why they should pay reparations to Africa. The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade ended in the mid-19th century. In reply, some scholars and activists argue that, without the slave trade, Africa would be much more developed today. Moreover, the West could not have developed without the trans-Atlantic trade. According to this argument, Western slave-trading states should compensate African states because the West developed while Africa was actively underdeveloped. Western countries willing to pay reparations could finance specific projects connected to the slave trade. They could donate funds to maintain African museums and historic sites of the trade. They could also fund educational programmes to study the trans-Atlantic trade, or fund a truth commission on the slave trade. The small amounts dedicated to this type of reparation would not satisfy advocates who argue for reparations in the billions, even trillions, of dollars. But they would at least be a material acknowledgement of the harms the slave trade caused. The question of whether aid should be part of the equation also raises a host of tricky issues. Have, as some might argue, Western countries not already compensated for the slave trade via foreign aid? And what of the misuse of aid which has been stolen by corrupt governments? Whether reparations or aid, the same problems of mismanagement, lack of transparency, and corruption emerge. Making Amends Whatever celebrations the UN organises to mark the 20th anniversary of the Durban conference, former Western slave-trading states bear moral responsibility to offer reparations to Africa. Apologies, a truth commission on the Trans-Atlantic trade, and symbolic financial compensation will not solve the problems of Africa's continued underdevelopment. But they would at last constitute an admission that the West should never have engaged in this trade. They would also be an acknowledgement of the West's responsibility to try to remedy the continued legacy of the slave trade in Africa. BY Rhoda E. Howard-Hassmann, Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Science, Wilfrid Laurier University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. The Principal Superintendent Health Officer of Agona Bobikuma Health Center in the Agona West Municipality of the Central Region, Madam Doris Amoah has lamented over the high cases of Malaria recorded at the facility on daily basis. She said 80% of cases recorded at the Center are malaria Madam Doris Amoah encourages residents in the area to make good use of the numerous treated mosquito nets being supplied to them freely to protect themselves against malaria. According to Madam Doris Amoah, the facility has been sensitizing the people on the need to protect themselves from mosquito bites following the increasing levels of cases. In an interview with Newsmen at Agona Bobikuma on Monday, the Principal Health Officer said some people collect the treated mosquito nets only to be used for fencing their farms. She noted that people make several excuses that they felt excessive heat when sleeping under the mosquito nets. "Apart from the 80% malaria cases recorded on daily basis, we also record other diseases such as coughing, diabetics, high blood pressure, snake bites and deep cut associated with farming practices. "As for safe delivery among expectant mothers, we don't have any problem. We deliver them safely when their time is due. We have a sizeable number of staff who are working assiduously to save lives. "Our major challenge is congestion. The rooms are too small and crowded thus making it extremely difficult to operate smoothly looking at the high attendance of patients who troops to the facility, yet we are doing our best as professional medical health officers," she stated. Madam Doris Amoah commended Nananom, the youth and individuals in community for supporting the facility whenever the needs arises saying it has encouraged them to do their best. "As I speak, Nananom are putting up two rooms to supplement our work, we appreciate this contributions." The Principal Superintendent Officer made a passionate appeal to the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service to consider expanding the facility to a higher status. Omanbaatan of Upper Bobikuma, Nana Adu Yeboah appealed to the government through the Agona West Municipal Assembly to provide nurse and police quarters to accommodate personnel posted to the said institutions adding lack of accomodation was affecting work efficiency. "Nananom through fundraising and levies are constructing a Community Center to be used as our durbar grounds and also serve as offices for decentralized Government Departments and Agencies to offer their services in the community for Agriculture, Environmental Health and Sanitation Department, Ghana Water Company and the Electricity Company of Ghana among others. "We also have three tourist attractions in the Upper Bobikuma here which when developed, would attract income for the nation. Nananom have made several appeals to the Central Regional Minister, Hon. Mrs. Justina Marigold Assan and our Member of Parliament, Hon. Mrs. Cynthia Mamley Morrison to lobby the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Arts to come and develop them into tourist centres. This will create job opportunities for the youth in the Agona Bobikuma and its surrounding communities," he stated. Ebusuapayin, Nana Oware popularly known as 'Owass' on his part bemoaned the deplorable nature of the road network from Ajumako to Agona Swedru which he noted was making transportation of goods and services extremely difficult. Staff and Students of Agona Fankobaa Community Senior High School (SHS) complain bitterly about the poor nature of the road network saying it has affected academic work and performance. According to him, the situation had become a nightmare for the people who are mainly farmers. "The feeder road from Upper Bobikuma to Breman Kuntanase had been awarded on contract for reshaping, but the Contractor has virtually been abandoned the project leaving commuters to their fate. The authorities must force him to come and complete the project. "I will however commend our Member of Parliament, Hon. Mrs. Cynthia Mamley Morrison for upgrading Upper Bobikuma Town roads, we are grateful to her. It's our prayers that other ongoing projects in the vicinity would be completed soon," he stated. The Nabdam District Chief Executive (DCE) Agnes Anamoo has bemoaned the rising rate of teenage pregnancy in the district. She said though, the district saw a reduction in the teenage pregnancy rate from 22 percent in 2020 to 15 percent in 202, it was still nothing to be content with as a mother, calling on all stakeholders to rise up to the challenge and put a stop to the canker. This was disclosed in an interview with Modern Ghana News in Nangodi on the sidelines of a stakeholders engagement meeting on Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Rights (ASRHR), organized in the District by Rise-Ghana in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and sponsored by United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF). Mrs. Anamoo said she has been in relentless talks with all the Traditional Authorities, Queen Mothers, health workers, opinion leaders, Assemblymen and women, youth groups, teachers, Faith Based Organization (FBO) together with the District Assembly to fashion out by-laws. The engagements seek to set time for holding public events such as durbars, festivals passing out ceremonies and funerals among others to start and end early during the day. Mrs. Anamoo stated that so far, the response is good but it must be enforced by all so as to help reduced teenage pregnancy to the bearest minimum. She however touched on the eating lifestyle of the adolescent, especially the girls. she said the modern kinds of foods being sold in the markets, such as indomie, and fried rice, among others. The DCE urged parents to rise and play a leading role by educating their children to learn to eat well. A resident of Dansoman who was arrested by the police for engaging in an illegal water connection at Wiaboman has been fined an amount of GH9,600.00. The suspect was picked up by the Dansoman police on July 25, 2022, after he was caught illegally tapping into a new water supply line laid by the water distribution Company from Weija into the community. The culprit was subsequently put before the Dansoman Magistrate Court, where he pleaded guilty to the offence and made payments without delay with the help of family members. The Regional Communications Manager for the Accra West Branch of the Ghana Water Company Limited, Solace Akomeah while speaking on the matter reiterated the commitment of her outfit to clamp down on such illegal activities. The gentleman when he was called was given a fair hearing. We asked him whether or not he was guilty and he responded in the affirmative. We then fined him an amount of GH9,600. He paid GH5000 earlier and that day in the court he only had some GH4600 more to pay. His request that he should be allowed to make deposits of GH500 every month was turned down by the court. The court said the amount was too small and that he would only accept GH2000 monthly deposits. The culprit said he could not afford the amount. The judge then said he will be given a 6 months jail term. He later had support from some family members, who paid the full amount for him. So he has been cleared now. By Citi Newsroom The Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen has joined well-wishers to express his condolences to Citi FMs Bernard Avle over the demise of his wife, Justin Avle. The Minister, on behalf of his wife, Mrs Patricia Kyerematen and his entire family expressed their deepest sympathy to the ace broadcaster. In his post on Facebook on Thursday, August 4, seen by Modernghana News, he wished the deceased a peaceful rest. I have learnt with deep shock and sadness the sudden passing into eternity, of Mrs. Justine Avle, wife of ace broadcaster Mr. Bernard Avle of Citi FM. My wife Patricia and l, express our deep condolences to Bernard, their children and loved ones. May God grant Justine a safe rest in peace, Alan wrote. On Thursday, August 4, Ghanaians woke up to the shocking news of the demise of Mrs. Justine Avle, the wife of Bernard Koku Avle, General Manager of Citi FM and Citi TV. According to ModernGhana sources, his wife died on the evening of Wednesday, August 3. The award-winning journalist, Mr. Avle host of the Citi Breakfast Show on Citi FM and Point of View Show on Citi TV, married Justine in 2011. They have five kids; four boys and a girl. The last girl is only a few months old and was breastfeeding. Some unknown persons have cut down the Electricity Power pole at Okwenya in the Yilo Krobo Municipality of the Eastern region. The Assembly Man for the Okwenya electoral area Seth Tetteh confirmed the incident. Our community was not affected by the cut off by the ECG in the two Krobo Municipalities; Lower Manya and Yilo Krobo Municipalities, even though we are part of Yilo Krobo. We experienced light out around 11:30pm Thursday night ,we felt it was a usual light off. Only to wake up to find one electric power pole cut down, with a chain saw guess, he said. Mr Tetteh further explained that officials from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Military was at the Okwenya community to asses the Power pole. The ECG manager and some Military personnel came to check the Power pole, they promised us that the Police will be in our community. We pray they come to fix the pole for us, he said. The Electric pole is part of a host of Power poles that connect electricity from Akuse to Aseseaso and help in pumping water to the Water Station at AKorley. If the situation persists, residents who access water from the Akorley water plant would have to deal with double crises of not having electricity and water. It has been 10 days since the ECG cut power supply to the Lower Manya Krobo and Yilo krobo Municipalities for safety demands for their staff. Residents, health facilities businesses and Senior high schools are in crisis having to buy fuel to power generators to survive. The local economy is also gradually halting, whiles residents' inability to cope with the lights out is psychologically torturing. Series of meeting between some chiefs in the area, ECG management and the Energy ministry is yet to produce a peaceful path to resolving the impasse. ---3news.com|Ghana 05.08.2022 LISTEN Trouble is brewing at Abuakwa Kokoben in the Atwima Nwabiagya Municipality of the Ashanti Region following an attack by residents on the Police station. Angry residents on Friday, August 5, stormed the Police station to protest the death of one of the residents said to have died while in police cell. The residents marched through the streets of Abuakwa Kokoben as they accused police of assaulting the deceased identified as Prince Salasi. The deceased is said to have died overnight after he was allegedly manhandled by officers. The deceased is said to have gone to the police station for the release of workers of a metal container he was building along the road to be used for a shop when an altercation occurred. Reports indicate that the deceased was beaten to pulp by two Police officers when he resisted arrest. A heated argument ensued between the police and the deceased when the deceased insisted the chief had no right to stop him from working. He insisted the assembly was the only body clothed to stop him. The police insisted on arresting him but he resisted and left the station. Shortly after he crossed the street, the two officers whom we know as Obroni and Acquay raised an alarm that the guy was a thief. Other officers rushed on him and began beating him till they brought him to the station. A sister of the deceased came to meet him in a bad state when she visited to provide him some food. Later in the night, they brought him out dead prompting the action of the townsfolk, an eyewitness Isifu Ali told Ultimate News in an interview. Before the angry residents attacked the Police station, some beseeched the home of one of the Police officers in an attempt to deal with him for playing a role in the assault of the deceased. In the heat of the protest, one of the rioting residents was knocked down by a Police vehicle. The police have since called for reinforcement to maintain peace at Abuakwa Kokoben. The head of Chad's ruling junta Friday flew off to Qatar to seal a possible peace deal with rebels, a key step in plans to restore civilian rule, the presidency's website said. General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno's plane took off from N'Djamena airport at around 1230 GMT, an AFP journalist said. Earlier, diplomats and negotiators in Doha said Deby and opposition groups would sign an accord on Monday, opening the way for the rebels to attend a "national inclusive dialogue" on Chad's future. Deby has been in power since April 2021, when his father, veteran president Idriss Deby Itno, was killed in an operation against insurgents in northern Chad. He has promised to stage elections within an 18-month timeframe. The ballot would follow a "dialogue" gathering representatives across Chadian society, including its political opposition and constellation of rebel groups. Chad. By Patricio ARANA (AFP) The forum was initially scheduled to start on February 15 but was postponed to May 10 and then again to August 20. It has been persistently delayed by discord among the dozens of rebel groups locked in talks with the government. Qatar has been playing the role of mediator in the parlay, which began in March. On the table is a government plan for a ceasefire and guarantees of security for rebel leaders who attend the forum. On Friday, a senior diplomatic source in Doha said "the signature will be on Monday". The source spoke on condition of anonymity as no official announcement had been made by the Qatari government. A deeply poor country in the heart of the Sahel, Chad has had little stability since gaining independence from France in 1960. Armed rebels are a major factor in the volatility, traditionally posing a threat to the government from havens in the north of the country The main armed opposition Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) has not yet announced whether it will sign the accord. FACT fighters were among rebels battling the senior Deby when he was killed last year after an iron-fisted reign lasting 30 years. Captured rebels from the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) in N'Djamena last year. By Djimet WICHE (AFP) According to a decree signed Thursday by Prime Minister Albert Pahimi Padacke, more than 1,300 representatives of rebel groups, civil society, trade unions and government officials will attend the talks in the Chadian capital. The 18-month timeframe set by Deby runs out in October, which leaves little time to prepare for elections in the vast arid country. The junta has given itself the option of extending the deadline but faces pressure from France, the European Union and African Union not to do so. 05.08.2022 LISTEN Two robbers have been sentenced to spend 30 years in prison with hard labour. The two robbers including Sumaila Nketia and Kwabena Nyameke were arrested by the Police at Abesewa, a suburb of Dunkwa-On-Offin in the Central Region. After being found guilty of various robberies, the two have been handed 20 and 10 years jail terms in hard labour respectively. The convicts, Sumaila Nketia alias Last Two and Kwabena Nyameke alias Kalilu were arrested following a police intelligence-driven investigation and operation. The convicts have been on the police wanted list for multiple robberies in the Dunkwa-On-Offin municipality and its environs. Victims of five separate robbery attacks came forward to identify them and some stolen properties of the victims have been retrieved. There are several robbery cases currently against them before the courts. One of such cases was decided on August 3, 2022, leading to their conviction and subsequent sentencing. In an official police statement confirming the sentencing, it says it commends the Central Regional Police Commander and his team for the investigation, arrest and successful prosecution of the case. In line with our new standard operating procedure, the faces of these persons have been shown since they are now convicts and no longer suspects. We would like to assure the public that the Police will continue to fight crime and bring criminals to justice, a police statement said on Friday, August 5. 05.08.2022 LISTEN Since last Friday 17th of March there is a huge numerous shoots the reactions that has unleashed however the Majority of the mentioned reactions were coincided amid of the critic in the main and into the form. The debate has served and already there is who reads this news in the Worlds key, and investigating the connections of this announced with the International Geopolitical Alliances with regard of the Ukraine Crisis. The solution for the Conflict : how can achieve? Through policy or via International Law? First Question we need to know the linkage of this movement, which is cannot be doubt the policy impact, if the Western Sahara Dispute solution can be brought through the policy backed International Law. Since that Public shutting taker of Pedro Sanchez Party, has been much of what has signalizing the coherence to defender the International Law and the National Sovereignty of Ukraine. However the most equal we must implement when D.Tump announced the recognition of Morocco Sovereignty over Western Sahara Territory, is necessary to remind what had happened of the Interrelate between the policy and the International Law, this pronouncement not changed the Nature of the Conflict nor its solution. Hence, is wanted to allude the fundamental aspects that determining the applicable jurisdiction way for the Resolution of the Dispute: the naturalized of the Territory, the legitimacy representation of the Population legal Framework should applicable for its Resolution and the role of Spain. The Territory of Western Sahara is non-Autonomy, furthermore, beneath the Resolutions of the United Nation ( R.2625(xxv) of the General Assembly of the United Nation approved 24th of October 1970) its Nature solely changing when the People of the Colonial or the non- Autonomy Territory been exercised its right of Liberty Self-determination into Conformity with the United Nation charter and, in particular, into its purposes and Principles (p.174). This naturalize has been reiterated by part of Lawyer Adviser of the United Nation, Hns Corell ( S/2002/161), for Example, or in the different Sentences of the European Tribunals the String of the Legality of the exploitation of the Territorys Natural Resources. This Territorys naturalize also defined the main Status of the Parties and concretely the Nature of the Morocco presence in the Territory such an Occupation (see Resolutions R UNSC 377/1975 and R UNGA 34/37 of 1979 and our previous analysis).Its also the same sentences made clear that the legitimate represent of Saharawi People is the Frene Polisario (Sentence of TG of 29th of September 2021) and , therefore any Decision could affecting the welfare of the Saharawi People, to manage Its own Natural Resources or to the Termination of Property own future must be checking through consultation Legitimacy Representative.Given the naturalize of the Territory and the Status of the Parties there is no place to other Frame for a Resolution to the Conflict what can establish International Law and the Resolutions of the United Nation, and this done by realization of the Right of Self- determination of the Saharawi People. however, not support to clarify this Frame the laxity of the use a language for part of the own UNO, what has did modified her formulation for the Solution to the Conflict through the embark absolute on the Self-determination(See, for Example, the Resolution 621 of 1988), to the searching of an (( policy Solution would be mutually acceptable)) for Example, the Resolution 1541 of 29th Abril 2004 ) or the Appeal to an policy Process under its Headlines of the Spokesmen of the UN, Stephen Dujaric, in his reaction on the Spanish Government change. Finally, the jurisdiction condition of the Territory making also the naturalized of Spain like Administrative Potential for the Territory, although the Spanish different Governments have treated disengagement of their responsibility. Wall of Western Sahara, has constructed to split in 1980 with Sand, Stones and protected by Landmines, with an extension superior to the 2.720 Kilometres and an Stocking of 3 Meters of the height, what divided the Western Sahara and the Southwest of the Morocco, separate like this Areas is controlling by Polisario and Called Liberation Area (AFP PHOTO/ PATRICK HERTZOG) A Betrayal new or a new Treason? Having in mind the fundamental applicable jurisdictions, which is the real repercussion of the Announcement of the President Sanchez? The Polisario remembers what this positioning no changing the Status of the Territory nor the responsibility of Spain, while what there who confirms what this Announcement no supposed change, already what the betrayed of the PSOE had back to the Period of Felipe Gonzalez.Even though is true what the Socialist Party does what is align with the Morocco Proposal nevertheless until now herself realizing an Official Procedure what controversially the traditional active neutrality of the Spanish position or posture. Therefore many of the Criticizes were leading to the form in what has realized this change, without informing partners of the Government and those in Coalition, neither the Opposition, nor the Citizenries. The criticizes more warm solely reproaching Mr Pedro Sanchez the form in the what he himself Communique this Decision, claiming what, given its Draft, should have been Communique of a form consensual and transparency, and not like reaction to the Publication of the massive for Morocco side. However, like those positions ignored what that this change of course, then of controversial the Historic positioning of the Spains Foreign policy and the already mentioned bases for International Law, contradicts the proper electoral Program for Socialist Party of 2019, ( what in its page 286 vowed respect the principal of Self-determination for Saharawi People), of the what bases on its own voters should also reclaiming explications, not only in the form, but in the bottom. Strategy of National policy or International Alliance ? Like this Issues, if asking for what this change and why right now, when more necessary is narrow the ties with Algeria, historically for the Saharawi People. While what the Official argument that detaches of the fragments filtered of the massive and of the Declarations of some Members for the Party appoint to the needs to close the Diplomatic Crises which Morocco, is necessary to analyze the Global of repercussion of this Decision for understand if responding to an strategy of National policy or to Alliance International Strategies. In first place, is necessary to recording what Morocco recognizes what the origin of this Diplomatic was not for the hospitalized the Frente polisario leader Mr Brahim Ghali, but for the Spains positioning after the Announce of Trump of the recognition of the Sovereignty on the Territory. In this Key Note , the Decision adopted for the Government of Pedro Sanchez would suppose an Assignment to the Morocco Blackmail for initiating other Crisis with Algeria, who ensures not have been informed this swerve.In addition, after the position is recrimination the Government what does not know and there is no Information had been given to the Parliament house about this change and even their Partners in the Government have ordered the appearance of the President to give explications of this change. The President of Spanish Government, Mr Pedro Sanchez, and the President of the French Republic, Mr Emmanuel Macron, during his appearance before the Maiden of Communication after Meeting in the Palace of the Eliseo (Paris) this Monday 21st March. Photo: Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo. The hands what moves the Strings: However, already there is who sees this turn an interest what goes beyond on an attempt for solve a bilateral Crisis, and change that responds to Geopolitical interests more specious. In first place, result difficult to unlink any actual decision of the Ukrainian crisis. Not in vain, is good reminding what Morocco herself abstained in the voting against Russia en the General Assembly, conscious of the relation of Algeria and of the Paper of the Asian Countries in the Region. Other voices noticed to what Spain goes on like this the steps of EE,UU, and of Germany for defreeze the relation with Morocco and Reinforcement like this alliance with who understanding what is an ally key in the Region. Deserves the penalty signal what also in the Case of Germany went Morocco the filter an massive of the recently elected chancellor for accounting of the what understood like an backrest to his plan of autonomy, to despite the fact that Germany affirmed not having Varied her Official posture with respect to the Conflict. That which result difficult of understand, in any Case, is the moment elected for this change of posture, when the Alliance with Algeria is strategy in the Energy Crisis across Europe. Anti these interrogates is logic wonder who is the principal driven of this Measure, and all points in two Directions: EE.UU. And France. Both Countries have clear interests in the Region, and isnt the first time that the Conflict in Western Sahara sneaks into Keys Geopolitics of the Zone and especially in the repercussion of the relations of EE.UU., Russia and Ukraine. On the other hand, France, is the principal defender of the Morocco posture, and the synergy between the Spanish Government of Pedro Sanchez and the President Macron was evident in the Meeting of the past 15 of March, just before the Announce of this posture. Manifestation for the freedom of the Saharawi people in Madrid in January of 2021 (Photo: EP) Message to the Saharawi people: There is no doubt of what is this situation gives a clear Message to the Saharawi People and to Frente Polisario. In first place, is evident that not all the Wars are the same and what the policy repercussion and Social of the Conflicts this conditioned by questions like the Race and the Cultural proximity, and above all, by the Economic interests. The bid of the Saharawi People for an pacific solution to an Conflict that had been lasted more than 46 years solely has taken them to ostracize and mediate blockade, broken unique when the violent has escalation in the territory. Like this is difficult that the bet by the peace is Maintained, above all among the Saharawi more Youngers generation. On the other hand, the incoherence in the Application of International Law took the Saharawi people to disloyalty and mistrusting of the International Community, what have seen like Morocco violates the Law of form recurring and even the owns signed Contracts without any repercussion nor legally or politically. And finally, the 3rd Message what this situation sent to the Saharawi People, what is not can be confidentially in the Spanish policy Class. To differentiation of others Countries like Portugal, that they did of the Decolonization of the East Timor this an bet National until what is solved in Conflict with Indonesia, all the Spanish political Parties has been Characterized for defender an posture in around to Western Sahara since the Opposition and the vice versa since the government. Despite of the critics of their Allies of Government and of the Parties what facilitating the investiture in parliament headquarter? And like said the recently Deceased Despond tutu: if you neutralized in situations of injustice you choose the side of the Oppressor. Seems clear that each times are more the aligned the side of the Oppressor and only subtraction see like the Peoples backlash oppressed. By Maria Lopez Belloso 05.08.2022 LISTEN The NPP's weaponized political slogan of "Breaking the 8" as a preparation for going into election 2024 is a pure political gimmick. It is fluid. It is without substance hence totally deceptive. Are the New Patriotic Party (NPP) serious to break the corruption-inducing cyclical 8-year power rotation between them and the National Democratic Congress (NDC)? If yes, how are they prepared for it and what are their strategies put in place? As said in an Akan proverb, "Yen nfa nutu hunu na ek3 Baasere asore", to wit, "It is not by mere proclamation that one becomes a member of the Presbyterian Church". There must be seen to be demonstrable actions. Do you break the 8 without any ability, capability and readiness to communicate your government's achievements to the citizenry? Do you break the 8 without engaging the public to explain to them why Ghana is currently in an economic downturn; surely exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing devastating Russia/Ukraine war? Do you break the 8 while most of your Government Ministers are seen to be living ostentatious and affluent lives in the midst of poverty-stricken Ghana where many are wailing for want of job and little money to keep them surviving? Do you break the 8 in a situation where you make no efforts to counter the lies fed to the public by the NDC to make your government and party loathed by the citizenry? Do you break the 8 without bothering about there being no effective and honest party communication team let alone, resourcing the team with vital information and other accoutrement? I see the NPP as just not being serious, if not complete jokers touting a slogan they know themselves to be unachievable going by their nonchalant, nonstrategic and open dithering behaviours in exhibition by the leaders. Those that had helped them or seriously engaged in helping them, are not given recognition by the party leaders. All they care about is looking after their selfish parochial interests, the trait, but actually the self-denigration, of the Ghanaian or African politician. However, recognition like communication, is an effective weapon in any successful business. Why spend my precious time lamenting over the obstinacy, beckoning defeat, and laughable daydreaming attempts by the NPP to break the hateful and development-retarding cyclical 8-year change of power baton between them and NDC since no matter how best you advise them, they will not listen? How can NPP break the 8 with rogues like Kwaku Ampratwu-Sarpong, the Member of Parliament for Mampong Constituency doubling as Deputy Foreign Minister, in power and insulting the Mampong elders and constituents to their face? Should NPP seriously desire to break the 8 which I see as far-fetched by the leaderships' current behaviour, then they had better amend their ways and seek the help of a political strategist. For currently, they are not serious but only tickling themselves and laughing and running around like a headless chicken. This is an indisputable fact! Take it or reject it, for that I care. Rockson Adofo Thursday, 4 August 2022 Farmers in the Komenda Edina Equafo Abirim (KEEA) municipality have been introduced to varieties of climate resilient crops to enhance productivity throughout its season. Speaking at a field trip with farmers in Dompoasi in KEEA, a senior research scientist at the Crop Research Institute Dr. Stephen Yeboah said, challenges associated with climate change which include the changes in rainfall patterns among others have had a negative impact on farming, a situation which has affected families and the economy at large. He therefore hinted that the improved varieties introduced, will enable farmers meet the demands of consumers whiles not compromising on quality. For her part, the Director of the Department of Agriculture in the Municipality, Mrs. Victoria Abankwa admonishes farmers to be interested in the efficiency of soil used for farming since that forms the basis of the success or failure of their crops. She asserts that the improved seeds are meant to augment their efforts. The Municipal Chief Executive who was at the event organized by AICCRA advised the farmers to pass on the education imbibed at the field trip to their colleagues' farmers who were unable to partake in the initiative. Hon. Solomon Ebo Appiah further urged the participants to put to practice what they have learnt and share their experiences with authorities as part of their feedback sessions. Madam Hannah Baafo who spoke on behalf of the farmers expressed their satisfaction and appreciation to the organizers for the opportunity given them in expanding their knowledge in their farming practices. Madam Baafo said farmers will now enjoy bumper harvest amid the effects of climate change on their farming practices. Lusaka, August 5, 2022 Zimbabwean authorities should immediately drop all charges against journalists Wisdom Mdzungairi and Desmond Chingarande and allow them to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Tuesday, August 2, police summoned Mdzungairi, editor-in-chief of the privately owned media company Alpha Media Holdings, and Chingarande, a senior reporter with the company, to appear for questioning the following day, the journalists told CPJ by phone. On Wednesday morning, Mdzungairi and Chingarande appeared at the Harare Central Police Station where police held them for about three hours and charged them with transmitting false data intending to cause harm, according to the journalists, their lawyer Jeremiah Bamu, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app, media reports, and the Zimbabwe chapter of the regional press freedom group Media Institute of Southern Africa. Authorities released Mdzungairi and Chingarande only after Bamu assured the officers that they would be available as needed, the three told CPJ. If convicted of spreading false information, they could each face a fine of 70,000 Zimbabwean dollars (US$194) and up to five years in prison according to the relevant laws and schedule of fines. Zimbabwean police must drop the spurious charges against journalists Wisdom Mdzungairi and Desmond Chingarande, and ensure that the countrys cyber security laws are not abused to censor the press, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator, in Durban, South Africa. Mdzungairi and Chingarande are the latest members of the press to be targeted for prosecution, a clear signal that it is open season against journalists ahead of next years election. The government must stop this trend in its tracks. Alpha Media Holdings owns several Zimbabwean newspapers including News Day, according to its website. Zimbabwe is scheduled to hold general elections in 2023. The journalists detention was related to a December 16, 2021, NewsDay report by Chingarande about a local cemetery that was allegedly run without government approval. In a phone call on July 28, police told Chingarande that they were investigating him over alleged inaccuracies in that report, without specifying who had filed a complaint over the reporting, the journalists and their lawyer said. Mdzungairi told CPJ that their arrest was emotionally draining. When CPJ called Zimbabwe police spokesperson Paul Nyathi, he said he would comment on the case by Friday morning, but did not reply by Friday evening. Pictured: a screenshot of a report by the Nigerian broadcaster Trust-TV that aired on its YouTube channel. Trust-TV and three other news outlets were recently fined over their reporting on security issues. 05.08.2022 LISTEN Abuja, August, 5, 2022 Nigerian authorities should immediately drop the fines recently issued to four media outlets, and should ensure that the press can work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Wednesday, August 3, the National Broadcasting Commission regulator announced on its Facebook page that it had issued fines of 5 million naira (US$11,984) to the privately owned broadcasters Trust-TV, Multichoice Nigeria Limited, and TelCom Satellite Limited, as well as NTA-Startimes Limited, which is affiliated with the state-owned National Television Authority. The fines came one week after Nigerias information minister, Lai Mohammed, accused Trust-TV and the BBC of glorification of terrorism and banditry in the country, and said they would face penalties, according to reports. The regulators press release said the outlets are required to pay the fines by August 30 or face harsher sanctions. Nigerias National Broadcasting Commission should immediately reverse its fines issued to Trust-TV, Multichoice Nigeria Limited, TelCom Satellite Limited, and NTA-Startimes over their airing of reporting about insecurity in the country, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator, in Durban, South Africa. These heavy fines for simply airing documentary content send a chilling message that coverage of security concerns is off-limits. The regulator sanctioned Trust-TV over a March 3 documentary, Nigerias banditry: The Inside Story, and fined the other three outlets for airing a July 28 documentary by the BBC Africa Eye program, Bandit Warlords of Zamfara, according to the regulators press release, signed by the commissions director general, Balarabe Shehu Ilelah. The Trust-TV documentary, which aired on its YouTube Channel, included interviews with masked gun-wielding people, locally referred to as bandits, who explained their reasons for joining armed gangs, as well as the possibility of them giving up arms and leaving the groups if the government would negotiate with them. The BBC documentary also included interviews with prominent bandits in Northern Zamfara state, some of whom are wanted by the Nigerian police. In its press release on Facebook, the broadcasting commission alleged that the outlets violated sections of the broadcasting code by inciting crime that could lead to public disorder or hate, transmitting a program likely to incite violence or panic, and failing to depict law and order as socially superior to crime or anarchy. In a statement reacting to the fines, Trust-TV said it would study the issue, adding that they believe they were acting in public interest by shedding light on the thorny issues of banditry and how it is affecting citizens. Trust-TV Chief Operating Officer Ibrahim Shehu Adamu told CPJ by phone that the fines would cripple the broadcaster, which began operating less than a year ago. If we are to take that lump sum and pay as finewe will not be able to operate, he told CPJ, adding, If this fine is allowed to go, we have to think twice before we are able to do such big investigations in the future. When CPJ called National Broadcasting Commission director of broadcasting monitoring Francis Aiyetan, he declined to comment specifically about the August 3 fines, but said the commission would never impose a sanction that would cripple an organization. He said the commissions fines were aimed to serve as a deterrent against future violations of the broadcasting code. He noted that Nigerias broadcasting code includes a range of fines. Under that code, heavy fines range from 2 to 10 million naira (US$4,789 to $23,948) and severe fines range from 20 million naira (US$47,896) and up. Aiyetan referred CPJ to the commissions director of public affairs, Gloria Makinde, for specific comment on the fines issued to the four broadcasters. When CPJ reached Makinde via messaging app, she apologized and said she was too busy to comment, and referred CPJ to the commissions August 3 press release. CPJ called Antia Ekanem, the commissions deputy director of public affairs, but he did not answer. CPJ also called Mohammed, the information minister, for comment but he did not answer. The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Friday, 5th August 2022, commissioned the 37.6 million Upper East Region Water Supply Project, as part of his tour of the Upper East Region. According to President Akufo-Addo, the Upper East Region Water Supply System will provide the people of Bolgatanga, Navrongo, Paga and its environs with twenty thousand, five hundred (20,500) cubic metres of water per day, which is approximately four and half million gallons (4.5 million) of water per day, a three-fold increase from the 1.5 million gallons a day originally available to the Region. It will be recalled that in January 2018, Government, through the Ministry of Finance (MoF), secured funding to the tune of 37,683,266, consisting of a 12,341,308 grant from the Netherlands Government, and a 25 million facility from ING Bank, also from the Netherlands, to implement the Upper East Region Water Supply Project. Following on from this, the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, together with the contractor, DENYS NV, structured the project into two phases, with the aim of increasing the design horizon from 2030 to 2040, to make adequate provision for future demand in line with our policy to construct water projects taking into consideration future population growth. Apart from Bolgatanga, Navrongo and Paga, communities such as Zuarungu, Zarre, Sumbrungu, Kalbeo, Gambibigo, Winkogo, Bongo, Yorogo, Pungu and Akomkongu are also set to benefit from the project. Three hundred and forty-seven thousand, four hundred and forty-six people, in total, will be served with safe, potable water, the President said. He told the gathering that the execution and completion of the Upper East Water Supply Project falls in line with the programme of Government to achieve the target, set under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, of ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. President Akufo-Addo reiterated Governments commitment to creating an enabling environment, through the provision of social infrastructure, that will attract businesses to communities. Accordingly, I expect that, with the availability of potable water in this area, investors will take advantage of Governments Flagship Programmes, such as One- District, One-Factory, to establish small and medium scale enterprises to create employment for young people, so as to stimulate the growth and development of the domestic economy, he added. He told the gathering that Government is working diligently to provide funds to improve the water supply situation in other parts of the country, with the objective of ensuring equity and an improved quality of life to all communities in the country. It is, thus, worthy to mention that works have commenced on the Keta Water Supply Expansion Project in the Volta Region, the Wenchi Water Supply Project in the Bono Region, and the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area Sanitation and Water Project in the Ashanti Region. Works will commence, by the end of the year, on the Sekondi-Takoradi Water Supply Expansion Project in the Western Region, the Tamale and Yendi Water Supply Projects, both in the Northern Region, and Damongo Water Supply Project in the Savannah Region, he said. President Akufo-Addo also revealed that processes have started to develop Phase Two of the Kpong Water Supply Expansion Project, which will augment the supply of water to the people of Greater Accra. The Fanteakwa-Begoro Water Supply Project in the Eastern Region, the Tarkwa Water Supply Project in the Western Region, the Techiman Water Supply Project in the Bono East Region, the Assin Fosu Water Supply Project in the Central Region, the Western North Region Water Supply Project, the Hohoe Water Supply Project in the Volta Region, and the Kumasi Water Supply Project in the Ashanti Region are all in the pipeline, to help respond to the growing demand for water, the President said. He urged inhabitants of the beneficiary communities in the Upper East Region to help to maintain the water infrastructure, so we can continue to have access to potable water and, through that, ensure the general well-being and health of all the respective communities. President Akufo-Addo thanked the Netherlands Government for the considerable financial support for the project, through its ORIO funding, and also acknowledged the great contribution this project will have to the urban water supply delivery to the people of the Upper East Region. 05.08.2022 LISTEN Ghanaians woke up to the shocking news of the demise of Mrs. Justine Avle, the wife of Bernard Koku Avle, the General Manager of Citi FM and Citi TV. In reaction to the tragic news, Kwadwo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister of Information and Member of Parliament (MP) for Ofoasie Ayirebi, expressed his condolences. On Thursday, August 4, the former journalist acknowledged the pain of losing a wife in a tweet monitored by Modernghana News. Mr. Oppong Nkrumah asked Mr. Avle's relatives to watch over him and pray for his comfort. Spent some time with koku this afternoon. No heartbreak trumps this. Please say a prayer for strength for him and the kids, his tweet reads. Mrs Avle wife died on the evening of Wednesday, August 3. The award-winning journalist, Mr. Avle host of the Citi Breakfast Show on Citi FM and Point of View Show on Citi TV, married Justine in 2011. They have five kids; four boys and a girl. The last girl is only a few months old and was breastfeeding. The Member of Parliament (MP) for the North Tongu constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has launched a scathing attack on the Electoral Commission (EC) ahead of election 2024. Mr. Ablakwa has revealed that the Commission is doing everything possible to rig the 2024 elections to aid the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) 'break the 8.' With that, the vocal legislator warned the Electoral Commission not to play with what he described as the flaming fire of the opposition NDC in a discussion on the Accra-based Metro TVs Good Morning Ghana show today, Friday, August 4. There is a clear agenda to rig [the elections]...but the EC must be told in clear terms that they are playing with fire, he stated. This comes after the EC presented to Parliament a draft CI titled Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2021 to regulate continuous voter registration. The ECs bill, if passed into law by Parliament will allow the Ghana Card as the sole requirement for eligible voters to register. The decision to make the Ghana card the sole requirement for voters' registration, according to the EC, was taken at an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting with representatives of all political parties, in which the NDC was represented. But the opposition has denied knowledge of the decision to use Ghana card for the elections. NDC National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo 05.08.2022 LISTEN The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has indicated that plans by the Electoral Commission (EC) to use just the Ghana Card to compile a new voter register are alien to the party. Insisting that such a move will disenfranchise a lot of Ghanaians, the NDC is alleging that it is a collaboration by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Electoral Commission to rig the next general elections. According to the largest opposition party in the country, it will resist the move with all available legal means. We wish to assure Ghanaians that the NDC will not sit aloof for the NPP government to collude with Electoral Commission to rig the 2024 elections and inflict more pain and hardships on them, a release from the NDC signed by National Chairman Samuel Ofosu Ampofo has said. It adds, We are therefore urging our agitated supporters to remain calm as we take all legitimate and appropriate steps to ensure that they are not disenfranchised. Below is a copy of the NDC press release: PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release 5/08/22 THE NDC HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE DECISION BY THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION TO USE GHANA CARD AS THE SOLE IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENT FOR VOTER REGISTRATION. The attention of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been drawn to news attributed to officials of the Electoral Commission that the Commission has agreed with political parties and civil society organisations that the Ghana Card should be the sole document for the impending limited voter registration exercise. For the avoidance of doubt, the NDC wishes to state, unequivocally, that it has not been a party to any such consultation or meeting in whatsoever form that resulted in any such decision. The NDC will fully apprise the general public of the implications of the statements made by the Electoral Commission in the coming days on this absurd and unreasonable this decision of the EC. In the meantime, the party wishes to use this opportunity to remind the Electoral Commission that under Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution, every Ghanaian of eighteen years and above and of sound mind is entitled to register as a voter for the purposes of elections. This right to register and exercise ones franchise is an inalienable right that should not be denied citizens who qualify to exercise same. Again, Article 45(e) of the Constitution enjoins the Electoral Commission to undertake programmes for the EXPANSION of the registration of voters. It is for this reason that the NDC cannot be a party to any decision that seeks to constrict access to the electoral roll or disenfranchise qualified citizens from joining the electoral roll. The party agrees with the venerable former chairman of the Electoral Commission of Ghana, Dr. Afari Gyan that any attempt by the EC to use Ghana Card as the sole document for voter registration will lead to the disenfranchisement of millions of Ghanaians. We are not oblivious of the challenges millions of Ghanaians are going through to obtain Ghana Cards. The recent pandemonium that characterized registration centres due to the unrealistic deadlines for SIM registration is a case in point. It is worthy of note, that according to data from the National Identification Authority (NIA), only 16,654,072 million Ghanaians out of a national population of about 31 million had registered for the Ghana card as at July 2022. Of this number, only 13,316,612 million of them have been issued with their Ghana cards. It is obvious from this data, that there are many Ghanaians who have just turned 18 years or will turn 18 years by the next limited registration period who may not have a Ghana card. And therefore any decision that seeks to make the Ghana card the sole identification document for voter registration will disenfranchise many eligible voters. As the general public may be aware, Ghanas National Security Strategy issued by the National Security Ministry identifies as a major risk to Ghanas peace and security, mistrust in the electoral process. It noted that the suspicion of collusion between the ruling party and the Electoral Commission to rig elections for the ruling party continues to drive the situation towards dispute and potential violence. The strategy further urged the Electoral Commission to identify the sources of public mistrust in its electioneering systems and processes and take necessary action or make recommendations for addressing them. It is for this reason that we wish to caution the Electoral Commission to be circumspect in its actions and inactions since they have far reaching implications for the peace and security of the country. We wish to assure Ghanaians that the NDC will not sit aloof for the NPP government to collude with Electoral Commission to rig the 2024 elections and inflict more pain and hardships on them. We are therefore urging our agitated supporters to remain calm as we take all legitimate and appropriate steps to ensure that they are not disenfranchised. Hon. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo National Chairman Distribution All Media Houses Diplomatic Missions International NGOs Joyce Bawa Mogtari, the Special Aide to former President John Dramani Mahama has joined well-wishers to express his condolences to Citi FMs Bernard Avle over the demise of his wife, Justine Avle. She expressed her heartfelt condolences to the renowned journalist and prayed for God to strengthen him. In a tweet spotted by Modernghana News on Thursday, August 4, she stated, My deepest sympathies to you Bernard Avle and to your family! Words fail me, May the good Lord comfort you and May Justines beautiful soul rest in perfect peace! Mrs. Justine Avle, the wife of Bernard Koku Avle, the General Manager of Citi FM and Citi TV has passed on. According to ModernGhana sources, his wife died on the evening of Wednesday, August 3. The award-winning journalist, Mr. Avle host of the Citi Breakfast Show on Citi FM and Point of View Show on Citi TV, married Justine in 2011. They have five kids; four boys and a girl. The last girl is only a few months old and was breastfeeding. 05.08.2022 LISTEN Government has urged Ghanaians to ignore the Minority in Parliaments concerns that the impasse between ENI/Vitol and Springfield Ghana will result in a $7 billion judgement debt. In a statement from the Energy Ministry, it said it is not aware of any judgement debt. On the impasse between the two companies, the government said disputes are anticipated by the Petroleum Agreements, which provide elaborate mechanisms for settlement. What the parties are engaged in are exercising their rights under the Petroleum Agreements (PA) and the Laws of Ghana which govern them. The PAs provide mechanisms for dialogue and if that fails, it also provides recourse to arbitration as well as the use of third-party experts. It also noted that resorting to the law courts is an option. The use of these processes to resolve grievances are normal and are being used by parties specifically for that purpose. The so-called protracted impasse could therefore not have been occasioned by the Minister for Energy, the statement added. Reporting has indicated that ENI/Vitol challenged a decision of then Energy Minister, John Peter Amewu, for a Unitization and Unit Operating Agreement with Springfield Ghana, at the Sankofa and Afina fields. ENI/Vitol said the decision was premature and did not meet industry standards. A legal tussle subsequently ensued, with ENI/Vitol eventually initiating action in the International Court of Arbitration for 7 billion dollars against the Government of Ghana. The government has said that the legal case in Ghana is a commercial case between ENI and Springfield and has nothing to do with Government. Government recognizes the independence of the judiciary and therefore cannot intervene. We also want to clarify that it was ENI that took Government to Arbitration so it is up to ENI to withdraw the case and together with Government find a solution without breaking the law. ---citinewsroom The President of the Republic, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has made changes to the leadership of the National Security apparatus. In the shake-up, the Director General of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) Mr. Kwaku Domfeh has been appointed as the Ambassador-designated for the Democratic Republic of Congo. Whiles away, the President has appointed Nana Attobrah Quaicoe, currently, Deputy Director-General of NIB, to act as the Director-General. He has been directed to assume the role effective Monday, August 8, 2022. The President has also appointed Mr. Kwaku Domfeh, Director General of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), as Ambassador-designate to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Further to Section 15 (1) of the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2020 (Act 1030), the President has appointed Nana Attobrah Quaicoe, currently Deputy Director-General of NIB, to act, with effect from Monday, 8th August 2022, as Director-General of the National Intelligence Bureau, with his confirmation also being subject to the receipt of the constitutionally required advice of the National Security Council, given in consultation with the Public Services Commission, parts of an official release from the Presidency has said. Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has also appointed Mr. Edward Asomani, to act as National Security Co-ordinator. He is replacing Amb. Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Francis Adu-Amanfoh who has also been reassigned. Find more in the press release below: The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has rubbished calls for the Free SHS program to be scrapped. He said the assistance Government is seeking from the International Monetary Fund will not affect flagship pro-poor policies being implemented by Government. According to President Akufo-Addo, the ongoing pro-poor policies are at the heart of Governments since 2017, and remain non-negotiable items of the countrys public expenditure, and, as such, will not be affected by Ghanas re-engagement with the IMF. Describing it as a relatively easy assurance to give, the President referred to the statement by the IMF Country Director who indicated that an initiative like the Free SHS programme cannot be sacrificed on the altar of a programme with the IMF. So, all our minds are going in the same direction, and Im very, very confident that these programmes especially the Free SHS, Free TVET programme will emerge from the programme with the Fund intact, he added. President Akufo-Addo made this known on Friday, 5th August, 2022 during an interview on UAR Radio in Bolgatanga, at the start of his working visit to the Upper East Region. I think there is something that a lot of people are forgetting. When we came into office, we were into an IMF programme in 2017. In fact before we exited the IMF, Free SHS was introduced in the September of my first term in office, a whole nine months of my coming under an IMF Programme. So, it is already been accommodated within the thinking of the Fund programme for Ghana. He added that, It is (Free SHS) not as if it is something that we had to wait to exit the programme before we brought it. We brought it at the time we were and under an IMF Programme, and I will find it very illogical for us to have a programme we started under an IMF programme and because we are going to have a new one sacrifice it. That doesnt make sense, and it will not happen. On how to ensure that Ghana does not go back seeking assistance from the IMF, he noted that the structural transformation of the Ghanaian economy from its current dependence on the production and export of raw materials to one of value addition and industrialization is the way to go. That is why weve had this emphasis on industrial transformation coming out of the 1D1F Programme and certain other targeted industrial transformation measures that weve taken in the automotive industry in enhancing the value addition our strategic mineral resources like our bauxite, iron ore, etc. Those are the real keys to a future robust Ghanaian economy that we will have an economy that is self-sufficient in the sense that the basic needs of the people are produced by Ghanaian production, he said President Akufo-Addo continued, So, it is important that we, in Ghana, we keep our eyes on two factors. To continue the process of structural transformation of our economy that will give us more independence, more robust and a more resilient Ghanaian economy, and, at the same time, make provisions for these exogenous interferences that every now and then are just bound to happen, he recommended. He reiterated that the measures that we are taking now to build the strength of our economy, will make it more and more difficult for us to have that dependency and need for reliance in future. Border Infiltration President Akufo-Addo, in his remarks, also appealed to residents of the Upper East region to assist Government and the security agencies in the country to curb incidences of border infiltration in the area. According to the President, government and the security agencies will need, the active cooperation of the population for us to make the security response as effective as possible and thats why the National Security Ministry has proposed this slogan See Something, Say Something, which is basically about involving the community, the population in the work of the security and intelligence agencies. He continued, It is much better for us to invest such resources that we have in preventing the terrorist menace being imported in the country than fighting it once it is here. The cost of that is astronomical in terms of the disruption of social activities. Police have interdicted two of its officers, Sergeant Isaac Amponsah Broni and Constable Solomon Yeboah, to allow investigation into the circumstances that led to the death of a suspect who was under detention at the Abrafo-Kokoben Police Station in the Ashanti Region. Police in a statement stated that the two interdicted officers, claim the deceased suspect, who was arrested on August 4, 2022, fell ill while in custody and was rushed to the hospital for medical attention but died. The Ashanti Regional Police Commander led a delegation to visit the family of the deceased suspect and urged them to remain calm as the investigation into the incident continues. The Inspector-General of Police has also spoken with the bereaved family and assured them of a thorough investigation into the matter. The Police also entreated members of the Abrafo-Kokoben and Tabre communities to remain calm as investigations continue to unravel the truth of the matter. The body of the deceased has been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for preservation and autopsy. ---citinewsroom Junior lithium stock European Lithium [ASX:EUR] signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with automaker BMW AG. EUR shares were up 8% in late afternoon trade. Despite the spike today, EUR shares are down 30% year to date. www.tradingview.com European Lithium enters MoU with BMW Junior lithium developer European Lithium signed an MoU with automaker BMW AG. While EUR said it was its first offtake of battery-grade lithium hydroxide, the agreement is non-binding. An MoU does not legally bind the involved parties to a contract, but it does indicate a willingness to negotiate and come to binding arrangements down the track. EUR stated: Under the MoU, EUR and BMW AG will work together to negotiate suitable commercial terms for BMW AG to purchase the LiOH produced by EUR. EUR grants BMW AG the first right to purchase 100% of the LiOH produced from the identified resources. If EUR and BMW agree to a binding contract, BMW will pay US$15 million upfront, which EUR will recompense through equal set offs against lithium hydroxide delivered to BMW. If received, European Lithium will use the US$15 million to develop its Wolfsberg Project. Negotiations on terms and specifics are still ongoing, with EUR cautioning: The parties are currently negotiating binding agreements, and no assurance is given that the any binding agreements will be entered into. EUR commented on the MoU: Securing our first offtake with BMW AG is another key milestone for the Company. Partnering with BMW AG is an ideal fit for EUR. EUR share price outlook While lithium stocks have entered a correction in 2022, the long-term outlook for the lithium sector looks strong. Electric vehicle (EV) sales are only set to rise from here, meaning demand for battery metals is set to remain strong. However, that doesnt mean that every lithium stock will succeed. Mining is hard going, and developers have plenty of hurdles to overcome to get to a functioning, operating, and profit-generating lithium mine. Securing offtakes with key players like BMW is important in derisking a project, but investors will look to see whether EUR can make this MoU into a binding offtake. Ways to play the EV revolution: lithium is just one The EV market is rapidly expanding, boosted further by government initiatives and funding programs supporting production across the globe. But our energy expert, Selva Freigedo, thinks the global transition to EVs means the industry faces a supply crunch, which can send prices for battery materials soaring even higher in 2022 and beyond. If youd like to know more, I suggest checking out Selvas battery tech metals report for free here. Regards, Kiryll Prakapenka, For Money Morning August 05, 2022 Ukraine SitRep - Casualties Leak - Ukraine Admits Russian Breakthrough - Southern Front Paralysis There is an report on Ukraine making the rounds that was allegedly written by the higher command of the Ukrainian army and leaked from somewhere. Dr.Snekotron @snekotron - 12:50 UTC Aug 5, 2022 Ukrainian channels are discussing what might be a leaked data from AFU General Staff: - The AFU are only at 43-48% strength - medical workers at their limit - small arms and armor are not enough - 191 thousand soldiers were killed and wounded (only AFU, not including others) - there is not enough hydraulics and liquid nitrogen for M777 howitzers - no one cares about the missing - there are no statistics - the equipment transferred by the West is running out - western weapons are operated by amateurs, since there are no qualified specialists - no way to repair weapons on the spot due to the lack of spares and specialists - everything is sent to Poland BTW, even with this dire report, I would caution against predicting a decisive break in morale. As with Peski, the walking wounded are sent straight back into the trenches There are some pictures of documents written in cyrillic script attached to the above tweet. The documents look legit. The overall numbers and issues mentioned seem plausible to me. The high number of casualties (plus the missing) is not astonishing. It would be astonished though if the Russian army and its allies have more than one tenth of those. This is mostly an artillery war and the Russian side has had a vast superiority in guns and missiles. I wonder about the M-777 need for hydraulic oil and nitrogen. Both are used in the hydraulic recoil mechanism of such guns. Back when I was in the military we had similar mechanisms in our tanks. But they did not consume oil or nitrogen due to normal operation. Only larger maintenance, like changing the gun barrel, would require a readjustment of that mechanism. Is the 'light' howitzer M-777 so badly constructed that those fluids and gases can leak out and thereby become consumables? The Ukraine has acknowledged that its main reinforced defense line west of Donetsk city has been broken: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy this week described the pressure his armed forces were under in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine as "hell". He spoke of fierce fighting around the town of Avdiivka and the fortified village of Pisky, where Kyiv has acknowledged its Russian foe's "partial success" in recent days. The Ukrainian military said on Thursday Russian forces had mounted at least two assaults on Pisky but that its troops had managed to repel them. Ukraine has spent the last eight years fortifying defensive positions in Pisky, viewing it as a buffer zone against Russian-backed forces who control the city of Donetsk about 10 km (6 miles) to the southeast. General Oleksiy Hromov told a news conference that Ukrainian forces had recaptured two villages around the eastern city of Sloviansk, but had been pushed back to the town of Avdiivka's outskirts after being forced to abandon a coal mine regarded as a key defensive position. The Russian defence ministry confirmed its offensive. Source: LiveUAmap - bigger Everything red on the left of the red line marks recent progress. It looks small but was achieved against the most fortified positions the Ukrainian side had. Here is an aerial view of a part of Pisky. bigger There are ditches (black lines) everywhere and after eight years of artillery war all houses have been more or less destroyed. Still their basements are good fighting positions which are difficult to overcome. The breakthrough happened after the Ukraine had moved many artillery units from the Donetsk to the southern front. That also explains the lack of counter-battery fire in the east an eyewitness recently lamented about. Ukraine is still dreaming of a counter-offensive in the south: Ukraine said the Russian offensive in the east looked like an attempt to force it to divert troops from the south where Kyiv's forces are trying to retake territory and destroy Russian supply lines as a prelude to a wider counter-offensive. "The idea is to put military pressure on us in Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk over the next few weeks ... What is happening in the east is not what will determine the outcome of the war," Ukrainian Presidential Adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said in an interview on YouTube. Arestovych is of course wrong. The war was decided in the east when the Ukrainian military followed its bosses orders and moved everything it had to that front. That gave the Russian artillery the chance to take it apart. The Ukrainian tactic, ordered from above, was to hold onto every position until it was completely destroyed. A more mobile defense would likely have been more effective and would have cost less casualties. The units that Ukraine pulled back from Donbas and has send down to Kherson for its 'million men' offensive were already heavily mauled. They have now been waiting for weeks for the offensive to launch. Meanwhile Russian missiles have hit several of those repositioned units and caused a high numbers of fresh casualties. The removal of Ukrainian artillery from the Donetsk line allowed for the breakthrough at that line. The long time it took for all that repositioning to happen has also given time for the Russian forces to strengthen its troops around Kherson. There are by now sufficient numbers for the Russian's to launch their own offensive in the area. General Hromov said Russia might launch its own offensive in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson to try to win back momentum in the war after building up its forces there. The general got that right. The Russian offensive in the south may launch as early as next week. There seems to be again a disagreement between the Zelensky regime and the general staff of the armed forces of Ukraine. The general staff knows that a counter-offensive against Kherson makes no sense as it would cost many more casualties and is likely to be defeated. Source: Military Land - bigger (Under NATO symbology friendly artillery is marked as a rectangle with a fat dot in the middle. An X above says the unit is a brigade. Three vertical lines mark a (smaller) regiment and two a (smaller) battalion.) I count 4 Ukrainian artillery brigades and three artillery regiments on the southern front. There is currently only one artillery brigade on the eastern front. While mechanized brigades in the east have their own organic artillery units those do not have the big guns that can do the counter-battery fire. The general staff does not want to attack in the south. It wants to move a least some of the artillery brigades there back to the Donetsk line. But Zelenski and his crew want to prevent the referendums that will be held next month in Kherson and other regions under Russian control. That is why they are pushing for a counter-attack there. The disagreement has paralyzed the Ukrainian army. The units sitting in the south waiting for orders while they get decimated by daily Russian missile strikes. This while they are urgently needed in the east. Zelensky and Arestovych may be good at making movies. Military geniuses they are certainly not. Posted by b on August 5, 2022 at 16:49 UTC | Permalink Comments next page next page Chinese musicians turn landscape masterpiece into epic work of classical music By Xu Liuliu (Global Times) 09:46, August 05, 2022 The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra perform at the Music in the Summer Air concert in Shanghai.Photo: Courtesy of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra You never know how romantic and talented Chinese people can be. The only surviving painting by the Northern Song Dynasty's (960-1127) young genius artist Wang Ximeng, A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, is probably the finest example of Chinese blue-green landscape paintings. With bright mineral pigments, the painter depicts a vast country landscape, an ideal world of perfect order and harmony that people dream of. Now, nearly 1,000 years later, Chinese musicians are doing the same thing as Wang, but this time through the art of music. The musical interpretation of the masterpiece A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountainsdebuted in Shanghai as the closing performance of the Music in the Summer Air concert by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra on Sunday. Following the concert, the performance kicked off on Wednesday in Xi'an, Shannxi Province, a nation tour that will include stops in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Beijing. "It is an ode to China's traditional culture and philosophy," the piece's composer Zhao Lin told the Global Times on Tuesday. "Just as Chinese painting aesthetics emphasize the relationship between artistic conception and the viewer's mentality, the music creation can help people understand the landscape and the heaven and sky in our hearts as well as our feelings toward nature and humanity in the form of music." Under the baton of young conductor Sun Yifan, the symphony orchestra work, which cost Zhao almost a year to finish, took the audience at the theater and thousands more watching online into the world of the splendid scroll painting. Beauty of China Every mountain, valley, hill and stream in the painting has a unique appearance and is well arranged with a music-like rhythm throughout the scroll, leaving unlimited room for imagination for the composer, Zhao recalled, who even placed a replica of the painting in his study so he could observe it every day and find inspiration. Brought up in a family of traditional Chinese painters, Zhao developed a special interest in painting, especially in landscape paintings, at a very young age. The composer said he sees the music piece as another way to express the "beauty of China" in the form of folk music and symphony music. Keeping pace with the original painting, the music interpretation has six chapters, each relying on collaboration between an classic music orchestra adding with Chinese music instruments like the sheng, a reed pipe wind instrument; pipa, a plucked string instrument; erhu, a two-stringed bowed instrument; and the bamboo flute. All contribute to build a harmonious relationship between humans and nature that is deeply rooted in Chinese philosophy. "Each with its own style, the six chapters of the music piece correspond to the six parts of the painting. From various aspects, they answer two philosophical questions: 'What is China?' and 'What is Chinese?'" Yu Long, the renowned conductor and artistic director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, told the Global Times on Monday. "Listening to the music piece, everyone in the audience can feel the beauty of China in the composer's heart and awaken patriotic enthusiasm in their hearts. It is an attempt worth cherishing to put Chinese philosophy to music." As one of China's most popular cities full of vigor and energy, Shanghai is home to hundreds of theaters and livehouses that stage various culture performances from modern musicals to traditional operas every night. As one of the 23 symphony orchestras in China that commissioned the work, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra not only took it from a work composed on paper to make it a reality, but did so by inviting Sun, a promising young conductor, to oversee the project. Calling the project a "Mission Impossible" because he also plays the piano during the fifth chapter, Sun had to make full use of his time and energy to understand not only the music, but also the emotions and feelings that the painter instilled in his work. "There are many blending moments where water and land meet, which is often seen in landscape paintings. To present the aesthetic feeling that there is no gap between water, sky, clouds and fog, that feeling of everything melting into one, the sound volume of the strings needed to be seamlessly connected when the sheng section ended," he recalled. Modern mix The composer absorbed as much inspiration from traditional Chinese culture as he could. The methods that he used in each chapter are similar to the ones used in China's oldest collection of poetry, The Book of Songs, first setting his eye on objects and then transiting from objects to people. "It's a mixture of classic and modern," he added. The opening chapter is a pure classical one presented by orchestra, and then the sheng is introduced to present nature and people. The third chapter, a relative peaceful one, is a concerto dominated by the pipa and orchestra, while the fourth emphasizes the love and broad mind people should have when facing the mighty mountains and rivers. The fifth and the sixth gradually reach a peak with the introduction of the piano and bamboo flute and ends with a soprano solo with lyrics from a poem that features Mount Lushan, which is said to have been the inspiration for Wang's painting. The delicate arrangement and detailed planning not only wowed the audience, but also was applauded by music professionals as "a musical work with the spirit of Chinese aesthetics." "The composer is quite the individual, and uses his unique creative techniques to skillfully integrate the pictorial and poetic sentiments of Chinese landscape painting," commented music critic Mao Shi'an. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Ham radio in SLUG Magazine Salt Lake City's SLUG Magazine reports on the upcoming DIY Festival which will have an amateur radio presence thanks to the local radio club The magazine says: With the largest number of vendors to date, The 14th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival Presented By Harmons returns to the Utah State Fairpark with an exciting variety of homegrown DIY-ers. No matter what the video star says, radio isnt going anywhere for the Salt Lake Crossroads Amateur Radio Club (SLCARC). T Michael Smith, one of the founders of the club, and outreach team members James Bennett and Mike McAinsh explain the appeal of radio in preparation for their Craft Lake City DIY Festival appearance: With so much to learn and do in ham radio, you will never become bored with all it has to offer, they say. SLCARC was founded in 2014 to assist Salt Lake City Emergency Management in disaster communication, but the club offers various options to explore the multifaceted hobby in depth. From helping new hams with mic fright to offering a location to obtain licenses, SLCARC is a space for everyone. Whether youve been licensed for years or are just starting out in the hobby, you will find a welcoming community of hams at Crossroads who will help answer your questions, provide help with putting up antennas or programming that new radio and make you feel welcome on air, the team says, emphasizing the clubs focus on making radio accessible to users with disabilities. At the DIY Festival, SLCARC will be demonstrating how little you need to get involved, with explanations on homemade antennas and how to transform your computer into a receiver. We hope to inspire our visitors to pay more attention to their personal and neighborhood emergency preparedness, the club says. Source SLUG Magazine https://www.slugmag.com/community/salt-lake-crossroads-amateur-radio-club-craft-lake-city-diy-engineer/ KRUGERSDORP, South Africa (AP) Protesters in the South African city of Krugersdorp beat suspected illegal miners with sticks and set fire to their camps Thursday following the arrests of more than 80 men, some thought to be miners, in connection with the gang rapes of eight women last week. Residents of Krugersdorp's Kagiso township also barricaded roads with rocks and burning tires during a protest against the presence of the miners. They said they were frustrated with high levels of crime that they blame on the illegal miners and the alleged failure of police to deal with them. Some suspected illegal miners were stripped of their clothes and whipped by residents, who also chased others out of their camps and beat and kicked them before handing them over to police. Police responded by firing rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse the protesters, who also clashed with police officers. In some cases, officers rescued the people being attacked. We want support from the police because the illegal miners are terrorizing us. We cannot simply walk around the neighborhood at night because they rape us," said Nhlanhla Felatsi, who was part of the protest. We recently had an incident where two female security officers were raped by the same people. The police are not protecting us. Police said eight women were raped on July 28 when a television crew filming a music video at a mine dump in the nearby township of West Village was attacked by heavily-armed men, some suspected of being illegal miners. Police said they were investigating 32 counts of rape. The attack was a shocking incident, even for a country used to high levels of violent crime like South Africa. More than 80 men accused of being involved in the gang rapes appeared in court on Monday. Illegal mining is rife in South Africa, with miners known as zama-zamas searching for gold at the many disused and abandoned mines in and around the Johannesburg region. Krugersdorp is a mining city on the western edges of Johannesburg. Illegal mining gangs are considered dangerous by the police, are usually armed and are known to fight violent turf battles with rival groups. The trade is believed to be dominated by immigrants who enter illegally from neighboring countries Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique and police said that some of the men suspected of raping the eight women were foreign nationals. That has aggravated the situation and comes at a time when South Africa is seeing an upsurge in xenophobic attacks sparked by locals blaming foreigners for crime in their areas. What upsets me is that we live as though we are not South Africans. How can someone from nowhere come and control us in our community?" said Kagiso resident Thoko Setlhabi. "The people from Lesotho and Zimbabwe are coming into our houses and rape us. You must make sure you and your family are indoors by 6 p.m. When will our children be allowed to be free? Police say they are still analyzing DNA evidence in order to link some of the suspects to the rapes. But residents have criticized the local police force for doing nothing despite warnings from locals that illegal miners were operating in the area as part of larger crime syndicates. We are not fighting only against the zama-zamas (illegal miners), but we are fighting against the entire crime. Our police must stand up, our police must pull up their socks, said Kabelo Matlou, a local government official. Clearly something is wrong here. If somebody takes out gold here, where are they taking it? Our political leaders must come together and sort this out, he said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW YORK (AP) Amazon on Friday announced it has agreed to acquire the vacuum cleaner maker iRobot for approximately $1.7 billion, scooping up another company to add to its collection of smart home appliances amid broader concerns from anti-monopoly and privacy advocates about Amazon's market power and ability to gain deeper insights into consumers' lives. iRobot sells its products worldwide and is most famous for the circular-shaped Roomba vacuum, which would join voice assistant Alexa, the Astro robot and Ring security cameras and others in the list of smart home features offered by the Seattle-based e-commerce and tech giant. The move is part of Amazons bid to own part of the home space through services and accelerate its growth beyond retail, said Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData Retail. A slew of home-cleaning robots adds to the company's tech arsenal, making it more involved in consumers' lives beyond static things like voice control. The latest line of Roombas use sensors to map -- and remember -- a homes floor plan, offering a trove of data that Amazon could potentially integrate with its other products. Amazon's Astro robot, which helps with tasks like setting an alarm, was unveiled last year at an introductory price of $1,000. But its rollout has been limited and has received a lackluster response. Amazon hasnt had much success with household robots, but the iRobot acquisition and the companys strong market reputation provide a massive foothold in the consumer robot market that could help Amazon replicate the success of its Echo line of smart speakers, said Lian Jye Su, a robotics industry analyst for ABI Research. Su said it also illustrates the shortcomings of consumer robotics vendors like iRobot, which struggled to expand beyond a niche product and was in a race-to-the-bottom competition with Korean and Chinese manufacturers offering cheaper versions of a robotic vacuum. On Friday, iRobot reported its quarterly results. Revenue plunged 30% primarily on order reductions and delays, and the company announced it was laying off 10% of its workforce. Amazon said it will acquire iRobot for $61 per share in an all-cash transaction that will include iRobots net debt. The company has total current debt of approximately $332.1 million as of July 2. The deal is subject to approval by shareholders and regulators. Upon completion, iRobots CEO, Colin Angle, will remain in his position. Noting that iRobot has been running its robotics platform on Amazons cloud service unit AWS for many years, Su said the acquisition could lead to more integration of Amazon speech recognition and other capabilities into vacuums. In afternoon trading, iRobot shares rose 19%. Amazons were down 1.7%. The deal comes as anti-monopoly advocates continue to raise concerns about Amazons increasing dominance. The purchase of iRobot is Amazons fourth-largest acquisition, led by its $13.7 billion deal to buy Whole Foods in 2017. Last month, the company said it would buy the primary care provider One Medical in a deal valued roughly at $3.9 billion, a move that expanded its reach further into health care. On Friday, groups advocating for stricter antitrust regulations called on regulators to block the iRobot merger, arguing it gives Amazon more access into consumers' lives and furthers its dominance in the smart home market. The last thing American and the world needs is Amazon vacuuming up even more of our personal information," said Robert Weissman, president of the progressive consumer rights advocacy group Public Citizen. This is not just about Amazon selling another device in its marketplace," Weissman said. Its about the company gaining still more intimate details of our lives to gain unfair market advantage and sell us more stuff. Landmark antitrust legislation targeting Amazon and other Big Tech companies has languished for months in Congress as prospects for votes by the full Senate or House have dimmed. Last month, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who heads the Senate Judiciary antitrust panel, urged the the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the One Medical acquisition, in the mold of other critics whove called on regulators to block the purchase over concerns about Amazon's past conduct and potential implications for consumers health data. Regulators also have discretion to challenge Amazons $8.5 billion buyout of Hollywood studio MGM, which was completed earlier this year. Founded in 1990 by a trio of Massachusetts Institute of Technology roboticists, including Angle, iRobots early ventures led to rovers that could perform military and disaster-relief tasks in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. The profits from defense contracts allowed iRobot to experiment with a variety of other robots, producing some duds and one huge commercial success: the first Roomba, introduced in 2002, which pioneered the market for automated vacuum cleaners. The company spun off its defense robotics division in 2016 to become almost exclusively a seller of vacuums and some other home robots, such as the Braava robotic mop. It planned to launch a robotic lawn mower in 2020 but backed off, citing problems tied to the pandemic. ______ AP technology writer Matt O'Brien contributed to this report from Providence, Rhode Island. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) Southeast Asian foreign ministers issued a joint statement Friday after a series of meetings in the Cambodian capital criticizing Myanmar for its lack of progress in ending violence there, but with weaker language than several countries had hoped for. Myanmars military-led government, which seized power from elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, has been accused of thousands of extrajudicial killings, and last week carried out its first official executions in decades, raising an outcry from several members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and countries around the world. ASEAN has been trying to implement a five-point consensus it reached on Myanmar last year, calling for dialogue among all concerned parties, provision of humanitarian assistance and an immediate cessation of violence, among other things. Following news of the late-July executions, Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah accused Myanmar of making a mockery of the five-point process. Still, in their joint statement Friday, the foreign ministers only expressed our concerns over the prolonged political crisis in the country, including the execution of four opposition activists," while adding they were deeply disappointed by the limited progress in the implementation of the five-point consensus. Myanmar's foreign ministry issued a statement later Friday saying it objected to a reference in the ASEAN joint statement to a lack of progress in implementing the five-point consensus because it neglects Myanmars efforts on its implementation. The ministry's statement, released to journalists in Myanmar, decried efforts by some ASEAN and Western nations to contact opposition forces in Myanmar known as the National Unity Government and its affiliated armed wing, the People Defense Force, which it branded terrorists. If ASEAN member states and external partners genuinely wish to help Myanmar in restoring normalcy, they should not encourage engaging with the terrorist groups such as NUG and PDF and should avoid any actions that could encourage terrorism," it said. The statement said Myanmar will continue to cooperate in implementing ASEAN's five-point consensus through a Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led process without compromising its national sovereignty. 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. With the ongoing violence in Myanmar, the country was asked not to send any political representative to the ASEAN meetings. In protest, Myanmars military government said it would send no delegate at all, so was unrepresented in the talks. But in preliminary discussions leading up to the main meetings, a lower-level representative from Myanmar expressed objections to the proposed wording of the joint statement, which led to the exclusion of stronger criticism being proposed by Malaysia, Singapore and others, according to a diplomat who was involved in the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meetings. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has in the past urged ASEAN to do more to confront Myanmar, also known as Burma, noted that the executions of the four political prisoners had occurred despite Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, in his capacity as ASEAN chair, pushing Myanmar to reconsider. I urge my fellow ministers to continue to press the regime to end its brutal violence, to release those unjustly detained to allow humanitarian access and restore Burmas path to democracy, Blinken said at a news conference after the foreign ministers' statement was released. "We also have to increase economic pressure to do more to stop the flow of arms and revenue to the regime, insist on accountability for the atrocities committed. Russia is Myanmars top arms supplier, and Blinken took a swipe at Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's visit to Myanmar on his way to the ASEAN meetings and calling the country a friendly partner." That directly flies in the face of ASEAN's hard work to bring the violence to an end, Blinken said. Although ASEAN has tried to project itself as a showcase of regional unity with its leaders and top diplomats locking their hands in an unusual group handshake photo-op in their annual summits, the diverse bloc has been perennially buffeted by conflicting agendas within. Following their daylong meeting on Wednesday, they delayed issuing the joint statement due to differences over the section on Myanmar, the diplomat said. Cambodia forged a compromise Thursday night which paved the way for the belated release of the weaker statement on Friday, the diplomat said. There were concerns that if a compromise was not reached, the contrasting viewpoints on Myanmar could have blocked the issuance of the statement like in a similar embarrassing incident about a decade ago when Cambodia also hosted the ministerial gathering, the diplomat said. In the 2012 meeting, the unresolved impasse centered on whether Chinas increasingly aggressive actions in the disputed South China Sea should be included in the joint statement. Cambodia then was accused by the Philippines and Vietnam of blocking mention of the increasingly tense territorial conflicts. It was the first time that the bloc, founded in 1967, had failed to issue a post-conference joint statement in its history. The military's overthrow of Suu Kyi's government 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. 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. ___ Gomez reported from Manila, Philippines. A 21-year-old Midlander who attacked an Asian family he believed was responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic because he believed them to be Chinese was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison on hate crime charges, according to the United States Attorneys Office Western District of Texas. Jose Gomez III pleaded guilty on Feb. 23 to three counts of committing a hate crime. On March 14, 2020, Gomez entered Sams Club and followed the family and their two young children because he perceived them to be a threat as they were from the country who started spreading that disease around, according to court documents. Gomez briefly left the family to grab a serrated steak knife from the store and bent the blade so that when he held the handle in his fist, the blade rested against his knuckles, sharp-edge facing outward. Gomez then returned to the family and punched the father in the face, cutting him. Gomez then left the scene, only to retrieve an 8-inch knife from the store. When Gomez returned, he abruptly went after the 2- and 6-year-old children seated in the front basket of the shopping cart. Gomez slashed open the 6-year-old's face. The blade entered millimeters from the childs right eye, split his right ear and wrapped around to the back of his skull, according to court documents. Gomez also stabbed a Sams Club employee who intervened to stop Gomez from further assaulting the family. While being held down on the ground, Gomez yelled at the family, Get out of America! Gomez admitted after his attack that he believed the family was Chinese, and he blamed them for the COVID-19 pandemic. Gomez also admitted he had attempted to kill the 6-year-old child and attacked the store employee because he prevented him from killing the child. "Mr. Gomez's cowardly and racially motivated actions do not represent our West Texas community, said Special Agent in Charge Jeffery R. Downey of the FBI El Paso Field Office. It is our hope today's sentence will help the victims with the healing process. Rest assured, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue anyone who commits these violent acts to ensure the civil rights of all Americans are protected." Midland County Sheriff's Office Jose Gomez III, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Thursday by a federal court for the "hate crime" attack on an Asian family at the Midland Sams Club in March 2020, still has pending cases in Midland County, according to District Attorney Laura Nodolf. Gomez's "plea agreement and sentencing do not affect his pending charges in state court," according to Nodolf. A grand jury indicted Gomez on June 11, 2020, on three counts of attempted capital murder, one count of aggravated assault and two counts of assault on a public servant for a separate incident on March 17. The 2023 SARL Contest Manual The South African Radio League Contest Working Group has held two meetings to date. The aim of these meetings is to work through the steps to create the 2023 Contest Manual or Blue Book. The Working Group now invites the clubs and groups hosting the local contests, as well as SARL members, to work through the 2022 SARL Contest Manual and propose a. possible changes to the current general rules and contests, b. new contests. The proposals must be submitted in MS Word or OpenOffice. Write to Kobie, ZS6KVZ by e-mail at zs6kvz@gmail.com. Please do not use WhatsApp or Telegram! The deadline is Wednesday 31 August 2022. SARL The UK imports a lot of products for everyday usage in the country. In the UK you can find products from every corner of the world. In addition, many companies make goods primarily to export to the UK. In 2021, the UK imported more than 150 billion British pounds of goods from various countries. Amongst all the different types of goods, machinery and transport goods top the chart for 2022. When it comes to eCommerce beyond borders, a shipping company plays a vital role. You must choose a shipping company that offers affordable prices and high-quality services. US exports and sends packages to the UK more significantly than any other country. Suppose you are an individual or an eCommerce business owner. In that case, you must find a company that offers the cheapest shipping from USA to UK . You can save costs and get high-quality services by sending packages through a reputed distribution company. These companies take advantage of a vast network of logistical partners to fulfill the deliveries in any part of the world. Here are some things you can send to the United Kingdom from around the world. Envelopes In the world of E-mails, there are still some pieces of documents that only are relevant if they are available in a hard copy. Sometimes physical documents can be more private and secure than digital files these days. You should take advantage of the cost savings a shipping company offers since they have a wide array of networks. You can send envelopes or documents of different sizes, from tiny post car sized to large A3 or A1 documents. Many shipping companies also offer secure sealed plastic bags to ensure your documents do not get ruined in transit. Boxes As an individual or a business owner, you can send boxes of different sizes to the United Kingdom containing various things permitted inside the country. A reputed company will ship any type of box to any country, regardless of size and weight. Through their network of carriers, a shipping company may also be able to provide insurance for the contents in the box. Moreover, many companies have cost calculators, which you can use to estimate the average shipping costs. Depending upon what you are sending and a plethora of other factors, you might be able to save up to seventy percent if you compare the prices of different shipping companies. Furniture You will be surprised to learn that more than 6.06 million people move to the UK each year from the US, as per the data by the government for the year 2020. It is common for people to take along their furniture when they are moving, especially if they have an emotional connection or if it is custom-made. Common logistical carriers may not offer furniture shipping across countries, but a shipping company with a vast network will have all the suitable carriers for this particular job. Finding the cheapest shipping from the USA to the UK will make moving to a new country easier in 2022. Moreover, one can also send furniture to the UK as a part of their business. Countries like Turkey are infamous for exporting furniture to countries across the world. Considering the stats from early 2022, about 83,640 lawyers were working in Australia. No doubt, the numbers are increasing these days rapidly. There are thousands of daily court cases happening in and around the country, but the major problem faced by a layman is the feed of lawyers. Many of them find hiring a lawyer for their genuine case difficult. But now, no-win, no-fee contracts are becoming more popular in Western Australia daily. As justice should be accessible to everyone, for people who cannot afford legal counsel to file a claim for an accident or injustice they experienced, the government came up with the new idea of No Win No Fee lawsuits. So to use this opportunity, individuals must understand what such lawsuits are and the benefits of hiring experienced no-win no-fee lawyers What Are No Win No Fee Lawsuits? An attorney who opts for a "No Win No Fee" basis does not request fees from clients until they win the case. These attorneys often charge between one-third and half of a traditional attorney's hourly cost, as they and the client enter into a No Win, No Fee arrangement. They want a certain percentage of the client's overall recovery from the lawsuit once the case is settled. There are many reasons to hire such attorneys. Reasons To Hire No Win No Fee Lawyers 1. Customers Can Get Rapid Legal Counsel Time is crucial in reimbursement claims that people should never undervalue, as most folks do. Hiring a compensation lawyer on an immediate basis can be a big hassle for one, and above that, causing delays throughout the entire process can reduce the chances of winning. One of the benefits of hiring no-win-no-fee attorneys is that individuals will be able to hire them as soon as they want. This is because individuals do not need to raise any money to engage with the attorney, as the cost will pitch in once the matter is settled. 2. The Cost Will Be Lower Most people believe they would never have to pay for any legal expenses if their no-win no-fee lawyers cannot win, but that's not how it works. They will have to pay for the services the lawyer has provided throughout the matter. But still, the cost will be comparatively lower than hiring a typical lawyer. 3. Chances Of Effort To Win Individuals can be confident that no-win, no-fee attorneys will go above and beyond their capability to ensure victory. These lawyers are very well aware of the repercussions both parties will suffer if they do not win the case; this is why they involve the individual at every step to make all efforts to win the case. 4. Layers For Different Case Regardless of the case, most compensation attorneys provide a no-win, no-fee promise to clients who have been hurt in slip and fall, workplace, or vehicle accidents. However, individuals should always confirm that their compensation attorneys know their specific claim and inquire about their success rate. 5. No Barrier Unlike in other cases where an individual needs to decide the budget before hiring an advocate, in considering no-win no-fee advocates, individuals need not worry about their financial status. This implies that disadvantaged individuals can access legal counsel without fulfilling any requirements. No-win, no-fee attorneys ensure everyone has access to legal representation when necessary. Lawyer Leverage WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court ruling expanding gun rights threatens to upend firearms restrictions across the country as activists wage court battles over everything from bans on AR-15-style guns to age limits. The decision handed down in June already has led one judge to temporarily block a Colorado town from enforcing a ban on the sale and possession of certain semi-automatic weapons. The first major gun decision in more than a decade, the ruling could dramatically reshape gun laws in the U.S. even as a series of horrific mass shootings pushes the issue back into the headlines. The gun rights movement has been given a weapon of mass destruction, and it will annihilate approximately 75% of the gun laws eventually," said Evan Nappen, a New Jersey gun rights attorney. The court battles come as the Biden administration and police departments across the U.S. struggle to combat a surge in violent crime and mass shootings, including several high-profile killings carried out by suspects who purchased their guns legally. And given the sheer number of cases now working through the courts, a lot more time will be spent in courtrooms no matter who wins. We will see a lot of tax dollars and government resources that should be used to stop gun crime being used to defend gun laws that are lifesaving and wildly popular," said Jonathan Lowy, chief counsel and vice president at Brady, the gun control group. Congress broke through years of deadlock to pass a modest gun violence prevention package weeks ago, and the House voted to renew a ban on high-powered semi-automatic weapons, though that effort is likely doomed in the Senate as Republicans push back on firearms restrictions and say recent spikes in gun violence should be met with a stepped-up police response. The Supreme Court decision struck down a New York law requiring people to demonstrate a particular need to get a license to carry a concealed gun in public, saying it violates Second Amendment rights. Several other states including California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island have similar laws expected to be directly impacted by the ruling. In Massachusetts, for example, police chiefs can no longer deny or impose restrictions on licenses just because the applicant doesnt have a good reason to carry a gun. New York quickly passed a new concealed-weapon law, but Republicans there predict it will also end up being overturned. In its New York ruling, the high court's conservative majority also changed a test lower courts had used for evaluating challenges to gun laws. Judges should no longer consider whether the law serves public interests like enhancing public safety, the opinion authored by Justice Clarence Thomas said. Instead, they should only weigh whether the law is consistent with the Second Amendments text and historical understanding. Basically, the Supreme Court has given an invitation for the gun lobby to file lawsuits against virtually every gun law in America, Lowy said. The Supreme Court has ordered lower courts to take another look at several other cases under the courts new test. Among them: laws in California and New Jersey that limit the amount of ammunition a gun magazine can hold and a 2013 ban on assault weapons in Maryland. Gun rights groups are also challenging similar bans in California, New York, New Jersey and Delaware. The rifles at issue in this case are the sorts of bearable arms in common use for lawful purposes that responsible and peaceable people across the United States possess by the millions. And they are, moreover, exactly what they would bring to service in militia duty, should such be necessary, a New Jersey lawsuit brought in June by the Firearms Policy Coalition says, referencing the language of the Second Amendment. The ruling also has come up in challenges to restrictions on gun possession for 18- to 20-year-olds in Texas and Pennsylvania. And it has been cited in a case challenging a federal ban on gun possession for people convicted of nonviolent crimes punishable by more than a year behind bars, as well as a prohibition on concealed guns on the subway in Washington, D.C. In addition, a gun rights group is suing Colorado over the states 2013 ban on magazines that hold more than 15 rounds, saying the high court ruling reinforces the groups argument that it infringes on Second Amendment rights. And the ruling has public defenders in New York City asking judges to drop gun possession cases. Not all those lawsuits will necessarily be successful. The Texas attorney general, for example, argues the Supreme Court ruling doesn't affect the state's age limit law, and more state and local governments can certainly defend their gun laws as being in line with U.S. history. Adam Skaggs, chief counsel and policy director at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, predicted that when the dust settles, only laws along the margins will eventually be struck down. Most judges are going to see these for what they are, which is overreaching and lacking in any merit, he said. Backers of gun restrictions can also look to a concurring opinion from Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, Kavanaugh stressed that the Second Amendment does allow for a variety of gun regulations. He cited the use of background checks and mental health records as part of a licensing process to carry a gun and noted that states can forbid the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings. But the Colorado decision handed down last month, while still early in the process, was a rosy sign for gun rights groups. U.S. District Court Judge Raymond Moore, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, said he was sympathetic to the town's goal of preventing mass shootings like the one that killed 10 people at a grocery store in nearby Boulder last year. But Moore said he didn't know of historical precedent for a law banning a type of weapon that is commonly used by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes," so the gun rights groups have a strong case against the ordinance. Encouraged by that decision, Taylor D. Rhodes, the executive director of the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, told The Associated Press that his group was considering going after other gun measures in Colorado, where Democrats hold the majority in the state legislature and the governor's office. Referring to the Supreme Courts ruling, Rhodes said: The Bruen decision gave us a 4-ton wrecking ball." ___ This story has been corrected to reflect that Brady's chief counsel is Jonathan Lowy, not Lowry. ___ Richer reported from Boston. With school starting within the next weeks, health officials are cautioning parents to create open lines of communication with their children to help find the sources of stress that often impact children as they start a new year. With a new classroom, classmates, or an entirely new school, students face a lot of stress as they find their place in a new environment, said Amber Olson, the regional director of behavioral health clinical operations for Memorial Behavioral Health. "Parents need to acknowledge that starting a new year is stressful, whether it's a new building, classroom or teacher," Olson said. With the start of the year, Olson said, students may show some mood or behavioral changes as they adjust, and parents need to find healthy way to address those changes without undermining what the child is feeling. "When there are some behavioral changes, parents need to be kind and understanding," Olson said. "Kids need to know that any communication is safe and they won't receive statements of judgement." A child should be able to tell their parent if there is a problem or a concern without judgement, Olson said. To improve communication, Olson suggested asking open-ended questions, more than just 'how was school?' She suggested questions such as, "What was the best thing that happened to you today?" and "What was the worst thing?" In addition to the open communication, it is important that parents make sure their children are getting enough sleep and food to eat, Olson said. "When you are better rested or better fed, it helps us to tolerate stress," Olson said. According to kidshealth.org, preschool-age kids (ages 3-5) need from 10 to 13 hours of sleep, including naps. Kids ages 6 to 13 should get between nine and 12 hours of sleep, with 14- to 17-year-olds getting from eight to 10 hours a night. For the best sleep, the site suggest setting a standard bedtime and setting a good bedtime routine, such as washing up and brushing teeth, reading a book, or listening to quiet music. This routine shouldn't deviate much, including weekends, when bedtime and wake-up times should be within an hour of the normal weekday times. Though communication is the first step, Olson said, some behaviors have to be addressed, especially if it is an issue of safety. Positive reenforcement is one of the primary ways to help change behavior. An example would be finding positive rewards for children to get out of bed. "For example, if you get up on time and ready without a problem, when you get home, or when I get off work, we'll go for a walk together, or something," Olson said. "It doesn't always have to be to purchase something. Then, once that is established, you can increase it to if you get up correctly for the next three or four days, we'll go to the park." When it does come to a negative consequence, parents should use caution, Olson said.. "Even if there is a negative consequence, children still need joy, so you shouldn't take everything away," Olson said. "So just take one thing. For example, if you take a phone, but nothing else. Make it something enforceable that won't make both you and (your) kid miserable." Parents also shouldn't take away anything that has life impacts, such as sports, where kids are learning life lessons and getting exercise, she said. For parents or children who are having problems dealing with stress or other issues, there is an emotional support line available through which anyone can seek advice or help, Olson said. The number to the Memorial Emotional Support Line is 217-588-5509. "Sometimes it helps to talk to a completely objective person," Olson said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BAGHDAD (AP) Khalil Ibrahims four sons are among thousands of followers of an influential Shiite cleric staging a sit-in outside Iraqs parliament after storming the building last week in a stunning move that threw the country into a new era of political instability. Ibrahim is behind them all the way, he says as are practically all his neighbors in Sadr City, the huge Baghdad district of millions of largely impoverished Shiites that is the heart of support for the cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr. Every house within the districts concrete jungle has members participating in the sit-in, the 70-year-old Ibrahim told The Associated Press on Thursday. This time we know there will be change, we are sure of it, he said. Al-Sadr derives his political weight largely from their seemingly unending support. His word has spurred meticulously organized mass protests at various times in the past, bringing Baghdad to a halt and disrupting the political process. Many in Sadr City proclaim their devotion to al-Sadr, dismissing allegations of corruption against his movement. They are drawn by his religious rhetoric and the promise of long-sought change and recognition for a community that is among Iraqs most destitute. Most in Sadr City complain of inadequate basic services, including electricity in the scorching summer heat temperatures soared above 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) Thursday. The majority who spoke to the AP did not finish school, and those who did say they cant find work. Prompted by protest calls by al-Sadr's party, they overran parliament on Saturday, before pulling back to the sit-in outside the building. Their gathering is preventing al-Sadrs Iranian-backed political rivals from forging ahead with government formation. Al-Sadr, whose party won the largest number of seats in the last election, had been demanding a majority government that would have squeezed out his rivals. The standoff extends an unprecedented political impasse, 10 months since the elections. On Friday, hundreds of thousands heeded al-Sadr's call yet again, gathering for a mass prayer in Baghdads heavily fortified Green Zone. The cleric elicits a powerful combination of religion, in particular by evoking the sacrifices of Imam Hussein, a revered figure in Shiite Islam. He also taps into Sadr Citys long history as an epicenter of mass social demonstration where sentiments of oppression and revolution run deep. This history dates back to the districts founding soon after the 1958 overthrow of the monarchy by Abdel Karim Qassim. Called Revolution City back then, Qassim built settlements for migrants from southern Iraq, many of whom were violently dispossessed of land and suffered immense poverty. The area's five original sectors would grew over the following decades to 100 sectors, with 2.5 million residents. However, promises to develop the neighborhood never came to fruition throughout Iraqs turbulent modern history and it fell into neglect, creating an urban underclass segregated from the rest of Baghdad society. Under Saddam Hussein, it became a center for Shiite resistance. After the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, it was renamed Sadr City after al-Sadrs father. In a speech Wednesday, al-Sadr instructed his followers to carry on with the sit-in and called for early elections, the dissolution of parliament and amendments to the constitution. In the Ibrahim household, the demands are simpler. They want to own a house and find work. Ibrahims sons only have irregular day laborer jobs. His eldest is 23, and none went past primary school. The entire family 12 persons in all live in a house where the rent takes up most their incomes, even though Ibrahim worked his entire life as a guard outside the Education Ministry. Hamida, Ibrahims wife, desperately wants to own a house of their own. We filled out applications for government housing, we filled out applications for jobs, but nothing worked, she said. As she spoke, the electricity cut out. There it goes again, she sighed. More recently, al-Sadrs support, which extends to parts of southern Iraq, has shown signs of eroding. Though the party was the biggest vote-getter in Octobers elections, its total votes were under a million, less than in previous elections. The party has been part of multiple governments over the years, yet Sadr City has seen little improvement. Despite his portrayal as a hero the dispossessed, his party has a vast network of civil servant appointees across Iraqs state institutions, ready to do its bidding. Contractors doing business with the ministries under his control have complained of harassment and threats from his party members. Critics accuse the cleric of using his followers as pawns by evoking the legacy of his father, Mohamed Sadeq al-Sadr a highly respected Shiite religious figure killed by Saddams regime in the 1990s. In Sadr City, his supporters are quick to defend him, saying his political opponents have obstructed his agenda. Many said his calls to protest gave them purpose beyond the monotony of their poverty-stricken lives. The protest call is disseminated from Sadrs party offices down to tribal leaders, who pass it on to their members. Many protesters who stormed the parliament last Saturday said it was their first glimpse of the halls of power, where they are seldom welcome. I saw the big buildings, the beautiful rooms, and I thought How can this exist in the same city where I am struggling? said Mohammed Alaa, a grocer in Sadr City. Arent we human also? Portraits of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, hang outside almost every door in Sadr City. Ashoura, next Monday, commemorates his killing, and Iraqis typically march in the thousands to mark the day in the holy city of Karbala, south of Baghdad. Al-Sadrs messaging is suffused with references to Husseins sacrifice and calls to rise up against oppression. In Saturdays speech, al-Sadr said he was against bloodshed, but added that reform comes only through sacrifice, pointing to the example of the imam. The comparison resonates among his followers. A portrait of Imam Hussein glitters in Ibrahims modest living room. Imam Hussein called for reform and revolution, and now our leaders are also, Ibrahim said. Of course, some can ignore that, but we cant. Jacksonville artists are contributing to an organization that searches for missing Indigenous women. Open House Print Shop, 235 E. Douglas Ave., prints merchandise on behalf of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women USA. MMIW is a charitable organization that searches for Indigenous women who have disappeared and provides comfort to the family and friends of those who are deceased. The charity accomplishes this through educating people about the challenges Indigenous women face and teaching self-defense at its monthly Staying Sacred meetings. Its Facebook page continually shares missing Indigenous persons reports from across the country. Indigenous women make up a significant portion of victims of violent crime, with the National Institute of Justice reporting in 2016 that more than 80% of Indigenous and Native Alaskan women experience violence in their lifetime. Despite this, the Bureau of Indian Affairs says there are more than 4,200 missing Indigenous persons, and murder cases for Indigenous women have gone unsolved because of a lack of investigative resources. The merchandise Open House prints for MMWI was designed by Tyler Phibbs, a freelance artist and founding member of the print shop. Phibbs, who has Blackfoot ancestry, said he first got involved with helping the cause in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside his business partner, California radio host Jennifer Robin. Phibbs said he and Robin were approached by an MMWI board member to help. The two came up with a run of T-shirt designs that evolved into eslling a variety of products online to raise funds for the charity. While the online store shuttered two months ago, Phibbs said the merchandise is being sold in-person now that pow wows are being held again. Phibbs said he is working to raise awareness of the epidemic of violent crime against Indigenous women. "Here in the Midwest, especially in Illinois, there's no federally recognized tribes, so we're trying to bring that back over here and just share and get the word out," he said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PHOENIX (AP) Kari Lake, a former news anchor who walked away from her journalism career and was embraced by Donald Trump and his staunch supporters, won the Republican primary for Arizona governor on Thursday. Lake's victory was a blow to the GOP establishment that lined up behind lawyer and businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson in an attempt to push their party past the chaotic Trump era. Lake said she would not have certified President Joe Biden's 2020 victory and put false claims of election fraud at the center of her campaign. Arizonans who have been forgotten by the establishment just delivered a political earthquake, Lake said in a statement after the race was called. Republicans now enter the general election sprint with a slate of nominees closely allied with Trump who deny that Biden was legitimately elected president. Lake will face Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in the November election. This race for governor isnt about Democrats or Republicans. Its a choice between sanity and chaos, Hobbs said Thursday night in a statement on Lake's victory. Early election results showing only mail ballots received before Election Day gave Robson a solid lead, but that was whittled down as votes from polling places were added to the tally. Lake's victory became clear Thursday when Maricopa County released results from thousands of mail ballots dropped off at the polls on Tuesday. The voters of Arizona have spoken, Robson said in a statement conceding to Lake late Thursday. I accept the results, I trust the process and the people who administer it. In a midterm primary season with mixed results for Trumps favored candidates, the former president came out on top in Arizona, a state that has been central to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and cast doubt on Biden's victory. In addition to Lake, Trumps picks for U.S. Senate, secretary of state, attorney general, U.S. House and the state Legislature all won their GOP primaries. If they win in November, Trump allies will hold sway over the administration of elections in a crucial battleground state as he considers another bid for the White House in 2024. The results also show that Trump remains a powerful figure in the GOP as longtime party stalwarts get increasingly bold in their efforts to reassert control ahead of the next presidential campaign. Former Vice President Mike Pence, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie all campaigned for Robson in the days before the election. Robson, who is married to one of Arizonas richest men, largely self-funded her campaign. She called the 2020 election unfair but stopped short of calling it fraudulent and pushed for the GOP to look toward the future. Lake now faces the daunting task of uniting the Republican Party after a bruising primary. On Wednesday, as Lake declared victory prematurely, she attempted to reach out to Robson and others she fiercely criticized as RINOs, or Republicans in Name Only, who don't align with Trump on key issues. Frankly, this party needs her to come together, and I welcome her, Lake said of Robson. And I hope that she will come over for this. Robson said shes spent her life supporting Republicans, and it is my hope that our Republican nominees are successful in November. Like Trump, Lake courts controversy and confrontation. She berates journalists and dodges questions. She burned masks during the COVID-19 surge in the summer of 2021 and attacked Republicans like Ducey who allowed restrictions on businesses, though as a news anchor she encouraged people to follow public health guidance. Lake spent the days leading up to her own election claiming there were signs of fraud, but she refused to provide any evidence. Once her victory was assured, she said voters should trust her win is legitimate. We outvoted the fraud, Lake said. She pointed to problems in Pinal County, which ran out of ballots in some precincts and had to print more, but she and her attorney, Tim La Sota, refused to provide evidence backing up her claims of fraud. She said she has no plans to stop talking about election fraud even as she needs to broaden her appeal beyond the loyalists her powered her primary 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. Hobbs, Lake's opponent in November, went after the candidate over her opposition to abortion rights and gun control and a proposal she floated to put cameras in every classroom to keep an eye on teachers. Republicans, moving toward November as a divided party in Arizona, need to make an appeal to the independent voters who decide close races, said Chuck Coughlin, a longtime Republican strategist who left the party during the Trump era. I see it as a challenge the Republicans are going to have: How do they narrate to unaffiliated voters? Coughlin said. Rwanda rejects UN report on support for rebels in Congo View Photo KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) Rwandas government is rejecting a report by United Nations experts saying they have solid evidence that members of Rwandas armed forces are conducting operations in eastern Congo in support of the M23 rebel group whose deadly resurgence has led to talk of war as well as protests against the U.N. peacekeeping force. The report is a tactic to distract from real issues, Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo said in a statement describing the report as containing false allegations. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit both countries next week, with the deadly turbulence in mineral-rich eastern Congo leading the agenda. Rwanda accuses Congo of collaborating with another rebel group, the FDLR, and said regional security cant be achieved until that issue is addressed. The FDLR was created by ethnic Hutus who fled Rwanda during the countrys 1994 genocide that killed at least 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Congo has denied supporting the group. Rwanda has a legitimate and sovereign right to defend our territory and citizens, and not just wait for disaster to unfold, Makolo said. In a new report to the U.N. Security Council, obtained by The Associated Press, the experts accused Rwandas forces of violating a U.N. arms embargo against Congo by their direct intervention into the country, either to support the M23 rebel group or to conduct military operations against the FDLR. Rwandan military members also violated sanctions by providing weapons, ammunition and uniforms to M23 rebels, the experts report said. Attacks by the M23 have become more frequent, longer and stronger, and the territory under the groups control has significantly increased, causing massive displacement of civilians and indiscriminate shelling, the experts added. The latest in eastern Congo insecurity has sparked deadly protests against the U.N. peacekeeping force there. Relations between Congo and its smaller neighbor Rwanda have been fraught for decades. Rwanda alleges that Congo gave refuge to Hutus who carried out the genocide. In the late 1990s, Rwanda twice sent its forces deep into Congo, joining forces with Congolese rebel leader Laurent Kabila to depose the countrys longtime dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. A meeting between Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi in Angola on July 6 produced a statement calling for a return to normal diplomatic relations, a cessation of hostilities, and the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the M23 from its positions in eastern Congo. ___ This story was first published on August 5, 2022. It was updated on August 8, 2022, to correct the quote in the second paragraph by the Rwandan government spokeswoman. By IGNATIUS SSUUNA Associated Press Solomon Islands takes tighter control over state broadcaster View Photo WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) The government of the Solomon Islands has taken tighter control over the nations state-owned broadcaster a move that opponents say is squarely aimed at controlling and censoring the news. The government said Friday that the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, known as SIBC, would retain editorial control and that government officials would not censor or restrain the outlet. But earlier this week, the government had lashed out at the broacaster, accusing it of a lack of ethics and professionalism and saying the government has a duty to protect our people from lies and misinformation it said was propagated by the SIBC. In an interview with The Associated Press, Johnson Honimae, the SIBC chief executive, said he was proud of the broadcasters award-winning journalism. He said it was business as usual for the broadcaster and there were no government censors vetting stories before they were broadcast, contrary to what was reported by some news outlets. The governments move came at a politically tumultuous time in the Solomon Islands. There were riots in the capital of Honiara last November, followed by a no-confidence vote in Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in December, which he survived. Then in April, Sogavare signed a security pact with China that has caused deep alarm in the Pacific and around the world. The SIBC has reported those developments and has included the views of Sogavares opponents. The broadcaster, which began as the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Service, has been a fixture for 70 years in the Solomon Islands. Employing about 50 people and operating under the slogan Voice of the nation, the broadcaster is the main source of radio and television news for the nations 700,000 people and is listened to and watched from the capital to the smallest village. In late June, the government moved to delist the SIBC as a state-owned enterprise and take more direct control, saying the broadcaster had failed to make a profit, something which has been expected of such state-owned businesses. Opposition Leader Matthew Wale said Wednesday the delisting was a scheme orchestrated by Sogavare as a clear attempt to directly control and censor the news content of SIBC. This will hijack well-entrenched principles of law on defamation and freedom-of-speech, thus depriving the public using SIBC to freely express their views, or accessing information on government activities, Wale said. Honimae told the AP that the broadcaster took critical calls from Sogavares office in recent months. They believe weve been running too many stories from the opposition side, causing too much disunity, Honimae said. Honimae said the broadcaster and its staff won several journalism awards this year from the Media Association of Solomon Islands, including newsroom of the year and journalist of the year. He also said the broadcaster plays the national anthem when broadcasts begin each morning at 6 a.m. and again when they finish at 11 p.m. We believe we are a great force for unity and peace in this country, Honimae said. Honimae added that the broadcaster needed to balance our stories more and leave no opportunity for criticism. He said Sogavare who is also the governments broadcasting minister had said in Parliament that the government wouldnt tamper with the broadcasters editorial independence. There is no censorship at the moment, Honimae said. We operate as professional journalists. By NICK PERRY Associated Press China cuts off vital US contacts over Pelosi Taiwan visit View Photo WASHINGTON (AP) China cut off contacts with the United States on vital issues Friday including military matters and crucial climate cooperation as concerns rose that the Communist governments hostile reaction to House Speaker Nancy Pelosis Taiwan visit could signal a lasting, more aggressive approach toward its U.S. rival and the self-ruled island. Chinas move to freeze key lines of communication compounded the worsening of relations from Pelosis visit and from the Chinese response with military exercises off Taiwan, including firing missiles that splashed down in surrounding waters. After the White House summoned Chinas ambassador, Qin Gang, late Thursday to protest the military exercises, White House spokesman John Kirby on Friday condemned the decision to end important dialogue with the United States as irresponsible. The White House spokesman blasted Chinas provocative actions since Pelosis trip to Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory. But Kirby noted that some channels of communication remain open between military officials in the two countries. He repeated daily assurances that the U.S. had not changed its policy toward the Communist mainland and the self-ruled island. Bottom line is were going to continue our efforts to keep opening lines of communication that are protecting our interests and our values, Kirby said. He declined to speak about any damage to long-term relations between China and the United States, calling that a discussion for later. Taiwan has put its military on alert and staged civil defense drills, but the overall mood remained calm on Friday. Flights have been canceled or diverted and fishermen have remained in port to avoid the Chinese drills. On the Chinese coast across from Taiwan, tourists gathered to try to catch a glimpse of military aircraft. A minister at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, Jing Quan, told reporters that Pelosis mission of support for the democratic government of Taiwan has had a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, seriously infringed upon Chinas sovereignty and (territorial) integrity and undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits. Long term, a significantly more confrontational relationship between China and the U.S. threatens an equilibrium under which Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinpings governments have sparred on human rights, trade, competition and countless other issues but avoided direct conflict and maintained occasional top-level contacts toward other matters, including cutting climate-damaging emissions. A joint U.S.-China deal to fight climate change struck by Xi and then-President Barack Obama in November of 2014 is credited as a turning point that led to the landmark 2015 Paris agreement in which nearly every nation in the world pledged to try to curb emissions of heat-trapping gases. Seven years later during climate talks in Glasgow, another U.S.-China deal helped smooth over bumps to another international climate deal. China and the United States are the worlds No. 1 and No. 2 climate polluters, together producing nearly 40% of all fossil-fuel emissions. Ominously, experts in China-U.S. relations warned that Chinas diplomatic and military moves appeared to go beyond retaliatory measures for the visit and could open a new, more openly hostile era, and a more uncertain time for Taiwans democratic government. China-U.S. relations are in a downward spiral, said Bonnie Glaser, head of the Asia program at the German Marshall Fund. And I think that China is likely to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait in ways that are going to be harmful to Taiwan and are going to be disadvantageous to the United States, Glaser said. In recent years, other rounds of tensions between China and its neighbors over the India border, regional islands and the South China Sea have ended with China asserting new territorial claims and enforcing them, noted John Culver, a former East Asia national intelligence officer, now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. The same could happen now over Taiwan, Culver said. So I dont know how this ends. Weve seen how it begins. Chinas measures this week are the latest steps intended to punish the U.S. for allowing the visit to the island it claims as its own territory, to be annexed by force if necessary. China on Thursday launched threatening military exercises just off Taiwans coasts, running through Sunday. Some missiles were sent flying over Taiwan itself, Chinese officials told state media a significant increase in Chinas menacing of the island. China routinely complains when Taiwan has direct contacts with foreign governments, but its response to the Pelosi visit she was the highest-ranking American official in 25 years has been unusually strong. It appears to derail a rare encouraging note high-level in-person meetings between top officials in recent months including the defense chiefs at an Asia security conference in Singapore and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a Group of 20 meeting in Indonesia. Those talks were viewed as steps in a positive direction in an otherwise poisoned relationship. Now, talks have been suspended even on climate, where the two countries envoys had met multiple times. China stopped short of interrupting economic and trade talks, where it is looking to Biden to lift tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on imports from China. On Friday, Chinas Foreign Ministry said dialogue between U.S. and Chinese regional commanders and defense department heads would be canceled, along with talks on military maritime safety. Cooperation on returning illegal immigrants, criminal investigations, transnational crime, illegal drugs and climate change will be suspended, the ministry said. Chinas actions come ahead of a key congress of the ruling Communist Party later this year at which President Xi is expected to obtain a third five-year term as party leader. With the economy stumbling, the party has stoked nationalism and issued near-daily attacks on the government of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, which refuses to recognize Taiwan as part of China. China said Friday that more than 100 warplanes and 10 warships have taken part in live-fire military drills surrounding Taiwan over the past two days. Also, mainly symbolic sanctions against Pelosi and her family were announced. On the China coast, fighter jets could be heard flying overhead, and tourists taking photos chanted, Lets take Taiwan back, looking out into the blue waters of the Taiwan Strait from Pingtan island, a popular scenic spot in Chinas Fujian province. Pelosis visit has stirred emotions among the Chinese public, and the governments response makes us feel our motherland is very powerful and gives us confidence that the return of Taiwan is the irresistible trend, said Wang Lu, a tourist from neighboring Zhejiang province. China is a powerful country and it will not allow anyone to offend its own territory, said Liu Bolin, a high school student visiting the island. Chinas insistence that Taiwan is its territory and its threat to use force to reclaim control have featured in Communist Party statements, the education system and the state-controlled media for more than seven decades since the sides were divided amid civil war in 1949. Taiwan residents overwhelmingly favor maintaining the status quo of de facto independence and reject Chinas demands that the island unify with the mainland under Communist control. Beyond Taiwan, five of the missiles fired by China landed in Japans Exclusive Economic Zone off Hateruma, an island far south of Japans main islands, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said. He said Japan protested the missiles to China as serious threats to Japans national security and the safety of the Japanese people. In Tokyo, where Pelosi is winding up her Asia trip, she said China cannot stop U.S. officials from visiting Taiwan. ___ AP writer David Rising reported from Phnom Penh. AP writers Huizhong Wu in Taipei, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Seth Borenstein and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed. By ELLEN KNICKMEYER, ZEKE MILLER and DAVID RISING Associate Press Spain leads Europe in monkeypox, struggles to check spread View Photo BARCELONA, Spain (AP) As a sex worker and adult film actor, Roc was relieved when he was among the first Spaniards to get a monkeypox vaccine. He knew of several cases among men who have sex with men, which is the leading demographic for the disease, and feared he could be next. I went home and thought, Phew, my God, Im saved, the 29-year-old told The Associated Press. But it was already too late. Roc, the name he uses for work, had been infected by a client a few days before. He joined Spains steadily increasing count of monkeypox infections that has become the highest in Europe since the disease spread beyond Africa where it has been endemic for years. He began showing symptoms: pustules, fever, conjunctivitis and tiredness. Roc was hospitalized for treatment before getting well enough to be released. Spanish health authorities and community groups are struggling to check an outbreak that has already claimed the lives of two young men. They reportedly died of encephalitis, or swelling of the brain, that can be caused by some viruses. Most monkeypox cases cause only mild symptoms. Spain has had 4,942 confirmed cases in the three months since the start of the outbreak, which has been linked to two raves in Europe, where experts say the virus was likely spread through sex. The only country with more infections than Spain is the much larger United States, which has reported 7,100 cases. In all, the global monkeypox outbreak has seen more than 26,000 cases in nearly 90 countries since May. There have been 103 suspected deaths in Africa, mostly in Nigeria and Congo, where a more lethal form of monkeypox is spreading than in the West. Health experts stress that this is not technically a sexually transmitted disease, even though it has been mainly spreading via sex among gay and bisexual men, who account for 98% of cases beyond Africa. The virus can be spread to anyone who has close, physical contact with an infected person, their clothing or bedsheets. So part of the complexity of fighting monkeypox is striking a balance between not stigmatizing men who have sex with men, while also ensuring that both vaccines and pleas for greater caution reach those currently in the greatest danger. Spain has distributed 5,000 shots of the two-shot vaccine to health clinics and expects to receive 7,000 more from the European Union in the coming days, its health ministry said. The EU has bought 160,000 doses and is donating them to member states based on need. The bloc is expecting another 70,000 shots to be available next week. To ensure that those shots get administered wisely, community groups and sexual health associations targeting gay men, bisexuals and transgender women are taking the lead. In Barcelona, BCN Checkpoint, which focuses on AIDS/HIV prevention in gay and trans communities, is now contacting at-risk people to offer them one of the precious vaccines. Pep Coll, medical director of BCN Checkpoint, said the vaccine rollout is focused on people who are already at risk of contracting HIV and are on preemptive treatment, men with a high number of sexual partners and those who participate in chemsex (sex with the use of drugs), as well as people with suppressed immune responses. But there are many more people who fit those categories than doses. If we just consider the number of people (on prophylactic HIV treatment) plus the number of people with HIV, we are talking about some 15,000 people (just in Barcelona), Coll said. The lack of vaccines, which is far more severe in Africa than in Europe and the U.S., makes social public health policies key, experts say. As with the coronavirus pandemic, contact tracing to identify people who could have been infected is critical. But, while COVID-19 could spread to anyone simply through the air, the close bodily contact that serves as the leading vehicle for monkeypox makes some people hesitant to share information. We are having a steady stream of new cases, and it is possible that we will have more deaths. Why? Because contact tracing is very complicated because it can be a very sensitive issue for someone to identify their sexual partners, said Amos Garcia, epidemiologist and president of the Spanish Association of Vaccinology. Spain says that 80% of its cases are among men who have sex with men and only 1.5% are women. But Garcia insisted that will even out unless the entire public, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, grasps that having various sexual partners creates greater risk. The same thing happened with AIDS/HIV, when at one moment the group of men who had sex with men was the most affected (before spreading to other groups), and that can become the path that this takes if we are not able to send a strong message to society, Garcia said. Given the dearth of vaccines and the trouble with contact tracing, more pressure is being put on encouraging prevention. From the start, government officials ceded the leading role in the get-out-the-word campaign to community groups. Sebastian Meyer, president of the STOP SIDA association dedicated to AIDS/HIV care in Barcelonas LGBTQ community, said the logic was that his group and others like it would be trusted message-bearers with person-by-person knowledge of how to drive the health warning home. Community associations that represent gay and bisexual men have bombarded social media, websites and blogs with information on monkeypox safety. Officials in Catalonia, the region including Barcelona which has over 1,500 cases, are pushing public service announcements on dating apps Tinder and Grindr warning about the disease. But Meyer, who is on the monkeypox advisory boards for both Spains national government and for Catalonia, says there is still a lot to be done. Meyer believes fatigue from the COVID-19 pandemic has played a part. Doctors advise people with monkeypox lesions to isolate until they have fully healed, which can take up to three weeks. When people read that they must self-isolate, they close the webpage and forget what they have read, Meyer said. We are just coming out of COVID, when you couldnt do this or that, and now, here we go again People just hate it and put their heads in the sand. Meyer said that his group is currently brainstorming ways to revamp and relaunch their message. If you havent been selected for a vaccine, the answer is not to desperately hope that youll get one, he said. The answer is to be more careful. That is much better than any vaccine. ___ AP writer Raf Casert contributed from Brussels. By JOSEPH WILSON and RENATA BRITO Associated Press UK court bars parents from moving comatose boy to hospice View Photo LONDON (AP) A British judge on Friday rejected a request from the parents of a comatose boy to let them move their son to a hospice when hospital doctors withdraw his life-support treatment. The parents of Archie Battersbee vowed to fight on. The 12-year-old has been in a coma since early April and doctors believe he is brain dead. All our wishes as a family have been denied by the authorities, his mother, Hollie Dance said. We are broken, but we are keeping going, because we love Archie and refuse to give up on him. After High Court Judge Lucy Theis rejected the familys request Friday morning, Archies parents asked the Court of Appeal for permission to challenge the ruling. When that court refused to take the case late in the day, they applied to the European Court of Human Rights to intervene. It wasnt immediately clear whether the ECHR would take the case. It had refused to wade into the court battles earlier this week. Archies care has been the subject of weeks of legal arguments as his parents sought to force the Royal London Hospital to continue life-sustaining treatments after doctors argued there was no chance of recovery and he should be allowed to die. The family is seeking to move Archie to a hospice after the courts ruled it was in his best interests to end treatment. The hospital said Archies condition was so unstable that moving him would hasten his death. Theis ruled Friday morning that Archie should remain in the hospital while treatment is withdrawn. I return to where I started, recognizing the enormity of what lays ahead for Archies parents and the family. Their unconditional love and dedication to Archie is a golden thread that runs through this case, Theis wrote in her decision. I hope now Archie can be afforded the opportunity for him to die in peaceful circumstances, with the family who meant so much to him as he clearly does to them. The dispute is the latest U.K. case pitting the judgment of doctors against the wishes of families. Under British law, it is common for courts to intervene when parents and doctors disagree on the treatment of a child. In such cases, the best interests of the child take primacy over the parents right to decide what they believe is best for their children. By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press Hiker (second to left) and TCSAR members after successful rescueHiker (second to left) and TCSAR members after successful rescue View Photo Tuolumne County, CA An emergency spot beacon helped save the life of a severely dehydrated hiker, but it was not easy for rescuers to get to him. On Thursday, July 28th, just after 11 p.m., Tuolumne Sheriffs officials received a report of an emergency spot beacon activation for a severely dehydrated man in the area of Clavey River Canyon northeast of Groveland. The activated beacon coordinates pinpointed his precise location, which was in rough terrain. Volunteer Search and Rescue (SAR) members used a side-by-side vehicle and ATVS most of the way, but with only about two miles left, the thick brush and steep terrain forced them to hike the rest of the way. They reached the man around 5:30 a.m. and immediately gave him water to rehydrate. Then head back out the way they came in to get him back safely. The picture in the image box was taken just after the group returned. As sheriffs officials noted, Nothing like a Tuolumne County sunrise after an all-nighter. Thanks to our wonderful volunteers for their dedication. Community Levels via the CDC August 5 View Photo Tuolumne County Public Health reports 136 new lab-confirmed community cases and 26 Sierra Conservation Center (SCC) inmate cases from Saturday, July 30th to today, Friday, August 5th. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reports 37 active cases at SCC, last week there were 58 active cases. There are 127 known active community cases down from 163. Positive home tests (rapid/antigen tests) are not counted in the Covid numbers and remain unknown. Lab results come from hospitals or other lab-confirmed testing. Beginning this week, hospitalizations are being reported as a 14-day daily average based on reported data from the hospital to the California Department of Public Health. The number of hospitalizations over the past 14 days is six and represents people admitted to Adventist Sonora regardless of their county of residence. Tuolumne Public Health officials state These reports will continue to provide a current picture of the impact to our healthcare system from COVID hospitalizations. The newly reported Covid-19 community cases this week include 11 cases age 17 and younger and 50 cases age 60 or older. The new Covid cases demographics: 5 girls and 3 boys age 0 to 11, 2 girls and 1 boy age 12 to 17, 12 women and 9 men age 18 to 29, 13 women and 8 men in their 30s, 9 women and 4 men in their 40s, 11 women and 9 men in their 50s, 15 women and 9 men in their 60s, 5 women and 11 men in their 70s, 6 women and 2 men in their 80s, and 1 woman and 1 man age 90 or older. The total current case rate, a 14-day average for Tuolumne County decreased to 34 from 41.7 per 100,000 population. A total of 170 more are counted as released from isolation, in all 12,854 have been released from isolation. The 7-day test positivity rate is 15.1% down from 18.3%. Protect yourself and those around you from COVID-19: Get vaccinated; contact your healthcare provider or pharmacy about flu vaccine Wear a mask in public, especially indoors Stay home when sick! Keep your distance and avoid crowds when possible Wash hands and clean surfaces frequently Monkeypox Tuolumne Public health states there are 1,135 probable and confirmed cases in California, from 28 local jurisdictions, an increase of 349 cases this week, (352 last week.) No cases have been identified in Tuolumne County to date. The risk to the general public is considered low at this time. While California is working to increase the number of vaccines available, current availability is extremely limited. Tuolumne County does not have vaccines available at this time. On August 1st, Governor Newsom declared a State of Emergency to support the monkeypox response statewide as detailed here. For more information, including prevention information about monkeypox, go here. Calaveras Public Health updates weekly on Tuesdays. They report 105 new lab-confirmed cases from July 27th to August 2nd. The number of cases is up from 64 new lab-confirmed cases among residents the week before, there were 97 the week before that. Calaveras reports 80 active cases, last week there were 59 active cases. There are four active Covid hospitalizations. Calaveras is back to the high (orange) Community Covid Level but Mariposa joins Mono and Amador counties in the medium (yellow) Covid Level. Tuolumne has been at the High Community Level since June 24th. The Community level is determined by the CDC based on higher of the new hospital admissions and inpatient beds metrics, based on the current level of new cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days. According to the CDC covid transmission remains high in nearly all counties in California and throughout the United States. Locally only Mono and Alpine Counties have lower transmission levels. COVID-19 Testing If you test positive or have been exposed to COVID-19 Isolation instructions (click here) To make an appointment for testing at the testing site visit: https://lhi.care/covidtesting The Mother Lode fairgrounds testing site will close at 3:00 PM on Wednesday, August 17th otherwise testing is open 7 days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. with closures for meal breaks between 11 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 5 pm. The State testing site at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds launched Test to Treat operations as detailed here. At-home test kits can be ordered for free at https://www.covid.gov/tests. Families with school-age children may obtain free kits by contacting the Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools office. A limited number of free at-home kits are available at the Public Health Department (note, as a healthcare facility, masks are required at all times in our lobby). At-home test kits are also available for purchase at pharmacies. Testing sites at other locations near the area can be found by visiting: https://myturn.ca.gov/testing.html COVID-19 Vaccine children aged 6 months to 5 years are now eligible for COVID vaccination. The Tuolumne Public Health team has added vaccinations for this age group to our clinic schedule beginning next week or families can check with their childs healthcare provider. Appointments for June 27, June 29, or July 1 at the health department on Cedar Road in Sonora are available at myturn.ca.gov. For more information click here: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-moderna-and-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccines-children More information about Covid Vaccine booster shots can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html. Appointments in Tuolumne and Calaveras can be made through myturn.ca.gov or by calling 833-422-4255 or through local pharmacies, more details are here. County Date New Active (Hospital) Est. Total 2022 All Cases (All Deaths) Amador 7/26 to 8/1 58 81 (5) 2,592 6,768 (79) Calaveras 7/27 to 8/2 105 80 (4) 3,570 8,205 (131) Mariposa 7/30 to 8/4 36 N/A (1) 2,125 3,932 (37) Mono 7/29 to 8/4 2 N/A 1,211 3,157 (9) Tuolumne 7/30 to 8/5 162 127 (6) 7,784 16,071 (193) Colors indicate CDC Community Level: Green-low, Yellow-medium, Orange-high Honolulu utility finds chemical in Red Hill monitoring well View Photo HONOLULU (AP) The Honolulu Board of Water Supply said Thursday it has detected a small amount of a chemical naturally occurring in coal, crude oil and gasoline in a monitoring well near a Navy fuel storage facility that spilled jet fuel last year. The utility said in a news release it found very low levels of the chemical, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. It said it shared its data with the state Department of Health and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and both agencies agree these low levels are not expected to cause any health effects. Still, they agreed the situation needs attention and continued monitoring, the utility said. The Board of Water Supply said the discovery heightens its concern that fuel spilled from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility is migrating through the aquifer located under the tank farm. The utility has three wells that tap the aquifer to supply drinking water to more than 400,000 Oahu residents. It shut down those wells in December when it learned fuel had flowed from the tank farm into a Navy drinking water well supplying water to 93,000 people on and near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. That leak sickened some 6,000 of the Navys water users with nausea, headaches and other symptoms. The utility worries fuel may travel through the aquifers porous volcanic rock from the area around the Navys well to its own wells, which could poison Honolulus own water supply. It has been calling on the Navy to swiftly remove fuel from the tanks to reduce the threat of further leaks. The Board of Water Supply said it found the chemical in water samples taken from a well about 1,500 feet (457 meters) southeast of the Red Hill facility. It also found total petroleum hydrocarbons in the same samples. Lydia Robertson, a spokesperson for Navy Region Hawaii, said the Navy hasnt seen the utilitys data but would welcome the opportunity to review it. Ernie Lau, the Board of Water Supplys chief engineer, called the detections warnings that we cannot ignore. Our precious and irreplaceable water resources are at risk of further contamination every day the fuel remains in the Red Hill tanks, he said in a statement. We urge the Navy to expeditiously defuel and permanently close the Red Hill facility Ola I Ka Wai, he said, using the Hawaiian language phrase meaning water is life. The military in April agreed to an order from the state of Hawaii to drain the tanks and close the World War II-era tank farm. But it says December 2024 is the earliest it can accomplish this. A Navy investigation released last month said a cascading series of mistakes from May through November of last year caused 20,000 gallons (75,700 liters) of fuel to spill into its drinking water well. It blamed mismanagement and human error for the episode. The leak was the most recent of a series of fuel spills from Red Hill dating to 2014. By AUDREY McAVOY Associated Press Trump ally Kari Lake wins GOP primary for Arizona governor View Photo PHOENIX (AP) Kari Lake, a former news anchor who walked away from her journalism career and was embraced by Donald Trump and his staunch supporters, won the Republican primary for Arizona governor on Thursday. Lakes victory was a blow to the GOP establishment that lined up behind lawyer and businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson in an attempt to push their party past the chaotic Trump era. Lake said she would not have certified President Joe Bidens 2020 victory and put false claims of election fraud at the center of her campaign. Arizonans who have been forgotten by the establishment just delivered a political earthquake, Lake said in a statement after the race was called. Republicans now enter the general election sprint with a slate of nominees closely allied with Trump who deny that Biden was legitimately elected president. Lake will face Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in the November election. This race for governor isnt about Democrats or Republicans. Its a choice between sanity and chaos, Hobbs said Thursday night in a statement on Lakes victory. Early election results showing only mail ballots received before Election Day gave Robson a solid lead, but that was whittled down as votes from polling places were added to the tally. Lakes victory became clear Thursday when Maricopa County released results from thousands of mail ballots dropped off at the polls on Tuesday. The voters of Arizona have spoken, Robson said in a statement conceding to Lake late Thursday. I accept the results, I trust the process and the people who administer it. In a midterm primary season with mixed results for Trumps favored candidates, the former president came out on top in Arizona, a state that has been central to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and cast doubt on Bidens victory. In addition to Lake, Trumps picks for U.S. Senate, secretary of state, attorney general, U.S. House and the state Legislature all won their GOP primaries. If they win in November, Trump allies will hold sway over the administration of elections in a crucial battleground state as he considers another bid for the White House in 2024. The results also show that Trump remains a powerful figure in the GOP as longtime party stalwarts get increasingly bold in their efforts to reassert control ahead of the next presidential campaign. Former Vice President Mike Pence, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie all campaigned for Robson in the days before the election. Robson, who is married to one of Arizonas richest men, largely self-funded her campaign. She called the 2020 election unfair but stopped short of calling it fraudulent and pushed for the GOP to look toward the future. Lake now faces the daunting task of uniting the Republican Party after a bruising primary. On Wednesday, as Lake declared victory prematurely, she attempted to reach out to Robson and others she fiercely criticized as RINOs, or Republicans in Name Only, who dont align with Trump on key issues. Frankly, this party needs her to come together, and I welcome her, Lake said of Robson. And I hope that she will come over for this. Robson said shes spent her life supporting Republicans, and it is my hope that our Republican nominees are successful in November. Like Trump, Lake courts controversy and confrontation. She berates journalists and dodges questions. She burned masks during the COVID-19 surge in the summer of 2021 and attacked Republicans like Ducey who allowed restrictions on businesses, though as a news anchor she encouraged people to follow public health guidance. Lake spent the days leading up to her own election claiming there were signs of fraud, but she refused to provide any evidence. Once her victory was assured, she said voters should trust her win is legitimate. We outvoted the fraud, Lake said. She pointed to problems in Pinal County, which ran out of ballots in some precincts and had to print more, but she and her attorney, Tim La Sota, refused to provide evidence backing up her claims of fraud. She said she has no plans to stop talking about election fraud even as she needs to broaden her appeal beyond the loyalists her powered her primary 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. Hobbs, Lakes opponent in November, went after the candidate over her opposition to abortion rights and gun control and a proposal she floated to put cameras in every classroom to keep an eye on teachers. Republicans, moving toward November as a divided party in Arizona, need to make an appeal to the independent voters who decide close races, said Chuck Coughlin, a longtime Republican strategist who left the party during the Trump era. I see it as a challenge the Republicans are going to have: How do they narrate to unaffiliated voters? Coughlin said. By JONATHAN J. COOPER Associated Press Indiana becomes 1st state to approve abortion ban post Roe View Photo INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana on Friday became the first state in the nation to approve abortion restrictions since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, as the Republican governor quickly signed a near-total ban on the procedure shortly after lawmakers approved it. The ban, which takes effect Sept. 15, includes some exceptions. Abortions would be permitted in cases of rape and incest, before 10-weeks post-fertilization; to protect the life and physical health of the mother; and if a fetus is diagnosed with a lethal anomaly. Victims of rape and incest would not be required to sign a notarized affidavit attesting to an attack, as had once been proposed. Under the bill, abortions can be performed only in hospitals or outpatient centers owned by hospitals, meaning all abortion clinics would lose their licenses. A doctor who performs an illegal abortion or fails to file required reports must also lose their medical license wording that tightens current Indiana law that says a doctor may lose their license. I am personally most proud of each Hoosier who came forward to courageously share their views in a debate that is unlikely to cease any time soon, Gov. Eric Holcomb said in the statement announcing that he had signed the measure. For my part as your governor, I will continue to keep an open ear. His approval came after the Senate approved the ban 28-19 and the House advanced it 62-38. Indiana was among the earliest Republican-run state legislatures to debate tighter abortion laws after the Supreme Court ruling in June that removed constitutional protections for the procedure. But it is the first state to pass a ban through both chambers, after West Virginia lawmakers on July 29 passed up the chance to be that state. Happy to be completed with this, one of the more challenging things that weve ever done as a state General Assembly, at least certainly while Ive been here, Senate President Pro-Tem Rodric Bray told reporters after the vote. I think this is a huge opportunity, and well build on that as we go forward from here. Sen. Sue Glick of LaGrange, who sponsored the bill, said that she does not think all states will come down at the same place but that most Indiana residents support aspects of the bill. Some senators in both parties lamented the bills provisions and the impact it would have on the state, including low-income women and the health care system. Eight Republicans joined all 11 Democrats in voting against the bill, though their reasons to thwart the measure were mixed. We are backsliding on democracy, said Democratic Sen. Jean Breaux of Indianapolis, who wore a green ribbon Friday signifying support for abortion rights, on her lapel. What other freedoms, what other liberties are on the chopping block, waiting to be stripped away? Republican Sen. Mike Bohacek of Michiana Shores spoke about his 21-year-old-daughter, who has Down syndrome. Bohacek voted against the bill, saying it does not have adequate protections for women with disabilities who are raped. If she lost her favorite stuffed animal, shed be inconsolable. Imagine making her carry a child to term, he said before he started to choke up, then threw his notes on his seat and exited the chamber. Republican Sen. Mike Young of Indianapolis, however, said the bills enforcement provisions against doctors are not stringent enough. Such debates demonstrated Indiana residents own divisions on the issue, displayed in hours of testimony lawmakers heard over the past two weeks. Residents rarely, if ever, expressed support for the the legislation in their testimony, as abortion-rights supporters said the bill goes too far while anti-abortion activists expressed it doesnt go far enough. The debates came amid an evolving landscape of abortion politics across the country as Republicans face some party divisions and Democrats see a possible election-year boost. Republican Rep. Wendy McNamara of Evansville, who sponsored the House bill, told reporters after the House vote that the legislation makes Indiana one of the most pro-life states in the nation. Outside the chambers, abortion-rights activists often chanted over lawmakers remarks, carrying signs like Roe roe roe your vote and Build this wall between church and state. Some House Democrats wore blazers over pink Bans Off Our Bodies T-shirts. Indianas ban followed the political firestorm over a 10-year-old rape victim who traveled to the state from neighboring Ohio to end her pregnancy. The case gained attention when an Indianapolis doctor said the child came to Indiana because of Ohios fetal heartbeat ban. Religion was a persistent theme during legislative debates, both in residents testimony and lawmakers comments. In advocating against the House bill, Rep. Ann Vermilion condemned fellow Republicans who have called women murderers for getting an abortion. I think that the Lords promise is for grace and kindness, she said. He would not be jumping to condemn these women. ___ 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 ___ Find APs full coverage of the overturning of Roe v. Wade at: https://apnews.com/hub/abortion By ARLEIGH RODGERS Associated Press/Report for America GOP Rep who voted to impeach advances in Washington primary View Photo OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse, who voted to impeach Donald Trump, advanced Friday to the general election following days of vote counts in Washington states primary, but fellow Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler saw her advantage against an opponent endorsed by Trump rapidly shrink to within recount territory with thousands of votes left to count. Both drew interparty challenges due to their vote to impeach Trump following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Newhouse, the four-term incumbent in the 4th Congressional District in central Washington and Democrat Doug White were essentially tied, with each capturing about 25% of the vote on a crowded ballot. White also advanced to the fall ballot. Loren Culp, a Trump-endorsed former small town police chief who lost the 2020 governors race to Democrat Jay Inslee, was at about 21%. In the 3rd Congressional District in southwestern Washington, Democrat Marie Perez was the top vote getter, with 31% of the vote. Herrera Beutler, who had about 24% on Tuesday night, dropped to 22.6% Thursday night, 257 votes ahead of Joe Kent a former Green Beret endorsed by Trump who was at 22.5%. A mandatory recount would occur if the margin of votes between the No. 2 and No. 3 candidates is less than half of 1% and closer than 2,000 votes. Because Washington is a vote-by-mail state and ballots just need to be in by Election Day, it often takes days to learn final results in close races as ballots arrive at county election offices throughout the week. An estimated 35,000 votes are left to count, and the three counties where votes remain to be counted the majority of it in the 3rd Districts largest county, Clark, wont update their tallies again until late Monday afternoon. Counties have until Aug. 16 to finish their count and for canvassing boards to certify the results, followed by certification by the secretary of state by Aug. 19. Under Washingtons primary system, all candidates run on the same ballot, and the top two vote getters in each of Tuesdays races advance to the November election, regardless of party. Of the 10 House Republicans who voted for Trumps impeachment, four opted not to run for reelection. Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer was defeated in a primary Tuesday by Trump-endorsed John Gibbs and Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina lost to a Trump-endorsed challenger in June. Rep. David Valadao of California which has an open primary like Washington survived a primary challenge. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming is bracing for defeat in her Aug. 16 primary against a Trump-backed rival. In another key match in the 8th Congressional District, incumbent Democratic Rep. Kim Schrier advanced to the November ballot with more than 47% of the vote, and will face former state attorney general candidate Matt Larkin in November. With about 17% of the vote, Larkin edged out King County Council Member Reagan Dunn, a former federal prosecutor whose mother once held the seat. Dunn conceded the race Thursday. The district is a key target of GOP efforts to retake control of the House. By RACHEL LA CORTE Associated Press EXPLAINER: What will it take to get Brittney Griner home? EXPLAINER: What will it take to get Brittney Griner home? View Photo WASHINGTON (AP) Now that WNBA star Brittney Griner has been convicted of drug possession and sentenced to nine years in prison, attention turns to the prospect of a prisoner swap between the United States and Russia that could get her home. Secretary of State Antony Blinken went public with that possibility last week, revealing in an unusual announcement that the U.S. had made a substantial proposal aimed at securing the release of Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan. With her court case concluded and her sentence pronounced, such a deal assuming one can be reached with the Russians is Griners best chance of being freed early. Though the guilty verdict was seen as a foregone conclusion, the imposition of a sentence her lawyers decried as far longer than average could give the U.S. extra impetus to strike a deal palatable to Russia as soon as possible. And the formal end of the court case could be the opening both sides need to forge a diplomatic resolution, too. A look at whats at stake: WHAT DID THE U.S. OFFER? Blinken did not specify the terms other than to describe the offer as substantial and something that he intended to discuss with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. A person familiar with the situation said that the U.S. offered to release Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms dealer serving a 25-year prison sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons to Colombias former FARC guerrilla army. At the time of his conviction, the group was classified by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization, though that designation was lifted last year. The officials did wind up speaking by phone last Friday, the highest-level known contact between the two sides since Russia invaded Ukraine. They are also in Cambodia for meetings involving foreign ministers of Southeast Asian countries. WHAT HAS BEEN THE RUSSIAN RESPONSE? Minimal, at least in public. Blinken did not provide details after his call with Lavrov about his response. The Russians gave no hint about their interest in the offer, other than a statement chiding the U.S. to pursue the Americans freedom through quiet diplomacy, without releases of speculative information. On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Russian government had responded in a bad faith manner with an offer that U.S. officials did not regard as serious. She did not elaborate, though CNN reported last week that Moscow also wanted the release of a former colonel from one of its spy agencies who was convicted of murder in Germany last year. WOULD THERE BE A PRECEDENT FOR A PRISONER SWAP? In many ways, yes and a recent one too. In April, Russia traded Marine veteran Trevor Reed, convicted of a physical altercation with police in Moscow, for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot imprisoned for a cocaine trafficking conspiracy. Yet that involved a Russian with far less notoriety than Bout, a former Soviet air force officer who once inspired a Hollywood movie and who earned the nickname the Merchant of Death over allegations that he supplied weapons used for civil wars in countries around the globe. He has adamantly maintained his innocence. But theres not much recent precedent for public discussions of prisoner swaps, at least by the U.S. government, before the deal is done and planes are in the air. Thats what made Blinkens announcement from the State Department briefing room all the more striking. On one hand, it seemed intended to communicate to the public that the administration will do whatever it needs to do to bring home wrongfully detained Americans. But such a public overture also risks weakening the administrations negotiating hand to the extent it makes the U.S. look overly desperate for a deal, or signals to other countries that it is willing to meet potentially unreasonable demands. SO WILL THE DEAL TAKE PLACE? Its hard to say, but the contact between Blinken and Lavrov does suggest more progress than has been made before. It also reinforces the idea that the two countries are willing to maintain communication despite extraordinary tensions related to Moscows invasion of Ukraine. Griner is the most prominent American detained by a foreign country. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist detained since February when police said they found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage at an airport in Moscow. And though some Republicans including former President Donald Trump have expressed opposition to a deal, the conviction and sentence will only ramp up pressure on the administration to reach an agreement that can get her out soon. Todays sentencing of Brittney Griner was severe by Russian legal standards and goes to prove what we have known all along, that Brittney is being used as a political pawn, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, Griners agent, tweeted Thursday. She said getting a deal done for Griner and Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive imprisoned on an espionage conviction he and his family says is baseless, may be difficult but it is urgent and the right thing to do. The U.S. government also regards Whelan as wrongfully convicted. For their part, Russian authorities have suggested that they regard a conviction as basically a prerequisite for a prisoner swap. On Thursday, President Joe Biden again urged Russia to release Griner immediately. My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible, he said in a statement. ___ Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP By ERIC TUCKER Associated Press TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) _ NortonLifeLock Inc. (NLOK) on Thursday reported fiscal first-quarter profit of $200 million. On a per-share basis, the Tempe, Arizona-based company said it had net income of 33 cents. Earnings, adjusted for amortization costs and stock option expense, came to 45 cents per share. The security software maker posted revenue of $707 million in the period. Its adjusted revenue was $708 million. For the current quarter ending in October, NortonLifeLock expects its per-share earnings to range from 44 cents to 46 cents. The company said it expects revenue in the range of $695 million to $705 million for the fiscal second quarter. _____ This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on NLOK at https://www.zacks.com/ap/NLOK WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) The government of the Solomon Islands has taken tighter control over the nation's state-owned broadcaster a move that opponents say is squarely aimed at controlling and censoring the news. The government said Friday that the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, known as SIBC, would retain editorial control and that government officials would not censor or restrain the outlet. But earlier this week, the government had lashed out at the broacaster, accusing it of a lack of ethics and professionalism and saying the government has a duty to protect our people from lies and misinformation" it said was propagated by the SIBC. In an interview with The Associated Press, Johnson Honimae, the SIBC chief executive, said he was proud of the broadcaster's award-winning journalism. He said it was business as usual for the broadcaster and there were no government censors vetting stories before they were broadcast, contrary to what was reported by some news outlets. The government's move came at a politically tumultuous time in the Solomon Islands. There were riots in the capital of Honiara last November, followed by a no-confidence vote in Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in December, which he survived. Then in April, Sogavare signed a security pact with China that has caused deep alarm in the Pacific and around the world. The SIBC has reported those developments and has included the views of Sogavare's opponents. The broadcaster, which began as the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Service, has been a fixture for 70 years in the Solomon Islands. Employing about 50 people and operating under the slogan Voice of the nation," the broadcaster is the main source of radio and television news for the nation's 700,000 people and is listened to and watched from the capital to the smallest village. In late June, the government moved to delist the SIBC as a state-owned enterprise and take more direct control, saying the broadcaster had failed to make a profit, something which has been expected of such state-owned businesses. Opposition Leader Matthew Wale said Wednesday the delisting was a scheme orchestrated by Sogavare as a clear attempt to directly control and censor the news content of SIBC. This will hijack well-entrenched principles of law on defamation and freedom-of-speech, thus depriving the public using SIBC to freely express their views, or accessing information on government activities, Wale said. Honimae told the AP that the broadcaster took critical calls from Sogavare's office in recent months. They believe we've been running too many stories from the opposition side, causing too much disunity, Honimae said. Honimae said the broadcaster and its staff won several journalism awards this year from the Media Association of Solomon Islands, including newsroom of the year and journalist of the year. He also said the broadcaster plays the national anthem when broadcasts begin each morning at 6 a.m. and again when they finish at 11 p.m. We believe we are a great force for unity and peace in this country, Honimae said. Honimae added that the broadcaster needed to balance our stories more and leave no opportunity for criticism. He said Sogavare who is also the government's broadcasting minister had said in Parliament that the government wouldn't tamper with the broadcaster's editorial independence. There is no censorship at the moment, Honimae said. We operate as professional journalists. WFO ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, August 4, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Albany NY 332 PM EDT Thu Aug 4 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...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 today and Friday afternoon. * WHERE...In Connecticut, Litchfield County. In New York, Dutchess and eastern Ulster counties. In Massachusetts, southern Berkshire 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. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Courtesy of Riot Blockchain Riot Blockchain, which owns one of Texas' largest bitcoin mining facilities, says that it made an estimated $9.5 million by shutting off its facility amid peak demand on the state power grid brought on by recent record high temperatures. That estimated amount in power is more than the company made in selling bitcoin, according to a recent report from the company. The report says that shutting off the 750-megawatt facility in Rockdale, east of Austin, voluntarily allowed the company to return 11,717 megawatt hours in July pack to the power grid managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. That's enough to power to run 13,121 homes for one month. Taipei, Aug 5 (UNI) Multiple Chinese vessels and aircraft have crossed the Taiwan Strait median line for a second day, Taiwan's Defence Ministry said Friday. The median line is the informal dividing line in the Taiwan Strait between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. China launched its second day of military drills around the island following top US Democrat Nancy Pelosi's controversial visit to Taiwan. Speaking in Japan, Pelosi on Friday insisted her visit to Taipei amid warnings from Beijing was not motivated by self-interest. She also vowed that the US would not let China isolate Taiwan. On Thursday, China launched ballistic missiles into waters around Taiwan's northeast and southwest coasts, Taiwan said. The island said the move violated the island's sovereignty and amounted to a blockade, the BBC reported. Both the US and Taiwan have accused China of trying to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. While China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that must be united with the mainland, the US does not recognise Taiwan diplomatically but does not concur to Chinese claims. UNI ING (Bloomberg) -- Texas Governor Greg Abbott told his fellow conservatives that they dont need to worry about transplants from California and New York turning the state blue ahead of his re-election. Abbott spoke about the states strong job creation and influx of new businesses and residents, in particular from California, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas on Thursday. He also suggested that many of the California newcomers are conservative and that liberal Texans have moved to the west coast. We have an exchange program going on, Abbott said in jest as the crowd cheered. Were getting the California conservatives, were sending them our liberals. Abbotts remarks highlight the fear of some long-time Texas residents that newcomers from the coastal cities may bring liberal politics from their home states. Abbotts popularity has declined over his tenure, and a recent poll showed that 36% of Texans rate him as very unfavorable, compared to 19% who say he is very favorable. The two-term incumbent governor spoke to a half-empty room. Polling shows that Abbott is expected to defeat Democratic challenger Beto ORourke, although his lead has narrowed in recent months after events like the Uvalde school shooting and the US Supreme Court overturning the nationwide right to an abortion. While many transplants to Texas have come from left-leaning places like California and New York, they have proved to be more conservative than thought. Newcomers voted for Republican Ted Cruz in his 2018 Senate re-election bid at a higher rate than those born in the state, according to a CNN exit poll. Numerous high-profile companies have relocated or planned large expansions in the state in recent years, including Tesla Incs new headquarters in Austin, Samsung Electronics Cos $17 billion chip facility in Taylor and Goldman Sachs Group Incs new office tower in Dallas. Many of these company expansions bring in new, high-paying jobs, which ultimately will drive up prices for housing and other living costs in a state that has long used affordability as a draw. Texas Salaries Are Climbing, Closing the Gap With Silicon Valley During his appearance at CPAC, Abbott spoke about his efforts to secure the border, which has been one of his top priorities as he campaigns for re-election on Nov. 8 against ORourke. He also said that parents should have a say in their childrens education, which has been a policy priority for Texas Republicans as they focus on school choice and prohibiting books that involve gender and identity. At the state GOP convention in June, the governor opted to speak at a separate event across the street from where most of the activities were taking place. Hes faced opposition within his own party and ran against a handful of candidates in the primary race in March. Many Republicans are unhappy with the governor for his use of executive authority during the pandemic. CPAC brings together various high-profile conservatives and Republicans to discuss policy at conferences around the country. The group kicked off its four-day conference in Dallas Thursday. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Attorney General Ken Paxton, Senator Ted Cruz and US Representative Mayra Flores will also speak at CPAC, joining Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban and former President Donald Trump. 2022 Bloomberg L.P. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW YORK (AP) Pose star Angelica Ross is set to make her Broadway debut in Chicago this fall, becoming the first openly transgender actor to play the murderous vixen Roxie Hart in the long-running musical. Ross, whose credits also include American Horror Story: 1984, will start an eight-week run beginning Sept. 12 at the Ambassador Theatre. She will join a Broadway starting to open its arms to transgender actors. In 2018, Ru Pauls Drag Race star Peppermint became the first openly trans woman to originate a principal role on Broadway, starring in the Go-Gos jukebox musical Head Over Heels. This spring, L Morgan Lee made history as the first openly transgender person to be nominated and go on to win a Tony Award for her work as a featured actress in the musical A Strange Loop. Set in the 1920s, Chicago is a scathing satire of how show business and the media make celebrities out of criminals. It has Bob Fosse-inspired choreography, skimpy outfits and killer songs such as All That Jazz and Cell Block Tango. It tells the story of Hart, a housewife and dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to leave her. To avoid conviction, she hires Chicagos slickest criminal lawyer to help her dupe the public, media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by creating shocking headlines. Other principal and featured Broadway actors who have identified as trans include Alexandra Billings in The Nap, Becca Blackwell in the play Is This a Room, and Kate Bornstein and Ty Defoe in Straight White Men. The celebrity-craving heroine at the heart of "Chicago'' has been played by dozens of women since the show opened in 1996, including Melanie Griffith, Christie Brinkley, Marilu Henner, Brooke Shields, Lisa Rinna, Gretchen Mol, Ashlee Simpson, Brandy Norwood, Jennifer Nettles and Robin Givens. Pamela Anderson made headlines earlier this year when she played Roxie. ___ Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits Click here to read the full article. Is the whole of a combined HBO Max-Discovery+ greater than its streaming parts? Warner Bros. Discovery is going to find out next year. The media company announced a timeline for the two services to be fused together: HBO Max and Discovery+ will launch in the U.S. as a single service in the summer of 2023, according to JB Perrette, CEO and president of global streaming and interactive for Warner Bros. Discovery, speaking on the companys Q2 earnings call. At the end of the day, putting all the content together was the only way we saw to make this a viable business, Perrette told analysts. Bringing HBO Max and Discovery+ together is aimed at cutting churn so theres something for everyone in the household, he said. WBD did not announce what the new brand name for the merged service will be, nor did execs discuss pricing for the unified streamer. Warner Bros. Discovery is initially focused on the ad-supported and ad-free versions of the combined HBO Max-Discovery+, Perrette said, but is also exploring how to reach customers in the free, ad-supported space with content that is totally different from whats on the premium VOD services. HBO may or may not be part of the name of the unified direct-to-consumer WBD platform; Perrette said he company is doing research on consumer perception of the HBO Max name. But, HBO will continue to be a major brand: HBO will always be the beacon and the ultimate brand that stands for television quality, he said on the call. The merged HBO Max-Discovery+ will combine the best elements of both services, said Perrette. He said HBO Max has had performance and customer issues but offers a rich set of features; Discovery+ has more limited features but provides a more robust underlying delivery capability. After the summer 2023 rollout in the United States, WBD plans to take the unified HBO Max-Discovery+ platform to Latin America in the fall of 2023; Europe in early 2024; Asia Pacific in mid-2024; and additional markets in fall 2024. In the second quarter, WBDs HBO Max, HBO and Discovery+ subscribers combined were 92.1 million, up 1.7 million from 90.4 million the prior quarter. Thats up 22% 75.8 million on a pro-forma basis versus a year earlier. Click here to sign up for Varietys free Strictly Business newsletter covering earnings, financial news, and more. By 2025, WBD expects to have 130 million global streaming subscribers and that its direct-to-consumer businesses will generate $1 billion in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). Perrette said the company expects EBITDA losses for the streaming division to peak in 2022, with long-term margin potential of 20% or more. Currently, HBO Max is available for $14.99/month without ads and $9.99/month with ads in the U.S. Discovery+ is priced at $6.99/month without ads and $4.99/month with ads. The company previously announced intentions to combine the two flagship streaming platforms HBO Max from the legacy WarnerMedia (spun off from AT&T) and Discoverys Discovery+. Ahead of the close of the deal forming Warner Bros. Discovery, CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels in March broadly sketched out a strategy to combine the streamers, saying that initially it would sell the pair as a bundle before fully integrating them. The merged HBO Max-Discovery+ will smash together thousands of hours of programming, a disparate slate spanning scripted, reality and documentary content and will look a bit like a mini cable TV bundle. WBD took a step Thursday toward unifying HBO Max and Discovery+ on the content side, announcing that Chip and Joanna Gaines Magnolia Network programming will be coming to HBO Max this September (while remaining on Discovery+). Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. National Root Beer Float Day is celebrated every year on August 6 and this Saturday marks another joyous occasion. A day after the entire world decides to have another pint and celebrate International Beer Day on Friday, August 5, America recognizes one of its earliest summertime delicacies. Between the luxurious vanilla ice cream and the sumptuous root beer foam, how can anybody resist this refreshing summer treat? Lets look at a bit of history before we learn where we can get our hands on this ice cold treat. Did you know that toward the end of the 19th century, a gentleman named Frank J. Wisner created the first root beer float? According to National Today, the then owner of Colorados Cripple Creek Brewing came up with the idea after looking up at the snowy peaks of Colorados Cow Mountains. The majestic view gave the illusion of ice cream floating on a beverage and strangely enough provided Wisner with both the idea and the iconic nickname for the drink of Black Cow Mountain. Children at the time later shortened the term to Black Cow, and today it is simply known as the root beer float. The soda he used back then was Myers Avenue Red Root Beer, according to National Today. And the root beer float was served to his esteemed guests the very next day and the rest you could say is history. Other noteworthy facts include the very first Europeans who settled here, right in North America. According to Eater Chicago, they made sassafras-based beverages very similar to the root beer beverages we enjoy today. Also, it wasn't until the late 19th century that root beer was fully commercialized. Charles Hires, a devoted Quaker, marketed his Hires Root Beer with the hopes of it replacing beer and other alcoholic beverages altogether during the temperance movement, according to "Sundae Best: The History of the Soda Fountain" by Anne Cooper Funderburg. He advertised that the drink had 'medicinal effects' and in 1893 earned a spot at the World's Fair in Chicago to share his creation, Funderburg wrote. Image by Time Stops Photography/Getty Images Where you can celebrate National Root Beer Float Day Now, why I assume you all are here. With Google's assistance and a little research on social media I found some places that offer some awesome floats. A&W Restaurants In honor of the holiday, A&W Restaurants is offering a month-long deal where customers can sign up to become an A&W Mug Club member and receive a coupon to redeem their own free small root beer float, no purchase necessary. Visit the website for more details and maybe donate a little to the Disabled American Veterans. Find it: Multiple locations Wienerschnitzel I'm lucky that a 4.1 star rated chain sits four minutes from my apartment. But drive on over to Wienerschnitzel's and try its Mug Root Beer Float. Made with its Tastee Freez Soft Serve ice cream and refreshing Mug Root Beer, this ice-cold delight will definitely hit the spot. Wienerschnitzel is also running a deal where customers receive a free root beer float, but through purchase only. Find it: Multiple locations What's Brewing Coffee Roasters Go local and celebrate National Root Beer Float Day with What's Brewing while playing some pinball. Customers can pay a $10 entry free to play in a tournament happening on the day. The tourney is scheduled from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Find it: 138 W Rhapsody Drive, San Antonio, TX 78216 Here's a map of all the places in San Antonio to celebrate National Root Beer Float Day: Another Oregon-based coffee chain, Black Rock Coffee Bar, is opening the doors and brewing up its first batch of coffee in San Antonio on Friday, August 5. The chain of boutique coffee shops adds yet another rival to Starbucks and rapidly expanding newcomer Dutch Bros Coffee. But is it good? We're not quite sure, but we can soon find out. Just so you're not going in completely unaware, here's some things you should know about the newest coffee chain in San Antonio. Here's four things you should know. Courtesy of Black Rock Coffee Bar FREE COFFEE This one is probably the most important detail. When Black Rock opens its first location at 11701 Blanco Road, San Antonio, TX 78216, on Friday, you can swing by as early as 5 a.m. to get a free 16 oz. drink. This deal will be offered all day. If you miss this grand opening, don't worry. There is a second location in the works. Founded in Oregon Like its rival, Dutch Bros, Black Rock Coffee Bar was founded by CEO Jeff Hernandez in 2008, amid the recession, according to Nation's Restaurant News. Hernandez told Restaurant News that Black Rock survived another national crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, by opening locations closer to suburban areas where people were staying home. Courtesy of Black Rock Coffee Bar Yes, they have regular ol' coffee Unlike Dutch Bros, you can get a regular ol' cup of joe at Black Rock Coffee, and not just hot water poured over espresso. You can get an Americano too, according to its menu. It will also have regular and breve (made with half-and-half) versions of lattes and mochas like the Mexican mocha, a blend of cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, and almond over espresso served hot or cold. It even has its own version of frozen coffee drinks called chillers and "Lil Rockers" items for kids. Courtesy of Black Rock Coffee Bar Texas is where it's at Black Rock has over 100 stores across the U.S., but lately it's been on a Texas expansion kick. With the San Antonio location opening Friday, Black Rock will have locations in and around Texas' four largest cities: Dallas, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. Over the past few years Black Rock has opened 14 stores across Texas, according this June press release. Cappuccino alert: According to my Instagram lurking, there's a new coffee spot apparently soft-opening in Southtown on Saturday morning, August 6. Pinky Ring will now begin percolating inside Amada Claire Miller and Empty Stomach's Hands Down bar, which opened at the beginning of the year. It's sort an answer to Little Death's Eclipse, though it's hard to compare anyone to the inimitable Soloman. To clarify: Pinky Ring will serve coffee at the same address 1012 S Presa St, San Antonio, TX 78210 and within the same space, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. when the wine and cocktail bar is not operating. It's a micro businesses within a business. If Pinky Ring is the sun, Hands Down is the moon. In addition to a full coffee menu, there's eclectic handmade ceramics and... a Whataburger table tent service system.... They say you shouldn't steal them. Interesting. Photo by Ben Yanto Admittedly, I kinda like the idea of a niche jewelry item taking center stage at a food or beverage business. There was a brunch restaurant in the town I went to college in where all the servers had matching dermal piercings on their faces. Thinking back... this might have been more of a crunchy Colorado, cult-adjacent behavior rather than a whimsical uniform fixture. When we think of uniforms we rarely think of jewelry. I imagine all Pinky Ring baristas wearing Sopranos-style, gem-encrusted, Tony Sirico-type pinky rings as they dial in your espresso. The jury is out on whether my vision will materialize. If you're a Pinky Ring barista reading this now, consider scheduling a visit to the flea market. In this life, it's the little things that make a difference... Here's everything else you missed in the food and beverage news. Have a nice tax-free weekend everybody! Adrian Martinez Smoke BBQ opens on the river Smoke BBQ + Skybar, ground zero for party people, touring DJ's, and watch parties, just officially opened a spin-off location, House of Smoke on the River Walk. You can probably guess where the new location is. Via 313 Bring on the Faygo. Never forget the initial promise of the American auto industry. Lose yourself in Brittany Murphy's performance in 8 Mile. Consider the Insane Clown Posse's role in modern American politics. Do all this in preparation of trying San Antonio latest import: Via 313's Detroit-style pizza. New Willies Bar and Grill If you live somewhere in between where Austin ends and San Antonio begins, there's a new bar and grill coming for you to try. Mike Sutter / Staff A tap room meets the Philly Cheesesteak Weathered Souls Brewing Co. used to serve barbecue. Now, it will begin serving gourmet Philly Cheesesteaks (amongst other new offerings). We explored Chicken Katsu There's a new spot to enjoy jumbo Chicken Katsu sandwiches at The Yard. Krazy Katsu is perfect for the crazy chicken sandwich lover. We tried it before you had a chance to go. Dinner at Reese Bros. BBQ Reese Bros. BBQ took to Instagram this week to announce that it will begin a new inspired dinner service, curated by head chef Jorge Flores in the near future. The menu will be inspired by " the food and techniques he grew up with in Northern Mexico". C3PICS/Getty Images/iStockphoto There's an Austin brisket bandit There's a brisket bandit on the loose somewhere in Austin. He stole thousands of dollars worth in like... 20 briskets. Restaurant week is encroaching Food fans and servers about to get major tips rejoice: Culinaria restaurant weeks are fast approaching. From August 13 through the 27, some of your favorite restaurants will have special menus and deals. If you run a restaurant and want to participate, there's still time to reach out. Puzzles and wine: match made in heaven? This is an extremely wholesome, "coastal grandmother" activity alert. Vintage Wine Bar and Specialty Foods at Hill Country Village is kicking off their "Puzzle Sundays" promotion this weekend. Maskot/Getty Images/Maskot With Instagram foodies constantly at the ready to capture their picturesque plates and decorated dining spots, having cell phones at the dinner table are somewhat of a norm these days. A new Texas restaurant is making sure thats not the case. The owner at Caterinas, located at the Fort Worth Stockyards, has banned cell phones from the restaurant. Diners at the Italian eatery must lock their phones in a bag that wont be unlocked until theyre ready to leave, according to a report from NBCDFW. San Antonio is home to a good number of residents who have an all-or-nothing work ethic. Whether it's selling crafty creations at popular intersections or barbecue plates out of their abuelas casita, the Alamo City is full of locals and transplants alike who will do whatever it takes to take care of themselves and their families. For Ricky Ortiz, owner of El Camino, the hustle of the citys residents is definitely a reflection of San Antonios culture. Creating a hub for entrepreneurship among local businesses in the popular food truck park gets even more personal for Ortiz. I have a little bit of a soft spot for locally-owned businesses, specifically minority-owned businesses, people who build things from the ground up, he says. Ortiz is used to being around hard workers with a dream in mind. My grandparents started their business as a pop-up, he says. In Chicago, theyd serve Mexican food on the weekends, long before the genre was deemed trendy by foodies. Back then Mexican food was on the bottom of the list when it comes to fine dining. They were bringing something that wasnt common or respected even. Still, the couple worked hard, instilling in Ortiz a tireless work ethic and an appreciation for those who hustle through food trucks and pop-ups. He remembers getting up in the early hours to watch his grandparents prepare for the day, seeing how the business ran and what it took to keep it going. When it came to my concept for El Camino, that was the inspiration of it, he says. Courtesy, Ricky Ortiz Though El Camino opened in 2021, the food truck park was in the works for some time. Ortiz says he and his brother Armando were working on the project together when Armando was killed by a wrong-way driver in 2017. Ortiz says he was trying to figure out the next steps for the eventual food truck park while mourning his brothers death, which eventually lit a fire under him to finish out their projects. It was always our dream to do something here that was different from the norm, he says, adding that they wanted a spot with more culture. I really wanted to make a business that could be a hub for other small businesses, but specifically food trucks. Thats a life goal for the little guy. To Ortiz, that little guy often comes from working in kitchens throughout San Antonio and getting experience in the industry, prompting them to start a business of their own. Despite that experience, a number of factors make that difficult, especially lately. The entry point to that is almost unattainable now. Everything is crazy expensive, Ortiz points out. These big corporations come in and they make it so that youre only ever going to be a renter. Not everybody can afford to go get space at a super expensive shopping center. We got to set up a pop-up and go sell corn or sell barbecue and do whatever we gotta do. Ortiz is happy to help residents, no matter their goals, make their dreams come into fruition at El Camino. Its not just a taco truck park, he says, clarifying that the food trucks at El Camino also include fried chicken, lobster rolls, pizza, and cuisines like Mediterranean and Filipino. Food trucks are pretty much one of the last opportunities where an average income person could get into the food game and be successful. He also means that El Camino supports all types of entrepreneurial hustles that show up at the space, where anyone of any business could do their thing and make money. Thats why patrons will often see pop-up markets, where you can find custom-made clothing and jewelry, at El Camino on weekends. Eisenahur Road Flea Market And its not just at El Camino. Drive down a popular road or stop at a major intersection and youll likely see someone selling water bottles out of an ice chest on summer days and San Marcos blankets during the colder months. Year-round, you can see residents prop up a tent with a mix of Spurs and Dallas Cowboys T-shirts and fan gear on display or promoting their small business on Facebook, whether it be homemade baked goods, beauty services, or even Texas-inspired takes on furniture. Ortiz says its because locals are willing to adapt and overcome obstacles no matter what it takes for us to get by. Its simply part of San Antonios culture. Poteet, Eisenhauer flea market, all those staples in the community for people to go out and sell, thats part of our culture here, Ortiz says. La Cantera, North Star Mall, the Pearl are all the new stuff and the big companies that have come in, but thats not really truly what San Antonio is. To me, its the pop-ups that you find at the flea markets and plate sales and all those things. Rural school districts in Texas are switching to four-day weeks this fall due to lack of staff. Florida is asking veterans with no teaching background to enter classrooms. Arizona is allowing college students to step in and instruct children. The teacher shortage in America has hit crisis levels - and school officials everywhere are scrambling to ensure that, as students return to classrooms, someone will be there to educate them. "I have never seen it this bad," Dan Domenech, executive director of the School Superintendents Association, said of the teacher shortage. "Right now it's number one on the list of issues that are concerning school districts . . . necessity is the mother of invention, and hard-pressed districts are going to have to come up with some solutions." It is hard to know exactly how many U.S. classrooms are short of teachers for the 2022-2023 school year; no national database precisely tracks the issue. But state- and district-level reports have emerged across the country detailing staffing gaps that stretch from the hundreds to the thousands - and remain wide open as summer winds rapidly to a close. The Nevada State Education Association estimated that roughly 3,000 teaching jobs remained unfilled across the state's 17 school districts as of early August. In a January report, the Illinois Association of Regional School Superintendents found that 88% of school districts statewide were having "problems with teacher shortages" - while 2,040 teacher openings were either empty or filled with a "less than qualified" hire. And in the Houston area, the largest five school districts are all reporting that between 200 and 1,000 teaching positions remain open. Carlton Jenkins, superintendent of the Madison Metropolitan School District in Wisconsin, said teachers are so scarce that superintendents across the country have developed a whisper network to alert each other when educators move between states. "We're at a point right now, where if I have people who want to move to California, I call up and give a reference very quick," he said. "And if someone is coming from another place - say, Minnesota - I have superintendent colleagues in Minnesota, they call and say, 'Hey, I have teachers coming your way.' " Why are America's schools so short-staffed? Experts point to a confluence of factors including pandemic-induced teacher exhaustion, low pay and some educators' sense that politicians and parents - and sometimes their own school board members - have little respect for their profession amid an escalating educational culture war that has seen many districts and states pass policies and laws restricting what teachers can say about U.S. history, race, racism, gender and sexual orientation, as well as LGBTQ issues. "The political situation in the United States, combined with legitimate aftereffects of covid, has created this shortage," said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. "This shortage is contrived." The stopgap solutions for lack of staff run the gamut, from offering teachers better pay to increasing the pool of people who qualify as educators to bumping up class sizes. But many of these temporary fixes are likely to harm students by diminishing their ability to learn, predicted Dawn Etcheverry, president of the Nevada State Education Association. "When you start to double classes, teachers don't have that one-on-one with the students, that personal ability to understand what the student needs" - both academically and socially, Etcheverry said. Danika Mills, a former school-based therapist and state director of Unite Us, a technology company that connects health and social services providers, said this diminishment in the quality of education is coming at the worst possible moment. America's schoolchildren are still struggling to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, she said, and the havoc months of online learning wreaked on students' academic progress, social skills and mental health. "We know students of all ages suffered steep declines in academic achievement during the pandemic and now is the time to course-correct those changes," Mills said. "Instead, I think and fear we may be facing an even bigger decline." Nevada's Clark County School District, which serves 320,000 students, is one of many school systems taking a scattershot approach to staff shortages by trying several solutions at once. In hopes of shrinking its roughly 1,300 teaching vacancies, the district has raised the starting teacher salary by $7,000 and is offering a $4,000 "relocation bonus" to new teachers who move from out of state or more than 100 miles. In an interview, Superintendent Jesus F. Jara said the district is also granting employees a "retention bonus" of up to $5,000 for staying in their jobs. But, with school slated to start in a week, the district is still only 92% staffed, Jara said. And - despite "around-the-clock" efforts from his human resources team - he does not believe the district will close the gap in time. "I'm still worried, I am still losing sleep at night, and I'm not going to fill the rest of the 8% of our classrooms by Monday," Jara said. Come Aug. 8, the district will be forced to deploy patching measures, Jara said - including pulling administrators from the central office to work as substitutes and combining multiple classes together in large spaces such as auditoriums or gymnasiums. "Band-aid-wise, I think they're doing whatever they can," said Jeff Horn, executive director of the Clark County Association of School Administrators. "It's a mess." Other districts and states are attempting more unorthodox fixes. A new state law in Arizona, signed by Gov. Doug Ducey (R) last month, allows college students to take teaching jobs. A similar law, which took effect in Florida on July 1, offers K-12 teaching jobs to military veterans who served for at least four years. The veterans do not need bachelor's degrees but must have earned at least 60 college credits while maintaining a grade-point average of at least 2.5. Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, said the need for teachers in his state is dire: His association estimates there are at least 8,000 teacher vacancies this year, up from 5,000 the year before. But Spar does not believe the veterans program is "really a solution," as it may lead to unqualified individuals entering classrooms. "I think we all appreciate what our military veterans have done for our country in terms of protecting our freedoms both here and abroad," he said. "But just because you were in the military does not mean you will be a great teacher." Meanwhile, the school board and superintendent in Arizona's Tucson Independent School District are considering making up for a dearth of math teachers - the system is missing 24 of them, along with 102 other teachers - by sending a small number of students into online learning for part of the day. The district may hire virtual math teachers from a Chicago-based online education company, the Tucson Sentinel reported. The superintendent did not respond to a request for comment. And in Texas's Mineral Wells Independent School District and Chico Independent School District, officials have switched to a four-day school week for the upcoming academic year. In both districts, which are small and rural, school leaders said the change is meant to attract and retain teachers amid significant staff shortages, the Texas Tribune reported. Neither district responded to a request for comment. In Wisconsin's Madison school district, superintendent Jenkins said that, a month away from the start of school on Sept. 1, officials are still working to fill 199 teacher vacancies and 124 non-teaching positions. But no children will lack an adult in the classroom come fall, he said, because the district has managed to recruit 269 qualified substitute teachers - primarily by raising substitute pay rates this spring. Jenkins said he hopes that, over the course of the year, the district can convince at least some of these substitutes to convert to full-time teachers. "We're just going to go after them," Jenkins said. Initial enticements will include "some immediate supplies. Every teacher likes their calendar, right? So we're providing calendars, little things for them - and we have some other things planned that I don't want to reveal, because I don't want to ruin the surprise." In Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia's largest district, Superintendent Michelle Reid said 97% of teaching positions are filled about three weeks before the semester begins. Reid said the district of nearly 179,000 students is now making an "all-hands-on-deck" effort to fill those jobs. "We are recruiting and processing applications and hiring educators around-the-clock, really," she said. "It's our intent to continue to recruit and hire teachers daily as we approach the start of the school year." Nonetheless, the district has begun developing backup plans, Reid said. Although the details vary campus to campus, one possible strategy is to send administrators with teaching licenses back into classrooms - but "we hope we will not have to utilize that." Leslie Houston, president of the Fairfax Education Association, said she has never in her career seen so many teachers leaving the job because they feel disrespected, primarily by politicians and some parents. "When people were beating up on teachers and just being real nasty about what we're doing and what we're not doing," Houston said, "I don't think they were really thinking, 'Who will teach my children?' " Taiwan PM blasts 'evil neighbour' China Taipei, Aug 5 (UNI) Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-chang launched a jab at its "evil neighbour next door", as his Defence Ministry on Friday said multiple Chinese vessels and aircraft have crossed the Taiwan Strait median line for a second day. "(We) didn't expect that the evil neighbour next door will show off its power at our door and arbitrarily jeopardise the busiest waterways in the world with its military exercises," he told the media as per BBC report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate An Oklahoma judge said six descendants of victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre cannot sue for reparations, while allowing three known survivors of the attack in which a white mob descended on a predominantly Black neighborhood to move forward with the lawsuit. The order, signed Tuesday by Tulsa County District Judge Caroline Wall, allows Lessie Benningfield Mother Randle, 106, Viola Mother Fletcher, 107, and Hughes Van Ellis, Sr., 101, to continue seeking reparations under state nuisance laws. Wall in May allowed the case to go forward while partially granting a motion to dismiss it without saying at the time what was being dismissed. In addition to the six descendants, Wall dismissed as plaintiffs the Historic Vernon AME Church Inc., which did not exist in 1921, and The Tulsa African Ancestral Society, which represents other descendants. And she dismissed as defendants the Tulsa Development Authority and the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission because they did not exist in 1921. Wall also dismissed an ongoing public nuisance claim by the plaintiffs. The city of Tulsa, Tulsa Regional Chamber, Tulsa County commissioners, the Tulsa County sheriff and the Oklahoma Military Department remain as defendants. The massacre occurred when a white mob descended on a 35-block area in Tulsas then-prosperous Greenwood District, killing up to an estimated 300 people, most of whom were Black, and looting and burning businesses and homes. Thousands were left homeless and living in a hastily constructed internment camp. Walls order calls for attorneys on both sides to amend the claim for reparations, which sought unspecified punitive damages and called for the creation of a hospital in north Tulsa, in addition to mental health and education programs and a Tulsa Massacre Victims Compensation Fund. Bottom line is that survivors are in, we have the opportunity to prove the massacre itself ... constitutes a nuisance, said Damario Solomon-Simmons, an attorney for the survivors who filed the lawsuit in 2020. Solomon-Simmons said the massacre deprived Black people in Tulsa of security, economic power and vibrant community. We look forward to proving our case around the massacres ongoing catastrophic effects and demonstrating the actions that defendants must take to repair and rebuild the Greenwood community during our clients lifetimes, Solomon-Simmons said. Solomon-Simmons said during a news conference that he has spoken with those who were dismissed from the lawsuit. They were saddened they were dismissed out, but they are still very excited, heartened by the fact that we are moving forward and that these survivors can represent the entire community of Greenwood, Solomon-Simmons said. Michael Swartz, another attorney for the survivors, said the case provides an opportunity for a better understanding of the massacre. For the first time in over 100 years, the last three living survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre will finally have an opportunity to hold accountable the institutions that instigated and facilitated one of the worst acts of domestic terrorism in this countrys history, Swartz said. The city and insurance companies never compensated victims for their losses, and the massacre ultimately resulted in racial and economic disparities that still exist today, the lawsuit claims. In the years following the massacre, according to the lawsuit, city and county officials actively thwarted the communitys effort to rebuild and neglected the Greenwood and predominantly Black north Tulsa community in favor of overwhelmingly white parts of Tulsa. The massacre received renewed attention in recent years after then-President Donald Trump selected Tulsa as the location for a 2020 campaign rally amid a reckoning over racism. Trump moved the date of his June rally to avoid coinciding with a Juneteenth celebration in the citys Greenwood District commemorating the end of slavery. _____ Associated Press reporter Jake Bleiberg in Dallas contributed to this report. ______ For more AP coverage of the Tulsa Race Massacre anniversary, go to https://apnews.com/hub/tulsa-race-massacre Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday that Texas is now busing migrants from the Mexican border to New York City, the states latest confrontation with an East Coast city over the influx at the border. Abbotts office said the first bus to New York City would arrive Friday morning at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. It comes months after Texas began offering migrants bus rides to Washington, D.C., where the mayor, Muriel Bowser, has said the city is now being overwhelmed. The New York City mayor, Eric Adams, has also expressed alarm, leading Abbott to invite Bowser and Adams to tour the border Monday. Adams office dismissed the invitation. In addition to Washington, D.C., New York City is the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing that Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city, Abbott said in a news release. I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief. The back and forth is steeped in political tensions as the Republican governor running for reelection and considered a potential presidential candidate tries to show that Democratic mayors are not as sympathetic to the plight of migrants as their party claims to be. Abbotts critics have said he is using migrants as pawns in a cynical plot that does little to actually solve border problems. Caught in the middle is President Joe Biden, who Abbott has long blamed for the border situation. Bowser has turned to the administration for help, asking last month for the Department of Defense to deploy the National Guard to her city. The migrant crisis facing our city and our country through cruel political gamesmanship from the governors of Texas and Arizona must be dealt with at a federal level, Bowser wrote to the administration, referring to busing that has also been initiated by Arizonas GOP governor, Doug Ducey. CNN reported Friday morning that the Pentagon has denied Bowser's request. Abbott sent a letter Monday to Adams and Bowser inviting them to the border region to see firsthand the dire situation. In rebuffing Abbotts invitation, a spokesperson for Adams said Abbott should focus on helping asylum seekers in Texas as we have been hard at work doing in New York City. Abbott has been unapologetic amid the backlash. They cannot handle the number of people coming in, Abbott said Thursday during a speech in San Angelo, referring to Washington. And all I have is bad news for them, because there are an increasing number of buses leaving every single day going to Washington, D.C. and there may be some other locations on the horizon. This story was originally published on The Texas Tribune. Google Maps Westside groups' fight to preserve the history of an old brothel and orphanage building on the Westside came to an end on Wednesday, August 3, as the Historic and Design Review Commission denied groups' request to give the site historic designation. The fact the building at 503 Urban Loop had burned down in February didn't make the Westside groups' request any easier. HDRC denied the request from the Westside Preservation Alliance, Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, and the Conservation Society of San Antonio. The same groups requested historic designation in September 2021 and even got the initial nod from HDRC, but the building burned down before the site could get approval from city council and once again from HDRC. kali9/Getty Images An 18-year-old man is in critical condition after exchanging gunfire with San Antonio police overnight on the city's Southwest Side, according to San Antonio police chief William McManus. The shooting occurred just after 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 4, McManus said. Officers responded to the area after receiving a call about a man shooting up his girlfriend's car. McManus said that some police officers knew the suspect's father and went to his residence to talk to him. Update at 1:42 p.m. on Sunday, August 7: The suspect has been identified as Sone Quintero Rojas, officer Nicholas Soliz of the San Antonio Police Department reported. The 41-year-old man was booked on three felony warrants and one misdemeanor warrant which include murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, parole violation and theft of property. Original story: Update at 11 a.m. on Sunday, August 7: The standoff between the San Antonio Police Department and a male suspect holding up at a Northside apartment complex has officially come to an end as of late Saturday night, officials said. The Suspect surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody at approximately 3:09 a.m., officer Nick Soliz reported. Update at 9 a.m. on Saturday, August 6: San Antonio police said the stand-off "remains on-going" more than two days after it began at a Northside apartment complex. Officials said they have been in contact with the man, but did not offer any additional details. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said late Thursday night, August 4, that officers are "waiting him out" in an ongoing standoff with an unidentified man in his 40s holding up in apartments on the Far Northside. The San Antonio Police Department sent out a notice that units were responding to an "active" situation at Stone Oak-area apartments at 1207 Agora Palms Drive, San Antonio, TX 78258, around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday. Police originally told people and media to stay away from the area because the scene was still active and on private property. Someone tipped off San Antonio Police Department investigators that the man living at those Stone Oak apartments had a murder warrant, the Express-News reported. When officers arrived to arrest the man around 11 p.m. on Wednesday, August 3, he barricaded himself in the apartment. The man was still barricaded in the apartment on his own, a SAPD spokesperson confirmed Friday morning, August 5. "We are waiting him out," McManus said. "We are not going to make entry unless there are existing circumstances that would require us to make entry." McManus said that the man allegedly held a woman in the apartment with him against her will but eventually let her go. He said the goal is to get the man to leave the apartment without anyone getting hurt. The man reportedly has four other warrants in another county, according to the Express-News. SWAT and San Antonio police are at the scene. MySA reached out to SAPD for comment. IAM-photography/Getty Images/iStockphoto A lawsuit filed Thursday by 25 Texas cities claims that Disney, Hulu and Netflix have for years stiffed the cities out of dollars the streaming giants are required to pay under state law and now cities are coming to collect. Austin, Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth are among the cities that sued the streaming services in Dallas County to recover money they say they has been owed since 2007 and to require the services to pay each year going forward. Under state law, the services have to pay cities a franchise fee which traditional cable providers also pay in exchange for using communication lines over public rights of way to transmit their services into homes. MyLoupe/Universal Images Group via Getty A Texas pharmacy owner was indicted in a Georgia grand jury on Thursday, August 4, for a drug price scheme where he generated $10 million through unnecessary, expensive prescriptions he obtained through bribes. The Boerne man, Lucky S. Ott Jr., 44, was indicted on one count of conspiracy, alleging he bribed doctors to write prescriptions for expensive drugs. Those expensive drug prescriptions were then reimbursed through insurance companies, said David Estes, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, in a news release. Ott was the owner of Boerne Drug. The indictment alleges that Ott and his co-conspirators committed this drug price fraud on patients in Georgia. Billy Calzada /Staff file photo San Antonio's public and affordable housing group is changing its name after 85 years as the city launches its housing programs after passing its largest bond in May. San Antonio Housing Authority announced via Twitter on Wednesday, August 3, that it is changing its name to Opportunity Home San Antonio after a series of tweets saying that the organization is committing to becoming a "community, mission and people-centered organization." San Antonio passed a $1.2 billion bond this year that includes $150 million for housing programs. Like a traveler sailing the Archipelago who sees the luminous mists lift toward evening, and little by little makes out the shore, I begin to discern the profile of my death. Marguerite Yourcenar, Memoirs of Hadrian It may seem far too early to make any calls about how the escalating power struggle between the US and China will resolve itself. But in reality, the end point is certain. The open question is how long and bloody the path there will be. As well argue, the Chinese threat display of wargames that were technically not a blockade of Taiwan but more than sufficient to show it could be done, and also pointedly breached a polite former acceptance of Taiwans claims to air and water ways, were directed most of all to the population of Taiwan. It was already not happy about this level of US provocation: According to a poll quoted in The Guardian , almost two-thirds of Taiwanese said Pelosi's visit was destabilising. And then they blame China for "breaking the status quo"https://t.co/YO5z2R5UCk Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) August 3, 2022 So China by its so-far narrow barring of Taiwenese goods is in combination with its military show is sending a message that this situation can be resolved the hard way if it has to go that way. One can think of Chinas action as an extremely heavy-handed, frontal version of the color revolution/regime game change the US likes to play. But the US is determined to try to undermine Chinas latest gambit. A new story from RT: US Navy ships and planes will transit the Taiwan Strait in the next two weeks, the White House announced on Thursday. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby condemned Chinese military drills in the area and said the Pentagon had ordered the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and her escorts to remain near Taiwan to monitor the situation. The Reagan and her accompanying ships are based in Japan and were deployed to the East China Sea in recent days, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid a visit to Taipei against Chinese objections. Beijing has responded to Pelosis visit by launching extensive drills around Taiwan and firing a dozen missiles across the island. Amid heightened tensions, US President Joe Biden decided it would be prudent to order the US aircraft carrier strike group to stay in the area for a little bit longer than they were originally planned, according to Kirby. The spokesman also condemned the Chinese missile tests as irresponsible and at odds with our longstanding goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan strait and in the region. READ MORE: US calls off nuclear missile test We will not be deterred from operating in the seas and the skies of the Western Pacific, consistent with international law, as we have for decades, supporting Taiwan and defending a free and open Indo-Pacific, he said. The UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea does limit territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, while the Taiwan Strait is 86 nautical miles wide at its narrowest point. So even if China asserted its position that Taiwan is part of China, that would in theory enable it to restrict access to only 24 nautical miles of the Strait. However, the US is not party to the UN Convention of the Laws of the Seas, so its pretty cynical for the US then to invoke it when convenient. And why is the US not a party? Per Wikipedia, one reason is In 1983 President Ronald Reagan, through Proclamation No. 5030, claimed a 200-mile exclusive economic zone. China invokes the same notion of a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone and further asserts it can limit military activity in that areas. And it does have some company for this view, so it is more an aggressive than an insane position. From the Lowy Institute: Lastly, China claims 200 nm from the end of the territorial sea as its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), where it claims to have the right to regulate military activity. The US insists that freedom of navigation of military vessels is a universally established and accepted practice enshrined in international law in other words, states do not have the right to limit navigation or exercise any control for security purposes in EEZs. Australia shares this view, but not all countries accept this interpretation. Argentina, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, the Maldives, Oman and Vietnam agree with China that warships have no automatic right of innocent passage in their territorial seas. Twenty other developing countries (including Brazil, India, Malaysia and Vietnam) insist that military activities such as close-in surveillance and reconnaissance by a country in another countrys EEZ infringe on coastal states security interests and therefore are not protected under freedom of navigation. An armada making a show of its right to trawl the waters is arguably not close-in surveillance and reconnaissance but one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter. It will be interesting to see how the press in the Global South, particularly India, reacts. These developments sadly prove out an observation we made on Gonzalo Liras roundtable with Alexander Mercouris and Brian Berletic, that the Pelosi visit was not just a crisis but a watershed event.1 Taiwanese were presumably happy with the status quo ante. But those relatively untroubled days are over. The US and the secessionist forces in Taiwan will lose. And that should be an obvious call. It therefore should also be obvious that the US is making Taiwan its victim. It pushed China too far in its tolerance of the ambiguous status of Taiwan and embarrassed Chinese leadership over not having a concrete date or plan for reunification, despite the mantra of its inevitability. But the even bigger offense from Chinas perspective has been the arming of Taiwan, since many of the supposedly defensive weapons the US has been selling to Taiwan also have offensive uses. And China was never going to tolerate an unduly well-equipped Taiwan. Even though Chinas screechiness in the runup to Pelosis visit was aimed at the US, it was also a warning to Taiwan. Former colonel Douglas MacGregor explained why a garrisoned Taiwan, which is clearly where the US, in shades of Ukraine, looked to be taking matters, is an existential threat to China: Perspicacity! This colonel speaks his mind. Hes a man of integrity & morality pic.twitter.com/K7AW371vkA Hailu AT (@at_hailu) August 4, 2022 To put it perhaps another way, Taiwan as a wanna-be country needed to learn the lesson of small countries who via geography or resources are of too much interest to big powers. They need to be skillful is playing one off against another. Taiwans President Tsai Ing-Wen, by contrast, was called out in the South China Morning Post for making Taiwan look like Americas 51st state by not taking any position on Pelosis visit, as if the Taiwan government had no say in the matter. Instead, in yet another parallel to Ukraine, the US has led Taiwan down what professor John Mearsheimer has called the primrose path to catastrophe. From New arms sales send the wrong signal on Taiwan in Defense News, August 2021: The Biden administration recently approved its first arms sale to Taiwan for $750 million worth of howitzers and high-tech munitions kits. Proponents incorrectly argue that this sale will enhance stability in the region by sending a strong signal to China of Americas commitment to Taiwans security and by complicating any Chinese plans for an invasion of the island. In fact, the sale will accomplish nothing of the sort. To avoid enflaming tensions in the Taiwan Strait, the U.S. needs to halt sales of weapons to Taiwan. This sale will not allow Taiwan to better defend itself in any clash with China. It will, however, tell Taiwan that its OK to keep passing the buck to the United States for its defense Despite inaccurate claims that weapons are helping Taiwan become capable of defending itself, decades of American arms sales and reassurances have convinced Taiwanese leaders that the United States is ultimately responsible for Taiwans security. Taiwans defense spending has remained stuck at about 2 percent of its gross domestic product for years, a great deal of which it has spent on high-tech American weapons that will be of little value in case of a war. According to a report published by George Mason University for which the authors interviewed Taiwanese military officials, senior lawmakers, elected leaders, former government officials and defense scholars, the U.S. arms sales let China know America would intervene on our behalf in a conflict. In short, when it buys American weapons, Taiwan is simply making insurance payments to guarantee American intervention in response to a Chinese invasion Attempts to deter China with an enhanced U.S. military presence and arms sales to Taiwan are having the opposite effect. Chinas defense budget has doubled in the 10 years since Obama announced the pivot. Taiwan is in an unenviable position, but defending Taiwan at the risk of war with China is a bad gamble for both Taipei and Washington to take, especially as Taiwan would almost certainly be reduced to cinders in the process. If Global Times is any guide, Chinese officials seem chuffed about their practice blockade of Taiwan, which theyve decided to extend by another day. Its sobering the minds of Taiwan citizens by demonstrating that China can bring the island to its knees without an invasion. Keep in mind not only can China obstruct air and sea landings, but it takes to running these exercises often, it will wreak havoc with shipping, causing backlogs at ports and potentially leading insurance rates to skyrocket over perceived hazards. From PLAs Taiwan lockdown drills stun secessionists, external forces as precision strike, area denial capabilities proved: Surrounding Taiwan island with six large maritime areas and its airspace in its north, northeast, east, south, southwest and northwest from Thursday noon to Sunday noon, the unprecedented drills featured advanced weapons, including long-range rocket artillery, anti-ship ballistic missiles, stealth fighter jets and an aircraft carrier group with a nuclear-powered submarine, as well as realistic tactics that simulated a real reunification-by-force operation, demonstrating and honing the PLAs capabilities to not only take over the island, but also prevent any external interference including from the US, experts said With a range of more than 300 kilometers, long-range rockets can easily cover targets on Taiwan island from the Chinese mainland, Song Zhongping, a Chinese mainland military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times. Long-range rocket strikes could be one of the first moves in a potential reunification-by-force operation, as the low-cost weapons can be launched in mass numbers from the mainland across the Taiwan Straits to destroy hostile military facilities Area denial is a concept that describes denying external forces to interfere within a specific area. In this context, it means that the PLAs conventional missile launches practiced hitting foreign aircraft carriers that could intervene from the Philippine Sea in a possible reunification-by-force operation, experts said. The missiles, which are more powerful than long-range rockets, can also hit targets on the island, analysts said. A number of PLA conventional missiles, including the DF-21, DF-26 and the hypersonic DF-17, can hit moving targets at sea, observers said. The PLA operations could form a complete blockade around Taiwan island, Zhang [Junshe, a senior research fellow at the Naval Research Academy of the PLA] said. Mind you, this reunification by force operation did not appear to contemplate a landing. It looks to focus on the destruction of military capabilities along with a blockade. And the amount of pixels devoted to the reaction of Taiwan citizens suggests they were a major target of this exercise. Again from Global Times: Media on the island expressed worries not only from a military perspective, but also other fields concerning peoples daily life such as energy supplies and flights on the island, as the PLAs drills basically form a three-day blockade of the island. The drills are expected to affect the transportation and replenishment of natural gas vessels that are vital to power generation in the island. According to local media, natural gas vessels at ports in Taichung and Kaohsiung are currently operating normally, but a local petrochemical energy company has been closely observing the situation and drawn up emergency response plans. Citing an economic affairs authority in the island, media said that the company has enough oil supplies for 40 days. The total oil stocks of authorities and civilian institutions in the island are enough for 100 days usage. Fire coal stocks in the island are sufficient for about 30 days, while there are enough natural gas stocks on the island for only 10-11 days. So energy supplies are the choke point. It would not be long at all before Taiwan would be out of fuel. Another Global Times article indicates the Chinese authorities believe that Taiwan is getting the message that China can also restrict exports from Taiwan to China, which would be a serious blow. Note that China does not have to use formal sanctions. It can simply strangle Taiwan exporters with new red tape. That would create uncertainty and increase costs and delay. With perishables, that could lead to them being rejected by buyers for having gone bad. Too many hassles would also lead customers to shift their purchases to more reliable vendors. The current restrictions are small scale, so Global Times is likely exaggerating their practical and psychological impact. But its not hard to tighten these screws. From DPP faces backlash following mainlands import suspensions, slammed for damaging residents interests. The first quoted part is explicit that the move is intended to punish pro-independence parties: Analysts said that for the sake of Taiwan residents, the mainland did not adopt tougher sanctions, but they need to realize that voting for the DPP will not lead to good results. The mainland will still actively promote cross-Straits economic and trade bonds, but at the same time, it will continue to strengthen the crackdown on and punishment of Taiwan secessionists. Starting on Wednesday, Chinese mainland customs authorities suspended the entry of citrus fruits including grapefruits, lemons and oranges, as well as two types of fish (chilled large head hairtail and frozen horse mackerel) from the island, in accordance with regulations and food safety requirements. Those goods have been repeatedly found to be harboring pests or contaminated with excessive chemicals According to a Thursday poll from udn.com, 70 percent of respondents in Taiwan had no confidence in Pelosis determination to safeguard Taiwans democracy. An earlier poll from udn.com showed 65 percent of respondents would not welcome her visit. udn is a Taiwan-based outlet, but I am unsure of its political bent. It has some harsh quotes about the impact of the sanctions. Global Times also cited two Yahoo News pols which showed concern about the mainlands actions, including the not-quite sanctions, but they were online polls and hence not all that reliable. I reiterate a point made by Brian Berletic: China does not need to invade or even blockade Taiwan. All it has to do is stop trading with Taiwan to kill its economy. But a blockade would accelerate the capitulation. Finally, if the confrontation winds up in a hot war between the US and China, which is all too possible given the odds of accidents plus US stupidity, readers have debated hotly whether China is able to take on the US. Aside from having a presumed home territory advantage, US military assessments seem to greatly undervalue the importance of layered offensive missiles in favor of airplanes. Our fondness for manned vehicles may prove to be chauvinistic. Another area where most analysts are at risk of ignoring important Chinese capabilities is in space warfare, where theres good reason to think China could quickly knock out or otherwise neutralize a lot of our satellite capability in very short order. I hope to return to those topics soon. In the meantime, I am re-embedding the current Defense Intelligence Agency Worldwide Threat Assessment. As you can see, it clearly underestimated Russian capabilities. I would be curious to get reader reactions to its take on China. ________ 1 Lambert and I remain convinced that this visit was a combination of Pelosis ego at work (hostility to China is part of her branding) and securing more funds for the 2022 midterms (recall she is a national figure and all House members, save rebels like The Squad, are required to kick in a substantial amount of their donations to the DCCC). So Pelosi presumably was not currying favor with California anti-mainland Chinese so much for her election but to bolster party coffers generally. But there does seem to have been some double-dealing too. We see conflicting reports, that a lot of senior Administration figures, including Jake Sullivan, tried to talk Pelosi out of going. Biden allegedly didnt talk to her because he didnt want to appear soft on China (you cannot make this stuff up). However, NPR reported that Sullivan made very loud anti-China noises after Pelosis visit. So did he really make much of an effort to deter her from going? And let us not forget: My Nashville Post role has evolved since 2000 when I joined the now-defunct The City Paper. TCP became a Post sister publication in 2008 (when I began doing some Post work) and folded in 2013. I have been managing editor of the Post since late 2011. Follow William Williams 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 UW Donor-Funded Fellowship Supports Wyoming Migration Initiative Mule deer move across a sagebrush-covered basin in western Wyoming. The new Harold and Jean Mott Fellowship in Migration and Conservation will support the Wyoming Migration Initiative, a UW-based collaborative of biologists, photographers, cartographers and writers working to research migration of deer and other ungulates and share that information with the public. (Joe Riis Photo) Before her death, Diane Mott knew she wanted to do two things: to honor her parents and to do her part to protect Wyomings landscapes. So, she gave a major estate gift to establish the Harold and Jean Mott Fellowship in Migration and Conservation at the University of Wyoming. I am donating to establish a fellowship in their name because of their love of Wyoming, in whose open lands, crisp rarefied air, magnificent landscapes and wildness they found sustenance, and because of my abiding gratitude for having grown up there, Mott said before she died in April 2020. Now, as I approach the end of my life, I want to do what I can to protect Wyomings greatest assets -- its wilderness and wildlife -- as civilization encroaches on, alters and erodes them. I would like future generations to be able to draw peace, enjoyment and sustenance from Wyomings incomparable beauty just as my parents and I were able to do. The Harold and Jean Mott Fellowship in Migration and Conservation will support the Wyoming Migration Initiative, a UW-based collaborative of biologists, photographers, cartographers and writers working to research ungulate migration and share that information with the public. Mott was born in Oklahoma City to Harold and Jean Mott but, shortly thereafter, she and her family moved to Casper, where she spent her childhood. It was in Casper that she developed a deep love for Wyomings natural beauty. However, Mott moved away from Wyoming to earn a bachelors degree from the University of Michigan. Most of her adult life was spent outside of Wyoming, with her work taking her all over the world. She spent much of her time in Turkey, as well as in Atlanta and San Francisco. Mott volunteered for the Peace Corps in 1970 and spent two years in eastern Turkey. She then worked with historic textiles for the Atlanta Historical Society. Then, as a Fulbright Scholar, Mott returned to Istanbul, working at the Topkapi Palace Museum studying Ottoman court textile production while working on her doctorate. She returned to Atlanta as a postdoctoral student to pursue a Master of Fine Arts under the direction of renowned weaver Greg Kaufman at the University of Georgia. To support her studies, she worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She then worked at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and at the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco, retiring in 2009. Mott inherited her love of textiles from her mother, who owned the Spinning Wheel yarn and needlework store in Casper. Even with all of her world travels, Mott never lost her Wyoming roots. She considered wilderness and wildlife to be Wyomings greatest assets, and she wanted to help protect these assets from development and destruction. Mott felt it was incredibly important to help preserve the great Wyoming landscape so that future generations could enjoy its peace, tranquility and beauty -- just as she once had. Additionally, she wanted to honor her parents in the state they loved. Mott noted, in an interview, that her father enjoyed spending time in the wilderness with friends as he fished and occasionally hunted. Her mother was of Cherokee descent and, from this, Mott drew a profound reverence for the earth and its beings and had a desire to protect it. Mott said of her parents, Each, in their own way, loved Wyomings nature, its beauty and majesty. As part of his job, Harold Mott crisscrossed the state in pursuit of leases and had many stories to tell about the people and places he encountered along the way. He enjoyed packing into the wilderness with friends and colleagues to fish and occasionally hunt. Jean, too, loved to be outdoors but in a gentler way. Informed by her Cherokee heritage, she had a reverence for the earth and all that it encompasses and a deep desire to safeguard it. The mission of the Wyoming Migration Initiative is to advance the understanding, appreciation and conservation of Wyomings migratory ungulates by conducting innovative research and sharing scientific information through public outreach. The initiative hopes to help solve some of the largest issues facing big-game animals in the Rocky Mountain region. The initiative supports projects such as the Interstate 80 Wildlife Barrier Project, which looks to solve the disruption I-80 causes to the migration of big-game animals in Wyoming and the northern Rocky Mountains. This disruption has proven to be one of the most significant large-scale conservation opportunities in the American West. This generous gift will allow us to establish a graduate fellowship to support promising students to come to the University of Wyoming, to study migrations and to contribute to conserving wild migration and wild lands that were so important to the Motts sense of Wyoming, says Matt Kauffman, director of the Wyoming Migration Initiative. The initiative is well known for its focus on mapping of migrations and associated cartography. For example, working with their longtime collaborators at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Wyoming Migration Initiative researchers and graduate students conducted the Eastern Greater Yellowstone Mule Deer Project, which mapped the migration corridors of five mule deer herds in the eastern portion of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. This mapping has allowed the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to better manage the corridors and groups such as The Nature Conservancy to modify fences to ease passage of migrating mule deer. The initiative also is working with the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to map mule deer and elk migrations on the Wind River Indian Reservation. Their studies show that two mule deer herds winter on the intact landscape of the reservation before moving up to 100 miles to the west to seek out better forage in their mountain summer ranges. Detailed migration maps from the project are guiding fence removal, weed treatment and other efforts to enhance wildlife habitats on the reservation. In addition to research, the initiative works to increase public knowledge and awareness of Wyomings wildlife migrations, the threats they face and ongoing conservation efforts to conserve them. The initiative does this through map animations, photography and numerous viral videos shared through social media that show the beauty and challenges of ungulate migrations across the state. The Wyoming Migration Initiative can be found online at www.migrationinitiative.org, www.facebook.com/migrationinitiative, https://twitter.com/wyo_migrations and www.instagram.com/migrationinitiative/. Motts support for the Wyoming Migration Initiative was established through a planned estate gift. A planned estate gift is a gift that is planned in advance of a persons passing, and it goes on to benefit the area of the donors choice upon a persons passing. Such gifts have had a large impact on the future of UW. For questions about planned giving and estate gifts, or to include UW in your will, call Brett Befus at the UW Foundation at (307) 766-4259 or email bbefus@uwyo.edu. (Natural News) Natural remedies are a great alternative for those who want to avoid the negative side effects of prescription medications and various over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. According to various studies, some alternative treatments can also help treat different conditions like pain, depression or even cancer. Professor Edzard Ernst, chair of complementary medicine at the University of Exeter, often calls out similar treatments with no scientific evidence. But Ernst himself has acknowledged that some alternative remedies are promising. Here are five remedies that Ernst thinks are the most promising in the field. Glucosamine for cancer Glucosamine is found naturally in the bodys cartilage. It is a tough tissue that helps cushion your joints. Other natural sources of glucosamine include the ends of chicken bones and crustacean shells. Since the food sources of glucosamine are limited, the shells of shellfish like crabs, lobster and shrimp are often used to make glucosamine supplements. Glucosamine supplements can also be synthesized in a laboratory. Over the years, studies have failed to show definitively if glucosamine tablets can treat pain on a wide scale. But they are considered generally safe and many people with osteoarthritis report feeling some pain relief after taking glucosamine supplements. In the U.K., National Health Service (NHS) GPs no longer prescribe it to arthritis patients due to a lack of concrete research. However, new research published in March 2022 suggests that the pills can help lower the risk of cancer. The study was published in the European Respiratory Journal. For the study, researchers worked with nearly 440,000 middle-aged adult participants. Results showed that the pills had anti-cancer benefits. The research team discovered that the 82,600 participants who said they took the pills regularly had a 16 percent lower risk of developing lung cancer over the 11-year study period. These volunteers were also 12 percent less likely to die from lung cancer. The scientists added that their research did not go as far as to prove the pills were causing the lower risk and that other factors may be at play. Other studies have also linked the use of glucosamine with a lower risk of heart disease. Experts believe that glucosamine may have anti-inflammatory properties, which could help reduce the risk of cancer and arteries becoming clogged up. This then allows the immune system to function at full capacity. (Related: Woman who battled blood cancer for 5 years RECOVERS with the help of turmeric.) St. Johns wort for depression According to data, natural remedies like St. Johns wort may also offer benefits for those with depression. Around 4.5 percent of Britons are thought to be clinically depressed. Estimates suggest that the figure may have gone up by one-fifth since the turn of the century. NHS doctors currently prescribe cognitive behavioral therapy or antidepressants for people with depression. However, antidepressants are linked to many negative side effects such as: Anxiety Diarrhea Dizziness Dry mouth Fatigue and weakness Headaches Nausea Sexual problems like ejaculation problems, erectile dysfunction, or low sex drive Stomach upset Trouble sleeping Many seek alternatives to avoid these adverse effects. St. Johns wort is a flower that has long been used to treat mental health problems. The flower is one of the best-researched herbal remedies and is taken as a daily capsule. Data suggests that St. Johns wort may help reduce symptoms in people with mild-to-moderate depression. The herb isnt as effective in those with major depression. Findings from many studies have shown that it seems to work as effectively as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a popular type of antidepressant often prescribed to people with depression. The latest paper was written by researchers at the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, California, RAND is a non-profit think tank that produces research for the US Air Force. The meta-analysis was published in the journal Systematic Reviews in 2016. In the study, scientists examined 35 studies including 6,993 patients who were given either St. Johns wort, a placebo or antidepressants. Findings showed that in the volunteers taking St. Johns wort, the flower was as effective as antidepressants. The remedy was also causing a third less side effects. Overall, St. Johns wort was 53 percent more effective than taking a placebo. According to the researchers, using the plant as monotherapy for mild and moderate depression is superior to placebo in improving depression symptoms and not significantly different from antidepressant medication. Ernst commented that while the findings were encouraging, people must use St. Johns wort with caution. The plant can interact with about 50 percent of all prescription drugs and it may cause considerable harm. TENS for pain Ernst said that endometriosis flare-ups, knee pain and period cramps can be relieved with a special treatment called transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) that zaps the body with electricity. TENS soothes body pain by blocking nerve signals with a mild electrical current. Ernst explained that TENS uses a little generator powered by a battery. The device produces a low voltage electrical current that connects to electrodes which a patient attaches over the area of pain. Experts believe that the electric current stimulates nerve cells that block the transmission of pain signals, modifying the patients perception of pain. The NHS recommends people considering TENS to consult with their GP, who could refer them to a physiotherapist or pain clinic for the treatment. Ernst referenced a review published in February 2022 that analyzed data from 381 trials with a total of over 24,500 participants. The review showed that there was moderate-certainty evidence that pain intensity is lower during or immediately after TENS compared with placebo and without serious adverse events. Melatonin for sleep The hormone melatonin is produced during the night and it is believed to help control sleep patterns. Melatonin naturally occurs in the pineal gland in the brain, but a synthetic version can also be taken in pills. Ernst said that while melatonin is often recommended for sleep problems, many health experts doubt its effectiveness. According to a systematic review published in the Journal of Neurology in January, melatonin is a promising treatment for sleep issues. The paper, which was written by researchers from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran, reviewed 23 studies with participants taking melatonin for sleep. Data showed that melatonin had a significant effect on sleep quality of the volunteers. Ernst added that there is also some encouraging evidence that suggests melatonin might have a range of positive effects in cancer palliation. However, another study revealed that sustained use of melatonin may cause an unknown array of serious health issues like grave cognitive decline and psychiatric problems in the long-term. Long-term use was also associated with more serious health consequences, especially if melatonin was taken with other drugs. Meditation for lower back pain Chronic lower back pain is an increasingly common problem, with many people suffering from sitting at work all day. Ernst suggested that the solution could be found in an ancient practice like meditation. Meditation was first recorded in Hinduisms earliest scripts written in around 1,500 BC. The scripts can be traced as far back as 5,000 BC. Meditation involves focusing the mind on a particular object, thought or activity to increase attention and achieve a calm and clear mental state. The practice has then been adopted in the West as part of mindfulness. Studies show that meditation may offer benefits for people with different mental and medical disorders, like high blood pressure. In a study published in the journal Pain Medicine, researchers reported that meditation could help people with lower back pain. For the study, scientists from Taipei Medical University in Taiwan reviewed 12 trials involving more than 1,150 patients. The results showed that the patients who meditated had significantly reduced back pain after starting the practice compared to those who did not meditate. Meditation-based therapies constitute a safe and effective alternative approach for CLBP management, wrote the researchers. Experts think that meditation can help ease pain by altering the structure of the brain, making the feeling less intense. Ernst explained that the review suggested meditation could be beneficial for people experiencing pain. Unlike chiropractic treatments, meditation isnt linked to severe negative side effects, noted Ernst. In another study published on July, 30 healthy Americans were put through an eight-week mindfulness course. The 30 volunteers were then compared to a control group. The volunteers were given a brain scan before and after the course while their limbs were exposed to heat to establish a pain response. Results showed that those in the group that practiced mindfulness showed less activity in regions of the brain responsible for soreness compared to the control group. A separate experiment on long-term mindfulness followers showed that they had physical changes to their brains that influenced their perception of pain. Visit AlternativeMedicine.news to learn more about other natural treatments for different health issues. Watch the video below to know more about the health benefits of melatonin. This video is from the Holistic Herbalist channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Study: Consuming apples, oranges and strawberries can help people with Parkinsons disease live longer. 10 Ways to use comfrey, a powerful healing herb. Nature therapy: Time in nature can now be prescribed as a healthcare treatment in Canada. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk Livestrong.com PubMed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 1 Healthline.com Pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 2 Brighteon.com When presidents and prime ministers make and enforce their own laws under the pretext of emergency powers, then citizens should not be surprised when their leaders discover an endless supply of emergencies requiring urgent action. (Natural News) (Article by J.B. Shurk republished from GatestoneInstitute.org) The opposite of tyranny is not democracy, but rather liberty and individual rights. Is it not startling, then, that Western leaders extol democracy, yet pay such little homage to personal freedoms? Yet freedom, liberty, and individual rights are rarely mentioned. In their stead, political leaders cherish the virtues of democracy and little else. It is as if a linguistic sleight of hand has robbed Western citizens of their most valuable heritage. Is it not strange that Western leaders laud democracy over authoritarianism while simultaneously diminishing the power of their voters and strengthening the authority of foreign institutions [such as the EU, the UN, and the WHO]? Shouldnt democratic nations decide their own fates? Why should bigger, broader forms of international government, however, be seen as more virtuous and less corrupt than their national forms?. For that matter, had Hitlers Nazi Party succeeded in conquering all of Europe, would his European Union have deserved greater legitimacy than the national governments of Poland, Belgium, or France? When national populations are denied self-determination and personal liberties are treated as privileges, not rights, then tyranny is never far from taking hold. (Image source: iStock) Political language manipulates political debate. Abortion opponents who define themselves as pro-life semantically render abortion proponents as pro-death. Abortion supporters who define themselves as pro-choice semantically render any opposition as anti-choice. Who wants to be pro-death or anti-choice, after all? Such is the nature of politics. Words are weapons: when wielded deftly, they shape the battlespace for our minds. So what does it mean when Western leaders these days speak so much of democracy but so little of individual rights? Or that they preach the virtues of international institutions, while demonizing nationalism as xenophobic and dangerous? It means that national sovereignty and natural, inviolable rights are under direct attack throughout the West. It has become rather common for European and American politicians to divide the world between democratic and authoritarian nations, the former described as possessing inherent goodness and the latter declaimed as threatening the planets very existence. Of course, after two-plus years of COVID-19-related mask, vaccine and travel mandates, often imposed in the West through unilateral executive or administrative action and not through legislative will or public referendum it is somewhat difficult to assert that democratic nations are free from authoritarian impulse. When presidents and prime ministers make and enforce their own laws under the pretext of emergency powers, then citizens should not be surprised when their leaders discover an endless supply of emergencies requiring urgent action. Should that truth be in any doubt, one need only look to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus iron-fisted decision to quell truckers peaceful Freedom Convoy protests against experimental vaccine mandates earlier this year by confiscating bank accounts and effecting forceful arrests with little regard for due process or respect for Canadians free speech. Trudeaus declared emergency trumped Canadian citizens personal rights. It is also true that democracy in and of itself is no guarantee for a noble and just society. In a properly functioning democracy of one hundred citizens, fifty-one can vote to deny the other forty-nine property, liberty, and even life. Should a member of the minority find himself enslaved to the state or slated for execution simply because the majority wish it so, he will not be singing the praises of democracy while his neck is squeezed within the noose. Principles of federalism (where sovereign government jurisdiction is divided between a central authority and its local, constituent parts) and separation of powers (where the judicial, legislative, and executive functions of government are divided among distinct and independent branches) provide strong checks against the concentration and abuse of too much power. However, it is the Wests traditional embrace of natural rights that exist apart from and superior to constitutional authority that create the greatest protection against unjust government power (democratic or not). When natural rights are viewed as inviolable, as they are in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, free speech cannot be censored simply because it is speech with which the government disagrees. When private property ownership is understood as an inherent right possessed by individuals, Trudeau could not so easily go after private bank accounts whenever he might choose to declare an emergency. When individual natural rights are seen as mere gifts from the government, though, they quickly disappear whenever government actors find it expedient. It is increasingly common to see individual rights attacked as selfish and contrary to the common good. Should government leaders convince citizens that personal rights do not exist, or that they should not exist, then authoritarian governments embracing various shades of communism or fascism will come knocking on the door. The rule of law does not excuse tyranny simply because what is unjust was democratically enacted. If any voting minority is vulnerable to the whims of the majority, then to that minority a democratic government feels exceedingly authoritarian, too. And should your life, liberty, or property be on the line, you might very well prefer the judgment of a benevolent dictator to the demands of a vengeful, yet democratic, mob. The opposite of tyranny is not democracy, but rather liberty and individual rights. Is it not startling, then, that Western leaders extol democracy, yet pay such little homage to personal freedoms? Surely Western Civilization should honor hard-fought victories for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and free will. Surely the advancement of human liberty should be celebrated as a triumph of reason and rationality over feudal systems of power and their imperious forms of control. Surely any free society distinguishes itself from authoritarian regimes through its steadfast protection of inviolable human rights that exist irrespective of statutory law. Yet freedom, liberty, and individual rights are rarely mentioned. In their stead, political leaders cherish the virtues of democracy and little else. It is as if a linguistic sleight of hand has robbed Western citizens of their most valuable heritage. If Western political leaders have used rhetorical voodoo to replace individual liberty with vague notions of democracy, they have relied upon a similar witchcraft to replace national sovereignty with international forms of government. What are the European Union, the United Nations, and the World Health Organization if not institutional structures for weakening the individual voting power of a nations citizens by handing once sovereign national powers to non-citizens? Is it not strange that Western leaders laud democracy over authoritarianism while simultaneously diminishing the power of their voters and strengthening the authority of foreign institutions? Shouldnt democratic nations decide their own fates? If not, if they must yield to the authority of the EU, UN or WHO, can individual nations still claim to be governed democratically? Nationalism these days has been reduced to a disparaging word, as if anything done in the interests of one particular nation is inherently suspect. Citizens who express patriotic pride in their culture and national history are often rebuked as parochial or downright bigoted. Political movements that champion national self-determination (such as President Trumps MAGA coalition in the U.S. and Brexit in the U.K.) are routinely ridiculed as fascist or neo-Nazi. Even when they achieve victory in democratic elections, they are nonetheless labeled threats to democracy. Why should bigger, broader forms of international government, however, be seen as more virtuous and less corrupt than their national forms? When the Roman Republic became the Roman Empire, did its international institutions become inherently more trustworthy? When the Holy Roman Empire united much of Europe, did its emperors seem less authoritarian? For that matter, had Hitlers Nazi Party succeeded in conquering all of Europe, would his European Union have deserved greater legitimacy than the national governments of Poland, Belgium, or France? Surely it is just as absurd to praise international institutions over national governments without regard to the forms they take, as it is to praise democracy without regard for personal freedoms and individual rights. Surely it is easier to keep an eye on the actions of a local politician than it is to hold accountable a government official far away in Washington, D.C., New York City, Brussels, or Geneva. Yet international bodies are accorded tremendous respect today, while national bodies are frequently treated with disdain. It is as if national sovereignty has been demolished because the votes of democratic nations cannot be trusted to serve international interests. When Western leaders are all parroting the language of the World Economic Forum, it does not seem as if they are taking their marching orders from their own voters. Deferring to unelected, untransparent, unaccountable organizations seems a rather odd way to fight authoritarianism. When national populations are denied self-determination and personal liberties are treated as privileges, not rights, then tyranny is never far from taking hold. Hiding that reality behind manipulations of language does not change its potent truth. It just forestalls contentious political battles for a later, more explosive day. Read more at: GatestoneInstitute.org (Natural News) A federal district court in California on Friday denied Googles motion to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that the Silicon Valley giant is violating federal antitrust laws by preventing fair competition against its YouTube video platform. The lawsuit against Google, which has owned YouTube since its 2006 purchase for $1.65 billion, was brought in early 2021 by Rumble, the free speech competitor to YouTube. Its central claim is that Googles abuse of its monopolistic stranglehold on search engines to destroy all competitors to its various other platforms is illegal under the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, which makes it unlawful to monopolize, or attempt to monopolizeany part of the trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations. (Article by Glenn Greenwald republished from Greenwald.Substack.com) It is rare for antitrust suits against the four Big Tech corporate giants (Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon) to avoid early motions to dismiss. Fridays decision against Google ensures that the suit now proceeds to the discovery stage, where Rumble will have the right to obtain from Google a broad and sweeping range of information about its practices, including internal documents on Googles algorithmic manipulation of its search engine and the onerous requirements it imposes on companies dependent upon its infrastructure to all but force customers to use YouTube. Founded in 2013, Rumble began experiencing explosive growth in the run-up to the 2020 election. Americans were encountering escalating and aggressive Big Tech censorship of political content as the election approached. Conservative politicians, followed by a wide range of heterodox voices on the right and left, began migrating by the millions away from Googles YouTube to Rumble, which has promised and provided far more permissive free speech rights. That was at the time when Google and other Big Tech platforms at the urging of the Democratic-controlled Congress began aggressively increasing its censorship of political video content on YouTube in the name of combatting disinformation and hate speech. The explosive user growth which Rumble enjoyed in 2020 has continued to rapidly increase, as Big Tech generally, and Google specifically, clamped down further on dissident views in the name of the COVID pandemic, and now even more so with respect to the US/NATO role in the war in Ukraine. More and more prominent politicians, journalists and commentators, along with smaller content creators, have either been banned by YouTube or left on their own accord to join Rumble as Googles crackdown on free speech intensifies. The ability to speak more freely on Rumble regarding the most contentious political debates has become one of the key drivers of the exodus of users from YouTube to Rumble. During the COVID pandemic, Rumble allowed far greater questioning of the claims and policies of U.S. public health official Dr. Anthony Fauci and the World Health Organization regarding the viruss origins, the efficacy of masks, and the justifiability of vaccine mandates than Big Tech platforms permitted. For the first year of the pandemic, Big Tech users who questioned or rejected the official story that COVID-19 was zoonotic rather than due to a lab leak in Wuhan were silenced or banned: a censorship policy that was reversed only when the Biden administration itself admitted that it did not know the answer to that question and would officially investigate it. Similarly, Americans who were stifled or outright barred by Big Tech from citing pre-election revelations about Joe Biden from the archive of his son obtained by The New York Post found a place, on Rumble, where they could openly reference and discuss them. And Rumble has aggressively resisted pressure campaigns from the U.S. government and corporate media outlets and outright legal bans enacted by the EU requiring all platforms to cease allowing pro-Russian news outlets such as RT and Sputnik to be heard. Rumbles user growth, driven overwhelmingly by growing anger toward Big Tech censorship and de-platforming, has continued to swell this year. As Investor Places Ian Cooper wrote in April, its user base hit a new record of 41 million monthly active users in the first quarter of 2022. That is 22% growth quarter-over-quarter. Moreover, Rumble is setting user engagement records. In the first quarter of 2022, Rumble users watched about 10.5 billion minutes per month. As discussed on this page and as was reported by The Washington Post, I was one of a group of nine journalists and commentators, along with former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), to make Rumble my primary home for video journalism in mid-2021 based on support for its free speech principles and the need for alternatives to centralized Big Tech repression. Though the purpose of that Post article was to predictably malign Rumble as a cesspool of hate speech and disinformation relying on and extensively quoting a disinformation expert who happens to partner with U.S. and British intelligence agencies and Big Tech platforms such as Google and Facebook The Post was forced to acknowledge how significant Rumbles growth has been (and since that August, 2021 Post article, the growth has increased further): Rumble has grown from 1 million active users last summer to roughly 30 million, said the sites chief executive Chris Pavlovski, a Canadian tech entrepreneur who worked a brief internship at Microsoft and founded a viral-joke website before launching Rumble in 2013. And its traffic has exploded: According to data shared with The Washington Post by the analytics firm Similarweb, visits in the United States to the site grew from about 200,000 in the last week of July 2020 to nearly 19 million last week a 9,000 percent increase. Though Rumbles audience size is still significantly smaller than YouTubes, the threat posed by Rumble to YouTube is real. Rumbles imminent merger with the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) CF Acquisition Corp. VI will effectively make Rumble a public company and is likely to arm it with far greater capital to compete even more robustly with YouTube. But the major obstacle to competing with Big Tech giants generally, and Google specifically, is that these companies have acquired such extreme market dominance in so many key areas of the internet that they abuse that power to prevent competition and crush any competitors who pose a challenge. That these four Big Tech giants are classic monopolies in violation of the antitrust law was the emphatic conclusion of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Laws comprehensive 2020 report, a conclusion that now has ample support from leading members of both parties. The lawsuit brought by Rumble against Google is designed to ensure free and fair competition, so that the public is not effectively forced to use YouTube but can instead fairly choose among Googles competitors as well. The primary allegation is that Google abuses its power as the dominant search engine and destroys free competition for online video platforms by manipulating its algorithms to prevent YouTubes competitors, including Rumble, from being found by the public. Attempts to find Rumble videos through Google searches are purposely thwarted by burying Rumbles videos and instead redirecting the user to YouTube, the lawsuit alleges. Googles chokehold on search is impenetrable, and that chokehold allows it to continue unfairly and unlawfully to self-preference YouTube over its rivals, including Rumble, and to monopolize the online video platform market. I often am unable to find my own videos using Googles search engines even when I recall the title of the video more or less perfectly, and have frequently heard the same complaint from viewers. Further illegal monopolistic acts alleged by the complaint include Googles manufacturing of its Android phones with a pre-installed YouTube app as the default video setting, and imposing agreements on other Android-based mobile smart device manufacturers to pre-install YouTube, place it in the most prominent position, and prevent users from deleting it. The court summarized the alleged anti-competitive results of Googles behavior this way (citations omitted): [Google] requires Android device manufacturers that want to preinstall certain of Googles proprietary apps to sign an anti-forking agreement. [Rumble] alleges that once an Android device manufacturer signs an anti-forking agreement, Google will only provide access to its vital proprietary apps and application program interfaces if the manufacturer agrees: (1) to take (that is, pre-install) a bundle of other Google apps (such as its YouTube app); (2) to make certain apps undeletable (including its YouTube app); and (3) to give Google the most valuable and important location on the devices default home screen (including for its YouTube app). As another example, [Rumble] asserts that Google provides share of its search advertising revenue to Android device manufacturers, mobile phone carriers, competing browsers, and Apple; in exchange, Google becomes the preset default general search engine for the most important search access points on a computer or mobile device. And, by becoming the default general search engine, Google is able to continue its manipulation of video search results using its search engine to self-preference its YouTube platform, making sure that links to videos on the YouTube platform are listed above the fold on the search results page. [Moreover], Googles revenue sharing agreements allow it to maintain a monopoly in the general search market and online video platform market). As a result of the denial of Googles motion to dismiss the complaint, the lawsuit will now proceed to the discovery stage. After denying Googles request to dismiss the lawsuit prior to discovery, the judge scheduled a conference at which a discovery plan would be established. This phase of the lawsuit is when one party can obtain a broad range of documents from the other relevant to the claims of the lawsuit. The antitrust specialist Matt Stoller, Research Director of the American Economic Liberties Project, said about the ruling: Getting past the motion to dismiss stage is quite meaningful, and depending on what turns up in discovery Google could be in serious trouble. This ruling should enable Rumble to acquire and utilize extremely revealing documents about how Google exploits its algorithms to manipulate search results on its dominant search engine, as well the burdensome requirements it imposes on other companies dependent on Googles infrastructure to ensure prominent promotion of YouTube. Google did not respond to requests for comment on the judicial ruling. Rumbles statement was naturally celebratory: We welcome the courts decision, which is a significant step toward ending Googles unlawful preferences for YouTube and helping to put creators first. We look forward to starting discovery. When Rumble first filed the suit, its founder and CEO, Chris Pavlovski, told Fox News Tucker Carlson that the companys data specialists had determined that, with its search engine algorithmic manipulations, Google has redirected up to 9.3 billion visitors to YouTube instead of to Rumble. These anti-competitive practices by Google, he argued, destroy the possibility for innovation and competition: Imagine being a tech entrepreneur trying to build an online video platform. You absolutely do not have a shot. You do not have a chance. You have pre-installed YouTube apps on phones. You have a rigged search engine. You have no ability to compete in this market. Lawsuits like these have the ability to unite people across the political spectrum. Stoller, one of the nations leading scholars on the question of Big Tech monopolistic dominance, noted that the case leverages antitrust action by the government pursued under both Trump and Biden. Its also notable that this ruling came from an Obama-appointed judge. Clearly concentrations of power worry both sides. Regardless of whether one is an avid admirer of the modern iteration of capitalism, there is nothing to cheer when a tiny group of corporate behemoths can corner a market and prevent competition. That is particularly true when as is obviously the case for Big Tech the market in question is now the primary means by which Americans gather information, politically organize, receive and disseminate news, and question and debate the most consequential political controversies. The political and propagandistic aspects of these anti-competitive practices substantially elevate the public interest in fostering free and fair market competition. To allow a tiny number of tech monopolists to maintain a stranglehold on the digital public square is self-evidently dangerous, especially as they escalate their censorship regime, due to some combination of their own political interests, the demands of the majority political party in Washington, and the incessant grievances of their own work force. These dangers are not abstract. Perhaps they were most vividly seen in January, 2021, when Parler designed as a free speech alternative to Facebook and Twitter became the most-downloaded app in the country, fueled by anger over the pre-election censorship of the New York Posts reporting on Joe Bidens activities in Ukraine and China as well as the banishment of President Trump by a consortium of Big Tech firms. As soon as Parler rose to the top spot, Democratic politicians such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and censorship activists groups such as Sleeping Giants demanded that Google and Apple immediately remove Parler from their app stores, preventing any further downloading. Other Democratic lawmakers then demanded that Amazon Web Services, the dominant hosting company that had enabled Parlers website, terminate its agreement with Parler. Within forty-eight hours, all three Silicon Valley monopolies complied with these demands. Parler instantly went from the most popular app in the country thanks to the free speech principles it upheld to utterly crippled if not destroyed. It attempted to come back but never really recovered. That was as brute and stark a display of Big Techs ability and willingness to destroy any successful competitors as one might imagine. And in the process, they not only abused their anti-competitive dominance to destroy one of their few successful competitors but also, heeding the demands of Democratic Party politicians, abolished one of the few significant venues on the internet where Americans could gather to freely question and dissent from the orthodoxies and pronouncements of their leaders. There are other antitrust actions currently pending against the Big Tech giants from both private companies and, increasingly, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). But this suit from Rumble has enormous potential to open competition in the vital video uploading market and, perhaps even more importantly, shed substantial light on the extremely opaque and guarded algorithmic manipulations Google uses to force down the publics throat the content it wants them to see while hiding that which it does not want them to see. Read more at: Greenwald.Substack.com (Natural News) A former JPMorgan executive and two other traders are now awaiting the courts decision on the gold and silver price manipulation charges against them. The jury is now deliberating on the most significant case impacting the precious metals market in history after its three-week trial, which commenced on July 8. The said lawsuit involves Michael Nowak, the former head of the multinational financial services firms precious metals desk, gold trader Gregg Smith and Jeffrey Ruffo, an executive director specializing in hedge fund sales. According to data provided to the court, the three combined to make $44.1 million over eight years Nowak made $23.7 million, Smith $9.9 million and Ruffo $10.5 million. The defendants had power and influence, and together they abused their positions and rigged the precious metals markets for their own gain, Matthew Sullivan, the case prosecutor, told jurors in Chicago. As per Sullivan, the three conspired to defraud market participants via a manipulative trading tactic known as spoofing. All three men face years in prison if they are found guilty. Spoofing is a scheme to place and then quickly cancel buy or sell orders to create the illusion of demand or supply and then profit from the price movement. The defense team argued in their closing statement on July 29 that Nowaks spoofing orders were legitimate and were executed about 25 percent of the time. David Meister, Nowaks attorney, urged the jury to acquit his client as prosecutors couldnt prove that he orchestrated the racketeering. If Mike was a racketeer, he must have missed the memo from Al Capone, Meister said. He is not a criminal mastermind from the governments narrative. Apart from the racketeering and conspiracy suits, Nowak faces 13 other charges that include fraud, spoofing and attempted market manipulation. Smith faces 11 additional charges and all of them have pleaded not guilty. JPMorgan doesnt break down its revenues in its earnings filings, but the documents submitted during the trial showed just how lucrative the precious metals and commodity markets are for the investment bank. Bloomberg, which has been covering the trial, said the company saw annual profits related to trading precious metals markets of between $109 million and $234 million a year between 2008 and 2018. The bank also averaged $30 million a year trading and transporting physical bullion. In 2020, the firm saw record revenues of $1 billion trading gold and silver and the market saw unprecedented demand as the world economy halted during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. JPMorgan previously settled with DOJ for precious metals unlawful trading The Department of Justice (DOJ) has been focusing lately on spoofing and other commodities manipulation. Back in 2020, JPMorgan already paid more than $920 million to settle criminal charges related to two schemes that are very similar to the latest suit. (Related: JPMorgan Chase busted by DoJ, forced to pay nearly $1 BILLION fine for trying to rig GOLD markets.) The DOJ said back then that JPMorgan committed tens of thousands of episodes of unlawful trading in the markets for precious metals futures contracts. The investment bank also conducted thousands of episodes of unlawful trading in the markets for U.S. treasury futures contracts and in the secondary (cash) market for U.S. Treasury notes and bonds. For nearly a decade, a significant number of JPMorgan traders and sales personnel openly disregarded U.S. laws that serve to protect against illegal activity in the marketplace. The prosecution agreement, in which JPMorgan Chase and Co. agreed to pay nearly one billion dollars in penalties and victim compensation, is a stark reminder to others that allegations of this nature will be aggressively investigated and pursued, William F. Sweeney Jr., FBI assistant director in charge of the New York field office, said at the time. DOJ Criminal Division Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt said that case showed the nature and seriousness of the banks offenses and represents a milestone in the departments ongoing efforts to ensure the integrity of public markets critical to the financial system. Visit Rigged.news for more news related to market manipulation schemes. Watch the below video that talks about how easy it is to manipulate debts and gold. This video is from the What is happening channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Despite its five felony counts, the Federal Reserve has entrusted $2 trillion in bonds to JPMorgan Chase. Both Citigroup and JPMorgan have now received huge fines for crimes the regulators wont reveal. JPMorgan estimating dramatic price increases for nearly all commodities as war, supply chain crisis continue. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon: Economic hurricane is coming. Sources include: VblGoldFix.substack.com Kitco.com Finance.Yahoo.com Reuters.com Justice.gov Brighteon.com (Natural News) Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbans political director hit back against CNNs Fareed Zakaria on Wednesday for a segment the host did on Hungary he said was yet another example of the Western liberal medias deliberate efforts to spread misinformation about Hungary. (Article by Leah Barkoukis republished from TownHall.com) Zakaria took issue with the prime minister being invited to CPAC Texas this week and said conservatives should distance themselves from his poisonous message. In particular, the CNN host focused on a recent speech Orban gave in Romania warning against mass migration and reportedly denouncing mixed race nations. It is clear-cut fake news to say that Prime Minister Orban talked about a pure Hungarian race, Balazs Orban wrote in a letter to the CNN host. He said the exact opposite by wittily explaining how we Hungarians are a mixture of different peoples, merged together in a Hungaro-Pannonian sauce, creating a multiethnic environment. The Hungarian nation survived the past thousand years by successfully integrating different people who have been living in and outside the Carpathian Basin. What has always connected these people is their willingness to adapt to our customs, learn out language, adopt our religion, and have a firm support for the Judeo-Christian values on which our Western civilization is based. These values are the ones we aim to protect and fight for, and this is the reason our government rejects mass migration. We do this exclusively on a cultural and civilizational, and never a biological-racial basis. He also pushed back on Zakarias suggestion that Orbans rhetoric is what led to some of the harshest laws against Jews in the past. The Hungarian government has zero tolerance for racism and anti-Semitism, which has been our firm policy for all of the past twelve years, he said. And as for the aide who reportedly quit over Orbans Romania speech, the political director said there had been an update to the story CNN failed to include. While he thanked Zakaria for drawing attention to Hungary, Balazs Orban said he wished it had been done in a more accurate manner. We are a small country, proud of our history and our national identity, and we care about liberty and national sovereignty, he wrote. Given our landlocked geographic position, we cannot afford to be ideologically driven in our foreign policy. We are a pragmatic nation with a strong common sense that rejects progressive ideologies. We want a society that is based on work, not government benefits. We oppose tax increases, we stand firm against mass migration and open borders, and we put family support at the heart of our policies to shape demographic trends. We are a freedom-loving people who are ready to fight for the values we hold dear. I understand why the Left would take issue with us, but if you disagree with our position, we should engage in debates instead of spreading false information on air. Open letter to @fareedzakaria@cnn responding to his unfounded claims about Hungary ???In such turbulent times, instead of lecturing & criticizing each other we should join our forces to preserve & better our Western civilization. https://t.co/n0AgJonNmIpic.twitter.com/HZnc0Chiol Balazs Orban (@BalazsOrban_HU) August 3, 2022 Fox Newss Tucker Carlson explained the prime minister is the most hated leader in the world because he has embraced strong families, national sovereignty, the principles upon which all thriving countries are based. The host said the smears against Orban from Zakaria, who argued Hungary is on its way to becoming Nazi Germany, were done in the laziest possible terms. Its almost unbelievable that they aired something like that, he said. VIDEO Carlson Slams Plagiarist Fareed Zakaria: So Victor Orban Is Now a Nazi Because He Wants National Borders? https://t.co/EtXcb9aaAl Grabien (@GrabienMedia) August 4, 2022 Read more at: TownHall.com (Natural News) Mainstream media outlets like Business Insider, Reuters and Al Jazeera are finally admitting that the world is going through a global food crisis. Mac Slavo, writing for SHTF Plan, pointed out that large media outlets have finally come to the realization that not addressing the crisis could destroy economies and lead to civil unrest. (Related: Global food supply crisis could kill more people than COVID-19, warns African politician.) The cost of food continues to skyrocket as shelves empty around the globe, making it more and more difficult for people to afford to feed their families, he wrote. Slavo noted that media outlets only became concerned when they came to understand that the food collapse will bring more civil unrest in the forms of protests and riots. Ayelet Sheffey and Harry Robertson, writing for Business Insider, made the possibility of civil unrest the focus of why the world needs to address the food collapse. A food crisis is unfolding around the world, with prices shooting up everywhere, they wrote. And when that happens, everyone feels the pain. People can cut back on movies or even driving when the cost of tickets or gas surges, but everyone needs to eat. Unless urgent action is taken the crisis could have dire global consequences, they continued. Civil unrest could spread, fueling instability and even war in some of the worlds poorest regions. A breakdown in food systems could drive huge waves of migration. Their article further noted that protests, riots and labor strikes have already occurred around the world due to food scarcity. Media outlets blame Russia for food crisis Sheffey and Robertsons Business Insider article blamed President Vladimir Putin for pushing the global food system to a breaking point. The war hasnt just laid waste to farms. Putins troops have blockaded Ukraines Black Sea coast, stopping vital agricultural products from leaving the country, they claimed. William Rhodes and Stuart Mackintosh, writing for Reuters, further escalated this by claiming that the West needs to begin responding to Putins supposed actions causing havoc on global food supply chains. Both writers admitted that Russia has recently struck up a deal with Ukraine to allow grain exports to reach international ports, but it then blamed Russia for leaving mines all over Ukrainian farmland, preventing farmers from getting to work. They then went on to blame Russia for the surge in the prices of wheat, sunflower oil, meat, poultry and many other staple food items. The writers talked about how the West is not doing enough to provide food aid to the global south even if the food crisis is also affecting their countries, pointing out that rich nations only provided around $700 million in food aid for 2021 and 2022 for a food crisis that is costing lower-income countries over $150 billion per year. They went on to claim that the only solution is for international organizations like the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and regional multilateral development banks in Africa, Asia and South Africa to start managing food production, acquisition and distribution all over the world. These bodies, although consensual in nature, can direct resources and relief without a veto from Russia or its allies, they wrote. This institutional room to act must be used swiftly The leadership of these and other pillars of the global financial system must be empowered and act now. Learn more about the global food crisis at FoodCollapse.com. Watch this episode of the Health Ranger Report as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, discusses Americans shifting to shopping in discount stores as a last-ditch effort to prevent experiencing the food collapse. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: More high-income Americans are shopping at discount stores due to unrelenting inflation. More calf-producing cattle are being sold for slaughter, decimating cattle herds and making beef prices surge. Food collapse, labor shortages affecting restaurants all over the country. Satellite images show wheat crops all over the world are FALLING except in Russia and China. Sources include: SHTFPlan.com BusinessInsider.com Reuters.com Brighteon.com UW Student Team First From Wyoming to Participate in NASA Design Challenge Five UW undergraduate students, dubbed the Wyoming Space Wranglers, designed and built the Cowboy Claw, a lunar reusable surface anchoring device. The team of engineering students was the first from Wyoming to be selected and participate in NASAs 2022 Micro-g Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams (NExT) engineering design challenge. (Wyoming Space Wranglers Photo) A team of University of Wyoming students was the first from Wyoming to be selected and participate in NASAs 2022 Micro-g Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams (NExT) engineering design challenge. Five undergraduate students in the UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, dubbed the Wyoming Space Wranglers, designed and built the Cowboy Claw, a lunar reusable surface anchoring device. Team members were Cameron Ball, from Colorado Springs, Colo.; Forrest Bucholz, of Alpine; Reese Romero, from Cody; James Sheets, of Powell; and Daniel Wenger, from Vale, Ore. We were ecstatic to hear that we had been accepted to the Micro-g NExT challenge, says Sheets, who graduated this spring. After several months of deliberation, NASA released the accepted teams in the form of an acceptance video. We were very happy to hear our name called. We were selected alongside other large schools in the nation, who had teams much larger than ours. Micro-g NExT encourages undergraduate students to design, build and test a tool or device that addresses an authentic, current space exploration challenge. The experience includes hands-on engineering design, test operations and public outreach. Micro-g NExT provides a unique opportunity for students to contribute to NASAs missions, as the design challenges are identified by NASA engineers as necessary in space exploration missions. The challenge provided an opportunity to invent something new, Sheets says. It was really a great opportunity to tinker. Wenger says his favorite part of the experience was rapid prototyping and testing. Its one thing to spend a lot of time designing a project on paper and building it once, but we had the chance to try lots of different ideas and test new parts every day, he says. I think we were able to use a lot of creativity. This years challenges focused on the lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) operations of Artemis, NASAs lunar exploration program. The three challenges involved designing an EVA sample size location calibration marker; an EVA sample bag and dispenser; and a lunar reusable surface anchoring device. The Wyoming Space Wranglers participated in the third challenge. The objective was to design and manufacture an anchoring mechanism that is able to provide holding force on a variety of objects with different types of surfaces. A diver tests the Cowboy Claw in the NASA Johnson Space Center Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. (Micro-g NExT Photo) Our main inspirations for the design were the dexterity and versatility of the human hand, Sheets says. Inside the human hand, the knuckle joints are known as compliant mechanisms. They bend to accomplish a goal and then return to their original shape. We mimicked this by creating joints out of a 3D printed thermoplastic polyurethane that is available in the University of Wyoming Innovation Wyrkshop. These joints, in combination with stainless steel tendons, allowed for our device to maintain a strong grip on a variety of rocks. Our team used these two key aspects of the design to create a lightweight, reusable, durable and nonpenetrative device. The importance of an anchoring mechanism in space is mission critical. The Cowboy Claw is intended to allow astronauts to tether themselves, their gear or other EVA devices to the lunar surface, Ball says. A quickly established anchoring point enables astronauts to safely conduct their research. Additionally, anchoring devices, such as ours, can be applied to other manned or unmanned future space exploration efforts to Mars and beyond. Furthering mankinds understanding of the lunar environment will help us understand our world better and help prepare us for future planets that await us. The Cowboy Claw was delivered to NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston at the end of May. Micro-g NExT coordinators and NASA personnel examined the UW teams device as well as the other selected teams devices. We felt a combination of excitement, stress and nervousness through the challenge process, Sheets says. The timeline for the development of this device was extremely fast, so we had to rapidly manufacture the device and quickly test it. This led to a lot of worries about if our idea would work or not. It ended up exceeding our expectations. In June, the UW team participated in a test readiness review before traveling to Houston to have its project tested by professional divers in the NASA Johnson Space Center Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL), a simulated microgravity environment. It was a lot of fun to watch the divers test our device in the NBL, and the testing experience felt very authentic, Sheets says. Our device first had to pass through a safety check to ensure nobody got hurt. Then, we were able to brief the diver with some instructions before use. When it came time for the Cowboy Claw to be tested, the Wyoming Space Wranglers were allowed to sit in a control room and supervise the test. One of our team members was allowed to communicate with the diver over radio to provide instructions, and all of this was broadcast to the rest of the schools at the NBL, Sheets says. Perhaps the most fun was watching how devices from other schools performed. Some schools had some designs that were fairly similar to ours, and other teams went in entirely different directions. Of course, we were excited to see the Cowboy Claw hold its own against devices from large and well-known institutions. Ball, who graduated in May, will begin his career with Lockheed Martin in Colorado, where he will work in the companys space division. He says he would like to see other UW students be part of the Micro-g NExT experience. I hope that future UW senior design teams or students in some kind of a NASA challenges club follow in our footsteps, Ball says. To learn more about the NASA Micro-g NExT challenge, visit https://microgravityuniversity.jsc.nasa.gov/about-micro-g-next. (Natural News) The U.S. Navy plans to use 150 artificial intelligence-powered ghost ships across international waters by 2045, which means one in three of its warships will be an unmanned robotic combat ship. These artificial intelligence-powered vessels will be smaller and inexpensive to manage because they do not need life-support systems and can be controlled remotely. The technology can also solve the militarys recruitment problem, with the Navy only at 89 percent of its goal for the fiscal year concluding in September. The expansion was announced in the Chief of Naval Operations Navigation Plan 2022 report. It said that the military branch is expanding its fleet to guarantee that the U.S. controls most of the worlds waters. The development plan also includes more than 350 manned vessels and almost 3,000 aircraft, which is a significant increase from the 75 new ships included in the American naval force over the past two decades. The Navy presently handles 300 warships. The lack of military recruits is believed to be the worst since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. (Related: Woke U.S. Navy now naming ships after homosexual rapists as China builds bigger, modern fleet to challenge America and assert global dominance) Traditional masculinity is now scowled upon although it used to be the driving force in encouraging young Americans to sign up for their nations military force. The Navy is expecting the rise of robotic combat ships will fill the gaps of its missing sailors. According to USNI News, the Navys pursuit of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) slowed in recent years amidst Congressional doubt over the latest technology. Legislators wanted to see more testing of the robotic vessels and adhered to its idea that the Navy must first figure out how to properly manage them. And this has set the Navy and the other branches of the U.S. military behind China and Russia, which both approved the technology into their armories years before. Russia has started testing a 45-foot-long unmanned torpedo ship, which based on a report from the TASS news agency, will be designed to carry out detection and destruction of enemy submarines autonomously. China, on the other hand, finished testing in January for its 200-ton unmanned combat ship. The U.S. Navys ghost ships will highlight surface and subsurface platforms that will supply intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The ships are filled with sensors to see incoming adversaries and barriers as it sails the waters autonomously. US Navy designing robotic vessels that can talk like human sailors In 2020. the Navy announced that it is designing a system for its unmanned robotic vessels, which will talk like human sailors, permitting the ship to safely navigate through waterways. The goal is to enable human bridge crews to communicate with robot ships using normal speech over the worldwide radio system utilized for ship-to-ship communication. The Navy ships would be designed to recognize secure radio transmissions, integrate their meaning into its world model, build up correct maneuvering plans and reply by way of voice on the radio. And last year it was disclosed that the military branch was developing a robot submarine that is supervised by artificial intelligence and could destroy without human control or input. The project is being managed by the Office of Naval Research and has been described as an autonomous undersea weapon system. The Navy named it CLAWS. It will employ sensors and algorithms to perform complex missions on its own. CLAWS will be set up on the new Orca class robot submarines that have 12 torpedo tubes and are being made for the Navy by Boeing. This initiative, which began in 2018, aims to speed up the Navys adoption of unmanned and autonomous systems. The four robotic combat ships developed and trained over the past four years will be included in the Navys fleet. Follow MilitaryTechnology.news for more news on newly developed military vessels and weapons. Watch the video below to know why the U.S. Navy wants a fleet of robo-ships. This video is from the zolnareport.com channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: U.S. Navy to deploy weaponized drones in worlds oceans. Russian Navys doomsday submarine can carry 6 Poseidon nuclear torpedoes. Navy developing sonic weapon that makes its target unable to speak. Google veterans to launch drones with most advanced AI ever. Sources include: Daily Mail.co USNI.org (Natural News) Dr. Naomi Wolf has exposed the plan of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to keep the money flowing into the agency. I was talking to a longtime insider at the CDC. And he said that when he was at the CDC, theyre saying we really need to have to announce a new virus every two years,' Wolf told Pastor David Scarlett during the July 29 episode of HIS Glory on Brighteon.TV. The CDC is not short on supply with approximately 2,500 viruses at its disposal. The Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) has lost its power to terrify people, thanks to people who tell the world the truth about the pandemic and the vaccines. But its not the time to celebrate yet. In terms of timing, I knew that they would roll it out before the midterms. Youre going to see more and more terrifying announcements before the midterms so that most of the voting will be by mail, which is easier to disrupt, Wolf said. And Im not saying that none of these illnesses exist. I am saying, having seen the Pfizer documents in detail, a lot of the symptoms of these illnesses also happened to be side effects of the vaccines. With all thats happening, Scarlett and Wolf also explained why they no longer trust emergency services: because many doctors have colluded with the government about the truth regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. (Related: A brief history of governments deploying weaponized pandemics against innocent populations.) Another winter of COVID-19 to look out for As the third winter of the COVID-19 pandemic looms in the northern hemisphere, scientists are warning governments and populations to brace for more waves of the disease. In the U.S., there could be up to a million infections per day in the winter, according to Chris Murray, head of the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, an independent modeling group from the University of Washington that has been tracking the pandemic. Scientists in the U.K. and the rest of Europe have also predicted a series of COVID-19 waves as people spend more time indoors during the colder months with nearly no masking or social distancing restrictions in place. While many experts predicted that the transition to endemic would begin in early 2022, the arrival of the highly mutated omicron variant disrupted the expectations. (Related: Bill Gates quietly funding effort to develop thousands of new vaccines that conveniently might become pandemics.) We need to set aside the idea of is the pandemic over?' said Adam Kucharski, an epidemiologist from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He and many others still see COVID-19 morphing into an endemic threat that causes a high burden of disease. The potential wild card is whether or not a new variant will emerge that out-competes the currently dominant omicron subvariants. And if that variant causes more severe infection and is better in evading prior immunity, then that would be the worst case scenario. Visit Pandemic.news for more updates about COVID-19 and other illnesses plaguing the world. Watch the video below to learn more about the CDCs plan to announce more pandemics. His Glory airs every Friday from 5:00 pm 6:00 pm on Brighteon.TV. More related stories: PLANDEMIC: Decades of research show how TYRANNY thrives during global pandemics. Rand Paul blasts Schumer, Fauci, vaccine mandates, says Americans being conditioned to submit to New World Order with COVID-19. System collapse: Supply chain workers warn of impending breakdown because COVID shutdowns have drained the workforce and worsened product shortages. Sources include: Brighteon.com BWorldOnline.com (Natural News) The United Nations Paris Climate Agreement is already being put into action around the world, as the global elite use governments to capitalize on their controlling visions and monopolistic investments. In their pursuit for total control, the global elite look to play god with the Earths resources and environment, while micromanaging human activity, destroying farms, threatening sovereignty, and reducing the population. Dutch farmers protest the deliberate destruction of their farms and livestock In the Netherlands, the Dutch government must submit a plan to cut greenhouse gas nitrogen by 70 percent in 131 areas. This is just one of the climate goals that the country must achieve by the year 2030. The Netherlands is the worlds second largest agricultural exporter; consequentially, they are also one of the top greenhouse gas emitters in Europe. In order to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement, the Dutch government must restrict fertilizer use and destroy a third of the nations cattle. These insane climate controls will inevitably reduce crop yields, deliberately destroy animals, and cripple small farms. The Dutch government estimates they will have to shut down 11,200 farms and kill livestock owned by 17,600 farmers. The global elite did not expect the farmers to fight back and protest against this economic warfare. Many of these farmers are resisting the governments plans to scale down or close their farms citing an attack from big businesses and unelected global elites. After their fertilizer use was restricted, thousands of farmers drove their tractors into town squares to protest the economic warfare being waged against them. Global elite wage economic warfare on small farmers, dictating operations, threatening food supply The air that we breathe is 78% nitrogen. The global elite are not trying to target the inert, nonreactive N2 molecules in the air. They are trying to eliminate ammonia (NH3) and nitric oxides (NO). The primary sources of nitric oxide are fertilizer byproducts and fossil fuel combustion, along with biomass burning, atmospheric deposition, and human sewage. To shut these sources of nitrogen down completely, the global elite will have to threaten farmers and force people into starvation a reality that is now in play. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a prevalent form of nitrogen oxide that comes from stoves, heaters and tobacco smoke. However, natural sources of nitrogen dioxide account for 62 percent of all N2O and are derived from the oceans and the soil that holds together the natural vegetation. In the quest to eliminate nitrogen dioxide, the global elite are inevitably attacking the natural processes taking place on Earth, while threatening the food supply of human civilizations. As the government restricts fertilizer use, farmers must adapt by incorporating nitrogen-fixating plants into their fields. Certain plants are designed to take nitrogen from the air and deliver it to the bacteria in the soil, so it can be converted into a form that is usable as fertilizer. For instance, the plant mimosa pudica is a climate-tolerant, nitrogen-fixing plant. A unique characteristic of this plant is that it can sense human touch. When a person touches the leaves, they close up, similar to a Venus flytrap. This is not the only unique trait of this plant. This plant takes in nitrogen from the air and shares it with a bacterium that is in a mutual relationship with the roots of the plant. This bacterium converts the nitrogen into a form that can be dispersed in the soil and used by the plants nearby. This process improves crop yields, and is just one trick farmers may have to use as the government restricts their fertilizer use. The only man-made catastrophes that await humanity are the ones caused by the global elite and their climate change controls. The Paris Climate Agreement will continue to cause a man-made Holodomor and the greatest tax on the poor the world has ever seen forced fuel price increases. The global elite will starve and kill people in their attempts to control. The only way to stop these threats to national sovereignty and food production is bring back democracy in the form of local representation and pull out of these Paris Climate Treaties. The people have the power to stop the Paris Climate Treaty and all the ensuring economic warfare. All the hardworking farmers, truckers, etc. are in mass protest, waiting to be heard, ready to break free from global psychopaths and their web of deceit and control. Sources include: TheCovidBlog.com BBC.com France24.com Whatsyourimpact.org NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Almost every baby born in the United States has blood drawn just hours after birth, allowing them to be tested for a panel of potentially life-threatening inherited disorders. This is an important public health program that enables early treatment of newborns with genetic disorders. For them, it can be the difference between a healthy life and an early death. However, reports emerged that police are now seeking access to these newborn blood samples in criminal investigations. They intend to use the genetic material to hunt for evidence that could implicate a childs relative in a crime, endangering public trust in a health program and threatening all Americans rights to genetic privacy. Earlier in July, a public records lawsuit filed in New Jersey detailed how police subpoenaed a newborn blood sample to investigate a 1996 cold case. Under New Jersey law, every child born must be tested for 60 disorders within 48 hours of their birth. And this decades-old program has been meant to identify rare and potentially serious conditions in newborns only. While the law enforcements desire to use blood samples in criminal investigations was always a possibility and one that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has opposed the increasing use of investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) has since increased the governments interest in easy access to DNA. One high-profile example is the 2018 identification of the Golden State killer and former police officer Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., whose DNA was isolated from a sample left at a crime scene. A rich genetic profile was created and uploaded to a genealogy website to map out family trees. In the four years since its use became public, its documented use by police has rapidly grown to nearly 200 investigations. While the government has already gone to shocking lengths to obtain DNA samples without a warrant, such as lying to a suspects family members to obtain their DNA, the New Jersey investigation was the first public instance of them turning to newborn blood samples. (Related: Newborn screening can cause unnecessary parental stress.) DNA contains sensitive information that must remain private DNA holds sensitive personal information, which is why the newborn screening program exists. It can help detect inherited medical conditions from blood samples that could lead to things like permanent intellectual disability and major health problems if not detected early enough. Allowing the government to access samples with sensitive information for reasons other than public health would seriously threaten privacy. Its also important to note that DNA not only reveals information about a certain person, but the other family members as well. Because DNA contains intimate, private information about not only the newborn but their family, we need to make sure that that private information is protected from government intrusion, whether it be in this context or a wide range of others, said Jeanne LoCicero, legal director of ACLU-New Jersey. The newborn screening system relies on public trust and exists only because public health officials agree that the good outweighs the bad and the temporary pain to the newborn and the cost to the parents are worth the prevention of life-threatening medical conditions, as almost one in 300 newborns are found to have a genetic disorder. However, this delicate balance of public trust is thrown off when the government turns to the same data to screen newborns for illnesses and uses it for other purposes, such as criminal investigations. (Related: Explosive report: 98% of newborn babies are genetically screened.) There is no uniform national policy for how newborn screening is conducted as each state sets its own policies governing which diseases it tests and the time the samples are kept. Parent groups and other privacy advocates have long voiced their concerns about these state screening systems. They argued that keeping blood samples left over from screening tests violates privacy rights. The range of storage for states varies from a few months to indefinitely. Newborn screening remains to be one of the most successful public health interventions in the U.S., but police could easily abuse this system and turn it into mass genetic surveillance. Visit PoliceState.news for more news about questionable methods used in police investigations. Watch this video about police grabbing peoples DNA at checkpoints. This video is from the channel high impact Flix and more!!! on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Scientists seek to collect a blood database of all U.S. newborns for research purposes. Texas ordered to destroy five million blood samples illegally taken from babies without consent. Waiting two minutes before cutting umbilical cords improves early newborn development. Sources include: BlacklistedNews.com ACLU.org NewJerseyMonitor.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Representatives from Japan and the United States have agreed to work together to develop next-generation two-nanometer (nm) semiconductor chips. On July 29, the newly-established U.S.-Japan Economic Policy Consultative Committee met for the first time and issued a statement laying out how both countries want to foster supply chain resilience, especially in the field of semiconductors. (Related: Computer chip crisis getting worse as manufacturing slows and wait times increase amid insane demand.) The statement announced that Japan will open a research and development center by the end of the year. This facility will be set up by a new Japanese chip research institution slated to debut later this year and will receive aid in the form of equipment and personnel from the U.S. National Semiconductor Technology Center. The focus of this new R&D center will be to research cutting-edge 2-nm semiconductors, which offer superior performance while using less power. The center will include a prototype production line with the goal of beginning mass production of 2-nm chips domestically as early as 2025. The center will also conduct research on chip design, the development of manufacturing equipment and materials and the installation of production lines. Businesses will be invited to participate in the R&D center, and the center will offer its technology to companies in Japan and the U.S. once mass production becomes feasible. The committee noted that both nations are also open to the possibility of offering partnerships with businesses in nations with shared values, such as Taiwan and South Korea. Committee members which include State Secretary Antony Blinken, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and the Japanese ministers for foreign affairs and economy, trade and industry are planning to release a more comprehensive statement on bilateral supply chain cooperation. As we discussed today, semiconductors are the linchpin of our economic and national security, said Raimondo, adding that U.S. and Japanese officials discussed collaborating on semiconductor development, especially with respect to advanced semiconductors. More countries looking to diversify chip production market The U.S. and Japans foray into 2-nm chip development comes over a year after IBM became the first company to announce the development of 2-nm chip technology. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the worlds largest manufacturer of semiconductors, is also set to begin mass production of 2-nm chips by 2025. More countries are looking at diversifying the chip production market, perhaps remembering the economic damage done by the semiconductor shortage during the height of the supply chain crisis. Taiwan, thanks to TSMC, currently hosts over 90 percent of the worlds production capacity for chips that are less than 10 nm in size, which are used to make smartphones. South Korean tech and manufacturing company Samsung, which comes second to TSMC in chip making, is already attempting to compete with TSMC in the manufacturing of 3-nm and 5-nm chips. But most other tech manufacturers like Apple, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Broadcom, AMD and Intel still rely on TSMC to make their most advanced products that need semiconductors. Amid heightened tensions between China and Taiwan and the prospect of the former attempting to forcefully unify with the latter through a military operation, Japan and the U.S. have decided to step up to ensure better access to new chips. In addition to investing in the R&D center for 2-nm chips, Japan and the U.S. are preparing to line up fiscal support to boost their already existing chip industries. Tokyo has proposed investing a trillion yen ($7.45 billion) into research and development over a decade. Washington has passed the CHIPS and Science Act, which includes $52 billion in subsidies for semiconductor production and research. Learn more about computer technology at Computing.news. Watch this clip from The Kim Iversen Show as host Kim Iversen discusses House Speaker Nancy Pelosi risking a world war for more semiconductors. This video is from the Pool Pharmacy channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Shortage of semiconductors hits manufacturing industries as Biden fails to solve supply chain crisis. Samsung announces plans to build new $17 billion chip factory in Texas. Pentagon rushes $2 billion orders for customized semiconductors to beat supply crunch. South Korea to spend %450 billion in bid to become worlds leading chipmaker. Sources include: AsiaTimes.com Asia.Nikkei.com Reuters.com ZMEScience.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Unapproved FDA anti-psychotics prescription drugs have been prescribed for two-year-olds who supposedly have bipolar disorder. On the record with Johnson and Johnson internal documents that have been uprooted, a certain doctor, who happens to be the chief of pediatric psychopharmacology at Harvards Massachusetts General Hospital, appears to have pushed these unapproved drugs through speaking engagement fees for over $1.6 million, for a period of seven years, several years back. One Joseph L. Biederman, with deep (filled) pockets and extensive ties to J&J, is a consultant who may be guilty of pushing psychotropic drugs that are prescribed for toddlers who go from crying to happy, and back to crying, too much. Isnt that just called the terrible twos? Since when do 2-year olds need toxic drugs that give them thoughts of suicide because theyre moody? The DSM, psychiatrys diagnostic book that labels every emotion a disease or disorder, is the basis for diagnosis of any and every child that exists, should they come in for treatment. The DSM is like a training manual for marketing dangerous drugs that are experimental and get this unapproved by the FDA for this type of use. Where is the legitimacy of scientific evidence that two-year-olds need medication for bipolar disorder? Does this qualify for child abuse? Not only is there ZERO proof of this mental disorder in two-year-olds, but the psychiatric diagnoses of disorders that call for anti-psychotic drugs has skyrocketed as of late. Now these drugs are blockbuster cash cows, and the doctors slinging them get all kinds of incentives, gifts, cash, stocks and of course, consulting fees. That means leading physicians and pediatricians plug them at their big doctor conventions (including online video meetings) and highly recommend them for treatment, including for little kids that are still toddlers. (The CDC classifies all kids between ages 1 and 3 as toddlers.) This is corrupt, like pushing kids to change their gender traits with drugs and surgery. This is messing with toddlers brain activity in experimental ways that should be illegal, if they are not already. This is child abuse, and anyone getting paid to promote and sling these drugs is an accomplice to the crime. Drug companies partner with prominent pediatricians at prestigious universities to promote dangerous, experimental drugs for children The whole business model is based on partnerships in corruption. Theres no real medical research that could ever prove these drugs work as they say, and so over the past couple decades, the doctors now just sling them without FDA approval. Whos going to find out, right? And if they do, what can they do about it? Ever heard of a doctor going to jail for promoting prescription drugs he/she slings themselves? Not likely. Pharma runs the whole racket, and its not just about the commercials on TV and the mad scientists, but includes Ivy League professors, physicians, fake news, fake clinical trials and even fake peer-reviews chock full of retracted papers. Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, FDA reviews of placebo-controlled clinical trials have been uncovered, regarding anti-psychotic and anti-depressant drugs, so the truth is coming out, even if its not published by the mass media complex of America. Drug-intensive doping of children now the norm for Americas style of mental health medicine Take your child to a psychiatrist for nearly anything and you will most likely walk out of that office with a prescription for dangerous, thought-altering drugs that have no business in anyones hands, much less in your childs brain. Its a huge experiment with neurons and synapses that the arrogant psychiatric industry thinks theyve conquered. The newest, most expensive brand-name pills are being slung for off-label uses, because theyre not even approved properly for on-label use. Maybe the child has anxiety from eating MSG and aspartame. Has anyone taken a close look at that? What about industrial food dyes that cause ADHD? How about high fructose corn syrup that causes hyperactivity, are we diagnosing that? What about COVID-19 masks that cut out 5 percent to 20 percent of oxygen intake all day while the toddler breathes back in already processed air as carbon dioxide? Or could it be that kids now getting the China Flu clot shots are experiencing spike protein prions that are disrupting the brains blood vessels that create that chemical imbalance the quacks like to base their diagnosis upon? Tune your scamdemic frequency to BigPharmaNews.com for truth news thats being censored from the rest of media as you read this. Sources for this article include: AHRP.org NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Airlines in Australia have been persecuting pilots who turn down the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. Now, theyre coming after those injured by the shots. Glen Waters, who was fired from Virgin Australia Airlines after 20 years for declining the vaccine, is one example. His two decades of exemplary service came to an end in April 2022 after he received an email from the company informing him of his termination. According to the email, Waters committed serious misconduct for refusing to comply with Virgins vaccine mandate. The company announced in September 2021 that all staff members pilots, cabin crew and airport workers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 15 of that year. Waters and other employees who declined the shot for fear of vaccine injuries were sacked. They were luckier, however, as healthy employees injected with the vaccine started reporting a myriad of health issues. (Related: Pilots speak out about vaccine-induced injuries and deaths.) Those injured by COVID-19 vaccines are now feeling the vile nature of the mandate and the coldness of the company. The company is actively trying to terminate anyone reporting vaccine injury. No doubt there are many more who are continuing to fly with troubling symptoms, said Waters. He added that pilots who suffer vaccine injuries are scared of coming out fearing discrimination for being anti-vaxxers and termination from their companies. Former Jetstar pilot Alan Dana is another example. The erstwhile training captain who worked for the budget subsidiary of Australian flag carrier Qantas was also dismissed for noncompliance with the companys vaccine mandate. In response, he and 23 others established the Magnificent Qantas24 group. Danas group later joined forces with Waters, who had been organizing his colleagues terminated by Virgin. The two organizations subsequently united to form Aussie Freedom Flyers, which fights for medical freedom and the cancellation of COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Several American pilots permanently grounded by the COVID shot The problem of vaccine-injured pilots is not limited to the Land Down Under. Several American pilots also reported vaccine injuries after complying with vaccine mandates. Commercial pilot Bob Snow, who works for a major U.S. airline, saw his career hit an abrupt conclusion due to the vaccine. He was injected with the single-dose COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson back in November 2021 as a result of the airlines vaccine mandate. He began experiencing issues a little over two months, which prompted an abdominal CT scan. Snow experienced sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in April 2022 immediately after landing at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas while awaiting the results of the CT scan. While he survived and recuperated at home, he lamented that he can no longer fly again in any capacity. His vaccine injury eventually resulted in a significant loss of income and lifestyle. It appears my flying career has come to a rapid and unexpected conclusion, as SCA is a red flag to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical certification, said Snow. Since my SCA, I have heard from several other airline personnel regarding potential vaccine injuries up to and including cardiac issues, added the former pilot. Many crew members are very reluctant to divulge potential significant health issues for fear of losing their FAA medical certification and, potentially, their careers. Josh Yoder, co-founder of U.S. Freedom Flyers, attested to Snows comments. He described both airline companies and aviation industry unions as state actors working in lockstep with the U.S. government [to] enforce unconstitutional [vaccine] mandates via a culture of fear. Many pilots and other airline employees capitulated to the tactics of threats, harassment and intimidation perpetrated by the very companies they serve, said Yoder. Visit VaccineInjuryNews.com for more stories about pilots being injured by the COVID-19 shots. Watch InfoWars founder Alex Jones discussing the death of four British Airways pilots after their vaccination below. This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: COVID-jabbed pilots are suffering cardiac arrest, but the media remains silent to avoid creating vaccine hesitancy. Scott Kesterson says reports of pilots dying midflight due to COVID-19 vaccines are REAL Brighteon.TV. Cardiologist says 30 percent of vaccinated pilots would fail health screenings due to vaccine injuries. After vaccines killed so many, U.S. airlines have run out of pilots and are now canceling flights. Dr. Jane Ruby: Airline pilots were offered incentives to get COVID-19 vaccine Brighteon.TV. Sources include: Expose-News.com ChildrensHealthDefense.org Brighteon.com (Natural News) Canadian Virtual Hospice (CVH) just published a childrens activity book that suggests suffering kids are prime candidates for assisted suicide, also known as euthanasia. On July 26, CVH announced to the world via Twitter that its MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) publication is now ready. It was [c]reated for young people who have someone in their life who may have MAiD, the tweet explains alongside a colorful, pro-death graphic clearly designed to appeal to children. The publication contains many such images and graphics, as well as juvenile fonts, that ultimately lead kids to the discovery that there are three medicines that can kill a person. The goal is to make assisted suicide seem normal to children, as well as ease them into the idea that it is not just for old people. MAiD is filled with propaganda designed to brainwash children into believing that euthanasia is easy, painless this one is highly disputed even within euthanasia circles and appropriate for people of all ages who are experiencing great difficulties living. It goes along with another similar activity book called Me and My Illness that likewise suggests assisted suicide doesnt hurt and is a normal way to handle chronic pain and other illnesses. (Related: Euthanasia is apparently so widespread throughout Canada that the country now has a glut of available organs and tissues for transplant.) If the message being sent with this colourful and engaging activity book is that euthanasia is a normal, innocuous act that *doesnt hurt* and is appropriate for anyone who is in pain, how can a sick and / or suffering child escape the conclusion that it may be an appropriate solution for them especially once MAiD is extended to mature minors? asks Alex Schadenberg, writing for LifeSiteNews. Canadian taxpayers are funding their own demise Back in 2004, CVH pioneered the virtual push for euthanasia in Canada. At the time, CVH launched the first ever web-based resource platform [that] could address some of the national gaps in palliative care. CVHs endeavor would be the first attempt at making euthanasia as easy as pie for Canadians to access by connecting them virtually to an array of health specialists geared towards assisted suicide. In 2004, CVH achieved its goal with 34,000 cases. In 2020, that figure ballooned to 2.3 million cases. CVH is heavily funded, by the way, by Canadian taxpayers. The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority throws cash at it, as does Health Canada and Veteran Affaires Canada. According to Dr. Joel Zivot, an anesthesiologist and critical care doctor at the Emory University School of Medicine, there is no way to truly know whether or not euthanasia is painless as claimed by its proponents because nobody has ever truly tracked the process in a victim. Monitors arent used, he says. There are no monitors measuring brain waves or heart activity. Doctors say it would take away from the intimacy of the experience for the person and the family. In other words, it probably does hurt to be killed with pharmaceuticals, and the establishment is just giving excuses about intimacy as to why nobody should be allowed to find out for sure. Zivot would like to see autopsies conducted on MAiD deaths to see exactly how the pharmaceutical poisons that end life impact a persons body. Avoiding the use of paralyzing agents during the procedure would allow for a more realistic assessment of a MAiD recipients experience, he maintains. Kids who lose a parent or sibling to suicide can be deeply traumatised by the experience, tweeted Dr. Christopher Lyon, expressing concerns about the new activity book from CVH. What happens with children when doctors *help* the suicide instead of stop it? More related news can be found at Evil.news. Sources for this article include: LifeSiteNews.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) China launched a total of 27 military aircraft into Taiwans air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Wednesday, Aug. 3, as tension rises once again following House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to the disputed island nation. According to the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense (MND), 22 of the 27 aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait. (Related: ANALYSIS: Why China LOSES any escalation involving Taiwan and the United States Navy.) The MNDs data show that China flew 16 Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 and six domestically-made Shenyang J-11 and J-16 fighter jets across the median line of the Taiwan Strait. Five other J-16 jets flew into the southwestern part of Taiwans ADIZ, fully bypassing the strait. This comes just one day after the Chinese military sent 21 military aircraft into Taiwans southwestern ADIZ as Pelosi arrived in Taiwan. On both occasions, Taiwan responded by sending its own combat air patrols, sending radio warnings and deploying defense missile systems to track the voyage of the Chinese planes. The MND has published information regarding illegal Chinese military flights into Taiwanese airspace since Sept. 17, 2020, amid a rising number of similar intrusions. The latest incursion is not even the one with the highest number of military aircraft. That record belongs to the Jan. 23 incursion, when 39 Chinese fighter jets entered the ADIZ, followed by 30 on May 30 and 29 on June 21. China holds live-fire drills near Taiwan The latest incursion into Taiwanese airspace took place a day before the Peoples Liberation Army, Chinas armed forces, launched live-fire military drills in six maritime areas very close to Taiwanese territory. Experts see the recent violation of Taiwanese sovereignty as retaliation for Pelosis visit to Taiwan. The visit of an American speaker of the House to Taiwan marks the highest-level U.S. visit to the island in 25 years. Beijing views any engagement between Taipei and Washington as a U.S. endorsement of Taiwans desire to be fully independent from the mainland, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has made it clear it viewed Pelosis trip as a provocation. Along with the military drills, the CCP also summoned the American ambassador in Beijing to a meeting and halted the entry of several agricultural imports from Taiwan. The MND also noted that Chinas planned military exercises will take place within Taiwans 12 nautical mile sea and air territory, a move that defense officials described as unprecedented and amounting to a sea and air blockade of Taiwan. Three of the six live-fire exercises will take place in Taiwans north, between 37 to 11.5 miles from Taiwans shores. The closest live-fire drill is set to take place less than six miles from Liuqiu Island on Taiwans southwestern coast. The last time China held live-fire drills this close to Taiwan were in 1995 and 1996 during the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis. In response to the military exercises, four American warships, including an aircraft carrier, were deployed to waters east of Taiwan in what the Navy called routine deployments. But the Navy added that it would be able to respond to any eventuality. The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan transited from the South China Sea to its current position in the Philippine Sea, east of Taiwan and the Philippines and south of Japan. It is operating with the guided missile cruiser USS Antietam, the destroyer USS Higgins and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, which also carries aircraft. Learn more about the CCPs response to the House speakers visit to Taiwan at CommunistChina.news. Watch this episode of the Health Ranger Report as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, explains why China will inevitably lose if it enters into a conflict over Taiwan. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: China surges forces toward Taiwan, conduct live-fire drills as Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits. Pentagon-funded think tank simulates war with China over Taiwan. Taiwan concerned about internet connectivity if China decides to launch an attack. Trump: China will DEFINITELY attack Taiwan following Russia-Ukraine example. Sources include: The-Sun.com FocusTaiwan.tw Reuters.com 1 Reuters.com 2 Brighteon.com (Natural News) On the heels of Nancy Pelosis highly controversial visit to Taiwan, communist China has decided to launch five ballistic missiles straight into Japans exclusive economic zone, according to Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi. After earlier scrapping a high-level diplomatic meeting with Japan, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) reportedly blasted the weapons into waters near Taiwan, provoking the West to potentially respond with blowback. (Related: Taiwans birth rate dropped 23 percent this past year following the rollout of covid vaccines). This is a grave issue that concerns our countrys national security and the safety of the people, Kishi is quoted as saying, adding that Tokyo has now lodged a formal diplomatic protest with the Chinese government. It turns out that this is the first time a Chinese ballistic missile has touched down in Japanese waters a historic move for such a time as this when, dare we say, World War III is emerging from the horizon. China along with several other nations are not in agreement with Japan as to the extent of its exclusive economic zone. The Japanese island of Yonaguni sits about 67 miles east of Taiwan, and the nation also claims sovereignty over another patch of uninhabited islands to the northeast of Taiwan. It is that second area that technically overlaps with Chinas own exclusive economic zone, as it is located in the East China Sea region. This dispute muddies the waters a bit as China considers the blast zone to be its own, while Japan says it owns the area. The demonstration, China says, was meant to show the world that it is capable of fully blockading Taiwan if it wanted to which it also considers its own. Taiwan says it activated relevant defense systems to ward off China Chinas large-scale military exercises began just two days before Pelosi showed up in Taiwan, which just announced that it has activated relevant defense systems in response to Chinas actions. Beijing expressed outrage over Pelosis visit, calling it a near-official endorsement of Taiwanese independence a position that, officially speaking, is not endorsed by the United States government. Pelosi apparently acted of her own accord, probably because she wanted to check on a few of her and her husbands insider trading positions with chip companies that operate in Taiwan. The Taiwanese government reportedly launched its own military exercises following Chinas exercises, while Japan signed a declaration of condemnation against China and its military. There is no justification to use a visit as a pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait, the statement from Tokyo reads, adding that Chinas escalatory response risks increasing tensions and destabilizing the region. Japanese commenters believe that Chinas exercises were a threat not only to Taiwan but also to Japan, considering its strategic location and general pro-Western stance. Beijings response to Japans condemnation of its military exercises was to cancel a planned meeting between the two countries at the ongoing ASEAN summit in Cambodia. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying expressed strong displeasure over what she described as Japans irresponsible remarks. It is funny that the exclusive economic zone also overlaps Chinas economic zone where the missiles landed, wrote a commenter at RT. USA rhetoric through the kamikaze leaders again. Theyre not actually hitting anybody so who cares? wrote another about the Chinese missiles. China does what it wants. You all like shooting missiles. Go shoot them. Just dont hit anybody. The only one I dont trust is NATO anywhere near Russia. Many others wrote that if Japan is smart, it will sit this one out. The latest news concerning the breakdown of international relations between China and its neighbors can be found at Chaos.news. Sources for this article include: RT.com NaturalNews.com PLA Eastern Theater Command conducts long-range live-fire drills around Taiwan Island Xinhua) 09:50, August 05, 2022 The army of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Thursday conducted long-range live-fire drills targeting designated areas on the eastern part of the Taiwan Strait and achieved desired results. (The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army/Handout via Xinhua) The army of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Thursday conducted long-range live-fire drills targeting designated areas on the eastern part of the Taiwan Strait and achieved desired results. (The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army/Handout via Xinhua) (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) (Natural News) Last month, more than 50,000 people in California reportedly got reinfected with the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) a second time, despite being fully vaccinated. A local NBC affiliate in the Bay Area ran a segment about reinfection risk that made zero mention about the injections, even though they are clearly the cause of this latest wave of disease. Infectious disease specialists say the highly transmissible BA.5 variant is playing a critical role in the increase in reinfections, proclaimed Marianne Favro watch below: California has one of the highest Vaccination rates in the country at 73% and a ton of them are getting Covid for a 2nd time. They ruined businesses, they destroyed careers, they shoved the Science? down your throat for this outcome.pic.twitter.com/2KqNv9pcar Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) August 3, 2022 For the second time in two months, the segment goes on to explain, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, who is said to be fully jabbed himself, tested positive for Chinese Germs. His symptoms, according to a tweet, were mild and included intermittent grumpiness. My apologies to anyone I might have exposed in recent hours or days, Liccardo wrote disingenuously. [P]lease test and follow CDC guidelines. If you got jabbed for covid, your immune system is probably shot California is one of the most fully vaccinated states in the country with about 73 percent of the population having rolled up its sleeves. Why, then, is covid still a problem there? The only answer authorities have is that the moronic (omicron) variant of the Fauci Flu evades the antibodies that the injections supposedly create inside a persons body. (Related: Chinese Virus injections also cause AIDS.) We have had an incredible number of reinfections, claims Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). Thats been in our clinic, thats been in the city. I think its just that BA.5 evades antibodies, um, and it means and the antibodies is [sic] what protects us from infections up here in the nose and mouth. So, there are just so many more reinfections, unfortunately, with BA.5. Gandhi says secondary infections with the Chinese Disease are almost always milder than the first, but people are apparently still freaking out and getting tested because two-and-a-half years of relentless covid propaganda has really done a number on their cognitive faculties. The jabs have also done a number on their immune systems, it turns out. It appears as though the fully jabbed will now face a lifetime of chronic illness and recurring covid infections as the shots run their course. A relative is currently off of work with Covid-19 for not the 2nd or even the 3rd time he has it a FOURTH time, and its the third infection since taking the shot, wrote a commenter about what he is personally seeing in his own community. In other words, the shots destroyed any natural immunity he would have developed from the initial infection. Meanwhile this persons brother 2 years older, fatter, never works out and is a regular alcohol drinker, pureblood caught it once, had a very mild case. The brother who works out constantly, goes to spin class, never touches a drop of alcohol, and took 3 mRNA shots is down sick for the 4th time. Another pointed out that, based on the data, every state, country or area where covid injections were widely taken is now seeing a massive uptick in new infections. And then there is the 40% higher overall death rate in the U.S. in 2021 among working adults 18-65, this person added. The latest news about Fauci Flu shots can be found at ChemicalViolence.com. Sources for this article include: Twitter.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene recently said the Republican Party will hold President Joe Biden and others in the Democratic Party accountable after the November midterm elections. The congresswoman for the Peach State said during an interview on Epoch TVs Crossroads that the Democrats are wasting taxpayer money through the sham House Jan. 6 Select Committee hearing. This, she added, only pushed the anti-Trump narrative espoused by the fake committee. I was interested in the committee at one time because I feel like we do need to know what happened on Jan. 6. But as you can see, it is a completely one-sided witch hunt where they are creating their own story. Theyre wasting the American peoples taxpayer dollars and the [mainstream media] is going right along with it, filling up the airwaves with their ridiculous lies. Thats what they have to do, [make] you want to know why they hate [former] President [Donald] Trump more than anyone on planet Earth. According to Greene, the House Jan. 6 Select Committees motivation is to further malign Trump. They want to make President Trump as toxic as possible, because they know hes running again for president and they want to hurt him as much as they can. [He] did nothing wrong, none of us did. All we did was plan to object [to the Electoral College votes], just like the Democrats did. The GOP has promised to establish a legitimate committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Jan. 6 siege, alongside the reasons why the Capitol was not fortified even though signs of trouble already loomed ahead. Democrats were behind the current iteration of the Jan. 6 Select Committee, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointing members of her own party to form the majority of the committee. She also picked two GOP lawmakers Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney and Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger to serve as minority committee members. According to Greene, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was not allowed to pick his own selection for the committee. I really look forward to Republicans taking back the House, so that we can do our own investigation [about] Jan. 6, said the Georgia congresswoman. GOP also seeks to hold Biden accountable for national security breaches Greene mentioned that aside from finding out the real score about the Jan. 6 Capitol siege, she and her GOP colleagues will hold Biden for his actions that undermine national security. One such threat the congresswoman cited was the Biden administrations sale of millions of barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to other foreign nations including China. The White House itself confirmed in a July 26 statement that more than 125 million barrels from the SPR were sold in four transactions. Since the president authorized the historic release of one million barrels per day from the SPR earlier this spring, the Department of Energy has already sold more than 125 million barrels into the market, including nearly 70 million barrels that have already been delivered to purchasers and additional barrels planned to be delivered to customers in the weeks and months to come. According to the congresswoman, Chinese petroleum company Unipec bought part of the oil sold by the SPR. Private equity firm BHR Partners became a stakeholder of Sinopec, Unipecs parent firm, in 2014. Incidentally, BHR Partners arose from a joint venture between a Chinese investment firm and another company established by presidential son Hunter Biden establishing the Beijing-Washington connection. When Biden and the administration allowed all these barrels of oil to be sold to countries like China, they really are attacking our national security, she said. Its an abuse of power by the president, and his son is making money off of that. (Related: Biden administration sold close to one million barrels of strategic reserve petroleum to Chinese corporation connected with Hunter Biden.) Thats an impeachable offense, of course, [but] I believe Biden should be impeached for many reasons. Greenes GOP colleagues have repeatedly called for an investigation into the presidential sons business dealings in China and Ukraine. If they take control of the lower chamber of Congress following the midterms, they have promised to thoroughly investigate these dealings inked out during the elder Bidens tenure as vice president. Watch Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene say on Steve Bannons War Room that Democrats who defend President Joe Biden also defend treason. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Alex Jones: Bidens policies are the direct cause of oil price hikes. Jeffrey Prather says Deep States January 6 narrative is collapsing Brighteon.TV. Biden is EXPORTING the US emergency oil reserves to Asia and Europe while shutting off domestic supply. Literally political theater: Pelosis hand-picked J6 Committee hired TV exec to produce prime-time hearings. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com WhiteHouse.gov Brighteon.com (Natural News) StopHate.com founder David Sumrall believes the January 6 (J6) incident was a federal government inside job against the American people. It was a horrible day and we can never let that happen again, Sumrall told JR Harrison during the July 29 episode of America Unhinged on Brighteon.TV. Harrison was filling in for the programs regular host Dr. John Diamond. And to me, its all flipped. Everything that theyve ever said about us is about them. And when they say it was worse than 9-11 and Pearl Harbor they are not lying because this was an inside job by our own government against our own people who didnt even have a foreign country involved in that, Sumrall continued. So this is worse. It was an insurrection that started on November 3, and theyve always wanted this endgame. And this is just one of the tools that they were trying to do to make their plans come to fruition and paint all of us like really bad people. Sumrall, an activist and journalist, noted that President Donald Trump had called on Americans to go and protest peacefully at Capitol Hill. He said the J6 protest was not a violent insurrection and there was no plan to overthrow the government. According to Sumrall, there was a mood change when the Washington D.C. police didnt react the way that they should to control the crowd. They even incited the crowd to go inside the Capitol building, he recalled. This part of the story is now being washed away and swept under the rug by the J6 select committee of Congress. The StopHate.com founder also lamented the J6 murder of Ashli Babbitt, Roseanne Boyland, Kevin Greeson and Benjamin Phillips and the unlawful imprisonment of the J6 patriots. He stressed that the American people who demonstrated at the Capitol were a nonviolent force that wanted to be heard. But they were met with physical force and attacked by the D.C. police. (Related: Three hours of Capitol riot tunnel footage shows aggressive police beating, alleged provocateur inciting crowd.) He added that the only insurrection that happened in J6 was orchestrated by the government itself against Trump, who was still the sitting president at the time. Harrison pointed out that Congress led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats are using the J6 incident and other events to go after Trump and completely discredit him. He added that the Democrats were actually doing that right from the start of Trumps presidency. J6 prisoners are in solitary confinement for a long time Elsewhere in the program, Sumrall shared that the J6 prisoners whom he called hostages have been in solitary confinement for a long time now. They have not seen their family even for a single time, he said. He called on Americans to help these prisoners, who are suffering because they went and represented the American people so that their voice would be heard. Sumrall cited five suicides by J6ers who had been pressured and harassed to death by the federal government, specifically the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice. Harrison, who is also a documentary filmmaker, stated that the J6 hearings are a travesty that America has been bombarded with and that the American people are not hearing the other side of the story from this Congressional inquiry. Follow Deception.news for more news about the deception being done by the federal government. Watch the July 29 episode of America Unhinged below. America Unhinged with Dr. John Diamond airs from Monday to Friday at 9-10 a.m., Saturday at 8-9 a.m. and Sunday at 9-10 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. More related stories: The Sentinel Report: StopHate.com founder David Sumrall says police brutality is over the top and people need to see it Brighteon.TV. Jeffrey Prather: Jan. 6 patriots are still in jail while BLM, Antifa are allowed to keep rioting Brighteon.TV. Unmistakable signs January 6th was orchestrated by the Deep State to cover up the Democrats election steal Sure looks like the Clinton Cabal is still running Washington DC! Texts from Jan. 6 Committee star witness Cassidy Hutchinson reveal she didnt respect panel, had no love lost for Liz Cheney. Literally political theater: Pelosis hand-picked J6 Committee hired TV exec to produce prime-time hearings. Sources include: Brighteon.com Stop Hate.com NaturalFamilyStrong.com (Natural News) Jeffrey Prather lauded investigative journalist Lara Logan for her work exposing the 2020 election fraud during the July 29 episode of The Prather Point on Brighteon.TV. Logan covered the story of Mesa, Colorado county clerk Tina Peters, who created a backup file of the Dominion Voting Systems server and found evidence of manipulation in a local city council election and the 2020 presidential election. (Related: Melissa Red Pill: County clerks latest bombshell report is proof of election fraud Brighteon.TV.) An upcoming documentary titled Selection Code features Logans detailed account of what happened. For over 35 years, Logan has been on the front lines of historys deadliest conflicts. But this could be her most dangerous assignment yet. Her investigation is at the center of the current information war about the role of the machines in stealing the votes of Americans. In the documentarys website, Selection Code is described as a political thriller uncovering a secret so critical to the survival of America it transcends political parties. It is not about correcting the past, the website said. Its about correcting the future. True the Vote, led by its founder Catherine Engelbrecht, held off the supposed July 22 release of additional election fraud information to make it closer to the scheduled world premier of Selection Code on August 20. According to Prather, the new release date of election fraud information is on August 12. County sheriff calls for immediate suspension of Wisconsin Election Commission voter website Prather also talked about Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling, who has asked for the immediate suspension of the Wisconsin Election Commission voter website that provides individuals the opportunity to have an absentee valid ballot be sent to a different address. Schmaling has asked the states attorney general and Wisconsin Election Commission to conduct an immediate investigation into these apparent vulnerabilities. Schmaling had also asked voters to check their status on My Vote Wisconsin to see if it is already compromised. This is a step in the right direction, said Prather, adding that Schmaling is working with True the Vote. Prather share more good news with the Republicans in Cass and Alcona counties voting to rescind the 2020 presidential election. Republicans in Ravalli, Lewis and Clark counties in Montana have also rejected the 2020 election results. The retired special operations soldier stated that Americans are winning and the resistance is building. But he warned that the road to victory is going to be a lot more difficult and complicated. Prather is planning to do more discussions about how the elections were stolen due to the voting machines that were not certified in accordance with Arizona law. He added that the labs that were used to decertify the machines were not accredited. So this is a whole another effort, a whole another flanking move to get to the truth and to get kick our sheriffs in the ass and get them moving and doing their job. And a coalition of sheriffs can do this, Prather said. Follow VoteFraud.news for more news about the election fraud that happened in 2020. Watch the July 29 episode of The Prather Point below. The Prather Point with Jeffrey Prather airs every Friday at 10-11 a.m. and every Saturday at 7-8 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. More related stories: Constitutional sheriffs to hold summit to encourage elected officials to fight ballot fraud ahead of 2022 midterms. Mounds of evidence suggest widespread election fraud in Michigan, Pennsylvania. Trump vindicated! Massive voter fraud found in Fulton County, Ga., including evidence of duplicate voting and pristine, unfolded mail-in ballots. Mail-in votes in Michigan and Pennsylvania show evidence of coordinated vote fraud for Biden. Sidney Powell says nationwide election audit needed to expose widespread vote fraud. Sources include: Brighteon.com SelectionCode.com (Natural News) The Senate is scheduled to be in recess August 6 to September 6 for politicking back home. Maybe after that Senator Grassley will actually produce his whistleblowers in open session. (Article by James Howard Kunstler republished from TheBlueStateConservative.com) Who is surprised that the US governments war on the American people is not going any better than its sponsored war in Ukraine? The only thing the government is really good at is covering up its crimes, which mainly requires them to do nothing dont investigate anything, dont furnish documents to anyone, dont answer official letters, slow-walk every required action, and otherwise dodge, duck, deny, deflect, and dissemble. Now, even that game-plan is falling apart. Some senior officials in the FBI turned whistleblower this week, perhaps desperate to preserve their self-respect, and finally cleared up one of the great mystifications of our time, namely: How is it that the Hunter Biden laptop, stuffed with incriminating memoranda of bribery, treason, and diverse felonies, and in the FBIs possession for two-and-a-half years now, just sat gathering dust in some sub-sub-basement cubby-hole while Joe Biden, the putative president (or, more likely, the enigmatic claque behind him) was allowed to carry out a demolition of Americas economy and culture? The answer is one Brian Auten, FBI Senior Analyst, who engineered a scheme to label Hunters laptop Russian disinformation, which allowed FBI Director Christopher Wray to throw a switch that turned off any further inquiry in the matter beginning in August before the 2020 presidential election. In turn, other senior FBI officials had all the documents pertaining to the decision process on that matter locked up in a special file that would never see the light of day. Autens action led to the release of a letter signed by fifty former intelligence officials labeling the laptop as a Russian disinfo op which became the basis for social media to conspire to censor any discussion of the laptop and its contents. And so it was that a political puppet deeply in the pay of foreign interests got shoehorned into the White House. Well, that and widespread election fraud. Turns out that Agent Brian Auten was also involved in favorably vetting the Steele Dossier when it was used to justify FISA court warrants against figures in Mr. Trumps 2016 campaign, part of the RussiaGate operation that disordered and disabled President Trumps entire four-year term. Well now you know. Perhaps Special Counsel John Durham knows this, too. (If he didnt before, he must now.) Eventually, Mr. Auten will have to answer for all this, maybe after the mid-term elections. We must imagine that he will implicate many other familiar figures in the process who were on-the-scene at the time, including Peter Strzok, Andrew McCabe, and James Comey, comfortably sitting on the sidelines lo these many years enjoying their book royalties and cable news salaries. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, says he will hold hearings about this. When? The Senate is scheduled to be in recess August 6 to September 6 for politicking back home. Maybe after that Senator Grassley will actually produce his whistleblowers in open session unlike the 2019 first impeachment of Donald Trump, in which chief whistleblower CIA agent Eric Ciaramella, amazingly, never made an appearance. That will be refreshing. It would also be nice to hear from FBI Director Wray. Did he approve of the decision to label Hunters laptop disnformation? Was he familiar with the contents of the laptop, the emails between Hunter and his business associates and agents of the CCP? Did Mr. Wray happen to examine any of the pornographic videos of orgies with Hunters stable of Russian whores plus the crack-smoking? Did Mr. Wray wonder whether equally bad or worse material was in the hands of Uncle Xis regime? Did it occur to Mr. Wray that all this might compromise the Big Guy in the Oval Office? It also would be edifying to hear from Mr. Wrays boss, Attorney General Merrick Garland. During his 20 months on-the-job, has he ever inquired of his FBI whats up with that Hunter Biden laptop? Was he acquainted with the contents? Half the country has seen the videos of Hunter cavorting naked in hotel rooms and lighting up the crystal meth, but not Mr. Garland? Theres rumored-to-be more depraved material on the laptop involving minors that even conscientious auditors outside of government have seen and deemed too atrocious to release. (Copies of Hunters hard-drive are in possession of many people outside government.) I hope Senator Grassley also calls Lisa Monaco, the Deputy Attorney General, now at Mr. Garlands right hand, who was formerly President Barack Obamas White House Homeland Security Advisor a fancy way of describing her role in weaponizing the apparatus of the security state against the Democratic Partys political opponents. Lisa Monacos current role is the DOJ Fixer the person who makes sure that federal law enforcement does nothing about the crimes carried out by Mr. Obama, former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and many other now well-known names in the RussiaGate cosmos, as well as continuing to squelch any inquiry on the Biden familys criminal operations. All of this is going to blow open, of course, and all at the same time that two other big things blow up: 1) the realization that the government lied about everything in the Covid-19 story, including especially covering-up the harmful effects of their vaunted mRNA shots, and 2) deepening US economic chaos, including the implosion of markets, derivatives, banks, and the US dollar. Some observers say that Joe Biden has nothing left except to shove the USA into a hot war. Kind of looks like hes trying sending US Special Forces to Ukraines border, and all. I dont think hell dare cross that line, though. To me, its more likely that our government will summon, shall we say, a special sort of doctor from the Intel Community to administer a permanent sleeping med to the Big Guy. Did you see how bug-eyed he was on video the other day? Didnt even blink for the longest time. Looks like he badly needs sleep a big sleep the biggest sleep there is. Wait for it. Read more at: TheBlueStateConservative.com A recent study suggests that the majority of the nutrient pollution in the Lake Erie basin may be coming from huge, unlicensed animal farms in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. The toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie may be fueled by this pollution, endangering the drinking water of at least 11 million people. Unauthorized Animal Feeding Operations are Contaminating the Lake Erie Basin In Indiana, if a person owns at least 300 cows, 600 pigs, or 30,000 poultry, the state will need him to obtain a permit to manage waste on the farm, as per WFYI However, according to the Environmental Working Group analysis, animal feeding facilities without enough cattle to require a permit are responsible for more than 60% of the manure that enters the Lake Erie basin. That implies that nobody is monitoring the movement of all that excrement. So, according to Anne Schechinger, head of EWG's Midwest region, more has to be done to monitor these unpermitted AFOs (animal feeding operations) that are smaller and create the majority of the manure phosphorus in the basin. The permitting standards in Indiana are more stringent than those in Michigan and Ohio. However, in Indiana's portion of the Lake Erie basin, around 78 percent of animal feeding enterprises operate without a permit. According to the EWG analysis, manure from these farms is typically dumped on surrounding cropland, but in areas with several large livestock farms, the soil probably can't retain all of that manure. More runoff that contaminates nearby waterways could result from that. According to Schechinger, states like Indiana can utilize EWG's maps to locate nearby crop farmers. Conservation practices in the watershed cost billions of dollars. In order to find the farm fields and farmers to contact in the basin where this financing could have the greatest impact, she suggested using the new research. According to Schechinger, no-till farming techniques can help keep that manure on the soil. The number of animals required for a permit might be reduced in Indiana, but lawmakers would have to make that decision, according to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. Read More: Toxic Algae Expected at Lake Erie, Potentially Worst Ever The Lake Erie and Its Environmental Issues The Lake Erie watershed contains around one-third of the whole Great Lakes basin's population, as per EPA The watershed is home to over twelve million people, including seventeen urban centers with populations greater than 50,000. For around eleven million of these people, the lake serves as their drinking water source. In the 1960s, problems with the Great Lakes' water quality emerged, and Lake Erie was thought to be dying. By the late 1960s, both American and Canadian regulatory agencies had concluded that a coordinated lakewide approach was required to address the phosphorus problem and that restricting phosphorus loading was the key to managing excessive algal development. The combined efforts resulted in a decrease in the phosphorus concentrations in open lakes. Through international cooperation, these controls constituted an extraordinary success in delivering environmental outcomes. The Lake Erie watershed is one of the most varied in the Great Lakes basins and is also the most populous. It is heavily industrialized, heavily urbanized, and largely agrarian. The Lake Erie watershed is home to around one-third of the Great Lakes basin's total population. The most pressure from urbanization, industry, and agriculture is placed on Lake Erie compared to the other Great Lakes. Because of its underlying geology and land usage, Lake Erie receives more sewage treatment plant effluent than any other Great Lake and is thus more likely to be susceptible to sediment loading. Particularly in southwest Ontario and northwest Ohio, exposed agricultural and urban sites add significant amounts of sediment to the lake. The volume-wise smallest and shallowest of the Great Lakes is Lake Erie. In the spring and summer, it warms up quickly, and in the fall, it cools down quickly. The shallowness of the basin and the higher temperatures make it the Great Lake with the highest biological productivity. Related Article: Climate Change Likely To Worsen Lake Erie's Toxic Algal Blooms, Action Needed: A Report LAMBERHURST, ENGLAND - JULY 29: Water levels at Bewl Water reservoir on July 29, 2022 in Lamberhurst, England. As the prolonged period of dry weather continues across much of the UK, a hosepipe ban covering Hampshire and the Isle of Wight has been announced as of 5 pm August 5, 2022. (Photo : Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) Although bright and sunny afternoons might appear to be a good thing for Britain's biodiversity - and they might be for certain heat-loving invertebrates including dragonflies - the present dry circumstances are distant from optimal for numerous varieties of birds, invertebrates and other animals. Britain's Wildlife Now in Danger The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has issued a warning that several of the most popular domestic birds are now failing to rear their second hatchlings of young. Summertime precipitation is essential for blackbirds, robins, especially song warblers because it generates the wet weather that attract insects and other soil-dwelling insects to the top of backyard fields. Although bright and humid conditions are preferable to moist and stormy for mature butterflies as they travel from flower to crop to deposit their babies, they are detrimental to caterpillars, which require abundant of greenery on their plant species to eat and develop, as per The Guardian. Many shorebirds that hatch on terrestrial ecosystems may suffer if the peat washes out, as the offspring of craneflies, which feed the dunlin and golden sandpiper, will not be able to thrive. As recently as April of this calendar year, 17 hectares (42 acres) of critical animal environment at Canford Heath in Dorset were demolished, jeopardizing the nesting potential of endangered creatures like Dartford warblers, sand lizards, and smooth snakes, The Telegraph covered. A single poor summertime with minimal hatching performance might not be a complete tragedy for all of these animals. According to a recent study, butterfly populations tend to decline in the years following extended summertime dry spells, when trees die off prematurely due to the scorching temperatures. The Royal Society Publishing further covered that ground-feeding animals such as beavers as well as hedgehogs are likewise afflicted as a result of the exceptionally drought, not only from a lack of nutrition in addition to scorching and thirst. Professor Dave Goulson of the University of Sussex reminds that while bumblebees have hairy coats adapted to soaring and eating in cold environments, they are not able to graze in extremely hot situations. However, when the dryness persisted and vegetation proceeded to die on the vine, the aphid abundance plummeted, and starlings flocked in quest of alternate feed ingredients. Also read: Government of Spain Limits Air Conditioning and Heating to Save Energy Until 2023 Drought in Britain Extended drought conditions boost the risk of flames, which left unchecked, particularly on marshland and grassland. The BTO is concerned that if adequate precipitation does not drop quickly, the young of several wader types, particularly the avocet, would be unable to obtain nourishment. Ladybirds profited early from the drought, which resulted in an initial surplus of their favorite meal, aphids, BBC News reported. Juvenile household martins, swallows, even swifts are at danger of dying from dehydration, as weather conditions reach historic highs. Everyone who survived throughout the summertime of 1976 will remember the plague of ladybirds that erupted in July and forced vacationers to abandon coastlines infested with thousands of black-and-red insects. Throughout the extremely dry summer and winter of 2011, starving blackbirds even turned to cannibalism, eating on their own babies. Heatwaves have enabled numerous exotic bird populations to extend their territory northward in the ages thereafter. This is certainly not the first occasion an outdoor dryness has harmed animals. However, if summertime dryness gets to be the pattern as a result of the combined consequences of the global warming, reproductive rates may drop extremely quickly, RSPB Community claim. Related article: Land Iguanas "Reborn" on Galapagos after Nearly 200 Years of Extinction South Korean pro-lifers hold placards showing images of embryos during a rally supporting an abortion ban outside the constitutional court in Seoul on April 11, 2019. - South Korea's constitutional court on April 11 ordered the country's decades-old abortion ban to be lifted in a landmark ruling over a law that campaigners say puts women at risk. (Photo : Photo by JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images) Scientists have now manufactured the world's earliest synthetic embryos, bypassing the requirement for sperm, eggs, plus fertilization. Researchers at Israel's Weizmann Center discovered that stem cells from rodents might get coaxed into self-assembling organisms containing a digestive system, the foundations of a brain, and even a pumping heart. The World's First 'Synthetic Embryos' The live constructs, termed as synthetic embryos since they are formed lacking fertilized eggs, are likely to generate a better knowledge of how parts and cells evolve throughout the maturation of genuine embryos in the foreseeable future, as per The Guardian. However, experts hope the breakthrough might lessen rodent testing and open the path for alternative supplies of cellular and organs for man transplantation. Keratinocytes from a leukemia victim, for instance, may theoretically be turned as progenitor cells to cure their illness. According to Professor Jacob Hanna, who directed the study, strikingly, scientists demonstrate that stem cells from embryos form full synthetic embryos, including the placental and egg capsule that envelop the embryo. The author of the paper, which was released in Cell stated that researchers are very enthusiastic regarding this study and its ramifications. The similar researchers detailed earlier this season how they created an artificial placenta that allowed normal mice embryos to develop beyond the womb for many nights. The comparable gadget was employed in the most recent study to nourish rodent cell lines for more than seven days, almost double the pregnancy period for a rodent. Several of the eggs were pre-treated with chemicals, which altered biological programs to produce the placental or yolk sac, whereas the rest evolved as organs including various structures sans intervention. Although the majority of the progenitor cells struggled to create embryo-like structures, around 0.5% formed tiny balls that developed separate organs and organs. When examined to normal rat embryos, the artificial embryos showed 95% identical in regards of anatomical layout and cellular DNA profiles. According to the experts, the tissues that developed were functioning. Also read: Government of Spain Limits Air Conditioning and Heating to Save Energy Until 2023 Manufactured Embryos vs Genuine Embryos Manufactured embryos, according to experts, are not genuine embryos and do hardly have the capacity to grow into living animals, certainly not when implanted into the wombs of feminine mice. Renewal Bio, which was established, attempts to develop human manufactured embryos to give organs and cells for chronic problems. It is permissible and acceptable to do this with human-induced pluripotency in Israel and numerous international nations, including the United States and the United Kingdom. This provides a moral and practical option to using embryos. Dr. James Briscoe, a main chief at the Francis Crick Institute in London that was not associated with the study, declared that it was critical to consider how to appropriately control the effort prior developing artificial embryos. Synthetic human eggs are not a near-term possibility. Researchers recognize little regarding human embryos than scientists do on rodent embryos, and the effectiveness of mice artificial embryos signals that applying the discoveries to humans would need more development. Prof Paul Tesar, a geneticist at Case Western Reserve University, told StatNews that the more scientists drove stem cell-derived embryos down the route of growth, the more the artificial and biological embryos began to blend. Related article: 19-Year-Old Miraculously Survives Being 'Frozen Solid' and Unconscious in Snow for 6 Hours In a "conservation milestone," two wolfpacks gave birth to 11 pups, adding to the state of California's small wolf population. A flurry of pups has joined the families of two of California's existing wolfpacks, the Lassen pack and the Whaleback pack, this year, according to a quarterly report released by the California Department of Fish and Game. According to the report, the Whaleback pack has borne at least six pups, compared to the Lassen pack's five. Scarcity of Wolves There aren't many wolves in California. The Whaleback pack, the Lassen pack, and the Beckwourth pack are the only three wolfpacks that are recognized in the state. The last of the original wolves in California were hunted in 1924, nearly a century after wolves were completely eradicated from the state. In the Sierra Nevada, the Lassen pack's range includes the counties of Plumas and Lassen. Meanwhile, East Siskiyou County, in the state's northernmost region, is where the Whaleback pack is found. The new members of the packs increased the size of the Whaleback pack to at least 13, and the Lassen pack to at least 12 . Amaroq Weiss, the senior wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, said that These adorable furry babies are cause for celebration. Weiss stated in a press release from the Center for Biological Diversity that since wolves were extinct in California for almost a century, the existence of two packs with new pups for consecutive years is a major conservation achievement. This supports the scientific consensus that California will always be a wolf country. Coming Back to California The species did not need to be reintroduced; instead, it came back naturally from nearby states, primarily from Oregon. The Lassen pack was discovered in the state for the first time in 2017, whereas the Whaleback pack was founded for the first time in late 2020. The Trump administration delisted gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act two years ago. This implied that they were no longer covered by federal legislation. The said ruling was overturned this February, making hunting now subject to greater restrictions and, in effect, there are fewer threats to the wolf species of California. Read also: "Conflict Between Wolves and Humans" Becomes the Reason Behind Swedish Government's Decision to Cull Wolf Population by Half Wolfpacks of California The Whaleback pack didn't have its first litter of pups until 2021, whereas the Lassen pack has had pups every year since 2017. Considering that the Beckwourth pack wasn't found until 2021, it still poses a mystery. They are not thought to have accepted any pups because experts discovered the pack. In the quarterly report, no fresh information was gathered regarding this pack. Weiss expressed her delight that the few wolf families in California are now successfully breeding pups annually. The safety net required for these magnificent animals to survive is provided by ongoing state and federal protections. However, the state's wolf recovery is still in its early stages, because the few wolf families are all still trying to establish a foothold. Therefore, the government will have to take all necessary measures to ensure that even more wolves survive and thrive in California, Newsweek reported. Related article: Wolves Reintroduction Into the Wild Can Restore Local Ecosystems, Scientists Say The climate catastrophe can be combated with new technologies. Scientists have developed cutting-edge technology that can be used to combat both climate change and the world's energy crises. Daring Study Dr. Shafeer Kalathil of Northumbria University is one of the academics behind the initiative, which employs a chemical process to create high-value fuels and chemicals driven by renewable energy from sunshine, water, and carbon dioxide, as explained in ScienceDaily. The conversion may occur without the need for organic additives, the production of toxins, or the usage of electricity thanks to the utilization of bacteria grown on a synthetic semiconductor device known as a photocatalyst sheet. Also Read: Pig Cells Revived an Hour After Death, Can this be Done on Humans? To Reduce CO2 in the Atmosphere The project's goals are to reduce the increase in atmospheric CO2 levels, provide vital green energy sources, and lessen the world's reliance on fossil fuels. The team's study results were published in the academic journal Nature Catalysis. Working on the project alongside Dr. Qian Wang, an associate professor at Nagoya University in Japan, is Erwin Reisner, a professor of energy and sustainability at the University of Cambridge, and collaborators from Newcastle University, Dr. Kalathil, the vice chancellor's senior fellow. Dr. Kalathil said: "Several occurrences, such as the recent spike in gas prices in the UK, the escalation of conflicts and civil wars in the Middle East, and the ecological and humanitarian threat of a nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, Japan, have shown the vulnerability of the world's energy supply. Therefore, finding alternate energy sources is crucial from a global perspective." Global Issues The global energy issue and the effects of climate change are addressed in the study. To tackle these enormous problems without further harming the earth we live on, we must create new technology. Although intermittent, renewable sources like wind and solar have increased power output. We need technology that can produce storable fuels and sustainable chemicals to fill the void when the wind isn't blowing, or the sun isn't shining. This problem is directly addressed in the new study. Sustainable technology may help the world move closer to net zero by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and securing more of the much-needed energy supply. Large-Scale Research The Expanding Excellence in England Fund helps higher education research units and departments grow and improve their activities, and money from the European Research Council, UK Research and Innovation, and Research England also supported the initiative. The Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment (HBBE), a joint project of Northumbria and Newcastle University, was responsible for securing the Research England funding. The HBBE has received a total of 8 million from Research England to carry out the work. The HBBE, established in August 2019, develops biotechnologies to design green structures that can metabolize waste, lessen pollution, provide sustainable energy, and enhance human health and welfare. Achieving the Project's Goal Dr. Kalathil, who is heavily involved with the HBBE, stated: "The goals of the HBBE fit with what we're trying to achieve with our research - to address critical environmental issues 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. It provides an excellent platform for producing high-value, environmental products." Related Article: This Cheap and Sustainable Method May Be an Effective Weapon Against Forever Chemicals For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Dangerously hot summer conditions have been persistent across vast portions of the United States as of Thursday, August 4, according to the latest weather forecast of the National Weather Service (NWS). The said summer heat is expected to progress in the coming hours and days, with above-average temperatures that could reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, the NWS weather forecast indicated record-breaking high temperatures are likely in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Heat advisories are currently in place from Boston to Washington DC, as well as extending to the Great Plains. The heat alerts serve as pre-warnings for the potential disruptive and life-threatening risks posed by the scorching temperatures. Since June, between dozens and hundreds of millions of Americans have been affected by a recurring heat wave or heat dome across the US. Casualties, including animals and humans, have been reported and attribute to the persistent summer heat. The heat also led to several cases of blackouts and increased power supply nationwide. In the advent of the massive heat wave affecting the Northern Hemisphere, climate scientists have warned the US cities could experience a significant temperature surge during summer by the end of the century. The scientific prediction comes after previous research showed that climate change is contributing to the extreme weather events in the North American nation. NWS Weather Forecast The NWS' Weather Prediction Center (WPC) on Thursday issued not only a short-range weather outlook for the persistent summer heat but also a new multi-weather forecast for monsoonal rain and fire weather affecting some areas of the country. In the Western US, heavy rain due to the monsoonal moisture is anticipated to shift eastward as severe storms ahead of a cold front could bring related rainfall into the upper Midwest during the weekend. In the Pacific Northwest, cool air is expected to lower the fire threat from northern Rocky Mountains to the northern Plains. The weather outlook is valid from Friday to Sunday, August 5 to August 7. However, the current forecast is subject to change since the NWS, in previous weather reports, regularly updates and revises its content. Also Read: Summer Heat to Persist in the West Coast; Flash Flooding Threat Continues in the Southwest US and Rockies Hot Summer Conditions The US weather agency stated heat is expected to spread across the northern tier of the US, while remaining in place over the Northeast in the next few days. In fact, the heat has triggered alerts affecting over 80 million Americans in the central and eastern US as of Thursday afternoon, according to The Washington Post. The heat alerts are in line with the prediction of NWS that temperatures could soar into the upper 90s and low 100s. New York City and its adjacent areas are at risk from the sweltering humid and dry conditions. In Montana, the NWS' Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued "Red Flag" warnings since heat, along with windy and dry conditions, could contribute to fire concerns in some portions of the state. On Wednesday, August 3, it has been reported by CBS News that researchers from the non-profit organization Climate Central found cities across the US could average eight degrees hotter by the year 2100. Related Article: Blackouts Possible This US Summer Season Due to Heat and Extreme Weather: NERC Warns A negative Indian Ocean Dipole has been forecasted to cause above-average rainfall in Eastern Australia during the ongoing winter season and the upcoming spring season. The weather prediction is according to the Australian Government's Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), which warned another climate event will cause an extreme wet weather. Other parts of Australia, including the state of Western Australia, could possibly be impacted by the negative dipole. The said region previously received strong winds and torrential rain due to a series of cold fronts from the Indian Ocean, threatened by coastal erosion and flooding based on previous weather forecasts. The weather event comes several months after the BoM declared the end of the La Nina weather pattern affecting Australia, as well as its announcement of the potential continuance of significant rainfall across the country for the remainder of the year. During the first quarter of 2022, the weather pattern brought heavy downpour and flash floods in Eastern Australia, causing widespread disruption and evacuations. Australia's winter season started in June and will last until August, while the spring season will commence from September to November. In the coming weeks and months, the states of New South Wales and Queensland, as well as the Australian Capital Territory, could experience a recurrence of the adverse weather that transpired earlier this year. A Wet Winter and Spring The BoM's prediction of the negative Indian Ocean dipole was issued as millions of Australians are still recovering from multiple flooding incidents that occurred in previous months, according to The New Daily, Australia's news outlet. This long-range weather outlook means there is reportedly a 50% chance of another La Nina occurrence for the remainder of 2022, according to the BoM Forecast, as cited by the media outlet. This is the second consecutive year the weather agency confirmed the potential formation of the negative dipole. If it does occur, it will also be the third year in a row of La Nina conditions, the New Daily added. Also Read: BoM Announces End of La Nina in the Tropical Pacific, La Nina Watch Applies to Australia as Rainfall Still Expected The Indian Ocean Dipole The dipole and possible La Nina could also yield to a higher chance of further tropical cyclones and early monsoon, according to Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The Australian media company said that the culprits behind such weather events are vast climate drivers found across the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean. The BoM defines the Indian Ocean Dipole, shortly known as IOD, as the difference of sea surface temperature between to areas or poles, hence the term dipole. In particular, the dipole pertains to the area in the western poles of the Arabian Sea (western Indian Ocean) and the eastern pole in the eastern Indian Ocean, mainly south of Indonesia. Flood Watch and Heavy Rainfall Amid the climatic phenomenon, the BoM on Thursday issued a flood watch for heavy rainfall caused by a complex low pressure system, affecting the catchments in the Mount Lofty Ranges and other parts of South Australia. The inclement weather in the southern state will continue until Friday, August 5, wherein damaging winds, road closures, and riverine floodings are also possible. Related Article: Australia Will Experience More La Nina Weather This 2022 Clinicians caring for preterm newborns in a newborn critical care unit (NICU) have traditionally referred to human breastmilk as "liquid gold." Premature babies who are breastfed often have better health than those who are fed formula. But the reason why it is the case has remained a mystery. Brest-fed babies have good gut health The difference is not only due to the composition of breastmilk, according to a recent study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine's (UMSOM) Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS), which was published online in the journal mBio in June. Additionally, it is how newborns metabolize it, as per ScienceDaily. Bing Ma, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at UMSOM and researcher at IGS, conducted the study that resulted in the discovery of a strain of Bifidobacterium breve bacteria. Breastfed infants that drank more breastmilk than their peers had breve in the intestines. One week after birth, the preemies acquired an unbroken intestinal wall, which improved their ability to absorb nutrients. B. breve was substantially less common in infants with "leaky gut," whether they were breastfed or on formula. Babies with leaky guts do not develop a barrier to protect against bacteria and digested food from getting into the bloodstream. The scientists also discovered for the first time the way B. breve catalyzes the breakdown of breastmilk, keeping breastfed infants healthy and promoting weight gain by bolstering their immature intestinal barrier. The team discovered that route B for the first time as well. Breve strengthens the undeveloped intestinal barrier in breastfed newborns, keeping them healthy and enabling weight increase. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), the third-leading cause of newborn mortality in the United States and globally, can be caused by an immature or "leaky" stomach. In reality, NEC has a devastating death rate of up to 50% and affects up to 10% of preterm neonates. 113 preterm infants who were born between 24- and 32-weeks gestation were monitored by the researchers. This study only identified Bifidobacterium breve in preemies whose gut barrier function had improved within a week after delivery. The genetic ability of Bifidobacterium breve to digest nutrients within the cell membrane, as opposed to the more common external digesting method in which bacteria release digestive enzymes onto nutrients to break them down, was found by Dr. Ma and her colleagues. At the most fundamental level, these breastfed preemies have a higher B. Breve processes formula differently from how it processes carbs. According to the experts, they believe that this metabolic process builds and develops the intestinal barrier more quickly, shielding vulnerable neonates from illness. Also Read: Could Breastfeeding Make Your Kids Smarter? Benefits of breastfeeding For the majority of newborns, breast milk is the best source of nutrients, as per CDC. As the baby grows, the mother's breast milk will change to meet his or her nutritional needs. Breastfed infants may be more resilient to a number of acute and chronic diseases and disorders. Breastfed infants are less likely to experience SIDS, asthma, obesity, or type 1 diabetes. Additionally, ear infections and gastrointestinal ailments are less common in breastfed infants. Breast milk carries antibodies from the mother to the newborn. These antibodies protect newborns from sickness and help build their immune systems. The mother's health also benefits from breastfeeding. Type 2 diabetes, certain malignancies, and high blood pressure are less prevalent in breastfeeding mothers. Related article: WHO: No Live Coronavirus Found in Breastmilk, Breastfeeding still Recommended Greenhouse gases black market has been reported in Europe as of Wednesday. August 4. The market involves an illegal multi-million Euro trade of the notorious global warming-triggering air particles that has been transpiring for years. With this, the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is urging the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) to investigate the matter. In particular, the EIA requests EPPO to clamp down on the climate-damaging hydrofluorocarbons in the continent, with Romania to be allegedly the major gateway for the greenhouse gas smuggling. The environmental-harming hydrofluorocarbons is known for its industrial use as a refrigerant gas, which is mainly used in air conditioning units and supermarket cooling units. The so-called hydrofluorocarbon black market reportedly started when the European Union (EU) cut its supply by almost half in 2018, causing a price hike and leading to the emergence of the illegal trade across Europe. An EIA-led investigation claims loopholes in existing regulations and the system are the cause of the black market's persistence until today. Hydrofluorocarbons, along with carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, are the main greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, speeding up the natural phenomenon of greenhouse effect which warms up the planet. In recent years, these gases have been the subject of various measures to address the ongoing climate crisis. Greenhouses Gases Black Market According to Energy Live News, the EU measure involved a gradual phase down based on a quota system through its F-Gas Regulation with the aim of limiting the volume of greenhouse gases on the market. Specifically, the mandate cuts the supply by 37% which has apparently affected concerned industries utilizing the gases. The UK-based news outlet stated an EIA investigation reveals that smugglers are exploiting the said loopholes in the F-Gas Regulation and customers procedures; which allegedly involves paying off corrupt officials and altering tax border controls. Also Read: Environmental Group Criticizes India and Saudi Arabia for Role at UN Climate Talks Multi-Million Euro Trade EIA Senior Climate Campaigner, Fionnuala Walravens, in spite of providing Romanian law enforcement evidence of the smuggling in the past 12 months, no action has been taken, as cited by Energy Live News. In addition, the number of illegal hydrofluorocarbons smuggled into Europe is reportedly equivalent from 20% to 30% of the legal trade. This amount has cost 77 million and 64.3 million Euros in value added tax (VAT) and customs duties. In November 2021, the BBC reported polluting greenhouse gases are being sold online and smuggled into the United Kingdom. In its own investigation, the UK media agency also uncovered a black market from Eastern Europe. The probe found out that hydrofluorocarbons, also called HFCs, are being advertised and sold illegally through social media. Hydrofluorocarbons Aside from air conditioning, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that federal agencies use HFCs for a number of usage, including building insulation, fire extinguishing systems, and aerosols. However, the EPA says HFCs have a high global warming potential (GWP). Concerns regarding its use and growing threat stems from the economic growth that demands for new equipment are evident in the US. Related Article: Nations to Implement International Ban on HFCs to Minimize Greenhouse Gases According to a tweet published by Ryan Chan on August 5, 2022, the Taiwanese Navy Cheng Kung-class frigate encounters China PLA Navy Type 052C destroyer Changchun (150) in the southwestern waters of Kao-hsiung Harbor. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link Chinese Type 052C destroyer and Taiwanese Cheng Kung-class frigate (Picture source: new27brigade) The Cheng Kung-class frigates are guided-missile frigates currently in service in the Republic of China Navy (ROCN). They are based upon the U.S.Oliver Hazard Perry-class and built by China Shipbuilding Corporation in Kaohsiung, Taiwan under license throughout the 1990s as part of the Kuang Hua I project. These frigates served as the mainstay of the ROCN's area air defense capability prior to the acquisition of the Keelung (Kidd)-class destroyers in 2005. They are designated with the hull classification PFG (Patrol Frigate, Guided missile) rather than FFG (Frigate, Guided missile) used by the Oliver Hazard Perry class. The frigates have a length of 453 ft (138 m), a beam of 46.95 ft (14.31 m), and a displacement of 4,103 long tons (4,169 t) full load. They can reach a top speed of 29 knots ( 54 km/h). The General Dynamics LM2500 gas turbine engine used in the Success class is a high-performance simple cycle twin shaft engine with a modular design for easy installation and maintenance, 23.3 megawatts of power, and 36.6% thermal efficiency. The main air-to-air detection system of the Chenggong class is the SPS-49(V)5 air-to-air search radar, which uses C/D band with 360kw peak power and 13kw average power, with a maximum search range of 460km. The launch rate is up to 6 rounds per minute, using the ship's MK92 Mod.6 launch control system guided by STIR-240. It can also use MK75 Type 76 fast gun, 40mm/L70 fast gun and MK15 square array for air defense. The radar of the Ming and Fengjia ships is SPS-49A(V)1. They are armed with Mk 13 Launcher for 40 RIM-66 Standard MR missiles, two triple Mark 32 torpedo tubes with Mark 46 anti-submarine torpedoes, OTO Melara 76 mm/62 caliber naval gun, two Bofors 40mm/L70 guns, 20 mm Phalanx CIWS point defense cannon, four Hsiung Feng II and four Hsiung Feng III SSM. From 25 to 28 July 2022 the Global Trade Facilitation Programme (GTFP) of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the World Customs Organization (WCO) delivered a national workshop on e-commerce for the Jordan Customs Department (JCD). The 4-day workshop benefited from the active participation of 20 participants from JCD and was held at the WCO Regional Training Centre for the North of Africa, Near and Middle East (MENA) region in Amman, Jordan. This was the first national workshop on e-commerce delivered by the WCO after the Permanent Technical Committee endorsed the capacity building plan for e-commerce in June 2020. The first phases of implementation of this capacity building plan comprised an accreditation workshop and a series of regional workshops covering the six WCO regions. After successfully completing these phases of the plan, the Secretariat commenced, with the workshop in Jordan, the delivery of national capacity building support for the implementation of the WCO Framework of Standards on Cross-Border E-Commerce (E-Commerce FoS). The event was part of the GTFPs light-touch intervention in Jordan that, on its part, was launched in May 2022. In his opening remarks, the Director of the MENA Regional Training Center welcomed the opportunity to host the e-commerce workshop under the GTFP and expressed the will of the JCD to leverage the knowledge obtained during the workshop to implement the E-Commerce FoS in view of addressing the challenges emanating from the growing volumes of e-commerce. During the workshop, two WCO accredited experts delivered presentations on the eight principles and sixteen standards of the E-Commerce FoS, as well as on the WCO tools related to the implementation of the Framework. The workshop sessions were held in an interactive manner where the implementation of the FoS was discussed in detail with particular attention to the operational environment of Jordan Customs. The participants appreciated the recommendations provided by the WCO experts and defined the way forward for implementation of the E-Commerce FoS. In his closing remarks, the Deputy Director General of JCD thanked SECO and the WCO for providing capacity building support for implementation of the E-Commerce FoS and for modernisation of Customs procedures to meet the growing challenges of cross-border e-commerce. The Global Trade Facilitation Programme (GTFP) is a WCO flagship programme funded by SECO and aimed at fostering and facilitating international trade, through the implementation and application of international standards and best practices. The WCO E-Commerce FoS, first adopted in June 2018 and updated in June 2022, provides 16 baseline global standards with a focus on the exchange of advance electronic data for effective risk management and enhanced facilitation of the growing volumes of cross-border small and low-value Business-to-Consumer (B2C) and Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) shipments, through simplified procedures with respect to areas such as clearance, revenue collection and return, in close partnership with E-Commerce stakeholders. It also encourages the use of the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) concept, non-intrusive inspection (NII) equipment, data analytics, and other cutting-edge technologies to support safe, secure and sustainable cross-border E-Commerce. The E-Commerce FoS is supplemented by a package of tools containing detailed guidance and good practices to support the implementation of the Framework. Reporter Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk). " " Tu Le /Shutterstock The massive troughs of The Wave were created by wind and rainfall during the Jurassic period, about 200 million years ago. The Wave a 6-mile (9.6-kilometer) series of canyons in northern Arizona may look like the set from a sci-fi movie or perhaps the terrain from a distant planet, but this stunning geological formation is part-and-parcel of Earth's majesty. Sculpted by wind and water over millennia, The Wave is a small section of the Coyote Buttes North Special Management Area in the Paria Canyon-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness near Arizona's border with Utah. Advertisement Often considered the state's lesser-known attraction (Arizona also is home to the Grand Canyon, which drew more than 4.5 million visitors in 2021), The Wave takes its name from the wave-like striations running the length of its two major sandstone troughs. The troughs one that is 62 feet (18 meters) wide and 118 feet (36 meters) long, and one that is 7 feet (2 meters) wide and 52 feet (15 meters) long were first carved by rainfall during the Jurassic period about 200 million years ago. The combination of varying water levels and raging gusts that once wound their way through the rippled dunes resulted in a series of colorful steps and risers that comprise The Wave's canyon walls. The orange, yellow, white, pink and rust colors that run in horizontal bands are considered one of the most photogenic and photographed natural wonders in North America. In an ironic twist from Mother Nature, the geological processes that formed The Wave also will eventually destroy it. The good news? It will take the effects of wind and water several million years to erase The Wave, so you'll still have a chance to see it if you are one of the few permitted visitors allowed each year. " " Hikers walk the u-shaped troughs of The Wave at the Coyote Buttes North wilderness area near Page, Arizona. MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images How to Visit the Wave The Bureau of Land Management runs a lottery system that allows only a certain number of people each day into the Coyote Buttes North area to visit The Wave. The lottery exists to provide some measure of environmental protection to the site; the lottery also protects visitors because it tracks who enters and how long they have been hiking. Visitors are advised to apply for the permit lottery, which has rolling deadlines, at least four months in advance of a visit. The permits are day passes only, as no overnight camping is allowed. A maximum of 64 people are allowed each day, whether as individuals or part of a group. Forty-eight of those people are awarded access through the advance online lottery system. Another 16 people are allowed to enter through a daily lottery, which is a separate process open to visitors, who apply online from within a geofence at the park, two days in advance of their visit. If you win the lottery, be prepared to hike a 6-mile (9.6-kilometer) round trip to The Wave and back. To preserve the delicate sandstone, the area remains unimproved, which means there are not any camping sites or park facilities. The hike itself is on an unmarked and undefined trail that, at times, meanders through deep sand. It is considered a hike of moderate difficulty and is expected to take about four hours. Leave time and energy to explore The Wave's formations, which often will add another mile or two (2 to 3 kilometers) to the trek. The Wave is open to permitted visitors year-round and each season offers different photographic advantages, but the experience itself will undoubtedly be one to remember. " " The average daily high temperature at The Wave is 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in July and there is almost no shade. So, if you visit in the summer, make sure to prepare for the heat and carry plenty of water. MarclSchauer /Shutterstock Now That's Worth Protecting The Wave rises about 5,200 feet (1,585 meters) above sea level at its highest points and is considered one of the most fragile rock formations in North America. The Wave's ridged sandstone is fragile and can be damaged or broken when walked upon. We have a winner in the "contest" to offer a new name for the Campus Instructional Facility at the University of Illinois. Plus more on TV markets, a new business in Mahomet, speed limits in C-U, a shuttered trailer park and farmland around Willard Airport. AP Far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones bulled through the first trial that could decimate his personal fortune and media empire in his usual way: Loud, aggressive and talking about conspiracies both in and out the courtroom Voters in Kansas told the rest of the country this week that they don't want their state to ban abortion. In a nearly 60%-40% split, voters turned back an effort by anti-abortion activists to amend the state constitution to remove its right to abortion, which would have allowed the legislature to ban the procedure. Meanwhile, in Washington, Congress is in its pre-recess push to pass legislation. A bill to provide health benefits to veterans injured by breathing in toxic substances from military burn pits finally made it to President Joe Biden's desk. But talks continue on the Democrats' health care-climate-tax bill that would, among other things, allow Medicare to negotiate some prescription drug prices and extend expanded subsidies for insurance under the Affordable Care Act. This week's panelists are Julie Rovner of KHN, Tami Luhby of CNN, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat. Among the takeaways from this week's episode: At least four other states California, Kentucky, Montana, and Vermont will have abortion questions on their ballots in November. Michigan is likely to have one, too, but the petitions required are still being certified. The Department of Justice has sued Idaho, arguing that its nearly-total abortion ban set to take effect later in August conflicts with federal law guaranteeing patients access to emergency medical care. If the case were to be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, it could endanger the emergency care law, which has not faced that sort of legal challenge before. Biden signed an executive order this week that among other things could allow Medicaid to cover the travel expenses of women seeking out-of-state abortion care if their state restricts it. But the White House did not provide many details about how such a program would work or be paid for. The so-called Hyde Amendment, named for abortion opponent Rep. Henry Hyde, who died in 2007, forbids federal funding of most abortions. Supporters of the president's move suggested that restriction applies only to medical care and not transportation, but any effort by Medicaid to set up such a transportation program would likely be litigated. New data released this week by the Department of Health and Human Services finds that the number of uninsured Americans has fallen to an all-time low of 8%. That estimate comes as the Senate is considering funding to continue enhanced premium subsidies for people who buy insurance on the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces. If that legislation falters, the number of people without insurance is expected to rise sharply, as premiums will become unaffordable for many. Biden's rebound of covid-19 symptoms reminds the country that the standards on when a patient has recovered are not firm and raises questions about how patients should handle reentry after battling the disease. Also this week, Rovner interviews KHN's Bram Sable-Smith, who reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR "Bill of the Month" installment about a single-car accident that resulted in three wildly different ambulance bills. If you have an enormous or outrageous medical bill you'd like to send us, you can do that here. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: KHN's "They Lost Medicaid When Paperwork Was Sent to an Empty Field, Signaling the Mess to Come," by Brett Kelman Rachel Cohrs: The Washington Post's "Thousands of Lives Depend on a Transplant Network in Need of 'Vast Restructuring,'" by Joseph Menn and Lenny Bernstein Tami Luhby: KHN's "Hospices Have Become Big Business for Private Equity Firms, Raising Concerns About End-of-Life Care," by Markian Hawryluk Sandhya Raman: KHN's "Nursing Homes Are Suing the Friends and Family of Residents to Collect Debts," by Noam N. Levey Although Aduhelm, a monoclonal antibody targeting amyloid beta (A), recently became the first US FDA approved drug for Alzheimer's disease (AD) based on its ability to decrease A plaque burden in AD patients, its effect on cognitive improvement is still controversial. Moreover, about 40% of the patients treated with this antibody experienced serious side effects including cerebral edemas (ARIA-E) and hemorrhages (ARIA-H) that are likely related to inflammatory responses in the brain when the A antibody binds Fc receptors (FCR) of immune cells such as microglia and macrophages. These inflammatory side effects can cause neuronal cell death and synapse elimination by activated microglia, and even have the potential to exacerbate cognitive impairment in AD patients. Thus, current A antibody-based immunotherapy holds the inherent risk of doing more harm than good due to their inflammatory side effects. To overcome these problems, a team of researchers at KAIST in South Korea has developed a novel fusion protein drug, A-Gas6, which efficiently eliminates A via an entirely different mechanism than A antibody-based immunotherapy. In a mouse model of AD, A-Gas6 not only removed A with higher potency, but also circumvented the neurotoxic inflammatory side effects associated with conventional antibody treatments. Their findings were published on August 4 in Nature Medicine. FcR activation by A targeting antibodies induces microglia-mediated A phagocytosis, but it also produces inflammatory signals, inevitably damaging brain tissues." Chan Hyuk Kim and Won-Suk Chung, paper authors, associate professors, Department of Biological Sciences at KAIST "Therefore, we utilized efferocytosis, a cellular process by which dead cells are removed by phagocytes as an alternative pathway for the clearance of A in the brain," Prof. Kim and Chung said. "Efferocytosis is accompanied by anti-inflammatory responses to maintain tissue homeostasis. To exploit this process, we engineered Gas6, a soluble adaptor protein that mediates efferocytosis via TAM phagocytic receptors in such a way that its target specificity was redirected from dead cells to A plaques." The professors and their team demonstrated that the resulting A-Gas6 induced A engulfment by activating not only microglial but also astrocytic phagocytosis since TAM phagocytic receptors are highly expressed by these two major phagocytes in the brain. Importantly, A-Gas6 promoted the robust uptake of A without showing any signs of inflammation and neurotoxicity, which contrasts sharply with the treatment using an A monoclonal antibody. Moreover, they showed that A-Gas6 substantially reduced excessive synapse elimination by microglia, consequently leading to better behavioral rescues in AD model mice. "By using a mouse model of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), a cerebrovascular disorder caused by the deposition of A within the walls of the brain's blood vessels, we also showed that the intrathecal administration of Gas6 fusion protein significantly eliminated cerebrovascular amyloids, along with a reduction of microhemorrhages. These data demonstrate that aAb-Gas6 is a potent therapeutic agent in eliminating A without exacerbating CAA-related microhemorrhages." Professors Kim and Chung noted, "We believe our approach can be a breakthrough in treating AD without causing inflammatory side effects and synapse loss. Our approach holds promise as a novel therapeutic platform that is applicable to more than AD. By modifying the target-specificity of the fusion protein, the Gas6-fusion protein can be applied to various neurological disorders as well as autoimmune diseases affected by toxic molecules that should be removed without causing inflammatory responses." Professors Kim and Chung founded "Illimis Therapeutics" based on this strategy of designing chimeric Gas6 fusion proteins that would remove toxic aggregates from the nervous system. Through this company, they are planning to further develop various Gas6-fusion proteins not only for Ab but also for Tau to treat AD symptoms. This work was supported by KAIST and the Korea Health Technology R&D Project that was administered by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) and the Korea Dementia Research Center (KDRC) funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare (MOHW) and the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), and KAIST. Other contributors include Hyuncheol Jung and Se Young Lee, Sungjoon Lim, Hyeong Ryeol Choi, Yeseong Choi, Minjin Kim, Segi Kim, the Department of Biological Sciences, and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). More than 225,000 tweets with the hashtags #scamdemic and #plandemic led to an "infodemic" of misinformation and disinformation on Twitter during the first year of the pandemic, according to a study by UT Southwestern researchers published in PLOS ONE. Driven by concerns over grave consequences from the spread of false information about COVID-19 on social media, members of UT Southwestern's Clinical Informatics Center set out to define the scope of the problem and provide insight for future public health emergencies. This conundrum was almost inevitable. We were navigating new territory when SARS-CoV-2 was unleashed on the world, so we were all learning as we went. Given the mutating virus, the evolving guidelines on treatment and precautions, and the tremendous economic and social impact of the pandemic, the situation was ripe for the spread of baseless claims about the disease." Christoph U. Lehmann, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Clinical Informatics Center The researchers used a Twitter scraping tool called Twint to collect English-language tweets including #scamdemic or #plandemic. After eliminating retweets, replies, and duplicate tweets, they found that 40,081 users tweeted 227,067 times using the selected hashtags. While Twitter suspended one-fifth of the users associated with the tweets, 80% of them were left to post and repeat misinformation (defined as false information not intended to harm) and disinformation (false information that carries an intent to harm). "Combating these echo chambers where multiple people repeat and disseminate disinformation is critical," said Richard J. Medford, M.D., Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Associate Chief Medical Informatics Officer at UTSW. "The UT Southwestern Public Health team began exploring public sentiment and the role of social media early in the COVID pandemic to help identify misinformation. We created models of COVID-related tweets and published studies on public sentiment on social distancing measures and guides on how to use Twitter and other social media data to monitor new disease outbreaks." The work to understand health messaging on social media and promote accurate information will be a priority for Dr. Lehmann and Dr. Medford as they help to establish UTSW's Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, which will welcome its first class next year. "The goal of public health is to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong life among the population as a whole. Nothing could be closer to this mission than combating false information on health," Dr. Lehmann said. Residing within the human gut are trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms that can impact a variety of chronic human ailments, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, cancer, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and inflammatory bowel disease. Numerous diseases are associated with imbalance or dysfunction in gut microbiome. Even in diseases that don't involve the microbiome, gut microflora provide an important point of access that allows modification of many physiological systems. Modifying to remedy, perhaps even cure these conditions, has generated substantial interest, leading to the development of live bacterial therapeutics (LBTs). One idea behind LBTs is to engineer bacterial hosts, or chassis, to produce therapeutics able to repair or restore healthy microbial function and diversity. Existing efforts have primarily focused on using probiotic bacterial strains from the Bacteroides or Lactobacillus families or Escherichia coli that have been used for decades in the lab. However, these efforts have largely fallen short because engineered bacteria introduced into the gut generally do not survive what is fundamentally a hostile environment. The inability to engraft or even survive in the gut requires frequent re-administration of these bacterial strains and often produces inconsistent effects or no effect at all. The phenomenon is perhaps most apparent in individuals who take probiotics, where these beneficial bacteria are unable to compete with the individual's native microorganisms and largely disappear quickly. The lack of engraftment severely limits the use of LBTs for chronic conditions for curative effect or to study specific functions in the gut microbiome. Published human trials using engineered LBTs have demonstrated safety, but still need to demonstrate reversal of disease. We believe this may be due to problems with colonization." Amir Zarrinpar, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and gastroenterologist at UC San Diego Health In a proof-of-concept study, published in the August 4, 2022, online issue of Cell, Zarrinpar and colleagues at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report overcoming that hurdle by employing native bacteria in mice as the chassis for delivering transgenes capable of inducing persistent and potentially even curative therapeutic changes in the gut and reversing disease pathologies. Using this method, the group found they can provide long-term therapy in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes. "In theory, native bacteria are already maximally adapted to the luminal environment," Zarrinpar said. "Thereby bypassing nearly all the barriers to engraftment and making them an ideal chassis for therapeutic delivery." In the study, the research team showed that they can take a strain of E. coli native to the host and engineer it to express transgenes that affect its physiology, such as blood glucose levels. The modified native bacteria were then reintroduced into the mouse's gut. After a single treatment, Zarrinpar said the engineered native bacteria engrafted throughout the gut for the lifetime of the treated mice, retained functionality and induced improved blood glucose response for months. The researchers also demonstrated that similar bacterial engineering can be done in human native E. coli. "This work is an exciting step in demonstrating that live bacterial therapeutics can be used for treating or possibly even curing chronic conditions," said the study's first author Baylee Russell, now a graduate student at Harvard University. "In principle, live bacterial therapeutics may be a relatively non-invasive, low risk and cost-effective option for treating a number of diseases. It is worthy of additional exploration. There's still a lot of work that needs to be done, but it will be exciting to see this technology expand in the years ahead." Zarrinpar said the reluctance by some groups to use undomesticated native bacteria rather than well-known laboratory strains is driven by the assumption that they are difficult to culture and modify, although the study authors note recent studies have demonstrated they can be modified more consistently using newer methods. "None of the individual steps we used or described are particularly difficult, but in combination, they are novel. Together, they clearly demonstrate that we can accomplish what has yet to be achieved with other synthetic biology approaches," said Zarrinpar. "That is, functional manipulation of the luminal gut environment to create persistent physiological effects." Californians will decide in November whether to lock the right to abortion into the state constitution. If they vote "yes" on Proposition 1, they will also lock in a right that has gotten less attention: the right to birth control. Should the measure succeed, California would become one of the first states if not the first to create explicit constitutional rights to both abortion and contraception. The lawmakers and activists behind the constitutional amendment said they hope to score a one-two punch: protect abortion in California after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the federal constitutional right to abortion under Roe v. Wade, and get ahead of what they see as the next front in the reproductive rights fight: birth control. "The United States Supreme Court said that the privacy and liberty protections in the United States Constitution did not extend to abortion," said UCLA law professor Cary Franklin, an expert in constitutional law and reproductive rights who has testified before the California legislature in support of the amendment. "If they said 'no' on abortion, they're probably going to say 'no' on birth control because that has a similar history." In June, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ended the federal right to abortion and left states to regulate the service. In his concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas said the court should revisit other cases that have created protections for Americans based on an implicit right to privacy in the U.S. Constitution, such as the 1965 case Griswold v. Connecticut, which established a federal right to contraception for married people which was later extended to unmarried people. Some congressional Democrats are now trying to codify the right to contraception in federal law. In July, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Right to Contraception Act, which would give patients the right to access and use contraception and providers the right to furnish it. But the bill has little chance of success in the U.S. Senate, where Republicans have already blocked it once. Protecting access to contraception is popular with voters. A national poll from Morning Consult and Politico conducted in late July found that 75% of registered voters support a federal law that protects a right to birth control access. California isn't the only state where voters are considering reproductive rights in their constitutions. On Tuesday, Kansas voters decisively rejected a constitutional amendment that would have allowed state lawmakers to ban or dramatically restrict abortion. It failed by nearly 18 percentage points. Kentucky voters will face a similar decision in November with a proposed constitutional amendment that would declare that the state's constitutional right to privacy does not cover abortion. Vermont is going in the opposite direction. Voters there will weigh a ballot measure in November that would add a right to "personal reproductive autonomy" to the state constitution, though it does not explicitly mention abortion or contraception. In Michigan, a proposed constitutional amendment that would guarantee a right to both abortion and contraception is expected to qualify for the November ballot. In California, Proposition 1 would prevent the state from denying or interfering with "an individual's reproductive freedom in their most intimate decisions, which includes their fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and their fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives." The proposed constitutional amendment doesn't go into detail about what enshrining the right to contraception in the state constitution would mean. California already has some of the strongest contraceptive-access laws in the country and lawmakers are considering more proposals this year. For instance, state-regulated health plans must cover all FDA-approved contraception; pharmacists must dispense emergency contraception to anyone with a prescription, regardless of age; and pharmacists can prescribe birth control pills on the spot. State courts have also interpreted California's constitution to include a right to privacy that covers reproductive health decisions. The amendment, if adopted, could provide a new legal pathway for people to sue when they're denied contraceptives, said Michele Goodwin, chancellor's professor of law at the University of California-Irvine. If a pharmacist refused to fill a birth control prescription or a cashier declined to ring up condoms, she said, customers could make a case that their rights had been violated. Making the rights to abortion and contraception explicit in the state constitution instead of relying on a right to privacy would also protect against shifting political winds, said state Senate leader Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), who was the director of a women's health clinic in the 1980s. Although California's lawmakers and executive officers are solid supporters of abortion rights, she said, the composition of the legislature and courts' interpretation of laws could change. "I want to know for sure that that right is protected," Atkins said at a legislative hearing in June. "We are protecting ourselves from future courts and future politicians." The amendment would solidify California's role as a reproductive rights sanctuary as much of the country chips away at birth control availability, Goodwin added. Experts said two forms of birth control that are vulnerable to restrictions in other states are intrauterine devices, or IUDs, and emergency contraception like Plan B. These methods are often incorrectly conflated with abortion pills, which end a pregnancy instead of preventing it. Nine states have laws that restrict emergency contraception for example, by allowing pharmacies to refuse to dispense it or excluding it from state family planning programs according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights. In Alabama and Louisiana this year, abortion opponents introduced legislation that would restrict or ban abortion, and would also apply to emergency contraception. "We're seeing an erosion of abortion access that is playing out in statehouses across the country that have and will continue to target contraceptive care as well," said Audrey Sandusky, senior director of policy and communications for the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association. Susan Arnall, vice president of California's Right to Life League, said the proposed amendment is symbolic and merely echoes current laws. Arnall thinks the campaign is mostly about Democratic politicians trying to score political points. "It just allows the pro-abort legislators to trumpet and give them talking points about how they're doing something about the overturn of Roe v. Wade," she said. "It is political virtue signaling. I don't think it does much of anything else." Goodwin argues that the measure's symbolism is significant and overdue. She pointed to the Civil War era, when enslaved people in Southern states could look to free states for spiritual hope and material help. "Symbolically, what that meant is a kind of beacon of hope, that those places did exist, where one's humanity could be regarded," Goodwin said. But California's reputation as a haven for contraceptive availability may not be fully warranted, said Dima Qato, an associate professor at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy. In her 2020 study of contraceptive access in Los Angeles County, which has some of the highest rates of teen and unintended pregnancy in the country, Qato found that only 10% of pharmacies surveyed offered pharmacist-prescribed birth control. Pharmacies in low-income and minority communities were the least likely to offer the service, Qato said, worsening disparities instead of solving them. Qato supports the constitutional amendment but said California should focus on improving and enforcing the laws it already has. "We don't need more laws when we don't address the root cause of a lack of effectiveness of these laws in these communities," Qato said. "Lack of enforcement and accountability disproportionately impacts communities of color." This story was produced by KHN, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. Orthopedic surgeons at NHS Golden Jubilee have performed the first meniscal transplant on a patient in Scotland. Image Credit: NHS Golden Jubilee Surgeons at the University National Hospital, which carries out over 25% of all Scottish hip and knee replacements, performed the innovative keyhole procedure and implanted donor cartilage into the patients knee. It is hoped the option of transplant will transform patient care for those in need, by offering the procedure at NHS Golden Jubilee. Each knee has two menisci, a c-shaped cartilage in the knee that acts like a shock absorber between the shinbone and the thighbone. The meniscus can tear due to trauma or overuse. If the meniscus is so badly damaged that it cannot be repaired, persistent knee pain or osteoarthritis can develop, potentially leading to the need for a total knee replacement. Suitable for certain younger patients, meniscal transplants have the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for people who suffer from persistent pain in their knee due to damaging or losing their meniscus. To conduct this transplantation, surgeons sourced a matching deceased donor meniscal graft from the United States. Using a camera as a guide, the new cartilage is implanted through a keyhole procedure under general anesthetic. There is increasing evidence that this procedure can play a vital role in preventing arthritis, which can be difficult to treat in younger patients, and reducing the need for a full knee replacement. NHS Golden Jubilee Orthopedic Consultants Mr Christopher Gee and Mr Jon Clarke and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) Orthopedic Consultant Mr Simon Spencer worked together to carry out the procedure. We are very excited to be able to offer this surgery, as it is the first time this technique has been carried out in Scotland. The procedure tries to restore the cushioning effect of the meniscus, in turn preserving the joints until later in life. There is increasing evidence that it can help with symptoms and reduce the chance of the patient developing arthritis, which can be very difficult to treat in younger patients. What we know is that 70 to 80% of people who have a meniscal transplant see an improvement of their symptoms. There is a lot of evidence to support good functional outcomes, so were really looking to be able to provide this procedure for many more people from across Scotland. Mr Christopher Gee, NHS Golden Jubilee Orthopedic Consultants While for many older patients with this condition, a total or partial joint replacement might be the right option, for a young, active person like Matthew Watkins from Inverness, the idea of waiting through years of pain was daunting. He said: After I had an accident in the gym, I was getting a lot of pain which was stopping me from mountain biking and hill walking, my knee would swell up and it was really affecting my quality of life. Basically, I had destroyed the whole of the inside of my knee and damaged the actual bones, so the cartilage had worn away and needed to be repaired. More of the meniscus needed to be removed to try to alleviate some of the pain. In terms of how it felt immediately afterwards, I could feel something was inside my knee when I was putting weight on it compared to how it felt before when I didnt have any meniscus in there. Im glad I had the surgery, I can really feel a difference. Following a careful process in setting up the service and working in collaboration with NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, the Clydebank-based team ensured the procedure is safe for patients. Having discussed the case with Mr Watkins and having gone through a shared decision-making process, the team gained approval from the local health board, NHS Highland, to perform the surgery. NHS Golden Jubilee always looks to innovate and improve the patient experience. We are one of Europes largest centres for planned arthroplasty, performing around 4,000 joint replacements each year - around 25% of all joint replacements in Scotland. Although this is the first time this technique has been used in Scotland and the operation is not yet being widely performed, it is clear this surgery has a real place for people with persistent pain following a meniscal tear." Christine Divers, Director of National Elective Services, NHS Golden Jubilee The introduction of a new technique like this helps us to deliver person-centered care for people who are in extreme pain and gives us the ability to provide the patient with much-needed relief which aids their recovery. This landmark meniscal transplant shows that we are always seeking to progress and find new ways to increase the quality of life of our patients while continuing to enhance care for the people of Scotland. Brykyta Shelton found herself standing in a checkout line of a big-box retailer, uncomfortably aware as a woman ahead of her stared at her sandaled feet. Shelton had been taking medication for months for what her doctor said was toenail fungus, but one nail still looked gross. After Shelton completed her purchase, the woman pulled her aside and said that, while she wasn't a doctor, she thought Shelton was dealing with something more serious than fungus. "Shes like: 'I know Im just a random stranger, but please, go get it checked out by someone else,'" said Shelton, who lives in a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C. Shelton, now 42, took the advice. The initial lab work didn't give a clear diagnosis, but her new doctor said he was confident she had acral lentiginous melanoma, a form of skin cancer. Additional testing proved him right. While rare, it is the most common subtype of melanoma in Black people, like Shelton. It is the disease that killed reggae star Bob Marley at age 36, and is most often found on skin less frequently exposed to the sun, such as the hands, the soles of the feet, and under nails. Researchers do not understand what causes acral lentiginous melanoma, and they don't know how to prevent it. It is often overlooked in skin checks or misdiagnosed. Skin cancer, in general, is often missed or misdiagnosed in Black patients. Historically, Black people and those with dark skin have been left out of efforts to combat skin cancer. Long neglected by sunscreen manufacturers and a medical community lagging in diversity and cultural competency the acknowledgment of a patient's heritage, beliefs, and values many have not been informed about sun safety or how to check their skin for signs of damage or cancer. To be sure, skin cancer rates are lower for people with dark skin tones. Melanoma is more than 20 times as common in white people as in African Americans, with an overall lifetime risk of 1 in 38 for white people compared with 1 in 1,000 for Black people. Melanin does provide some protection against sun damage, so those with more of it those with darker skin are better protected than those with fairer skin. But overall, Black patients are more likely to be diagnosed with various forms of skin cancer at more advanced stages and have a higher mortality rate, said Dr. Janiene Luke, with the Skin of Color Society, a nonprofit that works to educate doctors and the public on skin health. The five-year melanoma survival rate among non-Hispanic Black people is 66%, compared with 90% for non-Hispanic white people, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And 1 in 3 Black men or women diagnosed with melanoma in the U.S. die of the disease, compared with at least 1 in 7 for non-Hispanic white people, says the American Cancer Society. Given the known disparities in outcomes, Dr. Valerie Harvey, president of the Skin of Color Society, said two areas of research are needed: studying educational initiatives to see if awareness might lead to earlier diagnosis and improved survival; and determining risk factors in patients with dark skin, especially factors leading to the occurrence of melanoma in places less exposed to the sun. Improving cultural competency and diversity within dermatology is just one step toward improving diagnosis and outcomes. According to the most recent data, fewer than 3% of dermatologists nationwide are Black. Orthopedics is the only medical specialty with a smaller share. Dermatology has traditionally been one of the most competitive specialties in medicine, said Dr. Michelle Henry, a clinical instructor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medicine. In addition to stiff academic requirements, admission to dermatology programs also depends on connecting with mentors and extensive networking, which can be expensive. And that, Henry said, has traditionally created barriers for Black medical students who want to pursue dermatology. "There are so many hurdles that make it difficult for a lot of students of color to do the things that they need to do in such an uber-exclusive and small space," she said. Recent initiatives to help students overcome those barriers are beginning to work, said Dr. Susan Taylor, vice chair for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the dermatology department at the University of Pennsylvania and founder of the Skin of Color Society. Initiatives from the American Academy of Dermatology include holistic reviews of residency applications, mentorships, and programs to increase interest among and prepare high school students for college and medical school. Medical app company VisualDX is working to reduce disparities in medicine through Project Impact by creating a catalog of images reflecting various diseases in different skin colors. Skin cancers may appear different on fairer skin than on darker skin, and because doctors may have been trained only with fair-skin depictions, the chance for misdiagnosis in people with dark skin increases. Change has also come to the sunscreen industry. Jorge Martinez-Bonilla, senior vice president and partner with Chicago market research company C + R Research, said failures within the medical community to provide adequate skin care for people with dark skin mirror the lack of availability of sunscreens to meet patients' needs, especially for Black people. "What that has done is that it has pushed Black entrepreneurs, from one day to the next, to come up with their own solutions and their own products," Martinez-Bonilla said. "Not only from the lack of availability, but because these are the people who know their needs best." Katonya Breaux is one of those entrepreneurs. She wasn't thrilled when, in her 30s and 40s, she noticed she was getting moles on her face and neck similar to those she'd seen on older family members while she was growing up. She assumed it was just part of aging. But her dermatologist said it was sun damage. "I was, literally, shocked. I was like: 'But I'm Black,'" she said, adding that she had no experience with sunscreen growing up. "It was so foreign to me. I believed we just didn't need it." After struggling to find a sunscreen that didn't leave a residue or feel like it was burning her skin, she worked with a chemist who helped her create a tinted mineral-based sunscreen. At first, she intended it just for her personal use, but she ultimately launched Unsun Cosmetics. The Los Angeles-based company educates about skin care and sells products designed for consumers with dark skin. Shontay Lundy also struggled to find a sunscreen that didn't "leave a blue, purple, or other-colored hue on my skin." Until, she said, "I realized it didn't exist." So, in 2016, she developed products that left no residue, ultimately launching Black Girl Sunscreen. Education is fundamental to her company's advertising, Lundy said. "Our mission is to equip people of all ages and skin tones with the right sunscreen products to take their skin health seriously and protect themselves from sun damage." Shelton, whose chance encounter in a store's checkout line led to her cancer diagnosis, said she has become an evangelist for skin self-checks and sunscreen, and is now known at her local pool as "the sunblock lady." The kind of skin cancer she had may not have stemmed from sun exposure, but it increased her awareness about skin damage and other types of skin cancers. She has been cancer-free since the doctor successfully removed the tumor on her toe and she underwent chemotherapy and radiation. But the experience was traumatic. "It's life-altering," she said. Still, she said, she's resumed an active and full life. She said she will forever be grateful to the stranger who pulled her aside that day, as well as the doctor who disbelieved the first set of labs that came back, opting instead to trust his instincts to immediately begin treatment. Tips for avoiding skin cancer for all skin tones Avoid direct sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Keep babies out of the sun entirely. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher every day. Reapply every two hours or after swimming or activity/sweating. Don't leave sunscreen in the car, because temperature fluctuations can cause it to break down and become less effective. Wear clothing that covers arms and legs. Wear a broad-brimmed hat to protect the face, ears, and neck. Wear UV-blocking sunglasses. Avoid indoor tanning beds. Examine skin from head to toe every month. Look for dark spots or patches, or growths that are growing, bleeding, or changing; sores that are slow to heal, or heal and return; patches of skin that feel rough and dry; and dark lines underneath or around fingernails or toenails. Be diligent in checking nail beds, palms, soles of the feet, the head, lower legs, the groin, and other places that get little sun. Contact a doctor if you have any concerns. See a board-certified dermatologist at least once a year for a full-body examination. Sources: Skin Cancer Foundation, American Academy of Dermatology, Dr. Janiene Luke, Dr. Michelle Henry, Katonya Breaux In a recently published article in the journal Science Immunology, scientists have described the identification and therapeutic evaluation of an antibody that broadly neutralizes major variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including the alpha, beta, delta, and omicron variants. Background In response to the deadly coronavirus disease, 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2, several potential vaccines, therapeutic antibodies, and antiviral drugs have been developed, which collectively helped reduce the pandemic trajectory. However, continuous emergence of novel viral variants with increased transmissibility and immune fitness has highlighted the need for developing broad-spectrum therapeutic and preventive interventions that can neutralize a wide variety of viral variants. Most monoclonal therapeutic antibodies developed during the early pandemic phase work by preventing the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is the key step for viral entry into host cells. These antibodies mostly target epitopes in the receptor-binding motif (RBM) of the spike receptor-binding domain (RBD). The most recently emerged SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant contains more than 15 mutations in the spike RBD, which makes the variant highly resistant to monoclonal as well as vaccine-induced antibodies. To better manage the pandemic, it is vital to develop broadly neutralizing antibodies against immune evasive variants like omicron. In the current study, scientists have described the identification and therapeutic evaluation of a monoclonal antibody with broad neutralizing efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Identification of anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody The generation of spike-targeting antibodies was performed by immunizing and subsequently boosting mice with the spike ectodomain or RBD of the original SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan strain. LIBRA (linking B cell receptor to antigen specificity through sequencing) sequencing technology was used to identify antigen-specific memory B cells and single cell sequenced B cell receptors. The DNA encoding the variable regions of identified B cell receptors was inserted into a human immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) antibody backbone to produce chimeric antibodies. This led to the generation of 27 RBD-targeting and seven non-RBD-targeting antibodies. The virus neutralization assay in the study identified seven antibodies with high neutralizing efficiency against the Wuhan strain of SARS-CoV-2. Of these antibodies, one (SW186) showed the optimal neutralizing efficiency against a wide range of SARS-CoV-2 variants, including alpha, beta, delta, gamma, lambda, and mu. The identified SW186 antibody showed high neutralizing efficacy against wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and its variants at nanomolar concentrations. However, the antibody showed significantly reduced neutralizing efficiency against omicron and its sub-variants. Notably, the SW186 antibody showed high neutralizing efficiency against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1 (SARS-CoV-1), a betacoronavirus responsible for the 2002-2004 outbreak of SARS. This finding indicates that the SW186 antibody targets an epitope highly conserved between SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. Structural analysis of antigen-antibody complex The cryo-electron microscopic analysis of the antibody-antigen complex revealed that SW186 antibody-targeted epitope is located outside the RBM of spike RBD. The epitope comprised several conserved amino acids. Further analysis revealed that the SW186 antibody does not bind at the RBD-ACE2 interface. The epitope of the SW186 antibody comprised a glycosylation site (N343), which is important for viral entry into host cells. This residue is highly conserved between human coronaviruses. Further analysis revealed that the heavy chain complementarity-determining region 3 (HCDR3) of SW186 antibody is partially inserted into an RBD minor groove and that the interactions are largely contributed by the polypeptide backbone rather than the side chains of the RBD minor groove. This finding suggests that RBD mutations might not significantly affect the binding of the SW186 antibody. Therapeutic efficacy of SW186 The therapeutic efficacy of the antibody was tested by initially infecting the mice with alpha, beta, or delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, followed by treatment with the SW186 antibody. The findings revealed that mice treated with SW186 antibodies have a significantly lower viral load in the lungs compared to untreated mice. Moreover, the antibody treatment protected the mice against body weight loss, lung injury, and lung infiltration of inflammatory mediators. To test the efficacy of the SW186 antibody in humans, a panel of humanized antibodies was generated and tested for neutralizing efficiency against alpha, beta, and delta variants. The findings revealed that most of these humanized antibodies neutralize the tested variants with similar efficacy as the murine SW186 antibody. Study significance The study identifies a broad-spectrum monoclonal antibody (SW186) that efficiently neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and SARS-CoV-1. The scientists believe that the conserved RBD epitope targeted by SW186 antibody could be considered in future studies for developing novel therapeutic antibodies. Thought Leaders Charles Wells Head of Therapeutics Development Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute In this interview, we speak to Charles Wells, Head of Therapeutics Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, about their current research into tuberculosis (TB) as well as the recent updated guidelines for TB care. Please could you introduce yourself and tell us what inspired your career in tuberculosis (TB)? I have the honor of serving as the Head of Therapeutics Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute. I joined the institute a little over three years ago, following leadership roles in the pharmaceutical industry and at the CDC. My career has focused on infectious diseases, and I have spent decades working on TB. My work on TB started after I left medical school, having learned that TB was a disease of the past. However, when I moved to Atlanta in 1992 to start my residency training in the citys extensive public hospital system, I saw that was far from the case. In that urban setting, I cared for many patients suffering from TB, which was steadily increasing due largely to the growing HIV epidemic in the city and the US more broadly. I then trained in applied epidemiology in the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) at the CDC in the mid-1990s, where I learned that TB remained one of the major infectious diseases killers worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In my training, I focused on combatting the global TB epidemic, and later as permanent staff, I worked on global TB control projects as part of a broader US Government response to the global HIV and TB epidemics. Image Credit: Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock.com TB is the second leading infectious killer after COVID-19, killing 1.5 million people in 2020 alone. Why is TB so prevalent worldwide, and what current treatment options are available? Up to a quarter of the worlds population is thought to be latently infected with TB. In 2020 alone, an estimated 10 million people developed active TB including 1.1 million children and 1.5 million people died from TB, including an estimated 214,000 people living with HIV. The disease burden remains greatest in LMICs, which account for 98% of reported TB cases. Prior to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, TB was the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting strain on health service delivery has accentuated the TB burden, with access to care and case notifications decreasing sharply in 2020 and the number of TB deaths increasing. Currently, bacille Calmette-Guerin, known as BCG, is the only licensed TB vaccine. However, it has limited impact on preventing Mtb infection and TB disease in adults. Treatment of TB disease is curative but lengthy, and compliance is often incomplete. The global prevalence of drug-resistant TB is substantial. Improved prevention tools and effective vaccines to prevent the development of TB disease are urgently needed to accelerate progress toward ending the TB epidemic. However, since the introduction of the BCG vaccine in 1921, very few novel vaccine candidates have advanced into clinical efficacy trials. Many people believe TB is in the past and do not see this as a current global threat. Why is this, and how can we help address some misconceptions surrounding this disease? TB is a disease of the poor, and unfortunately, TB research has experienced research funding shortfalls for decades. In addition, the biology of TB is complex, and our understanding of the organism, TB pathogenesis, and immunology remains limited in support of vaccine design and development. These challenges are not easily overcome. Basic research needs to catch up. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently released new guidelines as well as a new operational handbook on tuberculosis care and support. Please tell us more about these new guidelines and what they mean for people living with TB? The new guidelines on TB care and support are intended to improve the quality of life and lead to better outcomes for people with TB. They include implementation guidance on health education, counseling, and palliative care as well as on social support, treatment administration options, and digital adherence technologies. The guidelines include new 4-month (all oral) treatment regimens the first advance in shortening and improving treatment for drug-sensitive TB in decades. Recent clinical evidence informed the new guidelines, which allow for the programmatic implementation of treating almost all forms of drug-resistant TB with either BPaLM (a combination of bedaquiline, pretomanid, linezolid, and moxifloxacin) or BPaL (bedaquiline, pretomanid, and linezolid). Image Credit: MOUii/Shutterstock.com Why is it vital that people suffering from TB receive adequate care and support? As I mentioned earlier, TB is a disease of the poor, and many LMICs do not have adequate infrastructure to support patients fully. Treatment of TB differs from the treatment of many other common diseases, which follow a pathway of diagnosis, a prescription for a course of treatment, and a follow-up visit. In the case of TB, treatment takes a minimum of 6 months and requires ongoing patient engagement, including directly observed therapy for 5-6 days per week in a clinical setting, to support patient adherence and mitigate the risk of spreading the infection. Treatment enablers such as transport to clinical facilities, taking the drugs with food, and other support is important for TB patients and often challenging to deliver in LMICs. Lastly, patients can sometimes feel better after 3-5 weeks of treatment, leading to poor compliance over the course of the required 6-month treatment period. Despite new guidelines being released, information usually shared is complex and difficult for the general public to understand. Why is it essential that these guidelines are also provided in easy language? How could governments, policymakers, and organizations make scientific information more digestible to the general population? The new guidelines are written to help medical professionals and those working in public health. With these latest guidelines, the WHO did an excellent job distilling the salient messages from the update and focused on what is most meaningful and important in TB programs delivering the treatment and care services to patients and the outcome for the patients. This 2022 update is concise and straightforward regarding key points, improving further on the 2017 update, which some healthcare professionals perceived as heavy on technical details. You are currently the head of therapeutics development at Gates MRI. What are some of the current projects underway at Gates MRI concerning TB? The institute is supporting and investing in multiple vaccines and therapeutics programs. These include the development of novel vaccine interventions to prevent TB and the establishment of global clinical trial capabilities to support future novel approaches to TB control. The institutes TB vaccine program has a workstream focused on developing a candidate vaccine, M72/AS01E-4 (under an exclusive license with GSK), for preventing tuberculosis disease in adolescents and adults. In a phase 2b proof-of-concept clinical study (conducted by GSK with support from Aeras), the investigational vaccine demonstrated potential in preventing TB disease among Mtb infected individuals. The first clinical trial Gates MRI has initiated with M72/AS01 E-4 is a trial in South Africa to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine candidate in people living with HIV, referred to as the MESA-TB trial (supported by both The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Wellcome Trust). In anticipation of a phase 3 trial efficacy trial of the investigational vaccine, the institute is conducting a TB epidemiology study to document the prevalence of latent Mtb infection and the incidence of TB disease in populations with a high TB disease burden. The study also intends to build the required clinical trial capacity to support the investigational vaccines phase 3 trial evaluation. Image Credit: Novikov Aleksey/Shutterstock.com As well as your current research into potential TB vaccines, Gates MRI is currently involved in revaccination efforts in low-and-middle-income countries. Please can you tell us more about these efforts and the importance of revaccination, especially in low-income countries? Another of the institutes current TB research programs, the BCG revaccination clinical trial, is underway in South Africa. BCG vaccination is commonly given to babies in the first week of life, protecting children from TB for at least ten years, but protection against TB in adolescents and adults is limited. The study has enrolled children and adolescents to assess whether a second dose of BCG vaccine at 10 to 18 years of age helps protect against Mtb. The study follows participants over four years, testing for Mtb infection every six months. If results are favorable, the goal is to implement policy change in countries with a high burden of TB. The study will also examine the immune response to Mtb infection and may help us understand mechanisms of protection and develop new TB vaccines. What do you believe the future of TB looks like? Are you hopeful we will one day see TB eradicated with continued research, support, and funding? TB can be preventable and curable with the right investments and resources, and although there is progress in the development of new TB diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines, this is constrained by the overall level of R&D investment. With continued investment, both monetary and scientific, I am confident that a world without TB is attainable. What is next for you and your research at Gates MRI? Are you involved in any exciting upcoming projects? The institute is a member of the Project to Accelerate New Treatments for Tuberculosis (PAN-TB) collaboration (the collaboration comprises Evotec, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Otsuka, TB Alliance, the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation). This group of philanthropic, non-profit, and private sector organizations is working together to expedite the development of a pan-TB regimen: a novel TB regimen capable of treating nearly all TB patients, even those with drug-resistant forms, to enable a simpler test and treat paradigm. Within the collaboration, Gates MRI is responsible for executing the Phase 2b/2c clinical trials intended to evaluate promising new regimens constructed with TB drugs from the PAN-TB partners to identify the best regimen for subsequent Phase 3 evaluation in close coordination and joint governance with the partners. A pan-TB regimen that is expected to be significantly shorter than current standard TB treatments (2-3 months) would allow more TB patients to be cured, resulting in less transmission of infection and a reduced burden on health systems that treat TB; this would permit more resources to be focused on finding the estimated 3 million cases of active TB that are often underreported and go undiagnosed and untreated every year. All of these advancements would collectively result in greater global health impacts, with an accelerated decline in TB disease burden that ultimately paves the path to eliminating TB. Where can readers find more information? Please visit the institutes website at gatesmri.org and follow us on Twitter @GatesMRI and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/bill-melinda-gates-medical-research-institute. About Charles Wells I have dedicated my career to addressing global health issues and working to bring forward critically needed new products and tools to address unmet medical needs for TB, HIV, malaria, and other neglected infectious diseases. My training and experience working in global health to combat the HIV and TB epidemics in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) for more than a decade in my earlier career have provided an important and unique framework for my efforts to successfully develop commercial products for neglected infectious diseases. Through the course of this work, I have led large and diverse mission-driven teams of local and international-based staff; managed complex partnerships, budgets and funding streams; mentored numerous young professionals in infectious diseases, public health and pharmaceutical product development; and translated my experience and efforts into measurable impact on global health. (Newser) The scope of the teacher shortage is hard to gauge. No organization or database assembles national figures, the Washington Post reports. Nevada's education association estimated that the state's 17 school districts have about 3,000 open jobs now, with the new school year about to start. A report in January counted 2,040 teaching jobs in Illinois either vacant or held by employees who are not fully qualified. Houston's five largest districts say they have 200 to 1,000 teaching jobs unfilled. In South Carolina, per WLTX, a single district is short 181 teachers, another 154. "I have never seen it this bad," said the executive director of the School Superintendents Association. A series of factors have combined to cause the shortage, experts say, including: Exhaustion : Weariness has set in among teachers, partly because of the strains of the pandemic and low salaries. : Weariness has set in among teachers, partly because of the strains of the pandemic and low salaries. Culture wars : The enactment of new policies and laws regulating what teachers can say about history, race, racism, gender, and sexual orientation, as well as LGBTQ issues, in the classroom leaves educators believing that many parents and politicians no longer trust them to do their job. : The enactment of new policies and laws regulating what teachers can say about history, race, racism, gender, and sexual orientation, as well as LGBTQ issues, in the classroom leaves educators believing that many parents and politicians no longer trust them to do their job. Shrinking pool: In the 1970s, more than 200,000 education degrees were being awarded every year, the peak. In 2019, that fell to fewer than 90,000, while degrees in other fields rose. The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education attributed part of the drop-off to women having more opportunities in other fields, per the Hill. "The political situation in the United States, combined with legitimate aftereffects of COVID, has created this shortage," said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. "This shortage is contrived." Districts have been forced into piecemeal efforts to fill jobs, sending administrators into classrooms, enlarging class size, lowering teacher requirements, putting schools on a four-day week, and bringing college students and veterans without teaching experience into schools. Many of those solutions aren't good for learning. "We know students of all ages suffered steep declines in academic achievement during the pandemic, and now is the time to course-correct those changes," said Danika Mills, a former school therapist. "Instead, I think and fear we may be facing an even bigger decline." (Read more teachers stories.) (Newser) In January 2019, during sex with her partner of more than 10 years, Andrea Anderson discovered the condom they were using had broken, and she immediately got a prescription for Ella, an emergency contraceptive that delays or stops ovulationi.e., the morning-after pill, which doesn't end a pregnancy but prevents one from starting if it's taken within five days of unprotected sex. Getting that Rx filled, however, was no easy feat, and now the Minnesota woman is testifying at a trial over her lawsuit against two local pharmacies that wouldn't hand over the meds. Per the Washington Post, Anderson, a mom of five and licensed foster parent, says in her complaint filed in December 2019 that her first pharmacy visit, to Thrifty White Pharmacy in McGregor, ended up in a confrontation with the man working behind the counter, George Badeaux, who's also a local pastor. Anderson says in her suitfiled citing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, including on matters related to pregnancy and childbirth, per the APthat Badeaux wouldn't dispense the medication to her, claiming it was against his "beliefs." "He did not clarify what his beliefs were or why they interfered with his ability to perform his job as a medical professional," Anderson's complaint notes. He also "did not provide Anderson with information about where or how she could get her prescription filled." The suit notes that Anderson next tried to get the prescription filled at a CVS in Aitkin, which also rebuffed her. The pharmacist there called a Walgreens in Brainerd for Anderson and claimed that the Walgreens informed her they also wouldn't fill the prescription. Anderson later found out that's not what the Walgreens pharmacist had said and that she actually could get her prescription filled there. She says in her complaintwhich names Thrifty White, Badeaux, and CVS as defendantsthat she made the 100-mile round trip to Brainerd in a snowstorm with her toddler in the car, a journey that took more than three hours. At the trial for the case that began Monday in Aitkin County District Court, Anderson testified that "I felt like I was being watched and judged" as she tried to get the Ella, and that her privacy continues to be invaded even in the courtroom proceedings, where lawyers have questioned her on the endometriosis she suffers from, the therapy she's sought, and even her sex life, per the Star Tribune. "I'm hoping that no pharmacist will ever be able to do this to anybody again," she told the court on Tuesday. The trial is expected to wrap up this week. (Read more morning after pill stories.) (Newser) Ukrainian forces have exposed civilians to Russian attacks at times by basing themselves in schools, residential buildings, and other places in populated areas, Amnesty International says in a report published Thursday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky angrily denounced the report, saying Amnesty International "tries to amnesty the terrorist state and shift the responsibility from the aggressor to the victim," the AP reports. In his nightly video address, Zelensky told the organization, "If you provide manipulative reports, then you share the responsibility for the death of people with them." AP journalists reported seeing several scenes in recent weeks that mirrored the findings of Amnesty's researchers, including the aftermath of weapon strikes in eastern Ukraine where Ukrainian fighters, their vehicles, or items such as ammunition were at attack sites. At two locations, the journalists were told a soldier or soldiers had been killed. At a third, per the AP, emergency workers blocked reporters from filming victims of a Russian strike on a residential building, which was unusual; local residents said military personnel had been staying there. Amnesty International said its researchers, between April and July, "found evidence of Ukrainian forces launching strikes from within populated residential areas, as well as basing themselves in civilian buildings in 19 towns and villages" in three regions. Amnesty also said it found Ukrainian forces using hospitals as military bases in five places, in "a clear violation of international humanitarian law." At the same time, the report's authors stressed that the "Ukrainian military's practice of locating military objectives within populated areas does not in any way justify indiscriminate Russian attacks." Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly asked the remaining residents of the Donetsk region to evacuate, but starting anew elsewhere is difficult. (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.) (Newser) The prime minister of Hungary, an authoritarian ruler who has echoed Nazi rhetoric in trying to bring down liberal democracy, issued a call to like-minded Americans on Thursday to join his fight. In a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Viktor Orban said, "We must take back the institutions in Washington and in Brussels," referring to the administrative seat of the European Union. Orban said he traveled to Texas to tell the CPAC audience "how you should fight," the Hill reports, and he called this year's midterm elections and the 2024 presidential and congressional elections part of "the fight for civilization." Orban portrayed the US and Hungary as two fronts in a battle against common enemies including "fake news," globalists, progressives, and communists. "We must coordinate a movement of our troops because we face the same challenge," Orban said. He received cheers and a standing ovation from the crowd in a half-full ballroom as he emphasized Hungary's policies that criminalize illegal migration and limit marriage and adoption for same-sex couples. Orban was fresh from a round of denunciations over a speech in which he said Europeans should not "become peoples of mixed race." A senior adviser resigned in protest, calling Orban's speech "pure Nazi." His CPAC invitation stood, and though he didn't directly mention the issue, per the Post, he said, "Don't worry, a Christian politician cannot be racist." The Nazis were not, however, anti-Christianity. Orban stopped in New Jersey on his way to Texas to see former President Donald Trump, an ally. "Few people know as much about what is going on in the world today," Trump said in a statement. (Read more Viktor Orban stories.) (Newser) Former President Trump is a "coward" who "tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him," Dick Cheney says in a campaign ad for his daughter, Rep. Liz Cheney. "A real man wouldn't lie to his supporters. He lost his election, and he lost big. I know it, he knows it, and deep down I think most Republicans know it." The former Republican vice president declares that "in our nation's 246-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump," per USA Today. The one-minute ad titled "He Knows It," viewed more than 5.4 million times on Twitter, was released Thursday ahead of the Aug. 16 Republican primary in Wyoming, where Liz Cheney faces Trump-backed challenger Harriet Hageman. The Hill notes that Liz Cheney, vice chair of the House Select Committee investigating the attack on the Capitol, is "fighting for her political life," having lost the support of many Republicans for her criticism of Trump. A Casper Star-Tribune poll of 1,100 Wyoming voters shows Hageman, an attorney, leading Cheney 52% to 30% in the race, with 11% of voters undecided. Dick Cheney says he and his wife are "proud" of their daughter for "honoring her oath to the Constitution when so many in our own party are too scared to do so." "There is nothing more important she will ever do than lead the effort to make sure Donald Trump is never again near the Oval Office again," he adds. "And she will succeed." (His daughter agrees about the importance.) This week, Liz Cheney also touted the support of actor Kevin Costner, seen in a shirt reading, "I'm for Liz Cheney." "Real men put country over party," the lawmaker wrote. In response, Hageman told the Daily Mail she'd "take the support of the people of Wyoming any day of the week over a liberal actor who voted for Joe Biden." (Read more Dick Cheney stories.) (Newser) Kari Lake, a former news anchor who walked away from her journalism career and was embraced by Donald Trump and his staunch supporters, won the Republican primary for Arizona governor on Thursday, the AP reports. Lake's victory was a blow to the GOP establishment that lined up behind lawyer and businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson in an attempt to push their party past the chaotic Trump era. Lake said she would not have certified President Joe Biden's 2020 victory and put false claims of election fraud at the center of her campaign. The MAGA movement rose up like their lives depended on it, Lake said as she declared victory prematurely on Wednesday afternoon, a day before the race was called. And it proved that you can't buy an election, at least not in Arizona. We the people rose up and spoke." Robson, who is married to one of Arizona's richest men, largely self-funded her campaign. She called the 2020 election unfair but stopped short of calling it fraudulent and pushed for the GOP to look toward the future. Republicans now enter the general election sprint with a slate of nominees closely allied with Trump who deny that Joe Biden was legitimately elected president. Lake will face Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in the November election; Hobbs told supporters after her primary win, "Quite simply, Kari Lake is dangerous." Lake now faces the daunting task of uniting the Republican Party after a bruising primary. She attempted to reach out to Robson and others she fiercely criticized as RINOs, or Republicans in Name Only, who don't align with Trump on key issues. In a midterm primary season with mixed results for Trumps favored candidates, the former president came out on top in Arizona, a state that has been central to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and cast doubt on Biden's victory. In addition to Lake, Trumps picks for US Senate, secretary of state, attorney general, US House and the state Legislature all won their GOP primaries. If they win in November, Trump allies will hold sway over the administration of elections in a crucial battleground state as he considers another bid for the White House in 2024. The results also show that Trump remains a powerful figure in the GOP as longtime party stalwarts get increasingly bold in their efforts to reassert control ahead of the next presidential campaign. (Read more Arizona stories.) (Newser) China slapped unspecified sanctions on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her family Friday as retaliation for her visit to Taiwan. China's foreign ministry described her visit to the island as an "egregious provocation," CNBC reports. In a statement, the ministry said the visit "constitutes a gross interference in Chinas internal affairs." China also announced that it would cancel or suspend dialogue with the US on numerous issues, including climate change and anti-drug efforts, along with transnational crime and the returning of illegal immigrants, reports the AP. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Friday that massive military drills China launched around Taiwan after Pelosi departed were a "significant escalation." He said Pelosi's visit did not mark a change in US policy, but Beijing had used it as a "pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait." He said the US would not be provoked by China's actions and US forces would continue to operate wherever international law allows it, the Guardian reports. Japan's defense ministry said four missiles fired during exercises Thursday flew over Taiwan's capital, and five landed in the waters of Japan's exclusive economic zone, reports Reuters. Analysts said the firing of missiles into Japanese waters "sent a warning to both the United States and Japan about coming to the aid of Taiwan in the event of a conflict there," per the New York Times. After a meeting with Pelosi in Tokyo, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called for an immediate halt to the military exercises. Taiwan has had a separate government from mainland China since 1949, when the Republic of China government retreated to the island following defeats by Communist forces, but Beijing still claims it as its territory and has long vowed that reunification will happen by force if necessary. (Read more Nancy Pelosi stories.) (Newser) Albert Woodfox, a member of the "Angola Three" who was thought to have spent more time in solitary confinement than any other person in US history, has died at the age of 75, reports the Guardian. Woodfox's brother and legal team said he died of complications from COVID. Per the Washington Post, Woodfox was sent to prison in Louisiana in 1965 for armed robbery after the killing of prison guard Brent Miller and then placed in solitary in 1972, where he remained until he was released from prison in 2016a total of 43 years, 10 months in a 6x9-foot cell for 23 hours a day. After he found himself once more in the outside world, Woodfox immersed himself in speaking out against solitary confinement and championing other prison reforms and racial justice, traveling domestically and around the world to educate others. In a 2020 interview with the Post, Woodfox noted that even though "our cells were meant to be death chambers ... we turned them into high schools, universities, debate halls, [and] law schools." He also said that what he endured "made me a better man, a better human being." Woodfox's 2019 memoir, Solitary, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Citing stats from the American Friends Service Committee, the Post notes that more than 80,000 children and adults remain in solitary confinement in prisons across the US. Woodfox served his time in the Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola Prison, and he and and two other long-serving inmates were known as the Angola Three. Read more on Woodfox's extraordinary tale of isolation here. (Read more Albert Woodfox stories.) (Newser) Police in Nebraska say an arrest has been made in the deaths of four people who were found dead in two burning homes in a small town. After receiving a 911 call around 3am Thursday about an explosion and fire in Laurel, a town of around 1,000 people in the northeast of the state, one body was found in a home, Cedar County authorities say. While fire crews and law enforcement were at the scene of that fire, another fire was reported three blocks away and three more bodies were found, reports the Omaha World-Herald. After examining the burned-out homes, police said "gunfire played a part in the incidents at both homes." Early Friday, police arrested 42-year-old Jason Jones, who lives across the street from the first victim found. Jones, arrested on suspicion of homicide, is hospitalized with serious burns, say authorities. Col. John Bolduc of the Nebraska State Patrol said it was too early to discuss a motive, and he did not shed any light on the relationship between the suspect and the victims. They have been identified as Gene Twiford, 85; Janet Twiford, 86; Dan Twiford, 55; and Michelle Ebeling, 53, per Fox News. Eberling lived at the first residence and the Twifords at the second. James Roberts, owner of Laurel's Hometown Market, says the deaths have stunned the "tight-knit" community. "Stuff like this doesn't happen in this town," Roberts tells CNN. "Everybody here knows everybody." The AP reports that after the bodies were found, police recommended a "voluntary lockdown" Thursday and schools and businesses limited access for the day. (Read more Nebraska stories.) (Newser) News last month of an unvaccinated man in New York's Rockland County contracting polio and suffering paralysis was soon followed by reports of the virus being found in wastewater there. Now, nearby Orange County has also turned up polio in its sewage, in samples taken from two different locations in June and July, per CNBC. The findings "further indicate potential community spread" and "underscore the urgency of every New York adult and child getting immunized against polio, especially those in the greater New York metropolitan area," the state's Department of Health notes. What all of this means is that the one polio case so farthe first reported case in the US in nearly a decademay be "just the tip of the iceberg," New York Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett says in a statement, per the New York Times. She adds: "Based on earlier polio outbreaks, New Yorkers should know that for every one case of paralytic polio observed, there may be hundreds of other people infected." State and local health authorities say the Rockland County patient who ended up hospitalized with polio was infected by someone who'd received the oral polio vaccine. Officials stress that that version of the vaccine, which contains a weakened version of the virus, hasn't been administered in the US for more than two decades, meaning the virus currently making the rounds in New York likely originated abroad. No cases have originated in the US since 1979, after which the nation was declared polio-free. In regard to the recent developments, the CDC notes that 99% of those who've received the vaccine that doesn't contain any live virusthe only type given in the US since 2000are protected, per NBC New York. Health officials are urging New Yorkers to make sure they and their children have been immunized, as the virus can wreak havoc among the unvaccinated, ranging from flulike symptoms to life-threatening ones, as well as paralysis. Most American adults were vaccinated as kids, though people at higher risk of exposure could be eligible for booster shots. "If you're vaccinated, you don't have to worry," Dr. Paul Offit of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia tells the Times, which offers an explainer on what to know about polio and the latest news. (Read more polio stories.) (Newser) A man shot three people, killing one, inside the Mirage Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip before escaping Thursday, accordion to police. Officers responded to a room on the 8th floor within a minute of receiving a 911 call around 8:30pm local time, CNN reports. A man was pronounced dead inside the room while two women were taken to the hospital in critical condition. "There was an altercation that happened in the room between four individuals we believe all known to each other," Capt. Dori Koren said at an overnight briefing, per KVVU. "During that altercation, the one individual shot the three other individuals." Footage showed a security guard keeping people from leaving or entering the hotel as police responded, per Fox News. Police later said the shooter remained at large following the "isolated event." "He is a black male adult, a little heavier set," Koren said, adding police were confident the case would be solved. (Read more Las Vegas stories.) (Newser) A new study offering some of the best evidence yet for ancient long-necked reptiles living in freshwater lakes has been seized upon by believers in the Loch Ness Monster. Plesiosaurs, small-headed beasts with flippers that disappeared from the fossil record 66 million years ago, certainly inhabited Earth's oceans. There is also evidence of them visiting freshwater lakes. But this new study, based on fossils representing a dozen plesiosaurs in a 100-million-year-old river system in what is now Morocco, indicates they spent a good amount of time in freshwater, per USA Today. "It's even possible that the plesiosaurs were permanent residents of the river, like modern river dolphins," according to a release. For believers in Nessie, that only fuels the decades-old claim that the alleged monster in Scotland's Loch Ness is a surviving plesiosaur. The release notes the theory might be "plausible" if plesiosaurs hadn't gone extinct with the dinosaurs. But George Edwards, a former tourism boat operator on Loch Ness who says he's seen families of creatures resembling plesiosaurs, claims the creatures could have survived for millions of years unnoticed just like the coelacantha bony fish that was thought to have gone extinct with the dinosaurs before one was discovered alive in 1938, per the New York Times. Lead study author Nick Longrich of the University of Bath says that may be fun to ponder, but the reality is that Loch Ness formed 10,000 years ago, long after plesiosaurs vanished. At 20 square miles in size, the loch is also far too small a space to support such a large marine reptile, which could grow up to 40 feet long, Longrich says. "It's conspicuous. It has to surface and breathe air. If they existed, people would see them come up for air," the paleontologist tells USA Today, perhaps overlooking the fact that there have been more than 1,100 reported sightings of a monster at Loch Ness. Still, coauthor Dave Martill says the study, published in the journal Cretaceous Research, is fascinating even without a tie to Nessie. "What amazes me is that the ancient Moroccan river contained so many carnivores all living alongside each other," including crocodiles, fish, and the huge aquatic dinosaur spinosaurus, he says in the release. (Other theories claim Nessie to be an eel or catfish.) (Newser) An angry note John Lennon penned to Paul McCartney after the breakup of the Beatles has resurfaced on the auction block. Lennon sent one copy of the three-page typed letter dated Nov. 24, 1971, to McCartney and another to Richard Williams, the editor of British music magazine Melody Maker, urging him to publish it, which he did, per TMZ. It is this copyincluding Lennon's handwritten notes and signaturethat is expected to fetch up to $40,000 in a Gotta Have Rock and Roll auction this month. The letter came in response to an interview McCartney gave to Melody Maker, a little over a year after the Beatles split, in which he spoke critically of his former band members, who were arguing about money, and stated he didn't like any of Lennon's records but Imagine. "I just want the four of us to get together somewhere and sign a piece of paper saying it's all over and we want to divide the money four ways but John won't do it," McCartney said. "Everybody thinks I am the aggressor but I'm not," he added. To which Lennon responded: "It's all very well, playing 'simple honest ole Paul' in Melody Maker but you know damn well we can't just sign a bit of paper. You say, 'John won't do it.' I will if you indemnify us against the tax man!" He implored McCartney to first meet him without lawyers. "As we've said many times, we'll meet whenever you like but you refused," he wrote. "You said under NO CONDITION would you sell to us if we didn't do what you wanted, you'd sue us again and that Ringo and George are going to break you John." "If YOU'RE not the aggressor (as you claim) who the hell took us to court and shat all over us in public?" Lennon added. Before signing off with "no hard feelings," he referenced McCartney's criticism of Lennon's albums as too political. "Your politics are very similar to Mary Whitehouse's'Saying nothing is as loud as saying something,'" he wrote. The letter, "at times acrimonious, at times thoughtful and pleading," is "an incredible insight into the relationship of John and Paul, not just during the break-up and the aftermath, but really the deepness of their entire friendship," according to the auction house. There are no bids yet on the letter, which carries a minimum bid of $20,000. The auction, including a pair of Lennon's reading glasses and other Beatles items, wraps up Aug. 19. (Read more Beatles stories.) (Newser) A retired police lieutenant enlisted to teach library officers how to use extendable batons shot and killed one of his pupils in Washington, DC, on Thursday, according to police. Jesse Porter, 58, is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Maurica Manyan, 25, of Indian Head, Md., a police rep tells the Washington Post. Metropolitan Police said Porter, a professional trainer who retired from the police department in November 2020, was contracted by the Anacostia Neighborhood Library in southeast Washington to provide training to officers on the use of extendable batons and it wasn't clear why a live firearm was involved, let alone used. Police Chief Robert J. Contee III said Manyan was shot toward the end of the training session as she, Porter, and about four other library police officers were gathered in a meeting room. "The instructor discharged a single round from a firearm which struck the decedent," according to a police statement. "Not sure, in this situation, why the trainer had a live weapon in a training environment but its not good practice to do that," Contee added at a press conference. Manyan wasn't breathing when police responded to the scene shortly after 3:30pm and was later pronounced dead at a hospital, per WTTG. Police said Porter was arrested and charged later Thursday after "consultation with the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia." (Read more shooting death stories.) (Newser) Israel unleashed a wave of airstrikes in Gaza on Friday, killing at least eight people, including a senior militant, and wounding another 40, according to Palestinian officials. Israel said it was targeting the Islamic Jihad militant group in response to an "imminent threat" following the arrest of a senior militant in the occupied West Bank earlier this week. The strikes risk igniting yet another war in the territory, which is ruled by the Islamic militant group Hamas and is home to about 2 million Palestinians. The assassination of a senior militant appeared likely to draw rocket fire from Gaza, pushing the sides closer to all-out war. A blast could be heard in Gaza City, where smoke poured out of the seventh floor of a tall building on Friday afternoon, per the AP. The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the toll, saying a 5-year-old girl was among those killed. It didn't say whether the others were militants or civilians. Islamic Jihad said Taiseer al-Jabari, its commander for northern Gaza, was among those killed. He'd succeeded another militant killed in an airstrike in 2019. An Israeli military spokesman said it launched the strikes in response to an "imminent threat" from two militant squads armed with anti-tank missiles. The spokesman said al-Jabari was deliberately targeted and had been responsible for "multiple attacks" on Israel. The military also announced a "special situation" on the homefront, with schools closed and limits placed on other activities in communities within 50 miles of the border. Islamic Jihad is smaller than Hamas, but both groups are opposed to Israel's existence and have carried out scores of deadly attacks over the years. It's unclear how much control Hamas has over Islamic Jihad, and Israel holds Hamas responsible for all attacks emanating from Gaza. "The Israeli government will not allow terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to ... threaten the citizens of the State of Israel," Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement. A Hamas rep said, "the Israeli enemy, who started the escalation against Gaza and committed a new crime, must pay the price and bear full responsibility for it." (Read more Gaza Strip stories.) (Newser) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government has decided not to wait for Parliament, which is recessed until September, to take up a ban on importing handguns into Canada. A temporary ban will take effect Aug. 19, imposed through regulatory steps, and last until legislators act on Trudeau's full proposal, CTV News reports. "Nearly all" Canadians and businesses will be blocked from importing handguns, officials said. That will in effect cap the number of the weapons in Canada at existing levels, per the Washington Post, because the great majority of them were imported. Handguns "have one purpose and one purpose only," Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said Friday in making the announcement, "and that is to kill people." The quick enactment of the ban is designed to keep stores and consumers from stocking up, an official said. But sales have jumped since Trudeau announced the legislation in May, per the Toronto Star. One gun shop owner said in June that sales had more than tripled. "We sold over a couple of hundred handguns in three days," she said. Despite general support for gun control, there are complaints that the handgun ban hurts law-abiding owners without stopping the illegal smuggling of guns across the US border. Toronto's police chief has said about 80% of the guns used in violent crimes are smuggled in. It's difficult for Canada to shrink the supply when a neighbor has guns so widely available. "The crime guns that we seize in Toronto have been banned since the mid-'90s," a Toronto police spokesman said. "But those guns are still available in the US." The survivor of a 1989 school shooting in Montreal agreed that the ban won't stop the sale of handguns. "However, this is a significant and creative measure that will unquestionably slow the expansion of the Canadian handgun market until" the larger measure is approved, said Nathalie Provost. (Read more Canada stories.) Five things you might not know about the Purple Heart Qatar yet to respond to Bahrain's calls but doors are still open, says Foreign Minister Qatar yet to respond to Bahrain's calls but doors are still open, says Foreign Minister TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrain's Foreign Minister yesterday expressed the keenness of Bahrain on continuing its brotherly ties with Qatar, saying that the "doors are still open for dialogue." Bahrain, Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, has invited our brothers in Qatar for talks on multiple occasions to settle "outstanding issues." However, "the State of Qatar has not responded to the calls made by Bahrain so far," said the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Bahrain took the initiative following the decision made at Al Ula, the minister said, adding that Kingdom wants stability, growth and prosperity to prevail in the region. "It's not right to leave pending matters without taking action," the minister said. "Therefore, the responsibility rests with the brothers in Qatar who failed to acknowledge the invitations addressed to them by the Kingdom," the minister said, stressing the need for talks on matters including Bahraini fishermen, maritime coordination, aviation and others. "We still hope Qatar will respond to Kingdom's call to settle contentious issues through dialogue and direct negotiations," the minister said. The minister also appreciated the response of Qatar to Bahrain's decision to allow entry to all GCC citizens using ID cards or passports without any prior arrangements. The minister was speaking during a meeting with editors of local newspapers. On GCC security, the minister, citing the directive of HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, said it is a great challenge that requires close cooperation. "It's for which the summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council has called for financial and monetary unity between member states by 2025," the minister stressed. In this regard, the minister also pointed out that peace, sustainable development, and human rights are the pillars of Bahrain's foreign policy. The minister also stressed the importance of the speech made by HM the King at the Jeddah Summit, which highlighted the need for stabilising energy prices and supporting initiatives aimed at exporting grain and wheat. Bahrain, the minister said, believes that sanctions are not a way to solve problems. "Solutions to problems can form only at the dialogue table and through peaceful efforts." The minister also expressed his satisfaction at the restarting of grain export from Russia and Ukraine. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com A Bahrain judge has sentenced a man, an Asian national designated as a drug lord, to 10 years in prison. The High Criminal Court also awarded ten years to another man who, police said, was a delivery agent for the drug lord. The court also slapped a fine of BD10,000 each on both of them. Three other men implicated in the same case received a much lighter sentence of six months in prison on charges of drug abuse. Police said they arrested the suspects following a tip-off received. The information said that a group of men are peddling heroin in Bahrain. After verifying the correctness of the information, police said they assigned an undercover agent to get in touch with the suspects. The agent posing as a buyer approached the suspects and established a relationship. After winning their confidence, the agent also placed a BD50 worth order with them and agreed to make the payment at a place of choice. On the day of the deal, even though police waited for the first suspect, setting a trap, the drug lord didn't come. Instead, he sent the second suspect with the drugs to complete the deal. Police took him into custody as soon as he handed over the heroin to the undercover agent and took the money. During interrogation, officers said the suspect confessed to his crimes and revealed the whereabouts of the main suspect. After securing a warrant, police raided the man's hiding and detained him alongside three others. The trio turned out positive for using drugs during a medical examination. The court also ordered the deportation of all the men after completing jail terms. Transit points According to the United Nations, Turkey acts as a prominent transit country for heroin. The UN report also refers to the high levels of amphetamine seizures in recent years. The report says amphetamine seizures from countries in the Middle East continue to refer predominantly to tablets bearing the Captagon logo. The nature of the psychoactive ingredients in such tablets is not always clear, but reports suggest that amphetamine trafficked from SouthEast Europe is the main ingredient in Captagon tablets found in the Middle East, frequently alongside caffeine. Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Syria serve as important transit points, the report adds. In North Africa, large seizures of cannabis herb are reported from Morocco. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com A woman charged in Bahrain for performing indecent acts in public will spend a month behind bars. However, the court acquitted her of misusing telecommunication devices and social media. The court also acquitted a second suspect, an Arab man, charged along with the woman. However, Public Prosecution said they are preparing to file an appeal against the sentence. The woman landed in police custody after she uploaded a video clip of her immoral acts online, which gained viral status in no time. The video, shot in Bahrain, showed the woman in a compromising position contrary to modesty and public morals. Police also quickly located the woman matching the video description and took her into custody for investigative purposes. The prosecutors told the judges that during interrogation she admitted to posting the clips online. Police had also taken into custody a man who allegedly imported the dress worn by the woman in the video. The woman told police that she came to Bahrain to work as a DJ in hotels following an agreement signed with a Bahraini man. The woman confessed to shooting the clip and uploading it on her Snapchat account. She told police that she purchased the dress worn by her in the video from the Arab man. However, he denied the accusation and said that he had imported the dress as two pieces, and it was not supposed to be worn in the way she had worn it in the video. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Cyber attacks targeting Bahrainis have rocketed up in the second quarter of this year by a concerning 188%, says a new report, especially by targeting people with vacation opportunities abroad, as pandemic-induced restrictions eased. While the vacation season is high, scammers are trying to lure travellers looking for interesting places to go, cheap places to stay and reasonably priced flights, the report warns. The attacks related to data loss threats phishing and scam/ social engineering compare to records from a year-ago quarter, says the latest analysis by Kaspersky. Kaspersky, a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997, says they recorded 735,244 phishing attacks in Bahrain in Q2. Kaspersky said its 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 META (Middle East, Turkey and Africa) 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, comments Mikhail Sytnik, a security expert at Kaspersky. 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 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, adds Sytnik. Kaspersky Lab is a Russian multinational cybersecurity and anti-virus provider headquartered in Moscow, Russia, and operated by a holding company in the United Kingdom. Common traps The cybersecurity service provider points out that social engineering, sometimes called human hacking scams, is used to trick people into entering personal information, including bank account passwords, payment card details, or login details for social media accounts. In the wrong hands, this opens doors to various malicious operations, such as money theft or corporate networks being compromised, Kaspersky says. The report also points out phishing as a strong attack method done on a large scale. Attackers send massive waves of emails under the name of legitimate institutions and promote fake pages while deploying a variety of tricks to bypass email blockings. A common technique is HTML attachments with partially or fully obfuscated code. HTML files allow attackers to use scripts and obfuscate malicious content to make it harder to detect and send phishing pages as attachments instead of links. Peru's president calls on political parties to help create "broad-based" cabinet Xinhua) 10:47, August 05, 2022 LIMA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Peruvian President Pedro Castillo on Thursday called on the country's political parties to help his government form a new "broad-based" cabinet, following the resignation of Anibal Torres as prime minister. "I am opening up this space to other political parties so we can once and for all form a broad-based cabinet to work for Peru," Castillo said. Castillo said he would name a new prime minister later in the day and swear in the new cabinet on Friday. It would be the fifth time the president has appointed a new cabinet since he took office on July 28, 2021. Torres announced his resignation on Wednesday, saying that for "personal reasons" he planned to return to teaching at university. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Japans minister for gender equality and childrens issues, Seiko Noda, said that the countrys male-dominated parliament has treated its dramatic population decline with indifference and ignorance. Noda warned Japan faces an existential crisis that many politicians are reluctant to address head-on. Japan has one of the worst gender gaps in the world, thanks to a culture that often forces women to choose between children and career. As a result, one in four women say they have no interest in marriage, citing concerns that they alone will be tasked with raising a family. ... continue reading This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN, TEXAS After four hours of deliberation, a jury awarded two Sandy Hook parents defamed by Alex Jones $45.2 million in punitive damages Friday. The figure falls shorts of the $150 million the parents sought, but brings total damages owed to the parents to $49.3 million when the $4.1 million from an initial verdict on Thursday is included. Thats on top of about $1.5 million in sanctions Jones had already been ordered to pay. As the judge read the verdict, their attorneys shook the hands of Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, parents to 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, who was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. One attorney gave Lewis a hug. I think hes (Jones) been held accountable, Lewis said afterward to reporters. And I am hoping that he really takes this to heart because in the end love is a choice, and what hes putting out there lies, hatred, fear thats a choice too, and I think sometimes we have to have the awareness to have a choice, and I hope going forward that he will choose love. Jones was not in the courtroom when the verdict was read. His attorney Andino Reynal immediately challenged the verdict, invoking a state law that caps damages for certain cases at $750,000 for each plaintiff. I'm sure the judgment will properly conform with the laws of Texas in that regard, Judge Maya Guerra Gamble told Reynal. The award comes one day after the same jury required Jones to pay the parents $4.1 million for intentional infliction of mental anguish they endured during years of Jones Infowars broadcasts that claimed the death of their son Jesse in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings was a hoax committed by crisis actors. The trial that concluded Wednesday focused on how much the jury would award for intentional infliction of mental anguish to the parents, who claimed Jones lies are causing fear, anxiety and post-traumatic stress, on top of the grief that comes with losing a child. Jurors then heard testimony about Jones net worth on Friday. The parents requested $150 million total $1 in compensation and $1 in punishment for the estimated 75 million Americans who experts claim dont believe or doubt the shooting occurred. The parents have said their goal is to punish Jones for his lies in the hope that he and others will think twice about promoting conspiracy theories. They won their defamation lawsuit last year against Jones, who promoted repeatedly that the Sandy Hook shootings that killed their son Jesse were staged or a government cover up. I got to look into his (Jones) eyes and I got to tell him what the impact of his actions had on me and my family, and not just us, but all the others and all the people that live in Sandy Hook and the ripple effect that had through the world, Lewis said. She took the stand on Wednesday in an emotional testimony that included video footage of her son. That was a cathartic moment for me, to literally watch that video that had clips of Jesse running after all the times he said Jesse didnt exist, to make him sit there and watch that, it was a beautiful moment, she said Friday. After the verdict, Lewis and Heslin hung around the fifth floor of the courthouse, smiling and taking photos with their attorneys. We did exactly what we came to accomplish, said Wesley Todd Ball, one of their attorneys. Speaking to reporters afterward, Reynal said that the punitive award should be capped at $1.5 million in total under Texas law, and that he would make such arguments to the court. In the meantime, he said, Jones would continue broadcasting his show for the foreseeable future. "He's going to keep doing his job holding the power structure accountable," Reynal said, according to KEYE-TV in Austin. Jones company Free Speech Systems, which is also liable in the case, filed for bankruptcy last week, a day after Jones sued the company to be held harmless in any jury award. The Austin case has been called groundbreaking in that the acts of defamation occurred over the span of years. Jones will next face similar defamation damages trials in Connecticut and Texas involving other families who lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook massacre. Battle continues But the fight to hold Jones accountable will continue with sanctions and a battle to keep the verdict intact, their attorney said. After Reynal said he would challenge the amount of damages the jury determined, Attorney Mark Bankston, representing Heslin and Lewis, pointed out several objections he would be filing on how Jones and Reynal handled the trial, accusing the defense of trying to hide, destroy and tamper with evidence, and then tell a jury that it's our fault for not having it. Reynal also attempted to get the judge to require Bankston to turn over volumes of text messages his office had inadvertently sent to the plaintiffs. The Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 Attack on the United States Capitol has asked Bankston for the texts as part of their work, he said Thursday. Im not getting between you and Congress, Gamble told Bankston when Reynal argued that the data should be returned to the defense. Gamble gave her blessing for the records to go the Jan. 6 committee, with the exception of any confidential medical information, though Reynal objected, arguing Bankston had surprised the defense with the contents of the phone during testimony. We became aware of the inadvertent disclosure while Mr. Jones was on the stand, Reynal said. Thats not true, Gamble replied. You're the one who gave me the email that showed me that you had known about it 12 days earlier. Reynal countered that it was their position, and said it was her prerogative to disagree, at which Gamble laughed. I disagree with the written word in front of me, she said. Yes, that's right. The materials included psychiatric evaluations of other Sandy Hook parents who sued Jones for defamation, a mistake that led a Connecticut judge to require Reynal and Attorney Norm Pattis, another lawyer representing Jones in Connecticut, to appear in court to discuss the issue in the next few weeks. Bankston said Thursday that the cell phone records also include intimate messages with Rogers Stone, an ally of former President Donald Trump who was subpoenaed alongside Jones by the Jan. 6 committee last year. Shortly after the verdict, Stone was seen in an Infowars video urging viewers to donate to support Jones. Jones net worth Jurors heard additional testimony on Friday from an economist who estimated Alex Jones net worth was up to $270 million. That testimony was meant to help them determine the punitive damages Jones and his parent company, Free Speech Systems, must pay. Jones took to his Infowars platform Thursday night to discuss the initial $4.1 million verdict which he called a major victory for truth. Thats more money than my company or I personally have, but we are going to work on trying to make restitution there, Jones said on his Infowars platform after the verdict was read. What I did to those families was wrong, but I didnt do it on purpose, Jones said before giving his audience a pitch to send money to keep Infowars on the air. Were in bankruptcy, were all maxed out, and then added, if you dont fund us, if you dont buy products (from his platform) we will shut down. In the first phase of deliberations, the jury decided compensation for Heslin for the loss of his reputation for Infowars coverage that occurred in 2017 including a report questioning whether he held his son in the hours after he died. The 12-member jury also had to decide how much Heslin and Lewis should receive for the intentional infliction of mental anguish caused by Jones false reports that spanned from 2013 to 2018. The second phase was based on the same incidents of defamation. But the jury had to come back with a unanimous verdict that took into consideration Jones net worth. Jones is probably worth between $135 million to $270 million and has been siphoning money from his main company, Free Speech Systems for years, especially after he lost three defamation lawsuits by default in 2021, according to an expert paid by two Sandy Hook parents in their lawsuit for damages. Jones withdrew $65 million in September 2021 after Gamble ruled that he had lost the lawsuits to Sandy Hook families by default for not complying with court orders, said forensic economist Bernard Francis Pettingill, Jr. on the stand in a Texas courthouse on Friday. Choose Love The parents plan to put the money toward the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement, the nonprofit started by Lewis following her sons death. The nonprofit provides social and emotional learning programs for schools across the globe. This money will help us be able to have an even greater impact, this is one of the most powerful ways to keep kids safe in schools," Lewis said. This will enable us to get to the point where we will be able to offer this comprehensive program on an individual basis for about one penny, which has been my dream, she added.My dream is that every child gets these essential life skills that are a direct path to flourishing and this will enable us to do that. When asked by a reporter whether she got through to Jones, Lewis said theres a possibility. He knows hes been sent a very strong message, she said. He's been held accountable for what he's done in my case so I hope he makes the right choice going forward. Staff writers John Moritz and Jordan Fenster contributed to this story. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) Now that WNBA star Brittney Griner has been convicted of drug possession and sentenced to nine years in prison, attention turns to the prospect of a prisoner swap between the United States and Russia that could get her home. Secretary of State Antony Blinken went public with that possibility last week, revealing in an unusual announcement that the U.S. had made a substantial proposal aimed at securing the release of Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan. With her court case concluded and her sentence pronounced, such a deal assuming one can be reached with the Russians is Griner's best chance of being freed early. Though the guilty verdict was seen as a foregone conclusion, the imposition of a sentence her lawyers decried as far longer than average could give the U.S. extra impetus to strike a deal palatable to Russia as soon as possible. And the formal end of the court case could be the opening both sides need to forge a diplomatic resolution, too. A look at what's at stake: WHAT DID THE U.S. OFFER? Blinken did not specify the terms other than to describe the offer as substantial and something that he intended to discuss with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. A person familiar with the situation said that the U.S. offered to release Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms dealer serving a 25-year prison sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons to Colombias former FARC guerrilla army. At the time of his conviction, the group was classified by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization, though that designation was lifted last year. The officials did wind up speaking by phone last Friday, the highest-level known contact between the two sides since Russia invaded Ukraine. They are also in Cambodia for meetings involving foreign ministers of Southeast Asian countries. WHAT HAS BEEN THE RUSSIAN RESPONSE? Minimal, at least in public. Blinken did not provide details after his call with Lavrov about his response. The Russians gave no hint about their interest in the offer, other than a statement chiding the U.S. to pursue the Americans freedom through quiet diplomacy, without releases of speculative information. On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Russian government had responded in a bad faith manner with an offer that U.S. officials did not regard as serious. She did not elaborate, though CNN reported last week that Moscow also wanted the release of a former colonel from one of its spy agencies who was convicted of murder in Germany last year. WOULD THERE BE A PRECEDENT FOR A PRISONER SWAP? In many ways, yes and a recent one too. In April, Russia traded Marine veteran Trevor Reed, convicted of a physical altercation with police in Moscow, for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot imprisoned for a cocaine trafficking conspiracy. Yet that involved a Russian with far less notoriety than Bout, a former Soviet air force officer who once inspired a Hollywood movie and who earned the nickname the Merchant of Death over allegations that he supplied weapons used for civil wars in countries around the globe. He has adamantly maintained his innocence. But there's not much recent precedent for public discussions of prisoner swaps, at least by the U.S. government, before the deal is done and planes are in the air. That's what made Blinken's announcement from the State Department briefing room all the more striking. On one hand, it seemed intended to communicate to the public that the administration will do whatever it needs to do to bring home wrongfully detained Americans. But such a public overture also risks weakening the administration's negotiating hand to the extent it makes the U.S. look overly desperate for a deal, or signals to other countries that it is willing to meet potentially unreasonable demands. SO WILL THE DEAL TAKE PLACE? It's hard to say, but the contact between Blinken and Lavrov does suggest more progress than has been made before. It also reinforces the idea that the two countries are willing to maintain communication despite extraordinary tensions related to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Griner is the most prominent American detained by a foreign country. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist detained since February when police said they found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage at an airport in Moscow. And though some Republicans including former President Donald Trump have expressed opposition to a deal, the conviction and sentence will only ramp up pressure on the administration to reach an agreement that can get her out soon. Todays sentencing of Brittney Griner was severe by Russian legal standards and goes to prove what we have known all along, that Brittney is being used as a political pawn, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, Griner's agent, tweeted Thursday. She said getting a deal done for Griner and Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive imprisoned on an espionage conviction he and his family says is baseless, may be difficult but it is urgent and the right thing to do. The U.S. government also regards Whelan as wrongfully convicted. For their part, Russian authorities have suggested that they regard a conviction as basically a prerequisite for a prisoner swap. On Thursday, President Joe Biden again urged Russia to release Griner immediately. My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible, he said in a statement. ___ Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP NEWTOWN A Connecticut man was able to sell a lakefront property he didnt own to an unsuspecting buyer because his name was strikingly similar to the rightful owners, investigators said in an arrest warrant. In a court filing, Newtown police allege that Edwin Robert Lewis III sold the Bankside Trail property in July 2021 to a Southbury resident for $65,000. The property was appraised at close to $260,000, according to town records referenced in the filing. Last week, Lewis, 61, was charged with second-degree money laundering, first-degree identity theft, first-degree larceny, criminal impersonation and second-degree forgery, Newtown police said. Reached by phone Thursday, Lewis referred questions to his attorney. The Willington mans attorney, Christopher Cerami, said Lewis plans to plead not guilty to the charges and we intend to present evidence in the appropriate forum to confirm his not guilty plea. Newtown investigators were alerted to the alleged fraudulent sale on Aug. 24, 2021, when the legitimate owner of the property reported a potential identity theft, according to the warrant for Lewis arrest. The owner, a man in his 60s who lives in Massachusetts, told police the lakeside property was an investment containing a home that was uninhabitable. The owner said he considered selling the property in the past, but never listed or offered it for sale, the warrant stated. However, the owner told police he heard from neighbors in Newtown that a man had been visiting the property and introducing himself as the new owner, the warrant stated. An attorney for the property owner who represented him in a civil proceeding over the sale could not immediately be reached for comment. Land records showed the property had been sold in July 2021 to a Southbury man for $65,000, the warrant stated. The Southbury man in his 30s, told investigators he was an entrepreneur who wanted to purchase land on Lake Zoar, according to the warrant. He told police he found the Bankside Trail home that appeared vacant and abandoned, and talked to neighbors who told him the owner considered selling the property, but it was not on the market, the warrant stated. The buyer told police he contacted a real estate agent, who gave him paperwork that listed several telephone numbers for the owner of the Bankside Trail home, the warrant stated. The buyer called the first number listed, which was for Lewis, and said he was looking to purchase the property, the warrant stated. Lewis identified himself as the propertys owner and agreed to sell it for $65,000, the warrant stated. The propertys actual appraised value, according to Newtown land records, was $258,537, the warrant stated. Police believe Lewis obtained a notarized deed from a bank in South Windsor on July 21, 2021, according to the warrant. It is believed that since the fraudulent seller ... and actual property owner ... have such similar names, the notary believed Lewis was the person listed on the property deed, the warrant stated. A sale and wire transfer for the property was completed on July 27, 2021, the warrant stated. The owner of the property filed a lawsuit against Lewis and the buyer in state Superior Court, requesting a judge to issue decrees naming him the rightful property owner and the buyers claim to the property null and void. He also asked for unspecified damages. The owner later removed the buyer from the suit. The court also issued a default judgment against Lewis on April 14 for failure to appear, civil court filings show. Police allege that the more than $62,000 Lewis received from the sale was funneled through an intermediary account controlled by another person before he deposited the proceeds under a different final amount in his personal bank account, according to the warrant. That was done to obfuscate the source of the fraudulent proceeds, the warrant stated. Lewis was released on $150,000 bond. Hes due to appear in court on Aug. 11. Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the sale and wire transfer for the property was completed on July 27, 2021. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) The white man who fatally shot Ahmaud Arbery after chasing the running Black man in a Georgia neighborhood says he fears he will be killed by fellow inmates if he's sent to a state prison to serve a life sentence for murder. Travis McMichael, 36, faces sentencing Monday in U.S. District Court after his conviction on federal hate crime charges in February. His defense attorney filed a legal motion Thursday asking the judge to keep McMichael in federal custody. Attorney Amy Lee Copeland argued McMichael has received hundreds of threats and won't be safe in a Georgia state prison system that is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department amid concerns about violence between inmates. On Feb. 23, 2020, McMichael and his father, Greg McMichael, armed themselves with guns and jumped in a pickup truck to chase Arbery after he ran past their home just outside the port city of Brunswick. A neighbor, William Roddie Bryan, joined the chase in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael blasting Arbery with a shotgun. The killing of Arbery became part of a larger national reckoning over racial injustice amid other high-profile killings of unarmed Black people including George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky. In Georgia, the McMichaels and Bryan were sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of Arbery's murder in a state court last fall. They have remained in a county jail in custody of U.S. marshals since standing trial in February in federal court, where a jury convicted them of hate crimes. Each defendant now faces a potential second life sentence. Once the men are sentenced Monday by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood, protocol would be to turn them over the Georgia Department of Corrections to serve their prison terms for murder. That's because they were first arrested and tried by state authorities. For Travis McMichael, his concern is that he will promptly be killed upon delivery to the state prison system for service of that sentence, Copeland wrote in her sentencing request. He has received numerous threats of death that are credible in light of all circumstances. Copeland said she has alerted Georgia's corrections agency, which has replied that these threats are unverified and that it can securely house McMichael in state custody. Greg McMichael, 66, has also asked the judge to put him in federal rather than state prison, citing safety concerns and health problems. Arbery's family family has insisted the McMichaels and Bryan should serve their sentences in a state prison, arguing a federal penitentiary wouldnt be as tough. His parents objected forcefully before the federal trial when both McMichaels sought a plea deal that would have included a request to transfer them to federal prison. The judge ended up rejecting the plea agreement. Granting these men their preferred choice of confinement would defeat me, Arberys mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, told the judge at a hearing Jan. 31. It gives them one last chance to spit in my face. A federal judge doesn't have the authority to order a state to relinquish its lawful custody of inmates to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, said Ed Tarver, an Augusta lawyer and former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. She can certainly make that request," Tarver said of the judge, "and it would be up to the state Department of Corrections whether or not they agree to do that. Copeland's court filing refers to a prior agreement between the judge, prosecutors and defense attorneys to keep the McMichaels and Bryan in federal custody "through the completion of the federal trial and any post-trial proceedings. She argued that means Travis McMichael should at least remain in federal custody through appeals of his hate crime conviction. Willamette Valley, Oregon, $25 Thin-skinned, prone to sunburn, and loved by birds, French native pinot noir is considered by many winemakers to be the most finicky of grapes. Add to that its propensity to genetically mutate, and youve got yourself one challenging grape to grow. Fortunately, the glorious wines produced from pinot noir (and its mutations) justify the journey. This bright ruby wine opens with aromas of raspberries and rhubarb, lifted by violet notes. The texture is silky and effortless. Succulent plums are pursued by ripe raspberries which reach a tart crescendo before mellowing to strawberries and cream on the finish. Judicious use of neutral oak rounds out the mouth without posing a distraction. The original artwork for the eye-catching label on this elegant offering was created in 100 percent beeswax by a local artist. Pair it with: pan-seared salmon with fried leek strings, pork chops with corn salsa, and herb-roasted chicken with ratatouille. Hugel & Fils Pinot Gris Classic, 2018 Alsace, France, $25 Thought to date back to the Middle Ages in its native France, pinot gris was the first mutation of pinot noir to hit the global stage. And while many consumers may be more familiar with this international grape as pinot grigio from Italy, the Alsatian expressions of pinot gris absolutely shine. A rich shade of gold in the glass, the aromatics on this dry yet fruity wine are full and enticing, with an initial note of marzipan, followed by white nectarine, peach, tropical fruits and honeysuckle. The mouthfeel is both unctuous and bright, showcasing yellow apple and Meyer lemons, while the finish is all guava with a delightful zing of grated, freshly harvested ginger root. This wine craves food and will elevate a variety of fresh summer fare. Pair it with: sole meuniere, fish tacos with avocado, and panko-crusted crab cakes with roasted pepper-chive aioli. Terlano Pinot Bianco Tradition, 2021 Alto Adige, Italy, $24 Although the exact timing and whereabouts of the discovery of pinot blanc is still a subject of some debate, this genetic mutation of pinot noir is somewhat less well known than pinot gris, but enjoys an excellent reputation in a variety of regions, including Northern Italy, where it is called pinot bianco. The sunny yellow-gold hue of this wine is the embodiment of a perfect summers day. Typically a very aromatic variety, the nose does not disappoint. Tropical fruits, pears and peaches tantalize the senses. The palate is dry but fruity, a melange of exotic fruit flavors tempered by a hint of crushed gravel. The abundant fruit gives way to vegetal notes redolent of shishito peppers on the finish. Juicy acidity and a lightly creamy mouthfeel create perfect harmonic balance. Pair it with: Italian baked eggs with vegetables, grilled clams with garlic, butter and wine sauce, or creamy lemon chicken. Renee B. Allen, CSW, FWS, CSS, is a wine and spirits expert and the director of the award-winning Wine Institute of New England, which offers wine and spirits education and events. She is a professor at the University of New Haven, a wine competition director and judge, and can be seen on WFSBs Better Connecticut. HAMDEN Creation of a town chief operating officer position is in limbo as the Legislative Council and the Charter Revision Commission remain at odds over whether one even should be created. While the council has the final say whether to include the provision that would create the new role within the mayors office, the commission seeks to have residents vote on it as a separate question. This years attempt at charter revision is coming to a final stage, with the Legislative Council offering suggestions on the draft proposal and sending it back to the commission last month. The commission has to vote whether to make changes from those suggestions, and the council then will decide whether to put the revised charter up for a referendum in November. The charter revision is required to take place at least once every decade. The councils recommendations for the draft proposal included a 7-3 vote to eliminate establishment of chief operating officer position, a role that also appeared in 2021s revised version that later also was rejected. The Revision Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to retain the provision because members said the town needs it, echoing public support. Its something that a lot of people have asked for, in order to have a professional near the top, even if its not the captain of the starship, commission member Patricia Vener-Saavedra said at Tuesdays meeting. Its a person who is trained in coordinating and managing a municipality. The chief operating officer would be appointed by the mayor and serve at their pleasure, according to the 2022 proposed charter. The COO would assist the mayor and Board of Education with all aspects of labor negotiations, personnel issues, financial management and other administrative duties, it said. The individual shall be appointed on the basis of their education and experience with public administration and municipality management, according to the proposed charter. Mayor Lauren Garrett said the chief operating officers role isnt clearly defined because the proposed charter requires department leaders to report to both the mayor and the chief operating officer, and it mirrors a town manager role. Theres kind of like a conflict of responsibilities, Garrett said. Department heads have expressed that they dont like the inconsistency there. Garrett said she still wouldnt support the creation of such a role, even with a more clearly defined role, because it would come with a financial burden for taxpayers to hire someone with the required qualifications. You would have to pay a lot for that, close to $200,000 a year, and that person might also need a staff, which would make it more expensive, Garrett said. Its kind of creating a whole new department within the town, and thats going to come at a price. Legislative Council President Dominique Baez, who didnt respond to requests for comment, told the commission Tuesday that the position wouldnt be sustainable to either the budget or the government formation, because it would create a duplication of a lot of those roles. There was confusion as to what does that person do versus what is the mayor allowed to do and how much power does the mayor have over them versus how much power does that person have over the day-to-day tasks to all directors and their staff, Baez told the commission. Even though the commission decided to ignore the councils suggestion to remove the position, the council still has the final say, according to Steven Mednick, the CRCs attorney. However, Mednick said commissioners still can make a recommendation to the council to have it as a separate question on the November election ballot, and Hamden residents also still can petition for a referendum. Commissioner Jackie Downing said at Tuesdays meeting that the 2021s CRC came up with the chief operating officer role as a partner for the mayor, instead of going for the town manager system, something for which she said the public had shown support. This is not a result of this administration or the last administration or any particular administration, Downing said. Its a result of the town growing and having more complex needs and a need for more professionalism at the higher level. Since the position would be funded under the mayors office, Downing said its not creating a new department but rather realignment of funding within the office. Vener-Saavedra emphasized that the charter doesnt require the chief operating officer to have a support staff, but the restructuring would be up to the mayor. Commission Chair Sarah Gallagher, who didnt respond to requests for comment, said the majority of the public input that the CRC received was in support of the role. I would support my colleagues in saying that maybe the council does need to take another look and sort of maybe talk to the CRC to understand the difference of the role, said Gallagher, who also serves on the Legislative Council. The 2022 proposed charter also comes with a 4-year term for mayor, a hybrid public meeting requirement, a more civilian oversight for the Police Commission and an establishment of a finance commission, among other changes. The CRC is scheduled to meet again at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 6. The public can submit opinions on the revised charter to CRC2022@hamden.com. chatwan.mongkol@hearstmediact.com Bjoern Wylezich / TNS HARTFORD A federal grand jury on Friday indicted a New Haven man authorities allege was found with an unmarked handgun and crack and heroin he intended to deal. Niquelle Landelius, 26, was charged with one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and heroin, the U.S. attorneys office for the District of Connecticut said. Jacquelyn Martin/AP GREENBELT, Md. (AP) A West Virginia man was sentenced Thursday to three years in federal prison after he sent emails threatening Dr. Anthony Fauci and another federal health official for talking about the coronavirus and efforts to prevent its spread. Using an anonymous email account based in Switzerland, Thomas Patrick Connally, Jr. threatened to kill Fauci or members of his family, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release. One of his messages said they would be dragged into the street, beaten to death, and set on fire." NEW HAVEN A Naugatuck man was charged with driving under the influence and other offenses Thursday evening after he was involved in a four-car crash on Interstate 95, according to state police. Troopers were called to Exit 46 in New Haven for the crash around 7:30 p.m. Justin Sollenne, 30, of Naugatuck, was driving his 2013 Jeep Patriot south on I-95 in the leftmost lane. Police said he then sideswiped a 2019 Honda Accord next to him and spun out until he faced north in the right shoulder. The Honda was pushed to the right and collided with a 2018 Toyota Rav4 in the lane to the right, police said. The Honda then spun out as well, hitting a truck in the far right lane, according to an incident report from state police. Those inside the Toyota a 40-year-old East Haven woman, an 8-year-old boy from New Haven and a 7-year-old Middletown boy as well as those inside the Honda a 56-year-old Branford man and a 57-year-old Branford woman suffered minor injuries from the incident. Ambulances took them to Yale New Haven Hospital for treatment, state police said. The driver of the truck a 41-year-old Pennsylvania man and Sollenne were not injured, police said. Police said they found Sollenne at fault for the incident. During the investigation, troopers administered Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, which Sollenne did not perform to standard, state police said in a news release Friday morning. Police charged Sollenne with operating under the influence of alcohol/drugs, reckless driving and failure to maintain his lane. He was later released on a $500 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear at New Haven Superior Court on Aug. 19. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LIND, Wash. (AP) A small town in Washington state that was evacuated due to a fast-moving fire was largely spared Friday, while in California crews made progress against the state's deadliest and largest wildfire of the year. Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner said the fire that had been threating the eastern Washington town of Lind was contained after burning six homes and eight other structures. He said firefighters were watching over hot spots. The sheriff's office had told Lind's residents to evacuate on Thursday afternoon because of the encroaching flames. With the help of state and local resources, the fire started to calm down and by 8 p.m. Thursday all evacuation orders were lifted for the community of about 500 people approximately 75 miles (121 kilometers) southwest of Spokane. Wagner said Friday that a firefighter who suffered smoke inhalation and was flown to Spokane for treatment had been released and was recuperating at home. State officials said Friday that Washington is experiencing its worst fire activity of the year between the fire in Lind and several others that sparked this week, The Seattle Times reported. With rising temperatures and thunderstorms in the forecast, its likely to get worse before it gets better, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and officials with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources said at a media briefing. Meanwhile, in California, fire crews on Friday had a massive wildfire 30% contained and had managed to carve firebreaks around much of the week-old blaze. The McKinney Fire destroyed much of the small hamlet of Klamath River near the Oregon border and killed four people, whose identities haven't been confirmed by authorities. The blaze forced thousands from their homes and destroyed more than 100 buildings, including at least 87 residences, authorities said at a Friday night community meeting. The fire hasn't advanced much for days as thunderstorms dumped brief but heavy rain on the fire's eastern flanks and more firefighting resources were sent to battle the blaze, which has burned about 93 square miles (241 square kilometers). However, some of the storms didn't produce much rain but released gusty winds that drove flames especially when the blaze first erupted on July 29 and lightning that sparked dozens of smaller blazes, which firefighters managed to prevent from spreading. Forecasts were calling for triple-digit temperatures and plunging humidity levels this weekend, along with possible winds that could create conditions for further wildfire growth. The conditions Sunday and Monday are going to be almost identical to when this fire started," fire behavior analyst Dennis Burns said. The biggest fear is that ... we have a jackpot of unburned fuel within the fire perimeter." The concern is that the tinder-dry trees and brush could burn so hot that they create a towering pillar of smoke that can make its own weather, including lightning, Burns said. 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 throughout the region. The Moose Fire in Idaho as of Friday had burned more than 105 square miles (273 square kilometers) in the Salmon-Challis National Forest near the town of Salmon. Steep terrain and extremely dry fuel conditions were continuing to pose challenges for firefighters but officials said firefighters were hoping to extend and strengthen containment lines with more favorable weather forecast in the next few days. 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. ___ Associated Press reporters Christopher Weber in Los Angeles, Haven Daley in Klamath River, Calif., and Lisa Baumann in Seattle contributed to this report. China has announced sanctions on Nancy Pelosi, United States house speaker, over her visit to Taiwan. Pelosi landed on the island on... China has announced sanctions on Nancy Pelosi, United States house speaker, over her visit to Taiwan. Pelosi landed on the island on Tuesday the highest-ranking American politician to do so in 25 years despite a previous warning issued by China against the visit. Chinese President Xi Jinping had reportedly told US President Joe Biden before the visit that whoever plays with fire will get burned. Although the island is an independent country, China considers Taiwan part of its territory and frowns against diplomatic visits to the island. Announcing the unspecified sanctions in a statement on Friday, the Chinese foreign ministry said Pelosis visit constitutes a gross interference in Chinas internal affairs. In disregard of Chinas grave concerns and firm opposition, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi insisted on visiting Chinas Taiwan region. This constitutes a gross interference in Chinas internal affairs, the statement reads. It gravely undermines Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously tramples on the one-China principle, and severely threatens peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. In response to Pelosis egregious provocation, China decides to adopt sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family members in accordance with relevant laws of the Peoples Republic of China. As a reaction to Pelosis visit, China flew several warplanes, including fighter jets, across Taiwans air defence identification zone, announced military drills around Taiwan, and reportedly imposed import bans on thousands of Taiwanese goods. Unknown gunmen on Wednesday kidnapped three Children in Ajaokuta Local Government Area of Kogi State. It was gathered that the incident happ... Unknown gunmen on Wednesday kidnapped three Children in Ajaokuta Local Government Area of Kogi State. It was gathered that the incident happened at about 8 p.m. in Kaduna Estate Ajaokuta Steel Township Complex. The incident is coming few days after three policemen and five vigilantes were killed by unidentified gunmen in Jida Bassa under Ajaokuta Local Government. According to eyewitness, the gunmen who were fully armed, shot sporadically into the air to scare security agents and neighbours from the scene before kidnapping the three children. A family source, who craved anonymity, identified the father of the kidnapped children as Mr Kadiri, who hails from Edo State. The source said the gunmen on Thursday morning contacted the family of their victims, demanding a N100 million ransom. It was also gathered that the kidnapped children are ages five, seven and ten respectively. Narrating how the incident happened, the source said, The gunmen came in their numbers fully armed to the house of Mr Kadiri our brother that sells television, radio and other electronic device in the steel township. They shot countless time to scarce People from coming close. When they could not see their target victim,(Kadiri) they decided to pick the three children from the house. As we speak, their whereabout is unknown. The kidnappers contacted some of our family members and they are demanding for N100 million. Where on earth can we raise such amount of money? Here in Ajaokuta, we can no longer sleep with our two eyes closed. There is armed robbery and kidnapping everywhere. Recently, we all saw how innocent policemen and vigilantes where killed. Things are already falling apart. No where is safe again. Effort to speak with the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Kogi State, William Ovye Aya, proved abortive as at the time of filing this report on Thursday evening. He did not pick his calls or respond to text messages sent to his phones. Meanwhile, there was pandemonium on Thursday afternoon at the popular FFN market in Ajaokuta as police officers invaded the market searching for suspected criminals terrorizing the locality. It was learnt that motorists, motorcyclist, traders and buyers had to scamper for safety for fear of being hurt. A trader, who identified herself as Fati said, The policemen with their hilux searching for all this suspected criminally minded Fulani terrorizing Ajaokuta Steel township and its environs. Some Fulanis who do market from us ran into the bush over fear of being arrested. This actually caused tension among traders and buyers which forced everybody to close market for the days. Insecurity in our locality is getting worse everyday. Now that we cant come out and sell over fear of being attacked by this criminals, how do we feed our family? I am a widow with five children. It is from this petty trade that am using to feed my family and send my children to school. I heard that they have transferred the former DPO of Ajaokuta. If the information is true,I think there will be a great improvement in our security in Ajaokuta. From what I heard, the former DPO had allegedly compromised. Recall that as part of measures to address insecurity, Kogi State Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello recently ordered the closure of all brothels that harbour criminals and placed a ban on wearing of facemask in public places for proper identification. A member of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Adefisoye, popularly known as Small Alhaji, has bragged that he joined politics not bec... A member of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Adefisoye, popularly known as Small Alhaji, has bragged that he joined politics not because of money because he was driving a Lamborghini at 18. Adefisoye, who represents Ifedore/Idanre Federal Constituency, stated this on his verified handle on Twitter on Friday, while soliciting support for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu. He stated that he was born into one of the richest families in Ondo State. Drove a Lamborghini at the Age of 18, came from one of the richest families in Ondo State. Na passion for development carry some of us enter politics. No be the Money. Make Una Dey Calm down Get your voters card and vote your choices. I belong to BAT @officialABAT, he tweeted. Mr Adefisoye was elected on the platform of Social Democratic Party, SDP, he, however, defected to the ruling party. Festus Keyamo has thanked Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Kashim Shettima, his running mat... Festus Keyamo has thanked Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Kashim Shettima, his running mate, for appointing him as the spokesman for their campaign organisation. In a tweet on Friday, Keyamo said he is humbled by the appointment. The minister was the spokesman for the campaign organisation of President Muhammadu Buhari when he sought reelection in 2019. The lawyer said Tinubu and Shettima have shown that they possess the uncanny ability to nurture mentees. Special thanks to @officialABAT and @KashimSM for finding me worthy to lead the line in the APC 2023 Presidential Campaign Council as Official Spokesperson, he tweeted. I am humbled because both great leaders have been reputed to possess the uncanny ability to nurture mentees. Special thanks to @officialABAT and @KashimSM for finding me worthy to lead the line in the APC 2023 Presidential Campaign Council as Official Spokesperson. I am humbled because both great leaders have been reputed to possess the uncanny ability to nurture mentees pic.twitter.com/YPEOdIXXxK Festus Keyamo, SAN (@fkeyamo) August 5, 2022 On Thursday, Simon Lalong, governor of Plateau, and Keyamo were named by the ruling party as director-general (DG) and spokesman of the campaign organisation, respectively. Prior to the announcement by the APC, there had been speculations that the choice of DG was between Lalong and Adams Oshiomhole, former national chairman of the party. Abdullahi Adamu, APC national chairman, said Keyamo would serve as interim spokesperson for the council. The management of Polaris Bank has denied reports that the company is about to be sold. Recently, an online report claimed that the ... The management of Polaris Bank has denied reports that the company is about to be sold. Recently, an online report claimed that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had commenced plans to secretly sell the bank for N40 billion. But reacting in a statement on Friday, the bank dismissed the report, saying that it deliberately intended to cause panic. It urged members of the public to ignore the report. The bank assured its customers that a sale would only occur following regulatory approvals with formal notification to all relevant stakeholders. Our attention has been drawn to an online report on the purported sale of Polaris Bank Limited, the statement reads. This publication is speculative, deliberately intended to create panic and should be disregarded by the banking public. Stakeholders may recall the regulatory intervention in the erstwhile Skye Bank by the CBN and the subsequent injection of capital via the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) through a bridge bank process, which birthed Polaris Bank in 2018. The bank has since stabilised its operations following the intervention; improving its balance sheet, customer base and profitability. Whilst the intention has always been to return the bank to private ownership, such a sale would occur following regulatory approvals with formal notification to all relevant stakeholders. The bank is committed to ensuring timely communication to the public in such an event. The board and management hereby reassure its customers, staff and the general public that Polaris Bank remains a stable, strong and credible financial institution, positioned to deliver sustainable value to all its stakeholders. In September 2018, the CBN revoked the operating licence of Skye Bank. It then established and licensed Polaris Bank to assume all assets and liabilities of the defunct Skye Bank. In an eventual acquisition deal the buyers would inherit N1.2 trillion injected into the bridge bank by AMCON. The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it will challenge the outcome of the Osun governorship poll at the election petition tribunal. ... The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it will challenge the outcome of the Osun governorship poll at the election petition tribunal. Ademola Adeleke, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was declared winner of the Osun governorship election which held on July 16. Adeleke secured 403,371 votes to defeat his closest contender, Gboyega Oyetola of the APC, who polled 375,027 votes. Briefing journalists at a conference on Thursday, Gboyega Famodun, the state APC chairman, said based on the advice of the partys lawyers, they have good grounds to challenge the result at the tribunal. We are going to the tribunal. Our lawyers had informed us that we have good reasons to challenge the results of the election at the tribunal, he said. Famodun also accused a parallel faction of the APC of working with Rauf Aregbesola, minister of interior, in favour of the opposition. The recent protest by the group calling for the removal of the partys chairman and the restructuring of the party after they openly supported the PDP candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, during the governorship election was shameful and wicked, he said. Our position is that the protest was shameful, callous, primitive, selfish, wicked, misplaced, and inconsiderate for the Aregbesola supporters, who glaringly worked against the success of governor Oyetola at the polls, to now be canvassing restructuring of the party through a sponsored protest. Assuming without conceding that there are challenges within the party, the protesters and their patron should know that they lack moral right to either suggest or effect any likely solution for the restructuring of our party, as it is on record that they massively and collectively worked against Oyetola. Since members of the factional group, the TOP people, had done their worst by working assiduously and conscientiously by teaming up with the PDP for the success of Adeleke, which is the highest level of an anti-party activity that can be committed by any politician, it will be a needless venture to enter into any pact with the group that is bereft of honour. Adams Oshiomhole has accused some Christians chieftains of spearheading the opposition against ex-Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu in the build... Adams Oshiomhole has accused some Christians chieftains of spearheading the opposition against ex-Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu in the build-up to the 2023 election. The former All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman said the criticisms against the partys Muslim-Muslim ticket was unfortunate. Oshiomhole told newsmen in Abuja on Thursday that the problems of Nigeria are bigger than disagreements over religion. The Edo ex-governor described the position of critics to the emergence of Senator Kaskim Shettima as Tiubus running mate as blackmail. Those leading the campaign in the APC family if they were such believers in Christianity had the opportunity to canvass for votes for one of the Christian candidates. But they were on record as having led the campaign on the side of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, knowing very well that he is a Muslim, he claimed. The former labour leader stated that Nigerian challenges are beyond religion. The issues we have to spend time discussing is what will any of the presidential candidates do differently, not what will a Christian or Muslim do, he said. Oshiomhole also faulted claims that Christians were being persecuted, saying there was no evidence of such. I dont think they bothered to show the evidence and yet we have not just a Christian Vice-President, we have a pastor, a senior advocate, he stressed. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Cloudy early, then off and on rain showers for the afternoon. Thunder possible. High 81F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Isolated thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low near 60F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Isolated thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low near 60F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Criminal defense attorneys often ask judges to overturn guilty verdicts, but jurors seldom get it wrong. When they do, judges have a duty to set things right. Such is the case in the recent guilty verdict jurors returned against attorney Nicole Burdett in the pitifully weak federal tax fraud prosecution of New Orleans DA Jason Williams. Burdett from the get-go was collateral damage in the Williams case. She was the DAs law partner in his private practice, not a public official, and therefore not a trophy for the feds to hang on their wall. Williams and Burdett both used the same tax preparer a prolific fraudster named Henry Timothy, who lied on so many occasions to so many people its impossible to keep count. Yet, the feds made Timothy their star witness. That Timothy did not hold up well on the witness stand is the legal understatement of the decade. He didnt even make a good case for convicting either defendant under questioning by his federal handlers. Under cross-examination by defense attorneys, he admitted that his innumerable lies included presenting himself as a CPA to the roughly 1,500 clients whose tax returns he filed each year. He even lied numerous times, he admitted to FBI and IRS agents who initially investigated him for his own fraudulent tax returns, on which he understated his income and inflated his deductions. Timothy did the same for hundreds of his Schedule C clients self-employed individuals who can legally deduct business expenses from their ordinary incomes every year, without any supporting documentation whatsoever. Timothy made only one statement under oath that jurors could possibly weigh against Williams and Burdett. He claimed he sent them drafts of their tax returns each year to review and correct. However, the feds did not could not produce a single email, text or copy of any such draft showing understated income or inflated deductions for either Williams or Burdett. Thats because the feds did not seize Timothys computer and image everything on it to gather evidence of his and his clients crimes something thats typically the first step of any tax fraud investigation. Had the feds done that, they likely would have found such evidence, if it exists. Regardless of whether that error was intentional or inadvertent, it presents a textbook reason reasonable doubt for a jury to acquit. The jurys decision to convict notwithstanding, theres more than enough reason now for Judge Lance Africk to reverse Burdetts conviction. Theres also the salient fact that, among the hundreds of fraudulent returns filed each year by Timothy, the feds chose to pursue only one for prosecution: Jason Williams. And, because Burdett refused to accept their offer of immunity in return for testifying against Williams, the feds vindictively named her as a target as well. The late Judge Martin Feldman, who presided over the case until his death in January, frequently expressed grave doubts about the feds case, but he left it to a jury to determine the defendants guilt or innocence. Now that more of Timothys lies and the feds failure to seek and produce critical evidence have been exposed at trial, its up to Judge Africk to correct the jurys obvious injustice. A New Orleans bar is hosting a shot-for-shot monkeypox vaccine event Tuesday, reminiscent of the ones that were popular when COVID-19 vaccines first became available. It's scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at The Phoenix Bar, a 24-hour gay bar in Faubourg Marigny. The business says 300 vaccines will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis to people who meet the eligibility criteria. The Aug. 9 event is being held in partnership with the Louisiana Office of Public Health. The monkeypox virus is spreading mostly through close, intimate contact, and many reported cases have been among gay and bisexual men, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. +2 Monkeypox has been identified in Louisiana. Here's what you need to know. The Louisiana Department of Health on Thursday identified the first case of monkeypox in a Louisiana resident. Here's what you should know abo Medical staff will be administering the first of the two-shot series of the Jynneos vaccine. The two shots need to be administered 28 days apart. (Read more about the vaccine.) HIV testing, COVID vaccines and PrEP counseling also will be available at the event, Phoenix says. After receiving a monkeypox shot, the customer will get a free shot of alcohol, Phoenix says. The bar also plans to offer free bottled water, snacks, music and drink specials. Monkeypox is a potentially serious virus that typically causes flu-like symptoms, swelling of the lymph nodes and a rash with bumps that are initially filled with fluid before scabbing over, according to the Louisiana Health Department. Most infections last two to four weeks. Are you eligible? Here are the eligibility criteria for the vaccine, as outlined by the Louisiana Health Department. Gay, bisexual, cisgender or transgender men, and transgender women and nonbinary persons assigned male at birth, who have had sex with men and intimate or sexual contact with either (1) multiple or anonymous partners in the past 14 days, or (2) other men in a social or sexual venue in the past 14 days Any person who has given or received money or other goods or services in exchange for sex in the past 14 days. High-risk exposure, based on best practices identified in other states and limited data collected in Louisiana, is considered to be that of gay, bisexual, same-gender loving or other men who have sex with men and who: Have had intimate or sexual contact with multiple or anonymous partners in past 14 days, given or received money or other goods or services in exchange for sex in the past 14 days or have had intimate or sexual contact with other men in a social or sexual venue in the past 14 days. Individuals of any sex or gender identity who have given or received money or other goods or services in exchange for sex in the past 14 days. (Read more about the Phoenix event.) Public health emergency U.S. officials on Thursday declared a public health emergency over the outbreak, which has infected more than 6,600 Americans. Monkeypox has been identified in several individuals so far in the New Orleans area, and Louisiana officials said there are likely more undiagnosed cases. Here's what the state Health Department says you need to know about monkeypox. Symptoms Fever Headache Muscle aches and backache Swollen lymph nodes Chills Exhaustion A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth and on other parts of the body such as the hands, feet, chest, genitals or anus. Sometimes people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms; others only experience a rash. Some people infected in the U.S. have experienced only isolated rashes in the genital region or other body parts. How is monkeypox spread? NOLA Business Insider The biggest stories in business, delivered to you every day. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Monkeypox spreads in different ways, officials said. The virus is most often spread through direct contact with a rash or sores of someone who has the virus. It can also spread through contact with clothing, bedding and other items used by a person with monkeypox, or from respiratory droplets that can be passed through prolonged face-to-face contact, including kissing, cuddling or sex. People who do not have monkeypox symptoms cannot spread the virus to others. According to the CDC, early data suggest that gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men make up a high number of cases. However, anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk. What should concerned people do? Take basic steps to prevent the spread of monkeypox. Anyone with exposure or infection concerns should refrain from intimate or close personal contact and seek medical attention. If you do not have a health care provider, visit a parish health unit near you. Laboratory testing for monkeypox is now widely available, officials said. Treatments Treatments and vaccinations are available for monkeypox, but physicians say bureaucratic red tape is hindering their ability to respond to and contain the outbreak. The monkeypox treatment, TPOXX, is available only to patients and doctors under a special CDC status, because it is usually used to treat smallpox, not monkeypox. The expanded access status requires physicians to go through more than 100 pages of paperwork each time they prescribe it. Between the forms and administrative requirements, a patient visit to initiate this medication can take one to three hours. As a result, many people who need the drug are not receiving the necessary treatment, and the bureaucratic hurdles are hitting uninsured and minority communities particularly hard, said Mary Foote, the medical director for emergency preparedness and response in the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Vaccine Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos is one of two vaccines that may be given in the U.S. to prevent monkeypox. The government has many more doses of the other vaccine, an older smallpox vaccine called ACAM2000 that is considered to have a greater risk of side effects and is not recommended for people who have HIV. So its the Jynneos vaccine that officials have been using as a primary weapon against the outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the vaccine for people who have already been exposed to the virus and their presumed contacts. That includes men who have recently had sex with men at parties or in other gatherings in cities where monkeypox cases have been identified. The CDC estimates that about 1.5 million American men are eligible for the vaccine based on their HIV status and other risk factors. Good news came Wednesday when federal health officials said thousands more doses of Bavarian Nordic's vaccine are expected to soon begin shipping soon. The U.S. government has bought more than 1.1 million completed doses of the vaccine produced by Bavarian Nordic in Denmark. But the company said earlier this week it needed authorization from an on-site Food and Drug Administration inspection before it could begin sending most of them to the U.S. State and local officials in the U.S. say the limited vaccine supplies arent keeping pace with the growing number of people seeking appointments. The Associated Press and CQ-Roll Call via the Tribune Content Agency contributed to this article. Earlier versions of this story contained eligibility criteria described by The Phoenix Bar, now replaced with criteria from the Louisiana Health Department. Two GOP senators have urged the Department of Defense (DoD) to immediately investigate whistleblower allegations that hundreds of Afghan evacuees who appeared on official watchlists were not properly vetted before they were released into the United States. According to the DoD whistleblower, the Biden administration failed to properly vet 324 Afghan evacuees who appeared on the DoDs Biometrically Enabled Watchlist (BEWL), which includes known suspected terrorists, said U.S. Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) on Thursday. The BEWL identifies individuals whose biometrics have been collected and determined by analysts to be threats or potential threats to national security, including known suspected terrorists. Hawley and Johnson said the whistleblower also alleges that White House and DoD officials instructed agency personnel to cut corners and not conduct full fingerprint tests on the evacuees at staging bases in Europe, in order to promote the rushed evacuation from Afghanistan. Further, the whistleblower alleges that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) staff were authorized to delete old biometric data at their discretion, said the senators, who went on to say that this is a troubling development that could threaten national security and public safety. Whistleblower Allegations Raised in Letter Hawley and Johnson raised the DoD whistleblowers allegations with DoD Acting Inspector General Sean ODonnell in a letter on Thursday (pdf). We write to you with concern over new allegations raised by a Department of Defense (DoD) whistleblower. This information may show the Biden Administrations failure to vet those evacuated from Afghanistan was even worse than the public was led to believe. The following allegations demand an immediate investigation by your office, the senators wrote. The DoD has previously admitted in a report that the National Counter-Terrorism Center (NCTC) did not vet all Afghan evacuees using all DoD data prior to arriving in the United States. NEW whistleblower allegations hundreds of Afghan evacuees who appeared on DOD terror watch list allowed to enter the U.S. @SenRonJohnson and I lay out what weve learned pic.twitter.com/zBHlVB0ujE Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) August 4, 2022 The DoD earlier this year said that it identified 50 Afghan individuals in the United States whose records indicate they might pose a significant security concern. Hawley and Johnson said they understand that number has risen to at least 65, and declared that the individuals need to be immediately located, fully vetted, and, if appropriate, deported. The senators noted that the 324 Afghan individuals allegedly on the watchlist are in addition to the 50 or 65 already identified. Answers Sought From DOD Hawley and Johnson asked ODonnell to confirm how many BEWL matches were generated by biometric submissions from Afghan evacuees. Of these matches, if any, the senators asked the DoD acting inspector general to clarify if any were denied entry, admitted entry, or currently in the United States. The senators also sought information about the allegations that NSC or DoD staff instructed personnel to cut corners in processing the evacuees fingerprints, and asked for clarification on the circumstances under which agency personnel may delete biometric data. Hawley and Johnson also asked ODonnell to clarify the number of BEWL matches generated by Afghan evacuees after they arrived; what steps have been taken toward identification, vetting, or deportation; and how many were known suspected terrorists. Additionally, the senators asked if the FBI or other law enforcement were investigating the individuals. Hawley Grills FBI Director At a Senate Judiciary Committee Oversight Hearing on Thursday, Hawley confronted FBI Director Christopher Wray about the whistleblowers allegations. Wray wasnt able to give a clear answer about the FBIs efforts to track down and interview the 324 Afghan evacuees, but noted that there are a number of individuals, through our joint terrorism task forces, that we are actively trying to investigate. The FBI director noted that the agency had disrupted a number of actions related to the evacuees, but did not specify what they were. Regarding the allegations of cutting corners, Wray said: I will say that this was a massive number of people to be vetting in an extraordinarily short period of time and that in my view inevitably raises concerns. Oh, I think youre absolutely right about that, Hawley responded. Inevitably raises concerns I think is the is the nicest thing that could be said about it. We know that the basic procedures were not followed. We know that the screening process was not followed. And now we know that potentially hundreds of people connected to terrorism are loose in this country as a result, the Missouri senator said before conceding his time. The Biden administration brought around 77,000 Afghans to the United States during its chaotic military withdrawal last year. The airlifts were for Afghans and their family members who risk Taliban retaliation for helping the United States during its 20-year war. The execution of the withdrawal has been widely panned. The Afghans were being granted Special Immigrant Visas entitling them to bring their families. From The Epoch Times We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Horizon Bank has named a former First Midwest Bank executive its new president. The Michigan City-based bank appointed longtime banking industry leader Thomas Prame to serve as president of both Horizon Bancorp and its subsidiary Horizon Bank. The company describe the appointment as an "important step in Horizons strategic expansion of its leadership team." I am very pleased to welcome Thomas to the Horizon executive team, said Chairman and CEO Craig Dwight. Thomas brings extensive strategic leadership and digital technology experience along with a deep understanding of our local markets that will enable Horizon to continue serving the growing numbers of consumers and businesses in Indiana, Michigan and throughout the Midwest. Prame previously worked at Chicago-based First Midwest Bank, a larger player in the Northwest Indiana banking landscape where he most recently served as executive vice president and CEO of community banking. He was hired at First Midwest in 2012 and worked in a number of executive roles. The University of Notre Dame graduate previously worked for RBS Citizens Bank, Colonial Bank, CitiMortgage and Fifth Third Bank. He stayed with First Midwest for a decade until it merged with Old National Bank last month. Prame will assume the role of president at Horizon Bank on Aug. 15. He will be tasked with expanding lending, technolgy, low-cost Midwest deposit franchise and long-term customer relationships. "I am excited to join the Horizon team," Prame said. "I am inspired by the culture the bank has created, and I look forward to leading our talented and dedicated team. Together, we will expand our technology-enabled business model and continue to position Horizon for long-term success. I look forward to being part of the people first culture that Craig and the Horizon team have established." Horizon Bank has $7.4 billion in assets and branches through Indiana and Michigan. The Michigan City Chamber of Commerce is soliciting input on its strategic plan. The chamber board recently met at Agave Mansion in Michigan City to talk about the chamber's recent successes and future goals. It plans to have a board retreat later this year to start crafting a new strategic plan. Cynthia Roberts, dean of the School of Business and Economics at Indiana University Northwest, has been helping with the chamber's strategic planning efforts. As we emerge from the pandemic, and the resulting changes in the economic climate, it is a perfect time for the chamber to reflect upon their past service as well as develop a strategic direction for the future, Roberts said. The chamber represents businesses across the greater Michigan City area, giving them opportunities for networking while working to promote growth and economic development in the lakefront city in LaPorte County. The Michigan City Chamber of Commerce board plans to gather feedback from community stakeholders, committees, focus groups and one-on-one partner conversations as it crafts a new strategic plan to identify its future priorities. It also will collect data from a survey of the public. While we build a pathway to create a stronger chamber, everyones voice is extremely important in this process. We are inviting everyone to participate in the conversation, President Katie Eaton said. People have until Aug. 11 to take the survey online. To take the survey or for more information, email keaton@mcachamber.com, visit MichiganCityChamber.com or call 219-874-6221. Old National Bank's chief executive officer said the problems some customers faced during its integration of First Midwest Bank are "largely behind us in the rearview mirror," though longtime customers still report experiencing some issues. Former First Midwest customers have complained about a number of issues since the merger was finalized in July, including problems with their debit cards, being unable to look up balances and being locked out of their online accounts. "We are incredibly focused in on continuing to integrate this partnership," CEO Jim Ryan said during a recent conference call with investors. "This was a transformational partnership and we feel really good about where we're at with the integration of the clients and the team members, but there's still work to do. And so we will continue to do that as a team." Customers reported many glitches and snafus after the acquisition of Fist Midwest was finalized, including being allowed to overdraft their accounts, not being able to conduct routine transactions and having to wait in line or on the phone for hours to get their questions answered. Ryan said during the conference call with investors that while some critics have been vocal, the transition was seamless and hassle-free for most customers. "The data systems conversion went incredibly well. I was in here a couple of Sundays ago, and we balanced out very early on Sunday morning," he said. "Our commercial clients adapted to our new systems very well. There's just a lot of retail we have 300,000 clients, and there's just a lot of clients, getting them to register debit cards and getting them through their online and mobile channels." Most of the issues have been resolved, Ryan said. "We feel really good about it, overall. And certainly, again, it's easy to pick the handful of clients that maybe have said something. But we continue to believe, overall, we feel really pleased with the integration. And more importantly, it's largely behind us in the rearview mirror going forward." Some customers, however, say they are still running into issues. Dyer attorney Robert Golding got a letter telling him his account number would be changed but said he could still use his old checks for two years. "Today, I attempted to cash a check, and the teller refused to honor my check even though she is one of the old First Midwest Bank tellers who has known me for years," Golding said Wednesday. "I think that Old National Bank is very dishonest for sending out a letter saying one thing and then doing another. She said I must have new checks immediately in order to cash a check. I have to wonder if they will return checks that I have used to pay bills." He's had an account there since 1976 when it was Calumet National Bank and is very frustrated. On Monday, Brock said the 54-year-old woman was in critical condition at St. Mary's Medical Center. Brock did not immediately respond Thursday to a request for an update to the woman's condition. Crown Point Fire Department divers recovered Higgason's body about an hour after he went into the water, according to Brock. The government of Indiana is on the verge of mandating every Hoosier woman who becomes pregnant to carry the pregnancy to term and deliver a baby, unless the pregnancy involves a life-altering trauma. On Friday, the Republican-controlled House voted 62-38 to approve Senate Enrolled Act 1, sending the measure back to the Republican-controlled Senate where lawmakers agreed Friday night to endorse the final version of the legislation, 28-19. It now is up to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb to decide whether the near-total abortion ban crafted by the Legislature over the past two weeks will take effect Sept. 15. The legislation prohibits all abortions in Indiana from the moment of conception, except within 10 weeks of fertilization for pregnancies caused by rape or incest, or 20 weeks if necessary to prevent serious physical impairment or the death of a pregnant woman, or because of a lethal fetal anomaly. It also shuts down all abortion clinics in the state by requiring every abortion be completed in a hospital or hospital-owned surgical center, puts doctors at risk of losing their medical license if they fail to sufficiently justify the legal basis for an abortion, and sets the stage for Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita to some day overrule locally elected prosecutors and file criminal charges alleging an illegal abortion. At the same time, the measure explicitly exempts in vitro fertilization programs from the restrictions on abortion and appears to leave intact current state laws relating to the availability of contraceptives and the ability of women to travel to other states to obtain an abortion. The House vote in favor of the proposal followed more than four hours of debate that was, at times, passionate and emotional, but largely respectful, notwithstanding occasional shouts in opposition from the public gallery overlooking the chamber and continuous loud chanting against the measure from Hoosiers standing outside the chamber's rear windows in the Statehouse rotunda. The Senate's more than three-hour debate over whether to concur with the House changes to the measure largely centered on whether denying nearly all women access to abortion is government overreach that infringes on the personal liberty of Hoosiers, which usually is well-guarded by state senators. Among Northwest Indiana lawmakers, the House vote split along party lines with the Region's Republican representatives all supporting the near-total abortion ban and the Region's Democratic representatives uniformly opposed. In the Senate, state Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores, broke away from many of his fellow Republicans and joined all Region Democrats in voting no because he said the legislation does not address sexual assault involving disabled adults, including Hoosiers with Down syndrome. The proposal was supported in the Senate by Northwest Indiana state Sens. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, and Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell. If enacted by the governor, Indiana would become the first state to legislatively impose new abortion restrictions following the June 24 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that rescinded the right to abortion established by the high court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Public opinion polls show a majority of Hoosiers oppose strict limits on abortion access. Nevertheless, the measure will end a half-century of pregnant Hoosier women having an individual choice to bring a child into the world or to terminate her pregnancy prior to fetal viability. Supporters of the proposal estimate it will eradicate approximately 95% of abortions in the state. According to the Indiana Department of Health, there were 8,414 abortions in Indiana during the 2021 calendar year. "Our goal through this legislation is to strengthen protections for the unborn while stepping up support for families," said state Rep. Wendy McNamara, R-Evansville, the sponsor and a LaPorte native. "It is consistent with our overall goal to care for mother and baby." At least three Republicans, state Reps. John Jacob, R-Indianapolis, and Curt Nisly, R-Milford, and state Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, voted against the plan because it fails to prohibit all abortions by including unverified exceptions for rape, incest, and the life and health of a pregnant woman. Jacob said in a post-Roe world it is "weak" and "pathetic" for Indiana lawmakers to fail to fulfill their repeated promises to Christian Hoosiers and Republican voters to entirely ban abortion if given the opportunity. "This bill justifies the wicked, those murdering babies, and punishes the righteous, the pre-born human babies," Jacob said. "By continuing to regulate baby murder in this bill you are inviting the judgment of God on our state and on our nation." "God will not bless a state that kills its children," he added. On the other hand, several Democratic representatives observed Indiana stands to lose much more by denying women bodily autonomy and signaling to businesses that the state is willing to use the heavy hand of government to pick winners and losers on a divisive social issue. "This is a sad day for our state," said state Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond. "We are voting to take away the rights of Hoosier women to choose what happens with their bodies." Jackson said if the measure becomes law Indiana will become a "wasteland" as OB/GYNs and other doctors flee the state, thousands of children are born each year to women who either don't want or can't afford them, and some women resort to unsafe abortions to terminate their pregnancies. "Women, especially black women and low-income women, will die because of this bill," Jackson said. "It's cruel, it is unjust and it is downright despicable." State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary, noted in no other circumstance does the state control what happens to a person's body since individual consent is required to get a vaccine, donate blood or donate organs even if needed to save a life. "This bill tells women the moment they become pregnant that the fertilized egg that cannot live outside her body has more rights than she does," Hatcher said. Similarly, state Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City, and state Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago, said women will become "second-class citizens" in Indiana if the proposal is signed into law. "Women are more than capable of making this decision on their own," Harris said. How to contact Gov. Holcomb Hoosiers interested in contacting Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb to share their opinion on the abortion legislation awaiting his signature or veto can reach him three ways: Telephone: 317-232-4567 Mail: Office of the Governor, Statehouse, Indianapolis, IN 46204-2797 Email: By filling out the online form at in.gov/gov/ask-eric/ Hoosier taxpayers are likely to receive a $200 rebate check from the state, instead of $225, sometime in the next few months. State lawmakers appear to have reached an agreement on a plan to return a portion of Indiana's record $6.1 billion budget reserve, but decided Thursday to reduce by 11% the value of the payment recommended by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb to ensure more Hoosiers are eligible to receive it. "This will still be over $1 billion back to our citizens," said state Rep. Tim Brown, R-Crawfordsville, chairman of the budget-writing House Ways and Committee. If enacted, Hoosier taxpayers will receive a $200 payment later this year, on top of the $125 automatic taxpayer refund checks already in the process of being distributed as result of excess state revenue from the 2021 budget year. The proposal provides that another 300,000 to 900,000 adult Hoosiers who didn't file a income tax return last year, and missed out on the $125 payment, would be eligible for the $200 as a future tax credit. Brown said the tax rebate provisions added to Senate Bill 2 are part of an overall agreement with the Senate that includes depositing $1 billion in a state teacher pension account and spending an additional $103.5 million to support pregnant women, children and families in connection with the pending adoption of a near-total abortion ban in Senate Bill 1. The revised legislation also eliminates the 7% sales tax on children's diapers, boosts income tax benefits for adoption, requires studies of Indiana's Medicaid rates and contraceptives availability, and establishes a panel to examine doula services for pregnant women. Items from House Bill 1001, Senate Bill 2 and Senate Bill 3 that didn't make the cut include a 1 cent per gallon reduction in Indiana's record-high gasoline tax, a six-month sales tax holiday on residential utility bills, and a requirement that each Bureau of Motor Vehicles license branch display a poster directing customers to pregnancy resources. Democratic lawmakers also were unable to persuade the Republican House majority to include in the measure a 5% cost-of-living increase to pension payments for retired state and local government employees, authorization for pharmacists to prescribe and distribute hormonal birth control, and a $300 income tax credit, instead of $100, for teachers purchasing school supplies. "We had an opportunity to help teachers get supplies to use in their classrooms, to help students get the most out of their education. Instead, House Republicans once again refused to help the very people we trust with the future of our children," said state Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage. If Senate Bill 2 is approved by the House Friday, the Republican-controlled Senate need only consent to the revisions to send the legislation to Holcomb to be signed into law. The number of NIPSCO customers still without power a day after power thunderstorms tore through the Region was at just under 2,000 early Thursday afternoon, the company reported. The figure is down from a high of 23,000 and the company said most of its customers should have power back by the end of the day Thursday. "Due to the extensive damage caused by many downed trees and wires, we estimate that a small number of customers, including those in portions of Gary, Hobart, Merrillville and Portage may not be restored until tomorrow (Friday) evening," according to NIPSCO. "We are tracking weather patterns and there is a potential for additional storm activity especially in the eastern portion of our service area which could contribute to new outages today if severe." Merrillville remained the hardest hit at 900 outages as of early Thursday afternoon, followed by Portage at 640, Hobart at 482 and Gary at 446, according to NIPSCO. Wednesday's heavy winds and rain resulted in widespread damage, including downed trees, poles and power lines, the company said. "As crews continue to work on restoration, customers are encouraged to make the plans necessary to keep themselves and their families safe during an extended outage," NIPSCO said. "It can be frustrating to see power restored in other parts of your town or city or even across the street from home," according to the company. "You may be on a different circuit than your neighbor." "An outage affecting your home/business may call for a more extensive repair needed down the street or in another part of your neighborhood before what's affecting your service can be restored. Rest assured, even if you don't see our trucks, our crews are focused on finding and fixing your outage as quickly and safely as possible." The company warns the public to avoid downed power lines, damaged poles or other hazardous situations. "Every downed wire should be treated as though it is a live wire," NIPSCO said. "Following an assessment of the damage, NIPSCOs restoration process begins with repairing large transmission and distribution lines that supply electricity to large numbers of customers in large geographic areas including critical customers such as hospitals and emergency response," according to the company. "Repairs to other lines that serve smaller groups of customers can't be made until the larger lines feeding electricity to those areas are repaired." NIPSCO customers experiencing a power outage should report it by texting "out" to 444111, visiting nipsco.com/outages or by using the NIPSCO app, available on the Apple App Store or on Google Play. The endorsement went well beyond the much more cautious support offered by another key Russian ally, China. Khamenei repeated Putins claim that the West had left the Kremlin no choice but to act. It was a signal to the world that after Europe and the U.S. hit Russia with sanctions comparable to those that suffocated Irans economy for years, Moscow and Tehran were broadening their relationship into a more far-reaching partnership, my colleagues Anton Troianovski and Farnaz Fassihi write. Russia and Iran still dont trust one another, but now need each other more than ever, said Ali Vaez, the Iran director for the International Crisis Group. This is no longer a partnership of choice, but an alliance out of necessity. It is also one in which Russia will hold most of the power, as Farnaz Fassihi, The Timess U.N. correspondent and an expert on the Middle East, told us last week. Homemade soy milk is rich and faintly sweet, with just an edge of complex bitterness, and its very straightforward to make. Soak, then simmer dried soy beans until theyre nice and tender, but still hold their shape. Swish them with water to get rid of their papery skins, then blitz the beans with cold water in a blender. Youre done. Chilled in the fridge, then generously seasoned, this soy milk is ready to pour over bowls of cooked noodles to make kongguksu, the comforting Korean noodle dish thats simple, nourishing and refreshing an ideal summer meal. Kay Chuns recipe calls for cucumber and sesame seeds on top, though you can add or subtract toppings to suit your mood. Consider halved cherry tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, soft herbs, batons of summer squash, blanched frozen soybeans or quartered hard-boiled eggs. This is the key point. Your friends strongly influence how you perceive reality. First, they strongly influence how you see yourself. Its very hard to measure your own worth, your own competence, unless people you admire and respect see you as worthy, see you as competent. Plus, if your friends say, Were all smart, talented people, youll begin to see yourself that way, too. Second, your friends shape how you see the world. A few decades ago, a theorist named James J. Gibson pioneered the theory of affordances. The basic idea is that what you see in a situation is shaped by what you are capable of doing in a situation. Dennis Proffitt of the University of Virginia has demonstrated this theory in a bunch of ways: People who are less physically fit perceive hills to be steeper than people who are fit, because they find it harder to walk up them. People carrying heavy backpacks perceive steeper hills than people without them. The phenomenon works socioeconomically, too. Kids who grew up with college-educated parents walk onto the Princeton campus and see a different campus than kids who have never been around a college at all. Without even thinking about it, more-affluent kids might communicate to their less-affluent friends ways of seeing that make such places look less alien, less imposing, more accessible. Third, our friends alter our desires. Desire is notoriously mimetic. We want what other people want and tell us is worth wanting. If you grow up around friends who naturally aspire to be doctors and accountants and engineers, you are probably going to aspire to such things, too. Entering into a friendship can be a life-altering act, and entering into a friendship with someone different from yourself can be life-transforming. The philosopher Alexander Nehamas argues that when we enter into a friendship, were surrendering our future selves to that relationship, in part because the friend may call forth parts of ourselves that dont yet exist. Writing in Comment magazine, David Henreckson observes that when you venture into a new friendship you may wind up taking on new interests, new pursuits and even new enemies. Its daunting: If in the early days of a relationship we knew all the ways that a particularly intimate friendship would change us, how it might transfigure some of our core values, we would be excused for being a little bit reluctant to jump in. Do artists owe us the truth? Autobiography is inherently subjective, and colored by creative license. But if it holds up a mirror that reflects everyone in some way, doesnt that make it true? The playwright and director Aya Ogawa digs so deep into her conscious memory in The Nosebleed, which opened Monday at the Claire Tow Theater and had an earlier run last fall at Japan Society, that its no wonder someones head eventually springs a leak. Conversational, unflinching and delicately layered, Ogawas memoir-like excavation tests the boundaries of love and family obligation through intimate confession. But the creator does more than unburden herself of haunting regrets, compelling audiences to detail and release their own. Not everyone will be ready to face what they find. The lights are still up when Ogawa introduces herself, explaining that The Nosebleed began as an exploration of failure. Four actors, standing in the aisles of the theater, step to the front one at a time to briefly recount failures of their own. Earlier that day, Ashil Lee was adjusting her mask when it snapped back into her eyes, momentarily blinding her on the street. Drae Campbell, a dog walker by day, once was so distracted by her phone that a rogue dog defecated inside. Memories of these incidents add another dimension of reality to the ensembles unaffected performances, establishing everybody onstage as infallible, imperfect and human. A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a West Virginia man to more than three years in prison for sending threatening emails to Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, including one in which he said the immunologist and his family would be beaten to death and set on fire, prosecutors said. The man, Thomas Patrick Connally Jr., 56, had pleaded guilty in May to making threats against a federal official and also admitted to sending threatening messages to other health officials, including Francis Collins, the former director of the National Institutes of Health, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office in Maryland. Judge Paula Xinis of U.S. District Court in Maryland sentenced Mr. Connally to 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Mr. Connally admitted in a plea agreement that he had sent the messages to Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, between Dec. 28, 2020, and July 25, 2021, using an anonymous and encrypted email account, federal prosecutors said in a statement. Changsha in C China's Hunan Province protects forests, boosts under-forest economy People's Daily Online) 10:52, August 05, 2022 Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, has protected its forests by applying different approaches and has developed an under-forest economy to boost its rural economy over the past few years. Aerial photo shows a forest in Liuyang city, Changsha, capital of central Chinas Hunan Province. (Photo courtesy of forestry bureau of Changsha) Since 2021, the city has designated 3,552 forest chiefs at various levels, ranging from municipal level to village level, who are responsible for looking after a total of over 600,000 hectares of forests. Besides, there are over 1,160 full-time forest rangers based in Changsha, with each of them taking care of less than 10,000 mu (about 666.67 hectares) of forests. Liu Xiaopei, a forest ranger from Longfu New village, Xiaduopu township of Ningxiang city, will conduct a patrol of the forest first thing in the morning. I have a lot of work to do, including cleaning up trash in the forest, identifying plant diseases and insect pests, and rescuing any injured animals, he said. During one patrol last December, Liu discovered some withered pine trees, and immediately reported the situation to the townships forest chief office via a management platform. After an examination of the trees, the local forestry department found that the suspect pathogen involved was the pine wood nematode, and then quickly moved to treat the trees, effectively cutting off the spread of the disease. Changsha has also introduced more scientific and technological elements into its protection efforts, establishing an intelligent forestry platform that can integrate a real-time forestry database, a resource monitoring system and law enforcement efforts focused on the forestry industry. A monitoring and early warning platform is now in place in Dongyang township, Liuyang city. According to Wang Hai, Party secretary of the township, the platform includes six HD thermal cameras, which almost cover 72 square kilometers of the key forests in the township and can rotate 360 degree in only two minutes. The platform can send an alarm automatically once it detects forest fires or smoke, and can send the photos, videos and location of the accident to a command center. During a recent firefighting drill, a forest fire was put out just 12 minutes after it was first spotted. The forestry system of Liuyang is also equipped with 42 drones, which can monitor the situation in the forests and send images to forestry workers smart phones during their patrols. Moreover, Changsha has made the under-forest economy a force for driving rural vitalization, developing industries such as animal husbandry, medicinal herbs, timber and fruits. At present, the city has developed its under-forest economy to stretch across 2 million mu of land, with an annual output value of over 10 billion yuan (about $1.48 billion). Known for its tea-oil industry, Changsha has replaced some cultivars of tea-oil trees with more productive ones. In 2021, 500 kilograms of camellia oleifera fruits were harvested in high-yield tea-oil forests per mu (667 square meters), compared with over 100 kilograms before, said Hu Dongbing, an official at the forestry department of Changsha. The forestry department of Liuyang launched a program to replace the cultivars in two villages. As a result, Qu Zhuzan, a 70-year-old villager who plants about 7 mu of tea-oil trees, has seen his annual income increase from over 10,000 yuan to more than 30,000 yuan. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) It is about establishing personhood of the unborn child, in the tax code, for child support for mothers, in our census counts, across our code, so that we can lay the foundation that no other state in the nation in the last 46 years has ever done, which is to establish the personhood of this child, and were going to take this to the highest court in the land, Mr. Setzler said in the video. Mr. Setzler did not respond to requests for comment. Georgias push to recognize a fetus as a person could lay the blueprint for other conservative states, which have not yet clarified the meaning and effects of such an approach, legal experts said. The anti-abortion movement has always been a personhood movement, there was just no consensus on what that actually meant, said Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis, who has written several books on abortion and the law. Before the demise of Roe, conservatives were united around the singular goal of restricting abortion access. But Ms. Ziegler says the anti-abortion movement is struggling to find consensus on what fetal personhood means in a post-Roe legal landscape. Nobody has really worked out, how do you enforce personhood beyond just you cant have an abortion, she said. Georgia is starting to work that out, but theyve really only looked at a handful of situations. How do you enforce this in HOV lanes? Do you give a fetus its own attorney? There are so many questions left open. Last month, a pregnant Texas woman ticketed for riding in the HOV lane alone argued that her fetus counted as a person under the states abortion ban. Texas abortion ban does not include fetal personhood, but its penal code does. Testimony on Friday indicated that Alex Jones and a company he controls were worth $135 million to $270 million. AUSTIN, Texas A Texas jury ordered the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on Friday to pay the parents of a child killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting $45.2 million in punitive damages for spreading the lie that they helped stage the massacre. The jury announced its decision a day after awarding the parents more than $4 million in compensatory damages and after testimony on Friday that Mr. Jones and Free Speech Systems, the parent company of his misinformation-peddling media outlet, Infowars, were worth $135 million to $270 million. Mr. Jones was found liable last year for defaming the victims families while spreading bogus theories that the shooting had been part of a government plot to confiscate Americans firearms and that the victims families had been complicit in the scheme. This weeks trial was the first of three to determine how much Mr. Jones owes the families for the suffering he has caused, and the size of the award is sure to be contested. Jurors deliberated for about four hours before reaching Fridays verdict. Compensatory damages are based on proven harm, loss or injury, and are often calculated based on the fair market value of damaged property, lost wages and expenses, according to Cornell Law School. Punitive damages are intended to punish especially harmful behavior and tend to be granted at the courts discretion, and are sometimes many multiples of a compensatory award. The case decided this week was brought by Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, whose 6-year-old son, Jesse Lewis, died in the attack in Newtown, Conn. It was the first to arise from several lawsuits filed by victims parents in 2018. This is an important day for truth, for justice, and I couldnt be happier, Ms. Lewis said in the courtroom after the verdict. Before the jurors began deliberating about the punitive damages, Wesley Todd Ball, a lawyer for the family, told the jury that it had the ability to send a message for everyone in this country and perhaps this world to hear. We ask that you send a very, very simple message, and that is: Stop Alex Jones, he said. Stop the monetization of misinformation and lies. Please. Mr. Ball had asked the jury for punitive damages of about $146 million, in addition to the $4 million in compensatory damages awarded on Thursday. Image F. Andino Reynal, left, a lawyer for Mr. Jones, and Wesley Todd Ball, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook family, in court on Friday. Mr. Reynal contended that the punitive award would ultimately be reduced to $1.5 million. Credit... Pool photo by Briana Sanchez How much Mr. Jones will actually have to pay in punitive damages is certain to be the subject of further litigation. Texas law caps punitive damages at two times the compensatory damages plus $750,000. But Mark Bankston, a lawyer for Mr. Heslin and Ms. Lewis, told reporters on Thursday that the issue is likely to end up before the Texas Supreme Court, and legal experts said there were disagreements about the constitutionality of the cap. Mr. Joness lawyer, F. Andino Reynal, said the punitive award would ultimately be reduced to $1.5 million. Mr. Jones believes the First Amendment is under siege, and he looks forward to continuing the fight, Mr. Reynal said after the verdict. After the jury award, Judge Maya Guerra Gamble also cleared the way for another step that could prove problematic for Mr. Jones. The lawyers for the family had disclosed during the trial that Mr. Joness team had sent them, apparently inadvertently, a huge cache of data from Mr. Joness cellphone, and on Friday Judge Gamble said she would not stand in the way of the lawyers for Mr. Heslin and Ms. Lewis providing the messages to law enforcement and the House Jan. 6 committee. The committee has subpoenaed Mr. Jones in its investigation over his role in helping plan the pro-Trump rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, that preceded the attack on the Capitol. In the Sandy Hook defamation cases, a trial for damages in another of the suits is scheduled to begin next month in Connecticut, but it could be delayed because of a bankruptcy filing last week by Free Speech Systems. Lawyers for the families criticized the move as another attempt by Mr. Jones to shield his wealth and evade judgment. The Texas case allowed the plaintiffs to introduce testimony about Mr. Joness wealth and the operations of his companies, which in addition to carrying his broadcasts make money by selling merchandise. Bernard Pettingill Jr., a forensic economist and former economics professor at the Florida Institute of Technology, testified as a witness for Mr. Heslin and Ms. Lewis on Friday that Mr. Jones is a very successful man. Infowars averaged $53.2 million in annual revenue between September 2015 and December 2018, Mr. Pettingill said. Since then, there has been a nice healthy increase in the companys revenue, including from sales of survivalist merchandise and supplements, and it brought in nearly $65 million last year, he said. At one point, Mr. Jones was paying himself an average of $6 million a year, Mr. Pettingill said. In its bankruptcy filing, Free Speech Systems reported $14.3 million in assets as of May 31, with $1.9 million in net income and nearly $11 million in product sales. Free Speech Systems also had nearly $79.2 million in debts, 68 percent of it in the form of a note to PQPR Holdings, an entity that names Mr. Jones as a manager. Last year, after Mr. Jones was ruled liable by default in the Sandy Hook cases, he began funneling $11,000 per day into PQPR, Mr. Pettingill said. The gigantic loan from PQPR, a shell company without any employees, is actually Mr. Jones using that note as a clawback to pay himself back, Mr. Pettingill said, although Mr. Joness lawyer insisted that PQPR is a real company. Another note is set to mature when Mr. Jones is 74 (he is now 48). Mr. Pettingill said he had managed to track nine private Jones-associated companies, but had to cobble together information in part because Mr. Joness team resisted discovery orders. We cant really put a finger on what he does for a living, how he actually makes his money, he said. His organization chart is an inverted T, which means everything flows to Alex Jones. Alex Jones made all the major decisions, and I think Alex Jones knows where the money is, Mr. Pettingill said. He can say hes broke, he has no money, but we know thats not correct. Mr. Reynal, the lawyer for Mr. Jones, said in his closing statement on Friday that we didnt get any evidence as to what Alex Jones actually has today, we didnt get any of what F.S.S. has today, what money they have, what assets they have to pay. Mr. Jones and associates such as the Genesis Communications Network, which helped syndicate his show for decades, have claimed to be down to the financial wire, using the defamation cases as an opportunity to beg fans for donations. Mr. Jones has complained that his revenue plunged after he was barred from major social media platforms in 2018. Mr. Bankston pushed back in court on Wednesday: Well, after your deplatforming, your numbers keep getting better, he said. After the verdict on Friday, Ms. Lewis stressed the importance of her having gotten an opportunity during the trial to confront Mr. Jones directly in the courtroom earlier in the week. I got to look into his eyes and I got to tell him the impact his actions had on me and my family and not just us all the other Sandy Hook families, all the people that live in Sandy Hook and then the ripple effect that that had throughout the world, she said. That was a cathartic moment for me. It was also important, she said, that Mr. Jones saw a video, presented in court, of Jesse alive, running through a field. I think hes been punished, she said of Mr. Jones. I think hes been held accountable, and Im hoping he really takes this to heart because in the end love is a choice, and what hes putting out there lies, hatred thats a choice, too. Elizabeth Williamson reported from Austin, Tiffany Hsu from San Francisco and Michael Levenson from New York. The verdict came after several days of emotional testimony, including 90 minutes on Tuesday when Ms. Lewis personally addressed Mr. Jones, asking him why he knowingly spread lies about the death of her child, Jesse, 6, who died along with 19 other first graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Jesse was a real boy. And I am a real mom, Ms. Lewis told Mr. Jones. Later she admonished him: Alex, I want you to hear this. Were more polarized than ever as a country. Some of that is because of you. But the most explosive revelation came Wednesday, when the familys lawyer, Mark Bankston, revealed that Mr. Joness legal team had mistakenly sent him the entire contents of Mr. Joness cellphone, including at least two years worth of incriminating text messages now of interest to the House committee investigating the attack on the Capitol. The committee is scrutinizing Mr. Joness role in planning events surrounding the insurrection, and Mr. Bankston is now seeking the judges approval to deliver the text records to prosecutors and the Jan. 6 committee. Ms. Lewis and Mr. Heslin had requested $150 million in damages, and Mr. Bankston said he was optimistic about what the jury would award on Friday. You can probably imagine that if a jury returns a verdict exceeding $4 million for these plaintiffs in compensatory damages, I think punishment is probably going to be in that range or higher, Mr. Bankston said. I think its perfectly expected that were going to see an over nine-figure judgment against Mr. Jones. Kari Lake, who in the span of two years transformed herself from a veteran local television news anchor into a tribune of the far-right political movement, won Arizonas Republican primary for governor, according to The Associated Press. Ms. Lake prevailed over a field that included Karrin Taylor Robson an ally of Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican who defied former President Donald J. Trump by defending the results of Arizonas 2020 election and two other candidates. My son existed. Those words, spoken in an Austin courtroom this week, were part of Scarlett Lewiss testimony about her son Jesse, who was 6 when he and 19 other first graders and six educators were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. Ms. Lewis and Jesses father, Neil Heslin, spoke at the first of three trials to decide the damages to be paid by Alex Jones, the Infowars conspiracy theorist, for defaming the families who lost loved ones in the shooting. The testimony by Jesses parents has turned a spotlight on the torment of those families, and the years of anguish and threats they have endured after Mr. Jones called the Sandy Hook massacre a hoax by the government as a pretext for confiscating Americans firearms. Steven Goode, a professor at the University of Texas law school who specializes in trial and appellate law, said in an interview that if what Mr. Bankston said on Wednesday was accurate and that Mr. Joness lawyers had failed to take action after they learned what they had done, I would find that stunning. Why should we believe what the parents lawyer said? Mr. Green said Mr. Bankston was almost certainly telling the truth about how he had come into possession of the phone records, for two reasons. First, lawyers for Mr. Jones did not contest his presentation in court, which allowed the records to be admitted as evidence. Second, it would be a disciplinary violation for Mr. Bankston to lie to the judge. In most states, ethics rules require plaintiffs lawyers to notify their defense counterparts of inadvertent disclosure. Texas, however, does not have such a rule. Still, Mr. Bankston said in court on Wednesday that he had informed Mr. Joness team of the disclosure, saying, that when informed, the lawyers did not take any steps to identify it as privileged or protect it in any way. Professor Goode said that if Mr. Bankstons description was accurate, he had given a lawyer for Mr. Jones the opportunity to assert privilege over the material in a more generous way than was required. On Thursday, a lawyer for Mr. Jones, F. Andino Reynal, filed an emergency motion requesting that a judge order Mr. Bankston to return all hard copies of the documents produced from the cellphone records, to seal those already entered into evidence and to give his team a chance to provide replacement copies of relevant evidence. At a hearing on the motion, Mr. Reynal also called for a mistrial, based on Mr. Bankstons use of the cellphone records. He said that after the documents had been turned over inadvertently, he had asked Mr. Bankston to disregard the link he had been sent and had expected the request to be honored. John Kirby, a spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, on Friday condemned the shutdown of military communications and climate talks as irresponsible. But he suggested they might only be temporary setbacks in the overall U.S.-China relationship, saying such responses were of a piece of their playbook. The maneuvers, experts said, suggested a plan to blockade Taiwan, which is quite a bit more than weve seen before, said Andrew Mertha, director of the China Global Research Center at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Were seeing what China is capable of doing in a war context. In the history of U.S.-China relations, suspension of military discussions is always the first casualty, Mr. Mertha added. Its dangerous simply because its precisely at crisis moments like this that you have to have clear uninterrupted lines of communication. Relations between China and the United States, already at a low before Ms. Pelosis visit, are now in a downward spiral. Three ships loaded with grain left Ukrainian ports on Friday, days after the first grain-laden vessel left the country since Russias invasion. They are making the journey as part of a hard-won deal to free more than 20 million tons of Ukraines desperately needed stores. The ships were granted permission to depart by a joint coordination center in Istanbul, created by the agreement and staffed by officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations, and are carrying a total of about 64,000 tons of corn bound for ports in Britain, Ireland and Turkey. The ships that departed on Friday morning were the Polarnet and the Rojen from Ukraines Chornomorsk port, and the Navi-Star from Odesa, according to the joint coordination center. Under the deal, their first stop will be in Turkish waters for a joint-team inspection. Meanwhile, young Apter Schutz has become the mayors right-hand man. Apter is a kind of avatar of meritocracy. Though hes only in his 20s, a long, rambling portion of Mount Chicago is devoted to his many ventures and successes. In college, while trying to raise money for the Bernie Sanders campaign, Apter comes up with a scheme to sell patriotic page-a-day calendars that appeal to MAGA zealots and white nationalists; the products are so wildly successful that he becomes a millionaire before the age of 22. After selling the calendar business for a tidy profit, he earns another $5 million in cryptocurrency speculation, invests with his sister in a small press and becomes a successful psychotherapist. In short, Apter has a much more productive third decade than most of us, and this is even before he signs on with the mayors office. Image At last, in the wake of the terrestrial anomaly, Apters skills are put to the test as he helps the mayor raise funds for a memorial park for the victims, and he is sent to meet with the Lollapalooza co-owners Ari Emanuel and Perry Farrell, in hopes of setting up a benefit concert. Apter convinces Emanuel and Farrell that one of the headliners should be none other than the comedian Solomon Gladman whom Apter has admired and been influenced by since he was in middle school. But now Apter must persuade the reclusive Gladman to sign on. One of my favorite moments in Bonsai comes early on, when its revealed that as an act of foreplay, Emilia and Julio read aloud to each other. This practice leads them to the short story Tantalia, by Macedonio Fernandez, in which a couple buy a plant as a token of their relationship. Fernandezs couple realize that the plant will die one day, taking their love with it, so, in a fit of desperation, they take the plant to a store and lose it among other plants. They realize only too late that theyll never find this symbol of their love again. The story has a peculiar and painful effect on Julio and Emilia, as though it were a cursed object. They both knew that, as they say, the ending was already written their ending, the narrator observes. They both nursed the fantasy of at least finishing Proust, of dragging things over seven volumes and letting the last word (the word Time) also be the last word that passed between them. Their relationship concludes shortly thereafter, but they each go on living until one day, Emilia is dead. Before she dies, Emilia moves to Madrid. Julio, however, stays in Chile, where he is contacted by an acclaimed writer who asks him to transcribe his handwritten notebooks. He does not get the job, but what he does instead is one of the more remarkable elements of Bonsai. Julio, who is now sleeping with his neighbor, lies to his lover and tells her that he is actually translating the writers novel after all. The novel is titled Bonsai. And what he describes to her is the story of his relationship with Emilia. He writes in notebooks, impersonating the handwriting of the famous writer, and then he transcribes his own writing, resulting in a book that he gives to his lover as she departs for Madrid, of all places. The creation of that novel, simultaneously an act of transcription and fabrication, lies and truth, gets at something elemental about art itself: that in the end, what we call art is of little consequence, that the thing that matters is that we express the most urgent material of our lives. While many evangelicals were aligning with the politics of the right (the Rev. Jerry Falwell founded the Moral Majority the next year) and focusing on abortion and issues of sexual identity, Dr. Sider spoke and wrote from the left, remaining vocal and politically involved for half a century. That included trying to counter the support among white evangelicals for Donald J. Trump. In 2020 he edited The Spiritual Danger of Donald Trump: 30 Evangelical Christians on Justice, Truth, and Moral Integrity, a book that, he told Sight magazine, grew out of an obvious concern that white evangelicals were not thinking in an adequately biblical way in their reflections on Donald Trump, his character and his policies. Dr. Sider wasnt without his conservative side, especially concerning same-sex marriage and abortion. And he cautioned against being overly focused on causes one of his books was called I Am Not a Social Activist: Making Jesus the Agenda (2008). But he had hope that a faith of personal salvation and one of advocacy on social issues could coexist. I long for the day when every village, town and city has congregations of Christians so in love with Jesus Christ that they lead scores of people to accept him as personal Savior and Lord every year, he wrote in Good News and Good Works: A Theology for the Whole Gospel (1999), and so sensitive to the cry of the poor and oppressed that they work vigorously for justice, peace and freedom. Ronald James Sider was born on Sept. 17, 1939, in Stevensville, Ontario. His father, James, was a farmer and later a pastor, and his mother, Ida (Cline) Sider, was a homemaker. He grew up attending the Brethren Church of Christ. His interest in social activism started there. It was thoroughly evangelical but had not experienced the wrenching early-20th-century divisions of the social gospel-fundamentalist battles that helped produce the huge gulf between evangelism and social action, Dr. Sider wrote in Good News and Good Works. In my early years in the faith I just assumed that devout Christians shared the gospel, as my missionary uncle had in Africa, and also cared for the poor, as my churchs relief agency was doing. Supporters of the bill have tried to continue putting pressure on Mr. Schumer to bring it up for a vote, highlighting work his children have done for the big tech companies. 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. They argued that if lawmakers had to vote on the bill, it would pass. But last month at a fund-raiser, Mr. Schumer said he didnt believe the measure had the 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. And he said he would not put it on the floor until he had a better sense that it could pass, said a person with knowledge of his comments, who would speak only anonymously because the discussion was private. Mr. Schumers comments were first reported by Bloomberg. All I can tell you is that Klobuchar was very disappointed when she was led to believe it was going to be brought up in this time frame and its not brought up, and we dont have a lot of time between now and the election, Mr. Grassley said in an interview. Other priorities in the Senate like the climate, energy and tax package brokered between Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia, and Mr. Schumer have also brushed antitrust matters aside. Before the surprise reconciliation deal on that bill, slow work on a veteran health care bill, a sweeping gun control measure and a chip manufacturing bill dominated the legislative calendar. Some of the bills co-sponsors said the bill was a low priority for them as they prepared to leave Capitol Hill for the month. Senator Mazie Hirono, Democrat of Hawaii, said she was focusing on legislation that was being discussed before the August recess. Ms. Klobuchar said that she had spoken with Mr. Schumer and discussed putting the bill up for a vote in the fall. He became the leader of a committee of bankers whose institutions licensed the BankAmericard, which was first issued in 1958. The panels mission: to determine the cards future. (The American Express card made its debut that same year; eight years earlier, Diners Club had issued what is widely consider the first credit card.) The committees solution was to create a new company, National BankAmericard, to be separate from Bank of America and to be controlled by the banks that issued the card. Mr. Hock was named president and chief executive. In 1976, after an in-house contest, the company was renamed Visa. As chief executive, he oversaw the development of one of the first electronic authorization systems and the first interbank electronic clearing and settlement system. Banks would issue the cards, not Visa, and they were mandated to add the magnetic stripe to their cards. Dee Hock realized something in the late 1960s that few others really understood: Computers and telecommunications would soon make it possible to build a global electronic value exchange system that would soon enable customers to pay for goods and services anywhere you want to be, David Stearns, the author of Electronic Value Exchange: Origins of the VISA Electronic Payment System (2011), wrote in an email. (The company renders its name in all capital letters.) The cars mention recalls for Mr. Pepin a day during the Second World War when his family left Lyon in his uncles Traction Avant to stay at a farm for a while. My father was gone in the Resistance, he says. That car I still remember as a kid, especially the smell. I always loved the Citroens because of that. Afterward, his parents owned a Panhard, an idiosyncratic machine from a small but respected French manufacturer that would fall into the arms of Citroen in 1965, a decade before offbeat Citroen itself would be swallowed and, critics argued, homogenized by Peugeot. Like many Frenchmen after the Second World War and millions elsewhere, Mr. Pepin was smitten by Citroens postwar small car, the Deux Chevaux, which he says was the first car his mother had owned. Seventy miles to the gallon, or whatever, he says. It didnt go too fast, but we loved it. Mr. Pepins distaste for excess notwithstanding his early detours into rich, labor-intensive foods, such as when he cooked at New York Citys Le Pavillon, a onetime pinnacle of American haute cuisine informed not just the simpler cooking hed later champion but many of his vehicle choices when he first hit the American highway. In his memoir, he refers, for instance, to the Volkswagen Beetle that he used to thrash down the Long Island Expressway on his way to visit one of his friends, the New York Times food writer Craig Claiborne, on Long Islands East End. A Peugeot 404 would figure in his commute to work at the Howard Johnson test kitchen in Rego Park, Queens, where he worked for 10 years. Like Ms. Omarova, Ms. Raskin withdrew her nomination. Sarah was subject to baseless attacks from industry and conservative interest groups, Mr. Biden said in a statement. The treasurers have also set their sights on new federal rules and regulations intended to strengthen the governments ability to act on climate change. Late last year, the State Financial Officers Foundation worked with the Heritage Foundation to respond to proposals from the Financial Stability Oversight Council, a government panel assigned to minimize risk in the financial sector, on ways to reduce the threats posed by climate change, records show. And soon after that, Mr. Oaks, the Utah treasurer, drafted a letter opposing a potential Department of Labor rule that would allow retirement plans to consider risks from global warming in their investment strategy. Mr. Kreifels distributed the draft to the foundations members, and more than a dozen treasurers signed the final letter. The Department of Labor has not decided whether to implement the rule. This year, the treasurers targeted the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. After the agency proposed a rule to require banks to consider climate-related financial risk, executives from the Heritage Foundation sent Mr. Kreifels and Mr. Oaks a memo outlining their opposition. Within weeks, dozens of state treasurers and attorneys general from Republican-led states submitted comments objecting to the proposed rule. This special concern for and attention to climate-related risks is irrational, one comment read. And in May, Mr. Kreifels organized a call with the treasurers to discuss regulations proposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission that would require companies to publicly disclose climate risks to investors. The featured guest was a representative from the American Petroleum Institute, the lobbying arm of the fossil fuel industry. The next month, the State Financial Officers Foundation sent a 20-page letter signed by more than a dozen treasurers, calling the S.E.C.s proposed rule, which has not yet been enacted, irrational climate exceptionalism, elevating climate issues to a place of prominence in disclosures that they do not deserve. The shortfall of monkeypox vaccine doses in the United States, expected to last for months, is raising urgent questions about how well and for how long a single shot may protect against the virus. The vaccine, called Jynneos, is approved as a two-dose regimen, but most people at risk of infection have been receiving one dose if they can find it. Now the shortage has led federal officials to consider a rarely used approach: a so-called dose-sparing strategy, which gives shots that each contain just one-fifth of a single dose. For most recipients, one shot should be enough to ward off serious illness, and there is some evidence that even smaller doses can be effective. But preliminary research suggests that people with H.I.V. or other conditions that weaken the immune system may be less protected than people who dont have such illnesses, according to some experts. It was the day a grand showdown fight in Prey was to be shot, and Amber Midthunder felt awful. She was ill, and she had lost her voice. The sequence involved the movies most physically intensive action, requiring fine-tuned choreography and a rousing finish. And you generally want to be at your best when facing an intergalactic nemesis who has journeyed to Earth to hunt people for sport. I really wanted to do it! So I just didnt talk to anybody all day long, Midthunder said. And then we were like, Well just try it and see what happens. The steely nerves paid off. On Friday, Prey, directed by Dan Trachtenberg, premieres on Hulu with a novel rethink of the Predator action series that is set in the early 18th century and doubles as a coming-of-age adventure. Midthunder plays Naru, a young Comanche woman who must prove herself to a tribe that underestimates her. Carter Stream it on Netflix. Just a few minutes into this new South Korean import, its obvious we are in for a completely bonkers ride. Shortly after waking up with amnesia and a cross-shaped incision on the back of his neck, Carter (Joo Won, the star of the original Korean version of The Good Doctor) has recovered enough to brutally dispatch dozens of half-naked foes in a blood-soaked melee inside a bath house. He hears a womans voice in his head that informs him that a spreading virus is turning people into bald zombielike maniacs, and he must deliver the antidote to North Korea. Should Carter, a rogue former C.I.A. operative, trust a disembodied voice from North Korea to begin with? You have one guess. This sci-fi-inflected actioners plot matters less than its operatic violence and dizzying camera work. The director Jung Byung-gil (The Villainess) has devised a series of virtuosically unhinged set pieces, and Carter is a turbocharged hybrid of Jack Reacher, Ethan Hunt and Jason Bourne. A high-speed chase involves our indestructible hero jumping on and off a bike and three moving vans, and another repurposes the codes of high-flying literally Asian cinema wire action with combatants in free fall from a plane. The ending leaves the door wide open to a sequel. Thered better be one. And also, just maybe, something in the sky. Narrating the sequence, the writer and director Jordan Peele said he wanted to bring out the surrealistic aspect of the theme park and of Hollywood in this setting. O.J. continues on to an arena where he looks up and spots a U.F.O. that is moving in an erratic and potentially menacing manner through the clouds. The idea was, if people can leave a movie feeling about the sky the way they felt about the water after Jaws, then Id be in a prime position to torment them for at least several years, Peele said. Men is a film that does not challenge the gender binary so much as wallow in it. Harpers ill-fated getaway is suffused with dour shots of fertility idols and portentous biblical references; before she is terrorized by a pack of pathetic and violent men, she chomps an apple shes plucked from someone elses tree. Garland, the films director, has said that messing around with ancient masculine and feminine symbols led him to the image of a guy with a vagina on his chest. When that vagina births a succession of bad guys, rendering them all as laboring parents and mewling babes, it reads as a kind of misanthropic final judgment, as if men abusing women is a grotesque but ultimately inevitable cycle. The imagery of Resurrection, on the other hand, originates from nowhere. There is no mythical antecedent to David smugly carrying his beer gut like a womb. He requires no padding or prosthetics. He just asserts that theres a baby in there, and he does it with such psychological intensity that Maggie starts to believe him. Watching Roths riotously unsettling performance, I felt freed from the reality of my own pregnant body, and also a little bit won over. Davids claims are ridiculous, but so is pregnancy. Though I am of course aware of the biological process through which babies are made, it still feels so supernatural that if you told me that people get pregnant by gobbling up live infants, I might believe it. After plodding through decades of pregnant-man tropes, Seahorse a 2019 documentary that follows Freddy McConnell, a British journalist and trans man, as he conceives, carries and gives birth to his first child came as a welcome relief. Finally, the image of the pregnant man is freed of the distortions of comedy, horror and metaphor and presented simply as a human experience. As McConnell endures the physical and mental trials of pregnancy, he must also contend with intense social pressures: He feels alienated from other men, patronized by women, ignored by medicine and estranged from his own identity. The backlash against gender-neutral language like pregnant people and the assertion that it somehow erases women is unintelligible to me. It is the coding of pregnancy as the paramount expression of femininity that make me feel expunged. The gendered constructs of pregnancy work differently on McConnells body than they do on mine, but I identified closely with him. He describes pregnancy as a process, and that is clarifying. It is not an extension of my personality. Its just the wildest thing Ive ever done. For me, the most unsettling image in the annals of pregnant-man movies came at the end of Men not the birth scene, but the one that followed. Throughout her weekend of horror, Harper is in touch with a friend, Riley, who becomes so concerned for Harpers safety that she drives overnight to find her. When Riley steps out of the car, we get the films final reveal: Shes pregnant! If pregnancy represents horror in a man, it is meant to signal the opposite in a woman she must be nurturing, preternaturally understanding, good. I dont know what Im supposed to think about that, but I know how I felt: like a punchline to an old joke. A man charged with murder last month in the killing of a Chinese food delivery worker amid a dispute over duck sauce was found dead on Friday after shooting himself in his Queens apartment, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. The official cause of death was determined to be suicide by gunshot wound to the head, the medical examiners office said on Monday. The authorities found the man, Glenn Hirsch, 51, while checking on him after he failed to appear in court in the murder case, his lawyer, Arthur L. Aidala, said. Mr. Hirsch left behind a note, according to the two people with knowledge of the matter. This would hardly come as a revelation to anyone who has spent time around the far western stretch of Washington Street in Dumbo, along the Brooklyn waterfront, where the arch of the Manhattan Bridge framing the Empire State Building in the distance dominates the view. Aside from Covids interruption, for several years now the block has served as a cherished spot for self-documentation people showing up to record themselves in workout clothes, in regular clothes, in wedding dresses, with dogs, with children, with sonogram images announcing future children. According to Dumbos business improvement group, during May and June pedestrian traffic nearly tripled, to 48,000 people, on this stretch over the same period in 2020. Late last month community members gathered at a town hall to express their displeasure with what had become an untenable degree of congestion. We have seen tourism approach prepandemic levels, and people are working at home and seeing it from a different perspective now, Lincoln Restler, the city councilman serving Dumbo and fielding many of the complaints, told me. This is one of the most photogenic spots in New York if not the world, but its a lot for people living there. The problem wasnt simply the resurgent flood of humanity but also in part the economy that had evolved around it the parade of food trucks, too many of which, neighbors maintained, were parked illegally and dumped trash with abandon. Navigation was already compromised by a renovation of the sewer system that had torn up various roadways; at the same time the citys Department of Transportation had closed off a section of Washington Street adjacent to the popular tourist corridor to traffic, as part of the open streets program. The current unease points ultimately to a broader problem, a long-term failure of city planning an unwillingness to recognize or engage with what a once industrial neighborhood, bordered by a park decades in the making, would surely become. It had happened in New York and so many other cities where cobblestone streets, loft buildings and money converged at the water. Dumbo outgrew its infrastructure, and things had come to a boiling point. In the case of Colonia High School, many of these valid limitations apply. The New Jersey cancer registry offers little help, since not everyone who went to or worked at Colonia still lives in Woodbridge, and not everyone in Woodbridge went to Colonia. When the state health department calculated the number of brain and other nervous system tumors that would be expected among the cohort of students and staff from 1968 to 2021, it concluded it could be up to 120 individuals just slightly under Mr. Lupianos count of about 125 (though he believes his tally is an undercount). At least one epidemiologist I spoke to for this article told me that, just glancing at the numbers, he wasnt surprised that public officials have determined Colonia was not a true cluster. Even so, these constraints do not relieve public health departments from their duty to do all they can to address their constituents concerns even if they cant deliver definitive answers and even if they are under strain themselves. The perception of a cluster in a community may be as important as, or more important than, an actual cluster, the C.D.C. observed in 1990. In addition to leaning less heavily on statistical significance, the federal agencys new updates also call for an evolution in the interpersonal aspects of a cluster investigation. The draft guidelines promote listening skills and empathy on the part of state and local health department representatives, the sharing of information upon which decisions are made, and developing communication plans in advance of concerns being raised to build trust and credibility, said Dr. Breysse. That could look like presenting the public with clearer timelines of an investigations course of action, creating portals to gather community feedback and encouraging two-way communications from the start. After all, there has been a long history of patients serving as a critical warning system for epidemiology, with concerned residents having alerted public health officials to mercury poisoning diseases, birth defects caused by rubella, and toxic drinking water contaminants. Very often the first time public health officials learn about a potential community health threat, said Dr. Morello-Frosch, is through community members themselves. At the Colonia High School news conference in May, reporters pressed a panel of state experts on the decision not to test water and soil, even if just to reassure concerned community members that there was nothing there. [MUSIC PLAYING] ezra klein Im Ezra Klein. This is The Ezra Klein Show. I dont think anything in our society is changing as fast right now as ideas about gender. In 2014, Facebook gave people at least 58 genders to choose from. In 2016, Tinder added 37 genders. In 2019, Merriam-Webster named the personal pronoun they their word of the year. Corporations, they dont lead on things like this. They follow. They respond. And they particularly follow the young. And thats very much the case here. Theres an explosion in young people identifying as gender nonconforming in various ways. Theres a real difference in how gender is being treated by people who are 16 than by people who are 66. But where theres change, theres backlash. Were seeing so-called Dont Say Gay bills. Were seeing a lot of violence against trans people. Were seeing a lot of efforts to paint people who are trying to live a different life, or just trying to live their own life, as predators, as threats. And politics, for its part, and the media, focuses on the hard cases, the ones most likely to cleave us apart, the questions of NCAA-championship swimmers, or what precisely we should do when an 11-year-old wants to medically block puberty. And Im not saying those questions dont deserve attention, that they arent real, that theyre not important or hard. But I do think they lead us, sometimes, to skip a few steps. Because at the base of this conversation is a more fundamental idea, one that I think people know even if they dont want to know it, or even if they dont want to know that they know it: Gender is weird. Its weird if youre queer. Its weird if youre straight. Its weirdest when we interrogate it least. And so I wanted to have a conversation more about the base layer of the gender question, the one that affects all of us, and most of all, those of us fully at home in the stories weve been told about gender. Now we are making a distinction in this conversation Im going to oversimplify it here between gender, which is the psychological and cultural expression of who we are, at least on this dimension, and sex, which is about biological differences, usually between men and women, and sexual orientation, which is about who were attracted to. But this is primarily a conversation about gender, which I think is in flux, almost no matter what you believe about those other questions. And so my guest today is Kathryn Bond Stockton. Shes a distinguished Professor of English, focusing on gender studies at the University of Utah, and the author of the book, Gender(s). Theres a playfulness and an openness to her writing and her thinking that I dont just value as a reader, but that I think stands as an example of the kind of world she and many others are trying to create. And that, in a way, is what I wanted to get out of this conversation, a clearer sense of, what is the world that people who are trying to break open the gender binary, people trying to create space for 37 or 58 genders, what kind of world are they trying to build? What is gained in that world? What might be lost in it? As always, my email, ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com. Kathryn Bond Stockton, welcome to the show. kathryn bond stockton Hello, Ezra. Pleasure to be with you. ezra klein I want to start with your personal experience of gender. And then well expand outward. What was it like for you to feel like you were born into the wrong sex and gender? kathryn bond stockton Id say initially, very confusing. So this was just true for me at such an early age, its hard for me to even put a number on it, just my deepest sense of consciousness was. I always say there were two things that I felt to be true about me: that I felt I was a boy, and nobody else seemed to be understanding that or granting that, and I wanted to kiss girls. And I think that might be helpful for people to realize, that for some of us, it happens so early, it is literally the deepest and most-familiar thing we know about ourselves. So I think I would use the word puzzlement first because it was very hard to understand why nobody else around me could see that I was a boy. How is this not evident? Why is this not allowed? No one could really explain that to me. There was just always a sort of deep-seated response, your a girl. Thats how it is. You can play with boys. You can do some boy things. But then you have to wear dresses and do these other things as well. So I think I was confused and bewildered about my circumstance. ezra klein And how did that evolve for you? Today you use she/her pronouns. Ive heard you describe your ideal gender as a dandy butch, which I love. How has your relationship to your own gender changed over time? kathryn bond stockton Yeah, its been a long arc. So I would say, out of that kind of crucible of childhood which of course, there were many happy things going on in my childhood. But that is so fundamental to how you walk in the world, that not being able to be a boy so as I say, having latitude in early childhood to do many things with my boy friends, lots of sporty things and so forth, I sometimes say in my writing that I was a girl by day and a boy by night. Now that doesnt mean that during the day I didnt think I was a boy. I did. But I had to go to school. And by the dictates of the Board of Education at that time, or at least from everything I understood, I had to wear a dress. So I always felt like a boy in a dress at recess. And at recess is when I could kind of let go, and play baseball and dodge ball and all these things, and really play with the boys, but then going back in after recess, having to be a girl again. So its this very strange temporal split between day and night because as soon as I would get home from school, I would throw off those girl clothes. I would be in my boy clothes. And Id be out in the neighborhood, playing with my friends. So that lasted up till about sixth grade. And I think probably, as anybody can relate to, when youre going to go to junior high, that seems like you were stepping across a whole new threshold. And for me, I guess I would have to use the word terrifying. I could not see how this was all going to come together. I couldnt believe that I might have to do something like wear stockings, which just seemed horrific to me, have to wear a bra, have to sort of go deeper into the archive of female clothing. That, to me, was very distressing. Probably, to go much farther than the beginning of junior high, we would have to get into the moment where I enter into a religious commitment. And that would sort of take us into a new direction of this conversation. ezra klein Im here for it. What was your religious commitment? kathryn bond stockton Yeah, so I am one of those unusual people who was raised Unitarian by 2 left-leaning, Democratic, Unitarian parents, but very much formed by their time, as I think they would say. And I met an evangelical girl who was the most beautiful girl I had ever met. And I thought she also seemed smart and interesting and funny, and she played instruments. And she was good at sports. So I had a great admiration going there. And at some point, it began to click for me that by accepting Jesus in my heart that was the language of the time, still is for some people that in some ways, that could be proof to me that I was a good person, because unfortunately, by that time, I had heard that homosexuals that was the word in play homosexuals were evil. And I was trying to figure out how in the world, though I did not feel myself to be evil at all, how in the world I could find a place where I could feel good. The other interesting effect of evangelicalism, as Ive tried to explain, is that in many ways, evangelicalism kind of confirmed, advanced and catapulted me into my own queerness. So this might be strange for people to hear. But evangelical Christianity was a rescue for me because, in part, of the sex segregation. The pesky boys go one way. The girls go the other way. And I got to go with the girls. And in a very interesting way, particularly early on, I felt like a boy concealed in a girl gang. And I felt that I would be learning to become a gay girl by being evangelical. So lots of intriguing contradictions with that move. ezra klein I want to go back to the experience you related about feeling, on the playground, like a boy in a dress, because in a dizzying way, I think thats a good place for some of us who havent had the experience to be able to empathically access it. One of the things I think about a lot, in the conversations people have about gender, is the salience it has for some and not others. It seems some people dont think about it at all. And others, it is the overriding fact of their lives. But if thinking back to myself as a kid, frankly, even now, if you had me put on a dress, I would be conscious of nothing else, particularly as a kid on the schoolyard. And that would be a kind of violent disruption of my normal relationship between how I look in my mind, and how I believe Im expected to be, and then how I would be presenting in the world. And it sounds to me a bit like what youre saying is that its the same in the inverse of that, to be a boy and a dress when you are expected to be a girl is not that different from being, in a way, a boy and a dress when youre expected to be a boy. kathryn bond stockton Well, yeah, thats an interesting question. And in a way, when you cant be something, right, and youre told over and over that youre a girl, on some level, a familiarity develops with that, right? Though I can say it was so permeated my life that its hard to remember anything where I wasnt sort of obsessed with that. But you do have to kind of finally begin navigating around these clothes you must wear. And indeed, I often wore jumpers to school. You know, so Id throw a jumper over a turtleneck, easier to throw off at the end of the evening. And I remember having a dress that I was very fond of because my mother called it my sword dress. It had a sword on the belt. And she was sort of able to convince me that Robin Hood would be proud to wear this jumper. So theres a way in which I think my mom very sweetly and tenderly understood something about this. But again, its not a problem, particularly in that time period, that a parent could solve for me. And so in many ways, on the playground, I had to sort of wrap my mind around what I was wearing and concentrate on what I was doing. But I will tell you, as I remember, a particular terror. It would always be on Sunday when we would come home from the Unitarian church. This is before I had peeled off and was hanging with the evangelicals. And Id be wearing patent-leather shoes. And I just remember just the steel-cold horror in my heart of thinking that any of my boy friends in the neighborhood would see me get out of that car. And I would literally run from the car into the house because that sense of shame was so severe. ezra klein I think a lot of people have a sense that gender is difficult and interesting for the people who are round pegs in square cultural holes. And your argument isnt gender is queer its weird for everyone, and maybe even more so for those who accept their gender fully and dont consider it at all an interesting topic. So what do you mean by that? kathryn bond stockton One of the things I was quite passionate to present is that gender is queer, as I say, for everyone. And by that I dont mean LGBTQ. I mean that other definition of queer. So if you look queer up in the dictionary, the dictionary used to say derisive term for homosexual. Well, I think the derision has fallen off. I think many queers are happy to say that theyre queer. But that other definition is simply strange. And its that part of the definition that I want to pick up, and basically think about gender at large, that I dont think gender, in the end, really is easy for anybody. People may feel that they go through periods of ease. And you might have felt that you werent thinking of it every minute of the day, and I was. But in many ways, the norms of gender are impossible to live for anybody, these norms that pretend to be ideal. And I wanted to pick up on that thought in the book, and help my reader understand instances of how that might be true. ezra klein Lets tether this a bit to some concrete examples. So take a I dont know. Take a 53-year-old man in Wyoming. He drives a truck. He wears pants. Hes married to a woman. He feels comfortable as a man. He doesnt think much about gender. What is queer about his gender? kathryn bond stockton Well again, I think what is queer is that everybody, at some point, will fail their gender expectations. Now just because that person seems to be kind of walking easily through the world, we dont know what theyre thinking at every moment. So right, it may be true for that Wyoming man that day by day, not too much trauma or thinking about gender. But there can be moments where, if he starts to feel that he fails the expectations of masculinity, or has interests in things that are not classically masculine, that may feel that he is sort of at the tip of a sharp point, as it were, of the ideals of gender and gender expectations. ezra klein I think you really rightly point out there the anxiety of gender. Im somebody whos fairly comfortable in my own gender, but have had more instances than I can count of wondering whether or not what Im doing, at any given moment, is the man thing to do. But Im also interested in the other side of the queerness there, which is, all these signifiers that are completely I dont exactly want to call them random, but what exactly a truck has to do with a penis, or pants, for that matter theres just a lot about performing maleness thats pretty peculiar. And whats often interesting to me about it is that it stops being so. I mean, thats true from across a million different areas of life. But I always think that the weirdness of our life is most interesting when we cease to realize that it is weird, when it just becomes, well, of course these things all go together. And then when you begin to look at them, you think, well, why? Why do any of them go together? kathryn bond stockton And in your example too, wed have to ask about the racialization of our Wyoming man, right? So is he a white guy in Wyoming, which can play out very differently, the expectations surrounding his masculinity as opposed to somebody who is Latino in Wyoming, or somebody who is a Black man driving a truck in Wyoming. So those are the things that I begin to think about in this book, is that theres so many different things that are interacting with that thing that we kind of falsely isolate as gender, right? And what is the interaction of those elements that produces either a sense of ease or a sense of concern and anxiety, as you said? I think part of what were seeing in our culture is theres tremendous anxiety surrounding boys, young men. And I have to imagine that doesnt really end later in life. Sometimes, later in life, we all kind of get used to things and we chill. But I have a feeling that these things do remain of concern because theyre so extremely bounded. And thats where if you watch something like Fight Club, or watch other cultural products, they kind of get at the strange way in which, particularly, white men sort of painted themselves into a corner. Its a whole series masculinity becomes a whole series of things you cant do, otherwise you will be in danger of losing your masculine status. And that seems interesting to me. ezra klein So then lets take a 15-year-old I live in San Francisco a 15-year-old who lives down the block from me, who identifies as nonbinary, who uses the pronoun they, who dresses in a more androgynous way, whats queer about their gender? kathryn bond stockton Well, definitely, as they walk through the world, if, to other peoples sight lines if theyre encountering sighted people and people are seeing them dress in a nonconforming way, thats going to be noticed. And then the question is, how does that affect that particular individual? Is being constantly noticed by other people, possibly having stares of displeasure, sometimes acclaim, how is that going to be affecting that individual? Because whenever you enter into a place where youre sort of crossing against gender norms and Im going to say particularly for the people we call men and boys then I think theres all kinds of possibility to have to, again, I guess Ill use the word navigate that in ones life. The fact that person is identifying as nonbinary, you might have to know more about why they make that identification. Is that something that feels, like, just deeply rooted from everything theyve known? Has that been a more recent sense that theyve come to? Do they have a sense of glee and exuberance in embracing that or is there a sense of trepidation? There could be so many different emotional registers surrounding the individual you just briefly described. ezra klein Lets talk about an idea, then, that you have in the book, which you call cone of gender. And I think its a helpful metaphor. So can you talk a bit about the cone of gender, and then how and why we fortify it? kathryn bond stockton Yeah. So one of the things thats striking that we still see and we still do, is that we do, in essence of course, its a metaphor lower a cone over the baby at birth. So when we say its a boy, its a girl, we seem to be saying who that child is in a very profound way. And lets not forget that for a very long time in history, still in many places, we also conceive of these as opposite sexes. So in one sense, its like we lower a cone on the baby. And that is going to be your cone. And it is not going to be easy to get that cone off of you. Trust me. I tried in childhood. I said everything I could possibly say. I tried to display all the boy behaviors I knew to display. And I could not get that cone off of me. So its a very rigorous thing that surrounds the child. Now think about it. Its sort of interesting that we feel that we have to fortify something that many people believe is just a natural thing and will naturally express itself. Its as if culturally, were very insecure. And even though we say the boy and girl categories are highly natural, weve attached them to the genitals, thats just simply who these children are, right from the get go, were gendering a child and producing a kind of gender fortification of that sex that the baby cant see and the baby doesnt know. And I think thats very telling that we dont somehow trust what we say is a natural, unfolding development for the child. Were in there putting a bow on the newborns hair. Were in there creating color schemes for the child. Were in there giving toys. That to me is very striking. [MUSIC PLAYING] ezra klein Ive been thinking, reading the book, about moments in my life where it got fortified. And one, theres an instant for me that Ive actually never forgotten. And I have a crap memory, just a terrible memory of my own childhood. So there arent that many of them. But I was a pretty lonely kid. I had a lot of trouble making friends for a very, very long time. And I want to say this was in third grade. This kid moved into my school, and we became very fast friends, a kid named Tommy. And I was so grateful that it had happened. And one of my parents had taken us to get ice cream. And were getting out of the car. And I remember very, very clearly, I went to hold Tommys hand. And my parent came to me and said, very kindly, right I had very loving parents hey, boys dont do that. You dont hold each others hands. And I never forgot that moment. One, I was a bit embarrassed. But two, its always just struck me as incredibly weird. kathryn bond stockton Yeah. ezra klein And then later, I realized girls do hold each others hands. And its just a funny moment of something that really has nothing to do with whatever somebody might want to call sex. Its purely a cultural expectation, which is different in other countries. If you go to the Middle East, men do hold hands. kathryn bond stockton Yes, absolutely. ezra klein And you know, and I had no say in it, really. And I, to this day, dont hold my friends hands. [LAUGHS] And to the whole thing, I mean, to your point about gender is queer, even if youre even for those of us who think were playing it straight, like, its very queer. kathryn bond stockton Mm-hmm. And those moments are so defining, arent they? I mean, the fact that you remember that, though, as you say, you dont have a good memory, that stands out to you because that one moment kind of chased you off that possibility, right? That was like, not just a light brush back, but really was sending a very strong message to you, whatever was intended, right? We dont the intent. The intent might have been gentle. Im sure it was well-meaning. But the way that it operated for you was to be a reminder throughout your life. And this is where I think we have to understand, for children, that these messages to children are extremely heavy and extremely powerful. And some of them, you dont forget. You only need one experience to be told what can and cannot be, and some deep, weird, operative sense of shame rolls over you and may stay with you for a very long time. So children, of course, are imbibing these messages at a very young age, and I would say to a tremendous extent. And thats where we do have to be aware. In the current conversation, this idea that we should not be talking about childrens gender or sexuality until, I dont know, third grade, sixth grade, whatever people are thinking, but were kind of skipping lightly over the fact that we have made boys and girls, from birth, without their consent, and that we have been fortifying that gender at every turn. So theres some fascinating contradictions that surround what we say in relationship to children. ezra klein I had an experience recently as a parent. My older son is three. And hes very stereotypically male, in the way that, as liberal parents out on the West Coast who have tried to be pretty gender neutral in how we raise our kids, makes you wonder a bit more about essentialism. But he adores trucks and roughhousing and lasers and firefighters and of course fireworks. And on July 4, he was so excited for the fireworks. And he came to me and my wife. And he looked at us, and really excitedly said that he needed a dress so he could look beautiful for the fireworks. And I had this very-intense moment as a parent where you realize, oh, whatever I say next, this is how gender gets communicated, or maybe not communicated. But its in exactly these completely-discrete instances. kathryn bond stockton Yeah, those can be watershed moments, I mean, might not be. But given that your child is saying something to you that I take it you hadnt heard before am I understanding that correctly? ezra klein That is correct. kathryn bond stockton Yeah, that is a watershed moment, certainly for you. ezra klein Yes, that was distinctive. kathryn bond stockton Yeah, again, think of how, early on, children are learning the complicated thing we call language. I mean, that blows me away. And it must be really striking, as a parent, to watch that happen, kids taking on words and then forming sentences and then sort of understanding how grammar works as they speak the language. No less are they imbibing all these other systems and signs around them. So it happens very early on. And I think to your point, as I try to say in the book, gender is really occurring at two very different levels, many more besides, but certainly at the level of system and at the level of word. So in that sense, as I say in the book, its almost like gender comes to us from on high. And therefore, you know, parents dont control a childs gender. There are many other factors inside your childs gendering than what the parents what messages theyre giving or how they might be talking to a child. And then, of course, inside the very words that the child is learning to speak, or the images that it sees, or watching how people dress around them, they are imbibing that to an astonishing degree. And that produces, again, very strong and interesting effects. Now what your child means when they say I want to wear a dress, that will be fascinating to see. What is that an indication of? Wanting something that perhaps they see, like, why should that be off limits? I think kids would probably, understandably, wonder, why cant I have access to that thing? Why can I only have access to these things? And this might be a time period in which children would imagine that they should have greater latitude. ezra klein And of course, he sees his mom, when shes dressing up, put on a dress to look beautiful. kathryn bond stockton Right, absolutely. ezra klein It really stuck with me. It made my gender feel so much weirder to me than his. Im still thinking about why do I never wear any clothing that is flowy? My wife has boo boos, has dresses, has kimonos, has robes. Im not a big bathrobe person. But it really got me thinking about how men wear at least in this culture wear almost no flowing clothing, no clothing that is loose enough to flow. And its just really peculiar. [LAUGHS] kathryn bond stockton Yeah, and I mean, to your point, in this culture I mean, I think thats a really important point because of course, before the rise of plain-style clothing for men in the 19th century, centuries before that, you have men running around in powdered wigs, men of a certain class of course, and men running around in powdered wigs and very ornamental, beautiful clothing. But, right. What your child is seeing is a sort of difference in clothing that seems a little more ornamental, a little more intriguing, a little more decorative, and might want that, but then associates that with your partner, and seeing that clothing in that way, and doesnt see that type of clothing on you. And the question is, hey, why cant I have some of that beauty? Thats where and again, knowing nothing about your child or where your child may be headed in life as I would talk to some of my gay male friends who really wanted access, in some ways, to girls clothing I mean, some did. Some didnt. Certainly, folks who ended up later presenting as trans women may have talked about this in childhood, just the way in which these things were so completely off limits, and wanting to feel beautiful. Now this may have changed dramatically. But girls who became queer talking about a feeling of shame. Like, you put me in those girls clothes, and I felt shame. Boys, again, sort of talking about, I just wanted to have clothes that were beautiful. I wanted to feel beautiful. And I didnt understand why I couldnt have those clothes. Theres a fascinating asymmetry there between what the girl is saying, what the person assigned girl is saying with the person assigned boy is saying in that moment. ezra klein I want to talk about another emotional layer of it here. Something that is very striking to me about your book and your work is the emphasis in form as well as content on playfulness. And you use the word a couple of times, but also just the way it is written. And what it seemed to me, as a reader, youre trying to do, is interact with this playfully. And were so used to very, very hard questions of gender that bubble up into politics, where its really deadly serious and were often talking about hate crimes or bills or surgeries or things that are really, really tough conversations that the idea that it could be a little bit more playful, that weve taken something that could be a space of some experimentation and some openness, and locked it down for no, at least totally obvious reason, it is an interesting provocation. And so I wanted to see if you could talk a bit about playfulness to you, and how it interacts, or maybe doesnt interact, with these ideas. kathryn bond stockton Its very striking to me that again, in childhood, I did have this opportunity to be able to play in boy ways so that my play scene gave me a lot of power, gave me a lot of freedom. It was only later, as Ive narrated, in the kind of move from elementary school, where you do have recess, to junior high, where things felt more serious, more locked down. You do not want to make one possible misstep. So I think that sense of play, of course, is age related. No surprise, we do associate children with play. And its interesting. Working with students now again, students of color, queer students, queer students of color often, students are saying how fearful they feel of walking into a classroom, in terms of what response theyre going to get. And I had been a vice president for diversity here at the University of Utah. So I would work with a lot of student groups and listen to students. And I really did a lot of deep-seated listening. In my head, sometimes I was trying on for size. But I just didnt know if this would be the strategy, of me, as an older, white, queer person, of thinking, I can see your beauty. If you walk into that classroom, I would love for you to be able to say, I am so beautiful. I am so righteous. The ideas that I want to share with you are so compelling. I dare you to withstand this beauty. That was the sense that I would love to convey, and to say, remember that I will be by your side, maybe not in that classroom. But I am also holding your beauty for you because I can see it. Im here to share ideas with you. I love the idea of seduction. So if you talk to people who know me, they will say that I am all about this idea of intellectual seduction. Im going to share my views. And again, in my heart, Im going to feel they seem so interesting to me. I cant picture that you wont find them powerful. And so I think that might be the sense of playfulness that you find in my writing. And I would just also say, Im in Utah. Im in a red state. Seduction was my mode from the beginning, from 1987, to come into the classroom and to absolutely assume that many of the students are going to disagree with me. Theyre going to disagree with what they consider to be my lifestyle, right? They might like me. But they might not like the fact that Im gay. Im going to need a mode to be able to share ideas in this passionate, deep-seated, 15 weeks at a time sense with students. ezra klein Im interested in the use of the past tense in that answer. And it connects to something Ive been wondering. One of the things Im going to weave in and out of in this conversation is a question of, what world are we or you attempting to build here? What does a world where gender is opened up look like? And one question I have is whether it is playful and open, or whether its actually just more performances. And one reason Ive thought about that is, I have a lot of friends who are gay. Ive read, as a lot of people did over the last year, Detransition, Baby. And it sometimes strikes me that in the places where gender is most in question or at least normative gender is most being rejected the rules of gender performance often seem to tighten rather than loosen. They maybe become something different. But theyre very, very competitive. And it doesnt seem to me that my friends in those communities theres a certain amount of playfulness. But theres also a lot of pressure. And so I wonder if this all has a tendency to dissolve down into different versions of the thing that people are often trying to reject, which is overly-rigid rules and expectation. kathryn bond stockton It can be. Ill put it this way. It can be rigid in queer communities, right? Or you could have and this could be rigid or playful a kind of expansion of fixity. So part of what I love about Marlon Baileys great book, you know, Butch Queens Up in Pumps, where he talks about Black, gay, and trans ballroom culture, and talks about the six different categories that we created inside the ballroom culture that he was studying in Detroit. And I describe that in my book as a kind of expansion of fixity. And its based on performance norms, so right to your point. Now you could see that as rigid. Or you could see that as playful. Or you could see it as sort of drawing on both in some way. But I certainly know what youre talking about. There can be contexts Ive been in some contexts over time that do strike me as fairly locked down, even though theyre meant to be queer. Now again, that word queer, I think, is very helpful because it is such a stretchy term. Strange could mean so many different things to so many different people. I, of course, as you can tell from my writing and what I argue, I would like to see us go to the very playful place. And I think at times, we have been in a very playful place. I do think that there has been, as I like to say, a brilliance to queer communities and communities of color, and where they overlap, to create whole new taxonomies and classifications. Thats what I was sort of giving in the book, that Im a dandy butch. And my partner calls herself a feminist farm femme. Theres a playfulness to that. But were also kind of serious. But I hope, across the scene of gender, that we would allow for a loosening, a creativity, a kind of riot of surface performances, dressing in different ways, doing things with hair. I always just love to see somebody whos doing something with their hair. Whether its like the best hairdo for them or not, Im like, cool. You are doing something with that hair. I am all about it. Im entertained by that. I feel gleeful in seeing that. So I think across the scene, we need a loosening. Will that necessarily mean that gender becomes loose and fluid for every single person? It will not because we do have our preferences and our predilections for the ways that we want to dress and present, right? So I think sometimes passion comes into the equation because for some people, they are very passionate about a particular performance that gives them pleasure. Yay, I say. And other people and I know some people who really dress wildly differently, have very different hairstyles from time to time. And thats somebody who absolutely takes pleasure in kind of curiously forming new surfaces over time. What we dont want to have, I think and this is what weve had for a very long time, certainly what I had in childhood we dont want things locked down on people without their consent, without inviting them to experiment and find what seems right to them, what seems pleasurable to them. So to get away from that problem of deciding for people, and really back to your point about the lowering of the cone, and then you have to go through all these tremendous difficulties to get the cone off of you, I would love to see that come to an end. And one other things I hope would change is that we would learn to encounter peoples surface presentations with a sense of deep curiosity and humility. Im really trying to train myself to do this. I am a sighted person. So when somebody walks past me on the sidewalk, I can feel that my brain is firing away. Im seeing them as white or male or this or that. And Im really trying to stop myself and say, OK, I see this surface presentation in front of me. If it should be my opportunity to talk with this person, Im going to do deep-seated listening. Maybe they want to tell me something about their identity. Maybe they dont. But my job, as I get to know them, will be to do that deep-seated listening over time, to listen for the words that are important to them. Some of those may attach to little stories and narrative as youve been doing. Maybe Im really going to get to know this person like I know my partner, and were going to be in the constant unfolding of narrative arcs that we create together and separately. But Id love to see us sever the surface that we see from the presumptions that we make, and not to imagine that certain surface forms, whatever they may be, have certain contents going on behind their eyes. ezra klein I love your line on seeing somebody whos doing something to their hair, thinking, oh, good for you. I always, as somebody who really enjoys other peoples stylistic experimentations, and functionally never engages in any myself, I always feel like a deep free rider on other peoples contributions to aesthetics and cultural diversity. kathryn bond stockton And hopefully, I would say it gives you pleasure not to. If thats not something thats your jam, youre not doing it. Im going to respect that. And youre happy youre not doing it. So that would be my hope, is that people, through this experimentive playful process in childhood and beyond I mean, my goodness. Why do we just consign play to children? Why do we not allow playfulness to extend? Now I think we do. There are a lot of adults who enjoy video games, for example, or sports of all kinds that are forms of play. Problem is, later in life, those things kind of get a capitalist net around them, right? They get a certain type of seriousness, a real investment in winning or failure, that I think can be detrimental to certain forms of play. ezra klein I want to go back to what you had said about the profusion of categories. So in 2014, Facebook gave people 58 genders to choose from. In 2016, Tinder added 37 genders. One of the impetuses for this conversation is, gender feels, to me, like the major space of our time undergoing the most rapid change, that it is a place where, even compared to what I knew of at 18, there are spaces here that are unrecognizable to me at 38. Why now? How do you understand what is changing gender at this moment? kathryn bond stockton Its such a good question. I guess some of the things that I would say is, first and foremost, is sort of the bravery of the few, for a long time, coming out into these other forms, whether they were making a statement or not, but lets say coming out as gay, for a long time, coming out as trans. Now interestingly enough I have to give a caveat there. Judith Butler writes about this in a very important way is that coming out isnt always just like a liberatory thing Im gay; Im free; here I am; Im a trans woman because coming out, as she pointed out and I think its a brilliant point we often come out into the arms of the law, and into other peoples definitions, particularly societys definitions. So early on, in 1987, when I came out, when I came to the University of Utah, I wanted to be out in the classroom. I wasnt kidding myself that I was liberating myself in some way with my students because I felt, in many ways, I am stepping out into the arms of the law and into the definitions my students carry, many of which were given by the law. But for me, I always had a phrase in my head. I want you to see who you wont protect. And at that period of time, I was a sodomite by state law. But I was employed by the state, all right? So one thing I really want to honor, as I say, the bravery of those people who have come out in any which way, and have braved the strong arm of the law. Secondly, I would say and I think this ones profound people coming out in families. So gay folks, queer folks, coming out in their families, trans folks coming out in their families, nonbinary, gender-nonconforming people coming out in their families, that has had a massively transformative effect. Now obviously, people get kicked out of their families. Im living in Utah. And some of that stuff is still happening. I think it still happens all over this country. But in many cases, families were confronted with something that they had not thought deeply about before, and in many cases, say, a family in relationship to their gay male son, or their now trans daughter. Its hard to say that, mm, yesterday I loved you when I thought you were straight, or when I thought you were not trans. And Im going to stop loving you now? So many families have had to kind of come around, wrap their mind around this. And many families have become fierce defenders and advocates of their kids, in terms of whatever their kids are telling them. So thats made a huge difference, right? ezra klein But can I talk to you for one second? Why now? Why has there been more coming out? And then [SIGHS] I dont know if I want to say public experimentation, but a profusion of identities of categories. You know, you can be agender. And you can be androgynous. And you can be a dozen things I had never heard of before a couple of years ago. Theres been an explosion of that in, lets call it the past 50 years, that kathryn bond stockton Right. ezra klein to my knowledge is different than the 50 years before that, or the 50 years before that, or the 50 years before that. Do you have a theory of why? kathryn bond stockton Well, in some ways, you sort of anticipate the third point that I was going to make. And that is talk, ideas, representation, social media. These things have also had a massive effect on how things spread inside our culture. So sometimes people dont like that answer because people might want to say, but you dont choose to be gay, or you dont choose to be trans. Well, we can kind of follow up on a more-complicated view of that particular thought. But I think its unquestionable, as people begin to encounter ideas that they had not encountered before, they might say to themselves, huh, what about me? I just think you cant deny the fact that, as more people came out as gay, it wasnt just people coming out as gay who, from the time that they were three, came out as gay. So I really do believe that the representational field is so much richer than its ever been before. And things spread through social media, right? People having access to an internet I mean, my goodness, I tell the story in my work, as you know. But I never saw a live gay person until I went to divinity school at the age of 21. Not one. Not one live human being ever. I saw nobody on TV. I saw nobody in the movies. I felt like I had come from another planet. That is not likely to happen now because kids and teenagers have access to an internet. And they can find all kinds of sources of information and other peoples stories and fiction and novels and short stories and movies to see representation. I honestly think thats had a tremendous effect on the possibilities for these different ideas spreading. One other thing Ill say Ill give an example of this. In the early 1990s, when really, the word queer was just being taken back we usually say that queer theory, as a field, is forming sometime around 1990. I dont know if thats actually true. But nonetheless, its kind of when the field coalesces. Back in that time period, the phrase nonbinary would be a phrase that would come from the academic thought of deconstruction, post-structuralism. And if you had told me, in 2022, Ill be talking to Ezra Klein, and well be using the term nonbinary because lots and lots of people out there in the world use that of themselves, I would have said, OK, that one, I did not see coming. I would not have predicted that because that seemed like such an academic term, right? But partly, academic theory has seeped out into the community. And community activism has had a tremendous effect on the ways we think and talk. ezra klein Let me ask you about that more-complicated idea about choice you gestured towards a minute ago. kathryn bond stockton Well, I do want to say that its a tricky one to talk about. So I always sort of enter into this terrain gently, as I like to say, tenderly, as I sometimes say. But I think its undeniably the case that so many more women that I know will use that word. Like, at some point I chose to be queer. At some point in the past, people say, I chose to be a lesbian. And there were hardly any gay men I ever met and still, to this day, there are very few gay men that I meet who say, I chose to be gay. So another interesting asymmetry there. But let me now produce some interesting complication around the very idea of choosing while I also confirm it. So at one point, it kind of upset me, as somebody identifying as a queer woman in that time period, though feeling myself to be a boy, that so many womens stories were not really being honored, that when many women would say, like, no, in college, I actually, as a feminist, decided to be a lesbian. And people just constantly talking about the category, gay, as if nobody ever chooses it. Well, many, many women might use that word, choosing, of their sexuality. Now let me give an example. And my partners given me permission to share a little bit about her life. So shes somebody, grew up as a normative, white woman, as a rural Mormon raised in rural Utah. Never in any way thought about herself as queer, lesbian, being attracted to women. Indeed, she was involved with a young man. They intended to marry each other. So she was sort of headed towards marriage and probably having children. And very sadly and tragically, he died in a car crash. And at that point, her life was thrown into crisis. She thought about going on a mission. So she went to her bishop, who was one of the rare people who was a Buddhist who also then became a Mormon. So he was like a Buddhist-Mormon bishop. There arent too many of those folks out there in the world. And she described that she was dreaming of swimming in the ocean, which youre not allowed to do when youre on a mission. And she said, I just dont think Im supposed to go on a mission because I dont know how I can say this is the one true church when I havent studied any of the religions. And he was the somewhat-rare person who said, I agree. I think maybe you need to go off, for yourself, and study other religions, and see where it takes you. She moved to San Diego, started studying other religions, heard about the Great Peace March to walk across the United States in 1986, which she did. So she walked from Los Angeles to Washington DC with hundreds of people. And on that march, she met lesbians, and thought they were so cool, she wanted to be one, but figured out she wasnt a lesbian. She moves back to Salt Lake City, starts a rock band, and here comes a female saxophone player, knocking on the door. She opens the door. And by her own rendering, she was attracted, and started a relationship with that woman. Now, question, could you say that she was choosing to be lesbian? She really wanted to be one. She was trying to choose that thing. And of course, many things had to happen in her life to even open up the possibility that she would end up saying that she was queer. She does not feel in any way, shape, or form that she was born a lesbian. She does not feel that her sexual orientation is inborn. Its not the right language for her. But you can see that choosing doesnt quite work either because there are many things that had to happen in her life to make the thing that looks like choosing possible. So I dont know if that will make sense to your listeners. But thats one way I would speak to that question. ezra klein It makes sense to me, and in part, because Im very interested by the politics when you say the politics of choice, we tend to mean reproductive choice. But I mean something different. So in this category, in this area, in the 90s, in the aughts, I remember how urgent choice was in the politics of gay acceptance, of gay rights, of eventually gay marriage. How could you withhold equal treatment under the law from people who had no choice in what they were? kathryn bond stockton Right. ezra klein And so it was very, very politically important. And you remember this history much better than I do, of course, but the searching for a gay gene and the emphasis on born this way, as the [INAUDIBLE] Lady Gaga song goes. And now that being gay is much more accepted, I see a lot less of that discourse. And its actually sensitized me a little bit to thinking about choice elsewhere. Let me give an example from a whole other domain. We know that being exposed to lead as a child reduces your executive function and, as such, your impulse control. And we know that people are environmentally exposed to lead for because they grew up in a poor area, because they drank the water in Flint. And as such, its always a very fraught question to me how much we should blame people for executive-control decisions that happen later in their life. I, as a person, have always just had a lot of emotional restraint, to some degree, too much. Its something I struggle with in another direction. But somebody who grew up in a house with lead, because they get into a bar fight that I didnt get into, did I make a choice they didnt make? I mean, on some level, maybe, to refrain. But to have the choice to make the choice was not my decision. That was a resource that I had because I didnt grow up under their circumstance, which is all to say that I often think where we put choice and dont put choice into American politics says a lot about where we want to blame people versus where we dont want to blame them. And its a very fraught you should be very alert to what we decide is somebodys fault, what we decide is our decision, and in the other direction too, right? I mean, the whole fight over you didnt build that and Elizabeth Warren is her saying that its actually a lot less about choice and decision making when people are successful, that theyve benefited from a lot they never chose. So as you say, this may not make sense. This may seem like a ramble. But I dont really think it is. I think the politics of choice are much more fraught than people think they are. kathryn bond stockton Yeah. ezra klein And who we attribute choice to and dont attribute it to is often doing a lot of political work that has nothing to do with the completely-untraceable set of factors that led to the outcome were actually evaluating. kathryn bond stockton I think choosing is a very-complicated term. And thats why you heard me just say that, in many ways, you have to see. Its why I tell her story at some length, so people can see all, again, all the different things that had to happen to make the thing that looks like choosing, or that you might even call choosing, possible, to your point. Something else Ill say about that whole business about we dont choose to be gay, for the longest time, obviously, that argument worked. To your point, it was very powerful. And when I first moved here, and as a queer theorist, I wanted to trouble that a bit in the way that Ive just done. People were very nervous about that because that argument seemed to work in religious context. If I say, I have tried everything in my power to change this thing about myself and I cant change it, that seemed to be an argument that worked, or some people thought was working in some way. I get that argument because honestly, thats how it feels like to me in my life, this very-early sense, Im a boy and I want to kiss girls. Those two things did not feel debatable or changeable in my life. But one thing that I always just wanted to point out is that theres some ways that, early on, this could be the case, that people who were out as gay men were people who really, really were saying to themselves, I cannot be anything but this thing. Because if you were a white, middle-class man and you were gay, you were losing a lot of privilege. So in some ways, you could say that outness was selecting, also, for the men who felt so deeply like, I cannot be anything but this thing. The problem was, as I say, I felt like it did not honor so many other women who described themselves as lesbian or queer. So thats where the complication of choosing comes in. It was an argument that worked for a very long time. And my point is, if this is not a bad thing to be, and its not, why would we care whether somebody says theyre choosing it or somebody, for themselves, feels it in some measure, its inborn? Some of us are going to feel that its the earliest thing we know, didnt seem changeable. Other people are going to feel it was a lot more malleable. [MUSIC PLAYING] In both cases, its a beautiful thing to be. And so thats where I would hope that we would get to on that front. ezra klein Let me talk about the people whom these arguments are meant to convince. For a lot of people, this opening around, for sexuality, and now even more so, it seems to me, gender, is frightening. And I want to try to take that feeling seriously, even if its not one that a lot of the people listening to the podcast are going to be sympathetic to. There is this traditionalist or philosophically-conservative impulse to resist changing or obliterating categories that have been fundamental to a lot of societies, including our own, a view that its playing with forces none of us really understand, and that even if you put aside the religious arguments, that it shouldnt be done, letting little kids pick their gender, adding 37 genders or 58 genders in one fell swoop, that you have no idea what youre playing with here, and no idea what would happen if you actually created this world of true gender openness. So I guess Id like to ask you to do two things here. One is, as somebody whos taught around this a lot, and I think, as you say, talked to more conservative groups, what, to you, is the strongest account of the argument against opening up the gender binaries that youve heard? And then what is your answer to it? What do you think about the argument for conservation? kathryn bond stockton Well, believe it or not, and this could surprise your listeners, Im just going to say the strongest arguments are the religious ones because theyre very hard to argue with, right? If you really do believe this is a divine book, this book reveals the way things must be, its going to be very hard for any of us outside of that, or even inside of that, to argue with that. Thats one of the hardest ones for me to bump up against. And of course, I live in Utah. So Im in a place that has a very dominant religion, Lots of folks here from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, as they like to be called. And I honor that. So Ive been blessed with the opportunity to teach so many students in my classrooms that have come from that church. Now one of the things that I think is kind of gorgeous, over time, is our ability to bond with each other over these differences. So one of the things I always liked about being in Utah some people really dislike this it tends to be a very polite culture on the surface. Who knows what people are saying behind closed doors, maybe not so polite. And of course, youd have to point out that people are politely telling you, in some cases, that you cant have particular rights. That can annoy folks, understandably. But for me, in my classroom, I always tried to take that at face value, that this sort of politeness allowed us to kind of skate along the surface with each other long enough to find out that we were capable of really liking each other. And I always felt, with my students sometimes I would say this at the start of a class is that, you know what? I think youre going to me because my default is set to like. Im already liking you. Im excited to know who you are. I want to know how you think. I want to know what you believe. And Im going to do very deep-seated listening to take account of that. And so we would have some very spirited conversations with each other. I remember some of them, which would go like this, OK, Kathryn, I just have to tell you, I think that my wife should not work outside the home. I hope you dont feel less of me. And I would say, well, come on. Tell me why you think that. Lay it out for me. And were reading 19th-century texts about women fighting for the right to work or whatever. But we end up having a very strong bond across that view because as I say to that student, its not my job to tell you what you need to do in your family circle, thats for you to work out, but lets talk about these ideas, lets debate them, and then he would say something. And Id say, OK, I see you to this point. But then, hmm, heres where I get stuck. Heres my thought to that. And then hed go, uh, hadnt thought about that. Ill be back. And so thered be that kind of back and forth. And again, to me, that was important. I dont know if we moved each others ideas over the course of a course. But I began to understand more deeply why people believed what they believed very important to me. And I think my students, because they were there they were reading. They were talking. They were responding. I have ways to find out if theyve read texts. And so that type of bonding, for 15 weeks at a time, where you share these very in-depth and Im going to say intimate experiences, even 45 people in a room sharing ideas with each other something happens in that moment. ezra klein Well, let me make an irreligious argument from religion that Ive been thinking a bit about. So when I think about analogies for the opening of gender, or the profusion of genders, the increasing malleability of gender categories, at least for some people in some parts of the country, I think a bit about how religion has opened up. There are a lot more forms and formats of Judaism now than there were hundreds years ago, ranging all the way from the ultra-orthodox and the Hasidic to the secular-hippie Judaism that often dominates out where I am. And not only that, but the idea that you might move from Judaism to maybe a hyphenated Judaism much more of my spiritual practice is Buddhist than it is, honestly, Jewish. Im very interested in Daoism. Im very interested in Christianity and the Catholic tradition. And I think thats true for a lot of people. Theres a lot more, as people call it, cafeteria religion. Maybe the analogy to some of the newer gender categories is the profusion of new-age and quasi-occult categories that have jumped up in recent decades. And a lot of people who arent even religious today lament what was lost as organized religion entered decline, a sense of community, a sense of a world, and a structure, and a moral code, that even if it wasnt chosen anew at every moment of your life, was there to provide some stability in your life. Theres a feeling among many that this has worked well for some people, people who love change, and have enjoyed learning about all these new religions, and dabbling in this and that, and that for a lot of other people, theyve lost a stability, and a community, and a rootedness that has left them adrift. And in a sometimes inchoate way, I hear that in this conversation from people who dont exactly believe that what is happening here is a violation against divine law, but do worry that what is happening here is a change to an order that is going to leave a lot of people adrift, that even if there are a lot of people who will be served by it, there will be others who lose in it, that it is not just freedom, but that freedom can also come with this kind of untetheredness. Do you think theres anything to that? Do you think that a more-open world of gender will leave people behind who are somehow served by a more closed world of social expectation and hierarchy? kathryn bond stockton I really dont, in the truest sense. I dont deny that people may feel that. And I can imagine how bewildering it might feel if youre somebody whos inside a set of categories that make sense to you, feel you dont have many questions surrounding them, youve had a lot of rewards for being in those categories I mean, lets face it. A lot of the worry about allowing these other things to come to be is, yes, a loss of cultural power and cultural privilege. And I know thats not what youre talking about. Youre talking about other types of things that arent sheerly about power. But I actually think that the more people allowed themselves a kind of ability to embrace other thoughts, other ideas, other peoples ways of being, that aside from the loss of power which is real, but nobody should have that consolidated power that aside, I think people would find that theres a greater possibility for community, a greater possibility for collective coming together, and building collective ideas and collective forms. And Ive just watched people in my life who were formed at different points in history, different generations than I am. And Ive watched them come to accept like, Im just going to continue to use the loosening of the categories, the multiplication of categories. And Ive watched a kind of fear-based approach to those begin to drop away. There can be real joy in that, even if those are not things you want to be or identify as. So lets say youre a straight person. Youre like, yeah, I dont see myself, if Im think of myself as a man, wanting to sleep with men. Maybe thats not going to happen. But allowing yourself not to feel fearful that you would ever let any thought into your conscious mind that you wanted to, or that you found another guy attractive, thats freeing in some way. So at heart, I believe if we were to move towards more collective forms, on so many fronts, in terms of income, in terms of sharing resources, the way that I would feel knowing that people in my neighborhood have access to really good health care, that will deepen my pleasure. And one of the things Id like to challenge people with is to actually broaden the boundaries of your own pleasure. Let more things in that will give you pleasure. And as I see other people begin to let go of some of that tightness for themselves, in their fantasy life, in their dream life, and with the people that they love in their lives, that has multiplied happiness in many cases, not taken it away. So its very hard for me to think what the true losses would be. I dont deny the fact that people will feel a sense of loss as they have to encounter new ideas and new forms of being. ezra klein Before we get to books then, I want to end by having you expand on that vision a bit. If we imagine a world 50 years from now in which the edge of the conversation over gender has become the center, in which it isnt just a weird thing some tech platforms have done to offer all these genders, but it is a normal thing in which we try to loosen the cones and the forts of gender around children. What does that world look like? What is different for a child growing up in that world, a child who maybe wouldnt have fit well in the world I grew up in, but also for a child who maybe would have? How does it really how do you understand the opportunities to those children as being different? kathryn bond stockton I just went to pride in Salt Lake City this year. I usually go to Pride. I always go to Pride out of a sense of duty if nothing else. Im a queer theorist. So I dont quite believe in the categories as received. But as I was walking around our city building, our city county building, and seeing the people that I was seeing, I was blown away. I flew right on this. Now for two years, we hadnt been able to have the parade. So theres a little lag time in there. But I was seeing people of every possible skin tone, every back to hair every possible way you could do your hair, things I had thought about, things I had never thought about. I saw people gendered in ways I had never imagined. I saw little kids running around in new gendered forms. I saw teenagers. To me and I know this is so strange its not the way I generally speak as a queer theorist but for me in that moment, it was the most truly-intersectional scene I had physically been in to that extent, with so many people in attendance. The paper said somewhere around 70,000 people were in attendance. Salt Lake City only has a population of about 200,000. So it was very striking to me. And for that one moment, I said to my friends, even my friends who are very jaded and cynical that cynicism is earned I said to them, I saw a little vision of the future, and it is now. It gave me such hope because first of all, Pride had ceased to be a white thing in Salt Lake City, thank goodness. And there were so many other categories at play, and in the mix, and changing, and circulating with each other. It is this intersectional future that I think we have to hearken towards. And that will lead us to attend to things like race, and money, and indigeneity. There really is no way. This is the thesis of my book. And so you or anybody else, I invite you to have a different thought when you read it. But these things really are so deeply in relationship to each other that gender cant be changing, never is changing, unless we see the way that racialization plays around it. And yet these things are quite asymmetrical to each other. So theyre not the same. They dont follow the same logics. But I do think, even if its not true that you can isolate gender I mean, it is, to my mind, absolutely not true something that looks like somebodys genderizing, as it were, is opening up, is creating less presumptions attached to that body. It may also help to loosen up those other presumptions that we have. You might be thinking, like, hmm. I also need to have a deep-seated humility about lets put it this way disability. Thats something that as an academic, Im doing catch up because I have not studied, along the way, much about disability. And Im reading like crazy to get myself educated on that particular front. So I think its not impossible that thinking about some of these things that seem more malleable, the way that we talk about gender in that way, may have some very good effects for the other categories that may or may not be more locked down, and that also create promise for where change could happen. So I think that there is a way. I do have a hopeful view that what were talking about, in terms of gender in the public square, is also allowing us to talk about race and money in new and different ways. And thats all to the better disability also. ezra klein And then always our final question, what are three books that have influenced you that you would recommend to the audience? kathryn bond stockton Well, Ive given a lot of thought to this, as you could imagine I would. I want to mention the three books that I think were most important for this project, for me, in writing Gender(s), because they really pushed my thinking and took me to places that I had not gone on my own. First and foremost, Jules Gill-Peterson. She has written a book called Histories of the Transgender Child, a really important book because from that book, I was able to glean where does the concept of gender come from. Going into this project, I wasnt sure I could answer that question. But her book helped me with that. Eli Clair, who writes on disability and this book is partly memoir and partly conception the book is called Brilliant Imperfection. Its really helping me in thoughts about disability. And the third book is by Qwo-Li Driskill. The book is called Asegi Stories: Cherokee Queer and Two-Spirit Memory. I learned so much that I didnt know from that book about the history of Cherokee gendering. And of course, theres many more people I could name that I hope your listeners are also encounter through my book and by other means. [MUSIC PLAYING] ezra klein Kathryn Bond Stockton, thank you very much. kathryn bond stockton Ezra, thank you. What a pleasure. ezra klein To the Editor: Re Armed. And Ready to Teach Kindergarten (front page, July 31): As both a parent of school-age children and an American citizen with common-sense values, I am deeply disturbed by this article. Creating a school rapid response force of ill-trained and most likely underprepared and timid teachers, administrators and janitors to do what nearly 400 law enforcement officials armed with automatic high-capacity rifles could not do in Uvalde seems rather farcical and misguided. Its as if the proverbial good guy with a gun is now the new tactic being deployed to act where trained officials so blatantly and tragically failed. Evidence shows that successful outcomes from such tactics in mass shooting events are extremely rare. And so, yet again we ignore the elephant in the room (hundreds of millions of guns, lax gun laws, the N.R.A. lobby) and instead of legislating safeguards for the innocent, we meekly and quietly give a teacher a 24-hour certification and a Glock, which unless it is in the hands of an expert weapons handler becomes essentially a pea shooter against a maniac armed with an automatic rifle. That balance of pressures needs to change. And as the journalist and historian Christine Rosen has noted, preaching media literacy and monitoring screen time wont be enough. Policymakers can help. By raising the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Acts minimum age from 13 to 18 (with an option for parents to verifiably approve an exemption for their kids as the law already permits), and by providing for effective age verification and meaningful penalties for the platforms, Congress could offer parents a powerful tool to push back against the pressure to use social media. Reliable age verification is feasible. For instance, as the policy analyst Chris Griswold has proposed, the Social Security Administration (which knows exactly how old you are) could offer a service through which an American could type his Social Security number into a secure federal website and receive a temporary, anonymized code via email or text, like the dual authentication methods commonly used by banks and retailers. With that code, the platforms could confirm your age without obtaining any other personal information about you. Some teens would find ways to cheat, and the age requirement would be porous at the margins. But the draw of the platforms is a function of network effects everyone wants to be on because everyone else is on. The age requirement only has to be passably effective to be transformative as the age requirement takes hold, it would also be less true that everyone else is on. Real age verification would also make it possible to more effectively restrict access to online pornography a vast, dehumanizing scourge that our society has inexplicably decided to pretend it can do nothing about. Here, too, concerns about free speech, whatever their merits, surely dont apply to children. It may seem strange to get at the challenge of childrens use of social media through online privacy protections, but that path actually offers some distinct advantages. The Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act already exists as a legal mechanism. Its framework also lets parents opt in for their kids if they choose. It can be a laborious process, but parents who feel strongly that their kids should be on social media could allow it. Growing up in the 1980s, my classmates and I were forbidden at school from speaking in the Taiwanese dialect that we spoke at home. Chiang died in 1975 but his regime still clung to the fantasy that it would someday recover the mainland. Our Taiwanese identity was viewed as a threat and was suppressed. That seems so long ago. Through the efforts of democracy advocates and pragmatic post-Chiang leaders, Taiwan evolved peacefully into a firm democracy with its own political system, judiciary and military. We freely elect our own leaders and openly criticize them. People no longer talk about recovering the mainland. Many Taiwanese grew up in a time of democracy and prosperity, and all of us young and old cherish our homeland just the way it is. Chinas threats only make us appreciate it more. This is not to say that we are completely sanguine about our situation. We watched with shock and sadness as Beijing cracked down on Hong Kongs freedoms a disturbing glimpse of our own possible future. And Russias invasion of Ukraine has prompted fears that China could do the same to us. Beijing insists that there is no comparison between Taiwan and Ukraine, repeating its tired old gospel that Taiwan is an ancient and inseparable part of the Chinese motherland. But we have never been ruled by Communist China for a single day. A majority of Taiwanese are pragmatic. We do not want a war with China. But we are ready to protect our home if attacked. There are now discussions of defense reform and extending the military conscription period from four months to one year. Some reservists are attending weapons boot camps to refresh their combat training. Others share information on how to pack an emergency kit and on where to shelter if the island is shelled. A poll in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine showed that 73 percent of Taiwans people were willing to take up arms to defend against a Chinese invasion. Our determination to safeguard our beloved homeland should not be underestimated. The case before the court involved a Rhode Island greyhound named Lexus, accused of killing a Pomeranian in a dog park. The prosecution was asking for the death penalty, and a lawyer for the defense, Richard Rosenthal, was there to stop it. As an animal attorney for more than a decade, Mr. Rosenthal has taken on custody cases, sued veterinary clinics for malpractice and made a specialty of defending dangerous dogs. In doing so, he has often enraged local officials, animal control officers and district attorneys. Even animal rights groups have expressed frustration with him. Im a hired gun, Mr. Rosenthal said, acknowledging his reputation as the go-to lawyer if a dog is on death row. If I take a case, its about winning. I take it because I believe in it. Lexus case was a turning point for Mr. Rosenthal. In 2009, he and his wife, Robin Mittasch, founded the Lexus Project, a nonprofit that provides legal representation for dogs ordered to be euthanized. It turned out there was a market for his services. Written and narrated by Ron Lieber This work also requires combining measurements with those made by two NASA spacecraft, THEMIS-ARTEMIS P1 and P2, which travel around the moon on highly elliptical orbits, so they can measure the changes in the solar wind while Danuri measures the induced magnetic fields closer to the surface. What we would learn from that is kind of a global map of the interior temperature and potentially composition and maybe even water content of the deep parts of the moon, Dr. Garrick-Bethel said. Scientists will use another of Danuris instruments, a gamma-ray spectrometer, to measure quantities of different elements on the moons surface. The Danuris device can pick up a wider spectrum of lower energy gamma rays than similar instruments on earlier lunar missions, and this range is full of new information to detect elements on the moon, said Naoyuki Yamashita, a New Mexico-based scientist who works for the Planetary Science Institute in Arizona. He is also a participating scientist on Danuri. Dr. Yamashita is interested in radon, which forms from the decay of uranium. Because radon is a gas, it could travel from the moons interior to its surface. (This is the same process that sometimes causes the buildup of radon, which is also radioactive, in the basements of houses.) The amounts of the radioactive elements could provide a history explaining when various parts of the moons surface cooled and hardened, Dr. Yamashita said, helping scientists to work out which of the moons lava flows are older or younger. The Korean Aerospace Research Institute, South Koreas equivalent of NASA, will use Danuris high-resolution camera to scout the lunar surface for potential sites for a robotic lander mission in 2031, Mr. Kwon said. In Foreplay, the two were cast as actors. While chatting at rehearsals, they discovered common bonds. Both are trumpet players, as well as the eldest child in their respective families; she has two siblings, he has one. Their first official date, initiated by Ms. Mollenkamp, took place in February 2015, at a Starbucks on campus. Upon meeting, they learned of another shared trait: Neither drinks coffee. (Both got hot chocolate.) They soon began to have regular lunch dates and, that March, had a first kiss. It followed a theater rehearsal and a failed kiss attempt earlier that day while they were walking along the Black Warrior River, which sits between the cities of Northport and Tuscaloosa. As they sat on a bench overlooking the river, Ms. Mollenkamp recalled thinking, OK, were probably coming up on a first kiss here, right? But the moment was spoiled by two unicyclists pedaling nearby. It didnt really feel very private or romantic, she said. When both graduated in May 2018 he with a bachelors degree in history and anthropology, and she with a bachelors degree in English Mr. McCrary took a yearlong position with AmeriCorps in Birmingham, while Ms. Mollenkamp moved to Lincoln, Neb., to work at a public radio station broadcast by what is now known as Nebraska Public Media. Determined to make it work long-distance, Ms. Mollenkamp said she began to use all of my newly acquired salaried job money on plane tickets. Wanting to be completely upfront with each other from the start, both came to the date prepared to discuss their past relationships. I was nervous to talk to her about my divorce, Ms. Sanders said. She asked if I still had any feelings for my ex and I said no. Said Ms. Hill, We were both ready for love. She added, It was a really good conversation for a first date. So good was their conversation that a second date came the next day. After meeting for brunch, the two visited the Dallas Museum of Art, where Ms. Hills nervous excitement became evident to Ms. Sanders when she took Ms. Hills hand in her own. She claimed the museum was hot, Ms. Sanders said, but her hands were clammy from being nervous. From then, their relationship quickly progressed. We truly just never wanted to stop talking or getting attention from each other, Ms. Hill said. Annie Wang, Ms. Yus cousin and co-host of the podcast, said she was still processing that the visit actually took place. She was pleasantly surprised that an American official had expressed unambiguous support for Taiwan. She said she hoped that the United States would back up the speech with action. Taiwanese Americans said they understood fears that Pelosis trip would be seen as a provocation. But some were taking their cues from friends and family actually living in Taiwan under the threat of Chinese military action. Its like looking to the captain of the ship: If the captain isnt panicking, neither am I, Wang, 42, said. On Tuesday, Chinese flags in San Francisco fluttered above rooftops, often alongside American flags. Only a few buildings flew Taiwans flag. Stephen Chan, the owner of a jewelry store in Chinatown, called Pelosis trip pointless and compared it to Donald Trumps description of the coronavirus as the Chinese virus. In both cases, Chan said, Americans were pouring oil over the fire. Chieh-Ting Yeh, a Mountain View resident and a co-founder of the Global Taiwan Institute, said that the question that seems to be on everybodys mind is: Is this provocative? He said that among Taiwanese Americans, for the most part, everybodys very happy that Pelosi followed through after her travel plans became public. Yeh said it would have looked worse if she had been seen as cowed by the Chinese governments threats. Mr. Baker rushed to the station and then was among the first firefighters on the scene. As he turned the corner, his heart sank, he said in a phone interview on Friday evening. The address he had been given was incorrect. His son Dale, 19, and daughter Star, 22, were inside the home engulfed in flames, he said. In fact, Mr. Baker said, he knew everyone in the two-story home, which belonged to his brother-in-law, who was able to escape. I tried to get in as fast as I can, he said. I tried three times, and then they realized whose house it was and why I was trying to go in there, and they yanked me off, he said of his colleagues. They said, No, you got to get the hell out of here. When they found Dale, a volunteer firefighter who had followed in his fathers footsteps, Mr. Bakers colleagues draped a flag over his body. They took him out as a fallen firefighter, he said. Star Baker, who was to be married next year, also did not make it out alive, Mr. Baker said, adding that he was related to eight of the 10 people who died in the fire. John Samuelsen, the president of the Transport Workers Union, whose members include nearly 1,500 service workers, mechanics and inspectors at Amtrak, said he was disgusted by the payouts. They gave themselves nice fat bonuses off the backs of workers that were exposed to harms way, he said. It just underscores the reason why there should be worker representatives on the Amtrak board. No bonuses were given in 2015, but in 2016 the rail service awarded some incentive pay to top executives. It spent no more than $500,000 annually on payouts in 2016, 2017 and 2018 as it narrowed its losses. That changed in 2019. With Amtrak getting close to breaking even, the size of the bonus payouts to top executives nearly quadrupled, rising to a total of nearly $1.8 million, from just over $480,000 the year before. Amtrak paid no bonuses again in 2020, as the virus brought travel to a near standstill. But in 2021, it paid out $2.3 million, despite reporting its lowest revenue and biggest losses in more than a decade. Stephen Gardner, who became Amtraks chief executive this year, has received more than $766,000 in short-term incentive bonuses since 2016, more than any other executive. Eleanor Acheson, the services general counsel and corporate secretary, was close behind, having received nearly $727,000 over that period. Amtrak declined to provide a fuller picture of how its executives are compensated, including salaries. Of the dozen members of Amtraks current leadership team, all but three received bonuses of more than $200,000 last year, ranging from about $230,000 to more than $293,000 for Mr. Gardner, who was president at the time. Three months after John Fetterman, Pennsylvanias Democratic Senate nominee, was sidelined by a stroke, he is planning to return to the campaign trail with a rally next Friday. Mr. Fetterman, the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, announced on Friday that he will hold the rally in Erie, Pa., his team said. He is facing Dr. Mehmet Oz, the celebrity doctor and Republican nominee, in one of the nation's marquee Senate battles. Pennsylvania may offer the Democrats their best chance at picking up a U.S. Senate seat, and Mr. Fettermans general election debut, on the cusp of the intense fall campaign season, will be closely watched. For weeks after the stroke in May, he remained largely out of the public eye, releasing brief video clips as he recovered. In June, his campaign acknowledged that he also had a heart condition called cardiomyopathy. Mr. Fetterman said that he had almost died, and he promised to focus on his recovery. Photos of the fire that circulated on social media showed plumes of smoke rising over the town, which is about 72 miles southwest of Spokane. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire or how many people were temporarily displaced from their homes. Roads were closed as state and local volunteer firefighters worked to contain the fire, the Adams County Sheriffs Office said. Two planes and a helicopter were deployed as part of the containment effort, the authorities said. One firefighter was flown to Spokane to be treated for smoke inhalation, according to Sheriff Wagner, who noted that windy conditions could have been a major factor in the fire. By Thursday evening, the fire was contained, and the evacuation order had been lifted. Fire crews will work through the night to ensure the fire does not spark back up, the sheriffs office said. PHNOM PENH, Cambodia Just a few hours after five Chinese missiles blasted into Japanese waters near Taiwan, the foreign ministers of China and Japan found themselves uncomfortably close together, in the holding room for a gala dinner on Thursday night at a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Wang Yi, Chinas foreign minister, saluted reporters before stepping into the room, stayed for three minutes, then walked out to his motorcade. He had already canceled plans for a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart in the Cambodian capital after Japan signed on to a statement by the Group of 7 nations expressing concern about Beijings threatening actions. But the prospect of even a casual exchange might have been too much; witnesses said Mr. Wang left and did not return. All across Asia, it was seen as another sign of the more unstable and dangerous environment that has emerged since the visit to Taiwan this week by the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi. Sun Yat-sen, our founding father, took so long to win the revolution to get us out of the dictatorship, why should we return? she said. The trend is even more apparent further from China, on Taiwan island itself, where the majority of the 23 million people live. There Jessica Fang, a 26-year-old consultant in the central city of Changhua, said along with democratic values, the constant menace of attack is increasingly baked into the worldview of her generation. With the current tensions, many watching from outside Taiwan seemed to expect Taiwanese to be hysterically stockpiling food and crafting evacuation plans, Ms. Fang said, adding that she was offended by the perception. Taiwanese people appearing calm in the face of rising tension is not due to ignorance or naivete, but because this is accepted even internalized as a part of being Taiwanese, she said. Still, she acknowledged recent military posturing from China has led her to take the prospect of an attack more seriously. If the Taiwan Strait does become a battleground, Ms. Fang said she would send her parents to safety, then stay and fight, though she admitted, picking up arms may not be the most effective way for her to contribute. The parents, who did not meet until they had traveled to Australia, are members of Sri Lankas Tamil minority and had fled violence in their homeland, where a civil war raged for decades before ending in 2009. They left Sri Lanka a few years later and wound up in Biloela, before they were detained and sent to a detention center in Melbourne for a year and then transferred to the remote Christmas Island, 1,000 miles north of the Australian mainland, where they stayed for three years. The familys two girls, Kopika, now 7, and Tharnicaa, now 5, were the only children being held in immigration detention in Australia. They went to school on the island escorted by security guards. Calls for the family to be released gained momentum last year when Tharnicaa was evacuated to a hospital in the Australian city of Perth while battling a blood infection. Supporters of the family said that she was only given painkillers for nearly two weeks while her fever rose, despite pleas from her parents. In the prelude to the federal election in May this year, the familys future became an issue in the campaign. The incumbent conservative Liberal Party vowed not to let the family stay permanently, stressing that its asylum claim had been assessed several times and denied. The Labor Party largely mirrored the Liberal Partys hard-line immigration stance, vowing to continue the policy that no asylum seekers arriving by boat would ever resettle in Australia. But it did promise that it would allow the family to return to Biloela if elected. Russia, constantly probing for ways to evade those sanctions, sees cooperation with Turkey as a key to easing its economic and political isolation. The talks, coming less than three weeks after the leaders met in Iran, solidified Turkeys role as an important mediator between Ukraine and Russia, as well as between Russia and NATO, of which Turkey is a member. But it did not resolve some of the friction points between them, including security in the Middle East, or the possibility of Mr. Putin using relations with Turkey to try to find or create chinks in Western unity against Russias invasion of Ukraine. Mr. Erdogan is treading a fine line to retain the ability to talk to both Russia, NATOs foe, and to Western members of the alliance. Turkey has held to its refusal to join Western sanctions against Russia, irking its NATO allies, but Mr. Erdogan also, in a crucial move, eased his initial objections to Swedens and Finlands joining the alliance as a bulwark against Russian aggression. In helping Russia to export gas and grain, analysts said, Turkey is providing a useful outlet for goods that Western capitals want to see traded. And the trade with Russia is helping address Turkeys own substantial economic woes. However, Ankara has shied away from providing the Kremlin so much help that it provokes Western capitals. Ahead of a trip to Uganda and Ghana this week, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said in an interview that it would be a listening tour and that she wanted to find solutions, not assign blame, over a food insecurity crisis intensifying on the African continent since Russias invasion of Ukraine. But after arriving in Uganda, she warned African countries that there were red lines they should not cross. Countries can buy Russian agricultural products, including fertilizer and wheat, Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said on Thursday, according to The Associated Press. But, she added, if a country decides to engage with Russia, where there are sanctions, then they are breaking those sanctions. The community has long faced persecution and discrimination in Iran because the government does not recognize the faith. The Bahai belief that there was another prophet after Muhammad is anathema to Islam, and the fact that the headquarters of the Bahai people is in Haifa, Israel, even though its roots are in what is today Iran, adds to the distrust Tehran has for the group. On Tuesday, about 200 security and intelligence officers descended on the tiny village of Roshankouh, in northern Iran, where Bahais have lived for more than a century, according to interviews with a resident, relatives of residents and rights groups. They closed off an access road, fired gunshots in the air and sprayed pepper gas at villagers, according to the accounts. Bulldozers followed. Their target: Six houses and farmland belonging to Bahai members. A few days earlier, security agents arrested 13 Bahais from four cities across Iran, including three prominent community leaders, Mahvash Sabet, Afif Naimi and Fariba Kamalabadi, who had all previously served 10-year prison sentences, according to Ms. Dugal, the Bahai representative. The attacks on the Bahai follow a recent wave of wider repression in Iran that has included the arrests of prominent film directors, politicians from the reformist faction, activists and women challenging the mandatory hijab rule in public. Video Israel carried out a number of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, with one of the strikes killing a senior figure of Islamic Jihad, the Palestinian militant group said. Credit Credit... Mohammed Saber/EPA, via Shutterstock TEL AVIV Israeli airstrikes hit several targets in the Gaza Strip on Friday, killing a number of people including a senior commander of a Palestinian militant group, in the deadliest escalation of violence in the territory since an 11-day war last year. The strikes hit residential apartments as well as militant watchtowers, killing at least 10 people including a 5-year-old girl, and wounding 55, the Gaza health ministry said. One airstrike killed Taysir al-Jabari, a senior military leader in Islamic Jihad, the second-largest militant group in Gaza, according to both Islamic Jihad and the Israeli military. The escalation followed one of the least violent phases in Gaza for several years. After the war in May 2021, there were relatively few cross-border exchanges of fire, as tensions shifted to the occupied West Bank. Both Israel and Hamas, the militant group that dominates Gaza, had signaled they sought to avoid another full-scale war over the enclave, which has been under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade since 2007. But the violence on Friday drew warnings of retaliation from Palestinian militant groups and raised the possibility of extended conflict. The airstrikes followed almost a week of rising tensions between Israel and Islamic Jihad, which often acts independently of Hamas. Israel arrested one of the groups senior commanders in the West Bank this week, leading to threats of reprisal from its Gaza leadership. Israel said that Islamic Jihad had been poised to respond with a revenge attack, and that it had targeted Mr. al-Jabari and others pre-emptively. Israel will not allow the terrorist organizations to set the agenda in the Gaza Strip and threaten the citizens of the State of Israel, Prime Minister Yair Lapid of Israel said shortly after the attack. Israel closed crossings into the Gaza Strip this week in anticipation of a retaliatory attack following the arrest in the West Bank. After the airstrikes, Islamic Jihad said it would respond with force, and cities in southern Israel opened bomb shelters in anticipation of rocket fire from Gaza. The enemy has started a war targeting our people and we all need to defend ourselves and our people, an Islamic Jihad statement said. Hours later, Palestinian militants fired scores of rockets into Israeli airspace, and Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. It was not immediately clear whether Hamas would join Islamic Jihad in responding. In the past, Hamas has occasionally sat on the sidelines as Islamic Jihad clashed with Israel. As we mourn the leader al-Jabari and the righteous martyrs, we affirm that matters are open to all directions, calling for an end to the Zionist aggression against our people, Ismail Haniyeh, chief of Hamass political bureau, said in a statement. Image Rescuers evacuated a wounded person after the airstrike. Credit... Mohammed Salem/Reuters Plumes of smoke billowed over the Gazan skyline and on the ground, throngs of rescuers, medics and onlookers gathered in the street near where the Islamic Jihad commander had been killed. Photographs posted online showed him being carried through a crowd, and a grieving man carrying what appeared to be a dead child covered in a shroud. The airstrikes shifted the focus of conflict back to Gaza. Since March, Palestinian attackers have killed at least 19 Israelis and foreigners in the West Bank and Israel, in the most intense wave of stabbings and shootings for several years. In response, Israel has mounted almost nightly raids in the West Bank, arresting hundreds of Palestinians and killing more than 40, according to the United Nations. Several civilians have been caught in the violence, including Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian American broadcaster shot dead while covering an Israeli raid in May. Fady Hanona and Iyad Abu Hweila contributed reporting from Gaza City. As her husband, President Volodymyr Zelensky, calls on the nations of the world to supply Ukraine with weapons, Olena Zelenska is asking for ambulances. Ms. Zelenska, who has lately become a highly visible advocate for humanitarian causes in her country, has raised more than $5 million in a little more than a week to help replenish the countrys supply of ambulances. The campaign, which is still collecting donations, has raised enough funds to buy nearly 50 ambulances, though Ms. Zelenska estimated that 400 vehicles are needed. In an interview with a Ukrainian television network on Saturday, Ms. Zelenska encouraged more donations, no matter how small. A renter's policy doesnt cover everything. The policy may shield you if someone trips and gets hurt in your apartment, but not if a guest intentionally punches a hole in the wall, Ms. Alvarado said: Thats what the security deposit is for. The average annual renters premium was $174 in 2019, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Some policies cost less. Lemonade, an online insurer, offers basic policies starting at $5 a month. Coverage details can vary by state and by insurer. Make sure the policys maximum benefit is high enough to cover your belongings. Always check to see if the policy pays the replacement cost of damaged property rather than actual cash value, which may be less, and if it lists any exclusions. Policy language can be confusing, so ask if you dont understand something. Students with items that exceed their policys coverage amount, like special computer equipment or musical instruments, may be able to add them at extra cost, Ms. Worters said. A renters policy typically covers water damage caused by sprinkler systems that are accidentally set off or from rain entering through a damaged roof but generally not from floodwater flowing in from the ground up. For that, you would need a flood insurance policy. How frequent is water damage from sprinkler system mishaps? I wouldnt describe it as common, but when it does occur, its significant, said Josh Gana, facilities and physical environment director with the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International. Jon Gingerich Ever get the feeling were living in two countries? Its not a stretch to say were experiencing a period of near-historic division and upheaval, but what Im talking about is even bigger than that. Sometimes it seems that were speaking a different language when we interact with those who dont share the same views. Sure, weve had a lot to argue about in the past 15 years or so, from Obama to Trump to a spate of recent monumental rulings by the Supreme Court, but Im going to suggest these developments only accentuate our division; they werent the cause of it. It isnt that the country is moving backward, necessarilythough I suppose a case could be made that it isnearly insomuch as it feels as though its people are interacting with different versions of reality. Its hard not to think that were witnessing a country being cleaved in half, a civilization on the brink of collapse. And yet, Im going to suggest that most Americans agree that were not headed toward a good place. Sometimes its hard to imagine things getting worse, but I suspect most of us predict thats exactly whats going to happen. Its impossible to say exactly how this happened, but Im guessing the news industrys slow metamorphosis from a service to a product had a lot to do with it. The media landscape today is a toxic ecosystem of extreme partisanship that curates subjective realities to suit its customers expectations (for example, while the liberal media gave extensive coverage to the Jan. 6 Congressional hearings, conservative outlets barely acknowledged it). Social media, meanwhile, has taught everyday Americans that they too can become brands; its a place where public perception means everything. It feels good to fit in, and we quickly learned that we can get some easy attention and a quick dopamine hit whenever we yell at those with whom we disagree or take a position identical to our peers. This article is featured in O'Dwyer's Aug. Financial PR/IR & Professional Services PR Magazine (view PDF version) Worse, these are also the spaces where the most extreme views in the room are the ones we listen to the most. This has caused the national conversation to tilt to the furthest edges and has resulted in a remarkable recalibration among media, politicians and brands who take advantage of our culture wars for their own benefit. Opportunistic brands pathetically hop on whatever social issue is happening at the moment in a desperate attempt to build audiences and boost their bottom line. Conservative politicians outwardly embrace authoritarianism, turn a blind eye to leaders who attempt to subvert our democracy and now take political positions they wouldve considered extreme a decade ago. On the other side of the political spectrum, politicians brand-build on Twitter with the most performatively woke positions imaginable for an audience of ideologues who harbor views so extreme that youll be greeted with racist! for suggesting that due process and freedom of speech remain principles to be cherished. The result? An increasing number of us sit somewhere near one of two political extremes. We reside in media echo chambers where we communicate only with those who share our beliefs. We spend too much time cheering for the political home team as opposed to thinking critically. Everyone is stricken with this moral panic that the other side is constantly trying to push its agenda onto them. Objective reality has become a dispensable casualty. Suffice to say, this isnt working for the rest of us. In fact, it seems the one thing we all agree on is the fact that were collectively pessimistic about the future. A whopping 88 percent of Americans think the country is moving in the wrong direction, according to a July Monmouth University survey, an all-time low since the polling group began asking this question a decade ago. In a brilliant May essay in the Atlantic, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt details the harm social media has caused society and suggests its threatening the future of our democracy. He might be onto something. A July Times/Siena poll found that a majority58 percentof Americans now think our democracy is in need of major reforms, if not a complete overhaul. It appears that we have more in common with each other than we think. Indeed, a June FiveThirtyEight/Ipsos poll discovered that Americans hold some pretty extreme misperceptions about one another. For example: As it turns out, most Democrats and Republicans agree that abortion should be legal in instances of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. However, the FiveThirtyEight/Ipsos poll found that most Democrats assumed that only a minority (less than a third) of Republicans actually agreed with this statement. Face it: We dont know as much about the other side as we think. And therein lies the key to figuring out a solution. Cooperation is a prerequisite for any functioning democracy. Studies show that we learn more when we interact with those who hold different views. We need to recognize the effects that partisanship has had on this country, and we need to do something about the wedge that todays media ecosystem has driven between us, and Im going to suggest that a first good step is to embrace diverse viewpoints and instill the value of having good-faith discussions and debates. My guess is that this charge will be led by the moderate majority who recognize the danger that lies ahead and finally decides that staying silent is no longer an option. TURNER is supporting PR and communication activities in North America for Tourism Australia. The agency will implement and manage Tourism Australias brand marketing strategy through consumer and trade media, influencer and advocacy relations, social media, issues management, and consumer, stakeholder and media events. TURNER will oversee its partner agency, Faulhaber Communications, to support the Canadian market. The account will be handled from Turners New York office, as well as Chicago, Denver and Portland; Faulhaber Communications represents Tourism Australia from Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. TURNERs experience, relationships and integrated ideas serving diverse audiences are exactly what we need to maintain Australias stature as one of the worlds leading tourism destinations, said Tourism Australia vice president of North America Chris Allison. North 6th Agency has been named public agency of record for Fetch Rewards, a consumer rewards app with more than 15 million active users. N6A will be tasked with enhancing awareness of the companys mission across its B2B and B2C businesses. We needed a public relations agency that could be a strategic partner across our brand and consumer businesses, said Fetch Rewards CEO and co-founder Wes Schroll. N6As entrepreneurial spirit and quick pace stood out to us. Alpha IR Group is selected as investor relations advisor to PCTEL, a wireless technology solutions company. Alpha IR will guide PCTEL in its investor relations activities and work to broaden awareness of the company within the financial community. PCTELs offerings include purpose-built Industrial IoT devices, antenna systems, and test and measurement products. We expect Alpha IR will provide significant strategic value for PCTEL as we look to leverage their knowledge of the capital markets and strong network across the investment community, said PCTEL chief executive officer David Neumann. A TULLAMORE woman was given a six months suspended prison sentence for no insurance during last week's sitting of the local district court. Emily Devlin, 1 Kryan Street, Tullamore was stopped by Garda Niamh Abbott at Marion Place Tullamore on October 19, 2021. As well as having no insurance she also had no driving licence. Garda Abbott told the court that at 5.45pm on the date in question she saw Ms Devlin driving a silver Citroen down the street and decided to pull her over. She said the defendant had 55 previous convictions, including 12 for no insurance and eight for no driving licence. Sgt James O'Sullivan told the court that in November 2021 she was disqualified from driving for ten years during a court sitting. The defending solicitor Patrick Martin admitted that his client had a terrible history regarding road traffic convictions, however most of them happened a few years ago. He said her mother's death deeply affected her and she began misbehaving after that. On the date in question she had a severe back pain and wasn't able to get to the pharmacy on her feet, therefore she drove. She now totally regrets this decision. He added that Ms Devlin is 33 years of age and is the mother of five children. Judge Andrew Cody commented that the defendant had 'an appalling record'. He convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspending it for two years. Gardai have seized over 8 million worth of drugs that were flown into the Midlands in a light aircraft on Thursday. As a result of ongoing investigations targeting drug related organised crime activity under Operation Tara, personnel attached to the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau supported by other national units, intercepted two vehicles, shortly after 6pm, at 2 locations in the Lough Owel area of Co. Westmeath. In the course of this operation, 120 kilogrammes of cocaine with an estimated street value of 8.4 million (subject to analysis) was recovered along with several communications devices. Follow up searches were conducted at residential premises in Naas, Co Kildare and Waterford City, and at a commercial airfield in Co. Longford where a light aircraft has been seized. Two males, age 54 and 40 years, were arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking contrary to section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 and are currently detained, pursuant to the provisions of section 2 of Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996, at Ashbourne Garda Station, Dublin. Following the operation Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly, the Head of Organised and Serious Crime said " This operation has prevented a considerable quantity of dangerous drugs from making it onto our streets and causing significant harm to our communities. An Garda Siochana is committed, under Operation Tara, to disrupting and dismantling the organised criminal networks who profit from drug trafficking and impact so negatively on our society. BORD na Mona has announced that a pair of Common Cranes have returned to a Bord na Mona rewetted peatland and successfully hatched two chicks several weeks ago. This follows a previous successful breeding attempt in 2021. There is also great excitement among the Bord na Mona Ecology Team with the appearance of another Crane using several other Bord na Mona sites. Some of these peatlands have been rewetted through the Peatlands Climate Action Scheme (PCAS) last year. The team believe that this third young adult bird may have been a chick from the original pair of cranes, or an Irish-bred bird. The discovery and return of cranes nesting on two Bord na Mona peatlands is of great significance as this species has not bred in Ireland for 300 years, was thought extinct, but now may return as a breeding species. The precise location of the cranes is being kept confidential in order to protect and conserve the birds and avoid disturbance. Mark McCorry, Lead Ecologist at Bord na Mona said, It is very exciting to see the birds returning to Bord na Mona rewetted peatlands and it is particularly significant that these are some of the first cranes born here in centuries. The appearance of a Crane using sites that were re-wetted last year is a real indication that we are creating the right conditions for these birds and for lots of other biodiversity. Getting to see this bird slowly flying low over the new wetlands has been a highlight for me this year. Bord na Mona's peatland rehabilitation scheme is the most extensive of its kind ever undertaken in Europe. Rehabilitation commenced on 18 peatlands in 2021 and works on another 19 are commencing in 2022. During the first year of the rehabilitation programme, Bord na Mona undertook the rewetting of some 8,000 hectares of peatland. The restoration and rehabilitation of peatlands is creating rich and diverse habitats for our native plant and animal species. Examples of the impact of this work on biodiversity includes Irelands only protected insect, the Marsh Fritillary butterfly, colonising Bord na Mona cutaway bogs and it is now found in numerous sites; colonies of water-dependent species such as dragonflies and damselflies establishing in newly created wetlands and the appearance of the Great-White Egret and Common Crane. Sphagnum moss, a key species of peatlands, is starting to reappear on some sites that were re-wetted several years ago. The Department of Environment, Climate and Communications has approved ongoing grant funding up to 108 million to Bord na Mona in relation to the enhanced rehabilitation of its peatlands under the Peatlands Climate Action Scheme. This funding is provided by the European Unions Recovery and Resilience Facility as part of Irelands National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Thanks to this funding, we are hopeful that these majestic birds will continue to breed and thrive in Ireland and that we will continue to see enhanced biodiversity. In the coming years we would like to see more birds colonising from Europe and Britain to establish a viable population here. There has also been a significant positive response from other birds such as the black-headed gull, lapwing and the common redshank. These are all species that are under pressure in the wider landscape, and by rewetting peatlands Bord na Mona is providing them with new wet habitats, said Mark McCorry. If you would like to visit some cutaway peatlands then Lough Boora Discovery Park is a great place to visit. At the moment there is a sea of bog cotton in bloom and numerous orchids such as the Bee Orchid will be in flower over the next month. The Crane In Irish History The Crane is deeply connected to the culture and history of Ireland. They have been central to folklore tales such as Fionn Mac Cumhaill, the druids, St Colmcille, and the Book of Kells. Their Gaelic name, corr, can be founded in hundreds of place names, such as the Curragh in Kildare which means crane meadow. They were even kept as pets, and records show they were the third most popular pet in medieval times. Unfortunately, they were also a popular food item for people at the time, and their ease of capture by foxes and the draining of wetlands resulted in their demise some time between 1600-1700. Gardai have seized 120 kilos of cocaine with an estimated street value of 8.4 million along with a light aircraft, after an operation at two lakeside locations on Thursday. Gardai say the seizures were a result of ongoing investigations targeting drug related organised crime activity under Operation Tara. On August 4, personnel attached to the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau supported by other national units, intercepted two vehicles, shortly after 6pm on August 4 at 2 locations in the Lough Owel area of Co. Westmeath. In the course of this operation, 120 kilogrammes of cocaine with an estimated street value of 8.4 million (subject to analysis) was recovered along with several communications devices. Follow up searches were conducted at residential premises in Naas, Co Kildare and Waterford City, and at a commercial airfield in Co. Longford where a light aircraft has been seized. Two males, age 54 and 40 years, were arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking contrary to section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 and are currently detained, pursuant to the provisions of section 2 of Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996, at Ashbourne Garda Station, Dublin. The light aircraft which was seized Following the operation Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly, the Head of Organised and Serious Crime said: " This operation has prevented a considerable quantity of dangerous drugs from making it onto our streets and causing significant harm to our communities. "An Garda Siochana is committed, under Operation Tara, to disrupting and dismantling the organised criminal networks who profit from drug trafficking and impact so negatively on our society. Gardai say investigations are ongoing. 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Newsy 06 Aug 2022 Watch VideoChina's live-fire military drills are now in full force around Taiwan, and there are signs they're.. Hours after Brittney Griner was sentenced by a Russian judge to 9 years in prison ... Trevor Noah went IN on the foreign country -- dragging Vladimir Putin, while calling Thursday's ruling complete "bulls***." Noah held nothing back on "The Daily Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged for the global right to "coordinate the movement of our troops" at a conservative conference in Texas. Former US President Donald Trump is also expected to speak. A top German official for Antiziganism said Romani people face structural discrimination in Ukraine. The Roma community comprises around 1-1.5% of the country's population. The US House Speaker flew to Tokyo for the last leg of her Asia trip, which included a controversial visit to Taiwan. Pelosi says the US doesn't seek to "change the status quo" in the region. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday that China's military exercises aimed at Taiwan represent a "grave problem" that threatens regional peace and security after five ballistic missiles launched as part of the drills landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone. Berlin has realized it will never again import as much energy from Russia as before the Ukraine war. So the challenge is to wean Germany off its dependence on Russian energy sources, and quickly. The question is how. Kyiv has reacted angrily, following accusations by Amnesty that Ukraine's military endangers civilians by placing bases and weapons in residential areas Newsy 03 Aug 2022 Watch VideoThe first grain ship to depart Ukraine under a wartime deal entered the Bosporus Strait on the way to Lebanon after its.. China's foreign ministry has announced sanctions against US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, after her visit to Taiwan this week prompted anger. Beijing accused the prominent Democratic politician of undermining sovereignty. At least seven people have died, including a senior militant, as a result of Israeli airstrikes, Palestinian officials have said. Taiwan accused the Chinese army of simulating an attack on its main island Saturday, as Beijing doubled down on its retaliation for.. Rumble 06 Aug 2022 The UK's ability to train fast jet pilots is in crisis because of faulty aircraft, a need for more instructors and an influx of foreign students filling up the course, leaked documents suggest. The Chinese J-20 stealth fighter has been placed on active combat duty over the Taiwan ADIZ as tensions rise, which is a chance for the PLAAF to showcase its 5th generation fighter. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that China will not isolate Taiwan by preventing U.S. officials from traveling there. She made the remarks in Tokyo, the final leg of an Asia tour highlighted by a visit to Taiwan that infuriated China. (Aug. 5) The White House summoned China's ambassador to the U.S. to address concerns about military exercises around Taiwan the latest in the fallout over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China not to "manufacture a crisis" after threats of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. Beijing officials have repeatedly threatened an aggressive response to the planned trip. A report says Ukraine placed its forces near noncombatants, putting them in danger. Government officials say they evacuate civilians from combat areas, and that the report depicts "a false reality." Japan's westernmost island lies in sight of Taiwan, less than 70 miles away. On Thursday, a Chinese missile landed near Yonaguni. Japan has been strengthening defenses across its southwest islands. At least eight people killed including an Islamic Jihad commander and a young girl and 44 wounded in the.. Upworthy 05 Aug 2022 China's Foreign Ministry announced that the country would no longer cooperate with the United States in a range of issues over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. The Democrat's trip to the self-governing island nation has been considered as meddling in China's internal affairs. Rumble 07 Aug 2022 Josh Jacobs trade is the latest and biggest Las Vegas Raiders topic since ESPN NFL Insider Field Yates said he believes the Raiders.. Two things things I love about Michigan craft beer culture: Cool label art Brewery collaborations and mash ups First thing is first. Chefs, when talking about the presentation of their food, often say diners first feast with their eyes before they taste the food presented to them. In this case, a really great beer label can set the table for the whole experience. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Courtesy Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Dave Clark Show More Show Less 3 of 3 I would be lying if I didnt admit that eye-catching, fun beer label artwork sometimes inspires me to pick up a beer I otherwise wouldnt take a look at. Short's Brewing Company famously has artist Tanya Whitley create unique pieces of art to accompany every new brew. Secondly, I love the products that come out of craft beer collaborations. Two excellent brewers coming together to play mad scientist usually results in at least an interesting taste and the opportunity for a glorious Weird Beer. Sometimes these limited partnerships produce something spectacular. My Tart Will Ghoul On, the fruited kettle sour featuring Saskatoon Berries, spawned from the wacky union of Austin Brothers Beer Co. in Alpena and Loaded Dice Brewery in Troy, delivers on both. The brew is part of the Performers Series created by Loaded Dice. The series celebrates Vegas performers, and this one is brewed in tribute to the queen of Vegas, Celine Dion. So the purple label featuring the zombified Canadian queen in full diva mode, heart in hand, is simply magnifique. Courtesy But what the heck is a Saskatoon berry? Glad you asked. Saskatoon bushes are also known as serviceberry bushes, juneberry and shadbush. The plants are native to Canada, but can be found throughout North America. Though the berries look like blueberries, they are said to have an apple and almond character in taste. The berries ripen in June and July and are used to make wine, juice and jam. Its a perfect time then, to venture into unexplored territory with Austin Brothers and Loaded Dice. This one has been sitting in the beer fridge for a while, waiting for for the right summer night. That sweet, but tart, taste packs a satisfying berry wallop. It immediately struck me as a prime dessert beer. Juicy and flavorful, there is a blackberry character to it with an earthy, nutty undertone. It's a beautiful dark red-purple color that pours frothy. Austin Brothers describes it as "the fruitiest, thickest, jammiest beer we have ever brewed." It has kind of a blackberry sorbet flavor. Its delicious. If there ever was an occasion to describe a beer as displaying "diva" qualities, this is the one. It struts. It is here to captivate you. It's a showstopper. This is a very limited release, only available in cans. I found mine at Eastman Party Store and when I went back for an encore it looks like it is out of stock. Catch one if you see one in the wild. When you drink one it will fill your heart and your heart will go on and on.... It's a truly Titanic taste...Skoll! You can check Austin Brothers Brewing Company at the Aug. 20 Great Lakes Beer Festival at Dow Diamond! Get your tickets now. The Association of Nature Center Administrators (ANCA) has presented Chippewa Nature Center (CNC) Executive Director Dennis Pilaske with the 2022 ANCA Nature Center Leadership Award. This national award recognizes an individual who has made a major contribution to the success of a nature center, as well as important contributions to the profession through professional organizations and through support and mentoring of other nature center leaders. Pilaske was recognized for having an extraordinary record of organizational success and exemplifying strategic vision, passion, integrity, innovation, perseverance and a collaborative spirit. Pilaske has served as CNCs executive director since 2017, and is responsible for achieving the strategic vision by working with the board of directors, a leadership team of five director level staff and approximately 50 employees. Prior to that, he was the director of interpretation for 12 years, supervising adult and family programming, as well as the self-guided interpretive resources. In 2008, he co-chaired the the Visitor Center renovation and the LEED Gold-certified Nature Preschool construction, enabling CNC to expand its Nature Preschool program. He was also an active member of National Association for Interpretation Great Lakes Region 4, attending annual regional and national interpreters workshops. He co-chaired the Regional Interpreters Workshop in 2010, presented at several conferences on the use of music in interpretive programs, served on the Interpretive Project Grants Committee for five years and was a committee member for the 2006 NAI Region 4 workshop. He participated in ANCAs Professional Leadership Institute in 2015, and has attended six summits. He has also organized multiple Michigan peer group meetings since 2013 as co-chair of the states peer group. In addition, he has also led facilitated discussions on building morale in the workplace, partnerships and preparing for 2021 summer camp season. Pilaske is a mentor through ANCA, and has been selected to serve on six ANCA Consult teams. Locally, Pilaske is a graduate of Leadership Midland class of 2002, and currently serves on the Leadership Midland steering committee. He participated in the 2014 Great Lakes Bay Institute for Leaders, and is the board treasurer for the local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. He also serves on the board for Phoenix Community Farm, a grassroots community nonprofit dedicated to growing and distributing fresh, healthy produce for those in need. For the last 25 years, Pilaske has been committed to connecting people to the natural world, placing incredible value on the role nature plays in a communitys physical and mental health, quality of life and sense of place. Now, as executive director, he fosters a positive work environment where staff can thrive while providing opportunities for meaningful connection to nature through access to greenspace and high-quality nature programming. He encourages CNC staff to seek out professional development opportunities and support the profession by involvement in regional, state and national organizations. His investment in staff results in national recognition of CNCs staff and programs, and continual forward movement as everyone feels empowered to pursue the mission. As CNCs executive director, Pilaske continues to serve with integrity, dedication and professionalism, which has not only benefited Chippewa Nature Center, but the broader world of nature centers. The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Tereasa Nims. Thursday, Aug. 4 10:52 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to Geneva Township regarding a report of property being taken from a residence without permission. Deputies spoke with both parties and assisted in returning the property civilly without incident. 10:36 p.m. - Police were called to the 800 block of Eastman Avenue for a domestic assault. 10:03 - Deputies responded to a Greendale Township residence for a report of an intoxicated woman walking near the road. A 41-year-old Greendale Township woman was subsequently arrested for domestic violence and resisting police. The woman was lodged at the Midland County Jail. A report has been forwarded to the prosecutor for review. 7:45 p.m. - Police responded to the 2200 block of Virginia Street for a domestic verbal dispute. 5:44 p.m. - A deputy checked a residence for an elderly man after he missed a medical appointment. The man's residence was checked but he was not home. The doctor's office reached the man via telephone approximately an hour later. 5:27 p.m. - Police were called to the 400 block of Hawthorne Hollow for a harassing communication complaint. 4:22 p.m. - Police responded to the 1600 block of N. Saginaw Road for a private property crash. 2:24 p.m. - Police were called to Rodd Street and E. Indian Street for a personal injury crash. 2:32 p.m. - A 35-year-old woman was bitten by a dog while walking on the rail trail. An isolation notice was issued to the 25-year-old owner. 12:38 p.m. - A dump trailer valued at $14,000 was stolen from a Larkin Township residence. The complaint is currently under investigation. 12:42 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Greendale Township residence for a verbal dispute between a 21-year-old Greendale Township man and his 20-year-old Greendale Township girlfriend. There were no assaults, and the subjects were separated. 10:11 a.m. - A deputy was dispatched to a Lee Township location for a 911 hang up. Upon arrival, the 41-year-old Lee Township man advised he was OK and he didn't need any assistance from the Sheriff's Office. 7:53 a.m. - A deputy contacted a 34-year-old Coleman woman who reported that a 32-year-old Saginaw woman was spreading rumors about her on social media, and she requested that the incident be documented. 7:46 a.m. - Police responded to the 7300 block of S. Aster Street for a larceny complaint. 7:26 a.m. - Deputies were dispatched to N. Hope Road regarding two youths wearing black clothing walking down the road. The caller advised the youths moved a yard sign in someone's yard. The area was checked, but the youths were unable to be located. 3:59 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Greendale Township residence regarding a noise complaint. Deputies arrived on scene and spoke with a 35-year-old man. Upon further investigation deputies found the man to be in violation of multiple bond conditions. The man was subsequently arrested and lodged at the Midland County Jail without incident. 12:53 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a suspicious situation at a Geneva Township location. The 39-year-old Geneva Township woman caller heard yelling which sounded like a child in distress. Deputies contacted a 40-year-old female neighbor who advised her 7-year-old son had a nightmare and was fine now. 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. China renews yellow alert for high temperatures Xinhua) 11:01, August 05, 2022 BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's national observatory on Friday continued to issue a yellow alert for high temperatures as an intense heatwave lingers in many regions of the country. During daylight hours on Friday, parts of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shaanxi, Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shanghai, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Sichuan, Chongqing, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Xinjiang are expected to experience temperatures of over 35 degrees Celsius, the National Meteorological Center said. Temperatures in parts of Chongqing and Zhejiang may surpass 40 degrees Celsius. The center advised the public to avoid outdoor activities during high-temperature periods in the afternoon and suggested workers exposed to high temperatures, or who work for a long time outdoors, 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: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) New York, US (PANA)- The United Nations continues to engage with authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the wake of the deadly shooting this past weekend involving peacekeepers from its Mission there, MONUSCO Rome, Italy (PANA) - Food prices dropped significantly in July, marking the fifth consecutive monthly decline since hitting record highs earlier in the year in the wake of the war in Ukraine, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reported on Friday Photo: (Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) The mother of a shooting victim in Brooklyn, New York, is praying harder and asking for stronger family members to be with her as her son, who was shot in an argument over cold fries at McDonald's, remains in critical condition. Speaking exclusively with the New York Post, the mom, who asked for her name not to be published, said that she couldn't handle what had happened and admitted that her mind was unstable. She had asked for a pastor to join her in the hospital as they waited for good news from the doctors of Matthew Jeremiah Webb, 23. Webb was working at McDonald's when he was shot in the neck at around 7:00 p.m. Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. Allegedly, the shooter, Michael Morgan, 20, was upset when Webb got into an argument with his mother, Lisa Fulmore, 40, because she was served cold fries. Morgan got even more upset when the McDonald's workers allegedly laughed at his mother when she asked to speak to the manager. Sometime later, Webb went outside of McDonald's and was gunned down. Read Also: Trust-Fund Grandson Denied Temporary Freedom Before Trial for Killing His Rich Grandfather and Mom Shooter's mom says it was self-defense Fulmore told Daily Mail that her son was acting in self-defense. Webb left McDonald's to look for her son to follow up on their spat. She alleged that he was still on the clock at work, and her son was already gone for 15 minutes. She said that Webb asked her where her son was, and then sometime later, she heard the gunshot. The mom insisted that her son needed to do what he did because the McDonald's worker went after him. Fulmore also said that she did not tolerate gun violence and was not aware Morgan had a gun. She felt terrible that Webb is now fighting for his life. The mother said he was on Facetime with her son when the argument over fries happened. Morgan was ready to defend his mom, but she told him not to come anymore because he didn't want her son to get into trouble. Fulmore also said that she was the one who called 911 when the shooting took place and waited for the police to arrive. Witnesses said Fulmore appeared to be in shock as she gave all the information to the police. "The only thing I know is that my son was arguing with the boy," Fulmore said. "The boy did go out looking for my son." Arrest and charges filed Police said that Webb did not have any arrest records and had no indication that he had a gun. On the other hand, Morgan had prior arrests, including assault in 2018 and grand larceny in 2019. According to CBS News, Morgan had been charged with attempted murder, while his 18-year-old girlfriend, Camellia Dunlap, had been charged with criminal possession of a weapon as she allegedly tried to hide his gun. Michael Morgan, 20, has been charged with attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon for the shooting of a McDonalds worker in Brooklyn. As @NYPDDetectives remain dedicated to providing justice, they need your help. If you have information on crimes, call #800577TIPS. pic.twitter.com/fLBdk1RSYV Commissioner Sewell (@NYPDPC) August 3, 2022 Meanwhile, the McDonald's operator, Roy Iraci, issued a statement to condemn gun violence. He also said they would cooperate with the investigations and pray for their staff's swift recovery. Related Article: Uncle Admits to Drive-By Shooting, Injures 5-Year-Old Niece Who Will Likely Be Paralyzed Photo: (Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Black Lives Matter Sacramento and a family alleged that cops "attacked" an 11-year-old Black boy during Kids Day at the California State Fair. Black Lives Matter Sacramento, Greater Sacramento NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), Elijah Hunter's family, and their attorney gathered at a news conference to demand policy changes at Cal Expo, which hosted the state fair. The organization issued a statement, saying that Hunter was brutally attacked and had his rights violated by Cal Expo police while attending the fair with friends and family. Cal Expo did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday, August 2. Cal Expo spokesperson Darla Givens did release a statement to KCRA, saying that Hunter suffered a small cut. Police stopped him because he was climbing a fence and trying to steal from vendors. Elijah's mom not allowed inside interrogation room A spokeswoman for Black Lives Matter Sacramento said Hunter was horseplaying while lining up with his friends, while they all pretended to be cutting in front of each other at the fair. She added that police tackled Hunter while his friends were not. She pointed out that Elijah is Black, and his friends are white. The spokeswoman noted that Hunter was later taken into the interrogation room while his mom begged to be allowed to join him but was denied. Inside, Hunter signed a trespassing document stating that he was banned from the fair. According to the spokeswoman, no amount of horseplay validates grown police officers in tackling and beating a child. Black Lives Matter Sacramento demands that the officers involved in the incident be fired and charged with child abuse. The officers for the state fair's police detail are off-duty officers from other departments, and it is unclear to which departments the involved officers belonged. Hunter's mother, Cynthia Martin, said at the news conference that her son's shirt was covered in blood after police tackled him, according to NBC News. Read Also: T.J. Maxx Ordered to Pay $13 Million in Fines After Selling Recalled Infant Sleepers Linked to Baby Deaths The violence inflicted on Hunter is appalling Martin said they knew they injured him because they provided the first aid before they even made it to Kaiser hospital, where her son received further treatment. Black Lives Matter Sacramento said an attorney for the family had started the process of filing a lawsuit against those involved in the beating. They released a statement, saying that the violence inflicted on 11-year-old Hunter is appalling and has impacted him physically and emotionally. The organization added that there is no reason for a mostly idle police department to treat a kid as a criminal. Greater Sacramento NAACP president, Betty Williams, said the cops discriminated against Hunter because he is a Black male, according to Cap Radio. She said that age didn't matter in this society and law enforcement. She added that he should never have been treated that way and pointed out that no other child within his group was brought into that facility. Related Article: Banana Boat Recalls Sunscreen Products After Benzene Detected in Several Batches Nashville International Airport (BNA) in Tennessee has opened a steakhouse restaurant, named The Southern Steak and Oyster, in its South Terminal between gates D3 and D4. Operated in partnership with Skyport Hospitality, the 333m2 restaurant and full bar features a New Orleans-inspired design with an open kitchen and abundant natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows. It offers the same service and food as original The Southerns flagship location, with seating for 126 guests. ') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write(' ') } // --> ') } else if (width >= 425) { console.log ('largescreen'); document.write('') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // --> The restaurant serves breakfast until 10:30am and lunch and dinner daily. Popular menu items include Breaux Bros Gumbo with andouille and crawfish, Fish N Grits with spicy tasso ham vinaigrette, Orleans Parish-style BBQ shrimp, dry-aged strip steak and The Belle Filet. Doug Kreulen, president and CEO of Nashville International Airport, said, Were thrilled to welcome The Southern Steak and Oyster to BNA. The Southern has become a staple restaurant on the Nashville food scene, and were extremely proud to have them at the airport as part of our new reimagined concessions program, where we continue to bring the flavor of downtown Nashville right here in the airport. Lauren Morales, COO of TomKats Hospitality, which owns the brand, said, We are thrilled to extend The Southern Steak and Oysters hospitality to BNA and bring local Nashville flavors to travelers. The team Skyport has assembled is enthusiastic, and we are proud to work alongside them. Matt Jennings, vice president of Fraport Tennessee, the developer and manager of the airports concessions program, said, The Southern continues to draw a loyal following to its bustling downtown location, and we are delighted to open a new location at BNA. Our thanks to the Morales family and partners at Skyport for bringing this authentic Nashville dining experience to the airport. With The Southern and recent additions, guests have an exciting array of places to enjoy a taste of Nashville. For more updates from the food and beverage sector of the airport industry, click here. DuckDuckGo has made a name for itself protecting users from being tracked and preserving their anonymity, which is why folks were understandably upset when they discovered that the browser maker had given the green light to being tracked by Microsoft. On Friday, the search engine remedied that. As of today, DuckDuckGo chief executive Gabriel Weinberg said that it will expand the scripts that we block from loading on websites to include scripts from Microsoft in our browsing apps (iOS and Android) and our browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge and Opera), with beta apps to follow in the coming month. DuckDuckGo tries to block tracking scripts from search engines and websites like Facebook, but also from more fundamental architects of scripts and tracking software. (Here are five reasons to use DuckDuckGo over Googles search engine). This browser uses what it calls 3rd-Party Tracking Loading Protection to block these third-party scripts or cookies from being loaded in your browser. If they did, they would be able to track your movements around the web and construct a profile of who you are, your preferences, and more. While other browsers and browser plug-ins empower users to protect their privacy, this search engine has made privacy a fundamental element of its products. Weinbergs decision was motivated by a discovery by security researcher Zach Edwards, who reported via Twitter that the DuckDuckGo browser blocked Google and Facebook trackers, but permitted some Microsoft trackers via Linkedin and Bing. That discovery was subsequently noted by BleepingComputer. Weinberg said that, previously, DuckDuckGo was limited in how it could apply its 3rd-Party Tracking Protection to Microsoft because Bing, Microsofts search engine, was configured as the browsers search provider. The agreement was due to a policy requirement related to our use of Bing as a source for our private search results, Weinberg wrote. Were glad this is no longer the case. We have not had and do not have any similar limitation with any other company. DuckDuckGo still has an ad relationship with Microsoft, which it will maintain. Viewing ads on DuckDuckGo is anonymous and Microsoft has committed to not profile our users on ad clicks, Weinberg said. While Microsoft will still record your relationship, it will not associate it with an accounting profile, he said. If youre still confused about what DuckDuckGo permits and what it doesnt, the company said that it has a new help page that details the web tracking protections the company provides. Energy and Infrastructure, Sahara Group has said the 2022 Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Society of Petroleum Engineers should lead the conversation of exploring best possible policies and partnerships to propel seamless energy transition for Africa. Themed Global Transition to Renewable and Sustainable Energy and the Future of Oil and Gas in Africa, NAICE 2022 holds from August 1-3, 2022 at the Eko Hotels in Lagos. Speaking ahead of the event, Ejiro Gray, Director, Governance and Sustainability, Sahara Group said Africa has a peculiar situation that requires a different approach. "As a continent where a significant number of countries operate a mono-cultural economy or at a minimum, are highly dependent on revenue from fossil fuel development and production as the main driver of economic activity, the anticipated rate of change should take cognizance of Africas pecuiliar situation," she explained. Gray who will moderate a panel on Driving the Net-Zero Global Energy Transition in an Inclusive Manner at the conference, added that a sudden and sweeping deviation from a fossil fuel dominated energy sector may leave developing economies in dire straits. "On the contrary, the absence of traction in the energy transition movement is likely to come at a significant cost to the continent and leave us stranded due to radical changes in policy direction and demand for our main export commodities. One key question then is, how and where do we strike the balance," she queried. According to her, "a better way would be for developed countries to smooth the transition by offering three resources to emerging economies: time to adjust, financial aid, and policy assistance." Sahara's upstream company, Asharami Energy will feature panelists, technical papers and young engineers at the conference in keeping with Sahara's commitment to thought leadership and promoting excellence and sustainability in Africa's upstream operations. Sahara will also host curated sessions with stakehoders and young professionals at its booth during the conference. Henry Menkiti, Chief Operating Officer, Asharami Energy said Africa has an opportunity to create a model that is efficient for the continent through collaboration, progressive review of processes, human capital transformation and investment in technology. Energy transition is upon us already. But the good news is that we can chart Africa's unique path by making our strengths count and deploying fit-for- purpose energy transition sources in line with national development plans on lowering carbon emissions," he said. Sahara Group is already exploring renewable options to drive its power generation and distribution solutions to enhance energy transition and environmental sustainability. Mariah Lucciano-Gabriel, Risk Analysis Manager, Asharami Energy will speak at the panel on "operationalising a clean energy transition for sustaianable development in Aftica, while Yisa Adeeyo, Senior Reservoir Engineer at Asharami Energy, will present a paper on "Random Forest Ensemble Model for Reservoir Fluid Property Prediction". Adeeyo will share findings on the role of Artificial Intelligence in facilitating accurate predictions in reservoir operations. The energy transition is a pathway toward transformation of the global energy sector from fossil-based to zero-carbon by the second half of this century. At its heart is the need to reduce energy-related CO2 emissions to limit climate change. Most researchers agree that action is required on four fronts: Decarbonizing power generation; Massive electrification (to increase dependence on clean energy) and where practicable, transitioning to greener fuels; Improving efficiency and reducing waste in all sectors. In addition to financial assistance, emerging economies require policy guidance and assistance in creating capacity. Asharami Energy is one Africas leading independent Exploration and Production (E&P) Companies with a diverse portfolio of 8 (eight) oil and gas assets in prolific basins across Africa. These assets are at various stages of development ranging from exploratory fields to mature producing fields with huge potential for positive returns. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A 37-year-old Evangelist, Frederick Darko is in the grips of the Ofaakor police for allegedly sodomizing a 15-year-old boy at Gomoa Nyanyano in the Gomoa East District in the central region. The accused was remanded in police custody when he appeared before the Ofaakor Circuit Court in the Awutu Senya East Municipality, presided over by Mr Ebenezer Osei Darko, to allow for further investigations. He is scheduled to reappear in court on Wednesday, August 17, 2022. According to the facts presented in Court, Darko, a self-styled evangelist traditionally adopted the 15-year-old boy two years ago under the guise of spiritually cleansing him but kept sodomizing him and threatened him with death if he ever disclosed it to anyone. He had told the boy's mother that a woman spiritually took his luck when he was a child and so needed to be cleansed spiritually to restore his glory. The victim later experienced severe illness and pain in the waist and anus and opened up and narrated his ordeal to his mother when she persistently questioned him over complainants he made to her about the pains, the court heard. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister of Education, has charged the Governing Councils of Colleges of Education to produce innovative and critical thinking teachers to impart the right knowledge to students for national development. We need to train our teacher trainees to go beyond memorization of lesson notes and focus on being assertive in creating modules for the transformation of the country. We need to be asking them to create a city without pollution instead of asking them to define pollution and how to stop pollution, the Minister added. Dr Adutwum stated that teachers and students who were critical thinkers came to the realization of four Cs of education- collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication, making them competitive on the global market. The Minister said this in Accra at the inauguration of 10 Governing Councils of Colleges of Education and administered the oath of office and oath of secrecy to the members with the mandate to proffer strategic direction in managing the affairs of their respective institutions. He said the Colleges of Education played a critical role in the transformation of the countrys educational system and charged them to leave a legacy by transforming the trainees to be productive and meaningful to society. The Minister advised the Council members to focus on the mission and vision of the Colleges to improve quality teaching and learning and not only focus on administrative responsibilities like promotion and allowances of members. Dr Adutwum, also the Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe in the Ashanti Region, urged the leadership of the Colleges to avoid trivial issues like prescribing uniforms for the trainees but concentrate more importantly on improving learning outcomes in the institutions. When you want your students or trainees to be so compliant that you require them to wear uniforms, they will take the same into the classrooms and expect the pupils or the students to be compliant to the extent that the students cannot ask questions in class, he said. I have visited a number of schools and anytime I ask the students at the end of my interaction with them if they have a question for me, no hand goes up. What it tells me is that invariably we tame the students. We tell them we are the teachers, we are here to dispense knowledge to you, we give you the knowledge, keep it close in your head and on the day of the exams, give it back to us and you are the best student, he said. Dr Adutwum emphasized the need for the trainees to have a voice in the teaching and learning environment by meaningfully participating in the discourse of teaching activities and be empowered to ask questions without being intimidated. He said the country had built six state-of-the-art science laboratories in the country and was transforming other institutions into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) schools to produce students and graduates who would be fit for purpose. He said the first-ever National Standardised Test organised by the Ministry for Primary Four pupils revealed that the Ahafo, Bono East and Bono regions which were formerly together as the Brong Ahafo Region, emerged as a strong base for lower primary education. After the test in Mathematics and English Language, P4 pupils in the Ahafo Region posted the highest mean scores of 67 per cent in English and 58 per cent in Mathematics, while those in the Bono Region posted 65 per cent in English and 55 per cent in Mathematics, with those in the Bono East Region scoring 58 per cent in English and 50 per cent in Mathematics. The Volta Region posted the least mean scores of 34 per cent in English and 27 per cent in Mathematics. The Minister said the results of the test would enable the Ministry to design strategic interventions to address some of the pitfalls in the regions and districts that performed poorly. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The National Peace Council (NPC) and the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) have urged political parties to use Alternative Disputes Resolution (ADR) in addressing intra and inter-party disputes. A statement issued by the NPC, copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the appeal was made by the two institutions at a three-day Multi-Stakeholder Consultation and Training on ADR for Political Parties in West Africa. It said the overarching objective of the programme was to enhance the capacity of election stakeholders, especially political parties, to develop sustainable dispute resolution structures to manage disputes and minimize election-related disputes and violence. It said it was also intended to create or expand existing infrastructure in target countries, including Ghana for effectively managing disputes surrounding elections and other democratic processes. Participants were drawn from Operations Managers Units of Political Parties, External Affairs Units of Political Parties, Offices of the General Secretaries of Political Parties, Electoral Commission, National Commission on Civic Education, GIZ and the European Union. Mr George Amoh, the Executive Secretary of the National Peace Council and Dr Chukwuemeka Eze, the Executive Director of WANEP, who facilitated sessions of the workshop, urged political parties to use Alternative Dispute Resolution or Appropriate Dispute Resolution Structures and measures to resolve the challenges they face regarding conflict within and outside their political parties. According to them, this was the only way to prevent the volatility and instability of the West African sub-region which was brought about by election-related issues, ethnicity, religious extremism and intolerance and an influx of small arms. Dr Serebour Quaicoo, the Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission, who was participating backed this call, saying it would help the country in ensuring peaceful elections. Attending the workshop on behalf of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were Mr Chris Arthur, Mr Kwasi Afriyie and Madam Sheila Offei. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) was represented by Mr Kakra Esamoah, Mr Abraham Amaliba and Mr Atukwei Quaye. The Convention People's Party (CPP) delegation included Nana Yaa Jantua, the General Secretary and Mr Moses Yirimambo, the National Organiser. The People's National Convention (PNC) was represented by Madam Janet Nabla, and Mr Muniru Mohammed. The Progressive People's Party (PPP) also had Mr Remy Paa Kow Edmundson, the General Secretary and Mr Faisal Abu Sadat, the Youth Organizer. Other participants included delegations and Directors from other organisations in Ghana and Africa such as NCCE, CHRAJ, EU, GIZ. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) has detained a notorious leader of a fraudulent enterprise operating in Ghana and neighboring Nigeria who is also on the wanted list of Interpol for various organized crimes. On Thursday, July 21, 2022, Sunny Anwamini (Alias Sunny Enyindah Anwamini @ Apostle Sunny Chigeru), a Nigerian national, was arrested and charged with three counts of Uttering forged documents, defrauding by false pretences and money laundering. The accused, between January 2017 and May 2022, used forged documents including an Export Declaration Form from the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to obtain various sums of money totaling Six Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($6,500,000) from one Mazen Farakh, the complainant, under the pretext of exporting teak wood from Ghana to him in Ukraine. The accused was arraigned before Her Ladyship Elfreda Dankyi at Criminal Court 2 of the High Court, Accra. After the accused persons plea was taken, EOCOs legal team prosecuting on behalf of the Republic, prayed the court to take into consideration the amount involved in the offence allegedly committed in granting bail. The Court in its ruling set the terms of bail at Twenty Million Ghana Cedis (GHc 20,000,000) with three (3) sureties, two (2) of whom must be justified. The accused is to surrender his passport and other travelling documents and to report twice a week to the EOCO headquarters. However, Sunny Awamini is yet to settle the bail conditions and has been detained. Background According to deep throat sources at EOCO, the suspect met Mazen Farakh in December 2018 during which the latter expressed interest in purchasing expensive wood (teak). Sam after receiving the sum of $6.5 million from the Ukrainian businessman sent photographs of fake pallets of teak stored in custom bonded warehouses and promised to get the goods delivered to Ukraine. Additionally Information Sunny Awamini alias Sam is apparently a wanted man by interpol and Nigeria security apparatus having been in the hunt for him for several years. EOCO after doing a diligent work sought collaboration from their Nigerian counterparts and were informed that Sam has been a wanted man and operates a criminal gang of fraudulent enterprise in Nigeria for a very long time. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield has stated that "Russias unprovoked attack on Ukraine" is the reason for a food insecurity crisis on the African continent. According to her, the conflict has led to price increases and additional suffering for Africans. Speaking in an interview on CNN before the start of a three-nation trip to Africa, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield rejected suggestions by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that sanctions imposed by the West on Russia had caused the rise in food prices. She added that Russian food and agricultural products were not affected by US sanctions. "What we are concerned about is that that narrative is not factual. The reason that there is a food insecurity crisis on the continent of Africa at this moment is because of Russias unprovoked attack on Ukraine," she said. "These countries are dependent on about 75% of their food aid from Russia, as well as from Ukraine. And this unprovoked war has led to shortages, it has led to price increases, and it has led to additional suffering of the people on the continent of Africa. "Russian food is not sanctioned by our sanctions. There are no sanctions on any agricultural products from Russia. So, it is completely a disinformation, misinformation campaign in which Russia does not want to accept responsibility for what they have done to international food markets across the continent of Africa". Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield is scheduled to deliver a keynote address in Ghana on the global food security crisis tomorrow. In a series of tweets, the Russian Embassy accused the media of deliberately ignoring the fact that policies of the West had triggered economic challenges on the African continent since 2020. "The Ghanaian press continues to carbon-copy the Western mainstream trying to persuade local readers that the Russian special military operation in Ukraine is to blame for the increase in bread prices," the Russian Embassy said in a tweet. "At the same time, journalists shyly keep silent that food and energy prices began to rapidly rise already in early 2020 due to systemic miscalculations of the financial and economic policies of Western countries during the coronavirus pandemic". Source: Graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Newmont Africa has concluded discussions with the government, traditional authorities and community stakeholders and commenced payment for the removal of over 8,000 speculative unauthorised structures in the $850 million Ahafo North Mining Project. An Inter-Agency Committee led by the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources responsible for mining and the Ahafo Regional Minister, with the support of officials from the Minerals Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, and Newmont Africa, led the discussion to commit GHc45 million in relief payment with community leaders and representatives of the unauthorised structures in the project area. The agreed one-off payments will promote community peace and security of the Ahafo North Project. We will not tolerate any further development of unauthorized structures which adversely affects company-community relations and discourages mining investment in the country, Mr George Mireku Duker, (MP) said. He said that the government was hopeful that the project would commence soon and create significant value, including employment, business opportunities, infrastructure, and socio-economic development as well as increased revenue in taxes, royalties and forex inflows. On his part, Mr George Boakye, the Ahafo Regional Minister said, though the structures were unauthorized, Newmont had agreed to the governments recommendation to offer a relief payment package in the interest of peaceful co-existence with its host communities. He added that he was certain that the Project would commence soon and create local employment, community development and business opportunities. The Newmont Corporation Board of Directors approved full funds for Ahafo North Project in July 2021. David Thornton, Regional Senior Vice President, Newmont Africa Operations said the company is committed to collaborating with the government, our host communities and other stakeholders to ensure the Ahafo North Project will continue and create sustainable value along with the opportunity for all stakeholders. Newmont Africa expressed appreciation to the Ghana government, the Asantehene, Nananom, regulators, traditional authorities, youth leaders and community stakeholders for their collaboration in agreeing to a long-term sustainable outcome to commence sustainable development of the Ahafo North Project. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Professor Ken Agyeman Attafuah has warned Ghanaians not to engage in double registration for Ghana Card. According to the NIA Boss, the Authority is clothed with the power to have any person who registers twice to be arrested, revealing it is a criminal offence. "Some people have done double registration. The double registration is potential criminal offence and it also warrants an investigation on a case by case basis", he said in an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme. He made this revelation while explaining why many Ghanaians who have registered for their Ghana Cards haven't received them. He disclosed that over 17 million Ghanaians have registered but not all registered persons will receive their cards because they have to be investigated. "The law says we should make sure that the data that is given to us that we capture in the database permanently is accurate and reliable. So, if it (cards) stays in the queue which is translated as logical and technical queue...it has to be investigated on a case by case basis." Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has assistance Government is seeking from the International Monetary Fund will not affect flagship pro-poor policies being implemented by Government. According to President Akufo-Addo, the ongoing pro-poor policies are at the heart of Governments since 2017, and remain non-negotiable items of the countrys public expenditure, and, as such, will not be affected by Ghanas re-engagement with the IMF. Describing it as a relatively easy assurance to give, the President referred to the statement by the IMF Country Director who indicated that an initiative like the Free SHS programme cannot be sacrificed on the altar of a programme with the IMF. So, all our minds are going in the same direction, and Im very, very confident that these programmes especially the FreeSHS, FreeTVET programme will emerge from the programme with the Fund intact, he added. President Akufo-Addo made this known on Friday, 5th August, 2022 during an interview on UAR Radio in Bolgatanga, at the start of his working visit to the Upper East Region. I think there is something that a lot of people are forgetting. When we came into office, we were into an IMF programme in 2017. In fact before we exited the IMF, Free SHS was introduced in the September of my first term in office, a whole nine months of my coming under an IMF Programme. So, it is already been accommodated within the thinking of the Fund programme for Ghana. He added that, It is (Free SHS) not as if it is something that we had to wait to exit the programme before we brought it. We brought it at the time we were and under an IMF Programme, and I will find it very illogical for us to have a programme we started under an IMF programme and because we are going to have a new one sacrifice it. That doesnt make sense, and it will not happen. On how to ensure that Ghana does not go back seeking for assistance from the IMF, he noted that the structural transformation of the Ghanaian economy from its current dependence on the production and export of raw materials to one of value addition and industrialization is the way to go. That is why weve had this emphasis on industrial transformation coming out of the 1D1F Programme and certain other targeted industrial transformation measures that weve taken in the automotive industry in enhancing the value addition our strategic mineral resources like our bauxite, iron ore, etc. Those are the real keys to a future robust Ghanaian economy that we will have an economy that is self-sufficient in the sense that the basic needs of the people are produced by Ghanaian production, he said President Akufo-Addo continued, So, it is important that we, in Ghana, we keep our eyes on two factors. To continue the process of structural transformation of our economy that will give us more independence, more robust and a more resilient Ghanaian economy, and, at the same time, make provisions for these exogenous interferences that every now and then are just bound to happen, he recommended. He reiterated that the measures that we are taking now to build the strength of our economy, will make it more and more difficult for us to have that dependency and need for reliance in future. Border Infiltration President Akufo-Addo, in his remarks, also appealed to residents of the Upper East region to assist Government and the security agencies in the country to curb incidences of border infiltration in the area. According to the President, government and the security agencies will need, the active cooperation of the population for us to make the security response as effective as possible and thats why the National Security Ministry has proposed this slogan See Something, Say Something, which is basically about involving the community, the population in the work of the security and intelligence agencies. He continued, It is much better for us to invest such resources that we have in preventing the terrorist menace being imported in the country than fighting it once it is here. The cost of that is astronomical in terms of the disruption of social activities. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Police on Thursday foiled a robbery attack on a gold buying shop at Konongo in the Ashanti region. A news brief from the Police said it (Police) received a distress call that there was an ongoing robbery attack on the Adom Gold buying shop around 1930 hours and moved quickly to the scene. It said while the robbers were fleeing the scene upon seeing the Police, they started shooting indiscriminately injuring an officer in the process. The brief said Police returned fire but the robbers managed to escape. It said the injured officer was currently on admission at the Konongo Odumase Government Hospital and in stable condition. The brief said Dr George Akuffo Dampare, Inspector-General of Police, had spoken to him (the injured) and the commanders on the ground. The Police said there was currently an ongoing anti-robbery operation in the area to get the suspects arrested to face justice. The brief urged members of the community to remain calm and be on the lookout for suspicious persons and inform the Police. It also urged hospitals and other health facilities in the area to report to the Police persons who reported to them for treatment of gunshot wounds or any other wounds. We assure the public that we will get them, the brief said. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video An aide to former President John Dramani Mahama and private legal practioner, Godwin Edudzie Tamakloe says President Akufo-Addo planned to deceive Ghanaians and christianity with the building of the National Cathedral. He says he weaponized it for votes. Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he explained that he could not fathom why the President is even bent on building the cathedral at this time when NABCO trainees have not been paid, Nursing trainee allowances have not been paid and the country is in serious debt crises. "I would not have been bothered if the President was building a church in his home town or any where near a village as a way of honouring his promise to God," he said. "The Christian community who will be beneficiaries of the cathedral have even refused to contribute to the building of the cathedral," he added. He maintained that the National Cathedral project can not continue to waste the country's financial resources when it is a personal project of the President. He said it is however not surprising that some men of God had to lie to defend the President on this project. "Rev. Owusu Bempah who I revered so much had to come out and explain why he did what he did because the building of the cathedral has lost it's steam," he added. Rev. Owusu Bempah in an interview with Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' said that there have been instances where he had to make up false statements so as not to make the government unpopular. As a result of his public statements on the project, Rev. Owusu Bempah claims that he has been the subject of persistent attacks from some unknown faces. Watch video below Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 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. Celebrated Ghanaian actress, television presenter and brand ambassador, Nana Ama Mcbrown has shared the untold story of how her friendship which later graduated into a relationship began. Maxwell Mawu Mensah the husband of actress Nana Ama McBrown, turned a year older on Wednesday, August 3, 2022. Earlier on that day, his beautiful wife today to her social media pages to share some lovely photos of Maxwell and their kids to wish him a special happy birthday. After the special birthday wishes from his wife and his friends on social media, Maxwell Mensah decided to end the day with a simple but plush party at their house in the capital. The party was star-studded with familiar faces like Kwame A-Plus, Mimi Andani, Charles Osei Assibey, Yaw Sakyi, and many others. It was all fun as these top stars joined Maxwell to cut his birthday and pop the champagne as he marked his new year. During the celebration, Nana Ama Mcbrown revealed that she has known Maxwell for 11 years. Nana Ama Mcbrown said that she threw a housewarming party at her new home and invited Kwame A Plus who then attended party with 6 of his friends of which Maxwell Mensah was a part of. However, they did not talk much as she only treated him as a guest just like others who also attended her party. She said that a year later, Maxwell started calling her and requested to meet her and paid her a visit at her house on his birthday. Nana Ama McBrown added that one thing led to another and they started a relationship. Watch full video below: Source: Eugene Osafo-Nkansah/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 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. Aiken, SC (29801) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 68F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 68F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Tourism in Aiken County has a significant impact on the economy, and that continued to be the case when the COVID-19 pandemic began affecting South Carolina two years ago. Visitors spent $154.42 million here in 2020, said Jessica Campbell, who is the City of Aikens director of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, during an Aiken Chamber of Commerce breakfast Friday at Newberry Hall. The amount was down 19.8% from the total of $192.46 million total in 2019, but we actually fared better than the state as a whole, Campbell said. Tourists spent 30.7% less in South Carolina in 2020 than they did in 2019. Also in 2020, spending by visitors to Aiken County generated $15.5 million in state sales tax revenue and $7.12 million local sales tax revenue that helped support government services. Without that money, Campbell said, each household in Aiken County would have had to pay $331 in additional taxes to maintain the same level of government services. In addition, Campbell reported that 1,630 people in Aiken County had tourism-related jobs in 2020. Their earnings totaled $36.3 million. The City of Aikens budget for its Visit Aiken marketing initiative was $279,000 two years ago, when the pandemic created a lot of change in consumer traveling, Campbell said. People were visiting rural areas and drive-thru destinations, she continued, and they were participating in more outdoor activities. During that challenging period, each dollar invested by the City of Aiken to promote tourism had an economic impact of $550, Campbell said, based on a calculation that included the more than $150 million spent by visitors to Aiken County. As for the future of the tourism locally, its looking brighter. We are seeing the trends and numbers starting to go up, so were excited as we move into the remainder of 2022 and 2023, Campbell said. Another speaker during the Aiken Chamber of Commerces First Friday Means Business breakfast event was the City of Aikens new tourism manager, Eric Gordon. A former resident of New York who has lived in Aiken since 2020, Gordon replaced Samantha Radford. She left the City of Aikens staff to become the communications director for Cedar Creek Church, which has campuses in Batesburg-Leesville, Graniteville and Aiken. Among the topics Gordon discussed was a strategic plan that includes a City of Aiken/Aiken County tourism marketing partnership. It would explore how can we work closer together, and how can we complement each other and not just do the same thing, said Gordon, who started job as tourism manager Aug. 1. The creation of an integrated visitor experience is one of the partnerships goals. Maersk Line, already the Port of Charleston's biggest customer, plans to operate a cold-storage distribution center in Ridgeville as part of its strategy to boost cargo and offer customers end-to-end services in supply chain operations. The 300,000-square-foot center on 37 acres at Santee Cooper's Camp Hall Commerce Park, scheduled to open during the first quarter of 2023, is expected to increase the number of cargo containers filled with meat and produce moving through the port's terminals. Such freight has doubled over the past decade to nearly 37,000 20-foot containers per year, and growth in the Southeast market has refrigerated cargo shippers eyeing the Charleston region as a key hub for future growth. "We have been evaluating South Atlantic cold chain market opportunities for the past three years, and this opportunity stood out in a strong way for a number of good reasons," said Mike Meierkort, head of logistics and services for Maersk North America. "The South Atlantic is one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation and we see lots of business opportunities thanks to a competitive port that we can connect our logistics and services with all our brands here Maersk, Hamburg Sud and Sealand." The distribution center will handle poultry, pork and beef along with dairy products and packaged foods for export, while imports will include beef, seafood, fruits and vegetables, said Diogo Lobo, Maersk's head of cold chain logistics and services. Imports of products like beef and lamb from Australia will serve mostly Carolinas customers. The center will also have a 20,000-square-foot repackaging center for products to be delivered straight to grocery retailers. "We know there is some interest in importing fresh fruit and vegetables into Charleston," Lobo said. "We need to collaborate with some of the potential customers on services needed and to reach critical mass to make fresh fruit and vegetables viable for the site." The distribution center is part of Maersk's push into offering logistics services beyond the container ships it's been known for. The company accounts for nearly one-fifth of the State Ports Authority's revenues, and Lobo said the new facility "will definitely generate more" local waterborne cargo, adding further details will be available as the site gets closer to opening. Maersk CEO Soren Skou told analysts during an Aug. 3 conference call that "growth in logistics is the single-biggest opportunity" for the company this decade. Revenues from that sector surged 61 percent to $3.5 billion in the second quarter, according to the company's earnings report. About 25 percent of that increase came from Maersk's growing network of warehouses throughout North America. The Ridgeville facility will be the Danish company's first warehouse in South Carolina. "At some point in this decade, we will have a bigger business in logistics than we have in ocean," Skou told analysts. Maersk is partnering with RL Cold, a division of Greenville-based real estate developer RealtyLink, on the Berkeley County project. The Upstate firm has more than a dozen cold-storage warehouses under development from the East Coast to Texas, according to the company's website. Theres so much demand, and this is something thats critical, Thomas Eldridge, founding principal and president of RL Cold, told The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper reported that nearly 3.3 million square feet of cold-storage space is under construction nationwide nearly 1,000 percent more than in 2019 before the pandemic hit. Its vital for our economy. ... Everyone has to eat," Eldridge said. "We have not experienced any slowdown at all. If anything, its picked up. Several other cold-storage warehouses are planned for the Charleston region. New Jersey-based Saxum Real Estate Development and Investment Co. plans to build two totaling nearly 400,000 square feet at the Ridgeville Industrial Campus, which is being developed by the State Ports Authority. Charleston-based Flexspace has filed plans for a 151,600-square-foot site in Dorchester County, and industry leader Lineage Logistics recently spent $34 million on an expansion of its nearly 320,000-square-foot North Charleston warehouse. Americold also operates a 130,000-square-foot cold-storage warehouse in Summerville. The SPA has spent more than $20 million on upgrades to its refrigerated container services and has capacity for nearly 2,200 cold-storage containers at any one time at its terminals in Mount Pleasant and North Charleston. U.S. exports of meat are "a rising standard-of-living product around the world," said Byron Miller, the SPA's director of sales, who notes poultry and pork exports have grown along with middle- and upper-income populations in countries like China. At the same time, there is more demand for South American-grown fresh fruits and berries in the Southeast U.S. Those commodities used to be shipped through warehouses in Florida or the Northeast, but more are arriving in the Carolinas. "You've seen a lot of retailers expanding their cold chain in the South," Miller said, adding that discharging cargo closer to where it will be consumed makes economic sense. Barbara Melvin, the SPA's president and CEO, said the Maersk warehouse "will be a major extension into the Southeast cold chain market," adding that it "will help boost agricultural exports, further supporting our state's farmers and the agricultural sector." "And it will enable South Carolina ports to handle more refrigerated grocery items for major retailers, which is a big goal of ours right now," she said. Andrew Whitaker is a staff photojournalist at The Post and Courier. Previously, he's worked at The Southeast Missourian, The Daily Hampshire Gazette, The Hutchinson News, The Saginaw News and The Holland Sentinel. Kenna Coe is the editor for the Moultrie News. Send her an email at editor@moultrienews.com MYRTLE BEACH The topic of dual role lifeguarding has come under scrutiny in Myrtle Beach following a historic lawsuit settlement recently awarded to the family of a drowning victim. Dual role lifeguarding is a practice where lifeguards are required to perform other duties at the same time that they are tasked with public safety and water observation. The practice is considered unsafe by the U.S. Lifesaving Association. Lack's Beach Service, Inc. a lifeguarding company based in Myrtle Beach was sued after Zerihun Wolde and two of his children were caught in a rip current near the Sea Crest Resort in Myrtle Beach on Aug. 24, 2019. On July 29, an Horry County jury awarded $20.73 million to Woldes family, after determining that Lacks was negligent and reckless in the operation of its business by engaging in unsafe lifeguarding practices during the time that Wolde drowned. Lacks required its lifeguards to practice "dual role" lifeguarding, which meant they had to rent beach umbrellas and chairs while also providing public safety as a lifeguard. Lifeguards that were hired and trained by Lack's worked along the beach near the resort at the time of the incident. This practice of "dual role" lifeguarding was the reason why the company lost its certification from the U.S. Lifesaving Association in 2008. The USLA prohibits lifeguards from being tasked with anything other than public safety. Testimony revealed that Lack's was notified and warned repeatedly about how "dual role" lifeguarding is unsafe, but the company continued the practice. Also, no lifeguards allegedly made any attempt to enter the water and save Wolde or his children, according to Christopher Pracht, one of the familys attorneys in the case. Myrtle Beach is one of the only municipalities in the country to allow for both lifeguard only and dual role lifeguarding. However, city officials declined to comment on whether or not the practice would continue to be allowed following the verdict of the lawsuit, which determined that the practice is unsafe. When asked if the outcome of the lawsuit would result in a policy change for the city, Mark Kruea, Myrtle Beach public information officer, said thats a conversation for city council. Kruea said the current franchises run through 2024. Visiting beachgoers, though, were split on the issue, with some finding the practice reasonable while others expressed concern about the practice. Paige Garrett, 19, and her friend Dustin Childers, 22, both of Ohio, visit Myrtle Beach at least once a year. She agreed with the concept of "dual role" lifeguarding. "I definitely think it'd be easier for lifeguards to do it, since they're already here," Garrett said of the task of renting out of chairs and umbrellas on the beach. She added that lifeguards renting out chairs and umbrellas gives them something to do besides sitting still in one spot for long periods of time. She said that she also doesn't believe it would hinder their focus on the water that much. "They can still pay attention, but then it also gives them something else to do to keep their plates moving, instead of sitting for a long period of time," Garrett said. Elise Sherman, 54, of Illinois, came to visit Myrtle Beach for the first time with her son during the Aug. 5 weekend. She said she doesn't feel comfortable about lifeguards being allowed to focus on renting out chairs and umbrellas at the same time that they are observing the water. "If they are a lifeguard, they need to be up on their little bench thing, or whatever it is, and paying attention to what's going on," Sherman said. Vernon Crowder, 41, of Maryland, has visited Myrtle Beach every year for the past 10 years with his wife and children. He said that he feels safe with the lifeguards on the beach, and he doesn't see an issue with lifeguards renting out chairs and umbrellas while they are working. "That's cool with me," Crowder said. "The lifeguards can do it. They're already here." A routine traffic stop last week involving a North Charleston councilman turned into an hourlong dispute that ended with allegations of racial profiling leveled against the Charleston County Sheriff's Office. Deputy Leonard Vella Jr. was cleared by an internal investigation of wrongdoing for the July 24 stop of Jerome Heyward's vehicle in West Ashley. The councilman's recollection of the stop as described in a written complaint lodged against the deputy was "inconsistent and not factual," according to the report. Heyward, who is Black, maintained in an Aug. 5 interview he was racially profiled. Sheriff Kristin Graziano disputed that, saying Heyward should apologize for how he treated the deputy. "I don't think so," Heyward responded. The Sheriff's Office released body-worn and dashboard camera footage that shows the encounter, which began after Vella stopped Heyward's vehicle for failing to use a turn signal on Savannah Highway. The deputy stops his vehicle around 12:30 p.m. at a shopping center near Savage Road. Vella, who is White, asks Heyward to roll down a rear window before approaching the front of the car he tells Heyward the tint on the window made him nervous about other passengers, body-camera footage shows. Vella tells Heyward the reason for the stop and, after learning the vehicle is a rental, asks the councilman for a copy of his rental agreement. Heyward tells the deputy he does not have the agreement and the conversation becomes heated, the video shows. Vella eventually orders Heyward to step out of his car. The councilman refuses several times to exit his vehicle and at one point makes a phone call he later says in the complaint he called his sister. Vella tells Heyward he will forcibly remove him from the car, but Heyward eventually complies with the order. They argue further over where Heyward is ordered to stand and the reason for the stop. After the second deputy arrives, Vella goes to his squad car to verify Heyward's rental vehicle is not stolen. I had every intent to write him a warning and that isn't going to change but his behavior is not normal for the innocent motoring public, Vella is recorded saying in the vehicle. Heyward tells the second deputy, Timothy Hickman, that he was racially profiled pointing out the Georgia license plates on his car as evidence, video shows. "I still don't see where the racial profiling comes in with the Georgia license plate," Hickman responds. "What does that have to do with anything?" Heyward says he is dehydrated and asks to go buy a bottle of water. Another deputy offers him a bottle, but he refuses. Heyward raises concerns several times about the heat, saying at one point he was on medication. Hickman eventually requests paramedics come to the scene. Heyward also requests a supervisor. Vella confirms the car is not stolen and tells Heyward he is free to leave, but he remains until Sgt. Steve Meade arrives at the shopping center. The sergeant speaks with Heyward, who says he was treated unfairly. He refuses to be checked by emergency medical technicians, saying they cared more about the deputies than him. Heyward's sister, Hollywood Town Councilwoman Michelle Heyward-Dunmeyer, was also at the scene, video shows. Heyward phoned Charleston County Deputy Public Safety Administrator Eric Watson to express his displeasure with the emergency medical technicians. Kelsey Barlow, a spokeswoman for the county, said Watson asked staff from the Emergency Medical Services Department to look into Heyward's complaint. That inquiry is ongoing, she said. Meade provides his phone number to Heyward's sister and tells the councilman to call if he wants to talk further. Vella has been a sheriff's deputy since September 2020, according to state records. Before that, he was a Summerville police officer. Heyward filed a formal complaint against the deputy the next day. On Aug. 1, investigators from the Office of Professional Standards cleared Vella of wrongdoing. Heyward previously filed a complaint against the Sheriff's Office in August 2020. In that case, too, the councilman said a deputy racially profiled him during a traffic stop. The deputy was exonerated after an internal investigation. Graziano said there was no evidence that Vella stopped Heyward because he is Black. "Mr. Heyward is a leader in the community," the sheriff said. "He should clear the record, and be calling me to apologize for what he accused my deputy of." Heyward was elected to North Charleston's council in 2019. On May 9, 1970, a 16-year-old Black boy, Charles Oatman, was brought from the Richmond County Jail to University Hospital to Mays Mortuary. Oatman had been in custody since March on charges of killing his niece in what many said was a kitchen accident. News reports at the time had described the young and mentally-challenged Oatman as a popular student at A.R. Johnson Junior High. His body, when it came to Mays, showed signs of cigarette burns, fork marks and other evidence of brutality. He had been beaten to death by police. A permanent installation commemorating Oatman, the Augusta Riot and the Augusta Six" opened July 29 at the Augusta Mini Theatre. There is still so much work to be done, said Nefertiti Robinson. Robinson is a member of the 1970 Augusta Riot Observance Committee and exhibit manager for the Mini Theatres installation, Reckoning with Our Past: The 1970 Augusta Riot. Access to police and fire service records, as well as declassified files from the FBI and Georgia Bureau of Investigation, aided Robinson, Augusta Universitys Dr. John Hayes and others in researching the events of May 11-13, 1970. Their compiled research had first showed as a temporary exhibit at the Augusta Municipal Building in 2021, the same building where the uprising had erupted five decades before. I saw just droves and droves of folks coming up 9th Street but also saw military [] I picked up a trashcan, threw it through the liquor store window, and told them to get some courage," recalled Rev. Claude Harris, pastor at Hephzibahs New Life Worship Center. There was an opportunity being made to bring about change in Augusta. The events of May 11-13, 1070, caught a lot of people off guard, said Robinson. A lot of people were disconnected to the day-to-day experiences of Black Augustans," she said. "But we know from our research that there were political groupsthere were students from the college of Paine campus who had been fighting and organizing non-violently for a very long time to enact change, just simple human rights changesand they were constantly ignored. Typically, when people think about riots, they dont think they have any purpose, they dont think theres any kind of strategy or reason; they see it as senseless violence and completely unorganized and they see it as specifically unjust and inappropriate, said Robinson. But when we see oppressed people groups try to utilize channels of communication and go through processes for change, and they are consistently ignored or suppressed or responded to with violence, you can almost expecteventually violence will occur. Yales Dr. Elizabeth Hinton recorded 1,949 Black uprisings nationwide between 1968 and 1972. The Augusta Riot was right in the middle of it all. It was the largest Black uprising in the Deep South during the Civil Rights movement. More than $1 million in property was destroyed and White- and Chinese-owned businesses targeted. Walton Way and Fleming Avenue. The old Skyview theater. Third and Walker. 8th and Reynolds. The riot spanned some 130 city blocks. At its height, on May 11, between 2,000 and 3,000 people took part in the riot, said Robinson. Several of the 50 or so people who came to the exhibits grand opening July 29 had been involved in the riots, Rev. Harris among them. Harris said he and a few others had an apartment on East Boundary. "In that apartment was no food; there was weapons," he said. "We had made a decision that if something broke out in Augusta, we would handle it. I saw a little kid, he threw a brick through the windshield of a police car [] they stopped the car, the passenger side policeman got out, snatched the shotgun. He snatched the shotgun, and the little boy came off the railroad tracks, Harris recalled. The boy threw his hands in the air, said leave me alone, Im going home, and the cop lowered the shotgun. When he pulled the trigger, I just saw blood shoot in the air. And he went to him, and drug him by the leg and threw him in the back of the car. That made a decision for us. We didnt have the weapons. But we could start some things to get back at the police. Harris earned 95 indictments from his actions. Family of those killed in the riot, of the Augusta Six, also came to the exhibits grand opening, including Walter William Wright, a younger brother of William Wright, Jr. He got shot eight times; three in the arm and five in the leg, Walter recalled. After they gunned him down, after they gunned him down, they drug him in the street [] they drug him and throwed him on the truss pile. One of the officers, he said, went back and kicked him in the head. That was the disturbing part for meI know you dont kill, but my thing is why you have to go back and kick him in the head after he was dead? It took the grace of God to get me over there [] because I had hatreds in my heart. I didnt have hatreds in my heart toward white folks, I had hatreds in my heart toward the police department. If you got a bad cop and good cop and the good cop dont say nothing to the bad cop, he just as guilty as the bad cop. Thats the way I look at things, he said. If you look at it today, the same thing is still going on, 52 years later, the same thing going on. May of 2020days after the 50th anniversary of Augustariots erupted around the country when 1,300 miles north, George Floyd was killed in the custody of Minneapolis police. I wondered, did we really make any change? said Rev. Harris. I wondered if it was all worth it. He paused. Was it worth it?" The only direct change he saw, he said, was the paving of Laney Walker Boulevard and this years after the paving of streets in white neighborhoods. Robinson, from the Observance Committee, said that her hope is that the exhibit will correct the narrative that has been crystalized or calcified in the communitys memory about the 1970 Augusta riots and more fully tell the story of what happened and why. The climate here, politically and racially in Augusta, was one in which a riot was bound to happen, she said. We have the history. Dont lay it down, said Harris. Tell it to your children; they dont teach it in school. 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. If there was ever any doubt about how egregiously wrong it was for Joe Dawson to write himself a sweetheart deal before leaving his job as Charleston Countys attorney to become a federal judge, a rare public reprimand should clarify matters. As The Post and Couriers David Slade reports, the Judicial Council for the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an investigative panels recommendation to privately reprimand U.S. District Judge Joe Dawson, announcing last week that a public reprimand was necessary because his actions undermined the publics confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary. Mr. Dawson was nominated to the federal bench in 2020 after serving as Charleston County attorney, and one of the highest-paid government officials in South Carolina, for nearly two decades. Despite prohibitions on judges practicing law, one of Mr. Dawsons final tasks before leaving was to write and sign a contract with the county in December 2020 that paid him $216,000 the equivalent of half a years salary along with the promise of 1.5% of any settlement the county receives from national litigation over opioid pharmaceuticals, as an inducement for his institutional and historical knowledge and insight. Its unfortunate that South Carolinas newest federal judge will have a nasty asterisk forever attached to his name, but as the order makes clear, this was not a close call. And it is not possible that a lawyer whos accomplished enough to be confirmed as a U.S. district judge didnt know better. After Mr. Slade exposed the secret deal and apparently at Judge Dawsons request, the county amended the contract last year to remove the promise of money from any opioid settlement, and it tried to alleviate ethical concerns by saying the payment was for work already provided and spelling out that the judge wouldnt provide the county any legal advice even for free. But as the judicial council concluded, even with those changes, the effect of the misconduct on the judicial system was significant. The order notes, for instance, that the amendment doesnt identify what that already-completed work entailed. Absent a clear and appropriate justification for the payment, the order says, the cumulative impact of the agreements created the appearance in the publics mind that the Judge received a large payment on the eve of taking the bench for no coherent reason, or worse, that the Judge agreed to practice law while serving as a judge, thereby undermining public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary. And even if the original contract had made it clear that Judge Dawson would not be offering any legal advice, it still would have violated a federal law that prohibits judges from providing any consulting or advising services that pay more than 15% of their federal pay; this work or non-work paid about 100%. Judge Dawson wasnt reprimanded for failing to update his federal disclosure statement to the U.S. Senate to include the payment because he wasnt yet a judge; he told the judicial investigators he was unaware of that requirement, which is surprising. The investigation did conclude that Judge Dawson had not provided the county with any legal advice, noting that Although County officials occasionally contacted him for historical information, those exchanges were brief and confined to answering factual questions such as where to locate documentation. And the order said there was "no clear and convincing evidence that the Judges appointment to the bench improperly factored into the payment made by the County" a conclusion that is somewhat reassuring yet pregnant in its implications. Were glad to learn that Judge Dawson gave the judges reviewing his case a sincere apology for the harm caused. But when a judge acts in a way that undermines public confidence in our judiciary, the public is harmed at least as much as other judges perhaps more. He owes a public apology to all of us. And hes not the only one who still owes an apology. Council Chairman Teddie Pryor at least implicitly acknowledged that the agreement was out of bounds by telling Mr. Slade that we took the advice of our legal counsel, who at the time was Joe Dawson. But neither he nor the chairman at the time, Elliott Summey, nor the council as a whole has ever expressed any remorse for the sweetheart deal, which officials clearly knew was wrong given the lengths to which they went to hide it from the public. Everybody in Charleston County deserves an apology for what was at best a gross overpayment in return for the right to call a former employee on occasion to ask him where he filed some documents. This is shocking, or would be in a sane world: Gina McCarthy, the Biden administrations National Climate Advisor, is openly calling on tech companies like Facebook and Twitter to censor any dissent from the administrations green fantasies. McCarthy says the tech companies have to stop allowing people to disagree with Biden. No doubt the people she wants to censor include Steve Hayward and me, among many others: Biden's National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy says Big Tech should censor people who criticize Biden's "green" energy agenda. pic.twitter.com/wEMWWpTp60 Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) June 14, 2022 In my opinion, Gina McCarthy and the Biden administration disseminate misinformation on climate and energy 24/7. But I think they should be allowed to do so. Truth will win out, but only if it is not censored. We wrote here about the lawsuit that the states of Missouri and Louisiana have brought against the Biden administration, accusing it of coercing, or colluding with, tech companies to violate Americans First Amendment rights. Watch for Gina McCarthys open call for censorship to be an exhibit in that case. The Gadsden flag has been around for a long time, but I had to look it up to remember where it came from: Before the departure of the United States Navys first mission in 1775, Continental Colonel Christopher Gadsden from South Carolina presented the newly appointed commander with a yellow rattlesnake flag to serve as a standard for his flagship. Accompanying the Navy on its first mission were five companies of Marines carrying yellow drums featuring a snake with 13 rattles and the words Dont Tread on Me. The Navy later adapted the snake emblem and Dont Tread on Me motto into what is now known as the First Navy Jack. The Gadsden flag has been around for 247 years, but recently, like many other things, has become controversial. The FBI flagged it as one of a number of symbols that are popular with Anti-Government or Anti-Authority Violent Extremists. The FBI describes the Gadsden flag as a Historical American symbol, representing gun rights and limited government. Imagine that. The Gadsden flag is in good company: according to the FBI, the Betsy Ross flagfeatured at Barack Obamas inaugural!is another symbol commonly referenced by Violent Extremists. Of course, the FBI also says that The use or sharing of these symbols alone should not independently be considered evidence of [Militia Violent Extremism] presence or affiliation or serve as an indicator of illegal activity. No kidding: I would say that they are nearly always evidence of patriotism. So why, exactly, did the FBI single out these symbols as something to be on the lookout for? Meanwhile, Florida has announced the issuance of Gadsden flag license plates, proceeds from which will go to aid Florida veterans. The horror! Floridas vile new Dont Tread On Me license plate stirs controversy. DeSantis has claimed on Twitter that the plate is intended to send a clear message to out-of-state cars, likely refers to tourists from blue states like New York and California https://t.co/VpILlMbVD5 Lesley Abravanel (@lesleyabravanel) August 3, 2022 The latest fake news hysteria is about the new Gadsden Flag license plate @GovRonDeSantis announced to help Florida veterans in need. Media is smearing this as a "racist"/"domestic terrorist" symbol, which is absurd! See details & order online here: https://t.co/y819qcDllj pic.twitter.com/kQoSrBZo4Z Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) August 3, 2022 Why do liberals hate the Gadsden Flag? Because it stands for freedom, of course, but more importantly because it is patriotic. Hence their hate for the Betsy Ross flag, too. In truth, their real target is the American flag. Liberals wont rest until it becomes impossible to display the Stars and Stripes because the U.S. flag is seen as a symbol of racism and oppression. That is where all of this is going. As part of the process of reconciling aggrieved party members, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, on Thursday, met with Nyesom Wike, the Rivers State governor. The meeting which held behind closed doors, took place at the Abuja residence of a former minister, Jerry Gana. The meeting comes barely 24 hours after the partys Board of Trustees (BoT) set up a panel to reconcile Mr Wike and his supporters with Atiku. The problem between the two camps started after Atiku defeated Mr Wike to emerge the partys flagbearer. It got worse when Atiku ignored Mr Wike and selected Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Wike has failed to congratulate Mr Okowa. Mr Wike also declined attempts by Atiku and his team to meet with him. He only recently agreed to a meeting on the condition that the partys chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, will resign and the National Working Committee will be reshuffled. Although details of the meeting remains unclear, some PDP officials have said it ended on a positive note and that both men have agreed to work for the victory of the party in 2023. The partys National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, expressed optimism that the grievances would be resolved. He told journalists that they would hear a different report at the end of the task assigned to the (BoT) committee. Security presence around correctional facilities as well as exit and entry routes of three capital cities in Katsina, Kebbi, and Zamfara States has visibly become heavier, ostensibly a measure to prevent terrorist attacks on the prisons, PREMIUM TIMES observed. This is coming 11 days after PREMIUM TIMES published an exclusive report based on military intelligence warning of terrorist plans to attack prisons in the three North-western states. In Katsina State, the public relations officer of the Nigeria Correctional Centre, Najib Idris, confirmed that the heavy security presence is to avert a prison attack. Immediately after the report (by PREMIUM TIMES) was released, we were ordered to beef up security, Mr Idris said. We have now sought and got reinforcement from the Army and immigration officers have also been sent to us. He added that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corp (NSCDC) has also been complementing the efforts of the prison officers. The two correctional facilities in the city have been provided with enhanced adequate security when our reporter visited the Unguwar Yari / Kofar Soro centre and the newly built one on Jibia road. Though the facility on Jibia road is opposite the Natsinta Army Barrack, this reporter found that security personnel were stationed around the facility. A PREMIUM TIMES reporter who went round Katsina city reported that there has been an increase in the number of security agents patrolling the city centre. Patrol teams have also been stationed on all exit and entry routes of the metropolis. On the Mani exit route, the reporter learnt that policemen had been stationed immediately after the Barhim Housing Estate and a checkpoint mounted. Vehicles are checked before going in, just like the Kaita exit route where a police checkpoint is also stationed immediately after the National Open University. There has also been a police checkpoint on the Daura exit opposite the Umaru Musa Yaradua International Airport. Four policemen with their rifles were seen when PREMIUM TIMES visited the place Wednesday afternoon. Existing checkpoints on the Kano exit route as well as the Dustin Ma exit route have been improved now. This reporter found that the policemen now check every vehicle and their number has increased. The police spokesperson in the state, Gambo Isa, didnt respond to calls and SMS sent to him. Same story in Kebbi, Zamfara Our reporter learnt that in Kebbi State, residents of the Illelar Yari area that houses the Correctional Centre have had to go through security checks before accessing some parts of the area. A local journalist who resides in the area, Ahmadu Faruk, told PREMIUM TIMES over the phone that security agents have taken over the area. By 8 p.m, they (security men) dont allow vehicles around the prison area. And residents are thoroughly checked before going to their residents especially those residing behind the centre. In Zamfara State, the Unguwar Gwaza area that hosts the Gusau correctional centre has been taken over by security agents to prevent terrorist attacks, PREMIUM TIMES learnt. The centres spokesperson, Dalhat Gusau, said correctional facilities in the state have always been secured. But he noted that security has been beefed up to avert any occurrence. We were officially briefed (on the planned attacks) and the controller has taken serious measures to protect all our facilities. Soldiers and officers from the immigration, police and civil defence (NSCDC) have all been helpful. Weve been working closely to avert any attack, he said. Mustapha Umar, a resident of Gusau, told PREMIUM TIMES in a phone interview that he had seen an increase in the number of security agents in the state capital. Especially last week, the roads leading to Unguwar Gwaza were all blocked but I learnt that the number of security agents has reduced compared to last week. I was going to Tudun Wada from bye pass last Wednesday when I witnessed many security agents vehicles stationed around Unguwar Gwaza roundabout, Mr Umar said. Another resident, Abdul Balarabe, also said he had seen a convoy of soldiers, policemen and other security agents around the areas leading to Unguwar Gwaza. The police in Lagos State say yet-to-be-identified soldiers beat one of its officers to death. Benjamin Hundeyin, the police spokesperson in the state, confirmed the incident via his Twitter handle on Friday. We are working with the @HQNigerianArmy authorities to resolve this issue; and get back our officer, arms and ammunition, he wrote. RIP to our fallen hero . You absolutely did not have to die. Back story According to the Daily Independent newspaper, the incident occurred on Wednesday in Ojo Military Cantonment in Lagos. Soldiers from the cantonment reportedly dragged two police officers, who were working as traffic wardens, to their barracks; the third officer managed to escape. A source who spoke to the newspaper said the soldiers were driving against traffic and were stopped by the police officers. When they didnt have it their way, the soldiers were said to have pounced on the officers and beaten them severely and kidnapped two of them. The source further said when the soldiers noticed that one of the abducted officers became unconscious, they decided to take him to their hospital at the cantonment where he eventually died. Army reacts The army in its statement on Friday also confirmed the incident. The attention of the 81 Division has been drawn to a story online over the unfortunate incident that occurred between some soldiers and policemen around Ojo in Lagos resulting in the loss of the life of a police officer, Olaniyi Osoba, an acting Deputy Director of the 81 Division said in a statement. The Division is already in touch with the Lagos State Police Command to resolve the matter . This incident is highly regrettable given the Divisions disposition and zero tolerance for any misconduct. Mr Olaniyi said that a Board of Inquiry to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident has been set up. At the end of the investigation, anyone found culpable will be made to face the full wrath of the disciplinary provisions, he said. Lawmakers representing Nigeria at the ECOWAS Parliament have threatened to withdraw their membership following what they said was a breach of a resolution passed by the parliament to suspend all recruitment processes and other irregularities. This is coming following the allegations of a lopsided recruitment exercise at the ECOWAS Parliament which were allegedly skewed to serve the personal interest of member states excluding Nigeria. Some Nigerian lawmakers who spoke to correspondents of the parliament in Abuja said that during the 2022 First Ordinary Session of the parliament which was held from 9 June to July 3, a resolution was passed to suspend all recruitments. They said that the decision was made following several reports of undue process and lopsidedness in the exercise. They resolved that the exercise will be resumed following the outcome of the audit report. The Nigerian lawmakers also cited the huge financial commitments that Nigeria makes to the body while relegating funding to its internal security challenges. They said that there is no commensurate return on investment for Nigeria in ECOWAS for all the country has done and is doing for the region. The Deputy Speaker, Nigeria House of Representatives, Idris Wase, who is also the first Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament told journalists that it has become imperative that Nigeria review its relevance and membership of the bloc. If you are in a system and you are not getting the right results, where you are investing your money, it pays best to walk out of the union. In a situation where we are having an infrastructural deficit and witnessing security challenges, why should we continue to invest our money where it will not benefit our country? Yes, we will pull out if we dont get the desired result from this. According to Mr Wase, the Nigerian constitution in Section 14 (4) provides that, the composition of government shall be in a manner that reflects the federal character. Now, we have people who possibly have one opportunity and they want to bring in their relatives, and their siblings against the larger interest of our community. Common judgment teaches us that when you have nations coming together, we should do the distribution in such a way that justice and fairness take the centre stage. If Nigeria had not asked for 60 per cent benefit in ECOWAS before now, it must have been a mistake because our dividend should be equivalent to our contribution and investment. And if that is not done and the little that we have in the system is being humiliated, we will not take it. From the National Assembly of Nigeria, we are also going to probe our Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Finance Minister who is giving the money and the commissioner who is representing us at the commission. We will expose everybody from the Nigerian parliament and sanctions will follow. We will sanction anybody found wanting in the process, Mr Wase said. Also, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, the Nigerian lawmaker representing Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro federal constituency in the House of Representatives said, The Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament is duty bound to respect the resolutions of parliament. If he does not respect the resolution of parliament, I wonder which parliament he is heading. So, it is left for him to answer where he stands. You know, probably some of us are not well experienced, relative to parliamentary requirements and procedures. Therefore, if one is not experienced, we could expect this kind of action. But the Speaker is duty bound to obey the resolution of parliament, Mr Abiante said. The Nigerian Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Musa Nuhu, had also written to the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Sidie Tunis, over the alleged nepotistic employment scandal rocking ECOWAS. The letter from Mr Nuhu was dated 20 July and titled, Formal complaint about unfair treatment and confirmation of staff at the ECOWAS parliament. Mr Nuhu in his letter wrote, I have the honour to refer to our verbal discussion on the above subject matter. And formally inform you that the attention of the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the ECOWAS Commission has been drawn to a number of complaints by Nigerian staff working at the ECOWAS Parliament. The grievances border around stagnation and overlooking of staff already working in the parliament in favour of outsiders in the ongoing recruitment for divisional heads and professional staff. This action directly contravenes the recommendations of the 30th meeting of the ECOWAS Administrative and Finance Committee as well as the position of the Council of Ministers. Which directed that internal candidates should be prioritised in filling existing vacancies in ECOWAS institutions, as recommended in the Staff Skills Audit Report. The Honourable Speaker may kindly wish to note that the mission has examined the complaints of the staff of the parliament based on existing staff regulations. As well as the decisions and guidelines given by the AFC and Council of Ministers for ECOWAS institutions to carry out the recruitment and found that their grievances are genuine. Therefore, as you rightly observed during our discussions, recruiting individuals outside the system to place them above the existing staff would only lead to discontent, demoralisation and continued stagnation of the staff. This will inevitably affect the overall performance of the Parliament. The Secretary General of the Parliament, John Azumah of Ghana, when contacted, said he is unaware of any audit report that talked about employment and promotion. I dont know where they got that information from that they were talking, but you know that on the floor of the parliament, you cannot stop them. There is no audit report like that. It is true that ECOWAS did a skill audit some time ago, but it was inconclusive. The skill audit that was done for the whole ECOWAS institution was inconclusive. So, if you went and were extracting information and you got something from staff, you are looking for your interest, sometimes they will give you half information, because of their interest. They would not give you the full information, then you just pick it as an MP and you start talking. The staff will tell you that this is happening at the commission, this is happening at the court and this is happening at the parliament. It is not true, just because of their interest, Mr Azumah said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the motion to suspend the recruitment and promotion in the ECOWAS Parliament was moved by Mr Abiante. The motion was seconded by Biodun Olujimi, a Nigerian lawmaker in the parliament, supported by Yousoufa Bida and agreed by the house (NAN) The Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State, Uko Udom, on Thursday said he was not surprised that Uduak Akpan, attempted to escape after the court pronounced that he was going to die by hanging for raping and murdering Iniubong Umoren. Mr Udom stated this at the State High Court Complex in Uyo while addressing reporters after the court delivered judgment on the matter. The convicted rapist and murderer, Mr Akpan, attempted to escape but was overpowered by armed prison officials who had manned everywhere within the complex. There was heavy security presence in Wellington Bassey Way the road leading to the court. The Government House axis of the road was cordoned off by armed policemen. The escape attempt caused panic in the court but the trial judge, Bassey Nkanang, quickly restored order. In a video clip posted on Facebook, some prison officials could be heard yelling dont fire at colleagues who apparently were ready to gun down the convict. Mr Akpan was also found guilty of rape and sentenced to life imprisonment. The judge, Mr Nkanang, said the prosecution had proved beyond doubt the case of murder and rape against Mr Akpan. He, however, discharged and acquitted the father and sister of Mr Akpan, who as 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively, were charged for accessory after the fact to murder. The State Attorney General, who led the prosecution team, commended the security officials for stopping Mr Akpan from escaping. I dont think it is something to be surprised about, he told reporters. This young man committed very gruesome offences and if you follow the facts of the case you would not put it past him to do something drastic and something as bad as he attempted to do here and I think the security officials were very attentive that is why they were able to overcome him and put him up. Ms Umoren, a fresh Philosophy graduate of University of Uyo, wanted a job but ended up losing her life, after honouring an invitation for a fake job interview from Mr Akpan. The 10-month trial which began on October 4, 2021 ended 4 August with the trial judge pronouncing that Mr Akpan will die by hanging. Mr Udom commended the court for the speedy trial and added the judgment shows that the justice system works. Violent crimes indictment on parents Responding to a question on rampant violent crimes by young people, Mr Udom said the parents should be blamed for it. I think it boils down to the state of morality of our young people and we must start from the parents. I dont think we should start from these young people, we start from parents. You find out today that the parents dont bring up the kids the way it was done in my time, for instance. To have a child like Mr Akpan in the house without knowing what hes capable of doing I think its an indictment on the parents. We need to have the parents to be more attentive in the upbringing of the children and create moral boundaries that you make sure your children dont go beyond. See how unrepentant this convict has been all through the trial. He said the country is full of kidnappers who are not arrested so its like he has set a moral standard for himself which supports the kind things that hes involved in. On his part, Sampson Adulla, counsel to Mr Akpan, said unemployment is a major cause of violent crimes among young people. He called on authorities to engage the youth in meaningful ventures as a way of curbing the menace. The deceased in this case is a 24-year-old graduate and Mr Akpan is a 20-year-old undergraduate. When you review the whole case it goes to show the extent of unemployment in our society. Today, weve gotten justice for the deceased, are we concerned about those that are still alive, are we concerned about those that are looking for jobs, including some of the family members of the deceased. Theres need for all those that are concerned, not only the government alone, to ensure that our youths are properly engaged in order to forestall this kind of situation, Mr Adulla said. The chairperson of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, and the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Idris Jere, met on Thursday over foreign exchange crisis in the country. Forex speculators have been blamed for contributing to the free fall in the value of naira which has it has slumped into over the last few weeks. Messrs Bawa and Jere held a strategy meeting on the issue behind closed door at the headquarters of NIS in Abuja on Thursday, according to a tweet by EFCC. Forex Speculation: Executive Chairman, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa and Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Idris Isah Jere, after a closed door strategy session Thursday, August 4, 2022 at the NIS Headquarters, Abuja, on improved synergy in the ongoing efforts to stem illegal Forex speculation by foreign nationals. #TowardsABetterNigeria #SayNoToCorruption, the EFCCs tweet read. Forex Speculation: Executive Chairman, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa and Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Idris Isah Jere, after a closed door strategy session Thursday, August 4, 2022 at the NIS Headquarters, Abuja, pic.twitter.com/ZcOGs1qx9J EFCC Nigeria (@officialEFCC) August 4, 2022 Raid on bureau-de-change hub The meeting between Messrs Bawa came about a week after EFCC operatives raided Bureau-De-Change (BDC) operators hub in Wuse Zone 4 area of Abuja in search of currency speculators last Friday. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the anti-graft agency invaded places occupied by the operators to arrest currency speculators who are alleged to be massively mopping up available foreign currencies. Although it is not clear whether any of the currency exchangers were arrested, a source said the raid was a result of weeks of surveillance in which agents of the EFCC monitored the activities of the operators in the nighbourhood. The raid is a product of weeks of surveillance in which agents of the EFCC have been monitoring the activities of most of the Bureau de change operators in the Wuse 4 axis, the source said. The anti-graft agency is said to be working on intelligence that some forces with massive Naira inflow have mobilised resources and are busy buying up available foreign currencies especially the United States dollar for hoarding. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had declared and warned that taking money from banks to buy dollars is illegal. A delegation from the Nigerian Army has paid a condolence visit to the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Abiodun Alabi, over the alleged killing of a police officer by some soldiers. The Commands spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, stated this in a statement to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday. Mr Hundeyin said the delegation was led by K.N. Nwoko, M.L. Abubakar, and I.E. Akpaumontia, all Brigadier-Generals. The Nigerian Army deputation has paid a condolence visit to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Abiodun Alabi, over the unfortunate death of a Police Inspector attacked by soldiers in Lagos, the statement read. The CP requested that all involved must be brought to book to serve as deterrence to others. The delegation apologised on behalf of the Nigerian Army, they promised to ensure that those involved are made to face the law, he said. The 81 Division of the Nigerian Army had earlier described as unfortunate the incident that occurred between some soldiers and some police officers resulting in the death of a police officer. This is contained in a statement issued by the Divisions Acting Deputy Director in charge of Public Relations, Olaniyi Osoba. According to Mr Osoba, a Major, the division is already in touch with the Lagos State Police Command to resolve the matter. He said the incident was highly regrettable given the divisions disposition and zero tolerance for any misconduct. The division has instituted a Board of Inquiry to unravel the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate incident. At the end of the investigation, anyone found culpable will be made to face the full wrath of the disciplinary provisions. Consequently, the division wishes to commiserate with the Ojo Police Division and members of the family of the victim, Mr Osoba said in the statement. (NAN) The federal government says hosting the 2022 UNESCO Global Media, Information Literacy (MIL) Week, will help to address the growing trend of fake news, misinformation and hate speech. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated this on Friday in Abuja at the inauguration of the Local Organising Committee for the event scheduled for Oct. 24 to Oct. 31. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports Nigeria was given the hosting mandate for the global event last year in Paris. The minister said the decision to give Nigeria the hosting right was a testament to the fact that the country is a known advocate of media and information literacy. In 2013, Nigeria successfully hosted the First Global Forum for Partnership on MIL, tagged: Abuja 2013. This Forum gave birth to the UNESCO MIL Alliance as well as other initiatives, as part of our collective desire to achieve the Media and Information Literacy for all and by all. Nigerias contributions towards the birth and the growth of MIL, especially in the West African Sub-Region, played a large role in UNESCOs decision to offer our country the right to host this event, he said. Mr Mohammed said the theme of 2022 Global MIL week as approved by UNESCO, is: Nurturing Trust: A Media and Information Literacy Imperative. He said the theme highlighted how media and information literacy could help in nurturing trust and countering mistrust. The minister disclosed that the event, to be held at Sheraton Hotel Abuja, would bring together over 193 UNESCO member countries, who will participate physically and virtually. He said because the event required serious and meticulous planning, members of the Local Organising Committee were carefully selected. The minister added that Nigeria being the first country in the West African sub-region to host the event, the committee could not afford to fail or disappoint. He, therefore, charged committee members to bring their wealth of experience and expertise to play in organising a world-class event. The minister said the LOC would be assisted by nine sub-committees, to be constituted by the committee in its first meeting. NAN reports that while the minister chairs the 25-member LOC, the Permanent Secretary, Adaora Anyanwutaku, is to serve as the vice chairman. Other members of the committee were drawn from various sectors and agencies, including the public and private sector, academia, security and the media. Ms Anyanwutaku, in his closing remarks, thanked the minister for giving the members the opportunity to serve on the committee. (NAN) Metrodigital Limited, a pay television company, has lauded the federal government for ending the monopoly of cable television rights by major pay television companies in Nigeria. The companys Managing Director, Ifeanyi Nwafor, gave the commendation at a news conference in Port Harcourt on Friday. Mr Nwafor said federal the governments decision to outlaw the monopoly of television rights would promote competition, reduce the prices of subscriptions and create jobs for thousands of people in the country. So, we are delighted, considering that in the past the market of broadcasting was foreclosed, as premium contents were bought on exclusivity basis. The exclusivity made bouquets without premium contents unattractive as well as difficult for local cable television stations to compete in the local market. News channels such as CNN, premium sporting events like the English Premier League, Champions League and others were acquired exclusively to the exclusion of other operators in the industry, he said. Mr Nwafor said the monopoly of the industry led to the closure of television companies such as Daar Sat, Trend TV, Consat, FSTV, among others, as they could not cope with unhealthy business practices in the industry. He said the United States with a population of 350 million people had over 400 pay television companies, whereas Nigeria with 200 million citizens had only one or two. According to him, the practice has made Nigeria the highest subscription paying country for pay television in the world, as local operators who lack the muscle are stifled to death. Realising the danger, the Federal Government outlawed exclusivity in the acquisition of content, warehousing, whereby contents were acquired without use to prevent others from using them. To to this end, government made it mandatory for broadcasters to sublicense content to other operators at a commercially agreeable price, he said. The managing director said the position of the federal government was captured in Code 6 and 9 editions of the nations broadcasting code. He said shortly after the legal provisions were announced, Metrodigital Limited applied to Multichoice, owners of DSTV, to sublicense channels to it, but the application was turned down. According to him, the company, thereafter, applied to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to seek redress on the matter but NBC couldnt address the dispute. Consequently, we approached the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt to address the trade dispute but lost. After we lost, we appealed the judgment of the lower court at the Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt which delivered judgment on June 13 in favour of Metrodigital Limited. The court also set aside the judgment of the lower court, and ordered NBC to commence the process of settling the dispute within 21 days, he added. Mr Nwafor further thanked the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, for his resilience to stop monopoly in the broadcast industry, to ensure Nigerians pay less for television subscriptions. (NAN) The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Friday, received firsthand briefings on the level of alert from the commanders of all security formations in the State. This is coming against the background of the reported security threats to the city of Lagos. The security chiefs briefed the governor during the state security meeting held behind closed doors at the Government House in Marina. Rising from the meeting, Mr Sanwo-Olu disclosed that members of the State Security Council had reviewed the situation across flashpoints in the State, directing improved vigilance to neutralise intending threats. The governor allayed the fears of the residents, telling them there was no reason to panic. He said all security formations had been put on high alert to ensure public safety. In the last three and a half hours, we discussed the current security situation in the State and we have reviewed where we are, said the governor. We have our heads together and come up with a strategy that is assuring to our citizens. Our men are alive to their responsibilities and they are ready to ensure the safety of lives and properties of our citizens is not compromised in any way. All of the security agencies have been activated not to cause panic; they have been reassured of not only the support of the State Government, but they also have been encouraged to be vigilant in their statutory responsibilities. Mr Sanwo-Olu told the residents to be law-abiding and not to hesitate in raising an alarm when they notice suspicious activities around them and in their communities. The governor said security remained everyones business, urging the residents to work with the Government in containing any threats that could potentially disturb the peace in the State. I urged our citizens to continue to go about their lawful duties and be law-abiding. Security is everybodys business. We implore our residents to join us in this effort, and say something whenever they notice suspicious activities around them, the governor said. A lawyer, Mike Enahoro-Ebah, has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its alleged refusal to furnish him with the certified true copies (CTCs) of Bola Tinubus presidential nomination forms. Mr Tinubu is vying for the Nigerian presidency in the 2023 election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Mr Enahoro-Ebah, in a motion ex-parte application filed on 5 August at the Federal High Court, Abuja, sued INEC as the sole respondent in the matter. In the application marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1337/2022, the lawyer sought an order granting him leave to apply for judicial review of an order of mandamus directing or compelling INEC to furnish him with the CTCs of the nomination forms for governor and affidavits in support of personal particulars and all other documentssubmitted toINECby Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the 1999 and 2003 Governorship Elections in Lagos State. The leave of court is a prerequisite for a such suit to commence fully. If the court, in the exercise of its discretion, refuses to grant the applicant the leave, it will mark the end of the suit. The applicant seeks to ask the court to compel the electoral umpire to release to him the CTCs of the Nomination Forms EC13A, EC 9, Affidavits and all other documents submitted to it by and on behalf of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the 2023 Presidential Election in Nigeria. Mr Enahoro-Ebah said he had applied for the documents through his letters of 13 July and 22 July to INEC in compliance with Section 29 (4) of the Electoral Act, 2022; Section 1 (1) & (3); Section 2 (6) and Section 7 (4) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, to no avail. Grounds of application The plaintiff based his request for Mr Tinubus credentials on the grounds that they are in the custody of INEC and thereby have become public documents which he has a right conferred on him by Section 29 (4) of the Electoral Act, 2022 and Section 1 (1) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011. The mandatory statutory duration of 14 (Fourteen) days within which the respondent is to issue CTCs of the requested public documents in its custody and possession, according to Section 29 (4) of the Electoral Act, 2022, has lapsed, therefore, the respondent is deemed to have refused to accede to applicants request/application, the lawyer argued in his filings. The right of access to public documents in custody and possession of the respondent is inclusive of the right to institute civil proceedings in court to compel the respondent to issue same documents to anyone who applies for same, as established in Section 29 (4) of the Electoral Act, 2022, and Section 1 (3), Section 2 (6) and Section 7 (4) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011. The public documents sought from the respondent are connected one way or another to election and the sui generis nature of it means time is of the essence, he said. Mr Enahoro-Ebah urged the court to declare that the failure of INEC to furnish him with the CTCs of the public documents in its custody amount to a breach of Section 29(4) of the Electoral Act, 2022 and a wrongful denial of information under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011. The case is yet to be assigned to a judge. A new spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaigns for the 2023 election, Daniel Bwala, said Thursday that he rejected Ahmed Tinubus appointment offer before leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) last week. Mr Bwala, with Dino Melaye, was on Thursday appointed as spokespersons for the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the lead-up to the 2023 elections. His appointment came barely a week after his defection from the APC to the PDP. Speaking on Channels Television hours after his appointment was announced on Thursday, Mr Bwala dismissed the claim that he left the APC to get an appointment from Atiku. Contrary to the claim, Mr Bwala said the APC presidential candidate, Mr Tinubu, had already given him an assurance to appoint him his spokesperson before dumping the APC. Somebody said that he left because he wanted an appointment with Atiku. What they dont know is that I left an appointment already guaranteed for me by the flagbearer of APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as his presidential spokesman. These were his promises to meet directly, personally in his car, he said. He said Mr Tinubus was that significant that even governors could not extract such commitment from him. I came from a comfort position or the sort of comfort by taking that decision, Mr Bwala said, adding that he has prominent persons within the party to confirm his claim. He said he risked losing a lot in terms of economic gain by leaving the APC but his decision was informed by the deed to satisfy his conscience and principles. Reasons for leaving APC In what was his reasons for leaving the APC, Mr Bwala said the APC government has run the country badly since coming to power about seven years ago. He said President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has done too much damage to the country to allow any successor from his party in the 2023 general elections. The whole world is looking at Nigeria. This is going to be the eighth year of APC. No excuses, no longer the doctrine or rhetorics of when we came we met this, we inherited that. Even if you join the university as a part one student, you will know that after eight years you are expected to be a medical doctor. If you join the department as a law student, within eight years, youre fully qualified to practice as a lawyer. Eight years is enough for any administration, even if you are starting from scratch to be able to bring the full achievement of what you intend to do. Unfortunately, after getting to eight years now, the question Nigerians will ask themselves now is has APC taken us further or backwards?, Mr Bwala noted. Before his defection to the PDP last week Friday, the former APC chieftain was among notable vocal critics of the PDP. He also described the APCs Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket as a display of hypocrisy which will not sell in the 2023 poll. Mr Bwala argued that if the partys decision was truly informed by its quest for competence, the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, should have been nominated as the VP given his contributions to the party in the previous elections. Isnt it intriguing that two days ago, three days ago, you saw one of them, the national chairman of APC, in a church, shouting praise to the Lord!, Hallelujah!? If they think the Christians wouldnt matter, why are they all over the churches? They packaged bishops and it backfired. Now they have become bishops themselves and they go to churches to win the votes of the people. They were trying to disenfranchise 80 million Nigerians and they said that it is not religious politics. It is not identity politics. It is people who are overthinking and I did a video clip sometimes back on the audacity of hypocrisy and hypocrisy of competence. When they floated this idea of competence and they said that was the basis, Mr Bwala said. He vouched for the personality of Mr Atiku across ethnoreligious barriers and projected victory for the PDP in the coming elections. A former Inspector-General of Police, Mustapha Balogun, who served as Nigerias top police chief between 2002 and 2004, has died. A family associate told PREMIUM TIMES Mr Balogun (popularly known as Tafa Balogun), 74, was rushed to a hospital in Lagos where he passed on Thursday evening. The former IGP would have been 75 on Monday. Appointed IGP by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mr Balogun was eased out of office after two years and was charged with stealing and money laundering by the EFCC. An Abuja Division of the Federal High Court convicted Mr Balogun in 2005 after a plea bargain and sentenced him to six months in prison. The judge, Binta Nyako, also ordered him to return N4 million to the Nigerian government. Mr Balogun was the 21st Inspector-General of Police and replaced Musiliu Smith in March 2002. He was in charge of the police during the 2003 general elections which were marred by serious incidents of violence, which left scores dead and many others injured, according to Human Rights Watch. The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday overturned the acquittal of a former Chief of Air Staff (COAS), Mohammed Umar, in a money laundring case involving alleged diversion of N4.8 billion from the account of the Nigerian Air Force A three-member panel of the court led by Elfrieda WilliamsDawodu ordered Mr Umar to return for trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The court specifically ordered Mr Umar to proceed to enter his defence to five charges Counts 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 of which he was previously acquitted by the trial court. EFCC had in 2016 arraigned Mr Umar on seven charges of money laundering, accusing him of diverting about N4.8 billion from account of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) during his time as the Chief of Air Staff between 2010 and 2012. After the prosecution closed its case with 12 witnesses, the defendant filed a no case-submission urging the court to dismiss all the seven counts on the grounds that the evidence led by the prosecution did not link him to the offences. The EFCC, through its lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir, opposed the no-case submission and urged the court to direct the defendant to proceed to give his defence. But, the court in its ruling delivered in February 2021 gave a partial victory to Mr Umar by dismissing six of the seven charges filed against him. It ruled that there was no sufficient evidence led by the prosecution to warrant calling on the defendant to defend himself regarding Counts 1 to 6. The judge, Nnamdi Dimgba, said his review of the evidence led by the prosecution revealed considerable doubts, cloud of mystery, and general contradictions and discrepancies. He said there were unresolved questions on how EFCC arrived at the N4.8 billion allegedly converted fraudulently by the defendant, and what was its proper application. He ruled that the EFCC only made out a case against Mr Umar with respect to only Count 7. Mr Dimgba then ordered the defendant to enter his defence to the money laundering charge in Count 7. The charge involved N66 million allegedly stolen from the account of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) during his time as the Chief of Air Force between 2010 and 2012. The EFCC went on an appeal against the decision delivered on 21 February, 2021. But while the EFCC was pursuing the appeal, the trial continued at the Federal High Court with the defendant entering the witness box to offer his defence to the only remaining charge. At the end of the trial, the judge, on 17 March, acquitted the former Chief of Air Staff of the remaining Count 7. This decision completed the partial acquittal earlier handed down to Mr Umar in the courts no-case submission ruling in February 2021. Appeal Court decision But on Thursday, the Court of Appeal in Abuja reversed the trial judges decision on five of the six charges he dismissed in February last year. With exception to Count 4, the Court of Appeal overturned the trial courts decision on the Counts 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. Contrary to the trial judges decision, the Court of Appeal held that EFCC led evidence that sufficiently linked Mr Umar to the five charges to warrant directing him to open his defence. The court therefore ordered the defendant to return to the Federal High Court to defend himself with regard to thr Counts 1,2,3,5 and 6. Meanwhile, the EFCC has also filed an appeal against the 17 March judgement of the court which handed down an acquittal to the defendant on Count 7, the only charge on which a full trial was conducted. But the appeal has yet to come up for hearing at the Court of Appeal in Abuja. Allegations The prosecution alleged that Mr Umar diverted over N4.8 billion from the Nigerian Air Forces account and used the funds to acquire property in choice areas of Abuja and other places. It said the defendant used part of the funds fraudulently removed from NAFs account to acquire the property at Plot No. 1853, Deng Xiano Ping street, Off Mahathir Mohammed Street, Asokoro Extension, Abuja. It also alleged that part of the funds was also used by the defendant to purchase a residential property comprising four-bedroom duplex, with boys quarters at Road 3B, Street 2, Mabushi, Ministers Hill, Abuja. The EFCC said the defendant used part of the proceeds of fraud to acquire the property at 14 Audu Bako Way, GRA, Kano and a three-bedroom duplex with three-room boys quarters at No. 8 Kabala Road, Unguwan Rimi, GRA, Kaduna. It will be recalled that Mr Umars successor as Chief of Air Staff, the late Alex Badeh, who later became the Chief of Defence Staff, was also standing trial on similar charges until his death in 2019. Following a barren outing for Team Nigeria on Wednesday at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, the countrys contingent rebounded on Thursday with five medals and two World Records. Though the day began with two powerlifters, Latifat Tijani and Onyiyenchi Mark, being disqualified in the Womens Lightweight category, Day 7 of action at the Commonwealth Games still had plenty of magical moments to celebrate. Nnamdi Innocent got the ball rolling for Team Nigeria on Thursday, winning a bronze medal in the mens lightweight powerlifting event. If Nnamdi had not won bronze, it would have gone to his countryman, Thomas Kure, who finished fourth as he lifted 180kg and just missed out. Then, at Birminghams Alexander Stadium, Team Nigerias Nwachukwu Goodness delivered a stunning performance in the Discus event, breaking the world record twice before taking the top prize. https://twitter.com/thecgf/status/1555275151595520002 The 23-year-old, who was representing Nigeria in the Womens Discus Throw F42-44/61-64 event, already held a World Record of 33.35m, which she set in March 2022. However, she improved on that distance on Thursday with her first throw of 34.84m, which she then improved on with a throw of 36.56m. Another Nigerian, Folashade Oluwafemiayo, was thrilling fans a few kilometres away from the Alexander Stadium with another outstanding performance. Oluwafemiayo won gold for Team Nigeria in the womens Heavyweight Powerlifting event, breaking her own World Record (WR). The Paralympic champion was in incredible form, setting a new world record of 155kg to win her first GOLD medal at the Commonwealth Games. Bose Omolayo also went above and beyond to win the Silver medal with a lift of 145kg, beating Australias Hani Watson, who won the Bronze medal with a lift of 127kg. On Day 7, Ikechukwu Obichukwu put the icing on the cake for Team Nigeria by winning the Silver medal in mens Heavyweight Powerlifting. He lifted 190kg, bringing Nigerias total for the day to five. Team Nigeria is now ranked eighth on the 2022 Commonwealth Medals Table, with a total haul of 13 medals. These are five gold, three silver, and five bronze medals. Earlier in the day, in the womens 200m, Favour Ofili showed she was in good shape for a podium finish, posting the fastest time overall to win her heat in 22.71s. Ifeanyi Ojeli, Udodi Onwuzuruike, and Alaba Akintola all qualified for the semi-finals of the mens 200m. The Shehu Shagari College of Education (SSCOE) Sokoto, where a second year student, Deborah Yakubu, was lynched in May, has been scheduled to reopen. Ms Yakubu was murdered by angry student protesters over allegation of posting to her class WhatsaApp group a comment deemed blasphemous of Prophet Muhammad by her classmates. The school was immediately shut by the Sokoto State government as the crisis escalated, leading to the burning down of some facilities. Sokoto Governor receives report The school will reopen on 8 August, the management said. A notice by the Registrar of the College, Gandi Asara, said the reopening was approved by the governing council of the institution. Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, had on Tuesday directed the governing council of the college to reopen the college as soon as possible. Mr Tambuwal gave the directive when he received the report of a 12-member committee he set up to investigate the killing of the female student. A statement by the Sokoto governors Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Muhammad Bello, said the government would implement the committees recommendations. Ms Yakubus killing attracted widespread condemnations and led to the suspension of the Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) scheduled to hold in Sokoto at the time. The conference is yet to be held. A court remanded two suspects in connection with her killing. They are being represented by over 34 lawyers. Reopening However, in a notice to students on Thursday, the registrar said all students will pay N1000 each and sign an undertaking. The nature of the undertaking to be signed was not indicated in the notice. Parts of the notice read: This is to inform all Students of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto that the College Governing Council has approved the Reopening of the College on Monday 8 August, 2022. Students are requested to report to the College to sign an Undertaking at their various Schools after the payment of One Thousand Naira (N1000.00) only. President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to produce more solar cells to boost the alternative power sources for use by citizens and organizations in Nigeria. The Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Mohammed Haruna, made this known to State House Correspondents on Friday, after he met behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari. According to him, the president also directed the implementation of modular irrigation projects and the production of more farm implements, to boost agricultural activities. He said: The President is impressed that NASENI is delivering on its mandate. I gave him the usual quarterly briefing and he is happy with what we have done in this quarter. Therefore, he has directed us to do more, particularly in the modular irrigation project that we are commencing from Adamawa State, the solar cells production and also agricultural implements. The NASENI boss informed journalists that the agency has been able to impact the power sector, leading to the establishment of a factory in Karshi, Abuja, through local innovation which has the capacity to produce 7.5 megawatts of solar energy Through our research and development activities in solar, it is so successful that through local innovations we now have a factory, 7.5 megawatt capacity Limited Liability Company 100 per cent owned by government in Karshi-Abuja, producing solar modules of highest quality These modules are installed in many places, we have dealers who buy these and distribute and we participate in installations in private and government buildings. 7.5 megawatts cannot meet the needs of the nation and that is not making the price of solar power affordable because the cells used are imported. Solar cells are products of silicon and silicon is obtained from silica, which is nothing other than the sand that we have abandoned that is why the president has approved to obtain this facility from China so that we will have 100 per cent made in Nigeria products. When that is done, solar power supply will be affordable because the most expensive component is the cells, Prof Haruna explained. He said a unit of NASENI, the Nigerian Machine Tools Osogbo in Osun State also produces protective wares for security men, adding that the company is also in the process of assembling Armoured Personnel carriers, in collaboration with Azerbaijan and Indonesia. The Nigerian Machine Tools Osogbo has been doing a lot in the production of protective wares; anti-ballistic helmets, and other bulletproof vests and boots among others. With NASENIs collaboration with Indonesia and Azerbaijan, we have trained people on how to assemble Armoured Personnel carriers as well as produce certain components of the carrier, he said. Mr Haruna, a professor, also revealed that the agency produces laboratory equipment for science students in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions across the country. The National Judicial Council (NJC), on Friday, denied a N10 billion bribe allegation levelled against its Secretary, Gambo Saleh. Aliyu Mohammed, had on behalf of Concerned Staff of the Supreme Court, sent a petition dated 1 June 2022, to the EFCC, accusing Mr Gambo of embezzling N2.2 billion from the Supreme Court. The petitioner also accused Mr Saleh of receiving bribes worth N10 billion from some Supreme Court contractors and selling off a property belonging to the Supreme Court at the Aso Rock Villa. But reacting to the claims which was published by an online newspaper, Peoples Gazette, NJCs spokesperson, Soji Oye, said Mr Saleh was only appointed Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court in 2014 and Secretary of the NJC in 2017. Mr Oye in a statement issued on Friday said, Mr Sale could not have diverted the said funds prior to his appointments. The NJC while faulting the petition claimed that Mr Saleh is the Secretary of the NJC and not the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court as contained in the publication by Peoples Gazette. The attention of the National Judicial Council (NJC) has been drawn to the fallacious publication by an online newspaper Peoples Gazette accusing the Secretary of the National Judicial Council, Ahmed Gambo Saleh of involvement in N10 billion bribe and federal racketeering, the statement said. It noted that the author of the fictitious petition and publication (Peoples Gazette) did not name a single contractor from whom the purported N10 billion was alleged to have been collected. Mr Saleh didnt sell off Supreme Court property The petioner accused Mr Saleh of conniving with one Mr Surajo Tanko, purported to be son of the immediate past CJN, to sell off the residence of a Supreme Court Justice in the Aso Rock villa without the knowledge of Honourable Justice Dr I.T Muhammad GCON. But denying the allegation, the NJC disclosed that the said property located on 10 Ibrahim Taiwo Street on the way to the Villa was once occupied by the then CJN (Mr Muhammad) before he relocated to his official residence. The house was next to House No: 11 occupied by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), and on their request and approval by President Muhammadu Buhari for an expansion of NFIU office, both houses were demolished for that purpose. Another house within the Villa was, however, approved for the use of the Supreme Court, the statement stated. On the issue of withholding funds meant for purchasing exotic vehicles usually assigned to newly sworn in Justices of the Supreme Court, the NJC said Mr Saleh is no longer the Chief Registrar of the apex court. Mr Ahmed Gambo Saleh as the NJC Secretary does not superintend over the affairs of the Supreme Court because they are two distinct entities. On the allegation of diverting N2.2 billion to his personal United Bank for Africa (UBA) account number 2027642863, the truth is that the said account is the operational account of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which can be verified by anyone Besides, the N2.2 billion was the total transaction in the account of the Supreme Court from 2009 to 2016. The statement added that the petitioner only used the said (bank) account number which does not belong to Mr Saleh to deliberately and maliciously mislead members of the public. Evil forces out to malign Mr Saleh The NJC said the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, withdrew the N2.2 billion fraud charges against Mr Saleh when it was discovered that the charges could not be substantiated. It said the charges were dropped without any plea bargaining, contrary to reports that Mr Saleh entered a plea bargain agreement with the federal government. Before his emergence as the Secretary of the NJC, some forces who tried to scuttle his appointment as the secretary of the Council have re-emerged with antics aimed at tarnishing his image and bringing his good name to disrepute. It should be noted that there has never been a time when Mr Saleh admitted committing any crime before anybody or law court. It is important to reiterate that there is no iota of credibility in the petition as they are not after the truth but are out to smear the good image of Ahmed Gambo Saleh at all cost, the statement said. Mr. Saleh, Muhammed Sharif, and Rilwanu Lawal, were accused of the N2.2 billion fraud. The charges, filed on 3 November 2016 at FCT High Court of the Federal Capital Territory by the Attorney General of the Federation, said the accused persons diverted N2.2 billion and received bribes amounting to tens of millions of naira. Thereafter, Mr Saleh was appointed Secretary of the NJC in 2017. President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the government recognises that some of the security challenges confronting Nigeria were imported by foreign elements. Mr Buhari, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, stated this at the Graduation of Course 30 of the National Defence College (NDC) on Friday in Abuja. He said that the nation and indeed the African region had been facing difficult times such as terrorism in the North-east, banditry and other criminal activities across the country. He added that the military and other security agencies have been given directives to decisively deal with all forms of security challenges and secure the nation. According to him, the military has continued to counter the terrorism that was very prevalent in the North-east which has resulted in the surrendering of thousands of persons who are being managed by government agencies. Government is also deeply concerned about the activities of bandits and criminals who have reared their ugly heads in some parts of the country. This is because the number of violent unprovoked attacks on citizens appear to be on the increase. This is unacceptable. Accordingly, we have given strong directive to the military and other security agencies to deal decisively with terrorists, bandits and other enemies of the country. We have also adopted bilateral and multilateral arrangements to tackle the trans-border and maritime crimes because we recognize that some of our security challenges are imported into Nigeria by foreign elements. I want to assure all Nigerians that the government is doing all it can to eliminate or apprehend the criminals or bandits, wherever they are, he said. Mr Buhari commended the nations apex defence institution for its continuous effort toward raising disciplined and professional leaders for the armed forces, and security agencies as well as Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). He said the college had since its establishment 30 years ago, continued to fulfil its mandate and had grown to be at par with similar colleges across the world He charged the participants to deploy the knowledge they had acquired in making useful suggestions toward addressing the challenges in their areas of responsibility. The president assured that the government would remain committed to providing needed resources for the security agencies to carry out their assigned tasks. The Commandant of NDC, Murtala Bashir, said the college had 102 participants drawn from the military, paramilitary, security and intelligence agencies as well as selected MDAs and participants from 16 allied countries. Mr Bashir, a rear admiral, said the participants comprised of 28 from the Nigerian Army; 20 from Nigerian Navy; five from Nigerian Air Force; 29 from strategic institutions/MDAs and 20 international participants. He said the college had trained the finest from the military, security agencies and MDAs both from within and outside the country since its inception in 1992, adding that some had distinguished themselves in their careers. According to him, the mission of NDC is to develop future strategic leaders who are sufficiently equipped with knowledge and skills. For participants of course 30, this mission was achieved through the pathway of study in nine modules comprising research methodology and strategic writing, state and social political environments, economy and finance, science and technology, international affairs and regional studies. Others are policy strategy and national security, military history and conflict studies, peace supports operations and higher defence management. The modules were delivered in form of lectures, seminars, study tours, research papers and studies under a broad theme, a Whole of Society Approach to Enhancing Human Security in Nigeria. The course also involved exercises that stimulated real-life scenarios and the review of the National Defence and Security Policies, he said. A foreign participant, Ashwsni Tikoo of the Indian Navy, thanked the Nigerian government and the armed forces for giving them the opportunity to be a part of the course and learning experience of a lifetime. Mr Tikoo, a commodore, said the course had also afforded him the opportunity to make new friends that would help to shape his military career. He said the scope of the curriculum was vast including economic development, social security, internal security, and geostrategic issues among others. It has been a great learning experience and particularly for me I would say that my knowledge about the African continent has increased very considerably. And obviously, when you get to know so much about this continent, which has 54 countries, rich in resources and beautiful people, it is a great experience. I am sure that when I go back to my country with this kind of learning and experience, it is definitely going to enable me to bring in certain changes in my own country with the perspectives and the learnings that I have had here, he said. (NAN) Seventeen days after the last US soldier left Afghanistan, President Joe Biden on September 15, 2021 announced a new trilateral military alliance of Australia, UK and US, with the acronym, AUKUS. It is in preparation for a possible conflict with China. Now, as the Russo-Ukrainian War is beginning to lose steam, with Ukraine left high and dry, the US is fishing for a new war in the waters of Taiwan. This Tuesday, August 2, the fishing game began with an official visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In Nigeria, there are people who traditionally rejoice at the prospect of war. They are uncomfortable when there are no wars or new territories to conquer, plunder or destabilise. The United States establishment has this same psychological make-up. It appears allergic to peace, and as one conflict drags to a bloody close, it is instigating a new one. The US, since its painful birth by its surrogate British mother, which it turned round to fight, has been perpetually at war. In fact, since its 1777 independence, it has been at war for 90 per cent of the time. If it is not carrying out genocide against the indigenous Indian population whose land it appropriated, then it would be at war with its Mexican neighbours, European cousins such as the Spanish, its Latin American backyard countries or further afield with countries like Libya, Somalia, Egypt, Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan, France, and Old Yugoslavia, etc. Although with no boots on the ground, it is actively involved in the on-going wars in Yemen, Syria and Ukraine. No war is too small for it as the US, like an elephant taking on an ant, has militarily fallen on fingerlings like Grenada and Panama. The American psychology of conflict can be gleaned from its defence budget increases, from $714 billion in 2020, $768 the following year, to its projected growth to $900 billion in 2030. Its Cow Boy gun culture has resulted in 393 million guns in private homes. Its war industry is also booming with the Lockheed Martin Corporation alone grossing $58.2 billion in 2020. Between February and July 2022, the US supplied $6.1 billion in military aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia. Seventeen days after the last US soldier left Afghanistan, President Joe Biden on September 15, 2021 announced a new trilateral military alliance of Australia, UK and US, with the acronym, AUKUS. It is in preparation for a possible conflict with China. Now, as the Russo-Ukrainian War is beginning to lose steam, with Ukraine left high and dry, the US is fishing for a new war in the waters of Taiwan. This Tuesday, August 2, the fishing game began with an official visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Biden administration was quick to distance itself from the Speakers visit, with the President saying the visit is not a good idea. But I do not think Pelosi, who President Donald Trump valued no more than a foot-mat, would have been allowed to engage in such a high profile and potentially risky foreign relations gambit without official state backing. This is curious because the US knows that Taiwan is not a separate state, it does not recognise it as a country nor has it diplomatic relations with it, having cut such ties since January 1, 1979. In fact, the world, under the United Nations (UN) Resolution 2758 of October 25, 1971, delisted Taiwan as a separate country. In that resolution, the UN declared the Peoples Republic of China as the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations. Since Taiwan, until then, had sat in the world body as an independent country, the UN, which refused to call Taiwan by name so it does not give it any recognition, resolved to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-Shek (the regime occupying Taiwan) from the place which they unlawfully occupy in the United Nations and all the organisations related to it. The Biden administration was quick to distance itself from the Speakers visit, with the President saying the visit is not a good idea. But I do not think Pelosi, who President Donald Trump valued no more than a foot-mat, would have been allowed to engage in such a high profile and potentially risky foreign relations gambit without official state backing. The constitutional duties of the American House, which are to make laws and scrutinise the work of government, does not include the conduct of foreign relations. Since Pelosi is no tourist looking for exotic beaches to visit, her presence in the Chinese territory is politically motivated; it might be to deliberately heighten tension between Beijing and Washington, using Taiwan as a pawn. China reacted angrily to Pelosis visit, but which serious country will not respond as such to the violation of its territory? Would the US not shoot down any foreign aircraft that flies to the island group of Hawai without permission? Will the United Kingdom not react in a similar manner if Pelosi were to fly to Northern Ireland without official permission? Indeed, when in 1995 the self-styled President of Taiwan, Lee Teng-hui, made a stopover in Hawaii en route to Latin America, the US denied him a visa and Teng-hui did not even disembark his aircraft. Pelosi, writing in The Washington Post of August 2, said her visit was in line with the American-Taiwanese shared interests and values of self-determination and self-government, democracy and freedom, human dignity and human rights. When these claims of Pelosi are subjected to the reality of the American domination, repression and suppression of the Puerto Rican peoples, they are exposed as hypocritical. It is hypocritical for Pelosi and her handlers to fly all the way to China to say it is defending Taiwans right to self-determination, while at home the US denies the peoples of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands and the US Virgin Islands even the basic right to vote. First, how do you talk about self-determination by a territory such as Taiwan that is part of a country, unless there are negotiations or constitutional provisions? Secondly, it is important to understand that until 1949, Taiwan was ruled from mainland China by the grand-parents of the same people who run Taiwan today. There was a civil war in China in which government forces were defeated, and the remnants fled the mainland to occupy Taiwan. So the peoples of China and Taiwan are the same. In contrast, the people of Puerto Rico and America are not the same people, have no similar cultures, history or language, as the former speak Spanish and the latter, English. While Americans are free to vote in presidential elections, Puerto Ricans are denied the vote. Puerto Rico was never part of the US. It was a colony of Spain and when America won the 1894 Spanish-American War, it replaced Spain as the colonial master and until today, has refused to grant that country of 3,285,874 people independence. The US rejected the 1914 Puerto Rican House of Delegates vote for independence and jailed Puerto Ricans who agitated for independence. The most famous Puerto Rican jailed in the US for demanding independence was Oscar Lopez Rivera, who was set free in May, 2017, after spending 38 years in jail! Also, the US has for three decades now, rejected the United Nations Decolonisation Committees recognition of Puerto Ricos right to self-determination and independence. It is hypocritical for Pelosi and her handlers to fly all the way to China to say it is defending Taiwans right to self-determination, while at home the US denies the peoples of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands and the US Virgin Islands even the basic right to vote. President Tsai Ing-wen vowed before Pelosi that Taiwan will do whatever it takes to strengthen its self-defence capabilities. She will find out like Ukraine, that the US would not risk a single American soul to defend Taiwan. Owei Lakemfa, a former secretary general of African workers, is a human rights activist, journalist and author. Before his death, he was wanted in connection with the planning and execution of the 9/11 attacks on US soil, 1998 US embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya, to mention just a few. He played a leading role in the organisational planning and provision of logistic support to global terrorist networks across the globe, while making recruiting and promotional videos and inspiring wound-be jihadist all over the world. On May 2, 2011, a few minutes past 1:00 a.m. Pakistan Standard Time, a US Navy SEAL Team Six left the Bagram Air Base, in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan, and headed for the compound of a high value target in Abbottabad, Pakistan, located just a few miles away from that nations Military Academy. It was an operation that lasted for precisely 38 minutes, following which the US forces returned to Afghanistan with the slain body of Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda, a Sunni Islamic extremist global network, composed of Salafist jihadists. The raid was code-named Operation Neptune Spear and marked the successful ending of an almost decade-long manhunt for Americas most wanted terrorist; the man who masterminded the brutal attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. For a little over a month, the world was uncertain about Al Qaedas future and leadership. Then like a bolt out of the blue, the man who was often seen seated beside Bin Laden, put out a 28-minute video. With a rifle in the background, the white turbaned and grey bearded figure promised that Bin Laden would continue to terrify America even in death, Blood for blood. His name was Ayman al-Zawahri, a 60-year old Egyptian. But how did a highly trained medical doctor of an elite pedigree transmute to a merchant of death and destruction? Ayman Muhammad Rabie al-Zawahri was born on June 19, 1951 in Maadi, an affluent suburb of Cairo. He was one of five children. His father, Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri, was a professor of pharmacology and came from a long line of doctors and scholars. His paternal grandfather was the 34th Grand Imam of Al Azhar, a 1,000-year-old university that is a centre of Islamic learning. On his mothers side, his grandfather was president of Cairo University and another of his mothers relatives was the first secretary general of the Arab League. Ayman al-Zawahri began reading Islamist literature at an early age and one of his biggest influences growing up, was a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood called Sayyid Qutb. This was an Islamic thinker who saw the world as divided between believers and infidels. Qutb was regarded as the Father of Salafi jihadism, the religio-political doctrine that underpins the ideological roots of global jihadist organisations such al-Qaeda and later ISIS. Although Qutb was later imprisoned, tortured and hung in 1966 for plotting the assassination of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, young Muhammads life goal was how to put the scholars teachings and vision into action. In the year Qutb was killed, al-Zawahri joined others of like minds to form an underground militant cell dedicated to replacing Egypts secular government with an Islamic one. According to reports, he was only 15 at the time. Al-Zawahri, however, kept his involvement secret from even his own family and continued to participate in the group activities, while he attended medical school at Cairo University. He later graduated in 1974, served three years in the Egyptian army and later earned a masters degree in surgery in 1978. Another major influence on Al-Zawahri was the humiliating defeat the Arab countries suffered at the hands of Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. It was a six-day conflict that ended with a decisive victory for the Israelis, who seized the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank of the Jordan River (including East Jerusalem), and the Golan Heights, bringing about one million Arabs under direct control of the Jewish state in the newly captured territories. The outcome of that war turned many young people away from the Pan-Arab socialism pursued by President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt and toward anti-Western forms of Islam. Al-Zawahri was working in a clinic in Egypt in 1980 when he chanced upon an opportunity to join the Red Crescent to treat refugees fleeing Afghanistan after the Soviet invasion and so he moved to Peshawar, Pakistan. From there, he visited Afghanistan and quickly realised how under Taliban rule, the country was a good place to launch an Islamic jihad. Therefater, he visited Saudi Arabia but in 1986, upon his return to Peshawar, he met Osama Bin Laden, who sometimes gave lectures at the hospital where al-Zawahri worked, and they bonded instantly. From his base, Al-Zawahri organised several terrorist acts, including an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate the Egyptian prime minister. The bomb missed its target, but wounded many and caused the death of a 12-year-old schoolgirl. Becoming a diplomatic liability for Sudan, the government expelled the Arab radicals who then returned to Afghanistan as guest of Mullah Muhammad Omar Al-Zawahri would later become Bin Ladens personal physician and over time, their relationship blossomed. They were united by the common goal to go after Western powers and the Middle Eastern governments they supported. Earlier on, al-Zawahri had formed his own terrorist group and in 1998, he authored a document asking similar militant groups to unite in the common cause of killing Americans anywhere in the world, and not just in the Middle East. In 2001, his organisation, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, officially merged with Bin Ladens Qaeda network to create Qaeda al Jihad. By 1990, Islamist guerrilla fighters, backed by Pakistans ISI and the American CIA., had forced the Soviets out of Afghanistan. The Arabs who had come to fight the Soviets were leaving and the Sudanese government invited Bin Laden and his friend. The deceased Al-Qaeda leader and al-Zawahri moved to Sudan and bought farms which they later converted to military training bases. They also established terrorist cells in Yemen. From his base, Al-Zawahri organised several terrorist acts, including an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate the Egyptian prime minister. The bomb missed its target, but wounded many and caused the death of a 12-year-old schoolgirl. Becoming a diplomatic liability for Sudan, the government expelled the Arab radicals who then returned to Afghanistan as guest of Mullah Muhammad Omar, the leader of the Taliban government of the country. As time went on, the Egyptian kid from a very privileged background, who worked hard to become a surgeon, had morphed into a battle-hardened Jihadist. He went from harbouring a visceral hatred of secular rule in Egypt, where earlier on he was among those tried for conspiracy in the 1981 assassination of President Anwar Sadat, to mounting a virulent campaign to strike at Western targets, most especially the United States, Al Qaedas arch enemy. With his bruised forehead denoting piety from frequent prayer, al-Zawahri had none of Bin Ladens fabled family wealth, nor his charisma but was widely regarded as the intellectual powerhouse of Al Qaeda. He made the group grow into a deadly terrorist with global reach. Before his death, he was wanted in connection with the planning and execution of the 9/11 attacks on US soil, 1998 US embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya, to mention just a few. He played a leading role in the organisational planning and provision of logistic support to global terrorist networks across the globe, while making recruiting and promotional videos and inspiring wound-be jihadist all over the world. Al-Zawahri was once described as living a cat-and-mouse life, serving prison terms in Egypt and Russia and hunted by adversaries, including U.S. counterterrorism authorities, who placed a $25 million bounty on his head. Yet, he seemed always to stay one step ahead, hiding out in the rugged terrorist redoubts of Afghanistan, Waziristan and Pakistans other tribal areas. On July 25, President Biden, now satisfied with a new plan, authorised the CIA to conduct the air strike when there was a window of opportunity. That opportunity came last Sunday morning when a CIA drone found al-Zawahri on his balcony and fired a Hellfire missile designed to kill a single person, bringing an end to a more than two-decade-long hunt. Though al-Zawahri did everything within his power to ensure that he was not being watched and to keep his location secret, American intelligence agencies soon learnt that he too had returned to Afghanistan after the collapse of the US-backed secular government of Mohammad Ashraf Ghani in August 2021. Al-Zawahri was later tracked to a safe house owned by an aide to senior officials in the Haqqani network, a violent wing of the Taliban government founded in 1970 by Jalaluddin Haqqani, the father of the current deputy leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Sirajuddin Haqqani. Senior Taliban leaders occasionally met at the house, but unbeknownst to them, the American secret service knew that the Haqqanis were hiding their high value target and were tracking his daily routine. When American officials decided to target him, the location of the house in a high density Sherpur neighbourhood of Kabul posed a huge challenge. A missile armed with a large explosive would for sure evaporate Al-Zawahiri but also result in severe collateral damage. The US had to come up with other options. On July 25, President Biden, now satisfied with a new plan, authorised the CIA to conduct the air strike when there was a window of opportunity. That opportunity came last Sunday morning when a CIA drone found al-Zawahri on his balcony and fired a Hellfire missile designed to kill a single person, bringing an end to a more than two-decade-long hunt. Shafiq (not real name), 25, was arranging fruits at his stand in the Wazir Akbar Khan neighbourhood of Kabul when he heard a powerful explosion, reported the New York Times. For a moment Shafiq froze, worried to death and seized by the fear that the bang could signal the beginning of yet another bloody conflict in his homeland. We want peace and security in our country after this, and we do not want war to start in our country again, he said. Truth is a country that offers a safe haven for jihadist terrorists, yet doesnt desire peace and will never know one. In such climes, peace and tranquility is a delusive mirage. Sadly, this is the kind of country many wish and desire for Nigeria. But we have only one two words of advice for them all; caveat emptor. Osmund Agbo, a public affairs analyst is the coordinator of African Center for Transparency and Convener of Save Nigeria Project. Email: Eagleosmund@yahoo.com Mabogunje was not just a national hero; his international reputation helped him to make Nigeria and Africa proud in the international community. As the first African to head the International Geographical Union and United States National Academy of Sciences Foreign Associate, he became a trailblazer in positioning Africans for more international developmental roles and performed his duty with such emulative vigour and determination. Death is not a period that ends the great sentence of life, but a comma that punctuates it to more lofty significance. Death is not a blind alley that leads the human race into a state of nothingness, but an open door which leads man into life eternal. Martin Luther King Jr. As I heard of the passing of Professor Akin Mabogunje yesterday, August 4, incidentally in Lagos close to the house where he spent the last phase of his life, I began to reflect on the odyssey of life and how one needs a compass to successfully navigate the crescendos and decrescendos. What makes life itself is not just the source of respiration in humans biological make-up but the hurdles and smoothness that ironically constitute the essence and the extent of life itself. One might need directions to find a pathway to purpose, so as not to fall or get lost in the labyrinth of life, and sometimes the needed guide are people who have walked the land and stretched its excesses. Professor Akin Mabogunjes life and career have proven to be the needed trajectory to safely surf the turbulent sea of life. He has become a compass, both figuratively and literally, by living a life worthy of emulation and leading a career that helps understand the complexity of earth itself. In his autobiography, A Measure of Grace, Professor Mabogunje meticulously maps out his life and career in two parts: On the Wings of Love and Towards the Emerging Vision, each detailing his journey through life and a career. If Professor Mabogunje could look back, I am certain that he would proudly declare cest fini to his vision, which had manifested with enviable expression. When a man can cease to exist, his image and contributions to society are bound to be legendary, and as such, it is safe to say that his very visions have emerged and have redefined the trajectory of scholarship and governmental policies alike. Mabogunje sat at the forefront of the echelon of African geographers, and his brilliance and scholarship drew global applause. Mabogunjes journey through life was defined by his quest for knowledge and resolution for success. As a young and brilliant child in Kano, with a father working for the colonial government, he was inquisitive, a character that set him apart from his counterparts. He started school when he was four years old and was younger than many of his classmates, which was a disadvantage because the teacher did not make an exception for him by coming down to his level of understanding. However, Mabogunje quickly adjusted and blended with the other students. His desire for success was once met with a hilarious experience. His father had instructed that he and his colleagues should prepare for higher examinations, and they had to do this by studying. However, Mabogunjes friend had taken him to get voodoo that would make him pass the exams. Unfortunately, he failed and was taught by life itself that there was no shortcut to success. Following that, his lifestyle and achievements showed that he had taken these lessons from life and converted them into a muse that built his determination for success. Professor Mabogunje attended the Holy Trinity Church School, Sabon Gari, Kano, before moving to the Anglican Church-run United Native African Church School. His father had participated in the facilitation of an Anglican School, which led to the establishment of the United Native African Church School. Upon the establishment of the school, Mabogunje and his siblings were transferred to become part of the foundational students at the school. In Class IV, he emerged as the best student in Geography, laying the foundation for his successful career as a Geographer. His sterling records continued to develop, especially as a student at the University College, Ibadan, where he won several prizes both within and outside Nigeria. He earned his Masters degree in 1958 and his Ph.D in 1961, both from the University of London. Some of his early scholarship focused on the effect and process of Nigerias urbanisation, concerning the precolonial, colonial, and post-colonial epochs. While most scholars in 1965 found it easy to align with European opinions that urbanisation had a positive and developmental impact on the economy and other social sectors of society, Mabogunje introduced further ideas and examined Nigerian society beyond this context. Professor Mabogunje did more than merely study or teach geography, he also carved a niche for himself, becoming an epitome of excellence in the field and contributing to the nations development. His teaching career and ascension to professorship within twelve years set the pace for his remarkable contribution to the geographical body of knowledge. He quickly reached the apex of intellectual stardom in the field, to the extent that he was nicknamed the Father of African Geography, a big credit to his many years of aggressively studying and analysing the geographical explanation of societies and the people resident in them. Some of his early scholarship focused on the effect and process of Nigerias urbanisation, concerning the precolonial, colonial, and post-colonial epochs. While most scholars in 1965 found it easy to align with European opinions that urbanisation had a positive and developmental impact on the economy and other social sectors of society, Mabogunje introduced further ideas and examined Nigerian society beyond this context. He equipped himself with the peoples distinct economic, commercial, and social orientations before colonialism, some of which were still evident during the colonial period. Despite acknowledging the positive developments in other sectors, he emphasised the effect of urbanisation on these economic systems that might cause serious constraints for the country. He explained the philosophies and constitutions of the concept of cities in precolonial Nigeria, which were quite different from European systems. Regarding the impact of the colonial economy and urbanisation in Nigeria, Mabogunje was particular about the interplay between pre-industrial and industrial urbanisation in Nigeria, and he provided a framework for the construction of data and public policies. His understanding and knowledge, especially on the urbanisation process, were put to specific and broader use, giving particular geographical analyses of Ibadan and Kano and becoming materials for laying the foundation of African urbanisation. Also, Mabogunje was the epitome of the relationship between the town and gown. His scholarship extended beyond academic endeavours and research and included public assignments aimed at societal development. This was not surprising, as the icon was among the best brains in Nigeria in the fields of geography and urbanisation. His first contribution to society and policy was his participation in the 1962 census, which was considered long overdue after the failures of previously planned ones. Towards the census, he also led the section in charge of listing demarcation areas and was material to the 1963 census, following political factors and tensions in the country. As many have stated, Mabogunjes movement from different locations and staying among different people must have contributed to his versatility and was instrumental in the foundation of his geographical knowledge that showed him to the world. Aside from his career, he led an exemplary life that touched individuals and served as an inspiration for those who would love to understand life. Indeed, he was a compass for understanding both society and life itself. Additionally, the brilliant geographer played a significant role in the creation and generation of hydroelectric power in Kainji, Niger State, and was part of the discussions on how to relocate the people originally situated in this environment. He participated in research into the regions situations before, during, and after the dams construction, as well as the socioeconomic implications on the people and Nigeria in general. Mabogunjes contributions to the establishment of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye (known as Ogun State University at inception) cannot be forgotten. He contributed his wealth of knowledge and wisdom to the Public Service Review Commission and the Western Region Forestry Commission. His role in the development of the Federal Capital Territory, including other national duties he performed diligently, are some of his remarkable contributions that are instrumental to the fabric of contemporary society. Mabogunje was not just a national hero; his international reputation helped him to make Nigeria and Africa proud in the international community. As the first African to head the International Geographical Union and United States National Academy of Sciences Foreign Associate, he became a trailblazer in positioning Africans for more international developmental roles and performed his duty with such emulative vigour and determination. Given his accomplishments, it is not surprising that he has won several awards and honours, both on a national and international levels, including the 2017 Vautrin Lud Prize for Geography, the highest award in the field of Geography. As many have stated, Mabogunjes movement from different locations and staying among different people must have contributed to his versatility and was instrumental in the foundation of his geographical knowledge that showed him to the world. Aside from his career, he led an exemplary life that touched individuals and served as an inspiration for those who would love to understand life. Indeed, he was a compass for understanding both society and life itself. Mabogunje had a vision for development, which was clear enough for others to build on, thus laying the foundation of Nigerian geographical studies and African urban development. Although Mabogunje has left us, his legacy will live on like that of every other hero. When he was alive, he asked me to write a book on education in the Western Region in the 1950s; however, I could not deliver. Now that he is gone, I will request him to do a map of heaven, locating the longitude and latitude of hell and Satan, angels, and the abode of God, especially the city of gold, where he has gone on to continue a glorious and well-lived life. I intend to put his findings to good use. This is one hero we are sure to miss, but his hallowed presence will always hold a place of honour in the closet of our hearts. Toyin Falola, a professor of History, University Distinguished Teaching Professor, and Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at The University of Texas at Austin, is the Bobapitan of Ibadanland. The Ondo State Internal Revenue Service (ODIRS) on Friday unsealed seven business premises that it earlier sealed off over tax liabilities. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in line with a recent court judgment, ODIRS had on Tuesday sealed 18 companies across the state due to default in payment of tax. The Deputy Head of the Legal Department of ODIRS, Gregory Afuwape, told NAN in Akure after unsealing the companies premises by the agency, that the companies had paid their tax liabilities. Mr Afuwape urged companies in the state to always comply and pay their tax liabilities so that the state could develop. He said the agency would not relent in its efforts to recover all debts owed to the state by companies and individuals for the continuous development of the state. We have unsealed seven business premises as of today; they have paid their liabilities. So, therefore, the authorities of the Ondo State Internal Revenue Service ordered that we should go back and unseal the premises for the owners, thats why we are here. Eighteen business premises were locked, based on court judgement, and the enforcement continues by next week and the exercise is throughout the state. Our message to business premises is that they should come and pay their tax liability, and this is for improvement of the state and not for an individual, he said. Mr Afuwape said the exercise would continue next week, saying that the state was not being wicked on any companies but to generate revenue for the development of the state. NAN reports that the agency had embarked on a revenue drive to recover debts owed by companies operating in the state. (NAN) A stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Babatunde Gbadamosi, on Friday, defected to the Labour Party (LP), declaring support for its presidential candidate, Peter Obi. Mr Gbadamosi, a former governorship candidate of the African Democratic Party and a former Lagos East Senatorial Candidate of the PDP, made this known in a statement in Lagos. I had completely lost hope, especially in the youths of Nigeria, considering how the senatorial bye-elections panned out, after the traumatic events of the #EndSARS. However, the exit of Peter Obi from the PDP and his subsequent emergence as the Presidential candidate of the LP, and his brilliant choice of Mallam Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed as running mate have rekindled my hope. I am 54 years old, and never in my life have I been privileged to witness the kind of energy, vim, vigour, unity and tenacity of purpose being exhibited by youths of all ethnicities and religious backgrounds in Nigeria over a political candidate. I hereby publicly declare my resignation from the PDP and wish all the remaining members well. By the same token, I also hereby publicly declare my support for the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, Mr Gbadamosi said. He recounted how he joined the PDP in Ikorodu in 2008 and remained a loyal member of the party, contributing whatever he could to the growth and development of the party in Lagos State and throughout Nigeria, until he took early retirement from partisan politics in 2017. I came to recognise that the problems of PDP run quite deep, and their tepid opposition is in fact by the design of some individuals populating the party leadership from top to bottom, he said. He said that he was motivated that almost all youth, who were not professional politicians or influencers-for-hire, had been popularising Mr Obis presidential ambition. He said that Mr Obi had over the years, shown himself to be a creative, prudent and frugal administrator as well as a trustworthy custodian of public funds. Mr Gbadamosi also described the LP vice presidential candidate as an urbane, prudent, practical and principled politician. He said: These two share a passion for education and knowledge, with Obis documented exploits in the education sector as governor of Anambra and Baba-Ahmeds direct investment in education as Pro-Chancellor of the highly respected Baze University, Abuja. Both share a disdain for graft and believe in exterminating contract padding. I find myself left with no choice, when faced with the alternatives, but to publicly throw in my lot with these two fine gentlemen, especially considering that another good Uncle of mine, Dr Doyin Okupe is one of the navigators of their journey and had invited me very much earlier. (NAN) Thai nightclub fire kills at least 13, injures dozens: rescue team Xinhua) 13:14, August 05, 2022 BANGKOK, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- A fire at a nightclub in Thailand's Chonburi province in the early hours of Friday has killed at least 13 people and injured more than dozens, the rescue team said. The fire, which broke out at about 1 a.m. (1800 GMT Thursday), has been put out and all the injured people have been hospitalized, said Wisarut Petcharat, a rescue worker at the scene with the Sawang Rojana Thammasathan Foundation. The victims, including nine males and four females, were all Thai nationals, Wisarut said. He said his team has rushed 18 injured people to a local hospital, of whom three were seriously injured. He said the club was a one-story building and an investigation into the cause of the accident was underway. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At a donation ceremony on July 28, Hisense, a manufacturer and provider of high-performance electronics and medical devices, delivered a cutting-edge, high-resolution, ultrasound machine, the Hisense Ultrasound HD60, to the Peninsula Maternity Trust for Mowbray Maternity Hospital to announce the collaboration and contribution to the Mowbray Maternity Hospital and The Western Cape Department of Health. The Mowbray Maternity Hospital, located in Cape Town, is the largest dedicated maternity hospital in South Africa specialising in providing care to women with high-risk pregnancies. Professor Ntusi, who is the chair and head of medicine at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Groote Schuur Hospital climbed Mount Kilimanjaro last December to raise money to buy a new ultrasound machine for the hospital's anaesthesia department. Hisense South Africa donated an Ultrasound HD60 in response to Prof Ntusi's efforts. Receiving this advanced ultrasound device with enhanced diagnostics powered by built-in AI will raise the level of care at the Mowbray Maternity Hospital and deliver better outcomes for at-risk women as well as boost staff morale. "We are so proud to be able to donate this machine to the Mowbray Maternity Hospital and the Western Cape Department of Health, we hope and wish this will not only change the lives of the surrounding community by improving the technological and medical capacity of the hospital, but also provide the health care professionals with quality technology innovation and support in order to make their work lives a little bit easier " Ronele Prince, medical sales manager of Hisense said. Hisense developed the Ultrasound HD60 to provide clinicians with clearer, higher resolution imaging shown on its 21.4" diagnostic display. The device comes with a variety of ultrasound probes, making it well-suited to meet a range of the hospital's anaesthetic, obstetric, gynaecological, and cardiovascular procedure needs. The Hisense Ultrasound HD60 has been used in more than 30 hospitals across China, helping diagnose over 50,000 cases. Hisense completed the CE MDR certification for the Ultrasound HD60 in December 2021 and obtained the SAHPRA license in South Africa for the device in January 2022. In April this year, Hisense won its first order of six Ultrasound HD60 in South Africa; a significant step to becoming an internationally well-known brand in the medical equipment industry. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1872546/image_5020023_41497144.jpg SOURCE Hisense SA Sales Holdings (Pty) Ltd Rise in consumption of paper and paperboard and surge in demand for drive technology have boosted the growth of the global paper making machines market. PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Paper Making Machine Market by Headboxes Type (Multilayer, Air Padded), by Operation (Semi automatic, Fully automatic), by Machine Type (Specialty paper machine, Graphic paper machine, Packaging paper machine, Tissue Paper Making Machines, Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031". As per the report, the global paper making machines industry accounted for $20.4 billion in 2021, and is expected to reach $32.3 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 4.6% from 2022 to 2031. The report provides an in-depth analysis of changing market trends, key investment pockets, top segments, regional landscape, value chain, and competitive scenario. Major determinants of the market growth Rise in consumption of paper and paperboard and surge in demand for drive technology have boosted the growth of the global paper making machines market. Moreover, increase in environment benefits and economic advantages by pulp and paper manufacturers supplemented the market growth. On the other hand, increase in demand for paper making machine market by using different types of materials such as cloth and cotton to reduce deforestation and increased demand for paper napkins at homes, restaurants, and other commercial and residential places would open new opportunities in the future. Download Sample PDF: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/8533 Covid-19 scenario: The Covid-19 pandemic forced several companies in the market to halt business operations to comply with government's new regulations. This disturbance negatively affected the manufacturing and disrupted the supply chain. During the pandemic, most companies received no new consignments, which created challenges for them to maintain their foothold in the market. Due to prolonged lockdown, the prices of raw materials increased drastically. Moreover, shortage of workforce made it difficult to operate paper manufacturing activities at full scale. The multilayer segment dominated the market growth By headboxes type, the multilayer segment held the largest share in 2021, accounting for more than four-fifths of the global paper making machines market, and is estimated to dominate the market throughout the forecast period. In addition, the segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 4.7% during the forecast period, owing to increase in the adoption of technological advancement by the manufacturers. The report includes an analysis of the air padded segment as well. The fully automatic segment to manifest the highest CAGR through 2031 By operation, the fully automatic segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 4.7% during the forecast period. In addition, the segment held the largest share in 2021, contributing to more than three-fourths of the global paper making machines market, and is projected to continue its dominance during the forecast period. This is due to increase in adoption of automation in the work process in manufacturing industries. The report includes an analysis of the semi-automatic segment. The specialty paper machine segment held the lion's share By machine type, the specialty paper machine segment dominated the market in 2021, accounting for nearly one-third of the global paper making machines market, and is expected to continue its dominance from 2022 to 2031. This is due to benefits associated with specialty paper such as non-reactive, temperature resistant, waterproof, colorful, attractive, and lightweight. However, the tissue paper making machines segment is estimated to showcase the highest CAGR of 5.7% during the forecast period, owing to rise in demand for use of paper in various end-use industries such as packaging food & beverages and others. Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the Paper Making Machines Market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/8533 Asia-Pacific held the largest share By region, the global paper making machines market across Asia-Pacific dominated the market in 2021, holding nearly two-fifths of the market, and is expected to dominate in terms of revenue during the forecast period. In addition, the region is expected to register the highest CAGR of 5.1% during the forecast period. Rise in awareness regarding environmental health, owing to which paper making machines manufacturers and consumers are shifting their preferences toward more sustainable paper packaging solutions. The market is analyzed across other regions such as North America, LAMEA, and Europe. Major market players Voith Bellmer Cellwood Andritz Toscotec Cellie OverMade Srl Ihi Corporation Valmet Kawanoe Zoki Co., Ltd Nsk Ltd Parson Cnbm Allimand Kadant Inc. Recard SPA Georgia-Pacific Corporation The report analyzes these key players of the global smoking pipe market. These companies have adopted several strategies such as expansion, partnerships, new product launches, 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. Interested in Procure Data? Visit: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/8533 Access AVENUE- A Subscription-Based Library (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access Avenue is a user-based library of global market report database, provides comprehensive reports pertaining to the world's largest emerging markets. It further offers e-access to all the available industry reports just in a jiffy. By offering core business insights on the varied industries, economies, and end users worldwide, Avenue ensures that the registered members get an easy as well as single gateway to their all-inclusive requirements. Avenue Library Subscription | Request for 14 days free trial of before buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/avenueTrial Similar Reports We Have: Lathe Machines Market - global lathe machines market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 2.6% and is forecast to reach $12,012 million by 2022. Drilling Machine Market - global drilling machine market was valued at $16.54 Billion in 2017, and is expected to reach $28.76 Billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 7.1%. Pillow Packing Machine Market - global pillow packing machine market size was valued at $6,755.0 million in 2020, and is expected to reach $11,812.2 million by 2030, registering a CAGR of 5.6% from 2021 to 2030. Tunnel Boring Machine Market - global tunnel boring machine market size was valued $5,476.0 million in 2019 and is expected to reach $7,552.1 million by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 6.0% from 2020 to 2027. Roll Slitting Machines market - global roll slitting machines market size is expected to reach $2,801.8 million in 2027, from $2,266.4 million in 2019, growing at a CAGR of 3.6% from 2020 to 2027. Pre-Book Now with 10% Discount: Automatic Button Making Machines Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222029 Tissue Paper Making Machine Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222030 Converting Paper Machinery Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030 Punch Laser Machine Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2029 About Allied Market Research: 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. Contact us: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States Toll Free (USA/Canada): +1-800-792-5285, UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-855-550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Powermat Technologies, Ltd., the global leader in advanced wireless power technology, today announced that it has resolved its pending patent litigation with Nanami and Yootech and that these companies have entered into patent licensing agreements with Powermat. Under the terms of the settlement, Nanami and Yootech agreed to pay Powermat Technologies an initial payment covering the past use of patented technologies, followed by ongoing quarterly licensing payments. As part of the settlement, Nanami, Yootech, and Powermat Technologies also agreed to the entry of an injunction against non-licensed use of the patented technologies. Powermat Qi standard wireless power solutions "We are extremely pleased to reach agreements with Nanami and Yootech. These agreements acknowledge the value of our intellectual property and validates our licensing program," said Elad Dubzinski, CEO of Powermat Technologies. Mr. Dubzinski also stated that "while we would always prefer to voluntarily license our patented technologies, we will continue to enforce our patents against those who are using this technology without a license." The ruling states, "In relation to Powermat's QI certified patents, set out below, the court ordered that the Defendants must have a license agreement with Powermat before making, using, importing, offering for sale and selling defendant's Qi products." The proceedings commenced on July 14, 2021 and concluded with both companies accepting that Powermat's patents are valid and were infringed upon. Powermat U.S. Patents Infringed: U.S. Patent No. 9,006,937: System and Method for Enabling Ongoing Inductive Power Transmission U.S. Patent No. 9,048,696: Transmission-Guard System and Method for an Inductive Power Supply U.S. Patent No. 9,099,894: System and Method for Coded Communication Signals Regulating Inductive Power Transmission The two cases were heard in the United States District Court in the Western District of Texas: Case numbers 6-21-cv-0074-ADA and 6-21-cv-0075-ADA. About Powermat Technologies Powermat Technologies provides advanced Qi-certified and proprietary wireless power solutions for IoT, telecom (5G), automotive, robotics, consumer electronics, medical devices, and industrial applications. Powermat wireless power solutions and IP licensing programs enable global businesses to incorporate advanced wireless power into their products and customize solutions for unique use cases. Global market leaders including Samsung, General Motors, Flex, Harman International, Pivotal Commware, and Kyocera have adopted Powermat wireless power solutions. Over 800 million smartphones, 40 million embedded accessories, and 8 million cars worldwide have Powermat solutions inside. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1871852/Qi_Powermat.jpg Media contact: Robert Dugan Powermat Technologies Marketing Director [email protected] +972-2-995-0500 SOURCE Powermat LONDON, UK, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Atlas ("Atlas" or the "Company") (NYSE: ATCO) announced today that its board of directors (the "Board") has received a non-binding proposal letter, dated August 4, 2022, from Poseidon Acquisition Corp. ("Poseidon"), an entity formed by certain affiliates of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited ("Fairfax"), certain affiliates of the Washington Family ("Washington"), David Sokol, Chairman of the Board of Atlas, and Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd., and certain of their respective affiliates (the "Consortium"), to acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Atlas, other than common shares owned by Fairfax, Washington, Mr. Sokol and certain executive officers of the Company, for $14.45 cash per common share. Fairfax, Washington and Mr. Sokol, together with certain of their respective affiliates, collectively own more than 50% of the Company's outstanding common shares. The proposal letter states that a transaction would be subject to two non-waivable conditions: approval and recommendation by a special committee of independent directors of the Board and approval by the holders of a majority of the outstanding common shares of the Company not owned by the Consortium. The proposal letter indicated the proposal may be modified or withdrawn at any time. The Board intends to establish a special committee consisting of independent directors of the Board to consider the proposal. Atlas cautions its shareholders and others considering trading in Atlas securities that Atlas has only recently received the proposal letter and has not had an opportunity to carefully review and evaluate the proposal or make any decision with respect to Atlas response to the proposal. The proposal constitutes only an indication of interest by Poseidon and does not constitute a binding commitment with respect to the proposed transaction or any other transaction. No agreement, arrangement or understanding between Atlas and Poseidon relating to any proposed transaction will be created unless definitive documentation is executed and delivered by the appropriate parties. Atlas does not undertake any obligation to provide any updates with respect to this or any other transaction, or to provide any additional disclosures to reflect subsequent events, new information or future circumstances, except as required under applicable law. About Atlas Atlas is a leading global asset management company, differentiated by its position as a best-in-class owner and operator with a focus on disciplined capital deployment to create sustainable shareholder value. We target long-term, risk-adjusted returns across high-quality infrastructure assets in the maritime sector, energy sector and other infrastructure verticals. For more information, visit atlascorporation.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes "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. All statements included in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, but not limited to, expectations regarding the proposed transaction, the formation of a special committee of independent directors and the negotiation and consummation of any transaction are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements represent Atlas' estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this release and are not intended to give any assurance as to future results. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements appear in a number of places in this release. Although these statements are based upon assumptions Atlas believes to be reasonable based upon available information, they are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this release are estimates and assumptions reflecting the judgment of senior management and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond Atlas' control. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, all forward-looking statements should be considered in light of various important factors listed above and including, but not limited to, those set forth in "Item 3. Key InformationD. Risk Factors" in Atlas' Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2021 on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on March 24, 2022, and in its subsequent filings with the SEC. Atlas does not intend to revise any forward-looking statements in order to reflect any change in its expectations or events or circumstances that may subsequently arise. Atlas expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether because of future events, new information, a change in Atlas' views or expectations, or otherwise. You should carefully review and consider the various disclosures included in Atlas' Annual Report and in Atlas' other filings made with the SEC that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect Atlas' businesses, prospects and results of operations. SOURCE Atlas Corp. Belrose Storage Group sells Granite City Storage after executing value-add strategies WAYNE, Pa., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Belrose Storage Group (BSG) a leading self-storage investment group, announced today that it sold its Granite City Storage facility in Mount Airy, NC out of its value-add portfolio. The facility consists of 402 units and 53,986 net rentable square feet. Tom Dunkel, Chief Investment Officer, Belrose Storage Group BSG executed its proven value-add strategies to increase the facility's net operating income from $210,000 to nearly $300,000 in less than 18 months. These strategies included aggressive rate increases after a thorough market supply and demand study, effective marketing and adding a tenant protection plan. "Our success with Granite City Storage again shows the strength of our strategy, our team and also our commitment to executing above expectations," says Joe Downs, Chief Executive Officer of Belrose Storage Group. "We were able to sell Granite City at our five-year value projection in less than two years. And it's not our first time over-performing like this." "We did our homework, came up with a great plan and our team executed flawlessly," stated Tim Kane, Chief Operating Officer. "We love when a plan comes together so well. And we are executing this way across our entire portfolio with every facility performing above plan. We are ready for any economic troubles that may be around the corner." "Our Granite City investors that invested $100,000 received over $162,000 back in 18 months. Helping our investors grow their wealth through real estate that provides tax advantages, capital preservation, passive income and value appreciation is what keeps us motivated and hunting for the best investment opportunities out there," stated Tom Dunkel, Chief Investment Officer. "We are far from the largest player in self storage, but we execute our disciplined investment program with passion and excellence. We take pride in the fact that our investors continue to invest in our projects over and over again, and they bring their friends and family as well. That speaks volumes to our team and we are grateful." BSG partnered with Scott Meyers and his team at Kingdom Storage Partners. Jesse Luke, EquiCap Commercial and Michael Morrison, Midcoast Properties advised BSG. Past performance does not necessarily predict future results. About Belrose Storage Group BSG currently owns self-storage facilities in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida and is actively and selectively searching for under-performing facilities in the eastern United States. The company's mission is to provide high net-worth investors with quality investment opportunities that will help them reach their capital preservation, passive income and value appreciation goals in a tax-advantaged asset class. For more information about Belrose Storage Group and to get pre-approved for upcoming investment offerings, visit BelroseStorageGroup.com Contact: Tom Dunkel, Chief Investment Officer BELROSE STORAGE GROUP 351 E Conestoga Road Suite 207 Wayne, PA 19087 Phone: (484) 498-8254 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Belrose Storage Group BOSTON, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ceres submitted comments today to the Fed, the FDIC, and the OCC urging the agencies to modernize the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) by explicitly incorporating racial equity and strengthening environmental and climate provisions. This NPR represents the most significant changes to the CRA regulations in over 20 years. The CRA requires federal banking regulators to encourage financial institutions to help meet the credit needs of the communities in which they do business, with a focus on low- and moderate-income (LMI) neighborhoods. Ceres' submission is in response to requests for comments on the interagency notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) on updating the CRA. "Climate change exacerbates racial and economic inequality and frustrates the purpose of the CRA to end the nation's long and painful history of lending discrimination against and the resulting disinvestment in communities of color and other financially vulnerable communities," Ceres wrote in its comments. Ceres recommends the rule contains the following provisions: Explicitly including the race of the borrower and community as a metric to ensure historically redlined communities, and those vulnerable to climate change, have improved access to credit and services. to ensure historically redlined communities, and those vulnerable to climate change, have improved access to credit and services. Having banks leverage available data tools to understand where climate vulnerable communities are found within assessment areas and work towards driving investment to those communities. found within assessment areas and work towards driving investment to those communities. A revised definition of community development activities to more effectively target activities to communities in need . Ceres supports the NPR's addition of the disaster preparedness and climate resiliency definition under community development (CD) activities and an expanded, though non-exhaustive, list of eligible climate-related activities. . Ceres supports the NPR's addition of the disaster preparedness and climate resiliency definition under community development (CD) activities and an expanded, though non-exhaustive, list of eligible climate-related activities. Measuring the impact of community development activities as well as establishing benchmarks and metrics to assess the strength of community development financing. as well as establishing benchmarks and metrics to assess the strength of community development financing. Encouraging banks to increase community engagement and relationship-building with climate and environmental justice organizations. with climate and environmental justice organizations. Avoiding adverse impacts to LMI communities from community development activities receiving CRA credit. Any activities that contribute to demonstrable adverse impacts or disproportionate consequences, such as displacement, predatory lending, and increased environmental hazards, should not receive credit, and should result in ratings downgrades. from community development activities receiving CRA credit. Any activities that contribute to demonstrable adverse impacts or disproportionate consequences, such as displacement, predatory lending, and increased environmental hazards, Ensuring changes to assessment areas sufficiently capture online lending and deposit activity, particularly in smaller metropolitan areas and rural counties. No changes to the asset threshold for small and intermediate small banks. This would decrease CRA responsibility for 20% of all banks, reducing community development financing and branching in LMI communities. Media Contact: Reginald Zimmerman Original Publication SOURCE Ceres NEW YORK and HOUSTON, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DarkPulse, Inc. (OTC Markets: DPLS) ("DarkPulse" and the "Company"), a technology company focused on the manufacture, sale, installation and monitoring of their patented laser sensing systems which provide a data stream of critical metrics for assessing the health and security of infrastructure, today announced that Gulf Automation Services & Oilfield Supplies Company, LLC ("GASOS") has become the exclusive agent for the Company's DarkPulse BOTDA EREBOS sensing systems in Abu Dhabi, UAE. In offering these products, GASOS will concentrate on customers in the critical infrastructure/ key resources markets, with a focus on oil and gas pipeline health monitoring applications and offshore drilling operations. In addition, GASOS can provide the Company with services including sales and marketing, manpower, training and technical services. DarkPulse a leading infrastructure health monitoring company signs GASOS to assist company expansion across Middle East Tweet this DarkPulse signs with GASOS as exclusive agent in UAE In view of the singular importance of the petroleum sector in the UAE's overall development and emerging need for technology inputs, Bin Hamoodah decided in 1972 to establish a new, 100% local company called Gulf Automation Services & Oilfield Supplies. This company was formed with a view to serve as a focal point for providing requisite technology and services to the oil and gas sector. GASOS has since provided many pioneering services to the oil and gas industry. First, through sponsorship of world renowned oil service companies; second by marketing oilfield related equipment and services; and, last, by introduction of fire-fighting, safety and protection related equipment and services. The GASOS name has now become synonymous with both the current and future projects in the UAE. "GASOS is the premier agent throughout the Gulf States with a decade's long history of successful contract awards in the multiple billions of dollars," said Dennis O'Leary, DarkPulse Chairman and CEO. "In addition to typical agency services, GASOS, as a part of its process, will assist the Company with meeting balance sheet requirements typical of very large contract awards. GASOS, through their extensive network of major technical services companies bring additional resources to our efforts within the region. In considering which agent we would engage, GASOS was the clear choice." About GASOS In the early eighties, as Dubai was developing to be a major trading hub between Europe, Far East and Africa, GASOS decided to set up a base in the city. Bin Hamoodah set up the Dubai branch of the company called GASOS in 1984 to provide professional and focused service to clients in the region. The branch caters to clients in Dubai and the UAE's Northern Emirates and also handles export enquires from other Gulf countries and Africa. GASOS is a major supplier of equipment and spares to various organizations in Kuwait, Oman and Several African countries. More information about the company's and their services visit: www.GASOS.com. About DarkPulse, Inc. DarkPulse, Inc. uses advanced laser-based monitoring systems to provide rapid and accurate monitoring of temperatures, strains and stresses. The Company's technology excels when applied to live, dynamic critical infrastructure and structural monitoring, including pipeline monitoring, perimeter and structural surveillance, aircraft structural components and mining safety. The Company's fiber-based monitoring systems can assist markets that are not currently served, and its unique technology covers extended areas and any event that is translated into the detection of a change in strain or temperature. In addition to the Company's ongoing efforts with respect to the marketing and sales of its technology products and services to its customers, the Company also continues to explore potential strategic alliances through joint venture and licensing opportunities to further expand its global market position. For more information, visit www.DarkPulse.com Safe Harbor Statement This news 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. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as "believe," "expect," "may," "will," "should," "could," "seek," "intend," "plan," "goal," "estimate," "anticipate" or other comparable terms. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this news release regarding our strategies, prospects, financial condition, operations, costs, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: our ability to successfully market our products and services; the acceptance of our products and services by customers; our continued ability to pay operating costs and ability to meet demand for our products and services; the amount and nature of competition from other security and telecom products and services; the effects of changes in the cybersecurity and telecom markets; our ability to successfully develop new products and services; our success establishing and maintaining collaborative, strategic alliance agreements, licensing and supplier arrangements; our ability to comply with applicable regulations; and the other risks and uncertainties described in our prior filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Media contact: DarkPulse, Inc. [email protected] 1.800.436.1436 SOURCE DarkPulse, Inc. NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nicole Cottrill, FINN Partners' Senior Partner and Health Provider Services Group Lead, has been named one of Medika Life's Women Transforming Healthcare. The prestigious list features 30 must-watch-and-follow global ambassadors who relentlessly work to improve the healthcare system. Nicole Cottrill, Senior Partner and Health Provider Services Group Lead, FINN Partners Cottrill is credited with guiding US health provider and health plan leaders in addressing the needs of vulnerable patient communities, helping health systems navigate economic challenges and crises and enabling health executives to express thought leadership on critical topics surrounding health equity, innovation and policy. "As we compiled the list of women making a substantial impact across the healthcare industry, Nicole was a top candidate as a veteran in healthcare communications," said Dr. Robert Turner, Founding Editor, Medika Life. "Her relentless passion to make a difference is improving lives across the globe." As FINN's leader of the Health Provider Services sector, Cottrill serves as senior counselor for the agency's provider and payer clients including hospitals and health systems, physician practices, long-term and post-acute care providers, and specialists in areas including oncology and behavioral health. Recognized as US Healthcare Agency of the Year by HITMC and a top four PRovoke Media global healthcare agency, FINN's Health Practice is among the agency's largest and fastest-growing divisions. Nashville, the nation's health services capital, is the southeastern hub for FINN, where Cottrill previously served as Senior Partner and Health Group co-lead. The health industry is Nashville's largest economic driver. Data from Nashville Health Care Council shows that the industry contributes an overall economic benefit of $46.7 billion to the local economy annually and generates more than $92 billion globally. Cottrill has played a major role in developing the reputation and growth of the agency's health team. Cottrill joined FINN in 2006. She began her career at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. In 1999, she joined Boston-based public relations firm Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications where she rose to vice president, healthcare and science. Honoring her many industry achievements, Cottrill was named one of Nashville Medical News' "Women to Watch" in 2019 and among Nashville Business Journal's Forty Under 40 in 2012. About FINN Partners, Inc. Founded in 2011 on the core principles of innovation and collaborative partnership, FINN Partners has grown from about $24 million in fees to almost $170 million in fees over ten years, becoming one of the fastest growing independent public relations agencies in the world. The full-service marketing and communications company's record setting pace is a result of organic growth and integrating new companies and new people into the FINN world through a common philosophy. With more than 1,300 professionals across 32 offices, FINN provides clients with global access and capabilities in the Americas, Europe and Asia. FINN Partners clients are also supported through longstanding partner agencies and its membership in the PROI network of leading agencies around the world. Headquartered in New York, FINN has offices in: Atlanta, Bangalore, Beijing, Boston, Chicago, Delhi, Denver, Detroit, Dublin, Fort Lauderdale, Frankfurt, Guam, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Jerusalem, Kuala Lumpur, London, Los Angeles, Manila, Mumbai, Munich, Nashville, Orange County, Paris, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, Singapore, Vancouver and Washington D.C. Find us at finnpartners.com and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @finnpartners. Contact: Karen Orne 615-610-0262 [email protected] SOURCE FINN Partners HealthLynked to Premier 'Forever: The End of Aging' Medical Documentary at CMX CineBistro Theater in Naples, Florida on August 28th NAPLES, Fla., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthLynked Corp. (OTCQB: HLYK), ("HealthLynked" or the "Company") a global healthcare network focused on care management of its members and a provider of healthcare technologies that connect doctors, patients, and medical data, today announced it will be hosting a onetime screening of the documentary 'Forever: The End of Aging' at CMX CineBistro theater on August 28th at 7 pm. CMX CineBistro is located at the Coastland Mall at 2000 9th St N, Naples, FL 34103. Tickets can be requested online at: https://foreverendofagingmovie.com/ or by calling 1-239-799-7116. Seating is limited for this premier screening. 'Forever' was written and directed by award-winning film and television writer Paul Castro, writer of the original screenplay 'August Rush.' The film interviews experts from medical specialties including genomics, cancer diagnostics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, functional and regenerative medicine, and stem cell therapies, while exploring how these technologies are advancing medical treatments that could significantly impact our health and how long we will live. The film features medical experts from around the country including: Bob Gasparini Cancer Genetics; Former President, NeoGenomics Laboratories Cancer Genetics; Former President, NeoGenomics Laboratories Michael Dent , M.D. CEO of HealthLynked Patient Information Network , M.D. CEO of HealthLynked Patient Information Network Chadwick Prodromos , M.D. Stem Cell Therapy , M.D. Stem Cell Therapy Robert Mino , J.D. Healthcare Patent Attorney , J.D. Healthcare Patent Attorney David Perlmutter , M.D. Neurologist and Bestselling Author of 'Grain Brain' and 'Drop Acid' , M.D. Neurologist and Bestselling Author of 'Grain Brain' and 'Drop Acid' Pam Hughes , D.O. Functional Medicine and Nutritional Expert , D.O. Functional Medicine and Nutritional Expert Edwardo Maristany , M.D. Functional Medicine, Genetic Testing, and Hyperbaric Medicine , M.D. Functional Medicine, Genetic Testing, and Hyperbaric Medicine Arnold Pallay , M.D. Clinical Application of Genetic Testing , M.D. Clinical Application of Genetic Testing Randy Miller , M.D. Cosmetic Surgeon , M.D. Cosmetic Surgeon Ryan Smith Founder of Tru Diagnostics Founder of Tru Diagnostics Robert Marx , DDS FACS- Facial Reconstruction , DDS FACS- Facial Reconstruction Jonathan Jay , M.D. - Urologist , M.D. - Urologist Sharon Hausman-Cohen , M.D. Harvard Trained Expert in Medical Genetics , M.D. Harvard Trained Expert in Medical Genetics Dr. Larry Antonucci CEO of Lee Healthcare System Learn more about 'Forever: The End of Aging' at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19296904/ HealthLynked, along with its innovative technologies that improve communication between patients and doctors, is featured in the movie to demonstrate how individuals can participate in medical discoveries through information sharing. Hereditary medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease are caused by lifestyle and genetic factors. In "Forever," HealthLynked will discuss the power of data in determining the roles each of these play in diseases and how this information can lead to improved healthcare for everyone. Dr. Michael Dent, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated "HealthLynked is excited to host the premier viewing of 'Forever: The End of Aging.' We are hopeful that the documentary will be picked up by an online streaming service so that a larger audience can learn more about how HealthLynked is working to advance healthcare through the efficient change of healthcare information. We are hopeful that one day medical conditions such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and even aging will be a thing of the past." The HealthLynked app is available for download on both iOS and Android devices. Apple Android About CMX CineBistro CMX Cinemas opened its first flagship dine-in theatre in April 2017 at Brickell City Centre, Miami, FL, ushering in a new era of luxury movie-going experiences. CMX provides state-of-the-art technology and luxurious reclining leather seats, that can be enjoyed through different types of experiences including: CMX CineBistro, the luxury dine-in theatre concept with in-seat service featuring modern, rustic New-American cuisine from classically trained chefs, CMX Market Cinemas, a gourmet grab-and-go culinary and movie experience, and CMX Cinemas, the upgraded traditional theater with classic concessions. About HealthLynked Corp. HealthLynked Corp. provides a solution for both patient members and providers to improve healthcare through the efficient exchange of medical information. The HealthLynked Network is a cloud-based platform that allows members to connect with their healthcare providers and take more control of their healthcare. Members enter their medical information, including medications, allergies, past surgeries, and personal health records, in one convenient online and secure location, free of charge. Participating healthcare providers can connect with their current and future patients through the system. Benefits to in-network providers include the ability to utilize the HealthLynked patent-pending patient access hub "PAH" for patient analytics. Other benefits for preferred providers include HLYK marketing tools to connect with their active and inactive patients to improve patient retention, access more accurate and current patient information, provide more efficient online scheduling, and to fill last-minute cancelations using the Company's "real-time appointment scheduling" all within its mobile application. Preferred providers pay a monthly fee to access these HealthLynked services. For additional information about HealthLynked Corp., please visit www.healthlynked.com and connect with HealthLynked on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Forward-Looking Statements Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our actual results, including as a result of any acquisitions, performance, or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "may," "could," "expect," "intend," "plan," "seek," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "likely," "will," "would" and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by our management, and us are inherently uncertain. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are made as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any of these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable laws. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. Certain risks and uncertainties applicable to our operations and us are described in the "Risk Factors" section of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in other filings we have made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These reports are publicly available at www.sec.gov. HLYK Contact: George O'Leary Chief Financial Officer [email protected] (800)-928-7144, ext. 103 William Hayde Capital Markets Strategist [email protected] (631)-403-4337 SOURCE HealthLynked Corp. VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (the "Company") - (TSX: ITH) (NYSE: THM) today announced that it has filed its unaudited second quarter Financial Statements and associated Management Discussion and Analysis and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three- and six-month period ended June 30, 2022. As of June 30, 2022, the Company had working capital of US$6.1 million. Shareholders can obtain copies of the Company's unaudited second quarter Financial Statements and associated Management Discussion and Analysis and Form 10-Q on SEDAR at: www.sedar.com, EDGAR at www.sec.gov and on the Company's website at: www.ithmines.com. The Company will also provide hard copies of these documents, free of charge, to shareholders who request a copy directly from the Company. About International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. has a 100% interest in its Livengood Gold Project located along the paved Elliott Highway, 70 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska. On behalf of International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (signed) Karl L. Hanneman Chief Executive Officer This news release is not, and is not to be construed in any way as, an offer to buy or sell securities in the United States. SOURCE International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. Members chose Kinecta as the best financial services provider in Long Beach, South Los Angeles and the Southeast Los Angeles region MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The LA Times hosted the second annual reader's choice poll and Kinecta Federal Credit Union , a leading financial services provider based in the South Bay area of Los Angeles, was voted the number one credit union provider in the South Bay. This means Kinecta's members in the South Bay, Long Beach, South Los Angeles and the Southeast Los Angeles region made Kinecta their first choice for their banking needs. The LA Times hosted the voting in a forum where anyone could nominate and vote for the best people, places and services regionally. And, nominations were done at www.bestofthesouthland.com . "We are truly honored to be recognized by our members and receive this award," said Keith Sultemeier, president and chief executive officer of Kinecta. "We have been headquartered in Southern California for more than 80 years and have always prioritized providing our members with the best financial services available. What's best for Kinecta's member-owners and the communities we serve is our top priority in every decision that we make." Kinecta's ongoing commitment to the community includes partnering with numerous local organizations such as the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation, as well as supporting local events like the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk which raises funds to support the lives of children and young adults with special needs. During 2021, Kinecta, its subsidiaries, and employees donated over $880,000 to charitable causes, volunteered over 5,100 hours and participated in over 225 community events. For more information about Kinecta, visit www.kinecta.org . About Kinecta Federal Credit Union Headquartered in Manhattan Beach, California Kinecta Federal Credit Union is the country's 35 largest credit union, with assets of $6.6 billion and more than 270,000 members from coast to coast. Banking the Southern California area for more than 80 years, with additional branches in New York, New Jersey, Northern California and Florida, Kinecta offers its members a full range of financial products from banking, lending and insurance to wealth management services. Kinecta has been recognized by the Mortgage Bankers Association as a recipient of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Residential Leadership Award, and received the Best of Show award granted by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) Technology Council. Forbes awarded Kinecta as a top-ranked credit union in California on its America's Best Credit Unions in Each State 2022 List. Kinecta has 32 locations and its members can use a network of more than 5,800 shared branches and access over 85,000 fee-free ATMs nationwide. For more information on Kinecta, visit the website and LinkedIn . MEDIA CONTACT: Ryann Checchi, Interdependence PR [email protected] 708-420-4776 SOURCE Kinecta Federal Credit Union Leading Global Payment Platform Expanding Next Gen Markets TOKYO, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- KOMOJU, the flagship payment platform from Degica, is providing a comprehensive suite of payment solutions in Asia for the territory launch of Valve's Steam Deck, the next gen handheld taking the gaming industry by storm. KOMOJU, launched in 2016 by Japan-based Degica, was the first payment platform to turn on Steam in Japan and Korea. It was also the first to turn on payments for Shopify, TikTok and BTS in Japan, and thousands of others worldwide. "The goal for KOMOJU has always been to help bring worldwide merchants to every corner of the globe,' said Jack Momose, CEO of Degica, creators of the KOMOJU platform. "Providing multiple payment solutions to Steam Deck customers in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan is a tremendous honor as we expand our relationship with Valve and pursue our global mission." In addition to providing KOMOJU as a payment platform for Steam in Japan and Korea, employee-owned Degica has worked with dozens of game developers and hardware makers since its inception in 2005. Last year it spun off its games publishing division into a new, independently owned company called Komodo. Komodo Plaza ( https://komodoplaza.com ) offers games and gaming hardware, including the Valve Index VR system, to gamers in Asia and around the world. And, as announced yesterday, Komodo will be handling the logistics, distribution, and support for Valve's Steam Deck in Asia. For further information, please contact: Finn Partners Email: [email protected] +49 69 348726371 ABOUT KOMOJU Established in 2016 by Degica, KOMOJU (an abbreviation of the Japanese phrase "", meaning "purchasing module") provides clients with a global payments platform, with over 50 international partners and more than 4,500 active merchants. Connected to platforms such as Shopify, Wix, WooCommerce and Magento, it offers merchants access to all major payment methods in Asia and beyond, and enables merchants to receive funds in their desired currency, while processing currencies native to local markets. For more information, please visit https://en.komoju.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1630867/KOMOJU_by_Degica_Logo.jpg SOURCE Degica Recognition from Monterey Chamber Comes as Company Celebrates 40th Anniversary MONTEREY, Calif., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Highlighting a year in which the company is celebrating its 40th anniversary in Monterey, LanguageLine Solutions has won the 2022 Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award. The award, which came in the "Services to Businesses" category, was announced at MPCC's annual dinner, which was widely attended by civic leaders in Monterey County. The award is the result of two rounds of voting throughout July by MPCC members and their constituents. Now in its 40th year, LanguageLine wins Business Excellence Award In 1982, LanguageLine Solutions was founded in Monterey. The city has long been known as the "Language Capital of the World" thanks to the presence of the Defense Language Institute, Monterey Institute for International Studies, Naval Post-Graduate School, and LanguageLine. "Forty years ago, LanguageLine was launched in the laundry room of a Monterey rental home," President and CEO Scott W. Klein said. "Since then, we have grown to be one of the largest employers in Monterey County not to mention one that has the privilege of helping the world with every client interaction. We are deeply grateful to all who voted, and we cherish this recognition." Today LanguageLine is the world leader in on-demand interpretation and translation, providing one-touch access to more than 17,000 linguists in more than 240 languages. The company has more than 30,000 clients and handles over 60 million interactions annually. Klein said that while LanguageLine is a global company, it has always stayed close to its Monterey roots. "The Monterey region has long symbolized hard work, loyalty, and dedication to craft," Klein said. "We think LanguageLine symbolizes these attributes, as well. To receive this award as we also celebrate our 40th year of existence makes the recognition extra-special." About LanguageLine Solutions LanguageLine has been the world leader in innovative language-access solutions since 1982. The company sets the global standard for phone, video, and onsite interpreting, as well as translation, localization, and testing and training for bilingual staff and interpreters. LanguageLine is trusted by more than 30,000 clients to enable communication with the limited English proficient, Deaf, and Hard-of-Hearing communities. LanguageLine provides the industry's fastest and most dependable access to more than 17,000 professional linguists in 240-plus languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Media Contact: Scott Brown 831.224.3187 [email protected] SOURCE LanguageLine Solutions Metro Diner marks the holiday with sweet deals at locations nationwide TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The fifth anniversary of National Fried Chicken & Waffle Day will arrive Monday, August 8, and Metro Diner has a celebration to savor. All locations that day will offer the popular dish for dine-in at just $10.99, regularly priced of $15.99. Paired with this offer, Metro Diner is hosting a social contest where one lucky fan has the chance to win FREE Fried Chicken & Waffles for one year. Metro Diner's National Fried Chicken & Waffle Day Metro Diner's famous Fried Chicken & Waffle dish comes with half a fried chicken nestled next to a fluffy Belgian waffle topped with powdered sugar and sweet strawberry butter, served with the diner's signature sweet and spicy sauce. Metro Diner starts preparing the chicken 48 hours before serving; it's brined for 24 hours and then marinated for an additional 24 hours. The dish has been featured on The Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives hosted by celebrity chef Guy Fieri and earns raves from guests, which is why it's no surprise the Fried Chicken & Waffle is the No. 1 dish served at Metro Diner. Since the holiday's inception in 2018, the diner has served over 2.2 million orders that's over 8.8 million pieces of Fried Chicken! "Our guests have helped make Fried Chicken & Waffles a smashing success for breakfast, lunch and dinner," said Metro Diner Co-Chairman Hugh Connerty. "We're excited to have even more to celebrate this year as we mark thirty years of serving diners the comfort foods they love to return to again and again." Joining the Fried Chicken & Waffle festivities, Metro Diner is honoring 30 years of serving hearty American favorites to guests. To celebrate, diners can enjoy the restaurant's Anniversary Diner Flashbacks featuring a rotating menu of past beloved dishes, including the Pittsburgh Steak Salad another Fieri favorite. Tune in online to see what's next. The full menu is available for dine-in, takeout, curbside pick-up, or delivery. Guests may order by visiting www.metrodiner.com. About Metro Diner Established in 1992 by the Davoli family with a single eatery in Jacksonville, Metro Diner is among the nation's fastest growing locally owned and operated family dining concepts, with 59 locations across the country. Metro Diner is known for its warm, welcoming service, large portion sizes and serious diner food. Metro Diner has received many accolades including features on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and Cooking Channel's Cheap Eats. To learn more about Metro Diner, find a full list of locations or place a catering order, visit www.metrodiner.com and "Like" Metro Diner on Facebook, or follow @MetroDiner on Instagram and Twitter. PR Contact: Mariah Kulkin mkulkin[email protected] SOURCE Metro Diner CARLSBAD, N.M., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NextMart, Inc. (the "Company" or "NXMR" - Pink Sheets Alternative Reporting Pink: NXMR) NXMR would like to announce that it has cancelled a significant number of shares of Common Stock to treasury thus lowering its current issued and outstanding Common Stock. Before the above-mentioned Common Stock cancellation, the Company had 415,025,304 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding. After the cancellation, the Company will have 233,933,024 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding. Mr. Maldonado (CEO of the Company), states, "This cancellation of 177,025,304 shares of the Common Stock of the Company will lower our issued and outstanding Common Stock to 237,933,024. This cancellation will effectively reduce the issued and outstanding Common Stock of the Company by more than 43%. This is a huge event for the Company and shows the public market our commitment to our shareholders." Working on an additional 68 million plus shares of Common Stock to cancel. Forward Looking Statement Certain statements that we make may constitute forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The statements contained herein may contain certain forward-looking statements relating to NXMR that are based on the beliefs of NXMR's management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to NXMR's management. These forward-looking statements are, by their nature, subject to significant risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to the NXMR's business prospects, future developments, trends and conditions in the industry and geographical markets in which NXMR operates, its strategies, plans, objectives and goals, its ability to control costs, statements relating to prices, volumes, operations, margins, overall market trends, risk management and exchange rates. ABOUT US NextMart, Inc., a Delaware Corporation, is a public quoted Pink Sheet issuer under the ticker symbol "NXMR". Currently, NXMR currently is a shell company with a new management team with plans to become a current alternative reporting issuer with OTC Markets. The Company is currently looking for an appropriate business acquisition. CONTACT: 4602 West Pierce Street Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220 (602) 359-2231 Company Web Site: https://nextmartcorporation.com/ Emco Oilfield Services, LLC Web Site: https://emcooilfield.com/ Twitter: @CorporationNxmr Company Email: [email protected] SOURCE NextMart, Inc. Program staff available for in-person application assistance August 8-13, 2022 HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mortgage relief is here. Now, in-person support is coming to several community events this month. The Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund, or PAHAF, will have program staff on site at a pop-up PAHAF outreach event at Mifflin County Library in Lewistown on August 8, at two of Penn State's Ag Progress Days on August 9 and 10, and at the Soul School Festival in Philadelphia on August 13. PAHAF, administered by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA), is a housing-related program funded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to assist Pennsylvania homeowners facing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stop by the PAHAF table or booth at these events to learn more information and start an application. Events are open to any interested parties, particularly to Pennsylvania homeowners financially impacted by the pandemic who are seeking assistance with their mortgage and other housing-related expenses. Mifflin County Library | Lewistown, PA When: Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, 1 to 4 p.m. Where: 123 N Wayne St, Lewistown, PA 17044 What: The PAHAF team will be available inside the library to provide program information and application support for interested homeowners. Penn State's Ag Progress Days | Pennsylvania Furnace, PA When: Tuesday, Aug. 9, and Wednesday Aug. 10, 2022, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: 2710 W. Pine Grove Road, Pennsylvania Furnace, PA 16865 Booth # EC115 What: Hosted by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, Ag Progress Days is Pennsylvania's largest outdoor agricultural expo. The PAHAF team will host a booth on Tuesday and Wednesday at this event to provide program information and application support for interested homeowners. Soul School Festival Hosted by PA State Rep. Jordan Harris | Philadelphia, PA When: Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, 1 to 6 p.m. Where: 1800 Block of Washington Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19146 What: PA State Rep. Jordan Harris hosts his annual Soul School Festival bringing together thousands of community members with music, food, and helpful resources. PAHAF and PHFA staff will be available to provide program information and application support and will gather contact details from interested homeowners who would like application assistance at a later date. Those interested in applying at these events can find a list of required documents and program eligibility requirements by visiting www.pahaf.org or contacting the PAHAF call center at 888-987-2423, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. PAHAF Program Details Established through the 2021 American Rescue Plan, PAHAF provides financial assistance to address mortgage delinquencies and avoid default, displacement and foreclosure for eligible Pennsylvania homeowners experiencing financial difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic. The fund provides assistance of up to $30,000 per homeowner for the following mortgage and housing-related expenses: Mortgage Reinstatement : Funds to bring a first mortgage current and to pay other housing-related costs, such as taxes and insurance, if included in the mortgage payment. : Funds to bring a first mortgage current and to pay other housing-related costs, such as taxes and insurance, if included in the mortgage payment. Forward Mortgage Payment : Forward payment assistance for up to 6 months or until the maximum per household assistance cap of the lesser of $30,000 is reached. : Forward payment assistance for up to 6 months or until the maximum per household assistance cap of the lesser of is reached. Property Charges : Funds for past due property taxes, reverse mortgage insurance premiums, homeowner association (HOA) fees, condominium fees, or common charges that put ownership of the property at risk including mortgage foreclosures and displacement of homeowners. : Funds for past due property taxes, reverse mortgage insurance premiums, homeowner association (HOA) fees, condominium fees, or common charges that put ownership of the property at risk including mortgage foreclosures and displacement of homeowners. Utility Payment: Funds to resolve delinquent payments for utility services, including electric, heating/fuel, water, trash and/or sewer bills, particularly if no other assistance program currently exists, and that there is imminent loss of utility disconnection, liens, possible foreclosure, or homeowner displacement. Applicants for all types of assistance except for forward mortgage must be at least 30 days past due on the mortgage payments and/or housing-related expenses for which they are requesting PAHAF assistance to qualify. Visit the website or dial our call center for specific eligibility requirements and funding limits per assistance type. About PHFA The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency works to provide affordable homeownership and rental housing options for older adults, low- and moderate-income families, and people with special housing needs. Through its carefully managed mortgage programs and investments in multifamily housing developments, PHFA also promotes economic development across the state. Since its creation by the legislature in 1972, it has generated more than $15.9 billion of funding for more than 186,412 single-family home mortgage loans, helped fund the construction of 138,000 rental units, distributed approximately $191 million to support local housing initiatives, and saved the homes of more than 50,520 families from foreclosure. PHFA programs and operations are funded primarily by the sale of securities and from fees paid by program users, not by public tax dollars. The agency is governed by a 14-member board. Contact: Mandy McIntyre [email protected] SOURCE Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency Net sales increased 31% year-to-date, with solid growth in both the Fire Safety and Specialty Products businesses Adjusted EBITDA increased 39% year-to-date, with solid growth in both businesses Oil Additives renamed Specialty Products to better reflect the business's current and expanding applications and end-markets CLAYTON, Mo., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Perimeter Solutions, SA (NYSE: PRM) ("Perimeter" or the "Company"), a leading provider of mission-critical firefighting products and services, as well as specialty products used in several end markets, today reported financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2022. Year-to-Date 2022 Results Net sales increased 31% to $158.7 million during the year-to-date period, as compared to $121.0 million in the prior-year period. during the year-to-date period, as compared to in the prior-year period. Fire Safety sales increased 31% to $85.0 million , as compared to $64.8 million in the prior year. , as compared to in the prior year. Specialty Products sales increased 31% to $73.7 million , as compared to $56.2 million in the prior year. , as compared to in the prior year. Net income during the year-to-date period was $45.0 million , or $0.26 per diluted share, an increase of $67.4 million from a net loss of $22.4 million , or $0.42 per diluted share, for the same period of 2021. , or per diluted share, an increase of from a net loss of , or per diluted share, for the same period of 2021. Adjusted EBITDA increased 39% to $47.7 million during the year-to-date period, as compared to $34.3 million in the prior-year period. during the year-to-date period, as compared to in the prior-year period. Fire Safety Adjusted EBITDA increased 11% to $20.9 million , as compared to $18.8 million in the prior year. , as compared to in the prior year. Specialty Products Adjusted EBITDA increased 74% to $26.8 million , as compared to $15.4 million in the prior year. Second Quarter 2022 Results Net sales increased 16% to $101.0 million in the second quarter, as compared to $87.1 million in the prior-year quarter. in the second quarter, as compared to in the prior-year quarter. Fire Safety sales increased 16% to $66.6 million , as compared to $57.2 million in the prior year. , as compared to in the prior year. Specialty Products sales increased 15% to $34.4 million , as compared to $30.0 million in the prior year. , as compared to in the prior year. Net income during the second quarter was $7.2 million , or $0.04 per diluted share, an increase of $11.0 million from a net loss of $3.8 million , or $0.07 per diluted share, for the same period of 2021. , or per diluted share, an increase of from a net loss of , or per diluted share, for the same period of 2021. Adjusted EBITDA increased 15% to $35.7 million in the second quarter, as compared to $31.1 million in the prior-year quarter. in the second quarter, as compared to in the prior-year quarter. Fire Safety Adjusted EBITDA increased 3% to $24.2 million , as compared to $23.5 million in the prior year. , as compared to in the prior year. Specialty Products Adjusted EBITDA increased 50% to $11.5 million , as compared to $7.7 million in the prior year. Conference Call and Webcast As previously announced, Perimeter Solutions management will hold a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, August 5, 2022 to discuss financial results for the second quarter 2022. The conference call can be accessed by dialing (877) 407-9764 (toll-free) or (201) 689-8551 (toll). The conference call will also be webcast simultaneously on Perimeter's website (https://ir.perimeter-solutions.com/), accessed under the Investor Relations page. The webcast link will be made available on the Company's website prior to the start of the call; go to the investor relations page of our website to the News & Events menu and click on "Events & Presentations." A slide presentation will also be available for reference during the conference call; go to the investor relations page of our website to the News & Events menu and click on "Events & Presentations." Following the live webcast, a replay will be available on the Company's website. A telephonic replay will also be available approximately two hours after the call and can be accessed by dialing (877) 660-6853 (toll-free) or (201) 612-7415 (toll). The telephonic replay will be available until September 5, 2022. About Perimeter Solutions Perimeter Solutions is a leading global solutions provider, providing high-quality firefighting products and specialty products used in several end markets. The Company's business is organized and managed in two reporting segments: Fire Safety and Specialty Products, formerly Oil Additives. The Fire Safety segment consists of formulating, manufacture and sale of fire retardants and firefighting foams that assist in combating various types of fires, including wildland, structural, flammable liquids and others. Our Fire Safety segment also offers specialized equipment and services, typically in conjunction with our fire management products, to support our customers' firefighting operations. Our specialized equipment includes airbase retardant storage, mixing, and delivery equipment; mobile retardant bases; retardant ground application units; mobile foam equipment; and equipment that we custom design and manufacture to meet specific customer needs. Our service network can meet the emergency resupply needs of over 150 air tanker bases in North America, as well as many other customer locations in North America and internationally. The segment is built on the premise of superior technology, exceptional responsiveness to our customers' needs, and a "never-fail" service network. The segment sells products to government agencies and commercial customers around the world. In June 2022, the Oil Additives segment, which produces and sells Phosphorus Pentasulfide ("P 2 S 5 "), was renamed the Specialty Products segment to better reflect the current and expanding applications for P 2 S 5 in several end markets and applications, including lubricant additives, various agricultural applications, various mining applications, and emerging electric battery technologies. Within the lubricant additive end market, currently our largest end market application, P 2 S 5 is primarily used in the production of a family of compounds called Zinc Dialkyldithiophosphates ("ZDDP"), which is considered an essential component in the formulation of engine oils with its main function to provide anti-wear protection to engine components. Forward-looking Information This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "goal," "seek," "believe," "project," "estimate," "expect," "strategy," "future," "likely," "may," "should," "will" and similar references to future periods. Any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance or results, and involve risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond the Company's control) and assumptions. Although Perimeter believes any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect Perimeter's actual financial results and cause them to differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements, including the risk factors described from time to time by us in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including, but not limited to, the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on March 31, 2022. Shareholders, potential investors and other readers should consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made by Perimeter in this press release speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Perimeter undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law. PERIMETER SOLUTIONS, SA AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) (in thousands, except share and per share data) (Unaudited) Successor Predecessor Successor Predecessor Three Months Ended June 30, 2022 Three Months Ended June 30, 2021 Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 Net sales $ 100,965 $ 87,121 $ 158,723 $ 121,046 Cost of goods sold 72,423 48,840 117,050 73,814 Gross profit 28,542 38,281 41,673 47,232 Operating expenses: Selling, general and administrative expense 22,614 18,284 42,422 27,211 Amortization expense 13,802 13,293 27,657 26,542 Founders advisory fees - related party (20,465) (80,313) Other operating expense 260 441 456 753 Total operating expenses 16,211 32,018 (9,778) 54,506 Operating income (loss) 12,331 6,263 51,451 (7,274) Other expense (income): Interest expense, net 12,142 8,035 22,638 15,886 (Gain) loss on contingent earn-out (9,398) 2,763 (9,398) 2,763 Unrealized foreign currency loss (gain) 3,156 (540) 4,036 2,258 Other (income) expense, net (200) (44) (35) (318) Total other expense, net 5,700 10,214 17,241 20,589 Income (loss) before income taxes 6,631 (3,951) 34,210 (27,863) Income tax benefit 592 103 10,824 5,486 Net income (loss) 7,223 (3,848) 45,034 (22,377) Other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax: Foreign currency translation adjustments (16,371) 562 (16,245) (404) Total comprehensive (loss) income $ (9,148) $ (3,286) $ 28,789 $ (22,781) Earnings (loss) per share: Basic $ 0.04 $ (0.07) $ 0.28 $ (0.42) Diluted $ 0.04 $ (0.07) $ 0.26 $ (0.42) Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding: Basic 162,917,478 53,045,510 161,591,704 53,045,510 Diluted 177,059,844 53,045,510 175,734,070 53,045,510 PERIMETER SOLUTIONS, SA AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands, except share and per share data) June 30, 2022 December 31, 2021 Assets (Unaudited) Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 125,502 $ 225,554 Accounts receivable, net 68,458 24,319 Inventories 123,065 110,087 Income tax receivable 25,608 816 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 6,763 14,161 Total current assets 349,396 374,937 Property, plant, and equipment, net 59,155 62,247 Goodwill 1,031,219 1,041,325 Customer lists, net 730,339 753,459 Technology and patents, net 239,043 247,368 Tradenames, net 96,960 100,005 Other assets, net 1,992 2,219 Total assets $ 2,508,104 $ 2,581,560 Liabilities and Shareholders Equity Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 42,967 $ 27,469 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 22,876 19,025 Founders advisory fees payable - related party 27,116 53,547 Deferred revenue 5,387 445 Total current liabilities 98,346 100,486 Long-term debt 664,696 664,128 Deferred income taxes 304,993 298,633 Founders advisory fees payable - related party 191,031 312,242 Redeemable preferred shares 99,312 96,867 Redeemable preferred shares - related party 3,215 3,699 Other non-current liabilities 12,643 22,195 Total liabilities 1,374,236 1,498,250 Commitments and contingencies Shareholders' equity: Ordinary shares, $1 nominal value per share; 4,000,000,000 shares authorized; 163,234,542 and 157,237,435 shares issued; 162,637,029 and 157,237,435 shares outstanding at June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively 163,235 157,237 Treasury shares, at cost; 597,513 shares at June 30, 2022 and no shares at December 31, 2021 (5,008) Additional paid-in capital 1,690,812 1,670,033 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (23,380) (7,135) Accumulated deficit (691,791) (736,825) Total shareholders' equity 1,133,868 1,083,310 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 2,508,104 $ 2,581,560 PERIMETER SOLUTIONS, SA AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (in thousands) (Unaudited) Successor Predecessor Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 Cash flows from operating activities: Net income (loss) $ 45,034 $ (22,377) Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash used in operating activities: Founders advisory fees - related party (change in accounting fair value) (80,313) Depreciation and amortization expense 33,086 30,381 Interest and payment-in-kind on preferred shares 3,268 Share-based compensation 12,465 Deferred income taxes 7,648 2,242 Amortization of deferred financing costs 793 1,621 Amortization of acquisition related inventory step-up 27,315 (Gain) loss on contingent earn-out (9,398) 2,763 Unrealized loss on foreign currency 4,036 2,258 Loss on disposal of assets 9 Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions: Accounts receivable (44,477) (37,994) Inventories (41,431) (19,472) Income tax receivable (24,778) (5,848) Prepaid expenses and current other assets 7,301 4,761 Other assets 229 Accounts payable 15,834 26,263 Deferred revenue 4,991 6,415 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 2,789 (1,559) Founders advisory fees - related party (cash settled) (53,547) Other liabilities 24 (199) Net cash used in operating activities (89,351) (10,516) Cash flows from investing activities: Purchase of property and equipment (4,006) (3,507) Purchase price adjustment under Business Combination Agreement (1,638) Purchase of businesses, net of cash acquired (6,264) Net cash used in investing activities (5,644) (9,771) Cash flows from financing activities: Ordinary shares repurchased (5,008) Proceeds from exercise of warrants 529 Proceeds from revolving credit facility 7,500 Repayments of revolving credit facility (3,000) Repayments of long-term debt (2,808) Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities (4,479) 1,692 Effect of foreign currency on cash and cash equivalents (578) 158 Net change in cash and cash equivalents (100,052) (18,437) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 225,554 22,478 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 125,502 $ 4,041 Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information: Cash paid for interest $ 17,919 $ 14,266 Cash paid for income taxes $ 6,572 $ 946 Non-cash investing and financing activities: Liability portion of founders advisory fees - related party reclassified to additional paid in capital $ 13,783 $ Non-GAAP Financial Metrics Adjusted EBITDA The computation of adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income plus income tax expense, net interest and other financing expenses, and depreciation and amortization, adjusted on a consistent basis for certain non-recurring, unusual or non-operational items in a balanced manner. These items include (i) expenses related to the Business Combination, (ii) founder advisory fee expenses, (iii) stock compensation expense, (iv) non-cash impact of purchase accounting on the cost of inventory sold, (v) contingent future payment related to an acquired business, (vi) management fees related to the services provided by SK Capital Partners IV-A, L.P. and SK Capital Partners IV-B, L.P (collectively, the "Sponsor") when acting in a management capacity and (vii) unrealized foreign currency loss (gain). To supplement the Company's consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, Perimeter is providing a summary to show the computations of adjusted EBITDA, which is a non-U.S.GAAP measure used by the Company's management and by external users of Perimeter's financial statements, such as investors, commercial banks and others, to assess the Company's operating performance as compared to that of other companies, without regard to financing methods, capital structure or historical cost basis. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered an alternative to net income (loss), operating income (loss), cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities or any other measure of financial performance or liquidity presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP (in thousands). Successor Predecessor Successor Predecessor (Unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30, 2022 Three Months Ended June 30, 2021 Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 Income (loss) before income taxes $ 6,631 $ (3,951) $ 34,210 $ (27,863) Depreciation and amortization 16,715 15,235 33,086 30,381 Interest and financing expense 12,142 8,040 22,638 15,891 Founders advisory fees - related party (20,465) (80,313) Non-recurring expenses 1 2,144 8,660 3,620 8,950 Share-based compensation expense 6,741 12,465 Non-cash purchase accounting impact 2 18,016 27,315 (Gain) loss on contingent earn-out (9,398) 2,763 (9,398) 2,763 Management fees 3 313 625 Contingent future payments 4 625 1,250 Unrealized foreign currency loss (gain) 3,156 (540) 4,036 2,258 Adjusted EBITDA $ 35,682 $ 31,145 $ 47,659 $ 34,255 Net sales $ 100,965 $ 87,121 $ 158,723 $ 121,046 (1) Adjustment to reflect non-recurring professional fees and integration costs including expenses related to the business combination with Perimeter Solutions. (2) Represents the non-cash impact of purchase accounting on the cost of inventory sold in connection with the business combination with Perimeter Solutions.. The inventory acquired received a purchase accounting step-up in basis, which is a non-cash adjustment to the cost. (3) Adjustment to reflect fees pertaining to services provided by the Sponsor when acting in a management capacity on strategic and other non-operational matters which do not represent expenses incurred in the normal course of our operations. These fees did not continue following the closing of the business combination. (4) Adjustment to reflect deferred consideration paid with respect to a 2019 acquisition. SOURCE Perimeter Solutions From Artificial Intelligence to the Arts and Gaming, Industry Experts Touch on Some of the Most Prominent Topics in Computer Graphics CHICAGO, Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SIGGRAPH 2022 highlights the many voices that have facilitated the evolution of computer graphics and interactive techniques. The Frontiers and Retrospective programs feature pioneers and industry experts in panels and workshops for a passionate look at untold stories, influential voices, emerging topics, and new breakthroughs. The 49th annual conference runs 811 August in person, and virtually 25 July31 October 2022. The Frontiers and Retrospective Programs at SIGGRAPH 2022 Showcase How Legacy Drives Innovation. Tweet this "Art in the Age of AI: Can Computers Create Art? 2022 Aaron Hertzmann, Adobe Research The Retrospective program brings together the pioneers and leaders who have enabled computer graphics to improve lives. Panel topics have pioneers and practitioners taking ideas into new directions, compelling the industry to rethink assumptions, take risks, and achieve greatness. Panel topics include foundational events in computer graphics, how computer graphics impacts lives, how interfaces to computer graphics have evolved, and the groundbreakers and the unheard voices that have expanded computer graphics and user interfaces. The Frontiers program aims to identify emerging fields and introduce new communities to SIGGRAPH, where we hope to form future partnerships and collaborations with sectors we may not have previously considered. The goal of the program is to make these conferences the place where new, exciting technologies in and adjacent to computer graphics and interactive techniques are being discovered and advanced. Through a series of talks and workshops, the Frontiers program aims to spark research and innovation in new areas such as AR/VR, AI, robotics, arts, visualization, gaming, responsible innovation, and more. "While many computer graphics advancements have been recorded in textbooks and archives, there are still many noteworthy yet untold stories and unheard voices," said Benjamin Lok, SIGGRAPH 2022 Retrospective program chair. "With our Retrospective panels, we go behind the images with a wide range of people and hear about their journeys to learn about critical moments, foundational events, and advancements that are impacting all of us today." Highlights of the Retrospective program include: Breaking New Ground: Establishing Graphics Worldwide Moderator: Mary Whitton, UNC Chapel Hill (Dept. of Computer Science, retired) Panelists: Jon Meads, NW Old Boys Rugby Club (retired); Maxine Brown, University of Illinois Chicago; Marcelo Knorich Zuffo, Universidade de Sao Paulo; Joaquim Jorge, Universidade de Lisboa (ULisboa), INESC-ID Computer graphics pioneers share how computer graphics expanded both throughout the United States and into different parts of the world. Their lessons learned along the way can be applied by today's professionals for continued groundbreaking work in today's new and fluid landscape. Pioneers in Computer Graphics Moderator: Masha Shugrina, NVIDIA Corporation Panelists: Carolina Cruz-Neira, University of Central Florida; Holly Rushmeier, Yale University; Joan Collins, ACM SIGGRAPH, West Coast Pictures, LLC; Theresa-Marie Rhyne, theresamarierhyne.com; Kristine Middlemiss, monstersaliensrobotszombies.com Powerful Women in Graphics panelists share industry and academic viewpoints and career journeys that have contributed to the historic advancements in computer graphics. Participants learn about opportunities on the horizon for the women in technology community and how the past can influence the future in this exciting time of growth. Computer Graphics Disruptions in Art, Science, Visualization, Engineering, and Modeling Moderator: Brian Wyvill, University of Victoria Panelists: Yoichiro Kawaguchi, The University of Tokyo (Emeritus); Eugene Fiume, Simon Fraser University; David Kasik, ACM SIGGRAPH; Alyn Rockwood, ACM SIGGRAPH Diverse panelists, all of them innovators and disruptors, look at how computer graphics is used to change the worlds of art, science, engineering, and at the core of computer graphics itself modeling. Their pathways to success serve as an inspiration for young SIGGRAPHers looking to make disruptions in their own chosen fields. "Advancements in artificial intelligence, as well as augmented and virtual reality presents the need to talk about the latest in computer graphics to connect users to virtual environments and more," stated Vathsal Veena Shashidhar, SIGGRAPH 2022 Frontiers program chair. "The talks and workshops allow us, as innovators, to cover these topics and much more. We can inspire and influence creators to make their impact in the physical and virtual worlds." Highlights of the Frontiers program include: Metric Telepresence Using Codec Avatars Contributor: Yaser Sheikh, Meta Research Yaser Sheikh of Meta Reality Labs discusses progress toward achieving metric telepresence. He describes Meta's approach using codec avatars neural networks to address computer vision and computer graphics problems in signal transmission and reception of photorealistic avatars. He also introduces the large-scale systems required to train codec avatars, visually and acoustically, and the research challenges ahead to achieve metric telepresence at scale. Art in the Age of AI: Can Computers Create Art? Contributor: Aaron Hertzmann, Adobe Research Can AI algorithms make art and be considered artists? Within the past decade, the growth of new neural network algorithms has enabled exciting new artforms with considerable public interest. Aaron Hertzmann discusses how these developments parallel the development of previous artistic technologies, like oil paint, photography, and traditional computer graphics. Access to the Retrospective and Frontiers programs at SIGGRAPH 2022 is available in person and online. Learn more and register for the conference at s2022.SIGGRAPH.org/register. About ACM, ACM SIGGRAPH, and SIGGRAPH 2022 ACM , the Association for Computing Machinery, is the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources, and address the field's challenges. ACM SIGGRAPH is a special interest group within ACM that serves as an interdisciplinary community for members in research, technology, and applications in computer graphics and interactive techniques. The SIGGRAPH conference is the world's leading annual interdisciplinary educational experience showcasing the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques. SIGGRAPH 2022, the 49th annual conference hosted by ACM SIGGRAPH, will take place as a hybrid event, with live events 811 August at the Vancouver Contention Centre and virtual content available starting 25 July through 31 October. Click here for news from the conference and its partners. SOURCE SIGGRAPH Technavio identifies Abengoa SA, BrightSource Energy Inc., Canadian Solar Inc., ENGIE SA, First Solar Inc., JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd., Scatec ASA, Tata Power Co. Ltd., Waaree Energies Ltd., and Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. as some of the major market participants. The market is primarily driven by the presence of sunny climatic conditions in Brazil. Brazil is located in a latitude zone where the incidence of solar radiation is maximum than the rest of the globe. This has significantly boosted the solar power sector in the country over the years. In addition, trends such as the increasing usage of renewable electricity will have a positive impact on the growth of the market. However, the slow growth in photovoltaic systems, high construction and maintenance of solar power plants, and the inclination toward hydropower plants will hamper the growth opportunities of market players. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. View Sample Report Here The solar power market in Brazil is segmented as below: End-user Utility Rooftop The utility segment held the largest share of the market in 2021. The market growth in the segment will be significant during the forecast period. Application Grid-connected Off-grid By application, the grid-connected segment will account for maximum revenue generation in the market. Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our solar power market in Brazil report covers the following areas: Solar Power Market in Brazil 2022-2026: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the solar power market in Brazil. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research report on the solar power market in Brazil in designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Solar Power Market in Brazil 2022-2026: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026 Detailed information on factors that will assist solar power market growth in Brazil during the next five years during the next five years Estimation of the solar power market size in Brazil and its contribution to the parent market and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the solar power market in Brazil Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of solar power market vendors in Brazil Related Reports: Solar Power Market in Brazil: Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Decelerate at a CAGR of 47.24% Market growth 2022-2026 89.57 TWh units Market structure Concentrated YoY growth (%) 58.96 Regional analysis Brazil Performing market contribution Brazil at 100% Key consumer countries Brazil Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Abengoa SA, BrightSource Energy Inc., Canadian Solar Inc., ENGIE SA, First Solar Inc., JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd., Scatec ASA, Tata Power Co. Ltd., Waaree Energies Ltd., and Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Table Of Contents : 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Market Overview Exhibit 01: Key Finding 1 Exhibit 02: Key Finding 2 Exhibit 03: Key Finding 5 Exhibit 04: Key Finding 6 Exhibit 05: Key Finding 7 2. Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem 2.1.1 Parent Market Exhibit 06: Parent market Exhibit 07: Market characteristics 2.2 Value chain analysis Exhibit 08: Value chain analysis : Renewable Electricity 2.2.1 Inputs 2.2.2 Electricity generation 2.2.3 Electricity transmission 2.2.4 Electricity distribution 2.2.5 End-users 2.2.6 Innovations 3. Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 09: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 10: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2021 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021 - 2026 3.4.1 Estimating growth rates for emerging and high-growth markets 3.4.2 Estimating growth rates for mature markets Exhibit 11: Global - Market size and forecast 2021 - 2026 (TWh) Exhibit 12: Global market: Year-over-year growth 2021 - 2026 (%) 4. Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five Forces Summary Exhibit 13: Five forces analysis 2021 & 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 14: Bargaining power of buyers 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 15: Bargaining power of suppliers 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 16: Threat of new entrants 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 17: Threat of substitutes 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 18: Threat of rivalry 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 19: Market condition - Five forces 2021 5. Market Segmentation by Application 5.1 Market segments The segments covered in this chapter are: Grid-connected Off-grid Exhibit 20: Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 5.2 Comparison by Application Exhibit 21: Comparison by Application 5.3 Grid-connected - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 22: Grid-connected - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (TWh) Exhibit 23: Grid-connected - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 Off-grid - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 24: Off-grid - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (TWh) Exhibit 25: Off-grid - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Market opportunity by Application Exhibit 26: Market opportunity by Application 6. Market Segmentation by End-user 6.1 Market segments The segments covered in this chapter are: Utility Rooftop Exhibit 27: End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 6.2 Comparison by End-user Exhibit 28: Comparison by End-user 6.3 Utility - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 29: Utility - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (TWh) Exhibit 30: Utility - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 6.4 Rooftop - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 31: Rooftop - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (TWh) Exhibit 32: Rooftop - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 6.5 Market opportunity by End-user Exhibit 33: Market opportunity by End-user 7. Customer landscape Technavio's customer landscape matrix comparing Drivers or price sensitivity, Adoption lifecycle, importance in customer price basket, Adoption rate and Key purchase criteria 7.1 Overview Exhibit 34: Customer landscape 8. Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.1.1 Sunny climatic conditions 8.1.2 Provides ecological balance 8.1.3 Uplifting factor for the economy 8.2 Market challenges 8.2.1 Slow growth in photovoltaic system 8.2.2 High cost of construction and maintenance 8.2.3 Inclination towards hydropower plants. Exhibit 35: Impact of drivers and challenges 8.3 Market trends 8.3.1 Increasing renewable electricity usage 8.3.2 A large portion of household, agricultural, and industrial users can fulfill their own energy requirements 8.3.3 Increasing electricity demand 9. Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview Exhibit 36: Vendor landscape 9.2 Landscape disruption Exhibit 37: Landscape disruption Exhibit 38: Industry risks 9.3 Competitive Landscape 10. Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 39: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 40: Market positioning of vendors 10.3 Abengoa SA Exhibit 41: Abengoa SA - Overview Exhibit 42: Abengoa SA - Product and service Exhibit 43: Abengoa SA - Key offerings 10.4 BrightSource Energy Inc. Exhibit 44: BrightSource Energy Inc. - Overview Exhibit 45: BrightSource Energy Inc. - Product and service Exhibit 46: BrightSource Energy Inc. - Key offerings 10.5 Canadian Solar Inc. Exhibit 47: Canadian Solar Inc. - Overview Exhibit 48: Canadian Solar Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 49: Canadian Solar Inc. - Key news Exhibit 50: Canadian Solar Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 51: Canadian Solar Inc. - Segment focus 10.6 ENGIE SA Exhibit 52: ENGIE SA - Overview Exhibit 53: ENGIE SA - Business segments Exhibit 54: ENGIE SA - Key offerings Exhibit 55: ENGIE SA - Segment focus 10.7 First Solar Inc. Exhibit 56: First Solar Inc. - Overview Exhibit 57: First Solar Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 58: First Solar Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 59: First Solar Inc. - Segment focus 10.8 JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. Exhibit 60: JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 61: JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 62: JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. - Key news Exhibit 63: JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 64: JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. - Segment focus 10.9 Scatec ASA Exhibit 65: Scatec ASA - Overview Exhibit 66: Scatec ASA - Business segments Exhibit 67: Scatec ASA - Key news Exhibit 68: Scatec ASA - Key offerings Exhibit 69: Scatec ASA - Segment focus 10.10 Tata Power Co. Ltd. Exhibit 70: Tata Power Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 71: Tata Power Co. Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 72: Tata Power Co. Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 73: Tata Power Co. Ltd. - Segment focus 10.11 Waaree Energies Ltd. Exhibit 74: Waaree Energies Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 75: Waaree Energies Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 76: Waaree Energies Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 77: Waaree Energies Ltd. - Segment focus 10.12 Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. Exhibit 78: Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 79: Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 80: Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 81: Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. - Segment focus 11. Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.1.1 Market definition 11.1.2 Objectives 11.1.3 Notes and caveats 11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 82: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.3 Research Methodology Exhibit 83: Research Methodology Exhibit 84: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 85: Information sources 11.4 List of abbreviations Exhibit 86: List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio Tequity's Client, Emelar Consulting Group, a full-service Salesforce consulting firm with expertise that includes Manufacturing and Revenue Management, has been acquired by Diabsolut Both firms gain added proficiency in Salesforce Field Service, Revenue Cloud, CPQ, and Billing. TORONTO, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tequity, a leading M&A Advisory firm specializing in global Enterprise B2B Cloud, SaaS, and IT companies, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Emelar Consulting Group in their acquisition by Salesforce expert and innovative cloud solution provider, Diabsolut. Emelar is a Salesforce consulting partner specializing in CPQ and Salesforce Field Service and is known for their success assisting manufacturing organizations address business concerns. Tequity Announces Its 22nd Salesforce M&A Transaction (PRNewsfoto/Tequity Advisors) The overall goal of the acquisition was to increase the amount of experience, services, benefits, and value delivered to both Diabsolut and Emelar's clients. "As a close-knit organization that strives to provide exceptional value and returns for our clients, we are delighted to join forces with a like-minded organization in Diabsolut," said Jesse Theiler, Founder and CEO of Emelar. "Our combined commitment to client empowerment will provide clients with even deeper Salesforce expertise, particularly Salesforce Field Service, additional experience and capabilities with enterprise clients, and the ability to provide FinancialForce solutions across new verticals," Mr. Theiler stated, "We're eager to bring our CPQ expertise and deep manufacturing sector experience to Diabsolut." On continuing Emelar's philanthropy post-acquisition, Mr. Theiler said, "I'm excited about our cultural alignment and importantly, we've gained a great partner in our ongoing mission to provide support for young adults with autism and raising autism awareness. This is a perfect situation for our clients, partners and staff alike." "Working with Tequity has truly been a great experience!" said Mr. Theiler. "Tequity's professionalism and business acumen on topics such as the Salesforce ecosystem, technology, and growth is simply outstanding. Combined with their Salesforce ecosystem experience, choosing them to be our broker was a no-brainer. I first met Alex at Dreamforce in 2017 and, keeping in touch through the years, we would talk about business and the ecosystem for a few years. When it was time to grow through M&A it was an opportunity to work even closer. Alex was the first (and only) person I called. Great people; even greater partners! Thank you, Alex and team, for your exceptional advice and partnership through the years." After the acquisition of Foundry52 in 2021 (also led by Tequity), the acquisition of Emelar will further cement Diabsolut's reputation as Field Service and Revenue Cloud experts, while expanding the capabilities they offer for manufacturing organizations. "We are elated to have found an organization like Emelar, who is so closely aligned with our culture and dedication for delivering customer success," said Elie Hossari, President of Diabsolut. "Jesse's mission for Emelar, his community outreach, Emelar's passion for helping clients reach their goals in the best way possible - Emelar and Diabsolut's values come from the same playbook, and we're looking forward to a great future together." Mr. Hossari continued, "We're also excited to put Emelar's manufacturing experience together with our enterprise experience, to continue to grow our capabilities in the Manufacturing, Automotive and Energy segment, and add a pool of high quality senior technical resources with specialties in Manufacturing, Revenue Cloud, CPQ, and Billing. Ultimately, we are increasing short- and long-term benefits for both current and future clients." The addition of Emelar brings combined expertise in Field Service and Asset Management; CPQ, Billing and Revenue; CRM / Customer 360 Platform / Communities; Financial Force ERP; and Higher Education and Not-for-Profit. It further strengthens consulting services across implementations and integrations, advisory and managed services, development and support, change management and training, and talent management. "This was our second experience working with Tequity on the buy side. There are three things I really appreciate about working with the Tequity team. Firstly, they're great matchmakers and have a real knack for putting the right buyer and seller together - on both occasions the cultural fit of the organizations has been excellent and from a buyer's perspective, that's critical. Secondly, they are very straight shooters and do a great job at keeping buyer and seller aligned on expectations, I always know that I'll get really straight, honest, and most importantly, realistic feedback about how we're approaching a potential deal as a buyer. Finally, I appreciate the way that Tequity supports their clients and deals: where high touch is needed, it's provided; but where buyer and seller are moving through the process happily together, the touch is lower from the Tequity side. They're there when needed but aren't overbearing in their involvement," said Andy Prince, Chief Innovation Officer, Diabsolut. About Emelar Consulting Group Emelar Consulting Group is a Salesforce consulting partner specializing in CPQ and Salesforce Field Service, which helps organizations significantly improve performance, efficiencies, and bottom-line results through the Salesforce platform. We have proven successes in supporting manufacturing organizations of all sizes to solve big business problems. About Diabsolut Diabsolut is a Salesforce Summit Consulting Partner and has been a FinancialForce partner since 2014. We have nearly 20 years of experience implementing Salesforce, Field Service, Revenue, and Higher Education solutions throughout North America. Our team of experts is uniquely positioned to identify and resolve the challenges that many organizations face, with rapid time to value results no matter where they are in their transformation journey. About Tequity Tequity assists Enterprise B2B SaaS, Cloud, and IT companies with business growth and exit strategies. Our mission is simple: achieve the best outcome for our clients. With decades of combined experience as executives, consultants, and owners of software and technology companies, we leverage our deep industry knowledge across tech ecosystems and our relationships with strategic, growth-focused buyers around the globe to drive successful M&A transactions. For more information visit www.tequityadvisors.com Media Contact Info for more details: Diane Horton Managing Partner, Tequity Advisors T: 416.993.1734 | E: [email protected] SOURCE Tequity Advisors OKLAHOMA CITY,, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 7, The Journal Record honored Oklahoma businesses for their contributions to the community at the 15th annual Beacon Awards celebration. MidFirst Bank is honored to be the recipient of the Beacon Award for Charitable Impact. https://journalrecord.com/2022/07/07/journal-record-reveals-2022-winners-of-beacon-awards/ According to The Journal Record, organizations in the charitable influence category demonstrate a company culture that encourages and supports volunteerism, charitable giving and community involvement by its members. MidFirst was nominated for its Pink Card, one of many cause-related Visa debit cards offered by the bank. The Pink Card program has raised more than $2.5 million for breast cancer research and awareness in Oklahoma since its launch in 2008. Supporting breast cancer research is important to MidFirst Bank, and their Pink Visa Debit Card program invites customers to join in this effort. To date, there are more than 10,400 Pink Card holders across Oklahoma. New customers who open a MidFirst checking account with direct deposit and use the Pink Visa Debit Card will automatically generate a $50 donation from MidFirst Bank to either the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center or Oklahoma Project Woman. In addition, each Pink Card transaction generates a donation of 5 cents when a customer conducts at least six transactions per month. "Not only has the Pink Card program involved our employees, but it also involves the communities that MidFirst Bank serves," says MidFirst Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Records. "This cause-related card has been consistently requested by both new and existing customers, which makes the funds raised to date a true community-wide effort." MidFirst is proud to be the presenting sponsor of the OKC Dodgers Pack the Park Pink and the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, as well as the Research Pillar sponsor for the More Than Pink OKC Walk. The OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center is the recipient of the Pink Card donations in Oklahoma City, receiving more than $2 million to date. Additionally, Oklahoma Project Woman has received more than $300,000 in Pink Card donations in Tulsa. Through similar debit card programs, MidFirst Bank customers have also helped raise more than $1 million for the American Heart Association and more than $500,000 for Arts Council Oklahoma City. The bank also partners with local schools to offer fundraising debit card programs. "We are honored and humbled to have been selected as the Beacon Award for Charitable Impact winner by the Journal Record," says Jordan Jackson, Director of Charitable Giving. "It's a privilege to work for a company that continues to invest deeply in the communities it serves." About MidFirst Bank The Oklahoma City-based MidFirst Bank is the largest privately owned bank in the country, with $33 billion in assets. It has banking centers in Oklahoma, Arizona, Colorado and Texas. MidFirst Bank also operates 1st Century Bank as a division of MidFirst Bank in Southern California. SOURCE MidFirst Bank DUBLIN, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Residential Security: Competitive Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report analyzes today's U.S. residential security system market, its players, and market dynamics affecting the industry. This report assesses key trends shaping the competitive landscape of the residential security arena. It compares key performance indicators and company strengths by evaluating innovation strategy, assessing partnerships, and growth strategies. The report focuses on major players with a high volume of subscribers, including ADT, Vivint, Comcast, Xfinity, and SimpliSafe among others. Companies seeking a piece of the U.S. marketplace for security systems and their smart home adjacencies benefit from understanding their competitors' positioning. Key Topics Covered: Residential Security Market Major Security Players Professional Monitoring Revenue and Market Share Fierce Competition NPS Scores and Home Security A Changing Structure for the Residential Security Industry COVID-19 Impact and Views of "Safe Enough" Increased Use of Interactive Services Diversified Mix of Professional Monitoring Services Competitive Analysis Affordability Differentiation of Features Consolidation & Partnership Strength of the Channel Creating a Unified Point of Control Depth of Offerings Competitive Profiles ADT Vivint Smart Home Brinks Home Canary Security Amazon/Ring SimpliSafe Wyze ARLO Technologies Google Nest Xfinity Home Cox Communications - Homelife Competitors on the Horizon Abode Systems, Inc. Cove Kangaroo ecobee Implications about Competitive Strategies Appendix Companies Researched or Interviewed for Report List of Figures Contributors List of Figures Home Security System Ownership Professional vs. Self-monitoring in US Security System Households Major US Security Providers Positioning of Select Home Security Systems and Devices US Revenue Forecast in End-User Dollars Customer Changes Made to Security Systems in 12 months Before Survey Likelihood of Switching Monitoring Provider US History and Forecast for Professionally Monitored Security Systems NPS for Top Professional Monitoring Providers NPS for Top Professional Monitoring Providers Current Market Structure for Residential Security Future Market Structure Most Important Features of a Security System Average Monthly Fee for Professional Monitoring Installation Method for the 12 Months Prior to Survey Professional Monitoring Fees by Company Average Upfront Costs of Home Security System, by Installation Method Average Price Paid of Select Smart Home Devices Payment Method Used to Acquire Security System AI Features by Security System Provider Major Provider Partnerships Security System Purchase Channels Security System Type, by Provider Top Platforms for Smart Home Device Control Features by Provider Key Activities by Provider For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/iaznwh Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets New Anniversary Video Highlights Viking's History and Leadership LOS ANGELES, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Viking (www.viking.com) is celebrating today the company's 25th anniversary and its leadership in travel. To commemorate the anniversary, Viking has released a new video message from Chairman Torstein Hagen as he reflects on the company's key milestones since its founding on August 5, 1997. The new video can be viewed here on Viking's website, as well as here on Viking's award-winning enrichment channel, Viking.TV. All this week, Viking.TV daily programming has centered on Norwegian culture and history as a tribute to the Hagen family's Norwegian heritage. "I am proud of all that we have accomplished in these 25 years. First, we invented modern river voyages; then, we reinvented ocean voyages with our destination-focused approach; now, we are perfecting expedition voyages and exploring all seven continentsin comfort," said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. "To every member of our extended Viking family of guests and employees: happy anniversary and thank you. These first 25 years have been very good, but we are just getting started." The anniversary comes just after Viking was named the #1 Ocean Line and #1 River Line in Travel + Leisure's 2022 "World's Best" Awards, in which the company became the first cruise line ever to top both categories in the same year. Viking is also rated #1 for both rivers and oceans by Conde Nast Traveler, making it the first cruise line to ever simultaneously earn #1 in its categories from both publications. This milestone year has also been one of significant launches for the company. In January, the company debuted Viking Expeditions and the first of two purpose-built expedition vessels, the Viking Octantis, which is currently sailing its inaugural season in the Great Lakes. In the spring, the company welcomed eight new Viking Longships and its newest identical ocean ship, the Viking Mars. This month, Viking is launching three purpose-built vessels for the Mekong, Nile and Mississippi Rivers, and by the end of the year, will have also welcomed a second identical expedition ship, the Viking Polaris, and another identical ocean ship, the Viking Neptune. Booking Details From now through August 31, 2022, Viking is offering special savings plus up to free international airfare on select river and ocean voyages as part of the company's 25th Anniversary Sale. Call Viking toll free at 1-855-8-VIKING (1-855-884-5464) or contact a travel advisor for details. Media Assets For more information, images, and b-roll for Viking, contact [email protected]. About Viking Viking was founded in 1997 and provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans, and lakes around the world. Designed for curious travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers experiences for The Thinking PersonSM. Viking has more than 250 awards to its name, including being the first cruise line ever to be simultaneously named the #1 Ocean Line and #1 River Line in Travel + Leisure's 2022 "World's Best" Awards. Viking was also rated the #1 River Line and #1 Ocean Line by Conde Nast Traveler in the publication's 2021 Readers' Choice Awards. For additional information, contact Viking at 1-800-2-VIKING (1-800-284-5464) or visit www.viking.com. For Viking's award-winning enrichment channel, visit www.viking.tv. SOURCE Viking An evening to celebrate our community and honor Four Latina Industry Leaders LONG BEACH, Calif., Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- California-based nonprofit, #LatinaGeeks announces their 10th Anniversary and Inspirada Awards Gala this August 20, 2022- honoring some of the brightest stars in tech. Held at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, CA, the gala will feature a lineup of nominees befitting the seminal occasion and will bring together 200+ Latinas & supporters from across the states. The Inspirada Awards will honor Latinas who have pioneered innovation and are using technology to create a transformative impact in our community and our world. The nominees are: SOCIAL IMPACT Laura Cancel, CEO & Founder, Neddie Caeley Looney, CEO & Founder, Reinvented Martha Montoya, CEO & Founder, AgTools TECH ENTREPRENEUR Maria Oliveira Tamellini, COO & Cofounder, GamerSafer Martha Hernandez, CEO & Founder, MadeBOS Cecilia Corral, VP & Cofounder, CareMessage EMERGING LEADER Diana Iracheta, Executive Director, Latina Engineer Jannie Fernandez, Tech Coalition Program Manager, Reboot Representation Sophia Valdez, Early Career Technical Recruiter, TikTok RISING STAR Fernanda Sulantay Vargas, Graduate Student Researcher, Yale University Liliana Rodriguez, Engineer I, LPL Financial Diana Segura, Intern, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory The event will include a panel on "Latinas Shaping the Future of Technology," moderated by Annabelle Sedano, anchor/reporter at Univision- with speakers: Nuria Santamaria Wolf , Meta , Meta Tanya Menendez , Snowball Wealth , Snowball Wealth Valeria Martinez , VamosVentures , VamosVentures Daniela Corrente , Reel The gala will feature Emmy-Award-winning journalist, Claudia Botero as the MC, a cocktail reception, music and dancing, dinner, and a silent auction that boasts signed items from Kobe Bryant, Jennifer Lopez, Julio Urias, and a beach retreat for two in Baja California, Mexico. "Our gala is a night of inspiration and excitement to help raise funds and awareness so we can continue to drive change for a more equitable and inclusive future for Latinas in tech careers," said LaLa Castro, Cofounder and Executive Director of #LatinaGeeks. "Each of the award nominees embodies the spirit of innovation, creativity, and fearless leadership- and we are honored to host this event and highlight our Latina trailblazers." "Tomorrow's technology is being shaped by Latina innovators and leaders," stated #LatinaGeeks Managing Director, Denyse Cardozo. "Helping Latinas take their next step in their tech career is at the heart of what we stand for. Our gala will be a great chance for Latina professionals to meet people who can help them take the next step in their journey." #LatinaGeeks welcomes Western Governors University as its Red Carpet sponsor and Microsoft, Intuit, Autodesk, and Cox Communications as table sponsors. Companies interested in sponsoring should contact [email protected]. Learn more about the event and purchase tickets on the gala website. About #LatinaGeeks Our mission is to empower and educate Latinas by sharing technical knowledge, business skills, and entrepreneur resources through hands-on workshops, strategic partnerships, and community events. #LatinaGeeks is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit. To learn more, visit their website at http://latinageeks.com. Contact: Denyse Cardozo [email protected] Photo(s): https://www.prlog.org/12927943 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE LatinaGeeks ALABEL, Philippines , Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At the Dangerous Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center, constructed by CSCEC, in Sarangani Province of the Philippines, Noni Tan guides patients to participate in rehabilitation training activities. Tan entered this facility in Nov 2020. A court ordered him to undergo drug rehabilitation program. His drug addiction had spanned for decades. He said he was fortunate to be admitted in the facility. "It's so beautiful here, we look far out the sea, and we realize about life and how we will never go back to our addiction," Tan said. Drug recovery is a long arduous process. Hospital chief Dr. Imelda Quinones said that they have a holistic and scientific based approach to treatment. Tan underwent treatment in the facility and was considered fully recovered. He was then hired by Dr. Quinones as a "houseparent" to look after new patients. The picturesque Saranggani Bay is what patients see from their windows every morning. Project director Yao Shanfa from China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) said the design is based on the "window of hope" concept. "The window is open for each patient to help them recover and step into a bright future", Yao said. The facility was constructed by CSCEC in 2018. The project was funded by China to support President Duterte's campaign against illegal drugs which plagued the Philippine society. Dr. Quinones said she is thankful for the rehabilitation facility. "This is state of the art facility, and we are very happy." Yao said they built the facility and the other rehabilitation facility in Agusan del Sur Province in less than 14 months with the help of Chinese and Filipino workers. "The project was carried out under the belt and road initiative. It has brought great benefits to the local community. The center project has become a landmark project in the Sino-Philippine cooperation," Yao said. The project employed 450 skilled workers, providing them with job opportunities and technical training as they learned advanced construction methods. Yao said the project encountered many challenges in construction like the rainy season. But they were able to overcome difficulties and hand over the project in record time. He said he is proud that he didn't just build a building but also a structure for hope and new beginnings. SOURCE China State Construction Engineering Corporation PLYMOUTH, Mich., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Adient (NYSE: ADNT), a global leader in automotive seating, today announced its third quarter 2022 financial results. Q3 GAAP net loss and EPS diluted of $(30)M and $(0.32) , respectively; Q3 Adj.-EPS diluted of $0.08 and , respectively; Q3 Adj.-EPS diluted of Q3 Adj.-EBITDA of $143M , up $25M y-o-y (up $18M when adjusting for portfolio actions executed in FY21) , up y-o-y (up when adjusting for portfolio actions executed in FY21) Strong cash and cash equivalents of $892M at June 30, 2022 ; total liquidity of ~$1.7B at June 30, 2022 at ; total liquidity of at Gross debt and net debt totaled ~$2.7B and ~$1.8B , respectively, at June 30, 2022 For complete details and to see reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measures, visit the events section of the Adient investor website at www.investors.adient.com/events-and-presentations/events to download the full press release and earnings presentation. Investor analyst conference call: Adient's president and chief executive officer, Douglas Del Grosso, and executive vice president and chief financial officer, Jeff Stafeil, will host a conference call today at 8:30 a.m. Eastern to discuss the results. To participate by telephone, please dial 888-455-2945 (U.S.) or 773-799-3947 (international) 15 minutes prior to the start time of the call and ask to be connected to the Adient conference call. The conference passcode is ADIENT. About Adient: Adient (NYSE: ADNT) is a global leader in automotive seating. With approximately 75,000 employees in 33 countries, Adient operates 208 manufacturing/assembly plants worldwide. We produce and deliver automotive seating for all major OEMs. From complete seating systems to individual components, our expertise spans every step of the automotive seat-making process. Our integrated, in-house skills allow us to take our products from research and design to engineering and manufacturing and into more than 20 million vehicles every year. For more information on Adient, please visit www.adient.com. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Adient has made statements in this document that are forward-looking and, therefore, are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements in this document other than statements of historical fact are statements that are, or could be, deemed "forward- looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this document, statements regarding Adient's expectations for its deleveraging activities, the timing, benefits and outcomes of those activities, as well as its future financial position, sales, costs, earnings, cash flows, other measures of results of operations, capital expenditures or debt levels and plans, objectives, market position, outlook, targets, guidance or goals are forward-looking statements. Words such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "should," "forecast," "project" or "plan" or terms of similar meaning are also generally intended to identify forward- looking statements. Adient cautions that these statements are subject to numerous important risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond Adient's control, that could cause Adient's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, among others, risks related to: the Ukraine conflict and widespread COVID lockdowns in China and their impact on regional, global economies and additional pressure on supply chains and vehicle production, the effects of local and national economic, credit and capital market conditions on the economy in general, and other risks and uncertainties, the continued financial and operational impacts of and uncertainties relating to the COVID-19 pandemic on Adient and its customers, suppliers, joint venture partners and other parties, work stoppages, including due to supply chain disruptions and similar events, energy and commodity (particularly steel) prices, the availability of raw materials and component products (including components required by our customers for the manufacture of vehicles (i.e., semiconductors)), whether deleveraging activities may yield additional value for shareholders at all or on the same or different terms as those described herein, the ability of Adient to execute its turnaround plan, automotive vehicle production levels, mix and schedules, as well as our concentration of exposure to certain automotive manufacturers, the ability of Adient to effectively launch new business at forecast and profitable levels, the ability of Adient to meet debt service requirements, the terms of future financing, the impact of tax reform legislation, uncertainties in U.S. administrative policy regarding trade agreements, tariffs and other international trade relations, general economic and business conditions, the strength of the U.S. or other economies, shifts in market shares among vehicles, vehicle segments or away from vehicles on which Adient has significant content, changes in consumer demand, global climate change and related emphasis on ESG matters by various stakeholders, currency exchange rates and cancellation of or changes to commercial arrangements, and the ability of Adient to identify, recruit and retain key leadership. A detailed discussion of risks related to Adient's business is included in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Adient's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on November 23, 2021, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the Quarterly Period ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on February 4, 2022, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the Quarterly Period ended March 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on May 5, 2022 and in subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the SEC, available at www.sec.gov. Potential investors and others should consider these factors in evaluating the forward- looking statements and should not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made only as of the date of this document, unless otherwise specified, and, except as required by law, Adient assumes no obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to update such statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this document. In addition, this document includes certain projections provided by Adient with respect to the anticipated future performance of Adient's businesses. Such projections reflect various assumptions of Adient's management concerning the future performance of Adient's businesses, which may or may not prove to be correct. The actual results may vary from the anticipated results and such variations may be material. Adient does not undertake any obligation to update the projections to reflect events or circumstances or changes in expectations after the date of this document or to reflect the occurrence of subsequent events. No representations or warranties are made as to the accuracy or reasonableness of such assumptions, or the projections based thereon. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information: This document also contains non-GAAP financial information because Adient's management believes it may assist investors in evaluating Adient's on-going operations. Adient believes these non-GAAP disclosures provide important supplemental information to management and investors regarding financial and business trends relating to Adient's financial condition and results of operations. Investors should not consider these non-GAAP measures as alternatives to the related GAAP measures. A reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to their closest GAAP equivalent are included in the appendix. Reconciliations of non- GAAP measures related to FY2022 guidance have not been provided due to the unreasonable efforts it would take to provide such reconciliations. ADNT-FN SOURCE Adient AALBORG, Denmark , Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Asetek will release its financial results for the second quarter of 2022 on Thursday, 11 August at 11:00 AM CEST. CEO Andre Sloth Eriksen, COO John Hamill and CFO Peter Dam Madsen will present the Company's results at 2:00 PM CEST and invites investors, analysts and media to join the presentation. The presentation is expected to last up to one hour, including Q&A, and can be followed via live webcast or conference call. Webcast - audio and slide presentation: Please join the results webcast via the following link: https://streams.eventcdn.net/asetek/2022q2 Conference call - audio only: Please dial in 5-10 minutes prior using the phone numbers and confirmation code below: Copenhagen, Denmark: +45 3271 4988 Oslo, Norway +47 2198 4292 London, United Kingdom: +44 (0) 203 059 58 69 Frankfurt am Main, Germany: +49 (0) 69 566 037 000 New York, United States of America: +1 760 294 1674 The second quarter 2022 earnings release, the half-year report and presentation will be made available online at www.asetek.com and www.newsweb.no, as well as through news agencies. A recorded version of the presentation will be made available at www.asetek.com approximately two hours after the presentation has concluded. Q&A: The conference call lines will be opened for participants to ask question at the end of the presentation. Questions can also be submitted through the online webcast during the presentation. For further information, please contact: Peter Madsen, Chief Financial Officer Mobile: +45 2080 7200 E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] About Asetek: Asetek (ASTK.OL), a global leader in mechatronic innovation, is a Danish garage-to-stock-exchange success story. Founded in 2000, Asetek established its innovative position as the leading OEM developer and producer of the all-in-one liquid cooler for all major PC & Enthusiast gaming brands. In 2013, Asetek went public while expanding into energy-efficient and environmentally friendly cooling solutions for data centers. In 2021, Asetek introduced its line of products for next level immersive SimSports gaming experiences. Asetek is headquartered in Denmark and has operations in China, Taiwan and the United States. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/asetek/r/asetek-presents-second-quarter-2022-results-on-thursday--11-august,c3610506 The following files are available for download: SOURCE Asetek Joining Microsoft, T-Mobile, Adobe, PayPal, and many others ST. LOUIS, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Balto, the leader in uniting contact center agents with AI for better conversations, today announced its inclusion in the Fast Company fourth annual Best Workplaces for Innovators list, honoring organizations and businesses that demonstrate a steadfast commitment to encouraging innovation at all levels. Balto was selected for creating an infrastructure for innovation that leads to breakthroughs. "Frankly, without incredible people, nothing else matters," said Balto COO and co-founder Chris Kontes Tweet this Balto selected as a Best Workplace for Innovators in the U.S. 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, engineering, diversity, sustainability, B2B, and consumer products and services. Fast Company editors and Accenture researchers worked together to score nearly 1,500 applications, and a panel of eight eminent judges reviewed and endorsed the top companies. The 2022 awards feature workplaces from around the world. "Frankly, without incredible people, nothing else matters," said COO and co-founder Chris Kontes. "Our job is to attract fantastic people, provide them with resources and trust, and let them be themselves. A self-sustaining innovation culture naturally follows." Balto operates with an innovate-first philosophy, with several recent notable examples, among others: In 2021, Balto's engineering team created the "Hack-Pack," a program open to any employee interested in expanding their coding and software-developing skills. In early 2022, Balto's standalone academic research entity that provides market analysis for industry decision-makers, The Conversation Excellence Lab, was formed by a coalition of passionate Baltonians. In July 2022 , Balto's engineering and product teams collaborated to expand Balto's core product for the Spanish-speaking market a first in the real-time guidance market. "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." To see the complete list, go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/best-workplaces-for-innovators/list Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators issue (September 2022) is available online now, and the print issue will be on newsstands beginning August 16, 2022. Join the Best Workplaces for Innovators conversation using #FCBestWorkplaces. About Balto Balto unites agents with AI to enable better conversations that deliver results. Top-performing contact centers trust Balto's real-time guidance enterprise solution to prevent missed sales opportunities, costly compliance mistakes, and negative customer experiences. Today, Balto has guided over 140 million calls, provided over 185 million real-time recommendations, and driven millions in increased revenue. Balto.ai 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 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 world's 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 . SOURCE Balto - Only 20 companies in the world are named in this category, after the establishment of the new market last year, Bespin Global has been recognized as 'a Visionary' this year - Bespin Global, recognized for its vision and execution - Bespin Global named on Gartner Magic Quadrant for 6 years SEOUL, South Korea, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bespin Global ( https://www.bespinglobal.com , CEO HanJoo Lee), a cloud delivery platform company, announced on the 5th that it has been recognized as a Visionary company in 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud IT Transformation Services. Bespin Global has been named in the same category for the 2nd consecutive year. Following the recognition of a Niche Player last year, Bespin Global is now recognized as a Visionary this year. Bespin Global, named a Visionary in 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud IT Transformation Services As the cloud market continues to evolve rapidly around the world, Gartner has launched the 'Public Cloud IT Transformation' category in 2021 by further applying and analyzing the perspective of service providers in the cloud transformation. The category targets companies that can provide more professional digital transformation services and business support in conjunction with cloud-native solutions. In this year's Magic Quadrant for 'Public Cloud IT Transformation' category, only 20 companies were named, including Bespin Global. Bespin Global is a cloud delivery platform company that provides comprehensive cloud services such as migration and implementation to the cloud environment, operation and management, DevOps, Big Data, and security. Since its establishment in 2015, it has been carrying out cloud-based digital transformation services for more than 3,000 customers and also providing cloud optimization solutions such as 'OpsNow', a multi-cloud automated management platform that has surpassed 2,000 customers. Currently, it is based in 12 offices in 8 countries, including the United States, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, China, and Japan, and is speeding up its global business through an organic collaboration system. Magic Quadrant is an annual report published by an IT research organization, Gartner, which evaluates global leading companies in the field of technology based on 'Availability to Execute' and 'Completeness of Vision' and releases them in the form of a quadrant (a Niche Player, a Visionary, a Challenger, a Leader). Bespin Global CEO HanJoo Lee said, "Bespin Global's recognition of the Gartner Magic Quadrant for the 2nd consecutive year, we believe is a significant achievement that once again acknowledges that Bespin Global's cloud expertise and digital transformation capabilities are among the best in the world." He added that "Bespin Global will continue to actively support customers worldwide as an optimal digital transformation partner, as well as actively promote the advancement of cloud-based technologies and services." GARTNER and MAGIC QUADRANT are registered trademarks and service marks of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's Research & Advisory organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud IT Transformation Services, 20 July 2022, Mark Ray, et. Al. SOURCE Bespin Global BOSTON, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- It is announced today that Boston Hemp Inc., one of the nation's top retailers of premium hemp products has partnered with Herb.co to promote their brand on a national level. Herb is one of the top websites in the world and is focused on delivering robust content specifically related to the world of Cannabis. Boston Hemp Inc teams up with Herb.co for marketing partnership. Through this partnership, Boston Hemp Inc. is working with Herb's development team to create rich content that focuses on the features of Boston Hemp Inc.'s wide variety of premium hemp products including hemp flower infused with potent cannabinoids such as Delta-8 THC, HHC or THC-O, wax/dabs, edibles and vapes. Herb is an online cannabis community that seeks to breakdown the stigma around weed by acting as a thoughtful curator of cannabis products, experiences and culture. They help users discover the best products, new products, information on strains, how-to guides and experiences in their cities through content and community. Through this partnership Boston Hemp Inc. hopes to further amplify their growing brand to a community of like-minded individuals. Through strategic marketing exposure they hope to increase site traffic and acquire new customers. Boston Hemp Inc. is one of the nation's top retailers of premium hemp products. They have a wide variety of hemp flower strains that can be infused with additional cannabinoids such as Delta-8 THC, HHC or THC-O, gummies that are filled with fruity flavor and pack a punch, concentrates, tinctures and vapes. They sell their products all over the world. Their products are available for sale on-line at www.BostonHempInc.com and at their retail location in Hanover, Massachusetts. Wholesale inquiries are welcome and can be made by emailing [email protected] SOURCE Boston Hemp Inc. SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Fire Foundation has activated hundreds of its Disaster Relief cash cards and is distributing them to survivors of the recent devastating Oak Fire in Mariposa at the local assistance center located at Mariposa County High School. Working with community-based organizations on the ground in Mariposa, the Foundation's 350 activated cash cards are providing more than $87,000 in rapid assistance to those in need. The Alliance for Community Transformations is assisting with the cash card distribution, with funding provided through a partnership including the California Fire Foundation, the Rural County Representatives of California, and Golden State Finance Authority. "As with previous years, we are seeing this fire season impacting large numbers of people across the state," said Rick Martinez, Executive Director of the California Fire Foundation. "Partnering with these community-based organizations allows us to identify affected communities quickly, resulting in getting more aid out to those in desperate need." The California Fire Foundation's Disaster Relief program brings immediate, short-term relief in the amount of a $250 cash card to survivors of fire or other disasters throughout California. The Disaster Relief cards provide immediate relief so they may purchase basic necessities such as medicine, food, gas, lodging or clothing. "When we see people walk through our assistance center doors they are traumatized and overwhelmed," said Alison Tudor, Executive Director of Alliance for Community Transformations. "The Disaster Relief cards from the California Fire Foundation offer them immediate hope and comfort in these darkest of times and for that we are so grateful." The Oak Fire has destroyed at least 127 houses and 66 other structures, scorching more than 19,000 acres since it began on Friday, July 22. "Our communities in Mariposa County are suffering immeasurably right now," said Mariposa County Supervisor Miles Menetrey. "People have lost their homes, literally everything they own through this disaster. I am so thankful for these Disaster Relief cash cards that go some way to alleviate the immediate suffering to those impacted by the Oak Fire." For more information on California Fire Foundation's Disaster Relief program and how to support this important program, visit www.cafirefoundation.org/programs/disaster-relief-programs The California Fire Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, provides emotional and financial assistance to families of fallen firefighters, firefighters and the communities they protect. Formed in 1987 by California Professional Firefighters, the California Fire Foundation's mission includes survivor and victim assistance programs and a range of community initiatives. cafirefoundation.org. Media Contact: Carroll Wills, CA Fire Foundation; (916) 799-8148; [email protected] SOURCE California Fire Foundation Over two dozen sessions and some 75 speakers in six days. We have a lot to talk about in Wisconsin. MADISON, Wis., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A few months back, the Cap Times announced that the sixth annual Cap Times Idea Fest will once again be a hybrid of virtual and in-person events from Sept. 12-17 across Madison. This morning, Cap Times publisher Paul Fanlund announced speakers including Carl Bernstein and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, and session topics ranging from the election to climate change. Bernstein, who along with Washington Post colleague Bob Woodward broke the Watergate scandal 50 years ago, will be the featured guest in a special fundraiser, while Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland who is a member of the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, will be the keynote speaker on Friday, Sept. 16. CARL BERNSTEIN, JAMIE RASKIN ANNOUNCED AS CAP TIMES IDEA FEST SPEAKERS, TICKETS NOW ON SALE Tweet this Tickets are now on sale and registration is open for all free virtual events. The full schedule of events and locations will be available in a few weeks at captimesideafest.com . This year, Cap Times is proud to announce it has teamed up with Madison's Young Blood Beer Company for an official Cap Times Idea Fest beer. Young Blood will brew a limited-release hazy IPA with hops sourced from Wisconsin, available for purchase at Young Blood's taproom in downtown Madison and at some in-person fest sessions. The beer name and more details will be announced soon at captimes.com. Free Virtual Events | Sept. 12-16 Virtual sessions during the first part of the week will focus on topics including the upcoming election, climate change, immigration, medical records, rural broadband, marijuana policy and the influence of Title IX. Speakers will include Sen. Melissa Agard, Prof. Dominique Brossard, journalist Ruth Conniff, Sen. Mary Felzkowski, Prof. Charles Franklin, author Andrew Maraniss, activist Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Prof. Ajay Sethi and many more. Cooking with the Cap Times | Monday, Sept. 12 , 6 p.m. Cap Times food editor Lindsay Christians hosts chef Joe Papach of Harvey House in Kessenich's Innovation Kitchen. Register to watch this event free online. Cap Times members get exclusive access to join live for a limited number of seats and enjoy the featured dish and a glass of wine. Cap Times Live | Tuesday, Sept. 13 , 7 p.m. Madison Area Music Association-award winning trio Gin, Chocolate and Bottle Rockets will perform a lively show at Doc's Smokehouse. Tickets are $15, or free for Cap Times members at the King Street level and higher. Price includes an outstanding barbecue dinner. An evening with Carl Bernstein | Thursday, Sept. 15 , 7 p.m. Held at the Memorial Union's Great Hall, cocktails begin at 6:30 p.m. As a special fundraiser for the Cap Times, come hear Madison native and Washington Post editor David Maraniss interview Post colleague Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame about the 50th anniversary of that scandal, how our current political climate compares and his early journalism career. Tickets are $125, or $100 for Cap Times members at the King Street level and higher. Price includes light appetizers, drinks and a copy of Bernstein's new book, "Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom." Live Events at Madison College and Memorial Union | Sept. 15-17 Three days of events all at one price! On Wednesday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m., join us at Madison College's south campus for an outstanding discussion about the "Rising Tide on the south side" featuring community leaders: Ruben Anthony, the Rev. Dr. Alex Gee, Vanessa McDowell and Karen Menendez-Coller. On Friday, Sept. 16, and Saturday, Sept. 17, join us in the Union's Shannon Hall for an outstanding lineup of speakers including Jocelyn Benson, Barb McQuade, Toluse Olorunnipa, Jamie Raskin, Robert Samuels and more. Tickets are $25, or $10 for Cap Times members at the King Street level and higher. This annual event is the largest hosted by the Cap Times since 2017. All who register, purchase tickets and sponsor this event are supporting local journalism and the Cap Times newsroom. Readers can support the Cap Times by becoming a Cap Times member . Members of all levels will get Idea Fest ticket discounts, and members at the Evjue level will get a free pair of tickets. Thank you to the Madison community and to all of our readers for your continued support. Subscribe to the Cap Times Idea Fest newsletter to get fest updates and answers to FAQs, or visit captimes.com . Thank you to our sponsors. Epic HealthX Quartz Exact Sciences Alliant Energy Madison College MG&E UW Madison Godfrey Kahn M3 Insurance University Research Park SSM Health WARF Madison Community Foundation Doc's Smokehouse Young Blood Beer Company Cargo Coffee Leopold's Partners: Wisconsin State Journal Madison.com Hinckley Productions PBS Wisconsin SOURCE Cap Times LOS ANGELES, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In the face of strong opposition from small, family-owned businesses that make up the hotel industry, the Los Angeles City Council voted this morning to reject a proposal that would have required hotels to make vacant rooms available to unhoused individuals. The measure now heads to the voters in November to decide whether this proposal becomes law. Proposed by Unite Here Local 11, the labor union representing hospitality workers, the measure would establish a program to place unhoused individuals or families in vacant hotel guest rooms. Hotels would be required to report to the Department of Housing the daily number of vacancies they have and to accept vouchers from the unhoused to stay in a vacant room. The measure was widely criticized by these small business owners, who expressed serious concerns about being required to provide homeless individuals housing alongside guests. At the meeting, many hoteliers remarked their staff is simply not equipped to provide social services that are required to make such temporary placements successful. With no funding for these services proposed in the ordinance, hoteliers fear that the lack of case management expertise could lead to unsafe condition for workers. "It baffles me that Unite Here, which claims to protect its members, is leading this measure that would very likely jeopardize worker safety," said Heather Rozman, President & CEO of the Hotel Association of Los Angeles. "We're relieved that the council saw this for the political stunt that it is and call on them to instead pursue long-term solutions to homelessness that actually work." The hotel industry, including many of these small, family-owned businesses have long been partners to the City on addressing homelessness. Most recently, multiple hotels have voluntarily participated Project Roomkey, which converted hotels into homeless shelters during the pandemic. It viewed this recent measure as vast overreach that would harm these small businesses most as they still struggle to fully recover from drastic losses from the pandemic. Following the rejection of the measure by the Council, the ordinance now heads to the voters, who likely may see the issue on their ballots in March of 2024. Contact: Heather Rozman Hotel Association of Los Angeles E: [email protected] C: 818-732-1984 SOURCE Hotel Association of Los Angeles ATLANTA, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Clark Atlanta University (CAU) makes history as the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to receive a $10 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) INCLUDES program to establish the National Data Science Alliance (NDSA). Clark Atlanta University awarded $10 Million National Science Foundation grant to bring Data Science to HBCUs Tweet this Clark Atlanta University makes history as the first HBCU to receive a $10 Million National Science Foundation grant to bring Data Science to HBCUs through National Data Science Alliance (NDSA). The NDSA will increase the number of Black people earning data science credentials by at least 20,000 by 2027 and expand data science research that advocates for social justice and strive to eliminate bias. To accomplish this visionary goal, the NDSA will facilitate engagement across all HBCUs with industry and academic collaboration to broaden participation and advance social justice in data science. "This is a monumental accomplishment for the HBCU community as a whole, and we at Clark Atlanta University are deeply honored to perpetuate institutional mission through data science," said President George T. French Jr., Ph.D. "Clark Atlanta University has deep roots in conducting data science research that promotes equity, including the seminal works of scholar and former faculty member W.E.B. Du Bois on these hallowed grounds. This historic award exemplifies our commitment to ensuring competitive advantage for students to succeed and excel in our data-driven society." Talitha Washington, the lead and principal investigator of the grant, is the mastermind behind the NDSA. As the Director of the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Data Science Initiative and professor of mathematics at Clark Atlanta University, she is passionate about engaging more HBCUs and building a community to accelerate the preparation of students in data science and discover solutions for data-oriented problems that impact the lives of Blacks. "We are excited that many HBCUs will collaborate with us to develop new equity-based discoveries in data science and expand student pathways that will change the face of data science," said Washington. The NDSA is supported by the AUC Consortium, led by Michael Hodge, with industry-university collaboration led by Moses Garuba (Howard University) and collective impact efforts led by H. Justin Ballenger (Morehouse College). The NDSA's three regional hubs are led by LaTanya Brown-Robertson (Howard University), Sajid Hussain (Fisk University), and Eric Mintz (Clark Atlanta University). The evaluation will be conducted by Kavita Mittapalli (MN Associates). The NDSA will catalyze systemic change at scale by engaging over 1,000 HBCU faculty and will create equity-based data science ecosystems where all students can learn and thrive. SOURCE Clark Atlanta University BANGALORE, India, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cleanroom Technology Market is segmented by Type (Fan Filter Units (FFU), HVAC Systems, Laminar Air Flow Systems and Biosafety Cabinets, HEPA, Filter Air Diffusers and Showers) by Application (Pharmaceutical Industry, Biotechnology Industry, Medical Devices Manufacturers, Hospitals) : Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222028. It is published in Valuates Reports under the Chemicals Industry Category. Cleanroom Technology Market is projected to reach US$ 16.9 Billion by 2028, from US$ 12.1 Billion in 2021, at a CAGR of 4.9% during 2022-2028. Major factors driving the growth of the Cleanroom Technology Market Cleanroom Technology market expansion is largely fueled by rising demand from various Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology industries, Medical Devices Manufacturers, and Hospitals. Furthermore, government regulations, growing instances of hospital-acquired infections, and increasing adoption of modular cleanroom construction are expected to drive the growth of the cleanroom technology market. Get Your Sample Today: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-18G6157/Global_Clean_Room_Technology_Market TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF THE CLEANROOM TECHNOLOGY MARKET Sterile conditions and extreme cleanliness are necessary for pharmaceutical manufacturing. Pharmaceutical items are shielded from contamination and pollutants including dust, airborne microorganisms, and aerosol particles in cleanrooms, which offer a controlled environment. In pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device manufacturers, and hospitals, the integration of all management systems into a single, comprehensive cleanroom technology is being quickly adopted in order to reliably control all relevant parameters such as temperature, humidity, and airborne particles. This factor is expected to drive the growth of the cleanroom technology market. Globally, governments have adopted tight policies on biosafety, overall quality, and environmental protection in food processing and packaging facilities. A business may be guaranteed that its products comply with government rules thanks to cleanroom technology. Cleanrooms are a one-time investment that will assist a company not only to withstand competition but also adhere to all international standards and regulations. Furthermore, healthcare institutions are utilizing more cleanroom technology to manage contamination and halt the transmission of disease as a result of the rise in hospital-acquired infections and the evolving nature of infectious diseases like COVID-19. It is well recognized that surgical procedures increase patient exposure to infections, which can be spread through contact with surgical staff, equipment, and airborne contamination. In these settings, cleanrooms are used to give the surgical team and patient the perfect setting for an operation and recovery. The installation of modular cleanrooms has increased in popularity during the past few years in the pharmaceutical sector. This in turn is expected to fuel the market growth. The hospitals have started adopting modular cleanrooms which help maintain hygiene and reduce the risk of spreading infections at a much more cost-effective price. Browse The Table Of Contents And List Of Figures At: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-18G6157/global-clean-room-technology CLEANROOM TECHNOLOGY MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS Based on application, the pharmaceutical industry is expected to be the most lucrative segment. This is due to the industry's expansion, the strong pipeline of injectable formulations, and the increased attention being paid to assuring the quality of healthcare products. Based on region, North America is expected to be the most lucrative region. In the upcoming years, the market in North America is anticipated to grow as a result of factors including strict regulatory standards for product approvals, technological advancements in cleanrooms, a large number of hospitals in the area, increased adoption of technologically advanced solutions by pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device manufacturing companies, and expansion of the healthcare sector. Inquire for Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Auto-18G6157/Global_Clean_Room_Technology_Market Key Players Azbil Taikisha Kimberly-Clark Illinois Tool Works Royal Imtech DuPont Ardmac Alpiq Group Clean Air Products M+W Group Inquire for Chaptercost: https://reports.valuates.com/request/chaptercost/QYRE-Auto-18G6157/Global_Clean_Room_Technology_Market Buy Now for Single User + Covid-19 Impact : https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-18G6157&lic=single-user SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. Please leave a note in the Comment Section to know about our subscription plans. SIMILAR REPORTS: - The cleanroom consumables market was valued at USD 3688.38 million in 2020, and it is anticipated to reach USD 6658.35 million by 2030, registering a CAGR of about 5.40% during the forecast period (2021 to 2030). - The global Cleanroom Face Masks market size is estimated to be worth US$ 282 million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of US$ 432.7 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 7.4% during the review period. - The global Cleanroom Apparel market size is estimated to be worth US$ 460.6 million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of US$ 586.2 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 4.1% during the review period. - CleanRoom Air Filter market size is estimated to be worth US$ 568.8 million in 2022 and is forecast to be a readjusted size of US$ 753.5 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 4.8% during the review period. - The Global UV Disinfection Market size is about 1900 Million USD and the CAGR will be 12% in next few years. - The global E-beam Sterilization market size is projected to reach US$ 2160.7 million by 2028, from US$ 1072.4 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 10.4% during 2022-2028. - The global Surface Disinfectant market was valued at USD 729.5 Million in 2020 and it is expected to reach USD 1215.5 Million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 7.2% during 2021-2027. - HVAC Air Filter market was valued at US$ 10810 million in 2020 and it is expected to reach US$ 16840 million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 6.7% during 2021-2027. - Biological Safety Cabinet market size is estimated to be worth USD 213.6 million in 2022 and is forecast to be a readjusted size of USD 331.4 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 7.6%. - Global Electronic Filter Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 - Global Particle Filter Market Insights, Forecast to 2028 - Global Cleanroom Clothing Market Insights, Forecast to 2028 - Global Cleanroom Cable Market Insights, Forecast to 2028 - Global Cleanroom Wall Panels Market Insights, Forecast to 2028 Click here to see related reports on CleanRoom Technology Market ABOUT US: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains a detailed research methodology employed to generate the report. Please also reach our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources. CONTACT US: Valuates Reports [email protected] For U.S. Toll-Free Call 1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp: +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports LinkedIn - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg SOURCE Valuates Reports Rise in prevalence of chronic disease, increase in old age population, and improved life expectancy drive the growth of the global compounding pharmacies market. PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Compounding Pharmacies Market by Therapeutic Area (Pain Management, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Dermal Disorders, Nutritional Supplements, Others), by Route of Administration (Oral, Topical, Others), by Sterility (Non-Sterile Compounding Drugs, Sterile Compounding Drugs): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031." According to the report, the global compounding pharmacies industry was estimated at $8.12 billion in 2021, and is anticipated to hit $14.84 billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 6.2% from 2022 to 2031. The report offers an explicit analysis of the changing market trends, top segments, key investment pockets, value chain, competitive scenario, and regional landscape. Download Report (245 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures): https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/12285 Drivers, restraints, and opportunities- Rise in prevalence of chronic disease, increase in old age population, and improved life expectancy drive the growth of the global compounding pharmacies market. At the same time, growing drug failure rate and massive drug shortage across the globe have supplemented the growth yet more. On the other hand, increase in restrictions on manufacturing of complex formulations hinders the growth to some extent. However, huge growth potential in emerging economies has been highly beneficial for the market. Covid-19 scenario- Amidst the global health crisis, the demand for compounded medication witnessed a steep incline in 2021, due to increased demand for quite a lot of medications for the treatment of Covid-19. Reduced manufacturing activities due to restrictions and shortage of commercially available drugs gave way to increased adoption of a compounded medication. Moreover, FDA gave out a temporary guidance policy to the federal facilities and state-licensed pharmacies, comprising hospital pharmacies and compounding pharmacies that are not listed with FDA as outsourcing facilities for compounding certain medication for hospitalized patients, owing to shortage of generic drugs. Specific Requirement on COVID-19? Ask to Our Industry Expert: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/12285?reqfor=covid The pain management segment to dominate by 2031- By therapeutic area, the pain management segment contributed to nearly two-fifths of the global compounding pharmacies market share in 2021, and is expected to lead the trail by 2031. This is attributed to rise in number of geriatric populations, increase in number of surgical procedures, and surge in healthcare expenditure across the world. The others segment, however, is expected to exhibit the fastest CAGR of 7.3% from 2022 to 2031, due to rise in prevalence of neurological disorders and cancer cases. The oral segment to rule the roost- Based on route of administration, the oral segment generated more than two-fifths of the global compounding pharmacies market revenue in 2021, and is expected to lead the trail by 2031, due to huge availability of various medications that are meant to be orally administered. The others segment, on the other hand, would manifest the fastest CAGR of 6.7% from 2022 to 2031. Rise in product affordability, increase in geriatric population, and growing acceptance among the customers about compounding medications propel the segment growth. The non-sterile compounding drugs segment to maintain the lion's share- By sterility, the non-sterile compounding drugs segment garnered more than two-thirds of the global compounding pharmacies market share in 2021, and is expected to retain its dominance by 2031. The same segment is also expected to exhibit the fastest CAGR of 6.5% from 2022 to 2031. This is due to increase in prevalence of chronic disease such as diabetes, mounting demand for personalized medicines, and increase in the geriatric population across the world. Purchase Inquire: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/12285 North America garnered the major share in 2021- Based on region, North America held the major share in 2021, generating more than half of the global compounding pharmacies market. The well-established healthcare system, increase in number of geriatric patients, and supportive reimbursement policies across the province drive the market growth. Asia-Pacific, on the other hand, would garner the fastest CAGR of 7.3% by 2031. The growing medical tourism industry and rising public awareness regarding the benefits of compounding medications fuel the market growth. Key players in the industry- Athenex Pharma Solutions B. Braun Melsungen AG Fresenius SE and Co. KGaA Advanced Pharmacy McGuff Companies, Inc. Nephron pharmaceuticals RX3 compounding pharmacy Valor Compounding Pharmacy ITC compounding pharmacy Dougherty's Pharmacy, Inc. Rx express compounding pharmacy Perrigo Company Plc (Fagron) New Compounding Pharma Institutional pharmacy solutions Olympia Compounding Pharmacy Panacea Biomatx Inc (Triangle Compounding Pharmacy) Pencol compounding pharmacy The report analyzes these key players in the global compounding pharmacies market. These players have incorporated various strategies such as expansion, new product launches, partnerships, and others to increase their market penetration and strengthen their position in the industry. The report is helpful in assessing the operating segments, their business performance & product portfolio, and so on. Avenue Basic Plan | Library Access | 1 Year Subscription | Sign up for Avenue subscription to access more than 12,000+ company profiles and 2,000+ niche industry market research reports at $699 per month, per seat. For a year, the client needs to purchase minimum 2 seat plan. Request for 14 days free trial: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/avenue/trial/starter "We have also published few syndicated market studies in the similar area that might be of your interest. Below are the report title for your reference, considering Impact of Covid-19 Over This Market which will help you to assess aftereffects of pandemic on short-term and long-term growth trends of this market." Trending Reports in Healthcare Industry (Book Now with 10% Discount + Covid-19 scenario): Scaffold Technology Market by Product Type (Natural Scaffold and Synthetic Scaffold), by Type (Macro-porous Scaffolds, Micro-porous Scaffolds, Nano-porous Scaffolds, Solid Scaffolds), Application (Cancer Cell Research, Stem Cell Research, Drug Discovery, Regenerative Medicine, and Others), and End User (Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Companies, Contract Research Laboratories, and Academic Institutes): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2027 Workplace Stress Management Market by Service (Stress Assessment, Yoga & Meditation, Resilience Training, Progress Tracking Metrics, and Others), Delivery Mode (Individual Counselors, Personal Fitness Trainers, Meditation Specialists, and Others), End User (Large Private Organizations, Mid-sized Private Organizations, Small Private Organizations, NGO, and Public Sector): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027 Traditional Wound Management Market by Product (Gauze, Bandage, Cotton, and Others), Application (Acute wound and Chronic Wound), and End User (Hospital & Clinics, Home Healthcare, Ambulatory Surgical center, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212028 Fertility Test Market by Product (Ovulation Prediction Kits, Fertility Monitors, and Male Fertility Testing Products), Mode of Purchase (OTC-based and Prescription-based), Application (Female Fertility Testing and Male Fertility Testing), and End User (Home Care Settings and Hospitals/Fertility Clinics): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212028 Mother and Child Healthcare Market by Service (Pre-Natal Services, Birthing Services, Post-Natal Services, and Fertility Services), Maternal Age (Under 20, 21 to 30, 31 to 38, and 39 & Above), and Location (Hospitals, Nursing Homes & Clinics, In-Home Services and Online): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030 Gene Editing Market By Technology (Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs), Transcription Activator-Like Effector-based Nucleases (TALENs), CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing, Restriction Enzymes, Others), By Application (Gene editing, Cell Line Engineering, Animal Genetic Engineering, Plant Genetic Engineering, Drug development, Others), By End User (Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Companies, Academic and Government Research Institutes, Contract Research Organizations): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031 About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 [email protected] Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/reports-store/life-sciences Follow Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/life-sciences-industry-research/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research Presentations Cover Hardening the Attack Surface for the City of Las Vegas and An Outcome Based Approach to Cyber Security LAS VEGAS, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BLACK HAT USA 2022 Darktrace, a global leader in cyber security artificial intelligence, today announced it will present two sessions at Black Hat USA 2022. Listed below, Darktrace speakers will explore preventative approaches to cyber security that are redefining how organizations and smart cities mitigate cyber risk. "I'm honored to be presenting alongside Michael Sherwood, Chief Innovation Officer from the City of Las Vegas about how organizations can take a more proactive approach to cyber risk to stay steps ahead of the attacker," said Nicole Eagan, Chief Strategy & AI Officer, Darktrace. "Now is the moment to have a global conversation on how we can evolve our collective thinking as threats evolve and leverage AI as an always-on feedback mechanism to strengthen our entire security ecosystem." Throughout the conference, Darktrace will be stationed at Booth #1132, showing publicly for the first time the recently launched Darktrace PREVENT , a product family that uses AI to 'think like an attacker,' finding pathways to an organization's most critical assets and people from inside and outside. PREVENT is the third product area in Darktrace's delivery of a Cyber AI Loop, the industry-first set of AI capabilities which work together autonomously to optimize an organization's state of security through a continuous feedback loop. Darktrace sessions at Black Hat include: How Darktrace Helps the City of Las Vegas Harden Its Attack Surface Date: Wednesday, August 10 | 10:20am-11:10am (Mandalay Bay I) Speakers: Nicole Eagan | Chief Strategy Officer, Darktrace | Chief Strategy Officer, Darktrace Justin Fier | VP, Tactical Risk and Response, Darktrace | VP, Tactical Risk and Response, Darktrace Michael Sherwood | Chief Innovation Officer, the City of Las Vegas Track: Risk, Compliance and Security Management Details: A challenge for security teams is understanding and prioritizing the real risks their organizations face. Smart Cities, like the City of Las Vegas, are no exception. Beyond general vulnerabilities, what paths might an attacker take to cause the most disruption? Applying AI research led Darktrace experts to discover, simulate, and prioritize external and internal cyber risk for customers like the City of Las Vegas. While threats increase in complexity, hear how a new technology in preventative security goes far beyond shiny tools to streamline continuous testing of controls to ensure real world risks are mitigated. Outcome-based AI Cyber Security: Are We Ready? Date: Wednesday, August 10 | 8:00am-8:15am (Virtual) Speaker: Justin Fier | VP, Tactical Risk and Response, Darktrace Track: Risk, Compliance and Security Management Details: In the cult classic movie 'War Games,' Matthew Broderick used a rotary phone to dial in to the WOPR an AI that could simulate different scenarios and carry out real world outcomes. Thirty years later, we are still haunted by the words, "Shall we play a game?" Now the Darktrace AI Research Centre has found safe ways for AI to help us understand our attack surface, identify attack paths, emulate cyber-attacks, and ensure we have effective countermeasures in place. Take a glimpse into the current state of preventive AI cyber security systems that continuously harden defenses. About Darktrace Darktrace (DARK.L), a global leader in cyber security artificial intelligence, is on a mission to free the world of cyber disruption. Breakthrough innovations in our Cyber AI Research Centre in Cambridge, UK have resulted in over 100 patent applications filed and research published to contribute to the cyber security community. Rather than study attacks, our technology continuously learns and updates its knowledge of 'you' and applies that understanding to optimize your state of optimal cyber security. We are delivering the first ever Cyber AI Loop, fueling a continuous end-to-end security capability that can autonomously spot and respond to novel in-progress threats within seconds. Darktrace employs over 2,000 people around the world and protects over 7,400 customers globally from advanced cyber threats. Darktrace was named one of TIME magazine's 'Most Influential Companies' in 2021. To learn more, visit https://darktrace.com. Media Contacts Liz Scanlon CommStrat (US) +1 510 295 7542 [email protected] SOURCE Darktrace BEIJING, Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DataMesh has recently closed a new round of funding led by SIG Asia Investment, LLLP, followed by Singtel Innov8 and Global Brain. DataMesh was founded by former Microsoft employees in Seattle, USA, in 2014. With an R&D center in Beijing, DataMesh is currently setting up its global headquarters in Singapore. DataMesh believes in democratizing digital twin technology to bridge the digital world and the real world, connecting frontline workers. DataMesh builds its enterprise metaverse platform and tools based on digital twin and XR technologies. Hundreds of enterprises have adopted DataMesh products and SaaS services, mainly in building construction, manufacturing, and facility operations and maintenance industries. DataMesh Director, which focuses on "democratization of XR," won NTT Docomo's DX Award for the most outstanding 5G enabled digital transformation award in 2021. It supported the BIM + XR presentation of the New Saga Arena project in Saga Prefecture, Japan, together with Toda Construction. DataMesh FactVerse is the computing platform for digital twin factories and virtual facilities, which has been widely adopted in automotive factories, cargo airports, and large arenas. "We continue to be optimistic about the DataMesh team's comprehensive ability to help customers worldwide improve their digital infrastructure and achieve smart manufacturing. We look forward to serving more business users and frontline workers in the future, benefiting global customers, and ultimately creating a true enterprise metaverse." -- Nan Lv, SIG Asia Investment, LLLP "Our investments reflect our focus on finding and supporting startups that can help Singtel deliver the best possible value and experiences for businesses across industries and markets in Singapore and the region. We found DataMesh's Industrial Metaverse platform and zero-code XR design toolset, validated by leading customers in China, Japan, and Singapore, to be compelling and with great potential in the 5G era. In Singapore, DataMesh has worked closely with Singtel on the [email protected] project and won high praise for providing innovative solutions. We are excited to work with DataMesh to unlock further opportunities in the future." -- Kum Tho Wan, Managing Director, Asia Pacific Investments, Singtel Innov8. "In countries like Japan, China and Singapore, we have been excited about an accelerating trend and big potential of digital twin technology, which could upgrade industry infrastructure, almost in all sectors. DataMesh provides its cutting-edge, well-balanced, and 'easy to operate' digital twin solution for enterprise customers. Through its service, in Japan, DataMesh has gained strong traction in a lot of new customers that haven't used digital twin before (e.g. call center), as well as deepened digital twin usage to operational level (e.g. construction). For example, DataMesh's digital twin and XR products have been featured in landmark projects such as New Saga Arena in Saga Prefecture. As its close partner, we are excited to support DataMesh to continue expanding its presence in the global market with its continuously evolving products." Ken Kajii, General Partner, and Jie He, Director, Global Brain Connect With DataMesh About DataMesh DataMesh is a high-tech innovator which is building FactVerse, an Enterprise Metaverse with Digital Twin and XR technology. DataMesh FactVerse helps organizations leverage CAD, BIM, IoT, knowledge and process data to create a digital twin platform, democratizing digital twin technology to bridge the digital world and the real world while empowering front-line workers in manufacturing, construction, and operations industries. DataMesh works alongside customers across China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Australia, North America and more markets, where many constructions and manufacturing companies have adopted DataMesh software. Visit the company's website at datamesh.com. SOURCE DataMesh Forever Stamps Highlight the National Marine Sanctuaries System SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Postal Service dedicated 16 new Forever stamps today celebrating the nation's underwater treasures that showcase the abundant wildlife and diverse ecosystems found throughout the National Marine Sanctuary System. The ceremony took place at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center. For 50 years, U.S. national marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments have protected areas with special ecological, cultural and historical significance. National Marine Sanctuaries Forever stamp. "Protecting our environment is one of the most important things we can do now and for future generations," said William D. Zollars, a member of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors, who served as the dedicating official. "The habitats protected by these marine sanctuaries and monuments help ensure the survival of threatened and endangered species. The National Marine Sanctuaries Forever stamps celebrate these habitats. Customers can share the beauty of these protected areas when they send mail to family and friends." Zollars was joined by Paul Scholz, deputy assistant administrator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Ocean Service, and Leon Panetta, former secretary of defense and co-chair of the Monterey Bay Chapter of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. "The National Marine Sanctuary stamp series is a colorful celebration of the beauty, abundance, and diversity of our nation's most iconic underwater places," said Paul M. Scholz, deputy assistant administrator for the National Ocean Service. "As these stamps circulate across the nation, we hope they'll generate excitement about these incredible places, and what people can do to help protect them. We especially hope they inspire people to visit a national marine sanctuary. Perhaps, the stamps will even inspire a child who one day grows up to become a marine biologist, environmental educator, science communicator, or a passionate protector of our blue planet." The Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, which established a framework for designating national marine sanctuaries, was signed into law on Oct. 23, 1972. Today, the National Marine Sanctuary System is managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Encompassing more than 620,000 square miles, the sanctuary system currently comprises 15 national marine sanctuaries and two marine national monuments, stretching from the North Atlantic to the South Pacific, and from the Florida Keys to the Pacific Northwest. Protecting some of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world, the National Marine Sanctuary System preserves habitats that are especially vital for the survival of threatened and endangered species, including threatened green sea turtles, endangered Hawaiian monk seals and critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales. The system also safeguards important feeding and breeding grounds for humpback whales, seabirds such as albatross and shearwaters and a variety of other species. The sanctuary system balances the protection of the nation's maritime ecosystems and maritime history by allowing visitors to enjoy the sanctuaries responsibly. The majority of U.S. national marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments are open for sustainable recreation, including diving and snorkeling, kayaking and canoeing, sailing and sport fishing. Their educational centers attract thousands of visitors each year. They also help preserve and celebrate the ancient sites, cultural artifacts and living traditions of the Indigenous peoples who have inhabited these regions for millennia. The pane of 16 stamps includes photographs taken by Daryl Duda, Michael Durham, Mark Sullivan, Peter Turcik and Norbert Wu, and by NOAA employees Wendy Cover, Jeff Harris, Elliott Hazen, Joseph Hoyt, Ed Lyman, Greg McFall, Matt McIntosh, G. P. Schmahl and Kate Thompson. "National Marine Sanctuaries" appears in blue type at the top of the pane. The words "USA" and "Forever" are at the bottom left of each stamp. A map of the National Marine Sanctuary System, illustrated by Todd M. Detwiler, is printed on the back of the pane. Art director Greg Breeding designed the pane using existing photographs. News of the stamps are being shared with the hashtag #MarineSanctuariesStamps. Postal Products Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic or at Post Office locations nationwide. Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1ounce price. Information for ordering first-day-of-issue postmarks and covers is at usps.com/shop. The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. Please Note: For U.S. Postal Service media resources, including broadcast-quality video and audio and photo stills, visit the USPS Newsroom. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the USPS YouTube channel, like us on Facebook and enjoy our Postal Posts blog. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and facts.usps.com. Contact: Kim Frum [email protected] usps.com/news Local contact: David Rupert [email protected] usps.com/news SOURCE U.S. Postal Service LOS ANGELES, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. John Kahen, M.D., has just been Voted Top Hair Surgeon by Ritz Carlton Experience's Magazine, and he has proven time and time again that hair restoration is a part of soul restoration. Dr. John Kahen This recent award is one of many for the doctor who continues to shine in all that he does. Hollywood is a town often portrayed as glamour and vanity-obsessed with plastic and cosmetic surgery at its root. Nevertheless, world-renowned hair restoration surgeon Dr. John Kahen brings consciousness, innovation, and empowerment to a roster of clients ranging from Hollywood elite to fortune 500 CEOs looking to be their best selves on screen and in the boardroom. The importance of our hair extends beyond the superficial presentation and deep into our subconscious and self-image. Through time, culture, and religion, hair has been a sacred symbol of strength, respect, confidence, health, and belonging. These are values Dr. Kahen exemplifies. Dr. Kahen entered private practice exclusively as a hair restoration surgeon in Beverly Hills in 2007 and proudly retains membership with the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. He is one of the first hair surgeons to apply the science of Platelet Rich Plasma in hair restoration, prioritizing award-winning results and long-lasting healthy hair that breeds confidence. Fellow celebrity plastic surgeons trust Dr. Kahen's reputation, and he has received the "Aesthetic Award." for three consecutive years. Dr. Kahen has been featured in Robb Report Best of the Best, Newsweek Top Doctors, ESPN, CNN, CNBC, Marketwatch, BBC, USA Today, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, U.K. Daily Mail, and Beverly Hills Times Magazine. The only thing more impressive than Dr. Kahen's resume and awards is the love he earns from his happily satisfied clients. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Eleven11 Media Relations Contract modifications provide full funding for three ships ESB 8, T-AO 211, and T-AO 212; and an option to build T-AO 213 SAN DIEGO, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- General Dynamics NASSCO, a subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), announced today that it received $1.4 billion in U.S. Navy contract modifications for construction of a sixth Expeditionary Sea Base ship (ESB 8) and two additional John Lewis-class fleet oilers (T-AO 211 and 212). This award comes in addition to $600 million already received to procure long-lead time materials for the same ships. The contract modification also provides an option for the Navy to procure an additional oiler, T-AO 213, bringing the total potential value to $2.7 billion for the four ships. John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oiler (top) and Lewis B. Puller-class Expeditionary Sea Base (bottom). U.S. Navy photos. "NASSCO is committed to working together with the Navy to deliver these much needed ships to the fleet," said Dave Carver, President of General Dynamics NASSCO. "As partners with the Navy, we remain dedicated to ensuring the success of both of these programs to help enhance and expand the Navy's forward presence and warfighting capabilities while providing sustained growth for our workforce." Construction of the four ships is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2023 and continue into 2027. In 2011, the Navy awarded NASSCO with a contract to design and build the first two ships in the newly created Mobile Landing Platform program, USNS Montford Point and USNS John Glenn. The program evolved, adding USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3), USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB 4), USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5), the future USS John L. Canley (ESB 6) and the future USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7), configured as ESBs. ESB ships are highly flexible platforms designed to support multiple maritime-based missions, including Air Mine Counter Measures, Special Operations Forces, and limited crisis response. Acting as a mobile sea base, this 784-foot ship has a 52,000 square-foot flight deck to support MH-53, MH-60, MV-22 tilt-rotor, and H1 aircraft operations. The future USS John L. Canley (ESB 6) and USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7) are currently under construction. In 2016, the Navy awarded NASSCO with a contract to design and build the first six ships in the next generation of fleet oilers, the John Lewis-class. Designed to transfer fuel to U.S. Navy ships operating at sea, the 742-feet vessels have a full load displacement of 49,850 tons, capacity to carry 157,000 barrels of oil and significant amounts of dry cargo, as well as providing aviation capability while traveling at speeds up to 20 knots. The first ship, USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205), was delivered to the U.S. Navy in July 2022. The USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206), USNS Earl Warren (T-AO 207), and USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO 208) are currently under construction. General Dynamics NASSCO specializes in the design and construction of Navy and commercial ships and is a major provider of repair services for the U.S. Navy, with capabilities in San Diego, California; Norfolk, Virginia; Mayport, Florida; and Bremerton, Washington. More information about General Dynamics NASSCO is available at www.nassco.com. General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defense company that offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; ship construction and repair; land combat vehicles, weapons systems and munitions; and technology products and services. General Dynamics employs more than 100,000 people worldwide and generated $38.5 billion in revenue in 2021. More information about General Dynamics is available at www.gd.com. SOURCE General Dynamics NASSCO DUBLIN, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global ATV and UTV Market 2022-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. MARKET OUTLOOK The publisher's report estimates that the global ATV and UTV market is expected to display a growth rate of 6.65% during the estimated phase 2022-2028. Factors such as the rising prominence of adventure sports, supportive governmental rules, and growing use of ATVs and UTVs for military activities augment the market's progress. The demand for these quad bikes in the military sector is growing due to their superior mobility for tactical operations. Moreover, the high flexibility and navigational capabilities offer proper directions to operators. Conversely, driving bans in wildlife locations and high maintenance costs negatively impact the ATV and UTV market's robust growth. REGIONAL OUTLOOK The global ATV and UTV market comprise North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa regions. North America dominates the market for ATV and UTV globally and is expected to continue its stronghold till 2028. Numerous prominent companies are introducing new utility vehicles across Canada, influencing the adoption of ATVs and UTVs. For example, Mahindra launched Roxer side-by-side UTV in Canada. Furthermore, there is a great demand for UTVs in the defense industry due to their efficient patrol in combat tactics. Moreover, these quad bikes have gained traction among farmers in the United States. All these factors are augmenting the ATV and UTV market's growth within the North American nations. Market Dynamics Market Drivers Growing Popularity of Adventure Sports Increasing ATV and UTV Use in Military Government Rules Supporting ATVs and UTVs Market Challenges Driving Ban in Wildlife Areas High Maintenance Cost Market Opportunities Production of Safer ATVs and UTVs Key Topics Covered: 1. Global ATV and UTV Market - Summary 2. Industry Outlook 3. Global ATV and UTV Market - by Vehicle Type 4. Global ATV and UTV Market - by Displacement 5. Global ATV and UTV Market - by Fuel Type 6. Global ATV and UTV Market - by End-User 7. Global ATV and UTV Market - Regional Outlook 8. Competitive Landscape 9. Methodology & Scope Companies Mentioned BRP Inc CFMoto Deere and Company Hisun Honda Motor Company Kawasaki Heavy Industries Kubota Corporation Kwang Yang Motor Co Ltd Polaris Industries Inc Suzuki Motors Corporation Textron Inc Yamaha Motor Co Ltd For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/a92uga 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. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global EdTech and Smart Classrooms Market by Hardware (Interactive Displays, Interactive Projectors), Education System Solution (LMS, TMS, DMS, SRS, Test Preparation, Learning & Gamification), Deployment Type, End User and Region - Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The publisher forecasts the global EdTech and smart classrooms market to grow from USD 125.3 billion in 2022 to USD 232.9 billion by 2027, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.2% The major factors driving the growth of the EdTech and smart classrooms market include growing adoption of eLearning solutions, impact of COVID-19 pandemic and growing need for online teaching-learning models to continue education system in lockdown. Student Response system segment to hold the largest CAGR during the forecast period The student response system keeps the students engaged in the class and encourages them to participate actively in the learning process. It enables the teachers to conduct polls for students during or after the class. The students' feedback is given either through clickers or the software installed on their computers. It empowers the students to track their progress reports and respond to the teachers when asked questions. Teachers can also assess the students in real time, either collectively or individually. During a lecture, instructors can use the Student Response System (SRS) to pose questions and collect student responses. Clickers, classroom response systems, personal response systems, and audience response systems are other names for student response systems. Higher education segment to record the fastest growth rate during the forecast period The Center for Immersive Experiences (CIE) at Penn State University exemplifies EdTech's potential in higher education. A variety of virtual and augmented reality experiences are constantly available for students to use as part of their academic studies and research projects. Students can use technology such as 360 video recording, VR and AR headsets, collaborative spaces, and breakout rooms. The goal is to provide university students with access to technology that will disrupt and change the future, and faculty believe that students must have access to these tools now rather than later. The CIE has a lecture hall that can also be used as a VR room. Students have access to VR workstations and Oculus Rift headsets. There are also smaller breakout rooms in the space. Through collaboration with unit partners, demonstrations are available. North America to account for the largest market share during the forecast period There are many organizations in North America who are adopting learning technologies that are not limited to internal training purposes. Learning technology is a catch-all term for communication, information, and technological tools that are used to improve learning, teaching, and assessment. Computer-based learning or multimedia materials may be used to supplement in-class activities. Tutorials, simulations, productivity tools, communication tools (such as email), and other tools are examples of key categories of learning technology tools. Learning technology refers to a variety of digital tools and media that are used for teaching and learning. Learning technologies should help professors achieve their teaching and learning objectives. Any learning technology should assist students in increasing their self-responsibility, acting as an extension of their individual and collaborative learning, and empowering students to participate in higher order learning in order to understand how knowledge is used outside of the classroom. There is an active support from private foundations for edtech projects. As per the report 'COVID-19 Effects on the US Higher Education Campuses from Emergency Response to Planning for Future Student Mobility' by Institute of International Education; 96% of on campus events were cancelled, 91% of campus buildings and offices were closed and 82% international student travel was cancelled during this pandemic situation. In April 2020, the CARES Act provides a USD 14.25 billion Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) for institutions of higher education, including emergency financial aid for students. As per the report of IBISWorld, there has been decline of 1.4% in colleges and universities industry in Canada. The number of international students in Canada is expected to reduce in 2020 as countries, such as China and South Korea, are impacted by COVID-19 from where majority of international students travel to Canada. Some prominent players across all service types profiled in the EdTech and smart classrooms market study include Apple (US), Cisco (US), Blackboard (US), IBM (US), Dell EMC (US), Google (US), Microsoft (US), Oracle(US), SAP (Germany), Instructure(US). Premium Insights Growing Use of Ai and Ml in Smart Learning and Demand for Virtual Training to Drive Market Growth Interactive Displays Segment to Account for Largest Market Share During Forecast Period Learning Management System Segment to Account for Largest Market Share During Forecast Period Higher Education Segment to Account for Larger Market Share in 2022 Cloud Segment to Account for Larger Market Share in 2022 Asia-Pacific to Emerge as Best Market for Investments in Next Five Years Market Dynamics Drivers Proliferation of Connected Devices in Education Sector Growing Adoption of Elearning Solutions Growing Use of Ai and Ml in Smart Learning Growing Demand for Training, Presentation, and Meetings Among Corporates and Education Institutes Restraints Increasing Cyberattacks on Educational Institutes and Enterprises to Raise Data Security and Privacy Concerns Opportunities Potential Growth Opportunities for System Integrators Increasing Spending on Education Sector Challenges High Cost of Producing Elearning Content Inability to Manage Real-Time and Unstructured Data Availability of It Infrastructure in Schools and Colleges, Problems in Internet Access, and Lack of Financial Support COVID-19-Driven Market Dynamics Drivers and Opportunities Restraints and Challenges COVID-19 Impact on Market Assumptions: COVID-19 Impact Case Study Analysis Use Case 1: Open Access College Increased Enrolment by Cisco Webex Use Case 2: Carroll School Enhanced Live Contact by Deploying Google Solutions Use Case 3: Surrey School District Improved Collaboration and Video Communication Through Microsoft's Solutions Use Case 4: Penn Foster Revitalized and Revolutionized Overall Experience by Deploying Sap's Solutions Use Case 5: Ithaca College Increased Staff Productivity and Enhanced Employee Experience Through Oracle's Solutions Technology Analysis Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Company Profiles Key Players Apple Cisco Blackboard Ibm Dell Emc Google Microsoft Oracle Sap Instructure Other Players 2U Inc Ellucian Anthology Lenovo Smart Technologies Cornerstone Ondemand D2L Workday Promethean Discovery Education Byju's Yuanfudao Vipkid 17Zuoye Udemy Udacity Age of Learning Coursera Brightbytes For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/m1uuzc 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 https://spendedge.com/sample-procurement-report/hdpe-market-procurement-research-report Who are the Top Suppliers in the HDPE Market? The report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several top suppliers. Some of the leading HDPE suppliers profiled extensively in this report include: Chevron Sinopec Exxon Mobil. These are a few of the key suppliers in HDPE market. Discover more about these vendors, including the detailed analysis of procurement strategies deployed by major category end-users across several industries while sourcing for HDPE requirements. What are the Most Adopted Procurement Strategies for the HDPE Market? The research includes a complete analysis of the most commonly used procurement strategies by buyers across sectors, as well as an insight into these strategies' innovation, regulatory compliance, quality, supply, and cost. Adopting these procurement tactics would enable buyers to minimize category TCO and achieve cost savings while sourcing HDPE. What is The Most Effective Price Strategy That a Vendor Can Adopt and What is The Forecasted Incremental Spend? It is critical to monitor current and future pricing changes in order to maximize the value of the purchase. Price forecasts can assist in purchase planning, especially when combined with constant monitoring of price-influencing factors. The market expects an incremental spend of USD 20.92 billion over the forecast period as a result of several market drivers prevalent across multiple geographies. In addition, the sourcing and procurement report discusses different cost-cutting factors by analyzing the following criteria: Identify favorable opportunities in HDPE TCO (total cost of ownership) Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities https://spendedge.com/sample-procurement-report/hdpe-market-procurement-research-report Which are the Key Regions for HDPE Market? The HDPE market will register an incremental spend of about USD 20.92 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. Smart Procurement Starts Here: SpendEdge's procurement intelligence platform is the go-to tool for companies looking to access latest procurement research insights and supplier data on an easy-to-use platform: Subscribe now for free, to get instant access to over 1000 market-ready procurement intelligence reports without any additional costs or commitment. Table of Content Executive Summary Market Insights Category Pricing Insights Cost-saving Opportunities Best Practices Category Ecosystem Category Management Strategy Category Management Enablers Suppliers Selection Suppliers under Coverage US Market Insights Category scope Appendix About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. Contacts SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us SOURCE SpendEdge DUBLIN, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Medical Spa - Global Market Trajectory & Analytics" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Global Medical Spa Market to Reach US$25.9 Billion by the Year 2026 Medical Spa, also referred to as MedSpa, are cutting-edge, contemporary providers of an extensive range of therapies ranging from Botox treatments and liposuction to hair regeneration and hair removal. They are the latest niche in cosmetic surgery and medicine, and undoubtedly the fastest growing segment of the global cosmetic surgery market. The medical end of the MedSpa is taken care of by the presence of a practicing, specialized physician who is always required to be present on the premises. Since medical spas converge spa treatments and medical treatments, they offer the widest range of services possible. As medical spas are emerging, they are gaining rapid popularity among those who are financially well disposed and have an inclination towards beauty and wellness. Their success has been creating a quite a stir encouraging corporate houses, major hospital chains and leading pharmacological companies to invest funds in various MedSpas. Over the years, technological advancements have played a major role in shaping the MedSpa industry, increasing not just the availability of treatments but also making non-invasive treatments (for instance Botox) more affordable. The digital technology is currently a leading driver of the med spa growth, and is likely to remain so in the years ahead as technology enables people to look younger without undergoing painful procedures. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Medical Spa estimated at US$14.4 Billion in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of US$25.9 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 13.5% over the analysis period. The U.S. Market is Estimated at $5.4 Billion in 2022, While China is Forecast to Reach $3.8 Billion by 2026 The Medical Spa market in the U.S. is estimated at US$5.4 Billion in the year 2022. The country currently accounts for a 37.72% share in the global market. China, the world's second largest economy, is forecast to reach an estimated market size of US$3.8 Billion in the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 18.2% through the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 10.3% and 12.2% respectively over the analysis period. Hair Removal Segment to Reach $3.8 Billion by 2026 Growing acceptance of professional hair removal services is boosting the market for medical spas. Hair removal technologies provide women and men with convenient and effective options to remove hair from specific parts of the body for a natural and hair-free skin. Continuous advances in these technologies have resulted in sophisticated products that work for different skin types and hair color. Select Competitors: Aesthetics Medispa Allure Medspa Bijoux Medi-Spa Biovital Medspa, LLC Canyon Ranch, Inc. Chic la Vie Med Spa Chiva Som Clinique La Prairie Cynosure, Inc. Hyatt Corporation Lanserhof Lans Lily's Medi Spa Lisse Lumenis, Ltd. Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Limited Sciton, Inc. Serenity Medspa Sha Wellness Clinic Syneron Candela Medical The DRx Clinic True Skin Care Center Vilalara Longevity Thalassa & Medical Spa Westchase Medspa, LLC Key Topics Covered: I. METHODOLOGY II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. MARKET OVERVIEW 2. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS 3. MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS Growing Popularity of Beauty & Wellness Tourism & Post Pandemic Optimism for a Recovery Bodes Well for Medical Spas Efforts to Push Beauty & Wellness Tourism, a Boon for Medical Spas Beauty & Wellness Tourism to Attain Greater Heights in Post-Pandemic Era Rise of Traditional Holistic Medicine Encourages Medical Spas to Focus on Alternative Health Medical Spas Incorporate Herbs into all Aspects of the Spa Experience Encouraged by the Increasing Consumer Acceptance of Herbal Medicines Strong Acceptance of Herbal Medicines Leads Medical Spas to Integrate Herbs into the Entire Treatment Experience Desire to Look Young Among the Rapidly Aging World Population Drives Demand for Anti-Aging Services & Treatments at Medical Spas Rapidly Aging Population Throws the Spotlight on the Massive Demand Potential for Anti-Aging Treatments Robust Growth in Spending on Anti-Aging Solutions to Support the Rise of Anti-Aging Medical Spas Rise in Demand for Aesthetic Services Brightens the Outlook for Non-Invasive and Minimally-Invasive Medical Spa Treatments Medical Spas Expand Services to Include Dermal Fillers and Botox Treatment Encouraged by Strong Demand Patterns Boom in Demand for Cosmetic Procedures Amid the Pandemic Bodes Well for Market Growth Thalassotherapy Harnesses Curative Properties of Seawater to Provide Holistic Spa Treatments Increasing Acceptance of Male Aesthetics Present Untapped Growth Opportunities Importance of Mental Wellness and Stress Management in the Aftermath of the Pandemic to Trigger Demand for Spa Therapy Hair Removal, A Popular Service Offering in Medical Spas 4. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE III. MARKET ANALYSIS IV. COMPETITION For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/9hhjs8 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 Asia Pacific Micro CHP Market is expected to be one of the fastest growing regions, likely to register a 7% CAGR until 2032. Stirling engine based micro CHP to reign supreme, expanding at an 8% value CAGR until 2032. As industries worldwide look to optimize power consumption and generation, investments in micro CHP systems is rising tremendously. NEWARK, Del., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global micro CHP market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% between 2022 and 2032, totalling around US$ 2 Billion, according to a recently published study by Future Market Insights. As of 2022, the market is slated to be valued at US$ 1 Billion. With strict governance in reducing extreme climatic conditions, implemented by technology variations in the energy sector, coupled with high efficiency, lower fuel intake and increased power manifestations across applications, will fuel industry growth. Heat generation across residential and commercial sectors to rev up energy efficient systems with waste heat generation, is the ubiquitous driving force of the micro CHP system. An additional driving resultant of the micro CHP Market is the reduced maintenance and operations undertaken. Request a Sample PDF @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-15382 Between 10 and 50 kW capacity, micro CHP is considered the rising technological initiative which combines both, heat generation and sustenance with energy efficiency that aids the streamlined market estimates. The sustained generation of heat in schools, military units and hospitals, directed a thrust by technology, aids the ongoing industry growth. A recent surge in line with energy-efficient products and fervent utilization of domestically generated energy resources is on the anvil. Micro-Cogeneration (m-CHP) systems offer higher efficiency than typical conventional electrical power generation, making them bigger contributors to reducing environmental leakages, saving energy, and drastically cutting overall heating and electrical costs. Poised with natural gas and LPG as the primary heat source, the micro CHP industry is looking forward to a sustainable ecosystem. Features such as environmental eco-friendliness and cost efficiency and anti-corrosive output will prove to fuel growth in the industry. Key Takeaways from the Market Study Stirling engine-based micro CHP industry size is projected to observe over 8% CAGR through 2032 From 2017 to 2021, demand for micro CHP experienced noteworthy expansion, clocking a CAGR of 6.7% By fuel, oil-fuelled micro CHP systems sales to proliferate at a 6.7% CAGR until 2032 Gas-fuelled micro CHP to acquire surging popularity, forecast to grow at a 6.5% CAGR North America to account for more than 2/5 th of global micro CHP market revenue in 2022 to account for more than 2/5 of global micro CHP market revenue in 2022 Asia Pacific to be one of the most promising markets, recording a 7% value CAGR To Buy this Report Visit @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/15382 "With growing infusion of capital from the private and public sector and lying at the forefront a favourable climate for pursuing tech upgrades, abetted by strict governance in reducing climate extremities, work upholds in unison for uplifting growth in the micro CHP market", remarks the FMI analyst. Competitive Landscape Major players operating across the micro CHP industry rely on strategic partnerships, contracts, mergers, and acquisitions, which will positively influence the market trend. Besides, offering new product lines also keeps players in good stead. Some notable examples are as follows: As a principal manufacturer of high-efficiency heating and renewable energy systems, Viessmann offers on display comprise a complete range of heating solutions designed for today, that meet the energy challenges of tomorrow. All of our products are designed with the future in target, and built to last so you can enjoy many years of worry-free home comfort. Viessmann also offers mobile and smart home solutions to add control and convenience, so you can save time and money and help reduce the environmental effect. For providing micro CHP (micro combined heat and power), Axiom Energy Group generates heat and derives electricity on site. Plus, these systems are used in heating homes, commercial buildings and for heating pools. Generating electricity on site helps save money. Micro CHP systems of Axiom are powered up by a liquid cooled internal combustion (IC) engine with operating fuel as propane or natural gas. Ask Us Analyst @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-15382 Key Segments Covered in the Micro CHP Industry Report Micro CHP Market by Capacity: Micro CHP less than 2kW Micro CHP from 2 kW to 10 kW Micro CHP from 10 kW to 50 kW Micro CHP Market by Fuel: Natural Gas & LPG-powered Micro CHP Coal-powered Micro CHP Renewable Resources-powered Micro CHP Oil-powered Micro CHP Other Fuel-powered Micro CHP Micro CHP Market by Prime Mover: Stirling Engine-based Micro CHP Internal Combustion Engine-based Micro CHP Fuel Cell-based Micro CHP Other Prime Mover-based Micro CHP Micro CHP Market by Application: Micro CHP for Residential Applications Space Heating/Cooling Water Heating Cooking Lighting Others Micro CHP for Commercial Applications Educational Institutes Office Buildings Healthcare Buildings Others Micro CHP Market by Region: North America Micro CHP Market Latin America Micro CHP Market Europe Micro CHP Market East Asia Micro CHP Market South Asia Micro CHP Market Oceania Micro CHP Market Middle East & Africa Micro CHP Market Customization Before Buying, Visit @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-15382 More Insights Available FMI in its new offering, presents an unbiased analysis of the global micro CHP market, presenting historical analysis from 2017 to 2021 and forecast statistics for the period of 2022-2032. The study provides an in-depth analysis of the market on the basis of capacity (Less than 2KW, 2-10 KW and 10-50 KW), fuel (natural gas &LPG, coal, renewable resources, oil), and prime mover (stirling engine, internal combustion engine, fuel cell and others) across seven major regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania and Middle East & Africa). FMIs Domain Knowledge in Industrial automation Our industrial automation team guides organizations at each step of their business strategy by helping you understand how the latest influencers account for operational and strategic transformation in the industrial automation sector. Our expertise in recognizing the challenges and trends impacting the global industrial automation industry provides indispensable insights and support encasing a strategic perspective that helps you identify critical issues and devise appropriate solutions. Explore wide-ranging Coverage of FMI's Industrial Automation Market Insights Landscape APAC Solar Micro Inverters Market The solar micro inverters market is expected to witness steady growth in the near future. Demand for solar micro inverters expected to gain traction in Asia Pacific during the forecast period. Solar Micro Inverter Market Solar Micro Inverter Market By System Type (Stand-Alone, Integrated), End-Use Type (Residential (0-20Kw), Commercial (20Kw-1Mw), Utility (1Mw and above)) & Region - Forecast 2016 -2026 Combined Heat And Power CHP Systems Market - Combined Heat And Power CHP Systems Market - Global industry segment analysis, regional outlook, share, growth; combined heat and power chp systems market forecast 2016 to 2026 by future market insights Asphalt Mixing Plants Market - The overall demand for Asphalt Mixing Plants is projected to grow at a CAGR of 2.4% between 2022 and 2032, totaling around US$ 8.5 Billion by 2032 CHP Market - The global CHP market is expected to garner a market value of US$ 2,091.6 Million in 2022, expected to register a CAGR of 6.4%. The market is projected to surpass a market value of US$ 3,876.5 Million during the forecast period 2022-2032 About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights (ESOMAR certified market research organization and a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce) provides in-depth insights into governing factors elevating the demand in the market. It discloses opportunities that will favour the market growth in various segments based on Source, Application, Sales Channel and End-Use over the next 10 years. Contact: Future Market Insights, Inc Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA T: +1-845-579-5705 For Sales Enquiries: [email protected] Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/micro-chp-market Browse All Reports: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports LinkedIn| Twitter| Blogs Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1197648/FMI_Logo.jpg SOURCE Future Market Insights ST. LOUIS, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Graybar, a leading distributor of electrical, communications and data networking products and provider of related supply chain management and logistics services, today reported that it set new quarterly records for net sales and net income in the second quarter of 2022. Graybar's net sales for the second quarter of this year totaled $2.7 billion, an increase of 19.7 percent compared to the same period last year. Net income attributable to Graybar for the quarter finished at $127.6 million, a 59.3 percent increase from the second quarter of 2021. For the first half of the year, the company reported net sales of $5.1 billion, a 22.3 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Net income attributable to Graybar for the first six months of 2022 increased 80.5 percent to $229.8 million. "I am proud of Graybar's performance through the first half of 2022," said Kathleen M. Mazzarella, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Graybar. "Amid changing economic conditions and ongoing global disruption, our business remains strong. We continue to focus on delivering an exceptional customer experience, while we invest in growth and supply chain innovation that will broaden our reach, expand our capabilities and drive our long-term success." Graybar, a Fortune 500 corporation and one of the largest employee-owned companies in North America, is a leader in the distribution of high quality electrical, communications and data networking products, and specializes in related supply chain management and logistics services. Through its network of more than 300 North American distribution facilities, it stocks and sells products from thousands of manufacturers, helping its customers power, network, automate and secure their facilities with speed, intelligence and efficiency. For more information, visit www.graybar.com or call 1-800-GRAYBAR. Media Contact: Tim Sommer (314) 578-7672 [email protected] SOURCE Graybar DUBAI, UAE, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Jalan-Kalrock Consortium has selected IBS Software to power the relaunch of Jet Airways. This selection will provide a range of technology platforms to support Jet Airways' relaunch as a people-focused airline for the digital age. As technology partner, IBS Software will deliver cutting-edge capabilities in passenger service systems (PSS) encompassing bookings, inventory and revenue management, departure control system, loyalty management, as well as a latest generation website and mobile app, designed to optimize the entire passenger and retail experience. IBS Software to power the relaunch of Jet Airways Jet Airways is set to relaunch commercial operations in September 2022. "Jet Airways is coming back determined to take technology, services, and customer experience to a new level. Technology with a human touch is at the heart of everything we want to achieve, starting with getting the basics right by addressing recurring pain-points in the customer journey, both online and at the airports, while also addressing the pain-points commonly faced by airline staff," said Sanjiv Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer for Jet Airways. "In IBS Software, we found an ideal partner with the experience and expertise required to deliver the technology platforms and collaboration that will help us deliver on our promise to bring back an even better Jet Airways to those eagerly awaiting its relaunch, as we enter an exciting new era for the airline." "Jet Airways is one of India's most-loved airlines and it is an absolute privilege to play a part in its highly anticipated relaunch. Air passengers in India will not only regain a hugely popular brand, they will also benefit from Jet Airways' vision to use cutting-edge technology to become a people-focused, customer-first airline updated for the digital age," said Anand Krishnan, CEO, IBS Software. "Jet Airways is committed to putting technology at the heart of its entire operations, and we're thrilled to partner with their visionary team to continue to change the face of the airline experience in India and beyond." For more information on IBS Software's range of cloud-based, SaaS technology platforms designed to help airlines digitally transform, visit www.ibsplc.com. About IBS Software IBS Software is a leading SaaS solutions provider to the travel industry globally, managing mission-critical operations for customers in the aviation, tour & cruise and hospitality industries. IBS Software's solutions for the aviation industry cover fleet & crew operations, aircraft maintenance, passenger services, loyalty programs, staff travel and air-cargo management. IBS Software also runs a real time B2B and B2C distribution platform providing hotel room inventory, rates and availability to a global network of hospitality companies and channels. For the tour and cruise industry, IBS provides a comprehensive customer-centric, digital platform that covers onshore online and on-board solutions, and IBS provides logistical solutions for the energy & resources industry. IBS Software is a Blackstone portfolio company and operates from 15 offices across the world. Further information is found at https://www.ibsplc.com/. About Jet Airways Launched in 1993, Jet Airways grew to become synonymous with premium air travel for discerning travellers in India. Before it suspended operations in April 2019, Jet Airways flew to over 65 destinations in India and across the world with 124 narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. Jet Airways is being revived under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code as per the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved resolution plan of Jalan-Kalrock Consortium. In a first in Indian aviation history, an airline is being revived under its own name after being grounded for an extended period. Well-capitalised and led by seasoned industry professionals, Jet Airways in its new avatar will be India's most people-focused and customer-friendly airline, updated for the Digital Age. It will be a 'smart' full-service carrier with a two-class cabin configuration, including a business class cabin designed to global standards and an evolved new-generation economy class that offers today's customers what they most value. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1873136/JET_Airways_IBS_Software.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1169353/IBS_Software_Logo.jpg SOURCE IBS Software Appoints Interim CEO Elects New Chair; Separates Chair and CEO Roles CHARLOTTE, N.C. , Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JELD-WEN Holding, Inc. (NYSE: JELD) today announced that its Board of Directors has accepted the resignation of Gary S. Michel as chair and CEO. Upon his resignation, the Board appointed Kevin C. Lilly, most recently the company's executive vice president and chief information officer, as interim CEO. In addition, current independent director David G. Nord, former chairman and CEO of Hubbell Incorporated, was elected chair of JELD-WEN's Board of Directors. The Board has initiated a comprehensive search for a new CEO, including consideration of both internal and external candidates. "We appreciate Gary's leadership and contributions to the company during his tenure," commented Nord. "JELD-WEN remains committed to delivering long-term value to our shareholders. We have confidence in Kevin's leadership and will work closely with him and the management team to ensure that this change is seamless for our customers, shareholders and associates. The Board is committed to conducting a thorough search to identify the best candidate to lead JELD-WEN's continued growth and transformation." Lilly said, "I am honored to serve in this role at this important time. JELD-WEN is a leading global manufacturer of high-quality building products with talented people and world-class brands. I look forward to working alongside the Board, our leadership team and associates to realize our full potential." About JELD-WEN Holding, Inc. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., JELD-WEN is a leading global manufacturer of high-performance interior and exterior building products, offering one of the broadest selections of windows, interior and exterior doors, and wall systems. JELD-WEN delivers a differentiated customer experience, providing construction professionals with durable, energy-efficient products and labor-saving services that help them maximize productivity and create beautiful, secure spaces for all to enjoy. The JELD-WEN team is driven by innovation and committed to creating safe, sustainable environments for customers, associates, and local communities. The JELD-WEN family of brands includes JELD-WEN worldwide; LaCantina and VPI in North America; Swedoor and DANA in Europe; and Corinthian, Stegbar, and Breezway in Australia. Visit JELD-WEN.com for more information. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding our business strategies and ability to execute on our plans, market potential, future financial performance, customer demand, the potential of our categories, brands and innovations, the impact of our footprint rationalization and modernization program, the impact of acquisitions and divestitures on our business and our ability to maximize value and integrate operations, our pipeline of productivity projects, the estimated impact of tax reform on our results, litigation outcomes, and our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, prospects, assumptions, or other future events. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by our use of forward-looking terminology such as "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. Where, in any forward-looking statement, we express an expectation or belief as to future results or events, such expectation or belief is based on the current plans, expectations, assumptions, estimates, and projections of our management. Although we believe that these statements are based on reasonable expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections, they are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, many of which are beyond our control that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those indicated in such statements. Risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements include risks associated with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the company and our employees, customers, and suppliers, and other factors, including the factors discussed in our Annual Reports on Form 10-K and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made as of the date hereof, and except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update, amend or clarify any forward-looking statements to reflect events, new information or circumstances occurring after the date of this release. SOURCE JELD-WEN Holding, Inc. BANGALORE, India , Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global K12 Market is Segmented by Type (Public K-12 education, Private K-12 education, Online K-12 education), by Application (Pre-primary School, Primary School, Middle School, High School): Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222028. The global K-12 Education market size is projected to reach USD 3619.8 Million by 2028, from USD 1052.5 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 19.0% during 2022-2028. Major Factors Driving the Growth of the K12 Education Market The rising government initiatives, technological advances, and growing popularity of STEM-based education will fuel the growth of the market. Covid-19 has accelerated the adoption of online learning which in turn will increase the growth of the market. Get Your Sample Today: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Othe-4R154/k_12_education_market TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GLOBAL K12 EDUCATION MARKET Several government initiatives are being undertaken to improve the quality of education at the k12 level across the world. Policies are being introduced to modernize the sector with private player participation and investment. This will boost the growth of the K12 education market in the coming years. For instance, Saudi Arabia in its Vision 2030 aims to increase the share of private education by allowing foreign business ownership. This is being done to ease the ownership restrictions on foreign firms thereby attracting global K1 providers. Rapid technological innovations have increased the popularity of learning analytics in the educational industry. This allows educational institutions to offer a personalized form of learning. Artificial intelligence fuels the adoption of digital education systems. It provides customized content based on student profiles, performance, and active behavior. Hence institutes are actively investing in virtual learning models which in turn will drive the growth of the K12 education market during the forecast period. Progress is tracked by producing content in the form of tests, quizzes, and videos. eLearning is flexible, improves student engagement, and can be accessed anytime anywhere. It adapts accordingly to individual learning styles and needs. The growing job opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics have increased the popularity of STEM-based education. Hence parents, students, and teachers are placing greater emphasis on basic STEM-based education in schools across the globe. This will surge the growth of the K12 education market in the coming years. Students who successfully score high grades in competitive examinations are able to get admitted to higher educational institutions which provide a clear headway for technical education and better career options. The sudden emergence of the pandemic has forced schools and other educational institutions to shift to online learning platforms. This has boosted the demand for online K12 education. Elearning and software solutions are providing well-organized enterprise resource planning systems to build improved courses and manage classrooms efficiently. Online platforms create virtual classrooms that enable teachers to manage a large audience without any budget constraints. Students get to have more one-on-one sessions with their teachers. Browse The Table Of Contents And List Of Figures At: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-4R154/k-12-education K12 EDUCATION MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS Based on application, the high school segment will grow the highest in the K12 education market share as students are getting responsive to online learning tools and virtual high school curriculum through the use of cutting-edge technologies. Based on region, Asia-pacific will witness significant growth due to increasing adoption of online learning and rapid transition to eLearning platforms. The growth is being driven by countries such as China, India, Indonesia, etc. Get Regional Data: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Othe-4R154/k_12_education_market Key Companies: Chungdahm Learning Dell Educomp Solutions Next Education SAMSUNG TAL Education Group Tata Class Edge Adobe Systems Blackboard BenQ Cengage Learning D2L Ellucian IBM Intel Knewton Mcmillan Learning McGraw-Hill Education Microsoft Oracle Pearson Education Promethean World Saba Software Smart Technologies. Inquire for Chapter Cost: https://reports.valuates.com/request/chaptercost/QYRE-Othe-4R154/k_12_education_market Buy Now for Single User + Covid-19 Impact : https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Othe-4R154&lic=single-user SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. Please leave a note in the Comment Section to know about our subscription plans. SIMILAR REPORTS: ABOUT US: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. 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Insights Into Supplier Selection and Evaluation: Profile and service capabilities of the service provider, industry specialization of the service providers, reputation of service providers, and assessment of value-added services are some of the most critical parameters that buyers use to shortlist the suppliers in L-theanine. This report evaluates suppliers based on quality and purity test of product samples, production capacity, certifications and accreditations, and geographical presence. In addition, suppliers are also shortlisted based on business needs, technical specifications, operational requirements, security compliance, regulatory mandates, working environment, quality control, sla nuances, acceptance criteria, legal requirements, change management procedures, pricing models, and penalty clauses. For More Insights on Buyer Strategies and Tactical Negotiation Levers: www.spendedge.com/report/l-theanine-sourcing-and-procurement-intelligence-report Key Drivers and Trends Fueling Market Growth: The pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants has resulted in the low bargaining power of suppliers. Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by the constant monitoring of price influencing factors. During the forecast period, the market expects a change of 4%-6%. Identify favorable opportunities in L-theanine TCO (total cost of ownership). Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes. Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities. Some of the Top L-theanine Market Suppliers Listed in This Report: This L-theanine procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies. Merck KGaA Tokyo Chemical Industry Hunan NutraMax Smart Procurement Starts Here: SpendEdge's procurement intelligence platform is the go-to tool for companies looking to access latest procurement research insights and supplier data on an easy to use platform: Subscribe Now for FREE, to get instant access to over 1000 market-ready procurement intelligence reports without any additional costs or commitment. Table of Content Executive Summary Market Insights Category Pricing Insights Cost-saving Opportunities Best Practices Category Ecosystem Category Management Strategy Category Management Enablers Suppliers Selection Suppliers under Coverage US Market Insights Category scope Appendix About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. Contacts SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us SOURCE SpendEdge Invests $31.1 Million in SI East, LLC to Support Strategic Acquisition and Ongoing Growth Activities HOUSTON, Aug. 5, 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 SI East, LLC ("SI East" or the "Company") to support the Company's acquisition of Chicago Steel Container Corporation, one of the largest independent new steel drum manufacturers in the United States, and the Company's other ongoing growth activities. Main Street, along with its co-investor, facilitated the transaction, with Main Street's follow-on investment consisting of an additional $31.1 million first lien, senior secured term debt investment. This follow-on investment represents Main Street's second follow-on investment in the Company, after initially partnering with Company's existing owners, the Stavig family, in August 2018. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Company manufactures new steel drums from strategically located manufacturing facilities in Charlotte, North Carolina and Cleveland, Ohio, operating under two distinct legal entities, General Steel Drum, LLC ("GSD") and North Coast Container, LLC ("NCC"), respectively. GSD and NCC were founded in 1984 and 1983, respectively, and each have grown to become industry leading new steel drum providers in their respective regions. SI East is one of the largest producers of new steel drums in the United States, producing a wide variety of products, including tight head, open head, interior lined, high and low density polyethylene plastic liners and unlined drums among various other offerings. The Stavig family is a long-term and well-respected participant in the steel drum manufacturing industry, separately owning and operating Myers Container, LLC and Container Management Services, LLC on the West Coast, thereby providing the Stavig family's independently operating industrial packaging businesses with a nationwide platform. 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 Leverty & Associates provides advice on how to manage the claims process after an accident, injury or a claim. RENO, Nev., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Insurance can be complicated. The last thing you want to think about if you are dealing with an insurance company is navigating their complicated rules. You probably just want to be made whole again, especially when you are experiencing an injury from a car accident or damage that resulted in filing an insurance claim. Leverty & Associates offers three tips to manage the process after a car accident or after filing an insurance claim. Bad Faith Happens After a car accident or other loss, insurance companies typically perform their own investigation into the accident or loss. While it is important to be honest with the insurance company because they are obligated to operate in good faith, experienced Attorney Pat Leverty of Leverty & Associates explains, "Unfortunately, insurance companies don't always play fair. We understand how to deal when insurance companies use bad faith practices." What Is Bad Faith? Insurance companies sometimes bend and break the rules when processing insurance claims. These bad faith practices might be intentional or just the product of inexperience. Examples of bad faith practices include: Delay in payments to the insured Lowball payout offers Sub-par or delayed investigations Lack of communication Flat-out denials of compensation Human error Policy cancellation after a claim is filed. Tips to Manage the Insurance Claims Process How can you protect yourself from bad faith practices during the insurance claims process? Don't let insurance companies unfairly deny, underpay, or delay a claim. Confused about the process? The first step we recommend is contacting a lawyer to ensure your rights are protected. Another great tip is to take good notes. Keeping track of when you talk to the insurance company, what information you share with them, and how they respond to your questions is important. Lastly, don't lose hope. Even if your insurance company is acting in bad faith, you can still recover. In fact, in addition to compensation for your original claim, you may be entitled to additional damages for the bad faith actions of your insurance company. About Leverty & Associates Law With a combined experience of nearly 100 years, Leverty & Associates Law has insurance lawyers that provide clients with trusted advice and advocacy in the Reno vicinity. The team of attorneys fights back against low settlement offers, denials and delays to protect the rights of their clients. SOURCE Leverty & Associates Law In April 2022 , Trina Solar Co., Ltd launched the Vertex S+ module series for European rooftops. It has features like dual-glass design, 210mm n-type Vertex cells and is designed for maximum compatibility as well as easy installation. , Trina Solar Co., Ltd launched the Vertex S+ module series for European rooftops. It has features like dual-glass design, 210mm n-type Vertex cells and is designed for maximum compatibility as well as easy installation. In September 2021 , Hanwha Q CELLS participated in Berlin's "Solar city Masterplan", an initiative created to help the city achieve climate-neutrality. The company participated with a plan to equip the rooftops of commercial and residential facilities in Berlin with solar PV modules to provide clean and eco-friendly electricity to users. , Hanwha Q CELLS participated in "Solar city Masterplan", an initiative created to help the city achieve climate-neutrality. The company participated with a plan to equip the rooftops of commercial and residential facilities in with solar PV modules to provide clean and eco-friendly electricity to users. In September 2019 , JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd signed a contract with METKA GEN for 300 MW of JinkoSolar's ultra-high efficiency Cheetah modules to be installed at a solar power plant in Caceres Spain . ("The Talasol Project"). This project is one of the largest utility scale projects in Europe and is expected to set a benchmark in Europe in terms of competitively-priced and subsidy-free solar power. GURUGRAM, India, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Net metering and Self-Consumption Policies: The European Solar market is driven by net metering system which uses a discount mechanism to balance annual energy that is delivered and purchased. Growth for solar PV particularly in Denmark, Spain and Italy is pioneered by net-metering. The drastic reduction in FIT and increase in grid parity makes it easier to integrate renewable energy system for net-metering and self-consumption. To learn more about this study - Request for Free Sample Report Integrated Market Structure: The presence of a number of highly experienced facilitators ranging from wafers manufacturers, modules manufacturer, project developers to installers provide integrated structure for rapid market growth. High installation facilitators for solar photovoltaic are responsible for creating the fast projects and low installation cost. Innovative Application Like BIPV and Agri-PV: Innovation is one of the major driver for growth of solar panel in Europe. Applications going beyond rooftop PV such as building-integrated PV and Agri PV can be deployed across all structures and terrains. The agriPV solution by German start-up Next2sun involve vertically ground- mounted solar modules and solar tubes by TubeSolar which produce electricity when set up on farmland while protecting crops from hailstorm. Analysts at Ken Research in their latest publication "Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market Outlook and Forecast to 2027 - Driven by Favorable Policies to Achieve Carbon Neutrality by 2050 and Integrated Market Structure Enabling Fast Projects: Ken Research" believe that the Solar Photovoltaic Panel market is expected to grow on the basis of net metering and self-consumption policies due to their affordability & flexibility to meet varying needs of different industry users. Key Segments Covered in Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market:- Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market By Technology Monocrystalline Silicon Thin-Film Polycrystalline Silicon Others Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market By Connectivity On-Grid Off-Grid Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market By Deployment Ground-Mounted Rooftop Solar Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market By End User Segment Residential Commercial Industrial Utility Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market By Geography and Major Countries Germany Spain The Netherlands France Poland To learn more about this study - Request for Free Sample Report Key Target Audience:- Solar Cells Manufacturers Solar Panel Manufacturers Solar Panel Raw Material Suppliers Solar Panel Assemblers Solar Panel Distributors Solar Energy Equipment Assemblers Solar Power Generation Equipment Manufacturers Utilities Departments Solar Energy Research Organizations Renewable Energy Research Organizations Investment Funds Independent Power Producers (IPP) Allied/Auxiliary industries for Solar Panels Potential Investors in Solar Panel Companies Renewable Energy Providers Ministries of Energy and Power Generation Ministries of Energy and Power Distribution Environment Control and Emission Regulatory Organizations Time Period Captured in the Report:- Historical Period: 2017-2021 Forecast Period: 2022-2027F Major Solar Photovoltaic Panel Companies in Europe Mentioned in the Report:- Jinko Solar Canadian Solar First Solar Hanwha Corporation SHARP Corporation Trina Solar JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd Photowatt Solarwatt Luxor Solar Megasol Energy Ltd. SoliTek To learn more about this study - Request for Free Sample Report Notable Emerging Solar Photovoltaic Panel Companies in Europe Mentioned in the Report:- Soluxtec GmbH AxSun Solar GmbH & Co. KG aleo solar Calyxo TS Solar GmbH Onyx Solar Group LLC SolarMente Zytech Solar 4solar ARIENS SOLAR Corab Eolus SOLEMS S.A. beem-energy Sillia Energia VOLTEC solar Key Topics Covered in the Report:- Snapshot of Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market Industry Value Chain and Ecosystem Analysis Market size and Segmentation of Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market Historic Growth of Overall Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market and Segments Competition Scenario of the Market and Key Developments of Competitors Porter's 5 Forces Analysis of Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Industry Overview, Product Offerings, and SWOT Analysis of All the Key Competitors Covid 19 Impact on the Overall Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market Future Market Forecast and Growth Rates of the Total Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market and by Segments Market Size of End User Industries with Historical CAGR and Future Forecasts Analysis of Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market in Major European Countries Major Production / Consumption Hubs in the Major Countries Major Production/Supply and Consumption/Demand Hubs in Each Major Country Major Country-wise Historic and Future Market Growth Rates of the Total Market and Segments Overview of Notable Emerging Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Companies within Each Major Country Ground-mounted Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market Solar Photovoltaic Panel Ground-Mounted Market Ground-mounted Solar PV Panel Market Solar PV Panel Ground-Mounted Market Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market Solar Photovoltaic Panel Rooftop Market Covid-19 Impact on Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market Covid-19 Impact on Solar PV Panel Market Covid-19 Impact on Photovoltaic Panel Market Commercial Photovoltaic Panel Market Hanwha Corporation Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market Canadian Solar Inc. Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market Trina Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market First Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market JA Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market For more information on the research report, refer to below link:- Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market Follow Us:- LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Contact Us:- Ken Research Ankur Gupta, Head Marketing & Communications [email protected] +91-9015378249 Frequently Asked Questions:- What is the Study Period of this Market Report? The Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market is covered from 2017 2027 in this report, which includes a forecast for the period 2022-2027. What is the Future Growth Rate of Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market? The Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market is expected to witness a CAGR of about 19% over the next 5 years. What are the Key Factors Driving the Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market? Net-metering system and favourable government policies are expected to be the primary drivers of this market. Which is the Fastest Growing Technology Segment within the Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market? Monocrystalline Silicon is the fastest growing technology segment within the Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market. Who are the Key Players in Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market? Jinko Solar, Canadian Solar, First Solar, Hanwha Corporation, SHARP Corporation, Trina Solar, JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd, Photowatt, Solarwatt, Luxor Solar, Megasol Energy Ltd., and SoliTek are the major companies operating in Europe Solar Photovoltaic Panel Market. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661352/Ken_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Ken Research The Journey will make a number of stops in the Denver-Boulder area, from 8/9 to 9/2. Please see locations and timing below. WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The All of Us Research Program's Journey mobile exhibit is traveling across the country to engage communities that have been historically underrepresented in medical research. All of Us is inviting one million or more people to help build one of the most diverse health databases of its kind and advance precision medicine. Since the program launched in 2018, the mobile exhibit has visited more than 100 cities in over 40 states. In Colorado, the Journey will be available to educate and register new participants for the program. With more enrollment and representation from area residents, researchers can help better address health issues that are prevalent in the community. LOCATIONS: FIRST STOP: City of Longmont Roosevelt Park (700 Longs Peak Ave., Longmont, CO 80501) from Tuesday, 8/9 to Wednesday, 8/10, 10 a.m. 4 p.m. MT SECOND STOP: Louisville Recreation & Senior Center (900 Via Appia Way, Louisville, CO 80027) from Thursday, 8/11 to Friday, 8/12., 10 a.m. 5 p.m. MT THIRD STOP: Montebello Community Health Center (12600 Albrook Dr., Denver, CO 80239) from Monday, 8/15 to Friday, 8/19, 10 a.m. 4 p.m. MT FOURTH STOP: Lowry Family Health Center (1001 Yosemite St., Denver, CO 80230) from Monday, 8/29 to Friday 9/2, 10 a.m. 4 p.m. MT EVENT DETAILS: All of Us tour managers will be available for interviews before the event or at the event via Zoom or phone. tour managers will be available for interviews before the event or at the event via Zoom or phone. Journalists are welcome to shoot B-roll and take photos at the event. The mobile exhibit features hands-on activities to learn more about the program, including a digital gaming hub, an augmented reality experience, and more. Only adults aged 18+ are able to register for the program at this time. COVID-19 safety guidelines: All staff are vaccinated against COVID-19. Staff and attendees are required to wear masks, social distance, sanitize hands, and complete temperature screenings and digital tracing forms. All surfaces are cleaned pre-, during, and post-event to reduce any possible contamination. ABOUT ALL OF US: More than 320,000 people nationwide have enrolled and completed the initial steps to participate in the research program, and over 80% of these participants belong to communities that have been historically underrepresented in biomedical research, including 50% from racial and ethnic minority groups. Researchers will use the data that participants contribute to learn how biology, lifestyle, and environment affect health. This may one day help them find more tailored ways to treat and prevent disease. For more information, visit allofus.nih.gov . | To sign up, visit joinallofus.org . SOURCE All of Us Research Program Rise in consumption of paper and paperboard and surge in demand for drive technology have boosted the growth of the global paper making machines market. PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Paper Making Machine Market by Headboxes Type (Multilayer, Air Padded), by Operation (Semi automatic, Fully automatic), by Machine Type (Specialty paper machine, Graphic paper machine, Packaging paper machine, Tissue Paper Making Machines, Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031". As per the report, the global paper making machines industry accounted for $20.4 billion in 2021, and is expected to reach $32.3 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 4.6% from 2022 to 2031. The report provides an in-depth analysis of changing market trends, key investment pockets, top segments, regional landscape, value chain, and competitive scenario. Major determinants of the market growth Rise in consumption of paper and paperboard and surge in demand for drive technology have boosted the growth of the global paper making machines market. Moreover, increase in environment benefits and economic advantages by pulp and paper manufacturers supplemented the market growth. On the other hand, increase in demand for paper making machine market by using different types of materials such as cloth and cotton to reduce deforestation and increased demand for paper napkins at homes, restaurants, and other commercial and residential places would open new opportunities in the future. Download Sample PDF: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/8533 Covid-19 scenario: The Covid-19 pandemic forced several companies in the market to halt business operations to comply with government's new regulations. This disturbance negatively affected the manufacturing and disrupted the supply chain. During the pandemic, most companies received no new consignments, which created challenges for them to maintain their foothold in the market. Due to prolonged lockdown, the prices of raw materials increased drastically. Moreover, shortage of workforce made it difficult to operate paper manufacturing activities at full scale. The multilayer segment dominated the market growth By headboxes type, the multilayer segment held the largest share in 2021, accounting for more than four-fifths of the global paper making machines market, and is estimated to dominate the market throughout the forecast period. In addition, the segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 4.7% during the forecast period, owing to increase in the adoption of technological advancement by the manufacturers. The report includes an analysis of the air padded segment as well. The fully automatic segment to manifest the highest CAGR through 2031 By operation, the fully automatic segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 4.7% during the forecast period. In addition, the segment held the largest share in 2021, contributing to more than three-fourths of the global paper making machines market, and is projected to continue its dominance during the forecast period. This is due to increase in adoption of automation in the work process in manufacturing industries. The report includes an analysis of the semi-automatic segment. The specialty paper machine segment held the lion's share By machine type, the specialty paper machine segment dominated the market in 2021, accounting for nearly one-third of the global paper making machines market, and is expected to continue its dominance from 2022 to 2031. This is due to benefits associated with specialty paper such as non-reactive, temperature resistant, waterproof, colorful, attractive, and lightweight. However, the tissue paper making machines segment is estimated to showcase the highest CAGR of 5.7% during the forecast period, owing to rise in demand for use of paper in various end-use industries such as packaging food & beverages and others. Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the Paper Making Machines Market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/8533 Asia-Pacific held the largest share By region, the global paper making machines market across Asia-Pacific dominated the market in 2021, holding nearly two-fifths of the market, and is expected to dominate in terms of revenue during the forecast period. In addition, the region is expected to register the highest CAGR of 5.1% during the forecast period. Rise in awareness regarding environmental health, owing to which paper making machines manufacturers and consumers are shifting their preferences toward more sustainable paper packaging solutions. The market is analyzed across other regions such as North America, LAMEA, and Europe. Major market players Voith Bellmer Cellwood Andritz Toscotec Cellie OverMade Srl Ihi Corporation Valmet Kawanoe Zoki Co., Ltd Nsk Ltd Parson Cnbm Allimand Kadant Inc. Recard SPA Georgia-Pacific Corporation The report analyzes these key players of the global smoking pipe market. These companies have adopted several strategies such as expansion, partnerships, new product launches, 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. Interested in Procure Data? Visit: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/8533 Access AVENUE- A Subscription-Based Library (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access Avenue is a user-based library of global market report database, provides comprehensive reports pertaining to the world's largest emerging markets. It further offers e-access to all the available industry reports just in a jiffy. By offering core business insights on the varied industries, economies, and end users worldwide, Avenue ensures that the registered members get an easy as well as single gateway to their all-inclusive requirements. Avenue Library Subscription | Request for 14 days free trial of before buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/avenueTrial Similar Reports We Have: Lathe Machines Market - global lathe machines market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 2.6% and is forecast to reach $12,012 million by 2022. Drilling Machine Market - global drilling machine market was valued at $16.54 Billion in 2017, and is expected to reach $28.76 Billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 7.1%. Pillow Packing Machine Market - global pillow packing machine market size was valued at $6,755.0 million in 2020, and is expected to reach $11,812.2 million by 2030, registering a CAGR of 5.6% from 2021 to 2030. Tunnel Boring Machine Market - global tunnel boring machine market size was valued $5,476.0 million in 2019 and is expected to reach $7,552.1 million by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 6.0% from 2020 to 2027. Roll Slitting Machines market - global roll slitting machines market size is expected to reach $2,801.8 million in 2027, from $2,266.4 million in 2019, growing at a CAGR of 3.6% from 2020 to 2027. Pre-Book Now with 10% Discount: Automatic Button Making Machines Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222029 Tissue Paper Making Machine Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222030 Converting Paper Machinery Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030 Punch Laser Machine Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2029 About Allied Market Research: 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. Contact us: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States Toll Free (USA/Canada): +1-800-792-5285, UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-855-550-5975 [email protected] Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research The HearMe pilot program marks the first mental health benefit that offers peer support for nurses by nurses NEW YORK, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HearMe, a leading mobile application providing on demand, text-based emotional wellness and peer support, has partnered with Ingenovis Health to provide a first-of-its-kind Employee Benefit that offers travel nurses free access to around-the-clock peer support. The HearMe pilot program provides an anonymous, easy-to-use, safe, and nurturing space for nurses to connect with trained listeners who also have a background in nursing and healthcare. The app allows nurses to receive 24/7 text-based mental wellness and empathetic support from HearMe listeners who are trained in peer-to-peer support and understand the challenges and pressures nurses face daily. During this pilot project, the HearMe app is being offered to nearly 200 travel nurses working for Fastaff Travel Nursing, an Ingenovis Health brand. The nurses are based at a New York City hospital. Even before the pandemic, there was an increasing nursing shortage. According to a May 2022 study by McKinsey , "29 percent of responding RNs in the United States indicated they were likely to leave their current role in direct patient care, with many respondents noting their intent to leave the workforce entirely." The HearMe Fastaff program provides nurses an immediate space to feel validated and supported. This benefit aims to empower nurses to prioritize and take control of their mental health and wellness confidentially and anonymously without stigma. HearMe offers a subclinical modality in the mental wellness journey that puts empathy and peer listening support at the forefront. A recent study by Penn State, Stanford University, The University of Mississippi, and Northwell Health showed a 57% increase in mood after a single conversation with a HearMe listener. The uniqueness of the HearMe paradigm is reflected in its robust training program for peer listeners at the heart of the service who know and understand the struggles of their peers and are passionate about creating space for others to find connection and support. In addition, HearMe listeners reflect the demographic and lifestyles of the platform members, facilitating strong connections based on shared lived experiences. HearMe founder and CEO Adam Lippin says, "Our program has gathered extraordinarily trained listeners from the nursing profession who know what it's like to be caregivers on the frontlines. Nurses we've heard from have expressed a disconnect when discussing daily struggles that nurses face even if they are in therapy. HearMe is proud to provide an immediate, accessible, and human-centric platform for nurses to feel seen and heard by someone who's actually been in their shoes. Fastaff recognized the critical need for wellness support, and we're thrilled to partner together on a solution." Denise Triba, Chief Human Resources Officer, Ingenovis Health added, "We are pleased to partner with HearMe and pilot its peer counseling app with nurses in a large New York City facility. Our goal is to see a positive impact with this small group that would compel us to offer the platform to all nurses and clinicians across the Ingenovis Health family, a universe of about 10,000 annually." HearMe is looking forward to the success of this pilot program and being able to extend it to more of our hero first responders in the medical field. To learn more about HearMe, visit hearme.app . To learn more about Fastaff and Ingenovis Health, visit ingenovishealth.com . About HearMe HearMe is an evidence-based on-demand peer support application where people connect through the power of shared lived experience. The app provides a safe and anonymous space to connect with trained culturally affirming peers for emotional support 24 hours a day. Learn more at https://hearme.app . About Ingenovis Health: Ingenovis Health is an ingenious new force in healthcare, combining the power of industry-leading staffing firms and a technology-forward approach to advance the delivery of critical healthcare clinicians to systems nationwide. Brands in the portfolio currently include Trustaff Travel Nurses, Fastaff Travel Nursing, U.S. Nursing Corporation, CardioSolution, HealthCare Support, and VISTA Staffing Solutions. For more information, visit www.ingenovishealth.com . SOURCE HearMe Procurement Pharma Plant Machinery and Equipment Procurement report explains key category management objectives that should form the base for sourcing strategy, including: Top-line growth Scalability of inputs Green initiatives Category innovations Supply base rationalization Demand forecasting and governance Minimalization of ad hoc purchases Adherence to regulatory nuances Cost savings Customer retention Reduction of TCO Supply assurance www.spendedge.com/sample-report/pharma-plant-machinery-and-equipment-sourcing- and-procurement-intelligence-report Price Strategies and Benchmark To optimize the value of the purchase, it is crucial to keep a track of current and future price trends. Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by the constant monitoring of price influencing factors. During the forecast period, the market expects an incremental spend of USD 87.09 billion due to various market drivers prevalent across multiple regions. Also, the report speaks about various cost-saving factors through analysis of the below factors: Identify favorable opportunities in Procurement Pharma Plant Machinery and Equipment TCO (total cost of ownership) Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities Check out other related reports: 1. Pharmaceutical Packaging Equipment - Forecast and Analysis: This report offers detailed insights and analysis of the major cost drivers, volume drivers, and innovations of the pharmaceutical packaging equipment procurement and sourcing market, which the global suppliers have been leveraging to gain a competitive edge across regions. 2. Water Treatment Equipment Sourcing and Procurement Report: The report provides a detailed insight into the most adopted procurement strategies by buyers across industries and an 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 water treatment equipment requirements. Click the above link to download a sample of this report 3. Fruits and Vegetable Processing Equipment - Sourcing and Procurement Intelligence Report: 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. These market analysis data will enable the buyers to make informed strategic sourcing decisions. Table of Content Executive Summary Market Insights Category Pricing Insights Cost-saving Opportunities Best Practices Category Ecosystem Category Management Strategy Category Management Enablers Suppliers Selection Suppliers under Coverage US Market Insights Category scope About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. Contact SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us SOURCE SpendEdge BRAINTREE, Mass., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PrepMD and its subsidiary, PrepMD RMS, the premier provider of cardiac remote monitoring, staffing, and training solutions, announced today the appointment of Dr. Robert Lerman, distinguished Cardiac Electrophysiologist and Healthcare Expert as the company's Chief Medical Officer. Most recently, Dr. Lerman served as the Chief Medical Officer and VP of Clinical Operations at LindaCare, a cardiac remote monitoring technology company. Prior to that, Dr. Lerman led several new programs in both Clinical Integration and Clinical Supply Chain at Dignity Health, one of the nation's largest health systems. During an 18-year clinical career, he worked as the Medical Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology at St. Bernardine Medical Center in Southern California and served as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen UCLA School of Medicine. A native and current resident of Los Angeles, Dr. Lerman received his B.S. from Stanford University and medical degree from Albany Medical College prior to completing an internal medicine residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and fellowships in cardiology and clinical cardiac electrophysiology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles. "We are delighted to have Dr. Lerman join the leadership team at PrepMD and PrepMD RMS. A distinguished electrophysiologist and a clinical expert in the remote monitoring space, Dr. Lerman will provide strong leadership and direction across all verticals at the company including cardiac remote monitoring, staffing, and training". -Matt O'Neal, Co-founder and CEO of PrepMD, PrepMD RMS. With his experience leading remote monitoring technology development and as an active member of the HRS Interoperability Working Group, Dr. Lerman will guide the technology roadmap for PrepMD RMS. Dr. Lerman will work with the cross-functional teams to develop and implement strategic initiatives across all solutions offered by the company to healthcare systems, corporations, and individuals globally. About PrepMD RMS Founded in 2015, PrepMD RMS is the premier cardiac clinical solutions company, combining expert human capital and technological innovation to address complex challenges faced by cardiology offices and major healthcare systems. As a one-stop shop for device clinics of all sizes, PrepMD RMS offers a portfolio of services including cardiac device remote monitoring, in-office staffing, and digital healthcare training solutions. The parent global company, PrepMD is an established leader in cardiac medical device training for corporations and individuals. For more information, go to prepmd.com. SOURCE PrepMD; PrepMD RMS DALLAS, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Simmons Bank, as Trustee of the Sabine Royalty Trust (NYSE: SBR), today declared a cash distribution to the holders of its units of beneficial interest of $0.829410 per unit, payable on August 29, 2022, to unit holders of record on August 15, 2022. Sabine's cash distribution history, current and prior year financial reports and tax information booklets, a link to filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission and more can be found on its website at http://www.sbr-sabine.com/. Additionally, printed reports can be requested and are mailed free of charge. This distribution reflects primarily the oil production for May 2022 and the gas production for April 2022. Preliminary production volumes are approximately 56,325 barrels of oil and 1,258,547 Mcf of gas. Preliminary prices are approximately $103.82 per barrel of oil and $5.95 per Mcf of gas. This month's distribution is higher than the previous month's due to increased production of oil and gas, primarily due to the timing of receipts through the end of the previous month. The production from the new horizontal gas wells in Panola County, Texas, has contributed approximately $860,000 reflecting April production. They were averaging about 716 Mcf per well, per day during April totaling over 172,000 Mcf with an average pricing of $5.37 per Mcf. In addition to these proceeds, the additional 8 new wells which were paid upon for the month of April, contributing approximately $220,000, reflecting an average of 196 Mcf per well, per day. Additionally, another 3 new horizontal wells, also in Panola County, were paid on by another operator for the month of production for April 2022 and May 2022, respectively, with production of 1,486 and 1,414 Mcf per well, per day with the respective pricing of $5.37 and $6.98 per Mcf resulting in approximately $670,000 and $860,000 being received by the Trust in July. As more regular monthly receipts are made in the months to come, additional information will be made available. The table below compares this month's production and prices to the previous month's: Net to Trust Sales Volumes Average Price Oil (bbls) Gas (Mcf) Oil (per bbl) Gas (per Mcf) Current Month 56,325 1,258,547 $103.82 $5.95 Prior Month 40,082 1,024,821 $105.12 $4.57 Revenues are only distributed after they are received, verified, and posted. Most energy companies normally issue payment of royalties on or about the 25th of every month, and depending on mail delivery, a varying amount of royalties are not received until after the revenue posting on the last business day of the month. The revenues received after that date will be posted within 30 days of receipt. Due to the timing of the end of the month of July, approximately $2,532,000 of revenue received will be posted in the following month of August in addition to normal receipts during August. Since the close of business in July and prior to this press release, $5,108,000 in revenue has been received. The 2021 Annual Report with Form 10-K and the January 1, 2022 Reserve Summary has been posted on the Sabine website at http://www.sbr-sabine.com/. SOURCE Sabine Royalty Trust LAS VEGAS, Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Scott Glickman, DO, FACOS, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Trusted Healthcare Professional in the Medical field for his professional excellence as a Neurosurgeon and in acknowledgment of his work as a specialist at the Center for Neurosurgery Las Vegas. Scott Glickman A board-certified and multiple fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with over 20 years of experience in his field, Dr. Glickman specializes in treating complex neurological conditions and injuries of the brain, spine, and peripheral nerves. He is a founding member and managing partner at the Center for Neurosurgery Las Vegas, located at 6850 North Durango Drive, Suite 301, in Las Vegas, NV. The doctor additionally serves as the Trauma Liaison, Spine Program Director, and the Medical Director of the Neurosurgery Intensive Care Unit and MountainView Hospital as well as on numerous hospital committees in the Las Vegas region. During his two decades of neurological practice, Dr. Glickman has garnered exceptional expertise in treating traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, brain and spinal tumors, Chiari malformations and the craniocervical junction, and other neurovascular disorders. He also has in-depth experience with deep brain stimulator therapy as well as open and minimally invasive spinal surgery techniques. Dr. Glickman and his team of highly trained medical providers embrace the belief that "the forefront of medicine is not only what was learned yesterday, but also what they strive to discover tomorrow." The Center for Neurosurgery Las Vegas focuses on holistic, patient-centered care through osteopathic, allopathic, and integrative medicine. In addition to patient care through his clinic, Dr. Glickman is also involved in ongoing clinical research on intracranial pressure, spinal reconstruction, the multimodal diagnosis and treatment of neuropathy, surgical treatments of hemorrhagic stroke, and the impact of obesity on neurological surgery. In pursuit of his higher education, Dr. Glickman obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1988 from the University of Michigan. He went on to earn his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. To further his medical training, Dr. Glickman completed a Residency in Neurological Surgery at Michigan State University/St. John-Providence and served as Chief Resident at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has completed numerous fellowship programs in neurocritical care and emergency neurosurgery, neurology vascular neurosurgery, complex spine surgery, and neurosurgical oncology. A Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons, Dr. Glickman is also board-certified in neurological surgery by the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery. Among his professional affiliations, he is a member of the American Osteopathic Association, the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons, the National Association of Spine Surgeons, the Congress of Neurosurgeons, and the Critical Care Society. He is also a strong advocate of the Glioblastoma Support Network. In addition to his medical practice, Dr. Glickman has written numerous scholarly works and has frequently presented at regional, national and international medical conferences. The doctor has also provided educational instruction to medical residents, physician assistant candidates, and nurse practitioner students. He has also served on the Ethics Committee of the Neurocritical Care Society and the Exercise Committee with the North American Spine Society, and various committees in the American Osteopathic Association and American College of Osteopathic Surgeons. Dr. Glickman enjoys running and spending time with his family in his spare time. In accepting this recognition, Dr. Glickman wishes to thank his mentor, Dr. Teck Soo. For more information, visit www.glioblastomasupport.com. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who PHOENIX, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Snell & Wilmer is pleased to announce that the firm ranked sixth nationwide in the 2022 AmLaw Midlevel Associates Satisfaction Survey. The firm received a remarkable 92.4 percent response rate from its midlevel associates (defined by the survey as those in their third, fourth, and fifth year of practice) well above any other top 20 firm recognized in the survey. Associates interviewed said they "appreciated reasonable billing expectations," shared that the firm has a "great work life balance," and noted that it "feels like the firm really cares." "Supporting our associates in their personal and professional development, and fostering an enjoyable working environment, are longstanding commitments embodied in our firm credo," said Jeffrey A. Scudder, chair of the firm's Attorney Development Committee (ADC) and a partner in the Phoenix office. "We appreciate our associates' strong participation in this year's survey, and the results confirm that they recognize and value those commitments. We are always exploring innovative new ways to support our associates, and the feedback we gather through this survey has been integral to those efforts over the past several years." The AmLaw survey examines 12 aspects of job satisfaction, including: compensation and benefits; training and guidance; relations with partners and other associates; interest in and satisfaction level with the work; the firm's policy on billable hours; and management's openness about firm strategies and partnership chances. "We work with every associate to help them develop into a self-sustaining partner. This is consistent with our status as a relationship-based firm, as well as our credo commitments to our clients, our communities, and each other," said Firm Chair Matthew P. Feeney. Snell & Wilmer credits its ADC for improving associate satisfaction levels. The ADC consists of associates, counsel, and partners who meet regularly to create development and connection opportunities that encourage each attorney to reach their full potential both personally and professionally and enjoy the practice of law at Snell & Wilmer. The ADC focuses specifically on enhancing the firm's mentoring, training, and lateral integration efforts, working with the firm's Attorney Talent staff and attorney leaders to address the unique needs of new and experienced associates and lateral attorneys. ADC members also serve as a point of contact for attorneys within their offices to communicate feedback and ideas to firm leadership. In so doing, the ADC has the full support of the firm's Executive Committee. "This ranking affirms the sincere commitment our partners make in each associate's development, while also signaling the deep investment our associates make in building their careers here," said Snell & Wilmer Chief Talent Officer Kristen Hulse, who joined the firm in 2021. "This mutual engagement provides an ideal foundation for our associates to learn and thrive, knowing they are cared for and valued for who they are." About Snell & Wilmer Founded in 1938, Snell & Wilmer is a full-service business law firm with more than 450 attorneys practicing in 16 locations throughout the United States and in Mexico, including Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego, California; Denver, Colorado; Washington, D.C.; Boise, Idaho; Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Portland, Oregon; Dallas, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; Seattle, Washington; and Los Cabos, Mexico. The firm represents clients ranging from large, publicly traded corporations to small businesses, individuals and entrepreneurs. For more information, visit swlaw.com. SOURCE Snell & Wilmer Technavio identifies Abengoa SA, Acciona SA, BrightSource Energy Inc., Canadian Solar Inc., E Solar, First Solar Inc., Kaneka Corp., Shunfeng International Clean Energy Co. Ltd., SunPower Corp., and Tata Power Co. Ltd. as major market participants. The market is primarily driven by high electricity demand. The rise in average time spent at home has significantly increased the demand for power in Japan. The marginal rise in energy demand has increased direct purchases of power generators to ensure stable supplies in response to government recommendations for preventive measures to avoid power shortages. These increased demands have increased the adoption of solar energy, which is driving the growth of the market in focus. In addition, increasing greenhouse gas emissions and environmental concerns, and favorable government policies will offer immense growth opportunities. However, high initial investment, the requirement of a large installation area to set up solar farms, and the rising adoption of alternate renewable sources will challenge the growth of the market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. View Sample Report Here The solar energy market in Japan is segmented as below: End-user Utility Rooftop The utility segment held the largest share of the market in 2021 The segment is driven by increased investments in utility-scale solar plants. The market growth in the segment will be significant during the forecast period. Application Grid-connected Off-grid The grid-connected segment generated the maximum revenue in the market in 2021. The segment is driven by the increasing number of solar-powered residences connected to the grid. In addition, low operating and maintenance costs of grid-connected PV systems will have a positive impact on the growth of the segment during the forecast period. Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our solar energy market in Japan report covers the following areas: Solar Energy Market 2022-2026: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the solar energy market in Japan. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research report on the solar energy market is designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Solar Energy Market in Japan 2022-2026: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026 Detailed information on factors that will assist solar energy market growth during the next five years Estimation of the solar energy market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the solar energy market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of solar energy market vendors Related Reports: Solar Energy Market in Japan: Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 29.78% Market growth 2022-2026 505.28 TWh Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 27.81 Regional analysis Japan Performing market contribution Japan at 100% Key consumer countries Japan Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Abengoa SA, Acciona SA, BrightSource Energy Inc., Canadian Solar Inc., E Solar, First Solar Inc., Kaneka Corp., Shunfeng International Clean Energy Co. Ltd., SunPower Corp., and Tata Power Co. Ltd. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Table Of Contents : 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 01: Parent market 2.2 Value chain analysis Exhibit 02: Market characteristics Exhibit 03: Value Chain Analysis: Renewable Electricity 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 04: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.3 Market size 2021 Exhibit 05: Market segments 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021 - 2026 Exhibit 06: Global - Market size and forecast 2021 - 2026 (TWh) 4 Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five forces analysis 2021 & 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 08: Five forces analysis 2021 & 2026 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 09: Bargaining power of buyers 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 10: Bargaining power of suppliers 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 11: Threat of new entrants 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 12: Threat of substitutes 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 13: Threat of rivalry 5 Market Segmentation by Application 5.1 Market segments 5.2 Comparison by Application Exhibit 15: Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 5.3 Grid-connected - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 16: Comparison by Application Exhibit 17: Grid-connected - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (TWh) 5.4 Off-grid - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 18: Grid-connected - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 19: Off-grid - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (TWh) 5.5 Market opportunity by Application Exhibit 20: Off-grid - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 6 Market Segmentation by End-user 6.1 Market segments 6.2 Comparison by End-user Exhibit 22: End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 6.3 Utility - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 23: Comparison by End-user Exhibit 24: Utility - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (TWh) 6.4 Rooftop - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 25: Utility - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 26: Rooftop - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (TWh) 6.5 Market opportunity by End-user Exhibit 27: Rooftop - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7 Customer landscape 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges 8.3 Market trends Exhibit 30: Impact of drivers and challenges 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Landscape disruption Exhibit 31: Vendor landscape Exhibit 32: Landscape disruption 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 34: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors 10.3 Abengoa SA Exhibit 35: Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 36: Abengoa SA - Overview Exhibit 37: Abengoa SA - Product and service 10.4 Acciona SA Exhibit 38: Abengoa SA - Key offerings Exhibit 39: Acciona SA - Overview Exhibit 40: Acciona SA - Business segments 10.5 BrightSource Energy Inc. Exhibit 41: Acciona SA - Key offerings Acciona SA - Segment focus Exhibit 42: BrightSource Energy Inc. - Overview Exhibit 43: BrightSource Energy Inc. - Product and service Exhibit 44: BrightSource Energy Inc. - Key offerings 10.6 Canadian Solar Inc. Exhibit 45: Canadian Solar Inc. - Overview Exhibit 46: Canadian Solar Inc. - Business segments 10.7 E Solar Exhibit 47: Canadian Solar Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 48: Canadian Solar Inc. - Segment focus 10.8 First Solar Inc. Exhibit 49: E Solar - Overview Exhibit 50: E Solar - Product and service Exhibit 51: E Solar - Key offerings Exhibit 52: First Solar Inc. - Overview Exhibit 53: First Solar Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 54: First Solar Inc. - Key offerings 10.9 Kaneka Corp. Exhibit 55: First Solar Inc. - Segment focus 10.10 Shunfeng International Clean Energy Co. Ltd. Exhibit 56: Kaneka Corp. - Overview Exhibit 57: Kaneka Corp. - Product and service Exhibit 58: Kaneka Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 59: Shunfeng International Clean Energy Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 60: Shunfeng International Clean Energy Co. Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 61: Shunfeng International Clean Energy Co. Ltd. - Key offerings 10.11 SunPower Corp. Exhibit 62: Shunfeng International Clean Energy Co. Ltd. - Segment focus 10.12 Tata Power Co. Ltd. Exhibit 63: SunPower Corp. - Overview Exhibit 64: SunPower Corp. - Product and service Exhibit 65: SunPower Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 66: Tata Power Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 67: Tata Power Co. Ltd. - Business segments 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.3 Research methodology Exhibit 70: Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 71: Research Methodology Exhibit 72: Validation techniques employed for market sizing 11.4 List of abbreviations Exhibit 73: Information sources Exhibit 74: List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio Technavio identifies Afore Ukraine, Atmosphere - Nature Technologies LLC, Ekotekhnik Ukraine LLC, Energy System Group, Intersource Ltd., SolarGaps, Solars Re-Energy Group, SUNSAY energy, Tesla Energo, and Voltage Group as major market participants. The market is primarily driven by increasing developments in the implementation of renewable energy. Over the years, renewable technology has considerably evolved and is competing with fossil fuel-based power generation technology. The rising concerns over carbon emissions has increased investments in renewable energy sources, including solar power. This is creating a huge demand for solar power generation technologies, thereby driving the market in focus. In addition, the need for providing environmental balance and favorable government regulations will offer immense growth opportunities. However, intermittency in solar power generation, high initial investment, and the requirement for large installation areas to set up solar farms will challenge the growth of the market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. View Sample Report Now The solar energy market in Ukraine is segmented as below: Type Rooftop Power Plant Ground-mounted Solar Power Plant By type, the rooftop power segment generated maximum revenue in the market in 2021. The segment is driven by the compactness of rooftop power plants. The market growth in the segment will be significant during the forecast period. Application Commercial Residential The commercial segment accounted for the largest market share in 2021. This can be attributed to the high demand for constant power in non-residential buildings. Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our solar energy market in Ukraine report covers the following areas: Solar Energy Market in Ukraine 2022-2026: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the solar energy market in Ukraine. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research report on the solar energy market in Ukraine is designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Solar Energy Market in Ukraine 2022-2026: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026 Detailed information on factors that will assist solar energy market growth in Ukraine during the next five years during the next five years Estimation of the solar energy market size in Ukraine and its contribution to the parent market and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the solar energy market in Ukraine Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of solar energy market vendors in Ukraine Related Reports: Solar Energy Market in Ukraine: Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Decelerate at a CAGR of 9.61% Market growth 2022-2026 932.10 MW Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 11.64 Regional analysis Africa Performing market contribution Ukraine at 100% Key consumer countries Africa Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Afore Ukraine, Atmosphere - Nature Technologies LLC, Ekotekhnik Ukraine LLC, Energy System Group, Intersource Ltd., SolarGaps, Solars Re-Energy Group, SUNSAY energy, Tesla Energo, and Voltage Group 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 : ***1. Executive Summary **1.1 Market Overview *Exhibit 01: Key Finding 1 *Exhibit 02: Key Finding 2 *Exhibit 03: Key Finding 5 *Exhibit 04: Key Finding 6 *Exhibit 05: Key Finding 7 ***2. Market Landscape **2.1 Market ecosystem *2.1.1 Parent Market *Exhibit 06: Parent market *Exhibit 07: Market characteristics **2.2 Value chain analysis *Exhibit 08: Value chain analysis: Energy storage *2.2.1 Inputs *2.2.2 Inbound logistics *2.2.3 Distribution and logistics *2.2.4 Marketing and sales *2.2.5 Aftermarket and service *2.2.6 Industry innovations: ***3. Market Sizing **3.1 Market definition *Exhibit 09: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition **3.2 Market segment analysis *Exhibit 10: Market segments **3.3 Market size 2021 **3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021 - 2026 *Exhibit 11: Ukraine - Market size and forecast 2021 - 2026 (MW) *Exhibit 12: Ukraine market: Year-over-year growth 2021 - 2026 (%) ***4. Five Forces Analysis **4.1 Five Forces Summary *Exhibit 13: Five forces analysis 2021 & 2026 **4.2 Bargaining power of buyers *Exhibit 14: Bargaining power of buyers **4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers *Exhibit 15: Bargaining power of suppliers **4.4 Threat of new entrants *Exhibit 16: Threat of new entrants **4.5 Threat of substitutes *Exhibit 17: Threat of substitutes **4.6 Threat of rivalry *Exhibit 18: Threat of rivalry **4.7 Market condition *Exhibit 19: Market condition - Five forces 2021 ***5 Market Segmentation by Application **5.1 Market segments *Exhibit 20: Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%) **5.2 Comparison by Application *Exhibit 21: Comparison by Application **5.3 Commercial - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 *Exhibit 22: Commercial - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (MW) *Exhibit 23: Commercial - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) **5.4 Residential - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 *Exhibit 24: Residential - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (MW) *Exhibit 25: Residential - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) **5.5 Market opportunity by Application *Exhibit 26: Market opportunity by Application ***6 Market Segmentation by Type **6.1 Market segments *Exhibit 27: Type - Market share 2021-2026 (%) **6.2 Comparison by Type *Exhibit 28: Comparison by Type **6.3 Rooftop power plant - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 *Exhibit 29: Rooftop power plant - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (MW) *Exhibit 30: Rooftop power plant - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) **6.4 Ground-mounted solar power plant - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 *Exhibit 31: Ground-mounted solar power plant - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (MW) *Exhibit 32: Ground-mounted solar power plant - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) **6.5 Market opportunity by Type *Exhibit 33: Market opportunity by Type ***7. Customer landscape **7.1 Overview *Technavio's customer landscape matrix comparing Drivers or price sensitivity, Adoption lifecycle, importance in customer price basket, Adoption rate and Key purchase criteria *Exhibit 34: Customer landscape ***8. Drivers, Challenges, and Trends **8.1 Market drivers *8.1.1 Increasing developments in the implementation of renewable energy *8.1.2 Providing environmental balance *8.1.3 Favorable government regulations **8.2 Market challenges *8.2.1 Intermittency in solar power generation *8.2.2 High initial investment *8.2.3 Requirement of large installation area to set up solar farms *Exhibit 35: Impact of drivers and challenges **8.3 Market trends *8.3.1 Advances in thin-film solar PV modules *8.3.2 Declining costs of solar energy *8.3.3 Rising adoption of floating solar power plants ***9. Vendor Landscape **9.1 Overview *Exhibit 36: Vendor landscape **9.2 Vendor Disruption *Exhibit 37: Landscape disruption *Exhibit 38: Industry risks ***10. Vendor Analysis **10.1 Vendors covered *Exhibit 39: Vendors covered **10.2 Market positioning of vendors *Exhibit 40: Market positioning of vendors **10.3 Afore Ukraine *Exhibit 41: Afore Ukraine - Overview *Exhibit 42: Afore Ukraine - Product and service *Exhibit 43: Afore Ukraine - Key offerings **10.4 Atmosphere - Nature Technologies LLC *Exhibit 44: Atmosphere - Nature Technologies LLC - Overview *Exhibit 45: Atmosphere - Nature Technologies LLC - Product and service *Exhibit 46: Atmosphere - Nature Technologies LLC - Key offerings **10.5 Ekotekhnik Ukraine LLC *Exhibit 47: Ekotekhnik Ukraine LLC - Overview *Exhibit 48: Ekotekhnik Ukraine LLC - Product and service *Exhibit 49: Ekotekhnik Ukraine LLC - Key offerings **10.6 Energy System Group *Exhibit 50: Energy System Group - Overview *Exhibit 51: Energy System Group - Product and service *Exhibit 52: Energy System Group - Key offerings **10.7 Intersource Ltd. *Exhibit 53: Intersource Ltd. - Overview *Exhibit 54: Intersource Ltd. - Product and service *Exhibit 55: Intersource Ltd. - Key offerings **10.8 SolarGaps *Exhibit 56: SolarGaps - Overview *Exhibit 57: SolarGaps - Product and service *Exhibit 58: SolarGaps - Key offerings **10.9 Solars Re-Energy Group *Exhibit 59: Solars Re-Energy Group - Overview *Exhibit 60: Solars Re-Energy Group - Product and service *Exhibit 61: Solars Re-Energy Group - Key offerings **10.10 SUNSAY energy *Exhibit 62: SUNSAY energy - Overview *Exhibit 63: SUNSAY energy - Product and service *Exhibit 64: SUNSAY energy - Key offerings **10.11 Tesla Energo *Exhibit 65: Tesla Energo - Overview *Exhibit 66: Tesla Energo - Product and service *Exhibit 67: Tesla Energo - Key offerings **10.12 Voltage Group *Exhibit 68: Voltage Group - Overview *Exhibit 69: Voltage Group - Product and service *Exhibit 70: Voltage Group - Key offerings ***11. Appendix **11.1 Scope of the report *11.1.1 Market definition *11.1.2 Objectives *11.1.3 Notes and caveats **11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$ *Exhibit 71: Currency conversion rates for US$ **11.3 Research Methodology *Exhibit 72: Research Methodology *Exhibit 73: Validation techniques employed for market sizing *Exhibit 74: Information sources **11.4 List of abbreviations *Exhibit 75: List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio Technavio identifies ABB Ltd., Adani Green Energy Ltd., Azure Power, Canadian Solar Inc., First Solar Inc., Golden Concord Holdings Ltd., Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd., Lanco Infratech Ltd., Larsen and Toubro Ltd., Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd., Mitsubishi Electric Corp., MVV Energie AG, Renesola Ltd., Risen Energy Co. Ltd., Sterling and Wilson Powergen Pvt. Ltd., Sungrow Power Supply Co. Ltd., Tata Power Co. Ltd., Trina Solar Co. Ltd., and Waaree Energies Ltd. as some of the dominant market participants. The market is primarily driven by the presence of favorable government regulations in APAC countries. Governments across APAC are encouraging the adoption of solar PV systems by providing incentives, subsidies, and tax benefits to producers and consumers. For instance, Japan has recently introduced the FiT policy to encourage investments in renewable energy technologies. The policy covers various aspects of the solar PV energy industry, including eligibility criteria, bonuses, and various other grants. The availability of such policies is increasing the adoption of solar PV panels, thereby driving the growth of the market in focus. In addition, the declining cost of solar PV panels and the increasing adoption of microgrids will offer immense growth opportunities for market players. However, factors such as the intermittency of solar PV systems, low energy conversion of solar panels, and high initial investment and maintenance costs of solar PV systems will challenge the growth of the market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. View Sample Report Here The solar PV market in APAC is segmented as below: End-user Utility Commercial Residential The utility segment is the prime end-user in the market. The availability of favorable government support and a decline in the costs of solar PV installation is driving the growth of the segment. The market growth in the segment will be significant during the forecast period. Geography China India Japan South Korea Rest Of APAC China emerged as the major market for solar PV in APAC in 2021. The regional market is driven by the country's increasing number of residential solar PV installations. Also, the increasing electrification of rural areas, growing off-grid installations, and the declining cost of solar PV systems are anticipated to foster the growth of the solar PV market in China during the forecast period. Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our solar PV market in APAC report covers the following areas: Solar PV Market in APAC 2022-2026: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the solar PV market in APAC. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research report on the solar PV market in APAC is designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Solar PV Market in APAC 2022-2026: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026 Detailed information on factors that will assist solar PV market growth in APAC during the next five years Estimation of the solar PV market size in APAC and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the solar PV market in APAC Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of solar PV market vendors in APAC Related Reports: Solar PV Market in APAC: Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 21.74% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 150.13 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 20.84 Regional analysis China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Rest of APAC Performing market contribution APAC at 100% Key consumer countries China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Rest of APAC Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled ABB Ltd., Adani Green Energy Ltd., Azure Power, Canadian Solar Inc., First Solar Inc., Golden Concord Holdings Ltd., Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd., Lanco Infratech Ltd., Larsen and Toubro Ltd., Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd., Mitsubishi Electric Corp., MVV Energie AG, Renesola Ltd., Risen Energy Co. Ltd., Sterling and Wilson Powergen Pvt. Ltd., Sungrow Power Supply Co. Ltd., Tata Power Co. Ltd., Trina Solar Co. Ltd., and Waaree Energies 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: 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Market overview Exhibit 01: Executive Summary Chart on Market Overview Exhibit 02: Executive Summary Data Table on Market Overview Exhibit 03: Executive Summary Chart on Country Market Characteristics Exhibit 04: Executive Summary Chart on Market by Geography Exhibit 05: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by End-user 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 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 14: Data Table on Regional - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 15: Chart on APAC: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 16: Data Table on Regional - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) 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 End-user 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 24: Chart on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 25: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 5.2 Comparison by End-user Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by End-user Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by End-user 5.3 Utility - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 28: Chart on Utility - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 29: Data Table on Utility - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 30: Chart on Utility - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 31: Data Table on Utility - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 Commercial - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 32: Chart on Commercial - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 33: Data Table on Commercial - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 34: Chart on Commercial - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 35: Data Table on Commercial - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Residential - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 36: Chart on Residential - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 37: Data Table on Residential - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 38: Chart on Residential - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 39: Data Table on Residential - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.6 Market opportunity by End-user Exhibit 40: Market opportunity by End-user ($ billion) 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 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 46: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 47: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 48: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 49: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.4 India - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 50: Chart on India - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 51: Data Table on India - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 52: Chart on India - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 53: Data Table on India - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.5 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 55: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 56: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 57: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.6 South Korea - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on South Korea - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 59: Data Table on South Korea - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 60: Chart on South Korea - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 61: Data Table on South Korea - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.7 Rest of APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 62: Chart on Rest of APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 63: Data Table on Rest of APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) Exhibit 64: Chart on Rest of APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 65: Data Table on Rest of APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.8 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 66: Market opportunity by geography ($ billion) 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges 8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges Exhibit 67: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026 8.4 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 68: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 9.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 69: Overview on factors of disruption 9.4 Industry risks Exhibit 70: Impact of key risks on business 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 71: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 72: Matrix on vendor position and classification 10.3 ABB Ltd. Exhibit 73: ABB Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 74: ABB Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 75: ABB Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 76: ABB Ltd. - Segment focus 10.4 Adani Green Energy Ltd. Exhibit 77: Adani Green Energy Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 78: Adani Green Energy Ltd. - Product / Service Exhibit 79: Adani Green Energy Ltd. - Key offerings 10.5 Azure Power Exhibit 80: Azure Power - Overview Exhibit 81: Azure Power - Product / Service Exhibit 82: Azure Power - Key news Exhibit 83: Azure Power - Key offerings 10.6 Canadian Solar Inc. Exhibit 84: Canadian Solar Inc. - Overview Exhibit 85: Canadian Solar Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 86: Canadian Solar Inc. - Key news Exhibit 87: Canadian Solar Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 88: Canadian Solar Inc. - Segment focus 10.7 First Solar Inc. Exhibit 89: First Solar Inc. - Overview Exhibit 90: First Solar Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 91: First Solar Inc. - Key news Exhibit 92: First Solar Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 93: First Solar Inc. - Segment focus 10.8 Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. Exhibit 94: Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 95: Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 96: Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 97: Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. - Segment focus 10.9 JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd. Exhibit 98: JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 99: JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd. - Product / Service Exhibit 100: JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd. - Key offerings 10.10 Lanco Infratech Ltd. Exhibit 101: Lanco Infratech Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 102: Lanco Infratech Ltd. - Product / Service Exhibit 103: Lanco Infratech Ltd. - Key offerings 10.11 Tata Power Co. Ltd. Exhibit 104: Tata Power Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 105: Tata Power Co. Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 106: Tata Power Co. Ltd. - Key news Exhibit 107: Tata Power Co. Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 108: Tata Power Co. Ltd. - Segment focus 10.12 Trina Solar Co. Ltd. Exhibit 109: Trina Solar Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 110: Trina Solar Co. Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 111: Trina Solar Co. Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 112: Trina Solar Co. Ltd. - Segment focus 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist Exhibit 113: Inclusions checklist Exhibit 114: Exclusions checklist 11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 115: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.4 Research methodology Exhibit 116: Research methodology Exhibit 117: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 118: Information sources 11.5 List of abbreviations Exhibit 119: List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio The Oceanside based solar installer wins the coveted award for the 10th time in 12 years, dominating the category for a record six consecutive years and cementing their position as the go-to solar, battery storage, and electric vehicle charging installer in both the residential and commercial solar sectors in Southern California SAN DIEGO, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stellar Solar, one of San Diego's most experienced solar and battery storage installers since 1998, has won the San Diego Union Tribune Readers Poll in the category of Best Solar Company again in 2022, making it a record six consecutive years winning the award. Their victory in 2022 adds to wins in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. The winning streak extends their record in the category of Best Solar Panel Company and is a direct reflection on the satisfaction of their 15,000 + residential and commercial customers. The win further solidifies Stellar Solar as a preferred choice for home and business owners who are looking to install solar, battery storage, and EV connectivity. Members of the Stellar Solar team representing our service, sales, design, construction and engineering departments celebrating another San Diego Union-Tribune Readers Poll Best Solar Company award aboard the USS Midway Museum. Stellar Solar Founding Partner and Vice President of Operations Brian Grems. Brian Grems, co-founder and Vice President of Operations at Stellar Solar had this to say about winning the award for the sixth year in a row in a field that included local and national solar companies nominated in the poll: "I'm always elated to get this news as it has become an annual confirmation, and verification that our way of doing business, in both the residential solar and commercial solar sectors of always putting the customer first, and treating our employees right, continues to be validated. Both our residential and commercial solar divisions have experienced record growth, and it's encouraging to see the adoption of battery storage and electric vehicle connectivity in that mix. Electrify Your Life is our tagline and our customers have jumped on board with that in a big way. It's an exciting time to be in this business." Stellar Solar offers quick, easy, no-pressure virtual residential solar quotes for homeowners interested in solar. Commercial solar quotes are also available for businesses, nonprofits, schools and faith-based organizations. About Stellar Solar Stellar Solar is a leading California residential and commercial PV solar design and installation company, based in San Diego since 1998 with over 15,000+ installations across Southern California including notable commercial installations on The Salk Institute, US Foods, Cedars Sinai Hospital and more. Readers of the Union Tribune have voted them best solar panel company again in 2022, marking the sixth year in a row and tenth time in twelve years winning the award. Their 5 Star Reviews on Yelp, A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and high customer ratings on Angi, are further testament to their standing as the leading solar provider to homes, businesses, nonprofits and faith based organizations in San Diego County. Learn more at www.stellarsolar.net Media Contact: David Boylan 858.395.6905 [email protected] SOURCE Stellar Solar BAODING, China, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 29, the latest batch of GWM TANK300 arrived at the Port of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, providing consumers with more opportunities to experience and truly feel the technical strength of the GWM TANK Platform. "GWM's intention behind TANK Platform creation is to provide an uncompromised product experience for consumers," said Gautam Arun, Product Director of GWM Middle East. Strong Technical Advantages of TANK Platform, GWM TANK300 Will Bring a New Intelligent Off-road Experience The TANK Platform is a global intelligent professional off-road platform with an intelligent modular design created by GWM which integrates global superior resources. The platform boasts many fantastic features, such as intelligent off-road driving, high reliability and mighty power, to make more powerful and intelligent off-road products. The TANK Platform allows vehicles an outstanding intelligent off-road performance. It can be adapted to different types of intelligent off-road configurations, such as the TANK TURN (Turning Assist by Braking) function equipped by TANK300. This function can render an even more practical and convenient driving experience for users in harsh driving conditions. When a driver needs to turn in a narrow area, the vehicle can be controlled by the function automatically to pass the area smoothly with a smaller radius. High reliability is one of the most important features of the TANK Platform. Based on the analysis of various aspects including scenarios, users, and division of vehicle body, the platform can elevate the vehicle's adaptability to the environment, durability and corrosion resistance. Considering that the degree of corrosion varies in different areas of the vehicle body, the platform has carried out specialized anti-corrosion designs for easy-to-corrode parts, such as gluing and anti-corrosion wax spraying. With these unique processes, the body of a vehicle would not be affected by damp, rainy and snowy weather, which makes the vehicle more durable. Also, the TANK Platform can offer diversified types of powertrain, including ICE, PHEV and HEV, to create different types of vehicles. In terms of ICE, it has equipped vehicles with engines of various specifications. For example, the TANK300 is equipped with a 2.0T direct injection turbocharged gasoline engine with a maximum power of 167kW and a peak torque of 387Nm, which can help users cope with a variety of off-road scenarios, with power performance and fuel economy combined. Regarding these powerful strengths of the platform, PCAUTO, a leading Chinese automotive website, commented, "the TANK Platform can handle complicated road conditions with excellent performance and quality, and adapt to ever-changing off-road scenarios via the intelligent driving mode. The platform seems to endow its users with "magic" to satisfy their passionate and ever-exploring hearts." Currently, GWM TANK300 has already been launched globally. GWM TANK plans to develop more customized models based on this platform to offer a wider range of intelligent off-road products for global users. SOURCE GWM Local Union Representatives Approve Contract Proposal and Supplements; Member Voting Tentatively Scheduled to Take Place Later This Month WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Local union leaders representing Teamsters at DHL Express met in Philadelphia today and unanimously endorsed a tentative DHL National Master Agreement at the logistics company. The four-year contract proposal and supplemental agreements, both local and regional, will now go the membership for a democratic ratification vote in August. "In all my years negotiating on behalf of DHL workers, this tentative agreement is by far the strongest we've ever secured. It's also the richest in terms of wages. This contract and its supplements will protect DHL workers with the pay, benefits and working conditions they deserve," said Bill Hamilton, International Vice President and Co-Chairman of the Teamsters DHL Negotiating Committee. If ratified, Hamilton noted, the new national contract will be the most lucrative national master agreement at DHL in Teamster history, with significant wage increases across all classificationsfor both full-time and part-time workersretroactive to April 1. In addition to historic wage increases, the tentative agreement also maintains workers' health and welfare plans and pension plans through increases in employer contributions. Other highlights include the addition of MLK Day as an observed paid holiday; an increase of paid holiday leave for part-time workers; improved ability to take paid funeral leave; reimbursement for all required CDL costs; stronger seniority protections for day-to-day cutting of routes; and protections against inward-facing cameras in delivery vehicles. The negotiating committee also maintained the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), which could result in additional significant wage increases next year. The tentative agreement contains no givebacks or concessions. The tentative National Master DHL Agreement runs from April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2026. Local unions will be reaching out to members about the details of the voting process, and updates will be posted online. "I want to thank our members across the country for staying united throughout the bargaining process, especially the rank-and-file members who served on the negotiating committees. Their hard work and dedication were crucial to securing a strong agreement," Hamilton said. Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters. Contact: Daniel Moskowitz, (770) 262-4971 SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters unequivocally rejects the recent ruling by Region 10 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), unfairly levying millions of dollars in fines against members of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) for expressing their federally protected rights as union members. UMWA has made clear its intent to vigorously challenge the outrageous assessment of damages by the NLRB concerning mine workers' 16-month strike against Warrior Met Coal. The Alabama-based employer refused to negotiate in good faith with the union and is struggling to justify a loophole in American labor law to circumvent the leverage of average American workers to strike disastrous, greed-driven companies. "The Teamsters proudly stand with our brothers and sisters of the United Mine Workers of America to combat this assault on American workers by the National Labor Relations Board," said Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien. "Are we simply going to strip hardworking Americans of their ability to organize, and of their freedom to strike corrupt employers? At what point is the federal government going to intervene to actually protect working people?" The UMWA entered into an agreement in June with Region 10 to help striking members and their families avoid hostile questioning by Warrior Met Coal attorneys. Despite these well-intentioned efforts, the NLRB billed the union more than $13 million in July for damages the corporate employers allege are owed as a result of union opposition to worker exploitation. The fine unjustly calculated by Region 10 is more than 33 times the estimated amount that NLRB attorneys initially assessed in response to strike actions. "Should this ruling by Region 10 be upheld, every American worker is on notice that the federal government of the United States has turned its back on you," said Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman. "The ability to strike a ravenous employer a once assured protection for Americans to fight for better working conditions would be on the chopping block if this decision isn't reversed. There's no other way to look at it. The NLRB is simply wrong in this misguided ruling." Warrior Met Coal instigated the prolonged strike against mine workers after spending months refusing to bargain in good faith for a new contract. In coordination with the UMWA, the Teamsters Union and its membership of 1.2 million hardworking Americans is prepared to exhaust every resource to protect the right to strike of every worker in every jurisdiction. 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 Tech jobs unemployment rate falls to 1.7%; job postings up 49% DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The technology jobs market continued its run of gains, which contributed to the unexpectedly strong #JobsReport for the month, according to analysis by CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce. Tech occupations across all industry sectors increased by an estimated 239,000 positions in July, CompTIA's analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveals.1 The unemployment rate for tech occupations was 1.7% in July. "The tech jobs market has repeatedly outperformed in the face of real and perceived economic weakness." Tweet this Tech industry level employment experienced a net gain of 12,700 workers, the 20th consecutive month of employment growth. Tech industry employment has increased by 143,700 jobs this year, an increase of 55% year-over-year. Employer job postings for technology positions approached 484,000 in July, a slight decrease from the previous month but still at a near record-level.2 Through the first seven months of 2022 US companies listed approximately 3.1 million jobs postings for tech positions, an increase of 49% for the same period last year. "The tech jobs market has repeatedly outperformed in the face of real and perceived economic weakness," said Tim Herbert, chief research officer at CompTIA. "The data confirms that for every layoff announcement there are other employers stepping in to take advantage of tech talent hiring opportunities." A closer examination of the tech job posting data from July shows that there are employment opportunities at every experience level, in a variety of occupation categories and in nearly every metro market and state across the country. About one in five tech job postings were for positions requiring two years or less of experience. About half specified three to five years of experience, while 13% sought candidates with nine or more years of experience. Software developers and engineers are the most in-demand positions employers are looking to hire nearly 148,000 job postings last month. There is also a strong job market for IT support specialists, IT project managers, systems engineers and architects and network engineers and architects. Positions in emerging technologies or jobs requiring emerging tech skills accounted for one-third of all postings in July. The New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco metro markets recorded the largest month-over-month increase in tech jobs postings. But "under the radar" markets also populate this list. Metro Area July Tech Job Postings Increase Topeka, KS 1,437 627 Lansing, MI 1,810 570 Trenton, NJ 1,770 468 Huntsville, AL 2,195 324 Rochester, NY 1,222 283 Little Rock, AR 1,949 257 Oklahoma City, OK 1,764 207 Within the tech sector, three occupation categories recorded job growth in July other information services, including search engines (+6,800), data processing, hosting and related services (+4,100) and computer and electronic products manufacturing (+3,300). Hiring in the IT services and custom software development category was flat, while telecommunications-related occupations declined (-1,400). The "CompTIA Tech Jobs Report" is available at https://www.comptia.org/content/tech-jobs-report. For more analysis and perspective visit the CompTIA Tech Job Report video series at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuqIJd7KnBU_nZd2oXEwa0I5X7Vt124eM. 1 Monthly occupation level data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tends to experience higher levels of variance and volatility. Labor market data and employer job posting data may be subject to revisions. 2 CompTIA analysis of Lightcast employer job posting data About CompTIA The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world's economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for unlocking the potential of the tech industry and its workforce. https://www.comptia.org/ Media Contact Steven Ostrowski CompTIA [email protected] +1 630-678-8468 SOURCE CompTIA /PRNewswire/ -- A hardworking and determined mother of 4 was on the hunt for a school for her youngest daughter, Caroline. It's 2002, and Elizabeth DeLuca has exhausted the Applied Behavior Analysis interventions, therapies, and homeschooling. Though Caroline is bright, loves music, and has a big personality and sense of humor, she is blocked from getting a high-quality education due to her diagnosis of STXBP1. Every program she attempts to join cannot seem to see past her disabilities and complex medical needs. Though many would have given up, Elizabeth looks at her daughter and knows what she must do. The DeLuca family will create a school for students with multiple disabilities, developmental delays, and medical needs. Caroline will inspire a school that sees a child's strengths, not only their challenges, and encourages them to reach for more. The Caroline School at Easter Seals Greater Houston was born. Congratulations to The Caroline School Class of 2022! This extraordinary school has bloomed in the 20 years since its inception. The classes have a low teacher-to-student ratio, weekly therapeutic enrichment, and incorporate the Assistive Technology Lab. Students with various diagnoses and backgrounds have walked and rolled through the halls, gaining skills, independence, and friendship. Each student is a reminder that all children are capable and deserving of high-quality education. The mere existence of this school has brought hope to parents whose children did not fit the mold. The inclusion of all students and dedication to individualized learning is part of the incredible legacy of Caroline DeLuca, who passed in 2016. In June, The Caroline School families and educators joyfully watched three students donned in cap and gown walk across the graduation stage, a sight some parents once thought impossible. The Caroline School community is equally proud of their former students who have transitioned to mainstream education thanks to the specialized education foundation they received. These major accomplishments speak to the mission of The Caroline School, working with families to create personalized instruction to help students reach their goals. The Caroline School has open enrollment for the 2022-2023 school year. Parents are invited to tour the school to get to know the dedicated staff; learn about the Assistive Technology Lab, personalized education plans, and weekly therapeutic enrichment; and see the accessible playground and available on-site therapy resources. Learn more at CarolineSchool.org or contact the Community Outreach Associate, Michelle Andrade, at [email protected] or 832-776-1758. SOURCE Easter Seals Greater Houston VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - WELL Health Technologies Corp. (TSX: WELL) (OTCQX: WHTCF) ("WELL" or the "Company"), a digital health company focused on positively impacting health outcomes by leveraging technology to empower healthcare practitioners and their patients globally, is pleased to announce the appointment of Sybil Lau to its board of directors. Sybil Lau has 25 years of experience in both public and private investments. Born in Ottawa, Sybil received an undergraduate degree from Simon Fraser University. Sybil is a Director and on the Board of Directors of the Dalio Family Office in Singapore and is a Director and Board Director for a Chinese hedge fund. Earlier in her career, Sybil had founded and operated a China focused global consulting firm in Guangzhou, was an investment manager at Credit Suisse, and a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs. "We are honored to welcome Sybil Lau to our board," said Hamed Shahbazi, Chairman and CEO of WELL. "Her passion and focus on healthcare industries and preventative health overall are of tremendous value and interest to WELL and its future direction as a company. Also, her knowledge and years of experience advising on capital allocation and new market development decisions will be an invaluable asset to the WELL team and our shareholders." Sybil is also highly involved in philanthropic work in South East Asia particularly in the areas of disability and vulnerable persons providing last mile and gap funding on health care initiatives. Sybil is fluent in French, English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. WELL will also release its Second Quarter 2022 financial results for the period ended June 30, 2022 before market open on Thursday, August 11, 2022. The Company will hold a conference call and simultaneous webcast to discuss its results on the same day at 1:00 pm EST (10:00 am PST). The call will be hosted by Hamed Shahbazi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Eva Fong, Chief Financial Officer. Please dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. Conference Call Participant Details Date August 11, 2022 Time 1:00 PM ET / 10:00 AM PT Confirmation # 9947 8397 Local Toronto: 416-764-8650 Vancouver:778-383-7413 North American Toll Free +1-888-664-6383 International +1-416-764-8650 Webcast URL https://www.well.company/for-investors/events/ WELL HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES CORP. Per: "Hamed Shahbazi" Hamed Shahbazi Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and Director About WELL Health Technologies Corp. WELL is a practitioner focused digital healthcare company whose overarching objective is to positively impact health outcomes to empower and support healthcare practitioners and their patients. WELL has built an innovative practitioner enablement platform that includes comprehensive end to end practice management tools inclusive of virtual care and digital patient engagement capabilities as well as Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) and data protection services. WELL uses this platform to power healthcare practitioners both inside and outside of WELL's own omni-channel patient services offerings. As such, WELL owns and operates Canada's largest network of outpatient medical clinics serving primary and specialized healthcare services and is the provider of a leading multi-national, multi-disciplinary telehealth offering. WELL is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "WELL" and on OTCQX under the symbol "WHTCF". To learn more about the Company, please visit: www.well.company. SOURCE WELL Health Technologies Corp. DUBLIN, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "World's Top 10 Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs - Comparative SWOT & Program Dossier - 2022 - Program Fact Files, Comparative SWOT Analysis, Strategy Focus across Programs, Key Trends & Growth Opportunities and Market Outlook for Fighter Jets" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Fighter jets have been the traditional backbone & core pivot of the force structures & fighting capabilities of Air Forces globally given their significant role & capabilities for conducting a broad range of missions, including, Aerial Combat, Air Interdiction & Close Air Support, Penetration & Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD), Ground Attack and Air Dominance/Superiority. The marked surge in global defense spending over the recent years has led to a rapid recapitalization spree of legacy fighter jet aircraft programs as a key priority globally driving the procurement of latest 5th generation programs and leading the development of a bevy of next generation aircraft programs for fleet replacement, build-up of capacity & broadening/beefing up of capabilities The replacement of global in-service fleet of legacy F-18 Hornet program is being pursued actively across parts of Europe and North America with the 5th Gen F-35 Lightning II JSF program dominating the same globally. Additionally, the upgrade, modernization & replacement of the sizeable number of older, in-service global fleet of F-16 variants along with fresh procurements is going on at an accelerated pace with Lockheed Martin maintaining a robust order book for new F-16 fighters in the latest Block 70 configuration. The impending, full-rate production decision on the F-35 program, likely in late 2023, will be game changer for Lockheed Martin & the industry value chain given that the F-35 program has witnessed decisive & comprehensive victories over its contemporaries with the recent on-boarding of Switzerland, Finland, Canada and Germany Other parts of the world, too, are accelerating & scrambling for the retirement & replacement of their Cold-war era, legacy fighter jet programs with the latest & next generation capabilities through fast tracked procurement of in-production international aircrafts to be complemented by scratch-up, indigenous aircraft programs under-development. In term of capabilities, 5th generation aircraft programs are already proving to be favorites to replace the 4/4+ generation aircrafts with the Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jet program spearheading the charge & the generational shift with the 6th generation jets already in the works. The joint Franco-German FCAS program & British-led Tempest program across Europe, USA's NGAD program & Japan's F-X program are prime contenders in the race for the 6th generation fighter jets with their potential EIS slated for late 2030s Against this backdrop, the report provides a detailed, comprehensive analysis on the World's Top 10 Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs, including: Detailed Program Factsheets, including, Technical Specifications, Production Numbers, Variants & Key Global Operators Overarching Strategy Focus across OEMs for the Programs Comprehensive Comparative SWOT Analysis Latest Contract Awards, Upcoming Aircraft Competitions & Developments for the Programs Upgrade Horizon, Projected Developments & Outlook for the Programs Key Topics Covered: Section 1: Global Top 10 Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs - Program Origins, Profile, Snapshot & Fact Files Boeing's F-15EX Eagle II Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Lockheed Martn's F-16V Fighting Falcon Block 70 Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II JSF Dassault Rafale Eurofighter Typhoon Saab's JAS 39 Gripen E/F Sukhoi Su-34 Super Flanker Sukhoi Su-57 Felon Chengdu's J-20 Mighty Dragon J-20 Mighty Dragon Coverage Program Origins Primary Role Technical Specifications Variants Developed Program Timelines Units Produced Current Program Status, Upgrade Horizon, Projected Developments & Outlook for the Programs Key Operators, Program Partners & Export Customers Section 2: Global Top 10 Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs - Technical Specifications, Armament, Performance & Comparative Overview Boeing's F-15EX Eagle II Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Lockheed Martn's F-16V Fighting Falcon Block 70 Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II JSF Dassault Rafale Eurofighter Typhoon Saab's JAS 39 Gripen E/F Sukhoi Su-34 Super Flanker Sukhoi Su-57 Felon Chengdu's J-20 Mighty Dragon Section 3: SWOT Analysis - For the World's 10 Leading Combat Aircraft Programs Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Boeing's F-15EX Eagle II Lockheed Martin's F-16V Fighting Falcon Block 70 Dassault Rafale Eurofighter Typhoon SAAB's JAS 39 Gripen Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Sukhoi Su-34 Super Flanker Sukhoi Su-57 Felon Chengdu's J-20 Mighty Dragon Section 4: Programs' Evolution, Progression & Current Strategy Focus across respective OEMs Boeing's F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet Boeing's F-15EX Eagle II Lockheed Martin's F-16V Fighting Falcon Block 70 Dassault Rafale Eurofighter Typhoon SAAB's JAS 39 Gripen Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Sukhoi Su-34 Super Flanker Sukhoi Su-57 Felon Chengdu's J-20 Mighty Dragon Section 5: Comparative Analysis of Strengths Boeing's F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet Boeing's F-15EX Eagle II Lockheed Martin's F-16V Fighting Falcon Block 70 Dassault Rafale Eurofighter Typhoon SAAB's JAS 39 Gripen Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Sukhoi Su-34 Super Flanker Sukhoi Su-57 Felon Chengdu's J-20 Mighty Dragon Section 6: Comparative Analysis of Weaknesses Boeing's F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet Boeing's F-15EX Eagle II Lockheed Martin's F-16V Fighting Falcon Block 70 Dassault Rafale Eurofighter Typhoon SAAB's JAS 39 Gripen Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Sukhoi Su-34 Super Flanker Sukhoi Su-57 Felon Chengdu's J-20 Mighty Dragon Section 7: Technological Upgrade Plans & Horizon, Projected Developments & Outlook for respective Fighter Jet Programs - Key Contract Awards, Emerging Growth Opportunities and Technological Roadmap Ahead Section 8: Global Fighter Jet Aircraft Market - Force Field Analysis - Analysis of Driving & Restraining Forces and their Overall Dynamics Driving Forces Restraining Forces Section 9: Key Trends, Issues & Challenges and Growth Opportunities Section 10: Global Fighter Jet Aircraft Market - Market Outlook & Scenario for Fighter Jet Programs over Medium Term Analysis of Emerging Market Scenario for Fighter Jet Aircrafts Global Demand Outlook for Fighter Jet Aircrafts - Projections Global Defense Budgetary Trend Defense Spending Levels across Key Markets - Top 5 Nations Key Upcoming Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs & Competitions Emerging & Game changing Technologies and Sixth Generation Aircraft Programs - Round Up Market Outlook For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/pz3u0n 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. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "World's Top 6 Stealth, 5th Generation Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs - Comparative SWOT & Program Dossier - 2022 - Program Fact Files, Comparative SWOT Analysis, Strategy Focus across Programs, Key Trends & Growth Opportunities and Market Outlook for Fighter Jets" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Fighter jets have been the traditional backbone & core pivot of the force structures & fighting capabilities of Air Forces globally given their significant role & capabilities for conducting a broad range of missions, including, Aerial Combat, Air Interdiction & Close Air Support, Penetration & Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD), Ground Attack and Air Dominance/Superiority. The marked surge in global defense spending over the recent years has led to a rapid recapitalization spree of legacy fighter jet aircraft programs as a key priority globally driving the procurement of latest 5th generation programs and leading the development of a bevy of next generation aircraft programs for fleet replacement, build-up of capacity & broadening/beefing up of capabilities The replacement of global in-service fleet of legacy F-18 Hornet program is being pursued actively across parts of Europe and North America with the 5th Gen F-35 Lightning II JSF program dominating the same globally. Additionally, the upgrade, modernization & replacement of the sizeable number of older, in-service global fleet of F-16 variants along with fresh procurements is going on at an accelerated pace with Lockheed Martin maintaining a robust order book for new F-16 fighters in the latest Block 70 configuration. The impending, full-rate production decision on the F-35 program, likely in late 2023, will be game changer for Lockheed Martin & the industry value chain given that the F-35 program has witnessed decisive & comprehensive victories over its contemporaries with the recent on-boarding of Switzerland, Finland, Canada and Germany Other parts of the world, too, are accelerating & scrambling for the retirement & replacement of their Cold-war era, legacy fighter jet programs with the latest & next generation capabilities through fast tracked procurement of in-production international aircrafts to be complemented by scratch-up, indigenous aircraft programs under-development. In term of capabilities, 5th generation aircraft programs are already proving to be favorites to replace the 4/4+ generation aircrafts with the Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jet program spearheading the charge & the generational shift with the 6th generation jets already in the works. The joint Franco-German FCAS program & British-led Tempest program across Europe, USA's NGAD program & Japan's F-X program are prime contenders in the race for the 6th generation fighter jets with their potential EIS slated for late 2030s Against this backdrop, the report provides a detailed, comprehensive analysis on the World's Top 6 Stealth, 5th Generation Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs, including: Detailed Program Factsheets, including, Technical Specifications, Production Numbers, Variants & Key Global Operators Overarching Strategy Focus across OEMs for the Programs Comprehensive Comparative SWOT Analysis Latest Contract Awards, Upcoming Aircraft Competitions & Developments for the Programs Upgrade Horizon, Projected Developments & Outlook for the Programs Key Topics Covered: Section 1: Global Top 6 Stealth, 5th Gen Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs - Program Origins, Profile, Snapshot & Fact Files Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II JSF Chengdu's J-20 Mighty Dragon J-20 Mighty Dragon KAI's KF-21 Boramae (4.5 Gen with planned 5th Gen Upgrades) Sukhoi's Su-57 Felon Shenyang's FC-31 Gyrfalcon FC-31 Gyrfalcon Coverage Program Origins Primary Role Technical Specifications Variants Developed Program Timelines Units Produced Current Program Status, Upgrade Horizon, Projected Developments & Outlook for the Programs Key Operators, Program Partners & Export Customers Section 2: Global Top 6 Stealth, 5th Gen Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs - Specifications, Armaments, Performance & Comparative Overview Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II JSF Chengdu's J-20 Mighty Dragon J-20 Mighty Dragon KAI's KF-21 Boramae (4.5 Gen with planned 5th Gen Upgrades) Sukhoi's Su-57 Felon Shenyang's FC-31 Gyrfacon Section 3: SWOT Analysis - Global Top 6 Stealth, 5th Gen Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II JSF Chengdu's J-20 Mighty Dragon J-20 Mighty Dragon KAI's KF-21 Boramae (4.5 Gen with planned 5th Gen Upgrades) Sukhoi's Su-57 Felon Shenyang's FC-31 Gyrfalcon Section 4: Programs Evolution, Progression & Current Strategy Focus across respective OEMs Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II JSF Chengdu's J-20 Mighty Dragon J-20 Mighty Dragon KAI's KF-21 Boramae (4.5 Gen with planned 5th Gen Upgrades) Sukhoi's Su-57 Felon Shenyang's FC-31 Gyrfalcon Section 5: Comparative Analysis of Strengths Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II JSF Chengdu's J-20 Mighty Dragon J-20 Mighty Dragon KAI's KF-21 Boramae (4.5 Gen with planned 5th Gen Upgrades) Sukhoi's Su-57 Felon Shenyang's FC-31 Gyrfalcon Section 6 : Comparative Analysis of Weaknesses Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II JSF Chengdu's J-20 Mighty Dragon J-20 Mighty Dragon KAI's KF-21 Boramae (4.5 Gen with planned 5th Gen Upgrades) Sukhoi's Su-57 Felon Shenyang's FC-31 Gyrfalcon Section 7: Key Strategic Initiatives, Upgrades Horizon, Projected Developments & Outlook for the Programs - Key Contract Awards, Competitions and Technological Upgrade Plans Section 8: Global Fighter Jet Aircraft Market - Force Field Analysis - Analysis of Driving & Restraining Forces and their Overall Dynamics Driving Forces Restraining Forces Section 9: Key Trends, Issues & Challenges and Growth Opportunities Section - 10: Market Outlook & Scenario for Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs over Medium Term Analysis of Emerging Market Scenario for Fighter Jet Aircrafts Global Demand Outlook for Fighter Jet Aircrafts - Projections Global Defense Budgetary Trend Defense Spending Levels across Key Markets - Top 5 Nations Key Upcoming Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs & Competitions Emerging & Game changing Technologies and Sixth Generation Aircraft Programs - Round Up Market Outlook For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1lyiah 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 High-Speed Data Revenue from continuing operations of $102.6 million, up 4% compared to the second quarter of 2021 ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WideOpenWest, Inc. ("WOW!" or the "Company") (NYSE: WOW), one of the nation's leading broadband providers, with an efficient, high-performing network that passes 1.9 million residential, business and wholesale consumers, today announced financial and operating results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022. Second Quarter 2022 Highlights (1)(2) Total Revenue from continuing operations of $176.1 million , a decrease of $5.8 million or 3%, compared to the second quarter of 2021 , a decrease of or 3%, compared to the second quarter of 2021 HSD Revenue from continuing operations totaled $102.6 million , an increase of $3.9 million , or 4%, compared to the second quarter of 2021 , an increase of , or 4%, compared to the second quarter of 2021 Net Income from continuing operations was $4.0 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 for the quarter ended Net Profit Margin was 2.3% compared to 4.3% for the second quarter of 2021 Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA was a record $70.6 million , an increase of $6.3 million , or 10%, compared to the second quarter of 2021 , an increase of , or 10%, compared to the second quarter of 2021 Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA Margin was a record 40.1% compared to 35.3% for the second quarter of 2021 Added 2,200 HSD RGUs Announced the launch of 1.2 Gig speeds across entire footprint Greenfield progress on track and construction has begun in Central Florida "I am pleased with our second quarter results which reflect the strength of our broadband-first strategy and the progress we have made on our strategic initiatives as we delivered record Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin," said Teresa Elder, WOW!'s CEO. "We continue to meet our operational goals as we grow our high-speed data subscriber base, increase edge-out penetration and accelerate our Greenfield expansion." "Our HSD revenue grew 4% from the same period last year and Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA grew by nearly 10% from last year, to a record high $70.6 million and a record Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA margin of 40.1%," said John Rego, WOW!'s CFO. "The combination of HSD revenue growth and the realization of strategic efficiencies has brought our Pro Forma Adjusted Margin very close to the levels attained prior to last year's divestitures." Revenue Total Revenue from continuing operations was $176.1 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, down $5.8 million, or 3%, as compared to the corresponding period in 2021. Total Subscription Revenue from continuing operations for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 was $163.2 million, down $5.4 million, or 3%, as compared to the corresponding period in 2021. The decrease is primarily driven by a shift in service offering mix as we continue to experience a reduction in Video and Telephony RGUs, partially offset by an increase in average revenue per unit ("ARPU") as HSD customers continue to purchase higher speed tiers coupled with HSD and Video rate increases issued in the first quarter of 2022 and an increase in volume attributable exclusively to the addition of HSD subscribers. (1) Refer to "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" "Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP Measures to Non-GAAP Measures," and "Subscriber Information" in this Press Release for definitions and information related to Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA, Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA margin and reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to the closest comparable GAAP measures and why our management thinks it is beneficial to present such non-GAAP measures. (2) During the second half of 2021, the Company completed of the sale of five of its service areas. For presentation purposes, the financial results of these five service areas were classified as discontinued operations. Refer to tables that follow for the reconciliation of continuing and discontinued operations. Other Business Services Revenue from continuing operations totaled $5.4 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, down $0.3 million as compared to the corresponding period in 2021. The decrease is primarily due to a decrease in data center revenue. Other Revenue from continuing operations totaled $7.5 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, down $0.1 million as compared to the corresponding period in 2021, primarily related to decreases in advertising and line assurance revenue partially offset by an increase in late fee revenue. Costs and Expenses Operating Expenses (excluding Depreciation and Amortization) from continuing operations totaled $83.0 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, down $12.1 million, or 13%, compared to the corresponding period in 2021 primarily driven by decreases in direct operating expenses, specifically programming expense, which aligns with the reduction in Video RGUs between periods and lower bad debt expense, partially offset by decreases in capital eligible expenses. Selling, General, and Administrative expenses from continuing operations totaled $39.3 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, down $6.2 million, or 14%, compared to the corresponding period in 2021 primarily attributable to decreases in costs associated with digital transformation initiatives, marketing, and legal and professional services expenses, partially offset by an increase in stock compensation expense. Net Income Net Income for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 was $4.0 million as compared to $12.4 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2021. Net Profit Margin was 2.3% for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 as compared to 4.3% for the quarter ended June 30, 2021. Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 was $70.6 million, an increase of $6.3 million, compared to the corresponding period in 2021. Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA margin was 40.1% for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 as compared to 35.3% for the quarter ended June 30, 2021. Subscribers WOW! reported Total Subscribers from continuing operations of 536,600 as of June 30, 2022, an increase of 6,100, or 1%, compared to June 30, 2021, up 1,900 compared to March 31, 2022. HSD RGUs totaled 517,200 as of June 30, 2022, an increase of 9,300 or 2%, compared to June 30, 2021, up 2,200 compared to March 31, 2022. E dge-Outs Edge-Out Projects from continuing operations reached a total of 78,900 homes passed and 19,700 Subscribers since inception. The 2020 Edge-Out projects from continuing operations include 800 Subscribers, which represents 23.5% penetration on such nodes. The 2021 Edge-Out projects from continuing operations include 800 Subscribers, which represents 40.0% penetration on such nodes. The 2022 Edge-Out projects from continuing operations include 100 Subscribers, which represents 14.3% penetration on such nodes. Capital Expenditures Capital Expenditures from continuing operations totaled $34.7 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, representing a $6.8 million decrease compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2021. The decrease is primarily related to a reduction network enhancement and customer premise equipment ("CPE") expenditures partially offset by increases in line extensions as we focus on expanding our network. Capital Expenditures from continuing operations for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 equates to 20% of Total Revenue from continuing operations for the quarter ended June 30, 2022. Liquidity and Leverage As of June 30, 2022, the total outstanding amount of long-term debt and finance lease obligations was $738.5 million, and cash and cash equivalents were $49.9 million. Total Net Leverage as of June 30, 2022, was 2.6X in line with the first quarter of 2022 on a LTM Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA basis and undrawn revolver capacity totaled $245.6 million. Third Quarter and Full Year 2022 Guidance Q3 2022 Full Year 2022 HSD Revenue $102.0 - $106.0 million $415.0 - $419.0 million Total Revenue $171.0 - $175.0 million $704.0 - $708.0 million Adjusted EBITDA $66.0 - $69.0 million $281.0 - $284.0 million HSD net additions 1,000 - 3,000 12,000 - 15,000 Webcast WOW! will host a webcast on Friday, August 5, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. ET to discuss the financial and operating results contained in this press release. The conference call and webcast will be broadcast live on the Company's investor relations website at ir.wowway.com. Those parties interested in participating can use the information as follows: Call Date: Friday, August 5, 2022 Call Time: 8:00 a.m. Eastern Dial In: (888) 330-3556 International: (646) 960-0826 Conf. ID: 4844814 A replay of the call will be available on August 5, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. ET, on the investor relations website or by telephone. To access the telephone replay, which will be available until August 19, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. ET, please dial (800) 770-2030 or (647) 362-9199 and use conference ID 4844814. . WIDEOPENWEST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (unaudited) June 30, December 31, 2022 2021 (in millions, except share data) Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 49.9 $ 193.2 Accounts receivabletrade, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $2.4 and $4.3, respectively 39.3 40.9 Accounts receivableother, net 12.6 17.2 Prepaid expenses and other 40.7 30.7 Total current assets 142.5 282.0 Right-of-use lease assetsoperating 16.2 17.2 Property, plant and equipment, net 711.6 722.3 Franchise operating rights 620.1 620.1 Goodwill 225.1 225.1 Intangible assets subject to amortization, net 1.5 1.7 Other non-current assets 41.1 38.3 Total assets $ 1,758.1 $ 1,906.7 Liabilities and stockholders' equity Current liabilities Accounts payabletrade $ 42.0 $ 50.3 Accrued interest 0.8 0.8 Current portion of long-term lease liabilityoperating 4.9 5.1 Accrued liabilities and other 70.0 218.7 Current portion of long-term debt and finance lease obligations 18.3 17.9 Current portion of unearned service revenue 27.9 28.1 Total current liabilities 163.9 320.9 Long-term debt and finance lease obligationsless current portion and debt issuance costs 720.2 723.5 Long-term lease liabilityoperating 12.9 13.8 Deferred income taxes, net 253.7 257.6 Other non-current liabilities 21.0 20.1 Total liabilities 1,171.7 1,335.9 Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' equity: Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized; 0 shares issued and outstanding Common stock, $0.01 par value, 700,000,000 shares authorized; 96,899,442 and 96,225,910 issued as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively; 87,732,085 and 87,392,088 outstanding as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively 1.0 1.0 Additional paid-in capital 360.4 348.5 Accumulated income 320.2 310.5 Treasury stock at cost, 9,167,357 and 8,833,822 shares as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively (95.2) (89.2) Total stockholders' equity 586.4 570.8 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 1,758.1 $ 1,906.7 WIDEOPENWEST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED (unaudited) Three months ended Three months ended June 30, 2022 June 30, 2021 Continued Discontinued Total Continued Discontinued Total (in millions, except share data) Revenue: HSD $ 102.6 $ $ 102.6 $ 98.7 $ 57.7 $ 156.4 Video 47.7 47.7 55.3 36.4 91.7 Telephony 12.9 12.9 14.6 6.7 21.3 Total subscription services revenue 163.2 163.2 168.6 100.8 269.4 Other business services 5.4 5.4 5.7 0.4 6.1 Other 7.5 7.5 7.6 4.2 11.8 Total revenue 176.1 176.1 181.9 105.4 287.3 Costs and expenses: Operating (excluding depreciation and amortization) 83.0 83.0 95.1 37.6 132.7 Selling, general and administrative 39.3 39.3 45.5 2.8 48.3 Depreciation and amortization 43.9 43.9 42.4 20.5 62.9 166.2 166.2 183.0 60.9 243.9 Income (loss) from operations 9.9 9.9 (1.1) 44.5 43.4 Other income (expense): Interest expense (7.9) (7.9) (28.8) 0.4 (28.4) Gain on sale of assets, net 0.2 0.2 Other income (loss), net 6.3 6.3 (0.1) 0.1 Income (loss) before provision for income taxes 8.3 8.3 (30.0) 45.2 15.2 Income tax (expense) benefit (4.3) (4.3) 7.5 (10.3) (2.8) Net income (loss) $ 4.0 $ $ 4.0 $ (22.5) $ 34.9 $ 12.4 Earnings (loss) per share Basic $ 0.05 $ $ 0.05 $ (0.27) $ 0.42 $ 0.15 Diluted $ 0.05 $ $ 0.05 $ (0.27) $ 0.42 $ 0.15 Weighted-average common shares outstanding Basic 84,148,917 82,828,227 Diluted 86,793,139 82,828,227 WIDEOPENWEST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED (unaudited) Six months ended Six months ended June 30, 2022 June 30, 2021 Continued Discontinued Total Continued Discontinued Total (in millions, except share data) Revenue: HSD $ 202.7 $ $ 202.7 $ 195.3 $ 113.8 $ 309.1 Video 96.3 96.3 111.7 73.3 185.0 Telephony 26.2 26.2 29.6 13.5 43.1 Total subscription services revenue 325.2 325.2 336.6 200.6 537.2 Other business services 10.7 10.7 11.3 1.0 12.3 Other 14.8 14.8 15.5 8.6 24.1 Total revenue 350.7 350.7 363.4 210.2 573.6 Costs and expenses: Operating (excluding depreciation and amortization) 170.3 170.3 193.5 77.2 270.7 Selling, general and administrative 77.6 77.6 88.0 5.5 93.5 Depreciation and amortization 87.9 87.9 83.7 41.0 124.7 335.8 335.8 365.2 123.7 488.9 Income (loss) from operations 14.9 14.9 (1.8) 86.5 84.7 Other income (expense): Interest expense (15.3) (15.3) (60.2) 0.4 (59.8) Gain on sale of assets, net 0.2 0.2 Other income (loss), net 14.2 14.2 0.5 0.1 0.6 Income (loss) before provision for income taxes 13.8 13.8 (61.5) 87.2 25.7 Income tax (expense) benefit (4.1) (4.1) 16.3 (20.0) (3.7) Net income (loss) $ 9.7 $ $ 9.7 $ (45.2) $ 67.2 $ 22.0 Earnings (loss) per share Basic $ 0.12 $ $ 0.12 $ (0.55) $ 0.82 $ 0.27 Diluted $ 0.11 $ $ 0.11 $ (0.55) $ 0.82 $ 0.27 Weighted-average common shares outstanding Basic 83,722,315 82,433,311 Diluted 86,642,849 82,433,311 WIDEOPENWEST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (unaudited) Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 2021 (in millions) Cash flows from operating activities: Net income $ 9.7 $ 22.0 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 88.9 124.7 Deferred income taxes (3.9) 2.3 Provision for doubtful accounts 0.7 5.3 Gain on sale of operating assets, net (1.0) Amortization of debt issuance costs and discount 0.8 2.4 Non-cash compensation 12.1 7.1 Other non-cash items 0.1 (0.2) Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Receivables and other operating assets (8.4) (9.3) Payables and accruals (150.7) 2.6 Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities $ (51.7) $ 156.9 Cash flows from investing activities: Capital expenditures $ (76.8) $ (115.5) Other investing activities 1.1 0.9 Net cash used in investing activities $ (75.7) $ (114.6) Cash flows from financing activities: Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt, net $ $ 31.0 Payments on long-term debt and finance lease obligations (9.9) (55.0) Purchase of shares (6.0) (7.4) Net cash used in financing activities $ (15.9) $ (31.4) (Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents (143.3) 10.9 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 193.2 12.4 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 49.9 $ 23.3 Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information: Cash paid during the periods for interest $ 14.4 $ 59.0 Cash paid during the periods for income taxes $ 141.0 $ 1.7 Non-cash operating activities: Operating lease additions $ 1.5 $ 0.9 Non-cash financing activities: Finance lease additions $ 6.2 $ 3.3 Capital expenditure accounts payable and accruals $ 22.3 $ 12.2 About WOW! 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 seven 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 www.wowway.com for more information. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release that are not historical facts contain "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. These forward-looking statements represent our goals, beliefs, plans and expectations about our prospects for the future and other future events. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical fact and can be identified by terms such as "may," "intend," "might," "will," "should," "could," "would," "anticipate," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "plan," "project," "predict," "potential," or the negative of these terms. Although these forward-looking statements reflect our good-faith belief and reasonable judgment based on current information, these statements are qualified by important factors, many of which are beyond our control that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors and other risks that could cause our actual results to differ materially are set forth in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report filed on Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and other reports subsequently filed with the SEC. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this report are made as of the date hereof or the date specified herein, based on information available to us as of such date. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Non-GAAP Financial Measures The Company has included certain non-GAAP financial measures in this release, including Adjusted EBITDA and Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA margin. These terms, as defined herein, are not intended to be considered in isolation, as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America ("GAAP"). These terms may vary from the use of similar terms by other companies in our industry due to different methods of calculation and therefore are not necessarily comparable. We believe that these non-GAAP measures enhance an investor's understanding of our financial performance. We believe that these non-GAAP measures are useful financial metrics to assess our operating performance from period to period by excluding certain items that we believe are not representative of our core business. We believe that these non-GAAP measures provide investors with useful information for assessing the comparability between periods of our ability to generate cash from operations sufficient to pay taxes, to service debt and to undertake Capital Expenditures. We use these non-GAAP measures for business planning purposes and in measuring our performance relative to that of our competitors. We believe these non-GAAP measures are measures commonly used by investors to evaluate our performance and that of our competitors. Adjusted EBITDA eliminates the impact of expenses that do not relate to overall business performance and is defined by WOW! as net income (loss) before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (including impairments), impairment losses on intangibles and goodwill, write-off of any asset, loss on early extinguishment of debt, integration and restructuring expenses and all noncash charges and expenses (including stock compensation expense) and certain other income and expenses. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to net income (loss), operating income or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP as measures of operating performance, operating cash flows or liquidity. Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA takes into account the recent sales of five service areas as though such transactions had occurred prior to the periods presented. Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA margin is defined as Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA divided by total revenue, expressed as a percentage. Adjusted EBITDA margin should not be considered as an alternative to Net Profit margin. Refer to "Reconciliations of GAAP Measures to Non-GAAP Measures" and the accompanying tables below for a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income and Adjusted EBITDA margin to Net Profit margin which are the most directly comparable corresponding GAAP financial measures. Subscriber Information The Company uses the terms defined below throughout this release. Homes passed are reported as the number of serviceable addresses, such as single residence homes, apartments and condominium units, and businesses passed by our broadband network and listed in our database. We deliver multiple services to our customers, as such we report Total Subscribers as the number of Subscribers who receive at least one of our HSD, Video or Telephony services, without regard to which or how many services they subscribe. We define each of the individual HSD Subscribers, Video Subscribers and Telephony Subscribers as a Revenue Generating Unit ("RGU"). While we take appropriate steps to ensure subscriber information is presented on a consistent and accurate basis at any given balance sheet date, we periodically review our policies in light of the variability we may encounter across our different markets due to the nature and pricing of products and services and billing systems. Accordingly, we may from time to time make appropriate adjustments to our subscriber information based on such reviews. WIDEOPENWEST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Reconciliations of GAAP Measures to Non-GAAP Measures (unaudited) The following table provides a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income for the periods presented: Three months ended Six months ended June 30, June 30, 2022 2021 2022 2021 (in millions) Net Income $ 4.0 $ 12.4 $ 9.7 $ 22.0 Net profit margin 2.3 % 4.3 % 2.8 % 3.8 % Plus: Depreciation and amortization 43.9 62.9 87.9 124.7 Interest expense 7.9 28.4 15.3 59.8 Gain on sale of assets, net (0.2) (0.2) Non-recurring professional fees, M&A integration and restructuring expense 10.4 7.5 22.1 13.7 Non-cash stock compensation 6.4 4.0 12.1 7.1 Other income, net (6.3) (14.2) (0.6) Income tax expense 4.3 2.8 4.1 3.7 Adjusted EBITDA $ 70.6 $ 117.8 $ 137.0 $ 230.2 Pro Forma Adjustments Less: Adjusted EBITDA attributable to disposed service areas (53.5) (104.3) Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA $ 70.6 $ 64.3 $ 137.0 $ 125.9 Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA margin 40.1 % 35.3 % 39.1 % 34.6 % WIDEOPENWEST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Capital Expenditures and Subscriber Information (unaudited) The following table provides additional information regarding our Capital Expenditures for the periods presented: Three months ended Three months ended June 30, 2022 June 30, 2021 Continuing Discontinued Total Continuing Discontinued Total (in millions) Capital Expenditures Customer premise equipment $ 14.6 $ $ 14.6 $ 16.5 $ 9.2 $ 25.7 Scalable infrastructure 7.4 7.4 11.2 1.3 12.5 Line extensions 5.7 5.7 3.7 1.2 4.9 Support capital and other 7.0 7.0 10.1 3.0 13.1 Total $ 34.7 $ $ 34.7 $ 41.5 $ 14.7 $ 56.2 Capital expenditures included in total related to: Edge-outs $ 0.8 $ $ 0.8 $ 1.0 $ 0.6 $ 1.6 Business services $ 2.6 $ $ 2.6 $ 3.6 $ 1.0 $ 4.6 Greenfields $ 4.5 $ $ 4.5 $ $ $ The following table provides additional information regarding our Capital Expenditures for the periods presented: Six months ended Six months ended June 30, 2022 June 30, 2021 Continuing Discontinued Total Continuing Discontinued Total (in millions) Capital Expenditures Customer premise equipment $ 33.6 $ $ 33.6 $ 36.5 $ 19.8 $ 56.3 Scalable infrastructure 18.1 18.1 22.6 2.3 24.9 Line extensions 10.2 10.2 7.4 2.4 9.8 Support capital and other 14.9 14.9 19.0 5.5 24.5 Total $ 76.8 $ $ 76.8 $ 85.5 $ 30.0 $ 115.5 Capital expenditures included in total related to: Edge-outs $ 1.9 $ $ 1.9 $ 1.8 $ 1.2 $ 3.0 Business services $ 5.8 $ $ 5.8 $ 7.5 $ 2.1 $ 9.6 Greenfields $ 5.0 $ $ 5.0 $ $ $ The following table provides an unaudited summary of our continuing operations subscriber information: June 30, September 30, December 31, March 31, June 30, 2021 2021 2021 2022 2022 Homes Passed 1,877,300 1,880,900 1,882,100 1,886,000 1,886,000 Total Subscribers 530,500 531,600 532,900 534,700 536,600 HSD RGUs 507,900 509,500 511,700 515,000 517,200 Video RGUs 169,300 158,600 150,600 142,000 135,500 Telephony RGUs 105,600 102,400 100,000 97,300 95,200 Total RGUs 782,800 770,500 762,300 754,300 747,900 Additional Information Available on Website: The information in this press release should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and footnotes contained in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, which will be posted on of our investor relations website at ir.wowway.com, when it is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). A slide presentation to accompany the conference call and a trending schedule containing historical customer and financial data will also be available on our website. Contact : Andrew Posen Vice President, Head of Investor Relations 303-927-4935 [email protected] Debra Havins Vice President, Corporate Communications 720-527-8214 [email protected] SOURCE WideOpenWest, Inc. Shares in Tullow Oil dropped 2% after the company said it had plugged and abandoned an exploration well offshore Guyana. There was better news from drilling operations at the Beebei-Potaro exploration well which have been completed. The company said the well encountered good quality reservoir in the primary and secondary targets but both targets were water bearing. Tullow said it would integrate the well results into its regional subsurface models and work with its joint venture partners before deciding on next steps. SP Angel said Tullows disappointing run of high impact exploration wells continues, though we feel that investor focus remains on the proposed all-share merger with Capricorn Energy. WPP falls on concerns over the economic backdrop Advertising agency WPP PLC (LSE:WPP) saw its shares fall by 6.83% in morning trading following release of its first half results. The group announced like for like revenue growth of 8.7% to 6,755mln and a 6.1% increase in reported pre-tax profits to 419m. AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould: WPPs first-half numbers actually look fairly solid, but investors are so concerned about the economic backdrop, and what it says about WPPs prospects, they have reacted negatively. Clearly there is a belief that WPPs recent momentum, which helped it lift its annual sales outlook, cant last in the long-term. While chief executive Mark Read argues WPP is yet to see any evidence of a big retrenchment in spending by its clients, this feels likely to come at some point. Hargreaves Lansdown results beat expectations Hargreaves Lansdown PLC (LSE:HL.) benefited from better than expected first half results on Friday which helped send the shares to the top of the FTSE 100 risers list. Shares advanced by 3.72% to 876.70p as the financial services company announced underlying pre-tax profits of 298mln ahead of the 283mln consensus. Shore Capital analyst Ben Williams said he expects forecasts to be increased a little driven by the higher revenue margin guidance and the new underlying costs guidance outputs to a cost number 3.5% lower. Previous guidance for revenue margin on cash was for 60bp, but is now 90-110bp, and, speaking to the company, following yesterdays rate rise, likely to be at the top end of that guidance he added. Williams said he sees some value in the company and has a fair value of 900p. But concerns around new money expectations for the full year 2023 meant he retained a hold rating. Pets at Home delivers "standout" quarter one Shares in Pets at Home PLC (PETS) advanced 1.6% after the group announced quarter one numbers. The pet care specialist retailer said total group revenue rose 7.1% to 404.7mln, with group like-for-like revenue ahead by 6.0%, reflecting broad-based growth throughout the quarter. Liberum analysts described the performance as a standout quarter one with all divisions and channels remaining in strong growth driven by very encouraging new customer acquisition. In a note published after the update they added: such strong momentum, especially against the current backdrop, reflects the strength of PETS model, its clear market leadership and the resilience of earnings. PETS earnings risk should be relatively low and the valuation is supported by a net cash balance sheet, a 3.5% div yield and an expected return to double-digit profit growth in FY24E. they concluded. Liberum kept their buy rating on the stock with a 510p price target. Argos hashrate output at the end of July was 2.23EH/s Argo Blockchain yielded 219 Bitcoins in July, making for a 22% month-on-month (MoM) increase, the dual-listed crypto mining companys latest operational update shows. Mining revenues for the month came to 3.89mln (US$4.73mln) but despite this being a 15% MoM increase, margins did fall from 50% to 37%. Argo attributed the narrower margins to skyrocketing global energy prices, explaining: During the month of July, Argo's electricity costs at its Helios facility in Texas continued to be higher than previously anticipated. Electricity costs have increased around the world, largely due to higher natural gas prices stemming from the war in Ukraine, as well as increased demand for electric-powered air conditioning during an unusually hot and dry summer. In tandem with its competitors, Argos Helios facility in Texas voluntarily went offline as an energy crisis gripped the state in the middle of July, reducing energy usage by over 1,000 MW. The company stated: In extraordinary circumstances like that, Argo believes that electricity should be prioritised for uses that ensure the health and safety of the public and is proud to be able to reduce its operations in order to contribute to grid stability. Debt obligations slashed Also in tandem with its competitor, Argo sold a large portion of its Bitcoin reserves in July. During the month, the company sold 887 Bitcoins at an average price of approximately US$22,670, with proceeds going towards reducing outstanding debt obligations to Galaxy Digital (TSX-V:GLXY). As of July 31, debt obligations had been slashed to US$6.72mln from US$50mln in the second quarter. Argo goes in-house Despite unavoidable macro concerns, Argo is making steps to increase internal operating efficiency. In July, the company completed its swap of 10,000 S19 mining rigs out of third-party facilities hosted by Core Scientific to its own self-hosted data centres. Argo expects to generate enhanced performance following the swap, with greater control of operations positively impacting operational costs. Total hashrate the amount of processing power dedicated to mining operations at the end of July was 2.23EH/s, comprising approximately 1.1% of Bitcoins global hashrate. ARB shares were up 2.7% on the week as of Friday morning. Trident Royalties PLC (AIM:TRR) said today that a federal decision expected next Thursday on the Thacker Pass lithium project could be transformational for its future cash generation prospects. Adam Davidson, chief executive of Trident, said in a statement that approval of the project would have a transformational effect on the companys expected future cash generation. Trident owns 60% of a 1.75% gross revenue royalty stream in the project, according to its website, meaning it is poised to generate future income from its operations. The lithium project is due to begin construction in the second half of this year if a federal permit is secured following an appeal process, Trident said. Thacker Pass is one of the largest lithium resources in the US being developed by Lithium Americas, which could supply lithium for use in electric vehicles produced by manufacturers such as Tesla. In a quarterly trading update to the market, mining royalties company Trident said its royalty receipts rose to US$5.7mln in the second quarter, up from US$381,814 in the same period of last year. Its royalties from iron ore and copper rose substantially year over year, after a notable increase in iron ore sales from a tenement at the Koolyanobbing Project in Western Australia. The miner generated half a million dollars of copper royalties in the second quarter, up a third from US$375,000 in the equivalent part of 2021. Iron ore royalties rose from US$6,814 in the second quarter of 2021 to US$448,847 in the recent quarter. Its gold offtakes portfolio generated about 1mln of income in the three months to 30 June, less than US$1.6mln in the prior quarter, following the closure of the Mercedes Mine and volatility in the price of gold, but this was bolstered by a US$3.7mln one-off payment from the restructure of the Premier Gold Offtake. In addition, the Santa Luz mining project in Brazil, run by Equinox Gold (TSX:EQX), hit on its first gold. "We are pleased to report another quarter of solid progress across our portfolio, underpinned by a fivefold increase in underlying revenue as compared to Q2 2021," Davidson said. In addition to strong operator performance at key assets, we are particularly pleased with the refinement of the portfolio over the quarter, most significantly via the restructure of the Premier Gold Offtake and amendment to the Sonora lithium royalty transaction. Albion VC's Christoph Ruedig sat down with Proactive London to discuss investment opportunities in the EU healthcare landscape and health-tech companies. He says the pandemic has brought about opportunities for technology in healthcare to help hospitals deal with the challenges. AlbionVC is the technology investment arm of Albion Capital Group. Red Rock Resources PLC (AIM:RRR) issued a statement after a recent management trip to Kinshasa to participate in arbitration proceedings. The company also provided a review of current projects. The arbitration proceedings in the DRC the company is pursuing refer to claims to its share of the sale proceeds of the key assets of a joint venture, which were disposed of without the company's knowledge, with US$15mln of these proceeds held by the buyer of those assets pending the result of the arbitration. "In the light of shareholder speculation, we wish to set out to the best of our understanding the current situation," said Red Rock chairman Andrew Bell. "After several hearings, which clarified the factual background, the arbitrators urged us and the other party to negotiate between ourselves before the arbitration concluded to arrive at, if possible, an agreed outcome. "A compromise, which represented a significant discount to what we believe to be our entitlement, but which exceeded 50% of the amount still retained by the buyer, was put to us and in the circumstances where we believed it was accepted by the other party and in deference to the wishes of the arbitrator at that time for an agreed solution, we were minded to concede, though with reluctance. "Subsequently it appeared that the representative and negotiator of the other party had either lacked authority or had changed his mind, and the negotiation ended without agreement. We now continue to assert our claim to over 50% of the total $20m principal paid or to be paid, plus damages. "The arbitral award, when and if made, and we hope it may be soon, will not now reflect a consensus arising from the negotiation of the parties, but the decision of the arbitrators. As we await it, we must consider a range of possible outcomes, and uncertainties of timing, but continue to press for a just solution which includes a resolution of the earlier court proceedings. "We emphasise that although we are confident in our case, it cannot be assumed that an award will be made, or that it will be at or above any previously discussed level." Bell said the company continues its activities elsewhere, with a highlight being New Ballarat Gold Corporation bringing two high quality and historic assets into the portfolio, which he said "takes that company to a new level". Red Rock was also able to announce the beginning of a small drilling campaign on two excellent targets in Burkina Faso. Cookie Policy Overview This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping us understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. See our Cookie Policy for more information. Diggers & Dealers Mining Forum 2022 is done and dusted with record crowds attending the major mining conference despite Kalgoorlies biting winter cold. This year's keynote speaker was Dr Dambisa Moyo, a co-principal of Versaca Investments a family office, focused on growth investing globally. Dr Moyo serves on a number of global corporate boards including: 3M Corporation, Chevron, and Conde Nast, as well as, the Oxford University Endowment investment committee. Her areas of interest are in capital allocation, risk, and ESG matters. ESG was a major theme throughout. Battery metals and rare earths were also strong themes across the three-day conference with many companies flaunting their green credentials. There was also a consistent view that the gold price is set for a period of upward momentum on the back of global economic uncertainty. Lets look at some of the highlights from the conference: Tietto Minerals Ltd (ASX:TIE) executive director Mark Strizek said that his company is in this phase of building a gold mine and we are on track to be West Africas next gold mine and producer. Last month, the company delivered more high-grade gold hits including 12 metres at 20.96 g/t in an infill drilling program at AG Core within the 3.45 million-ounce Abujar Gold Project in Cote dIvoire. Tietto looks set to produce 260,000 ounces of gold in 2023 by advancing its dual strategy of drill and build. Tietto Minerals presentation Core Lithium Ltd (ASX:CXO) chief financial officer Simon Iacopetta presented the companys recently upgraded resource at its Finniss Lithium Project near Darwin. The Finniss resource now sits at 18.9 million tonnes at 1.32% lithium oxide, with a measured and indicated category of 13.3 million tonnes at 1.4% lithium oxide a 61% increase to the category. Core Lithium remains on track to ship its first spodumene concentrate by the end of this year from Finniss. Core Lithium presentation Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX:BGL) chief executive officer Darren Stralow told delegates that: We have over 3 million ounces of high-grade resource, over 1.3 million ounces of reserves and a 10 year mine life at a 6 g/t head grade at its namesake project in WA. Stralow added: It is a mine that would produce 200,000 ounces per annum at an all-in sustaining cost of $1,000-$1,100 ounces per ounce. This will generate significant free cash flow margins of about $250 million per annum and as Paul Keating famously said thats a beautiful set of numbers Bellevue Gold presentation Pantoro Ltd (ASX:PNR) managing director Paul Cmrlec said: We have got some great production assets, some great development assets and some great exploration assets. The Western Australia based miner has been producing gold at Halls Creek since 2015 and production at the Norseman Gold Project (50% Pantoro) is set to commence in Q3 2022. The resource at the Green Lantern deposit, within the Norseman Gold Project, was recently upgraded to 10 million tonnes at 1.2 g/t gold for 395,000 ounces with 76% in the indicated category. Pantoro presentation New Century Resources Ltd (ASX:NCZ) managing director Patrick Walta told delegates that the companys valuation is underpinned by actual cash flow. The company recently delivered strong production results from its Century Mine in Queensland, with 31,699 tonnes of zinc metal produced during the June 2022 quarter, up 14% from the March quarter. New Century has achieved full-year revised production guidance in the mid-range, with 118,108 tonnes of zinc metal produced. New Century Resources presentation Australian Vanadium Ltd (ASX:AVL) managing director Vincent Algar explained that the companys namesake project near Meekatharra in WA is capable of supplying up to 5% of the worlds vanadium. AVL is targeting final investment decision in the December quarter, with production slated for 2024. Algar said that the projects logistics were unlike any other vanadium producer in the world. The coastal location of the crushing, milling and beneficiation (CMB) plant was a key strategic differentiator of the project, allowing the company to utilise gas, road and port infrastructure of the world-class mining region of mid-western Western Australia. Australian Vanadium presentation Fenix Resources Ltd (ASX:FEX) chair John Welborn said that we have got one of the highest-grade iron ore deposits certainly in Australia and possibly the world referring to its Iron Ridge project in Western Australias Mid-West. Fenix started sales from Iron Ridge 17 months ago and the companys steady state production has generated solid cash flow of more than A$127 million to date. Fenix Resources presentation Other notable presenters at the conference included: Galena Mining Ltd (ASX:G1A) managing director and CEO Tony James - presentation Antipa Minerals Ltd (ASX:AZY) managing director Roger Mason - presentation Red 5 Ltd (ASX:RED) managing director Mark Williams - presentation Element 25 Ltd (ASX:E25) managing director Justin Brown- presentation Aeris Resources Ltd (ASX:AIS) executive chairman Andre Labuschagne - presentation Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX:AZS) managing director Tony Rovira - presentation Chalice Mining Ltd (ASX:CHN, OTCQB:CGMLF) managing director and CEO Alex Dorsch - presentation Great Boulder Resources Ltd (ASX:GBR) managing director Andrew Paterson - presentation Musgrave Minerals Ltd (ASX:MGV, OTC:MGVMF) managing director Rob Waugh - presentation Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX:PDI) managing director Andrew Pardey - presentation Poseidon Nickel Ltd (ASX:POS, OTC:PSDNF) managing director and CEO Peter Harold - presentation Critical Resources Ltd (ASX:CRR) has reached a mutually agreeable outcome with the ministry of energy and minerals, Sultanate of Oman regarding licence fees for the ongoing exploration of Block 4 and Block 5 within the Sohar Copper Project in Oman. The company holds a 51% interest in Block 4, a 65% interest in Block 5 and a 70% interest in two exploration licence applications near Block 10 to the west of Blocks 4 and 5 at the project. The Sohar Copper Project covers 1,006 square kilometres of the copper-rich Ophiolite belt, proven to host clusters of relatively high-grade VHMS copper deposits. Sohar Resource The Sohar Project holds a JORC resource of 819,000 tonnes at 3.4% copper for 28,000 tonnes of copper metal, with high-grade VMS style deposits and a large exploration area, within a well-established mining region. Notably, the ores within high-grade VHMS deposits are metallurgically simple and contain gold and silver credits. Block 5 is a high-grade, near-surface, copper plus silver and gold resource. About CRR Critical Resources is an emerging base metals and lithium exploration and development company headquartered in Perth, Western Australia. The company is focused on the exploration, development and advancement of its base metals asset in NSW, copper asset in Oman and suite of hard rock lithium assets in Ontario, Canada. Pharmaxis Ltd welcomes the news that Aptar Pharma, which specialises in drug delivery systems, services and active material science solutions, has decided to acquire the worldwide rights to Pharmaxis proprietary inhaler Orbital, which delivers high payload dry powder to the lungs. High-dose treatments to the lungs Aptar Pharmas decision was supported by the technologys potential to administer high-dose treatments to the lungs in a safe and convenient way. Under the initial agreement, Aptar had 12 months to evaluate the technology. It will now pay US$2.5 million to license the technology, and has exercised its subsequent right to purchase it outright for another US $2.5 million. Pharmaxis retains the rights to devices containing the Orbital intellectual property used to deliver inhaled mannitol. The Orbital technology allows powder payloads of up to 400 milligrams or more to be inhaled by patients in divided doses without the need to reload the device. Increasing global need The platform was originally designed to extend the life cycle of the Pharmaxis cystic fibrosis drug Bronchitol(mannitol). It has been found to have much wider application, though, and has the capacity to meet an increasing global need to deliver high doses of other drugs, such as antibiotics, to the lungs. Pharmaxis CEO Gary Phillips said: I am delighted that Aptar Pharma, who are one of the worlds foremost drug delivery companies, have seen the potential in the Orbital technology. We look forward to them building on the technical evaluations carried out during the option period and delivering new product solutions that can benefit drug developers and patients. Non-dilutive cash strategy Todays announcement is a further example of the capability of the Pharmaxis team and is part of our strategy to generate non-dilutive cash from the mannitol respiratory business. Aptar Pharma vice president Global Pulmonary Category Howard Burnett said: With this acquisition, Aptar Pharma is pleased to be building on our current expertise for the treatment of chronic conditions. Being recognised as a global leader in respiratory drug delivery devices and associated services, we now have a wider offering to our customers. Pharmaxis is an established Australian clinical stage drug development company which develops drugs for inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. The company has a highly productive drug discovery engine, with drug candidates in clinical trials for myelofibrosis and skin scarring. Core Lithium Ltd (ASX:CXO) has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of resources sector veteran Gareth Manderson as the first CEO of the company. Manderson has 28 years of experience in the mining and minerals sector and joins the company after having served in various leadership and technical roles at mining giant Rio Tinto for more than 22 years. He will commence his new role on August 8, 2022, and outgoing managing director Stephen Biggins will continue to ensure a smooth transition until the changeover of leadership is complete. Many synergies Core chairman Greg English said: I am pleased to announce the appointment of Gareth as Chief Executive of Core. His experience in developing teams, delivering projects and safely operating mining and processing operations make Gareth the perfect fit for Cores first CEO, as our Finniss Lithium Project moves from construction to operation later this year. "There are many synergies between Gareths previous senior roles in managing complex mine, mineral processing, port, township and logistics operations during his tenure at Rio Tinto and the Finniss Project which is 25 kilometres from the Darwin CBD and port. Gareths previous Northern Territory experience and managing the effects of the annual wet season will also be essential as we plan to be operating in this environment for years to come. Notable experience Manderson's most recent role was at Rio Tinto, where he was the general manager of Sustaining Capital, instrumental in developing a team and structure capable of delivering Rio Tinto Iron Ores sustaining capital, improvement capital and technology deployment (HME fleet and automation technology) projects across their Pilbara operations in regional Western Australia. Manderson also holds previous Northern Territory mining experience, having served as manager of mine and plant for Energy Resources Australia and spent regular extended periods acting in the site general manager role. Manderson said: I have been impressed by what the Core team have achieved to date and I am delighted to be given the opportunity to lead Core at this vital time in the companys growth. With construction of Stage 1 of the Finniss Lithium Project nearing completion and the pending export of lithium, I look forward to leading Core and working with my colleagues across the business to ensure that we maintain strong safety, operational and financial performance. Radiopharm Theranostics Ltd (ASX:RAD) is a suitable investment for institutional and high-risk tolerant retail investors given the unique high-risk-reward opportunity, according to Diamond Equity Research. The NYC-based global equity research firm noted that Radiopharm has engaged in multiple partnerships in the past few months that are expected to advance the companys pipeline of radiopharmaceutical therapies. Based on the recent developments, Diamond has updated Radiopharms valuation to $224.19 million or A$0.88 per share, contingent on successful execution by the company. The valuation is underpinned by the companys diversified pipeline of therapeutic and diagnostic candidates targeting diseases with high unmet needs The following is an extract from the update note: The Wolfsberg Lithium Project in Austria is primed to target the largest lithium import markets in the European Union. European Lithium Ltd (ASX:EUR, OTCQB:EULIF) has signed its first ever offtake agreement, teaming up with automotive powerhouse BMW AG to supply lithium hydroxide from the Wolfsberg Lithium Project, in Austria. Under a non-binding memorandum of understanding, the lithium stock is poised to exclusively supply its battery-grade lithium hydroxide to the multinational luxury vehicle manufacturer. This means BMW will have the first right to purchase 100% of the lithium hydroxide produced from EURs battery-grade assets, such as its flagship Wolfsberg Lithium Project. In an announcement today, EUR chair Tony Sage said the maiden offtake agreement was another key milestone and that BMW was an ideal fit for the company. It is significant in that a major car manufacturer recognises the value of miners in the EV transition supply chain. BMW is going green With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad the BMW Group is the worlds leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and a provider of premium financial and mobility services. In 2021, the group sold more than 2.5 million passenger vehicles and in excess of 194,000 motorcycles worldwide. Now, BMW is on a mission to be carbon neutral by 2050, and to get there, its aiming to reduce carbon emissions from its vehicles by at least 40% through 2030, meaning electromobility is key to its sustainability vision. Last year, the German automaker sold more than 328,000 electric and electrified vehicles, and demand shows no signs of slowing down. Based on current market forecasts, the group expects at least 50% of its global sales to come from fully electric vehicles in 2030. BMW define its success as borne out of long-term thinking and responsible action. As such, securing deals that cement its battery metal and resource supply is critical for the luxury carmaker as it makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products. Whats in it for EUR? If both parties dot the Is and cross the Ts on a binding offtake contract, then BMW will pay US$15 million upfront, which will be repaid through equal set offs against the lithium hydroxide thats delivered. In turn, European Lithium will use the prepayment to develop its wholly owned Wolfsberg Project, a hard rock lithium deposit with 9.7 million tonnes of ore across the measured and indicated resource categories. Specifically, the cash injection will support EUR as it kicks off the project construction phase and advances Wolfsberg towards its ultimate goal: to become a major lithium producer in Europe, a hotspot for electric vehicle manufacturers. The partnership with BMW allows EUR to focus on the final development stages and implement the Wolfsberg project while it builds a portfolio of prospective battery metal projects across the continent. "We have since closed several underperforming assets, significantly reduced management and workforce positions, reducing our SG&A run rate by about $5 million a year," said Unrivaled Brands chairman Eric Baum Unrivaled Brands (OTCQX:UNRV) Inc, a multi-state vertically integrated company focused on the cannabis sector, reported that it had made significant progress on its previously-disclosed 100-day turnaround plan. The Santa Ana, California-based company has operations in California and Oregon. In California, Unrivaled operates three dispensaries with direct-to-consumer delivery, two cultivation facilities, and several popular company-owned brands. In Oregon, Unrivaled operates a state-wide distribution network, brands and outdoor and greenhouse cultivation. In a statement, Unrivaled Brands Chairman Eric Baum said: In the companys initial communication to shareholders in May, we indicated our immediate focus was on our 100-day plan to stabilize operations, protect our performing assets, create a sustainable debt position, and put us on a path to profitability in an increasingly challenging industry and troubled California market. READ: Unrivaled Brands posts 907.5% revenue jump in 1Q thanks to transformation plan He added: I am pleased to announce progress against this plan - though humbly recognize that there is still significant work ahead of us. In March, the company conducted a thorough review of Unrivaled's balance sheet and determined the health of each of its business units. In the second quarter, we took decisive action to meaningfully reset the cost structure including tightening operations, improving financial systems and controls, and restructuring our debt, said Baum. We have since closed several underperforming assetsreducing our SG&A run rate by about $5 million a year. Baum revealed that Unrivaleds strategy is to now focus on operations in Oregon, its retail stores in Oakland and Santa Ana, and the marketing and licensing of Korova, one of the most sought-after brands on the West Coast. High potency Korova products are currently available in California, Oregon, Arizona, and Oklahoma, as well as Sticks and Cabana, said the company. Unrivaled noted that it had achieved the following: Outsourcing distribution: In June last year, Unrivaled partnered with a top North American cannabis distributor with strong fulfillment infrastructure, to distribute its brands, while simultaneously exiting third-party distribution engagements which were affecting cash flow; In June last year, Unrivaled partnered with a top North American cannabis distributor with strong fulfillment infrastructure, to distribute its brands, while simultaneously exiting third-party distribution engagements which were affecting cash flow; Closing underperforming retail: Unrivaled closed underperforming retail locations in Los Angeles, San Leandro, and Sacramento. Wherever possible the assets from these sites have been deployed to support other business operations and the firm is marketing the closed assets and licenses; Unrivaled closed underperforming retail locations in Los Angeles, San Leandro, and Sacramento. Wherever possible the assets from these sites have been deployed to support other business operations and the firm is marketing the closed assets and licenses; Reduction in management and workforce: As of August 1, 2022, Unrivaleds headcount is 188, compared to 338 at the end of the first quarter. The reduction has come mainly from site closures and reduction of corporate headcount. Overall, payroll has been reduced by 40%; Moving forward, we are focused on stabilizing and growing operations, improving the balance sheet and debt restructuring, said Baum. We are also actively reviewing options for additional sources of capital and potential mutually beneficial partnerships. Unrivaled said it was considering experienced candidates for CEO and is expected to share updates in the coming weeks and months. Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive Tehran, Aug 5 : Iran has reaffirmed its demand for the removal of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) from the US terrorist list in talks on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, refuting media claims that Iran has rolled back its requirement. Citing an informed source close to Tehran's negotiating team, the official news agency IRNA reported that Iran has not withdrawn the demand for taking the IRGC off the US Foreign Terrorist Organizations list in the talks to revive the nuclear deal, Xinhua news agency reported. The IRNA's report was a response to The Wall Street Journal's report that Tehran had dropped its demand on the IRGC issue. Dismissing the report as lacking credibility, the source stressed that Iran has proved its goodwill and determination to reach an agreement in the negotiations. Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear programme in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. However, former US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran. The talks on reviving the JCPOA began in April 2021 in the Austrian capital of Vienna but were suspended in March because of political differences between Tehran and Washington. Delegations from the remaining signatories to the JCPOA, as well as the US, are currently in Vienna for a fresh round of talks on the revival of the agreement. Srinagar, Aug 5 : The Jammu Srinagar National highway has been closed for vehicular traffic due to shooting stones at Ramban, officials said on Friday. "Jammu -Srinagar NHW (NH-44) blocked at Mehad, Cafeteria, Ramban due to continuous shooting stones. People are advised not to travel on Jammu -Srinagar NHW without confirmation from TCU Jammu/Srinagar/Ramban," Jammu and Kashmir Traffic police said. The highway is the lifeline of the Kashmir valley and the main road link connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country. Kashmir bound trucks laden with essential supplies and other vehicles pass through the highway and fruit carrying trucks from Kashmir head for rest of the country through this road. Amarnath pilgrims also take this road from Jammu to Kashmir for their journey towards the holy cave. Phnom Penh, Aug 5 : Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen met here with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on bilateral ties and cooperation, a senior official said. Lavrov is in Cambodia for the ASEAN-Russia Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings, Xinhua news agency reported. "Lavrov briefed the prime minister on the situation and Russia's position on the Ukraine conflict, and stressed the need to further strengthen and expand existing cooperation with Cambodia in tourism and investment, among others," Eang Sophalleth, a personal assistant to Hun Sen, told reporters. For his part, Hun Sen thanked Lavrov for briefing him on Russia's position on the conflict, Sophalleth said. The Cambodian leader also thanked Lavrov for bringing along Covid-19 vaccines for Cambodia. "The Prime Minister also agreed with Lavrov on strengthening relations and cooperation between the two countries," the assistant said. On the Ukraine issue, Hun Sen said Cambodia wishes to see solutions through peaceful dialogues. Both sides agreed that the Cambodia-Russia intergovernmental commission on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation will be a key platform for the two countries to broaden bilateral cooperation in various fields, he added. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Ankara, Aug 5 : Three ships loaded with grain and other food supplies that have been waiting in Ukrainian ports are scheduled to set sail on Friday, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying by a news agency. Akar spoke on the phone separately with Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov on Thursday to discuss the export of grain from Ukraine, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the semi-official Anadolu Agency. The first grain-laden cargo ship leaving the Ukrainian port under a UN-brokered deal anchored off Istanbul on the Black Sea and was inspected by a team of representatives from the recently established Joint Coordination Center (JCC) on Wednesday. The Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni left Odesa early on Monday with 26,527 tons of corn and sailed for Lebanon after the inspection was completed on Wednesday. The JCC was inaugurated in Istanbul last week. It has a total of 20 representatives from Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations, and TArkiye to monitor the implementation of the grain shipment process. On July 22, Russia and Ukraine signed a deal with TArkiye and the United Nations to allow food and fertilizer exports from the Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea, namely Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi. The deal aims to allow safe passage for ships carrying grain to world markets amid concerns about food shortages due to the prolonged crisis in Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine are major global wheat suppliers. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Paris, Aug 5 : France will abolish its broadcasting licence fee, after the Senate approved a corresponding bill on the supplementary budget on Thursday evening. The National Assembly, the lower house of the French parliament, had already approved the bill in the afternoon, dpa news agency reported. Until the end of 2024, public broadcasting is to be financed by part of the value-added tax, among other things. For the period after that, the government must then present a separate plan for funding. Currently, the annual licence fee in France is a138 ($141), due for all households that own a TV. President Emmanuel Macron promised to scrap the fee during his last election campaign, to counteract the increased cost of living. By approving the supplementary budget, parliament also gave the green light to some a10 billion to go towards fully nationalising indebted energy giant EDF, to facilitate major investments in nuclear power, among other things. Lucknow, Aug 5 : The Election Commission of India (ECI) has recognised Apna Dal (S) as a state-level political party, upgrading it from a registered (unrecognised) political outfit. With this the number of state-level parties in Uttar Pradesh has gone up to three -- the other two being Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). "It is a historic day for the party," party president and union minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Anupriya Patel told reporters. The party has two Lok Sabha MPs, 12 MLAs and one MLC in Uttar Pradesh. Besides Anupriya, who is an MP from Mirzapur, has Pakori Lal Kol as the other MP representing Robertsganj. Patel said that it was because of the hard work of party workers that helped the party grow. She invoked Lord Buddha, and Dalit icons like Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and BR Ambedkar as the key source of inspiration for the party to work amongst the socially oppressed classes. She categorically credited Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as a key socio-political figure that catalysed the party's movement. Party's working president and cabinet minister Ashish Patel -- the lone MLC of the party -- said that this historic achievement was due to the struggle of the founder of the party, Sonelal Patel. "What started as a small party has taken a big shape because of his sacrifice," he said. United Nations, Aug 5 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed the hope that the Summit of the Future scheduled for the General Assembly (UNGA) high-level week in September will produce a Pact for the Future. The summit is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reinvigorate global action, recommit to fundamental principles, and further develop the frameworks of multilateralism so they are fit for the future, he said in a briefing to the General Assembly on the progress on his Our Common Agenda, Xinhua news agency reported. The outcome of a successful Summit of the Future will be an inter-governmentally negotiated Pact for the Future, he said. "At the heart of this pact should be a commitment to reinvigorate the multilateral system and make it fit for the challenges of today and tomorrow. It must reaffirm our fundamental belief in the Charter of the United Nations. And it should re-focus our efforts on meeting our existing commitments in the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement; addressing threats to international peace and security; and realising our ambitions on human rights, international justice, and gender equality," said Guterres. "The Pact for the Future must demonstrate to the world that while we face daunting challenges, we can overcome them with cooperation, compromise and global solidarity. We must show that through an emphasis on our shared humanity and a strengthened multilateral system, we can put the world on a better path," he added. It is almost a year since he presented the report on Our Common Agenda. During that period of time, the need for the proposals in the report has only increased, said Guterres. In addition to the triple planetary crisis of climate breakdown, air pollution and biodiversity loss, and the immense suffering caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, conflicts are raging around the world. Developing countries are being squeezed dry. Without resources to invest in recovery from the pandemic and deal with the impact of the Ukraine conflict, the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals have been thrown further off course, he said. The global economic forecast is perilous. Four countries have already defaulted on their debts; many others face the risk of default. Financing for development is drying up, or being diverted elsewhere. Meanwhile, overwhelming evidence of climate catastrophe is mounting by the day. Geopolitical competition has intensified. The risk of nuclear confrontation is now more acute than it has been in decades, he noted. "Our Common Agenda was intended as a wake-up call. One year on, we must ask ourselves: have we woken up?" he said. While the problems facing the world are unprecedented, they are not insurmountable, he said. "Our Common Agenda attempts to correct our course, guided by the United Nations Charter, to build the safer, more resilient and inclusive world set out in the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals." Lucknow, Aug 5 : Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak has given three days' time to the Lucknow administration and police officials to prepare an action plan to improve the traffic system in the state capital. Pathak expressed displeasure at the condition of traffic and questioned the officers that despite having such a large police and administration staff, why the traffic system was not improving. Insisting that traffic jams were a serious problem, he said: "Immediate efforts have to be made to find a solution to the problem. Also, prepare an action plan to improve the traffic system and present it to me within three days." The Deputy Chief Minister said that the traffic should be improved in areas of Gomti Nagar, Hazratganj, Kalidas Marg, Mahanagar, Station Road and others. The traffic review comes days after senior high court judges got stuck in traffic jams and with the overall traffic management system collapsing in Lucknow. Lucknow, Aug 5 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered a probe into mysterious deaths of about 55 cows at a cow shelter in Amroha on Thursday. He has directed Animal Husbandry Minister Dharam Pal Singh to reach Amroha. District magistrate Amroha, B K Tripathi, told reporters that the cows fell ill in the evening after eating fodder. Officials of the Animal Husbandry Department and veterinarians were rushed to spot to treat the cattle. Superintendent of Police, Aditya Langeh, later confirmed that over 50 cows at the shelter died. According to the district magistrate, the management at the cow shelter has procured fodder from a person one Tahir. "An FIR has been lodged against Tahir and efforts are being made to arrest him," he said. "The village development officer, who is in charge of the cow shelter, has been suspended," he added. The chief minister's office said that Yogi Adityanath has ordered to send a team of veterinarians for the treatment of ailing cows. "Anyone found guilty will not be spared," said the official spokesman. Chinese Foreign Ministry summons European, Japanese envoys to protest against G7's wrong statement on Taiwan question, urging countries not to go further down dangerous path (Global Times) 13:38, August 05, 2022 The entrance to the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing, capital of China. File Photo: Xinhua Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Deng Li summoned relevant European envoys and Japanese envoy over the negative statement issued by the G7 and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy over the Taiwan question, which has been slammed as a piece of waste paper that distorted the facts and confused the right and wrong, blatantly interfering in China's internal affairs and sending wrong signal to the secessionists in Taiwan. China firmly opposes to the G7 statement and staged a solemn representation, Deng said, according to a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday after Deng summoned relevant European envoys. As one-China principle is universally recognized basic rules for international relations and global consensus, which also serve as the political foundation for China's relations with those countries and the absolute red line and bottom line that can't be crossed. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is a blatant political maneuver and serious intrusion of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Deng said. China surely has to respond with no hesitation. The EU side has not dissuaded and condemned the US for instigating an attempt to split China and escalate the cross-Straits tensions, instead, it claimed that "there is no change in the respective one China policies, where applicable, and basic positions on Taiwan of the G7 members." This seriously violates the one-China principle, delivering a heavy blow to the political foundation of the bilateral relations. Both the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Mission to the EU slammed the G7 statement on Thursday, calling it evil and shameless, which is reminiscent of the "Eight-Power Allied Forces" that invaded China a hundred years ago. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi also firmly refuted the statement, saying that it confused right with the wrong and its wrong deeds have aroused the strong indignation of the Chinese people. Wang also told at an interview during the foreign ministers' meetings on East Asia cooperation in Cambodia that the G7 statement is a piece of waste paper. If we don't pressure the aggressor but pressure the defender, where's the justice and where's the basic norm for international relations? Wang asked. "Non-interference in internal affairs is the most basic principle to maintain peace and stability in our world. We cannot allow the law of the jungle to dominate our state-to-state relations again. I believe that this so-called statement is just a piece of waste paper," he said. The Chinese Foreign Ministry also summoned the Japanese Ambassador to China Hideo Tarumi on Thursday for Japan's wrong position with the G7 and EU concerning the Taiwan question, as the ministry's statement showed. It seriously violated basic rules governing international relations and four China-Japan political documents, the ministry said. The Taiwan question concerns the political foundation of China-Japan relations and basic trust between the two countries. Japan colonized Taiwan island for a long time and bears historic culpability, and should be more cautious in its words and deeds, Deng told the Japanese envoy. China strongly urges Japan to abide by the principles of the four political documents between China and Japan and its political commitments on the Taiwan question, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, handle Taiwan-related issues prudently and properly, and not go further and further down the wrong path, the Chinese official said. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Lucknow, Aug 5 : A share market trader in Uttar Pradesh staged his own kidnapping to avoid paying back a loan of Rs 40 lakhs. Shamsi Raza claimed that he was allegedly kidnapped for ransom on Monday and 'rescued' by the Lucknow police on Thursday. Investigation, however, proved that the trader, who was in debt, had staged his own kidnapping with the help of his two associates Shahid and Mohammed. CCTV footage showing him hanging with friends, having tea, and using a resident's car for kidnapping. While police 'rescued' Shamsi, his two aides are still on the run. DCP East and Crime, Prachi Singh said that Shamsi lives with wife Farheen Fatima and two children in the Dargah Road area of Saadatganj. "A relative living in Dubai had sent him Rs 40 lakhs," she said. Police said that Shamsi had also taken loans from several of his relatives and friends. It was then Shamsi decided to stage his kidnapping and tell his relative that Rs 40 lakh that he had sent were spent in paying ransom. He had planned to use the money to pay his debts instead, the police said. During interrogation, Shamsi told the police that he was being heckled by people from whom he had taken the loan and hence he, along with friends Shahid and Mohammad, hatched a plan for his own kidnapping. According to the plan, on Monday Shamsi left without informing his wife and did not return home till late in the night. He had also switched off the phone. In the night, Mohammad called Farheen, narrating the story of Shamsi's kidnapping, and asked her to arrange Rs 40 lakhs. Farheen was stunned by the ransom demand and informed the Saadatganj police. In a joint statement, ACP Crime Pankaj Srivastava and ACP Bazarkhala Sunil Sharma said: "The team first got the CCTV where Shamsi was seen hanging with friends and then the number of the car carrying him. In the investigation, it was found that the owner of the car is a resident of Shamsi's colony and was his friend. When the police interrogated him, it was found that he had given the car to Shahid at the behest of Shamsi. After this, the police made a route chart and recovered Shamsi." Kiev/Moscow, Aug 5 : Fierce clashes took place Ukrainian and Russian forces as the two warring sides fought for control of Avdiivka and Bakhmut in the contested eastern region of Donetsk. Troops loyal to Moscow are trying to drive the Ukrainian military out of their positions, dpa news agency quoted reports as saying from both countries. The city of Donetsk itself has been controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014, but the Ukrainian army continues to hold large parts of the surrounding region of the same name. Russian forces say they are making gains in the Donetsk region, although Kiev claims to have repelled their advances in some areas. The Ukrainian General Staff said soldiers had fought off Russian attacks north-east and east of Soledar and Bakhmut, while they said fighting continued south of Bakhmut. However, Brigadier General Olexiy Hromov admitted that Ukrainian troops there had had to withdraw from the village of Semyhirya. Hromov also said Ukrainian fighters had left their positions south-east of the industrial town of Avdiivka. Kiev's forces deflected Russian advances north of Sloviansk, west of Donetsk and in the Kherson and Kharkiv regions, the staff report said, despite Russian shelling of dozens of Ukrainian positions along the whole of the front line, alongside Russian aerial attacks. Russia is trying to seize power in the Donbas region, made up of Luhansk and Donetsk. While Moscow already controls Luhansk, it is now fighting to take the remainder of Donetsk. If places like Bakhmut were to fall to Russian forces, this would open the way for Russian troops to the outskirts of the twin cities Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. More than half a million people lived in the area before the war. It was not possible to verify the reports. Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said earlier that due to heavy losses, several Ukrainian brigades have withdrawn from their positions near Soledar, Avdiivka and Bakhmut. As Kiev continues to seek weapons to fight off Moscow's attacks, Ukraine received four Sukhoi Su-25 fighter jets from North Macedonia, according to reports. North Macedonia reportedly acquired the jets from Ukraine in 2001. The planes, for sale since 2003, had been deployed several times during this period, it said. North Macedonia also sent Ukraine Soviet-built T-72 tanks. Meanwhile, less than a week after the devastating attack on a prisoner-of-war camp in eastern Ukraine, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres announced an investigation. The UN had received a request to that effect from both Russia and Ukraine, Guterres said in New York. He was not authorised to launch criminal investigations, but could initiate a fact-finding mission, the UN chief said. Preparations were underway. Dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed in the attack on the prison camp in Olenivka, near the city of Donetsk. The prison barracks were hit by a rocket on July 29, according to Russian sources. Moscow and Kiev blame each other for the attack. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that it was "absolutely proven" that Ukraine had killed its own soldiers who were being held as prisoners of war. "There is evidence of this and nothing can be hidden here." Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War New York, Aug 5 : The UN has warned that North Korea is currently preparing to carry out its first nuclear test since 2017. Construction work on an underground testing facility in the north of the country has been observed in recent months, said a confidential UN report, parts of which were made available to dpa news agency. "Work at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site paves the way for additional nuclear tests for the development of nuclear weapons." Satellite imagery of the site suggests that North Korea has been repairing its network of tunnels at Punggye-ri, as well as rebuilding structures on the site that were demolished in 2018 during negotiations with the US. According to the UN report, which covers activity over the the past few months, fissile material production capacity has also been ramped up at the country's Yongbyon nuclear facility. Observers have been concerned for months that following numerous missile tests by Pyongyang, North Korean's first nuclear test in almost five years could be imminent. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been highlighting activity at Punggye-ri, where North Korea conducted six nuclear test explosions between 2006 and 2017, since June. The Pyongyang government is subject to stringent sanctions as a result of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programme. Tokyo, Aug 5 : Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and visiting US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met in Tokyo on Friday to reaffirm their commitment to working together closely to maintain peace in the region, as tensions in the Taiwan Strait continue to rise. On Thursday, five missile shells were fired into Japan's exclusive economic zone by China's People's Liberation Army from the waters off Taiwan, reports dpa news agency. China's behaviour had "serious implications for peace and stability in the region and the international community", Kishida was quoted as saying by Japanese media reports. Pelosi, the third-highest ranking official in Washington, arrived in Tokyo on Thursday evening at the end of an Asian tour that has also taken her to Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. Her visit to Taiwan has heightened tensions with China, which sees the democratic island republic as part of its territory. The Chinese military was holding major air and sea drills in the waters surrounding Taiwan this week, in what appeared to be retaliation for the visit. China's largest military show of force in decades apparently had the goal of deterring Taiwan from any further displays of independence. Japan has refrained from taking an official stance on Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, and has instead advocated for a peaceful resolution to the island's issue through dialogue. Vienna, Aug 5 : A European Union (EU) diplomat has expressed a degree of hope that the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran can be resurrected, while also listing several significant stumbling blocks following the resumption of talks in Vienna. "I think there is a real possibility of an agreement, but it's not going to be easy," dpa news agency quoted the diplomat as saying while outlining the remaining areas where no agreement had yet been reached. After months of deadlock, talks aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal chaired by EU chief negotiator Enrique Mora resumed in Vienna on Thursday in a fresh effort to salvage the 2015 agreement, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Tehran and Washington still had to agree on the technicalities for lifting certain sanctions on Iran, the diplomat said, asking not to be named. Further outstanding issues include restrictions on the enrichment of uranium, which Iran is currently enriching to a near-weapons-grade purity of 60 per cent. A further prerequisite for a deal is a return to the comprehensive monitoring of the Iranian nuclear programme by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Iran and Washington have decided to leave the disputed US classification of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation until a later date. The current draft also contains guarantees for Tehran should the US withdraw from the agreement again, the diplomat said, following Washington's unilateral exit from the deal in 2018 during the presidency of Donald Trump. Western diplomats believe there's only a brief window of opportunity left in which to salvage the pact, the ultimate aim of which is to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons in exchange for the lifting of sanctions on Tehran. However, talks between Iran and the six other parties to the agreement -- China, Germany, France, the UK, Russia and the US -- have been faltering for months. A new draft of the deal currently under discussion takes into account recent nuclear advances made by Tehran, some of which would have to be walked back, dpa has learned. On Monday, Iran's nuclear chief Mohammed Eslami repeated the claim that Tehran was already capable of building a nuclear bomb but does not intend to. "The Onus is on those who breached the deal & have failed to distance from ominous legacy," the leader of the the Iranian delegation, Kani Bagheri, tweeted earlier. "The US must seize the opportunity offered by the JCPOA partners' generosity; ball is in their court to show maturity & act responsibly," he added. The US special envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, tweeted that Washington's "expectations are in check, but the US 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". Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had called for the lifting of all sanctions imposed on Tehran by the US following its 2018 withdrawal from the deal. Tehran has consistently argued that it intends to use nuclear energy for purely peaceful purposes, and has repeatedly stressed that the nuclear deal is of no value to the country unless sanctions are also lifted. The fresh talks come shortly after the IAEA warned that Iran was only weeks away from producing the materials necessary to build a nuclear bomb. Seoul, Aug 5 : South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's approval rating has sunk to the lowest since he took office in May, amid controversies over his personnel appointments and leadership turmoil in the ruling party, a poll revealed on Friday. Yoon's approval rating came to 24 per cent, down 4 percentage points from the previous week, while 66 per cent negatively assessed his handling of state affairs, up 4 percentage points, reports Yonhap News Agency. The poll was conducted by Gallup Korea on 1,001 voters nationwide from Tuesday to Thursday. The President's approval rating more than halved from 53 per cent and his disapproval rating doubled from 33 per cent since the second week of June. In Friday's poll, the rate of negative assessment was higher in most of responding groups, except for those in their 70s or above and ruling People Power Party (PPP) supporters. As reasons for disapproval, Yoon's personnel choices were cited the most at 23 per cent, followed by lack of experience and qualifications at 10 per cent, dogmatism at 8 per cent and inadequate communication at 7 per cent. The government's recent push to lower the elementary school entry age to five and the lack of efforts to look after people's livelihoods were both cited by 5 per cent of respondents. Gallup said various issues, including the school entry age controversy, are behind the increase in Yoon's disapproval rating, though he is on summer vacation this week. United Nations, Aug 5 : The UN Security Council has welcomed the renewal of a truce in Yemen for another two months, till October 2. The truce in Yemen remains the most significant opportunity for peace and the protection of civilians that Yemen has witnessed in years, Xinhua news agency quoted the UNSC members as saying in a joint statement on Thursday. It has provided a stable foundation to progress with talks on economic and security tracks, and to embark on in-depth and inclusive discussions on the political track, it said. The Council members also called on the warring parties to seize this moment to urgently intensify negotiations to reach an inclusive and comprehensive agreement on the expanded truce proposal developed by UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg, which could be translated into a durable ceasefire and increased benefits for Yemenis. The expressed the hope that the full implementation of the truce and an expanded truce agreement would provide an opportunity to reach an inclusive, comprehensive political settlement. The members commended efforts by the government of Yemen to facilitate the flow of fuel into the country and flights to and from Sanaa airport. They however, expressed their concern with the lack of progress on the opening of roads in Taiz and stressed that the opening of these roads remains a humanitarian imperative to ease the suffering in Yemen's third-largest city, while reiterating their call on the Houthis to act with flexibility in negotiations and immediately open the main roads. The Council members welcomed the continued reduction in violence and civilian casualties under the truce, among other tangible benefits to the Yemeni population, and stressed that the full implementation and expanded truce proposal would increase these benefits. They called on all parties to prioritise the needs of the Yemeni population and to compromise and choose peace over violence. The UNSC condemned all attacks that threatened to derail the truce and noted with concern the increase in civilian casualties caused by landmines. The members commended regional partners for their efforts to support the truce and stressed the need for their continued support and reiterated their support for the UN special envoy and his continuing efforts to strengthen and expand the truce, and for an inclusive, comprehensive political settlement. Grundberg on Tuesday announced a two-month renewal of the truce in Yemen and the willingness of the parties to intensify negotiations to reach an expanded truce agreement, which would include expanded salary and pension payments and increased freedom of movement. San Francisco, Aug 5 : Tech billionaire Elon Musk has hinted that Tesla would probably build "at least 10 or 12 gigafactories" in years to come, teasing another gigafactory location to be chosen later this year. At its annual shareholder meeting called 'Cyber Roundup' late on Thursday, Musk reiterated the growth of Tesla's advanced driver assistance system called full self-driving (FSD) beta, reports TechCrunch. "We're now at over 40 million miles and I suspect by this year we're gonna have well over 100 million miles," said Musk. "And we're still tracking very much to have widespread deployment of FSD beta this year in North America," he added. Tesla will soon allow non-Tesla EVs to use its charging network. Musk said that the long-awaited Cybertruck (announced in 2019) will also be unveiled soon, though he did not give any further details. Last month, he said Tesla is hoping to start delivering the Cybertruck in the middle of next year. The Tesla CEO said that the company aims to hit a 2 million car run rate by the end of this year. At the event, Tesla shareholders approved the three-for-one stock split, which will bring the company's shares down to the $300 range. Tesla reported $16.93 billion in revenue in Q2 and automotive made $14.6 billion of the total sales. In an earnings call, Musk said that Tesla's new factory outside of Berlin crossed 1,000 cars per week in June. Vadodara, Aug 5 : The police here have arrested a tuition teacher for physically assaulting a girl student and forcing her to drink Vodka with him during classes. The incident was reported to the police Wednesday night and after the teacher's negative corona report, he was arrested Thursday night. Fatehganj Police Inspector K.P. Parmar told the local media, "Prashant Khosla is running tuition classes in the Nizampura area, where on Wednesday, after tuition hours, Khosla insisted a Class 10 girl student sit with him and have a drink. He forced the girl to accompany him and they drank alcohol. As the girl fell unconscious, around 9.30 p.m. he dropped her home. The girl's parents rushed her to a private hospital, where she is being treated." After gaining consciousness the victim narrated the entire incident to the Women Police Sub Inspector A.K. Valvi, after which the tuition teacher Prashant was picked up. "It was found that the teacher was drunk and did have control of himself," said the officer. Two separate cases have been registered against the teacher, one under the prohibition act, and another under the IPC sections, Juvenile Justice Act and POCSO's section 11. In another shocking incident in Gujarat's Rajkot city, a landlord in Meera Udhyognagar area fed alcohol to the two-year-old son of a neighbour. When the boy's parents saw that the landlord was feeding alcohol, they took him away. However, after a few minutes the boy fell unconscious and was rushed to the Rajkot Government hospital. Berlin, Aug 5 : Firefighters are battling a blaze that broke out in Berlin's Grunewald forest followed by numerous explosions at a police munitions storage facility. Some 15,000 square metres of forest is burning, the fire department of the German capital said on Twitter on Thursday night, adding that "explosions are occurring", reports Xinhua news agency. A restricted area of around 1,000 metres was set up around the perimeter of the fire. A police helicopter and a drone are supporting the coordination of the operation. The fire department said a firefighting helicopter and armoured vehicles from the German armed forces were also called in. Fire department spokesperson Thomas Kirstein said more information was needed on the state of the site, adding that: "The operation will take a long time." Meanwhile, Berlin fire department spokesperson James Klein told Deutsche Welle that Grunewald is used for the storage of ordnance, as well as fireworks and other objects that can explode. The Grunewald munitions facility has been in operation since 1950. Alternative areas were either not available in Berlin or could not be approved, police said. "Areas in Brandenburg were also examined, but these could not offer comparable storage capacities." Germany is currently being hit by a heat wave with record temperatures. With the exception of some coastal regions, the meteorological service (DWD) has warned of severe heat stress across the country. "The forest is bone dry," said Jan Thomsen, spokesperson for the Berlin Senate's Department for Environment, Mobility, Consumer and Climate Protection. Forests have not been able to recover from droughts in previous years, he explained. Beijing/Taipei, Aug 5 : China on Friday said that it fired missiles over Taiwan for the first time, escalating tensions in the region as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Japan, whose leaders lodged a protest with Beijing after five projectiles landed near Japanese islands. Pelosi met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday morning, with their attention focused on the Taiwan Strait, where China is staging air and sea drills to protest against the US Speaker's visit to the island earlier this week, CNN reported. China has previously fired missiles into waters surrounding Taiwan -- a democratic island of 24 million that the Chinese Communist Party regards as its territory, despite having never controlled it -- most notably during the Taiwan Strait Crisis in the 1990s. But missiles flying over the island marked a significant escalation, with US officials warning there may be more to come, CNN reported. "We anticipated that China might take steps like this -- in fact, I described them for you in quite some detail just the other day," John Kirby, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council, told reporters at the White House on Thursday. "We also expect that these actions will continue and that the Chinese will continue to react in the coming days." A US aircraft carrier will stay in the area around Taiwan for several more days to "monitor the situation", Kirby added. Speaking in Tokyo on Friday, Pelosi accused China of trying "to isolate Taiwan", pointing to the island's exclusion from international groups like the World Health Organization. China started military drills around the island on Thursday, firing multiple missiles toward waters near northeastern and southwestern Taiwan the day after Pelosi's departure. A Chinese military expert confirmed on state broadcaster CCTV that the conventional missiles flew over Taiwan's main island, including airspace covered by Taiwanese defence missiles, CNN reported. "We hit the targets under the observation of US Aegis combat system, which means the Chinese military has solved the difficulties of hitting long-range targets on waters," said Maj. Gen. Meng Xiangqing, a professor of strategy at the National Defence University in Beijing. In a statement late Thursday, Taiwan's Defence Ministry said the missiles had travelled above the atmosphere and therefore posed no risk to the island, CNN reported. Dharamsala, Aug 5 : US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi-led delegation of five Democratic lawmakers who visited Taiwan this week, met seven human rights activists at the island's National Museum of Human Rights, including Office of Tibet representative Kelsang Gyaltsen who remarked that Tibet has now become a 'giant prison', according to the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). The activists included pro-democracy activist Wuer Kaixi, Taiwanese human rights activist Li Mingzhe, who has been persecuted by China, and Lin Rongji of Causeway Bay Bookstore in Hong Kong, and they engaged in an hour-long roundtable discussion on varying subjects involving democracy and human rights. Pelosi called on the gathered human rights defenders to make Taiwanese aware of the Chinese dictatorship and defend Taiwan's democracy. Representative Gyaltsen addressed Pelosi on the deteriorating human rights situation in Tibet and the increasingly extreme policy of ethnic, religious and cultural genocide in Tibet by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), said the CTA. He apprised her of CCP's so-called boarding schools technique as bait to coerce Tibetan children to study in boarding schools away from their parents, thus achieving the assimilation of Tibetan culture and religion, among other issues. He also called on joint organisers of global democracy meeting to be held in October to invite the Dalai Lama to the conference, stating it would send a clear and strong message to the CCP of the global solidarity to Tibet. "Current CCP's chairperson Xi Jinping's approach to Tibet, the so-called aThe Party's New Generation Policy on the Governance of Tibet" focuses on the annihilation and assimilation of the Tibetan people, as well as eliminating the Dalai Lama's influence in Tibet. These measures have stirred up even stronger resistance from the Tibetans," said the representative of His Holiness in Taiwan, remarking that Tibet has now become a 'giant prison'. He further attested that the decades-long genocide in Tibet should continue to receive much attention and support even though the world now is gripped by the Ukraine crisis. Lamenting the initial lack of support and attention from the international community when Tibet was being occupied, the representative mentioned things could have been different had China received the same pressure as Russia does now from the international community. As much criticism as Russia received for its presence in the UN's Human Rights Council, the representative added China also deserves to be ridiculed and criticised for its presence in the UN and other international organisations considering its depreciating record of human rights violations. "No one can be certain that the tragedy that befallen Ukraine would not happen to Taiwan, a free, democratic, and robust country. Only when China transforms itself into a full-fledged democracy, can we truly eliminate the CCP's destruction and threat to Taiwan and to the rest of the world?" he added. A community of exiled Tibetans, settled in this town in Himalayan foothills with the Dalai Lama, considers the CTA to be their legitimate government, but no country recognizes it. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Former Congress National President Rahul Gandhi along with party MPs marched from Gate No. 1 of Parliament House to Vijay Chowk. Image Source: IANS News Former Congress National President Rahul Gandhi along with party MPs marched from Gate No. 1 of Parliament House to Vijay Chowk. Image Source: IANS News Former Congress National President Rahul Gandhi along with party MPs marched from Gate No. 1 of Parliament House to Vijay Chowk. Image Source: IANS News Former Congress National President Rahul Gandhi along with party MPs marched from Gate No. 1 of Parliament House to Vijay Chowk. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Aug 5 : Several Congress parliamentarians, including Rahul Gandhi, were on Friday detained by the Delhi Police after they carried out a protest march against the Central government in between the Parliament House and Rashtrapati Bhavan in the national capital. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while speaking to the media persons before getting detained, accused the Delhi Police of manhandling the partymen. "We are standing here on the issues of price rise and unemployment. We wanted to move forward but the police did not allow us,"Gandhi said. When asked about the MPs being manhandled, he said, "That is fine. I'm happy to be manhandled. Our job is to resist these forces, our job is to make sure that Indian democracy is protected. Our job is to raise issues of the people like price rise and unemployment and we are doing that." Chennai, Aug 5 : Five Policemen of Sembarankoil police station in Tamil Nadu's Myladuthurai district, including a Senior Sub Inspector, a constable and three women constables were transferred to various police stations for walking the ramp. The incident happened on July 31, when a modelling company based in Myladuthurai organised the show and the policemen were on security. 'Big Boss' participant, model and actor, Yashika Anand was the Chief guest of the programme and people came in large numbers to see the ramp walk, which was held for the first time in the district. The company had offered good openings in the modelling industry for the winners of the show and this also led to a large number of people participating in the programme and a larger number reaching the venue to watch the show. After the show came to an end, the organisers requested the police personnel to walk the ramp just for the fun of it. The personnel agreed and walked the ramp, which went viral after someone posted on social media. This drew flak from several corners and critics said that the policemen had lowered the dignity of the job by ramp walking in uniform during duty. Several youngsters, however, appreciated the gesture of the police personnel. The Myladuthurai district police superintendent M. Jawahar transferred all the five, including the Senior Sub Inspector, to various police stations in the district and directed them to report for duty immideately. Mumbai, Aug 5 : Punjabi romantic track 'Sufi Sufi' featuring the 'Kacha Badam' fame Anjali Arora was released on Friday. The song has been penned and sung by Punjabi artiste Dilraj Grewal. In the music video, he can be seen romancing Anjali. Anjali became an internet sensation after her clip dancing on 'Kacha Badam' song went viral. After amassing huge engagement over the clip, she was chosen as a contestant on the Kangana Ranaut hosted reality show 'Lock Upp' where rumours about her romance with comedian Munawar Faruqui gained ground until he introduced his girlfriend Nizha Sataishi to the world. 'Sufi Sufi' has been shot in Moscow, and has a beautiful melody at its heart depicting the romance between the two. Sonically, the track is based on a trap beat structure with high hats in prominence. The production design of the song is plush and boasts of some beautiful locations. Commenting on the song release, the producer and owner of music label Saga Music, Sd. Sumeet Singh said, "I would keep bringing in new faces and talents and go against the typecast standards of exhibiting only a few known faces. I also believe that India is filled with latent talents like Dilraj Grewal who await only one right platform." Dilraj is also gearing up for his upcoming film 'Kulche Chhole' opposite Jannat Zubair, the social media sensation. The music label Saga Music is known for delivering hits in the regional as well as Hindi music market. Some of the most loved songs from the label are 'Wish', 'Udaariyan', 'Motto', 'Ikko' 'Mikke', 'Same Beef', 'Kamaal' and 'Top Tucker'. New Delhi, Aug 5 : Amid the multi-layered security arrangements outside the Congress party headquarters in the national capital on Wednesday, the party workers staged an intense protest that was led by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The police had placed several barricades to stop the Congress workers from taking out any kind of march towards the Prime Minister's residence. As per latest reports, the party workers, raising slogans against the Central government, are continuously attempting to cross those barricades. Priyanka Gandhi, refusing to budge, crossed the 3-feet tall barricade after jumping it. As she tried to move forward, she was stopped by the women police personnel and subsequently the Congress General Secretary sat in the middle of the road in protest. Till now several party leaders, including Sachin Pilot have been detained by the police. Mumbai, Aug 5 : Actress Barkha Singh has talked about portraying two different brides in 'Masaba Masaba 2' and 'The Great Wedding of Munnes'. She finds it a coincidence that both the shows were released around the same time and had her in wedding outfits. Barkha as Aisha in 'Masaba Masba 2' and as Maahi in 'The Great Wedding of Munnes' were poles apart when it comes to their personality. Mastering both these bridal looks, Barkha Singh shares insights on how she ace both of her characters. The actress mentions, "It was sheer coincidence that both released around the same time and both portray me as a bride. However, both are very different from each other. Aisha in Masaba Masaba is a modern independent girl who is confident, unapologetically cold, yet has a warm heart. I wanted to strike a balance between being subtle and owning the space as the scenes required her to do." Barkha adds: "Mahi, on the other hand from 'The great weddings of Munnes' is a family-oriented girl from UP who falls in love with the simplicity and honesty of Munnes." "She is a vivacious character and required me to not be too subtle with my performance. I loved being both brides that were both so different from the kind of bride I'd be in real life!" Lima, Aug 5 : Peruvian President Pedro Castillo has called on the country's political parties to help his government form a new "broad-based" cabinet, following the resignation of Anibal Torres as Prime Minister. "I am opening up this space to other political parties so we can once and for all form a broad-based cabinet to work for Peru," Xinhua news agency quoted Castillo as saying. The President said he would name a new Prime Minister and swear in the new cabinet on Friday. It would be the fifth time that Castillo has appointed a new cabinet since he took office on July 28, 2021. Torres announced his resignation on Wednesday, saying that for "personal reasons" he planned to return to teaching at a university. New Delhi, Aug 5: India has once again stressed the need for early completion of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway - and its extension to Cambodia - to boost connectivity in the region as part of the Narendra Modi government's Act East policy. As he conveyed Prime Minister Modi's personal greetings to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in Phnom Penh on Thursday, visiting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also called for speeding up connectivity from the north east to Vietnam through Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. The two also flagged defence, tourism, demining, investment, and community development, as well as repairing temples during the conversation. Hun Sen's office said later that the Cambodian PM encouraged the "completion of technical studies" to promote the free trade agreement between the two countries and the investment protection agreement. He also requested India to promote direct flights to Cambodia to promote tourism and take the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation framework to the highest level. During his virtual meeting with his Cambodian counterpart in May this year, Prime Minister Modi also highlighted the historical and civilisational links between the two countries and expressed his happiness at India's involvement in the restoration of Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear temples in Cambodia, which depict the cultural and linguistic connect between the two countries. Earlier in the day, Jaishankar held a string of significant bilateral meetings, including with the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on the sidelines of ASEAN Ministerial in the Cambodian capital. The External Affairs Minister started the day with "a warm conversation" with Blinken, discussing the "ever-strengthening India-US relationship and the global situation" before meeting Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong. After discussions with his counterparts from Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore, the EAM addressed a "productive" ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting, an annual event that takes stock of the ASEAN-India partnership. He stated that there is a "strong convergence" on Indo-Pacific, UNCLOS, connectivity, Covid-19, terrorism, cyber security, Ukraine, and Myanmar. "Digital, health, agriculture education, and green growth will drive our partnership. Act East unfolds steadily," he tweeted after the meeting. Jaishankar then met the new Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, reaffirming India's commitment as a dependable friend and reliable partner, to the economic recovery and well-being of Sri Lanka. Meeting Vietnamese Foreign Affairs Minister Bui Thanh Son next, Jaishankar emphasised maintaining the momentum of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative Chennai, Aug 5 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's new Twitter profile picture features his late father M. Karunanidhi with the Tricolour in the background. In a tweet, Stalin said: "Muthamil arignar (Tamil scholar), Kalaignar ensured the right of State Chief Ministers hoisting the national flag on August 15, 1974." It may be noted that M. Karunanidhi had ensured that Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu would also hoist the national flag during the Independence Day celebrations. The picture that Stalin posted shows Karunanidhi descending the steps of Fort St George from where the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's hoists the national flag. Stalin's new profile picture comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked fellow countrymen to put the Tricolour as the display pictures on their social media accounts to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India's independence. Kiev, Aug 5 : Russian forces have launched a major offensive in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, the General Staff in Kiev said in a statement on Friday. "The enemy is conducting an offensive operation in the direction of Bakhmut and Avdiivka in the Donetsk area," dpa news agency quoted the statement as saying The push was aimed at positioning Russian forces for an assault on Soledar and Bakhmut and expanding Russian control to the west of the city of Donetsk, it added. Soledar and Bakhmut form part of the defensive line to the east of the conurbations of the major cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, which were home to more than half a million people before the war. The region is the last still under the control of Ukrainian government forces in the wider eastern Donbas region and has been heavily fortified by the Ukrainian side. The General Staff's statement also said the Russian assault near Bakhmut had been without success, while fighting was continuing on the approaches to Avdiivka, directly to the north of Donetsk city. It could not be independently confirmed but was in line with earlier reports of increased fighting in the region following a brief pause. Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov had said earlier that due to heavy losses, several Ukrainian brigades have withdrawn from their positions near Soledar, Avdiivka and Bakhmut. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Chennai, Aug 5 : Police have arrested nine men associated with a 15-member gang for kidnapping a woman from her house in Tamil Nadu's Mayiladuthurai. Six of the accused are currently absconding. The 23-year-old woman, who was kidnapped on Tuesday night by the gang which also included her estranged lover, was rescued hours later by the Mayiladuthurai police. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Mayiladuthurai Deputy Superintendent of Police (DCP), M. Vasantharaj said the police had obtained CCTV footage of the gang soon after the incident, after which the perpetrators were tracked down, leading to the victim's rescue. According to the police, Vigneswaran (31) who was staying with his grandmother in Mayiladuthurai fell in love with the woman and both were in a relationship. However, after family pressure, the woman distanced herself which was not taken well by Vigneswaran who continued to stalk her. DSP Vasantharaj told IANS that the Vigneswaran had earlier tried to abduct the woman on July 12 but the police intervened and saved her. On Tuesday, Vigneswaran along with 14 accomplices barged into the victim's residence after breaking open the front door and kidnapped her. However, the family immediately called the police who swung into action. Police officers told IANS that they first checked the CCTV visuals and found that there were 15 members in the gang and traced the mobile number of one of them. The police caught the accused along with the woman at Vikravandi toll plaza at Coimbatore border. Police arrested Vigneswaran and his accomplices and charged them under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 366 (kidnapping), 506 (criminal intimidation), 148 (rioting and armed with deadly weapons), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt with deadly weapons), 294 b(abuse), 454 (trespassing), among others, of the Indian Code and Arms Act. New Delhi, Aug 5 : Pakistani journalist Anas Mallick, who went missing in Kabul, is "safe", Islamabad's envoy to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmed Khan confirmed on Friday. Taking to Twitter, the Ambassador said: "Regarding reports about Pakistani journalist Anas Mallick, I have just talked to him on phone briefly. He is in Kabul and safe. Embassy will remain in touch with him." Mallick, who was in Afghanistan to cover the first anniversary of the country's takeover by the Taliban, reached Kabul on Wednesday. He went missing the next day after recording a story about the safe house in the Afghan capital where Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a US drone strike. Also taking to Twitter on Friday, the journalist wrote, "I am back", without giving out further details. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Foreign Office has also confirmed about Mallick being "safely back" in Kabul. The Office had previously expressed concerns on the reported disappearance, saying it was in touch with local authorities and the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul for his "early & safe return". Bejing, Aug 5 : In response to her controversial Taiwan visit, China has imposed unspecified sanctions on Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi "and her immediate family members", the Foreign Ministry in Beijing said on Friday. "In disregard of China's grave concerns and firm opposition, Pelosi insisted on visiting China's Taiwan region. This constitutes a gross interference in China's internal affairs," dpa news agency quoted the Ministry as saying in a statement. "It gravely undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously tramples on the one-China principle, and severely threatens peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. "In response to Pelosi's egregious provocation, China decides to adopt sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family members in accordance with relevant laws of the People's Republic of China," it added. Pelosi had visited the self-governing democratic island on Tuesday, prompting Beijing to launch air and sea military drills with live fire in the waters off Taiwan. Earlier in the day, the Foreign Ministry had summoned the Japanese ambassador in retaliation over Tokyo's criticism of China's manoeuvres around Taiwan within the framework of the G7 group. The Ministry said that a formal protest had been handed over to the envoy. On Thursday, the Ambassadors of the G7 countries and the EU's representatives were similarly summoned. The G7 had expressed its concern in a statement by its Foreign Ministers, stressing that there was no reason to use a visit by a top US politician to Taiwan as a pretext "for aggressive military activities". Pelosi became the highest-ranking American diplomat to visit Taiwan in a quarter of a century. Beijing sees the self-governing democratic island as part of its territory and rejects any official contact with Taiwan. New Delhi, Aug 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the seventh meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog on Sunday (August 7). The meeting will be at Rashtrapati Bhawan Cultural Centre here. The agenda of the meeting, interalia, includes crop diversification and achieving self-sufficiency in oilseeds and pulses and agri-communities; implementation of the National Education Policy-school education; implementation of the National Education Policy-higher education; and urban governance. In a statement, NITI Aayog said that as India commemorates 75 years of Independence, there is a reinforced need for the states to be agile, resilient and self-reliant and move towards 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' in a spirit of cooperative federalism. "In the drive towards building a steady, sustainable and inclusive India, the Seventh Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog will be held on August and will pave the way for synergies towards a new era of collaboration and cooperation between the Centre and States/ Union Territories," the NITI Aayog said. As part of preparations for the meeting, the National Conference of Chief Secretaries held in Dharamsala in June 2022 which was the culmination of the six month long rigorous exercise by the Centre and states. The conference was chaired by the Prime Minister and attended by the Chief Secretaries of all states and UTs, along with senior officials of the Central and state governments. "The 7th Governing Council Meeting will endeavour to finalise a roadmap and outcome oriented action plan on each of the above themes," it said. This would be the first in-person meeting of the Governing Council since July 2019. "It is particularly important as we enter Amrit Kaal against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic and in light of India hosting the G20 Presidency and summit next year. The meeting would also lay emphasis on the importance of the Presidency for India for the federal system and the role that states can play in highlighting their progress at the G-20 Platform," the statement said. NITI Aayog's Governing Council is the premier body tasked with evolving a shared vision of national priorities and strategies with the active involvement of states and union territories. The Governing Council presents a platform to discuss inter-sectoral, inter-departmental and federal issues. The NITI Aayog' Governing Council comprises the Prime Minister of India, Chief Ministers of all the states and union territories with legislature, Lieutenant Governors of other UTs; ex-Officio Members, Vice Chairman NITI Aayog, full-time members NITI Aayog; and Union Ministers as Special Invitees. It provides one of the most important forums for deliberations between the Centre and states and identify key strategies for cohesive action with a whole-of-government approach. Mumbai, Aug 5 : The broadway musical adaptation of the iconic film 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', titled 'Come Fall In Love,' aims for cultural unification in a growingly divisive and toxic world as it celebrates inclusivity and diversity in the show's lead actress Shoba Narayan's opinion. Shoba, who played the role of teenage Alex Parrish (a role essayed by Priyanka Chopra as an adult) in the American thriller-drama series 'Quantico,' will be seen essaying the role of Simran (played by Kajol in the film) in the musical. Detailing out the idea behind the broadway musical, the actress said, "'Come Fall in Love' tells a beautiful story of uniting people from different walks of life. Given the toxic narrative of division that has been running in our world today, Come Fall in Love is a heartfelt and relevant show that explores the importance of inclusivity and learning about a world beyond our own." She further mentions how just one look around the rehearsal room fills her heart with joy, "As I look around our rehearsal room, I see members of every department, from East to West, pouring their full selves into this piece, and striving to authentically represent the world we are portraying." She is absolutely "thrilled" about bringing this classic love story to Broadway and to be playing the lead role. The show will mark the debut of an Indian director on the medium of Broadway. Aditya Chopra, who directed the 1995 Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol starrer classic, has taken over the reins for the broadway adaptation as well. It is also the first Bollywood musical set to be on Broadway. "The fact that we have an Indian musical headed to Broadway feels incredibly personal and monumental to me as an Indian American actor who grew up loving Bollywood films and musical theatre. It was only a matter of time before Broadway and Bollywood found each other and I am over the moon to be leading this exceptional production", Shobha added. Composer duo Vishal and Sheykhar too will be debuting as composers on the medium. Shruti Merchant will do her first Broadway musical as Associate Choreographer. The musical will feature 18 original English songs and the makers reveal that they also have a beautiful song 'Love In Every Colour' that celebrates the theme of inclusivity through the show. Vishal and Sheykhar said in a statement, "We are extremely proud that one of the most-loved Indian films, 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', is being adapted into the musical 'Come Fall In Love' at The Old Globe San Diego, with all our sights firmly set on Broadway. This is the first time an Indian film is being adapted for Broadway by the original filmmaker himself." "This is therefore, also the first time India, our culture, our music, our dance and our wonderful open-heartedness is being represented to the world in this form, for and by creators and artists from India, along with celebrated veterans of Broadway Musical Theatre", they added. Austin Colby, who plays an American boy Roger, who falls in love with Simran, in the musical adaptation, said, "After watching DDLJ, I was filled with joy, peering through a window into the rich world of Indian culture. It is overwhelming to fully process DDLJ's impact on both Indian and global audiences, touching hearts and changing lives." Aditya Chopra directs a cast of 30, which includes Shoba Narayan as Simran, Austin Colby as Rog Mandel, Irvine Iqbal as Baldev, Rupal Pujara as Lajjo, Vishal Vaidya as Ajit and Siddharth Menon as Kuljt. For The Old Globe run, the musical begins performances September 1 through October 16, with the official Opening on Wednesday, September 14. New Delhi, Aug 5 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested the chief mechanical engineer of Paradip Port Trust in Odisha and three other persons including the middleman in a bribery case. The accused were identified as Saroj Kumar Das, chief mechanical engineer, Sumanta Raut alias Bana, Sankh Subhra Mitra, manager, port operations of KCT Group, Surya Narayan Sahoo, DGM, Orrisa Stevedores Limited. The CBI official said that a case was registered against Das and others over allegations of bribery. Das was allegedly demanding and accepting bribes through Bana for extending undue benefits to various private stakeholders engaged in port service and activities at Paradip Port. Bana was in close contact with Mitra and other persons. While unloading cargo, Orrisa Stevedores Limited damaged the conveyor belt at Paradip Port. The cost of replacement of the conveyor belt was very high. Das allegedly in connivance with Bana, Mitra and Sahoo got the belt repaired at the cost of the Port Trust, giving huge monetary benefit to the private company. Bana allegedly demanded Rs 60 lakh as a bribe, allegedly on behalf of Das. Bana collected Rs 25 lakh from Cuttack and kept Rs 10 lakh separately for themselves. Bana handed over Rs 10 lakh to a real estate developer in Bhubaneswar, through whom Das had allegedly booked a property. The CBI intercepted Bana in Paradip and recovered Rs 5 lakh of the alleged bribe money from him. Later, Rs 18.30 lakh also as part of the alleged bribe was recovered. During further searches, Rs 20.25 lakh, jewellery, documents related to investment and other incriminating papers were recovered from the residence of Das. Searches were also conducted at 15 locations including in Paradip, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur and Bhubaneswar at the premises of the accused. Rs. 41 lakh was recovered from the premises of Sahoo. The arrested persons will be produced in court later on Friday. Kiev, Aug 5 : Three cargo ships carrying grain left Ukraine's Black Sea ports of Odesa and the adjacent port of Chornomorsk on Friday, Infrastructure Minister Alexander Kubrakov announced. "The first convoy carrying Ukrainian grain has sailed from the ports of Greater Odessa," Kubrakov said. The vessels are reported to be carrying 57,000 tonnes of maize, reports dpa news agency. The ships are reported to be the Turkish freighter Polarnet, the Navi Star, which sails under the flag of Panama, and the Rojen, which is under a Maltese flag. According to the Ukrainian authorities, the ships will first sail to Istanbul for inspection and then on to Britain and Ireland. The unladen Fulmar S, sailing under a Barbadian flag, is reported by the Turkish Defence Ministry to have left Istanbul, where it has undergone inspection, bound for Chornomorsk. The first grain freighter to leave a Ukrainian port after a months-long blockade, the Razoni, left Odesa on Monday also carrying maize. After inspection proceeding through a corridor agreed by the warring parties, it was inspected in the Bosporus off Istanbul, before proceeding to the Lebanese port of Tripoli. The shipments are seen as essential for stabilizing grain prices on global markets amid fears of famine in the Middle East and Africa. Kiev has for the present limited sailings to three per day for security reasons. Taipei, Aug 5 : Taiwan's Defence Ministry on Friday said that Chinese warships and aircraft conducted military drills in waters near the island, as tensions escalated in the region following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit earlier this week. In a statement, the Ministry said that China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) forces crossed the median line -- the halfway point between the island and mainland China -- in a move it called a "highly provocative act", reports CNN. The line has previously been an informal but largely respected border of control between Beijing and Taipei. Taiwan's military responded with radio warnings and put air patrol forces, naval ships and shore-based missile systems on alert, the Ministry added. On Friday, Taiwan's Premier Su Tseng-chang said the island represented "freedom and democracy", and that "the evil neighbour next door flexed its muscles on our doorstep and arbitrarily sabotaged (one of) the busiest waterways in the world with military exercises". The skies and waters around Taiwan have become a focal point as Beijing ramps up tensions not only with Taiwan, but with neighbouring Japan, which lodged a formal protest with China after five projectiles landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The missiles were among a number launched by Beijing Thursday, some of which flew over Taiwan, as Pelosi made her way to Tokyo where she met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday, CNN reported. China has previously fired missiles into waters surrounding Taiwan, a democratic island of 24 million that the Chinese Communist Party regards as its territory, despite having never controlled it, most notably during the Taiwan Strait Crisis in the 1990s. But missiles flying over the island marked a significant escalation, with US officials warning there may be more to come. Lucknow, Aug 5 : The Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress will launch special campaigns from August 9 to mark 75 years of India's Independence. SP national president Akhilesh Yadav will launch 'Tricolour on every home' campaign from August 9 to August 15 from a village in Kannauj. "He will distribute Khadi Tricolour to the families in the village in Tirwa tehsil of the district under the party's campaign 'Har Ghar Fehrey Rashtradwaj Tiranga (National flag to hoist on every house)," the party stated in a press release. "With the distribution of the Khadi Tricolour to people of the village, the national president of the SP will make an appeal to all the citizens in the state to hoist the flag on their homes on August 15. The Congress, on the other hand, will organise 'Azadi Ki Gaurav Yatras' covering a distance of 75 kilometres in every Lok Sabha constituency from August 9. A state level programme will be organised in the state capital on August 15. "The Congress will hold Gaurav Yatras in all the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state from August 9. They will cover a distance of 75 kilometres in each Lok Sabha constituency and will pass through all the 403 Assembly constituencies," said Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) spokesman Ashok Singh. Akhilesh Yadav, on the other hand, will also meet the families of freedom fighters in the area and will felicitate them. He will also impress upon the people that it was during the SP regime that villages got concrete roads and schools, water filters and several other facilities that have been ruined under the BJP government. The Congress Gaurav Yatras, meanwhile, are being organised to mark 75 years of India's Independence and in response to 'Har Ghar Tiranga' programme of the Union government. The Congress proposes to launch and end the Gaurav Yatras at a place of cultural and historical importance in the state. The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) has sent its observers and senior office- bearers to each district to make preparations for the Gaurav Yatras. There are indications that Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra may launch or join the yatra at its culminating point in Lucknow or in any other district of Uttar Pradesh. Ankara, Aug 5 : Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet on Friday in the seaside resort of Sochi. Turkey's planned military incursion to attack a Kurdish militia in northern Syria will top the agenda among other regional issues, dpa news agency reported citing Ankara's state broadcaster TRT as saying. Moscow had recently advised against such an offensive. Ankara considers the US-backed Syrian Kurdish militia the People's Defence Units (YPG) a terrorist group and suspects it is linked to domestic insurgents. A Turkish offensive in Syria's north has been on hold since 2019 following two ceasefire deals brokered by the US and Russia. The two leaders will also discuss the war in Ukraine and a grain corridor deal, TRT added. Turkey and the UN recently brokered the deal between Kiev and Moscow to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian ports. According to the Kremlin, on the agenda is also the potential sale of unmanned combat drones from NATO member Turkey to Russia. Shortly after the start of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, Erdogan said he would not rule out arms deals with Russia. Turkey maintains close ties with both Ukraine and Russia and sees itself as a mediator between the two neighbours. London/Kiev, Aug 5 : Action by Russian forces is likely jeopardising security and safety at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in south-eastern Ukraine, the UK's Ministry of Defence reported on Friday based on information from the British intelligence services. "Following five months of occupation, Russia's intentions regarding the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant remain unclear," dpa news agency quoted the Ministry as saying. "However, the actions they have undertaken at the facility have likely undermined the security and safety of the plant's normal operations." Russian forces had used artillery units based in areas near the power station to target Ukrainian territory on the west bank of the Dnipro river, the report said. It added that the Russians had used the area around the plant, in particular the adjacent city of Enerhodar, to rest their forces, "utilising the protected status of the nuclear power plant to reduce the risk to their equipment and personnel from overnight Ukrainian attacks". On March 4, the nuclear and thermal power stations were both captured by Russian forces. The plant continues to be operated by Ukrainian staff, under Russian control. On Wednesday, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi expressed grave concerns about the physical integrity of the plant, whether all necessary repairs and maintenance were being done, and the security of nuclear material. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Mumbai, Aug 5 : Actress Rashmika Mandanna is currently in Mumbai fulfilling her work commitments and is also shooting for her two upcoming Hindi projects 'Animal' opposite Ranbir Kapoor, while also dubbing for her debut Bollywood film 'Goodbye'. A source close to the actor reveals: "Rashmika has been currently working on a jam-packed schedule with the shoot of her upcoming films. Right now, she is in Mumbai, currently shooting for 'Animal' in the city." "They had recently shot some patches of the film in Delhi. Now, she will start dubbing for 'Goodbye' and juggle between the two films." On the work front, apart from 'Animal' and 'Goodbye', Rashmika has the sequel of 'Pushpa' 2 in her kitty along with 'Mission Majnu' opposite Sidharth Malhotra, and 'Varisu' with Vijay Thalapatty. New Delhi, Aug 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke on the phone with President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Modi congratulated Marcos Jr. on becoming the 17th President of the Southeast Asian country following his victory in the presidential election in May. The two leaders reviewed various areas of bilateral engagement, and expressed satisfaction at the rapid growth of cooperation between the two countries in recent years, the PMO said. The Prime Minister reiterated the important role that Philippines plays in India's Act East Policy and its Indo-Pacific Vision, and expressed the desire to further expand bilateral relations. Modi also assured the President of India's full support in his plans and projects for Philippines' development. Chennai, Aug 5 : A Special Court in Tamil Nadu's Sivaganga on Friday imposed life sentence on 27 convicts in the Kachanatham triple murder case. The triple murder took place on May 28, 2018, when an armed gang from a dominant community attacked some people indiscriminately in the Kachanatham village in Sivaganga district. The three persons from the Scheduled Caste community, who were murdered, were identified as K. Arumugam, A. Shanmuganathan, and V. Chandrashekhar. The three were hacked to death following a dispute relating to presenting temple honours at Kachanatham. The Special Court for the exclusive trial of cases under the SC/ST (PoA) Act in Sivaganga pronounced the sentence. The Special Court judge, Muthukumaran had convicted the 27 accused on August 1. A total of 33 men of a dominant community, including four juveniles were chargesheeted in the case and one died during the trial. The special court judge had heard the convicts and the family members of the victims on August 3 through video conferencing on the sentence to be given to the convicts. The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court while rejecting the bail plea of some of the accused in 2019 had stated that the brutal manner in which a group of men from the dominant community had murdered people from Scheduled Castes was a grim reminder of the ugly face of caste inequality in Sivaganga district and that it had a telling effect on the peace and tranquility in the village. The Kachanthanam incident occurred after two Dalit men on May 26, 2018 did not give respect to a 19-year-old youth from the upper caste community during the Karupannaswamy temple festival at Kachathanam village in Sivaganga. The youth, Suman along with his brother Arun and other members of the community attacked the Dalit settlements on May 28 and killed K. Arumugam and A. Shanmuganathan. Another Dalit person, Chandrashekhar passed away at a hospital two days later. Two Sub Inspectors of the local Palayanoor police station, Janakiraman and Selvam were placed under suspension after the SC community members alleged that they had colluded with the killers. Hyderabad, Aug 5 : Mild tension prevailed in Huzurabad town on Friday as activists of ruling TRS and BJP clashed after a TRS leader dared MLA Eatala Rajender for an open debate. BJP activists tried to rush towards open debate dais arranged in the town for the open debate challenge made by Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Padi Koushik Reddy belonging to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). The MLC had invited local MLA Rajender of the BJP for debate on the development of the Huzurabad constituency. He had challenged Rajender to reach Ambedkar Chowk in the town at 11 a.m. The TRS leader waited there for half-an-hour but the MLA did not turn up. Addressing his supporters, Koushik Reddy slammed Rajender for failing to accept his challenge for the debate. He said no development works were taken up in the constituency after Rajender won the by-election. "By not turning up for debate, Rajender has accepted that the constituency witnessed development only under TRS rule," he said. When Koushik Reddy concluded his speech, some of the BJP workers rushed to Ambedkar Chowk and burnt the effigy of Koushik Reddy. This led to a clash between workers of both the parties. They threw slippers and party flags at each other. Police intervened to defuse the situation by dispersing both the groups with the use of mild force. Some BJP workers were detained by the police. For a second consecutive day, the town witnessed clashes between workers of both the parties. They had clashed on Thursday following a dispute over erection of flexi banners. The challenges and counter challenges between the leaders of the TRS and the BJP in recent days have once again generated political heat in the constituency. Rajender had resigned from the TRS and as MLA from Huzurabad last year after he was dropped from the state Cabinet by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao following allegations that he encroached on land belonging to some farmers. Rajender later joined the BJP and won the by-elections held in November last year. He had defeated his nearest rival Gellu Srinivas Yadav of the TRS by a margin of over 23,000 votes. New Delhi, Aug 5 : India and China held a special round of military talks on Tuesday at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point in eastern Ladakh to discuss airspace violations and provocations by the Chinese side in that region over the past 45 days. The talks were held after the Indian Air Force countered Chinese attempts to provoke in the eastern Ladakh region by violating airspace and confidence-building measurement lines, according to which both sides have to fly fighter jets within 10 km of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Government sources told IANS: "During the military talks, the Indian side strongly objected to Chinese flight activities for over a month near the eastern Ladakh sector and asked them to refrain from such provocative activities." The talks also come at a time when China is having strained relations with several countries, including the US, over a high-profile US leader's visit to Taiwan and the firing of ballistic missiles in the Japanese Exclusive Economic Zone. The talks between the two sides included air force officials from both sides along with representatives of the army. The Indian Air Force was represented by Air Commodore Amit Sharma from the Operations Branch, while an officer of an equivalent rank from the Air Force of the People's Liberation Army came for the discussion. Sources said the Indian Army was represented by a Major General-rank officer under the Fire and Fury Corps led by Lt Gen A Sengupta. The Chinese have been complaining about the Indian Air Force upgrading its capability in Tibet to detect Chinese Air Force aircraft operating within the territory they control. The confrontation between the two air forces began on 25 June when a PLAAF J-11 fighter aircraft flew very close to a point of friction in eastern Ladakh at around 4 p.m. and was picked up by both men on the ground as well as by radars. Chinese activities in front of the Chumar sector continued for over a month and the Indian Air Force retaliated strongly by scouting its fighter jets, including Mirage 2000 and MiG-29, from its forward positions near the Ladakh region. Sources said that China did not expect such a strong response from the Indian Air Force which was ready to face any possible misadventure from the PLAAF. They said that during this time the Indian Air Force is also taking precautions to ensure that there is no escalation on the ground and at the same time their air movements are also monitored. India and China have held 16 rounds of Corps Commander-level talks to reduce the tension which began after China tried to change the status quo on the LAC in 2020. So far, representatives of the ITBP and the Ministry of External Affairs are involved in the talks led by the Commander of the Fire and Fury Corps from the Indian side. Both sides have been successful in resolving the three friction points in eastern Ladakh and are holding discussions to find solutions for the Hot Springs area as well. Kolkata, Aug 5 : The three Congress MLAs from Jharkhand, nabbed with a huge amount of cash from West Bengal last week, on Friday approached a division bench of the Calcutta High Court against an earlier order by a single-judge bench rejecting their plea for hand over of the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). On Thursday, the single-judge bench of Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya ruled out the plea of the three MLAs for CBI probe and maintained that the matter will continue to be probed by West Bengal Police's CID. On Friday, Siddharth Luthra, counsel for the petitioners, filed a plea at the division bench of Chief Justice, Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bhardwaj challenging the decision of Justice Bhattacharya. The division bench has admitted the petition and said that the date of hearing will be fixed soon. The petitioners also appealed for a hearing on Friday on a fast-track basis. However, the division bench ruled out that plea and said the decision on hearing on a fast-track basis will be decided once the formalities for filing the case are completed. On Friday, the three MLAs also filed a separate bail plea before the single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh. On June 20 evening, three Congress MLAs from Jharkhand, namely Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kacchap and Naman Bixal Kongari, were nabbed by the police from Howrah with cash to the tune of Rs 49 lakh in their vehicles. The CID took over the investigation and the three MLAs approached the high court. The three MLAs, however, have maintained till date that they got the cash for purchasing sarees from Kolkata for distribution in their respective constituencies on the occasion of the World Tribal Day on August 9. Meanwhile, the sleuths of CID- West Bengal have also arrested Kolkata-based share- broker, Mahendra Agarwal, who reportedly gave cash to the three MLAs. Kathmandu, Aug 5 : In the midst of rising tension between China and Taiwan after the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Nepal's Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka is visiting China from August 9-11, Nepal's Foreign Ministry announced on Friday. At the invitation of Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi, Dr Khadka is visiting China from August 9 to 11, the ministry said. The two Ministers will hold bilateral talks, leading their respective delegations on August 10 in Qingdao, China. Wang will host a banquet in honour of Khadka and the members of the delegation, the statement added. The visit is taking place days after the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Hou Yanqi, issued a statement in Kathmandu over Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, calling it a serious violation of the one-China principle and hailing Nepal's commitment to one-China policy. "We believe that Nepal will continue to abide by the one-China 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." "China highly appreciates Nepal's longstanding commitment to the one-China principle and resolute opposition to 'Taiwan Independence.' It is also the political foundation of China-Nepal relations. We believe that the government of Nepal and its people will continue to abide by the one-China 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 envoy added. After announcing the visit, Nepal's Foreign Ministry said that it is closely following the evolving situation in Taiwan Strait. "We are closely following the latest developments in Taiwan. We are committed to the one-China policy. Since Nepal is a peace-loving country, we stand for world peace," said Sewa Lamsal, Foreign Ministry spokesperson, on Friday at a regular press briefing. "Both Nepal and China support each other's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence." New Delhi, Aug 5 : The Central government has approved another one-year extension for Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, an official said on Friday. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved a one-year extension for Union cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba, according to a Department of Personnel and Training statement. Gauba's term was to be completed by the end of this month. After extension, he will continue to be the Cabinet secretary till August 30, 2023. Last year -- in 2021 also, Gauba was given one-year extension till August 2022 by the government. On August 30, 2019, Gauba had taken over as the Cabinet Secretary on August 30, 2019. Gauba is a Jharkhand-cadre IAS officer and has held important assignments like Union Home Secretary and Chief Secretary, Jharkhand. He has also represented India at the International Monetary Fund. Gauba's role was significant in implementing the Centre's decision to abrogate Article 370 and the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir. Gauba has also been credited as being the architect of labour reforms in Jharkhand and helping bring down violence in Left Wing Extremism affected areas in the mineral rich state. Mumbai, Aug 5 : Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray has come back as the Chief Editor of the party newspapers -- the multi-edition Marathi 'Saamana' and the Hindi language 'Dopahar Ka Saamana' -- here on Friday. Thackeray replaces his wife Rashmi who was named as the Editor around 32 months ago when he took over as Maharashtra Chief Minister. The development came five days after the Enforcement Directorate arrested Sena MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut in an alleged money-laundering case. Raut, who has been the Executive Editor of 'Saamana' continues in the same post, as per the latest printline of Friday's edition. The broadsheet 'Saamana' was founded in January 1988 when its Founder-Editor was the late Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray, while the tabloid 'Dopahar Ka Saamana' was launched in February 1993, through the Prabodhan Prakashan Pvt. Ltd. The two newspapers were launched as the Sena nursed a grouse of getting 'biased' and 'inadequate' coverage in the local, regional or the national media and sought to present its viewpoint on various issues, and Balasaheb Thackeray helmed both the publications till his passing away in 2012. Thackeray was named as the Group Editor but he stepped down in favour of his wife after he became the Chief Minister in November 2019, and resigned in June 2022. From inception, the 'Saamana Group' is noted for its fiery writings, oft taking controversial stand on several issues and remains in the limelight for its headlines and hard-hitting edits or special columns, and top political leaders of most political parties make it a point to scan through both the newspapers regularly. Mumbai, Aug 5 : Veteran actress Bhagyashree went down memory lane and remembered her 'Maine Pyar Kiya' days on the sets of reality show 'DID Super Moms'. The performance by contestant Anila and Shweta on the title track of 'Dangal' left everyone stunned. In fact, the act somehow even reminded Bhagyashree of her co-star Salman Khan and made her reminisce about her shoot days with the Bollywood Superstar. As Bhagyashree mentions, "I believe the concept that you depicted today is an issue that various women in our country go through every now and then. Women are generally told to take care of just their household chores after marriage and they are not encouraged to follow their dreams. But women like you prove that one can achieve anything one wants, with their hard work and determination. Anila, I must add that whenever I watch your performance, I always wonder how you do it? You must teach this to me!" She added: "I noticed one more thing in your performance today, that you flawlessly imitated Salman Khan in the act." Released in 1989, 'Maine Pyar Kiya' is a romantic musical film directed by Sooraj Barjatya. 'Maine Pyar Kiya' is considered one of the most iconic romantic films ever made and became a cult favourite from its songs, dialogues and chemistry of Salman and Bhagyashree. She added: "In fact, there was one jump that I found really interesting because that move was exactly like the scene from our film 'Maine Pyar Kiya', where Salman is exercising, and with him being upset with me during the sequence, he jumps right back up." "You did a similar move and that one movement reminded me of that scene from the film and made me nostalgic." 'DID Super Moms' airs on Zee TV. Mumbai, Aug 5 : 'Darlings' director Jasmeen K. Reen has praised Alia Bhatt and said that her relationship with the actress-producer evolved as they progressed. 'Darlings' stars Alia, Shefali Shah, Vijay Verma and Roshan Mathew. Jasmeet still remembers how it all began with just a narration. She said: "All of this began with a narration, I narrated the script, Alia liked it, read it too. Then after she agreed to play Badru, we started jamming. Before we knew it, we were jamming creatively, the bond was seamless, respectful, and most important - the relationship had trust." 'Darlings' is a dark-comedy which explores the lives of a mother-daughter duo trying to find their place in Mumbai seeking courage and love in exceptional circumstances while fighting against all odds. Seeing Alia play the role of Badrunissa Shaikh was a dream come true as Jasmeet couldn't imagine anyone else playing Badru. Jasmeeet said: "Alia is a director's actor. She is true to the film, and the character, nothing else matters. My working relationship with Alia evolved as we progressed." When asked if she preferred Alia as an actor or producer, Jasmeet said: "Both. Alia the actor always, I have to say, Alia has the quality of encouraging and empowering a director's vision. That, to me, makes a fabulous producer." -- Syndicated from IANS New Delhi, Aug 5 : Bathinda's Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Friday asked the Centre to give a financial package to Punjab to compensate its farmers for the huge losses suffered by them due to recent flooding following incessant rains as well as repeated crop failures. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Harsimrat also requested Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to sanction funds for upgrading the trauma centre in AIIMS Bathinda to 300 beds. She said the institute's emergency block could handle only 28 emergencies. "Since three national highways and two stage highways crisscross the city leading to a high incidence of accidents besides the presence of both the army and air force cantonments, the trauma centre in AIIMS Bathinda should be upgraded immediately." She also accused the state's AAP government was failing in its duty to implement the Ayushman Bharat Sehat Bima Yojna and how Rs 300 crore was due to private and government hospitals in the state. Claiming Punjabis had been denied health cover insurance with both the previous Congress government as well as the current AAP dispensation failing to take any action against the insurance company which had defaulted on its contract, she requested the Union Health Minister to take action against both government functionaries and the insurance company which had scammed the people of Punjab. Earlier while demanding a financial package for Punjab farmers, Harsimrat Kaur highlighted how they had suffered losses in rearing both the previous wheat crop and the present paddy crop, besides witnessing three successive failures of their cotton crop. She said while the wheat yield in Punjab had decreased due to sudden increase in temperature in March, the current paddy crop had been damaged due to flooding caused by incessant rains in the Malwa region. She alleged that the AAP government had failed to do anything for the suffering farmers with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann conducting an aerial tour rather than meeting farmers and providing relief to them. Farmers also suffered a loss because of the "callousness" of the AAP government with Mann urging farmers to sow 'moong' and promising to procure it at a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 7,225 but leaving them to the mercy of private players, she added. "While four lakh tonnes of moong arrived in the state mandis, only 10 per cent of this was procured by government agencies," she added. Chennai, Aug 5 : Tamil Nadu Crime branch police on Friday arrested a couple in Cuddalore for allegedly duping job seekers of Rs 40 lakh. The arrested Sudhakar and his wife Sagaya Winnarasi were produced before a local court, which remanded them to judicial custody. Police said that the complainant, J. Jayamadhava Sarathy was acquainted with the couple through a mutual friend from Vridachalam. According to the police, Winnarasi told Jayamadhava Sarathy that she was a sub-collector and was working in Ariyalur collectorate. She also said that she could get government jobs to people through her contacts. The couple, according to the crime branch police that is investigating the case, promised Jayamadhava Sarathy a job as assistant director in the Social Welfare Department and collected Rs 11 lakh from him. Police said that like Jayamadhava Sarathy, the couple duped many other people and collected a total of Rs 40 lakh, promising government jobs. When the people who were duped approached the couple, they threatened them with dire consequences and hence lodged a complaint with the police. The Cuddalore district Superintendent of Police, Shakthi Ganeshan directed the crime branch police to register a case after which the duo was arrested. Police said that further investigation is on. New Delhi, Aug 5 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said that it has arrested Chandrama Prasad Singh alias Tuntun Yadav in connection with a Prevention of Money Laundering case. The ED said that Tuntun Yadav and others have committed several heinous offences such as murder, attempt to murder, extortion and illegal use of arms and ammunition and have been charged under Sections 302, 307 & 385 of the IPC and Section 27 of the Arms Act. On scrutiny of FIRs and chargesheets and the sale deeds executed in favour of Tuntun Yadav and others, it was found that many immovable properties were illegally acquired by them by committing scheduled offences in an organised manner. The ED said that despite being given ample opportunities Tuntun Yadav failed to produce the required documents in support of his income before the investigating official, which was an attempt to frustrate proceedings under the PMLA. "He deliberately avoided several summons despite the fact that summons sent through speed post were duly served upon him. It clearly shows that he doesn't have any regard for the due process of law. Therefore, by invoking section 19 of PMLA, 2002, he has been placed under arrest," said the ED official. He was produced before a special PMLA court. The ED sought 14 days judicial custody of him. The court sent him to the ED's custody till August 17. Earlier, a provisional attachment order of Rs 4.04 cr was issued in this case on March 31. Further investigation in this case is on. New Delhi, Aug 5 : Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday clarified that Members of Parliament do not enjoy any immunity from arrest in criminal cases during the session. Naidu also said that the members cannot avoid summons issued by law enforcement agencies. Naidu made this remark in response to the Congress members saying that the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge has been insulted as he was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning on Thursday during the working hours of the House. Congress members are protesting against the alleged misuse of investigating agencies. Naidu said that members have a wrong notion that they have a privilege from action by agencies while Parliament is in session. "Members of Parliament enjoy certain privileges so they can perform their duties without any hindrances. However, in criminal cases, Members of Parliament are not on a different footing than a common citizen. Members of Parliament do not enjoy any immunity from being arrested in a criminal case during the session or otherwise," Naidu clarified. He advised the members not to cite House duty as reasons to avoid appearing before any investigating agency if one called upon to do so. Los Angeles, Aug 5 : As controversies continue to swirl around actor Ezra Miller over allegations of abuse compounded with other legal troubles, the makers of his upcoming film "The Flash" confirmed that the film will hit theatres as planned. The makers have set the release date as June 23, 2023, reports NBC News. Warner Brothers CEO David Zaslav, speaking to investors and reporters, rattled off a list of upcoming movies based on DC Comics characters, including "Black Adam", the sequel to "Shazam!" and "The Flash", starring Miller as the superhuman speedster Barry Allen. "We're very excited about them," Zaslav said of the projects. According to NBC News, Zaslav went on to suggest that all three movies might be tweaked before they arrive in multiplexes. "We've seen them," he said. "We think they're terrific and we think we can make them even better." NBC News also reported that in June, a Massachusetts mother was granted a temporary order of protection on behalf of her 12-year-old child against Miller, 29. The court order, seen by NBC News, stated that it was "issued without advance notice because the Court determined that there is a substantial likelihood of immediate danger of harassment". Miller, who identifies as gender nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, has been asked to appear in court in two states after parents accused them of grooming, abuse and intimidation involving a nonbinary child, 12, and a nonbinary adult, 18. The actor has also been arrested twice this year, both times in Hawaii, on charges of disorderly conduct and second-degree assault. New York, Aug 5 : While rapid at-home test kits became an instant success during the Covid-19 pandemic, a similar attempt for monkeypox seems unlikely, media reports said. The recent global monkeypox outbreak brings a sense of deja vu with the Covid pandemic, which included painful swabs, the struggle to find a test, and a long wait for results. But the diseases are different, the Verge reported. Unlike Covid, monkeypox isn't a respiratory disease; and the test for Covid targeted the nose and mouth. Monkeypox, on the other hand, is manifested as painful, blister-like sores, and other symptoms like fever and muscle aches. Currently, the disease is detected by swabbing the sores that appear over the course of an infection. Monkeypox is "a different enough" infection, Ben Pinsky, the medical co-director for point of care testing at Stanford Health Care in the US, was quoted as saying. There is still a lot of work to do to figure out if people are able to successfully swab their own lesions, which could be painful or difficult, he added. Further, the reliance on lesions means that patients can only be tested once the telltale signs of the disease appear. People who remain asymptomatic -- particularly with no lesions -- wouldn't be able to take a test. People can test for Covid-19, on the other hand, without waiting for any specific symptoms to appear. "I'm a strong advocate for home testing of diseases, but you have to have the right sample at the right time, and we aren't there yet," Paul Yager, Professor in the department of bioengineering at the University of Washington, was quoted as saying. But, the potential for rapid at-home test kits cannot be overlooked, the report said. A small study, published in the Eurosurveillance in June, detected monkeypox virus DNA in saliva, and semen, among 12 patients in Spain. A California-based company, Flow Health, has also developed a saliva-based molecular test for monkeypox, which asks people to spit in a tube and then send the sample for PCR testing. The test is not authorised or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, which asks monkeypox tests to be run on lesions The company is sharing its saliva test data with the FDA as the agency checks to see if it should update its guidance, Flow Health CEO Alex Meshkin told The Verge. There's, however, still a lot to do in order to figure out how and when the monkeypox virus shows up in different parts of the body over the course of the disease, which will influence how effective and accurate tests that don't use lesions might be. If the monkeypox virus shows up in saliva before lesions develop, for example, then a saliva-based test could help flag the disease early on. But if it doesn't, that type of test might not be as useful, the report said. Kolkata, Aug 5 : A special Public Money Laundering Act court (PMLA) on Friday sent former state minister Partha Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee to 14 days judicial custody in connection with the multi-crore West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam. Both will have to be presented at the same court on August 18. Chatterjee's counsel sought to counter the argument of Enforcement Directorate (ED) counsel that bail should not be granted to Chatterjee because of his "influential connections" as a former minister and heavyweight leader of the ruling party, arguing Chatterjee had already been stripped of his ministerial and party portfolios and hence the argument of "influential connections" does not really hold ground. "My client is even ready to resign as an MLA. He will not abscond under any circumstance. No wealth recovery had been done from his residence and hence, he should be granted bail considering his age as well the different medical complications that he had been suffering," counsel argued. He also claimed that the different documents about properties or insurance policies jointly held by Chatterjee and Mukherjee were forged. However, ED's counsel argued that throughout his tenure in the central agency custody, Chatterjee had been in a total non-cooperation mood and hence, there is a requirement to question him further. It also sought the permission of the court so that the central agency sleuths can visit the correctional home where Chatterjee will be housed and interrogate him there. On the other hand, Mukherjee's counsel did not move any bail plea for his client. Rather, he appealed for a division one category status inmate in the jail where she will be housed since a threat to her life in the prisons is apprehended. Even the ED counsel said the central agency too has similar information. "My plea to the court is that the food and liquid that will be served to Arpita Mukherjee in the prisons should be examined first and then served," the ED counsel argued. After hearing all the parties concerned, the special court rejected Chatterjee's bail application and ordered 14 days judicial custody for the duo. Trinamool Congress's state General Secretary and party spokesman, Kunal Ghosh said that Chatterjee should not be granted any special status in the prisons and should be treated at par with other inmates. "Not jail hospital but an ordinary prison cell should be allotted to him. If I come to know that Partha Chatterjee is enjoying special status or facilities in the prisons, I will protest again," Ghosh said. New Delhi, Aug 5 : The Supreme Court on Friday reiterated that prisoners, especially from the weaker economic social milieu, who have been languishing in jail for 10 years, should be released on bail, and since the country is celebrating 75 years of Independence, some action in this direction should be taken by both the Central and state governments. A bench of Justices S.K. Kaul and M.M. Sundresh said prisoners who are languishing in jail for 10 years should be released on bail and prisoners who have been in jail for 14 years, should be considered for remission. It suggested developing a uniform remission policy, if possible, for all state governments and in cases where state governments have an objection to grant bail to some accused, who have spent 10 years or more in prison, those matters could be examined separately. Justice Kaul said: "We are celebrating 75 years of Independence, why can't some action be taken by state governments... it is an appropriate time to look into the issue where an accused has been languishing in jail for a long period of time, from the weaker economic social milieu... Accused who have been charged with a single crime." He added that the Central government could initiate a discussion with the state governments in cases where period in custody has exceeded a certain part of the maximum sentence, for example one-third of the sentence. Justice Kaul also emphasised that good behaviour of the prisoner should also be considered as a condition for their release, which would unburden the trial courts in many cases. The bench pointed at plea bargain, which is much prevalent in the US, but added that sometimes it may not work, as the social stigma of conviction may force the accused to not accept the guilt. "Trial courts may use it usefully," it noted. Justice Kaul pointed out that if every case has to be tried till the end, and if every case has to go to appeal and be heard by the apex court, then it may take several hundred years to tackle pendency. "Out of box thinking is required," he said. The bench added that in cases, conviction has not taken place and trial is pending for a long time, as a one-time measure, the trial could be closed, and those accused which are in good behaviour category can be considered for release. It observed that in cases where the accused have served one-third of the sentence, bail can be granted on good behaviour. "The idea is to send a message - where one case is pending against an accused, he can give a bond of good behaviour then proceedings can be dropped," said the bench. Justice Sundresh said: "Some appeals are allowed... who will give them back those years, for which they have been incarcerated." The bench told Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj, representing the Central government, that in collaboration with the state governments, Centre can come up with a policy. "Please come up with something... a little out of box thinking." As Nataraj sought four weeks' time in the matter, Justice Kaul said: "Do something by Independence Day... it will send a message.. do some beginninga." After a detailed hearing in the matter, the top court scheduled the matter for further hearing on September 14. Advocate Arjun Garg, representing the Madhya Pradesh High Court, said: "Taking note of the data provided by various high courts with regard to pendency of criminal appeals, especially such cases which are pending for more than 10 years, the court observed that the country is celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and some relief can be granted to persons in jail for over 10 and 14 years. The court called upon the ASG to find out if some solution can be worked out by Independence Day in this regard." The top court was hearing connected cases arising from Uttar Pradesh, where persons are in jail for long periods, and also a suo moto case regarding policy strategy for grant of bail is on. Chennai, Aug 5 : It is really an immense leap in a decade for the Deepak Nitrite scrip that was changing hands for about Rs 17 to Rs 2,024 on Friday. The scrip even touched a 52 week high of Rs 3,020 and a 52 week low of Rs 1,682. The company's market cap was Rs 27,608 crore on Friday. The Rs 2,511 crore revenue company manufactures chemical intermediates that are used in dyes, pigments, paper, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, detergents, personal care, fuel additives and others. Some of the user industries are recession proof. But the share price vaulting up is a decade story, the question is whether the scrip will give such phenomenal return over the next 10 years is the million dollar question. According to the company, it is assessing the market conditions for coming with a QIP issue for meeting capex. New Delhi, Aug 5 : China has ramped up restrictions ahead of the birthday of a pre-eminent Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, calling on local leaders in two Tibetan regions to prevent people from posting his photo or well wishes online, media reports said. Authorities have threatened to arrest Tibetans in the Ngaba and Dzoge regions who defy the order by posting messages on August 8, the 80th birthday of the 11th Kyabje Kirti Rinpoche (honorific) Lobsang Tenzin Jigme Yeshe Gyamtso Rinpoche, RFA reported. Rinpoche is the chief abbot in exile of the Kirti Monastery, one of the most important and influential monasteries in Tibet, the report said. "The government has warned of such activity by Tibetans, and individuals will be arrested and severely punished if found defying it," said a Tibetan source inside Tibet who declined to be identified so as to speak freely. Chinese authorities restricted monks from the Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery in Dzoge county and the Kirti Monastery in Ngaba county, both in Sichuan province's Ngaba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, from celebrating Rinpoche's birthday in 2021. The areas are heavily populated with ethnic Tibetans. Monks were not allowed to leave their monasteries, and gatherings were not permitted during that time, RFA reported. "Last year Tibetans inside Tibet anticipated restrictions and scrutiny from the Chinese government on celebrating the 80th birthday of the Kriti Rinpoche, so they held back," said a Tibetan who lives in exile. "But this year, Tibetans living in exile and inside Tibet are looking forward to celebrating Rinpoche's birthday and offering tenshug," the source said, referring to a long-life prayer offering made to spiritual teachers. "But we are seeing restrictions and scrutiny in Ngaba and Dzoge." The Kirti Monastery has been the site of the majority of self-immolations by monks who oppose China's repressive policies in Tibet, RFA reported. New Delhi, Aug 5 : The Centre on Friday proposed significant amendments in the Competition Act, 2002, aiming to give the Competition Commission of India (CCI) powers to scrutinise all global mergers and acquisition deals exceeding $252 million with "substantial business operations in India". The Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022 has come in light of several Big Tech companies like Meta, Microsoft and Google now having huge presence in the country, which has recently seen a huge sum of investment coming from tech giants like Facebook and Google and global VC firms. "There has been a significant growth of Indian markets and a paradigm shift in the way businesses operate in the last decade. In view of the economic development, emergence of various business models and the experience gained out of the functioning of the Commission, the Government of India constituted Competition Law Review Committee, to examine and suggest the modifications in the said Act," according to The Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022 that was presented in the Lok Sabha. Subject to the provisions of this Act, "it shall be the duty of the CCI to eliminate practices having adverse effect on competition, promote and sustain competition, protect the interests of consumers and ensure freedom of trade carried on by other participants, in markets in India", it read. The Competition Act, 2002 was enacted to provide for establishment of a Commission to prevent practices having adverse effect on competition, to promote and sustain competition in markets, to protect the interests of consumers and to ensure freedom of trade carried on by other participants, in India. Presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022 seeks broadening the scope of anti-competitive agreements and inclusion of a party facilitating an anti-competitive horizontal agreement under such agreements. It also seeks introduction of Settlement and Commitment framework to reduce litigations and issuance of guidelines including on penalties to be imposed by the Commission. As government regulators the world over, especially in European countries, penalise Big Tech for millions of dollars over anti-competitive behaviour, India is finally taking some steps in this direction. Lately, the CCI has taken charge to tame giants like Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook and others from harming competition and safeguarding the interests of local businesses. Under Ashok Kumar Gupta, a 1981 batch IAS officer from the Tamil Nadu cadre with 40 years in public service, the antitrust watchdog has been hailed for leading probes against e-commerce giants, social media firms and device manufacturers. According to Gupta, the Chairman of CCI, Big Tech firms are "centres for entrenched and unchecked dominance". The CCI is currently investigating both Apple App Store and Google Play Store policies, particularly their payment methods that harm local app developers. The CCI also launched a probe into Meta-owned WhatsApp's new privacy policy that came into effect early last year. Dimapur : , Aug 5 (IANS) Thousands of Nagas under the banner of Nagaland People's Action Committee (NPAC) hit the streets of Nagaland on Friday demanding a speedy settlement to the decades old Naga political issue. After the massive rally in which thousands of men and women participated holding banners in Nagaland's commercial hub Dimapur, the NPAC sent a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding early solutions to the "Naga political issue without further delay". The memorandum, sent though Nagaland Governor Jagdish Mukhi, said that Naga people are in the 25th year of the political negotiations between the government of India and the Naga negotiators, which began in 1997, and the unending political process has adversely affected the lives of each individual and family in the state. "It has taken a huge toll on the entire system of governance. The unresolved political issue has heralded in an unimaginable cycle of corruption at all levels, crippling public healthcare, education and overall infrastructure developments, which are in shambles for obvious reasons to say the least. "The unresolved Naga issue has produced countless scoundrels and thieves and in the name of political issues, threats and intimidations have stifled the growth of a perceived Naga society, which you (PM) assured would be a vibrant one," the memorandum read. The NPAC told the Prime Minister that as the economic wellbeing of everyday Naga families has completely collapsed in the absence of an equitable welfare formula and governance save on paper, the consequences are frightening to say the least. "The ultimate victims being the brilliantly educated, unemployed, school dropouts and all those whose futures are now ruined. Entrepreneurship and asset creation are critical components in a society like ours. Government projects are siphoned off brazenly through percentage cuts and shares. Private businesses are grossly extorted by armed groups," read the memorandum, signed by six senior NPAC leaders. Various Naga organisations and civil society groups either participated or supported the much publicised rally. The memorandum said that without a political settlement, the NPAC foresees thousands of futureless fresh, youthful, highly-qualified angry men and women taking up guns to challenge those stifling their growth and progress. "Your (PM) promise to the Nagas has not been fulfilled yet. Prime minister Sir, is it not a betrayal to our people, considering that negotiations with Naga groups have officially concluded," the NPAC asked. The Naga organisation said that the ceasefire and the political negotiations under its peaceful atmosphere are all but a means to an end. "We expect the government of India to appreciate the patience of the citizens of Nagaland shown in all these 25 years because people yearn for genuine peace in the region, which can be brought in by political solution alone," the memorandum read. The NPAC said that in 2018, when the civil societies and all political parties, including the BJP, unequivocally demanded for solution before elections, the BJP breached the trust of the people and filed nominations with the slogan "Election for Solution", against the will and wishes of the people which is still fresh in their memory. The next Assembly elections in Nagaland, expected to be held in February next year, is considered crucial in view of the ongoing Naga peace talks between the Central government and the Naga groups, especially the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah). All the political parties and the state government are keen to resolve the Naga issue before the Assembly polls. The NSCN-IM's repeated insistence on a separate Naga flag and constitution have become a big hurdle in the way of resolving the Naga issue. Hyderabad, Aug 5 : Three days after announcing his resignation from the Congress party, MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy said he would be joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on August 21. He said he would be formally joining the saffron party in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a meeting in Telangana. Rajagopal Reddy made the announcement in Delhi after meeting Shah. The MLA was accompanied by BJP's national executive member Vivek Venkatswamy. The MLA from Munugode said Amit Shah invited him to join the party and he accepted the invitation. He said he would meet Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy on August 8 and submit his resignation from the Assembly. He predicted that the by-election to Munugode constituency will bring a big change in Telangana. He said he was not going for the by-election for his own sake but wanted to bring a change in the state politics. He exuded confidence that the people of Munugode will give a mandate to change the course of state politics. Rajagopal Reddy hoped that his brother and Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy would also take an appropriate decision in future. Stating that a wrong man has been appointed as Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president, Rajagopal Reddy remarked that those who have self-respect will not stay in the party. He once again challenged TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy to prove the allegations made against him Rajagopal Reddy had Tuesday announced his decision to resign both from the party and the Assembly. He had said that only Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah can put an end to anarchic rule of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). He claimed that his decision was for the sake of Munugode and its people as the TRS leaders have been saying that the constituency will see development only in the event of a by-election. New Delhi, Aug 5: Nepali political parties are gearing up for crucial general and provincial elections slated for November 20. A day after the government decided to hold general elections in late autumn, a meeting of the ruling coalition is taking place on Friday. Top leaders of the ruling parties, the Nepali Congress, the CPN-Maoist Center, the CPN-Unified Socialist and Janata Samajbadi, are attending the meeting being held at Baluwatar, the official residence of the prime minister. The ruling party leaders are holding discussions on continuing with the Nepali Congress led electoral alliance. A meeting of the cabinet presided by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Thursday decided to goa ahead with the polls on November 20, according to the government spokesperson Gyanendra Bahadur Karki. "Federal and provincial elections will be held in one phase as recommended by the Election Commission," Karki told reporters after the cabinet meeting held at Singhadurbar, the central administrative secretariat in Kathmandu, the Nepali capital. With the declaration of the elections, the five-party coalition government headed by Sher Bahadur Deuba has now turned into a caretaker one and can't make any crucial decisions. The government's decision comes a day after the five ruling parties agreed to hold hold federal and provincial elections within November. The communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), the main opposition party, has also praised the government's decision to hold elections. "Today's cabinet decision is welcome news. We were asking the government for holding elections as early as possible. Because, periodic elections are a natural and routine exercise in a democracy," KP Sharma Oli, the chairman of the CPN-UML, told a group of correspondents affiliated with various foreign media outlets based in Kathmandu, on Thursday. Earlier on July 6, Nepal's Election Commission recommended the government to hold the federal and provincial elections in one phase on November 18. In 2017, Nepal had conducted federal and provincial elections on two different dates -- November 26 and December 7. However, this time the election authorities suggested the government hold elections in one phase for two reasons. "The first is it would be cost-effective and the second is it would be comfortable for the commission for logistic arrangements," Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal, Dinesh Chandra Thapaliya, told a media briefing on Thursday, hours after the government announced dates for elections. The chief election commissioner said that they are fully committed to conduct elections in a free and fair manner in the stipulated timeframe. A spokesperson at the Election Commission estimated that approximately 18600000 voters will take part in elections across the country. "We now have 107 days left for holding elections. We will make required preparations accordingly," Shaligram Sharma Poudel, the spokesperson for the commission, told India Narrative. The main opposition party leader claimed that the current coalition government does not have moral grounds to hold elections because of its bad performance and misrule since it came to power in July last year. On May 13 this year, Nepal held elections to pick a fresh set of people's representatives for 753 local levels in a single phase. From the upcoming federal elections, 165 members will be elected to the House of Representatives, the lower house of federal parliament, under the First Past the Post electoral system and 110 will be elected under the proportional representation system. Likewise, for seven provincial assemblies, 330 members will be elected under the direct system and 220 will be elected under the proportional system. As 107 days left for holding of the provincial and federal elections, political parties have started their election campaigns across the country. As per the constitution, Nepal holds local, provincial and federal elections every five years. This is the second time the Himalayan country holds federal and provincial elections after it adopted its first democratic republic constitution in September 2015. The country's national charter, also the first post-war full-fledged constitution, had federated the country into seven provinces and 753 local units. Although Nepal is a Hindu majority nation, the constitution declared it as a secular and democratic republic following years of political instability. Before entering into a republican set-up in 2007, Nepal witnessed the overthrow of 240-year Shah Monarchy and ten-year armed conflict that began in 1996. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative Kiev, Aug 5 : Ukraines military intelligence chief has revived a theory that Russian President Vladimir Putin is using body doubles -- and has pointed at his changing ears over the years as proof, media reports said. Putin's (69) health has been the topic of fierce discussion among commentators, Daily Mail reported. His close ally Nikolai Patrushev is said to have stood in for the president during his medical appointments, the report said. This week, Ukraine's Major General Kyrylo Budanov appeared on TV to claim to viewers that Putin's height and ears have changed in recent appearances, The Sun reported. He said: "The picture, let's say, of the ears, is different... And it's like a fingerprint, each person's ear picture is unique. It cannot be repeated." Budanov further alleged that Putin body doubles "have different habits, different mannerisms, different gaits, sometimes even different heights if you looked closely". Budanov had previously claimed a Vladimir Putin body 'double' may have been used for his arrival at a summit in Tehran last month. While the Russian leader looked awkward as he came down the steps of his presidential plane in Tehran, Ukrainian sources noted that he moved unusually quickly and was more alert than in prior public appearances, Daily Mail reported. The Russian premier looked animated when greeting the waiting party, before removing his jacket and clambering into a heavily armoured limousine. Budanov said he was suspicious of Putin's appearance in a live interview on Ukraine's 1+1 news channel. Ukrainian reports said Budanov suggested that a Putin lookalike could have flown to Tehran to meet with the presidents of Iran and Turkey. "I will only hint. Please look at the moment of Putin's exit from the plane. Is it Putin at all," he asked. The Russian leader's visit to Tehran where he met Iran's leadership, plus Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, attracted worldwide attention. It is only the second time Putin has been abroad since launching his brutal invasion of Ukraine five months ago. In one video, Erdogan kept Putin waiting, with the Russian ruler appearing ill at ease as he shuffled his feet and made strange facial movements. But earlier Ukraine did not suggest this was a Putin double. At the time, official Anton Gerashchenko posted on Telegram: 'Erdogan made Putin wait during the meeting in Tehran, Daily Mail reported. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Bengaluru, Aug 5 : Retaliating to the statement of Rajya Sabha Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mines and Coal, Pralhad Joshi on Friday said that Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi did not cooperate in the probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Kharge stated earlier that how can they participate in the parliamentary debates if the ED takes up investigation during the parliament session. Pralhad Joshi questioned whether Congress leaders extended their support when Sonia and Rahul Gandhi were called by the ED for investigation when there was no session? Joshi said that the intention of the Congress is there should not be any probe at all. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi approached the High Court, Supreme Court and Tribunal seeking a stay on the probe by the ED but they did not get a stay. When the Supreme Court had refused to stay the investigations, can the ED stop the probe against them, he asked. Joshi said Kharge is the CEO of Young Indian, which has a major role to play in illegal money transfers. In this backdrop, Kharge was summoned by the ED. Since Mallikarjun Kharge is in public life he must cooperate with the investigating agencies. Kharge, who questions how he can be given summons during the parliament session, should come forward and inform what is the cooperation he has given for the smooth functioning of parliament? Whenever ED summons are given to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Congress leaders have disrupted the parliament session, Pralhad Joshi stated. "We need not learn lessons from those who imposed Emergency on the nation. When the Congress was formed democratic values were overlooked," he said. Today all the courts have rejected the pleas of the Congress. The party is not showing faith and trust in the judiciary. Is this not an anti-democratic move? Joshi said on his social media. Hyderabad, Aug 5 : In another blow to the Congress in Telangana, party's national spokesman Dasoju Sravan on Friday announced his resignation from the party. He told reporters here that he is resigning from all party posts and primary membership of the party. Alleging that there is total disorder in the party under the leadership of state unit President A. Revanth Reddy, he said he was "not ready to live like a slave" in the organisation and hence decided to resign. He recalled that he joined the Congress in 2014 as out of gratitude to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for carving out Telangana and after being impressed by Rahul Gandhi's speech at Jaipur Chintan Shivir. Sravan said he strived hard to reach to the position of party's national spokesperson. He alleged that after Revanth Reddy became state President, the party started giving priority to leaders on the basis of caste and money power. He said Revanth Reddy had thrown all the principles of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to wind in Telangana. He also blamed AICC incharge Manickam Tagore and strategist Sunil for the current state of affairs in the party. Sravan said false reports were being submitted against those questioning the style of functioning of the state leadership. He alleged that the state unit has been turned into a "mafia" and was working against the party's basic principle of rising above the caste, religious and regional considerations. As word about Sravan's decision to resign spread, Congress leaders started efforts to persuade him to stay in the party. Senior leaders Kodanda Redy and Mahesh Kumar Goud rushed to his residence to meet him. They appealed to him to reconsider his decision. However, Sravan made it clear that he will not go back on his decision. His resignation came as another blow to the Congress. It came close on the heels of the resignation of MLA Komatireddy Rajagopala Reddy. He too attacked Revanth Reddy's leadership. Kolkata, Aug 5 : A special Public Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, which sent former minister Partha Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee to 14 days of judicial custody on Friday, permitted the Enforcement Directorate sleuths to question the two in the respective correctional homes in connection with the multi-crore West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam. The court said that ED's investigation officers will talk to the correctional home Superintendents and the latter will have to permit the central agency sleuths to interrogate Chatterjee and Mukherjee. While Chatterjee has been sent to the Presidency Central Correctional Home, Mukherjee has been sent to the Alipore Women's Correctional Home. While hearing in the matter, ED counsel, Feroze Edulji especially stressed on the permission for the central agency officials to integrate the two during the judicial custody day. The court also directed the Superintendent of Alipore Women's Correctional Home, where Mukherjee will be housed, to ensure her full security during her judicial custody. The prison official concerned also directed to update the court on the safety measures adopted on August 18 when the duo will again be presented at the same court. During the hearing, counsel for both ED and Mukherjee expressed apprehension of threats to her life in prison. While her counsel demanded a first division prisoner status for her, ED counsel appealed that that the food and liquid that will be served to her should be examined first and then served. Although the court did not specify about the first division prisoner status, it directed the Superintendent of the correctional home concerned to ensure her safety. Prime Minister of Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK), Tanveer Ilyas, has called an all party conference in Muzaffarabad on August 7, in an attempt to prepare the PoJK public opinion in favour of the proposed 15th constitutional amendment. I am truly indebted to Kashmiri scholar Shabbir Chaudhary for providing me with vital documents so that I could be able to write this article. The protests against the proposed 15th constitutional amendment, cancellation of taxes on fuel charges, load shedding and restoration of subsidies were initiated by the Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party (JKNAP) and its student wing called Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation (JKNSF) and were limited to the Poonch district in PoJK. However, today the protests have engulfed the whole of the occupied state. Several general strikes have taken place in the four districts of Poonch division resulting in the arrests of hundreds of political and human rights activists all over PoJK. The social and political unrest is so intense that Qamar Zaman Qahira, the Kashmir Affairs advisor to the Pakistani Prime Minister had to physically come to Muzaffarabad to address a press conference and try to pacify an agitated population. According to details revealed in the proposed draft of the 15th amendment, the terms 'State' will be replaced with 'Azad Jammu Kashmir' and the mention of United Nations is going to be replaced with the words 'subject to recognition' from the so-called 1974 interim constitution of PoJK. All financial powers will be transferred from the government of PoJK to Pakistan thus practically degrading PoJK to the level of a provincial entity. Kashmir Council will be revived which will include six members from the PoJK legislative assembly and seven from Pakistan. It will include the Prime Minister, Defense and Foreign ministers of Pakistan and, will be headed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan. The Chief Justice, High and Supreme Court judges as well as the Chief Election Commissioner of PoJK will be directly appointed by Pakistan's Prime Minister and appointments made by the PM would not be allowed to be challenged in the courts. The Kashmir Council will have the powers to collect taxes and present its own budget. Property worth Rs 80 billion in Pakistan which belongs to PoJK will be brought under the Kashmir Property Council and PoJK will have no powers over its sale or to preserve it. The PoJK legislative assembly seats will be increased to 56 to include two new members from Laddakh. Under Article 2 of the draft of the proposed amendment the status of the legislative assembly shall be defined as 'joint sitting' government which will include Pakistani Prime Minister and members of the Kashmir Council. Therefore, in future the current Legislative Assembly will not be free in electing the PoJK president. According to article 19/B, twenty-two powers that are currently executed by the PoJK government will transferred to the Kashmir Council which will have a majority of seven members from Pakistan over six members elected form the PoJK's proposed 'joint sitting' government. In short, the current status of PoJK will be demoted to that of a province of Pakistan and the role of the so-called 'Joint sitting' government will that of a mere tax collector for the treasury of Pakistan and act as a law enforcement agency. The ongoing political movement in PoJK is of vital importance. It is not only a manifestation of the resilience of the four million Indian citizens living under the occupation of Pakistan but also a demonstration of the will of the people to fight back. My people are being tortured in the most brutal medieval fashion. Abid, a young activist, was arrested and his body was cut with a shaving blade and then ground chilies were rubbed into his wounds. Similarly, another young man, by the name of Asif, was beaten and his legs were whipped with a stick in such a vicious manner that his skin peeled off from several places on his calf and thighs. Leaders of JKNAP and JKNSF, Liaquat Hayat and Samad Shakeel, along with many others have been imprisoned. Yet the end of political upheaval is nowhere in sight. In the coming days and weeks violent unrest cannot be ruled out. Today, the people of PoJK, who according to the instrument of accession signed on October 26, 1947, truly are Indian citizens and fighting the final battle to save the Indian territory which in its true sense is faced with an existential crisis. (Amjad Ayub Mirza is an author and a human rights activist from Mirpur in PoJK. He currently lives in exile in the UK) Bhopal, Aug 5 : The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday ordered that the state government be made a party in a petition seeking FIR against Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor over use of the word 'Bible'. The court's observation came during hearing a petition seeking FIR against the actress for using the word 'Bible' in the title of her book - "Kareena Kapoor Khan's Pregnancy Bible", which, according to the petitioner, allegedly hurt the religious sentiments of the Christian community. Advocate Christopher Anthony had moved the High Court in July this year, challenging the additional sessions court's February 26 order dismissing his plea. The other respondents in the petition are the book's co-author Aditi Shah Bhimjyani, Amazon Online Shopping and Juggernaut Books. Anthony told the court that he had filed a complaint at Omti police station in Jabalpur in September last year, against the actor. The holy book 'Bible' cannot be compared with the pregnancy of the actor, Anthony argued. Earlier, Anthony had moved a magistrate's court in Jabalpur after the police did not take any action on the complaint. However, the court had dismissed the petition observing that there was nothing objectionable or obscene in publishing the name 'Bible' with the word pregnancy. After that, Anthony had approached the sessions court, which also rejected his plea, following which he moved the High Court. "The petitioner has not impleaded the state as a party. Therefore, he is directed to implead the state as a party," the court said. Srinagar, Aug 5 : A soldier and a civilian were injured in an ongoing encounter between terrorists and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district on Friday, police said. "One army jawan and one civilian got injured in the encounter. Search in the area is still going on," police said. The firefight at Redwani area broke out after a joint team of security forces, which got an input about the presence of terrorists in that area, cordoned off the area but came under fire from the hiding terrorists. There have been a series of encounters between terrorists and security forces across Kashmir over the last few months, in which many terrorists and their commanders have been eliminated. Most of the operations have been jointly conducted by security forces on the basis of specific intelligence inputs. New Delhi, Aug 5 : AAP Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney said on Friday that the MinisAtry of Finance and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) have clarified thAat there will be no GST applicable on 'Sarais' (inns) owned by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) or other religious bodies. He also clarified that GST wouldn't be applicable on Sarais situated outside gurdwara premises owned by SGPC or other religious institutions, charitable trusts or societies. The AAP MP from Punjab, who had raised the issue during the Zero Hour in the Parliament, said these Sarais could be outside the boundary wall of gurdwaras. Sahney said that he had also spoken to SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami and informed him that Sarais managed by SGPC need not pay any GST. He further stated that although purchases for 'langar' are exemApted from GST, SGPC and other gurdwaras had to pay the GST first and then claim reimbursement. He also demanded that the government should release all the pending GST reimbursements to the SGPC which, amount to Rs 4 crore. On the other hand, Dhami informed that they had started collecting the GST but had not deposited it with the government. He also said Sarais are not commercial or profit-making institutions, but they are meant for providing service to the 'Sangat'. Dhami said SGPC had to spend on various facilities, including air conditioning, maintenance etc., so they take nominal charges from the visiting pilgrims. Still, GST would have been an additional burden on the devotees. Srinagar, Aug 5 : Addressing unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir remained a big concern for 70 years. In the absence of a private sector, the people used to do anything to get a prestigious government job as it was considered as a guarantee for a secure future. But to get a government job in the erstwhile J&K state was not that easy for a common man as it was a privilege reserved for influential people. The recruitment processes were not that transparent. The candidates who carried one or other recommendation were preferred over the meritorious aspirants. backdoor appointments till 2019 were a norm in the Himalayan region. In October 2018, the then J&K Governor, Satya Pal Malik, blew a lid over a big job scam in J&K Bank. He revealed that 528 selected candidates were replaced with political appointees during the regime led by Peoples Democratic Party. In an interview to a national news channel, Malik had stated that about 40 young applicants had approached him saying they had cleared all examinations and figured in the selection list of the J&K Bank but were replaced by relatives and workers of the politicians. "When I took up the matter with the JK Bank Chairman, he informed not only 40 but all the 582 candidates recruited by the bank were replaced with the political appointees recommended by leaders from different constituencies," Malik had said. He had stated that many people filed RTIs to get their papers and check the score but the Bank refused saying they don't come under the purview of Right to Information Act. The Khadi Village Industries Board (KVIB) recruitment scam during Mehbooba Mufti's tenure had left the former J&K chief minister embarrassed as her cousin Aroot Madni was appointed as Executive Officer in KVIB allegedly through a backdoor. The KVIB selection list was cancelled in 2019. Last month when reporters asked J&K Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, about the employment scenario in J&K, he stated that "there was a wrong perception that there were no jobs in the Union Territory". "Let me tell you that the J&K government has given the highest number of civilian jobs in its history last year. Jobs are there but they are not in the market for sale," he had said. Recently, J&K Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, cancelled the recruitment of Sub-Inspectors in J&K Police after some aspirants alleged that the process was not carried out in a fair manner. The complaint of the candidates was acted upon promptly and an enquiry committee was set up. The panel pointed out discrepancies in the selection process. Without wasting any time, LG Sinha, cancelled the list, and made it clear that no one will be selected through a backdoor. 29,806 provided Govt jobs During the ongoing Parliament session Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai informed the House that from August 2019 up to June 2022, 29,806 aspirants were recruited by the J&K Government and nearly 5.2 lakh jobs were created through self-employment schemes. Even today, the prestigious government jobs in J&K are the most preferred career choice. Whenever vacancies are announced thousands of aspirants fill up the application forms. But after the abrogation of Article 370, a big change has occurred in the Himalayan region, the jobs are provided on the basis of merit and not on recommendations. Anyone who meets the criteria and qualifies the written exam, interview achieves the feat of being employed by the government. Self-employment schemes The youth in J&K have realised that the government cannot employ everyone and they have to strive for their sustenance. During the past three years, the government has introduced numerous self-employment schemes to help the youngsters to set up their ventures. The "Mumkin" (livelihood generation) scheme has helped unemployed youth to procure small commercial vehicles, on a subsidised basis, to establish a sustainable livelihood line in the transport sector. As a special incentive under this scheme, the government contributed Rs 0.80 lakh or 10 per cent of the On-Road Price of Vehicle (whichever is minimum) per beneficiary and an equivalent amount is contributed by the vehicle manufacturers. Discretion to choose the type of vehicle is left to the youth under scheme guidelines. The "Spurring Entrepreneurship Initiative" scheme is based on the theme Youth Enterprise with Innovation (YouWiN)/ Champion for Innovation program for encouraging young entrepreneurs' especially young women towards innovations in various enterprises. The broad aim of the scheme is to provide financial assistance to the youth for establishing their business units. The "Tejaswani" (Radiant) scheme is aimed to promote entrepreneurship among young women. It envisages giving financial assistance up to Rs 5 lakh to young women for setting up gainful self-employment ventures, suited to their skills, training, aptitude and local conditions. The financial assistance is given to women between the age of 18 to 35 years having qualifications of 10th standard or above. Another programme "Sahyta" has been rolled out to provide a special financial assistance program for youth in distress. Financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh can be provided under the scheme to youth in distress for setting up gainful self-employment units. For purposes of this programme, the term youth in distress would mean any person between the age of 18 to 40 years who has lost any next of kin/family member in insurgency-related action, cross border shelling or mine blast incident in Jammu and Kashmir and shall include any such person who or his/her family member has suffered permanent incapacitation in such incidents. The "Young Innovators Programme" is aimed at exploring new ideas leading to the creation of a new product, process or service. It is not just the invention of a new idea that is important. It is actually "bringing it to market", putting into practice and exploiting it in a manner that leads to new products, services or systems that add value or improve quality. This programme aims to enhance young people's learning and development through a range of non-formal learning activities with a focus on pioneers' experimentation and innovation in education, entrepreneurship, art, research and cross-sectoral partnerships. Under sector specific scheme for dental professionals a customised financial support is being provided to dentists for setting up dental clinics. An amount of 8 lakh is provided as financial assistance under this scheme for setting up their venture. Another scheme "Rise Together" envisions promoting community-based entrepreneurship optimally to generate jobs, and income and promote the spirit of social service among new-age young entrepreneurs in the Himalayan region. Under the scheme, the eligible youth groups are provided with financial assistance to the extent of Rs 20 lakh comprising of upfront subsidy component minimum of Rs 2.5 lakh or 10 per cent of the project cost and a loan provided by the Bank, 70 per cent of the project cost to the extent of Rs 17.50 lakh. To fill in the gap between demand and supply of skilled workforce and to create a strong environment for professionals and technical skill development in Jammu and Kashmir the government has roped in prominent organisations like ICICI Foundation, Tata Technologies Ltd, Primal Foundation, Wipro etc., for working on upgrading skills of youth in the sectors having high employability potential like banking & financial services, digital marketing, media management etc. Azadi propaganda punctured After August 5, 2019-when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate J&K's special status and bifurcated the erstwhile princely state into two Union Territories- things changed rapidly for the youngsters. They were provided with the opportunities to shape up their careers and strive for a better life. Massive awareness campaign about the government schemes aimed at shaping up the careers of the youth led to many youngsters coming forward to grab the opportunities provided to them. Utilizing the energies of youth for positive things punctured the "Azadi" propaganda. The youngsters in 'Naya J&K' -- the foundation of which was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah three years ago -- rejected the ideas of separatism and sedition. They shun the labels of being stone-pelters and violence mongers, and boarded the wagon of peace, prosperity and development leaving Pakistan and the terrorists sponsored by it exasperated. New Delhi reached out to J&K youth without involving any power-brokers and in three years it has achieved phenomenal success in its mission to empower a common man in J&K. He is being provided with government jobs as well as the avenues to start his own venture. The void that existed for seven decades between a common Kashmiri and New Delhi has been filled in "Naya J&K". Guwahati, Aug 5 : Indian Army's Eastern Command chief Lt Gen R.P. Kalita re-emphasised on the need to be operationally prepared round the clock for any contingency developing along the northern borders as top brass and experts deliberated on the Chinese challenge. Lt Gen Kalita, several other Army senior officers, experts and panelists, at a two-day seminar on the theme of 'Demystifying the Dragon' on Thursday and Friday, deliberated on the implications of India-China border related aspects and way ahead for Indian Armed Forces. According to defence spokesman Lt. Col Mahendra Rawat, overall the seminar addressed critical issues at the operational and tactical level including security concerns, capability development measures and military modernisation in order to derive actionable strategies towards further augmenting India's security architecture along Northern borders. The seminar-cum-panel discussion was organised by the Gajraj Corps, under the aegis of Eastern Army Command, at Tezpur. The keynote address was delivered by 4 Corps GOC Lt Gen D.S. Rana, setting the ball rolling for the seminar, which included talks and discussions by eminent subject experts including senior level diplomats, academicians and military dignitaries in three different sessions focusing on Sino-Indian Geo-Strategic Complexities, India-China Boundary Dispute and Border Management, and Chinese Military Reforms as a Driver in Realization of China's global dream. The discussions were steered by eminent panelists like Ambassador Ashok Kantha, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh (retd), Lt Gen S.L. Narasimhan (retd) and Lt Gen Raj Shukla (retd). The panelists provided a kaleidoscopic view of the contours of India's engagement with China, ongoing military modernisation and rise in Chinese global aspirations, the defence spokesman said. The event was attended by over 200 officers of the Indian Armed Forces physically and many more on virtual platforms. Beijing, Aug 5 : China has launched a classified reusable vehicle on a secret mission to low-Earth orbit, media reports said. A Long March 2F rocket carrying a "test spacecraft" lifted off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert on Friday, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported. "The test spacecraft will be in orbit for a period of time before returning to the scheduled landing site in China, during which reusable and in-orbit service technology verification will be carried out as planned to provide technical support for the peaceful use of space," Xinhua news agency reported. The craft's test includes "technical verification of reusable and on-orbit services as planned to provide technical support for the peaceful use of space". According to a SpaceNews report, the mystery vehicle is thought to be a robotic space plane, perhaps one roughly the same size as the US Space Force's X-37B, based on the Long March 2F's considerable payload capacity. In September 2020, China had launched a reusable test spacecraft in a similar manner. It stayed aloft for two days and released a small payload in orbit before coming down for a landing in China, SpaceNews noted. A "white paper" released by China's State Council Information Office in January this year stated that the country would, "continue to strengthen research into key technologies for reusable space transport systems, and conduct test flights accordingly." New Delhi, Aug 5 : The Income Tax Department on Friday said that they carried out a search and seizure operation recently on an ex-fund manager and chief trader of equities of a prominent mutual fund house, along with related sharebrokers, middlemen, and entry operators. The search action, on July 28, covered more than 25 premises, spread across Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Bhuj, and Kolkata and incriminating evidence in the form of documents and digital data were seized, an IT Department official said. "It has been detected that the said fund manager and chief trader were sharing specific trade related information with brokers and persons located in certain foreign jurisdictions," the official said. These persons in turn, used such information for illicit gains in the share market by trading in such scrips either in their own account or account of their clients. These persons, including family members of the fund manager, have admitted in their statements that the unaccounted cash generated from the above operations was routed mainly through Kolkata-based shell entities into their bank accounts. From these bank accounts, funds have been further diverted into the bank accounts of entities incorporated in India and other low tax jurisdictions. The gleaning of seized evidences has exposed the nexus between the ex-fund manager, middlemen, share brokers, and entry operators. Evidences of large-scale unaccounted investment in cash loans, fixed deposits, immovable properties and their renovation, etc have also been found and seized. More than 20 lockers have been put under restraint. So far, unaccounted deposits exceeding Rs 55 crore have been seized. New Delhi, Aug 5 : Amid reports of a section of West Bengal BJP leaders not happy over the meeting between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, the party denied any difference among its state cadre. Sources said a section of state BJP leaders were not happy with the meeting, especially at a time when the Trinamool government is facing the heat over the teacher recruitment scam. However, a BJP leader said that the issue has been blown out of proportion, as only a couple of party workers had opposed the meeting between the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister. "In a federal structure, there is nothing wrong if a Chief Minister meets the Prime Minister. However, other than meeting the Prime Minister, she (Banerjee) should also implement the Centre's welfare schemes in West Bengal," the BJP leader said. Another leader pointed out that instead of talking about some people opposing the meet, one must see the way the BJP is mounting pressure on the West Bengal government over the recruitment scam. The saffron party also blamed its political rivals for creating the impression that West Bengal BJP leaders were opposed to the meet. Former Bengal BJP President Rahul Sinha told IANS that a false campaign was being run by the Communist leaders and others against the saffron party over Prime Minister Modi meeting Banerjee. "It is the work of the Communists who are the masters of fake propaganda and fake news. Left without work, they are trying to create the impression that there are differences within the Bengal BJP over the Prime Minister meeting Chief Minister Banerjee. "There is no difference over the meeting. Banerjee must regularly meet the Prime Minister and learn from the latter's dedication and commitment to serve the people. By opposing the Prime Minister all these years, she has stalled the development process in West Bengal," Sinha said. Hyderabad, Aug 5 : A mosque demolished by the municipal authorities at Shamshabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad four days ago will be reconstructed at the same site, a legislator of AIMIM said on Friday. Kausar Mohiuddin, a member of the Telangana Assembly, along with other local leaders of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and local residents, offered Friday prayers at the same site in Green Avenue Colony where Masjid-e-Khaja Mahmood was razed on Tuesday. After the prayers, he said the mosque would be rebuilt at the same place. He claimed that on the representation of AIMIM President and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, the state government has allowed reconstruction of the mosque. Police had made tight security arrangements in the area to prevent any untoward incident. Only 50 people were allowed to offer Friday prayers. The demolition of the mosque had triggered strong protest by local Muslims. AIMIM leaders had staged protests at the municipal office and at the office of Rangareddy district Collector. Taking a serious note of the demolition, Owaisi made a representation to the government. The Municipal Administration department had formed a three-member committee, which visited the municipal office and the place where the mosque was demolished. It was made clear after the panel's visit that the government will not create hurdles in reconstruction of the mosque. The management committee of the mosque along with AIMIM leaders had handed over all documents relating to the approval for construction of the mosque to the municipal officials. They also demanded strong action against the officials responsible for demolition. The mosque was constructed three years ago and local residents say daily five times Namaz including Friday prayers were being performed regularly. The municipal authorities demolished the mosque by deploying bulldozers in the presence of police in the early hours of Tuesday. The action was taken on a complaint by a local resident that the place of worship was constructed without approvals. The local Muslim residents, however, claimed that the mosque was built after obtaining all the approvals. New Delhi, Aug 5 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who's on a four-day visit to the national capital, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latters's residence here on Friday. Sources said that during the meeting, many important issues were discussed between the two leaders, including the outstanding GST payment to the state, for which the Prime Minister also assured to find a solution. During her visit, Banerjee may also call on President Droupadi Murmu besides attending a meeting of NITI Aayog on August 7. Earlier on Friday, Banerjee met all the Trinamool Congress MPs and discussed the proceedings of the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Parliament. Banerjee, who will be in Delhi till August 8, is also likely to meet some opposition leaders. Kolkata, Aug 5 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the cattle smuggling scam in West Bengal has summoned Trinamool Congress strongman and the party's Birbhum district chief Anubrata Mondal for questioning on August 8. Mondal has been asked to be present at CBI's Nizam Palace office in central Kolkata on Monday. However, it is not yet clear whether Mondal will go to the CBI office on the scheduled date. "There is still a lot of time left," was Mondal's brief reaction to the summon. The development follows recent raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at the Birbhum-based residences of three of Mondal's close associates -- Kerim Khan, Tudu Mondal and Mukti Sheikh. Kerim Khan is an accused in the case who's also under the radar of the CBI because of his alleged involvement in a post-poll violence case, in which Mondal has also been questioned by the agency sleuths. According to the CBI, Kerim Khan is believed to be the principal route planner for cattle smuggling via Birbhum to the bordering districts of Malda and Murshidabad, from where the cattle heads were smuggled into neighbouring Bangladesh. Patna, Aug 5 : The standard of education in Bihar seems to be going down day by day, and the result of the exams for post of head masters (Principal) published by Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) a sobering indictment of the reality. The BPSC had conducted an examination for the recruitment of head masters in government schools on May 31. There were 6,421 vacant posts across the state and over 13,000, a majority of which are currently teachers, had appeared for the examination. However, only 421 candidates have passed the examination. According to a BPSC official, 87 candidates had filled the OMR sheets wrongly, as a result, their candidatures were automatically cancelled. The official said that the examination was based on objective questions with 100 questions of 100 marks coming from social studies, 50 questions having 50 marks from B.Ed and the negative marking of 0.25 marks for every single wrong answer. Among 421 successful candidates, 99 passed under general quota, 103 under SC/ST and 140 were from Other Backward Classes (OBC). New Delhi, Aug 5 : With Delhi set to return to the old excise policy from September 1, the national capital will have 500 liquor stores from next month to serve the citizens. The number may be increased by 700 by the year-end. According to a source, four Delhi government corporations, namely the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), the Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd (DSCSC) and the Delhi Consumers Cooperative Wholesale Store (DCCWS) will have been given responsibility to open the stores across the city. However, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had also said during a press conference last week, the city will maintain the balance by opening around 500 centres. The AAP government is also planning to open premium outlets to sell high-end brands attached with these four corporations. "The DTTDC will open liquor stores in zones 1-9, DSIIDC in zones 10-18, DCCWS in 19-24 and DSCSC in 25-30 along with the airport zone", said the source. He also said that the Delhi Cantonment and New Delhi Municipal Council areas will be managed by the DSIIDC. These corporations have been asked to pay 15 per cent of their gross profit as rent. However, there may be some exception if shops are located in the malls, it said. However, the source said that those who ran shops during the old excise regime till September 2021 are demanding to allow them to open vends, but the government is not in mood to include private players in retail liquor business. Bengaluru, Aug 5 : The Special Inquiry Wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Karnataka police busted a racket by a syndicate of manufacturing fake stamp papers and arrested 11 persons in Bengaluru on Friday. The gang was operating under the nose of the revenue department office in Kandaya Bhavan in the heart of Bengaluru city. The accused were printing and selling duplicate government stamp papers. The Karnataka government had banned the open sale of stamp papers following the multi-crore Telgi fake stamp paper case in the 1990s. The CCB sleuths seized fake stamp papers of various denominations worth Rs 5.11 lakh which were being sold to brokers and middlemen who further transacted with real estate businessmen. With the help of the fake stamp papers the accused created back dated documentation. They sold each fake stamp paper for Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000. The seized 2,000 plus fake stamp papers would have fetched the accused Rs 1.33 crore, said the police. The police said that the CCB officials received information that a few typing stalls at Kandaya Bhavan were making government prohibited stamp papers and they even mentioned back dated dates and years of their choices to facilitate bogus documentation and sold them to people who sought them. The CCB's Special Inquiry officials carried out a raid and detained 11 men who were involved in the racket. 2,664 fake stamp papers of various denominations were seized from them. The CCB also seized a computer, printer, mobile phones, hard disks and rubber stamps of various government offices including that of the revenue department along with 119 fake seals of various other government departments. The team also seized fake GPA documentation of 1990, and other GPA documentation of 1995, 2002 and 2009. The accused also prepared old franking papers so that they become a part of pre-dated valid documentation that used to exist in the past, but was banned for many years after the Telgi scam surfaced. The CCB sleuths have seized 4 fake property documents, and they are probing who sold these stamp papers to whom and which fake documents have been created using the fake stamp papers. The 11 accused are being interrogated to unearth the full details. New Delhi, Aug 5 : The Supreme Court on Friday observed that opaqueness is antithetical to transparency and institutions ought to adopt procedures that further the democratic principles of transparency and accountability as it directed the SEBI to allow Reliance Industries Ltd access to certain documents in a case connected with acquisition of company shares between 1994-2000. The court also emphasised that initiating frivolous criminal actions against large corporations would give rise to adverse economic consequences for the country in the long run. A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Hima Kohli said: "The approach of SEBI, in failing to disclose the documents, also raises concerns of transparency and fair trial. Opaqueness only propagates prejudice and partiality. Opaqueness is antithetical to transparency". RIL had claimed the documents were required to exonerate it and its 107 promoters from criminal prosecution. Chief Justice Ramana, who authored the judgment on behalf of the bench, said it is of utmost importance that in a country grounded in the rule of law, institutions ought to adopt procedures that further the democratic principles of transparency and accountability. "Principles of fairness and transparency of adjudicatory proceedings are the cornerstone of the principles of open justice", he said. The bench said the market regulator should show fairness and furnish documents sought by RIL, and the Security and Exchange Board of India has a duty to act fairly, while conducting proceedings or initiating any action against the parties. "The constitutional mandate of SEBI is to act fairly, in accordance with the rules prescribed by law. The role of a regulator is to deal with complaints and parties in a fair manner, and not to circumvent the rule of law for getting successful convictions. There is a substantive duty on the regulators to show fairness, in the form of public co-operation and deference," said the top court, in its 43-page judgment. The bench emphasised that the duty to act fairly by SEBI is inextricably tied with the principles of natural justice, wherein a party cannot be condemned without having been given an adequate opportunity to defend itself. It also said initiation of criminal action in commercial transactions, should take place with a lot of circumspection and the courts ought to act as gatekeepers for the same. "Initiating frivolous criminal actions against large corporations, would give rise to adverse economic consequences for the country in the long run," the bench said. Chief Justice Ramana said the simple test in this case is whether SEBI has launched the prosecution on the basis of the investigation report alone. "The answer seems to be 'No' by SEBI's own admission in its reply where it states that the investigation report was inconclusive and hence further scrutiny of the transactions by experts was called for," he added. RIL had sought records from the SEBI as well as two legal opinions by former apex court judge B.N. Srikrishna and former ICAI president Y.H. Malegam's report, where they examined the irregularities on the SEBI's request. RIL believed these documents would negate allegations of wrongdoing in the acquisition of shares. Also, these documents will have a major bearing on the criminal case being filed by the SEBI. The SEBI had alleged that RIL, along with Reliance Petroleum, had circuitously funded the acquisition of its own shares in violation of the Sections 77 and 77A of the Companies Act, 1956. It had submitted that RIL cannot assert its right to seek documents contrary to the binding judgment by the Bombay High Court and the procedure provided in Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) which will arise only after taking cognisance and issuing process u/s 208 of the CrPC. RIL moved the top court against the Bombay High Court's March 28 order, declining to grant any relief to access material gathered by the regulator. In January 2019, the SEBI denied access to the documents and claimed the only object by the company was to frustrate the process of the law by pursuing frivolous litigation. In 2002, chartered accountant S. Gurumurthy had filed a complaint with the SEBI alleging fraud and irregularities by RIL, its associate companies and their directors/ promoters, over two preferential placements of non-convertible debentures in 1994. Jaipur, Aug 5 : With growing number of cattle heads succumbing to the lumpy skin disease in Rajasthan, the Jaipur Greater Municipal Corporation has opened the state's first lumpy care centre at the Hingonia Gaushala in the city. Mayor Soumya Gurjar said that to check the outbreak of lumpy skin disease in Rajasthan, the Hingonia Gaushala, which is run by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Jaipur, has opened the state's first lumpy care centre. The gaushala has around 13,500 cows, out of which 125 have been infected by the disease. A four-member committee has been constituted to monitor the infected cows on a daily basis. A help-line number in this regard has also been issued for livestock owners of the corporation area. If any shelterless cow is found infected or symptomatic, help can be obtained by reporting the matter at the helpdesk number. A separate ambulance should be arranged to bring the cows infected by the lumpi virus to the gaushala. The lumpy skin disease has created panic in Rajasthan. It is a contagious skin disease that has killed more than 5,000 cattle heads in the desert state so far, while over one lakh cattle heads have been infected by it. New Delhi, Aug 5 : Slamming interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi over the National Herald case, former Union minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy accused the Gandhi family of being involved in money laundering. Speaking exclusively with IANS, Swamy said that a jail term is certain for both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on charges of money laundering in connection with the National Herald case. Delving on a wide range of issues, Swamy talked about Ram Setu, and expressed concerns over the country's current economic condition, among others. Here are excerpts from the interview: Q: The National Herald case has created quite a stir in the nation's political circles. You were the one to raise the issue first. What's the matter all about and how did it violate the law? A: I raised the issue for the first time in 2012 at a press conference, and later went to the court in this connection in 2013. The Gandhi family had appealed against the case filed by me even in the Supreme Court, only to taste disappointment. The Patiala House Courts had observed that according to the case filed by me, irregularities indeed happened and a trial should be conducted. Since the matter pertained to financial offence, they were released on bail... and from there, everything began. Hearings were being held and many papers and documents also came out. I had sought some other documents as well as per the procedures, which was opposed by the Congress. However, I finally got hands on them after approaching the higher courts. Later, it came to my notice that there were some income tax-related frauds as well. A probe into the matter eventually found them guilty. Since the matter was challenged, it is now in the Supreme Court. Q: On what basis did you say that irregularities took place? A: Sonia and Rahul Gandhi had founded a firm named 'Young Indian Limited' for which the paid-up capital was only Rs 5 lakh. That firm had offered the Congress a loan of Rs 50 lakh so that on the basis of that loan amount, the responsibilities for Associated Journal Limited could be transferred to Young Indian Limited. That's how, by offering just Rs 50 lakh, they acquired the company that published the National Herald newspaper. However, the value of the company at that time, including the building and other assets, was around Rs 5,000 crore. Q: But even as you're claiming that they went on to take over a firm worth Rs 5,000 crore for a consideration of just Rs 50 lakh, the Congress, including Rahul Gandhi, has been coming up with allegations against the BJP-led government... A: Their allegations are totally incorrect. I had written to the government in 2014 after the BJP came to power that the case should be probed by the Enforcement Directorate. I had written to the government back then that Rs 1 crore was taken from a fake Kolkata-based firm -- Dotex, whi was involved in hawala transactions and money laundering, and from that amount, Rs 50 lakh was utilised to take over Associated Journal Limited. I had also written to the ED that Dotex was already under scanner for its suspicious activities. Later, I came to know that the Congress had issued cheques to Dotex from Switzerland-based banks, and Dotex had converted those currencies into INR and 'paid' the Congress... this is a clear instance of money laundering and it comes under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Q: So you mean to say that the Congress and its higher ups are linked to hawala traders? A: Of course... they received money from foreign banks about which I had apprised the government as well. Q: What do you think would be the outcome of the National Herald case? A: On the basis of all the facts available in this case, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others would certainly be jailed. If the BJP government stays in power, they will surely be imprisoned. But in case the Congress comes into power, nothing can be said... but even then, I would continue taking the matter to the courts. Q: Your plea on Supreme Court's call to declare Ram Setu a national heritage would be taken up for hearing soon. Why you had to knock the court's door on the matter and what do you expect from the court now? A: I had filed two petitions in the Madras High Court in 2007. Later I went to the Supreme Court. On the basis of my plea, the Supreme Court refused to give nod to the plans for breaking/splitting the Ram Setu for the Sethusamudram Project. I have been involved in the process to get Ram Setu declared a national heritage site since a long time. My efforts got a major boost after the BJP came to power. Eventually, I approached the Supreme Court with an appeal to declare Ram Setu a national heritage, and that the government be given the responsibility to preserve, maintain and conserve it. The court has already issued notice to the government on the issue, and I expect a positive outcome following the hearing scheduled to take place next week. Q: You have also been vocal on social media about the current economic condition of the nation... A: As far as the question of economy and the country's economic condition is concerned, I need to say that the government's economic policies are totally wrong. The Finance Minister is unable to manage things... and the officials are simply trying to defend themselves. However, the truth is that the economy is currently under a massive crisis, and it could implode any moment. I have been constantly writing to the Prime Minister regarding this serious issue. --IANS stp/pgh/ arm Bhubaneswar, Aug 5 : Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday urged his cabinet colleague Giriraj Singh to allow Odisha to migrate the data of eligible beneficiaries from rural housing portal to the Awaas portal. Pradhan met the Union Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj in Delhi and submitted him a letter in this regard. In the letter, he requested Giriraj to allow the Odisha government to migrate the data of eligible beneficiaries from rural housing portal to PWL of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) by opening the Awaas+ window to include eligible families The data transfer will open the door to a life of dignity for the poorest of the poor in dire need of housing in Odisha, he said. Pradhan also emphasised the need for rigorous monitoring of the entire process so that no eligible beneficiary is left out. In Odisha, around 27 lakh families have been included under PMAY-G. However, the Odisha government has failed in terms of completion of survey for identification of eligible families, geo-tagging of households, inclusion of eligible families, exclusion of ineligible beneficiaries and linking of Aadhar and job card details of eligible families. Still, he said, the state government is claiming that around 7 lakh families have been excluded from the scheme. The education minister has pointed out the outcomes of investigations done by the ministry of rural development in the implementation of PMAY-G in Odisha. "It is sad to note that of the allocated target of 8,17,513 houses from finalized Awaas+ lists in financial year 2021-22, Odisha government has deliberately and disproportionately concentrated on districts where the ruling party had a strong vote share," he claimed. However, the truth remains that the state faces the unique challenge of natural calamities and most rural households are located in remote locations in districts with a significant tribal population. These challenges often act as an impediment to ensure housing for all, he stated. There is a need for rigorous checking to eliminate chances of duplication of beneficiaries between the PMAY-G and state housing scheme, he added. Chennai, Aug 5 : With river Cauvery in spate for the second consecutive day on Friday, 1,277 people of 369 families continue to stay in relief camps in Tamil Nadu's Erode district. Officials from Revenue, Police, Fire and Rescue Services, and Health Departments are monitoring the flow of water and containment of any communicable diseases. As many as 10 areas in Bhavani taluka, three areas in Kodumudi taluka, Cauvery Karai street, Ragavendra Kovil street, and Variapalayam in the corporation limits were affected by the floods. Police said that a total of 519 men, 543 women, and 215 children continue to be in the relief camps constituted by the district administration where food is provided to all. Erode district administration officials told IANS that more houses are affected by water inundation in Bhavani taluka but people refuse to shift from the place citing the security of women and children in camps. Also, Tangedco has cut the power supply in the area following some power lines breaking up after trees fell on them. In Bhavani taluk, an electric transformer was inundated in water and Tangedco has to cut the live power. The discharge in the Stanley reservoir in Mettur which was 2.10 lakh cusecs on Thursday has come down to 1.80 lakh cusecs on Friday. However, people continue to remain in relief camps and district disaster management authority officials told IANS that people would continue to remain in the camps till the water discharge comes to less than 1 lakh cusecs. Tamil Nadu Housing Minister Muthuswamy visited the flood-affected areas in Kodumudi and visited all the relief centres. He also distributed food and other essentials to people. Talking to IANS, Bhavani tauka farmer Krishnamoorthy said: "With Cauvery in spate, we don't know when we can return to our homes. More than that, all my crops would be destroyed as the farm is inundated with water. We are at least happy that we are in a safe place now and food is being served here. However only after the water recedes, we will have to assess the losses and find solutions for the same." Guwahati, Aug 5 : A woman and her paramour have been arrested in Assam's Nagaon district for allegedly killing her husband after he discovered the illicit relation, officials said. Shockingly, the body was allegedly cut into several pieces, and dumped into the septic tank of the toilet which was recovered nearly three months later. The incident happened in the Kuthori area in Kaliabor in Nagaon the district. Nagaon Superintendent of Police Leena Doley told IANS that the deceased, identified as Umesh Bora, was a carpenter by profession. He used to stay in Bengaluru and work there. He usually visited his home after a two-three month gap. Meanwhile, his wife Rita Bora got into a relationship with a man, Mujibur Rahman. Around three months ago, when Umesh returned home from Bengaluru, he found his wife and Mujibur in a compromising position. According to police, heated words were exchanged between the wife and husband. It was suspected that Rita and her lover Mujibur strangulated Umesh and killed him there. Following that, they made a plan to shield themselves against arrest. Umesh's body was cut into several pieces and inserted into the septic tank. Rita then went on to inform others that Umesh was in Bengaluru and has not returned from there. But, as there was no trace of Bora for several days, the relatives suspected that something wrong might have happened to him. They filed a missing report at a police station. Things eventually started unfolding after police launched an investigation into the matter. Police had a suspicion and upon searching, they recovered a skeleton from the septic tank of the toilet. Doley said: "We have arrested Rita Bora and Mujibur Rahman on Thursday and further investigation is underway." Agartala, Aug 5 : Four top extremists of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT-Biswa Mohan faction), who had fled from their Bangladeshi camp, surrendered to the Tripura Police with arms and ammunition on Friday, officials said. Police officials said that the NLFT-BM's self-styled Colonel Umesh Koloi, 42, self-styled Lt. Colonel Victor Jamatia (47), self-styled Warrant Officer Fanijoy Reang, 39, and Uttam Kishore Jamatia, 42, entered Tripura through Ganganagar border in Dhalai district on July 21 with a view to kidnapping people and forcefully collecting money from the villagers. According to the officials, they moved in the forested areas of southern Tripura and sensing their movement, special operations were launched by the Tripura State Rifles and district police forcing them to surrender to the police on Friday. Two collaborators of the NLFT-BM -- Surjya Kishore Jamatia, 60, and Brajendra Reang, 60 -- also surrendered. Officials said that according to the preliminary interrogation, it is revealed that NLFT-BM group is facing financial and other hardships and their survival has become difficult due to continuous pressure of security forces on their hideouts inside Tripura. The militants deposited a AK-56 rifle with two magazines and 60 bullets, one M-20 pistol with one magazine and five bullets, one .38 pistol with one magazine and 15 rounds of bullets and extortion notice books. Guwahati, Aug 5 : Assam government has rewarded 99 of its non-gazetted employees for exemplary service to the people by extending their retirement age by one year. Accordingly, 10 state-level staff and 89 district-level employees were rewarded with the Lok Sewa award which carried a cash reward of Rs 25,000 each along with a year of service extension. The awardees will be superannuated at the age of 61. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the day is being celebrated as Lok Kalyan Diwas as a mark of respect to Gopinath Bordoloi, the first Chief Minister of Assam. "Assam is greatly indebted to Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi. It is because of his crucial act that Assam has been saved from being part of East Pakistan, which is now Bangladesh. "Bordoloi played an important role in defeating the proposals of the Cabinet Mission Plan. Had the plan been successful, the geography and history of Assam would have been different today," Sarma said. Bharuch : , Aug 5 (IANS) The police in Gujarat's Bharuch have arrested six robbers who had looted the Union Bank's Ankleshwar branch here on Thursday, and recovered Rs 17 lakh from their possession, along with four country-made pistols, two live cartridges and five cellphones. The police had rushed to Ankleshwar on Thursday afternoon after coming to know of the bank robbery. Preliminary information had said that four armed persons had barged into the bank and decamped with Rs 44,24,015 in cash. Later it was found that a total of six persons were involved in the robbery. Sources said when the police tried to chase them, the gang of robbers splitted into groups of two and took two different escape routes. After a brief exchange of fire, the police managed to injure one of the robbers and take him into custody. He has been identified as Rahul Kumar Singh, the mastermind. Bharuch SP Leena Patel said the police managed to recover a bag containing Rs 22 lakh, which the robbers threw at the police while escaping. On questioning Singh, the police learnt that all the gang members were from Bihar and had come to Ankleshwar to carry out a robbery, for which they had stolen two bikes earlier in the day. Acting on the information received from Singh, the police in a midnight operation on Thursday nabbed the remaining five accused from Lakshmannagar, a residential area, and recovered Rs 17 lakh from their possession. They have been identified as Rohit Singh, Ritesh Mandal, Mukesh Mandal, Manish Mandal and Deepak Singh. Srinagar, Aug 5 : A civilian who sustained injuries during an encounter between terrorists and security forces at Redwani area in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district on Friday has succumbed, officials said. Earlier, the police said that one army soldier and a civilian were injured in the encounter at Kulgam that started after a joint team of police and security forces got an input about the presence of terrorists in that area. When the security forces cordoned off the area, terrorists hiding there opened fire, drawing retaliation by the security personnel. "A civilian Manzoor Lone succumbed to his injuries. Injured Army Jawan Kiran Singh of 1RR is hospitalised at 92 base hospital, Srinagar. Search operation concluded," the police said. There have been a series of encounters between terrorists and security forces across Jammu and Kashmir over the last few months. Many terrorists and their commanders have been eliminated. Most of the operations have been jointly conducted by the police and the army on the basis of specific intelligence inputs. Hyderabad, Aug 5 : Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana said on Friday that global culture is emerging as a threat to local culture, symbols, and identities. In his address at the 82nd convocation of Osmania University here, he noted that driven by the winds of globalisation, people are moving towards global culture and as this engulfs the world, the need of sustaining diversity assumes greater significance. "The social media, television and pop culture glamourised a particular way of life and sadly, we are blindly aping the same. Instead of celebrating our distinct heritage and culture, we are allowing our rich identities to be blurred," he said. The CJI pointed out that with rapid globalisation and massive developments in science and technology, several cultures and identities are interacting with each other with increased frequency. He said while his observations should not be taken as criticism of globalisation per se, the prevalent issues definitely prove that something has gone wrong with the present model of globalisation. "Although we have made significant achievements, our societies are becoming increasingly divided over access to wealth and resources," he observed. Quoting the 2021 UNESCO World Report of Languages, the Chief Justice said half of the approximately 7,000 languages spoken in the world today could disappear by the end of the century and with loss of each language, people are not only losing considerable literature and folklore, but also losing wisdom inherited through generations. He also noted that globalisation also significantly impacted genetic diversity. "We are witnessing rapid loss of crop varieties, wild species and indigenous livestock," he said. As the market is driven by demands of the global economy, more and more farmers are moving beyond indigenous crops for short-term gains and this change in cropping pattern is altering the character of soils, thereby reducing its capacity to support biodiversity. Similarly, climate change and environmental pollution are also affecting the wild varieties resulting in a huge ecological imbalance, he said. He pointed out that another aspect of globalisation is its impact on local handicrafts and artisans. "With global brands flooding the markets, with mass produced designs and products, the local artisans are pushed to the corner," he said. He called for all institutions to introduce a subject on the basic ideas about the Constitution and governance, irrespective of the stream of learning. He observed that there is a need for simplifying the ideas of the Constitution for everyone's understanding and empowerment The CJI believes true education is what nurtures true impulses and independent thinking. He advised the youth to dive deep and bring transformation from within instead of being prisoners of status quo. Chief Justice Ramana, who was conferred Honoris Causa doctorate by Osmania University, recalled his memories with the varsity during his student days though he did not study in the institution. "Initially in my student days, I aspired to join law at Osmania University. Although I could not join law formally, I stayed here with friends in hostel rooms and attended many classes in law and linguistics. I have a lot of warm memories of Osmania University," he said. He said Osmania University is one of those institutions where political participation and scholarly pursuits went hand-in-hand and it has produced one of the most remarkable Prime Ministers and statesmen of modern India in the form of P.V. Narasimha Rao. He said the university contributed to fine governance by producing many Chief Ministers and cabinet ministers including incumbent Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and Osmania University Vice Chancellor Professor D. Ravinder also spoke. A total of 55 gold medals and 260 doctoral degrees were awarded at the convocation. Patna, Aug 5 : Around 50 students of a government middle school in Bihar's Bhagalpur fell ill after they consumed a midday meal on Friday, an official said. The incident occurred at Jagdishpur Saino middle school. The students claimed that a lizard fell into the vegetables during the cooking, and still the school administration served the vegetables along with other food to them. After eating, the students complained about stomach aches and vomiting. When information reached the parents, they immediately rushed to the school and took their children to the primary health centre in Jagdishpur. Jagdishpur BDO Raghunandan Anand said that the victims were admitted to the primary health centre. "We have initiated an inquiry into the matter and asked the authority to submit a report before the department. The food samples were collected and sent to the lab for the testing. Action will be taken after the test report, statements of students and investigation report of the department official against the school principal and cook," he said. New Delhi, Aug 5 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which conducted search operations in more than 31 locations including Jammu, Srinagar and Bengaluru in connection with the irregularities in exams for Sub Inspectors in Jammu and Kashmir Police, have recovered a few incriminating documents, officials said on Friday. Besides, devices, answer-sheets, application forms and OMR files considered to be crucial for further probe into the case have also been seized. The Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor's administration had cancelled the Sub Inspectors' recruitment examination that was to be conducted for 1,200 posts of Jammu and Kashmir Police. After this, the investigation was handed over to the CBI. Now, fresh recruitment exams for 1,200 posts of SI will be held. A CBI official said "the recovered evidence will nail the guilt of the accused". The exams were scheduled for March. The CBI after getting a complaint in this regard filed a case against 33 accused. The exam paper was allegedly leaked by the accused. "Karnail Singh of BSF who is a medical officer, Avinash Gupta - owner of tutorial classes, and Narayan Dutt, a the member of Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Borad, and a private firm - Meritrac Private Limited, Bengaluru which conducted exams have been made accused in the FIR," the CBI said. Shillong, Aug 6 : The police custody of BJP's Meghalaya unit vice-president Bernard N. Marak, who was arrested from Uttar Pradesh on July 25 for allegedly running a brothel in the West Garo Hills district, was extended by six more days by a court in Tura on Friday. The police said that additional charges have been levelled against Marak, who is also an elected leader of Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, after the police recovered more arms and explosives from a locked room at the BJP leader's farmhouse, 'Rimpu Bagan'. On the other hand, local BJP workers and leaders organised protests in Tura on Friday demanding a fair probe in Marak's case, while the party workers in West Garo Hills launched a signature campaign a day before demanding the removal of the Superintendent of Police and Deputy Commissioner of the district. In defence of Marak, a party leader claimed that the farmhouse has been operational since 2019, but the raid was carried out just six-seven months prior to the upcoming Assembly elections in Meghalaya. "The move is intended only to malign Marak and to damage his political career," the BJP leader said. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma ruled out any independent probe in Marak's case. "There is no question of any independent inquiry. Investigation is going on and facts are coming out. So I don't think there is any reason for an independent probe," Sangma told the media in Shillong. After holding a protest in front of the party office here earlier this week, state BJP leaders had met Governor Satya Pal Malik and demanded the removal of Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police of the district for a free and fair probe. State BJP president Ernest Mawrie had told the media that the Governor assured them that an independent inquiry would be commissioned. However, the Governor subsequently clarified that he had not given any assurance to the BJP leaders in this regard. The BJP leader was booked under different sections of POCSO Act and Immoral Trafficking Act after five children were rescued and 73 people were arrested on July 23 from his farmhouse. The District Magistrate of West Garo Hills district had earlier ordered a magisterial probe to find out details about the police raid on July 23 in the farmhouse reportedly owned by Marak, alias Rimpu, a militant-turned-politician. West Garo Hills district police chief Vivekanand Singh had said that the police rescued five minors -- four boys and one girl -- who were found locked inside dingy unhygienic rooms at Rimpu Bagan, comprising 30 rooms. The police also seized 36 vehicles, 47 mobile phones, liquor, 500 unused condoms and other materials. The Meghalaya BJP in a series of statements defended the party leader, saying that he has been 'unjustly framed and maligned'. With two MLAs, the BJP is a part of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance, led by Sangma's National People's Party. Bhopal, Aug 6 : Amid the controversy surrounding the National Herald case, Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA Jitu Patwari said that the party is preparing a list of corrupt officials who would be punished once the Congress comes to power in the state. Patwari alleged that many senior officials in the state are working as agents of the ruling BJP. Addressing a press conference here, Patwari said the Congress will soon release the names of the corrupt officials in the public domain. "MP Congress is preparing a list of corrupt officials who are working as BJP's agents and making money out of it. The party will make the list public soon. These officials will face tough action once the Congress comes to power in Madhya Pradesh," Patwari said. It may be recalled that during the recent urban local body and panchayat elections, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath and the party's Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh had accused senior bureaucrats of "working as political agents of BJP". Jerusalem, Aug 6 : Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid has threatened further military action against the Gaza Strip following airstrikes on the Palestinian enclave earlier on Friday. The airstrikes, declared as the Breaking Dawn operation, were launched against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), an Islamist organization active in Gaza, to "eliminate" what the Israeli military called "the threat to the citizens of Israel", Xinhua news agency reported. At least eight people, including Taysir al-Jabari, a commander of the armed wing of Jihad, were killed and 44 others injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and the PIJ. "The government of Israel will not allow terrorist organizations to set the tone ... and threaten the citizens of Israel," said a joint statement from Lapid and Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz after the airstrikes. The heightened tension came after Israeli forces arrested a senior official of the PIJ in the West Bank city of Jenin on Monday. The PIJ then vowed to take revenge, prompting the Israeli military to raise its alert along the southern border with Gaza. Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman, said in a video briefing that the operation was "a pre-emptive attack ... and we have not finished yet". Immediately after the airstrikes, the Israeli military declared "special situation" on the home front, calling on citizens in areas near the Gaza Strip not to stay away from bomb shelters, in case of retaliatory rocket firing. The Israeli military warned people within 80 km from the Gazan border to get prepared, meaning central Israel could also be the target of firing from Gaza. It also said reserve forces would be mobilised to the border with Gaza in the coming hours. New Delhi/Dimapur, Aug 6 : Hundreds of Naga peace demonstrators including village elders, women and youths took to the streets at commercial hub, Dimapur, in Nagaland on Friday, demanding an early settlement of the Naga political issue. Naga traders and public leaders insist that only an early political solution would take out Nagaland from the menace-like grip of the extortions - which are called 'taxation' by armed Naga groups. Demonstrators carried placards reading 'We Want Solution, Not Election' and 'Political Talk Cannot Be Indefinite'. The rally was called by Naga People's Action Committee - a non-political community-based organisation floated with the initiative of the civil societies and Nagaland Gaon Burrah (Village Elders' Federation). Various chambers of commerce and the Dimapur District Citizens' Forum also extended support to the rally wherein speakers called for an early solution to the Naga issue and to bring a logical end to the 25-year-old negotiations. The Naga peace negotiations formally began in August 1997 between the potent insurgent group NSCN-IM and the Centre during the stint of I.K. Gujral as the Prime Minister. Officials say the talks have been completed by October 31, 2019; however, raising the bogies of Flag and a separate Naga constitution by the NSCN-IM leadership headed by Thuingaleng Muivah have stalled the talks. In state capital Kohima and other towns like rural pockets of Shamatore, Phek and Mokokchung kept their business establishments closed during the rally period. The NPAC organised the rally to put pressure on the stakeholders, the Government of India and Naga armed groups. The NPAC has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for an early solution to the Naga political issue. The letter said, "The public rally (of August 5) urges upon the Government of India to 'implement the concluded political negotiations' and arrive at a solution without any further delay." "Unresolved Naga issue has produced countless scoundrels and thieves and in the name of political issues, threats and intimidation have stifled the growth of the Naga society; which you assured would be a vibrant one," the communique added. It also said, "The rally is a firm signal to the Government of India that the people of Nagaland will welcome the solution and uphold it under any circumstances." The letter is signed by NPAC convener Theja Therie, co-convener Shikuto Zalipu and and K. Imkhung. Shikuto Zalipu of GB Federation said that in 2018 also the BJP and the central government had promised an 'early solution' and so nearly five years since then - it is time the Government of India delivers peace and solution at the earliest. An umbrella group of Naga insurgent groups operating within the state of Nagaland - NNPG - led by N. Kitovi Zhimomi is keen for an early signing of a final peace pact. While NSCN-IM and the Centre have inked a Framework Agreement on August 3, 2015; two years later on November 17, 2017, the NNPG and the government have signed an Agreed Position. Since the last few months several top Naga leaders including BJP's floor leader in the assembly and deputy Chief Minister Y. Patton have given strong indications that a final peace pact will probably be inked by August 15, 2022. "It was a significant announcement by a senior BJP leader. The BJP-led NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi should now walk the talk and give Nagas the much sought after 'Peace and Solution'," a spokesman of NPAC told IANS. "We have maintained that the people on the ground want a solution and are preparing to create a clear passage for smooth landing of Peace and Solution to the Nagas," he said. However, the rally organisers have charged the incumbent Neiphiu Rio government and the NDPP-BJP-NPF coalition regime of 'betraying' the cause by ditching solutions in favour of elections. Polls are due in Nagaland by February-March 2023 along with Tripura and Meghalaya. The two coalition partners NDPP and BJP have on July 26 kicked off the political and electoral process among themselves by signing a seat sharing agreement. The NPAC leaders have stated that the 40:20 seat share deal between NDPP of Neiphiu Rio and the BJP was not acceptable to the people in general at this juncture. An NPAC leader said, "The seat share pact indicated that Chief Minister Rio is looking forward to the 2023 election. Chief Minister Rio cannot be allowed to jeopardise Solution for his self-interest." The pro-Solution NNPG has also blasted the NDPP-BJP deal and of course there were some initial signs of dissension among the rank and file of BJP in Nagaland. Even the Deputy Chief Minister Patton had initially opposed the seat sharing agreement of July 26 saying he was not consulted. The seat share pact was announced after Chief Minister Rio held a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament premises in Delhi on July 26 in presence of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Medozhatuo Rutsa, president of Kohima Chamber of Commerce & Industry, has said that an early Naga political solution "will herald in peace, economic progress and will more importantly fathom out the predicament of taxation". Notably, 'Taxation' is a major social and economic mess in Nagaland which in effect means rampant extortion by various armed Naga militant groups. In the past, some armed groups have spoken in favour of such practice saying there ought to be 'taxes' on the people. Security officials have termed these as illegal and even recommended actions lately. Theja Therie, NPAC convener, also has said, "No business is progressing in Nagaland while government offices are busy collecting money and paying out to national workers...why should Naga people remain under the shadow of someone who cannot bring solution." His references were obliquely to the NSCN-IM leadership, the state authorities and also the Centre. Many say when the NNPG opposed the BJP-NDPP seat share pact, it actually reflected the group's lack of confidence in the present arrangement in the state for taking the peace process forward. (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'.) wolfSSL INC. 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If you are new to wolfSSL, here are some things you should know about us! wolfSSL is up to 20x smaller than OpenSSL First commercial implementation of TLS 1.3 First implementation of DTLS 1.3 One of the first implementers of FIPS 140-3 Recently implemented a SSH Daemon Server with wolfSSH Best tested, most secure, fastest crypto on the market with incomparable certifications and highly customizable modularity Access to 24x7 support from a real team of Engineers Support for standards including the newest (SSL 3.0, TLS 1.0, TLS 1.1, TLS 1.2, TLS 1.3, DTLS 1.0, DTLS 1.2, and DTLS 1.3) Multi-platform, royalty free, with an OpenSSL compatibility API to ease porting into existing applications which have previously used the OpenSSL package Email us at facts@wolfssl.com to book a meeting or register directly from Black Hats event site: https://www.blackhat.com/us-22/registration.html. About wolfSSL wolfSSL focuses on providing lightweight and embedded security solutions with an emphasis on speed, size, portability, features, and standards compliance. With its SSL/TLS products and crypto library, wolfSSL is supporting high security designs in automotive, avionics, and other industries. In avionics, wolfSSL has support for complete RTCA DO-178C level A certification. In automotive, it supports MISRA-C capabilities. For government consumers, wolfSSL has a strong history in FIPS 140-2, with upcoming Common Criteria support. wolfSSL supports industry standards up to the current TLS 1.3 and DTLS 1.3, is up to 20 times smaller than OpenSSL, offers a simple API, an OpenSSL compatibility layer, is backed by the robust wolfCrypt cryptography library, and much more. Our products are open source, giving customers the freedom to look under the hood. We are very excited to enter this new phase of expansion for our company and are looking forward to advancing broadband Internet to rural and under-served communities across the area, said Mr. Wiseman. Garrett Wiseman, Founder and Chief Executive of Mercury Broadband announced today the grand opening of the companys new St. Joseph, Missouri Service Center, supporting expansion of services into the Southwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas areas. The new Service Center is located at 5802 Corporate Drive and will serve as the companys operational hub supporting the companys expansion of broadband services in the area. The company is now providing broadband services to homes and businesses in the rural and surrounding areas of St. Joseph across Buchanan County - including the areas of Atchison, Brown and Doniphan Counties in Kansas. Brett Rhodes has been named the new General Manager for Mercury Broadband in this area and is leading the companys efforts in the new service center region. The company will hold a ribbon-cutting event at 11am CT Friday, August 5th at the facility to celebrate the grand opening. We are very excited to enter this new phase of expansion for our company and are looking forward to advancing broadband Internet to rural and under-served communities across the area, said Mr. Wiseman. Our company is passionate about bringing high-quality broadband services to communities that have been traditionally ignored or under-served. Our broadband platform will help close the digital divide and enable consumers and small businesses to enjoy the benefits of this technology and have the same capabilities that larger cities offer. As part of Mercury Broadbands growth plan, the company recently launched their new enhanced broadband services for both residential and small business customers in the area. Both services provide customers with a Smarter Internet experience and a managed Wi-Fi capability, smartphone applications to monitor and control how they use their Internet connection, and offers the customer a much more robust, overall Internet experience. The Mercury@Home service provides residential customers with an easy-to-use smartphone application, a customized home network installation, a state-of-the-art Wi-Fi 6 router, and additional mesh home network extenders as required to maximize Internet speeds and quality of service within the customers residence. Customers are able to enjoy new features at their fingertips such as advanced service analytics, performance data, content and parental controls, device bandwidth consumption management, and enhanced security and privacy protection ---all from the convenience of their smartphone and the Mercury@Home application. Future enhancements will include smart appliance management, home security, and video surveillance, etc. The Mercury@Work packages provide customized network and phone solutions to small and medium sized businesses and include options to purchase additional bandwidth. We are committed to creating high performing, simple and smarter Internet solutions across our St. Joseph Service Center area and are excited to join the local business community, said Mr. Wiseman. We intend to be a committed partner for the area and look forward to growing our business in the local community. Finally, the company also announced plans to hire up to 30 local employees as part of the new St. Joseph Service Center. Further expansion of the broadband network will occur over the next several years within the Missouri region to broaden the services footprint and reach additional communities. Mercury@Home and Mercury @Work services are available immediately across all qualified company service areas in the surrounding area of St. Joseph. Interested customers should visit http://www.mercurybroadband.com or call tollfree 1-800-354-4915 for more information. About Mercury Broadband Mercury Broadband is a leading provider of high-speed Internet and digital phone services for homes and business across select rural markets in the Midwest. The company was founded in Topeka, KS, after recognizing a need for broadband services in these underserved markets. A hybrid approach to serving these last mile customers was developed by extending high-capacity fiber optic networks with the range, reliability, and flexibility of carrier-class wireless technologies to provide next generation services to customers. Media Relations Contact: Greg Crosby Chief Revenue Officer Phone: 1-319-621-2424 Email: greg.crosby@mercurybroadband.com Stephen E. Walker, who was born in 1942, on a dairy farm in Oskaloosa, Iowa, has completed his new book The Secrets of Spirit Island: a gripping and potent that follows the lifelong journey of a young man named Jack. A family from China moves into Jacks neighborhood, and Phan becomes his best friend. During one of Phan and Jacks adventures, Jack finds a cave on the side of the mountain where ancient medicine men live. The medicine men teach him the secrets of the island. As the years go by, Jack marries his girlfriend, Jessie, and they have a family. Jack is drafted into the service and is sent to Vietnam where he uses the secrets the old medicine men taught him. Author Stephen E. Walker takes readers into his tale, writing, When Janet awoke, the morning air smelled good. She had overslept. Her husband had already gone to work. She could smell the coffee he had made before he left. She had canned strawberries late into the night. Her son had helped her pick them the day before. She knew she should get up before she just felt like lying there, listening to the sounds of the old log house she and her husband had bought in 1945, fourteen years ago. It was the second home she had known, but she knew every sound in it. She made herself get up, for she knew she had a lot of work to do. She went to the kitchen and could still smell the strawberry jam she made last night. She poured a cup of coffee and sat by the window and looked as the sun warmed her. She could hear the sound of the sawmill when the wind blew in the right direction. Her husband, Steve, was a lumberjack and worked for the sawmill. Her dad had been a lumberjack; that was how she met Steve. Steve and her dad worked together for several years. Her dad thought of Steve as a son. When they were married, it was one of the happiest days of her dads life. Published by Page Publishing, Stephen E. Walkers mesmerizing tale allows readers to experience the lives of this family over the course of decades, witnessing their growth through the highs and lows of their journey. Readers who wish to experience this engrossing work can purchase The Secrets of Spirit Island 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. The companies on this years list of Top Franchises are the top-ranked brands in the key areas critical to their franchisees success. Childrens education franchise CompuChild is proud to announce that it has been named a Top Franchise for 2022 by Franchise Business Review. Quality and franchisee satisfaction have been the hallmark of CompuChild as the franchise has been recognized as a 10-Year Hall of Fame Member for Winning the Best of the Best Franchise Award a total of 13 years as of 2022. CompuChilds franchisees were surveyed on 33 benchmark questions about their experience and satisfaction regarding critical areas of their franchise systems, including training & support, operations, franchisor/franchisee relations, and financial opportunity. As an independent research firm, Franchise Business Review is committed to helping prospective franchisees get an objective view of the best franchise opportunities, based on actual feedback from franchise owners, said Michelle Rowan, president & COO of Franchise Business Review. We survey franchisees from franchise companies in the marketplace today and identify those with the highest levels of satisfaction and performance in order to educate potential buyers and help them choose which franchise to invest in. The companies on this years list of Top Franchises are the top-ranked brands in the key areas critical to their franchisees success. CompuChild was founded in 1994 and the company has been franchising since 2001. Over the years, the franchise has transformed itself from its initial emphasis on computer education to entrepreneurial education by adding classes in technology, financial awareness, communication and ethics. Each of these topics is highly relevant to building an entrepreneurial mindset: technology has been a key driver of innovation in every aspect of our lives, financial awareness is required to make sure that innovations are economically viable, communication skills help entrepreneurs gather and unite their teams, and ethical considerations are key to determining whether any innovation would be socially responsible. Discussing the core philosophy of the franchise, the President of CompuChild said, "We have observed that technology, financial awareness, communication and ethics have hardly been incorporated into the elementary and middle school curricula. Even in high school, most students do not get the opportunity to take even a single dedicated course on these topics. With the proliferation of technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, the job market is changing drastically. In order to survive and stay relevant, students will need to develop an entrepreneurial mindset which encourages them to learn constantly and evolve. CompuChilds programs are focused on Entrepreneurial STEAM which encourages children to develop an entrepreneurial mindset right from the early school years. All of CompuChilds after-school enrichment programs involve multisensory learning through model building, collaboration, presentation, and interactive questioning. Each course has been designed to be taught in various settings, enabling the franchisees to leverage multiple channels at once. While there has been a significant drive towards online education over the recent years, CompuChild believes that there is no parallel to in-person education, especially for children at the pre-school and elementary school levels. CompuChilds focus on in-person education impacted its franchisees hard during the recent pandemic, but the organizations commitment to offering quality after school enrichment programs and dedication to the success of its franchisees only strengthened during these times. The Franchise Business Review team recognized this during their survey. As Founder & CEO Eric Stites said, While the pandemic impacted various business sectors differently, the last 18 months have clearly demonstrated the inherent strengths of the franchise business model. The old franchise adage of being in business for yourself, but not by yourself has never been more important. Thanks to fast innovations, significant support, and responsive crisis management, many franchise brands have emerged stronger from the pandemic, and that is reflected in high franchisee satisfaction. CompuChilds commitment to the franchise model is driven by the strong belief that student-teacher relationships and understanding play a very important role in the effectiveness of the learning process. If the student and the teacher come from the same community, there is a higher level of bonding and personal investment, which is likely to create a better educational experience. CompuChilds franchising model allows motivated entrepreneurs to make a difference in their community by offering a high-quality and relevant education to children. A CompuChild franchisee can offer in-person enrichment programs at pre-schools, afterschool centers, elementary schools, summer camps, birthday parties, and can also supplement those with online classes. This allows complete freedom and flexibility for the franchise business owner. The core purpose of CompuChild is to get children excited about learning. Once children start to seek knowledge and explore on their own, they become life-long learners, and that is what CompuChilds after school entrepreneurial education programs are aspiring to achieve. About COMPUCHILD The CompuChild franchise offers Entrepreneurial STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) focused enrichment programs for children primarily at the pre-kindergarten and elementary school level in the United States and Canada. With its unique focus on entrepreneurial education, strong emphasis on low cost, regular training and constant support to its franchisees, CompuChild strives to be the best childrens education franchise. CompuChild's enrichment programs help kindle the spirit of constant learning, innovation, critical thinking, and collaboration for the social good at a very young age. Christian Community Credit Union donated $5,000 towards ABHMS relief effort in response to the devastating flash floods throughout Eastern Kentucky. (Photo courtesy of Ryan C. Hermens.) Natural disasters are devastating to all, and it is imperative that we unite as Christians in bringing hope and much needed care to our fellow brothers and sisters who have been impacted. Christian Community Credit Union (CCCU) donated $5,000 to American Baptist Home Missions Societies (ABHMS) relief effort in response to the devastating flash floods throughout Eastern Kentucky. The unimaginable levels of destruction have led to the loss of lives, hundreds of homes destroyed, and the displacement of thousands of residents. The funds for the donation come from CCCUs Cards that Give to Missions program, in which a portion of the Credit Unions interchange income (fees merchants pay to card issuers) is donated when cardholders use their Christian Community Credit Union-issued credit cards for purchases. Our prayers are with those impacted by the recent floods in Eastern Kentucky, said Blair Korschun, Christian Community Credit Union President and CEO. Natural disasters are devastating to all, and it is imperative that we unite as Christians in bringing hope and much needed care to our fellow brothers and sisters who have been impacted. I encourage you to join CCCU in making a difference by donating to ABHMS or other organizations to help victims of the Kentucky floods. I want to thank CCCU for their bounteous financial contribution to disaster relief for victims of the devastating floods in Eastern Kentucky, says Dr. Jeffrey Haggray, Executive Director of ABHMS. This $5,000 gift not only advances our One Great Hour of Sharing offering considerablyit reflects CCCUs long-standing generosity in partnering with American Baptists to address human needs in times of crisis. Help Support ABHMS Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Effort ABHMS has launched a One Great Hour of Sharing campaign to raise much needed resources to Our Brothers and Sisters in Kentucky. To support ABHMS relief effort, please click here. American Baptist Home Mission Societies partners with American Baptists to promote Christian faith, cultivate Christ-centered leaders and disciples and bring healing and transformation to communities across the United States and Puerto Rico. One Great Hour of Sharing is administered by the World Relief Committee of the Board of General Ministries of American Baptist Churches USA. The committee facilitates American Baptist emergency relief, disaster rehabilitation, refugee work and development assistance by establishing policy guidelines and overseeing distribution of the annual One Great Hour of Sharing offering received by churches. Christian Community Credit Union has over $880 million in assets and over 30,000 members nationwide. For over 65 years, the Credit Union has served as a financial partner of Christian ministries, churches, and their members. "In essence, CDI professionals help physicians translate their clinical language into the highly specified documentation required for healthcare coding by querying physicians when information is incomplete, contradictory, or unclear." The Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists (ACDIS) presents CDI Week September 1216, 2022. This annual week of recognition celebrates the clinical documentation integrity (CDI) profession and provides broader education on the importance of proper documentation of medical care in the United States. The theme for this year is Under the Sea-DI. CDI professionals work hard every day for the benefit of their organizations and the patients they serve, but often, most of those efforts remain under the surface, invisible to the broader world. CDI professionals work as intermediaries between physicians and coders, typically in the inpatient acute care setting. Over the past decade, there has been an increased expansion of and need for their services in a wide range of settings for many documentation improvement focus areas. In essence, CDI professionals help physicians translate their clinical language into the highly specified documentation required for healthcare coding by querying physicians when information is incomplete, contradictory, or unclear, says Laurie Prescott, director of CDI education at HCPro and interim director of ACDIS. During CDI Week, healthcare organizations across the country recognize and celebrate the value of CDI programs and the distinct skills and expertise of CDI specialists. In conjunction with CDI Week, ACDIS conducted its 12th annual CDI Industry Survey. The annual CDI survey examines topics such as physician engagement, outpatient CDI and risk adjustment, productivity, denial trends and CDI involvement, and staff engagement in the remote setting. With the support of CDI Week partners 3M Health Information Systems, Nuance, and AMN, ACDIS will conduct daily interviews with industry experts and post the interviews on the association's website. More information about CDI Week offerings and activities can be found at https://acdis.org/cdi-week. Additional resources for CDI specialists and program directors, including a toolkit, media resources, and communication messages for organizationwide education, and membership are available at https://acdis.org. ### About ACDIS ACDIS has 6,700 members and more than 40 local chapters and networking groups dedicated to the CDI profession. As the premier healthcare community of CDI professionals, the Association shares the latest tips, tools, and strategies to implement successful CDI programs. ACDIS also provides continuing education, certifications, training, networking events, CDI resources, and opportunities for professional growth. Learn more at https://acdis.org/. About HCPro For over 34 years, HCPro, a division of Simplify Compliance LLC, has specialized in providing the latest healthcare regulatory information through industry-leading publications, continuing education, online coding platforms, instructor-led training, events, consulting services, and more to deliver consistent training, achieve compliance, and maximize workflow efficiencies, resulting in measurable performance and financial improvements. Visit http://www.hcpro.com/. Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against Golden State Greens LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. The San Diego employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action lawsuit against Golden State Greens LLC alleging the company violated the California Labor Code. The lawsuit against Golden State Greens LLC is currently pending in the San Diego County Superior Court, Case No. 37-2022-00028601-CU-OE-CTL. To read a copy of the Complaint, please click here. According to the lawsuit filed, Golden State Greens LLC allegedly (a) failed to pay minimum wages, (b) failed to pay overtime wages, (c) failed to provide legally required meal and rest periods, (d) failed to provide accurate itemized wage statements, (e) failed to reimburse employees for required expenses, (f) failed to provide wages when due, and (g) failed to pay sick pay wages, all in violation of the applicable Labor Code sections listed in California Labor Code Sections 201-204, 226, 226.7, 233, 246, 510, 512, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 2802, and the applicable Wage Order(s), and thereby gives rise to civil penalties as a result of such alleged conduct. Additionally, Defendant allegedly failed to provide employees with complete and accurate wage statements which showed, among other things, the correct gross and net wages earned. California Labor Code 226 provides that every employer shall furnish each of his or her employees with an accurate itemized wage statement in writing showing, among other things, gross wages earned and all applicable hourly rates in effect during the pay period and the corresponding amount of time worked at each hourly rate. For more information about the class action lawsuit against Golden State Greens LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is a labor law firm with law offices located in San Diego County, Riverside County, Los Angeles County, Sacramento County, Santa Clara County, Orange County and San Francisco County. The firm has a statewide practice of representing employees on a contingency basis for violations involving unpaid wages, overtime pay, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination and other types of illegal workplace conduct. ***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT*** Temperatures in July hit second-highest levels since 1961: NMC By Cui Fandi (Global Times) 13:43, August 05, 2022 Giant panda Shuaishuai eats beside an ice cube at Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, July 22, 2022. The zoo tries every means to help animals fend off the summer heat in recent days. Photo:Xinhua Since the start of summer, residents from across China have found themselves experiencing a summer so hot that it could be recorded in the history books. According to the latest monitoring assessment by the National Meteorological Center (NMC), the national average temperature in July was the second-highest on record since 1961. In July, the national average of high temperature days (daily maximum temperature 35 C) was 5.6 days, two days more than the average for the same period of the year, and the second most since 1961, said officials from the China Meteorological Administration at a news conference on Wednesday night. The national average precipitation in July was 96.6 millimeters, the second-lowest on record for the same period. However, although the frequency of hot weather has been quite notable this year, it has not reached abnormal levels, climate experts said. At 6 am on Thursday, the NMC issued yet another high temperature warning involving most parts of China. Northwest China's Shaanxi, North China's Hebei, Beijing and Tianjin, East China's Shandong and Shanghai, Central China's Hubei and Hunan, Southwest China's Sichuan and Chongqing, and South China's Guangxi are all expected to be hit by high temperatures of 35 C or higher, the NMC said. Temperatures in some of these areas could surpass 37 C or even 40 C. At 12 pm on Thursday, the Shanghai Central Meteorological Station elevated its yellow warning for high temperatures to an orange warning, the second-highest level of extreme weather warnings in China. High temperatures in Shanghai's city center and some suburbs will exceed 37 C, the station said. In the meantime, the weather in Beijing has reached a level that is almost unbelievable. At 6 pm on Thursday, a rainstorm warning was issued in Beijing on top of the heat and wind warnings that were issued earlier. According to a widely used weather app, Beijing's apparent temperature reached 46 C at one point on Thursday, and the humidity reached 68 percent. As felt by many, the heat wave being experienced in northern China is characterized by a combination of high temperatures and high humidity, weather experts told the Global Times on Thursday. Southern China, on the other hand, is experiencing less rainfall than in previous years and is even facing droughts in some areas. Atmospheric physicist Wang Gengchen, a research fellow at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, described the recent weather as "steaming and boiling." Most of China has been experiencing rare hot weather recently, Wang told the Global Times, explaining that the main reason is the northward shift of subtropical high pressure and the combination with the humid air that has been prevalent this season. "As a result of this combination, the affected areas are either swelteringly hot and sunny or stormy," he said, noting that both types of weather make people uncomfortable. Wang said that judging by the current conditions, although the recent high temperatures are relatively rare, they have not yet reached abnormal levels. However, the high temperatures are just part of a series of catastrophic weather events. South China is also facing challenges from typhoons and floods, while parts of East and Central China are suffering from droughts. Guangdong officials held a working meeting on Wednesday night on the province's defense against a tropical depression in the South China Sea and potential flooding. Provincial-level regions such as Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Jiangxi Province have increased their arrangements to deal with droughts. To address the challenges of hot weather, China's State Grid is placing more emphasis on electricity supply. Various provincial-level regions such as Tianjin, Chongqing and Jiangxi have taken measures to ensure the supply of electricity to residents during the sweeping heat, according to China Electric Power News. Experts pointed out that secondary disasters from the combination of the high temperatures and other extreme weather require additional attention. Hospitals in several parts of China reported several cases of heat-related illnesses in July. The situation has not previously received enough attention from the Chinese public, Wang noted. "Most of the Chinese population has always thought that heat stroke is just a minor thing that doesn't lead to serious consequences," Wang said. "And this year's extreme heat has in fact led to deaths caused by heat stroke. The Chinese public should be alert to this." In July, the unprecedented heat wave also scorched other parts of the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe and the US. The UK recorded its hottest-ever day on July 18, with temperatures hitting a high of 40.3 C in the east of England, as London's fire service tackled several blazes across the capital. The US is also seeing extreme heat. In the cities of Dallas, Oklahoma and Houston, temperatures reached 37.8 C. In the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, the apparent temperature reached 36C to 42C. One piece of good news is that August shouldn't see another heat wave like July, Wang said. "Nighttime temperatures will be significantly cooler, which will affect daytime temperatures as well," he said. "There's nothing in sight that will cause August to continue to be unusually hot." (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Lori A. Fix, Ph.D., and James W. Cox, M.S., join a powerful scientific and regulatory team at B&C and Acta, including eight Ph.D.s and nine EPA alumni. Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C) and The Acta Group (Acta) are pleased to announce that Lori A. Fix, Ph.D., DABT, and James W. Cox, MS, have joined our firms as Senior Scientists. Dr. Fix is a gifted toxicologist and safety assurance professional with a long track record of success at globally dominant brands in the consumer products, foods, and pesticides industries. Mr. Cox is an experienced biologist and risk assessor who has reviewed hundreds of industrial chemicals, biological agents, nanomaterials, and novel chemistries in his roles with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Over the course of her stellar career, Lori A. Fix, Ph.D., DABT, has developed and executed risk assessment, safety assurance, and regulatory compliance efforts at the highest levels of some of the worlds largest agricultural, food, and consumer goods companies, including Reckitt Benckiser, Unilever, and Bayer Crop Science. As a proven scientific manager, strategic planner, and project leader, Dr. Fix is a powerful asset to clients seeking successful and persistent outcomes for products and companies engaged with EPA, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), and regulations and codes, including the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), Californias Proposition 65, the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CTFA) (now the Personal Care Products Council) Consumer Commitment Code (2006), ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (2007), and the European Union (EU) Cosmetic Directive. In addition to her corporate leadership positions, Dr. Fixs global leadership roles in the field of safety assurance include serving as Chair of the Chemical Management Committee of the former Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) (now the Consumer Brands Association), past Chair of the Society of Toxicology Placement Committee, and as a representative on the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Life Sciences Committee for Food and Chemical Safety. Dr. Fix earned a Ph.D. in Toxicology from North Carolina State University and an MS in Entomology from Texas A&M. James W. Cox, MS, most recently served as Acting Lead Biologist in Risk Assessment Branch 1, New Chemicals Division, EPAs Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), having held positions of increasing responsibility and scope since joining OPPT. He served as Chair of the Risk Assessment Divisions (RAD) Hazard and Risk Assessment Technical Team and was a key member of the team providing analysis and recommendations to inform EPAs Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Preventions (OCSPP) policy on new approach methodologies (NAM). Mr. Cox offers clients technical excellence and seasoned regulatory process guidance for products subject to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), FIFRA, and other federal and state chemical regulatory programs. Mr. Cox provides expertise in the collection and analysis of data; the design, evaluation, and development of models; and the presentation of scientific data in a clear and defensible manner to support chemical submissions. Prior to his career at EPA OPPT, Mr. Cox was a biologist with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), serving in the toxicology directorate of the U.S. Army Public Health Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and a public safety officer with the State of Maryland. Lori A. Fix, Ph.D., and James W. Cox, M.S., join a powerful scientific and regulatory team at B&C and Acta, including eight Ph.D.s and nine EPA alumni. This nimble and talented team offers clients an unmatched wealth of experience and unparalleled record of scientific, legislative, and business accomplishment for substances and products regulated by TSCA, FIFRA, and global chemical analogs. About Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. -- Located in Washington, D.C., B&C is a law firm focusing on conventional, biobased, and nanoscale industrial, agricultural, and specialty chemical product regulation and approval and associated business issues. Additional information is available at http://www.lawbc.com. About The Acta Group -- Acta, a consulting affiliate of B&C with offices in Washington, D.C., Brussels, Belgium, and Manchester, United Kingdom, offers expertise with regulatory programs and chemical product approvals in North America, South and Central America, Europe, Asia, and Eurasia. Acta supports clients products from concept to approval so they get to market quickly and efficiently. Additional information is available at http://www.actagroup.com. The best nationwide practitioner on product-related environmental regulations; a true expert. Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C) is pleased to announce that Managing Partner Lynn L. Bergeson has been recognized by a number of the leading legal ranking, and peer and client review organizations, notably Chambers and Partners, Best Lawyers, and Whos Who Legal. Ms. Bergeson was awarded the highest ranking attainable, Band 1, in Chambers USA Guide 2022. This is Ms. Bergesons 18th year earning top marks from Chambers USA as one of the best lawyers in America. The commentary accompanying her Chambers ranking speaks of Ms. Bergeson as The best nationwide practitioner on product-related environmental regulations; a true expert. Chambers quotes clients as saying: She provides timely and cost-effective legal advice on complicated environmental regulatory issues, [She is] THE person for chemical issues, She is one of the deans in the field, and She is simply fantastic. Ms. Bergeson has been recognized for the 20th year as one of The Best Lawyers in America in 2023 for Environmental Law and Environmental Litigation and has again been named one of North Americas leading legal practitioners by Whos Who Legal -- Environment for 2022, marking the 18th year Ms. Bergeson has been so named. In addition to these recent accolades, Ms. Bergeson has once again been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Top Rated Environmental Attorney in Washington, D.C., and by Martindale Hubble as an AV Preeminent Lawyer. Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner of B&C, counsels corporations, trade associations, and business consortia on a wide range of issues pertaining to chemical hazard, exposure and risk assessment, risk communication, minimizing legal liability, and evolving regulatory, policy, and business matters. She served as chair of the American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, and has served in many Section leadership positions. Ms. Bergeson is a Fellow of the American College of Environmental Lawyers and is Co-Chair of the International Bar Association Agricultural Law Section. Ms. Bergeson is also President of The Acta Group (Acta), B&Cs scientific and regulatory consulting arm with offices in Washington, D.C., the United Kingdom, Brussels, and China, and President of B&C Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM), which helps the chemical industry form consortia to achieve shared research, testing, and regulatory goals. We are proud of the commitment each and every one of these individuals made to dedicate themselves to the mastery of their field and their own personal development." - Ramon Looby, President and CEO of Maryland Bankers Association The Maryland Bankers Association (MBA) is proud to announce the graduation of 11 banking professionals from its annual Maryland Banking School program. MBA is proud to present the following graduates, who have demonstrated a significant commitment to their respective banks and the banking industry as a whole throughout the past three years: Nicole Dinkins, Assistant Branch Manager, Arundel Federal Savings Bank Melissa Graham, Financial Systems Analyst, Sandy Spring Bank* Abigail Graves, Municipal Relationship Manager, Shore United Bank* Beverly Hershman, Lending Risk Monitoring Manager, First United Bank & Trust* Cody Hill, AVP, Retail Development Manager, Middletown Valley Bank* Anthony Interdonato, Vice President | CRE Portfolio Manager III, Sandy Spring Bank* Rebecca Kilikewich, VP, Loan Systems and Documentation Manager, Community Bank of the Chesapeake* Rod Lancaster, Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Manager, Vice President, Sandy Spring Bank* Alex Liberatore, Portfolio Manager, CFG Community Bank* Antonio Mendez, Community & Regional Senior Bank Examiner, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond* Travis Teal, VP, Commercial Banker, Woodsboro Bank* Over the course of three years, Maryland Banking School students are required to participate in at least three consumer education presentations. The Class of 2022 completed 69 financial education presentations and reached 2,288 consumers. The awards for excellence in financial education are presented to the following graduates: Most Financial Education Presentations Award: Beverly Hershman, First United Bank & Trust, with 14 completed presentations. Most Consumers Reached Award: Stephanie Dulin, Shore United Bank and Abigail Graves, Shore United Bank, with 1,628 consumers reached. MBA is also proud to announce the winners of the Board of Trustees Award and the Lilian T. Moffat Award. The Board of Trustees Award acknowledges the graduate with the highest score in the Capstone Project who has also showcased strength in leadership in addition to their academic achievements. The 2022 Board of Trustees Award is presented to: Cody B. Hill, Middletown Valley Bank The highest honor for a Maryland Banking School student, the Lilian T. Moffat Award, was created in honor of Lilian Moffat, a dedicated MBA staff member who served the banking industry and Association for 27 years. The award is presented to the top graduate based upon scholastic achievement, including consistent exemplary coursework and outstanding leadership. The 2022 Lilian T. Moffat Award is presented to: Melissa Graham, Sandy Spring Bank The Maryland Banking Schools students also completed a service project with the Prince Georges Child Resource Center, Inc. to provide a total of 72 backpacks filled with school supplies for families in need. This years Maryland Banking School graduates are true professionals, said Ramon Looby, President and CEO of the Maryland Bankers Association. We are proud of the commitment each and every one of these individuals made to dedicate themselves to the mastery of their field and their own personal development. We wish the class of 2022 continued success ahead, and we look forward to celebrating all that they will accomplish. Denotes graduation with Honors About the Maryland Bankers Association: Founded in 1896, the Maryland Bankers Association (MBA) is the only Maryland-based trade group representing banks in the state. MBA's member banks employ about 28,266 banking professionals in nearly 1,490 branch offices across the state. To find out more information, please visit https://www.mdbankers.com/. Northeast Delta HSA releases full report of Rise Above Stigma initiative "At the 6-month mark, we knew we were serving our people, but needed to keep innovating and do more," Dr. Sizer said. Northeast Delta Human Services Authority (NEDHSA) announces the release of the Rise Above Stigma report. This evaluative document serves as a full report on what was accomplished during the 12-month project, which aimed to help increase access to behavioral health services, provide mental health awareness, and increase culturally and linguistically appropriate training for people living in northeast Louisiana. NEDHSA Executive Director Dr. Monteic A. Sizer said the past year allowed the agency to join with the people living in Louisianas Delta. "Our dedication to listening and learning more from our regions most vulnerable citizens allowed us to specifically create stigma reducing programs and services to help meet their needs. "At the 6-month mark, we knew we were serving our people, but needed to keep innovating and do more. We also knew that we were creating a blueprint for our region, the state, and nation on how to establish service innovations and community connections that would help transcend brokenness and various forms of racial and political divisions," Dr. Sizer said. NEDHSA contracted SheRay's & Associates to facilitate and evaluate the agency's Stigma Reduction Plan implementation for the time period of July 2021 to December 2021. NEDHSA then selected The Measurement Group LLC to independently evaluate the Rise Above Stigma campaign at the 6-month mark. At that time, Dr. Lisa A. Melchior, president of The Measurement Group LLC, said there was "evidence of progress revealed in the report." "We have already begun to observe evidence of progress in engaging parish members at the grassroots level in working to address behavioral health stigma in their communities," Dr. Melchior said in February 2022. NEDHSA continued the Rise Above Stigma project and focused on the objectives, outcomes, and long-term goals of its Logic Model, such as: reducing behavioral health stigma; increasing access to behavioral health support services; engaging marginalized populations in accessing recovery into the paraprofessional workforce; and, ensuring safety and wellbeing of individuals in each parish. "As we concluded the last 6-months of our Rise Above Stigma initiative, we were laser focused on doing something about what we heard and learned, Dr. Sizer said. In FY 2022, NEDHSA provided 25,708 services to outpatient clients. The total service includes 9,685 billable services and 16,023 non-billable services. From FY21 to FY22, billable, non-billable, and total services increased by 19%, 258%, and 103%, respectively. The number of unique clients served also increased by 8%. Through marketing and communication efforts, NEDHSA's anti-stigma messaging garnered 6.8 million impressions and more than 194,000 total engagements through its billboard, newspaper, social media, and traditional media platforms. Dr. Sizer added: "We intentionally opened another clinic, established a state-of-the-art mobile health unit, developed and disseminated stigma related content across multiple platforms, hosted a regional psychodrama, facilitated two summits, led several mural events, established a mobile app, and built a more inclusive website. And because of our outcomes focus, we conducted empirical research to see if we were making a difference. The data showed that we did make a difference, and that difference is what we were after. To view the report, click the following link: https://bit.ly/NEDHSARiseAboveStigma2022Report It (mapguide0 also works to encourage sound destination stewardship that keeps growth to sustainable levels and limits negative impacts, such as overcrowding and resource pollution. Geotourism, by definition, works to sustain and enhance the geographical character of a place - its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well being of its residents - by adding to its sustainability principles and building on a destinations sense of place. In 2016, the regional partnership with support of the Tennessee Valley Authority re-launched the Tennessee River Valley Geotourism MapGuide in hopes of respecting the Tennessee Valley regions local culture by deepening and enhancing the visitor experience. In the years, since relaunch, the site has been visited by over 1.5 million visitors, representing 171 countries. The MapGuides main goal is to emphasize the distinctiveness of the regions locale and showcase the opportunities and benefits the region can bring to not only visitors, but residents as well. The project was originally created in partnership with National Geographic, community and conservation organizations, tourism associations, conservation partners, and state and federal agencies to highlight the natural, historic, and cultural assets that are unique to the Tennessee River Valley area. With tourism often being the largest economic segment of industry in rural areas of the seven state Valley region, the Geotourism MapGuide offers special opportunities for interaction between residents, foreign visitors, and local organizations. The website features a Geotourism map, including links to accommodations, festivals and events, food and drink, health and wellness, outdoor adventures, and so much more. It also works to encourage sound destination stewardship that keeps growth to sustainable levels and limits negative impacts, such as overcrowding and resource pollution. It benefits both residents and visitors by promoting local services and employment, and by informing residents about their needs and expectations. The Tennessee River Valley Geotourism MapGuide could not work without the input from the local residents who know what makes this place truly unique and noteworthy; from history buffs and adventurers, backpackers and food-enthusiasts, and birders and sightseers, there is always a unique recommendation listed on this interactive website. The project continuously seeks to celebrate the Tennessee Valley region as a world-class destination, while contributing to the economic health of the region by promoting sustainable tourism. For more information, or to nominate a favorite local restaurant, farm, brewery, hiking or biking trail, swimming hole, museum and so much more, visit our website at http://www.tennesseerivervalleygeotourism.org. Ryan La Salas third YA novel, The Honeys, was sold to Scholastic after a 13-imprint auction. The novel follows genderfluid teen Mars (he/she/they) returning to an elite summer camp to investigate the recent death of their sister, Caroline. There, Mars is drawn to the camps most popular clique of girls, the Honeys, whose relationship with Caroline, Mars, and the beehives in their care (and root of their namesake) may be more sinister than it appears. We spoke with La Sala about writing about the all-consuming intimacy of adolescent female friendships, navigating grief in surrealist ways, and how queer youth is at the heart of all his stories. How did you prepare to write about the dark world of The Honeys? Were you inspired by any horror/thriller/mystery books or series for this book? Was there a reference, for example, to Jennifers Body? Ive always loved horror and spooky, scary things, but my eternal gripe with the genre is the final girl running away, helpless. A big part of my agenda as an author is often giving that girl some sort of recourse against the horror that is stalking her, which is why I love Jennifers Body. Im so glad you got the reference; I think its when someones like, You're killing people! and she corrects them to Im killing boys! That kind of sums up a lot of what drew me to writing horror, but specifically writing The Honeys and without spoiling too much of their agenda, it does allude to that recourse against the many masked killers that have been hunting girls down in the woods for decades. The Honeys takes place in a very traditional setting for horror stories and thrillers: summer camp. What made that setting intriguing to you and the best fit for this particular story? Summer camps are intriguing because theyre such paradoxes; they purport to be these encounters with nature in community, but theyre completely constructed and the wilderness is illusory, or at least it hopes to be because its supposed to be safe. But the fact of the matter is, summer camps also try to give kids the opportunity to push their own boundaries. As a kid at summer camp, I loved exploring new identities. I was a total liar. I would show up at camp and I would just invent a new person to be every year, and that gave me a lot of agency when it came to my own identity of exploration. At the same time, though, it rendered me very vulnerable because I was exploring my own queer identity, much in the same way that Mars is, in the flashbacks. Camps are set up around a binary for the protection of their children, but what if youre a child who doesn't fit into that binary? And what's between the boys and girls camps? Well, wilderness, the woods, places where you're vulnerable. It's very much a metaphor for Marss position in between the two safe nodes upon a binary. But its also a real-life gauntlet for children who dont necessarily fit within that. And I loved camp, I had a great experience at camp. But I also had some pretty dangerous ones, as well. And all of that is kind of what I wanted to pull on because I didnt want it to be demonizing to summer camp. I did want to sort of peel back the candied nostalgia that a lot of people have around it and report on the stuff that actually happens there. Mars experiences this desire to have what the Honeys have in terms of their beauty, their relationship to femininity, and the way that theyre allowed to express that physically. How did you approach writing about gender envy and gender euphoria? The dedication to the book reads, This book is for the girls that took me in when the boys kicked me out, because this book really is for the girls that I think kind of saved my life. At a certain point, I no longer could fit in among the rituals of boyhood, and I remember running to the girls for salvation. I think girls get this bad rap in youth because theyre mean and petty, and they gossip, but those were the people who protected me and shielded mewith their meanness, with their pettiness, with their ability to gossipfrom other forces that were actively trying to exclude me. Thats all true for Mars, who sees this bastion where youre allowed to be beautiful, where this indulgent frivolity doesnt necessarily mean that theres nothing to you, where it just goes hand in hand with also being a fully fledged person whos comfortable with their selves. And thats what the Honeys represent to Mars, who understands that often these behaviors and the rituals that society likes to look at as frivolity camouflage something much deeper, and thats what he yearns for. In working through their grief over the loss of their sister, Mars often gets lost in their own memory, kind of a world of their own, until theyre snapped back to reality. That escape seems to be a theme that appears in another one of your novels, Reverie. What is it about surrealism and finding other worlds within our own that interests you? I think the psychic landscape that we all have within us is so rich and vast, and often I feel like I can get lost looking inwards myself. I think thats especially pertinent when it comes to grief, because grief is this force that isolates you. When someone vanishes from your world very suddenly, the world itself becomes strange, even if nothings changed with the absence of that person. Its easy to fall backwards through memories and time to reexplore and rehash everything that you have with that somebody because thats suddenly all you have. I wanted to convey the disorientation that I personally experienced when I lost my own sister, and suddenly only had memories, and thats where I wanted to live and explore. That's the only version of my sister that I could converse with, the one that was living within me within my past. And thats why Mars vanishes into these realms of deep thought. But at the same time, its not just Mars running away from the real world. Its something supernatural that is asking him to turn from what he knows and answer some sort of call. I can think of so many high-stakes friendships in my own adolescence where everything felt so neon with importance, and that's what I wanted to get to. This book references lots of science around bees, their social hierarchies, means of caretaking, and their different methods of survival. What kind of research did you do to incorporate the world of bees into your book? To prepare, I did two things. One, I read a lot of books about bees, not just how to be a beekeeper, but also studies that have been conducted on bees as superorganisms, and how bees are one of the only naturally occurring forms of democracy in the animal kingdom. They have a wealth of cool and inspiring dimensions that gave me a lot to work with. But I also went beekeeping and went in person to a few hives, to try to get to know what it was like to actually handle these animals. Because its as surreal as the book makes it out to be. Its a real-life brush with this otherworldly creature that lives in thousands of bodies at once, which is so unlike anything that you encounter in your every day. And if you look at the behavior of a honeybee, a bee cant survive alone, it has to survive as part of a system. The reason isolation is such an important thing for Mars is also hes a completely independent person investigating these girls that kind of ritualized their behaviors after honeybees. So part of Marss journey is learning how to give to a group of people as a means of belonging. I wanted to get to that too, in his journey. Had bees always been the original centerpiece for this novel? Had there been any other animals that interested you? I always wanted it to be bees. Ive always found it absolutely fascinating that a hive of insects can visit flowers, which are beautiful, architectural things, and come together and form this like ambrosial substance. There are eons of mythology also totally captivated by the exact same exchange. These have always been seen as the emissary between worlds by many different cultures. And Ive had those myths playing in my head for a very long time. So it was always a book that had to do with girls and their relationship with beehives, which are also matriarchal, have a queen, all the workers are female. There are a few male bees, but come winter, they get kicked out and killed. I noticed the parallel between this group of girls and a hive that also is sustained completely by feminine bodies. The all-consuming sacredness of female friendship is a prominent theme in the novel. Were there any female friendships/ groups you were thinking about when crafting the aura/essence of the Honeys? I can think of so many high-stakes friendships in my own adolescence where everything felt so neon with importance, and thats what I wanted to get to. I think that oftentimes when, relationships appear in YA, we focus on the romantic side of it, but for me growing up queer, it was all of my platonic relationships that felt so much more important. I had a brush with a bunch of different groups that sort of felt like the Honeys but even within my core group of friends, its the same sort of very close, interlocking efficiency that Mars responds really well to. Because everyones got something to do, which means that youre needed, youre wanted, youre required to be there and put in the work, and that was the atmosphere that I wanted to create. This is your third novel. Were there any aspects of the publishing process that felt different this time around? I felt like with my first book, I was like the little match girl knocking on the windows begging anybody to look at me, quickly freezing to death. And thank gosh, people took a risk, and my first two books did get published and were really well received. But this was totally different. When I put together the proposal for The Honeys, I didnt have this book written. I wrote three chapters of it and a synopsis and that's what generated a 13-imprint auction that ended up being preempted. But it was a totally different experience, and one that had sort of this instant resonance with a ton of editors, and ultimately created a life-changing situation, because its what allowed me to go full-time as a writer. As a writer who centers queer youth, what is it like writing right now in an era of book banning and censorship in schools? I will always write about queer kids. A big part of my agenda as an author is creating a new mythology around queerness that finds power in the narratives of queerness, and with nuance and complexity. That's always been the case and that's never going to change. I think the hostility that queer youth are facing, if anything, makes me feel all the more adamant that I dont back down from these big creative challenges. Im being given these big opportunities to tell stories the way that I want to tell them, which is uncompromising in their queerness, but also in their victory. Its been a surreal thing watching our rights deteriorate actively. It makes me want to keep writing, so that I can keep inspiring kids to do more than simply ask to be tolerated. I want these kids writing their own stories, and I want them to be loud about it. What do you hope readers take away from The Honeys? I want people to walk away from The Honeys with a new perspective on themselves and on the world. A big part of The Honeys gets at letting yourself be sensitive enough to endure both the horrors and also the blessings that come with being a person and having a life. I want people to have a new perspective on nature and bees. I think that that would be wonderful, if people had a little bit more respect for the tiny pollinators that form the foundation of our world. But ultimately, as a horror writer, I want people to be unsettled enough to kind of reconsider their own relationships with certain things in their life. And especially with a book about grief, I hope that people put the book down and maybe call up somebody before they don't have the chance to call that person anymore. What are you working on now? I cant tell you much, but I can tell you that my follow-up to The Honeys is a supernatural thriller, and it takes place in New York City. Whereas The Honeys deals with predators that haunt us in broad daylight, this one deals with the types of predators that nest within our own lives and oftentimes trap us in our own sort of claustrophobic sense of safety. The Honeys by Ryan La Sala. Scholastic/Push, $18.99 Aug. 16 ISBN 978-1-338-7453-1-3 Fans of Alice Osemans Heartstopper will have a new installment of the story to look forward to when Scholastic publishes the prose novella Nick and Charlie in January 2023; its cover, designed by Oseman, is revealed here for the first time. Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring are the lead couple in Heartstopper, Osemans mega-popular webcomic and graphic novel series, which was recently adapted into an animated Netflix series. The novella picks up their story as Nick is getting ready to leave for college. Charlie is a year younger, so the two are dealing with their impending separation and its possible effects on their relationship. Nick and Charlie have existed as characters for a whole decade, and, like me, many of my readers have grown up along with them, Oseman told PW. I adored exploring their lives now that theyre a little older and I hope readers will enjoy reading this new chapter of Nick and Charlies love story. Oseman introduced Nick and Charlie in her first prose novel, Solitaire, which was published in the U.K. by HarperCollins Childrens Books in 2014, when she was a 19-year-old student at the University of Durham. She launched Heartstopper as a webcomic in 2016, and it was one of the first big hits for vertical-scrolling webcomics. In 2018, after the comic reached 50,000 readers, she launched a Kickstarter for a self-published print version. It reached its 9,000 goal within two hours and ultimately raised 58,925 from almost 1,600 backers. Hachette Childrens Group snapped up the U.K. rights later that year and published Heartstopper under its Hodder imprint. Scholastic followed suit in the U.S. in 2019, publishing the first two volumes in 2020 under the Graphix imprint. Four volumes have been published so far, and a fifth is planned but hasnt been scheduled yet. The Netflix series, written by Oseman, premiered in the U.S. in April 2022 and made the Netflix global list of most viewed shows for three weeks in a row; it has been renewed for two more seasons. Prose to Comics and Back Again Nick and Charlie editor David Levithan recalled meeting Oseman at an event in London. I knew her as a YA author, so was a little confused when, during the signing, readers kept asking her to draw things in their books, he said. It didnt take me long to find what Alice was up to with her webcomic. Then, when Cassandra Pelham Fulton and David Saylor brought Heartstopper to Scholastic as its U.S. home, I got to be a very loud cheerleader. I think we all felt it was something really special, in no small part because it was a queer YA romance wed all been looking for. While Nick and Charlie is an illustrated novella, not a graphic novel, Levithan said, I think it feels very similar, because Alices humor, heart, and humanity come through whether there are illustrations or not. He also thinks the novella stands on its own, apart from the graphic novel. I think the dilemma Nick and Charlie face in this story, about what you need to do in a relationship when one person must go somewhere else while the other stays behind, is pretty relatable even if youve never met Nick and Charlie before, he said. But I imagine it will have even more impact if you are familiar with the characters, either through the graphic novels or the TV series. Having spent a lot of time with Nick and Charlie, Levithan is rooting for them. I think you cant be a fan of Heartstopper without wishing Nick and Charlie the best in all things, he said. So I just wish them the best now, because growing up can be a beast to relationships. A Virginia state judge has set an August 30 hearing to consider two lawsuits that, if successful, would cause two popular books to be pulled from bookshelves across the state, alleging they are obscene under an obscure state law. First filed in May by lawyer and Republican Virginia assembly delegate Tim Anderson on behalf of plaintiff and Republican congressional candidate Tommy Altman, the suits allege that the graphic memoir Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe and A Court of Mist and Fury by bestselling author Sarah J. Maasare obscene for unrestricted viewing by minors. On May 18, judge Pamela Baskervill (a retired judge hearing the case by designation after all the sitting judges in the circuit disqualified themselves) found there was probable cause and ordered the defendants to answer the charges. While the two lawsuits have not been officially consolidated, the court will consider the fate of both cases at the single hearing, noting their overlap. According to a June 30 order, the hearing will focus on motions, which, if granted, "would result in dismissal of the suits." Lawyers for the authors and publisher defendants as well as bookseller Barnes & Noble filed motions to dismiss the suits late last month. Reply briefs from the plaintiffs are due August 9, with final replies due from the defendants on August 16. Kobabes Gender Queer is an acclaimed, award-winning graphic novel and coming of age story, while A Court of Mist and Fury, is a bestselling novel also with strong reviews. Calling the complaints procedurally and substantively deficient, as well as unconstitutional, lawyers for Kobabes publisher, Oni-Lion Forge, insisted in a July 26 motion to dismiss that the court must toss the case. At the outset, the Petition is doomed, the brief states, noting that nothing in the statute cited permits the court to deem a book obscene for minors. Moreover, the Petition is flawed for even what it does allege. Instead of addressing the literary work as a whole, Petitioner highlights seven pages from the 240-pages of Gender Queer that he claims exert a dominant and perverse theme to promote felonious sexual encounters between minors. Even if those seven pages were not taken out of context, which they were, the Petition fails to plead with sufficiency that Gender Queer is obscene under [the law]. Under both the statute and well-settled constitutional legal precedent, the Petition must allege that Gender Queer, taken as a whole, has a dominant theme that appeals to the prurient interest of the average citizen of the Commonwealth. The Petition, as a matter of law, fails to do so. The circumstances under which [the suits] were filed strongly suggest that their purposes were suspect. They have generated a great deal of public attention. But they are misuse of the legal process. They should terminate at the earliest possible stage. The court should draw a clear constitutional line now. In a separate July 26 brief, lawyers for Kobabe offer an even more blunt assessment the case: The goal of this lawsuit is to censor literature, the brief states. Petitioner Tommy Altman dislikes what he sees on seven pages of an award-winning 240-page book, and from that small sample and without addressing the graphic novel as a whole, he seeks an unconstitutional ruling that the entire book is obscene. In a joint brief, lawyers for Maas and Bloomsbury also rip the petitioners claims. Petitioner cherry picks approximately a dozen passages from the more than 600 pages in the book and then asserts that these excerpts are inappropriate for 10-year-olds, the brief states, going on to call the attempt to pull the book from bookshelves blatantly unconstitutional. And in a powerful brief, attorneys for B&N eviscerate both the claims and the petitioner, Tommy Altman, the conservative lawmaker who had sought to portray the suit as an issue of "parental rights," taking a page from Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin's successful campaign playbook. (Altman, however, lost the Republican primary for Congress on June 21 by more than 40 points). The petitions are extraordinary, the B&N brief states. They ignore the language of the Virginia statutes under which they were filed and assume that developments in First Amendment law over the past 65 years never occurred. They are not well grounded in fact. They are not warranted by well-settled law, or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of that law. The circumstances under which they were filed strongly suggest that their purposes were suspect. They have generated a great deal of public attention. But they are misuse of the legal process. They should terminate at the earliest possible stage. The court should draw a clear constitutional line now. The cases have garnered national headlines and generated concern among booksellers, publishers, librarians, and free speech advocates including an amicus brief filed last month on behalf of a coalition of four Virginia booksellers, the American Booksellers for Free Expression, the American Library Association, The Virginia Library Association, the Association of American Publishers, the Authors Guild, and the Freedom to Read Foundation. "These cases threaten the right of booksellers, librarians, authors and publishers, including Proposed Amici, to create, curate, and provide access to First Amendmentprotected material," the brief states, "and the right of their customers, patrons, and readers to obtain and consume such material." I call it the Silicon Valley of media, Penguin Random House CEO Markus Dohle said, referring to trade book publishing, to Department of Justice attorney John Read during roughly five hours of testimony on Thursday. We are angel investors in our authors and their dreams, their stories. Thats how I call my editors and publishers: angels. The memorable line came in response to questions by Read, the DOJ's lead attorney in its case to block Bertelsmann's proposed acquisition of Simon & Schuster and merger with PRH, about a presentation PRH US CEO Madeline McIntosh gave to a famous public figure in order to convince them that her company was the best place for that figure to enter the book business. It was also a response to questioning by Read intended to push Dohle into confirming, under oath, the government's central argument in its case: that authors receiving a $250,000 advance or above represent a significant sub-market of the book business, and that the PRH-S&S merger would inevitably lower the advances paid to those authors. McIntosh's presentation, which was displayed on a screen but not provided to press, explains that the top 4% of profitable titles in the book business drive 60% of its profitability, and that higher advance levels are correlated with more book sales; however, there are always exceptions. Dohle argued that the top 4% of books were the books that you dont pay a lot for and become runaway bestsellers. Read, pushed back, arguing that books that receive higher advances are more likely to sell well. There is a wide range, and some big advances flop completely and dont sell well, Dohle said, but there should be a correlation. From a courtroom drama angle, one of the most fascinating aspects of this trial is a somewhat peculiar irony. The government's case relies in part on making publishers look extraordinarily savvy about the market in which they operate, in addition to benefiting from their sheer size. PRH's case relies on arguing that, actually, book publishing is a crap-shoot and that even the biggest, most powerful publishers are fortunate when a book they acquire becomes a bestseller. (Both, of course, have an element of truth.) Much of the interchange between Read and Dohle hinged on Dohle's argument that Penguin Random House was, in fact, not the dominant publisher in the market that has been portrayed by the government because, based on PRH's internal numbers, the company had lost market share almost the size of Simon & Schuster since the merger between Penguin and Random House in 2013, a decline that has not hurt the company's profitability. Still, Read asked, if PRH combines with S&S, will that cement it as the top publisher in the market? Dohle, after some hedging about the wording, agreed that it would. One argument the government made is that PRH is paying a lot of money to authors now to dominate the market, but once its acquired S&S, it will be so big as to have no reason to do so, and competition, books acquired, and author advances will all drop. (It would also, the government asserted-should author advances be reduced,-hurt the diversity of stories being published; Dohle agreed, provided that they were significantly reduced.) After this merger, PRH US will not have as strong a need to grow share, correct? asked Read. Dohle responded, I dont think it doesnt speak to our performance that PRH is paying almost $2.2 billion to recoup our market share. Forced to answer a yes or no question, Dohle conceded. The government also spent time investigating the possibility of closing imprints after the deal is completed, and as an example, pointed to the merger of the Crown and Random House publishing groups. Read brought up the decision to close the Spiegel & Grau imprrnt. Dohle seemed doleful about the ordeal, even going so far as to say he disagreed with the decision to kill the imprint in 2019, suggesting it be moved to another imprint. That, obviously, did not happen, and asked by Read if it was shuttered because it wasn't profitable enough, Dohle said, that is my understanding of the rationale. Continuing on the imprint line of inquiry, asked by PRH head lawyer Dan Petrocelli about the fate of imprints after the Penguin merger, Dohle said that, while some imprints were closed, others were opened, and that the overall number of imprints has stayed about the same. Also going back to the merger with Penguin, Petrocelli asked Dohle if he tried to reduce author compensation after the purchase was completed. "No, not at all," Dohle said. Imprints also figured in the governments examination around Dohle's commitment to agents that he would keep the ecosystem of imprints at Simon & Schuster together and allow them to bid for manuscripts against imprints of PRH as if they were external biddersthat is, to continue to attempt to win the auction regardless of whether the only other bidder was an imprint of a combined PRH-S&S. Dohle said that remains his intention but that unfortunately, we could not find a legally binding way to solidify the commitment. Asked later, in cross-examination, if he had a good reason to keep that commitment anyway, Dohle said: My experience in almost 30 years in business and the publishing industry is, if you grant your partners, which in this case are agents and authors, an additional service, an additional advantage, you are practically unable to take it away. It would undermine that trustful relationship. I think it would damage our business, and that agents and authors would not appreciate it. At this point, Judge Florence Pan followed up, asking what he thought agents and authors would do if he reneged? The agent community, Dohle said, would of course argue against it, because it was something that we granted them. Judge Pan expressed skepticism that, even should Dohle fail to keep the commitment, agents would refuse to choose a PRH imprint if it were the highest bidder. Megan Giddings. Amistad, $26.99 (368p) ISBN 978-0-06-311699-3 Giddings (Lakewood) pulls off a dynamite story of a Black womans resistance in an oppressive dystopia. Jo Thomass mother, Tiana, has been declared dead after having been missing for 14 years. At 28, the age at which all women must marry or register with the Bureau of Witchcraft, Jo works at the Museum of Cursed Art and is in love with her white best friend, Angie. Tiana taught Jo as a girl that magic wasnt real, but rather a myth to enable oppressions of women and non-cisgender people. Jo is set to inherit a large sum from Tiana on the condition that she agrees to visit an island in Lake Superior, which, according to a story Tiana once told her, only appears once every seven years. The instructions remind her of a story her mother told her as a child, about an island with a treasure. Though Jo doesnt want to leave her sometimes-boyfriend Preston, or her job and Angie, she complies, and upon returning is promptly imprisoned for suspected witchcraft. When Preston promises to take custody of Jo, as required by law, the two enter a tender phase of their relationship. But after the islands secrets leak into the real world, Jo is imprisoned again. Giddings ingeniously blends her harrowing parable of an all-powerful patriarchy with insights into racial imbalances, such as a scene in which Jo and Angie are pulled over by the cops (I wanted the ease of feeling protected and beautiful enough to try to make a joke, to not have my hands on the dashboard, to not text someone pulled over by cops, please call in 15 minutes if you dont hear from me again). This is brilliant. Is non-partisan civics education still possible? For many Americans, such a notion might seem hopelessly naive. To make their case, they need only point to states passing legislation to combat critical race theory (CRT) or others like Illinois and California that mandate culturally responsive teaching. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has stated his opposition to the Civics Secures Democracy Act which, despite some bipartisan support, critics accuse of being a leftist boondoggle. Recent Florida Department of Education civics trainings have similarly been accused of ideological indoctrination. If all civics is inherently partisan, however, it surely spells the end of civic education in public schools. Why should parents subject their children to political education that is, education oriented toward certain policy outcomes they disagree with? Why should partisan civics be broadly supported through tax dollars? Civics is about learning fundamental knowledge thats necessary for good citizenship. If we cant agree on the fundamentals, we cant have civics. Of course, certain aspects of civics generate little controversy such as understanding the basic functions and processes of government. But even more contested areas that touch on fundamental values of our political system and controversial moments in our history can avoid partisanship with the right approach. If were serious about preserving civics as an important component of public education, teachers need ongoing educational opportunities that feature the following: Scholars of American political thought: Teachers need the chance to learn from scholars of political science and history who study the development of ideals central to the American creed liberty, equality, and justice and key constitutional principles. Scholars should be chosen for their facility with teachers and having a demonstrated ability to represent competing points of view fully and fairly. Primary Sources: The study of historical documents should be central to any civics curriculum. Relying on the actual words of historical figures is the best way to avoid biased presentations of their views. Simply providing primary sources is not sufficient. Context for given sources and competing viewpoints also needs to be included to avoid one-sided or misleading understanding of historical documents or events. Discussion: Even with diverse views represented through well-selected primary sources, its only in dialogue with scholars and fellow educators that teachers can fully work through differing points of view. Teachers should come to a well-rounded understanding of a particular debate or event, thereby avoiding intentional partisanship in the classroom. Far too few civics teachers have these kinds of training programs available to them. Fortunately, the Jack Miller Center has been active in promoting and conducting such programs for more than a decade, and a number of scholars in our network have taken it upon themselves to start their own programs. But given the polarization around civics today, much more needs to be done, and it needs to be done now. Civics will always encompass a battle of sorts, because Americans have and will always disagree about the meaning of our Constitution and finding the right balance between freedom and equality. But it need not be a partisan or ideological battlefield. Scholars and teachers need to be sufficiently educated in a given issue and committed to representing all sides fully and fairly. Thats the difference between an education meant to achieve policy outcomes and one fit for a free citizenry. The former will inevitably fail to garner the support needed to justify public funding; the latter is absolutely essential for the maintenance of our political system. Thomas Kelly, J.D. is Director of Civics Outreach at the Jack Miller Center Alexander Skarsgard will help launch the upcoming season of IFC's documentary parody show, Documentary Now!, which will begin airing on the network Oct. 19. ADVERTISEMENT The news came Friday in the form of a short teaser trailer for the show's upcoming '53rd' season -- though it will be only its fourth in reality. Skarsgard can be seen lugging around a large camera, and his episode will follow "a visionary German filmmaker [who] tries to will his magnum opus into existence while working in the remote, punishing conditions of the Russian Ular mountains," according to an IFC press release. The episode will be a parody of the 1982 documentary Burden of Dreams, which depicts the making of the film Fitzcarraldo by renowned German director Werner Herzog. The native of Stockholm, Sweden will star in the two-part season premiere alongside another newcomer to the series, Succession's Nicholas Braun. The trailer also shows off a number of returning faces to the show, including Helen Mirren , who serves as the series' narrator. First premiering in August 2015, Documentary Now! was created by Saturday Night Live alumni Seth Meyers, Rhys Thomas, Bill Hader and Fred Armisen, with the latter two also starring in the series. Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels also pitches in as an executive producer. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Each episode parodies different genres of documentary films, with Hader and Armisen often adding their own comedic touches to each. Documentary Now! also features contributions from other well-known actors and comedians, such as John Mulaney -- who wrote Skarsgard's episode. Additional guest stars for the upcoming season will include Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett and The Crown's Jonathan Pryce. The first three seasons of the show have each been met with critical acclaim, and Documentary Now! has been nominated for six Emmy Awards throughout its run. The upcoming fourth season of the show was renewed in April 2019, and will consist of six episodes. For Skarsgard, the appearance will mark a change of pace for the actor, who more often appears in dramatic roles. The 45-year-old first made his breakthrough as a regular on the fantasy horror series True Blood, and later earned an Emmy Award and Golden Globe for his work on the HBO drama Big Little Lies. He is also a well-known action star, lending his physical side to films such as The Legend of Tarzan and Godzilla vs Kong. Skarsgard most recently starred in the historical epic The Northman as a vengeful Viking prince. The film received critical acclaim, with UPI critic Fred Topel calling Skarsgard a "hulking, bloody...engrossing action hero" who "performs some physical feats in single takes that either are impressively practiced or seamlessly enhanced." Warner Bros. Discovery announced Thursday that it will merge its HBO Max and Discovery+ platforms into a single streaming service. ADVERTISEMENT The merger will take place in the summer of 2023, CEO David Zaslav announced during a second-quarter earnings call. The media corporation did not provide further details such as what the new service will be called or subscription pricing. JB Perette, CEO and president of global streaming and interactive at Warner Bros. Discovery, did say the company is initially focused on ad-supported and ad-free versions of the new streaming platform but would also explore "how to reach customers in the free, ad-supported space." In the United States, HBO Max is currently available for $14.99 per month without ads and $9.99 a month with ads, while the ad-free version of Discovery+ costs $6.99 per month and $4.99 a month with ads. The company's second-quarter earnings report showed that HBO Max and Discovery+ totaled a combined 92.1 million subscribers, up 1.7 million from 90.4 million the prior quarter. AT&T spun off WarnerMedia and merged it with Discovery in May 2021, with Zaslav, then the CEO of Discovery, being selected to helm the new company when the merger was completed in April. Zaslav pledged to investors that he would cut costs and find $3 billion in savings. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Thursday's news came after the company announced earlier this week it would not release Batgirl, which was set to star Leslie Grace as the titular superhero alongside Michael Keaton reprising his role of Bruce Wayne/Batman, in theaters or on its HBO Max streaming platform. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. The U.S. Senate has confirmed a prominent Arizona election attorney for a position as a judge on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Panelists speak on the Your Voice, Your Vote tour on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. The tour stopped in Athens to educate voters on election laws at the Athens-Clarke County Library. (Photo/Sidney Chansamone, @sid.chansa) 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 Photographer / Multimedia Editor Has been working as a photojournalist since 2007, before moving into newspapers, he worked with an NGO called Project HOPE. He then went to work for the Press and Sun-Bulletin in New York, and then in New England working for the Brattleboro Reformer. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Overcast with rain showers at times. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Overcast with rain showers at times. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. The state police union filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday alleging that part of a Connecticut police accountability law is unconstitutional. The act allows the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection to release exonerated, not sustained or unfounded internal affairs investigations to the public, according to the petition. The union says this goes against its collective bargaining agreement from 2018. The Act retroactively eliminates protections in our collective bargaining agreement with the State that the union specifically negotiated for and the State legislature approved, Andrew Matthews, the executive director of the Connecticut State Police Union, said in a statement Thursday. We are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take the case and require State officials to keep their word and honor the terms of our contract. In the petition, the union says it negotiated the exemption In response to an increase in false and anonymous complaints made against state troopers. The exemption keeps false or unsubstantiated allegations of misconduct against state troopers from public disclosure, the petition said. The union alleges that the law goes against the contracts clause in the constitution, which forbids states from passing laws that go against contracts. This lawsuit seeks to have Public Act 20-1 [the Police Accountability Act] declared unconstitutional, the union stated in the petition. Circuit Judge Raymond J. Lohier, Jr., said in the June 2022 ruling that We have long recognized that this prohibition is not absolute. States may impair contracts including, as relevant here, ones to which they themselves are a party so long as the law in question is reasonable and necessary to achieve a legitimate public purpose, he continued. The union argued that the Supreme Court should take the case and address whether and to what extent the contracts clause protects a public sector unions collective bargaining agreement from legislative impairments. The union has already brought the issue to court twice. A federal judge ruled against the union in October 2020, saying an injunction against parts of the police accountability law would not serve the public interest. The case then went to the U.S. Court of Appeals, which also ruled against the union in June 2022. The circuit judges concluded that the law the union sought to enjoin was reasonable and necessary to achieve a legitimate public purpose. State police entered into the contract in July 2018. U.S. House speaker was irresponsible for visiting Taipei this week, top Chinese diplomat says. UPDATED at 7:00 p.m. EDT on 2022-08-04 Southeast Asian nations called for maximum restraint as China launched ballistic missiles into the waters around Taiwan on Thursday, while Western nations urged Beijing not to escalate tensions further after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi who was in Cambodias capital for meetings with counterparts from ASEAN states and other nations called the unprecedented live-fire drills reasonable and legitimate steps to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, as China kept venting its fury over Pelosis stop in Taipei. More than 100 aircraft and more than 10 warships took part on Thursday in the first day of live-fire exercises that will go until Sunday, Chinese state media reported. China began the exercises a day after Pelosi left Taiwan after becoming the highest ranking American official to visit the island in 25 years. The Taiwan Defense Ministry responded by scrambling jets to warn away 22 Chinese aircraft that crossed into its air defense zone and also fired flares to drive away four drones involved in the exercises, according to Reuters. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, whose foreign ministers are meeting in Phnom Penh this week along with the top diplomats from China, the United States and other powers, came out with a rare collective statement expressing worry about the tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Without naming China or the U.S., they said ASEAN was concerned about volatility that could destabilize the region and eventually could lead to miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers. ASEAN calls for maximum restraint and for the powers to refrain from provocative action, according to excerpts from their statement. We should act together and ASEAN stands ready to play a constructive role in facilitating peaceful dialogue between all parties including through utilizing ASEAN-led mechanisms to de-escalate tension, to safeguard peace, security and development in our region, the Southeast Asian foreign ministers said. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was in Phnom Penh on Thursday, said he did not want China to manufacture a crisis to increase military activity in the region and that the United States opposed any unilateral efforts to change the status quo on Taiwan. Retno Marsudi, the foreign minister of ASEAN member Indonesia, said her nation was worried about the increasing rivalry between the big powers. And if this rivalry is not managed properly, it will lead to an open conflict that will surely threaten peace and stability, including in the Taiwan Strait, she warned. In Manila, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs joined the chorus of regional concern about tensions around Taiwan. Diplomacy and dialogue must prevail, it said. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell Fontelles in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, during the ASEAN Foreign Ministerial Meetings and Related Meetings, Aug. 4, 2022. Credit: Pool/AP Cambodia, this years ASEAN chair, issued its own statement where it too announced that it consistently and firmly adheres to 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. For its part, Cambodia said it considered issues related to Taiwan along with Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang as being under the sovereign rights of the Peoples Republic of China. Wang: Pelosi irresponsible Wang, meanwhile, took a hardline stance on what he saw as efforts against Beijing. He lashed out at Pelosi for visiting Taiwan, saying it was a manic, irresponsible and highly irrational act, CCTV, the Chinese state broadcaster, reported. Chinas foreign minister also rejected a statement from leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations on Wednesday, where they expressed concern about the proposed live-fire exercises. 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 PRCs escalatory response risks increasing tensions and destabilizing the region, the G7 said. Wang accused the G7 which includes the United States and Japan of ignoring the negative effects of Pelosis visit. It groundlessly criticizes China for taking such measures, which are reasonable and legitimate steps to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Chinas foreign ministry quoted Wang as saying in response to the G7. Wang also challenged the U.S. to get on board with Beijings plan. The United States should not dream of obstructing Chinas reunification. Taiwan is a part of China. The complete reunification of China is the trend of the times and an inevitability of history, he said. Abiding interest in peace On Thursday, Washingtons top diplomat reiterated the American governments support for Taiwan while remaining committed to the One China policy. The United States continues to have an abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, Antony Blinken said in an opening statement at the ASEAN meeting where Retno Marsudi joined him. We oppose any unilateral efforts to change the status quo, especially by force, he said. And I want to emphasize [that] nothing has changed about our position. He also said that he did not want China to manufacture a crisis or seek a pretext to increase its aggressive military activity, according to a transcript from his joint press conference with Retno. We, and countries around the world believe that escalation serves no one and could have unintended consequences that serve no ones interest including ASEAN members and including China. Blinken said U.S. officials had reached out to their Chinese counterparts over the last several days to convey this message. Maintaining cross-strait stability is in the interests of all countries in the region, including all of our colleagues within ASEAN, he said. U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi visits the Joint Security Area of the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea on August 4, 2022. Credit: Speaker's Office/AFP Pelosis Taiwan visit reverberated far beyond ASEAN to South Korea, a U.S. ally that tries to balance security ties with Washington with key economic links with China. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol chose not to interrupt his vacation to meet Pelosi in person and the two spoke by phone instead. President Yoons vacation schedule and Speaker Pelosis visit to the Republic of Korea overlapped, and we did not rearrange our schedule, said his office in a statement. Some South Korean analysts said Yoon, whose country is a long-time U.S. ally, had blundered by becoming the only leader not to meet Pelosi. Her four-nation Asia trip began in Singapore and Malaysia before the Taiwan stopover, and will end in Japan. It gives a bad sign that South Korea is a very weak link (among the U.S. allies)," said Cha Du Hyeogn of the Seoul-based Asan Institute. What would China think later? Who will be the primary target when its confronting each country in the Indo-Pacific region? said Cha, reflecting criticism in Seoul that Yoon had snubbed Pelosi to avoid Chinese anger over her Taiwan visit. UPDATED with controversy in South Korea over President Yoon Suk Yeol's failure to meet Pelosi. RFA Korean in Seoul and Jason Gutierrez in Manila contributed to this report by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. The daughter of an outspoken Chinese poet who called on ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping to step down has hit out at an "unjust and cruel" prison sentence handed down to her father. Zhang Yiran, currently living in the United States, made a short video outlining the details of her father's case. "Hi everyone. I'm Zhang Yiran, Lu Yang's daughter," she said. "My father was sentenced to the cruel punishment of six years' imprisonment for posting a video to social media calling on Chinese leader Xi Jinping to step down." "He was taken away by police on May 1, 2020, and tried in secret on Sept. 15, 2020 by the Liaocheng Intermediate People's Court on charges of 'incitement to subvert state power'," Zhang said, adding that he was then held for a further two years and three months at the Liaocheng Detention Center, while his family waited and waited for news of the outcome. In China's criminal justice system, sentencing is usually announced within six weeks of a trial's conclusion. "Recently, on July 26, 2022, he was sentenced in secret to six years' imprisonment and three years' deprivation of political rights," Zhang said. "The sentence was communicated verbally to my mother by the court, which refused to give her the court judgment, saying they contained state secrets." They also told her at that time that Lu had said he wanted to appeal, she said. "This is an unfair, unjust and cruel sentence, and I, my mother, and my grandmother, who is bed-bound with illness and in her nineties, waited and suffered for two years to hear it," Zhang said. "We never expected that after all that, there would be such a cruel outcome." She said her mother had hired a lawyer from the Haiyang Law Firm in Shandong to prepare the case for appeal at the Shandong Provincial High Court. "I urge all people of conscience to support my father, and call on the Chinese authorities to undo this injustice and give him back his rights," Zhang said. Zhang Guiqi, 49, who is widely known by his penname Lu Yang, pleaded not guilty to the charges, which came after he posted a video of himself calling on Xi to step down, and calling for "an end to the CCP dictatorship." Lu Yang was among a group of rights activists who went to the Shandong Jianzhu University in January 2017 to support a former professor there, Deng Xiangchao, who was targeted by Maoist protesters after he retweeted a post satirizing late supreme leader Mao Zedong. The Shandong authorities terminated Deng's teaching contract after the incident, while Maoist flash mobs attacked Deng's supporters at the scene, including Yang. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. U.S. National Security Spokesman John Kirby accuses Beijing of overreacting to Pelosi's visit to the island. An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter takes off from the flight deck of amphibious assault carrier USS Tripoli, operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet, Aug. 3, 2022. UPDATED at 1:40 p.m. EDT on 2022-08-05 The U.S. is keeping a close watch on Chinas military drills around Taiwan and may take further action, with the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group remaining on station to monitor the situation, the U.S. National Security Spokesman John Kirby said late Thursday. On Friday, day two of the three-day military exercise held in response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan, Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) dispatched multiple military aircraft and warships to the Taiwan Strait, Taiwans Ministry of National Defense said in a statement. Some of the aircraft and vessels crossed the median line dividing the Taiwan Strait, the ministry added, calling the PLA drills "highly provocative" and vowing to respond appropriately to such incursions. "The Ministry of National Defense condemned the CCP's deliberately crossing the middle line of the strait and infringing on the sea and airspace around Taiwan. The National Army will act resolutely to safeguard national security and ensure that democracy and freedom are not threatened," it said in a statement Friday evening. Before that, the defense ministry said the Chinese military also flew four drones over Taiwans outlying islands of Kinmen on Thursday night. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said China firing missiles near busy international air and sea routes around Taiwan on Thursday was an irresponsible act and called on Beijing to act with reason and exercise restraint. An F/A-18E Super Hornet prepares to launch on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan in the Philippine Sea, Aug. 4, 2022. CREDIT: U.S. Navy U.S. 'will take further steps' China on Friday released a set of eight countermeasures in response to the Pelosi visit, freezing collaboration on three sets of military dialogues with the U.S., as wells as from talks on the climate crisis, repatriation of illegal immigrants, counternarcotics and legal assistance in criminal matters. The defense talks included meetings bewteen Chinese and U.S. military commanders and bilateral efforts to coordinate air and sea operations to misunderstandings and clashes by warships operating at close range. The break-off of the wide range of bilateral talks, unveiled by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, came after Beijing announced sanctions against Pelosi and her direct family members, accusing her of vicious and provocative actions. Pelosi is the most senior U.S. official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. They may try to keep Taiwan from visiting or participating in other places, but they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there, news agencies quoted the U.S. House Speaker as saying on Friday in Tokyo, the final leg of her Asia tour. The U.S. National Security Spokesperson John Kirby said at a press briefing on Thursday that the Biden administration condemns Chinas actions. China has chosen to overreact and use the speaker's visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait, he said, adding: We also expect that these actions will continue and that the Chinese will continue to react in coming days. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has directed the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group to remain on station in the general area to monitor the situation, Kirby said. The carrier strike group is currently in the Philippines Sea and two big deck amphibious ships, USS Tripoli and USS America, are on their way to the east of Taiwan, the U.S. Naval Institute reported. Besides conducting standard air and maritime transits through the Taiwan Strait in the next few weeks, the U.S. will take further steps to demonstrate our commitment to the security of our allies in the region including Japan, the National Security spokesperson said. Washington, however, postponed a long-planned test of an Air Force Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile to avoid escalating tensions with Beijing. The U.S. military seems to have expanded aerial ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) operations around Taiwan on Friday, a Beijing-based think-tank that has been tracking regional military movements said. The South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCSPI) said it has spotted at least seven U.S. reconnaissance aircraft, supported by six military aerial refueling aircraft KC-135 in the area. An MH-60R anti-submarine Seahawk helicopter was also seen flying close to the southwest of Taiwan before moving north towards Japans Okinawa island, according to data provided by the flight tracking website Flightradar 24. A map showing where Chinese missiles are believed to have landed in Taiwan's waters and Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone. CREDIT: Japanese Defense Ministry Japans concerns On Friday morning, about 10 Chinese navy ships and 20 military aircraft briefly crossed the median line the tacit maritime border between Taiwan and Chinas mainland - Reuters quoted an anonymous source close to the matter as saying. Chinas state media meanwhile said that the PLA has sent an aircraft carrier group featuring at least one nuclear-powered submarine to the ongoing drills around Taiwan for its first carrier deterrence exercise. The Global Times quoted Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the Naval Research Academy which is affiliated with the PLA, who said on Thursday at least one nuclear-powered submarine has been deployed. Zhang did not name the aircraft carrier. China has two carriers in operation the Liaoning and the Shandong. The third aircraft carrier, Fujian, is near completion. Taiwanese media reported that the two operating aircraft carriers have left their home ports of Qingdao in Shandong province, and Sanya in Hainan province, but this information cannot be independently verified. On Thursday Japan said it had lodged a diplomatic protest after five ballistic missiles fired by China appear to have landed inside Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which stretches 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from the outer limits of Japan's territorial seas. "To have five Chinese missiles fall within Japan's EEZ like this is a first," Japanese defense minister Nobuo Kishi told reporters. Japans Ministry of Defense provided a detailed report of the Chinese missile launches and a map showing the missiles projected routes. It appears that four missiles, launched from mainland China, flew over Taiwans capital, Taipei. This is the second time that Chinese missiles flew over Taiwans main island, the previous time was in 1996, said Shen Ming-Shih, acting deputy chief executive officer at Taiwans Institute for National Defense and Security Research, a government think-tank. That time, Chinese missile tests and live-fire exercises led to the U.S. intervention in the so-called Third Taiwan Strait Crisis. This time, an American involvement is yet to be seen but on Wednesday the U.S., together with six other developed countries, including Japan and the European Union, released a G7 Foreign Ministers Statement on the situation in the Taiwan Strait. The G7 countries expressed their concerns over threatening actions by China which risk increasing tensions and destabilizing the region. China responded by canceling a pre-scheduled meeting on Thursday afternoon between its foreign minister Wang Yi and his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi. On the same day, Chinas Defense Ministry repeated the threat of solemn deterrence against the collusion between the U.S. and Taiwan. The Chinese military always matches its words with deeds, said Sr. Col. Tan Kefei, the ministrys spokesman. UPDATED with Chinese countermeasures halting cooperation with the U.S. in eight areas. The missile launches lasted less than three hours, sparking nationalistic disappointment on social media. A Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft flies over the 68-nautical-mile scenic spot, one of mainland China's closest points to the island of Taiwan, in Pingtan island, Fujian province, China, August 5, 2022. UPDATED at 6:30 p.m. EDT on 2022-08-05 China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) appeared to have ended live-fire missile tests around Taiwan after just a few hours, amid international criticism and disappointment on domestic social media on Friday. The missile tests were part of an intensive round of PLA military exercises around Taiwan scheduled from Aug. 4-7, and their conclusion was viewed by online Little Pink nationalist commentators as disappointing. The drills and incursions by Chinese ships and planes into Taiwan's waters are continuing, however. "Does this mean they won't fire any more over the next couple of days?" wrote @Fengyun_is_back, while others quipped that the army is done "frying fish," a slang reference to saber-rattling directed at Taiwan. "Did they only have so many missiles, and did they fire them all at once?" one user commented. Current affairs commentator Zhao Qing said he was surprised that the PLA had announced an end to missile tests, in a move that appeared hasty. "It lasted just two hours and 22 minutes from the launch of the PLA's first missile," Zhao said. "I was really surprised by how short that was. I thought the live-fire missile launches would go on for 10 hours or more." "That was really unexpected. Five more missiles missed [their targets] and landed in Japanese waters, and they stopped the exercise after Japan protested," Zhao said. Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said five of the PLA's ballistic missiles landed in Japans territorial waters from between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. local time on Aug. 4. The Rocket Force under the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducts conventional missile tests into the waters off the eastern coast of Taiwan, from an undisclosed location in this August 4, 2022 handout released on August 5, 2022. Credit: Eastern Theatre Command/Handout via Reuters Some blockades lifted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday condemned the missile launches, calling it "a serious issue that affects our national security and the safety of our citizens." "China's actions ... have had a serious impact on the peace and stability of our region and the international community," he told reporters after having breakfast with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "I told her that we have called on [China] to immediately cancel the military exercises." Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying responded that China and Japan have never formally delimited the maritime area in question, so the missiles couldn't be said to have landed in Japanese waters. Meanwhile, blockades have apparently been lifted in at least three of the six maritime areas used for military exercises, Zhao said. "Only the Chinese coastal waters to the west of Taiwan remain blocked," he said, citing a shipping tracker. "The eastern side of the island is open to shipping, with military exercises completed on that side." "The shipping tracker website shows no information about any military warnings, and the ships are sailing there as normal," Zhao said. A current affairs commentator surnamed Li said the abrupt end to the missile firings suggested something had gone wrong. "Their exercise plan was likely made a long time beforehand," Li said. "The exercise was announced as three days in length, but it only took three hours." "There must be external factors in play [possibly because] the exercise was exposing them, because U.S. military intelligence collection capabilities are very strong," he said. "For example [they may now know about] their launch technology, performance and technical parameters of those missiles, meaning they would be making fools of themselves by firing them," Li said. 'Significant escalation' Reports have also emerged of a personnel change on the first day of the military exercises around Taiwan. A report on a government website in the eastern city of Ningbo said a local official had met with Wang Zhongcai, deputy commander and naval commander of the PLA's Eastern Theater. That post had previously been reported in the state-backed news site The Paper as being held by Mei Wen. " These provocative actions are a significant escalation," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a news conference in Phnom Penh on Friday, referring to China's launch of missiles into Japan's exclusive economic zone. He said the situation had led to a "vigorous communication during East Asia Summit meetings in the Cambodian capital. "[I said that] they should not use the visit as a pretext for war, escalation, for provocative actions, that there is no possible justification for what theyve done," Blinken said, adding that he had also called for an end to the military action in and around the Taiwan Strait. A military scholar who gave only the surname Li said the five missiles that landed in Japanese waters had exposed weaknesses in the PLA's missile launch technology. "Their missile technology is relatively outdated, as it relies on a U.S.-made civilian GPS positioning technology for guidance," Li said. "The Dongfang-15 was ... developed for use against the former Soviet Union, with very similar technology to that of the U.S. at the time," he said. "[Their] more recently developed missiles could have been even more inaccurate." Yang Haiying, a professor at Shizuoka University in Japan, said the Japanese government has lodged a strong protest with China and canceled a planned meeting between the two countries' foreign ministers. "This year was supposed to see celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the normalization of relations between China and Japan, but those five missiles have made it impossible to celebrate," Yang told RFA. "There is no way of knowing now if the missiles' targeting was intentional or not," he said. UPDATED with full quote from Secretary of State Blinken. Corrects "major" to "significant." Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Struggling farms are sending out workers to make money by other means, sometimes with disastrous consequences. Cash-strapped collective farms in North Korea are sending workers to the mines and fisheries to raise operating funds to meet food production targets a policy that cost the lives of 10 farmers in a gold mine collapse last month, sources inside the country said. Ten 10 farm workers were sent by a cooperative farm in South Hwanghae provinces Ongjin county to work as a cash-making group in a gold mine operated by the provincial state security department, a resident of the province told RFA. Even the miners are reluctant to work there because the tunnels are deep and dangerous, she said. Even so, the cash-making group from the cooperative farms went in there to mine gold. The farmers were sent to a poorly supported section of the gold mine. It collapsed, and all 10 were killed, including a man in his 30s with a newborn at home, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity for safety reasons. The state security authorities that run the mine said it would not compensate the farmers families, asserting that the farm workers entered the gold mine voluntarily, she said. State-run farms in other parts of North Korea are also forcing their laborers to go far afield to raise funds, with no money coming from the central government. Cooperative farms are struggling to raise agricultural funds to increase their agricultural crops, but the prospects for farming this year are not bright, said a resident of North Hamgyong province. The reality is that there is no government support and measures for farming. Poor farmworkers go out of their way to earn money, and some even lose their lives. The Chikha cooperative farm in North Hamgyong provinces Chongam district organized a cash-making group and sericulture group to earn extra money, he said. This year, the money from the farm's cash-making group is being diverted into various kinds of hard work, said the resident, who declined to provide his name for safety reasons. The group is jumping to take any money-making work such as gold mining and fishing. At the Chikha cooperative farm, an average of five farmers in each working group catch fish in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, or gather gold from a nearby mine, he said. 'A tragic incident' Agricultural production in North Korea historically has been decimated by natural disasters such as floods, the lack of fertile land, and government mismanagement. As a consequence, the country has come to rely on foreign aid for food, with widespread malnutrition and starvation deaths reported. But a border lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic preventing nearly all trade with neighboring China and international sanctions over North Koreas nuclear weapons program have exacerbated North Koreas food shortages. Many cooperative farms have cash-making groups these days, said the resident of South Hwanghae province. The government does not guarantee the supply of agricultural materials that are supposed to be supplied, so the farms had to organize a cash-making group to earn money to support [themselves], said the source who requested anonymity for safety reasons. Four or five workers from each working group of 35 farmers are selected to help raise money to pay for fertilizers and pesticides, and to pay bribes to gain favor with Workers Party of Korea officials who oversee the farm, the resident said. Each member of the group must earn an average of 500 Chinese yuan (U.S. $74). The South Hwanghae resident said the struggle to raise cash led to the farmers deaths last month. The farmers in the cash-making group believed that the gold mines that were dug during the Japanese colonial period had the most gold, so they entered a mine with weak pillars and suffered a catastrophe all at once, the South Hwanghae resident said. Japan ruled the Korean peninsula as a colony from 1910-45. This is a tragic incident, she added. Farm workers who had to farm in the field died instead as they were entering the mine to make money. Translated by Claire Shinyoung O. Lee and Leejin J. Chung for RFA Korean. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Another PDF member was injured as the men tried to plant the mine on a road being used by junta forces PDF ammunition and hand-made mines seized by junta forces near Kyauk Tai village in Sagaing regions Wetlet township. A hand-made mine exploded as it was being planted, killing five members of the Wetlet Township Peoples Defense Force (PDF) in Sagaing region, according to a militia member who declined to be named for security reasons, The PDF member said the blast happened on Thursday beside the Mandalay-Shwe Bo road. They were planning to use it against junta troops traveling along the road. Six people planted the mine but five of them died and one was injured, he said. We cremated them yesterday. We are giving medical treatment to the one who is injured. The PDF member added that his group relies on hand-made mines due to a lack of weaponry. The names and ages of the five dead men are not yet known. RFA has not been able to confirm the incident, and the military council has not released any statement on it. A lack of weapons is slowing the efforts of PDFs in Sagaing region to fight back against junta forces by using mine attacks and ambushes. General Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of the Military Council, said in a speech on Monday that a total of 3,483 civilians, including monks, government employees and administrative officials have been killed by PDFs during the 18 months since the military coup. Data from the Thai-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) show that, as of Thursday, 2,157 anti-coup democracy activists and civilians had been killed and 11,894 people arrested by the police and the military forces. Violence has risen sharply in the southern region since the start of the year, a research group says. Refugees from Kayin Taung Pyauk, Thayetchaung township of Tanintharyi Region are seen on July 2, 2022. At least 214 civilians have been killed and 89 injured in southern Myanmars Tanintharyi region in the 18 months since the countrys military seized power in a coup, according to local research group Southern Monitor. The group said in a statement on Thursday that since the Feb. 1, 2021 coup, at least 17,415 people in Tanintharyi the home region of junta chief Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaings parents were forced to flee their homes, while 93 homes were destroyed in arson attacks over the same period. The dead included those killed by junta troops as well as victims of retribution attacks by the armed opposition for their alleged role as informants for the military regime, it said. Southern Monitors information officer told RFA Burmese that the number of civilian deaths in Tanintharyi has risen sharply since the beginning of 2022, with the months of April and June being the deadliest. Violent incidents in Tanintharyi region have increased significantly in 2022. People died in an increasing number of battles as well as in bombings and landmine incidents, said the officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. Another worrying trend is the killing of civilians. It can be said that killings by both sides have increased quite a bit. He said most of the assassinations and civilian deaths occurred in Tanintharyis townships of Launglon and Yebyu. At least 93 houses were razed in Tanintharyi since the coup, according to Southern Monitor 33 in Palaw township, 30 in Thayetchaung township, 18 in Tanintharyi township, six in Dawei township, three in Yebyu township, two in Launglon township, and one in Myeik township. A spokesman for the anti-junta Democracy Action Strike Committee (Dawei) told RFA that most of the fires were started by the junta troops and pro-military Pyu Saw Htee militia fighters raiding villages. A military column would come and a battle with PDFs would occur. When [the military] couldn't proceed any further, theyd set fire to a nearby house, said the spokesman, who also declined to be named, citing security concerns. In Launglon, they just set fire to the houses, even though there were no clashes. One of the houses burnt down was owned by a former Dawei District Protest Committee member. At the time of the incident, he was a member of the committee. There were also cases when the Pyu Saw Htee and the military came together and just burned down a house for no reason. According to the Dawei Political Prisoners Network, as of April 29, there were 221 political prisoners in detention in Tanintharyi, two of whom have been sentenced to death by the junta. Military crackdown Residents of the region told RFA that the armed resistance in Tanintharyi started in earnest in August 2021 in response to the militarys violent crackdowns on civilians. A spokesman for the Palaw Township Peoples Defense Force said most of the fighting in Tanintharyi region, up until recently, had been caused by military clearance operations. He claimed that the armed resistance was not responsible for starting any clashes. The fighting we have here began when they entered the area, said the spokesman, who also asked to remain anonymous. Were not in a position to attack them yet because we are still in a state of preparation. The PDF has not launched any offensives, except one. According to the list compiled by Southern Monitor, from June 2021 to July 2022, there were 133 battles and at least 141 attacks using landmines. Most of the attacks took place in the townships of Dawei, Launglon, Thayetchaung, Palaw and Tanintharyi. Attempts by RFA to reach junta Deputy Information Minister Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment on the violence in Tanintharyi went unanswered Thursday. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs announced Wednesday that the number of people displaced by violence in Myanmar had ballooned to 866,000 from 346,000 prior to the coup. It said most of the refugees are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, but the junta has yet to announce any plans to address the problem. Written by Joshua Lipes. Authorities say they will arrest and punish those who defy the order. A view of the Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery in Dzoge county, Ngaba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, in southwest China's Sichuan province in an undated photo. The Chinese government has ramped up restrictions ahead of the birthday of a preeminent Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, calling on local leaders in two Tibetan regions to prevent people from posting his photo or well wishes online, sources with knowledge of the situation said Thursday. Authorities have threatened to arrest Tibetans in the Ngaba and Dzoge regions who defy the order by posting messages on Aug. 8, the 80th birthday of the 11th Kyabje Kirti Rinpoche (honorific) Lobsang Tenzin Jigme Yeshe Gyamtso Rinpoche. Rinpoche is the chief abbot in exile of the Kirti Monastery, one of the most important and influential monasteries in Tibet. The government has warned of such activity by Tibetans, and individuals will be arrested and severely punished if found defying it, said a Tibetan source inside Tibet who declined to be identified so as to speak freely. Chinese authorities restricted monks from the Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery in Dzoge county and the Kirti Monastery in Ngaba county, both in Sichuan province's Ngaba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, from celebrating Rinpoches birthday in 2021. The areas are heavily populated with ethnic Tibetans. Monks were not allowed to leave their monasteries, and gatherings were not permitted during that time. Last year Tibetans inside Tibet anticipated restrictions and scrutiny from the Chinese government on celebrating the 80th birthday of the Kirti Rinpoche, so they held back, said a Tibetan who lives in exile. But this year, Tibetans living in exile and inside Tibet are looking forward to celebrating Rinpoches birthday and offering tenshug, the source said, referring to a long-life prayer offering made to spiritual teachers. But we are seeing restrictions and scrutiny in Ngaba and Dzoge. The Kirti Monastery has been the site of the majority of self-immolations by monks who oppose Chinas repressive policies in Tibet. In one post circulating among some online Tibetan chat groups, members have been warned not to talk about the Kirti Rinpoche or his birthday and to be careful, the source in exile said. Restrictions are greater in the Ngaba region now also because of the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party later this year, said the Tibetan in exile. Rinpoche was born in Thewo Takmoe Gang in the Amdo region of Tibet on the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. When he was a child, leading lamas recognized him as the reincarnation of 10th Kirti Rinpoche, and he was placed at Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery in 1946. Rinpoche went with the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, into exile to Dharamsala, India, in 1959, following the invasion of Tibet by China a decade earlier. He undertook advanced studies in Buddhist religion and philosophy in India, and took higher vows of Buddhist monkhood from the Dalai Lama in 1962. From the late 1980s onwards, Rinpoche held various positions in the Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibetan government in exile. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA Tibetan. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. "I have no hope for the upcoming appeal hearing," said the wife of one protester. The Higher Peoples Court in the Vietnamese capital plans to hear appeals from three famous activists: blogger Le Van Dung, also known as Le Dung Vova, and land rights activists Trinh Ba Phuong and Nguyen Thi Tam. Independent journalist Le Van Dungs hearing will be on August 16. The next day the court will rule on Trinh and Nguyens sentences. Dung, 52, was sentenced to five years in prison and five years probation for conducting anti-state propaganda. He was accused of "making and uploading on social media 12 clips with propaganda content against the State, defaming the government, spreading fabricated news, causing confusion among the people and insulting the honor and reputation of leaders of the Party and State, between March 2017 and September 2018. Dung did not deny posting the clips but said they told the truth. He protested his innocence under the Vietnamese Constitution and international human rights conventions that Vietnam has signed Dungs wife, Bui Thi Hue, told RFA she hoped the appeal court would release her husband. Trinh Ba Phuong, 37, and Nguyen Thi Tam, 50, were both arrested on June 24, 2020 and charged with "conducting anti-state propaganda. Phuong's mother, Can Thi Theu, and his younger brother, Trinh Ba Tu, were arrested on the same day after complaining on social media about a police raid on land rights protesters from Dong Tam commune where they lived. Three policemen died in clashes with locals and commune leader Le Dinh Kinh, who was leading the land petitioners, was killed by the police. Theu and her son, Trinh Ba Tu, were both sentenced to eight years in prison and three years of house arrest. In December the Hanoi People's Court sentenced Phuong to 10 years in prison and five years of probation. Tam was sentenced to six years in prison and three years of probation. This is not Tams first conviction. She was imprisoned twice for fighting against land expropriation by the Duong Noi commune government. In 2008 she was charged with "disturbing public order" and in 2014 she was convicted for "resisting public officials." Phuongs wife, Do Thi Thu, told RFA she was extremely dissatisfied with the original trial. My husband and our family only spoke the truth about the land and the truth about the people of Dong Tam, yet they sentenced my husband to 10 years in prison and my mother-in-law and brother-in-law were imprisoned for eight years. This judgment is absurd. I have no hope for the upcoming appeal hearing. I also do not expect the court to reduce my husband's sentence. I just hope that this communist dictatorship will soon collapse so the Vietnamese people will suffer less and have more freedom and then my husband and other prisoners will be freed. During the original trial, Phuong accused Hanoi police investigators of torturing him many times during the interrogation, hitting his genitals, causing him great pain. Theu and her two sons won awards from the Vietnam Human Rights Network last year. The U.S.-based organization recognizes activists and organizations in Vietnam who have made their mark in the inexorable march towards freedom, human rights and democracy of the Vietnamese people. Nguyen Hoai Nam was sentenced for abusing the rights to freedom and democracy.' Journalist Nguyen Hoai Nam at his first-instance trial in Ho Chi Minh City on April 5, 2022. Former journalist Nguyen Hoai Nam has had his jail term slashed from three-and-a-half years to two. An appellate court in Ho Chi Minh City made the decision on Thursday, according to state media. Nguyen used to work for major media organizations such as Vietnam Television, Young People and the Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper. During his work he uncovered corruption at the Vietnam Inland Waterways Administration and provided the Ministry of Securitys Investigation Police with documents and data on the case. Based on the information three officials were charged with abusing position and power while on duty and 14 other people were accused of bribery but werent charged. Nguyen disagreed with the polices finding, calling the handling of the case unsatisfactory. He posted his opinions on Facebook, saying the police covered up and ignored offenses. The authorities said his posts slandered and insulted the prestige of organizations as well as the honor and dignity of individuals. He was arrested on April 2 this year and sentenced three days later for abusing the rights to freedom and democracy to infringe on the States interests and the legitimate interests of organizations and individuals under Article 331 of Vietnams 2015 Penal Code, a charge frequently used against whistle-blowers.. Translated by Anna Vu Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on August 4 urged a gathering of U.S conservatives in Texas to join forces with Hungarian conservatives in 2024 to take back institutions in Washington and Brussels from liberals. Orban said Hungary and his government were "under the siege of progressive liberals whom he accused of seeking to separate Western civilization from its Christian roots, while his government's pro-family policies, anti-immigration stance, and rejection of gender ideology resist those efforts. "This war is a culture war," Orban said, speaking to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas. "We have to revitalize our churches, our families, our universities, and our community institutions." Orban also said the United States needs a strong leader to negotiate a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine. "Only a strong leader can negotiate peace," Orban said. "We need a strong America with a strong leader." Orban didn't specifically refer to former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has hinted that he will run for president again in 2024. He and Trump had warm relations when Trump was in office, and the Hungarian leader endorsed Trump ahead of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Orban has been widely criticized in Europe, most recently for comments he made about racial mixing, which were condemned as racist and rooted in Nazi ideology. He told CPAC attendees that those who accused him or his government of racism were "idiots." He said his government had adopted a "zero-tolerance" policy on racism and anti-Semitism. The right-wing nationalist also has been slammed by European Union leaders who say he has undermined democracy with measures that restrict immigration and give his government control over the media and nongovernmental organizations. Orban, who was reelected for a fourth consecutive term in April, said the stakes are high for 2024. In addition to the U.S. election, Europeans will vote on European Parliament seats that year. "These two locations will define the two fronts in the battle for Western civilization," Orban said. With reporting by Reuters The Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says a woman who confessed on air to violations of the country's hijab law was beaten before making the statement. Quoting what it called an "informed source," the agency said on August 5 that Sepideh Rashno was taken to a Tehran hospital after making the statement to be examined for internal injuries. According to eyewitnesses the agency spoke to, Rashno had low blood pressure and had difficulty moving when she was transferred to the hospital. She returned to prison immediately after the examination. Rashno, a 28-year-old writer and artist, was arrested on June 15 after a video of her arguing with another woman who was enforcing rules on wearing a head scarf on a bus in Tehran went viral. The other woman threatened to send the video -- which showed Rashno riding the bus without the mandatory hijab -- to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Rashno was subsequently detained and has been held since without access to a lawyer, nor have the charges against her been made public. Weeks after widespread concern grew over Rashno's whereabouts, a Twitter storm started with the hashtag "Where is Sepideh?" Iran's state television subsequently showed her in a video report on July 30 where Rashno's eyes appeared darkened. Witnesses said she was listless and moved slowly. During a one-sided narrative over the confrontation, Rashno was shown for a few seconds in what looked like a studio setting saying lines that appeared to have been written by authorities. The confession aired amid recent reports that authorities in Iran are increasingly cracking down on women deemed to be in violation of wearing the hijab, which is mandatory in public in Iran. Iran's notorious Guidance Patrols, or morality police, have become increasingly active and violent. Videos have emerged on social media appearing to show officers detaining women, forcing them into vans, and whisking them away. A July 5 order by President Ebrahim Raisi to enforce the hijab law has resulted in a new list of restrictions on how women can dress. Following the order, women judged not to be in compliance have been barred from government offices, banks, and public transportation. In response, activists have launched a social media campaign under the hashtag #no2hijab to urge people to boycott companies enforcing the tougher restrictions. On July 12, women's rights activists posted videos of themselves publicly removing their veils to coincide with the governments National Day of Hijab and Chastity. The hijab first became compulsory in public for Iranian women and girls over the age of 9 after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Many Iranian women have flouted the rule over the years in protest and pushed the boundaries of what officials say is acceptable clothing. HRANA is the media outlet for Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), a nonpolitical and nongovernmental organization comprised of advocates who defend human rights in Iran. With writing and reporting by Ardeshir Tayebi Russia has begun using a makeshift ferry crossing to move military equipment across the Dnieper River to supply forces holding the occupied Ukrainian city of Kherson as Kyivs forces press forward, an examination of satellite imagery by Schemes shows. The crossing first appeared in images taken on August 1 by the private company Planet Labs. They appear to show six pieces of military equipment on the ferry at a landing near the village of Prydniprovske, just northeast of the city of Kherson, and four others on shore ready for crossing. Schemes, an investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, has received copies of the images. Drone photographs contain additional evidence. On July 30, the British Defense Ministry said it was highly likely that Russian forces had established two pontoon bridges and a ferry system on the Dnieper to compensate after Ukrainian forces knocked out to key two bridges one for motor vehicles and one for trains -- with rocket attacks. The developments came at a time when Ukrainian forces have taken back some towns and villages that Russia had seized in the Kherson Oblast, and ahead of what could be a major Ukrainian counteroffensive in the area, aimed in part to drive Moscows forces out of the city of Kherson. Russian troops seized Kherson shortly after President Vladimir Putin launched a large-scale, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on February 24. It is the biggest city they control outside the Donbas, further east, and lies in a key area near the isthmus linking mainland Ukraine to the Russian-held Crimean Peninsula. Moscow-installed authorities are trying to consolidate Russian control over the region which has an active resistance movement -- and prepare Kherson for a possible referendum on joining Russia later in the year. However, military experts say Kherson is not as well defended as other regions of Ukraine currently under Russian control, making it a prime target for a counteroffensive. Lawrence Freedman, a professor of war studies at Kings College London, said a victory in Kherson is critical for Ukraine to maintain the confidence of its people and Western partners. The Kherson regional military governor has claimed that Ukrainian troops have already liberated dozens of towns and villages in the area and are now about 50 kilometers from the edge of the city. Mykola Byelyeskov, a military analyst at the National Institute for Strategic Studies, a Ukrainian government think tank, told Schemes that the Russian equipment being moved across the river looks likes trucks used to supply weapons, ammunition, and food. The ferries are not very large and cannot move many vehicles at once, he said. The Kherson front line is about 200 kilometers long and had already been a challenge to supply. The recent successful attacks against bridges by Ukrainian forces will only reduce Russias ability to move heavy equipment in and out of Kherson, experts said. Russian forces are now on notice that the Ukrainians can cut off their lines of escape in Kherson, Freedman said. Written by Todd Prince based on reporting by Kyrylo Ovsyaniy of Schemes. Moscow and Washington appeared ready to discuss a possible prisoner exchange after U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner was found guilty of drug smuggling and sentenced to nine years in prison, a punishment that U.S President Joe Biden called "unacceptable." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on August 5 that Moscow is ready to discuss prisoner exchanges with Washington through an existing diplomatic channel agreed to by Biden and President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Geneva in June 2021. "We are ready to discuss this topic, but within the framework of the channel that was agreed upon by Presidents Putin and Biden," Lavrov told a news conference on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting in Cambodia on August 5. In response, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on August 5 that Washington will "pursue" Russia's offer to discuss a possible prisoner swap. "[Russian] Foreign Minister Lavrov said this morning...that they are prepared to engage" on a swap for Griner, Blinken said at the foreign ministers' meeting in Cambodia. "And we'll be pursuing that." Biden told reporters at the White House that his administration was striving to secure Griner's release. "I'm hopeful. We're working hard," he said. The court's sentencing of Griner on August 4 was expected to spur talks since a conviction is usually needed before arranging a prisoner exchange. Meanwhile, even with diplomatic relations between Moscow and Washington at lows not seen since the Cold War due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Biden has been under pressure to bring home Americans held in Russia. White House national-security spokesman John Kirby said after Griner's sentencing that the United States had made Russia a "serious" proposal when Blinken and Lavrov spoke by phone on July 29. Blinken said the talks, the highest level direct communication between the two countries since Russia launched its war on Ukraine in late February, also involved former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. Whelan, a corporate security executive, was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges in 2020. He denies the charges. News reports quoting U.S. sources have said the Russian swapped for the two would be jailed arms dealer Viktor Bout. The two countries have shown that despite their poor relations, agreements are still attainable. In April, they staged a prisoner swap that saw former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed traded for Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was serving a 20-year sentence in the United States. Griner's lawyers have said they are appealing the court ruling. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and TASS KHORUGH, Tajikistan -- A noted religious cleric in Tajikistan's restive Gorno-Badakhshan Region (GBAO) has been sentenced to five years in prison on extremism charges that his relatives call "wrong and unjust." Relatives of Muzaffar Davlatmirov -- one of the most well-known leaders of the Ismaili Shi'ite Muslims in the volatile region, who was detained on July 26 -- told RFE/RL on August 4 that he had been sentenced after a court in the regional capital, Khorugh, found him guilty of public calls for extremist activities. One of the relatives said the 58-year-old cleric was sentenced for his criticism of local authorities during the deadly dispersal of protests earlier this year. "In his sermons he called on people to be calm and tolerant, but frequently criticized the illegal actions of the authorities. Law enforcement officers could not stand his fight for justice and the fact that Davlatmirov was well respected both by ordinary people and by informal leaders in the region," the relative said, speaking on condition of anonymity. A close associate of Davlatmirov suggested that the cleric's imprisonment was most likely "retaliation" by local authorities for his leading of religious services at the funerals of three local informal leaders who were killed in May and June by police during what authorities called special operations against extremists. Davlatmirov also took part in negotiations between the GBAO's nongovernmental organizations and authorities earlier this year regarding protests in the region bordering with Afghanistan. Deep tensions between the Tajik government and residents of the GBAO have simmered since a five-year civil war broke out shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Protests are rare in the tightly controlled nation of 9.5 million where President Emomali Rahmon has ruled with an iron fist for nearly three decades. The latest crackdown on activists in the GBAO followed protests that were initially sparked in mid-May by anger over the lack of an investigation into the 2021 death of an activist while in police custody and the refusal by regional authorities to consider the resignation of regional Governor Alisher Mirzonabot and Khorugh Mayor Rizo Nazarzoda. The rallies intensified after one of the protesters, 29-year-old Zamir Nazrishoev, was killed by police on May 16, prompting the authorities to launch what they called a "counterterrorist operation." The escalating violence in the region has sparked a call for restraint from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Western diplomatic missions in Tajikistan, and human rights groups. Gordo-Badakhshan, a linguistically and ethnically distinct region, has been home to rebels who opposed government forces during the conflict in the 1990s. While it occupies almost half of the country's territory, its population is a mere 250,000. The region's mountainous terrain makes travel difficult, while its economy suffers from unemployment, difficult living conditions, and high food prices. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia must take responsibility for an "act of terror" after Kyiv and Moscow traded blame for strikes at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant in Ukraine. "Today, the occupiers have created another extremely risky situation for all of Europe: they struck the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant twice. Any bombing of this site is a shameless crime, an act of terror," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. "Russia must take responsibility for the very fact of creating a threat to a nuclear plant," he said. The world's response should be harsh sanctions against the entire Russian nuclear industry from Rosatom to all related companies and individuals, he added. Ukraine's Energoatom state nuclear power company said earlier that a high-voltage power line at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant had been hit by Russian shelling. The statement said the plant was still operating and no radioactive discharges had been detected. It said one reactor had been disconnected from the network because of damage to the high-voltage power line. The statement came shortly after the Russian-installed administration of the occupied Ukrainian city of Enerhodar, where the plant is located, said power lines at the plant had been damaged by a Ukrainian artillery strike. The Interfax news agency cited the city administration as saying fire had broken out on the plant's premises, and that power necessary for the safe functioning of reactors had been cut off. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. The power plant, located about 200 kilometers northwest of the Russian-held port of Mariupol, has been under Russian supervision since Moscow's troops seized it early in the war. The Russian Defense Ministry also accused the Ukrainian Army of striking the power plant. "Ukrainian armed units carried out three artillery strikes on the territory of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and the city of Enerhodar," the ministry said in a statement. As a result of the strikes, a hydrogen pipeline was damaged, leading to a fire, the ministry said, adding that the blaze was quickly extinguished. It claimed that a leak of radiation had been avoided only by luck and said the generating capacity of one unit had been reduced and power supply to another had been cut. In addition, the city of Enerhodar had problems with power and water supplies, the ministry statement said. The statement said Zelenskiy's government was committing acts of "nuclear terrorism" and urged international organizations to condemn the actions. Valentyn Reznichenko, the regional governor in Dnipropetrovsk, said that Russian forces shelled a city across the Dnieper River from the plant the day before. Reznichenko said Russia fired 60 rockets at Nikopol, damaging around 50 residential buildings and leaving some residents without electricity. Military experts quoted in U.S. media reports say they believe Russia is shelling the area intentionally, knowing that Ukrainian forces cannot risk returning fire because it could damage the reactors or disturb nuclear waste sites. The shelling has already caused concern at the UNs nuclear watchdog. Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on August 3 that every principle of nuclear safety has been violated at the plant. What is at stake is extremely serious and extremely grave and dangerous, Grossi said. Britain's Ministry of Defense said in its daily intelligence bulletin on August 5 that Russia's intentions toward the nuclear plant remain unclear. However, the bulletin noted, the actions that the Russians have undertaken at the facility have "likely undermined the security and safety of the plants normal operations." Elsewhere on the battlefield, more than 10 people were injured and an unknown number of people were killed as a result of the shelling of Mykolayiv, Vitaliy Kim, the head of the regional military administration, said on Telegram. Kim warned earlier that a curfew would be introduced on the territory of Mykolayiv from 11 p.m. on August 5 to 5 a.m. on August 8. He urged people to take appropriate measures, adding that three evacuation buses would be leaving the city accompanied by a police escort. Fierce fighting was under way in Ukraine's eastern region of Donetsk, while Ukrainian military officials said Russia may launch a fresh offensive in the south Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, was shelled by the Russians, Ukraine's presidential office said. Several industrial sites were hit in the city, and in the nearby city of Chuhuiv a rocket hit a five-story residential building. Ukrainian forces successfully fought off Russian attacks northeast and east of the Donetsk region towns of Soledar and Bakhmut, while fighting was ongoing to the south of Bakhmut, Brigadier General Oleksiy Hromov, deputy chief of the Ukrainian General Staff, said on August 4. However, Hromov confirmed that Ukrainian troops had been forced to withdraw from the village of Semyhirya and their positions southeast of Avdiyivka. Hromov told a news conference that Ukrainian forces had recaptured two villages around the eastern city of Slovyansk but had been pushed back to a nearby town after being forced to abandon a coal mine regarded as a key defensive position. He said Moscow may launch an offensive in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson to try to win back momentum in the war and it has been building up forces there. With reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AP TASHKENT -- Uzbekistan and Switzerland have agreed on the return by Swiss authorities of $131 million in assets seized during criminal proceedings against Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of longtime Uzbek President Islam Karimov. The Uzbek Justice Ministry said on August 16 that Minister Ruslanbek Davletov and Swiss President Ignazio Cassis signed an agreement in Bern to place the confiscated assets for a UN fund for sustainable development in Central Asia's most populous nation of 35 million. The breakthrough is one of a handful of efforts by Tashkent to agree on the return of some $1 billion in illicit funds, in some cases slowed by foreign authorities' desire to ensure transparency in the funds' return to public coffers. "The fund will allow the returned assets to be used for the benefit of the population of Uzbekistan," Cassis said at the signing ceremony. Switzerland froze around 800 million Swiss francs ($842 million) in 2012 in connection with criminal proceedings against Karimova, a pop diva and businesswoman who had a public falling-out with her late father and is currently in an Uzbek prison on embezzlement and criminal conspiracy charges. The Uzbek Justice Ministry said in February that it was working with authorities in Switzerland, the United States, France, Russia, and several other nations on the return of Karimova's assets that it said were "earned through criminal activities." The ministry said at the time that Uzbek and Swiss authorities had agreed to create a multiparty trust fund with the United Nations to work on the return of assets that were confiscated under a court decision as part of the probe against Karimova. It said that assets worth about $131 million and confiscated in 2019 were ready to be transferred to Uzbekistan. In 2020, the Swiss government said a nonbinding framework agreement signed between Switzerland and Uzbekistan meant any returned assets "shall be used for the benefit of the people of Uzbekistan." Tashkent has sought over $1 billion from foreign jurisdictions since announcing Karimova's imprisonment in 2017. Once seen as a possible successor to her father, Karimova was placed under house arrest in Tashkent in 2014 while he was still alive and running the country. Karimov died in 2016 and Shavkat Mirziyoev succeeded him soon afterward. Criminal investigators in Switzerland, the United States, Sweden, and the Netherlands have linked Karimova to a massive, years-long bribery scheme that revolved mainly around foreign telecommunications companies gaining access to the Uzbek market. In December 2017, Karimova was sentenced to a 10-year prison term but the sentence was later commuted to house arrest for five years. She was detained in March 2019 for allegedly violating the terms of her house arrest. In February 2020, Karimova sent a letter to Mirziyoev offering to return $686 million to the country's treasury in exchange for the dismissal of the court case against her at home. But a month later she received an additional 13-year sentence after being found guilty of extortion, money laundering, and other crimes. Legal battles over seawalls along San Diego Countys coastline will continue in the coming months, despite a recent state Supreme Court decision that dealt a blow to two Encinitas homeowners fighting a 20-year limit on the concrete structure that protect their bluff-top homes. The plaintiffs in the Encinitas case have petitioned the high court to reconsider its July 6 ruling in favor of the California Coastal Commission. In that ruling, the justices concluded that the homeowners forfeited their right to sue when they accepted a permit to build a new seawall to replace a structure that was destroyed in a 2010 storm. Attorneys for the homeowners argue that the legal nuances of forfeiture werent originally covered in the case, so they must be allowed to address those points in a new hearing. Meanwhile, a Solana Beach case brought by a group of coastal homeowners will go before appellate court starting in September. In that case, a homeowners group called the Beach & Bluff Conservancy is challenging a lower court decision that upheld several restrictions on seawalls, while dismissing some others. At issue in both cases is whether the Coastal Commission and local government agencies can impose expiration dates on seawalls that are rebuilt to protect existing property, and can regulate homeowners construction and exclusive use of beach stairways. The Solana Beach case also covers disputes over shoreline protection for new or redeveloped properties. Advertisement The issue has been contentious in coastal communities as scientists warn that rising seas could reshape the shoreline by the end of the century. Recent research on climate change reports that sea level rose more than seven inches over the last century, and could swell another 3 to 10 feet by 2100. As water levels rise, beachfront homeowners are asserting their right to safeguard their property, while regulators struggle to protect the states shrinking beaches. Coastal homeowners say they need seawalls to defend their homes against the onslaught of the ocean, but commission officials say the structures hasten erosion and worsen beach stability down the line. About 10 percent of the states 1,100-mile coastline is armored, including a third of Southern California beaches, according to the Coastal Commission. The Encinitas case concerns a dispute between the California Coastal Commission and homeowners Tom Frick and Barbara Lynch over a seawall that armors their two bluff-top properties. After a storm demolished the original seawall in 2010, the commission granted a permit to repair it, but placed a 20-year expiration date on the barrier that the plaintiffs alleged was unconstitutional In its ruling earlier this month, the state Supreme Court didnt directly address the legality of the time limit only the legal question of whether the families gave up their right to fight it by accepting the permit and building the wall in 2011. In a nuanced technical distinction, the justices agreed that the homeowners didnt waive their right to sue, which would have required them to knowingly relinquish that option, said land use attorney Jon Corn, who is representing the families in coordination with the Pacific Legal Foundation. Instead, the judges ruled that the families forfeited their rights by accepting the permit despite its unwanted restrictions. Corn said however that equitable forfeiture, involves separate legal standards than waiver, and deserves its own legal attention. None of the parties in the case spoke of equitable forfeiture, Corn said. It wasnt argued and it wasnt briefed. According to state law, he said, the court must provide a chance to revisit that. The high court will decide by October 4 whether to reconsider the case. The Coastal Commission declined to comment on the request for a new hearing. In the Solana Beach case, plaintiffs will appeal a mixed decision by San Diego Superior Court Judge Timothy M. Casserly. In December, 2016, Casserly upheld several restrictions on seawalls, including requirements that all seawall permits eventually expire under certain conditions, that no shoreline protection can be built for new development, and that private stairways must add public access as a condition of future permits. Its unconstitutional to require people to give up property rights as a condition of a building permit, said Larry Salzman, a senior attorney for the Pacific Legal Foundation. However, the judge overturned the citys prohibitions on new seawalls needed to protect existing accessory structures such as pools or hot tubs, and restrictions on the maintenance of private stairways to the beach.The city of Solana Beach, the Coastal Commission and Surfrider Foundation have counter-appealed, challenging the judges decision to set aside those restrictions. At the end of the day, sea walls destroy beaches, said Julia Chunn-Heer, policy manager for the San Diego County Surfrider Foundation. And we are here to protect oceans, waves and beaches. The plaintiffs must submit their briefs on the case by Sept. 9, said Angela Howe, legal director for the Surfrider Foundation. A month later, the city, Coastal Commission and Surfrider must file their briefs, and in November, the parties will submit responses. Solana Beach city officials could not be reached for comment. deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennan South African senior official: Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is a clear intrusion into Chinese domestic affairs 13:55, August 05, 2022 By Madiketso Motaung ( People's Daily Online U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan is a clear intrusion into Chinese domestic affairs, said Cedric Thomas Frolick, National Assembly House Chairperson for South Africa, on Aug. 2, 2022. Frolick maintained that South Africa will continue, as it has stated in the past, to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the People's Republic of China. South Africa will uphold the one-China principle, and believes that there is only one China in the world. "In that respect, the government of China is in Beijing, and it is led by the Communist Party of China," he added. The United States has a responsibility as one of the superpowers in the world to ensure that world peace is being maintained. And it is the responsibility of politicians to exercise the necessary restraint, so that we do not have further flares ups of tension that can result in conflict, Frolick said. Frolick reiterated that the U.S. Congress and the White House should coordinate their stances. Politicians should not shirk from their obligations nor use the situation for their own personal gains, even though the U.S. employs a system based on the "separation of powers." After having signed all of the pertinent communiques and statements addressing the matter, present and future U.S. administrations now have an obligation to keep their word and cooperate with China to keep the Taiwan Strait peaceful as has continually been the case in the past. The solemn promises that the U.S. has made to both China and the world community must be upheld by the U.S. Congress, notwithstanding the fact that the legislative branch of the U.S. government is independent of its executive branch. We already have a lot of conflict taking place in the world, and you cannot afford to have more flashpoints. Now is not the time to raise the temperature, and to create a possibility of direct or indirect conflict, Frolick further noted. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Marine biologists have discovered a new species of the seamoth genus Pegasus living in the coastal waters of Xiamen City, Fujian Province, China. Seamoths are members of Pegasidae, a small family of ray-finned fishes within the order Syngnathiformes. There are only seven species of seamoths in two genera, Pegasus and Eurypegasus. They are widely distributed in the temperate and tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, ranging from South Africa to Hawaii. Seamoths are notable for their unusual appearance, including flattened bodies, the presence of large, wing-like fins, a very long snout, and a body encased in thick, bony plates. Members of the genus Pegasus (named for a creature from Greek mythology) differ from Eurypegasus in having more tail rings, 11 to 14. Millions of seamoths are sold each year as traditional Chinese medicine, and further research is needed to estimate their species diversity and population abundance across their distribution range. The newly-discovered seamoth species, named Pegasus sinensis, or the Chinese seamoth, is known only from Xiamen Bay, Fujian Province, China. This fish measures about 7.3 cm (2.9 inches) in length and has a light brown to beige body covered with dark brown to black spots. It differs from the closely related longtail seamoth (Pegasus volitans) in both the density and color of spots present on the body surfaces. Based on the mitochondrial genomes of three newly sequenced seamoths used in our study, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis of Pegasidae, said first author Dr. Ying-Yi Zhang, a researcher at the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology and the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, her and colleagues. We revealed that Pegasus sinensis and Pegasus volitans diverged from their common ancestor approximately 9 million years ago. A paper describing the discovery was published on July 18, 2022 in the journal Zoological Research. _____ Ying-Yi Zhang et al. 2022. A new seamoth species of Pegasus (Syngnathiformes: Pegasidae) from the East China Sea. Zoological Research 43 (4): 675-678; doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.109 Billionaire Silicon Valley kingmaker Marc Andreessen, who has railed against Bay Area NIMBYism, came under fire Friday when a reporter unearthed evidence he had fought the construction of housing in his own backyard. In its draft plan to meet Californias housing requirement, Atherton home to roughly 7,000 residents, many of them extremely wealthy had proposed rezoning certain properties to allow for construction of multifamily housing. But in public comments submitted on the plan, more than 100 residents expressed opposition including Andreessen, the Netscape co-founder and influential early investor in firms like Facebook and Lyft. Andreessens comment, first reported by the Atlantic, was signed by him and his wife, philanthropist Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen. It expressed the couples IMMENSE objection to multifamily housing units. Please IMMEDIATELY REMOVE all multifamily overlay zoning projects from the Housing Element, the couple wrote. They will MASSIVELY decrease our home values, the quality of life of ourselves and our neighbors and IMMENSELY increase the noise pollution and traffic. Neither Marc Andreessen nor Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen responded immediately Friday to requests for comment. The Atlantic said the comment came from an email address using the andreessen.org domain and that a city official confirmed its authenticity. Another city official told The Chronicle there was no way to verify exactly who wrote the comment. While the comment was in line with the sentiments typically expressed by residents around the Bay Area aiming to block new construction in their neighborhoods as well as many of the other 300 comments from Atherton residents it went against sentiments previously expressed by Andreessen. In a 2020 essay, Its Time to Build, the financier wrote that a lack of housing is the reason home prices are skyrocketing in the Bay Area, keeping people out. We cant build nearly enough housing in our cities with surging economic potential which results in crazily skyrocketing housing prices in places like San Francisco, making it nearly impossible for regular people to move in and take the jobs of the future, he wrote. 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. He went on to say that the problem was a lack of desire. The problem is desire. We need to *want* these things. The problem is inertia. We need to want these things more than we want to prevent these things, he wrote. In Atherton, Andreessen fell on the side of those wanting to prevent. In response to the overwhelming community comments, the towns governing council decided to remove the multifamily rezoning feature from its housing element draft, leaning instead on adding accessory dwelling units to existing properties to meet its requirement to develop 348 new housing units over the next eight years. The new plan will go back to public comment. Danielle Echeverria is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: danielle.echeverria@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DanielleEchev U.S. officials agreed to purchase 66 million Moderna omicron boosters, intending to make extra shots available this fall and winter. A new CDC report suggested that children maybe be at an increased risk for blood clots, heart problems, kidney failure, and Type 1 diabetes after getting COVID. The Chronicles Pandemic Problems advice column tackled a question from a reader who asked how long COVID stays in the air after an infected person leaves a room. Latest updates: President Biden finally tests negative but will continue isolation President Biden tested negative for the coronavirus on Saturday morning and is feeling very well, White House physician Kevin OConnor said in an update. In an abundance of caution, the President will continue his strict isolation measures pending a second negative test as previously described, the memo added. Biden had tested positive for 15 days straight as of on Friday. After his initial COVID-19 diagnosis in late July, he was cleared from isolation on July 27 before experiencing a rebound infection on July 30. California tops 10 million confirmed COVID-19 cases California has recorded more than 10 million total confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic as of Friday, another unfathomable milestone for the state. The official tally was 10,024,326 cumulative cases, even though the department of public health data analyzed by the Chronicle shows probable cases are closer to 10.7 million in total and that California surpassed the 10 million mark in late June. California is tracking a daily average of 15,128 new cases, a figure that has improved since the summer peak but remains too high for comfort, according to infectious disease experts. One in eight virus patients develop long COVID symptoms, Lancet study finds More than one in eight adults infected with the coronavirus experience symptoms associated with long COVID, according to a large study published Friday in The Lancet. The study compared the long-term symptoms of individuals before and after their COVID-19 diagnoses with a matched control group of COVID-19-negative participants. Most previous research into long COVID has not looked at the frequency of these symptoms in people who havent been diagnosed with COVID-19 or looked at individual patients symptoms before the diagnosis of COVID-19, said Professor Judith Rosmalen of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, lead author of the study which was conducted between March 2020 and August 2021. Fatigue and breathlessness were among the most common symptoms reported, but other symptoms such as chest pain were also more common in people who had COVID-19 than in those who remained uninfected. Current evidence supports the view that long COVID is common and can persist for at least 2 years after SARS-CoV-2 infection, although severe debilitating disease is present in a minority, the report said. Fans at Outside Lands fans unworried about COVID The 2022 Outside Lands, the annual music festival in Golden Gate Park, kicked off Friday like it was 2019. The three-day event, which expects to see 75,000 fans each day, was back at its usual spot on the Bay Area summer concert calendar and with no stringent health protocols, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the newly announced state of emergency regarding San Franciscos monkeypox outbreak. This year you dont have to mask up, you dont have to provide proof of vaccine, you dont have to do some of the things you did in the past, San Francisco Mayor London Breed declared at a press conference with festival producers Another Planet Entertainment on the eve of the event. After nearly three pandemic years on high alert, it seems attitudes have changed. As seen across the festival grounds, concerns about COVID appeared minimal as thousands of attendees gathered before the events four concert stages on Friday. Nikki Edmiston, also of Fremont, works in health care and also shrugged off COVID concerns. At this point, I think everyones going to get it, she said. Read more about the festival. Bay Area cases are past the peak of the current COVID surge Coronavirus case rates and test positivity are steadily declining in California and the Bay Area, signaling that the region is finally on the downside of this summers record-long COVID-19 surge driven by successive waves of omicron subvariants. But while the worst may have passed, the amount of virus in the community remains far higher than in April before the surge, and hospitalizations a lagging indicator of infection rates are still high. Read more about the encouraging news on infections and the sobering caveats about where we still are. Man who threatened Fauci gets three years A West Virginia man was sentenced Thursday to three years in federal prison after he sent emails threatening Dr. Anthony Fauci and another federal health official for talking about the coronavirus and efforts to prevent its spread, the Associated Press reports. Using an anonymous email account based in Switzerland, Thomas Patrick Connally, Jr. threatened to kill Fauci or members of his family, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release. One of his messages said they would be dragged into the street, beaten to death, and set on fire. Another email said Fauci would be hunted, captured, tortured and killed, according to court records. Fauci has been a vocal supporter of vaccines and other preventive measures against COVID-19. He said he expects to retire at the end of President Bidens current term. Everyone has the right to disagree, but you do not have the right to threaten a federal officials life, Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, said in a statement. How many animals have had COVID? New tracker has the data There have been 704 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in animals, in 27 different species from 39 countries, according to a new data dashboard from Wildlife Conservation that tracks cases globally. While the researchers say that number is likely an undercount because it is impossible to know the true impact of SARS-CoV-2 in the wild, the preliminary data results include cases that were confirmed with laboratory PCR tests. There have been 582 outbreaks in the animal world, with most of the cases in mink, cats, and dogs. The disease fatality rate among animals is close to 3%. Most symptoms among animals present as respiratory issues, gastrointestinal or behavioral, according to the data. The researchers say the dashboard is a work in progress. The dashboard intends to support public education about the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission between humans and animals and raise public awareness about possible wildlife conservation issues posed by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, they wrote in the accompanying study. Read more about the new dashboard and the lingering questions about COVID in animals. 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. U.S. unemployment rate falls to pre-pandemic level Americas employers added a stunning 528,000 jobs last month despite raging inflation and anxiety about a possible recession, restoring all of the positions lost in the coronavirus recession. Unemployment fell to 3.5%, the lowest level since the pandemic struck in early 2020, the Associated Press reports. There were 130,000 more jobs created in July than there were in June and the most since February. Recession what recession? wrote Brian Coulton, chief economist at Fitch Ratings, after the numbers came out. The U.S. economy is creating new jobs at an annual rate of 6 million thats three times faster than what we normally see historically in a good year. Economists had expected only 250,000 new jobs in July. Fauci: Get vaccinated and boosted, or youre going to get into trouble Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, is urging people to stay up to date on their vaccines against COVID-19 as colder months approach. There are enough people who dont fall into (high-risk) categories that if they dont get vaccinated if they dont get boosted, theyre going to get into trouble, Fauci told KNXs In Depth show this week. About 77% of the U.S. population is not up to date on its COVID-19 vaccines, according to an analysis of CDC data last week from researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Fauci said that could lead not only to more infections but the emergence of newer immune-evasive variants. You dont want COVID to dominate the lives of people throughout this country or the world, but you dont want to, by wishing its behind us and its in the rearview mirror, not do things that would be prudent, he said. Were not talking about locking down, were just talking about common sense, getting the appropriate interventions when theyre available to you and right now we have boosters that are very effective in diminishing any aspect of the infection. U.S. secures 66 million doses of Modernas omicron booster The U.S. government has agreed to purchase 66 million doses of Modernas bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster candidate for potential use in the fall and winter. The announcement follows a recommendation by the FDA that vaccine manufacturers update their existing COVID-19 vaccines to create a bivalent booster that can target BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants, which are now dominant in the United States. The administration previously secured 105 million bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster doses from Pfizer for potential use later this year. We look forward to receiving these new variant-specific vaccines and working with state and local healthcare partners to make the vaccines available for free in communities around the country this fall, said Dawn OConnell, assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in a statement. COVID increases risk of heart problems, diabetes in children CDC study Children and adolescents might be at increased risk for certain post-COVID symptoms and conditions, including blood clots, heart problems, kidney failure, and Type 1 diabetes, according to a report published Thursday by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In an analysis of electronic health records of about 800,000 U.S. children under the age of 18 who had COVID-19 from March 1, 2020 to January 31, 2022, the researchers found increased incidence rates of several symptoms and conditions of rare pediatric conditions compared to a control group of 2.5 million children not infected with the coronavirus over the same period. COVID-19 prevention strategies, including vaccination for all eligible children and adolescents, are critical to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and subsequent illness, including post-COVID symptoms and conditions, the researchers said. CDC expected to further pull back COVID rules, including for schools The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to ease quarantine and other coronavirus mitigation recommendations in the coming days, including for schools, according to sources familiar with the plan who spoke to CNN. Among other things, the agency is expected to drop its physical distancing recommendation and de-emphasize regular screening testing for COVID-19 in schools as a way to monitor the spread of the virus. People who are sick with COVID-19 should still isolate, which the new guidance is expected to emphasize. And the CDC will also emphasize schools employ better ventilation systems. State, local and district rules may override the CDCs advice, which is not legally binding. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Oakland Unified School District security guards forcefully removed people who had been occupying Parker Elementary School on Thursday evening, but a group of protesters surged back to retake control of the shuttered building. The physical struggle occurred at one of the 11 schools that the Oakland Unified School District voted to permanently close or merge this year for financial reasons. Since June, a group of families has been occupying the Parker school and running an unsanctioned summer program there as part of a protest against the school closure. OUSD security arrived at the elementary school around 5 p.m. Thursday when there were only two occupiers in the building Rebecca Ruiz, a Fruitvale resident and organizer, and another person, according to Ruiz. The guards said they planned to remove the occupiers, by physical force if necessary, Ruiz said, prompting her to send out a call on social media for supporters, who soon arrived. Ruiz said school security officers tried to aggressively disperse the protesters. They grabbed my arm and threw me into the wall, she said, as she held an ice pack to her head after she and other protesters had regained control of the building. More for you Families protesting Oakland schools shutdown occupy the campus, angering district A woman named Maureen, who identified herself as a neighbor with children in the Oakland school district, was holding an ice pack on her wrist and hand inside the building after the confrontation. My arm was on the door frame, and two OUSD security began to twist my arm behind my back as hard as they could, she said. A tweet from Parker for the People, an account run by supporters of the occupation, said, OUSD school security just brutalized parent and school board candidate Max Orozsco. Then they handcuffed him. He is bleeding. Security has locked him IN Parker and we cant get him out. A Chronicle photographer witnessed the protesters regaining access to the building at around 6:50 p.m. The guards who were inside opened the front door to admit a police officer and a crowd of protesters surged forward. Although five guards shoved back the protesters, the guards were eventually overwhelmed by sheer numbers, he said. A video of the incident shared by occupiers showed the altercation, with protesters chanting, Let Max go now! According to OUSD spokesperson John Sasaki, OUSD staff changed locks on the school on Thursday after they found that all the people who had been inside the building had left the premises. However, someone picked, cut, or otherwise broke through a lock to get back inside the building, Sasaki said. He said the occupiers had been removed and officials were doing what we can to keep several others from entering the building. But eventually at least two dozen occupiers were back inside the school by Thursday evening, and OUSD security left the campus. Parker K-8 School is now closed, Sasaki said. The individuals at Parker have been trespassing. We have directed them to leave from day one and have continued to do so on many other occasions. Of great concern is that the children that were onsite were sleeping in unsafe conditions and that the adults were running an unsafe and unlicensed child care program. We continue to demand that they find other ways to safely and peaceably express their concerns. Valarie Bachelor, who lives up the street, said the confrontation only emboldened the community to support what is happening here. 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. Misty Cross of West Oakland, who has been volunteering with the unsanctioned childrens summer program at Parker, said that the district had impeded the program by locking the kitchen so they couldnt serve food and locking the gate so they couldnt take the trash out. Cross said she thinks it is important to fight for childrens education. This is a working-class neighborhood, she said. Families here work two or three jobs. To make their kids go to school 30 blocks away is not right. For months, the district has faced pushback from community members, who have protested the decision and pursued legal action. A complaint filed by the ACLU of Northern California to the California Department of Justice said the school mergers and closures would disproportionately impact Black students and families, noting that four of the seven schools the district voted to close serve predominantly Black families, while Black children make up a small portion of the districts overall student population. Protesters said they will continue to occupy the building even after school starts on Monday. Chasity Hale and Carolyn Said are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: chasity.hale@sfchronicle.com, csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @chas_hale, @CSaid The state Court of Appeal has temporarily halted construction of a university housing development at Peoples Park in Berkeley, partially granting a request from several advocacy groups that want to stop the project altogether. In an order filed Thursday, the court temporarily stopped all construction, demolition, felling of trees and other changes to the landscape, unless such landscape alterations are necessary for public health and safety reasons. Crews would still be allowed to fence the site. The work stoppage would provide appellate court judges Teri Jackson, Mark Simons and Gordon Burns an opportunity to review the appellants arguments. Last week, an Alameda County Superior Court judge issued a tentative ruling that allowed the project to proceed, leading crews to break ground early Wednesday. Demonstrators toppled fences and stood in front of earth-moving machines to disrupt the work. Judges Jackson, Simons and Burns also laid out what they said was an efficient timeline to resolve the pending appeal, granting 30 days for the appellants to file an opening brief. Once it is filed, respondents would have 20 days to file their own brief, the order said, at which point the appellants would have 10 days to reply. University officials reaffirmed their commitment to the $312 million project, given the dire need to house students, roughly a quarter of whom now live outside of Berkeley. Though the university plans to stay the course, spokesperson Dan Mogulof signaled Thursday that time was running out. If we want to have this building available for students to move in during the fall of 2024, we have a pressing need to get started as quickly as possible, he said. Thursdays order is the latest jolt in a protracted, back-and-forth battle over the famed Berkeley park, a symbol of the citys counterculture that became a site of confrontations between protesters and police from the time UC Berkeley bought the land in the late 1960s. UC Berkeley plans to fill the site with housing for students and formerly homeless people, while retaining much of the parks green space and adding historical placards to commemorate its radical legacy. But activists who consider themselves stewards of Peoples Park oppose the effort, saying it will destroy a sacred community space steeped in local history. 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. We are gratified that the Court of Appeal recognized that UC should not go forward until the court has the opportunity to review our case more fully, Harvey Smith, president of Peoples Park Historic District Advocacy Group one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit wrote in a statement. UC took advantage of the legal system in order to destroy as much of the park as it could, Smith continued. We are hopeful that the court will overturn the lower court decision and lead to the restoration of the park. While this new injunction will add further delay and significant additional costs to the project, we are pleased the court has agreed to an expedited process, a spokesperson for UC Berkeley said in a statement, which also expressed satisfaction that workers would be able to close and fence off the site. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan Cowgirl Creamery, arguably the Bay Areas most iconic cheese company, is closing its last remaining store and restaurant next month after 25 years. Cowgirls Point Reyes Station location, a favorite pit stop for gathering picnic supplies and hoarding rounds of soft, bloomy cheese like Mt. Tam, will close Sept. 5, as first reported by the Point Reyes Light. Known as Cowgirls Barn Shop & Cantina, the large, rustic space is where the company began and still makes some cheese, though most production now takes place in Petaluma. The restaurant is best known for grilled cheese sandwiches that ooze with artisan cheese like Wagon Wheel and Hop Along. Pamela Dressler, managing director at Cowgirl Creamery, said in a statement that the company was unable to scale production to meet demand at the Point Reyes location. The decision to close our Point Reyes Station location was incredibly difficult to make, but it was a necessary decision for the sake of the overall business, she said. The companys cheese will still be available at grocers nationwide. Cowgirl already closed its popular cafe at San Franciscos Ferry Building in 2021, citing the lack of foot traffic during the pandemic. But its unclear whether the Point Reyes closure will permanently mark the end of retail for Cowgirl: The creamery had been slated to open a market at the new Los Altos food hall State Street Market. Cowgirl did not respond directly to a question about the fate of the Los Altos plan, and State Street did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Sue Conley and Peggy Smith co-founded Cowgirl in 1997, gaining national acclaim for their artisan cheeses made with local ingredients. They sold the outfit to Swiss dairy company Emmi in 2016 and then retired in 2021. Janelle Bitker is a San Francisco Chronicle Food & Wine editor. Email: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com The East Bays food scene saw no shortage of restaurant openings in July, giving area diners new options for their next meal out. Chicken fingers franchise Raising Canes saw lines of fanatics at its Oakland opening. Sushi bars and an Asian fusion kitchen came into the East Bays outer reaches, as Berkeley welcomed a cold-pressed juice operation to the always busy Shattuck Avenue and Oakland received another Ethiopian spot. Thats all in addition to Sarah Kirnons new Holders House and Snail Bar spin-off Slug in Oakland, both recommended in The Chronicles guide to the Bay Areas best new restaurants. Continue for more on recent East Bay restaurant openings. (And find last months edition here.) Gussies chef brings fresh cafe to Oakland Museum Town Fare at the Oakland Museum of California campus, originally helmed by Brown Sugar Kitchens Tanya Holland, returned under a new format, spearheaded by local chef Michele McQueen, who operated Gussies Chicken and Waffles in San Francisco for five years and is best known for opening the first Northern California branch of Los Angeles famed Roscoes House of Chicken and Waffles. Now running as Town Fare Cafe, its menu includes a fried green tomato caprese salad, spring rolls with Southern vegetable fillings and Southern fried chicken. The beverage program includes wine and beer from Black-owned producers. 1000 Oak St., Oakland. townfarecafe.com Provided by Raising Cane's Long lines at chicken hotspot debut Raising Canes Oakland storefront, the second to date in the Bay Area, is now up and operating. The Louisiana-based chain specializes in chicken fingers. Cole slaw, fries, Texas toast, dipping sauce and fountain drinks are all available as sides. As reported by NBC Bay Area, Caniacs the companys nickname for its followers waited for hours ahead of the opening, looking to be the first ones to get their hands on the franchises sought-after chicken. 8430 Edgewater Dr., Oakland. raisingcanes.com Provided by Kaori Aozora owners launch new fusion restaurant Kaori, an Asian fusion concept from the owners of Danville sushi restaurant Aozora, is up and running. Kicking off its soft opening period in mid-July, the menu includes appetizers and entrees incorporating Japanese ingredients like shishito peppers, ponzu sauce and kombu. The cocktail list offers house specials like the eponymous Kaori made with vodka, yuzu, jasmine flower and sparkling wine and a section devoted to highball variations. The incoming restaurant offers plenty of outdoor dining space and a sleek bar space as well. 416 Sycamore Valley Rd., Danville. kaoridanville.com New Ethiopian in downtown Oakland Find traditional Ethiopian fare and more Tigrai Cafe, a new family-run restaurant near Oaklands downtown. Tibs made with your choice of lamb, chicken or mushroom, among other options, feature among the entrees here. The four-piece sambusa order packs your choice of beef, chicken or lentils along with savory vegetables The menu also includes a selection of vegan-friendly items. 1009 Clay St., Oakland. tigraicafe.com Provided by Kaisen Don West S.F. sushi spot returns San Franciscos Kaisen Don has resurfaced in the East Bay, opening the doors to its new digs in San Leandro in mid July. The new location still offers plenty of fresh fish, rolls and the omakase bowl with the chefs picks. 1042 Marina Blvd., San Leandro. tetsujinsushi.com Provided by Kol Juice Bar Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Cold-pressed juice moves in Kol is now offering freshly squeezed juice, house-made boba, smoothies and energy drinks in downtown Berkeley in a very Instagram-friendly space shared with Cousins Asian Street Food. The juice bar offers cold-pressed juice made from organic produce. 1926 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. 510-529-4565 A new classic burger spot in Richmond Richmond arrival Martys Grill is now slinging a classic lineup of hamburgers. Options include a no-frills cheeseburger, a bacon cheeseburger, and a mushroom and Swiss cheese burger along with chicken sandwiches and Philly cheesesteaks. True to form, french fries, curly fries and onion rings feature as sides, along with taquitos and mozzarella sticks. 1000 Nevin Ave., Richmond. 510-837-0827 More sushi arrives in Walnut Creek Hasumi Sushi is bringing sushi rolls and more Japanese fare to Walnut Creek. The long, but straightforward menu offers a list of familiar items such as rolls, nigiri, chicken teriyaki and gyoza. 3116 Oak Rd., Walnut Creek. 925-949-8041 Mario Cortez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mario.cortez@sfchronicle.com Jerry Budrick, one of the original waiters at Chez Panisse and a longtime presence as the Berkeley restaurants maitre d, has died at age 78. Budrick died July 24 after a five-year struggle with esophageal cancer. Born Gerald Budrick on Feb. 23, 1944, to Alphonse Budrick and Anne Walanga of Chicago, Budrick developed an affinity for hospitality at a young age, serving beers and bourbon at his parents South Side tavern in the middle of doing his homework, as he later wrote. But heading into Chez Panisses opening night on Aug. 28, 1971 a watershed moment that marked a before and after in American food and dining culture Budrick had no formal experience as a waiter, aside from a short gig at an Austrian lakeside cafe. That did not stop him from dazzling diners. In her book Coming to My Senses: The Making of a Counterculture Cook, Chez Panisse founder Alice Waters recalls Budricks flair in the dining room. He had, she wrote, a flamboyant delivery, almost like he was acting in a theatrical performance, with exaggerated gestures, a full-lipped, beautiful, expressive face, like Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange. Jerry was notorious he exuded an air of sophistication, but he could also be very funny, making jokes with customers and the other waiters and the cooks. Courtesy Rick Wise In a preface to Budricks 2021 memoir, Waiting at Chez Panisse, the influential Chez Panisse and Stars chef Jeremiah Tower wrote that Budrick balanced Alice in the dining room beautifully. As a server, Budrick brought professional service to a dining room, sometimes strained by the pressure of a different menu every night and a kitchen that reacted to that somewhat differently than other Bay Area restaurants. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. In his memoir, Budrick recognizes both Waters and Tower as the parents of California cuisine but also shines a light on the roles played by lesser-known characters inside the seminal restaurant. Budrick went on to become the restaurants maitre d and a part owner in 1975 when the restaurant formed a corporation. His left the restaurant in 1987 and moved to Amador County, where he opened a bottled water business. In 1992, with that business facing financial difficulty, he sold his shares in Chez Panisse back to Waters. Budrick later operated the Mediterranean restaurant Via DOro in Sutter Creek with his wife, Deborah Budrick. He is survived by his wife and two children. Mario Cortez (he/him) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mario.cortez@sfchronicle.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Since the start of the pandemic, there have been several reports of coronavirus infections among cats, dogs and other animals. But until now, there was limited data on how widespread COVID-19 is in the animal kingdom. A new global database may help provide some clues. So far, there have been 704 confirmed cases in animals, in 27 different species from 39 countries, according to the first dashboard of its kind from a team of Austrian researchers who worked with the Wildlife Conservation society that compiles the tally of COVID cases among animals. Among the 582 outbreaks tracked in the animal world, the disease fatality rate so far has been close to 3%, with most symptoms among animals presenting as respiratory, gastrointestinal or behavioral issues, according to the data. While the researchers say it is impossible to know the true impact of the coronavirus in the wild, the documented cases included in the dashboard were largely confirmed with laboratory PCR tests and provide a strong foundation to build on. The dashboard intends to support public education about the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission between humans and animals and raise public awareness about possible wildlife conservation issues posed by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, said Amelie Desvars-Larrive, professor at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna and leader of the research team, in a study accompanying the initial data dump. Complexity Science Hub, Vienna Scientists believe it is critical to know which animals are getting infected and what is happening to them because it could help track virus mutations and cases of animal-to-human transmission, which are still considered rare. There have been 187 documented cases in mink, followed by 177 in cats and 160 in dogs. Cases in white-tailed deer, hamsters, tigers, lions and beavers are further down the list. The dashboard also includes information on which virus variants infected each animal. In most cases, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes that pets are getting infected after close contact with people with COVID-19. One study found that the main reason owners infect pets and not the other way around is because cats and dogs generally have lower viral loads than humans and only shed the virus for a short time. Pets infected with this virus may or may not get sick, the CDC says. Of the pets that have gotten sick, most only had mild illness and fully recovered. Serious illness in pets is extremely rare. But in the early months of the pandemic, there were reports of outbreaks in which animals were believed to have infected humans, leading to government officials culling millions of mink in Denmark and hamsters in Hong Kong. Researchers in Thailand also said they documented the first confirmed case of a pet cat infecting a veterinarian with the coronavirus in June, according to a report in Nature. Weve known this was a possibility for two years, Angela Bosco-Lauth, an infectious-disease researcher at Colorado State University in Fort Collins who was not involved in the study, told the journal. 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. Sergei Grits/Associated Press 2012 Many scientists believe the coronavirus originally jumped from bats to humans, either directly or through another animal. In July, two new studies provided more evidence that the coronavirus pandemic originated in a Wuhan, China, market where live animals were sold further bolstering the theory that the virus emerged in the wild rather than escaping from a Chinese lab. The research, published online by the journal Science, shows that the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market was likely the early epicenter of the scourge that has now killed nearly 6.4 million people around the world, according to the Associated Press. Scientists conclude that the virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, likely spilled from animals into people two separate times. All this evidence tells us the same thing: It points right to this particular market in the middle of Wuhan, said Kristian Andersen a professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research and co-author of one of the studies. I was quite convinced of the lab leak myself until we dove into this very carefully and looked at it much closer. Aidin Vaziri (he/him) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avaziri@sfchronicle.com AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A Texas jury on Friday ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages to the parents of a child who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, adding to the $4.1 million he must pay for the suffering he put them through by claiming for years that the nations deadliest school shooting was a hoax. The total $49.3 million is less than the $150 million sought by Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose 6-year-old son Jesse Lewis was among the 20 children and six educators killed in the 2012 attack in Newtown, Connecticut. But the trial marks the first time Jones has been held financially liable for peddling lies about the massacre, claiming it was faked by the government to tighten gun laws. Afterward, Lewis said that Jones who wasn't in the courtroom to hear the verdict has been held accountable. She said when she took the stand and looked Jones in the eye, she thought of her son, who was credited with saving lives by yelling run when the killer paused in his rampage. He stood up to the bully Adam Lanza and saved nine of his classmates lives," Lewis said. "I hope that I did that incredible courage justice when I was able to confront Alex Jones, who is also a bully. I hope that inspires other people to do the same. Now Playing: A Texas jury on Thursday ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay more than $4 million in compensatory damages to the parents of a 6-year-old boy who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. (Aug 4) Video: Associated Press It could be a while before the plaintiffs collect anything. Jones' lead attorney, Andino Reynal, told the judge he will appeal and ask the courts to drastically reduce the size of the verdict. After the hearing, Reynal said he thinks the punitive amount will be reduced to as little as $1.5 million. We think the verdict was too high. ... Alex Jones will be on the air today, hell be on the air tomorrow, hell be on the air next week. Hes going to keep doing his job holding the power structure accountable. Jones' companies and personal wealth could also get carved up by other lawsuits and bankruptcy. Another defamation lawsuit against Jones by a Sandy Hook family is set to start pretrial hearings in the same Austin court on Sept. 14. He faces yet another defamation lawsuit in Connecticut. Plaintiffs' attorney Mark Bankston said he believes he can challenge any attempt to reduce the damages. But he said even if the award is drastically cut, its just as important to take the big verdict into the bankruptcy court for the family to claim against Jones estate and company. Jones testified this week that any award over $2 million would sink us. His company Free Speech Systems, which is Infowars' Austin-based parent company, filed for bankruptcy protection during the first week of the trial. Punitive damages are meant to punish defendants for particularly egregious conduct, beyond monetary compensation awarded to the individuals they hurt. A high punitive award is also seen as a chance for jurors to send a wider societal message and a way to deter others from the same abhorrent conduct in the future. Barry Covert, a Buffalo, New York, First Amendment lawyer with no connection to the Jones case, said the total damages awarded amount to a stunning loss for Jones. With $50 million in all, the jury has sent a huge, loud message that this behavior will not be tolerated, Covert said. Everyone with a show like this who knowingly tells lies juries will not tolerate it. Future jurors in other pending Sandy Hook trials could see the damages amounts in this case as a benchmark, Covert said. If other juries do, Covert said, it could very well put Jones out of business. Attorneys for the family had urged jurors to hand down a financial punishment that would force Infowars to shut down. You have the ability to stop this man from ever doing it again, Wesley Ball, an attorney for the parents, told the jury Friday. Send the message to those who desire to do the same: Speech is free. Lies, you pay for." An economist testified that Jones and the company are worth up to $270 million. Bernard Pettingill, who was hired by the plaintiffs to study Jones net worth, said records show that Jones withdrew $62 million for himself in 2021, when default judgments were issued in lawsuits against him. That number represents, in my opinion, a value of a net worth, Pettingill said. Hes got money put in a bank account somewhere. But Jones' lawyers said their client had already learned his lesson. They argued for a punitive amount of less than $300,000. Youve already sent a message. A message for the first time to a talk show host, to all talk show hosts, that their standard of care has to change," Reynal said. Friday's damages drew praise from the American Federation of Teachers union, which represented the teachers at Sandy Hook. Nothing will ever fix the pain of losing a child, or of watching that tragedy denied for political reasons. But Im glad the parents of Sandy Hook have gotten some justice," union President Randi Weingarten said in a tweet. Lawyers for the Sandy Hook families suing Jones contend he has tried to hide evidence of his true wealth in various shell companies. During his testimony, Jones was confronted with a memo from one of his business managers outlining a single day's gross revenue of $800,000 from selling vitamin supplements and other products through his website, which would approach nearly $300 million in a year. Jones called it a record sales day. 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. Jones, who has portrayed the lawsuit as an attack on his First Amendment rights, conceded during the trial that the attack was 100% real and that he was wrong to have lied about it. But Heslin and Lewis told jurors that an apology wouldnt suffice and called on them to make Jones pay for the years of suffering he has put them and other Sandy Hook families through. The parents told jurors theyve endured a decade of trauma, inflicted first by the murder of their son and what followed: gunshots fired at a home, online and phone threats, and harassment on the street by strangers. They said the threats and harassment were all fueled by Jones and his conspiracy theory spread to his followers via Infowars. A forensic psychiatrist testified that 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. Throughout the trial, Jones was his typically bombastic self, talking about conspiracies on the witness stand, during impromptu news conferences and on his show. His erratic behavior is unusual by courtroom standards, and the judge scolded him, telling him at one point: This is not your show. The trial drew attention from outside Austin as well. Bankston told the court Thursday that the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has requested records from Jones' phone that Jones' attorneys had mistakenly turned over to the plaintiffs. Bankston later said he planned to comply with the committee's request. By Friday, Bankston said, he had "a subpoena sitting on my desk' from the Jan. 6 committee. But he said he needed to tamp down expectations that it might reveal texts about the insurrection since it appears to have been scraped for data in mid-2020. Bankston said hes also had law enforcement interest in the phone data, but he declined to elaborate. Last month, the House committee showed graphic and violent text messages and played videos of right-wing figures, including Jones, and others vowing that Jan. 6 would be the day they would fight for Trump. The committee first subpoenaed Jones in November, demanding a deposition and documents related to his efforts to spread misinformation about the 2020 election and a rally on the day of the attack. ___ Associated Press writer Michael Tarm in Chicago and Susan Haigh in Norwich, Connecticut, contributed to this report. ___ Find APs full coverage of the Alex Jones trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-jones This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) Someone fired shots Thursday at the Mall of America in suburban Minneapolis, sending shoppers running for cover, but police said it did not appear anyone was injured. Bloomington police also said they were still searching for a suspect after securing the scene shortly before 6 p.m. They said a lockdown that had forced some shoppers to shelter in place, while others fled, was in the process of being lifted, but that the mall would not reopen Thursday. Video posted to social media showed what appeared to be a man shouting as he walked near the complexs Nike store, with at least three apparent gunshots. Bloomington Police Chief Booker T. Hodges during a news conference Thursday night at the mall said two groups got into an altercation at a store, one group left, but someone in that group decided to fire three rounds into a store with people around. Fortunately, at this time it doesnt appear that anyone was injured," Hodges said. Police are looking for two people but only one had a weapon, Hodges said. He said a Bloomington police officer was on the scene within 30 seconds. Hodges said if someone decides they have no regard for human life, I dont know what we can do about that. Mall spokesman Dan Jasper said the mall will reopen Friday with more mall security and police on site. Guns are not allowed on Mall of America property, Jasper said. Gov. Tim Walz tweeted: Tonights violence at the Mall of America is unacceptable. These brazen incidents will not be tolerated. The mall, which opened in 1992, is the largest in the U.S. and is a tourist destination and community gathering spot. Video posted online showed shoppers fleeing from the amusement park at the interior on the giant malls ground level, holding their childrens hands and clutching their bags. Still other video showed a pair of police officers, including one with a rifle, moving through the mall, and people walking quickly away from the mall's large interior atrium area. Trent Turner, a salesman at a DSW shoe store one level below the Nike store, said he was near the back when he heard gunshots. Then I saw everyone stampeding toward the back, he said. 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. One woman tweeted that she was shopping for clothes for high school senior pictures with her 17-year-old daughter when the store manager told them to move as far back as possible. The woman said she was in a fitting room with her daughter. Another person posted video of dozens of people said to be gathered in the basement as warnings to please shelter immediately repeated over mall speakers. A woman who gave her name only as Tara told The Associated Press that she and a friend were among dozens of people who ran down a hallway to get out of the mall. We were in the Lululemon store and I just saw people running and he was in the dressing room and I started banging on the door to get him to come out and he didnt have a shirt on so we just ran out of there," she said. The Mall of America bans guns on its premises, according to its website. The mall does not have metal detectors and shoppers are not searched upon entry. It was the scene of a shooting on New Years Eve, when two people were wounded during an apparent altercation. ___ Associated Press writers Todd Richmond and Scott Bauer in Madison, Wis., Ken Kusmer in Indianapolis, Dave Kolpack in Fargo, N.D., and Scott McFetridge in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed. Trisha Ahmed 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. Pop quiz which of these statements was made by a progressive? Person A: Ending single-family zoning ... is demolishing homes to put up rental units. (Its just for) real estate developers to make more money. Person B: What we need to know about our housing crisis, is that the reason why people are on the streets ... is because weve chosen not to build. If one solely followed San Francisco politics, you may think Person A was the progressive. In fact, it was Tucker Carlson. Person B is an actual progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. And her brand of housing reform, progressive YIMBYism, is quickly spreading throughout our country. Why? Because YIMBYism is progressive in its policy goals. Progressivism is a movement to advance the human condition through social reform. Its policies are based on the idea that government should have a role in ensuring a social safety net be it through tenant protections, guaranteed income or affordable housing. It asserts that wealth taxes are a sustainable mechanism to fund those objectives equitably. And it insists that fighting against climate change through government action is an imperative for ensuring an equitable habitat for future generations. In other words, progressivism is about fighting inequality to protect the most vulnerable. And YIMBYism works in concert with that vision. YIMBYism is a movement to advance more housing for all through a yes in my backyard approach to development. Its policies are centered around the fact that housing laws, such as exclusionary zoning and byzantine permitting processes, make it impossible to build housing. YIMBYism is saying yes to social reform that gets rid of the laws that benefit the wealthy and prejudice against historically marginalized communities by developing for future generations. And while some may claim the movement is run by developer shills with less empathy for tenants rights or rent stability that assertion couldnt be further from the truth. Many progressive YIMBYs believe that housing policies have to work in concert with other progressive frameworks to achieve our vision of housing for all. We believe both market-rate and affordable housing are necessary to build what we need to support future generations. We understand that social housing mixed-income development on government-owned land is an effective model for filling in a missing affordable supply. We believe rent control and eviction protection is necessary to help communities remain in their homes. We believe redesigning our cities to be denser and less reliant on cars is a powerful lever to fight climate change. YIMBYism isnt opposed to tenant protections, public financing, community benefits and taxing the wealthy. These policies support our vision. YIMBYism is thus not just a complement, but a necessary means, to achieve a progressive society. Many urban cities like San Francisco claim to be bastions for progressive values. But if you dont build housing at all levels, working people cant live there. If they cant live where the economic opportunities are, other progressive values like abortion rights and marriage equality are de facto out of reach. What good is a progressive society if no one can afford to live in it? YIMBYism can help progressivism reach its ideals. It rightly notes that if you improve socioeconomic outcomes, you also improve socioeconomic and racial equality. YIMBYism is an example of supply-side progressivism if you focus on increasing the supply of housing by ending restrictive and exclusionary zoning laws, you improve equitable outcomes through increased supply. The data proves this. According to a UC Berkeley Terner Center study, cities with a standard deviation increase in zoned capacity saw a 30% increase in housing permits. Cities with new buildings saw a 5%-7% reduction in cost of rent. And cities with lower costs of rent saw a 300% comparative reduction in homelessness. YIMBYism is one of the few policy platforms providing data and evidence-based solutions to advancing the human condition. Its no wonder then that the next generation of BIPOC activists are increasingly progressive YIMBYs. In fact, contrary to the belief that the movement is just for white men, the most prominent spokespersons of YIMBYism are actually Black activists like Darrell Owens, LatinX politicians like Sunnyvale Vice Mayor Alysa Cisneros and Assembly Member Rob Rivas, LGBTQ leaders like Laura Foote and state Sen. Scott Wiener, Asian American representatives like BART Director Janice Li and Assembly Member Alex Lee, and female leaders like Annie Fryman and Assembly Member Buffy Wicks. These YIMBYs are not shills for developers. In 2022 alone, YIMBY endorsed political candidates like Redwood City Mayor Giselle Hale were heavily attacked by a political action committee co-organized by the California Building Industry Association. Assembly Member Lee was infamously attacked by the same group for being a socialist democrat who lives with his mom. (As if thats a bad thing!?) So the next time you ask yourself whether youre a progressive, I ask you to consider whether your housing platform sounds more like AOC or Carlson. Because in cities where we need 66% approval to pass funding measures, where we need consensus to build more housing and more transit, we cant build if we dont unite. And if we dont build, we wont have housing that everyone can afford to live in. And if our most vulnerable cant afford to live here, how will they enjoy our progressive freedoms? YIMBYism is how we can ensure equitable access to that progressive future. Bilal Mahmood is a civil servant and entrepreneur, and board member at SF YIMBY. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Black sheriffs cadet is seeking a formal city review of his allegation that San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton verbally harassed and threatened him while using a racial slur at a City Hall security checkpoint several weeks ago. Cadet Emare Butler told The Chronicle he was motivated to set the record straight after Walton, who is also Black, publicly disputed his account of the incident and online comments showed that some people sided with the supervisor. All I have is my name, said Butler, 43. Thats important to me. Butler filed an appeal Tuesday of the decision by the citys human resources department to close the case related to the incident. If the city moves forward with an investigation, it could potentially examine whether Walton violated the citys harassment-free workplace policy. But such an investigation into a sitting elected official would be highly unusual, so its not entirely clear how it would proceed. Butler said Walton became upset when the cadet asked him to remove his belt before going through a metal detector on June 24. According to a Sheriffs Office memo, Walton became very angry with (Butler) ... and said it is N-words like you that looks like me that is always the problem while labeling security protocols some N-word shit several times as he yelled at the cadet. Butler also previously told The Chronicle that Walton invoked his position while threatening the cadet by saying, You must not know who I am. Ill whoop your ass. Walton called Butlers account inaccurate and said he had faced consistent and constant harassment from Butler and other sheriffs cadets. Walton alleged he was facing retaliation because of his efforts to seek more transparency and accountability from the Sheriffs Office, including a successful 2020 ballot measure he sponsored to create an oversight board for the agency. Walton has not specified what part of the account is inaccurate. Carol Isen, the citys human resources director, closed the case after Walton was admonished by a sheriffs official. But Butler appealed her decision to the citys Civil Service Commission this week, arguing that a proper investigation was never conducted and that neither he nor other witnesses had been contacted by human resources staff. Ive always treated people with respect, Butler said. For him to make the assertion that I was targeting him or I was in any way trying to do anything other than my job I was like, its too much. Walton did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Chronicle on Thursday. He said Monday that he may take legal action related to the incident, before saying Tuesday that he didnt plan to sue the city. As of Thursday afternoon, the citys human resources department was still reviewing the appeal filed by Butler. After reviewing the appeal, city officials are expected to contact Butler within the next week or two, which may lead to the launch of a full investigation into his allegations against Walton. The citys harassment-free workplace policy defines harassment as unwelcome visual, verbal, or physical conduct engaged in on account of a persons actual or perceived membership in a protected category. Even if the investigation finds Walton violated the policy, no disciplinary action can be taken against the supervisor because he is an elected official. In theory, Waltons fellow supervisors could try to admonish him over the incident. But that would be a symbolic measure, and the political will for it may not exist. Most of Waltons colleagues have not commented on the incident and none have suggested taking any action. Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Myrna Melgar said he should apologize. 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. Butlers appeal to the civil service commission includes a June 30 email he sent to a sheriffs sergeant recounting the incident with Walton. On numerous occasions Mr. Walton has tried to use his status at City Hall to bully other employees in our department and not comply with the rules we have been asked to enforce regarding belt removal for entry into the building, Butler wrote. Some Ive seen with my own eyes and other times I was verbally told. The week before the incident, Butler said he had reached a compromise with Walton under which the supervisor could keep his belt on and be scanned with a wand instead as long as there was no crowd. But on June 24, Butler said he asked Walton to take his belt off because there was a crowd and doing a wand scan would require stopping the line. Walton began saying he was not going to remove his belt and I was not going to win this argument, Butler wrote, adding that the supervisor was asking me if I understand who he is. Butler wrote that after Walton poked at the glass between them and berated the cadet while using a racial slur, a sheriffs deputy came over and explained to Walton that the history of the building is the reason we have these rules. City Hall implemented stricter security measures after former Supervisor Dan White assassinated Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978. Walton responded by saying he understands the history but that he did not give a f about all of that and that we werent going to win this argument and repeated that he felt like this was some n shit, Butler wrote. J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris When the San Francisco Art Institute closed its doors on July 15, the city lost one of its oldest and most important cultural institutions. The 148-year-old art school on the northeast slope of Russian Hill had been struggling for years, plagued by declining enrollment and financial woes. Yet for decades, the school known as the California School of Fine Arts until 1961 was a major force, not just on the Bay Area art scene, but on the national one. The artists and movements associated with the institution include Diego Rivera, Ansel Adams, Minor White, Manuel Neri, the Bay Area Figurative School, the funk movement, and too many others to list. But the most crucial period in the schools long history, when it transformed itself from a moribund finishing school for debutantes into a white-hot center of artistic experimentation and a force to be reckoned with in modern art, took place in just five years, from 1946 to 1950. During that time, the school played a significant role in the development of Abstract Expressionism, one of the most important artistic movements of the 20th century. And remarkably, it was a bunch of World War II veterans who made that development possible. In 1945, few expected the California School of Fine Arts to even survive, let alone become a center of cutting-edge art. Founded in 1874, the CSFA was a typical fine-arts college of its era, attracting large numbers of female students who wanted to acquire accomplishments to make themselves more marriageable. In the 1920s and 1930s, Richard Candida Smith writes in Utopia and Dissent: Art, Poetry and Politics in California, it had the reputation of having the most conservative curriculum in the state, with a faculty that steadfastly clung to the beaux-arts academic tradition. The Great Depression and World War II hit the school hard, and by the 1940s it was on life support. Enrollment plunged, and in 1942 the schools director quit because there was no money to pay his salary. Most of the faculty soon followed. In 1944, the board of trustees considered closing the dying school and selling off the real estate. At that moment, salvation appeared in the form of 32-year-old Douglas MacAgy, a curator at the San Francisco Museum of Art. MacAgy offered to run the school, on the condition that he be allowed to revise the curriculum and hire faculty as he saw fit. The board agreed, and MacAgy was appointed director on July 1, 1945. It was a momentous hiring. MacAgy and his then-wife, Jermanyne, who was acting director at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, quickly became the most important champions of contemporary art in the Bay Area. Jermanyne MacAgy staged the first Jackson Pollock exhibition in San Francisco in 1942, following that with one-artist shows by Mark Rothko, Robert Motherwell, Arshile Gorky and Clyfford Still. Trivia Time The last question: After benches were installed in Golden Gate Park around 1880, what supposed crisis erupted? Answer: An epidemic of hugging. This week's question: What San Francisco intersection was known in the late 19th century as "Cape Horn," and why? See More Collapse For his part, Douglas MacAgy set about remaking the staid CSFA into a center of artistic experimentation. To make up the core of the new painting faculty, he hired four painters he had met as curator Edward Corbett, David Park, Hassel Smith and Clay Spohn. The next year, he hired Elmer Bischoff and Clyfford Still. In 1948, he added Richard Diebenkorn. Ansel Adams was brought in to head the photography department, with Minor White as principal instructor. MacAgy engaged Mark Rothko, Mark Tobey, Ad Reinhardt, Man Ray and Salvador Dali to teach, and even tried to convince Marcel Duchamp to come out of retirement and join the faculty. MacAgy swept out the cobwebs at the venerable school. He got rid of its old pedagogy, which stipulated that students had to take courses in a prescribed order. He ordered that the studios be kept open 24 hours a day, so that students could work whenever they wanted. He brought in jazz musicians and poetry readings. And symbolically, he hung a curtain over the Rivera mural in the schools exhibition hall. MacAgy was not only a passionate believer in artistic modernism, he was also sure that his avant-garde vision would attract students. As Smith writes, MacAgy was convinced that only by making the school the center for the most advanced thinking in the visual arts would it be able to survive. This remarkably idealistic plan Jackson Pollock as a business model? would probably have crashed and burned, had it not been for perhaps the most unusual crop of new students in the history of liberal arts education in the United States: a flood of military veterans. What led more than two million U.S. veterans between 1945 and 1956 to put down their M-1s and start studying Abstract Expressionism, or Samuel Beckett, or Karl Marx, was an epochal piece of legislation: the GI Bill of Rights. Passed by Congress in 1944, the GI Bill offered generous educational and other benefits to returning World War II veterans. Congress did not stipulate what type of education veterans would receive; in fact, it voted down a plan that would have restricted benefits to courses of study focused on employable skills. Neither politicians nor educators expected that the veterans would prefer a liberal arts education over professional training and certainly not that they would pour into art schools. But in that era, when the military was a true cross-section of America, they did. As Smith notes, a 1946 UCLA survey found that veterans were more likely to take humanities courses than non-veterans. Veterans were driven far less by practical concerns than non-veterans: 44% of veterans in a 1946 survey of 25 institutions of higher learning said their principal aim in returning to school was self-improvement, compared to only 12% of non-veterans. The veterans also got better grades than the non-veterans. More from the Archive The Vault Home of the San Francisco Chronicle's archive and more than 150 years of journalism covering the Bay Area and beyond. Thanks to the GI Bill, veterans swelled the ranks of liberal arts colleges and proportionally, still more of them enrolled in art schools. As Smith points out, between 1946 and 1952, the percentage of veterans who were full-time students at the five most important art schools in California the CSFA, the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, and three in Los Angeles was never less than 70%. At CSFA, veterans in 1947 and 1948 made up 74% of full-time students; in 1949, a staggering 87%. The first veterans began enrolling in fall 1945; by the following spring term, enrollment had grown to 1,017 full- and part-time students, 350% greater than in 1944, and far greater than the schools previous high in 1929. Registration and school income increased every year through 1949. It was a unique cohort. Smith calls it a special group of students, those veterans who, for absolutely no practical reason, turned to art when they were given the opportunity to achieve their educational dreams. When they entered the CSFA, they threw themselves into the world of art. They devoured the intense, demanding, at times quasi-religious courses offered by Still, Smith and others. And they saved the school. In the years to come, the CSFA evolved. Still and other faculty members departed. MacAgy resigned in 1950. Abstract Expressionism was followed by the Bay Area figurative movement, which was followed by funk, which was followed by pop, and on and on, in a pattern of change as old as art itself. The long run of the San Francisco Art Institute, formerly the California School of Fine Arts, came to an end this year. But while mourning that loss, its worth remembering the five unique years when the schools modern era began driven by brilliant artists and administrators of vision, and by a bunch of veterans who wanted to expand their lives. Gary Kamiya is the author of the best-selling book Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco. His most recent book is Spirits of San Francisco: Voyages Through the Unknown City. All the material in Portals of the Past is original for The San Francisco Chronicle. To read earlier Portals of the Past, go to sfchronicle.com/portals . Two delicate steps forward, one gigantic step backward. The San Francisco Board of Education, under President Jenny Lam, made unusual recent choices selecting Matt Wayne to become superintendent and focusing on better governance and improving student outcomes. Then they returned to old ways and held a meeting of adults talking with and sometimes screaming at each other, admonishing newly appointed Commissioner Ann Hsu about her inflammatory racial comments on a November election candidate questionnaire. During a nine-hour meeting on July 17, the Board of Education commissioners tentatively decided that 50% of their meetings should focus on student outcomes outcomes that often have not been good, especially for Black and brown students. As of last week, the board was at 0% in achieving this student outcome focus. Hope for change has slammed into the reality of the boards legacy. The meeting to discuss improving board governance was postponed (to August 5) at the last minute, and the meeting to bring judgment on a Commissioner Hsus statements went well beyond the planned 90 minutes. Board President Lam said at the start of the Aug. 2 special meeting that the discussion to consider admonishing Hsu had to occur. I disagree. I disagree not because I embrace Commissioner Hsus words. (I dont.) I disagree not because I am Chinese American. I disagree because this Board of Education jumped at the chance to go back to its old ways, to the neglect of students, to the neglect of so much other needed work that they themselves had planned. At that long meeting on July 17, Lam said, If a board operates effectively, research shows it is more likely to improve student outcomes. Whatever you think of Commissioner Hsus words, its worth asking: What was achieved for San Francisco students on Aug. 2? A unanimous vote to admonish a commissioner was achieved, but what else? I doubt any commissioner, audience member or anyone in the public is any happier or more confident in the district after this meeting, in which some wanted Hsu to resign and some praised Hsu for stating what they thought needed saying. Yet the students got no tangible gains other than further animosity, further venting, further distancing for the adults. Lam even called a meeting recess when tensions peaked. During the painful first-person public comments, my heart wrenched. Systemic racism, personal sacrifices, language barriers but of all the problems, the worst was ignoring the plaintive cries from parents. One parent, speaking in Spanish, said her child, who has an Individualized Education Program, was not getting enough classroom attention. She asked and asked for help. The response was to encourage her to transfer her child to another school. She rejected that idea and sought to admonish Commissioner Hsu. Board Vice President Kevine Boggess pushed back on criticism that the admonishment of another commissioner was unnecessary. He said, This isnt performative. Its about addressing racism and institutional racism. Perhaps. But what has changed for the families who attended the meeting? What has changed for the tens of thousands of families not at the meeting? Further, are concerns of student bullying being addressed? Is staffing improving? Are teachers being paid correctly? Are ceilings being fixed? Commissioner Mark Sanchez said he seeks to pursue a vote of no confidence against Hsu, as he believes admonishment is an insufficient and merely symbolic action for her candidate statement and ensuing apologies. But what is the appropriate retribution, especially given Hsu is up for election in three months? In the meantime, many involved in the school board recall have expressed low confidence in Commissioner Sanchez and the three other commissioners elected in November 2020: Lam, Boggess and Matt Alexander. These four were sitting commissioners during the last few suboptimal years. Sanchez has been a commissioner for 14 years over two separate terms, as deficits grew and student outcomes, including enrollment, went down. Maybe someday the Board of Education commissioners will look around and realize they are in charge. They are the ones who have the power to push the district to bring begged-for, yet neglected, change. Adults talking to one another, to the detriment of attention to students, was a request from the public in the superintendent search report early in the year. The commissioners appear to have heard that request and responded by choosing a superintendent who would bring refocusing. Superintendent Wayne has been letting people know he will need support for this effort. Will he get it from these seven commissioners? Will they commit and follow through on their focus on student outcomes? Can they work together? The journey to improve student outcomes will involve many meetings discussing hard tradeoffs. For example, how does a district help a school where only 8% of the students are reading at grade level? Where will the money come from to make improvements? And if money is found, will other schools and/or other programs get less resources? These are questions that have real results for real students. Admonishment has happened. What is next from this Board of Education? NEW YORK (AP) ABC's The View has named two Republicans Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro as regular panelists on the daytime talk show, and neither are fans of former President Donald Trump. Farah Griffin fills the chair left empty when Meghan McCain quit last summer after four years on the show. Farah Griffin is a communications strategist who worked as a spokesperson at the Pentagon and for Trump and Vice President Mike Pence during the last administration. Navarro, a familiar face as a frequent guest host at The View since 2015, was also officially named as an addition to the show's group of five hosts on Thursday. McCain was a magnet for controversy and attention during her time at The View, where she often fought onscreen with her more liberal co-hosts, and complained after she left of a toxic work environment. The View took its time replacing her, spending a year with conservative guest hosts in informal on-air tryouts. Farah Griffin appeared 29 times. If there's one thing that I believe, it's that there's more that unites this country than divides it, Farah Griffin said. I think we can demonstrate at this table what our elected leaders often can't, which is disagreeing but doing so respectfully and doing so in a fact-based manner. We don't need any of these conspiracies and lies that have taken up so much of news. Farah Griffin, who is also a CNN contributor, quit the Trump administration in December 2020. She publicly turned against her old boss following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and spoke to the House committee investigating the event. She said the last two years have been turbulent for her, including dealing with death threats. I worked for an administration that I ended up speaking out against fervently and continue to do so daily, she said. It changes a lot in your life. I lost a lot of friends. I'm estranged from family members, but I have to say this: I am so proud to have found my voice. Not everyone has been quick to turn the page, and there's a social media campaign to boycott The View because of her hiring, with some fans unwilling to forgive the new host's service to Trump. Many in the media are still trying to normalize these folks, MSNBC host Tiffany Cross said on her weekend show. And why? The View discusses the day's hot topics on its show and is seen by many politicians as an important conduit to women voters during national campaigns. Yet it's also a target: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' office recently turned down an invitation to appear on the show, and publicly pointed to hostile comments made by the show's hosts about him. Led by veterans Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar, the show is generally dominated by its liberal hosts. Goldberg refuses to even say Trump's name. Farah Griffin told her co-hosts, who also include Sunny Hostin and Sara Haines, that she knew it was going to get sporting sometimes. It's going to get more than sporting, Hostin replied. Navarro has worked for GOP figures John McCain and Jeb Bush. She had a Twitter tiff with the former president's son last September; after Donald Trump Jr. made an online comment about Navarro's weight, she called him a dimwit. She said she was pleased to be joining the show officially, even if it means a commute from her home in Miami. We're finally putting a ring on it, she said. - This story corrects the spelling of Sara Haines' first name. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) A long-lost painting by the British graffiti artist Banksy has resurfaced in a swank art gallery in downtown Tel Aviv, an hours drive and a world away from the concrete wall in the occupied West Bank where it was initially sprayed. The relocation of the painting which depicts a slingshot-toting rat and was likely intended to protest the Israel occupation raises ethical questions about the removal of artwork from occupied territory and the display of such politically-charged pieces in radically different settings from where they were created. The painting initially appeared near Israels separation barrier in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem and was one of several works created in secret around 2007. They employed Banksys trademark absurdist and dystopian imagery to protest Israels decades-long occupation of territories the Palestinians want for a future state. Now it resides at the Urban Gallery in the heart of Tel Avivs financial district, surrounded by glass and steel skyscrapers. This is the story of David and Goliath, said Koby Abergel, an Israeli art dealer who purchased the painting, without elaborating on the analogy. He said the gallery was simply displaying the work, leaving its interpretation to others. The Associated Press could not independently confirm the authenticity of the piece, but Abergel said the cracks and scrapes in the concrete serve as a fingerprint that proves it is the same piece that appears on the artists website. The 70-kilometer (43-mile) journey it made from the West Bank to Tel Aviv is shrouded in secrecy. The 900-pound concrete slab would have had to pass through Israels serpentine barrier and at least one military checkpoint daily features of Palestinian life and targets of Banksys biting satire. Abergel, who is a partner with the Tel Aviv gallery, said he bought the concrete slab from a Palestinian associate in Bethlehem. He declined to disclose the sum he paid or identify the seller, but insisted on the deal's legality. The graffiti artwork was spray-painted on a concrete block that was part of an abandoned Israeli army position in Bethlehem, next to a soaring concrete section of the separation barrier. Some time later, the painting was itself subjected to graffiti by someone who obscured the painting and scrawled RIP Bansky Rat on the block. Palestinian residents cut out the painting and kept it in private residences until earlier this year, Abergel said. He said the relocation involved delicate negotiations with his Palestinian associate and careful restoration to remove the acrylic paint sprayed over Banksys work. The massive block was then enclosed in a steel frame so it could be lifted onto a flatbed truck and rolled through a checkpoint, until it arrived in Tel Aviv in the middle of the night. It was not possible to independently confirm his account of its journey. The piece now stands on an ornately patterned tile floor, surrounded by other contemporary art. Baruch Kashkash, the gallerys owner, said the roughly 2-square-meter (-yard) block was so heavy it had to be brought inside by a crane, and could barely be moved from the doorway. Israel controls all access to the West Bank, and Palestinians require Israeli permits to travel in or out and to import and export goods. Even when traveling within the West Bank, they can be stopped and searched by Israeli soldiers at any time. Israeli citizens, including Jewish settlers, can travel freely in and out of the 60% of the West Bank that is under full Israeli control. Israel prohibits its citizens from entering areas administered by the Palestinian Authority for security reasons, but theres little enforcement of that ban. The Palestinians have spent decades seeking an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. The peace process ground to a halt more than 10 years ago. Abergel said the artworks move was not coordinated with the Israeli military, and that his Palestinian associates, whom he declined to name, were responsible for moving it into Israel and crossing through military checkpoints. He said he has no plans to sell the piece. According to the international treaty governing cultural property to which Israel is a signatory, occupying powers must prevent the removal of cultural property from occupied territories. It remains unclear exactly how the 1954 Hague Convention would apply in this instance. This is theft of the property of the Palestinian people, said Jeries Qumsieh, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Tourism Ministry. These were paintings by an international artist for Bethlehem, for Palestine, and for visitors to Bethlehem and Palestine. So transferring them, manipulating them and stealing them is definitely an illegal act. The Israeli military and COGAT, the Israeli Defense Ministry body responsible for coordinating civilian affairs with the Palestinians, said they had no knowledge of the artwork or its relocation. Banksy has created numerous artworks in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in recent years, including one depicting a girl conducting a body search on an Israeli soldier, another showing a dove wearing a flak jacket, and a masked protester hurling a bouquet of flowers. He also designed the Walled Off Hotel guesthouse in Bethlehem, which is filled with his artwork. A spokesperson for Banksy did not respond to requests for comment. This is not the first time the street artists work has been lifted from the West Bank. In 2008, two other paintings Wet Dog and Stop and Search were removed from the walls of a bus shelter and butcher shop in Bethlehem. They were eventually bought by galleries in the United States and Britain where they were exhibited in 2011. Abergel says its up to viewers to draw their own conclusions about the artwork and its implications. We brought it to the main street of Tel Aviv to be shown to the audience and to show his messages, said Abergel. He should be happy with it. ___ Scharf reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Areej Hazboun in Jerusalem contributed to this report. Little Shucker, a new bar from the team behind The Snug, is replacing The Grove at 2016 Fillmore St. The concept will focus on lower alcohol content below 20% across wine, beer and cocktail selections such as spritzes. Little Shuckers food menu is headed by Adrian Garcia, who formerly worked at Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurants Benu and Quince. With a prime location on Fillmore Street between California and Pine streets, the business corridor is known for its people watching and window shopping. Little Shucker is coming in early 2023, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. (SFGATE and the Chronicle are both owned by Hearst but operate independently.) Jacob Racusin, a managing partner at The Snug, sees the approachable bar as like a Parisian bistro, because of the large windows that will open up to outdoor seating. Its just what a lot of us want these days, especially when you want to enjoy a lighter meal, Racusin told the Chronicle. Were going to dive into that. The food menu will be light enough for folks to walk in for a snack, but also feature specialty bites, like oysters and crudo. My biggest realization as both a restaurant owner and a consumer is that you have to offer something unique that can justify the prices we simply have to charge to stay afloat as a restaurant in this city, said Zack Schwab, another managing partner. The Snug opened in 2017 and offers craft cocktails with playful and fancy takes on bar food. Think homemade naan with everything bagel spices paired with caviar and hummus. Shelley H./Yelp The Grove has two remaining locations, at 690 Mission St. and 1 Henry Adams St. The Pacific Heights location of the husband-and-wife-owned business was opened in 2002. According to the cafe's website, the idea at the time was What if the Ramones moved into a barn? The Snug is more cocktail-focused, according to Schwab; the hope at Little Shucker is that people will order food with their drinks. At The Snug, most people come in only for the cocktails, according to Schwab. Little Shucker, along with The Snug, will not have tips, according to the Chronicle, instead adding an automatic 20% surcharge to all bills. Currently Reading Alert: Democrats say they've reached agreement on party's economic package, clearing their major hurdle toward Senate approval CORINTH, Miss (AP) Four men escaped from a Mississippi jail early Friday by cutting a hole in the facility's roof, authorities said. Security camera footage shows the inmates running east from the prison toward the National Guard Armory in Corinth around 2 a.m., said Alcorn County Sheriff Ben Caldwell. SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) Authorities in northwestern Indiana are investigating the fatal police shooting of a Black man who was reportedly dealing with mental illness and had been threatening to commit suicide near an elementary school. A bystander's video shows 51-year-old Dante Kittrell was partially surrounded by South Bend police vehicles and officers July 29 when he gestured toward a SWAT team vehicle and was shot, the South Bend Tribune reported. St. Joseph County police are investigating the shooting and said in a statement that Kittrell threatened to shoot multiple times before he pointed a gun at officers. Officers and negotiators spent nearly 40 minutes trying to deescalate the situation, according to police. City Councilor Henry Davis Jr. said he knew Kittrell and that Kittrell had been dealing with mental illness. Im not blaming the officers for what they did. They have a job, Davis said. "Theyre trained to do that job. But since we know there are things that dont fit in the normal protocol, we have to adjust the way we service this community. Mayor James Mueller said theres a need for enhanced support for residents in need of mental health intervention, especially those from communities of color, adding that firearms need to be prevented from getting into the wrong hands." Our policy is that lethal force is a last resort, Mueller said. Were going to need all the facts. Were going to need the investigation to see exactly what transpired and see if theres anything going forward that we need to adjust. St. Joseph County Sheriff Bill Redman said investigators were interviewing witnesses and reviewing video footage. The Mishawaka Police Department is also investigating the shooting. Some activists also have called for a special prosecutor from outside St. Joseph County to investigate the police response to the incident. The shooting reportedly was witnessed by the Rev. J.B. Williams, pastor of Abundant Faith Family Ministries, who called it a military-style operation in response to a mental health crisis, the newspaper reported. Beaumont and 24 other Texas cities on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Disney, Hulu and Netflix for allegedly not paying millions of dollars in franchise fees. The lawsuit, which was filed in Dallas County, alleges that the streaming services have not paid the cities annual franchise fees, according to a city of Beaumont news release. The fees are required by the Texas Public Utility Regulatory Act and are used to fund city services, including fire departments, libraries and road repairs. Under the act, if a streaming service is delivered using utility poles over streets, sidewalks or beneath roads, among other delivery methods, the providers are required to pay the Texas municipality a 5% franchise fee. "With this lawsuit, we hope to ensure streaming video companies compliance with their PURA obligations moving forward and also recoup unpaid franchise fees from the Disney, Hulu, and Netflix streaming services as follow-on relief, Beaumont City Attorney Sharae Reed said in the news release. Franchise fees are an important source of city revenue. If streaming companies refuse to pay these fees, the city has to cut services or seek alternate sources of revenue. We have an obligation to our residents to ensure that these companies comply with state law and pay what is owed to the city. RELATED: Beaumont poised to sue Netflix, Hulu, and Disney In the suit, Beaumont is seeking reimbursement for unpaid annual franchise fees and interest since Disney, Hulu and Netflix began streaming from their platforms in Texas in 2007, 2011 and 2019, respectively. Dallas-based McKool Smith is co-counsel on the lawsuit with Austin-based Ashcroft Sutton Reyes and St. Louis-based Korein Tillery. McKool Smith principal Steven Wolens is one of the lawyers representing the cities in the case. Disney, Hulu and Netflix have long withheld statutorily required payments to cities throughout Texas, depriving them of fees that help fund essential city services, Wolens said in the news release. This case was filed on behalf of our municipal clients to ensure future compliance with PURA and recoup significant fees owed by some of the nations largest streaming services. The other Texas cities involved in lawsuit are Abilene, Allen, Amarillo, Arlington, Austin, Carrollton, Dallas, Denton, Frisco, Fort Worth, Garland, Grand Prairie, Houston, Irving, Lewisville, McKinney, Mesquite, Nacogdoches, Pearland, Plano, Rowlett, Sugar Land, Tyler and Waco. The news release states that additional cities are expected to join in the lawsuit. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Louisville activists put in long hours on phones and in the streets, working tirelessly to call for arrests in the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor but it was mostly two years filled with frustration. This week they saw their fortunes suddenly change, when U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced federal charges against four officers involved in the March 13, 2020, raid that ended in Taylor's death. After a series of disappointing setbacks, the charges brought a welcome sense of relief. It is such a weight lifted," said Sadiqa Reynolds, president of Louisville's Urban League, who has advocated for Taylor's family and led protest marches. What this decision yesterday did is to begin lifting the cloud that had been hanging over us. The indictments represent the first time Louisville police officers have been held accountable for Taylors shooting death in her home. Most of the new charges center around the faulty warrant that led officers to Taylors front door. The 26-year-old Black woman was shot to death after officers used a battering ram to knock down her door during a search for drugs. None were found. Taylors boyfriend fired a defensive shot that hit one of the officers as he came through the door. The boyfriend later said he thought the officer was an intruder. Several police officers returned fire, striking Taylor multiple times. The spring and summer of 2020 became a time of reckoning over how police treat Black communities. Protesters shouted Taylor's name along with that of George Floyd, a Black man who died from suffocation three months after Taylor when a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck. Last year, federal officials brought civil rights charges against four officers in Floyd's death and federal hate crimes charges against three white men involved in the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black Georgia man killed in February 2020. All were convicted of the charges in February of this year. When that happened, "we celebrated, but there was a part of us that felt like we never got anything like that in Louisville, Reynolds said Friday. In Breonna Taylors case, the officers who fired the fatal shots were not involved in the warrants creation and didnt know it was faulty, Garland said. The two officers who shot Taylor were not charged this week. The indictments unsealed Thursday name former Louisville officers Joshua Jaynes and Brett Hankison, along with current officers Kelly Goodlett and Sgt. Kyle Meany. Louisville police are moving to fire Goodlett and Meany. Jaynes and Meany both knew the warrant used to search Taylors home had information that was false, misleading and out of date, the indictment says. Both are charged with conspiracy and deprivation of rights. They and Hankison are facing a maximum sentence of life in prison. Taylor family lawyer Ben Crump said Goodlett has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. The warrant used to search Taylors apartment alleged that she was receiving packages for a suspected drug dealer who was a former boyfriend. Investigators later learned that Jaynes had not confirmed any package deliveries with the postal inspector. Hankison was the only officer charged Thursday who was on the scene the night of the killing. He was indicted on state charges in 2020, but they were related to bullets he fired that nearly hit Taylors neighbors. He was acquitted in March of wanton endangerment. The new federal indictment charges Hankison with excessive force for firing into Taylor's and a neighbor's apartments. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a Republican running for governor, has been the target of many protesters ire since he announced in September 2020 that only Hankison would be charged. During a 2020 news conference to announce a grand jurys findings, Cameron said jurors agreed that homicide charges were not warranted against the officers, because they were fired upon. That prompted three of the jurors to come forward and dispute Camerons account, arguing that Camerons staff limited their scope and wouldn't let them consider harsher charges. The federal government had the guts to do what Daniel Cameron did not, said Lonita Baker, one of the Taylor familys attorneys. The malfeasance that the Kentucky Attorney Generals office showed in this case shows that his political career needs to end now. Cameron said this week that some want to use this moment to divide Kentuckians, misrepresent the facts of the state investigation and broadly impugn the character of our law enforcement. I wont participate in that sort of rancor, he said in a news release. Its not productive. Another longtime activist, Tamika Mallory, moved to Louisville along with members of the social justice group Until Freedom more than two years ago when she heard about the Taylor case from Crump. Her goal was to bring attention to Taylor's death at a time when the growing coronavirus pandemic was dominating headlines. We needed a movement on the ground here," said Mallory, who relocated from New York. On Thursday, minutes after the indictment was announced, she was speaking at a downtown park that was the launching pad for hundreds of days of protests after Taylor's death. Protesters had renamed it Injustice Square. There were many people who tried to tell us that we were wasting our time," Mallory said. But we knew "we still had a fallen soldier that will never come back in Breonna Taylor. IRVINE, Calif. (AP) Police have arrested a Southern California woman for investigation of poisoning her husband. Police in the Orange County city of Irvine say a man reported Thursday that he believed he was being poisoned by his wife of 10 years after he grew ill over the course of a month. The man had video evidence he also provided to authorities, police said in a statement. He had internal injuries but is expected to recover, the statement said. Yue Yu, 45, was arrested Thursday after investigators interviewed her and searched the couple's home, the statement said. She is due to appear in court Monday and is being held on $30,000 bail, online jail records show. It was not immediately known whether Yu had an attorney. Yu is a dermatologist in Orange County and attended medical school at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, according to her office's website. A message was left seeking comment at the office. Providence Mission Hospital, where Yu can see patients, said in a statement Friday that the hospital is cooperating with police and the incident was a domestic issue and has not affected patient care. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) Could outdoor gambling be at least a partial solution to an impasse between Atlantic City casino workers who want smoking banned indoors, and gambling executives who fear a smoking ban would hurt business and cost jobs? It may depend on what the definition of outdoors is. For more than two years, many casino workers have been pushing for the enactment of a state law that would ban smoking inside Atlantic City's nine casinos virtually the only workplaces in New Jersey where indoor smoking is still allowed. A bill that would end smoking in the casinos has sat untouched in the state Legislature for months and has yet to have a hearing even though more than half the entire state Legislature has signed onto it as sponsors or co-sponsors. An identical bill introduced last year suffered the same fate, languishing without action. The Casino Association of New Jersey, the industry's trade association, opposes a smoking ban, saying it would lead to lower earnings and fewer jobs. But a group of casino workers is adamant that any solution include two non-negotiable demands: That no smoking be allowed inside the casinos, and that no casino worker is exposed to second-hand smoke. Atlantic City currently allows smoking on 25% of the casino floor, but the areas are not contiguous. Its spread throughout the floor, which essentially makes the entire casino floor a smoking area, said Corinne Orlando of the American Heart Association. A partial solution is instead being discussed among workers, casino officials and state Legislators: Creating some outdoor gambling spaces where smoking would be permitted. However, there is no wide agreement on just what constitutes an outdoor area. The devil is in the details, said Pete Naccarelli, a dealer at the Borgata and a leader of the movement to ban smoking in Atlantic City casinos. As long as no worker is exposed to secondhand smoke, a truly outdoor area could be a workable solution." Las Vegas, with its desert climate, has long offered outdoor gambling, including near and sometimes even in swimming pools. Gamblers can play cards at swim-up gambling tables. In Maryland, outdoor gambling areas at casinos in Baltimore and Hanover appear to be largely enclosed spaces with a roof and walls, and some openings to let air in. In Ohio, Hard Rock's Cincinnati casino also has what it calls a smoking patio, separate from the main casino floor, that has ventilation systems and some direct air flow from outside. Smoking opponents cite the outdoor smoking area that Harrah's in New Orleans opened about five years ago as a better alternative with open walls and no live table games requiring dealers. Those outdoor areas cost between $10 million to $15 million to build, however a price tag that does not appear to be within reach of all of Atlantic Citys casinos. Ten years ago, Atlantic City's Golden Nugget opened an outdoor gambling area on its deck for use during warm weather. But it is exposed to the elements, not enclosed, and can't be used for much of the year. The Golden Nugget did not respond to a request for comment. Bob McDevitt, president of Local 54 of the Unite Here casino workers union that represents housekeeping, food and beverage and other workers, said the idea of outdoor gambling has been talked about for months as at least a partial solution. We've been speaking about this idea with the industry and with the state government since before the summer, he said. We want to resolve this with a solution that works for everyone, and I believe that's attainable." He said such areas could be heated during colder months, and that casinos would need to allow workers who don't want to breathe in smoke to opt out of working in them. That idea has led to another suggestion being discussed: creating indoor smoking rooms staffed by dealers who agree to work there. Democratic state Sen. Shirley Turner, one of the smoking ban bill's main sponsors, called it imperative that indoor smoking come to an end in casinos. There are solutions such as truly outdoor areas for guests who smoke that do not compromise worker health, she said. Joe Lupo, president of the casino association, reiterated its longstanding contention that unilaterally banning smoking in Atlantic City casinos while nearby jurisdictions still permit it would hurt the industry, leading to fewer jobs and less tax money to fund state programs for senior citizens. Additional time is required to devise and implement a solution that will address the concerns of our employees without jeopardizing jobs and benefits to seniors, he said. ___ Follow Wayne Parry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC PHOENIX (AP) Former Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes has won the Democratic nomination for Arizona secretary of state and the right to take on a supporter of former President Donald Trump who believes the false narrative that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Additional returns released Thursday night showed Fontes was so far ahead of House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding that remaining ballots gave Bolding no chance to catch up. He will face Republican state Rep. Mark Finchem in November. Both Bolding and Fontes have warned that electing Finchem to the state's top election post would be a danger to democracy. Finchem was at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, before Trump backers attacked Congress and has pushed for President Joe Biden's win in Arizona to be withdrawn, something that the law provides no way to do. Fontes is a former Marine and attorney who ran ads saying he would protect voting rights for all Arizonans and that election deniers like Finchem were making a full-fledged attack on democracy. Fontes oversaw parts of Maricopa County elections in 2020 but not the actual vote counting or polling sites. He lost his seat to current Republican Recorder Stephen Richer in the same election that Trump lost. Other than wins by Biden and Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, Republicans did well in the county that year. Finchem and other Republicans contend without evidence that Maricopa County's 2020 election was tainted by fraud. He has backed the state Senates discredited review of the election done by the state Senate and is part of a lawsuit trying to block the use of vote counting machines in state elections. A federal judge is considering whether to dismiss that case. Finchem 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. SEATTLE (AP) Watch salesman turned anti-tax initiative promoter Tim Eyman, who was found liable last year for numerous and particularly egregious violations of campaign finance law, has been forced to sell his house to help pay millions of dollars of fines and debt. A federal bankruptcy judge Thursday approved a resolution requiring Eyman to sell his portion of a Mukilteo house to his ex-wife, The Seattle Times reported. The $900,000 in proceeds will go toward paying over $5.6 million in sanctions and legal fees he owes the state of Washington and other creditors. Eyman was fined more than $2.6 million in February 2021 after a Thurston County judge found he had enriched himself by laundering political donations, had accepted kickbacks from a signature-gathering company, secretly shuttled money between initiative campaigns and concealed the source of other political contributions. In the history of Washington states campaign finance law, it would be difficult for the Court to conceive of a case with misconduct that is more egregious or more extensive, Thurston County Superior Court Judge James Dixon wrote. Eyman was ordered to pay more than $2.9 million in legal fees to cover the cost of Attorney General Bob Fergusons yearslong investigation and prosecution. Eyman described the penalties against him as ridiculously unconstitutional and absurdly excessive in an email to the newspaper. Eyman has paid about $538,000 in fines and fees but still owes more than $5.6 million, including accrued interest, according to Fergusons office. Eyman filed for bankruptcy just before his trial. A U.S. bankruptcy judge in December found Eyman in default and ordered his bankruptcy case shifted from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7. Chapter 7 means the court appoints a trustee responsible for selling Eymans assets and distributing the proceeds to his debtors. Eyman was also prohibited from directing the finances of any kind of political committee. Eyman long argued such a sentence would be a death blow to his career as a political activist. But after the ruling, he backtracked, saying he would change paperwork on his political committee, but the the rest will remain the same. Eyman has continued to draft and promote initiatives, but he cannot decide how political committees spend money, accept a check for a political committee, have a bank account with political committee funds or negotiate with vendors. This case goes back to a 2012 probe by the states campaign-finance watchdog, the Public Disclosure Commission. It was referred to Ferguson in 2015, and he filed a lawsuit in 2017. Eyman was held in contempt of court for two years for refusing to cooperate with the lawsuit, and he paid more than $300,000 in resulting fines. Many of the claims in the lawsuit mirrored a similar case Eyman apologized for in 2002, after it was revealed hed lied about paying himself from initiative donor funds. He paid $55,000 in fines and was banned from serving as treasurer of a political committee. Ive said everything there is to say about Tim Eymans outrageous and illegal conduct, Ferguson said in a written statement. Eyman will never take accountability for his actions, because any acknowledgment of wrongdoing would undermine his attempts to pry additional dollars out of his supporters. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate FARGO, N.D. (AP) The two small houses are going up on the back half of a lot just off a busy street, not far from downtown Fargo. These homes are identical in blueprint, theyre 13 by 23, with 12 foot ceilings, theres a loft in each of them, explains Grassroots Development president Justin Berg, the man behind this one-of-a-kind construction and research project. One of the houses is built with a traditional wood frame, fiberglass insulation and covered with that shiny white house wrap material. A second house a few feet away also has a wood frame but the walls are filled with 12 inches of hempcrete, giving it a brown, textured look inside and out. The raw material is called hurd. Its the inner woody core of the hemp plant, chipped into small pieces. The hurd is mixed with a lime binder and water. And you blend the mixture to a consistency, a nice sort of chicken salad is our joke consistency, said Grassroots Development sustainability consultant Sydney Glup. And we hand packed, physically hand packed, this entire house. They were guided through the process by Bismarck, N.D.-based Homeland Hempcrete, but the process was easy to learn said Glup, just a lot of work schlepping buckets of the material, dumping it into forms and packing it so the walls would be even after the forms were removed. The hempcrete walls need to cure for six weeks before they are covered inside and out with a finish layer of plaster. These homes might become short-term rentals, but the primary purpose is research. Were just trying to get that concrete nonbiased research to contribute to the industry so we can troubleshoot and figure out how to do better, said Glup. We want it to be so that anybody who wants a healthier dwelling can afford it. To collect data, sensors are tucked into the walls of both houses to monitor moisture and air temperature. Energy consumption will also be closely monitored. This from my knowledge, is the only study of its kind, said Riley Gordon, principal engineer with the Minnesota-based Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, a non-profit organization partially funded by the state, which helps develop new markets for Minnesota crops. Were just looking to bring to leverage the opportunity of having these two buildings built side by side, said Gordon. Theyre identical, its perfect for a controlled study. Gordon is working with a Minneapolis-based Center for Energy and Environment, which will analyze the data collected from each home. These hempcrete walls dont provide structural support, two by six wood studs give the wall strength. Hemp is touted as a healthier alternative to insulation, reducing mold by creating walls that breathe, providing excellent insulating properties and serving as thermal mass, storing heat. The material is also flame resistant. But Gordon said theres a need for data to validate some of those claims. Up till now, a lot of the talk has just been a lot of claims that havent really been backed up by a whole lot of data, he said. So I think this is going to, for good or for worse, provide some answers to questions that Ive heard pretty often about this material. So I think its a very important study, and timely. The cost of construction is about 25 percent higher for the hemp house. Thats partly because raw materials are still hard to find and expensive. But Justin Berg also believes this research will show hemp construction can save money long term. Paying more upfront and getting those savings over time by energy usage, you know, having a biodegradable structure. You start measuring out the materials and its impact and I think thats where were hoping to help shine a light on it, said Berg. To purchase raw material that met their standards for consistency, Berg said they had to buy the hurd in 400 pound bags from a company in Kansas and ship it to Fargo. There are at least two new hemp processors starting in Minnesota, and Berg is building a processing facility in Wahpeton that he plans to have operational later this year, but he expects it will take months to fine tune the processing to turn out a high quality product. Berg says theres still a steep learning curve, from farmers who grow the crop to processors turning out raw materials, but hes willing to invest in the belief that hemp will become a sustainable construction alternative. Its definitely the early days, and I think in 10 years, youll see an industry that has a real impact, he said. The region will need more hemp processing capacity to bring raw material prices down, and farmers need to be convinced hemp is a viable alternative crop, said Berg. He would like to see the federal government do more to encourage hemp production as an alternative crop that could also help combat climate change by storing climate-warming carbon. You look at something thats going to help sequester carbon in the soil with a deep taproot crop as well as being put into materials that are stored for 100 plus years and continue to sequester carbon, said Berg. But ultimately, farmers will need a consistent market for the crop, and the construction industry will need to accept hemp as a viable alternative material. Berg hopes this research project on a tiny plot of land in Fargo, will help convince more builders and consumers to give hemp a try. Federal prosecutors are recommending an eight-year prison sentence for an off-duty Virginia police officer who was convicted by a jury of storming the U.S. Capitol to obstruct Congress from certifying President Joe Bidens 2020 electoral victory. Former Rocky Mount Police Sgt. Thomas Robertson used his law enforcement training to block police officers who were trying to protect the Capitol from a mob's attack on Jan. 6, 2021, prosecutors said in a court filing Thursday supporting their sentencing recommendation. Instead of using his training and power to promote the public good, he attempted to overthrow the government, they wrote. An eight-year prison sentence would be the longest among hundreds of Capitol riot cases. The lengthiest so far is seven years and three months for Guy Reffitt, a Texas man who attacked the Capitol while armed with a holstered handgun. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper is scheduled to sentence Robertson next Thursday. Prosecutors also asked the judge to sentence Robertson to three years of supervised release after any prison term. Robertson's attorney, Mark Rollins, is seeking a sentence below a sentencing guidelines range of 27 to 33 months of imprisonment. Prosecutors estimate a sentencing guidelines range of 87 months to 108 months, but Cooper isn't bound by any of those estimates or recommendations. Robertson didn't testify at his trial before a jury convicted him in April of all six counts in his indictment, including charges that he interfered with police officers at the Capitol and that he entered a restricted area with a dangerous weapon, a large wooden stick. Robertsons lawyers said the U.S. Army veteran was using the stick to help him walk because he has a limp from getting shot in the right thigh while working as a private contractor for the U.S. Defense Department in Afghanistan in 2011. In their sentencing memo, prosecutors accused Robertson of lying about his military service. Robertson identified himself on his resume as a U.S. Army Ranger school graduate, but his official military records don't support that claim, prosecutors said. They said Robertson also lied to a reporter about receiving a Purple Heart. Robertson's jury trial was the second for a Capitol riot case. Reffitt's was the first. Jurors have unanimously convicted seven riot defendants of all charges in their respective indictments. Robertson traveled to Washington, D.C., on the morning of Jan. 6 with co-worker Jacob Fracker and a third man, a neighbor. Fracker also was an off-duty Rocky Mount police officer. He was scheduled to be tried alongside Robertson before he pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and agreed to cooperate with authorities. Fracker testified at Robertson's trial that he initially believed that he was merely trespassing when he entered the Capitol building. But he ultimately pleaded guilty to conspiring with Robertson to obstruct Congress. Robertson's lawyers conceded that he broke the law when he entered the Capitol during the riot. They encouraged jurors to convict Robertson of misdemeanor offenses but acquit him of felony charges. Jurors saw some of Robertsons posts on social media before and after the Capitol riot. In a Facebook post on Nov. 7, 2020, Robertson said being disenfranchised by fraud is my hard line. Ive spent most of my adult life fighting a counter insurgency. (Im) about to become part of one, and a very effective one, he wrote. In a letter addressed to the judge, Robertson said he takes full responsibility for his actions on Jan. 6 and any poor decisions I made. He blamed the vitriolic content of his social media posts on a mix of stress, alcohol abuse and submersion in deep 'rabbit holes of election conspiracy theory. I sat around at night drinking too much and reacting to articles and sites given to me by Facebook" algorithms, he wrote. The town fired Robertson and Fracker after the riot. Rocky Mount is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Roanoke and has roughly 5,000 residents. Robertson has been jailed since Cooper ruled last year that he violated the terms of his pretrial release by possessing firearms. Roughly 850 people have been charged with federal crimes for their conduct on Jan. 6. Over 350 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanor offenses, and over 220 have been sentenced so far. A Jacksonville man is being honored for his dedication to law enforcement and the men and women behind the badge. Jerry Lieb of Jacksonville was awarded the Bill Mehrtens Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge during the organization's annual conference in O'Fallon. While serving with Morgan County Sheriff's Department, Lieb helped charter a Fraternal Order of Police lodge in 1982. He was its president from 1983 until he left the sheriff's department in 1990. He represented active-duty officers throughout the state as part of a 32-year career with the FOP Labor Council that started in 1986. Lieb joined the Jacksonville Police Department FOP Lodge in 1990 and served as both vice president and president. "There is no other person who deserves to receive this award more than Jerry Lieb," Illinois FOP State Lodge President Chris Southwood said. "His decades of service on behalf of the men and women in law enforcement have greatly benefited and influenced current and future generations of police officers and their families." In addition to being vice chairman of the Illinois FOP State Lodge board of trustees, he is part of the Illinois FOP State Lodge's Project Blue Life, a shooting situation simulator for civilians that shows what police officers can face every day. He also is chairman of the Illinois FOP Foundation and the Illinois FOP State Lodge Award Committee. Lieb also helped develop the Illinois FOP State Lodge Disaster Response Unit, a trailer with emergency supplies that can assist those dealing with disasters. The organization's Chardy Lieb Memorial Award is named in memory of Lieb's wife, who died of cancer in 2016. It is presented to a member's spouse in recognition of their support of the FOP. BONAIRE, Ga. (AP) Some Georgia homeowners say that an Air Force flyover of a youth baseball tournament physically damaged their homes. WMAZ-TV reports that an F-15 Eagle from Robins Air Force Base flew over a Little League baseball tournament in Warner Robins on Wednesday. Alisha Brown, who lives in nearby Bonaire, said the plane made an unusually loud and sharp noise, which her husband described as like a bomb. Brown, who said she's from a military family, said she's hiring an inspector to look for damage to her roof after a vinyl ceiling on her porch bulged. Several other Bonaire homeowners sent pictures showing insulation hanging out of a ceiling's edge, cracks in brick, and fallen exterior vinyl strips. Robins Air Force Base spokesperson Roland Leach said the flight was conducted at an approved altitude above 1,000 feet (300 meters) and did not break the speed of sound, which would produce a sonic boom. Some residents speculated the noise they heard was a sonic boom. Other residents also said the flyover seemed louder and lower than usual and shook their home. Air Force officials said people who believed their homes were damaged could file complaints and that the Air Force would investigate them for possible reimbursement. BERLIN (AP) German prosecutors said they conducted a search on Friday at the home of a man suspected of threatening a doctor whose death shocked neighboring Austria. The body of Dr. Lisa-Maria Kellermayr, a general practitioner who had reported receiving death threats from opponents of COVID-19 restrictions and vaccinations, was found at her practice in a rural area of northern Austria a week ago. Austrian authorities say she took her own life. Kellermayr announced in late June that she was closing the practice temporarily after more than seven months of receiving death threats. She said she had spent over 100,000 euros ($102,000) on security. In mid-July, Kellermayr said was closing the practice permanently because she couldnt offer any perspective for whether or when it will be possible for us to work under normal circumstances. Her death shocked Austrian political leaders, while local authorities' handling of the threats has drawn critical scrutiny. Prosecutors in Munich who investigate extremism took over an investigation of a suspect in Germany this week. On Friday, they said police had raided the home of a 59-year-old from the Starnberg area, near the Bavarian capital, who is suspected of threatening the doctor on social media. One tweet said that we are watching you and we will bring such creatures before the people's tribunals to be set up in the future, they said. The suspect was cooperative during Friday's raid and investigators are evaluating material that they seized, prosecutors said. The lead came from prosecutors in Wels, Austria. They had dropped an investigation of their own on the grounds that the suspect and the alleged crime were in Germany and German authorities were responsible for the case, but said Friday they have reopened it, the Austria Press Agency reported. They said the doctors death put the case back in their jurisdiction and they were working with German prosecutors. ATHENS, Greece (AP) The head of Greeces intelligence service and the general secretary of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis office have resigned amid a scandal involving the targeting of the head of an opposition party and a journalist with spyware. National Intelligence Service director Panagiotis Kontoleon and Grigoris Dimitriadis, general secretary of the prime ministers office, submitted their resignations Friday, the prime ministers office said. Both were accepted. Kontoleon stepped down following incorrect actions found in the procedure of legal surveillance, the prime ministers office said, without elaborating on which procedures were incorrectly followed or who the targets of legal surveillance might have been. Under Greek law, a prosecutor is required to sign off on any surveillance. The National Intelligence Service, or EYP, reports to the prime ministers office. The prime ministers office did not give a reason for Dimitriadis resignation. A government official said it was related to the toxic climate that has developed around him. In no case does it have anything to do with Predator (spyware), to which neither he nor the government are in any way connected, as has been categorically stated. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as the reasons for the resignation had not been announced. Last week, the head of Greeces socialist PASOK opposition party, Nikos Androulakis, filed a complaint with the countrys supreme court prosecutors saying there had been an attempt to bug his cellphone with the Predator spyware. I never expected the Greek government to put me under surveillance with the darkest practices, Androulakis said, following the resignations on Friday. He also called on parliament to set up an investigative committee to look into potential political responsibilities for the attempted tapping of his phone. Government spokesman Yannis Oikonomou said that if such a request were to be formally submitted, the government will respond positively. In a Friday evening statement, Oikonomou said the center-right government had sought to fully brief Androulakis as soon as the case of legal surveillance, following the approval of the prosecuting authority, for Mr. Androulakis came to the prime ministers attention. However, he said, Androulakis chose not to respond. Oikonomou did not say when Mitsotakis became aware of the legal surveillance of the opposition party head, but the government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity said it was on Thursday. Androulakis, who is also a member of the European Parliament, said he became aware of the Predator bugging attempt after being informed by the European Parliaments cyber security service a few days before he filed his complaint on July 26. Revealing who is behind such sick practices and for whom they are acting is not a personal matter. It is my democratic duty, Androulakis had said at the time. In April, Greek financial journalist Thanassis Koukakis said he had been notified by digital rights group Citizen Lab that his phone had been the target of surveillance by Predator software from July to September 2021. The Committee to Protect Journalists had called for a swift and thorough investigation ... (to) determine who orchestrated that monitoring, and hold them to account. HONOLULU (AP) The Honolulu Board of Water Supply said Thursday it has detected a small amount of a chemical naturally occurring in coal, crude oil and gasoline in a monitoring well near a Navy fuel storage facility that spilled jet fuel last year. The utility said in a news release it found very low levels of the chemical, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. It said it shared its data with the state Department of Health and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and both agencies agree these low levels are not expected to cause any health effects. Still, they agreed the situation needs attention and continued monitoring, the utility said. The Board of Water Supply said the discovery heightens its concern that fuel spilled from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility is migrating through the aquifer located under the tank farm. The utility has three wells that tap the aquifer to supply drinking water to more than 400,000 Oahu residents. It shut down those wells in December when it learned fuel had flowed from the tank farm into a Navy drinking water well supplying water to 93,000 people on and near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. That leak sickened some 6,000 of the Navy's water users with nausea, headaches and other symptoms. The utility worries fuel may travel through the aquifer's porous volcanic rock from the area around the Navy's well to its own wells, which could poison Honolulu's own water supply. It has been calling on the Navy to swiftly remove fuel from the tanks to reduce the threat of further leaks. The Board of Water Supply said it found the chemical in water samples taken from a well about 1,500 feet (457 meters) southeast of the Red Hill facility. It also found total petroleum hydrocarbons in the same samples. Lydia Robertson, a spokesperson for Navy Region Hawaii, said the Navy hasn't seen the utility's data but would welcome the opportunity to review it. Ernie Lau, the Board of Water Supplys chief engineer, called the detections warnings that we cannot ignore. Our precious and irreplaceable water resources are at risk of further contamination every day the fuel remains in the Red Hill tanks," he said in a statement. We urge the Navy to expeditiously defuel and permanently close the Red Hill facility Ola I Ka Wai, he said, using the Hawaiian language phrase meaning water is life." The military in April agreed to an order from the state of Hawaii to drain the tanks and close the World War II-era tank farm. But it says December 2024 is the earliest it can accomplish this. A Navy investigation released last month said a cascading series of mistakes from May through November of last year caused 20,000 gallons (75,700 liters) of fuel to spill into its drinking water well. It blamed mismanagement and human error for the episode. The leak was the most recent of a series of fuel spills from Red Hill dating to 2014. A French sailor trapped beneath a capsized sailboat in the Atlantic Ocean used an air bubble to stay alive until his rescue 16 hours later, according to Spanish coast guard officials. The sailor, who has been identified by Spanish news media as Laurent Camprubi, sent out a distress signal on Monday when his sailboat, the Jeanne SOLO Sailor, capsized about 14 miles from the coast of Spain's Sisargas Islands. A dramatic video of the recovery shows a Spanish search-and-rescue diver banging on the boat's bottom, listening for signs of life. After he was rescued Tuesday, Camprubi, 62, said he was able to survive thanks to an air bubble, according to the Spanish coast guard and media reports. The sailor said he was shocked when he realized the extent of the damage to his boat - a shattered mast, destroyed boom, keel and most equipment gone. "I couldn't understand how was I able to survive," Camprubi, of Marseille, told the Spanish newspaper La Voz de Galicia. "The conditions were very adverse." Camprubi set sail in his 40-foot vessel on Sunday from the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, according to Reuters. He was participating in a qualifying race for the upcoming transatlantic solo sailing contest Route du Rhum, which takes place every four years. He had arrived Monday in Fisterra in western Spain, where he encountered strong winds and three-meter waves, and soon realized his boat had lost its keel, a beam that runs down the middle of the boat, he said in the interview with La Voz de Galicia. "I was trying to pull the main sail when the boat started to tilt," he told the newspaper. "So without giving it much thought, I went inside, and in 15 seconds, the boat had capsized." In a rescue mission that has been described as "on the edge of the impossible," rescue crews battled the rough seas. Vicente Cobelo, a member of the coast guard's special operations team, told the laSexta TV station that when the rescuer banged on the boat Monday night to see whether there were any survivors, he got a response. "We knew then there was someone underneath," he said. But the waters were too rough to attempt a rescue. So the team had to wait until next morning to try again. While Camprubi waited for help, he said he used the air bubble to breathe and tried to not panic. He told La Voz de Galicia it was the thought of not seeing his wife and children again that helped him survive the ordeal. He added that the air bubble was about 27 inches long on Monday but shrank drastically overnight. By Tuesday, water was filling up, and he knew he was running out of time. But he kept calm, he said. "I never panicked," he told La Voz de Galicia. "I tried to see the reality and find solutions. I was afraid of not seeing my kids again." On Tuesday, two divers swam under the boat to free the sailor, who was wearing a survival suit and submerged in water up to his knees, coast guard officials said. Cobelo, the coast guard member, told reporters when the divers approached the boat, the sailor jumped into the freezing water and swam under the boat to reach the surface. "Of his own initiative, he got into the water and free-dived out, helped by the divers who had to pull him through because it was difficult for him to get out in his survival suit," Cobelo told the laSexta TV station. Just after noon on Tuesday, rescue crews could be seen on video pulling him to safety. Camprubi, who is an experienced sailor and has participated in many local and international competitions, told La Voz de Galicia that the experience has made him decide he will no longer compete professionally. "I don't want to risk my life anymore," he said. "I just want to take care of my family." House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan this week drew concern from U.S. allies in Asia, support from Republican senators and sharp criticism from China. But what did people at home think? More specifically, how did Chinese Americans and Taiwanese Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area respond? We spoke with residents, whose thoughts came with the layers of nuance befitting a trip fraught with geopolitical implications. In San Franciscos Chinatown, Americas oldest and largest, residents reacted with a mixture of anger and apprehension. Some said they feared that the trip by Pelosi, their representative in Congress, could inflame anti-Chinese sentiment and incite attacks on Asian Americans. At this moment, we dont want to create any more negative feelings against the Chinese, said Melvin Lee, a property developer and a community leader. Thats the main concern. The Chinese community in San Francisco was outwardly supportive of Taiwan from the 1950s to the early 1990s. But today it is much more connected to mainland China, partly because of immigration trends and the rise of Chinas power and influence in the world, according to David Lee, a political science lecturer in San Francisco who specializes in voting trends of the Chinese community. Taiwanese Americans in the Bay Area had a much different reaction. Several said they were excited by what they considered the culmination of Pelosis decades of support for Taiwan. The fact that Speaker Pelosi actually visited Taiwan and had public events is thrilling, said Marie Chuang, a council member in Hillsborough, a suburb just south of San Francisco. Nancy Pelosi has always been very pro-democracy, pro-human rights, so its no surprise that she wanted to make a presence there. She recognized the importance of the image. Angela Yu, 42, a Bay Area resident who started a podcast exploring her Taiwanese American identity, said it was heartening and really meaningful to see Pelosi stand up and profess support for Taiwan, despite discouragement from President Joe Biden. Annie Wang, Yus cousin and co-host of the podcast, said she was still processing that the visit actually took place. She was pleasantly surprised that a U.S. official had expressed unambiguous support for Taiwan. She said she hoped that the United States would back up the speech with action. Taiwanese Americans said they understood fears that Pelosis trip would be seen as a provocation. But some were taking their cues from friends and family actually living in Taiwan under the threat of Chinese military action. Its like looking to the captain of the ship: If the captain isnt panicking, neither am I, Wang, 42, said. On Tuesday, Chinese flags in San Francisco fluttered above rooftops, often alongside American flags. Only a few buildings flew Taiwans flag. Stephen Chan, owner of a jewelry store in Chinatown, called Pelosis trip pointless and compared it to President Donald Trumps description of the coronavirus as the Chinese virus. In both cases, Chan said, Americans were pouring oil over the fire. Chieh-Ting Yeh, a Mountain View resident and a co-founder of the Global Taiwan Institute, said that the question that seems to be on everybodys mind is: Is this provocative? He said that among Taiwanese Americans, for the most part, everybodys very happy that Pelosi followed through after her travel plans became public. Yeh said it would have looked worse if she had been seen as cowed by the Chinese governments threats. Chuang said she did not think Pelosis visit to Taiwan would become a source of tension between Taiwanese and Chinese Americans. There are a lot of people that escaped communism and came to Taiwan, then ended up in the Bay Area or the United States, she said, because, ultimately, we know that freedom and democracy is the goal. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) An Indiana man convicted of killing his girlfriend and her three young children was sentenced Friday to four life sentences without the possibility of parole. The sentence imposed by Allen County Superior Court Judge Fran Gull came about three months after a jury found Cohen Hancz-Barron, 22, of Fort Wayne, guilty of four counts of first-degree murder. The jury, at the request of prosecutors, had recommended a sentence of life without parole. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Authorities in Indonesia arrested three foreigners for distributing cocaine on the Indonesian resort island of Bali at the end of July. Officers from the National Narcotics Agency seized 844.6 grams (1.9 pounds) of cocaine along with other drugs including MDMA and cannabis from the three suspects, who are identified as British, Brazilian and Mexican. At a news conference Friday, Gde Sugianyar Dwi Putra, chief of Bali National Narcotics Agency, said the officers arrested the British man, who they suspect is the lowest-level distributor of the three, July 21 at a villa in Badung district after receiving some information about his alleged activities. The officers then arrested the Brazilian man, who is suspected of concocting drugs, at a separate place. The Mexican man, who has been in Bali since 2012 and is allegedly in the top level of their network, was arrested later. We are still running the investigation. The entry of the cocaine will most likely come from Europe, because this cocaine entry route is specific," Sugianyar said. "It is produced in South America, sent to Europe, and from Europe it is spread to other countries, including through Indonesia. The drug network the three men are allegedly involved in is known to target foreigners in some popular tourist areas in southern Bali. Bali is the destination for foreign tourists. But we should remember that some of them are also part of the crime one of them is narcotics, Sugianyar said. He added that the suspects would be punished according to Indonesias Narcotics Law, with five years' imprisonment at minimum and a death sentence at maximum as both dealers and distributors of various types of drugs. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says Indonesia is a major smuggling hub in part because international drug syndicates target its young population. Indonesias National Narcotics Agency estimates there are 5.6 million drug users in the country of 270 million people. In May, Indonesian navy officers deployed to secure travel during the Eid al-Fitr holiday made Indonesias biggest cocaine seizure after finding plastic packages containing 179 kilograms (nearly 400 pounds) of the drug floating at sea near Merak Port on the main island of Java. No one has been arrested. Most of the more than 150 people on Indonesias death row were convicted of drug crimes. About one-third of them are foreigners. Its last executions were in 2016, when one Indonesian and three foreigners were shot by a firing squad. DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Planned Parenthood officials in Iowa said Friday they have decided to dismiss their challenge to an Iowa law that requires abortion patients to wait 24 hours after their initial appointment to return to the doctor to get an abortion. The case was the center of an Iowa Supreme Court ruling on June 14 in which the court allowed the law to go into effect, reversing a judges ruling that it was unconstitutional. The court went the extra step of reversing a 2018 Iowa Supreme Court decision that said abortion was a protected right under the Iowa Constitution, potentially making it easer now for lawmakers to get abortion restrictions approved by the courts. TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Iran on Friday issued a public statement saying it is seeking the release of an Iranian national who has been held by Saudi Arabia since this year's hajj pilgrimage, which concluded a month ago. Irans Foreign Ministry said the country's top diplomat Hossein Amirabdollahian issued the call during a phone conversation with his Iraqi counterpart. Iraq has served as mediator and facilitator of talks between rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran. The statement did not identify the detainee. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Two people were hurt when a MAX light rail train plowed into a barricade in Milwaukie, Oregon, driving over a paved sidewalk and kicking up chunks of concrete, officials said. Clackamas Fire said in a statement that shortly before 8 a.m. Friday, the Orange Line train failed to stop at the end-of-the-line barricade at the Southeast Park Avenue station, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. WASHINGTON (AP) A husband and wife from Wisconsin celebrating more than five decades of marriage were killed in a lightning strike outside the White House. A third victim was pronounced dead Friday evening, and one other is hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. James Mueller, 76, and Donna Mueller, 75, of Janesville, Wisconsin, died of their injuries after the lightning strike Thursday in Lafayette Park, located directly outside the White House complex, the Metropolitan Police Department said Friday. A third victim, a 29-year-old adult male, was pronounced dead Friday. The fourth person, a woman, was in critical condition, the police department said. Their identities were not immediately released. Authorities did not reveal how the people were injured, other than to say they were critically hurt in the lightning strike. The Muellers were on a trip to Washington, D.C., to celebrate their 56th wedding anniversary, according to their niece, Michelle McNett of Janesville. They were a very loving couple, McNett told the Wisconsin State Journal. They were very, very family oriented. I think everyones just in shock right now and kind of request privacy. The couple had five children, 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, she told the paper. Donna Mueller was a teacher and in retirement worked at the Comfort Shoppe, a local furniture store. Jim, 76, was a retired contractor who had his own drywall business. McNett said shes not sure why the couple picked the nations capital for their vacation, but added that Donna was a constant learner. The husband and wife, according to their niece, loved having gatherings and just had a big family gathering a couple of weeks ago. They were very religious, she said. Just the kind of people who would give the shirt off their back to do anything for you, both of them. Officers with the Secret Service and the U.S. Park Police witnessed the lightning strike Thursday night and ran over to render first aid, officials said. Emergency medical crews were called to the scene just before 7 p.m. and had transported all of the victims to the hospital with critical, life-threatening injures, fire department spokesman Vito Maggiolo said. We are saddened by the tragic loss of life after the lightning strike in Lafayette Park, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. Our hearts are with the families who lost loved ones, and we are praying for those still fighting for their lives. BAMAKO, Mali (AP) Mali's government will integrate 26,000 fighters of a past northern rebellion into its army under a deal with leaders of the former independence movement, the two parties announced following a meeting Friday. The deal points to a new dynamic in the stalled implementation of a reconciliation accord signed years ago. Friday's meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga in the presence of several partners of Mali, including the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary General and head of the peacekeeping mission in Mali, El Ghassim Wane, and other ambassadors. The government of Mali will spare no effort to fulfill these commitments, Maiga said. Under the agreement, the reintegration of ex-combatants will occur in two phases, with the second being completed in 2024. A commission will be formed to present proposals to integrate senior military officers from the movement into the army's chain of command. The initial peace agreement, signed in 2015 between the government and non-extremist armed independence groups in northern Mali, has remained stalled. Things tend to stall and never get done, and this has been the case for years, said Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South. "But if the decisions are carried out, it is a good thing because in the north the population is suffering. SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) A man in Northern California has been charged with using a pellet gun to shoot people at random, including a 15-year-old girl who suffered a collapsed lung and a fractured rib, authorities said. Nicholas Montoya, a resident of Campbell, was charged Wednesday with seven felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly shot at least seven people, most of them girls and women, between April and June in both Campbell and San Jose, authorities said Thursday. These were not childish pranks with a low-power weapon, these were deliberate snipe attacks on innocent victims," Santa Clara County Supervising Deputy District Attorney Marisa McKeown said. Montoya did not enter a plea during a court appearance Wednesday and was ordered to return to court Sept. 14. His attorney, Deputy Public Defender Ethan Weiss, did not immediately respond to an email message Friday seeking comment. The investigation involved San Jose police, Campbell police, and the Santa Clara County District Attorneys Office and officials said they did not have much physical evidence to examine because Montoya shot the victims from a moving car. Detectives were able to link Montoya to the crimes after surveillance video showed his car at the scene of some of the attacks and after finding a pellet gun during a search of his home. The victims included a man and six women and girls, including a 9-year-old girl who was walking with her mom up a flight of stairs at their San Jose apartment building when she was shot in the back by a high-powered pellet gun on June 10. Robert Lara said physicians were unable to remove the pellet from the body of his daughter, Maria Elena, because removing it would cause more complications. What he did was disgraceful, and disgusting, Lara said. The day the child was attacked, Montoya also allegedly shot two others, including 15-year-old Gianna Vitarelli and a 42-year-old woman who reported being shot in the parking lot of a Walmart. Vitarelli and a friend were walking home from the Valley Fair mall when a car pulled up behind them and someone inside opened fire, hitting her, police said. She suffered a collapsed lung and a fractured rib. The pellet that entered her back missed her heart by a mere inch. Surgeons decided the pellet was too dangerous to remove, the Mercury News reported. Investigators said Montoya may have been specifically targeting women. I have to believe he could have shot anyone out there he wanted to, but instead he shot six females, one of which was a 9-year-old girl and the one male that he struck was with a female, San Jose Police Capt. Jason Dwyer said. So we speculated that possibly he was shooting at her and hit him instead. Montoya is being held at the Elmwood mens jail in San Jose. He faces 21 years in prison if convicted on all charges. JAMESTOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) A western Michigan library faced an uncertain future Thursday after a flap over LGBTQ material on its shelves led to the failure of the renewal of a property tax millage that funds most of its budget. The Patmos Library in Jamestown Township outside Grand Rapids will lose 84% of its $245,000 annual budget with the failure of the millage renewal in Tuesday's primary election, said Larry Walton, the library board's president. The millage failed with 1,905 no votes to 1,142 yes votes. A small group of conservative residents campaigned against the renewal because the library refused to remove all LGBTQ material, Walton said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. Theyre protesting all LGBTQ books that are on our shelves, Walton said. They want it to ban books, he said, which is unacceptable." We, the board, will not ban the books, Walton said. Cody Newhouse, who voted against the millage, told WOOD-TV that even if books are placed in the adult section of the library, children still can access them. Its only the LGBTQ stuff that bothers me, with my kids in particular, Newhouse said. If youre older, make your own decision, thats totally fine. But with the younger kids, I just believe it should be away from them. Walton said he's not sure when the millage dollars will dry up. He said the board needs to look at its income and expenses and consider its future moves, including seeking a new millage in a future election. I am optimistic that we will work through the hurdle the conservative group has thrown our way," he said. GULFPORT, Miss (AP) A teenage student was taken into custody Friday morning after bringing a loaded handgun to a south Mississippi campus. The teen, 15, is a student at Harrison Central High School in Gulfport, WLOX-TV reported. Harrison County Sheriff Troy Peterson said the school resource officer received a tip from a teacher that the teen had a weapon about 9 a.m. School officials located the student on campus and found the gun tucked into the teen's waistband. Police took the student into custody minutes later as he entered the school building. The student told officials that he brought the handgun for protection from another student, the news station reported. The juvenile has since been charged as an adult with possession of a weapon on school property. The student is being held at the Harrison County Adult Detention Center. A $10,000 bond was set by Justice Court Judge Brandon Ladner pending his initial court appearance. It was not immediately known whether the teen had an attorney. Police said they are still conducting interviews related to the incident. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) The U.S. Navy says that a North Carolina native assigned to a guided missile destroyer was lost overboard and presumed dead in the Baltic Sea. Seaman Recruit David L. Spearman went overboard Monday from the USS Arleigh Burke, according to a news release. A search effort near Helsinki, Finland, was called off earlier in the week. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate JOHANNESBURG (AP) Violence against illegal miners in South Africa spread Friday despite calls for restraint from the country's president, following the arrests of more than 80 men, some thought to be miners, over the gang rapes of eight women last week. Miners' camps were torched and roads around the townships of Munsieville and Bekkersdal outside the town of Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg, were barricaded with rocks and burning tires as residents protested against the presence of illegal miners. Many of the miners are migrants from other African countries, and the violence has raised concerns over xenophobia. Police said eight women were raped on July 28 when a television crew filming a music video at a mine dump in the township of West Village near Krugersdorp was attacked by heavily-armed men, some thought to be illegal miners. Police said they were investigating 32 counts of rape. Local residents enraged at the incident torched illegal miners' camps in the neighboring Kagiso township on Thursday, and attacked miners whom they stripped naked and beat before handing them over to the police. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday condemned the violence in Kagiso. We need to distinguish between legitimate protest and criminality, addressing the concerns and grievances of communities while acting to prevent loss of life and destruction of property," he said. We can all understand the public outrage in Kagiso sparked by the gang rape of eight young women last week and we all deeply and sincerely share in the pain of the victims, their families and the neighboring communities, Ramaphosa added. Kopanang Africa, an advocacy group against xenophobia in South Africa, has warned that the recent events in Krugersdorp were dangerously fueling anti-migrant sentiment. Unfortunately, because some of ... the illegal miners would be undocumented migrants, this has created an element of xenophobic politics where people say all illegal immigrants must go and all foreigners must leave the country, said Kopanang Africa spokesman Dale McKinley. He said some people were taking advantage of the legitimate concerns of the community to further their own agendas. When the protests started, we started seeing political formations that have clear xenophobic policies taking advantage and making irresponsible and immature statements for their own purposes," he said. Researcher and analyst Ziyanda Stuurman told The Associated Press that communities frustration at the deterioration of policing and their living conditions contributed to their anger. South Africa suffers from rising poverty levels, 35% unemployment, an electricity crisis and stagnant economic growth. People are living in incredibly tough economic conditions and they feel desperately unsafe, and an issue like this sparks those emotions that have been there for a very long time, Stuurman said. She likened the situation to the social unrest and riots in South Africa in July last year, where more than 400 people in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces died. South Africas national police commissioner and other senior government officials are expected to hold large community meetings in Kagiso and Krugersdorp over the weekend to discuss illegal mining and crime in the area. SANDERSVILLE, Ga. (AP) A new prosecutor has been assigned to consider retrying three former Georgia sheriff's deputies accused of killing a man walking down a rural road when they shocked him with stun guns during a 2017 arrest. Local news outlets report that Columbus-based District Attorney Stacey Jackson was assigned to the case after the district attorney where the death occurred stepped aside. A judge declared mistrials in October 2021 after Washington County jurors deadlocked in deliberations over the guilt of Henry Lee Copeland, Michael Howell and Rhett Scott. The three were accused of murder, involuntary manslaughter, false imprisonment, aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless conduct in the July 2017 death of 58-year-old Eurie Martin. Martins family and friends have been lobbying for another trial Its been agonizing. Just waiting and seeing who is going to take this case. Is it going to be tried, right? We want a fair trial, and we want the murderers behind bars, Barbara Evans, Martins sister, told WMAZ-TV. Deputies tried to arrest Martin, who had a history of schizophrenia, after a resident of the hamlet of Deepstep called 911 to report him as suspicious after he approached the person and asked for a drink of water. Martin was walking 30 miles (50 kilometers) on a hot day to see his relatives for his birthday. Martin was Black, while all three of the now-fired deputies are white. Prosecutors argued Copeland, Howell and Scott had no reason to detain Martin. They pointed to video evidence they said showed the deputies were unreasonably aggressive, as well as testimony from some witnesses. The deputies shocked him with stun guns repeatedly for up to 90 seconds, handcuffed Martin and minutes later found that he had no pulse, video showed. Defense attorneys, though, said Martin had illegally walked in the road, littered when he dropped a soft drink can, and took an aggressive stance and obstructed an officer when he didnt obey the commands of the deputies. They also argued that the stun gun didnt cause Martins death, which meant officers were not assaulting him with a deadly weapon, a key underlying element of one of the murder charges. District Attorney Tripp Fitzner recused himself after the mistrial, claiming a conflict, and asked for another prosecutor to be named. Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council, said Jacksons office is equipped to take on this type of case. This case does have some notoriety to it. It does have some serious implications. You want to give it to someone who has the experience and can handle this case, Skandalakis said. Jackson will decide whether to retry the men or not. He could also seek new charges. For now, he hasnt made a decision. I havent received the file yet, Jackson told the Ledger-Enquirer of Columbus. I got the order last week. For now, the former deputies remain under indictment and are free on bail. ROME (AP) Pope Francis met Friday with a top official of the Russian Orthodox Church ahead of an expected meeting next month in Kazakhstan with the Russian Orthodox leader, Patriarch Kirill, who has justified the war in Ukraine. The audience was the first between Francis and the new director of the Moscow Patriarchates foreign relations office, Metropolitan Anthony. He replaced the Vaticans longtime liaison with the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Hilarion, who was transferred to Hungary after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Both the pope and Kirill have confirmed their presence in Kazakhstan to attend a government-organized interfaith meeting, the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, from Sept. 14-15. If they meet on the sidelines of the congress, it would be the second-ever encounter between a pope and a Russian patriarch, after a June encounter was canceled because of the diplomatic fallout over Russias invasion. Kirill has justified the invasion of Ukraine on spiritual and ideological grounds, calling it a metaphysical battle with the West. He has blessed Russian soldiers going into battle and invoked the idea that Russians and Ukrainians are one people. Francis audience with Kirills envoy came on the same day the pope made a symbolically meaningful decision for some Ukrainian Catholics: He declared an underground Ruthenian Greek Catholic priest who ministered during Soviet times in Ukraine, the Rev. Petros Oros, a martyr, fast-tracking him on the path to possible sainthood. Oros lived from 1917 until 1953, when he was killed out of hatred of the faith by Soviet forces, the Vatican said in a statement. The Holy Sees in-house media arm, Vatican News, said Oros had been shot in the chin a few hours after celebrating a clandestine Divine Liturgy in Siltse. At the time, Catholics had been persecuted and Oros' eparchy suppressed, and the Vatican noted that Oros had been pressured to transfer to the Russian Orthodox Church but resisted, remaining faithful to the pope. Under the Vatican's rules for martyrs, Oros can now be beatified the first step toward possible sainthood without having to have a miracle attributed to his intercession. A miracle is needed for canonization. LISBON, Portugal (AP) The archbishop of Lisbon met Friday with Pope Francis in a private audience at the Vatican to discuss events in recent weeks that have marked the life of the Church in Portugal, the Portuguese church said. The two-sentence communique gave no further details, and the Vatican does not comment on the popes private audiences with individual churchmen. But suspicion about what they discussed immediately fell on recent allegations of child sex abuse by priests and alleged cover-ups by senior members of the Portuguese church. Other possible topics for discussion include the organization of World Youth Day 2023, a major Catholic festival which will be held in Lisbon in August and which the pope is expected to attend. Communiques about that event tend to be more detailed. The sex abuse allegations have swirled recently, bringing a turbulent spell for Portuguese church authorities and prompting Lisbon Cardinal Manuel Clemente to publish an open letter last week denying any cover-up and explaining his role in one sex abuse case. He urged victims to come forward and speak to a lay committee set up by the countrys bishops to examine historic child sex abuse in the Portuguese Catholic Church. In the latest allegations Friday, weekly newspaper Expresso reported that a priest told his superiors about 12 colleagues he suspected of child sex abuse but half of them remain in active ministry. Two bishops knew about the suspicions but did not report them to police, the paper alleged. Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was due to meet later Friday with members of that committee, which is looking into hundreds of cases. The committee, which will report to the Portuguese Bishops Conference at the end of the year, says its task is to study what child sex abuse has occurred, not launch formal investigations. Its findings are to be handed to public prosecutors. Speaking before his meeting with the committee, the head of state said it was necessary to stick with (sex abuse) investigations till the very end, however long it takes. What kills off institutions is the fear of finding out the truth, Rebelo de Sousa told reporters. South Africa: Eskom welcomes sentencing of cable thieves Eskom has welcomed the conviction and sentencing of three cable thieves, who stole at least 564kg of the power utilitys aluminium overhead conductor cable. According to Eskom, Bafana Masilela, Antonio Munyathi and Gutu Gumba stole the cable in 2018 and were arrested following a tip-off to the power utility. The three were arrested in a sting operation at a scrap yard in Boksburg, after the scrap dealer tipped off an Eskom security contractor. A sting operation, which led to the arrest of the three cable thieves, was set up between the scrap dealer, security contractor and the police at the scrap yard. The convicts remained in custody since their arrest and appeared 47 times in court before they were sentenced. [Eskom] urges all those who may be aware of any form of electricity-related criminal acts to report them by calling the Eskom Crime Line on 0800 112 722 or the South African Police Service (SAPS). The tip-offs can also be done anonymously, Eskom said. Masilela and Munyathi were sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, while Gumba was sentenced to 15 years. Eskom Gauteng Safety, Health, Environment, Risk and Quality Manager, Kith Maitisa, commended the National Prosecuting Authority for netting a conviction and hefty sentence. Theft of cables, overhead lines, transformers and conductors costs Eskom approximately R4 billion per year. The arrests and convictions are an indication of what we can achieve if we collaborate with different stakeholders to fight electricity crime, Maitisa said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-08-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Nation indispensable part of global chip industry Chinadaily.com.cn) 14:24, August 05, 2022 A technician tests chips at a tech firm in Hefei, Anhui province. [Photo by Xie Chen/For China Daily] Chinese mainland consumes more than 50 percent of all semiconductors in the world The Chinese mainland is the world's largest chip market and is an indispensable part of the global semiconductor industrial chain, so no companies based in Taiwan will ignore this and healthy cross-Straits cooperation in the strategically important industry will benefit both sides, industry experts said on Thursday. The comment came after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly met with the chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the world's largest contract chipmaker, on Wednesday, triggering concerns about its possible negative impact on the future of cross-Straits chip business. The move is just another attempt by Washington to force Taiwan chip companies which are struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic to choose sides, and such efforts will further disrupt the global semiconductor industry, the experts said. Pelosi and TSMC Chairman Mark Liu discussed the US CHIPS and Science Act, which was recently approved by the US Congress and is expected to soon be signed into law by US President Joe Biden, according to a Fortune report. The legislation will give $52 billion in subsidies to support chip manufacturing in the US. TSMC is likely to be a beneficiary of the US legislation, as it is building a $12 billion chip factory in Arizona. But the legislation has a caveat in that companies receiving funding must promise not to boost production of advanced chips in the Chinese mainland, Bloomberg reported. "Washington uses heavy subsidies as bait to force chip companies to choose sides. But the move will not likely produce the results it intends," said Zhong Xinlong, a senior consultant at the Beijing-based China Center for Information Industry Development Consultancy. The Chinese mainland consumes more than 50 percent of all semiconductors in the world, which are then assembled into tech products to be exported or sold in the domestic market, according to market research company Daxue Consulting. The Chinese mainland imported nearly $432.55 billion worth of integrated circuits in 2021, of which 36 percent came from Taiwan, according to data from the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products. "The logic is simple and clear: The Chinese mainland is too big a market for any chip company to ignore," Zhong said. His views were echoed by the Semiconductor Industry Association, a Washington-based group that represents the US semiconductor industry. "Access to this massive market is essential to the success of any globally competitive chip firm today and in the future," the association said in a report. Roger Sheng, vice-president of research at the US market research company Gartner Inc, said the meeting poses a dilemma for TSMC. It has plants on the Chinese mainland and sees potential for strong growth there. TSMC generates about 10 percent of its revenue from the mainland, and, more importantly, it makes chips for big companies such as Apple Inc and Qualcomm Inc which also heavily rely on the Chinese mainland for revenues and profits, he said. "TSMC, of course, does not want to give up the Chinese mainland market, but it has to deal with pressure from the US," Sheng said. The Chinese mainland is also making progress in semiconductor manufacturing. For the first time, three Chinese mainland chipmakers accounted for more than 10 percent of the global contract chipmaking revenue in the first quarter of the year, said TrendForce, a market research and intelligence provider. "Pelosi's meeting is adding new uncertainties, and the move could further disrupt global semiconductor industrial chains," said a senior executive from a Chinese mainland chip company who declined to be named. "But in fact, the Chinese mainland and Taiwan are very complementary in semiconductors, and could integrate our respective advantages and resources for better development." "I am very positive and optimistic about the future of cross-Straits relations. The preferential policies the Chinese mainland offers to Taiwan entrepreneurs, and the long-term good interaction between people on both sides of the Straits have already opened a door that can never be closed," said Wu Chia-Ying, president of the Taiwan Businessmen Association in Xiamen, Fujian province. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MADISON, Wis. (AP) Republicans on Friday unanimously chose Milwaukee in swing state Wisconsin for the 2024 national convention, a win for the city on the shores of Lake Michigan after its hosting of the Democratic convention in 2020 was upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision in favor of Milwaukee over Nashville, announced at the Republican National Committees summer meeting in Chicago, was anti-climactic after Nashville essentially took itself out of the running when the city council on Tuesday rejected a draft agreement for hosting the event. That came after Democratic opposition sunk that citys chances and the RNCs site selection committee picked Milwaukee last month. Milwaukee's Democratic mayor, Cavalier Johnson, joined with Reince Priebus, a former chief of staff to then-President Donald Trump, to praise the decision after it was announced in Chicago. Johnson thanked Priebus for his work in helping land the convention and said it was an example of bipartisanship that is much needed in the country. Johnson pitched Milwaukee, known for the Brewers baseball team, Bucks basketball team, brats and beer, as a city full of unexpected gems. He also made clear why he and so many other Democrats were eager to land the convention hosted by their political rivals. I want you to take all your money to Milwaukee, spend it that week, and leave it in Milwaukee," Johnson said. While Johnson urged bipartisan support, emphasizing the economic boost, some liberals bemoaned hosting Republicans in the city that's home to the largest contingent of Democrats in the state. Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, a liberal Milwaukee-based group, said having the convention in the city will make us feel unsafe and unwelcome in our own communities. We are calling for our elected officials to begin to take into account what is best not only from a financial standpoint, but the view of what is best for all of Milwaukee residents and communities, BLOC said in a statement. Other groups voicing opposition included Voces de la Frontera Action and SEIU Wisconsin State Council. Priebus, who served as Wisconsin Republican Party chair before moving on to head the RNC then serving under Trump, said choosing Milwaukee was politically significant and will give Republicans a chance to spend more time in the state. Its a battleground state, it matters," Priebus said. "I know sometimes we debate it, but it matters. Wisconsin could determine who wins in 2024, while Tennessee has not backed a Democrat for president since 1996. But choosing Milwaukee is in line with recent Republican choices for the convention. For two decades, Republicans have placed their nominating convention in swing states North Carolina, Ohio and Florida. Trump narrowly won Wisconsin in 2016, but lost to President Joe Biden by a nearly identical margin in 2020. Wisconsin Republican Party Chair Paul Farrow, who was in Chicago for the RNC meeting, said having the convention in Milwaukee will energize our base even more to realize were a very important hinge in the entire country. The winner in Wisconsin has been elected president the past four elections. Milwaukee, a Democratic stronghold, was selected to host the 2020 Democratic National Committee convention, but that moved almost entirely online due to the coronavirus pandemic. Biden accepted the nomination in Delaware, not Milwaukee. The city used its preparations for that convention to argue to Republicans that it had a turnkey operation ready to host for real in 2024. 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. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) Rwandas government is rejecting a report by United Nations experts saying they have solid evidence that members of Rwandas armed forces are conducting operations in eastern Congo in support of the M23 rebel group whose deadly resurgence has led to talk of war as well as protests against the U.N. peacekeeping force. The report is a tactic to distract from real issues, Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo said in a statement describing the report as containing false allegations. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit both countries next week, with the deadly turbulence in mineral-rich eastern Congo leading the agenda. Rwanda accuses Congo of collaborating with another rebel group, the FDLR, and said regional security cant be achieved until that issue is addressed. The FDLR was created by ethnic Hutus who fled Rwanda during the countrys 1994 genocide that killed at least 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Congo has denied supporting the group. Rwanda has a legitimate and sovereign right to defend our territory and citizens, and not just wait for disaster to unfold, Makolo said. In a new report to the U.N. Security Council, obtained by The Associated Press, the experts accused Rwandas forces of violating a U.N. arms embargo against Congo by their direct intervention into the country, either to support the M23 rebel group or to conduct military operations against the FDLR. Rwandan military members also violated sanctions by providing weapons, ammunition and uniforms to M23 rebels, the experts report said. Attacks by the M23 have become more frequent, longer and stronger, and the territory under the groups control has significantly increased, causing massive displacement of civilians and indiscriminate shelling, the experts added. The latest in eastern Congo insecurity has sparked deadly protests against the U.N. peacekeeping force there. Relations between Congo and its smaller neighbor Rwanda have been fraught for decades. Rwanda alleges that Congo gave refuge to Hutus who carried out the genocide. In the late 1990s, Rwanda twice sent its forces deep into Congo, joining forces with Congolese rebel leader Laurent Kabila to depose the countrys longtime dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. A meeting between Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi in Angola on July 6 produced a statement calling for a return to normal diplomatic relations, a cessation of hostilities, and the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the M23 from its positions in eastern Congo. ___ This story was first published on August 5, 2022. It was updated on August 8, 2022, to correct the quote in the second paragraph by the Rwandan government spokeswoman. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Friday he plans to hold an oversight hearing on the crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons after The Associated Press reported that the agency is keeping its embattled ex-director on the payroll as an adviser to his successor. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who demanded Michael Carvajal be fired last November amid myriad failings, told the AP in a statement he was dismayed by continuing misconduct within the agency and by its unwillingness to completely cut ties with the former director. Carvajal submitted his resignation in January but remained in charge of the Bureau of Prisons until the new director, Colette Peters, was sworn in Tuesday following a lengthy search process. On Thursday, the AP reported that Carvajal is staying on through the end of the month as a senior adviser to Peters, the former director of Oregons state prison system. After speaking with Peters this week, Durbin said hes hopeful for serious reforms at BOP, but it is time to move on from Carvajals failed leadership. Its no secret that the Bureau of Prisons has been plagued by misconduct, Durbin said, noting his calls for Carvajals ouster last fall. Its time to leave the scandals and mismanagement of the Carvajal era in the past and focus on fixing this broken institution. Thats why, in addition to my commitment to working with new BOP leadership, I plan to hold a BOP oversight hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee when we return from the August state work period, Durbin said. Durbin didnt provide a date for the hearing or say what witnesses might be called or topics discussed. The Senate returns from its August recess after Labor Day. Peters has pledged to overhaul the federal agency, which was plagued by myriad problems during Carvajals two years in charge. She has pledged greater transparency and accountability for the Bureau of Prisons, the Justice Departments largest component with a budget of more than $8 billion. Carvajal, a Trump administration holdover, submitted his resignation on Jan. 5 amid increasing scrutiny over his leadership in the wake of AP reporting that uncovered widespread problems at the Bureau of Prisons, including rampant sexual assault at a California women's prison, widespread staff criminal conduct, dozens of escapes, deaths and staffing woes hampering responses to emergencies. Durbin demanded Carvajals firing last November after the AP revealed that more than 100 Bureau of Prisons workers have been arrested, convicted or sentenced for crimes since the start of 2019. Durbin doubled down on his call for Carvajals removal in a speech on the Senate floor last December. Since day one, Director Carvajal has shown no intention of reforming the institution, Durbin said. For years, the Bureau of Prisons has been plagued by corruption, chronic understaffing, and misconduct by high-ranking officials. By then, Carvajal was already on the hot seat. Biden administration officials had discussions in the spring of 2021 about whether to remove Carvajal, after the AP reported that widespread correctional officer vacancies were forcing prisons to expand the use of cooks, teachers, nurses and other workers to guard inmates. In one of his final acts as director, Carvajal clashed with senators at a hearing last week as he refused to accept responsibility for a culture of corruption and misconduct that has plagued his agency for years. Carvajal, testifying before the Senates Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, insisted he had been shielded from problems by his underlings. But he had been copied on emails, and some of the troubles were detailed in reports generated by the agencys headquarters. Carvajal blamed the size and structure of the Bureau of Prisons for his ignorance on issues such as inmate suicides, sexual abuse, and the free flow of drugs, weapons and other contraband. ___ On Twitter, follow Michael Balsamo at twitter.com/mikebalsamo1 and Michael Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak. Send confidential tips by visiting https://www.ap.org/tips/ DAKAR, Senegal (AP) Senegal's government has signed a peace agreement with separatist rebels from the southern Casamance region that aims to end more than four decades of conflict. Senegal President Macky Sall announced the agreement, which was signed Thursday in Guinea Bissau between government officials and the Provisional Committee of Political and Combatant Wings of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance. It calls for the laying down of arms. On this weeks episode of Segue, Southern Illinois University Edwardsvilles weekly radio program exploring the lives and work of the people on campus and beyond, College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Dean Kevin Leonard, PhD, interviews Julie Zimmermann, PhD, professor and chair in the Department of Anthropology, and Gregory Fields, PhD, distinguished research professor in the Department of Philosophy. This episode of Segue airs at 9 a.m. Sunday, August 7. Listeners can tune into WSIE 88.7 FM The Sound or siue.edu/wsie. Zimmermann earned a bachelors in anthropology from Washington University (WashU) in St. Louis in 1990. She then attended New York University, where she earned a master of arts in anthropology in 1994, a master of philosophy in anthropology in 1995, and her PhD in 2000. Fields received a bachelors in psychology from the University of Utah in 1982, a masters in philosophy of education from Goddard College in 1984, a masters in philosophy from the University of New Mexico in 1990, and his PhD from the University of Hawaii in 1994. Both are also faculty members in the CAS Native American Studies program. In this episode, they talk about their careers and research. They also share details about SIUEs Land Acknowledgement Statement, which they helped develop. Dr. Zimmermann, begins Leonard, Please tell us how you became interested in anthropology? I won the scholarship to WashU, explains Zimmerman, and I was looking through the course listings and Aanthropology was the first thing in the book and that was where all the cool stuff was. So, I went to WashU and studied anthropology. I loved cultural anthropology but I went on my first excavation when I was 18 and thats how I decided to become an archaeologist. And Dr. Fields, how did you become interested in philosophy? asks Leonard. Through my father, I became interested in the Indian worldview and the way of seeing our natural world as a spirit, and the human community in a respectful and sacred way, says Fields. He adds that following his exposure to Polynesian, Asian and European cultures after staying in different U.S. states, he was captivated by human nature and later decided to satisfy that curiosity with the study of philosophy. Zimmerman is currently studying the largest archeological site north of Mexico: Cahokia. She notes that Cahokia was a great Native American city about a thousand years ago. Cahokia was built by immigrants, she shares. There were multiple tribes coming there to build it, and I think what was bringing them were the dramatic rituals. They wanted to be part of this amazing social experiment. In teaching Native American studies, I became more interested in the storytelling aspect of those rituals, she continues. Oral tradition is absolutely critical to Native American culture and so my current research focuses on what kind of stories they would have been telling in Cahokia. Of all the rituals that were pulling people into building this city, I think storytelling was the most important one, because it gave meaning to all of their other rituals. And Dr. Fields, what is your research focus and what are you working on now? asks Leonard. Im finishing up my third of three books that Ive been writing collaboratively with Coast Salish Elders, Fields explains. Two of those were with Pauline Hillaire, A Totem Pole History about her fathers work, and a book called Rights Remembered, A Salish Grandmother Speaks on American Indian History and the Future. The third book is with Mr. Johnny Moses, whom I had met at the University of Hawaii. Were looking at some of the similarities between the Polynesian people and the Northwest Coast Indian people, both of whom have ocean-based culture and great canoe culture, and really outstanding oral tradition and civilization with all its components. In a question about SIUEs Land Acknowledgement Statement, Leonard states the following: Each of the campuses within the SIU System adopted a statement to recognize and honor the original inhabitants of the lands upon which each campus is located. These statements are action-oriented and reflect a collective commitment to building relationships with and supporting Indigenous communities. The statement is intended to be read before events, lectures, and ceremonies. SIUEs statement is: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville exists in and serves a region that includes the lands of the Kiikaapoi (treaty in Edwardsville, 1819); The Illinois Confederacy, including the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Cahokia, and Tamaroa (treaty in Edwardsville, 1818); Dhegiha Siouan peoples; and others. We affirm their contemporary and ancestral ties to the land and their contributions to this place. In alignment with the academic mission of the institution, we are committed to building responsible relationships with indigenous communities through the development of educational pathways and opportunities for indigenous students and the advancement of research and knowledge about indigenous peoples, cultures, and histories. Dr. Zimmermann, can you tell our audience a little about this statement and what it means? Leonard asks. Institutions have been talking about creating land acknowledgement statements for the last few years and the discussion has evolved in that time, states Zimmerman. We want to acknowledge the people who were here, traditionally in this land. As an archeologist, this is a difficult question because, do we take it back a thousand years, ten thousand years? If you look at the statement that we ended up with, were naming the Kiikaapoi and Illinois Confederacy because they had historic treaties with them in 1819 and 1818, respectively. But, I particularly wanted to include the Dhegiha Siouan peoples. We wanted to focus on people with whom we would hope to actually engage, not just a listing of a bunch of people. She adds that the university hopes to actualize the statement by hiring Native American faculty, who will in turn help with attracting more indigenous students. Dr. Fields, talk about the process of developing the statement for SIUE, asks Leonard. Several of us giving conference presentations in the last few years, says Fields, have been called upon to give a land acknowledgement and we didnt have one until recently. It was our colleague, Carol Colaninno-Meeks in the STEM program, an archeologist, who initially approached Native American Studies. We went to work on doing that and it was quite an exercise in determining what native people had been here and what their connections were with the land and how we would acknowledge them in the statement. We used sources, including the government documents, of course, that have the treaties and detail. There are a number of geographical sources that we used in order to track their historical existence and movement of peoples through our land here and various secondary sources like the Smithsonian Institutions Handbook of North American Indians, which gives us the reliable information from specialists who have done their field work and know about the history and present conditions of these tribal nations. Tune in at 9 a.m. Sunday, August 7 to WSIE 88.7 The Sound to hear the entire conversation. MADRID (AP) Spain has reported its first two deaths from acute hepatitis, or liver inflammation, among children an illness whose causes are unknown and is being monitored by world health officials. Spain's Health Ministry said that 46 cases of the illness have been reported in Spain and that three required liver transplants. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ISLAMABAD (AP) A bomb hidden in a cart went off on Friday near a mosque in a minority Shiite neighborhood of the Afghan capital, killing at least eight people and wounding 18, a Taliban official said. Also Friday, hundreds of Afghans apparently organized by the Taliban rallied in several provinces, denouncing the U.S. drone strike last Sunday that killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri on the balcony of a Kabul safe house. According to Khalid Zadran, the Taliban-appointed spokesman for the Kabul police chief, the cart bombing happened in western Kabul, in the Sar-e Karez area. Initial reports said two people were killed but the casualty toll swiftly rose as the wounded were taken to local hospitals. "Once again, the enemy carried out an attack on (holy days) and killed innocent civilians," said Zadran. He added that the police has launched an investigation. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but blame is likely to fall on the Islamic State group, which has targeted Afghanistans minority Shiites in large-scale attacks in the past. The regional affiliate of IS, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, has increased attacks on mosques and minorities across the country since the Taliban seized power last August. IS, which has been operating in Afghanistan since 2014, s seen as the greatest security challenge facing the countrys Taliban rulers. Following their takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban have launched a sweeping crackdown against the IS headquarters in the country's east. On Wednesday, in a gunbattle between the Taliban and IS gunmen killed five, including two Taliban fighters. The fighting erupted near the Sakhi shrine in the Karti Sakhi neighborhood as people were busy preparing for Ashoura, which commemorates the 7th century death in battle of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. In the anti-U.S. rallies following Friday prayers, religious scholars and protesters condemned the strike that killed al-Zawahri, calling the attack a violation of international principles and in particular, the agreement that the U.S. administration signed with the Taliban on the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. The protesters carried banners with Death to America slogans on them and chanted against President Joe Biden. The Taliban have not said al-Zawahri was killed in the drone strike. In a statement on Thursday, they insisted they had no knowledge of the arrival and residence of the al-Qaida leader in Kabul. However, despite the Taliban denial of knowledge of al-Zawahris presence, U.S. officials have said he was staying at a Kabul safe house linked to the deputy leader of the Taliban. The strike killed al-Zawahri when he stepped out onto the safe houses balcony. The strike further strained relations between the Taliban and the West, particularly as Afghanistans rulers seek an urgent infusion of cash to handle the catastrophic collapse of the economy that came after the U.S. withdrawal a year ago. SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. The San Clemente City Council is set to consider a resolution in a couple of weeks that would declare the city a "sanctuary for life," making it an abortion-free zone. The resolution, which was written and proposed by Councilman Steven Knoblock, states that the City Council "considers life to begin at conception" and stands against the establishment of Planned Parenthood health centers or as well as any other clinics where abortions are performed. "There probably isn't a family in America that hasn't been impacted by abortion," Knoblock said. "The (resolution) will get people thinking about what society has been doing for 50 years." The resolution, which will be discussed at the next council meeting on Aug. 16, doesn't provide specific enforcement measures but does state that the resolution will be enforced by all of the "power and authority" of the council. It also provides an exception for abortions in cases in which the mother's life is at stake and in cases of rape or incest, stating that the council will remain neutral. The mention of "God" is included multiple times throughout the resolution. "We believe that life is God-ordained and God is the author and finisher of every life. No matter if at the beginning or at the end," the resolution states. "As a city council, we will protect and sustain life at every stage. As we ask God to bless America, we first have to honor and respect God." A draft of the resolution, which hasn't been officially published by the council, began making its way throughout the city, enraging many community members. Andrea Schmidt, the public affairs project manager for Planned Parenthood in Orange and San Bernardino counties, is currently leading efforts to mobilize against the resolution. As of Tuesday, 15 people "and counting" are scheduled to speak at the next council meeting, Schmidt said. "Politically focused and scientifically inaccurate resolutions like this are extremely dangerous," Schmidt said. "If this resolution does pass, it will send a message to San Clemente residents that their local government does not support their fundamental right to control their own body and access quality, affordable health care." Schmidt said the resolution is a direct attack against the city's Planned Parenthood health centers, which "thousands of local community members rely on for health care and education services." San Clemente Mayor Gene James, who seconded the motion of drafting the resolution at last month's City Council meeting, said he was "appalled" and "embarrassed" while reading the resolution draft late last week. "It appears to me to be a document that could have been written by a Taliban tribunal, and I'll say that as a conservative, pro-life, Republican," James said. When seconding Knoblock's request to discuss the resolution in the August meeting, James said "there is no issue that's more important to me than protecting the unborn." At the time, James said he thought the resolution would strictly support the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade in June. However, "that's not what was in there," James said. Immediately after reading the draft, James contacted the city manager, city clerk and city attorney to ask if he could withdraw his second to the motion and "just kill" the resolution. He was unable to do so. "Mr. Knoblock was making medical statements that simply were not accurate," James said. "The fact is, California is a state where abortion is legal and there's nothing the San Clemente City Council can do about that regardless of whether we are pro-life or pro-choice." James brought up the idea of a resolution "supporting the unborn" in an email to Councilwoman Laura Ferguson in late June. Ferguson denied James' request to second the motion. This is not the first time that a resolution brought forth by the San Clemente City Council caused tension in the community. Just a year ago, the council voted to declare the city a "Second Amendment Freedom City." James proposed that resolution. "This is another resolution that is going to be very contentious and divisive and really does not give us any kind of any authority to do anything at all," Ferguson said. "We have so many issues in our town that we could be spending time on that this takes away from." Mayor Pro Tem Chris Duncan, who is running for Assembly District 74, echoed Ferguson's points. He believes women should have the right to choose and city councils shouldn't get involved in the issue, which exists at the state and federal levels. According to Knoblock, this resolution is necessary because the overturn of Roe vs. Wade pushed the abortion issue down to the states. "The cities and counties in the state are part of that process," Knoblock said. "I just wanted our voice to be heard from San Clemente." Schmidt noted that a resolution like this is especially dangerous because it could encourage other cities to take up similar agendas that are "destructive and politically motivated." James understands the resolution will disrupt the next council meeting and expects community members "to show up angry and rightfully so." Schmidt said she expects "a large showing of residents who care about their community, support access to health care, and the freedom of choice speaking in opposition to this resolution, and ultimately we are hopeful that the council will make the right decision by voting 'no' on this resolution." A vulnerability in Twitter's software that exposed an undetermined number of owners of anonymous accounts to potential identity compromise last year was apparently exploited by a malicious actor, the social media company said Friday. It did not confirm a report that data on 5.4 million users was offered for sale online as a result but said users worldwide were affected. The breach is especially worrisome because many Twitter account owners, including human rights activists, do not disclose their identities in their profiles for security reasons that include fear of persecution by repressive authorities. This is very bad for many who use pseudonymous Twitter accounts," U.S. Naval Academy data security expert Jeff Kosseff tweeted. The vulnerability allowed someone to determine during log-in whether a particular phone number or email address was tied to an existing Twitter account, thereby revealing account owners, the company said. Twitter said it did not know how many users may have been affected, and stressed that no passwords were exposed. We can confirm the impact was global, a Twitter spokesperson said via email. We cannot determine exactly how many accounts were impacted or the location of the account holders." Twitter's acknowledgment in a blog post Friday followed a report last month by t he digital privacy advocacy group Restore Privacy detailing how data presumably obtained from the vulnerability was being sold on a popular hacking forum for $30,000. A security researcher discovered the flaw in January, informed Twitter and was paid a reported $5,000 bounty. Twitter said the bug, introduced in a June 2021 software update, was immediately fixed. Twitter said it learned about the data sale on the hacking forum from media reports and confirmed that a bad actor had taken advantage of the issue before it was addressed. It said it was directly notifying all account owners that it can confirm were affected. We are publishing this update because we arent able to confirm every account that was potentially impacted, and are particularly mindful of people with pseudonymous accounts who can be targeted by state or other actors, the company said. It recommended users seeking to keep their identities veiled not add a publicly known phone number or email address to their Twitter account. If you operate a pseudonymous Twitter account, we understand the risks an incident like this can introduce and deeply regret that this happened, it said. The revelation of the breach comes while Twitter is in a legal battle with Tesla CEO Elon Musk over his attempt to back out from his previous offer to buy San Francisco-based Twitter for $44 billion. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones bulled through the first of several trials against him that could decimate his personal fortune and media empire in his usual way: loud, aggressive and talking about conspiracies both in and out the courtroom. It was business as usual for the gravelly voiced, barrel-chested Jones. But by courtroom standards, his erratic and, at times, disrespectful behavior was unusual and potentially complicated for the legal process. Jones and his media company, Free Speech Systems, were ordered Friday to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages on top of $4.11 million in compensatory damages to the parents of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, who was killed with 19 other first graders and six educators in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. And significantly more could be on the way. The total damages of nearly $50 million was significantly less than the $150 million in damages Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis were seeking. Jones faces two more Sandy Hook trials to determine damages later this year: One for parents of a 6-year-old boy in an Austin court, and another for eight families in Connecticut. Heslin and Lewis have testified that Jones' constant push of false claims that the shooting was a hoax or staged made the last decade a living hell of death threats, online abuse and unrelenting trauma inflicted by Jones and his followers. After years of false hoax claims, Jones admitted under oath that the shooting was 100% real" and even shook hands with the parents. But the bombastic version of Jones was always lurking under the surface or even on full display away from the courthouse. During a break on the first day, he held an impromptu news conference just a few feet from the courtroom doors, declaring the proceedings a kangaroo court and show trial railroading his fight for free speech under the First Amendment. On the first day, he arrived at the courthouse with Save the 1st written on silver tape over his mouth. When he came to the courthouse, it was always with a security detail of three or four guards. Jones, who wasn't in court for the verdict, often skipped testimony to appear on his daily Infowars program, where the attacks on the judge and jury continued. During one show, Jones said the jury was pulled from a group of people who don't know what planet they live on." That clip was shown to the jury. So was a snapshot from his Infowars website showing Judge Maya Guerra Gamble engulfed in flames. She laughed at that. Jones was only slightly less combative in court. He was the only witness to testify in his defense. Gamble warned Jones' lawyers before it even started that if he tried to turn it into a performance, she would clear the courtroom and shut down the livestream broadcasting the trial to the world. When Jones arrived for Lewis' testimony, Gamble asked if he was chewing gum, a violation of a strict rule in her courtroom. She'd scolded his attorney Andino Reynal several times already. That led to a testy exchange. Jones said he wasn't chewing gum. Gamble said she could see his mouth moving. Jones opened wide and leaned over the defense table to show her a gap in his mouth where he'd had a tooth extracted. Jones insisted he was only massaging the hole with his tongue. Don't show me, the judge said. Some legal experts said they were surprised by Jones' behavior and questioned whether it was a calculated risk to boost his appeal to fans. Its the most bizarre behavior I have ever seen at a trial, said Barry Covert, a Buffalo, New York, First Amendment lawyer. In my opinion, Jones is a money-making juggernaut crazy like a fox, Covert said. The bigger the spectacle, the better." Kevin Goldberg, a First Amendment specialist at the Maryland-based Freedom Forum, said he found it hard to imagine what Jones might be thinking and what benefit he could derive from his behavior. I dont know what it is designed to accomplish other than being on brand for Alex Jones, said Goldberg. This seem to be a man who has built his brand on disrespecting the institutions of government and this court. Defendants at trial are often given some leeway because they have so much at stake prison in criminal cases and, in Jones civil trial, potential financial ruin. Monetary sanctions or even post-trial contempt charges are also a possibility. Gamble had to be careful how she handled it all, Covert said. Jones bizarre behavior is putting the judge in a very difficult box, said Covert. She doesnt want to appear to put her finger on the scales of justice. Jones skipped Heslin's testimony when he described for the jury holding his dead son in his arms with a "bullet hole through his head. Heslin said he wanted to confront Jones face-to-face and called his absence that day cowardly. Jones was instead appearing on his daily broadcast. Jones was in the room when Lewis took the stand, sitting barely 10 feet (3 meters) away as she looked directly at him. My son existed. I am not deep state, she said of the conspiracy theory of a shadowy network of federal workers running the government. "I know you know that, Lewis said. When Lewis asked Jones if he thought she was an actor, Jones answered, No, but was cut off by Gamble, who scolded him for speaking out of turn. At the end of that day, Jones and the parents shook hands. Lewis even handed Jones a sip of water to help calm a persistent cough Jones said was caused by a torn larynx. Her attorney Wesley Ball quickly stepped in to break it up. No," Ball snapped at Jones, You are NOT doing this. Jones was the only witness in his defense. His testimony pushed the rules of the court so often that the plaintiffs openly questioned whether Jones and his attorneys were trying to sabotage the proceedings and force a mistrial. They filed a motion for sanctions against them after Jones claimed he was bankrupt, which attorneys dispute and was off limits in testimony. At one point, Jones appeared flabbergasted when the familys attorneys announced that Jones legal team had mistakenly sent them two years worth of data from his cellphone a massive data dump they said should have been produced in discovery but wasnt. They said it proved hed been receiving texts and emails about Sandy Hook and his media companys finances that he hadnt turned over under court orders. This is your Perry Mason moment, Jones snapped. Plaintiffs attorney Mark Bankston said Thursday that the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol had requested those materials and that he intended to give it to them. The Jan. 6 committee first subpoenaed Jones in November, demanding a deposition and documents related to his efforts to spread misinformation about the 2020 election and a rally on the day of the attack. During the trial, Jones often spoke out of turn, and was cut off when he veered into conspiracies, ranging from the Sept. 11 terror attacks being staged to a fake effort of the United Nations on world depopulation. He continued to call into question some of the biggest events and significant government institutions in American life. This," the judge told him, is not your show. ___ Tarm reported from Chicago. ___ Find APs full coverage of the Alex Jones trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-jones BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) University of California, Berkeley police officers arrested seven people during a clash with demonstrators protesting a controversial student housing project at the historic Peoples Park in Berkeley, university officials said Thursday. The police officers were standing guard Wednesday as a construction crew began cutting down trees when protesters knocked down a chain link fence and entered the park. They destroyed construction materials and faced off with officers, injuring two of them, the university said in a statement. UNITED NATIONS (AP) U.N. experts report that North Korea is testing nuclear triggering devices and that its preparations for another nuclear test were at a final stage in June, quoting information from unnamed countries. The panel of experts said in new excerpts from their latest report obtained Friday by The Associated Press that they have been unable to identify the test locations and dates for the tests of nuclear triggering devices reported by one U.N. member state. In excerpts obtained Thursday, the experts said North Korea is paving the way for additional nuclear tests with new preparations at its northeastern test site and continues to develop its capability to produce a key ingredient for nuclear weapons. In the new excerpt, the panel said: As of early June, two member states assessed that the preparation for nuclear tests was at a final stage. On other issues, the panel said in Thursday's excerpts that North Korea conducted two major hacks this year, resulting in the theft of cryptocurrency assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Pyongyang also continues illicitly importing oil and exporting coal in violation of U.N. sanctions, using the same companies, networks and vessels, it said. South Korean and U.S. intelligence officials have said they detected North Korean efforts to prepare its northeastern Punggye-ri testing ground for another nuclear test. It would be the Norths seventh since 2006 and the first since September 2017, when it claimed to have detonated a thermonuclear bomb to fit on its intercontinental ballistic missiles. The panel of experts report to the U.N. Security Council provides some details of the work being carried out at the site by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, the countrys official name. The experts said they observed that the DPRK started re-excavation work in March at the entrance to Tunnel 3 at Punggye-ri and reconstructed support buildings originally dismantled in May 2018. Satellite imagery showed increased numbers of vehicle tracks around this secondary entrance from mid-February 2022, followed by construction of a new building adjacent to the entrance at the beginning of March, the panel said. A pile of lumber, for possible use in the construction of the tunnel structure, was also detected around the same time. It added that, Piles of soil from the tunnel excavation around the entrance were observed during this period. Work at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site paves the way for additional nuclear tests for the development of nuclear weapons, the experts said, adding that this is an objective stated at the Eighth Congress of the countrys ruling Workers Party of Korea in January 2021. Robert Floyd, head of the U.N. nuclear test ban treaty organization, told a U.N. press conference Friday that its monitoring facilities detected the six previous DPRK nuclear tests. If there is a seventh time, Im very confident our system will pick it up, well characterize it, and that information then gets shared with the states of the world, he said. Floyd is attending the high-level conference reviewing the landmark Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty which began Monday and ends on Aug. 26. Under the NPT's provisions, the five original nuclear powers -- the United States, China, Russia (then the Soviet Union), Britain and France -- 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. Floyd raised the question of whether the possibility of a seventh DPRK nuclear test will strengthen or weaken nonproliferation and disarmament arrangements, and the appetite of states to see these things come into place. I wonder as to how much that is actually feeding into the tone that weve heard this week during the review conference, where there was quite a deal of accommodation of various positions, he said. I wonder whether the states are recognizing at a time such as this it is really important to be able to strengthen the NPT and to come together around some of these very important issues, rather than, `Oh, this is a reason we should abandon such an important thing as the cornerstone of nuclear architecture,' Floyd said. In another aspect of the DPRKs nuclear program, analysts said satellite images last September showed that North Korea was expanding a uranium enrichment plant at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex, a sign that it wanted to boost production of the key bomb material. The U.N. experts said in the new report: DPRK continued to develop its capability for the production of nuclear fissile materials at the Yongbyon site. Nuclear negotiations between the United States and North Korea have stalled since 2019 over disagreements over the DPRK demand to lift crippling U.S.-led sanctions and Washingtons demand for significant steps by Pyongyang toward nuclear disarmament. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has expanded his ballistic missile program amid the diplomatic pause, and analysts say another nuclear test would escalate his brinkmanship aimed at cementing the Norths status as a nuclear power, and negotiating economic and security concessions from a position of strength. The panel of experts said the DPRK continued to accelerate its missile programs, launching 31 missiles combining ballistic and guidance technologies, including six ICBMs and two explicitly described as ballistic weapons. It said the DPRK also claimed to have advanced its development of tactical nuclear weapons. U.S. immigration authorities are planning to issue photo ID cards to immigrants in deportation proceedings in a bid to slash paper use and help people stay up-to-date on required meetings and court hearings, officials said. The proposal from Immigration and Customs Enforcement is still being developed as a pilot program, and it was not immediately clear how many the agency would issue. The cards would not be an official form of federal identification, and would state they are to be used by the Department of Homeland Security. The idea is for immigrants to be able to access information about their cases online by using a card rather than paper documents that are cumbersome and can fade over time, officials said. They said ICE officers could also run checks on the cards in the field. Moving to a secure card will save the agency millions, free up resources, and ensure information is quickly accessible to DHS officials while reducing the agencys FOIA backlog, an ICE spokesperson said in a statement, referring to unfulfilled public requests for agency documents. Homeland Security gets more Freedom of Information Act requests than any other federal agency, according to government data, and many of those involve immigration records. The proposal has sparked a flurry of questions about what the card might be used for and how secure it would be. Some fear the program could lead to tracking of immigrants awaiting their day in immigration court, while others suggest the cards could advertised by migrant smugglers to try to induce others to make the dangerous trip north. The Biden administration is seeking $10 million for the so-called ICE Secure Docket Card in a budget proposal for the next fiscal year. It was not immediately clear if the money would cover the pilot or a broader program or when it would begin. The administration has faced pressure as the number of migrants seeking to enter the country on the southwest border has increased. Border Patrol agents stopped migrants more than 1.1 million times from January to June, up nearly one-third from the same period of an already-high 2021. Many migrants are turned away under COVID-19-related restrictions. But many are allowed in and either are detained while their cases churn through the immigration courts or are released and required to check in periodically with ICE officers until a judge rules on their cases. Those most likely to be released in the United States are from countries where expulsion under the public health order is complicated due to costs, logistics or strained diplomatic relations, including Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. At shelters, bus stations and airports along the U.S.-Mexico border, migrants carefully guard their papers in plastic folders. These are often the only documents they have to get past airport checkpoints to their final destinations in the United States. The often dog-eared papers can be critical to getting around. An immigration case can take years and the system can be confusing, especially for immigrants who know little English and may need to work with an array of government agencies, including ICE and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which issues work permits and green cards. U.S. immigration courts are overseen by the Justice Department. Gregory Z. Chen, senior director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said migrants have mistakenly gone to ICE offices instead of court for scheduled hearings that they then missed as a result. He said so long as immigrants' privacy is protected, the card could be helpful. If ICE is going to be using this new technology to enable non citizens to check in with ICE, or to report information about their location and address, and then to receive information about their case where their court hearings might be, what the requirements might be for them to comply with the law that would be a welcome approach, Chen said. It was not clear whether Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration would accept the cards for airport travel or whether private businesses would consider it valid. The United States doesn't have a national photo identification card. Residents instead use a range of cards to prove identification, including driver's licenses, state ID cards and consular ID cards. What constitutes a valid ID is often determined by the entity seeking to verify a person's identity. Talia Inlender, deputy director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at University of California, Los Angeles' law school, said she was skeptical that using a card to access electronic documents would simplify the process for immigrants, especially those navigating the system without a lawyer, and questioned whether the card has technology that could be used to increase government surveillance of migrants. But having an ID could be useful, especially for migrants who need to travel within the U.S., Inlender said. Many people are fleeing persecution and torture in their countries. They're not showing up with government paperwork, Inlender said. Having a form of identification to be able to move throughout daily life has the potential to be a helpful thing. That has some Republican lawmakers concerned that the cards could induce more migrants to come to the U.S. or seek to access benefits they're not eligible for. A group of 16 lawmakers sent a letter last week to ICE raising questions about the plan. The Administration is now reportedly planning yet another reckless policy that will further exacerbate this ongoing crisis, the letter said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Eight years before Uvalde school police Chief Pedro Pete Arredondo led a disastrous law enforcement response to a mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, he was demoted from a high-ranking position at the Webb County Sheriffs Office. Sheriff Martin Cuellar said he demoted Arredondo from an assistant chief to a commander in October 2014 because he couldnt get along with people. He was difficult to get along with with his coworkers, especially upper staff, Cuellar said. The basic thing I want to say is he just didnt fit the qualifications or the work that I set out for him. Before going to Webb County, Arredondo served 16 years with the Uvalde Police Department. Even in Uvalde PD, when he was over there, they disliked the (expletive) out of him, Cuellar said. They were hoping he would get a job in Laredo. Cuellar said Arredondo clashed with then-Webb County Sheriffs Chief Fred Garza, who was the offices second in command and Arredondos supervisor. Garza, who is now police chief in Eagle Pass, declined to comment. An Oct. 8, 2014, letter from Cuellar to Arredondo said he was being reassigned from Assistant Chief to Commander. Two days earlier, someone had written demotion in a payroll worksheet for Arredondo. Neither Arredondo nor his attorney responded to messages seeking comment. Records show that officials at Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District might not have fully reviewed Arredondos employment history when the district hired him as its police chief in 2020. On Feb. 13, 2020, the school district announced on Facebook that it was proud to introduce our District Chief of Police, Pedro Pete Arredondo, a native of Uvalde who was focused on providing safety for all students, staff and our community. Six days later, a human resources coordinator at Uvalde CISD emailed Arredondos previous employer, United ISD in Laredo seeking a copy of his service record, according to emails obtained by the San Antonio Express-News. Arredondo worked as a police captain in the Laredo school district for about three years after leaving the Webb County Sheriffs Office in 2017. Uvalde CISD spokeswoman Anne Marie Espinoza did not respond to questions about whether the Uvalde school district was aware of Arredondos demotion in Webb County when it hired him. Cuellar said Uvalde CISD never called him directly to ask about Arredondos job performance in Webb County. If the school district had called, Cuellar said, he would not have recommended Arredondo for the job. I dont think I would, based on the performance, he said. If Uvalde had asked the proper questions, especially on the chief position, the high-ranking position, I would have said, I dont think (Arredondo was) capable of running even a small department. But they never asked. They do investigations based on, Hey, I worked here, I worked there. But then they never asked us, Cuellar said. To do a good, clean background on somebody, they need to ask the sheriff In his application to work at United ISD in Laredo, Arredondo listed Garza as a reference. Arredondo also boasted in the application that the Webb County Sheriffs Office had awarded him a Life Savers Award for 2 different incidents and 6 different lives saved during my actions as a hostage negotiator. Cuellar said he recalled one standoff in 2012 at a house in El Cenizo, a small town south of Laredo, involving a man who was holding four or five undocumented immigrants hostage. Arredondo was among many officers who spoke to the suspect, Cuellar said. It wasnt him, Cuellar said. It wasnt him completely. I think he exaggerated a little bit on the application. Cuellar said he and Victor Escalon of the Texas Department of Public Safety were primarily responsible for ending the standoff, persuading the suspect to drop his gun before moving slowly into the house and handcuffing him. I know that (Arredondo) was in the command center talking, Cuellar said. This is teamwork. You cant say, I did it all myself. Botched response to rampage On May 24, a gunman entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde with an assault-style rifle and killed 19 children and two teachers inside two classrooms. Arredondo, a 29-year law enforcement veteran, was among the first officers to arrive about three minutes after the gunman, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos of Uvalde, entered the school and started shooting inside the classrooms. But it took officers on the scene more than an hour to breach a door to the classrooms to confront and kill the gunman. Investigators said the door likely was unlocked the entire time. Arredondos own policy placed him as incident commander during the mass shooting. But he wasted vital time inside the school looking for a master key and trying unsuccessfully to negotiate with the shooter, who didnt respond, even as injured students inside the classrooms called 911 pleading for help. Uvalde CISD placed Arredondo on unpaid leave last month. The school district was scheduled to hold a termination hearing for Arredondo on Thursday, but postponed the meeting for a second time to once again ensure Pete Arredondos due process rights are met, Espinoza said in a written statement. A Texas House committee investigating the law enforcement response to the massacre learned from DPS in June about Arredondos demotion in Webb County, said state Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, a member of the committee. Moody said DPS told the committee about the demotion during a closed-door meeting that included Steve McCraw, the director of DPS. At the time, DPS officials told the three-member committee including its chairman, state Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock; former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman; and Moody that they did not know why Cuellar demoted Arredondo, Moody said. The state agency was hyper-critical of Arredondo during the committee session, Moody said. I remember it shocking me, the pointed language they used, Moody said. They gave us the impression that this is a guy who was essentially bouncing from one place to the next. Arredondo received active-shooter training before he joined Uvalde CISD. United ISD Police Chief Ray Garner told the Express-News in June that Arredondo was responsible for the Laredo districts north side schools before he joined Uvalde CISD. Down here, we do a lot of training on active-shooter scenarios, and he was involved in those, Garner said. We train (officers) to go straight for the shooters and neutralize them. Since the massacre at Columbine High School in 1999, officers have been trained to confront and kill active shooters swiftly, prioritizing the lives of victims over those of officers. That didnt happen at Robb Elementary. Instead, Arredondo handled the crisis as if Ramos were hunkered down inside the classrooms. He told the Texas House committee that he prayed no children were inside, and he treated the gunman as a barricaded subject rather than an active shooter because he couldnt see any injured victims, according to the committees report. Body-camera footage, however, captured Arredondo saying, Theres probably some casualties, the report said. Arredondo was born in Uvalde, a town of 16,000 that serves as a gateway for recreation along the Frio River, Garner State Park and the South Texas oil and gas fields. His first job after graduating from the Southwest Texas Junior College law enforcement academy in 1993 was as a 911 dispatcher for the Uvalde Police Department. He served 16 years with the Uvalde PD in multiple roles, including patrol officer, detective and assistant chief. Arredondo was hired at the Webb County Sheriffs Office in January 2009. He spent about a year from 2011 to 2012 working as a jailer there. He was promoted to assistant chief before his 2014 demotion. He applied to work at United ISD in Laredo in 2017. In his application, Arredondo described an array of responsibilities as assistant chief in Webb County, including oversight of all the divisions. A description of his subsequent role as commander of the patrol division was more limited: Supervise the division, work and create policy as needed, internal affairs, human resources, armory and evidence management, departmental inventory. ROME (AP) The Vatican recorded a 3 million-euro deficit last year, far less than the 33 million euros projected, but faces an uncertain financial future due to structural problems, an underfunded pension system and other debts, the Holy See said Friday. The Vatican released its consolidated financial statement for 2021, part of Pope Francis push to improve transparency and to bring order to the Holy See's murky finances with international budgeting and accounting standards. Like many kids, I was once captivated by all things space. I took out every book on space from the school library. I did a book report on astronaut Sally Ride. I wanted to be an astronaut myself. Later, I studied astronomy and physics and even interned at the Hubble Space Telescope program in the 1990s, back when that was the biggest, newest telescope around. So when I read about the James Webb Telescope, able to see 13.5 billion years back in time, almost to the beginning of the universe, Im awed. This remarkable machine enables us to witness the births of stars and planets and begin to unravel some of the most awe-inspiring mysteries of our universe. When I grew up, I became not an astronomer or an astronaut but a military budget analyst. So I chuckled when I read that the price tag for this marvel which ultimately ran $10.8 billion over 24 years nearly resulted in its cancellation a decade ago. Over two and a half decades, thats not even a scratch on the surface of our federal budget. For comparison, our military budget is shaping up to be almost $850 billion next year alone 85 times the lifetime cost of the Webb telescope for just one year. In fact, the $10 billion for Webb is roughly the same amount the Pentagon spends every single year to purchase new F-35 jet fighters. But while the telescope unfolded majestically according to plan, a wonder of modern engineering, the F-35 has seen one problem after another, having spontaneously caught fire at least three times. And yet just this July, news broke that the Pentagon is reaching a deal with F-35 maker Lockheed Martin to buy more of the planes at a cost of $30 billion. Imagine the scandal if the $10 billion Webb telescope had failed to work. Now imagine that scandal every year, in the shape of an F-35 that is the subject of continued revelations of failure and yet we keep spending more and more. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives just voted to add an extra $37 billion nearly four times the lifetime cost of the Webb telescope to the Pentagon budget. Lawmakers even ignored the testimony of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who said that the requested budget already an astonishing $813 billion was enough to meet the nations security needs. When the Senate considers the military budget, senators will have to decide whether to move forward with $45 billion in additions that members of the Senate Armed Services Committee piled onto the Pentagons request. The reasons for this are simple: Pentagon contractors with too much power, who are too cozy with important members of Congress, and a misplaced obsession among many in Congress with always spending more on the military. Its the one area where many in Congress measure a job well done by how much more money they can spend. The entire Pentagon story is similar. The United States has more than 750 military installations around the world. We spent the first 20 years of this century at war even after the end of the longest active war in our history, our budget for war-making is still climbing higher. None of this seems to have made the world any safer and unlike the Webb telescope, its not very inspiring, either. This nation needs a lot of things that cost money. We need a better healthcare system. We need a clean energy transition. We need long-term solutions to poverty and economic insecurity. For the annual cost of one fighter jet, were unlocking mysteries of the universe. Now imagine what marvels we could do here on Earth if we liberated those bigger investments from our hungry, bloated war machine. Ron and Patty Thomas/Getty Images/iStockphoto One of the best bits of living in California is sheer number of getaway-worthy places in the same state, whether youre exploring the Sonoma and Napa vineyards, heading to the center of the action in LA, or venturing south to Palm Springs. Now, those living near Sonoma have it even better: Avelo Airlines is launching $29 one-way fares (or $58 round-trip) for flights between Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport (STS) and Palm Springs International Airport (PSP). If you're unfamiliar with Avelo, it's a charter airline formerly known as Casino Express Airlines and Xtra Airwayslights. Flights begin Nov. 11, and theyll offer service on Mondays and Fridays, which makes the arrivals and departures ideal for long weekends or week-long holidays with time to recover before heading back to work. WFO LAS VEGAS Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, August 4, 2022 _____ FLASH FLOOD WARNING Flash Flood Statement National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 438 PM PDT Thu Aug 4 2022 ...FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 445 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY... The heavy rain has ended and no additional flash flooding is expected. Please continue to heed remaining road closures along SR 62 between Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms. The National Weather Service in Hanford has issued a * Flash Flood Warning for... Central Kern County in central California... * Until 645 PM PDT. * At 438 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. The expected rainfall rate is 0.5 to 0.75 inches in 1 hour. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. SOURCE...Radar. IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas. * Some locations that will experience flash flooding include... Tehachapi. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of central Kern County through 515 PM PDT... At 439 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 9 miles northeast of Golden Hills, or 35 miles east of Bakersfield, moving northwest at 10 mph. HAZARD...Half inch hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Tehachapi. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. LAT...LON 3525 11825 3514 11842 3532 11866 3548 11840 TIME...MOT...LOC 2339Z 141DEG 10KT 3527 11840 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO LAS VEGAS Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, August 5, 2022 _____ FLASH FLOOD WARNING The National Weather Service in Las Vegas has issued a * Flash Flood Warning for... Inyo County in south central California... * Until 1245 PM PDT. * At 846 AM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing along State Route 190 across Death Valley National Park from State Route 127 to US 395. Mud slide reported along State Route 136 through Keeler. HAZARD...Life-threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms producing flash flooding. SOURCE...Radar, National Park Service, and Department of Highways. IMPACT...Life-threatening flash flooding of low-water crossings, creeks, normally dry washes and roads. * Some locations that will experience flash flooding include... Stovepipe Wells, Furnace Creek, Olancha, Lone Pine, Shoshone, Panamint Springs, Texas Springs Campground, Darwin, Homewood Canyon-Valley Wells, Mesquite Springs Campground, Keeler, Scottys Castle, Death Valley Junction, Cartago, Diaz Lake, Portagee Lake Campground, Tuttle Creek Campground, Whitney Portal Campground, Tecopa and Searles Valley. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO PHOENIX Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, August 5, 2022 _____ AREAL FLOOD ADVISORY Flood Advisory National Weather Service Phoenix AZ 416 PM PDT Fri Aug 5 2022 ...FLOOD ADVISORY HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A FLASH FLOOD WARNING... The threat of flooding continues and a Flash Flood Warning is now in effect. Please refer to that bulletin for more information. The National Weather Service in Phoenix has issued a * Flash Flood Warning for... Riverside County in southern California... San Bernardino County in southern California... * Until 600 PM PDT. * At 416 PM PDT, Emergency management reported thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 0.5 and 1 inch of rain has fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing. HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms producing flash flooding. SOURCE...Emergency management reported. IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of roadways and normally dry washes. * Some locations that will experience flash flooding include... Northwest portions of Joshua Tree National Park. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Flooding is occurring or is imminent. It is important to know where you are relative to streams, rivers, or creeks which can become killers in heavy rains. Campers and hikers should avoid streams or creeks. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, August 5, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Albany NY 310 PM EDT Fri Aug 5 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM EDT SATURDAY... ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM EDT SUNDAY... * WHAT...Heat index values between 95 and 100 today and Saturday, and up to 104 on Sunday. * WHERE...In New York, the Capital District, mid Hudson Valley and southern Taconics. In Massachusetts, southern Berkshire County. In Connecticut, Litchfield County. * WHEN...For the first Heat Advisory, until 8 PM EDT this evening. For the second Heat Advisory, from 11 AM to 8 PM EDT Saturday. For the third Heat Advisory, from 11 AM to 8 PM EDT Sunday. * 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 BOSTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, August 5, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA 334 AM EDT Fri Aug 5 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Heat index values up to 100. * WHERE...Portions of northern Connecticut, all of Massachusetts east of the Berkshires to the Cape Cod Canal, as well as all of Rhode Island except for Block Island. * WHEN...Until 8 PM EDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. _____ 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 418 AM EDT Fri Aug 5 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Heat index values in the middle to upper 90s. * WHERE...Portions of northeast New Jersey, southern Connecticut and southeast New York. * WHEN...Until 8 PM EDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur. 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. * WHERE...In Connecticut, Southern Middlesex, Southern Fairfield, Southern New London and Southern New Haven Counties. In New York, Southeast Suffolk, Southwest Suffolk, Southern Nassau, Northeast Suffolk, Northern Nassau and Northwest Suffolk Counties. _____ 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 303 PM EDT Fri Aug 5 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Heat index values in the middle 90s. * WHERE...Portions of northeast New Jersey, southern Connecticut and southeast New York. * WHEN...Until 8 PM EDT this evening. * IMPACTS...High temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur. 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. * WHERE...In Connecticut, Southern Middlesex, Southern Fairfield, Southern New London and Southern New Haven Counties. In New York, Southeast Suffolk, Southwest Suffolk, Southern Nassau, Northeast Suffolk, Northern Nassau and Northwest Suffolk Counties. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of north central Fairfield County through 330 PM EDT... At 306 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Gaylordsville, or near Sherman, moving southeast at 5 mph. HAZARD...Pea size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Sherman, Brookfield and New Fairfield. Torrential 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. LAT...LON 4165 7349 4164 7350 4153 7345 4151 7344 4150 7344 4150 7343 4151 7339 4148 7346 4157 7352 4165 7352 4166 7351 4166 7349 TIME...MOT...LOC 1906Z 326DEG 5KT 4163 7350 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, August 5, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Albany NY 357 AM EDT Fri Aug 5 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Heat index values of 95 to 100 expected. * WHERE...In Connecticut, Litchfield County. In Massachusetts, Southern Berkshire County. In New York, Eastern Ulster and Dutchess Counties. * WHEN...From 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. ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... * WHERE...Eastern Schenectady, Southern Saratoga, Eastern Albany, Western Rensselaer, Eastern Greene and Western Columbia Counties. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO BUFFALO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, August 5, 2022 _____ FLASH FLOOD WARNING The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a * Flash Flood Warning for... Southwestern Ontario County in western New York... * Until 745 PM EDT. * At 338 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 2 and 2.5 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 0.5 to 1 inch are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. SOURCE...Radar. IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas. * Some locations that will experience flash flooding include... Naples, Bristol Mountain and Hunt Hollow. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO NEW YORK CITY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, August 4, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Upton NY has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Richmond County in southeastern New York... * Until 945 PM EDT. * At 852 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Oakwood, or over Todt Hill, and is nearly stationary. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to trees and power lines. * This severe thunderstorm will be near... Oakwood around 900 PM EDT. Tompkinsville around 925 PM EDT. The Verrazano Narrows Bridge around 945 PM EDT. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. ...FLOOD ADVISORY HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A FLASH FLOOD WARNING... The threat of flooding continues and a Flash Flood Warning is now in effect. Please refer to that bulletin for more information. The National Weather Service in Upton has issued a * Flash Flood Warning for... Richmond (Staten Island) County in southeastern New York... * Until 1045 PM EDT. * At 856 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 0.5 and 1 inch of rain has fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. SOURCE...Radar. IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas. * Some locations that will experience flash flooding include... Todt Hill, Huguenot, Tottenville, Oakwood, Annadale, New Dorp, Greenridge, Heartland Village and Grasmere. Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO NEW YORK CITY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, August 5, 2022 _____ AIR QUALITY ALERT Air Quality Alert Message Relayed by National Weather Service New York NY 1156 AM EDT Fri Aug 5 2022 ...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING... The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for the following counties: New York, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, and Rockland, until 11 PM EDT this evening. Air quality levels in outdoor air are predicted to be greater than an Air Quality Index value of 100 for the pollutant of Ground Level Ozone. The Air Quality Index, or AQI, was created as an easy way to correlate levels of different pollutants to one scale. The higher the AQI value, the greater the health concern. When pollution levels are elevated, the New York State Department of Health recommends that individuals consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects. People who may be especially sensitive to the effects of elevated levels of pollutants include the very young, and those with preexisting respiratory problems such as asthma or heart disease. Those with symptoms should consider consulting their personal physician. A toll free air quality hotline has been established so New York residents can stay informed on the air quality situation. The toll free number is 1 800 5 3 5, 1 3 4 5. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO LUBBOCK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, August 4, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Lubbock Texas has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southwestern Childress County in the Panhandle of Texas... Southeastern Hall County in the Panhandle of Texas... * Until 800 PM CDT. * At 724 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Childress, moving west at 10 mph. HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...Radar indicated. At 714 PM a 75 mph wind gust was reported at the West Texas Mesonet station located 2 miles north northeast of Childress. IMPACT...Expect considerable tree damage. Damage is likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. * Locations impacted include... Childress, Tell and Estelline. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather At the meeting The UN leader said he is impressed by socio-economic achievements of Vietnam, especially the countrys post-pandemic recovery. Ngoc, who is in New York for the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, affirmed that the UN is a reliable partner for the causes of peace, co-operation, and development, with the international body always accompanying Vietnam through its national development stages. The Deputy Minister also reiterated the invitation by State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc to the UN Secretary-General to visit Vietnam at the earliest opportunity. Guterres affirmed that he will visit Vietnam this year. Regarding regional and international issues of concern, the two sides agreed to continue enhancing multilateralism, uphold international law, and promote ASEAN-UN co-operation, as well as ASEAN's role in the regional security architecture. This includes maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea, while peacefully settling disputes on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). On the sidelines of the conference, Deputy Minister Ngoc also held bilateral meetings with representatives from Caribbean and developing countries. In addition, he is scheduled to hold meetings with the Assistant Secretary-Generals and UN leaders in charge of political, security, and legal affairs. VNA - Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart As rightly said by Roy T. Bennett, the world that we live in today, there is very little that we can ensure that goes as per our intentions. We make plans, we try to execute them in the best way possible, then BOOM something comes up that we can't control and then instead of trying to focus on the plans that we had initially, our plans get swayed away and eventually gets spiraled into oblivion. Thankfully, there are a lot of things that we can still control, especially when it comes to managing the online Presence to get the best possible out of the World Wide Web, which, nowadays is an absolute essential part of our lives. Hostkicker was developed to address and meet similar digital purposes. Hostkicker was launched in 2021 and has proudly served more than 1100 happy and satisfied customers across 22 countries worldwide. The founders of Hostkicker scrutinized different elements that any web hosting firm must include in its services before crafting this efficient Web hosting company. They considered the all-around necessities of a website that can boost or deter a website's online presence, which helped them to create and establish a proficient, one-stop solution for all your website needs. So, what do you exactly mean by Online Presence? Online Presence is an essential requirement of all businesses in this digital era. Every business now relies on networks. Whether you have an E-commerce store, have a blogging website, or anything online for that matter, Online presence is the Key driver for any successful business. It involves the presence of one's brand, products, or services through various online channels. In addition to the Web, online Presence involves marketplaces, social networks and emails. Basically, Online Presence is your glory on the world wide web. But what if we say that these are the secondary things. Puzzled? So, what comes first? Let us help you with what will you require if you want to Shine like a Star. 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Karam, Kraynak previously pled guilty on September 23, 2021, to 12 counts of unlawful distribution and dispensing of a controlled substance outside the usual course of professional practice and not for legitimate medical purpose. Kraynak also admitted that the Schedule II narcotic opioid drugs that he prescribed resulted in the deaths of five of his patients.Kraynaks sentence followed Chief Judge Branns denial of his motion to withdraw his guilty plea. The guilty plea occurred after 13 days of trial testimony after the government rested its case-in-chief. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Kraynak agreed to the 15-year term of imprisonment on each of the twelve counts he pleaded guilty to and the sentences will run concurrently.Kraynak was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 20, 2017, in a 19-count indictment charging unlawful distribution and dispensing of controlled substances, causing the death of five patients by the unlawful distribution and dispensing of controlled substances, and maintaining two drug-involved premises, one in Mt. Carmel and the other Shamokin, Pennsylvania. Kraynak stopped seeing patients and surrendered his license in December 2017 when he was arraigned in federal court on the indictment.Kraynak operated two offices, one in Mt. Carmel and the other in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, both known as Keystone Family Medicine Associates, and prescribed approximately 9.5 million units of oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxycontin and fentanyl to patients between January 2014 and July 31, 2017. The prosecution evidence included testimony from DEA analysts that Kraynak was the top prescriber of opioids in Pennsylvania in 2014, 2015, and 2016 and during those years prescribed more opioids than both the Veterans Medical Center in Pittsburgh and the Veterans Hospital in Philadelphia.The prosecutions evidence at trial also included testimony by a medical expert that Kraynak continued to prescribe high doses of opioids despite knowing that patients had previously been treated for drug overdoses, respiratory problems and other medical conditions increasing the risks of overdose and death.The prosecutions evidence also established that Kraynak, in prescribing these opioids to multiple patients outside of the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose, and did so without conducting a proper medical examination, inadequately verifying the patients medical complaint, and failing to assess the risk of abuse by individual patients.This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Control Division, with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the Mt. Carmel Borough Police Department, Shamokin Police Department, the Schuylkill County Drug Task Force, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Health, Office of Drug Surveillance and Misuse Prevention, the Northumberland County Coroners Office, the Schuylkill County Coroners Office, and Lehigh County Coroners Office. Assistant United States Attorneys William Behe and George Rocktashel prosecuted the case. The Pennsylvania State Police at Schuylkill Haven have released the identity of the victim involved in a fatal lawnmower accident in Wayne Township. According to Troopers, just after 4:30pm on Thursday, emergency personnel were called to the intersection of Browns Road and Browns Church Road to assist EMS with a call for a male trapped under a tractor. Troopers arrived to find Jon Lippert, 79, of Wayne Township deceased under the mower deck of a zero turn lawn mower by the mailbox of his property. Family members told police that Lippert had used the mower as a means to retrieve his mail each day due to his declining health. The emergency cutoff under the seat of the mower had been previously disabled. While retrieving his mail, Lippert lost control of the machine which caused it to run over him. Summit Station Fire Company and the Schuylkill County Coroner's Office assisted at the scene. State Police have ruled the Lippert's death accidental. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Meanwhile, on the Brunswick Street strip, south of Johnston, the freehold of the historic Labor in Vain hotel at 197 Brunswick Street is for sale along with its neighbour, occupied by Zetta Florence and Cafe Louis on Moor Street. The 700 sq m site is going to auction on September 9. Colliers agents George Davies, Alexander Leggo, Anthony Kirwan and Alex Browne are handling the listing. All three buildings are fully leased until 2026 and return a net income of around $259,590. Martin and King Some of Armadales long past industrial history is up for sale with the listing of 1087-1095 High Street on the corner of Huntingtower Road. The double-storey building is on a large 1174 sq m site and was once part of the expansive works belonging to carriage-maker and car body manufacturer Martin and King. Armadales long past industrial history is up for sale. Credit: The company was one of a handful of Australian manufacturers who built car bodies to fit chassis imported from overseas, including luxury marques Rolls Royce and Bugatti. Records show the property, long converted into shops, has been owned by the Angelatos Group for 35 years. JLL agents Jesse Radisich, Nick Peden, Josh Rutman and MingXuan Li are running the campaign with transaction manager O&Cos Tony OCallaghan and Patrick OCallaghan. Recent deals on the Armadale strip suggest a land rate of more than $11,000 a sq m which would put the potential value at around $13 million. The building covers 1347 sq m with 867 sq m on the ground floor. It comes with a permit for a five-storey project designed by Fender Katsalidis for ten big apartments and four shops. It is one of only five holdings larger than 1000 sq m in this prime retail section of High Street, Mr Radisich said. Bubble tea One of the CBDs most reliable indicators in the past five years was the bubble tea phenomenon. Every week, another bubble tea outlet, selling litres of tapioca pearls swimming in condensed milk and tea, would open its doors. The recent lack of overseas students had deflated the tea market so it is pleasing to report a sub-continental evolution in the tea house, the evocatively named Dropout Chai Wala. Previously the location for a bubble tea shop, 59 Elizabeth Street was leased to Dropout Chai Wala last November with six months free rent and a discounted $133,993 rent. After holding it for 20 years, the landlord is selling up via an auction on September 8 handled by Colliers Anthony Kirwan. Its expected to fetch around $2.8 million. Supa IGA The Supa IGA in Thomastown has sold for $11.3 million on a sharp 4.15 per cent yield. A local private family snapped up the 2032 sq m supermarket which has a new 10-year lease to Metcash. Its the second strong result for a strata supermarket in as many weeks, following the sale of the Glenferrie Road Woolworths. It is on just 1822 sq m of land. The deal was part of Stonebridges July sales portfolio and handled by Kevin Tong, Rorey James and Justin Dowers. While some were auctioned, others, like the IGA, were sold via expressions of interest. Asian buyer demand was very prevalent in this sales campaign with nearly a third of the enquiry coming from this buyer profile. The price point and tenant security is in the sweet spot for a lot of the private Asian clients, Tong said. Bottled water Queensland-based bottled water retailer Nu-Pure Beverages has signed up to a new 9039 sq m logistics facility in Centennials Boundary Road Industrial Park. It is next door to Nu-Pures headquarters at 2/391 Boundary Road, where the water bottler is planning to expand its local beverage manufacturing activities. The deal effectively triples the value of the Truganina property bought by fund manager Centennial three years ago. One of its funds paid $11 million for 383 Boundary Road, a property which had five new industrial units covering 5521 sq m and 14,5000 sq m of surplus land. The leasing deal with Nu-Pure Beverages, negotiated by CBRE agent Harry Kalaitzis, revalues the property at $32 million. Victorian era A block of Victorian-era shops in St Kilda has sold off-market for $5.56 million to a buyer backed by offshore capital making their debut in the Melbourne market. A block of Victorian-era shops in St Kilda has sold off-market. Credit: Stonebridge agents Sarah Xi, who handled the deal with Nic Hage and Rorey James, said: St Kilda generally attracts strong interest from Asian investors, notably the younger generation, who are more familiar with the amenity within the area. The Australian operations of luxury handbag brand Mulberry are for sale after the fashion giant moved to take back control of its local franchise from a company overseen by the directors of failed retailer Sneakerboy. Mulberry, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a favourite brand of celebrities including the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, has five stores in Australia three in Melbourne and two in Sydney. Mulberrys Alexa bag, named after Alexa Chung, Credit: The leather goods maker operates as an independent franchise in Australia, run by the company Luxury Retail No 1. Luxury Retail No 1. is directed by Melbourne-based Nelson Mair and Theo Poulakis, who also ran luxury footwear and streetwear retailer Sneakerboy. Sneakerboy was placed in voluntary administration last month owing more than $17 million to creditors. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Book critics Lucy Sussex and Steven carroll cast their eyes over recent fiction and non-fiction titles. Here are their reviews. Fiction pick of the week Credit: Marlo Jay Carmichael, Scribe, $24.99 All hail the novella, which can do more in fewer words than the conventional novel. The 150 pages here are a perfect example. Marlos genre may be the historical, but it is highly realist, based on archival research. Queer lives were dangerous, so hidden and coded. They are hard to retrieve. Jay Carmichael himself notes that his project is a task of inference. In the 1950s his hero Christopher moves from the country to Melbourne, in search of freedom. He goes from small-town scrutiny to organised repression, police and media enforcing convention. If he finds community, even love, then the risks are huge. The style is spare, with use of actual photographs to create a mood both bleak and secretly joyous. It depicts past Melbourne as alien as a distant planet. Advertisement Jay Carmichael is a guest at Melbourne Writers Festival. Credit: Out of Breath Anna Snoekstra, HQ, $32.99 Anna Snoekstras area of expertise is the psychological thriller, centred on women. This novel begins with lost-soul Jo, running from her English life. The demands of her working visa take her to the Kimberleys, mango-picking. Exploited and faced with yet another trauma, she runs again. This time she meets a community living off-grid, similarly runaways, but idyllic. Or so she thinks. The narrative is crammed with secrets, slowly revealed. Not all cults are religious, nor led by the charismatic, but still, they are perilous for their prey. The whole reads like television fare, being tightly plotted, deft with character and visual tourism. It eschews the feral humans of the outback shocker, the worst violence being done to the psyche. Credit: The House of Fortune Jessie Burton, Picador, $34.99 Advertisement Childrens historical novels used to feature a modern-day protagonist, travelled in time. Now it permeates the adult historical, though less as a plot device. Rather the characters seem more reflective of our era than the one they inhabit, as with their feminism or sexual practices. Jessie Burtons work is no exception. She scored a million-seller with The Miniaturist, and this book is a sequel. Like her debut, it is as rich in observed detail as a Dutch Golden Age painting. The child who ended the first book has here grown to womanhood. In Amsterdam, 1705, that means the safe harbour of a prosperous marriage, but young Thea has her own ideas. The miniaturist herself reappears, a deus ex machina. The result is a lived-in past, not rosy and full of adventure. For the numerous Burton fans. Credit: Random Acts of Unkindness Anna Mandoki, MidnightSun, $29.99 The publisher may be South Australian but the setting is near-future Melbourne. At first, it seems like today, but much worse. The pornography of disaster infests the media, the disadvantaged struggle, the climate is out of control. Anna Mandokis narrative is told via three women: Amala, a student from India; Emily a researcher of rat psychology; and Roz, who has foreboding visions. They gradually intersect, against a background of refugee camps in Melbourne parks, and terrorism on trains. Advertisement There is too much in the novel, not unusual for a debut, but it goes in some interesting directions. Not least is that faced with extreme social pressures, both humans and rats can manage the simple act of being kind. That hope, in the current rash of dystopias, is unusual, and Mandoki makes it credible as well. Non-fiction pick of the week Credit: Sleepwalk to War Hugh White, Quarterly Essay, $24.99 History never repeats, but sometimes it does a good imitation. This is not the 1930s, but there are some eerie comparisons. Hugh White, in this take-no-prisoners essay on the new geopolitics, looks at Russia and Ukraine, but his central focus is on the rise of China and the implications that has for US sovereignty in the region and Australias reliance on the US. If there is anything to be drawn from the 1930s, it is that we over-estimated British power and resolve, and we may be doing the same again with the US. The test will be Taiwan. Until now, the US has pursued the policy of strategic ambiguity. White says, in adopting what might be called brutal pragmatism, the US must abandon Taiwan (war with China would be catastrophic, the US cant win anyway) and we must encourage them to do so. Outspoken, and compelling. Advertisement Credit: Living on a Thin Line Dave Davies, Headline, $32.99 When Dave Davies, co-founder with brother Ray of The Kinks, suffered a stroke in 2004, he began to recover the moment the doctors put a guitar in his hands. It not only makes perfect sense, its also a neat segue into his life, both personal and musical. In some ways, its the tale of two brothers from a large family in working-class north London, who had a difficult relationship, grew up young (Dave a father at 15) and went on to form the second-best band to emerge from Britain in the 1960s. His autobiography, book-ended in terms of his Zen Buddhism, covers the happy, crowded family life in Muswell Hill Friday-night knees-ups, very Autumn Almanac the hectic days of fame (he was only 17 when they had number ones in the UK and US), drugs and the fallout of fame. An engaging tale, it really got me. Credit: The Consul Ian Kemish, UQP, $32.99 Advertisement ALASTAIR LITTLE: 19502022 Alastair Little, a leading figure in a new movement in London restaurants in the 1980s who in 2020 became co-owner and head chef of Et Al in Potts Point, has died aged 72. The Australian Good Food website reported: The bespectacled Little scurries around the small kitchen just as he did in his pioneering London restaurant in 1985. He was a pioneer of Modern British cooking, whereby intelligent, educated chefs employed French techniques but looked elsewhere for ideas and inspiration and featured simple, seasonal ingredients. British chef Alastair Little at Bistrode CBD on King Street, Sydney. Credit:James Brickwood At the time, most of the best restaurants were run by chefs, generally French and steeped in tradition, who had been to catering school and learnt the classic French system. The top restaurants in London were Michelin-starred establishments such as Le Gavroche or La Tante Claire. English chefs at the time generally had a low status: as one food writer put it, cooking as a career was regarded as a default option for those who couldnt think of anything better to do. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Not much political nous was required to anticipate that John Barilaros appointment to a plum trade post in New York a post Barilaro helped create when he was trade minister would unleash a firestorm the minute it became public in mid-June. We were all scratching our heads to be honest a senior minister said this week, after trade and investment minister Stuart Ayres fell on his sword. It was such an obvious own goal. As soon as senior ministers saw [the Barilaro appointment] we were just furious. The mystery is this: why was the political risk not obvious to the premier from the outset? Why was it not obvious to his chief of staff, Bran Black? Or, for that matter, to Deputy Premier Paul Toole, who like Perrottet, knew about it by the end of April at the very latest? Insiders are asking why Premier Dominic Perrottet did not save the government sooner from the Barilaro own goal. Credit:Rhett Wyman Why was it not glaringly apparent to Ayres, who knew as far back as December of Barilaros interest in the role and texted him a link to the press notice advertising the job? Even the senior public servant who made the final decision with plenty of input, it now emerges, from Ayres confessed to a NSW upper house inquiry this week shed harboured some nervousness about appointing Barilaro to the half a million dollar post, which came with a hefty living allowance and snappy new offices in the Big Apple. Amy Brown, head of the department of enterprise, investment and trade, told the upper house committee: I was nervous about it because he [Barilaro] had some history with the NSW government that [could] make it difficult for him to take up the role without media and public controversy. Advertisement She was nervous enough to take soundings from the head of Perrottets department, Michael Coutts-Trotter, who she claimed raised no red flags after she asked him to check with the premier about it on April 12. (Coutts-Trotter has declined to comment. He says Browns evidence will be addressed in the still-unpublished review of the Barilaro appointment commissioned by Perrottet from former public service commissioner Graeme Head.) But Browns observation that Barilaro had history is pertinent. As one senior MP reminded the Herald this week, that history included Barilaro getting into heated text exchanges with ministerial colleagues. It included nearly blowing up the Coalition government in late 2020 when, as deputy premier, he threatened to take the Nationals to the crossbench in a dispute with Gladys Berejiklian over koala habitat. Department secretary Amy Brown said she was nervous about the appointment of John Barilaro to the trade role given his history with the government. Credit:Kate Geraghty It included Barilaro once publicly telling then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull to resign, and labelling then federal Nationals leader Michael McCormack a failed leader. Liberal colleagues saw him as an unpredictable powder keg. More recently, Barilaros objection to media intrusion saw him involved in a scuffle with a camera crew outside a Manly hotel in late July. Advertisement It goes to temperament, says a former colleague, querying whether the volatile former deputy premier could ever have been a prudent choice for what was a quasi-diplomatic role. In fairness to Barilaro, he was unanimously endorsed by a public service selection panel. But in bombshell evidence to the upper house inquiry on Friday, independent panel member Kathrina Lo, the public service commissioner, said she would never have endorsed the selection panels proceedings had I known [then] what I know now. That included knowledge since revealed about the extent of ministerial input into the appointment process. Had I known on 15 June, what I know now, I would not have endorsed the report, Ms Lo told the inquiry on Friday. Credit:Kate Geraghty Ayres resignation late on Tuesday offered even as he was insisting hed done nothing untoward caps a disastrous two months for Perrottet. The Ayres/Barilaro saga has overshadowed a carefully crafted budget which was meant to put the near 12-year-old Coalition government on a war footing for the state election in seven months time. It threatens Ayres hold on the highly marginal seat of Penrith and blows a hole in the attempt to woo back voters in the citys west who are still smarting from the harsher pandemic lockdowns they suffered. It comes hard on the heels of Perrottets sacking this week of Fair Trading Minister, Eleni Petinos, for alleged bullying, and coincides with the looming suspension from state parliament of another former minister John Sidoti, found by ICAC last month to have acted corruptly. Advertisement Loading The Barilaro controversy dogged Perrottet for the entire duration of his recent trade mission to Asia, which included a defiant Ayres joining him for the Indian leg of the trip. And it has ignited a divisive contest for the deputy Liberal leadership vacated by Ayres, inflaming factional tensions that have only been thinly been papered over since the shock departure of Berejiklian less than a year ago. Little love is lost between the two front-runners, moderates leader and treasurer Matt Kean, and pugnacious centre-right faction boss, transport minister David Elliott. Transport Minister David Elliott has thrown his hat in the ring for Liberal deputy leadership. Credit:Nick Moir Just weeks ago Elliott was publicly accusing Kean of treachery for secretly egging on a journalist to pressure Scott Morrison during the federal election campaign over the Katherine Deves affair. This week Elliott continued a thinly veiled attack on Kean on radio 2GB over delayed compensation for taxi plate-holders. Perrottets woes also stretch into the parliament, which will sit next week. Advertisement Only six sitting weeks remaining until NSW goes to the polls in March, and the Coalitions hold on government is increasingly precarious because of its minority status. Currently, it holds 45 seats, two short of a majority. The situation is made worse by Kiama MP Gareth Ward remaining suspended from parliament while he faces a charge of sexual assault and Sidotis impending eviction. Loading That means two more votes from former Liberals, which the government could have depended on to pass legislation, are gone. Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper, one of the kingmaker independents who the government relies on for confidence and supply, acknowledges that the Coalition is in a downward spiral. However, the long-term MP, who often forms a voting bloc with fellow independents Alex Greenwich and Joe McGirr, remains reluctant to cause more trouble for Perrottet. Theres no practical benefit, no utility in looking to bring down the government at this stage. Our role is to make sure the government continues to perform correctly, Piper says. For Ayres, the way in which the week has played out must have been personally shattering. Brash and energetic, Ayres held a raft of ministerial posts including enterprise, tourism, sport and western Sydney on top of trade and investment which placed him at the centre of a network of powerful Sydney business and sporting interests. A bitter-sweet moment for Stuart Ayres. Soon after unveiling the new Allianz stadium he had backed so stridently, he had to resign from the ministry. Credit:Rhett Wyman He and partner, former foreign minister Senator Marise Payne, were among the citys power couples, often seen at sporting fixtures, well known in racing circles and both senior figures in the Liberal partys moderate faction. Advertisement Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Every day, thousands of workers toil on a new rail line under the heart of Sydney and two other mammoth train projects at various stages of construction across the city. The cost of these automated rail lines is enormous. Some $15 million a day is being spent on building the three lines, which are due to open progressively over the next eight years. On the latest estimates, they will cost a staggering $56 billion. With its station entrances rising like tentacles from the depths of the earth, the City and Southwest metro rail line is becoming more apparent to commuters. A large underground walkway at Central Station, built to accommodate new train platforms for the metro rail line under Sydney Harbour and the CBD, will open to commuters within months. Premier Dominic Perrottet and Transport Minister David Elliott tour the City and Southwest tunnels in February. Credit:James Gourley The City and Southwest line and the two other rail projects a line from the Sydney CBD to Parramatta, and a 23-kilometre link to a new airport in western Sydney form the countrys biggest public transport investment. They dwarf other rail lines built in Sydney in the last five decades such as the Eastern Suburbs line, the Airport Link and the South West Rail Link. Yet as they reach critical stages of their development, the metro rail projects are running into massive challenges, exacerbated by supply chain bottlenecks, surging building costs and Australias east coast states competing against each other for contractors as they rush to live up to promises to build major infrastructure. A trove of confidential documents released to the NSW parliament, as well as others leaked to the Herald, detail the enormous risks and costs faced by Sydney Metro, the agency overseeing the projects, and the contractors building the new lines. A sensitive strategic risk assessment in September last year warned of high and very high risks across almost all of Sydney Metros measures. Advertisement And in further signs of the mounting stresses, a Sydney Metro risk assessment dated April this year warns of over 350 very high and high risks driven by project cost impacts. It culminated in the government conceding two months ago that the cost of building the City and Southwest rail line will blow out by $6 billion the equivalent of building two CBD and eastern suburbs light rail lines. They have got massive sticker shock ... and are under huge strain, says an industry insider, who requested anonymity. Les Wielinga, the head of the states transport bureaucracy between 2009 and 2013, fears the cost blowouts stem from insufficient preparatory work, investigations and risk contingencies in the early stages of the projects. The first thing you have to do is properly investigate what you are going to build before you try to put a price on it. If you dont do a proper investigation, you wont get to the nub of all the problems, he says. Bigger scope also creeps into these projects. As they start to add another car park or station, the costs start to get out of control. Wielinga was involved heavily in early work on what became known as Metro Northwest, a rail line which opened in 2019 between Rouse Hill and Chatswood. It was the first stage of Sydneys emerging metro rail network, and opened $1 billion under the original budget. While shocked at the size of the blowout in the City and Southwest project, he is a supporter of the metro rail lines because of the sheer number of people they will be able to move 40,000 an hour compared with about 24,000 an hour for the existing double-deck railway line. Advertisement Double-deck trains have to spend longer at stations to let passengers on and off. Apart from shorter dwell times at platforms, automated metro trains can operate at closer distances to each other, increasing their passenger capacity. Its about moving a large number of people in a peak period. That is the beauty of metro systems, Wielinga says. With the City and Southwest line, and the new metro line to Western Sydney Airport due to be opened progressively over the next four years, the projects are reaching the critical stage of their development and showing signs of the same problems that have plagued the construction of new railways overseas. Driverless trains for the yet-to-open City and Southwest Metro rail line are stored near Rouse Hill in Sydneys north-west. Credit:Nick Moir Dubbed Crossrail during its construction, and later renamed the Elizabeth line, Londons first major railway in decades has been repeatedly delayed and overshot its budget by billions of pounds. The City and Southwest project shares the most similar characteristics of Sydneys metro lines to the London rail project. Like Crossrail, the $18.5 billion City and Southwest line runs under the CBD and requires a greater integration into the existing railway system, which raises significantly its complexity. The conversion of a section of the century-old Bankstown line into one along which driverless trains will run every few minutes has also become one of the biggest technical headaches for the project. It has been compounded lately by industrial action preventing power being cut to high voltage lines in areas where work was due to occur. Former top NSW rail executive Dick Day says it has become a fairly normal phenomenon for rail projects around the world to blow their budgets. People in the planning stages underestimate the cost of building these projects and their complexity, he says. Advertisement He describes the spending on construction of Sydneys metro lines as mind-boggling, and worries that the benefits of them will be underwhelming given their cost. The bidding war to get limited capabilities means we are inviting a very expensive feast. I would be less worried if the metro rail lines were desperately needed, he says. Day was one of four former NSW rail executives to warn in 2017 that the City and Southwest line would lead to degradation of the robustness and reliability of Sydneys existing heavy rail network. They feared that a takeover of the existing rail line between Sydenham and Bankstown for the metro trains would remove the relief valve for the network. A new metro rail line will connect St Marys to Western Sydney Airport, which is under construction at Badgerys Creek. Credit:Brook Mitchell Sydney Metro chief executive Peter Regan says the addition of more stations along the City and Southwest line at places such as Barangaroo and Waterloo, as well as rises in construction costs between 2014 and 2019, were part of the reason why the projects budget was increased three years ago. Under the original plans, the line was also to be above ground between Chatswood and St Leonards, but was later altered to run through tunnels along that section. A further increase in the projects budget recently reflects major disruption from the pandemic over the last two years. It wasnt just that you couldnt get people from overseas you couldnt even get people to come in from Melbourne. The level of disruption that COVID caused was right at peak construction in the project. All that compounded because the project is such an integrated series of contracts, Regan says. Its like turning on the power. All the stations have to be ready. So if one got delayed, all the others got delayed by the same amount of time and then all the contracts that came behind it got delayed. Advertisement With costs escalating, the government put on ice several large infrastructure projects several months ago, including a new motorway to Sydneys northern beaches. An Infrastructure NSW report in late May, which was used to justify the governments decision, recommended the states focus on mega projects give way to a combination of smaller and medium-sized programs such as station upgrades and fixing road pinch points. Loading Grattan Institutes transport and cities program director, Marion Terrill, doubts there will be a reprieve from escalating costs for the rail projects for years, partly due to the scale of the infrastructure under construction or planned on the east coast. NSW has slowed down some of their projects, but I dont see any sign that is happening in Victoria and Queensland, and they are to some degree competing for the same resources, she says. Of the three projects, the 23-kilometre metro line to Western Sydney Airport, much of which involves tunnelling under paddocks, has been in the firing line the most. The countrys peak infrastructure adviser warned last year that the projects cost outweighed its benefits by $1.8 billion. Terrill says the jury is still out on whether the pandemic will have a long-lasting influence on the way people work and travel, and whether the full benefits of the mega rail projects will be realised. Rail projects are more in the questionable parcel because they are not very flexible. If you lay a rail line, you have it for 100 years, she says. There is no doubt that the scale of investment [in Sydney] is transformative, but it is clear that what is partly at stake is what we forgo by choosing this path. Regan says the pandemic has resulted in patronage on Sydneys railways becoming spread more throughout the day, compared with it previously being clustered in the morning and afternoon peaks. Because most of our [metro] stations are centred in activated precincts where youve got people coming and going for different purposes, were expecting ... that youll still have very strong patronage right through the day, he says. Advertisement It is heartening to have a prime minister who seems to have heeded honest warnings. I welcome his changed decision to debate the understanding of an Indigenous Voice to parliament before the referendum and to base the parliamentary deliberations on the splendid research by Marcia Langton and Tom Calma (Albanese flags change on how Voice evolves, August 4). The optimist in me looks forward to a future that celebrates permanently the importance and uniqueness of our Indigenous cultural inheritance. Anne Garvan, Chatswood West While political bipartisanship support for the referendum would be good, the critical vote is a decision for the citizens, not the politicians, so apart from the hopefully small number of diehard Coalition supporters, whether the Coalition politicians are supportive or not will not matter. Any details needing legislation will be affected by politicians but if the Coalition plays spoiler after a decisive vote by the people, that will definitely put it on the wrong side of history. Bruce Valentine, Orange Ayres on the G-string The highlight of Ayres: the Musical (Letters, August 5) will undoubtedly be the rendition of Send in the Clowns, with its pertinent line: Send in the clowns, dont bother, theyre here. Alan Marel, North Curl Curl My suggestion for the Ayres musical is The Beatles Yesterday, with the line, Yesterday, all my problems seemed so far away. Chris Gilchrist, Margate (Qld) Ayres: the Musical would be impossible to cast as members would be required to sing in harmony. John Bailey, Canterbury Decision pending ... I am aghast at the plans for the Powerhouse Museum (Letters, August 5). However, I take comfort in knowing they may never come to fruition with an election nearing. Margaret Grove, Abbotsford EPL rollercoaster Today is the beginning of elation, excitement, despair and agony the English Premier League. Mustafa Erem, Terrigal Risks of republicanism Australia must tread carefully in its desire to distance itself from the House of Windsor. If by departing the Commonwealth we found ourselves ineligible for the Commonwealth Games, how else could we feed our nationalistic sporting ego? Bill Young, Killcare Heights Progressive times make life easier for loan arrangers As a single female with an excellent career in the 1970s, I could not get a property loan without a male guarantor (Letters, August 5). This kept women from progressing to financial security, dependent on fathers or husbands. This lack of financial security is evident in the statistics of poverty of older women. Thankfully, times have changed. Any lending institution will attest women make excellent property investors and reliable borrowers. Christina Foo, North Wahroonga In 1976, my future wife, a newly qualified doctor, went to the local Commonwealth Bank to ask for a $3000 loan to buy a second-hand car so she could drive to work. I was still a medical student. The loan officer refused her application because she was a woman, then turned to me and said, But I can give you a loan, youre a man. Peter Craig, Dulwich Hill The archaic attitude towards female borrowers by our major banks was real. As a young bank manager out in the wild west more than 40 years back, I went against a head office decision to decline a strong loan application from an unmarried female to buy a block of land. I proceeded to rearrange the loan so it qualified under my own authority and made it available to the customer. Reporting processes revealed this action and I copped a bollocking like no other. Brian Jones, Leura Your correspondent should not be too upset that bank sexism temporarily impeded her property ambitions. Our supposedly foolproof contraceptive measures ensured that we settled for a modest abode until the consequences left home decades later. Col Burns, Lugarno Your correspondent was lucky to have a husband. In 1975 as a divorced woman, I was lucky to find a building society to give me a mortgage banks didnt give mortgages to single women, no matter what our income. Pamela Kerr, Moonta Bay (SA) Bad attitude over climate Yes, Labor can now point to its promise on climate change as done (Thunder eases but storm persists, August 5) but I find its attitude smug, bordering on obtuse to the Greens and independents, who rightly demand better, especially as regards replacing gas and fossil fuel projects with job-creating renewables. Adam Bandts 75 per cent target is science-based. It is essential to curbing global warming, which threatens civilised life and species survival. Albanese might claim the climate wars are over but, in a spirit of co-operation rather than complacent politicking, he should commit to climbing off the ALPs inadequate floor and fulfil expectations to do more and act quickly. Ron Sinclair, Windradyne Emission impossible Your correspondent is right when listing the huge problems facing the Albanese government and the high costs involved in fixing them (Letters, August 5). But to suggest the situation would be worsened were the Greens demands for a 75 per cent reduction in emissions to be met misses the point. If we dont increase the target and help persuade the rest of the world to follow suit, the resultant costs, financial, human and planetary, will make these problems look like a stroll in the park (except there wont be any parks left, either). Eric Hunter, Cook (ACT) Ad enough of gambling So much for the slogan gamble responsibly as billions have been lost on the pokies (Pokies siphon billions out of low-income communities, August 5). More than a catchphrase is needed to help reduce the insidious addiction of playing the pokies, which causes countless serious problems. Surely, just as advertising cigarettes is banned from television so should gambling. Con Vaitsas, Ashbury Sargeant major Glenn Sargeants work as a teacher was outstanding because he had a genuine concern for his students that they might reach their full potential despite the circumstances they might find themselves in (Visionary kept teen mums at school, August 5). Vale, Glenn Sargeant. Josephine Piper, Miranda Glenn Sargeant. Credit:Jacky Ghossein I was disappointed to read Glenn Sergeants Young Mothers Program was dismantled by the Department of Education after his retirement. It is however currently being emulated in other states and Britain. The Department of Education is out of touch with the community it serves. How could this program, giving opportunities to young women, marginalise the community? Pam Ayling, West Pennant Hills Going for Gould Shane Gould Credit:Geoff Bull Emma McKeon is an outstanding and versatile sprint swimmer but we need to be cautious about the greatest of all time tag. At her only Olympics in 1972, Shane Gould won three gold medals, all in world record time. She also won silver and bronze medals at the those Games. If there had been 50-metre events and a 4 x 200 metre relay in 1972, her medal tally would probably have been even more impressive. Its easy to forget that in 1971-72 she simultaneously held the world record for every freestyle distance from 100 metres to 1500 metres, as well as the world record for the 200 metre individual medley. Comparing athletes from different eras is a questionable exercise but if we are talking greatest of all time, Goulds name should surely rate a mention. Col Nicholson, Hawks Nest Johnny be good Australia has produced some great boxers, with Les Darcy, Jimmy Carruthers and Lionel Rose coming to mind. But none better than Johnny Famechon (A special human: Fenech pays emotional tribute to Famechon, August 5). Vale to a great fighter and a wonderful human being. Jerry Stiel, Lilyfield Sticking their necks out These neckties (Letters, August 5) preventing blood from oxygenating the brain might be the reason for all the disrespectful behaviour and impaired judgment observed during parliamentary sessions; not to mention necks are noticeably getting more ample the longer these men stay in office. The sooner we free those necks, the brighter this countrys future will be. Cristina Corleto, Stanmore Anthony Albanese Credit:Tamati Smith/Getty Images A male member of parliament cannot add rainbow stripes or whatever takes his fancy to his ubiquitous blue suit. His only means of revealing a mood or a protest is the colour of his tie. Jean Williamson, Wollstonecraft Why would any sane politician want to start their day by putting a noose around their neck? Paul Sutcliffe, Fern Bay Its not that long ago that clubs required male guests to be wearing a tie and I usually turned up with one in my pocket to put on if requested. Don Leayr, Albury Some weeks ago I wrote to the Herald congratulating our PM for fronting a press conference sans tie. Is there now a call for broader liberation from this yoke of bondage that has so many men by the throat? Meredith Williams, Northmead The University of New England vice chancellor has resigned days after she was charged with assaulting a 16-year-old girl at an International Womens Day event in Armidale. The girls father has accused Professor Brigid Heywood of wiping saliva on the students face and making a remark about the colour of her skin at the March event. University of New England vice chancellor Brigid Heywood has been charged with common assault. Credit:Rhett Wyman In a statement released on Friday afternoon, the universitys first public comments on the matter, chancellor James Harris said Heywood strenuously denied the allegations. The university council and Professor Heywood acknowledge the criminal charges laid against her on 1 August 2022, and the widespread attention and concern this has garnered within the university and the broader community, the statement said. A group of Queensland farmers and environmentalists fighting one of the nations most controversial coal mines has flagged the possibility of a new Supreme Court challenge to stop New Acland Coal expanding through the states Darling Downs agricultural region. After almost six years of claims and counterclaims all the way to the High Court, Stage 3 of the New Acland operations, about 50 kilometres north-west of Toowoomba, is currently awaiting Queensland ministerial sign off and an associated water licence after it won state environmental approval in June. The New Acland thermal coal mine, near Oakey in the Darling Downs, began in 2001. Credit:Glenn Hunt The former Coalition government granted New Acland Coal (NAC), a subsidiary of New Hope Group, Commonwealth approvals in January 2017. However, there are still obstacles and hurdles in the approvals process for New Hope, said Paul King of the Oakey Coal Action Alliance (OCAA). Everything old is new again, and no one is more delighted than Kate Bush. In case you just arrived from another planet, her 1985 song Running Up That Hill went viral after it was used in a key scene in the fourth season of sci-fi TV series Stranger Things. The song promptly went to No. 1 in almost 10 countries, including Australia, and she cracked the American top five for the first time in her career. When it comes to nostalgia pseudo or otherwise were all looking back with a warm glow. Is it just nostalgia at work? Well, yes, if you were a fan of the song when it was released. But the primary audience for Stranger Things is the 18-29 age group, who werent even born in 1985, and theyre the ones driving the interest in the shows 80s aesthetic. Many are calling it pseudo nostalgia. Loading Thats a term Im not sure I agree with, says Charles Fairchild, associate professor of popular music at University Of Sydney. You can have nostalgia for things you havent directly experienced. What Stranger Things has done is taken this era and put coherence and a story to it. It has taken this music, fashion and popular culture and given it a focus. Theres a shared experience that gives people a vivid and immediate connection, and thats what the Kate Bush song has done. Tobias Moran, who was charged with murdering his German backpacker girlfriend Simone Strobel in the New South Wales city Lismore in 2005, has arrived back in Perth after being granted bail in a Sydney court on Thursday. The 42-year-old was arrested in his Perth home last week and then extradited to New South Wales 17 years after Strobel was found dead near the caravan park in Lismore where she was last seen drinking with Moran, then known as Tobias Stuckfuell. Tobias Moran is greeted by his wife at Perth Airport after flying back to WA. Credit:Nine News Perth But a magistrate on Thursday said the prosecutions case was not the strongest, and granted Moran bail. He was briefly remanded again pending an appeal to the Supreme Court, but released Thursday night after prosecutors decided against the appeal. Morans emotional and pregnant wife Samantha picked him up from Perth Airport, arriving after his flight landed on Friday. A woman has been taken to hospital in Broome after a man grabbed and sexually assaulted her during her morning run. The woman in her 40s was jogging along Gubinge Road, between Jigal Drive and Sayonara Road, just after 5am on Friday. While running, she was approached by a man believed to be aged between 35 and 45 walking in the opposite direction, who grabbed her and sexually assaulted her. The woman fought him off and screamed for help and several members of the community came to her aid. The new politics did not seem any different to the old politics when members of parliament watched the slugfest of question time over the last two weeks and saw political leaders trading barbs in the same old ritual argument. One of the MPs who has seen the old and the new in action, independent Zali Steggall, cooled hopes that this parliament would usher in a bright and wonderful change in Australian politics. Zali Steggall, flanked by her fellow Independent MPs, hasnt seen much change in the style of the new parliament. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen I think were still seeing in question time old style politics play out, she said on Thursday morning, as she stood alongside fellow independent MPs in the Mural Hall of Parliament House. Some of the newcomers to parliament admit privately to being unimpressed with the theatre of the building: the macho swagger, the heckling, the thundering speeches and the stale questions from government MPs that invite cabinet ministers to tell the chamber how good they are. As NSW looks for answers to the failures in the response to the catastrophic floods this year, there is a strong temptation to look for someone to blame. The floods were an almost unprecedented natural disaster, which destroyed or damaged more than 10,000 homes and 1600 commercial premises in the Northern Rivers alone. The floods in the Hunter region last month and the two floods in Sydney this year have damaged and destroyed thousands more. Mistakes by government agencies likely aggravated the financial and emotional damage for the tens of thousands of people who were affected. Timely and appropriate weather warnings were not issued, communications systems broke down, rescue boats failed to turn up and many more people might have died if not for the volunteers in tinnies who rescued stranded residents from roof-tops. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size People moving into Brisbanes floodplain suburbs are left high and dry by lacking local knowledge to make decisions on how to prepare for the worst, victims of past disasters say. With one-third of Queenslanders changing address every five years, and renters and unit dwellers not privy to flood information given to property owners, groups are emerging to build a network of neighbourhood know-how. Flood resilience groups are emerging from communities disappointed with communication from councils and the state government. Credit:Tony Moore They hope to tell new owners and residents where and when streets can flood, where and when to remove household goods, where to find emergency accommodation and which flood advice is locally reliable. Frustration peaked along with the floodwater in February 2022, as complaints rained over the perceived failures and confusing communication from the Brisbane City Council and the state government. The council has released its February 2022 flood action plan and the Queensland government issued a report into the floods this week. But community advocates of flood resilience say both highlight infrastructure recovery bridges, ferries, road repairs and not communities. Advertisement Loading The council action plan talks about future land use on floodplains. Retired Brisbane environmental planner Mary Maher, former lord mayor Tim Quinn and former councillor Helen Abrahams are behind Resilience Kurilpa, the first of the community groups to emerge. This idea of having a conversation about how do we get organised for the future, thats what Resilience Kurilpa is all about, Maher says. We have three pillars where we want to gather information. The warning and evacuation strategies. Then, the tin-and-timber homes. In our area, that is where the well-established residents with lived experience of floods are. Then the body corporates and the apartments where newer residents have come in since the 2011 floods. Rebecca and Jason Petzke look across to apartments where cars were flooded to their rooftops. Credit:Tony Moore Advertisement The group suggests major changes to body corporates because some renters received no information about how to respond to floods, avenues to ask for help or how to find reliable emergency accommodation. They say hundreds of international students were left stranded in the flood this year. Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said council was aware of these concerns, and countered that everyone including renters had online access to councils flood maps. Except when power was lost. Software designer Luke Greaves moved from a Spring Hill apartment to a Rocklea residence close to buses, trains and schools in 2016 as his family grew. He agrees a professional network of local flood knowledge would be invaluable because flood mapping does not give a resident a sense of time or urgency. Advertisement We knew the [Rocklea] home was impacted by the floods in 2011 because we asked the real estate agent, but they didnt tell us the level of the impact, he says. The view along Tramore Street, Rocklea, during the February 2022 floods. Credit:Zach Hope Greaves says the real estate agent told him that in a subsequent 2013 flood the building was dry. Yet, the family were flooded twice in the first month they lived in Rocklea. What [the agent] failed to tell us was the property got water, lots of water. They examined their insurance risk, decided the flood premiums were initially affordable and moved in. Flood insurance was around $2000 a year. So, the agent was right. We could get flood insurance. It was acceptable. Advertisement Flooding in a West End street in February 2022. Credit:Tony Moore However, since all the new [flood] modelling has come, the insurance is now $7000 and the risk is significant. Loading The February deluge forced the Greaves family out of their home and, like thousands of others, they are still waiting for repairs. He says the biggest issue when floods approach is trust. People need some authoritative source of truth. He suggests the councils Early Warning Alert system, which is linked to street addresses, should be upgraded to include warnings from Energex and Queensland Urban Utilities. Advertisement Some of Sydneys most expensive private schools have emerged as the most prolific home buyers of the post-pandemic property boom, as the schools look to their next door neighbours homes to meet their expansion plans. Landlocked schools Ascham and SCEGGS Darlinghurst in the eastern suburbs, and Newington, Meriden and Christian Brothers High School in the inner west have clocked up close to $20 million worth of residential real estate purchases between them in the first six months of this year alone. Villa Palmyra is a Victorian Italianate residence bought by St Catherines in Waverley for $5.25 million. Credit: And at the height of Sydneys property boom last year, when the median house price soared more than 33 per cent, schools like Queenwood, Pittwater House, Emanuel School and Barker College forked out more than $56 million on property. On top of that, Sydney Catholic Schools has bought nine houses in the past 18 months adjoining primary schools in Botany, Arncliffe, Bexley, Lurnea, Auburn, Concord West, Strathfield and Revesby at a cost of $24 million. By setting up this exercise area, China was able to get a glimpse of what it would take to blockade Taiwan, he said. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose visit to Taiwan this week triggered the most serious military stand-off in the Taiwan strait since the missile crisis of 1996, accused China of trying to isolate the island. They will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us from travelling there, she said after meeting with Kishida on Friday. They are not doing our travel itinerary. Pelosis visit has spurred condemnation from China, which views Taiwan as a renegade province, but sparked a wider push to deepen cooperation between the US and Taiwan. In an escalating furore over her visit, China announced on Friday it was halting cooperation with the US in eight areas after announcing sanctions on Pelosi and her family. Beijing said it would suspend communication between Chinese and US military leaders, maritime security dialogues and climate talks as part of a range of measures that would unwind diplomatic progress made between the two countries since the end of the Trump administration. When the permission is given, we welcome the opportunity to have Taiwan participate, as we welcome all other like-minded partners that participate in RIMPAC, he said. Air force and naval aviation corps of the Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) conduct aerial refuelling at an unspecified location. Credit:Xinhua/AP US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington has repeatedly made clear to Beijing it does not seek a crisis over Pelosis visit to Taiwan. There is no justification for this extreme, disproportionate and escalatory military response, he told a news conference on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Cambodia, adding, now, theyve taken dangerous acts to a new level. Blinken emphasised that the United States would not take actions to provoke a crisis, but it would continue to support regional allies and conduct standard air and maritime transit through the Taiwan Strait. We will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, he said. US Vice Admiral Michael Boyle, the commander of the American Navys Pacific Rim (RIMPAC), said he was open to Taiwan joining the worlds largest military exercises if Washington extended an invitation to Taipei. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi accused the US of trampling international laws and undermining peace across the Taiwan Strait by allowing Pelosis visit to take place. It is a blatant provocation to the Chinese people and the people of peace-loving countries in the region, he said. Pelosis 18 hours in Taipei and the ensuing military exercises have stirred nationalist sentiment in the mainland. A post on the launch of the five missiles over the island had 43.7 million views on Weibo, Chinas version of Twitter, but some users want the Chinese army to do more. For days we shouted about countermeasures, what kind of countermeasure is this?, said one Weibo user. In this photo released by Chinas Xinhua News Agency, a projectile is launched from an unspecified location in China during long-range live-fire drills on Thursday. Credit:Xinhua One of Chinas most influential political commentators, Ren Yi, better known as Chairman Rabbit, said in a now-deleted post that after high expectations the Chinese public would be disappointed if they did not see firmer action. This would damage morale, and could also exhaust government credibility, he said. Loading The response to the crisis in Australia has been cautiously bipartisan to date but James Paterson, the oppositions spokesman for countering foreign interference, suggested the Labor government should do more to criticise Chinas grossly disproportionate drills in the Taiwan Strait. I would encourage the government to consider, as we have done in the past, calling on China to exercise restraint, he told ABC radio on Friday. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government would be consistent in its messaging. We need to stay the course that were on, which is to seek cooperation and positive relations with China where we can but stand up for Australian values and Australian national interests where we must, he said. Loading That includes the Law of the Sea, allowing for safe navigation and passage including through the South China Sea. Foreign Minister Penny Wong later released a statement saying Australia was monitoring the situation closely. She said she had raised her concerns directly with Wang at a regional meeting in Cambodia. Gaza: Palestinian militants in Gaza fired dozens of rockets into Israel on Friday in response to Israeli airstrikes which killed at least 10 people, including a senior commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement. As darkness fell, Israeli authorities said sirens had been sounded in southern and central areas, while images broadcast by Israeli television stations appeared to show a number of missiles being shot down by air defence systems. In Tel Aviv, Israels economic centre, witnesses said they could hear booms but there were no reports of sirens. Rockets fired by Palestinian militants toward Israel. Credit:AP Islamic Jihad, a militant group with a similar ideology to Hamas, the Islamist movement in charge of Gaza, said it had fired more than 100 rockets on Friday into Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv. Israels ambulance service said there were no reports of casualties. The strikes came a little more than a year after an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in May 2021, which killed at least 250 people in Gaza and 13 in Israel and left the blockaded enclaves economy shattered. PHILIPSBURG(DCOMM):--- Every infant and child has the right to good nutrition according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Undernutrition is estimated to be associated with 2.7 million child deaths annually or 45% of all child deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Infant and young child feeding is a key area to improve child survival and promote healthy growth and development. The first two years of a childs life are particularly important, as optimal nutrition during this period lowers morbidity and mortality, reduces the risk of chronic disease, and fosters better development overall. WHO This week the global community of nations are celebrating World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7). The Collective Prevention Services (CPS) Section Youth Health Care (YHC) from the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (Ministry VSA), has been promoting information via various mediums to educate the Sint Maarten community and women and mothers/mothers to be about the importance of child nutrition and breastfeeding. Optimal breastfeeding is so critical that it could save the lives of over 820,000 children globally under the age of five years each year. The WHO and the United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF) recommends early initiation of breastfeeding within one (1) hour of birth; exclusive breastfeeding for the first six (6) months of life; and introduction of nutritionally adequate and safe complementary (solid) foods at six (6) months together with continued breastfeeding up to two (2) years of age or beyond. However, many infants and children do not receive optimal feeding, WHO points out; for example, only about 44% of infants aged 06 months worldwide were exclusively breastfed over the period of 2015-2020. WHO recommendations have been refined to also address the needs for infants born to HIV-infected mothers. Antiretroviral drugs now allow these children to exclusively breastfeed until they are six (6) months old and continue breastfeeding until at least 12 months of age with a significantly reduced risk of HIV transmission. Around the age of six (6) months, an infants need for energy and nutrients starts to exceed what is provided by breast milk, and complementary foods are necessary to meet those needs, the WHO says. An infant of this age is also developmentally ready for other foods. If complementary foods are not introduced around the age of six (6) months, or if they are given inappropriately, an infants growth may falter. Guiding principles for appropriate complementary feeding are: continue frequent, on-demand breastfeeding until two (2) years of age or beyond; practice responsive feeding (for example, feed infants directly and assist older children. Feed slowly and patiently, encourage them to eat but do not force them, talk to the child, and maintain eye contact). Practice good hygiene and proper food handling; start at six (6) months with small amounts of food and increase gradually as the child gets older; gradually increase food consistency and variety; increase the number of times that the child is fed: two-three meals per day for infants 68 months of age and 34 meals per day for infants 924 months of age, with 12 additional snacks as required; use fortified complementary foods or vitamin-mineral supplements as needed; and during illness, increase fluid intake including more breastfeeding, and offer soft, favorite foods. 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. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Parliament of Sint Maarten will be awarding its 10th President of Parliament (PoP) Award during the reception ceremony at the Opening of the New Parliamentary Year 2022/2023. Each year the President of Parliament recognizes a youth who has contributed positively to their community or country whether academically, voluntarily, or in sporting achievements. Thus far the following recipients have had the honor of being awarded the President of Parliament Award: 2013: Mr. Wendell Laurence 2014: Ms. Cherrianne Dangleben York 2015: Mr. Ralph Cantave 2016: Ms. Rochana Richardson 2017: Mr. Aisaiah Nunes 2018: Mr. Rupshen Long 2019: Ms. Mhakeda Shillingford 2020: Mr. Erwin Romney 2021: Ms. Kemilla Carty The Parliament of Sint Maarten invites, the public to submit nominations for the Annual President of Parliament Award 2022. Any citizen of Sint Maarten who believes that an individual meets the criteria can send the nomination to the Parliament of Sint Maarten. The eligibility criteria are: The candidate must have Dutch nationality and/or have been legally residing in Sint Maarten for 10 years or more consecutively and has been registered in the Civil Registry for that period of time Must be between the ages of 15-24 years Has made a worthwhile contribution to the development of the community and the country These contributions/achievements must have taken place within the last three years Contributions/achievements must have been made while the individual was acting as a private citizen, not as an appointed or elected government official And must have demonstrated a capacity for leadership and the ability to motivate The application form can be found on the Parliaments website: www.sxmparliament.org under the tab public. By selecting the President of Parliament Award you will be directed to the digital application form. A hardcopy of the application form can also be collected at the reception desk at the Parliament Building located at the Wilhelminastraart #1 Philipsburg, Sint Maarten The deadline to submit your nomination(s) is August 15, 2022. This can be done by hard copy in a sealed envelope addressed to: Annual President of Parliament Award Committee, Wilhelminastraart #1 Philipsburg, Sint Maarten. Or via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. MARIGOT: --- On August 5th, 2022, the constitutional court rendered its decision in the case presented by Daniel Gibbs to annual the elections of the national assembly held on June 11th and 18th on St. Martin and St. Barthelemy. According to the decision rendered by the court, Gibbs did not provide any evidence to the court to substantiate his claims. According to Article 35 of the same, the electoral ordinance Applications must contain... the grounds for annulment invoked. - The applicant must attach to the application the documents produced in support of its means. Mr. GIBBS maintained that the successful candidate would have benefited from irregular material support from the communities of Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy. However, these allegations are not accompanied by the details and justifications to assess their merits. Moreover, given the number of votes obtained by each of the candidates, the alleged facts, assuming them to be established, could not have had an influence on the outcome of the ballot. Accordingly, Mr. GIBBS' complaint must be dismissed, the decision reads. Click here for the decision of the Constitutional Court. Canagold Appoints New CEO and Director Canagold Resources Ltd. (TSX: CCM, OTC-QB: CRCUF, Frankfurt: CANA) (the aCompanya or aCanagolda https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/canarc-resource-corp/ ), wishes to announce that Mr. Scott Eldridge has resigned from the position of Canagold CEO and Director as of August 02, 2022. aOn behalf of the Company and the Board, I would like to thank Mr. Scott Eldridge for his years of service to Canagold as CEO and Director. We wish Scott all the best in his future endeavors,a said Sofia Bianchi, Chair of the Board. Following the completion of an executive search, the Companya?s board of directors has unanimously approved the appointment of Mr. Catalin Kilofliski as Canagold Chief Executive Officer and the appointment of Mr. Mike Doyle as Director, effective August 03, 2022. Catalin Kilofliski, Chief Executive Officer Mr. Kilofliski has over 25 years of executive leadership experience and a track record of creating significant shareholder value for various mining companies. One of his most recent accomplishments, was during 2020 when he helped grow TSX.V listed Tudor Gold Corp from $30M to over $500M in market capitalization. In the last decade, he has helped raise over $300M in equity, debt and JV capital. Mr. Kilofliski has an intimate knowledge of Canagold and the New Polaris project as he was Canagolda?s CEO from 2014 to 2018. Under his leadership, Canagold was named one of the top 100 companies in BC, by BC Business. Mike Doyle, Director Mr. Doyle is a senior geologist and is a chartered engineer with over 35 years global experience of mining and exploration with Rio Tinto, Inmet, Wardell- Armstrong and Sun Valley Investments. He is chartered engineer and geologist and also holds an MSc in Environmental Management. Mr. Doyle has experience across exploration, feasibility studies, environmental permitting, construction, and exploitation of small to major mining projects. While at Rio Tinto Mr. Doyle directly led the exploration team that discovered the Las Cruces deposit in southern Spain that has produced 15Mt @ 5% Cu and currently has resources of 36Mt @ 2.5% Cu equivalent. Mr. Doyle is an executive at Sun Valley Investments where he is responsible for the companya?s existing mining operations and also for reviewing potential investments in exploration and mining projects around the world. Sun Valley currently has two high grade narrow vein underground mines in production and a third in construction. One of the mines was taken from acquisition through licensing and construction to the first gold pour in just 4 years. Sofia Bianchi, Chair of the Board commented: aI am delighted to welcome Catalin and Mike to our team.A We now have a highly motivated management team and a board with a very high level of technical capabilities. I look forward to leveraging their wealth of experience and industry connections as we move into a new phase of growth for Canagold. On behalf of our entire team, stakeholders, and shareholders, we are excited to begin a new journey for Canagold with the common goal of advancing New Polaris project and implementing a new result driven value creation strategy.a About Canagold Canagold Resources Ltd. is a growth-oriented gold exploration company focused on advancing the New Polaris Project through feasibility and permitting. Canagold is also seeking to grow its assets base through future acquisitions of additional advanced projects. Canagold has access to a team of technical experts that can help unlock significant value for all Canagold shareholders. A On behalf of the Board of Directors aSofia Bianchia Sofia Bianchi Chair of the Board For further information please contact: Knox Henderson, VP Corporate Development Toll Free: 1-877-684-9700;A Tel: (604) 604-416-0337;A Cell: (604) 551-2360 Email:A knox@canagoldresources.comA A Website:A www.canagoldresources.com Neither the TSX Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains aforward-looking statementsa within the meaning of the United States private securities litigation reform act of 1995 and aforward-looking informationa within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking information that involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the future performance of Canagold, and the Company\-s plans and exploration programs for its mineral properties, including the timing of such plans and programs. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as \plans\, \has proven\, \expects\ or \does not expect\, \is expected\, \potential\, \appears\, \budget\, \scheduled\, \estimates\, \forecasts\, \at least\, \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\, \should\, \might\ or \will be taken\, \occur\ or \be achieved\. 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 the forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others risks related to the uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral resources; commodity prices; changes in general economic conditions; market sentiment; currency exchange rates; the Company\-s ability to continue as a going concern; the Company\-s ability to raise funds through equity financings; risks inherent in mineral exploration; risks related to operations in foreign countries; future prices of metals; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals; government regulation of mining operations; environmental risks; title disputes or claims; limitations on insurance coverage and the timing and possible outcome of litigation. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could affect the Company and may 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, do not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All statements are made as of the date of this news release and the Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws. Cypress Development Announces Drill Results from Clayton Valley Lithium Project, Nevada Cypress Development Corp. (TSXV: CYP) (OTCQX: CYDVF) (Frankfurt: C1Z1) (aCypressa or athe Companya) is pleased to report results from the recently completed drill program at its 100%-owned Clayton Valley Lithium Project (aProjecta), in Nevada, USA. A sonic drill program was conducted in May 2022, to obtain sample material for lithium extraction testing at the Companya?s Lithium Extraction Facility (aPilot Planta) in Amargosa Valley, Nevada, and to supplement the Projecta?s resource model for the Feasibility Study that is currently underway. Highlights: Best intersection of 70.1 meters of 1,336 parts per million (appma) lithium Successful use of sonic drilling to obtain six- and four-inch diameter cores Completed 580 meters in eight drill holes ranging from 61 to 76 meters in depth Acquired 15 tonnes of claystone for testing at the Companya?s Pilot Plant Confirmed resource model built by Global Resource Engineering (aGREa) Confirmed drill data obtained in the acquisition of Enertopia Corporation (aEnertopiaa) property aThe drill program was highly successful in generating material for our pilot plant and providing distinct data to strengthen the Projecta?s resource modela stated Bill Willoughby, Cypress President, and CEO. aThese are significant steps as we continue to work to de-risk the project and provide information for the Feasibility Study.a Drill Program Cypress has received all assays from its May 2022 drilling program. The program was conducted to collect claystone with large diameter core for use in metallurgical testing at the Companya?s Pilot Plant. A total of 580 meters were drilled in eight holes. Hole depths were limited to intersect lithium-bearing claystone to a depth of 61 to 76 meters and to obtain approximately 15 tonnes of material for testing. Representative core samples ranging from 0.1- to 3-meters in length were collected and delivered to ALS Global in Reno, Nevada for analysis. Lithium values shown in the table are weighted averages over the length of claystone intersected in each hole. All eight holes ended in lithium-bearing claystone. Each sample submittal was accompanied with QA/QC samples of blanks, standards, and duplicates. Four holes, CSV1 through CVS4, were drilled in the central portion of the Project in the vicinity of the planned starter-pit. CVS2 is located outside of the reserve pit outline from the 2021 Prefeasibility Study, nearest the location of the anticipated plant site for the feasibility study. CVS3 is located adjacent to a reclaimed test pit where 500-tonnes of claystone were collected in April. Four additional holes, CVS5 through CVS8, were drilled in the northeast portion of the project on and near the parcel of property acquired this year from Enertopia. These holes were arranged southeast to northwest infilling the fence of TOP-01, TOP-02, TOP2M and TOP-04 drilled by Enertopia, and DCH-09 drilled by Cypress.A A Interpretation of Results The assay results are in line with lithium grades predicted at all eight locations by the resource block model developed by GRE. The overall estimated lithium grade for all eight locations from GREa?s model is 1,060 ppm. This compares to the compiled average lithium grade from all eight holes drilled of 1,080 ppm, for a variance of +2%. When viewed in cross-section, the assay results are also consistent with those from previous drilling and support the continuation of a higher-grade northeast trend of lithium-bearing claystone on Cypressa?s project as interpreted by GRE in developing the resource model. The results are encouraging and have potential to extend the 2021 pit design through Cypress hole DCH-13 (82.3 meters, 1,221 ppm lithium) to CVS6, CVS7 and the northeast corner of the property. With the drill program completed, GRE will revise and update the resource model with the new data and proceed with work on the mine plan and production schedule for the feasibility study, which is expected to be completed by year end. About Cypress Development Corp Cypress Development Corp. is a Canadian based advanced stage lithium company, focused on developing its 100%-owned Clayton Valley Lithium Project in Nevada, USA. Cypress is in the pilot stage of testing on material from its lithium-bearing claystone deposit and progressing towards completing a feasibility study and permitting, with the goal of becoming a domestic producer of lithium for the growing electric vehicle and battery storage market. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be \forward-looking statements\.A Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions and are identified by words such as aexpects,a aestimates,a aprojects,a aanticipates,a abelieves,a acould,a ascheduled,a and other similar words.A All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management\-s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration, and development successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedar.com for further information. Meet the 5G Ecosystem at BYOND MOBILE 28-29 September 2022, Bangkok BANGKOK, Aug 4, 2022 (ACN Newswire) Looking ahead to 2030, humans hope for an improved quality of life that requires a wide range of 5G connected digital services. Decreasing traffic congestion, producing green energy, using robots for dangerous work, making health computable, using farm management systems for enhanced crop productivity and implementing a smart transportation system are all part of the so-called networked economy. It is important to understand how to secure the ecosystem of devices and applications evolving from that network to shape a trusted digital future. VNU Asia Pacific is launching \-BYOND MOBILE\- from 28-29 September 2022 at Samyan Mitrtown Hall, Bangkok to set a platform for the digital infrastructure. The two-day conference and exhibition will be the meeting place for the 5G ecosystem, where industries can connect with established suppliers and disrupting start-ups across the world. The show will provide the latest technology solutions and services in the field of Health, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Smart City and Future Mobility. BYOND MOBILE will be the yearly physical touchpoint to discuss the latest developments and newest policies but also network among like-minded business owners, entrepreneurs, network specialists and solution architects from all across the globe entering Southeast Asia. \The Asia Pacific region will account for 40% of the world\-s connectivity within the next 5 years. With Southeast Asia being the growth engine of that region, BYOND MOBILE will set the stage to drive the super-connected economy in the heart of Asia a region being strategically contested by the 5G superpower heroes,\ Isabelle Springfeld, project manager of BYOND MOBILE states. On 3,000 sqm at Samyan Mitrtown hall, BYOND MOBILE will showcase 5G products and solutions from 50+ leading brands such as Nokia, RV Connex, True Corporation, and BT Group as part of the UK Pavilion. The exhibitors cover the fields of infrastructure components, cloud data & IT services, network operations, cybersecurity, device manufacturing and 5G/IoT-products and applications. In the Start Up Pavilion supported by depa Digital Start Up Institute Southeast Asia\-s young and innovative 5G solutions will be showcased. During the 2 days, more than 1,000+ visitors are expected to meet and network with the exhibiting companies, evaluate product demonstrations and explore new ideas and innovations to make their business more productive and efficient. The main stage within the exhibition hall hosts 40+ thought leaders within keynote speeches, fireside chats and panel discussions. At the end of the first day, qualified startups will live pitch their solutions in front of a top-class jury in the Start Up Challenge. On the breakout stage adjacent to the exhibition hall visitors gain deep knowledge insights through master classes and product demonstrations from companies and associations. Be a part of the 5G revolution and drive your business to the next level by unlocking the potential of the IOT area. Save the date: BYOND MOBILE 2022 | 28-29 September 2022 at Samyan Mitrtown Hall, Bangkok Pre-registration is now open at https://eventpassinsight.co/el/to/Q87OY [Free ticket] For more information, please visit https://byondmobile.asia or Tel. +662 1116611 Ext. 251, 254 PRESS CONTACT: Marketing & Communications of VNU Asia Pacific, Email: communications@vnuasiapacific.com Tel. +662 1116611 Ext. 330 or 335, Website: https://byondmobile.asia or www.vnuasiapacific.com Rheinmetall Boosts Profitability: Operating Result and Margin Improved Further br />Consolidated sales increase by a92 million to a2,674 million Consolidated operating result improved from a191 million to a206 million a increase of 8% Operating margin of 7.7% exceeds previous yeara?s level of 7.4% Growth in orders for the Group Annual sales forecast for 2022 updated, earnings forecast confirmed The DAsseldorf-based Rheinmetall Group continued to strengthen its profitability in the first half of 2022. The consolidated operating result rose to a206 million, exceeding the previous yeara?s record figure by a15 million with a similarly improved operating margin. The Rheinmetall Group is updating its annual forecast from March 2022 and now expects organic sales growth of around 15% and an operating margin of over 11% in fiscal 2022. Armin Papperger, Chief Executive Officer of Rheinmetall AG: aRheinmetall remains on track for growth. After six months, our sales and operating result are higher than in the previous year. This makes us very optimistic for fiscal 2022 as a whole. We are seeing an increasing order intake a also in the civilian business, where we make important contributions for the technological transformation toward climate-friendly mobility and new forms of energy supply, for example by means of hydrogen technology. And in light of the current security policy situation, our products will help to strengthen defence capabilities in numerous countries in the months and years to come. With our military systems, we bear responsibility for security and thus for peace and freedom.a Rheinmetall AG: operating margin improved to 7.7% Consolidated sales increased by a92 million or 3.5% year-on-year to a2,674 million in the first half of 2022 (previous year: a2,582 million). After six months, the operating result continued to increase year-on-year and reached a new record figure for the first half of the year. At a206 million, the operating result exceeded the previous yeara?s figure of a191 million by a15 million or 8%. This improvement is based predominantly on sales growth in the high-margin Weapon and Ammunition division. A better product mix and strict cost management also had a positive effect. The operating margin of 7.7% exceeded the previous yeara?s level of 7.4%. Earnings per share from continuing operations decreased year-on-year from a2.50 to a2.28 in the first half of fiscal 2022. Adjusted for special effects, earnings per share from continuing operations amounted to a2.63 as at 30 June 2022 (previous year: a2.50). Vehicle Systems: further improvement in operating margin At a851 million, sales in the Vehicle Systems division in the first half of 2022 were a19 million or 2% lower than the previous yeara?s figure. The order intake decreased by a1,293 million as against the prior-year figure to a680 million. This decline resulted primarily from large single orders (Challenger 2 upgrade for Great Britain, Puma modernization and armored engineering vehicle for the German armed forces), which increased the previous yeara?s figure well above average. At a10.3 billion, the order backlog as at June 30, 2022, was down a232 million or 2% year-on-year. Despite the slight decline in sales, the operating result improved from a65 million to a75 million in the first six months of 2022. This positive trend can be attributed to an improved product mix and strict cost management. The operating margin of 8.8% exceeded the previous yeara?s level of 7.5%. Weapon and Ammunition: new order intake record The Weapon and Ammunition division generated sales of a564 million in the first half of 2022, up a93 million or around 20% on the figure for the previous year. The high increase in sales mainly resulted from munitions and propellant deliveries to an international customer. In the first half of 2022, the order intake increased to a record level of a1,542 million (previous year: a429 million). A munitions order from Hungary particularly contributed to this increase. The order backlog therefore increased by a1.2 billion or around 45% to a3.9 billion as at June 30, 2022 (previous year: a2.7 billion). The operating result improved by a24 million to a71 million in the first half of 2022 (previous year: a47 million). This positive development was attributable both to the increase in sales and to higher income from investments. The operating margin was increased to 12.5%, compared with 10% in the previous year. Electronic Solutions: order backlog increases to a2.7 billion The Electronic Solutions division increased sales by a49 million to a411 million in the first half of 2022 (previous year: a362 million). The order intake likewise increased significantly by a258 million or 58% to a702 million. Major new orders in the first half of 2022 related to combat helmets for the German Bundeswehr and numerous smaller projects. On June 30, 2022, the order backlog amounted to a2.7 billion, up around 15% on the previous yeara?s figure (previous year: a2.4 billion). The operating result declined by a4 million to a25 million in the first half of 2022 (previous year: a29 million), chiefly due to the acquisition of the activities of the drone manufacturer EMT and increased costs for further know-how development in the area of cyber security. The operating margin decreased to 6.1% (previous year: 8.0%). Sensors and Actuators: stable operating margin in a declining market environment Sales in the Sensors and Actuators division declined by around a7 million year-on-year to a691 million in the first half of 2022 (previous year: a697 million). The decline in sales mainly resulted from lower customer call-offs due to the continuing shortage in the supply of semiconductors. Booked business for the first six months of fiscal 2022 was increased by around 50% to a volume of a1,431 million (previous year: a951 million). The operating result declined slightly by a1 million to a50 million in the first half of 2022 (previous year: a51 million). At 7.3%, the operating margin remained at the previous yeara?s high level (previous year: 7.3%). Materials and Trade: sales increased again The Materials and Trade division increased its sales to a374 million in the first half of 2022, thus exceeding the previous yeara?s level by a54 million or around 17%. This growth in sales can be attributed primarily to strong aftermarket performance. In the first six months of fiscal 2022, the division generated booked business of a403 million. This represents an increase of 23% compared to the same period of the previous year (a327 million). At a27 million, the Materials and Trade divisiona?s operating result was at the previous yeara?s level in the first half of 2022 (previous year: a27 million). The operating margin decreased to 7.2% (previous year: 8.5%). While the increased sales had a positive effect, earnings were affected by a decline in the earnings of the Chinese joint ventures accounted for using the equity method. Outlook: strong sales growth with stable high margins The annual forecast communicated to the capital market in March 2022 was updated on the basis of current market outlooks. The Rheinmetall Group continues to expect sales to grow in fiscal 2022 and confirms its earnings forecast. In light of the persistently high risks regarding the development of global automotive production, the company now expects organic sales growth in the current fiscal year to be around 15% and thus at the lower end of the previous forecast range, which projected organic growth between 15% and 20%. Rheinmetall confirms the current earnings forecast for fiscal 2022, expecting an improvement in the operating result and an operating margin of over 11% in 2022. Forward-looking statements and projections This publication includes forward-looking statements. These statements are based on Rheinmetall AGa?s current estimates and projections and information available at this stage. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance. They depend on a number of factors, include various risks and uncertainties and are based on assumptions that may prove to be incorrect. Rheinmetall is under no obligation to update the forward-looking statements in this publication. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate State government finances have been shaped for decades by a legacy of massive public-sector pension debt that dates back to the late 1930s, a challenge expected to continue well into the 2040s. And with incumbent state Treasurer Shawn Wooden not seeking reelection, three Democrats will square off in a primary next week, hoping ultimately to oversee the nearly $45 billion in pension and trust fund assets that Connecticut holds. And while Erick Russell, Dita Bhargava and Karen DuBois-Walton bring different backgrounds to the primary, all three are acutely aware of the importance of the treasurers office and pledge to bring a strong voice to the job. The winner of Tuesdays Democratic primary will face Rep. Harry Arora, R-Greenwich, in the general election in November. I think we need a state treasurer who comes in on day one with public experience in delivering for hard-working families, said Karen DuBois-Walton, president of the New Haven Housing Authority. DuBois-Walton, 54, whos held administrative posts at the authority since 2008 preceded by six years as a chief of administrative services and chief of staff under then-New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, has seen firsthand the power of public investments. Whether it involves saving for college, securing affordable housing or guarding against long-term health-care costs, helping families become financially secure is a long-range investment in Connecticuts economy. We need to be a government that helps people prepare for the real fiscal crunch, said Dubois-Walton, who also chairs the state Board of Education. Many Connecticuts suburbs have long resisted efforts to allow more affordable housing development, and DuBois-Walton said the state no longer can rely on incentives to reverse decades of exclusionary zoning practices. I think weve seen the limits of what the current law will do, she said, adding that the current supply of affordable housing falls woefully short of meeting the need. Dita Bhargava of Greenwich, a quantitative hedge fund manager who lost the 2018 Democratic primary for treasurer to Wooden, also said the treasurer must use the power of state investments to promote economic opportunity and to encourage responsible corporate behavior. Bhargava has repeatedly referenced Purdue Pharma, the Stamford-based manufacturer of OxyContin, which filed for bankruptcy three years ago and whose questionable marketing practices sparked a national response to the opioid crisis. Woodens office issued a statement recently noting that Connecticuts pension funds arent invested in the privately held Purdue Pharma. There could always be the next Purdue Pharma, Bhargava said, adding that the firm, guided by short-term greed, typifies the company treasurers must be vigilant against. Bhargava also made headlines this summer battling Hulu, convincing the streaming service to air her ad responding to the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Bhargava said she would press companies seeking Connecticut pension investments to provide health insurance that covers abortion services. An incredibly robust stock market helped Connecticut amass a $3.3 billion rainy day fund over the past four years and dedicate another $5.8 billion in reserves since 2020 to pay down pension debt. But Bhargava, 50, who has a degree in engineering and doesnt shrink from scary numbers, notes that as impressive as this savings has been Connecticut still has a long way to go to overcome more than $90 billion in unfunded retirement benefit obligations and bonded debt. She pledged to take a hard look at a state panel recommendation to transfer lottery proceeds and other state assets to further bolster pension assets. Our fiscal situation has been 70 years in the making, said Bhargava, who opposes whittling down benefits promised to state employees and municipal teachers. Its not right to undo promises the state made because leaders were careless. Russell, a partner with Pullman and Comley who specializes in public and private financing, says Connecticut and state government in particular has reached an inflection point. After a decade of the 2010s marked by a sluggish economy and frequent state budget deficits, Connecticut has been able to amass huge, short-term budget reserves and avoid major tax hikes for the past seven years. But with another potential economic downturn looming, the challenge is to continue to grow pension assets and invest even more in opportunities for working families all while keeping taxes relatively stable. My overarching goal here is to make sure we are protecting the fiscal health of our state long-term but making sure were doing so in a way thats keeping working families in mind, said Russell, 33, who lives in New Haven. The first person in his family to graduate from college or from law school, Russell said he learned the sacrifice and effort many Connecticut families face working as a child with his parents in their convenience store on Congress Avenue. I watched my parents really sacrifice a lot for me to have opportunities they never had themselves, he said. Russell and Bhargava both expressed concerns over the states current practice of using the proceeds from bond premiums to help cover annual debt service costs effectively borrowing to pay off borrowing. The state projects to use $151 million in borrowed funds this fiscal year to retire debt. And while the practice is scheduled to end next July, efforts to kick this fiscal habit have been deferred in the past. Connecticut has made huge strides in recent years stabilizing its finances and debt, Russell added. I think that we need to continue on this path. This is what is going to allow us to continue to invest in our communities. Both Russell and Bhargava also are former vice-chairs of the Connecticut Democratic Party. Russell, who captured the Democratic state convention endorsement for treasurer in May, stands to make history as the first Black LGBTQ candidate elected to statewide office in national history, said Albert Fujii, spokesman for the LGBTQ Institute. A nonprofit launched in 1991, the institute maintains the only national database of LGBTQ candidates. BRIDGEPORT Two companies pleaded guilty Thursday for their roles in an effort to rig contracts for installing insulation across Connecticut for nearly seven years, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. BC Flynn Contracting Corp. and Axion Specialty Contracting LLC both face fines of up to $100 million, officials said. According to charging documents, representatives of BC Flynn and Axion, along with other co-conspirators, met to determine bids and prices for insulation contracts for various places in Connecticut and beyond for years. For BC Flynn, the activity spanned between June 2011 and March 2018, the documents stated. Axion entered the arrangement in October 2012, the documents stated. Among other aspects, officials involved in the conspiracy shared proposals, estimates and other information, used apps to conceal their communications, agreed to submit inflated bids to create the appearance of competition and provided services at collusive and noncompetitive prices, officials said in the charging documents. The plea agreements detail how the perpetrators submitted collusive bids and shared bid numbers with their competitors in an illegal effort to improve their companies bottom lines, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery said. I commend the FBI and DCIS for investigating this scheme that victimized hospitals, universities and businesses throughout Connecticut. The case has been investigated by the Antitrust Divisions New York Office, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Connecticut, the FBIs New Haven Division and the DCISs New Haven Resident Agency, officials noted. Four individuals and another company have also pleaded guilty in connection with the conspiracy, officials said. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com Pelosis visit to Taiwan will only plunge U.S. into dangerous abyss 14:53, August 05, 2022 By Chen Zi ( People's Daily Online Cartoon by Ma Hongliang In full disregard of Chinas strong opposition and serious representations, Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, visited Chinas Taiwan region on August 2, an act that is a sheer ugly farce. Pelosis visit to Taiwan is a provocation directed at China by the U.S. side. For some time, the U.S. 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 while pushing boundaries. It has used all available means to play the Taiwan card against China with increasing intensity. Pelosis visit to Taiwan is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques. Whats more, it gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The U.S. has reneged on its commitments regarding the Taiwan question and has openly played with fire. None of this will end well. China urges the U.S. to stop going further down the wrong, increasingly dangerous path. If the U.S. does not pull back before it is too late, this will only lead the country into a dangerous abyss. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) WATERBURY Gov. Ned Lamont has signed legislation that will align the states childhood lead poisoning standards with federal benchmarks. I think were doing the right thing, Lamont said Friday at an afternoon news conference in Waterbury. Its a long-term commitment weve got to make here, but were making it. And were doing everything we can to keep our kids safe. Because we found out during COVID, we are all in this together. If youre not safe, none of us are safe. Lamont appeared alongside local and state officials at Rose Hill to discuss the legislation. Seventy-two percent of Waterburys housing units were built before lead paint was outlawed in 1978, Lamont said. The legislation will gradually reduce the blood lead level that will trigger a parental notification or home inspection to align more closely with federal standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meaning Connecticut will perform more inspections going forward. It will also allow local and state health agencies to perform more testing in specific areas. The children being protected by this law are the future, and we need their homes, their schools and the places they are being cared for to be safe, Connecticut Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani said. The damages cause by lead are permanent and we have not done whats in our control to help these young people. The bill had bipartisan support and most of it will take effect on Jan. 1, 2023. Lamont is also allocating $30 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to help with case management and remediation around lead poisoning. For too long, the standards for lead testing and treatment in Connecticut have fallen well behind the best practices, and I am glad we are making these long-overdue updates, Lamont said. jonah.dylan@hearstmediact.com STAMFORD Students from Stamfords three high schools Westhill High School, Stamford High School and the Academy of Information Technology & Engineering attended a graduation ceremony for summer high school on Friday. NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) A teen was sentenced Friday to 10 years behind bars for shooting and wounding two fellow students at a Virginia high school last year. A judge in Newport News, Christopher Papile, handed down a punishment that will include time in a juvenile detention center as well as state prison, The Virginian-Pilot reported. The teen was 15 at the time of the shooting at Heritage High School in Newport News, a shipbuilding town near the Atlantic Coast. I cant ignore that he brought a gun to school, got into an altercation, and decided to pull the gun out, shot it many times, hitting these two victims, Papile said in court. Noting that the teen fired the shots in a crowded hallway, the judge said he was flabbergasted that it wasnt much worse. A 17-year-old student with whom the teen was fighting was shot at least three times, including in the side of his face. Another 17-year-old student, an innocent bystander who was running away, was struck in her leg. Both students have recovered from their wounds, according to court documents. Prosecutors had asked the judge for a 10-year sentence, while public defenders requested five years in a juvenile detention center. The judge noted that the teen had already been charged with shooting someone else and had pleaded guilty at the time of the shooting at the high school. It wasnt the first time he had taken out a gun and shot somebody, Papile said. To the editor, The federal government seems to be slipping away for the average citizen of America and Connecticut. Democrats from Joe Biden to Jim Himes are embracing a far-left agenda which has resulted in runaway inflation, soaring gas and electricity prices, an economy in recession and a frightful collapse of Americas regard in the world. We in Connecticut must do whatever we can to return normalcy to our nation and it starts with defeating Jim Himes as our congressman. But we just cant say the words. Republicans must nominate a strong candidate, a proven leader, someone who knows America is heading in the wrong direction. And most importantly that candidate must be able to defeat Jim Himes. That is why I will be voting for Jayme Stevenson in the Republican primary on Aug. 9. As a five-term Darien first selectman, Jayme is a proven vote-getter. But she is also a proven leader and not just in Darien. She has developed trusted relationships with cities and towns in Southwest Connecticut. They know her and know she will bring common sense and pragmatic leadership to Washington as our congresswoman. And that is why she can really win against Jim Himes. Its time to get America moving in the right direction. Join me in voting for Jayme Stevenson for Congress in the Republican primary on Aug. 9. Edward Dadakis is the former chairman of the Greenwich Republican Party. He represented Greenwich, Stamford and New Canaan for eight years on the Republican State Central Committee. A refugee having fled the war in Ukraine, Halina Karacyunova, awarded a scholarship from the French Embassy in Bucharest for the promotion of a project focusing on the prevention of human trafficking among her fellow countrymen, refugees in Romania, and the first event aimed at disseminating this risk will be organized next month, in Targu Mures, together with the Suryam Association. "My colleague, Halina Karacyunova, the one with whom I have been working for the longest time, attended a course in Bucharest related to human trafficking. Following this course, she also won a scholarship from the French Embassy. At the beginning of September, we are going to organize a large-scale event, MuresHUB, together with our colleague, intended for Ukrainian refugees on this topic of human trafficking. I would like you to perceive this topic not only related to the sexual aspect, we are also talking about human trafficking in terms of the place of work and the abuses that take place, there are several forms of abuse. It would be strange to think that these things are not a reality even in Romania," said, on Friday, the president of the Suryam Association, Marius Dumitrescu, at a journalists summer school organized at Targu Mures, aimed at disseminating correct information about refugees from Ukraine. French Embassy grants scholarship to Ukrainian woman for cautioning on risk of human trafficking among refugees, Agerpres.ro informs. With Halina Karacyunova's help, the aim is to increase the level of awareness within the Ukrainian community, so that the refugees can realize when they are subject to any abuse, says Marius Dumitrescu. "And I think it is a sign of the maturity on behalf of this community that six months later we are already organizing such an event in Targu Mures. It will most likely be broadcast live on YouTube, so that as many refugees from the country as possible have access to such information. Halina Karacyunova has been extremely active. I think she internalized all those case studies that were presented, she has lived them first as a mother, then as a woman, because she probably found herself under these risks. It's true, she is an extremely cerebral person and I don't think she could become a victim, but I still think that the passion with which she approached this topic, the great interest, asking a lot of questions, proved that she is ready at any moment to talk about this topic," Dumitrescu pointed out. The organizers of the Summer School intend to present to the journalist in attendance some statistics, for the first time, on the victims of abuse among refugees. The Suryam Association and the Targu Mures Red Cross are organizing, starting from Friday, for two days, a summer school for journalists, within the project titled "MuresHub: The Unique Center for the Refugees' Integration and Social Assistance in Mures County", aimed at encouraging the dissemination of correct information on the refugees from Ukraine. Romanians abroad who want to return to the country and invest in a business qualify for up to 200,000 lei in grants under the Start-Up Nation programme, this year in its third edition, according to a press release of the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Tourism (MAT). "Romania is your home! Here we can build a more prosperous present and future together, both for us and for our children. There are many opportunities that you can take advantage of. One of them is the Start-Up Nation programme, which has a pillar dedicated to the overseas communities. Concretely, you will be able to access grants of up to 200,000 lei to start up your own business in the country. Romania is waiting for you!" Minister of Entrepreneurship and Tourism Constantin-Daniel Cadariu is quoted as saying in the press release. The maximum amount of 200,000 lei is available when at least two full-time jobs are created under a project. Applicants who undertake to create just one job will qualify for a maximum of 100,000 lei. Additionally, the beneficiary company has to pony up co-funding that is at least 5% of the eligible value of the project. In order to access the programme, in addition to the standard conditions required by the procedure, overseas Romanians have to produce proof of domicile or residence abroad in the last 12 months prior to registration, in the form of a residence permit/proof of settlement, residence visa/ long stay or residence certificate. Registrations are done exclusively online, on the granturi.imm.gov.ro platform, until September 1, 2022. There is also a manual available for the applicants that includes the necessary application steps. The total budget for Pillar II Start-up Nation Diaspora is 20,031,000 lei. The objective of the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Tourism (MAT), the body that manages and implements the programme, is to offer grants to 1,000 applicants. For more information call the 021 90 59MAT call-centre line, Agerpres. The Arad Border Police have caught 35 migrants from Pakistan, India and Afghanistan who tried, in the last 24 hours, to leave Romania illegally hidden in three cargo shipping lorries. In two lorries checked at the Nadlac II checkpoint, driven by a Ukrainian and a Greek citizen, 28 of the migrants were found. According to the cargo manifest, the drivers were shipping non-alcoholic beverages and personal care products to France and Poland. "Based on a risk analysis, the border police carried out a detailed check of the two vehicles. Thus, 28 foreign citizens were discovered hidden in the cargo compartments of the vehicles. The border police established that the persons found hidden are citizens of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan, between the ages of 18 and 46," the Arad Border Police informed on Friday, Agerpres. At the Varsand border checkpoint, while a truck driven by a citizen of Belarus shipping metal bars to Russia was being checked, seven migrants from Afghanistan and India, asylum seekers in Romania, were found hidden in the trailer. Romanian authorities have halted three shipments of waste that were going to enter Romania through the border checkpoints Nadlac II and Bors II, finding that the drivers did not have the required legal documents to introduce the waste into Romania. The three lorries were driven by Romanian citizens, checked by the border police, who requested support from the Environmental Guard commissioners of the counties of Arad and Bihor, Agerpres. "According to the cargo manifests, they were shipping electrical household waste, used tires, textiles from various commercial companies in the Netherlands, France and Germany, for companies in Romania. There being suspicions about the legality of the transport in question, the border police requested authorised support to the representatives of the Bihor and Arad County commissioners of the National Environmental Guard. The checks revealed that the three lorries were loaded with 36,500 kilograms of electrical household waste, used tires, second-hand clothing which import documentation the three drivers failed to produce," the Arad Border Police informed on Friday. The vehicles were denied access to Romania. ST. LOUIS Downtown business leaders want City Hall to spend more money making the area safer. And they say if that doesnt happen, the whole city could suffer. Officials with Greater St. Louis Inc., the regions business development organization, said Thursday they want city leaders to use part of an unprecedented haul of federal aid to put up more surveillance cameras, upgrade street lights and take steps to slow down traffic on roads like Fourth Street, Broadway and Tucker Boulevard. The request follows more than a year of problems with high-profile shootings, drag racing and late-night mayhem that has at times fostered a sense of lawlessness in the heart of the region. Residents have complained they cant sleep at night. Some business owners have worried the bad headlines will scare clientele away, and others have considered relocating themselves. A catalytic infrastructure investment from our city government is critical to restoring confidence, said Jason Hall, Greater St. Louis Inc.s CEO. A spokesman for Mayor Tishaura O. Jones was noncommittal Thursday. We will absolutely take a look at their recommendations, said the spokesman, Nick Desideri. Our administration remains committed to improving public safety in downtown St. Louis. The city has worked to dampen downtown troubles: It shut down a troublesome nightspot on Washington Avenue last summer, reassigned more police to the area in the fall, and banned electric scooters in June after reports of roving bands of unsupervised youths. Jones also convened a public safety task force with city officials and business executives to monitor progress downtown and respond to problems. But on Thursday, some of those same executives were asking for more. Hall spent the first part of a press conference Thursday talking up downtowns strengths as a hub for high-income employment and tourism, with a growing residential population and plenty of redevelopment potential. He also noted reasons for optimism: The new MLS stadium. The plan to revive the vacant Butler Brothers building. A tech startups announcement Wednesday its opening an office on troubled Washington Avenue for more than 200 employees. But Hall also conceded the pandemic took a hefty toll. The number of jobs downtown has dwindled. Office vacancy rates are up. Sidewalks are crumbling, graffiti is covering buildings and high-voltage wiring is hanging out of light poles, Hall said. We cannot compete as a global city if we allow this to be our front door, he said. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Between 2017 and 2019, 185 women died while pregnant, or within one year of pregnancy, in Missouri. The majority of these deaths were preventable, a recent study found. In a three-year period studied by the state, it was determined that Black women in Missouri are three times more likely to die during or in the year after pregnancy than white women. The study, which was published Monday, shows that mental health and cardiovascular disease remain are among the leading causes of death for scores of Missouri mothers. The study by the Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review board, a state health panel, focused on deaths between 2017 and 2019. This is the first time the board has looked at data across multiple years. Maternal mortality rates in the United States are some of the worst among developed countries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 700 women in the U.S. die for reasons related to pregnancy each year. In recent years, Missouri has been among the deadliest states to be pregnant or give birth. Mondays report determined that 75% of the deaths in the three-year period were preventable. The board in turn has a laundry list of solutions directed toward lawmakers and medical providers in the hopes of reducing Missouris fatal outcomes. Maternal mortality in the state of Missouri is exceptionally complex, the report reads. It touches the societal issues of rampant obesity, health inequity, and the ongoing opioid epidemic. Seeking to understand this problem brings to light a variety of other concerns rooted in the systems that are intended to help. Mental health, particularly overdoses and poisonings, was the leading cause of death in this time frame, followed by cardiovascular disease. The study also found that half of the pregnancy-related deaths due to cardiovascular disease happened more than six weeks after birth, which is after the standard 6-week period of postpartum care, as well as after when the 60 days of Medicaid coverage ends. Women on Medicaid were also eight times as likely to die from a pregnancy-associated death than women with private insurance, the study found. The board, as its done in the past, again recommended that the Missouri Legislature extend Medicaid coverage to one-year postpartum for all health conditions. Under the traditional Medicaid program and an additional state health initiative, pregnant women receive health coverage if they make up to 300% of the federal poverty level a little over $38,600 a year and lose it 60 days after giving birth. Despite approval from lawmakers more than two years ago, Missouri has not implemented an extension of coverage for postpartum depression and other mental health conditions to low-income women in the year after they give birth. When it comes to mental health, the board recommends that providers give full depression and anxiety assessments, screen for substance use disorders and make referrals for services as needed. They also are asking Missouri lawmakers to create a statewide Perinatal Psychiatry Access Program to help mothers struggling with their mental health. The study also found that often, people stopped taking prescribed antidepressants when they became pregnant. In the U.S., one in eight women who recently gave birth experience postpartum depression symptoms, according to the CDC. Homicides made up 14% of all pregnancy-related deaths that were studied. More than half of the eight victims were killed with a gun. Five were Black women. Of the women who died due to injury, the majority were killed as the result of violence, including physical or emotional abuse. The board recommended that health care workers complete trauma-informed care and implicit bias training, and find more innovative ways for women to safely report domestic violence. The report also noted that too few women are receiving timely prenatal care. Between 2017 and 2019, only 65% of new mothers said they visited a doctor in the year before becoming pregnant; 28% said they didnt begin seeing a doctor for prenatal care until after the first trimester. For Black mothers, that number was 57%. Many of the women who died as the result of pregnancy in this time were experiencing a stressor, the study found. The most common stressors were a history of substance abuse, many without a history of treatment, and a quarter of the women who died had a history of domestic violence or unemployment. This years report was the third since 2019, when the General Assembly tasked the health department and a panel of state-appointed medical specialists to produce an annual assessment of maternal mortality. Gov. Mike Parson in 2018 called for a bipartisan solution as maternal mortality gained nationwide attention. 2022 The Kansas City Star. Visit kansascity.com. 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. Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today A state appeals court judge earlier this week affirmed a ruling that Mark Kummer had not lived in St. Louis long enough to be included on the ballot of a special election Sept. 13. That means the race for president of the Board of Aldermen will feature just two candidates: aldermen Jack Coatar and Megan Ellyia Green. With just two candidates on this special, nonpartisan ballot, both candidates will move forward to the Nov. 8 election. The winner will replace acting Aldermanic President Joe Vollmer. Vollmer stepped in after Lewis Reed, under a federal indictment for corruption, resigned in June. Sure, it can be argued that simple either/or choices between two candidates best serve the purpose of good government. But it sure was a hard blow to past practices. And thats why Kummers fight to get on the ballot started tongues wagging about what forces placed Kummer into the race to take votes from Coatar. This is by no means unheard of in this town. As political scientist Lana Stein wrote in her 2002 book, St. Louis Politics: The Triumph of Tradition, our fair burg has had a long tradition of candidates filing for the sole purpose of drawing votes from a front-runner. At this point, some may ask why not Kummer siphoning votes away from Green? Well, as the scuttlebutt circuit of local politics quickly pointed out, Kummer and Coatar are both white males. This would not have been the first, nor will it be the last, time a spoiler candidate was being used to split a vote along racial or gender lines. And the possibility of Kummer being a spoiler was not completely lost on Coatar. Dont forget that it was he, and not Green, who filed suit to get Kummer off the ballot. But the theory that Kummer was in the race to spoil things for Coatar had more going for it than just race and gender. Lets take a look at this from a strict grassy-knoll point of view: Jack/Mark; Coatar/Kummer. Both men have four-letter first names ending in k and two-syllable last names that begin and end with the same phonetic sounds. Granted, I know this all sounds silly to those who make healthy mental choices and avoid deep dives into politics. But then again, those folks probably dont know about Clara Jo Roddy and the St. Louis name game. For this balloting blast from the past, lets turn our conspiracy clocks back to 1982. Longtime incumbent Circuit Clerk Joe Roddy (whose son later was a longtime alderman for midtown St. Louis) was running for reelection. Challenging him for the post was then-newcomer, Freeman R. Bosley Jr., who would in 1993 become the citys first Black mayor. Any handicapper calling this race 40 years ago would have been smart to pick Roddy. He had been circuit clerk for 14 years and an alderman for 15 years before that. Moreover, he was a force in the citys Democratic Central Committee and controlled as many patronage jobs as any other St. Louis politician. But then along came Clara Jo. Unknown to virtually everybody at the time, she first filed for the office as C. Jo Roddy, quite the mirror of the incumbents listing as Joseph Joe Roddy. To make the maneuver all the more suspicious, Clara Roddy did not make any public appearances and refused to be interviewed by the press. Attorneys for the incumbent Roddy did manage to get the courts to require her to be listed as Clara J. Roddy, but the confusion had already been created. When the final votes were tallied, Clara J. Roddy managed to get 2,245 votes and Bosley beat Joe Roddy by less than 1,000 votes. And because the spoiler candidate has been such a tradition in St. Louis politics, no one from the incumbent Roddy camp even complained very much. As Bill McClellan wrote a few years later about politics in St. Louis: When the system is really clicking, the ballot looks like a phone book. But Kummer himself did the most to kill the conspiracy angle in this recent race. After he was booted from the ballot, he endorsed Coatar for aldermanic president. JEFFERSON CITY A former state lawmaker has lost her place in her high school hall of fame after she was convicted of wire fraud, illegal distribution of controlled substances and making false statement to investigators. In a July 18 letter obtained Friday by the Post-Dispatch, Kirkwood School District Superintendent David Ulrich notified Patricia Derges, R-Nixa, that the district was stripping her of the honor as an outstanding alumna, which she received in 2019. It has come to our attention through media reports that you were recently convicted by a jury on 10 counts of wire fraud, 10 counts of distributing drugs over the internet without a valid prescription, and two counts of making false statements to a federal law enforcement agent, Ulrich wrote. In light of this conviction, we have determined that you no longer serve as an appropriate role model for Kirkwood School District students and are revoking your place in the Outstanding Alumni Hall of Fame. Prior to students return for the coming school year, your name and any attribution recognizing you as an inductee will be removed, Ulrich concluded. A federal grand jury indicted Derges in early 2021 on charges of making false claims about treatment and illegally distributing prescription drugs to patients. Prosecutors said Derges administered amniotic fluid, which she falsely claimed contained stem cells, as a treatment for patients who suffered from various diseases, including erectile dysfunction, Lyme disease and urinary incontinence. A second indictment in March 2021 accused Derges, who was an assistant physician and founded medical clinics in southwest Missouri, of fraudulently submitting claims for $900,000 in federal COVID-19 funds. A jury found Derges guilty of all 22 counts in June and directed her to forfeit $300,000 in federal pandemic funds from Greene County. Derges, first elected to the Missouri House in 2020, refused to resign after she was indicted early in 2021. She was stripped of her committee assignments in the House and given an office in a broom closet in the Capitol after the federal charges were lodged against her in 2021. Derges, 64, was a successful businesswoman in the Springfield area when she decided in her 50s to go into medicine to answer what she described as a religious calling. Derges was born in Texas and is a 1975 graduate of Kirkwood High School. She was among 14 honorees at an October 2019 event at the high school attended by 250 people. Derges is free while she awaits sentencing, which could come in October. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Derges could face up to 20 years in federal prison without parole on each of the 10 wire fraud counts and on each of the 10 drug distribution counts. In addition, she could receive a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole on each of the two false statements counts. ST. LOUIS A man was shot in the neck and killed Thursday night in The Ville neighborhood of St. Louis. Royce Cole, 57, was found dead after 7 p.m. Thursday at an apartment in the 4300 block of St. Ferdinand Avenue, northeast of Newstead Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive. Cole lived in the same block of St. Ferdinand where he died. Police said they have no suspect in his killing. The St. Louis Police Department on Friday said the city has had 108 homicides so far this year. Detectives have solved 60 of the homicides, for a 56% clearance rate. St. Louis police consider a homicide case solved or "cleared" when a suspect has been arrested or when police have identified a suspect but not yet made an arrest, such as when someone is charged in at-large warrants. Kim Bell of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. ST. LOUIS A St. Louis County man who traveled to Springfield, Illinois, in 2019 to have sex with a 15-year-old was sentenced Friday to more than five years in prison. U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk sentenced Wesley Kimble, 25, to five years and four months in prison. In November, Kimble admitted meeting the teen via an online dating site, driving to Springfield in December 2019, picking her up and bringing her to his St. Louis County apartment for sex. He also admitted giving her illegal drugs. ST. LOUIS The owner of Sweetie Pies soul food restaurant accused an Arkansas-based YouTube creator of defamation this week over comments about an alleged murder-for-hire plot involving the family. Robbie Montgomery, who starred with her family members in the reality TV series Welcome to Sweetie Pies, said in a lawsuit filed Monday that Phyllis Flint and Shanice Coty defamed her by publishing a video in which they accuse her of being involved in criminal activity and promiscuity. Some of the comments reference Montgomerys connection to her son, James Timothy Norman, who is charged with orchestrating the fatal shooting of his 21-year-old nephew, Andre Montgomery Jr., who also appeared on the reality show. Charges say Norman hired a woman who was working in Memphis, Tennessee, to help in the March 2016 killing near Fairground Park and then attempted to collect Andre Montgomerys life insurance benefits. Most of the defamation allegations center on a video on Fints YouTube channel, Eat with Phylly Phyl Talk Show & More, titled SWEETIE PIES TIM NORMANS FATHER BEST FRIEND WIFE CALLS & GIVES TEA ON THE FAMILY. The video, which had nearly a quarter of a million views as of Friday afternoon, features a recorded conversation between Coty and Flint in which the two women accuse Robbie Montgomery of crimes related to her grandsons death, including murder and being an accessory to murder. They also accuse her of having a promiscuous and adulterous sex life during her time as one of the original Ikettes with the Ike and Tina Turner Review, according to the lawsuit. The video with Coty immediately became Flints most popular and resulted in an exponential increase in her viewership, the lawsuit states. The suit says Robbie Montgomerys reputation has been damaged by the allegations and that the comments were wanton, malicious and tended to expose plaintiff to hatred, contempt and/or ridicule. In a live video posted Friday afternoon while eating lunch, Flint said, all the content on her show was for entertainment purposes only and allegedly. I aint did nothing wrong, she said. I plead the fifth. Coty could not be reached for comment. She did not have attorneys listed in court documents. A trial in Normans criminal case is set for Sept. 6. Police responded to a call at a hospital for a 17-year-old victim shot in the arm, and they said the initial investigation indicates the teen was in a vehicle when he was shot at by several juveniles in another vehicle at Dillon Drive and Hickory Lane. ST. LOUIS Three people were charged Thursday in a double shooting a day earlier that killed a man and left another in critical condition in the city's Baden neighborhood. Tahiem K. Davis, 23, of the 11900 block of El Sabado Drive in unincorporated St. Louis County, Alexis C. Greene, 21, and her brother Anton C. Greene, 19, both of the 8300 block of Red Fir Drive in Berkeley, were all charged with first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault and three counts of armed criminal action. Police said Tijean Bow was fatally shot about 8:35 p.m. Wednesday in the 8300 block of Halls Ferry Road. According to charges, Alexis Greene drove her brother and Davis from St. Louis County into St. Louis, following a vehicle in which Bow was riding. The driver, police said, didn't know he was being followed. When Bow's vehicle stopped at a red light, charges said, Alexis Greene stopped and her brother and Davis got out and fired "a barrage of shots" at the vehicle they'd been following before fleeing the scene. Bow, whose age wasn't available, died at a hospital. His driver was critically wounded. St. Louis County police stopped the trio's vehicle and arrested them, charges said. Anton Greene told police his sister rented the vehicle from Enterprise, which detectives confirmed. Inside the vehicle, police recovered Alexis Greene's mail and Davis' ID card, charges said. Police also found two pistols and rifle rounds, some of which matched casings found at the shooting scene. A judge ordered Davis and the Greene siblings held without bail. ST. LOUIS Two dozen students have been awarded tax-credit scholarships through a new state program to attend private schools in the St. Louis area this fall. The program, MOScholars, allows residents and businesses to divert up to 50% of their state tax liability toward the scholarship fund. Nonprofit groups certified by the state as Educational Assistance Organizations grant the scholarships to eligible students, prioritizing those with special needs or from low-income families who are entering kindergarten or first grade. Some 1,805 students have applied for MOScholars since it launched in June, according to a spokeswoman for state Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick. Individual and corporate donors have committed $3,032,522 in tax credits to the program, enough to provide 428 scholarships after administrative expenses. The Treasurer is pleased with the progress we are making and hopes Missourians will continue donating to fund scholarships. This program is an opportunity for taxpayers to direct how their tax dollars will be spent, said spokeswoman Mary Compton. The Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation at the Archdiocese of St. Louis said Thursday it has distributed 24 of the $6,375 vouchers to go toward tuition at 21 private schools in St. Louis city and St. Louis, Jefferson and St. Charles counties. The Bright Futures Fund of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph has awarded vouchers to 100 students, according to the treasurers office. The six religious groups distributing the vouchers are responsible for raising the scholarship funds. Tax credits for donors are capped at $25 million in the programs first year. The 24 students receiving scholarships awarded by the local archdiocesan foundation will attend 21 different schools, including 17 Catholic schools, three Lutheran and the secular Miriam School for students with learning challenges. Fifteen of the students have an individualized educational program (IEP) for special needs. The diversity of students and schools served by these scholarships is evidence that MOScholars perfectly aligns with the mission and vision of the Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation, said executive director Julie Soffner in a statement. Though we are deeply rooted in Catholic ideals, our overarching goal is to help children of all backgrounds achieve their potential through access to quality educational options. JEFFERSON CITY A former state funeral home investigator is accusing her ex-employer of sex discrimination, retaliation and breaking Missouri whistleblower law. Kelly Ann Sedgwick said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Cole County that the state subjected her to sex discrimination then retaliated against her after she reported it. The lawsuit also said Sheila Solon, acting director of the Division of Professional Registration, fired Sedgwick after she complained of mismanagement and illegal activities. Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, named Solon, a former Republican state legislator, to the post in early 2021. A spokesperson for the Department of Commerce and Insurance, which oversees the Division of Professional Registration, said Friday the department does not comment on pending litigation. Lori Hayes, former executive director of the state Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, said that Sedgwick uncovered a disaster at the Sweeney-Phillips & Holdren funeral home in Warrensburg, where court records described human fat drippings/liquid on the floor and called the site an immediate fire hazard, the Associated Press reported in December. The state board overseeing funeral homes began requiring investigators to take pictures during inspections in September 2020. But in March 2021, after Solon came on, she told the board that inspectors must no longer take photographs, the Associated Press reported, citing Bill Stalter, an attorney who blogs about and observes the industry. He said Solon was very clear that her instructions are coming directly from the governor. Beginning in January 2021, when Ms. Solon became acting director, the Division engaged in a number of acts and practices in violation of Missouri law governing the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, the lawsuit said. It said Sedgwick complained of, reported, and opposed various practices and conditions including instructing the Board how to investigate and the unfair treatment and termination of others who complained about these unlawful actions, among other actions, the lawsuit said, including transferring plaintiff without legal authority. The AP reported that in a move Sedgwick said was to prevent more write-ups, Solon transferred her so that she would have to perform inspections for other state agencies in addition to the funeral board. Members of the board opposed the action. Sedgwick complained in writing to Solon, the lawsuit said, who fired her and at least one other employee who had either reported illegal activity and/or objected to violations of policy, mismanagement and abuse of power. The practices of which plaintiff complained constituted reports of mismanagement, violations of policy, abuse of authority and violations of the laws governing the state Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, the lawsuit said. Prior to the termination, Governor Parson appointed four new members of the Board, at least two of which lacked the qualifications for the position. These Board members terminated plaintiffs supervisor and terminated plaintiff, the lawsuit said. The Associated Press reported in December that Parson appointed the new members to the board amid complaints from the funeral home industry. The lawsuit added, Months later, these new Board members were replaced when it was determined they were not properly appointed. Only one of the four appointments Parson announced in September 2021 is still on the board, according to a review of a state website. Sedgwick, of Jamestown, Missouri, also said after Solon took over that she was subjected to unfair criticism of her job performance, abusive statements and action by her supervisors and unequal pay to similarly situated male employees. Sedgwick reported sex discrimination and sex harassment to her supervisor and to Ms. Solon repeatedly through the spring and summer of 2021, the lawsuit said. The state investigated and ended its probe on Aug. 30, 2021, the lawsuit said. Sedgwick was terminated on Oct. 18, four days after Hayes, the funeral board executive director, was let go. The reasons given for the termination are unclear and pretextual, the lawsuit said, adding that the states actions constitute retaliation, in violation of the Missouri Human Rights Act. ST. LOUIS The revived Loop Trolley began its first regular run Thursday in two and a half years, drawing riders for various reasons and with differing opinions on its worth. Im excited to see it back and of course its nice that its free, said Dr. Claire Anderson, 77, a retired radiologist from Kirkwood as she took a mid-afternoon ride with three of her grandchildren. She said they got on the trolley to go to Forest Park after having lunch at Fitzs, an eatery in University Citys part of the Delmar Loop commercial district. It was very convenient, she said. Anderson said her wish is that the trolley, which shut down at the end of 2019 amid financial troubles, mechanical problems and low ridership after a year of service, will now be successful. Im hoping, but St. Louis tends to be a little too small-thinking, she said. A few seats away, Sam Catalano, 64, of Fairview Heights, said he shared critics view that it was a waste of money to spend $51 million, much of it in federal grants, to build the 2.2-mile line from the Loop to the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. Catalano, a retired federal employee, said he decided to ride the trolley Thursday because he likes trains. But, he said, its like an amusement park ride in the middle of the city. As for it being viable transportation to get from place to place, he said, Forget it. They were among about 25 people riding when a reporter got on board. The Bi-State Development Agency, which took over the trolley operation from the nonprofit Loop Trolley Co., is using just one trolley car on the line, with a second as a backup. Michael Renfro, 65, a retired auditor from Clayton, was upbeat. He rode his bicycle to the park, then got on. Its not maybe the most efficient form of transportation but its fun to ride, he said. I think its great for tourists. He added that it doesnt have to make money to be viable. The trolley rides are free, unlike in its previous run. Judy Fox, 75, a retired librarian from Brentwood, took the trolley Thursday with two friends, including one visiting from New York City. Before it shuts down, we thought wed jump on it, she said. But, she added, building it wasnt a good idea. Its very impractical because its too short a distance, she said. Not just area residents were using the trolley Thursday. Also on board was Dr. Thierry Genereau, a physician from Nantes, France, and his wife, daughter and two sons. They were in St. Louis on a month-long trip to the United States. It was the best way to go from the museum to the Loop, said Genereau, 58. Bi-State officials declined to provide reopening-day ridership numbers, saying in a statement that the agencys objective now is to establish a continuity of service and to make sure its a safe operation. Our focus is not on ridership during this pilot period, the statement said. The agency also said the line had run smoothly Thursday. The line will operate from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays until Oct. 30, when it closes until the spring. Bi-State CEO Taulby Roach and St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones had urged Bi-States commissioners to revive the line after a federal official warned that the region may have to pay back tens of millions of dollars spent on the line if the cars and tracks remain unusued. JEFFERSON CITY Gov. Mike Parson said he asked for a major disaster declaration Thursday from the federal government for damage caused by recent flooding in the St. Louis area. A major disaster declaration from President Joe Biden would trigger federal assistance for the city of St. Louis, as well as St. Louis, St. Charles and Montgomery counties, according to a news release from Parsons office. The governors office said it had asked for assistance for eligible residents in St. Louis, as well as St. Louis and St. Charles counties, which would allow them to apply for federal aid for temporary housing, housing repairs, replacement of damaged belongings, vehicles, and other qualifying expenses as a result of the flooding and storms. Kelli Jones, spokeswoman for Parsons office, said determining eligibility for assistance is contingent on the federal governments approval of the states application. She said if the declaration is approved, the federal government would open a hotline to apply for assistance and for answering questions. A website and in-person disaster recovery centers would also be opened, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration on site. The governors office had also asked for assistance so that local governments in St. Louis, as well as St. Louis, St. Charles and Montgomery counties, and eligible nonprofits, could apply for federal aid. The news release said the cost of the emergency response as well as uninsured infrastructure damages associated with the flooding totaled more than $35 million. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. Damage assessment teams examined 1,338 homes and found that more than 750 of them had sustained major damage, the news release said. Of 206 businesses inspected, 131 had sustained major damage, according to the news release. The release said assessment teams included members of the State Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Small Business Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency and local officials. In addition to the federal disaster application, a Multi-Agency Resource Center will be open until 8 p.m. Thursday at the Centennial Commons in University City, 7210 Olive Boulevard, the release said. Another center will be open 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, at the Friendly Temple Church, 5515 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. The state said the American Red Cross is operating a shelter for those displaced by the flood at St. Vincent Community Center, 7335 St. Charles Rock Road, in St. Louis. More information for those with needing help was available by calling 2-1-1, a phone number hosted by the United Way. Information was also available at 211helps.org. Recovery.mo.gov also contains information, including for businesses looking to reopen, by clicking on the Get Back In Business tab. CLAYTON St. Louis County is boosting pay for police, a change the union said is meant to draw recruits to fill dozens of county vacancies and will largely target St. Louis city officers. The measure approved by the County Council unanimously this week gives raises to roughly 115 current officers by counting more past experience in their pay, according to the police department. It also makes joining the department more lucrative for experienced officers. And the biggest draw will be from the citys police department, said St. Louis County Police Association Executive Director Joe Patterson, whose union represents roughly 1,300 employees. Maybe this will be a wake-up call to city government that they need to take care of their police officers better, Patterson said. Police departments across the region have long poached officers from each other, said Lee Slocum, a criminology and criminal justice professor at the University of Missouri St. Louis. Like any workplace, theres competition for workers, Slocum said. Police officers in particular are hard to hire. Anything the departments do to make themselves more attractive to recruits affects other departments in the region, he said. The county police department declined to weigh in on the issue. We do not know how this will affect other departments, spokesman Adrian Washington said in an emailed statement. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department directed inquiries to city officials. Mayor Tishaura O. Jones office pointed to the citys efforts to boost pay for officers. More could come after ongoing union negotiations conclude. In the face of a national labor shortage, the Citys budget this year includes a pay raise on top of an annual merit increase as well as a $2,000 retention incentive to help make St. Louis more competitive in hiring, Jones spokesman Nick Desideri said in an emailed statement. Under the current county police contract, officers are paid according to a pay scale. For every five years of experience completed, they go up a step. Pay maxes out at step 15. The new plan counts experience year-by-year rather than by every five years. For instance, an officer who joined the department in 2009 with eight years of experience wouldnt have gotten credit for all eight years when the county hired them. Under the new plan, they will get credit for eight steps one per year. With a total of 21 years of experience, theyd go from roughly $76,500 to just over $81,800, an annual increase of about $5,300, according to the police department. A St. Louis city officer with 20 years of experience earns just over $2,900 every two weeks, according to the citys compensation ordinance. Assuming there are 26 biweekly pay periods in a year, that would add up to a salary of just under $77,000. Compare that figure to the higher salary in St. Louis County, and it might be enough to attract officers across the border, said Patterson, the union chief. The plan will go into effect by mid-September and will cost the county roughly $1 million annually in increased salary costs, according to the police department. The department estimates there are roughly 78 vacancies. Theres a national crisis in recruiting law enforcement and were not immune to that, said Matt Crecelius, business manager for the county union. County police officers may live outside county limits as long as they are within a reasonable response time. Many live in southern Illinois or St. Charles and Franklin counties. City officers, first responders and civil service workers are not required to live within city limits until 2023, when a state law expires. ST. LOUIS Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and the citys Black police officers association got into a fight on social media this week after Jones said the group lied about its role in negotiating a plan to overhaul civilian oversight of the department. The back-and-forth followed Jones signing of a bill creating a new civilian-run agency to investigate allegations of police misconduct, which have traditionally been handled by the police departments internal affairs division. The legislation is consistent with Jones campaign promise to rethink public safety in the city and hold police to a higher level of scrutiny when theyre accused of wrongdoing. But it has drawn the opposition of city police associations, who say they worry the agency will be weaponized against officers good and bad by people who are anti-police. The Ethical Society of Police, which represents a few hundred minority police officers and endorsed Jones campaign for mayor last year, was one of the groups that was worried. The society complained that the bill gave the new agency too broad of a mandate and excluded current and former officers from key investigatory positions. And after Jones signed the bill Wednesday, the association posted a statement to Facebook complaining that its members were never brought to the table to discuss the legislation. That set Jones off. Thats not true and is a bold-faced LIE, Jones wrote in reply. She said her administration started working on the bill nearly a year ago, and the association never brought it up in quarterly meetings with the mayors office. Moreover, the association had skipped all three public aldermanic hearings on the bill. She also questioned why the group would oppose greater accountability for police given its history of calling out misconduct. If youre a good officer, you have nothing to worry about, she wrote. In its reply, the Ethical Society said it wasnt looking for a public debate and called Jones response unprofessional. It said it was just trying to ensure thoughtful implementation of the bill. This should be welcome, not controversial, the union wrote. Jones was not feeling welcoming. You dont want to publicly debate this but you made a public statement on a public platform and didnt attend any of the public hearings to publicly express your thoughts and insight about the bill when it was being debated in public, she wrote. On Friday, the association replied that the mayor was the one in the wrong, saying it didnt know about the bill until a month before it passed and that it was never told about public hearings. It said Alderman Shameem Clark-Hubbard, who sponsored the bill, reached out three days before the final vote, but that was too late. The union also expressed confusion about the mayors hostility to its statement, pointing out that its members endorsed her run for office last year. When Jones replied, she said she still disagreed with the unions assertion that it was excluded from discussion. She said it was welcome to come to the table now to help implement the new plan. Have a blessed day, she wrote, and thank you for your continued service to the city of St. Louis. UNIVERSITY CITY Less than two weeks ago, Phillis Sims woke up around 4 a.m. to her teacup Chihuahua Gigi barking wildly, alerting the University City resident to rising water in her home on Westover Avenue. Everything in my house was just floating, she said as she recalled the morning of July 26. I was floating on top of my bed. I was terrified. Holding onto a nearby foam back roller to use as a floatation device, the Ross Elementary School custodian said she waited on her bed with Gigi hoping the water would recede but preparing herself to swim out of the residence if it came to that. Two hours later, the water did recede and her daughter was able to drive to her home and pick up Sims and Gigi. Since then, Sims has slept on her daughters couch. She lost everything to the water, which was strong enough to topple her fridge. More than 9 inches of rain fell in the storm. She recalled the July 26 flood Thursday afternoon as she stood outside University Citys Centennial Commons, in line with hundreds of others seeking help at a resource center organized by the Red Cross and the Missouri Department of Public Safety that brought together state government, nonprofit and religious-affiliated disaster relief organizations to assist people displaced or otherwise affected by the flooding. The need was so great, though, that the Missouri Department of Public Safety sent out a notice 90 minutes after the center opened at 3 p.m. to alert the public it had reached capacity and to ask anyone not already in line to attend a future event. Sims, who was one of the first 100 or so people in line, waited five hours and 16 minutes before it was her turn inside the center. As residents stood in the hot and humid weather for more than an hour before the center opened, the threat of even more precipitation hung heavy in the sky, eventually raining down on the line of people that snaked around the building and east along Olive Boulevard. The storm was just the latest since last weeks historic flooding. For the third time in nine days, the St. Louis region on Wednesday was pounded with rain, bringing the areas two-week total to around 15 inches and cutting power to approximately 15,000 Ameren customers around midnight Wednesday. By 7 a.m. Thursday, the rain measured at St. Louis Lambert International Airport was 4.6 inches for the two-day total. The rain on Wednesday alone 4.32 inches set a record. The previous record for Aug. 3 was 1.45 inches set in 1946, said Matt Beitscher, meteorologist with the Weather Service office in Weldon Spring. Other areas in the region reported higher Wednesday rain totals, including more than 5.5 inches in Sunset Hills, 5 inches in Glendale, and 3.96 inches in Mehlville. No injuries were reported during Wednesdays storm, but police made several water rescues along Saline Creek near Fredericktown, and other rescues from flash flooding near Fenton and Romaine Creek Road. Wednesdays storm also forced authorities to close Florissants multi-agency resource center for flood victims about an hour after opening up to the public. The Salvation Army estimates that 1,408 households in the metro area were affected in the past two weeks of flooding. Through Tuesday, a spokesperson for the United Way said the organization had received 3,160 completed disaster intakes. Among those affected by the flood is Demetria Parks, who said she arrived 90 minutes before the start of Thursdays event in University City, landing a spot at the very front of the line, just feet from the buildings front door. She and her fiance, Derrick Hunter, are living in a hotel after losing their vehicle and possessions in the flood; their renters insurance did not cover the damage done when their duplex on Dartmouth Avenue flooded. To top things off, Parks said their landlord told them this week theyre expected to pay rent for August even though the gas has been shut off since the flood and the HVAC system was destroyed by the water. The couple said theyve put all their money toward paying for a hotel room and dont know what they are going to do. Parks said seeing the water level rise and hoping to survive was difficult, but the aftermath of dealing with the possessions and home theyve lost has posed an entirely different challenge. Like many in line Thursday, the two were hopeful the center would help them find financial assistance and a more permanent place to live. That flood changed our whole life in an instant, Parks said. Several more multi-agency resource centers are scheduled for the coming days: Friday, 3-8 p.m., Friendly Temple, 5515 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr., St. Louis Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Friendly Temple, 5515 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr., St. Louis Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m., East St. Louis High School, 4901 State St., East St. Louis Sunday, noon-5 p.m., East St. Louis High School, 4901 State St., East St. Louis GREENVILLE, Miss. (AP) An Airbnb listing in Mississippi advertised as a slave cabin has been removed from the site following backlash on social media. Airbnb apologized after a TikTok video went viral criticizing the description of a cottage in Greenville. The bed and breakfast was marketed as an 1830s slave cabin. The meticulously restored property, complete with a new television and premium streaming channels, was described as a tenant sharecropper's cabin and a medical office for local farmers and their families to visit the plantation doctor. The listing caught the attention of Wynton Yates, a Black lawyer from New Orleans. How is this okay in somebodys mind to rent this out? A place where human beings were kept as slaves? Yates asked in his video. In response to the video, which has been viewed over 2.7 million times, Airbnb said properties that formerly housed enslaved people have no place on the site. We apologize for any trauma or grief created by the presence of this listing, and others like it, and that we did not act sooner to address this issue, the company said in a statement. Airbnb said it removed the Mississippi listing from its site and is doing the same for other listings known to include former slave quarters in the United States. In a follow-up video, Yates posted what he said was a statement from the cabin's owner, Brad Hauser. The statement includes an apology for providing guests a stay at the slave quarters behind an antebellum house that is now a bed and breakfast. I also apologize for insulting African Americans whose ancestors were slaves, the statement reads. The statement also alleges the previous owner mischaracterized the property's history as a former slave cabin connected to a plantation. Hauser said he became the cabin owner three weeks ago, WLBT-TV said. BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) North Dakotas Supreme Court on Thursday struck down key portions of a state law that a landowners group argued amounts to the unconstitutional taking of private property rights. The so-called pore space law passed the 2019 Legislature after supporters sought clarification on the use of voids or cavities in underground rock formations. Pore spaces are used when the petroleum industry injects saltwater from oil and gas production underground for permanent storage or for enhanced oil recovery. The Northwest Landowners Association sued the state arguing the law deprives them of their right to be compensated for the use of their pore space. A state district judge last year ruled the law unconstitutional because it gives the landowners value from pore space to the oil and gas industry for free. Justices, in their unanimous opinion made public Thursday, largely agreed. In summary, we conclude that several parts of (the law) have been shown to be unconstitutional on their face, the opinion said. This is a big win I mean, there is nothing in this opinion that we are not absolutely thrilled about and dont agree with 100%, said Derrick Braaten, a Bismarck attorney who represents the landowner group. Under the law, landowners couldn't be compensated for pore space when it is used for saltwater disposal or enhanced oil recovery, unless they had an existing contract. Landowners adjacent to a disposal well also could not make a claim that saltwater, a byproduct of oil production, had migrated into their pore space, nor could they sue for trespassing. The Supreme Court struck down those provisions. North Dakota law has long established that surface owners have a property interest in pore space, justices said. "Surface owners have a right to compensation for the use of their pore space for disposal and storage operations. Government-authorized physical invasions of property constitute the clearest sort of taking." the opinion said. North Dakotas oil industry pushed for the law and Republican Gov. Doug Burgum signed it, despite strong objections from landowners. It was one of the most controversial measures of the 2019 Legislative session. Some of the bill was salvaged. The Supreme Court did not find problems with the legislations new definition of pore space and surface owner, which the state had pushed for to provide clarity. North Dakota's Industrial Commission, headed by Burgum, said in a statement that it is "committed to ensuring that underground saltwater injection wells are managed for the benefit of landowners as well as the oil and gas industry. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) (THE CONVERSATION) Monkeypox isnt going to be the next COVID-19. But with the outbreak having bloomed to thousands of infections, with cases in nearly every state, on Aug. 4, 2022, the U.S. declared monkeypox a national public health emergency. One reason health experts did not expect monkeypox to become so widespread is that the U.S. had previously approved two vaccines for the virus. Maureen Ferran, a virologist at Rochester Institute of Technology, has been keeping tabs on the two vaccines that can protect against monkeypox. 1. What are the available monkeypox vaccines? Two vaccines are currently approved in the U.S. that can provide protection against monkeypox, the Jynneos vaccine known as Imvamune/Imvanex in Europe and ACAM2000, an older smallpox vaccine. The Jynneos vaccine is produced by Bavarian Nordic, a small company in Denmark. The vaccine is for the prevention of smallpox and monkeypox disease in adults ages 18 and older who are at high risk for infection with either virus. It was approved in Europe in 2013 and by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2019. The Jynneos vaccine is given in two doses four weeks apart and contains a live vaccinia virus. Vaccinia normally infects cattle and is a type of poxvirus, a family of viruses that includes smallpox and monkeypox. The virus in this vaccine has been crippled or attenuated so that it is no longer able to replicate in cells. This vaccine is good at protecting those who are at high risk for monkeypox from getting infected before exposure and can also lessen the severity of disease post-infection. It is effective against smallpox as well as monkeypox. Until the recent monkeypox outbreak, this vaccine was primarily given to health care workers or people who have had confirmed or suspected monkeypox exposure. The U.S. government has over 200 million doses of ACAM2000 stockpiled in case of a biological weapon attack of smallpox. But despite the adequate supply of the vaccine, ACAM2000 is not being used to vaccinate against monkeypox because of the risk of serious adverse side effects. For now, only designated U.S. military personnel and laboratory researchers who work with certain poxviruses may receive this vaccine. 2. How effective are these vaccines? According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, there is not yet any data available on the effectiveness of either vaccine in the current outbreak of monkeypox. But there is older data available from animal studies, clinical trials and studies in Africa. A number of clinical trials done during the approval process for the Jynneos vaccine show that when given to a person, it triggers a strong antibody response on par with the ACAM2000 vaccine. An additional study done in nonhuman primates showed that vaccinated animals that were infected with monkeypox survived 80% to 100% of the time, compared with zero to 40% survival in unvaccinated animals. Another use of the Jynneos vaccine is as a post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, meaning the vaccine can be effective even when given after exposure to the virus. Because the monkeypox virus incubates in a persons body for six to 14 days, the body of someone who gets the Jynneos vaccine shortly after being exposed will produce antibodies that can help fight off infection and protect against a serious monkeypox case. The ACAM2000 data is older and less precise but shows strong protection. Researchers tested the vaccine during an outbreak of monkeypox in central Africa in the 1980s. Although the study was small and didnt directly test vaccine efficacy, the authors concluded that unvaccinated people faced an 85% higher risk of being infected than vaccinated people. 3. Does a smallpox vaccine protect against monkeypox? According to the CDC, a previous smallpox vaccination does provide some protection against monkeypox, though that protection wanes over time. Experts advise that anyone who had the smallpox vaccine more than three years ago and is at increased risk for monkeypox get the monkeypox vaccine. 4. Who should get vaccinated? At the national level, anyone who has had close contact with an infected person, who has a weakened immune system or who had dermatitis or eczema is eligible for a Jynneos vaccine. Some state and local governments are also making vaccines available to people in communities at higher risk for monkeypox. For example, New York City is allowing men who have sex with men and who have had multiple sexual partners in the past 14 days to get vaccinated. 5. What is the supply like for the Jynneos vaccine? As of July 29, 2022, a little over 300,000 doses have been shipped to points of care or administered, with another 700,000 already allocated to states across the U.S. However, demand is far outpacing supply. Public health officials acknowledge that vaccine supply shortages have resulted in long lines and clinics having to close when they run out of vaccines. The issues have been magnified by technical problems with online booking systems, particularly in New York City. To help boost supply, the U.S. has ordered nearly 7 million doses of the Jynneos vaccine, which are expected to arrive over the coming months. 6. What about just using one dose of Jynneos? Although federal health officials advise against withholding the second dose, some places including Washington, D.C., and New York City are withholding the second dose until more become available. This strategy is being used in Britain and Canada as well to vaccinate as many people as possible at least one time. A previous study reported that a single shot of the Jynneos vaccine protected monkeys infected with monkeypox and that this protection lasted for at least two years. If this holds up in the real world, it would support withholding second doses in favor of immunizing more Americans. This would be key as many health experts expect the virus to continue spreading, furthering increasing demand of the vaccine. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/monkeypox-vaccines-a-virologist-answers-6-questions-about-how-they-work-who-can-get-them-and-how-well-they-prevent-infection-188214. Regarding Jeremy Gruber's guest column "Closed primaries could be coming to Missouri a lot quicker than you think" (July 26): Gov. Mike Parson recently signed House Bill 1878, an elections bill that included offering voters the option to affiliate with a political party. In my opinion, this is clearly a move toward suppressing voter choice. If Missouri offers a way for voters to initially narrow the field of candidates, as in primaries, it should first ensure "ranked choice voting" is offered in the primaries and the general elections. This style of voting is shown to more accurately reflect voter sentiment, especially in crowded fields, gerrymandered districts, where dark horses or crossover voters confuse and deny the public the opportunity to express their wishes. The current primary system too often results in extreme candidates running and winning with a minority of votes cast. The majority of voters in such situations have voted against the "winner." Therefore, the winner in such a situation does not reflect voter sentiment. We must search for ways to hold fair elections and contain the effects of party machines. Ranked voting is being adopted in many states because of its inherent fairness. Malcom D. Spence Florissant The war in Syria continues to slow down. In the northwest (Idlib province) there are over 10,000 Islamic terrorists holding about half the province against weak but persistent attacks by Syrian troops. Most of the casualties in Idlib are caused by Russian airstrikes. The Kurdish-controlled northeast, including Hasaka and parts of Deir Ezzor and Aleppo provinces, continues to be attacked by Turkish forces, but not in a major way. Turkey is continuing its decapitation (assassination) program against Kurdish civil and military leaders, especially those supporting the Kurdish led SDF (Syrian Defense Forces) militia and Turkish, Syrian and Iraqi Kurdish separatists operating in northern Syria. Turkey uses electronic eavesdropping on Kurds suspected of supporting the Kurdish rebels and separatists. Air strikes, usually with UAVs armed with laser guided missiles, do most of the killing and a lot of the surveillance. The Iranians continue to seek cooperation from the Turks, Syrians and Russians in getting Iranian forces close enough to the Israeli border to make attacks possible, but no one is interested. Iranian efforts in Syria and Lebanon are very low-budget and Iranian officers in charge of this have to make do with very little. ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) also continues to contest control of remote areas in eastern Syria. Most of this occurs in the Badia Desert south of the Euphrates River Valley. ISIL or associated groups have long used the largely empty desert as a sanctuary. This desert area extends into nearby Jordan. Baida covers 500,000 square kilometers (200,000 square miles) and represents about half of Syria, 85 percent of Jordan, and smaller portions of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The Baida desert was long been the scene of ISIL activity and fighting against and between Islamic terrorists. All these desert areas are thinly populated by Sunni Arabs who are inclined to tolerate or support ISIL as long as ISIL attacks were directed at military targets and not local civilians. An exception to this rule has ISIL waging an assassination campaign against Islamic clergy and staffs of religious schools who teach that Islamic terrorism is wrong. Turkey is striving to achieve control of a 30-kilometer-deep (into Syria) border strip along the length of its Syrian border. The Assads and Kurds agree that this border strip is a bad idea. The Assads are having a difficult time reestablishing a legitimate government, as opposed to its current status as a barely tolerated and much sanctioned government run by war criminals. The Assads have allies who are trying to work out a deal that legitimizes the Assads and leads to lots of economic aid and investment. There is some but not a lot of progress in that department. Israel is quietly working on a peace deal with the Assads by first consulting Russia, Turkey and the Arab nations Israel has diplomatic relations with. If Israel can achieve a consensus on how to offer and deliver the Assads a workable peace deal, Iran could be driven out of Syria. Israel and the Assads have been, since the 1970s, willing to leave each other alone and make mutually acceptable deals. The Assads would often threaten another war with Israel but did not pose as determined a threat as Iran. Because the Assads became allies of and dependent on Iran in the 1980s for protection from chaos in Iraq and Lebanon, they had to at least pretend to support the Iranian obsession with destroying Israel. The Assads knew better but until the Assad police state failed in 2011 and a rebellion got going, the Assads were able to resist Iranian presence and control of Syria. The UN is also involved in this stealthy peace effort because Iranian interference has blocked the UN effort to create a new constitution for Syria that would assist efforts to end the civil war. The Assads are also hostile to the new constitution which would mean national elections monitored by the UN. The Assads cannot afford to lose control of the government because that would make them vulnerable to arrest and prosecution for war crimes. Accusations continue to pile up against the Assads, who always treated Syrians who opposed them with brutality and terror. So far this year over a hundred Syrians a month get arrested and brutally interrogated, or simply murdered, by the Assad security forces. Yet doing business with Iran can also be fatal for the Assads. August 3, 2022: In the east (Deir Ezzor province) a small force of ISIL attacked a training camp for an Iran-backed militia. RPG rockets were fired into the camp, killing four militiamen and wounding five others. ISIL men got into the camp long enough to steal weapons and ammunition. Fires were set before the Islamic terrorists left the camp. Its unclear if any Iranian personnel were at the camp. August 1, 2022: Its increasingly common for there to be days where no war or Islamic terrorist related deaths occur. Most of the fatal violence in Syria has nothing to do with Islamic terrorists, fighting between Kurds and Turks or Iranian efforts to establish bases near the Israeli border. July 31, 2022: Russian neighbor Belarus agreed to send 200 soldiers to Syria to replace the many more Russian troops brought back to Russia to replace losses in Ukraine. Belarus has refused Russian requests to send its troops into Ukraine. While the Belarus dictator is pro-Russians most Belarussians are not and some openly support Ukraine. July 30, 2022: In the north (Idlib province) Islamic terrorist rebels sued a few rounds of artillery shells to do substantial damage to a Syrian army divisional headquarters. Some Syrian soldiers were killed or wounded but the exact number was not released. This attack was in retaliation for an earlier Syrian artillery attack on rebel positions. These retaliation attacks have been going on for nearly a week, ever since a Russian air strike on the rebels prompted an artillery attack on the Syrian troops. The Russians are largely immune to rebel attacks because their well-guarded air base is near the Mediterranean coast. In the last few years, the defenses for the two main Russian bases (a port and airbase) have increased to the point where rebel attacks are not worth the effort. Turkish artillery and air strikes continue to be directed at Kurdish separatists operating near the Turkish border. There are more casualties than progress. July 29, 2022: In the south (Damascus province) it was revealed that the commander of the provincial police and fifteen of his subordinates were arrested and accused of diverting over $16 million worth of government supplies to the black market, where the goods were sold and the police involved most of the profits. Similar arrests were made in other provinces although in some cases the commander of the provincial police was transferred. In Damascus province, which includes the city of Damascus, several other senior police commanders were transferred. July 26, 2022: The Israeli defense minister confirmed rumors that back in May a Russian controlled S300 air defense system fired a missile at an Israeli fighter headed back to Israeli territory. The missile missed because 0f Israeli counter measures. The Russians quietly reported that it was a misunderstanding and wont happen again. The Russians dont like incidents like this, which portray the S-300 as ineffective against Israeli countermeasures. The Israeli aircraft attacked an Iranian base in northwest Syria and completely destroyed it. July 25, 2022: In Switzerland, the Assad government quit the UN sponsored conference to create a new Syrian constitution and hold elections. The Assads accused their Swiss hosts of not being neutral and demanded a new venue for these negotiations. The Assads cannot ignore these peace conferences. Doing that would risk the emergency food and medical aid Syria receives from UN sponsored aid groups. July 19, 2022: Turkey revealed that they were responsible for killing Hussein Shibli, a senior SDF military leader. Shibli was in northern (Kurdish controlled) Iraq for medical treatment when a Turkish UAV killed him with laser-guided missiles. Turkey and Russia are trying to persuade, or coerce, the largely Kurdish SDF rebels to side with Turkey rather than the Americans. Turkish missiles-armed UAVs, mainly the TB2 model, regularly carry out attacks against SDF and PKK forces in northern Iraq and Syria. July 15, 2022: In the south (Damascus) Israeli missiles, fired from land bases in the Golan Heights, hit Iranian and Syrian air force targets outside the capital. This was the 17th Israeli attack on Syrian targets so far this year. July 10, 2022: Turkey revealed that their forces operating in northern Syria, northern Iraq and inside Turkey had killed or captured over 2,000 terrorists so far this year. This is a category that includes Islamic terrorists as well as Kurdish separatists in Turkey, Syria and Iraq. About a third of these terrorist casualties are inflicted by Turkish forces operating in Iraq and Syria. The governments of Iraq and Syria do not approve of these incursions but lack the military forces capable of preventing the incursions. Turkey claims to have killed or captured 35,000 terrorists in the last seven years (since July 2015). Some of those dead terrorists in Syria and Iraq were civilian bystanders. About 600 Turkish military personnel have been killed in Iraq and Syria since mid-2015. Several thousand Syrian Arab mercenaries have died in Syria, Libya and Armenia (for Azerbaijan). Turkey pays well (by Syrian standards) for these mercenaries, who receive free medical care and compensation for disability and death benefits of next-of-kin if killed. Turkey does not use local mercenaries in northern Iraq. A growing number of attacks against terrorists in Turkey, Syria and Iraq, as well as regular forces in Libya and Armenia are carried out by F-16s and UAVs using guided missiles. July 6, 2022: In the north, across the Syrian border in Quneitra province, an armed Israeli UAV used a missile to kill the Lebanese commander of Hezbollah forces in Quneitra. Since the 1980s the Lebanese Hezbollah Shia militia has been supported financially and with weapons by Iran. After 2011 Iran ordered Hezbollah forces into Syria to protect the Shia Assad government and later to take control of the Syrian side of the Israeli border and work with Iranian troops to launch attacks on Israel. This attack was part of a Israeli effort to prevent Iranian forces from operating close to the Israeli border gaining support from the border population in the border provinces of Quneitra, Daraa and Suwayda. Total population of these provinces in 2011 was 1.4 million but only about 20 percent of that was on or near the border. After the 2011 Civil War began much of the Sunni population fled. How much remains on the border is unclear but is apparently at least 100,000. Only Queneitra and Daraa border Israel. Israel has occupied most of Queneitra province since the 1967 War and the Israeli controlled area is mostly the Golan Heights. This is the high ground overlooking northern Israel and the Syrians made a major and ultimately failed effort in the 1973 War to retake Golan. Control of the Daraa border with Israel was sought by Iranian forces but Russian and Syrian troops blocked many of the Iranian efforts and are now pushing away Iranian-backed forces already there. July 2, 2022: On the west coast, outside the port of Tartus, a missile, apparently from Israel, hit a target described as an Iranian (surface to air) system that recently arrived by ship. Iran suffered heavy losses when weapons were transported by truck via Syria. Some systems are too heavy for air transports and ships are the only option. Syria will sometimes attack these at sea before they reach Syria. Todays attack also wounded two civilians. This was the 16th Israeli airstrike in Syria so far in 2022. June 29, 2022: In the south (Quneitra province) Syria, Iranian Shia Arab mercenaries are being subjected to a purge by their Iranian employers who have noted a lack of enthusiasm for their work. If the unemployment werent so high, these poor performers would not be working for these Iranian fanatics. The regular pay is a tremendous incentive to pretend youre doing your job and hope the Iranians dont notice. They did and took action. Iran has been having cash-flow problems since American economic sanctions were revived in 2017. Iran was forced to reduce what it spent on mercenaries in Syria and Lebanon. Iran does not send Iranian troops from the army because most of those soldiers want nothing to do with overseas wars and neither do the families of these soldiers. For a while some army commandos volunteered to go but that eventually ended as anti-government sentiment increased back in Iran and IRGC personnel supplied as much supervision as they could. The IRGC was created in the 1980s to protect the religious dictatorship from attacks by disloyal military personnel. Then and now, many, now most, Iranians opposed the religious dictatorship. Now the IRGC is having problems finding suitable new recruits. At the same time the IRGC is facing growing problems inside Iran, not just from the Iranian military, but from the general public and a growing presence of Israeli assassinations (of IRGC and nuclear weapon specialists) and sabotage attacks on Iranian nuclear weapons facilities. June 28, 2022: Turkey maintained that its rejection of Finland and Sweden's NATO bids was firm. However, he also urged the U.S. to approve Turkeys request to buy more F-16 fighters. Following this statement, Turkey, Sweden and Finland signed a trilateral memorandum that allegedly addresses Turkeys security issues vis a vis the PKK and other organizations. Finland and Sweden indicated they would not support the Syrian Kurdish groups (ie, the YPG). Many Swedish political groups denounced the agreement but so far no Kurds living in Sweden or Finland have been sent back to Turkey. Eventually Turkey backed off on its refusal to approve the Swedes and Finns application to join NATO. . Company will use funding to bring its unique model to other U.S. states and enhance its technology platform COSTA MESA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Add before first paragraph of release dated July 5, 2022: The statements contained in this document are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CMS. The authors assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this document. The updated release reads: CARECONNECTMD ANNOUNCES $25 MILLION INVESTMENT FROM TT CAPITAL PARTNERS TO FUEL EXPANSION AND HIRING Company will use funding to bring its unique model to other U.S. states and enhance its technology platform The statements contained in this document are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CMS. The authors assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this document. CareConnectMD, Inc. (CCMD), a Costa Mesa, Calif., provider of primary care and care coordination services tailored to meet the needs of complex Medicare participants, today announced the close of a $25 million financing round led by Minneapolis-based TT Capital Partners (TTCP). CareConnectMD will leverage the investment to deepen its presence in California, Ohio and Texas and expand into other marketsand to enhance its technology platform to scale and streamline care delivery. CCMDs California-based medical group contracts with managed care and insurance plans to provide comprehensive primary and palliative care to high-risk populations in their homes or choice of care environments, such as skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). The company also partners with other primary care physician groups, enabling them to participate in value-based care (VBC) programs as a part of CCMDs high-needs Direct Contracting Entity (DCE). CCMD is currently one of only eight high-needs DCEs in the country selected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in the first performance of the Global and Professional Direct Contracting Model (GPDC), recently rebranded by CMS as the Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health program (ACO REACH). The DCE model is a financial risk-sharing arrangement developed by CMS to reduce Medicare expenditures while enhancing the quality of care to members. CMS designed the program to help drive the shift to value in Medicare, reduce the administrative burden on providers, and empower beneficiaries to engage in their own healthcare. CMS has introduced several Medicare value-based programs in recent years to reward healthcare providers with incentive payments for the quality of care they deliver, all part of CMSs larger strategy to reform how healthcare is delivered and compensated. High-needs patients account for only 5 percent of the U.S. population, but 50 percent of the nations overall healthcare costs, providing a tremendous opportunity for innovative care models to improve quality, drive savings, and enhance the quality of life for the most frail participants, said Dawn Owens, CEO and Partner of TT Capital Partners, who will join CCMDs board of directors as part of the investment. CCMD has extensive experience designing successful risk-based care delivery models and delivering care to high-needs seniors. We are delighted to be partnering with a company that is poised to be a next-generation leader in the shift to value in Medicare. For 25 years, weve been pioneers in the healthcare of the fragile, delivering clinical care to medically complex patients, said Kim Phan, founder and CEO of CCMD. Weve developed a highly repeatable care model that has proven to improve both care and quality of life while also reducing costs. And as one of just eight high-needs DCEs in CMSs new program, we now have the opportunity to revolutionize care delivery by allowing providers and facilities to enter into value-based contracts. We are excited about the opportunities before us and thrilled to welcome TT Capital Partners as an investor and a partner. CCMD Managing Director Alan Hoops, who previously served as executive chairman of HealthEssentials, as chairman and CEO of CareMore Health Plan, and as chairman and CEO of PacifiCare Health Systems, added, CCMD has assembled a highly skilled team with extensive experience delivering quality care for medically complex and high-needs patients. The company is addressing an urgent market need and is well positioned to drive improved outcomes and meaningfully impact in the shift to value in Medicare. CCMD provides comprehensive care for medically complex and high-needs patients, whether they live in specialized facilities or their own homes, including routine visits, supportive care, geriatric behavioral services, and 24/7 on-call providers. The company also offers palliative care services and telemedicine. Chicago-based Ziegler acted as financial advisor to CCMD. Legal advisor for CCMD was Hooper, Lundy & Bookman, P.C.; and legal advisor for TTCP was Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP. About CCMD CareConnectMD provides personalized and compassionate medical care for fragile and medically complex patients in skilled nursing and long-term care facilities, as well as in the home. The companys high-needs Direct Contracting Entity (DCE) is one of only eight high-needs DCEs in the first cohort of the program announced by CMS. Through the DCE, the company enables original Medicare providers to enter into value-based arrangements, aligning incentives across all healthcare constituents to provide the best care possible. The companys highest priority remains ensuring that patients receive the right care at the right time, through improved communication, better coordination, and compassionate care. Helping patients live their best life. To learn more, visit www.careconnectmd.com. About TT Capital Partners TT Capital Partners (TTCP) is a value-add healthcare investor that provides capital, expertise and insight to healthcare technology and services companies that have the potential to become market leaders. With its exclusive focus on healthcare, extensive industry network, and deep investing and operating experience, TTCP has invested in some of the most high-growth businesses that are innovating and disrupting how healthcare is delivered, managed and consumed. CCMD joins several other TTCP investments that are leading the transition to value-based care. Learn more at www.TTCapitalPartners.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220705005167/en/ Becky Gauerke TT Capital Partners [email protected] Source: CareConnectMD, Inc. Financial results are solid across operating segments proving the strength of Algoma's focused diversification strategy ST. CATHARINES, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Algoma Central Corporation (TSX: ALC) today reported its results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022. Revenues increased 9% during the 2022 second quarter to $183,463 compared to $167,687 for the same period in 2021 while net earnings increased 46% in the same period. The Company reported 2022 second quarter EBITDA(1) of $61,412 compared to $61,860 for the same period in 2021. All amounts reported below are in thousands of Canadian dollars, except for per share data and where the context dictates otherwise. "I have a different perspective this quarter, as I write this from onboard the Captain Henry Jackman while she transports a load of iron ore pellets from Port Cartier to Hamilton" said Gregg Ruhl, President and CEO of Algoma Central Corporation. "I am impressed by the hard work of our crews in these ever-changing times and with the performance of the newest ship in our fleet which entered into service just a year ago. Algoma continued to deliver strong results in the second quarter, largely driven by the efforts of our dedicated teams, our strategic long-term investments, and our valued partnerships. Our international fleets generated excellent results, our Domestic Dry-Bulk fleet held up well under the shadow of a 46% decrease in Canadian grain exports for the crop year-to-date and demand for our product tankers is beginning to gain momentum. As we look into the second half of 2022, I am confident in our ability to continue to generate strong results by flexing our fleets to meet our customers' needs as economic conditions evolve," concluded Mr. Ruhl. Financial Highlights: Second Quarter 2022 Compared to 2021 Net earnings increased 46% to $47,045 compared to $32,315 last year. Basic earnings per share were $1.24 compared to $0.85. Global Short Sea Shipping segment equity earnings increased 108% to $9,454 compared to $4,544 for the prior year. Earnings include a $4,782 gain on the sale of two vessels; excluding this gain, earnings increased 37%. Ocean Self-Unloader segment revenue increased 26% to $50,292 compared to $40,006 driven by higher freight rates and fuel cost recoveries. Operating earnings increased 188% to $11,139 compared to $3,865. During the 2021 second quarter, a one-time compensation payment of $5,513 related to the retirement of two older vessels owned by our partner in the Pool was expensed. Domestic Dry-Bulk segment revenue increased 3% to $99,288 compared to $96,855, reflecting increased fuel recoveries and modestly improved base freight rates across several sectors, partially offset by lower volumes. Operating earnings decreased 36% to $21,504 compared to $33,554 driven by higher operating costs and by the timing of winter lay-up spending this year compared to 2021. Revenue for Product Tankers increased 11% to $31,923 compared to $28,688. This was mainly driven by higher fuel cost recoveries, partially offset by unplanned outages on two vessels. Operating earnings decreased 24% to $3,683 compared to $4,821 driven by higher operating costs. The Sault Ste. Marie shopping centre that was held for sale in the Investment Properties segment sold at the end of June and a pre-tax gain of $14,372 was recorded in the second quarter. Consolidated Statement of Earnings Three Months Ended Six Months Ended For the periods ended June 30 2022 2021 2022 2021 (unaudited, in thousands of dollars, except per share data) Revenue $ 183,463 $ 167,687 $ 268,566 $ 245,286 Operating expenses (125,615 ) (101,311 ) (212,173 ) (182,601 ) Selling, general and administrative (8,767 ) (7,306 ) (17,178 ) (15,816 ) Other operating item (2,783 ) (2,482 ) Depreciation and amortization (17,000 ) (16,992 ) (33,745 ) (34,485 ) Operating earnings 32,081 39,295 5,470 9,902 Interest expense (5,048 ) (4,931 ) (10,033 ) (10,248 ) Interest income 28 15 39 42 Gain on sale of property 14,372 1,586 14,372 1,586 Foreign currency gain 2,097 527 1,490 580 43,530 36,492 11,338 1,862 Income tax (expense) recovery (8,947 ) (8,752 ) 1,210 1,990 Net earnings from investments in joint ventures 12,462 4,575 14,926 6,047 Net earnings $ 47,045 $ 32,315 $ 27,474 $ 9,899 Basic earnings per share $ 1.24 $ 0.85 $ 0.73 $ 0.26 Diluted earnings per share $ 1.12 $ 0.78 $ 0.69 $ 0.26 EBITDA(1) The Company uses EBITDA as a measure of the cash generating capacity of its businesses. The following table provides a reconciliation of net earnings in accordance with GAAP to the non-GAAP EBITDA measure for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 and presented herein: EBITDA(1) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended For the periods ended June 30 2022 2021 2022 2021 Net loss $ 47,045 $ 32,315 $ 27,474 $ 9,899 Depreciation and amortization 22,993 21,118 44,548 42,388 Impairment reversal (2,783 ) (2,783 ) Interest and taxes 15,126 14,489 10,498 9,702 Foreign exchange loss (gain) (1,815 ) (607 ) (1,293 ) (817 ) Other operating item (2,730 ) (3,031 ) Gain on sale of property (14,372 ) (1,586 ) (14,372 ) (1,586 ) Gain on sale of vessels (4,782 ) (1,139 ) (4,780 ) (1,347 ) EBITDA $ 61,412 $ 61,860 $ 59,292 $ 55,208 Select Financial Performance by Business Segment Three Months Ended Six Months Ended For the periods ended June 30 2022 2021 2022 2021 Domestic Dry-Bulk Revenue $ 99,288 $ 96,855 $ 123,876 $ 121,408 Operating earnings (loss) 21,504 33,554 (5,715 ) 3,871 Product Tankers Revenue 31,923 28,688 49,959 46,905 Operating earnings 3,683 4,821 2,125 5,044 Ocean Self-Unloaders Revenue 50,292 40,006 90,613 72,501 Operating earnings 11,139 3,865 17,246 8,233 Corporate and Other Revenue 1,960 2,138 4,118 4,472 Operating loss (4,245 ) (2,945 ) (8,186 ) (7,246 ) The MD&A for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 includes further details. Full results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 can be found on the Companys website at www.algonet.com/investor-relations and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. 2022 Business Outlook(2) Dry-bulk cargo volumes for the second half of the year are expected to be strong across all commodities, driving increased domestic fleet utilization for the remainder of the year. The war in Ukraine will likely continue to impact grain trading patterns and the current outlook for the Western Canadian grain crop in the fall is for a return to normal harvest levels. Product Tanker demand remains steady and we expect the fleet to be well utilized for the balance of the year. Customer demand and vessel capacity for the Ocean segment is well balanced for the remainder of the year. Revenues days for the third quarter will be impacted by a vessel dry-docking. We are anticipating the continuation of the strong charter rates earned by the global short-sea mini-bulker fleet over the first half of 2022 with the potential for a gradual normalization in rates during the second half of the year. This outlook could change if global markets slow appreciably. The cement sector is expected to remain steady throughout the 2022 season and the two additional handy-size bulk carriers, which entered the handy-size fleet in May 2022, are expected to make strong contributions for the remainder of the year. Normal Course Issuer Bid Effective March 21, 2022, the Company renewed its normal course issuer bid with the intention to purchase, through the facilities of the TSX, up to 1,890,457 of its Common Shares ("Shares") representing approximately 5% of the 37,800,943 Shares which were issued and outstanding as at the close of business on March 9, 2022 (the NCIB). Under the current NCIB, no common shares have been purchased or cancelled for the period ended June 30, 2022. Cash Dividends The Company's Board of Directors have authorized payment of a quarterly dividend to shareholders of $0.17 per common share. The dividend will be paid on September 1, 2022 to shareholders of record on August 18, 2022. Notes (1) Use of Non-GAAP Measures The Company uses several financial measures to assess its performance including earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), free cash flow, return on equity, and adjusted performance measures. Some of these measures are not calculated in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), which are based on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), are not defined by GAAP, and do not have standardized meanings that would ensure consistency and comparability among companies using these measures. From Managements perspective, these non-GAAP measures are useful measures of performance as they provide readers with a better understanding of how management assesses performance. Further information on Non-GAAP measures please refer to page 2 in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022. (2) Forward Looking Statements Algoma Central Corporations public communications often include written or oral forward-looking statements. Statements of this type are included in this document and may be included in other filings with Canadian securities regulators or in other communications. All such statements are made pursuant to the safe harbour provisions of any applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements may involve, but are not limited to, comments with respect to our objectives and priorities for 2023 and beyond, our strategies or future actions, our targets, expectations for our financial condition or share price and the results of or outlook for our operations or for the Canadian, U.S. and global economies. The words "may", "will", "would", "should", "could", "expects", "plans", "intends", "trends", "indications", "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "predicts", "likely" or "potential" or the negative or other variations of these words or other comparable words or phrases, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. There is significant risk that predictions, forecasts, conclusions or projections will not prove to be accurate, that our assumptions may not be correct and that actual results may differ materially from such predictions, forecasts, conclusions or projections. We caution readers of this document not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements as a number of factors could cause actual future results, conditions, actions or events to differ materially from the targets, expectations, estimates or intentions expressed in the forward-looking statements. Algoma owns and operates the largest fleet of dry and liquid bulk carriers operating on the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway, including self-unloading dry-bulk carriers, gearless dry-bulk carriers and product tankers. Since 2010 we have introduced 10 new build vessels to our domestic dry-bulk fleet, with one under construction and expected to arrive in 2024, making us the youngest, most efficient and environmentally sustainable fleet on the Great Lakes. Each new vessel reduces carbon emissions on average by 40% versus the ship replaced. Algoma also owns ocean self-unloading dry-bulk vessels operating in international markets and a 50% interest in NovaAlgoma, which owns and operates the world's largest fleet of pneumatic cement carriers and a global fleet of mini-bulk vessels serving regional markets. Algoma truly is Your Marine Carrier of Choice. For more information about Algoma, visit the Company's website at www.algonet.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220805005450/en/ Gregg A. Ruhl President & CEO 905-687-7890 Peter D. Winkley E.V.P. & Chief Financial Officer 905-687-7897 Source: Algoma Central Corporation LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of bbb- (Good) of Dunav-Re a.d.o. (Dunav-Re) (Serbia). The ratings reflect Dunav-Res balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. The revision of the outlooks to positive from stable primarily reflects Dunav-Res record of robust operating performance and the expectation for this to continue. AM Best expects Dunav-Re to report good underwriting profitability in the short to medium term, in line with its recent experience. The companys international business has grown rapidly, and although it is performing well, its performance is marginally lower than the business sourced domestically. Dunav-Res results remain susceptible to potential volatility due to the companys exposure to catastrophe events. Dunav-Res risk-adjusted capitalisation remains at the strongest level, as measured by Bests Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), supported by capital contributions from its ultimate parent, Dunav osiguranje a.d.o. (Dunav Insurance). AM Best expects future business growth to be supported by internal capital generation and financial support from the companys parent. Dunav-Re is somewhat dependent on retrocession to manage domestically sourced business; however, the credit risk associated with this is mitigated partially by the excellent credit quality of the companys retrocession panel. Offsetting factors in the balance sheet strength assessment include the companys high exposure to Serbias financial system and its small capital base. Dunav-Re is a multiline reinsurer operating from within Serbia. It has a dominant position in its local market, where it generates the majority of its business, with Dunav Insurance being its largest cedant. The company is active outside of its domestic market, where it wrote approximately two-thirds of its net written premiums in 2021. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Bests Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Bests Credit Ratings, Bests Performance Assessments, Bests Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Bests Ratings & Assessments. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2022 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220805005393/en/ Stanislav Stoev, ACCA Financial Analyst +44 20 7397 0306 [email protected] Christopher Sharkey Manager, Public Relations +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159 [email protected] Tim Prince Director, Analytics +44 20 7397 0320 [email protected] Jeff Mango Managing Director, Strategy & Communications +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5204 [email protected] Source: AM Best Industry experts will present critical power innovations at the North Carolina Healthcare Engineers Association 70th Annual Conference in August 2022. Representatives will present the latest backup power solutions for healthcare power challenges FLORHAM PARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Healthcare facilities serve mission-critical functions that require power continuity. At the North Carolina Healthcare Engineers Associations 70th Annual Conference, ASCO Power Technologies will showcase critical power innovations that mitigate power outage risks while advancing sustainability and streamlining regulatory compliance. Attendees will meet experts who will demonstrate how ASCO solutions help hospitals and healthcare facilities conquer emerging power challenges. The event will be held from August 9 to 12, 2022, at the Wilmington Convention Center in Wilmington, North Carolina, USA. Engineers, facility managers, engine dealers, and electrical contractors are encouraged to attend. Located at Booth 92, ASCO experts will show how products such as ASCO Quick Connect Panels, Transfer Switches, Paralleling Switchgear, and Critical Power Management Appliances can help meet a wide range of applications for new and existing facilities. They will also illustrate how ASCO technical services can provide real value in maintaining critical power availability and modernizing older systems. By visiting the ASCO booth, attendees can: Learn how to address the most pressing backup power challenges in healthcare Discover how to streamline compliance with automated reporting for emergency power systems Network with industry experts and peers who solve backup power challenges every day. ASCO will be represented by power professionals from PL&C Sales, Inc., a leading ASCO power Technologies Representative with more than a quarter century of critical power experience. Attendees are encouraged to stop by Booth 92 to speak directly with Partner Billy Blackburn, Vice President Rodney Mathis, and Technical Sales Specialist Nathan Byars. Visit the ASCO Events page for registration information and event details. About ASCO Power Technologies ASCO Power Technologies has provided power reliability solutions for more than 125 years. The firm designs, manufactures, services, and supports generator transfer switches, power control equipment, load banks, and critical power management appliances. ASCO products serve mission-critical functions in data centers, healthcare facilities, telecommunication networks, commercial buildings, and industrial operations. To learn more about any of ASCOs premium products and services, call (800) 800 ASCO (2726), email [email protected], or visit www.ascopower.com. To receive updates on the latest news and updates, follow ASCOs Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220805005306/en/ Laurence Grodsky + 1 973 307 7352 [email protected] Source: ASCO Power Technologies VILLEURBANNE, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: NAVYA (FR0013018041- Navya) (Paris: NAVYA), an autonomous mobility systems leader, announces a new partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), AECOM, and the city of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, USA, to deploy the Arma Navya Autonom shuttle. The pilot project will offer new transportation options to the White Bear Lake community and will run for a year over a route of 1.5-miles, connecting a number of residential facilities to the community YMCA, including PAI, The Boulders and Willow Wood Apartments. The members of the community and its partners have given the shuttle the name Bear Tracks, because it offers a totally new service in area of the city which up until now didnt benefit from shared transportation. Navya Autonom Shuttle is 100% electric and has multiple on-board sensors, such as the 2D and 3D Lidars, a GPS system, and an odometer, which monitor its location along the route, while detecting and observing obstacles like pedestrians and other vehicles. Being totally autonomous, it has neither steering wheel nor pedals, but an operator is always on hand to take over manual control and to assist the passengers. Moreover, Bear Track is equipped with a mobility ramp in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It will operate from Monday to Friday between 9.30 am and 1.30 pm and will be free of charge to the public. AECOM will be the prime contractor, MnDOT will be in charge finance, and Newtrax Transportation will provide the operators once they have completed their Navya training course. The project forms part of MnDOTs Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) Strategic Plan, fostering enhanced mobility for persons with disabilities and better travel options elderly communities, while promoting public awareness of the technologies associated with automated vehicles. The academic partnership with White Bear Lake High School and the University of Minnesota are a unique aspect of the pilot, offering the students firsthand experience with CAVs and boosting employment possibilities. Other partners in the project are Ramsey County, Newtrax, the University of Minnesota, White Bear Lake Area Schools, the Minnesota State Transportation Center of Excellence and the White Bear Area Chamber of Commerce. A website will be launched this summer, providing information on the shuttle, its route, and detailing all the opportunities to view it: www.beartrackswbl.org We at MnDOT value opportunities to collaborate with local communities and companies like Navya, Inc. to strengthen partnerships, said MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger. The Bear Tracks autonomous shuttles provide safe transportation options for White Bear Lake community members, particularly some of our more vulnerable residents. The demonstration project also provides invaluable information that can move Minnesota forward in its goal of safe, equitable transportation for all in our state. Daryl Taavola, vice president with AECOMs U.S. West Transportation: Were incredibly proud to partner with MnDOT and White Bear Lake to launch this groundbreaking project, which not only advances emerging automation technologies but uniquely integrates transit accessibility and equity as a main focus. This pilot will serve as a tangible example that helps the public understand and interact with the benefits of these vehicles while providing the community with a free, safe, and sustainable transportation option. Mayor of White Bear Lake commented: We are really excited to expose our community to autonomous vehicle technology and demonstrate how CAV can be integrated into a typical small urban community. We believe autonomous vehicles can be the future of mobility for those in need, and we plan to show the effectiveness of these technologies with this project. We hope to get all WBL residents who have never experienced self-driving technology to come and experience this new safe and sustainable transportation option. Sophie Desormiere, CEO of Navya: "We are delighted to work with MnDOT, AECOM and the city of White Bear Lake on their first AV project. By joining our forces we will be able to provide a mobility solution to a large number of residents for whom no form of shared transportation has hitherto been available. Our shuttles are not only examples of emerging transportation technology, but also provide a concrete response to the community's mobility needs by connecting people and enabling them to access services and activities. The Minnesota use case will also provide additional data on the shuttles operation during a wide range of weather conditions throughout the one-year pilot." About MnDOT The Minnesota Department of Transporations mission is to plan, build, operate and maintain a safe, accessible, efficient and reliable multimodal transportation system that connects people to destinations and markets throughout the state, regionally and around the world. https://www.dot.state.mn.us/index.html About AECOM AECOM is the worlds trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle from planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy, and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical expertise and innovation, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $13.3 billion in fiscal year 2021. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM. https://aecom.com/ About the City of White Bear Lake White Bear Lake is located approximately 20 miles north from the Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Airport with a population of nearly 25,000. While in close proximity to the Twin Cities, White Bear Lake maintains its own distinct, small-town character. The City's rich history, its strong spirit of volunteerism and progressive approach to opportunities and challenges make it a great place to live and work. Explore what's going on around town and enjoy https://www.whitebearlake.org/ About NAVYA Created in 2014, NAVYA is a leading French name specialized in the supply of autonomous mobility systems and associated services. With 280 employees in France (Paris and Lyon), in the United States (Michigan) and in Singapore, NAVYA aims at becoming the leading player in Level 4 autonomous mobility systems for passenger and goods transport. Since 2015, NAVYA has been the first to market and put into service autonomous mobility solutions. The Autonom Shuttle, main development axis, is dedicated to passenger transport. Since its launch, more than 200 units have been sold in 25 countries as of 31 December 2021. The Autonom Tract is designed to goods transport. Engaged in an ambitious CSR approach, the Company has an active policy in this area, as illustrated by the obtaining of the ISO 9001 certification in September 2021. The Valeo and Keolis groups are among NAVYAs historical shareholders. NAVYA is listed on the Euronext regulated market in Paris (ISIN code: FR0013018041- Navya). For more information visit: www.navya.tech/en View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220805005345/en/ NAVYA CSR, Marketing & Communication Manager Nathalie Marcy [email protected] +33 (0)7 63 20 00 52 CFO Pierre Guibert [email protected] NewCap Investor relations Thomas Grojean Nicolas Fossiez [email protected] +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 NewCap Media relations Nicolas Merigeau [email protected] +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98 Source: NAVYA From Dirt to Move In in Less Than One Year School Grows to Include All K-12 Grade Levels in Just 10 Years WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Building Hope, a non-profit foundation dedicated to creating high-quality K-12 charter school opportunities for students through its expertise in real estate, finance and operational services, yesterday celebrated the official grand opening of Burns Science and Technology High School (Burns Sci Tech) in Oak Hill, FL after breaking ground less than a year ago. Burns Sci Tech and Building Hopes relationship spans a decade and has produced, with this new facility, the creation of a full Kindergarten to grade 12 education experience for students and families. With the addition of the 23,000 square-foot high school facility, Burns Sci Tech will now serve nearly 1,000 students and employ 104 educators and staff. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220805005392/en/ Senator Tom A. Wright of the Florida Senate speaking at the Burns Sci Tech ribbon cutting on 8/4/22 (Photo: Business Wire) In just under a year, we are seeing our dream for a new, state-of-the-art school come true in the Burns Sci Tech and Oak Hill community, said Principal Dr. Jan McGee. With Building Hope as our partner, we have been able to expand our mission to cultivate high school learners and leaders who are inspired, able, and prepared to make a positive difference in the world. I couldnt be more excited to open the doors and welcome our new students. Chief Marketing Officer of Building Hope Sherilyn Moore said, The Building Hope team has been dedicated to delivering a new facility that would allow Burns Sci Tech to grow and educate the next generation of Science Technology Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) leaders. We want to thank the leadership team at Burns Sci Tech for their vision, direction, and partnership, not only in the last year, but also for the last decade. Principal Dr. Jan McGee and Assistant Principal and Interim High School Principal Daniel Hargrave, along with Building Hope officials, were joined were joined at the ribbon-cutting event by community leaders and state legislative representatives. Senator Tom A. Wright of the Florida Senate, Oak Hill Mayor Douglas Gibson, candidate for the Florida House of Representatives Chase Tramont, and Burns Sci Tech School Board Chair Albert Amalfitano shared the importance of Burns Sci Tech's educational opportunity for the students and families of Volusia County. Additionally, members of the Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce, the Oak Hill City Council, the Oak Hill Community Trust, and Burns Sci Tech School Board were in attendance to celebrate with students and families. Building Hope Project Manager of Real Estate Justin Little, who attended the ribbon-cutting event, shared, It has been a pleasure to collaborate with Burns Sci Tech and the city of Oak Hill on building out a new educational home for 400 high school students. But its never only about building a brick-and-mortar facility with each of our charter school projects, we invest in students and their future success, we learn from our community partners, and together, we help build the type of world we want to live in. Burns Sci Tech is housed at the site of the former W.F. Burns Elementary School, which was closed in 2008. Community leaders, educators, and parents worked tirelessly to keep the building intact. In late 2010, Volusia County School Board and the Charter Evaluation Committee recommended approval for the Burns Science and Technology Charter. The new site of Burns Sci Tech High School is directly beside the existing school. For more information about how Building Hope helps charter schools nationwide with facilities, financing, and operational services, visit www.buildinghope.org. About Building Hope Building Hope is a non-profit foundation created to support public charter schools. Since 2003, Building Hope has grown the capacity of charter schools nationwide by providing facilities, financial, and operational services, so schools can focus more time and resources on educating students. Building Hope has supported 300 charter school projects and 150,000 students in 20 states and the District of Columbia, by providing more than $363 million in direct loans, credit enhancements, and equity investments to support $1.9 billion in school construction. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220805005392/en/ Media Contacts ShinePR for Building Hope [email protected] [email protected] Source: Building Hope Company Demonstrates Ability to Stay Over Area of Operation Announces Additional 2022 Test Flights ROSWELL, N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sceye, a manufacturer of High-Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS), announced that it reached the stratosphere on June 14, 2022 with the aim of demonstrating the ability to stay over an area of operation for months at a time using renewable energy sources. The milestone test launch, which is using patented solar and battery power, puts Sceye on track to expand internet access to remote populations, monitor greenhouse gasses down to individual emitters, and detect natural disasters as they begin. The company also announced additional test flights for Q3 and Q4 2022. Sceyes HAPS launched at 6:55 AM MDT from the companys hangar at the Roswell International Airport. Todays test flight holds extraordinary potential for stratospheric discovery, said Sceye founder and CEO, Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen. By maintaining position in the stratosphere for extended periods of time, we can begin realizing the promises of the stratosphere for life on Earth. Universal internet access, methane monitoring, and wildfire detection are all at our fingertips. The launch objectives were to: Test durability and performance of renewable power systems in the stratosphere Demonstrate the ability to stay over an area of operation Maintain a constant float altitude in the stratosphere Sceyes HAPS design, in the form of an enhanced balloon, can lift a variety of payloads for connectivity, earth observation, and scientific research. Its hull fabric can manage the extreme environment of the stratosphere, and optimizes strength, helium retention, and thermal management. High-performance batteries and solar panels close the power loop: enough power storage to last until sunrise, and efficient solar cells to collect energy during the day. We are thrilled to see years of research and development culminating in this milestone moment, said David Kim, Sceyes Chief Technology Officer. It is the very best application of material science pushing the boundaries of near space. Chief of Mission Operations, Stephanie Luongo, said, This launch is the second of six in our test program this year intended to verify payload and automated flight while ensuring safe operations. Were excited to learn more from upcoming flight tests planned for late summer and fall. In October 2021, Sceye was the first to connect a Massive MIMO antenna with 3D beamforming from the stratosphere directly to smartphones on the ground over a 140 km distance a world record in Open RAN. In March 2022, Sceye successfully validated its automated flight software which increases the reliability of its HAPS during its most critical phases of flight launch and ascent. Sceye has partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), New Mexico Economic Development Department, and New Mexico Environment Department on a five-year study to monitor air quality in the State of New Mexico. Sceyes HAPS will track methane emissions with a sub 1-m resolution, allowing them to determine pollution levels as well as pinpoint individual emitters. About Sceye Sceye is a material science company founded in 2014 to unleash the possibilities in the stratosphere by uplifting and connecting all people, and protecting our planet. The company has developed a new generation of stratospheric platforms to provide universal and equitable connectivity, improve climate change monitoring, natural resource stewardship, forest fire monitoring and better detect and contain disasters before they spiral out of control. Sceye continues the humanitarian work of founder and CEO Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen. As owner and former CEO of the public health companies Vestergaard and LifeStraw, he led innovations in material science that have saved millions of lives. LifeStraw water filters have helped nearly eradicate Guinea worm disease, and PermaNet, bed nets made from innovative fibers that release microscopic doses of insecticide, have helped reduce global malaria deaths by more than half. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220805005490/en/ [email protected] Source: Sceye PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: Tikehau Capital (Paris: TKO): In accordance with Article 5 of EU Regulation n 596/2014 (Market Abuse Regulation), detailed information is available on the website of Tikehau Capital: https://www.tikehaucapital.com/fr/shareholders/regulatory-information Disclosure of shares repurchases from 29 July to 4 August 2022 Name of the issuer Issuer Identity Code (LEI) Trading Day ISIN Aggregated volume per day (number of shares) Weighted average price per day Market (MIC Code) TIKEHAU CAPITAL 969500BY8TEU16U3SJ94 29/07/2022 FR0013230612 3,006 23.6216 XPAR TIKEHAU CAPITAL 969500BY8TEU16U3SJ94 01/08/2022 FR0013230612 2,267 24.0432 XPAR TIKEHAU CAPITAL 969500BY8TEU16U3SJ94 02/08/2022 FR0013230612 2,439 23.9710 XPAR TIKEHAU CAPITAL 969500BY8TEU16U3SJ94 03/08/2022 FR0013230612 3,046 24.0143 XPAR TIKEHAU CAPITAL 969500BY8TEU16U3SJ94 04/08/2022 FR0013230612 3,128 24.4504 XPAR TIKEHAU CAPITAL 969500BY8TEU16U3SJ94 04/08/2022 FR0013230612 260 24.3385 CEUX TOTAL 14,146 24.0304 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220805005430/en/ Tikehau Capital Source: Tikehau Capital AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), a leading sustainable energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, today announced Maria Fatima Banez Garcia and Camille Joseph Varlack have been appointed to its Board of Directors and Donna S. Watson has been appointed to the Avangrid Networks Board of Directors, AVANGRIDs wholly owned subsidiary that owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities. Im pleased to announce the appointment of Fatima and Camille to the AVANGRID Board and Donna to the Avangrid Networks Board, said Ignacio Galan, Chairman and CEO of Iberdrola and Chairman of AVANGRID. Their expertise in key areas, such as public policy, risk management, government relations and operations, will drive growth and build long-term shareholder value for AVANGRID. Im confident they will provide valuable perspectives as we continue to execute our strategy and build a clean energy future for our customers and communities. Pedro Azagra, CEO of AVANGRID, added, I want to extend a warm welcome to Fatima, Camille and Donna. They bring an impressive wealth of knowledge in areas important to our business and, as a result, I expect the company will benefit from their expertise for years to come. The addition of Banez and Varlack to the AVANGRID Board increases the percentage of directors who identify as woman or members of a minority group to approximately 29% and increases the number of independent board members to approximately 57%. Watson joined the nine directors for Avangrid Networks and increased the number of independent Avangrid Networks directors to four. With these appointments, AVANGRID and Iberdrola continue to make significant strides toward achieving their goals of addressing the corporate leadership gender gap and achieving full gender parity by 2030. Banez is a business consultant and advisor and most recently served as an independent member of the board of directors and audit committee of Iberdrola Mexico, a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A. She will bring to the AVANGRID Board executive leadership experience including her experience as Minister for Employment and Social Security of the Government of Spain, along with a global business perspective and extensive experience in government relations, economic development, public policy, and human capital management. Banez has a Law and Business Degree from Universidad Pontificia de Comillas ICADE, a postgraduate certificate in business administration studies from Harvard University and completed the Public Administration Leadership Program from IESE Business School in Madrid. Varlack is a founding partner and the chief operating officer of Bradford Edwards & Varlack, LLP, a complex civil and commercial litigation firm based in New York City. She has more than 18 years of hands-on experience in public and private sector legal and operational leadership, including extensive experience in risk management, government relations, ethics and compliance, cybersecurity and human capital management. Varlack has a Juris Doctorate from Brooklyn Law School and a Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York at Buffalo and is admitted to the Bar of the State of New York. Watson has nearly four decades of management and senior leadership experience in the financial services industry with expertise across core disciplines, including operations, risk management, sales management and client experience. She most recently served as Bank of Americas national operations executive for the companys preferred lending business. Previously, she was the operations executive responsible for process enablement, risk management and business continuity for the northeast divisions 950 financial centers. Watson earned her Bachelor of Arts from Hood College. She has remained active in local non-profit organizations through her career and currently serves on the board of directors for the Girl Scouts of Maine. People queue up to receive monkeypox vaccinations during a pop-up clinic at Guy's Hospital in central London, Britain, July 30, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls (Reuters) - The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Friday there were "early signs" that the monkeypox outbreak is plateauing across the country and that its expansion has slowed. "While the most recent data suggests the growth of the outbreak has slowed, we cannot be complacent," Dr Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections at UKHSA, said. There were 2,859 confirmed and highly probable cases of monkeypox in the UK as of Aug. 4, with nearly 99% of the cases among men, the country's health authority said in a statement. The recent analysis by the UKHSA showed that "monkeypox continues to be transmitted primarily in interconnected sexual networks of gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men", it added. British authorities in June were recommending gay and bisexual men at higher risk of exposure to monkeypox be offered a vaccine, as the outbreak of the viral disease had gathered pace, mostly in Europe. Individuals at higher risk of coming into contact with monkeypox are being offered the smallpox vaccine, Dr Chand said. Earlier this month, the World Health Organization declared monkeypox a "public health emergency of international concern", its highest alert level. Following the WHO's move, the United States too declared monkeypox a public health emergency on Thursday. (Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; Editing by Jan Harvey) FILE PHOTO: A view shows a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is being fired in an undisclosed location, in Ukraine in this still image obtained from an undated social media video uploaded on June 24, 2022 via Pavlo Narozhnyy/via REUTERS/ (This Aug 5 story adds dropped word in paragraph 9) By Idrees Ali and Mike Stone WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Biden administration's next security assistance package for Ukraine is expected to be $1 billion, one of the largest so far, and include munitions for long-range weapons and armored medical transport vehicles, three sources briefed on the matter told Reuters on Friday. The package is expected to be announced as early as Monday and would add to about $8.8 billion in aid the United States has given Ukraine since Russia's invasion on Feb. 24. The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that President Joe Biden had not yet signed the next weapons package. They cautioned that weapons packages can change in value and content before they are signed. However, if signed in its current form, it would be valued at $1 billion and include munitions for HIMARS, NASAMS surface-to-air missile system ammunition and as many as 50 M113 armored medical transports. The new package follows a recent https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/pentagon-approves-plan-treat-ukrainian-troops-us-hospital-germany-official-2022-07-26 Pentagon decision to allow Ukrainians to receive medical treatment at a U.S. military hospital in Germany near Ramstein air base. Last Monday, the Pentagon announced a separate security assistance package for Ukraine valued at up to $550 million, including additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). The White House declined to comment on the package. The new package would be funded under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), in which the president can authorize the transfer of articles and services from U.S. stocks without congressional approval in response to an emergency. HIMARS play a key role in the artillery duel between Ukraine and Russia that has been described as "grinding" with very little movement of the front line in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. Since Russian troops poured over the border in February in what Putin termed a "special military operation", the conflict has settled into a war of attrition fought primarily in the east and south of Ukraine. Moscow is trying to gain control of the largely Russian-speaking Donbas, comprised of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, where pro-Moscow separatists seized territory after the Kremlin annexed Crimea to the south in 2014. So far the United States has sent 16 HIMARS to Ukraine and on July 1 pledged to send two National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS). It was unclear if the NASAMS launchers, made jointly by Raytheon Technologies Corp and Norway's Kongsberg, are already in Ukraine if the munitions were for launchers donated by another country, or if they were being prepositioned. The United States previously committed 200 M113 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine. The armored personnel carriers outfitted with medical equipment could make the fight with Russia more survivable for Ukrainian troops who could then be sent to Germany for further medical treatment. The Kyiv government said in June that 100 to 200 Ukrainian troops were being killed per day. (Reporting by Idrees Ali and Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Mary Milliken and Josie Kao) Palestinians react as they gather at the site of an explosion, following Israeli strikes in Gaza, in Gaza City August 5, 2022. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) -Palestinian militants in Gaza fired dozens of rockets into Israel on Friday in response to Israeli airstrikes which killed at least 10 people, including a senior commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement. As darkness fell, Israeli authorities said sirens had been sounded in southern and central areas, while images broadcast by Israeli television stations appeared to show a number of missiles being shot down by air defence systems. In Tel Aviv, Israel's economic centre, witnesses said they could hear booms but there were no reports of sirens. Islamic Jihad, a militant group with a similar ideology to Hamas, the Islamist movement in charge of Gaza, said it had fired more than 100 rockets on Friday into Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv. Israel's ambulance service said there were no reports of casualties. The strikes came a little more than a year after an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in May 2021, which killed at least 250 people in Gaza and 13 in Israel and left the blockaded enclave's economy shattered. Earlier, local health officials in Gaza said at least 10 people, including a five-year-old child, had been killed and 55 wounded in the Israeli airstrikes, which came after days of escalating tensions following the arrest of a Palestinian militant leader during the week. An Israeli spokesperson said the strikes had killed Islamic Jihad commander Tayseer al-Jaabari and around 15 "terrorists" but said the military did not have a final casualty total. "Israel carried out a precise counterterror operation against an immediate threat," Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in a televised statement in which he pledged to do "whatever it takes to defend our people". "Our fight is not with the people of Gaza. Islamic Jihad is an Iranian proxy that wants to destroy the State of Israel and kill innocent Israelis," he said. The Israeli military said in a Twitter post that its war planes targeted Islamic Jihad sites in Gaza that "severely affect the organisation's ability to develop military capabilities." An Islamic Jihad official confirmed that al-Jaabari, whom the Israeli military described as the main coordinator between Islamic Jihad and Hamas, had been killed in the strikes, which hit several targets around the densely populated strip. Smoke rose from a building where al-Jaabari was apparently killed and glass and rubble were strewn across the street amid the sound of ambulances racing to other sites. As mourners prepared to hold funerals for those killed in the attacks, hundreds, some holding Palestinian flags, marched through the streets of Gaza, while queues formed outside bakeries and supermarkets as people stocked up on food and staples. The strikes came after Israel arrested Bassam al-Saadi, a senior leader of the Islamic Jihad group, during a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin earlier this week. It subsequently closed off all Gaza crossings and some nearby roads over fears of retaliation from the group, which has a stronghold in Gaza, further restricting Palestinian movement. Israel's military said Defence Minister Benny Gantz had approved plans to call up 25,000 reservists following the strikes, signalling that Israel expected an extended confrontation. 'NO RED LINES' In an interview on Al Mayadeen television, a pro-Iranian Lebanese channel, Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhala vowed retaliation for the strikes. "There are no red lines in this battle and Tel Aviv will fall under the rockets of resistance, as well as all Israeli cities," he said. Hamas' armed wing issued a statement saying: "The blood of our people and our mujahideen will not go in vain." United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, warned that the "dangerous" escalation risked creating the need for more aid at a time when world resources were stretched by other conflicts. "The launching of rockets must cease immediately, and I call on all sides to avoid further escalation," he said. Egypt said it was mediating between Israel and the Palestinians. Islamic Jihad, one of a cluster of Palestinian militant groups, was founded in Gaza in the 1980s and opposes political dialogue with Israel. Considered close to Iran, it is separate from Hamas but generally cooperates closely with the movement. The Israeli military spokesperson said authorities expected there would be rocket attacks against the centre of Israel but said Iron Dome anti-missile batteries were operational. He said special measures had been imposed in Israeli areas 80 kilometres around Gaza. He said plans to allow fuel trucks into Gaza to keep the area's sole power plant operational had been dropped at the last minute as intelligence picked up movements that indicated attacks on Israeli targets were imminent. The lack of fuel is set to lead to more power cuts in Gaza, where residents already have just 10 hours of electricity a day, and further hit the economy of a region that depends on foreign aid and still struggles to recover from past wars. A narrow strip of land where some 2.3 million people live on a patch of 365 square kilometres (140 square miles), Gaza has been a constant point of conflict ever since Hamas took control. Israel has fought five conflicts with Gaza since 2009. The area has since been under blockade, with Israel and Egypt tightly restricting movement of people and goods in and out. "We have not yet been able to reconstruct what Israel had destroyed a year ago. People didn't have the chance to breathe, and here Israel is attacking again without any reason," said Mansour Mohammad-Ahmed, 43, a farmer from central Gaza. (Reporting by Nidal al Mughrabi, Henriette Chacar, James Mackenzie; Editing by Mark Potter, Frank Jack Daniel and Daniel Wallis) Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire Global Blood Therapeutics (NYSE: GBT), according to a report by The Wall Street Journal Friday. The news follows Thursday's report by Bloomberg that large pharmaceutical companies are eyeing a potential takeover deal for Global Blood Therapeutics. Pfizer is said to be discussing a potential $5 billion takeover of Global Blood Therapeutics. The company's drug for sickle-cell disease was recently approved. The move would bolster Pfizer's portfolio and pipeline. The WSJ said its sources told them Pfizer is aiming to seal a deal for GBT within the coming days. However, there is no guarantee of a deal, and other companies are said to be "still in the mix." GBT shares popped 41% following Thursday's report and have gained another 9.5% Friday. By Sam Boughedda Appoints Bob Camerlinck Chief Operating Officer and Amy Charley Chief Administrative Officer.Enhanced leadership team will drive strategic initiatives to maximize Cano Healths strengths and position the company for the next stage of growth. Miami, FL, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cano Health, Inc. (Cano Health or the Company), a leading value-based primary care provider and population health company, announced two new senior positions on its executive leadership team to build on its success and help drive critical opportunities for a stronger professional infrastructure across the organization. Bob Camerlinck, President of Cano Healths Healthy Partners Medical Centers and Affiliates, will become Chief Operating Officer (COO), and Amy Charley will join the Company as Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), effective August 1, 2022. We are thrilled to elevate Bob and welcome Amy to Cano Health to capitalize on a moment of extraordinary opportunity for the business, said Dr. Marlow Hernandez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cano Health. Bob and Amys impressive track record building comprehensive business solutions will be invaluable in helping us achieve the highest operational standards and strengthening the execution of Cano Healths value-based model of healthcare. Previously serving as President of Healthy Partners Medical Centers and Affiliates, Mr. Camerlinck has over 25 years of extensive experience in value-based care, introducing comprehensive Medicare Advantage health plans to primary care physicians and supporting physicians in value-based healthcare systems. As COO, Mr. Camerlinck will oversee Cano Healths daily business operations and work closely with Cano Healths executive leadership to implement Cano Healths strategy and drive sustained performance. I am excited to take on this new role at Cano Health to enhance and expand the companys abilities to meet the needs of its patients and realize its long-term potential, said Bob Camerlinck, COO of Cano Health. My experience leading value-based healthcare organizations to sustained success aligns with Cano Healths mission of providing accessible, equitable, and preventative care. Ms. Charley is a seasoned attorney with more than 20 years of broad-based experience in healthcare management, transactions, and administrative oversight. Ms. Charley joins Cano Health from Alteon Health, where she served as Chief Legal and Administrative Officer. As CAO, Ms. Charley will be responsible for the management of administrative functions and overseeing strategy development, organizational governance, and change management. I am incredibly excited to join the Cano Health family and play a leading role in establishing processes that will help drive the success and efficiency of the business, said Amy Charley, CAO of Cano Health. I am proud to be joining a company dedicated to achieving better health and wellness outcomes. I look forward to applying my experience to make Cano Health even more innovative and successful. About Cano Health Cano Health (NYSE: CANO) is a high-touch, technology-powered healthcare company delivering personalized, value-based primary care to more than 270,000 members. With its headquarters in Miami, Florida, Cano Health is transforming healthcare by delivering primary care that measurably improves the health, wellness, and quality of life of its patients and the communities it serves. Founded in 2009, Cano Health has more than 4,000 employees, and operates primary care medical centers and supports affiliated providers in eight states and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit canohealth.com or investors.canohealth.com. Attachments On 4 August 2022 Siauliu Bankas AB (hereinafter the Bank) has received notifications of Algirdas Butkus and Ilona Baranauskiene about their resignation from the Banks Management Board members. 18 August 2022 is the last day of Algirdas Butkuss term of office as a member of the Management Board and as a Deputy of the CEO of the Bank and 30 September is the last day of Ilona Baranauskienes term of office as a member of the Management Board and as a Head of Legal and Administration Division of the Bank. At the Bank's Management Board meeting held on 4 August 2022, Vytautas Sinius, Chief Executive Officer of the Bank, was elected as the Chairman of the Bank's Management Board and will take up his duties as Chairman of the Bank's Management Board from 19 August 2022. "I have been involved in Siauliu Bankas' development, challenges and achievements since its foundation. As the Bank celebrates its 30th anniversary, I believe that it is time for a change, and I have taken the decision that now, with the changing shareholder structure, is the right time for a long-planned withdrawing. I welcome the Management Board's decision to appoint V. Sinius to the position of Management Boards Chairman, and I have no doubt that the synergy of our colleagues' experience and new ideas will be the next stage of the Bank's sustainable growth and development, bringing maximum value to clients and investors," said Algirdas Butkus. At the meeting of the Bank's Supervisory Council held on 4 August 2022, Valdas Vitkauskas was elected as the Chairman of the Bank's Supervisory Council, replacing Arvydas Salda, who had been a member of the Supervisory Council and Chairman of the Supervisory Council of the Bank until 4 August 2022, and who had announced about his resignation on 9 June 2022 ( see Banks report of 10 June 2022 ). In view of the changes in the members of the Bank's Supervisory Council in 2022, the meeting also reviewed and reconstituted the composition of the committees of the Bank's Supervisory Council. The 2 newly elected members of the Supervisory Council , T. Okmanas and M. Raila, will take up their duties at the Bank subject to permission issued by the Bank's supervisory authority. "On behalf of the entire Bank, we thank the members of the Management Board for their invaluable contribution to the development of Siauliu Bankas and for their leadership at different stages of its development. Together with the renewed Supervisory Council, we continue to work confidently and, as per usual, we shall inform about the composition of the Bank's Management Board in a separate notice in accordance with the procedure established by law," said Vytautas Sinius. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clear Sky Lithium Corp. (CSE: POWR) (FRA: K4A / WKN: A3DM2W) (Clear Sky or the Company), a mineral exploration and development company focused on American lithium deposits to support domestic demand, announces that it has entered property option agreement (the Option Agreement), dated August 05, 2022, with Halo Lithium LLC (the Vendor), pursuant to which it has been granted the right to acquire the Halo Project. The Halo Project is comprised of ninety-eight mineral claims, located in Esmeralda and Nye Counties, Nevada, and is considered prospective for claystone-hosted lithium mineralization. Patrick Morris, CEO notes, This acquisition, in the heart of Americas lithium discovery region, will significantly broaden our project base in Nevada. The Halo Project directly borders two companies who have shown lithium enrichment in the area: American Lithiums TLC project (MRE: 7.1Mt LCEi) to the north, and American Battery Metals Tonopah Flats project to the southwest. We believe Halo is underlain by the same geologic formation that hosts the TLC deposit. We feel that this ground-breaking opportunity will allow us to achieve our goal of becoming a major player in the region and ultimately a contributor to the lithium supply chain. Pursuant to the terms of the Option Agreement, the Company may acquire all rights to the Halo Project from the Vendor, in consideration for completing a series of cash payments and share issuances (the Consideration Shares) in accordance with the following schedule: Deadline Cash Payment Consideration Share Issuance Initial Payment US$250,000 1,865,269 First Anniversary of Option Agreement US$200,000 1,250,000 Second Anniversary of Option Agreement US$200,000 500,000 All Consideration Shares issued to the Vendor will be subject to a twelve-month voluntary escrow arrangement, during which time the Consideration Shares may not be traded without the prior approval of the Company. The Consideration Shares will be released from the escrow arrangement in three tranches, of which 25% will be released after six months, a further 37.5% after nine months, and the balance after twelve months. In addition to the above payments and share issuances, the Company has agreed to reimburse the Vendor for expenses incurred in maintaining the Halo Project in good standing, to a maximum of US$100,000, and to assume responsibility for ongoing maintenance fees owing to the Bureau of Land Management. Following exercise of the option and the acquisition of the Halo Project, the Company will grant the Vendor a one-percent net smelter returns royalty (the Royalty) on commercial project from the Project. One-half of the Royalty may be bought back from the Vendor at any time through a one-time cash payment of US$1,000,000. The Company and the Vendor are at arms-length. The transaction contemplated by the Option Agreement neither constitutes a fundamental change nor a change of business for the Company, nor is it expected to result in a change of control for the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the CSE). The Company has agreed to pay an arms length finder a series of share issuances (the Finders Shares) including (i) within 5 days of the date of the Option Agreement, 118,406 Finders Shares, (ii) on the first anniversary of the date of the Option Agreement, 75,000 Finders Shares plus such number of Finders Shares as is equal to US$12,000 at a deemed price per share equal to the 10-day volume-weighted average trading price of the Shares on the CSE immediately prior to the date of issue (the VWAP), and (iii) on the second anniversary of the date of the Option Agreement, 30,000 Finders Shares plus such number of Finders Shares as is equal to US$12,000 at a deemed price per share equal to the 10-day VWAP. The Finders Shares set out in (ii) and (iii) are subject to the Company making the corresponding payments under the Option Agreement, and all Finders Shares are subject to the same twelve-month voluntary escrow terms as the Consideration Shares. Clear Sky Lithium advises the public that as part of its disclosure obligations as a public issuer, all material and regulatory filings can be found on www.sedar.com. We also invite the public to visit our website at www.clearskylithium.com and to sign up to our news alerts to be advised of future news releases and related company information. Please also ensure you watch our video which is available on the website. On Behalf of The Board of Directors,Sincerely, ~Patrick Morris~ Patrick MorrisChief Executive Officer Clear Sky Lithium Corp.www.clearskylithium.com NotesAmerican Lithium uses a 400 ppm Li cut off grade for the TLC Project About Clear Sky Lithium Corp. (CSE: POWR) (FRA: K4A / WKN: A3DM2W)Clear Sky Lithium is an exploration and development company dedicated to the advancement of North American lithium deposits to support domestic demand. The Company holds interests on the Halo and Eli properties in Nevada. The Company is also focusing on the development of claystone extraction and processing technologies aimed at delivering scalable efficiencies across the value chain in a sustainable manner. Find out more visit www.clearskylithium.com and watch our video. Forward Looking Information Disclaimer This news release contains statements and information that, to the extent that they are not historical fact, may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information may include financial and other projections, as well as statements regarding future plans, objectives, or economic performance, or the assumption underlying any of the foregoing. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as may, would, could, will, likely, except, anticipate, believe, intend, plan, forecast, project, estimate, outlook, or the negative thereof or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Company and the Vendor fulfilling their respective obligations under the Option Agreement, the payments of the Consideration Shares and the Finders Shares. Forward-looking information is based on the assumptions, estimates, analysis, and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. The material factors and assumptions used to develop the forward-looking information contained in this news release include, but are not limited to, key personnel and qualified employees continuing their involvement with the Company; the Companys ability to secure additional financing on reasonable terms; the competitive conditions of the sector in which the Company operates; and laws and any amendments thereto applicable to the Company. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, including, without limitation, risks relating to the future business plans of the Company; risks that the Company will not be able to retain its key personnel; risks that the Company will not be able to secure financing on reasonable terms or at all, as well as all of the other risks as described in the Companys final long form prospectus dated May 31, 2022, under the heading Risks Factors. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking information. Further, any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Companys management to predict all such factors and to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on the Companys business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking information to reflect information or events after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law, including securities laws. The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CONTACT INFORMATION Clear Sky Lithium Corp. Investor RelationsEmail: [email protected] Telephone: +1 (778) 383-7240 Source: Clear Sky Lithium Corp. Eurocastle announces results of Tender Offer Company repurchases 864,980 shares at 10.26 per share and Eurocastle to Release First Half 2022 Financial Results on 9 August 2022 Guernsey, 5 August 2022 Eurocastle Investment Limited (Euronext Amsterdam: ECT) today announces the results of the tender offer to repurchase up to 1,286,181 shares at a tender price of 10.26 per share (the Tender Offer). The circular describing the terms and conditions of the Tender Offer was published and made available to shareholders on 8 July 2022 (the Circular). The Tender Offer closed at 6:00pm (CET) on 4 August 2022. In accordance with the terms and conditions set out in the Circular and based on the final count by the Companys agent, ABN AMRO Bank N.V., Eurocastle accepted tenders of 864,980 Ordinary Shares at the fixed price of 10.26 per Ordinary Share for a total tender of 8.9 million, excluding fees and expenses relating to the Tender Offer. The shares accepted for repurchase represent approximately 47% of Ordinary Shares in issue as of 4 August 2022. The record date for the tendered shares repurchased was 4 August 2022 with settlement expected by 9 August 2022 at which point the repurchased shares will be cancelled. As a consequence, as at 9 August 2022: The total number of shares of the Company in issue will be 992,555; The total number of shares held by Eurocastle in treasury will be nil (0% of the shares in issue); The total number of voting rights exercisable by holders of shares of the Company will be 992,555; and The FIG Concert Party will continue to hold 539,638 shares of the Company, representing approximately 54% of Ordinary Shares in issue. The Company today also announces that it will release its financial results for the six months ended 30 June 2022 on Tuesday, 9 August 2022 before the market opens. Further details relating to the impact of the Tender Offer will be included in that announcement. Any capitalised terms not defined in this announcement have the same meaning as in the Circular. NOTICE: This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of the Market Abuse Regulation 596/2014. ABOUT EUROCASTLE Eurocastle Investment Limited (Eurocastle or the Company) is a publicly traded closed-ended investment company. On 18 November 2019, the Company announced a plan to realise the majority of its assets with the aim of accelerating the return of value to shareholders. On 8 July 2022, the Company announced the relaunch of its investment activity with the aim to build a Southern European speciality finance and real estate platform. For more information regarding Eurocastle Investment Limited and to be added to our email distribution list, please visit www.eurocastleinv.com. PARIS, Aug. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Hospital Distrital de Santarem (HDS) is part of the Portuguese National Health Service, and servs a population of approximately 200,000 people in the central region of Portugal. The HDS Blood Bank is responsible for the transfusion needs of this 419-bed hospital with more than 6,000 blood transfusions each year. For the last 18 months the HDS Blood Bank has been using Biolog-ids Transfusion Solution alongside Biolog-ids Advanced Analytics Dashboards. Both the real-time and advanced analytics dashboards combine data collected directly from the RFID system with additional data from the Blood Bank Management System, such as Rh/Kell phenotype data. The ability to automatically and reliably record the movement of blood products throughout the hospital gives as a new degree of visibility and control, said Dra. Rute Ribeiro, Quality Coordinator at the HDS Blood Bank. This improves our ability to decide which units to send out, and which units to accept back, so we can reduce waste while improving the quality of our service to the hospital." The system provides us with digital visibility to inventory levels and product movements," said Dr. Joao Moura, Director of the HDS Blood Bank. It helps us improve decision-making and other common practices, which result in significant operational impact, and is an important step forward in safety. The experience of HDS over the last 18 months showcases the multi-dimensional impact of the Biolog-id portfolio, said Philippe Jacquet, Executive Director of Sales EMEA/LATAM at Biolog-id. We are excited to see the combined impact of our ability to support decisions in real time, with the power of robust retrospective analysis. About Hospital De Santarem The District Hospital of Santarem (HDS) is a Corporate Public Entity located in the city of Santarem in the central region of Portugal, in full operation since 1985. The Hospital is part of the Portuguese National Health Service (SNS). It was built in the late 70s with the aim of providing a new health infrastructure for the city. The Hospital is equipped with all the main medical and surgical specialties, serving a population of approximately 200,000 inhabitants. It has now a total of 419 beds, where more than 6,000 blood transfusions are delivered each year. HDS URL: https://www.hds.min-saude.pt/ About Biolog-id Biolog-id develops value-chain optimization solutions that create, collect, and consolidates high quality data to drive operational, commercial, and clinical impact for high-value high-impact products. Biolog-ids patented platform is used by multiple customers in the US, Europe, Middle East, India, and Asia Pacific. Biolog-id is owned by its founder and the Xerys Funds. Biolog-id URL: www.biolog-id.com Contact: Diane Muller, [email protected] Source: Biolog-id Houston, TX, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hartman Income REIT Management, Inc. (Hartman), a commercial real estate operator of its portfolio owned by its affiliates, headquartered in Houston, Texas, announces its achievement and ranking as a World Class firm for its latest Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey. The firm surpassed its previous score of 69.3 percent by charting a remarkable 71.2 percent for the third quarter of 2022. I cannot speak highly enough of our outstanding property management team whose hard work and dedication to their tenants are displayed through our results of the flawlessly executed survey. They genuinely care about their tenants, and this world class score undoubtedly establishes that truth! shared Kelly Agent, Hartmans Vice President of property management. NPS is a market research tool used to measure the loyalty and satisfaction of a companys customers. In turn, companies use the collected data to assess and improve customer service. Twice a year, Hartmans property management team requests tenants to use the elective survey to rate their likelihood of recommending the company. In July, Hartman's property management team conducted the semiannual survey and received not only their highest score yet but with an improved response rate of 35 percent. Improving our score while also increasing the number of surveys taken is a record in and of itself. shared Al Hartman, President and CEO. Increasing the number of promoters and decreasing detractors while gathering the highest participation rate in our company history is a testament to the level of excellence on which our property managers operate on. Hartmans world class score of 71.2 was achieved through the reception of perfect tenant ratings at 14 of its properties and ranks the firm 41 percentage points higher than the industry average. Other highlights include 80 percent of tenants identifying as promoters of the company. The semiannual NPS survey is incredibly important to the firm as it helps Hartmans property management team better understand its customers likes and dislikes, and also find areas for improvement. Within the survey, tenants are allowed to leave responses and feedback regarding their experience. Top feedback from tenants included their appreciation for the team's quick responsiveness to needs, availability to take phone calls, timeliness of regular check-ins, and friendliness when property management help was needed. If you are looking to lease office, retail, or industrial space in Houston, Dallas or San Antonio, please contact a Hartman leasing agent for more information. A leasing representative can be reached by phone at 800-880-2212 or by email at [email protected] Attachment Anthony Trollope Hartman Income REIT 8008802212 [email protected] Source: Hartman Income REIT Newport, Rhode Island, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week is pleased to announce that J.P. Morgan Private Bank has secured the exclusive naming rights as the presenting sponsor for the Audrain Tour dElegance. The name of the event going forward will be known as The Audrain Tour dElegance presented by J.P. Morgan Private Bank. The Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week is a four-day celebration of automotive excellence, luxury, and sport and will take place this year on September 29 through October 2. As part of the agreement, a special J.P. Morgan Private Bank award will be presented at the drivers lunch at the landmark Newport restaurant, LaForge, at the conclusion of the Tour. On Sunday, J.P. Morgan Private Bank will also be sponsoring the Ferrari class at the prestigious Audrain Newport Concours dElegance. The J.P. Morgan Private Bank logo will also appear prominently on all of the vintage cars participating in the Tour. The Audrain Tour dElegance presented by J.P. Morgan Private Bank is a scenic drive for all of the cars that are participating in the Audrain Newport Concours dElegance. The tour begins Saturday morning at Second Beach in Newport and winds its way through Aquidneck Island, Tiverton and Little Compton, finishing on and historic Bellevue Avenue in Newport. We are thrilled to be a presenting sponsor and partner of the Audrain Tour dElegance, said Andy Goldberg, Head of Passion & Pursuits Advisory at J.P. Morgan Private Bank. This partnership embodies J.P. Morgans dedication to creating unique experiences for our clients, and to helping some of the worlds most significant collectors to protect their passions by realizing the full potential their wealth creates. We look forward to sharing that with our guests in Newport this year. We are excited about our new relationship with J.P. Morgan Private Bank and are looking forward to sharing with them what we believe is one of the unparalleled automotive events of the year, said Audrain CEO, Donald Osborne. It is a great opportunity to actually see and hear historic cars while taking in the beautiful and picturesque settings Newport has to offer. About J.P. Morgan Private Bank J.P. Morgan Private Bank provides customized financial advice to help wealthy clients and their families achieve their goals through an elevated experience. Clients of the Private Bank work with dedicated teams of specialists that bring their investments and financial assets together into one comprehensive strategy, leveraging the global resources of J.P. Morgan across planning, investing, lending, banking, philanthropy, family office management, fiduciary services, special advisory services and more. The Private Bank oversees more than $1.7 trillion in client assets globally. More information about J.P. Morgan Private Bank is available atprivatebank.jpmorgan.com/. About the Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week The annual Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week celebrates the diversity, elegance, and timelessness of classic and modern vehicles and the people who bond with them. With a weeks worth of incredible car showcases, alongside a plethora of fun gatherings, seminars, and other luxurious events, the Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week is sure to entertain, with all events leading up to the finale of the week, the Concours dElegance. The Concours d'Elegance features multiple classes of meticulously cared for cars that have had a significant impact on automotive history. Attachments Katelyn McSherry Audrain Concours Foundation 4018564234 [email protected] Source: Audrain Concours Foundation VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Latin Metals Inc. (Latin Metals or the Company) - (TSXV: LMS) (OTCQB: LMSQF) reports the results of its annual general meeting (the Meeting) of shareholders held on August 4, 2022, in Vancouver, British Columbia. All the motions presented to the shareholders were approved. Votes representing 40,815,693 shares were cast, representing 70.75% of the issued and outstanding shares at the record date. A summary of the Meeting results is outlined below: Motion Votes for the Motion Percentage of Votes in Favour Number of Directors 40,808,943 99.98% David Cass 40,790,006 99.94% Keith Henderson 40,790,006 99.94% Ryan King 40,790,006 99.94% Robert Kopple 40,790,006 100% Appointment of Auditor 40,813,943 100% Ratification and Approval of Stock Option Plan 40,785,295 99.93% On Behalf of the Board of Directors of LATIN METALS INC. Keith Henderson President & CEO For further details on the Company readers are referred to the Company's web site (www.latin-metals.com) and its Canadian regulatory filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. For further information, please contact: Keith Henderson Suite 890999 West Hastings StreetVancouver, BC, V6C 2W2 Phone: 604-638-3456E-mail: [email protected] 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 news release. Source: Latin Metals Inc. Not for dissemination in the United States of America. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Loan Agreement Premier Diversified Holdings Inc. ("Premier" or the "Company") (TSXV: PDH) announces that it has entered into a loan agreement dated August 4, 2022 with MPIC Fund I, LP ("MPIC") for a secured loan in the principal amount of up to USD$100,000 (the "Loan"). The Loan matures on August 4, 2023 and bears interest at a rate of 6% per annum. The Loan is secured with all of the present and after-acquired property of the Company and ranks equally in priority with all of the loans previously made to the Company by MPIC. The Loan will be used for working capital (including for Premiers partially owned subsidiaries, Purposely Platform Inc. and MyCare MedTech Inc.) and may be used to acquire an additional interest in MyCare MedTech Inc., a telehealth company. The Company is not issuing any securities, or paying any bonus, commission or finder's fees on the Loan. The Loan is repayable at any time without penalty. Purposely Platform Inc. and MyCare MedTech Inc. are generating revenue, and the Company expects to shortly receive re-payment of funds from such entities, allowing it to partially repay some of the funds owed to MPIC. Related party transaction disclosure As MPIC is a control person of Premier, the Loan constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Loan has been determined to be exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation or minority shareholder approval based on sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(1)(f) of MI 61-101. Premier does not have securities listed or quoted on any of the specified markets listed in section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101. Premier is relying on the exemption from minority shareholder approval in 5.7(1)(f) of MI 61-101 as the loan was obtained by Premier from MPIC on reasonable commercial terms that are not less advantageous to Premier than if the loan had been obtained from a person dealing at arms length with Premier. Further, the loan is not convertible, directly or indirectly, into equity or voting securities of Premier or a subsidiary entity of the issuer, or otherwise participating in nature, or repayable as to principal or interest, directly or indirectly, in equity or voting securities of Premier or a subsidiary entity of the issuer. The Loan is subject to review and acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. About Premier Diversified Holdings Inc. Premier Diversified Holdings Inc. participates in diversified industries through its acquisitions of securities and/or assets of public and private entities which it believes have potential for significant returns. It may act as a holding company (either directly or through a subsidiary) and may participate in management of subsidiary entities to varying degrees. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Sanjeev Parsad" Sanjeev ParsadPresident, CEO and Director Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This 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 any jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Any offering made will be pursuant to available prospectus exemptions and restricted to persons to whom the securities may be sold in accordance with the laws of such jurisdictions, and by persons permitted to sell the securities in accordance with the laws of such jurisdictions. Further information regarding the Company can be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Not for dissemination in the United States of America. Legal Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are indicated expectations or intentions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding loan terms including maturity date, that PDH will repay the loan from MPIC as disclosed in the news release, and that the net proceeds of the Loan will be used as stated in this news release. Factors that could cause actual results to be materially different include but are not limited to the following: that any revenue which PDH makes indirectly via its operating subsidiaries will be insufficient to repay the loans to MPIC, that its operating subsidiaries will not generate revenue, or will retain such revenue, that the terms and conditions of the various loans may be amended, that the management or board of PDH may use its revenue or other the funds for other purposes, that the capital raised will be insufficient capital to accomplish our intentions and capital alone may not be sufficient for us to grow our business, that the issuer's financial position will not improve, will stay the same or will decline further, that the timing of receipt of anticipated revenues or returns may be delayed, that its ongoing expenses including general and administrative expenses will increase, and that complications or unforeseen obstacles from COVID-19 or other factors may negatively impact Premier. Investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements. It is not our policy to update forward looking statements. For further information, contact: Sanjeev Parsad, President and CEO Phone: (604) 678.9115 Fax: (604) 678.9279 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.pdh-inc.com Source: Premier Diversified Holdings Inc. RESTON, Va. and SPOKANE, Wash., Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Citing innovation and leadership in the development of a software platform to address true financial implications of cybersecurity for organizations, RiskLens, the leading provider of cyber risk quantification (CRQ) and cyber risk management software, has been awarded top honors as 2022 Cyber Risk/Security Product of the Year by Risk.net in its annual Risk Technology Awards. This year's recipients were selected in 25 categories by industry experts, including Sid Dash, research director, Chartis Research; Jason Dziedzic, director, second-line risk oversight, Citizens Bank; Deborah Hrvatin, chief risk officer, CLS Group; Andrew Sheen, independent risk consultant; Jeff Simmons, chief risk officer/chief operating officer, MUFG Securities; Simon Watkins, contributor, Risk.net; Jay Wood, global head of digital data lifecycle management, BNY Mellon; Duncan Wood, global editorial director, Risk.net. Judges weighed a number of factors, including risk management, creativity and innovation, liquidity provision, quality of service and customer satisfaction, and engagement with regulatory issues. Global cybercrime is expected to cost $10.5 trillion each year by 2025, according to Cybersecurity Ventures. As a result, IT and security leaders increasingly face questions from executives about the impact of cyber risk to their organizations. Many cyber risk quantification (CRQ) solutions are aimed at large, more mature programs, leaving many organizations unprepared to quickly learn and understand the likelihood and potential financial consequences of cyber threats. "We are most honored to receive this award from Risk.net," said Nick Sanna, president and CEO, RiskLens. "RiskLens helps companies to better manage their cybersecurity investment decisions and risks of digital transformation. We collaborate with large enterprises and government organizations to help them optimize their cybersecurity investments and address regulatory requirements through quantitative cyber risk management." Organizations achieve such outcomes as they are able to understand their risks in financial terms through the RiskLens SaaS Platform, through several key capabilities: Rapid Risk Assessments: Generates in minutes a ranked list of risks by probable loss exposure in dollars, using benchmark data. Detailed Top Risk Assessments: Guides risk analysts through more detailed internal data gathering to generate bespoke reporting on top enterprise risks a roadmap for how to apply mitigations. Risk Treatment Analysis: Model the effect of controls on the risk drivers for top risks to see which yield the most risk reduction, in financial terms then compare results against the cost of controls for true cybersecurity cost/benefit analysis. "We greatly appreciate the recognition through this award, as RiskLens is currently the only cyber risk quantification platform trusted in real-world enterprise environments around the globe from Fortune 1,000 companies to SMBs purpose-built on the worlds most trusted risk quantification model, Factor Analysis of Information Risk (FAIR)," said Bryan Smith, chief technology officer, RiskLens. "The FAIR model was created by RiskLens, and it is recommended by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and other authorities." Additional key differentiators for the RiskLens offering include: While other services purport to analyze cyber risk by indirect methods such as vulnerability counts or compliance with controls frameworks, RiskLens is the only platform that directly measures cyber risk as loss exposure in dollars, for clear, non-technical reporting to stakeholders. Given that RiskLens is a SaaS platform, there is no added cost for management of updates and configurations to increase deployment costs. With FAIR and RiskLens, CISOs can make spending prioritization and budget decisions based on financial understanding of cyber riskand get data they need to support those decisions, faster and easier than ever before. RiskLens clients typically receive a large return on investment quickly, by applying quantitative cyber risk analysis to tactical decision making, such as: Identify unrealized top risks to organizations Choose among competing security investment options based on return on investment for reduction in probable risk Radically reduce staff time spent on risk analysis, thanks to fast and easy analysis capabilities of the platform often reducing weeks of work to minutes. Save on insurance spending by gaining a true risk picture in financial terms. Identify risks and mitigation measures early in the DevSecOps process See true legacy controls costs, based on cost-benefit analysis, to save on licensing fees Determine the most cost-effective controls to meet mandatory regulations requirements. RiskLens has expanded its offerings through RiskLens Pro, an easy and affordable managed service that helps organizations quickly define, assess, and communicate cyber risks in financial terms, with no in-house expertise or significant time commitment necessary. This is the perfect starting point for CISOs and their teams to quickly gain cyber risk quantification benefits. My Cyber Risk Benchmark from RiskLens is a simple web-based tool that allows all organizations to quickly evaluate probability and impact of top cyber risks in their industry. Organizations can get started for free for a limited, industry-specific view of top risks; users can then upgrade for a small fee to see additional risks and how their organization compares to others in their industry. RiskLens also has extended capabilities through technology partnerships via RSA, Security Scorecard, and ServiceNow, and consulting through IBM, Protiviti, C-Risk, and MAK Insights. The company continues to expand and refine its training https://www.risklens.com/products-services/fair-training-certifications and https://www.risklens.com/products-services/analyst-training-certification-program, and services https://www.risklens.com/products-services/cyber-risk-services for clients. About RiskLensRiskLens helps organizations make better cybersecurity and technology investment decisions with software solutions that quantify cyber risk in financial terms. The company created Factor Analysis of Information Risk (FAIR), the international standard for cyber risk quantification, and it is the Technical Advisor to the FAIR Institute. The RiskLens platform is the only enterprise-scale software-as-a-service (SaaS) application for FAIR analysis. RiskLens creates flexibility to adopt FAIR and build programs, supporting companies at various maturity levels and with different business needs. With capabilities across the risk management process, and a large client base of Fortune 500 businesses, RiskLens is the only company with the expertise to help organizations navigate their most complex and challenging cybersecurity decisions. Visit us at www.risklens.com. Media Contact: Cathy Morley FosterEskenzi PR [email protected](925) 708-7893 (cell) Source: RiskLens TORONTO, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shawcor Ltd. (Shawcor or the Company) (TSX: SCL) today announced that its pipe coating division has been awarded a definitive contract by Saipem to provide thermal insulation and anticorrosion coating services for the Yellowtail development project, located in the Stabroek block offshore Guyana at a water depth of approximately 1,800 meters. The value of the award is in the range of C$40-$50 million and coating is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2023 from Shawcors Veracruz, Mexico facilities. Saipem previously awarded coating contracts to Shawcor for the first two phases of the Liza development projects and the Payara project in Guyana in 2017, 2018 and 2020 respectively. The award of work for the Yellowtail project follows deployment of our solution on the Liza Phases 1&2 development projects and the more recent Payara development project in Guyana, said Kevin Reizer, Pipeline Performance Group President. This new contract validates our ability to bid, contract, and execute multiple deepwater projects globally, demonstrating the strength of our coating performance and confirming our Customers confidence in Shawcor to deliver quality coating services. About Shawcor Shawcor Ltd. is a growth-oriented, global material sciences company serving the Infrastructure, Energy, and Transportation markets. The Company operates through a network of fixed and mobile manufacturing and service facilities. Its three business segments, Composite Systems, Automotive & Industrial and Pipeline & Pipe Services enable responsible renewal and enhancement of critical infrastructure while lowering risk and environmental impact. For further information, please contact: Meghan MacEachern External Communications & ESG, Director Telephone: 437.341.1848 Email: [email protected] shawcor.com Forward Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Words such as "may", "will", "should", "anticipate", "plan", "expect", "believe", "predict", "estimate" or similar terminology are used to identify forward-looking information. This forward-looking information is based on assumptions, estimates and analysis made in the light of the Company's experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that are believed by the Company to be reasonable and relevant in the circumstances. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those predicted, expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is provided as of the date of this news release and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. Source: Shawcor Ltd. MUV Tampa Himes is the seventh MUV dispensary to open since late June, underscoring the Company's ongoing Florida retail expansion efforts The dispensary is located at 4820 South Himes Avenue, conveniently situated off Gandy Boulevard, a busy thoroughfare that sees an average daily traffic count of 22,000 vehicles1 Veranos active operations span 13 states, comprised of 108 dispensaries and 13 cultivation and processing facilities with more than 1 million square feet of cultivation capacity CHICAGO, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verano Holdings Corp. (CSE: VRNO) (OTCQX: VRNOF) (Verano or the Company), a leading multi-state cannabis company, today announced the opening of MUV Tampa Himes on Friday, August 5, the Companys 54th Florida dispensary and 108th nationwide. MUV Tampa Himes, located at 4820 South Himes Avenue, is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., local time. MUV Tampa Himes is the fourth MUV retail location in Tampa, with storefronts on Dale Mabry, Preserve Walk Lane and West Kennedy. Tampa is the third largest city in Florida, with a population of over 385,0002. MUV Tampa Himes, our newest storefront in Tampa, brings us to a total of six retail locations throughout Hillsborough County, a community that continues to experience significant growth, said John Tipton, President of Verano. With Tampa having the third largest population in Florida, were grateful for the opportunity to reach more medical cannabis patients and welcome them to MUVs patient-centric hospitality. As a demonstration of their commitment to provide a convenient and reliable experience for Florida patients, MUV dispensaries feature online menus for effortless browsing of their extensive, award-winning product selection, including the Companys signature Verano Reserve flower line. For additional convenience and accessibility, patients can choose to order ahead at muvfl.com or through the MUV mobile application available in the Google Play and Apple App stores for express in-store pickup. MUV offers one-on-one virtual and in-store consultations at no cost to the patient. MUVs comprehensive product selection includes edibles, chocolates and lozenges, flower, pre-rolls, an array of vaporizer pens, concentrates, metered-dose inhalers, topicals and oral sprays; along with patented encapsulation formulations in its EnCaps capsules, tinctures, 72-hour transdermal patches and transdermal gels. For more information about MUV Tampa Himes medical cannabis dispensary, visit muvfl.com. About Verano Verano is a leading, vertically integrated, multi-state cannabis operator in the U.S., devoted to the ongoing improvement of communal wellness by providing responsible access to regulated cannabis products. With a mission to address vital health and wellness needs, Verano produces a comprehensive suite of premium, innovative cannabis products sold under its trusted portfolio of consumer brands, including Verano, Avexia, Encore, and MUV. Veranos portfolio encompasses 13 U.S. states, with active operations in 13, including 13 production facilities comprising over 1,000,000 square feet of cultivation capacity. Verano designs, builds, and operates dispensaries under retail brands including Zen Leaf and MUV, delivering a superior cannabis shopping experience in both medical and adult-use markets. Learn more at www.verano.com. Contacts: MediaVeranoGrace BondyManager, Communications[email protected] InvestorsVeranoJulianna Paterra, CFADirector, Investor Relations[email protected] Forward Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Companys beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Companys control. Generally, such forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, future, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, will continue, will occur or will be achieved. The forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements or information with respect to the Companys proposed restatement of the Prior Period Financials. Forward-looking statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements herein, including, without limitation, the risk factors discussed in the Companys Form 10 filed on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. The forward-looking statements contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K are made as of the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except as may be required in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice regarding forward-looking information and statements. ### 1 Florida Department of Transportation 2 United States Census Bureau Source: Verano Holdings Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2022) - Boosh Plant-Based Brands Inc. (CSE: VEGI) (OTCQB: VGGIF) (FSE: 77i) ("Boosh" or the "Company") announces that it has entered into a settlement agreement with an arm's length third party for the settlement of $191,428.52 in debt for services previously provided through the issuance of 1,519,274 common shares at a deemed price of $$0.126 per share. All securities issued in the debt settlement are subject to a four month and one day hold period expiring on December 04, 2022. Boosh Plant-based Brands continues its strong sales trajectory across Canada and the US with its premiere brand of better for you chips Beanfields, Boosh ready to eat meals and Amuse boosh vegan cheese and pate. On behalf of the Board of Directors Connie Marples Founder/Chief Executive Officer [email protected] 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 chips 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 for additional financing, its plan for the proceeds of the placement. 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/133023 Sunnyvale, California--(Newsfile Corp. - August 4, 2022) - Facemoji Keyboard (Facemoji), an emoji-centric keyboard app that features speech recognition technology, an emoji prediction feature, stickers, and customizable keyboards, has released its State of Emoji Report 2022. The report, which can be read in full here, lists the most popular emojis of the past year, including those most frequently used in Argentina, France, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, the UK, and the U.S. "We are excited to release our report, which is based on data drawn between June 1, 2021-June 15, 2022, on the top emoji used around the world by Facemoji Keyboard users on Android and iOS," says Facemoji. "It also features data on the top emoji used by country and by app." The report, the company states, reveals a few surprises as well as suggests a continuing preference for certain emojis. "We hope that readers will have as much fun learning about the most popular emojis as we had compiling the report," Facemoji says. "Emojis are loved around the globe and continue to be a source of inspiration and creativity for millions of people." Key findings of the State of Emoji Report 2022 include: All of 2022's most popular emojis were from Unicode 11.0 or earlier. The top five emojis included "Rolling on the Floor Laughing" and "Red Heart," which remained in their same spots as the previous year. The top three emoji, as seen in many countries, all featured tears. Holidays continued to be a favorite time for those who communicate using emojis. Valentine's Day saw major usage spikes for "Roses." "Folded Hands" was popular on Eid al-Fitr, and people used more "Two Hearts" and star-emojis on New Year's Day. Indonesia and Russia were the only countries with emoji from Unicode 14.0 appearing in their top 12. Mexico and the United States also saw high usage of animal emojis while Argentina and Mexico often used the sparkles emoji. Instagram and Snapchat users had a clear consensus on their favorite emoji, with the same top five across both platforms. Bumble, Hinge, and Tinder were the only apps without "Red Heart" in their top five used emoji. Emoji stories, emoji text art, and emoji special symbols are being incorporated into messaging, often by younger users on social media. "Overall, what we have learned is that there is a diverse global community of people who love to use emojis to show others how they feel," Facemoji says. "We are betting that over the coming year, we will continue to be surprised by the innovative incorporation of emojis in online conversations." Facemoji Keyboard is a free keyboard app that helps people around the world to express themselves in new ways with fun, creative emoji. With 5000+ Emoji, WhatsApp Stickers, Emoticon, Kaomoji, GIF, Cool Fonts, TikTok Emojis, Auto-Paste, Cute Symbols, and Stylish Themes on this emoji keyboard, Facemoji Keyboard spices up your chats and posts on social media. Facemoji Keyboard highly respects the privacy of its users. Any/all data that went into the creation of the State of Emoji Report 2022 was fully anonymized, as are all user messages sent via Facemoji Keyboard. To download Facemoji Keyboard, please visit https://ftt.onelink.me/XPjG/FacemojiPR The Hoffman Agency Kyra Hanson 408-286-2611 [email protected] To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132014 Herzliya, Israel and Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2022) - Innocan Pharma Corporation (CSE: INNO) (FSE: IP4) (OTCQB: INNPF) (the "Company" or "Innocan") is pleased to announce that it has filed a new patent application (PCT) entitled "compositions for treatment of hair loss", claiming priority from an earlier US provisional patent application. The composition developed by Innocan research and development and disclosed in the current PCT can be used to treat and prevent hair loss and is applied topically to the skin or scalp. This application contributes to Innocan's continued expansion of its health and wellness intellectual property portfolio of 14 patent families. The application will ultimately result in more comprehensive international protection for the Company's intellectual property, including in the United States and the European Union, among other places. The hair loss treatment products market size was valued at almost US$16 million in 2020 and is projected to grow to more than US$45 million by 2028, representing a compound annual growth rate of 13.26% between 2021 to 2028. (February 2022, Verified Market Research) "Innocan's science is proving itself to have immense value in a variety of applications. We're proud of our intellectual property as the backbone of our Company and we are looking forward to the value that this activity will bring in the near term", said Innocan CEO Iris Bincovich. About Innocan Innocan Pharma is a pharmaceutical tech company that operates under two main segments: pharmaceuticals and consumer wellness. In the pharmaceuticals segment, Innocan focuses on developing innovative drug delivery platform technologies comprised of cannabinoids science, to treat various conditions to improve patients' quality of life. This segment involves two drug delivery technologies: (i) "LPT": a CBD-loaded liposome platform facilitating exact dosing and the prolonged and controlled release of CBD into the blood stream. The LPT delivery platform research is in the preclinical trial phase for two indications: epilepsy and pain management; and (ii) "CLX": a CBD-loaded exosomes platform that aims to provide a highly synergistic effect of regenerating and anti-inflammatory properties targeting the central nervous system. In the consumer wellness segment, Innocan develops and markets a wide portfolio of innovative self-care products to promote a healthier lifestyle. Under this segment, Innocan has established a joint venture named BI Sky Global Ltd. that focuses on advancing online sales. https://innocanpharma.com/ For further information, please contact: For Innocan Pharma Corporation: Iris Bincovich, CEO +972-54-3012842 [email protected] NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Caution regarding forward-looking information Certain information set forth in this news release, including, without limitation, information regarding research and development, collaborations, the filing of potential applications with the FDA and other regulatory authorities, the potential achievement of future regulatory milestones, the potential for treatment of conditions and other therapeutic effects resulting from research activities and/or the Company's products, requisite regulatory approvals and the timing for market entry, is forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Innocan's control. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Innocan, including expectations and assumptions concerning the anticipated benefits of the products, satisfaction of regulatory requirements in various jurisdictions and satisfactory completion of requisite production and distribution arrangements. Forward-looking information is subject to various risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this news release. The key risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: general global and local (national) economic, market and business conditions; governmental and regulatory requirements and actions by governmental authorities; and relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, customers, business partners and competitors. There are also risks that are inherent in the nature of product distribution, including import / export matters and the failure to obtain any required regulatory and other approvals (or to do so in a timely manner) and availability in each market of product inputs and finished products. The anticipated timeline for entry to markets may change for a number of reasons, including the inability to secure necessary regulatory requirements, or the need for additional time to conclude and/or satisfy the manufacturing and distribution arrangements. As a result of the foregoing, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this news release concerning the timing of launch of product distribution. A comprehensive discussion of other risks that impact Innocan can also be found in Innocan's public reports and filings which are available under Innocan's profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information as actual results may vary materially from the forward-looking information. Innocan does not undertake to update, correct or revise any forward-looking information as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132905 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2022) - J4 Ventures Inc. (TSXV: JJJJ.P) (the "Company") announces that its Chief Executive Officer, Jeremy Poirier, entered into a Settlement Agreement with the British Columbia Securities Commission (the "BCSC"). Mr. Poirier was formerly the Chief Executive Officer and a director of Bearing Lithium Corp. ("Bearing"). Pursuant to the Settlement Agreement, Bearing (then known as Bearing Resources Ltd.) admits that it retained Stock Social Inc. ("SSI"), a marketing company, to conduct investor relations and that SSI disseminated advertorials and social media posts about Bearing (collectively, the "Promotional Materials") during the period of January 2017 to February 2017 and failed to ensure such Promotional Materials disclosed they were issued on behalf of Bearing, which is a contravention of section 52(2) of the Securities Act (British Columbia) (the "Act"). Mr. Poirier, who was the Chief Executive Officer and a director of Bearing at such time, admits that he authorized, permitted or acquiesced in Bearing's contravention of section 52(2) of the Act and therefore contravened the same provision. Bearing has paid the BCSC $25,000 in settlement of the matter and Mr. Poirier has paid the BCSC $10,000 in settlement of the matter. The Settlement Agreement will be available on the BCSC's website (www.bcsc.bc.ca) by typing in 2022 BCSECCOM 293 in the search box. On behalf of the board of directors of the Company: Jeremy Poirier Chief Executive Officer Telephone: 604-722-9842 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/133035 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 5, 2022) - New Break Resources Ltd. ("New Break" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has been receipted by the Ontario Securities Commission (the "OSC") for the filing of a Final Long Form Non-Offering Prospectus (the "Prospectus") dated August 4, 2022. As a result, the Company has become a reporting issuer in the Province of Ontario. No securities are being offered and no proceeds were raised pursuant to this Prospectus. The Company is also pleased to announce that it has received conditional approval to list its common shares (the "Common Shares") on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") (the "Listing"). The Listing remains subject to the Company fulfilling all of the customary requirements of the CSE, including the receipt of all required documentation. Once final approval is received from the CSE, the Common Shares are expected to commence trading under the trading symbol "NBRK". There is no assurance that the Company will ultimately be able to satisfy the requirements of the CSE. The Prospectus contains important information relating to the Company. A copy of the Prospectus is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. About New Break Resources Ltd. New Break is a Canadian mineral exploration and development company with a dual vision for value creation. In northern Ontario, New Break is focused on its Moray Project, in a well-established mining camp, within proximity to existing infrastructure, while at the same time, through our prospective land holdings in Nunavut, we provide our shareholders with significant exposure to the vast potential for exploration success in one of the most up and coming regions in Canada for gold exploration and production. These complimentary visions are supported by a highly experienced team of mining professionals committed to placing a premium on Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance, respecting the values and interests of all our stakeholders. For further information on New Break, please visit www.newbreakresources.ca or contact: Michael Farrant, President and Chief Executive Officer Tel: 416-278-4149 [email protected] No stock exchange, regulation securities provider, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this news release. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to comments regarding the timing and expectations for listing its common shares for trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange, finalizing property agreements, timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, an inability to predict and counteract the effects global events on the business of the Company, including but not limited to the effects on the price of commodities, capital market conditions, restriction on labour and international travel and supply chains etc. Forward-looking information addresses future events and conditions and therefore involves inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors beyond the Company's control. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise any forward-looking information, except as may be required by law. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's financial statements and management's discussion and analysis (the "Filings"), such Filings available upon request. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/133004 FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. August 2, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The roughly $430 billion climate, drugs and tax bill that U.S. Senate Democrats are trying to push through Congress will include a new excise tax on stock buybacks, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Friday. Lawmakers agreed to add that provision after reaching a deal with Democrat Kyrsten Sinema, a maverick who has often stood in the way of President Joe Biden's priorities, to drop another provision that would have imposed new taxes on carried interest. "We are adding in an excise tax on stock buybacks that will bring in $74 billion," Schumer told reporters. He did not provide the effective date for the new tax if the legislation is enacted into law. "I hate stock buybacks," Schumer said, adding, "I think they are one of the most self-serving things that corporate America does." The New York Democrat said that companies instead should be investing in worker training, research, modernizing equipment and other activities. Democrats are currently awaiting a ruling from the chamber's parliamentarian on whether they can use a special procedure to pass the bill by a simple majority, rather than the normal 60 of 100 votes required, to bypass united Republican opposition. They currently plan to hold an unusual weekend session to push forward on the bill, which would deliver on key goals of the Biden administration ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections, when control of Congress is at stake. All 100 senators will be given an opportunity over the weekend to amend the legislation, amid solid Republican opposition. The bill, called the Inflation Reduction Act, was unveiled last week by Schumer and Senator Joe Manchin, who like Sinema has often blocked the party's agenda. It aims to reduce prescription drug costs by allowing Medicare, the government-run healthcare plan for the elderly and disabled, to negotiate prices on a limited number of drugs. It also would address climate change through new investments in non-carbon emitting energy, while improving tax collections on companies and wealthy individuals. The bill as initially written would have spent around $430 billion, while reducing government budget deficits by around $300 billion. The final price tag could change once the legislation is formally introduced this weekend, if all goes as planned. Sinema revealed late on Thursday that she would support the bill with some changes, including adding funding for drought relief. Sinema said she would not back the bill unless Democrats nixed the carried interest provision, a longstanding Wall Street tax break that let many private equity and hedge fund financiers pay a lower capital gains tax rate on much of their income, instead of the higher income tax rate paid by wage-earners. In its place, Democrats added the excise tax, which is estimated to bring in over $70 billion. (Reporting by Moira Warburton, Rose Horowitch and Richard Cowan; Editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell) Over two dozen sessions and some 75 speakers in six days. We have a lot to talk about in Wisconsin. MADISON, Wis., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A few months back, the Cap Times announced that the sixth annual Cap Times Idea Fest will once again be a hybrid of virtual and in-person events from Sept. 12-17 across Madison. This morning, Cap Times publisher Paul Fanlund announced speakers including Carl Bernstein and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, and session topics ranging from the election to climate change. CARL BERNSTEIN, JAMIE RASKIN ANNOUNCED AS CAP TIMES IDEA FEST SPEAKERS, TICKETS NOW ON SALE Bernstein, who along with Washington Post colleague Bob Woodward broke the Watergate scandal 50 years ago, will be the featured guest in a special fundraiser, while Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland who is a member of the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, will be the keynote speaker on Friday, Sept. 16. Tickets are now on sale and registration is open for all free virtual events. The full schedule of events and locations will be available in a few weeks at captimesideafest.com. This year, Cap Times is proud to announce it has teamed up with Madison's Young Blood Beer Company for an official Cap Times Idea Fest beer. Young Blood will brew a limited-release hazy IPA with hops sourced from Wisconsin, available for purchase at Young Blood's taproom in downtown Madison and at some in-person fest sessions. The beer name and more details will be announced soon at captimes.com. Free Virtual Events | Sept. 12-16 Virtual sessions during the first part of the week will focus on topics including the upcoming election, climate change, immigration, medical records, rural broadband, marijuana policy and the influence of Title IX. Speakers will include Sen. Melissa Agard, Prof. Dominique Brossard, journalist Ruth Conniff, Sen. Mary Felzkowski, Prof. Charles Franklin, author Andrew Maraniss, activist Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Prof. Ajay Sethi and many more. Cooking with the Cap Times | Monday, Sept. 12, 6 p.m. Cap Times food editor Lindsay Christians hosts chef Joe Papach of Harvey House in Kessenich's Innovation Kitchen. Register to watch this event free online. Cap Times members get exclusive access to join live for a limited number of seats and enjoy the featured dish and a glass of wine. Cap Times Live | Tuesday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m. Madison Area Music Association-award winning trio Gin, Chocolate and Bottle Rockets will perform a lively show at Doc's Smokehouse. Tickets are $15, or free for Cap Times members at the King Street level and higher. Price includes an outstanding barbecue dinner. An evening with Carl Bernstein | Thursday, Sept. 15, 7 p.m. Held at the Memorial Union's Great Hall, cocktails begin at 6:30 p.m. As a special fundraiser for the Cap Times, come hear Madison native and Washington Post editor David Maraniss interview Post colleague Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame about the 50th anniversary of that scandal, how our current political climate compares and his early journalism career. Tickets are $125, or $100 for Cap Times members at the King Street level and higher. Price includes light appetizers, drinks and a copy of Bernstein's new book, "Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom." Live Events at Madison College and Memorial Union | Sept. 15-17 Three days of events all at one price! On Wednesday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m., join us at Madison College's south campus for an outstanding discussion about the "Rising Tide on the south side" featuring community leaders: Ruben Anthony, the Rev. Dr. Alex Gee, Vanessa McDowell and Karen Menendez-Coller. On Friday, Sept. 16, and Saturday, Sept. 17, join us in the Union's Shannon Hall for an outstanding lineup of speakers including Jocelyn Benson, Barb McQuade, Toluse Olorunnipa, Jamie Raskin, Robert Samuels and more. Tickets are $25, or $10 for Cap Times members at the King Street level and higher. This annual event is the largest hosted by the Cap Times since 2017. All who register, purchase tickets and sponsor this event are supporting local journalism and the Cap Times newsroom. Readers can support the Cap Times by becoming a Cap Times member. Members of all levels will get Idea Fest ticket discounts, and members at the Evjue level will get a free pair of tickets. Thank you to the Madison community and to all of our readers for your continued support. Subscribe to the Cap Times Idea Fest newsletter to get fest updates and answers to FAQs, or visit captimes.com. Thank you to our sponsors.EpicHealthXQuartzExact SciencesAlliant EnergyMadison CollegeMG&EUW MadisonGodfrey KahnM3 InsuranceUniversity Research ParkSSM HealthWARFMadison Community FoundationDoc's SmokehouseYoung Blood Beer CompanyCargo CoffeeLeopold's Partners: Wisconsin State JournalMadison.comHinckley ProductionsPBS Wisconsin View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/carl-bernstein-jamie-raskin-announced-as-cap-times-idea-fest-speakers-tickets-now-on-sale-301601026.html SOURCE Cap Times More than 300,000 students in Clark County will now have access to an unlimited Educational Support System featuring personalized virtual tutoring LAS VEGAS, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Paper, the leading provider of unlimited, 24/7, and on-demand tutoring and academic support, today announced a districtwide initiative that will provide a virtual Educational Support System to approximately 300,000 students in Nevada's Clark County School District ("CCSD"). CCSD is the fifth-largest school district in the U.S. The partnership will provide free and equitable access to online educational support including personalized tutoring, writing assignment review, and college and career support for all CCSD students regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds. CCSD is funding the Paper partnership using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds, so the service is free to all K-12 students and families. The new districtwide rollout for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year follows a successful test pilot of Paper at 11 CCSD schools during the previous school year. "Providing our students with this additional tutoring support is another way to eliminate barriers and help students succeed," said CCSD Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara. "When students are outside the classroom and need additional assistance, they will have access to Paper tutors. This service provides our students with another layer of support to be prepared for their classes and succeed academically." Paper works with hundreds of school districts nationwide to provide a virtual Educational Support System, including 1:1 tutoring across more than 200 subject areas and review of any writing assignments, plus college and career support. Students can access the platform via any device and receive multilingual tutoring and instruction across subjects in English, Spanish, French, and Mandarin. Paper's group of highly trained, background-checked tutors helps students achieve success by offering individualized academic support. Founded by mission-driven educators, Paper already supports more than 2.5 million students nationwide. "We're excited to help CCSD empower its students to succeed academically and take ownership over their futures," said Philip Cutler, Paper co-founder and CEO. "Equitable access to a personalized Educational Support System will create better outcomes for all students and help to close the opportunity and achievement gaps." On Paper's secure chat-based platform, tutors work individually with students to help them master concepts, improve their writing, and facilitate the completion of their coursework. Paper tutors are available to review college essays, cover letters, and resumes. Teachers and administrators can access the platform to view tutoring session transcripts, insights, and analytics that help power data-driven instruction and decision-making to improve student outcomes. "This initiative also demonstrates the commitment of CCSD leadership to improve teacher wellness," Cutler continued. "Paper provides teachers with a powerful tool to better help students without the pressure of being on call 24/7. Instead, teachers can direct students to seek extra help from Paper tutors outside the classroom." About CCSD Established in 1956, the Clark County School District (CCSD) is the number one choice for families and students. As the nation's fifth-largest school district, we educate 305,000 students offering a variety of nationally recognized programs, including Magnet Schools, Career and Technical Academies, and Advanced Placement programs. CCSD educates 64 percent of the students in Nevada and works closely with community partners and business leaders to educate students to compete in a global economy. About Paper Mission-driven educators founded Paper to help every student reach their full potential through an unlimited, on-demand Educational Support System (ESS) that includes 1:1 virtual tutoring, a Writing Review Center, College & Career Support, and Paper Live. Paper's high-qualified educators provide an instructional framework emphasizing inquiry-based learning to empower students to pursue lifelong learning and prepare for college and career success. Paper's multilingual tutors provide support in English, Spanish, French, and Mandarin. Paper's mission is to help close the achievement and opportunity gaps by addressing the inequities facing many students, especially those in lower socioeconomic classes. As of June 2022, Paper supports approximately 250 unique school districts across 30 U.S. states and Canada through the company's Live Help and Review Center offerings. Paper recently launched its first statewide deals, including a partnership with the Mississippi Department of Education that will support more than 200 additional districts. Learn more or request a demo at paper.co. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/clark-county-school-district-selects-paper-to-accelerate-learning-and-close-equity-gaps-301600844.html SOURCE Paper JACKSON, Mich., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, has declared a quarterly dividend on the utility's preferred stock. The following dividend is payable Oct. 1, 2022, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Sept. 6, 2022: $1.125 per share on the $4.50 preferred stock (NYSE: CMS_pb). CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS) is a Michigan-based energy provider featuring Consumers Energy as its primary business. It also owns and operates independent power generation businesses. For more information on CMS Energy, please visit our website at cmsenergy.com. To sign up for email alert notifications, please visit the Investor Relations section of our website. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/consumers-energy-the-principal-subsidiary-of-cms-energy-declares-quarterly-dividend-on-preferred-stock-301600940.html SOURCE CMS Energy VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (the "Company") - (TSX: ITH) (NYSE: THM) today announced that it has filed its unaudited second quarter Financial Statements and associated Management Discussion and Analysis and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three- and six-month period ended June 30, 2022. As of June 30, 2022, the Company had working capital of US$6.1 million. Shareholders can obtain copies of the Company's unaudited second quarter Financial Statements and associated Management Discussion and Analysis and Form 10-Q on SEDAR at: www.sedar.com, EDGAR at www.sec.gov and on the Company's website at: www.ithmines.com. The Company will also provide hard copies of these documents, free of charge, to shareholders who request a copy directly from the Company. About International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. has a 100% interest in its Livengood Gold Project located along the paved Elliott Highway, 70 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska. On behalf ofInternational Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (signed) Karl L. HannemanChief Executive Officer This news release is not, and is not to be construed in any way as, an offer to buy or sell securities in the United States. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/international-tower-hill-mines-files-2022-second-quarter-financial-results-301600653.html SOURCE International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman provides update LOS ANGELES, Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) issued an order today consolidating Gardasil human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine lawsuit claims before U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr. of the Western District of North Carolina. The MDL is named "In re: Gardasil Products Liability Litigation MDL No. 3036." The order allows the cases to move into coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings. The judges stated in the order, "we find that these actions involve common questions of fact, and that centralization in the Western District of North Carolina will serve the convenience of the parties and witnesses and promote the just and efficient conduct of the litigation. These personal injury actions present common questions of fact arising from allegations that plaintiffs, or their minor children, developed postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and various other injuries as the result of an autoimmune reaction to the Gardasil vaccine" Dozens of lawsuits against Gardasil's manufacturer, Merck & Co., allege the company fast-tracked its Gardasil HPV vaccine through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process and deceptively conducted clinical trials to mask serious side effects and exaggerate the vaccine's effectiveness. In April of 2022, Gardasil lawyers from the law firm Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman filed a motion to consolidate over 30 Gardasil vaccine lawsuits pending in district courts throughout the country. By July 28, 2022, 48 cases were pending with at least 100 more to be filed in federal courts nationwide. In the motion for consolidation, attorneys wrote that central to all of the cases is the question of whether Gardasil can cause autoimmune disorders, whether Merck adequately warned of Gardasil's risks and whether Gardasil caused plaintiffs' injuries. "We are very pleased the JPML decided to centralize the Gardasil litigation," says Bijan Esfandiari, a Gardasil lawyer and senior shareholder at Baum Hedlund. "Efficient coordination of the multidistrict litigation makes the most sense and gives the plaintiffs the best path for seeking and obtaining justice. Our clients are looking forward to getting their day in court." Esfandiari and his firm represent young men and women across the country who allege they suffered serious injuries as a result of Gardasil. Some of the most common Gardasil side effects alleged in the HPV vaccine lawsuits include: Autonomic Dysfunction (Dysautonomia) Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) Premature Ovarian Failure (POF) Fibromyalgia Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Orthostatic Intolerance (OI) Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) With the establishment of the Gardasil MDL, Judge Conrad will likely schedule a status conference in the near future and set up procedures for selection of lead and co-lead counsel for the Gardasil MDL, along with selection of the executive committee, steering committee, and other positions. The Court will also issue various orders on how discovery is to proceed, along with the bellwether trial selection process, and pre-trial deadlines. Attorneys say they anticipate the first Gardasil trial will take place in 2023. Read more about the Gardasil HPV vaccine litigation in the blog. About Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman Baum Hedlund is one of the leading firms in the country representing young men and women who suffered life-altering Gardasil side effects. Attorneys for the firm have filed dozens of lawsuits for victims seeking to hold Merck accountable for failing to warn of the serious health risks associated with the Gardasil HPV vaccine. The firm has won more than $4 billion in verdicts and settlements across all practice areas. Robin McCall[email protected](310) 207-3233 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/judicial-panel-consolidates-gardasil-vaccine-lawsuits-in-multidistrict-litigation-mdl-301600558.html SOURCE Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman PALM BEACH, Fla., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Florida) congratulates University High School in Orlando on winning the 2022 People's Choice Competition. The People's Choice Competition, sponsored by the Florida Foundation for Architecture and AIA Florida, aims to raise public awareness of Florida's architecture. This year, to go along with AIA Florida President Lourdes Solera, FAIA's, leadership theme of Empower and Elevate, the contest focused on K-12 educational facilities, which empower and elevate their communities like few other buildings can. A panel of Florida architects chose 14 schools from around Florida. University High School, a Mediterranean-style building centered on a communal plaza, won the contest by a wide margin. University High's principal Thomas Ott accepted the award on behalf of the school at AIA Florida's Design & Honor Awards Presentation on July 30 at The Breakers in Palm Beach. In total, the contest garnered well over 1.5 million votes from around the world, raising awareness of Florida's architecture and its power to change lives. The schools in the contest were: University High School, Orlando. The Greene School, West Palm Beach, Florida. Hillsborough High School, Tampa. Tallahassee School of Arts and Sciences, Tallahassee, Florida. Dune Lakes Elementary School, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Tice Elementary School, Fort Myers, Florida. Rampello K-8 Downtown Partnership Magnet School, Tampa. Alexander Montessori School, Miami. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, West Palm Beach, Florida. Mayport Coastal Sciences Middle School, Atlantic Beach, Florida. Pine Forest Elementary School, Jacksonville. Pine View School, Osprey, Florida. Alonzo and Tracy Mourning High School, North Miami Beach, Florida. The Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects, headquartered in Tallahassee, represents the interests of more than 3,900 members in Florida. Members adhere to a code of ethics and professional conduct that assures the client, the public and colleagues of an AIA-member architect's dedication to the highest standards in professional practice. Contact:Beth Colvin850-222-7590[email protected]twitter.com/aiaflorida View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/orlandos-university-high-wins-peoples-choice-competition-301600925.html SOURCE Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects In Re The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, New YorkUnited States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New Yorkthe Honorable Judge Martin GlennCase No. 20-12345. PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 4, 2022, Judge Martin Glenn of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York said he would set a new bar date for adult sex abuse claimants in the chapter 11 bankruptcy case of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre. The deadline for filing claims had expired in 2021. A new window will allow additional filings for adult sex abuse claims in 2022. The Rockville Centre Diocese, which represents New York's Nassau and Suffolk counties, filed its petition seeking relief under Chapter 11 on October 1, 2020. At the time, the diocese faced 223 suits by alleged victims of child sex abuse under New York's Child Victims Act. Those claimants became creditors in the bankruptcy proceeding. Though mediation has continued in that proceeding, no agreement had been reached and no compensation plan has been filed to date. On May 24, 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed New York's Adult Survivors Act (ASA), which gives survivors of adult sexual abuse (over age 18 when the offense occurred) a year to file their claims, regardless of when the offense occurred. The one-year window opens on November 24, 2022. Under the New York law, claims may be brought against institutions or employers for abuse that occurred at work or was associated with employment. Dioceses have claimed that a bankruptcy filing blocks new claims but many more victims have come forward since the passage of the Adult Survivors Act, including at least 700 claims filed against the Rockville Centre Diocese in bankruptcy court. Judge Glenn agreed with the diocese and the future claims representative that a new bar date for the adult claims was consistent with the rationale behind the New York law. He also noted that claimants would receive relief more quickly with a Chapter 11 claim than with a state court claim. Judge Glenn has not yet specified the bar date for the adult claims. He has called on the diocese to define a notice process and indicated that he will base the claim deadline on time to publish notice. Jerrold Parker, Founding Partner of Parker Waichman LLP, explains that adequate time is essential to these victims: "Survivors of sexual abuse often do not tell their story immediately. New York has recognized this reality and offered victims the time they need, to understand their trauma and come forward when they are ready. We applaud Judge Glenn for recognizing that New York gives victims the time they need to hold their abusers held accountable. We urge him not to reduce the time the state has granted to this vulnerable population." Filing a Sex Abuse Claim If you or a loved one have been sexually abused in New York, you or your loved one could be entitled to receive substantial monetary compensation from the individual or institution responsible for the sexual abuse. Parker Waichman LLP helps those who have suffered sexual abuse receive full monetary compensation. Trust your case with our sex abuse lawsuit lawyers. For a free consultation, contact our law firm today by using our live chat or calling 1-800-YOUR-LAWYER (1-800-968-7529). View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/parker-waichman-llp-applauds-extension-of-the-deadline-for-submission-of-adult-sex-abuse-claims-against-the-roman-catholic-diocese-of-rockville-centre-301601062.html SOURCE Parker Waichman LLP STONECREST, Ga., Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "Today's federal charging of four Louisville police officers in connection with the murder of Breonna Taylor is an important step forward for justice in this case specifically and for the cause of justice in our country. The family of Ms. Taylor, the local community of activists and faith leaders from Louisville and across the country are to be commended for never relenting in their efforts to organize and exert pressure on Attorney General Merrick Garland and the US Department of Justice to take a closer look at the facts of this case. Today's developments should serve as a mark of shame for Kentucky's Attorney General Daniel Jay Cameron and lays bare that he is not only complicit in exasperating the injustice and chaos wrought upon Ms. Taylor's family and the people of Louisville, but that he is incompetent and incapable of effective leadership in this moment. Let us continue to march, rally and fight for equity and fairness throughout our country and for leaders who are wholly committed to the pursuit of justice regardless of race, gender, age, zip code or occupation." Dr. Jamal Bryant is senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, located just outside of Atlanta, GA. Throughout the years, Bryant has remained a prominent voice for social justice and has advanced efforts to combat injustice plaguing Black Americans. Bryant, who joined various rallies in Louisville, KY to protest the murder of Breonna Taylor, has also remained an unrelenting advocate to condemn police brutality, the senseless killing of Black Americans and other critical social justice and civil rights issues. For more information, visit newbirth.org. Media Contact: Erik Burton[email protected] 7702948475 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/statement-from-dr-jamal-bryant-on-recent-federal-charges-related-to-the-murder-of-breonna-taylor-301600556.html SOURCE Profile Marketing & Public Relations, LLC 0001432939 false 0001432939 2022-08-01 2022-08-01 iso4217:USD xbrli:shares iso4217:USD xbrli:shares UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 FORM 8-K CURRENT REPORT Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): CREDEX CORPORATION (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Florida 000-54142 16-1731286 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.) 1881 General George Patton Drive , Suite 107 Franklin , TN 37067 (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code) (844) 305-3054 (Registrants telephone number, including area code) N/A (Former name or former address, if changed since last report) Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below): Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a -12) Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d -2(b)) Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e -4(c)) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered N/A N/A N/A Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (240.12b-2 of this chapter). Emerging growth company If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers. On August 1, 2022, Michael McDonnell resigned as Chief Financial Officer of Credex Corporation (the Company). On August 4, 2022, the Companys Board of Directors (the Board) appointed Mark N. Edoff as the Companys Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Edoff, age 64, has served as a Principal at MNE Solutions LLC since 2016. In his role, he has provided professional consulting services for client partners in several businesses, including electronic and physical security, technology and cloud services, consumer and IoT products and services, private equity firms, and knowledge management and consulting firms. Prior to 2016, Mr. Edoff served as Senior Vice President of Business Operations of ADT LLC. He also served in various roles with Tyco Security Solutions, Inc. and its affiliates, most recently as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Tyco Security Solutions, Inc. Previously, Mr. Edoff also served as Director of Finance and Principal Accounting Officer for The Gillette Company. Before joining The Gillette Company, Mr. Edoff had a 15-year career with KPMG LLP, where he was a Partner in the Assurance practice. Mr. Edoff holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Northeastern University and is a certified public accountant. The Company has not entered into an employment agreement or other compensatory arrangement with Mr. Edoff, but expects to do so in the near future. In the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 25, 2022, the Company disclosed, among other things, that the Board had appointed Joel Szabat to serve as a member of the Board. Mr. Szabat has advised the Company that he will be unable to join the Board until September 1, 2022. Accordingly, Mr. Szabat will begin serving as a member of the Board on September 1, 2022, and the Board currently consists of the following nine directors: Steve Gribbon Robin McVey Mark Nichols Todd Nichols Lawrence Taube James Walsh Hayden Witt James Woodend Jennifer Woodend SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. (g) A parent holding company or control person in accordance with 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G); (h) A savings associations as defined in Section 3(b) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813); (i) A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an investment company under section 3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-3); (j) A non-U.S. institution in accordance with 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J); (k) Group, in accordance with 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(K). Item 4. Ownership. (a) Amount beneficially owned: As of the close of business on January 31, 2022, Teacher Retirement System of Texas exercised its option to convert 2,500,000 units, resulting in 2,500,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the Class A Ordinary Shares) and 1,250,000 redeemable warrants, where each whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Class A Ordinary Share (the Warrants). The Issuers warrants will become exercisable on the later of 30 days after the completion of the Issuers initial business combination and 12 months from the closing of the Issuers initial public offering. (b) Percent of class: As of the close of business on January 31, 2021, Teacher Retirement System of Texas may be deemed to have beneficially owned 2,500,000 shares of the Issuers Class A Ordinary Shares or 8.2% of the Issuers Class A Ordinary Shares outstanding, which percentage was calculated based on 30,475,000 shares of the Issuers Class A Ordinary Shares outstanding as of February 5, 2021, as reported in the Issuers Form 8-K filed on February 11, 2021. (c) Number of shares as to which the person has: (i) Sole power to vote or to direct the vote: 2,500,000 (ii) Shared power to vote or to direct the vote: 0 (iii) Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition: 2,500,000 (iv) Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition: 0 Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class. Not applicable. Not applicable. 4 of 6 Explanatory Note The Reporting Persons filed a Schedule 13G with respect to the Class A Common Stock of Pershing Square Tontine Holdings, Ltd. (the Issuer) on February 12, 2021 (the Original Schedule 13G). The Issuer was unable to consummate an initial business combination within the time period required by its Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation. On July 26, 2022, the Issuer liquidated all of its Class A Common Stock. As a result, the Reporting Persons no longer beneficially own any shares of Class A Common Stock. Therefore, the Reporting Persons are filing this Amendment No. 1 (the Amendment) to amend and supplement the Original Schedule 13G and it shall constitute an exit filing by Reporting Persons. Terms used but not defined in this Amendment are so defined in the Original Schedule 13G. Item 4. Ownership. The information required by Items 4(a)-(c) is set forth in Rows 5-11 of the cover pages hereto for each Reporting Person and is incorporated herein by reference for each such Reporting Person. Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class. If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than 5 percent of the class of securities, check the following [X]. SIGNATURES After reasonable inquiry and to the best of each of the undersigneds knowledge and belief, each of the undersigned certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct. Dated: August 5, 2022 ABOARD THE USS RONALD REAGAN, Philippine Sea The U.S. 7th Fleet will send more aircraft and warships past Taiwan in the coming weeks, a response to Chinas military exercises that have surrounded the island starting Thursday, according to the White House. The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group will also remain in the region to monitor the situation as Beijing continues its exercises in the wake of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis mid-week stop in Taiwan, national security spokesman John Kirby said at a White House press conference Thursday. China that day began a series of air force and naval exercises, including 11 ballistic missiles fired toward Taiwan, five of which came down in Japans economic exclusion zone east of the island democracy. We condemn these actions, which are irresponsible and at odds with our longstanding goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the region, Kirby said. China has chosen to overreact and use the speakers visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait. The 7th Fleet will send more ships and planes through the Taiwan Strait in coming weeks, consistent, again, with our longstanding approach to defending freedom of the seas and international law, Kirby said. We will not seek, nor do we want, a crisis, he said. At the same time, we will not be deterred from operating in the seas and the skies of the Western Pacific, consistent with international law, as we have for decades, supporting Taiwan and defending a free and open Indo-Pacific. The 7th Fleet has sent an average of one destroyer a month through the strait so far this year. Aboard the USS Ronald Reagan on Friday, the strike group commander said the Navy will not back away from its normal operations in the Western Pacific despite heightened tensions with any prospective rival in the region. The Navy will not be dissuaded, bullied or forced by potential rivals like China, Russia or North Korea into abandoning its mission to maintain open seas in the Indo-Pacific region, said Rear Adm. Michael Donnelly at a news conference on the carrier. The Ronald Reagan this week steamed through the area south of Taiwan and into the Philippine Sea to about 300 miles south of its homeport, Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. Donnelly did not mention activity around Taiwan specifically or Pelosis stop there Wednesday before she continued on to South Korea and Japan with a congressional delegation. China regards the island as a renegade province that must one day be reclaimed. Whether theres an increase or increased perception of activity by belligerent or coercive nations in the region, the mission of the U.S. Navy has not changed, nor is our posture or presence here in the Indo-Pacific, he said. Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Vice Adm. Tatsuya Fukuda told reporters aboard the Ronald Reagan that the U.S.-Japan alliance, and the relationship between their navies, is critical to the security of Japan and the wider region. Maritime security is of critical importance for Japan, because we are a nation surrounded by the seas, Fukuda said. Ensuring maritime security is vital for the nation, and the JMSDF continues to take all possible measures to ensure the safety of maritime traffic and freedom of navigation in the region. Yongsan Garrison, Seoul, South Korea, August 1981: Spc. 5 William Coe sits in a no parking zone as he writes a letter home. The sign above his head was intended for motorists in the post exchange parking lot at Yongsan Garrison rather than for letter writers parking on the park bench. Were you stationed in South Korea in 1981? Read the paper you read then by subscribing 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/ In a matter of days, more than 2 million culture-hungry visitors are expected to descend on Edinburgh. It's the first full-scale celebration of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in three years. The international festival is going strong 75 years later -- look out for a performance by jazz icon Herbie Hancock -- but it' s the Fringe that attracts the vast majority of visitors. In 2019 more than 3 million tickets were issued, making it the world's largest arts festival. Famous names who cut their teeth at the Fringe include Steve Coogan and Phoebe Waller-Bridge: "Fleabag" had its first airing at the Fringe in 2013. Now, for nearly a month starting on August 5, Edinburgh will host an array of talent from all over the world, with venues ranging from the 2,200-seat Usher Hall to the back of a taxi; impromptu street performances will spring up everywhere. For the city, the importance of the festival is not just artistic: In 2019 the London-based Centre for Economic and Business Research estimated that the Festival generates more than 1 billion of direct and indirect spending each year. A sizable chunk of that money is spent on the food and drink required to power through the shows. With a couple of million more mouths to feed, Edinburgh's bars, restaurants, and coffee shops will be packed. Reservations are essential for most places, but there are always cancelations, especially during a dynamic time like the festival. If you can't snag a table, try the time-honored approach of calling, or walk in and check the standby situation. Here, then, are the best places to refuel, whether you're in search of a blowout meal, or a shot or two of restorative local whisky. Dulse Dean Banks, the chef-owner of Dulse, is a busy guy in Scotland: Besides running multiple spots, such as Haar in St Andrews and Pompadour in Edinburgh, he's launched his own brands of gin and vodka. His latest project is Dulse, a dressed-down wine bar and fish restaurant in the West End, named for the seaweed found in the North Atlantic. But the menu revolves around not only seaweed, as the name suggests, but also seafood: There's trout pastrami with rye bread and market-price local lobster thermidor. To wash it down, there's pepper dulse martinis, made with Banks' infused gin. Eleanore The Little Chartroom has been an Edinburgh mainstay since 2018. This year, chef and restaurateur Roberta Hall McCarron moved the restaurant and launched Eleanore on the original Albert Place site. At the relaxed restaurant and wine bar with nautical blue-and-white decor and high, backless stools, dishes range from small-plate to substantial: mackerel paired with tangy yuzu, an audacious plate of barbecued monkfish and crisped lamb's sweetbreads with carrot hot sauce, or charred loin of pork with quince and chicory for 21 ($25). It's a great place to hang out for a drink during the day, even when the kitchen is closed; the extensive wine list changes frequently. Timberyard Housed in an attractive, high-ceilinged old Victorian warehouse, Timberyard has a strong Scandinavian vibe both in the space and on chef Ben Radford's menu. Radford serves wild garlic broth sharpened with tangy St Andrews cheddar, and features game in dishes such as roe deer flatbread with fines herbes and yogurt, as well as wood pigeon with quince, lardo, and anchovy for 28 ($34). The wine list is European, but cocktails have a local bent: Bloody Marys are infused with smoked barley. Kora Tom Kitchin is restaurant royalty in Edinburgh -- the Kitchin has held a Michelin star for 15 years. Kora, the latest addition to his clutch of eateries, is informal and relaxed: a quirkily decorated, bare-brick and blond-wood townhouse with small plates and bar snacks on offer (spiced broccoli tempura or salt cod brandade, maybe), as well as starters and mains, such as Shetland mussels in cider for 11 ($13) and plancha-grilled Newhaven lobster with garlic and parsley for 49 ($60). The mostly Old World wine list offers 30 or so bins by the glass. Bertie's The cavernous, 300-cover Bertie's, housed in an old church on bustling Victoria Street, is one of the city's top fish-and-chips spots and a great option if you're in the middle of town without a restaurant booking. The classic order is a plate of sustainable, MSC-certified North Sea haddock, battered and fried in beef drippings, served with chips and tartare sauce for 15 ($18); options include Whitby scampi fried in breadcrumbs, or battered local haggis. For the full fish-supper experience, tag on side orders of chippy gravy and mushy peas. The Witchery A stalwart of the Edinburgh dining scene since 1979, the Witchery hosts a well-mixed crowd of locals, visitors, and fans of Gothic interiors: Timeworn tapestries, candlelight, and oak paneling set the tone. The menu focuses on first-rate local produce: baked Isle of Mull scallops for 25 ($30), and fillet of roe deer from the Balmoral Estate cooked en croute for 87 ($160) for two. The 900-bin wine list features a string of heavyweight mature clarets: Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 1990, for instance, goes for 1,350, or a little more than $1,600. Tipsy Midgie Tipsy Midgie, in Southside just by Holyrood Park, describes itself as a "whisky and gin drinkery." Presided over by restaurateur Colin Hinds (aka the Whisky Forager), it's a stone's throw from the visitor-friendly Holyrood Distillery and offers a vast array of whiskies. In August, Festival patrons can unwind for an hour after a show with three "midnight drams": rare bottlings from his own collection, chosen by Hinds, kicking off with Macallan Concept No 1, Ardbeg 22 year-old and anCnoc 18 year-old, for 25 ($30) for ticketed tastings. Bramble Bar & Lounge In recent years, locals have developed a penchant for gin. There are more than 40 different bottles behind the bar at Bramble, named in homage to bartending legend Dick Bradsell's Bramble -- a concoction of gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and the blackberry liqueur creme de mure. The hardest part about a late-night drink in this cozy cellar bar is finding the place: Look for the small brass plaque below a dry cleaner's shop. Williams & Johnson Outside the city center, the 20 or so studios at Custom Lane, overlooking the Water of Leith, house designers, architects, photographers, and artists, many of whom also frequent Williams & Johnson, the building's in-house coffee roasters. "Willie Jay's," as it's known to locals, specializes in seasonal small-batch, single-origin coffees, roasted on site, and served in their airy cafe, where espresso goes for 2.40 ($3) and pour-overs and mochas are 3 ($3.60). Or get your coffee to go and stroll around the famed Old Leith Harbour in between shows. The story of how Ramstein Air Base came to be and how much local sway the largest U.S. military community overseas carries is told in a rather unlikely place: inside a series of bright-red shipping containers. The Docu Center Ramstein houses a collection of photographs, documents and other materials aimed at preserving and sharing the history of Americans in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz. Central to that record is the air base, which put the small farming village of Ramstein on the map 70 years ago, and the center is marking the anniversary with a special exhibit. Running through the end of August, it looks back at seven decades of U.S. presence at Ramstein. When construction began in April 1951 on two separate but adjacent bases, thousands of workers came from all over Germany, said Mario Aulenbacher, the centers director. It was a very small village. Then suddenly, thousands of strangers were around here. Landstuhl Air Base opened in August 1952, followed by Ramstein Air Station the following spring. The border between the former bases runs roughly along the current Kissling Memorial Drive. The Americans brought their big cars; there were airplanes flying around. Many houses here have been built because of the money Americans brought, Aulenbacher said. It changed everything. The anniversary exhibition aims to highlight important points of this whole very complex history, Aulenbacher said. We cannot show the whole history, but we try to show interesting parts of it. The temporary display includes black-and-white photographs that reveal glimpses of base life over the decades. In the 1950s, bingo was popular for both Americans and Germans at the former Ramstein NCO club, as evidenced in one of many photos by photographer Walter Matheis. A late-1970s photo by Hans Paque portrays a crowd streaming past an old Ramstein Air Base sign on the way to the annual air show. Other items in the exhibit include a June 13, 1958, copy of a yellowed Ramstein-Landstuhl RAMJET, an old base newspaper. One of the headlines announces the availability of the polio vaccine. A black rotary telephone from 1965 was once used in a generals office. Among more modern memorabilia is a T-shirt from an annual memorial run to honor Airman 1st Class Zachary Cuddeback, who was killed in a shooting attack at Frankfurt Airport on March 2, 2011. The container village was set up in 2013 in Ramstein-Miesenbach with funding from the citys community association. Besides the 70th anniversary exhibit, there are permanent exhibits that explore the broader history of the American presence throughout the region. Docu Center research found more than 170 U.S. military sites in Rheinland-Pfalz during the past six decades. One of the smallest of these was just a radio mast atop about 10 square feet. A map with color-coded pins contrasts the number of abandoned facilities with those still in use. The former far outnumber the latter, showing just how large the U.S. military footprint in the area once was. One container explores the importance of base clubs for cultural development in postwar Germany, a place where locals were introduced to big bands, dancing and legendary American jazz musicians such as Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker and Count Basie. Another container is devoted to the history of the Ramstein air show, including the 1988 disaster that killed 70 people and injured hundreds of spectators, putting an end to future air shows in Germany. A compilation of witness observations includes a command chief master sergeant who watched the disaster unfold from the VIP area on the roof of the control tower building. This container was meant to be a little place where people can come and remember the victims, Aulenbacher said. Before the air show crash, the annual event drew hundreds of thousands from across Europe and was a high point of the year for many living in the region, Aulenbacher said. The center highlights some of the happier memories associated with the day, such as a photograph of people in line to buy American ice cream. The ice cream was very popular and it was hard to get, Aulenbacher said. People would come early and get ice cream, bring it back home and then go see the show. svan.jennifer@stripes.com Twitter: @stripesktown Docu Center Ramstein Address: Schernauer Strasse 46, Ramstein-Miesenbach. Near the Azur swimming pool, across the street from the Reichswald-Gymnasium. Hours: 2-5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday from March to November Cost: Free Information: Online: dc-ramstein.de; email: info@dc-ramsteinde; phone: +49 6371-838-005. Most displays are in English and German. Guided tours are available upon request. Most everyone loves a summer day, and despite the heat they must often endure at this time of the year, the Italians are no exception to the rule. Full-on vacation vibes pulse at fever pitch in mid-August, when two great popular holidays signal high season has reached its sizzling peak. The first occasion for celebration is the Feast of San Lorenzo, traditionally marked on the night between Aug. 10 and 11. Lorenzo counts among one of many saints with an extraordinary backstory. Born around 225 A.D. in Spain, it was there he made the acquaintance of the man who was to become Pope Sixtus II. Upon the latters election as Pope in the year 257, Lorenzo was ordained as a deacon and soon thereafter appointed first among the seven deacons who served in the cathedral church. Among the duties entrusted to him were custody of the churchs wealth and the distribution of alms to the poor. In 258, the Emperor Valerian issued an edict condemning all bishops, priests and deacons to death. While Pope Sixtus II was executed immediately, Lorenzo requested and was granted a short reprieve in order to gather up the churchs assets. Within a few short days, he had given away much of the churchs fortune to the most destitute and ailing. When ordered to bring forth the churchs treasure, he presented the wretched masses, ascertaining that they represented the true wealth of the church. This so angered the prefect that he sentenced Lorenzo to a particularly gruesome end, that of being roasted alive on a gridiron above burning coals. The way in which the saint achieved his martyrdom earned him the patronage of bakers, chefs and firemen. The Aug. 10 date of the feast of San Lorenzo coincides with another phenomenon. Around this time of year, the earth passes through a meteor stream known as the Perseids. Those who cast their eyes up to the nighttime skies are often rewarded by a glimpse of one or several shooting stars. In Italy, as elsewhere, such sightings are seen as an occasion for making wishes. While gazing skyward is a traditional activity that can be enjoyed almost anywhere, there are other ways to mark the occasion. Florence fetes San Lorenzo, one of its two patron saints, throughout the day. Celebrations kick off at 9:45 a.m. with the Historical Parade of the Florentine Republic, in which costumed participants march from the Palagio di Parte Guelfa and through the neighborhoods surrounding the Basilica of San Lorenzo. The Piazza San Lorenzo comes alive again in the early evening, when a free communal meal of lasagna, followed by watermelon, is served, and the sound of live music rings out. Online: tinyurl.com/2rrerh2j When it comes to places to seek out stars, those in Naples are spoiled for choice. Within the city itself, the area near the Astronomical Observatory or the palace grounds of Capodimonte are popular options, as is the viewpoint of San Martino on Vomero. Those willing to venture further afield seek out beaches with as little light pollution as possible; good examples of such are those between Pozzuoli and Monte di Procida, including Bacoli and Baia, or near the shores of the volcanic crater lake known as Lago dAverno. On the night between August 9 and 10, the Nabilah Beach near Bacoli traditionally organizes a bonfire accompanied by music, artistic installations and a midnight swim. Elsewhere in Italy, wineries that are members of the Movimento Turismo del Vino, or Wine Tourism Movement, are just the place for wining and dining beneath the stars. The nonprofit association organizes events throughout the year; one of its most popular initiatives is Calici di Stelle, or Goblets of Stars. On the night itself and through Aug. 15, many of the countrys leading wineries invite lovers of the bounty of the grape to linger late into the night in vineyards, village squares and wine taverns while sampling the best of local varieties. See a list of participating wineries online at tinyurl.com/374npjvs. Following on the heels of San Lorenzo is Ferragosto, a legal holiday throughout the land. While originally the August 15 date was celebrated by Christians as the day of the Virgin Marys Assumption into the sky, nowadays its better known as the date kicking off a period in time when city dwellers flock to vacation hotspots in droves. While official governmental entities such as offices, post offices, banks and educational institutions will be closed, most museums, cultural attractions and leisure facilities will remain open. One of the most traditional activities this season is to watch the famous Palio di Siena, a horse race that takes place on Sienas Piazza del Campo twice annually; once on July 2 and again on Aug. 16. Ten riders representing various districts of the idyllic Tuscan town take three fast laps through the square, which has been covered with soil for the occasion. The first horse to cross the finish line wins the race, with or without its rider still managing to cling onto its bare back. The race is preceded by a historical parade that gets underway shortly after 3 p.m., and the race itself takes place at 7 p.m. While it costs nothing to view the race from the central area of the piazza, tickets are essential for access to grandstand or balcony seating. Another option is to attend one of the race rehearsals held Aug. 13-15. Online: ilpalio.org/palioenglish.htm Pandemic-related shutdowns in 2020 gave many people who believed they didn't have time for pets the push they needed to adopt. But with many offices haltingly bringing employees back and vacations in full swing, pet owners and people who work with dogs are starting to grapple with animals' separation anxiety and other problems. Nihcole Adams, a dog walker and sitter in Castaic, California, has had an uptick in new clients who are also new to dog ownership. She's been fielding requests for walks, feedings and boardings. But some pets she's taking in are struggling with being alone or socializing with other dogs. Adams recently boarded a 5-month-old Lhasa Apso, Brody, for a week. The owners were worried Adams would call them to pick up their dog because he wouldn't do well with the other pets. But when they picked the puppy up at the end of the week, they were surprised at his progress Brody just needed to practice being in a social setting. "Dogs who are isolated or not socialized prior to 16 weeks of age are more likely to develop behavior problems later on," Rachel Malamed, a veterinary behavioral specialist, said. The stakes are serious. Malamed said behavior problems are a leading cause of relinquishment and euthanasia. But the new pet owners Adams works with are passionate about getting help for their dogs. It's just that many don't know where to start or what resources are available. Seeking help from a qualified professional early on can help keep pets in the home, improve pet welfare and repair the human-animal bond, Malamed said. Depending on your pup's situation, you can seek help from certified dog trainers, a veterinarian or pet sitters. The Times spoke with all three about how to tell if a dog is experiencing separation anxiety, tips on what owners can do at home and beyond, and resources. Understanding your pet Malamed said she's seeing a lot of pets with separation anxiety as well as other fears and phobias including the fears of people, noises, walks and other animals. These fears, she said, can be due to a lack of early socialization caused by the pandemic. Ingrid Komisar said they also can result from a lack of training as well as genetic predisposition. Komisar a certified trainer for Calm Canine Academy, a virtual dog-training service said the coronavirus lockdowns halted in-person trainings for many dogs and their owners. It also stopped many pets from simply seeing and interacting with other humans and dogs. Anxiety in pets can manifest itself in a number of ways. Physical changes can look like loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea or house-soiling. Behavioral changes to be aware of may include hiding and avoidance, shaking, tail tucking, ears back, licking the lips and yawning, not taking treats readily and not following commands. In some cases pets will become aggressive to household members, unfamiliar people or other animals. Don't wait to see if the problem will go away. Most behavior problems worsen if left unaddressed. "The first thing that people should do when they notice any behavioral or physical signs or change, especially those that are sudden or uncharacteristic for their pet, is to consult with their vet to make sure that there are no underlying medical reasons for these behaviors," Malamed said. How can a veterinarian help? Karen Sueda, a veterinary specialist in the behavior department at VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital, said illness can affect your pet's behavior, so it's important to rule out physical causes first. "For example, many diseases can cause house-soiling, and a dog that is in pain may pant, vocalize and appear anxious," Sueda said. A vet visit allows the doctor to ask specific questions to make an accurate behavioral diagnosis and create a treatment plan if a physical cause has been ruled out, she said. If the problem behavior is mild, your veterinarian may refer you to a trainer who uses positive-reinforcement training techniques. Sueda said that if the problem is more concerning, the doctor might refer you to a veterinary behaviorist a specialist in treating behavioral issues in pets. Veterinarians also may prescribe medications that reduce anxiety. Lowering anxiety, Sueda said, allows the pet to learn new behaviors and coping strategies through positive reinforcement. Training techniques If your veterinarian recommends a trainer for your dog's separation anxiety, Komisar advises finding a certified professional. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior has tips on how to choose a trainer based on specialty. Komisar acknowledges that a dog dealing with separation anxiety can be incredibly distressing for the owner too. But separation anxiety is treatable. "If we put in the time, if we put in the effort, it is possible to see success and to see [your pet] start to be comfortable with alone time," she said. How much time and effort? Komisar said she usually tells clients that the process can take months. Through Calm Canine Academy, she starts with suspending absences so if you have to go to work or school and don't have someone who can stay with your dog, hire a pet sitter. Next, Komisar works with the owner to understand at what point the dog begins to panic. If it's within 10 minutes of the owner leaving home, then they'll start by training the dog to be comfortable being alone for less than 10 minutes and work their way up. What can you do at home now If your dog is showing mild signs of separation anxiety or if you're waiting for your scheduled veterinarian appointment, Ralf Weber, a certified dog trainer based in Corona, shared tips on what you can do at home. For five minutes a day, everyone in the home ignore the dog. The animal may whine or bark but eventually will entertain itself or lie down. Once the dog is comfortable at five minutes, gradually increase the time. Having your dog crate-trained is valuable. A crate is a dog's own comfortable space, away from the owner. It's also needed when transporting your pet, leaving them at a kennel or if they have to stay at the veterinarian's office. Similar to Komisar's technique of leaving your pet alone for however long the pet is comfortable with, Weber recommends gradually increasing the dog's alone time. But don't rush the process; go at your dog's pace. KAMPALA, Uganda African nations are free to buy grain from Russia but could face consequences if they trade in U.S.-sanctioned commodities such as Russian oil, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said Thursday. "Countries can buy Russian agricultural products, including fertilizer and wheat," Linda Thomas-Greenfield said. But she added that "if a country decides to engage with Russia, where there are sanctions, then they are breaking those sanctions." "We caution countries not to break those sanctions because then ... they stand the chance of having actions taken against them," she said. Thomas-Greenfield spoke in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, after a meeting with President Yoweri Museveni, a U.S. ally who has not criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine and has expressed sympathy with Moscow. Uganda is the U.S. official's first stop on an African tour that will include visits to Ghana and Cape Verde. Her trip comes a week after the Africa visit of Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, who dismissed charges that his country's invasion of Ukraine is solely responsible for a dangerous food crisis in countries ranging from Somalia to South Sudan. Lavrov blamed food shortages in the market on "the absolutely inadequate reaction of the West, which announced sanctions" following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia are key global suppliers of wheat, barley, corn and sunflower oil, with fighting in the Black Sea region, known as t he "breadbasket of the world," pushing up food prices, threatening political stability in developing nations and leading countries to ban some food exports. Many African countries including some with areas that are on the threshold of famine depend heavily on grain imports from Russia and Ukraine. Thomas-Greenfield insisted that sanctions imposed by Washington are not to blame for rising food prices in Africa and elsewhere. She said the U.S. seeks to strengthen existing partnerships in African countries such as Uganda and spoke of Museveni, an authoritarian who has held power for 36 years, as a regional leader with whom the U.S. has "mutual interests." Uganda is one of 25 African nations that abstained or didn't vote in the U.N. General Assembly resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. Many countries on the continent of 1.3 billion people have long-standing ties with Moscow, dating back to the Cold War when the Soviet Union supported their anti-colonial struggles. Museveni said during Lavrov's visit that Russia has been a friend to the East African country for more than 100 years, suggesting he felt under pressure to support the U.S. position on the war in Ukraine. China manufactures first COVID-19 antiviral pill, adding oral option (CGTN) 16:41, August 05, 2022 China starts to manufacture its first homegrown antiviral COVID-19 pill after gaining approval from the National Medical Products Administration last month, the company said on Tuesday. The drug, Azvudine, developed by Chinese drugmaker Genuine Biotech, is widely known for treating HIV-1 virus, which the company was first approved for in July last year. It now adds a China-made oral antiviral option against the coronavirus apart form Pfizer's Paxlovid that was approved for use in February. The Azvudine tablet is a small-molecule oral drug that acts as a reverse transcriptase inhibitor and can therefore impede the replication of RNA viruses such as HIV and the coronavirus. It has been given a conditional green light to treat adult patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 conditions. In a late-stage clinical trial, 40.4 percent of patients taking Azvudine showed improvement in symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever and coughing, seven days after first taking the drug, compared with 10.9 percent in the control group, the company said in a statement earlier July. Multiple clinical trials of the tablet have been conducted in China, Brazil and Russia in phase III clinical study since 2020. Genuine Biotech submitted an initial public offering (IPO) application to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on August 4. The company said in its offerings that it has the capacity to produce about one billion tablets of Azvudine a year. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) HONOLULU The Honolulu Board of Water Supply said Thursday it has detected a small amount of a chemical naturally occurring in coal, crude oil and gasoline in a monitoring well near a Navy fuel storage facility that spilled jet fuel last year. The utility said in a news release it found very low levels of the chemical, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. It said it shared its data with the state Department of Health and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and both agencies agree these low levels are not expected to cause any health effects. Still, they agreed the situation needs attention and continued monitoring, the utility said. The Board of Water Supply said the discovery heightens its concern that fuel spilled from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility is migrating through the aquifer located under the tank farm. The utility has three wells that tap the aquifer to supply drinking water to more than 400,000 Oahu residents. It shut down those wells in December when it learned fuel had flowed from the tank farm into a Navy drinking water well supplying water to 93,000 people on and near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. That leak sickened some 6,000 of the Navy's water users with nausea, headaches and other symptoms. The utility worries fuel may travel through the aquifer's porous volcanic rock from the area around the Navy's well to its own wells, which could poison Honolulu's own water supply. It has been calling on the Navy to swiftly remove fuel from the tanks to reduce the threat of further leaks. The Board of Water Supply said it found the chemical in water samples taken from a well about 1,500 feet (457 meters) southeast of the Red Hill facility. It also found total petroleum hydrocarbons in the same samples. Lydia Robertson, a spokesperson for Navy Region Hawaii, said the Navy hasn't seen the utility's data but would welcome the opportunity to review it. Ernie Lau, the Board of Water Supplys chief engineer, called the detections warnings that we cannot ignore. Our precious and irreplaceable water resources are at risk of further contamination every day the fuel remains in the Red Hill tanks," he said in a statement. We urge the Navy to expeditiously defuel and permanently close the Red Hill facility Ola I Ka Wai, he said, using the Hawaiian language phrase meaning water is life." The military in April agreed to an order from the state of Hawaii to drain the tanks and close the World War II-era tank farm. But it says December 2024 is the earliest it can accomplish this. A Navy investigation released last month said a cascading series of mistakes from May through November of last year caused 20,000 gallons (75,700 liters) of fuel to spill into its drinking water well. It blamed mismanagement and human error for the episode. The leak was the most recent of a series of fuel spills from Red Hill dating to 2014. FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii The massive Rim of the Pacific maritime exercise ending Thursday in Hawaii serves to deter escalation by Chinas military, even as its navy conducted live-fire drills around Taiwan, the commander of U.S. 3rd Fleet said Wednesday. Navies from 26 nations took part in RIMPAC for the past month with 38 ships, four submarines, 170 aircraft and roughly 25,000 personnel, primarily in waters near Hawaii and several drills in Southern California. By coming together, I do believe its a deterrent to anyone who would try to challenge the current rules-based order that has made us so prosperous as part of a free and open Indo-Pacific, Vice Adm. Michael Boyle, commander of 3rd Fleet and RIMPAC, told reporters during a conference call Wednesday. By coming together as this group of nations, were not just talking about being like-minded; we are demonstrating it. We are the manifestation of like-minded nations by sending, by committing, forces and the money that it takes to have us come together here in Hawaii. China commenced military exercises Thursday involving its navy and air force in six zones surrounding Taiwan in response to a visit to the island by Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province that must be brought under Beijings control at some point. RIMPACs rewards to participants are already manifest, said Boyle, who was joined on the call by Royal Canadian navy Rear Adm. Christopher Robinson, the exercises deputy commander. I think the biggest lesson from this RIMPAC was our focus on being more adaptable and so having a less scripted program and a less scripted design, Boyle said. Scripted scenarios enhanced training between tactical units on ships, submarines and aircraft, he said. But the exercise took a looser form during its latter days, putting leaders face to face with the unpredictability of a real crisis, he said. The last five or six days of the exercise was really a little bit of free play, and by free play I mean we let the environment and those who were acting as hostile forces in the exercise determine how the scenario would unfold, Boyle said. That gave an opportunity for all the forces to have to kind of think it through: I dont know whats going to happen today or tomorrow. That type of learning will make us better postured to handle any kind of situation, whether its a humanitarian assistance/disaster response scenario, all the way up to some sort of crisis to where were looking for each others help. Robinson highlighted other achievements: South Korean Rear Adm. Sang-min Ahn commanded RIMPACs amphibious task force, a first for that nation. Singapore navy Col. Kwan Hon Chuong served as the sea combat commander, also a first for that country. Australias amphibious ship HMAS Canberra embarked two U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey aircraft for the full duration of the exercise. Royal Malaysian navy ship KD Leskir conducted its first live missile firing outside Malaysian waters. First embedded use of the MQ-9A and MQ-9B unmanned aerial drones. Boyle touted the level of integration made by the U.S. Navys four unmanned surface vessel prototypes: Sea Hunter, Seahawk, Nomad and Ranger. In this RIMPAC we really did not worry about the unmanned systems by itself, Boyle said. We did not worry about collisions. We did not worry about losing control. We did not worry about it operating within the formation of other ships for extended periods of time. So that shows how mature unmanned systems have become. So, for [the U.S. Navy], that means we will now look to which ones are best of breed, which ones we might fund, and how they might be integrated into the force moving forward, he said. So, I think were beyond the question of will they ever be here; theyre definitely going to be here. RIMPAC allowed us to mature the technology. PHNOM PENH, Cambodia U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that China's military exercises aimed at Taiwan, including missiles fired into Japan's exclusive economic zone, represent a "significant escalation" and that he has urged Beijing to back down. China launched the drills following a visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan that infuriated Beijing, which claims the self-governed island as its own territory. Blinken told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Cambodia, however, that Pelosi's visit was peaceful and did not represent a change in American policy toward Taiwan, accusing China of using it as a "pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait." He said the situation had led to a "vigorous communication" during East Asia Summit meetings in Phnom Penh in which both he and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi took part along with the ASEAN nations, Russia and others. "I reiterated the points that we made publicly as well as directly to Chinese counterparts in recent days, again, about the fact that they should not use the visit as a pretext for war, escalation, for provocative actions, that there is no possible justification for what they've done and urge them to cease these actions," he said. Blinken did not sit down one-on-one with Wang but said he had spoken with the Chinese foreign minister already about the possibility of a Pelosi visit to Taiwan before it had taken place during meetings in Bali, and had made the U.S. position clear. China on Friday announced unspecified sanctions on Pelosi for her visit. A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said she had disregarded China's concerns and resolute opposition to her trip. Pelosi received a euphoric welcome as the first U.S. House speaker, and highest ranking U.S. official, to visit Taiwan in more than 25 years. China opposes any engagement by Taiwanese officials with foreign governments, and has accused the U.S. of breaking the status quo with the Pelosi visit. The U.S. insists there has been no change to its "one-China" position of recognizing the government in Beijing, while allowing for informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. Despite the aggressive Chinese reaction to the visit, Blinken said the U.S. would also not change its "commitment to the security of our allies in the region," and that the Defense Department had ordered the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier group "to remain on station in the general area to monitor the situation." "We will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows," he said. "We'll continue to conduct standard air and maritime transits through the Taiwan Strait, consistent with our long-standing approach to working with allies and partners to uphold freedom of navigation and overflight." As the East Asia Summit opened, Wang patted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the shoulder as he entered the room and gave the already-seated Lavrov a quick wave before taking his own seat. Lavrov waved back in response. Blinken, who entered the room last, did not even glance at Lavrov as he took his own seat about a half dozen chairs away, or at Wang who was seated farther down the same table as Lavrov. Ahead of the Phnom Penh talks, the U.S. State Department indicated Blinken had no plans to meet one-on-one with either man during the course of the meetings. Following the meetings, Lavrov told reporters there had been a lot of "fiery statements" about the aftermath of the Pelosi visit. "There have been rather sharp statements from our Chinese partners, who we support," he told reporters. "And there have been responses from the U.S. and Japan that it's not China's business and that the declared policy of supporting the one-China principle doesn't mean one has to ask Beijing for permission to visit Taiwan. Surely, it's a weird logic." The talks came a day after WNBA star Brittney Griner was convicted of drug possession and sentenced to nine years in prison by Russia in a politically charged case amid antagonisms over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Blinken said the conviction and sentence "compounds the injustice that has been done to her." "It puts a spotlight on our very significant concern with Russia's legal system and the Russian government's use of wrongful detentions to advance its own agenda using individuals as political pawns," he said. Blinken has suggested the possibility of a prisoner swap for Griner and another American jailed in Russia, Paul Whelan, but Lavrov told reporters that such a deal could only be decided upon by Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden. "We're ready to discuss this topic, but to discuss it within the channel that was agreed on by presidents Putin and Biden," Lavrov said on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting. On Thursday, China canceled a foreign ministers' meeting with Japan to protest a statement from the Group of Seven industrialized nations that said there was no justification for Beijing's military exercises, which virtually encircle Taiwan. "Japan, together with other member of the G-7 and the EU, made an irresponsible statement accusing China and confounding right and wrong," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in Beijing. When Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa began to speak Friday at the East Asia Summit, both Lavrov and Wang walked out of the room, according to a diplomat in the room who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the private session. In the wake of the Chinese missile launches into Japan's economic zone, Blinken said the U.S. stands in "strong solidarity" with Japan following the "dangerous actions China has taken." Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report. WASHINGTON China cut off contacts with the United States on vital issues Friday including military matters and crucial climate cooperation as concerns rose that the Communist government's hostile reaction to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit could signal a lasting, more aggressive approach toward its U.S. rival and the self-ruled island. China's move to freeze key lines of communication compounded the worsening of relations from Pelosis visit and from the Chinese response with military exercises off Taiwan, including firing missiles that splashed down in surrounding waters. After the White House summoned China's ambassador, Qin Gang, late Thursday to protest the military exercises, White House spokesman John Kirby on Friday condemned the decision to end important dialogue with the United States as irresponsible. The White House spokesman blasted China's provocative actions since Pelosi's trip to Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory. But Kirby noted that some channels of communication remain open between military officials in the two countries. He repeated daily assurances that the U.S. had not changed its policy toward the Communist mainland and the self-ruled island. Bottom line is were going to continue our efforts to keep opening lines of communication that are protecting our interests and our values, Kirby said. He declined to speak about any damage to long-term relations between China and the United States, calling that a discussion for later. Taiwan has put its military on alert and staged civil defense drills, but the overall mood remained calm on Friday. Flights have been canceled or diverted and fishermen have remained in port to avoid the Chinese drills. On the Chinese coast across from Taiwan, tourists gathered to try to catch a glimpse of military aircraft. A minister at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, Jing Quan, told reporters that Pelosi's mission of support for the democratic government of Taiwan has had "a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, seriously infringed upon Chinas sovereignty and (territorial) integrity and ... undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits. Long term, a significantly more confrontational relationship between China and the U.S. threatens an equilibrium under which Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping's governments have sparred on human rights, trade, competition and countless other issues but avoided direct conflict and maintained occasional top-level contacts toward other matters, including cutting climate-damaging emissions. A joint U.S.-China deal to fight climate change struck by Xi and then-President Barack Obama in November of 2014 is credited as a turning point that led to the landmark 2015 Paris agreement in which nearly every nation in the world pledged to try to curb emissions of heat-trapping gases. Seven years later during climate talks in Glasgow, another U.S.-China deal helped smooth over bumps to another international climate deal. China and the United States are the worlds No. 1 and No. 2 climate polluters, together producing nearly 40% of all fossil-fuel emissions. Ominously, experts in China-U.S. relations warned that China's diplomatic and military moves appeared to go beyond retaliatory measures for the visit and could open a new, more openly hostile era, and a more uncertain time for Taiwan's democratic government. China-U.S. relations are in a downward spiral," said Bonnie Glaser, head of the Asia program at the German Marshall Fund. And I think that China is likely to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait in ways that are going to be harmful to Taiwan and are going to be disadvantageous to the United States," Glaser said. In recent years, other rounds of tensions between China and its neighbors over the India border, regional islands and the South China Sea have ended with China asserting new territorial claims and enforcing them, noted John Culver, a former East Asia national intelligence officer, now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. The same could happen now over Taiwan, Culver said. So I don't know how this ends. We've seen how it begins. China's measures this week are the latest steps intended to punish the U.S. for allowing the visit to the island it claims as its own territory, to be annexed by force if necessary. China on Thursday launched threatening military exercises just off Taiwan's coasts, running through Sunday. Some missiles were sent flying over Taiwan itself, Chinese officials told state media a significant increase in China's menacing of the island. China routinely complains when Taiwan has direct contacts with foreign governments, but its response to the Pelosi visit she was the highest-ranking American official in 25 years has been unusually strong. It appears to derail a rare encouraging note high-level in-person meetings between top officials in recent months including the defense chiefs at an Asia security conference in Singapore and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a Group of 20 meeting in Indonesia. Those talks were viewed as steps in a positive direction in an otherwise poisoned relationship. Now, talks have been suspended even on climate, where the two countries envoys had met multiple times. China stopped short of interrupting economic and trade talks, where it is looking to Biden to lift tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on imports from China. On Friday, China's Foreign Ministry said dialogue between U.S. and Chinese regional commanders and defense department heads would be canceled, along with talks on military maritime safety. Cooperation on returning illegal immigrants, criminal investigations, transnational crime, illegal drugs and climate change will be suspended, the ministry said. China's actions come ahead of a key congress of the ruling Communist Party later this year at which President Xi is expected to obtain a third five-year term as party leader. With the economy stumbling, the party has stoked nationalism and issued near-daily attacks on the government of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, which refuses to recognize Taiwan as part of China. China said Friday that more than 100 warplanes and 10 warships have taken part in live-fire military drills surrounding Taiwan over the past two days. Also, mainly symbolic sanctions against Pelosi and her family were announced. On the China coast, fighter jets could be heard flying overhead, and tourists taking photos chanted, Lets take Taiwan back," looking out into the blue waters of the Taiwan Strait from Pingtan island, a popular scenic spot in China's Fujian province. Pelosi's visit has stirred emotions among the Chinese public, and the government's response makes us feel our motherland is very powerful and gives us confidence that the return of Taiwan is the irresistible trend, said Wang Lu, a tourist from neighboring Zhejiang province. China is a powerful country and it will not allow anyone to offend its own territory, said Liu Bolin, a high school student visiting the island. China's insistence that Taiwan is its territory and its threat to use force to reclaim control have featured in Communist Party statements, the education system and the state-controlled media for more than seven decades since the sides were divided amid civil war in 1949. Taiwan residents overwhelmingly favor maintaining the status quo of de facto independence and reject China's demands that the island unify with the mainland under Communist control. Beyond Taiwan, five of the missiles fired by China landed in Japans Exclusive Economic Zone off Hateruma, an island far south of Japans main islands, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said. He said Japan protested the missiles to China as serious threats to Japans national security and the safety of the Japanese people. In Tokyo, where Pelosi is winding up her Asia trip, she said China cannot stop U.S. officials from visiting Taiwan. AP writer David Rising reported from Phnom Penh. AP writers Huizhong Wu in Taipei, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Seth Borenstein and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed. YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan Japans third case of monkeypox has appeared at the U.S. airlift hub in western Tokyo, the countrys Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced Friday. A man affiliated with Yokota went to urgent care at the base hospital Thursday with symptoms of headache, chills, malaise and rash, according to the ministry. He tested positive for monkeypox Friday and remains hospitalized on the installation. The man, who is in his 20s, has not traveled overseas since 2019, but recently had contact with a person visiting Japan for a short time, the ministry said. The U.S. military reported the case to the Japanese government on Friday, the ministry said. U.S. Forces Japan confirmed the infection in a statement Saturday morning, saying the patient was immediately placed in quarantine Thursday as a precautionary measure and has not had any known contact with individuals suspected of having monkeypox. The precise origin of the infection remains unknown at this time, the statement said. The patient will remain in isolation until medically cleared. A post-exposure vaccine is being offered to the patients close contacts, USFJ said, adding we continue our commitment to protecting the health and well-being of our personnel, families, and the local Japanese community, of which we are a part. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said more than 7,500 cases have been confirmed in the United States as of Friday. There are more than 28,000 infections in 88 regions around the world. Japan reported its first and second monkey pox cases last month. While Monkeypox is not considered a widespread health concern to U.S. Forces, we are committed to ensuring the health and safety of our personnel and medical providers, USFJs statement said. We will continue to follow and communicate CDC guidance on this subject. Yokota serves as headquarters for USFJ, 5th Air Force and the 374th Airlift Wing. Stars and Stripes reporter Seth Robson contributed to this report. KYIV, Ukraine Relatives of prisoners of war captured by the Russians following the fall of Mariupol gathered in central Kyiv Thursday demanding information about their husbands, fathers and sons following a strike on a prison housing POWs in a separatist region of eastern Ukraine last week that reportedly killed and wounded dozens. One of those gathered was Eugenia Vasylieva who last saw her husband Valeriy Vasyliev in Mariupol on the night of Feb. 24, the day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That night he went to defend his city. Her 7-year-old daughter Zlata Vasylieva, holding a placard calling for her father's return, said: I want my dad to be alive and that he never die." Russia has claimed 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. The Ukrainian military denied making any rocket or artillery strikes in Olenivka. The intelligence arm of the Ukrainian defense ministry claimed in a statement Wednesday to have evidence that local Kremlin-backed separatists colluded with the Russian FSB, the KGBs main successor agency, and mercenary group Wagner to mine the barrack before using a flammable substance, which led to the rapid spread of fire in the room. Ex-commander of the Azov Regiment sym Zhorin told the AP there were around 1,500 defenders of Mariupol in Olenivka before the explosion. They were part of 2,400 soldiers from the Azov Regiment of the Ukrainian national guard and other military units defending Mariupol who surrendered under orders from Ukraines military in May. But there were 100-150 people in the facility that was blown up, said Zhorin. He said the conditions in the block where the prisoners of war were being held were not suitable for living. The facility was not located next to the other barracks but on the outskirts of the prison near the warehouses. U.S. officials believe Russia is working to fabricate evidence concerning the strike. 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 the prison, which left 53 dead and wounded dozens more, a U.S. official familiar with the intelligence finding told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Zhorin says Ukraine has extremely little time to get to the crime site and to the witnesses who can give accounts of what really happened. We cannot be sure they will be alive tomorrow, that the Russians will not kill them. So far, nothing prevents them from doing it, Zhorin said. Relatives of prisoners of war are increasingly frustrated at the lack of information they are getting about the fate of their loved ones. Because the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) acted as a guarantor of the security of the military members who left Azovstal in May, they are looking to the committee to give them answers. Our goal is to reach the Red Cross, to say that they are not fulfilling their duties. We entrusted them with the lives of our boys. And it shouldnt be like this that the Red Cross is now saying they are not responsible for anything, says Iryna Yermoshyna, the wife of a POW. She says the Red Cross has only contacted her once since her husband was captured. Kateryna Chyzykova saw the name of her husband in the list of wounded soldiers, which Russia's ministry of defense published after the explosion. She says she's tried to contact the ICRC to try and find out about her husband's condition but has so far been unsuccessful. My husband left Azovstal, trusting the Red Cross, said Chyzykova. Zhorin says the list of casualties published by the Russian side is incorrect. He said among those listed as dead were names of people who died even before the explosion in Olenivka. Unfortunately, we already know that there are more dead POWs. There are victims who died in the hospital or on the way to the hospital, Zhorin said. So far the ICRC has not been able to access Olenivka and the wounded, so they have been unable to verify the list of names. Earlier this week, Russias Supreme Court declared Ukraines Azov Regiment a terrorist organization, a move that some fear could lead to terror charges against some of the captured fighters who made their last stand inside Mariupols shattered steel plant and make it more difficult to verify who was at the blast site. The Azov regiment that was stationed in Mariupol is part of the National Guard. Other units of Azov, which exist throughout the country, are part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They are under the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the commander-in-chief during the war. All of these are official units that certainly cannot be separately recognized as terrorist organizations. This is part of the entire defense of Ukraine, Zhorin said. Zhorin believes that Russia made the ruling so they could put members of the Azov regiment on trial. Before the ruling, they could not hold a trial against fighters as their status as prisoners of war gave them protection under the Geneva Conventions. Moscow has repeatedly portrayed the Azov Regiment as a Nazi group and accused it of atrocities but has publicly produced little evidence. The regiment, a unit within Ukraines National Guard, has a checkered past. It grew out of a group called the Azov Battalion, formed in 2014 as one of many volunteer brigades created to fight Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. The battalion drew its initial fighters from far-right circles. While its current members reject accusations of extremism, the Kremlin has seized on the regiments right-wing origins to cast Russias invasion as a battle against Nazi influence in Ukraine. Meanwhile, covered in artificial blood, Olha stood in the Kyiv square with a message for her boyfriend who is in captivity. I want to give him all my love, to tell him that everything will be fine, that I will fight for him until the end." ATHENS, Greece The head of Greeces intelligence service and the general secretary of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis office have resigned amid a scandal involving the targeting of the head of an opposition party and a journalist with spyware. National Intelligence Service director Panagiotis Kontoleon and Grigoris Dimitriadis, general secretary of the prime ministers office, submitted their resignations Friday, the prime ministers office said. Both were accepted. Kontoleon stepped down following incorrect actions found in the procedure of legal surveillance, the prime ministers office said, without elaborating on which procedures were incorrectly followed or who the targets of legal surveillance might have been. Under Greek law, a prosecutor is required to sign off on any surveillance. The National Intelligence Service, or EYP, reports to the prime ministers office. The prime ministers office did not give a reason for Dimitriadis resignation. A government official said it was related to the toxic climate that has developed around him. In no case does it have anything to do with Predator (spyware), to which neither he nor the government are in any way connected, as has been categorically stated. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as the reasons for the resignation had not been announced. Last week, the head of Greeces socialist PASOK opposition party, Nikos Androulakis, filed a complaint with the countrys supreme court prosecutors saying there had been an attempt to bug his cellphone with the Predator spyware. I never expected the Greek government to put me under surveillance with the darkest practices, Androulakis said, following the resignations on Friday. He also called on parliament to set up an investigative committee to look into potential political responsibilities for the attempted tapping of his phone. Government spokesman Yannis Oikonomou said that if such a request were to be formally submitted, the government will respond positively. In a Friday evening statement, Oikonomou said the center-right government had sought to fully brief Androulakis as soon as the case of legal surveillance, following the approval of the prosecuting authority, for Mr. Androulakis came to the prime ministers attention. However, he said, Androulakis chose not to respond. Oikonomou did not say when Mitsotakis became aware of the legal surveillance of the opposition party head, but the government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity said it was on Thursday. Androulakis, who is also a member of the European Parliament, said he became aware of the Predator bugging attempt after being informed by the European Parliaments cyber security service a few days before he filed his complaint on July 26. Revealing who is behind such sick practices and for whom they are acting is not a personal matter. It is my democratic duty, Androulakis had said at the time. In April, Greek financial journalist Thanassis Koukakis said he had been notified by digital rights group Citizen Lab that his phone had been the target of surveillance by Predator software from July to September 2021. The Committee to Protect Journalists had called for a swift and thorough investigation ... (to) determine who orchestrated that monitoring, and hold them to account. NEAR IZYUM, Ukraine - It turns out, some Ukrainian soldiers discovered, that Javelin cases make great beds. The U.S.-made antitank missiles are packed in large, black rectangular capsules - perfect for elevating a slim cot off the dirty, cold floors of front-line positions. Make sure you mention theyre empty, said a soldier, showing off the makeshift beds. The last thing we need is Americans thinking theyre sending us Javelins just so we can sleep on them. Its the opposite, actually: The 93rd Mechanized Brigade had fired so many Javelins at Russian tanks that they needed something to do with the pile of empty cases. The fighting in this stage of war between Russia and Ukraine has shifted toward an exchange of long-range artillery and missile strikes. But despite Javelins being a shorter-range weapon its maximum range is about 2.5 miles soldiers here near Russian-occupied Izyum in northeastern Ukraine still consider Javelins an effective way to inflict punishing damage on Russian troops. Lt. Oleksandr Sosovskyy referred to the weapons as his good buddies. He said the Ukrainian and Russian troops in many places are dug in on front lines just a few miles apart - within Javelin range. We keep burning their vehicles, and that means that a few more houses in Ukraine will stay intact, he said. Children wont get killed. Civilians and military wont get killed. For years, as Ukraine was locked in a simmering conflict with Russian-led separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, Javelin antitank missiles were the premier military aid from Washington - a defensive, lethal weapon intended to deter greater hostilities. Then, they were kept away from the front line and never used outside of training environments, but already Javelin had become part of the lexicon in Ukraine as a symbol of Western support. After Russian tanks actually crossed the border on Feb. 24 - and some were immediately wiped out with Javelins - the cult around the weapons grew. Javelin - or Javelina for a girl - is now a common name for pets. Local department stores sell plush Javelin missile toys for children. An internet meme of religious figures cradling Javelins became so popular that its creator started a charity organization selling T-shirts with the images. Ukraines defense minister recently wore a Saint Javelin patch on his bulletproof vest. Lt. Col. Bohdan Dmytruk is another fan of the anti-armor system. A battalion commander in Ukraines 93rd brigade, Dmytruk said hes seen a decline in the quality of tanks Russians are using on the front lines. He has an intimate understanding of his enemy - his battalion was fighting the same Russian brigade in the Sumy region, farther north, earlier in the war, and they are now facing off again in the Kharkiv region. In Sumy, the 93rd brigade was victorious, expelling Russian forces from the region. In the more than three months that theyve been posted near Izyum, the front line hasnt budged much, though Dmytruk said his unit advanced about 5 miles along one part of it during that time. The road to Ukraines current trench positions is littered with destroyed Russian vehicles and rotting soldiers corpses. The grain fields here have been burned and filled with craters from artillery shells sunflowers tend to sprout around their edges. The tanks the Russians are using now are older, Dmytruk said, because Javelins and similar weapons have depleted their arsenal. Even the crews operating the tanks now are less experienced, often not even managing to fire on Dmytruks forces before theyre taken out, he said, because they didnt properly load the ammunition. The Ukrainian military basically destroyed their newest tanks and infantry combat vehicles in the first wave of fighting, Dmytruk said. The last vehicle of theirs we damaged just a couple days ago was a BMP-1, which is one of their oldest models. They wouldve had that one sitting in storage for a long time, so theyre really emptying out their stocks right now. Washington has provided Ukraine with more than 5,000 Javelins as part of its more than $8 billion in material aid since the start of the Biden administration. In the first days of the war, Javelins were passed around to anyone who spotted an enemy column sometimes with on-the-spot instruction. Before the Russian invasion, some Ukrainian servicemembers had attended special sessions with U.S. trainers on how to use the Javelin. But it was nowhere near enough to defend against Russian tank convoys once the war started. Sosovskyy said he watched a 5-minute YouTube video and scanned a 12-point instruction manual all while being driven to the spot from where he had to start firing the weapons. The first time, it didnt work. You shoot, but somethings not working and then you are trying to learn on your own, with the enemy right there, he said. When we figured it out and managed to hit targets, not only would the target get destroyed, but the rest of the convoy would get scared and flee. Javelins helped us quickly get rid of them. Youre like in a cartoon, Sosovskyy added. Click-click and it flies. Using Javelins and other antitank missiles, such as British NLAW and the Ukrainian-made Stugna-P, now requires more of a hunt. The 93rd brigade uses drones to look for targets. Then small teams usually about two people move into firing range to take it out with Javelins or NLAWs, which are considered lighter and easier to use but reserved for shorter distances. Members of the 93rd brigade have also come up with creative ways to reach the Russians. Dmytruk said his soldiers will sometimes attach a present an antitank grenade to a drone that will then drop it on any enemy vehicle. Right now, theyre afraid to even walk up to their tanks, Dmytruk said. He said hes intercepted audio of some Russian commanders telling their soldiers to fill white bags with dirt and cover the tops of their tanks. Dmytruk said doing that is useless. And its not just empty Javelin cases his brigade recycles. If a Russian tank or combat vehicle is lightly damaged and recoverable, the Ukrainians will snag it for themselves. Dmytruk said his battalion alone has destroyed 18 Russian tanks, but five were taken as trophies that Ukrainian soldiers repaired, repainted and redeployed to the front. Among them are two T-80 models parked in thick mud and under the cover of tree branches. They werent hit with Javelins then they wouldnt have been salvageable. But with many of their tanks captured, the Russians are turning to older tanks, and the Ukrainians are fighting them with their own newer ones. We can see it by their equipment that they are lacking some, Sosovskyy said. We learn that from intercepted messages or some stories. We see they are panicking, that their reconnaissance is getting weaker. So we are hopeful. And well be doing everything we can to kick them out of here. The Washington Posts Serhiy Morgunov contributed to this report. JERUSALEM - The Israeli military launched airstrikes against targets inside Gaza on Friday, killing a leader of an Islamist militant group and least nine others, and prompting retaliatory rocket attacks toward Israeli communities. The attacks followed several days of threats from militants in Gaza after Israel arrested an Islamic Jihad leader in the West Bank earlier in the week, and threatened a return to open warfare just a year after hundreds were killed in fighting between Israel and fighters in the enclave. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said at least 10 people were killed and 55 injured in two initial strikes, one in Gaza City and another in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Video posted on social media showed extensive damage to at least one multistory building. Among those killed was Taysir al-Jabari, a top Islamic Jihad leader, according to a statement by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. A 5-year-old girl was also killed, the ministry said. The Israel Defense Forces said shortly after the strikes that it was attacking militants belonging to Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza in an operation dubbed Breaking Dawn. The first strikes apparently targeted leaders of the al-Quds brigades, Islamic Jihads military wing, according to Palestinian media. An Israeli military spokesman said its planes struck after detecting threatening movements by militant forces and equipment, including antitank units. The IDF acted in expectation that Israeli civilians in the region would be targeted by retaliatory attacks and has put the center part of the country on alert, he said. Militants were flexing and moving very, very close to the border, said Lt. Col. Richard Hecht. We took the initiative and we havent finished yet. We assume there will probably be some rocket attacks into the center of the country, Hecht said. The IDF said it was calling up reserve soldiers to buttress its forces in the Southern Command near Gaza. After Fridays action, the military warned residents within 80 kilometers of Gaza, including Tel Aviv, to be alert from rocket fire and issued an emergency alert to last at least until Saturday evening. Hecht said he had no information on reports that a child was among the fatalities. Shortly before 9 p.m., air-raid sirens sounded in several communities in central and southern Israel. There were no immediate reports of injuries, according to Israeli emergency responders. In an initial response to the assassination of our leader, Taysir al-Jabari and his comrades, our fighters fired dozens of missiles at enemy towns, Palestinian Islamic Jihad said in statement. Gaza is governed by the Hamas militant group, usually considered a rival of Islamic Jihad. But Hamas condemned the attacks. The resistance, with all its military arms and factions, is united in this battle and will say its word with full force, the group said in a statement. It is no longer possible to accept the continuation of this situation as it is. The Israeli military had sealed the checkpoints in and out of Gaza and had closed roads and restricted movements in nearby Israeli communities as tensions spiked in recent days. The move sparked complaints from citizens that they were being held hostage by threats from Gaza and prompted calls from Israeli hard-liners for Israel to take action inside the enclave. Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who took power after Israels politically diverse coalition collapsed amid infighting in early July, faces a new election in November and has been under pressure to take a strong hand with militants in Gaza. The Israeli government will not allow terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to set the agenda in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip and threaten the citizens of the State of Israel. Anyone who tries to harm Israel should know: we will find you, Lapid said in a statement after the strikes. To our enemies, and specifically to the leadership of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, I would like to emphasize, your time is up, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said during a tour of the area earlier Friday. Fridays military action came after months of mounting tension between Israel and Palestinians in the West Bank. A spate of attacks by Palestinian perpetrators using automatic weapons, knives and a vehicle killed 19 in Israel in the spring. In an assault on Israels independence day, two Palestinian men allegedly bludgeoned three men to death with an ax in the ultra-Orthodox town of Elad. Israeli forces, in response, have carried out near-nightly raids in the West Bank, arresting dozens in sometimes violent clashes that have left many suspected militants, and some apparent bystanders, dead. It was during one of those operations that Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot, most likely by an Israeli soldier, according to investigations by the Palestinian Authority, The Washington Post and several international media organizations. On Tuesday, Israeli forces arrested Bassam al-Saadi, an Islamic Jihad leader, after a firefight in the West Bank city of Jenin. A 17-year-old Palestinian was killed in the exchange. Israel said Saadi, 61, had been coordinating militant activities in an area known for armed resistance. Footage of Saadis arrest, which showed the 61-year-old being dragged on the ground by Israeli security forces, was circulated widely on social media. In addition to regular raids, Israels Ministry of Defense has continued construction of the barrier wall along the line separating the northern West Bank from Israel in attempts to thwart further attacks. Israel is hoping that Hamas, which has been talking with Egyptian mediators to ease tensions, will show restraint during an operation that is targeting a rival militant group, according to some analysts. Our intention is clear, to us and to Hamas, said Yaakov Amidror, a retired general and former head of the Israeli National Security Council. If Hamas comes in, it will bring the operation to another level. Fridays action marks the most extensive military engagements between the two sides since the 11-day air war a year ago in which more than 250 Palestinians and 13 people inside Israel were killed. Balousha reported from Gaza City. Rubin reported from Tel Aviv. Houston Smith had never been the type to share much personal information on social media, but on March 13, the Army veteran poured his heart into a Facebook post and it saved his life. He described the two small cancerous tumors recently discovered through an MRI on his liver and the recommendation of his doctors was to try to find someone willing to offer up a portion of his or her liver for Smith. I realize this is an unconventional request. Should someone volunteer to be a living donor and meet the eligibility criteria, I would be most grateful and in their debt for their life-saving gift, Smith, 64, wrote in a post shared with members of his motorcycle club, which is made up of military veterans and police officers. I am aware of the great sacrifice, physically and emotionally, that would be required by the donor and his family and realize this is a very serious consideration. Smith, who lives in Alexandria, Va., included a link to the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital website, where prospective donors could fill out a questionnaire to determine eligibility. More than 250 miles away in Emporium, Pa., Michael Spaeth, an Army veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, saw the post and had little hesitation to click the link and see whether he qualified as a donor. He said he had seen three friends, also members of the Nam Knights Motorcycle Club, waste away from cancer. When I first met Houston he was full and he was healthy and I think he had hair down the middle of his back at the time, said Spaeth, a 37-year-old father of six. Then I hadn't seen him for a little while, because I left Virginia, and I could see it. I could see it started. Something just clicked in my head, and I said enough is enough. I'm not watching another one go. After enduring a series of tests and evaluations, Dr. Juan Guerra, a transplant surgeon with MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, cleared Spaeths liver for transplant. On June 28, Guerra removed 61% of Spaeths liver, the right lobe, as Dr. Thomas Fishbein, the institutes executive director, worked in an adjoining room to remove all of Smiths cancerous liver. Once Guerra delivered Spaeths donation, Fishbein set to work attaching the blood vessels and bile ducts. The procedure took about eight hours. Three months after the surgery, both men should have full-sized livers again, because the liver is the only organ that regenerates itself. Of the roughly 8,000 liver transplants performed each year in the U.S., about 10% involve a living donor, Fishbein said. The remaining transplants involved a liver taken from a deceased patient. In order to get the deceased donor liver, you basically have to dwindle away and be on death's door to get to the top of the list and get an organ. So, at the time that you finally get an organ, most people who get a deceased donor are in an [intensive care unit] and extremely ill. Sometimes other organs like their kidneys are failing. The recovery is much more difficult, Fishbein said. In Smiths case, he was able to get the transplant within about four months of his diagnosis, and before the cancer had truly begun to destroy his health, which has made his post-operation recovery a little easier, Fishbein said. However, he said transplanting a liver from a living donor is a far more technically difficult surgery to perform. More than 14,000 people are on the liver transplant list, according to Medstar. About a quarter of those on the list never receive a life-saving transplant because they become too sick, or they die waiting. Guerra said he tells his patients that they must become their own advocate and find a potential living donor. I think spreading the word is the key, he said. Its usually harder for the one who is asking. While there is the potential for surgery complications or even death for the donor, Guerra said its a very safe procedure because of the strenuous evaluation process. Anyone who steps forward to try to donate, only about 25% will end up being an effective donor physically and emotionally, he said. We don't want to put [the donor] in any type of higher risk than what the operation has, Guerra said. Both veterans left the operating room with scars about 10 inches long stretched across their bellies. Spaeth spent about six days in the hospital, then another week at the home of another member of the motorcycle club in the Washington, D.C., area before returning to his wife and kids in Pennsylvania. Hes since returned to his job with the Cameron County Sheriff's Department. Smith, formerly an agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency, has had a slower path to recovery. He used to walk about 4 to 6 miles a day. Hes built himself up to about 2 miles, though he said the summer heat is slowing him down as much as the pain. This was totally unexpected. For him to sacrifice for me what he did, he has no clue how grateful I am and how much I love him, Smith said. His wife actually sacrificed quite a bit too, and she's, I think, one of the unsung heroes in this whole story. I'm just totally grateful to both of them for doing what they did and giving me the gift of life. I can't describe it in concrete terms because the feeling is so abstract and the depths of love and joy. Their paths first crossed about eight years ago while Spaeth was stationed at Fort Belvoir, Va., and joined the motorcycle club. The two met at an event and have remained friends ever since. Both men served at some point with the 3rd Infantry Division, though decades apart. Smith enlisted in the National Guard in 1982, then in the regular Army about six years later. He went back into the Reserve force and ultimately left in 2002 about three years before Spaeth enlisted. Spaeth served as a combat engineer and received a Purple Heart and Bronze Star before he left the Army in 2016. In most living donor transplants at MedStar Georgetown, Fishbein said the donor and recipient know each other, though not always. He said he has seen one Secret Service agent donate to another, as well as firefighters, church members and families donate livers. Though there isnt a nationwide registry for people willing to donate a portion of their liver, as there is for kidney or bone marrow donations, Fishbein also sees strangers helping strangers. They are referred to as an altruistic donor, and that pool of people is growing fast, he said. People don't realize you don't have to be age matched. You don't have to be related. You don't have to be the same race or gender, Fishbein said. Liver matchmaking hinges strongly on the anatomy of the ducts and vessels, he said. Other types of donations, such as bone marrow, rely on age and ancestry. Most hospitals that perform the surgery, including Medstar Georgetown, have a list of willing altruistic donors who they are continuously working to match to a patient in need. We're getting the word out that you can do this, you can save somebody's life without having to be genetically related to them as a family and more and more people are doing that now, he said. Spaeth said hes often asked why he did this for his friend. Why did he put himself at risk and take the time away from his own life to give to Smith in this way? I didnt have an answer, he said. It just felt right. Thats what I wanted to do, and thats what I did. For more information about becoming a living organ donor or transplant, visit MedStarGeorgetown.org/Transplant. WASHINGTON Lawmakers dismayed by persistent unsafe conditions in privatized military housing are pushing for the creation of a council to provide oversight, collect public complaints and report its findings to Congress. Bills introduced in the Senate and House this week call for a new Military Housing Readiness Council to serve as a focal point for accountability after years of sluggish efforts by the Defense Department to improve poor housing. The group would be comprised of Defense Department officials, service members, military families and military housing experts. They would be tasked with implementing a tenant bill of rights that gives military families more power to negotiate with companies that manage on-base housing and completing a database to field complaints from the public. Service members and their families have long raised alarm over dangerous conditions such as mold, asbestos, roof leaks and rodent infestations in the privatized housing system. Ive heard horror stories from constituents about military housing overrun with black mold thats harmed their health and the health of their families, including their small kids," said Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., a bill co-sponsor. "This is a problem in San Diego and all across the country that lowers military readiness and morale and makes us all less safe." Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C. are sponsoring the Senate version of the measure. Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., said housing conditions at Tinker Air Force Base near Oklahoma City have improved in recent years but problems continue to abound nationally. There are still a range of nationwide issues that require greater oversight, including the timeliness of repairs, abatement of mold and the timely accommodation of individuals with disabilities, she said in a statement. We must ensure our service members and their families have reliable and safe housing conditions. Lawmakers have passed several measures to increase oversight, including the tenant bill of rights, but it has not been enough to crack down on negligent landlords, said Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif. In April, a Senate investigation found that one of the largest private providers of military housing, Balfour Beatty Communities, ignored residents reports of poor living conditions even after pleading guilty to defrauding the Army, Navy and Air Force. The company operates more than 43,000 residences in 26 states that house some 150,000 military family members. Its clear we need to do more to hold private companies accountable to the law, Porter said in a statement. Congress allowed the Defense Department to privatize military housing in 1996 and now private companies own and operate about 99% of all homes on U.S. military installations, according to the Government Accountability Office, a federal watchdog. A 2018 investigation by the news agency Reuters showed the ill effects of the privatization effort, revealing rodent-soiled cribs, ceiling leaks that collapsed into bedrooms and other widespread health and safety hazards. Service members and their families said landlords either ignored maintenance requests or made shoddy repairs. The proposed council would review and make recommendations for inspection practices, resident surveys, maintenance work order systems and landlord payment of medical bills for residents sickened by their living conditions. The group would be expected to meet at least four times a year and provide annual reports analyzing complaints, housing inspections and maintenance requests and response times. Representatives from the International Code Council, a building code and standards group, and the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification, a nonprofit that certifies and sets standards for the inspection industry, would have a seat on the council. The chairpersons and ranking members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees could select other members of the council, according to the bill. A March report by the Government Accountability Office stated the Defense Department has made progress in increasing the frequency of home inspections, using a standardized inspection checklist and adjusting incentive fees for companies based on quality of work rather than its speed. But the Pentagon remains hamstrung by the power of the housing companies and cannot implement some legislative provisions without a consensus from private landlords, the department said. As of March, companies operating at five military installations still have not reached an agreement on the tenant bill of rights. While [the Department of Defense] has taken numerous actions to improve its oversight, a continued emphasis on oversight is critical to ensure quality housing for service members and their families, the report states. The Senate is including the housing council provision in its version of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, an annual bill that sets military policy and authorizes Pentagon spending levels. The upper chamber is expected to take up the legislation in September after returning from recess and eventually merge it with the House version of the bill. WASHINGTON Samantha Power won fame as a human rights advocate and was picked by President Joe Biden to lead the agency that distributes billions of dollars in U.S. aid abroad, including providing more food assistance than anyone else in the world. But since Russia invaded Ukraine, that job includes a new task with a Cold War feel countering Russia's messaging abroad. As administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Power is dealing now with a global food crisis, brought on by local conflicts, the pandemic's economic upheaval, and drought and the other extremes typical of climate change. As the Biden administration spells out often, the problems have all been compounded by Russia invading Ukraine, deepening food shortages and raising prices everywhere. That set up an hearts-and-minds competition reminiscent of the days of the Soviet Union last month, when Power visited desperate families and struggling farmers in Horn of Africa nations. She watched relief workers give emergency food to children, always among the first to die in food crises, and announced new food aid. But unexpectedly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov trailed her to Africa days later, visiting other capitals with a different message meant to shore up his country's partnerships in Africa. It was U.S. and international sanctions on Russia over its six-month invasion of Ukraine that were to blame for cutting off vital grain supplies from the world market, Lavrov claimed. He dismissed "the so-called food crisis" on the continent being hit hardest. In fact, a Russian blockade has kept Ukraine's grain from reaching the world. The international sanctions on Russia exempt agricultural products and fertilizer. "What we're not going to do, any of us in the administration, is just allow the Russian Federation, which is still saying it's not at war in Ukraine, to blame the latest spike in food and fertilizer prices on sanctions and on the United States," Power, back in her office in Washington, told The Associated Press. "People, especially when they're facing a crisis of this enormity, they really do know the difference about ... whether you're providing emergency humanitarian assistance ... or whether you're at a podium trying to make it a new Cold War," Power said. "For Mr. Lavrov to have traveled to Africa just after I did, there's almost nothing tangible in the wake of that visit that the countries he visited have obtained from him, other than the misinformation and lies," Power said. Even African officials whose governments refused to join in formal U.N. condemnation earlier this year of Russia's invasion of Ukraine tell of calling Russian leaders privately to urge Russia to let Ukraine's grain out of the ports, she said. A former journalist, Power won the Pulitzer in 2003 for "A Problem from Hell," a book on genocide that has fueled debates in government and among academics on the wisdom and morality of intervening in atrocities abroad ever since. She served as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. under President Barack Obama, before joining the Biden administration. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, creating new food and energy shortfalls at a time when record numbers of people around the world were already hungry, much of Power's focus has been on the food crisis. After an earlier decade of success slicing away at the numbers of people going without food, the estimated number of people around the world going hungry rose to 828 million this year, 150 million just since the pandemic, Power said, with many in acute need. Even in countries outside areas where aid organizations warn of famine, high food prices are adding to political unrest, as in the overthrow of Sri Lanka's government this summer. "Most analysts would be very surprised if the Sri Lankan government were the last to fall," Power noted. "The cascading political effects and the instability that stems from economic pain and people's need, the human need, to hold authorities accountable for what is a terrifying inability to look out for the needs of your loved ones that is a motivator if there ever is one" to protest, Power said. "This, I can't say it more starkly, is the worst food crisis of our lifetimes," Power said. There have been some hopeful signs in recent weeks, she pointed out Russia allowing Ukraine to send its first ship of grain in months out of a Russian-blockaded port, and food and fuel prices easing slightly. Three more ships carrying thousands of tons of badly needed corn left the Ukraine port Friday. But in the East Africa states hardest hit Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia four rainy seasons in a row failed, withering grain in the field and killing hundreds of million of livestock that were the only support for the region's herders. "They don't have a Plan B," she said. A woman farmer in Kenya told her of recoiling at the high price of fertilizer, and realizing she could only plant half as much food for the next season, a warning of even deeper hunger coming. But donor assistance for Africa's current hunger crisis is running at less than half of that for the last major one, in 2016, Power said. With no sign of an end to the war in Ukraine or to the food crisis, wealthier countries tell Power they gave much of their relief money to Ukraine and are otherwise tapped out. Tellingly, a GoFundMe-run account that Power announced in mid-July for ordinary people to help out in the global food crisis showed just $2,367 in donations on Friday. Power and other U.S. officials increasingly urge China, in particular, to give more relief. The Chinese Embassy in Washington, asked for comment, said China had given $130 million to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. "That's not a talking point," Power said of the request to China. "That's a sincere hope." Porter was jailed for 14 months at Derry Magistrates Court in 2015 when pleaded guilty to leaning over a seat on a sleeping woman on a bus and masturbating beside her A body found at a caravan and camping park in Dublin is suspected to be that of a notorious sex offender. The remains are believed to be that of convicted offender Patrick Porter, a 45-year-old serial sex offender from Co Donegal. Porter was found dead in a van at Camac Valley Caravan and Camping Park in Clondalkin on July 27th. He had checked into the park at the start of July using his own name. His remains were found after residents complained of a strong smell coming from a van parked on the site. When Gardai examined the van they found human remains in the van. The remains were removed and a post mortem was carried out on the badly decomposed body. Porter, who is from Grange in Inch Island, has convictions for lewd behaviour and other sex offences going back as far as 2011. He has served jail sentences from a number of incidents both here and in the North. Porter was jailed for 14 months at Derry Magistrates Court in 2015 when pleaded guilty to committing an act outraging public decency. On that occasion he leaned over a seat on a sleeping woman on a bus traveling from Dublin to Derry and masturbated beside her while she slept. In 2016 he was given a six month suspended jail sentence for exposing himself to two women from a flat on the Strand Road in Derry. In February, 2021 Porter was due to appear again at Letterkenny District Court charged with performing a lewd act on Aileach Road in Buncrana on May 11th, 2017. Porter could not appear because he was already serving a sentence for similar offences in Northern Ireland. A Garda spokesperson confirmed the discovery of a man's body. Porter's death is understood to be a tragic incident and foul play is not suspected. A spokesperson said "Gardai in Clondalkin are investigating the discovery of a body of a man in a car on Naas Road, Clondalkin on 27th July, 2022. "A file is being prepared for the Coroners Court." The court heard Cichocko had never been in trouble before A salesman who drunkenly shouted at passersby and was threatening towards gardai had just found out that his wife had been cheating on him, a court heard. Dariusz Cichocko (41) was upset and started drinking and was highly intoxicated when gardai encountered him near his home in Blanchardstown. Judge Gerard Jones ordered Cichocko to donate 200 to Ruhama and struck out the charge, leaving the defendant without a conviction. The defendant, of Malin Hall, Waterville Terrace, Blanchardstown, admitted public order breaches at Waterville Road in Blanchardstown on April 17, 2022. Sergeant Maria Callaghan told Blanchardstown District Court that gardai were on patrol when they came across the defendant who was standing in the middle of the road. Sgt Callaghan said Cichocko was highly intoxicated and was shouting at passersby. Gardai tried to move the defendant but he became irate and threatening towards them, the sergeant said. The court heard Cichocko had never been in trouble before. Defence solicitor Liam Cadogan said Cichocko had lived in Ireland for 17 years and worked as a sales agent. He was separated and did not have any children. In relation to this incident, Mr Cadogan said Cichocko had found out earlier that day that his wife had been cheating on him, and this is what had caused his behaviour. Mr Cadogan said the couple had since separated it was an unfortunate incident which was totally out of character for his client. He asked the judge to be as lenient as possible and allow Cichocko make a donation to charity and leave him without a conviction, as the public order breach took place on a day when he was very upset. Mr Cadogan also told Judge Jones this was a one-off incident and he did not believe the judge would be seeing Cichocko come before the court again. It was the third time Gary Carey has been shot at in the last 15 months. A notorious criminal who was shot numerous times in a gangland shooting in June has died from his injuries in hospital. Gary Carey died in St James Hospital at lunchtime today. Gardai from Kilmainham Station will now launch a murder investigation after the death of the 41-year-old who was discovered in a serious condition in the underground carpark of the Hilton Hotel in Kilmainham by staff before being rushed to hospital on June 24 last. He was shot in the shoulder, arm, chest and leg by a gunman who had him under surveillance. There has been no arrests so far in the case. Carey has been involved in bitter drugs disputes with convicted killer Brian Rattigan who is now based in Spain as well as the west Dublin gang known as The Family. It is understood that he was not wearing a bullet proof vest as he usually does after working out in the hotels gym and was chased around the carpark by at least one gunman. Detectives believe that a silver Audi vehicle was used in the shooting and are investigating if the gunman was waiting in it in the underground carpark prior to the shooting. This car was later found burnt out in Blessington, Co Wicklow. Carey, originally from nearby Islandbridge, may have been targeted after getting in a dispute with three separate gangs over his drug trafficking distribution network in the capital. He had been based in Spain for a number of months before returning home in the weeks before he was targeted. Witnesses reported hearing up to eight shots shortly before 11.30am before Carey was discovered critically injured. His younger brother Darren Carey (20) was one of two men murdered in the gruesome Canal Murders in 2000 carried out by a now deceased criminal who cannot be identified for legal reasons. It was the third time Gary Carey has been shot at in the last 15 months. Brian Rattigan link as man fights for life after being shot for third time in 15 months Read more Episode 123: The young guns striking fear on the streets of Dublin Last November he was lucky to survive after being shot several times outside a house on Ballyfermot Crescent. Carey was sitting in a car in the front drive of a house when a gunman fired nine bullets through the front windscreen. The previous March, gardai also received reports that he was shot at in Ballyfermot but escaped serious injury. He only received graze injuries in that attack and drove himself to hospital. He did not make any complaint to gardai, but detectives believe a criminal aged in his late 20s from Ballyfermot was involved in that attack. Carey has been questioned a number of times by detectives in relation to seizures of drugs, firearms and cash. Despite his multiple arrests as part of organised crime investigations, Carey has only served one significant prison sentence when he pleaded guilty to drug dealing at Dublin Circuit Court back in 2002 and was sentenced to 15 months in prison. On another occasion, he was charged with assault but the charges were later dropped. The Sunday World previously revealed that associates of exiled gangster Rattigan were the chief suspects in the gun attack. Gardai have officially upgraded the shooting of drug dealer Gary The Canary Carey in June to a murder investigation after he died in hospital from his injuries today. The notorious criminal, who was shot numerous times in the underground carpark of the Hilton Hotel in Kilmainham on June 24 last, died in St James Hospital at lunchtime on Friday. Gardai from Kilmainham Station have now launched a murder investigation. He was shot in the shoulder, arm, chest and leg by a gunman who had him under surveillance. There has been no arrests so far in the case. Carey has been involved in bitter drugs disputes with convicted killer Brian Rattigan who is now based in Spain as well as the west Dublin gang known as The Family. The Sunday World previously revealed that associates of exiled gangster Rattigan were the chief suspects in the gun attack. Brian Rattigan In a statement today, Gardai confirmed the murder investigation and issued a plea for witnesses to the shooting to come forward. "A man aged in his 30s who was being treated in hospital for serious injures following a shooting incident in an underground carpark of a premises on the South Circular Road in Kilmainham, Dublin 8, on Friday, 24th June, 2022, has died. He was pronounced dead in St Jamess Hospital on Friday, 5th August, 2022. The office of the State Pathologist and the local Coroner have been notified and a post-mortem examination has been arranged. The statement continued: Investigating Gardai have commenced a murder investigation and are renewing their appeal for witnesses to come forward. They are particularly appealing to road users with camera footage (including dash-cam) from the South Circular Road in the Kilmainham area on the morning of Friday, 24th June, 2022, to make it available to them. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the incident room at Kilmainham Garda Station on 01 666 9700, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. Brian Rattigan link as man fights for life after being shot for third time in 15 months Drug dealer Gary The Canary Carey dies weeks after being shot in gangland attack Carey, originally from nearby Islandbridge, may have been targeted after getting in a dispute over his drug trafficking distribution network in the capital. He had been based in Spain for a number of months before returning home in the weeks before he was targeted. It is understood that he was not wearing a bullet proof vest as he usually does after working out in the hotels gym and was chased around the carpark by at least one gunman. Detectives believe that a silver Audi vehicle was used in the shooting and are investigating if the gunman was waiting in it in the underground carpark prior to the shooting. This car was later found burnt out in Blessington, Co Wicklow. Last November he was lucky to survive after being shot several times outside a house on Ballyfermot Crescent. Carey was sitting in a car in the front drive of a house when a gunman fired nine bullets through the front windscreen. The previous March, gardai also received reports that he was shot at in Ballyfermot but escaped serious injury. He only received graze injuries in that attack and drove himself to hospital. He did not make any complaint to gardai, but detectives believe a criminal aged in his late 20s from Ballyfermot was involved in that attack. Carey has been questioned a number of times by detectives in relation to seizures of drugs, firearms and cash. Despite his multiple arrests as part of organised crime investigations, Carey has only served one significant prison sentence when he pleaded guilty to drug dealing at Dublin Circuit Court back in 2002 and was sentenced to 15 months in prison. On another occasion, he was charged with assault but the charges were later dropped. As well as suffering a head wound, the victim of the Carlow burglary needed stitches for a leg injury. A criminal linked to a wave of burglaries has been arrested in relation to a violent break-in at the home of a 64-year-old man. Gardai have been carrying out an investigation into the aggravated burglary on the night of Saturday, July 2 in the Graiguecullen area of Carlow town. The victim of the violence needed around a dozen staples in a head wound. Officers quickly identified a 36-year-old suspect, and the man was arrested during a surveillance operation on Wednesday when he went to collect his unemployment benefit in Tullamore, Co Offaly. A female associate of the suspect has been identified as a person of interest in the case after a car connected to her was found burned out in Athlone, Co Westmeath, just hours after the burglary in Carlow. She was arrested in a separate operation in the midlands yesterday. Gardai have been monitoring the movements of the couple for several weeks. These are significant arrests. It was a very bad crime and the innocent target did not deserve the ordeal he suffered, a source said. This gentleman is very well-known in local GAA circles and people were shocked that he was put through that trauma. People are still looking out for him after what happened last month. The man arrested on Wednesday, whose base is in the Tullamore area, has been linked to a crime wave throughout the country that stretches back a decade. He has convictions for multiple burglaries, including incidents in which elderly people have been targeted. The criminal has served a number of jail sentences, and was caught with an illegal mobile while in Castlerea Prison. He is also involved in drug dealing. This individual has been terrorising people on an almost national level youre talking about Dublin, Meath, Cavan as well as the south-east, a source said. Hes a bad one, thats for sure, and is refusing to co-operate with the garda investigation in any way. The suspect has also been involved in a number of violent family feuds over the years. As well as suffering a head wound, the victim of the Carlow burglary needed stitches for a leg injury. It was previously revealed that a sum of only around 100 was taken from the vulnerable man during the late-night break-in. He was attacked by three masked men when he went to investigate a noise at the back of his property. Gardai have been working on the theory that local criminals gave bogus intelligence to the burglary gang, saying there may have been a significant amount of cash in the mans home. Officers had gathered a significant amount of CCTV footage and witness statements, plus an Evo-Fit image of the suspect, before they arrested him as he collected his dole money. While gardai across the country are concerned that burglary figures are starting to creep toward pre-pandemic levels, Garda HQ released figures this week that showed they have trended significantly downwards in the longer term. An Garda Siochanas Operation Thor has been credited for a decline in the number of reported break-ins. Residential burglaries are up 33pc on last year, but are down 38pc compared with 2019. Thefts are up 164pc on last year, but 46pc below the 2019 figures. The 30-year-old serial killer had been responsible for the deaths of countless Catholics and Protestants alike Sam Skelly McCrory was a Murdering machine for UFF C Company, 2nd Battalion based in the Lower Shankill. And the leading UDA man who supplied the machine-gun was later executed for his treachery. Skelly told us he carried out his own investigation into how the IRA managed to catch up with the cut-throat killer Murphy in the heart of loyalist west Belfast. And McCrory told us he finally unearthed the truth including how one-time UDA leader Jimmy Craig had betrayed his own terror group. It is believed Murphy the most feared and psychopathic loyalist killer of all time caught a split-second glimpse of his IRA assassin as he was about to pull the trigger. As the UVF man tried to step from his car in the Glencairn district the republican killer gang struck. Murphy was hit a total of 22 times by bullets fired from a Sterling sub-machine-gun and he died instantly. The 30-year-old serial killer had been responsible for the deaths of countless Catholics and Protestants alike. And in the four months before he was killed, Murphy personally murdered three Protestants and a Catholic. News of Murphys death sent shockwaves down the Protestant Shankill Road, while Catholics in north and west Belfast the community which had borne the brunt of the UVF mans murderous brutality quietly rejoiced. The killing also held a fascination for the then 17-year-old McCrory. Sam Skelly McCrory was a Murdering machine for UFF C Company, 2nd Battalion based in the Lower Shankill. He wondered how the IRA could bring high-powered guns into the staunchly loyalist Glencairn estate, shoot a Protestant dead and disappear without trace. McCrory never forgot the murder of Lenny Murphy. And when the years passed and he rose up the ranks of the UDA, he vowed to find out more. I knew something wasnt right. It had bothered me for years and I needed answers. How did the IRA manage to pull this off in the middle of Glencairn? he told me in an interview just before he died. McCrory was determined to find out the truth. And he set up his own investigation which included questioning UDA quarter-masters whose job it was to store weapons. In the end, it was simple. Jimmy Craig a leading member of the UDA supplied the weapon which killed Lenny Murphy, said McCrory. He added: I eventually unearthed the entire stinking story. Originally from Ballysillan, Craig a former seaman and promising boxer had joined the UDA on the Shankill. He had previously served a jail sentence for stealing carpets and was open to all sorts of crime, including the extortion of builders. Craig saw himself as a hardman. He shot up the UDA ranks and ruled those below him by fear. He was a well-known figure at Dunmore Greyhound Stadium near the Catholic New Lodge area. His love of the high-life, though, was also his weakness. And he knew it made him vulnerable to an IRA attack. But it emerged that prior to the Murphy murder, Craig had created his own insurance policy. Using contacts made on the building sites of Belfast, Craig made the IRA an offer it couldnt refuse. He offered republicans Lenny Murphys head on a plate, provided he was allowed to operate unmolested. A hand-picked IRA unit was secreted into a house in the Catholic village of Ligoniel, a short distance from where Lenny Murphys girlfriend lived at the top of the Glencairn estate. It was known Murphy visited her once a day although the times varied. Craig even arranged to supply a Sterling sub-machine-gun for use by the IRA hit squad. Sam 'Skelly' McCrory As there are only two routes into Glencairn, Murphy often favoured the least used, which took him past a now demolished factory. Craig knew this and on the night in question, he arranged for a security guard to telephone him when Murphys distinctive yellow Rover car passed the factory gate. Murphy drove into a perfectly planned assassination. As he pulled up, a van with specially drilled spy-holes on its side panels turned so its rear doors faced Murphy. An IRA gunman jumped out and began firing. Murphy was ripped to pieces. Seven bullets hit his head. Others went through his heart, right lung and other organs. The IRA unit retreated the way they arrived and they dumped their van before arriving at their Ligoniel safe house, where it is believed they remained overnight. Jim Craigs insurance policy had paid out but only for the time being. Six years later he was shot dead by the UDA as he played pool in a pub in east Belfast. At the time of the Craig killing, many UDA leaders were enjoying a holiday in Spain. Said Sam McCrory: It was a dirty business. People like Jimmy Craig cared only for himself. The day after Lenny Murphy was shot dead, Craig went back to the quarter-master and threatened him not to tell anyone about the removal of the machine-gun. He added: In reality, there wasnt a loyalist bone in his body. The Rice mob are one of three southside gangs who allegedly owe money to a Moroccan gang. Such is the pressure on the crew since the bust last March that they are even trying to sell properties in west Dublin a bid to raise funds, the Sunday World can reveal. It is understood that 400 kilogrammes of cannabis which was destined for the Irish market was seized in the surveillance operation by Spanish police. No one has been charged in relation to the massive seizure in Spain but sources say that there has been serious repercussions over cash owed with the Rice mob being one of three southside gangs who allegedly owe money to a Moroccan gang. The other two crews are based in the Rathfarnham and Clondalkin areas it seems that all three are being put under pressure to cough up 750,000 for what was seized in Spain earlier this year, a source said. A key associate of gangster Paul Rice (52) was arrested during the police operation in March. The arrest of the 31-year-old volatile Tallaght man is considered highly significant as senior sources say that he has become the effective leader of the Rice organisation in recent years. Rice is one of the capital's best-known criminals, but sources say that he had been keeping his head down and was content for a younger associate to "take care of business" on his behalf. In a separate investigation, gardai continue to investigate the seizure of 700k worth of cannabis in west Dublin last Sunday. Its understood the gang behind the drugs were previously the organisers of a major shipment worth almost 10million which was seized by customs officers at Dublin Port last November after no one came to collect the drugs. No arrests were made in the Bank Holiday Sunday operation but gardai say that investigations into the seizure are ongoing. This is an ever emerging crew who seem to have deep pockets. There had been concern for a while about who was coming in and out of that location and gardai conducted their search operation after receiving intelligence about the criminal elements who were operating there, a source explained. To lose that amount of weed is not insignificant for any crime organisation but they have shown that they are a very resourceful and a well funded outfit, the source added. photo of drugs seized Sources say that one of the main players in the mob is an under-the-radar gangster who left the capital around 15 years ago and is now based in Spain. Another senior lieutenant in the mob is a 36-year-old drug dealer who was previously the target of a very high profile Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) investigation which cannot be outlined here for legal reasons. The gang are said to be regrouping after their cannabis herb shipment was seized. They are also heavily involved in tobacco smuggling. Gardai announced details of last Sunday mornings bust in a press release. As part of Operation Tara, Gardai have seized approximately 700,000 Cannabis following a search operation in Brittas, Dublin 24 on 31st July 2022, a spokesman said in a statement. At approximately 11am, Gardai attached to Tallaght Garda Station including the Garda Dog Unit, Regular Unit and Tallaght and Rathfarnham Divisional Drugs Units, searched a yard the in the Crooksling area of Brittas. During the course of this search cannabis with an approximate value of 700,000 was recovered. Irish gangster Paul Rice's associate arrested in 8m drug bust in Spain The drugs have been sent for forensic examination. No arrests have been made at this time. Investigations are ongoing, he added. When they were busted last November by revenue officers 960kgs of tobacco valued at over 600,000 was seized from a storage unit in the Rathcoole area of Dublin in follow up searches. The day before revenue officers discovered a massive cocaine and drugs believed to be worth around 10million linked to the gang. It is understood Customs officers discovered 60kg of cocaine in a container in Dublin Port alongside heroin, cannabis, and ketamine. The shipment lay for several days at Dublin Port but that no-one came to pick it up. If they can survive a financial hit like that, they can survive anything, a source said last night. The pair had been posing as tourists in trouble and are thought to have conned their victims out of substantial amounts of money TWO Irish men have been sentenced to 12 months in France after a series of scams targeting English-speaking tourists at motorway service areas. The pair, both in their 40s, were arrested last weekend after being stopped by police for tailgating a vehicle as they attempted to avoid paying a toll near Brive in southern France. Their car was found to be fitted with false plates which had been used in a number of suspected frauds over the previous fortnight. It emerged the men had been posing as tourists in trouble after losing their cash and had been approaching people for money. Using a phone app they claimed to be transferring the money directly back to their victims, but it was a fake app and no money was transferred. Described as being well-presented and claiming to have had their cash stolen they managed to trick several people out of a substantial sum of money, according to local media. Last Monday, at a court in Brive, the men, who have not been named, were sentenced to 12 months and fined 2,000. Three Irish men were sentenced to prison in Limoges last year for their part in a 280,000 tarmac scam. French police have taken a hard-line stance towards to what they describe as specialist fraud gangs. It is believed that the woman who died in yesterdays horrific double tragedy off Ballybunion beach in Co Kerry yesterday evening that also cost the life of her brother had been visiting him from Sweden. Post-mortem examinations are due to be carried out on the bodies of the 62-year-old woman, and her brother who was 50, who both drowned in the incident. He has been named locally as Dessie Byrne, and his sister, Muriel Eriksson, is believed to have travelled home from Malmo, Sweden, where she lived and worked. It has been reported that Mr Byrne, who is originally from Athlone, lived in the village of Lecarrow with his wife and their other children. His son is understood to have been on the beach at the time and witnessed the tragedy unfolding. Local Sinn Fein Councillor in Ballybunion, Robert Beasley, said he understood that the woman had been visiting her brother in Roscommon before both travelled to Ballybunion. This would be a very popular spot for people from the midlands, such as Roscommon to visit, he said. Cllr Beasley who had driven close to the spot less than an hour before the tragedy occurred told Morning Ireland that 800 people were on the beach at the time. The alarm had been raised by Mr Byrnes teenage son shortly after 6pm when the man was washed up on the beach. Members of Ballybunion Sea and Cliff Rescue and Ballybunion Coast Guard unit began CPR on Mr Byrne but he was pronounced dead a short time later. A search later recovered his 62-year-old sister, and transferred her to the beach where CPR was also carried out but she too was pronounced dead. Their bodies were removed to University Hospital Kerry in Tralee where post mortems are due to be carried out. The Irish Coast Guard helicopter from Shannon, Rescue 115 and the Kilrush lifeboat were also involved in the operation. They were joined by the Fenit inshore lifeboat and the Community Air Ambulance from Mill Street in Co Cork. The operation was directed from the Marine Rescue Coordination Centre in Valentia. Irish Coast Guard Operations Manager Michael O'Toole said they received notification of two people in difficulty at Ballybunion beach just after 6pm yesterday and a large scale search was immediately initiated by the Maritime Coordination Centre at Valentia. Speaking on RTE's Morning Ireland, he said: "Unfortunately there was a tragic outcome to the operation...our thoughts must be with the family and friends of those affected by this incident". Mr O'Toole said it is understood that the two people who died were involved in swimming based activities and that gardai are conducting an investigation into the overall circumstances around their deaths. Their bodies have been taken to University Hospital Kerry for post-mortem examinations A major air-sea rescue operation was launched after reports of two individuals in difficulty in the sea off Mens Beach, Ballybunion, in north Kerry on Thursday afternoon. The man, who was aged in his 40s, was removed from the water by members of Ballybunion Sea and Cliff Rescue and Ballybunion Coast Guard. Emergency services performed CPR but he was pronounced dead a short time later. The woman, also in her 40's, was found in the water during a follow up search, she too was pronounced dead after receiving treatment at the scene. Initial reports suggested the pair were from the same family and it is now believed they were brother and sister. Their bodies have been taken to University Hospital Kerry for post-mortem examinations. Locals say it was a sunny day in Ballybunion but a strong breeze made the water choppy and hazardous. The emergency response included units of the Irish Coast Guard, Gardai, RNLI, Civil Defence and both the Shannon-based Rescue 115 helicopter and the north Cork-based air ambulance. The Ballybunion unit of the Irish Coast Guard, Ballybunion Rescue and the RNLI lifeboat based at Cappagh near Kilrush in Co Clare have been tasked to the scene. The alarm was raised at around 6.30pm. It is understood that the initial report to emergency services indicated that two people had gotten into difficulty while swimming off Ballybunion beach. Search and rescue crews were quickly dispatched to the area. While en route to the scene on the other side of the Shannon Estuary, the Kilrush lifeboat was stood down after it was reported that two people had been recovered. Soon afterwards, the lifeboat was requested to turn around and continue to Ballybunion after the Irish Coast Guard received further information suggesting that a third person could be missing. The volunteer lifeboat crew immediately proceeded to the search area off Ballybunion. The Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter had been on a mission from the Aran Islands to University Hospital Galway when the crew was tasked to the search operation. Rescue 115 flew directly to Shannon Airport where fire crews were standing by so they could undertake a hot-refuel. A hot-refuel is when an aircraft is refuelled while the engines are still running. After the helicopter had been refuelled, the crew made their way directly to the scene to assist in the search. As the operation continued further information became available to rescue services that suggested there were only two casualties and not a third as feared. The Kilrush RNLI life about the Rescue 115 were requested to continue to the area and carry out searches as a precaution. The search and rescue operation was mounted and coordinated by watch officers at the Irish Coast Guards marine rescue sub centre on Valentia Island in Kerry. On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Sinn Fein Councillor Robert Beasley said people in the area are shocked beyond belief. He said there were around 700 people between both beaches in the area at the time. It was only a few minutes before that people were enjoying themselves on the beach, children and parents, he said. As I was going on to the beach, I met a lot of parents and children coming off the beach and they were in a really upset, distressed state. He said the beach itself is not viewed as dangerous but conditions were quite rough at the time with a strong breeze. We look forward to the Navi Star arriving at port in approximately two weeks A ship carrying thousands of tonnes of corn left Ukraine today and is bound for Ireland Three more ships carrying thousands of tons of grain left Ukrainian ports on Friday, with one bound for Ireland. This is the latest sign that a negotiated deal to export grain trapped since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly six months ago is slowly moving forward, but major hurdles lie ahead to get food to the countries that need it most. The ships bound for Ireland, the United Kingdom and Turkey follow the first grain shipment to pass through the Black Sea since the start of the war. The Panama-flagged Navistar left Odesa for Ireland with 33,000 tonnes of grain and this will be received by Irish grain and animal feed company R&H Hall. A spokesperson for the company said: R&H Hall can confirm that they will receive its 33,000 tonnes of cargo in Foynes and Dublin Ports on its arrival. "As a result of Russias invasion of Ukraine, until an agreement was secured, no ship was permitted to depart Black Sea ports since February 24, the day the war commenced. The recommencement of sailings from the Black Sea of vessels such as the Navi Star is the first step in returning some degree of certainty to the global food supply chain in what remains a volatile situation. "We look forward to the Navi Star arriving at port in approximately two weeks. The passage of the vessel heading for Lebanon earlier this week was the first under the breakthrough deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations with Russia and Ukraine. The Black Sea region is dubbed the worlds breadbasket, with Ukraine and Russia key global suppliers of wheat, corn, barley and sunflower oil that millions of impoverished people in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia rely on for survival. While the shipments have raised hopes of easing a global food crisis, much of the grain that Ukraine is trying to export is used for animal feed, not for people to eat, experts say. The first vessels to leave are among more than a dozen bulk carriers and cargo ships that had been loaded with grain but stuck in ports since Russia invaded in late February. And the cargoes are not expected to have a significant impact on the global price of corn, wheat and soybeans for several reasons. For starters, the exports under the deal are off to a slow, cautious start due to the threat of explosive mines floating off Ukraines Black Sea coastline. And while Ukraine is a major exporter of wheat to developing nations, there are other countries, such as the United States and Canada, with far greater production levels that can affect global wheat prices. And they face the threat of drought. Ukraine is about 10pc of the international trade in wheat, but in terms of production it is not even 5pc, said David Laborde, an expert on agriculture and trade at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington. The three ships left on Friday with over 58,000 tons of corn, but that is still a fraction of the 20 million tons of grains that Ukraine says are trapped in the countrys silos and ports and that must be shipped out to make space for this years harvest. Around six million tonnes of the trapped grain is wheat, but just half of that is for human consumption, Mr Laborde said. There is an expectation that Ukraine could produce 30pc to 40pc less grain over the coming next 12 months due to the war, though other estimates put that figure at 70pc. Grain prices peaked after Russias invasion, and while some have since come down to their pre-war levels, they are still higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic. Corn prices are 70pc higher than at the end of February 2020, said Jonathan Haines, senior analyst at data and analytics firm Gro Intelligence. He said wheat prices are around 60pc higher than in February 2020. One reason prices remain high is the impact of drought on harvests in North America, China and other regions, as well as the higher price of fertiliser needed for farming. When fertiliser prices are high, farmers may use less fertiliser. And when they use less fertiliser, they will produce less. And if they will produce less, supply will continue to remain insufficient, Mr Laborde said. The three ships that departed Ukraine on Friday give hope that exports will ramp up to developing nations, where many are facing the increased threat of food shortages and hunger. The movement of three additional vessels overnight is a very positive sign and will continue to build confidence that were moving in the right direction, Mr Haines said. If the flow of grain from Ukraine continues to expand, it will help relieve global supply constraints. The Turkish-flagged Polarnet, carrying 12,000 tons of corn, left the Chornomorsk port destined for Karasu, Turkey. The Panama-flagged Navi Star left Odesas port for Ireland with 33,000 tonnes of corn. The Maltese-flagged Rojen left Chornomorsk for the United Kingdom carrying over 13,000 tonnes of corn, the UN said. It added that the Joint Coordination Centre run by officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the UN overseeing the deal signed in Istanbul last month authorised the three ships and inspected a ship headed for Ukraine. The Barbados-flagged Fulmar S was inspected in Istanbul and is headed for the Chornomorsk port. The checks seek to ensure that outbound cargo ships carry only grain, fertiliser or food and not any other commodities and that inbound ships are not carrying weapons. The vessels are accompanied by Ukrainian pilot ships for safe passage because of explosive mines strewn in the Black Sea. After Turkey, which has relations with both Russia and Ukraine, helped broker the food deal two weeks ago, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin later on Friday in Sochi, Russia. That meeting follows another face-to-face meeting the two leaders had in Iran three weeks ago. With reporting from PA. Louis is a huge part of our story Westlife star Mark Feehily has hailed Louis Walsh on his 70th birthday as a huge part of their story ahead of their first Wembley Stadium performance. Speaking on ITVs This Morning on Friday, the band wished the music manager a happy birthday and recalled his influence on the group as they prepared for their sold-out gig at the London venue on Saturday as part of their Wild Dreams Tour. Feehily said: The way that Louis sort of plucked us and put us into the music industry and put us on the map, this gig, this weekend, for me, Louis is a huge part of our story. Between us and him being here, we think back to the band starting in high school. It is very much a milestone event in our career. Feehily along with Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan and Brian McFadden found fame with Westlife but they disbanded in 2012 after 14 years of success. The group reunited in 2018 but without McFadden who departed the band in 2004. Feehily admitted that securing this concert nearly 25 years into their music careers had slightly blown our minds a little bit. He added: I think playing concerts like this in Wembley Stadium is something that weve dreamed of since we were little boys and to actually be here now, I think for us it just means so much, nearly 25 years into our career to be playing to a sold-out Wembley Stadium. Filan agreed that finally playing Wembley was a massive achievement for the group, saying: Weve played stadiums all over the world but Wembley Stadium is probably the most famous stadium in the world. And I suppose once you play the stadium youre in a very elite list of people that are lucky enough to play it and I obviously think of bands like Queen and people like that. Its pretty incredible and were very proud of it. Its a massive achievement for us. The highly-anticipated concert will also be broadcast live in cinemas across the UK. The Notorious is set to join Jake Gyllenhaal in a new remake of the classic 1989 action flick Road House, which is being made by Prime Video. The Notorious is set to make his acting debut in a new remake of the classic 1989 action flick Road House, which is being made by Prime Video. And proud partner Dee has taken to Instagram to tell her followers all about Conors exciting opportunity. Sharing a post made by a Conor McGregor fan account, Dee, who has three children with the UFC star, said: So cool! You blow me away babe. The Road House remake 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. The MMA star is about to make his Hollywood debut The pictures, posted to Twitter, show the legendary actor alongside McGregor after he broke his leg during UFC 264. One shows McGregor wearing a cast, and sitting in an electric wheelchair as he waves Arnie off. Another shows the pair chatting as McGregor sits on a hospital bed. Ill be back! For the sake of humankind! I must return, McGregors tweet reads. Happy birthday my man, @Schwarzenegger! Hope you and H are proud of my recovery/work and my latest move on the board. Fun times ahead, bring it. Ill be back! For the sake of humankind! I must return! Happy birthday my man, @Schwarzenegger! Hope you and H are proud of my recovery / work and my latest move on the board. Fun times ahead, bring it pic.twitter.com/v7z2Fppn9K Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 4, 2022 In a subsequent tweet, featuring a picture of McGregor in combat with Gabriel Gonzaga, the 34-year-old said he cannot believe hes about to hit Hollywood. Throwback to me vs Gabriel Gonzaga in Japan, I cant believe Im about to hit Hollywood. I will do you all proud. The tweet appears to be in reference to Conors debut appearance in a Hollywood production. However, it appears the UFC fighter is insisting he wont allow his acting career go to his head, as he promised never to forget about his first love, MMA. MMA, Ill never forget you! Easy work. The UFC star is set to join Jake Gyllenhaal in a new remake of the classic 1989 action flick Road House, which is being made by Prime Video. 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. 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 of 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. Fisheries New Zealand and the Department of Conservation are seeking public feedback on a new plan of action for the conservation of sharks. The draft National Plan of Action Sharks 2022 (NPOA-Sharks 2022) sets out directions for the conservation, management, and sustainability of sharks caught in New Zealand waters. It has a vision that: New Zealanders work toward ensuring the long-term viability, biodiversity and functional role of sharks in our marine ecosystems, and that any utilisation of sharks in NZ is sustainable. Fisheries New Zealands director fisheries management Emma Taylor says as apex predators, sharks play an important role in maintaining healthy ocean ecosystems. Weve made good progress towards protecting sharks through introducing a ban on shark finning practices in New Zealand waters in 2014, and by careful management within the Quota Management System. The draft plan aims to strengthen protection for sharks by ensuring best practice is followed to return any unwanted sharks to the sea alive with the best possible chances of survival. It also promotes research into new shark-derived products to maximise the use of sharks that are taken commercially and support sustainability of shark populations. Department of Conservation aquatic director Kirstie Knowles says: Due to the biological characteristics of sharks they can take a long time to mature and only produce a small number of young with low rates of survival, so its important that we do everything we can to maximise the survival of any unwanted and protected sharks that are caught in our waters. The draft plan builds on the previous NPOA-Sharks 2013 and was developed by a Shark Advisory Group representing government agencies, tangata whenua, environmental groups, and commercial and recreational fishers. Many of the goals and objectives from the previous NPOA remain relevant, and these have been included in the draft NPOA-Sharks 2022. On top of that weve included several new goals and objectives which reflect new information and priorities, says Kirstie Knowles. The draft NPOA-Sharks 2022 includes seven goals and 22 objectives; each goal and objective has a rationale and performance measures associated with it. The goals include: ensuring biodiversity and maintaining shark populations over time encourage increased utilisation of sharks subject to the quota management system avoiding protected and unwanted shark captures, and maximising post release survival managing non-fishing threats to sharks and their habitats better integration of tangata whenua perspectives and values in shark management maintain and develop international engagement for shark management; and improve research, data and information about sharks and their habitats. We encourage anyone with an interest to provide feedback on the draft plan before consultation closes on 13 September, says Emma Taylor. A copy of the draft NPOA-Sharks 2022 and further information, including how to make a submission, can be found online at: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/national-plan-of-action-sharks-2022 Following consultation, Fisheries New Zealand and the Department of Conservation will analyse the submissions and provide an amended final NPOA-Sharks 2022 to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries and the Minister of Conservation for their approval. Once finalised, the NPOA-Sharks 2022 will be fully reviewed as required to ensure the ongoing effectiveness of New Zealands efforts to address the conservation and management of sharks. A possible career in aviation is capturing the attention of Western Bay of Plenty college students. Almost 50 Year 12-13 students and careers advisory teachers from eight local colleges attended the Aviation Careers EXPO held in the Boeing Room at the Classic Flyers venue at Tauranga Airport. The Legacy Trust sponsored event, held in July, was staged by the Bay of Plenty Branch, Royal Aeronautical Society - RAeS - in conjunction with the Classic Flyers aviation museum. The expo was convened by branch chair Dr David Lyon who introduced a range of local speakers who each talked about their own career and what had motivated them to choose one of a multitude of options in aviation and what this had meant for them. Having local speakers talk about their work and career choice provided an important basis for the expo, says RAeS Bay of Plenty secretary Des Underwood. Kicking off with his flying career, James Hunter, the newly qualified flying instructor from the Tauranga Aero Club TAC - told his story of learning to fly and his first solo flight, before gaining his private pilot licence with the ability to fly passengers anywhere in NZ. He chose to become a flying instructor which gave him a job here in Tauranga, says Des. Local licensed aircraft maintenance engineer Colin Alexander then spoke about the role of aircraft maintenance engineering and the responsibilities it entails. With more than 20 years as CEO of Solo Wings, he went on to review the personal qualities the role demanded and the variety it offered. Tauranga senior air traffic controller James Pengelly outlined the qualifications and training required to become an air traffic controller in NZ with Airways Corporation. Among his slides was one which noted the role of the air traffic controller was to prevent collisions between aircraft, says Des. JNP Aviation CEO Verghese George from Whakatane started by asking students what they expected to get from the expo. He then explained that JNP Aviation managed the entire airport operation at Whakatane but had expanded with airport support contracts with Air NZ and other airlines to provide airport operations support at airports throughout NZ. Alice Jones then spoke of the variety of roles the company had to support JNP Aviation contracts and noted JNP Aviation Training had recently become a private training establishment accredited by NZQA to provide formal training courses and qualifications for the various airport operations support roles. Tauranga Airport Operations Manager Pam Walters introduced the roles required to support airports operations. By way of example, she was accompanied by three fully kitted crash fire fighters. The firefighters brought the airports crash fire tender for viewing during the lunch break and remained to answer questions with students getting to snap the odd selfie. With lots of hungry mouths to feed, lunch was included in the expo, delivered by the Avgas Cafe team. The break provided the opportunity for careers advisors to get together. After lunch students were challenged to complete a ten-question short answer quiz introduced by Branch Secretary, Des Underwood, an aviation historian. He explained the answers to the ten-question short answer quiz could be found among the aviation heritage aircraft and displays collection in the main display hangar, without having to climb or dismantle anything. Armed with their quiz questions, the students set off to find the answers. This quest saw students, teachers and other museum visitors filling the Museum with the multi-coloured uniforms of the students among the equally colourful museum aircraft collection. Year 12 and 13 students attending the Aviation Careers Expo at Classic Flyers. New Zealand Division Bay of Plenty Branch Verghese George, CEO of JNP Aviation from Whakatane, started by asking students what they expected to get from the EXPO. He then explained that JNP Aviation managed the entire airport operation at Whakatane but had expanded with airport support contracts with Air NZ and other airlines to provide airport operations support at airports throughout NZ. Alice Jones then spoke of the variety of roles the company had to support JNP Aviation contracts and noted JNP Aviation Training had the recently become a Private Training Establishment accredited by NZQA to provide formal training courses and qualifications for the various airport operations support roles. Tauranga Airport operations manager Pam Walters introduced the roles required to support airports operations. By way of example, she was accompanied by three fully kitted Crash-Firemen. The firefighters brought the Airports Crash Fire tender for viewing during the lunch break and remained to answer questions and students got to snap the odd selfie. With lots of hungry mouths to feed, lunch was included in the EXPO which was delivered by the team from the Avgas Cafe. The break provided the opportunity for Careers advisors to get together. After lunch students were challenged to complete a ten-question short answer quiz introduced by Branch Secretary, Des Underwood, an aviation historian. He explained the answers to the ten-question short answer quiz could be found among the aviation heritage aircraft and displays collection in the main display hangar, without having to climb or dismantle anything. Armed with their quiz questions, the students set off to find the answers. This quest saw students, teachers and other museum visitors filling the Museum with the multicoloured uniforms of the students among the equally colourful museum aircraft collection. While the quiz was being marked, the convenor then introduced the final session with by introducing Mark Snalem from Ringa Hora (formerly ServiceIQ). Mark outlined apprenticeships and aviation careers with various training institutions, together with careers options with the RNZAF. David Lyon then made a presentation on behalf of the Massey University School of Aviation outlining the various academic qualifications available, and the pathways to a range of aviation careers as an outcome of studying with that university. The sponsored expo prize winners were then announced by the Quiz convenor who presented the two prizes, including the Tauranga Gliding Clubs glider familiarisation flight which was won by a student from Te Wharekura o Mauao, and Tauranga Aero Clubs trail assessment flight which was won by a student from Bethlehem College. A take-away bag was handed out to students and teachers containing careers related and pamphlets on the pathway to multiple aviation careers. To enable attending students to return later with their families, Classic Flyers have generously provided family entry passes to Classic Flyers Museum, says Des. Also included in the takeaway bag, students were invited to send in a voluntary assignment for submission. A student from Tauranga Boys College was awarded the Classic Flyers-sponsored Harvard familiarisation flight, for his prize-winning submission. Des says in closing the expo, slightly ahead of time at 2pm, David Lyon acknowledged the sponsorship by the Legacy Trust and thanked everyone for their participation and the generous support of the team at Classic Flyers. Being passionate about making connections for others in aviation, David says he regularly follows SEEK and continually found vacancies in aviation, particularly in engineering. In noting this was the first expo run by the Bay of Plenty Branch, David Lyon also says the event was part of a national Youth in Aviation initiative of the NZ Division, RAeS. He concluded by saying, with the continued support of sponsors, he looks forward to being able to make the expo an annual event. Meantime, the speakers and the takeaway material would make it possible for the students who attended this years expo to further explore the multiplicity of careers in aviation, where the sky is the only limit. - Report by Des Underwood MRAeS, Secretary Bay of Plenty Branch, RAeS Tauranga tourism operators are signing up to make the switch to greener tourism. The first cohort in Tourism Bay of Plentys The Green Room/Te Ruma Kakariki sustainability programme has graduated, setting an example of how community collaboration can motivate and maximise individual steps towards regeneration. Seventeen Waihi Beach and Katikati visitor sector representatives have spent the past 12 weeks assessing and improving their organisational processes to reduce, reuse and recycle to lower their carbon emissions and become more sustainable. Their actions included switching to eco-friendly products, investigating living wage accreditation processes, planning waste-free public events, and using old refrigerators to create a fish smoker at a holiday park. Tourism Bay of Plenty strategy and insights head Stacey Linton says The Green Room aligns with the goals set in the New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitment and supports the Government target for New Zealand to be net carbon zero by 2050. Consumer values are changing. Locals and visitors increasingly want to support businesses and destinations that give back to the environment and their local community, so were delighted that this first wave of participants has so enthusiastically embraced the aspirations we have for our region. The programme is managed by Tourism Bay of Plenty, delivered by Tourism Industry Aotearoa, and funded by Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council - which means its free for participants. It consists of onsite visits, online webinars and customised action plans. The Green Room has attracted interest from hospitality operators, accommodation providers, community group representatives and event organisers. Participants have been keen to embrace and promote the Tiaki Promise, in which visitors are asked to commit to caring for New Zealands people, places and culture. A further 10 Tauranga tourism operators have signed up for The Green Rooms second intake, which began this week. Most of these operators are busy preparing for the return of cruise passengers and more international visitors in spring, so its timely to get them thinking about how they can make their businesses more sustainable and regenerative. Were planning to progressively roll The Green Room out to businesses across Te Moananui a Toi/the Coastal Bay of Plenty and were aiming for 100 organisations to complete the programme over the next two years. TIA Tourism sustainability advocate Megan Williams says visitor demand for experiences that are environmentally and socially sustainable is increasing, so it makes good sense for organisations to work towards a regenerative business model. We were impressed with the positive work already being done by many tourism operators in Waihi Beach and Katikati, but we know that a collaborative and supportive approach will drive individual initiatives much further, says Megan. We love the fact that representatives from the local RSA, museum, and surf lifesaving club were part of the first cohort. These people have a national reach within their own networks, so were hoping their participation and ongoing learnings will flow through to inspire other branches and similar organisations to also pursue regenerative goals. A "significant" cold outbreak is forecast to spread over the country from Sunday. This is after a predicted front moves northeast over New Zealand during Friday and this weekend bringing heavy rain to the western South Island, and severe northwest gales to much of the South Island and lower North Island. The MetService says the cold outbreak will bring southerly rain to the east of both Islands as well as snow to low levels for inland parts of the South Island. Orange heavy rain warnings are already in place for Westland, Fiordland, and the headwaters of the Canterbury and Otago lakes and rivers on Friday and Saturday. More than 200mm of rain could fall in the ranges which could cause rivers that are already running high to rise further. Significant snow melt may also contribute to rising rivers, says MetService meteorologist Stephen Glassey. Meanwhile, orange strong wind warnings are in force for all of Canterbury, Otago and Southland. Northwest gales are expected to be severe at times from Friday into Saturday with damaging gusts of 150km/h possible for the Canterbury High Country. Additionally, severe northwest gales are likely for Wellington and Marlborough on Saturday. All severe weather information can be found here http://bit.ly/AllWarnings. The front also brings a period of rain to the North Island as it tracks further north this weekend. Although rainfall amounts for the North Island are not looking as impressive as the western South Island, there could still be watches or warnings issued for some places closer to the event. From Sunday, a significantly cold south to southeast wind flow starts moving north over New Zealand. This is likely to bring rain to eastern parts of both Islands, as well as snow to low levels in parts of the South Island. Snow may also affect some higher roads in the North Island on Monday, including the Desert Road, although it is still too early to predict exactly how low or how much snow will fall. What is interesting is that we get strong, warmish northwesterlies with the first weather system, then this changes to much colder southeasterlies with the second weather system. People should really notice the difference in temperature between the two systems, especially over the South Island and southern and eastern parts of the North Island. Image: MetService. Community transmission of monkeypox in New Zealand is likely before a prevention campaign exists, health officials say. Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand is also still working on a communications plan around the virus, which national director Nick Chamberlain confirms is weeks away. It has also been confirmed a dedicated response team has been established - something a group of leading health advocates called for in a five-page letter pushing for urgent action on the country's monkeypox response. That letter was sent to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Wednesday, with a range of government ministers and health officials copied in, including Chamberlain. Other actions included in the letter are prioritising a vaccine plan; better, stigma-free, public health communication; and support for self-isolation. Chamberlain says their plan "contains most of the actions outlined in that letter". Officials do not believe the current approach reflected how gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) are being disproportionately affected by the current global outbreak, despite the virus being able to infect anyone, he says. As a result, Chamberlain and Public Health Agency deputy director-general Andrew Old will be meeting with one of the letter's signees, the Burnett Foundation (formerly the New Zealand Aids Foundation), next week. "We will ask the Burnett Foundation and New Zealand Sexual Health Society [another signee] to participate in our ongoing planning and be involved in the dedicated team," he says. Both organisations have previously been engaged early in the response. Three cases have been confirmed in New Zealand and it is estimated there have been more than 23,000 cases, since May, in countries where the virus is not usually endemic. RNZ originally asked questions of a similar manner to the health advocates' letter almost two weeks ago and again on Wednesday. Also on Wednesday, it was leaked to RNZ that health officials were in talks with manufacturers about a possible delivery schedule for a vaccine, as well as antiviral treatments. Key answers were only explicitly given after RNZ re-asked the questions at Thursday's Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand press conference. Chamberlain confirms the antiviral drug being looked at is Tecovirimat, which is sold as Tpoxx and will need Medsafe approval. However, there are provisions to allow the vaccine and antivirals to be brought into the country and distributed before that, he says. New Zealand did not have guaranteed access to vaccines yet but officials were trying to order around 20,000 doses. Old says countries around the world are struggling to access supply of the vaccine, which only have a single manufacturer and is "not available for purchase commercially - it's only available for national supply". Officials intend working with affected communities Burnett Foundation chief executive Joe Rich previously told RNZ he's concerned how similar current plans are to those of Northern Hemisphere countries where they "have not been working". Chamberlain says that's "fair enough" to say. "I think in some countries the approach has worked and some it hasn't; and we'll learn from all of those international approaches," he says. "But we also ... want to make sure that our core messages are right." Old says some countries are not doing well because they have a focus "purely on, sort of, narrow vaccine and therapeutic approaches". "The point that I think's being made here is that we have a really good chance now, because we don't have any community transmission, to get ahead of this with broader public health approaches." Officials need to work closely with organisations like the Burnett Foundation and the affected communities, he says. Old is also conscious of ensuring any stigmas towards MSM were avoided. Chamberlain says he has "time frames" for various aspects of a communications plan, which he expected to be completed in "a couple of weeks". "There are things happening already," he says. Chamberlain said he recognised there were unique nuances in the response that needed to be considered too. That included support for people in self-isolation, which could be up to four weeks - much longer than a Covid-19 isolation period. Among the nuances to be considered are because of the disproportionate effect on MSM, there is a risk of homophobic related issues - including people having to isolate and not being openly MSM. He also says messaging at New Zealand's borders is being considered as that is where the virus is most likely to be imported from - the risk of which is high. Associate Health Minister Ayesha Verrall says she has been "very clear with officials that they work with members of the affected community to make sure that we do have effective, and human rights compliant, health promotion approaches". "Reflecting on my experience looking after people with other infectious diseases, like HIV, it is incredibly important to work with affected communities in this outbreak." Things will otherwise go wrong, she says. "If we don't get how we talk about monkeypox right, people won't feel safe to get the testing and care that we need them to do." -RNZ/Jake McKee. Rocket Lab, a leading launch and space systems company, has successfully launched its second of two Back-to-Back National Reconnaissance Office Missions in New Zealand. Thursdays launch of the NROL-199 national security mission marks Rocket Labs third successful launch in just over five weeks. The NROL-199, dubbed the Antipodean Adventure, mission launched on the Electron rocket from Pad B at Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, near Gisborne, at 5pm on Thursday, carrying a payload designed, built, and operated by the NRO in partnership with the Australian Department of Defence. This mission follows the successful delivery to orbit of its predecessor NROL-162 three weeks earlier, launched on the Wise One Looks Ahead mission on July 13, 2022, says a statement from Rocket Lab. These national security missions, combined with the successful launch of the CAPSTONE mission to the Moon for NASA on June 28, 2022, make up a record launch cadence for the Company of three successful Electron launches in just over five weeks. The turnaround between NROL-162 and todays NROL-199 launch is the shortest time between national security missions by a small launch provider, setting a new standard in responsive space. This streamlined approach to launch is backed by Rocket Labs two launch pads at Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, the Companys private launch site, which can support up to 120 launches per year. With three launch pads across sites in New Zealand and the United States; dedicated range and mission control centres; and a highly experienced team, Rocket Lab is uniquely positioned to deliver responsive space capability to the national security community, says Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck. Were proud to be delivering responsive space capability to the national security community and were grateful to the NRO for entrusting us with their missions once again. Our team is focused on relentless execution for our customers and delivering three successful Electron missions in just over five weeks testament to this. That the team delivered two flawless back-to-back national security missions only days after our most complex mission yet, the CAPSTONE mission to the Moon for NASA, is phenomenal. NROL-199 and NROL-162 are the latest pair of missions awarded to Rocket Lab by the NRO under the Rapid Acquisition of a Small Rocket contract, which enables the NRO to launch small satellites through a streamlined, commercial approach. NROL-151 (RASR-1) was successfully deployed to space on a dedicated Electron launch in early 2020, followed by RASR-2 on another Electron in June 2020. Ockham New Zealand Book Award winners and nominees, literature magnates, thought-provoking journalists, and delightful performances are on their way to Tauranga Moana for the 2022 Escape Festival. The citys beloved, biennial little festival of big ideas gets underway on October 12 to October 16 at multiple central city venues, including Baycourt Community and Arts Centre, Books A Plenty, Trinity Wharf Tauranga and the Tauranga Art Gallery. Dr Hinemoa Elder, Charlotte Grimshaw, Rebecca K Reilly, Max Rashbrooke, Nici Wickes, Elisabeth Easther, Abbas Nazari, Mohamed Hassan, The Spinoffs Gone by Lunchtime team, and Taurangas own gang-man Jared Savage, are among the 20+ writers, thinkers and commentators in the 2022 Escape line-up. Alongside the writers programme, bringing delightful live performance through storytelling of another kind, are three special events for audiences of all ages. Of the 2022 programme, artistic director Gabrielle Vincent says book lovers already know the joy of escaping through other peoples magical words and tales, but sometimes these stories especially through the interesting times in which we live right now are most powerful when discussed by the author or creator in real life. "That is the true magic of a writers festival and it is an absolute privilege to have these remarkable writers, speakers and artists share their stories and korero with us in Tauranga Moana." Tauranga Arts Festival Trust Chair Kathryn Lellman says connection is a key aim for the event. "Our programme will connect audiences with local and global conversations through literature, theatre, and storytelling. "That connection will also bring our community together through shared artistic experiences. Our storytellers will inspire, challenge and excite everyone with their work - all without having to leave our vibrant little city." Rebecca K Reilly (Ngati Hine, Ngati Wai), whose debut novel Greta & Valdin won Best First Book and was nominated for the prestigious Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction in the 2022 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, will korero with former Tauranga local and Director of Verb Wellington, Claire Mabey. Charlotte Grimshaw, in conversation with Michelle Langstone about her explosive and thought-provoking memoir The Mirror Book, will give a vivid account of growing up in one of New Zealands most well-known literary families. Chef, author, food stylist and broadcaster Nici Wickes will korero with Sandra Simpson for the ever-popular Escape Morning Tea event as she reflects on her life in food, over a delicious morning tea catered by Trinity Wharf Tauranga. A one-off, public reading of a play in development by actor, journalist and broadcaster Elisabeth Easther, A Rare Bird, will bring to life the writings of ornithologist Perrine Moncrieff - an extraordinary woman who played a quietly vital role in conserving the flora and fauna of Aotearoa. Max Rashbrooke (Too Much Money), chief philanthropic officer at the Michael and Suzanne Borrin Foundation Tupe Solomon-Tanoai and the last chair of Auckland District Health Board Pat Snedden, will discuss how wealth inequality is changing New Zealand. Dr Hinemoa Elder (Ngati Kuri, Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa, Ngapuhi) will korero about her new book Wawata - Moon Dreaming, and how to reclaim intimacy with others, ourselves and our planet using the energies of Hina, the Maori moon. Qiane Matata-Sipu (Te Waiohua, Waikato, Ngapuhi, Ngati Pikiao and Cook Islands), Papamoa-based marine ecologist Professor Kura Paul-Burke (Ngati Awa, Ngati Whakahemo), filmmaker and producer Chelsea Winstanley (Ngati Ranginui, Ngai te Rangi), and racial equity educator, Kat Poi (Tainui, Te Arawa, Tonga) will korero about story sovereignty and one of the most celebrated books of 2021, NUKU: Stories of 100 Indigeous Women. In Gangland, Taurangas own award-winning investigative reporter Jared Savage shines a light into New Zealand's rising underworld of organised crime, in conversation with The Spinoffs Editor-at-Large, Toby Manhire. Bestselling author, speaker and Fulbright Scholar, Abbas Nazari will recount his extraordinary story of life - from living under the Talibans brutal rule, to spending a terrifying month at sea on refugee boat, The Tampa, his familys desperate search for safety, and building a new life at the bottom of the world. How to be a Bad Muslim is the elegant, debut non-fiction offering from award-winning New Zealand writer, poet and journalist Mohamed Hassan. It maps the personal and public experience of being Muslim through a lens of identity, Islamophobia, surveillance, migration and language. In this special conversation with Rosabel Tan, Mohamed speaks about this illuminating and powerful collection of essays. In an Escape first, The Spinoffs popular political podcast, Gone By Lunchtime, will record an episode live in Tauranga Moana. Producer and presenter Annabelle Lee Mather, media commentator and PR consultant Ben Thomas, and The Spinoffs Editor-at-Large Toby Manhire spend their days closely studying the ins, outs, ups and downs of NZs political, cultural and media landscapes, and the parties and people who inhabit them. In this delightfully acerbic session, the jocular triumvirate will peer into the turbulent times of the Tauranga City Council and discuss the current and future political landscape of our city with two special guests. In a panel discussion, recently retired fertility counselor Sue Saunders, actor and author Michelle Langstone, and Elisabeth Easther will explore the multitude of ways one can conceive a baby in the 21st century, new models of family-making, and the taboos around IVF, surrogacy and other assisted fertility options. In the performance space, comedy and circus sensation Thom Monckton will astound audiences in The Artist: an incredible feat of physical strength, skilled theatrics, and comedic storytelling. To be in the audience of a Thom Monckton performance is spellbinding, as he makes a spectacular experience out of the ordinary. News News News is a television news show made by children for adults, recorded in front of a studio audience and broadcast live on the internet. Working with UK artists Andy Field and Beckie Darlington, New Zealands Rosabel Tan, and children from Mount Maunganui Primary School will present a distinctive look at whats going on right here and right now. Pipi Paopao by Rutene Spooner, presented in association with Baycourt Community and Arts Centre and PANNZ, Pipi Paopao is a performance for tamariki aged 3-5year olds - and their adults - which adopts the unique characteristics of our Manu Rangatira (noble birdlife) through waiata and play. It continues the Maori tradition of using proverbs and metaphors of the natural world to teach and prepare our own little hatchlings; so they too may flourish and fly into a world of their own. Tania Roxborogh (Ngati Porou) is an award-winning author of more than thirty published works. She will host a workshop for rangatahi aged 11 to 14 which will take young writers through the dos and don'ts of storytelling and why it is so important to get it right. Tauranga Zinefest is back - the free, highly visual community event, dedicated to promoting and exploring this unique subculture. Motif Poetry is proud to present the second annual Wham Bam Tauranga Poetry Slam. In three rounds of audience-judged, original work from established and emerging local performers, young poets battle it out and, by the end of the night, a new Tauranga Slam Champ will be crowned who will go on to represent Tauranga at the national NZ Poetry Slam. Escape to experience the Chaos installation of vibrant flags by award-winning printmaker and multimedia artist Nicol Sanders-OShea at Baycourt Community and Arts Centre. Suspended from the ceiling, colour, patterns and images collide in this stunning display, connecting storytelling from the past to the present. The viewer becomes the narrator in this optical delight. "None of this would happen without the ongoing generous support of our funders, sponsors and patrons. We dont take that support for granted and want to acknowledge that they allow us to bring the stories to Tauranga Moana and to keep the cost affordable," says Tauranga Arts Festival Trust Chair Kathryn Lellman. The winners of the Coastal Bay of Plentys inaugural Matariki Dish Challenge have been announced, with a five-piece set menu and a seafood pasta dish securing the top spots. The team at The Trading Post French Bistro, in Paengaroa, drew inspiration from the stars to create their Matariki Chefs Menu, which the judging panel selected as the 2022 Champion award winner. The menu featured sourdough bread, organic oysters, smoked eel, kumara and horopito gnocchi, and poached apple dessert, with each dish named after a star in the annual Matariki cluster. The judges of the five-week Challenge were impressed with how each element in every dish in The Trading Posts entry served a purpose and was executed with precision. It was clear from the moment we arrived at the restaurant that they were taking things very seriously and were committed to producing something wonderful. The dish was well promoted throughout the restaurant, the staff were amazing and knew their stuff extraordinarily well, and the wines chosen to accompany the dish were right on point. The Trading Post owner and head chef, Jordan Baudeche, created the menu with his partner Nina. He says they researched the Matariki tradition and used local seasonal produce to fuse indigenous flavours with French techniques. The Trading Post - Leigh Paul, left, Jordan Baudeche and Bri Frost. Jordan also says the staff had a great time talking with diners about the dishes. It really created conversations and brought people together. The judges werent the only ones that had a say though, with diners casting their votes for the 2022 Peoples Choice Award, which went to Fife Lane and their Paua Toterini Karengo dish (featuring paua tortellini with oyster sauce, seaweed and watercress). The accolade comes hot on the heels of several awards at last months BOP Hospitality Awards. Fife Lane owner Kat Dippie says that their Paua Toterini Karengo dish was well received by diners. Guests were really engaged in the opportunity to try something different, says Kat. The dish came to life through staff research, chef creativity and a sense check with chef Robbie Webbers family. We wanted to create something really appealing on the plate and a way to present the paua back in its original form, says Robbie. For diners that missed out on trying it, they may have another chance as Fife Lane are looking to incorporate the dish into their summer menu. It will also feature in their upcoming Greystone Wines degustation event in October. Tourism Bay of Plenty Tumuaki/General Manager Oscar Nathan says the high calibre of this years entries, across seven eateries, helped showcase and elevate the importance of Matariki and the value of good kai (food) as New Zealand celebrated its first public holiday to mark the celestial occasion. Matariki Dish Challenge organiser Vicki Ravlich-Horan says celebrating local and discovering something new is at the heart of the Challenge. As New Zealand develops our unique food, storytelling and provenance are key. The Matariki Dish Challenge is a wonderful chance for local eateries to start doing this and we were thrilled by the entries in this years Challenge. Oscar says the competition is one of several initiatives that have sprung up in the region recently as Tourism Bay of Plenty seeks to share its food provenance and culinary flair with a wider foodie audience. Our hospitality and tourism sectors have had some tough times this year, so its been great to be able to support each other in this way, he says. Local food producers also reaped benefits when their ingredients were showcased in menus during the Challenge. The winning dishes: The Trading Posts Matariki Chefs Menu Matariki: Sourdough bread & smoked butter Waita: Kaipara organic oysters au naturel, kawakawa oil & oyster emulsion Waiti: Apatu Aqua smoked eel, watercress & potato veloute Tupu-a-nuku: Lumina confit lamb shoulder, kumara & horopito gnocchis, Mama Kali's micro greens,jus Tupu-a-rangi: Vanilla poached apple, pure NZ buckwheat crumbs, maple syrup cloud Fife Lanes Paua Toterini Karengo Paua Tortellini made with Nickis Eggs, creamed oyster sauce with Pacific Harvest seaweed and Doug Jarvis watercress. WeatherWatch reports that the North Island is still largely settled today thanks to some high pressure. "A front pushes northwards over the South Island today bringing heavy rain in the west, and spits of rain out east," says a WeatherWatch spokesperson. Very cold air is expected to move in for the South Island on Sunday. Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty Mostly sunny after any morning fog clears, some high cloud. In the evening cloud thickens in the west then expect some overnight rain. Light winds gradually tend northwest. Highs: 16-18 Western North Island including Central North Island A mix of sun and cloud, cloud thickens from afternoon with the odd light shower moving into Kapiti and Taranaki. Showers becoming more widespread in the evening with rain moving into the aforementioned areas. North to northwesterly winds freshen, winds may become strong for coastal areas. Highs: 12-16 Eastern North Island Mostly sunny but expect some high cloud too, north to northwesterly winds, gusty for Wairarapa. Highs: 16-19 Wellington Mostly cloudy, a few spits or showers, more so from afternoon, rain overnight. Strong to gale northerly winds. High: 15 Marlborough and Nelson Mostly cloudy, a few spits. Rain moves into Nelson midday, spreading into Marlborough mid to late afternoon. Clearing overnight. Gusty north to northwesterly winds. Highs: 15-17 Canterbury Heavy rain in the high country, a few spits of rain spreading eastwards, easing from afternoon as a front moves away to the north. Showers becoming widespread across the plains in the evening. Gusty northerlies at first then winds becoming light after midday. Highs: 13-18 West Coast Rain, heavy north of Haast but starting to ease from afternoon as gusty northerlies change southwest, not easing about Buller till evening. Highs: 12-15 Southland and Otago A mix of sun and cloud, a few showers, mainly later in the day. Light northwesterlies, freshening a little from afternoon for Southland. Highs: 13-15 Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. According to the government official, between 2003 and June 2022, Mexico's investment was channeled through more than 22 companies that carried out around 34 projects in Peruvian territory, generating capital inflows that have created more than 19,000 jobs to date. "Only Southern Cooper (a Mexican mining company) has invested approximately US$9 billion in Peru," he emphasized. Sanchez underscored that Mexican entrepreneurs' confidence has strengthened various Peruvian industries in areas such as commercial aviation, telecommunications, food and beverages, cement, the chemical industry, miscellaneous manufactured goods, construction, mining, microfinance, and even movie theaters. "No wonder. The legal and judicial framework in Peru offers investment security, which is very important for those seeking to do business in the country," he commented. Peru is the second recipient of Mexican foreign direct investment in Latin America after Brazil, totaling almost US$17 billion over the past 10 years, according to figures reported by the companies themselves. The Mexican firms present in Peru include Grupo Mexico, America Movil, Ica, Arca Continental, Grupo Salinas, Bimbo, Mabe, Femsa, and Cinepolis. Moreover, foreign direct investment from Mexico to Peru is present in regions such as Cajamarca, Lima, Apurimac, Arequipa, Moquegua, and Tacna. (END) NDP/VLA/SDD/RMB/MVB Peru seeks to attract more than US$16 billion in foreign direct investment from Mexico, a country that has become Peru's third largest trading partner in Latin America, Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister Roberto Sanchez affirmed.Published: 8/4/2022 The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. Presidente @PedroCastilloTe manifesto a su homologo @IvanDuque y al presidente electo @petrogustavo que no podra participar en la Transmision de Mando de Colombia el 7 de agosto, por decision del @congresoperu, y que sera debidamente representado por @DinaErcilia. pic.twitter.com/LVClvJHJi4 What just happened? The latest development in the Elon Musk vs. Twitter spat has seen the platform make an SEC filing that rebuffs Musk's claims he was within his rights to back out of the $44 billion acquisition. Twitter says it is committed to completing the deal at the agreed $54.20 per share pricethe current price is $41.06and it plans to pursue legal action to force Musk into the purchase. Musk had cited the number of fake accounts on Twitter as major point of contention. The world's richest man previously claimed Twitter's alleged refusal to reveal bot numbers constituted a material breach of the deal and allowed him to avoid the $1 billion breakup fee. In a public filing, Twitter said Musk's claims were "a story, imagined in an effort to escape a merger agreement that Musk no longer found attractive once the stock market and along with it, his massive personal wealth, declined in value." Twitter claims less than 5% of accounts on the site are fake. Musk's team, however, says at least 10% of daily active users who see ads are inauthentic, and Twitter is trying to conceal this figure. A recent legal filing alleges Twitter hid the total number of its users who see ads. As per The New York Times, the company responded by saying Musk is trying "to distort data received from Twitter to sponsor wild conclusions" and its data is accurate. Musk's lawyers claim that using a tool called Botometer, designed by Indiana University to measure inauthentic accounts, analysts found that Twitter was lying about the number of fakes on the platform. It denies the allegations. "Twitter was miscounting the number of false and spam accounts on its platform, as part of its scheme to mislead investors about the company's prospects," Musk's legal team wrote. "Twitter's disclosures have slowly unraveled, with Twitter frantically closing the gates on information in a desperate bid to prevent the Musk parties from uncovering its fraud." Twitter previously made a "fire hose" of raw data consisting of every tweet posted every day available to Musk. He then claimed Twitter had placed an artificial cap on the number of searches his team could run on the data, but the reality was that it had hit the monthly limit of 100,000 queries, so Twitter increased the cap to 10 million. That still didn't satisfy Musk. When Twitter sued Musk over him walking away from the deal, it said he treated the process like an "elaborate joke." Some of the memes Musk used to mock the situation, including one with internet favorite Chuck Norris, were used in the filing as proof. "The counterclaims are a made-for-litigation tale that is contradicted by the evidence and common sense," Twitter said. "Musk invents representations Twitter never made and then tries to wield, selectively, the extensive confidential data Twitter provided him to conjure a breach of those purported representations." The Financial Times writes that Twitter is "willing to go to war" if that what's needed to complete the deal, adding that CEO Parag Agrawal has been "more aggressive internally." Twitter won the first battle in the legal case last month when the judge agreed to fast-track the trial. It will last just five days and start in October rather than next year, which is when Musk's camp wanted it to begin. Twitter lost revenue in the second quarter, something it blamed on the turmoil caused by Musk's actions. Today, we may credit technology for the progressive erasure of boundaries between people with differing capacities, particularly in education. Today, special education software has been shown to assist children with impairments in reaching their full potential. Education organizations can work with children who have learning challenges caused by developmental delays, intellectual difficulties, and other factors by using an Individualized Education Program or IEP special education software. What Are the Five Examples of Educational Software? Educational software is any computer application (whether cloud-based or software) that improves and simplifies learning. But there are different education software with different focuses and purposes. For example, we have (1) learning management systems such as Google Classroom, (2) student information systems such as Infinite Campus, (3) interactive assessment tools like Kahoot!, (4) language tools such as Duolingo, and a (5) special education software that we've listed below. Which Software Is Best for Education? As previously said, several types of educational software are available to meet your requirements. In this case, we'll review the special education software and the top five best in that industry, beginning with SameGoal. #1 SameGoal SameGoal creates best-in-class, enterprise-quality educational solutions. This special education software believes that contemporary, open solutions that empower all stakeholders will deliver the best educational outcomes for pupils. With real-time collaborative editing, electronic signatures, and built-in chat, it streamlines your special education process. Plus, it lets you work as a cohesive team at all times and in all places, including parent meetings. Key Features Collaboration in real-time: This Individual Education Plan or IEP software allows you to work on the same documents with other colleagues at the same time without fear of data loss. Individual objectives, assessments, and progress comments may be quickly added while coworkers make changes to other sections across the document. Share documents with parents: Electronically distribute documents to parents for review and signature. It is compatible with PCs, tablets, and smartphones. This is especially useful for parent meetings online or over the phone. Check documents instantly: Discover and fix missing, inconsistent, and non-compliant document data in real-time with no delays. Prevent papers from being finished until all checks have been performed. Complies with State Department of Education: SameGoal contains all necessary, voluntary, and sample Special Education forms released by your state department of education to assist districts in remaining compliant. Unlike others, this special programs software evolves in lockstep with state and federal Special Education regulations. Manage everything with ease: To manage and guide special education in the district, you can access documents across the district, use powerful administrative reports, and extract state reporting data. By automating program participation and deadline tracking, administrators can ensure timely submission of compliance documentation. Streamline reports: Embedded state and federal advice, 24x7 online manuals, and helpdesk access for all users assist staff in swiftly receiving high-quality answers to issues while freeing up significant administrative time for special education directors. Besides that, this special education management software is customizable. You can import student/parent demographics from your Student Information Systems or SIS and show finished papers immediately. This makes things convenient when general education personnel need daily access to your reports or documents. Speaking of reports, it also offers data reporting extracts in state-specific file formats for each state. If your SIS supports it, you can bulk import special education state reporting. You can also submit it directly to your state's data reporting platform. Another advantage is that this IEP special education software is an online application that supports all major web browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari at any given moment. You can work from any device that supports these browsers, such as computers, tablets, and smartphones. Pros It integrates with major Student Information Systems (SIS) , such as PowerSchool, Infinite Campus, Skyward, and more. It offers authoring tools where you can autosave, access real-time collaborative editing, view version history visible for all collaborators, and in-application chat. It simplifies administration tools where documents won't be marked complete unless all have been checked comprehensively. These checks comprise content and state reporting, embedded state and federal content guidelines, and automated deadline reminders with a calendar. It encourages parents and guardians to participate so they can access and sign documents electronically, see document modifications in real-time during team meetings, and work on automatic forms with field translation to foreign languages. Besides special education, it also provides an all-in-one platform for other special programs , including Section 504, Advanced Learners, English Learners, and K-4 Literacy. It involves general education so that plans created in SameGoal appear instantly in your student information system when connected. General education personnel may be provided immediate access to assessments, planning, and progress reporting. It aids districts in systematizing and streamlining legal compliance. Cons Standard and Plus plans lack translation features. Overall, SameGoal is a comprehensive, user-friendly special education software that is straightforward to use for a long-term district success. It seeks to maximize specialized staff time and resources and transform how you invest your time by producing outstanding special education programs. It also improves parental involvement and satisfaction, streamlines communication with the staff who spend most of their time with special needs students, and much more. Join 700+ local education agencies in using SameGoal to streamline special education programs. Read their Quickstart Guide and Request a Demo to get started. #2 SpedTrack SpedTrack is an IEP special education software that makes creating IEPs, assessments, and plan progress reports a breeze. Documents are scanned automatically for all compliance concerns. While staying compliant, you will find it simple to prepare IEPs, student assessments, and goal progress reports. Through a sophisticated array of special education technologies, it assists teachers, administrators, and frontline educators in managing the IEP of children with disabilities. It is intended to handle each stage of the special education process while addressing kids' impairments and special needs. Everything is covered, from IEP goals to RTI/MTSS to Medicaid payments. It promises to enhance your case management system by providing simpler IEPs, increased functionality, state-specific IEP forms, and more. You may attach papers and reports to SpedTrack straight from the system. SpedTrack increases security by encrypting emails with a unique PIN, allowing you to securely submit documents and monitor who has seen the forms. Key Features and Benefits An all-in-one management system for IEPs and reports on student progress Co-op management tool with robust reporting IEP form updates and error checker IEP and evaluation templates Medicaid billing with student records SSO and other privacy features Integrates with other apps and general education programs #3 EDMS Adori EDMS' Adori is an IEP management software that is entirely web-based, and it assists school districts in managing IEPs. The program contains several features designed to simplify the IEP process, such as the ability to generate and amend IEP documents, track objectives and progress, and schedule meetings. This IEP special education software provides a centralized repository for all IEP-related information, making it simple for district officials to retrieve the data they want. Perhaps most crucially, Adori aids with enforcing state and federal rules. There is customization for your district and connectivity with the EDMS Lumea electronic service documentation system. You can easily transfer student data electronically from one Adori district to another. Then, you may also access extensive reporting tools, numerous user roles to govern student access, several layers of protection, and industry-grade data transfer encryption to ensure your data is always safe, among other things. Key Features and Benefits Customizable cloud-based IEP software Manage or transfer student records Reporting tools, protection features, and data security Create, edit, and track IEP documents Complies with state and federal regulations Greater than 99% uptime Dedicated customer support #4 Frontline Education Frontline Special Education Management Software is one of the best special education software companies that promote compliance and best practices in IEPs. The program is designed to meet state-specific standards and to make case management easier. This software can improve your special education program's decisions, minimize administrative strain, and interface with SIS. This program is an excellent resource for individuals responsible for special education programs. Through this IEP special education software, you can cooperate online to create high-quality compliance IEPs with this IEP special education software, including real-time document exchange and role-based authorization to access student information. It helps streamline the entire special education procedure for your staff, track student progress, produce reports, and handle the data process more effectively so you can devote more time to teaching students. You can quickly move IEPs across districts and communicate data between your general education student information system and Frontline Special Education Management. Furthermore, it aligns with state rules and district standards and validates data at the point of input to discover problems before finalizing IEPs and submitting state reports. Key Features and Benefits Lets you improve IEP quality Reduces the burden of administrative work Integrates with SIS for your district Supports IEP practices and enhances compliances #5 AssistiveWare's Proloquo2Go AssistiveWare's Proloquo2Go is a special education software designed to help non-speaking youngsters interact using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). It is configurable and may be tailored to a child's specific needs. The software has various features, such as symbol-based communication, which makes it beneficial for nonverbal persons with autism, Down syndrome, and other illnesses. From the first words towards literacy, Proloquo2Go can help youngsters develop their linguistic abilities. It is a crucial tool to assist non-speaking youngsters in communicating and participating in their surroundings. However, unlike the other special education IEP software on this list, it is an app that can be downloaded from the App Store and is intended to help parents in assisting their children in expressing themselves. Proloquo's innovative design incorporates the most recent research and data from over 10,000 AAC users. It's free for parents to share with teachers, SLPs, and other education agencies. Key Features and Benefits Provides access to expert help from special program educators Has a customizable interface to personalize the app Has a built-in library with over 7,000 symbols for custom messages Helps children communicate via recording and playback voice messages Offers support for multiple languages for children in different countries Best Special Education Software in 2022 The use of technology in special education aims to eliminate barriers and offer people with disabilities access to the most appropriate educational programs. Students with special needs can access current education online, thanks to well-designed software and technology. One of the best IEP special education software for teaching students with disabilities is SameGoal because of its comprehensive features and dedication to district compliance. You could also try SpedTrack, EDMS Adori, Frontline Education, and AssistiveWare's Proloquo2Go. This sponsored article was created by Techtimes. Learn more about partnering with TechTmes. The Rotom Phone is expected to get a huge upgrade. After being introduced three years ago in the Galar region, the updated version of the "smartphone that is inhabited by a Pokemon" will finally make the jump from just one back camera to two. Rotom Phone to Come with a Second Lens As per Bulbapedia, the Rotom Phone is a smartphone that was inhabited by a Pokemon. According to the story by The Verge, the handset will become available very soon in the new Paldea region. It is reportedly hard to tell what type of the second lens will become available on the phone. What can be seen as of press time is that the main lens will still be in blue while the second lens will be colored black. Pictures Reveal What the New Rotom Phone Could Look Like The publication noted, however, that there is still not enough information to be able to guess whether the new lens will be a telephoto lens, an ultrawide lens, or something different. In a tweet by Joe Merrick, a Pokemon Master, pictures were shown regarding the Rotom Phone and how it is getting a second camera upgrade. Good to see Rotom Phone got the second camera upgrade pic.twitter.com/ceMdYFXPhQ Joe Merrick (@JoeMerrick) August 3, 2022 Blue Light in the Middle Linked to Wireless Charging Properties Beyond the information available, it seems like the brand new Rotom Phone is going to be a large iterative upgrade compared to the previous phone. A brand new feature is also the phone's mysterious glowing blue ring that can be found in the middle of the device. As per the article by The Verge, they are asking whether the blue light in the middle could be for wireless charging. This is because of the fact that the location of the blue ring is where people could expect to have a wireless charging coil. Phone Might Still Not be Handy for Player's Pockets They did note, however, that they do not remember an instance where they had to charge the Rotom Phone in galar. It is, however, nice to see that wireless charging could be an option for players while they could be at one of Paldea's trainer schools. The article notes, however, that disappointedly, the large points located at the top and the bottom of the Rotom Phone have still remained for the next generation. This means that it might not be that comfortable to be able to fit into the player's pockets. Read Also: 'GTA 6' Report Confirms Rumor from 2018: Female Protagonist and Florida Setting for Sequel Game? No word Regarding 5G Support for the Rotom Phone In Paldea, however, since backpacks are commonly used, players will still not have a hard time bringing their Rotom Phone around. As per the article, there is also no word regarding 5G support. In additional news, the company that designed the Rotom Phone have confirmed in a recently published press release that the Pokedex as well as a map will yet again load on the player's device. Users will have to wait for the drop of the new Rotom Phone, however, on November 18. Related Article: Turn Your Old 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' Cards into Something Useful! Here's How to Revive Them Once Again! This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Urian B. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. South Korea has accomplished a new deep lunar mission thanks to the successful launch of the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO). Korea's Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) created this rover as part of its ambitious plan to unravel the mysteries of Earth's natural satellite. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was carrying this orbiter. Nearly one hour after the take-off, it separated from the larger machine on Friday, Aug. 5. South Korea's Moon Probe Finally Takes Off (Photo : JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images) People watch a television screen showing a live footage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching with South Korea's first lunar orbiter Danuri onboard from Cape Canaveral in Florida, at a railway station in Seoul on August 5, 2022. According to a report by Space.com, South Korea's KPLO named "Danuri," has been the latest breakthrough that the country made when it comes to space exploration. The KARI officials acknowledged in a statement that this accomplishment would be their first step to continue diving into deep space for the next missions. "It is a very significant milestone in the history of Korean space exploration. If we are more determined and committed to technology development for space travel, we will be able to reach Mars, asteroids, and so on in the near future," KARI president Sang-Ryool Lee said in a pre-recorded clip. Before reaching the moon in mid-December, the lunar orbiter will be drifting into space for almost five months. More importantly, South Korea will utilize six lunar payloads as part of its upcoming mission in January 2023, as per Oh Tae-Seog, the vice science minister. As of writing, KPLO will be involved in a probe that will last for a year. However, the officials said that a period extension might still be considered, especially if there are problems that may arise. Related Article: Elon Musk Called Out by ABC Reporter After SpaceX Debris Damage Farmer's Property What Will the Danuri Probe Do on the Moon? In Korea, Danuri means "moon" and "enjoy," but there's a more exciting thing to hear about this probe. As written by Bloomberg, Danuri's missions will be spectacular and bizarre. As such, it will be responsible for seeking potential landing locations for the space machines. Moreover, the popular South Korean boy group BTS will be involved in the process. There will be a series of wireless internet tests, which the Danuri orbiter will do. It will stream a clip of "Dynamite," one of the most famous songs from the said K-pop crew. Before Danuri's successful take-off, South Korea released Nuri two months ago. The deployment of this rocket could pave the way for the first uncrewed lunar mission in 2031. For the KPLO mission, the country allocated $180 million to take the first step toward its dream venture into space. The machine weighs 678 kilograms or 1,495 pounds and carries six different instruments, including NASA's ShadowCam. In other news, Tech Times reported that a French physicist deceived the whole internet when it posted a picture captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. In reality, it's not the Proxima Centauri star. The truth is, it's only a part of chorizo. Read Also: Spaghetti on Mars? NASA Finally Reveals What This Weird Noodle-Like Object Is This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. "Peru is a country open to trade. We continue working to strengthen our exports, which have been growing uninterruptedly for 22 months, being important generators of employment and economic growth. It is the commitment of this democratic Government led by President Pedro Castillo," he underlined. According to the Ministry's Monthly Trade Report-June 2022, sales abroad increased 21.9% that month, accumulating a rise of 18.4% during the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2021. The sectors that grew the most in the first half of 2022 were oil/gas (+179%), chemicals (+40.1%), textiles (+37%), forestry (+31%), and farming (+20%). For their part, the goods that climbed the most were coffee (+328%), natural gas (+388%), blueberries (+118%), and ethyl alcohol (106%). Moreover, mineral exports which account for 60% of Peruvian sales abroad rose 6.3% in the first half of 2022 thanks to higher sales of molybdenum (+58%), zinc (+20%), and copper (+8%). Concerning textiles/clothing, sales of cotton products expanded 43%. In the chemicals category, exports of sulfuric acid stood out (+283%). Regarding the agriculture sector, together with those of coffee and blueberries, shipments of Persian lime (+81%), grapes (+17%), and cacao/derivatives (+10%) experienced increases. Between January and June, 6,851 companies exported goods. Of these, 2,115 sent farming products. Besides, during the first half of this year, exports from the interior zones grew 16% thanks to higher shipments from 17 regions of Peru. Markets During the first half of 2022, the growth of the country's foreign trade was mainly geared towards countries of the Americas (+38.5%) mainly the United States (+53.1%) and Brazil (+45.8%). It must be noted that the war between Russia and Ukraine has affected the regular supply of fertilizers. Purchases of these products from Russia fell 22% between January and June 2022. ??Una gran noticia!?? Las #exportacionesperuanas vienen logrando un gran desempeno. En el primer semestre del 2022 alcanzaron los US$ 32 211 millones, un monto superior en +18,4% respecto al mismo periodo del ano anterior.?? Mas informacion?? https://t.co/HJToSRA3pD pic.twitter.com/1CRm3MhSjP Despite the myriad rumors over the past few months, Nintendo seemingly has no plans to launch a new Nintendo Switch in the foreseeable future. According to a recent report by Nikkei, the firm is facing a multitude of component shortages for the manufacturing and production of Nintendo Switch consoles. Thus, there are no internal strategies for the current fiscal year ending in March 2023 to debut any upgraded Nintendo Switch model, not at least until the Japanese video game company can turn around its components deficiency. Shuntaro Furukawa, Nintendo's president, explained to Nikkei that the current goal is to amend these constraints and ensure the production of the Nintendo Switch remains on track. As it stands, the company has a grand total of three main Nintendo Switch models, the V2 original with a dock and handheld mode, the upgraded Nintendo Switch OLED model, and the handheld-only Nintendo Switch Lite. The aforementioned Nintendo Switch Lite first debuted in 2019 primarily intended for the casual market, given its lighter price tag of $200 and only-handheld mold. The firm's bumped-up version, the Nintendo Switch OLED, acts as a beefier version of the base console, utilizing much more screen real estate, a built-in LAN port, and enhanced audio. It launched initially last October 2021 and, as of May 2022, has already sold a whopping 5.8 million units. Read Also: Nintendo eShop Global Closure To Happen; Here's Until When You Can Download Your Games and Other Details Still, while it may have a good assortment of hardware and even some renowned Nintendo Switch games on the horizon and in its existing catalog, Nintendo is struggling to maintain its momentum. The firm's more recent financial results, released earlier this week, prove the Nintendo Switch, despite having surpassed a total of 111 million consoles sold, is starting to wane in sales as the semiconductor shortage takes hold. Nintendo has not yet updated its current year estimates for Nintendo Switch sales, but the firm did remain rather positive in its overall demand outlook, citing that the console "remains stable in all regions." Even so, as the Nikkei report highlights, "demand for "staying at home" under the new coronavirus is slowing down." Add this to the fact that the future economic prospects are proving rather grim as inflation upends finances globally. The outlook for Nintendo is at odds. Rumors of a potential upgrade to the Nintendo Switch have long been circulating for years, with many coining this new model, the Nintendo Switch Pro. That is, however, not to be confused with the already-existing Nintendo Switch Pro controller. A more recent report out of ComicBook.com highlights a hardware upgrade that is slated for the end of this year, which now goes against the words of Nintendo president Furukawa. The rumor stems from Twitter user Pixelpar, who claims that "a new model could be announced towards the end of the year." It is possible that this is the case, yet it may also be implausible. The plausibility stems from complaints surrounding the reveal trailer for the next mainline Zelda game, titled Breath of the Wild 2. Many in the community complained about the trailer's showcase of a game running on a mere 30 fps, comparing the sequel to its predecessor with worries that the base Switch would not be able to run the game properly. Yet, with Breath of the Wild 2 still quite a ways away, debuting sometime in the Spring of 2023, it's in line with expectations that a new Nintendo Switch console could be revealed or even released following March of next year. Software still slated for release in the next few months remaining of 2022 are Mario Rabbids 2, Bayonetta 3, Splatoon 3, and the highly anticipated Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Related Article: Nintendo Switch System Software Update 14.1.2 is Out! Here's What's New 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Recently, rumors about Elon Musk's private airport in Texas suddenly circulated on the internet. (Photo : JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during a press conference at SpaceX's Starbase facility near Boca Chica Village in South Texas on February 10, 2022. Well, this is not really impossible since Musk is among the top billionaires across the globe. He can actually have a private airport easily, if he wanted to. Based on the speculations, the alleged private airport will be used to service the operations of Texas-based Tesla, SpaceX, as well as the Boring Company factories. Of course, many fans were excited after hearing the news as it can further expand Musk's companies in Texas. But, the billionaire clarified things now. Here's what he said. Elon Musk's Texas Private Airport Update According to Business Insider's latest report, Elon said that the alleged private airport is not true. The popular tech CEO clarified the rumors about this landing strip on Thursday, Aug. 4. (Photo : Win McNamee/Getty Images) Elon Musk, founder and chief engineer of SpaceX speaks at the 2020 Satellite Conference and Exhibition March 9, 2020 in Washington, DC. Musk answered a range of questions relating to SpaceX projects during his appearance at the conference. Also Read: Protesters Urge Elon Musk to Halt Neuralink Testing on Animals, Suggest Safer Alternative For it "Tesla is 5 mins from Austin International airport," said the billionaire via his official Twitter account. Not true. Tesla is 5 mins from Austin International airport. Would be silly to build another private airport, however the existing commercial airport needs another runway, as Austin is growing fast! Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 4, 2022 He added that constructing another private airport in Texas is really a silly idea. But, he said that the existing AUS (Austin-Bergstrom International Airport) needs to be enhanced. His suggestion is to add another runway to the commercial airport. Elon explained that this is needed since Austin is growing fast. Musk's latest statement about the rumored private airport generated more than 26,000 likes and 1,300 quote retweets. Why a Private Airport May Help Elon Musk? A private airport would be a really great help since it can further assist the growth of Elon Musk's factories in Texas. However, the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is already servicing the billionaire's companies. On the other hand, the Austin Executive Airport, which is located in the north, is also servicing the Tesla Gigafactory Texas. As of writing, Austin's tech industry is now further growing as more companies build their own factories in the area. In 2020, Elon Musk's Boring Company decided to purchase a plot of industrial land in Pflugerville. On the other hand, the tech firm also plans to build a tunneling test site in Bastrop. Previously, Elon Musk bashed Wikipedia after the edit removal on the site's "recession" page happened. On the other hand, Elon Musk said "bon voyage" to Russia as Roscosmos announced its International Space Station departure plan. For more news updates about Elon Musk and other stories related to him, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Elon Musk Texas Private Airport? Here's What He Might Do With It This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Terabase is a rising solar farm company that gained significant support from one of the tops known clean energy fund investing companies from Bill Gates, Breakthrough Energy Venture. The significant focus of this new company is creating solar farms using robots, and it brings the world a new way to create and manage spaces for clean energy. Terabase Gets Backing from Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy (Photo : Terabase Energy) Terabase said that it received a total of $44 million in Series B financing from two venture capitals, including Bill Gates's Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Prelude Ventures, for its solar projects. The company's funds are now $52 million in total, and it aims to use the funds to continue its goals for its ventures in the world. The venture capital, Breakthrough Energy, from names including Gates, Jack Ma, Jeff Bezos, and more, said that improvement for solar panels to improve is massive, saying this innovation is a massive plus. Terabase gives the world a chance to own cheaper solar panels that will provide an alternative energy source for all needs, focusing on collaborations with different companies. Read Also: Bill Gates Leads $1 Billion Green Energy Fund To Combat Climate Change: Jack Ma, Jeff Bezos Join The Initiative Robot-Built Solar Farm: Why is It Important? The robot-built solar farm from Terabase focuses on bringing the world a more affordable solar energy source that borders on interconnectedness and an automated platform for its creation. It employs its robots to bring the product for all needs, promising to increase the scalability of the utility-scale solar that its company developed. Clean Energy Investment from Bill Gates Bill Gates's name attached to a certain clean energy investment means that it received significant recognition from the former Microsoft CEO on the project's importance and impact on the environment. Of course, it is not easy to get backing from Gates' investment firms, and the project has to be feasible and helpful to the environment. One example of a Gates' backed project is with TerraPower, a company that pushes to create a nuclear reactor to harness its energy and provide a new technology for the country to use. It recently chose Wyoming as its location for the plant, for the new form of energy, with Gates's venture capital being one of its benefactors. The tech CEO's focus is for the world to continue living on Earth and improve the planet for the future and its next generations. Now, there is a new benefactor that Gates' investment firm for clean energy is focusing on, and it will give the world purpose-built solar farms that will have a cheaper production cost for their establishment. It focuses on many solar energy startups that aim to debut clean energy for all, focusing on the world's needs for alternative sources. Related Article: Blue Frontier Receives $20M Funding from Bill Gates-To Bring Clean Energy Air Conditioners? This article is owned by TechTimes Written by Isaiah Richard 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Is it a star? Is it chorizo? Or is it an astronomy prank gone wrong? After posting a picture that he claimed to be a brand-new image from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope but was simply a cross-section of chorizo, a well-known French physicist had to make a public apology on Twitter. A Scientists' Joke The image was shared on Twitter on July 31 by Etienne Klein, a research director at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission. He tweeted that the chorizo is Proxima Centauri - a tiny, low-mass star located almost near the Sun. After causing confusion and debate for Twitter users, Klein eventually apologized for the joke and explained that his goal was not to surprise anyone but to remind others always to exercise skepticism and not believe what they initially saw. The physicist clarified that it was his own way of having fun and dubbed the prank a "scientists' joke." "Photo of Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun, located 4.2 light years from us. She was taken by the JWST. This level of detail... A new world is revealed day after day," Klein wrote in his prank tweet. Although several Twitter users rode with the prank and made it an instant meme, some people did not take the tweet lightly, especially coming from a scientific authority like Klein. One user argued, "coming from a scientific research director, it's quite inappropriate to share this type of thing without specifying from the 1st tweet that it is false information when you know the speed at which a false information." However, one user came to Klein's defense claiming that politicians are doing "exactly the same thing." "Yet our politicians are doing exactly the same thing except that it negatively affects the lives of 67 million people but hey, it's better to be offended by a schoolboy joke than to react to the "blagounettes" of the government, isn't it," the user argued. Read also: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Captures a 'Dramatic Stellar Death' In Deep Space Video "REAL This Time" Klein later shared a different image from the James Webb Space Telescope, claiming it was "REAL this time," following his apology. The image he shared featured the beautiful yet chaotic Cartwheel Galaxy that James Webb recently released. Set against the background of numerous galaxies, Webb's strong infrared sight captured this crisply detailed image of the Cartwheel and two smaller companion galaxies. It is worth noting that the picture features a dramatic stellar event as a massive pink-speckled galaxy is on the verge of a high-speed collision with two smaller galaxies, according to NASA. Related Article: 'New Era in Astronomy:' NASA James Webb Space Telescope's New Stunning Images and The Stories Behind Them This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. An eye for an eye, a tech for a tech! The US Air Force is going full "Top Gun" as they will be using augmented reality headsets for combat training, wherein pilots will be fighting AI-powered enemies, as reported first by The Washington Post. Top Gun Inspired Fighter pilots will start using helmets with visors that can add to reality and project digital copies of enemy fighter jets into their range of vision in about a year. Pilots will have the opportunity to go to the skies for the first time and practice maneuvres against models of very sophisticated aircraft built by nations like China and Russia. Additionally, it is a component of the U.S. military's multibillion-dollar investment in algorithms, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality to modernize its approach to warfare. The Air Force will be the first to use the pilot training system developed by military technology startup Red6 as part of the company's $70 million deal with the service. The technology, according to the company and former military officials, will be a safe, affordable, and practical approach to make sure American pilots are ready to take on the best fighter planes in the world. According to The Washington Post, the US has made minimal changes in how it trains fighter pilots throughout the decades. The report noted that Navy and Air Force aviators have frequently followed a curriculum dating back to the 1960s. Battle simulation is an essential part of training. The military gives its pilots a blend of real-world flying and flight simulator training to hone their skills. Washington Post said that the "Top Gun" movie franchise introduced millions of people to pilot training methods as it was inspired by the Navy's Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program, also known as "Top Gun." Read also: US Air Force Receives First 'Fighter-Mounted Laser Weapon' That Can Combat Hypersonic Missiles! Pilot Accidents But training combat pilots for the military is fraught with serious problems. Although they are cost-effective, using simulators cannot duplicate the sensation of flying and maneuvering against an adversary, according to Red6 board chairman and former Air Force Gen. Mike Holmes. The expense and hazard of training pilots in the air, on the other hand, can range from $15,000 to $100,000 each flying hour, depending on the aircraft. As reported by the Washington Post, there were 72 pilot accidents in the 2020 fiscal year alone. Additionally, the military frequently hires opponents for the fight while pilots fly in the air to hone their combat skills. These companies that pose as aggressors deploy less advanced aircraft than the fifth-generation fighter jets used by the militaries of China and Russia frequently. Retired Air Force Gen. Mike Holmes told the Washington Post that this is concerning, and pilots have to be more prepared than ever to take down highly advanced fighter jets from Russia and China. The Air Force will depend on this technology to ensure safe and accurate simulations during combat training. Related Article: US Military Will Use 'High-Altitude Hot Air Balloons' to Prevent Hypersonic Missiles Against China and Russia This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. According to The New York Times, Elon Musk is charging Twitter with fraud for concealing the actual number of bots utilizing present in its network. "Closing The Gates on Information" The Tesla CEO's team claimed in a legal document in the most recent chapter of the Twitter vs. Musk dispute that 10% of the bird app's daily active users are fake accounts. It is worth reminding that back in July, Musk postponed his intended acquisition of the social network to see if Twitter's long-standing claim that bots make up less than 5% of its user base was true. Musk's team stated in this latest filing that its analysts discovered a significantly higher number of fraudulent accounts than Twitter claimed in its Botometer report. The social network concealed its bot problem to persuade Musk to accept the offer to purchase the business "at an inflated price," according to Musk's lawyers. The billionaire's team further stated: "Twitter was miscounting the number of false and spam accounts on its platform, as part of its scheme to mislead investors about the company's prospects. Twitter's disclosures have slowly unraveled, with Twitter frantically closing the gates on information in a desperate bid to prevent the Musk parties from uncovering its fraud." Read also: Twitter Subpoenas Tesla Documents on Musk-Twitter Lawsuit-But Why? "Factually Inaccurate, Legally Insufficient, Commercially Irrelevant" Twitter's team did not mince its response to Musk's claims, calling them "factually inaccurate, legally insufficient, and commercially irrelevant." The social media company disputed Musk's counterarguments in a filing as he attempted to walk away from the agreement he signed in April to acquire the bird app. Twitter claimed that the Botometer is not reliable and that it once assigned the billionaire's personal Twitter account a score suggesting that it is very "likely to be a bot." Twitter has previously confirmed that the trial will begin on Oct. 17 and last for five days. Judge Kathaleen McCormick has confirmed that the official timetable would continue through Oct. 21. The two parties had not previously agreed on a schedule. Musk's attorneys requested that the trial start the next year, 2023. Twitter said they might try to schedule the September meeting at the Delaware Court of Chancery. But as of now, the confirmed data is on Oct. 17. Related Article: Twitter Claims Elon Musk's Buyout Deal Caused Second Quarter Earnings Dip Due to 'Uncertainty' This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. North Korean hackers are now bypassing Google's email security safeguards and can read and download emails and attachments while remaining undetected by Google, as reported first by Futurism. According to a blog post by cybersecurity company Volexity, the attacks are called "SharpTongue". They are allegedly targeting people in the US, Europe, and South Korea with complex attacks that might create startling precedence. They are purportedly utilizing simple browser extensions to collect mail data directly. Spear Phishing Futurism said that this is called "spear phishing," which is frequently employed in targeted assault campaigns to access a person's account or pose as that person. While earlier versions of these assaults needed unknowing users to download malicious browser extensions willingly, the malware used in these attacks can now download itself onto target machines without the victims' knowledge. What is even more concerning is that these browsers that were made by Microsoft and Google are unable to recognize when malicious users have compromised them. Volexity reports that the malware has also constantly developed since its discovery and is currently in its third edition. The firm also said that current SharpTongue attacks exclusively affect Windows users. However, Volexity President Steven Adair issued a warning that there is no reason why users of MacOS or Linux should not be wary. Read also: North Korean State-Sponsored Hackers Have Been Attacking Healthcare Providers Since 2021 - US Authorities Warn Upholding North Korea's Interests Additionally, SharpTongue is reportedly attacking certain individuals to uphold North Korea's interests. "Volexity frequently observes SharpTongue targeting and victimizing individuals working for organizations in the United States, Europe and South Korea who work on topics involving North Korea, nuclear issues, weapons systems, and other matters of strategic interest to North Korea," the firm wrote in a blog post. In sum, these attacks may be largely political and could likely affect those with sensitive data about the government of North Korea. Volexity added, "within the last year, Volexity has responded to multiple incidents involving SharpTongue and, in most cases, has discovered a malicious Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge extension Volexity calls SHARPEXT." Attacking The Crypto Industry North Korean hackers have also become common in the crypto industry. They have recently falsified job applications on LinkedIn and Indeed to secure information from crypto trends. According to cybersecurity firm Mandiant, they have been acquiring a large swath of internal data on Ethereum and NFT protocols. The U.S. Treasury even claimed that North Korea has been investing in cryptocurrency heists in the past few years, rendering a significant hacking danger responsible for one of the greatest crypto thefts ever reported in March. The Treasury said about $615 million was stolen from the crypto heist. Related Article: Axie Infinity's Ronin Crypto Heist: FBI Says North Korean Hackers Were Behind $600 Million Breach This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Security cameras are almost everywhere since crimes are rampant in some places. You can see them anywhere: in your neighborhood, local coffee shop, bookstore, and other locations. One of the most popular security cameras comes from Amazon. The Ring doorbell can be used for protection. If you feel someone might harm you, this surveillance is a good start to stay safe against intruders. However, most people don't know how these cameras collect data. Without you knowing, it might bypass your rights or privacy even as an owner. Amazon's Ring Cameras Could Invade Your Privacy (Photo : Amazon) Your Amazon ring doorbell can know more information than you can ever think. Last year, 2021, the UK judge slapped a man with a $137,000 fine after he reportedly used the Amazon Ring Doorbell without his neighbor's consent. At the time, Tech Times reported that Jon Woodard, the man behind this case, decided to slot in a camera so he could know the identity of the person who wanted to carjack his vehicle. However, his mistake was not telling his neighbor that he had put a security camera in her backyard. Dr. Mary Fairhurst, the complainant, had grown worried about this since the doorbell camera could record her activities. All over the internet, Amazon's Ring doorbells stirred a lot of issues among the citizens. Many people on TikTok and other social media platforms believe this equipment has been invading everyone's privacy. As per Wired, Electronic Frontier Foundation's policy analyst Matthew Guariglia, the ring doorbells "immediately" impact the individuals who usually cross the locations where the cameras are located. What Your Amazon's Ring Cameras Collect From You Almost all devices can now collect your personal information. For instance, Facebook relies on your choices' algorithm and the pages you visit. The same case goes with Spotify when it uses your data so you can see different playlists depending on your streaming history. Of course, Ring can gather some information about you. Before you grow alarmed with this, you will be informed that your details will be shared with Amazon. As such, you will be sharing your email, phone number, and even your bank account information once you connect your Ring account to your social media account. In doing so, the e-commerce giant also knows how strong is your Wi-Fi signal and other adjustments you did with your doorbells and cameras. In 2020, there was a report from BBC that said that Amazon's Ring is storing every action you make with the doorbell. This means that even the slightest movement you make on the camera is detected and kept in the records. To shatter privacy concerns, Amazon said that its Ring doorbells and cameras might collect data from the users, but they don't sell it to other entities. Other than that, these items can also store your audio and video records. If you want to view them, you can check the privacy policy of Ring via Ring Protect Plan. This subscription will allow you to take a peek at your activities on camera in the last 180 days. Related Article: Amazon Ring Doorbell Videos Being Disclosed To US Police Without User Consent? Company's VP Defends Their Act Amazon Ring Doorbells in Police Operations On top of that, Amazon has partnered with the police across the US and the UK. As part of the collaboration, they could provide them with data stored in the doorbells and cameras. This would make it easier to identify the criminals caught in the act. Still, some people do not agree with how Amazon collects the user's data. Somehow, Max Isaacs, a staff attorney, said that it poses a risk where the devices produce a" democratic deficit." Since the police forces are capable of controlling the surveillance, there's a need to study it further. "They can have thousands of cameras in a jurisdiction ... without any legislative oversight," Isaacs added. Meanwhile, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Ring will be donating 1,000 smart doorbells and plans to domestic violence victims amid privacy concerns. Read Also: Amazon's Security Cam Ring is Useful for Los Angeles Police for Obtaining Security Footage This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Roscosmos ISS departure still concerns NASA. When Dmitry Rogozin was still the head of the Russian space agency, he made comments that were criticized by U.S. officials and other concerned space experts. (Photo : Photo by NASA via Getty Images) In this handout image provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), NASA space shuttle Atlantis in Earth orbit just before docking for the last time with the International Space Station July 10, 2011 in space. After, various issues between NASA and Roscosmos arose. These include the controversial photos of cosmonauts holding some Russia-backed state flags. Although the recent tension between the two space agencies is quite serious, the newly appointed Roscosmos chief, Yuri Borisov, clarified that the Russian space agency will still fulfill its duties. However, the official added that their decision to leave the space lab after 2024 is already finalized. NASA's Leaked Roscosmos ISS Departure Contingency Plan According to Engadget's latest report, NASA and the White House made a contingency plan back in 2021, which is the period when Dmitry Rogozin was making alarming statements, including deorbiting ISS. (Photo : Photo by NASA via Getty Images) In this handout image provided by NASA, backdropped by a blue and white part of Earth, space shuttle Discovery approaches the International Space Station during STS-133 rendezvous and docking operations February 26, 2011 in Space. Discovery, on its 39th and final flight, is carrying the Italian-built Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM). Also Read: Roscosmos-NASA Cooperation To Official End as Russia Announces 2024 ISS Departure-Will It Create Its Orbiting Lab? One of the international space union's major solutions is pulling astronauts from the orbital space laboratory. This will allow NASA to ensure the safety of its astronauts in case Roscosmos suddenly leaves the space station. As of writing, U.S. modules are the main source of power. These also allow the International Space Station to keep its balance in orbit. But, Roscosmos' thrusters allow ISS to float in space. If ever these thrusters are removed, there's a high chance that the space lab will experience an uncontrolled Earth re-entry. Other Solutions of NASA As of press time, NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), Japan, and other space partners are trying to encourage Russia to extend its stay until 2030. But, it seems like Roscosmos is strong in its final decision. In the leaked contingency plan, it was revealed that NASA is considering using alternative thrusters that can replace the rockets of the Russian space agency. This means that NASA may form new partnerships with SpaceX, Northrup Grumman, and Boeing. If you want to see further details about the 2021 contingency plan for NASA, you can visit this link. Previously, creators were invited to watch the NASA Artemis I mission launch. On the other hand, NASA's Roscosmos-ESA spacewalk was a success. For more news updates about Roscosmos, NASA, and other space agencies, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Russia is Extending its Stay on the ISS until 2028-To Continue Missions Until Time Comes This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. DuckDuckGo is implementing a new privacy feature after some critics blasted the browser because of an exemption. Previously, it has only blocked the trackers from Google and Facebook but not from Microsoft. This time, it will now apply privacy protection to the latter. DuckDuckGo Blocks Microsoft Scripts (Photo : DuckDuckGo official website) After a community backlash, DuckDuckGo has finally blocked Microsoft trackers from running in the browser. The online commotion went louder back in May when DuckDuckGo rolled out a stricter take on blocking scripts on several websites. At the time, it had not yet put any restriction on Microsoft's scripts, so it's still exempted from third-party tracking. However, as The Verge reported on Friday, Aug.5, the increased protection is now applicable to Microsoft trackers. This will be effective next week in iOS and Android browser extensions and software. "This web tracking protection is not offered by most other popular browsers by default and sits on top of many other DuckDuckGo web tracking protections. This all means our browsing apps and extensions currently offer more protection against Microsoft trackers by default than Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and more," DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg said. At the time when the backlash took place, Weinberg cited that the company's "search syndication agreement" with Microsoft was the reason behind the online commotion. He added that DuckDuckGo would also implement new updates as part of the third-party tracking prevention. Furthermore, the founder knew many users were disappointed with the browser's privacy-focused feature. Weinberg stated that they did not meet their expectations from their customers. To foster transparency on its browser protection, Weinberg said that users could direct to the new help page of DuckDuckGo if they have questions about tracking protection. They will also roll out blocklists for trackers so users will know about the update. Aside from that, users are encouraged to submit reports if they are experiencing bugs and other issues when using the privacy-centered browser. Some websites are reportedly inserting Microsoft scripts into the browser, and they are not trackable. Having said that, DuckDuckGo won't be able to retrieve any information about it because of the exemption. Related Article: DuckDuckGo Hidden Agreement with Microsoft for Tracking Revealed DuckDuckGo Private Ad Conversions Although DuckDuckGo is not tied up anymore with Microsoft, Weinberg says that advertising can still happen in the browser. The latter has no right to detect users who use ads on the platform. Usually, advertisers rely on Microsoft scripts that they get from bat.bing.com domain. The reason behind this is that they want to have an idea if there are ad conversions on the site, per 9to5Mac. Before, DuckDuckGo would just allow this to pass since the third-party tracker loading protection still allowed these trackers. Weinberg advised that those who want to dodge "blocked requests" on the website could go to the browser's search settings to disable the ads. The company listed the blocked Microsoft domains in line with the new changes. adnxs.com adnxs-simple.com adsymptotic.com adv-cloudfilse.azureedge.net app-fnsp-matomo-analytics-prod.azurewebsites.net azure.com azure.net bing.com cdnnwlive.azureedge.net clarity.ms dynamics.com fp-cdn.azureedge.net licdn.com linkedin.com live-tfs-omnilytics.azurewebsites.net msecnd.net nlo-stl-web.azureedge.net nuance.com pestcontrol-uc1.azureedge.net sdtagging.azureedge.net serviceschipotlecom.trafficmanager.net Read Also: DuckDuckGo Daily Search Queries Now Average More than 100 Million | 47% Increase in 2021 This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Ministry of Defense denies the statement of the Azerbaijani defense ministry on opening fire at the border. The defense ministry of Azerbaijan continues spreading disinformation, announcing that the units of the Armenian Armed Forces have shelled the Azerbaijani positions located in several directions of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the past few days, the Armenian Defense Ministry said, stating that the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is relatively stable and is under the full control of the Armenian Armed Forces. 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? * China is maneuvering its policy toolkit to bolster the demand of its super-large domestic market to perk up the economy for stronger growth. * Retail sales of consumer goods regained vitality and reversed the declining trend to climb 3.1 percent year on year in June, thanks to effective epidemic prevention and control measures and the adoption of a raft of policies to spur consumer spending. * Restaurant owners, retailers and other businesses susceptible to COVID-19 have been offered lower rents and platform commissions, as well as stronger financing support. BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and external complexities and uncertainties, China is maneuvering its policy toolkit to bolster the demand of its super-large domestic market to perk up the economy for stronger growth. At a high-profile meeting last week, Chinese leadership analyzed the current economic situation, stressing that macro policies should play a proactive role in boosting demand. Fiscal and monetary policies should be able to effectively offset deficiency in social demand. "Taking both immediate and long-term benefits into consideration, the policies emphasized efforts to expand domestic demand further, spur the vitality of market entities, and foster new growth drivers," said Wang Yiming, deputy head of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges. Staff members of a local bank promote financial services at a farmers' market in Nan'an District of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Aug. 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Huang Wei) BOOSTING INVESTMENT The meeting noted that the utilization of special local government bonds should be optimized and local governments should be encouraged to make adequate and good use of the special debt quota. Special-purpose bonds play a vital role in catalyzing investment and promoting the construction of a modern infrastructure system, said Vice Minister of Finance Xu Hongcai. In the first half of the year, local governments in China issued 3.41 trillion yuan (about 504.2 billion U.S. dollars) worth of new special bonds, which offered support to over 23,800 projects, official data showed. It was also stressed at the meeting that the monetary policy should help maintain a proper and adequate liquidity supply, increase credit support for enterprises, and make good use of new loans from policy banks as well as their funding for infrastructure projects. Last month, the country's central bank supported two policy banks to raise up to 300 billion yuan via financial bond issuance to fund the country's major projects. "Such policy-backed and development-oriented financial instruments can ease the capital strain of projects and at the same time guide financial institutions to provide more supportive financing," an official from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said. As the upward trend of economic recovery further consolidates, enterprises will have a bigger financing appetite, said Zou Lan, an official from the People's Bank of China. People visit the Kunming Dounan Flower Market in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, July 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo) PUSHING UP DEMAND Since March, COVID-19 flare-ups hit consumption hard and caused a decline. However, the country's retail sales of consumer goods regained vitality and reversed the declining trend to climb 3.1 percent year on year in June, thanks to effective epidemic prevention and control measures and the adoption of a raft of policies to spur consumer spending. Restaurant owners, retailers, and other businesses susceptible to COVID-19 have been offered lower rents and platform commissions, as well as stronger financing support. Local governments are handing out billions of yuan in vouchers and subsidies to shore up local spending. Purchases of big-ticket items such as automobiles are also warming up as policymakers flesh out details for a stimulus package, including slashing the car purchase tax to help the industry that plays a critical role in boosting demand. Auto sales in the country expanded 23.8 percent year on year in June, rebounding from a three-month declining streak, official data showed. In addition to consumption, the government has also strengthened measures to further ensure the smooth flow of logistics and circulation of freight transportation to stabilize the industrial and supply chains. By 2035, the country aims to basically build a modern national road network that is extensive, fully functional, efficient, green, intelligent, and safe, according to a plan unveiled by the NDRC in July. "The construction of national roads will continue to play a key role in stimulating effective investment and stabilizing the broader economy," said NDRC spokesperson Meng Wei. (Video Reporters: Jiang Xuelan, Chen Binjie, Hong Yan, Chen Wang, Fu Min, Lu Haiyue, Li Ziwei, Zhou Xuan, Wang Junfeng, Li Yaguang, Guo Liangchuan, Fang Kuan, Li Duojiang; Video Editors: Hong Liang, Cao Ying, Zhu Cong.) YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS. United States Ambassador to the OSCE Michael Carpenter expressed deep concern over the escalation in Nagorno Karabakh and urged immediate steps to reduce tensions. I am deeply concerned for the security of those living in and around Nagorno-Karabakh due to the reports of renewed fighting in the area. We do not want a return to widespread hostilities as we saw in 2020 and urge immediate steps to reduce tensions and avoid further escalation, Ambassador Carpenter tweeted. On August 3, the Azerbaijani military breached the ceasefire in Artsakh and attacked military bases of the Defense Army with drone strikes and grenade-launchers, killing two servicemen of Artsakh and wounding 19 others. The Russian peacekeepers formally recorded that the ceasefire was breached by Azerbaijan. YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS. One Azerbaijani serviceman was killed and another one was injured in what Azerbaijani authorities described as a rockfall incident. According to the Azeri defense ministry, a block of rock fell on servicemen Khudiyev Samir Samad oglu and Aliyev Tair Chingiz oglu in the Lachin district. Khudiyev was killed instantly, while Aliyev is in serious condition. The Azeri defense ministry said they are investigating the incident. Earlier on August 5, the Azeri media reported that a conscripted serviceman of the Azeri army was killed in a military base in Tovuz district in a suspected murder by one of his comrades. YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender of Armenia Kristinne Grigoryan contacted her international colleagues, as well as the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) after Azerbaijani member of parliament Gudrat Hasanguliyev admitted that Azerbaijan is pursuing a state policy of ethnic cleansing against the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. Yesterday, Gudrat Hasanguliyev, a deputy of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan confessed about the Azerbaijani state policy aimed at the ethnic cleansing of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, Grigoryan said in a statement. In particular, he stated that Armenia should put an end to its territorial ambitions towards Azerbaijan and stop supporting the bloody separatism of Karabakh. Until this is not done, we should not recognize their (the population of Nagorno-Karabakh) right to life in peace. Subsequently, the deputy stated that under the current situation, it is not possible for Armenians to live in Azerbaijan. Another deputy, Fazil Mustafaev, echoing his colleague, also has directly threatened the physical existence of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. In reality, the examples and proves of the Azerbaijani policy of ethnic hatred and ethnic cleansing of Armenians are numerous, however, it is striking that the high-level officials representing the Azerbaijani leadership are making these announcements in the context of the provocations carried out by their armed forces in recent days, as a result of which two Armenian servicemen were killed and 19 others were injured. It is a fact the right to life of the peaceful population of Nagorno-Karabakh is not guaranteed, and the Azerbaijani official is directly confirming that. I have shared this information with my international interlocutors, as well as with the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), which in the coming days will review Azerbaijan's periodic report on the implementation of the UN International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS. On August 5, the President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan received Ingrida Leverence, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to Armenia, who is completing her diplomatic mission in our country. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Presidents Office, Vahagn Khachaturyan thanked the Ambassador for the works done during her tenure and wished success in her future activities. Ambassador Leverence noted that it was a great honor for her to work in our country and despite the fact that her tenure coincided with the difficult period caused by the pandemic and the war, she made the best efforts to expand and develop the relations between the two countries. US tech billionaire Jack Dorsey is standing by his company Blocks $39 billion purchase of Australian buy now pay later provider Afterpay, despite a plunge in valuations across the sector caused by concerns over surging interest rates and tighter regulation. Almost a year to the day since his company agreed to acquire Afterpay in what was the largest corporate takeover in Australian history, Dorsey said integrating the platform would help propel Blocks push into e-commerce, which he sees as a major growth opportunity. As Block tries to turn its consumer-facing Cash App into a financial super app, Dorsey said Afterpay had a key role to play in driving customers towards Blocks merchant clients. This really gets at the heart of exactly why we made the acquisition of Afterpay in the first place - because we believe that Cash App ultimately can drive a tonne of discovery for merchants all around the world, said Dorsey, who is also known as the co-founder of Twitter. People with no stated medical credentials are making contraception claims that some young people may consider accurate, Temple-Smith said. I was very horrified with the TikTok stuff I observed ... a young person might easily think these are people who know what theyre talking about. She is particularly worried that the withdrawal method of contraception is anecdotally fashionable among those wishing to avoid hormonal contraception and that some young people believe it to be far more effective at preventing pregnancy than it often is. However, psychiatrist and Monash University Professor Jayashri Kulkarni said the concerns of young women about potential adverse impact of the pill on their mental health should be taken seriously. Much research, including her July 2022 paper Hormonal contraception and mood disorders, has demonstrated a link between the pill and depression in certain groups of women. The pill does have the potential to cause depression, it is a problem, Kulkarni said. The oestrogen component is good for the brain, but most pills have a synthetic progesterone that is bad for depression and some are particularly bad for mental health. Loading Women pre-disposed to depression, who are in very stressful situations or who have experienced trauma are among those most likely to experience mental health issues while on the pill. Women are voting with their feet on this; theyve known for ages that theres something not right in their own mental health when theyve taken the pill, often tried to tell their practitioner and got nowhere. Few pills have been put through rigorous clinical trials for their effect on womens moods and only one currently available Zoely is marked as mood neutral. Melbourne student Zoe Aarons decided to come off the pill after realising it was affecting her moods badly. I just found myself more sensitive, more emotional, more irritable and I didnt know why, she said. After changing her contraception to an IUD, the uncontrollable moods ceased, she said. Aarons said young women were not educated enough about the contraception methods available, the pluses and minuses of each. I think if [young women] were given the full spiel, a lot more would be not taking the pill, she said. Zoe Aarons found great improvement in her mood once she stopped taking the pill and had an IUD administered. Credit:Justin McManus Tayla Miksad has also experienced mental health side effects linked to the pill and is considering an IUD. Having made an informed decision to go on it, a couple of months in she experienced a dramatic change in her temperament, behaviour and mood. It made me more emotionally unstable and volatile, she said, adding that her symptoms included depressive episodes. I was still doing the same kind of things as before I went on the pill. I was happy in my job and all of that. It was a process of elimination to realise it was the pill causing all of these symptoms. Miksad said her symptoms were relieved after she quit the medication last year. Tayla Miksad says her experience on the pill was traumatising. Credit:Eddie JIm Temple-Smith said that for those seeking very reliable contraception with no hormones, the copper IUD, which is 99.5 per cent effective, was ideal. But take-up of such pill alternatives hasnt gone up as much as wed hoped its only been a couple of per cent in the last decade. Obstetrician and GP Dr Ines Rio said she had noted an increase in young women raising valid questions about the side effects of hormone-based contraception methods, but many were not well-informed of the very high likelihood you will get pregnant without excellent birth control. Loading Some women using fertility-tracking apps believe them to be more foolproof than they are. Some of the women Im seeing are using fairly sophisticated apps to try to work out their fertile times, theyre saying, Im not going to get pregnant because this tells me when Im going to ovulate, Rio said. I talk to them about the fact that it might decrease [the likelihood of unintended pregnancy] from 80 to 90 per cent chance of pregnancy from unprotected sex per year down to 20 to 40 per cent per year, said Rio, an Australian Medical Association (Victoria) spokeswoman. She sees young women every week who are distressed about being accidentally pregnant. Natural Cycles, the only so-called digital contraceptive on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods is driven by an algorithm based on the womans basal temperature, taken first thing in the morning. The fertility awareness app, developed by CERN physicist Elina Berglund and husband Raoul Scherwitzl, is promoted as being 93 per cent effective with typical use. It has none of the side effects of hormone-based birth-control, but was reported to Swedish authorities in 2018 after a hospital recorded 37 unwanted pregnancies among the apps users. This number is in line with the apps 93 per cent typical usage effectiveness rate. After the inquiry, no action was required to be taken by Natural Cycles. Dr Elina Berglund and her husband, Dr Raoul Scherwitzl, designed the fertility-timer app Natural Cycles. Tina Aimes, a GP specialising in womens health at Jean Hailes, said it was positive that young people were talking about their experiences with contraception. However, while it was encouraging that taboos around the subject were vanishing, much word-of-mouth information could be misleading, she said. For example, those wanting to use natural methods such as fertility awareness apps often do not realise that if their cycle is irregular, they are unlikely to work. There is not enough understanding of how [fertility awareness methods] work, the limits of its efficiency and what the ramifications of failure may be for that woman, she says. The pill wouldnt be available on the Australian market if we thought it was potentially dangerous for women to take. With Rebecca Sadique You can find a fact sheet on contraception methods, by the Victorian Health Department, here. YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS. Artsakh Information Headquarters, taking into account the various public discussions regarding the partial military mobilization, has issued a clarifying message. ARMENPRESS reports, the message particularly reads, "Taking into account the various public discussions about the partial military mobilization, we consider it appropriate to come up with an additional clarification. Due to the increased tension in the line of contact in the recent days, there has been a need to recruit separate military units and military or civilian positions. For that reason, by the decree of the President of Artsakh, a partial mobilization was declared, which, unlike the general mobilization, is a mobilization of a part of the armed forces of the state based on the specific situation and the tasks of the armed forces at the given moment. In each case of a partial military mobilization, the scale of military mobilization and the degree and number of subjects involved are determined by the competent authorities. Therefore, only specific military units are included in the declared partial mobilization, and only the citizens attached to those units receive notifications. This means that those who have not received notification, there has been no decision for mobilization for their military units. The notifications were sent to all persons attached to the given military units, without any discrimination, including officials, who are involved in military service. Australia accuses China of breaching international laws with military drills near Taiwan Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss The Australian Federal Police says it has seized 700 kilograms of cocaine worth $280 million and branded with the word Netflix from a container ship at Port Botany. The Singaporean vessel Maersk Inverness docked in Sydney last month, where Australian Border Force officials uncovered 700 kilograms of the drug concealed in denim bags inside a container marked as containing wood products. Twenty-eight denim bags containing 25-kilogram bricks of cocaine were seized. Credit:Australian Border Force Twenty-eight denim bags, each containing a 25-kilogram brick of cocaine branded with the word Netflix and the numerals 5 and 365, were seized by authorities on July 22. The ship had docked in ports in South and Central America before arriving in Sydney. A complex police operation has successfully removed the body of a man who died during a scaffolding incident at a school in Sydneys inner west on Friday morning. The man was working as a stonemason and was fatally injured by falling scaffolding and concrete at Fort Street High in Petersham just before 11.30am. Fort Street High School in Petersham. Credit:Steven Siewert Emergency services arrived at the scene, but nothing could be done to save the man. NSW Fire and Rescue Superintendent Adam Dewberry said police would use a crane to remove some of the debris that surrounded the mans body. One of two youths who killed Jack Beasley in the Gold Coasts party precinct could be free in a year. Jack Beasley with his father Brett. Almost three years after the stabbing on Surfers Paradise Boulevard, with Beasley dying in hospital that night, his distraught mother came face to face with his killers. You ran away like cowards and left Jack ... to die on the footpath with not a care in the world, she cried in Brisbane Supreme Court on Friday. What sort of people are you? Moments after the killers had been sentenced, the families involved began yelling and swearing in the courtroom. Your son is a f---ing murderer, one woman could be heard saying. Russian billionaire Alexander Abramov claims he has suffered business losses and severe damage to his reputation in the months after the Australian government included him on a list of sanctioned individuals over the war in Ukraine. Abramov, who made his estimated $9 billion fortune in the steel industry, has launched legal action in the Federal Court against Australias then foreign affairs minister in an attempt to be removed from the list of business, military and political figures hit with sanctions in April. Russian billionaire Alexander Abramov in Moscow in 2018. Credit:Getty Images The 63-year-old has previously been publicly recognised by Russian President Vladimir Putin for his public and charity work, according to Forbes magazine. But Abramovs lawyers contend his inclusion on the list is invalid, and that he hasnt assisted or promoted the Russian invasion. When I think about what you might be interested in towards the end of the week, I try to identify any themes that have emerged. Theres no obvious theme I can settle on this week, but there were big stories that resonated beyond the 24-hour news cycle. The Age has a focus on integrity in politics because its central to how a messy democracy can work in the interests of citizens. We put energy into integrity issues during the federal election because it was clear that standards of accountability and transparency had slipped, which meant that trust in our political system was declining. We concentrate on it in state politics for the same reasons. The exclusive story by our state political editor Annika Smethurst and state political reporter Paul Sakkal was at heart about what standards should be expected in our political system. The Age revealed that Opposition Leader Matthew Guys chief of staff had asked a wealthy Liberal donor to make more than $100,000 in payments to his private marketing business. Mitch Catlin and, inset, Matthew Guy. Credit:The Age There remain many unanswered questions about this, but the proposed payments would have been on top of Mitch Catlins publicly funded position, would be paid only if he remained in Guys employ, and may have breached Victorias political donation laws. The donor dismissed the approach, and it was never implemented. Catlin resigned the day the story was published, and the government has referred the issue to IBAC and other authorities for investigation. Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has outlined the next phase of the federal governments plan to shift the nation substantially onto renewable energy, a day after the lower house passed historic legislation locking in at least a 43 per cent cut to emissions by 2030. The federal government is planning to create a national network of zones where offshore wind power generation is allowed, naming six areas it will seek to declare suitable as Bowen said Australia had a lot of catching up to do in the sector. Laws allowing offshore wind projects were put through parliament only last year and came into force in June. He formally launched a 60-day consultation on Friday to declare the coast off Victorias Gippsland region a suitable location for offshore energy projects a legal step required before any projects can be approved. He also announced he intends to launch consultations for a zone near the Hunter region in NSW shortly. The Illawarra region south of Sydney, Portland in Victoria, the Bass Strait north of Tasmania, and Perth and Bunbury in Western Australia will follow within 18 months. Singapore: In 2020, Kelvin Shuo Gao and his mother viewed a waterfront plot of land in Melbournes south-west and decided to buy it. The plan was to build a holiday home on the $1.2 million plot where Gao a 41-year-old Australian based in Bangkok for the past 12 years and his family could stay when back in town. Kelvin Shuo Gao is detained by police on July 29 over the shooting death of his mother in Bangkok. Credit:Screenshot Two years later, those vacation plans are no more. The Melbourne man is in a Thai jail, charged over the shooting death of his 65-year-old mother, a prominent businesswoman, in a Bangkok apartment. Gao is accused of gunning down Xing Liu last Friday night with two shots of a 9mm handgun, striking her in the stomach. YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will discuss regional security issues in Sochi, ARMENPRESS reports President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin said before the start of the negotiations. "Of course, we will also talk about the issues that we have been dealing with for a long time, I mean the regional security issues, first of all I mean the Syrian crisis, where Turkey and Russia have made a great contribution to the settlement of the situation, and that topic too, of course, will not escape our attention," Putin said. Earlier, the spokesman of the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov, said that the issue of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, among other issues, is on the agenda of Putin-Erdogan meeting. YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister. The interlocutors discussed the recent days tensions in Nagorno Karabakh. The Prime Minister expressed concern over Azerbaijan's deviation from the provisions of the trilateral declaration of November 9, 2020 and reaffirmed the position of the Republic of Armenia on regional peace and stability. Secretary of State Blinken expressed concern about the tension and willingness to assist in stabilizing the situation. YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh Davit Babayan noted with satisfaction that representatives of many public and political circles from the USA, France, Russia, Australia and the Middle East have expressed an appropriate and firm position, condemning Azerbaijan's policy and calling to curb the country's aggressive actions. We express our gratitude to all supporters of Artsakh and, consequently, of justice. This kind of political and moral support is very important for Artsakh. It is also important for the international community, where extremely serious and worrying changes in the system of values are noticeable. Unfortunately, a number of countries, as well as international organizations, the activities of which are directly related to democracy, international #law and protection of human rights, were not similarly steadfast and have issued indirect statements regarding the military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh This is more than worrying. United States Ambassador to the OSCE Michael Carpenter expressed deep concern over the escalation in Nagorno Karabakh and urged immediate steps to reduce tensions. August 5, 2022, 14:59 We urge immediate steps to reduce tensions and avoid further escalation US Ambassador to OSCE on Nagorno Karabakh STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 5, ARTSAKHPRESS: I am deeply concerned for the security of those living in and around Nagorno-Karabakh due to the reports of renewed fighting in the area. We do not want a return to widespread hostilities as we saw in 2020 and urge immediate steps to reduce tensions and avoid further escalation, Ambassador Carpenter tweeted. Vials and syringes of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine are seen in Culver City, Calif., on Aug. 5, 2021. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images) 10 Percent of Americans Regret Taking COVID Vaccine; 15 Percent Have a New Medical Condition After It: Polls Ten percent of Americans who received the COVID-19 vaccine regret having done so, according to a recent poll. In addition, 15 percent of the 1,038 adults who took the survey said they had been diagnosed with a new condition within weeks or months after taking the vaccine. Childrens Health Defense (CHD) commissioned the poll two years after the inception of Operation Warp Speed, in order to find out about peoples position on the COVID vaccines and their health. The poll, conducted by Zogby Analytics, states that the margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. The fact that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports more than 232 million Americans ages 1865 have taken at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 15 percent of those surveyed report a newly diagnosed condition is concerning and needs further study, Laura Bono, CHDs executive director, said in a statement. The mRNA vaccine technology is new and clinical trials naturally have no long-term data. CHD believes this survey points to the need for further study. Sixty-seven percent of the respondents got one or more shots, while the rest were unvaccinated. Among those who took the COVID vaccines, 6 percent took one dose, while the rest took two to four shots. Of the newly diagnosed medical conditions, the most common ones were blood clots (21 percent), heart attack (19 percent), liver damage (18 percent), leg and lung clots (17 percent), and stroke (15 percent). Sixty-seven percent of participants said that getting the vaccine was a good decision, while 24 percent were neutral. Another poll, conducted at the same time, which surveyed 829 American adults aged 18 to 49, shows that 22 percent of them reported a new condition within weeks or months after getting a COVID-19 vaccine. The top conditions were autoimmune problems, blood clots, strokes, lung clots, liver damage, leg clots, heart attacks, disrupted menstrual cycles, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and Bells palsy. Ten percent of these conditions were severe. Fourteen percent of the participants regretted taking the vaccine, while 58 percent thought it was a good decision, and the rest were neutral. Previous Reports In May, a cardiologist told The Epoch Times that he has seen a spike in cases of heart inflammation. Although the media have given more attention to COVID vaccine blood clot issues, there have been many more cases of myocarditis, according to his observation. Some doctors have also observed menstrual irregularities associated with the COVID-19 vaccines, something that Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said is an issue that needs to be studied more. Also in May, The Epoch Times reported that a pediatric cardiologist had to stop working and was punished by his board for not wanting to recommend a vaccine to a young patient who had contracted COVID previously. A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel on June 15 unanimously recommended the FDA give emergency authorization to the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as 6 months of age. The U.S. drug regulators on March 29 announced they had granted emergency authorization allowing a fourth dose of the jabs to be given to all Americans aged 50 and older. Zachary Steiber contributed to this report. Pupils wearing masks as a precaution against the transmission of the CCP virus arrive to attend Moor End Academy in Huddersfield, northern England, on Sept. 11, 2020. (Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images) 13,000 Children Were Kicked out of School Over COVID-19 Rules in England Nearly 13,000 children were excluded from school for not following COVID-19 rules, new figures show. According to figures released last week by the Department for Education, there were 12,965 exclusions from schools in England in the 20202021 academic year because of wilful and repeated transgression of protective measures. Seventy-seven exclusions were permanent and 12,888 were temporary. Mike Fairclough, a headmaster at West Rise Junior School told The Epoch times that it sounds like a lot of kids said, No, sorry Im not just going to wear a mask. He has been vocal about speaking out about the harm of lockdowns and COVID-19 measures on children. Non-Compliance With Social Distancing The vast majority of these (88 percent) were in secondary schools, while eight percent were in primary and three percent in special schools. Children were excluded for reasons including non-compliance with social distancing and other deliberate breaches of schools public health measures, the seventh most frequent reason to be excluded. In England, during the 20202021 academic year, schools were open to all pupils in the Autumn term, however during the Spring term schools were only open to key workers and vulnerable children from January for the first half term, before all pupils returned during the second half term. A Department for Education spokeswoman said permanent exclusions are a rare but necessary way of managing behaviour and should not mean exclusion from education. One reason for exclusion given was causing distress such as by purposefully coughing near to others. I do find it extraordinary. If there was a child who was being unkind to somebody else or bullying and they were coughing (even though children are at extremely low risk of serious illness from COVID), they would get told off, said Fairclough. Mike Fairclough, headmaster of West Rise Junior School in Eastbourne, United Kingdom, in an undated file photo. (Russell Sachs) But it sounds more like kids saying No, sorry Im not just going to wear a mask, which they didnt need to, he added. Fairclough has been one of the very few voices in education to express concern over the response to COVID-19 and its impact on children. He said that many followed social distancing in the beginning but it didnt take long to realise that children were not at risk at all from COVID-19. We are talking about the pandemic in the past tense but I predict the whole thing is going to kick off in that autumn term where the government will want to lock us down for some reason or another, he added. Betrayal of Children Molly Kingsley, the co-founder of UsforThem, a group that calls for the needs of children to be prioritised in response to pandemic decisions, told The Epoch Times by email that it was COVID authoritarianism to trump child welfare. Kingsley and UsForThem co-founder Liz Cole recently wrote a book called The Childrens Inquiry: How the state and society failed the young during the COVID-19 pandemic. This featured testimony from academics, politicians, scientists, educators, and parents, as well as former Childrens Commissioners, which they describe as an unfettered account of the problems at the heart of policymaking which led to the systemic and ongoing betrayal of children. Given the flexible way in which many adults, including rule makers themselves, selectively disregarded COVID rules it is astonishing that headteachers saw fit to deny so many children their right to an education, said Kingsley. Its yet another example of the tendency of COVID authoritarianism to trump child welfare, something we talk about at length in our new book, the Childrens Inquiry, she added. Tough Decisions to Keep Everyone Safe The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said schools following guidance were sometimes forced to suspend students in cases of persistent rule-breaking and unsafe behaviour, with school leaders making tough decisions to keep everyone safe. In January 2021, NAHT, along with most unions with members in the education sector, called to move all schools to home learning for most children as they believed that bringing all pupils back into classrooms at the time would expose education sector workers to serious risk of ill-health and could fuel the pandemic. Generally, on the subject of school unions calling for school closures, Fairclough said that he believed that unions have been a major problem in regards to all the measures which have been imposed on children as they have been the ones pushing for it. Theyve not been wanting to protect children, theyve been wanting to protect their members, said Fairclough. But, of course, their members do have a duty of care as a priority to the children in their care, so it feels like there was a bit of an inversion of values there. PA contributed to this report. Debris and destroyed houses, caused by a flash flood due to heavy rains, in Murakami, Niigata prefecture, Japan on Aug. 4, 2022. (Kyodo/Reuters) 3 Missing, Thousands Ordered to Evacuate as Rain Pounds Northern Japan TOKYOAt least three people were missing and thousands in northern Japan were ordered to evacuate on Thursday after torrential rains pounded the area, flooding roads and causing rivers to burst their banks in some regions. More than 500 mm (19 inches) of rain had fallen in one part of Niigata prefecture in the 24 hours to 1:00 p.m. (0400 GMT), NHK public television said, prompting authorities to issue the highest possible level of disaster warnings in some areas. Bridges were cut and roads were flooded, television footage showed. Service along one portion of a Shinkansen superfast train line was suspended. Submerged houses were caused by a flood in Oe town, Yamagata prefecture, Japan on Aug. 4, 2022. (Kyodo/Reuters) Roughly 500,000 people were ordered to evacuate in Niigata, Ishikawa, and Yamagata prefectures, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said, but there were no immediate reports of fatalities. Though the affected areas are largely rural, they are also home to a number of factories. Major chipmaker Renesas Electronics Corp temporarily suspended operations at its factory in Yamagata, northern Japan, after local authorities issued a warning over heavy rains on Wednesday evening but said operations were mostly back to normal. Technoflex Corporation said it was suspending production at a factory in Murakami due to a power outage and flooding until the situation stabilized. The Cayuga Lake Wine Trail is partnering with several regional wine organizations to celebrate the second annual Finger Lakes Wine Month this August. The month will feature special tastings and other events, anniversary parties, wine dinners and more. There are also new T-shirts and stickers with original art from Penn Yan graphic artist Paulina Garces Reid available at flxdesigns.com/flx-wine-month. The trail is partnering with the trails of Keuka and Seneca Lakes, as well as the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, Finger Lakes Wine Country and the New York Wine and Grape Foundation to celebrate the month. We are very excited that our organizations have decided to partner again, continuing this region-wide promotion, said Katherine Chase, executive director of the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, in a news release. Kyle Pallischeck, executive director of the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, added, The first year of this promotion was a huge success, due largely in part to the collaborative efforts of our organizations. ... Kicking off the second year, its safe to say we are all excited to increase the visibility of the Finger Lakes wine region and cant wait to continue Finger Lakes Wine Month year after year! Participating wineries will fly a Finger Lakes Wine Month flag through August, and use the hashtag #flxwinemonth on social media. For more information, including a list of specials, promotions and events this month, visit flxwinemonth.com. Emergency medical crews are staged on Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and Lafayette Park in Washington on the evening of Aug. 4, 2022. (DC Fire and EMS/Twitter via AP) 2 Dead, 2 Injured After Lightning Strike Near White House Two people were killed and two critically injured after they were struck by lightning near the White House. James Mueller, 76, and Donna Mueller, 75, of Janesville, Wisconsin, died of their injuries after the lightning strike in Lafayette Park, located directly outside the White House complex, the Metropolitan Police Department said Friday. We are saddened by the tragic loss of life, the White House said in a statement on Friday. Our hearts are with the families who lost loved ones, and we are praying for those still fighting for their lives. The two other people, a man and a woman, were in critical condition, the police department said. Their identities were not immediately released. According to the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, at 6.53 p.m. Thursday, the department received a report of a lightning strike at Lafayette park with multiple patients. Lafayette Square, a seven-acre public park that lies directly north of the White House, is often crowded with visitors, especially in the summer months. The lightning struck the four people near a tree that stands yards away from the fence that surrounds the presidential residence and offices. When we arrived we found a total of four patients, there were two adult males and two adult females, Vito Maggiolo, a spokesperson for the D.C. Fire and EMS department, said in a statement posted on Twitter. All four victims sustained critical, life-threatening injuries, and were taken to area hospitals, where two later died, authorities said. Members of the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Park Police had witnessed the lightning strike and immediately responded by providing medical aid to the injured people. Maggiolo thanked them for their swift action. Temperatures in Washington exceeded 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 degrees Celsius) on Aug. 4. But with the high humidity, the heat felt like more than 100 degrees, forecasters said. A violent thunderstorm swept through the capital late in the day. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 4 Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Raise Border Patrol Agent Pay, Create Reserve A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Thursday introduced a bill to establish a 2,500-member reserve border force and increase agents pay by 14 percent amid the crisis at the southern border. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced the legislation co-sponsored by Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.). This bill would create a 2,500 agent reserve force, increase the number of total Border Patrol agents to 20,500, and raise Border Patrol pay by 14 percent to be more competitive with other federal law enforcement agents, including other agents under the Department of Homeland Security, according to the Senate committee. The legislation also seeks to standardize professional development and training requirements for all Border Patrol agents. Portman said that record illegal immigration, coupled with restrictive laws and not enough resources, is pushing Americas southern border crisis towards a catastrophe. Every time Ive visited with Border Patrol, they have made it clear that they need increased funding to recruit and retain agents. At a time when our southern border crisis is heading towards a catastrophe, we must provide Border Patrol with the tools and resources they need to do their jobs, Portman said in a statement. Thats why I am pleased to introduce this bipartisan legislation to address recruitment and retention challenges by authorizing a raise for agents, and create a Border Patrol Reserve to provide the support our Border Patrol agents need as the influx of unlawful migrants and illicit narcotics continues to worsen. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports an average of over 200,000 encounters each month. The agency reported more than 1.4 million single adult encounters nationwide so far in 2022, more than double the rate in 2020. National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd praised the bill, describing the record rates of illegal immigration and drug smuggling via the southern border as unprecedented public safety and public health crises. Judd said record numbers of Americans are dying of drug overdoses from illicit substances flowing across the border, brought into the country by individuals defying our laws with no consequences. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdoses have increased by 28.5 percent, peaking at over 107,000 in 2021. Overdose deaths increased 15 percent from 2020 to 2021, and by 30 percent between 2019 and 2020. This legislation will dramatically enhance the ability to recruit and retain highly professional Border Patrol Agents and invest in these Agents who risk their lives trying to secure our border every day, Judd said. The ongoing lawlessness and the tragic loss of lives cannot continue and we urge the Senate to consider and pass the Border Patrol Enhancement Act immediately. Morale Is Low Among Border Patrol Agents Oklahoma Republican Lankford said the job of Border Patrol agents has become difficult because theyre restricted in how they can enforce the law. Their proposed bill, he said, would give agents tools they need to do their job safeguarding Americas national security and the incentives to attract new agents. I remain extremely grateful to Border Patrol agents for staying focused on our national security, even in this season of chaos on the border, Lankford in a statement. He also blamed President Joe Biden for the flow of illegal aliens into the United States via the southern border. Biden continues to encourage illegal border crossers to enter the U.S., and our Border Patrol stand between U.S. citizens and people from 150 countries coming into our nation, potentially connected to the Mexican cartels or terrorist organizations worldwide. Ive heard from Border Patrol directly that morale is low because their hands are tied when trying to enforce the law, which makes it difficult to recruit and retain the best and brightest, he said. The bills other co-sponsors echoed the concerns about the resources or staffing needed to protect American communities and safely deal with illegal aliens. Arizona Democrat Sinema said the bipartisan groups proposed legislation addresses the staffing and resource problem and will provide the strong workforce needed to secure the border, protect our communities, and ensure the fair and humane treatment of illegal aliens. Fellow Democrat Kelly said agents are putting their lives on the line every day to secure the border and keep communities safe. Our bipartisan bill will give the hardworking men and women of the Border Patrol the support, resources, and pay raises they deserve. Well keep working with Republicans and Democrats to ensure that our law enforcement has the tools needed to recruit and retain agents so we can ensure a secure, fair, and orderly process at the border, said Kelly. A Voice for Dividing Australians Commentary On July 30, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used an address at an Indigenous Festival in the Northern Territory to reveal the referendum question which may be put to the Australian people to enshrine the Voice in the Constitution. Although it is still a draft referendum question, it gives an insight into the thinking of the government on this contentious issue. The question is: Do you support an alteration to the Constitution that establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice? The prime minister also suggested that three provisions be added to the Constitution if the referendum were to succeed: the first would entrench the Voice in the Constitution; the second would allow the Voice to make representations to parliament and the executive government on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (ASTI). The third proposes to insert, into the Constitution, a new head of legislative power, according to which the parliament shall have power to make laws with respect to the functions and procedures of the Voice. The centre-left Labor government will try to enlist the Opposition into supporting the referendum. In this context, it is interesting to note that the Oppositions Indigenous affairs spokesperson, Julian Leeser, described the prime ministers speech as a positive step. The Voice is the governments response to the recommendations made by an Aboriginal National Constitutional Convention held in 2017 and resulted in the release of a document, the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The document proposed the establishment of an Indigenous Voice in parliament to empower ATSI people, and the establishment of the Makarrata Commission to supervise a process of agreement-making with Australian governments and oversee a process of truth-telling about Australias history and colonisation. Entrenching the Voice into the Constitution As a referendum on the Voice is likely to be held in this term of parliament, it is appropriate to consider the three provisions. With regard to the first provision, the entrenchment of the Voice in the Constitution, it may be noted that over the years, there have been countless, and sometimes corrupt, Aboriginal quangos, like the ATSI Commission, that have wasted millions of dollars. Australias Indigenous population is estimated to constitute 3.2 percent of the total population; it is the only racial group that has its own federal minister, and every state and territory has a Ministry for Indigenous Affairs. By any standard, the Indigenous industry has spawned the creation of huge, bloated bureaucracies, the maintenance of which is expensive. Often, these administrative behemoths have designed and administered doomed policies, including the cashless credit card, alcohol prohibition, housing, and social welfare programs. Aboriginal dancers perform during the 2000 Sydney Olympic Torch Relay at Yellow Water in Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, on June 29, 2000. (Adam Pretty/Allsport) If these precedents are an indication, there is no hope that the Voice would be any better. In fact, it would be far worse because it would be impossible to remove a body that is entrenched in the Constitution. But the most important flaw in the potential enshrinement of the Voice in the Constitution is it is granting of special privileges to one group merely on the ground of the race of its members. The distribution of societal benefits on the ground of a persons race, which is an incident of birth, makes a mockery of governments stated reassurances to create a society where a persons race is irrelevant and the administration of justice is colour-blind. Voice Advisory Body In accordance with the second proposed addition to the Constitution, the Voice would be a standing advisory body that would make representations to the government on laws and policies affecting ATSI people in Australia. The requirement of consultation raises the question of whether it would be sufficient to ask the Voice for an opinion or whether it must give an opinion. If the adoption of legislation is delayed until the Voice provides governments with its opinion, it could effectively veto legislation by adopting the convenient device of not giving an opinion at all and paralyse the machinery of government. In such a case, the Voice would effectively function as a third chamber in addition to the House of Representatives and the Senate. Of course, implementing legislation could restrict the advisory power of the Voice to a consideration of proposed laws and policies that actually or potentially affect ATSI people. However, such an argument is disingenuous because all general laws, since they are made for all the people of Australia, potentially impact on Indigenous Australians. Indeed, unless the government wants to create an institutionalised form of apartheid, it is not appropriate to exempt any racial group from the application of Australias general laws. A member of the Koomurri dancers holds up an Indigenous and Australian flag during the WugulOra Morning Ceremony on Australia Day at Walumil Lawns, Barangaroo in Sydney, Australia, on Jan. 26, 2020. (Jenny Evans/Getty Images) Group Membership Finally, the determination of the composition, functions, powers and procedures of the Voice would require the parliament to draft detailed rules on establishing group membership. This would lead to intractable problems associated with attempts to prove membership of a group. The sponsors of the Voice may attempt to sidestep this difficulty by arguing that societal disadvantage, which is much easier to determine, is a suitable proxy for determining group membership. Such an attempt certainly has merit, but it still raises the question of why one disadvantaged group, among others, is selected for special treatment. There is also a danger that those who advocate for the No vote will be demonised as racists. Such an accusation, of course, would affect the ability to frankly and openly debate the issues associated with the Voice. Indeed, critics would certainly be described as bigoted troglodytes if they were to question the proposed enshrinement of the Voice in the Constitution. The establishment of the Voice may well constitute a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. In one section, it stipulates that: Special measures taken for the sole purpose of securing adequate advancement of certain racial or ethnic groups shall not be deemed racial discrimination, provided, however, that such measures do not, as a consequence, lead to the maintenance of separate rights for different racial groups. The enshrinement of the Voice in the Constitution would clearly offend this convention, thus institutionalising discrimination in Australia and potentially affecting all aspects of society. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Albanese Seeks to Host US-style Centre for Disease Control in Australia Australian Prime Minister has indicated that the government is seeking to fund a new U.S.-style centre for disease control for the countrythe only OECD country without one. I have already had discussions with at least a couple of premiers who are very keen to have it located, Anthony Albanese hinted on Aug. 5 in a national cabinet meeting. Well provide funding for our commitments in the October budget. Albanese said establishing a new Australian version of the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was a Labor election commitment and would improve pandemic preparedness and response. As in other countries, he said the centre would also play a role in preventing future chronic diseases, as well as infectious disease outbreaks. Global connectedness and environmental factors make future pandemics certain, he said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sept. 30, 2014. (Tami Chappell/Reuters) Data Surveillance In Albaneses election pitch in 2020, he said that a key function of the Australian CDC would be the employing of surveillance experts and systems to monitor current and emerging threats. The CDC in the U.S. has been engaged in vaccine safety surveillance ever since COVID-19 vaccines have been in use to detect adverse events occurring at higher-than-expected rates. But the public health agency failed to produce any information it said it would be producing, such as weekly tables of all reports of adverse events following COVID-19 vaccines. For example, the CDC has claimed that there was no known association between myocarditis (heart inflammation) and COVID-19 vaccines as late as October 2021. However, no abstractions or reports were available because an association between myocarditis and mRNA COVID-19 vaccination was not known at that time, CDC records officer Roger Andoh told The Epoch Times. The agency later acknowledged that by June 2021, data began to indicate a link between the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and heart inflammation. 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. Australian Environment Minister to Block Coal Mine Over Unacceptable Great Barrier Reef Impact Australian Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek will block a proposed thermal and coking coal mine over its unacceptable impacts on the Great Barrier Reef. The project is backed by billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer and is located in central Queenslandhome to large coal-mining industry. Based on the information available to me at this stage, I believe that the project would be likely to have unacceptable impacts to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the values of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and National Heritage Place, Plibersek said in a statement to The Epoch Times. She also suggested the mine could affect water supply. The available evidence also suggests that the project would be likely to have unacceptable impacts on water resources in the area, she said. The environment minister said her decision was informed by recommendations from the Queensland State Assessment Report, the Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development, and public comment. Public consultation is currently underway for the project, which will inform the ministers final decision. The move was applauded by the left-wing Australian Greens leader Adam Bandt, which now holds a significant number of seats in the Senate. Thats welcome. Thats now one down and 113 to go, Bandt told the Australian Broadcasting Corporations Afternoon Briefing on Aug. 4. Theres 114 of these projects in the pipeline, and at the moment, our environment laws dont even see the minister being required to take climate change into account when making their decisions. We heard the State of Environment report that the last government sat on, and when it was released, you understand why. Its because it says climate change is the biggest driver behind so much of the environments collapse. Coal and gas are behind that. Climate Change Narrative In Poll Position The report in question has been criticised by Peter Ridd, a former professor at James Cook University and a member of the Global Warming Policy Foundation. He has called for more scrutiny of the scientific community and its findings around climate change, saying the State of Environment report was politically motivated and omitted key data that contradicts the climate change narrative. Read More New Environment Report Downplays Data That Contradicts Climate Narrative: Scientist In environmental sciences, the ideology has crept in such that if you have a different view on these things, youll be excluded, he previously told The Epoch Times. And most of the scientists who go into the environmental sciences have got a particular worldview, and it may not represent the rest of the population. So you end up with a situation that your scientific institutions, at least in the environmental sciences, have become completely untrustworthy. However, despite these concerns, the current Labor government has partnered with the Australian Greens to pass a Climate Change Bill to set a more ambitious emissions reduction target for the country. The push to reduce emissions by 43 percent by 2030up from 26 to 28 percentwill see the federal government try to overhaul the electricity grid so that it is powered by more renewable energy sources. Currently, around 64.67 percent of the nations electricity comes from coal-fired generation. Energy Minister Chris Bowen, on Aug. 5, announced six proposed regions for the construction of offshore wind turbines: the Bass Strait off Gippsland; the Bass Strait region off the coast of northern Tasmania; the Pacific Ocean region off the Hunter in New South Wales (NSW); the region off Illawarra in NSW; the Southern Ocean region off the Portland region in Victoria; and the Indian Ocean region off Perth in Western Australia. Bowen says another five sites have been earmarked for offshore wind turbines. Australian MPs Advised to Use Two Phones Amid TikTok Security Concerns Australian lawmakers and their staff have been advised to get two phones to keep work and private information separate, amid widespread security concerns over TikTok. The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), an intelligence and cybersecurity agency, has warned members of parliament in private briefings recently that some social media apps are over-collecting data and constantly demanding access to users contacts, locations, and other apps on the device, according to Australian Financial Review. While ASD didnt give any social media names, a white paper on TikTok investigations published in July by Internet 2.0, an Australian cybersecurity firm, reported that TikTok tracked GPS location on Android devices at least once an hour and kept asking for contact information until it was granted, after users had initially denied access to their contacts. The agency advised MPs to use a separate phone for social media, many of which are used to engage with voters. The download page for the TikTok app is displayed on an Apple iPhone in Washington DC, on Aug. 7, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Most Australian MPs have Facebook and Twitter accounts, and TikTok has also become an important platform in election campaign. Australias federal election in May, for example, was dubbed the TikTok election, in which candidates from various parties used the short-video platform to appeal to young voters. International Response to TikToks Security Concerns However, TikTok has drawn particular attention in the West because of its parent company, ByteDances ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Trevor Mallard, New Zealands Speaker of the House of Representatives, warned MPs in July not to use TikTok on parliament-issued phones or other devices, according to Stuff. The MPs were told that the short-video app could pose a security risk where data on your devices could be accessed by ByteDance (the owner of TikTok) and the Chinese government. The U.K. Parliament closed its TikTok account on Aug. 3 amid pressure from MPs. The group, which is led by Conservative MP for Wealden Nus Ghani, said that TikTok data is routinely transferred to China. Data security risks associated with the app are the considerable, the group wrote. Under the 2017 Intelligence Security Law of the PRC (Peoples Republic of China), Chinese companies are required to yield data to the PRC upon request, and may not reveal that they have done so when asked. TikTok denies that Beijing has access to any data and says it has strong security protocols over who can access it. However, the companys Australian general manager acknowledged in a letter to Liberal Senator James Paterson that the data of Australian TikTok users could be accessed by operatives in mainland China. Australian Wagyu Beef Production Sees Demand Outpace Supply Australian Wagyu beef producers have seen almost a three-fold increase in demand over the past year as local and international popularity for the beef delicacy continues to grow. Managing director of Irongate Wagyu, Peter Gilmore, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that interest in his Western Australia-based companys carcasses and genetics has tripled over the last year, with the price of full blood Wagyu fetching almost AU$450 (US$313) per kilogram. The increase is demand, I would say, is around 300 percent, Gilmore said. If we had three times the number of animals, we probably could not meet that demand. While Irongate sells genetics to Australian producers, Gilmore said that the Australian beef industry has the potential to expand and even equal Japanese production. [Japan is] a net importer of meat, so they dont really need to export, Gilmore said. The international demand for Wagyu has been quite extraordinary over the past year, the amount of inquiry that has come in at a range of different levels from many different countries. Gilmore said that he has seen a very big uptick of purchases in relation to production where production plants are trying to lift their own farm gate receipt. Wagyu produces a significant premium over the rest of beef production, he said. For instance, the ABC reports that Pardoo Beef Corporation, which is also based in Western Australia, has invested more than AU$75 million (US$52 million) in its Wagyu operations, and its owner Bruce Cheung has plans to run more than 100,000 heads of cattle across the Pilbara and Kimberley by 2035, which he estimates to be worth of AU$3 billion (US$2.1 billion). Currently, the biggest market for Pardoo is China, which takes around 51 percent of his companys products. We are also in markets such as Hong Kong, Thailand, Middle East, Singapore, Philippines, Korea, Japan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and we are in talks with Indonesia, he said. Japan is Australias largest beef export customer, with 18,551 tonnes of Australian beef exported in July. South Korea is Australias second-largest customer, followed by China, reported Beef Central. However, the total volume of beef exported to all markets in July was 74,949 tonnes, down six percent from the previous month. Domestic Product and Disease Concerns Domestic demand for Wagyu has changed since the pandemic and has correlated to a changed health focus, Gilmore said. People understand that intramuscular fat can actually be good for you I think there has been a real health focus shift and enjoyment for produce, he said. If you go back two years when COVID first started, we had very little domestic output, almost nothing, he said. Now domestic would be 40 percent of our total production. But an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease could stop production and trade in its tracks. If foot-and-mouth disease was introduced into Australia it would potentially decimate the Australian Wagyu beef breed, along with other elite genetics within the cattle breeding industry, Scott Richardson, the managing director of producer and distributor Stone Axe Pastoral Company, told the ABC. It would take years and years to rebuild the herd to its current numbers. The Australian Wagyu Association has been approached for comment. Lithium batteries displayed in the workshop of a lithium battery manufacturing company in Huaibei, eastern China's Anhui Province, on Nov. 14, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) Australias Lithium Ore Exports Exceeds $1 Billion in June, China Largest Buyer Australias lithium exports hit a record high in June, with China becoming the countrys largest buyer, a new trade export data showed. Lithium concentrates exports reached $1.163 million (US$810 million) in June, an increase of 1,189 percent compared with the same month last year, according to lithium export data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Aug. 4. Despite continuing trade tensions with Beijing, $1,128 billion worth of lithium concentrate was exported to China, accounting for 97 percent of total lithium exports in the month. From late 2021 onwards, lithium exports began to increase rapidly, more than doubling from November to December 2021, almost doubling again from April to May 2022, and surpassing $1 billion for the first time in June 2022, the data showed. Lithium is a key material used in the production of electric vehicles (EVs), renewable energy storage, and rechargeable batteries for consumer devices such as mobile phones, laptops, and cameras, causing the global demand for lithium has increased dramatically in recent years. Australia is the worlds largest exporter of lithium. In 2020, 46 percent of the worlds lithium came from Australia, according to ABS. The Bureau expects lithium exports to continue to increase and contribute a further $9.4 billion to the Australian economy by 2023-24. Lithium is an essential material used in the production of electric vehicles (EVs), renewable energy storage, and rechargeable batteries for consumer devices such as mobile phones, laptops, and cameras, causing the global demand for lithium has increased dramatically in recent years. (Bjoern Wylezich/Shutterstock) Australia exports almost all of its lithium to China which in 2021 accounted for more than 85 percent of the total lithium export value, and in 2022 accounted for more than 94 percent. The bureaus data also showed a record trade surplus of $17.7 billion in June, driven by iron ore, coal, and gas exports. Iron ore exports rose 5.5 percent to $15.5 billion, with shipments to China, Vietnam, and Taiwan rising sharply. Concern over Chinas Dominance in Global Lithium Supply However, the lithium industry has a high degree of market concentration. In 2020, five companies accounted for nearly half of the worlds lithium production capacity, producing approximately 75 percent of the worldwide supply, according to a report released by China Merchants Bank Research Institute on March 4. Two of the five companiesJiangxi Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd. and Tianqi Lithium Co. Ltd.are Chinese, both of which have taken up significant shares in global lithium resources. A worker with car batteries at a factory for Xinwangda Electric Vehicle Battery Co. Ltd, which makes lithium batteries for electric cars and other uses, in Nanjing in Chinas eastern Jiangsu Province, on March 12, 2021. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) Chinas dominance in global lithium supply has raised concern in the United States, with U.S. lithium battery manufacturer OneCharge releasing a report about the risks. Upwards of 70% of the total global Li-ion battery manufacturing capacity is controlled by China, the report stated. Should China decide to throttle supply or dramatically raise prices, this would hurt the U.S. transportation and logistics sectors, which are quickly adopting lithium battery-powered electric vehicles. Ganfengs overseas footprint in lithium resources spans Australia, Argentina, and Ireland, according to its 2021 annual report. Among them, the Mount Marion Project in Australia is the largest source of the Chinese battery giants lithium resources. Tianqi also has some of its lithium resources related to Australia. In 2014, Tianqi Lithium acquired 51 percent shares in Windfield Holdings, the shareholder of Talison Lithium, which owns the Greenbushes lithium deposit in Western Australiathe worlds largest hard-rock lithium mine. Kathleen Li contributed to this report. A cargo ship docks at Port Botany in Sydney, Australia, on May 3, 2022. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images) Australias Trade Surplus Reaches Record High of $17.7 Billion in June Australia posted a further trade surplus record of $17.7 billion (US$12.34 billion) in June as the country continued to export considerable volumes of coal, iron ore and grain. Junes surplus was also well above Mays record of $15 billion and outperformed economists expectations of a drop to $14 billion. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed that while exports jumped by $2.9 billion, or 5.1 percent, during the month, imports only climbed by $324 million, or 0.7 percent. CommSec chief economist Craig James said Australia had achieved its 54th monthly trade surplus with the above result. The income flowing into Australia is supporting Aussie businesses at a crucial time, a time when fears of a recession are being expressed globally, he wrote in a media release. According to ANZ economists Madeline Dunk and David Plank, the growth in exports was driven by both price and volume. At the same time, net exports significantly contributed to June quarter GDP. However, they cautioned that the surplus was about to reach its peak and would start to drop. Workers load containers on a cargo ship at Port Botany in Sydney, Australia, on Dec. 2, 2020. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images) This is especially the case as China, Australias largest buyer, is trying to reduce coal imports and steel production. James said Australias exports to China fell markedly from the record of $179.5 billion in the year to November 2021 to $170.5 billion in the 12 months to June. On the other hand, Australias trade with India has skyrocketed as exports and imports soared by 108 percent and 63.5 percent, respectively. Exports to India are more important than the US and UK combined, James said. Commodity Exports Continue to Grow Iron ore exports rose by 5.5 percent to $15.5 billion due to higher demand from China, Vietnam and Taiwan. While rural goods exports went up by 11.8 percent with robust gains in meat and grains, gold exports surged by 63.8 percent, following a 71 percent jump in May. In addition, coal shipments dropped 0.6 percent to $14.35 billion due to softened coal prices. Most notably, the export value of lithium, a key component in rechargeable batteries used in the electric vehicle industry, broke the $1 billion mark in June, with shipments soaring by 1189 percent compared to a year ago. Almost all Australian lithium is manufactured in Western Australia, and China has imported 94 percent of Australian lithium so far this year. The ABS expected commodity exports to continue growing and contribute $9.4 billion in revenue to the Australian economy by the 2023-2024 financial year. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) speaks during a Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Aug. 3, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Biden Admin Evacuated Hundreds on US Watchlist From Afghanistan: Whistleblower Sen. Josh Hawley grilled FBI Director Christopher Wray on the allegations at a Senate hearing Two GOP senators have urged the Department of Defense (DoD) to immediately investigate whistleblower allegations that hundreds of Afghan evacuees who appeared on official watchlists were not properly vetted before they were released into the United States. According to the DoD whistleblower, the Biden administration failed to properly vet 324 Afghan evacuees who appeared on the DoDs Biometrically Enabled Watchlist (BEWL), which includes known suspected terrorists, said U.S. Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) on Thursday. The BEWL identifies individuals whose biometrics have been collected and determined by analysts to be threats or potential threats to national security, including known suspected terrorists. A full flight of 265 people supported by members of the UK Armed Forces on board an evacuation flight out of Kabul airport (MoD) Hawley and Johnson said the whistleblower also alleges that White House and DoD officials instructed agency personnel to cut corners and not conduct full fingerprint tests on the evacuees at staging bases in Europe, in order to promote the rushed evacuation from Afghanistan. Further, the whistleblower alleges that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) staff were authorized to delete old biometric data at their discretion, said the senators, who went on to say that this is a troubling development that could threaten national security and public safety. Whistleblower Allegations Raised in Letter Hawley and Johnson raised the DoD whistleblowers allegations with DoD Acting Inspector General Sean ODonnell in a letter on Thursday (pdf). We write to you with concern over new allegations raised by a Department of Defense (DoD) whistleblower. This information may show the Biden Administrations failure to vet those evacuated from Afghanistan was even worse than the public was led to believe. The following allegations demand an immediate investigation by your office, the senators wrote. The DoD has previously admitted in a report that the National Counter-Terrorism Center (NCTC) did not vet all Afghan evacuees using all DoD data prior to arriving in the United States. NEW whistleblower allegations hundreds of Afghan evacuees who appeared on DOD terror watch list allowed to enter the U.S. @SenRonJohnson and I lay out what weve learned pic.twitter.com/zBHlVB0ujE Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) August 4, 2022 The DoD earlier this year said that it identified 50 Afghan individuals in the United States whose records indicate they might pose a significant security concern. Hawley and Johnson said they understand that number has risen to at least 65, and declared that the individuals need to be immediately located, fully vetted, and, if appropriate, deported. The senators noted that the 324 Afghan individuals allegedly on the watchlist are in addition to the 50 or 65 already identified. Answers Sought From DOD Hawley and Johnson asked ODonnell to confirm how many BEWL matches were generated by biometric submissions from Afghan evacuees. Of these matches, if any, the senators asked the DoD acting inspector general to clarify if any were denied entry, admitted entry, or currently in the United States. The senators also sought information about the allegations that NSC or DoD staff instructed personnel to cut corners in processing the evacuees fingerprints, and asked for clarification on the circumstances under which agency personnel may delete biometric data. Hawley and Johnson also asked ODonnell to clarify the number of BEWL matches generated by Afghan evacuees after they arrived; what steps have been taken toward identification, vetting, or deportation; and how many were known suspected terrorists. Additionally, the senators asked if the FBI or other law enforcement were investigating the individuals. Hawley Grills FBI Director At a Senate Judiciary Committee Oversight Hearing on Thursday, Hawley confronted FBI Director Christopher Wray about the whistleblowers allegations. Wray wasnt able to give a clear answer about the FBIs efforts to track down and interview the 324 Afghan evacuees, but noted that there are a number of individuals, through our joint terrorism task forces, that we are actively trying to investigate. The FBI director noted that the agency had disrupted a number of actions related to the evacuees, but did not specify what they were. Evacuees wait in front of a Royal Air Force C-17 at Kabul airport (LPhot Ben Shread/MoD/PA) Regarding the allegations of cutting corners, Wray said: I will say that this was a massive number of people to be vetting in an extraordinarily short period of time and that in my view inevitably raises concerns. Oh, I think youre absolutely right about that, Hawley responded. Inevitably raises concerns I think is the is the nicest thing that could be said about it. We know that the basic procedures were not followed. We know that the screening process was not followed. And now we know that potentially hundreds of people connected to terrorism are loose in this country as a result, the Missouri senator said before conceding his time. The Biden administration brought around 77,000 Afghans to the United States during its chaotic military withdrawal last year. The airlifts were for Afghans and their family members who risk Taliban retaliation for helping the United States during its 20-year war. The execution of the withdrawal has been widely panned. The Afghans were being granted Special Immigrant Visas entitling them to bring their families. The Epoch Times reached out to the DoD for comment. An Auburn teen on Thursday entered not guilty pleas to 50 child pornography counts handed down by a Cayuga County grand jury. Darryl M. Overstreet, 18, with a previously listed address of 44 Aurelius Ave., faced Judge Thomas Leone for arraignment in Cayuga County Court. Overstreet was indicted on 23 counts of possessing a sexual performance by a child, a class E felony; 22 counts of use of a child in a sexual performance, a class C felony; and five counts of first-degree disseminating indecent material to minors, a class D felony. Overstreet was arrested and charged by Auburn police twice in the spring, on May 19 and May 26. The case was reviewed by a grand jury and he has now been indicted. The indictment alleges that five male minors, ages ranging from 12 to 15 at the time of the alleged incidents, were persuaded to engage in sexual performances that were digitally recorded and kept by Overstreet. Rome Canzano, Overstreet's attorney, argued Thursday for Overstreet to be given the opportunity to post bail. Canzano noted Overstreet is 18 years old and has no prior criminal charges. Canzano also mentioned that Overstreet's family had previously posted bail for him after he was first arrested, but Overstreet was then arrested again and has been held in custody since. "Obviously, he's aware these are extremely serious allegations," Canzano said. The Cayuga County District Attorney's Office recommended Overstreet's bail be set at $50,000 cash or $100,000 bond. Cayuga County Chief Assistant District Attorney Christopher Valdina said Overstreet had been charged with not only possessing sexual material of minors but was charged with inducing minors to commit sexual acts and "actually producing the pornography." Leone ultimately set Overstreet's bail at $100,000 cash, $200,000 bond or $300,000 partially secured bond, higher than the recommendation from the district attorney's office. The charges, according to the indictment, involved Overstreet allegedly possessing sexual material from minors and directing minors to send sexually explicit photos or videos of themselves. The crimes took place in Auburn in January, March and April. Auburn Police Department Detective Adam Rivers, asked in the spring about whether Auburn students were thought to be the alleged victims in the case after Overstreet's second arrest, told The Citizen in an email that Overstreet "is not currently enrolled in school at Auburn High School so I believe students will not have an issue in the future." U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attends the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 11, 2022. (Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images) Biden Administration Rejects DC Mayors Request for National Guard Help With Illegal Immigrants President Joe Bidens administration has denied a request for National Guard assistance from Washingtons mayor. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, made the request in July due to the surge in illegal immigrants the District of Columbia has seen since authorities in Texas and Arizona began offering free rides to the city for those freed by federal officials. Washington officials asked for 150 Guard personnel to help non-governmental groups dealing with the surge, as well as additional personnel to shuttle immigrants from temporary locations to their final destinations inside the United States. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a Biden appointee, made the decision to decline the request, a military spokesman told The Epoch Times in an email on Aug. 5. We have determined providing this support would negatively impact the readiness of the DCNG and have negative effects on the organization and members. We understand SAMU First Response has received grant funding through FEMAs Emergency Food and Shelter Program, and has indicated that sufficient EFSP funds exist at this point to provide migrant assistance, the spokesman said. DCNG stands for D.C. National Guard; SAMU First Response is a nonprofit; FEMA is the Federal Emergency Management Agency and EFSP refers to the Emergency Food and Shelter Program. Bowser told reporters at an unrelated press conference that the city may send an amended request for assistance. When the mayor of the district says she needs or he needs, in the past or in the future, needs the D.C. National Guard to support the safe operation of our city, we expect a fair on consideration, she said. So having just looked at their letter, they appear to say that [a] more specified request would help them understand our needs. Only presidents have the authority to authorize National Guard deployment in Washington, and they must receive a request from local officials. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks at a news conference at the John Wilson Building in Washington on March 14, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Texas Bus Arrives in New York The action from the federal government came just hours after Texas dropped off its first illegal immigrants in New York City, expanding the transportation program beyond Washington. Because of President Bidens continued refusal to acknowledge the crisis caused by his open border policies, the State of Texas has had to take unprecedented action to keep our communities safe, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, said in a statement. In addition to Washington, D.C., New York City is the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing that Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city. I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief, Abbott added. New York City officials have said their city is also being overwhelmed by illegal immigrants. Both Eric Adams, the citys mayor, and Bowser have criticized Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey for busing illegal immigrants to the East Coast. Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputies take part in an active shooter response training drill at Lakewood Center Mall in Lakewood, Calif., on June 13, 2022. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) California Had the Most Active Shooter Incidents in 2021: FBI In a report issued by the FBI, California ranked first for the most active shooter incidents in 2021. The state has been in the top spot in three of the past five years. According to the study, a total of 61 active shooter incidents occurred across 30 states last year with 103 people killed and 140 wounded. This is up from 40 incidents and 38 killed in 2020. California had 6 incidents that claimed the lives of 19 people with 9 wounded. Texas and Georgia each had 5. California, which has some of the strictest gun laws, saw 0.015 shootings per 100,000 people. Texas, which has very unrestrictive state gun laws, had nearly the same at 0.0167 per 100,000 people. Georgia had 0.045 per 100,000 people. Criminal attorney Arash Hashemi told NTD, a sister outlet of The Epoch Times, that in his opinion theres no easy answer to how gun laws should be handled. We need both sides to sit down and listen to whats going on. I know one side says we need to ban guns, one side said there would be no regulation. But there needs to be a meeting of the minds in the middle, Hashemi said. California is moving ahead to implement more gun restrictions. The new state Senate Bill 918, which is currently on its way through the legislature, would ban the carrying of guns in most public areas, regardless of whether someone has a carry license or not. However Hashemi suggested a slightly different approach. He said the Second Amendment cant be violated, but he thinks certain people should be restricted from owning a firearm. I think California needs to implement these background checks but at the same time make sure they dont infringe on peoples rights to bear arms, Hashemi said. He said vetting gun buyers for red flags like mental illness or psychiatric medication is important. He added that the importance of the Second Amendment is to give the civilians of the United States a check on the government. The greatest number of casualties and injuries at an active shooter incident in 2021 was 15, at both a FedEx center in Indiana and a Kroger grocery store in Tennessee. June had the most with 12, and December had the least with 1. The FBI defines an active shooter as one or more people engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area. The 2021 report is limited to these incidents and does not include other gun-related situations like self-defense, drug violence, or gang violence. With reporting by NTDs David Lam. California Joins Blue State Attorneys General Denouncing Floridas Parental Rights Law California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general from blue states to oppose Floridas so-called dont say gay law that bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. The group filed an amicusor friend-of-the-courtbrief on Aug. 3 in a lawsuit against the Florida Board of Education, claiming the law seeks to erase the existence of LGBTQ+ communities from classrooms in the state by censoring or outright prohibiting discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity. The coalition asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida to allow the plaintiffs challenge to the law to move forward. Bonta criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the parental rights law in an Aug. 4 statement: Make no mistake: DeSantis Dont Say Gay law is an unlawful attempt to stigmatize, silence, and erase LGBTQ+ students from Floridas public schools. In California, were not going to ignore discrimination and attacks on the LGBTQ+ community. We urge the court to affirm the rights and dignities of all of our children and allow this lawsuit to move forward. Mixed Messages Carl DeMaio, chairman of a government watchdog group called Reform California and an openly gay Republican, told The Epoch Times that the label dont say gay law is misleading. Its designed to serve a political agenda, not inform the public, DeMaio said. The law itself doesnt mention the word gay at all. Signed into law on March 28, the Parental Rights in Education measure states: Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards. Bontas agenda is to distract California voters and deflect criticism from failing policies in their own state, according to DeMaio. It is a political stunt financed by taxpayers, and it needs to stop, he said. In the statement, Bonta said the Florida law serves to stigmatize and harm LGBTQ+ youth in Florida and across the country. He said California has numerous protections in place to promote inclusivity in schools, including the Fair Education Act, the California Healthy Youth Act, and the School Success and Opportunity Act. He said studies show that failing to provide LGBT-inclusive classroom instruction adversely affects students mental health and learning outcomes and results in more anti-LGBT bias. Eric Early, a Republican and former candidate for California attorney general, told The Epoch Times on Aug. 4 that he fully supports Floridas parental rights law. There is no doubt that LGBTQ kids should be protected. Nobody disputes that. The problem here is that the vast majority of the kids who are not LGBTQ are being indoctrinated, said Early, an attorney and managing partner at a law firm. Telling children that it doesnt matter if youre born a boy or a girl, you can be anything you want to be is indoctrination, according to Early. This includes teaching kids that there are far more than just the two sexes of male and female, he said. The push by Democratic lawmakers to make California a trans sanctuary state and implement so-called gender-affirming and trans-inclusive health care policies that would allow minors to receive puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries is flat out child abuse, Early said. The amicus brief was filed by the attorneys general of the District of Columbia, New Jersey, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, and Oregon. An empty classroom is seen at Hollywood High School in Hollywood, Calif., on Aug. 13, 2020. (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images) Californias Schools Are Failing the Tech Industry Commentary Despite the defections of Tesla, Oracle, Hewlett-Packard, and other companies to Texas and other states, California remains the global leader in technology. Silicon Valley still is the place to be for young, hotshot programmers and engineers. But the state itself is falling behind in producing the tech leaders it needs. Its dilapidated public school system, despite receiving $24,000 per pupil in the states new budget, has produced the lowest literacy rate of any state, according to World Population Review. On Aug. 1, Bloomberg reported on the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Bill passing in Congress. It criticized the bill for spending too much on the wrong areas. But the problem is real because so much manufacturing has been shipped to China. Although America still leads the world in chip design, the global share of semiconductors produced domestically has declined from 37 percent in 1990 to 12 percent today, Bloomberg wrote. Analysts estimate that only about 6 percent of new capacity will be built in the U.S. over the next few years, compared to some 40 percent in China. Another worry is national security. The U.S. military alone requires about 1.9 billion chips a year for weapons, communications and so on. The sheer variety of essential products and services that now rely on semiconductorsfrom mobile phones to laptops to medical technologies to automobilesis enough to give pause about relying so heavily on overseas partners, particularly given the risks of future conflict with China. That was published a day before House Speaker Nancy Pelosis trip to Taipei led to communist Chinas new threats against Taiwan. Col. Shi Yi, a spokesman for the Peoples Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command, announced a series of joint military operations around the island 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. We all hope it wont come to war. But if it does, wouldnt it help if America produced its own chips and other technology here, the way we do our own energy? Well, at least as we did before President Joe Biden started tanking the energy industry. Bloomberg reported that the problem isnt a lack of investment money, which remains robust. The U.S. simply does not have the workforce to sustain this new capacity. About 40 percent of highskilled semiconductor workers in the US were born abroad. Since 1990, the number of foreign-born students in relevant graduate programs has nearly tripled. Yet current immigration policy makes it exceedingly difficult to retain this talent, while the US education system isnt producing enough domestic graduates with appropriate skills. Chipmakers are already straining as a result. A foundry being built in Arizona by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is months behind schedule, while the company struggles to find enough engineers and skilled technicians to staff it. For the US to become self-sufficient in chip production, one report found, it would need to add some 300,000 additional fabrication jobs. Last fall in The Epoch Times, I reported on TSMCs new plant in Arizona. TSMC makes the worlds best microchips. So, control of this technology by China would give it vastly more global power. The obvious solution is to improve California schools so our kids can fill these slots, which are high-paying, upper-middle-class jobs. The 1960s often are called the Golden Age for public education in California. Those schools produced Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, the two genius founders of Apple, now the worlds most valuable company, and hundreds of others who built Silicon Valley. Instead, the state now is wasting students time on a new, totally biased ethnic studies requirement. That is, instead of the California schools giving students skills in the STEM fieldsscience, technology, engineering, and mathit will give them training in resentment at having been cheated out of those skills. The debate that continues to simmer over Californias new math guidelines is a reminder that divisions remain deep over approaches to instruction, the pacing of algebra in middle school, and the offerings at high school, particularly for students interested in STEM in college, EdSource reported recently. The State Board of Education has pushed back the adoption of the California Math Framework to sometime in 2023, an indication that it is taking seriously hundreds of suggested changes and critiques and that potentially extensive changes may be coming. At the heart of the issue is a disagreement over how best to motivate and raise the math success of underperforming students, including Black students, Latino students, and English learners. Why is there any disagreement? Do China and Russia have problems figuring out what math is and how to learn it? They dont. Their governments are repressive, but make sure their industries advance and they have enough engineers, mathematicians, and scientists to produce their bombs and tanks, and missiles. Im all for peace, but as Roman Gen. Vegetius said, Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum (If you want peace, prepare for war.). California is preparing only for stupidity and submission. Californias Latino and black students certainly are being slighted in their educations in public schools. But the solution isnt motivation by more politically correct brainwashing. The solution is more school choice, more charters, and merit pay for the best teachers. But thats anathema to the California Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers, the most powerful political forces in the state. So no real reforms are enacted to wisely spend that $24,000-per-pupil bonanza. Well, one good thing is happening. The kids are leaving this malperforming system. Californias K-12 enrollment decline of more than 270,000 students since the pandemic began is largely attributable to people leaving the state, not enrolling children in transitional kindergarten or kindergarten, or deciding to home-school their children but failing to file the paperwork to account for them, the head of the states largest school district and other experts said, EdSource also reported. Sir Isaac Newton, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Edison, and other incandescent geniuses were schooled at home, learning to think independently. Maybe that will save us. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. (LR) Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, and Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos make an announcement on ending vaccine mandates for domestic travellers, transportation workers, and federal employees, in Ottawa on June 14, 2022. (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press) Canadas World-Leading Travel Vaccine Mandate Remained an Outlier Among G7, Official Testifies The Canadian bureaucrat who wrote the policy on mandatory vaccination for travel and transportation thought Canada would be leading the way with this measure, but instead it remained an outlier, court documents reveal. In a briefing prepared for Transport Minister Omar Alghabra before the mandate came into force in late October 2021, the policy was presented as a world-leading vaccination requirement for travel. The Oct. 2 brief titled Implementing a Vaccine Mandate for the Transportation Sector was prepared by Jennifer Little, director general of the COVID Recovery Team at Transport Canada. Little, who submitted an affidavit in April, was cross-examined in June as a witness supporting the government in its defence of four lawsuits challenging the travel vaccine mandate. Who came up with this? Is this something you stated? lawyer Sam Presvelos asked Little regarding the world-leading designation. Well, it was certainly part of the analysis, she answered. As we were working through this in terms of the scope of what we are describing in scoping out a policy at that time, it situated Canada as quite forward-leading in terms of vaccination mandates for the sector. The brief said Canada would have one of the strongest vaccination mandates for travellers in the world. It described the mandate as being slightly stronger than Frances or Italys. Dont you think that giving no alternative to leave the country for five million of your citizens makes your mandate much more than slightly stronger? asked lawyer and applicant Nabil Belkacem. I agree that it is a strong mandate, replied Little. Little was asked if she was aware of any other country that prevents unvaccinated individuals from flying domestically or internationally. Im not aware of any that require them domestically among the G7, she said, adding that some have border requirements. France did impose a vaccine mandate for long-distance domestic travel on Jan. 24, but suspended the mandate on March 14 along with the vaccine passport in other settings. Italy had a travel mandate from Sept. 1, 2021, to May 31 this year, but testing was allowed as an alternative and natural immunity was recognized. Neither the World Health Organization nor the International Civil Aviation Organization support mandatory vaccination for travel. The Liberal government suspended vaccine mandates for domestic travel and the public sector on June 20, while warning that the mandates could be brought back depending on circumstances. At the time, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said the mandates were being lifted after reviewing the latest scientific evidence, evolving COVID-19 epidemiology globally and in Canada, vaccination coverage rates, and listening to the advice of public health officials and experts. Little testified that the government had no criteria in place to determine when the mandates could be lifted. There are a number of complex considerations that would inform any such decision made, she said. Waning Protection Court documents show that the government was aware around late December to early January that two doses of the mRNA vaccine would provide little protection against COVID-19 infection. I do remember that it became clear to us that two doses or doses that were given several months prior were less protective, said Dr. Eleni Galanis, director general of the Centre for Integrated Risk Assessment at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), during cross-examination on June 23. On Feb. 28, PHAC released the document Vaccine science to inform COVID-19 vaccination planning and policy (2.0). According to Littles affidavit, the document said that for the Omicron variant, vaccine effectiveness against infection, symptomatic disease, and transmission with two doses was initially ~<50 to 60%, but waned over time to near zero after six months. Chinese leader Xi Jinping addresses the audience at a luncheon at SkyCity Grand Hotel in Auckland, New Zealand, on Nov. 21, 2014. (Greg Bowker-Pool/Getty Images) China Cuts Military Communications and Climate Ties With US Chinas ruling communist regime announced Friday that it would cancel or suspend dialogue on several issues with the United States ranging from military communications to climate change initiatives. A statement from the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) foreign ministry said that the regime would cancel all direct communications between military theater leaders, working meetings between defense departments, and maritime security dialogues with the United States. Additionally, the CCP would suspend all cooperation with the United States related to illegal immigrant repatriation, criminal justice assistance, climate talks, transnational crime, and anti-drug programs. The announcement is part of a suite of retaliatory measures by China against the United States and its partners following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan earlier in the week. Moreover, the canceling of communications between military commanders in the Indo-Pacific is likely to be seen as a major escalation by the international community, as such contact is often a key tool in helping militaries avoid miscommunication or harmful accidents. The CCP statement follows a barrage of explosive rhetoric and hostile actions from Beijing this week. On Thursday, the CCP launched 11 ballistic missiles into the waters around Taiwan, some of which passed over the island and into the exclusive economic zone of Japan. The regime has also seemingly launched a sustained series of cyberattacks on Taiwanese infrastructure, and has implemented import bans on more than 2,000 items from Taiwan. The Chinese militarys encirclement of Taiwan has also formed a sort of blockade, forcing international air and sea traffic to back up as it attempts to wrap around the most dangerous areas. International forums including the G7 and ASEAN have called on the CCP to end its provocations and pursue a peaceful solution to ongoing tensions. The White House, meanwhile, summoned the Chinese ambassador for a reprimand over the unprecedented escalations. The U.S. leadership said that it would not give in to Chinas erratic and dangerous behavior and that, in spite of CCP threats to regional stability, it would pursue deescalatory measures including postponing one of its own missile tests. As China engages in destabilizing military exercises around Taiwan, the United States is demonstrating instead the behavior of a responsible nuclear power by reducing the risks of miscalculation and misperception, said White House National Security Council communications coordinator John Kirby during an Aug. 4 press conference. This is how were going to defend Americas national security interests and our values. 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 has not ruled out the use of force to achieve this goal. Taiwan has been self-governing since 1949 and has never been controlled by the CCP, however. And Taiwan maintains a democratic government and thriving market economy. U.S. relations with Taiwan and China are governed by a series of treaties and diplomatic cables stretching back to the 1970s. Notably, the United States adheres to a One China policy, which provides an acknowledgment, but not endorsement, of the CCPs One China principle. The policy also mandates extensive unofficial ties with Taiwan. The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 further 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. U.S. officials say the same of Chinas increased military and economic aggression in the region, and have accused the CCP of manufacturing a crisis to justify military expansion around Taiwan. Beijings provocative actions are a significant escalation in its long-standing attempt to change the status quo, Kirby said. Were not going to accept a new status quo. And its not just the United States, but the world as well. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) attends a press conference at the US Embassy in Tokyo on Aug. 5, 2022, at the end of her Asia tour. (Richard A. Brooks / AFP via Getty Images) China Sanctions Pelosi In Retaliation For Her Taiwan Trip The Chinese regime is imposing sanctions against U.S House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in retaliation for her defying Beijing by visiting Taiwan. The sanction targets Pelosi and her direct relatives, a regimes foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement on Aug. 5. Pelosi insisted on visiting Taiwan in disregard of Chinas serious concerns and firm opposition, read the statement. The regime blamed Pelosis vicious and provocative actions by visiting Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own territory, to be taken by force if necessary. Pelosis short visit to Taiwanabout 19 hoursdrew the wrath of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which opposed any official exchanges with Taipei that might suggest that the island is a de facto nation-state. The foreign ministrys announcement came amid growing international condemnation over the CCPs action of using Pelosis visit as a pretext to unleash a torrent of aggressive and retaliatory military, cyber, and trade moves. On Friday, Beijing continued its military drills around the region, with aircraft and warships crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial buffer between the two neighbors. It also came a day after the regime launched 11 ballistic missiles into the waters around Taiwan, five of which Japan said landed in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The regime didnt specify the sanctions in the brief statement. But shortly after announcing the sanctions, the regimes foreign ministry said it would stop cooperation with the United States over a series of issues, including climate change, military, and anti-drug measures, in response to Pelosis visit. An Excuse Pelosi, who was on the last stop of her Asia tour in Japan on Friday, said the journey in Taipei was not aimed at changing the regional status quo but at maintaining ties with democratic Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act and U.S.-China policy. To that end, as you see, the Chinese made their strikes, probably using our visit as an excuse, she told reporters in Tokyo. They may try to keep Taiwan from visiting or participating in other places, but they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there, she said. Our friendship with Taiwan is a strong one. 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 Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen (R) at the presidents office in Taipei, Taiwan, on Aug. 3, 2022. (Handout/Getty Images) When asked how she thinks her trip to Asia will impact the Sino-U.S. relationships, Pelosi said the two nations need to maintain communications. But if we do not speak out for human rights in China because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak about human rights any place in the world. The lawmaker said that while China has made progress in some areas, it is still a country of contradictions and pointed to human rights issues such as the abuse against Uyghurs that Washington and other Western democracies have labeled a genocide More than one million Uyghur and other Muslim minorities are incarcerated in internment camps in Xinjiang, where they have been subjected to forced sterilization, torture, political indoctrination, and forced labor. Again, it isnt about our visit determining what the U.S.-China relationship is. Its a much bigger and longer-term challenge, and one that we have to recognize that we have to work together in certain areas, Pelosi said Katabella Roberts contributed to the report. The Rocket Force under the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) fires live missiles into the waters near Taiwan, from an undisclosed location in China on Aug. 4, 2022. (Eastern Theatre Command/Handout via Reuters) Chinese Aircraft, Warships Cross Median Line in Military Drills After Pelosi Visit TAIPEI, TaiwanChina is continuing its military coercion against Taiwan on Aug. 5, the second day of its military drills encircling the island, with warplanes and vessels crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait that separates the two neighbors. Calling the military drills highly provocative, Taiwans defense ministry said many Chinese military jets and warships had been seen in waters near Taiwan as of 11 a.m. local time, with some crossing the median line. Also known as the Davis Line, the median serves as an unofficial air and maritime buffer between China and Taiwan. In response, the ministry said it has deployed aircraft, patrolling naval vessels, and land-based missile systems to monitor the situation. We seek no escalation, nor do antagonize others, the ministry said on Twitter, adding that the Taiwanese armed forces are committed to defending the self-governing island. On Aug. 2, China announced that it would hold live-fire military drills in six zones around Taiwan from Aug. 4 to Aug. 7, in apparent retaliation against a visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to the island. Some of the zones partially overlap with Taiwans territorial waters. The drills are the biggest the Chinese regime has ever held in the Taiwan Strait, according to Reuters. A woman uses her mobile phone as she walks in front of a large screen showing a news broadcast about Chinas military exercises encircling Taiwan, in Beijing on Aug.4, 2022. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images) Ballistic Missiles Beijings Friday military moves came a day after China launched 11 ballistic missiles into the waters around Taiwan. Japan said five of the missiles landed in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which extends 200 nautical miles from the countrys coast. Of the five missiles, Japans defense ministry said four had likely flown over Taipei. Taiwans defense ministry did not dispute Japans claim, saying the flight path was outside the atmosphere and is not harmful to the vast area on the ground it flies over. China also deployed unmanned aerial drones against Taiwan on Aug. 4. On Thursday evening, Taiwanese troops had to fire warning flares to drive away four drones that flew above the area of Taiwans Kinmen islands, which are located about 1.3 miles from the Chinese coastline. Earlier the day, three drones flew over waters off Taiwans east coast, according to an announcement (pdf) from Japans defense ministry. On Thursday, 22 Chinese fighter jets crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait. A Chinese military jet flies over Pingtan Island, one of mainland Chinas closest point from Taiwan, in Fujian Province on Aug.5, 2022. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images) Condemnation In response to Chinas missile launch, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called on the Chinees regime to act with reason and exercise restraint. Tsai also appealed to the international community to come together to put a halt to these unilateral and irrational military actions. Several U.S. officials have since criticized Beijing. White House National Security Council communications coordinator John Kirby called the missile firings irresponsible. Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a joint statement saying that Beijing was attempting to upend cross-Strait peace and stability by changing the status quo with Taiwan. Beijing should not be under any false illusion that these military drills will lessen resolve in the United States or elsewhere, or erode our commitment to stand with the people of Taiwan and their right to determine their own future, the senators stated. Just the opposite. On Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with Pelosi in Japan, the fifth stop of Pelosis Asia trip that has so far included Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, and South Korea. I have informed speaker Pelosi that the fact Chinas ballistic missiles had landed near Japanese water including EEZ threatens our national safety and security and that Japan had strongly condemned such actions, Kishida said, according to Reuters. Christian Flag Raised in Boston After Supreme Court Ruled Refusal Violated First Amendment The Christian flag was raised over Bostons City Hall Plaza on Aug. 3, marking a triumphant win for the conservative Christian group Camp Constitution following a legal dispute that has dragged on for years. The Camp Constitution flag was hoisted up on Boston City Hall Plaza public forums flagpole at around 11 a.m., as a cheering crowd watched on. Three flagpoles adorn Boston City Halls entrance and fly U.S., Massachusetts, and Boston flags but occasionally the Boston flag will be taken down and temporarily replaced with another one honoring or commemorating causes, individuals, historic events, or other foreign countries. However, in 2017, Boston refused to let Camp Constitution, which offers classes and workshops on U.S. history and the Constitution, display a flag bearing a Christian cross to commemorate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day on Sept. 17. At the time, the city said allowing the flag to be hoisted could be projected as an endorsement by the city of a particular religion, contrary to the concept of separation of church and state or the constitutions establishment clause. That is despite Boston having approved 284 flag raisings by private organizations with no denials for 12 years from 2005 to 2017. Boston resident Hal Shurtleff, who runs Camp Constitution, promptly took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court after being told by city officials that if he changed the name of the flag to a non-religious name on the application, it would have flown in 2017. In May, now-retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer ruled that Boston violated the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment when it refused to raise the Christian flag, and stated that it is not government speech. Violates Free Speech The Supreme Court concluded that on balance, Boston did not make the raising and flying of private groups flags a form of government speech. That means, in turn, that Bostons refusal to let Shurtleff and Camp Constitution raise their flag based on its religious viewpoint abridg[ed] their freedom of speech.' Referencing the events that triggered the lengthy litigation, Shurtleff said: Back in 2017, we wanted to have a simple ceremony to commemorate Constitution Day and Bostons rich Christian history. The speakers we had planned for that event are here today. I want to thank you, a special thanks to Liberty Counsel, and I want to give the glory to God We have a great Constitution, and we have a wonderful First Amendment. But just like when it comes to muscles, if you dont use it, you get weak. When I got the rejection email from the city, and it said separation for church and state, I knew we had a case. Wednesdays flag-raising ceremony was also a victory celebration for public interest law firm Liberty Counsel, which represented Shurtleff in the legal challenge. Liberty Counsel Vice President of Legal Affairs and Chief Litigation Counsel Harry Mihet called the rising of the Christian flag a great day for the city of Boston, for the Christian community in the city of Boston, for freedom itself, and for the Constitution. The raising of this Christian flag today symbolizes the fact that the Christian community, the community of faith, across this whole country are not constitutional orphans. They are full heirs to the constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and free exercise of religion along with every other American, Mihet said. Mihet, who is originally from Romania, added: Having grown up in communist Romania, having witnessed a government that was determined to stamp out religious expression from the public square at all costs, my friends, we need to do everything and anything in our power to make sure that free speech and free exercise of religion always remains free and protected in this great land of ours. On Aug. 2, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and city councilors filed an ordinance to update the citys process for raising flags on City Hall Plaza, and groups who wish to fly their flag will now need either a proclamation from the mayor or a resolution from the council. Congressmans Aide Caught Impersonating FBI Agent, Violating Gun Law: Court Documents An aide to a congressman impersonated an FBI agent and openly carried a gun, violating the law in Washington, according to court documents. Sterling Carter, who worked for Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) at the time, was spotted on Nov. 14, 2020, wearing a black shirt with Federal Agent emblazoned across the front and back, and equipped with a full police duty belt that contained handcuffs, a pistol, two magazines, and a radio with an earpiece, according to an affidavit filed by U.S. authorities in District of Columbia court. When officers approached Carter to figure out his identity, he pointed to a badge on his belt and said that he was with the FBI. When asked for his credentials, Carter said he did not have them on him, and hopped in his vehicle and sped away despite being ordered to stop. The officers were unable to chase the man down. Officers and agents with the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Capitol Police, the FBI, and the Metropolitan Police Department launched a joint effort to figure out the identity of the man, and eventually confirmed him as Carter through contact with the seller of the t-shirt and the company from which he obtained a custom license plate. The owner of the property at which Carter resided and neighbors told agents that Carter was seen dressing as a member of law enforcement. However, officers found out that Carter was a staffer for a member of Congress. They also learned he did not have a concealed weapons permit or any other firearm registration certificates. A search of the residence turned up a Glock 19 semi-automatic firearm, magazines, a holster, cleaning gear, a receipt for siren installation, and an invoice for the shirt. Carter was given the option to resign or be fired, and he chose to resign, according to the affidavit. According to other documents, he started with the office in August 2019 and stepped down in January 2021. Carter was arrested on Jan. 29, 2021, and charged with false impersonation of a police officer and carrying a pistol without a license. In exchange for pleading guilty to the latter charge, the former was dropped. Carter was held in jail for 81 days during the case. A Washington judge in July 2021 sentenced him to probation and a suspended jail sentence. The case was first reported by the Daily Beast. Schneiders office did not respond to a request for comment. 2nd Case A federal case was opened in February after the FBI found Carter had forged Schneiders signature and given himself temporary raises that yielded him approximately $80,000. According to an FBI agents affidavit, Carter, as director of operations for the congressman, would fill out payroll forms when an employee was given a raise or bonus. Only Schneider and his chief of staff had the authority to authorize a bonus or a raise. Carter would fill out one form that reflected a temporary salary increase proportionate to the bonus that was being given, and a second form that returned the employees salary to the original level so the bonus wouldnt turn into a permanent pay raise. But Carter gave himself an unauthorized bonus and an unauthorized pay increase. He concealed what he had done by presenting to the chief of staff a spreadsheet containing inaccurate data. Carter pleaded guilty to the charge, theft of public funds, and faced up to 10 years in prison. Jail Time Prosecutors recommended a sentence of 12 to 18 months, saying the offense constituted a serious breach of the public trust and such a sentence can be a warning knell for all those public officials who consider using their position in the government to steal taxpayer dollars from the United States Congress. Lawyers for Carter noted his only prior conviction was for carrying a pistol without a license and argued the lack of criminal history outside of that weighs in favor of a more modest sentence than recommended by the advisory guideline range. It is a property offense. The offense does not involve any violent acts. There is no evidence that any firearms or weapons were employed to accomplish the offense. No physical injuries were sustained by anyone. While these undeniable factors do not absolve Mr. Carter from criminal liability the nature of the offense again favors a modest sentence, they added. The defendant moved for a sentence of home confinement. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, sentenced Carter in July to nine months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release. Carter was also ordered to pay $80,491 in restitution. We believe the sentence was harsher than necessary, Robert Jenkins Jr., an attorney representing Carter, told The Epoch Times in an email, adding that Carters conduct warranted punishment his sentence was more severe than many similar defendants in white collar fraud cases. City Troy D. Wilson, 45, 131 E. Genesee St., Apt. 4, was charged Aug. 1 with driving while intoxicated-first offense and operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content level of at least 0.08%. Elizabeth S. Look, 42, 28 Florence St., Auburn, was charged Aug. 1 with possession of a mislabeled dangerous drug. Jason P. Colon, 23, 9678 Bonta Bridge Road, Cato, was charged Aug. 1 with driving while intoxicated-first offense and aggravated driving while intoxicated. Nicole M. Gourley, 40, 28 Middle Lane, Brutus, was charged Aug. 1 with second-degree criminal trespass. Ibn'Abdul R. Overstreet, 26, 17 Jefferson St., Apt. 1, Auburn, was charged Aug. 1 with first-degree criminal contempt. Phillip C. Rutcosky, 47, 23 Paul St., Auburn, was charged Aug. 2 with second-degree menacing and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Robert G. Monica, 38, 73 Arterial West, Auburn, was charged Aug. 2 with criminal obstruction of breathing and third-degree assault. Andre M. Telfair, 47, 17 Elm St., Auburn, was charged Aug. 2 with fourth-degree criminal mischief, third-degree menacing and resisting arrest. Darryl W. Nottage, 59, 21 Derby Ave., Auburn, was charged with Aug. 3 with possession of a mislabeled dangerous drug, operating an unregistered vehicle, operating a vehicle without insurance and third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Erica T. Paoff, 25, 8 Washington St., Auburn, was charged Aug. 3 with third-degree burglary and petit larceny. Whitt White, 39, 5 Rock Ave., Auburn, was charged Aug. 3 with second-degree criminal contempt. Drew Shannon Leigh Strong, 31, 64 Grant Ave., Apt. 1, was charged Aug. 3 with third-degree robbery. Robert H. Lewis, 52, 6262 Town Hall Road, Owasco, was charged Aug. 4 with third-degree unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, operating an unregistered motorcycle, operate a motor vehicle without insurance, driving while intoxicated-first offense and aggravated driving while intoxicated. Megan L. Bracy, 39, 200 Woodlawn Ave., Auburn, was charged Aug. 4 with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Malik M. Figgs, 52, 155 State St., was charged Aug. 4 with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, petit larceny and two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. County Joshua M. Bolster, 26, 714 W. 3rd St. S, Fulton, was charged Aug. 3 with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Joseph J. Christina, 54, 7344 Robinson Road, Throop, was charged Aug. 4 with second-degree criminal mischief and second-degree reckless endangerment. State Andrew J. Purdy, 21, Locke, was charged Aug. 1 with second-degree criminal contempt. Brian S. Dyer, 43, Clay, was charged Aug. 1 with second-degree criminal contempt. Conservatives Wary of Bill to Increase Civics and History Lessons in US Schools Critics Worry Bipartisan Civics Secures Democracy Act will Promote Leftist Agenda The lessons taught to children today are the values we will live in our future when they run the world. That is why there is an intense battle in U.S. schools over who gets to determine the curriculum. Schools have veered beyond the classic core subjects of reading, writing, and arithmetic and moved into teaching values; topics that, until recently, were reserved for parents. There are countless examples of schools teaching critical race theory, gender and sexual identity, myopic politics, and religion. Using civic engagementattending school board meetings and organizing with othersparents have demanded that schools remove teachings that are outside their values. Now a bipartisan congressional bill says it aims to teach students more about U.S. civics, the Civics Secures Democracy Act, but it has some concerned that it will enable the government to guide curriculum in a direction that parents dont support, and ultimately indoctrinate students into leftist causes. The bill spends $1 billion a year and authorizes the Department of Education to award grants to states, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and qualified researchers to support and expand access to civics and history education. The bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and John Cornyn (R-Texas). The measure will help states close key gaps in students history and civics educations, a statement from Cassidy explained. Only nine states and the District of Columbia require a full year of civics or government studies, and 10 states have no requirement at all. At the same time, American trust in public institutions is near all-time lows. Defining Civics Civics Secures Democracy was initially introduced last, but it has been rewritten. The trouble is, when education professionals say civics, what they actually mean is action civics with vocational training in progressive activism, in the classroom. You know, action civicsprotest civics, David Randall told The Epoch Times. Randall is director of research at of the National Association of Scholars and Education Director at the Civics Alliance, which seeks to reform education by supporting intellectual freedom, truth, and virtuous citizenship. These groups oppose the act. Also, when they say history, what they frequently mean is something like the 1619 Project or other things which are sort of radically opposed to America history, to justify radical activism, not to present an open, pluralistic view of the American interpretation of American history. Randall says the bill failed to fly last year because it was obvious what was going to happen. It was re-introduced this year with cosmetic changes and theyre trying to claim [it] doesnt form curriculum, Randall said, adding that every bureaucrat competing for funds knows what is wanted from Washington, and will include those agenda items in their applications. Even the people who want the best (curriculum) will act in worse ways. The other part of it is this bit about not forming curriculum because these standards are then shaping the curriculum at the local level. The precise precedent is the Common Core because the Common Core likewise disclaimed to be shaping curriculum. The incentive had an enormous power to shape curriculum. This is in effect. The radical, anti-civic, Common Core. He calls it anti-civic because a civic education ought to teach students to cherish liberty, to cherish their republic, to love their fellow Americans, and to treat every one of their fellow Americans as equal individuals who mean well by one another. Randall says the 1619 Project and critical race theory teach the opposite of civics. Students walk to their classrooms at a public middle school in Los Angeles, California, on Sept. 10, 2021. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images) Using Non-Profits Part of the measure funds non-profits to develop curriculum. Some non-profits, such as Black Lives Matter, have already written curriculum that has been used in schools. The Civics Alliance is specifically opposed to this, Randall said. The public schools ought to be accountable to the parents, the citizens, the state supervisory authorities. When you allow this sort of public-private partnership, you lose accountability, Randall said. Parents are unhappy. [Schools] say, It just so happens to be from the from the person we contracted with, were not responsible. A frequent maneuver is to deny the public access to the materials being taught, saying it is copyrighted by the private organization. So, not only does it have a radicalizing effect, it gets rid of accountability, and it disables transparency. Who Guides Curriculum? Federal law prohibits federal or state involvement in developing curriculum. Decisions on what to teach students are to be made at the local level. A spokesman at Cornyns office pointed to this text in the bill, Nothing in this act shall be construed to authorize the secretary of education to prescribe a civics and history curriculum, as proof that the government will not influence curriculum. But Adam Waldeck, 1776 Action president believes the act will federalize the school system. An education advocacy group, 1776 Action seeks to end anti-American indoctrination in schools. It opposes the Civics Secures Democracy Act. My opposition is based on a common-sense, real-world appreciation that $1 billion dollars a year, for six years, doled out by the Biden administration for the teaching of American history and civics, will absolutely dictate the substance, content, and direction of civics education in this country, Waldeck told The Epoch Times in an email. Currently, the federal government spends about $5 million a year on American history and civics grants. Under the proposed legislation, that amount will increase to over $1 billion a year, a 19,999 percent increase. Make no mistake, when it comes to civics education, if the federal government starts throwing around that kind of money in front of state and local authorities, the federal government, namely the Biden administration, will get exactly what it wants in civics education. A classroom at Yung Wing School P.S. 124 in New York City on Sept. 2, 2021. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) And it is no secret, Waldeck says, what the Biden administration prioritizes in civics education: the equity agenda that teaches CRT; that America is a systemically racist country; and the 1619 Project. He predicts students will learn how to become leftwing activists for school credit. The Biden administration will control the guidance given to grant applicants and it will control naming the individuals who will make the decisions on awarding grants, Waldeck said. We dont have to be naive about how the money will flow in practice, and the impact such money will have on the content of civics education in the years to come. Not a Democracy The word republic does not appear in the bill notes Kathy Barnette, and that is troubling because the United States is not a democracy; it is a representative republic. Barnette recently ran for Congress in Pennsylvania, but Mehmet Oz won the Republican primary. Barnette is now the spokesperson for 1776 Action. Most people will probably say, Yeah, we need to be teaching our kids more civics. But which version of civics? Which version of American history are they going to teach? It matters, Barnette told The Epoch Times. Democracy can look like mob rule, Barnette says. For example, mobs standing in front of Supreme Court justices homes; rioting; or when a mob took over several city blocks in Seattle, Washington in 2020. That is a democracy rule, Barnette said. Everybodys voice is heard, and everybody gets to say something. All you need is 51 percent of the mob to say, Thats what I want. Thats what were watching on the streets all across our nation, when mobs show up and say If you dont give us what we want, were going to make ourselves ungovernable, and we are going to bring this whole thing down. Thats a democracy. Thats the mob ruling. And thats not what we have. We have a representative government. We elect people to represent our interests. We have three co-equal branches of government. The acts name indicates that the goal is to teach democracy. The written bill strikes out the words traditional American history and replaces them with American Political Thought, which of course, is a whole discipline in and of itself, Barnette said. Randall says there is bipartisan agreement that were not teaching civics properly in the United States and havent for generations. But there are opposing views on how to replace the current system. The radicals wish to have lots and lots of anti-civics education and action civics, Randall said. Other brands of reformers say that we need a far better, traditional civics, American government class, which teaches you in the classroom, the mechanics of government, the history, intellectual history behind the founding, the evolution of constitutional liberty within America, and the nuts and bolts you need to be a self-reliant citizen. Opponents of the bill are not convinced that it requires $1 billion a year and the involvement of non-profits to make that happen. Maybelline cosmetics displayed in the backstage of New York Fashion Week Feb 13, 2019. Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for IMG Cosmetics Giants Maybelline, Shiseido, Abandon China Market Under Zero-Covid Policy Maybelline, the old American makeup brand, is closing its outlets in China on a large scale. According to mainland media reports, the makeup brand Maybelline New York, which belongs to the LOreal Group, is gradually closing offline shops across the country. After that, most offline shops will be closed, but counters in the beauty collection store Watsons will remain. Furthermore, under the influence of Chinas extreme epidemic prevention policies, many cosmetic giants have also been reported to withdraw from the Chinese market. Maybelline New York stated in its announcement that, in order to adapt to changes in the market and consumer demand, the brand has been re-adjusting the number of traditional offline channels since 2020. In the future, the focus will shift to online selling. Statistics show that between the years 2000 to 2011, Maybellines sales outlets in 130 cities in China expanded from 3,552 to more than 5,000. As of March 31, 2022, Maybelline had only 80 stores left in China, a fraction of what it was at its peak. As an old American makeup brand, Maybelline has a history of more than 100 years. In 1996, it was acquired by LOreal Group and officially became a brand of LOreal. In 2004, it changed its name to Maybelline New York. In the 1990s, Maybelline entered the Chinese market and quickly gained popularity among its young people. Even though Maybelline is positioned as an affordable makeup brand, with strong support from the LOreal Group, it has ample funds for R&D and marketing. On Little Red Book (social media and e-commerce platform in China), many netizens commented that Maybelline is cheaper than the big brands, but its quality is not inferior to theirs. As an international makeup brand that entered the Chinese market in the early days, Maybelline expanded quickly. It has not only opened special counters in shopping malls, but has also entered a large number of supermarkets, and has maintained its leading position for a long time. In 2018, Maybelline announced that it would gradually withdraw from hypermarket channels such as Walmart and Carrefour. Many Cosmetics Giants will Close Maybelline closed its outlets in China on a large scale, and the China state media attributed this to the sales growth of domestic brands. In fact, there is a wave of outlet closures for almost all foreign cosmetics companies in China. Amorepacific, South Koreas largest cosmetics brand, stated earlier this year that it has plans to reduce the number of Innisfree stores in China from 280 to half this number this year. Brands such as ETUDE HOUSE, Hera, and IOPE have also withdrawn from brick-and-mortar stores completely, and are undergoing massive restructuring. Affected by factors such as the CCPs zero-COVID epidemic prevention policy, South Korean beauty brands increasingly struggle in the Chinese market. In order to reduce their dependence on China, South Korean beauty companies have accelerated their entry into the U.S. market, where the popularity of South Korean beauty brands has been increasing. Amorepacific stated on June 15 that its sales in North America in the first quarter of this year increased by 60 percent year-on-year. LG Household & Health Care, the second-ranked cosmetics brand in South Korea, also accelerated its capture of the North American market. South Korean cosmetics have relied on the Chinese market for a long time. Amorepacific and LG H&Hs cosmetics sales in China account for about 70 percent and 50 percent of all overseas sales respectively. However, in 2016, South Korea announced the deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system in the country in response to the North Korean threat. Communist China believes that this system will pose a threat to them, and has therefore taken multiple countermeasures against South Korea, resulting in rapid cooling of Sino-South Korean relations. Since 2017, the Korean Wave has gradually retreated in China, and South Korean cosmetics sales in the Chinese market have also been declining since then. In addition, South Korean cosmetics have been hit hard by Chinas extreme anti-epidemic policies. American make-up brand Benefit has already withdrawn offline counters on a large scale in 2021, shifting its focus to online and Sephora channels. According to the Securities Daily report, KATE, a makeup brand owned by Japans Kao Group, was rumored to fade out of the Chinese market. Although KATEs offline counter staff had revealed to the media that KATE was not selling well and was going to be withdrawn from the counter, Kao came forward to deny the news of KATEs withdrawal from the Chinese market. According to information compiled by CNBData, in addition to the above-mentioned Amorepacific, Kao Group, and LOreal, news about brands of big international Japan-based groups like Shiseido, Unilever, and Estee Lauder Companies, delisting and withdrawing from the Chinese market has also been reported. Declare Russia Terrorist State: Zelenskyy Its important the world doesnt forget any of the 161 days Russia has occupied Ukrainian territory, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told Australian students. In a televised address, the Ukrainian president again accused Russia of war crimes and spoke of the importance of holding the Kremlin accountable for its actions. Humanity has come through 161 points of (no) return, he told an audience at the Australian National University on Wednesday. The world has a choice. To recognise the Russian Federation as (a) terrorist sponsor. You cannot hide from this choice, you cannot somehow avoid it. He said Russia had lost the veil it used to try to shroud itself as a peacekeeper as it continues to commit atrocities across Ukraine. Those things theyve done. Im shocked. I never thought people are capable of those (actions), Zelenskyy said. We have seen horror movies but I never thought the realities in Ukraine would be more scary. The difference between terrorists and Russia is terrorists hold themselves accountable for their actions, and Russia cannot do even that as (they) try to accuse other people of their atrocities, he said. The Ukrainian president also channelled Germanys reformation post-Hitler, saying Russia has an opportunity to change its path. It was a fascist Germany, but then the German nation found the power to recognise the tragedy to recognise themselves as guilty and move on, he said. They gave the chance to the following generation not to live as isolated but to live among the civilised people and to be on the same high level of life. Russia will have this opportunity for sure. Zelenskyy also called on China to join the unified international position against Russias tyranny. I would like China to join the unified world position (recognising) the tyranny of Russia against Ukraine, in whatever way it would happen, he said. For now, China is balancing and indeed has neutrality, and I will be honest, this neutrality is better than China joining Russia. Its important for us China wont help Russia. Sonia Mycak, a research fellow at the universitys European studies centre, said it is important Australians hear directly from the man navigating the most profound geopolitical crisis since the Second World War as Kyiv pushes to maintain international support. Zelenskyy has addressed university students in the US, Britain, Canada and Japan as well as Ukrainian high school students who fled the country. He is very honest and direct when he speaks to all kinds of audiences, Mycak told AAP. This kind of genuine, honest and direct behaviour has been instrumental in maintaining morale in Ukraine. Its helped him mobilise the support of other nations. Putin is counting on the West, becoming tired of this and waning in their support. Thats what hes hoping will happen, and its very important that doesnt happen. The president called on the audience to share his message with others across social media and networks to dispel Russias disinformation campaign. You have an opportunity to show the truth about Ukraine that will help us indeed, he said. The address by the Ukrainian president comes after he addressed the Australian parliament in March, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Kyiv last month. DeSantis Appoints First Jamaican-Born Florida Supreme Court Justice PUNTA GORDA, Fla.On Sept. 1, 2022, Renatha Francis will take her seat on the Florida Supreme Court. She is the first Jamaican-born judge to hold the position and, for Gov. Ron DeSantis, it was a fight to get her on the court. She will replace Justice Alan Lawson, who is retiring at the end of August. Judge Renatha Francis has an incredible life story that epitomizes the American Dream and proves that those who come to our country have the opportunity to pursue their dreams and, through hard work and the application of their God-given talents, reach the highest heights of whatever field they choose, said DeSantis on Aug. 5 at a press event in West Palm Beach. It is not the first time Francis was the governors choice. A lawsuit filed in 2020 kept Francis from taking a seat on the Supreme Court because of a 10-year Florida Bar requirement, which she missed by several months. Florida State Rep. Geraldine Thompson, a Democrat, filed the lawsuit, asking the high court to invalidate the 2020 appointment because she did not meet the requirements. In a unanimous decision, DeSantis-appointed Justice Carlos Muniz wrote: the Governor has not complied with the Constitutions clear commands. It was all politics, said DeSantis said at the press conference. It wasnt anything that was based in principle. However, the governor said she handled it well and patiently waited. So when Judge Justice Al Lawson, announced his retirement earlier this year DeSantis said he took all the candidates and started from scratch with no preconceived notion to pick the person that we think has done the best job. Before emigrating from the Caribbean to Florida, Renatha Francis was a small business owner in her native country Jamaica where she ran two successful enterprises while being the primary caregiver for her younger sibling, DeSantis said at the formal announcement. Her pursuit of a legal career began later in life than most attorneys, yet she has advanced rapidly on her merit to serve as a judge first in Miami-Dade County and then on the 15th Circuit Court. When she takes her place on the Florida Supreme Court, I am confident she will serve our state with distinction. Francis became emotional when thanking her mother and recognizing her husband at the event. Francis described her childhood as humble. She said her mother never finished high school and was the daughter of a farmer. She said what she lacked in financial resources she made up for with grit, determination, faith and hard work. Im going to try to keep it tighter, she said, her voice breaking. Thank you to my familymy mom for your love, your support, and all the sacrifices you made to make sure I had what I needed. She expressed her appreciation to DeSantis for his unwavering support for her ascension to the Florida Supreme Court. I may be taking my seat on the bench two years later than anticipated, but as a student of history, I continue to be in awe of this countrys respect for the rule of law and the freedoms guaranteed in the text of the United States Constitution, Francis said. As a Supreme Court Justice, I will apply the law as written by the peoples duly-elected representatives, knowing that I am a member of the judiciary in a system with separation of powers. Francis, a resident of West Palm Beach, has served as a judge on the 15th Circuit Court since 2019 and was appointed as a county judge for Miami-Dade in 2017 by then-governor Rick Scott to whom she also paid homage at the press event. From 2011 until her appointment in 2017 she served as an attorney for the First District Court of Appeals in Tallahassee. Before she decided to attend law school, Francis owned and operated two businesses for five years. She received her bachelors degree from the University of The West Indies and her Juris Doctorate from Florida Coastal Law School. Do you feel an overwhelming need to move your legs when sitting or lying down? Do these sensations make it hard to fall or stay asleep? These can be signs of restless legs syndrome, also known as RLS. RLS is caused by problems with the way the nerves in the brain and body communicate with each other. These problems result in a strong, sometimes overwhelming urge to move the legs. This urge often comes with unpleasant feelings like tingling, burning, or throbbing. Up to 7 to 10% of people in the U.S. may have RLS. Women are more likely than men to have the condition. Genes appear to play some role in whos at risk. Symptoms may be mild and not interfere with daily life. But they can get worse over time. Four core symptoms define the disorder, explains Dr. Christopher Earley, a nervous system specialist at Johns Hopkins University. One is the urgent need to move the legs. Second, leg discomfort is triggered by rest, like sitting or lying down. The third is that discomfort is relieved by movement. People feel better as soon as they get up and walk around, Earley says. Fourth, symptoms get worse throughout the day, peaking in the evening and night. Severe symptoms can affect peoples everyday lives. They can particularly impact your ability to get a good nights sleep. This can, in turn, make it hard to work, drive, or do other daily activities. Treatment for RLS depends on its severity. Certain lifestyle changes can help some people with mild to moderate symptoms (see the Wise Choices box for tips). If lifestyle changes dont help, medications may bring some relief. The medications used for RLS affect different chemicals in the brain. It may be necessary to try different ones to see which work for you. Drugs used to treat seizures can help rebalance the brain chemicals involved in RLS. Other drugs mimic the effect of a brain chemical called dopamine. Dopamine helps regulate movement and other functions. Certain pain medications and anti-anxiety drugs may also help. Recent research suggests a lack of iron in the brain can trigger RLS. Doctors now often recommend iron supplements as part of treatment. Tests for iron in blood samples dont show whether the brain lacks iron. Some people with RLS have normal blood levels of iron, but still benefit from extra iron, Earley explains. His team tested whether high doses of iron, given by IV, help people with RLS. The treatment improved some peoples symptomseven if they didnt have low levels of iron in their blood. High doses of iron may prevent RLS from developing, too. But first, Earley says, they need to learn how to tell whos at risk of RLS because of low iron in the brain. For now, symptoms are the only way to diagnose RLS. If you have think you may have this condition, talk with your health care provider. They can help you find ways to get some relief. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is seen on stage during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit held at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Fla., on July 22, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) DOJ Refuses to Punish Protesters at Supreme Court Justices Homes: Sen. Cruz Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) pressed a top Justice Department official during an Aug. 3 Senate hearing to punish protesters, under federal law, who demonstrated at Supreme Court justices homes in the past months. It came after hundreds of activists had protested at justices publicized homes since a draft opinion of the ruling that ultimately overturned Roe v. Wade, which had legalized abortion nationwide since 1973, was leaked in May. Night after night after night, these protesters committed federal crimes on national television. Why has the Justice Department refused to enforce 18 U.S.C. 1507? Cruz questioned Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite Jr. during a Judiciary Committee hearing this Wednesday. He was referencing Section 1507 of the federal code, which makes it a federal crime to picket or parade near a judges residence with the intent of influencing a pending decision. Penalties for a breach include a fine and up to a year in prison. Polite responded to Cruz by pointing out that one person has been charged with a crime by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Maryland after demonstrating outside the home of a Supreme Court justice. So, one person? Cruz asked in reply. To date, there has been one prosecution, Polite confirmed before the senator replied. What about the hundreds of othersall of whom have violated the law, Cruz pushed further. The law is very clear. Why does the Department of Justice pick and choose which laws to enforce, [and] which criminal laws to enforce? Why does it seem to exactly follow the pattern of the partisan preferences of the Biden White House? he asked. Polite responded by reiterating that politics shouldnt play and does not play any role in prosecutorial decisions. What I will also add is that our attorney general has increased the U.S. Marshal service resources to protect our Supreme Court justices, he continued. Cruz then asked why the department is refusing to enforce the lawa claim rejected by Polite, who, however, declined to comment on the current status of potential investigations when pressed again by Cruz. I think you need to follow the law, Cruz said at the end. Before the exchange, Cruz firstly presented during the Wednesday hearing a wave of vandalism and violence around the country against crisis pregnancy centers, in the wake of the leaked draft majority opinion to roll back the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision. In the past two months and a half, leftist groups have targeted and walked by the homes of conservative Justices John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. A would-be attacker had also been arrested near Kavanaughs house for attempted murder after finding the GOP-appointed justices address online. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks speaks with Space Training and Readiness Command Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Todd Moore during a recent trip to Schriever Space Force Base, Colo., on Dec. 13, 2021. (DoD/U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Brittany A. Chase) Effective Immediately Do Not Wipe Phone Data: Pentagon Instructs All Personnel The Pentagon has issued a memo asking personnel not to delete data on their phones, calling it a solemn responsibility and legal obligation of all federal employees, both military and civilian. In accordance with the Department of Defense (DoD) Instructions 5015.02 and 8170.01, personnel must retain text messages that are qualified as records as per the Federal Records Act, the Aug. 3 memo issued by Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said. All mobile device service providers in the DoD are now required to capture and save data on DoD-provisioned mobile devices once users turn them on. This order is effective immediately. Under the Federal Records Act, a record is recorded information that is made or received in connection with the transaction of public business that is preserved or appropriate for preservation by an agency, the memo stated. This information provides evidence of government organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other official activities, or is of value to the Department. The DoD Chief Information Officer (CIO) is working with the Secretaries of the Military Departments and other Component heads to ensure that the guidance is implemented in the Pentagon. The memo also instructed the DoD General Counsel and the DoD CIO to assess the defense departments policies and procedures ensuring compliance with the Federal Records Act. They are tasked with reporting back to Hicks with any recommendations within 30 days. In an Aug. 4 statement, DoD acting Press Secretary Todd Breasseale said that the memo was issued following media reports that DoD did not retain phone data of former senior officials upon their departure from the department. This includes records that may be tied to the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. The department will be transparent with Congress and the public on records retrieval and stewardship, he added. Jan. 6 Communication Data Six days after the Jan. 6 breach, nonprofit watchdog American Oversight submitted FOIA requests to the DoD seeking communications between Vice President Mike Pence or his chief of staff and top officials on the day of the breach. In March 2022, American Oversight filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking the release of the records. In a court filing, the Defense Department and the Army stated that phones of certain former officials were wiped off and text messages from Jan. 6 were 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, the court filing said. 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 Homeland Security Department inspector general is also investigating the incident of missing texts between Secret Service members at the time of the breach. Last month, Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi said that the messages were lost since the agencys phones were reset as part of a pre-planned system migration. Arizona State Sen. Sonny Borrelli (R) holds up a sample of the current ballot at a hearing of the Arizona Committee on Government in Phoenix on Jan. 24, 2022. Borrelli is lead sponsor of a bill to establish currency-grade ballot security measures. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) Election Director Resigns After Comprehensive Failure on Primary Day in Arizona County: RNC An election official from an Arizona county has resigned after allegations of voter irregularities and a ballot shortage on primary elections day. The Pinal County government confirmed that David Frisk is no longer in the position of Elections Director and is no longer employed by Pinal County in a statement on Thursdaytwo days after Arizonas primary election dayafter a shortage of ballots on primary election day and thousands of early ballots were sent to the wrong voters leading up to the primaries. Frisk was in charge of ordering the right number of ballots for primary election day, Jeffrey McClure, Chairman of the Pinal County Board of Supervisors, told reporters in a press conference on Wednesday. Im not sure how the ballot shortage happened, McClure said. We opened the boxes, and there werent enough ballots. As a Board, we are deeply embarrassed and frustrated by the mistakes that have been made in this primary election, McClure said in a Thursday statement, and as such, we are taking immediate steps to ensure the November election runs smoothly, as elections in Pinal County have historically done prior to this primary. The Arizona primaries on Tuesday included Republican races for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House, secretary of state, the state legislature, and the high-profile gubernatorial race between Kari Lake and Karrin Taylor Robson. Ballot Shortage The Pinal County confirmed the ballot shortage late Tuesday, citing an unprecedented demand for in-person ballots causing a ballot shortage in certain, limited precincts. The county said it continued to print ballots and distributed them to the affected polling site during primaries day. Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer during the press conference that approximately 25 precincts, each with a single voting station, out of 95 precincts were affected by the shortage. Volkmer added that about 750 out of 50,000 voters were affected. When asked if the volume of ballots were sufficient to impact any results of the race, Volkmer said it is a difficult question, noting that only 10 votes were used to separate winners in some municipal races. There were those people that felt that they were disenfranchised, Volkmer said. They were saying, I didnt get to vote because I had to go somewhere else. We did everything we could. We offered them the ability to wait, as long as they were capable of waiting. Volkmer asserted that both Republican and Democratic races were affected, saying the mistake was widespread and an equal opportunity. McClure told local media station FOX10 that he had not seen evidence of a nefarious act, referring to intentional voter fraud. Comprehensive Failure The Republican National Committee (RNC) described the ballot shortagealong with numerous other issuesas a comprehensive failure that affected Republican heavy-precincts across the state. The RNC told The Epoch Times in a statement on Thursday that it found at least 12 precinct voting locations ran out of Republican ballots throughout Election Day, describing it as inexcusable in a precinct voting location system. At least one voting location was not opened at 6 AM and did not open until 10 AM; there were disabled voting machines not plugged in or with the appropriate paper to use, disenfranchising disabled voters, the RNC added. In addition, the RNC noted that 63,000 early mail ballots were sent to the wrong voters due to a misprint regarding municipal elections and caused confusion. McClure said during the Wednesday press conference that this error contributed in part to the Election Day shortage of ballots. I appreciate that the elections director taking responsibility for these bad ballots that were printed out, but it leaves the voter with very very little confidence in the integrity of the election, Kelli Ward, chairwoman of the Arizona Republican Party, said in an interview with Lindell TV regarding the erroneous ballots. People who shouldnt have been able to vote in the election were given an opportunity to vote, Ward said, adding that shes hearing stories that similar irregularities have been happening in other counties in Arizona as well. Arizonas Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, said in a statement in July that her office had completed an extensive investigation following the error in the 63,000 early ballots. Hobbs said the states voter registration database did not contribute to the errors on the ballots and continues to be secure and reliable for the 2022 Elections. Considering all errors leading up to and on Election Day, the RNC noted the importance of having election integrity programs with poll watchers at the ballot box. This is a comprehensive failure that disenfranchises Arizonans and exemplifies why Republican-led efforts for transparency at the ballot box are so important, the RNC said. Election Integrity Program Poll watcherstrained in an election integrity program run jointly by the Arizona GOP and the RNCdeployed statewide were able to identify and respond quickly to ballot irregularities on primary elections day, according to the Arizona GOP. Because the Republican Party of Arizona and the RNC have built a robust election integrity program, in which we recruited thousands of election volunteers, we were ready to respond as Pinal Countys election debacle unfolded yesterday, a spokesperson from the Arizona Republican Party told The Epoch Times on Thursday. We had hundreds of poll observers deployed statewide, allowing us to quickly identify the issues in Pinal County yesterdaylike multiple Republican-heavy precincts running out of GOP ballots or a polling location not opening on timeand elevate them to our team of election attorneys, the spokesperson continued. Poll watchers observe the conduct of the election and report irregularities and violations of the Election Code, if any, to election officials. All political parties are allowed to hire election workers to observe all parts of election administration. The RNC told The Epoch Times that the poll-watching program in Arizona is part of its multi-million-dollar investment in its election integrity program for the 2022 cycle. Its 2022 cycle election integrity program includes hiring 17 state Election Integrity directors, 29 in-state election integrity counsels, and recruiting tens of thousands of poll workers and poll watchers in battleground states across the country, the RNC said, adding that it spent 2021 cycle consisted of spending more than $40 million on election protection efforts in battleground states across the country. The RNCs stance on election integrity is that we should make it easier to vote, and harder to cheat, the RNC said. That means ensuring our elections have: Voter ID, absentee signature matching and safeguards, bipartisan observers, updated voter rolls, and timely processing and counting of ballots. Image of national flags in front of United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP EU and UK Back UN Statement on Hong Kong: Abolish National Security Law The United Nations Human Rights Committee recently issued a report urging the Hong Kong government to repeal the draconian Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL). Both the European Union and the United Kingdom expressed support for this proposal. EU spokesperson Nabila Massrali issued a statement on July 28, expressing support for the conclusions of the UN Human Rights Committees review on Hong Kong, especially the recommendation to repeal and immediately stop the implementation of the Hong Kong Security Law and the crime of sedition. The statement reiterated that it is highly concerned about the violation of civil rights such as freedom of speech, press, and association in Hong Kong. The Committee is also concerned that a large number of civil society groupings were forced to suspend operations or withdraw from Hong Kong after the implementation of the NSL. In addition, the United Nations Human Rights Committee asked the Hong Kong government to ensure civil groups that participated in the meeting and submitted their opinions will not be subject to any reprisal in the future. The EU supports this and makes the same call while condemning any acts of intimidation and reprisals too. Simon Manley, the UKs representative to the United Nations, tweeted that he welcomed the report of the UN Human Rights Commission, especially its recommendation to repeal the NSL. He said the report confirmed Britains concerns about Hong Kong, including forced silencing of the opposition, the conviction of dissidents, and the disappearance of civil society. We warmly welcome the new UN Human Rights Committee report, which urges Hong Kong to repeal the National Security Law. The report independently confirms what we long feared: the opposition has been stifled, dissent criminalised, and civil society extinguished. We warmly welcome the new UN Human Rights Committee report, which urges #HongKong to repeal the National Security Law. The report independently confirms what we long feared: opposition has been stifled, dissent criminalised and civil society extinguished. https://t.co/dbmhHA0T2a Simon Manley (@SimonManleyFCDO) July 27, 2022 UN Human Rights Committee Urges Hong Kong to Abolish National Security Law Ex-Anaheim Police Officer Acquitted of Filing False Report SANTA ANA, Calif.A former Anaheim police officer was acquitted Aug. 3 of lying on a police report to justify searching a suspects vehicle. Dillon Adam Avila, 30, was found not guilty of one felony count of a police officer filing a false report. Prosecutors dismissed a felony count of perjury on July 20, according to court records. Jurors deliberated for about four hours before reaching a verdict, his attorney, Michael D. Schwartz said. He was very relieved, Schwartz told City News Service. Schwartz argued that prosecutors failed to prove who actually filed the police report in question. There wasnt enough evidence to show whether Avila or his partner filed it, Schwartz said. It could have been either onetheres no way of knowing, Schwartz said. The perjury claim was likely dismissed because Avila, who testified at the preliminary hearing, relied on the police report and not his own memory, which is routine in criminal cases, Schwartz said. Three character witnesses who testified also bolstered the ex-officers case, Schwartz said, and one of the character witnesses has been a friend of the officer since age 5 Obviously, we thank God for the verdict, but he has to rebuild his life now, Schwartz said. He has been vindicated of any criminal accusations, but he still has to rebuild his life. Avila and his partner at the time, Officer Samuel Silva, pulled over a suspect for expired registration on Walnut Street at about 11 p.m. April 29, 2018, Deputy District Attorney Jake Jondle said in his opening statement of the trial. Kevin Vincent Hodges, who was behind the wheel, and his passenger, Elizabeth Caro, were asked to get out of the 1991 Lexus they were in, according to court records. Avila falsely claimed Mr. Hodges gave consent for a search, Jondle alleged. Jondle showed jurors body-camera footage at the scene showing Hodges refusing a search of the car. At another time he is shown saying, I told you Im not consenting to the search. Avila is seen in the footage acknowledging Hodges statement. He says, I know you said no to the searches,' Jondle said. Avila was accused of writing in the report that Hodges consented to a search of his backpack, which led to the discovery of evidence that resulted in Hodges being charged with possession of drugs for sale, Jondle said. During a preliminary hearing for Hodges on Feb. 5, 2019, Avila testified that Hodges consented to the search of his car, Jondle said. Hodges attorney, Stephan DeSales, argued in a motion to suppress evidence that Avila is recorded on bodycam video telling Hodges, We heard you. You said you did not want us to search it. Hodges told the police officers he had many possessions in his car because he was in the process of moving and that he misplaced his wallet so he could not provide an ID to the officers, according to DeSales. The officers found his wallet and drivers license before they searched the backpack and trunk, which led to the evidence resulting in the drug charges, DeSales said. Prosecutors ultimately moved to dismiss the case against Hodges on Feb. 21, 2020. Schwartz told jurors Aug. 1, As a society, we have to understand police officers are human beings, not robocops. This case is not about a false police report. Its about a sloppy, poorly written police report. The two officers were working the graveyard shifta work shift that starts late at nightwhen they pulled over Hodges, who had been seen leaving a known drug house that dealt meth, Schwartz said. Avila was busy talking to Caro as Silva dealt with Hodges, so Avila wasnt always aware of what Hodges was saying to Silva at the time, Schwartz said. Schwartz said the fact that Hodges could not produce his drivers license could have led to an arrest on that alone. It would have also led to the car being towed and searched legally without the owners consent, Schwartz said. The officers also spotted a knife in Hodges pocket, which also could have led to an arrest on the spot, Schwartz said. He said if they placed him under arrest for that they could have been authorized to search the car, but that law was changed in 2019. Silva searched the car while Avila kept an eye on the suspects, Schwartz said. The search of the backpack yielded a small amount of drugs, and a search of the trunk led the officers to bags of meth and a scale, Schwartz said. When the officers asked to search the suspects phone, he did not want to let them, but he changed his mind when the officers said they would make him wait while they obtained a search warrant, Schwartz said. Avila is one of the most honest people he knows, Schwartz said. Any mistakes in that report are not intentional. The U.S. Treasury will mark the 20th anniversary of the National World War II Memorial by selling a coin honoring the "Greatest Generation." President Joe Biden signed legislation authorizing the sale of the coins in 2024 the same year that coins celebrating Harriet Tubman will be minted. According to the law's text, the coins "shall be emblematic of the National World War II Memorial and the service and sacrifice of American soldiers and civilians during World War II." Up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins and 750,000 half-dollars will be available for purchase. Buyers will pay a surcharge $5 per half-dollar, $10 per $1 coin and $35 per $5 coin. The surcharges will be distributed to the Friends of the National World War II Memorial to support the maintenance and repair of the memorial. The funds will also be used for commemorative and educational programs. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, an Ohio Democrat, sponsored the bill in the House of Representatives. More than 300 of her colleagues from both parties signed on as cosponsors. "With the signing into law of the Greatest Generation Commemorative Coin Act, we continue our bipartisan work to honor the National World War II Memorial and preserve it for years to come," Kaptur said. She continued, "The Greatest Generation commemorative coin will stand the test of time representing America's enduring gratitude for the millions of courageous servicemembers who answered the call of duty when our nation and the world needed them most." The World War II Memorial was dedicated in 2004 after years of planning and construction. The memorial, which is located on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial, draws 4 million visitors annually. Family of Comatose Boy Seek to Have Him Moved to Hospice LONDONThe family of a comatose boy who have fought to prevent doctors from ending his life-support treatment have filed a legal action requesting permission to move their son from a London hospital to a hospice. Archie Battersbees parents announced the move after the European Court of Human Rights late Wednesday rejected a request to intervene in the case following a series of rulings by U.K. courts that backed doctors who said further treatment was not in the 12-year-olds best interests because he is brain dead. The family is now seeking permission to move Archie from the Royal London Hospital in east London to a hospice. They say the hospital informed them that life support would be withdrawn at 11 a.m. Thursday unless a legal challenge over the hospice move was submitted by 9 a.m. 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, his mother, Hollie Dance, told the BBC. The dispute is the latest U.K. case pitting the judgment of doctors against the wishes of families. It is common for British courts to intervene when parents and doctors disagree on the treatment of a child. In such cases, the best interests of the child take primacy over the parents right to decide what they believe is best for their offspring. Archie was found unconscious at home with a ligature over his head on April 7. His parents believe he may have been taking part in an online challenge that went wrong. The parents of Archie Battersbee, Paul Battersbee, and Hollie Dance, speak to the media outside the Royal London hospital in Whitechapel, east London on Aug. 2, 2022. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP) Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs the Royal London Hospital, said it understands the motivation behind the familys request but a previous High Court ruling requires that Archie remain in the hospital while his treatment is ended. The boys condition is so unstable that moving him would hasten the deterioration of his condition, the trust said. As directed by the courts, we will work with the family to prepare for the withdrawal of treatment, but we will make no changes to Archies care until the outstanding legal issues are resolved, Alistair Chesser, chief medical officer of the trust, said in a statement. Archies parents took their campaign to prolong his treatment all the way to the U.K. Supreme Court. After exhausting their legal options in Britain, they asked the European Court of Human Rights to intervene. The ECHR late Wednesday said it would not interfere with the decisions of the national courts to allow the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from (Archie) to proceed. By Danica Kirka FBI Director Christopher Wray is sworn in during a hearing before Senate Judiciary Committee at Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on Aug. 4, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) FBI Involved in Investigation Into President Joe Bidens Son: Director FBI agents are involved in the investigation into President Joe Bidens son, according to the bureaus director. Appearing before a Senate committee on Capitol Hill on Aug. 4, Director Christopher Wray was asked about a whistleblower report saying Timothy Thibault, an assistant special agent in charge of the Washington field office, in 2020 shut down pursuit of derogatory information about Hunter Biden, the presidents son. Did he or does he work on the FBI investigation into Hunter Biden? Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) asked. So, the investigation that you are referring toand I have to be a little bit careful, because we are talking about an ongoing investigationis being run on of our Baltimore field office, working with the Delaware U.S. Attorney, who is a holdover from the prior administration, Wray said. The comment appears to be the first time that FBI involvement in the probe has been confirmed. We have nothing further to add to the Directors testimony, a spokesperson for the FBIs Baltimore office told The Epoch Times in an email. The White House did not respond to requests for comment. The Department of Justice has declined to comment. Hunter Bidens lawyer has not returned inquiries. The younger Biden said in December 2020 that he had learned the U.S. Attorneys Office in Delaware was investigating my tax affairs. He said he was confident the probe would conclude he handled his affairs legally and appropriately. Joe Biden, who had not been sworn into office at the time, said through a spokesperson that he was deeply proud of his son. The president has maintained his son has not done anything wrong. The U.S. attorneys office said at the time that we cannot comment on an ongoing investigation. A subpoena disclosed in January showed that David Weiss, who heads the office and was appointed by former President Donald Trump, showed that authorities issued a subpoena for transactions between the accounts of Hunter Biden, the presidents brother James Biden, and the Bank of China. Business Dealings Hunter Biden conducted a number of business deals while his father was vice president from 2009 to 2017, including hammering out deals with Chinese and Russian nationals. The deals involved potential criminal activity, according to a report from Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) released in 2020. In March, the senators revealed bank records that showed payments were made to Hunter Biden from a company linked to the Chinese Communist Party. The receipts are just some of the records that undeniably show strong links between the Biden family and communist China, Grassley said on the Senate floor. Wray: Deeply Troubling Wray, meanwhile, declined to confirm or deny whether Thibault, who has a series of social media posts displaying animus against Republicans, is involved in the Hunter Biden probe. He did say that he reviewed the allegations from the whistleblower. I want to be very careful not to interfere with ongoing personnel matters, he told Kennedy. I should say that when I read the letter that describes the kinds of things you are talking about, I found it deeply troubling. It is troubling, Kennedy said. I feel very strongly, and I have communicated consistently since I started as director that our folks need to make sure they are not just doing the right thing, that they are doing it in the right way and that they avoid even the appearance of bias or lack of objectivity, Wray added later. Thibaults behavior is not representative of the FBI that I see up close every day in this country, where I see patriots working their tail off, he also said. Julio Cesar Alvarado-Dubon (2nd L) and Rolman Balcarcel-Bavagas (2nd R), both charged with felony possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, stand with defense attorneys Jose Aponte (L) and Samuel Simpson V during a preliminary hearing before Judge David M. Hicks in Richmond City General District Court in Richmond, Va., on Aug. 3, 2022. (Alexa Welch Edlund/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP) Federal Gun Charges for 2 Accused of Plotting July 4 Attack RICHMOND, Va.A judge dismissed state gun charges Wednesday against two men who police said planned a Fourth of July mass shooting in Virginias 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 illegal 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 Commonwealths 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 United States 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 United States 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 previouslyin 2013 and 2014and 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. Smoke billows over sailing boats at Lake Wannsee in the harbor of Berlin's suburb Spandau after explosions in a former munitions depot and a wildfire at Grunewald Forest in Berlin, on Aug. 4, 2022. (Reuters/Stringer) Firefighters Battle Out-of-Control Blaze at Berlin Ammunitions Dump BERLINMore than 100 firefighters on Thursday battled a fire at an ammunitions dump in western Berlin, using water cannons and an army robot to try to contain the blaze that has triggered explosions and was still spreading, officials said. The fire service set up a perimeter zone 1,000 metres (0.6 miles) from the centre of the fire, which it said had spread across 15,000 square metres of Grunewald, a forested area bordered by upscale villas and swimming lakes, as well as the sealed-off ammunitions dump. Firefighters had been unable to reach the source of the blaze due to several explosions at the bomb disposal site, and they were using the army robot to obtain images of the area. The firefighters laid hoses through the forest from nearby rivers and lakes, and an armoured vehicle supplied by the Bundeswehr was cutting a fire break through the forest at the southern edge of the perimeter zone. Everything is prepared at the borders of the perimeter. That is where we want to stop it, a spokesperson for the fire service told Reuters. Berlin frequently carries out bomb disposal operations as explosives are still being discovered from World War Two. The Grunewald site is used to defuse such old munitions, as well as weapons and fireworks, a fire department spokesperson said. It has been in operation since 1950 and is equipped with fire alarm systems and a firebreak that is several metres wide, police said on Twitter. The explosives stored there were being continuously sprinkled with water. The fire service said it was unclear what had caused the fire but that several buildings at the bomb disposal site were ablaze by the time firefighters arrived. No residential areas were affected by the fire, and no evacuations had been ordered. Berlin is experiencing a heatwave. Weather service DWD forecast Thursday as one of the hottest days of the year with temperatures expected to reach between 34 and 38 degrees Celsius. Germany has also been tackling wildfires at its border with Czech Republic for more than a week. A dozen European countries have suffered major blazes this year, forcing thousands to evacuate and destroying homes and businesses. Countries including Italy, Spain, and France still face extreme fire risk. Data published on Thursday showed that this summers European wildfires have burned the second-largest area on record. By Rachel More and Maria Sheahan Firearm Companies Say Packages Shipped With UPS Being Damaged, Disappearing: Reports A number of firearm companies have seen their shipments with UPS become damaged or go missing while on route to customers, while others have allegedly had their corporate accounts canceled by the parcel service, according to a report by Bearing Arms, a pro-Second Amendment news site. Patrick Collins, CEO of The Gun Food, an ammunition supply company, told the news outlet that many packages his business had shipped via UPS had mysteriously vanished in transit. Specifically, Collins alleged that out of 18,000 rounds of ammunition that hes shipped, only around a thirdroughly 6,000were actually delivered. Collins said he was allegedly told by UPS that he was likely not packaging the shipments properly and that the company also noted an uptick in his recent claims regarding packages that are not being successfully delivered. Theyre not even making it. And I dont know what they are doing in the facilities if they are purposefully damaging them, Collins said. However, they are not making it to the customer. Collins added that every batch that his company ships are insured and typically needs to be signed by the customer. So its funny when they try to say, well, you know, you put in too many claims. And its like, well, no, I didnt put in too many claims. Well, our customer never received their package that we had shipped,' Collins said. The Epoch Times did not receive a response from Collins when contacted for comment. Updated Requirements For Firearms Shipments A UPS spokesperson told The Epoch Times: As a common carrier, UPS transports ammunition that constitutes cartridges, small arms, as defined in federal regulations. UPS has safety protocols to help ensure the safe transport of ammunition in our network. We work with our customers to address their concerns, including those with packaging, the spokesperson added while pointing to information on UPSs website on how to ship ammunition, which includes packaging requirements. UPS has updated its requirements for firearms shipments to adhere to nationwide regulations recently issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that go into effect on Aug. 24, 2022, and to address existing laws in a number of states, the spokesperson continued. UPSs policy now clarifies that the company does not accept any firearms, frames or receivers, or partially complete, disassembled, or nonfunctional frames or receivers (as defined by the new federal regulation) unless those items have been identified and given a serial number in compliance with federal requirements. Seized and Destroyed Bearing Arms also pointed to recent reports that a large number of firearm companies have claimed to have had their UPS accounts canceled by the company and that packages that were currently in the UPS system were potentially being seized and destroyed. In a letter sent to one Florida gun dealer, Ghost Firearms, UPS allegedly said they were terminating the account because they may be violating laws concerning homemade firearm parts, or ghost guns. The owner of Ghost Firearms, Joe Zatar, told the Second Amendment Foundation that UPS allegedly informed him in a letter that all scheduled pickups would be canceled and that he would not be allowed to reopen another UPS account or ship anything from a UPS store or website. Zatar claimed that prior to receiving the letter, he had recently shipped out more than $30,000 worth of products and the company warned him that any packages that were found in the UPS system determined to have been tendered by his company may be seized and destroyed. We do not ship to states where theyre not allowed, Zatar told the outlet. We are in total compliance. We had ATF in here just two weeks ago, and they told us we were completely legal. A UPS spokesperson told The Epoch Times that the company has taken steps to address specific compliance risks with a limited number of customers and that it intends to deliver firearms that are legally in transit. Our letters to customers stated that UPS may seize and destroy illegally tendered goods, and we reserve the right to do that, the spokesperson continued, adding that UPSs intent is to drive compliance with the new regulation and UPSs policy. We will take incremental steps to do that with each customer and do not intend to seize or destroy goods unless a shipper intentionally or repeatedly violates UPS policy or federal regulations, the statement continued. UPS takes its compliance obligations seriously with regard to federal and state law. The reports come shortly after the Senate approved a bipartisan package of gun control measures aimed at preventing dangerous people from accessing firearms. It was signed into law by President Joe Biden shortly after. Those measures came in the wake of multiple mass shootings across the country, including at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, which killed 21 people, 19 of whom were children. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Fla., on July 22, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Florida Prosecutor Suspended by DeSantis Defiant, Says Hell Keep Serving in Position The Florida prosecutor suspended by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Aug. 4 was defiant in his first remarks since the move, vowing to continue serving in his position despite the suspension. Im still doing this job, the state attorney and the governor signing something with a pen or crayon doesnt change that, Andrew Warren told reporters during a press conference. DeSantis, a Republican, suspended Warren, the state attorney for the 13th Judicial Circuit, hours earlier, citing how Warren has vowed not to enforce laws regarding abortion and hypothetical laws regarding sex change operations. In his order, DeSantis requested the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office to assist in the immediate transition of Warren from the office and to ensure Warren and his staffers removed no files or other documents. Its not clear if the request was fulfilled. I dont know the details of how that happened, if it did, a spokesperson for the office told The Epoch Times. The spokesperson asked for emailed questions. When emailed, the spokesperson declined to comment, instead pointing to how Sheriff Chad Chronister appeared with DeSantis at the briefing announcing the suspension and supported the move. Christina Pushaw, a spokesperson for DeSantis, told The Epoch Times that Warrens statements are yet another display of his lack of respect for the law. He has been legally suspended from office by the governor, and may no longer conduct the affairs of the office of the State Attorney of the 13th Judicial Circuit, pending his removal by the senate, she said in an email. The Office of the State Attorney for the 13th Judicial Circuit did not return requests for comment. DeSantis ordered Warren replaced by Susan Lopez, a judge in the circuit. The prosecutors office on Thursday began listing Lopez as the state attorney, and published a picture of her being sworn in. Lopez has taken Warrens place due to the suspension, Pushaw said. The Florida Senate can make the suspension permanent or overturn it, per the states Constitution. Abortion Ban After the suspension was ordered, Warren held a press conference announcing charges in a cold case and said he would not be abiding by the suspension. Later in the day, he appeared on CNN and reiterated that he would keep doing his job. DeSantis cited how Warren signed two joint statements with other prosecutors about certain laws, including a letter in June after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. The prosecutors said that we decline to use our offices resources to criminalize reproductive health decisions and would not enforce abortion bans. Florida lawmakers passed, and DeSantis signed, a law this year to ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. A circuit court judge in July said the law violated Floridas Constitution. The judge blocked the law, but soon stayed the ruling as the state appeals it. The 15 week abortion ban is unconstitutional, Warren told reporters. Im the one protecting peoples rights. Im the only one at this moment, whos actually making sure that we are following the law in Hillsborough County, he also said. DeSantis said Warren has put himself publicly above the law. Law enforcement officials, including Chronister, joined in the criticism. Over the last several years State Attorney Warren has acted as an adjudicator of all, as if some type of supreme authority by reducing charges, dropping cases and single-handedly determining what crimes will be legal or illegal in our county, the sheriff said. Food Company Fires: Accidental or Suspicious? Despite high-profile attention, accidents appear random with negligible impact on supply chains A string of fires at food processing plants across the country has led to intense speculation on social media as to whether the fires were accidental or the result of an intentional attack on critical food infrastructure. To investigate whether there was truth to the latter, the team of EpochTVs Facts Matter investigated claims of fires deemed suspicious on social media and in media reports. The Facts Matter team found that most incidents cited of facilities allegedly catching fire in 2022 didnt, in fact, happen this year. Many were lumped in from previous years. In addition, the locations where fires did occur spanned a wide range of industries and the majority arent what would typically be considered a high-value target that in themselves could seriously impact the food supply chain. For example, some of the facilities that caught fire included mom-and-pop delis, a locally run church food pantry, a potato chip factory, a small-town butcher shop, and a salad packaging facility. While many of the incidents remain under investigation by authorities, some have already been cleared by local fire departments of any criminal intention. Among those that were cleared, causes were determined to include faulty equipment, operator errors, or basic negligence. The following is a partial list of fires that have broken out in 2022 at food processing facilities and whats known about their current status in terms of damage and investigation. Former Vice President Dick Cheney appears in an ad for his daughter U.S. Rep. Liz Cheneys (R-Wyo.) reelection campaign. (Screen grab from YouTube) Former VP Dick Cheney Attacks Trump in Ad for Daughters Reelection Campaign Former Vice President Dick Cheney has cut an ad for his daughters congressional campaign in Wyoming in which he lashed out at fellow Republicans and called former President Donald Trump a coward and a threat to the nation. The 60-second campaign ad for the embattled reelection campaign of U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) was posted on YouTube Aug 4. As of press time, it had just over 259,000 views. In our nations 246-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump, Dick Cheney, 81, says while wearing a white cowboy hat in a close-up camera shot. Cheney served as vice president alongside Republican President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him, Dick Cheney said. He is a coward. A real man wouldnt lie to his supporters. He lost his election and he lost big. I know it, he knows it, and deep down, I think most Republicans know it. Cheney said he was so proud of Liz for standing up for the truth, doing whats right, honoring her oath to the Constitution when so many in our party are too scared to do so. There is nothing more important she will ever do than lead the effort to make sure Donald Trump is never again near the Oval Office and she will succeed, he said. His daughter appears at the end of the ad to say she approves of the message. Liz Cheney has become a lightning rod for criticism in Republican Party circles for her attacks on Trump while serving as vice-chair of the U.S. House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 security breach at the U.S. Capitol. The breach delayed the congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election by several hours and has been characterized by Trump critics as an insurrection and a coup attempt, a charge Trump and his supporters adamantly deny. Trump supporters have compared the committees actions to a witch hunt and a Soviet-era show trial. Although she traditionally has had a conservative voting record in Congress, Liz Cheney has antagonized Republicans in her home state, where Trump remains popular. She voted to impeach Trump after the security breach and is regularly in the national media spotlight denouncing the former president. The Wyoming Republican Party censured her after the impeachment vote and last fall declared she was no longer a member of the party. Voting is already underway in the closely watched Aug. 16 primary race for the states sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Liz Cheney is trailing badly, a July 15 poll of 1,100 registered Wyoming voters likely to vote in the primary suggests. Trumps handpicked candidate in the race, natural resources attorney Harriet Hageman, leads Cheney by 52 to 30 percent, according to the survey commissioned by the Casper Star-Tribune. The Epoch Times reached out to former President Trumps office for comment but did not receive an immediate reply. Foster Family Delivers Supplies to Kentucky Floods Victims Volunteers have fanned out across eastern Kentucky to help residents displaced this week by severe flooding that swept away homes and vehicles, and killed at least 37 people, the governor said on Wednesday. Although the number of confirmed deaths has held steady at 37, Governor Andy Beshear said he expected the toll to increase by at least a couple of people in the coming days. After days of torrential rain, a spell of dangerously hot weather has become the latest weather concern. Despite the conditions, the arduous task of cleaning up and rebuilding was well underway on Wednesday, as waters receded and remote areas became more accessible. Mountains of muddy debris, upended vehicles and homes dislodged from their foundations were common sights. Lisa Allen and her family drove around Perry County, distributing food and water to flood victims. Were basically just going around and giving food and items that are necessary for these people whove been devastated by the losses of their homes and by the flood and everything thats happened, said her 17-year-old foster child, Connor Young. A lot of people need this stuff, and were here to deliver it to them because they may not be able to get out of their house and get it themselves or find the places necessary to get the things they need. So its just a way for us to support the community by going out and giving stuff. Huge California County Approves Measure of Possible Secession for 2022 Midterms The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors this week voted to add a November 2022 ballot measure that would allow the county to secede from California. The measure, which was voted on 40 by the supervisors Wednesday, would ask San Bernardino residents: Do the citizens of San Bernardino County want the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors to study all options to obtain its fair share of state and federal resources, up to and including secession? Now, that last line is the most controversial, said Supervisor Curt Hagman during Wednesdays meeting about the proposal. Its a question were going to put to our residents. Do they want to include all options to go after [the] fight for their fair share of taxpayer dollars? he asked. Over the years, some California counties have evaluated the possibility of seceding from the Golden State due to monetary, cultural, and other differences. In 2016, a failed ballot measure would have split California into six states, while a 2018 proposition that also failed would have created three new states. But San Bernardino County is the largest county in California and United States, spanning more than 20,000 square miles and home to well over 2 million people. Cities like Fontana, San Bernardino, Victorville, Hesperia, and other municipalities are within its borders, which stretch from Los Angeles County to the California-Nevada and California-Arizona state lines. Reasons Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. said he doesnt want the county to split from California but is interesting in studying whether its residents should receive more state and federal funds. I do think we have to look at anything we can do to enhance services for our residents, Baca said, reported The Herald Sun newspaper. Im not in favor of seceding. Im proud to be from California. I love California. Hagman concurred with Bacas assertion and noted that it would be acceptable if the worst thing that comes out of this is a study that will be ammunition for our state representatives to fight for more money for us. San Bernardino is a large county in both terms of size and population, with many pieces of critical infrastructure, Barbara Rodriguez, an accountant who assists in state and local fund tax breakdowns, told the California Globe Thursday. And the people there are feeling like they are being gipped. Like most counties, they are looking for more money coming in, and seeing their county be so low on the list has really incensed them. Supervisor Janie Rutherford, meanwhile, said she doesnt believe its feasible politically or financially to secede from California, adding, I absolutely joined with my constituents who have a growing palpable anger about everything. Many Californias are dealing with daily problems, including heavy taxes, the nations highest gas prices, and widespread homelessness, added Rutherford. California, she said, has an ineffective justice system, broken schools, [and] the states overreaching counterproductive regulatory schemes, housing and affordability to the ineptness of the states preparation for this drought. People pay high taxes, and they do not believe those taxes are coming back to their neighborhoods to address the problems theyre most concerned about, Rutherford said. Thats what we heard from our public last week, and there is nothing crazy at all about being angry about those things. If U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney gets her way, New York will be forced to lift a ban on a form of natural gas drilling or risk losing access to federal funding to support renewable energy projects. Tenney, R-New Hartford, introduced a bill titled "The American Energy is Global Security Act." The bill would prevent states that ban hydraulic fracturing from receiving funds through the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program. New York banned hydraulic fracturing, also known as hydrofracking, in 2015. The ban was codified into state law in 2020. Proponents of the ban believed that the environmental costs of drilling would outweigh the economic benefits. But hydrofracking backers think it was a major blow to parts of upstate New York, namely the Southern Tier, that could have experienced an uptick in economic activity and jobs. Tenney believes that New York should tap into the Marcellus Shale and Utica Shale formations that contain natural gas a move that "could power our state with clean energy for decades," she said. "As Americans struggle with record-high costs due to Joe Biden and Kathy Hochul's energy and economic illiteracy, it is time we take actions to reverse this disaster and restore our nation's energy independence," she said. "Americans need clean energy at lower costs now, and delivering on this commitment can and should start right here in New York." While carbon emissions from natural gas are lower compared to oil and coal, it is still a fossil fuel. One of the goals of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program is to reduce the usage of fossil fuels. The infrastructure law signed by Biden in 2021 contained $550 million for the program. Tenney's bill is unlikely to advance in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. But she won praise from the Marcellus Shale Coalition, which advocates for hydrofracking in the Southern Tier. The group's president, David Callahan, said "it is irrefutable that lives are improved by this domestic resource, and we should do everything in our power to ensure and promote its continued development for years to come." Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference CPAC held at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas, Aug. 4, 2022. (Bobby Sanchez/The Epoch Times) Hungarian Prime Minister Warns the West Against a Communist Takeover Viktor Orban kicks off CPAC in Dallas Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, told hundreds of conservatives in Texas on Thursday that his country defeated communismand now America must do the same. Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Orban told the crowd that America is fighting for its life against progressives and globalists, which are communists. Dont be afraid to call your enemies by their name, he said. They hate me and slander me and my country, as they hate you and slander you and the America you stand for. Orban said the Democrats in the United States were not fond of him and wanted Hungary to move away from being a Christian nationalist state. They did not want me to be here, and they made every effort to drive a wedge between us, he said. Orban has been criticized as a right-wing Christian nationalist. His anti-immigration stance drew condemnation from the United States and the international community recently after he said Hungarians did not want to become peoples of mixed race. Orban later clarified that the issue isnt as much about race as it is about culture. While not mentioning the controversy directly, he noted that a Christian politician cannot be racist. Lone Star State of Europe Orbans anti-immigration policy earned him a warm welcome in Texas, which is overwhelmed with illegal immigrants under President Joe Bidens border policies. Orban praised CPACs host state of Texas for its independence and freedom, calling Hungary the Lone Star State of Europe, much to the delight of the crowd. The prime minister said that massive immigration is a globalist goal. George Soros, a Hungarian by birth, has an army of followers in institutions across the globe who want to create a post-Western world. In 2015, Orban said 400,000 illegal immigrants came to Hungarys borders, but Hungary built a wall and reduced illegal immigration to zero. Orbans speech outlined how America and Hungary, which he sees as fighting a common enemy on two fronts, can win against the Marxist movement trying to destroy western civilization. For better or worse, the world looks to America as a great power that will lead the world into the future, he said. The West is at war with itself, he said. The globalists can all go to hell. I have gone to Texas, he said, prompting wild clapping and cheers. Orban said the fight against the far-left starts with understanding that they want to drive a wedge between people and their faith and destroy families. Nazi Germany was able to succeed in a godless environment, he said. You must play to win. Play by your own rules, he said. This war is a culture war. Progressives change language to disguise their Marxist agenda, he said. The ideology wants to destroy the family because Marxism sees it as an oppressive patriarchal system. Gender ideology and the sexualization of children is an idea of the left meant to harm families. In Hungary, a mother is a woman, and a father is a man. Order is necessary for any free country, meaning law enforcement is respected, he said. In Hungary, large families are encouraged through tax breaks for having more than two children. With those policies in place, Hungary has seen marriages double and abortions cut in half over the past decade, he said. We need a strong America with a strong leader, he said, adding America must lead the world to defeat the globalists. The path to victory starts with taking back institutions and turning to faith in God. Orban said America has two years to get ready, alluding to the next presidential election. Enemies in the media would not view his speech in a favorable light, said Orban, who met with former President Donald Trump before his appearance at CPAC. I can already see tomorrows headlines: Far-right European racist, anti-Semite strongman, the Trojan horse of Putin, holds a speech at the conservative conference, he said. Hunters Battle Against Food Insecurity With Meat Donations for Needy Families As food banks across the country grapple with dwindling inventories and supply chain issues, hunting enthusiasts have stepped up their game to assist needy families with donations of legally harvested meat. Deer, bison, elk, antelope, and moose are all excellent alternative sources of protein amid the sticker shock of skyrocketing beef prices, says Eric Luongo, area resource coordinator for the Montana Food Bank Network (MFBN) in Missoula. Luongo said hunter donation programs have grown in scope and demand as food prices rise. Were hoping this is going to trend up and more donations are going to come in, Luongo told The Epoch Times. Considering the number of hunters who participated, the rate of hunting accidents was low in Wisconsin and Indiana on Nov. 18, the first day of firearm deer season. (Raymond Roig/AFP via Getty Images) Luongo oversees wild meat donations through Hunters Against Hunger, a statewide program working in conjunction with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. The pilot effort began in 2014 and has grown to include many community food banks and meat processing facilities throughout the state. According to the MFBN, hunters who legally harvest big game during the hunting season can donate all or part of their meat to feed hungry Montanans. Luongo said the network distributed 25,000 pounds of meat last year, providing nearly 21,000 meals to local families in need. However, before the pandemic, the network had received and processed nearly 50,000 pounds of meat annually; Luongo says the network hopes to bridge that gap this year. One of the challenges of the program is having enough hunters and enough processors throughout the state, he said. Harvest Down During Pandemic Luongo described the program as a partnership among an estimated 600 to 700 Montanans and out-of-state hunters who harvest the meat, 32 processors that create the finished product, and food banks that distribute it. The Hunters Against Hunger program has really helped the Gallatin Valley Food Bank in Bozeman, Montana, over the years, program manager Laura Stonecipher said. Many of our customers want locally sourced foods and game meat is one of the best options to provide that, she told The Epoch Times. Before the program began, the food bank paid all game meat processing costs. Now, we can redirect those funds to other food needs, she said. Stonecipher said the program also benefits the local economy by helping game processors. Since 2014, the food bank has received more than 70,000 pounds of game meat to distribute to customers. We already have folks asking when game meat will be back in our store, she added. Food Bank for New York City raised hunger awareness, and fed those in need on Nov. 23, 2018. (Screenshot/NTD) Montanas ample supply of wild game is a natural boon in the fight against hunger, according to Kelli Hess, interim co-executive director for the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center. We are so fortunate to live in a state that allows the harvested game to be donated to our local food banks, Hess told The Epoch Times. We have some hunters that specifically hunt to provide meat to our store, and others that donate because theyll never be able to eat all the meat they get. Our customers love the wild game, and when we get it, it never lasts long. Idaho Hunters Feeding the Hungry is a nonprofit organization incorporated in 2002 to provide big game meat to area food pantries and food insecure families. With the help of hunters and meat processors, we can transform the big surplus game into nutritional protein for the hungry, according to the organizations website. The San Antonio Food Bank in Texas also receives donations of wild game. The Congressional Sportsmens Foundation (CSF) runs larger-scale game meat donation programs. Big Game, Big Need Instead of discarding or wasting legally harvested game meat or surpluses of meat harvested through nuisance or crop damage licenses, donation programs have developed across the country with the objective of turning the meat into meals for those in need, the organization says on its website. Many hunters who wish to donate individual animals they harvest through regulated hunting participate in these programs every year, which helps to maintain the historical role of hunters as food providers and ensure game meat doesnt go to waste. The organization cited research that shows that 87 percent of adults will support hunting if the main reason is to procure meat. Over the past decade-and-a-half, meat has been the most common and fastest-growing motivation for hunters nationwide, according to CSF. Volunteers prepare Thanksgiving meal boxes for the needy at Second Harvest Food Bank headquarters in Irvine, Calif., on Nov. 19, 2020. (Drew van Voorhis/The Epoch Times) CSF also found that many states will allow hunters to contribute money to support wild game donation programs when purchasing their licenses. In 2010, nearly 3 million pounds of deer, elk, antelope, moose, pheasant, and waterfowl meat found their way onto U.S. tables through donation programs. One deer, for example, can provide roughly 50 pounds of venison. An adult elk can supply up to 200 pounds of meat. The MFBN received donations of 22 deer last year, enough to feed hundreds of families, Luongo said. The least amount of yield is going to be an antelope because its a smaller animal, Luongo said. The majority are deer, but there is a fair amount of antelope. Bison and moose are a little less common. A Matter of Food Insecurity All donated meat is sent to a processing facility, ground into burger meat, and wrapped in 1-pound packages for distribution to Montana food banks. I know the [program] funding is there. I think its a great program, and its going to continue to grow, Luongo said. The nonprofit Backyard Bow Pro program in North Carolina is a network of hunters that battles food insecurity by donating legally harvested deer. Meanwhile, several states have recently adopted legislation creating or expanding game meat donation programs. In 2020, Missouri approved a wild game bill (House Bill 1711). Texas expanded meat donation programs (HB 2214) to include legally harvested exotic species. In April, the Utah Legislature adopted HB 142, which allows hunters to donate wild game meat to local food banks. If everyone who harvested an elk donated even 1 percent, that would amount to over three tons of elk meat. If the average family meal consists of 20 ounces of meat, that would yield over 6,000 meals for people who may not have otherwise had a healthy, wholesome meal, according to hunttoeat.com. During the height of the pandemic in November 2020, Pennsylvania agriculture Secretary Russell Redding encouraged the states more than 850,000 licensed hunters to donate a deer to feed needy families. The nonprofit Hunters Sharing the Harvest coordinated the effort. Its a shining example of the good that can happen when public sector support and private sector generosity work together to solve a problem, said Redding, noting that more than 2 million Pennsylvanians were at risk of hunger in 2020. At 16, Jacob Irving from Montgomery, Texas, has achieved an incredible feat by starting his own gourmet hotdog truck business, after garnering inspiration from his grandfather. I knew that I wanted to do something entrepreneurial and I knew I wanted to do it soon, Irving told The Epoch Times. Jacob and his grandpa trying to cook when he was very little. (Courtesy of Jacob Irving) The teen was determined that he didnt want to wait and spend a million dollars in attending college and a few years on a degree that he wouldnt use. So young Irving decided to start something with a low overhead and cheap startup cost: Pop Pops Dandy Dog. Sharing more about the inspiration behind his venture, Irving said that his grandfather (Pop Pop) used to own a restaurant called Dandy Dog in Lewisville, Texas, in 1985. Since Irvings grandfather had already completed most of the work on the front end almost 40 years ago, Irving just decided to take over his old logos, menu items, and recipes. In fact, those recipes are reportedly delicious. Irvings truck has gained significant media attention after being highlighted by a popular local concert promoter, Charles Digg, whose social media post caught the eye of former Texas governor candidate Chad Prather. Prather reposted the story to his million-plus followers, and visitors flocked to Pop Pops Dandy Dog to get a taste for themselves. However, apart from all the attention the food truck has been receiving, its been a lot of hard work for Irving, who will attend senior year at Lake Creek High School next year. To start out, he first had to persuade his parents to buy him a trailer instead of using the money to go to college. It took months of negotiating, hours writing up business plans, and many conversations to convince them, Irving said. The deal that was later made was that if Irvings parents bought him the trailer, he would cover all the other costs, including generator, permits, food, and any other extra cost. Even after all that passed, it took Irving countless sleepless nights and 20-hour work days for weeks to get up and runningall while he was still attending school. However, Irving hasnt been a stranger to hard work. He got his first job at Chick-fil-A as soon as he turned 14, and hes never stopped. He worked two jobs at a time, all while trying to maintain his school responsibilities and extracurricular activities. Im in the top 5 percent of my class, so I have not let my grades slip, Irving said, despite coming home at 2.30 a.m. and leaving for classes a couple of hours later. Once Irving turned 16 and had saved up enough, he opened his venture. I felt proud of the work I had done and proud of my many supporters for helping me make it happen, he shared. Some of his supporters include the owner of Texas Twist & Shakes, Bill Clevenger, who has helped guide him and been generous to him by offering extra freezer space and various other things. Meanwhile, Tom Cronin at the Cozy Grape has also helped him by offering advice and various other favors. Irvings girlfriend, Edi, has been a great support to him also. She has supported me and stayed with me through endless hours of work and time I had to spend away from her, Irving said. Shes helped me run the trailer and been the biggest help to me I couldve asked for. Running a business does take its own toll, Irving admitted. The demands of the job often leave him stressed, nervous, and anxious; more than an average teenager. I have to miss out on certain things because Im busy doing things for the business, he said. Spending time with family and friends is hard because when I do get the time to spend with them, there are still things I have to be doing (responding to Facebook comments, messages, ordering food). It never stops. Despite all that, Irving says that its totally worth it. Over the course of running his own business, the grateful teen has learned a lot of life lessons, such as asking for help from people around him. My whole life Ive been very independent to a fault, he said. Not only that but Im very, very stubborn. I will never accept help even when I really need it. But Irving has come to realize that if youve been loving and kind to those around you, they will always be willing to do a favor for you or give you some advice. Being an entrepreneur at such a young age, Irving said that hes pretty proud of his achievements and it should be an inspiration for people like him that they can do it. He also shared a piece of advice for other youngsters who have an entrepreneurial spirit. In the words of the Nike brand, just do it. Make it happen, he said. Hurdle over all the problems you come across and find solutions. He admitted that it might be difficult and there could be days where one might feel discouraged, but he urged to stay motivated, determined, and driven. This will surely make success possible. As for what the future holds for Irving himself, he said that the plan doesnt stop at one truck. His goal is to start a franchise and get Pop Pops Dandy Dog to more locations. Hes thankful for the support and attention his venture is getting, and for his grandfather who inspired him all along. With his wild stories and his will to instill me with drive, he helped me gain the motivation and determination that every business owner needs, Irving said. Pop Pops Dandy Dog is located at 404 Caroline St, Montgomery, Texas, and operates Monday to Thursday, 127 p.m., and Friday to Saturday, 128 p.m. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter UK Tightens Security Around Conservative Party Vote Commentary While Democrats continue to claim that 2020 was the fairest election in U.S. history and push for even fewer restrictions on mail-in voting in the midterms, the United Kingdom is starting to take electoral fraud more seriously. As the Conservative Party leaderships race to replace Boris Johnson reaches its final stage, all 160,000 Conservative members across the country get to vote on whether Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak will be their next leader andas their side is currently in powerthe next prime minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The winner will be announced on Sept. 5. But something about the process spooked the spooks at GCHQ, Britains top-secret government communications centerin particular, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which it runs. The ballot was designed to allow members to vote by either mail orfor the first timeonline, and, if they change their minds before voting ends, to then use the alternative method to cancel their previous choice. The NCSC felt it necessary to explain to them that this opens the potential for nefarious actorsthats hackers in plain speakto also change the members votes, without being noticed. They advised them to make changes pronto, to enhance security around the ballot process. Their solution was to have the members online codes deactivated once the ballot company receives their mail-in vote, meaning that members would no longer be able to change their votes at the last minute. Interestingly, when writing about the GCHQ intervention, the supposedly impartial BBC compared it to the alleged Russian hacking of the 2016 Trump election win but made no mention of any irregularities in the 2020 vote, which saw Joe Biden enter the White House. Although this isnt an exact parallel to U.S. ballots, its an admission that voter fraudespecially regarding mail-in ballotsisnt just possible but needs to be addressed. It should be a cause of great embarrassment to the ones who are currently running the United Kingdom that they devised a voting system that hackers, either at home or abroad, could so easily exploit. The Telegraph, which first broke the story, revealed that members received a note informing them: Your ballot is now on the waybut 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. That British politeness is really a mask for, We messed up, so the intel guys told us to scrap the bit where you get to change your mind. But this is an internal ballot, and, regardless of who wins, the Conservatives will stay in power, at least for now. The system was devised long before it was known who the final candidates would be, so this was an administrative goof rather than anything more sinister. In a national ballot, however, the likelihood of willful voter fraud by the parties and third parties seeking to affect the outcome is much more likely. The need for electoral scrutiny at every level is, therefore, paramount. Biden Admin Seeks to Boost Voter Participation In 2020, the FBI did its job of detecting external threats. That includes Iranian hackers who allegedly managed to compromise the vote in Alaska and also tried in at least 10 other states, although it was less than circumspect at the local level, as the documentary 2000 Mules alleges. While the Conservative Party heeded GCHQs warning and delayed sending out its ballots until extra security was added, those FBI alerts were ignored. Both political parties, for differing reasons, let the documented cases of election interference in Alaska go without a recount, which I wrote about last month. In March 2021, Biden issued an executive order to all federal agencies, giving them 200 days to find a strategic plan outlining the ways identified under this review that the agency can promote voter registration and voter participation. As a result, at the beginning of this year, assisted living facilities, public health centers, and job centers were turned into voter registration agencies. The Department of Housing and Urban Development website now states: HUD is asking owners [of HUD-assisted properties] to share voter and election resources with residents, including encouraging residents to visit vote.gov. Phill Kline, director of The Amistad Project, told Just the News that federal agencies participating in voter turnout efforts is wrong because they will target who they want to turn out to vote. He added that the left is trying to enshrine in law all the problems in the 2020 election. He believes its focus is not on running the government objectively, but obtaining power. With the Democrats controlling the White House, both houses of Congress, the Department of Justice, and, some say, the FBI, too, its difficult to see how things are going to change before the midterms. George Soros is also reportedly investing heavily, including supporting efforts by a group called Promote the Vote for a constitutional amendment in Michigan that would require state funding for the postage of absentee applications and for the installation of absentee ballot drop boxes. Theyre also seeking to prevent the enactment of strict voter ID requirements and to allow private donations to election officials. But with Bidens approval rating having dropped to below 30 percent in some polls, if the Democrats hold onto both houses of Congress, it would take a lot to convince the American people of the legitimacy of the election result. In desperation, the Jan. 6 show trial might go nuclear and seek to have Donald J. Trump arrested before then. The UKs two prime ministerial candidates face a different problem. It has been disclosed in The Times that a slim majority of party members, whose votes they need, are upset that Johnson is no longer at the helm. Is that why he never actually said the word resign in his resignation speech? Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. 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, at the president's office in Taipei, Taiwan, on Aug. 3, 2022. (Handout/Getty Images) Is War by Proxy the US Policy Toward Russia and China? Does Pelosis visit to Taiwan reveal a lack of control, unclear US intentions toward Taiwan and Chinaor is something else going on? Commentary What should one make of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis (D-Calif.) journey to Taiwan? There are at least a couple of conclusions that can be derived from Pelosis semi-official state visit to the self-governed, anti-communist island nation. One is that there is, apparently, no limit to the delusions of those who fail to grasp reality. Another is that the purpose of Pelosis visit to Taiwan may be much worse than you think. Deliberate Delusions? Lets start with Pelosis potential delusions. Did she imagine that her visit would demonstrate to the Chinese regime Americas commitment to Taiwans independence? It would appear so. After all, she did say to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen that we will not abandon Taiwan. To some ears, that could sound a lot like a commitment to the island nations independence. But its not. In response to Pelosis announcement, the Biden administration asserted that it doesnt support that aspiration for Taiwan. So thats clear as mud. Could it be that the purpose of the meeting was to stabilize relations with Beijing? Thats not realistic, either. If anything, Pelosis visit has agitated and animated Beijing to new levels. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership has already characterized Pelosis visit as provocative. Triggering Escalation And of course, it was. In fact, it was intended to be. As a result, Taiwan witnessed a massive presence of both U.S. and Chinese navies in its water in the run-up to the visit. More on that in a moment. But first, whats the immediate outcome, now that Pelosi has left the island nation? One result is the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Navys announcement that they would be engaging in live-fire exercises around Taiwan. It has kept that promise, firing at least 11 missiles into Taiwanese waters, as well as increasing the frequency of violating Taiwans airspace with its warplanes. The level of tension between Beijing and Taipei has reached new levels. There are several other implications that can be derived from Pelosis seemingly individual decision to visit Taiwan and none of them are good. A missile is launched from an unspecified location in China on Aug. 4, 2022. The Chinese military fired live missiles into waters near Taiwan as part of its planned exercises on Aug. 4. (CCTV via AP) A Facade of Chaos? For instance, Pelosis semi-official-but-not-supported-by-Biden visit to Taiwan could easily be interpreted as a sign of just how divided, uncoordinated, and even non-functioning the Biden administration appears to be. Given Bidens track record, one could understand how observers may come to such obvious conclusions. The withdrawal from Afghanistan, for instance, was incredibly harmful to U.S. security and prestige. In a single day, the Biden administration destroyed U.S. credibility among allies and adversaries, left a power vacuum that was immediately filled by Russia and China, and armed the very folks wed been fighting for 20 years. Then, in Ukraine, the administration failed to deter Russia from invading, which has led to a raging war, the ongoing destruction of a nation, and forthcoming famine, among other negative outcomes. Now, with regard to Taiwan and China, it seems that the president lacks any control over foreign policy. Thats understandable. After all, even though neither the Biden administration nor its military leadership approved of Pelosis visit, the speaker did so anyway. How could that be? How can a visit by a member of Congress that triggers the most aggressive encirclement of the island nation by Chinas naval forces in history and further disrupt global trade be considered simply accidental or inadvertent? Under what circumstances does a member of Congress supersede presidential authority, especially regarding a provocative act involving delicate foreign policy that could well lead to war? Creating a False Narrative It would seem to demonstrate that the U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity toward Taiwan is reaching absurd and unsustainable levels. That may be the pointits too incredulous to believe, and therefore, prompts other questions. For example, how should Taipeiand for that matter, Beijingview U.S. policy and judgment now? Should either or both conclude that the United States has no clear policy objective, that its leadership is deeply divided on Taiwan, and that therefore, the U.S. commitment to the status quo is over with regard to Taiwans existence? That seems like a reasonable assumption. Or, more cynically, what if both Taipei and Beijing simply were led to that conclusion? The Ukraine Template That may be a hard pill to swallow, but consider the provocations from the Biden administration toward Russia. In the months leading up to the war, NATOs destabilizing overtures to Ukraine, driven by the United States, would have put a Western military presence on Russias border. Moscow made it clear that such an outcome would provoke a Russian military response. And yet, the United States kept pushing and Russia finally responded with its horrendous invasion and destruction of Ukraine. Of crucial importance is the fact that the United States has not abandoned Ukraine in the face of Russias war against it, but rather, along with NATO, is supporting Ukraine with sophisticated weaponry to Moscows great disadvantage. Russias conventional military capacity is being drained rapidly, with a staggeringly high casualty rate and material losses. The war, which is pitting relatives against each other, also is dividing Russian society. Moscow has charged the United States with fighting a proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, with Russian and Ukrainian troops doing all the dying, while the United States simply supplies arms. Delusion Reigns Could the Ukraine template be the whole point of Pelosis Taiwan visit? Could the administrations strategy be to provoke China into invading a heavily armed Taiwan, thus allowing the United States to fight a proxy war against China? Its certainly a possibility, but who knows? If projection is any indicator, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinkens statement that he hopes Beijing will not manufacture a crisis from Pelosis Taiwan visit may be exactly what the Biden administration wants to see occur. Foreign policy by proxy war isnt new. But if Team Biden believes that triggering a proxy war against China in Taiwan serves our interests in some way, or some overarching, globalist pretensions, then its as delusional as Pelosi. Its even more delusional to imagine that the Beijing regimes response will mirror Russias. Beijing is preparing its people for war and its delusional to think that it would be waged on the Biden administrations terms. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. An Israeli air strike in Gaza City in a file photo taken in 2022. (Reuters TV via Reuters) Israeli Forces Kill Alleged Terrorist Leader, Attack Islamic Jihad in Gaza Strip The Israel Defense Forces announced Friday it carried out airstrikes in the Gaza Strip as part of an anti-terrorist operation, leaving several dead, including a leader of the Islamic Jihad group. Taysir al-Jabari, who is in charge of Islamic Jihads military arm, died in the airstrikes in Gaza City, the group told several news outlets. Israeli officials also confirmed his death. The health ministry in Gaza told Al Jazeera that 10 people died, including a 5-year-old girl. At least 55 people were injured. The Epoch Times could not immediately verify those claims. An Israeli spokesperson told Reuters that the military believed it had killed around 15 terrorists but said it did not have the final total. On Twitter, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wrote it is targeting terrorist organizations in Gaza with the latest strikes. At least six Islamic Jihad military posts were hit, the IDF added, saying that those groups were issuing direct threats against Israeli assets. We just targeted a senior commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group in Gaza, the IDF also wrote. Tayseer Jabari was responsible for multiple terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians. The IDF will continue to defend Israel against the threat of terrorism. We just targeted a senior commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group in Gaza. Tayseer Jabari was responsible for multiple terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians. The IDF will continue to defend Israel against the threat of terrorism. pic.twitter.com/rhxuw2ZmYs Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 5, 2022 Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement that Israel would not allow terrorist organizations to set the agenda. Let anyone who rises up to harm Israel know that we will get to them. Our security forces will act against Islamic Jihad terrorists to remove the threat from the citizens of Israel, he said. A top official in Islamic Jihad, a group that has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union, vowed to retaliate. We will respond forcefully to this aggression, and there will be a fight in which our people will win, Islamic Jihads secretary general, Ziyad al-Nakhala, said while visiting Iran on Friday, according to the BBC. He suggested that Tel Aviv will be targeted: There are no red lines for this battle Tel Aviv will be under the rockets of the resistance. Hamas, the group that controls Gaza, condemned Israels airstrikes, saying that Jerusalem must pay the price and bear full responsibility for it. Islamic Jihad, one of a cluster of Palestinian terrorist groups, was founded in Gaza in the 1980s and opposes political dialogue with Israel. Considered close to Iran, it is separate from Hamas but generally cooperates closely with the organization. Gaza, a narrow strip of land where some 2.3 million people live on a patch of 140 square miles, has been a constant point of conflict ever since Hamas took control. The area has since been under blockade, with both Israel and Egypt tightly restricting movement in and out. Reuters contributed to this report. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a press conference in Tokyo on April 8, 2022. (Rodrigo Reyes Marin/AFP via Getty Images) Japan Calls for Immediate Suspension of Chinese Military Drills Japans prime minister on Friday called for the immediate suspension of Chinese military drills around Taiwan after five ballistic missiles fired by China landed in Japans exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with visiting U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for talks centered on Taiwan tensions, as China increased its military drills in response to Pelosis visit to Taiwan this week. Kishida told Pelosi that Chinas recent missile launches presented a serious threat to regional peace and stability, and urged Beijing to immediately cease military drills surrounding Taiwan. China fired 11 ballistic missiles into waters near Taiwan on Thursday, the same day that Pelosi arrived in Japan for the final leg of her Asian trip. Japan claimed that five missiles landed in its exclusive economic zone. Kishida condemned Chinas missile launches and reaffirmed Japans willingness to work closely with the United States to maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait. The recent [launches] of Chinese ballistic missiles into the waters near Japan, including the EEZ, is a serious issue affecting Japans national security and the safety of its citizens, he was quoted as saying by the Foreign Ministry. US Wont Isolate Taiwan Pelosi said that her visit to Taiwan was not to change the status quo for the Chinese-claimed island but rather to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and U.S.-China policy. To that end, as you see, the Chinese made their strikes, probably using our visit as an excuse, she told reporters in Tokyo. Pelosi said the United States will not be swayed by Chinas attempts to isolate Taiwan, which had barred the self-governed island from participating in the World Health Organization. They may try to keep Taiwan from visiting or participating in other places, but they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there, she remarked. Our friendship with Taiwan is a strong one. Pelosi and her congressional delegation arrived in Tokyo on Thursday after visiting Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, and South Korea. Her visit has angered China, which views Taiwan as a renegade province that must be reunited with the mainland. The day before Pelosis arrival in Taiwan, 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. Frank Fang contributed to this report. In this courtroom sketch, Aydin Coban is pictured at B.C. Supreme Court, in New Westminster, B.C., on June 6, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Jane Wolsak) Judge Instructs Jury Before Its Deliberation in Online Extortion Case of BC Teen The British Columbia Supreme Court justice in the trial of a Dutch man charged with harassing and extorting teenager Amanda Todd told the jury to take special care with the teens statements. Justice Martha Devlin said because Todd died in October 2012 and didnt testify and wasnt able to be cross-examined at Aydin Cobans trial, the jury needs to be aware of the limitations of evidence given. In her final instructions before deliberations can begin, Devlin said jury members should carefully examine the statements Todd gave to her parents, police officers and in her electronic communications when they consider Cobans verdict. Coban pleaded not guilty to extortion, harassment, communication with a young person to commit a sexual offence and possession and distribution of child pornography at the start of the trial two months ago. Before summarizing the evidence and testimony provided in the 38-day trial, Devlin was careful to say that Coban was not charged with Todds death. Crown attorney Louise Kenworthy told the jury in her opening statements that Todd had been the victim of a persistent campaign of online sextortion before her death at age 15. Herb Wesson (C) attends the City Of Los Angeles's Black History Month Celebration at Los Angeles City Hall, in Los Angeles, Calif., on Feb. 4, 2020. (Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images) Judge Removes Self From Herb Wessons City Council Replacement Case LOS ANGELESA judge who recently again blocked Herb Wesson from acting as a temporary replacement for suspended Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas has removed herself from further proceedings in the case. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mary H. Strobel had issued a temporary restraining order on July 19 preventing Wesson from performing any council functions. The decision effectively blocks him from representing the district, although it did not formally remove him from his temporary appointment. The case was reassigned to Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff, who will hear the organizations request for a preliminary injunction on Aug. 17. Strobels clerk issued a minute order Aug. 3 in which the judge explained her decision to remove herself from the case brought by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California: The court has received citys opposition to the order to show cause re: preliminary injunction [and] for the first time in this litigation, the city argues that the legislative history of proposed changes to the city charter in 1999 is relevant to the issues in the preliminary injunction. Because the judge worked as a staff member for the elected Charter Reform Commission, one of the two commissions recommending those changes in 1999, the court recuses itself in the interests of justice. Strobels July 19 ruling marked the second time she had issued a temporary restraining order against Wessons service on the council. On Feb. 24, Strobel sided with the organizations challenge to Wessons appointment, issuing an order preventing him from serving. She later vacated the order and declined to issue a preliminary injunction, saying that procedurally, the organization needed to obtain permission from the state Attorney Generals Office to proceed with its legal challenge. As a result, Wesson began serving on the council in mid-March. In June, however, the Attorney Generals Office cleared the way for the organization to proceed with its challenge, opining that there were legitimate questions about whether Wessons appointment was legal. The organization contends that Wesson is termed out since he already represented the 10th District from 2005 through 2020, serving as council president from 2012 to 2020. Attorneys for the city argued against the restraining order, saying in part that there was no urgency for such a rulingas noted by the organizations decision to wait roughly a month after the attorney generals ruling to even seek an injunction. City attorneys also claimed that the restraining order would do nothing to address the organizations primary allegation that the City Council had no authority to suspend Ridley-Thomas. Ridley-Thomas was suspended from the council last October, following his federal indictment on corruption charges. Ridley-Thomas and Marilyn Flynn, former dean of the University of Southern California School of Social Work, are charged in a 20-count indictment alleging a secret deal in which Ridley-Thomaswhen he was a member of the county Board of Supervisorsagreed to steer county money to the university in return for admitting his son Sebastian Ridley-Thomas into graduate school with a full-tuition scholarship and a paid professorship. Flynn allegedly arranged to funnel a $100,000 donation from Ridley-Thomass campaign funds through the university to a nonprofit to be operated by his son, a former member of the state Assembly. The donation prompted an investigation by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Los Angeles that remains open, prosecutors said. In exchange, the indictment contends, Ridley-Thomas supported county contracts involving the School of Social Work, including lucrative deals to provide services to the county Department of Children and Family Services and Probation Department, as well as an amendment to a contract with the Department of Mental Health that would bring the school millions of dollars in new revenue. Both defendants have strongly denied any wrongdoing and promised that evidence will clear their names. The motion to appoint Wesson as a temporary replacement was unanimously approved by the council on Feb. 22. According to the appointment, Wesson is supposed to hold the position through Dec. 31 unless Ridley-Thomas is acquitted or the charges against him are dropped. The renowned landmark Jumbo Floating Restaurant, which had been in Hong Kong for nearly half a century, was towed away on June 14, 2022. Its kitchen barge fell into the water on June 1. (Sung Pi-lung/The Epoch Times) Jumbo Seafood Restaurant Turns Bottom-up, Superstructure Disintegrates Safety Administration: Boat is in full bottom up position resting on undersea reefs The Jumbo seafood boat, which capsized in the waters near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea while being towed out of Hong Kong in June 2022, had its current status updated by mainland Hainan Maritime Safety Administration, a unit of the Sansha Maritime Safety Administration. Hainan Maritime Safety Administration told WeMedia01 of Hong Kong on August 3 that the hull of the seafood boat had overturned and was lying in a bottom-up position resting on the reefs of the seabed with its superstructure disintegrated. It also stated that a part of the bottom of the boat would still stick out of the water at low tide. The South Korean tugboat company tasked with towing the Jumbo Seafood boat said earlier that salvaging the boat was completely impossible due to insurance issues. A person familiar with the matter analysed that the accident was mainly due to the unstable weather and revealed that the shipowner and insurance company planned to arrange divers to go underwater, pierce through all other buoyancy chambers, scuttling the boat, and let it sink to the sea bottom. When the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration responded to the scuttling of the seafood boat, it emphasised that it would urge the tugboat company to perform its duty of salvage and removal as soon as possible in accordance with the law. The Jumbo Seafood Restaurant, with a history of half a century in operation, was a landmark and tourist attraction in the southern district of Hong Kong. However, it was closed during the pandemic for more than two years, and no new operators could be found during that hardship period. On June 14, with the public not knowing its next destination, it was towed away by a tugboat from the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter. On the evening of June 18, while being towed by the ocean-going tugboat JAEWON 9, the seafood boat capsized in the waters near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. However, its parent company, Aberdeen Catering Group, only announced the incident on June 20, saying that the seafood boat encountered strong wind and waves on June 18, and tilted over in the water on June 19. At that time, the company said that because the water at the site was more than 1,000 meters deep, the proposed salvage project will be very difficult to carry out. On the evening of June 21, two days later, the group claimed that the seafood boat capsized, and the Hong Kong Marine Department confirmed for the first time that Cambodia was its intended destination. The director of the tugboat company told i-Cable on June 24 more details of the incident. He said that the seafood boat had eight buoyancy chambers. One on the port bow was hit and damaged by seawater and then pressed against another buoyancy chamber causing that to fail also. With two buoyancy chambers damaged, the vessel tilted to the port side, even though the remaining six buoyancy chambers remained intact. With a height of 28 meters (92 feet), 79 meters (259 feet) in length, and 25 meters (82 feet) in width, the high centre of gravity made it vulnerable to capsizing. After turning bottom up, it was said that the hull would still be visible during low tide. Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin is demanding Gov. Kathy Hochul release data on assaults on correctional officers information that's already publicly available since a solitary confinement reform law took effect on April 1. The Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act, known as HALT, was approved by the Democratic-led state Legislature and signed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The law's main provisions include a limit on how long incarcerated individuals may be placed in solitary confinement no more than 15 days and the creation of rehabilitation units intended to be an alternative to segregated confinement. According to data released by the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in its monthly report, there were 406 assaults on staff in the second quarter the first three months that HALT was in effect. That's up from 290 in the same quarter last year and 293 in the first quarter of this year. The use of special housing units has declined since HALT took effect. DOCCS reported that 1,724 incarcerated individuals were in special housing units on March 1, the last month before the new solitary confinement reform law went into effect. By April 1, the number of incarcerated individuals in special housing units was down to 725. As of Aug. 1, there are 490 SHU occupants. Violence in state prisons is not a new problem, but it has been increasing in recent years. Based on the DOCCS data, the assaults on staff and incarcerated individuals are on pace to set records this year. Through the first seven months of the year, state prisons reported 842 assaults on staff and 821 assaults on incarcerated individuals. Most of the assaults on staff in the second quarter resulted in no injuries to officers, but DOCCS said there were 673 minor injuries classified by the department as "injuries that require either no treatment, minimal treatment (scratch, bruise, aches/pain) or precautionary treatment" and 39 moderate injuries (ranging from burns and cuts to concussions, sprains and muscle or ligament damage). The department also reported eight serious injuries (injuries that require a trip to the hospital but aren't considered life-threatening) and one severe injury (defined as "obvious disfigurement, protracted impairment of health, loss or impairment of organ function, amputation, and injuries that risk cause of death") in the quarter. The New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, a union representing corrections officers, has railed against HALT and even filed a federal lawsuit challenging the law. That lawsuit was dismissed in June. The union claimed that the law would lead to increased violence in prisons. Zeldin said in a statement on Wednesday that he has heard from correctional officers that attacks "have been nonstop" since HALT's implementation. "Kathy Hochul must immediately release all of the data of attacks against New York's correctional officers since the HALT Act was implemented so the public can be informed of the true consequences of this law," he said. "The governor has become an accomplice of these assaults by staying silent, refusing to lead, and resisting all calls to repeal this extremely dangerous new law. Enough is enough! We must repeal the HALT Act!" Hochul's campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Supporters of HALT have criticized the effects of solitary confinement on incarcerated individuals. Advocates have also noted that assaults on staff have been increasing since 2012 long before any solitary confinement reforms were implemented. Jerome Wright, a formerly incarcerated individual who now serves as co-director of the #HALTsolitary Campaign, has urged state prisons and local jails to "embrace the law and fully implement all of its provisions to relieve suffering, save lives and make everyone safer." "We've waited long enough for this to be put in place," he said. "Countless people had to suffer and die in solitary for lawmakers to finally act and make this bill a law after nearly a decade of deliberation with all stakeholders." Alex Jones during trial at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin, Texas, on Aug. 3, 2022. (Briana Sanchez/Austin American-Statesman via AP, Pool, File) Jury Finds Alex Jones Must Pay $4.1 Million to Parents of Sandy Hook Victim A Texas jury on Aug. 4 ordered Alex Jones, founder and host of the Infowars radio show and webcast, to pay $4.1 million to the parents of a boy killed in the Sandy Hook mass shooting, marking the first time he has been held financially liable for spreading the false claim that the shooting was a hoax. Sandy Hook refers to the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people20 of whom were children between 6 and 7 years oldat Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec. 14, 2012. Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, separated parents of slain 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, had sought at least $150 million in compensatory damages from Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems LLCInfowars parent companyfor defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The 12-person jurys verdict came after a two-week trial in Austin, Texas, where Joness radio show and webcast Infowars are based. The $4.1 million amount is significantly less than what the parents had sought. We are very pleased with the verdict, and we are looking forward to the punitive damages phase that starts tomorrow, Kyle Farrar, an attorney for the parents, told Reuters in an email on Aug. 4. Lawyers for Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Jones called the reduced award a major victory in a video posted on his website late on Aug. 4. I admitted I was wrong. I admitted it was a mistake. I admitted that I followed disinformation but not on purpose. I apologized to the families. And the jury understood that, he said. What I did to those families was wrong. But I didnt do it on purpose. He added that the award was more money than my company and I personally have, but we are going to work on trying to make restitution on that. Mark Bankston, an attorney for the parents, said that the $4.1 million will be only part of what Jones will have to pay. We arent done folks, he said on Aug. 4. We knew coming into this case it was necessary to shoot for the moon to get the jury to understand we were serious and passionate. After tomorrow, hes going to owe a lot more. The jury will next consider the parents request for $75 million in punitive damages from Jones for spreading falsehoods about the mass shooting. The deliberations in the second phase of the damages trial are expected to start on Aug. 5. Sandy Hook 100 Percent Real: Jones Jones had previously spread the false claim that the mainstream media and gun-control activists worked together to fabricate the Sandy Hook shooting, and that crisis actors were involved in staging the shooting. During the trial, Jones conceded that the attack was 100 percent real and that it was crazy of him to have spread the false claim. Jones was the only witness to testify in his defense, and he attended the trial sporadically while still appearing on his show. Attorneys for the parents in an opening statement said that Jones led a vile campaign of defamation by spreading the false claim that Sandy Hook was a hoax. Mr. Jones was continually churning out this idea that Sandy Hook was fake, Bankston told jurors, referring to Jones as patient zero for the hoax theory. The parents told the jury that an apology wouldnt be enough, and asked the jurors to order Jones to compensate for the years of suffering they and other Sandy Hook families endured. Heslin and Lewis testified that after their son died, they faced more trauma over the years, including gunshots fired at a home, threats online and via the phoneincluding death threatsand harassment on the street by strangers. The parents said the threats and harassments were by people who believed in Joness false hoax theory, and that those people had falsely believed that the parents were lying about their sons death. A forensic psychiatrist testified that the parents suffer from complex post-traumatic stress disorder due to ongoing trauma, similar to what a soldier at war or a child abuse victim might experience. A lawyer for Jones acknowledged during his opening statement that Infowars had spread false information. He said Jones lost millions of viewers after being banned in 2018 from major social media and streaming platformsincluding Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Spotifyfor hate speech and abusive behavior over the Sandy Hook false claim. He regrets what he did, and hes paying a price for it, said Joness lead attorney, Federico Andino Reynal. During his closing argument, Reynal said that while Jones and Infowars had reported irresponsibly on Sandy Hook, Jones was not responsible for the harassment the parents faced. Jones said during his testimony that he had tried to correct his hoax claims, but [the media] wont let me take it back. Separately, in a surprising development, lawyers for the parents said on Aug. 3 that Joness lawyers had inadvertently sent them two years worth of texts and failed to request them back in time. Judge Maya Guerra Gamble denied Joness motion for a mistrial. Joness lawyer argued that attorneys for the parents should have destroyed the texts immediately. Now, the parents can use the records as they wish. Bankston used the texts to undercut Joness testimony during cross-examination on Aug. 3. Bankston also said in court on Aug. 4 that the U.S. House Jan. 6 Committee has requested the records and that he intends to comply. Finances Jurors are set to hear more arguments and evidence from both sides about Jones and his companys finances on Aug. 5. A finance expert is set to testify for the parents. Joness media company, Free Speech Systems LLC, declared bankruptcy last week. During a broadcast on Aug. 1, Jones said that the filing will help the company stay on the air while it appeals. Gamble admonished Jones on Aug. 2 for not telling the truth during his testimony when he said he was bankrupt and had complied with the parents request for information prior to the trial. It seems absurd to instruct you again that you must tell the truth while you testify. Yet here I am, she said. Heslin and Lewis joined other Sandy Hook parents in urging a judge to block Free Speech Systems from sending Jones or his companies any money until they get to the bottom of their finances. The parents allege that Jones took $62 million from the company while burdening it with $65 million in fabricated debt owed to PQPR Holdings, a company owned by Jones and his parents. Jones was set to stand trial in a similar suit in Connecticut in September brought by the families of other Sandy Hook victims and an FBI agent who worked on the case. But the case is now on hold while the bankruptcy proceeds. Jones also faces another trial in Austin, Texas. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Republican gubernatorial candidate for Arizona Kari Lake (L) speaks as former President Donald Trump looks on at a rally at the Canyon Moon Ranch festival grounds in Florence, Ariz., on Jan. 15, 2022. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) for Arizona Kari Lake (L) speaks as former President Donald Trump looks on at a rally at the Canyon Moon Ranch festival grounds in Florence, Ariz., on Jan. 15, 2022. (Mario Tama/ Getty Images) Kari Lake, Endorsed by Trump, Wins Republican Nomination for Arizona Governor Gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has won the Republican nomination in the Arizona primary election. Though the results took longer than they should have, Arizonans who have been forgotten by the establishment just delivered a political earthquake, Lake said in a statement late Thursday celebrating her win. This is more than an electionit is a beautiful movement by so many people across our beautiful state to finally put Arizona First, Lake said. Starting tonight, we fight to defeat the radical, corrupt, incompetent Democrats and put our government back into the hands o the great people of Arizona! The Associated Press called the race on Thursday night at 10:09 p.m. Eastern Time. With 88 percent of the total vote counted, Lake had 46.8 percent, and the self-funded Karrin Taylor Robson had 44 percent. Lake, a former local news anchor, defeated Robson in a race that was seen as a litmus test of Trumps influence over the GOP voter base compared to that of establishment GOP figures. On Thursday night, Lake held the lead over Robson in all Arizona counties. Lakes win became the latest in Trumps sweeping endorsement record in Arizona, where his picks in the races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, secretary of state, attorney general, and the state Legislature all won GOP nomination in the primaries. Trump endorsed Lake multiple times leading up to the election, calling her a fantastic person who will do a far better job than RINO Governor Doug Ducey. Trump endorsed Lake when holding a Save America rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona, on July 22. With Kari, youll have Election Integrity, Strong Borders, Safe Streets, and all of the other things youve wanted for so long. Vote for Kari Lake. She has my Complete and Total Endorsement! Trump said in a statement in July. Trumps support proved to outweigh those of establishment GOP figures behind Robson, including New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, and Trumps former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. Meanwhile, Lake said her campaign trail to the Republican nomination for governor was troubled by the very thing she pledged to eliminate. You completely overwhelmed the system on Election Day! Lake said in a Thursday Twitter post celebrating her win before The Associated Press called the race, alleging fraud in the 2022 primaries in Arizona. In her Twitter posts, Lake brought attention to voter irregularities and a ballot shortage leading up to and on the day of primary elections in Arizona. These included a shortage of ballots in Pinal County on election day, which the countrys attorney said affected 25 of 95 precincts and about 750 of 50,000 voters. Election Fraud Allegations In addition to being a hawk on a wide swath of conservative issues, Lake vigorously contended the results of the 2020 election, alleging widespread fraud in favor of then-candidate Joe Biden and pledging to improve election security if elected. Have we learned nothing in the last two years? Lake said during a May interview with Trumps former attorney Jenna Ellis that YouTube censored. We know we have learned a lot: we learned that our elections are corrupt, that they found a way to cheat at every single level, and we havent corrected that. Findings from Dinesh DSouzas 2000 Mules movie, the investigation by True The Vote, and the Arizona forensic audit are pure evidence thats admissible in a court of law, Lake said. In 2016, over 60 percent of Democrats believed the election was stolen. In 2020, over 60 percent of Republicans believe the election was stolen, reads Lakes campaign website. We cannot continue to have disputed elections and expect this country to survive. Lake has called for numerous reforms to election practices, including having voter ID on all ballots, requiring pre-printed paper ballots, conducting post-election audits, and banning all election equipment that uses any software. Ensuring election integrity in the future is incredibly simple if we simply have the political will to do it, her website states. Members of the U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol are seen during the fifth public hearing of the committee in Washington on June 23, 2022. (Jim Bourg/Reuters) Lies, Damned Lies, and the Jan. 6 Committee Commentary The Select Committee to Investigate Jan. 6 has adjourned for a well-deserved summer break. Misleading the public is exhausting work. A careful review of the official transcripts of its eight long hearings shows the committee repeatedly made connections that werent there, took events and quotes out of context, exaggerated the violence of the Capitol rioters, and omitted key exculpatory evidence otherwise absolving former President Donald Trump of guilt. While in some cases, it lied by omission, in others, it lied outright. It also made a number of unsubstantiated charges based on the secondhand accountshearsay testimonyof a young witness with serious credibility problems. These werent off-the-cuff remarks. Panelists didnt misspeak. Their statements were tightly scripted and loaded into teleprompters, which they read verbatim. In other words, the committee deliberately chummed out disinformation to millions of viewers of not just cable TV, but also the Big Three TV networksABC, CBS, and NBCwhich agreed to preempt regular daytime and even primetime programming to air the Democratic-run hearings. And because Democrats refused to allow dissenting voices on the panel or any cross-examination of witnesses, viewers had no reference points to understand how they, along with the two Trump-hating Republicans they allowed on the committee, shaded the truth. This charade of an honest investigation appears to have had the desired effect. Polls show the Jan. 6 hearings hurt Trump, who plans to run again, with independents. Unaffiliated voters have grown more likely to blame Trump for the Capitol riot and to show support for Democrats in the midterms, according to a new Morning Consult/Politico survey. With the November elections fast approaching, Democrats plan to hold another round of hearings next month, hoping voters pay even closer attention. With that in mind, its important to examine the false claims and distortions they no doubt will repeat. They are legion. Heres the fact-checking the viewing publicand the electoratethus far has been denied. CLAIM: While committee Chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) excoriated Trump for not calling off the Capitol rioters earlier, he claimed they were savagely beating and killing law enforcement officers, according to the transcript of his remarks from the prime-time July 21 hearing, carried live by the networks. FACT: No police officer was killed during the riot. CLAIM: During the same hearing, committee member Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.) faulted Trump for his glaring silence about the tragic death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who succumbed to his injuries suffered during the riot. FACT: The D.C. medical examiner ruled Sicknick died of natural causes, not injuries, well after the riot. Luria seemed to perpetuate false rumors started by The New York Times that Sicknick was struck with a fire extinguisher, a fable debunked by both the coroner and the Sicknick family. CLAIM: Thompson asserted Trump summoned a mob that was heavily armed and angry. FACT: Not a single gun was recovered in the riot. For that matter, the only gun used during the four-hour melee was fired by a Capitol police officer, who killed an unarmed rioter, Ashli Babbittwhose name was never mentioned in any of the hearings. Despite airing endless footage of rioters breaching the Capitol and fighting police, the committee omitted footage of USCP Lt. Michael Byrd shooting Babbitt from behind a doorway without warning, which was the most violent incident that occurred that day. CLAIM: The committee put a former far-right extremist on as a witness to testify that rioters built a gallows to allegedly hang then-Vice President Mike Pence. FACT: The witness, Jason Van Tatenhove, wasnt at the Capitol that day. He had no insider knowledge about the purpose of the flimsy wooden structure erected across from the Capitol. In any case, it was a mock gallows, not a functional one. Even the New York Times recently acknowledged it was too small to be used. CLAIM: Committee Vice Chair Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) proclaimed in the hearing curtain-raiseralso held in primetime and broadcast live by all three networksthat the panel had evidence Trump said Pence deserves to be hanged, a chilling claim if true. Aware of the rioters chants to hang Mike Pence, she asserted, the president responded with this sentiment: Maybe our supporters have the right idea, Mike Pence quote deserves it. FACT: Her evidence turned out to be a secondhand retelling by witness Cassidy Hutchinson, a White House assistant fresh out of college who overheard a paraphrasing of what Trump may have thought about the chants, not a direct Trump quote as Cheney implied. Hutchinson later testified Trump said, something to the effect of, Pence deserves it. CLAIM: Hutchinson also swore she wrote a note dictated by then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows suggesting a more forceful White House response to the riot. FACT: Former White House lawyer Eric Herschmann insisted that he actually wrote the note, not Hutchinson, adding a serious chink in her credibility as the committees star witness. The handwritten note that Cassidy Hutchinson testified was written by her was in fact written by Eric Herschmann on January 6, 2021, said a spokesperson for Herschmann, who noted that Herschmann told the committee that in his deposition. The panel never informed the public that Hutchinsons claim was disputed. CLAIM: Based on Hutchinsons testimony, the committee also claimed that former White House counsel Pat Cipollone said Trumps plan to march to the Capitol would cause Trump officials to be charged with every crime imaginable. FACT: Cipollone didnt corroborate the claim in his sworn deposition before the committee. CLAIM: The committee relied on another second-hand account by Hutchinson to broadcast to the world the alleged bombshell that Trump tried to physically commandeer his Secret Service limo to the Capitol. When the president got in The Beast he thought they were going up to the Capitol, Hutchinson testified, relaying what shed heard from a security official who had heard it from another source. But when Trump was told he had to go back to the White House, she continued, Trump got irate and said something to the effect of Im the [expletive] president, take me to the Capitol now, and proceeded to grab at the steering wheel. She claimed he even lunged at a Secret Service agent inside the vehicle. FACT: Trump rode in a different motorcade vehicle than The Beast that day (an SUV, not the famous Cadillac limo), and several Secret Service agents have denied any physical altercation took place, casting further doubt on Hutchinsons reliability as a key witness for the panel (records show she kept working for Trump in his post-presidential office for nine weeks after he left the White House, even though she claimed to be disgusted by what happened on Jan. 6, which she said was based on a lie peddled by Trump that the election was stolen). After pushback from the Secret Service, the committee leaked to CNN that a D.C. police officer has corroborated Hutchinsons testimony. But when DCPD Sgt. Mark Robinson testified in the final hearing, he failed to corroborate her tale of Trump grabbing the steering wheel or lunging at a member of his security detail. The only description I received was that the president was upset and was adamant about going to the Capitol and there was a heated discussion about that, Robinson said. CLAIM: Throughout the hearings, the committee cited Trumps speech at the Ellipse as the spark that ignited the riot. There can be no doubt that [Trump] commanded a mob, a mob he knew was heavily armed, violent, and angry, to march on the Capitol to try to stop the peaceful transfer of power, Thompson said in the last hearing. Emphasized Luria: Donald Trump summoned a violent mob and promised to lead that mob to the Capitol. FACT: While Trump did urge supporters to walk with him down to the Capitol after the rally, he specifically asked them to do so peacefully. The committee left that key exculpatory phrase out of the hearings. It never aired the footage or transcript of him saying, I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard. If it had, it would have ruined the carefully crafted narrative that Trump incited violence. The omission was a critical deception. CLAIM: In the opening hearing, Cheney read out loud a tweet Trump sent during the riot in which he said, These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. She claimed Trump was justifying more violence. FACT: But Cheney cut off the next line where Trump called for peace and told supporters to leave the Capitol. Go home with love & in peace, the rest of the tweet said. Cheney blinded millions of viewers watching to the full picture. CLAIM: Cheney, who faces a Trump-endorsed challenger in her Aug. 16 primary race, kicked off the hearing with a bold charge: President Trump summoned a violent mob and directed them illegally to march on the United States Capitol. She vowed to show evidence to back it up. Thompson said they would prove that Trump was at the center of a seditious conspiracy. FACT: Not only did they fail to deliver any hard evidence that Trump ordered rioters to attack the Capitol as part of a conspiracy, they also began to contradict themselves as the hearings progressed. Thompson later said Trump merely spurred the mob and energized extremists, which is quite different from directing them. In an unintended revelation, one of their witnesses presented a timeline that suggested the instigators of the breaches of the Capitol had already headed to the Capitol before Trump spoke at the Ellipse. Documentarian Nick Quested testified the Proud Boys marched to the Capitol at 10:30 a.m., which meant Trump couldnt possibly have incited them. I was confused to a certain extent why we were walking away from the Presidents speech, said Quested, who was embedded with the Proud Boys. Despite taking more than 1,000 depositions and subpoenaing more than 140,000 documents, the committee never found a smoking gun proving Trump was involved in a top-down organization of the riot. There was no coordination or conspiracy, which tracks with what the Biden Justice Department has found. Of the 874 criminal cases prosecutors have brought against Trump supporters at the Jan. 6 riot, none of them names Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator. But dont take my word for it. Former Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, a former state attorney general, told ABC Newss This Week that the committee has come up short on proof of conspiracy. They dont have a nexus yet [between Trump and the Capitol rioters], she asserted. Senior CNN legal analyst Laura Coates, moreover, said the committee fell short in trying to establish very clearly that Donald Trump gave a coherent order that then was followed to storm the Capitol, adding it presented innuendo but no proof of a conspiracy. No one excuses the real crimes committed that day. But the average American deserves to see a fuller picture of what happened, instead of the distorted one lensed by the Jan. 6 Committee, which was charged with presenting all the facts, not just ones that could hurt Republicans or pre-impeach Trump in 2024. If the committee really had the goods on Trump, it wouldnt feel the need to deceive the public to the extent it has with all the embellishments, exaggerations, questionable testimony, omissions, and flat-out lies. Why not just play it straight? Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. A sign at the Mall of America, the largest in the United States, is seen in a 2006 file photo. (Tim Gans/AFP/Getty Images) Mall of America Lockdown Lifted After Shooting, No Casualties Reported: Police A lockdown that was initiated in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, on Thursday after shots were fired has now been lifted, officials confirmed. Law enforcement responded to the scene at around 4:15 p.m. local time, Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said at a press conference Thursday. The shooting, which police called an isolated dispute, appeared to have started following a conflict between two groups at the cash registers inside the Nike store. One of the groups left but then returned and the conflict ended with one person pulling a gun and firing shots, police said. Instead of walking away [from the conflict], they decided to demonstrate a complete lack of respect for human life, Hodges said. They decided to fire multiple rounds into a store with people. It appears that no one was injured during the shooting, officials said. The two individuals involved in the shooting then fled to a different location on foot, police said, and law enforcement officials responded to that location at Best Western hotel on Killebrew Drive, on the south side of the mall but the search did not result in any arrests. We did not locate them there at this time, Hodges said before urging the suspects to turn themselves in to police and stating that officials will not stop until the suspects are tracked down and apprehended. Isolated Incident Hodges also noted that the shooting is an isolated incident and that officials do not believe there is a danger to the public at this time. Witnesses of the shooting are being encouraged to contact the police with information. Police are still searching for the suspects involved in the case, Hodges said but did not provide details or a description of the suspects. Hodges added that one of his officers was close to the mall when the shots were fired and crews arrived on the scene within 30 seconds. If someone decides that they dont value human life, and they choose to pull out a weapon, I dont know what we can do, the chief said. We train for this, we do this but if an individual decides they have no regard for human life, I dont know any defense for that. The Mall of America had posted on Twitter at approximately 6 p.m. that a lockdown had been initiated due to a confirmed isolated incident in a tenant space and encouraged customers to remain in the closest secure location until the lockdown has been lifted. In an updated tweet at 7:28 p.m., Mall of America said the lockdown was being lifted but that the mall would remain closed for the rest of the evening. It added that the shooting was an isolated dispute between the suspects and there is no longer a threat. Video footage on social media shows shoppers racing to flee the mall. In a further video taken outside of the Nike store, shots can be heard being fired. Mall of America spokesperson Dan Jasper said the mall will re-open on Friday but customers will see an increased presence of security and police to keep shoppers safe. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in a statement, tonights violence at the Mall of America is unacceptable. These brazen incidents will not be tolerated. He added that state resources are on the scene, we have offered our full support, and we will stay in close contact with Bloomington police to apprehend those responsible and that we are committed to maintaining an unprecedented state law enforcement presence in the Twin Cities until we put a stop to this rise in crime. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci testifies during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 17, 2022. (Shawn Thew/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Man Who Threatened Fauci, Other Officials, Sentenced to Jail Time A West Virginia man who admitted to threatening top U.S. health officials was sentenced on Aug. 4 to over three years in prison. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, an Obama appointee, handed down the sentence to Thomas Patrick Connally Jr. in federal court in Maryland. Connally pleaded guilty to sending emails to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in 2020 and 2021 that contained threats, including one that said Fauci and his relatives would be dragged into the street, beaten to death, and set on fire. One had a subject line stating, Cutting your scalp off and sewing it onto a rat. Connally on April 24, 2021, told Dr. Francis Collins, then-head of the National Institutes of Health, that he would assault or even kill Collins and the doctors family if the director did not stop endorsing mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations. Connally admitted that he sent the messages to Fauci and Collins to try to intimidate them. According to the plea agreement, the man also sent threatening missives to Rachel Levine, the secretary of health for Pennsylvania in 2020, a public health official in Massachusetts, and a religious leader. Levine later joined the federal government as the assistant secretary for health for the Department of Health and Human Services in the Biden administration. Connally faced up to 10 years in prison. Sentencing Prosecutors asked for 46 months behind bars, describing Connally as carrying out a campaign of terror, sending emails containing threats of serious bodily injury and death to his five victims. Smart and technologically sophisticated, the Defendant intended to heighten the terror he sought to instill by using a foreign encrypted email provider. Using this provider also allowed the Defendant to hide his identity and continue to send his threatening emails unabated, they added. When the initial threats didnt seem to have an effect, Connally researched the names of relatives of the officials and included the names in future emails, prosecutors noted. Investigators ultimately linked the encrypted account with Connally and served a search warrant on his rental residence in Snowshoe, West Virginia. He was arrested in the summer of 2021. Elli Marranzini, a public defender representing the defendant, argued for less time, saying Connally experienced stress in connection with his mother being isolated in a nursing home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Xinis decided on 37 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Marranzini did not respond to a request for comment. Everyone has the right to disagree, but you do not have the right to threaten a federal officials life, Erek Barron, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, said in a statement. Mayberry RED: Putting Savings Above Security Commentary One of the most side-splitting scenes in the history of cinema is Stanley Kubricks depiction of General Jack D. Ripper telling Peter Sellerss British RAF Group Captain Mandrake about the dangers of fluoridated water in the film Doctor Strangelove. Ripper, played totally straight-faced by Sterling Hayden, asks, Do you realize that in addition to fluoridated water, why, there are studies underway to fluoridate salt, flour, fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk, ice cream? Ice cream, Mandrake! Childrens ice cream! And it all began in 1946. How does that coincide with your post-war commie conspiracy, huh? Ripper asks. A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual, and certainly without any choice. Thats the way your hardcore commie works! During the sixties and seventies, anti-communists were subjected to much scoffing and giggling about their dread of reds under the bed, culminating in President Jimmy Carter bemoaning Americans inordinate fear of communism and declaring that through failure in fighting communist expansionism we have now found our way back to our own principles and values. Then came the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan on Christmas Eve 1979, and within a year Carter was defeated for re-election by Ronald Reagan, who would call Russia an Evil Empire destined for the ash heap of history. All these years later, it turns out that small town Americas telecom businesses found themselves riddled with a kind of 21st-century high-tech stealthy threat not too far removed from General Rippers fluoridated water supply. Andy Griffiths innocent Mayberry R.F.D. has found reds not under the bed but, rather, over their heads, in the cellphone towers. Rather than our precious bodily fluids, the Chinese Communist Party is making use of the electromagnetic radio waves traveling through the air above and around us. The Biden administration is now investigating Chinese global telecom giant Huaweis use of hardware in U.S. cell towers in rural areas that could intercept transmissions used by military bases and inter-continental ballistic nuclear missile silos, which Huawei might place into Beijings hands. Chinas 2017 National Intelligence Law requires that an organization or citizen shall support, assist in and cooperate in national intelligence work in accordance with the law and keep confidential the national intelligence work that it or he knows. Cellphone towers near Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana are one of the concerns. As Trump State Department official Robert Strayer warned in 2019: There is no differentiation really between the private sector in companies and the government in China. The government, through the national intelligence law and other laws that it has at its disposal, can compel companies to take action. Huawei was founded in 1987 by a former engineer for communist Chinas Peoples Liberation Army, Ren Zhengfeiofficially deputy chairman, but that is a misleading title since he runs the firm. Disgracefully, it was America that enabled Huawei, with IBM lending its expertise in product development and financial management as it sought market expansion into China. Now claiming a third of the worlds population as customers in 170 countries, Huaweis tentacles extend to small telecom providers in the heartland of America. Wyoming-based Union Wireless, founded in 1914, touts its Western rural values, its founder typically pictured sporting a cowboy hat and bolo tie. Union heard about Huaweis low-cost and swift work from another small carrier. It turned to the Chinese company when a vendor dragged its feet in implementing an equipment upgrade. Huawei worries about getting the problem fixed first and then worries about getting paid, Union customer relations chief Brian Woody was to exclaim. Huaweis artificially low pricing was irresistible for many smaller U.S. telecom firms like Union, but today, in the wake of the Trump administration finding Huawei to be a security threat and effectively banning U.S. businesses from dealing with it, Union and many other smaller rural firms who engaged with Huawei are disentangling themselves. Last year, Union Wireless settled on Finlands Nokia to replace its Huawei equipment with Nokias AirScale 4G/5G portfolio, an expensive proposition that is being assisted by federal subsidies. Sad to say, the red flags regarding Huawei were known long before Union and the other American regional providers invited this fox into the henhouse. In 2003, Cisco Systems sued Huawei for its by-then infamous practice of reverse-engineering its competitors products, in this case electronically copying and inserting Ciscos router code into Huaweis so it could easily steal Cisco customers seeking lower costs. The case was settled out of court. But even Cisco, which has been doing business in mainland China since 1994, carefully refrained from criticizing Beijing. For instance, it stated a decade ago as it criticized Huawei, We respect the efforts the Chinese government is making to increase intellectual property protection and stressed that rather than there being any governmental strategy of economic aggression, this dispute involved a very simple claim that one company used the others trade secrets and copyrighted materials without permission. In 2012, a congressional report found that Huaweis equipment could be used by Beijing to spy on and even disrupt or cripple the United States telecommunications infrastructure. Too many U.S. businesses seem more worried about being ridiculed for having an inordinate fear of communism than about Chinas unhidden global designs. Meanwhile, last year mainland Chinese buyers purchased some $6.1 billion in American real estate, more than any other foreign buyermuch of it, plus similar purchases in recent years, on farm and ranch land near U.S. military bases. Whether Mayberry or Gotham, whether their wares are high-tech or to be found in the soil and earth, U.S. companies cant place savings before security when it comes to dealing with entities enthralled by our most threatening strategic adversary. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. A team of 19 scientists from the United Kingdom have published new research that helps explain why countries with the highest vaccination rates are experiencing the highest numbers of what they call breakthrough infections, as well as reinfection with other variants of COVID-19. This research article, published on June 14, 2022 in the peer-reviewed journal Science, has been downloaded nearly 277,500 times in less than two months. That is very unusual for a densely worded highly technical scientific study. We can only speculate the reason so many people have been reading it. But what this study suggestswhich many clinicians and research scientists have expressed concerns aboutis that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines as well as the booster shots may be making our immune response less effective against the Omicron variant of the virus. If this is correct, it means that the vaccine itself is leading to widespread infection. Instead of stopping the virus, it appears that the mRNA vaccination programs around the world may have inadvertently made the virus more ubiquitous. Higher Vaccine Uptake Leads to Higher Infection Rates As the British scientists point out, countries with higher vaccine uptake rates are experiencing high numbers of primary infections and frequent reinfections with SARS-CoV-2. In contrast, in places where vaccine campaigns have not been widely implementedincluding most countries in the continent of Africapeople are not becoming infected. Analyzing why the most vaccinated populations are getting the most Omicron infections, this study focused on the most-vaccinated professionals: Medical personnel who had been given the two doses of mRNA vaccines early on, and were then given booster shots twice more. To find out what was happening on a cellular level with these highly vaccinated healthcare workers, the scientists kept close track of the different types of immunoglobin in the participants blood. Immunoglobin (Ig), also known as antibody (Ab), finds viruses, bacteria, and such and leads the immune system to respond appropriately. Scientists have identified several types of immunoglobulins, each guiding the immune response in a different way for different phases and types of infection. IgG4, a Tolerance Immune Response IgG4 is the form of immunoglobin that activates a tolerance response in the immune system, for things you have been exposed to repeatedly and do not need to mount an inflammatory response to. This is good if you are trying to avoid immune sensitivity to a food, for example. But it is not the kind of immune response that the COVID-19 vaccines were designed to create. Beekeepers, when they are repeatedly stung by bees over their career, mount an IgG4 response to the assault on their immune systems. Basically, their bodies learn that the bee venom is not dangerous and their immune response to bee venom becomes an IgG4 response, so they are able to tolerate the stings very well. While the bee venom itself will not harm the body, the bodys own inflammatory response can be dangerous. If the body overreacts and develops a generalized response in which the inflammation itself jeopardizes a persons breathing, the immune response can be lethal. More Vaccines Lead to More COVID-19 Infections This study demonstrates exactly how the repeat vaccinations are causing people to be more susceptible to COVID-19. Initial doses of the vaccine brought about classic inflammatory immune responses. Inflammation is a fundamental part of an immune response (to a vaccine or to an infection), and is responsible for most of what you feel when you are sick: fever, aches, lethargy, etc. This inflammation is why you may feel sick if you get a flu shot, and why the COVID-19 vaccine has become famous for making people feel so sick for a few days. Your body is producing an inflammatory response to the COVID-19 proteins. But what happens in the body after you have had two vaccines and then you are given a third? The scientists found that successive doses of the mRNA vaccines start to habituate or desensitize the subjects to the COVID-19 proteins, migrating their immune response over to being dominated by the IgG4 form, which essentially teaches the body to tolerate the proteins. A Different Kind of Protection? The participants response to COVID-19 had actually been turned off, making them even more vulnerable to infection and less likely to mount a response to it than those who had never been vaccinated. When you are exposed to a cold or any other virus repeatedly, spaced out over a lifetime, which is what happens with natural exposure, you dont develop a tolerance to it, your body fights it off without you knowing it. Your body is using the normal disease-fighting immune response but, since it recognizes the infectious agent, you do not get symptoms of inflammation. This is why when you are naturally exposed to many diseases, you then have lifelong immunity. In contrast, this new study shows that the repeated mRNA injections and boosters for COVID-19 are producing a tolerance response, as if they were allergy shots. They are habituating the body to the virus, so that you no longer recognize it as something dangerous. Another study, published in July by a team of more than 20 German scientists, independently confirmed that successive COVID-19 shots and boosters were converting the immune response from the protective class of IgG response to the toleration class. At the same time, creating this vaccine-induced tolerance did not mean that the subjects were left unprotected. Keeping People Sick So the vaccine and booster program have ended up doing the opposite of what was intended to do: keeping people from getting sick. But was this ever a realistic goal? COVID-19 is like related endemic coronaviruses. Just like the common cold, it appears that SARS-CoV-2 isnt going away, nobody can avoid it indefinitely, and that it will keep mutating. On the one hand, this study suggests that the vaccines are helping the bodys immune system not overreact to the virus. The virus itself was not killing peopleit was the interaction of the virus with patients immune systems that caused severe and sometimes lethal infections, as the immune system overreacted to a novel virus. On the other hand, naturally acquired immunity appears to be stronger than vaccine acquired immunity, and the dangers of the vaccines themselves, especially for young people, suggest that the risks of vaccination far outweigh the benefits. If the vaccinated are now readily getting the virus but having only mild reactions because their immune systems are telling them to tolerate it, this may have been a benefit to vaccination. But the booster shots were never necessary to produce tolerance: the study showed that the subjects started developing tolerance after only two doses. The vaccines may have helped desensitize the population to harmful inflammatory immune responses to COVID-19. They have played their part. There is no need to continue with successive boosters. 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. Governor Wanda Vazquez gives a press conference to announce the extension of the COVID-19 curfew, while detailing the new sectors of the country that may resume operations, as part of a new executive order in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on May 21, 2020. (Carlos Giusti/AP Photo) Official: Ex Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vazquez Arrested SAN JUAN, Puerto RicoFormer Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vazquez was arrested Thursday in the U.S. territory on corruption charges, marking the first time that a former leader of the island faces federal charges, an official told The Associated Press. Two other unidentified people were arrested along with her, said the official, who was not authorized to talk about the federal case. Juan Rosado-Reynes, a spokesman for Vazquez, told the AP he did not have immediate comment. In mid-May, Vazquezs attorney told reporters that he and his client were preparing for possible charges as the former governor at the time denied any wrongdoing: I can tell the people of Puerto Rico that I have not committed any crime, that I have not engaged in any illegal or incorrect conduct, as I have always said. Vazquez was the second woman to serve as Puerto Ricos governor and the first former governor to face federal charges. Former Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila was charged with campaign finance violations while in office and was found not guilty in 2009. He had been the first Puerto Rico governor to be charged with a crime in recent history. Vazquez was sworn in as governor in August 2019 after former Gov. Ricardo Rossello stepped down following massive protests. She served until 2021, after losing the primaries of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party to now Gov. Pedro Pierluisi. In a statement Thursday, Pierluisi said his administration will work with federal authorities to help fight corruption. No one is above the law in Puerto Rico, he said. Faced with this news that certainly affects and lacerates the confidence of our people, I reiterate that in my administration, we will continue to have a common front with federal authorities against anyone who commits an improper act, no matter where it comes from or who it may implicate. Vazquez previously served as the islands justice secretary and a district attorney for more than 30 years. She became governor after Puerto Ricos Supreme Court ruled that the swearing in of Pierluisiwho was secretary of state in 2019as governor was unconstitutional. Vazquez at the time said she was not interested in running for office and would only finish the nearly two years left in Rossellos term. Rossello had resigned after tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans took to the street, angry over corruption, mismanagement of public funds and an obscenity-laced chat in which he and 11 other men including public officials made fun of women, gay people and victims of Hurricane Maria, among others. Shortly after she was sworn in, Vazquez told the AP that her priorities were to fight corruption, secure federal hurricane recovery funds and help lift Puerto Rico out of a deep economic crisis as the government struggled to emerge from bankruptcy. During the interview, she told the AP that she had long wanted to be in public service: as a girl, she would stand on her balcony and hold imaginary trials, always finding the supposed defendants guilty. By Danica Coto Andy Ogles prevailed in a 10-candidate field in Tennessee's 5th Congressional District's GOP primary on Aug. 4, 2022. (Courtesy of Mayor Andy Ogles for Congress) Ogles Wins Tennessee Primary for Open Seat GOP Hopes to Flip Maury County, Tennessee, Mayor Andy Ogles, who campaigned as a pro-Donald Trump America First conservative and was the target of multiple attack ads, topped a crowded field on Aug. 4 to win the Republican nomination in the states reconfigured 5th Congressional District. The GOP field for the open seat featured nine candidates, plus video producer Robby Starbuck, who ran as a write-in option. Ogles won with 37 percent of the vote, defeating former state House Speaker Beth Harwell by about 11 percent, followed by former Tennessee National Guard joint staff director Brig. Gen. Kurt Winstead. Cooper Not Seeking Reelection Rep. Jim Cooper, the Democratic incumbent, has represented the district since 2003 but announced in February that he wouldnt seek reelection. Republicans are seeking to reclaim control of the U.S. House and the party believes that one of the seats it can flip is the redrawn 5th District, which includes part of Nashville. Despite my strength at the polls, I could not stop the General Assembly from dismembering Nashville, Cooper said in a statement after the redrawn district was revealed in January. No one tried harder to keep our city whole. I explored every possible way, including lawsuits, to stop the gerrymandering and to win one of the three new congressional districts that now divide Nashville. Theres no way, at least for me in this election cycle, but there may be a path for other worthy candidates. Democrats have held the 5th District since 1875, when Ulysses S. Grant was president. Redistricting split Davidson County through downtown Nashville, and shifted portions of the former 5th District to the mostly rural and historically Republican 6th District and 7th District. The district is rated as solid Republican by the Cook Political Report, safe Republican by Sabatos Crystal Ball, and likely Republican by Inside Elections. Retired small-business owner Geni Batchelor, West Point graduate and U.S. Army combat veteran Jeff Beierlein, homeschool academy operator Natisha Brooks, former legislative senior policy and research adviser Tres Wittum, real estate professional Stewart Parks, and medical professional Timothy Lee were also on the GOP ballot. Ogles will face state Sen. Heidi Campbell, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary, and independent candidates Derrick Brantley, Daniel Cooper, and Rick Shannon, in the Nov. 8 general election. Tres Wittum (R), Andy Ogles (C), and Jeff Beierlein (L) appeared at the Tennessee 5th Congressional District debate on July 12. (EpochTV) Ogles joined Beierlein and Wittum at an innovative debate coordinated by The Epoch Times and hosted by the Nashville Republican Women, the Nashville Young Republicans, and the Williamson County Young Republicans on July 22. Instead of a traditional debate format, when a media personality serves as a moderator and dictates the content, the forum featured questions asked by a panel of experts covering election integrity, economics, health care, education, foreign policy, and immigration. Winstead committed to appear before canceling. Harwell declined and instead attended a Washington Chamber of Commerce fundraiser for her campaign. Attack Ads Negative ads flooded the airwaves in the 5th District in recent weeks; most of the vitriol was directed at Ogles. Throughout her campaign, Harwell frequently labeled Ogles as a lobbyist tied to a Washington special interest group that smeared Trump and linked to another group that supports amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants. An attack ad from Harwells campaign says: Whos behind lobbyist Andy Ogles campaign? A D.C. special interest group that smeared Donald Trump and another shady special interest group that supports amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants. Theyre spending big bucks on Ogles, because Ogles will vote for their pro-amnesty agenda. Bought and paid for by never-Trumpers and amnesty-loving RINOS who sell out America. Lobbyist Andy Ogles would make the D.C. swamp even worse. The spot shows an image of a smiling Ogles next to Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.). Outside super PACs poured around $1.6 million into the 5th District race in recent weeks, elevating Ogles and attacking his rivals. FEC filings show that figure is almost as much as Harwell and Winstead combined. Ogles has faced scrutiny for acknowledging that he has directed donors to super PACs working with his campaign, which is a violation of federal campaign finance law. Harwell told reporters in July that Ogles will be controlled by the D.C. swamp if he is elected. He owes everything to them, and I dont think thats right for the people of middle Tennessee, she said. Conservative Americans PAC funded an ad that said: You fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Andy Ogles already fooled us. He campaigned against tax hikes. I dont like tax hikes, all taxes are evil. Then he got elected and backed a tax hike. The same Andy Ogles whose businesses didnt pay their own taxes, and the state had to file liens to collect. Now, Andy Ogles is trying to fool us again. Dont get burned again. Conservative Americans PAC is responsible for the content of this advertisement. America First Track Record Ogles recently told a Nashville area radio station said that the ad is inaccurate. Look, if I havent paid taxes in nine years, Id be holding a seminar that would be packed, Ogles said in the interview. So you know, I dont owe the county, I dont owe the city, I dont owe the IRS. My wife doesnt. We have no business that does. We had multiple properties, we had interests in multiple businesses, and OK, something was late. But that being said, we paid. And any interest that may have been due, which I dont know if there was, was paid. Ogles believes that his track record as an America First candidate makes him a target. During COVID, I refused to comply with mandates. I did not shut down my community. I kept it open because, from my perspective, every job is essential and every small business is essential, Ogles said in an Aug. 3 interview with John Fredericks on Real Americas Voice. I had to fight for my community. We are the fastest growing county in Tennessee and the number one county for job growth in Tennessee, so when OSHA targeted our county, I told them they would have to arrest me before forcing a vaccine, and they backed off. Im polite in my opinions, and Im for freedom and liberty, and for we the people having the choice, not government and big business. That is a threat to the status quo. Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly speaks alongside the minister of Public Safety, Marco Mendicino, during a press conference announcing new gun control laws, in Toronto, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston Ottawa Announces Temporary Handgun Import Ban, Permanent Freeze Coming The federal government will temporarily ban import of handguns into Canada starting on Aug. 19, says Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino. At a press conference in Toronto on Aug. 5, Mendicino said the temporary ban will stop nearly all individuals and businesses in Canada from importing handguns. Given that nearly all our handguns are imported, this means that were bringing our national handgun freeze into effect even sooner, he said. The ban will bypass the need for Parliaments approval by using a regulatory measure enacted by Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and will stay in effect until Parliament permanently freezes handgun imports, Mendicino said. Parliament will address a permanent handgun import freezealong with placing strict regulations on the purchase and ownership of handguns in Canadain the proposed Bill C-21, which was tabled in May 2022. Jolie said at the press conference that as Canadas foreign minister, she has the authority to deny any export or import permit application that she deems contrary to Canadas security. The import ban that were announcing today, coupled with Canadas already very strict import controls, will keep handguns off of Canadian streets and out of our school yards, she said. Mendicino blamed the Conservatives for blocking Liberal efforts to pass Bill C-21 in the past, alleging that that has led to some of the most devastating shooting tragedies in the country. We are not going to let the Conservatives obstructionism stand in the way of better protecting our communities and saving lives, and as a government, we are going to act, he said. Along with introducing Bill C-21 in May, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also committed to establishing a national mandatory firearms buyback program, which would require Canadians who own of any of the 1,500 assault-style firearms made illegal in 2020 to sell them to the government or dispose of them in some other way. The Tories have been critical of the Liberals gun control policies, including their firearms buyback program, saying it will benefit criminals and punish law-abiding gun owners. The fact is, hobbyists, collectors, sport shooters, and hunters are not the ones to blame for the rise in gun crime in Canadagangs, criminals, and the guns they illegally smuggle from the US are, Raquel Dancho, Conservative shadow minister for public safety, and Pierre Paul-Hus, shadow minister for public services and procurement, said in a statement. This year, Canadas imports of pistols and revolvers between January and June was up by 52 percent compared to the same time last year, according to government figures. The Canadian Press contributed to this report. Monkeypox has not arrived in Cayuga County, but local health officials are prepared if cases emerge. Deanna Ryan, the Cayuga County Health Department's public information officer, told The Citizen this week that preparations include discussions between the department, Auburn Community Hospital, the Cayuga County Board of Health and Dr. Phillip Gioia, the county's medical director. The department's staff is also participating in communicable disease calls with the state Department of Health and other local health departments, Ryan said. "Cayuga County Health Department staff continue to remain available for consultation with health care providers and facilities as needed," she added. The monkeypox outbreak in the United States has led federal and state officials to declare it a public health emergency. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are 7,102 confirmed monkeypox cases in the United States. Among the states, New York has the most (1,748). A vast majority of those cases are in New York City. Only one of Cayuga's neighboring counties has reported monkeypox cases. Tompkins County has two cases, according to a statewide tracker. Most people who are infected with monkeypox will have a rash. Other symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, exhaustion, swollen lymph nodes and respiratory symptoms, such as a cough or sore throat. It spreads through close contact with an infected person or by touching objects, such as clothes or bedding, that have been used by someone with monkeypox. The World Health Organization has said that most monkeypox cases involve men who have sex with men. However, anyone can contract the disease. It tends to be mild, but there have been deaths reported in other countries. To combat the spread of monkeypox, federal and state agencies are deploying a vaccine, JYNNEOS, that was made for smallpox but can be used for monkeypox. As of Tuesday, New York has received 171,030 doses. In central New York, Onondaga County has been allocated 600 doses. "The distribution of (the vaccine) is taking place from (the state Department of Health) to localities that are experiencing outbreaks," Ryan said. "Should we need vaccine, we would work with our local and state partners." To be eligible for the vaccine, individuals must have been exposed to monkeypox within the last 14 days or at a high risk of being exposed to monkeypox. "We continue to work aggressively to ensure New Yorkers have the tools needed to slow this outbreak and protect themselves, including equitable access to vaccine, testing and treatment, as well as the information needed to understand the virus, identify symptoms and reduce risk to exposure," state Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said. "With these tools, New Yorkers can protect themselves and their loved ones from this painful virus." US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (L) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a meeting at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on Aug. 5, 2022. (Japan Pool/Jiji Press/AFP via Getty Images) Pelosi Says US Wont Allow China to Isolate Taiwan, but Asia Visit Not About Changing Status Quo The United States will not allow China to isolate Taiwan, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Friday during her Asia trip that has infuriated Beijing. Pelosi made the remarks in Tokyo, Japan, on the final leg of her Asian tour after the Democrat and five other members of Congress arrived in the capital city late Thursday, having previously visited Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, and South Korea. They may try to keep Taiwan from visiting or participating in other places, but they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there We will not allow them to isolate Taiwan, Pelosi said. Pelosi stressed that the visit to Asia was not about changing the status quo in the region. Its about Taiwan Relations Act, U.S.-China policy, all pieces of legislation and agreements that established our relationship-have peace in Taiwan Straits and have status quo prevail, she said. This isnt about me, this is about them. Pelosi also called the self-ruled island one of the freest countries in the world and a great democracy with a thriving economy. When asked how she feels her trip to Asia will impact relations between the United States and China, Pelosi said that while it is important that communication is maintained between the two nations, if we do not speak out for human rights in China because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak about human rights any place in the world. 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) Human Rights Issues The lawmaker noted that while China has made progress in some areas, it is still a country of contradictions and pointed to human rights issues such as reports of mass genocides. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been accused of committing genocide and crimes against humanity against predominately Muslim Uyghurs and among other minority groups such as practitioners of Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa. Again, it isnt about our visit determining what the U.S.-China relationship is. Its a much bigger and longer-term challenge, and one that we have to recognize that we have to work together in certain areas, Pelosi said. The Chinese regime views Taiwan as part of its territory and strongly opposes Pelosis visit and other governments or international organizations forming ties with Taiwanese officials. Pelosis comments came just a day after China ramped up military activity near Taiwan; firing a string of Dongfeng ballistic missiles into waters near Taiwan on Thursday, with five reportedly landing in Japans exclusive economic zone (EEZ). A missile is launched from an unspecified location in China on Aug. 4, 2022. The Chinese military fired missiles into waters near Taiwan as part of its planned exercises on Aug. 4. (CCTV via AP) The missile launches, which are said to be in retaliation to Pelosis visit to the self-ruled island, were reported by Taiwans Ministry of National Defense and prompted the Taiwanese ministry to activate its defense system and strengthen its combat readiness. Japans prime minister, Fumio Kishida, on Friday called Chinas missile launches a serious problem that impacts our national security and the safety of our citizens, telling reporters that Beijings recent actions also have a serious impact on the peace and stability of our region and the international community. Meanwhile, there has been international condemnation over the Chinese militarys aggressive behavior in the region following Pelosis visit. Pentagon Delays Minuteman III Missile Test Due to China Tensions Over Taiwan The Pentagon has delayed a long-planned intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test for a second time amid increased tension with China over Taiwan, the White House confirmed on Thursday. The Air Force initially planned to conduct the Minuteman III test launch this week, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said, adding that postponing the event is the responsible thing to do in order to avoid escalating tensions with Beijing during Chinas show of force near Taiwan. As China engages in destabilizing military exercises around Taiwan, the United States is demonstrating instead the behavior of a responsible nuclear power by reducing the risks of miscalculation and misperception, Kirby said. We do not believe it is in our interest, Taiwans interest, the regions interests, to allow tensions to escalate further, he added. Which is why a long-planned Minuteman III ICBM test scheduled for this week has been rescheduled for the near future. Kirby stressed the postponement will not last long and it wont have an impact on the nations nuclear readiness. A new date has already been set for a new test, he noted, without saying when exactly. Its the second delay for the Minuteman III test after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in March directed the Air Force to postpone a scheduled launch. That test was pushed back in order to lower tensions with Russia over its attack on Ukraine. Prior to officials postponing the latest test, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, the Air Force was due to fire an unarmed missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, to splash down around the Marshall Islands, one of 16 island nations that are part of a fisheries treaty agreement between the United States and Pacific Island countries. Between 1946 and 1958, the United States carried out 67 nuclear tests in what is now the northern Marshall Islands, according to the Department of State. The nuclear-capable Minuteman III, made by Boeing Co., is key to the U.S. militarys strategic arsenal. The missile has a range of 6,000-plus miles and can travel at a speed of approximately 15,000 miles per hour. Approximately 400 of the missiles are located at Air Force bases in Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota. An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 2, 2017. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ian Dudley/Released) The Pentagons move to delay the test came as China deployed scores of planes and fired live missiles in the Taiwan Strait on Thursday, a day after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) made a trip to the self-ruled island. China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has never renounced using force to bring it under its control. After Pelosis trip, the Chinese regime announced that it is imposing sanctions against the high-ranking U.S. official in retaliation for her defying Beijing. A foreign ministry spokesperson for the communist regime said in a statement on Aug. 5 that the sanction targets Pelosi and her direct relatives, without specifying the sanctions. Reuters contributed to this report. From NTD News A new program called prehabilitation designed to help patients get physically and mentally ready for an upcoming surgery may also help reduce overall costs and get them home faster, a new study shows. The program uses the weeks before surgery to encourage patients to move more, eat healthier, cut back on tobacco, breathe deeper, reduce their stress, and focus on post-operation goals. In 2017, after its first test in surgery patients at the University of Michigan, the approach showed signs of reducing total medical costs related to the patients care, and cutting their length of a hospital stay, compared with similar Michigan Medicine patients who had surgery before the program began. The new study, based on data from 523 patients with traditional Medicare coverage who went through prehab and more than 1,000 similar patients who didnt, confirms those results on a statewide and more rigorous scale. The findings in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons show that prehab patients left the hospital one day earlier and were more likely to go straight home rather than to a skilled nursing facility, compared with similar patients treated at the same hospital. Total costs for all care up to three months after surgery averaged nearly $3,200 less for those who went through prehab. Meanwhile, in another new paper, the researchers propose that surgical teams adopt the same positive psychology approach in engaging with surgery candidates that patients in the study learned. Every time the prehab [program] has been studied, its found to increase the value of surgical care by improving care while reducing cost. This study cements the business case for hospitals to support it, says Michael Englesbe, a professor of surgery and director of the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative. We also now recognize that prehabs physical training may work partly because it empowers the patient to engage in their own recovery. Getting Ready for Surgery The new study focused on patients with the highest risk of complications after surgery because they had a combination of underlying health conditions beyond the problem that required surgery. Patients had a median age of 70, and one in six qualified for federal disability benefits. All of them, and the patients to which researchers compared them, had one of 26 common operations. The prehab patients surgeons referred them to the program, called the Michigan Surgical and Health Optimization Program or MSHOP. Once enrolled, they received a call or electronic message from a member of the MSHOP team and materials about the importance of better nutrition, tobacco cessation, engaging in positive thinking and goal-setting, and reducing stress as part of their pre-surgery preparation. They also received a pedometer to track their steps and an incentive spirometer to encourage them to practice taking deep breaths to improve lung function before and after surgery. In all, 62% of patients tracked their walking three or more times a week and entered data into their medical record or called data into a secure voicemail box. The program staff contacted patients who hadnt logged steps to encourage them to do so. Patients who tracked regularly took an average of 2,909 steps per day and about 30 deep breaths on the spirometer. The researchers chose the comparison group of patients to match the type of operation, and the hospital where they had surgery. Though the prehab patients participated in the program for an average of two and a half weeks before surgery, the program was associated with statistically significant changes in several measures In addition to the total cost and hospital length of stay differences, the patients in the program were less likely to need home health care after they went home, with 24% of the prehab patients receiving it compared with 29% of non-prehab patients. However, the prehab patients had about the same rates of nursing home stays, visits to emergency departments, and additional hospital stays after they left the hospital. Life Goals In addition to incorporating more positive psychology aspects, such as having patients express their post-surgical goals and the steps they will take to try to reach them, the MSHOP program has evolved to allow patients to track steps using their smartphones and wearable activity trackers instead of providing pedometers. The program has even been integrated into the electronic portal that patients use so that they can sync their step counts automatically from their device. Surgical team members, from pre-op clinic staff to post surgery rounding teams, are encouraged to work with MSHOP enrollees toward shared ownership of their surgical outcomes, and better well-being. As more hospitals and health systems engage in national programs that incentivize the wringing of more value out of healthcare dollars, Englesbe predicts that the business case for offering prehab will grow. But in the meantime, he encourages anyone who is getting ready to have surgery to increase their physical activity, improve their nutrition, reduce or eliminate tobacco use, and focus on their mental state. For instance, doctors should encourage patients to actually write down their own goals for life after surgerywhat activities they hope the operation will allow them to do again or more fully, or life events theyre looking forward to. They can also write down the specific steps theyll pledge to take to help them attain thisfor instance, a physical activity goal or new nutritional habit. Another great step is to write down the names of their family and friends who will support them before and after surgery, and their roles, and to share this with the care team. If information like patient goals and support people makes it into the patients medical record, members of the care team can use it too. For instance, they can use the time out that precedes the start of every operation to review not only what operation theyre doing, but the goals of the patient having it. Or they can use it when doing rounds in the hospital, to prepare them to have a more engaging conversation with the patient. As they write in the paper, teams should remember that theyre not just doing surgery to solve the patients physical problem, but to help the person who has the problem. Surgery residents Charles Mouch and Mary Shen are the papers lead authors. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services supported the program. This article was originally published by University of Michigan. Republished via Futurity.org under Creative Commons License 4.0. Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vazquez Garced speaks during a press conference to announce strict new rules for all passengers flying into Puerto Rico in San Juan on June 30, 2020. (Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images) Puerto Ricos Ex-Governor Arrested on Bribery Charges Over Alleged Election Campaign Finance Scheme The former governor of Puerto Rico was arrested Thursday in San Juan on bribery charges related to the alleged financing of her 2020 reelection campaign, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced. Wanda Vazquez Garced, a member of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party who had previously promised to fight corruption, was scheduled to appear in federal court on Aug. 4 in Puerto Rico. I am innocent. I have not committed any crime, she told reporters on Thursday. I assure you that they have committed a great injustice against me. Vazquez Garced is accused of accepting campaign services worth over $300,000 from the head of an international bank in exchange for firing the head of a regulatory office that was investigating the bank. She was serving as governor at the time and was running for reelection when she allegedly accepted the bribe. According to the indictment, Vazquez Garced engaged in the alleged bribery scheme from December 2019 through June 2020 when she was serving as governor and running for reelection. Four other people were allegedly involved: Julio Martin Herrera Velutini, 50, owned an international bank operating in San Juan at the time, and Frances Diaz, also 50, was the president and CEO of the same bank. Mark Rossini, 60, was a former FBI special agent who provided consulting services to Herrera Velutini, and John Blakeman, 53, was a political consultant who worked on Vazquez Garceds 2020 reelection campaign. Accepted the Offer of a Bribe The indictment alleges that starting in 2019, Herrera Velutinis bank became the subject of an examination by Puerto Ricos Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF), a regulatory agency that oversees financial institutions operating in Puerto Rico. Prosecutors say Herrera Velutini and Rossini promised to finance Vazquez Garceds 2020 gubernatorial campaign if she agreed that she would appoint a new commissioner of Herrera Velutinis choosing to take over the regulatory agency. Vazquez Garced allegedly accepted the offer of a bribe and, in February 2020, demanded the resignation of the head of the regulatory agency and then appointed a new director a few months later in May. The new head was a former consultant for Herrera Velutinis bank. In return, Herrera Velutini and Rossini allegedly paid more than $300,000 to political consultants in support of Vazquez Garceds campaign, prosecutors said. Vazquez Garced, Herrera Velutini, and Rossini are each charged with conspiracy, federal programs bribery, and honest services wire fraud. If convicted on all counts, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. After Vazquez Garced lost her reelection campaign, Herrera Velutini allegedly tried to bribe her successor, the new governor, identified in the indictment as public official A. In March, Diaz and Blakeman both pleaded guilty to conspiring with Herrera Velutini and others in the attempted bribery of the new governor. The supposed representative of public official A was actually working for the FBI. Both Diaz and Blakeman face up to five years in prison. Their sentencing hearings have not yet been scheduled. Threatened Public Trust In a written statement included in the announcement of the indictments, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Departments criminal division said the alleged bribery scheme rose to the highest levels of Puerto Rican government and threatened public trust in the election process and in government institutions. The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable those who wrongly believe there is one rule of law for the powerful and another for the powerless, Polite said. No one is above the rule of law. Vazquez Garced, a former secretary of justice and district attorney, served as governor of Puerto Rico from 2019 to 2021. During her reelection campaign in 2020, she lost her partys nomination to challenger and then-candidate Pedro Pierluisi, current governor of Puerto Rico. Vazquez Garced is the first former governor to face federal charges. Former Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila was charged with campaign finance violations while in office but was found not guilty in 2009. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. attorney for Puerto Rico, told NPR that Pierluisi is not involved in the case. Pierluisi issued a statement on Thursday vowing to work with federal authorities to help fight corruption on the island. No one is above the law in Puerto Rico, he said. Faced with this news that certainly affects and lacerates the confidence of our people, I reiterate that in my administration, we will continue to have a common front with federal authorities against anyone who commits an improper act, no matter where it comes from or who it may implicate. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Quebec Court of Appeal is seen March 27, 2019, in Montreal. (The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz) Quebec Crown to Appeal Case of Man Who Was Discharged Despite Strangling Wife The Crown prosecutors office in Quebec is appealing a judges decision to grant a conditional discharge to a Gatineau, Que., man who pleaded guilty to strangling, threatening and assaulting his wife. A July 27 decision says Joshua Schoo pleaded guilty to the three charges of intimate-partner violence stemming from events that took place in March 2021. The court documents state that Schoo had started an extramarital affair and had suggested to his spouse of 17 years that she do the same. However, when she told him she had met someone new he insulted her, threw appliances out of their home and started drinking heavily, before breaking down the door of their bedroom and trying to strangle her while putting a pillow over her face. Quebec court Judge Serge Laurin opted to give Schoo a conditional discharge, writing that the event was isolated and that a criminal record could cause the man to lose his civil service job and prevent him from visiting his sister in the United States. Laurin ordered Schoo to serve three years probation, respect a number of conditions and make a $5,000 donation to a community organization. The Crown, meanwhile, asked for a sentence of six months in jail and two years probation. While the judge described Schoos behaviour as reprehensible, the court believes that it is not in the public interest that Mr. Schoo loses his job and cannot assure the subsistence of his family, Laurin wrote. Laurin also noted that the accused had no history of domestic violence, no criminal record and had expressed remorse and gone to therapy. In addition to potential job loss and inability to travel, a criminal record would stop Schoo from volunteering at his church, the judge said. In her impact statement, Schoos wife of 17 years said she thought she was going to die during the assault, which she said caused her to suffer from nightmares, anxiety and other psychological impacts. The court also noted that some of the couples four children witnessed the assault, including their 13-year-old daughter, who called 911 to report her fathers attack. Quebec Crown spokesperson Audrey Roy-Cloutier confirmed Thursday that the case would be appealed, but she did not elaborate. Last month, the Crown announced it would appeal a judges decision to grant a conditional discharge in a separate case to a man who pleaded guilty to sexual assault and voyeurism. Judge Matthieu Poliquin in Trois-Rivieres, Que., defended the light sentence, in part because a conviction would make it hard for the accused to travel for his job as an engineer. That decision led to a protest, a petition and a complaint to Quebecs judicial council, which is under examination. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit held at the Tampa Convention Center on July 22, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Removal of Florida State Attorney About Neglect of Duty and Is Not Political, DeSantis Says But suspended prosecutor fires back saying governor's decision 'spits in the face of the voters' of Hillsborough County PUNTA GORDA, Fla.Gov. Ron DeSantis removed a Hillsborough County state attorney on Aug. 4 because he did not follow the rule of law. At a press conference on Aug. 5, Floridas governor said he suspended Andrew Warren, who represented the 13th judicial circuit in Hillsborough County, on the basis of neglect of duty. The accusation stems from 2020 when Black Lives Matter riots hit Tampa; cars were set ablaze and police officers were barricaded in their patrol cars. Hillsborough County sheriff Chad Chronister said, no one was ever prosecuted even though arrests were made. We are resolved to apprehend the criminals who prey upon law-abiding citizens in our community, its our dutyand we trust that our criminal justice system, the state attorney, and the public defender will adjudicate the circumstances and hold those who are guilty accountable, Chronister said at the Aug. 4 press conference. The governor exercised his executive powers to bar Warren from office and suspend his wages after an investigation. As I saw that happening across the country earlier this year I asked my staff in my office to look around the state and to make sure that wasnt going to happen here, where you would have individual prosecutors nullify laws that were enacted by the peoples representatives. They spoke with law enforcement throughout the state, they spoke with line prosecutors throughout the state, DeSantis said at his Aug. 5 press conference. In addition to not prosecuting criminals, Warren has publicly objected to prosecuting people under Floridas newly enacted 15-week abortion ban and has signaled that he supports gender-affirming treatments for trans minors, which DeSantis has condemned. But the governor says that Warrens lack of following the rule of law is the reason for his suspension. Our government is a government of laws, not a government of men, and what that means is that we govern ourselves based on a Constitutional system, and based on the rule of law, DeSantis said. What weve seen over the past few years is individual prosecutors take it upon themselves to determine which laws they like and will enforce, and which laws they dont like and dont enforce. Griffin said the governor reviewed the findings and was left with no choice but to exercise his authority as set out in the Florida Constitution. DeSantis told reporters that social justice policies created under rogue prosecutors have been devastating to the rule of law, in addition, it hurts working-class communities and undermines public safety. Grady Judd, Americas Sheriff, as he has been dubbed, agreed with the governors decision. Weve got a dumpster fire going on in this nation, Judd said during the conference. And you know whos getting burned in this dumpster fire? The working people. Judd said cities like New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Chicago had prosecutors who had signed the same pledges as Warren had the highest murder rates in the country, and that criminals werent being held accountable. After the findings were in DeSantis said he found law enforcement was frustrated over putting their lives on the line, arresting suspects, and filling out paperworkjust to have the criminals turned loose. It all came back to this area in the 13th Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County, DeSantis said. The response we got was a lot of frustration on the part of law enforcement for criminals being let go and crimes not being prosecuted. The suspension came after Warren was putting himself publicly above the law, DeSantis said. Chronister said Warrens suspension is not political to me, its about law and order and making sure the community was safe. He said Warren had been reducing charges, dropping cases, and single-handedly determining which crimes would be legal or illegal in our county. Chronister recalled a September 2021 case where a suspect had shot someone, then opened fire on a residence where the victim sought refuge and protection. The suspect was arrested, released from jail, and arrested again on burglary charges. Chronister said Warren did not press charges because the depositions would have been too lengthy and complicated. After his suspension, Warren issued a written statement calling the governors actions a political stunt and an illegal overreach. It spits in the face of the voters of Hillsborough County who have twice elected me to serve them, not Ron DeSantis, Warren wrote. Just because the governor violates your rights, it doesnt mean they dont exist. Two gubernatorial candidates vying to represent the Democratic party in November spoke out against Warrens suspension. U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist said DeSantis was a wannabe dictator and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried called DeSantis a pathetic bully who wants to be a dictator, not a governor of Florida. Both Democratic candidates said DeSantis decision was politically motivated. The Florida Senate would have to remove Warren from office and he is only suspended at this point. Warren took office in 2016 and was reelected in 2020 and has been described as a rising star in the Democrat party. California City to Consider Banning Abortions, Declaring Sanctuary for Life Officials in the City of San Clemente, California, will consider a resolution Aug. 16 that would ban abortion and declare the city a sanctuary for life. The resolution defines the beginning of human life to be the moment of conception and would make it the citys declared duty to protect that life until natural death. If passed, it would declare the citys support for the U.S. Supreme Courts recent overturning of Roe v. Wade and ban the act of abortion, abortion clinics, and abortion pills in the city. The resolution allows exceptions for women at risk of losing their lives in the process of birth and for victims of rape or incest. It also suggests that human beings do not have the authority to decide to end the life of the unborn. We believe that life is God-ordained and God is the author and finisher of every life, the resolution states. [A]s a city council, we will protect and sustain life at every stage. The resolution cites Poelker v. Doe of 1977a legal precedent that allowed a city in Missouri to refuse to provide publicly funded hospitals for nontherapeutic abortions even though it provided facilities for childbirthsaying that the Constitution does not forbid a state or county or city from expressing a preference for normal childbirth instead of abortion. Councilman Steve Knoblock, who proposed the resolution, hopes it will help to initiate change within California, considering the current trend in pro-abortion laws. The ultimate purpose of government is to protect the life and liberty of humans including unborn individuals, Knoblock told The Epoch Times in an interview. Councilwoman Laura Ferguson told the City News Service Aug. 3 that it was a distraction from more important topics in the citysuch as homelessnesswhen abortion is something already legal and codified in state law. A spokesperson for the state Attorney General Rob Bontas office said access to abortion remains fully protected under state law, according to the City News Service. Mario Mainero, Associate Dean for Chapman Universitys law school, told The Epoch Times this resolution would have no legal effect because state law pre-empts city law. California state law permits abortion up to fetal viability and no city can counter that, Mario said. They cant ban abortion clinics because that would violate state law and they cant do that. An apartment building on a corner in a Sydney suburb on Aug. 4, 2022. (Rick Rycroft/AP Photo) Sydney Realtor Says Deaths of Saudi Sisters Not Random Crime CANBERRA, AustraliaThe Sydney apartment where the bodies of two Saudi sisters were found in June is back on the rental market with a real estate ad advising their deaths were not a random crime and will not be a potential risk for the community. Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and her 23-year-old sister Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, were found dead June 7 in separate bedrooms of the apartment in the southwest suburb of Canterbury. Police believe they died in early May. The decomposed state of their remains complicated the task of determining the causes of death. The first-floor Canterbury Road apartment was open for inspection on Monday with rent set at 520 Australian dollars ($362) a week. That is AU$40 ($28) more than the sisters were charged. An online ad said the apartment had been designated a crime scene and the mysterious deaths remained under police investigation. According to the police, this is not a random crime and will not be a potential risk for the community, the ad said. But police would not confirm or deny the realtors advice. As the investigation is ongoing, police continue to appeal for information in relation to the deaths of the two women, a police statement said. No further information is available at this stage. Police released the sisters names and photographs last week in an appeal for more public information about how they died, but investigators have remained tight-lipped about many details, including how the sisters came to Australia as teenagers in 2017, their visa status and how they earned money. Multiple sources with knowledge of the case said the sisters had been seeking asylum in Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. They had worked for a time as traffic controllers, a common job for backpackers and new immigrants. They drove a luxury BMW 5 Series coupe, the newspaper reported. Police Detective Inspector Claudia Allcroft said their family in Saudi Arabia was cooperating with police and there was nothing to suggest that they were suspects. She described the decomposition of the bodies as problematic. Police last week had yet to see the results of toxicology tests. There was no evidence of forced entry to the apartment, where the sisters kept to themselves, Allcroft said. The deaths are suspicious in nature as we dont know the cause of death, Allcroft said. The girls were 23 and 24 years old and they have died together in their home. We dont know the cause of death, its unusual because of their age and the nature of the matter, Allcroft added. The sisters seemed fearful and suspicious that food delivered to their apartment had been tampered with, unidentified associates told Sydney media. An unidentified senior police source told Sydneys The Daily Telegraph: It really does appear to be a tragic suicide. The sisters were able to show significant savings in a bank account when they applied to lease their apartment, property manager Jay Hu told the newspaper, but they had stopped paying rent early this year. They had always paid on time before then. They were good tenants, Hu told the newspaper. The overseas-based landlord had begun legal action to recoup the unpaid rent before the sisters bodies were found, Hu said. The real estate ad said the apartments bedrooms both had new flooring. By Rod McGuirk A woman uses her mobile phone as she walks in front of a large screen showing a news broadcast about China's military exercises encircling Taiwan, in Beijing on Aug.4, 2022. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images) Taiwan Defense Ministry Targeted in Cyberattacks Following Pelosi Visit Cyberattacks crashed the website of Taiwans Defense Ministry and paralyzed its service not long after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrapped up her visit to the Chinese-claimed island on Wednesday. The Military News Agency reported Thursday that the ministrys website was taken offline by denial-of-service attacks, which disrupted the service with excessive traffic from 11.40 p.m. to 12.30 a.m. local time. The ministry said that it was working with government agencies to strengthen surveillance of cyberattacks and safeguard its overall information security. Several other government websites, including the Foreign Ministry, were targeted by cyberattacks ahead of Pelosis arrival on Tuesday. Local media reported that Chinese and Russian software was used in the attacks. A spokesperson for Taiwans Presidential Office said the presidents website also crashed at 5 p.m. local time on Tuesday due to a 200-fold increase in traffic caused by an outside-border DDoS attack. The digital signage systems of government facilities and convenience stores, including those of 7-Eleven stores, were also compromised. Digital signage at the Taiwan Railways Administrations (TRA) Xinzuoying Station and Jhushan Township Office displayed messages calling Pelosi an old witch on Wednesday, Focus Taiwan reported. The TRA immediately disabled the screens, which it claimed were handled by another company for advertising purposes, and increased its monitoring of the ticketing system. Messages like Warmonger Pelosi get out of Taiwan appeared on the television screens of various 7-Eleven branches in Taiwan on Wednesday. Chen Yaw-shyang, chairman of the National Communications Commission, said that some affected companies used Chinese software in their digital signage systems, which may contain malware that makes them susceptible to hacks. The executive branch, led by Premier Su Tseng-chang, had previously urged the government to implement measures to counter the digital security risks posed by foreign cyberattacks and help industries cope with the impacts. The public and private sectors should work together and join hands to block inappropriate external interference, thereby ensuring society continues to function normally, it said in a statement. Pelosis Visit Angers Beijing Chinas ruling communists were irate at Pelosi for stopping at Taiwan during her Asia trip, which also included Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan. 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. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) (center L), after receiving the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon, Taiwans highest civilian honor, from Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen (center R) at the presidents office in Taipei, Taiwan, on Aug. 3, 2022. (Chien Chih-Hung/Office of The President via Getty Images) 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. 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 condemned China for holding military drills around Taiwan, saying that the moves threaten Taiwans ports and urban areas and undermine regional peace and stability. Frank Fang contributed to this report. Taliban: 2 Civilians Killed in a Bomb Blast in Afghanistan ISLAMABADA bomb hidden in a cart went off on Friday near a mosque in a minority Shiite neighborhood of the Afghan capital, killing two civilians and wounding another three, a Taliban official said. According to Khalid Zadran, the Taliban-appointed spokesman for the Kabul police chief, the attack happened in western Kabul, in the Sar-e Karez area. There were fears the casualty numbers could rise after further reports come in. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but blame is likely to fall on the ISIS terrorist group, which has targeted Afghanistans minority Shiites in large-scale attacks in the past. The regional affiliate of ISIS in Khorasan Province has increased attacks on mosques and minorities across the country since the Taliban seized power last August. It has been operating in Afghanistan since 2014. ISIS is seen as the greatest security challenge facing the countrys Taliban rulers. Following their takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban have launched a sweeping crackdown against the IS headquarters in the countrys east. On Wednesday, in a gunbattle between the Taliban and ISIS gunmen killed five, including two Taliban extremists. The fighting erupted near the Sakhi shrine in the Karti Sakhi neighborhood as people were busy preparing for Ashoura, which commemorates the 7th century death in battle of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. The 44th annual Myles Keough Paddle, Wheel, and Run, also known by most as the Great Race, returned to Emerson Park Sunday. It's the first tim Tablets of the opioid-based Hydrocodone at a pharmacy in Portsmouth, Ohio on June 21, 2017. (Bryan Woolston/Reuters) Tennessee Sues Walgreens Pharmacy Chain Over Opioid Distribution The state of Tennessee sued Walgreens on Wednesday, accusing the retail pharmacy giant of fueling the states opioid epidemic by willfully flooding the market with an oversupply of prescription narcotics in violation of consumer protection and public nuisance laws. According to the lawsuit, Walgreens used its position as one of the states largest pharmacy chains to dispense over 1.1 billion oxycodone and hydrocodone pills within Tennessee from 20062020, roughly equivalent to 175 tablets for every resident of the state. The sheer volume of opioids that Walgreens released into Tennessee was unreasonable and highly suspicious on its face, said the 148-page lawsuit, filed in Knox County Circuit Court. Walgreens utterly saturated the state of Tennessee with narcotics. Tennessee, home to nearly 7 million residents, has been one of the hardest-hit in the U.S. opioid crisis, documenting at least three opioid-related overdose deaths every day, according to the lawsuit. Walgreens did not flood the state of Tennessee with opioids by accident. Rather, the fuel that Walgreens added to the fire of the opioid epidemic was the result of knowingor willfully ignorantcorporate decisions, it said. Walgreens has been the target of similar lawsuits brought by other jurisdictions. In May, its corporate parent, the Illinois-based holding company Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, reached a $683 million settlement with Florida to resolve claims that the pharmacy chain exacerbated an opioid epidemic in that state. But Walgreens did not admit to wrongdoing under the agreement. We will continue to defend against the unjustified attacks on the professionalism of our pharmacists, dedicated health professionals who live in the communities they serve, the company said in a statement emailed to Reuters on Wednesday. Walgreens never manufactured or marketed opioids, nor did we distribute them to the pain clinics and pill mills that fueled this crisis, the company said. According to the lawsuit, Walgreens effectively became part of an unlawful controlled substance selling scheme by ignoring numerous signs of suspicious opioid prescription practices. The suit cited such red flags as a lack of individualized dosing; multiple prescriptions for the strongest dose available; many customers with the same diagnosis codes; high percentages of patients paying in cash; customers frequently seeking early refills; and customers traveling long distances to fill prescriptions. Tennessees greatest jump in opioid dispensing, according to the lawsuit, coincided with the years 20062014 when Walgreens operated as a wholesale distributor for its own pharmacies, thus occupying two rungs of the supply chain. Operating some 200300 stores statewide, Walgreens pharmacies collectively purchased 795 million opioids from distributors during that period, the suit said. Some were sourced from other wholesalers, but Walgreens self-distributed 81 percent of its own retail opioid supplies in that era, according to the complaint. A similar lawsuit brought against Walgreens and two pharmaceutical companies by the city of San Francisco is now under consideration by a federal judge following an 11-week trial during which the two other firms reached a $58 million settlement with the city last month. Separately, a federal court jury decided in November that Walgreens, along with fellow pharmacy chain CVS Health Corp and discount retail giant Walmart Inc., was liable for helping create a public nuisance with an alleged flood of pain pills that wound up on the black market in two Ohio counties. It is now up to a federal judge to decide what the companies should pay. By Steve Gorman Repatriates from Ukraine hold the Brazilian flag after arriving on the KC-390 Millennium of the Brazilian Air Force in Brasilia, Brazil, on March 10, 2022. (Andressa Anholete/Getty Images) The Fight for Free Speech in Brazil Commentary Social media companies are often accused of censoring conservative voices. However, the Constitution of Brazil explicitly prohibits all forms of censorship or any hindrance being placed on freedom of expression and freedom of thought. These important freedoms appeared to be considerably restored in Brazil when the nations president, Jair Bolsonaro, signed a measure on Sept. 6 that temporarily prevented social media companies from removing posts based on what they arbitrarily decided to constitute fake news. These temporary rules required such companies to restore the post or account of a censored person unless a court order expressly decided the removal was warranted. Under the Brazilian Constitution, the president is legally authorized to sanction, promulgate, and publish federal legislation, as well as to veto parliamentary bills in whole or in part. Moreover, the president has the power to enforce federal intervention once authorized by the Supreme Court and declare war with legislative authorization. Although the Constitution effectively establishes the presidential system, it nonetheless includes some elements of the parliamentary system. To restore the supremacy of the legislative over the executive, presidential decrees have basically been abolished. However, the president can still enact delegated laws and medidas provisorias (provisional measures). The former can only be created after a proper delegation of power by Congress. Provisional measures, in contrast, can be enacted by the president for reasons of relevance and urgency. In such cases, the measure has to be submitted to the National Congress after promulgation and loses its effect once it is rejected, or Congress does not turn this into legislation within 60 days, subject to only one further renewal of the same measure. Defending Free Speech Oddly enough, past presidents have sought to regularly legislate by means of these provisional measures. For example, former President Fernando H. Cardoso was the champion of provisional measures, enacting more than 5,000 such measures over his eight-year-long administration. Before him, President Fernando Collor de Mello notoriously repromulgated several provisional measures after they had been rejected by Congress. In June 1992, a decision from the Supreme Court determined that repromulgation of provisional measures already rejected by Congress is constitutionally invalid. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (top C) attends the Opening Plenary of the IX Summit of the Americas at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on June 9, 2022. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) In this context, on Sept. 7, Bolsonaro passed an important measure that temporarily prevented social media networks from removing posts based on the censorship of political, ideological, scientific, artistic, or religious expressions. The president explained that his government was taking the global lead in defending free speech on social networks and protecting the right of citizens to freedom of thought and expression. The Brazilian government announced that this aimed to prevent the removal of content that may result in any kind of censorship of political, ideological, scientific, artistic or religious order. At the time of the measures enactment, Brazil temporarily became the first in the world to make certain types of content takedowns by these social media platforms illegal under national law. The measure targeted what the president properly described as arbitrary removal of content, including accounts, profiles and posts. Under its rules, social media companies would be allowed to remove posts only if they incited such things as terrorism, violence, sexual crimes, and cyber attacks unless they obtained a court order. Hate Speech or Free Speech It is hard to conceive why any elected politician would reject such a measure that would enhance freedom of political communication. However, some members of Congress publicly opposed the measure, and six socialist political parties even filed lawsuits with the nations Supreme Court seeking to block it. Freedom of speech cannot be used as a shield to protect misinformation and hate speech, argued Rafael Carneiro, the counsel for the Brazilian Socialist Party. On Sept. 14, the president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, announced on the floor of the Senate that he was summarily rejecting the pro-freedom measure and closing all proceedings about it in the Congress. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (C), president of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira (L), and president of the Federal Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, offer a press conference at Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on Feb. 3, 2021. (Sergio Lima/AFP via Getty Images) By sending this measure back to the president without even a preliminary debate on itan extremely rare movethis senator was revealing a disturbing disregard not only for democratic debate but also for basic rules of parliamentary proceeding. Although Pachecos decision was more than enough to entirely kill it, an hour later, Justice Rosa Weber of the Supreme Court decided to suspend that provisional measure in its entirety. She called the provisional measure an abuse of presidential power because, in her opinion, such measures must never address the matter of fundamental human rights. Weber also argued that the court should interfere in a matter pertaining to Congress only in absolutely exceptional circumstances, but that this particular measure of the president demanded such an extraordinary response since, believe it or not, she believes that preventing social media censorship is one of the greatest contemporary challenges to fundamental rights! Her ruling was given in response to a joint plea by the Brazilian Socialist Party and five other left-wing parties. Oddly enough, the federal Prosecutor General, Augusto Aras, seems to share her opinion. On Sept. 13, he submitted an opinion to the Court in favour of suspending the important measure. Fight Against Censorship Curiously, Brazilian courts have repeatedly ordered social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to remove fake news posts, especially those related to alternative COVID-19 treatments and compulsory vaccination. Since 2022, Justice Alexandre de Moraes of the Supreme Court has issued numerous orders against fake news, in addition to sending some of Bolsonaros most well-known friends and supporters to jail for hate speech against himself and other controversial members of the Court. It is quite astonishing that even a sensitive measure aimed at restoring free speech was so bluntly rejected. Of course, Bolsonaro was simply trying to make sure that social media platforms are not allowed to take down anything unless it can be demonstrated that these actions are effectively legal, especially around political speech. But even if that measure was eventually rejected, at least the attempt reveals the presidents serious commitment to the protection of basic human rights. One would hope that his attempt to restore free speech in Brazil can at least serve as an inspiration and blueprint for other democratic leaders around the world, so they can elaborate rules that combat the arbitrary censorship of inconvenient truths by these powerful social media bosses. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. 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) The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Pelosis Trip Commentary The first visit by a U.S. House speaker to Taiwan in 25 years is an important occasion and in its immediate aftermath, it is important to reflect on its significance. In sum, there is considerable good, bad, and ugly regarding the visit. It is useful to reflect on each. The Good There were six positive outcomes from the trip. First, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visited in the face of vociferous Chinese opposition. The United States should never permit another government, particularly one as odious as the Chinese regime, to govern where and when U.S. officials visit. Kudos to Pelosi for sustaining that principle. Second, an independent Taiwan is in the strategic interests of the United States for strategic reasons: Washington cannot allow Taiwans key position, military capability, skilled population, chip engineering and manufacturing, or economy to fall under Beijings control. This would serve as a fillip to the Chinese regime. Third, Taiwans loss to the Chinese regime would be a major blow to the ideological struggle between Beijings totalitarianism and Washingtons support for democracies in global politics. Pelosis statement that the United States possessed a determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad. This is a positive step forward if the Biden administration chooses to sustain the independence of Taiwan. Taiwans loss would be the East wind prevailing over the West as Mao Zedong wanted, and as Chinese dictator Xi Jinping maintains. Rather, Taiwan is a lasting and major victory for the United States and its allies, the West wind prevailing over the East. Fourth, Taiwans continued independence strikes at the legitimacy of the Chinese regime. Taiwan demonstrates with each day of its existence that democracy and freedom can flourish. Taiwans existence is undeniable empirical proof that the Chinese people can not only live under democracy but live far better than the Chinese misgoverned by the Chinese regime on the mainland. Fifth, this was a significant blow to Chinese deterrence, due to loss of credibility. The Chinese regime made the threat but was seen to be ineffective at preventing it. The visit proceeded in spite of its protests. The visit weakened Chinese credibility and thus aided Taipeis security. Sixth, the Speakers visit showed that U.S. support for Taiwan is a nonpartisan issue that Democrats and Republicans may support and sustain. This has the added virtue of augmenting U.S. credibility regarding the protection of Taiwan. The Bad Inevitably, the bad comes with the good, and there are three negative elements of note. First, Pelosis visit provides a window for the Biden administration to act. If the United States does not capitalize upon the visit to provide Taiwan with a conventional and nuclear extended deterrent, then the Biden administration will have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. To strengthen the U.S. extended deterrent relationship with Taiwan, the U.S. must end the policy of strategic ambiguity. This also requires increasing U.S. military presence in the Indo-Pacific, U.S. and allied presence in Taiwan itself, and conducting routine diplomatic and military visits to Taiwan as the U.S. did for most of the Cold War. Second, Chinas response is to be expected but must be addressed. China responded with missile strikes on exclusive economic zones surrounding Taiwan as a coercive response to the visit. These are directed by the Eastern Theater Command and include multiple ballistic missile launches into the exercise closures declared by Beijing. This has effectively closed Taiwans exclusive economic zone. The United States and its allies cannot permit China, de facto, to impose a blockade on Taiwan, and the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Air Force must ensure that the attempt to blockade Taiwan is broken. Third, due to the weak professionalism of the Chinese military, its actions might cause an incident that in turn compels escalatory pressure. Taiwan, the United States, and U.S. allies have to be prepared for such an event. A missile is launched from an unspecified location in China on Aug. 4, 2022. The Chinese military fired missiles into waters near Taiwan as part of its planned exercises on Aug. 4. (CCTV via AP) The Ugly Finally, the ugly. The Biden administration did not handle this well. For deterrence purposes, the administration should have supported the trip without hesitation or equivocation. The hemming-and-hawing concerning whether the Biden administration supported the visit should not have occurred. Indeed, the administration should support more visits. While the United States was fighting the Vietnam War, the Argentinian-born Cuban revolutionary leader Ernesto Che Guevara stated that he wanted two, three, many Vietnams for the United States. In that spirit, the Biden administration should support two, three, many Pelosi visits to Taiwan. It is essential to routinize visits by U.S. officials to Taiwan to signal support and erode Beijings position. Finally, if the opportunity to capitalize upon this visit is not seized by the Biden administration, then U.S. allies must do so. While that is a less attractive option, visits by high-level Australian, British, Canadian, French, German, Indian, and Japanese officials, as well as the NATO Secretary General, will remain far superior to allowing this opportunity to wane. Additionally, if Republicans win control of the House of Representatives in the November elections, then the Republican Speakermost likely present House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthyshould make Taiwan his first overseas trip. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Hino Motors Ltd. displays its new Hybrid Profia, a diesel-hybrid version of its large commercial truck model at its R&D Center at Hino in Tokyo, on July 17, 2018. (Naomi Tajitsu/Reuters) Toyota Unit Falsified Emissions Data From at Least 2003, Probe Finds TOKYOA major affiliate of Japans Toyota Motor Corp. falsified emissions data on some engines going back to at least 2003, more than a decade earlier than previously indicated, a company-commissioned probe showed on Tuesday. The investigative committee tasked by truck and bus maker Hino Motors Ltd. blamed the scandal on an environment where engineers did not feel able to challenge superiors, in a rare criticism of corporate culture in Japan. The committee, composed of lawyers and a corporate adviser, was set up by Hino this year after it admitted to falsifying data related to emissions and fuel performance of four engines. Its findings, released on Tuesday, detail an inflexible atmosphere where it was difficult for staff to feel psychological safety, the committee said in a report. A sense of past success on the part of management helped engender the culture, said committee chairperson Kazuo Sakakibara, who was the former head prosecutor at the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office. The magnitude of their past successes has made them unable to change or look at themselves objectively, and they have been unaware of changes in the external environment and values, he told a briefing. The organization has become an ill-organized one where people are unable to say what they cannot do. Hinos president, Satoshi Ogiso, apologized to reporters and said management took its responsibilities seriously. He said he had received a message from Toyotas president, Akio Toyoda, who said the misconduct at Hino betrayed the trust of all stakeholders. Hino said it would come up with a new corporate governance system within three months. Should Have Been Found The automaker said the committee had found evidence of falsification stretching back to at least October 2003, as opposed to the previously disclosed timeframe of around 2016. The transportation ministry, which revoked the truck makers certification of the affected engines in March, said it would conduct an on-site investigation of the company. Hino has recalled close to 47,000 vehicles made between April 2017 and March this year, and Hino said an additional 20,900 would be recalled. The committee did not find evidence that executives outside the powertrain unit were aware of the misconduct. The division requires high expertise, which hindered personnel changes and allowed misconduct to continue, committee member Makoto Shimamoto said. Misconducts have been passed down within the unit, but there were no monitoring functions in other units, which is a major issue, he said. Even if there was no personnel movement within the organization, these issues should have been found. Ogiso said the company had put quality, compliance and talent development on the backburner as it sought to expand its scale and volume starting around 2000. As a result, numerical targets, such as product development schedules and fuel efficiency, were prioritized over working according to proper processes, he said. Toyota owns 50.1 percent of Hino. Shares of Hino fell almost 10 percent on Tuesday. Hino has joined a string of Japanese automakers involved in improper emissions tests. In 2018, the government said Mazda Motor Corp., Suzuki Motor Corp., and Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. had improperly tested vehicles for fuel economy and emissions. Subaru Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. were under scrutiny for the same reason the year before. The accuracy of automakers emissions data was thrown into doubt in 2015 when Germanys Volkswagen AG admitted it had installed secret software in hundreds of thousands of U.S. diesel cars to cheat emissions tests and that as many as 11 million vehicles could have similar software worldwide. By Satoshi Sugiyama People wait in line to check in at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on May 12, 2022. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press) Travel Vaccine Mandate Policy-Maker Testifies Being Unqualified to Assess Underlying Data The Transport Canada official who drafted the policy for mandatory vaccination in travel has no scientific background and says she relied uncritically on public health information, yet court documents show she still dismissed or interpreted data. Its not my responsibility to question or analyze the data that the experts on public health in this country provide me, said Jennifer Little, director general of the COVID Recovery Team at Transport Canada. Little submitted an affidavit in April and was cross-examined in June as part of the governments defence against four lawsuits challenging the travel mandate. The mandate was suspended by the Liberals on June 20, but they warned it could be brought back depending on circumstances. Littles cross-examination reveals she did question data, having put aside information or interpreted it to support the vaccine mandate. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has a team that reviews essentially all the new scientific literature on COVID-19. It reviewed the issue of in-flight transmission of the virus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID, and produced a first report with information dated up to May 2021. Little chose to not take this summary of evidence into consideration after the order came in late July to start drafting policy recommendations. In my view this document was not specifically relevant to [a] vaccination mandate because it did not provide current data in the context of the higher transmissibility of the Delta VOC [variant of concern], she wrote in her affidavit. What qualifies you to make that judgment call? asked lawyer Sam Presvelos during cross-examination. Little said the data seemed too old and not useful to support her policy development. So you made that judgment call about whether or not this might be relevant despite the fact that you dont know and youre not trained to know how similar the different variants of SARS-CoV-2 are and whether or not the mechanisms of transmission of different variants might be relevant to understand subsequent variants, right? said Presvelos. As I mentioned, Im not a scientist, said Little, to which Presvelos replied, I know. Little has a B.A. in English and she said to her knowledge, no one on her team of under 20 people has a scientific background. The latest version of the PHAC report is called Evidence on the risk of COVID-19 transmission in flight: update 3, published in November 2021. The version with information up to May 2021 was not readily available, but the latest one states that across reviews, the risk of infection during a flight is low. In defending the mandate, Little also mentioned COVID-19 testing conducted at the border. There was considerable testing evidence that showed that vaccination would be effective in preventing the spread on aircraft, she said, referring to the PHAC document Counts of cases and travellers using ALL TESTS for ALL countries. We were very confident that [a] vaccination mandate would protect the safety of Canadians and other travellers on the Canadian transportation system. The PHAC document shows higher positivity rates for unvaccinated travellers, relates Littles affidavit, but does not address when the infection might have occurred nor if it was linked to in-flight transmission. Some scientific literature published in the summer of 2021 suggested that infected individuals, whether vaccinated or not, carry the same amount of viral load. Sound Rationale While saying the mandate policy was supported by PHAC information, Little testified that she couldnt recall whether PHAC or its parent department Health Canada made a recommendation for a travel vaccine mandate. She did write in her affidavit that PHAC believed there was a sound rationale for vaccination, without a mention of mandates. On Oct. 18, 2021, a few days before the vaccine mandates came into force, Transport Canada associate assistant deputy minister Aaron McCrorie wrote to a high-level manager at PHAC to obtain updated COVID-19 data related to the transportation sector. Dawn Lumley-Myllari, director general of the Strategic Policy Branch of PHAC, wrote back on Oct. 28 that the public health rationale for vaccination remains sound. This was apparently taken as confirmation that a vaccine requirement should be imposed in transportation. The fact that PHAC deemed the public health rationale for vaccination sound was an important underpinning of the mandate, phase one of which came into effect two days later, Little wrote. The court documents do not say whether Lumley-Myllari thought mandatory vaccination for travelling was sound. Littles affidavit does state that Lumley-Myllari was the focal point for coordinating PHACs public health rationale supporting the government-wide vaccination policy development. PHACs ethical framework to deal with the pandemic does not mention mandatory vaccination, but rather principles of minimizing harm and respect of human rights. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby speaks during a news briefing at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., on May 16, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) US Summons Chinese Ambassador, Condemns CCP Military Aggression The White House summoned Chinese ambassador Qin Gang on Aug. 5, to condemn the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its unprecedented military escalations against Taiwan. White House National Security Council communication director John Kirby said that the CCPs actions negatively affected the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait, and reiterated that the United States does not seek a crisis in the region. After Chinas actions overnight, we summoned Ambassador Qin Gang to the White House to demarche him about [Chinas] provocative actions, Kirby told the Washington Post. The fallout follows U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan earlier this week, which the CCP lambasted as recognition of secessionist forces. The CCP subsequently placed sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family, launched its largest ever military drills in the seas and skies around Taiwan, banned the import of thousands of goods from Taiwan, and began a series of sustained cyberattacks against Taiwans infrastructure. The live fire exercises have been roundly condemned by the international community both in and out of Asia. Particularly so since it was reported that Chinese ballistic missiles flew over Taiwan and landed in the exclusive economic zone of Japan. The CCP maintains that Taiwan is a rogue province of China and has vowed to unite it with the mainland by any means necessary. Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949, has never been controlled by the CCP, and boasts a thriving democracy and market economy. CCP authorities claim that Pelosis visit went against the United States One China Policy, which provides diplomatic recognition, but not endorsement, of the CCPs belief in one China including Taiwan. The United States maintains that Pelosis visit is consistent with its longstanding policies regarding Taiwan, and has pointed out that Congressional delegations visit the island several times a year without protest. Moreover, U.S. leadership has accused Beijing of attempting to unilaterally change the status quo by creating a phony precedent for deploying its military around the island. The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 mandates that the United States provide the arms necessary for Taiwan to defend itself from aggression, but does not require the United States to defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion. As to the question of whether it would, the nation adheres to a policy of strategic ambiguity wherein it will neither confirm nor deny that it would militarily intervene on Taiwans behalf in a conflict. Washingtons decision to rein in Chinas ambassador and issue a firm condemnation of the CCPs hostilities is in line with other comments the administration has made throughout the week. We condemn these actions, which are irresponsible and at odds with our longstanding goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the region, Kirby said at an Aug. 4 press conference. Theres no reason for this manufactured crisis to exist. Security personnel gather near the entrance of the Wuhan Institute of Virology during a visit by the World Health Organization team in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on Feb. 3, 2021. (Ng Han Guan/AP Photo) US University Concedes It May Have Broken Law in Contract With Wuhan Lab A top U.S. biosecurity lab is taking responsibility for signing poorly drafted agreements with three high-level biosecurity labs in China that they concede may have broken the law. The three contracts, including one with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), gave the Chinese labs the power to destroy secret files from any stage of their collaboration. The party is entitled to ask the other to destroy and/or return the secret files, materials, and equipment without any backups, reads the 2017 memorandum of understanding (MOU) that the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) signed with the Wuhan lab, which was revealed in April. The broad confidentiality obligation, renewable every five years, applies to all cooperation and exchange documents, data, details and materials, according to the document. Related Coverage Silenced: Stories of Citizens Suppressed for Speaking the Truth About the CCP Virus Located in the city where COVID-19 began its spread, the WIV, which for years conducted coronavirus research with U.S. funding, has attracted global attention as a possible source of the virus. The confidentiality agreements, coupled with Beijings pattern of suppression of discussion on the COVID-19 pandemics origin, has raised questions over whether crucial data may have been erased from the public eye. The Texas medical university recently acknowledged that these confidentiality terms may have violated state laws. Oversight The university recently disclosed that it had signed contracts with identical confidentiality provisions with two other top-level biosecurity labs in Chinathe Harbin Veterinary Research Institute (pdf) in Chinas Heilongjiang Province and the Institute of Medical Biology in Kunming (pdf), the capital of Chinas Yunnan Provincedocuments first obtained by the investigative research group U.S. Right to Know show. The two facilities, together with the WIV, house Chinas only three labs certified at the highest biosafety levels. The university attributed the inclusion of the poorly drafted provision to an oversight on its part. The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) takes responsibility for the oversight in allowing memorandums of understanding (MOUs) to include a poorly drafted confidentiality provision in potential conflict with applicable state laws, a university spokesperson told The Epoch Times. The university noted that they immediately terminated any MOU that contained language that conflicts with law and policy upon learning of the error. A review of processes and practices at UTMB is underway, and new levels of oversight for procedures are being implemented, the spokesperson said. COVID-19 sample vials at a testing lab in Houston on Aug. 13, 2021. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) The UTMB wouldnt specify when it discovered the error nor when it put an end to the MOUs. However, the documents had stated that the confidentiality terms would stay in force even after it has been terminated. The UTMBs Galveston National Laboratory, one of two national biocontainment laboratories built with U.S. federal grants, had years of partnership with the three Chinese facilities, providing Chinese scientists with biosecurity training and conducting joint research projects. It began collaborating with the WIV in 2013. The university stated that the agreements have resulted in minimal material consequences. UTMB confirms no documents or confidential information has been destroyed, nor was there ever any request that any documents be destroyed, the spokesperson said. There was no financial engagement with any of the Chinese institutions in question or collaboration with Chinese scientists concerning coronavirus research. Edward Hammond, a biosafety activist who has called for greater transparency at the Galveston lab, was unconvinced by the universitys stance. It is mystifying to me that this could have happened at all, he told The Epoch Times. Is it sloppiness, as UTMB suggests, or is something else going on? This aerial view shows the P4 laboratory (C) on the campus of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on May 27, 2020. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images) LeDuc James LeDuc, director at the time for the Galveston lab, signed all three contracts. In the months after COVID-19 broke out, LeDuc reached out to prominent WIV scientists overseeing bat coronavirus projects in a bid to help them tamp down scrutiny over the facilitys role in the pandemic, according to recently released emails analyzed by The Epoch Times. Related Coverage Top US Scientist Tried to Help Wuhan Lab Counter Virus Leak Concerns In April 2020, he wrote an email to virologist Shi Zhengli, deputy director for WIVs P4 lab, sharing a document he prepared for the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations to discuss the lab leak hypothesis. Please review carefully and make any changes that you would like. I want this to be as accurate as possible and I certainly do not want to misrepresent any of your valuable contributions, he told Shi, who later emailed back a document with her edits. LeDuc appears to have shifted his stance on the issue. In June, he was one of roughly three dozen scientists and public health experts calling for more rigorous oversight for funding on pathogenic experiments that could start a pandemic (pdf). Memory Hole The UTMBs collaboration with the Chinese lab has attracted attention in Congress. In July, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) wrote to LeDuc raising alarm about the UTMB contract. Though UTMB may not be alone, it raises serious concerns that a prominent recipient of federal taxpayer dollars would enter into an agreement with any foreign entitybut especially an adversarywith such a glaring memory hole provision that authorizes research materials and files to be destroyed upon request, he wrote in the letter. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) testifies at a House hearing in front of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, in Washington on July 12, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) On its face, this seems to violate record retention laws and requirements on grant recipients at the NIH [National Institutes of Health]. The lawmaker said he wants to get to the bottom of COVID-19s origins and American involvement in Communist Chinas extremely dangerous research. Data sharing agreements between the CCP and U.S. entities, including the University of Texas Medical Branch, are deeply concerning, Roy told The Epoch Times. Such agreements are especially alarming given the CCPs demonstrated willingness to twist and subvert scientific research to fit their hostile political agenda. This photo, posted on the internet in Beijing on July 5, shows Guo Meimei posing with one of her many designer handbags during a flight. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) Wealth Flaunting Incident Reveals Family Nature of CCP State Enterprises A recent wealth flaunting incident by a state-owned enterprise (SOE) employee, which has been a hot topic on the Chinese internet, has unexpectedly brought to light the underlying institutional corruption in the CCP. The young man in the spotlight was Zhou Jie. On July 25, someone broke the story that Zhou had posted messages on Wechat Moments between 2019 and 2021 showing off his wealth and extensive contacts in local political and business circles, even though he was an ordinary employee of State-owned Capital Operation Holding Group in eastern Chinas Jiangxi Province. On July 27, the Group issued a notice about the investigation. In addition to finding Zhous identity and his familys six houses and two shops, the notice also revealed the professional backgrounds of his parents and three uncles: they all worked in state-owned enterprises in Jiangxis public transport system and were mostly middle- and upper-class officials. Thats why, according to Zhou, a study slacker like him could get a job in a state-owned financial company where ordinary people need a masters degree in finance from one of Chinas top universities to enter. Although this is a common phenomenon in China, few people have spoken about it before. The incident has exposed a huge network of family political and business relations in many state-owned enterprises, and also revealed the family-oriented nature of state-owned enterprises in China. The first famous incident that revealed this network dates back to a young girl named Guo Meimei in 2011. Guo flaunted her wealth as a senior executive of the China Red Cross, inciting concerns over the organizations corruption and half-commercial operations. According to Li Yanming, a China expert based in the United States, the problem of family-oriented state-owned enterprises has always existed in the CCPs so called state-owned system. Chinas SOE reforms, which began in the 1980s, gave the CCP elite unregulated power to turn state resources for their own and their families personal gain. The deeper nationalization of state-owned enterprises lies in that the CCPs top powerful families turn state assets into their private property, Li said. Chinas key industries, such as power, transportation, oil, telecommunications, and finance, are basically divided by the CCPs powerful families, which is the inevitable result of the partys institutional corruption, he told The Epoch Times. However, due to the Partys overall control of Chinese society, information is so tightly blocked that only when different interest groups in the Party fight against each other in political struggle will relevant information be revealed, he said. Rich and Powerful Long Divided up Assets of SOEs In 2006, Luneng Group, the largest state-owned company in Shandong Province, was secretly sold to two private companies in Beijing for one-twentieth of its valuation. At that time, Luneng had three listed companies with a market value of about 73.8 billion yuan (about $10.92 billion), spanning various industries including coal power, mining, real estate, engineering construction, finance, and sports. The private companies that paid 3.73 billion yuan (about $550 million) for a 91.6 percent stake in the supersized state-owned enterprise were Beijing Shouda Energy Company and Beijing Guoyuan United Company. However, even that 3.73 billion yuan came from Luneng, according to aboluowang.com, an overseas Chinese media. The specific operation was to buy a coal mine in Shanxi Province for 70 million yuan (about $10.36 million), then control the valuation of the appraisal company to 750 million yuan (about $110 million) and sell it to Luneng at that price. This operation occurred repeatedly. In January 2007, Caijing reported the ins and outs of the acquisition. The article was banned by the authorities after it was published, but it still caused a reaction among the people. The Caijing report revealed that the acquisition was done entirely behind closed doors. Until it was completed, no one inside Luneng knew who the real owner was. According to Caijings investigation, the two companies are linked to Xiao Jianhua, a capital tycoon widely seen as a bagman of Zeng Wei, the son of Zeng Qinghong, the CCPs second-most powerful man. Zeng Wei is known for buying a luxury home in Australia in 2008 for AU $32.4 million (about $22.4 million). Due to the alleged loss of state-owned assets and pressure from public opinion, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) at the end of 2007 ordered Luneng to become a domestically funded enterprise again in accordance with the principle of recovering the same assets at the same price. The group eventually bought back its 95 percent stake for 8.3 billion yuan (about $1.2 billion). The takeover netted the buyer 900 million yuan (about $130 million) despite the failure to keep Luneng, Caijing follow-up reports said. However, considering that in addition to the initial 70 million yuan, the 3.73 billion yuan capital used also came from Luneng, then the two private companies netted 4.55 billion yuan (about $670 million) during Lunengs privatization and renationalization. Zhang Gaoli, then secretary of Shandong Provincial Party Committee, and Liu Zhenya, chairman of Shandong Energy Group, the parent company of Luneng, were both promoted by Zeng Qinghong in connection with the incident, with Zhang joining the top echelon of the CCP as a member of the Politburo Standing Committee in 2017 and Liu taking the position of chairman of the board and party secretary of Chinas State Grid Corporation. The family of Jiang Zemin, the former CCP leader who lead the party from 1989 to the 2000s, became Chinas biggest vested interest group in using its supreme power to enrich itself. Reuters reported in 2014 that Boyu Capital, which belongs to Jiangs grandson Jiang Zhicheng, had bought a controlling stake in Sunrise Duty Free in 2011 for an eighth of its valuation, and tripled its investment in three years. The duty-free shop industry is a tightly controlled state monopoly in China. According to the report, Sunrise Duty Free was able to obtain a 10-year license and renewal to open duty-free shops in Chinas two largest airports thanks to Jiang Zemins direct approval, which allowed its founder, Chinese-American Fred Kiang, to enjoy the privileges of duty-free shops in China that foreigners could not own. Fred Kiang was reportedly born in Shanghai and is of the same family as Jiang Zemin. According to the Jiang family tree, Fred Kiang is of the Shi generation, the same generation as Jiang Zemins father, Jiang Shijun. Both Jiang Zhicheng and his father, Jiang Mianheng, used one of Fred Kiangs property in Tucson, Arizona, for smaller private business transactions while they were in the United States. Several scenarios are now converging to create the suspicion this was the case including conditional approval for an HIV pill by Chinese officials, AIDS-like immunodepression from the jab and an Indian paper that was quickly retracted. Several scenarios are now converging to create the suspicion that getting an HIV vaccine to market may be a goal behind COVID. The COVID jab is causing AIDS-like immunodepression, which helps create the perception that we have an urgent need for an HIV vaccine The Indian paper was quickly retracted, but not before catching the attention of the late Luc Montagnier, a world-renowned virologist who won the Nobel prize for his discovery of HIV. Montagnier insisted the Indian researchers were correct in their assessment, and had been forced to retract the paper after enormous pressure In late January 2020, Indian researchers published a paper claiming segments of the viral RNA appeared more closely related to HIV than other coronaviruses. The researchers even said SARS-CoV-2 responded to HIV medications Use of the HIV drug has reignited interest in early evidence suggesting SARS-CoV-2 is a bioweapon augmented with parts of the HIV virus July 25, 2022, Chinese officials granted conditional approval to an HIV drug to be used as a COVID treatment. As reported by Reuters:1 The Azvudine tablet, which China approved in July last year to treat certain HIV-1 virus infections, has been given a conditional green light to treat adult patients with normal type COVID, the National Medical Products Administration said in a statement. Normal type COVID is a term China uses to refer to coronavirus infections where there are signs of pneumonia, but the patients havent reached a severe stage In a late-stage clinical trial, 40.4% of patients taking Azvudine showed improvement in symptoms seven days after first taking the drug, compared with 10.9% in the control group The use of the HIV drug has reignited interest in early evidence suggesting SARS-CoV-2 is a bioweapon augmented with parts of the HIV virus. HIV Insertions Highlighted in Early 2020 January 31, 2020, ZeroHedge published an article2 featuring the findings3 of Indian researchers, who claimed certain segments of the viral RNA appeared more closely related to HIV than other coronaviruses. The researchers even said SARS-CoV-2 responded to HIV medications. According to this paper, titled Uncanny similarity of unique inserts in the 2019-nCoV spike protein to HIV-1 gp120 and Gag, the presence of HIV insertions was unlikely to have occurred naturally the implication being that SARS-CoV-2 might be an escaped bioweapon:4 We found 4 insertions in the spike glycoprotein (S) which are unique to the 2019-nCoV and are not present in other coronaviruses. Importantly, amino acid residues in all the 4 inserts have identity or similarity to those in the HIV-1 gp120 or HIV-1 Gag. Interestingly, despite the inserts being discontinuous on the primary amino acid sequence, 3D-modelling of the 2019-nCoV suggests that they converge to constitute the receptor binding site. The finding of 4 unique inserts in the 2019-nCoV, all of which have identity /similarity to amino acid residues in key structural proteins of HIV-1 is unlikely to be fortuitous in nature. Within days, ZeroHedges article had caught the attention of Jeremy Farrar director of the Wellcome Trust who emailed it to Dr. Anthony Fauci.5 The Indian paper was quickly retracted, but not before catching the attention of the late Luc Montagnier, a world-renowned French virologist who won the Nobel prize for his discovery of HIV. His belief that SARS-CoV-2 did contain sequences of the HIV virus6 was in part why AP News named him as one of the top superspreaders of disinformation about SARS-CoV-2s origin in 2021.7 Montagnier insisted the Indian researchers were correct in their assessment, and had been forced to retract the paper after enormous pressure.8,9 AIDS Awareness Back In Vogue Then, in February 2022, AIDS was suddenly all the rage. Media seemingly abandoned COVID overnight, taking aim at AIDS instead, and when all the media start raising an issue at the same time, its usually a coordinated campaign directed by a PR company on the behalf of a client. Theres a reason for it, and the reason is to sow a desired narrative in the minds of people. They plant ideas so that when something happens, people are already prepped with certain prejudices or assumptions. So, what then might be the reason for everyone suddenly talking about AIDS? In December 2021, President Biden announced a White House plan to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030.10 The same exact vow had been announced by the British Health Security Agency a week earlier.11 Meanwhile, Prince Harry was out there urging everyone to get an HIV test, and Dutch researchers announced the discovery of a concerning HIV strain.12 According to researchers, this mutated HIV virus, dubbed the VB variant, is more infectious and causes more severe illness, twice as fast. As of early February 2022, there were 109 known cases of the VB variant in The Netherlands. Curiously, scientists also admitted the variant had been circulating for decades. So, how was it news? All of this was happening at the same time that COVID was starting to fade out. At the time, Off-Guardian warned,13 just because theyre giving slack on COVID does not mean the agenda behind COVID is gone. Far from it. In fact, even as they seek to dump this pandemic in a shallow grave, they are already prepping the public for the next health scare AIDS. Convergence Well, the AIDS scare didnt last long either. Within a couple of months, COVID variants were again grabbing headlines, and in May 2022, the focus shifted to monkeypox. Here, multiple scenarios, facts, theories, hazards and risks suddenly converge to create some rather disturbing possibilities. To summarize: The COVID jab may be causing AIDS-like illness by decimating immune function 14 This is not to imply the shot is causing HIV/AIDS. 15 , 16 Rather, it refers to the finding that people who get the COVID jab are at six months post-jab at greater risk of symptomatic COVID than their unvaccinated peers. 17 Theyre also at increased risk for other infections and chronic diseases, for the same reason. Americas Frontline Doctors have suggested myocarditis and other chronic health problems associated with the jabs could be the result of vaccine-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or VAIDS,18 which is similar to AIDS in that it involves immune deficiency. The main difference is the initial trigger. Researchers have warned that Janssens and AstraZenecas COVID jabs may increase your risk of being infected with HIV 19 In part because these COVID shots use the same adenovirus vector (Ad5) as a failed trial in which they were trying to create an HIV vaccine. The use of Ad5 as a vector to transport the genetic material of HIV actually increased the risk of HIV infection rather than lowered it, and the researchers worried that Ad5 might increase the risk of HIV infection in those who get adenovirus vector COVID shots as well. Scientists have warned that mass vaccination during active outbreaks drive mutations And, since the rollout of the COVID jabs in December 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has indeed mutated to evade mRNA injection-acquired antibodies, and the last two iterations also evade natural immunity. And, since the rollout of the COVID jabs in December 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has indeed mutated to evade mRNA injection-acquired antibodies, and the last two iterations also evade natural immunity. Human trial for mRNA HIV vaccine is underway 20 The Moderna HIV vaccine will target a certain subset of B-cells known to loosely bind to HIV. The idea is that by prodding these B-cells with mRNA instructions, delivered through a series of shots, they might develop the capacity to produce neutralizing antibodies against HIV. The question is, if the COVID shot can cause immune depletion after repeated doses, what kind of dysfunction might a series of HIV shots trigger? Whats more, HIV, like SARS-CoV-2, is a rapidly mutating virus,21 so an HIV vaccine is likely to drive mutations and resistance, just as weve seen with the COVID shot. Gay and bisexual men are getting a smallpox vaccine that may worsen HIV infection July 23, 2022, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern, 22 and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging those who may be at high risk for monkeypox to get vaccinated. 23 The vaccine used is a smallpox vaccine that may or may not work against monkeypox,24 as the only study25 was done in 1988, using a smallpox vaccine that is no longer in use, against a monkeypox virus that has since mutated multiple times. New York City started administering the smallpox vaccine in late June 2022, and by July 22, some 18,000 New Yorkers had received their first dose.26 Its unclear which of the two smallpox vaccines is being given, but it seems reasonable to assume theyre using the latest one, Jynneos, which can be given to people for whom the older version (ACAM2000) is contraindicated. Jynneos is also licensed specifically to prevent monkeypox,27 whereas ACAM2000 is not. The key point here is that HIV-positive subjects who participated in Jynneos clinical trials saw a rise in HIV virus counts.28 Today, gay men are the primary recipients of this vaccine, and theyre also a group that tends to be more prone to have HIV-AIDS. They also, as a group, have a very high COVID jab rate. Considering both the COVID jab and Jynneos may increase the risk of HIV infection, or worsen existing infection, and that these men are already at increased risk for HIV and AIDS, the overall, compounded risk these men face seems to be remarkably elevated, yet no one is warning them of this. On top of all that, we now have people who have received both the COVID jab which spawns mutations and suppresses immune function and the smallpox vaccine. What mutations may the smallpox vaccine trigger in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, if any? Live smallpox vaccine can spread vaccinia virus infection If ACAM2000 is used, the risk for populations in general starts to skyrocket, as this older smallpox vaccine contains live, replication-capable vaccinia virus. When you get it, youre infectious for about a month, and must take great care not to spread the infection. If people get ACAM2000 and fail to take such precautions, we could be looking at smallpox outbreaks. To be clear, its highly unlikely that ACAM2000 is being used, but I include it here as a what if? scenario, seeing how the U.S. has a very large stockpile of it (about 100 million doses), while Jynneos is still in short supply. mRNA monkeypox-specific injection is in preclinical study In March 2022, Moderna announced it is investigating mRNA-based monkeypox vaccines at a preclinical level. 29 If the COVID jab compromises your immune function and drives mutations, will a monkeypox mRNA jab work any differently? If an mRNA monkeypox jab is given to people who already got the COVID jab, might they combine to create a Frankenstein-type COVID-pox pathogen? The list above raises several questions. Could these circumstances trigger a new epidemic of AIDS or AIDS-like illness? Could the focus on HIV testing amid the development of an HIV mRNA vaccine be an effort to hide the fact that the COVID jabs are destroying peoples immune function (and possibly promoting HIV infection), while simultaneously manufacturing the perception that we have an urgent need for an HIV vaccine? The Fauci Connection Coincidentally, Fauci was a key figure during the 1980s AIDS epidemic, which led to hundreds of thousands of gay men dying from the treatment (AZT) that Fauci insisted be used. Hes also been a key figure in the COVID pandemic, in which people have again been killed in large numbers by the very drugs Fauci has a vested interest in. Fauci is also a connecting link between the COVID shots and the HIV jab. Not only has he been pushing for an HIV vaccine for the better part of his career at the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) some 36 years but hes also been an eager proponent for the transition from conventional vaccines to this new mRNA platform.30 Is it possible that an HIV vaccine is the end game theyre after, and theyre stimulating the emergence of AIDS-like illness with the COVID jabs to justify mass HIV vaccination? Despite decades of effort, no HIV vaccine has reached the market. Now that the COVID jabs forced mRNA tech on the masses, Faucis goal to launch an HIV vaccine is in reach. But AIDS is not the crisis it once was. An estimated 1.2 million Americans have HIV infection, but HIV infection doesnt necessarily progress to AIDS unless you have a coinfection. Is it possible that an HIV vaccine is the end game theyre after, and theyre stimulating the emergence of AIDS-like illness with the COVID jabs to justify mass HIV vaccination? I dont know, but its not outside the realm of possibility. Then again, the immunosuppression of the COVID shot might just be an unforeseen side effect that fortuitously reopened the door for HIV vaccines, using the mRNA platform. Either way, the drug industry has been in the business of creating remedies for the side effects their other drugs caused, and this seems like more of the same. The COVID shots create AIDS-like illness and voila, here comes an HIV jab. Arent we the lucky ones?! HIV Vaccine With Coronavirus Vector To draw the noose around COVID and HIV even tighter, researchers have since 2006 at the latest been looking at creating an HIV vaccine using a coronavirus vector. Toward a Coronavirus-Based HIV Multigene Vaccine,31 published in the Journal of Immunology Research in 2006, describes using a coronavirus (common cold virus) as a backbone to hold two HIV envelope glycoproteins, gp41 and gp120, to create a prototype HlV-1 vaccine. If gp120 rings a bell, its because I mentioned it at the beginning of this article. The Indian researchers that discovered HIV insertions in SARS-CoV-2 found Uncanny similarity of unique inserts in the 2019-nCoV spike protein to HIV-1 gp120 So, to recap, coronavirus has been used in HIV vaccine research, and somehow parts of HIV envelope ended up in a coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2. And, while Fauci has denied any link between SARS-CoV-2 and HIV research, theres clear evidence that not only did he know about the existence of coronavirus-HIV chimeras, his agency invented some of the methods used to make them.32 Track and Trace Now Includes HIV Tracking and tracing of HIV/AIDS is also being revamped. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveils the spread of HIV by monitoring routinely collected blood samples. This surveillance can then be used to perform contact tracing. As reported by Medscape:33 Robert Suttle has seen firsthand the legal risks of having HIV. In 2008, Suttle said, a former partner accused him of not disclosing he was HIV-positive. He was charged under Louisiana law with intentional exposure to AIDS virus Suttle pleaded guilty, received a sentence of six months in state prison, and was required to register as a sex offender. You can be criminalized, certainly, for existing as a person living with HIV, he said. Suttle said his experience has him worried about a new tool being promoted by federal officials to monitor the spread of HIV Suttle said such data could be used in cases like his. With this surveillance, you could be connected to many different people or considered to be the source that transmitted to all these other people, he said [M]olecular surveillance has met considerable opposition since it was rolled out nationally. Service providers, health equity advocates, and people living with HIV worry the risks of the approach outweigh the benefits, and their concerns have gotten louder as awareness of the tool grows. Some have called for the practice to stop until federal health officials address concerns about patient consent, data security, and the potential for HIV criminalization. The idea and possibility of HIV criminalization also fits well with what the global biosecurity state has in mind, which is to control people by any and every means possible. HIV-infected people could even be ordered to abstain from sex, for biosecurity reasons, which would contribute to population reduction especially if HIV infection were really widespread and that appears to be a key goal of the technocratic, antihuman cabal. I hope Im wrong about the theory that HIV infection and AIDS is being encouraged to justify mass HIV vaccination. But I dont think its outside the realm of possibility, so keep the converging factors in mind as we move forward, and lets see what happens. Originally published August 05, 2022 on Mercola.com Sources and References The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sept. 30, 2014. (Tami Chappell/Reuters) Worry Over Detection of Rare Polio Virus in Two New York Counties Rare, locally transmitted poliovirus was detected in seven wastewater samples of Orange and Rockland counties in New York, according to an Aug. 4 press release by the New York State Department of Health. The virus was genetically linked to a recent polio case in Rockland County, suggesting evidence of local transmission, according to an analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In that polio casethe only identified polio case in the country since 2013the virus rendered an unvaccinated healthy young adult paralyzed, according to a July 21 release by Rockland County Health Department. Coupled with the latest wastewater findings, the department is treating the single case of polio as just the tip of the iceberg of much greater potential spread, health commissioner Mary Bassett said. Earlier polio outbreaks suggest that for every one detected case of paralytic polio, there may be hundreds of infected cases, according to the health department. Bassett urged unvaccinated residents to immediately get vaccinated or boosted with the FDA-approved inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). The department detected the Sabin type 2 poliovirus in the Rockland case, suggesting the individual was infected with a virus derived from the oral polio vaccine (OPV). Since the United States stopped authorizing or administering OPV years ago, the finding suggests a transmission chain originated from a foreign traveler. Global Polio Laboratory Network found the Rockland case genetically linked to poliovirus collected from recent samples in Israel and the recently-detected vaccine-derived poliovirus in London. The poliovirus typically enters the body through the mouth, usually from hands contaminated with the fecal matter of an infected person. Oral transmission through saliva also occurs, according to health department. An infected but asymptomatic person can spread the virus. Symptoms can take up to 30 days to emerge, ranging from mild flu-like ones to severe paralysis. Polio was largely eradicated in the United States during the 1970s following a decades-long nationwide vaccine campaign. Many of you may be too young to remember polio, but when I was growing up, this disease struck fear in families, including my own, Rockland county executive Ed Day said. Do the right thing for your child and the greater good of your community and have your child vaccinated now, Day said. As of Aug. 1, Rockland County has a polio vaccination rate of 60.34 percent, Orange County at 58.68 percent, and the statewide average rate is 78.96 percent, according to the data released by NYSDOH. According to CDC, IPV protects 99 percent of children who get all the four recommended doses. Unvaccinated adults are advised to get three doses. As of now, there is no cure for polio. SAN FRANCISCOGay adult production brand Falcon|NakedSword has released new compilation Best of Cade Maddox Bareback on DVD and via digital download, both now available at the Falcon|NakedSword Store. Featuring scenes from prolific directors Chi Chi LaRue, Tony Dimarco, Steve Cruz, mr. Pam and Trenton Ducati, the release offers Maddoxs most acclaimed bareback work from banners like NakedSword Originals, Falcon Studios and Hot House. Included scenes find Maddox topping Falcon|NakedSword exclusive Josh Moore, Tristan Hunter, Ryan Rose, Taylor Reign, Nic Sahara and Zario Travezz. Elaborate promo materials, "When Cade Maddox lays his eyes on the naked body of Tristan Hunter, he instantly locks lips with the smooth stud before bringing him out for a poolside pounding. Horned-up without a minute to waste, muscle men Cade Maddox and Ryan Rose get down to business in their favorite sun-drenched San Francisco fuck spot. In a bareback flashback, Cade Maddox is seen having an affair with Taylor Reign and snowballing a fresh load into the young mans eager mouth. When Nic Sahara is looking for someone to fill him deep, he turns to a more-than-willing Cade Maddox to stretch him out. Cade Maddox just took Zario Travezz to the doctors office, but when the two hear loud moans from inside a patients private room, they decide to have their own fun in the empty waiting area. Josh Moore is supposed to be focusing on fishing with Cade Maddox right now, but he soon makes it known that hed rather be on his knees swallowing the heartthrobs massive member." "Theres no doubt that Cade is a superstar and the biggest name in gay porn, so when we had the idea of putting together compilations for our exclusives, we knew that we just had to start it out with Best of Cade Maddox Bareback, Falcon|NakedSword president Tim Valenti said. Weve loved working with Cade for all these years, and this new DVD really proves why hes number one. For DVD retail and wholesale purchasing, contact John Gunderson at [email protected]. Contact Toby J Morris at [email protected] with any additional questions or needs. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BAGHDAD (AP) Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis heeded the call of an influential Shiite cleric to gather in a show of strength for a mass prayer in the heart of Baghdad's government zone on Friday. The gathering took place amid an escalating political crisis that has put the country's capital on edge. The powerful cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, had called on his followers from across Iraq to come to pray inside Baghdad's Green Zone a heavily fortified area in the heart of the city that houses government buildings and foreign embassies. They arrived and stood outside in the scorching summer heat, with temperatures reaching 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit). Meanwhile, in the southern, holy city of Najaf, the head of Iraq's U.N. mission, Jeannine Hennis-Plasschaert, met with al-Sadr Friday. She told reporters afterward that they discussed the importance of finding a solution to the political crisis. Two Shiite officials with knowledge of the meeting said al-Sadr refuses to allow the formation of a new government with his rivals, in the current climate. The officials did not elaborate and spoke on condition of anonymity, in line with regulations. Fridays mass prayer was the latest display of strength by the cleric, whose political power derives from his strong grassroots support base. The crowds stretched for miles, spilling into the streets outside the square. Several people fainted after waiting for hours for the prayer to start and were taken to hospital in ambulances. Al-Sadr has used his large grassroots following as a pressure tactic against his rivals after his party was unable to form a government despite having won the largest number of seats in federal elections last October. He abandoned efforts to form the next government in June. His followers gathered facing the Victory Arch, a monument erected during Saddam Husseins regime to commemorate the Iran-Iraq war and for holding military parades. Farid Jaafar, 16, arrived from southern Babylon province to show his support for al-Sadr. His transport was paid by al-Sadr's party. I love Muqtada, he said. Holding the prayer within the highly restrictive zone closed off to most Iraqis points to the cleric's power and influence. Last Saturday, thousands of his followers stormed parliament in a bid to derail attempts by al-Sadr's Shiite rivals to form a government. Around 125 people were injured in the violence, most of them protesters and 25 members of the security forces. Al-Sadr's followers camped out inside the parliament until he ordered them, after four days, to withdraw from the assembly building but maintain a sit-in outside. He's calling for the dissolution of parliament and early elections. Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, an ally of al-Sadr, signaled his support for early elections, saying the clerics calls and those of his supporters can not be neglected. We are in support of moving forward with parliamentary and local elections within an agreed upon time, he said, in a statement. Al-Sadr's Shiite rivals in the Iran-backed Coordination Framework have said they would consider holding early elections in the event of a national consensus. After Friday's prayer, many demonstrators returned to the sit-in site outside parliament. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate OZARK, Ala. (AP) A woman whose claims about police being involved in the decades-old killings of two Alabama teens found dead in a car trunk fueled a social media frenzy several years ago now says she was lying the whole time. Rena Crumb, 53, recanted her allegations Thursday as she testified during a hearing for an Alabama trucker awaiting trial on capital murder charges in the slayings of J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett, WTVY-TV reported. The victims were both 17 when they were shot to death in southeast Alabama and left in a car trunk in 1999. The defense hoped Crumb's testimony about police wrongdoing could help clear their client. But after repeatedly saying she couldnt recall certain things, Crumb blurted out: I lied. Coley McCraney, 48, was arrested in the killings in 2019, or about four years after a blogger in southeast Alabama reported Crumbs claims that police higher-ups had covered up an officer's involvement in the slayings. The allegations blew up on true crime websites and social media, leading to a defamation lawsuit against Crumb and others that was dismissed in 2018 after the blogger filed for bankruptcy. Authorities have said DNA evidence led to the arrest of McCraney, who has pleaded not guilty in the slayings and to a charge that he raped one of the victims. McCraney's defense asked a judge to let them present evidence that someone else killed the two, leading to the hearing in which Crumb, under questioning, said she hadn't told the truth. The officer who Crumb had accused took the stand and denied his involvement, as did an investigator who questioned Crumb earlier this year. Defense attorney David Harrison suggested that Crumb was threatened to change her story. Crumb, a one-time volunteer with the Ozark Police Department, did not respond to a Facebook message sent Friday seeking comment. Crumb received a suspended sentence and a $250 fine in 2016 after being convicted for harassing a sister of Beasley, Jacqui Burgoon, records show. Dale County Circuit Judge William Filmore didn't immediately rule on what testimony jurors would be allowed to hear at McCraney's trial, set to begin Aug. 15. Defense lawyers asked the judge to prevent jurors from considering any evidence collected from the car where the bodies were discovered, saying the car has been crushed and is no longer available, preventing them from inspecting it. boonchai wedmakawand/Getty Images SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) A former West Texas police chief was sentenced Friday to 15 1/2 years in prison for taking bribes for a multimillion-dollar contract for a city vendor. A federal judge sentenced former San Angelo police Chief Timothy Ray Vasquez, 52, in San Angelo after a jury in March convicted him of bribery and mail fraud. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix also fined Vasquez $35,000. A Missouri businessman could be on the hook to repay more than $1 million to investors and spend time in jail after he admitted to aggravated identity theft Aug. 4. Harish Sunkara, 51, of Fenton, Missouri used false claims of lucrative contracts with a Texas airport to bilk investors out of their money, a U.S. Department of Justice press release read. "From Sept. 2, 2020 through at least Nov. 16, 2021, Harish Sunkara falsely told potential investors that he had won contracts with the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport," the release read. Sunkara's company Pace Solutions had indeed won a contract with the airport, but for a much lesser amount. Pace Solutions was awarded a $49,500 contract to provide the airport with IT training software. Sunkara admitted to using forged, altered and fraudulent past and legitimate contract documents to convince investors he won larger contracts. Included in the fraudulent documents were forged signatures of the airport's contract administrator. "One investor wired $150,000.00 to Sunkaras Pace Solutions bank account. Another sent him $200,000. A third sent $100,000. A fourth sent $645,000, Sunkaras plea says," the release reads. "Sunkara did not use the money on the fictitious business venture, however. On multiple occasions when investors wired him money, he sent all or part of it to Las Vegas casinos. Between 2020 and 2021, Sunkara spent at least $5.5 million at casinos in eastern Missouri and Nevada." Sunkara pleaded guilty Aug. 4 before U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp to two counts of aggravated identity theft, according to the release. Each charge Sunkara pleaded guilty to carries a penalty of two years in prison, and a possible fine of up to $250,000. At Sunkara's sentencing in November, he will be ordered to repay investors' money, the release reads. Harish Sunkara lured investors with false promises of a low-risk, high-return investment, when all he did was steal their money, Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division said in the release. Verify investment information independently, especially when an offer seems too good to be true. (RNS) The street protests that drove Sri Lankas President Gotabaya Rajapaksa from office last month brought together people from across the countrys diverse and sometimes warring ethno-religious groups: Tamils, Muslims, Christians and Sinhala Buddhists including, unmistakably, the saffron-robed Buddhist monks who are fixtures of Sri Lankas political scene. But with Rajapaksa in exile in Singapore and life returning closer to normal, decades-old questions are being raised about Buddhisms role in Sri Lankas government. ___ This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story. ___ Political involvement by the monks easy to spot in the protests against Rajapaksas inaction on Sri Lankas economic woes also includes taking seats in Parliament and joining political parties. Last year, a controversial monk named Galagoda Atte Gnanasara was appointed to a presidential task force for legal reforms despite his vociferous anti-Muslim views. The role of monks is to help people improve their spirituality. During the last 10 years, their political involvement has become too much, I think. People dont view them as religious leaders anymore, said Venerable Mahayaye Vineetha, a Sri Lankan monk living in Kandy, a city in Sri Lankas central highlands. The connection between monks and political figures has reportedly diminished some monks respectability. Moreover, hard-line political monks with ties to the Rajapaksas have turned out to join protests against their former allies alongside younger, more progressive monks. One video taken from Batarramulla in April shows a monk, a former ally of Rajapaksas and leader of the nationalist Janasetha Peramuna party, being scolded and pushed out of the protests. A man in the video can be heard saying It is because of the people like you, we suffer today like this. This is one of several instances where people called out monks as being tools of the state and said they have contributed to the current situation, the maintaining of the political elite, and the supporting and abetting of violence and ethnic strife, said Nalika Gajaweera, a research anthropologist at the Center for Religion and Civic Culture at the University of Southern California. Theravada Buddhist monks have been both spiritual and practical advisers to Sri Lankan political leaders for centuries, starting with the countrys kings. In the seven decades since Sri Lankas independence from Britain, the relationship has become more entangled as Sinhala Buddhism, marked by its nationalistic values, has proliferated in the nations monasteries. Sinhala Buddhist nationalism can be traced back to Anagarika Dharmapala, an influential anti-imperialist and nationalist monk from the early 19th century. His speeches, filled with anti-Muslim and anti-Tamil rhetoric and aimed at creating a Buddhist dominated nation, are infamous in Sri Lanka. Dharmapalas goals were realized with the 1956 Sinhala Only Act and further enshrined in Sri Lankas 1972 constitution, which privileged Buddhism over other religions, essentially cementing an ethno-religious majoritarian state. In recent years, the blatant racism and violent language of the first wave of Sri Lankan independence have reappeared. Hard-line monks with ties to politicians like the Rajapaksas have led to racist rowdyism among their followers; some monks have even committed violence themselves. People should be able to see that there is a weaponization of religion for political purposes, to promote a certain political agenda, said Gajaweera. In 2015, Venerable Akmeemana Dayarathana Thero, a close ally of the Rajapaksas, was arrested for threatening Rohingya refugees in Sri Lanka and encouraging people to throw rocks at them. As the economic situation has devolved in Sri Lanka, monks have come to play an increasingly important role in day-to-day life. In rural areas, temples can be the sole resource for villagers who otherwise lack access to news on political developments. In urban areas, where the education system has largely collapsed, some temples run dharma schools for children. Chamila Somirathna, a professor at the Colombo Institute of Research and Psychology and the mother of two young children, said her 5-year-old son has only been able to attend kindergarten in person for 30 days in the last two years after the government forcibly closed schools. Its really important for temples to mediate in these kinds of cases. Kids should get the chance to associate with other kids their age, get education and get that school experience. As Sri Lankas economy has suffered, too, the monks provide much-needed aid through their redistribution of dana, or almsgiving. Despite a stark lack of resources and an increasing hunger crisis as the year goes on, dedicated lay Buddhists still show up to provide monks with food each morning. People do not have enough food for themselves, but bring the best thing for monks. I have so much lovingkindness for these people. They have a lot of faith, and they might have some problems with monks, but theyve never stopped with alms, said Vineetha. Typically, food given to monks is either consumed or thrown away, but in the current hard times, many temples are reallocating extra food to families in need. Addressing this suffering always comes first. Then we (monks) can think about other things, according to Vineetha. Despite the scenes of monks being booed at the protests, many of the young, predominantly Buddhist protesters welcome monks involvement in the popular uprising and politics at large, as long as it is done in limited measure. Some senior monks have merely spoken in support of the protest movement. They werent on the streets joining in, but just said, Yes, we support this. For some protesters, that statement likely gives public legitimacy to the struggle, particularly among the wider Sinhala Buddhist public, said Gajaweera. But their presence at the protests has made even some other monks wary. Some activists who forced the former president out have accused these monks of being opportunistic trying to save face by protesting despite previously supporting the Rajapaksa regime. Many Sri Lankans are less than pleased that their new president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, is a close ally of the former president. They expect the hard-line nationalist monks formerly aligned with Rajapaksa will back Wickremesinghe and the status quo. The constitution is still structured as the Sinhalese and the other, said Gajaweera. Although everyone is equal, theres a special case for the Buddhists. These contradictions of the nation-state will continue to shape the future. The best route for monks, said Vineetha, is to use their position not to gain power for themselves, but to help laypeople understand the political system. When there is an election and leaders come to villages promising this and that to the people, we can help them grasp the corrupt system. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Relatives of prisoners of war captured by the Russians following the fall of Mariupol gathered in central Kyiv Thursday demanding information about their husbands, fathers and sons following a strike on a prison housing POWs in a separatist region of eastern Ukraine last week that reportedly killed and wounded dozens. One of those gathered was Eugenia Vasylieva who last saw her husband Valeriy Vasyliev in Mariupol on the night of Feb. 24, the day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That night he went to defend his city. Her 7-year-old daughter Zlata Vasylieva, holding a placard calling for her father's return, said: I want my dad to be alive and that he never die." Russia has claimed 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. The Ukrainian military denied making any rocket or artillery strikes in Olenivka. The intelligence arm of the Ukrainian defense ministry claimed in a statement Wednesday to have evidence that local Kremlin-backed separatists colluded with the Russian FSB, the KGBs main successor agency, and mercenary group Wagner to mine the barrack before using a flammable substance, which led to the rapid spread of fire in the room. The ex-commander of the Ukrainian national guard's Azov Regiment, Maksym Zhorin, told the AP there were around 1,500 defenders of Mariupol in Olenivka before the explosion. They were part of 2,400 soldiers from the Azov Regiment and other military units defending Mariupol who surrendered under orders from Ukraines military in May. But there were 100-150 people in the facility that was blown up, said Zhorin. He said the conditions in the block where the prisoners of war were being held were not suitable for living. The facility was not located next to the other barracks but on the outskirts of the prison near the warehouses. U.S. officials believe Russia is working to fabricate evidence concerning the strike. 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 the prison, which left 53 dead and wounded dozens more, a U.S. official familiar with the intelligence finding told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Zhorin says Ukraine has extremely little time to get to the crime site and to the witnesses who can give accounts of what really happened. We cannot be sure they will be alive tomorrow, that the Russians will not kill them. So far, nothing prevents them from doing it, Zhorin said. Relatives of prisoners of war are increasingly frustrated at the lack of information they are getting about the fate of their loved ones. They are looking to the International Committee of the Red Cross for answers because of the role the humanitarian organization played when Ukrainian fighters came out of the Azovstal steel mill and surrendered to Russian forces. Our goal is to reach the Red Cross, to say that they are not fulfilling their duties. We entrusted them with the lives of our boys. And it shouldnt be like this that the Red Cross is now saying they are not responsible for anything, Iryna Yermoshyna, the wife of a POW, said. The scope of ICRC's responsibility remains a source of confusion. Following the prison attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the Red Cross and the United Nations to react. When the defenders of Azovstal left the plant, the U.N. and the International Committee of the Red Cross acted as guarantors of the life and health of our soldiers, Zelenskyy said. However, Oleksandr Vlasenko, a spokesperson for the ICRCs delegation in Ukraine, said the organization's guarantor role was a limited one. We guaranteed safety only during the capture of Azovstal combatants. That is, until the moment when they boarded the buses, he said. Kateryna Chyzykova saw the name of her husband on the list of wounded soldiers that Russia's Ministry of Defense published after the prison explosion. She says she's tried to contact the ICRC to try and find out about her husband's condition but has so far been unsuccessful. My husband left Azovstal, trusting the Red Cross, said Chyzykova. Zhorin says the list of casualties published by the Russian side is incorrect. He said among those listed as dead were names of people who died even before the explosion in Olenivka. Unfortunately, we already know that there are more dead POWs. There are victims who died in the hospital or on the way to the hospital, Zhorin said. So far the ICRC has not been able to access Olenivka and the wounded, so they have been unable to verify the list of names. Earlier this week, Russias Supreme Court declared Ukraines Azov Regiment a terrorist organization, a move that some fear could lead to terror charges against some of the captured fighters who made their last stand inside Mariupols shattered steel plant and make it more difficult to verify who was at the blast site. The Azov regiment that was stationed in Mariupol is part of the National Guard. Other units of Azov, which exist throughout the country, are part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They are under the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the commander-in-chief during the war. All of these are official units that certainly cannot be separately recognized as terrorist organizations. This is part of the entire defense of Ukraine, Zhorin said. Zhorin believes that Russia made the ruling so they could put members of the Azov regiment on trial. Before the ruling, they could not hold a trial against fighters as their status as prisoners of war gave them protection under the Geneva Conventions. Moscow has repeatedly portrayed the Azov Regiment as a Nazi group and accused it of atrocities but has publicly produced little evidence. The regiment, a unit within Ukraines National Guard, has a checkered past. It grew out of a group called the Azov Battalion, formed in 2014 as one of many volunteer brigades created to fight Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. The battalion drew its initial fighters from far-right circles. While its current members reject accusations of extremism, the Kremlin has seized on the regiments right-wing origins to cast Russias invasion as a battle against Nazi influence in Ukraine. Meanwhile, covered in artificial blood, Olha stood in the Kyiv square with a message for her boyfriend who is in captivity. I want to give him all my love, to tell him that everything will be fine, that I will fight for him until the end." ___ This story was first published on August 5, 2022. It was updated on August 5, 2022 to include the International Committee of the Red Crosss description of its guarantor role in Mariupol. ___ Follow all of AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine LOS ANGELES For a comedy, Jo Koy's new movie Easter Sunday had a lot of waterworks. The film was no ordinary job for the comedian and the rest of the cast. The magnitude of being on a mostly Filipino set led to happy cry-fests, Koy said. Emotions really hit when co-star Tia Carrere pointed out this was her first time playing a Filipino character in her 40-year career. To be able to be right there in a scene with five other Filipino actors and just doing a scene about a family... She never saw that before, Koy, 51, told The Associated Press. We all just kind of like teared up and just celebrated together because its like OK, this is going to be one of many moments up here. Koy, who is half Filipino and half white, is making his feature film debut in a movie largely inspired by the material from his Netflix stand-up specials. DreamWorks/Universal is touting Easter Sunday," which opens in theaters Friday, as the first big studio movie with an all-Filipino ensemble. Koy plays Joe Valencia, a comic and aspiring actor who goes home to the San Francisco Bay Area for the titular holiday. He attempts to bond with his teenage son while dealing with well-meaning but overbearing relatives. The production comes at a time when Filipino American food, history and advocacy are increasingly emerging into the zeitgeist. Finally our stories, our faces are front and center on the big screen," said Carrere, 55, and known for movies like Wayne's World, True Lies and Lilo & Stitch. I have to pinch myself that I'm still here, still in the business and invited to the party. Jimmy O. Yang ("Crazy Rich Asians," Love Hard"), who has a cameo in Easter Sunday, also served as a producer. That meant watching many, many audition tapes of actors of Filipino or Asian descent. Yang was blown away by the talent. It made casting 10 roles that much tougher. He thinks Hollywood claims that capable Asian actors are hard to find are just lazy excuses. As an actor, I'm like all of these guys are so good. How did I ever get a job?" Yang said. Some of them I wanted to call them and be like Hey, man! Please keep going OK? We just couldnt hire you for this job but please keep going.'" Easter Sunday," directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, is set in the heavily Filipino suburb of Daly City where screenwriter Ken Cheng immigrated to as a kid. He envisioned a mix of Ice Cubes Friday and the holiday flick Its a Wonderful Life. A producer, too, Cheng wrote it in 2020 during lockdown. He then turned to Steven Spielberg, whose Amblin Partners is co-producing. Within a few hours the legendary director read it and gave his approval, according to Cheng. From that day to the first day we started shooting was something like five and a half months. And thats like insanely fast," Cheng said. A lot of that is how enthusiastic everyone was about building a movie around Jo. Hollywood is populated with notable half-Filipino actors like Vanessa Hudgens and Darren Criss. But Koy is the one leaning into his heritage in his work. For example, he wanted a scene in Easter Sunday showing the family packing customary balikbayan boxes. Filipinos, usually first-generation immigrants, typically send boxes with American goods to relatives in the Philippines. Mailing balikbayan boxes is practically its own industry. Theres this responsibility that they put on their shoulders when they make it to this country, Koy said. "I see that with a lot of Filipino families and I wanted to show the world thats how important this is to us." Today, Filipinos make up over 4 million of the country's 23 million-plus Asian population, according to the U.S. Census. Only Chinese and Indians number more. Filipino culture and history have been gaining more mainstream visibility in recent years mostly because of decades-long activism by Filipinos. This year, a 30-foot (9-meter) tall gateway arch was unveiled in Los Angeles Historic Filipinotown and a street in New York Citys Queens was co-named Little Manila Avenue. A newly built Bay Area park was named for striking Filipino American farmworkers. For years, Filipino food has been hailed off and on as the next culinary trend. It seems to be having a moment again in the fine dining world. Chicago's Kasama became the only Michelin-starred Filipino restaurant in the country. Easter Sunday is coming during this really amazing moment in Asian American history and Filipino American history, where political, social, and economic capital has all come together, said Eric Pido, an Asian American Studies professor at San Francisco State University with a background in Filipina/o American Studies. He predicts younger generations will raise Filipinos' profiles in the next few years. I think Filipino Americans are no longer shying away from sort of taking a representational role in American politics, which will bring up all sorts of interesting things about Filipino American culture that lots of folks just dont think about, Pido said. Last month, Koy and Cheng attended a screening of Easter Sunday in Daly City. Among the people there was the director of Pixar's Turning Red, Domee Shi. Turning Red, about a Chinese-Canadian teenage girl and her family, was a hit after its March release on Disney+. But a white film reviewer called the animated feature exhausting and only relatable for Shi's Chinese family and friends. The review was later pulled over accusations of racism. The idea that stories that focus on Asian ethnicities and cultures are too specific to be appealing is just outdated, Koy said. The relationship between a mother and son is the same no matter what ethnicity, Koy said. I hate ignorant people that don't move forward... Theres a lot of people that live in this country that need to be heard and its time to hear it." 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. Were I to descend into the arena of filth, disgust and thinly-veiled idiocy as Sam Omatseye did in his ethnic-serving interest, I would have described the article as a masterpiece of hypocrisy, written by someone with a slave mentality. I will try not to go that way of debased mind. Still, some truths must be told, even the hard way. In addressing this article, I will not forget to mention the sad commentary by Lai Mohammed, that it is now evident that Peter Obi was the sponsor of #EndSARS because of the impact of the "Obi-dient" movement. Before addressing the article itself, I want to recognise Sam Omatseye's right to hold his opinion, no matter how myopic and bereft of decency and/or decorum. Second, I believe the essayist has the competence to promote his principal, without running others down. Since he has chosen that path where his professional ethics has now clashed with his philosophy of ethnicity and stomach infrastructure, I will also mention the shoddy and doggy principal he seeks to promote. In the first place, there is no quiet either in the Southeast or any part of the country. The last time I checked, Owo is not in Abia, Anambra, or any of the eastern states. It is also not in Benue or Plateau State. All over the country, people are bleeding, dying, hungry, and brutalised. It is the nationwide brutalisation that birthed the TakeBackNigeria, TBN, movement. Secondly, the TBN was neither formed by the Igbos nor championed by it. If they chose to key into the movement, it is because the poverty level and suffering of the people is universal, and [for] the country has to be redeemed from dark forces of neo-colonialism called politicians. This writer is an articulate Esan man, and visible member of the TBN. I am a gentleman approaching my EIGHTIES. My motivation is that those who have stolen my future and my children's shouldn't be allowed to steal my grandchildren's. Lai Mohammed and his family, Tinubu and his family, etc, are the cult-like shakers and movers of the society. For those who created the terrorising Agberos, using them to unleash terror on dissenting minds and perceived enemies, to complain about the use of violence to resist oppression and aggression, is the hight of hypocrisy and unstable minds. Still on the texture of the TBN, His Eminence, Bishop Matthew Okpebholo, who donated a building of how many storeys, is both my Esan kinsman and a non-politician. Like Mary Magdalene, the facilitator of old, he isn't one of the Clerics seeking to rule this country by all mean, fair and unfair. Thirdly, the Obidients of whom I'm a proud member, pre-dates Peter Obi, and while we are cooperating with the Labour Party, we have no desire to crumble the movement into that party. Instead, our relationship is one borne out by exigencies and interests. Our mission is to facilitate the election of credible and qualified candidates from the local government level, through states, to the presidency. It is immaterial who that candidate is, where s/he comes from, or what state the office is. It is a national movement and whether Peter Obi wins or loses is immaterial, so long the competition is free and fair. If anything, this movement is greater than the EndSARS that celebrities and hoodlums hijacked. It is the only credible body that can prevent Nigeria from either disintegrating or descending into anarchy. Fourthly, the IPOB cannot be defeated because it is an ideology. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu himself cannot stop IPOB. Just like Sunday Adeyemo, aka Igboho, and Professor Akinloye, who are agitating for Oduduwa Republic, the calls are birthed by injustice, and ONLY justice, fairness and equity can dethrone the agitations. Fifthly, the Igbos have never been outside the mainstream of Nigeria's affairs. Who else but the Igbos control the economy, commerce and technological base of Nigeria, save we want to continue to live in self-denial. Sixthly, coming to the attacks on Peter Obi, it is evident he isn't in the class of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. His parentage is certain, his state of origin is not a matter of public or private debate, his age isn't questionable, and he doesn't look like those fit only either for a hospice, or resettlement home for the aged and infirm. He is also not a convicted criminal. If Peter Obi was caught with money at Apapa but wasn't prosecuted, it means that there was either a rational explanation for the possession, or CP Marvel Akpoyibo, a fine cop and lawyer, was "derelict" in his duty, which I doubt. Still, $200m isnt anything close to Tinubu's bullion vans that also went uninvestigated. Seventhly, Peter Obi may not have said how he hopes to save money or grow the economy. When he does, it is most likely not to be recruiting 50 million youths to be fed with Agbado, corn or cassava. Obi will also not tweet his plans on WhatsApp or hire the Thirty (30) bishops of Baal. The likes of Bishop Matthew Okpebholo is enough for Obi. Happily, I know that Peter Obi and the Bishop have never met, to date. That's the beauty on whom God's oil and anointing is upon his head. Of course, every instrument of God has ALWAYS faced opposition from the children of the world. Obi is not, and can't be, an exception. That Obi is the focal point of attack, and not Atiku, should minister to the discerning mind and heart. I come in peace. Yours Obi-diently, Major (Barr) Aburime Ben. Peter Obi is somebody as I was telling Doyin about six weeks ago, I said that even if Peter did not become the vice president of this country, from what I know of Peters capacity, whatever government that comes, if it is the PDP, he must be in charge of the economy because that is where he is good at. I listened to him , not once, not twice and not three times, he knows his onions and I think that his approach will bring solutions to this country, economic solutions. He is worthy of praise. But the political solution which is the basis on which the economic solution would survive, it is what is causing the problem. Amb Aminu Wali (PDP Chieftain) There is something phenomenal about this man that even his opponents and critics have come to believe that he is the best amongst the candidates that can take Nigeria out of its present economical and political mess. Even when he does not share dollars like others, his name keeps spreading like a wild fire. Nigerians, youths, men and women from all regions, tribes, and religions with joy self-sponsor their activities to support his movement. He is looking like a glimpse of hope in this very long, tortuous, traumatic, hopeless and endless journey. Just like a sip after a very long trek in the desert. True. What is currently happening in Nigeria politically looks like a divine movement that nobody can stop. Its beyond religion, beyond tribe, age and gender. Even beyond the Peter Obi himself. He just happened to emerged at a time when Nigeria and Nigerians are looking for any form or semblance of hope to hang on. The Nigerian youths are currently leading other patriots on this unprecedented, fierce, dynamic and massive crusade to save our country from total collapse. They are making this patriotic effort, maybe for the last time, to rescue her from the strangling death grip of the agents of destruction. Yes, this truly looks like it is going to be the last effort to snatch this traumatized generation and the future one from the conspiracy of a corrupt, dubious, incompetent, and despotic political class that has decided to collaborate with some external and internal enemies to destabilize the country. It has since become obvious that there is actually a grand plan to conquer and enslave Nigeria and Nigerians. But it is becoming a battle between light and darkness, evil and good, progression and retrogression, freedom and slavery, failed promises and hope. It is a battle between unending lies and honesty, live and death, white and black and between lawlessness and probity. We must immediate wake up and take control of our destiny and the future of our children yet unborn. Look at the security situation. The system has totally collapsed. Even the nations civil war does not come near to what we are seeing today. It is unimaginable that in a sovereign state, in this modern time, that hundreds of people will be regularly kidnapped and kept in the same state for years and nobody will find them. Their abductors will be communicating and receiving hundreds of millions as ransoms in batches and still not been tracked. It has never happened anywhere in the world. The world is laughing at us. The recent Kuje prison invasion, the attack on the advance convoy of the President in his home state Katsina, the attack and kidnap of the train passengers on the Abuja Kaduna and the recent ambushes of our soldiers in the nations capital have said it all. Nobody, nowhere is still safe in the country. Every minute somebody is being kidnapped in Nigeria for a ransom. And the worse is that paying the ransom is not even a guarantee that the victim will be released alive. Some after paying have received the corpses of their relations. And they are still lucky because others are praying to have theirs even if in body bags. I was listening to a radio presenter recently on how her brother and his driver were kidnapped by herdsmen on the dreaded Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway about four months ago. They paid the requested ransom, but had only the driver released till now. And unless a miracle happens that family might be losing the brother and the money. I was emotionally moved when she said that their family has done everything to secure the man release and that they are waiting for time and they will do their brothers funeral. My God! In Nigeria? This is the same road where the Primate of the Methodist Church was kidnapped last time. They abductors comfortable collected 100 million naira as ransom. A former commissioner in Abia State also miraculously escaped from them with bullet holes all over his Camry car. I also heard that the marauders emptied buses on that road that has uncountable security check point day few days ago. Thank to the government of Imo, Abia and Enugu that keep watch as these criminal keep snatching and killing theirs citizens. Do we talk about the daily slaughter, abductions and uncommon banditry that are going on in Benue, Borno, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Plateau, Taraba, Niger, Edo, Ondo..Everywhere is on fire. I dont want to mention Kaduna State. The place is like a big war zone. We read that some pay taxes to these bandits. How did we get to this point? As I write, today, a very senior police officer was shot there. We learnt he was wounded, but his unlucky orderly or guard died. The story is still unfolding. No day passes without incidents on Abuja-Kaduna, Okene-Lokoja, Benin-Ore, Benin-Auchi, Lokoja-Abuja roads. I watched a video last week where a passenger to over to drive the few lucky co-passenger to safety after their original driver and other passengers were snatched on that road. Read the newspapers. Google it. Most Nigerians have somebody they know or a relation that has been kidnapped, shot, robbed, and attacked or somebody who has committed suicide in the last few years. I saw this for the first time in my life when the police came to take away the corpse of a student that hung himself in their hostel near my house. Why has Nigeria suddenly become a large abattoir and a lawless, insecure place? I dont what to talk about those committing suicide out of social and economic frustration and ritual killings (even by teenagers), daily bank robbery and bullion van hijackings that now make James Bond films look like a childs play I believe our security agents, especially the police and the DSS are doing their best, but are hampered by the corruption, lack of will, lack of equipment and complicity of the leaders and some of the saboteurs in the system. Yes, these criminals have insiders working with them. Yes, it is that bad. Now, what we need, what the youths, Nigerians are saying is that we have had enough. We will not sit and watch until we are all killed. We want somebody that will urgently pull us out of this mess. Somebody we can trust, a patriot that has been tested to take over and save this sinking ship. And fortunately, they have found that in Mr. Integrity. Just go back to the beginning and read that quote from a chieftain of the opposition party about this man. And this is just one out of hundreds. Obi indeed stands out and tall from the corrupt crowd that are presently jostling to snatch more from us. We want somebody that has not stolen from the government and the masses before; a man that can proudly explain the source of his wealth and livelihood. We want a lover of Nigeria, a patriot and not a tribal head or religious bigot. We also dont want a half-educated or uncertificated leader that will not value the lives and education of our children. And certainly not to frail, shady and dubious character that will lure us with more empty and fraudulent promises. If Peter Obi is so good as everyone, including Ambassador Aminu Wali is telling us, then what stops us from making him the chief driver, so that he can drive the entire process of restoring our great country to greatness and prosperity. We must not miss this rare opportunity. We will continue. May God help and prosper Nigeria again! Rev Gabriel Agbo is the author of the books / audiobooks: Power of Midnight Prayer, Receive Your Healing, Breaking Generational Curses: Claiming Your Freedom, Never Again!, I Shall Not Die, Move Forward, Power of Sacrifice, Prepare for that battle and many others. Tel: 08037113283 E-mail: [email protected] Website www.authorsden.com/pastorgabrielnagbo Twitter: pastorgabagbo Kenyas highly anticipated vote featuring two political heavyweights, Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto, is likely to be closely fought. In this Q&A, Crisis Group expert Meron Elias outlines what is at stake. What is happening? Kenyans are due to vote on 9 August in a high-stakes election that has polarised the countrys political elite. The election pits Deputy President William Ruto, who will be trying for the top office for the first time, against Raila Odinga, the veteran head of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement. As deputy president, Ruto once seemed to be the heir apparent, but he has fallen out bitterly with President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is serving his second and last term. Instead, Kenyatta backs the candidacy of his own long-time rival Odinga, who has made four previous attempts to win the presidency. Polls show a mixed picture in the contest between Ruto and Odinga. One closely watched polling firm, TIFA Research, found that Odinga has carved out a lead in recent weeks, with 49 per cent to Rutos 41 per cent. Another survey, by the Radio Africa Group, concluded that the race is a dead heat, placing Ruto at 45 per cent, one point ahead of Odinga. Kenyan elections are almost invariably hard-fought, but the Odinga-Ruto showdown has been unusually unpredictable in part because deal-making among Kenyan elites has upended old alliances. Kenyatta, who clinched the presidency in 2013 and won re-election in 2017, was expected to endorse his deputy Ruto, who backed him in both those campaigns. Instead, Kenyatta forged a partnership with Odinga soon after the 2017 vote. The reshaped electoral chessboard means the outcome will probably come down to the degree to which Odinga and Ruto can muster support outside their respective bases. The reshaped electoral chessboard means the outcome will probably come down to the degree to which Odinga and Ruto can muster support outside their respective bases. Ruto is strongly ahead in his Rift Valley backyard, while Odinga enjoys an unassailable lead in Nyanza, where he traces his roots. The picture is more complex in the vote-rich Mt. Kenya region, north of Nairobi, which has produced three of Kenyas four post-independence presidents. There is no major candidate from the populous central highlands this time around. Ruto has shown surprising strength in this region, where Kenyatta has traditionally been dominant. The deputy president remains well ahead in polls, though without anything like the huge majority that Kenyatta won in 2017. Odinga, while trailing Ruto in the region, has raised his poll numbers to between 25 and 30 per cent, up from the single-digit figure he recorded in 2017. Odinga hopes that improvement in this region will make up for his losses to Ruto in his long-time strongholds in western Kenya and the coast. Rutos chances, meanwhile, rest on him scoring a convincing win in Mt. Kenya while eating into Odingas support in the western, coastal and northern parts of the country. Another key issue to watch will be whether two less prominent contenders, George Wajackoyah and David Mwaure, can peel enough votes away from the two main candidates to force a run-off. What is at stake? Although the campaign has been largely peaceful, its tone has sharpened in the final weeks. Not just the two main candidates but also the outgoing president view the race in existential terms: they see winning as a matter of political and economic survival. Ruto, though now vastly wealthy, has parlayed his humble background into a campaign image as a hustler, an everyman who understands the needs of ordinary Kenyans, unlike Kenyatta and Odinga, the dynastic successors of Kenyas first president and vice president, respectively. Ruto and his running mate Rigathi Gachagua have promised to tackle the state capture they say has occurred during the Kenyatta presidency, an implicit threat to investigate the Kenyatta family business empires ties with the state. But Ruto could face investigation himself, should Odinga prevail, into the source of his wealth (the political stakes, given his relative youth at 55, are arguably lower for him). Odinga, 77, will be making his fifth and likely final bid for the presidency. Portraying himself as a safe pair of hands who will unite the country, he has also vowed to root out corruption. He chose the respected anti-graft crusader Martha Karua, the first woman to run for deputy president on a major ticket in Kenyan history, as his running mate. In the eyes of his supporters, winning would reward him for his great personal sacrifices, including a long spell in detention in the 1980s, in the quest for a more democratic Kenya. The two sides have traded ever more pointed barbs over the past few weeks. Attack billboards have sprung up and concocted accusations have flown on social media. Kenyatta and Ruto in particular have launched tirades against each other. On 31 July, government spokesperson Cyrus Oguna condemned politicians for stoking tensions and urged the two front-runners teams to dial down their rhetoric. The most severe drought in 40 years has sharpened communal hostilities in the hardest-hit areas. Aside from the presidential election, Kenyans will also choose among thousands of candidates for national and county assembly member seats, representatives to the senate and county governorships. Contests for the latter post tend to be particularly pitched, considering the devolved powers and control of resources governors enjoy under Kenyas constitution. In some places, the contests have already turned violent: in the northern county of Marsabit, the national government imposed a curfew following deadly clashes between local communities. The most severe drought in 40 years has sharpened communal hostilities in the hardest-hit areas, as Crisis Group reporting recently found. There have also been reports of attacks on women candidates on the campaign trail, despite the progress for gender representation indicated by Odingas nomination of Karua. Although tensions may flare in some localities, the principal threat to stability lies in a disputed presidential outcome. Should the winner clinch the presidency by only a narrow margin, the declared loser may reject the result. Ideally, the aggrieved loser would turn to the courts, but if instead he calls supporters out into the streets they could clash with police. Communal violence might also ensue. Are institutions prepared for the exercise? The main questions about preparedness concern the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). This body, which runs the balloting and tabulates the votes, suffered a blow to its credibility after the 2017 presidential election when the Supreme Court annulled the results, citing the commissions failure to conduct the vote in conformity with the constitution and electoral law. The IEBC has promised to learn from its mistakes, with Chairman Wafula Chebukati saying it will ensure the election is transparent by offering agents of all parties access to vote tallies at polling stations. Surveys show high public trust in the IEBC (TIFAs poll found 74 per cent of respondents have either a lot of or some confidence), but a combination of state pressure and its own missteps has hobbled its preparations. First, parliament failed to approve the funding the commission requested to run the elections in time, delaying preparations including staff recruitment. Secondly, state-aligned media and senior officials have launched attacks on its credibility, casting doubt on its capacity to conduct the vote. Authorities on 21 July arrested foreign contractors who had come to Kenya at the commissions invitation for supposed immigration violations. Critics view these moves as attempts by the state apparatus to intimidate the IEBC. For its part, the commission has a clumsy communications strategy, rarely informing the public about its internal workings in a proactive manner, drawing accusations from both major candidates camps that it is not acting with the requisite transparency. Police have committed a number of electoral code violations. Security forces are another key player. For most of the campaign, they have behaved with restraint. In the final weeks, however, police have committed a number of electoral code violations, including blocking Rutos Kenya Kwanza alliance members from reaching a number of campaign venues. On the plus side, Kenyas judiciary has built on the public trust it earned with its unexpected annulment of the 2017 vote, alongside a number of subsequent decisions barring an attempt by Kenyatta and Odinga to change the constitution. Defeated candidates may well turn to the Supreme Court again this time. What should be done? Kenyan elections matter well beyond Kenya. The country is East Africas main transport and commercial hub and a violent breakdown following polling could have reverberations in the neighbourhood. As Kenya is a democratic bellwether in the region, a smooth election could be a powerful example to fellow governments that peaceful politics has more to offer than the personalist authoritarianism that has become common in the region. It has also positioned itself as the site of potential peace talks to end the war in northern Ethiopia and already hosted talks among parties to the conflicts in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Both initiatives could run aground in case of a prolonged crisis. The 2022 election cycle has had many encouraging features, notably that social tensions have been strikingly low. Yet intense elite polarisation and the likelihood that the losing candidate will reject the outcome, especially if the election is close means that all actors need to take steps to prevent the election from veering into violence. In particular, authorities should permit public institutions, notably the IEBC, the space to administer the election without interference. They should stick by their pledge not to shut down or slow the internet, as doing so would impair the commissions capacity to transmit results electronically to tallying centres. Security forces should maintain strict neutrality. The electoral commission should communicate the steps it is taking to ensure the votes integrity. The electoral commission should communicate the steps it is taking to ensure the votes integrity. Its chairman should hold press briefings to apprise the public of developments on election day and every subsequent day until it announces the final tallies. It should open its systems to scrutiny by political parties to reduce mutual suspicion. Electoral officials and other authorities should also ensure that party agents have full access to polling stations including as the chairman pledged during the vote count. Foreign and Kenyan observers should also be granted access. Odinga and Ruto should commit to turn to the judiciary rather than the streets if they are dissatisfied with the votes conduct or the outcome. Even at this late stage, a commitment by both not to act vengefully against each other or against the outgoing president upon taking the reins of power would help ratchet down tensions. The Horn of Africa can scarcely afford another crisis with so much of the region in ferment. Kenyan authorities, the IEBC and other institutional leadership, the judiciary and the major candidates should all do their part to ensure a peaceful vote by acting with restraint and fairness as Kenyans go to the polls. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has launched a probe into the alleged racketeering by Supreme Court chief registrar, Ahmed Gambo Saleh, said to have gobbled up over N10 billion in bribes from court contractors and other persons with criminal cases with the judiciary. According to sources familiar with the matter who spoke with Peoples Gazette, the probe was prompted by the tip-off from a whistleblower who petitioned EFCC to look into the activities of Mr Saleh, accused of feeding fat on the courts funds, leaving vital projects to suffer neglect. Mr Saleh had been accused of conniving with Surajo Muhammad, son of the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria Muhammad Tanko, to embezzle public funds. Despite lacking in qualifications and competence to handle judicial matters, Mr Muhammad (Jnr) managed affairs of the apex court and wielded his fathers position as a tool to carry out backroom deals. Today (June 1), Surajo could be said to be a de facto head of the SCN as his father seems to have relinquished the administration of the court to him, even when he is not a staff, the petition noted. Citing instances of their brazen underhand dealings, the petition said the duo sold off the residence of a Supreme Court justice without the knowledge of Mr Tanko, who was CJN at the time. It will interest you to know that a residence of a justice of the Supreme Court located in the villa, Abuja was sold by Gambo and Surajo recently. The underhand dealings between Gambo, Surajo and the agency so pissed the CJN that he ordered the reversal of the transaction, added the petition with no. EFCC/PET/HQR/1817/2022, dated June 1 and seen by The Gazette. However, the building was demolished before the situation could be remedied, rendering the justice who should have been assigned the residence homeless. Colluding with Mr Muhammad, Mr Saleh allegedly withheld the funds meant for purchasing exotic vehicles usually assigned to newly sworn-in justices, said the petition. Under Gambo and Surajos shenanigans, they, JSC were given only a Land Cruiser, albeit refurbished. A Hilux was added after one year, and to date, the Mercedes Benz is still being awaited by the justices, the petition further disclosed. Eight justices sworn in since November 2020 have yet to be properly accommodated and receive the Benz even though the projects were captured in the capital budget for the 2020 fiscal year. Mr Saleh, not a stranger to fraud allegations, was charged with diverting N2.2 billion in 2017, a matter later withdrawn by the attorney general of the federation, citing a plea bargain. Amid the damning fraud charges hanging on Mr Salehs head, he got appointed as the secretary of the National Judicial Council, a body responsible for the appointment, promotion and discipline of judicial officers. A spokesman for the NJC declined comments on the matter. Before the withdrawal, he was charged with diverting the Supreme Courts N2.2 billion to his personal bank account at the United Bank for Africa PLC, account number: 2027642863. Although Mr Saleh then confessed the money belonged to him as it was a collection of cash gifted to him by friends, further investigations revealed the money was bribes collected from various court contractors who ended up executing shoddy jobs or outright abandonment, the petition stressed. He was also charged with obtaining N21 million gratification from MBA Computes Ltd, N16 million from Dean Musa Nigeria Ltd, N10 million from Willysdave Limited, N2.4million gratification from Welcon Nigeria Ltd, all contractors of the Supreme Court. The petition also claimed that the court registrar, a public servant, was worth over N10 billion. Mr Saleh did not return a request for comment on the allegations. Also, the spokesman for the EFCC did not immediately provide updates about the investigation. Stakeholders in the export/Import cum international trade business have identified the Institute of Export Promotion and Management, (IEOM) as pivotal to getting you acquainted/facilitating a seamless export/Import and International trade business experience, emphasizing the need to register with the foremost training, advocacy, export market advisory services institute to have a better understanding and to rise above the many challenges posed by export/import business including processes in the sector to help individuals harness the limitless opportunities available in the business to thrive. This was the assertion during The gathering of critical stakeholders, corporate bodies, and business entities among others for the official induction of Chief Henry Njoku as Chairman Board of Directors, investiture of Fellows, and Product Development Centre/Laboratory Fund Raising Programme organized by the Institute of Export Promotion and Management, at the prestigious Swiss Spirit Hotel in Port Harcourt. Making his welcome remark, the Chief Executive Officer/Executive Secretary of IEOM, Mr. Ofon Udofia noted that IEOM is a foremost independent provider of export training and research institute, established in 2014 to stimulate and facilitate increased participation of Nigeria SMEs in non-oil export business. Furthermore, he said the institute is a trade support institution groomed to become the leading Nigeria training institute for international trade and a pivot for West Africa, adding that IEOM also creates innovative products and platforms which clients and members can leverage to drive measurable results, and scale up their export business in a cost-effective way. Speaking highly about the new Chairman of the Board of Directors, Udofia said: I will like to introduce to you a man with a golden heart, a perfect gentleman, the CEO of Harritex Group of Companies, Chief Henry Njoku, taking an inventory of his pedigree and wealth of experience, including his various contributions to the development of our nation at large, we are convinced that having him as the Chairman board of the institute at this time will usher us into greater heights. For the Product Development and the analysis laboratory, the IEOM Executive Secretary noted that it is coming at a very critical time, and this is very significant as food safety/quality is an important factor that must be considered by manufacturers. According to him, it is important to carry out valid laboratory testing of food products periodically or on product batches to ensure the food safety process is completed for quality control and to help meet export and import standards. The Keynote speaker, an innovation and Enterprise Consultant, who teaches Entrepreneurship and Strategic management courses in the Department of Management University of Port Harcourt and an award-winning entrepreneurship educator, Eniola Yemi Temidayo disclosed that there are enormous opportunities in the export business and encouraged interested parties to join, the fray, albeit after saying: Opportunities in the export sector quite huge but there are standards we must adhere to get it right, in terms of packaging, we must do the due diligence in a bid to strictly adhere to accepted international standards. This according to him is where the Institute of Export Operations and Management comes into play to guide you and provide the relevant training that will position you strategically and favourably to thrive in international business. Speaking to newsmen, the newly inducted Chairman of the institute, Chief Henry Iheanyichukwu Njoku assured all and sundry that he will bring his wealth of experience to bear on IEOM. The multiple traditional title holder who has worked satisfactorily in various firms and had cut his teeth in the core sector of freight forwarding urged the public to take advantage of the institute's development center and laboratory to carve a niche for themselves in the International market. the event which was the gathering of the critical stakeholders in the export, freight, maritime, and business sector also had remarks from the Rivers state coordinator of Standard Organization of Nigeria, represented by Engr Ayode Tijani Dosunmi who spoke elaborately on the dynamics of regulation and the need to get quality management system certification, how to audit processed to go international. Recipients Inducted As Fellows Of The Institute Display In A Group Photograph. President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, Dr. Farinto Kayode Collins was also in attendance and was also inducted as a fellow of the institute. The event which attracted a quality crowd and critical stakeholders, from ANCLA, SON, NAFDAC, NEPC, Chambers of commerce, corporate bodies, and business entities, among others, also witnessed the induction of the board of directors Chairman, Chief Henry Njoku, fellowship induction ceremony of other members, award of fellowship certificates, and fundraising ceremony for IEOM Product Development Center/ Laboratory. The Catholic World News of July 22, 2022, showed the following headline, "In 2 months, 68 Christians are killed in Nigerias Benue State," notably by Fulani jihadist militia, which should worry all. The scale of slayings, displacement, and reckless destruction of property by these Fulani jihadist militia only bolsters Governor Samuel Ortom's official declaration of the Benue state's security outfit known as Community Volunteer Guards (CVG). This state security move to protect the Benue people and their property is happening following the National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President, retired Major General Babagana Monguno, statement to the press that due to the current failing ways of the Buhari regime to curb the nationwide violence and insecurity, "people are getting tired and are beginning to gravitate towards other means of self-help." Ortom has taken them up on that self-help. The worry of Ortom, who certainly is not focusing on Buhari on a personal level but worries that in a Fulani-led federal government by a president with peculiar characteristics of lack of vision, incompetence, a pusher of ethno-religious politics and divisions, apparent complacency, and complicity, the emotional distress of his people grows as the killings of Benue citizens rise with the lack of decisive actions against the terrorist Fulani headsmen by Buhari. As the Governor seeks democratic protection and security for his people from the alarming deaths and destruction by the militant Islamist Fulani herdsmen who go after people, he has opened a vigilante security outfit, the Community Volunteer Guards, for operations against the Islamic terrorists. But the Buhari regime must only see this as a move against terrorism in Benue and should not act in a complicit and cynical manner in order not to drive the country into civil war, beginning with Benue, a predominantly Christian state. The Biden administration and other powerful western allies should watch out for any extraordinary moves by the current Buhari-led government. Benue State is predominantly Christian, where on one night in April this year, according to the US-based International Christian Centre (ICC), militants killed 14 Christians, including women and children, at midnight in the Tarka Local Government Area, close to the state capital of Makurdi. In 2021, Nigeria earned the distinction of being the worst country for Christian persecution in the ICCs 2021 Persecutor of the Year Awards. Extremists and armed militants have killed tens of thousands of Christians and left more than 3 million displaced in a 20-year genocide against them. "Christian communities in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria have effectively suffered a 20-year genocide," stated ICC President Jeff King. "Where is any action? The Nigerian government gives these attacks lip service without any meaningful response. Where is the outcry? Where is effective action? In Nigeria, the military, the police, and the intelligence agencies are all controlled by Muslims." Psychologically and socially, the reality is that Nigeria's leadership is being controlled by predominantly Fulani Muslim security and law enforcement leaders. In the face of that imagery, the militants see themselves as also in strength, especially with them openly carrying AK47s and other dangerous weapons for killing purposes. While I am not sure if the Benue security forces are seeking weapons from the American government on humanitarian grounds, as in the case of Ukraine without direct military intervention, the Biden administration and the international community can also provide some form of security aid and assistance in the form of equipment such as tactical vehicles, counter-battery systems, multipurpose wheeled vehicles, body shields and helmets; solid and fast motorcycles, night light systems, bush surveillance sensors; coastal security systems; coastal and riverine patrol boats; secure communications systems; and optics. Medical supplies are needed, as is funding for training, maintenance, and sustainment. It is important to know that these Islamic militants like Boko Haram, which in the Hausa language means "Western education is sinful", and their sister terror groups are loosely modelled on the Taliban movement and ways in Afghanistan. These Islamic militants boldly operate in the daytime and generally at night. These terrorist groups have carried out daily attacks on civilians by way of kidnappings, assassinations, suicide bombings, and hit-and-run raids. As Nigeria has one of the highest rates of kidnapping-for-ransom in the world, even when paid, they sometimes still kill the victim and continue to engage in abduction and target expressways, railways, farms, churches, and villages. Not long ago, the priest of St. Pauls Catholic Church, Aye-Tuwar village, Agu Centre in Kastina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Ferdinand Ngugban, and three worshippers were reportedly killed by armed men suspected to be militia. The Vatican News recently reported that at least 68 Christians have been killed, with many more abducted or displaced in the last couple of months in Benue State. In what was termed a "black Tuesday", just like the black Tuesday of the Lekki massacre, in Gwer East local government area of Benue state, armed Fulani herdsmen vandalized the church, killing two priests and 17 worshipers. Amongst the victims were two Rev Fathers whose names were given as: Rev Fathers Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha; two primary school headmasters, Peter Dick and Ape Chia; also, a secondary school principal; and fourteen other worshipers. The victims had gone to morning mass at St. Ignatius Quasi Parish when their attackers, who had laid an ambush on the community, lunged on them very early in the morning. Not satisfied, the herdsmen militia continued their horror to other villagers, burning their houses, numbering about 100. It was gathered that the whole community was destroyed by invading bandits who had a field day unleashing terror on the sleepy community. These attacks, mostly by terrorist Fulani herdsmen/Jihadists, are occurring throughout the country, but Benue, for all intents and purposes, a predominantly Christian community, has been a target of the Jihadists who, according to history, have always wanted to conquer Benue and the Tiv people who have resisted their advance since 1804, for one main reason: they rejected Islam and chose to follow their own faith, particularly Christianity. Many people are asking the international community including the Biden administration to help over the massacre of Benue citizens, and one way to do this is assist the Benue people, with security capabilities, medical supplies, protective gear, and humanitarian aid. As it is, Russia could not stop the United States, the international and corporate organizations, and the UN from delivering much-needed humanitarian assistance as well as food, water, medicine, shelter, and other aid as well as security assistance support. Certainly, Buhari will not be able to stop the U.S. and U.N. from providing humanitarian aid to many displaced Benue indigenes and providing the Community Volunteer Guards (CVG) with security assistance support. On a voluntary basis, I am open to how to use police science, psychological science, and community support to guide state-level authorities, including Benue State, regarding vigilante security training and consultation with a focus on ethical and psychological readiness, first aid, human rights, and promoting harmony and security in lives. 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] Chinese missiles serious problem that impacts our national security: Japan PM TOKYO: Japans prime minister today (Aug 5) condemned Chinas firing of ballistic missiles during military drills around Taiwan, calling them a serious problem that impacts our national security and the safety of our citizens. ChinesemilitaryviolenceSafety By AFP Friday 5 August 2022, 08:20AM US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (left) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a meeting at the prime ministers official residence in Tokyo today (Aug 5). Photo: AFP Five Chinese missiles appear to have fallen in the countrys exclusive economic zone, Tokyo has said, with four of those believed to have flown over Taiwans main island. Chinas actions this time around have a serious impact on the peace and stability of our region and the international community, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters after meeting US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for breakfast. I told her that we have called for the immediate cancellation of the military drills. Pelosi is in Tokyo for the final leg of an Asian tour that included a stop in Taiwan, infuriating Beijing, which has launched its largest-ever military drills around the self-ruled island in response. The 82-year-old politician defied stern threats from China to become the highest-profile US official to visit Taiwan in years, saying her trip made it unequivocally clear the United States would not abandon a democratic ally. China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to retake the island one day, by force if necessary. Kishida said he and Pelosi discussed geopolitical issues including matters related to North Korea, China and Russia, as well as efforts towards a nuclear-free world. Pelosi arrived last night from South Korea, another key US ally, where she visited the border with the nuclear-armed North. It is her first time in Japan since 2015. Tokyo has lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing over the military exercises, which began yesterday. Parts of Japans southernmost Okinawa region are close to Taiwan, as are islets at the centre of a long-running dispute between Tokyo and Beijing. Japans exclusive economic zone (EEZ) extends up to 200 nautical miles from its coastline, beyond the limits of its territorial waters. Flagstaff police are investigating the death of a motorcyclist following a crash on Interstate 40. Just before 10 p.m. Wednesday night, a motorcycle and tractor-trailer both tried to make a left turn onto westbound Country Club Drive to exit the freeway. The turning trucks trailer hit the motorcyclist, a 49-year-old Phoenix woman named Sheri Gustafson. Gustafson was killed in the crash. Detectives and an accident reconstruction team responded to the scene. The truck driver willingly submitted to a sobriety test called a DRE (Drug Recognition Expert). For the test, he was transported to the Flagstaff Police Department. There, investigators determined that he had not been under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This crash is still under investigation. Police are asking any witnesses or anyone with information about the crash to contact Detective Joe Gilbert at 928-679-4120, or email at jdgilbert@flagstaffaz.gov. Crown Prince of Perlis to visit Phuket PHUKET: Phuket officials are preparing for an official visit by Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail, Crown Prince of Perlis Malaysia. By The Phuket News Friday 5 August 2022, 10:14AM Komol Dumlak, chairman of the Phuket Islamic Committee at the meeting yesterday (Aug 4). Photo: PR Phuket Phuket Vice Governor Amnuay Pinsuwan (right) with Komol Dumlak, chairman of the Phuket Islamic Committee, at the meeting yesterday (Aug 4). Photo: PR Phuket The Crown Prince is expected to arrive on the island today (Aug 5) for a three day visit, departing the island on Sunday (Aug 7), Phuket Vice Governor Amnuay Pinsuwan explained yesterday. Present for the meeting was Komol Dumlak, chairman of the Phuket Islamic Committee, and heads of relevant government agencies, including police. Crown Prince Tuanku Syed Faisuddin Putra Jamalullil will be performing royal duties while on the island, Vice Governor Amnuay noted. Officials were asked to prepare for the reception of the Crown Prince and to have the highest readiness in every aspect and honour, he said. PIWC Monthly Lunch Start From: Thursday 18 August 2022, 11:30AM to Thursday 18 August 2022, 02:00AM Mon. Tue. Wed. Thu. Fri. Sat. Sun. The Phuket International Womens Club will meet for their August monthly lunch at Eden Grill at 21/17, Boat Avenue Cherngtalay 17, Lagoon Rd, Thalang District, Phuket 83110 https://goo.gl/maps/DKYKKYxT79wTtkkt7 Date: Thursday, August 18th Time: 11:30 for registration, 12pm lunch. Cost: 900bht for members, 1200 for non-members/guests. Please make your reservation with Maggy by 15th August at the latest. Montreal, CA (H4T1V6) Today Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low 27C. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low 18C. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Pedestrian hit, killed in car crash near Butler Motel 6 A 56-year-old Flagstaff man was killed Wednesday night while crossing the road near Motel 6 on East Butler Avenue. The crash happened after dark. Kee Begay was hit by a vehicle around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday night. He died on the scene. Flagstaff police officers who responded called a detective and crash reconstruction team to launch an investigation. Police said they do not believe speed was a factor in the fatal crash. For his part, the driver stayed at the scene of the crash and cooperated with responding officers. Investigators performed a field sobriety test and said the driver did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Police investigate fatal motorcycle crash on Interstate 40 Flagstaff police are investigating the death of a motorcyclist following a crash on Interstate 40. Just before 10 p.m. Wednesday night, a motorcycle and tractor-trailer both tried to make a left turn onto westbound Country Club Drive to exit the freeway. The turning trucks trailer hit the motorcyclist, a 49-year-old Phoenix woman named Sheri Gustafson. Gustafson was killed in the crash. Detectives and an accident reconstruction team responded to the scene. The truck driver willingly submitted to a sobriety test called a DRE (Drug Recognition Expert). For the test, he was transported to the Flagstaff Police Department. There, investigators determined that he had not been under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This crash is still under investigation. Police are asking any witnesses or anyone with information about the crash to contact Detective Joe Gilbert at 928-679-4120, or email at jdgilbert@flagstaffaz.gov. Storm in metro Phoenix causes flight delays, power outages PHOENIX Monsoon thunderstorms dropped more than a half inch of rain on much of metro Phoenix on Thursday morning, causing power outages and delaying dozens of flights out of Sky Harbor International Airport. Southwest Airlines workers said lightning struck a generator, causing a server to go down and delay dozens of the carriers flights for several hours. Utility companies said nearly 6,000 households in metro Phoenix lost power at the height of the storm around 5 a.m. Fire officials in the Phoenix suburb of Peoria said a supermarkets roof partially collapsed about 30 minutes before its scheduled 6 a.m. opening. There were no reported injuries and investigators were trying to verify the collapse was storm-related. In northwestern Arizona, Mohave County Sheriffs officials said the body of a man was recovered from a wash east of Kingman a few hours after heavy rain hit that area Wednesday night. Sheriffs deputies said a pickup truck was spotted submerged in sand and a body later identified as 64-year-old Steven Jerome Tucker of Kingman was found in the vehicle. Tom Jones will play St. Louis next month Legendary crooner Tom Jones is bringing his Surrounded By Time Tour to St. Louis. These 'best' state attractions may cause debate Some may come off as obvious and others may leave you scratching your head, but nonetheless... Mrs. Pritzker outbids governor in Sale of Champions The Governor's Sale of Champions is a marquee event of the Illinois State Fair's Agriculture Day... EDWARDSVILLE An Alton man has been charged in Madison County with two domestic battery felonies. Larney McNear, 44, of Alton, was charged with aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony, and domestic battery, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Alton Police Department. According to court documents, on Aug. 2, McNear allegedly strangled a family or household member and pushed the family or household member against a table. McNear was convicted of domestic battery in 2015. Bail was set at $75,000. Other felonies filed by Madison County on August 4 include: Mark P. Hinrichs, 72, of East Alton, was charged with residential burglary, a Class 1 felony. The case was presented by the East Alton Police Department. According to court documents, from July 12 through July 19 Hinrichs allegedly entered an East Alton dwelling 12 times. Bail was set at $50,000. Matyas K. Williams, 23, listed as homeless from Granite City, was charged with criminal trespass to a residence, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department. According to court documents, on Aug. 2 Williams allegedly entered a dwelling in Granite City. Bail was set at $25,000. Manny Quintero Jr., 60, of East St. Louis, was charged with domestic battery, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Maryville Police Department. On July 29, Quintero allegedly struck a family or household member in the head. Bail was set at $15,000. Robert L. Cowper, 51, of Alton, was charged with theft under $500, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Alton Police Department. According to court documents, on Aug. 3 Cowper allegedly took a push mower from another person. Cowper was previously convicted of theft under $500 in April. Bail was set at $15,000. Patrick R. Mayes, 44, of Petersburg, was charged with criminal damage to government supported property, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department. On Aug. 3, Mayes allegedly ripped up a mattress that was supported with government funds. Bail was set at $15,000. EDWARDSVILLE A Collinsville man was indicted on four felony charges Thursday by a Madison County grand jury. Jevon E. Wilbourn, 28, of Collinsville, was indicted for armed violence, a Class X felony; possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 2 felony; possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, a Class 3 felony; and aggravated feeling or attempting to elude a police officer, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department. According to court documents, Wilbourn allegedly was armed with a 40-caliber pistol and had more than 30 grams of cannabis with the intent to deliver. He also allegedly used a 2013 Kia Optima to flee a Granite City police officer. Wilbourn was convicted of second-degree murder in 2011. Bail was set at $200,000. Also on Thursday, a Madison County grand jury action indicted Caleb W. Jones, 22, of Madison, on charges of aggravated battery, a Class X felony; aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony; and aggravated unlawful use of weapons, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Madison Police Department. According to court documents, on July 19, Jones allegedly shot a person in the leg with a 40-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun and shot in the direction of another. Bail was set at $100,000. Deontai R. Glasper, 22, of Madison, was indicted Thursday on charges of two counts of possession of weapons by a felon and possession of a stolen firearm, all Class 2 felonies, and aggravated feeling or attempting to elude a peace officer, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department. According to court documents, on March 4 Glasper allegedly had a stolen Glock 19 9mm handgun. Glasper was convicted of armed robbery in 2019. Glasper also allegedly used a 2019 Nissan Sentra to flee a Granite City Police officer. Bail was set at $100,000. Justin M. Davenport, 36, of East Alton, was indicted on charges of aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony, and domestic battery, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Wood River Police Department. According to court documents, on July 8 Davenport allegedly struck and pushed a person over 60 years of age. Davenport was convicted of aggravated battery in 2010. Bail was set at $50,000. Davion L. Evers, 23, of St. Louis, was indicted on charges of armed violence, a Class X felony, and possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Madison County Sheriff. According to court documents, on April 20 Evers allegedly had a Glock 30 45-caliber semi-automatic handgun and 30-500 grams of cannabis with the intent to deliver. Bail was set at $100,000. Matthew T. Heuer, 42, of OFallon, Illinois, was indicted on charges of aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony, and aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department. According to court documents, on June 20 Heuer allegedly strangled a family or household member and struck another person with his hands and feet. Bail was set at $50,000. DOVER, Del. (AP) Delawares Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from a day care worker sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to suffocating a 4-month-old girl. A three-judge panel on Wednesday rejected DeJoynay Fergusons claims that her due process rights were violated because a Superior Court judge was unwilling to consider mitigating evidence and arguments she presented. Ferguson also claimed the judge had sentenced her with a closed mind and for the sole purpose of retribution. While it is clear that the judge was not persuaded by Fergusons mitigation evidence, on this record we cannot conclude that the judge ignored, or failed to consider, the mitigation evidence and argument she offered, or sentenced her with a closed, vindictive, or biased mind, Justice James Vaughn Jr. wrote for the court. Ferguson, 22, pleaded guilty last year to first-degree murder by abuse or neglect, six counts of first-degree child abuse, and two counts of second-degree child abuse. The plea followed an indictment charging her with murder and 52 counts of child abuse involving five children at the Little People Child Development Center in Bear. The guilty pleas involve three of the five children. According to court records, Ferguson began working at the day care center in January 2019, when she was 18, and began systematically abusing children months later after being left to handle the infant room by herself with minimal experience or training." Video surveillance showed Ferguson smothering three children on 28 different days, sometimes multiple times a day, and physically abusing two other children. On two occasions, Ferguson suffocated the child until the child lost consciousness, waited for the child to revive, and then covered the childs face a second time, prosecutors wrote in an appellate brief. During the process of covering the childrens faces, Ferguson generally did not appear angry, but seemed to be calmly waiting for the known outcome. Ferguson sometimes bobbed her head and danced to music or was silly with other children in the room who were watching while she waited for the child on the changing table to stop breathing. The abuse culminated on Sept. 5, 2019, when Ferguson killed Isabella Talton by placing her hand over the infants mouth and nose for more than three minutes. Ferguson initially denied harming the girl but after being confronted with video evidence, told police she acted out of aggression because there were multiple babies crying at the same time. The act of suffocating the infants was a tactic Ferguson employed consistently between July 2019 to September 2019, Vaughn noted. She told police that she changed her method of suffocation over time to make it more effective. According to prosecutors, Ferguson told a defense psychologist that she transitioned from putting her hands over the childrens faces two or more consecutive times to doing it once, but for a longer period of time, because it was more efficient. Ferguson also stated she began to use two hands instead of one to restrict a childs breathing, and that she started using gloves in order to not get the childs saliva on her hands. With her guilty pleas, Ferguson faced a maximum sentence of life plus 154 years, and a minimum mandatory sentence of 27 years. The judge sentenced her to life behind bars for murder and 12 years for child abuse. Prior to sentencing, the defense presented a psychological evaluation pointing out the neurological immaturity of teenagers like Ferguson and suggesting that she had remained traumatized by the death of her father three years earlier and suffered from bipolar disorder and other mental conditions. The defense also submitted a letter of remorse from Ferguson and seven character letters from her family and friends. Prosecutors provided written submissions from the victims families and 11 clips from the video surveillance. They recommended a prison sentence of 65 years, citing aggravating factors such as excessive cruelty, prior abuse of the victim and vulnerability of the victim. The sentencing judge also heard testimony from Fergusons mother and from the parents of the victims before sentencing Ferguson. He described the case as shocking not only in its brutality, but in the utter depraved violation of trust placed in the hands of caregivers by parents with little or no choice in the matter. At the end of the day, I am unable to conclude that a sentence of a term of years is the just and fair sentence," the sentencing judge said. "I cannot square the idea of Ms. Fergusons inevitable release with the idea of smothering a 4-month old baby to death. This is particularly so when the smothering death occurred at the end of a pattern of smothering babies in order to get them to be still while changing their diapers. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SABINAS, Mexico (AP) Round-the-clock pumping slightly lowered the level of water inside the flooded shafts of a coal mine where 10 miners were trapped in northern Mexico, but two days after a collapse it remained too high for anyone to attempt a rescue, authorities said Friday. National Civil Defense Coordinator Laura Velazquez said it was indispensable to reduce the amount of water in the 200-foot deep mine shafts before divers or any other specialized personnel could enter. Workers were simultaneously trying to block new water from entering the shafts. The mine in Sabinas, Coahuila, about 70 miles southwest of Eagle Pass, Texas collapsed while 15 miners were inside working Wednesday afternoon. Five managed to escape with injuries. Authorities say the miners breached a neighboring space filled with water. There has been no contact with the miners since the collapse. Javier Martinez, the Coahuila state delegate of the National Mine Workers Union, said the area where the mine was operating is full of old abandoned mines that are often flooded. He said locals sometimes get small concessions and then contract groups of non-unionized miners to work, usually without safety measures like ventilation systems, emergency exit shafts and security equipment. Such operations are not supervised by the Labor Secretary, he said. Accidents in such shoestring operations are common because miners work without maps, often with pneumatic hammers that punch into old mine shafts filled with water, he said. In this case, the miners chances of survival are complicated, and would depend on the force of entering water, the amount of mud it carried, whether it swept away the wooden supports holding up the shafts walls and if the miners could reach a nook with air. I thank God because its advancing, little by little its advancing, said Elizabeth Vielma Moreno, a relative of one of the miners. In June and July of 2021, cave-ins at two Coahuila mines claimed the lives of nine miners. Mexicos worst mining accident also occurred in Coahuila on Feb. 19, 2006, when an explosion ripped through the Pasta de Conchos mine while 73 miners were inside. Eight were rescued with injuries including serious burns. The rest died and only two of their bodies were recovered. Lopez Obradors administration promised two years ago to recover the remaining 63 bodies, a highly technical endeavor that has still not begun. __ Sanchez reported from Mexico City. EDWARDSVILLE Granite City Police Maj. Nick Novacich has been named to lead the Cross-River Crime Task Force. Novacich, the assistant police chief in Granite City, succeeds Madison County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Jeff Connor. Novacich was deputy commander of the task force under Connor. Connor won the June 28 Republican primary and is seeking to follow retiring Madison County Sheriff John Lakin. No Democratic candidate has been slated for the Nov. 8 Madison County Sheriff's race. Novacich was named Thursday during a short announcement that included remarks from Lakin and Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine. I feel like weve made an impact on our community, Novacich said. Im honored to take command. Last year, our team consisted of members from just about every law enforcement agency in Madison County. Were here for pro-active policing, he said. We plan to continue to innovate, so Madison County and lead our region in crime-fighting and public safety. Novacich said his priorities for the next year include better use of intelligence and working more with Missouri public safety agencies on crime trends in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County. With our proximity, we have to be a step ahead to understand what theyre dealing with, too, Novacich said. The Cross-River Crime Task Force was formed in June 2021. It is comprised of law enforcement officials from federal, state, county, and local agencies with the goal of combining resources and manpower to protect Madison County from criminals who cross state lines to commit violent crimes. Novacich said the task force had been slowed by COVID-19 and the shooting death of Pontoon Beach Police Officer Tyler Timmins. I would like to let you know that weve hit the ground running and were back at it, Novacich said. With anything, theres always a learning curve," he said. "Weve been pro-active, weve been innovative and we decided that this is the best way that we can fight back against the criminal element that has invaded our community. "Were after the worst of the worst motor vehicle thefts, homicide suspects and criminal sexual assault suspects. Novacich said he envisions the task force becoming flexible, well-trained and dedicated. He eventually wants to integrate volunteers from other agencies into the task force. And he seeks to be able to deploy the unit into multiple jurisdictions at once. This would allow us to cover more ground during each deployment, and possibly affect more communities each time were out, he said. Novacich will have two deputy commanders: Lt. Brian Koberna of the Madison County Sheriffs Department and Maj. John Franke of the Alton Police Department. New to the task force this year is a steering committee consisting of four chiefs: Pontoon Beach Police Chief Chris Modrusic, Wood River Police Chief Brad Wells, Collinsville Police Chief Steve Evans and Alton Deputy Police Chief Maj. Jarrett Ford. Evans and Ford were unable to attend Thursdays announcement. Novacich joined the Granite City Police Department in June 2000. In 2004, he became the School Resource Officer for Coordinated Youth and Human Services; in 2005 he was assigned to the Detective Division. He was part of the Detective Division and the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis from 2005 until 2009, when he was promoted to sergeant in the Patrol Division. During this same time frame, Novacich was a founding member of Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (ILEAS) Region 8 Special Response Team for Weapons of Mass Destruction. He was an Assistant Team Leader for ILEAS 2005-2011 and then a Team Leader 2011-2013. He left the ILEAS team in 2013 for a leadership position on the Granite City Police Departments Warrant Service Team, which he stayed with until 2021. In 2015, Novacich was promoted to lieutenant and became a shift commander in the patrol division. In 2016, he was reassigned to detectives as a detective lieutenant and reassigned to the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, where he was a deputy commander since 2017. In 2019, Novacich was promoted to captain of detectives; in 2020, he moved over to captain of patrol, where he stayed until his promotion to major in 2021. Novacich earned a bachelor's degree in sociology with an emphasis in criminal justice from McKendree University in Lebanon, which he obtained prior to working with Granite City. In 2007 he obtained a master's degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Lindenwood University in St. Charles. In 2018, he became a graduate of the FBIs National Academy Session 272 in Quantico, Virginia. John Badman ALTON A group of hearty souls braved the high heat and humidity Friday to pass through Alton on the 170-mile-long St. June Run from St. Louis to Peoria. The runners are raising money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. So far this year the 63 participants have raised almost $113,000. Westerly, RI (02891) Today Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 61F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. In this series, we bust the jargon and explain a popular investing term or theme. Here it's reshoring. What is it? Basically, the opposite of 'offshoring'. It is a process whereby a business brings back to its own country production that has previously been farmed out to another. Offshoring, particularly to Asia, has been hugely popular in the era of globalisation because of the huge savings it has provided, particularly in labour costs. You will hear reshoring also called 'backshoring', 'inshoring', 'nearshoring', or 'onshoring'. Confusingly, people are starting to use reshoring to mean shunting production to a country with lower costs than China. Good to be back: Reshoring is a process whereby a business brings back to its own country production that has previously been farmed out to another Why do I care? Mentions of reshoring (or any of its synonyms) are at their highest since 2005 in briefings to investors or company results meetings, according to the data analyst Sentieo. This is the result of the combined impact of Brexit, the pandemic, war in Ukraine and last year's blockage of the Suez canal, which have disrupted or entirely impeded supply chains. The combination has had a disastrous effect on some companies' budgets. Costs have soared and production has sometimes had to be halted. Any particular concerns? Microchips which are essential for cars, domestic gadgets, fighter jets, mobile phones and much else. At the centre of this anxiety is the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which accounts for 51 per cent of the global chip market. Taiwan manufacturers make 90 per cent of the highest-tech chips. Such is TSMC's importance that its chairman Mark Liu said the world would be rendered 'not operable' if Taiwan were to be invaded by China, which regards the country as a breakaway province. He made the comment during this week's visit of Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US house of Representatives to Taiwan, when she met TSMC executives. How has this happened? In 1990 America had a 37 per cent share of the global chip-making market. But thanks to a policy of offshoring chip fabrication as a way to economise, the US now controls just 12 per cent, which is why it is so busily engaged in reshoring. New chip-making plants are springing up in Phoenix, Arizona. These are being built by Intel, the US giant and by TSMC. The new Chips and Science Act will provide $52billion (43billion) of finance for the initiative, but there are fears this may add just 6 per cent of extra capacity over the next few years, while China may expand its production by about 40 per cent. What's happening in Britain? Gigafactories for the production of lithium-ion batteries and electrolysers for green hydrogen are under construction. In the wake of a report from the Office for National Statistics, published in the spring and which laid bare the chaos caused by supply chain issues, more UK businesses said they were looking to reshore. Make UK, the trade group, says that three-quarters of companies have increased their use of UK suppliers and that half would continue to do so. Investment in technology, including robotics, should make it easier to compete with the Far East on costs. More 'Made in Britain' products are on their way! Diana Smith first entered the Beatrice Municipal Airport as an employee on Oct. 11, 1971. She was a secretary, taking phone calls and filing paper work. Come September, shell be retiring after more than 50 years of work at the airport, including 22 years as the manager. I never imagined Id be the manager, Smith said. I moved to being an administrative assistant. I kept moving up. And then when Don Fitzwater retired, I was promoted to his job. Smith said it wasnt just the paycheck that kept her coming back to work. I have to say, after I had been here for several years, I realized that the aviation community was great, she said. Theyre such good people. Theyre great to work with. And I realized how important the airport is to the community. And thats why its been such a close thing to my heart to make sure the airport is run well. The way we greet our customers matters so much. Smith brought her growing skills and experience with her to work every day, but she also came equipped with something she said is even more important: a positive attitude. This job is all about attitude, she said. If you dont believe in the future of the airport, that will trickle down You have to be passionate about this place. Beatrice City Administrator Tobias Tempelmeyer said Smith has used that passion to great effect. I think she does a great job making our airport be a good entry point for the community, Tempelmeyer said. I think she does so well making sure everybody has a great experience out there. Thats so important for the community. Stan Meyer, an 18-year member of the Board which oversees the airport, said the Beatrice Airport shines alongside its competitors, thanks in no small part to the work of Smith. Ive been a pilot for about 30 years, and Ive probably flown to hundreds of airports in the country and Canada, Stan Meyer said. This is one of the nicest airports in the Midwest for our size Diana has helped make the airport a bright spot for the community. Smith said since starting work at the airport, shes lived and worked through many changes. At first, all staff members at the airport needed to be certified weather observers. Every hour, theyd take samples of the air, measure the speed of the wind and categorize layers of clouds on the horizon. Though the airport has since automated its weather observation, Smith said each day still brings new sets of challenges and rewards. No day is the same, she said. Smith is a member of Aeronautics Commission for the Department of Aeronautics, a position appointed by the governor. She also is a founding member of the Nebraska Aviation Council. Smith said her proudest achievement was being inducted into the Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame on Jan. 24, 2019. Despite her lofty statewide accolades, Smith said shes always prioritized the Beatrice Airport. Don [Fitzwater] always used to say, This is the front door of Beatrice, Smith said. Ive tried to live by that I like to connect with the people who come through here. I like to show them this wonderful community. Dennis Schmitt will take over for Smith starting October 1. Brexit-supporting hedge fund manager Crispin Odey has built a career and a personal fortune estimated in excess of 800million through his ability to spot a market opportunity. So, what exactly has he seen that the others have missed in AIM-listed IGAS Energy? The shares spiked 36 per cent this week as it was revealed that the old Harrovians Odey Asset Management had taken a stake of 3.17 per cent in the natural resources minnow not directly but via unnamed financial instruments. Now, the bulletin boards lit up with all sorts of wild speculation as to just why Odey had taken its position. Extraction: IGAS Energy, which is backed by Crispin Odey's investment firm, owns shale-based assets of the sort that usually require fracking to liberate hydrocarbons IGas as the name suggests is a gas specialist. Moreover, its focus is onshore exploration and development here in the UK. Specifically, it owns shale-based assets of the sort that usually require fracking to liberate hydrocarbons. Of course, there is a moratorium on the controversial technique, which is alleged to have sparked a mini earthquake near Blackpool three years ago. However, the British Geological Society was asked to compile a drill-or-drop report on the UKs vast shale resources. The BGS handed in its homework early last month. With the focus on energy security, and a looming deadline on the use of coal in power generation, the new Conservative government may look more favourably on shale and fracking. At least thats feverish talk in the chatrooms. With the right support, IGas could deliver five well pads each with up to 16 wells in 18 months, it said in a presentation in April. That would be enough to supply three million homes with cheap domestic gas. Okay, theres a lot of speculation here, so nobody should be betting the farm here. However, it will be interesting to see how Odeys IGas wager plays out. Turning to the wider market, it was a quiet week for the UKs small-caps, with the AIM All Share just about keeping its head above water with a five point advance to 925.24. It marginally outperformed Londons blue-chip index, with FTSE 100 off 11 points over that period. Sticking with the risers, Kromek, which makes radiation protection equipment, advanced 32 per cent after a decent set of results, which boasted a strong order book. It also settled funding nerves on Friday by raising 1.7million that will provide working capital requirements to deliver the new contracts. The Investors Chronicle, a tip sheet that holds a lot of sway with private investors, reckons the County Durham-based technology company is materially undervalued. In the oil sector, Canadian Overseas Petroleum, known as COPL to its legion of followers, appears to have a tiger by the tail. An independent report issued on Friday confirmed its Wyoming asset is host to an estimate 900million barrels of oil. The stock rose 3% on the day and has advanced around 15 per cent in the last month. Onto the fallers. The weeks biggest casualty was Revolution Beauty Group, the make-up retailer that lost 65 per cent of its value over the latest five trading days after it warned that revenues and underlying profitability would be lower than forecast. With Russias oligarchs beating a retreat and the super-rich seemingly keeping a low profile this summer, it is hardly surprising that GYG, which maintains super yachts, is sailing off to calmer waters. This week it said it was navigating its way out of the choppy seas of the public markets to become a private company. The shares fell 32 per cent on the news. Finally, it was another wretched week for In the Style, the womenswear retailer that sounded the earnings alarm last month. In the aftermath, the shares have tumbled 60 per cent and were down 30 per cent this week as investor confidence continued to ebb away. In the results statement of July 18, it said as of June 30 it was sitting on cash of 10.5million having entered a new invoice discounting facility. This, one would assume, alleviates short-term worries over the business prospects. Against this backdrop then its hard to discern what the sellers have spotted that others havent yet noticed. Shares in Pendragon jumped after the car dealer revealed it approved a takeover offer but talks ended as a major shareholder didn't engage. The takeover offer from an unnamed bidder was 29p per share, representing a 35 per cent premium to Thursday's closing price. But the offer was contingent on support from the company's top five shareholders and only four backed the deal. Unnamed bidder: Pendragon said the bid needed 'commitments from all of Pendragon's major shareholders' Pendragon said the bid needed 'commitments from all of Pendragon's major shareholders'. The latest bid for Pendragon comes five months after the company's shareholder Anders Hedin, boss of Swedish car retailer Hedin Group, tabled a bid which was rejected by the Pendragon board. One broker said: 'I suspect Hedin blocked this latest takeover bid for Pendragon.' Pendragon's other four largest shareholders are Schroders, Odey, Briarwood Chase and Hosking Partners. Together with Hedin they have a combined stake of 64.78 per cent. News of the takeover comes two years after talks between Pendragon and Lookers about a potential merger stalled, ending a process which would have created the UK's largest car retail group. Shares jumped 8.4 per cent, or 1.8p, to 23.3p. Overall the FTSE 100 fell 0.1 per cent, or 8.32 points, to 7439.74 while the FTSE 250 retreated 0.5 per cent, or 104.28 points, to 20,051.48. The Footsie's decline would have been greater but for some enthusiasm for miners, particularly copper miner Antofagasta, which was up 3.6 per cent, or 40.5p, at 1170.5p, as the price of copper rose 2 per cent. Housebuilders were off the pace on further signs that the housing market is cooling. As if the Bank of England's rate hike was not bad enough, the Halifax reported the average UK house price fell by 0.1 per cent in July. Taylor Wimpey, down 3.7 per cent, or 4.7p, at 123.15p, was the hardest hit of the big names in the sector, while Rightmove, the property listings website operator, slid 2.8 per cent, or 18.6p, to 644.4p. Tullow Oil reversed earlier losses to finish 3.4 per cent, or 1.7p higher, at 52.1p, overcoming a disappointing drilling result at the BeebeiPotaro exploration well off the coast of Guyana. The company has now plugged and abandoned the well. Meanwhile Capita failed to impress investors as it continues to offload non-core businesses to strengthen its balance sheet. The company, which is responsible for enforcing BBC TV licences and provides customer support services for Scottish Power, saw profits plunge to just 100,000, from 261million a year earlier. It put the sharp fall down to weaker-than-expected returns from the sale of some of its businesses. Shares tumbled 8.5 per cent, or 2.48p, to 26.86p. On the broker front, Barclays downgraded Hikma Pharmaceuticals in the wake of the drugs company's half-year report on Thursday. 'With yet another downward revision to numbers and without a permanent CEO, we think it is difficult to put new money into the name,' the broker said, as it chopped the target price to 1750p from 2250p previously. Hikma shares trade at 1604.5p, down 2.8 per cent, or 46p yesterday. Citigroup reiterated its 'buy' recommendation for Serco after the outsourcer's results this week but much good it did the shares, which fell 4.6 per cent, or 8.4p, to 174.8p. Citi reckons they are worth 255p and says the market has failed to appreciate the US defence opportunity for the company. David and Victoria Beckham scooped 8.1million in dividends in 2020 as his business empire withstood the headwinds of the pandemic. Latest results reveal the star's company, David Beckham Ventures, which manages his global brand, paid out the sum after reporting a profit for the year of 10.6million, up from 9million in 2019 after signing several multi-million pound sponsorship deals. Sponsorships include deals with computer game group Electronic Arts, Adidas and gym chain F45. Payout: David and Victoria Beckham scooped 8.1m in dividends in 2020 The profit was boosted by one of Beckham's other businesses, Seven Global, which manages contracts with perfume brand Coty and Italian eyewear maker Safilo. The 8.1million payout was lower than the 14.5million from the previous year. The Beckhams are not the only celebrities to pocket sizeable dividends despite the pandemic. This week it was revealed celebrity chef Jamie Oliver was paid around 5.6million from his media and restaurant empire last year despite profits from two of his companies dropping to 9million, from 11.8million. Defence giant QinetiQ has swooped on a US cyber security group in a 483million deal. The deal to buy Avantus Federal will double the size of the FTSE 250 company's US business, which it has been keen to expand. QinetiQ boss Steve Wadey said in May that it planned a takeover spree of American and Australian firms to hit a target to grow the business by 75 per cent in five years. Expansion: The deal to buy Avantus Federal will double the size of QinetiQ's US business The deal upends a pattern of US companies taking over successful British aerospace and defence firms. QinetiQ's FTSE 250 peers Cobham and Ultra Electronics, as well as FTSE 100 group Meggitt, have fallen prey to US businesses. The takeovers prompted outrage from MPs and experts, though a change of law means that the Government now automatically screens investments in sensitive industries. Wadey has said the rampant expansion plans are not an attempt to fend off being taken over itself. QinetiQ specialises in high-tech equipment. It was spun out of the Ministry of Defence and is famously said to be the inspiration for Q in James Bond. Wadey last night said that QinetiQ had been 'thoroughly impressed' by Avantus. Avantus's work includes providing cyber and data analytics service for the US departments of defence and homeland security. It has around 1,150 employees and was founded in 2016. Companies including QinetiQ have seen business boom since Russia invaded Ukraine, as countries increase defence spending. Shock: Sir Christopher Gent had a long and distinguished career One of the City's best known figures has been slapped with an embarrassing fine by financial regulators for sharing inside information. Sir Christopher Gent, the former boss of Vodafone, has been fined 80,000 by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for unlawfully disclosing inside information while chairman of the FTSE 250 medical devices company ConvaTec. The information related to an announcement regarding its financial guidance as well as the retirement plans of its chief executive, which Gent shared with two of the biggest shareholders before it was published to the stock exchange in October 2018. Mark Steward, FCA executive director of enforcement and market oversight, said Gent 'failed to properly apply his mind'. 'Inside information is not a private commodity for those with privileged access to it. The law requires inside information to be disclosed properly and not to major shareholders or others in advance of announcements, as in this case,' Steward added. While the watchdog said there was no evidence Gent traded on the information or intended to make personal gain, he 'acted negligently in disclosing the information' and had committed market abuse. 'Given his training and experience, Sir Christopher should have realised that the information he disclosed was, or may have been, inside information and that it was not within the normal exercise of his employment to disclose it,' it added. ConvaTec makes items including plasters, bandages, medical catheters and colostomy bags. Gent, 74, said he was 'very disappointed' but the ruling confirmed there was 'no impact on the markets and that I made no gain personally, nor intended to do so'. 'I have since retired from business life and wish now to draw a line under the matter,' he added. Gent left ConvaTec in 2019 following a restructuring. He rose to fame in the 1990s as boss of Vodafone, turning a small subsidiary of British electronics group Racal into one of the world's biggest telecoms firms, leading a takeover of Germany's Mannesmann in 2000, one of the largest corporate acquisitions in history, with a price tag of 110billion. He was knighted in 2001 and chairman of GlaxoSmithKline between 2004 and 2015. Gage County authorities arrested a Wymore man Thursday for possession of destructive devices and drug violations following a search of his residence. On Thursday morning the Gage County Sheriffs Office and Wymore Police Department executed a search warrant at 212 N. 11th St. in Wymore. A press release stated that during a search of the residence, deputies located several destructive devices, a small amount of suspected methamphetamine, a glass meth pipe and a small amount of marijuana. Deputies also located several substances and devices that could potentially be components of additional explosive devices. An Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technician from the Nebraska State Patrol also assisted in the search of the residence. Roger Powell, 62, of Wymore, was arrested for possession of a destructive device, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, less than one ounce and possession of drug paraphernalia. ArtWalk Downtown Billings hosts its fourth event of the 2022 Season on Friday, August 5, 2022 in downtown Billings. Twenty-three ArtWalk locations across downtown will be open from 5 to 9 p.m. (unless otherwise noted) to host exhibits and feature artists from Billings and our region. All ArtWalk events are free. Many locations host music and offer light refreshments. Often, artists attend and present gallery talks. There are a variety of parking options in the downtown area, including free on-street metered parking after 5 p.m.. A mobile-friendly map and more information about the August 5th event, including images and gallery notes, can be found at www.artwalkbillings.com and on Facebook and Instagram @billingsartwalk. Two more ArtWalk events are planned for the 2022 Season on October 7, 2022 and December 2, 2022. Uptown Loop Yellowstone Art Museum, 410 North 27th Street, opens its 2022 Art Auction exhibition with a Gala Art Auction Preview beginning at 5:30 p.m. A special reception to celebrate the auction's participating artists will take place during ArtWalk. All are invited to enjoy light appetizers, meet the artists, and be among the first to see this exceptional collection of art from across the region. The 2022 art auction ends on September 10 with a live auction. Museum admission is free during ArtWalk. YAM closes at 8 p.m. Inkredible Art Productions, 217 North Broadway Suite 2, asks that you check its gallery page at artwalkbillings.com (on the Uptown Loop) for details about its upcoming exhibit on August 5th. Barjons Books, 223 North 29th Street, hosts Shelly Raggi Young and her exhibit entitled Welcome. Shelly seeks to inspire a sense of inner balance in those who view her art. She works primarily in acrylic and incorporates natural elements. Also a best selling author, Young's ArtWalk appearance includes a book-signing and refreshments. Hedden-Empire Gallery, 206 North 29th Street, features the imaginative, colorful and sometimes irreverent work of Billings artist, Robbie Mann. His current series of paintings and drawings break down ideas and fantasies about the wild west as presented in traditional Western paintings. North Park Community Art Project, 626 North 22nd Street, is the exciting street art project funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies and spearheaded by BURD (Billings Urban Revitalization District). Artists Elley Swan, Elyssa Leininger and others have painted asphalt murals to connect North Park with its neighbors and the Head Start campus. This is so exciting! Muse Movement and Music Studio, 504 North 20th Street, holds its grand opening extravaganza in a classic venue reminiscent of ArtWalk's early days. MMMS holds space for an eclectic amalgamation of Montana artists, live music, performance art and more! Adjacent to InpirINKTattoo which features tattoos with a creative edge. Hosted by April Dawn and Julius Ostby. Skypoint Loop Sandstone Gallery, 2913 2nd Avenue North, will feature work by celebrated Billings artists and Sandstone co-op members, Donna Moore and Lana Bittner. Sandstone's guest artist is weaver Jamie Stevens. Stevens is inspired by colors of the natural world. With over 35 years of experience, she now weaves wall hangings using a technique known as soari, a Japanese Zen term meaning everything has its own individual dignity. She works with wool, silk, and cotton fibers, and some synthetics. Stephen Haraden Studio and Gallery, 2911 2nd Avenue North, Suite 235, is the studio of ever evolving Billings artist, Stephen Haraden. Of late, he's tossing about random pieces of scrap newsprint, craft paper and cardboard to create multi-layered pieces. Some say they have a Picasso-esque feel about them. Stephen loves to talk art with his ArtWalk visitors. Downtown Billings Alliance, 116 North 29th Street, welcomes Billings artist, Barbara Butler. Butler recently completed a four year rigorous study of the language of art at the Annette Hathaway Atelier in Minnesota. Her impressionist art, expressed through color and texture, is frequently shown in auctions, competitions, and festivals and featured in private collections across the U.S. And Canada. This House of Books, 116 North 29th Street (new location) welcomes Kristin Logan Mayer for a return appearance. Mayer was born in and grew up in Billings. She finds immense joy in capturing differing perspectives of the world around her. Whether sharing a special view of pointing out an overlooked detail, she hopes to elicit second looks and an emotional response from the viewer. Global Village, 2815 2nd Avenue North, features working artist, Lacie Tucker. She is the K-6 art teacher for Blue Creek Elementary School and recently returned from an artist's residency in Corciano, Italy. She works primarily in abstract expressionism and landscapes. Lacie is inspired by pop art and her young students. Billings Symphony Society, 2820 2nd Avenue North will be closed for the August 5th ArtWalk. However you can view its 60 foot long public art mural by artist Elley Swan on the south-facing wall of its building on the east side of North 29th Street between First and Second Avenues North. Montana Gallery, 2710 2nd Avenue North, attracts a lively and eclectic crowd to celebrate contemporary western art during each ArtWalk. Led by artist Tyler Murphy, the gallery promotes work by Coila Evans, Daniel Keyes, Richie Carter and others. Kennedy Stained Glass, 2409 2nd Avenue North (a NEW location) hosts a sneak peek of its new studio. Stop by to greet Susan Kennedy Sommerfeld in her new digs and let her know how much she's been missed! Ceilon Aspensen Art, 113 North Broadway #406, exhibits works by Ceilon Aspensen, a much-loved Laurel High School art teacher. Aspensen recently received her doctorate in American Studies from Montana State University-Bozeman. Her gallery is above Montana Brewing Company on the 4th floor of the Montana Power Building. Aspinwall, 103 North Broadway, welcomes Jessica Brophy, owner of Free Indeed Art, and her custom fine art. Brophy is at her best when painting portraits of beloved pets. She maintains a pop up studio at Aspinwall during ArtWalk events. Bishops Cut/Color, 108 North Broadway, focuses ArtWalk's attention on the commissioned mural by Jodi Lightner created for the opening of the downtown salon. Lightner is the Chair of the Art Department at MSU-Billings and known for her multi-dimensional work. Historic Loop Western Heritage Center, 2822 Montana Avenue, showcases historic and contemporary beadwork and paintings by Apsaalooke (Crow) artists that convey their perspectives of Crow history, language and culture. The exhibit is part of Parading Through History: The Apsaalooke Nation, now on display. Free admission. Kirks Grocery, 2920 Minnesota Avenue, proudly presents Robin Earles: Field Notes, a mixed media exhibition that uses color and shape to explore notions of space. Earles' highly selective abilities align the readable and non-readable with intuitive travels to create a fascinating experience. Native American Development Corporation, 17 North 26th Street, hosts Apsaalooke (Crow) artists who work with textiles and beads, invoke traditional designs and add surprising contemporary twists to their work. Working as TRIIA, the group includes Della Big Hair - Stump (Dellas Designs), Carrie Moran McCleary (Plains Soul) and Olivia Williamson (Lady Pompadour). Harry Koyama Fine Art, 2509 Montana Avenue, showcases gallery works by Harry Koyama. Koyama's paintings portray American Indian dancers, buffalo, grizzly bears, mountain lions and other iconic images of the American West. His abstract expressionist paintings are highly sought by collectors, institutions and businesses across Montana and nationally. McCormick Cafe, 2419 Montana Avenue, is delighted to be back on the August ArtWalk. Known as where the locals eat, McCormick Cafe will host members of the Billings Arts Association. Their work includes a variety of mediums. Justin Dowler's work is also on view. Bar MT, 2314 Montana Avenue, in the historic Depot complex, features Latin influenced portraits by Joseph LaVe.' contemporary portraits by Yvette Short and music by Kristin and Pierre LaVe.' Sales proceeds will support Joseph's continued studies at the prestigious Parsons School of Design in New York City. Congratulations, Joseph. China deployed scores of planes and fired live missiles near Taiwan on Thursday in its biggest drills in the Taiwan Strait, a day after U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a solidarity trip to the self-ruled island. Chinas military confirmed multiple firings of conventional missiles in waters off Taiwan as part of planned exercises in six zones set to run until noon on Sunday. It activated more than 100 planes, including fighter jets and bombers, and over 10 warships, state broadcaster CCTV said. Taiwans defence ministry said it scrambled jets to warn away 22 Chinese fighter aircraft that crossed the Taiwan Strait median line into its air defence zone, and said troops fired flares late on Thursday to drive away four drones that flew above the area of its Kinmen islands, off the southeastern coast of China. It said missiles fired by China flew high into the atmosphere and constituted no threat to it, responding to public concern about whether they passed over the main island of Taiwan. Japan protested that five missiles appeared to land in its economic zone. The U.S.-Taiwan collusion and provocation will only push Taiwan towards the abyss of disaster, bringing catastrophe to Taiwan compatriots, said a Chinese defence ministry spokesperson. Responding to the Chinese drills, President Tsai Ing-wen said Taiwan would not provoke conflicts but would firmly defend its sovereignty and national security. Taiwan will never be knocked down by challenges, Tsai said in a recorded video message to the people of Taiwan. We are calm and not impetuous, we are rational and not provocative, but we will also be firm and not shirk. The White House condemned Chinas move as irresponsible and said it expected Beijing would continue to react in the coming days. Beijings provocative actions are significant escalation and its long standing attempt to change the status quo, U.S. national security spokesperson John Kirby told a briefing. To avoid escalating tensions further, the United States has postponed a long-planned test of an Air Force Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, Kirby said. HACKER ATTACKS Taiwan said 11 Chinese Dongfeng ballistic missiles had been fired in nearby waters the first time since 1996. Taiwan officials said the drills violated United Nations rules, invaded its space and threatened free air and sea navigation. It has been self-ruled since 1949, when Mao Zedongs communists took power in Beijing after defeating Chiang Kai-sheks Kuomintang (KMT) nationalists in a civil war, prompting the KMT-led government to retreat to the island. The military activity followed Pelosis unannounced visit of support to Taiwan in defiance of warnings from China. Before the drills officially began, Chinese navy ships and military aircraft briefly crossed the Taiwan Strait median line several times on Thursday, a Taiwanese source briefed on the matter told Reuters. By midday, warships from both sides remained in close proximity as Taiwan also scrambled jets and deployed missile systems to track Chinese aircraft crossing the line. They flew in and then flew out, again and again. They continue to harass us, the Taiwanese source said. China, which has long said it reserves the right to take Taiwan by force, says its differences with the island are an internal affair. In Taiwan, life was largely normal despite worries that Beijing could fire a missile over the main island as North Korea did over Japans northern island of Hokkaido in 2017. When China says it wants to annex Taiwan by force, they have actually said that for quite a while, said Chen Ming-cheng, a 38-year-old realtor. From my personal understanding, they are trying to deflect public anger, the anger of their own people, and turn it onto Taiwan. Taiwan said websites of its defence ministry, foreign ministry and the presidential office were attacked by hackers and warned of coming psychological warfare. COMRADE PELOSI Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Pelosis visit to Taiwan a manic, irresponsible and highly irrational act, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Wang, speaking at a meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers in Cambodia, said China had tried to avert crisis by diplomatic means but would never let its core interests be hurt. Unusually, the drills in six areas around Taiwan were announced with a locator map circulated by Chinas official Xinhua news agency a factor that for some analysts illustrated playing to both domestic and foreign audiences. In Beijing, security near the U.S. Embassy was unusually tight though there were no signs of significant protests. I think this (Pelosis visit) is a good thing, said a man surnamed Zhao in Beijing. It gives us an opportunity to surround Taiwan, then to use this opportunity to take Taiwan by force. I think we should thank Comrade Pelosi. Pelosi, the highest-level U.S. visitor to Taiwan in 25 years, praised its democracy and pledged American solidarity during her brief stopover. Chinese anger could not stop world leaders from travelling there, she said. Our delegation came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clear that we will not abandon Taiwan, Pelosi told Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen, whom Beijing suspects of pushing for formal independence a red line for China. China summoned the U.S. ambassador in Beijing in protest and halted several agricultural imports from Taiwan. The United States and the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven nations warned China against using Pelosis visit as a pretext for military action against Taiwan. The United States has no official diplomatic relations with Taiwan but is bound by U.S. law to provide it with the means to defend itself. Taiwan rejects Chinas sovereignty claims, saying only the islanders themselves can decide their future. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres is following the developments closely and with concern, a U.N. spokesperson said. SOURCE: REUTERS Three ships loaded with grain left Ukrainian ports on Friday under a recently concluded safe passage deal, the Turkish defene ministry and Reuters witnesses said. The first grain ship to set sail from a Ukrainian port since the start of the Russian invasion, departed Odesa on Monday. We expect that the security guarantees of our partners from the U.N. and Turkey will continue to work, and food exports from our ports will become stable and predictable for all market participants, Ukrainian Infrastructure Mnister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Facebook after the ships set off. In a rare diplomatic breakthrough in the five-month war, the United Nations and Turkey have brokered a safe passage deal between Moscow and Kyiv, after the United Nations warned of famines due to Ukrainian grain shipments being halted. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, sparking the biggest conflict in Europe since World War Two and causing a global energy and food crisis. Ukraine and Russia produce about one third of global wheat and Russia is Europes main energy supplier. On Friday, two grain ships set off from Chornomorsk and one from Odesa, with a total of about 58,000 tonnes of corn. The Turkish Defence Ministry said on Twitter the Panama-flagged Navistar, carrying 33,000 tonnes of corn bound for Ireland, departed from Odesa. The Maltese-flagged Rojen, carrying 13,000 tonnes of corn, departed from Chornomorsk port bound for Britain. The Turkish-flagged ship Polarnet, carrying 12,000 tonnes of corn, set off from Chornomorsk for the Turkish Black Sea port of Karasu. The Turkish bulk carrier Osprey S, flying the flag of Liberia, was expected to arrive in Ukraines Chornomorsk port on Friday, the regional administration of Odesa said. It would be the first ship to arrive at a Ukrainian port during the war. Ukraine has called for the grain deal to be extended to include other products, such as metals, the Financial Times reported. This agreement is about logistics, about the movement of vessels through the Black Sea, Ukraines Deputy Economy Minister Taras Kachka told the newspaper. Whats the difference between grain and iron ore? EASTERN HELL After five-months of fighting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy this week described the pressure his armed forces were under in the eastern Donbas region as hell. Moscow is seeking to control the largely Russian-speaking Donbas, comprised of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, where pro-Moscow separatists gained control of territory after the Kremlin annexed Crimea to the south in 2014. Zelenskiy spoke of fierce fighting around the town of Avdiivka and the fortified village of Pisky, where Ukraine has acknowledged its Russian foes partial success in recent days. The Ukrainian military said on Thursday Russian forces had mounted at least two assaults on Pisky but had been repelled. Ukraine has spent the last eight years fortifying defensive positions in Pisky, seeing it as a buffer zone against Russian-backed forces who control the city of Donetsk about 10 km to the southeast. Ukrainian General Oleksiy Hromov told a news conference his forces had recaptured two villages around the eastern city of Sloviansk but had been pushed back to the town of Avdiivka after being forced to abandon a coal mine regarded as an important defensive position. The Russian defence ministry confirmed its offensive. Reuters could not immediately verify either sides assertions. The Ukraine war has displaced millions, killed thousands of civilians, and left cities, towns and villages in rubble. Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Russian forces of targeting civilians and war crimes, charges Russia rejects. On Friday, Ukraines General Staff said Russian shelling of scores of towns across the country again targeted civilian settlements as well as military infrastructure. NATO WARNING Human rights group Amnesty International on Thursday said Ukraine was endangering civilians by basing troops in residential areas. Zelenskiy hit back saying the group was trying to shift responsibility from the aggressor to the victim. The White House said it expected Russian officials to try and frame Ukrainian forces for an attack on the front-line town of Olenivka last week that killed prisoners held by Moscow-backed separatists. Russias deputy U.N. ambassador responded in a Twitter post, saying U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems were used in the attack. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday he would launch a fact-finding mission after both sides requested an investigation. Putin says he launched his special military operation in Ukraine to ensure Russian security and protect Russian-speakers in Ukraine. Ukraine and the West describe Russias actions as an unprovoked imperial-style war of aggression. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday the war was the most dangerous moment for Europe since World War Two and Russia must not be allowed to win. Amid fears among some politicians in the West that Russias ambitions may extend beyond Ukraine, Stoltenberg warned Putin that the response to such a move would be overwhelming. If President Putin even thinks of doing something similar to a NATO country as he has done to Georgia, Moldova or Ukraine, then all of NATO will be involved immediately, Stoltenberg said. The war has led previously non-aligned Finland and Sweden to seek NATO membership, with the request so far ratified by 23 of the 30 member states, including the United States. SOURCE: REUTERS ANDES The six-month internal investigation into the superintendent of this rural school district in the Catskills appeared to be nearing its conclusion Friday, but with school resuming in less than two weeks, it is doubtful the investigators' report would be completed before students come back from summer break. A separate investigation by the federal Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights also remains ongoing. Robert Chakar has been on administrative leave since mid-February when a parent filed a complaint with the federal Office of Civil Rights and the Andes School Board. The parent first attempted to bring their concerns to the District's Title IX coordinator, in charge of handling complaints involving sexual harassment or gender discrimination, but was stymied when they learned the coordinator was Chakar himself. The Times Union has spoken to three people who have filed complaints as part of the internal investigation. The total number of complainants is unknown. Iliana Konidaris, the attorney for the original complainant, said Friday her client had received a draft of their section of the report for review. Generally, after a complainant receives the draft of an internal investigation, they have time to make additions or corrections, which are then taken into consideration by the investigators, who may have to conduct additional interviews or fact-finding. The draft report gave an "initial glimpse at what was uncovered," according to Konidaris. "We're in the process of responding to that." However, with the school district poised to start the new school year on Aug. 18, it is doubtful the report would be completed, and its results released, before doors open. Chakar has been on administrative leave since mid-February. Patrick Darfler-Sweeney soon took over as acting superintendent, and, like Chakar, also holds the position of Title IX coordinator. However, Darfler-Sweeney said Friday the school board had created a new position assistant Title IX coordinator to handle any potential complaints against the Title IX coordinator. When asked who the assistant Title IX coordinator was, Darfler-Sweeney responded that the person had not yet formally accepted the position. It is unknown if they will be in place by the new school year. The first complainant alleged Chakar placed his hand on her child's shoulder in an unwelcome manner when he and the elementary school-aged child were alone at the school. The second parent alleged Chakar commented on her pubescent daughter's "breast buds" and ogled the parent aggressively enough she learned to dress conservatively around him. The third accuser filed a complaint alleging Chakar repeatedly started unwanted conversations with her beginning in the fall of 2020 about sex with his wife. The woman, who was the school's guidance counselor at the time, filed a complaint with the school board in mid-February and was recommended for termination by the acting superintendent on May 13. She alleges Darfler-Sweeney recommended her termination as retaliation for the complaint, but Darfler-Sweeney previously said her firing had nothing to do with it but instead was in response to a complaint filed against her by a parent. Chakar was previously investigated by a school board for harassment. He was forced to resign as the assistant principal at a Bristol, Connecticut, middle school in 2000 after an internal investigation revealed he repeatedly sexually harassed staff and spoke to girls at the school inappropriately. Chakar also served as the clerk of the School Board in the rural district, which serves grades K-12 and has only 65 students. In an effort to build a new cultural hub in Sullivan County, local residents and artists Douglas Shindler and Michael Davis are taking the first steps toward launching The Black Library, a lending library and community arts space in Monticello supported by the $407,800 Artist Employment Program grant from Creatives Rebuild New York. With guidance from the Hurleyville Performing Arts Center, Shindler and Davis want to create a space for creatives, young and old, that wasnt easily accessible when they were growing up in the area. I know so many people who just wonder how to even get their work out there and are struggling to even have people view their work, Shindler said. Both Shindler and Davis grew up making and sharing art with their friends, eventually deciding to pursue it as a career. Shindler, who as a kid liked drawing video game covers, shifted over to painting and photography as he continued his education at SUNY Sullivan and Purchase College. Davis took his love of photography and parlayed it into a job doing interior photo work for hotels after attending SUNY Sullivan, where he and Shindler met. As far as my connection with local artists, there were a lot of people I grew up with who were experiencing the same exact kind of life I did that werent necessarily involved in anything artistic or creative at the time, but have now found themselves in full-blown professions, Davis said. Informal connections would develop into meetups where Shindler and Davis would share reading recommendations in late 2020. Those early talks of a book club were the foundation for the idea Shindler brought to Tal Beery, the director of finance and development at the Hurleyville Performing Arts Center. I cant think of anything more important for artists to do right now than to cultivate a strong supportive community of artists, first of all, and of course, within the context of the larger project for racial justice in America, Beery said. Pride in identity One of The Black Librarys goals is to promote mostly nonfiction works from Black authors to imbue a sense of pride in a village where about a quarter of the population is Black. Seminal works of Black nonfiction like The Autobiography of Malcolm X and The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin will be at readers fingertips alongside recent works like Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates and The Autobiography of Gucci Mane. But most of all, Shindler and Davis want The Black Library to serve as a community center, with literature and the arts being the jumping-off point for other social and educational functions. We want to have artists exhibitions, workshops both artistic workshops and educational workshops for children through adults, Shindler said. We want to have community-oriented events like block parties, barbecues, things like that. Generally, were just really focusing on a place thats safe for everybody in the community and a place thats collaboration-forward and creativity-forward, Davis added. To get the word out and increase their inventory of books, Shindler and Davis have spent the past several weeks connecting with like-minded creatives and organizations such as Queens-based artist and publisher Kris Graves and Oakland-based Black-owned bookstore Sistah Scifi. I think the founders of the Black Library represent everything I love about Black creators, said Isis Asare, founder of Sistah Scifi. They saw a need within their community and now theyre putting together the pieces in a unique way that builds something new and offers a dynamic solution. In early July, Shindler and Davis reached out to Asare about leveraging her platform on social media to draw attention to the library and garner book donations through their shared book registry. Seven titles have been ordered through that registry so far. They expect more along the way thanks to posts and features on Asares Wine Down Wednesdays Instagram live chats, which Shindler and Davis appeared on in mid-July. Besides serving as another great venue for the public to be exposed to the work of Black authors and artists, Asare believes that the library has the potential to inspire all who enter the space. I hope the reading of the books and being in community allows the patrons of The Black Library to, one, feel grounded in community, and then from that, have the luxury to really claim their magic and imagine as big as they want, she said. Rebuilding the arts in New York In February, the Creatives Rebuild New York program was launched to provide financial support to the states arts industry, which saw significant declines in job stability over the course of the pandemic. It is a three-year, $125 million investment principally funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation with support from the Ford Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. CRNY funds two grants: an Artist Employment Program for artists working with community-based organizations, and a Guaranteed Income for Artists program that distributes $1,000 per month for 18 months to 2,400 artists. Through the Hurleyville Performing Arts Center, Shindler and Davis were among the initial 300 recipients of the Artist Employment Program grant, which also aims to encourage an interest in the arts in the rural, urban and suburban communities its first cohort resides in. Obviously the pandemic has brought economic havoc in our state. But beyond that, its really torn at the fabric of our communities, said Bella Desai, director of strategic initiatives at CRNY. We havent been able to process trauma and to heal. All these projects in one way or another are really helping to address those issues. The Black Library is one of several projects spearheaded by people of color that Desai believes best represent the programs goals toward serving artists, their organizations and the communities they call home. Right now, Shindler and Davis immediate goals are getting a physical space and growing their inventory through their Amazon registry, the Sistah Scifi registry and the ongoing public donations that can be sent to the Ethel B. Crawford Public Library in Monticello until the end of September. The pair are hoping they can acquire a space on Broadway in Monticello that would serve as their physical location. In an area that has been on the decline economically in the last couple of decades, theyre confident this could be the start of a bigger community revitalization effort. If there were somebody to influence 10 people like me or 20, 100 people like me then that would I think be a huge push for a population and a place thats been struggling economically, struggling with loss from addiction, and an abnormal crime rate," Davis said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SCHENECTADY The now-20-year-old man charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a father of five on a city street in the winter of 2019 set him up under a ruse that he wanted to buy some weed, Schenectady County District Attorney Robert Carney said Friday. We do believe that the motive was a robbery where a drug deal had been set up and the individual that has been arrested went to ostensibly to purchase drugs, but in reality, it was just to rob him, and he shot him to death inside his car, Carney told the Times Union. He did not know if Roscoe Foster, 38, knew his suspected killer, whose name authorities as of Friday morning had not released. Foster's alleged killer was in his mid-teens at the time and a judge will decide if he is tried as an adult. Police and prosecutors have not released his name and it was unclear if he had an attorney. The killing vexed authorities for years. Police initially believed an arrest would happen quickly. But the case took years of work. Amanda Patterson, Fosters girlfriend and the mother of his young son, previously told the Times Union that Foster was ambushed, robbed and then shot during the sale of a small amount of weed at the intersection of Becker and Linden streets in the citys Central State Street neighborhood. Foster was killed during the early morning hours of Jan. 25, 2019. Foster was the father of four other children. On Friday, Carney said his office will ask Schenectady County Family Court Judge Mark Blanchfield, who is presiding over the case, to allow the matter to proceed in criminal court instead of family court. The defendant is scheduled to be arraigned Monday on charges of murder, attempted robbery and conspiracy. First-degree murder carries a maximum charge of life without parole. Carney said the criminal investigation is ongoing but declined to say if more arrests were expected. Schenectady police said in a news release Thursday that they would not release the defendants name because he was either 16 or 17 when the killing occurred. He is currently being held in a state correctional facility on an unrelated charge, police said. Police obtained an arrest warrant on Wednesday. Authorities have said the murder probe was for years stymied because witnesses refused to cooperate with police, leaving police for a time with little more than grainy surveillance footage of some parts of the crime. Frustrated relatives and friends went so far as to rent a billboard offering a $5,000 reward for any information that led to the arrest and conviction of the killer or killers. It was unclear Friday if anyone stood to reap the reward. ATU Images/Getty Images DALLAS (AP) A former Dallas-area mayor and a developer were sentenced Thursday to six years each in federal prison for bribery and tax fraud in a public corruption case that could have formed the plot of a movie. From May 2013 to April 2015, developer Mark Jordan plied then-Richardson Mayor Laura Maczka with money, home renovations, luxury hotel stays, airfares and even a job at one of his companies while she helped him with zoning requests for his apartment projects, according to prosecutors. Eventually, in 2017, the pair married, after Maczka had an affair with Jordan and divorced her husband. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PARIS (AP) The family of a French backpacker who went missing in Egypt nearly a year ago used the Egyptian president's visit to Paris on Friday to press for an investigation into the 27-year-old traveler's disappearance. Family members and friends raised placards asking, Where is Yann Bourdon, President Sissi? hoping to catch the eye of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi before his meeting with French President Emmaunel Macron. But French police scooped them up from a sidewalk and led them away for identity checks before el-Sissi's motorcade zoomed past. Macron's office wouldn't say if the French leader spoke specifically about Bourdon to el-Sissi. But it said Macron raises individual cases in his dealings with the Egyptian president. Bourdons family and friends havent heard from him since August 2021. His last email to his sister was casual, positive, like others the French graduate student sent on his yearlong backpacking journey. He wrote from Cairo: Ill get back to you soon. Give everyone a hug from me. Let me know how Grandpas doing. Nearly a year later, theyre desperate for news and any sign his disappearance is being investigated. Bourdons sister and mother said they decided to go public about the case after meeting months of silence or stonewalling from Egyptian authorities. Frances Foreign Ministry says its well-versed in the dossier, and in touch with Egyptian authorities. The Egyptian Embassy in Paris didnt respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. Egypts Foreign Ministry and a government media officer also did not respond to requests for comment. Bourdon's mother, Isabel Leclercq, described her great anguish and great fear that something is happening to him and we cant help him. Its a total vacuum for us, Wendy Bourdon, the missing man's sister, said. The only clue so far came from a French police investigation into Yanns bank account, according to his sister: It was emptied soon after his last email to his family, from a Cairo cash machine. His mother describes Yann as a very social boy who studied history at the Sorbonne and spoke four languages. She said he left on his journey in July 2020 because he wanted to meet other peoples, other civilizations." Passionate about museums, reading and learning, he told his family about sharing a meal with Bedouins who let him pitch his tent next to theirs. That really brought him pleasure, his sister said. He didnt always have internet connections, but when he did he made contact via email. And he always sent messages for loved ones birthdays. After arriving in Egypt, he messaged that he stopped in a hostel in Cairo, and was picked up by a police officer while hitchhiking, his sister said. He said in his mail that he would go that day to visit the Cairo Museum, the Coptic quarter and the bazaar, and in the evening he would meet with the police officer and friends who picked him up. In his final message Aug. 4, he said Ill get back to you soon. He did not have the intention to cut contact with us, his mother said. When he missed his moms birthday in September, they worried but figured he was just without internet access. The family also didn't want to raise a false alert about his absence. But when his sisters birthday in November came and went without a word, they contacted the French Foreign Ministry, which contacted the French Embassy in Egypt, which in turn contacted Egyptian authorities. Back in Paris, the family filed an official missing person report. At first, Egyptian officials claimed Yann Bourdon had never been in Egypt, frustrating and baffling the family. But the French national police confirmed he had arrived in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt on July 25. They also discovered that his bank card was used at a cash machine near the Sadat subway station in Cairo to empty his account in four installments after his last email to his sister. The last withdrawal was made Aug. 7. His family welcomed the information. We thought, its good news. They have surveillance videos of the location. They know the specific time period to consult. We thought it would unblock the situation, the sister said. But they heard nothing. The family traveled to Egypt in May and went with French consular officials to see the Giza prosecutor who was meant to be overseeing the investigation. He had no information about the case, the sister said. We suffered their questions for three hours. They asked us all the things that should have been in the dossier, Leclercq said. International rights groups have in recent years documented a growing number of forced disappearances by Egyptian authorities. Egypts 2011 popular uprising against Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's former longtime president, grew out of demands for an end to police brutality and extrajudicial practices. Since el-Sissi ascended to power in 2014, most of the freedoms gained after the 2011 uprising have been revoked. The government has carried out a wide-reaching crackdown on dissent, jailing thousands of people and holding many of them without a trial. The vast majority of those detained have been Egyptian citizens, with the exception of a handful of foreign journalists who have been either held or expelled from the country. Rights groups say the total number of people gone through forced disappearances by police remains unknown. Bourdons sister says the French authorities were helpful and very invested. But they arent getting information either. The family hopes that by calling attention to the case, other clues might emerge. Faced with deafening silence from the Egyptian authorities, Leclercq is certain her son did not cease communication with family and friends of his own will. If Yann can hear us, wherever he is, we want to tell him that we are looking for him, that we will never stop looking for him, she said in an interview with the AP. Choked with emotion, she added: That we will find him. And that we will bring him back. ___ AP journalists Masha Macpherson and Jade Le Deley contributed. ___ This version has been corrected to reflect that Bourdon was in touch with family via email only, not Whatsapp, and that the number of installments with which Bourdons account was emptied at a Cairo ATM machine was four, not three. Negotiators from Iran, the U.S. and the European Union resumed monthslong, indirect talks over Tehrans tattered nuclear deal Thursday, as international inspectors reported that the Islamic Republic is expanding its uranium enrichment. The resumption of the Vienna talks, suddenly called Wednesday, appeared not to include high-level representation from all the countries that were part of Iran's 2015 deal with world powers. The negotiations come as Western officials express growing skepticism over the prospects for a deal to restore the accord. The EU's top diplomat has warned that the space for additional significant compromises has been exhausted. Iran's top negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, met with EU mediator Enrique Mora, Iranian media reported. As in other talks, the U.S. wont directly negotiate with Iran. Instead, the two sides will speak through Mora. U.S. Special Representative for Iran Rob Malley also was on hand, tweeting Wednesday that our expectations are in check. Mora also met Thursday with Russian Ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov, who has represented Moscow's interests in the talks. Ulyanov also separately met with Bagheri Kani. As always we had a frank, pragmatic and constructive exchange of views on ways and means of overcoming the last outstanding issues, Ulyanov wrote on Twitter. But going into the negotiations, Iran laid out a maximalist stance. Through its state-run IRNA news agency, Tehran denied that it had abandoned its effort to get America to delist its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization as a precondition to a deal. That has been a main sticking point. IRNA also quoted Iran's civilian nuclear chief as saying turned-off surveillance cameras of the International Atomic Energy Agency would be switched back on only if the West abandons an effort to investigate manmade traces of uranium found at previously undisclosed sites in the country. Those positions could doom the talks. Iranian officials have been trying to offer optimistic assessments of the negotiations while blaming the U.S. for the deadlock. They may be worried that a collapse of the talks could send the country's rial currency plunging to new lows. Iran struck the nuclear deal in 2015 with the U.S., France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China. The deal saw Iran agree to limit its enrichment of uranium under the watch of U.N. inspectors in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Then-President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the U.S. out of the accord in 2018, saying he would negotiate a stronger deal, but that didnt happen. Iran began breaking the deals terms a year later. As of the last public IAEA count, Iran has a stockpile of some 3,800 kilograms (8,370 pounds) of enriched uranium. More worrying for nonproliferation experts, Iran now enriches uranium up to 60% purity a level it had never reached before. That is a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Those experts warn Iran has enough 60% enriched uranium to reprocess into fuel for at least one bomb. However, Iran still would need to design a bomb and a delivery system for it, likely a monthslong project. Iran maintains its program is for peaceful purposes, though its officials increasingly are discussing the country's ability to build a nuclear bomb if it chose previously a taboo topic there. Meanwhile Thursday, U.N. inspectors at the IAEA said that they had verified that Iran had begun feeding uranium gas into two IR-1 cascades previously unused at its underground Natanz facility. Those cascades will enrich uranium up to 5%. The IAEA inspectors also verified that Iran had completed installation of three advanced IR-6 cascades at the plant, each comprising up to 176 centrifuges. The IAEA said those cascades had yet to be fed uranium. Iran also told the IAEA it planned to installed six more IR-2M cascades in a new operating unit at Natanz, inspectors said. ___ Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP. A former Judith Gap School teacher on Friday admitted to possessing child pornography after Facebook submitted tips about the possible transmission of the material on its system to authorities, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Jayson Gayo, 27, of Harlowton, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography as charged in an indictment. Gayo faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. Judge Watters set sentencing for Dec. 15 and ordered Gayo remanded into custody pending further proceedings. In August 2020, Facebook submitted a series of cybertips after flagging the possible transmission of child pornography on its system. The information indicated that the transmission of child pornography was from an account that was connected to the Judith Gap School and to Gayos residence in Judith Gap. Gayo was a teacher at Judith Gap School. There was no indication that the images or Gayos conduct involved students at the school. Investigators executed a search warrant of Gayos residence, collected multiple electronic media items and determined that the items contained more than 400 images and videos of child pornography. A search warrant issued to Facebook for Gayos account found additional evidence of uploads of child pornography from that account. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno B. Baucus is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation. This case was initiated under the Department of Justices Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Four people were found dead Thursday in two burning homes in a small community in northeastern Nebraska, authorities said. Nebraska State Patrol Col. John Bolduc said at a news conference that a man was seen driving away from the city of Laurel before the bodies were discovered and that investigators would like to speak to him. Firefighters responding to a call Thursday morning about an explosion and fire at one of the homes found the body of a person inside, Bolduc said. A short time later, firefighters were called to a second burning home a few blocks away, where the bodies of three people were found inside. On Thursday night, the Nebraska State Patrol said investigators had determined that gunfire played a part in the incident at both homes." An investigation also found that both fires had started just after 3 a.m. Thursday, the patrol said. Authorities didn't release the names of the dead or say how they died, but they said witnesses reported seeing a man leaving Laurel in a silver car. Bolduc referred to the man as a suspect in the deaths and said he may have picked up a passenger on the way out of town. Later, the patrol said the silver car may have left Laurel much later after the fires than investigators previously thought. The patrol asked that that anyone who saw something unusual in Laurel between midnight and 4 a.m. to contact authorities. Investigators believe whoever set the fires may have suffered burns, Bolduc added. He would not say how or whether the victims were related and declined to speculate on the circumstances leading to the killings. Were not categorizing it as anything right now, Bolduc said. Laurel is home to fewer than 1,000 people and is located about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Omaha. Laurel is a very safe community, said Cedar County Sheriff Larry Koranda. It shakes everybody up. Most businesses, a senior center and schools in the community voluntarily went on lockdown around the time the bodies were discovered. That came at the recommendation of the city's lone police officer, said Lori Hansen, a clerical assistant at the Laurel City Hall. But even community officials were scrambling for information about what was unfolding in the normally quiet town, she said. Weve been listening to TV to try to find out whats going on, Hansen said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN, Texas (AP) An attorney for the parents of a child killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre who are suing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones over his false claims about the attack said Thursday that the U.S. House Jan. 6 committee has requested two years' worth of records from Jones' phone. Attorney Mark Bankston told the Texas court where Jones is on trial to determine how much he owes for defaming the parents that the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has requested the digital records. He later said outside of court that he plans to comply with the request. A spokesperson for the committee declined to comment Thursday. As Jones testified at the trial on Wednesday, Bankston revealed that the Infowars host's lead attorney, Andino Reynal, had mistakenly sent him the last two years worth of texts from Jones cellphone. Reynal asked Judge Maya Guerra Gamble to declare a mistrial over the mistaken transfer of records and said they should have been returned and any copies destroyed. Gamble rejected the request. Reynal also accused Bankston of trying to perform for a national audience. He said the material included a review copy of text messages over six months from late 2019 into the first quarter of 2020. Bankston said his team followed Texas' civil rules of evidence and that Jones attorneys missed their chance to properly request the return of the records. "Mr. Reynal is using a fig leaf (to cover) for his own malpractice, Bankston said. He said the records mistakenly sent to him included some medical records of plaintiffs in other lawsuits against Jones. "Mr. Jones and his intimate messages with Roger Stone are not protected, Bankston said, referring to former President Donald Trump's longtime ally. Rolling Stone, quoting unnamed sources, reported Wednesday evening that the Jan. 6 committee was preparing to subpoena the data from the parents attorneys to assist in the investigation of the deadly riot. Bankston said outside of court Thursday that the committee had requested the phone records, but hadn't subpoenaed them. He also said he wasn't familiar with everything that was in the records yet, including whether they include any information that the committee is seeking, because there was so much information in them. We dont know (yet) the full scope and breadth, of the material, Bankston said. We certainly saw text messages from as far back as 2019. ... In terms of what all is on that phone, its going to take a little while to figure that out. The Jan. 6 committee doesnt have any more information about whats on that phone than I do. I dont know if it even covers the time period they are interested in, he said Jones didn't attend Thursday's court proceedings. But on his Infowars show Thursday, he said the records were from a year before Jan. 6 and had nothing to do with it. And if anything, I say more radical things on air than I do on text messages. And the idea that theres some type of criminal activity on there is preposterous, he said. The jury in Austin is deciding how much Jones should pay to the parents of a child killed in the 2012 school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, because of his and Infowars' repeated false claims that the shooting was a hoax created by advocates for gun control. Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, the parents suing Jones, are seeking at least $150 million in damages. Last month, the Jan. 6 committee showed graphic and violent text messages and played videos of right-wing figures, including Jones, and others vowing that Jan. 6 would be the day they would fight for Trump. The committee first subpoenaed Jones in November, demanding a deposition and documents related to his efforts to spread misinformation about the 2020 election and a rally on the day of the attack. In the subpoena letter, Rep. Bennie Thompson, the Democratic chairman, said Jones helped organize the Jan. 6 rally at the Ellipse that preceded the insurrection. He also wrote that Jones repeatedly promoted Trumps false claims of election fraud, urged his listeners to go to Washington for the rally, and march from the Ellipse to the Capitol. Thompson also wrote that Jones made statements implying that you had knowledge about the plans of President Trump with respect to the rally. The nine-member panel was especially interested in what Jones said shortly after Trumps now-infamous Dec. 19, 2020, tweet in which he told his supporters to be there, will be wild! on Jan. 6. You went on InfoWars that same day and called the tweet One of the most historic events in American history, the letter continued. In January, Jones was deposed by the committee during an hourslong, virtual meeting in which he said he exercised his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination almost 100 times. ___ Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri in Washington, D.C., and Jill Bleed in Little Rock, Arkansas, contributed to this report. ___ Find more of the AP's coverage of Alex Jones: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-jones (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Thomas E. Doyle, II, Texas State University (THE CONVERSATION) Every five years, the nearly 200 member states of the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons meet to review their progress or lack thereof. After being postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the monthlong conference is now meeting in New York and opened with a stark warning. The world is just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Aug. 1, 2022, citing growing conflicts and weakening guardrails against escalation. The treaty has three core missions: preventing the spread of nuclear weapons to states that do not have them, ensuring civil nuclear energy programs do not turn into weapons programs, and facilitating nuclear disarmament. The last review conference, held in 2015, was widely regarded as a nonproliferation success but a disarmament failure, with the five members that possess nuclear weapons failing to make progress toward eliminating their nuclear arsenals, as promised in previous conferences. At the heart of this dispute are states motivations for keeping nuclear weapons often perceived as rooted in hard-nosed security strategy, by which morality is irrelevant or even self-defeating. As a nuclear ethicist, though, I see these explanations as incomplete. To understand leaders motives and therefore effectively negotiate the elimination of nuclear weapons other scholars and I argue we must acknowledge that policymakers express underlying moral concerns as strategic concerns. History shows that such moral concerns often form the foundations of nuclear strategy, even if theyre deeply buried. National values It is easier for many people to see how the nuclear abolitionist argument is fundamentally based in morality. The fear of nuclear winter or even a less severe nuclear autumn is rooted in the immorality of killing millions of innocent people and devastating the environment in long-lasting ways. By contrast, a realistic and strategic approach to the value of nuclear weapons has dominated security discourse since the early Cold War era. This approach argues that the primary purpose of nuclear weapons is to deter adversaries from attacking vital national security interests. If an attack does occur, then nuclear weapons can be used to punish aggression in a proportional way and caution other adversaries, restoring nuclear deterrence. Even so, according to political scientist Joseph Nye, the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs under President Bill Clinton, a strategist may pose as a moral skeptic but tends to smuggle his preferred values into foreign policy, often in the form of narrow nationalism. Nationalism asserts the moral priority of ones own nation over others. Communities deep-held beliefs are intimately woven into ideas about nationhood, security and prestige. In the United States, for example, the moral underpinnings of American identity are deeply rooted in the idea of being a city on a hill: an example the rest of the world is watching. Americans are anxious about losing their way, and many feel that their country was once a force for good in the world, but no longer. Thus, national survival is embraced as a moral value, and deterring or defending against aggression has strategic, political and moral overtones. Regardless of whether someone thinks these concerns are justified, it is important to recognize that, in their defenders view, they go beyond strategy or sheer survival. They reflect societies foundational ideas about what is wrong and right their sense of morality. Early motives So how are these moral concerns applied to the questions of nuclear weapons and their role in security strategy? It is worth remembering what motivated President Franklin D. Roosevelt to authorize the development of the atomic bomb: the genocidal evil of Nazi German aggression in World War II and the knowledge that Adolf Hitler had begun an atomic bomb program. And when Nazi Germany had been defeated, the U.S. justifications for using atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki centered on two kinds of moral concerns. The most frequently invoked was utilitarian: preventing a greater number of deaths in a land invasion of Japan. The second, not expressed as explicitly, viewed the atomic bombing as a kind of moral punishment for the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor and the brutal treatment of Allied prisoners of war. In short, the motivations for the original atomic bomb program and its uses could not be described in solely hard-nosed strategic terms. As political philosopher Michael Walzerhas argued, both morality and strategy are about justification: Both tell us what we should do or should not do, based on some set of values. And strategy is often used for decision-makers moral aims, such as their goal to defeat a genocidal regime. Morally excusable? Along with other scholars, I have argued that moral concerns also motivated the central role of nuclear deterrence policy during the Cold War. American policymakers portrayed Soviet communism, like Nazism, as a politics of brute force that had no regard for law or morals. Once the Soviet Union and China had acquired nuclear weapons, American analysts came to believe that communism represented an existential threat not only to U.S. security, but to liberal democracy in general. Walzer described such situations as supreme emergency conditions, in which ordinary moral prohibitions against mass destruction are suspended to ensure what political leaders see as the highest value: national survival. This is self-preservation but people often think about that, too, as a moral concern. Social norms against suicide, for example, imply that people have a moral duty to preserve their lives except under certain conditions, reflecting a belief that human life has intrinsic moral value. Walzer did not claim that using nuclear weapons, or even threatening their use, was morally justified. However, he suggested they might be necessary for national security, and therefore become morally excusable in supreme emergency situations. His argument has been very influential in government and academic circles. Many critics claim that it is always immoral to use nuclear weapons, since they cannot discriminate between soldiers and innocent civilians, including children, the elderly and the infirm. Moreover, the use of nuclear weapons cannot but bring social and environmental catastrophe, the kind that our darkest dystopian novels and films depict. And if it is immoral to use nuclear weapons, it is immoral to threaten to use them. But it is unsurprising that the leaders of the nuclear-weapon states are ultimately committed to the survival of their countries and peoples, even if others must pay an ultimate price. To fully appreciate nuclear motivations, we must understand the role of this kind of moral concern in their decision-making. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/why-are-nuclear-weapons-so-hard-to-get-rid-of-because-theyre-tied-up-in-nuclear-countries-sense-of-right-and-wrong-187835. In a perfect judiciary, the people who sit on the bench would be perfectly neutral arbiters of the law. One has only to look at the highest courts in New York and the nation to know that's not the way it is. Which puts a special onus on Gov. Kathy Hochul to carefully weigh who she names to replace retiring Chief Judge Janet DiFiore. This appointment could affect the course of justice in New York for years to come. We see how such choices matter on the U.S. Supreme Court, where an increasingly conservative majority has gutted voting rights protections and abortion rights, and signaled that it may well be on its way to reconsider a host of other precedents that affirmed rights Americans today take for granted among them the right to contraception, marriage, and even forms of physical intimacy. The conservative justices would have Americans believe this is in the name of constitutional purity. Argle-bargle, to quote the late Justice Antonin Scalia: It's about the justices' personal preferences, and it's an insult to Americans' intelligence to suggest otherwise. What we have is the highest court in the land playing ideological ping pong with the law and stripping away all pretense of judicial objectivity. Which brings us to New York's highest court, the Court of Appeals, which legal observers say grew increasingly conservative through appointments by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. One of the ways that shift seems to be expressing itself is in a dramatically reduced caseload, including criminal appeals. Albany Law School professor Vincent Bonventre, who has tracked this on his New York Court Watcher blog, found that the state's high court has lately been deciding fewer than 100 cases a year, sharply down from around 300 annually in the 1980s and '90s. It has averaged 49 criminal appeals annually under Judge DiFiore, less than half the caseload under her predecessor, Jonathan Lippman. While some of this might be attributable to a desire to devote more time to each case, it stands to deprive more criminal defendants of a chance to prove their innocence when, for example, new facts come to light. That may fit a conservative law-and-order, tough-on-crime mindset, but it bodes poorly for ensuring full due process. Sign up for the Observation Deck newsletter Read the latest Times Union opinion, perspective and letters to the editor on Mondays by signing up for our Observation Deck newsletter. Don't get us wrong; we are not arguing for the addition of even more rabid ideologues from anywhere on the political spectrum as judges. But even among moderate, thoughtful, learned, qualified candidates, there is likely to be a range of experience and emphasis people who have, for example, worked to safeguard defendants' rights, hold governments accountable, protect consumers, and so on. And at a time when a reactionary U.S. Supreme Court majority is setting back progress for the entire country, New York's highest court is needed more than ever to stand as a bastion of true justice. Much in the law is not black and white; judges make judgment calls. So will Gov. Hochul in replacing Judge DiFiore. We urge her to call it on the side of the progressive values New York has long stood for, and which she professes to hold. WFO ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, August 4, 2022 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Albany NY 332 PM EDT Thu Aug 4 2022 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northern Schenectady, southwestern Saratoga and southeastern Montgomery Counties through 415 PM EDT... At 332 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Amsterdam, moving east at 15 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... Amsterdam, Glenville, Hagaman, Fort Johnson, Rotterdam Junction, Tribes Hill, East Glenville, Burnt Hills, Pattersonville-Rotterdam Junction, Charlton, Auriesville, Glenridge, Hoffmans, Scotch Bush, Young Corners, Garrison Manor, Lost Valley, Holbrook Corners, Woodruff Heights and Mariaville. This includes Interstate 90 near exit 27. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. LAT...LON 4294 7436 4298 7413 4298 7410 4299 7410 4302 7394 4287 7385 4280 7431 TIME...MOT...LOC 1932Z 261DEG 14KT 4287 7424 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...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 today and Friday afternoon. * WHERE...In Connecticut, Litchfield County. In New York, Dutchess and eastern Ulster counties. In Massachusetts, southern Berkshire 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. Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. * WHAT...Heat index values in the upper 90s to lower 100s expected. * WHERE...The Mohawk and Hudson River Valleys and central Taconics in eastern New York and the Connecticut River Valley in southern Vermont. * WHEN...Through 8 PM EDT today. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO NORMAN Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, August 4, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Norman OK 216 PM CDT Thu Aug 4 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Heat index values up to 109. * WHERE...Portions of northwest, southwest and western Oklahoma and northern Texas. * WHEN...Until 8 PM CDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather A ranch at the center of a public access lawsuit and failed federal land exchange proposal is on the market. Anchor Ranch, purchased by Wilks Ranch Montana Ltd. in 2012, has been offered for sale for $35.96 million. The ranch contains 22,837 acres of deeded land, 4,400 acres of state land and the 39,700-acre Bullwhacker Grazing Allotment, overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. The property is located about 70 miles southeast of Havre. The historic Bullwhacker Road through the property travels to the BLMs Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument in Blaine County, just north of the Missouri River. For sale Like many such properties these days, the focus in the sales pitch is as much on the recreational opportunities and scenery offered to a new owner as the amount of cattle it can support in this case up to 750 animal unit months (the amount of forage needed by one animal for one month). The ranch listing even touts the public access lawsuit, noting: Part of the ranchs (sic) unique history involves a landmark court decision, in which a rancher won against the government from confiscating three miles of his private ranch trails. This court decision led to Anchor Ranch having three miles of private access to Bullwhacker Road which runs through the property, providing ease of access to the Missouri River, located south of the ranch. That ease of access leads to abundant and diverse wildlife including elk, deer, antelope and world record bighorn sheep, the real-estate listing noted. Ranch sales Montana ranch sales hit an unprecedented high in 2021, fueled by buyers seeking remote lands during the COVID-19 pandemic. The state saw its two most expensive land sales ever, the largest being the purchase of the Matador Cattle Co. ranch in southwest Montana by media mogul Rupert Murdoch. The property was listed for $200 million. Andy Rahn, of the Montana Land Report, tracks ranch sales and said this year the market has cooled off from the pandemic frenzy when offers were made above asking price. Those A-list properties bring up the value for C and D lands, Rahn explained, noting that as real estate sales in Bozeman heated up, buyers had to travel farther and farther away to find less expansive lands. The volume of sales for ranches is consequently much lower this year, although he said some demand remains. Part of the problem is there are only so many potential buyers, Rahn said. Its a small, rare group that can even consider it. Those buyers are being picky, he added, which can make sellers nervous if property isnt moving as quickly. Still, Rahn said he remains bullish on the value of Montana real estate. The high quality properties are going as high as theyve ever gone, he said. Theres just a cooling of demand. Access The Anchor Ranch has long been known to Havre-area hunters, who in 2007 gained unregulated access across a roughly 4-mile section of Bullwhacker Road to reach the large block of BLM lands. Thats when the Blaine County attorney ruled the route was public. The county was urged to declare the road public by the Public Lands/Waters Access Association, a nonprofit group that seeks access to public lands. The group researched historical records and found the Bullwhacker Road had been used by the public as far back as 1917. The landowners, who had been allowing regulated access via a sign-in box, sued the county and won on appeal in 2011. Trade Not long after winning the lawsuit, the landowners sold the property for $15.5 million to Wilks Ranch Montana Ltd, owned by billionaire Texas brothers Farris and Dan Wilks. Two years later, the Wilks offered a deal to the BLM. In their second and final offer, the Wilkses offered more than 5,100 acres of private land next to the Missouri Breaks, a permanent access agreement across the Anchor Ranch, along with a permanent easement off the east side of Red Hill Road in Fergus County to Forest Service lands in the Big Snowy Mountains. The brothers also proposed to open more than 14,000 acres of private land on their NBar Ranch in Fergus County to managed public hunting. In exchange, they sought 12 BLM parcels on the NBar, totaling 4,900 acres, which included one large parcel of interconnected BLM property prized by elk hunters known as the Durfee Hills. With no road into the Durfee Hills, the land is only accessible by airplane or helicopter. Facing disgruntled public land hunters, the BLM took the Durfee Hills off the table and explored building its own road into the Missouri Breaks, ultimately finding it was too expensive due to the ruggedness of the landscape. In 2016, the BLM decided against the exchange, citing the complexity of the deal, a lack of staffing and the length of time the process would take. A new analysis has revealed pub closures across Ireland during the Covid-19 pandemic. The report from the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) reveals there has been a decline of 29.1% in terms of pubs operating across Limerick city and county since the middle of the first decade of the new millennium. Meath and Dublin appear to have suffered the least in terms of closures, with a 1.4% closure rate in the Royal County and a 4.3% cessation of trade in the capital. The finds have prompted DIGI to call on government to ease the cost burden on rural drinks businesses to ensure their sustainability by reducing Irelands high alcohol excise tax over the next two years In Kerry, there was a 15.3% drop off in pub numbers, with the fall being 28.5% in Cork, 24.7% in Clare and 26.3% in Tipperary. The #IrishPubDecline means the loss of almost 2,000 independent businesses, impacting local jobs. @Paschald @mmcgrathtd the hospitality sector needs your support. Our report details how reducing excise tax can help to protect the Irish pub. https://t.co/vdQhWinhTv #SYL22 pic.twitter.com/bR5ByF5eIb Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (@DIGI_Ireland) August 4, 2022 The report highlights that many public houses operate at relatively low levels of sales volume. One of the factors which influence business sustainability at these low sales volumes, which is within the control of the Government, is the high Irish alcohol excise level which represents a significant cost on the business. The chief executive of the Vintners Federation of Ireland Paul Clancy described the report as "alarming". "1,829 rural pub closures represent businesses that provide jobs, a hub in the local community for socialising and community integration and a cultural centre which has long been documented as among the main attractions for tourists visiting Ireland. The pace of decline increased as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic which saw the drinks and hospitality industry suffer the worst of all, with one of the longest lockdowns recorded globally," he said. Kathryn DArcy, the recently appointed Chair of DIGI added: "The Irish pub has been in a steady decline for years, and these stark figures once again highlight the need to secure the sustainable future of our pubs. Central to this is introducing policy measures which can make both an immediate difference and a long-term impact in terms of delivering sustainable policy to support these businesses. DIGI is seeking a reduction in Irelands high excise tax rate which would deliver on this. Irelands greenhouse gas emissions were 4.7% higher last year when compared with 2020, new research shows. Figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows that Irelands greenhouse gas emissions were 61.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2021, which was 4.7% higher than 2020. The 2020 figure was during a time when Covid-19 restrictions had led to a significant lowering of emissions. The CSO has published Irelands UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Goal 13 Climate Action 2021. This report is the thirteenth in a series of CSO publications which monitor how Ireland is progressing towards meeting its targets under the 17 UN SDGs. Irelands contribution to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was 89.2 million euro in 2020, an increase of 19 million euro from 2019. In 2021, Ireland announced a funding package of 3.5 million euro aimed at assisting the least developed countries adapt to the effects and impacts of climate change. All local government bodies in Ireland have adopted and implemented local disaster risk reduction strategies. CSO senior statistician Kevin McCormack said: This new report, Goal 13 Climate Action 2021, has data on eight indicators for Ireland, divided over two chapters, climate and strategy. Data are presented in categories such as gender, age group, vulnerable groups and geographical location, where possible. The SDGs and their associated indicators are, by design, wide-ranging in their coverage. As a result, the Irish data is provided by a number of sources including Government departments, official organisations and international organisations such as the UN. The publication for Goal 13 was developed in collaboration with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He added: Irelands greenhouse gas emissions were 61.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2021, which was 4.7% higher than emissions in 2020. Emissions in 2021 were 1.1% above the 2019 pre-Covid-19 restriction levels data. Irelands contribution to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was 89.2 million in 2020, up from 70.2 million in 2019. This is also known as the contribution to the international USD 100 billion commitment for climate finance under the UNFCCC. Irelands 3.5 million euro funding package aimed at assisting the least developed countries consists of two elements, including one million euro to the National Adaptation Plan Global Network to support national-level adaptation in developing countries. The other contributed 2.5 million euro to the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), to support adaptation activities in some of the worlds most climate-vulnerable countries. Mr McCormack added: According to the UN SDG Global Database for SDG 13.1.3, in Ireland, the proportion of local governments that adopted and implemented local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies was 100%. From left to right: Townville area residents Maud Bulman, Beth Watkins and Lily Bulman listen to a speaker at a reproductive rights rally in Meadvilles Diamond Park on Wednesday. His colleagues are taking him to task and the argument against American expansionism and intervention in Europe was settled in Poland on Sept. 1st 1939. To be fair, here's an extended quote on his thinking . . . Expanding Nato will not make America stronger and it will not make America safer, Mr Hawley said. What it will do is commit us to sending more troops and spending more money and devoting more resources to Europe, and, frankly, I think thats the wrong choice. Just look at the challenges at home with our border. Mr Hawleys rhetoric reflects the nationalist, non-interventionist approach favoured by many in a Republican Party still very much aligned with the policies of a former president in Donald Trump, who at one point reportedly considered pulling the US out of Nato entirely. Speaking to a sympathetic audience in Mr Carlson, Mr Hawley argued that the US should be focusing its foreign policy on a percieved threat coming from China. Our number one threat is not in Europe, its in Asia, Mr Hawley said. Its China. And right now, we are not where we need to be to protect ourselves from Chinas rise, to protect ourselves from Chinas attempt to take over our economy, to push us around militarily were not in position at all. So my position is, lets focus on the things that are really in Americas interests. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Josh Hawley tells Tucker Carlson why he voted against Finland and Sweden joining Nato The US Senate voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to approve a treaty to add Sweden and Finland to Nato, amidst Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. There was only one dissenting voice. Josh Hawley of Missouri was the only senator from either party to oppose the treaty, which passed 95-1. Josh Hawley's book on masculinity has transformed my life. No, really As a once-divorced, gender-confused weakling who has been neutered by bellowing feminists, I jumped for joy when I heard that Senator Hawley - compared in publicity materials to Greek philosophers and Jesus - was finally going to school us all in how to be macho GOP turns on Josh Hawley for voting against Finland and Sweden's admission to NATO Republican senators are ripping Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., for casting the lone vote to reject Finland and Sweden's admission to NATO as tensions between the U.S. and Russia continue to escalate. Hawley's solitary vote came on Wednesday amid a bipartisan push to pass a resolution that would allow NATO membership for both countries, a move that advocates have argued is a "slam dunk" for bolstering national security. Developing . . . This election aftermath was overlooked but still deserve attention. In fact . . . It provides a teaching moment . . . Notice how much coverage local "news" have given to culture war and partisan flexing with VERY LITTLE ATTENTION to money that KC taxpayers will soon have to pay up. Special thanks to citizen media bloggers for their perspective . . . "They actually have demonstrated no concern for the school district theyre supposed to be overseeing, either. Hickman Mills currently has the highest eviction rate in the city, per Councilwoman Parks-Shaw. When rents are raised to cover the increase in taxes, that eviction rate will only increase as will the number of transient students. It is those transient students who make it difficult for the school district to achieve full accreditation. Now it will only be worse." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Hickman Mills Community Loses BIG Time After Tuesday's Election The voters of the Hickman Mills Community have voted to increase their property taxes by $256.50/$100,000 assessed valuation. Supposedly that will increase teacher pay so the Hickman Mills School District will have the highest paid teachers in the area. Of course, what wasn't stated is that administrators, including the Superintendent, will also be receiving pay... Teachers at Hickman Mills C-1 Schools will get raises from tax levy increase KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Teachers at Hickman Mills C-1 Schools will get a lot more money for not only themselves, but for school improvements. The school district announced voters approved a no-tax-increase general obligation bond for $20 million dollars for school improvements with a 76.1% yes vote. Developing . . . 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/. The level of local violence continues to tend upward and past last year's total. KCPD are currently investigating the latest local killing. Here's the first report . . . Homicide 50th and Wabash This evening just after 7:30 PM officers were dispatched to the area of 50 and Wabash in regard to the sound of shots. While in route it was updated to a shooting. Upon arrival officers observed a vehicle at 50th and Olive that was stationary. As they approached they found two adult female victims inside of the vehicle, both suffering from gunshot wounds. Both victims were transported to the hospital, one with critical injuries and one with non-life-threatening injuries. A short time later the victim with critical injuries was pronounced deceased at the hospital. Officers located a crime scene approximately one block to the south of where the vehicle was found. We do not have any suspect information and are asking for the publics help at this time. Detectives and crime scene personnel have responded to the scene and are actively canvassing for witnesses and processing the scene for evidence. If you have any information please call the Homicide Unit at 234-5043. If you wish to remain anonymous you can call the TIPS hotline at 474-TIPS, with up to a $25,000 reward for an arrest in this case. ##################### Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Kansas City police investigate deadly double shooting near 50th Street, Wabash Avenue KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Police in Kansas City, Missouri, are investigating a shooting that killed one person and injured another on Thursday night. The shooting happened at around 7:40 p.m. near east 50th street and Wabash Avenue. One of the victims was transported to an area hospital with critical injuries. Double shooting leaves one dead in Kansas City Thursday night KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City, Missouri Police Department is investigating after a man was killed in a double shooting Thursday night. The shooting was reported around 7:30 p.m. at E. 49th Street and Wabash Avenue. A male victim was taken to an area hospital where he later died. Developing . . . Here's a bit of pandemic hope in the metro . . . Meanwhile . . . The ever-loving monkey sickness is gaining steam . . . "Johnson County moved from the high category all the way to the low category since last weeks update. Wyandotte County went from the high category to the medium category.The picture was unchanged on the Missouri side of the Kansas City area. Jackson and Cass counties both remain in the CDCs high COVID-19 level." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Johnson, Wyandotte counties improve on latest CDC COVID levels map KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas both moved out of the high category in Thursday's update of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 Community Levels map . Johnson County moved from the high category all the way to the low category since last week's update . Further reading . . . Monkeypox Is a U.S. Public Health Emergency. Will It Become a Pandemic? This story originally appeared on OpenMind, a digital magazine tackling science controversies and deceptions. We don't always know where pandemic threats come from, but we do know that, with nearly eight billion people on the planet, they're always somewhere just beyond sight. We also know that not all germs are created equal. Docs Urge Calm as Right-Wingers Lie About Kids and Monkeypox With the American monkeypox outbreak in a state of uncontrolled spread, public health authorities are concerned that outdated science and bad-faith scapegoating are combining forces to frighten parents about the epidemic's threat to their children. Epidemiologists, infectious disease specialists and public health authorities are in near-universal agreement that the current outbreak appears to pose low risk to kids at the moment. CDC estimates 1.7 million gay and bisexual men face highest risk from monkeypox The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 1.7 million men who have sex with men face the biggest threat from monkeypox right now. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters on a call Thursday that gay and bisexual men who are HIV positive or who are taking medicines, called PREP, to reduce their chance of contracting HIV face the greatest health risk from monkeypox. What To Know About Monkeypox Risk For Dogs (Or Cats) As cases of monkeypox in the US grow, it isn't totally unreasonable to wonder what risks, if any, our furry friends face as they hunker down at home with their infected owners. The bad news: We don't know if dogs or cats can get monkeypox from people, according to the CDC. Kansas doctors stress need to stay vigilant as monkeypox becomes a public health emergency - Kansas Reflector TOPEKA - Kansas doctors are hoping to combat misinformation and general fatigue toward infection control protocols as a new public health emergency emerges, this time for monkeypox. COVID-19 cases have leveled out the past few weeks in Kansas, and heat maps nationwide show similar trends, but the public health emergency remains with warnings about new variants. Monkeypox can't use the same at-home testing playbook as COVID-19 After two years of COVID-19, the conversation around monkeypox testing gives off an unnerving sense of deja-vu. The similarities are right there: painful swabs, the struggle to even find a test, bottlenecks, and a long wait for results. Developing . . . Some denizens of the law enforcement community call the impact of worsening crime . . . Spillover. Here's one more example of how KC's crime problems don't stay confined to any particular neighborhood for long . . . "Overland Park police say a man from Kansas City, Missouri, may be connected to a July 31 shooting." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Person of interest in Overland Park homicide in custody A person of interest in a deadly Overland Park shooting is now in custody.Overland Park police say they tracked down Zarrell Finley of Kansas City, Missouri, with the help of the FBI Fugitive Taskforce. Officers say Finley may be connected to the shooting death of 26-year-old Shaquille Jackson near Antioch Road and College Boulevard on July 31.Officers found Jackson with gunshot wounds at around 4:20 p.m. Person of interest in custody for July murder at Overland Park gas station KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Overland Park Police Department released an update Friday regarding a fatal shooting the afternoon of July 31. Police report Zarrell Finley, of Kansas City, Missouri, was arrested as a person of interest. He will be extradited from the Jackson County Missouri Adult Detention Center back to Kansas pending an extradition hearing. Suspect in Overland Park homicide arrested OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - According to police, a Kansas City, Missouri, man was arrested in the shooting death of a 26-year-old Kansas City man in Overland Park on Sunday. At about 4:22 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, police found Shaquille Jackson in the 8600 block of College Boulevard with gunshot wounds. Developing . . . I visited Icelands famous Blue Lagoon and its luxurious hotel and found a spa retreat unlike any other Chief Jason Gauthier of the Missanabie Cree First Nation said hes "delighted to be working" with the City of Toronto and EllisDon Community Builders on an affordable housing project in Toronto. - Metroland file photo Sibbald Point Provincial Park Beach and other beaches at Ontario Parks are tested for bacteria levels. - Susie Kockerscheidt / Metroland file photo Toronto's public beaches are regularly tested for bacteria to ensure the water is safe for swimming. - Lucas Timmons/Torstar file photo 'Toronto Public Healths new dental and oral health clinic will increase access to high-quality dental care for patients and families in Etobicoke and the surrounding communities' Dry conditions are starting to intensify in the southeastern corner of North Dakota, but soil moisture in the rest of the state remains plentiful. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor map, released Thursday, shows most of Richland County as being abnormally dry. That's still less than 2% of the state. Last year at this time, all of North Dakota was in some form of drought, with nearly two-thirds of the state in the extreme or exceptional categories, the two worst. This week's crop report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service rates 79% of topsoil moisture supplies statewide and 83% of subsoil moisture as adequate to surplus. That compares with 37% and 21%, respectively, a year ago. The condition of all major crops in North Dakota remains mostly in the "good" rating. Nearly all of the state's staple spring wheat crop has headed, but maturity at 4% lags well behind the average pace of 21%. Pasture and range conditions statewide are rated 77% good to excellent, and the alfalfa hay crop is 80% in those categories. Stock water supplies are rated 92% adequate to surplus. All of the percentages are down from last week but dramatically higher than a year ago, when they were 2%, 3% and 11%, respectively. Looking ahead Dickinson on Thursday broke a high temperature record that had stood for 129 years. The city reached 102 degrees, eclipsing the previous high mark of 101 degrees set in 1893, according to the National Weather Service. Much of western and central North Dakota has seen near-record heat this week, due to a mass of trapped warm air known as a heat dome. But a much cooler weekend is in store. The weather service forecast calls for high temperatures in the Bismarck-Mandan area only in the 60s on Saturday and the 70s on Sunday, with a chance of rain both days. However, the outlook for next week is a return to above-normal temperatures throughout the Great Plains, including the Dakotas, according to National Drought Mitigation Center Climatologist Curtis Riganti. The center partners with the federal Agriculture Department and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on the Drought Monitor. Normal highs for this time of year in Bismarck-Mandan are the mid-80s. North Dakotas Supreme Court on Thursday struck down key portions of a state law that a landowners group argued amounts to the unconstitutional taking of private property rights. The so-called pore space law passed the 2019 Legislature after supporters sought clarification on the use of voids or cavities in underground rock formations. Pore spaces are used when the petroleum industry injects saltwater from oil and gas production underground for permanent storage or for enhanced oil recovery. The Northwest Landowners Association sued the state, arguing the law deprives them of their right to be compensated for the use of their pore space. A state district judge last year ruled the law unconstitutional because it gives the landowners value from pore space to the oil and gas industry for free. Justices, in their unanimous opinion made public Thursday, largely agreed. In summary, we conclude that several parts of (the law) have been shown to be unconstitutional on their face, the opinion said. Derrick Braaten, a Bismarck attorney who represents the landowner group, said, This is a big win -- I mean, there is nothing in this opinion that we are not absolutely thrilled about and dont agree with 100%." Under the law, landowners couldn't be compensated for pore space when it was used for saltwater disposal or enhanced oil recovery, unless they had an existing contract. Landowners adjacent to a disposal well also could not make a claim that saltwater, a byproduct of oil production, had migrated into their pore space, nor could they sue for trespassing. The Supreme Court struck down those provisions. North Dakota law has long established that surface owners have a property interest in pore space, justices said. "Surface owners have a right to compensation for the use of their pore space for disposal and storage operations. Government-authorized physical invasions of property constitute the clearest sort of taking," the opinion said. North Dakotas oil industry pushed for the law and Republican Gov. Doug Burgum signed it, despite strong objections from landowners. It was one of the most controversial measures of the 2019 Legislative session. North Dakota's Industrial Commission, headed by Burgum, said in a statement Thursday that it is "committed to ensuring that underground saltwater injection wells are managed for the benefit of landowners as well as the oil and gas industry. You are going to have to watch what you say on those Whatsapp messages, memes and Blogs afte In Donetsk region, Russian invaders opened fire at a municipal bus stop in Toretsk, killing eight locals and injuring four, including three children. Thats according to the chief of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko, who broke the news on Telegram, Ukrinform reports. "Eight dead, four wounded these are the consequences of the shelling of Toretsk, which the Russians carried out around 11:00 today. Three children are among the four wounded. According to preliminary information, it was artillery fire. They hit a bus stop, where there was a crowd at that time," Kyrylenko wrote. Read also: Russia plays on Western fears of nuclear disaster to hinder further arms supplies to Ukraine In addition, the Russians damaged the church and injured a local priest, also inflicting damage to the surrounding apartment blocks. "Every day the Russian occupiers hit civilians every day our people get killed and wounded. I appeal to all those who still remain in Donetsk are putting themselves in mortal danger! I appeal to all residents of the region: do not turn yourself into a Russian target! Evacuate now!" emphasized the head of the region. As reported, the aggressor has been constantly shelling Donetsk region, killing and injuring citizens, destroying the civilian infrastructure in populated areas. Gas supply has long been severed across the region, while many settlements were also deprived of water supplies. The enemy is trying to penetrate Ukrainian defenses in several directions, albeit unsuccessfully, being forced to retreat. No more than 235,000 people directly involved in defense and critical infrastructure maintenance should remain in Donetsk region until the autumn-winter period, while the rest should evacuate, according to Ukrainian officials. Until February 24, some 1,670,000 people permanently resided in Donetsk region. Deputy Prime Minister - Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk announced that mandatory evacuation from Donetsk region has kicked off. On August 4, Ukrainian warplanes attacked two arms and equipment hubs set up by the Russian troops in the Kherson and Kakhovka districts. At the same time, the occupiers made assault attempts within Kherson region, which saw no success, Operational Command South reported, as seen by Ukrinform. The Ukrainian military destroyed a Russian stronghold in the temporarily occupied part of Mykolaiv region in a helicopter strike. Meanwhile, the missile and artillery units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked the Russian air defense network and logistics points, including ammunition depots, in Kherson region in the City of Kherson, as well as in Prydniprovsk and Tokarivka. The command confirmed that the Russian occupying forces on the southern front lost 39 servicemen, four S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems, an Imbir radar station, a Voloshka 82-caliber automatic mortar, as well as nine trucks and armored combat vehicles. The Armed Forces also destroyed three ammunition depots in Prydniprovsk, Kherson, and Tokarivka. The Command said that the Russians were constrained by the Ukrainian troops without the possibility of advancing. At the same time, the occupiers intensified their artillery and air strikes. Russian warplanes 16 times attacked Ukraines positions along the contact line and struck recently liberated settlements. No casualties were reported. The Command says that the Russians continue to wage hostilities along the occupied defense line. No changes in composition or position were noted. Russias 152mm barrel artillery also shelled Ivanivka. As a result of the attack, a person was killed, while the extent of the destruction is still being verified. Meanwhile, two warships and a submarine, carrying a total of 12 Kalibr cruise missiles, remain deployed in the Black Sea, being ready for launch. Two large landing craft have also been deployed. The Ministry of Defense of North Macedonia announced that it has decided to hand over to Ukraine four Su-25 attack aircraft. This was reported by the local publication MKD, as seen by Ukrinform. The country's defense officials reported that the planes had been in storage since 2003 and were not used by the nations army. It should be noted that back in 2001, during the conflict in the Balkans, North Macedonia bought the said warplanes from Ukraine. Su-25s, designed to support infantry, have flown several sorties during the conflict to support the local security forces' ground operations. Late July, North Macedonia handed over to Ukraine a batch of T-72 tanks, the exact number of which has not been reported. At the same time, according to open source data, the country's army had 31 armored vehicles of this type. As Ukrinform reported earlier citing the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby, the U.S. Department of Defense is studying the possibility of sending fighter jets to Ukraine in the future. The spokesperson for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine earlier said that Ukrainian authorities were in talks with Western partners on supplies of warplanes and training of Ukrainian pilots. Russia will launch a surveillance satellite for Iran, but will first use it to spy on targets in Ukraine. Thats according to The Washington Post, referring to Western security officials, Ukrinform reports. A new satellite that Russia is set to launch on Irans behalf next week will massively improve Tehrans ability to spy on military targets in the Middle East. At the same time, Moscow first intends to use it to assist its invasion of Ukraine, the report says. Russias Roscosmos space agency said it would launch the spacecraft on August 9, fulfilling a deal negotiated with Iran over the past four years. Russia agreed to build and launch the Kanopus-V system, which will include a high-resolution camera that would give Tehran unprecedented capabilities, including near-continuous monitoring of sensitive facilities in Israel and the Persian Gulf, the report reads. But Iran may not be able to operate the satellite immediately. Russia, which has struggled to achieve its military objectives in its five-month-old assault on Ukraine, has told Tehran that it plans to use the satellite for several months, or longer, to enhance its surveillance of military targets in that conflict, WP says. The pending launch is the latest indicator of increased military and political cooperation between Moscow and Tehran. The satellites camera boasts a 1.2-m resolution, which substantially improves Irans current capabilities, the report says. Archie Roach has died, and the world has lost an amazing musician and activist. According to the Guardian: The Indigenous Australian songwriter and activist Archie Roach has been praised as a "courageous" and "powerful" truth-teller, as leading figures in politics and the arts mourn his passing. Roach died aged 66, after a long illness, surrounded by his family and loved ones at Warrnambool Base Hospital. "We are heartbroken to announce the passing of Gunditjmara (Kirrae Whurrong/Djab Wurrung), Bundjalung Senior Elder, songman and storyteller Archie Roach," his family announced late on Saturday. Roach had a long rich life of music and activism, although he's probably best known for his song "Took the Children Away," which tells the story of "The Stolen Generations," an experience he also lived throughhe was forcibly removed from his family when he was two, and placed in an orphanage. According to Common Ground: The Stolen Generations refers to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were removed from their families between 1910 and 1970. This was done by Australian federal and state government agencies and church missions, through a policy of assimilation. Under this policy, the forcible removal of First Nations children was made legal. Assimilation was based on a belief of white superiority and black inferiority, and presumed that "full-blood" Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples would naturally die out. It proposed that children with Aboriginal and white parentage, who were termed "half-caste" (now considered an extremely derogatory term), should be assimilated into white society. It was believed these children would be more easily assimilated due to their lighter skin. Children were separated from their families and forced to adopt a white culture. They were forbidden to speak their traditional languages or refer to themselves by the names that they were given by their parents. Most children were placed in institutions where neglect and abuse was common. Some children were adopted by white families throughout the country, and many of these children were used for domestic work. The impact was felt both by the families who had their children taken away, and by the children themselves. If you don't know his work, I'd highly recommend checking it out. To learn more about him you can also watch the documentary about him and his wife Ruby Hunter (who died in 2010). The film is called "Wash My Soul in the Rivers Flow," and is described as "A story in song about a woman, a man and a river. A story of loss, love and the healing power of music." I was introduced to Archie Roach through Briggs, an Indigenous Australian musician who NME describes as, "rapper, label boss, comedy writer, actor, author, cultural commentator and Australian hip-hop gamechanger." In 2015 Briggs released a song, featuring Gurrumul and Dewayne Everettsmith, called "The Children Came Back," which is a kind of sequel to Roach's "Took the Children Away." The YouTube page for the song describes it this way: The Children Came Back advances the story and pays homage to Took The Children Away. Archie Roach released the song 25 years ago from the seminal album Charcoal Lane and it's with his blessings, this new sequel of a song is released to champion Black excellence and remind us of the amazing things achieved since. Jimmy Little, Adam Goodes, Lionel Rose, Patty Mills are just some of the greats referenced within this almighty shout-out by Briggs. "I love Briggs' song. It's about our Indigenous heroes. Using a part of my song, where it says 'the children came back' is really what the song is about. I feel proud to be a part of what Briggs hopes to achieve and I really love that he used young children to play the heroes because they are our future heroes." Archie Roach The compelling clip features Briggs with Archie Roach, Paul Kelly and the very brave 3-year-old Samara Muir who recently made prime time mainstream TV with news of her distressing experience of racism by kids her own age. Just like its predecessor Bad Apples from the highly acclaimed sophomore release Sheplife (Golden Era Records) this clip has the power to reach into the hearts of a conscious Australia, and from there to take root and grow into the wider psyche. Thanks to Reconciliation Australia the film clip for The Children Came Back is released on July 3rd to coincide with NAIDOC Week and is a collaboration between Golden Era artist Briggs & Skinnyfish Music artists. And here's a live version for Australian radio station triple j's special NAIDOC week of Like A Version that's just spectacular, and a great tribute to Archie Roach. Rest in Peace. If Ukraine succeeds in continuing a counteroffensive in Kherson region and pushes toward Izyum, the Russians will be facing a hard choice they will either have to retreat from their positions west of Izyum or deploy more personnel and equipment. Thats according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrinform reports. The seriousness of the dilemma facing the Russian high command likely depends on Ukraines ability to sustain significant counteroffensive operations on multiple axes simultaneously. If Ukraine is able to press hard around Izyum as it continues rolling into the counteroffensive in Kherson, then Russian forces will begin confronting very difficult choices. They will likely need to decide either to abandon their westward positions around Izyum in favor of defending their ground lines of communications (GLOCs) further north and east or to commit more personnel and equipment to try to hold the current front line, the report reads. The analysts add that such forces would have to come from another axis, however, putting other Russian gains at risk. Key takeaways from the latest war update by ISW are as follows: A total of 359 children have been killed and over 700 injured in Ukraine since the Russian invasion started. The relevant statement was made by the Ukrainian Prosecutor Generals Office on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. As of August 5, 2022, over 1,059 children in Ukraine were affected by the Russian armed aggression. According to the data from juvenile prosecutors, 359 children were killed and over 700 received injuries of various severity levels, the report states. These data are not final, as they are being investigated within the areas of hostilities, temporarily occupied and liberated areas. Currently, most casualties were recorded in Donetsk Region (371), Kharkiv Region (195), Kyiv Region (116), Chernihiv Region (68), Luhansk Region (61), Mykolaiv Region (57), Kherson Region (54) and Zaporizhzhia Region (40). On August 4, 2022, three children, aged from 8 to 15, were injured, as Russian troops struck a public transport stop in downtown Toretsk, Donetsk Region. The Ukrainian side also received information about a 14-year-old boy killed in Russias shelling of Mariupol, Donetsk Region, at the start of the Russian armed aggression. Four more children were reported killed when documenting the crimes committed by Russian troops in Donetsk Region. A total of 2,211 educational institutions were damaged across Ukraine as a result of Russias daily air and artillery strikes, and 230 of them were destroyed completely. Photo: AA mk The entire Russian army should be recognized as a terrorist organization, because it has probably killed more civilians than all terrorist organizations combined. Dan Rice, a U.S. combat veteran and Special Advisor to Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, said this in an interview with Ukrinform. "Agree 100% that Russia as a country should be listed as a state-sponsor of terrorism, joining Cuba (2021), North Korea (2017), Iran (1984) and Syria (1979). At the same time, the entire Russia army should be designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization," he said. Rice noted that no foreign terrorist organization, such as ISIS, Al Qaeda, HAMAS, Hezbollah, FARC, ISIL, Boko Haram, etc., has killed as many innocent civilians through terrorist activities as the Russian Army over the past two decades in Chechnya, Syria, Georgia, Donbas, Crimea and this 2022 invasion of Ukraine. "The Russia Army has likely killed more than all those terrorist organizations combined so of course it should be labeled with the same label. Putins leadership and the leadership of his generals have been horrible, and the entire world is disgusted by Putins actions, his Generals actions and strategies, and the behavior of Russian soldiers across the Army. The long list of state-sponsored terrorism against the people of Ukraine is well known and documented for the world community," Rice said. On July 28, the upper house of the U.S. Congress unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the U.S. Department of State to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. According to The New York Times, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was not ready to make a decision on recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, despite a corresponding resolution passed by the U.S. Senate, because it could force the U.S. to sanction some allies and complicate further diplomatic contacts with Russia. Ukraine's Armed Forces are solidly united with the desire to fight and destroy the Russian army, and they will not divert weapons delivered to them to some other place. Dan Rice, a U.S. combat veteran and Special Advisor to Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, said this in an interview with Ukrinform. "In my experience with the Ukrainian Army over the past three months, we have found the Ukrainian military to be solidly united with the desire to fight and destroy the Russian army. I believe Ukraine is one of the greatest allies of the United States and have confidence that weapons delivered to the Ukrainian soldiers will not be diverted elsewhere and have no concerns that Ukrainian leadership would violate any agreement," he said. Rice added that Washington has trust in the Ukrainian people, their political and military leadership, and in the brave Ukrainian soldiers. "And that is why I am constantly writing and speaking publicly within the United States, recommending getting the right number of weapons (more) to Ukraine immediately to drive the Russians out of Ukraine and help the 'First Army of Peace' win back its territory, people, culture and peace," Rice said. EU spokesperson Peter Stano earlier said that the European Union has no reason to doubt the Ukrainian government's obligations regarding the proper use and accounting of weapons that are delivered to Ukraine with the assistance of the EU to ensure its right to self-defense. Earlier, a number of Western media outlets suggested that NATO and the EU were allegedly concerned about arms smuggling from Ukraine. Both organizations denied such allegations, which may be the result of the Kremlin's disinformation campaign against Ukraine and Western countries. The more Ukrainian grain will be on the global market, the smaller will be the harvest of political chaos. The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his video address, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. The full text of the speech is provided below: Dear Ukrainians! Three vessels with grain for export left our ports today from Odesa and Chornomorsk. Almost 60,000 tonnes of corn are on board, which are expected by consumers in Turkey, the UK, and Ireland. The first new vessel since February 24 is heading to the port of Chornomorsk for loading. The main thing now is the constant increase in exports. Every adequate world player is interested in this. The more our grain will be on the global market, the smaller will be the harvest of political chaos in countries, primarily in Africa and Asia, but not only there. We must remember that this year the demand for imported food in Europe is much higher than expected. European harvests are smaller because of the heat. But the Ukrainian harvest of grain and oilseeds will most likely meet the forecasts more than 65 million tonnes are expected. Therefore, if the partners do their part of the obligations under the Grain Initiative, the security part, and do not allow new Russian provocations in relation to our exports, then the food crisis, which has been so threatening to the world, can be overcome. But the situation on the energy market, and especially for European consumers, continues to be very dangerous due to Russia's cynical and worked out well gas blackmail. Instead of supplying gas to the territory of Europe in accordance with the contracts, Russia even simply burns it and this is happening more than one week. Why does it do this? So that prices in Europe rise even more, so that ordinary Europeans suffer even more and so that it will be even more difficult for everyone on the continent to prepare for winter. This is a manifestation of Russia's deliberate anti-European policy, anti-human policy and the effect of the old mistakes of Europeans who did not want to see that Gazprom, Russian gas pipelines bypassing Ukraine are the same weapons for Russia as tanks and artillery, and each of us, each in Europe is a target for them. And we all have to defend ourselves now. Together to prepare for the new heating season. Together to respond to any provocations of Russia in the energy sector. Together to develop sanctions in response to Russian blackmail and terror. Today, the occupiers created another extremely risky situation for everyone in Europe they fired at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, twice in one day. This is the largest nuclear power plant on our continent. And any shelling of this facility is an open, brazen crime, an act of terror. Russia should bear responsibility for the very fact of creating a threat to the nuclear power plant. And this is not only another argument in favor of recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. This is an argument in favor of applying tough sanctions against the entire Russian nuclear industry from Rosatom to all related companies and individuals. This is purely a matter of safety. The one who creates nuclear threats to other nations is definitely not capable of using nuclear technologies safely. Today I held a meeting devoted to the sanctions policy, confiscation of Russian assets. As government officials reported, assets worth UAH 28 billion have already been forcibly seized in Ukraine. This work continues. More than 900 facilities belonging to the Russian state are proposed to be confiscated. And if we evaluate the property package not only of the terrorist state, but also of its residents, then this are 36,000 items for seizure. All this will be sent to compensate for the damages that Russia causes through war and terror. I also heard the results of the work of the group on the development and implementation of the international compensation mechanism and confiscation of Russian assets abroad. All our partners are actively working on this in Europe, in the United States. Work on bills that will expand the possibilities for the confiscation of Russian assets for Ukraine is underway. And Donbas burned out by Russian strikes, the abuse of the occupiers over Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, the shelling of Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk region, Sumy region, Chernihiv region, Kyiv region, Zhytomyr region, Odesa region and other regions of Ukraine are what Russia will surely pay for: both politically and financially, and with its own future, which Russia is losing with every strike on our territory. I spoke today with the President of Malawi. It is another African state, the ninth country, which Ukraine is in contact with for the first time at the highest level in the entire history of our independence. I assured Mr. President that Ukraine will make every effort so that every country interested in our agricultural products can meet its consumption needs. We also discussed other issues of stability and our cooperation in international organizations. I also signed a decree awarding our soldiers. A total of 192 combatants were given state awards, 18 of them, unfortunately, posthumously. Eternal gratitude to all who is fighting for our great state! Thank you, great people of Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine As an aggressor power, Russia must pay reparations to Ukraine, while using Russian assets frozen as a result of sanctions, would put a good start to the process. Thats according to a German legislator Roderich Kiesewetter, Ukrinform reports, referring to Guildhall. Well, since it is Russia that is the aggressor and aims to destroy Ukraine, it will have to pay with reparations to rebuild Ukraine. Therefore the use of frozen Russia assets would be a good start and it would be a useful application for the billions of dollars. Clearly the EU should find a legal was to do so, the lawmaker said. Read also: COREPER approves new sanctions against Russia As Ukrinform reported earlier, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has proposed to confiscate Russian assets from sanctioned individuals, and use them for the restoration of Ukraine, as well as humanitarian aid and security assistance, while French Senator Melanie Vogel (the Greens) said this would be the fairest decision. Also, Lithuanian Member of the European Parliament Petras Austravicius said seized Russian assets should be auctioned off to send the proceeds to Ukraine Another MEP, Michael Gahler (Germany), said Russian state assets seized in the European Union must be transferred to Ukraine as part of compensation and financing of reconstruction. Assets of illegal origin, owned by Russian oligarchs, should also be handed to Ukraine, as they are essentially state assets of the Russian Federation, he believes. Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada Yuliya Kovaliv has called on Canada not to provide maintenance services for five more Nord Stream 1 turbines. Earlier, an exception was made for the first Siemens turbine. The relevant statement was made by Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada Yuliya Kovaliv on Facebook, referring to her speech in the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (FAAE), an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Russia is responsible of orchestrating gas crisis in Europe. If the reason for the waiver was not to allow Russia to blame sanctions for the disruption of gas supply, its now more than clear that additional 5 turbines, that were allowed to be maintained in Canada soon, will be turned by Russia into tools of humiliation. We urge you: do not take the bait, Kovaliv stressed. In her words, the logic of appeasing Putin failed to prevent the war. Lets not forget that since the permit was issued, Russia has committed series of awful war crimes: attacked a shopping mall in Kremenchuk and Odessa Sea Port, killed over 50 prisoners of war of Azovstal and over 160 civilians only in three weeks, Kovaliv told. Meanwhile, according to Kovaliv, Ukraine is eager to work with European countries on the measures to decrease gas dependency. We are committed to help, both by using Ukrainian gas route, offering gas storage facilities and by supplying EU with additional electricity that could substitute up to 5 billion cubic meters of Russian gas, Kovaliv explained. Photo: GTSOU mk The first ship to be loaded with Ukraines grain has left Turkey. The vessel is expected to arrive in Ukraines port of Chornomorsk tomorrow evening. Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar, said this in a comment to Ukrinform. "The cargo ship Fulmar S has left the Turkish port of Bandirma in the direction of the port of Chornomorsk after an inspection off the coast of Kilyos, which was carried out this morning by representatives of the Joint Coordination Centre. The ship is expected to arrive in Chornomorsk in the evening of August 6," Bodnar said. According to him, the ship loaded with Ukrainian grain will then the port of Chornomorsk and sail in the opposite direction along the grain corridor within the framework of the UN initiative and the agreement signed in Istanbul on July 22. The ship is sailing under the flag of Barbados. As Ukrinform reported, on the morning of August 5, the first convoy of vessels with Ukrainian grain left the Great Odesa ports. Three ships, the Navi Star, the Rojen and the Polarnet, carrying 57,000 tonnes of Ukrainian corn, where heading to Turkey, Great Britain and Ireland. Todays convoy resumed navigation from the port of Chornomorsk. iy The government has approved the seizure in Ukraine of 903 objects belonging to Russia, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has stated. Ukrinform reports this with reference to the Government portal. "Today, the government has approved the presidents decree proposing the seizure of 903 objects belonging to the Russian state. 79 items are corporate rights, 824 items are property," Shmyhal said. The head of the government noted that all the property is divided into three categories: the property that belongs to the Russian state, the assets belonging to sanctioned Russian citizens and companies, and the assets of Russian banks. The prime minister emphasized that the seized assets will be converted into funds to be used for Ukraines defense and reconstruction. "We do it systematically and in line with all procedures. We do not replace the law with our wishes, but implement this strategic task in a legal way," Shmyhal explained. According to him, the next step should be seizing Russian assets in the West for the reconstruction of Ukraine. "Both the government and the President's Office are working on this with teams of the best lawyers and international experts, our partners and allies," Shmyhal emphasized. As reported, on March 10, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the Law of Ukraine "On the Basic Principles of Forcible Seizure of Objects of Property Rights of the Russian Federation and its Residents in Ukraine". The law defines the legal basis for the forcible seizure of property rights (including in cases where military necessity requires so) of the Russian Federation as a state that has started a full-scale war against Ukraine and its residents. According to the law, forced seizure in Ukraine of property rights of Russia and its residents is carried out without any compensation (reimbursement) of their value. iy Canada has provided US$6 million for the implementation of a number of projects to improve nuclear safety in Ukraine. This is stated by Canadas Permanent Mission to the UN, Ukrinform reports. "To help strengthen nuclear safety in Ukraine, Canada has provided $1 million to the IAEA to strengthen security, safety, and safeguards at Ukrainian nuclear facilities, $5 million to the US State Department to help Ukraine detect and respond to illicit nuclear trafficking in its territory," the Canadian mission said. The diplomats also emphasized that the continued occupation of Ukraines Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant places the global population at risk. Read also: Russia plays on Western fears of nuclear disaster to hinder further arms supplies to Ukraine Continued destabilization by Russian forces not only increases the risk of an accident or inadvertent damage but also increases the possibility of diversion of nuclear material, the mission stressed. As Ukrinform reported earlier, on Wednesday, August 3, IAEA Director General Raphael Grossi expressed concern about the situation at the Zaporizhia NPP, which had been captured by Russian invasion forces. According to him, nuclear safety measures were violated there since the station is within an active war zone and was shelled at the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Watch Christofascist Lauren Boebert on the show "FlashPoint" say that she wants to require "Constitution Alive!" and biblical citizenship training in schools. She says, specifically: "Maybe we need to have some sort of legislation that requires Constitution Alive! and biblical citizenship training in our schools, and that's how we get things turned around." "Maybe there needs to be some sort of legislation that requiresbiblical citizenship training in our schools and that's how we get things turned around." #ChristianNationalism https://t.co/Qg78p4gNAH Samuel Perry (@profsamperry) August 4, 2022 What is the show FlashPoint? According to its website: Watch FlashPoint to discover how prophecy and current events are aligning to usher in the greatest awakening the world has ever known. Host Gene Bailey, along with regular contributors Mario Murillo, Hank Kunneman and Lance Wallnau, are joined by special guests that include prominent prophetic voices in the Church today, as well as political, governmental, business and church leaders. FlashPoint focuses on pertinent issues currently facing America and delivers news and commentary under the anointingencouraging evidence and hope that God is indeed working to bring about His plans and purposes during these turbulent times. What is "Constitution Alive!" training? It's part of the "Patriot Academy" (the group that Kirk Cameron also works with), and their website describes Constitution Alive! like this: It is vital that every American knows their rights and understands how to defend those rights for themselves, their family, and the entire country. That is why the Constitution Alive! Full Course exists to give you a comprehensive understanding of every part of our nation's governing document in an easy-to-understand, fun, and entertaining manner! This full course goes deep, article-by-article through the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. You will learn about executive orders, recess appointments, the Electoral College, the powers of Congress and the President, freedom of religion, and much more. Follow along with America's Constitution expert Rick Green and renowned historian David Barton as they give you an incredible deep dive into the document that is the cornerstone of our American liberty! This isn't some kind of neutral look at history, though. The Patriot Academy website also provides this very clear description of its worldview and mission: Inspire Patriotism Equip Citizens Educate A Nation You have a role to play in Restoring America's Biblical & Constitutional Foundations of Freedom! Have no doubt, Boebert is calling for 'education' that is grounded in the desire to cement the United States as a Christian nation. This is pure Christian Nationalism. The Czech Republic is preparing a national plan for participation in the rebuilding of Ukraine from the consequences of Russian aggression and is considering participating in the reconstruction of the Dnipropetrovsk region. Czech Ambassador to Ukraine Radek Matula said this at a meeting with Kyrylo Tymoshenko, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President's Office, Ukrinform reports, citing the press service of the President's Office. According to the diplomat, the Czech Republic is considering the possibility of joining the reconstruction of the Dnipropetrovsk region and wants to get more information about objects that need to be restored. Matula noted that the Fast Recovery Plan developed by Ukraine will help understand what his country can do to help Ukraine right now, before the onset of winter. He said the issue concerned housing for internally displaced persons and the provision of educational institutions with school buses, computers and other teaching equipment. Matula also added that the Czech Republic was developing a national plan for participation in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. He said that in the coming weeks, a delegation from the Czech Republic, consisting of ministers and MPs, will arrive in Ukraine to get acquainted with the needs. Tymoshenko, in turn, said some areas in the Dnipropetrovsk region are still under fire from Russian troops, but there are areas where it is relatively safe. "There are a number of objects in the Dnipropetrovsk region that were damaged by bombings, where there are no hostilities. We are giving you a Fast Recovery Plan for the Dnipropetrovsk region so that you can see how many schools, kindergartens, private residential buildings and other facilities need to be restored. You can find more up-to-date information about each object on our online platform, which is updated every day," Tymoshenko said. He suggested that the Czech delegation visit the city of Dnipro and the Dnipropetrovsk region and inspect some objects that need to be rebuilt. | By Mary Therese Phelan The University of Maryland School of Nursing's (UMSON) Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD '11, MS '05, BSN '04, CRNP-Neonatal, FNAP, FAAN, associate professor; chair, Department of Partnerships, Professional Education, and Practice; and co-director, Center for Health Equity and Outcomes Research, has been awarded a $2.4 million Pathways to Health Equity grant by the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC) for a project that will address disparities in hypertension and social isolation in West Baltimore. Yolanda Ogbolu The project takes the form of the West Baltimore Reducing Isolation and Inequities in Cardiovascular Health (RICH) Collaborative, which seeks to achieve collective medical and social impact by bringing partner organizations together to advance common interventions for improving hypertension outcomes and social isolation. UMSON is one of nine CHRC Pathways to Health Equity award grantees, which together will be investing a total of $13.5 million in new resources in underserved communities across the state. The grant-funded projects will address health disparities, expand access to health services, and improve health outcomes with funding made available under the Maryland Health Equity Resource Act of 2021. I am excited about the West Baltimore RICH Collaborative because it seeks to break down fragmentations and silos in social and medical care to advance health equity, said Ogbolu. Ogbolu is the principal investigator on this grant, joined by co-investigators Shannon K. Idzik, DNP '10, MS '03, CRNP, FAANP, FAAN, UMSON associate professor and associate dean for the Doctor of Nursing Practice program; Kelly Doran, PhD '11, MS '08, RN, UMSON associate professor; and Charles C. Hong, MD, PhD, the Dr. Melvin Sharoky Professor of Medicine, director of cardiology research, and co-chief of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The projects key objectives include establishing the collaborative using nurse-managed health centers, leveraging mobile health care, and enhancing care coordination through a community health worker model to decrease the number of patients with uncontrolled hypertension and to increase participation in social support groups. Specifically, the project seeks to: reduce health disparities improve health outcomes increase access to primary care promote primary and secondary preventive services reduce costs and hospital admissions and readmissions. The RICH Collaborative is a multi-sector partnership across multiple community- and faith-based organizations, academia, and hospitals and hospital-related entities in Baltimore. Partner organizations working together to achieve the collaboratives goals include: A Better Tomorrow Starts Today (BTST) counseling agency Ascension St. Agnes Hospital Bon Secours Community Works Coppin State University Helene Fuld School of Nursing Druid Heights Community Development Corp. Lifebridge Health Grace Medical Center LIGHT Health & Wellness Ministers Conference Empowerment Center University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), Downtown and Midtown campuses University of Maryland School of Medicine Cardiology Department University of Maryland School of Nursing University of Maryland, Baltimore Community Engagement Center and two federally qualified health centers, Total Health Care and Chase Brexton. The organizations were selected based on opportunities to synergize and expand efforts to provide care and services to West Baltimore residents. These organizations are passionate about their community and health equity, and we are set to start on a journey to collectively expand efforts to reduce cardiovascular disparities and social isolation in West Baltimore, Ogbolu said. Dana D. Farrakhan, DrPH, MHS, FACHE, senior vice president of strategy, community, and business development at UMMC, said the RICH Collaborative is critical in assisting West Baltimores health challenges. We are thrilled to be part of this grant that will help support our patients and community members after receiving inpatient care, by providing much needed social and wellness support to address their multiple chronic conditions, she said. As an anchor institution, we seek to achieve health equity in West Baltimore with our partners and supporting our community members to achieve their highest quality of life. Heart disease, the No. 1 cause of death worldwide, is a major driver of health disparities in America, but so much of it is preventable, Hong added. Social determinants of health play a huge role in defining how long and how well we live. Through this extraordinary multidisciplinary effort, we aim to improve the lives of our community by addressing specific barriers to health, such as social isolation felt by many in our neighborhoods. The RICH Collaborative will be implemented within ZIP codes 21201, 21217, 21223, and 21229, selected due to substantial racial inequities in cardiovascular health outcomes and social determinants of health. These communities have a rich and diverse history with strong and resilient people and community organizations that can resolve challenges if provided with appropriate resources and support, Ogbolu said. Evidence shows a significantly lower life expectancy for residents in West Baltimore neighborhoods when compared to wealthier communities, such as Roland Park, just a few miles away. Beyond other social determinants of health, including unemployment and lack of access to transportation and technology, evidence shows that a lack of social connections also degrades cardiac health. While social isolation received increased attention during the pandemic, research shows that it had become a way of life in many marginalized communities, such as West Baltimore, even before the pandemic. Research has shown that social isolation is as dangerous as smoking and increases risk of cardiovascular challenges, including heart attacks and/or coronary artery disease, especially for middle-aged adults. There is now compelling evidence suggesting that with effective, multidisciplinary team-based, culturally competent approaches, hypertension and disparities in cardiovascular outcomes can be reduced. Key interventions to be employed in the West Baltimore RICH Collaborative include: addressing the social factors that impede health by linking individuals to social resources and a primary care physician improving access to care through nurse-led clinics and mobile health services and leveraging expert community outreach workers to work closely with individuals to navigate needed health and social services. The University of Maryland, Baltimore, home to UMSON, is anchored in the west side of Baltimore, along with the University of Maryland Medical Center. Both organizations are engaged as community partners to provide programs, services, support, training, and activities to advance the empowerment of their neighbors while strengthening the neighborhoods of West Baltimore. The Beastie Boys are rap royalty. The average rap fan may not want to admit it, but the Beasties helped the emerging genre access the suburban and punk rock markets. In addition to their marketability, the Beasties also produced a slew of certified bangers. As if their contributions to the early rap scene weren't enough, the Beastie Boys remained as relevant towards the end of the group's lifespan as they were in the beginning. Had the group kept cranking out hit albums, they might still be one of the most celebrated acts in Hip hop. Sadly, after their album Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, the band called it quits following the death of Adam "MCA" Yauch. Although all of the Beasties were equally instrumental in the group's success, surviving members Ad-Rock and Mike D have credited Yauch as the glue that held the group together. Yauch's sensitive and spiritual perspective helped the Beasties evolve from rowdy party boys to accomplished emcees and producers. It still hurts to think I won't hear MCA's signature gravely vocals on new Beastie tracks anytime soon, but I can always take time to remember the man as he was. Happy posthumous birthday, Adam Yauch. From one New York boy to another, you kept it real. You can listen to Yauch explain why he became a Buddhist in the video linked above. On July 18, 2022, the CDC ended its COVID-19 monitoring program for cruise ships leaving from and sailing to the United States. As part of that program, the CDC had shared COVID-19 outbreak numbers and trends with the public, but the agency will no longer do so. The Washington Post explains: A notice posted on the CDC website for cruise travel said the program ended Monday. A sortable color-coded chart and spreadsheet that detailed the level of spread on ships is no longer viewable on the webpage, the agency confirmed. "CDC has determined that the cruise industry has access to the necessary tools (e.g., cruise-specific recommendations and guidance, vaccinations, testing instruments, treatment modalities, and non-pharmaceutical interventions) to prevent and mitigate COVID-19 on board," CDC spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund said in an email. This follows a decision made earlier in the year by the CDC to stop requiring pre-boarding COVID testing. The Washington Post also explains: In January, the public health agency turned the mandatory rules that cruise lines had to follow during much of the pandemic into recommendations for a program in which they could opt in. Those rules included testing and vaccination requirements for passengers and crew. Now, the cruise industry will be responsible for implementing whatever strategies it wants regarding mitigating and reporting COVID-19 cases. Cruise companies are already taking advantage of these relaxed rules, and some are doing away with testing requirements altogether, as Omicron variant BA.5 continues to spread. According to Reason.com: In another sign that the cruise industry is transitioning to a post-COVID operating model, Royal Caribbean Group and Carnival Cruise Line, the industry's two largest cruise lines, announced last week they will loosen testing requirements for vaccinated passengers. Beginning August 4, vaccinated passengers on Carnival company sailings that last less than six days will no longer be required to provide a negative PCR or antigen test result before boarding vessels. A similar policy will take effect on Royal Caribbean company sailings on August 8. So how will the public now find out if there are outbreaks on the cruises they want to take? Well, Jim Walker of Cruise Law News explains: Without the publicly available coronavirus data, the CDC's page for cruise travel says customers allegedly "have the option of contacting their cruise line directly regarding outbreaks occurring on board their ship." How likely is it that cruise lines will be completely transparent and forthcoming with that information? Jim Walker thinks it's not very likely, and is alarmed by this new move by the CDC: The sudden ending of the disease reporting comes exactly at a time when the CDC was reporting that 100% of cruise ships sailing from U.S. ports had at least .03% of COVID-19 aboard. In other words, the CDC designated 100% of all cruise ships to be "orange" [the highest level] under the CDC's color coded COVID-19 dashboard. Absolutely no cruise ships had been deemed by the CDC to be "green" (free of COVID-19) when the agency announced that it was ending its reporting of COVID-19 cases on cruise ships. The unexpected and abrupt ending of the color tracking system by the CDC comes at a time when the COVID BA.5 variant is continuing to surge. The CDC's imprudent decision leaves the public reliant on cruise lines to voluntarily publish COVID-19 results. But the cruise industry has consistently demonstrated a lack of transparency when it comes to releasing disease statistics or other unpleasant news. The result, predictably enough, is cruise lines have largely been able to keep outbreaks of COVID-19 which occur on their ships secret. This has become clear when the Carnival-owned Holland America Line's Zaandam recently had over 20% of its guests test positive for COVID-19. The Zaandam isn't the only ship with current or recent COVID-19 outbreaks. According to Andy Bloch's cruise ship COVID-19 outbreak tracker, significant outbreaks recently occurred on the Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas, Celebrity Cruises' Summit, Viking's Orion. and Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady. Most recently, Royal Caribbean's ship Jewel of the Seas, which left Amsterdam on July 26 and is scheduled to return on August 7, has had an outbreak of at least 64 COVID cases among guests and another 4 among crew members. Jim Walker reports the disturbing and unhelpful response by the cruise ship's Infection Control Officer, who informed the crew: "Unfortunately our guest numbers continue to soar. Best way to help with the spread is to try to use that entire bottle of Oxivir in one day when sanitizing your areas and to encourage guest to use the hand sanitizers around the ship. [Jim Walker's note: A bottle of sanitizer is useless when this virus is transmitted through the air]. Front of house personal, please be vocal in a pleasant and happy manner." Andy Bloch has been monitoring cruise ship COVID outbreaksusing data reported to the CDC by cruise ships and data reported by the CDC to the publicand has been posting them to his free publicly available website. He reported recently that the CDC has removed their cruise ship tracker completely and stopped updating it on August 1, 2022. You can follow his page to see whatever information he is able to report, and also follow Jim Walker's website, "Cruise Law News," which promises to provide "Everything Cruise Lines Don't Want You to Know." I'm glad there are folks out there trying to provide the public with data to help keep them safe! August 5 2022 Alumno Group has set out plans to deliver a student residential block at Jock's Lodge on the junction between Restalrig Road South and London Road, Edinburgh. Delivering 188 rooms and a community pub the project will frame a key arterial road in the city with a mix of single bedrooms with shared kitchens and studio apartments. Incorporating a lounge and social spaces as well as a landscaped courtyard and rooftop terraces the scheme will include a specially commissioned sculpture and artwork by Kenny Hunter and other local artists. A pipeline of student housing projects shows no sign of slowing despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, with factors such as a growing population of under 18s and record levels of participation in higher education fueling demand with just 2 in 5 students housed in purpose-built accommodation. Paul Stallan of architects Stallan Brand commented: "As a parent whose daughter has just completed her university education in Edinburgh, I can confirm that the citys accommodation offer for undergraduates is unsatisfactory. Standing in queues outside letting agents to procure and compete for a limited pool of private flats because there is a lack of quality purpose-built student residential is a reality. Well, it was for me! Significant demand clearly exists for safe attractive student living given the impressive growth in Edinburghs higher education sector and its ability to attract learners from across the world. Whether for a domestic or international market, a new generation of student residential architecture is a sustainable necessity for the city. In a direct response to the increasing demand, this project for Alumno promotes a best-in-class development that places student wellbeing at its core, animating a currently-under used corner site through delivering a building that connects with an existing neighbourhood. The projects scale and massing has been crafted through a thorough pre-consultation process with Edinburghs planning team to arrive at a respectful design that we are confident will bring a new vibrancy to this location. A live online chat with the project team will take place on 10 August between 12:00 and 19:00. TOKYO, Aug 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Aug, 2022 ) :Japan's benchmark Nikkei stock index finished close to a two-month high on Friday as robust corporate earnings lifted investor sentiment. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 243.67 points, or 0.87 percent, from Thursday to close the day at 28,175.87, marking its highest closing level since June 9. The broader Topix index, meanwhile, added 16.44 points, or 0.85 percent, to finish at 1,947.17. Dealers here said the Nikkei closed above the psychologically important 28,000 line for the first time in almost two months, driven by solid earnings reports released a day earlier. "Japanese stocks were buoyed by the release Thursday of stronger-than-expected earnings from domestic companies, helping the Nikkei to end above the 28,000 line after a few recent unsuccessful attempts," Chihiro Ota at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. was quoted as saying. Sentiment was also buoyed by a drop in crude oil prices, which lifted hopes for lower raw material costs, along with a rise in U.S. stock futures, strategists here also said. "Investor sentiment improved on expectations of lower raw material costs for Japanese firms," Masahiro Ichikawa, chief market strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Co., was quoted as saying. Strategists here also said that investors were keenly eyeing key U. S. jobs data due out later in the day for clues as to the future direction of the U.S. Federal Reserve's aggressive monetary policy, amid continued concerns over the health of the U.S. economy. By the close of play, iron and steel, food, and metal product-linked issues comprised those that gained the most, and issues that rose outpaced those that fell by 1,359 to 418 on the Prime Market, while 61 ended the day unchanged. Technology issues followed their U.S. peers higher overnight, with Screen Holdings climbing 2.6 percent, while Tokyo Electron gained 2.8 percent. Advantest, meanwhile, leapt 3.1 percent by the close. Nikkei heavyweight Fast Retailing, owner of the Uniqlo clothing store chain, helped lift the broader market, rising 1.3 percent. Kikkoman Corp. and Nippon Steel surged 9.2 percent and 8.3 percent respectively, and were among the Nikkei's top performers after reporting solid earnings and profits that beat market expectations. Konami Group Corp. weighed on the market, however, and was the Nikkei's biggest loser, dropping 3.9 percent, after reporting disappointing profits. On the Prime Market on Friday, 1,212.46 million shares changed hands, dropping from Thursday's volume of 1,295.40 million shares. The turnover on the final trading day of the year came to 2,871.66 billion Yen. United Nations, United States, Aug 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Aug, 2022 ) :The Malian army and "white-skinned soldiers" were involved in the deaths of 33 civilians, according to an expert report to the UN seen by AFP Friday. The bodies of 29 Mauritanians and four Malians were found near the village of Robinet El Ataye in the Segou region, where 33 civilians had been beaten and taken away on March 5, a Panel of Experts on Mali said in a report to the UN Security Council late last month. A diplomatic source in New York told AFP that the white soldiers were paramilitaries of Russia's Wagner group. The civilians' disappearance stoked friction between Mali and Mauritania at the time. Nouakchott accused the Malian army of "recurrent criminal acts" against Mauritanian citizens in the border region. Bamako said there was no proof its army was involved. The two countries in mid-March launched a joint investigation but its results had not yet been published as of early August. Western countries say Russian paramilitaries in Mali are mercenaries from the controversial Wagner group while Bamako describes them as "instructors" for its security forces. - 'Screams' - At 8:30 am on March 5, a "group of 'white-skinned soldiers' arrived in Robinet El Ataye", a village whose well was frequently used by Malian and Mauritanian herders, the report said. "The soldiers proceeded to round up the adult men, including older boys, tied their hands behind their backs and blindfolded them," the report said. "The women and children were told to go into their homes and not to watch." The soldiers raided the houses in the village of jewelry, mobile phones and other possessions, according to the report. It said a group of soldiers from the Malian army arrived at 11:00 am and began beating the men with their herding sticks. "The women could not leave their homes as there were soldiers blocking the doors," it said. "They could only hear the screams of the men as they were being beaten." The Malian soldiers then released some of the younger men and carried off "thirty-three or thirty-four" others, including twenty-nine Mauritanians and four Tuareg Malians. The "white-skinned soldiers" left several hours after the beatings began. The bodies of the men were found four kilometres (two and a half miles) away the next day. They had been "shot and then burnt", according to the report. An eye witness claimed the bodies were covered by "a dark substance which could not be identified". - 'Pattern' - The expert panel said it was unable to visit the site of the incident but had collected "several testimonials" on Malian army operations in the region this year. It said it had unconvered a "similar pattern of pillage and beatings" in five other locations, though not civilian killings. Two other operations the panel investigated involved the presence of "white-skinned soldiers", according to testimonies. The military court in Bamako has also said it will probe the incident. The Malian army has conducted numerous military operations to "hunt down" jihadist groups in the Segou and Mopti regions of central Mali since the beginning of the year. Its soldiers have been accused of abuses on several occasions by NGOs. In March, the army massacred about 300 people by summary execution in Moura in central Mali, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). The government soldiers were accompanied by foreigners identified by several sources as Russians. The Malian authorities have said they will investigate events there. The Sahel country is also in the grip of political upheaval following military coups in August 2020 and May 2021. Today's Department of Justice (DOJ) announcement marks a much needed step towards holding four current and former Louisville Metro Police Department officers accountable for the 2020 killing of Breonna Taylor during a botched raid. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced: "The Justice Department has charged four current and former Louisville Metro Police Department officers with federal crimes related to Ms. Taylor's death. Those alleged crimes include civil rights offences, unlawful conspiracies, unconstitutional use of force, and obstruction offences. The four defendants were charged through two separate indictments and one information. The DOJ press release details the charges as: The first indictment charges former Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) Detective Joshua Jaynes, 40, and current LMPD Sergeant Kyle Meany, 35, with federal civil rights and obstruction offenses for their roles in preparing and approving a false search warrant affidavit that resulted in Taylor's death. The second indictment charges former LMPD Detective Brett Hankison, 46, with civil rights offenses for firing his service weapon into Taylor's apartment through a covered window and covered glass door. The third charging document an information filed by the Department of Justice charges LMPD Detective Kelly Goodlett with conspiring with Jaynes to falsify the search warrant for Taylor's home and to cover up their actions afterward. The first indictment charging Jaynes and Meany in connection with the allegedly false warrant contains four counts. Count One charges that Jaynes and Meany, while acting in their official capacities as officers, willfully deprived Taylor of her constitutional rights by drafting and approving a false affidavit to obtain a search warrant for Taylor's home. The indictment alleges that Jaynes and Meany knew that the affidavit contained false and misleading statements, omitted material facts, relied on stale information, and was not supported by probable cause. The indictment also alleges that Jaynes and Meany knew that the execution of the search warrant would be carried out by armed LMPD officers, and could create a dangerous situation both for those officers and for anyone who happened to be in Taylor's home. According to the charges, the officers tasked with executing the warrant were not involved in drafting the warrant affidavit and were not aware that it was false. This count alleges that the offense resulted in Taylor's death. Count Two charges Jaynes with conspiracy, for agreeing with another detective to cover up the false warrant affidavit after Taylor's death by drafting a false investigative letter and making false statements to criminal investigators. Count Three charges Jaynes with falsifying a report with the intent to impede a criminal investigation into Taylor's death. Count Four charges Meany with making a false statement to federal investigators. The second indictment against Hankison includes two civil rights charges alleging that Hankison willfully used unconstitutionally excessive force, while acting in his official capacity as an officer, when he fired his service weapon into Taylor's apartment through a covered window and covered glass door. Count One charges him with depriving Taylor and a person staying with Taylor in her apartment of their constitutional rights by firing shots through a bedroom window that was covered with blinds and a blackout curtain. Count Two charges Hankison with depriving three of Taylor's neighbors of their constitutional rights by firing shots through a sliding glass door that was covered with blinds and a curtain; the indictment alleges that several of Hankison's bullets traveled through the wall of Taylor's home and into the apartment unit occupied by her neighbors. Both counts allege that Hankison used a dangerous weapon, and that his conduct involved an attempt to kill. The information charging Goodlett with conspiracy contains one count. It charges Goodlett with conspiring with Jaynes to falsify the warrant affidavit for Taylor's home, and file a false report to cover up the false affidavit. All of the civil rights charges involve alleged violations of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242, which makes it a crime for an official acting under color of law meaning an official who is using or abusing authority given to that person by the government to willfully violate a person's constitutional rights. A violation of this statute carries a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment where the violation results in death or involves an attempt to kill. The obstruction counts charged in the indictments carry a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years; and the conspiracy counts carry a statutory maximum sentence of five years, as does the false-statements charge. Actual sentences, in case of conviction, are determined by a judge. The charges announced today are separate from the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division's pattern or practice investigation into Louisville Metro Government and the Louisville Metro Police Department, which Attorney General Garland announced on April 26, 2021. The charges announced today are criminal against individual officers, while the ongoing pattern or practice investigation is a civil investigation that is examining allegations of systemic violations of the Constitution and federal law by LMPD and Louisville Metro. The civil pattern or practice investigation is being handled independently from the criminal case by a different team of career staff. The charges announced today are also separate from the charges previously filed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky against Hankison related to the shooting at Taylor's home. The federal charges allege violations of the U.S. Constitution, rather than of state law. The federal charges also allege excessive use of force with respect to Taylor and a person staying in her apartment; violations not included in the Commonwealth's case. These federal cases were investigated by the FBI Louisville Field Office. Trial Attorneys Michael J. Songer and Anna Gotfryd of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the cases with Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Dembo of the Eastern District of Kentucky. (@FahadShabbir) ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Aug, 2022 ) :Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his Korean counterpart Jin Park on Friday expressed their resolve to further strengthen cooperation and dialogue on the entire spectrum of bilateral relations. The two sides noted the growing economic and development cooperation between Pakistan and Republic of Korea.Both foreign ministers stated this in a meeting on the sidelines of the 29th ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial Meeting in Phnom Penh, foreign office said in a press release. The two foreign ministers reviewed the state of relations between Pakistan and the Republic of Korea and agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and dialogue. They also exchanged views on the global and regional situation and identified areas of convergence.Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari underscored that Pakistan valued its relations with Republic of Korea and its role as a key member of the ASEAN Regional Forum.Noting the importance of regular high-level interaction, the two foreign ministers agreed to remain in close contact to maintain the momentum in bilateral relations. (@ChaudhryMAli88) The head of Chad's ruling junta Friday flew off to Qatar to seal a possible peace deal with rebels, a key step in plans to restore civilian rule, the presidency's website said N'Djamena, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Aug, 2022 ) :The head of Chad's ruling junta Friday flew off to Qatar to seal a possible peace deal with rebels, a key step in plans to restore civilian rule, the presidency's website said. General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno's plane took off from N'Djamena airport at around 1230 GMT, an AFP journalist said. Earlier, diplomats and negotiators in Doha said Deby and opposition groups would sign an accord on Monday, opening the way for the rebels to attend a "national inclusive dialogue" on Chad's future. Deby has been in power since April 2021, when his father, veteran president Idriss Deby Itno, was killed in an operation against insurgents in northern Chad. He has promised to stage elections within an 18-month timeframe. The ballot would follow a "dialogue" gathering representatives across Chadian society, including its political opposition and constellation of rebel groups. The forum was initially scheduled to start on February 15 but was postponed to May 10 and then again to August 20. It has been persistently delayed by discord among the dozens of rebel groups locked in talks with the government. Qatar has been playing the role of mediator in the parlay, which began in March. On the table is a government plan for a ceasefire and guarantees of security for rebel leaders who attend the forum. On Friday, a senior diplomatic source in Doha said "the signature will be on Monday". The source spoke on condition of anonymity as no official announcement had been made by the Qatari government. A deeply poor country in the heart of the Sahel, Chad has had little stability since gaining independence from France in 1960. Armed rebels are a major factor in the volatility, traditionally posing a threat to the government from havens in the north of the country. The main armed opposition Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) has not yet announced whether it will sign the accord. FACT fighters were among rebels battling the senior Deby when he was killed last year after an iron-fisted reign lasting 30 years. According to a decree signed Thursday by Prime Minister Albert Pahimi Padacke, more than 1,300 representatives of rebel groups, civil society, trade unions and government officials will attend the talks in the Chadian capital. The 18-month timeframe set by Deby runs out in October, which leaves little time to prepare for elections in the vast arid country. The junta has given itself the option of extending the deadline but faces pressure from France, the European Union and African Union not to do so. Chiara Cardoletti, UNHCR's representative to Italy, the Holy See and San Marino, speaks on the plight of refugees in Sudans Um Rakuba and Tunaybah fields camps, and invites the international community to work toward peace to reduce the refugee crisis in the horn of Africa. By Vatican News staff reporter To bring aid to refugees who are forcibly displaced or fleeing situations of conflict in the horn of Africa is the aim of the joint mission to Sudan of Chiara Cardoletti, Representative to Italy, the Holy See and San Marino for UNHCR - the United Nations Refugee Agency, and Luigi Maria Vignali, the Italian Foreign Ministry Director-General for migration Policy. The 2 -5 August visit saw the delegation visit the Um Rakuba and Tunaybah fields in the northeastern African country in order to understand what the needs are at the moment, and see how they can best be met explained Cardoletti in an interview with Vatican News. Sudan currently hosts 1.14 million refugees, including 50,000 fleeing the conflict in northern Ethiopias Tigray region, which began in November 2020. The refugees camps Cardoletti highlights that a lot of work has gone into making the camps into almost semi-villages so that people fleeing conflict situations can live and maintain their dignity for as long as they cannot return home. Some of this work includes setting up housing arrangements that are environmentally friendly, providing clean drinking water and other sanitation facilities, among others. She adds that there has also been a lot of support for the refugees, especially the women and children, as well as dedicated programs to help them overcome some of the difficult experiences they have gone through. Food security and education However, the UNHCR representative expresses concern that with dwindling resources, certain needs are becoming more visible. She highlights there is a concern about food security in the camps. In fact, some refugees told her that food rations had been halved in the past few weeks, further complicating a context where refugees are practically living in encampment situations and where work is not easily found. Another concern is how to ensure a future and hope for the youths. She says that the camps have well established elementary schools and learning programs, but notes that more work needs to be done to provide secondary education. Refugee crisis in the horn of Africa The East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region is host to about 4.95 million refugees and asylum seekers, as at the end of June 2022, according to the United Nations. Of this number, the majority are from South Sudan (2.35 million) while 12.83 million are internally displaced persons mostly from Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Burundi. Several factors, including changing climatic conditions, poor rainfall patters and conflict including in Ethiopias Tigray region - have greatly contributed to the human displacement and refugee crisis in this region. In the face of this, Cardoletti acknowledges the gesture of governments who have opened their doors to welcome refugees and asylum seekers, and highlights the UNHCRs commitment to provide assistance to these governments in their efforts. She also stresses the need to put in place policies that ensure the protection of women and children who are often more vulnerable in these situations. Appeal to the international community Reflecting on the visit, Cardoletti calls on the international community to work towards resolving the conflicts that exacerbate the refugee crisis. We are increasingly living a world that is producing more refugees than the world can take care of, she laments. She also notes that since the start of the war in Ukraine in February, a lot of resources have been directed towards the Ukrainian emergency, with the effect of creating inadequate funding for a lot of the operations in Africa. We cannot forget that we have millions of refugees in Africa, she says. And we need to make sure that we continue to support this refugee situation for as long as people are not able to return to their homes. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that China's military exercises aimed at Taiwan, including missiles fired into Japan's exclusive economic zone, represent a significant escalation and that he has urged Beijing to back down. China launched the drills following a visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan that infuriated Beijing, which claims the self-governed island as its own territory. Blinken told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Cambodia, however, that Pelosi's visit was peaceful and did not represent a change in American policy toward Taiwan, accusing China of using it as a "pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait." He said the situation had led to a vigorous communication during East Asia Summit meetings in Phnom Penh in which both he and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi took part along with the ASEAN nations, Russia and others. I reiterated the points that we made publicly as well as directly to Chinese counterparts in recent days, again, about the fact that they should not use the visit as a pretext for war, escalation, for provocative actions, that there is no possible justification for what theyve done and urge them to cease these actions, he said. Blinken did not sit down one-on-one with Wang but said he had spoken with the Chinese foreign minister already about the possibility of a Pelosi visit to Taiwan before it had taken place during meetings in Bali, and had made the U.S. position clear. China on Friday announced unspecified sanctions on Pelosi for her visit. A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said she had disregarded Chinas concerns and resolute opposition to her trip. Pelosi received a euphoric welcome as the first U.S. House speaker, and highest ranking U.S. official, to visit Taiwan in more than 25 years. China opposes any engagement by Taiwanese officials with foreign governments, and has accused the U.S. of breaking the status quo with the Pelosi visit. The U.S. insists there has been no change to its one-China position of recognizing the government in Beijing, while allowing for informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. Despite the aggressive Chinese reaction to the visit, Blinken said the U.S. would also not change its commitment to the security of our allies in the region, and that the Defense Department had ordered the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier group to remain on station in the general area to monitor the situation. We will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, he said. We'll continue to conduct standard air and maritime transits through the Taiwan Strait, consistent with our long-standing approach to working with allies and partners to uphold freedom of navigation and overflight. As the East Asia Summit opened, Wang patted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the shoulder as he entered the room and gave the already-seated Lavrov a quick wave before taking his own seat. Lavrov waved back in response. Blinken, who entered the room last, did not even glance at Lavrov as he took his own seat about a half dozen chairs away, or at Wang who was seated farther down the same table as Lavrov. Ahead of the Phnom Penh talks, the U.S. State Department indicated Blinken had no plans to meet one-on-one with either man during the course of the meetings. Following the meetings, Lavrov told reporters there had been a lot of fiery statements about the aftermath of the Pelosi visit. There have been rather sharp statements from our Chinese partners, who we support," he told reporters. "And there have been responses from the U.S. and Japan that its not Chinas business and that the declared policy of supporting the one-China principle doesnt mean one has to ask Beijing for permission to visit Taiwan. Surely, its a weird logic. The talks came a day after WNBA star Brittney Griner was convicted of drug possession and sentenced to nine years in prison by Russia in a politically charged case amid antagonisms over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Blinken said the conviction and sentence compounds the injustice that has been done to her. It puts a spotlight on our very significant concern with Russias legal system and the Russian governments use of wrongful detentions to advance its own agenda using individuals as political pawns, he said. Blinken has suggested the possibility of a prisoner swap for Griner and another American jailed in Russia, Paul Whelan, but Lavrov told reporters that such a deal could only be decided upon by Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden. Were ready to discuss this topic, but to discuss it within the channel that was agreed on by presidents Putin and Biden, Lavrov said on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting. On Thursday, China canceled a foreign ministers meeting with Japan to protest a statement from the Group of Seven industrialized nations that said there was no justification for Beijing's military exercises, which virtually encircle Taiwan. Japan, together with other member of the G-7 and the EU, made an irresponsible statement accusing China and confounding right and wrong, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in Beijing. When Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa began to speak Friday at the East Asia Summit, both Lavrov and Wang walked out of the room, according to a diplomat in the room who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the private session. In the wake of the Chinese missile launches into Japan's economic zone, Blinken said the U.S. stands in strong solidarity with Japan following the dangerous actions China has taken. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met a Cambodian opposition leader facing treason charges during a visit to Phnom Penh Friday, expressing concern about the kingdom's eroding democracy ahead of elections next year. One of the world's longest-serving leaders, Prime Minister Hun Sen has ruled Cambodia for more than 37 years. In 2018 his party won every seat in a national election. And in June, a Phnom Penh court convicted about 60 opposition figures -- including dual US-Cambodian citizen Theary Seng -- in a mass treason trial that rights groups have condemned as politically motivated. Blinken said he directly expressed concerns about the kingdom's ailing democracy during talks with Hun Sen, while visiting the Cambodian capital for the Association of South East Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers' meeting. Allowing broader participation in the political system would strengthen the country, the secretary of state told reporters Friday. "One of the things that stands in the way of strengthening the relationship between our countries are our concerns about eroding respect for human rights and democratic institutions here in Cambodia," he said. Washington's top diplomat said that earlier Friday he met Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha, who is on trial for treason in a case that has dragged on since January 2020 -- and which could effectively rule him out of next year's national election. During talks with Hun Sen, Blinken also raised the case of Theary Seng. The outspoken lawyer and campaigner was hit with a six-year jail term in June's treason case. Hun Sen and his ruling party have publicly backed the prime minister's eldest son -- currently commander of the army -- to eventually take the reins. Ahead of local elections two months ago, the United Nations Human Rights Office said it was disturbed by reports of opposition obstruction in a "paralysing political environment". Hun Sen's political party later announced a landslide win. PHNOM PENH Editors Note: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sat down for an interview with VOA Khmers Sun Narin at Sokha Hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in the late afternoon of August 5, 2022, after attending the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and meeting with this years rotating ASEAN Chair, Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia. Topics of the interview included U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit this week to Taiwan, the Myanmar crisis, and Cambodias electoral process and controversial Ream Naval Base. The top U.S. diplomat said the United States wants a positive relationship with Cambodia. He emphasized the value of strengthening democracy, noting a truly representative and inclusive national parliamentary election in 2023 would be important for building US-Cambodia ties. Secretary Blinken said Cambodia should be transparent about the use of its Ream Naval Base. The interview has been edited for clarity. VOA Khmer: Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule. Secretary Blinken: Pleasure. VOA Khmer: Two questions first before we touch on the topics about Cambodia. One is about Taiwan and the other, Myanmar. What do you think about the visit of [US House Speaker] Pelosi to Taiwan and response from China? Secretary Blinken: First, wonderful to be with you. Thank you. Speaker Pelosi is from our legislative branch, which is an independent, co-equal branch of government. And she [has] the right to make that visit as many members of our Congress have visited Taiwan including this year. But regardless of that, China's reaction is so disproportionate and so dangerous, whatever it feels about the visit, launching 11 ballistic missiles, including over Taiwan; sending its ships all around Taiwan. Five of the missiles that it launched landed near Japan. And I think what you're hearing from countries throughout the region, including ASEAN which put out a statement, is real concern about how destabilizing and dangerous these actions can be. So I think its very important to act responsibly. The United States is not going to engage in any provocative actions of our own. We think the seas should be calmed. The Taiwan Strait is of vital importance to virtually every country in the region. So much commerce goes through there. If that were interrupted, it would have a terrible impact on the global economy and on everyone's desire to recover from Covid. So I think it's incumbent upon all countries, the United States, but also China, to act responsibly and not use the visit of a member of our Congress as a pretext for engaging in potentially dangerous and destabilizing actions. VOA Khmer: In Myanmar we see the situation worsening. Secretary Blinken: That's right. VOA Khmer: Will the U.S. pose any economic sanctions on the junta, including on the oil and gas enterprises? Secretary Blinken: Well, I think what we've seen, exactly as you say, is a situation that's gone from bad to worse, including with the heinous act of executing four members of the democracy movement despite the pleas from ASEAN, from Cambodia, from many others not to do that. And I think what we're seeing is that the regime is totally unresponsive to every effort to resolve the crisis that was created with the coup. And there's an effort by ASEAN over many months to implement the five-point consensus that the regime in Myanmar signed on to, but has been totally unwilling to implement: stopping the violence, freeing the prisoners, putting Myanmar back on the path to democracy. So given that, we think that countries have to look for ways to put more pressure on the regime: economic pressure, political pressure. They should engage with all of the representatives of the people of Myanmar, including the National Unity Government. We have to press the regime to allow humanitarian assistance to reach people in Myanmar. And we should look at ways to make sure that weapons don't get to the regime. So we'll look at everything, including additional forms of economic pressure and sanctions. Show more Show less Amid soaring tensions over China's military drills in the Taiwan Strait, VOA's Khmer Service Reporter Sun Narin interviewed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Friday. Blinken told VOA that China's reaction to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan this week is "disproportionate and dangerous. He said the United States will not respond with any provocative actions of its own. Blinken also discussed ways to address the worsening situation in Myanmar, including possible additional sanctions. Blinken said the U.S. wants a positive relationship with Cambodia, and that he discussed the importance of strengthening democracy in the country with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, with elections set for next year. Xiaoliuqiu is the kind of tiny laid-back tropical island no visitor wants to leave. Soul-healing scenery, scrumptious seafood, clear waters for cozying up with green sea turtles and these days, Chinese naval vessels. Controlled by Taiwan, the isle is a swimmable 9.5 kilometers from the seas where China is conducting live-fire exercises in response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit this week visit to the self-governing island. China, which views Taiwan as a breakaway province, responded fiercely to Pelosi's latest challenge to Beijing's record on human rights and democracy. Yet as a tense world watches these latitudes, on the island, "It seems everything's pretty much normal in terms of the local attitude," said John Eastwood, an American lawyer who was vacationing on the island close to the Chinese mainland, on Thursday. According to Taiwan's Defense Ministry, China on Thursday fired "multiple Dongfeng series ballistic missiles." The ministry went on to describe the launches as "irrational actions that undermine regional peace." Meanwhile, back on Xiaoliuqiu: "Everyone seems to have a pretty good attitude," Eastwood told VOA Mandarin Thursday via Teams video. Eastwood, who has lived and worked in Taiwan for 22 years, said Xiaoliuqiu restaurants are open and people are kayaking, scuba diving and stand-up paddleboarding. "All the watersports activities are still going on, and people are behaving like normal," he said. His hotel faces the waters where China was conducting drills. On Thursday morning, he spotted only a little fishing boat. But "by noon, which was around the time that China was supposed to start the exercises, we counted about 13 ships that appeared out on the horizon. They appeared to be motionless, which indicated that they would be vessels monitoring or watching what's going on," he said. On Friday, China's military activated more than 100 planes and more than 10 warships for its largest-ever live-fire drills. State media CGTN quoted Meng Xiangqing, a professor at the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army, as saying, "The exercises were far more intense and deterrent than ever before." The drill has forced a number of commercial vessels to reroute. Lloyd's List Intelligence reported Thursday that about 240 merchant ships would have to find alternative routes to their destinations. China's ballistic missile launches, which the U.S. called an "overreaction," ruffled Xiaoliuqiu's calm. "People worry there can be a mechanical failure of some sort that results in a warhead landing," Eastwood told VOA Mandarin. China's retaliatory restrictions on trade are expected to hit Taiwan's fruit and seafood industries. Despite these measures, Eastwood said most Taiwanese people still supported Pelosi's visit. "It seems pretty clear that Nancy Pelosi has just got herself about 24 million huge fans," Eastwood said. The U.N. estimated Taiwan's population was at 23,893,751 on July 1, according to the World Population Review. The Taiwanese people treasure their democracy, Eastwood said. "This is something they earned the hard way at the cost of tens of thousands of lives during the White Terror period in which a large number of people were imprisoned and executed." The White Terror that began in 1947 was four decades of rule over Taiwan by the Kuomintang, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party, after it was defeated by the communists in mainland China. Dissidents were arrested, interrogated and executed by Kuomintang intelligence agencies, according to Taiwan's National Human Rights Museum. Estimates of the number of civilians killed in the crackdown range from 2,000 to more than 25,000, according to experts. Taiwan remained a single-party state until democratic reforms in the 1980s, which led to the first direct presidential election in 1996. Eastwood hopes for a quick return to normal when, "at Songshan Airport in Taipei, there were flights basically taking off every half hour for a different city in China. People were doing businesses together and productive things together, they were making value together," he said. "That's a good thing to go to rather than setting up a blockade." Some Ukrainian refugees in Los Angeles were allowed to live in student dorms over the summer. But with the start of the school year just a couple of weeks away, theyre not sure what will happen to them. VOA Russian visited a dorm at the University of Southern California and spoke with refugees who are facing new hardships. Anna Rice narrates the story. Camera: Vazgen Varzhabetian The US Army is designing a tactical bra that will be its first official uniform bra in the military branch's history. Now in refinement at the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Solider Center, the prototyping team there will present their proposed Army Tactical Brassiere (ATB) to the Army Uniform Board for approval later this year. From Army Alt Magazine: ATB development began with seeking input from female Soldiers on what type of functionality and preferences should be considered during initial prototype design. Given that the ATB is a tactical rather than sportswear item, it will need to integrate well with equipment and body armor, providing enhanced protection and performance in addition to an ideal fit. This means that designers are evaluating options such as the inclusion of flame-retardant fabrics and expertly layered compression, structural and protective materials while also taking into account the importance of accurate sizing, reliable comfort, moisture management and breathability. "The overall goal is to produce garments that not only protect the user, but reduce the cognitive burden on the female Soldier caused by discomfort and ill fit," said Ashley Cushon, clothing designer and project lead for the ATB at the DEVCOM Soldier Center. "Achieving this will improve the Soldier's overall readiness and performance levels, allowing them to focus on their mission," she explained[] The effort serves as a complement to other, ongoing efforts to provide military uniform options that fit Soldiers of all body types, including those who are pregnant or nursing. For example, the Soldier Center's Soldier Protection Directorate recently worked with the Marine Corps and Air Force to develop versatile maternity uniforms that help ensure warfighters have access to military garments that fit well and are functional throughout pregnancy. Southeast Asian ministers Friday condemned the lack of progress on a crisis resolution plan for coup-hit Myanmar, demanding the junta take action before a regional summit later this year. Myanmar has been in chaos since a putsch in February last year, and the death toll from the military's brutal crackdown on dissent has passed 2,100, according to a local monitoring group. Anger is growing among some Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members at the generals' stonewalling, particularly after the execution last month of four prisoners -- including two prominent pro-democracy figures. The 10-member bloc -- spearheading so far fruitless efforts to resolve the turmoil -- issued a joint statement after foreign minister talks in Phnom Penh. The ministers said they were "deeply disappointed by the limited progress in and lack of commitment of the Naypyidaw authorities to the timely and complete implementation of the five point consensus". And in a veiled warning to Myanmar's junta, the statement -- referencing Article 20 of the ASEAN charter -- noted the leaders' meeting later this year could still take action over "non-compliance". ASEAN decisions are usually taken by consensus, but Article 20 allows a summit to override this principle. Myanmar's top diplomat, Wunna Maung Lwin, was not invited to Phnom Penh and was also left out of a foreign ministers' retreat in February, while junta leader Min Aung Hlaing was snubbed at a leaders summit last year. The foreign ministers also condemned last month's executions of Phyo Zeya Thaw, a rapper-turned-lawmaker from ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, and veteran political activist Kyaw Min Yu, better known as "Jimmy". Earlier in the week, Malaysia -- which has led calls for tougher action -- indicated that Myanmar could face suspension from the bloc, should members not see concrete progress ahead of the leaders summit. ASEAN has long been derided by critics as a toothless talking shop, but in addition to Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore have pushed for a firmer line on Myanmar. Friday's statement said ASEAN's special envoy to Myanmar must be allowed to meet with "all relevant stakeholders" -- alluding to the military junta's decision to block access to the detained Suu Kyi. The Nobel laureate and democracy icon faces a raft of charges that could see her jailed for more than 150 years. The difficulty of reaching an ASEAN consensus was acknowledged by visiting EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who was in town for the regional talks. But he emphasized the "Myanmar situation requires bolder, stronger actions". "It is clear that the junta is not listening," he said, labelling the recent executions "a clear provocation". Taiwan tensions The latest communique did not specifically mention this week's spat between China and the United States following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. A furious Beijing kicked off its biggest-ever military exercises in waters surrounding the self-ruled island in response to the visit on Thursday. But the ASEAN foreign ministers warned against "provocative action". The situation "could lead to miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers", they said in a joint statement published Thursday. On Friday, the ministers also held regional security talks with their counterparts from the US, China, Russia, Japan and Australia at the East Asia Summit. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reaffirmed Canberras commitment to maintaining the "status quo" with Taiwan as China launches "targeted military operations" in response to a visit by the U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Friday that Australia seeks cooperation and positive relations with China where we can, but he added that Canberra would stand up for Australian values and national interests. His comments follow a turbulent week in the Indo-Pacific. The visit to Taiwan by senior U.S. Democrat Pelosi has infuriated China, which regards the island as its territory that it could take back by force, if necessary. In response, Beijing has this week launched targeted military operations near Taiwan. Australia has urged restraint and has warned that Chinas actions could lead to accidental conflict. Opposition lawmaker Senator James Paterson condemned Beijings military drills, insisting that it was a grossly disproportionate response to fire ballistic missiles into the territorial waters of your neighbors in response to a congressional delegation. Regional tensions have coincided with the unveiling Wednesday of Australias first strategic review of its military capabilities in a decade. The government-led review will assess the Australian Defense Forces structure, posture and preparedness over the next 10 years. Albanese said the country must be able to contend with a changing security outlook. The context in which this review takes place is well known, he said. We live in an era where there is 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. We do not want to see any unilateral change to the status quo and will continue to work with partners to promote peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Australias center-left government, elected in May after almost a decade in opposition, is seeking to reboot relations with China, which have deteriorated in recent years. There have been disagreements over Chinas territorial claims in the Indo-Pacific region, democracy in Hong Kong and the alleged mistreatment of its Muslim minority. Chinas trade and security ambitions in the South Pacific have also caused alarm in Australia. There have also been other trade and political disputes. Canberras call for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19, which was first detected in China, angered Beijing. It interpreted Australias demand as criticism of its handling of the virus, and consequently relations have sunk to all-time lows. China is Australias biggest trading partner, while the United States is Canberras most important security ally. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will visit Canberra on Monday for talks with senior government officials. Sherman will also visit Samoa, Tonga, the Solomon Islands and New Zealand over the next week as Washington turns its diplomatic focus to the region. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will launch a three-country tour of Africa on Sunday in South Africa. He is expected to deliver a major speech laying out the Biden administration's strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa. Experts tell VOA that human rights concerns will likely be high on the agenda. VOA's Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports. Cameroonian separatists have rejected the prime minister's declaration that their fight for independence has been largely crushed. Joseph Dion Ngute said federal troops have brought peace to conflict areas, and said life is returning to normal. But analysts say it's too early to declare victory and rebels have vowed to keep fighting to carve out an English-speaking state from Francophone-majority Cameroon. Ngute said fighters are losing in their attempt to set up an independent state in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon. "Schools in most of our towns and in many suburbs have gone operational. Fresh vegetables, fresh ground nuts and other food products from the Northwest which had completely disappeared from the markets have returned," he said. "Plantation agriculture has returned to production. Petit trading and transborder trade are thriving. Road transportation is becoming more and more fluid. Life is steadily returning to normalcy." Ngute said Thursday several thousand fighters have surrendered and turned in their weapons, and that hundreds of schools, farms and markets shut down when the separatist conflict began in 2017 are now back in operation. The government says the several hundred remaining fighters have transformed themselves into armed gangs who are disrupting peace and committing grave human rights like rape, kidnapping for ransom and killing innocent civilians. Capo Daniel, the deputy defense chief of the Ambazonia Defense Forces, one of the separatist groups, said Ngutes claim that fighters are losing the battle with Cameroon government troops is unfounded. Daniel said the firepower of fighters has increased since the government organized its "Major National Dialogue aimed at ending the crisis in 2019. "The recommendations of the dialogue did not meet up with the aspirations of our people, which is for complete separation and outright independence of our territory," he said. "The Cameroon prime minister should be reminded that our forces are increasing and are well disciplined." Daniel said he would not disclose the number of active separatist fighters but said less than a week ago, 300 were involved in running battles with government troops in Batibo, an English-speaking western district. The military acknowledged that its troops confronted several hundred fighters in Batibo. Cameroon says among the recommendations of the national dialogue that are bringing peace are the creation of regional assemblies and regional councils for the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions. Each of the two regions has an elected president, vice president and secretaries, the government says. Cameroon says a commission to promote bilingualism is making sure that the same status is given to English and French languages to reduce domination by the French-speaking majority. But Njume Peter Ambang a lawmaker from Cameroon's restive Southwest region, said not much has changed since the dialogue, and thousands of civilians are reluctant to return to English-speaking towns and villages because threats and suffering have not gone away. "The little ones cannot go to school," he said on Cameroon state broadcaster CRTV. "The killings have been too much. Poverty has reached a certain level where it is so difficult for some families to even put a square meal on the table. The villages are virtually empty. Some projects have not been executed." He said projects that the government cannot carry out because fighters attack and kill workers include the construction of roads and some public buildings. The United Nations says Cameroons five-year-old separatist conflict has killed at least 3,300 people and forced more than 750,000 to flee their homes. China sent more warplanes and ships across the sensitive median line in the Taiwan Strait Friday, according to Taiwanese defense officials, who warned Beijing is jeopardizing the status quo of the strategic waterway. The Peoples Liberation Army sent 68 aircraft and 13 vessels for the activities around the Taiwan Strait, part of which had crossed the median line and jeopardized the status quo of the strait, said Taiwans defense ministry. It is the second consecutive day Chinese planes and ships have crossed the median line, the de facto sea border between China and Taiwan. China has declared four days of military exercises in six designated zones surrounding the island, as part of a response to a Taiwan visit this week by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The drills are raising fears of a miscalculation, although, so far, Taiwanese and U.S. officials say they have no desire to escalate the situation. On Friday, the Chinese military held air and sea combat drills to the north, southwest and east of Taiwan, according to a social media post by the Eastern Theater Command of the Peoples Liberation Army. A day earlier, China fired at least 11 missiles into the waters near Taiwans coast. At least four of the missiles overflew Taiwan, according to Japanese defense officials, in what many defense analysts described as an unprecedented provocation. Five of the missiles landed in Japans exclusive economic zone, prompting firm condemnations by Tokyo. "China's behavior has a serious impact on the peace and stability of the region and also the world, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday after meeting with Pelosi, whose congressional delegation was in Tokyo on the final stop of an Asia tour. China is furious over Pelosis visit, which was meant to express solidarity with Taiwan, a democratic island of about 24 million people. Despite never having controlled Taiwan, Chinas Communist Party insists the island is a Chinese province, and has vowed to take it, by force, if necessary. On Friday, Chinas foreign ministry announced unspecified sanctions against Pelosi and her immediate family, accusing the lawmaker of seriously interfering in Chinas internal affairs. Chinas foreign ministry also announced Friday that Beijing would end cooperation with the United States in several areas, including dialogue between senior military officials and climate talks. Late Thursday, the White House summoned Qin Gang, Chinas ambassador to the United States, to condemn Beijings actions toward Taiwan, The Washington Post reported. We condemned the PRCs military actions, which are irresponsible and at odds with our long-standing goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, read a White House statement obtained by the paper. New normal? In China, some state-controlled media have characterized the drills as a rehearsal for invasion and a demonstration that Beijing can impose a blockade on the island. A key question is how long the Chinese drills last, and whether such provocations will continue in the coming weeks and months. It's a sort of well-documented thing that Beijing will use the opportunity of a crisis to advance other objectives and to create a new normal in a dispute, said Amanda Hsiao, a senior Taipei-based analyst at the International Crisis Group. Particularly the increased military activity around the Taiwan Strait median line I think it is very much for the purposes of expanding and regularizing its presence further into the Taiwan Strait, she said. That sort of activity may well endure past the announced exercise time frame. If China were to regularize its military presence closer to Taiwan, it would increase the chance of miscalculations and may result in less strategic space for Taiwans military to maneuver, analysts warn. Taiwans military has said its forces continue to have freedom of movement and monitor for any incursions, points out Derek Grossman, a senior analyst who focuses on Asia at the Rand Corporation, a policy research organization. If there really is a problem youre going to know about it, because they are going to be blinking red for support from the United States in particular, but also Japan and Australia and anyone else willing to help. Theyre not going to be bashful about calling in for help, he said. Grossman also points out that Chinas military has put a time frame on the military exercises a sign that at least some of the provocations may soon cease. I think it is good practice for a blockade but its not a blockade thats going to be open-ended in time frame," he said. Its important to bookend when this ends, because if you dont then everyones going to be really nervous and it could spiral out of control." Much depends on the response of the U.S. military, which maintains a regular presence in the region. On Thursday, U.S. officials said the aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Ronald Reagan will remain in the vicinity to monitor the situation. The U.S. military will also conduct standard air and maritime transits through the Taiwan Strait in the next few weeks, said John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council. However, to reduce tensions, Kirby said the U.S. is postponing a long-planned test of an Air Force Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. In a video address Thursday, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen insisted Taiwanese forces are calm and will not act in haste. We are rational and will not act to provoke. But we will absolutely not back down, Tsai added. Three more ships carrying thousands of tons of corn left Ukrainian ports Friday in a sign that a deal to allow exports of Ukrainian grain held up since Russias invasion of its neighbor in February is starting to work. The three ships departed for Ireland, the United Kingdom and Turkey. Another ship, the Razoni, left on Monday from Ukraine bound for Lebanon carrying the first grain shipment through the Black Sea since the start of the war. In New York Friday, United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said another ship is headed toward the Ukrainian port of Chonomorsk to pick up a grain shipment. The U.N. and Turkey recently brokered a deal, the Black Sea Grain Initiative, aimed at enabling Ukraine to export about 22 million metric tons of grain currently stuck in silos and port storage facilities. The deal is meant to ease a global food crisis marked by soaring prices and food shortages in some regions. Ukraine and Russia are key global suppliers of wheat, corn, barley and sunflower oil that millions of people in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia rely on for survival. In another hopeful sign, Ukraines first deputy minister of agriculture said the country could start exporting wheat from this year's harvest through its seaports as early as next month. According to Reuters, Ukraine hopes in several months to increase shipments of grain through the route to between 3 million and 3.5 million metric tons per month from 1 million metric tons expected in August, the official, Taras Vysotsky, said. The initiative will run for a 120 day-period that ends in late November. There is a backlog of nearly 30 ships that have been stranded in Ukraines southern ports as a result of the war now in its sixth month. The JCC (Joint Coordination Center) set up under the deal says the ships need to move out so other ships can enter the ports and collect food for transport to world markets, as the Black Sea Grain Initiative envisages. The crew and cargo of the vessels that set sail Friday will undergo checks when they arrive at the JCC inspection area in Turkeys territorial waters before moving on toward their destinations. The JCC says that, based on its experience with the first ship that sailed Monday, it is now testing moving multiple ships in the safe corridor, both outbound and inbound. Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Russia on Friday for talks with President Vladimir Putin that are expected to focus on the grain deal, prospects for talks on ending hostilities in Ukraine, and the situation in Syria. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blasted human rights group Amnesty International for a report that said Ukrainian forces have put civilians in harms way by establishing bases and operating weapons systems in populated residential areas. Zelenskyy said the report unfortunately tries to amnesty the terrorist state and shift the responsibility from the aggressor to the victim. He said, There cannot be, even hypothetically, any condition under which any Russian attack on Ukraine becomes justified. Aggression against our state is unprovoked, invasive and openly terroristic. The head of Amnestys Ukrainian office, Oksana Pokalchuk, also took issue with the report and in posts on Facebook said the Ukrainian office was not involved in the preparation or writing of the report and tried to prevent the material from being published. Amnesty said its researchers investigated Russian strikes in Ukraine between April and July in the Kharkiv, Donbas and Mykolaiv regions. The organization said its researchers found evidence of Ukrainian forces launching strikes from within populated residential areas as well as basing themselves in civilian buildings in 19 towns and villages in the regions. Viable alternatives were available that would not endanger civilians such as military bases or densely wooded areas nearby, or other structures further away from residential areas, Amnesty said. Amnesty said that in the cases it documented, it was not aware that the Ukrainian military who located themselves in civilian structures in residential areas asked or assisted civilians to evacuate nearby buildings a failure to take all feasible precautions to protect civilians. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday the Western military alliance has the joint tasks of supporting Ukraine in its fight against a Russian invasion and preventing the conflict from spreading into a war between Russia and NATO. Speaking to a summer camp in his native Norway, Stoltenberg said NATO has a moral responsibility to support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people who have been subjected to a war of aggression. We are seeing acts of war, attacks on civilians and destruction not seen since World War II, Stoltenberg said, according to a NATO release of his prepared remarks. We cannot be indifferent to this. Stoltenberg said the world will be a more dangerous place if Russian President Vladimir Putin gets what he wants through the use of military force. If Russia wins this war, he will have confirmation that violence works. Then other neighboring countries may be next, he said. The World Health Organization announced that a new wave of dengue fever has been confirmed in Afghanistan with a total of 64 cases being reported between June 12 and July 30 from Nangarhar province. So far, there are no known associated deaths. Of the 64 cases, 47 were female and all cases were found in people above the age of 5 years old. Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease that can have a severe public health impact. There are no specific treatments so the best way to combat the disease is prevention, including proper disposal of solid waste, appropriate use of insecticides, increased community awareness, and careful clinical detection and management of dengue patients. Afghanistan is already battling a mix of complex humanitarian emergencies because of the ongoing conflict, recurrent natural disasters and disease outbreaks, said Dr. Luo Dapeng, WHO Representative in Afghanistan. Although the reported number of dengue cases can still be managed, we need to take urgent action to prevent further spread and minimize its impact on the countrys health system and on the limited number of health workers. The WHO says it is leading the response to the dengue fever outbreak by providing technical support to the health authorities and partners. WHO has distributed 2000 dengue fever rapid tests as well as collaborating with health care workers to conduct a series of capacity building workshops which has targeted over 550 health care workers at different facilities in the Nangarhar province. Afghanistan has seen dengue outbreaks in the past including the first outbreak of dengue fever which was first reported in 2019 in the eastern region of Afghanistan. This outbreak infected 15 people with no reported deaths. In September 2021, the disease returned, infected 775 people and killed one person. A fire broke out in a nightclub in Thailand early Friday, killing at least 13 people and injuring 35, according to officials. The cause of the fire at the Mountain B nightclub in Chonburi province, southeast of of Bangkok, has not yet been determined. The police said all the victims have been identified as Thai nationals, so far. A person who was in the club told CNN that after the fire erupted, the entrance to the club was jammed with people who were trying to flee. The Democratic Republic of Congo opened an auction last week for drilling rights in 30 oil and gas blocks. President Felix Tshisekedi called for companies to bid for the blocks, which are believed to have the potential to produce 22 billion barrels of oil and 66 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Mbong Akiy Fokwa Tsafack, head of communication at Greenpeace Africa, an organization that advocates for environmental issues, said the drilling will destroy people's lives. Exploring for oil in this ecosystem is going to have an immediate and devastating effect on local communities. It will have an effect on their health, pollution of the air and water sources," Tsafack said. "By this, we are not just talking about the destruction of the forest and the lakes that are beautiful. But this is not about the beauty of nature. These are essential biodiversity for the very livelihood of these people." Tshisekedi said modern technology would be used to protect the environment during the drilling. However, environmentalists say some of the oil exploration blocks overlap parts of Congo's most pristine ecosystems and the Virunga National Park, which is home to over 1,000 species of animals and birds. The Congo Basin's peatlands store an estimated 30 billion tons of carbon. Greenpeace says drilling in the area could release 5 billion tons of carbon into the Earth's atmosphere, accelerating global warming. Tsafack said that could have disastrous consequences for Africa. "Unleashing climate crisis will mean more drought, more floods, more heat waves, more extreme weather and, of course, higher food prices for everyone because droughts and floods always mean failed farmlands and which has also had a direct consequence on the food system," Tsafack said. However, there is a growing demand for Africa's fossil fuels and some countries, like the DR Congo, are rushing to benefit from the global scramble for oil and gas. Charles Wanguhu, of the Africa Climate Foundation, said it is too risky for the central African nation to get into the exploration of oil and gas as the world transitions to a low-carbon future. "Congo is at the center of the climate conversation on both sides, so in terms of renewables, it's critically there and it's also in terms of if it's able to benefit from its minerals for the transition," Wanguhu said. "On the oil and gas side, it's still a new area for them. The reality is before you start a project, an oil project and get from exploration to the final investment decision to actual production, it could take many years and that period of time that it will take for them to get there, the market might not be there." Many of the DRC's 90 million people live on less than $2 a day, despite the country's wealth of natural resources like gold, copper and cobalt. Fighting over the resources, especially in the east, has made it difficult for the country to develop industries that provide good-paying jobs. Ethiopia's government has rebuked U.S. and European envoys who visited Tigray rebel leaders this week, accusing them of siding with the rebels. A senior Ethiopian official has accused EU and U.S. diplomats of "indulging" rebels in the northern Tigray region, after the envoys called for the restoration of services to the province. In recent weeks, both the federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) have said they are willing to negotiate an end to the country's civil war, which began in November 2020. Federal officials have said they are ready to start talks immediately and "without preconditions," but the TPLF is insisting that services are restored to Tigray before negotiations commence. Following a visit to Tigray's regional capital, Mekelle, on August 2, U.S. special envoy to the Horn of Africa, Mike Hammer, and his EU counterpart, Anette Weber, called for "unfettered" humanitarian access to Tigray and for the "swift restoration of electricity, telecom, banking and other basic services" in the region. In response, Redwan Hussein, the Ethiopian prime minister's national security adviser, said he was "dismayed" by the envoys' position, saying they "failed to press for equivocal commitment for peace talks" and "indulged in appeasement" toward the TPLF. He also said the issue of humanitarian access has "already been long addressed." In recent months there has been a large increase in aid trucks entering Tigray, but humanitarian agencies say fuel shortages in the region hinder the distribution of supplies. The Tigray conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions more in northern Ethiopia. At a press conference after the U.S. and EU envoys left Mekelle, TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda said his side believes "the only game in town is talking, because its alternative, shooting, will have disastrous consequences." Yet many issues remain unaddressed, including the mediator and venue for talks. The government is pushing for a process mediated by the African Union, while the TPLF has expressed a preference for talks in Nairobi under the auspices of Kenya and the U.S. The MIT Technology Review has a surprisingly fascinating piece about a US Navy veteran who lost his everything below the waist when he stopped on a landmine during a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan in 2010. Over the years, he'd gotten used to his shiny new prosthetic legs, and even came to display them proudly for the everyone to see. But the loss of his penis was a shame that haunted him for eight years until he became the fourth-known person in the world to undergo a fully functioning penis transplant, and the first military veteran to do so. A total of 1,367 American infantrymen sustained significant genital injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2001 and 2013. Such hidden wounds of war represent a relatively new problem. Bombs from below used to be a death sentence, but better body armor and modern casualty care ensure that more wounded soldiers surviveand more of them with devastating genital-urinary trauma. In a report last year, military urologists wrote that groin injuries have increased "to a level never before reported in the history of war." The US Department of Defense recognized the problem as long ago as 2008, when it set up an institute to research various reconstructive transplants. Eventually, the TOUGH ProjectTrauma Outcomes and Urogenital Healthplaced a figure on it: among infantrymen with genital urinary injuries from Iraq and Afghanistan, 502 were injured so severely that a penis transplant might be their only recourse. Quantifying the number of such injuries is easy. Outlining the psychological toll they take on guys in their 20s and 30s is much harder. FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Thursday that he remains worried about the potential for a large-scale attack planned or inspired by al-Qaida despite the killing of its top leader in a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan last weekend. Both al-Qaida and the Islamic State as well as their affiliates "intend to carry out or inspire large-scale attacks in the United States," Wray said during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, a key architect of the attacks of September 11, 2001, was killed during the early Sunday morning strike on a safehouse in central Kabul. Asked if al-Qaida or the Islamic State would strike at the United States if given the opportunity, Wray said, "Oh, yeah!" In the near term, however, al-Qaida, with its leadership degraded, is more likely to focus on "cultivating its international affiliates and supporting small-scale" attacks in regions such as East and West Africa, he said. In his first public remarks about al-Zawahiri's killing, Wray said he was "not surprised but disappointed" that the head of al-Qaida was found hiding in a safehouse allegedly owned by a senior member of the Haqqani Network. Al-Zawahiri, who took over as al-Qaida leader after Osama bin Laden was killed in a U.S. raid in 2011, was on the FBI's Most Wanted List with a $25 million reward for his capture. After the strike, the Biden administration accused the Taliban of violating a 2020 agreement under which the group pledged not to allow any terrorist groups to use Afghan soil to threaten the United States or its allies. Taliban officials said they were unaware of al-Zawahiri's residence in Kabul. Asked by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham whether al-Zawahiri's presence in the Haqqani safehouse suggested the Taliban and al-Qaida continued to enjoy a close relationship, Wray tersely responded: "Nothing good." 'Intelligence gaps' The "over-the-horizon" strike against al-Zawahiri has augmented the view held by some experts and Biden administration officials that the United States can continue to carry out such counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan without maintaining a presence on the ground. Still, Wray said he's worried about the "potential loss of and collection [of intelligence]" in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal in Afghanistan. "So, we're going to have growing intelligence gaps," he said. "And I'm worried about the possibility that well see al-Qaida reconstruct, ISIS-K taking potential advantage of the deteriorating security environment, and Im worried about terrorists, including here in the United States, being inspired by what they see over there," he said. ISIS-K refers to Afghanistans Islamic State affiliate, Islamic State Khorasan. Providing an assessment of national security threats facing the United States, he said the potential dangers have never been "greater or more diverse." The greatest threat emanates from "lone actors or small cells" who tend to radicalize online and attack soft targets, he said. The FBI divides the domestic threats into two buckets: domestic violent extremists such as violent white supremacists and homegrown violent extremists such as ISIS-inspired jihadis. Wray confirmed that the FBI is investigating a number of Afghan refugees who were airlifted to the United States last year despite security concerns. The refugees were part of the more than 80,000 Afghan evacuees moved to the United States following the Taliban takeover last August. In a report in February, the Defense Department's inspector general faulted the National Counter-Terrorism Center for not fully vetting the evacuees, allowing at least 50 Afghans with "potentially significant security concerns" to enter the country. Republican Senator Josh Hawley said a whistleblower recently came forward to claim that as many as 324 Afghans had been admitted into the United States despite appearing on a Defense Department watchlist. "This is a watchlist that identifies folks whose biometrics have been collected and determined to be threats or potential threats to national security, including known suspected terrorists," Hawley said. Asked if the Defense or Homeland Security departments had communicated the new figure to the FBI, Wray said he did not know the exact number. "I know there are a number of individuals through our joint terrorism task force that we're actively trying to investigate as a result of" the inspector general report, he said. Wray said the FBI has "a lot of information about where people are located," but he could not tell whether the FBI knew their whereabouts "at any given time." The former governor of Puerto Rico was arrested on bribery charges relating to the financing of her 2020 campaign, the Department of Justice said in a statement Thursday. "The alleged bribery scheme rose to the highest levels of the Puerto Rican government, threatening public trust in our electoral processes and institutions of governance," said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite Jr. of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. "The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable those who wrongly believe there is one rule of law for the powerful and another for the powerless. No one is above the rule of law." The former governor, Wanda Vazquez, was allegedly engaged in bribery schemes with various individuals between December 2019 and June 2020 to finance her campaign. Vazquez is charged with conspiracy, federal programs bribery and honest services wire fraud, according to the DOJ statement. A Venezuelan-Italian bank owner and former FBI agent paid $300,000 to political consultants supporting Vazquez's campaign in exchange for political favors, authorities said. They also allege that the owner of the bank Bancredito, Julio Martin Herrera Velutini, worked with former FBI agent Mark Rossini to carry out the bribe. Both have been charged alongside Vazquez. "The criminal actions of the defendants in this case strike a blow to the heart of our democracy and further erode the confidence of our citizens in their institutions of governance," said U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico W. Stephen Muldrow. Vazquez, Herrera and Rossini could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted, Muldrow said in a news conference. After her initial hearing Thursday afternoon, the former governor told reporters she was innocent. "I have not committed any crime," Vazquez said. "They have committed a great injustice by filing these charges." Some information for this report came from Reuters. Western allies in the Indo-Pacific region have voiced alarm at Chinas military exercises surrounding Taiwan and are seeking to bolster links with the United States, Europe and NATO in response to Beijings actions. China began five days of live-fire military drills in seven zones surrounding Taiwan on Thursday, in apparent retaliation for the visit of U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei earlier this week. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory. Chinas Peoples Liberation Army said the drills would rehearse imposing a naval and air blockade. Missiles Japan said five missiles landed in its exclusive economic zone around islands it claims close to Taiwan. To have five Chinese missiles fall within Japan's EEZ like this is a first. We have protested strongly through diplomatic channels, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi told reporters Thursday. Pelosi arrived in Tokyo on Friday on the last stage of her Asian trip, along with several other U.S. lawmakers, and met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The two allies pledged to work together to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, a key shipping route. Fallout There is nervousness in Japan over the fallout from Pelosis visit to Taipei, the highest-level visit by a U.S. official in 25 years, according to Ryo Sahashi, an associate professor of international politics at the University of Tokyo. I really think the situation is really serious. And my point is first, do we really need this crisis? Is this really a strategic benefit for us? I dont think so. And second, the Japanese government might not predict correctly about the Chinese response, Sahashi told VOA. Strengthening ties Japanese defense forces are taking part in this months Garuda Shield military exercises in Indonesia for the first time, alongside the United States, Australia and Singapore, signaling strengthening ties with regional and NATO allies. Meanwhile Japan, South Korea and Australia took part in the June NATO Summit in Madrid. We have to make a big partnership, not only to push back against Russia, but also to push back against Chinese ambitions, Sahashi said. So from that perspective, our partnership with NATO has a really, really big importance for our own Indo-Pacific strategy. And I think it is unstoppable, and this direction will not change. Taiwan defense While visiting Japan in May, U.S. President Joe Biden said he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan, a comment that drew fury from Beijing and appeared to stretch the limits of the U.S. policy of "strategic ambiguity" toward the island. We made a commitment. We support the One China policy. That does not mean that China ... has the jurisdiction to go in and use force to take over Taiwan. So we stand firmly with Japan and other nations to not let that happen, Biden said at the time. The White House did not endorse Pelosis visit to Taiwan but defended her right to travel there. In July, Biden told reporters the military thinks its not a good idea right now for Pelosi to make the trip. Europe ties The threat from China is also driving closer links between European NATO members and their Asian allies, said Tetsuo Kotani, a professor of global studies at Meikai University and senior fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs. I think Chinas massive military exercise will further connect Asia and Europe in the face of Chinas provocation, Kotani told VOA. Here in Asia, Japan of course, Australia and New Zealand welcome Europes stronger commitment to this region. And more recently, after the change of government, South Korea also is seeking stronger ties with Europe. Ukraine invasion Visiting Washington last month, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Russias invasion of Ukraine has focused minds on threats in the Indo-Pacific region. Even in this region, the logic of brute force is gaining more traction over the rule of law, and the strategic balance in the region is increasingly challenging for Japan and the United States. ... We are facing a watershed moment. What is happening in Ukraine must never be allowed anywhere in the world, including especially in the Indo-Pacific, Hayashi said. Nigerian authorities have asked the search engine Google to shut down YouTube channels and livestreams linked to separatist and terrorist groups in the country. Nigeria's information minister, Lai Mohammed, made the appeal Thursday in Abuja during a meeting with executives of Google. He said the concerns are part of an effort by the government to protect internet users from harmful social media content, especially ahead of next year's polls. Mohammed said the government is particularly concerned about activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra -- an outlawed group that has pushed for the secession of southeast Nigeria for years. Mohammed said some of the channels operated by the group and their affiliates on YouTube use local languages during broadcasts, easily evading censorship. In a statement after Thursdays meeting, Charles Murito, a regional director for government affairs and public policy at Google, said, "We do not want our platform to be used for ill purposes." He also said the company has measures to address the Nigerian government's concerns, including a system for trained users to flag troublesome content. For years, Nigeria authorities have been trying to regulate social media platforms over concerns that they are too often used to incite public unrest. In June of last year, authorities banned Twitter, for deleting a tweet from President Muhammadu Buhari about cracking down on regional secessionists. The government restored conditional access to users seven months later. Nigeria has a large base of social media users on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. Nigerian regulators have fined three broadcasters the equivalent of $12,000 each for airing a BBC documentary about bandit militias who raid villages and carry out mass kidnappings for ransom in the country's northwest. The National Broadcasting Commission said in a press release on Wednesday it was imposing sanctions on Multichoice Nigeria Limited, which owns DSTV, TelCom Satellite Ltd and also NTA-Startimes, an alliance between the state-run channel and China's Star Group. The fines related to the BBC Africa Eye documentary "Bandit Warlords of Zamfara", which interviewed bandit leaders and victims to look at the roots of violence by armed gangs in northwest Zamfara state. Local Trust TV was also fined five million naira ($12,000) by the commission for its documentary entitled: "Nigeria's banditry -- The Inside Story". "Broadcasters are enjoined to be instruments of national unity and desist from falling into antics of using their platforms to promote and glamorize subversive elements and their activities," the NBC statement said. It said the documentaries violated the broadcasting code. The government had last week threatened to punish the BBC and Trust TV over its own documentary, accusing them of "naked glorification of terrorism" and banditry. The BBC said it stood by the report, which it said was overwhelmingly in the public interest. NBC chief Balarabe Shehu Ilelah said Thursday the commission would soon take a decision on the BBC over the matter. "We are still looking into the issue and, we are soon going to come out with what we will do to BBC," he told AFP in an interview. Ilelah dismissed fears of a clampdown on the media as a result of the sanctions. "Government is not coming against media organizations. What government is doing is trying to bring sanity into the system. We are trying to sanitize the air waves in Nigeria to make sure that whatever is said is according to our codes, our laws of the federal government of Nigeria," he added. Heavily armed criminal militias, known locally as bandits, are terrorizing rural areas of Nigeria's northwest and north central states, with looting raids, abductions and attacks. Nigeria has classified the bandit militias as "terrorist" groups, partly to allow the military more flexibility to combat them. Thousands of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands more displaced by the violence in recent years. Last year, Nigeria's faced international condemnation over freedom of expression after suspending Twitter for seven months after the platform deleted a tweet from President Muhammadu Buhari's account. Nigerian officials criticized Twitter for allowing posts from separatist agitators in the country's southeast. Abuja lifted the suspension after demanding stricter conditions for Twitter to operate in Nigeria. The impact of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's whirlwind visit to Taiwan is beginning to be felt, experts say, as another group of high-profile politicians solidifies plans to drop in on the self-ruled island that China considers a breakaway province. While China has been preventing 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," Pelosi said in a statement published after she concluded her Taiwan visit Wednesday. The visit has put China's leadership in a lose-lose situation, said Ali Wyne, a senior analyst at Eurasia Group. "If it does not respond, it [the Chinese leadership] worries that it may lose political legitimacy at home and project weakness abroad, inviting other high-profile leaders to visit Taiwan and revealing that China's alleged 'red lines' are not, in fact, inviolate," he wrote in an emailed response to VOA Mandarin. Yet if Beijing continues to respond to Pelosi's visit with provocative rhetoric, military drills and threats to retaliate against the United States, other countries may view China as belligerent or even reckless, according to Wyne. "It is difficult for Beijing to respond in a manner that conveys the strategic importance that it attaches to reunification without undercutting its diplomatic stature," Wyne added. China has started a live-fire military drill over seven swaths of water around the self-governed island, according to Taiwanese officials. In a statement issued Wednesday, foreign ministers of the Group of Seven leading industrial nations warned China not to escalate tension in the region and emphasized that it is routine for legislators from their countries to travel internationally. Craig Singleton, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the world is keeping a close eye on these drills. "Beijing's rhetoric over the last 24 to 48 hours suggests this will not simply be a one- or two-day crisis. Based on an initial assessment, the already tense situation will likely deteriorate further before eventually stabilizing," he said in an email to VOA Mandarin. No-win situation for China China has long tried isolate Taiwan, blocking exchanges between Taiwanese politicians and officials from other countries, especially high-profile representatives such as Pelosi, whose office puts her second in line for the U.S. presidency, behind Vice President Kamala Harris. But since Pelosi's sojourn, Beijing may now be facing a domino effect as other high-profile politicians aim to cement their own ties with Taipei by visiting the island. The Guardian reported Monday that Britain's House of Commons foreign affairs committee was planning a visit to Taiwan later this year. A source told the British daily that the trip had been scheduled earlier this year but was postponed because a member of the delegation tested positive for COVID-19. On Tuesday, after Pelosi arrived in Taiwan, China's ambassador to the United Kingdom, Zheng Zeguang, addressed those countries considering a visit to Taiwan: "We hope that the other countries will recognize the extreme sensitivity of the Taiwan question, honor their commitment to the one-China principle, exercise prudence in words and actions relating to the Taiwan question, and not be led astray by or dance to the tune of the United States." When asked about U.K. lawmakers' plan to visit Taiwan, Zheng said at a press conference [[ ]] that if the visit transpired, it would lead to "severe consequences" for China's relations with the U.K., adding that "the U.K. side knows this all too well." Yun Sun, a senior fellow and director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, said if Western countries interpret Beijing's countermeasures to Pelosi's visit as "overreacting," China will find itself working against its own interests by inspiring lawmakers from other Western democracies to visit Taiwan. "I think the current backlash from China, including some military threats, will lead to more democracies thinking they have to align together to stand against China," she told VOA Mandarin in a phone interview. "Following that line of thinking, I think we will see more parliament members visiting Taiwan to showcase their support for democracy." Another worry for Beijing, according to analysts, is that it's losing the narrative on the "One China" policy because visits such as Pelosi's bring more international exposure and recognition of Taiwan. The "One China" policy is the diplomatic acknowledgement of China's position that there is only one Chinese government. The U.S. recognizes and has formal diplomatic ties with China yet maintains a robust unofficial relationship with Taiwan. China thinks Pelosi's visit might shake the long-standing policy, which is a cornerstone of U.S.-China relations, said Patrick Cronin, the Asia-Pacific security chair at Hudson Institute. "They see the visit as hollowing out the 'One China' policy and accelerating the gradual independence of Taiwan," Cronin wrote in an email to VOA Mandarin. "What they don't say but may also think is that for [Chinese President] Xi Jinping and the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] to control the narrative and policy direction over Taiwan requires demonstrating China's resolve and power in the face of what they believe to be a declining hegemonic power, the United States." Sun from the Stimson Center cautioned that China should be careful not to overact. "I think the best way for China now is to maintain a strong rhetoric, that is, to put its posture at a more aggressive level but be sure to reduce direct military and security losses," she said. Rwanda's government has rejected a United Nations report that said Rwandan troops have been conducting military activities in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and are supporting M23 rebels there. The Rwandan government issued a communique late Thursday aimed at discrediting the claim, which was first reported by Reuters earlier that day. The statement, issued on the governments official Twitter account, said: Rwanda cannot comment on an unpublished and unvalidated report. The U.N. Security Council received a U.N. Group of Experts report on DRC in June 2022, which contained none of these false allegations, and a mid-term report is expected in December. The report from the U.N. Group of Experts, according to Reuters, said there was solid evidence that members of the Rwanda Defense Forces had carried out military operations in Congos Rutshuru territory. It said RDF members conducted joint attacks with M23 fighters against Congo's army and Congolese armed groups, and provided the rebels with weapons, ammunition and uniforms. Rwanda has repeatedly denied accusations by the DRC that it has placed troops in eastern Congo and is supporting M23. The Rwandan government said it is the DRC that supports rebels in the region and said there have been attacks and shelling from the DRC into Rwandan territory on multiple occasions, resulting in fatalities and destruction of property. The statement Friday said Rwanda has the right to defend its territory and citizens, and not just wait for disaster to unfold. Some rebels involved in one of Africas longest-running separatist conflicts have agreed to lay down their arms. The Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance and Senegal's government signed a peace deal Thursday in neighboring Guinea-Bissau. Separatist leader Cesar Atoute Badiate and a delegate from Senegalese President Macky Salls administration signed the document. Badiate leads one of several rebel factions that operate in Casamance. The other groups were not involved in the deal. Seydi Gassama, director of Amnesty International Senegal, said Badiates group, which operates along the Guinea-Bissau border, is weak and poses the smallest threat to stability in the region. Those along the Gambian border are much more aggressive, he said. "The negotiations must expand to include these factions so that a peace deal can be quickly signed with all the factions and peace can be established throughout all of Casamance, Gassama said. Sall had made achieving peace in Casamance a priority for his second term in office. But the announcement of the accord came too late to have an impact on last weeks legislative elections. The conflict in Casamance has spanned 40 years and claimed thousands of lives. The most recent flare-up began in January and involved the killing of four Senegalese soldiers. The Senegalese army launched an offensive in March aimed at dismantling separatist bases along the Gambian border. Thousands fled from their villages to seek safety in tiny Gambia. Dame Beye, leader of several civil society organizations in Casamance, said rebels have agreed to cease-fires in the past, but those deals would hold for only one or two months. This is the first time a faction has agreed to lay down its arms, he said. We are very optimistic, because it was a huge amount of work over several years, Beye said. The war has lasted too long. Its been 40 years of conflict and they never got their independence. Senegals Casamance region is geographically distinct from the rest of the country as it lies on the other side of Gambia. It practices different religious, ethnic and linguistic traditions. It also differs historically as it was colonized by the Portuguese, whereas the rest of Senegal was colonized by the French. The rebels are suspected of trafficking cannabis and rosewood, which is exported to China, in order to fund their separatist movement. South Koreas new government has signaled a willingness to consider expanding its use of the U.S.-deployed THAAD missile shield in the face of growing evidence that North Korea is preparing to conduct a nuclear test. Defense experts say the move, which would reverse existing policy and be strongly opposed by China, makes sense in light of Beijings reluctance to curb Pyongyang's recent series of missile launches. The previous South Korean administration of Moon Jae-in opted out of deploying any additional U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile systems as a way to placate China in 2017, when South Korea received the shield. THAAD, designed to intercept short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, has been deployed throughout the world. The policy, known as the Three Nos, called for no additional THAAD deployment, no participation in a U.S. missile defense system, no formation of a trilateral military alliance with Washington and Tokyo. The Moon administration floated the Three Nos in October 2017 after Beijing launched a costly campaign of economic retaliation against South Korea. Seoul had decided the year before to allow placement of the THAAD system to defend itself against Pyongyang. At the time, Beijing argued the THAAD system could be used to detect its missile activities. The economic retaliation is believed to continue in some South Korean regions, said President Yoon Suk Yeo's National Security Adviser Kim Sung-han in February during the election campaign, according to Reuters. At a parliamentary hearing on July 25, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin said, The Three Nos was not a promise or agreement we made to China but an explanation of our position. He continued, It is difficult to accept the call from China that we should keep the Three Nos policy even though the matter is of direct concern to our national security and sovereignty. In a tit-for-tat response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on July 27 said, A commitment made should be a commitment kept despite change of government. He added, Chinas opposition to the U.S.s deployment of THAAD in the ROK does not target the ROK side, but the U.S.s malicious intention to deliberately undermine Chinas strategic security. South Koreas official name is the Republic of Korea (ROK). Outdated policy Experts said the government of President Yoon Suk Yeol is not obligated to follow Moons Three Nos in the face of growing North Korean threats and Beijings unwillingness to dissuade Pyongyang from launching missiles. Things have changed since the Three Nos were discussed, said Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the Rand Corporation. North Koreas threat has become immensely greater, he continued, and China is failing as a great power to rein in the North Korean threat. On the same day Zhao spoke against augmenting the THAAD system, North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un said the country could use its nuclear arsenal in a conflict with the U.S. and South Korea. North Korea has conducted 18 weapons tests this year including multiple ballistic missiles in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. China, along with Russia, vetoed a U.N. resolution, introduced by the U.S. in May, calling for new sanctions in response to Pyongyangs accelerated ballistic missile launches. Patrick Cronin, the Asia-Pacific security chair at the Hudson Institute, said, At present, probably toward the end of this year, a seventh nuclear test by North Korea will require commensurate moves to ensure deterrence and strategic stability. He continued, Thus, it behooves the Yoon administration to keep open its options regarding what are [its] very [best] defense systems, including THAAD. Cronin added, President Yoon is not obligated to follow the policy of his predecessor. The Three Nos was a political policy out of the Moon administration, not a formal treaty commitment between two states. THAAD not for negotiations Patricia Kim, a fellow at the Brookings Institutions Center for East Asia Policy Studies, said, South Korea should clearly convey that it has and will continue to make decisions based upon its national security interests. A spokesperson for the South Korean Foreign Ministry told VOAs Korean Service on Wednesday that the Yoon governments policies are grounded on a firm position of protecting the life and safety of its people as a core objective of its national security amid heightened nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. Asked about Seouls position on possible additional THAAD deployments, the spokesperson said, Anything that limits our national security and sovereign right is not subject to negotiations. VOAs Korean Service contacted the Chinese embassy in Washington requesting comments on Beijings position on an additional THAAD placement in South Korea and was referred to Zhaos July 27 comments. David Maxwell, a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), said, President Yoon and the people of South Korea are not bound by any agreements that put their country and the lives of its people at risk and the Three Nos does just that. Maxwell added, We should expect China to undertake economic warfare against the ROK as it did in 2017. He continued, This time, it is imperative that the U.S. and like-minded democracies come to the economic defense of the ROK and continue to call out China for its flagrant disregard for the rules-based international order. A Texas jury Thursday ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay more than $4 million significantly less than the $150 million being sought in compensatory damages to the parents of a 6-year-old boy killed in the Sandy Hook massacre, marking the first time the Infowars host has been held financially liable for repeatedly claiming the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history was a hoax. The Austin jury must still decide how much the Infowars host should pay in punitive damages to Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose son Jesse Lewis was among the 20 children and six educators who were killed in the 2012 attack in Newtown, Connecticut. The parents had sought at least $150 million in compensation for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Jones attorney asked the jury to limit damages to $8 $1 for each of the compensation charges they considered and Jones himself said any award over $2 million would sink us. It likely wont be the last judgment against Jones who was not in the courtroom over his claims that the attack was staged in the interests of increasing gun controls. A Connecticut judge has ruled against him in a similar lawsuit brought by other victims families and an FBI agent who worked on the case. He also faces another trial in Austin. Jones lead attorney, Andino Reynal, winked at his co-counsel before leaving the courtroom. He declined to comment on the verdict. Outside the courthouse, the plaintiffs attorney Mark Bankston insisted that the $4.11 million amount wasnt a disappointment, noting it was only part of the damages Jones will have to pay. The jury returns Friday to hear more evidence about Jones and his companys finances. In a video posted on his website Thursday night, Jones called the reduced award a major victory. I admitted I was wrong. I admitted it was a mistake. I admitted that I followed disinformation but not on purpose. I apologized to the families. And the jury understood that. What I did to those families was wrong. But I didnt do it on purpose, he said. The award was more money than my company and I personally have, but we are going to work on trying to make restitution on that, Jones said. Bankston suggested any victory declarations might be premature. We arent done, folks, Bankston said. We knew coming into this case it was necessary to shoot for the moon to get the jury to understand we were serious and passionate. After tomorrow, hes going to owe a lot more. The total amount awarded in this case could set a marker for the other lawsuits against Jones and underlines the financial threat hes facing. It also raises new questions about the ability of Infowars which has been banned from YouTube, Spotify and Twitter for hate speech to continue operating, although the companys finances remain unclear. Jones, who has portrayed the lawsuit as an attack on his First Amendment rights, conceded during the trial that the attack was 100% real and that he was wrong to have lied about it. But Heslin and Lewis told jurors that an apology wouldnt suffice and called on them to make Jones pay for the years of suffering he has put them and other Sandy Hook families through. The parents testified Tuesday about how theyve endured a decade of trauma, inflicted first by the murder of their son and what followed: gunshots fired at a home, online and phone threats, and harassment on the street by strangers. They said the threats and harassment were all fueled by Jones and his conspiracy theory spread to his followers via his website Infowars. A forensic psychiatrist testified that 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. Barry Covert, a Buffalo, New York, First Amendment lawyer who is not involved in the Jones case, said the $4 million in compensatory damages was lower than he would have expected given the evidence and testimony. But I dont think Jones can take this as a victory, he added. The fact is, $4 million is significant even if we might have thought it would be a little higher. Jurors often decline to award any punitive damages after deciding on a compensation figure. But when they choose to, the punitive amount is often higher, Covert said. He said he expects the parents attorneys to argue that jurors should send the message that no one should profit off of defamation. They will want jurors to send the message that you cant make a quarter of a billion in profit off harming someone and say youll just take the damages loss in court, Covert said. Jones was the only witness to testify in his defense, and he only attended the trial sporadically while still appearing on his show. 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 the attack. 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. Bankston said in court Thursday that the U.S. House Jan. 6 committee investigating the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol has requested the records and that he intends to comply. 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 media company Free Speech Systems, which is Infowars parent company, filed for bankruptcy during the two-week trial. In just one building on Moog Inc.'s sprawling Elma campus, employees are making parts for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, ensuring the planes will fly with military precision. Aircraft components are a big piece of the picture at Moog, but far from the only piece. The motion control equipment maker's parts helped deliver the Perseverance rover to Mars last year, and the company produces technology for weapons systems and medical equipment, among other applications. Moog takes a long-range view of whatever business projects it embraces, said John Scannell, the chairman and CEO. "We play for the very, very long term," he said. "When we take on a new program, a new military or commercial aircraft program, the way I describe it to investors is, it's not my retirement fund, it's my children's retirement fund, and they're only just starting their working careers. That's how far out we think when we think about investments that we're making." With good-paying jobs, strong customer connections and technical expertise, Moog's operations are the type of manufacturing that the region's business recruiters are eager for more of. With its reliance on engineering and skilled technical jobs, Moog is a magnet for luring the type of talent to the region that local development officials say is essential to power the regional economy's growth. And Moog executives have big plans. The publicly traded company is aiming for $3 billion in revenues in its current fiscal year, which ends around early October. And Moog shows no signs of slowing down, in jobs, investment or acquisitions: State officials recently hailed a $25 million investment by Moog in its operations. That followed a $44 million investment Moog had recently completed for a project supporting its aircraft business. Moog is the region's largest manufacturer, with about 4,000 jobs, and one of the area's largest private employers. Its presence extends far beyond Western New York. Worldwide, Moog has a total of about 13,300 employees, at 25 locations. Acquisitions have fueled its growth. Earlier this year, Moog bought an Irish-based engineering and aerospace business. And in late 2020, the company bought Texas-based Genesys Aerosystems Group for $78 million. Moog continues to branch out into new product areas, working with Doosan Bobcat to design and build an all-electric compact track loader. Moog has had stable corporate leadership, with only two different CEOs since 1988. Scannell was named to the CEO's role at the end of 2011, and later added the duties of chairman. He succeeded Robert Brady, who was the CEO for over two decades, guiding Moog through a remarkable turnaround. By the time Scannell became CEO, he had spent 21 years with Moog in Europe and the United States. Local support Having Moog based in the region benefits the manufacturing sector in a number of ways, advocates say. "We're very fortunate to have a Moog in Western New York and their dedication to Western New York," said Peter Ahrens, executive director of the Buffalo Niagara Manufacturing Alliance. "I'm sure they've been approached a million times to go down South or move their plants other places, but they've got that dedication to the Western New York region." Moog helped launch Buffalo Manufacturing Works, a center at the Northland complex that promotes innovation, and is involved in other initiatives that support manufacturing. Moog was among the businesses recently backing a "boot camp" to train new tech workers at the Tech Academy in Seneca One tower. Numerous area businesses benefit from Moog being here, by acting as suppliers to the Elma-based company, said Ben Rand, president of Insyte Consulting, which works with manufacturers. The Buffalo Niagara region's manufacturing job count has hovered around 52,000 in recent years, although the average dipped somewhat during the pandemic. Large employers like Moog consistently bolster those numbers. Scott Pallotta, chairman of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership's Manufacturing Council, said Moog's presence also helps with the issue of bringing new people into the manufacturing pipeline. "We dont see this crisis ending anytime soon, but leading companies like Moog help get the message out to the community that a career in manufacturing is a great way to earn a living," said Pallotta, also the CEO of Zehnder Rittling. "Manufacturing has a long history and important history in Western New York and Moog has taken a leadership role in the next phase of that story." Wide-ranging operations A hallmark of Moog is its diversified business lines. Where some other big manufacturers make variations of one type of product such as tires or engines Moog has multiple business segments: aircraft controls, space and defense controls, and industrial systems. Some investors look at Moog and see a conglomerate, Scannell said. He doesn't. "The view we have is no, we use the same technology motion control, fluid control whether it's space, medical, industrial, aircraft, it's all the same underlying motion technology." That diversification helps Moog withstand a drop-off in any one business area. When the commercial aircraft industry took a hit during the pandemic slowing the need for more aircraft parts some other Moog segments, like defense, remained strong. "Because we have this diversified end market, we tend to ride our way through storms," Scannell said. "And we're very focused on building technology and capability and investing for the very, very long term." Innovation tradition When William C. Moog Jr. founded Moog in 1951, he gave the company local roots that run deep 71 years later. The business has expanded far beyond what he probably ever imagined, but the company's tradition of innovation continues. "We're constantly looking for opportunities to grow the business and take the technologies that we have and expand them into new growth markets," Scannell said. One of those potential new markets is electric-powered construction vehicles. "It's early stages," Scannell said. "We've got small amounts of sales. But we think it's got enormous potential and we're working with very large customers Bobcat, we've talked about, other big (original equipment manufacturers), multibillion-dollar companies." While the construction vehicles represent something new, the product line draws on Moog's expertise in systems integration and high-tech components. "You have that systems integration capability that very few players have," Scannell said. Growing to such a large level also exposes Moog to challenges that many other businesses don't face. Moog's operations in Shanghai had to shut down for six weeks, under China's strict policy for combating Covid-19. Moog has filed a federal lawsuit claiming a former employee stole trade secrets involving unmanned helicopter aviation and took them to a new startup. The startup, Skyryse, has called the lawsuit "fully without merit." Last fall, Moog was the target of protests over a planned federal government mandate that employees of federal contractors get vaccinated. The vaccine requirement has not been imposed, amid court challenges by several states. Hiring and automation Manufacturers everywhere say they are struggling to find qualified people to fill jobs. Moog is no exception. "We have a little bit of an advantage because it's got a good reputation as a good place to work," Matt Jennings, operational excellence manager for aircraft at Moog, said. "We don't have as much trouble as others. In fact, we tend to pluck people from other companies. But we still have our challenges. We're still short of people that we need: qualified machinists, good, hardworking people who want to build precision aircraft components." Some of the qualities that Moog looks for in new hires is attention to detail, and a commitment to the work, Jennings said. "If we have to get the job done, we have to be flexible. And we want people who can be flexible." Ahrens said Moog's job opportunities help stem the "brain drain" the region was long known for. "If anything, people are moving to Buffalo to work for Moog because of the quality of their company and the many diverse areas they are in," he said. Moog is constantly looking at ways to improve its level of automation, Scannell said. "Part of that is, we have very skilled people, but it's hard to keep recruiting those types of people," he said. "There's just not many young people coming out of school that want to go into that type of opportunity, even though they're really good jobs." With increased automation comes improved processes, Scannell said. "But that just changes the job it means that instead of the person holding the part, now they're programming the system." U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told reporters that her visit to Kampala on August 4 was to reaffirm and strengthen the U.S. relationship with Uganda, not to compete with Russia. Her trip came just days after one by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Speaking after her meeting with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Thomas-Greenfield described the session as productive and frank, covering solutions to food and security issues, high energy costs and supporting refugees in Uganda. Thomas-Greenfield said the most important issue discussed with Museveni was the effects of Russia's war in Ukraine on the availability of food and on oil prices. With fuel costing $2 a liter in Uganda, Thomas-Greenfield was clear about what would happen to African countries that are dealing with Russia, especially on goods covered by sanctions. "Uganda and any African country has the right to choose who their friends are and who their enemies are. We are here as Uganda's friend," she said. "If a country decides to engage with Russia, where there are sanctions, then they are breaking those sanctions. And we caution countries not to break those sanctions because then, if they do, they stand the chance of having actions taken against them." The meeting also touched on a broad range of issues including the security situation in the Great Lakes region, democratic institutions and press freedom in Uganda. Dismas Nkunda, a political analyst, said it is no coincidence that Thomas-Greenfield is in Uganda one week after Lavrov visited. "It has its inkling of understanding where they think that particular influence of Uganda and Museveni in the geopolitics of the Great Lakes. If it's swayed in a certain direction, it has its own complexity in terms of the United States losing out, given the changes that are happening internationally. And also, to have the regional hegemony," Nkunda said. "Somalia is still there, South Sudan is still there. And there's that sense that by sending [Thomas-Greenfield] to Uganda, it is cementing that particular idea." Museveni has made it clear he will not side with any foreign power, and only does so to serve Uganda's interests. Chris Baryomunsi, Uganda's minister for information and communication, told VOA they are open to all visitors. "I don't think we should read much between U.S. and Russia and so forth. Because we cannot be swayed into anybody's position," Baryomunsi said. "We take independent positions as a government, as a country. Somebody's enemy doesn't have to be my enemy. If you have issues, they are between the two of you." Thomas-Greenfield's visit to Uganda comes before the Africa leaders' summit, set for Washington in December. She also announced $20 million in development assistance to Uganda. The fund, which is subject to U.S. Congressional approval, is aimed at helping smallholder farmers adopt improved agricultural practices. This is meant to increase productivity, reduce post-harvest losses and mitigate impacts of growing food insecurity, which she said have been exacerbated by Russia's aggression in Ukraine. A senior U.S. official said Friday that sub-Saharan Africa is the region hardest hit by disruptions to the global food supply due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "Food prices worldwide are 23% higher than a year ago, but they hit the hardest in sub-Saharan Africa where food consumes 40% of household budgets," Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told an audience at the University of Ghana in Accra. "Regardless of how you feel about Russia, we all have a powerful common interest in mitigating the impact of the war on Ukraine on food security." Thomas-Greenfield, who is the U.S. envoy to the United Nations and a member of President Joe Biden's Cabinet, is on a four-day tour in Africa this week, making stops in Uganda, Ghana, and Cabo Verde focused on the impact of food insecurity on the continent. She emphasized that before Russia invaded Ukraine, which is a major global grain and vegetable oil producer, over 190 million people were food insecure worldwide, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Well, since Russia's unprovoked war, full-scale invasion into Ukraine, we estimate that number could rise to 230 million," Thomas-Greenfield said. "That would mean that more than 40 million people will have become food insecure since President (Vladimir) Putin chose to invade his neighbor and steal their land. That's more people than the entire population of Ghana." While in Accra, she announced more than $127 million in new humanitarian assistance for Africa, focused on refugees and displaced persons. Stepped-up diplomacy Thomas-Greenfield is not the only U.S. official visiting the region. USAID Administrator Samantha Power was in the Horn of Africa recently, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken is headed to South Africa, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo starting Sunday. Russia has intensified its own efforts to strengthen ties with the continent since launching its war on Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made an official trip to four African countries earlier this month. Many African governments feel caught between superpowers in the conflict and have tried to remain neutral. Soon after Moscow's February 24 invasion, the U.N. General Assembly demanded Russia end its military operations. Only one African state, Eritrea, voted against the resolution, while nearly half of the 54 others either abstained or did not vote. "I've also heard from some, that Africans don't really want to be pressured to pick a side or take a certain position," the U.S. ambassador acknowledged. "I understand that. None of us want to repeat the Cold War. And Africans have the right to decide their foreign policy positions, free of pressure and manipulation, free of threats." She tried to dispel some Russian misinformation, particularly the Kremlin's insistence that its food and fertilizer exports are being sanctioned by the United States and other western countries. "America's sanctions do not, let me repeat, do not apply to food and fertilizer exports, period," she said. Thomas-Greenfield said Moscow has disrupted its own exports, imposing quotas on nitrogen and complex fertilizers and imposing duties on its grain exports. She also laid out how Russian troops have set about sabotaging and destroying Ukraine's agricultural sector by mining farmland, destroying equipment, and bombing grain silos. "The fact is, this hurts Africa," she said. "Russia and Ukraine provide over 40% of Africa's wheat supplies." A recent deal among Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations will see Ukraine's backlogged grain exports begin to leave through the Black Sea, while Moscow will get help in lessening the concerns global insurers and shippers have about dealing with Russian exports when they face sanctions in banking and other sectors. Wheat prices have already begun to ease in the two weeks since the deal was signed in Istanbul. Thomas-Greenfield urged Ghana and other African nations to improve their agriculture sectors so they can become more insulated from global shocks with more self-sufficiency, while also exploring the possibility of feeding global markets. Part of the aid package she announced includes $2.5 million for Ghana to improve its production and import of fertilizer for its farmers. "Now is the time, now is the time to feed the future, to transform Ghana and other African nations into breadbaskets of your own," she urged. "The world is hungry, and your potential is unlimited. And there is not a moment to lose." The White House announced a series of steps aimed to defend a free and open Indo-Pacific following Chinese firing of at least 11 ballistic missiles into waters encircling Taiwan on Thursday, a day after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrapped up a visit to the island that enraged Beijing. China has chosen to overreact and use the speaker's visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait, said John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council on Thursday. Kirby told reporters U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has directed the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and the ships in her strike group to remain in the vicinity to monitor the situation. He said Washington will also conduct standard air and maritime transits through the Taiwan Strait in the next few weeks. He promised further steps to demonstrate commitment to U.S. allies including Japan, which announced that five of the Chinese missiles landed within their exclusive economic zone. China is pushing to change the status quo on Taiwan, Kirby claimed. They're boiling the frog, he said. They're taking the temperature up to a higher level with perhaps the intention of maintaining that sort of intensity or at least being able to conduct those kinds of operations on a more frequent regular basis going forward. To reduce tensions, Kirby said that Washington is postponing a long-planned test of an Air Force Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. We certainly would like to see tensions deescalate, Kirby said in a response to a VOA question. He said the United States continues to keep lines of communication open with Beijing, however, you don't need diplomacy to just simply stop doing something that's escalating tensions and putting peace and security in the region at risk. Dongfeng ballistic missiles The Chinese military fired Dongfeng ballistic missiles into the waters near Taiwans eastern, southern, and northern coasts in a series of volleys Thursday afternoon, said the Taiwanese defense ministry. China initially said the live-fire military drills will impact six zones near Taiwan and will last through Sunday. However, the exercises Thursday were extended to a seventh zone, where the drills will last a day longer, according to Taiwanese officials. Chinas state-controlled media said the tests involved long-range rocket artillery and conventional missiles. The expected results had been achieved, the reports said, without elaborating. Videos on Chinese social media showed projectiles being fired from Pingtan in eastern Chinas Fujian Province approximately 125 kilometers from Taiwan. The drills are Chinas largest and most provocative ever in the Taiwan Strait one of the designated live-fire zones, less than 20 kilometers from Taiwans southern coast. Pelosi, who was making the highest-profile U.S. visit to Taiwan in 25 years, left the island Thursday. China viewed her visit as an unacceptable challenge to its claims over the island. The Chinese military activity appears designed to intimidate Taiwan, a vibrant democracy that has never been ruled by Chinas Communist Party. But the military maneuvers also serve a domestic purpose for China, according to Drew Thompson, a former Pentagon official who is now a visiting senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore. What they are doing is signaling their displeasure, their resolve, and meeting their own somewhat outlandish commitments to not be idle and to resolutely respond to provocation, to defend the motherland, he said. Some defense analysts, and even Chinese state media, have portrayed the exercises as a rehearsal for invasion and a demonstration that Beijing can impose a blockade on Taiwan. The developments have raised fears of a miscalculation that could result in hostilities, though analysts say there is little chance China is planning an assault. It really is more propaganda than performance, said Thompson, noting that Chinas military is in the middle of its annual summer exercise cycle. In Taiwans capital, where residents have dealt with many decades of threats from the Chinese Communist Party, the situation was calm, even as news coverage focused on the threats. "I wouldnt worry too much about the CCP, they are great at boasting, said Liang Bo-rong, a 65-year-old retiree and Taipei resident, referring to the party by its initials. While most Taiwanese are aware of the situation and realize the stakes, they are not overly worked up, said Chen Kuan-Ting, who heads the Taiwan NextGen Foundation, a research organization focusing on Taiwans domestic and foreign policy. "Most Taiwanese will continue their normal lives that's the best way to defy China, said Chen. In a statement Thursday, Taiwans military said it continues to closely monitor the irrational Chinese military activities and is prepared for conflict but that it does not seek escalation. Taiwanese officials have said the Chinese drills are a severe violation of the islands territorial waters and have compared the action to a blockade. Some commercial flights are being disrupted. Korean Airlines is canceling or rescheduling all direct flights to Taiwan on Aug. 5-6 due to China's military drills, reported South Koreas Yonhap news agency. However, Taiwanese transportation officials said Wednesday alternative routes have been arranged and the impact will be minimal. Late Wednesday, Taiwans military reportedly fired warning flares at a Chinese Peoples Liberation Army drone that was flying near the Kinmen islands, which lie next to mainland China. According to Taiwanese media reports, the drone later left the area and headed back to the mainland. In Chinas view, Pelosis visit is the latest in a series of U.S. moves toward more explicit support for Taiwan. However, U.S. officials insist that their Taiwan policy has not changed and describe Pelosis visit as routine. We believe that what China is doing here is not responsible. We believe that it is escalating tensions unnecessarily, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told National Public Radio on Thursday. According to monitoring by the U.S. Naval Institute, a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group, led by the USS Ronald Reagan, was operating earlier this week in the Philippine Sea, which lies southeast of Taiwan. The U.S. military has a routine presence in the region. The most important thing for us to communicate is a clear and steady message, both publicly and privately to China, that we are not going to be deterred or coerced from operating as we operate in the Western Pacific. And China needs to understand that, Sullivan said. We are not looking to escalate, but we are also not going to be deterred, he added. In a statement, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven leading industrial nations expressed concern about Chinas threatening actions that risk destabilizing the region. 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 statement added. Here is a look at immigration-related news around the U.S. this week. Questions? Tips? Comments? Email the VOA immigration team: ImmigrationUnit@voanews.com. US Visa Processing Delays Called Worst Since 9/11 Visitors to the United States, whether for business, education or leisure travel, are facing significant wait times for visas. Some international travelers are waiting six months to a year to schedule a visa interview, State Department data show. VOAs immigration correspondent Aline Barros reports. Supreme Court Certifies Ruling Ending Trump Border Policy The Supreme Court on Monday certified its month-old ruling allowing the Biden administration to end a cornerstone Trump-era border policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court, a pro forma act that has drawn attention amid near-total silence from the White House about when, how and even whether it will dismantle the policy, The Associated Press reported. Guatemala Arrests Migrant Smugglers Wanted by the US The raid was part of several carried out Tuesday in four Guatemalan provinces against a migrant smuggling ring, for which authorities said they'd documented $2 million in revenue since 2019. The Associated Press reports. Around the world Afghan Migrants in Turkey Worried About Increased Deportations Thousands of Afghans took refuge in Turkey as the Taliban took control of Afghanistan last year. Many of these Afghans say they are now worried about being sent back. VOAs Mahmut Bozarslan and Soner Kizilkaya tell one mans story in this report, narrated by Bezhan Hamdard. VOA video by Mahmut Bozarslan and Ogulcan Bakiler; Ezel Sahinkaya contributed. Aid Cuts Threaten DRC's Internally Displaced The U.N. refugee agency says it will be forced to cut aid programs for millions of internally displaced people and refugees in the Democratic Republic of the Congo without an immediate injection of money. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva. In brief USCIS has updated its interpretation of Under Honorable Conditions for military naturalization. CBP announces temporary pause to border barrier construction near Friendship Park. The Biden administration is seeking to build alliances with an eye on two adversaries, China and Iran. VOA Persian's Siamak Deghanpour recently spoke with John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, on what the Biden doctrine looks like in the Middle East. As the Russian war in Ukraine rages on, the Biden administration is seeking to build alliances and partnerships with an eye on two other adversariesChina in the Indo-Pacific and Iran in the Middle East. Siamak Dehghanpour of VOAs Persian Service recently spoke with Admiral John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, on what the Biden doctrine looks like in the Middle East, where the president seeks to bolster security for key ally Israel and reengage Saudi Arabiaa country that remains a U.S. strategic partner despite its human rights record. The following transcript has been edited for clarity. VOA: Admiral Kirby, thank you for taking the time to talk to us. KIRBY: Absolutely. Good to be with you. VOA: President Joe Biden said in Jeddah during the GCC (41st Summit of The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf), We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia or Iran. Yet right after President Biden's trip to the region, we see Russian President Vladimir Putin went to Tehran to meet Iranian leaders and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Is this trip a matter of concern to the administration? KIRBY: Well, we'll let those leaders talk [about] the trip and whatever their agenda is, but I think, in part, what you're seeing here is a couple of things. One, I think it's further indication of just how isolated from the international community countries like Iran and Russia have become, that they are now meeting and talking about the provision of new drone capabilities to Mr. Putin. Number two, I think it's an indication that Mr. Putin is becoming desperate in terms of trying to replenish his inventory of advanced systems. Now he's got to go to Iran, which has domestic drone production capability, to get drones for his war. And number three, and this is probably the most significant sign, is that it's an indication that Mr. Putin has absolutely no intention of ending this war or sitting down in good faith with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Quite the contrary, he shows every indication obviously because he's going to Iran, shopping for drones to continue to prosecute this war, to continue to kill Ukrainians. He can still do the right thing, whether it's in Tehran or in Moscow. He can do the right thing by ending this war. VOA: So you know this is his fifth trip to Iran. Do you see that as a diplomatic counterpoint to President Bidens trip? KIRBY: No. I mean, again, we'll let these leaders speak for themselves, but I think it might be a stretch to read this as some sort of counterpoint to President Biden's trip. We know that Putin is interested in Iranian drones. We know that the Turks and Russia and Ukraine are in talks about grain shipments potentially coming out of Odesa. So, I don't know if I would read it as a counterpoint to Biden's trip. In fact, quite the contrary, if you look at the split screen here: You had the president going to the region to have bilateral and multilateral discussions about what? About an integrated more cooperative Middle East, across a range of issues. And youve got President Putin on this trip basically shopping for drones and looking for ways to prosecute this war, and dealing with another nation, Iran, which is, again, increasingly isolated from the international community because of their growing nuclear ambitions, their failure to sign on to the deal that is on the table before them, their burgeoning ballistic missile capabilities, their support for terrorist groups, their threats in the maritime environment in the Gulf region. I mean, I can go on and on and on. VOA: In terms of integration, President Biden's presser in Jeddah discussed Saudi Arabia's security needs, particularly the need to defend the kingdom given real threats from Iran and its proxies. What is the U.S. providing to Saudis? KIRBY: We continue to provide the Saudis with defensive capabilities. This is a country that is under attack almost every single day. It's also a country in which we have 70,000 Americans. [We continue to] include thousands of U.S. troops who continue to be under threat by attacks across the border [from Yemen]. Now, I would tell you, were [...in] our 16th week of a cease-fire in Yemen that the Saudis helped broker with U.S. engagement. And we welcome that, we're grateful for that. We hope that that extends, because it is saving literally thousands of Yemeni lives. There's still great humanitarian need in Yemen, but we are committed to making sure that Saudi Arabia can continue to defend itself against future threats. One of the things that we didn't talk about yet, but that the president talked about when he was in the region, was trying to forge a more integrated air and missile defense capability across the region, and not just bilaterally with Saudi. And of course, Saudi Arabia continues to be under threat of attack, both from drones and from missiles. But we believe there's great benefit to trying to knit together some of these air and missile defense capabilities that many of our Gulf allies and partners have intrinsically on their own. We've helped them develop some of those, [but] some of them they have on their own. We think, as we've learned through our own experience in the U.S. military, that when you can integrate, get a network, get these capabilities sort of niched together (sic) ... they can have a greater effect. And while there's no architecture in place right now, the discussions on the president's trip were constructive and positive. And I think there's great promise there if we can continue to advance this idea. VOA: I'm sure you heard that Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said GCC leaders didn't have any discussion on missile defense systems with Israel ... KIRBY: Well, I'm talking about integrated air and missile defense across the region. It's not just about Israel being integrated into that. That said, Israel also has very sophisticated air and missile defense capabilities. And again, these are sovereign decisions that these countries have to make about whether they're going to move forward on this idea, and certainly there are sovereign decisions that they have to make if they're going to improve their relationships with each other, and that includes with Israel. We come away from this trip feeling very positive about some of the cooperative steps that have already occurred. And you saw that Saudi Arabia on this trip announced that they're going to open up their airspace to all civilian aircraft, including Israeli aircraft, and that, for the first time since the late '70s, we're going to be able to take peacekeepers off the Tiran Islands in the Red Sea. So, look, every nation there has to decide for themselves how they're going to integrate, and whether they're going to normalize their relations with Israel. But there are some things changing. There are more positive signals. As King Abdullah of Jordan said, there's a new vibe in the region, and that was another reason why the president thought it was so important to go. VOA: So, President Biden in Jeddah said we have now finalized an agreement to connect Iraq's electric grid to the GCC grid through Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, thereby reducing dependence on Iran. Why does the U.S. think that it's important to reduce dependence on Iran for the Iraqi people? KIRBY: We think that the Iraqi peopleobviously they have to make these decisions for themselvesbut they are key partners of ours, certainly, in the continued fight against ISIS. We are very invested in Iraq. And making sure that Iraq is secure and stable and prosperous and it's not just the United States, but even Iraqis would tell you that they want to be more integrated in the region. And so, this decision does that. It does help integrate Iraq in with her GCC partners and friends and neighbors, and we think that's a positive thing for the whole region. VOA: Do you support Iraqs joining the GCC? KIRBY: That's up to Iraq and members of the GCC. The United States isn't going to take a position on that. We do favor, as we've said, a more integrated cooperative Middle East. But these are sovereign decisions that these nations must make. VOA: So whos funding this project, the electricity grid going through Kuwait and Saudi Arabia? KIRBY: This would be something that the GCC countries would work out. VOA: On the nuclear issue: while in Israel, as President Biden emphasized diplomacy with Iran, Prime Minister Lapid said, Diplomacy will not stop them. The only way to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table.' Is this disagreement a matter of concern for Biden? KIRBY: I don't think we would call this a disagreement. Our Israeli friends see the threat from Iran in the same way that we do. They don't want to see Iran become a nuclear-armed state. No problem in the Middle Eastnonegets easier to solve with Iran having a nuclear weapon. And we respect the Israeli view here. We understand it. We appreciate it. Israel is such a key partner and friend in the region. President Biden believes that diplomacy is the best first path forward. And that is why he has invested so much into making sure that these negotiations continue, and now they're basically complete. And now there's a deal on the table, and now it's up to Iran to take that deal or not. If they want to see sanctions relief, if they want to be less isolated from the rest of the world, there's a deal on the table. Take that deal. Come back into compliance. The sanctions relief will come and the region will be safer for it. If they don't do that, then we're going to continue to work with our allies, partners and friends, including Israel, to make sure that pressure increases on Iran. That's one. Two, we're also going to stay plugged in to our allies, partners and friends to make sure that we have the appropriate capability and capacity in the region to defend our national security interests if we need to. VOA: In the Jerusalem Declaration signed by President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Lapid, it says Washington will use all elements of its national power to ensure Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. Does this declaration mean the U.S. and Israel are joined to deter the nuclear threat of Iran? KIRBY: I think that for the whole regionand this is another reason why we want to work on integrated air and missile defense capabilitiesthere's terrific promise in terms of being able to try to deter Iran should you need to do that from a security perspective. But again, President Biden believes diplomacy is the best path forward. That diplomacy is the right approach to take. And there is a deal now. Again, it's up to Iran to decide whether they're going to take that deal. VOA: Do you think an Israeli-Arab alliance will push Iran towards a nuclear deal? KIRBY: I will let Iran speak for their intentions here. We know that they have gotten closer to a capability, closer than they were when the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was put into action in the Obama administration. Thanks to the preceding administration pulling out of the Iran deal, Iran has now been able to move toward trying to get that capability. And they're closer now than they were six, seven years ago. That's troubling to everybody. Again, we believe that coming back into compliance with the JCPOA is the best path forward. It's in Iran's interest. It's in the region's interest. It's certainly in our interests. But President Biden has also been clear he's not going to take any option off the table. We are absolutely, fundamentally committed to never allowing Iran to become a nuclear-armed state. Biden was crystal clear about that on this trip, and he's not going to take any option off the table. The preferred option is diplomacy. VOA: Does the Biden administration want Iranian oil back in the world market to bring down the price of oil? KIRBY: This discussion about Iran and the nuclear deal has nothing to do with their oil. It has everything to do with them not becoming a nuclear armed state. VOA: So, you don't mind if they sell their oil at this point? KIRBY: They are already. Because of sanctions, there are some limits put on their ability to tap into these markets. But I think it's really important that we don't leave people with the impression that we're trying to pursue the JCPOAgetting them into compliancebecause there's some underlying tone of getting their oil on the market. That could be a tangential result of this. If they come back into compliance, sanctions relief will come. There could be benefits to the Iranian people, and the Iranian people's economy, and their own financial future. But that is downstream. The focus now is on trying to halt their march toward nuclear weapons capability. VOA: When I announced our interview on social media, hundreds of messages came in. I would like to share a couple of them quickly. In Jeddah, President Biden said the future belongs to countries where a woman can exercise equal rights. A social media user asked, Does human rights in Iran have the same priority as the nuclear issue for the Biden administration? KIRBY: Human rights are a central, core value of President Biden's foreign policy. It's right at the center, and he never misses an opportunity or a chance to advance human rights. Obviously, we have nothing against the Iranian people, and we certainly want to see the Iranian people safe and secure and prosperous. That's difficult for them to be, given the path that their government is taking. VOA: I can't remember the last time President Biden talked about the struggle of the Iranian people for freedom. I mean, is there any reason President Biden is not supporting them? KIRBY: The implication that President Biden is not supporting the Iranian people is just patently false. This is not about the Iranian people, whom we would like to see safe and secure and prosperous. That is a key part of why we believe strongly that Iran should not get a nuclear weapon, because no problem in the Middle East, no problem for the Iranian people, gets easier if [Tehran has] a nuclear weapon. All that does is decrease stability and security in the region. And all that does is increase the chances of some sort of conflict. VOA: President Biden said foundational freedoms are key to who we are as Americans. In just the first six months of 2022, 251 people were executed in Iran. Another social media user asked what should happen to make the Biden Administration believe that this regime is not in the interest of the U.S. and the people of Iran? KIRBY: We are focused on the behaviors of this regime. The behavior of marching toward a nuclear weapons capability, support for terrorism, maritime threats and increasing ballistic missile capability. We are focused on that destabilizing behavior and making sure that we can address that destabilizing behavior. We believe diplomacy is the best way to prevent a nuclear arms capability for Iran. And we believe that shoring up, revitalizing our network of alliances and partnerships in the region is the best way to deal with that behavior. VOA: We know that Iran holds at least four Americans, four French, two Swedish, one Belgian, one Polish, two Germans and two Australian hostages. What does President Biden hope to achieve by this recent executive order on hostages? KIRBY: This executive order will allow the United States government to have additional tools and capabilities to try to bring wrongfully detained American citizens back home. It includes additional visa restrictions; it includes the potential for additional sanctions; it gives us yet one more set of tools to try to bring all Americans who are wrongfully detained home. This story originated in VOA's Persian Service. Amid soaring tensions over China's military drills in the Taiwan Strait, VOA's Khmer Service Reporter Sun Narin interviewed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Friday. Blinken told VOA that China's reaction to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan this week is "disproportionate and dangerous. He said the United States will not respond with any provocative actions of its own. Blinken also discussed ways to address the worsening situation in Myanmar, including possible additional sanctions. Blinken said the U.S. wants a positive relationship with Cambodia, and that he discussed the importance of strengthening democracy in the country with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, with elections set for next year. The following transcript has been edited for clarity. VOA: Two questions first before we touch on the topics on Cambodia. So, one is about Taiwan and Myanmar. Just want to get your view on what do you think about the visit of Pelosi to Taiwan, and then there is a reaction and also response from China. BLINKEN: First, wonderful to be with you, thank you. Speaker Pelosi is from our legislative branch, which is an independent, co-equal branch of government. And she has the, had the right to make that visit, as many members of our Congress have visited Taiwan, including this year. But regardless of that, China's reaction is so disproportionate and so dangerous. Whatever it feels about the visit, launching 11 ballistic missiles including over Taiwan, sending its ships all around Taiwan. Five of the missiles that it launched landed near Japan. And I think what you're hearing from countries throughout the region, including ASEAN, which put out a statement, is real concern about how destabilizing and dangerous these actions can be. So, I think it's very important to act responsibly. The United States is not going to engage in any provocative actions of our own. We think the seas should be calmed. The Taiwan Strait is of vital importance to virtually every country in the region so much commerce goes through there. If that were interrupted, it would have a terrible impact on the global economy, and on everyone's desire to recover from COVID. So, I think it's incumbent upon all countries, the United States, but also China, to act responsibly and not use the visit of a member of our Congress as a pretext for engaging in potentially dangerous and destabilizing actions. VOA: In Myanmar we see the situation worsen. BLINKEN: That's right. VOA: Will the U.S. pose any economic sanctions on the junta, including the oil and gas enterprise? BLINKEN: Well, I think what we've seen, exactly as you say, is a situation that's gone from bad to worse. Including with the heinous act of executing four members of the democracy movement despite the pleas from ASEAN, from Cambodia, from many others not to do that. And I think what we're seeing is that the regime is totally unresponsive to every effort to resolve the crisis that was created with the coup. And there's an effort by ASEAN over many months to implement the five-point consensus that the regime in Myanmar signed on to but has been totally unwilling to implement. Stopping the violence, freeing the prisoners, putting Myanmar back on the path to democracy. So given that, we think the countries have to look for ways to put more pressure on the regime economic pressure, political pressure. They should engage with all of the representatives of the people of Myanmar, including the National Unity government. We have to press the regime to allow humanitarian assistance to reach people in Myanmar. And we should look at ways to make sure that weapons don't get to the regime. So, we'll look at everything, including additional forms of economic pressure and sanctions. VOA: And what do you think ASEAN should do besides just excluding the juntas foreign minister out of the meeting? BLINKEN: Well, I think it has to take account of the fact that the regime has refused to implement the five-point consensus and draw whatever conclusions it must from that. I think making sure, right now, that there is nonpolitical representation in ASEAN is exactly the right step. But if this continues, I think ASEAN has to look at what that means, including suspension of Myanmar. VOA: On Cambodia, I understand that you met Prime Minister Hun Sen. BLINKEN: Yes. VOA: What did you tell him? BLINKEN: We had a broad conversation about many, many different topics. I think the most important thing I said is that the United States wants a positive relationship with Cambodia. We want to build on the good foundation that we already have. We're proud of the fact that the United States is the largest export market for Cambodia. I actually saw some wonderful producers of things like cashews and mango[s] that we're working with to help them reach international markets. We were very proud to have been able to provide vaccines during COVID, donate them and with no strings attached, to help Cambodia deal with the COVID pandemic. One of the things I'm very proud of as well is that we've been returning cultural heritage artifacts that were stolen from Cambodia and making sure that theyre returned; something I feel very strongly about, protecting culture. And so, we're working to to deepen all of those ties. We've been working to strengthen our economic ties. But we also talked about the importance of strengthening democracy here in Cambodia, and in particular making sure that as elections are going forward next year, that they're truly representative and inclusive. This is something of course that Cambodia has done before: having multiparty elections. And the United States is not in favor of any particular person or any particular party. Were in favor of a process, a democratic process, that allows everyone in Cambodia to feel like they're being represented in the elections and ultimately in government. VOA: So, one question - what are potential consequences if Cambodia fails to conduct a free and fair election? BLINKEN: Well, I'm not going to get into the hypotheticals. But again, I think it goes to all of our hopes for our own relationship. This is important mostly to the people of Cambodia. That's what they want. But it's also something that the United States cares about. Our Congress does, the president does, it's part of our own DNA. And we have our own challenges with democracy, but we're dealing with them very openly, very transparently, very directly. And that's really all we can ask is the countries strive to have systems in which everyone feels like they're represented. VOA: One last question is about the Ream naval base. What is happening with Chinese and U.S. militaries? And will the U.S. ask to revisit after the completion of the construction? BLINKEN: Well, this is first and foremost in making sure that Cambodia has a truly independent foreign policy and is not, does not feel pressured, of course, by anyone. And when it comes to the Ream naval base, I think countries throughout the region would be very concerned if any one country had exclusive control or use of any portion of the base or was doing anything there that undermined the security of other countries in the region. So, I think it's important to have transparency and to make sure that the base is open to all, and not the exclusive use of any one country. This story originated in VOA's Khmer Service Even with several U.S. primary elections still to go, women candidates for governor are already shattering records. At least 20 female gubernatorial candidates have won their partys nomination and will be on the ballot in November, breaking the previous high of 16, which was set in 2018. It's notable because this is an area where women's underrepresentation has been quite persistent, says Kelly Dittmar, director of research at the Center for American Women in Politics (CAWP) and an associate professor of political science at Rutgers University-Camden. This disrupts gendered perceptions about who can and should lead we've had some really stubborn biases about the association between executive office and masculine traits. There are currently nine women state governors in the United States, the most ever. So far this year, there are 13 Democratic and 7 Republican female nominees for governor, as tracked by CAWP. And while being a major political partys nominee isnt a guarantee of winning office, the numbers do increase the likelihood that there could soon be a record number of women serving at the highest level in their states It's a powerful and influential political position where we want women's voices and experiences to be heard. But it's especially important as we see major policy issues being allocated back to the states, Dittmar says. When we think about abortion or voting rights or education where a lot of our key policy debates are today are at the state level and governors will play a key role in them. And so having women in those positions is only more important now. In all, 47 gubernatorial candidates have already been selected ahead of Novembers midterm elections. With 36 of the 50 states electing their governors this year, another 25 nominees are still to be selected. Several women both Democrats and Republicans are competing for those slots. There are also more woman vs. woman gubernatorial matchups in 2022 than ever before. In all of American history, there have only been four all-women contests in races for governor. This year, there are already five, which highlights the fact that women dont all think alike. Women are not monolithic in their experiences, in their perspective, and their policy agendas and positions, Dittmar says. It's a good reminder for us not to make assumptions that women are the same in ways that we don't make that assumption for men who are competing against each other. Seeing women in positions of power sends an important message to donors, voters and future potential female candidates about the ability of women to succeed at the highest political levels, says Dittmar. It also helps fulfill the promise of a representative government, one of democracys key premises. But having women in these high public offices isnt enough when it comes to a representative government, she says. We want enough women in these offices that there are a diversity of them, Dittmar says. You know, we've only ever had three women of color governors in all of U.S. history. We only have one woman of color currently serving as governor. We've never had a black woman governor. Zimbabwes ruling Zanu-PF party has attacked Washington for what it calls an aggressive conduct in Taiwan after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her delegation visited Taipei, defying unspecified military action from Beijing. During the visit, China conducted military drills near the Island. However, VOA reported earlier that Pelosi speaking in Taiwan said she and the congressional delegation that accompanied her went to Taiwan with a specific purpose. One is security, security for our people, global security. Two is economics, to spread as much prosperity as possible. And three is governance. In a press statement Wednesday, Zanu-PF spokesman and former Ambassador to China, Chris Mutsvangwa, said, Zimbabwe stands fully behind the Peoples Republic of China in the face of the intrusive, imprudent and provocative visit by Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the Congress of the United States Government. Mutsvangwa further said, It is cardinal postulate of international diplomacy that there is One China and Taiwan is an integral part of mainland China. The One China principle is also the basis upon which the Beijing-Washington interactions rests. He accused Washington of trying to cause friction noting that efforts, conduct and behavior that offends the One China principle will Inevitably lead to tension and may cause conflict between the two leading economies in the world. The visit by Pelosi risks igniting military conflict by forcing Beijing to assert its rightful rights and authority over Taipei. Mutsvangwa accused Washington of brewing needless tension through stoking and fanning separatist tendencies on the island of Taiwan. In his reaction, Wurayayi Zembe, president of Zimbabwes opposition Democratic Party, said Zanu-PF must not conflate party and state, adding that the views expressed by the party do not represent Zimbabweans as there has been no referendum on the issue. Zanu-PFs spokesperson Chris Mutsvagwas statement on America-China relations with regards to the visit to Taiwan by the speaker of the U S Congress Nancy Pelosi should clearly state that it is Zanu PF political partys views. I see that the statement also says that Zimbabwe is, Zimbabwe is, like it is a Zimbabwean issue. I disagree with the inclusion of Zimbabwe in that statement because Zanu PF is a partisan entity in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is a national entity, and it is not in Zanu- PF partisan political party. Efforts to get a comment from Zimbabwes foreign minister Frederick Shava or his deputy David Musabayana were futile as they had not responded to questions sent by VOA seeking clarification on whether the views in the ruling party statement represents that of the government. The United States embassy in Harare declined to comment. But in a briefing with reporters, White House National Security Council spokesman, John Kirby, said Washington remains committed to the One China Policy and also maintains informal relations with Taiwan. Kirby said, "We said we do not support Taiwan independence. And we said, as I said again yesterday, that we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means. And we have communicated this directly to the P.R.C. at the highest levels, including in last week's call between President Biden and President Xi. Harare China Relations Zimbabwes President Emmerson Mnangagwa has consistently praised China as an all-weather friend and Beijing has just completed constructing an estimated US$200 million parliament for the southern African nation that will be donated as it was funded by a grant. China is also involved in upgrading Harares hydro and coal power plants. Harare and Washington Analysts say relations between Harare and Washington seem to be taking a turn for the worse. Recently President Mnangagwa sided with Russia after it invaded Ukraine. Writing in the state-leaning Sunday Mail newspaper, Mnangagwa said, Zimbabwe, itself already a victim of western unilateralism, is in the full glare of all these global headwinds. Against Natos provocative eastward expansion in Europe, and Russian Federations robust response to that threat of encirclement by Nato, a new situation has arisen which requires that we re-map the world with a view to finding our own place and securing our interests. In March, President Joe Biden extended by another year targeted sanctions imposed on President Mnangagwa and his inner circle. In a statement justifying the extension, President Joe Biden said, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has not made the necessary political and economic reforms that would warrant terminating the existing targeted sanctions program. Zimbabwe was one of the 15 nations that abstained when the United Nations General Assembly backed a resolution to urge Russia to withdraw from Ukraine. Sybeth Musengezi, who filed a court application seeking the removal of President Emmerson Mnangagwa from the post of Zanu PF leader, says there are some documents that have gone missing at the High Court in Harare. Musengezi says some court officials have informed him that the court case is a security sensitive matter and therefore he cant access certain documents. He says the documents are, infact, no longer available. Some of the documents, says Musengezi, include those submitted by Goodson Nguni, who wants the court to stop the matter from being heard in court. His attorney, Nqobani Sithole, says its puzzling that some court documents are missing at the High Court in Harare. Mnangagwas lawyers have been pressing Musengezi to drop the High Court case with some Zanu PF activists promising to take unspecified action on him. Mnangagwa became the Zanu PF secretary in 2017 when the Zimbabwe Defence Force, ruling party supporters and others toppled then President Robert Mugabe, claiming that he was surrounded by thieves. Musengezi claims that Mnangagwa got the post of Zanu PF first secretary without following proper procedures and therefore his elevation to that position was unconstitutional. SUNY-Erie Community College retired math professor Michael Delaney accused ECC President David Balkin of savaging the college. Fred Floss of the WNY Faculty Coalition said the changes Balkin is making at ECC are a stark example of the dismantling of higher education in Western New York. Erie County legislators urge ECC stakeholders to work together to save college When the Erie County Legislature passed SUNY Erie Community Colleges $98.6 million budget for 2022-23 last month, legislators pledged to keep tabs on how ECC President David Balkins plan to right-size the college using retirement incentives, layoffs and cuts to low-performing programs would play out. Dr. Greg Clabeaux, an ECC alum who went on to the University at Buffalo to become a vascular surgeon, expressed the widespread belief that ECC plans to close its South Campus to make way for the new Buffalo Bills stadium in Orchard Park. Im disappointed that an institution of higher education is being replaced with an arena, he said. Those were among the concerns raised at a Thursday forum concerning the direction the colleges new administration is taking as the WNY Faculty Coalition launches an effort to fight for ECC in the wake of staff and program cuts. Tuition hike, staff cuts and program reforms recommended in ECC budget Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, in a letter to county legislators, warned that ECC has one additional year of breathing room left to make cost-cutting reforms or face dire consequences. The person most suited to address their concerns Balkin was not invited to the forum. He said afterward he would have been happy to attend and is open to future meetings. Balkin took over at ECC on Feb. 2 and has been taking what he calls long overdue measures to prevent a $9 million deficit, including right-sizing the colleges staff to reflect years of declining enrollment and duplication of services at ECCs three separate campuses. He also is seeking to cut low-enrolled programs and reduce ECCs physical footprint to streamline its facilities spending while partnering with WNY industries to offer the training they most need. Balkin, whose new senior team was just approved by ECCs board of trustees last week, has made two rounds of layoffs, including 90 labor and clerical workers who mostly transferred to other county jobs. Another 60 members of ECCs faculty and administrator unions who declined to take a retirement incentive also lost their jobs none of them faculty. Leaders of the faculty coalition, a network of educators from area colleges and universities, held the forum to express alarm at the changes happening and proposed at ECC. About 25 people attended and half of them spoke often emotionally about ECCs role in their success. Marek Parker got his associates degree at ECC in 1990 and went on to UB for his bachelors in social work. He works in homeless outreach at BestSelf and is going on for his masters, he said. After layoffs, SUNY ECC president looks ahead to 'student-centric' agenda Five months into his tenure as president of SUNY-Erie Community College, David Balkin already is making his mark on the struggling school. Im a graduate of ECC-City, Parker said. When I heard that the new president said students should be willing to travel two hours to get to class, that stung me, because as a kid who grew up on the East Side, I did not have that ability. ECC City was my home campus and helped develop the man I am today. Regarding the idea of closing ECC-South, Parker said, I dont think you strengthen an institution by cutting off one of its limbs. Each campus serves a purpose, and I hope to hear more about all three thriving. Several others said ECCs South Campus should remain intact so students from the Southtowns dont have to travel up to an hour to get to the North or City campuses. Matthew OHara, a New Jersey native, moved to Buffalo in 2017 and wasnt accepted to SUNY-Buffalo State or UB, so he went to ECC. He took a critical thinking class at South and fell in love with philosophy and the humanities. He went on to Canisius College and is now in law school at UB. I want to express my support for ECC-South and what it did for me and what I hope it will do for others in the future, he said. Erie Community Colleges Board of Trustees approves cutting 90 jobs SUNY Erie Community Colleges Board of Trustees held a special meeting Tuesday morning to approve a resolution supporting the elimination of 90 positions at the financially troubled college. Other speakers included TheArthur Duncan, a former felon who went on to law school thanks to ECC; Theresa Tomczak, who just lost her job as a veterans services coordinator at ECC South; and Maggie Benjamin, who studied communications at ECC-South, started ECCs food pantries for food-deprived students and is now studying for a masters degree at Buffalo State College. The South campus, in particular, is made up of people who truly care about the success of their students, Benjamin said through tears. They still reach out to me, and these connections are long lasting. I cant imagine ECC South Campus not being available for the students that need it. Floss, a Buffalo State professor who helped organize the forum, said he wants future students to have the same nearby access to an ECC campus that past students had. Students need to be able to live at home and not go into debt to attend college, he said. Hopefully this forum will be the start of a lot stronger effort to strengthen ECC, not just at South Campus, but at the North and downtown campuses. In a Friday interview with The Buffalo News, Balkin reiterated that there is no plan to close ECC-South, and that the new Bills stadium has no bearing on any decision-making that will take place for South Campus. Erie County Legislature passes ECC budget but vows follow-up scrutiny The Erie County Legislature voted 8-3 to approve SUNY Erie Community Colleges proposed $98.6 million budget. But even legislators who voted for it pledged to play a watchdog role in how ECC spends the money and implements cost-cutting measures. What will figure in are the conditions of our facilities and whether we want to put money into them, whether we can collaborate with businesses to provide better hands-on learning experiences to prepare our students for in-demand, high-paying jobs and, in the short-term, how best we can leverage some of our facilities to generate revenue, he said. Balkin has said that all of the current programs at ECC South could fit into two of its seven buildings, leaving plenty of room for the college to lease out some space to produce income to support learning. He also noted that many of the people worrying about down-sizing campuses graduated before the advent of online learning, which will be routine for future students. He promised that ECC will provide free shuttle buses to help students travel between campuses. But having the same administrators, offices, programs and services replicated at all three campuses is unsustainable as a future model, he said. Balkin said he has an open door and has met with many people behind the scenes including at the state level about ECCs future. I am more than happy to meet with people, but its not easy to meet with everyone one on one, he said. If invited to a future forum, I will be there. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Travelers heading from the United States to Europe this summer can also help transport relief supplies to Ukraine. Khrystyna Shevchenko has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. (August 12, 2019) Today, Governor Tim Walz appointed Jodi Harpstead, CEO of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, as the new Commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Human Services, effective September 3. Serving as the CEO for Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota has been among the greatest joys of my life, Harpstead said. I can accept this appointment because LSS is strong and healthy. I am so proud of this organization our employees, volunteers and supporters who are deeply dedicated to the LSS vision that all people have the opportunity to live and work in community, with full and abundant lives. Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota is one of Minnesotas largest human service organizations with 2,300 employees and 8,000 volunteers that serve one in 65 Minnesotans. Harpstead is admired for her work fostering an operational philosophy of breakthrough thinking within the organization to drive innovation in services, helping develop and support strong leadership across and throughout the organization. She has also been instrumental in helping to promote a positive and supportive work culture and the organizations first employee vision statement that underscores meaningful work, opportunities for professional growth and balanced lives for employees. Key innovations for Harpstead and LSS management team include: New service designs for older adults, people with disabilities and children, youth and families across the state of Minnesota. Older Adults: Recent innovations include contracting with health systems to integrate social determinants with health for seniors, including healthy meals shipped to homes in rural Minnesota and Community Companions that help Minnesotans recover after a hospital stay and avoid re-admittance. People with Disabilities: LSS was a leader in founding the Altair ACO, a collaboration of service providers now supporting about 18,000 Minnesotans with intellectual and developmental disabilities about 30% of the people with disability waivers in Minnesota using a care management approach with the goals of better health, fuller lives, and lower cost. Altair has grown to 14 partners from its original 6 in 2013, and is a national leader bringing forward new, integrated models of health and services targeted at whole-person care. Youth Homelessness: The Center for Changing Lives for Youth opened in Duluth 2017, followed by an LSS-convened community stakeholder group whose goal is to end homelessness for youth in Duluth. Adoption Leadership: Assuring that Minnesota remains a leader in International, Domestic and Foster Care Adoptions by bringing together the adoption services of Childrens Home Society and LSS in 2012 under an innovative affiliation between two long standing and respected Minnesota organizations. Development of LSS offices in urban neighborhoods which include recent partnerships with Lifetrack in Saint Pauls Promise Neighborhood and Christ the River of Life Lutheran Church and Redeemer Center for Life in North Minneapolis. Supporting military families. Through a partnership with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, Lutheran Social Service offers support to military families statewide including mental health and financial counseling, caregiver support and other supportive resources. Taking a stand as an anti-racism organization. Fostering conversations and learning on issues of race among employees is an ongoing endeavor that began in 2008 to promote greater understanding, ensure high quality service and build racial equity. Were very proud of the work Jodi and LSS leadership team have accomplished to continue cultivating a vibrant, innovative and healthy organization with highly-dedicated employees who are driven by compassion to help others lead full and abundant lives, said Dr. Paul Dovre, Board Chair for Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. We truly wish Jodi well and know that both the Minnesota Department of Human Services and Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota will be in very capable hands. Patrick Thueson, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, will become Acting CEO beginning September 3 while the Board of Directors determines their next steps. Thueson has served for 12 years with Harpstead. LSS continuing senior executives have a combined total of 80 years of leadership experience at LSS. Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota began in 1865 when a Lutheran pastor and his congregation opened an orphanage for children near Red Wing in southeastern Minnesota. Today, with 2,300 employees and 8,000 volunteers, Lutheran Social Service supports one in 65 Minnesotans through services that inspire hope, change lives and build community. Statewide, the organization seeks to foster safe and supportive homes for children, restore health and wellness in families, empower people with disabilities to live the lives they imagine, and promote health, independence and quality of life for older adults. For comprehensive information about the work of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, visit www.lssmn.org. Its a homecoming of sorts for Buffalos Adelaide Clauss. The 24-year-old rising star with the Washington Ballet will perform with the company at nearby Chautauqua Institution in shows Aug. 10 and Aug. 13 with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. It is the first time in recent memory, if not the first time ever, the prestigious ballet company from our nations capital will perform in the region. Clauss began her dance training at age 5 with The Neglia Conservatory of Ballet and quickly established herself as a unique talent garnering lead roles in Neglia Ballet Artists "The Nutcracker" and "Baba Yaga." She has an amazing facility [for dance], said Heidi Halt, executive director of Neglia Ballet. "She was always the hardest worker in the room and brought joy with her into the studio. Halt recalled an early indication of Clausss innate artistry as a dancer in one of her first performances at 6 or 7 years with Neglia Ballet Artists portraying a flower creature in "Baba Yaga" that was supposed to act scared when the witch Baba Yaga comes near. I saw her face onstage in that moment and she looked like she was about to cry. When she came off the stage, I asked her if she was okay and she looked at me, smiled, and said yeah, I was just acting. Clauss continued her training at 14 at The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre, where she originated the role of young Clara in Alexei Ratmanskys new "The Nutcracker" production for ABT. She then joined ABTs Studio Company, following in the footsteps of notable dancers Misty Copeland and David Hallberg before joining The Washington Ballet in 2016 where she has danced several featured roles including most recently the lead roles of Odette/Odile in "Swan Lake" at The Kennedy Center. Now in her sixth season with The Washington Ballet, Clauss says she loves returning to Buffalo (when she can) to teach and to perform at Neglia Ballet Artists' annual Spring Galas. Heidi and Sergio [Neglia] were fabulous people to introduce me to the artform of dance, Clauss said. Sergio is very good in giving young dancers a voice in the way they dance and wanting you to express yourself. It becomes less about the technique and more about the artistry. With the performances at Chautauqua, area dance fans will get to see Clauss in a different light as part of a world-class ensemble showcasing the talents that got her named as one of Pointe magazines Stars of the Corps in 2019. On Aug. 10, she is slated to perform in choreographer Jessica Langs Beethoven Serenade (2022), a group ballet that Lang said, offers audiences beautifully spirited elegance that is often associated with classical ballet and breaks from its traditions in most meaningful ways. She also performs in the world premiere of former New York City Ballet dancer Silas Farleys Dowland Dances, a ballet set to music by Shakespearean-era composer John Dowland that is being created during TWBs two-week residency at Chautauqua. Rounding out the Aug. 10 program will be George Balanchines challenging Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux (1960). The Aug. 13 show has Clauss performing the featured role of Terpsichore, Muse of dance and song, in Balanchines iconic ballet Apollo (1928), to music by Igor Stravinsky. Also on that program will be the Act II pas de deux from the ballet Swan Lake, and Balanchines Allegro Brilliante (1956), a full-bodied display of Russian romanticism. For Clauss and TWB, the upcoming performances at Chautauqua are part of the company getting back to in-person performances after the past few years of pandemic disruption where Clauss said she spent a lot of time away from the stage. I was in Buffalo for a fair chunk of the pandemic staying with my dad and brother alternatively, Clauss said. I took Zoom classes with Washington Ballet and others dancing in my dads living room on his rug until Neglia Ballet helped me get some dance flooring. Thankful to be back performing, Clauss said she feels very fortunate to have joined The Washington Ballet. I love the atmosphere here. I find that [Artistic Director] Julie [Kent] fosters an atmosphere supportive of people as individuals and that lends itself to the dancers be supportive of one another, she said. Correspondingly, Kent said of Clauss: Adelaide is an extraordinary example of a young 21st century artist. ... Her hometown community should be extremely proud of her accomplishments and the exciting possibilities for her future. Clauss said she couldnt be more excited to be performing so close to Buffalo. I am very proud of this company [TWB] and I hope the Buffalo community will come see us perform. DANCE PREVIEW To hear law enforcement tell it, Jason L. Tyus is a serial burglar who got off with no jail time and was released from custody only to be arrested just weeks later on more burglary charges. Tyus' defense attorneys say he rightfully got a second chance because he has suffered from mental health and substance abuse issues. On Sunday morning a little more than month after he pleaded guilty to five felony charges for burglaries earlier this year in Buffalo and Cheektowaga Buffalo police charged the 36-year-old with two burglaries that happened that morning on Kensington Avenue. Tyus was not behind bars because his case had been transferred into a mental health diversion program in Buffalo City Court, giving him a chance to lessen his punishment for his crimes down the line. Tyus' case comes as politicians across the state and country debate how best to deal with crime with some calling for more diversion from the criminal justice system and the other side demanding tougher penalties to protect citizens, especially when it comes to repeat offenders. "I certainly support people who may be suffering from substance abuse issues to get the help that they need, but we have to remember there are victims out there that need to be protected from people like this," Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said. Ortt demands legislative session on bail laws after Rochester cop killed, Zeldin assaulted The fatal shooting of a police officer and attempted assault of Rep. Lee Zeldin in separate incidents in Rochester have heightened state Republican officials' cries for more stringent state bail laws tougher than those "retooled" by Gov. Kathy Hochul in this year's state budget as well as measures to reduce violence in Rochester and upstate New York. Tyus' case did not arise due to any bail law changes in the state but comes amid efforts by some elected officials, mainly Republicans, who have said that recent Democrat-led changes made to those laws for increases in crime, though crime has also risen in states that did not loosen bail laws. Republican Lee Zeldin, the congressman running for governor against Democrat incumbent Kathy Hochul, has attacked the changes to bail laws as part of his campaign. Tyus' case is "classic," in the sense that a person may commit theft offenses to feed addictions, said Michael Deal, managing attorney with the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, the agency that represented Tyus. Tyus, a young Black man, deserves just as much compassion as anyone else involved in the criminal justice system, Deal said. "He has the exact same right to be saved as the middle-aged or younger white person in Orchard Park," he said. Buffalo police arrested Tyus about 5 a.m. Sunday on Hewitt Avenue, near Eggert Road, not far from a pizzeria and a gas station on Kensington where someone smashed windows and stole cash. Among the allegations, he is accused of taking the cash register from the gas station. The machine was found behind a parked car on Hewitt, according to court documents. Police also allegedly found a glass pipe with crack cocaine residue in a front jacket pocket, according to court papers. In May, Tyus was indicted by a grand jury on charges related to a series of burglaries in Buffalo and Cheektowaga. Tyus was charged with two early morning burglaries that occurred Feb. 12 at a Cheektowaga pizzeria and a mini-mart. Buffalo police first arrested him Feb. 17 for a burglary that happened a week earlier at a store on East Delavan Avenue. Then there was a March 9 break-in at a corner store near Bailey and Kensington avenues. A month later, he burglarized the same business. He was arraigned in Erie County Court in early June and was released after he pleaded guilty June 28 to five class E felonies. In court, Tyus admitted committing five burglaries of commercial properties outside of business hours, all happening since he turned 36 in late January. Prior to pleading guilty to the five burglaries, Tyus had been convicted of a separate felony but never spent more than a year in prison, according to police and prosecutors. Erie County prosecutors objected to Tyus' case being transferred to mental health court, a spokeswoman for the District Attorney's Office said. Tyus, who has two teenage children, went into drug treatment on his own a couple of years ago, Deal said. In January of this year, his mother died, he said. "It's not uncommon for someone who's in a treatment setting to relapse," Deal said. Agreement on bail reform will give judges ability to consider danger a defendant poses Under the proposed changes, which are believed to have already been agreed on by all sides, a judge must also consider a defendant's use or possession of a gun and whether the charge involves allegations of causing "serious harm" to a person or a group. If he had successfully completed the mental health diversion program, Tyus would have been allowed to withdraw his guilty pleas to the five felonies and plead guilty to reduced charges, according to the District Attorney's Office. Now, prosecutors want a new date scheduled in City Court so they can ask a judge to revoke Tyus' release. In Tyus' situation, he should be getting treatment while behind bars, Gramaglia said. "The whole system has been geared to let people out and some people need to be locked up for the safety of our community at large," the commissioner said. In connection with Sunday's incidents, Tyus has been charged with five felonies and four misdemeanors, according to prosecutors. The felonies are two burglary counts, two criminal mischief counts and one count of grand larceny. At his arraignment in City Court on Monday, Judge Kevin J. Keane set bail on each of Tyus' two new cases at $25,000. Former real estate developer and weekly newspaper publisher Frank R. Parlato Jr. pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to failing to file a form with the IRS as part of a plea agreement that settles a nearly seven-year prosecution. Parlato admitted he accepted cash payments totaling $19,970 from a food vendor at the One Niagara Welcome Center in Niagara Falls but failed to notify the IRS, which must be alerted to receipts of cash in amounts greater than $10,000. Frank Parlato: crusading investigative reporter or fraudster? The Niagara Falls businessman helped uncover the truth about the so-called sex cult Nxivm and is one of the subjects of a new network documentary. Hes also accused of fraud and cheating the IRS and is set to stand trial in Parlato, 67, was slated to go to trial next month on charges in an 18-count indictment, including fraud and money laundering. Parlato also agreed to pay about $184,940 in restitution for unpaid taxes on years of income and to forfeit about $1 million to federal authorities, the latter of which was money seized by the government in 2015. Federal sentencing guidelines call for a prison term of 24 to 30 months, a fine of $10,000 to $25,000 and one to three years of supervised release. Developer and newspaper publisher Parlato indicted on fraud, money laundering Frank Parlato Jr.s battle with federal prosecutors, four years in the making, escalated Friday when a grand jury accused him of cheating the Internal Revenue Service and two heirs to the Seagrams liquor Prosecutors agreed not to seek a prison term greater than 24 months at Parlato's sentencing, scheduled for Dec. 7. They also agreed under the deal not to seek forfeiture of Parlato's homes in Amherst and Florida. "Will I be sentenced to prison? I dont know, maybe," Parlato said outside the Robert H. Jackson United States Courthouse after he entered his plea. "I am prepared to do that, and Ill do my very best whatever happens. But I do think that Im entitled to a chance to explain what I did, why I did it, and please keep in mind it was only one document, one time, 12 years ago, measured against a great deal of success." Friday's proceeding was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., but was delayed about 45 minutes as Parlato, his attorneys and prosecutors made changes to the plea agreement in handwritten notes. Throughout the proceeding, Parlato responded to questions from U.S. District Judge Richard Arcara about whether he understood terms of the agreement as it was reviewed in the courtroom. Parlato had an ownership interest or managed the One Niagara building located near the foot of the Rainbow Bridge in downtown Niagara Falls and operated as a tourist center between 2004 and 2017, according to prosecutors. The center, still in operation, houses vendors who offer food, souvenirs and tours to Falls visitors. Prosecutors said there was unreported income from operations at One Niagara between 2006 and 2017 that led to uncollected taxes of about $390,346. Much of that amount has been paid, with the roughly $184,000 still owed a figure that includes interest and penalties. Parlato, who will be sentenced as a first-time offender, was first indicted by federal prosecutors in 2015 on charges he cheated the IRS, accusations that arose following an FBI investigation dating back to at least 2012. Prosecutors dropped some charges, including the accusation that Parlato stole $1 million from two heirs to the Seagrams liquor fortune, when they unveiled a new grand jury indictment in May 2018. The cash collected from the vendor was for rent paid in the summer of 2010, according to the plea agreement. Parlato, who was represented by defense attorneys Herbert Greenman and Paul Cambria Jr., admitted he failed to file what's known as IRS Form 8300. Parlato had been part-owner of Artvoice and publisher of the Niagara Falls Reporter. Seagram's heir goes from accuser in Niagara Falls case to accused in NYC case A few months ago, Clare Bronfman was the accuser, the victim. Today, the Seagrams liquor heir is in federal custody facing criminal charges. Bronfman, a key witness in the original prosecution of Niagara Falls developer Frank Parlato Jr., was arrested Tuesday and charged with taking part in a criminal conspiracy that involved sex trafficking, identity theft and money laundering. The $1 million seized by the government was money Parlato received from Sara and Clare Bronfman, daughters of the late Seagrams liquor heir Edgar M. Bronfman. They had accused Parlato of cheating them out of the money, while Parlato said he earned the money as part of a real estate deal in Los Angeles. The Bronfman sisters were members of a group known as Nxivm, the founder of which was found guilty in 2019 of sex trafficking and racketeering, among other charges. Clare Bronfman pleaded guilty to two charges for her role in the organization. Placeholder while article actions load Three decades after the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia, the ethnic hostilities that ignited the conflict linger on. Kosovo declared its independence from former Yugoslav republic Serbia in 2008, but Serbia refuses to let it go. There was a flare-up in the dispute in mid-2022 that raised fears of violence on the European Unions southeastern frontier before the situation was defused. Russias invasion of Ukraine added a new dimension to the standoff, with Serbia coming under pressure from the EU to cut ties with Moscow. 1. What was the latest argument about? Kosovo has a predominantly ethnic Albanian population of 1.8 million, but it includes more than 100,000 Serbs. Tensions grew in August when the Kosovo authorities sought to force the minority Serbs to swap their existing identity documents and car plates to conform with the rest of the population. Many ethnic Serbs viewed the administrative order as an affront, and a threat to their identity. The directive was later put on hold pending EU-mediated talks later in the month. Advertisement 2. What are the origins of the dispute? Protests erupted in Kosovo in 1981 following the death of Yugoslavias long-ruling Communist dictator Josip Broz Tito. An initial demand by ethnic Albanians that Kosovo be upgraded from a province within Serbia to a federal republic within Yugoslavia triggered Serbian nationalism and helped propel Slobodan Milosevic to power in Serbia in 1987 as he vowed to stem the separatism. His crackdown, however, escalated demands by Kosovos majority to seek full independence. War over the territory broke out in 1998, killing more than 10,000 people. The fighting ended in 1999 when bombing by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization forced Serb troops out of Kosovo, and an estimated 200,000 Serb civilians fled as well. Serbia has vowed never to agree to the secession of what it considers its historic heartland, a stance backed by Russia, China and even five EU states. 3. Whats been the impact of Russias war in Ukraine? Advertisement Geopolitical divisions over Kosovo have become more acute after the attack on Ukraine by Vladimir Putin, an outspoken Serbia supporter. Putin has criticized the West for what he says are double standards. He has compared the cause of Kosovo -- which has been recognized by most of the western world -- to that of two regions in eastern Ukraine controlled by Russian-backed separatists since 2014. In turn, the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have used the war in Ukraine to intensify their rhetoric. Theres a risk that an escalation could spill over to other parts of the volatile Western Balkans, including Bosnia-Herzegovina. Still, a NATO-led peace force of nearly 3,800 troops has helped keep peace in Kosovo for years and it has said it is prepared to intervene if stability is threatened. 4. Who are the key players? Kosovo Premier Albin Kurti has accused Serbia of serving Russian interests, while Serb President Aleksandar Vucic said Kosovo officials are trying to exploit alarm over Ukraine for their own purposes. Both have opponents at home who question their handling of the recurring tensions, but their populations remain largely entrenched in rival nationalism. The US generally wields more influence than the EU over Kosovos leadership, while Serbia seeks support from Moscow as well as from Washington and Brussels in handling the dispute. Vucic has condemned the invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations while stopping short of adopting EU sanctions against Russia. In 2022, Vucic secured five more years as president, with his party holding a majority in parliament. Kurtis refusal to make any concessions to Serbia has further complicated any talks with the neighboring nation. Advertisement 5. What about the EUs relationship with Serbia and Kosovo? Serbia and Kosovo signed an EU-brokered agreement in 2013 on trade, energy and communications, and which envisioned giving Kosovo Serbs some self-rule. Kosovo later said it wouldnt give autonomy to the minority population and demanded Serbias full recognition before any further consideration. While the EU remains the key investor in both nations, progress in their efforts to join the bloc has been slow. Serbia is negotiating its entry and is further ahead in the process than Kosovo, which has yet to become an official candidate. The EU has made resolving the standoff between them a condition for accession. Disillusion with the bloc is growing in Serbia, where the EU is seen as increasingly distant and preoccupied with its own issues. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load If theres one thing the impending back-to-school season makes clear, its that the cost of higher education in the US is nerve-racking. The average tuition and fees for the 2021-22 school year is $10,338 at an in-state public college, $22,698 at an out-of-state and $38,185 at a private school, according to US News data. Based on how much costs are increasing each year, though, millennials can expect to see far larger bills by the time their kids get to college. How does one possibly prepare for a child to go to university while also securing ones own financial future? The most common answer is by using a 529 college savings plan. But for some families, Id argue that the Roth IRA yes, the retirement account offers a more flexible way to build up your kids higher-education fund. In a 529 plan, contributions grow tax-deferred and withdrawals are tax-free so long as theyre put toward qualified educational expenses (including for K-12). Although there are no income restrictions and no annual contribution limits, there are lifetime contribution maximums. Family members can also contribute to a 529 plan that you set up for your child. Advertisement The issue with 529s is that they can be restrictive. And its ultimately hard to predict your childs future. Should they not attend college or another qualifying institution such as a trade or technical school and you withdraw the 529 funds for a non-educational expense, they will be subject to taxes and a potential 10% penalty. While there are options in case the original beneficiary isnt college-bound, you really have to be diligent about the eligibility rules when using the money. The plans also can come with higher fees and fewer investment choices compared to other investment strategies. This is where the Roth IRA comes in. These are funded with post-tax dollars, so your future self, at 59 1/2 and older, can withdraw both contributions and earnings tax-free. Depending on current and predicted tax brackets, this can be a huge advantage, especially for younger people investing for retirement. Advertisement What many dont consider is that these accounts can also be leveraged to invest for non-retirement goals in a tax-advantaged way. If youve had your Roth IRA for at least five years, you are eligible to withdraw contributions at any time without paying a penalty and you can use these funds as you wish. (Note: This only applies to the post-tax contributions you made and not the earnings on those contributions. An early withdrawal of the latter can trigger a tax penalty.) Millennials setting money aside for their childrens college fund should consider the Roth IRA as one vehicle for doing so but if, and only if, it is a supplemental retirement savings account. Meaning, you also have a 401(k) or another retirement fund that youre investing in for your own future. You do not want to tap your future nest egg to pay for schooling (there are loans for that). Advertisement Roth IRAs are subject to income phaseouts, which can make it more accessible to younger millennials and older Gen Zers who are not in their peak earning years yet. It also means paying taxes on income while youre in a lower tax bracket, which is probably less that what youd pay in retirement. Married parents with an adjusted gross income of $204,000 or less and who file taxes jointly can each contribute up to $6,000 a year to a Roth IRA. Those 50 and older can contribute $7,000. Single parents with an AGI of $129,000 or less can contribute the same amounts. Those earning more than these thresholds can contribute a reduced amount unless you earn more than $214,000 as married, joint filers or more than $144,000 as a single filer, in which case you are ineligible for a Roth IRA. (Many looking to get around these restrictions opt for a backdoor Roth IRA.) Maxing out just one Roth IRA with $6,000 annually, starting the year a child is born, would result in $108,000 of contributions by the time a child is 18 years old. Considering that each parent can have an IRA, you could have double that. (And you can start contributing to the account even before a child is born.) Advertisement The Roth IRA loophole allows you to withdraw these contributions at any time, after five years, without a tax penalty. The earnings on your contributions, meanwhile, can stay invested and grow for your use in retirement. If necessary, you may be able to withdraw earnings penalty-free for education expenses, but youd still need to pay income tax if youre under 59 1/2. If youre over this age when your child goes to college, then you can withdraw both contributions and earnings without paying income tax or penalties. Keep in mind that this does not equally apply to a Roth 401(k). Despite having a similar tax treatment as a Roth IRA, you do not have the same level of flexibility with contribution withdrawals. There is also one big catch: A Roth IRA withdrawal will impact your childs financial-aid options for school. Free Application for Federal Student Aid will count withdrawals from a retirement account as income. Assets in retirement savings dont count against FAFSA, but withdrawals do. That means your income for that year will look higher on paper, even if all those funds are paying for your childs college education, and this could impact how much student aid your child can receive. Advertisement If your child will be heavily relying on federal student loans to pay for the majority of college tuition, then you should do the math on how much a retirement withdrawal will impact their access to loans. Another option is to wait until their junior or senior years before taking the withdrawals. FAFSA decisions are often made using the tax income from two years prior. Students applying for aid in the 2022-23 school year are asked to use their parents 2020 tax return. Whether you pick a 529, a Roth IRA or a mix to prepare for the cost of college, make sure you do not deprioritize your future needs in the process. You dont have to rob yourself of a comfortable retirement in the name of sending your child to school. More From Bloomberg Opinion: Womens Wealth Is Growing. When Will Finance Catch Up?: Stuart Trow Advertisement Jobful Vibecession Will Keep Workers on the Payroll: Conor Sen Estee Lauder Envies Tom Fords Fragrance. Does It Fancy Its Fashion?: Andrea Felsted This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Erin Lowry is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering personal finance. She is the author of the three-part Broke Millennial series. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load 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 worldwide, 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 has been about 3% to 6%, according to the World Health Organization. Advertisement 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? Advertisement Monkeypox doesnt usually spread easily between people. Close contact with the virus from an infected person or animal -- such as touching a lesion or contaminated object -- is the main pathway. 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. Advertisement 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. This is the first time that cases and sustained chains of transmission have been reported in countries where infections arent linked to recent travel to places in West or Central Africa, where the disease is endemic. Outside those areas, the outbreaks have primarily affected men who have sex with men. Among cases with data on sexual orientation, 97.5% identified as gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, according to an Aug. 3 WHO report. Advertisement 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, including bacterial super infections, painful ulcerations, and inflammation of the rectum and throat. 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. Sexual behaviors are important risk factors, however. A sexual encounter was the likely source of spread in 91.5% of reported transmission events, according to the WHO report, with the most common setting being a large event with sexual contacts. Clubs, raves, saunas and other venues where there is close contact with many people may increase the risk of exposure, especially if people are wearing less clothing. Data from outbreaks in Canada, Spain, Portugal, and the UK suggest venues where men have sex with multiple partners are helping to drive spread. Advertisement 6. How fast is it spreading? From just a handful of cases in Europe in early May, more than 26,000 cases, mostly in men, were reported from 85 countries by early August, including 11 deaths, according to WHO and data collated by global.health. 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. 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. In the US, its safety and efficacy are being studied by the AIDS Clinical Trials Group, the research network established in the late 1980s to rapidly assess the safety and efficacy of antiretroviral drugs for HIV infection. In the meantime, its available through an expanded-access process from 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 it. The UK Health Security Agency (HSA) also lists cidofovir as an antiviral that can be used. Advertisement 8. What about prevention? Public health experts say limiting spread will require a comprehensive, international vaccination strategy targeting high-risk groups -- and adequate vaccine supplies. 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 shots of Imvanex from Bavarian Nordic A/S to close contacts of infected people. Its a newer smallpox vaccine, based on non-replicating versions of the vaccinia virus, and is the only one also approved for monkeypox in the US, where its sold as Jynneos. (Its called Imamune in Canada). Immunization requires two injections administered four weeks apart. But supply has been limited, leading to shortages. 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? Advertisement WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on July 23 declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern -- its highest level of alarm short of a pandemic. The so-called PHEIC (pronounced fake) empowers the agency to invoke new measures to curb the viruss spread. Tedros last declared a PHEIC in January 2020 during the early stages of the Covid-19 outbreak. The WHO assesses the risk across its regions as: High in Europe Moderate in Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean and the South-East Asia regions Low-moderate in the Western Pacific region 10. Can it be stopped? The White House appointed Robert Fenton in August to coordinate the US governments response and increase equitable access to tests, vaccines and treatments. Days later a public health emergency was declared in the US, freeing up more resources. But former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in mid-July that the window for controlling the US outbreak had probably closed, with only a small fraction of the cases in the country reported. 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. Tedros warned that in some countries, the communities affected face life-threatening discrimination and so may not seek help, making the outbreak much harder to track, and to stop. Advertisement 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. 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 US emergency declaration in section 10.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load As monkeypox cases in the US climbed to more than 7,100, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra declared the outbreak a public health emergency. Its long past time.The formality came almost two weeks after the World Health Organization had officially deemed it an emergency and days after individual states, including California, Illinois, and New York, had made their own call on the virus. In theory, the US has had all the right tools tests, treatments, and vaccines to stem the spread of monkeypox. But access to all three, whether due to confusion around cumbersome administrative processes or insufficient supplies, has been frustratingly limited. Meanwhile, cases continue to multiply. Finally the public health emergency will put needed resources toward the situation, including strategies for improving access to, and for gauging the value of, those treatments and vaccines that were originally developed for smallpox, not monkeypox. Advertisement There is a very real chance these steps, while welcome, wont be enough to prevent the disease from becoming endemic. And if that happens, they also dont go far enough to give doctors the information they need about Jynneos, the smallpox vaccine manufactured by the Danish firm Bavarian Nordic A/S thats become a cornerstone of the Biden administrations response. The most concrete plan outlined this week was a new proposal from the Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health to expand access to the vaccine and for running a clinical trial to test that approach. To extend the current supply, the FDA is considering a new way of administering Jynneos, which is intended to be given in two doses four weeks apart. The new approach would stretch the single dose in each vial to five by giving the shot not subcutaneously, or under the skin, but intradermally. That would involve, as FDA Commissioner Robert Califf described to reporters, sticking the needle within the skin and creating a little pocket for the vaccine. Healthcare workers already are familiar with this strategy, as its used for tuberculosis testing. Advertisement If successful, this could substantially increase the number of people in the US and around the world who have access to the vaccine. The CDC estimates there are some 1.6 million to 1.7 million people in what they consider the highest risk categories for monkeypox, which in the current outbreak has overwhelmingly occurred in men who have sex with men. The highest risk groups include gay or bisexual men with HIV, or people who take medication to prevent HIV infection (commonly called PrEP). The US, meanwhile, recently made available another 786,000 doses of the two-shot vaccine. Not coincidentally, John Beigel, National Institute of Allergy and Immunologys director of clinical research, the day before the health emergency was declared had outlined early plans for a clinical trial to test this dose sparing approach. In a presentation to a group convened by the WHO to discuss studying monkeypox vaccine efficacy, Beigel noted a small trial could compare the immune response elicited by three vaccination strategies: giving that one-fifth dose intradermally, giving just one dose subcutaneously (a strategy some US cities are already taking in order to stretch supplies), and giving the full two doses subcutaneously. Beigel said that study could begin within the next four weeks, ideally sooner. This trial will be essential to understanding the potential for extending the worlds limited supply of Jynneos, but will do nothing to further our understanding of how well the vaccine works. Advertisement It has so far only been tested in animals with monkeypox, leaving doctors with little information on its efficacy. Currently, the open questions about the vaccine, beyond dosing, are many: How long after an exposure to the virus can it minimize the severity of an infection? Is the vaccine effective for all modes of exposure (for example, kissing versus skin-to-skin contact)? Can it allow the world to reach herd immunity? If the vaccine is going to be one of the major strategies for prevention, we better have good data to back up how its going to work, Anne Rimoin, an epidemiologist at University of California, Los Angeles told me. Rimoin helped kick off the WHO meeting on vaccine efficacy this week by presenting these and other questions that doctors and patients would like answered.The bottom line is that we really dont have real-world effectiveness data on how this vaccine is going to hold up in this context potentially repeated exposures from a sexual route of transmission, she said. During a crisis, its impossible to do everything at once. The gold standard randomized controlled trial might not be achievable, but certainly experts have a lot of good ideas about how to collect useful data. Observational studies conducted within the health care system, for example. Advertisement One thing is for certain: The government should feel an urgency to start collecting as much information as possible now. More From Bloomberg Opinion: New Monkeypox Tests Are Needed to Contain the Virus: Lisa Jarvis US Monkeypox Response Repeats Errors of Covid: Danzig & Lawler Havent Had Covid Yet? Maybe Youve Just Been Lucky: Faye Flam This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Lisa Jarvis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering biotech, health care and the pharmaceutical industry. Previously, she was executive editor of Chemical & Engineering News. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load THG Plc, formerly known as The Hut, just missed out on a $1.6 billion investment from SoftBank Group Corp. Its not easy to see how the e-commerce retailer, led by Matthew Moulding, will be able to replace that injection. THG will have to live within its means for the next few years. To recap: In May 2021, THG announced a $2.3 billion deal with SoftBank. Masayoshi Sons venture capital firm became a cornerstone investor in the Manchester-based company, and agreed to work with it, for example on robotic warehouses. But the most eye-catching element was a $1.6 billion option for SoftBank to acquire a 20% stake in Ingenuity, the THG business that helps consumer companies sell directly to their customers via the web. With the value of the whole of the company falling well below the option price and SoftBank having its own problems it looked increasingly unlikely that SoftBank would exercise it. While the Japanese company remains one of THGs biggest shareholders, the Ingenuity option agreement was terminated last week. Advertisement Itll be tricky for THG to find a similar deal, or raise funds from other investors especially with the shares of Mouldings company having fallen 90% from their peak of almost 8 ($9.66) in January 2021. The broader tech sell-off doesnt help, neither does the fact that online retail is losing steam as economies reopen. The $1.6 billion was earmarked for Ingenuity, but there might have been a way for the capital to benefit the broader THG conglomerate, which includes arms that sell beauty and nutrition products online. Theres no immediate need for funding. The group had gross cash of 537 million at the end of 2021, and an undrawn revolving credit facility of 170 million. Meanwhile, THGs already completed a good chunk of the investment needed to kickstart Ingenuity. But analysts at Barclays estimate that THG will have annual free cash outflows until 2025, when it is expected to turn positive as profit improves at the online businesses and Ingenuity gains scale. Consequently, they predict that gross cash will fall to about 100 million by the end of 2025. In a recent note, Barclays said that while it didnt think that THG needed to raise capital, preserving it would be important. Advertisement Its hard to see Moulding being as aggressive on deals as he has been in the past. That may not be a bad thing. The company will have to concentrate on generating growth from its three existing divisions. If it is successful, that could help reassure investors. But a focus on underlying performance comes at a delicate time. Consumers are shifting away from purchasing via the click of a mouse or tap of a smartphone to shopping in physical stores. And with tech valuations having come down, it also means that Moulding will likely miss out on attractively priced opportunities. THG may have some other options. The company announced last week, alongside the termination of the SoftBank option agreement, that it had completed the internal separation of the three divisions. That could make it easier to seek investments for each unit individually. Given current market conditions, a planned listing of the beauty arm looks unlikely. But THGs nutrition business could be more interesting. The big consumer goods conglomerates are looking for ways to accelerate sales growth with more sought-after categories. Nutrition, with products from vitamins and supplements to snacks, could be worth more to them than THG investors. Barclays recently put the value of the division at 320 million. Advertisement However, Moulding may be reluctant to part with the nutrition unit because it is estimated to be more profitable than beauty, and because of the slump in tech valuations. Earlier this summer, THG rejected a 2.1 billion proposal for the entire company from a consortium of Belerion Capital and hedge fund King Street Capital Management. Property entrepreneur Nick Candys Candy Ventures also walked away. So, the company has little option but to try to grind out growth from its online businesses and Ingenuity. Unless Moulding, who owns about 20% of THG, were to take it private. That wouldnt be so straightforward either. With such wild swings in the stock price, determining the buyout level is tricky. The shares are trading at about 68 pence, valuing the company about 850 million. That makes the cost for Moulding smaller but shareholders who bought into the companys initial public offering in September 2020 at 5 will be reluctant to exit for a pittance. And theres the small matter of Mouldings recent statement that he thought the business was worth more than 2.1 billion. Advertisement SoftBanks investment was a neat solution. Adapting to reality without it looks less tidy. More From Other Writers at Bloomberg Opinion: The Hut Needs to Step Up Its Makeover, and Fast: Andrea Felsted Private Equity Can Lap Up British Businesses Again: Chris Hughes Brexiteers Want a Piece of the Bank of England: Paul J. Davies This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Andrea Felsted is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering consumer goods and the retail industry. Previously, she was a reporter for the Financial Times. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Singapore is reviewing a colonial-era rule that criminalizes sex between men while trying to protect a law that prevents same-sex marriages. Heres where things stand: 1. Whats the law on men having sex with men? Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Section 377A of the penal code states: Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any male person of, any act of gross indecency with another male person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years. The law has not been actively enforced for over a decade, and it does not affect women who have sex with other women. 2. What have the courts said? A 2014 challenge against 377A failed when Singapores Supreme Court ruled it was a constitutional matter. In February, the Court of Appeal upheld a lower courts decision to dismiss three challenges to the rule. However, the court said 377A was unenforceable in its entirety because the Attorney General had publicly expressed a policy in 2018 of not prosecuting consenting adult men for private sexual acts. Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said in July that the issue should be discussed and decided in Parliament and not in the courts. Advertisement 3. Why is same-sex marriage in this discussion? Any discussion on changing 377A raises concerns, especially from religious groups, that it would be followed by court cases that could lead to recognizing same-sex marriages. Under Singapore law, a marriage can only take place between a man and a woman. The government is considering how we can safeguard the current legal position on marriage from being challenged in the Courts, so that it does not get challenged like the way Section 377A was in a series of cases, Shanmugam said. A poll by a local think-tank, the Institute of Policy Studies, conducted in late 2018 indicated that the proportion of residents who felt same-sex marriage was always wrong or almost always wrong had dropped to 60% from 74% in 2013. 4. Whats the reaction? Singapores Catholic Church said it respects the dignity of LGBTQ community, but asked for the right to maintain the position on marriage. About 19% of Singaporeans identify as Christian, while Buddhism is the largest religious group with 31%. The local LGBTQ community has no immediate plans to mount legal challenges to redefine marriage, Leow Yangfa, executive director of rights group Oogachaga, was cited in Singapores Today newspaper as saying. Advertisement 5. Whats the potential impact? Repealing section 377A could help further change social attitudes that have traditionally been resistant to accepting the LGBTQ community, and make the island nation more attractive to progressive-minded workers from abroad. The country, a major financial center, hosts some 37,400 international companies and has a large cohort of expats to supplement the local workforce as it grapples with the effects of an aging population. An online survey between May and June by Ipsos showed that the proportion of residents who remain supportive of Section 377A had dropped to 44%, from 55% in 2018. Theres also been criticism of 377A from some prominent Singaporeans, including former ambassador to the US Tommy Koh, suggesting the law is unjust and even possibly unconstitutional. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in August called on businesses in Singapore to support LGBTQ groups, which drew a reminder from the government that foreign firms in the country should be careful about advocacy on issues that could be socially divisive. 6. How does it compare with other Asian nations? Advertisement Taiwan is the only Asian jurisdiction that legally recognizes same-sex marriages, though Thailand this year began moving toward allowing unions. Vietnam allows same-sex couples to have symbolic weddings but doesnt recognize the marriage. Hong Kong doesnt allow it, but does permit gay expatriate workers to bring their spouses in on dependent visas. Myanmar, Malaysia and Brunei all outlaw sexual relations between people of the same gender, according to the Human Dignity Trust. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Milwaukee to host 2024 GOP convention Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The Republican National Committee announced Friday that Milwaukee will be the host for the 2024 Republican National Convention, tapping a swing state that helped decide the outcome of the past two presidential elections. RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said the vote was unanimous for Milwaukee, a world-class city, while expressing her eagerness to work with local leaders as Republicans prepare to select their presidential nominee. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson expressed his excitement for the upcoming event. Milwaukee and Nashville were the two finalists for the convention, but the Nashville City Council quashed a bill to bring it there, citing safety concerns. During the pandemic in 2020, the GOP held its convention at several venues, including the lawn of the White House, a site that raised ethics concerns. Advertisement Eugene Scott 3 children among 10 killed in house fire Fire tore quickly through a house in the wee hours of Friday, killing seven adults and three children and horrifying a volunteer firefighter who arrived to battle the blaze only to discover that the victims were his family, authorities said. A criminal investigation into the fire is underway, authorities said. The children who died in the fire were ages 5, 6 and 7, Pennsylvania State Police said. Nescopeck Volunteer Fire Co. firefighter Harold Baker told the Citizens Voice newspaper of Wilkes-Barre that the 10 victims included his son, daughter, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, three grandchildren and two other relatives. The fire in Nescopeck was reported around 2:30 a.m. One person was found dead inside the single-family home shortly after emergency responders arrived, while two other victims were found later in the morning. Advertisement Baker, who was relieved of his firefighting duties because of his relationship to the victims, said 14 people were living in the home. One of them was out delivering newspapers, and three others escaped, he said. Associated Press Pregnant woman among 5 killed in crash; driver held: Authorities have arrested a driver after she allegedly sped through a red light Thursday and plowed into other vehicles in a crowded intersection, killing a 23-year-old pregnant woman, a child and three other adults in a fiery crash near a gas station in the unincorporated Windsor Hills, about 10 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles. The California Highway Patrol on Friday said Nicole Lorraine Linton, who sustained moderate injuries in the collision, was taken into custody on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. Associated Press GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load JOHANNESBURG Violence against illegal miners in South Africa spread Friday despite calls for restraint from the countrys president, following the arrests of more than 80 men, some thought to be miners, over the gang rapes of eight women last week. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Miners camps were torched and roads around the townships of Munsieville and Bekkersdal outside the town of Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg, were barricaded with rocks and burning tires as residents protested against the presence of illegal miners. Many of the miners are migrants from other African countries, and the violence has raised concerns over xenophobia. Police said eight women were raped on July 28 when a television crew filming a music video at a mine dump in the township of West Village near Krugersdorp was attacked by heavily-armed men, some thought to be illegal miners. Police said they were investigating 32 counts of rape. Advertisement Local residents enraged at the incident torched illegal miners camps in the neighboring Kagiso township on Thursday, and attacked miners whom they stripped naked and beat before handing them over to the police. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday condemned the violence in Kagiso. We need to distinguish between legitimate protest and criminality, addressing the concerns and grievances of communities while acting to prevent loss of life and destruction of property, he said. We can all understand the public outrage in Kagiso sparked by the gang rape of eight young women last week and we all deeply and sincerely share in the pain of the victims, their families and the neighboring communities, Ramaphosa added. Kopanang Africa, an advocacy group against xenophobia in South Africa, has warned that the recent events in Krugersdorp were dangerously fueling anti-migrant sentiment. Advertisement Unfortunately, because some of ... the illegal miners would be undocumented migrants, this has created an element of xenophobic politics where people say all illegal immigrants must go and all foreigners must leave the country, said Kopanang Africa spokesman Dale McKinley. He said some people were taking advantage of the legitimate concerns of the community to further their own agendas. When the protests started, we started seeing political formations that have clear xenophobic policies taking advantage and making irresponsible and immature statements for their own purposes, he said. Researcher and analyst Ziyanda Stuurman told The Associated Press that communities frustration at the deterioration of policing and their living conditions contributed to their anger. South Africa suffers from rising poverty levels, 35% unemployment, an electricity crisis and stagnant economic growth. Advertisement People are living in incredibly tough economic conditions and they feel desperately unsafe, and an issue like this sparks those emotions that have been there for a very long time, Stuurman said. She likened the situation to the social unrest and riots in South Africa in July last year, where more than 400 people in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces died. South Africas national police commissioner and other senior government officials are expected to hold large community meetings in Kagiso and Krugersdorp over the weekend to discuss illegal mining and crime in the area. GiftOutline Gift Article A painting like Georges de La Tours The Magdalen with the Smoking Flame reminds us of the secret persistence of the basic idolatry of fire, and of consummations (be they poetic, sexual or spiritual) devoutly to be wishd, as Hamlet put it. Two more Buffalo men have been charged with making threats related to the racist mass shooting in May at the Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue, authorities announced Thursday. One of them was arrested after federal authorities said he posted on Twitter threats about killing Black people at grocery stores around Buffalo just days after the May 14 massacre, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. The second one was arraigned Thursday in Erie County Court on charges of making terroristic threats related to the Tops shooting during a reported convenience store robbery May 25, Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn said. In federal court, Rolik Walker, 24, was charged by criminal complaint with making an interstate threat, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Two days after the mass shooting at Tops, someone using the Twitter handle "@ConklinHero" posted that he and "associates" were targeting four stores that afternoon and that he was "only looking to kill blacks," according to court documents. The post named four specific stores. The four stores closed that day in response to the threat. The suspect in the Tops massacre is from Conklin. All 10 people who were killed in the attack on the grocery store were Black, as was one of the three survivors. Authorities accuse Walker of creating the Twitter account and a corresponding email account and using a virtual private network to "anonymize" himself, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who is prosecuting the case. FBI agents were able to trace the accounts to an address on Edison Avenue in Buffalo, where investigators interviewed Walker, according to the criminal complaint against him filed in federal court. He was also interviewed at a Buffalo police station, where he reportedly admitted that he had created the account and posted the threat. He reportedly told investigators that he posted the threat "to see how segregated social media was and it spread within 30 seconds, even though the account had no followers. He also said he created a second account with a similar name and copied his post, but then instead of "blacks," he changed it to "ants, spiders and things of that nature." He also claimed he didn't know it was a crime to post a threat. Walker appeared Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was released with conditions. The 10 conditions include travel restrictions, submitting to mental health and drug/alcohol evaluations, if they are deemed necessary, and reporting any police contact within 72 hours. Gerald T. Walsh, Walker's defense attorney, declined comment on the case. Sean Q. Ingleman was arraigned Thursday in Erie County Court on an indictment charging him with making a terroristic threat and third-degree robbery, Flynn said. Ingleman, 45, of Buffalo, is accused of attempting to steal money from a convenience store at Main Street and West Winspear Avenue in the University Heights neighborhood. During the robbery, at about 4:29 p.m. May 25, Ingleman reportedly referenced the mass shooting to intimidate or instill fear, according to the indictment. Washington man accused of making racist violent threats to a Tops Markets in Buffalo Joey David George, 37, of Lynnwood, Wash., allegedly called the Tops on Elmwood and identified himself as "Peter," according to the criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office. If convicted on the highest charge, Ingleman would face a maximum of seven years in prison. He was released on his own recognizance, as nonviolent felonies do not have to post bail to be released while their charges are pending, Flynn said. The District Attorney's Office did not specify whether Ingleman stole money from the register, but accused him of stealing one beer. Another accusation of threats related to the Buffalo shooting came last month, when a Washington man was charged with making racist, violent threats during phone calls July 19 and 20 to the Tops on Elmwood Avenue. He was also accused of making similar threatening calls to other states. In the first three days after the May 14 attack, the District Attorney's Office charged two Buffalo men with making threats in separate incidents. Andrew Marsh, 33, was accused of making a threat at the Tops on Elmwood. Joseph Chowaniec, 52, was accused of calling two Buffalo businesses and making threats the day after the mass killing. In June, Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani and his aides ran into an unexpected dilemma when debating where to train the dealmaking lens of his empire next. Ambanis Reliance Industries was contemplating buying a foreign telecommunications giant, when word reached them that Gautam Adani, a name familiar to Australians and who had overtaken Ambani as Asias richest man a few months earlier, was planning to bid in the first big sale of 5G airwaves in India, according to people familiar with the matter. Mukesh Ambani has stayed cautious on spending heavily overseas amid the uncertain global outlook. Credit:Bloomberg Ambanis Reliance Jio Infocomm is the top player in Indias mobile market, while the Adani Group doesnt even have a licence to offer wireless telecommunications services. But the very idea that he might be circling ground so core to Ambanis ambitions put the tycoons camp on high alert, according to the people, who asked not to be named discussing information that isnt public. One set of aides advised Ambani to pursue the overseas target and diversify beyond the Indian market, while another counselled conserving funds to fend off any challenge on the home turf, according to people familiar with the discussions. Rio Tinto, the nations largest iron ore producer, has noticed an improvement in trade relations between Canberra and Beijing after a diplomatic dispute led to a two-year ban on Australian coal and restrictions on other imports. Australias ties with its biggest trading partner deteriorated in 2020 over diplomatic issues including former prime minister Scott Morrisons call for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19. The dispute led to China black-listing Australian coal, leaving dozens of vessels stranded off its coastline, and imposing hefty tariffs on other Australian goods, including wine and barley. Rio Tinto is Australias largest producer of the steel-making raw material iron ore. Credit:Krystle Wright Kellie Parker, the chief executive of Rio Tintos Australian operations, said the company had recently felt an unmistakable thawing of those frosty relations since Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses government came to power. The work the government is doing is very felt, Parker said on Friday after a speech at the Melbourne Mining Club. The back bar of the Prince of Wales hotel in 1975 was no place for poetry. It was smoke-filled and loud and crowded with whoever had walked off rough Fitzroy Street looking for refuge when Shelton Lea yelled at the bar to be quiet and read out a poem about the time he had spent in jail. Until then, no respectable poet would read in a pub, said Ken Smeaton, poet and producer of a documentary covering 50 years of performance poetry in Melbourne. But I knew it would work after seeing Shelton Lea quell that rowdy public bar at the Prince of Wales one Saturday afternoon and read his poem You could have heard a pin drop. In her book Delinquent Angel, Diana Georgeff relates how Lea came to perform poetry: he was inspired by the public speakers who would climb on crates or folding chairs to harangue audiences in Sydneys Domain. Eleanor Jackson at The Motley Bauhaus, venue of the P Word Sessions, in 2019. Credit:Michael Reynolds The Hungarian poet and enemy of psychiatry Sandor Berger was here on a box with his wintry beard and declamatory style, and he stood out beside all the untalented drear, Georgeff wrote. He was a poet living by his poetry and Shelton was in awe. At 18 Lea was chanting poetry at the El Rocco, the jazz venue in the Cross. When he moved back to Melbourne he worked as a bartender in Carlton where he found a community of poets: theyd gather at the Albion where poets got up on the bar and recited Baudelaire or invented their own poems ... competing with drunks, arguments, slamming cash registers, seducers and people who were bored. The director of the failed 1999 republic campaign says more detail around the model of the Indigenous Voice to parliament is needed before a national vote, warning the discord that sank that referendum was already emerging. Barrister Greg Barns, who steered the Yes campaign for the republic, said putting flesh on the bones of the Voice model would help counter a fear-driven narrative about the opaqueness of its role and function. Barrister Greg Barns, the campaign director for the Yes vote in the 1999 republic referendum, says there are parallels emerging between the last referendum and the Voice campaign. Credit:James Brickwood But how much detail to put into the public domain was a fraught judgment call, he said, and one that risked division over the preferred model, as is what happened in the republic campaign. I think you need to put flesh on the bones because Australians are very loath to give politicians a perceived blank cheque. Im not saying you should put the model on the table tomorrow, but at some point you have to, Barns said. With an estimated shortage of about 100 school bus drivers to fulfill roughly 500 bus routes, leaders in Buffalo Public Schools are considering a new route: paying parents for driving their kids to school. Reimbursing parents 58.5 cents per mile is one of several solutions under consideration by Buffalo to address a severe driver shortage that is impacting schools across the nation. School districts struggling with 'severe' bus driver shortage School districts and private contractors in New York State are reporting a 15% to 20% shortage in the driver force. But with school starting Sept. 6, time is short to assess parents' interest, and a district committee is also exploring other possibilities that could include consolidating bus routes or adjusting school start times. While the committee's decision hinges on the results of a parent survey, its members faced questions Friday about why the process is still in doubt a month before school begins. "It will not be chaos," Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Tonja M. Williams told reporters Friday at City Hall. "I don't engage in chaos. We've being very intentional, very deliberate, and what we don't want to do is have a hodgepodge of things that we're trying to do at the same time and not really doing any of them well." The committee, which includes BPS leaders, stakeholders, district parents and community members, would not elaborate on deadlines for changes to student transportation, but Williams said all solutions might not be in place when school begins. Under the committee's proposal, parents or guardians of Buffalo Public School children would be reimbursed 58.5 cents per mile, a federally determined rate, with the distance between their household and the child's school predetermined. Parents would not be able to drive children from outside their family. How to overcome a school bus driver shortage is a familiar debate in districts across the country. The shortage existed before Covid-19, but the pandemic exacerbated the issue. A charter school in Delaware last year offered parents willing to drive their children to school $700 per child for the full year, while a school district in Pittsburgh delayed its start last year to address the issue. Michael Cornell, president of the Erie-Niagara School Superintendents Association and Hamburg Schools superintendent, said these shortages which extend beyond bus drivers to school social workers and more specialized roles are a microcosm of the country's workforce participation rate. Labor force participation rate has dropped by more than 1% since February 2020, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Cornell called paying parents to drive a "smart approach" that he has used previously in Hamburg on a small scale. But he emphasized that different-sized districts can require different solutions. "It's going to take a mosaic of solutions to really get at the problem of 'how are we going to get all of our kids to school each day?' " Cornell said. For Buffalo Public Schools, there are no solutions yet in place, and school begins Sept. 6. Most pressing is learning whether parents in the district want to drive their kids to school if they were compensated for mileage. The decision hinges on the results of a survey sent to each household with a BPS student, said John Gonzalez, the district's associate superintendent of school leadership. The six-question survey, accessible at Buffalo Public Schools' Office of Parent and Family Engagement Facebook page, is due at the end of the day Monday, officials said. Responders are asked to provide their area code, specific Buffalo Public schools involved, whether they used yellow bus transportation last year, whether they would opt out of yellow bus transportation this coming year, and whether their student requires special transportation due to a disability. There were about 2,500 responses as of Friday morning. Tonja Williams vows to make Buffalo Public Schools a model district as she's named superintendent Tonja Williams received something akin to a heros welcome Thursday evening as the Buffalo School Board voted unanimously to make her the districts permanent superintendent. Neither Gonzalez nor Williams could say how parents would be reimbursed in terms of payment form or frequency. Other potential solutions to be considered by Buffalo Public Schools include collapsing or consolidating bus routes, adjusting school start times and extending the hours of after-school activities, said Louis Petrucci, president of the Buffalo School Board. Petrucci offered a hypothetical situation a Buffalo Public Schools parent that does not have a vehicle might face, an example of what the committee is trying to avoid. "How do we serve the single mom of two kids that is forced to make that decision in the morning: 'My child missed the bus and I'm going to pay that rideshare service premium to get my child to school. Is it worth it? If it's going to take my full shift's pay to get him to school that day, I'll just let them stay home that one day because one day isn't going to impact them that much.' And we know that every day is precious when it comes to education." Bishop Michael Badger, a community member in the committee, said that the average bus ride for a Buffalo Public School student is 55 minutes one-way. "That's way too long," he said, before advocating that the committee's solutions trim that metric. Like past years, the district will not know for sure how many bus drivers it has until the first day of the school year, and Rob Hummel, a representative from First Student, BPS' school bus partner for four decades, said his company has amplified its recruiting by raising starting wages by almost 30%, to $25 an hour, and added bonuses up to $5,000. The window for New York voters to change political party affiliation before the Aug. 23 primary is closing fast after a court decision Wednesday set a new deadline for Aug. 11. Prior to the reversal by a judge in Steuben County, voters would have had the unprecedented opportunity to change parties through Primary Day. At the behest of the state Board of Elections, acting State Supreme Court Justice Patrick McAllister, the same judge who determined the state's legislative redistricting, established a deadline that precedes the early voting period eliminating some of the unpredictability surrounding state races. Before Wednesday's change, voters had been allowed to change their party affiliation thanks to ripple effects from the state's political roller coaster this year. With two separate primaries June 28 and Aug. 23 established due to delays in solidifying new maps for congressional districts, some typical regulations were thrown into flux. When the second date was added, the State Legislature decided not to extend the enrollment freeze until seven days after the Aug. 23 primary, at least temporarily creating a rare opportunity for voters. In a year with one primary, voter party affiliation could not be changed from Feb. 14 until seven days after the June vote. Paladino, Langworthy spar over campaign's status as Primary Day draws nearer With Nick Langworthy branding his opponent "Cowardly Carl," and Carl Paladino's barbs aimed at "Lying Langworthy," Wednesday's developments surrounded a poll showing the pair in a statistical tie. Political analysts had been intrigued by how an "open" primary would impact some of the hotter state races, such as the heated GOP clash between Carl Paladino and Nick Langworthy in NY-23, but also elections downstate. The possibility that independent voters could suddenly enroll as Republicans or Democrats on Primary Day created an unpredictability. New York voters can change enrollment through Aug. 11 by visiting the voting registration section of the Department of Motor Vehicles' website or by downloading and printing the voter registration form from the New York Board of Elections website and following the mailing directions. Anything received by the Board of Elections Aug. 12 or later will not be effective until Aug. 30, an elections official said Thursday. Early voting runs from Aug. 13-21. For Joaquin Phoenix, the dispute over two cows in Newfane is no laughing matter. Newfane sanctuary owner charged with grand larceny of neighboring farm's cows Tracy Murphy, president and founder of animal rescue and rehabilitation center Ashas Farm Sanctuary, was charged with grand larceny, a felony. As a lifelong vegan with a history of rescuing cows, the Academy Award-winning actor stands in solidarity with Ashas Farm Sanctuary owner, Tracy Murphy, after she was arrested on Tuesday, his social impact adviser, Michelle Cho, wrote in an email to The News. To so harshly punish a woman who was simply showing kindness to two individuals who had wandered onto her property is astounding, Phoenixs statement said. There was an opportunity here to show compassion and mercy. Murphy was arrested and charged with grand larceny, a felony, after she refused to return two cows that ended up on her property to the Gregson family, the original owners from a neighboring farm. She has since been released, but the case continues to draw extensive media attention. Phoenix, despite not having a strong connection to Newfane, learned of the incident on Wednesday night after hearing the cows may have been named Joaquin, and Phoenix. After hearing the news, Phoenix wanted to make it known that he stands in solidarity with Murphy. "I applaud Tracy for standing her ground in the name of animal liberation," the email said. Though Murphy named the cows Little Willow and Ishamel, she did have two cows on the farm named after the actor. Murphys attorney, Matthew Albert, believes he couldnt have phrased it better than Phoenix did. It absolutely reflects not just what Ms. Murphy and I have really felt from the beginning, he said. From day one, this was an opportunity to bridge the divide between the farmer community and the animal activist community, a chance to show that were not that different. Since Murphys arrest, she has received a lot of support, Albert said. The outpouring of support has been impressive and, from our standpoint, keep it coming. She deserves it, these cows deserve it. he added. A man who defrauded Buffalo clients of more than $22,000 while posing as an attorney will be punished by the legal system he pretended to be a part of. Andrew Schnorr, 39, of Buffalo, who previously pleaded guilty to unauthorized practice of law, was placed on probation for five years and must pay more than $7,800 in restitution, New York State Attorney General Letitia James and State Police Superintendent Kevin Bruen announced Friday. Mr. Schnorr falsely portrayed a figure that people turn to for legal assistance and used their unsuspecting trust for his own selfishness and financial gain," Bruen said in a statement. "May this sentencing serve as a reminder that no magnitude of fraud will be tolerated in New York State. Schnorr claimed to have graduated summa cum laude from the New York University School of Law and also said he passed the bar exams in New York and California. He used those false credentials to land a job with a Buffalo law firm. The Attorney General's Office did not identify the law firm. The firm, which hired him for an open associate attorney position, told the Attorney General's Office that it relied on his representations that he was an attorney duly licensed to practice law in New York State, according to a redacted court filing. Schnorr worked on civil cases involving depositions and settlement conferences. He represented at least nine clients beginning in 2019, according to the complaint. Phony lawyer arrested for practicing without a license, defrauding clients of $22K Andrew Schnorr never graduated from law school, nor did he ever pass the state bar exam, but that didn't stop him taking on clients and posing as a lawyer at several legal proceedings, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James. The Attorney General's Office received complaints from a lawyer in 2019 about Schnorr's incompetence during legal proceedings, leading to a joint investigation by the Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau and the State Police. The investigation revealed Schnorr did not graduate from any law school nor pass any state bar exam. He was not licensed by the Office of Court Administration as required by New York law. Schnorr was arrested March 9 and was charged with unauthorized practice of law and third-degree grand larceny. He faced up to seven years in prison before accepting the plea. Not only does illegally practicing law without a license hurt people in need of legal services, it also weakens the publics trust in our institutions, James said in a statement. When Andrew Schnorr betrayed that trust to line his own pockets, he harmed his clients and the entire legal system we rely on." The Attorney General's Office encourages residents to look up licensed attorneys by using the state Office of Court Administration website. 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. MUHLENBERG TWP., Pa. (AP) Firefighters have gotten control of a house fire in Berks County as they also battled an AccuWeather RealFeel temperature in the triple digits. Firefighters were dispatched shortly after 1 p.m. Friday to the 700 block of Wagon Wheel Lane in the Cherokee Ranch section of Muhlenberg Township. Dispatchers initially reported a fire in a bedroom. We're told the first crews arrived on the scene to find intense flames shooting from the front of the house. The fire marshal told 69 News that the 10 people inside the home as well as all the pets were able to get out safely. Officials struck a second alarm for additional manpower to help firefighters who were struggling with the heat. A canteen unit also responded to help. At 2 p.m. AccuWeather reported the RealFeel temperature in Berks County to be 100 degrees. The fire was reported to be under control around 2:30 p.m. There were no reports of injuries. Investigators have not yet determined what sparked the fire. A GoFundMe has been set up for the family. HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) The developer of a major pipeline system that connects the Marcellus Shale gas field in western Pennsylvania to an export terminal near Philadelphia pleaded no contest Friday to criminal charges that it systematically polluted waterways and residential water wells across hundreds of miles. Dallas-based Energy Transfer Operating agreed to independent testing of homeowners' water and promised to remediate contamination in a settlement of two separate criminal cases brought by the Pennsylvania attorney general. Under a plea deal, the company will also pay $10 million to restore watersheds and streams along the route of its Mariner East pipeline network, which includes Berks County and other southeastern Pennsylvania counties. A judge heard and approved the plea at a hearing in Harrisburg on Friday. The company's Mariner East 1, Mariner East 2 and Mariner East 2X pipelines are designed to carry propane, ethane and butane from the Marcellus and Utica Shale gas fields to a refinery processing center and export terminal in Marcus Hook, Delaware County. Construction wrapped in February. Mariner East has been one of the most penalized projects in state history. The owner has racked up tens of millions of dollars in civil penalties and state regulators repeatedly have halted construction over environmental contamination. The attorney general stepped in last October, charging Energy Transfer with illegally releasing industrial waste at 22 sites in 11 counties and willfully failing to report spills to state environmental regulators. The company fouled the drinking water of at least 150 families statewide, prosecutors have said. "We have a constitutional right in Pennsylvania to clean air and pure water," Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a statement Friday afternoon. "It's a right that was enshrined in our state constitution at a time when the people of Pennsylvania learned a tough lesson first-hand the health of our children, and our economic future, depended on protecting our environment from reckless profit and unchecked corporate interests. Today we're upholding our oath to our constitution and holding Energy Transfer accountable for their crimes against our natural resources." Under the plea agreement, residents who live near the pipeline and have private water are entitled to request independent testing. More than 800 residents along the pipelines' route have been notified of the availability of the testing, and residents have until Aug. 19 to sign up. Though Energy Transfer's state permits already require it to fix the damage its pipeline construction caused to waterways and residents' water supplies, prosecutors said the plea deal goes a step further by requiring the company to submit to independent water testing by geologists picked by the attorney general's office. Previously, Energy Transfer itself had been testing residents' water in response to complaints. The company must abide by the independent experts' recommendations on how to restore the fouled water, which could include treatment systems or new water wells. Another part of the plea deal requires Energy Transfer to pay $10 million to address contamination of groundwater and streams. The money is a drop in the bucket to a pipeline company with surging profits. Energy Transfer reported this week that its net income jumped 90% in the second quarter, to $1.33 billion, as the company's pipelines carried record volumes of natural gas liquids. Shapiro, a Democrat running for governor, has long complained that Pennsylvania's criminal environmental laws are too weak. His office said the statutory maximum for the crimes for which Energy Transfer was charged amounted to only $1.45 million, making a plea deal more beneficial to victims than taking the case to trial. Residents who live near the pipeline and some state lawmakers have said Mariner East should be shut down entirely in light of the criminal charges, but the administration of outgoing Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf has long ignored such calls to pull the plug. Friday's plea deal also resolves a separate criminal case involving the Revolution pipeline, a 42-mile pipeline near Pittsburgh that runs from Butler County to a natural gas processing plant in Washington County. In that case, prosecutors alleged Energy Transfer's negligence led to a 2018 gas explosion and fire that destroyed a home, a barn and several cars, collapsed six high-voltage transmission towers and prompted an evacuation. Energy Transfer pleaded no contest to 14 criminal counts in the Mariner East case and to nine criminal counts in the Revolution case. Pioneer Central School Board members and Superintendent Benjamin A. Halsey, who has been on paid administrative leave since June 3, officially parted ways Thursday evening. Board members unanimously approved a settlement agreement with Halsey during a special meeting. The district has released little information about his situation, and that of Pioneer High School Principal Mark Schultz, who was placed on administrative leave in March. Last week, the board approved a settlement agreement "resolving a personnel matter," but did not disclose who the agreement involved. The Buffalo News has filed a Freedom of Information Law request for the settlement. The School Board released a statement Thursday after approving the agreement with Halsey. "The Board of Education and Mr. Halsey have come to a crossroad in which philosophical differences on the direction of the district have led the district and Mr. Halsey to mutually agree to separate and head in another direction. It is not a reflection of wrongdoing on the part of either Mr. Halsey or the school district. The District thanks Mr. Halsey for his years of student-centered leadership and strong support of the community during his tenure at Pioneer, and we wish him well on his future endeavors," the statement said. Halsey was hired by Pioneer in late 2015. He was paid $176,735 last year, according to See Through New York. He had been superintendent of North Collins Central School District until late December 2013, when he became superintendent at Oswego city schools. Last year, Halsey got caught up in the issue requiring masks in school. He announced in June 2021 that wearing masks was optional for students, after then-State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying New York intended to waive the mask mandate for students. But then the state education commissioner had issued a letter to schools advising them to continue requiring masks. Two weeks later, the state threatened to withhold state aid to Pioneer if the district did not follow state guidance requiring students to wear masks in school, according to Halsey, who then announced masks would be required. Also last week, the board appointed former Amherst Superintendent Dennis Ford as acting superintendent, which was effective Monday. It is expected that the board will appoint Ford as the interim superintendent, effective Thursday, at its next regular meeting. Pioneer Central, located about 40 miles southeast of Buffalo, has an enrollment of about 2,800 students, and spans Erie, Cattaraugus, Wyoming and Allegany counties. WASHINGTON (AP) The Pentagon rejected a request from the District of Columbia seeking National Guard assistance in what the mayor has called a "growing humanitarian crisis" prompted by thousands of migrants being bused to the city from two southern states. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin declined to provide Guard personnel and the use of the D.C. Armory to assist with the reception of migrants into the city, according to U.S. defense officials. One official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a decision not yet made public, said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency's food and shelter program has provided funding for the problem, and has indicated those funds are sufficient. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser formally asked the White House last month for an open-ended deployment of 150 National Guard members per day as well as a "suitable federal location" for a mass housing and processing center, mentioning the D.C. Armory as a logical candidate. The crisis began in spring when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced plans to send busloads of migrants to Washington, D.C., in response to President Joe Biden's decision to lift a pandemic-era emergency health order that restricted migrant entry numbers. Since then the city estimates that as many as 200 buses have arrived, delivering more than 4,000 migrants to Union Station, often with no resources and no clue what to do next. On Friday, Abbott announced that his state had sent the first busload of migrants to New York City. "Our border towns are overwhelmed as a result of Pres. Bidens open border policies," he said in a statement on Twitter. "The State of Texas continues taking unprecedented action to help our communities." Announcing the arrival of the first group of migrants bused from Texas to New York City. Our border towns are overwhelmed as a result of Pres. Bidens open border policies. The State of Texas continues taking unprecedented action to help our communities. https://t.co/XjuLRG96wi Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) August 5, 2022 In D.C., a coalition of local charitable groups has been working to feed and shelter the migrants, aided by a $1 million grant from FEMA. But organizers have been warning that both their resources and personnel were nearing exhaustion. "This reliance on NGOs is not working and is unsustainable they are overwhelmed and underfunded," Bowser said in her letter. She has repeatedly stated that the influx is stressing her government's ability to care for its own homeless residents and now requires a federal response. Bowser sharply criticized Abbott and Ducey, accusing them of "cruel political gamesmanship" and saying the pair had "decided to use desperate people to score political points." "D.C. is experiencing a fraction of the disastrous impact the border crisis has caused Texas," Abbott said in response to Bowser's criticism. "Mayor Bowser should stop attacking Texas for securing the border & demand Joe Biden do his job." The mayor does not have the authority to personally order a National Guard deployment, an issue that has become emotionally charged in recent years as a symbol of the district's entrenched status as less than a state. Her limited authority played a role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. When it became clear that Capitol Police were overmatched by the crowds, Bowser couldn't immediately deploy the district guard. Instead, crucial time was lost while the request was considered inside the Pentagon, and protesters rampaged through the building. Its a painful time at SUNY Erie Community College, but as the struggling institution works through its challenges, its possible to see the outlines of better days beginning to take shape. For that, credit the colleges new president. David Balkin arrived here six months ago from Ivy Tech College in South Bend, Ind., a school whose own troubles he helped to overcome. Here, he found a community college beset by declining enrollment and revenues, offering courses that few people wanted and supported by a staff too large for the shrinking demand. The result has been predictable and severe: layoffs, program cuts, retirement incentives and, in all likelihood, a shrinking footprint. But severe doesnt mean unnecessary or even unwanted, at least not by taxpayers and anyone who wants the county to maintain a useful, forward-looking college. Its an unpleasant task, but Balkins work is creating an environment in which a reimagined college may be able not just to function, but to thrive. The new president is pursuing his vision of ECC on several fronts: eliminating poorly attended programs; scaling payroll to demand; negotiating partnerships with businesses; and more. Perhaps the most significant part of his approach, though, is his understanding of a community colleges primary role: to provide a valuable education that will lead to a high-paying job. Thats a surprisingly different view than has sometimes been the case in Erie County. Here, with the colleges three campuses, a big part of the mission has been for classes to be conveniently located. Thats driven much of the pressure to maintain all the locations, in particular the South Campus in Orchard Park, which is the one most likely to be significantly downsized. Multiple campuses may have made sense at one time, when costs were lower, training demands were less particular and technology was lacking. Because all those factors have changed, all involved must learn to adapt or adapt to learn. Balkins experience shows that is achievable. He has found that students will travel greater distances to gain a better education. At Ivy Tech, he said, some students traveled 30 minutes to two hours in exchange for the expected future benefit of professional and financial success. That concept may need some time to take root here. The good news is that at least a little time is available. While Balkin says all three of the campuses may take on new forms down the road, it will require a minimum of a couple of years to determine their ultimate configurations. Regardless, he has said, the three-campus model is unsustainable. With that, changes are underway. Already, the college has authorized the layoffs of 150 employees, a level that was needed because not enough employees accepted a voluntary retirement incentive. Ninety of the workers affected were in maintenance and clerical positions, and Balkin helped many to find other jobs in county government. Another 60 layoffs were within the colleges faculty and administrative unions. Most of those positions were part time and none was actual faculty. Now, Balkin is beginning the work of creating a new strategic plan to succeed the unrealistic five-year plan that expired in 2021. Its focus is on what Balkin calls student-centric core values, including attractive programs related to careers in high-demand, high-wage fields. ECC has been under stress for years. Former Erie County Executive Joel Giambra, out of office since 2008, had pushed for consolidation of the college and more recently sounded the alarm on its financial trajectory. The problems might have been more readily addressed had they been acted upon earlier. Still, few question that Balkin is doing what is necessary. Some dont like how the work is being pursued thats inevitable but the new president is leading ECC in a new, more useful direction. There will likely be some additional pain ahead as the role of the campuses is redefined but that, too, is unavoidable. The alternative to dealing with it is nothing anyone should want to consider. Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing. The Buffalo News editorial board is once again smearing Carl Paladino. Apparently, Carl calling up county chairs who are promoting an establishment politician is threatening. Here are the facts: the county chairs who are complaining about Carl Paladino, are upset because Carl confronted them on efforts to rig the endorsement for Nick Langworthy. Dont be fooled. The establishment is attempting to rig the endorsement process for the establishment pick. That is not what Western New York voters want. They want a fighter. Someone who will be like President Trump and buck the system for we the people. Paladino is not beholden to anyone. Paladino doesnt have to rely on New York City liberal billionaires and D.C. lobbyists. Langworthy has been a politician his entire career. His entire campaign is funded by D.C. consultants and lawyers. He will be beholden to them. I am sure Paladino can vouch for that, too. Langworthy had fabulous things to say about Carl when he was taking Carls money and riding his coattails to his current seat. Paladino has never had anything to hide, and the people of New Yorks 23rd Congressional district know it. No matter how hard these establishment politicians and editorial boards criticize Paladinos transparency and honesty, it has resonated into trust and integrity with the people of the district, not the party. On August 23rd, it is America First disrupter vs. the establishment. I believe this district will vote for Carl Paladino and send a message to Washington, D.C. LaKeisha Shoemaker Aurora Town Republican Chair A Reedsburg woman appeared in Sauk County Circuit Court recently after being charged with driving under the influence of drugs with children in her car and again driving under the influence of drugs within the same week. Alisha Raye Markley, 40, was charged with a third OWI with a passenger under 16, possession of narcotics, a third-offense OWI and five counts of misdemeanor bail jumping. Circuit Court Judge Patricia Barrett set Markleys bond at $1,000 cash after prosecutors requested a $5,000 cash bond and Markleys defense attorney, Leonie Dolch, asked for either a signature bond or a $200 cash bond. Conditions of the bond include requiring that Markley maintain absolute sobriety, not possess any alcohol or controlled substances and not enter any business where the primary purpose is the sale of alcohol. Markley must also submit to any chemical testing requested by law enforcement and cannot arrive at her job earlier than 15 minutes before a shift begins. According to the criminal complaint: Around 5:15 p.m. on July 22, drivers reported Markley was driving erratically while heading south along U.S. Highway 12. A driver, who provided the drivers license plate number, told dispatch workers that the white sedan was weaving across the road and driving from 30 to 70 mph. Because of the lane deviations, drivers following the car were unable to pass and at one point there were about 10 cars lined up behind Markley with hazard lights flashing. A Sauk County sheriffs deputy responded to a West Baraboo residence after witnesses reported Markleys vehicle pulled into a driveway. Markley was sitting in the drivers seat of the vehicle with her mouth open, snoring. The deputy spoke to a man who had exited the residence and identified Markley. According to the deputys statement, the man told him that a 7-year-old came to the door crying. The child had been in the car with Markley. Another adult came out of the home and removed a 1-year-old child. The vehicle began rolling toward the nearby Baraboo River, but the other person managed to put the vehicle in park and shut it off. While undergoing field sobriety tests, Markley could not stay awake and joked about propping her eyes open. She claimed a prescription medication made her tired. The deputy saw a white powder on her lips. Markley failed field sobriety tests and was taken to SSM St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo for a blood draw before being transported to the Sauk County Jail. Another deputy responded to a call around 10 p.m. July 25 to County Highway P and Country Bumpkin Road in Wisconsin Dells after a driver complained a black truck went into the ditch and was driving west along the highway. The driver told dispatch that the truck had nearly crashed into a mailbox and guard rail. A deputy pulled the truck over along County Highway H in Reedsburg and found Markley was the driver. Markley told the deputy that she had taken two types of prescription medications. The deputy noted that Markley was exhibiting drunken behavior and she failed field sobriety tests, though a preliminary breath test resulted in zero. Markley has pending cases in Sauk County from July 2, 2021 and April 8, 2021 after being charged with driving while under the influence with a minor in the car. In both cases, the bond signed by Markley required that she not commit any other crime and to maintain absolute sobriety as well as not drive without a license. Markley had not posted bond as of the end of Thursday. She is scheduled to return to court Oct. 14. JUNEAU Dodge County is taking the next step in attempting to determine what the future of fire and EMS services will look like for the county. An informal discussion will be held at the Dodge County Administration Meeting on Wednesday will look at future of services Building, 127 E. Oak St. on Wednesday at 6 p.m. Dodge County Emergency Management Director Amy Haase said that the Dodge County Board and members of emergency services, including police, fire and EMS have been invited to the meeting. Dodge County has been in discussions about his over the years, Haase said. A group began working together to look for options in 2019, Haase said, and a study was commissioned. We wanted to bring to the forefront what the issues are, Haase said. It is well known that both locally and throughout the country there are struggles to fill the positions, many of which are volunteer, Haase said. The study, Ambulance Systems and EMS Operations Evaluations, Review, Findings and Recommendations is a 40-page document that discusses the options that will be reviewed on Wednesday. The information was presented to the Dodge County Board of Supervisors in January of 2020. Haase said things were put on the back burner when COVID-19 hit but with everything lining up in 2020, it seemed to be the time to open the discussion back up. We want to discuss the future of EMS and fire and look at what will be sustainable, Haase said. This will be more of an open forum where the study is discussed. One option that will be considered is a countywide EMS service, Haase said. All the communities have different levels of services, including paramedics, emergency medical technicians and emergency medical responders. However, a countywide EMS might offer a chance of providing services while some communities are struggling with less people willing to volunteer. At the core, most positions in Dodge County are volunteers, Haase said. In addition, the amount of education needed for those first at the scene at an accident or medical event can be extensive and has increased over the years, Haase said. Wisconsin law would allow for funding for county EMS districts, Haase said. All 72 counties handle the service differently so there is not a clear answer to what works best everywhere. Basically this a chance to pull everyone together from our local leadership to our EMTs, fire departments and police to have an open meeting to discuss where our future will be, Haase said. The meeting is open to the public. Until the pandemic hit, Jana Goodman, a mother of three and longtime resident of Waukesha, never relied on free school lunches. Even though she said her family was always one broken down car away from a disaster, her only school-age child at the time, Jacob, did not qualify for free and reduced-price meals. Then the pandemic sent the Goodmans finances into a tailspin. After 15 years in the medical field as an administrative employee, she was furloughed for most of the summer in 2020. Her husband, who works three jobs, saw income from his most profitable gig as a DJ plummet as people stayed home. They got a lifeline through federal programs that gave schools, even those meeting virtually, the ability to provide free meals for all students during the pandemic. The free meals was a huge one, because it may not seem like it day to day, but lunch money adds up, Goodman said, adding that the family continued picking up the meals through the summer of 2021. What started out as an emergency relief provision has since turned into a nationwide experiment one testing the benefits and costs of offering universal free meals to an unprecedented number of U.S. students, regardless of family income. In 2019, 39% of children qualified for free or subsidized lunches across the 424 Wisconsin school districts participating in U.S. Department of Agricultures child nutrition programs, according to the state Department of Public Instruction. The abrupt halt to the meals during the pandemic was a blow to many who relied on them. For the 2021-22 school year, nearly every school in the state chose to offer universal free meals through the Seamless Summer Option, said Karrie Isaacson, the school nutrition assistant director for the state Department of Public Instruction. But the federal waiver that permitted universal free school meals expired June 30, and legislation to extend or permanently implement a free meals program has stalled at the state and federal level, leaving an uncertain future for free school meals in Wisconsin. Our challenge in Belleville is to make sure that qualifying families fill out the proper forms to keep their meal program in place, said Nate Perry, district administrator of the Belleville School District. They have not had to necessarily complete these forms since the start of the pandemic. The free meals during the pandemic brought other benefits, including freeing up administrators from having to keep track of students eligibility. It frees up their (schools) own resources from having to be gatekeepers and lets them just feed the kids and really treat food just like anything else that you get as part of the school day, said Judi Bartfeld with the School of Social Work at UW-Madison. It also addressed the problem of unpaid lunch funds. About three-quarters of the school districts in a 2019 national survey said they had unpaid student meal debt. And it eliminated lunch shaming, in which students who dont have money in their meal accounts are given alternative cheaper meals, like cheese sandwiches. After getting a trial run during the pandemic, Isaacson said there is broad support in Wisconsin schools to continue free meals for all. Thats not a surprise, said UW-Madison historian Andrew Ruis. Significant emergencies like the Great Depression (and) the COVID-19 pandemic often change peoples views about what is possible from a social or political standpoint, Ruis said. I think theres a real chance that universal school meals will be realized on a broader scale than they currently are. But funding remains a challenge. For all food service programs, federal money only reimburses the cost of meals served to students eligible for free meals. That means schools must pay costs, such as labor and food, above the provided federal assistance, which Bartfeld said can make it difficult for schools to take advantage of the federal assistance. Democrats in the state Assembly proposed to fill the gap by reimbursing schools that offer free meals to all students. But the measure, AB 805, never made it out of committee in the Republican-controlled Legislature. Battle in Waukesha The Waukesha School District was the only one in Wisconsin to opt out of the Seamless Summer Option last school year. Initially, the School Board voted 9-0 to revert to the National School Lunch Program, which provides free and reduced-price lunches to students based on income eligibility. The Alliance for Education in Waukesha led the charge to change the vote, drafting press releases, hosting rallies and generating local and national media attention, which prompted threats against some board members and spurred media inquiries from as far away as Moscow. Dave Dringenburg, a member of the Alliance and a father of two daughters in the district, said the boards decision was out of touch with the community, where nearly one-third of the districts 11,766 students qualified for subsidized meals in 2019. After the boards decision hit the national news, former member Greg Deets said he received at least 500 emails from around the world. Deets original rationale behind opting out of free meals was the dropping COVID-19 case numbers and the ability to to return to the free meals program if needed. Other members agreed. But what he learned in the emails changed his mind and reversed his vote. A narrow majority of the board came to the same conclusion, voting 5-4 last August to keep the free meal program through the 2021-22 school year. Several board members, however, made clear they did not support free meals for all. At the meeting where the decision was reversed, school board member Kelly Piacsek said the program was wasteful by design, noting students who dont need the program cant pay for meals even if they want to. She said Waukesha should not cede its authority to the federal government, likening the issue to the controversy over teaching young children about race and privilege. I believe it was important to make sure all children are fed, said school board member Joseph Como, who voted in favor of the option at a later meeting. I also believe that this program should not exist forever, and this board needs to make sure it does not continue forever. Future murky As the June 30 expiration date approached, Congress passed a bipartisan measure to temporarily increase school meal reimbursements. But it rejected the USDAs recommendation to extend the free meals waiver for another year. States including Maine and California have already passed legislation to ensure free meals for all students in their state budgets. Bartfeld isnt so hopeful here in Wisconsin, noting the states very polarized politics. Deets may be proof of that. He lost his school board seat in April along with two other incumbents to three Republican-backed candidates in the officially nonpartisan race. Deets said he thinks school meals were a piece of the reason he was ousted. For now, Goodman is preparing to face a school year without free meals for her two children now in school. The family finances have still not bounced back from the pandemic. And with food prices rising, she is bracing for a scary time of deciding between buying groceries and paying other household bills. BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID:-//TERMINALFOUR//SITEMANAGER V7.3//EN VERSION:2.0 BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20220309T090000 LOCATION: DESCRIPTION:The massive increase in enrolments at institutions of higher learning in South Africa resulted in increased diversity in the student population. A diverse classroom not only enriches the learning experiences for all students, but it also prepares them for the world of work and beyond. Diversity further enhances students cognitive skills particularly problem solving and critical thinking skills.This workshop aims to challenge your thinking while exploring the benefits of teaching a diverse group of students. In this session participants will deliberate and debate practical methods of creating a learning environment that ensures all students from all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives feel included, heard and valued.ort and/or work with students with relevant information to assist and support these students during their university career.Date: 9 March 2022Time: 09:00-12:00Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed) X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html: The massive increase in enrolments at institutions of higher learning in South Africa resulted in increased diversity in the student population. A diverse classroom not only enriches the learning experiences for all students, but it also prepares them for the world of work and beyond. Diversity further enhances students cognitive skills particularly problem solving and critical thinking skills. This workshop aims to challenge your thinking while exploring the benefits of teaching a diverse group of students. In this session participants will deliberate and debate practical methods of creating a learning environment that ensures all students from all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives feel included, heard and valued. ort and/or work with students with relevant information to assist and support these students during their university career. Date: 9 March 2022 Time: 09:00-12:00 Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed) Share SUMMARY:Supporting diversity in the classroom END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR Artisanal gold mining in South Africa is out of control Artisanal gold mining is highly organised and rule-bound. Men, women and even children participate a hierarchy sustained by buyers, sponsors and customers. Illegal and unregulated artisanal gold mining on the Witwatersrand Basin, located south of South Africas Gauteng province, is an increasing threat to community, industrial and state security. Reports on turf wars between rival gangs, or shootouts between illegal miners and security officers are commonplace. But recent incidents point to a spike in the scale of illegal activity, conflict and criminality. In October 2021, approximately 300 illegal miners, known as zama zamas, attacked and shot at police and security officers when the officers tried to prevent them from delivering food parcels to underground miners. In June 2022, about 150 illegal miners stormed gold miner Sibanye-Stillwaters mothballed Cooke shaft near Randfontein in an attempt to gain control. And since last week, South Africans have been reeling at the horrific robbery and gang rape of a film crew at a mine dump close to West Village, a multi-racial suburb of Krugersdorp on the West Rand. West Village community members have since spoken out about being prisoners in their own homes. They attribute rampant crime in the area over the last few years to the influx of illegal mining a situation that law enforcement officials seem unable or unwilling to control. In the wake of these incidents, the spotlight must turn to the systemic reasons artisanal gold mining has become such a threat to peace and security. These include the states decades-long failure to nip an unregulated and illegal artisanal gold mining industry in the bud. These incidents are also the result of the failure to formalise artisanal mining as a livelihood strategy through appropriate policies and legislative provisions. Failed opportunities to formalise artisanal mining Artisanal mining is a labour-intensive form of mining that uses rudimentary tools and technologies. Other sub-Saharan African countries recognise artisanal mining as a formal mining category. These include Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Kenya. Foundational policies in the early years of South Africas democracy didnt support artisanal mining as a permanent livelihood strategy. The 1994 Reconstruction and Development Programme simply committed government to encourage small-scale mining. This was on the proviso that safety, labour, environment and health conditions could be maintained. The 1998 Minerals Policy identified artisanal with subsistence mining. It flagged the need for the state to employ resources to control artisanal mining as effectively as possible. The 2002 Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act only recognises large- and small-scale mining. It criminalises all mining outside these categories. In addition, the 2005 Precious Metals Act empowered the South African Diamonds and Precious Metals Regulator to regulate the acquisition, smelting, refining and beneficiation of gold. This removed the prior involvement of the South African Police Service and has been a key enabling factor for the unregulated gold mining industry. An illegal artisanal gold mining industry takes root South Africas Witwatersrand goldfields have produced over 30% of all the gold ever mined. But in recent decades, large-scale gold mining has declined precipitously. Between 2012 and 2019 the industry shed 42,000 jobs. In this context, an illegal and unregulated gold mining industry, among the most lucrative and violent on the African continent, has taken root. The Minerals Council of South Africa and police have identified a five-tier hierarchy in the illegal and unregulated gold mining industry. Illegal miners are on the bottom tier. Gangs and illegal mining bosses, licensed bulk buyers (scrap metal dealers and pawn brokers) at national or regional level, front company exporters, and international intermediary buyers and companies are the more significant criminal actors. The Institute of Security Studies estimates that the approximately 30,000 illegal miners produce R14 billion (just over US$8 million) worth of gold per annum. From the states perspective this is lost production. The United Arab Emirates and Switzerland have been identified as the primary export destinations. Artisanal mining as a permanent livelihood strategy Thousands of illegal miners pursue artisanal mining as a permanent, though precarious, livelihood strategy. Recent PhD graduate Maxwell Chuma explored this. He studied the natural, social, financial, human and physical capitals that frame artisanal mining in South Africa. He examined the push and pull factors that drive people into this high-risk activity. The push factors include a loss of formal employment in the mining industry, lack of alternative employment opportunities and drought conditions in neighbouring countries. The pull factors include the ease of accessing mineralised land, social capital provided by national and ethnic groups in control of illegal mining and the relatively stable income. The risks and illegality of the work itself, trespassing, the rampant use of mercury and the criminality of the sector make this dangerous and volatile work. Solutions In 2014 the South African Human Rights Commission conducted investigative hearings into unregulated artisanal mining. The commission called for the state to institute an appropriate policy and regulatory framework to facilitate and manage artisanal mining as a livelihood strategy. In March 2022, Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe published the Artisanal and Small-scale Mining Policy. The policy recognises the potential of artisanal mining as a livelihood strategy. But it reserves the permit system for South Africans. It tasks a National Coordination and Strategic Management Team to halt illegal mining. The policy has been criticised for its failure to take public comments into account. It has also been criticised for its fantastical assumption that platoons of illegal miners will miraculously stop their illegal activities overnight. Implementing the policy will also require legislative amendments, which may take years to finalise. Mantashe, as well as the department, must urgently speed up attempts to formalise artisanal mining as a livelihood strategy. The department should properly engage the mining industry and civil society in this process. At the same time, a coordinated transnational effort to break the strangle-hold of the criminal syndicates must continue. Applying a set of principles agreed by OECD countries on managing supply chains in conflict and high risk areas could also help manage the problem. Finally, the powers conferred on the precious metals regulator need to be revisited. The changes need to ensure that property security checks on sellers can be conducted and patterns in the supply of gold can be determined. Unscrupulous licensed bulk buyers of illegally mined gold must also be identified and brought to book. Dr Maxwell Chuma contributed to this article and the research its based on. He is a lecturer at Learnex Corporate Training. Tracy-Lynn Field, Professor of environmental and sustainability law , University of the Witwatersrand This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. In with the old: taking the long view when restoring grasslands Restoration science and practice are critical in combatting the loss of old-growth grasslands and the loss of biodiversity. Grassland restoration has often been trampled underfoot in the rush to score carbon credits by planting trees, and undermined by the assumption that degraded grasslands are easily fixed because they are thought of as relatively young habitats. An article in Science by Elise Buisson, Sally Archibald, Alessandra Fidelis and Katharine N. Suding argues strongly that restoration interventions should be long-term, and benchmarked by an understanding of the complexities of ancient grasslands. Such spaces have been built over centuries into ecosystems of high species diversity, whose resilience to climate change lies mostly out of sight, below the ground. The authors highlight that land conversion to cultivation or plantation forestry is irreversible: i.e. it is highly unlikely that these systems can ever be restored to their old-growth state. Therefore they argue that conversion should be avoided wherever possible, but also set out some practical restoration options for the Earths grassy ecosystems that use knowledge of the unique needs of their biodiversity to promote old-growth characteristics. The article, titled: Ancient grasslands guide ambitious goals in grassland restoration, was published in a special edition on Grass of the prestigious journal, Science, on 5 August 2022. Grasslands constitute almost 40% of the terrestrial biosphere, and on top of providing habitat for a great diversity of plants and animals, contribute to the livelihoods of about one in eight people in the world. Nevertheless, they are imperilled by massive land conversion for intensive agriculture and silviculture (forestry), mining, woody encroachment and species invasion driven by altered fire and grazing regimes. Land-use changes to, for example mining or cultivation, and altered disturbance regimes, put belowground structures (e.g. bud banks) at risk of degradation sufficiently serious to push grasslands over a threshold beyond which restoration may be difficult, or take decades to achieve. This makes it imperative to protect old-growth grasslands, particularly from the threats that affect belowground processes and structure, as we cannot rely on restoration to guide complete recovery after such degradation, say the authors. Numerous studies across six continents show that secondary grasslands may take at least a century, and more often millennia, to recover their former species richness. Less is known about how long it might take for belowground soil and structure development, but it is likely to follow the same timeline. Research is vital in establishing the extent of the problem and the best way to resolve it. Scientists at the University of Witwatersrands Future Ecosystems for Africa programme, funded by Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation, are researching three key questions regarding grasslands restoration: Quantifying the extent of transformed grasslands in Africa. Quantifying the rates at which biodiversity and soil carbon recovers after ploughing/tillage in different African grasslands. Working with biodiversity organisations and policy makers to develop incentives for "avoided conversion" of grassland, similar to the "avoided deforestation" incentives that are part of REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation). Buisson and her colleagues stress in their Science article that that one initial period of active restoration is not sufficient to guide development towards an old-growth state, and that iterative processes should be embarked on. They propose three considerations to guide restoration interventions: Embrace and manage disturbance-vegetation feedbacks Many grasslands globally co-evolved with fire and grazing animals and have been structured by feedbacks among disturbance, vegetation and belowground soil development. Re-establishing broken feedbacks in cases where fire has been suppressed or grazer communities have become depauperate can have rapid and beneficial impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Sometimes novel interventions are required to re-initiate feedbacks, and the authors give examples where fire has been used as a tool to recreate grazing habitat, and livestock grazing is managed to foster habitat for other large mammalian herbivores. As the system recovers, interventions can be amended. Breaking the cycle of invasion Woody encroachment or exotic herbaceous species invasion can threaten grassland integrity. Once the grassy understory has been knocked back to such an extent that it cannot carry a fire or support grazers, woody encroachment becomes difficult to reverse. This requires replanting of herbaceous vegetation together with the initiation of a disturbance regime for recovery feedbacks. To push back woody encroachment, land managers have sometimes resorted to cutting, herbicides, ploughing up trees and extreme fires. In the case of invasive grasses, they can maintain disturbance regimes which are not conducive to the belowground complexity of old-growth systems. There can under certain circumstances be a dominance in the seed bank making it difficult to re-establish long-lived natives. Seed-enhancement technology and ordering the reintroduction of plants provide a strategy to influence species dominance in the early stages of restoration. Old-growth grassland species How does one speed up species turnover to restore an old-growth state? Grasslands are often restored by sowing seeds. However, seeding fast-growing species may impede long-term success due to a lack of resilience and by excluding longer-lived species from restoration. Once belowground structures are gone, not enough information is available on how to restore them, emphasising the importance of preserving them in the first place. There has been some success in broadening types of species through topsoil transfer and through vegetative transfer. Techniques to speed up the establishment of bud banks are promising, but are in their infancy. Climate change Climate controls the distribution of grasslands, and climate change may require a shift in restoration trajectories depending on species best able to tolerate future conditions. Decisions may be influenced not only by which species to have at a given site, but also functional diversity, soil structure and the belowground component. This will allow the system to recover from an extreme event, as the presence of a viable bud bank and underground storage organs ensures the resilience of the system. In spite of the difficulties climate change presents to restoring old-growth grasslands, the authors expect that prioritising belowground complexity and functional diversity should enable resilience while maintaining the character and services that embody these systems. Outlook Restoration science and practice are critical in combatting the loss of old-growth grasslands and the loss of biodiversity. Tree planting in grasslands as a way of restoration, and the conversion of arable land to agriculture, are irreversible actions which ignore the belowground, soil-locked carbon storage in old-growth grasslands. The authors warn of the hard road ahead, littered with challenges, but are confident that viewing grassland restoration as assembly towards old-growth characteristics with unique biota and belowground complexity, will enable us to achieve ambitious restoration goals for Earths grassy ecosystems. In conclusion, they urge conservation initiatives to safeguard against the conversion of old-growth grasslands for treeplanting or tillage agriculture, to maintain our ancient biodiverse grasslands with appropriate disturbance regimes, and to emphasise the long-term restoration of grasslands in efforts to restore Earths biodiversity. Russia continues its unprovoked war with Ukraine. The United States and China, the two biggest economies on the planet, move closer to war after their latest saber rattling and rhetoric over Taiwan. Of course, the U.S. and China have been behaving ridiculously for years now when it comes to the lingering Covid pandemic, the fragile global economy and the still tangled up supply lines. With global diplomatic and geopolitical tensions very high, where is the United Nations? Supposedly, the UNs primary purpose is to settle disputes among nations and promote peace. The silence of the United Nations lately has been just deafening. This world organization is simply a toothless tiger. Its no wonder the world has gone amok with countries like the U.S., China, Russia, Iran and North Korea doing what they all do best be a danger to world peace. WATERLOO Northern Canada is experiencing climate change at several times the rate seen in other regions. The North is the frontline for severe impacts, urgent mitigation efforts and scientific innovation all significantly under-reported. Wilfrid Laurier University and Cabin Radio are excited to announce the creation of the Wilfrid Laurier University Climate Change Journalism Fellowship, which will facilitate reporting of these important issues. This 18-month fellowship will introduce independent and comprehensive reporting of climate science, government approaches, Indigenous experiences and guardianship efforts, as well as the impact of climate change on the peoples and communities of Northern Canada. Based in Yellowknife at Cabin Radio, a leading northern newsroom, the position will be fully funded by Laurier while operating independently from the university. The fellowship includes funding for travel to communities most affected by climate change and all reporting produced by the journalism fellow will be made freely available for any media outlet to republish under a Creative Commons licence. Cabin Radio and Laurier are proud to introduce a journalism funding model that demonstrates a new means of supporting robust reporting and investing in the North. The strength of our connection with our audience makes incisive, informative and educational reporting about climate change extremely important, said Ollie Williams, Cabin Radio editor. Climate science and its applications in the North are huge subjects. Climate science reporting thats accurate, compelling and readily understood takes time, resources and skill. We are grateful to Wilfrid Laurier University for its significant and innovative investment in science-based journalism that makes a difference. Climate change is among the most pressing issues facing Canadians and nowhere more so than in the North, which is a major focus for Laurier researchers, said Jonathan Newman, vice-president: research at Laurier. Effective adaptation and mitigation of climate change impacts require knowledge. This fellowship will put crucial knowledge into the hands of those who need it most. Augmenting the fellowships creation, Cabin Radio will incorporate climate science into journalism workshops with Northwest Territories youth and explore collaborations with academic programs at Laurier, such as Digital Media and Journalism. About Wilfrid Laurier University: Wilfrid Laurier University is committed to academic excellence. Community is at the heart of all we do. As a community of researchers, leaders and educators, Laurier builds knowledge that serves society and creates connections that have a lasting impact. Laurier has deep connections to the Northwest Territories and maintains a research office in Yellowknife. Find out more. About Cabin Radio: Cabin Radio is the Northwest Territories most-read independent newsroom, attracting more than 100,000 monthly unique readers and up to one million monthly views. Publishing daily original journalism since 2018, Cabin Radio independently owned by five Yellowknife residents also broadcasts audio news and entertainment online to the North and beyond. The world's first "gene bank" of ancient ceramics was recently inaugurated at the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province. An exhibition of ceramics ware with dragon patterns produced in Jingdezhen is held by the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum, east China's Jiangxi Province, May 2020. [People's Daily Online/Hong Yonglin] The "gene bank," co-built by the museum and multiple top Chinese universities and relevant organizations, will carry out research programs on nearly 20 million pieces of ceramic specimens unearthed. Researchers will use modern sophisticated equipment to make "gene" specimens in both physical and digital forms to decode the origin and development of the ancient ceramics civilization. Jingdezhen is a renowned historical town that has made its name through ceramic-making. Its history of ceramic-making dates back over 2,000 years. Known as the "porcelain capital," Jingdezhen also has a 1,000-year history of official-run kilns and a 600-year history of imperial kilns. Tens of millions, maybe even hundreds of millions of pieces of ceramic specimens are buried at the imperial kiln site of Jingdezhen and surrounding areas. Kiln slag there is even as thick as a dozen meters. The Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum is built on the ruins of the imperial kiln site, and most of the exhibits displayed at the museum were spliced with ceramic fragments unearthed at the site. Weng Yanjun, head of the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum, told People's Daily that intact collections of ceramics produced at the imperial kiln site are too precious to be broken for studies. According to Weng, ceramic specimens are a better choice, and at least 100 pieces of information can be extracted from one single piece of specimen. Over the past years, the museum has launched academic exchanges and archaeological cooperation with multiple organizations, including Peking University, the Palace Museum, UCLA, the University of Tokyo and the Institute of Archaeology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Fair is held in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province, October 2020. Photo shows an employee of an e-commerce company hosting a livestream show at the event. [People's Daily/Hu Dunhuang] They have collected nearly 20,000 pieces of data from over 10 kilns, which has preliminarily established a basic data base for the studies of ancient Chinese ceramics. The preparations for the "gene bank" started in July last year and were joined by the universities and organizations in cooperation with the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum. The "gene bank" integrates data collection, archaeological studies, scientific analysis, ceramics restoration and achievements demonstration. It is scheduled to complete the first batch of nearly 10,000 ancient ceramics specimens fabricated in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in a year and a half, and will spend another three to five years completing all the rest unearthed in Jingdezhen, Weng said. Xiong Zhe, who heads a lab at the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum, told People's Daily that the "gene bank" mainly collects ceramic specimens in fragment, section, slice and powder forms. The "gene bank" will share information about ceramic specimens with other institutions, Weng said. The information can be used to build elaborate models of exhibitions, cultural relics protection and 3D printing, and also offer science-based support for the development of ceramic cultural products, as well as the construction of digital museums. A student learns pottery making at the Xianghu campus of Jingdezhen Ceramic University, east China's Jiangxi Province. [People's Daily Online/Xu Zheng] The techniques of Jingdezhen's imperial kiln site have profoundly impacted the global industrialized development of ceramic-making. Blue and white porcelain wares produced in Jingdezhen are considered fine examples and replicated around the world. Today, the physical remains of ceramic works produced at Jingdezhen kiln sites are kept in many countries including Turkiye, Egypt, Japan, Vietnam, North Korea, Italy, France and the Netherlands. "After the completion of the 'gene bank,' we'd like to carry out active cooperation with academic institutions at home and abroad," Weng said, adding that they would also like to foster research projects on global ceramics civilization and build an international platform for ceramics-related cultural exchange. (Source: People's Daily Online) The oldest cities in the United States tell the intriguing tale of the historical events that led to the formation of this powerful nation. Many of these cities trace their origin way back before the country's formation in 1776. They were founded by various European powers like the British and French, who left behind traces of their identity in these cities in the form of art, architecture, and culture, all welcoming tourists to these hubs of American history. This article takes a look at 7 of these old American cities and what they have to offer: Saint Augustine, Florida (1565) Aerial view of Castillo de San Marcos in Saint Augustine, Florida. The oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States of European and African ancestry is St. Augustine, which was founded in 1565. The Spanish founded the country's first lasting settlement at St. Augustine 42 years before the English built Jamestown and 55 years before the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock. Juan Ponce de Leon initially found the city in 1513 while looking for the Fountain of Youth. St. Augustine has developed throughout the past 450 years, going from a young European settlement and violent military outpost to Henry Flagler's Gilded Age in the late 1800s. The historic city now prides itself on being a thriving center of the arts and music in Florida. Attractions in St. Augustine include the Castillo de San Marcos, St. Augustine Beach, Crescent Beach, Anastasia State Park, and Spanish-style architecture. Jamestown, Virginia (1607) A replica of a 16th century frontier fort in Jamestown, Virginia. Editorial credit: Timothy L Barnes / Shutterstock.com Three ships, the Discovery, the Godspeed, and the Susan Constant, set out for Virginia on December 6, 1606. To establish a settlement, 104 English men and boys traveled to North America in 1607. They decided to establish in Jamestown, Virginia, which was founded on May 14, 1607 and was named after their king, James I. The settlement gave England its first foray into the European race for the New World, which the Spanish had dominated since Christopher Columbus' explorations in the late 15th century. Jamestown Island still has a private dwelling on it even though it is now a historic landmark. In order for tourists to understand the significance of Jamestown and what resulted from it being the first permanent English settlement in North America, it is protected by the National Park Service and Preservation Virginia. Attractions in Jamestown include Historic Jamestown, Jamestown Rediscovery, Williamsburg Winery, Memorial Church, Jamestown Island, Jamestown Glasshouse, and Powhatan Indian Village. Santa Fe, New Mexico (1610) The historic Loretto Chapel is located in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico. Editorial credit: Gestalt Imagery / Shutterstock.com In addition to being the oldest city in New Mexico, Santa Fe is also the oldest state capital in the United States. Don Pedro de Peralta, a conquistador, established Santa Fe in 16091610 after it had been briefly inhabited in 1607. In fact, General Stephen Watts Kearny's seizure of Santa Fe during the Mexican American War in 1846 made it the first foreign capital that the United States had ever taken over. Spain made it clear that it planned to settle permanently in New Mexico by building Santa Fe. It was the first settlement that was exclusively Spanish. Santa Fe is a flourishing capital city today and is renowned for its Spanish Territorial architecture. Top attractions in Santa Fe include Georgia OKeeffe Museum, Museum of International Folk Art, New Mexico Museum of Art, Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, Palace of Governors, The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis, and Santa Fe Plaza. Hampton, Virginia (1610) View of cars driving on a bridge leading to Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia. Editorial credit: Kyle J Little / Shutterstock.com The first continuous English-speaking community, the first free public school in the United States, and NASA's first astronauts were all taught in Hampton, which was founded in 1610. The 1607 explorers, headed by Captain Christopher Newport, who originally founded Jamestown as an English colonial settlement, gave Old Point Comfort in the city its name. For almost 400 years, Fort Monroe was located there. After American Independence, it developed into a significant military base. Fort Monroe in Hampton remained under Union control the entire Civil War despite Virginia serving as the Confederacy's capital. Joint Base Langley-Eustis is currently located in the city, which is also close to the Norfolk Naval Station across the river. Attractions in Hampton include Virginia Air & Space Science Center, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, Casemate Museum of Fort Monroe, Hampton History Museum, Sandy Bottom Nature Park, Buckroe Beach and Park, and Grandview Nature Preserve. Albany, New York (1614) The New York State Capitol Building in Albany, New York. By constructing Fort Nassau in 1614, Dutch fur traders created the first settlement in what is now Albany, New York. The second-oldest chartered city in the US, Albany was first claimed by Henry Hudson for the Dutch in 1609 and became a city in 1686. When the English seized it in 1664, they changed its name to honor the Duke of Albany. It was strategically significant throughout the colonial period due to its location at the center of the Hudson River's navigation. With the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, its economic role significantly increased. Albany was designated as the capital of New York State in 1797. Since that time, Albany has served as a hub for international trade, railroads, and banking. Attractions in Albany include Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site, USS Slater, Washington Park, Albany Center Gallery, Historic Cherry Hill, Opalka Gallery, and Cathedral of the Immaculate. Plymouth, Massachusetts (1620) The Plymouth Rock Portico constructed over the iconic Plymouth Rock which marks the landing site of the Mayflower Pilgrims from Europe in 1620. Editorial credit: Bill Morson / Shutterstock.com Plymouth, also referred to as "America's Hometown," occupies a significant position in American history, folklore, and society. The Mayflower Pilgrims, travelers on the illustrious ship the Mayflower, founded the first settlement in New England in Plymouth in 1620. Numerous significant occasions have taken place in the town, with the First Thanksgiving feast being one of the more important ones. The original Plymouth colony is now a living museum that recreates the historic hamlet from the seventeenth century. Attractions in Plymouth include Plimoth Patuxet Museum, Plymouth Rock, Myles Standish State Forest, Pilgrim Hall Museum, National Monument to the Forefathers, and Art Complex Museum. Weymouth, Massachusetts (1622) Aerial view of seashore in Boston Harbor in Weymouth, Massachusetts. The Wessaguscus Plantation, founded in 1622 by London merchant Thomas Weston, served as the starting point for the earliest expeditions across Massachusetts Bay. In 1635, the town's name was changed to Weymouth. It is named after the English coastal town of Weymouth, Dorset, which is the second-oldest settlement in Massachusetts after Plymouth. Although Weymouth is now a part of the Boston metropolitan region, it was only Massachusetts' second permanent European settlement when it was established in 1622. Attractions in Weymouth include Webb Memorial State Park, Grape Island, Great Esker Park, Bare Cove Park, Abigail Adams State Park, and Pond Meadow Park. The above-mentioned historic old villages and trading centers are, at present, thriving modern cities that provide tourists with a multitude of activities, fantastic eating experiences, and much more. Visit renowned museums and science centers, feast your eyes on some of the best artwork on display in the country, and treat your taste buds to regional delicacies. Therefore, be sure to explore these historic cities. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walks away from what state media report is a "new type" of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in this photo released by by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on March 24, 2022 KCNA via Reuters The US and South Korea are preparing for expanded joint military drills, which will include live field exercises. North Korea has warned the two countries may face "an undesirable consequence." South Korea's president told reporters on Friday that the North could conduct a nuclear test at any moment. As the US and South Korea prepare for expanded summertime joint military exercises, North Korea is warning that the two allies will face "unprecedented" security challenges and "undesirable" consequences if they do not stop their "military confrontation." Choe Jin, the deputy director of North Korea's Institute of Disarmament and Peace, a state-run organization operated by the North Korean foreign ministry, told the Associated Press this week that the US-South Korean military drills are "driving the Korean Peninsula to the brink of war." "Should the US and its allies opt for military confrontation with us, they would be faced with unprecedented instability security-wise," Jin said, adding that "the US should keep in mind that it will be treated on a footing of equality when it threatens us with nukes." Jin also said that the US should stop its "suicidal policy of hostility" with North Korea if it does not wish to face "an undesirable consequence." Joint military drills between the US and South Korea, long-time allies, are regular events. Exercises have been smaller in recent years, but this year, the two countries will resume joint field exercises for the first time since 2018, the South Korean defense ministry has said. The North Korean reaction has so far been consistent with responses to past drills, which it regards as a precursor to an invasion. The summertime military exercises have been scaled down due to COVID-19, attempts to curb tensions with the North, and, during the Trump administration, presidential complaints about the cost of the drills. South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol, whose first term began in May, has said though these joint drills should be normalized as a deterrence against North Korea that is again engaging in provocative behavior. Story continues A missile is fired during a joint US-South Korean exercise on South Korea's East Coast, June 6, 2022. South Korean Defense Ministry/Dong-A Daily via Getty Images "The US and South Korea are clearly demonstrating how close their alliance is," Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation told Insider. "One has to wonder if Kim Jong-Un isn't realizing that this is his fault. If he hadn't done multiple missile tests this year, we would not be out showing the strength of our alliance." North Korea has conducted 31 missile tests in 2022, including one it claims was its first successful ICBM launch since 2017. On June 6, just 24-hours after North Korea launched eight short-range missiles, the US and South Korea carried out a joint-missile test that the latter's Joint Chiefs of Staff said "demonstrated the capability and posture to launch immediate precision strikes on the origins of provocations, even if North Korea launches missiles from various locations." People watch a TV broadcast about a North Korean missile launch at the Seoul Railway Station, June 5, 2022. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images But South Korea says more provocative testing from the North may be soon to come, including its first nuclear test since September 2017. President Yoon said North Korea is ready to conduct a nuclear test at any moment. "We believe that not only at the end of this month, but ever since my inauguration, it's fully ready and able to do it whenever it decides," Yoon told reporters on Friday. In May, CNN reported that the US had assessed that North Korea could be ready to conduct another nuclear test by the end of the month. Bennett said it would be no surprise if North Korea turned to a nuclear test as their "next major provocation." "The fact that the US is participating in this training is going to be causing Kim all kinds of concerns," Bennett told Insider. "He doesn't want to strengthen our alliance, but he's been doing a really good job of that this year." Read the original article on Business Insider Senate candidate Charles Booker spoke with Local 6 while he was in Paducah for the local Democratic Party's annual Alben Barkley Dinner. Staff and students raise vital funds for childrens hospital in memory of tragic loss of teenager The efforts of caring staff and students at Coleg Cambria have helped to raise vital funds for a childrens hospital. Led by Cambrias Learner Experience and Enterprise Manager Rona Griffiths, and PL Operations Officer Steven Mills, a series of challenges and events were held for Alder Hey Childrens Hospital in Liverpool. Learners and employees from Wrexham, Deeside and Northop collected more than 1,500 via activities including a hamper raffle and festive stalls at last years Christmas Market. Their campaign was inspired by the death of Kirsten Hill daughter of the colleges creative content officer Kevin Hill who tragically passed away from Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) in November, aged just 14. The total raised will be shared between the hospitals Intensive Care Unit and Snowdrop Bereavement Centre. The treatment, care and support Kirsten and we as a family received was amazing, said Kevin, who lives with wife Lynsey and eldest daughter Katie a student at Yale Sixth Form in Wrexham. After falling ill and being taken to Wrexham Maelor Hospital she was transferred to Alder Hey and sadly, after a very brief battle with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, passed away a few days later. We are of course still devastated, Kirsten was the life and soul of our family, it was and will always be a heavy loss and we miss her every day. He added: We would like to thank the many friends and family who have raised thousands of pounds through donations for the childrens hospital. The staff at Alder Hey were fantastic, they treated Kirsten with such dignity and respect we will never forget their kindness. People can still donate to the hospital and a group of friends and family representing Team Kirsten including colleagues from Cambrias marketing department ran the 5k Race for Life in Chester recently in aid of Cancer Research UK. On behalf of the college, Rona praised the students and staff who supported their appeal. We were all so very sad for Kevin and family and wanted to help in any way we could, she said. Thank you to everyone who got behind us; Cambria is a warm and welcoming community, an environment of love and support, so I was not surprised to see people come together and show such commitment for this incredible cause. Adam Dixon, Running and Challenge Manager, Alder Hey Childrens Charity, added: On behalf of everyone at Alder Hey wed like to say a huge thank you to the staff and students from Coleg Cambria for their fundraising efforts. Donations help provide a range of life-saving medical equipment and facilities that are making a real difference to families every day and were so grateful for the support. To make a donation and support the appeal, please visit www.kirstenhill.muchloved.com. There were emotional scenes as the family were welcomed back to Biloela in June A family who became the public face of Australia's tough asylum-seeker policies will be allowed to stay in the country after a four-year battle. The Nadesalingam family was detained in 2018 after their claim for protection was rejected. Their treatment sparked outcry and a national campaign for their return to the outback Queensland town of Biloela. They have now been granted visas due to their "complex and specific circumstances", the government says. Priya Nadaraja says the decision has given her family "peace" at last. "Now I know my daughters will get to grow up safely in Australia. Now my husband and I can live without fear," she said in a statement. Priya and her husband Nades arrived in Australia on separate boat trips nearly a decade ago, and sought asylum. They said they feared persecution in Sri Lanka because of their Tamil ethnicity - successive ruling governments have long been accused of targeting Tamils, who are a minority in the largely Sinhalese country. The couple met in outback Biloela, married and had two girls - Kopika, seven, and Tharnicaa, five. But the government detained them in 2018 after ruling the family had no legal right to be in Australia. Locals in Biloela fought for them to stay, kicking off a campaign that won national support and the backing of MPs from across the political spectrum. The family's treatment sparked protests where hundreds of people called for their release Supporters include new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who had pledged to allow the family to return to their adopted hometown in Biloela if elected. Immigration Minister Andrew Giles on Friday said the government has kept its promise. But he stressed that immigration policies have not changed. Australia can hold asylum seekers like the Nadesalingam family in indefinite detention while it assesses their refugee claims or takes steps to deport them. It also has a policy of not allowing asylum seekers to arrive by boat, and maintains a system of offshore detention. "We are not considering changing this policy," Mr Giles said. "I do not want people to die in a boat on a journey when there is zero chance of settling in Australia." Story continues The decision gives certainty to the family, who has spent more than 1,500 days in immigration detention - much of it on Christmas Island, an Australian outpost in the Indian Ocean. Last year, they were moved from the island to community detention in Perth after Tharnicaa needed urgent medical care. The family seen in detention in 2018 The family told the BBC last year that the conditions of their prolonged detention - and separation from their support base - had caused them significant harm. Priya said the years in detention had left her with depression and little energy. Meanwhile, Tharnicaa - who was just nine months old when the family was detained - had surgery in 2019 to remove teeth that had rotted due to poor nutrition. She also spent two weeks in hospital last year for another illness. Australia argues its strict policies on asylum seekers prevent human trafficking and deaths at sea, but the UN has criticised its approach as inhumane. Under intense pressure by states, activists and health institutions to respond to the spread of monkeypox, the Biden administration yesterday afternoon declared the new pandemic to be a public health emergency. On Tuesday, Biden appointed Robert Fenton, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator for region nine, to be the national monkeypox coordinator. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who currently works at the Division of HIV Prevention of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with clinical experience on health issues affecting the LGBTQIA+ communities, will serve as his deputy. In an effort to appease public concern after weeks of official inaction and downplaying of the evolving crisis, the White House statement declared, Fenton and Daskalakis combined have over four decades of experience in Federal emergency response and public health leadership, including overseeing the operations and implementation of key components of the Biden Administrations response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and leading local and Federal public health emergency efforts such as infectious disease control and HIV prevention. In other words, they are the presidents men and can be called to do the White Houses bidding, not to bring monkeypox under control, but control the messaging on monkeypox. Despite the World Health Organizations declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) nearly two weeks ago, the White House had resisted making a similar announcement even though the three hardest hit states followed en suiteNew York, Illinois and Californiato declare a state of emergency to obtain much-needed federal resources. Having mulled the issue of a national declaration for more than a weekduring which the president was quarantined with a COVID-19 infectionthe White House eventually acquiesced, although it carefully crafted the messaging to reassure the financial markets. The administration claims it remains in control of these developments and informed the public that they have released monkeypox vaccines to affected regions and increased testing capacity to 80,000 per week, albeit only recently. Notably, unlike COVID-19, where the test kits had to be manufactured from scratch, these tests have been available in the US diagnostic arsenal for decades but had not been acted upon based on early assessments that the monkeypox outbreak would be limited and quickly disappear like the flu. Testing and vaccination Monkeypox testing is labor-intensive, requiring lab workers to swab the lesions, a risky procedure, then extract the virus DNA through multiple steps and amplify the genetic material through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) to obtain a result. The slow process takes two to three days for results while the patient waits. Additionally, such tests require a physicians order. A rash develops much later in the course of infection. There is an incubation period of 23 weeks before symptoms of fevers, aches, fatigue and enlarged lymph nodes, then a few days later, the characteristic rash develops. Only then can a confirmatory test be conducted. However, as these rashes can be located anywhere on the body, it requires a heightened awareness of a monkeypox diagnosis on the part of health care workers. Since testing is a lagging indicator of community spread, contact tracing and isolation are critical in stemming the spread of infection. As for postexposure treatment, the vaccination of a person known to have been exposed to someone with a confirmed monkeypox infection must be carried out within three days of the exposure. There is limited data on the efficacy of the Jynneos vaccine in immunizing individuals against the monkeypox virus and even less information on using the current vaccine to treat people after they have been exposed. The guidance has been extrapolated from experience with smallpox, and a comprehensive review can be viewed here. Figure 1: The graphic references several smallpox outbreaks and the timing of postexposure vaccination. Symptoms were prevented in 75 percent or more of those exposed when the vaccines were given within three days. Source: the journal Vaccine. With the narrow clinical window in treating the exposed and delays inherent in confirmatory testing, a vaccination-only strategy is doomed to failure. Only implementing a broad-based contact tracing and isolation initiative, which must include the isolation of secondary contacts and an expanded ring vaccination program, which means the number needed to vaccinate grows exponentially to cover secondary contacts, can achieve the aim of eradication. Additionally, patients with confirmed or suspected infection or exposure must also isolate for at least four to eight weeks until they are cleared of harboring the virus or the disease is allowed to run its course and they are no longer infectious. Depending on their symptoms, they need constant evaluation and monitoring by medical professionals. How the monkeypox virus is transmitted Perhaps an important consideration that has not had any serious and honest discussion in the media and by Federal public health officials is the potential airborne route of infection for monkeypox. There has been an insistence that infections occur predominately through prolonged contact exposure. Dr. Donald Milton, a professor of Environmental health at the University of Maryland School of Public Health who is an internationally recognized expert on the aerobiology of respiratory viruses, has written extensively on the airborne nature of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 virus. He wrote a critical review article in 2012 on the implications of the mode of smallpox transmission for biodefense which is an essential read. After an extensive analysis, he concluded, Smallpox appears to have been most effectively and virulently transmitted by fine particle aerosols and therefore should be classified as an anisotropic infection, an infection where the route of transmission influences either virulence and or probability of infection, formerly called a preferentially airborne infectious disease. He added, Current recommendations for control of secondary smallpox infections emphasize transmission by expelled droplets to close contacts (those within six to seven feet per CDC 2002, 2003). Recommendations include vigilant maintenance of standard, droplet, and airborne precautions. However, emphasis on spread via large droplets may reduce the vigilance with which more difficult airborne precautions are maintained. The precautionary principle is at play here, meaning that the best interests of the patient and public health require a scientific understanding of how the virus moves and how the various routes of transmission affect the severity of the disease. An assumption that infections occur only through prolonged contact with infected individuals raises the danger of furthering the community transmission of the virus, repeating the catastrophic failures already seen in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Without a coordinated effort to bring the expanding outbreak to an immediate end, the monkeypox pandemic could begin impacting the labor force and manufacturing in the next few months. A worker at Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in Michigan recently informed the World Socialist Web Site that there had been a confirmed case of monkeypox at the plant, which the union and management are attempting to cover up. The announcement of the appointment of Fenton and Daskalakis to coordinate a strategy and operation to combat the current monkeypox outbreak, including equitably increasing the availability of tests, vaccinations, and treatments, is nonsense. Given the experience with the failed and criminal policies allowing COVID-19 to spread unchecked, these statements are purely sentiments for political purposes. Problems in vaccine production and storage What is not being mentioned is that the shortage of vaccines is real, and the effort to ramp up manufacturing faces a bottleneck, with only a single pharmaceutical company in Denmark, Nordic Bavarian, able to produce the smallpox vaccine known in the US as Jynneos. What is apparent is that there is no clear and compelling strategy other than reaction down the line. Worse, Jynneos (a non-replicating smallpox vaccine) and the second-generation vaccine ACAM2000 (a live smallpox virus) were manufactured for use against the possible reintroduction of smallpox in the event of bioterrorism or accidental lab spillover but have never been tested against monkeypox. MedPage Today wrote recently, [N]o one knows how well the Jynneos vaccine will serve as a get-out-of-infection-free card. The much-quoted 85 percent effectiveness of smallpox vaccines against monkeypox is based on a very limited study conducted in Africa in the 1980s that showed cross-protection. However, MedPage noted, One data expert calls its findings pretty weak. Other studies have only been conducted in animals. No studies have been undertaken on ACAM2000 and Jynneos. Dr. Jay Varma, director of the Cornell Center for Pandemic Prevention and response in New York, recently explained, It is absolutely critical that public health officials work on messaging this uncertainty to people being vaccinated. Though the US has more than 100 million doses of ACAM2000 smallpox vaccines available, they have remained largely untouched. The vaccine needs to be injected into the skin using a two-pronged needle utilizing a series of jabs to provide a small dose of the live virus into the skin. Health care workers would require to be trained to do this. Evidence of vaccination involves the formation of a small abscess a week later for confirmation, and some may need another jab. ACAM2000 can also severely compromise those who have an underlying immunocompromised state. The rare, dangerous side effects of ACAM2000 include a six in 1,000 chance of heart inflammation, with one or two people in a million expected to die. Jynneos was intended for this population of around 66 million eligible people in high-risk households, according to the New York Times. The vaccine is an injection administered in two doses four weeks apart, which was criticized as not being ideal in a bioterror attack. In 2013, the US had around 20 million doses of Jynneos, previously known as Imvamune, sitting in freezers in the Strategic National Stockpiles. In 2015, another 8 million doses were added due to the three-year limit on their shelf life. However, federal agencies decided at the time to allow vaccine doses to expire without replenishing the stockpile as they waited for a freeze-dried version of the vaccine to be developed and approved, a process which has been dragging longer than expected. By the time monkeypox appeared in the US mid-May, only 2,400 usable doses were left in the stockpile. The Times wrote, From 2015 onward, the United States instead placed orders for hundreds of millions of dollars of bulk vaccine productbasically raw vaccine stored in large bags, which would be converted to freeze-dried doses once the company perfected the process and had the necessary FDA approval. The 300,000 doses of vaccines recently ordered were sitting in Denmark and had to be filled by a contractor and then shipped back to the US in batches in a wait-and-see approach taken by the administration. Due to strict temperature requirements, the Danish pharmaceutical firm has stored the bulk of 1.4 million doses ordered for the US. Bavarian Nordics new fill-finish facility, which was up and running in 2021, has only recently been inspected by the FDA and greenlighted for fill and shipment. However, logistical details mean there will be continued delays in seeing large quantities of vaccines delivered to the US or any other country seeking to vaccinate their population. As explained by a Bavarian Nordic spokesman, when an order is placed, the company has to receive a container known as a cocoon that has to be frozen to temperature for five days before the vaccines can be packed and shipped. Additionally, the recent airline strikes and flight delays have impacted the delivery of these vaccines. According to the CDC, as of August 3, 2022, with more than 25,000 cases globally, 6,617 infections have been documented in the US. The global seven-day rolling average of daily monkeypox cases is presently at 1,200 and rising. For the US, that figure has reached 532 per day. Presently, New York state is the epicenter of the monkeypox pandemic in the US, with 1,666 total cases. California has recorded 826 cases, and Illinois, Texas, Florida and Georgia each have more than 500, indicating a broad geographic spread of the disease. Figure 2: Seven-day rolling average of monkeypox cases in the United States. Source: data scientist Antonio Caramia. Link to graphics and data can be found at https://t.co/8jc1aFcSMM by @antonio_caramia. The first case in the US was diagnosed on May 18, 2022. One month later, on June 16, cumulative cases surpassed 100. By July 13, cases surpassed 1,000. At the present rate, by mid-August, the cumulative figure will more than exceed 10,000 infections. The rapidity of the spread has caught the entire federal public health infrastructure off guard once again, despite the repeated calls by principled health experts about the burgeoning threat. Despite the acclaimed rise in testing capacity, cases are climbing much faster. For such patients, a confirmatory test is required to access antivirals like tecovirimat, which was approved to treat smallpox disease in adults and children but can cause significant side effects. Meanwhile, as of this writing, the CDC has yet to make monkeypox a notifiable disease for states. Additionally, the number of tests and their positivity rate have not been publicly available. This fact raises the question of whether contact tracing is being conducted earnestly. Caitlin Rivers, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told Wired, If we had those metrics, we would have a better understanding of how much of our existing capacity is being used and whether its reaching enough people to be able to say confidently that were finding cases. Even though most cases remain among men who have sex with men, the number of women infected is growing. For instance, in Indiana, the Department of Health reported that 20 percent of the 30 confirmed cases on July 22 were among women. The case count has risen to 45, and two children are among the infected. Five children have thus far been confirmed with monkeypox in the US. These must be seen as sentinel events, a forewarning of the spread of monkeypox into more vulnerable populations, especially as the school year will soon see millions of children return to in-person classes. The social issues raised by a second lethal pandemic are being suppressed by the likes of Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, who vehemently rejected any concerns over monkeypox during a recent press conference. He declared, We are not doing fear, and we are not going to go out and try to rile people up and try to act like people cant live their lives as theyve normally been doing because of something. Given the last three years with COVID-19, it isnt difficult to recognize that such sentiments will prevail within the corporate elite and its political servants in both capitalist parties. But there is scientific guidance that has been extrapolated from experience with smallpox, and a comprehensive review can be seen here. Following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis trip to Taiwan, which deliberately provoked the greatest crisis in the region in a quarter century, the United States has announced plans for its next provocation: sending aircraft and warships through the Taiwan Strait. The US will conduct air and maritime transits through the Taiwan Strait in the next few weeks, White House spokesperson John Kirby said. USS Ronald Reagan leads the Ronald Reagan Strike group during a photo exercise for Valiant Shield 2018 (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Erwin Miciano) In June, Fortune reported that Beijing told US officials that China sees the Taiwan Strait as its territorial waters, leading to the possibility Chinese military forces could seek to block a transit by a US warship, potentially leading to a military clash. Kirby announced that the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group, which is operating in the waters outside Taiwan, will extend its deployment in the area. The US announcement came amid a military standoff over Taiwan. After Pelosis visit, China carried out live-fire exercises in the waters on all sides of Taiwan, forcing the cancellation of flights and the re-routing of ships. China deployed over 100 aircraft and over 10 warships in its largest-ever military drills in the Taiwan Strait. China fired at least 11 ballistic missiles, some flying directly over mainland Taiwan, and deployed drones that flew over Taiwans Kinmen Islands. Over 900 flights involving 18 international air routes have been adjusted, and 66 flights have been cancelled. The Global Times reported that the military drills featured advanced weapons, including long-range rocket artillery, anti-ship ballistic missiles, stealth fighter jets and an aircraft carrier group with a nuclear-powered submarine, as well as realistic tactics that simulated a real reunification-by-force operation. For the first time, the Chinese drills included a carrier group deterrence exercise, the Global Times reported, and at least one nuclear-powered submarine has been deployed. Both of Chinas aircraft carriers were reported to have been steaming toward Taiwan, and either one or both participated in the drills. Critically, China also fired missiles into Japans territorial waters, in what was interpreted as a message about its ability to strike US bases in Japan. The Global Times wrote: The PLA exercise zones set in the northeast, east and south of Taiwan island are designated not only to blockade Taiwan and hit targets on the island, but also to prevent external forces like the US from intervening from its bases in Japan and Guam via the Philippine Sea. Japan, whose population overwhelmingly opposes militarism following Japans crimes in World War II and the US mass murder of the populations of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, is being swept into the US-led war drive against China. This year, officials pledged to double Japans defense spending, up to 2 percent of GDP, and politicians have proposed stationing US nuclear missiles on Japan. Even as the US made clear it would continue its efforts to goad China into military conflict, White House officials assertedwhich neither they nor anyone else believethat Pelosis visit was meaningless. Kirby, the White House spokesperson, said in a statement Thursday: I want to reiterate, as Ive been saying all week: Nothingnothinghas changed about our One China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint US-PRC Communiques, and the Six Assurances. And we say it that way every time because its exactly consistent. He added: The provocateur here is Beijing. They didnt have to react this way to what is completely normal travel by congressional members to Taiwan... The Chinese are the ones who are escalating this. Kirbys claims were refuted in an article published in the Washington Post by Qin Gang, Chinas ambassador to the United States, noting that: In the past 18 months alone, the United States has made five rounds of arms sales to Taiwan. Qin concluded: Just think: If an American state were to secede from the United States and declare independence, and then some other nation provided weapons and political support for that state, would the US governmentor the American peopleallow this to happen? Amid the ongoing military standoff, the US Senate is moving to formally abolish the One China policy, which is already a dead letter in practice. The so-called Taiwan Policy Act of 2022, sponsored by Democratic Senator Bob Menendez and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, would designate Taiwan a major non-NATO ally alongside Japan, effectively giving it diplomatic recognition and ending the One China policy. The bill would provide Taiwan $4.5 billion in military aid, a figure in order of magnitude greater than current expenditures. Our bill is the largest expansion of the military and economic relationship between our two countries in decades, Graham said, deliberately referring to Taiwan as a country. Graham added: If you put this on the floor of the Senate, it would pass overwhelmingly. The relentless efforts by the Biden administration to provoke a war with China represent an enormous danger to the population of Taiwan, China, the Asia-Pacific region and the whole world. In an effort to preserve US military and economic hegemony and suppress political opposition at home, the United States is putting all of humanity in jeopardy. The WSWS continues to receive statements supporting Dr David Berger, an Australian physician and dedicated zero-COVID advocate who is being threatened with deregistration by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) over his social media condemnations of the governments let it rip coronavirus policies. Dr David Berger (Image: Supplied) Since the publication of our first article on July 8, which calls on scientists, health workers and other sections of workers to come to Dr Bergers defence, the WSWS has published seventeen articles compiling statements of support. We urge workers, young people and professionals to speak out in defence of Dr Berger. Statements of support can be emailed here. Please indicate in the email how you would like to be identified in our next article, and if you want to include a photo, please attach one to the email. A letter from Dr John R. Moffett, United States: Dear WSWS, I am a US-based neuroscientist who is writing in support of Dr David Berger over his stance on reckless COVID policies that have allowed the virus to spread to every corner of the world and kill far more people than more scientifically-based policies would have. The vaccine-only policies are obviously aimed at increasing vaccine sales rather than public health. But this is to be expected when corporations run the governments. Corporations dont have any concern for people, they are only concerned with profits. As long as governments are controlled by corporate leaders, and follow their agendas, we will have more wars, more pandemics and incompetent responses to both tragedies. The US leads the world in COVID deaths and Monkeypox infections, and the Biden administration cannot blame the previous Trump administration for these failures. On top of the medical policy incompetence, the Biden administration is showing the greatest degree of foreign policy incompetence of my lifetime (I am 67 years old). The Biden administration is obviously hoping that Ukraine and Taiwan will fight proxy wars against Russia and China to weaken them, but this incompetent strategy appears to have already failed spectacularly. Please know that many people in the US are ashamed of our governments policies, and complain bitterly to our representatives, who have no intention whatsoever to listen to anyone who is not a corporate owner or investor. Best regards, Dr. John R. Moffett North Potomac, Maryland, USA A letter from Dr Martin Wolterding, Australia: Dr Berger has been a clear and steady voice against the Australian governments and the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agencys failures to both adequately deal with the COVID pandemic and calls against this failure. Procedures for effective infection control have been well-known for over 50 years. The governments priority of putting the economy over the health and often the survival of Australians, particularly the most vulnerable, has been reprehensible in the extreme. AHPRAs attempts to muzzle and discipline those who speak out abets the bullying of a sincere whistle blower. Dr Martin Wolterding The persecution by ostracism and disciplinary action of Dr Berger for valiantly speaking out is an attack on truth telling. It puts the lie to Australias claim to being a democracy where free speech is honoured when in truth dissent is suppressed. Sincerely, Dr. Martin Wolterding Zach, a student from Western Sydney University, Australia The attack on Dr Berger, a physician who has consistently been warning us of the dangers of COVID, by the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency must be opposed! At a time when Australia is experiencing record hospitalisations and deaths, those speaking out against the governments let it rip policies such as Dr. Berger are being intimidated by the political establishment. During one week at my work, half of the staff I knew of were sick with COVID or had recently caught it. I myself got sick after sharing a car ride with my sister who caught it. I only found out I was sick a few days later after I had visited immunocompromised friends and was extremely worried for their health. This situation must be exposed and shared by students and workers alike in a fight for scientific and political truth. This fight becomes all the more significant as the political establishments and bourgeois parties lurch further and further to the right and turn to greater means of misinformation, intimidation and suppression. The US Department of Justice (DoJ) announced on Thursday that two current and two former officers of the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department (LMPD) in Louisville, Kentucky have been indicted on federal charges in connection with the brutal murder of Breonna Taylor in her apartment in March 2020. Attorney General Merrick Garland with Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Civil Rights Division (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Ex-LPMD detectives Joshua Jaynes and Brett Hankison and current LMPD Sergeant Kyle Meany and detective Kelly Hanna Goodlett were arrested Thursday and are facing a combination of civil rights offenses, unlawful conspiracies, obstruction offenses and use of excessive force for their roles in carrying out a no-knock warrant that ended in Taylors death. All of the charged officers are white, while Taylor was black. Jaynes and Hankison had been previously fired by the department for their roles in the incident. The LMPD said in a statement that termination proceedings began on Thursday against both Meany and Goodlett. The Louisville Courier Journal reported that Jaynes, 40, who was fired for lying on the search warrant that led to the deadly raid at Taylors apartment, was taken into custody on Thursday morning by the FBI and booked in the Oldham County Detention Center, near the town of Buckner, approximately 30 miles northwest of Louisville. Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician, was at home in bed with her boyfriend Kenneth Walker shortly after midnight on March 13, 2020, when at least seven plainclothes LMPD officers smashed down the door to her apartment without warning. Although the officers claim that they announced themselves before entry, Walker said he did not hear any warning and, thinking they were intruders, fired a warning shot at them, striking one officer in the leg. Three of the officers returned a total of 32 shots, six of which struck Taylor. Although Walker was initially arrested for assault and attempted murder, the charges against him were dismissed with prejudice 12 months later. The police claimed the raid, in which no search of the apartment was ever conducted, was part of a narcotics investigation involving Taylors former boyfriend. What followed was a carefully orchestrated coverup of the brutal murder by Louisville law enforcement that included an incident report which claimed that Taylor had no injuries and no forced entry occurred. The real facts of the shooting would never have come to lightand the present DoJ indictments would never have been broughtif it had not been for the insistent demands of Taylors family and supporters in Louisville for justice for Taylor and the growing anti-police violence protests that swept across the US and around the world in the spring and summer of 2020 following the public execution of George Floyd by Minneapolis, Minnesota, police officer Derek Chauvin. During a press conference on Thursday, Attorney General Merrick Garland said, Among other things, the federal charges announced today allege that members of LMPDs Place-Based Investigations Unit falsified the affidavit used to obtain the search warrant of Ms. Taylors home, that this act violated federal civil rights laws, and that those violations resulted in Ms. Taylors death. Breonna Taylor should be alive today. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said, On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor should have awakened in her home as usual, but tragically she did not. A DoJ press release said the federal charges against the four allege violations of the U.S. Constitution, rather than of state law. The federal charges also allege excessive use of force with respect to Taylor and a person staying in her apartment; violations not included in the Commonwealths case. However, neither Garland nor Clarke explained why it took the federal government nearly 29 months to bring charges in relation to the criminal actions of the Louisville police department. The attorneys general also did not explain why the indictments excluded two other officers who discharged their weapons in Taylors apartment that night, Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove, the latter of which fired the fatal shot that killed Taylor. The indictment against Hankison has two grand jury charges stemming from the fact that, after the two other officers had fired into the apartment from the doorway, he moved from the doorway to the side of the apartment and fired ten more shots through a window and a sliding glass door, both of which were covered by blinds and curtains. The first charge says, while acting under the color of law, Hankison willfully deprived Breonna Taylor and Kenneth Walker of the right to be free from unreasonable seizures, and that the officer fired five bullets through a bedroom wall. The second charges says that Hankison while acting under the color of law willfully deprived the three individuals living in the apartment next to Breonna Taylor of the right to be free from an officers use of unjustified force that shocks the conscience, and that the officer fired five bullets into the living room of Apartment 4 through a sliding glass door. Both charges state that there was no longer a lawful objective justifying the use of deadly force and the offenses involved the use of a dangerous weapon and an attempt to kill. If convicted on the civil rights charges, Hankison faces a life sentence. Hankison was previously the only officer charged with three state offenses of wanton endangerment and, during a trial last March, he was acquitted. None of the other officers were charged in Kentucky and state Attorney General Daniel Cameron determined that the use of force was justified. The indictment against Jaynes and Meany contains charges of civil rights violations, conspiracy, falsification of records and making a false statement to a federal investigator. The first charge states that the two officers violated Taylors civil rights by swearing out a warrant affidavit for the apartment which they knew contained false information and was not supported by probable cause. The second and third charges are against Jaynes only and allege the former officer falsified documents related to police claims that Breonna Taylor was receiving packages at her apartment for her former boyfriend which justified the warrant for a no-knock warrant. The fourth charge is against Meany only and alleges that he knowingly lied to FBI investigators when he told them that the LMPD SWAT unit had asked his Place Based Investigations unit to request a no-knock warrant when no request had been made. Finally, the indictment against Kelly Goodlett contains one charge of conspiracy for collaborating with Jaynes in falsifying the information contained in the warrant affidavit. Jaynes and Meany face maximum life sentences if convicted on the civil rights charges. Goodlett can be sentenced to 20 years in prison for the conspiracy charge. In response to the indictments, Breonna Taylors mother, Tamika Palmer, gave a press conference on Thursday morning and said, What weve been saying was the truth, that they shouldnt have been there, and that Breonna didnt deserve that. Todays overdue, but it still hurts. The fact that the DoJ has been compelled to bring the federal charges against the four is a measure of the blatant criminality that prevails in the Louisville police department and, as a matter of fact, in law enforcement offices in cities, towns and counties across the US. For reasons bound up with the domestic political crisis of the Biden administration, the DoJ has elected to bring federal charges against the officers that open a window into the blatantly brutal, violent and criminal practices of the police as well as the lying that goes on after the fact to cover up these crimes. The federal indictments do not guarantee a conviction and, in the end, the struggle against the police violence that gets meted out daily against workers of all racial and ethnic backgrounds in the US requires the political mobilization of the working class against the capitalist system and its state apparatus. The government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe is intensifying its repressive actions amid growing opposition among workers and anti-government protesters. Police mobilised at Parliament Road in Colombo May 6, 2022 * The president issued a gazette notification at midnight on Wednesday extending its repressive Essential Public Services Act (ESPA) which designates the supply of electricity, the supply and distribution of petroleum products and the health sector as essential services. According to this draconian act, any employee in these sectors who does not attend work faces conviction, after summary trial before a magistrate and will be liable to rigorous imprisonment of two to five years and/or a fine of between 2,000 and 5,000 rupees ($US513). The movable and immoveable property of those convicted can be seized by the state and his or her name removed from any register maintained for profession or vocation. It is also an offence for any person to incite, induce or encourage any other person to not attend work through a physical act or by any speech or writing. These repressive measures are in force while the Trade Union Coordinating Centre, which comprises unions in the health, electricity and petroleum sectors, have announced a one-day protest on August 9 against the governments crackdown on protesters. The unions have taken the decision to deflect the growing anger among workers over intolerable price rises and acute shortages and Wickremesinghes anti-democratic actions. * On Wednesday evening, police arrested Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU), at the unions head office. The police claimed the arrest was due to the violation of a court order banning a protest march near police headquarters on May 28. Fort magistrate Thilina Gamage yesterday ordered the union leader to be remanded until August 12. Police also arrested the secretary of the Bank of Ceylon branch of the Ceylon Bank Employees Union, Dhananjaya Siriwardana, and its former branch president, Palitha Atampala. They were accused of forcibly entering the Presidential residence on July 13. Both union leaders were released on bail yesterday. * The police yesterday issued an ultimatum to anti-government protesters who are still occupying one corner of the Galle Face Green to vacate the area before 5 p.m. today. The police notice read out to protesters yesterday stated that they were occupying the area illegally and faced legal action if they did not leave. At a media conference, protesters declared they would not vacate the area and had filed a court appeal requesting a writ order to prevent police forcibly clearing the area. On July 22, hundreds of heavily-armed police and a military contingent mounted an early morning attack to forcibly evict protesters occupying the Presidential Secretariat and the surrounding area. Many were injured and nine were arrested. Last week protesters refused to leave Galle Face Green until Wickremesinghe steps down. They are now confined to a government-designated protest site in Galle Face Green. These repressive measures come in the wake of raids by two police teams on the Colombo office of the pseudo-left Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) last Friday. The police ignored the opposition of FSP members, claiming they were searching for the convener of the Inter-University Student Federation, Wasntha Mudalige. According to the media, more than 100 protest activists have already been arrested by police and military squads. Officers of the Department of Immigration Emigration have barged into the home of British social media activist Kayleigh Frazer on August 3 and confiscated her passport. Police accused her of supporting anti-government protests on her Facebook page. However, when questioned by the media, the officials declared that the department is yet to determine whether she has violated her visa conditions. While the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) has fundamental political differences with the union leaders, the FSP and protest organisers, we unequivocally condemn all of these arrests and police actions. The SEP warns working people that the Wickremesinghe regime is preparing a far broader repression against all opposition to its severe austerity measures that are creating enormous hardship and suffering. We call on workers and rural toilers to demand the immediate dropping of all charges and release of those arrested. A protest organised on Galle Face Green on August 3 demanded an end to police repression and the current state of emergency, and the resignation of Ranil Wickremesinghe and his government. Another protest organised by the Trade Union and Mass Organisation (TUMO) yesterday called for the immediate release of Joseph Stalin, other trade union leaders and anti-government protestors. The trade unions, however, bear political responsibility for opening the door to these police-state measures by deliberately limiting the strike movement that developed among workers in opposition to intolerable living conditions. In doing so, they gave the ruling class vital time to prepare its counter-offensive. Millions of workers participated in the strikes of April 28, May 6 and then on May 10 and 11 against President Gotabhaya Rajapakse who fled the country on July 13 amid mass protests. The TUMO and Trade Union Coordinating Centre not only did all they could to limit the scope and duration of the strikes but sought to divert the movement into the dead-end of parliamentary manoeuvres. Their demand for an interim government was completely in line with that of the opposition partiesthe Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). None of the parliamentary parties, however, have any fundamental disagreement with the anti-working class agenda of the Rajapakse and now Wickremesinghe government to force working people to pay for the deep economic crisis of capitalism. In his policy statement to parliament on Wednesday, Wickremesinghe reiterated his determination to impose the savage austerity measures dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). While imposing a state of emergency and launching a police dragnet, he cynically declared that the government would allow peaceful protests at government-designated sites and would open a hotline for protesters to express their grievances to him. This is nothing but a transparent facade for police-state repression. If the Wickremesinghe regime has not launched a full-scale crackdown on all opposition, it is only because the ruling class is extremely nervous about unleashing an eruption of opposition by workers and the rural poor. Wickremesinghe is testing the waters, denouncing more militant protesters as fascists and arresting them while preparing for far more savage police-state measures. The entire political establishment, including all the opposition parties, back the IMFs austerity program which cannot be implemented democratically. Workers should draw the necessary conclusion: the fight for democratic and social rights is completely bound up with the struggle to abolish capitalism on the basis of a socialist and internationalist program. The SEP demands: Release all those arrested in the struggle against the government! Repeal the Essential Public Services Act! Repeal the Emergency regulations! To fight for these demands, we call on workers and rural toilers to form their own action committees in every workplace, plantation, suburb, town and village, completely independent of all the capitalist parties and their trade union and pseudo-left agents. The SEP is campaigning for a Democratic and Socialist Congress of Workers and Rural Masses on the basis of these action committees and to fight for the rights of workers and the poor. The ruling class demands sacrifice by working people to defend its property and profits. The SEP demands measures to meet the pressing needs of the masses, including workers democratic control over the production and distribution of all essential items, the nationalisation of the banks, major corporations and plantations under democratic public control, the seizure of the colossal wealth of the billionaires and corporations, and the repudiation of all foreign debts. We urge action committees to link up and begin the fight for these necessary measures and at the same time oppose the Wickremesinghe governments mounting attacks on democratic rights. On the basis of a democratic and socialist program, the working class can rally the rural masses to its side and lay the basis for a workers and peasants government to implement socialist policies as an integral part of the fight for socialism internationally. Jordan was victimised by British supermarket giant Tesco in Inverness, Scotland during the first year of the pandemic for speaking out against managements cover-up of a COVID-19 infection. This is an edited version of his written statement to the Global Workers Inquest. When the COVID-19 mitigation regulations initially came into place, most staff in the store where I worked wore personal protective equipment (PPE), and in some departments, screens were fitted at checkouts to keep staff safe. Although staff were equipped with face masks if they didnt have their own, they werent properly trained in usage or disposal. Social distancing was enforced amongst staff for the first couple of months after the pandemic began. However, it seemed as if the concept of social distancing was used more as an excuse for management to stop workers from chatting when they could have been working instead. Waiting for a checkout at Tesco during coronavirus pandemic [Photo by Chris Downer / CC BY-SA 4.0 My role at Tesco was a Personal Shopper, which meant I was responsible for picking customers home shopping (when they ordered online) and taking their items to the loading vans. I was always under a strict time limit to get my job done. I made as much effort as I could to keep my distance from colleagues and customers, which meant that sometimes I was behind schedule, but I preferred to keep myself and others safe. Management decided that overtime would only be given to those who exceeded time limits [for fulfilling online orders]. Tesco had eradicated most full-time contracts a couple of years back. I was on an eight-hour contract (many colleagues were the same), so those of us with bills to pay relied on overtime to survive. Effectively, with the level of online orders coming in, social distancing was abandoned. I tried to speak to colleagues about their thoughts on how Tesco was dealing with the pandemic. Many were unhappy with several issues (e.g., lack of social distancing, prioritisation of overtime for Personal Shoppers who work fastest, the numbers of people allowed in the store at any one time, etc.) but they were reluctant to say or do too much. This is understandable because most people cannot afford to lose their job if they speak out. Matters escalated when a colleague in my department contracted COVID-19 in September 2020. The way Tesco dealt with this was shocking. The store manager sent out a private video to all staff explaining the situation (not naming the person or department), and then demanded we not tell anyone lest we scare the customers. The store was not closed for a deep-clean, and everyone was sent to work the very next day as if nothing had happened. This was before the vaccines had been developed, and tens of thousands of people had already died a horrible death. Within a few hours, my Snapchat story had been screenshotted and shared over 100 times on Facebook. Most shares were by people in the Inverness community. Many of the comments approved of my whistleblowing. Map of Scotland, showing the location of Inverness [Photo by Bing maps screenshot] Whoever originally screenshotted my Snapchat story had forgotten to conceal my identity. It wasnt long before I had a couple of people searching up my name and privately messaging me to thank me, or to ask for more details about where and when the infection took place. Some colleagues and managers began to message me asking me to take the post down. So, I did. As it turned out, my Snapchat story made its way to local radio station MFR. From what I heard, they showed up at my Tesco store to investigate. Tesco was in no position to lie, so they admitted there was a case of COVID-19 within the store. This was then reported by MFR. But their report didnt mention how Tesco was originally planning to keep it a secret. MFR had not seen the video message the store manager had sent to us staff. I thought this was rather an important detail for the public to know, so I wrote to every newspaper I could think of and supplied them with the aforementioned evidence. The Scottish Sun published the entire video on their website. Not too much of an analysis was given, but a brief transcript was published, and some comparisons were made to outbreaks of coronavirus at a huge Tesco warehouse in Livingston, West Lothian (less than an hours drive from Edinburgh). The article was titled, Covid Cover-Up Coronavirus Scotland: Inverness Tesco manager videoed urging staff to keep positive case secret from public. The Inverness Courier and the Aberdeen Press & Journal also published articles on the case, but they did not mention that Tesco had planned to cover it up. Management was rather livid. My own manager tried to call me several times, but my mind was not ready to answer immediately, so I left it a couple of days before calling her back. When I did, she asked if I thought that what I had done was appropriate. I told her I most certainly did think it was appropriate, and that it was Tescos actions that were not appropriate because they had not informed people about a public health issue in their own community. My manager attempted to intimidate me further, telling me there was an official procedure to these situations. My response was that coronavirus does not wait for the procedure. These comments were later held against me in a letter they sent threatening an investigation. I took no notice of the letter and posted my resignation shortly after receiving it. There was a lot of dissent in that store (particularly surrounding this situation), but I dont think anyone expected anyone to do anything. Most people were shocked at what I had done, and more importantly, at what Tesco had done. I had a lot of support from friends within the store. I also got a lot of feedback from friends and family, most of whom approved of my actions and affirmed that I had done the right thing. Where the article had been shared on Facebook, there were fairly mixed reactions, some condemning what I did, others condoning. Thankfully, I was studying at college at the time, so I survived off my bursary until the end of the academic year, and then found another job as a delivery driver. For the rest of the academic year, I certainly received less money than what I was used to. Unsurprisingly, USDAW (the official trade union at Tesco) was nowhere to be seen, and I had no intentions of going to them myself. They are notorious for betraying workers. Most recently, they agreed to a de facto wage cut with ASDA for their 123,000 retail staff without consulting their workers. In 2021, USDAW also engineered a pay sell-out against Tesco workers who threatened strike action over low wages. USDAW did the same with Morrisons distribution workers in November 2021, calling off a planned strike of 1,100 staff for a 5 percent deal. USDAW are nothing but partners of management and cannot be trusted. Tesco store in Inverness, Scotland [Photo by Richard Dorrell / CC BY-NC 4.0 Tesco stores suffered repeated COVID-19 outbreaks throughout the pandemic. In January 2021, a Tesco store in Bridgend in Wales claimed 40 confirmed cases over the course of a month, with 140 workers self-isolating at one time. A Bridgend worker told Wales Online, The staff are scared, absolutely scared. Because of the levels of people in the store, Tesco has now reduced the amount of people who can come in but leading up to Christmas there was no authority. When it came to the Christmas period, the most profitable time of year for retail, all limits over customer capacity were dropped. During the Christmas trading period of 2020, Tesco registered a sales growth of 12.4 percent in its UK and Ireland stores. On 9 January 2021, at one Tesco store in Inverclyde, two workers died after contracting COVID-19. On 16 January 2021, a Tesco store in Old Trafford, Manchester was forced to close following the infection of 50 staff members and the death of one employee. Tesco chose not to confirm the cause of death themselves out of respect for the employees family. All in all, it is vital that these experiences are shared and discussed as widely as possible. This is not an isolated incident. This is happening all over the world, across all types of workplaces. It has been proven time and time again that businesses will prioritise profit over health and safety, and even over our lives. The more we share our individual experiences, and the more awareness that is raised, the more we workers can get on the same page and work together to fight against this pandemic. Because neither the unions nor big business are going to do it for us. Many claim we are now at the end of the pandemic, justifying this with assertions that the newest strains of virus are flu-like, and that the virus will kill itself off. This is a lie. Since the latest wave of infections on June 12, more than 4,700 people in the UK have been killed according to Our World in Data, which equals more than 100 deaths a day. Such findings are not mild in the slightest. No matter what the media says, we are not at the end of the pandemic at all. With the decision to drop all public health measures and surrender to the spread of COVID-19 by governments worldwide, it is dreadful to think what the next stage brings. Global elimination is still possible but not under the framework of capitalism. The current social system has proven its own inadequacies at dealing with the pandemic by continuously prioritising profits over the lives of workers all around the world. Only by restructuring the economic system to suit everyones needs, rather than the greedy desires of a few, can we truly collaborate and take up the struggle against this pandemic. The visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan threatens to trigger a direct military confrontation between the US and China and thus the danger of a third world war. Nevertheless, leading representatives of Germanys federal government are defending Pelosis trip and are pushing for a more aggressive course against Beijing. 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] The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German parliament (Bundestag), Michael Roth (Social Democrats, SPD), told the Bayern media groups newspapers, This visit is neither aggressive nor provocative. Otherwise, the government in Taipei would not have issued an invitation, because the Taiwanese know best what endangers their interests and security. He then demanded that Germany, despite its close economic ties with China, should prepare for a confrontation. Beijing is currently observing very closely how determinedly we are reacting to Russian aggression against Ukraine. An escalation of the China-Taiwan conflict would affect almost all of our supply chains. It is high time that we reduce our strategic dependencies on China as quickly as possible and diversify our supply chains, he continued. The foreign policy spokesman of the Free Democratic Party parliamentary group, Ulrich Lechte, expressed himself similarly. It is very welcome that Nancy Pelosi was not impressed by Beijings attempts at intimidation. A forced union according to Xis view must not be tolerated. Therefore, open support for democratic Taiwan is indispensable. In addition, one should consider whether a German high representative could also carry out a visit. A member of the German government in Taipeiwhy not?! In fact, Lechtes party colleague Nicola Beer visited Taiwan ahead of Pelosi, from July 19 to 21. As vice president of the European Parliament, Beer is a high-ranking official in the European Union. Not surprisingly, she described Pelosis visit as completely correct and threatened: I believe that the Chinese government only understands a firm stance, especially against the background of the domestic political situation. Beer failed to explain what she meant by this. Would she propose to provide Taiwan with military support in the event of a military conflict andas in the NATO proxy war against Russia in Ukraineto flood the country with weapons? Or should Germany even intervene directly in the war and go to war with China alongside Taiwan? In any case, the consequences would be catastrophic. Washingtons offensive, aimed at subjugating the former semi-colony of China and securing the supremacy of US imperialism throughout the Asia-Pacific region, is bringing the world to the brink of a third world war that could mark the end of humanity. When Pelosi arrived in Taipei, an American aircraft carrier group led by USS Ronald Reagan maneuvered off the east coast of Taiwan, equipped with fighter jets, combat helicopters and other weapon systems. More warships are on their way to the region. China, which regards Pelosis visit as an attack on the One China policy, has reacted sharply to the US provocation. The Chinese Peoples Liberation Army began maneuvers in six maritime areas around Taiwan. By Sunday, there will also be far-reaching live fire exercises. According to the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense, 27 Chinese fighter jets entered the Taiwanese no-fly zone after Pelosis arrival. Some sections of the ruling class have responded uneasily to these developments. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) foreign policy expert Norbert Rottgen described China's threatening gestures towards Nancy Pelosi's visit as completely unacceptable. Nevertheless, now is the wrong time for Pelosi to visit Taiwan. There are currently more than enough international tensions due to the Russian war of aggression. In this situation, Pelosis visit has a purely symbolic meaning. In other words, Rottgen, one of the most aggressive warmongers against Russia, fears that the imperialist powers are not yet prepared to take on Russia and China militarily at the same time. The ruling class is also aware of the enormous impact that the war policy is having on the export-dependent and energy-dependent German economy. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) recently warned that popular uprisings could emerge if Russia stops supplying gas to Germany. A collapse of economic relations with China would also have potentially revolutionary implications. Although foreign trade with China is currently growing less rapidly than with the US, the Peoples Republic was Germanys most important trading partner for the sixth consecutive year in 2021. In spite of this, the federal government is resorting to confrontation. Similar to the war in Ukraine, Berlin also sees the conflict with China as an opportunity to advance its long-cherished plans for rearmament and its great power ambitions. Baerbock made no secret of this during her current trip to North America. We do not accept the breaching of international law and when a larger neighbour attacks its smaller neighbour in violation of international lawand of course this also applies to China, she blustered in New York on Monday, where she attended a conference on the review of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. On Tuesday, she used a keynote speech at the New School for threats against Russia and, above all, China. Beijing is a competitor and systemic rival. When the rules-based international order is questioned in Europe and beyond, this must be taken very seriously. She added, We have painfully learned over the past months, with February 24th, that aggressive rhetoric can turn into dangerous action. Chinas comments with regard to Taiwan raise serious questions. All this turns reality on its head. In fact, the NATO powersespecially the US and Germanyare the aggressors in world politics. They have been waging war almost continuously for 30 years, destroying entire countries, killing millions of people and turning tens of millions into refugees. Russia and China were systematically encircled with the aim of weakening and militarily subjugating these resource-rich and geostrategically important countries. Putins invasion of Ukraine on February 24 was a desperate and reactionary response by the capitalist Russian regime to the imperialist war offensive in Europe, which continues to escalate. At the last NATO summit at the end of June, a new NATO strategy was adopted which explicitly focuses the military alliance on a military confrontation with the nuclear-armed powers Russia and China. This is not about peace and democracy, but imperialist interests. Baerbock admitted this explicitly. It cannot be in our interest if China is creating excessive economic dependencies in its region, she said. Her ministry is currently developing our own China strategy, which will be published next year, and which is very much in line with strategic thinking here in the U.S.. In her view, one objective of this strategy should be to further align transatlantic positions on the challenges China poses to our rulesbased international order. What this means is clear. Germany should not only play a central role in the war against Russia, but also against China. Baerbocks speech was an all-out militaristic tirade. It underlined the extent to which the former pacifists of the Greens and the wealthy middle classes they speak for have become the most aggressive representatives of German militarism. Germany has set up a special fund of 100 billion euro to strengthen our military, Baerbock boasted. We have reversed a decades-old arms export paradigm, with Germany now being one of Ukraines strongest military and financial backers. And we have expanded our contributions to NATO: We are leading the NATO battle group in Lithuania and are assigning a brigade with up to 800 troops which can be deployed there if required. We are helping to secure the airspace over the Baltic States with our fighter jets and to protect Slovakia with Patriot air defense. She continued, But we know that we cannot stop here: Our aim is to further strengthen the European pillar of NATO, because we want to have a leadership in European and US partnership. Europe matters also security... If that premise is to hold, we have to prove it and see it through in the long term. That means building a more strategic European Union a Union able to approach the United States at eye level: in a partnership in leadership. Baerbocks declared aim is to build an aggressive European military machine under German leadership. European Union member states are spending dozens of billions every year on their militaries but we get too little for that money. Because, for example, we Europeans are using more than a dozen types of tanks, complained Baerbock. The EU needs to become a stronger security provider with more integrated defense industries, with military missions able to stabilize regions in its neighborhood. Baerbocks German-European war fantasies are as insane and aggressive as Washingtons world power plans. In both cases, the insanity has objective causes. Behind the imperialist warmongering lies a toxic mixture of geopolitical desires and a deep internal crisis. As in the 1930s, the ruling class is reacting to the collapse of capitalism with a turn towards militarism, fascism and war. The working class must oppose this dangerous development with its own strategy of world socialist revolution. Hamersley Iron, a wholly-owned subsidiary of mining transnational giant Rio Tinto, was recently convicted and fined $75,000 in a Western Australian court for failing to enforce speed limits, resulting in the death of a worker. The verdict and fine were handed down on June 27 by the Magistrates Court in South Hedland, more than three and a half years after haul truck driver Daniel Patterson was killed at Hamersley Irons Channar open cut iron ore mine. Patterson was 28 when he was killed, had been married and was the father of a three-month old child. Daniel Patterson and wife Lauren, who were married just over a year before he was killed [Source: Lauren Patterson/Facebook] The Channar mine is part of a complex of mines in the Greater Paraburdoo iron ore area of Western Australias mineral-rich Pilbara region. It produces a major proportion of Australias output, which comprises 13 percent of the worlds iron ore production. In 2021 alone, royalties and taxes accruing from the sale of ore, largely to China, contributed $11.1 billion to the Australian governments budgets. The $75,000 fine issued to the mining company is a stark demonstration of the class justice meted out by the Australian legal system with regard to workplace safety. It amounts to less than a slap on the wrist for the Rio Tinto subsidiary. Rio Tinto last year made $21.4 billion in profits globally, amounting to more than $58 million every day. Just prior to his death in August 2018, Patterson had been driving a fully loaded electric drive Komatsu 830E A/C haul truck, with a capacity of 230 tonnes, down a ramp designated 84E. Ramp 84E had a decline of 8 to 10 percent and extended for over 1.2 km before ending at a windrow (material lining sides of haul roads) at the bottom of the drive. It had a speed limit of 20 kilometres per hour. During Pattersons descent, the vehicles speed recorder showed his haul truck reaching a speed of 79 kilometres per hour, nearly four times the limit, just before he apparently lost control and crashed into the windrow. After the crash incident, early reports released by Western Australias Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety said the service brake had not been applied during the trucks descent. According to a report in NCA NewsWire, state acting WorkSafe Chief Inspector Christina Foley told the Magistrates Court that the risk of trucks gaining excessive speed and getting out of control was well known, given the length and gradient of Channars ramps. The court was also told that there were speed detection monitoring devices installed on all Channars ramps to monitor truck speeds and to report non-compliance, but on ramp 84E they had been turned off two years earlier in 2016, for unknown reasons. The immediate question as to whether the detection devices were disabled to boost productivity and profits remains unanswered. Foley told the court the tragic incident should never have occurred. She reported that, between February 2014 and August 2018 there had been a number of incidents involving excessive speed on ramps at Channar, and that Hamersley Iron needed to have more control over the speed descent hazard at Channar and [implement] more effective policies in place to deal with downhill haulage. One of the prior incidents occurred three months before Pattersons death, when in similar circumstances another haul truck also ran into the windrow bottom of the ramp. Channar Iron Ore Mine, Pilbara [Source: Mining Technology] In 2016, another Channar mine worker, Lee Buzzard, was killed. Buzzard, 32, was an experienced Landsdale diesel fitter and a Rio Tinto employee of 10 years. He was killed while performing maintenance work on a drill head at the mine site. There is an ongoing record of serious injuries and deaths in the highly profitable mining sector. In 2019 another two mine workers were killed. Western Australian goldfields truck driver Ricky Hansen, 57, was killed at Nova Nickel Copper Mine, and Howard Prosser died while working at the Pilbaras Roy Hill iron ore mine. In the same year, government officials recorded at least 378 serious incidents in Western Australias mining sector that resulted in the disabling of workers for two weeks or more, including amputations, crushings, burns, and fractures. This number is likely a substantial underestimate, with many injuries kept secret while workers are paid off not to report incidents. The trade unions share responsibility for the carnage. The affluent union bureaucracy has organised various deals with the mining giants, while blocking any industrial action in defence of worker health and safety. The unions response to each worker death centres on pleas to the mining executives to develop an even closer partnership with them. After Lee Buzzards death in 2016, Western Mine Workers Alliance (WMWA), a coalition of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and the Australian Workers Union, publicly complained that workers were being told to do more with less. A spokesman for the unions explained that after recent restructures, Rio had reduced the number of on-site safety experts, specialist trainers, as well as qualified and experienced tradespeople. The unions added that their members had reported that there had been a significant increase in the levels of management actively discouraging workers who raised safety concerns, and that employees were feeling significant pressure and were having their suitability for the industry questioned by management if they raised concerns. None of these issues triggered strikes or any other form of industrial action. To defend their independent interests, including the basic right to a safe workplace, mining workers need to take matters into their own hands. This means building rank-and-file committees, independent of the trade unions, to fight for the highest safety standards and for decent wages and conditions. This struggle is bound up with the fight for a socialist perspective, including placing the mines, together with the banks and major corporations, under public ownership and democratic workers control so that production can be reorganised to meet social need not profit. Photo credit: KARL MELANDER - Getty Images Both Finland and Sweden are set to join the NATO alliance this year. The two countries, previously neutral, changed their minds after Russias invasion of Ukraine. Finland and Sweden will both have to rejigger their armed forces away from territorial defense and toward helping defend an entire continent. Russias invasion of Ukraine has created an unwanted situation for Russian President Vladimir Putin, and one of the most unexpected effects of his actions is the flipping of former neutral states Finland and Sweden into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Instead of intimidating his Scandinavian neighbors into accommodating his demands, Putins invasion has pushed them into the waiting arms of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, where they will join 30 other countries in the collective defense of Europe. Photo credit: SOPA Images - Getty Images Dont miss any of our best-in-class military and defense news. Join our squad. Russias invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 caught almost everyone by surprise. The idea that big power, high intensity warfare was still possible in the 21st century was something most people did not want to contemplate, especially Russias neighbors. Two such neighbors, Sweden and Finland, were so shaken by the invasion, they decided to violate long histories of neutrality to join NATO. Their joint application was made formal in May and full membership is expected later this year. NATO, founded in 1949, is a treaty organization centered around the principle of collective self defense. The pillar of NATO is Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty , which states that, (Member nations) agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all. Photo credit: JONATHAN NACKSTRAND - Getty Images In other words, any country that goes to war with any member of NATO automatically goes to war with 30 countries. This is meant to protect smaller states, such as the Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, with the assurance that if they are invaded, the full might of the alliance is behind them. It also assures all non-nuclear members that they cannot be intimidated by a nuclear power, as the alliance is backed by American, British, and French nuclear weapons. Story continues Ukraine is a large country with a large military, yet Russia invaded anyway, perhaps because Ukraine did not have nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons change the rules by creating an existential risk for invaders: war between two nuclear-armed powers could escalate into nuclear war. Russias invasion of Ukraine left Finland and Sweden with two choices: join NATO and gain the safety of the American, British, and French nuclear umbrellaor develop nuclear weapons of their own. Photo credit: Jonas Gratzer - Getty Images Finlands neutrality was a result of World War II and the need to survive, as it shared an 810-mile border with a vastly larger, more powerful, hostile Soviet Unionnow Russia. Finland has 19,250 active duty troops and 238,000 reserve personnel, all trained to a high standard and capable of mobilizing within hours. Finland has 312 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, 107 combat aircraft, and 672 artillery pieces, including self-propelled howitzers and multiple launch rocket systems. Sweden adopted a position of political neutrality shortly after the Napoleonic wars, a position it held for more than two hundred years. Sweden has a military of just 14,600 active duty, full time personnel and 10,000 reserve personnel. The Swedish Armed Forces, despite their small size are heavily armed, with 531 main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, 96 fighters, and five submarines. Photo credit: Anadolu Agency - Getty Images For decades, the primary mission of the Finnish and Swedish armed forces was territorial defense. Both realized that if they came under attack, outside help was possible, but not guaranteed, particularly in Finlands case, so large numbers of reservists were necessary to bolster a relatively small standing military. (Sweden used to have a large reserve force but made deep cuts in the 2000s.) Neither country was interested in projecting power outside their borders, so both lacked large, long range warships, aerial refueling aircraft, and heavy sea and air lift capabilities. By contrast, most NATO members organize their armed forces for power projection, particularly those part of the alliances 911 force, the soon-to-be 300,000 strong NATO Response Force . Finland and Sweden will likely have to raise the size of their active duty forces and train and organize air and land contingents to contribute to the Response Force. While that will increase the defense spending of both countries, its the price of having an alliance with 3.5 million military personnel solidly behind you in a crisis. Photo credit: Sean Gallup - Getty Images For now, most of Finlands and Swedens contributions to NATO are strategic: in the event of a confrontation with Russia, NATO will now have access to dozens more air and naval bases across Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea. Sweden faces much of the Baltic, and its inclusion in NATO practically links all the nations bordering the Black Sea, in a full ring of alliance. It will also make Russias ability to project military power into the region much more difficult. Meanwhile, Finland has hundreds of first-rate artillery pieces that could contribute to the NATO Response force. Russias ill-advised invasion of Ukraine has resulted in many negative effects for Moscow: crippling international sanctions, the immolation of Russias military reputation, and the loss of tens of thousands of Russian troops. In a supreme sense of irony, it has strengthened Putins arch-nemesis, NATO, by compelling neutral countries to join the alliance. You Might Also Like The summer wave of the coronavirus in Germany is already pushing hospitals to the breaking point, and the death toll of 700 per week is 12 times higher than at the same time a year ago. Despite this, the government is preparing for an even greater wave of deaths. The package of measures announced Wednesday by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (Social Democratic Party, SPD) and Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (Liberal Democratic Party, FDP) is not an infection control law, but an epidemic-spreading law. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) talks with Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) before a cabinet meeting July 27 (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) The provisions, which are to replace the current Infection Protection Act that expires on September 23, represent a further relaxation of the measures that have been in place until now. The only two measures that will still be mandatory nationwide in the future are a requirement to wear a mask on long-distance public transport, in hospitals and care facilities, and 3G regulations (vaccinated, recovered or tested) in hospitals and care facilities. On paper, the individual German states are allowed to take certain other measuresmandatory mask wearing on local public transport, mandatory testing, and mandatory use of masks in schools, restaurants and cultural institutions (from which vaccinated and recovered persons are excluded, however). But the experience of the pandemic to date has shown that state-specific coronavirus measures are generally not applied. States may only enact measures beyond the limited ones mentioned in the law if there is a threat of overburdening the health care system or critical infrastructure. In plain language, infection can run through the population up until the health care system is on the verge of collapse or the maintenance of capitalist profit maximization is in jeopardy. But even then, no action would be taken that might interfere with profit accumulation. All these things that are understood by the term lockdowncurfews, plant closures, school closuresall these things, we dont think are appropriate anymore, Bushman declared, summing up the viewpoint of the entire ruling class. The new Infection Protection Act is to apply until next Easter. This means that even if there is an unprecedented wave of deaths in the winter, no new measures will be taken. In fact, a fatal wave is already occurring this summer. Although the official 7-day incidence rate has recently dropped somewhat to 451 per 100,00 inhabitants due to the summer vacation, it threatens to rise again even more with the end of the travel season and the return to schools. Nevertheless, 137 districts have an incidence level above 500, and one is even above 1,000. However, the officially reported incidences have long since ceased to reflect the actual numbers infected. Testing is now only mandatory in very few areas, testing capacities have been cut across the board, and even free public tests have been abolished. The extremely high test-positive rate of 54 percent also underscores the enormous number of unreported cases. The actual extent of infections can be guessed at, among other things, by the growing number of outbreaks in medical treatment facilities as well as in nursing homes and those for the elderly. In these, there were 150 outbreaks last week (144 in the previous week) and 26 deaths. In nursing homes and homes for the elderly, there were 370 outbreaks (305 the previous week) and 58 deaths. The burden on hospitals also shows the seriousness of the situation: the adjusted hospitalization incidence rate has been stagnant at 12.5 for several days, equivalent to 10,000 hospitalizations per week. The number of patients receiving intensive care continues to rise and now stands at 1,395, with 457 ICUs currently reporting limited operations, 331 partially limited operations and only 385 regular operations. The rising numbers are pushing more and more hospitals to the edge of their capacity. On Monday, the Bavarian Hospital Association said that emergency rooms in Bavarian hospitals were currently overloaded due to the coronavirus wave and staff shortages. The number of hospitalizations in Bavaria is currently greater than at the height of the Delta wave last winter. Some hospitals have had to postpone scheduled operations and ambulances must travel longer to find a hospital ready to receive patients. The Allgauer Zeitung reported Tuesday that hospitals in the Lindau district in Bavarias western Allgau were so overloaded that ambulances had to transport patients as far away as Reutte, across the border in Austrian Tyrol. A third of the emergency patients in recent days had to be accommodated in hospitals outside the district. In addition to the direct consequences of a coronavirus infection, the subsequent long-term effects are also becoming increasingly apparent. Children, who usually have comparatively milder illnesses due to the disease, are particularly affected by the long-term consequences. Last Wednesday, the medical journal The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health published a study by Danish scientists involving 11,000 infected individuals, which is considered the largest study of Long COVID to date. The study came to a dramatic conclusion. About 40 percent of 0 to 3-year-olds, 38 percent of 4 to 11-year-olds and 46 percent of 12 to 14-year-olds were still dealing with long-term effects more than two months after infection. Symptoms ranged from rashes and abdominal pain to memory problems and difficulty concentrating. Numerous doctors and other experts report the drastic long-term effects they observe. Stephan Gerling, a senior physician and paediatric cardiologist at the KUNO Klinik St. Hedwig in Regensburg, and head of the Long COVID paediatric outpatient clinic there, told Der Spiegel, Many children dont notice anything at all as long as they are sitting. But they cant even manage to go for a six-minute walk anymorelet alone play and romp like other children. In an interview with Merkur.de about the consequences of Long COVID for younger individuals, Dr. Jordis Frommhold, chief physician for lung diseases at the Median Clinic in Heiligendamm and expert on Long COVID, also reported, With young people it is often like this after Omicron: They drag themselves to work, somehow that is still possible. They still manage their duties, but then they sleep at home for the rest of the day. She goes on to warn, Long-term effects in coronavirus are still not talked about enough. But in the future, were going to have a lot of absences from work because of Long COVID. You must plan for that. Hundreds of thousands of people are affected. And its becoming more and more. Studies show that once people are reinfected with coronavirus, the likelihood of Long COVID doubles. Already, more than a million people are suffering with Long COVID symptoms in Germany alone. The ruling class is not only aware of the catastrophic consequences of its herd immunity policy of allowing deliberate infection, it is purposefully pushing it to extremes as part of its cutthroat profits-before-lives orientation. There will be a great many absences among hospital staff, and at the same time, the number of COVID patients in normal and intensive care units will increase significantly, Lauterbach stated. At the same time, he hailed the new Infection Protection Act, which is preparing the ground for precisely this development, as very good. Workers at Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway organized in the CP Workers Rank-and-File Committee have launched a Facebook page to allow rail workers to speak out anonymously about the horrendous working conditions they confront and coordinate a struggle for better health and safety across North Americas railroads. The Rank-and-File Committee was established in March by workers determined to reject the repeated betrayals of rail workers struggles by the Teamsters, Unifor and other unions, which are fully complicit in the enforcement of grueling work schedules and life-threatening working conditions. Mid-train distributed power remote locomotive from the 2019 Field, British Columbia, derailment. A mission statement for the page drafted by CP Worker Rank-and-File Committee members states, Recent years have seen the dereliction of standards in the workplace across the board from employment to health and safety at Canadian Pacific. The Calgary Terminal alone, in a much unpublicized fact, suffered four fatalities in a three-month period between November 2018 and February 2019, three of which occurred in the horrific Field derailment. The same management regime in place then still remains intact today, with no one being held to account or accepting responsibility for these deaths. Other workers have succumbed in brutal and horrifying circumstances, ripping parents from children, children from parents, and friends from friends. Still more have suffered life changing illnesses and injuries and have received no support or recompense for their suffering. Many of us have been infected with the potentially deadly COVID-19 virus due to the refusal of management and the unions to provide us with adequate protection. Make no mistake, every affront, every omission, every appalling tragedy is an offense to everyone in this workplace and an affront to one is an affront to all. We all have a right to life until nature deems it naturally over, we all have a right to return home in the same condition that we left it. These rights are, however, squandered and ignored daily and our plight as railway workers becomes desperate as desperation stalks the industry on a global scale. The statement goes on to denounce the involvement of the trade unions and federal government in supporting CPs ravenous pursuit of corporate profits at all costs, declaring, Transport Canada, to all intents and purposes, is a facilitator of the wanton graft that elevates profit over safety in the ideological mind of a collective management. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, Unifor, and other unions, legally bound to represent without discrimination, arbitrariness, or bad faith, are incompetent in all respects and have become nothing more than appendages of corporate management and the pro-business federal Liberal government. In March, the Teamsters robbed workers of any legal right to use our collective power to fight for our rights when they sabotaged our struggle for better conditions by sending the contract dispute of engineers, conductors and yard workers to anti-democratic binding arbitration. The employer, CP, is rabid and ravenous for burgeoning profits from the Canadian Arctic to tropical Mexico at your cost and your sacrifice. In conclusion, the statement explains how the new page will strive to develop a political struggle by rail workers across the continent to oppose corporate deregulation and capitalist austerity, which have allowed railroad operators like CP to become a law unto themselves. The statement explains, The role of the CP Workers Rank-and-File Committee is to provide the mechanism to mobilize rail workers in struggle against the horrendous conditions we confront on a daily basis. The CPWRFC asserts that you are valuable and that your presence is to be much more than an automaton that runs the railway for those who watch us suffer and die while management and super-rich shareholders reap obscene rewards devoid of conscience or accountability. On this page, we will educate each other on our rights as workers, regardless of your departments or work location. Here, you can share your stories, good or bad, about life as a railway employee This is a safe space that will eventually serve as a foundation for rebuilding the rail industry in the image of the workers who maintain its vital role in the Canadian and North American economies. Such a task demands that rail workers collectively take matters into their own hands through the building of rank-and-file committees in opposition to the corporate-government-union dictatorship that prevails across North Americas railroads. The launch of the page comes at a critical time for rail workers across North America. Although over 140,000 Class I railway workers in the United States voted overwhelmingly for strike action earlier this summer, the rail unions refused to enforce their strike mandates. Instead, they appealed to US President Joe Biden to appoint a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB), a mechanism that has been used time and again to press for the imposition of the railroad bosses demands and during whose deliberations strikes are outlawed. President Biden appointed such a board in mid-July. In Canada, the unions have been no less ruthless in selling out workers struggles. The impetus for the formation of the CP Workers Rank-and-File Committee in March was the Teamsters Canada Rail Conferences acceptance of anti-democratic binding arbitration, a process which will end in the employer getting everything it wants and prohibit rail workers from striking or bargaining collectively for years to come. Over the past three months, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has similarly strangled powerful strikes by signals and communication workers at Union Station in Toronto and at Canadian National Railway and imposed binding arbitration on them. And Unifor recently ignored an overwhelming strike vote at passenger carrier Via Rail, repeatedly extending a strike deadline to reach a rotten sellout with company management that Canadas largest private-sector union subsequently succeeded in ramming through. These experiences underscore the urgency of developing a continent-wide counteroffensive by rail workers to secure decent-paying secure jobs, a safe working environment and predictable work schedules to allow workers to spend time with friends and family. As the CP Workers Rank-and-File Committee proposed in its founding statement adopted in March, Let us organize a common struggle against the rampant profiteering and corporate-union-imposed dictatorship that currently dominates North Americas railroads! If [CP Rail CEO Keith] Creel and his corporate buddies plan on building a multi-national railway to ship cargo and exploit workers from the Canadian Arctic to tropical Mexico, then we will build a multi-national worker-led counter-offensive of Canadian, American, and Mexican railroaders to stop corporate profiteering at the expense of our health, safety, and very lives. To do this we must reject Canadian and American nationalism, which the unions have used to divide workers for decades and facilitate company-dictated attacks on working conditions, jobs, and wages. We must also oppose the Trudeau and Biden administrations vast spending on the military and subsidies to the corporations and stock markets. Rail workers and all working people have no interest in supporting wars for profit and geopolitical influence! We encourage all rail workers to join and help build the CP Workers Rank-and-File Committee Facebook page. Share the page with your work colleagues and friends. To share your story anonymously with the Committee, email cpworkersrfc@gmail.com or send a private message via Facebook. (AP) Russian forces have likely undermined the security and safety of Ukraines biggest nuclear power plant, UK defence chiefs warned on Friday. The Ministry of Defence confirmed the Zaporizhzhia plant was probably being used by Moscow to reduce the risk to their equipment and personnel from overnight Ukrainian attacks, Their assessment comes after the US said Russia is using the facility in the south east of the country, which it overran in March, as a military base to launch attacks on Ukrainian forces. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused President Vladimir Putin of using the facility as a nuclear shield by to protect his troops, while the head of the UNs nuclear agency has said the situation is completely out of control and the facility needs an inspection and repairs. Following five months of occupation, Russias intentions regarding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remain unclear. However, the actions they have undertaken at the facility have likely undermined the security and safety of the plants normal operations, the MoD said in its latest intelligence update on Twitter. Russian forces are probably operating in the regions adjacent to the power station and have used artillery units based in these areas to target Ukrainian territory on the western bank of the Dnipro river. Russian forces have probably used the wider facility area, in particular the adjacent city of Enerhodar, to rest their forces, utilising the protected status of the nuclear power plant to reduce the risk to their equipment and personnel from overnight Ukrainian attacks. Meanwhile in the battle for the east of the country, Ukrainian forces recaptured two villages around the city of Sloviansk, but had been pushed back to the town of Avdiivkas outskirts after being forced to abandon a coal mine regarded as a key defensive position. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has hit back at Amnesty International after the human rights group in a report accused Ukraine of endangering civilians by basing troops in residential areas. Story continues Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (Efrem Lukatsky/AP) (AP) Speaking in a video address last night, Mr Zelensky took a swipe at the organisation, claiming it was trying to shift responsibility from the aggressor to the victim. While three further ships loaded with grain left Ukraine today as Kyiv called for the deal with Russia to allow exports to be expanded. Turkey - which helped broker the deal to lift the Russian blockade of Black Sea ports to resume grain exports said three vessels carrying a total of about 58,000 tonnes of corn had been authorised to leave. They included the Maltese-flagged Rojen, carrying 13,000 tonnes of corn departed from Chornomorsk port bound for Britain. Another was bound to Ireland from Odesa, The departure of the vessels comes after the first grain ship since the start of the war left Odesa on Monday. It follows a deal between Ukraine and Russia, brokered by the UN and Turkey, to reopen Black Sea ports to resume grain exports needed to alleviate a growing global food crisis. The agreement cleared the way for Ukraine known as the breadbasket of Europe to export 22 million tons of grain and other agricultural goods that have been stuck in the ports. Fighting along Ukraines eastern seaboard have prevented grain ships safely leaving with Russia also accused of weaponising food by blocking exports. As a result the UN warned of a global hunger crisis with a real risk of multiple famines this year. Ukraine Ukraines Deputy Economy Minister told the Financial Times the grain deal should be extended to include other products, such as metals, This agreement is about logistics, about the movement of vessels through the Black Sea, he said. Whats the difference between grain and iron ore? CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / August 5, 2022 / Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited and its affiliates ("COPL" or the "Company") (CSE:XOP)(LSE:COPL), an international oil and gas exploration, production and development company with production and development operations focused in Converse and Natrona counties, Wyoming, USA, has received a Resource Report (the "Report") prepared by independent energy consultancy Ryder Scott dated July 29, 2022 confirming its deep oil discovery (the "Discovery") on its affiliate COPL America Inc's lands in Converse and Natrona counties, Wyoming. The Report was commissioned by COPL to supplement its internal assessment of crude oil resources in its Discovery disclosed to the market in January 2022. The Report is compliant to Canadian regulatory requirements pursuant to National Instrument 51-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities ("NI 51-101") which stress conservatism to the evaluation. The geologic interpretations, reservoir determinations and risk assessments are Ryder Scott's, and as such independent of the Company. Highlights Confirms the Wyoming deep discovery has total Original Oil in Place of 993.5 million barrels It is independent verification of the oil Discovery announced in January 2022 These are conservative estimates complying with Canadian standards The Report: Supports the Company's conclusion that the Frontier 2 and Dakota discoveries are large stratigraphic oil accumulations encompassing the reserves at the Company's operated 100% WI Cole Creek field; Outlines 118 horizontal well locations to exploit the identified Frontier 2 and Dakota Reserves and Resources COPL plans to drill one horizontal Frontier 1 well and two horizontal Frontier 2 wells as part of its 2022-23 drilling campaign commencing in Q4 2022 with two of the horizontals offsetting the 14-30V discovery well drilled in Q3 2021. Arthur Millholland, President & CEO, commented: "This independent Report validates what we announced at the start of the year and highlights the significant potential of our fantastic Wyoming asset. Compiled to Canadian regulatory standards, the Report gives a conservative view, and we expect to see further exploration upside in due course once our drilling program gets under way in the coming months. Following on from the recent financing and completion of the Cuda Energy acquisition, this Report is another step forward as we transform into an oil producer of scale." Story continues Investor Meet Company Webinar The Company will be hosting an investor webinar via the Investor Meet Company platform on Monday August 8, 2022 at 4pm (UK) to discuss the Resource Report and other recent updates. The meeting is open to all existing and potential shareholders. Investors can sign up to Investor Meet Company for free and "add to meet" Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited via: https://www.investormeetcompany.com/canadian-overseas-petroleum-limited/register-investor. Investors who already follow COPL will be automatically invited. Summary of Report The Report only evaluates COPL's working interest leasehold at the Cole Creek Unit, the non-unit working interest leasehold immediately to the north and east of Cole Creek and includes the western portion of the Barron Flats Federal Deep Unit. (The Report does not evaluate the full extent of the Frontier 1 and Frontier 2 as mapped by the Company outside of these lands.) Prospective Resources in the Report were determined probabilistically with the associated risk factors determined by Ryder Scott. Contingent Resources in the Report were determined deterministically based on the parameters used in the evaluation of the Company's Oil and Gas Reserves at Cole Creek. COPL discovered oil in five reservoir sands in the Upper Cretaceous Frontier 1 (3 reservoir sands), Frontier 2 and Lower Cretaceous Dakota Formations in theBFU Fed 14-30VF well, which was drilled and completed in the third quarter of 2021. The Report classifies crude oil resources in the Frontier 1 Formation as Prospective Resources. Crude oil resources in the Frontier 2 and Dakota Formations are classified as Contingent Resources ("1C", "2C" and "3C"), which are complementary to Proven Producing and Undeveloped ("1P"), Probable Producing and Undeveloped ("2P") booked by the Company at its Cole Creek Unit as the Frontier 2 and Dakota are considered to be single oil accumulations respectively. Summary of the Total Original Oil in Place ("OOIP") at the asset Frontier 1: 704,728,000 Bbls. Frontier 2: 217,365,000 Bbls. Dakota: 71,379,000 Bbls. Total OOIP: 993,472,000 Bbls. Frontier 1 Formation The Report has classified the oil resources in the Frontier 1 Formation and its three reservoir sands as Prospective Resources. The Report assumes the areal extent of the Frontier 1 reservoir development to mirror the underlaying Frontier 2 Formation, thus covering 20,500 acres of operated Company lands. The Company plans to further evaluate the three Frontier 1 sands through coring and open hole testing in the first horizontal well in the Barron Flats Federal Deep Unit targeting the Frontier 2 Formation during Q4 2022. Following the completion of this well, the Company will drill and complete a horizontal well in the Frontier 1 in the Barron Flats Federal Deep Unit. In addition, the Company has identified suitable well bores at its Cole Creek Unit to re-complete in the Frontier 1 for production in Q4 2022. As such, the current resource estimates as outlined are likely to be revised and/or reclassified after this evaluation program. Prospective Resources in the Report for the Frontier 1 were determined probabilistically with the associated risk factors determined by Ryder Scott. OOIP: 704,728, 000 Bbls. (Probabilistic, High Estimate) Frontier 2 Formation The Report supports the Company's conclusion that the Frontier 2 Discovery is a large stratigraphic oil accumulation encompassing the Frontier 2 reserves at the Company's operated 100% WI Cole Creek field. Proven and Probable ("1P and 2P") Developed and Undeveloped Reserves are currently carried by the Company at Cole Creek over a combined 7,200 acres. The Report adds Frontier 2 oil resources classified as Contingent Resources (1C, 2C and 3C) on Company operated lands over an additional 14,160 acres extending to the east to within the operated Barron Flats Federal Deep Unit. The total area evaluated in the Report encompasses 21,360 acres of Company operated lands having P1 and P2 Reserves, and 1C, 2C, 3C Contingent Resources. The Report has identified 89 horizontal well locations on the Company's operated leasehold to exploit the identified Frontier 2 Reserves and Resources. Twenty-Eight of the horizontal well locations to exploit the 1P and 2P Reserves are located in the operated 100% WI Cole Creek Unit, with the balance of 61 horizontal well locations located on the 1C, 2C and 3C Contingent Resources classified lands within the operated 85% WI Barron Flats Federal Deep Unit and operated 100% WI interest non-unit lands in the area between the Cole Creek Unit and Barron Flats Federal Deep Unit. The Company plans to drill two Frontier 2 horizontal wells in its 2022-23 drilling campaign commencing in Q4 2022. The first Frontier 2 horizontal well will be located in the Barron Flats Federal Deep Unit offsetting its 2021 BFU Fed 14-30VF discovery well in an area classified as 3C Contingent Resources. The second Frontier 2 horizontal well will be drilled on an existing permitted location in the Cole Creek Unit targeting Proven 1P and Probable 2P undeveloped Reserves. Contingent Resources for the Frontier 2 in the Report were determined deterministically, based on the parameters used in the evaluation of the Company's Reserves at Cole Creek as stated in the Report. Original Oil in Place ("OOIP") OOIP: 217,365,000 Bbls. (Deterministic) Note: This includes the OOIP in the area of the Cole Creek Unit Proved (1P) and Probable (2P) Reserves Horizontal Well Locations: Cole Creek Unit: 28 horizontal well locations Barron Flats Federal (Deep) Unit and non-Unit lands: 61 horizontal well locations Total net risked Contingent Resources 1C, 2C and 3C Recoverable 23,747,000 Bbls. Dakota The Report supports the Company's conclusion that the Dakota Discovery is a stratigraphic oil accumulation encompassing the Dakota reserves at the Company's operated 66.667% WI Cole Creek field. Proven and Probable ("1P and 2P") Developed and Undeveloped Reserves are currently carried by the Company at Cole Creek over a combined 7,920 acres. The Report adds Dakota oil resources classified as Contingent Resources (1C, 2C and 3C) on Company operated lands over an additional 4,560 acres extending to the east to within the operated Barron Flats Federal Deep Unit. The total area evaluated in the Report encompasses 12,480 acres of Company operated lands having 1P and 2P Reserves, and 1C, 2C, 3C Contingent Resources. The Report has identified 29 horizontal well locations on the Company's operated leasehold to exploit the identified Dakota Reserves and Resources. Eighteen of the horizontal well locations to exploit the P1 and P2 Reserves are located in the operated 100% WI Cole Creek Unit, with the balance of 11 horizontal well locations located on the 1C, 2C and 3C classified lands within the operated 100% WI Cole Creek Unit and operated 100% WI interest non-unit lands in the area north and east of the Cole Creek Unit. The Company has deferred the drilling of the Dakota horizontal wells as it plans to target exploitation and development of the Frontiers 1 and 2 Formations initially. Contingent Resources for the Dakota in the Report were determined deterministically based on the parameters used in the evaluation of the Company's Reserves at Cole Creek as stated in the Report. Original Oil in Place ("OOIP") OOIP: 71,379,000 Bbls . (Deterministic) Note: This includes the OOIP in the area of the Cole Creek Unit Proved (1P) and Probable (2P) Reserves Horizontal Well Locations: Cole Creek Unit: 18 horizontal well locations Barron Flats Federal (Deep) Unit and non-Unit lands: 11 horizontal well locations Total net risked Contingent Resources 1C, 2C and 3C Recoverable 4,079,000 Bbls. Definitions Contingent Resources Those quantities of petroleum estimated, as of a given date, to be potentially recoverable from known accumulations using established technology or technology under development, but which are not currently considered to be commercially recoverable due to one or more contingencies. Contingencies may include factors such as economic, legal, environmental, political, and regulatory matters, or a lack of markets. It is also appropriate to classify as contingent resources the estimated discovered recoverable quantities associated with a project in the early evaluation stage. Contingent Resources are further classified in accordance with the level of certainty associated with the estimates and may be sub-classified based on project maturity and/or characterized by their economic status. Estimates of resources always involve uncertainty, and the degree of uncertainty can vary widely between accumulations/projects and over the life of a project. Consequently, estimates of resources should generally be quoted as a range according to the level of confidence associated with the estimates. The range of uncertainty of estimated recoverable volumes may be represented by either deterministic scenarios or by a probability distribution. Resources should be provided as low, best, and high estimates as follows: Low Estimate : This is considered to be a conservative estimate of the quantity that will actually be recovered. It is likely that the actual remaining quantities recovered will exceed the low estimate. If probabilistic methods are used, there should be at least a 90 percent probability (P90) that the quantities actually recovered will equal or exceed the low estimate. Best Estimate : This is considered to be the best estimate of the quantity that will actually be recovered. It is equally likely that the actual remaining quantities recovered will be greater than or less than the best estimate. If probabilistic methods are used, there should be at least a 50 percent probability (P50) that the quantities actually recovered will equal or exceed the low estimate. High Estimate: This is considered to be an optimistic estimate of the quantity that will actually be recovered. It is unlikely that the actual remaining quantities recovered will exceed the high estimate. If probabilistic methods are used, there should be at least a 10 percent probability (P10) that the quantities actually recovered will equal or exceed the high estimate. The low, best, and high estimates for contingent resources are abbreviated as 1C, 2C, and 3C, respectively, with the corresponding reserves categories of proved (1P), proved + probable (2P), and proved + probable + possible (3P). This approach to describing uncertainty may be applied to reserves, contingent resources, and prospective resources. There may be significant risk that sub-commercial and undiscovered accumulations will not achieve commercial production. However, it is useful to consider and identify the range of potentially recoverable quantities independent of such risk. Prospective Resources Those quantities of petroleum estimated, as of a given date, to be potentially recoverable from undiscovered accumulations by application of future development projects. Prospective resources have both an associated chance of discovery and a chance of development. Prospective Resources are further sub-divided in accordance with the level of certainty associated with recoverable estimates assuming their discovery and development and may be sub-classified based on project maturity. About the Company: COPL is an international oil and gas exploration, development and production company actively pursuing opportunities in the United States with operations in Wyoming. The Company operates three Units: Cole Creek 100% WI, Barron Flats Shannon (Miscible) 85% WI and the Barron Flats Federal (Deep) 85% WI in addition to non-unitized lands 100% WI. The Company's Wyoming operations are one of the most environmentally responsible with minimal gas flaring and methane emissions combined with electricity sourced from a neighbouring wind farm to power production facilities. For further information, please contact: Mr. Arthur Millholland, President & CEO Mr. Ryan Gaffney, CFO Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited Tel: + 1 (403) 262 5441 Cathy Hume CHF Investor Relations Tel: +1 (416) 868 1079 ext. 251 Email: cathy@chfir.com Charles Goodwin Yellow Jersey PR Limited Tel: +44 (0) 77 4778 8221 Email: copl@yellowjerseypr.com Peter Krens Equity Capital Markets, Tennyson Securities Tel: +44 (0) 20 7186 9033 Alex Wood & Keith Dowsing Joint Broker Alternative Resource Capital AW: +44 (0) 7559 910872 KD: +44 (0) 7559 910873 Andrew Chubb / Neil Passmore Advisors/Joint Brokers Hannam & Partners +44 (0) 20 7907 8500 The Common Shares are listed under the symbol "XOP" on the CSE and under the symbol "COPL" on the London Stock Exchange. This news release contains forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words "initial, "scheduled", "can", "will", "prior to", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "should", "forecast", "future", "continue", "may", "expect", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company, including, but not limited to, the ability to raise the necessary funding for operations, delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements since the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties most of which are beyond the control of Canadian Overseas Petroleum Ltd. For example, the uncertainty of reserve estimates, the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to production, cost overruns, health and safety issues, political and environmental risks, commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations, changes in legislation affecting the oil and gas industry could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and Canadian Overseas Petroleum undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. SOURCE: Canadian Overseas Petroleum Ltd View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/710959/Canadian-Overseas-Petroleum-Ltd--Resource-Report-Confirms-Wyoming-Oil-Discovery MERCER Scores of dragonflies rose as John Bates navigated his Subaru Ascent around potholes, over bumps and through the occasional puddle. The -mile dirt road to Sherman Lake is just wide enough for a single vehicle and a step up perhaps from a logging road. Located just east of Highway 47, the 126-acre lake sits on the edge of the Powell Marsh and is bisected nearly evenly by the line that separates Vilas County from Iron County. Theres at least one beaver lodge on its shore, eagles and loons are common here, along with bullfrogs and, at times, common mergansers. We were deep into the Wisconsin Northwoods on this day and it was clear that Bates was in his element as he showed off one of the discoveries that consumed nearly four years of his life. Its just a wonderful adventure, Bates said as we slowly bounced along the access road. I always laugh because we pretended to be Sherlock Holmes, were going to analyze this lake for its various values. But really, most of the time, we were Inspector Clouseau. We got lost a lot. Bates was being modest. By using plat maps, websites, data from the Department of Natural Resources and tenacious detective work, Bates, who was often joined by his wife, Mary Burns, has chronicled an exhaustive list of the 140 lakes out of more than 15,000 in the state that are fully surrounded by public lands. Some have campsites or campgrounds, boat landings and even picnic areas. Several can only be accessed by foot, some require paddling across a different lake and then portaging, and some werent accessible at all, thanks to natural barriers like bogs, trees and shrubs that have overgrown trails and, in at least one case, a beaver dam. The result of Bates efforts is his 240-page book, Wisconsins Wild Lakes: A Guide to the Last Undeveloped Natural Lakes, published through Manitowish River Press, which he operates out of his home along the Manitowish River just south of Mercer. He has seven wild lakes within 6 miles of his house, including Sherman Lake. I live in lake country, so I was very curious which lakes up here are still truly wild, Bates said. There are some lakes that (have private property) but dont have any development, but I wasnt going to put those in there because they could be developed tomorrow. We found quite a few lakes that had just one lot on an otherwise publicly owned lake, but I couldnt do it. Decades in the wild Bates, 70, has spent more than three decades working as a naturalist and educator and is the author of 10 books. One tells the story of the states old growth forests while another is a comprehensive and detailed look at the 42-mile Manitowish River, its headwaters at High Lake and which empties into the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage. The last 14 miles of the river, beginning at the Highway 47-182 bridge out Bates front door, is likely the longest stretch of wilderness river left in Wisconsin. But most of Bates books are designed to inform their readers about the plants, birds, animals and insects that call northern Wisconsin home. It utterly enriches your experience up here if you know what these species are and you know their life stories, so that when you go outside youre not just a tourist blind to whats around you, Bates said. Then you feel like you belong. You dont feel like youre just wandering through an aesthetic blur. For his lakes books, Bates arbitrarily decided that to qualify for the book, they had to be at least 30 acres, which eliminated ponds. The lakes also had to be natural, which cut out any lake formed by a manmade dam such as Hay Lake in Price County, Straight Lake in Polk County and Black Lake in Sawyer County. Bates book lists his top 50 lake sites, some of which have multiple lakes, like the Nature Conservancys Catherine Wolter Wilderness near Boulder Junction, home to eight lakes with names like Knife, Bug, John and Canteen. Each site in the book has a map and detailed descriptions of the lakes size, depth, water clarity, watershed and nearby recreational opportunities. Another 64 wild lakes get just a paragraph or two, while Bates has kept 10 lakes secret in an effort to preserve their wildness. All of the lakes in the book are in 16 counties in northern Wisconsin, although Bates believes there may be one or two in southern Wisconsin. But revealing the locations of those lakes could be detrimental. One would be worried that we can love places to death, Bates said. The book, sprinkled with colorful and detailed wildlife illustrations by Rebecca Jabs in Manitowoc, also lists those lakes with campgrounds, like Sandy Beach Lake in Iron County, and those with walk-in or paddle-in campsites, such as Bastile Lake in Forest County and Lauterman Lake in Florence County. What was intriguing to me is that when I did the old growth book I didnt have a single person say to me, I wish you hadnt told people about these places. Everyone was thrilled to find out about them, he continued. And I the think difference is you can be hiking in a woods and you cant see people five minutes away, but on a lake you can see everyone. Theres a sense that if theres someone out there its really disappointing. Whereas, you can be in the woods and still feel alone even though there might be somebody else there. It just has a different feel to it. Total adventure Bates, a Pennsylvania native who in 1971 dropped out of Dartmouth College in New Hampshire when he was a sophomore and began hitchhiking across the country, later earned an English degree at UW-Green Bay, where in the late 1970s he met Burns. He taught in an alternative school for a time before getting a masters degree in environmental studies in the early 1980s at UW-Green Bay. That led to working with at-risk students in three northern Wisconsin high schools and 19 years working with students with disabilities at Nicolet College in Rhinelander. He spent six summers working as a naturalist for the DNR in the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest before forming Trails North, his own naturalists guide service. Bates has also served on the board of trustees for the Wisconsin Nature Conservancy, River Alliance of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Humanities Council, and is a board member for the Northwoods Land Trust. Bates did about half of the trips in search of lakes by himself and was aided in the process with a 21-pound $3,000 Kevlar canoe sold to him for $500 by a Milwaukee man who wanted to support Bates work. On the remaining half of the trips, Bates was accompanied by Burns, an artist who uses a high-tech loom in her home studio to make detailed weavings. Since 1984, the couple have lived in a home that was purchased by Burns grandparents in 1922. They share the home with their daughter, Callie Bates, a harpist and certified harp therapist, and the author of The Waking Land trilogy of books. Burns had no qualms about joining her husband to help him search out and explore bodies of water that hours before had been just a mark on a map. It was just a total adventure. You just never knew what was going to happen, Burns said. Finding these little lakes, it was just so special, feeling like we were blessed being in these wonderful places. To find some places that are set aside is lovely. A clear favorite While most of the lakes in the book are under 100 acres, the largest was Totagatic Lake in Bayfield County, which checked in at 538 acres and is filled with wild rice. The most challenging lakes to access included Anderson and Flynn lakes in Bayfield County; Atkins Lake, which borders Forest and Oneida counties; and Blomberg Lake in Burnett County. Not surprising, Vilas County, home to over 1,300 lakes, led the way with 25 wild lakes while Bayfield County had 19 wild lakes. As for his favorite lake, Bates considers Bass Lake in Price County as a true gem. The 93-acre seepage lake with a maximum depth of 45 feet is located west of Park Falls and requires a 10-minute portage from the parking lot to a landing that lies within an old growth hemlock forest. It was designated in 1983 as a wilderness lake by the DNR and sits within the 921-acre Bass Lake Peatlands State Natural Area, which is within the Flambeau River State Forest. Bates notes in the book that the lakes clear water encourages the growth of small, specialized sterile rosette aquatic plants while nesting birds include palm warbler, Lincolns sparrow and yellow-bellied flycatcher. It was just such a surprise. There was no information on this lake. I found it in the plat book and I didnt know if we could get to it, Bates said. Its probably one of the lakes we should have kept secret. Im just totally in love with it. Every Thursday at Riverfront Park in Chippewa Falls Brenda Johnson leads local youth in exercise and dance to improve their health and encourage fitness. Kids Move is a Chippewa Falls YMCA program that incorporates playtime with dance. Its fun and thats what movement should be, Johnson said. We just want kids to be kids, get silly and enjoy moving their bodies. Johnson has been teaching the class for about 18 months. For now, the free class is taught outdoors but it will be back inside at the Chippewa Falls YMCA when summer is over. Johnson said she wants the class to feel playful. I do a mix of dancing and songs and always incorporate a welcome activity to promote connections between myself and the kids, she said in an email. Carrie Mathwig, Healthy Living director at the Chippewa Falls YMCA, said the program was created for 4 to 11-year-olds, but anyone is welcome to join. We would never turn anyone away if they were older or younger, assuming that they wanted to participate, she said. We just want to help the community be healthy. Mathwig said she encourages all children to check out the program. Its fun and engaging, she said. It's really just designed to get kids motivated and moving. Brenda Johnson does lots of different activities she does coordinated dances and she always goes above and beyond to make the kids feel comfortable with each other and herself, Mathwig said. Were lucky to have her. The National Association of Theatre Owners California-Nevada is awarding $427,500 in 2022 community grant funds designed to support a variety of arts and social service organizations, including 20 Feeding America food banks. The group represents roughly 4,682 movie screens across the two states, and works on behalf of exhibitors to address local, state and federal issues designed to better the motion picture industry. More from The Hollywood Reporter Theater owners in California and Nevada are grateful that moviegoers are returning. Our theaters are still climbing out of a difficult situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic, but recognize that many community organizations are still in a difficult place, NATO California-Nevada president and chief executive officer Todd Vradenburg said in a statement announcing the grant funds. In order to preserve the magical cinematic experience now and for future generations, it matters that we support the people who live and work in our communities, he continued. Overall, NATO California Nevada administered more than $1.25 million in emergency relief funds to support employees of member movie theaters in California and Nevada who had been laid off during the pandemic. The chairable fund is committed to building healthier and stronger communities by providing guidance, member engagement, financial grants and resources to arts and social service organizations. NATO California Nevada members to nominate nonprofit organizations for funding consideration on an annual basis. This years community grants range from $5,000 to $100,000. 2022 Community Grant Recipients: Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) Fulfillment Fund Los Angeles & Las Vegas Jacobs Heart Side by Side Union Rescue Mission Los Angeles University of San Francisco Nursing School Variety Boys and Girls Club East Los Angeles Vidiots Foundation Story continues Feeding America Food Banks: Alameda County Community Food Bank California Central Food Bank Feeding America Riverside San Bernardino Feeding San Diego FIND Food Bank Indio Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano Food Bank Monterey County Food Bank of Northern Nevada Food Bank Santa Barbara County Food Share Ventura County Los Angeles Regional Food Bank Placer Food Bank Roseville Reaching Out Santa Clara County Redwood Empire Food Bank Second Harvest Food Bank Orange County Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County Second Harvest of the Greater Valley Second Harvest of Silicon Valley SF-Marin Food Bank Three Square Las Vegas Best of The Hollywood Reporter Click here to read the full article. Happy Friday Drivers! Great to be back spreading these music vibes to you all and hope you all enjoyed the re-plays from the last two weeks. Bit of a mix bag planned for todays show from soul r&b and funkiness & some deadly covers while heavy on the latin & brazilian grooves. Thank you for being here and hope you enjoy todays offering in sonic stimulation. Happy listening! extra curriculars: Friday: (Aug 5) Fridays & Saturdays when the weather is good! The Atlantis Jazz Ensemble @Live Jazz On Somerset 20h-22h Pierre Chretien keys Zakari Frantz sax Mike Essoudry drums live jazz, outside, Friday and Saturday nights all summer long!!! in front of Union Local 613 Arlo Wine & Restaurant Prohibition Public House TROFI in The Somerset Village Saturday: (Aug 6) White Rabbit | City At Night Etienne Ozbourne (Birthday), OPERA w/ Kyle Churchman (Hoppy hour) @City At Night | 19h - 3h EDT On Saturday July 16, outdoors is from 7pm to 12am, followed by an indoor after party from 11pm to 3am. Event: https://fb.me/e/201VyN1Z0 Tickets: cityatnightAug622.eventbrite.ca Sunday: (Aug 7) Capital Sessions at the NAC - Lady's Edition! DJ Queenyy (DJ) Marine Coeurdassier (Dancer) @NAC-CNA | 14h-16h EDT free all ages MUNDO DISKO : A Tribute to Robert Ouimet @Parc olympique de Montreal 15h - 23h EDT Event: https://fb.me/e/1XcuXGEcS A dance evening in tribute to Montrealer Robert Ouimet, one of the most influential DJs in the history of Quebec and who greatly contributed to the popularity of disco music! A Fierte Montreal regular, Robert -who passed away last April-, shared his passion and talent with the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities on several occasions during the Mundo Disko musical event. From 3 p.m. to 11 p.m DJ Michel Simard of Limelight, DJ B'Ugo, Charles Poulin, Lost Heroes, as well as VJ Boycott will be on hand to propel the excess and exuberance of what promises to be an explosive gathering. Wednesday: Asinabka Film & Media Arts Festival 2022 @Ottawa Art Gallery 50 Mackenzie King Bridge Aug 10-14 | 19h - 23h Event: https://fb.me/e/25MswD1fa Tickets: www.eventbrite.ca/e/2022-asinabka-film-media-arts-festival-tickets-389677565087 The 11th annual Asinabka Festival is excited to present the best contemporary Indigenous film, video, digital media, art, and music from Canada and around the world. This year the Festival takes place over 5 days with an opening night outdoor screening in the SAW Courtyard, in-person screenings at the OAG's Alma Duncan Salon, an art exhibition opening at Gallery 101, as well as a music showcase at the OAG and a 2-Spirit Ball at Club SAW. This years Festival also coincides and takes place in partnership with the Through The Storm: National Media Arts Gathering hosted by DARC, and presented by IMAA, MANO, & NIMAC. Find out more here: throughthestorm.ca If you feel youre feeling to continue the ride after the show you can always check the archive on ckcufm.com for 3 or 4 years of archived episodes of not only this show but every show aired. And if youre still after more you can check my streaming schedule on twitch.tv/lifeboogie Usually Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday 20h EDT Qin Gang Xinhua via Getty China's Ambassador to the U.S. was summoned to the White House Thursday after his country conducted military activities near Taiwan following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's defiant visit this week to the self-governing island that China considers its territory. According to a Chinese state broadcaster, the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army engaged in long-range, live-fire exercises and "precision strikes" on eastern parts of the Taiwan Strait, The Washington Post reported. Taiwan's Defense Ministry said the 11 missiles hit waters off the island's northeastern and southwestern coasts on Thursday afternoon. On Wednesday night, Chinese naval ships and planes also conducted drills in waters around Taiwan, crossing the halfway point between the island and mainland China known as the median line, Taiwan's defense ministry said, calling it a "highly provocative act," CNN reported. RELATED: Nancy Pelosi Says China 'Made a Big Fuss' About Taiwan Visit but Didn't 'Say Anything When the Men Came' "After China's actions overnight, we summoned [People's Republic of China] Ambassador Qin Gang to the White House to demarche him about the PRC's provocative actions," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in a statement, according to CNN and the Post. "We condemned the PRC's military actions, which are irresponsible and at odds with our long-standing goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait." Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army PLA Xinhua via Getty In summoning the Chinese ambassador to condemn through diplomatic channels the military actions, the White House also told Qin that the U.S. hopes to continue communications and reiterated that U.S. policy on China and Taiwan has not changed. America's long-standing One China Policy recognizes Beijing as the only legitimate government of China. "We also made clear that the United States is prepared for what Beijing chooses to do," Kirby said in the statement. "We will not seek and do not want a crisis. At the same time, we will not be deterred from operating in the seas and skies of the Western Pacific, consistent with international law, as we have for decades supporting Taiwan and defending a free and open Indo-Pacific." Story continues RELATED: Why the Pentagon Fears for Nancy Pelosi's Safety If She Visits Taiwan, as China Promises Strong Response Nancy Pelosi touched down in Taipei Tuesday and met with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen the next day as part of her defiant visit to the island. 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. "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," Pelosi said in a statement released after her arrival in Taipei. "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." 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 Pelosi went ahead with the trip despite warnings from Chinese officials, including Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijiang, who said last week: "If the U.S. side insists on making the visit and challenges China's red line, it will be met with resolute countermeasures. The U.S. must assume full responsibility for any serious consequence arising thereof." Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer. Before his White House meeting, which was first reported by The Washington Post, Qin wrote in an op-ed for the paper about Pelosi's visit. "By order of succession, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is the third-highest-ranking official in the U.S. government. Traveling in a military aircraft, Pelosi paid a high-profile 'official visit to Taiwan' this week, as her office described it in her arrival statement, and was given full-protocol treatment by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities, who make no secret of pursuing independence in their party platform. Such a visit has openly broken America's commitment not to develop official relations with Taiwan," the Chinese ambassador wrote. "These are extremely irresponsible, provocative and dangerous moves." Antigone Barton and her husband, Kenneth Matthews, just married at the Palm Beach County Courthouse in 2013. In 2013 the man formerly known as the Main Squeeze and I had been together for 17 years when developments on the marriage-equality front began to highlight the benefits of the institution and make it more morally acceptable to me. To clarify, in those 17 years we could have gotten married if we had wanted to. It just didnt seem important, and when other people couldnt, it also didnt seem fair. But things began to change; equity advanced, I began to realize that legal, medical and financial issues can be easier for married people, and then one day I found an adorable hat with a veil that I needed an excuse to wear. I mentioned these developments to my friend Ronnate and she became interested. She and her husband are from Sri Lanka where he was a journalist, and we had spent a year together in an academic fellowship program during which the 25 members of our class had forged family-like ties. Her husband had never been to an American wedding, she said, and wanted to know what one was like. Fulfilling a promise: 30-year-old promise to dying friend delivers a window into Asheville's healing beauty Tiffany Trump: Daughter of former president Donald Trump, picks Mar-a-Lago for Palm Beach wedding Unique wedding: Palm Beach International Raceway's last day featured a drag strip wedding Years earlier, my job had included going every evening to the Palm Beach County Courthouse where a dyspeptic clerk with a dour demeanor would turn over to us reporters the civil lawsuits that had been filed that day, and sigh about the annoyances of his job. Sometimes a couple would burst in just as he was getting ready to lock the doors in a last minute rush, for whatever reason, to get married. He would read the ceremony briskly across the counter and then, as he pronounced the couple husband and wife, he would beam and smile with satisfaction. I liked him anyway, but what these weddings did to him was magic. I told Ronnate that, if it happened, it would be a simple courthouse wedding. Story continues I was working in Washington, D.C., then, commuting home on weekends, and she urged me to propose to the main squeeze on my next trip. She had to put in for time off to come to the wedding, so she needed to start planning. She worked for human rights campaigns on Capitol Hill and was good at pushing people to do things they might not otherwise do. So a month after my proposal Ken and I headed to the courthouse. Ronnate was the wedding photographer and matron of honor. Her husband, Tissa, was best man. My mother gave me away. I got to wear the hat with the veil as well as a blush pink silk dress. Ronnate, my mother and I each carried a rose; Ken and Tissa wore theirs on their lapels. Amid the array of courthouse fashion that on any day ranges from business suits to sweat pants, we drew our share of attention. Antigone Barton, right, and her mother walking down the courthouse corridor for Barton's wedding. We all made it through the metal detectors and into the civil court office where, listless and impatient, visitors who had taken a number waited to be called. The court had a special $100 deal that included saying the vows in a private room instead of over the counter, a decorative copy of the certificate and an 8-by-12 photograph. The kindly dyspeptic clerk from years earlier wasnt there; but the on-duty officiant was, like him, rushed, businesslike and grim until as she pronounced us married her face melted into a gentle smile. It was everything I had hoped. As it happened, a reporter who knew me in the old civil-suit-checking days now worked for the court, and when she posted the photo on the offices Facebook page, she shared it with mutual friends, saying it was the first time she had ever posted a picture there of someone she knew. Word spread that way, so we didnt even have to make an announcement. Left to right: Antigone Barton, Kenneth Matthews, Priscilla (Mom) Barton, Ronnate Asirwatham, J.S. Tissainayagam A year later another friend from our fellowship program got married and invited our whole class up to New York for the reception which, hosted in a historic mansion on a hill overlooking the East River that he had booked for the occasion, featured hours of speeches and stories of family traditions, songs and hors doeuvres. We went to dinner a few nights later with Ronnate and Tissa. Yours, Tissa said, was a very minimalist wedding. Ceremonies at the Palm Beach County Courthouse were among those to come to a pandemic-driven halt for about six months. After precautions, including Plexiglas countertop dividers, were installed, weddings resumed at the front counters, by appointment. Earlier this year, the office re-opened its wedding ceremony rooms. To plan yours, go to mypalmbeachclerk.com Antigone Barton is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at avbarton@gannett.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County Courthouse provides a romantic wedding venue German luxury fashion house Hugo Boss just announced a virtual try-on service in partnership with Reactive Reality, a leading 3D digitization technology company. The partnership enables consumers across Germany, the U.K. and France to utilize body measurement-based shopping through personalized avatars. Thanks to Reactive Reality's patented AR solution, PICTOFiT, users can now create individual mannequins that match their exact measurements on the Hugo Boss online store and try on different outfit combinations in the virtual dressing room. "We are extremely excited to be announcing our collaboration with Hugo Boss" comments Stefan Hauswiesner, CEO and co-founder of Reactive Reality in a press release. "We know that the global pandemic has considerably accelerated the fashion retail market and we want to help retailers keep up with the demands of consumers who are looking for new and exciting ways to shop online." He adds "Understandably, some consumers still may not feel confident enough or able to venture into physical stores yet, so our tech, which can be integrated into any web store or shopping app, offers the perfect solution for both parties. Hugo Boss PITCTOFiT Shopping will revolutionise the way consumers interact with their favorite fashion brands and online stores, and we are excited to see even more retailers implement our white-labelled solution in the future." The launch comes as a result of many disillusioned online shoppers continually struggling to access the correct sizing. From purchasing multiple sizes to find the correct fit to endlessly scrolling through static images featuring body types that don't represent them, the virtual try-on service is set to change the shopping experience entirely. While virtual try-ons are hardly a new innovation at this stage, the partnership with Reactive Reality seeks to allow users to experiment with even the most intricate of details. With PICTOFiT, customers can see the benefits of style decisions like having a shirt tucked in or out, as well as seeing the level of transparency within a garment and what it looks like layered with other pieces. In other virtual reality-related news, check out the latest partnership from Miley Cyrus and Gucci. News that James Franco is set to play former Cuban president Fidel Castro in an upcoming film has some in Hollywood riled up. (No, not because of his sexual misconduct allegations.) Veteran actor John Leguizamo posted Deadline's casting news on Instagram, writing, "How is this still going on? How is Hollywood excluding us but stealing our narratives as well? No more appropriation Hollywood and streamers! Boycott!" Leguizamo, who was born in Bogota, Colombia, called the situation "[f*****] up." John Leguizamo calls out Hollywood for excluding Latinos as James Franco is reportedly cast as Fidel Castro in upcoming movie. (Photos: Getty Images) "Plus seriously difficult story to tell without aggrandizement which would b wrong! I don't got a prob with Franco but he ain't Latino," the Moulin Rouge! star added. Newly appointed The View co-host Ana Navarro commented that she plans to boycott for many reasons. "I'd like to think no Latino actor worth their salt would sign up to play and aggrandize a murderous dictator who terrorized the people of Cuba for six decades. For both reasons you articulated, I join you in the boycott," she wrote. Miguel Bardem's film Alina of Cuba stars Ana Villafane as Castro's daughter, Alina Fernandez, and follows the true-life story of her Cuban exile. The screenplay is by Oscar-nominated writer Jose Rivera and Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz. This is one of Franco's first major casting announcements since he was swept up in the #MeToo movement in 2018. In a rare interview in December, Franco admitted he used "fame like a lure," but said not all allegations were true. Rising rapper and internet phenomenon Saucy Santana has teamed with Madonna for the remix of his 2020 viral hit Material Girl, now retitled Material Gworrllllllll! The Queen of Pop first teased the collaboration on her Instagram account on August 4, sharing a snippet of the feisty chorus. (Material girl) currently working on a Grammy, Santana spits over electronic production that references Madonnas seminal song. Meanwhile, pussy poppin with ya man in Miami. More from Variety The release comes after the unlikely duo joined forces at New York City Pride in June. Madonna, who still very much has her finger on the pulse of pop culture, invited Santana to share the Terminal 5 stage for a mash-up of Material Girl with her similarly-titled 1984 hit. It was an experience that left a lasting impression on the rapper. I wish that I can have this moment for LIFE, he wrote on Instagram, before profusely thanking the pop icon. These past weeks [with] you have been nothing short of amazing! raved Santana, who also tapped Latto for a feature on his Booty. I silently learned so many great things from you. Thank you for choosing me! A queer, fem, black boy [with] talent and vision I didnt know God had for me. Its another step towards the mainstream for the social media fixture, who started in the industry as City Girls makeup artist before branching into rap with a series of viral hits. His version of Material Girl has already amassed more than 40 million streams on Spotify. As for Madonna, Material Gworrllllllll! is the latest development in a blockbuster year that marks her 40th anniversary in the music industry. She kicked off 2022 by going viral herself with the Sickick-assisted Frozen remixes and then rolled out Finally Enough Love, a club compilation, on June 24. An extended version, Finally Enough Love: 50 Number One Hits, collecting remixes of all of her club chart-toppers, is set for release on August 19. Story continues Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. As tensions simmer along the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, the chair for U.S. special envoy to Belarus remains empty. In a letter Thursday, Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, Roger Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi, Richard Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina and Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, called for action from the administration. "As Mr. Lukashenka tightens his authoritarian grip, the United States must remain a committed partner for all those pursuing a democratic future for Belarus," they state in the letter provided to CBS News. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, who was reelected in what the international community widely regarded as a fraudulent election in 2020, has been one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's staunchest allies since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced that some of Belarus' special operations forces were holding a "combat readiness check" along the Belarusian-Ukrainian border, according to a Thursday Facebook post. Belarus currently allows Russian troops to use its territory. Lukashenko reaffirmed his commitment on July 3, saying Belarus stood fully behind Russia as part of its longstanding commitment to a "union state" with Moscow, per a Reuters report. The post of U.S. ambassador to Belarus was meant to be filled by Ambassador Julie Fisher after she was confirmed by the Senate in December 2020, but the Belarussian authorities did not allow that to happen. They denied the ambassador's visa and accreditation, leading to her serving as U.S. special envoy to Belarus from Vilnius, Lithuania. She stepped down from the role on June 9. "Nomination of special envoy would be a strong signal of support for Belarusians thriving for independence and democracy in Belarus. We count on U.S. leadership to keep Belarus on the agenda and strengthen the international coalition for free Belarus," said Franak Viacorka, senior adviser to Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsihanouskaya, to CBS News. Story continues The State Department has spoken out against human rights abuses by the Lukashenko regime. In May, Secretary Tony Blinken condemned a new amendment to the criminal code in Belarus that would allow for the use of the death penalty against political prisoners. The aftermath of Lukashenko's reelection led to mass protests followed by violent crackdowns. Between May 2020 and May 2021, at least 37,000 people were detained, many of them placed in administrative detention for up to 15 days, according to a May U.N. report. The report said Belarus violated international law, stating, "there was an active policy to shield perpetrators and prevent accountability, reflected in the level of reprisals, intimidation of victims and witnesses, attacks on lawyers and human rights defenders". On Wednesday, Belarussian journalist Iryna Slaunikava was sentenced to 5 years in prison for organizing activities that disrupt social order as the government crackdown on media continues. The Committee to Protect Journalists called the sentencing "another example of the deeply cynical and vindictive nature of the Belarusian government." Some Americans turn to home gardens amid record inflation 4 dead after 2 Nebraska homes go up in flames; foul play suspected China conducts precision missile strikes near Taiwan Beyonce's "Break My Soul" has broken through to the spirit of a Philadelphia traffic reporter. NBC10 personality Sheila Watko mounted her own personal Renaissance as she caught the attention of Tina Knowles with a hilarious traffic report that served and really served two purposes: informing Pennsylvania commuters of automobile patterns and entertaining the rest of us with a piece of Beyonce-themed performance art. "Thank you, Bill, I always appreciate it when you 'Say My Name.' Now, if you're just waking up, I hope that you had some 'Sweet Dreams,' but traffic is getting 'Heated,' and it's starting to 'Break My Soul' just a little bit," Watko said at the top of her daily report, going on to work several titles of Beyonce songs into her coverage. "If you're thinking it seems slower than usual, it's not just 'All Up in Your Mind' it is slower because all lanes are closed in both directions." Beyonce's mother shared the clip on Instagram, writing, "This Soo cool!," to which Watko responded on Twitter: "I will NEVER recover from Ms. Tina posting my Beyonce traffic report to her IG yesterday." The rest of Watko's routine included references to Beyonce's 2007 Shakira collaboration, "Beautiful Liar"; 2011's "Countdown"; the Dreamgirls tune "Listen"; a "'Formation' of traffic cones" on the road; and a "'Partition' with the right lane" impeding the flow of cars. Watko's peer, anchor Keith Jones, closed the clip with a reference of his own: "Sheila Watko, you 'Run the World.'" Watch Watko's clip which has been viewed almost 50,000 times ok TikTok above. sheila watko, beyonce Kevin Winter/Getty; Sheila Watko/Tiktok Philadelphia traffic reporter Sheila Watko caught Tina Knowles' eye with her hilarious Beyonce-themed morning update. Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more. Related content: OTTAWA, Ont. Ukraines ambassador in Ottawa is urging lawmakers to resist bait from the Kremlin that has them undermining Canadas sanctions regime against Russia. Ukrainian ambassador Yuliia Kovaliv warned MPs that the Liberal governments decision to waive sanctions and return a Nord Stream turbine to Germany for the Gazprom pipeline sets a very dangerous precedent and is not a one-time decision. The maintenance of all six turbines in Canada will summon Russia's ability for years to weaponize energy and to derail the efforts to address climate change, Kovaliv said in a committee room on Parliament Hill. She questioned the point of continuing to waive sanctions for Gazprom turbines if Russia has shown that the return of one turbine hasnt increased gas flow to Germany. We need sanctions to deprive Russia from [the] economic ability to continue the war, Kovaliv said. The House foreign affairs committee has interrupted its summer hiatus to study the Trudeau governments decision to waive sanctions for six Gazprom Nord Stream 1 pipeline turbines. The machines were being serviced at Siemens Canadas Montreal facility at the time measures against Russias oil and gas sector were announced in March. Canada has since been under pressure from Germany to send them back against growing energy security concerns as Europe plans to cut imports of Russian oil by 90 percent before the end of the year. There was concern Russia would use the stranded turbines as another excuse to slash gas flow to Germany last month during Gazproms annual maintenance of the Nord Stream pipeline. Sabine Sparwasser, Germanys ambassador to Canada, told the committee that allies of Ukraine should consider the turbines return a victory. We would have lost significantly in the disinformation war if that turbine had not been able to be delivered right now, Sparwasser said. The turbine is now in the western German city of Mulheim an der Ruhr. But Gazprom has announced it wont be picking it up because Canadian, European Union and United Kingdom sanctions prevent them from doing so. Story continues This turbine sits in Germany, Sparwasser told the House committee. It is very clear that it was an excuse, it was a pretext because Gazprom is not picking it up and they're inventing very strange excuses for not doing it. Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the site where the turbine is being held this week. Standing in front of the massive machine, he used the photo opportunity to poke holes in Russias argument that western sanctions are blocking the delivery of essential equipment to keep gas flowing in the Russia-Germany pipeline. The turbine is there, it can be delivered. All someone has to do is say I want it, and it will be there very quickly, Scholz told reporters Wednesday. The turbine was supposed to be a measure that would allow more gas to flow, Sparwasser said. She suggested officials werent sure if Canada returning the turbine would actually work to get Gazprom to increase gas deliveries, she said. We were testing what would happen. After Canada shipped the turbine in mid-July, the Russian gas giant announced a further cut in flow through the Nord Stream pipeline. Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson were less candid when they appeared before committee members on Thursday afternoon. They stressed the decision had been a difficult one informed by German and Ukrainian officials. The Trudeau Cabinet ministers argued that the move exposed Russias bluff. Conservative MP James Bezan said theyd been outplayed and out-maneuvered by Putin. Opposition politicians said the turbines issue should never have been used as a litmus test since Russian President Vladimir Putin has been clear he wants to fray relations among western countries by immobilizing their economies. Ottawa remains under pressure from Ukraine, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and opposition parties to revoke the sanctions waiver for the machines. With one turbine now in Germany, its unclear what Russia will do next. The war in Ukraine has established energy security as a central plank in Canadas foreign policy and Ottawa has become a sudden destination for influential world leaders. Annalena Baerbock, Germanys foreign minister, was in Montreal Wednesday for public events and bilateral discussions with Joly. Scholz has plans to travel to Canada this month to discuss LNG, hydrogen and longer term energy opportunities between the two countries. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to visit in September. Acer Chromebook Spin 311 is on sale at Amazon Canada. Yahoo Lifestyle Canada is committed to finding you the best products at the best prices. We may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. It may only be August, but for many parents (and students!) back to school season is already top of mind. If you're looking to pick up a new laptop but don't have thousands to spend, Amazon Canada's latest sale might be up your alley. As a part of this early back to school deal, you'll find up to 44 per cent off on Acer laptops and Chromebooks. Prices start at $250 for the Acer Chromebook Spin 311, so if you're on the hunt for a new laptop, it's a great time to shop. Save $200: Acer Chromebook Spin 311 Acer Chromebook Spin 311. Image via Amazon. $250 $450 at Amazon Tech specs: 360 hinge converts from laptop to tablet 11.6" IPS touch screen 10 hour battery life 4GB of Onboard LPDDR4 Memory and 64GB eMMC 2.62 lbs This affordable Chromebook boasts a versatile design that converts from a laptop to a tablet in seconds thanks to its 360 hinge. It comes with built-in Google software that lets you access a library of apps, games, music, movies, TV, books, magazines and more. Plus, the laptop has a battery life of up to 10 hours on a single charge and features a wide-angle view webcam that enhances video chats and conference experiences. Acer Chromebook Spin 311. Image via Amazon. $250 $450 at Amazon Shoppers say that this laptop is "better than expected for a Chromebook this price," as it's racked up a 4.4-star average rating. However, like all Chromebooks, it does have "limited capabilities" and may not be the best for things like photo or video editing or heavy gaming. Promising reviews: "Excellent little laptop for the value." "Great way to get into Chromebooks without investing too much." "Lightweight, easy to carry and convenient." "Perfect for my kids' online schooling." If this Chromebook doesn't suit your needs, you can shop more Acer devices on sale below. Acer 22" TN Monitor. Image via Amazon. $120 $166 at Amazon Acer Chromebook 315, 15.6". Image via Amazon. $280 $377 at Amazon Story continues Acer Aspire 1, 15.6" Laptop. Image via Amazon. $300 $380 at Amazon Acer KB2 Series, 27" FHD Monitor. Image via Amazon. $190 $230 at Amazon Acer Swift 3 Thin and Light, 14". Image via Amazon. $800 $945 at Amazon Acer Nitro 5 AN515-55-53E5 Gaming Laptop. Image via Amazon. $950 $1,150 at Amazon Acer Aspire 5, 17.3". Image via Amazon. $760 $850 at Amazon Acer Aspire Vero, 15.6". Image via Amazon. $799 $889 at Amazon Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram and sign up for our newsletter. Iran U.S. to resume indirect talks in Vienna to salvage a nuclear pact (Reuters) -Russia's envoy to talks on reviving Iran's 2015 nuclear deal said on Friday they had resumed in a "serious" atmosphere even as few expect a breakthrough compromise while Tehran's disputed uranium enrichment programme surges forward. Indirect talks between Tehran and Washington restarted in Vienna on Thursday with a meeting between the Islamic Republic's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani and European Union coordinator Enrique Mora. Reuters, citing one Iranian and one European official, reported in June that Tehran had dropped a major stumbling block - its demand for the removal of its Revolutionary Guards from a U.S. sanctions list. A senior Iranian official suggested that the issue might not be a sticking point anymore, telling Reuters on Thursday: "We have our own suggestions that will be discussed in the Vienna talks, such as lifting sanctions on the Guards gradually." After meeting Bagheri Kani on Friday, Russian envoy Mikhail Ulyanov was quoted by Iran's state news agency IRNA as saying that reaching the finish line "may not be so easy, and time will tell whether we will succeed or not. "But in general, the atmosphere of the talks is serious." White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday that the negotiations were "pretty much complete at this point". Bagheri Kani put the onus on the White House to compromise, tweeting that the United States should "show maturity & act responsibly." The European parties to the deal urged Iran in a statement "not to make unrealistic demands outside the scope of the JCPoA (nuclear deal), including on IAEA safeguards. "The text is on the table. There will be no re-opening of negotiations. Iran must now decide to conclude the deal while this is still possible," the statement said. Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Friday that for Tehran's negotiating team, "Iran's economic benefit from the deal, observing the country's 'red lines' and preserving (our) indigenous nuclear capability and technology is of serious interest", IRNA reported. Story continues Little remains of the 2015 pact between Iran and the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China, which lifted sanctions against Tehran in exchange for curbs on Iranian enrichment activity the West fears could yield atomic bombs. In 2018 then-President Donald Trump ditched the deal and reimposed harsh sanctions. In response, Tehran breached the deal in several ways including rebuilding stocks of enriched uranium. As Iran has refused to hold direct talks with its longtime arch-foe the United States, Mora shuttles between Bagheri Kani and the U.S. Special Envoy for Iran, Rob Malley. The Vienna negotiations broke down earlier this year chiefly over Tehran's demand that Washington remove the Revolutionary Guards from the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list. The U.S. has refused to do so. A European official said on Thursday: It has been agreed that (removing the Guards from the FTO list) will be discussed in the future once the U.S. and Iran can meet directly. Tehran also demands that the International Atomic Energy Agency drop its assertions about Iranian nuclear activity, objecting to the U.N. watchdog's report last year that it had failed to fully explain uranium traces at undeclared sites. The EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, submitted a compromise proposal in July and called on the parties to accept it to avoid a "dangerous nuclear crisis". Two Iranian officials said Tehran "was not happy" with the draft text. (Editing by Mark Heinrich) A yearly tradition, Lemon Smiles is returning to the community this weekend to help raise money for childhood cancer causes. Madeline and Lillian Hudnall founded Lemon Smiles in 2008 when their friend, Charli Preister, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. Each year, the lemonade stand is held to fundraise for Alexs Lemonade Stand Foundation. Its continuing in 2022, with the kickoff event being held for the sixth year at Northwestern Mutual Columbus on Aug. 4. Northwestern Mutual, has been teaming with Alex's Lemonade Stand for 10 years, so this is our 10th anniversary, said Northwestern Mutual Recruiter Ashley Penne. It's just something we've committed to and actually because this is the 10th anniversary our company as a whole donated an extra million dollars to Alex's Lemonade Stand this year. Lillian Hudnall and her friend, Emily Mausbach, were on hand along with Northwestern Mutual representatives to help sell lemonade and lunch for the cause. Hudnall has been leading the effort since her sister left for college and has received help from Mausbach. I think it's very important to do for like the kids in our community, and just to keep it going, Hudnall said. Nebraska is one of the highest states in childhood cancer rates. And I think it's important for us to all kind of help out and try to try to find a cause. This weekend Lemon Smiles will be at Hy-Vee, 3010 23rd St., on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The stand will have cookies donated by Hy-Vee and lemonade donated by Dr. Pepper in Norfolk. Additionally, there will be T-shirts, tanks, caps and sweatshirts available for purchase. It's really amazing to see how far we've grown the past couple of years especially, and how excited the community gets to see us every year, Hudnall said. We've gone into places with our T shirts and like, oh my gosh, we're so excited to see you guys this year! I think it's so cool how everyone kind of knows us or recognizes us. Hudnall added that this year has already been going well so far, and they are well on their way to reaching a milestone in the amount of money theyve raised overall. I think this year alone we already have $3,000 without the kickoff stand and our actual stand, she added. Our goal this year is $12,000 which will put us over our $100,000 mark by ourselves raised. With Northwestern, I think we'll have about $150,000 - $175,000. There is also a new program this year called Gas for Care that people can contribute to as well. We'll have tickets at our stand that are $10 for to buy gas, Hudnall said. We will go out and purchase about $50 or $60 worth of gas cards, and we'll hand those out to local kids and families in the community who need to travel to Omaha or places for that for their care. Who is Viktor Bout, the convicted arms dealer the US may trade to Russia for Brittney Griner? In this Oct. 5, 2010, file photo, suspected Russian arms smuggler Viktor Bout, center, is led by armed Thai police commandoes as he arrives at the criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand. AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong, File The US and Russia are in talks about swapping prisoners Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Bout was a prominent international arms dealer in the 1990s. A sting operation led to his arrest in 2008. A possible prisoner swap would mean Bout serves less than half of his sentence. The Biden administration and the Kremlin are reportedly discussing a prisoner swap to free WNBA star Brittney Griner and ex-Marine Paul Whelan, two Americans detained in Russia. In order to secure their release, the US has offered to trade back Viktor Bout, a convicted and notorious arms dealer imprisoned in the states, according to CNN. Viktor Bout had a long career as an international arms dealer Bout, born in Russia in 1967, started dealing weaponry internationally in the 1990s, orchestrating massive arms deals using cargo planes to transport weaponry and military equipment, Insider previously reported. He is said to have done business and fueled conflicts in Afghanistan, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Sudan, Insider reported. Bout earned the nickname "The Merchant of Death" after a book of the same title by Douglas Farah and Stephen Braun, two American investigative reporters, detailed his business. And his story inspired "Lord of War," a 2005 crime drama about an arms dealer loosely based on Bout's exploits starring Nicolas Cage, Jared Leto, and Ethan Hawke. Bout was arrested and jailed in Thailand in 2008 after he was caught in a sting operation selling military weapons to US drug enforcement informants pretending to be arms buyers for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Prosecutors said he was attempting to make millions of dollars by selling weapons to FARC in the deal, a militant group from Colombia that waged a revolt in the country until 2016. By 2010, he was finally extradited to America, where he was tried and convicted in 2011 in a Manhattan court on four charges of conspiring to kill Americans. Bout was sentenced to 25 years in US prison. Story continues At the time of his sentencing, Manhattan US attorney Preet Bharara said, "Viktor Bout has been international arms trafficking enemy number one for many years, arming some of the most violent conflicts around the globe." Russia fought back after Bout's arrest and 25-year sentence. In 2012, the Kremlin called his sentencing "baseless and biased," CNN reported. A US appeals court in 2013 upheld Bout's conviction and sentencing, rejecting the notion that he was a victim of a "vindictive" prosecution, Reuters reported at the time. Bout surfaces as a possible prisoner swap target Brittney Griner appears in Russian court. Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool/AP Photo After Whelan was first detained in 2020, his attorney suggested that a prisoner swap between Russia and the US for Bout was possible. In 2022, Griner was also detained after airport officials found hashish oil in her luggage. She was tried in Russian court, found guilty of drug smuggling, and sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison. Vice Presisdent Kamala Harris said securing Griner and Whelan's safe return is one of the White House's "highest priorities." The US offered Bout to Russia after Griner's arrest in exchange for the two held Americans, CNN first reported. While the Biden administration hasn't publicly confirmed the details of their offer, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US had made a "substantial proposal." The Kremlin responded to the offer one week later on Friday by saying they were willing to discuss a potential prisoner swap. The reported prisoner swap deal has drawn some criticism, including from former chief of operations at the US Drug Enforcement Administration Michael Braun, who wrote in a Foreign Policy column that releasing Bout would pose a "grave threat" to national security and be a "slap in the face" of law enforcement who risked their lives to arrest him. Former President Donald Trump also slammed the deal, calling Griner a "potentially spoiled person" who was "loaded up with drugs." Read the original article on Insider Aldi couple Courtesy of Aldi If you love your significant other and you both love Aldi and you're looking to take your love of both to the next level, Aldi has the contest for you: The grocery chain is looking for the perfect pair of Aldi addicts to become the first couple ever married in one of their stores, all expenses paid. From today until August 17, interested Aldi fans can head to the Happily Ever Aldi page on the brand's website where they can explain why they deserve an Aldi-hosted wedding for up to 50 friends and family. (According to the official rules, the couple's travel and accommodations are covered; the guests as for most weddings are on their own.) The event will be held at the Aldi Insights Center, the chain's model store at its U.S. headquarters in Batavia, Illinois, with the brand promising they'll be "transforming the whole space to be wedding-ready for the event." Beyond the actual ceremony, Aldi will provide a cocktail reception "flowing with Aldi food and beverages, including a branded tiered wedding cake baked with Baker's Corner ingredients and appetizers such as our famous mini Red Bag Chicken sliders." The grocer will also provide a photographer (whose work will include a "romantic photoshoot" in front of the store) along with a videographer, a DJ, and a hair and makeup team. The official rules also state that decor and flowers, including a bouquet and boutonniere, are included. The chain says guests will be sent home with custom Aldi wedding favors. And, yes, the marriage will even be officiated by an Aldi employee (with the rules stipulating that the winners "will be able to weave in personal traditions to the ceremony with Sponsor approval"). Plus, if that isn't enough free stuff, Aldi says the newlyweds will receive another wedding gift from the chain: a year of free groceries provided in $5,000 worth of Aldi gift cards. So cross that off your registry. "Every time our shoppers include us in one of their big moments, we feel the #AldiLove," Kate Kirkpatrick, director of communications for Aldi USA, stated in the announcement. "We're showing our #AldiLove in return by giving one crazy-in-love-with-Alid couple an opportunity to celebrate the ultimate life milestone with us." Per the rules, entrants will need to provide "a short essay (500 words maximum) detailing your and your Partner's love story, your 'Aldi Love Story' and why Alid is your dream destination wedding venue" along with "a well-lit photo of you and your Partner that shows off your personality as a couple, your love for each other and your #AldiLove." From there, judges will choose a winner based on "creativity in displaying their genuine love and passion for Aldi (75%)" and the "quality and originality of [their] photo (25%)." So don't even think about faking this one: Aldi diehards need only apply! WASHINGTON China said Friday it would suspend talks with the United States on a range of issues and would impose sanctions on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her family as tensions between the two nations escalated over Pelosis visit to Taiwan earlier this week. Chinas Foreign Ministry said it would suspend or cancel dialogue with the U.S. on issues ranging from climate change to military relations and anti-drug efforts. China did not say specifically what sanctions it would levy against Pelosi and her immediate family over what it called her egregious provocations in visiting Taiwan, an island that China claims as its own territory. China acted because Pelosi visited Taiwan in disregard of Chinas strong opposition and serious representations, the ministry said in a statement. In another sign of deteriorating relations between Washington and Beijing, the White House summoned China's ambassador to the White House on Thursday to launch a formal protest over Beijing's recent aggressive actions against Taiwan. China on Thursday launched threatening military exercises in six zones just off Taiwans coasts that it says will run through Sunday. Missiles also have been fired over Taiwan, defense officials told state media. "We condemned (China's) military actions, which are irresponsible, at odds with our long-standing goal of maintaining peace and stability and across the Taiwan Strait," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in a statement. "We made clear to the ambassador that Beijings actions are of concern to Taiwan, to us and to our partners around the world." China has claimed that Pelosis visit to Taiwan amounts to an attack by the Biden administration on Chinese sovereignty. The White House has stressed that Pelosi is the head of the legislative branch of government and that it could not stop her visit. The White House also has said Pelosis visit does not signal a shift in its one-China policy, which acknowledges that Taiwan is part of China. Story continues China has chosen to overreact and use the speakers visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait, Kirby told reporters at the White House on Thursday. In an effort to ease the tensions, Kirby said the U.S. would postpone intercontinental ballistic missile test scheduled for this week. Kirby said the decision to reschedule the test was intended to demonstrate the behavior of a responsible nuclear power by reducing the risks of miscalculation and misperception. Pelosi, the first U.S. speaker to visit Taiwan in 25 years, said in Japan on Friday that China will not be able to isolate Taiwan by preventing U.S. officials from traveling there. The Chinese have tried to isolate Taiwan, Pelosi said, including most recently by preventing it from joining the World Health Organization. They may try to keep Taiwan from visiting or participating in other places, but they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there, Pelosi said as she wrapped up a swing across Asia. Pelosi and five other members of Congress arrived in Tokyo late Thursday after visiting Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. Chinas announcement on Friday threatened to accelerate the friction with Washington. The Foreign Ministry said dialogue between U.S. and Chinese regional commanders and defense department heads would be canceled, along with talks on military maritime safety. Cooperation on returning illegal immigrants, criminal investigations, transnational crime, illegal drugs and climate change will be suspended, the ministry said. The Chinese military exercises launched Thursday involve its navy, air force and other departments and are to last until Sunday. They include missile strikes on targets in the seas north and south of the island in an echo of the last major Chinese military drills in 1995 and 1996 aimed at intimidating Taiwans leaders and voters. Taiwan has put its military on alert and staged civil defense drills, while the U.S. has numerous naval assets in the area. China also flew war planes toward Taiwan and blocked imports of its citrus and fish. 'WE CAME TO TAIWAN TO LISTEN': Pelosi gives strong backing to Taiwan's democracy; US braces for Chinese military drills Earlier Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that Chinas military exercises aimed at Taiwan represent a grave problem that threatens regional peace and security after five ballistic missiles launched as part of the drills landed in Japans exclusive economic zone. Kishida, speaking after breakfast with Pelosi and her congressional delegation, said the missile launches need to be stopped immediately. Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said five missiles landed on Thursday in Japans exclusive economic zone off Hateruma, an island far south of Japans main islands. He said Japan protested to China, saying the missiles threatened Japans national security and the lives of the Japanese people, which we strongly condemn. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, attending a regional meeting in Cambodia, said Chinas actions are severely impacting peace and stability in the region and the international community, and we demand the immediate suspension of the military exercises. Japan has in recent years bolstered its defense capability and troop presence in southwestern Japan and remote islands, including Okinawa, which is about 700 kilometers (420 miles) northeast of Taiwan. Many residents say they worry their island will be quickly embroiled in any Taiwan conflict. Okinawa is home to the majority of about 50,000 American troops based in Japan under a bilateral security pact. SEE THE HISTORIC TRIP: Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan amid escalating tensions with China At the breakfast earlier Friday, Pelosi and her congressional delegation also discussed their shared security concern over China, North Korea and Russia, and pledged their commitment to working toward peace and stability in Taiwan, Kishida said. Pelosi was also to hold talks with her Japanese counterpart, lower house Speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda. Japan and its key ally, the U.S., have been pushing for new security and economic frameworks with other democracies in the Indo-Pacific region and Europe as a counter to Chinas growing influence amid rising tensions between Beijing and Taipei. Days before Pelosis Taiwan visit, a group of senior Japanese lawmakers, including former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, visited the island and discussed regional security with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. Ishiba said Japan, while working with the United States to prevent conflict in the Indo-Pacific, wants a defense agreement with Taiwan. On Thursday, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven industrialized nations issued a statement saying there is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait. It said Chinas escalatory response risks increasing tensions and destabilizing the region. China cited its displeasure over the statement for the last-minute cancellation of talks between the Chinese and Japanese foreign ministers on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Cambodia on Thursday. Pelosi held talks on Thursday in South Korea, also a key U.S. ally, which stayed away from the Taiwan issue, apparently to avoid upsetting China, focusing instead on North Koreas increasing nuclear threat. In recent years, South Korea has been struggling to strike a balance between the United States and China as their rivalry has deepened. The Biden administration and Pelosi have said the United States remains committed to the so-called one-China policy, which recognizes Beijing as the government of China but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. The administration discouraged but did not prevent Pelosi from visiting. Pelosi has been a long-time advocate of human rights in China. She, along with other lawmakers, visited Beijings Tiananmen Square in 1991 to support democracy two years after a bloody military crackdown on protesters at the square. As leader of the House of Representatives, Pelosis trip has heightened U.S.-China tensions more than visits by other members of Congress. The last House speaker to visit Taiwan was Newt Gingrich in 1997. China and Taiwan, which split in 1949 after a civil war, have no official relations but multibillion-dollar business ties. Contributing: The Associated Press. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Taiwan: China halts climate, military ties after Pelosi stop Tippecanoe County Jail LAFAYETTE, Ind. Juan Antonio Aponte-Arnz died in a Tippecanoe County Jail holding cell on May 31 from acute mixed drug intoxication, Tippecanoe County Coroner Carrie Costello said Friday when asked for an update on the case. Aponte-Arnz's June 1 autopsy was inconclusive. He had no signs of trauma or of a struggle or a fight, Costello said the day after Aponte-Arnz's death. The corner's case remained opened until toxicology reports returned. Those reports indicated the combination of drugs in his body caused his death, and death was ruled an accident, Costello said. Aponte-Arnz's final 47 hours began about 3 a.m. May 29 when Lafayette police received a call of an unresponsive man near 14th and Salem streets, police said in May. That's just a few blocks east of Aponte-Arnz's apartment in the 800 block of North 10th Street, according to his address on his jail book-in card. More:Carroll County deputies arrest 2; confiscate 1/2 pound of meth The unresponsive man turned out to be Aponte-Arnz, 22, and he was taken by an ambulance to IU Health Arnett Hospital for treatment, police said in May. At 5 a.m. May 29, Aponte-Arnz was medically cleared to leave the hospital, and officers arrested him on two Huntington County warrants alleging Aponte-Arnz had not paid fines and court costs for his convictions of dealing meth, possession of meth, possession of marijuana, possession of cocaine and possession of paraphernalia. Officers drove Aponte-Arnz to the jail, where he was booked in around 6 a.m. May 29. About 2 a.m. May 31, jail officers noticed Aponte-Arnz was unresponsive in his holding cell, which he shared with two other inmates. Officers tried to revive him, but they were not successful. The Indiana State Police were called to investigate Aponte-Arnz's death. Without stating any details about the case, Indiana State Police Sgt. Jeremy Piers said the investigation is active and ongoing. Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Tippecanoe County Jail inmate died from mix drug intoxication: coroner Three more ships loaded with Ukrainian grain left the country's Black Sea ports Friday, the latest shipments in a deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations to ease a growing food crisis. The ships carrying more than 58,000 tons of corn are traveling to Ireland, the United Kingdom and Turkey, the United Nations said in a statement. The vessels are among more than a dozen that have been stuck in Ukraine since Russia invaded in February and are carrying a fraction of the 20 million tons of grain remaining in the country. A fourth ship was inspected by officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations in Istanbul and is headed for Ukraine, officials added. The export deal got underway this week when the first vessel was cleared to sail to Lebanon. Experts say much of Ukraine's grain exports are used for animal feed, not human consumption and the cargo may not have a significant impact on the global price of corn, wheat and soybeans. The movement of three additional vessels overnight is a very positive sign and will continue to build confidence that were moving in the right direction, said Jonathan Haines, senior analyst at data and analytics firm Gro Intelligence. If the flow of grain from Ukraine continues to expand, it will help relieve global supply constraints. USA TODAY ON TELEGRAM: Join our Russia-Ukraine war channel to receive updates Latest developments Ukraines presidential office on Friday said at least eight people were killed and 16 others injured in the latest Russian shelling across the eastern Donetsk region, which, for weeks, has faced the most intensive Russian barrage. Shellings and bombings are going round the clock, and people who refuse to evacuate risk being killed on their pillows, Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said in televised remarks. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for four hours Friday for talks focusing on a grain deal brokered by Turkey and the U.N. and the growing economic ties between Moscow and Ankara, among other things. They emphasized the necessity of a complete fulfillment of the package deal reached in Istanbul ... including unhindered export of Russian grain and fertilizers" in a joint statement. Story continues Russian forces shelled Nikopol, a Ukrainian city close to Europes biggest nuclear power plant on Thursday, reinforcing warnings from the U.N. nuclear chief that the fighting around the site could lead to a disastrous accident. The plant has been under Russian supervision since Moscows troops seized it early in the war. The ship Navi-Star carrying corn starts its way from the port in Odesa, Ukraine, on Friday. 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. Biden says he's 'hopeful' for Brittney Griner prisoner swap with Russia President Joe Biden said Friday he remains hopeful for a prisoner swap a day after WNBA star Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison by a Russian judge for drug possession. I'm hopeful. We're working hard, Biden said when asked to comment on Griner. Griner, a two-time United States Olympic gold medalist, was arrested Feb. 17 at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport after Russian authorities said she carried vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage. Over the past several weeks, Biden has faced pressure to try and get Griner back to the U.S. She sent Biden a handwritten letter, which was delivered on the Fourth of July. The president later responded with his own letter. Last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to accept a deal to free Griner and Paul Whelan, an American jailed in Russia on espionage charges. The Kremlin said Friday that it would be open to talking about a prisoner swap through a dedicated Russia-U.S. channel and not in public. Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY A VISUAL EXPLANATION: Mapping and tracking Russia's invasion of Ukraine Amnesty International says Ukraine endangered civilians Ukrainian forces have violated international law by establishing bases and operating weapons systems in populated residential areas, turning civilian areas into military targets, Amnesty International said in a report Thursday. Researchers for the human rights organization found evidence that Ukrainian forces based themselves in buildings like schools and hospitals in 19 towns and villages, exposing populated areas to Russian strikes that killed civilians and destroyed infrastructure. However, in cities including Kharkiv, Amnesty International found Russia had unlawfully targeted civilian areas and had committed war crimes. Ukraine's use of civilian areas as military bases "does not in any way justify" Russia's use of indiscriminate weapons like internationally banned cluster munitions, the organization said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday said the report tries to "shift the responsibility" of civilian deaths in Ukraine away from Russia in his nightly address CNN reported. Russian state and pro-Kremlin media extensively quoted the report, which to a certain extent aligns with Moscow's official narrative. Were talking about it all the time, calling the actions of Ukraines armed forces the tactics of using the civilian population as a human shield, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine live updates: Biden, Russia address Brittney Griner swap Four people have been shot dead, including a mother and her daughter, in a small town in Ohio. Police were called to reports of a shooting in Butler Township, just north of Dayton, just before midday on Friday, Butler Township police chief John Porter said during a news conference on Friday. They found the bodies of four victims at multiple locations, Mr Porter said. Police are searching for Steven Alexander Marlow, 39, in connection with the homicides. He is described as 511 (180cms), 160 pounds (72kgs), with brown hair, blue eyes, and possibly driving a 2007 white Ford Edge with the license plate JES 9806. He was last seen wearing shorts and a yellow shirt. If anyone sees Marlow or the vehicle they should call 911 immediately as he is likely to be armed and dangerous, Mr Porter told reporters. This is the first violent crime in this neighbourhood in recent memory. A man told WHIO that his daughter and granddaughter were among the victims. There was a large police presence at the scene of the shootings on Friday afternoon. WHIO reported that police had sealed two houses on Hardwicke Place with crime scene tape. Butler Township is a town of just under 8,000 residents about eight miles north of Dayton. Archie Battersbee was allegedly taking part in a dangerous social media trend called the blackout challenge before his mother found him unconscious at their family home in April. The 12-year-olds parents have now sought permission to move the child from the Royal London Hospital to a hospice, as he has been on life support since April. His mother Hollie Dance believes Battersbee choked while taking part in the blackout challenge. The life-threatening challenge, made popular on TikTok, has allegedly led to the deaths of multiple children. TikTok has been sued by the families of two young children who allegedly died while participating in a viral trend called the blackout challenge. The parents of Lalani Erika Renee Walton, eight, and Arriani Jaileen Arroyo, nine, filed the suit on Tuesday 5 July alleging that the social media platforms algorithm is dangerous. They alleged that TikToks algorithm intentionally and repeatedly pushed videos of the blackout challenge onto the childrens feeds, which led to the young girls participating in it. Lalani, from Temple, Texas, died on 15 July 2021. Police determined her death was a direct result of attempting TikToks blackout challenge, the complaint said. Arriani, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, died on 26 February 2021. When she was found unresponsive by her five-year-old brother. Although Arriani was rushed to a local hospital, she was taken off life support. TikTok was also sued in May by the family of 10-year-old Nylah Anderson, who died last December after reportedly attempting the same challenge. Her mother, Tawainna Anderson, accused TikTok of negligence and said the challenge was thrust in front of her daughter through her feed. What is the blackout challenge? The blackout challenge is a dare that encourages those who try it to hold their breath until they pass out due to a lack of oxygen. It is also sometimes referred to as the choking challenge or the pass-out challenge. Story continues The dare is not new, and has been around since 2008, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A study carried out by the regulatory body found at the time that at least 82 young people died as a result of the game. Why is it so dangerous? Because the challenge involves choking oneself, it can starve the brain of oxygen and result in suffocation. The CDC warned: Death or serious injury can result if strangulation is prolonged. What has TikTok said? Following Nylahs death, a spokesperson for TikTok told People: This disturbing challenge, which people seem to learn about from sources other than TikTok, long predates our platform and has never been a TikTok trend. We remain vigilant in our commitment to user safety and would immediately remove related content if found. Our deepest sympathies go out to the family for their tragic loss. The platform has not yet responded to the lawsuits. Conservative Rep. Liz Cheney Wants Trump Prosecuted for Role in Jan. 6 Attack: 'Are We a Nation of Laws?' Rep. Liz Cheney says that, if the Department of Justice chooses not to prosecute former President Donald Trump over his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, it will lead her to question how the United States can call itself "a nation of laws." In an interview with CNN's Kasie Hunt, Cheney said, "Understanding what it means if the facts and the evidence are there, and they decide not to prosecute how do we then call ourselves a nation of laws? I think that's a very serious, serious balancing." "The question for us is, are we a nation of laws? Are we a country where no one is above the law? And what do the facts and the evidence show?" Cheney said. Cheney who is vice chair of the House select committee investigating the events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection said the committee is "going to continue to follow the facts. I think Department of Justice will do that. But they have to make decisions about prosecution." Liz Cheney, donald trump SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty; Brandon Bell/Getty Liz Cheney (left), Donald Trump RELATED: Liz Cheney Says Evidence Shows Trump and Others Knew Plan to Overturn 2020 Election Was Illegal Elsewhere in the interview, the Wyoming representative said that Trump is "guilty of the most serious dereliction of duty of any president in our nation's history," referencing a federal judge, who in a court filing in March said that "it is more likely than not" that the former president "attempted to obstruct the Joint Session of Congress" on Jan. 6. In the filing, Judge David Carter wrote that Trump and his attorney John Eastman enacted a plan to overturn the election, and justified that plan with allegations of election fraud. "But President Trump likely knew the justification was baseless, and therefore that the entire plan was unlawful," Carter wrote. RELATED: Trump Threatens CNN with Lawsuit for Alleged Defamation in Reporting Former President's 2020 Election 'Lies' Elsewhere in that ruling, Carter wrote that Eastman and Trump "launched a campaign to overturn a democratic election, an action unprecedented in American history. Their campaign was not confined to the ivory tower it was a coup in search of a legal theory. The plan spurred violent attacks on the seat of our nation's government, led to the deaths of several law enforcement officers, and deepened public distrust in our political process." Story continues Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer. Cheney has been vocal about her focus to hold the former president accountable and his supporters for the attack on the U.S. Capitol and attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. RELATED: Dick Cheney Says Trump Is a 'Threat to Our Republic' in Video Supporting Daughter Liz's Reelection Cheney, one of two Republicans on the Jan. 6 panel, is facing reelection this year. Her criticism of Trump has left her ostracized from her party, and she is suffering in polls that show her trailing Donald Trump-endorsed candidate Harriet Hageman (who she will face in an Aug. 16 primary) by a wide margin. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Israel unleashed a wave of airstrikes in Gaza on Friday, killing at least eight people, including a senior militant, and wounding another 40, according to Palestinian officials. Israel said it was targeting the Islamic Jihad militant group in response to an imminent threat following the arrest of a senior militant in the occupied West Bank earlier this week. The strikes risk igniting yet another war in the territory, which is ruled by the Islamic militant group Hamas and is home to about 2 million Palestinians. The assassination of a senior militant appeared likely to draw rocket fire from Gaza, pushing the sides closer to all-out war. A blast could be heard in Gaza City, where smoke poured out of the seventh floor of a tall building on Friday afternoon. The Israeli government will not allow terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to set the agenda in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip and threaten the citizens of the State of Israel, Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement. Anyone who tries to harm Israel should know: We will find you. The violence poses an early test for Lapid, who assumed the role of caretaker prime minister ahead of elections in November in which he hopes to keep the position. He has experience in diplomacy, having served as foreign minister in the outgoing government, but his security credentials are thin. The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the toll, saying a 5-year-old girl was among those killed. It did not say whether the others were militants or civilians. Islamic Jihad said Taiseer al-Jabari, its commander for northern Gaza, was among those killed. He had succeeded another militant killed in an airstrike in 2019. A few hundred people gathered outside the morgue at Gaza Citys main Shifa hospital. Some entered to identify loved ones, only to emerge in tears. One shouted: May God take revenge against spies, referring to Palestinian informants who cooperate with Israel. Story continues An Israeli military spokesman said it launched the strikes in response to an imminent threat from two militant squads armed with anti-tank missiles. The spokesman, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said al-Jabari was deliberately targeted and had been responsible for multiple attacks on Israel. The military also announced a special situation on the home front, with schools closed and limits placed on other activities in communities within 80 kilometers (50 miles) of the border. Israel had closed roads around Gaza earlier this week and sent reinforcements to the border as it braced for a revenge attack after the arrest of the Islamic Jihad leader in the occupied West Bank on Monday. A teenage member of the group was killed in a gunbattle between the Israeli troops and Palestinian militants. Israel and the Hamas fought four wars and several smaller skirmishes in the 15 years since the militant group seized power in the coastal strip from rival Palestinian forces. The most recent war was in May 2021, and tensions again soared earlier this year following a wave of attacks inside Israel, near-daily military operations in the West Bank and tensions at a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site. Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah, speaking to the al-Mayadeen TV network from Iran, said the fighters of the Palestinian resistance have to stand together to confront this aggression. He said there would be no red lines and blamed the violence on Israel. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the Israeli enemy, who started the escalation against Gaza and committed a new crime, must pay the price and bear full responsibility for it. Islamic Jihad is smaller than Hamas but largely shares its ideology. Both groups are opposed to Israels existence and have carried out scores of deadly attacks over the years, including the firing of rockets into Israel. Its unclear how much control Hamas has over Islamic Jihad, and Israel holds Hamas responsible for all attacks emanating from Gaza. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited communities near Gaza earlier on Friday, saying authorities were preparing actions that will remove the threat from this region. Israel and Egypt have maintained a tight blockade over the territory since the Hamas takeover in 2007. Israel says the closure is needed to prevent Hamas from building up its military capabilities, while critics say the policy amounts to collective punishment of Gazas 2 million Palestinian residents. Israel called off an expected fuel delivery for Gazas sole power plant, which was expected to shut down early Saturday if the fuel did not enter the territory. Even when the plant is running at full capacity, Gazans still endure daily power outages that last several hours. Earlier Friday, a couple of hundred Israelis protested near the Gaza Strip on Friday to demand the return of a captive and the remains of two Israeli soldiers held by Hamas. The protesters were led by the family of Hadar Goldin, who along with Oron Shaul was killed in the 2014 Gaza war. Hamas is still holding their remains, as well as two Israeli civilians who strayed into Gaza and are believed to be mentally ill, hoping to exchange them for some of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The protesters pushed through two police checkpoints on a road near the heavily-guarded Gaza frontier before stopping at a third. They held a large sign demanding the return of the soldiers remains as well as Avraham Mengistu, an Israeli of Ethiopian descent in his late 20s or early 30s. Mengistus family took part in the protest. In June, Hamas released a rare video showing another captive, Hisham al-Sayid, an Arab citizen of Israel, in a hospital bed with an oxygen mask and an IV drip. It said his health has recently deteriorated. Reporters covering the protest did not hear any mention of al-Sayid. Israel says there can be no major moves toward lifting the blockade until the soldiers remains and captive civilians are released. Israel and Hamas have held numerous rounds of Egyptian-mediated talks on a possible swap. Krauss reported from Ottawa, Ontario. Associated Press reporter Ariel Schalit in Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, Israel, contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israeli strikes on Gaza kill 8, including senior militant LIMERICK, Ireland, Aug. 5, 2022 /CNW/ - kneat.com, inc. (TSX: KSI) (OTC: FBAYF) ("Kneat" or the "Company") a leader in digitizing and automating validation processes, announced today that the Company will release its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, after TSX market close on August 10th, 2022. kneat.com, inc. logo (CNW Group/kneat.com, inc.) Eddie Ryan, Chief Executive Officer and Hugh Kavanagh, Chief Financial Officer, will host a conference call and Q&A for sell side analysts via webcast on August 11th, 2022 at 09:00 ET (14:00 GMT). Interested parties can register for the live webcast via the following link: Register Or, attend via teleconference Ireland +353 15 360 755 Canada +1 (647) 497-9385 United States +1 (951) 384-3421 United Kingdom +44 330 221 9922 If attending via teleconference, please register via the link above to access dial-in pin code required to attend. The dial-in pin code is available in your confirmation email. The second quarter financial results will be available from the Financial Information section of the Investors page on the Kneat Solutions website, at: https://kneat.com/investors/ About Kneat Kneat, a Canadian company with operational headquarters in Limerick, Ireland, develops and markets the next generation Kneat Gx software platform ("Kneat Gx"). Multiple business processes can be configured on Kneat Gx from equipment to computer system validation, through to quality document management. Kneat Gx allows users to author, review, approve, execute testing online, manage any exceptions and post approve final deliverables in a controlled FDA 21 CFR Part 11/ Eudralex Annex 11 compliant platform. Macro and micro report dashboards enable powerful oversight into all systems, projects, and processes world-wide. Customer case studies are reporting productivity improvements in excess of 100% and a higher data integrity and compliance standard. For more information visit www.kneat.com. Cautionary and Forward-Looking Statements Story continues Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, certain information presented constitutes "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, the relationship between Kneat and the customer, Kneat's business development activities, the use and implementation timelines of Kneat's software within the customer's validation processes, the ability and intent of the customer to scale the use of Kneat's software within the customer's organization and the compliance of Kneat's platform under regulatory audit and inspection. While such forward-looking statements are expressed by Kneat, as stated in this release, in good faith and believed by Kneat to have a reasonable basis, they are subject to important risks and uncertainties. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, the events predicted in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, given that they involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking information in this press release does not include a full assessment or reflection of the unprecedented impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic occurring since the first quarter of 2020 and the ongoing and developing resulting indirect global and regional economic impacts. This has resulted in significant economic uncertainty and even though the Company has to date experienced no significant impact to its operations, any potential impact on our future is difficult to understand or measure at this time. Kneat does not undertake any obligation to release publicly revisions to any forward-looking statement, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Investors should not assume that any lack of update to a previously issued forward-looking statement constitutes a reaffirmation of that statement. Continued reliance on forward-looking statements is at an investors' own risk. SOURCE kneat.com, inc. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/August2022/05/c9338.html ANKENY Three family members killed during a shooting last month at an eastern Iowa state park were shot, stabbed and/or strangled, according to autopsy results released Thursday. Tyler Schmidt, 42, died from a gunshot wound and multiple sharp force injuries, while his wife, 42-year-old Sarah Schmidt, died from multiple sharp force injuries, the Iowa Department of Public Safety said in a news release. Their 6-year-old daughter, Lula Schmidt, died from a gunshot wound and strangulation, officials said. All three family members deaths have been ruled homicides. The Schmidts' 9-year-old son, who was with his family on the camping trip, survived the attack without physical injuries, but investigators have not said whether he was in the tent when the attack happened. The department confirmed Thursday that the killer was Anthony Sherwin, 23, of La Vista, Nebraska, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after the family was attacked early on the morning of July 22 in their tent at the Maquoketa Caves State Park campground. Investigators said all evidence collected substantiates that Sherwin acted alone, but police have not indicated a motive in the killings. Police who swarmed the park in the wake of the shooting found Sherwins body outside the campground but within a wooded area of the park. Senior Democrat Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan created a headache for President Joe Biden Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan has left Joe Biden with a serious headache as he tries to manage ties with America's biggest global rival. Analysts warn that many risks lie ahead. The relationship between China and the United States was founded on deliberate ambiguity over Taiwan. Maintaining the status quo - in which Beijing says Taiwan is part of China, Taiwan says it's independent, the US says it's not but treats it like an ally, and no one makes aggressive moves on their claims - has been the least-worst option of keeping a tenuous peace. But the US House Speaker has shone a harsh spotlight on the contradictions of this arrangement - which had already become strained. China's fury over her visit to Taiwan - she is the most senior US official to make the trip in 25 years - has also further complicated President Biden's efforts to manage a relationship that's reached new lows. And it's increased the chance of America being drawn into conflict with another major power while preoccupied with Russia's war against Ukraine. It didn't help that one arm of the US government seemed to be at odds with another, making Taiwan look like it was part of a Washington turf war. Ms Pelosi, a Democrat and long-time China hawk, was cheered on by a strong contingent of Republican lawmakers who agreed that congressional visits to Taiwan were important demonstrations of US solidarity in the face of rising Chinese threats toward the self-governing island. Her fellow Democrat in the White House didn't feel it was his place to stand her down, since Congress is independent of the executive. Privately, Mr Biden sent advisers to warn her of the risks at a politically sensitive time for China. President Xi Jinping is facing an important party congress in November while under considerable domestic pressure and can't afford to look weak, she was told. When Ms Pelosi decided to go anyway, the administration was left to defend the move and play down its significance, stressing that it didn't mark a change in America's "One China" policy. Story continues But it acknowledged that Beijing would react badly and could continue its response for weeks if not months. As China encircles Taiwan with live-fire military drills, the view in Washington is still that President Xi aims to "calibrate" his moves so as not to ignite open warfare, which neither side wants. But it's an explosive development in a brittle relationship. "The US and China don't have either the political space or really the relationships and the mechanisms to prevent an incident like that from becoming a full-blown crisis," says Danny Russel, a former diplomat who specialised in the Asia Pacific, now with the Asia Society Policy Institute. "I think (the Pelosi visit) will lock in the hardest-line thinking in China, and really remove any place for advocacy of patience and caution," he told the BBC. That would deepen the dysfunction of already faltering efforts for the two global powers to address a host of other issues. China's diplomatic support for Russia is near the top of the list for the US, but the ongoing trade war is a close second, followed by the need to deal together with climate change and the risk of North Korea's nuclear weapons. President Biden took office as Xi Jinping was growing more authoritarian at home and more assertive abroad. The US response was a policy that defined Beijing as a strategic competitor and America's greatest long-term challenge. China didn't appreciate this framework, and the administration hasn't got far with its plan to also seek cooperation where possible. The White House now says its goal is to establish "guardrails" to manage disagreements, worked out directly between the two presidents. But Taiwan has raised "an issue of credibility," says Bonnie Glaser, an Asia specialist at the German Marshall fund. "I do think that Xi Jinping will feel that he cannot take Joe Biden's word." In that, Ms Pelosi's visit is only the tip of the iceberg. It follows a series of other steps that made China suspect the US was normalising relations with Taiwan, not least Mr Biden's suggestions that he had a stronger commitment to the island's defence than American policy requires. Ms Glaser says what's needed is a "focused, quiet, candid dialogue" that goes off the standard ambiguity of the script and clearly spells out red lines. Perhaps that will be possible if efforts to organise a face-to-face meeting between the presidents on the sidelines of the G20 summit in November bear fruit. That might help stabilise the relationship but would be unlikely to move it beyond crisis management. Weather Alert ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT FRIDAY... * WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with temperatures up to 103. * 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...Until 11 PM PDT Friday. * IMPACTS...Extreme heat will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. && Four people were killed in two separate fires early Thursday morning in the small northeast Nebraska town of Laurel, and foul play is suspected, according to the Nebraska State Patrol. At a news conference Thursday afternoon in the Cedar County town, Col. John Bolduc, superintendent of the state patrol, said authorities responded to an explosion at a home at 209 Elm St. at 3 a.m., where they found one person dead. While crews were working to put out the fire, a second fire at a home at 503 Elm St. was reported. Three people were found dead at that location. Bolduc said the state patrol is investigating the connection between the two fires. He asked anybody with information or security camera footage to contact the patrol at 402-479-4921. Bolduc said witnesses saw a "silver sedan driven by a black male" leaving the town of Laurel, headed westbound on U.S. 20. Investigators discovered evidence of accelerants at the scenes and believe the suspect or suspects could have been burned in the incidents. The names of the four people who were killed were not released Thursday afternoon. Officials with hazmat suits were observed walking toward the scene on Thursday morning. The community of fewer than 1,000 people is about 40 miles west of Sioux City, Iowa. Douglas Furlich, who lives blocks away from both locations where fires reportedly broke out, said he heard an explosion call while listening to the police scanner as he watched TV around 3:30 a.m. Thursday. Shortly after, he said, the town's sirens began to wail, signaling a fire or rescue call. "I went and took a drive to see, and they still have at the Third and Elm site they still have that blocked off; you can't get within a half a block of it. And there's a blue tarp that has been erected around the portion of the yard." This is a developing story. Stay with JournalStar.com for updates. Today Mixed clouds and sun with scattered thunderstorms. High 106F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Tonight Partly cloudy. Low around 85F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Tomorrow Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 103F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. "The globalists can all go to hell, I have come to Texas," Prime Minister Viktor Orban just told the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas. "We have seen what kind of future the globalist, ruling class has to offer. But we have a different future in mind," Orban said. We Hungarians know how to defeat the enemies of freedom on the political battlefield, the prime minister said in his keynote speech, adding that if anyone had doubts about whether progressive liberals and communists were the same, just ask us Hungarians; we have fought them both and I can tell you they are the same. Our values, the nation, Christian roots and family can be successful on the political battlefield, even nowadays, when political life is ruled by liberal hegemony. Im here to tell you how we made these values successful and mainstream in Hungary, he said, declaring that the key to success was to fight at one hundred percent. We tell the truth and represent the truth, even if half the world attacks us for it. First and foremost, we need to trust our Judeo-Christian teachings, he added. Todays progressives try to separate Western civilisation from its Christian roots once again. They are crossing a line that should never be crossed. If you separate Western civilisation from its Judeo-Christian heritage, the worst things in history happen, he said. We must take back the institutions in Washington and in Brussels, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said. We must find friends and allies in one another, he added. Orban noted the US mid-term elections will take place later this year, followed by presidential and congressional elections in 2024. And we will have election in the European Parliament in the same year, he added. These two locations will define the two fronts in the battle being fought for western civilisation, Orban said. The US government has put Europe and the European Union under ideological pressure, Orban insisted. The Obama administration tried to force us to change the Fundamental Law of Hungary and delete Christian and national values from it, the prime minister said in his keynote speech. The leading power of the free world wanted to force us to change our constitution according to a globalist liberal concept. How bizarre! But this attempt was successfully resisted, he added. Noting that Texas is known as the Lone Star State, Orban said the state represented independence, freedom and sovereignty as the dearest values in this part of America. My country, Hungary, is the lone star state of Europe, he declared. Independence, freedom and sovereignty is what we Hungarians fought for in the last 500 years, he said. We fought for Christianity in the Middle and Modern Ages; and we fought for Christian democracy in the 20th century, and continue to fight to this day. Orban said he was the leader of a country that is under the siege of progressive liberals day by day. Hungarians, he added, were the first in Europe to say no to illegal migration and stopped the invasion of illegal migrants. Hungarians believe that stopping illegal migration is necessary to protect our nation, Orban said. Hungarys government decided to ask the people whether or not they wanted illegal migration, and Hungarians rejected it in a referendum, he said. So, they dont want to play by the rules of the progressives, he added. Meanwhile, on the subject of the war in Ukraine, Orban said: Without American-Russian talks there will never be peace in Ukraine. Noting that Ukraine is Hungarys neighbour, Orban declared that we are in full solidarity with them. The attack of Russia against Ukraine has forced close to one million refugees to Hungary so far, he added. The globalist leaders strategy escalates and prolongs war and decreases the chance of peace, Orban said. Only strong leaders are able to make peace. We in the neighbourhood of Ukraine are desperately in need of strong leaders, who are capable of negotiating the peace deal, Orban said. The Nebraska State Patrol arrested a suspect Friday morning in connection with four homicides that occurred in the northeast Nebraska town of Laurel Thursday. Jason Jones, 42, was taken in to custody shortly after 2:30 a.m. Friday, according to the patrol. Jones is a Laurel resident and lived near the first victim's home. He sustained serious burns and is being treated at a St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Lincoln. Four people died in house fires that occurred in two different homes within three blocks of each other early Thursday morning. The patrol said on Friday that each victim had suspected gunshot wounds. The victims were identified as Michelle Ebeling, 53, was killed in the first fire at 209 Elm St. Gene Twiford, 86, Janet Twiford, 85, and Dana Twiford, 55, were all killed in the second home at 503 Elm St. Just after 3 a.m. Thursday, Cedar County 911 received a phone call reporting an explosion and fire at 209 Elm St. in Laurel. Inside, Ebeling was found dead. While crews were on the scene of the first fire, another fire was reported three blocks away at 503 Elm St. Fire crews and law enforcement found three members of the Twiford family dead in that home. Fire investigators think the fire at 503 Elm may have started around the same time as the explosion at 209 Elm around 3 a.m., the patrol said. Accelerants may have been used in both fires, said Col. John Bolduc, the superintendent of law enforcement and public safety for the patrol, during a Thursday press conference. The patrol said that there is no danger to the public at this time. The following questions were asked recently on the Wonderline: Q: How many people does the city employ? A: York City Administrator Sue Crawford said, The city has 73 full-time employees and 34 permanent part-time employees (this includes the mayor and city council members). During the summer, we add about 100 seasonal part-time employees. This summer it was 111. Q: My question is how many private in-ground pools are there in York? And how many of those pools have fences? A: Dan Aude, city asset manager, said, The city doesnt have a pool registration data base to track the requested information. Q: There was such a push for COVID vaccinations a year ago and I remember the vaccination rate here was barely over half the population after all the large vaccination clinics and such. My question is what is our COVID vaccination rate now, here in York County and surrounding counties? Im just curious as to whether it increased by much over the last year since that type of reporting isnt as prevalent as it was back in the height of the pandemic. A: Right now, these are the following COVID vaccination rates, locally: Four Corners Health District, overall: 53.85% York County: 55.92% Seward County: 54.79% Polk County: 48.24% Butler County: 52.16% These vaccination rates were provided by the Four Corners Health Department. Q: How old is the York Country Club? A: According to a rendition of its history, written years ago by Dean Sack, the York Country Club was created in 1921. However, it really did not become well established until about 1941, according to historical accounts. Q: Is it true that Lushton used to have a population of several hundred? A: It appears to be the case. In the early 1900s, historical records say Lushton had a population of about 82 families and 300 people. Q: There are still physical signs that say York College but its supposed to be transitioning to York University. When will that take place? A: The institution officially became York University on July 1. Transitioning the signage will take some time and will be done gradually over the course of this first year as a university. Q: What percentage of York Public Schools students qualify for free and/or reduced-price lunches? A: According to the Nebraska Department of Education, in the 2021-22 school year, 38.86% of York students qualified for free or reduced-price lunches. That compared with 32.27% at McCool Junction, 24.65% at Heartland, 24.43% at St. Joseph Elementary and 24.65% at Emmanuel-Faith Lutheran School using, as examples, data for York County schools. Q: Who invented pizza? A: Pizza has a long history. Flatbreads with toppings were consumed by the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. The Greeks ate a version with herbs and oil. But the modern birthplace of pizza is the southwestern Italys Campania region, home to the city of Naples. Q: I was reading about the historic house in Lincoln where the neighbors were trying to stop the owners from tearing it down. What a situation. Anyway, that got me and my coffee ladies to talking about where the oldest house in Nebraska is located. A: The Bellevue Log Cabin is regarded as the oldest building in Nebraska. It is located at 1805 Hancock Street in Bellevue. It was constructed sometime between 1830 and 1835 and built close to the Missouri River as a part of the Jacob Astor Fur Trading Post. According to Sarpy County historical experts, the log cabin was relocated further away from the river in 1835. Then in 1850, it was moved for the last time onto what was at the time the Presbyterian Missions property. The cabin was built using cottonwood logs measuring nearly a foot thick with Indian lodge pole style rafters. Over time, the cabin was enlarged and is twice its original size. Siding was added but has since been removed. Since the 1950s, periodic restoration projects have not only restored the cabin to near original condition but have also undertaken the addition of a basement, new roofs, replacement of rotten logs and structural reinforcement work. The cabin has been home to several noted settlers and important figures, history experts say. In 1856, Joseph Betz used the cabin as a carpenters shop while he built the Old Presbyterian Church on Franklin Street. Other tenants during the 1850s included the family of James Gow who was the county judge there for several years. Judge Gow sold the cabin to Mary Kinney in 1868. She sold the property to Josephine Mountain. The property stayed in the Mountain familys hands until 1954 when the Sarpy County Historical Society purchased the property. On Oct. 16, 1970, the cabin was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Sarpy County Historical Museum Society, in conjunction with the City of Bellevue, continues to oversee the property. Tours of the cabin can be arranged by contacting the Sarpy County Museum. The executive director is Ben Justman and he can be reached at 402-292-1880. Q: Is there anywhere I can take my grandfather clock to get it fixed, in York? A: We have had this Wonderline question asked many, many times over the years and today we have an answer for you. Thanks to Dave Sjuts, the writer who does the weekly column, Business Beat, we know about Michael Miller of York and his About Time clock and watch repair shop. The business is located in his home at 806 North Florida Avenue. You can contact him by email at abouttimeclockwatchrepair@gmail.com or call him at 402-710-3202. A Chinese military observer has posted the image of the new Z-10ME helicopter of the Chinese forces, which has left netizens baffled. The new helicopter is a modified version of the new Z-10 attack helicopter used by the Chinese armed forces and based on the reports, the image has been taken from the Chinese social media site Weibo. It is to be noted that the Z-10 helicopters participated in a live fire exercise conducted by the armed forces in the recent past and can be delivered to Pakistan in the near future. The exercise was conducted by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the Karakoram Mountains. Moreover, the helicopter has striking similarities to the Boeing-made Apache attack helicopter used by the Indian Air Force. The attack helicopter Z-10 weighs about 5,100 kg when empty and has a range of 1,120 kilometres. It has a 23-millimeter revolver pistol and four external hardpoints for rocket launchers, air-to-air missiles, and other weapons. The helicopter is capable of carrying up to 16 anti-tank missiles, four multiple 7-barrel rocket launchers, or two multiple 32-barrel rocket launchers, with the potential to use different configurations for different missions. A new and so far clearest image of the Z-10ME has been revealed showing all the latest additions. (Image via @Ds from Weibo)@kt396 @lqy99021608 pic.twitter.com/EVz8f5DgmV @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) August 1, 2022 The helicopters will play a major role in China's relationship with Pakistan as the helicopter are to be sold to the latter. Pakistan chose to purchase the Chinese-made Z-10ME attack helicopter over the Turkish-built T129 in January 2022. Major General Babar Iftikhar, a spokesman for the Pakistani Army, made the news on January 5. Also read: China-Taiwan tensions: Multiple flights diverted, cancelled after missiles fired in Taiwan Strait Iftikhar stated that Pakistan had moved on in regards to the Turkish pact when asked if the arrangement was still in place during a news conference. Then, he said that negotiations with China to buy new Z-10ME attack helicopters were ongoing. If the contract is approved, Pakistan will purchase the Chinese helicopter first, exactly as it did with the J-10C. Islamabad is expected to purchase 30 helicopters, the same amount as the T129 ATAK agreement, though the exact quantity is unknown. In a latest development in the ongoing China-Taiwan tensions, various airlines have cancelled or diverted their flights, which were scheduled to fly to Taipei in Taiwan. This move from airlines comes to avoid the airspace around Taipei and Chinese military exercises that came into effect after Nancy Pelosi, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker's visit to Taiwan. Also, China has deployed multiple planes around Taiwan Strait and has fired live missiles near Taiwan, as a part of its biggest-ever drills in the Taiwan Strait. Although the affected airspace is relatively small, the disruption due to the military exercise is hampering air travel routes between Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia. Temporary airspace closures and route changes during major military exercises occur regularly around the world. This situation is unusual in that China's exercise bisect Taiwan's claimed 12 nautical miles (22 kilometres) of territorial waters - something Taiwanese officials say challenges the international order and amount to a blockade of its sea and airspace. Korean Air Lines Co Ltd and Singapore Airlines Ltd said they had cancelled flights to and from Taipei on Friday due to the exercises, with the Korean carrier also cancelling its Saturday flights and delaying Sunday flights. Japan`s ANA Holdings Inc and Japan Airlines Co Ltd are still operating flights to Taipei as normal, spokespeople for the airlines said, but are avoiding the affected airspace on those flights, as well as on routes to Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Hong Kong`s Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd and Philippines Airlines said their flights were avoiding designated airspace zones around Taiwan, in a move that could lead to more flying time for some flights, while Vietnam`s aviation regulator warned its airlines to avoid the area. Also read - 2022 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 to launch today: Check price, features and more Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 showed Taiwanese carriers China Airlines Ltd and EVA Airways Corp were still flying to and from the island as of Friday morning, as were cargo carriers FedEx Corp and United Parcel Service Inc, though avoiding the areas affected by the military drills. Emirates, United Airlines Holdings Inc and Turkish Airlines had flights en route to Taipei on Friday morning local time, Flightradar24 showed. Taiwan, along with mainland China and Hong Kong, is one of the few places in the world that still requires quarantine for arrivals because of COVID-19, triggering reduced demand for travel to the island that means there are far fewer flights than before the pandemic. OPSGROUP, an aviation industry cooperative that shares information on flight risks, said the exercises would affect major routes between Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia, leading to re-routings that could take longer and burn extra fuel. The airspace involved, however, is minor in its impact on the global aviation industry compared to the decision by most airlines to bypass overflight of other places like Russia, Ukraine, Afghanistan, North Korea, Iraq and Syria. The avoidance of Russian airspace, for example, has led to a near four-hour increase in flight times between Finland and Japan. Taiwan said on Wednesday it was negotiating with neighbouring Japan and the Philippines to find alternative aviation routes, the official Central News Agency (CNA) reported. With inputs from Reuters The Sentinel One of the pipelines, Mariner East 2, crosses 17 counties in the southern tier of the state, including Cumberland County. The other pipeline, Revolution Pipeline, starts in Butler County and is routed through Beaver and Allegheny counties before connecting to a plant in Washington County. As part of the agreement, Energy Transfer will pay for independent evaluations of potential water quality impacts for homeowners from construction of the Mariner East 2 Pipeline, and offer approved mechanisms for restoring or replacing impacted private water supplies. Residents interested in having their water tested should reach out to the Attorney Generals Office by email at watertesting@attorneygeneral.gov, by phone at 570-904-2643 or by mail at Environmental Crimes Section, 16th Floor, Strawberry Square, Harrisburg PA 17120. The deadline to sign up for water testing is Aug. 19. An independent geologist will also review water testing and advise on water quality and impact, according to Shapiros office. Energy Transfer will also pay $10 million toward projects that improve the health and safety of water sources along the routes of the pipeline. We have a constitutional right in Pennsylvania to clean air and pure water, Shapiro said in a news release. Its a right that was enshrined in our state constitution at a time when the people of Pennsylvania learned a tough lesson first-hand the health of our children, and our economic future, depended on protecting our environment from reckless profit and unchecked corporate interests. Today were upholding our oath to our constitution and holding Energy Transfer accountable for their crimes against our natural resources. Sunoco Pipeline had been charged in October 2021 following an investigation by the attorney generals Environmental Crimes Section and from recommendations from a grand jury. Sunoco was charged with 48 counts of environmental crimes for the Mariner East 2 Pipeline. According to the grand jury, Sunoco repeatedly allowed thousands of gallons of drilling fluid to escape underground along the Mariner East 2 Pipeline, which sometimes surfaced in fields, backyards, streams, lakes and wetlands. The Attorney Generals Office said Sunoco then failed to report the losses of fluid to the state Department of Environmental Protection numerous times. Sunoco Pipeline LP pleaded no contest to 14 counts of Clean Streams violations for its conduct related to Mariner East 2, and ETC Northeast Pipeline LLC pleaded no contest to nine counts of Clean Streams violations. The Attorney Generals Office said this conviction will appear on Energy Transfers criminal record and can be found anytime the company bids for a new project. Shapiros office said, however, that there were obstacles in the conviction process, and he sought to negotiate a plea deal instead of a trial. Shapiro said that Pennsylvanias criminal statutes for environmental crimes are currently too weak to allow for consequences high enough to deter major companies from breaking the laws (with fines for violations allowed only between $2,500 and $50,000); that a trial could be lengthy and expensive; and that the plea deal allowed for better benefits for victims than what could be secured at a trial. The Hindu Sena filed a PIL with the Supreme Court contesting the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security`s decision for Sikhs to carry Kirpan on domestic flights, but it was dismissed. Justices S. Abdul Nazeer and J.K. Maheshwari were on the panel that gave the petitioner organisation the order to approach the appropriate high court. " You go to the High Court. Dismissed, with liberty to approach the High Court " the bench said. Hindu Sena, a group, filed the petition to challenge the exemption the Sikh community had been given by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. The petitioner challenged the order issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security on March 4, 2022, which stated that "kirpan" may be carried by only by a Sikh passenger on domestic flights provided the length of its blade does not exceed 15.24 cms (6 inches) and the total length does not exceed 22.86 cms (9 inches). The plea said: "The liberty granted to the Sikh passengers/ employees/ stakeholders vide the said order appears to be absolute without any consideration for the safety and security of the fellow passengers and employees as stated order does not provide any provision to ascertain that whether the person carrying kirpan in the high security areas like airport and aircraft is an actual Sikh or an imposter with the intention to misuse the above liberty." Also read: Arunachal Pradeshs Hollongi greenfield airport named 'Donyi Polo', ops to begin from August 15 The plea contended that the freedom given to Sikh passengers is arbitrary and a violation of Article 14 and Article 15 with respect to the discrimination made on the basis of religion, as any non-Sikh person is not allowed to carry any object that could be a potential threat to the co-passengers. With inputs from IANS Elon Musk CEO of Tesla and a software billionaire, dismissed the rumours that he will soon be able to construct his own private airport outside of Austin, Texas, saying that it "would be silly." The rumours had been circulated in a number of media outlets. The CEOs of Tesla and SpaceX criticised the plans to build a new private airport on the microblogging website, claiming that the information is false. "Not true. Tesla is 5 mins from Austin International airport. It would be silly to build another private airport. However, the existing commercial airport needs another runway, as Austin is growing fast!" Musk wrote. As per the reports, the Austin Executive Airport has over 130,000 square feet of community hangar space and a 6,025-foot runway. Meanwhile, a recent report said the airport will be somewhere east of Austin near Bastrop. Also read: Supreme Court dismisses plea to stop Sikhs from carrying Kirpan on domestic flights It mentioned that a private airport would be helpful for Musk and his companies, especially since three of them have a presence in Austin. Tesla relocated its global headquarters in Austin, and so did The Boring Company. The electric car maker recently reported $16.9 billion in revenue for the second quarter, down from $18.8 billion in the first quarter this year. It reported $2.3 billion in second-quarter profit, below its record quarterly profit of $3.3 billion in the first quarter this year. With inputs from IANS A bird struck a Vistara flight on its way to Mumbai on Friday, forcing it to return to Varanasi. In the last two days, there have been two incidents of this nature reported in the nation. On Thursday morning, a Go First flight bound for Chandigarh made a loop back to Ahmedabad after being struck by a bird shortly after takeoff. According to sources, a bird struck Vistara's UK622 flight on Friday as it was on its route to Mumbai, damaging its radome. The plane returned to Varanasi, they said, adding that it has been grounded. In a statement, a spokesperson of the private carrier said: "Vistara flight UK 622 operating from Varanasi to Mumbai on August 5, 2022, turned back to Varanasi due to a bird strike during departure. Due to a maintenance inspection of the aircraft being required, another aircraft has been sent from Delhi to Varanasi to fly the passengers to Mumbai. It has been our constant endeavour to minimise inconvenience to our customers in such unavoidable situations whilst keeping safety as our topmost priority." Also read: Supreme Court dismisses plea to stop Sikhs from carrying Kirpan on domestic flights With inputs from PTI New Delhi: The announcement of the search for a new face for the blockbuster 'Commando' franchise's OTT version by seasoned director Vipul Amrutlal Shah has stirred up a major uproar across the country ever since it was made public. The production team has seen over 10,000 auditions from actors all over the country who are looking to join the series, and it appears that the producers have become overwhelmed by this incredible reaction, which has led to the delay in the start of production. Sunshine Pictures Pvt. Ltd. Vipul Amrutlal Shah took to social media to post about his and the whole team's joy at having such a positive reaction from those who wanted to sign up to be a part of the Commando series. They tweeted from their official account, informing candidates of the delay in announcing the final shortlisted actor. A few days ago, the casting team's inbox overflowed with audition footage for the interested candidates. In order to clear the mailbox, the team had to move the clips to an external HDD. In addition, the producers have opted to review all of the audition clips they have received by delaying the announcement of the results until August 15th rather than August 10. Disney plus Hotstar will also soon offer Vipul Amrutlal Shah's Commando series. The new commando actor will receive a significant platform for his debut because the platform is so well-liked throughout the nation that it has the most subscribers. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today met PM Narendra Modi in Delhi. The dues for Goods and Services Tax, which Bengal has been demanding for long, is likely to pivot the discussions. Mamata Banerjee is also likely to meet President Droupadi Murmu later in the day. Banerjee arrived here on a four-day visit on Thursday. Her party sources earlier said she would discuss multiple issues with the prime minister, including GST dues to West Bengal. The Prime Minister's Office posted a picture of the two leaders meeting. Kolkata: The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is likely to be implemented by December, West Bengal BJP MLA Asim Sarkar claimed on Friday. Sarkar, the convenor of the BJP's refugee cell in West Bengal, said the CAA needs to be rolled out in the state to meet the aspirations of the people. "Being the head of the state refugee cell, I have the hunch that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will finally come into force by this December. The process will start to set the drive in motion by that time," he told reporters. "The CAA needs to be rolled out in West Bengal to meet the aspirations of the people, particularly Hindu refugees in bordering districts," he added. Sarkar, the MLA of Haringhata in Nadia district, had earlier said the discontentment among Hindu refugees from Bangladesh would never be addressed if the CAA is not implemented before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Trinamool Congress said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will never allow CAA to be implemented in the state. "People like Asim Sarkar are trying to mislead migrants, including the backward Matua community, by making such false claims," state Forest Minister Jyotipriyo Mallick told PTI. Those who voted in the previous elections are bonafide citizens of the country, he said. "Not only in West Bengal but CAA also cannot be implemented anywhere in the country. There are 300 cases related to CAA pending in court. Asim Sarkar and leaders of his ilk should desist from such false claims with an eye on vote bank," Mallick said. Also Read: CAA will be implemented after Covid-19 subsides: Amit Shah's BIG announcement in Bengal Earlier this week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured the leader of opposition in the West Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari that rules regarding the CAA will be framed after the Covid precaution dose vaccination exercise is over. The framing of rules for the CAA will pave the way for its implementation. Passed by Parliament in December 2019, the Act is yet to be rolled out due to the absence of rules. The government has cited the outbreak of the pandemic for not framing them so far. The CAA seeks to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Parsis entering India on or before December 31, 2014, from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan after five years of residence here. New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday called upon the people to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Independence by holding the tricolour and sing the national anthem at 5 pm on August 14. The Aam Aadmi Party government has decided to distribute 25 lakh flags across the city. Government school students will also be given flags so that they could take them home, he said. "The country is celebrating the 75th anniversary of Independence. People are happy and every government is celebrating the occasion," he said. I want to appeal to everyone to sing our national anthem holding the national flag at 5pm on 14th August. In Delhi, we will be distributing 25 lakh tricolour flags to the people at various places: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/Cp0u77E1KW ANI (@ANI) August 5, 2022 "'Har Ghar Tiranga, Har Haath Tiranga' and other events are being held to celebrate the occasion. Today, I want to appeal to the people of the country that they sing the national anthem at 5 pm (on August 14)," he said during an online briefing. The chief minister also urged the people to take a pledge to work towards making India the "Number One country in the world". (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Zee News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi: The Delhi Police has denied permission to the Congress for holding a protest in the national capital on Friday, citing that prohibitory orders are in place in New Delhi district, officials said. Congress has planned a mass protest against price rise, unemployment, and the GST hike on essential items on August 5. It will take out a march to the Rashtrapati Bhavan and 'gherao' the prime minister's residence as part of the protest. The Delhi Police, in a letter to All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary K C Venugopal, refused permission to the party for holding the protest, citing that prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) have been imposed in New Delhi district, the officials said on Friday. "Information has been received through reliable sources that you along with your supporters are going to hold the protest on Friday. In this regard, it is to inform you that Section 144 CrPC is in force in the entire area of New Delhi district except for Jantar Mantar, protest/dharna/gherao in the area of New Delhi district on Friday cannot be permitted in view of security/law and order/traffic reasons and existing guidelines," the letter read. "Any violation of the direction may invite legal action against you," it stated. Panaji: In a fresh twist to the row over an upscale Goa bar which the Congress has linked with Union minister Smriti Irani's daughter, the district administration has issued a notice to the local village panchayat seeking relevant documents in response to a complaint alleging the outlet was built illegally. 'Silly Souls Cafe and Bar' at Assagao village in North Goa is at the centre of an ownership row ever since the Congress alleged it was operated illegally by Irani's daughter, a claim denied by the Union minister who has filed a defamation suit against the leaders of the opposition party. The Delhi High Court has held that Irani and her daughter are neither owners of the restaurant-cum-bar, nor a licence was ever issued in their favour. Bardez Block Development Officer (BDO) Shivprasad Naik, under whose jurisdiction the restaurant is located, on August 1 issued a notice to the local Assagao panchayat directing it to furnish all the documents pertaining to the outlet within seven days. The development came after Goa's Director of Panchayats Siddhi Harlankar, through an officer, on July 27 issued a memorandum to the Bardez BDO, asking him to take necessary action on a complaint filed by social activist Aires Rodrigues who has claimed the restaurant was illegal. Naik has asked the Assagao panchayat secretary to go through the memorandum and submit relevant documents. The restaurant has already been issued notices by the Goa Excise Department and the Town and Country Planning Department on two different complaints related to the issuance of licences and alleged violation of rules by the outlet. Palghar: The Palghar administration in Maharashtra has asked people to come forward with donations and purchase flags so that every household in the district can hoist the Tricolour as part of the Union government's 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign between August 13 and 15 to mark 75 years of Independence. Each flag costs Rs 21 and so far the district administration has made 2.5 lakh pieces available, though the district has 6.5 lakh households, an official said on Friday. He said Rs 25 lakh had been raised through donations, which will be used to purchase flags and distribute them among those who cannot afford them. "We want donors, industrialists etc to come forward and ensure every household manages to get a flag to hoist between August 13 and 15," said Collector Govind Bodke, who chaired a meeting of officials on the issue during the day. Meanwhile, Palghar Superintendent of Police Balasaheb Patil said his department had organized a 10-kilometer run on the occasion, while Chandrakant Waghmare, Additional Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad, said awareness programs will be held to make the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign a success. Information is from police reports and may be incomplete depending on the status of an investigation. Phone numbers are nonemergency. Illegal constructions and encroachments have forever been plaguing the Capital, often turning out to be a hot political issue. While the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ensures a slew of schemes for slum-dwellers, including free water and electricity, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on the other hand has been regularly carrying out demolition of illegal structures. Matters escalated in April this year when the BJP-led MCD demolished several jhuggis in Jahangirpuri following violence over a Hanuman Jayanti procession. The demolition drive continued in many other areas, including Mangolpuri, Najafgarh, Shaheen Bagh, New Friends Colony and Tughlakabad. While the MCD claimed the drive had nothing to do with the violence and was a regular exercise, the AAP retorted back, saying most of Delhi would cease to exist if every unplanned structure is demolished. Recent Lok Sabha figures show agencies identified 57,014 illegal constructions in Delhi from 2017 to July 2022. These agencies include the MCD, New Delhi Municipal Council and the Special Task Force for Delhi Master Plan. At the same time, 26,124 illegal structures were demolished in the same period. The highest number of encroachments (13,420) was identified in 2019, while the highest number of demolitions (6,192) took place in 2018. Gurugram: A 27-year-old woman from Kolkata was allegedly raped by a man who befriended her at a club here, police said on Friday. The victim, a marketing executive, arrived in Gurugram a week ago on a company assignment and checked into a guest house in Sector 40, they said. In her complaint at the DLF Phase-2 police station, the woman said she went to a club in Sector 29 on Wednesday night, where a man befriended her and offered her liquor and cigarettes. They later went to another club and left the venue at around 2.30 am in the man's car. On the pretext of having dinner, the accused took her to a hotel in Noida, where he allegedly raped her, police said. The woman said the accused also threatened to kill her if she complained against him, only after which he dropped her in Sector 40 in the morning. Police said the woman's medical examination confirmed rape. An FIR has been registered against the accused under Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, police said. Inspector Satyender Singh, the station house officer, said CCTV footage of the club and surrounding areas are being scanned to identify the accused. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Zee News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who arrived here a day ago on a four-day visit, is set to meet newly appointed President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, according to sources. Sources said that in her meeting with the Prime Minister today, she is likely to discuss multiple issues, including GST dues for her state. The West Bengal CM is also likely to attend a Niti Aayog governing council meeting on August 7 that will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She did not attend the meeting last year. Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress supremo, on Thursday met with her party`s MPs and discussed with them the current session of Parliament and the road to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "Our Chairperson @MamataOfficial held a meeting with all MPs in Delhi. The current Parliament session, the road to 2024 and various issues were discussed, with several activities and initiatives outlined for the coming days. We are always committed to serving the people," tweeted the official handle of the All India Trinamool Congress. Mamata Banerjee`s meeting holds importance ahead of the upcoming Vice-Presidential polls. 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. 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." New Delhi: Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday linked Congress leaders' protest in black clothes over the issues of price rise and unemployment to the party's "appeasement" politics to convey its opposition to the Ram temple foundation laying by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this day in 2020. Speaking to reporters, Shah said everybody saw protests from Congress leaders of late in regular clothes they wore but they especially chose black clothes for Friday agitation as Modi peacefully resolved an over 550-year dispute which was associated with the faith of crores of people. The construction of the temple is now in full swing, he noted. The Congress is conveying its opposition to the temple construction and the issues of ED action and price rise are only excuses, Shah claimed. As Congress could not have openly expressed its opposition to the temple, it has tried to give a hidden message, he alleged. Despite being in power for most of the time since independence, the Congress did nothing to resolve the dispute while Modi found a solution to it in a peaceful manner, the home minister said. Wearing black clothes, Congress leaders hit the streets to protest against price rises and unemployment with a host of them, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, being detained by police for nearly six hours. 200 Congress leaders, including Rahul, and Priyanka Gandhi, detained More than 200 Congress protesters, including 50 Members of Parliament, were detained by the Delhi police on Friday, PTI reported. Rahul Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury were among the detained Congress MPs. Several other top grand old party leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Shashi Tharoor were also detained by the Delhi police while marching to Rashtrapati Bhavan. Kolkata (West Bengal): Amid the arrest and trips to court of former West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee, ex-TMC leader and the former General Secretary of West Bengal College and Universities Professors' Association (WBCUPA), Baisakhi Banerjee on Thursday made some big revelations and said people got a direct entry into educational institutions during Chatterjee's tenure. "It was strange to see student leaders coming from an ordinary background becoming powerful and strong names in the education sector. There was a syndicate working inside the West Bengal College University Professors Association (WBCUPA) which added a price tag to the college university sub-post where every post was on sale. Those who could not teach even in school entered the university directly with Partha Chatterjee's push," Banerjee told ANI. She further stated that she confronted Partha Chatterjee about the situation but got only false reasons."Underqualified thieves were getting jobs because of Partho Chatterjee. He immediately took action and suspended a man who was accused of corruption and used to scold those people who were involved. After a few days, I understood that it is all a facade. After a few days, the same man was coming back into the education sector in a more powerful way and I understood that corruption will not end here and would worsen," she added. Banerjee said she did not have much knowledge about the school commission recruitment but if details about college and university recruitments come out, it could be an even bigger scam. She also highlighted that it was Partha who got her into politics and said, "This is the saddest time for me right now because Partha Chatterjee brought me into politics by saying that there is a lot of corruption here, if someone comes from a good family like you, he/she will not come for money. More girls like you should come into politics. Believing this to be true, my political career started with his hands in 2016." She further alleged that Partha Chatterjee didn't consider anyone above himself. "He didn't consider anyone above himself, not even Mamata Banerjee. He misused his position several times and completely controlled the education department. He indulged in corruption for himself," she added. She also highlighted that it was Partha who got her into politics and said, "This is the saddest time for me right now because Partha Chatterjee brought me into politics by saying that there is a lot of corruption here, if someone comes from a good family like you, he/she will not come for money. More girls like you should come into politics. Believing this to be true, my political career started with his hands in 2016." Also read: Arpita Mukherjee's driver spills beans; says she 'would visit Partha Chatterjee in...' Earlier on August 3, a special Court in Kolkata 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, among 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 has 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." Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate on Friday summoned the wife of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, Varsha Raut, for investigations in connection with the Patra Chawl case. The ED has called Varsha Raut to appear before it on Saturday (August 6). ED officials raided the Shiv Sena leaders home on Sunday and after detaining and questioning him for several hours, arrested him in the early hours on Monday and produced him before a special sessions court which directed to send him to the EDs custody till Thursday. Raut is a close aide of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Prior to his arrest, Sanjay Rauts brother had said, "Sanjay Raut has been arrested. BJP is afraid of him and got him arrested. They have not given us any documents (regarding his arrest). He has been framed. Meanwhile, another FIR was registered against Sanjay Raut in Mumbai for allegedly threatening Swapna Patkar, the wife of Sujit Patkar who is believed to be a close aide of the Shiv Sena MP. The case was registered at the Vakola police station under sections 504,506 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code. An audio clip had gone viral in which Raut was allegedly heard threatening Swapna Patkar. Notably, Swapna Patkar is also a witness in the Patra Chawl land case in connection to which the ED detained Raut after conducting a raid at his residence. Also Read: Sanjay Raut makes huge allegation: 'During custody, ED kept me in room that...' According to sources, ED officials seized Rs 11.50 lakhs unaccounted cash from his residence during the raids. Soon after the ED officials detained him in connection with the Patra Chawl land scam case, the Shiv Sena leader said that he "wont be cowed down".Speaking to media persons, Raut said, "False charges and documents are being framed against people. All of this is being done to weaken Shiv Sena and Maharashtra. Sanjay Raut wont be cowed down. I will not leave the party." On June 28 this year, Sanjay Raut was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the prevention of the money laundering case pertaining to the Rs 1,034 crore Patra Chawl land scam. Raut is being probed in connection with the re-development of Mumbais Patra Chawl. In April this year, the ED had attached immovable properties worth Rs 11.15 crore, including a flat at Dadar, held by Sanjay Rauts wife Varsha, and eight land parcels at Kihim near Alibag, jointly held by the latter with Swapna Patkar. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a telephonic conversation with Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and highlighted the important role that the Philippines plays in India's vision for the Indo-Pacific region. Modi also assured Marcos Jr of India's "full support" in his plans and projects for the Philippines' development. Marcos Jr became the Philippine president on June 30, succeeding Rodrigo Duterte. "Pleased to speak with President @bongbongmarcos today. I conveyed my best wishes to him for a successful tenure as the President of the Republic of the Philippines. I look forward to working closely with him to continue strengthening the India-Philippines ties," Modi tweeted. "The prime minister congratulated Marcos Jr. For his election as the 17th President of the Philippines. The two leaders reviewed various areas of bilateral engagement, and expressed satisfaction at the rapid growth of cooperation between the two countries in recent years," an official statement said. It said Modi reiterated the important role that the Philippines plays in India's Act East Policy and its Indo-Pacific vision and expressed the desire to further expand bilateral relations. "The prime minister also assured President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Of India's full support in his plans and projects for Philippines' development," it said. The Philippines is a key strategic partner of India in the Southeast Asian region and the bilateral defence and security ties have been on an upswing in the last few years, especially in the maritime domain. The Philippines is also a key member of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), an influential bloc with whom India's ties have witnessed a major expansion in the last one decade. In January, the Philippines concluded a USD 375 million deal with India for the procurement of three batteries of the BrahMos cruise missile. BrahMos Aerospace, an India-Russian joint venture, produces supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms. In a related development, India signed a framework agreement with the Philippines in March that provided for government-to-government deals for the supply of defence hardware and equipment. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Zee News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi: After a heavy uproar by the Congress on Enforcement Directorates summon to the leader of the opposition Mallikarjun Kharge midway through the session, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu on Friday clarified and elucidated that the MPs do not enjoy any special immunity from arrest in criminal cases even when the house is in session and thus, they cannot avoid summons issued by law enforcement agencies, reported PTI. Naidus clarification came a day after Kharge was summoned by the ED for questioning on the infamous National Herald Scam case. The veteran Congress leader was questioned for over 7 hours amid massive protest by party workers. Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for almost half an hour till 11.30 am on Friday as Congress members created an uproar alleging misuse of probe agencies by the government. When the Upper House assembled for the morning session, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu proceeded with the scheduled business of laying of the listed papers on the table, but had to adjourn the House within a few minutes. What did the Rajya Sabha chairman say? When the Upper House reassembled after the adjournment at 11:30, Naidu said there is a wrong notion among the members that they have a privilege from action by agencies while Parliament is in session. He said that under Article 105 of the Constitution members of Parliament enjoy certain privileges so they can perform their duties without any hindrances. One of the privileges is that a member of Parliament cannot be arrested in a civil case 40 days before the commencement of the session or committee meeting and 40 days thereafter, Naidu said, adding that this privilege is already incorporated under Section 135A of the Civil Procedure Court. "However, in criminal matters, members of Parliament are not on a different footing than a common citizen. That means members of Parliament do not enjoy any immunity from being arrested in a criminal case during the session or otherwise," Naidu clarified. The Congress termed Kharges grilling by the ED a violation of parliament protocol and argued that MPs, especially the leader of the opposition cannot be summoned in the middle of the session. Calling it harassment at the hands of investigation agencies, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the law enforcement agency should have given summons before or after the session. The leader also pointed out that the ED continued to question Kharge for hours despite knowing that he hosted a dinner for the oppositions Vice Presidential candidate Margaret Alva on Thursday. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohit has been infected with the coronavirus. He is not showing any serious symptoms and is recovering at his official residence in Chandigarh, PTI cited an official statement. Purohit, who is also the administrator of Union Territory Chandigarh, was detected with Covid-19 on Friday evening (August 5). All those who came in contact with him are requested to isolate and get themselves tested, the statement said. He had also tested positive for Covid-19 in 2020 when he was serving as the Tamil Nadu Governor. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday had asked the Health Department to be prepared for any contingency arising out of the Covid-19 spike and urged people to take necessary precautions. "It is the need of hour to ensure that people do not fall prey to the Covid-19 pandemic," Mann had said. Meanwhile, India reported 20,551 new Covid-19, which took the total tally to 4,41,07,588, as per the Union Health Ministry data on Friday (August 5). With 70 new fatalities, the death toll climbed to 5,26,600. The active cases have declined to 1,35,364, while the daily positivity rate was logged at 5.14 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 4.64 per cent. (With agency inputs) August 5: Mr. Kalinga Keshari Rath, a self-established Real-Estate industrialist and pioneer of one of Odisha's leading real estate companies, Evos Buildcon, has been given the Entrepreneur of the year award at the BCE Red Carpet event at Bhubaneswar. The award is indeed a deserving one for Mr. Rath for his exceptional contribution to the growth of Odisha all around the year. Mr. Kalinga Keshari Rath, also known to his peers as K.K. Rath, is a renowned name associated with the real estate industry in Odisha. Compared to other business entrepreneurs who inherit their businesses, Mr. Rath is the proud owner of his empire. Belonging to a modest middle-class family, he was attracted to entrepreneurship after completing his Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering. It has only been possible because of his strong determination and concrete commitment that he has been able to enter and rule the real estate industry in Odisha. Manifesting his gratitude towards the organisers, Mr. Rath states, "I am overwhelmed seeing myself in a position where I had dreamt of being someday. Such encouragement boosts the energy of entrepreneurs like me and acts like a motivation to achieve better in the future." Besides being a successful Real Estate Entrepreneur and Youth Icon, Mr. Kalinga Keshari Rath is also known for his Spiritual Leadership and Motivational Speaking. Business Club of Entrepreneurs (BCE) organised the biggest business show in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The business event featured Odisha's top frontline business fraternity along with hundreds of brands and products. BCE has skyrocketed in spreading its impact across nations with its undisputed technology, business network and support programs. It mainly emphasises business growth and recognition through a professional platform and has created a great opportunity for business prosperity. BCE Red Carpet event is one of a kind that has strengthened the power of branding and entrepreneurship and has also helped promote industries and products of different sectors at an optimum level. The vision of the BCE Red Carpet event has been to serve entrepreneurs from over 300 business categories. It has successfully organised business events and received recognition and support from Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited to carry out events at a grand level. This time, in the BCE Red Carpet event at Bhubaneswar, Mr. Kalinga Keshari Rath has been accorded the Entrepreneur of the Year award. Mr. Kalinga Keshari Rath is the mastermind behind his brainchild, Evos Buildcon Pvt. Ltd. The establishment of this venture in 2010 marked the beginning of a revolution in the real estate industry in Odisha. Over the past 12 years, Evos has been reputed as one of Odisha's most dependable real estate companies. With 25+ luxury residential projects in the most premium locations of Bhubaneswar, Evos Buildcon Pvt. Ltd. has become one of the leading infrastructure companies in Bhubaneswar. Mr. Rath stated, "We have served over 500 satisfied homeowners, and we have seen that in this industry when it comes to bigger projects, customers feel left out due to builders being unable to provide attention when required. We have developed the motto 'More Time - More Care' to prevent this from happening at Evos. Each customer is treated like a member of our own family." Maintaining his legacy, Mr. Rath believes Evos is a company built on principles, not profit. That is why Quality, Reliability, Customer Centricity and Continuous Upgradation make Evos Buildcon the epitome of the Real Estate industry. Achieving the Entrepreneur of the Year award has motivated Mr. Kalinga Keshari Rath to do even better for Odisha and its people in the future. (Above mentioned article is consumer connect initiative. This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of IDPL, and IDPL claims no responsibility whatsoever.) Kolkata: The CPI(M) and the Congress in Bengal trained their guns on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday over her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that it was an attempt on her part to manage the BJP to stop the investigations by central agencies in various graft cases, including a school appointment scam. The TMC was quick to hit back, maintaining that the allegations were "politically motivated". Banerjee met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and raised various issues concerning her state, including GST dues and timely release of funds by the Centre under various schemes. The Prime Minister's Office shared a picture of the meeting, which lasted about an hour. The Congress claimed that the TMC, as an "agent of the saffron camp, was on a mission to destroy opposition unity. "The way TMC had been functioning for the last few months, it is quite clear that it is acting as an agent of the saffron camp. I had said earlier that TMC is the Trojan horse. Now everything is crystal clear. The TMC has got into an understanding with the BJP to protect its members from CBI and ED investigations in various graft cases," state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said. The senior Congress leader mocked the meeting as an arrangement to manage BJP". "We are apprehensive that after this meeting between CM and PM, the ED and other investigating agencies will go slow on several graft cases in Bengal," he said. In a similar vein, CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty alleged that had it been a meeting for getting the dues of state, officers of various departments of the state government would have been present there with relevant documents. "There is no reason to think that the meeting was in the interest of the state," Chakraborty claimed. "Now, it is clear that both the parties have a covert understanding. We all want to know what prompted Mamata Banerjee to rush to Delhi to meet the prime minister when senior leaders of her party are being arrested in graft cases," he said. Banerjee's meeting with the PM came days after veteran leader Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the ED in connection with its probe into a school recruitment scam. Chatterjee happened to one of the top leaders of the TMC and a minister of the state during the time of his arrest. He was later relieved of his ministerial duties and suspended from the party. The TMC, however, dubbed the allegations by the Congress and the CPI(M) as "baseless". "What is wrong with the chief minister meeting the prime minister with issues concerning the state? This is how the federal structure works. We don't need lessons from Congress and the CPI (M) on opposing the BJP and its policies," TMC leader Santanu Sen said. Welcoming the development, the state BJP leadership said a chief minister can always meet the prime minister, and not much should be read into it. "A CM calling on PM is the most natural thing to happen in a federal structure, more so for Mamta Bannerjee who is known for abusing PM in filthiest language. The theory of 'setting' propagated by the two rootless wonders- CPM and Congress- is a figment of their imagination (sic)," BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar tweeted. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Zee News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai: Uddhav Thackeray was planning to quit as Maharashtra Chief Minister last year after talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Shiv Sena's rebel faction claimed on Friday. Deepak Kesarkar, a spokesperson of rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, said for Thackeray his relations with Modi were more important than holding on to the top post. However, the Thackeray camp of the Sena sought to make light of Kesarkar's comments, saying he has been making self-contradictory statements and sounds "confused". Kesarkar said a lot of Shiv Sena leaders were "pained" at attempts to "malign" then-Cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray's image by BJP MP and Union minister Narayan Rane by dragging him in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. Kesarkar said he established contact with Modi and started a line of communication. "After Uddhav ji met Modi ji (in June last year), it was decided that he will quit (as CM) in the next 15 days because for him his relations (with PM) were more important (than holding post). But it was realised that he needed more time to convince his party workers," he said. ALSO READ: Sanjay Raut thanks Opposition parties for supporting him during 'political witch-hunt, motivated attack' In the past, Modi had termed Thackeray, who is the Shiv Sena president, as his "younger brother". The Thackeray-PM meeting in New Delhi was followed by the suspension of a dozen BJP MLAs from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for a year in July 2021 over unruly behaviour, a move which further strained ties between former allies Shiv Sena and the BJP which was then in the opposition. Later, the talks halted after Rane, a bete noire of Thackeray, was inducted into the Union Cabinet which upset the Sena president, he said. The talks did not go further because of "ego" issues, Kesarkar said. All through the talks, he kept Eknath Shinde, rebel Shiv Sena leader who is now the chief minister, updated, Kesarkar said. Reacting to Kesarkar's claims, Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande, a member of the Thackeray camp, said "He is revealing something new every day. He has been making self-contradictory statements and sounds confused." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Zee News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi: Members of Parliament will vote on Saturday to elect the next Vice President of India in an election where NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar is pitted against Opposition pick Margaret Alva. With numbers stacked in favour of the NDA, Dhankhar, former governor of West Bengal, is set for an easy win. Cracks were visible in opposition unity as Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress decided to abstain from voting alleging a lack of consultations while deciding on the name of Alva. The 80-year-old Alva is a Congress veteran and has served as governor of Rajasthan, while the 71-year-old Dhankhar is a Jat leader from Rajasthan with a socialist background. While polling will be held from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday, the ballots will be counted immediately after that. By late Saturday evening, the returning officer will announce the name of the next vice president. Members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, including nominated members, are eligible to vote in the vice presidential poll. Also Read: Probe agencies can summon MPs even when house is in session: Venkaiah Naidu after ED's summon to Mallikarju Kharge The term of incumbent M Venkaiah Naidu ends on August 10. The vice president is also the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. The electoral college in the vice presidential election comprises a total of 788 members of both Houses of Parliament. Since all the electors are members of both Houses of Parliament, the value of the vote of each MP would be the same - one, the Election Commission has said. The election is held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote and the voting at such election is by secret ballot. There is no concept of open voting in this election and showing the ballot to anyone under any circumstances in the case of presidential and vice-presidential elections is totally prohibited, the EC has cautioned, adding that parties cannot issue whips to its MPs in the matter of voting. Unlike the presidential poll where voting takes place in multiple locations as elected MLAs, not nominated, also form part of the electoral college, in the vice presidential election, voting takes place in Parliament House. A special Public Money Laundering Act court (PMLA) on Friday sent former state minister Partha Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee to 14 days judicial custody in connection with the multi-crore West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam. Both will have to be presented at the same court on August 18. Chatterjee`s counsel sought to counter the argument of Enforcement Directorate (ED) counsel that bail should not be granted to Chatterjee because of his "influential connections" as a former minister and heavyweight leader of the ruling party, arguing Chatterjee had already been stripped of his ministerial and party portfolios and hence the argument of "influential connections" does not really hold ground. "My client is even ready to resign as an MLA. He will not abscond under any circumstance. No wealth recovery had been done from his residence and hence, he should be granted bail considering his age as well the different medical complications that he had been suffering," counsel argued. He also claimed that the different documents about properties or insurance policies jointly held by Chatterjee and Mukherjee were forged. However, ED`s counsel argued that throughout his tenure in the central agency custody, Chatterjee had been in a total non-cooperation mood and hence, there is a requirement to question him further. It also sought the permission of the court so that the central agency sleuths can visit the correctional home where Chatterjee will be housed and interrogate him there. On the other hand, Mukherjee`s counsel did not move any bail plea for his client. Rather, he appealed for a division one category status inmate in the jail where she will be housed since a threat to her life in the prisons is apprehended. Even the ED counsel said the central agency too has similar information. "My plea to the court is that the food and liquid that will be served to Arpita Mukherjee in the prisons should be examined first and then served," the ED counsel argued. After hearing all the parties concerned, the special court rejected Chatterjee`s bail application and ordered 14 days judicial custody for the duo. Trinamool Congress`s state General Secretary and party spokesman, Kunal Ghosh said that Chatterjee should not be granted any special status in the prisons and should be treated at par with other inmates. "Not jail hospital but an ordinary prison cell should be allotted to him. If I come to know that Partha Chatterjee is enjoying special status or facilities in the prisons, I will protest again," Ghosh said. New Delhi: The Congress' protest against price rise and unemployment is essentially aimed at "saving" the Gandhi family from corruption charges, the BJP said on Friday and asked Rahul Gandhi to not blame Indian democracy for his party's repeated poll defeats under him. Hitting back at Gandhi after he alleged that India is witnessing the death of democracy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad accused the Congress leader of making shameful and irresponsible comments. Prasad noted that it was Rahul Gandhi's grandmother and then prime minister Indira Gandhi who had suspended people's democratic rights by imposing an Emergency. "Why do you blame democracy when the people of India reject you with repeated regularity," he said and asked Gandhi if there is democracy within his party which has some "good leaders" but it is all about the Gandhi family. In a press conference ahead of his party's protests over the issues such as price rise and unemployment, Gandhi alleged that no institution in the country is independent and claimed that his family is attacked because it fights for democracy and communal harmony. Those who raise people's issues and stand against the onset of dictatorship are "viciously attacked" and put in jail, he said. In his party's counter-attack, Prasad said, "Stop demeaning the institutions of India to safeguard your corruption and misdeeds... If people don't listen to you why are you blaming us." If people saw dictatorship, it was during the Emergency when people, including opposition leaders and editors, were jailed, judges superseded and censorship imposed. Indira Gandhi had then spoken about having a "committed judiciary," the former law minister said. He highlighted the Enforcement Directorate's probe against Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the National Herald case and said the former Congress president must answer as to how Young Indian, a firm in which the two Gandhis have a 76 per cent stake, allegedly acquired the National Herald's assets worth over Rs 5,000 crore with the investment of only Rs 5 lakh. The judiciary refused to quash charges against them and he was now blaming institutions, the BJP leader said. Rahul Gandhi will have to face consequences for what he has done, Prasad said. "You will have to face trial and answer the ED's questions," he added. "Price rise and unemployment are merely an excuse he said of the Congress' protest and added the basic reason is to intimidate the ED and save the family. He hit out at Gandhi for alleging that the opposition was not allowed to raise its issues in Parliament and said Congress members had also spoken during a debate on price rise. Union minister Anurag Thakur echoed the views and said the protests by the Congress from Parliament to the streets cannot turn the truth of corruption charges against its leaders into a lie. "They are trying to apply pressure on the government and probe agencies after doing corruption. The BJP came to power in 2014 and promised to give corruption-free governance. This is what Modi has delivered in eight years. Probe agencies are now working against corruption done earlier, he said. "Should investigation agencies stop their work? Should some political parties be allowed to do corruption?? he asked. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should not obstruct the ED's work, he said, claiming the agency works under no political pressure and functions independently. Both Rahul Gandhi and his sister, a Congress general secretary, were detained by police during their party's protest. Both Prasad and Thakur also noted the allegations of corruption against opposition leaders, including those from the Aam Aadmi Party and the Trinamool Congress. Large amount of cash and other assets allegedly acquired by them have been seized by the ED, they said. Prasad said Rahul Gandhi had levelled all kinds of allegations against Modi during the 2019 polls as well but people elected him with a bigger mandate. The government under Modi has been taking strong measures against corruption, and the Congress and the system around it are rattled because democracy had become synonymous with financial irregularities when the opposition party was in power, he alleged. New Delhi: An ice cream advertisement showing a woman in loose Hijab with an allusive reference as she bites into a Magnum ice cream has stirred a major controversy in Iran. This has led the Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance to issue a ban on displaying of women in all advertisements and commercials. Watch the Iranian Magnum ice cream advertisement here: The body responsible for enjoining right and forbidding evil in the Islamic Republic of Iran has filed a lawsuit against the Iranian ice-cream manufacturer Domino over two controversial commercials, which it says are against public decency and insult womens values. pic.twitter.com/Brho4SGZj3 July 5, 2022 The advertisement has reportedly irked the Iranian clerics, who have also urged the government to sue local ice cream manufacturer Domino that showed the controversial ad. The ice cream commercial is reportedly seen as an "insult" to "women's values" and defies "public decency". In a letter to Iran's art and cinema schools, the Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has reportedly said that women are no longer allowed to feature in adverts, citing the "hijab and chastity rules". As the 1979 Islamic Revolution took hold, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ordered female civil servants to wear the chador which later became mandatory for all women in Iran. However, over the last couple of years, dozens of Iranian women have been detained for protesting the mandatory wearing of the hijab as the country. Washington: American actor-musician Johnny Depp and Jeff Beck have been accused of lifting lyrics for their song `Sad Motherfuckin Parade`. According to Variety, a report from Rolling Stone stated that the duo has been accused of lifting the song from an obscure "toast" sung by an incarcerated man and documented and released by a folklorist in 1974. A large number of the lyrics of the Depp/Beck song `18` are strikingly similar to lines from a toast, an often-profane form of black folk poetry from years past, called `Hobo Ben`. Apparently, it had been written by a man named Slim Wilson who was serving an armed-robbery sentence at Missouri State Penitentiary and documented by Bruce Jackson in his 1974 book about toasts, `Get Your Ass in the Water and Swim Like Me`, and a companion album. Wilson, whose name is a pseudonym, is not listed in the song`s credits, reported Variety. Hobo Ben, the man from the song's title, is at a party when he says, "Ladies of culture and beauty so refined, is there one among you that would grant me wine? Im raggedy, I know, but I have no stink/and God bless the lady thatll buy me a drink." Heavy-hipted Hattie turned to Nadine with a laugh and said, `What that funky motherfucker really need, child, is a bath.` `Sad Motherfuckin` Parade` includes similar lines such as "I`m raggedy, I know, but I have no stink," "God bless the lady that'll buy me a drink," and "What that funky motherfucker really needs, child, is a bath.""The only two lines I could find in the whole piece that [Depp and Beck] contributed are 'Big time motherfucker` and 'Bust it down to my level," Jackson told Rolling Stone, as per Variety. New Delhi: Bollywood star Ranveer Singh has been invited by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India to do a nude photoshoot for them after pictures from the actor`s recent similar photoshoot created quite a buzz.The organisation wants Ranveer to promote veganism through their campaign with the tagline `All Animals Have the Same Parts - Try Vegan`. Reportedly, the actor turned vegan for his role in the upcoming film `Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani`. Previously, former `Bigg Boss` contestant Pamela Anderson, famous for her support of PETA India and animal rights, starred in a similar campaign released by PETA India. "Just like humans, animals are made of flesh, blood, and bone. They have emotions and unique personalities, feel pain, and want to live with their families - they do not want to die," said PETA India Vice President of Celebrity and Public Relations Sachin Bangera, in a statement. Talking about Ranveer, he added, "Having given healthy vegan eating a go, Ranveer Singh is the perfect candidate to encourage others to try vegan, too - for animals, their own health, and the planet." Ranveer With this opportunity would join vegetarian and vegan celebrities like Anushka Sharma, Joaquin Phoenix, Kartik Aaryan, Natalie Portman, and many others who`ve teamed up with PETA India or other PETA entities to promote healthy, humane, meat-free meals. Meanwhile, Ranveer had recently created quite a stir and also got in trouble for his nude photoshoot. The images from his photoshoot for Paper Magazine were posted online on July 21.In the images, Ranveer is seen wearing no clothes.In one of the pics, he was lying on a rug naked recreating Burt Reynold`s famous photograph. Following the photoshoot`s release, complaints were filed against the actor for hurting sentiments. On the work front, Ranveer was last seen in Netflix`s interactive special `Ranveer vs Wild with Bear Grylls` which received a positive response from netizens all over the globe.As far as films are concerned, apart from `Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani`, he will next be seen in Rohit Shetty`s next directorial film `Cirkus` with Jacqueline Fernandes and Pooja Hegde. The film is slated to release on the occasion of Christmas 2022. New Delhi: Jackky Bhagnani's music label Jjust Music, which has become fairly successful in a small span of time, completes 3 years today. The music label has contributed superhit songs like Prada by The Doorbeen, Kamariya Hila Rahi Hai by Pawan Singh, Haaye Ve by Ammy Virk, Jugni 2.0 by Kanika Kapoor and its latest, Mashooka by Asees Kaur, to the music industry. The label has provided some of its best content by producing some of the best party songs in the industry. The label, which aims to deliver great music to its listeners, has also taken on itself to spread some positivity during tough times, and one example of such a thing was the songs they produced during the pandemic, which helped spread the good vibes. The label also collaborated with Akshay Kumar for the motivational song 'Muskurayega India', for which 16 Bollywood artists came together and was also released during the pandemic. The revenue generated from this song was given to PM & CM's care fund, which was used to help the helpless during their harshest times. The label worked with the Tech Mahindra Foundation in 2021 on a special project. The record company released the song sung by actor Tiger Shroff, titled "Vande Mataram", and gave 20 fully-equipped basic life support ambulances to charitable hospitals all around India. Actor and Producer Jackky Bhagnani while talking about his Music Label said, I am very happy how Jjust Music has grown in the last 3 years. Music is soul food, it fills your soul with happiness & bliss and I am glad that we have been able to accomplish that with our music Jjust Music's close-knit collaboration has also helped the label grow at a faster pace and has witnessed unprecedented growth with their superior songs and tight-knit collaboration. In April, the music label collaborated with Warner Music India and established a strategic agreement that will enable them to produce ground-breaking Indian music. 22 songs have been released by the Jjust Music label in the past three years, including Prada, Wajah, Vande Mataram, Muskurayega India, Wah ji Waah, and Choodiyan, among many others, and its current song 'Mashooka', which is also its first Pan-India release, has created much buzz among listeners and viewers. New Delhi: A labourer from Kamalpur village in Chhibramauu Kowali police area of Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh got the biggest shock of his life to find that he had Rs 2,700 crore in his Jan Dhan bank account. The labourer, Bihari Lal was a brick klin worker in Rajasthan, but had to return to his home town as the factory was shut due to monsoon. Lal had gone to withdwaw Rs 100 from his Jan Dhan bank account, and after he took out the money, he got SMS for the balance amount which was an astounding Rs 2,700 crore. Out of shock and disbelief, Lal approached the manager, who then confirmed that his bank balance was actually Rs Rs 27,07,85,13,985. The labourer informed that the bank manager had checked the account three times, and every time the account balance showed Rs 2,700 crore. However, Lal's shock and disbelief lasted only for a very short interval. When he checked his account at another nearby branch, he found that his account had Rs 126 in it. Meanwhile, Lead district manager Abhishek Sinha is investigating into the matter and said that the balance shown in the account could be due to a banking error. The Cumberland Valley School Board this week approved a 2022-23 Student Code of Conduct that includes a revised listing of student dress code violations. The dress code really did not change, but however, we have streamlined our list of items that are not appropriate, Superintendent David Christopher told The Sentinel Tuesday. Dress code violations are considered a minor infraction by the district, the same level as student refusal of health and safety rules, academic dishonesty, repeated insubordination/failure to follow administrative direction, and several other items. On Monday night, school directors approved a 19-page Student Code of Conduct that redefines offenses to the districts existing dress and grooming policy as such: Clothing and/or accessories that create a disruption to the learning and learning environment for staff and students. Examples include revealing garments, exposure of undergarments, costumes and/or costume material Clothing and/or accessories that create a health or safety hazard. Examples include hats and hoods that hide or blur the face Clothing and/or accessories that promote tobacco/drugs/alcohol or display profanity, vulgarity (of sexual nature), or divisive imagery and/or symbols Student consequences for minor infractions are implemented by the district at ascending levels. First offense Minimum 1-day in-school suspension, contact school police if appropriate. Second offense Minimum 1-day in-school or out-of-school suspension, contact school police if appropriate. Third offense Minimum 3-day in-school or out-of-school suspension, contact school police if appropriate, recommend for expulsion or alternative education placement. Fourth offense minimum 5-day in-school or out-of-school suspension, contact school police if appropriate, recommended expulsion or alternative education placement. The Code of Conduct also lists coordinating intervention levels for minor student infractions, all of which include parental involvement. The document also defines major student infractions with resulting district actions. A complete copy of the districts 2022-23 Student Code of Conduct is posted online with the school boards Aug. 1 meeting agenda on the districts website, www.cvschools.org. Increased funds In other news, Christopher announced at Mondays school board meeting that CV has been allotted an unexpected $1.5 million combined increase in state subsidies for the 2022-23 fiscal year that will greatly reduce our deficit. On June 16, the Cumberland Valley School Board finalized a 2022-23 general fund budget that increased the districts real estate taxes by 3.4% and raised the millage rate to 10.891. Property owners assessed at $250,000 now pay $89.50 more in real estate taxes than last year. The increase met the full available Act I index set for the district for the current fiscal year that runs from July 1, 2022, to June 20, 2023. Despite this years tax increase and other budget adjustments, the district initially faced a projected deficit of $4,311,824 for this year and is using budget reserves to close the gap. Projected expenditures were $170,413,548 with expected revenues of $166,101,724. Initially, the district projected $170 million in spending for the current year funded largely through $128 million in taxes at the local level, and an anticipated $37 million in state funding and $5 million in federal funding. Since then, officials have learned that the district will see a 17.54% increase of $2,173,044 in basic state education funding than this years initial projections. This is an historic increase for the district and one that greatly helps our budget challenges for this year, Christopher said Tuesday. The district also will receive an additional $176,745, or a 4.7% jump, in special education state funding than originally projected this year. The district also is set to receive $485,000 in new School Safety and Mental Health state funding for this year. With the initiative, school districts statewide must first spend allotted funds on baseline criteria for physical security, and for behavioral health and school climate as defined by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Districts are expected to meet baseline criteria spending in each category before proceeding to other areas. Complete listings of baseline criteria spending requirements are available on the commissions website, https://www.pccd.pa.gov. 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 5, 2022 FF11WFNPP956 B61YCTNH4PV3 8F3QZKNTLWBZ SARG886AV5GR FF11DAKX4WHV WLSGJXS5KFYR FF11HHGCGK3B FF11NJN5YS3E ZRJAPH294KV5 Y6ACLK7KUD1N FF119MB3PFA5 FF10617KGUF9 FF10GCGXRNHY X99TK56XDJ4X YXY3EGTLHGJX MCPTFNXZF4TA FF1164XNJZ2V WOJJAFV3TU5E (Also read: Shocking! Ex-Amazon Web Services engineer hacked data of 10 crore customers) How to Redeem Garena Free Fire codes for today, August 5, 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: HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, on Thursday launched two new upgraded feature phones -- Nokia 8210 4G and Nokia 110 -- in India. The Nokia 8210 4G will be available at Rs 3,999 in blue and red colour variants and the Nokia will be available at Rs 1,699 for cyan and charcoal and Rs 1,799 for rose gold colour. Both variants will be provided at a reasonable rate to capture the low-price segment in a highly competitive phone market. (ALSO READ: Garena Free Fire redeem codes for today, 5 August: Check website, steps to redeem) "Nokia 8210 4G --a new addition to the 'Originals' family -- celebrates the iconic Nokia 8210 4G launched in 1999 at Paris Fashion Week, which was quite the sensation in India at the time," Sanmeet Singh Kochhar, Vice President, HMD Global-India and MENA said in a statement. "We have also added the new Nokia 110 (2022) to our robust feature phone line-up. The latest portfolio additions reaffirm HMD Global's commitment to ensuring everyone has access to affordable and long-lasting technology," he added. The new Nokia 8210 4G is claimed to offer a big battery life with 27 days of standby time, and dual SIM VoLTE for crystal clear calls with elegant colour choices. (ALSO READ: iPhone 12 under Rs 50,000! Here's how to avail massive price cut offer on Apple smartphone) Meanwhile, the new Nokia 110 (2022) offers a built-in rear camera, wireless FM Radio, Auto Call Recording feature and larger storage. Colombo: The crucial talks on the possibility of forming an all-party government to tackle Sri Lanka's economic meltdown will take place on Friday evening, officials and political leaders here said. 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. The talks will take place on Friday evening, officials and political leaders said. We expect the president to take a new approach, the country will get destroyed if there is no collective action, former president Maithripala Sirisena told reporters here. Vasudeva Nanayakkara, a veteran leader from the ruling coalition's 10-party breakaway group, said they would be looking at Wickremesinghe's approach closely. Wickremesinghe has said that he was formulating a plan to find solutions to the economic and political impasse. He is going to seek our views, let's hope the talks will be successful, Nanayakkara said. Also Read: Sri Lankan President thanks PM Modi for providing 'a breath of life' to crisis-hit nation However, the main opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) said their approach is to form a common all-party program rather than an all-party government. We are willing to strengthen the oversight committee system and make our contribution, SJB national organizer Tissa Attanayake said. Wickremesinghe, the leader of the United National Party (UNP), 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. The majority of his support in the 225-member Parliament came from Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party. A constitutional amendment has been recently gazetted to make Parliament's role stronger, while an interim budget to be presented early next month is expected to announce much-needed reforms in the 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. Taipei: Taiwan condemned its "evil neighbour" on Friday after China fired multiple missiles into its surrounding waters, as many as four of which flew over the islands capital Taipei in an unprecedented escalation during live-fire exercises. China launched its largest ever military drills in the seas and skies around Taiwan on Thursday, a day after U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi enraged Beijing by making a solidarity trip to the self-ruled island that China claims as its own. Japans defence ministry, which is tracking the exercises, first reported that as many as four of the missiles flew over Taiwans capital. Japan also said that five of nine missiles fired towards its territory landed in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), also a first, prompting Tokyo to launch a diplomatic protest. Later, Taiwans defence ministry said the missiles were high in the atmosphere and constituted no threat. It did not give details of their flight paths, citing intelligence concerns. Some Taipei residents, including Mayor Ko Wen-je, criticised the government for not putting out a missile alert, but one security expert said that could have been done to avoid stoking panic and playing into Chinas hands. "It counteracted the effect of the Chinese Communist Partys psychological warfare," said Mei Fu-shin, a U.S.-based analyst. "The shock and fear were not as great as they could have been." There was little reaction to the missile firing in Taiwan on Friday. "Its the same as normal. I dont feel anything different," said Ping Chung, who owns a hostel on Liuqiu Island, near one of the areas where China is conducting the exercises. Asked to comment on the missiles, Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang did not directly respond, but referred to China as the "evil neighbour showing off her power at our door." Bonnie Glaser, a Washington-based Asia security specialist at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, described as "unprecedented" reports that ballistic missiles were fired over Taiwan. "In my view, the larger threat is that China is doing a rehearsal for a blockade, demonstrating it can block Taiwans ports and airports, and prevent shipping," she said. The drills are scheduled to continue until noon on Sunday. 'ABYSS OF DISASTER' China has said its relations with Taiwan are an internal matter. "The U.S.-Taiwan collusion and provocation will only push Taiwan towards the abyss of disaster, bringing catastrophe to Taiwan compatriots," said a Chinese defence ministry spokesperson. Responding to the Chinese drills, President Tsai Ing-wen said Taiwan would not provoke conflicts but would firmly defend its sovereignty and national security. Taiwan has been self-ruled since 1949, when Mao Zedongs communists took power in Beijing after defeating Chiang Kai-sheks Kuomintang (KMT) nationalists in a civil war, prompting the KMT-led government to retreat to the island. Beijing says it reserves the right to bring Taiwan under Chinas control, by force if necessary. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told an Asian meeting of top diplomats on Friday that China`s reaction to Pelosi`s visit to Taiwan was "flagrantly provocative" and that China had sought to intimidate not only Taiwan but neighbours too, a western official said. Pelosi, who is currently in Japan, told reporters that China could not isolate Taiwan by preventing Western officials from travelling there. "This visit isnt about me, its about Taiwan," she said. During a news conference in Tokyo, Pelosi addressed the diplomatic storm caused by the congressional visit to Asia, and most specifically Taiwan. "We have said from the start that our representation here is not about changing the status quo in Taiwan or the region," she told a news conference after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The congressional delegation led by Pelosi visited Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea earlier this week before arriving in Japan for the last leg of the tour. Pelosi met Kishida at his official residence, where the Japanese prime minister said the two allies would work together to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, a key shipping route. China`s foreign ministry said it had summoned the Japanese ambassador in Beijing on Thursday over its participation in an "erroneous" Group of Seven (G7) nations statement on Taiwan, and also made complaints to EU envoys. Japan, whose southernmost islands are closer to Taiwan than Tokyo, has warned that Chinese intimidation of Taiwan is an escalating national security threat. "I have informed speaker Pelosi that the fact China`s ballistic missiles had landed near Japanese water including EEZ threaten our national safety and security and that Japan had strongly condemned such actions," Kishida said. Penn State Health on Friday announced that students from 208 school districts in Pennsylvania and four other states raised a total of $5.78 million for Four Diamonds and to fight childhood cancer. The $5,778,903.93 raised through the K-12 school events benefits Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Childrens Hospital, which assists families with children being treated for cancer. The fundraising total announced Friday was from events held during the 2021-22 school year. The total from school districts in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia signifies a rebound from fundraising efforts during the pandemic, where less than half of this years total was raised. We are so grateful for the remarkable young leaders whose energy, enthusiasm and unwavering dedication to conquering childhood cancer drive the Mini-Thon movement, said Suzanne Graney, executive director of Four Diamonds. Each student leader is inspiring and empowering their student body and their community to join us as our partners in the fight to end childhood cancer for all kids around the world. There was no need to fret if you were in Carlisle the week of Aug. 11, 1947. You were just a hop, skip and a jump away from the 3,540-pound frog on display at the Gulf station at High and Pitt streets in the downtown. Reinforced by manganese inserts, this railroad device got its name because the four ends of its two crossed rails resembled the legs of a frog, The Sentinel reported. The device was the main feature of a display of products manufactured by Frog, Switch & Manufacturing Co. one of 44 employers that participated in Made in Carlisle Week. A project of the Retail Merchants Bureau of the Carlisle Chamber of Commerce, the event was an opportunity for local companies to showcase the diversity of their manufactured products. The bureau enlisted the help of local merchants to host displays of goods made not only in Carlisle, but in nearby Mount Holly Springs. The newspaper did its part by publishing a series of short stories detailing the background of each manufacturer their address, number of employees, product lines, history, etc. Getting acquainted should be an easy process, requiring no more than a leisurely stroll through the downtown section, The Sentinel reported in a preview story that ran on Aug. 9. Each exhibit site had a sticker in the window. Carlisle Tire and Rubber Co. had inner tubes on display at the Smith Music House on High Street. A few blocks away, at Bixlers Hardware Store, there were toys, novelties and furniture made in the wood shop of A.L. Schaller, 84, a retired machinist. Self-employed as his own boss, Schaller was the oldest worker representing the smallest company to participate in Made in Carlisle Week. By contrast, the Carlisle Shoe Company was the second largest company in town at that time. It employed about 750 workers in the manufacture of high-end footwear including examples of the Mademoiselle line on exhibit at the Montgomery Ward store on North Hanover Street. One of the newest companies in town was M&Z Quality Shop which made upholstered kitchen nooks, tables and chairs. Its display at the J.C. Penny store on North Hanover Street included a cross-section of a seat showing the different layers of internal construction of wood, burlap, rubberized hair and cotton. Meanwhile, the Carlisle Baking Co. had something to celebrate. The newspaper led off its profile with word of a new oven being installed at its plant at Pitt and South streets. The bakery made over 40 products under the brand name of Molly Pitcher that was distributed to retailers in Cumberland, Perry and York counties. Its display was at Dutreys Shoes on North Hanover Street. Tour through Time runs Saturday in The Sentinel print edition. Reporter Joseph Cress will work with the Cumberland County Historical Society each week to look at the county through the years. Send any questions, feature ideas or tips to jcress@cumberlink.com. The U.S. Army War College is inviting the Carlisle community to join in on Indian Field at the Carlisle Barracks for the colleges Class of 2023 opening ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday. The opening ceremony will include performances by the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, as well as the U.S. Army Drill Team, the U.S. Army Band-Pershings Own and a retreat ceremony. The ceremony will begin with the Old Guard Honor Platoons marching onto the field, as well as the Armed Forces Color Guard. The Army Drill Team will perform followed by a concert by the Army Band. South Africa: Commissions call for a resourced and capacitated social sector Commissions that took place on the sidelines of the Presidential Social Sector Summit have called for a resourced social sector ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa signing a framework at the Summit today. Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu officially opened the summit on Thursday at Birchwood Conference Centre in Ekurhuleni, under the theme Fostering Social Cohesion to Enable Socio-Economic Participation in Communities. In the Commission on Resource Mobilisation, Andries Khoza from Mpumalanga, raised concern that there is no monitoring of public funding, and that this often leads to corrupt and unaccounted spending by organisations responsible for civil society funding. He also indicated that there is a false notion that government has money, and this is not true as it depends mainly on budget allocations. Another participant highlighted that the issue of a distance between non-profit organisations (NPO) and funders - such as the National Lottery - remains a challenge for most NPOs located in rural communities who need funding for their projects and programmes. This Commission agreed as a collective about the need for a binding funding framework and an integrated system for the entire social sector to have capacity to sustain itself and all this can be possible through an establishment of a Civil Society Committee which would assist the sector to be equally resourced and benefit. Participants also strongly mentioned the need for Civil Society Organisations to partner with unemployed graduates in local communities, said the Department of Social Development in a statement. Based on its deliberations, the Commission on Capacity Building, which intends to strengthen and capacitate civil society organisations, made recommendations that capacity building for the social sector should be mandatory. Issues of a personnel retention strategy, financial management, skills development, and policy on a well-resourced capacity building were also raised. Addressing delegates in attendance of the two-day summit, Minister Zulu said that the summit marks the intentions of this government to improve the interface between government and the social sector. She said the Presidential Social Sector Summit (PSSS) also seeks to establish a formula upon which the sustainability of a longer-term people-public-private-civic-academic-multilateral partnership can be defined. Taking a long-range view of the challenges that government and the sector are continuously addressing in communities should amount in the effective removal of the developmental barriers that the people are unnecessarily made to navigate through in their journey to realise their respective aspirations and self-defined futures. Therefore, the outcomes of our improved interface and collective interventions should be the enhanced quality of active-citizenship, increased quality of the lives of majority of our people in our communities and showcase dignity in the lives of most people, she said. The PSSS is unfolding at the backdrop of the 2018 Presidential call for the Social Sector to convene a comprehensive social compact. The outcomes of all Commissions will be part of the plenary today before they are presented to President Ramaphosa who is expected to close the summit. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-08-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. NESCOPECK Fire tore quickly through a house in the wee hours of Friday, killing seven adults and three children and horrifying a volunteer firefighter who arrived to battle the blaze only to discover that the victims were his family, authorities said. The three children who died were ages 5, 6 and 7, Pennsylvania State Police said in a news release, while the seven adults ranged from the late teens to a 79-year-old man. Autopsies were planned for this weekend. Nescopeck Volunteer Fire Company firefighter Harold Baker told the Citizens Voice newspaper of Wilkes-Barre that the 10 victims were his son, daughter, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, three grandchildren and two other relatives. He told WNEP-TV that 13 dogs were also in the home but did not say if he knew whether any survived. A preliminary investigation suggests the fire broke out on the front porch at around 2:30 a.m., Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce said Friday evening. The information I have is that the fire started and progressed very quickly, making it very difficult to get out, Sanguedolce said. Three people were able to escape the blaze, he said. Four state police fire marshals are involved in the investigation and the case wont become a criminal investigation unless they determine the fire was intentionally set, he said. The fire in Nescopeck was reported around 2:30 a.m. One person was found dead inside the single-family home shortly after emergency responders arrived, while two other victims were found later in the morning. Baker said that the address initially given for the call was a neighboring home, but that he realized it was his familys residence as the fire truck approached. When we turned the corner up here on Dewey (Street) I knew right away what house it was just by looking down the street, Baker told the Citizens Voice. I was on the first engine, and when we pulled up, the whole place was fully involved. We tried to get in to them. One of the victims, 19-year-old Dale Baker, was a firefighter who joined the company when he was 16, said Heidi Knorr, the secretary of the fire company. He was such a fun loving soul, she said in a phone interview. He just loved life. Both of Dale Bakers parents are members of the fire service, and the family was always willing to help lend a hand to anyone in need, Knorr said. His mother was not among the dead listed by Harold Baker. Nescopeck is a small town on the Susquehanna River, about 20 miles southwest of Wilkes-Barre. The house was in a residential street of largely owner-occupied, single family homes. Mike Swank, who lives two doors away across the street, said he happened to be awake at that hour and looked outside after hearing a sharp explosion. He saw the porch was really going and went outside, using another neighbors hose to keep the blaze from spreading to a garage. I seen two guys outside and they were in various states of hysteria, Swank said in a phone interview. One of them was on a cellphone, and Im trying to ask him if everybodys out, he said. The other guy was out in the street and he was just running around in circles. Swank said he wasnt able to get information from them. A fence prevented him from getting to the back of the property. It was so quick and so much smoke, you just knew nobody was going to make it out, Swank said. He saw cadaver dogs being used to search the scene until the bodies were located. He said the family moved in a few months ago under what he understood to be a rent-to-own agreement. He had not gotten to know them but noticed they spent a lot of time on the cluttered front porch, where he believes the fire may have begun. Baker, who was relieved of his firefighting duties because of his relationship to the victims, said 14 people were living in the home. One of them was out delivering newspapers, and three others escaped, he said. The kids that were there and my two kids were just visiting their aunt and uncle, Baker told WNEP. Those were the ones who own the house. They were there visiting and going into the pool and all that. Its a complex criminal investigation with multiple fatalities, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Derek Felsman said. Troopers were interviewing survivors, he said. China pressed ahead with military drills near Taiwan and flew drones close to Japan on Friday, escalating tensions in the strait that have threatened to boil over since Taipei welcomed US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on a historic visit. Taiwans defense ministry said Chinese warships and aircraft continued drills in waters around the island, adding that Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) forces crossed the median line the halfway point between the island and mainland China in a move it called a highly provocative act. The line has previously been an informal but largely respected border of control between Beijing and Taipei. Taiwans military responded with radio warnings and put air patrol forces, naval ships and shore-based missile systems on alert, the ministry added. Two Chinese drones also flew around Okinawa prefecture in Japan on Thursday, prompting the countrys Air Self-Defense Force to scramble fighter jets in response, according to a statement from Tokyos Ministry of Defense on Friday. The moves comes as China doubles down on rhetoric blaming the US for spiking tensions and forcing it into a response. Beijing announced sanctions against Pelosi and her immediate family and said it would suspend cooperation with Washington on several issues, including fighting climate change, on Friday. Taiwans Premier Su Tseng-chang said the island represented freedom and democracy, and that the evil neighbor next door flexed its muscles on our doorstep and arbitrarily sabotaged (one of) the busiest waterways in the world with military exercises. The skies and waters around Taiwan have become a focal point as Beijing ramps up tensions not only with Taiwan, but with neighboring Japan, which lodged a formal protest with China after five projectiles landed in Japans Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The missiles were among a number launched by Beijing Thursday some of which flew over Taiwan as Pelosi made her way to Tokyo where she met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday. Story continues China has previously fired missiles into waters surrounding Taiwan a democratic island of 24 million that the Chinese Communist Party regards as its territory, despite having never controlled it most notably during the Taiwan Strait Crisis in the 1990s. But missiles flying over the island marked a significant escalation, with US officials warning there may be more to come. We anticipated that China might take steps like this in fact, I described them for you in quite some detail just the other day, John Kirby, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council, told reporters at the White House on Thursday. We also expect that these actions will continue and that the Chinese will continue to react in the coming days. A US aircraft carrier will stay in the area around Taiwan for several more days to monitor the situation, Kirby added. On Friday, Kishida said the Chinese military drills were a serious issue concerning the security of our country and its people and called for an immediate halt to the exercises. Japan and the US would work together to maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait, he added. Speaking in Tokyo on Friday, Pelosi accused China of trying to isolate Taiwan, pointing to the islands exclusion from international groups like the World Health Organization. They may try to keep Taiwan from visiting or participating in other places, but they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there, she said. She added that her visit to Taiwan had been about maintaining the status quo, not changing it. Later on Friday, Chinas Foreign Ministry said it was imposing sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family for seriously interfering in Chinas internal affairs (and) seriously undermining Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. Missiles posed no risk China started military drills around the island on Thursday, firing multiple missiles toward waters near northeastern and southwestern Taiwan the day after Pelosis departure. A Chinese military expert confirmed on state broadcaster CCTV that the conventional missiles flew over Taiwans main island, including airspace covered by Taiwanese defense missiles. We hit the targets under the observation of US Aegis combat system, which means the Chinese military has solved the difficulties of hitting long-range targets on waters, said Maj. Gen. Meng Xiangqing, a professor of strategy at the National Defense University in Beijing. In a statement late Thursday, Taiwans Defense Ministry said the missiles had traveled above the atmosphere and therefore posed no risk to the island. Authorities did not trigger air raid alerts because they predicted the missiles would land in waters east of Taiwan, the ministry said. The ministry added it would not release further information about the missiles trajectory to protect its intelligence-gathering capabilities. Five ballistic missiles are believed to have landed within Japans EEZ, including four believed to have flown over Taiwan, said Japans Defense Ministry on Thursday. This is a serious problem that concerns Japans security and the safety of its citizens. We strongly condemn it, Japans Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi told reporters during a news conference. China also sent 22 warplanes into Taiwans air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Thursday all of which crossed the median line. It follows similar Chinese incursions a day earlier across the median line. Thursdays incursions were made by 12 Su-30 fighter jets, eight J-11 fighter jets, and two J-16 fighter jets, Taiwans Defense Ministry said in a statement. Later Thursday, the ministry said it detected four drones flying over restricted waters around the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands near mainland China. The ministry said Taiwans military fired flares to warn the drones away, but did not specify the type or origin of the devices. China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducts missile tests into the waters off the eastern coast of Taiwan, from an undisclosed location on August 4, 2022. - Eastern Theatre Command/Reuters On Friday, a spokesperson from Taiwans Foreign Ministry said the governments English website and the ministry website had both detected a large number of attacks on Tuesday the day Pelosi landed in Taiwan. The IP addresses behind the attacks came from China and Russia, among other locations, with the intention of paralyzing the government sites, said the spokesperson. She added that the websites were back to normal after emergency repair work, but massive attacks with malicious intent .. by overseas hostile forces continued on Thursday and Friday. Disruptions to trade In a speech on Thursday, Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen condemned Chinas military drills as irresponsible, saying they marked a deliberate and continuous escalation of military threats. I must emphasize that, we do not seek to escalate conflicts or provoke disputes, but we will firmly defend our sovereignty and national safety, as well as safeguarding democracy and freedom, she added. She also thanked the Group of Seven, comprised of the worlds largest economies, which released a statement on Wednesday voicing concern over Chinas live-fire exercises and urging Beijing not to change the status quo in the region. The exercises have also caused disruption to flight and ship schedules, with some international flights canceled and vessels urged to use alternative routes for several ports around the island. On Tuesday, the Chinese Defense Ministry said it would hold its exercises in six zones around Taiwan, warning ships and aircraft to stay out of the areas during the drills. The Taiwan Strait is a key trade route for vessels carrying goods between major economies in northeast Asia such as China, Japan, and South Korea, and the rest of world. CNNs Gawon Bae and Yong Xiong in Seoul, Emiko Jozuka in Tokyo, Laura He in Hong Kong, Eric Cheung in Taipei, and Sam Fossum in Washington contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has announced the launch of a new YouTube channel curated by the Missouri State Archives, a division within his office. The platform offers the public unprecedented access to historic films created by Missouri state government, along with recordings of the State Archives Thursday Evening Speaker Series and other Missouri history-related content. In celebration of the launch, the channel now features four new-to-the-archives films produced in 1931 by the Missouri Bureau of Public Information for the states Game and Fish Department, the precursor of todays Missouri Department of Conservation and Missouri State Parks. The recordings Arrow Rock, Big Spring, From Whence the Rainbows Come! (about Bennett Spring State Park) and Meramec State Park were graciously donated, along with digital conversions, by Melissa Naylor Applegate. Originally created to promote the virtues of Missouris outdoors, they were all produced in black and white on silent 16mm film and are between six and eleven minutes in length. Preserving and showcasing these recordings will help inform our future generations of the great natural resources Missouri has always had to offer, Ashcroft said. Missouri is a beautiful state with amazing features. For more information about the YouTube channel or the Missouri Game and Fish Department films, contact the Missouri State Archives reference staff at archives@sos.mo.gov or 573-751-3280. Five dogs at the Farmington Pound are seeking their owners or new homes where they can be loved and cared for. They include a male Beagle found running around Eagle Mart; two male sibling 8-month-old mixed breed dogs; a 9-month-old female mixed breed brindle surrendered to animal control by its owner; and a male mixed breed dog thats approximately a year old. For more information, contact the Farmington Animal Control officer at 573-631-9521. Animal Control is located at 1650 Vargo Road and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Dogs and cats remain for at least seven days at the Park Hills and Farmington pounds, and at least five days at the Desloge Pound, to allow owners the opportunity to claim them. After that, they are eligible for adoption or euthanasia. There are no adoption fees, but rescuers are required by the Missouri Department of Agriculture to sign a spay/neuter/vaccination commitment. Contact any other pounds listed for their adoption policies and fees. Sometimes space does not allow for every pound pup photo to be published. Animals not featured in this story may also be available for adoption. Thank you for reading! To read this article and more, subscribe now for as little as $1.99. Soft golden light lit the Van Buren Bridge as more than 50 people watched a group of kayaks float downstream. Many onlookers held candles, quietly observing the lanterns tied to each boat. This shared act of solidarity was one of several moments spent remembering lives lost in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Corvallis' Riverfront Commemorative Park on Thursday, Aug. 4. We try to center this commemoration around the slogan, never again, to try to remind people about the danger of war and the terrible weapons we have in our arsenal, said Aleita Hass-Holcombe, volunteer and executive director of the Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center. It has been 77 years since the U.S. detonated atomic bombs on the two Japanese cities on Aug. 6 and Aug. 9, 1945. Although estimates differ, the blasts killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people. Many died instantaneously, but survivors would later suffer from leukemia, cancer and other diseases due to radiation exposure. Even today, nuclear weapons continue to impact the Pacific Northwest. Pat Hoover who lived downwind from Hanford, a former nuclear weapons production site in south central Washington state and who now suffers from radiation poisoning read a work of poetry at the Thursday event, highlighting the gravity of war. Kelly Campbell, executive director of Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility, shared about the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the first international ban on nuclear devices. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times. Advocating for a world free of biological weapons is crucial to transforming grief into actions for peace and justice, she said. Campbell also encouraged involvement in several peace activist organizations represented at the event, including Women's International League of Peace and Freedom, Veterans for Peace Linus Pauling Chapter and World Beyond War, among others. Masumi Timson graced the gathering with traditional Japanese koto music prior to the program. Participants folded paper cranes to honor Sadako Sasaki, a young Japanese girl who fell victim to leukemia years after surviving Hiroshima. Im for world peace, and what happened over there with the atomic bomb was devastating, said Fred Shaub, a Corvallis resident who attended the event. Hopefully, this never happens again. Corvallis Mayor Biff Traber was one of the speakers at the commemoration and read a peace declaration pledging to strive toward change. We have got to continue working together, so humanity can survive. So all of us can learn to live in peace, he said. A fire that started in an upstairs unit has displaced the residents of an Albany apartment complex and killed a cat. When firefighters arrived at the apartments in the 2200 block of Elm Street early Thursday morning, Aug. 4, the second floor was "fully engulfed," according to an Albany Fire Department news release. Albany firefighters and police officers worked together to rescue one individual from an upstairs apartment, according to the release. There were no injuries to residents or emergency services personnel. One pet cat died and residents from all units have been displaced due to damage, officials said. The fire started in an upstairs apartment and is still under investigation. Your morning rundown of the latest news from overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Orange Egypt has resigned Nokia to a five-year contract to modernise its subscriber data management (SDM), a move Nokia said will bolster reliability and security for Orange customers and prepare the operator for a commercial 5G launch. In a statement, Orange Egypt CTO Ayman Amiri said: "The modernised, industry-leading Nokia SDM solution will help us better address the evolving needs of our customers. Building on our existing experience leveraging Nokias SDM solution, we are looking forward to leveraging these upgrades as we consolidate our customer base across different technologies and move towards 5G. Nokia head of Orange MENA customer business team Adel Hani said: Our SDM solution is helping service providers across the world to cost-effectively manage data across several applications. We are thrilled that Orange Egypt will modernise Nokias already-deployed SDM to gain newer efficiencies and capabilities. The extension of this deal is a reflection of our strong and enduring relationship with Orange Egypt. Nokia said the SDM solution has a host of features that will enable the operator to better manage subscriber data across different technology networks. The current Nokia SDM software being used has been deployed in over three geographical areas serving three million mobile and fixed Orange Egypt customers. The incoming upgraded SDM system supports the launch of 5G services. The Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) has signed a ten-year contract with authentication solutions company Authentix, under the terms of which Authentix will provide a marketplace governance programme to BURS for the digital marking and tracking of tobacco and alcohol products. This is described as a digital tax stamp programme aimed at preventing illicit trade and counterfeits while also ensuring that citizens receive genuine and safe products. The new digital track and trace system will, Authentix says, boost tax revenue collections levied on manufacturers and importers by increasing industry compliance, reducing illicit trade, and preventing the underreporting of volumes. The new contract covers the marking and digital tracking of an estimated 500 million product units per year. AuthentixTransAct, a secure SaaS-based IT data platform, along with direct printing of secure, serialized digital product codes, will combine to form what is described as a high-security digital tracking and enforcement solution. The system will, says Authentix, reduce and deter fraudulent activities protecting the public from the harmful effects of contraband and ensuring a level playing field for all legitimate industry stakeholders. The countrywide programme will encompass implementation, training, technical support, hardware installation, ongoing maintenance and programme management provided by the Authentix-Botswana Operations Office. Authentix provides advanced authentication solutions for governments, central banks, and commercial products. Authentix Marketplace Governance programmes have, the company says, helped ensure the authentication and traceability of products while recovering billions of dollars in tax revenue. Authentix has offices in the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, Asia and Africa. Globe Telecom has partnered with two other telecom players to construct a US$150 million fibre cable network to boost mobile and broadband services. CNN Philippines reported, that software provider Eastern Communications and broadband specialist InfiniVAN are partners in the construction of the 2,500km Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network. The companies expect the project to expand connectivity across the country and deliver fibre connections to remote locations. Construction of the cable is expected to be completed over the next nine months, according to Globe. The cable will land in the following locations: Sorsogon, Masbate, Marinduque, Camiguin, Siargao, Boracay, and Zamboanga. Globe Business Enterprise Group VP of strategic infrastructure investments Arlene Jallorina said: We know there may be other challenges along the way. We hope we'll be able to work through them quickly and very much solidly as a group. We are doing this so that our customers will get equitable access to connectivity, wherever they may be in the country." TROY Pike Liberal Arts Schools own Bryant Swindall took to the sky this summer. In preparation for a career as a professional pilot, Swindall attended a week-long summer youth program hosted by Kansas State University on the Aerospace and Technology Campus in Salina, Kansas. He was one of 12 high-school-aged aspiring pilots from across the country to attend and complete the Fly K-State Academy program. Swindall was able to add hours to his log book by piloting four missions, log instrument time in the universitys state-of-the-art simulators, and complete his first cross-country flight to Wichita, Kansas, on the final day of the program. The Kansas State instructors and staff were really nice and helped me learn a lot. It was also great to meet other people with the same interest in aviation. Overall, my experience was lots of fun and I would definitely go again, Swindall said. Swindall is currently a student with the Sky Warrior program in Troy He took part in the discovery flight with them last summer that created his spark for flying. Swindall has worked all summer between Kansas and Troy to build his experience and hours. His mother, Lori Swindall, said that the experience helped Bryant know for sure that he wanted to be a pilot. The trip to Kansas was worthwhile for Bryant in several ways. He was able to fly in a completely new environment, experience living on a college campus, and learn from multiple instructors. The K-State program helped solidify his desire to become a commercial pilot, Lori Swindall said. Head of School Eric Burkett complimented Bryants proactiveness in trying new things. Bryant is a great student and we couldnt be more proud of his accomplishments. Its always great to see students spread their wings and try new things, and we always try to encourage that, Burkett said. Swindall is on track to take his first solo flight within the next week, so look to the skies for the PLAS student soon. A second suspect has been arrested in the deaths of two people reported missing from Dothan and whose bodies are believed to be those found in Holmes County, Florida, last week. According to the Dothan Police Department, three more suspects are wanted on charges. Dothan police have now charged David Allen Bastian, 37, of Port Saint Lucie, Florida, with one count of capital murder, one count of kidnapping first degree, and one count of abuse of a corpse, according to the police departments website. Sheena Marie Thurman, 35, of Bonifay was arrested on July 28 by Dothan police and charged with one count of murder. The Dothan Police Department and the Holmes County Sheriffs Department began a joint investigation into a double murder on July 28. That investigation led to the discovery of two bodies buried on Long Round Bay Road in Holmes County. The bodies are believed to be those of Damien Bell and Shauna Terry, who were reported missing by family members on July 11 and were last seen or heard from on July 8. Dothan police and the U.S. Marshals are now attempting to locate three additional suspects: Joshua Deavours Parks, 36, of Dothan; Devante Laquae Williams, 32, of Dothan; and MacAuthur Mike Hawkins, 31, of Dothan. Parks, Williams, and Hawkins are wanted for one count of capital murder, one count of kidnapping first degree, and one count of abuse of a corpse. Law enforcement is asking the public with information on the whereabouts of any of these individuals to contact the Dothan Police Department at 334-615-3000 or Crime Stoppers at 334-793-7000. A reward may be offered for information that leads to the capture of these individuals. According to its website, the Dothan Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of all those who wish to help in an anonymous capacity. Happy One Central to be introduced in Hong Kong Van Xuan Group has inked a cooperation agreement with Knightsbridge Partners to distribute the Happy One Central project in Hong Kong. Under the cooperation signed on July 26, Knightsbridge Partners would soon become a distributor of Happy One Central in Hong Kong. Previously, Happy One Central was distributed by domestic partners including Cen Saigon, Viva Homes, QS Land. Diep Dinh Chung (L), Deputy General Director of Van Xuan Group, and Kingston Lai, Founder and CEO of Knightsbridge Partners, sign a partnership agreement. Photo by Van Xuan Group "The cooperation confirms the project's value, potential and attraction. Happy One Central would be one of the first projects in Binh Duong to be introduced in Hong Kong," said a project representative. Kingston Lai, founder and CEO of Knightsbridge Partners (Hong Kong), said Binh Duong has become an alluring destination for foreign investors thanks to favorable policies that encourage investment, and recent plans to promote industrial parks and infrastructure development, affirming its position as a "magnet" for foreign investment. "This explains why Knightsbridge decided to become a distributor of the Happy One Central project in Hong Kong. The project is not only an ideal choice for investment but also a home for expats living and working in a key industrial city of Vietnam," Lai stressed. He added that Binh Duong is one of the most exciting markets in Vietnam, attracting many businessmen, experts and senior technicians from Russia, France, Taiwan..., which are potential Happy One Central customers. Happy One Central is located at Binh Duong Avenue, Thu Dau Mot Town, Binh Duong Province. Photo by Van Xuan Group Diep Dinh Chung, deputy general director of Van Xuan Group, said the 17-year-old company always chooses to cooperate with prestigious domestic and foreign partners. "Partnering with Knightsbridge Partners, Van Xuan Group seeks to deliver one of its first projects in Binh Duong to Hong Kong." Potential customers praised Knightsbridge Partners for its prime location in the center of Thu Dau Mot Town, and modern architecture, in line with the apartment trend in many developed countries. In particular, 68 high-class facilities would serve foreign customers. Knightsbridge Partners, a prestigious corporation in Hong Kong, has offices throughout Asia including Asia Banker Club Limited, Ashton Hawks (HK) Limited, Golden Emperor Properties (Sheung Wan Branch) Limited. Imagine the discoveries that the emigrants made as they traveled along the California Trail. Discoveries about the landscape, about plants and animals, about those they traveled with, and themselves. Summer camps at Nevada Outdoor School are full of discovery also! While we may not travel thousands of miles over many months, our campers are transported by our outdoor educators into discovery mindsets, no matter where they are. Nevada is a state that can boast about great biological diversity and a deep and rich historical story. If one were to only stay on I-80 passing through at 80 miles an hour, much of the beauty and legend will be missed, but when one opts to step off the beaten path, treasures await. Great Basin National Park is one of those treasures. Located about one hour southeast of Ely, this national park is a great place to sample the diversity of Nevada and discover things about nature and yourself. Campers, ages 11-13, attending the Great Basin Excursion were able to walk among the ancient bristlecone pine trees, experience total darkness and stunning stalactites, stalagmites, and cave shields inside Lehman Caves, and observe one of the darkest night skies in our country. Four nights of camping also afforded campers the opportunity to work together as a team to make meals and take care of one another, while sharing many laughs around the evening campfire. Due to the campfire ban, along with daily afternoon thunderstorms, campers discovered how they could adapt, overcome, and make the best of a situation. The California Trail Interpretive Center is another Nevada treasure that is ripe with discovery, celebrating the tenacity and spirit of the nearly 250,000 people who bravely set out for California between 1841 and 1869. Spending a day there is like going back in time, with an added bonus of air conditioning. Day-campers, ages 8-13, walked along the nature trail discovering animal tracks and scat, cooked their lunch in a Dutch oven, explored the Center exhibits conveying them from Missouri to California, made crafts, shot bows and arrows, and threw axes. Kids with bows and arrows and throwing axes? Is that safe? That may be an initial reaction by many, but at Nevada Outdoor School we know that outdoor education is risky business that can be carefully managed with training, thoughtful prior preparation, and careful management of participants. Allowing kids to fully participate in activities like archery and axe throwing helps them to discover and stretch their physical abilities while teaching them about safety and how risk can be managed by choices. If bows and arrows and axes werent enough, in Battle Mountain at Borealis Park another group of day campers, ages 8-13, were launching rockets and discovering the power of the sun and its ability to warm up their lunch of chili and cheese in a solar oven. Dreaming of space travel and learning about our solar system inspires campers to reach for the stars. Children (and adults, too) who spend time outdoors are known to be happier, stronger, and more confident. Why? At Nevada Outdoor School we love to get people outdoors where they can experience discoveries through the use of all five senses a complete submersion into situational awareness that simply does not occur indoors. Physical, mental, spiritual discoveries happen outdoors. Get outside, it is good for humans everywhere. ELKO After hearing concerns that at one point got rowdy about the validity of Elko Countys primary election and a recount requested by a candidate for governor, Elko County Commissioners informally agreed this week that they may look at a forensic audit of the election results. The board will most likely be considering a future agenda time regarding a forensic audit, Elko County Manager Amanda Osborne said after the Aug. 3 meeting, but she said the next commissioner meeting on Aug. 17 is in Montello and West Wendover. We will not put it on an agenda for a meeting outside the county seat, so the earliest it will be on the agenda will be the September 7th meeting, she said in an email. Vernon Hatch of Spring Creek said in the public comments portion of the meeting that he had asked for a full forensic audit of the primary a couple of meetings ago because of questions about elections in Elko County, and because that it is so important to know those elected were actually elected. He said a full forensic audit would be done of paper ballots and voting machine totals by people who really understand voting machines. Elko County Clerk Kris Jakeman said by phone Aug. 4 that there is nothing in state statutes to guide us on a forensic audit, but we are looking into it. She said, however, that her office already does audits from the beginning to the end of elections. We have a lot of checks and balances in place, and our office is very conscientious, she said, adding that she thought the staff did an excellent job conducting elections during Covid time. Mary Ann Weldin of Spring Creek demanded county representatives take action against voter fraud and stop using the Dominion voting machines but rather go to paper ballots. She told commissioners that a letter of demands coming from the Coalition of Nevada Voters that has 230 signatures to date is circulating, calling for distribution of mail-in ballots limited to those who live out of the county, the military or to special requests, voter rolls cleaned up and an end to ballot harvesting. Although there were comments about hacking into Dominion voting machines, Jakeman said on Aug. 4 that the machines are not connected to the internet and have to go through rigorous testing, but electronic poll books are on the internet to show who is checking in to vote and show if anyone tries to vote twice. Commissioner Rex Steninger said following Hatchs comments and those of several others regarding election concerns that we get your point. Were cutting you off... He said that he has looked at all the emails coming to him and passed on concerns. If the people of Elko County have lost faith in the Dominion machines, we need to do something, and we are pursuing that, he said. Board Chairman Delmo Andreozzi said he appreciates the peoples concerns and wants to encourage dialogue, but there were times in the public comment period that were uncomfortable. He later cautioned that we need to understand the barriers of state statutes regarding elections. The discomfort came after public commenter Chris Mullins told Steninger he made him mad because he originally believed that Steninger was on his side. You lied, he said, to which Steninger said he didnt lie, he just called Mullins an idiot for sending email after email. I honestly believed at some point that you cared, he told commissioners. We deserve better. Other comments were about the recount on June 30 of the 8,080 votes cast in the governors primary race at the request of Republican candidate Joey Gilbert, who asked for recounts in every Nevada county and paid for them after he lost the primary statewide to Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo by 26,000 votes. He has since filed suit over the loss. Gilbert won in Elko County, however, with 2,333 votes cast by Republicans, compared with 1,250 votes for Lombardo and 1,133 votes for former U.S. Sen. Dean Heller. The recount came up with three votes fewer to Gilbert, public commenters said at the Aug. 3 meeting. Kim Starr of Carlin told commissioners she saw questionable paper ballots while observing the recount, and she said she filed a report with the FBI over alleged voter fraud. She said her observances that led to contacting federal authorities involved the county sheriffs election, however. Steninger said the recount was for Gilbert only, and even if she saw an irregularity, that doesnt mean Sheriff Aitor Narvazia knew about it. Narvazia won the primary to seek re-election against several challengers. Misty Atkins of Elko said she also saw ballots duplicated and the backs of copied ballots blank and filed a report with the FBI regarding the sheriff, but she thought action should start at the local level. This needs to be taken seriously. She also said Jakeman only reluctantly let observers into the room for the recount instead of watching from lobby on a screen the size of a cell phone. Steninger said he checked, and the clerk let everyone observe in person. Jakeman said the Gilbert recount was the first one conducted in Elko County since she began working in the office years ago, so she initially arranged the viewing in the lobby as is done for regular elections but we brainstormed, and came up with the idea of two recount board members coming out to the lobby for ballot inspections and counts. The ballots were then tallied by staff in another room, and observers were allowed, although there are rules to be followed for county observation. There was also a volunteer to look at ballots that may need to be adjudicated. I really wasnt trying to be mean, Jakeman said regarding allocations that she argued with observers. We really have nothing to hide. Candace Wines of Ruby Valley, who was on the Elko County Board of Trustees and said she was pushed to resign, told commissioners that if people at the county level are willing to go to extremes, what about local, county and state elections? We need elections, not selections, she said. Wines also said she opposed the Dominion voting machines and wanted the county to go to hand-counts of paper ballots. She cited Nye County, which voted back in March to go to paper ballots only and earlier this week appointed a new interim county clerk to replace long-time County Clerk Sam Merlino. Republican Mark Kampf, who won the partys nomination for clerk in the June primary. The Associated Press reported Merlino resigned over the Nye County Commissions hand-counting plans after months of unprecedented scrutiny over her work administering local elections. Jakeman said the Nevada Secretary of States Office is working on regulations for hand-counting ballots. ELKO Law enforcement from two states searched the Nevada property of a man who has been named as a suspect in the disappearance of a 19-year The Xbox Game Pass family plan will allow us to share membership and all Microsoft services with up to 4 people (a total of 5 in each group). At the moment this feature is in a testing phase, currently being carried out in Ireland and Colombia. We tell you how it works. First tests in Colombia and Ireland At the moment, the trial phase is only available for Xbox Game Pass - Insider Preview users residing in Colombia and Ireland; it will be extended to other countries in the near future. If this is your case, you should know that if you currently have 1 month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, joining the trial will convert into 18 days of Xbox Game Pass family plan. In addition, the 4 users invited to the plan do not need to be insiders, although they must belong to the same country. However, Xbox All Access members are not eligible to participate. You can register here if you are from Ireland or Colombia. How does the Xbox Game Pass family plan work? All Xbox Game Pass family plan members have access to all Microsoft services: online play through Xbox Live Gold, free monthly subscription titles, full Xbox Game Pass catalog and game streaming thanks to xCloud. Unlike other similar plans, in this case, the group is up to 5 people, leaving one as the membership leader. At the moment, the final price of the service is unknown. Upcoming releases on Xbox Game Pass A Plague Tale Requiem, Atomic Heart, Grounded (final version), Marauders, Humankind, Midnight Fight Express, Scorn, Persona 5 Royal, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, Signalis, Valheim, Slime Rancher 2, Somerville, She dreams Elsewhere... The Xbox Game Pass catalog has multiple releases planned for 2022 and beyond. If you want to know them all, you can consult the complete list. Source | Xbox Wire Ho Chi Minh City received the most searches by local tourists VNAT reported that as tourism is fully opened, the demand for foreign travel of Vietnamese people has also increased rapidly. The number of Vietnamese people searching for foreign travel in July was at 780% compared to the same period last year. Destinations in Southeast Asia still receive the attention of Vietnamese tourists such as Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. This shows that close destinations are a priority trend of Vietnamese tourists in the context of post-pandemic recovery. Since early 2022, Vietnam has continuously been named among the group of destinations with the fastest growth in the world, with a growth rate of 50%-75%. The top 10 countries searching for travel in Vietnam include the USA, Australia, Singapore, India, Japan, and the Republic of Korea./. Vietnam's booth at the festival (Photo: baoquocte.vn) The 15th Fusion Festival, organized at Holland Park on July 23-24, had seven main stages and over 40 booths displaying cultures of different communities with the attendance of hundreds of thousands of people. It is considered one of the biggest festivals in Canada. Consul General Nguyen Quang Trung and staff of the Consulate General of Vietnam in Vancouver attended the festival and visited a Vietnamese cultural gallery. With the support of the Consulate General of Vietnam, Vietnams booth was arranged with many typical products such as traditional long dress (ao dai), conical hats, brocade clothes, photos and pictures of different regions, tourist attractions, cyclos, bicycles, and parallel sentences. In addition, at the exhibition booth, many typical Vietnamese dishes such as pho, grilled chicken, bread and rice are also introduced to visitors. Consul General Nguyen Quang Trung welcomed the community's efforts to organize a Vietnamese cultural exhibition booth and actively participate in the festival's activities to honor the image of Vietnam in the eyes of Canadian and international friends. Working with the Festival Organizing Committee, the Consul General suggested that the Canadian side should consider the organization of the festival in 2023 as a highlight to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Canada diplomatic relations. This will be a program to help people of the two countries understand each other better and know how to organize cultural exchanges more and more perfectly, in line with the good comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Canada today./. Vietnam-Warsaw Cultural Festival 2022 with the highlight of water puppetry (Photo: baoquocte.vn) In particular, the event will take place in the most solemn place at Castle Square, at the foot of the column of King Zygmunt statue, in the ancient streets of Poland's capital. The highlight of this year's program is the first participation of the Vietnam Puppet Theater with many unique folk performances. Not only introducing puppet shows, the 16-member art troupe from Vietnam will bring traditional ethnic art performances to the Vietnamese community in Poland. The participation of the water puppetry troupe at this year's cultural festival will be a valuable opportunity for the Vietnamese community to proudly invite their friends to attend. This is also an opportunity to express gratitude for the hospitality of the Polish people and authorities over the years to the Vietnamese community. In addition, traditional long dress (Ao Dai) of Vietnam will also be performed at the event./. Ukraine's readiness for the heating season is almost 60%, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal has said. "Preparation work is ongoing. The state of readiness for the heating season is almost 60%. The state of readiness of residential buildings for the heating season is 56%, networks 57%, heat supply facilities 58%," he said at a government meeting on Friday. According to the prime minister, 141 heating facilities have already been repaired, two thermal power plants, which were damaged by shelling, have already been restored. In addition, Shmyhal announced that a reserve stock of equipment is being created in case of infrastructure damage during the heating season. For these purposes, UAH 1.4 billion have been provided. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the report of the international human rights organization Amnesty International that the Ukrainian army allegedly endangers the civilian population of the country shifts responsibility from the aggressor (Russia) to the victim (Ukraine). First of all, the Head of state stressed that today's shelling by the Russian occupiers of Toretsk of Donetsk region, as a result of which eight people were killed, as well as the infrastructure was destroyed, is another cynical and calculated act of Russian terror. They knew where they were hitting, and they obviously wanted people to get hurt. However, we do not see clear and timely reports from some international organizations regarding this and thousands of other crimes committed by Russian terrorists. We saw today a completely different report from Amnesty International, which unfortunately tries to amnesty the terrorist state and shift the responsibility from the aggressor to the victim, Zelensky said in his video address. He noted that there cannot be - even hypothetically - any condition under which any Russian attack on Ukraine becomes justified. Aggression against our state is unprovoked, invasive and openly terroristic, the president said. And if someone makes a report in which the victim and the aggressor are allegedly the same in something, if some data about the victim is analyzed and what the aggressor was doing at that time is ignored, this cannot be tolerated, Zelensky added. He reminded that almost 200 religious buildings alone - temples and prayer houses of various denominations - were damaged or destroyed by Russian strikes. Almost 900 medical facilities. Over 2,200 educational institutions. Dozens of universities, hundreds of schools and kindergartens. The occupiers repeatedly deliberately fired artillery and mortars at people queuing for water, at evacuation buses, and repeatedly at public transport stops. The Russian army did not even refrain from striking at the memorials to the victims of the Holocaust, at the cemeteries... At the camp with prisoners of war in Olenivka. And there are no reports about it for some reason, Zelensky stressed. In this regard, the head of state called the Amnesty International report an "immoral selectivity" that helps a terrorist state. Anyone who amnesties Russia and who artificially creates such an informational context that some attacks by terrorists are supposedly justified or supposedly understandable, cannot but realize that it helps the terrorists. And if you provide manipulative reports, then you share the responsibility for the death of people with them, he said. The first caravan of three vessels with Ukrainian grain left the ports of Big Odesa early Friday morning, Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov said. "There are 57,000 tonnes of Ukrainian corn on board the three bulk carriers NAVI STAR, ROJEN and POLARNET, which is heading to Turkey, the UK and Ireland," he wrote on Facebook. Kubrakov noted that today's caravan resumed shipping from the port of Chornomorsk. "We expect that the security guarantees of our partners from the UN and Turkey will continue to work, and food exports from our ports will become stable and predictable for all market participants," the minister stressed. According to him, for this it is planned to ensure the ability of ports to handle more than 100 ships per month. "Although the "grain corridor" has already started working, our goal is the full operation of ports in both directions. We receive applications from ship owners who are ready to enter our ports for loading, and the first one is expected tomorrow," the minister said. According to him, the goal is 3 or more million tonnes of agricultural exports per month from the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny. The minister believes that such steps are necessary not only for the Ukrainian economy, but also for the world. The sooner we can export 20 million tonnes of last year's crop and start exporting the new one, the faster the food situation in the world will improve. The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, together with the Ministry of Education and Science, has launched an initiative to provide Wi-Fi Internet access to bomb shelters in all educational institutions. "Now schools, kindergartens, colleges and universities are actively equipping shelters for the start of the new academic year. The key issue is Wi-Fi connection. We have already received the first 2,500 routers and 1,000 modems from the telecoms business, which will go to educational institutions. Thanks to the Internet in shelters, children and teachers will be able to continue their education even during air raid alerts," Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov wrote on his Telegram channel. The ministry also noted that equipment for Wi-Fi access and the necessary equipment for high-speed Internet for kindergartens, schools, vocational schools, colleges and universities will be provided free of charge. It also called on providers and large companies to join this initiative. The Russian occupiers continue to keep four Kalibr cruise missile carriers on combat duty in the Black Sea, and five enemy Kalibr carriers in the Mediterranean Sea, the press service of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports. "As of August 5, 2022: four enemy carriers of Kalibr cruise missiles are on combat duty in the Black Sea, a total salvo of 24 missiles; in the Sea of Azov, the enemy continues to control sea communications, keeping up to three ships and boats on combat duty; there are five carriers of Kalibr cruise missiles in the Mediterranean Sea, it said on the Telegram channel. During the day, in the interests of the Russian Federation, the passage of the Kerch-Yenikal Strait was carried out: 37 vessels to the Sea of Azov, of which six vessels were moving from the Bosphorus Strait; 34 vessels to the Black Sea, of which six vessels continued to move in the direction of the Bosphorus Strait. The Russian Federation, which inherited the worst Stalinist traditions, has become a terrorist state that poses a danger to the whole world, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said. "The great terror of the thirties of the 20th century did not break the Ukrainian people, their spirit and courage, Ukraine will not give up now. It is time to resolutely recognize that the Russian Federation, which inherited the worst Stalinist traditions, has become a terrorist state that poses a danger to the whole world," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a comment on Friday. The ministry recalled that on August 5, Ukraine honors the memory of the victims of the Great Terror of 1937-1938 one of the most large-scale crimes of the Soviet government against humanity. It is noted that 85 years ago, by order of the NKVD of the USSR, the resolution of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) "On anti-Soviet elements" came into effect. In practice, this meant mass sweeps to destroy the communist dictatorship of the Ukrainian elite, which had the potential to restore and develop Ukrainian statehood, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said. "Nowadays, the Russian government continues the policy of the Soviet regime, having reached a new level of cynicism and cruelty: the occupiers are waging war against every Ukrainian, regardless of age, gender, language of communication or occupation. Enemy troops from heavy artillery and rocket attacks shoot and destroy the entire nation. Olenivka, Vinnytsia, Kremenchuk, Kramatorsk, Bucha, Irpin, Borodianka, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, Mariupol - the names of these Ukrainian cities and towns are now known to the whole world precisely because of the bloody crimes of the Russian authorities," the commentary says. The Foreign Ministry stressed that the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine suffer the most, which the invaders have turned into places of unfreedom and mass terror. Ukrainian citizens become victims of repression by the occupation regime at the slightest manifestation of resistance, the ministry said. "Today, Ukrainian defenders are fighting to overcome the aggressor once and for all and make impossible further attempts by the Russian Federation to destroy the Ukrainian people, our statehood and resort to blackmail of all mankind. The world demonstrates unprecedented support for Ukraine, together we are moving towards a common goal, which will definitely be victory," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said. Kyivstar, a mobile operator, is counting on the opportunity to maintain the provision of the Roaming Like at Home service for its subscribers in the EU countries until the end of this year. "For the time being, we plan that Roaming Like at Home will be with us until the end of this year. We will strive to do everything so that Roaming Like at Home is active at least until the end of martial law in Ukraine. But it depends not only on us... our partners are not ready to actually lose part of their income, part of their margin as social assistance to Ukraine on a very long-term basis," said Oleksandr Komarov, the president of the Kyivstar mobile operator, in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine. He noted that for Kyivstar the provision of this service is not a business, but part of social responsibility, and the operator, for its part, will support its provision as much as necessary. "But even now voices are being heard, they say, let's somehow quietly return to normal business practice. And there are voices that say, 'We will turn to our government with a proposal to compensate us for the losses associated with preferential roaming rates for Ukrainian operators.' Therefore, what it will result in the future... So far, I am sure that until the end of the year we will be able to maintain this situation at the level of dialogues, at the level of explanations. I dont know how it will be further," Komarov said. According to him, services in roaming from Kyivstar are most often used by subscribers in Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. "In March, we recorded almost 3 million subscribers who went abroad, but now there are slightly fewer customers in roaming: 1.3-1.4 million. And 80-90% of our users use the Roaming Like at Home service," the expert noted. Construction of apartment buildings, in which premises will be provided to internally displaced persons (IDPs), will take 5-6 months, the cost will be about $700 per square meter for a furnished apartment, Deputy Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko has said. "This is construction in relatively safe regions of Ukraine: Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Vinnytsia, Chernivtsi, etc. There are 16 regions in total. That is, construction of not only modular, but also apartment buildings for people who have moved from the temporarily occupied territories. This should be comfortable housing where there is a school nearby, parking lots," Tymoshenko said. According to him, construction of such houses under the Fast Recovery plan (Ukraine Fast Recovery plan) will take only five to six months and will be relatively inexpensive about S700 per square meter for a furnished apartment. He also added that the appropriate sites with communications had already been selected. "Temporarily displaced persons will be able to live in these apartments until their regions are de-occupied. And when they return to their own homes, these premises will be transferred to the Ukrainian military, law enforcement officers and doctors who need housing," the Deputy Head of the President's Office said. According to the presidential press service, Tymoshenko held meetings with the ambassadors of Germany, the Czech Republic and Japan regarding the participation of their states in the restoration of Ukraine and presented them with a corresponding plan. In turn, the ambassadors of foreign states expressed their readiness to provide assistance. Two supporters of aggressor detained in Lviv region, one of them wanted to aim missiles at Bandera monument - SBU Employees of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) have announced suspicion to two supporters of the current Russian regime, who in social networks actively supported aggression against Ukraine and called on Ukrainians to join the occupying authorities of the aggressor country, the SBU Directorate in Lviv region reported on its Facebook page. "The Security Service has already detained traitors who openly carried out collaborative actions. During collection of the evidence base, the operatives found that, in addition to spreading destructive propaganda, one of the lawbreakers corresponded with an active fighter of the so-called DPR, namely, provided coordinates, and subsequently had to adjust the implementation of rocket attacks on the Bandera monument in Lviv," the report says. SBU investigators declared suspicion to the criminals under Article 436 (propaganda of war) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. A pretrial investigation is underway. Ukraine expects Turkey to adopt restrictions that will not allow the Russian Federation to illegally import stolen Ukrainian grain, Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar has said. "Today we have already submitted five appeals through legal assistance from our General Prosecutor's Office. We have now received the Turkish side's consent to communication at the level of department directors, next week we are organizing such consultations between law enforcement agencies, between our General Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of Justice. And we also expect that appropriate restrictions will be adopted in Turkey that will not allow Russians to illegally import this [Ukrainian] grain," Bodnar said at a briefing at the Ukraine media center in Lviv on Friday. At the same time, he drew attention to the fact that if grain enters Turkish ports with Russian documents, then from the point of view of Turkish legislation, it is extremely difficult to ensure the seizure of this cargo or vessel in the legal plane. "But given that we have been fighting this for three months now, there are certain shifts. It is too early to talk about them publicly, but I think that we will have results that we will be able to share with the wider public literally soon," the diplomat said. Bodnar explained that, from the point of view of formality, it was impossible to close the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles for these ships. Articles 2 and 3 of the Montreux Convention clearly provide that any ship under any flag with any legal cargo can freely pass through the straits and no one has the right to stop it, he added. "The only exception is for dangerous cargo or illegal cargo. Then the ship can be stopped and inspected, even seized, if this cargo poses a threat to the Turkish state," Bodnar explained. At the same time, he noted that the Russian Federation uses various manipulative methods in order to import stolen Ukrainian grain from the territories it occupies, both to Turkish markets and to the markets of some Middle Eastern countries, including Lebanon, Egypt, and Syria. Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar notes the importance of the Ukrainian-Turkish talks after the meeting of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi. "I think it would be right to think about further contacts, perhaps with our side after this visit takes place. It would be fair and right from the point of view of their role in resolving the situation," Bodnar said at a briefing at the Ukraine Media Center in Lviv on Friday. According to him, Ukraine continues negotiations with Turkey on the introduction of restrictions on trade with the Russian Federation in connection with its war against Ukraine. "But there are stories that do not give us much pleasure - this is a matter of trade relations. We continue to talk with the Turkish side in our bilateral format about their joining the restrictions imposed by the EU and the United States to limit cooperation with Russia. Unfortunately, their interests do not meet this, and they continue on their way. In this case, we have no direct influence on making such a decision, and we must understand that not everything happens the way we want," Bodnar said. The former deputy head of the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has been notified of suspicion of high treason and arrested without bail, the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) of Ukraine has said. "Under the procedural leadership of Lviv Regional Prosecutor's Office, Major General, former Deputy Head of the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine was informed of suspicion of high treason (part 1 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine)," the PGO said in Telegram channel on Friday. According to the investigation, since 2014, the suspect was recruited and acted in the interests of Russia's special services, collected and transmitted secret information about the current military-political situation in Ukraine, as well as the forms and methods used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and law enforcement agencies in countering Russian aggression. "At the direction of the special services of the aggressor country, he sent them information from the agencies of the Ministry of Defense, the Main Intelligence Agency, the National Academy of the Ground Forces of Sahaidachny, aviation and military-industrial state-owned enterprises on the activities of the latter, as well as undercover communications of the special services of Ukraine for a temporary occupied territory," the PGO said in the statement. The prosecutor's office also said that in February 2022, during a search at the place of work of the suspect, he tried to shoot SBU officers who arrived to conduct investigative actions. Then he was informed of the suspicion of encroachment on the life of a law enforcement officer and illegal possession of weapons (Article 348, part 1 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). "Currently, the suspect has been chosen a measure of restraint in the form of detention without determining the amount of bail," the PGO said. "SBU officers detained a suspect at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. During searches at the place of work, he tried to shoot representatives of the SBU investigative and operational group... A former high-ranking official used a Makarov combat pistol against law enforcement officers," Spokesperson for the Ukrainian Intelligence Agency Artem Dekhtiarenko said in a video statement posted on the SBU's Telegram channel. According to him, the detainee was the deputy head of the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense in 2008-2010, then he worked in various positions in this department and in the leadership of the State Space Agency of Ukraine. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved a presidential draft decree on the seizure of 903 objects belonging to Russia, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal has said. "As promised, we are taking Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. We are doing this systematically and under all procedures. We do not replace the law with our willingness, but implement this strategic task in a legal way. The seized assets are converted into funds allocated for our defense and restoration," Shmyhal said at a government meeting on Friday. According to the prime minister, the government has decided to seize Russian property and assets in Ukraine. In particular, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a presidential decree proposing the seizure of 903 objects belonging to Russia. According to him, some 79 items are corporate rights, while 824 items are property. "The list of objects has been formed: these are hundreds of buildings, corporate rights, land plots and financial assets. All property is divided into three categories: the first category is property that belongs to Russia, the second category is assets belonging to sanctioned citizens and companies from Russia, the third category is the assets of Russian banks," he said. The prime minister said today's decision is the first step, and then the seizure of Russia's assets in the West should take place. U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink met with new Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) Oleksandr Klymenko. "Excellent meeting with Specialized Anticorruption Prosecutor Klymenko today. SAPO is key to fighting corruption and defending against Russia's influence and helps ensure a strong, democratic, and sovereign Ukraine. We look forward to continuing our support for his crucial work," Brink said on Twitter on Friday. During the meeting, Klymenko noted the importance of fighting corruption in Ukraine and adhering to the common concept of anti-corruption measures among friendly countries, according to the SAPO press service in The telegram channel. The SAPO head focused on the need for further international cooperation and exchange of experience. He also thanked for the support for the development of anti-corruption infrastructure in Ukraine and the attention paid by international observers to conduct an independent and objective competition, and expressed hope for continued joint work on anti-corruption issues. "At this difficult time for Ukraine, it is necessary to intensify the fight not only against the Russian invaders, but also against our internal enemy, who is cunningly destroying the principles of the rule of law. Only by eradicating corruption will we be able to move to a new level of the state," Klymenko said. The parties also considered problematic issues and ways to solve them for positive changes in the anti-corruption sector. Relatives of the defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal, who are in Russian captivity, will hold actions in the cities of Ukraine and the world on Friday evening calling on international organizations to help release Ukrainian servicemen. "After the events of July 29 in Olenivka, after Russia has recognized Azov as a terrorist organization and wants to bring to justice our servicemen who defended the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, we go to the action and hold it not only in Lviv. Such actions are held in the cities of Ukraine and the world in order to raise the world community, world leaders in support of Ukraine as much as possible," Iryna Novosiadlo, mother of a serviceman of the Azov regiment, said at a briefing in Lviv on Friday. According to her, the world should join forces and help Ukraine in its fight against Russia, the release and return of prisoners of war home. "Russia does not comply with any international norms, but at the same time, it sits at the same table with the civilized world, so we appeal and will continue to appeal until each of our servicemen returns home. We will scream, we will turn to the world for help. I am sure that world leaders, international organizations, not only the UN and the Red Cross [International Committee of the Red Cross], have some leverage to influence Russia so that it adheres to the norms of international humanitarian law," Novosiadlo said. She also said the families of prisoners of war still do not know anything about their health, about the conditions of detention, where exactly they are. "We do not know what is happening with our relatives, I corresponded with my son for the last time before leaving [from Azovstal]. It was May 18. I did not have any more connections," Novosiadlo said. She said communication with relatives in captivity is possible only through representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and since Russia does not let them into the places where Ukrainian defenders are kept, there is no information. On Wednesday, August 10, at 11.30, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host press conference entitled "City DNA: how to rebuild Ukrainian cities" about air quality and ecology, thermomodernization, bicycle infrastructure, revitalization of industrial zones, organization of housing and communal services and inclusiveness in new urban planning. Participants include Founder of the International Summit of Mayors, author of the idea of "DNA of the city" (Kyiv) Iryna Ozymok; Executive Director of Promprylad.Renovation, founder of the Warm City platform and ideologist of Urban Space 100 (Ivano-Frankivsk) Yuriy Filiuk; Executive Director of the Association Energy Efficient Cities of Ukraine (Novoyavorivsk, Lviv region) Svyatoslav Pavliuk; expert on bicycle infrastructure (Zhytomyr) Alina Kundych; moderator Maksym Dzhyhun, co-founder and CEO of the Good Politics communication agency (8/5a Reitarska Street). The broadcast will be available on the YouTube channel of Interfax-Ukraine. Admission of journalists requires registration on the spot. Details by phone: (097) 580 8319. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 4, The Embassy of Azerbaijan in the UK was attacked by a radical religious group, Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, Trend reports. The information said that after bursting into the embassy building, the vandalizing group members raised religious flags and chanted radical religious slogans on the building's balcony. After local police intervened, the band members were escorted out of the building and detained. Embassy staff were not injured in the incident. The incident is being investigated by local law enforcement. More information on the results of the investigation will be provided. Through diplomatic channels, the issue regarding the security of diplomats and diplomatic premises in accordance with the Vienna Convention was raised with UK authorities. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 5. Armenian armed forces and elements of illegal Armenian armed detachments, which continue to exist in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, must be removed from the country`s territory, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said during a phone call with President of France Emmanuel Macron, Trend reports. President Ilham Aliyev noted that another military provocation was committed by Armenia and that an Azerbaijani serviceman was killed as a result of this provocation in the territory of Azerbaijan, where Russian peacekeeping forces were temporarily deployed. The head of state said that the Azerbaijan Armed Forces prevented this provocation and took necessary countermeasures, adding that the entire responsibility for the tension that occurred lies with Armenia. President Ilham Aliyev noted that the Armenian armed forces and elements of illegal Armenian armed detachments, which continue to exist in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, must be removed from the country`s territory. However, this has not yet been provided by Armenia. This, in turn, is a violation of the provisions of the November 10, 2020 Statement by the official Yerevan and Armenia's failure to fulfill its obligations. The head of state emphasized that as a result of the agreement reached with the Ministry of Defense of Russia in accordance with the provisions of the trilateral Statement, the route of the new alternative road to the Lachin corridor was determined and the construction of this road by Azerbaijan is about to be completed. As soon as these works are completed, according to the trilateral Statement dated November 10, 2020, it is planned to redeploy Russian peacekeeping forces to that road. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 5. On August 5, 2022, the charge d'affaires of the UK Embassy in Azerbaijan was summoned to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. A resolute protest was expressed to him in connection with the attack committed by a religious radical group on the Embassy of Azerbaijan in London. It was brought to the attention of the temporary representative that this provocation seriously affects the issue of ensuring the security of the diplomatic representation and the UK must take security measures in accordance with international legal obligations. Guarantees were requested from the opposite party that this would not happen again. In connection with the act of vandalism, a request was made to conduct a thorough investigation by the relevant structures of the United Kingdom and bring the guilty to justice. The charge d'affaires of the British Embassy expressed deep regret and concern over the incident, saying that an investigation is being conducted, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 5. Changes have been made to the composition of the Commission for Strategic Road Map for the Development of the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Industry, Trend reports. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a corresponding decree. According to the decree, the composition of the commission is as follows: Chairman of the Commission First Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Members of the Commission Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Minister of Finance of Azerbaijan Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan President of Azerbaijan National Academy of Science President of SOCAR the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 5. Azerbaijani army serviceman Pyunkhan Agamirov died from a bullet wound received in non-combat incident, Trend reports via General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan. A criminal case under Article 120.1 (premeditated murder) of the Criminal Code was opened in the Shamkir Military Prosecutor's Office upon the death of a serviceman. The investigation had reasonable suspicions that the crime was committed by Private Kazimov Amil, who served in the same military unit as the deceased. Kazimov Amil was detained as a suspect and brought to the investigation. Investigative actions in the case are continuing, Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office said. Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 5. The Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) has reinstated the insurance agent licenses of 13 individuals, Trend reports citing the CBA. According to the bank, the decision was made on August 5 in accordance with the Law of Azerbaijan 'On insurance activities'. Insurance agents have removed all the circumstances constituting cause for license suspension, the CBA said. Seven people died and 13 were injured when a microbus overturned on Ismailia Desert Road. The dead and injured were a family heading to Fayed to spend a day at the beach, the prosecution said in a statement published at Al-Ahram Arabic news gate on Wednesday. Israel's army closed areas near the Gaza border to civilians Tuesday, citing a risk of reprisals, following the overnight arrest of two senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad members, the military and Palestinian sources said. A 17-year-old Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli forces during a late Monday raid in the flashpoint West Bank district of Jenin. The army said it had operated alongside police, who arrested "two wanted terror suspects." A Palestinian security source, who requested anonymity, told AFP that one of those arrested was Bassem al-Saadi, a senior figure in Islamic Jihad's political wing in the West Bank. The source identified the second person detained as Saadi's son-in-law, a Jenin-based fundraiser for militant group. The army said: "Following a situational assessment after terrorist activities were identified with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organisation, it was decided to block off areas and routes adjacent to the Gaza Strip security fence. "The area has been closed to civilians due to a direct threat and in order to prevent a possible attack on civilians." Prime Minister Yair Lapid was reviewing security Tuesday in light of the threat risk, a government statement said. Saadi was injured by an Israeli army dog during his arrest, the Palestinian source said. As news of his detention spread, crowd's began to gather in Jenin refugee camp and the nearby city of Nablus, as supporters voiced solidarity with Islamic Jihad. "We declare alertness and raise the readiness of our mujahideen (fighters)," the group said in a statement late Monday. Home to some 2.3 million Palestinians, Gaza has been under Israeli blockade since 2007 when Islamist group Hamas ousted forces loyal to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. Islamic Jihad, a militant group with close links to Iran, has a strong presence in Gaza, regularly using it as a launchpad for rocket attacks against Israel. The latest unrest comes amid rising violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At least 55 Palestinians have been killed since late March, mostly in the West Bank. They have included suspected militants and also non-combatants, among them Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American dual national, who was covering an Israeli raid in Jenin. Attacks on Israeli targets have killed 19 people over the same period, most of them civilians killed in attacks inside Israel. Three Israeli Arab attackers have also been killed. Search Keywords: Short link: Mass protests are filling the political vacuum following a 10-month political standoff in Iraq, Nermeen Al-Mufti reports from Baghdad. It was clear that the street could become inflamed at any moment, Ali Bashar, a political activist, told Al-Ahram Weekly. Not satisfied with ignoring us, the political class has insisted on not listening to the Sadrist Movement either, despite it winning first place in the most recent elections, with 73 seats in parliament. Today it is the Muharram Revolution, the name coined by Muqtada Al-Sadr, the cleric who leads the Sadrist Movement, that is shaping events in Iraq. Al-Sadr himself ordered the movements 73 MPs to resign. Al-Sadrs supporters stormed the Iraqi parliament building in Baghdads fortified Green Zone on 26 July, rejecting the nomination of Mohamed Shia Al-Sudani as the countrys new prime minister by the Coordinating Framework (CF) bloc in parliament. They left only after Al-Sadr tweeted to say their message had been received. Yet despite Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Al-Halbousi saying sessions had been suspended until further notice, the CF, which includes all Iraqs Shia political parties except for the Sadrist Movement, continued with the nomination of Al-Sudani. In response, the Sadrists and their supporters stormed the Green Zone for a second time and resumed their sit-in. On Monday, as the sit-in continued, demonstrations organised by the CFs Organising Committee to Support Legitimacy took to the streets to protest recent developments signalling the planning of a coup, threatening the state, cancelling its legitimacy, and insulting its constitutional institutions and the democratic process, according to statements on the Dawa Party-affiliated Afaq TV channel. We fear a Shia-Shia confrontation, says political activist Mohamed Aziz. We see the Sadrists demands as legitimate but the CF sees them as an attempted coup. Among the most important demands are amendments to the constitution, the trial of corrupt politicians and officials, and the holding of early elections. As Monday drew to a close amid calls from various parties to begin a dialogue, the two sides remained calm. CF protesters withdrew, and the Sadrists continued their sit-in. The protesters in the sit-in are not only Sadrists. There are representatives of many other forces that reject the situation in Iraq, says political analyst Abdel-Amir Al-Majar. The Sadrists demands are the demands of the people. There are hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who are angry because successive governments have done nothing for them. While the CF may try to escalate the situation, it looks to have lost the initiative. The protest movement continues to grow. Early elections are a must, professor of political science Jinsn Ali told the Weekly. The Supreme Judicial Authority must dissolve parliament because it has violated the constitution by exceeding the period specified to elect a president of the republic. The current parliament has lost its legitimacy. Ali Al-Faili, a Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) member, had warned that the Sadrists resignation from parliament was a poisonous gift of which the CF should be careful. Yet the CF went ahead and accepted alternative MPs and nominated a controversial new prime minister. A pro-Sadrist journalist, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Weekly that Al-Sudani is a decent man, but he has accepted to be a go-between for former prime minister Nuri Al-Maliki and Al-Sadr though the two are bitter rivals. Many political figures, including CF leaders such as Hadi Al-Amiri, head of the Al-Fath Alliance, have called for dialogue, but according to Al-Majar dialogue cannot succeed unless the root problem is solved, and that problem is the loss of trust between political parties, and between those parties and the people. Al-Majar summarised the problem between the Sadrists and the CF by saying that Sayyid Muqtada Al-Sadr is after a strong Iraq that refuses to allow regional countries to interfere in its political decisions, leaving unspoken the overt backing CF parties receive from Iran. Caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi warned in an official statement on Monday against Iraqis being lured into accusations of treason, hostility, and hatred between brothers in the same homeland. He called on all parties to sit at the table of national dialogue in order to reach a political solution to the current crisis. Ammar Al-Hakim, the head of the Al-Hikma Movement, and Haider Al-Abadi, the head of the Al-Nasr Coalition, announced their support for Al-Kadhimis call. Parliament Speaker Mohamed Al-Halbousi also tweeted his support for the initiative of the prime minister to find a solution to events taking place in the country and stressed the importance of everyone sitting at the dialogue table and taking practical steps leading to parliamentary and local elections, with a fixed timetable, to resolve the current crisis. As the Weekly went to press, Sadrist protesters were continuing their sit-in inside the Iraqi parliament building. The Iraqi News Agency quoted the director of Al-Sadrs office as saying that the movements supporters had been directed to withdraw from the main chamber of parliament but to continue their sit-in inside and outside the rest of the building. *A version of this article appears in print in the 4 August, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: 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. Search Keywords: Short link: The bodies of 29 Mauritanians and four Malians were found near the village of Robinet El Ataye in the Segou region, where 33 civilians had been beaten and taken away on March 5, a Panel of Experts on Mali said in a report to the UN Security Council late last month. A diplomatic source in New York told AFP that the white soldiers were paramilitaries of Russia's Wagner group. The civilians' disappearance stoked friction between Mali and Mauritania at the time. Nouakchott accused the Malian army of "recurrent criminal acts" against Mauritanian citizens in the border region. Bamako said there was no proof its army was involved. The two countries in mid-March launched a joint investigation but its results had not yet been published as of early August. Western countries say Russian paramilitaries in Mali are mercenaries from the controversial Wagner group while Bamako describes them as "instructors" for its security forces. 'Screams' At 8:30 am on March 5, a "group of 'white-skinned soldiers' arrived in Robinet El Ataye", a village whose well was frequently used by Malian and Mauritanian herders, the report said. "The soldiers proceeded to round up the adult men, including older boys, tied their hands behind their backs and blindfolded them," the report said. "The women and children were told to go into their homes and not to watch." The soldiers raided the houses in the village of jewelry, mobile phones and other possessions, according to the report. It said a group of soldiers from the Malian army arrived at 11:00 am and began beating the men with their herding sticks. "The women could not leave their homes as there were soldiers blocking the doors," it said. "They could only hear the screams of the men as they were being beaten." The Malian soldiers then released some of the younger men and carried off "thirty-three or thirty-four" others, including twenty-nine Mauritanians and four Tuareg Malians. The "white-skinned soldiers" left several hours after the beatings began. The bodies of the men were found four kilometres (two and a half miles) away the next day. They had been "shot and then burnt", according to the report. An eye witness claimed the bodies were covered by "a dark substance which could not be identified". 'Pattern' The expert panel said it was unable to visit the site of the incident but had collected "several testimonials" on Malian army operations in the region this year. It said it had unconvered a "similar pattern of pillage and beatings" in five other locations, though not civilian killings. Two other operations the panel investigated involved the presence of "white-skinned soldiers", according to testimonies. The military court in Bamako has also said it will probe the incident. The Malian army has conducted numerous military operations to "hunt down" jihadist groups in the Segou and Mopti regions of central Mali since the beginning of the year. Its soldiers have been accused of abuse on several occasions by NGOs. In March, the army massacred about 300 people by summary execution in Moura in central Mali, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). The government soldiers were accompanied by foreigners identified by several sources as Russians. The Malian authorities have said they will investigate events there. The Sahel country is also in the grip of political upheaval following military coups in August 2020 and May 2021. Search Keywords: Short link: An Egyptian official told Extra News that Egypt is conducting intensive communications between Israel and Palestinian factions to end the currect escalation in the Gaza Strip in order to preserve the 2021 ceasefire. "Egypt is conducting intensive communications with the Palestinian and the Israeli sides to end the currect escalation in Gaza and to contain the situation," the official told the Egyptian TV channel. "Egypt is carrying out its traditional role during crises and rejects grandstanding," the official stressed. On Friday afternoon, Israel unleashed a wave of deadly airstrikes in Gaza, killing at least 15 people, including a senior Islamic Jihad militant, and wounding tens others, according to Palestinian officials. The Islamic Jihad group immediately vowed retaliation. "The Egyptian efforts will not stop and communications have been continuous since the start of the current state of tensions and they have been focused on preventing escalation between Israel and the Palestinian factions," the Egyptian official added. "Our goal is the continuation of the ceasefire, the stability of the region, and the safeguarding of the potentialities for peace," he stressed. In May 2021, Egypt mediated a ceasefire between the Palestinian factions in Gaza - including Hamas and the Islamic Jihad - and Israel to stop a devastating Israeli offensive against the strip. Since then, Egypt has carried out large-scale reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip - home to more than 2 million Palestinians who have been living under a 16-year-old Israeli siege. Search Keywords: Short link: Press Release August 5, 2022 SENATOR JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA ON US-CHINA TENSION OVER TAIWAN: The reported tension in the region is something to be concerned about, especially considering how close we are geographically with Taiwan and the thousands of Filipinos residing and working there. I do hope that the situation will not worsen nor escalate into something more serious, as any confrontation between two major powers could be devastating for the world economy, which is still reeling from the impact of the pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine. It is in our best interest to preserve and safeguard peace, and promote stability and security, with the help of our neighbors in Southeast Asia. Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Climate Change High Level Champion for Egypt, said the first major regional roundtable for financing climate action has removed barriers between all climate actors, bringing them under one roof. During the closing session of the Africa Roundtable titled Towards COP27: Africa Regional Forum on Climate Initiatives to Finance Climate Action, which took place in Addis Ababa from 2-4 August, Mohieldin said that the forum addressed investment in different areas of climate action, and stressed the importance of balancing investments in mitigation and adaptation measures. "We will build on the success of the Africa Roundtable in the next four regional forums that will take place in August and September," he said. The forum is one of five regional roundtables that 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. Mohieldin said that the African forums outcomes added more clarity about climate action financing plans, including new mechanisms to scale up investments in climate projects and reducing the cost of transition to a green and stable global economy. Mohieldin said that the forum also discussed fulfilling previous COP commitments to finance climate projects, such as the $100 billion pledged at the Copenhagen conference, and the $130 trillion pledged by the GFANZ coalition. "Projects and plans presented during the forum showed that Africa has its climate solutions, which will be showcased to the world at COP27. It also showed Africas readiness to participate effectively in curbing climate change," Mohieldin said. Mohieldin said that the forum participants confirmed the importance of the participation of all actors to achieve food and water security, smart climate agriculture, land restoration, benefiting from new and renewable energy sources and investing in a green economy in a way that helps save African livelihoods and increase resilience. Bangkok will host the second roundtable on 25 August for the Asia-Pacific region, while Santiago will host the third roundtable on 1-2 September for Latin America and the Caribbean. Beirut will host the Arab world roundtable on 15 September, while Geneva will host the last roundtable on 20 September for Europe. The outcomes of the five meetings will be announced during COP27, slated to be held 7-18 November in Sharm El-Sheikh. 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, has said that 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. Search Keywords: Short link: Engineer Sara Sabry has become the first Egyptian to travel on a suborbital flight, after New Shepards 22nd space flight (NS-22) - operated by the American private aerospace manufacturer Blue Origin - carried her and five others to the edge of space before returning to Earth on Thursday. Related Engineer Sara Sabry to be first Egyptian to fly to space on Blue Origin flight Launched from Corn ranch, West Texas in the US, the New Shepard stayed for 11 minutes at 106 km above the ground. The 29-year-old Sabry flew with entrepreneur Mario Ferreira, the first person from Portugal to fly to space; British-American mountaineer Vanessa OBrien; American technology leader Clint Kelly III; telecommunications executive Steve Young; and Coby Cotton, cofounder of the YouTube channel Dude Perfect. Sabry earned her bachelors degree in mechanical engineering at the American University in Cairo and her masters degree in biomedical engineering at Italys Polytechnic University of Milan. She is also currently preparing for her PhD in aerospace sciences with a focus on space suit design, according to Blue Origin. Sabrys seat on NS-22 is sponsored by the Colorado-based nonprofit Space for Humanity (S4H), which is concerned with increasing access to space for all of humanity. According to the official website of Space for Humanity, its "citizen astronauts" are chosen from among change-makers who are currently serving a community leadership role. Sabry is S4Hs second "citizen astronaut" to fly on board the NS-22 after Katya Echazarreta in June. Blue Origin has not announced how much it charges for seats on its space flights, and neither has S4H revealed how much it paid to book seats for its "citizen astronauts." According to some news reports, however, the price possibly ranges from zero to $28 million based on several factors including who the passenger's social status. This is the sixth trip by Blue Origin since its launch by US billionaire and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2015. Search Keywords: Short link: On the occasion of the new Hijiri Year 1444, which started last week, the Tora Correction and Rehabilitation Centre held a religious lecture given by prominent Islamic religious clerks and attended by tens of inmates - including men and women, the Ministry of Interior announced on Friday. Prominent Sheikhs and Islamic Scholars from Al-Azhar and the Ministry of Religious Endowment who led the event discussed several religious issues as well as ways to correct some religious misconceptions. The inmates also asked various questions about religion during a Q&A segment. An inmate qoir also performed religious songs. Prominent Al-Azhar scholar and Sheikh Ramadan Abdel-Moez praised the efforts of the ministry's Social Protection Sector, which supervises correctional centres, in organising such lectures, stressing they play an important role in reshaping and rehabilitate the inmates to become productive members of society after serving their sentences. Since 2021, the interior ministry started to restructure prisons and rehabilitation centres in order to meet the highest in international standards of human rights and modern technology. Search Keywords: Short link: Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis heeded the call of an influential Shia cleric to gather in a show of strength for a mass prayer in the heart of Baghdad's heavily fortified government zone on Friday. The gathering took place amid an escalating political crisis that has put the country's capital on edge. The powerful cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, had called on his followers from across Iraq to pray inside Baghdad's Green Zone, a heavily fortified area in the heart of the city that houses government buildings and foreign embassies. They arrived and stood outside in the scorching summertime heat, with temperatures reaching 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit). Friday's mass prayer was the latest display of strength by the cleric, whose political power derives from his strong grassroots support base. Al-Sadr has used his large grassroots following as a pressure tactic against his rivals after his party could not form a government despite having won the largest number of seats in federal elections held last October. He exited the political process to form the next government in June. His followers gathered facing the Victory Arch, a monument erected during Saddam Hussein's regime to commemorate the Iran-Iraq war. It was built for the purpose of holding military parades. Farid Jaafar, 16, arrived from Babylon province to show his support for al-Sadr. His transport was paid for by al-Sadr's party he said. ``I love Muqtada,'' he said. Holding the prayer within the highly restrictive zone that is closed off to most Iraqis points to the cleric's power and influence. Last Saturday, thousands of his followers stormed parliament in a bid to derail attempts by al-Sadr's Shia rivals to form a government. Around 125 people were injured in the violence, most of them protesters and 25 members of the security forces. Al-Sadr's followers camped inside the parliament until he ordered them to withdraw from the assembly building after four days, but maintain a sit-in outside. He's calling for the dissolution of parliament and early elections. His Shia rivals in the Iran-backed Coordination Framework have said they would consider holding early elections in the event of a national consensus. Search Keywords: Short link: Israel resumed air strikes on the Gaza Strip Friday evening hours after a wave of strikes killed more than 10 people, including a senior Islamic Jihad leader, and wounding tens; Islamic Jihad says 100 rockets fired at Israel in retaliation; Egypt says it continues mediation between the two sides to end escalation in violence The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad group said it fired more than 100 rockets at Israel on Friday, as an "initial response" to deadly Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip. "As an initial response to the killing of senior commander Taysir al-Jabari and his brethren martyrs... the Al-Quds Brigade covered Tel Aviv, central cities and areas surrounding Gaza with more than 100 rockets," Islamic Jihad's military wing said in a statement. In the early evening hours of Friday, Israel's Kan TV showed at least two rockets fired from Gaza being intercepted as air raid sirens went off in central and southern Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid says Israel has ``zero tolerance'' for attacks from Gaza but ``no interest'' in broader battle. Palestinian protesters in the West Bank carry pictures of slained Islamic Jihad leader after Israeli strikes on Gaza. AFP "The [Israeli army] is continuing to target Palestinian Islamic Jihad military targets throughout the Gaza Strip," an Israeli army statement said earlier. Palestinian witnesses reported seeing multiple strikes, including one east of Gaza City. During the day, Israel said it was targeting the Islamic Jihad militant group amid days of heightened tensions following the arrest of a senior Palestinian militant in the occupied West Bank earlier this week. Gaza is ruled by the Islamic militant group Hamas and is home to more than 2 million Palestinians. An Egyptian official told Extra News later on Friday that Egypt is conducting intensive communications between Israel and Palestinian factions to end the currect escalation in the Gaza Strip in order to preserve the 2021 ceasefire. On Friday afternoon, a blast could be heard in Gaza City, where smoke poured out of the seventh floor of a tall building. The Palestinian Health Ministry said at least 10 people were killed, including a 5-year-old girl, and at least 44 were wounded. Islamic Jihad said a Gaza commander, Taiseer al-Jabari, was among those killed. The group said it was mourning "the great jihadist commander Tayseer al-Jabari 'Abu Mahmud', who was killed in a Zionist assassination in Gaza City". "The Zionist enemy started this aggression and it must expect us to fight non-stop... There will be no truce after this bombing," Ziad al-Nakhala, the leader of Islamic Jihad, told Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen television channel from Tehran, where he has been visiting in recent days. "There are no red lines in this battle... Tel Aviv will also be one of the targets of the resistance's missiles... as will all Zionist cities," he said. The Israeli military said it was targeting Islamic Jihad in an operation named ``Breaking Dawn.'' It also announced a ``special situation'' on the home front, with schools closed and limits placed on other activities in communities within 80 kilometers (50 miles) of the border. Israel had closed roads around Gaza earlier this week and sent reinforcements to the border as it braced for a revenge attack after the arrest of the Islamic Jihad leader in the occupied West Bank on Monday. A teenage member of the group was killed in a gunbattle between the Israeli troops and Palestinian militants. In recent weeks, the Israeli army has carried out a crackdown on Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, killing and injuring tens of youths and arresting tens others. Search Keywords: Short link: At least nine Palestinians were injured by Israeli occupation forces Friday during the weekly anti-occupation protests in the village of Kafr Qaddum, in the West Bank city of Qalqilia and in the village of Beit Dajan in the West Bank city of Nablus, Wafa reported quoting local sources. A local activist in the village of Kafr Qaddum said that Israeli soldiers attacked anti-occupation protesters with rubber-coated rounds and tear gas canisters, injuring nine of them by rubber-coated rounds and causing many cases of suffocation from gas inhalation. All of the injured protesters were treated at the scene of the clashes. Meantime, at least one Palestinian civilian was injured by an Israeli rubber-coated round, during the weekly protest against Israeli settlements, that took place in the village of Beit Dajan in the West Bank city of Nablus. For many years, villagers from Kafr Qaddum and neighboring villages have been protesting every Friday against illegal Israeli settlement construction. More than 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across the occupied Palestinian Territories in violation of international law. Search Keywords: Short link: Russia said Friday it was expelling 14 Bulgarian consular and embassy staff in response to Sofia's "unmotivated" decision to expel Russian diplomatic personnel as tensions rage over Moscow's offensive in Ukraine. Multiple European countries have expelled Russian diplomats after Moscow sent troops to Ukraine on February 24, with Russia responding in kind. Bulgaria in June said it was expelling 70 Russian diplomatic staff, the biggest number ordered out in one-go from the Balkan nation. Sofia also announced the temporary closure of Russia's consulate general in Ruse in northern Bulgaria. "We would like to emphasise that the responsibility for the consequences of these counterproductive steps rests entirely with the government of Bulgaria," the Russian foreign ministry said. "We believe that such actions not only cause significant damage to traditional ties between our countries... but also testify to the further degradation of the collective West, which is ready to sacrifice the interests of partners in order to harm Russia," it added. It said that the "unconditional adherence" of Bulgaria "to this destructive line is regrettable". Search Keywords: Short link: Ways to halt the war in Ukraine and the possible launch of a new conflict in Syria are expected to dominate talks on Friday between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Turkish leader was riding high from the diplomatic success of helping orchestrate the resumption of Ukrainian grain shipments across the Black Sea when he took most of his top ministers to Sochi for his second talks with Putin in 17 days. But there are tensions. Putin told Erdogan in Tehran last month that Russia remains opposed to any new offensive that Turkey might be planning against Kurdish militants in northern Syria. Analysts believe these strains form part of the "competitive cooperation" that has defined the two leaders' relationship over the past 20 years. The two were expected to hold private talks and a working lunch but no joint press conference. "Russia's war on Ukraine has restored Turkey's self image as a key geopolitical player and given Erdogan more visibility than at any time in the last few years," European Council on Foreign Relations fellow Asli Aydintasbas wrote in a report last week. Truce talks Attempts by NATO member Turkey to remain neutral in the face of Moscow's historic stand-off with the West over Ukraine are starting to pay off. Months of Turkish efforts saw Moscow and Kyiv sign a UN-backed agreement in Istanbul last month to resume grain deliveries from Ukrainian ports. The first ship from Ukraine crossed Istanbul on Wednesday. Three more ships destined for Turkey and markets in Ireland and Britain set sail on Friday under a landmark deal designed to relieve a global food crisis caused by the war. Turkey wants to translate this success into truce talks in Istanbul between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. "We discussed if the grain agreement could be an occasion for a sustainable ceasefire," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said after talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Asia this week. Complicating these efforts are repeated threats by Erdogan to launch a new military operation in Syria -- a country where Russian and Turkish interests clash. Russia's army helped Syrian President Bashar al-Assad survive a decade-long rebellion by groups backed by Turkey. But Erdogan is threatening to invade northern Syria to expand an existing buffer zone that pushes out Kurdish groups he links to "terrorists" waging an insurgency against the Turkish state. Putin told Russian media in Tehran he still has "certain disagreements, obviously" with Erdogan about Syria. "In most likelihood, (Friday's) meeting has something do with a possible incursion into Syria, for which Turkey did not get a green light," said foreign affairs analyst Soli Ozel of Istanbul's Kadir Has University. "Russia would have to get something in return," Ozel added. Waiting game Some analysts speculate that what Putin really wants is drones and ways to escape Western sanctions linked to the five-month-old war. Turkey has been supplying Kyiv with lethal Bayraktar aerial vehicles that have proved effective in destroying Russian armoured columns across the Ukrainian war zone. US officials say a Russian team has visited Iran to scope out the purchase of hundreds of drones for its own forces in Ukraine. Erdogan has added to the intrigue by telling his cabinet that Putin asked him in Tehran to start selling the Bayraktars to Russia. A senior Turkish official later said that Erdogan interpreted the suggestion as a joke. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov appeared to lend credence to the idea. "Military and technological cooperation are always on the two countries' agenda," Peskov told reporters. Ukrainian intelligence also leaked an alleged Putin proposal to The Washington Post detailing ways Russia could use investments in Turkey to circumnavigate Western sanctions slowly strangling its economy. Western officials cited by the paper could not confirm if the alleged Ukrainian intercept was real. Turkey is under heavy US pressure to comply with the sanctions in full. One unlikely source of friction is how the two leaders -- renowned for being chronically late -- will actually meet. Erdogan made Putin stand in place for nearly 50 seconds before walking out to greet him in Tehran. A Turkish state news agency camera zeroed in on Putin's fidgeting face the entire time. Many interpreted this as payback for the time Putin made Erdogan wait for nearly two minutes at a meeting in 2020. Search Keywords: Short link: 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. Statement of Senator Risa Hontiveros on the Chinese Ambassador telling the PH to 'strictly abide by the One-China principle' The Chinese Ambassador should not presume to lecture the Philippines as to how we should pursue our foreign policy objectives. The Philippines is a sovereign state, following an independent foreign policy. Must I also remind the Ambassador that in our pursuit of our independent foreign policy, the Philippines has every right, at any time, to review, amend, or modify our foreign policy. In fact, the Ambassador shouldn't pontificate on such policies, especially considering that his country stubbornly and steadfastly refuses to recognize a decision rendered by an international arbitral court, and ignores and flouts international law in the West Philippine Sea when it suits her interest. As for the so-called "special relationship" between the Philippines and China, ano nga ba ang special relationship na ito? Hegemon-Client State? Master-Servant? Bully-Victim? Huwag silang magmando ng kung ano ang dapat gawin ng bansa natin, kung hindi nga nila magawang respetuhin ang ating karagatan, teritoryo, at soberanya. It is unfortunate that the good Ambassador felt the need to impose his will on our country, disrespecting our agency and autonomy. Ang Pilipinas ay may sariling pagkakakilanlan at pag-iisip. Huwag sana nilang pangunahan. Mora also met Thursday with Russian Ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov, who has represented Moscow's interests in the talks. Ulyanov also separately met with Bagheri Kani. "As always we had a frank, pragmatic and constructive exchange of views on ways and means of overcoming the last outstanding issues," Ulyanov wrote on Twitter. Iran's top negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, met with EU mediator Enrique Mora, Iranian media reported. As in other talks, the U.S. won't directly negotiate with Iran. Instead, the two sides will speak through Mora. U.S. Special Representative for Iran Rob Malley also was on hand, tweeting Wednesday that "our expectations are in check." The negotiations come as Western officials express growing skepticism over the prospects for a deal to restore the accord. The EU's top diplomat has warned that "the space for additional significant compromises has been exhausted." The resumption of the Vienna talks, suddenly called Wednesday, appeared not to include high-level representation from all of the countries that were part of Iran's 2015 deal with world powers. Negotiators from Iran, the U.S. and the European Union resumed monthslong, indirect talks over Tehran's tattered nuclear deal Thursday, as international inspectors reported that the Islamic Republic is expanding its uranium enrichment. But going into the negotiations, Iran laid out a maximalist stance. Through its state-run IRNA news agency, Tehran denied that it had abandoned its effort to get America to delist its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization as a precondition to a deal. That has been a main sticking point. IRNA also quoted Iran's civilian nuclear chief as saying turned-off surveillance cameras of the International Atomic Energy Agency would be switched back on only if the West abandons an effort to investigate manmade traces of uranium found at previously undisclosed sites in the country. Those positions could doom the talks. Iranian officials have been trying to offer optimistic assessments of the negotiations while blaming the U.S. for the deadlock. They may be worried that a collapse of the talks could send the country's rial currency plunging to new lows. Iran struck the nuclear deal in 2015 with the U.S., France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China. The deal saw Iran agree to limit its enrichment of uranium under the watch of UN inspectors in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Then-President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the U.S. out of the accord in 2018, saying he would negotiate a stronger deal, but that didn't happen. Iran began breaking the deal's terms a year later. As of the last public IAEA count, Iran has a stockpile of some 3,800 kilograms (8,370 pounds) of enriched uranium. More worrying for nonproliferation experts, Iran now enriches uranium up to 60 percent purity -- a level it had not reached before. That is a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 percent. Those experts warn Iran has enough 60 percent enriched uranium to reprocess into fuel for at least one bomb. However, Iran still would need to design a bomb and a delivery system for it, likely a monthslong project. Iran maintains its program is for peaceful purposes, though its officials increasingly are discussing the country's ability to build a nuclear bomb if it chose -- previously a taboo topic there. Meanwhile Thursday, UN inspectors at the IAEA said that they had verified that Iran had begun feeding uranium gas into two IR-1 cascades previously unused at its underground Natanz facility. Those cascades will enrich uranium up to 5 percent. The IAEA inspectors also verified that Iran had completed installation of three advanced IR-6 cascades at the plant, each comprising up to 176 centrifuges. The IAEA said those cascades had yet to be fed uranium. Iran also told the IAEA it planned to install six more IR-2M cascades in a new operating unit at Natanz, inspectors said. "It helps to ameliorate his troublemaker image internationally and regionally. He is still trying to show that he can make deals with Putin, showing to the United States and Biden administration that Putin is a close ally and friend of Erdogan. He can meet Putin twice a month," he said. Analyst Ilhan Uzgel of the Duvar news portal said Erdogan's success in brokering the UN deal and the Sochi meeting sends a powerful message to Turkey's western allies about the Turkish leader. The meeting comes just after the first ship carrying Ukrainian grain left the Black Sea under a Turkey-UN-brokered deal between Kyiv and Moscow. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Friday meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in the Black Sea resort of Sochi will be the second time the two leaders have met in a month. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi. A just-concluded deal on freeing up Ukrainian grain, along with Russian backing for a new Turkish offensive against Syrian Kurdish forces will be on the agenda. Zaur Gasimov, a professor of history at Bonn University and a specialist on Turkish-Russian relations, said, with Ankara pursuing a balanced approach to the Ukrainian conflict, the grain deal will further deepen ties between Russia and Turkey. "The current Turkish Russian relations have definite bonds with the current war in Ukraine. Ukraine wheat exports is a new chapter for the region, and Turkey plays a quite significant role as an intermediary. And also, close military cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey and the aspect of Turkey not joining the anti-Russian sanctions all that results in dynamics that are of importance to Moscow and for Ankara," he said. Turkey-Russia relations are intertwined from North Africa to the Middle East, to the Caucasus, in a mixture of rivalries and cooperation. The two also have a deepening partnership on energy. Analyst Uzgel said Erdogan hopes the Sochi meeting will help resolve an impasse with Putin over Syria. The Turkish leader is looking to launch a major offensive against Syrian Kurdish forces, which Ankara accuses of being linked to an insurgency inside Turkey. "They have already met in Tehran two weeks ago. It seems that Erdogan could not get what he wanted from Putin. The permission for a Turkish incursion in northern Syria, where he openly stated the names of two places, Tel Rifat and Manbij. Most likely that he is looking for the possibility of such a military move into Northern Syria," he said. Ankara needs Moscow's cooperation for its military operation, given that Russia controls Syrian airspace. Analyst Gasimov said Putin is wary of Turkey's growing military presence in Syria but says the two leaders are experienced in managing differences. "Definitely, we see certain inconveniences on both sides but also the very huge readiness to discuss it with each other," he said. That readiness to talk and the growing list of common interests across the region means the frequent meetings between the two leaders may become a regular thing. President Yoon Suk-yeol only spoke with visiting U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the phone for around 40 minutes on Thursday rather than interrupting his summer break to meet her in person. Yoon is the only Asian leader during Pelosi's four-nation tour not to meet her personally and has been accused of avoiding her to placate China. The presidential office here said the two discussed the importance of their alliance and North Korean issues. Pelosi's visit to the demilitarized zone "will signal a strong South Korea-U.S. joint deterrence against North Korea," Yoon was quoted as saying. KYODO NEWS - Aug 6, 2022 - 04:28 | All, World Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday warned the United States not to take actions that could result in a flaring up of tensions over the Taiwan issue. "We have come to know that the United States is planning to beef up its military deployment in this region. It is our hope and we call on all parties to stay on high vigilance against this," Wang told a small group of journalists after attending events related to the annual meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Phnom Penh. "The United States should not create further problems and should not create a bigger crisis," Wang said. The military exercises that China conducted this week are a demonstration of its will to ward off any efforts toward Taiwan independence, Wang said. Asked whether there will be any further action taken against the United States in response to House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, he said Beijing will make its position clear "based on the plans that we have and in accordance with the gravity of the situation." On Friday, Wang and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov left the room during a meeting with other foreign ministers related to the East Asia Summit when it was Japan's turn to speak, fueling speculation that China had boycotted the address. Wang said he had no intention to engage in a boycott and his absence was simply because a meeting with Lavrov had been planned at that time. When the talks had been arranged "we had no idea who will be speaking at that time," Wang said, answering a question by Kyodo News. "If that is an issue, if Japan is concerned about that, I'm afraid that the Japanese side needs to think seriously if it has done anything wrong" to China, Wang said. KYODO NEWS - Aug 5, 2022 - 12:49 | All, World, Japan The value of Japan's agricultural and seafood exports in the first six months of 2022 expanded 13.1 percent from a year earlier, marking a record high for the period, as waning coronavirus cases encouraged more people to eat out, government data showed Friday. Exports in the January-June period totaled 652.5 billion yen ($4.9 billion), supported by robust shipments to the United States as well as a weaker yen, according to the data released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. A range of items also hit record highs, with exports of scallops climbing 67.8 percent to 38.7 billion yen and those of yellowtail rising 64.5 percent to 20.9 billion yen. Both marine products were supported by growing demand from Japanese restaurants in the United States. Japanese sake exports increased 33.7 percent to 23.4 billion yen, lifted by online shopping. Exports of strawberries, immensely popular in Asia, also increased by 29.7 percent. Meanwhile, exports of beef fell 5.2 percent to 21.4 billion yen after the United States hiked tariffs sharply on Japanese beef shipments in late March. By market, China was the biggest buyer of Japanese agricultural exports with a 18.0 percent increase to 120.1 billion yen, followed by the United States, up 34.5 percent to 104.6 billion yen. However, shipments to Hong Kong sank 10.9 percent to 91.7 billion yen, dented by restrictions on dining out following a surge of COVID-19 cases. The Japanese government has set a target of raising annual agricultural and seafood exports to 2 trillion yen by 2025 and to 5 trillion yen by 2030. Of the total export amount, small cargoes -- worth 200,000 yen or less per item and included in the shipment data since 2020 -- accounted for 36.1 billion yen. The value of exports in June, released the same day, rose 24.0 percent from a year earlier to 117.3 billion yen. KYODO NEWS - Aug 5, 2022 - 14:45 | World, All China has summoned the ambassadors of Japan and European countries to lodge a strong protest over a Group of Seven statement issued this week expressing concern regarding Beijing's response to U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Friday. China's Vice Foreign Minister Deng Li on Thursday urgently called in Japanese Ambassador to China Hideo Tarumi as well as European envoys from other G-7 members and made solemn representations to them over the statement, according to the ministry. In the G-7 statement issued Wednesday, the foreign ministers said they were "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," the G-7 members said, warning that Beijing's "escalatory response risks increasing tensions and destabilizing the region." Deng claimed the G-7 statement represented "interference in China's internal affairs." He also pointed out that Japan bears "historical guilt" over its 50-year colonization of Taiwan through 1945 and urged Tokyo to be "prudent" on the island issue. China, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary, has harshly responded to Pelosi's visit to the island, launching a large-scale military drill in areas encircling the territory and restricting trade with Taiwan. On Thursday, China abruptly called off a foreign ministers meeting with Japan on the fringes of regional gatherings in Phnom Penh in a show of protest over the G-7 statement. The G-7 consists of Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union. Related coverage: China skips talks with Japan in Cambodia over Taiwan Japan expresses concern about China's military drills near Taiwan KYODO NEWS - Aug 6, 2022 - 03:34 | All, Japan Torrential rains have continued to fall across a wide part of Japan on Friday, with record downpours reported in Fukui and Shiga prefectures as rivers have overflowed and many areas are left at increased risk of landslides. Fifty-two rivers across nine prefectures had broken their banks as of 5 p.m. amid three days of sustained heavy rainfall, the government said. It also said 22 landslides had occurred in six prefectures in the same period. The Japan Meteorological Agency is warning residents to be vigilant against further heavy rains into Saturday amid unstable atmospheric conditions sweeping the country from the west to the east. In response to the damage caused by the downpours, local governments and other authorities are rushing to support residents in places where lifelines including water have been cut. The weather agency said it recorded 405.5 milliliters of rainfall in the Fukui Prefecture town of Minamiechizen during the 24-hour period ending Friday morning -- 2.2 times its August average. Parts of Shiga and Shimane prefectures also saw record hourly precipitation. Damage to transportation infrastructure, including two collapsed railway bridges and a landslide blocking part of the Hokuriku Expressway in Fukui Prefecture, has also been confirmed. Police and other authorities were searching for two people in Iwate and Yamagata prefectures missing since Thursday. In the Ishikawa Prefecture city of Komatsu, two people were found with hypothermia after appearing to have been submerged in muddy water, the city government said. Speaking at a press conference Friday, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Tetsuo Saito said, "We are working to understand the full scale of the damage, and will do our utmost to respond." The rains so far have brought widespread damage to homes in the Tohoku region in the country's northeast and the Hokuriku region. Local governments and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force are working to restore water services. On Thursday, roughly 540,000 residents were urged to evacuate at one point due to heavy rain centering on northeastern and central parts of the country. In the 24 hours through 6 p.m. Saturday, up to 60 mm of rain was forecast for the Hokuriku region, up to 150 mm for the Tokai region in central Japan and 80 mm for the Kinki and Chugoku regions in the west. According to the weather agency, the heavy rains in the Hokuriku region have left it at high risk of landslides, with atmospheric instability expected to continue into Saturday in western and eastern Japan. Related coverage: Heavy rain hits northeastern, central Japan, 100,000 told to evacuate KYODO NEWS - Aug 5, 2022 - 16:07 | All, Japan Japan's industry minister said Friday he has asked two domestic trading houses to consider joining a new operating company for the Sakhalin 2 oil and gas project in the Russian Far East to ensure stable energy supply. The requests to Mitsui & Co. and Mitsubishi Corp., which currently hold stakes in the project, came after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree in late June to seize control of the project with the creation of a new operating company. According to the decree, foreign investors are required to apply within a month to maintain their stakes in the new entity following its establishment. "We will respond by working with the public and private sectors to protect the interests of the companies and secure stable supply of liquefied natural gas," Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda said at a press conference. Hagiuda said he met with Mitsui President Kenichi Hori earlier Friday to personally ask him to positively consider joining the new project, adding the ministry had made a similar request to Mitsubishi and the minister plans to meet officials soon. Mitsui and Mitsubishi hold 12.5 percent and 10 percent stakes in the project, respectively. On June 30, Putin signed a decree to set up a new operating company for Sakhalin 2 affiliated with Russian energy company Gazprom, effectively bringing it under Russian government control, with all staff and businesses transferred from the current operator Sakhalin Energy Investment Co. The Russian government has said the new company will be based in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the main city in the Sakhalin region. Sakhalin 2 has an annual output capacity of about 10 million tons of LNG, with Japan importing around 6 million tons. British oil and gas giant Shell PLC, which holds an approximately 27.5 percent stake in the project, said on Feb. 28 it would exit the Sakhalin 2 joint venture with Gazprom following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Gazprom holds around a 50 percent stake in the project. Related coverage: Japan aims to maintain stakes in Russia's Sakhalin 2 energy project Russia to install new operator for Sakhalin 2 energy project KYODO NEWS - Aug 5, 2022 - 19:47 | World, All Chinese warplanes and naval ships crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait following a high-profile visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the self-ruled island, Taiwan's defense ministry said Friday. The ministry said in a statement that since the Chinese People's Liberation Army started four days of live-fire drills in six areas surrounding Taiwan on Thursday, Chinese warplanes and naval ships have been detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait. It is rare for a Chinese warship to cross the line and the latest development highlights intensifying cross-strait tensions following China firing 11 ballistic missiles near Taiwan on Thursday. Around 10 Chinese navy ships and about 20 Chinese military aircraft crossed the median line, Reuters reported, citing a Taiwan source briefed on the matter. China could use the large-scale drills as an opportunity to make the median line a dead letter, defense experts say. Be it firing ballistic missiles or crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the ministry said the military exercises are "highly provocative." The median line divides the 180-kilometer-wide body of water that separates Taiwan and the southeast coast of mainland China. China began the drills one day after Pelosi concluded her highly-controversial trip to Taiwan on Wednesday, a visit she made despite strong opposition from China. The ministry said China fired 11 Dongfeng ballistic missiles near Taiwan over two hours on Thursday, the largest missile test in decades in waters around the island. The Japanese government said five of the missiles landed within its exclusive economic zone. In Japan, the local fishermen's cooperative of Yonaguni Island, Okinawa Prefecture, located about 110 kilometers from Taiwan, on Friday requested members refrain from operating until the Chinese military exercises are over and safety is assured. "I want to emphasize that we will neither escalate conflict nor instigate disputes," Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said Thursday in a video released by her office. "But we will resolutely defend (our) sovereignty and security as a bulwark of democracy and freedom." Chinese drones have also flown above the area of Taiwan's Kinmen Islands off the coast of Xiamen, China, since Wednesday, the ministry said, adding that flares were fired to drive them away. The websites of Tsai's office and other government agencies such as the Defense Ministry and Foreign Ministry have come under foreign cyberattack. There has been speculation China and Russia are behind the attacks. China has also suspended imports of agricultural products from Taiwan and stopped exports of natural sands to the island. Taiwan and China have been governed separately since they split in 1949 due to a civil war. Beijing regards the island as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Related coverage: U.S. raps China missile launches near Taiwan, vows security of allies Chinese-fired ballistic missiles fall into Japan's EEZ: gov't China begins military exercise near Taiwan after Pelosi visit KYODO NEWS - Aug 6, 2022 - 08:39 | World, All A regional ministerial meeting bringing together 18 Asia-Pacific countries exposed a rift Friday over China's ongoing military drills near Taiwan in response to a high-level U.S. visit to the island and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, conference sources said. Participants in the foreign ministerial session of the East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh including the United States, Japan, China and Russia traded barbs over the Taiwan issue and Ukraine crisis, they said. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi urged Beijing to immediately stop the military exercise involving missile launches conducted in response to U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent visit to the self-ruled island, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. On Thursday, five of the ballistic missiles launched in the exercise fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone, according to the Japanese government. Multiple countries rapped China's firing of them, the ministry said. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi rebutted Hayashi's claim, saying Japan and China have yet to demarcate the waters, according to Association of Southeast Asian Nations sources. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the military had issued safety alerts and there were no areas that could be called Japan's EEZ in the relevant waters. Japan had conveyed concern to the Chinese side before the exercise began Thursday that a Chinese-designated military training area overlaps with the Japanese EEZ. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended Pelosi's Taiwan visit at the EAS session, saying it was a "peaceful" trip and "not provocation," according to the ASEAN sources. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (C) is pictured at a foreign ministerial meeting of the East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh on Aug. 5, 2022. (Kyodo) In the meeting that involved the 10 ASEAN members, Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, the United States and Russia, Wang and Russia's Sergey Lavrov walked out when Hayashi spoke. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman indicated at the press conference on Friday that Wang's action at the meeting was related to Japan's criticism of China's response to Pelosi's visit, saying Tokyo behaved "quite poorly" on the Taiwan issue and angered Chinese people. Hayashi, along with Blinken and other participants, condemned Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, which began in late February, according to the Japanese ministry and ASEAN sources. The top diplomats met a day after the Chinese military started large-scale, live-fire drills planned through Sunday near Taiwan, which Beijing sees as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland. On the first day of the military exercise, 11 ballistic missiles were fired near the self-ruled island, according to Taiwan's Defense Ministry. On Thursday, China abruptly canceled a planned bilateral meeting between Hayashi and Wang due to a Group of Seven statement that criticized China's response to Pelosi's Taiwan visit. Japan and the United States are among the G-7 members. Hayashi said the decision to cancel was "regrettable," and told a press conference on Friday after attending a series of ASEAN-related ministerial meetings, that "communication is now more important than ever amid growing tensions" between the countries. The regional meeting also came amid Russia's deepening rift with the West and other nations including Japan, which have introduced severe economic sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. China has not joined the punitive steps to isolate Russia. Instead, it has been apparently intensifying joint military activities with Moscow, especially in and above waters around Japan. Among EAS members, China, India, Vietnam and Laos abstained from voting in March on a U.N. General Assembly resolution urging Russia to stop its aggression in Ukraine. Related coverage: U.S. raps China missile launches near Taiwan, vows security of allies Chinese-fired ballistic missiles fall into Japan's EEZ: gov't China skips talks with Japan in Cambodia over Taiwan KYODO NEWS - Aug 4, 2022 - 22:48 | All, Japan U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Japan on Thursday for talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and her Japanese counterpart, after her visit to Taiwan raised the ire of China. Pelosi, on the last leg of an Asian tour that has taken her to Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea, is scheduled to meet with Kishida for breakfast at his official residence in Tokyo on Friday. Horus before her plane touched down in Japan for her first visit since 2015, China launched a barrage of ballistic missiles, five of which fell within Japan's exclusive economic zone, according to the Japanese government. The Chinese military began drills from Thursday in locations encircling Taiwan following Pelosi's visit to the self-governed island. Beijing views it as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland by force if necessary. Kishida and Pelosi are expected to deepen bilateral ties and discuss "common challenges" to both nations, including the realization of a "free and open" Indo-Pacific, the Japanese government said. Pelosi and members of the congressional delegation accompanying her also plan to meet with House of Representatives Speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda on Friday. Amid a spike in tensions, Japan is urging a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues while expressing "grave concern" about China's military exercises as the missiles fell within parts of a Chinese-designated training area that overlap with the Japanese EEZ. Japan and the United States are boosting their longtime alliance at a time when the region faces a myriad of challenges, including an assertive China, nuclear-armed North Korea and Russia. Related coverage: U.S., S. Korea assembly speakers vow to boost N. Korea denuke efforts Japan PM Kishida eyes talks with U.S. House Speaker Pelosi on Aug. 5 Pelosi vows "ironclad" U.S. commitment to protect Taiwan's democracy KYODO NEWS - Aug 5, 2022 - 20:47 | All, World, Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi agreed Friday to jointly work to ensure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, after her visit to the self-ruled island prompted an angered China to respond with military drills, spiking regional tensions. A day after five Chinese ballistic missiles fell within Japan's exclusive economic zone, Kishida strongly criticized China's behavior in his meeting with Pelosi, saying it threatened Japan and seriously impacts the peace and stability of the region and beyond. Kishida expressed hope that Pelosi will continue to exert leadership in strengthening the bilateral alliance and realizing a "free and open" Indo-Pacific, a vision pushed by both nations to uphold democracy and the rule of law. "We confirmed that we will work together to make sure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are maintained," Kishida told reporters at his office after meeting with Pelosi over breakfast. "China's behavior has a serious impact on the peace and stability of the region and the world and I explained that we called for an immediate halt to the exercises," he said. Pelosi is visiting Japan on the final leg of an Asian tour that has taken her to Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. Hours before her plane touched down in Japan, China fired at least nine ballistic missiles, of which five landed within the EEZ. China has been carrying out military exercises in locations encircling Taiwan, in response to Pelosi's high-profile visit, the first by a U.S. House speaker in a quarter century. Beijing views the self-governing democracy as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. "The Chinese made their strikes, probably using our visit as an excuse," Pelosi said about the drills in a press conference with other members of a congressional delegation. "Our representation here is not about changing the status quo here in Asia." She added that China has tried to isolate Taiwan, most recently keeping them out of the World Health Organization, but warned, "they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there." Asked what Kishida said about the Taiwan visit, Pelosi declined to disclose details. "We listened with respect to what he had to say, we shared our views, and I don't want the Taiwan visit to deflect attention from what really our purpose was," Pelosi said, calling the meeting "a very positive" one. The rise of an assertive China is a shared concern for Japan and the United States, and the longtime allies' push for a "free and open" Indo-Pacific with other like-minded partners reflects such worries. Despite diplomatic friction, China is an important partner for Japan, which also has close economic ties with Taiwan. The Japanese government has refrained from taking an official stance on Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. In talks with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday, Pelosi underscored the U.S. determination to preserve the island's democracy. Kishida and Pelosi also discussed other common challenges for the two nations, including nuclear-armed North Korea and Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, as well as efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons, a goal set by the Japanese prime minister. Besides Kishida, Pelosi also met House of Representatives Speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda on Friday as she wrapped up her first visit to Japan in seven years. She had planned to visit Japan in April but contracted COVID-19. Related coverage: U.S. raps China missile launches near Taiwan, vows security of allies Chinese-fired ballistic missiles fall into Japan's EEZ: gov't Pelosi vows "ironclad" U.S. commitment to protect Taiwan's democracy SANAA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Severe flooding caused by heavy rains and thunderbolts killed at least 11 people in northern Yemen in the past 24 hours, local authorities reported Thursday. Nine of the victims were swept away by flooding in three districts of the northwestern province of Hajjah, while two others were killed by thunderbolts in the Haydan District in the adjacent province of Saada. Several houses, farms and roads have been damaged. In the past two weeks, 11 people were already killed by the floods in the capital Sanaa and the neighboring province of Dhamar, local authorities reported. Residents are worried about epidemics spreading in the rainy season as the ongoing civil war has damaged the country's health system and disabled much of the infrastructure for clean water and sanitation. URUMQI, August 4 (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. Produced by Xinhua Global Service JAKARTA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Police in the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi said on Thursday that they have arrested three people for allegedly inter-country child trafficking. Officers in the province's district of Pinrang arrested the three people, identified with their initials as SU, RJ and RL in two separate operations on Tuesday after receiving reports from members of the public suspecting that there are some trafficked children in the district. The three people were still identified as witnesses and interrogated over the case. Pinrang police chief detective Muhalis Haeruddin told local media on Thursday that police and immigration officers found a house with four children believed to originate from Malaysia. He said the four children were already under the supervision of relevant authorities. YAOUNDE, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- At least three militants of the Boko Haram group were killed early Thursday after they attempted to attack a military outpost in Cameroon's Far North region, according to local and security sources. The attack took place in Nguetchewe locality of the region. The heavily armed militants ambushed and attacked troops and after several hours, troops repelled them killing three on the spot, an army officer in the region who asked not to be named told Xinhua. The military was pursuing the rest of the assailants, the officer said. Boko Haram has killed over 2,000 people since it launched offensives in the region in 2004, according to security reports and local NGOs. People march to commemorate the second anniversary of the port blasts in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, on Aug. 4, 2022. The families of the port blasts' victims held on Thursday a march in memory of their lost loved ones, demanding authorities continue investigations into the blasts. Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Thursday reiterated his commitment to achieving justice for the victims of the explosions that rocked the Beirut port in 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Zongya) BEIRUT, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Thursday reiterated his commitment to achieving justice for the victims of the explosions that rocked the Beirut port in 2020. "I assure the families of the victims that I am committed to achieving justice by revealing the complete truth through an impartial judicial process away from any fraud, discretion or injustice, to hold accountable all those who are involved, because no one is above the law," Aoun said on the second anniversary of the tragic explosions. For his part, Prime Minister Najib Mikati said he wishes that the souls of the victims rest in peace and the hearts of their loved ones be soothed. "We will not reach justice without punishing the criminals ... There will be no resurrection for Lebanon without complete justice, no matter how long it takes," he said. The families of the port blasts' victims held on Thursday a march in memory of their lost loved ones, demanding authorities continue investigations into the blasts. The Beirut port was rocked by two big explosions on Aug. 4, 2020, killing over 200 people and wounding more than 6,000 others. The blasts destroyed a big part of the city and had negative repercussions on the country's economy. Young men in a damaged building watch a memorial march to commemorate the second anniversary of the port blasts in Beirut, Lebanon, on Aug. 4, 2022. The families of the port blasts' victims held on Thursday a march in memory of their lost loved ones, demanding authorities continue investigations into the blasts. Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Thursday reiterated his commitment to achieving justice for the victims of the explosions that rocked the Beirut port in 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Zongya) Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen (R) meets with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Aug. 4, 2022. (Photo by Kok Ky/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Thursday met here with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on bilateral ties and cooperation, a senior official said. Lavrov is in Cambodia for the ASEAN-Russia Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings. "Lavrov briefed the prime minister on the situation and Russia's position on the Ukraine conflict, and stressed the need to further strengthen and expand existing cooperation with Cambodia in tourism and investment, among others," Eang Sophalleth, a personal assistant to Hun Sen, told reporters. For his part, Hun Sen thanked Lavrov for briefing him on Russia's position on the conflict, Sophalleth said. The Cambodian leader also thanked Lavrov for bringing along COVID-19 vaccines for Cambodia. "The prime minister also agreed with Lavrov on strengthening relations and cooperation between the two countries," the assistant said. On the Ukraine issue, Hun Sen said Cambodia wishes to see solutions through peaceful dialogues. Both sides agreed that the Cambodia-Russia intergovernmental commission on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation will be a key platform for the two countries to broaden bilateral cooperation in various fields, he added. JAKARTA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The number of weekly COVID-19 cases in Indonesia rose remarkably in the past month, spokesperson for COVID-19 task force Wiku Adisasmito said on Thursday. "We have recorded around 38,000 weekly positive cases this week, very high compared to 2,000 cases in early July," Adisasmito told a virtual press conference. The number of deaths due to COVID-19 this week was recorded at 91, a sharp increase compared to 40 deaths in the previous week. The increase in bed occupancy rates was mainly in Jakarta (12.93 percent), South Kalimantan (12.79 percent), and Banten (11.85 percent). The country recorded 6,527 new daily cases on Thursday, bringing the total cases to 6,229,315, with total recoveries of 6,021,549 and deaths of 157,060 respectively. The authorities remind people of adhering to health protocols, which will protect them from being infected with COVID-19. JAKARTA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Police in Indonesia's westernmost province of Aceh said on Thursday that the police's counterterrorism Densus 88 unit has arrested a suspected terrorist, who is believed to be affiliated with the outlawed Jemaah Islamiyah (JI). The provincial police spokesperson Winardy told local media that the suspect under the initials ISA was arrested in Sidodadi village in the district of Aceh Tamiang on Wednesday. The 37-year-old man was allegedly the coordinator of JI in the province, the spokesperson said. "The arrested suspect was allegedly the coordinator and had an important role in the JI structure," said Winardy, adding that ISA has been moved to North Sumatra Police for a further investigation. According to him, Densus 88 had arrested a total of 15 suspected terrorists in Aceh since last month and most of them were allegedly affiliated with JI network. South Africa: Nxesi calls for innovation to tackle problems in SA Minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi, has called on government and civil society to join hands and become more innovative in confronting the complex challenges facing the country in order to set SA on a higher growth path. Nxesi said social partners, government, labour, business and the community sector and South Africans at large are compelled, at this critical juncture, to drive the recovery. The aim should not merely be to build back better but to go beyond where we were before the poly-crisis by building forward differently. A new social compact must include meaningful trade-offs and demonstrate new progress in critical areas, the Minister said. He was addressing the Presidential Social Sector Summit on Moving towards Social Compacting: From Concept to Practice on Thursday. The two-day Presidential Social Sector Summit was held at the Birchwood Conference Centre in Boksburg under the theme, Fostering Social Cohesion to Enable Socio-economic Participation in Communities. Nxesi said the myriad problems facing the country require urgent action. In key areas of service delivery, there is no bloated public service. There might be bloated areas in the administration but at lower levels where services matter, we do not have that We do not need lots of clerks and administrators. In some areas, you need more people if you want to improve service delivery, he said. The Minister emphasised that a new social compact should outline the principles of a new consensus, beyond merely specific actions or interventions. This consensus must enable decisive action on interventions whose scale is large enough to place the country on a clear path of recovery. The social compact should resolve the current impasse on long-standing areas of disagreement or stalemate, and should not only include issues where broad agreement already exists. He said the agreement should build on the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Programme (ERRP) but extend beyond it, and be seen as a fresh approach that will shift the needle on economic growth. Nxesi said the social compact must include commitments from each social partner, not only actions that government will take, but what all partners can contribute. We need a common understanding of our challenges, and then having a common vision and shared set of values that places the collective and national interest above any sectional interests, he said. The Minister said the summit comes at an opportune time for the community constituency, where they will be able to broaden the mandate to take forward to the next consultations on social compacting at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) after the summit. We must also endeavour not to leave anyone behind. We therefore need to broaden our consultation and participation wider and beyond government and the NEDLAC social partners. It must also include an element of social protection to support the most vulnerable sections of society, the Minister said. Alliance of NPO Networks and Nedlac community constituency president, Jimmy Gotyana, said: We hope that through this partnership, good things will come to our side so that as a sector, we are strengthened and seen as value additions to the development trajectory of the country. Through the agreement that will be signed [on Friday], I have no doubt that government will assist us in strengthening the capacity of civil society so that we become effective partners in this relationship we are establishing. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-08-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A Palestinian border police officer is seen at the Erez crossing point between northern Gaza Strip and Israel, on Aug. 4, 2022.Israel on Thursday deployed attack drones over the Gaza Strip and continued to close major roads in the south amid rising tensions with the Palestinians. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) JERUSALEM, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Thursday deployed attack drones over the Gaza Strip and continued to close major roads in the south amid rising tensions with the Palestinians. The Israeli Air Force deployed "dozens" of attack drones over Gaza as part of its preparations for locating and intercepting possible rockets or anti-tank fire launched by Palestinian militants in Gaza, the Hebrew-language Ynet news website reported. Chief-of-Staff of the Israeli army Aviv Kochavi toured the area near Gaza in the morning and approved "offensive plans" that might be used in case of an escalation of violence with Gaza militants, Ynet reported. Meanwhile, the closure of major roads in southern Israel continued for the third day for fear of escalation with Gaza. An Israeli military spokesperson said in a statement that the military has been denying civilians' access to the areas near the Palestinian enclave due to "a concrete warning of an attack by the Islamic Jihad in the Gaza border." The Ashkelon Regional Council in southern Israel said the train service has been suspended and farmers were required not to work on the fields near the Gaza fence. Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz held a security consultation in the morning to discuss "the security situation in the south and the steps necessary for continued security in the area." The tensions were sparked by an Israeli raid in the flashpoint Palestinian city of Jenin in the northern West Bank overnight between Monday and Tuesday, during which a 17-year-old boy Palestinian boy was killed, and members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad including the group's political leader Bassem al-Saadi were arrested. A Palestinian border police officer is seen at the Erez crossing point between northern Gaza Strip and Israel, on Aug. 4, 2022. Israel on Thursday deployed attack drones over the Gaza Strip and continued to close major roads in the south amid rising tensions with the Palestinians. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) A Palestinian border police officer is seen at the Erez crossing point between northern Gaza Strip and Israel, on Aug. 4, 2022. Israel on Thursday deployed attack drones over the Gaza Strip and continued to close major roads in the south amid rising tensions with the Palestinians. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (3rd R) holds talks with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn (2nd L) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Aug. 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Wu Changwei) PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- China and Cambodia have pledged to further advance their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and jointly build the China-Cambodia community with a shared future. During talks with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi here on Wednesday, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said the United States has recently violated China's sovereignty, reneged on its own promise and heightened the tension across the Taiwan Strait, which exposed Washington's failure to match its words with actions as well as its hegemonic nature. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, he said. Cambodia firmly adheres to the one-China policy and backs China's justified position on its internal affairs including Taiwan, Xinjiang and Tibet. Cambodia supports China in safeguarding its legitimate rights and interests, and in responding resolutely to U.S. provocative actions, Sokhonn said. He noted that the Cambodian and Chinese leaders have maintained close communication, which has injected great vitality into bilateral relations. Sokhonn expressed gratitude to China for its long-time firm support for Cambodia in pursuing a development path suited to its own national condition, and in facilitating economic construction and improving people's livelihood. Cambodia is ready to cement its "ironclad" friendship with China and push for ever more achievements from their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, he added. For his part, Wang appreciated Cambodia's upholding of justice, stressing that the rights and wrongs concerning the current intense situation across the Taiwan Strait is crystal clear that it is the U.S. side that infringed on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and it is also the U.S. side that sabotaged the stability across the Taiwan Strait. Many countries have made clear their adherence to the one-China principle and their support for China's legitimate position, Wang said, adding that it is the inherent requirement of the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership to support each other in safeguarding their core interests. China is willing to work with ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries to safeguard the most basic norm of international relations -- non-interference in internal affairs of sovereign states -- to defend international fairness and justice, and to protect the hard-won regional peace, stability and development, he said. Facing the turbulent international situation, it is of great significance for China and Cambodia to strengthen solidarity and coordination, Wang said, noting that the more complicated the outside environment has become, the more resolute the two countries must be to do their own business well and to develop China-Cambodia friendship. He said China supports Cambodia in safeguarding its sovereign independence and national dignity, and is willing to take as an opportunity the new action plan on building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future and the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year, to carry forward the traditional friendship forged by the older generation of leaders of the two countries, and promote the building of the community with a shared future, so as to create a new future for bilateral friendship. The two sides exchanged views on strengthening coordination over regional affairs. Wang said China supports Cambodia in fulfilling its responsibility as the rotating ASEAN chair for 2022 and holding meetings of foreign ministers on East Asia cooperation. China is ready to join hands with the ASEAN nations, including Cambodia, to better implement the consensus reached at the ASEAN-China special summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations in November last year and work together to reach an agreement on the action plan on the ASEAN-China comprehensive strategic partnership as soon as possible, so as to add fresh strong impetus to the two sides' cooperation in various fields, Wang said. Wang and Sokhonn also exchanged views on the Myanmar issue. LANZHOU, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- For the first time, Global Positioning System (GPS) trackers have been used by the Heihe Wetland National Nature Reserve in Zhangye City, Gansu Province, to monitor the trajectory of black storks. Two black stork chicks have been fitted with GPS trackers that can generate real-time images showing the birds' locations, and the staff at the reserve can check them anytime by cellphone, said Shan Guofeng, an official with the administration of the nature reserve. "We are attempting to figure out the normal breeding and migration patterns of black storks in order to obtain more information for protecting their population," Shan said. Since their installation on July 9, the GPS trackers have been functioning smoothly, and the transmitted data indicate that both birds are doing well, with their range of activities expanding, Shan noted. The Heihe Wetland National Nature Reserve in northwest China, covering an area of about 41,000 hectares, is an important breeding ground, habitat and stopover place for wild birds. According to the latest statistics, 218 species of birds, including many rare ones, have been spotted in the reserve, up from 155 in the 1990s. The increase in the numbers is attributable to strengthened ecological restoration efforts. During a bird survey conducted in the reserve last year, a total of 627 black storks, a species under first-class state protection, were sighted, a number rarely seen for a single observation of black storks in China. In recent years, the reserve's administration has initiated monitoring and study efforts involving black storks to gain more first-hand knowledge about the rare species. Shan and his colleagues conduct daily monitoring during the birds' breeding and migratory seasons. As adult black storks are extremely vigilant, researchers can only observe their nests from a distance of approximately 60 meters using binoculars and other equipment. To ensure nothing is missed, cameras have been installed at four nests. Before attaching the trackers, the researchers also measured the height and weight of the two baby birds. The measurement, taken while the parent bird was away from the nest, is for ensuring free and safe movement of the birds while wearing the tracker, which weighs around 40 grams, or about one percent of a young bird's weight. "The parent bird will go out foraging at 6 a.m. and fly back in two to three hours, so we had to hurry," Shan said. With GPS devices, cameras and manual monitoring, the reserve has obtained a large quantity of data and established a partnership with relevant research institutes to jointly study black storks. "I enjoyed my time with these black storks, and hope we can better protect them through systematic research," Shan said. Israeli security forces block a road to Sderot in southern Israel near the border with Gaza, on Aug. 4, 2022. Israel on Thursday deployed attack drones over the Gaza Strip and continued to close major roads in the south amid rising tensions with the Palestinians. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) JERUSALEM, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military announced Thursday it was sending more troops to the area near Gaza in case there were possible reprisal attacks following the arrest of a senior militant in the West Bank this week. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that after evaluating the situation in the region, it decided to add extra soldiers to its Gaza division to "improve the IDF's readiness in the area." The reinforcement includes artillery, infantry, armored and combat engineering units as well as special forces units, according to the IDF. On Thursday morning, local authorities in Israel blocked roads and the Israeli army closed the Erez Crossing, the main passage between Israel and Gaza, for the third consecutive day. The tensions were sparked by an Israeli raid in the flashpoint Palestinian city of Jenin in the northern West Bank overnight between Monday and Tuesday, during which a 17-year-old Palestinian boy was killed, and members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, including the group's senior figure Bassem al-Saadi, were arrested. Israeli security forces block a road to Sderot in southern Israel near the border with Gaza, on Aug. 4, 2022. Israel on Thursday deployed attack drones over the Gaza Strip and continued to close major roads in the south amid rising tensions with the Palestinians. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli security forces block a road to Sderot in southern Israel near the border with Gaza, on Aug. 4, 2022. Israel on Thursday deployed attack drones over the Gaza Strip and continued to close major roads in the south amid rising tensions with the Palestinians. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli security forces block a road to Sderot in southern Israel near the border with Gaza, on Aug. 4, 2022. Israel on Thursday deployed attack drones over the Gaza Strip and continued to close major roads in the south amid rising tensions with the Palestinians. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli security forces block a road to Sderot in southern Israel near the border with Gaza, on Aug. 4, 2022. Israel on Thursday deployed attack drones over the Gaza Strip and continued to close major roads in the south amid rising tensions with the Palestinians. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Aerial photo taken on Nov. 23, 2021 shows a train being loaded at a loading station of a coal mine in Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's State Administration for Market Regulation has conducted investigations on activities of bidding up coal prices, the administration said Friday. Three investigation teams have been sent to provincial-level regions of Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi, the country's major coal-producing regions, to advance regulations on coal price gouging. After investigation, a total of 18 coal enterprises were suspected of driving up coal prices, and three trading centers were suspected of not adopting government pricing, the administration said. The administration will continue to strengthen supervision over coal prices and guide the prices to operate within a reasonable range. LAGOS, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Thursday burned down more than 560,000 kilograms of illicit drugs in Lagos state, the country's economic hub, the largest of its kind to be destroyed in the 32-year history of the anti-drug agency. Speaking at a ceremony held in the Badagry area of Lagos state, Mohamed Buba Marwa, chairman of the NDLEA, said the drugs to be destroyed were part of the 3.5 million kilograms of illicit drugs seized across the country since January 2021, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis sativa, among others. Marwa said the exercise sends a strong message to drug barons and cartels that "they will continue to lose their huge investments in the criminal trade if they fail to back out and look for other legitimate businesses." "It is gratifying to know that our drug law enforcement efforts are not in vain. Our efforts not only resulted in the seizure of the aforementioned drugs but also culminated in the arrest, prosecution and conviction of the offenders in court," he added. According to Marwa, since January 2021, the NDLEA has arrested over 17,647 drug offenders, of which 2,385 have been convicted in court. The most populous African country has been troubled by drug trafficking and abuses, with frequent reports of seizure of illicit drugs and arrests of suspects in the country. BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Political parties of various countries on Thursday expressed strong opposition to the visit by Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to China's Taiwan region. In messages addressed to the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the political parties also voiced firm support for China's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said that Cuba firmly opposes any act to undermine China's territorial integrity and sovereignty. Daniel Ortega, secretary-general of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) and Nicaraguan president, said that the U.S. politician ignored the one-China principle recognized in the United Nations (UN) resolutions and the Shanghai Communique solemnly signed by the U.S. side and flagrantly infringed upon China's sovereignty, which, once again, fully exposed the U.S. hegemonic behavior of duplicity. Boris Gryzlov, chairman of the Supreme Council of the United Russia party, said that Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is a blatant provocation against China, adding that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. Hanjaya Setiawan, director of Foreign Relations, Central Leadership Board of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, said that Pelosi, out of self-interest, has been doing things that threaten regional and world peace, and her attempts will never succeed. Pelosi's provocation will only aggravate the tensions between China and the United States and undermine the stability of Asia, said Mushahid Hussain Sayed, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the chairman of the Pakistani Senate's Defense Committee, stressing that Pakistan firmly supports the one-China principle. Dogu Perincek, chairman of Turkiye's Patriotic Party, said Pelosi's Taiwan visit is a serious violation of China's sovereignty, adding the United States ignored international law and violated its previous commitments on the Taiwan question, showing the whole world once again that it is an unreliable country. Abbas Zaki, a member of Palestinian Fatah Central Committee and commissioner for relations with Arab countries and China, voiced strong condemnation of and resolute opposition to the U.S. provocation that undermines China's national unification and territorial integrity, saying the Palestinian people and Fatah firmly support the Chinese people in safeguarding national unification and territorial integrity. Raphael Tuju, executive director of Azimio la Umoja -- One Kenya Coalition Party, said Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is a despicable act of provocation against the friendly Chinese people, and the move is irresponsible, outrageous and reprehensible. The U.S. leader's visit to Taiwan breached the one-China principle and aimed to disrupt China's peaceful development process and maintain the U.S. hegemony, said Fred M'membe, president of the Socialist Party in Zambia, adding that peace-loving people of all countries must condemn such a move. Humberto Vargas Carbonell, general secretary of the Costa Rican People's Vanguard Party, said that Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is a blatant violation of and gross interference in China's defense of national territorial sovereignty by the United States, noting that those who play with fire in the move will perish by it. Ella Rule, chair of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist), said that at the time when the United States seriously provoked China, the party stands with the Chinese people and fully supports China in defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Anton Gomez Reino, deputy of Podemos party and vice-president of the foreign affairs Committee in the Congress of Spain, said Pelosi's visit to Taiwan shows that the United States only wants to create conflict and provoke confrontation between camps to delay the decline of its hegemony. In the meantime, political parties and social organizations, including Nepali Congress party, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist), Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Free Patriotic Movement in Lebanon, the Party of Independence and Labour in Senegal, Tanzania's Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, the Communist Party of Uruguay, A Just Russia-Patriots-For Truth party, Tobwaan Kiribati Party, Korea-China Leaders Society, Civil Society Alliance Forum of Cambodia, Sri-Lanka Veemansa Initiative and Somalia-China Business Council, have also voiced their opposition to Pelosi's Taiwan visit and their firm support for the one-China principle. Stewards of the Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd. (LCRC) walk past a Lane Xang EMU train at the Vientiane Station of the railway in Laos on May 24, 2022. (Photo by Yang Yongquan/Xinhua) Noting that mutual trust and mutual support are essential to the China-Laos community with a shared future, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China appreciates Laos' just position, and will continue to strengthen solidarity with the Lao side, firmly support each other in safeguarding their legitimate rights and development space, as well as uphold international fairness and justice. PHNOM PENH, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith here on Wednesday, with both pledging to build an unbreakable China-Laos community with a shared future. During talks with Saleumxay on the sidelines of meetings of foreign ministers on East Asia cooperation, Wang lauded the strong momentum of development of China-Laos relations, the continuously consolidated strategic mutual trust and the fruitful results of practical cooperation between the two countries. Wang noted that the opening of the China-Laos Railway in December last year elevated bilateral exchanges and cooperation to a new level, and injected new impetus into the construction of the China-Laos Economic Corridor. Both sides should deepen strategic communication and coordination so as to further build an unbreakable China-Laos community with a shared future, he said, adding that both sides should enhance the exchanges of experience in party and state governance, jointly improve governance capability and promote their national development and socialist causes. For his part, Saleumxay thanked China for its long-standing support and assistance to Laos' economic and social development, saying the two countries have worked together to overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and achieved remarkable results in practical cooperation, which demonstrates the true nature of bilateral relations that shares weal and woe. Laos attaches great importance to learning from China's experience in state governance and looks forward to strengthening bilateral cooperation in various fields and building well the Laos-China community with a shared future, he added. Saleumxay said that the recent provocative moves of the U.S. side on the Taiwan question broke its own commitments, violated the basic norms governing international relations, and infringed upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs has immediately issued a statement, making it clear that the Lao side adheres to the one-China principle and reiterating that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, Saleumxay said. Laos opposes any attempt to create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," and will continue to stand firmly with China and support China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, he noted. Wang stressed that the United States, for its self-serving interests, has used every means without a bottom line, ignored basic norms governing international relations, and blatantly violated China's sovereignty, adding that the U.S. national credibility has gone bankrupt. China will make firm and necessary responses to the U.S. retrogressive acts of "using Taiwan to contain China," he said, warning that any attempt by the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces "to look for U.S. support for their independence agenda" is doomed to fail, and will cause the greatest damage to the safety of the people in Taiwan. Noting that mutual trust and mutual support are essential to the China-Laos community with a shared future, Wang said China appreciates Laos' just position, and will continue to strengthen solidarity with the Lao side, firmly support each other in safeguarding their legitimate rights and development space, as well as uphold international fairness and justice. UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed regret on Thursday that the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had requested the voice of the peacekeeping mission there to leave the country. Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, said the representative of the UN mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO, "happened to be on leave when that came in" and was out of the country. The MONUSCO spokesman was identified as Mathias Gillman. "The scenario is, obviously, tense," Dujarric told reporters at a regular briefing. "We are conducting an investigation into what happened last Sunday, where civilians were clearly killed. We should have some, hopefully, preliminary information in the next couple of days." He said the world body is in touch with the DRC government and local communities "to ensure that there is a very open and frank dialogue with them." In the Sunday morning incident, Dujarric said early reports indicated members of a battalion of MONUSCO peacekeepers returning from leave were trapped overnight in a "no man's land" after clearing the Uganda checkpoint and before being admitted back into the DRC. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (C) speaks during a briefing to the General Assembly on the progress on Our Common Agenda at the UN headquarters in New York, on Aug. 4, 2022. Guterres on Thursday expressed the hope that the Summit of the Future scheduled for the General Assembly high-level week in September will produce a Pact for the Future. (Mark Garten/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday expressed the hope that the Summit of the Future scheduled for the General Assembly high-level week in September will produce a Pact for the Future. The summit is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reinvigorate global action, recommit to fundamental principles, and further develop the frameworks of multilateralism so they are fit for the future, he said in a briefing to the General Assembly on the progress on his Our Common Agenda. The outcome of a successful Summit of the Future will be an inter-governmentally negotiated Pact for the Future, he said. "At the heart of this pact should be a commitment to reinvigorate the multilateral system and make it fit for the challenges of today and tomorrow. It must reaffirm our fundamental belief in the Charter of the United Nations. And it should re-focus our efforts on meeting our existing commitments in the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement; addressing threats to international peace and security; and realizing our ambitions on human rights, international justice, and gender equality," said Guterres. "The Pact for the Future must demonstrate to the world that while we face daunting challenges, we can overcome them with cooperation, compromise and global solidarity. We must show that through an emphasis on our shared humanity and a strengthened multilateral system, we can put the world on a better path," he added. It is almost a year since he presented the report on Our Common Agenda. During that period of time, the need for the proposals in the report has only increased, said Guterres. In addition to the triple planetary crisis of climate breakdown, air pollution and biodiversity loss, and the immense suffering caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts are raging around the world. Developing countries are being squeezed dry. Without resources to invest in recovery from the pandemic and deal with the impact of the Ukraine conflict, the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals have been thrown further off course, he said. The global economic forecast is perilous. Four countries have already defaulted on their debts; many others face the risk of default. Financing for development is drying up, or being diverted elsewhere. Meanwhile, overwhelming evidence of climate catastrophe is mounting by the day. Geopolitical competition has intensified. The risk of nuclear confrontation is now more acute than it has been in decades, he noted. "Our Common Agenda was intended as a wake-up call. One year on, we must ask ourselves: have we woken up?" he said. While the problems facing the world are unprecedented, they are not insurmountable, he said. "Our Common Agenda attempts to correct our course, guided by the United Nations Charter, to build the safer, more resilient and inclusive world set out in the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals." TEHRAN, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- A new round of talks on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers began in Vienna on Thursday after a 150-day hiatus, according to Iran's official news agency IRNA. The Iranian negotiating team, headed by Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani, held a meeting with the Russian delegation led by Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna and chief negotiator to the Vienna talks. The two sides had "a frank, pragmatic and constructive exchange of views on ways and means of overcoming the last outstanding issues," Ulyanov tweeted after the meeting. Bagheri Kani also met with Enrique Mora, the European Union chief coordinator for the Iran nuclear talks, and Secretary General of the Austrian Foreign Ministry Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal respectively. Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (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 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 of Vienna but were suspended in March this year because of political differences between Tehran and Washington. BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- In response to Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's egregious provocation, China decides to adopt sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family members in accordance with relevant laws of the People's Republic of China, a foreign ministry spokesperson announced Friday. In disregard of China's grave concerns and firm opposition, Nancy Pelosi insisted on visiting Taiwan. This constitutes a gross interference in China's internal affairs. It gravely undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously tramples on the one-China principle, and severely threatens peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the spokesperson added. People register for being vaccinated at a monkeypox vaccination site in New York, the United States, on July 14, 2022. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua) As of Thursday, the United States has confirmed more than 6,600 cases of monkeypox, nearly 25 percent of the global total of 25,800 so far. LOS ANGELES, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government on Thursday declared monkeypox a public health emergency, more than a week after the World Health Organization qualified the outbreak as a global emergency. "We are prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus and we urge every American to take monkeypox seriously," Xavier Becerra, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), told reporters during a briefing. As of Thursday, the United States has confirmed more than 6,600 cases of monkeypox, nearly 25 percent of the global total of 25,800 so far. A public health emergency can trigger grant funding and open up more resources for various aspects of a federal response. It also allows the HHS secretary to enter into contracts for treatments and other necessary medical supplies and equipment, as well as support emergency hospital services, among other things. New York, California and Illinois, the top three states in terms of confirmed monkeypox cases in the country, have already declared state of emergencies in response to the outbreak. Some cities, including New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles, have also made their own emergency declarations. Despite Thursday's proclamation, HHS officials still hoped to prevent monkeypox from becoming endemic in the country. "We continue to marshal forward the tools that we need to make sure that we can take on monkeypox and keep it from spreading to the point of becoming endemic," Becerra said Thursday, adding, "There should be no reason why we can't stay ahead of this if we all work together." A medical worker gives a dose of monkeypox vaccine to a recipient in Chicago, the United States, on July 25, 2022. (Photo by Vincent Johnson/Xinhua) But some experts warned that the outbreak could not be contained only if the authority moved more quickly and effectively. Gregg Gonsalves, an expert in policy modeling on infectious disease and substance use from Yale University, called Becerra "a liar" on his official twitter page on Wednesday after the HHS secretary touted the authority had "made vaccines, tests and treatments well beyond the numbers that are currently needed, available to all jurisdictions who manage their public health systems." "Unfortunately, delayed actions mean monkeypox has spread within the gay community and among other men who have sex with men," David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, told the Guardian on Monday. "This outbreak has grown to be a public health crisis in America. We are still in a very chaotic situation at the state and local level with an organized response," he said. Advocates and lawmakers are calling for the Biden administration to remove barriers to access for TPOXX, which is FDA-approved for the treatment of human smallpox disease caused by variola virus in adults and children, to reduce the spread of monkeypox. Currently, if a health care provider wants to try TPOXX for a monkeypox patient, they have to obtain special approval through the CDC and its "Investigational New Drug" program. Staff members celebrate the departure of the first batch of fresh avocados grown in Kenya and destined for the Chinese market in Limuru Town, Kiambu County, Kenya, on August 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui) More than 3 million Kenyan smallholder farmers who grow avocados are expected to be major beneficiaries of increased access to the Chinese market for the fruit as the first batch of fresh avocados grown in Kenya and destined for the Chinese market was flagged off Tuesday. NAIROBI, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Richard Tuwei, a 62-year-old Kenyan father of three, confessed that he was once a passionate maize farmer until a string of losses linked to pest infestation, erratic weather, and market volatility forced him to switch to avocados. Tuwei, now retired and a proud owner of a seven-acre (about 2.8 hectares) avocado farm in his native Nandi County, northwestern Kenya, said the tropical fruit is already earning him a sustainable income, adding that exports to China have gained steam. Tuwei, who spoke to Xinhua Tuesday during the flag-off ceremony for the first batch of fresh avocado shipment to China in the central Kenyan county of Kiambu, said the move could herald fortunes to local growers of the tropical fruit. "(I) am happy to witness the opening of the Chinese market to our avocados and look forward to improved earnings for local growers who previously grappled with exploitative middlemen," he said. On Tuesday, Kenya commenced shipment of fresh avocados to China, in line with a bilateral agreement signed by the two nations in January, marking a significant milestone in economic and trade relations. Local firm Sunripe and its Chinese counterpart Greechain facilitated the shipment of fresh avocados to the Asian nation, having received the green light from regulatory agencies charged with certifying quality and hygiene standards. Staff members put fresh avocados into boxes at Sunripe factory in Limuru Town, Kiambu County, Kenya, on Aug. 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui) "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 David Osiany, the chief administrative secretary of the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development. More than 3 million Kenyan smallholder farmers who grow avocados, including Tuwei, are expected to be major beneficiaries of increased access to the Chinese market for the fruit. Four years ago, the retired civil servant planted Hass and Fuerte avocado varieties on his seven-acre farm but initially sold the fruit at a throwaway price, due to limited market access. In addition, Tuwei struggled to find high-yielding, pest and disease-resistant seedlings, leading to depressed harvests until he linked up with local agronomists who exposed him to Hass and Fuerte avocado varieties that perform better and are popular in overseas export destinations. Tuwei revealed that Chinese inspectors have been making frequent visits to his avocado farm, where they have trained him on the best agronomic practices for the crop. He has also received a four-month training organized by Chinese and Kenyan quality control bodies, to enhance his understanding of quality and safety standards that his avocados should meet before they are shipped overseas. "The Chinese inspectors and auditors have been encouraging us to grow avocado but ensure it meets quality and safety standards set by regulators to ensure they qualify for export," said Tuwei. He added that small-scale growers in his backyard have formed a cooperative, to boost the production and marketing of Hass avocados to the promising Chinese market. Grace Ngungi, a middle-aged female avocado farmer in the central Kenyan county of Kiambu, said that having grown both the Hass and Fuerte varieties in the last five years, she was optimistic the nascent Chinese market will be a game changer. Ngungi left a white-collar job to venture into avocado farming and has been consistent in her belief that the Chinese market has the potential to overtake the shrinking one in the west. "(I) am optimistic about the Chinese market and it was a moment of triumph for local farmers to witness the first batch of fresh avocados being shipped to the Asian country," said Ngungi. She noted that Kenyan smallholder farmers had benefitted from regular interaction with Chinese officials where they learned about best agronomic practices for avocados, how to retain quality, and shield the fruit from attack by pests. Photo taken on Feb. 4, 2021, shows avocados hanging on a branch of a tree in Muranga County, Kenya. (Xinhua/Bedah Mengo) Kimutai Tengecha, a 57-year-old father of four, has planted Hass avocado on his one-acre farm located in Narok County, southwestern Kenya, having switched from maize and wheat farming due to depressed earnings. According to Tengecha, the Chinese market heralds a windfall for local avocado farmers who are grappling with volatility in the traditional export destinations of Europe, North America, and the Gulf region. "Our desire as local farmers is for the Chinese avocado market to thrive and in return, our earnings will stabilize to help us educate our children and employ additional workers," said Tengecha. Kenya is the world's sixth largest exporter of avocados and ranks first in the African continent. The country has shipped 44.26 million kg of the fruit overseas, earning 6.09 billion shillings (about 51.18 million U.S. dollars) in the first six months of 2022, said Benjamin Tito, the director of the Horticultural Crops Directorate. JIUQUAN, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday successfully launched a reusable experimental spacecraft using a Long March-2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwest of the country. After a period of in-orbit operation, the spacecraft will return to its scheduled landing site in China. It will test reusable technologies and in-orbit service technologies as planned during its flight, providing technological support for the peaceful use of space. The launch was the 18th mission of the Long March-2F carrier rockets. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Turkiye's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on the sidelines of meetings of foreign ministers on East Asia cooperation, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Aug. 3, 2022. (Photo by Van Pov/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Turkiye's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu here Wednesday on the sidelines of meetings of foreign ministers on East Asia cooperation, vowing to promote cooperation between the two countries. Wang said China and Turkiye are both representatives of emerging economies, having closely-intertwined interests and similar positions. China is willing to work with Turkiye, in accordance with the guidelines set by the two countries' heads of state, to enhance mutual trust and cooperation, support each other in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, deepen the synergy of development strategies, and promote the healthy and stable development of strategic cooperative relations between the two countries, Wang said. He said that in the face of the current international landscape featuring a sharp increase in instability, uncertainty and disturbance, major countries should have taken the lead in abiding by the United Nations Charter, in upholding basic norms governing international relations, and in advocating and practicing multilateralism. However, Wang noted, the United States is doing the opposite, blatantly challenging China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and disrupting the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Noting that the international community has unanimously condemned the dangerous and foolish acts of the United States, Wang said that China, together with every party, is willing to abide by the basic norm governing international relations of respecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to safeguard regional and global peace and stability. Cavusoglu said his country firmly adheres to the one-China policy not only on the Taiwan question but also on issues concerning Xinjiang, adding that the Turkish side was glad to see United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet visit Xinjiang, and hopes to keep contact with China over affairs related to the visit to Xinjiang by a Turkish delegation, he said. Turkiye upholds multilateralism and opposes unilateral sanctions, said Cavusoglu, adding that amid the serious challenges induced by the Ukraine crisis to global economic recovery, Turkiye is willing to reinforce its solidarity with China and jointly cope with food security and other difficult situations. Cavusoglu said the Turkish side attaches great importance to the in-depth synergy between its Middle Corridor initiative and the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, and hopes to push for a more balanced bilateral economic and trade relationship, welcome more Chinese enterprises to invest and start businesses in Turkiye, and see more frequent direct flights between the two countries. Wang said the Chinese side appreciates Turkiye's active part in mediating the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and supports Turkiye in playing a constructive role in securing a soft landing of the Ukraine crisis. This year has seen China overcoming difficulties to provide over 30,000 tons of emergency humanitarian food aid to developing countries in utmost need, Wang said, adding that China, who proposed a cooperation initiative on global food security at the Group of 20 foreign ministers' meeting, will maintain a constructive role in tackling global food security challenges. Noting that Xinjiang affairs are part of China's internal affairs, Wang said China has always taken an attitude of being open and transparent on issues related to Xinjiang, and expects to welcome the arrival of the Turkish delegation. WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Police in Bloomington of the U.S. state of Minnesota secured the Mall of America after reports of a shooting inside the shopping complex on Thursday afternoon. The Bloomington Police Department tweeted they "can confirm that shots were fired" but "this is an isolated incident." The suspect fled the mall "on foot" and officers are in the process of interviewing witnesses, according to an update. No victims have been found. The mall will be closed for the evening once the lockdown is lifted, the police said. One video circulating on social media appeared to show a man yelling outside a Nike store on the second level of the mall, followed by what sounded like three gunshots. The Mall of America tweeted it "remains under lockdown following a confirmed isolated incident." "For all guests, please stay in the closest secure area until the lockdown is lifted," it said. A Twitter user named Suburban Housewife Anne Holt wrote that she's in lockdown with her 17-year-old daughter in the back room of a suit store at the Mall of America. "Even though I don't feel any danger at this point, the knowledge that someone may well have been shot two floors above me is heavy," she added. UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Abdulla Shahid reiterated on Thursday that the UNGA abides by the Resolution 2758. Commenting on Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, the UNGA president said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua via email that the UNGA president's views "align with" that of the UN secretary-general. "The General Assembly will abide by the relevant resolution on the matter," the office said, adding the Resolution 2758 recognizes the People's Republic of China (PRC) as the only legitimate representative of China to the UN. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday affirmed the world body's one-China policy as Pelosi's Taiwan visit has created tensions. "Our position is very clear. We abide by General Assembly resolutions, by the one-China policy, and that is the orientation that we have in everything we do," said the UN chief. The UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 in 1971, which decides to restore the lawful rights of the PRC in the UN and to recognize the representatives of the PRC government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations. BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited China's Taiwan region recently, an act China firmly opposes and strongly condemns. The historical facts regarding the Taiwan question are clear as day, as is the fact that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China. The three China-U.S. joint communiques constitute political commitments between the two sides, and the one-China principle is the political foundation of China-U.S. relations. Although the mainland and Taiwan are yet to be reunified, the fact that both sides belong to one and the same China has not changed. There is only one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. These are historical and legal facts, and the universal consensus of the international community. Taiwan has been part of China since ancient times. Ancestors of Taiwan residents today were mostly from the mainland. In the past, the successive governments of China established administrative organs in Taiwan to exercise their jurisdiction there. In 1885, the Qing Dynasty government officially designated Taiwan as a province. The emergence and evolution of the Taiwan question has, since China entered modern times, been inextricably interwoven with the history of the Chinese nation. Following the Opium War starting in 1840, China suffered invasion by Western powers. In 1894, Japan launched the First Sino-Japanese War to invade China. In the following year, the Qing Dynasty government was forced to cede Taiwan to Japan under the unequal Treaty of Shimonoseki. In 1945, the Chinese people won the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Taiwan was thus recovered and returned to the motherland. In December 1943, China, the United States and Britain issued the Cairo Declaration which explicitly states that all the territories Japan had stolen from China, including Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, shall be restored to China. On Oct. 25, 1945, the Chinese government announced that Taiwan and the Penghu Islands had been restored as parts of China's territory. Thus, Taiwan's legal status as a part of China was irrefutably confirmed. It was not long, however, before the two sides of the Taiwan Strait fell into a special state of protracted political confrontation due to civil war in China and the interference of foreign forces. In 1949, the Central People's Government of the PRC was established, replacing the Republic of China government as the sole legal government representing the whole of China. It is logical for the government of the PRC to exercise sovereignty over China, which includes Taiwan. At that time, the then U.S. government adopted a policy of isolation and containment against the PRC. After the outbreak of the Korean War, the U.S. government launched an armed intervention in cross-Strait relations, placing China's Taiwan Province under its "protection." The U.S. government's erroneous policy of interfering in China's internal affairs caused a long-standing tense confrontation across the Taiwan Strait, and the Taiwan question has since become a major dispute between China and the United States. In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 with an overwhelming majority vote, restoring all rights of the PRC and recognizing the government of the PRC as the sole legitimate representative of China to the United Nations. The one-China principle is a widely recognized basic norm of international relations. A total of 181 countries have to date established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of their recognition of the one-China principle. However, the U.S. government has for some time made repeated and erroneous statements and taken improper actions regarding the Taiwan question, continuously raising the level of official exchanges between the United States and Taiwan, increasing military collusion, and selling arms to Taiwan to support its attempt of resisting reunification through force. Since 2016, Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have stubbornly adhered to the secessionist position of "Taiwan independence," willingly acted as a pawn for anti-China forces in the United States to contain China, and made reckless moves for "Taiwan independence." The DPP authorities' acts advocating "Taiwan independence" and their collusion with the United States to betray national interests will only push Taiwan toward the abyss of disaster and bring deep trouble to compatriots in Taiwan. The motherland must be reunified, and will surely be reunified. It is the tide of our times that cross-Strait situation will move toward peace and stability. This cannot be stopped by any force or anyone. And the historical trend toward a stronger China, national rejuvenation, and reunification cannot be stopped by any force or anyone either. UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following with concern recent reports of tensions in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region, said his spokesman on Thursday. "While we are not in a position to confirm or verify such reports, we urge the sides to exercise restraint and address all outstanding issues through dialogue," said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman. Azerbaijan and Armenia on Wednesday accused each other of launching provocation in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, in violation of a cease-fire agreement between them. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh since 1988. Peace talks have been held since 1994, when a cease-fire was agreed on, but there have been sporadic minor clashes since then. A new round of armed conflict broke out along the contact line on Sept. 27, 2020, before Russia brokered a new cease-fire agreement on Nov. 9, 2020. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith on the sidelines of meetings of foreign ministers on East Asia cooperation, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Aug. 3, 2022. (Photo by Van Pov/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith here on Wednesday, with both pledging to build an unbreakable China-Laos community with a shared future. During talks with Saleumxay on the sidelines of meetings of foreign ministers on East Asia cooperation, Wang lauded the strong momentum of development of China-Laos relations, the continuously consolidated strategic mutual trust and the fruitful results of practical cooperation between the two countries. Wang noted that the opening of the China-Laos Railway in December last year elevated bilateral exchanges and cooperation to a new level, and injected new impetus into the construction of the China-Laos Economic Corridor. Both sides should deepen strategic communication and coordination so as to further build an unbreakable China-Laos community with a shared future, he said, adding that both sides should enhance the exchanges of experience in party and state governance, jointly improve governance capability and promote their national development and socialist causes. For his part, Saleumxay thanked China for its long-standing support and assistance to Laos' economic and social development, saying the two countries have worked together to overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and achieved remarkable results in practical cooperation, which demonstrates the true nature of bilateral relations that shares weal and woe. Laos attaches great importance to learning from China's experience in state governance and looks forward to strengthening bilateral cooperation in various fields and building well the Laos-China community with a shared future, he added. Saleumxay said that the recent provocative moves of the U.S. side on the Taiwan question broke its own commitments, violated the basic norms governing international relations, and infringed upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs has immediately issued a statement, making it clear that the Lao side adheres to the one-China principle and reiterating that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, Saleumxay said. Laos opposes any attempt to create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," and will continue to stand firmly with China and support China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, he noted. Wang stressed that the United States, for its self-serving interests, has used every means without a bottom line, ignored basic norms governing international relations, and blatantly violated China's sovereignty, adding that the U.S. national credibility has gone bankrupt. China will make firm and necessary responses to the U.S. retrogressive acts of "using Taiwan to contain China," he said, warning that any attempt by the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces "to look for U.S. support for their independence agenda" is doomed to fail, and will cause the greatest damage to the safety of the people in Taiwan. Noting that mutual trust and mutual support are essential to the China-Laos community with a shared future, Wang said China appreciates Laos' just position, and will continue to strengthen solidarity with the Lao side, firmly support each other in safeguarding their legitimate rights and development space, as well as uphold international fairness and justice. WINDHOEK, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Rhino poachers in Namibia have shifted focus from national parks to custodianship and private farms with both black and white rhinos being the target, an official said Thursday. Namibia's Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) has recorded 33 rhinos poached since the start of the year, of which 24 were black rhinos and nine were white rhinos, said MEFT spokesperson Romeo Muyunda in a statement. This year's poaching cases include nine black rhinos poached on custodianship farms, 15 black in the Etosha National Park, and another nine white rhinos on private farms, he said, stressing that poaching in national parks has slightly decreased due to strengthened wildlife protection strategies. Namibia recorded 44 rhinos poached in 2021, 42 in 2020, 57 in 2019, 83 in 2018, and 55 in 2017. According to Muyunda, the rhino poaching situation in the country is dynamic and the fight is far from over. "We remain committed to ensuring that poaching of rhinos is significantly reduced if not completely stopped. This, however, requires the involvement of all stakeholders including members of the public by rejecting poaching in our societies," he said. Muyunda said to strengthen rhino security and prevent further poaching, the ministry with its stakeholders is implementing strategies used in the country's national parks on custodianship farms and private farms. "This includes increased ground patrols, aerial patrols establishment or strengthening of existing anti-poaching units, the inclusion of MEFT and law enforcement agencies in intelligence gathering and law enforcement activities," he said. Muyunda also said the ministry is, however, happy that elephant poaching remains relatively low with only two elephants poached this year. "Our target moving forward is to reduce elephant poaching to zero. While rhino poaching has been dynamic, elephant poaching on the other (hand) has been steadily declining over the last five years from 50 elephants poached in 2017, 27 in 2018, 13 in 2019, 12 in 2020, and eight in 2021," he said. JUBA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Experts of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan on Thursday called on the transitional unity government to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on crimes of conflict-related sexual violence. Andrew Clapham, a member of the team of experts, said that the zero-tolerance policy when adopted will not only see foot soldiers prosecuted in courts but also senior government officials and military commanders. "There should be a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual and gender-based violence, and such a commitment could be concretely demonstrated by standing down or even prosecuting senior government and military officials associated with such crimes," Clapham told journalists in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. The remarks came after the experts concluded their tenth visit to the country where they visited survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Yei County in Central Equatoria, Western Equatoria, and Unity states. The team met with government officials, representatives of civil society, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) as well as members of the diplomatic community to follow up on the findings and recommendations of the commission's latest report on conflict-related sexual violence against women and girls in South Sudan. Clapham said that this policy takes note of the low status of women in society, their limited participation in public institutions, and the pervasive environment for sexual and gender-based violence. Yasmin Sooka, the chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, noted that conflict-related sexual violence has recently become so systematic and extensive in the country. "We met with many of the survivors and we interviewed them of course, many of the people were incredibly pleased to see that there is some form of accountability but as they said it is just not enough," Sooka said. "We need to see more accountability and we don't only need to see the foot soldiers prosecuted, what we want to see is that the leadership of the different armed forces hold commanders accountable because that is the only way that sexual violence in this country will stop." The United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan was established in March 2016 following the outbreak of conflict in December 2013. The 480-km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), a mega project under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative linking the largest port in East Africa to Kenya's capital, was built by China Road and Bridge Corporation and officially opened to traffic in 2017. There are 17 freight trains transporting bulk cargo in a seamless and safe manner on a daily basis. Terminal handlers say that the SGR has become the main player in the movement of goods from Kenya's port of Mombasa to the hinterland, as it provides logisticians the most practical way of moving goods in large volumes. The SGR has helped the port of Mombasa to become a regional shipping hub. Official data show that over the past five years, the freight trains have moved an estimated 20 million tons of bulk cargo. Produced by Xinhua Global Service BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's light industry reported higher revenue and profits in the first half of the year (H1), official data showed. The operating income of firms with annual revenue of over 20 million yuan (about 2.97 million U.S. dollars) in the sector rose 7 percent year on year to 11.4 trillion yuan, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). These companies raked in 693.3 billion yuan in profits in H1, up 5.2 percent from the same period of last year. MIIT data also showed that the added value of light industrial firms above the designated size grew by 4.6 percent year on year during the period, with output rising in sectors including shoes, watches, air conditioners for rooms, and household gas water heaters. Exports of the sector's eight major products stood at 211.74 billion U.S. dollars in H1, representing an increase of 10 percent, according to the General Administration of Customs. Photo taken on Aug. 4, 2022 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. The U.S. government on Thursday declared monkeypox a public health emergency, more than a week after the World Health Organization qualified the outbreak as a global emergency. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) LOS ANGELES, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government on Thursday declared monkeypox a public health emergency, more than a week after the World Health Organization qualified the outbreak as a global emergency. "We are prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus and we urge every American to take monkeypox seriously," Xavier Becerra, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), told reporters during a briefing. As of Thursday, the United States has confirmed more than 6,600 cases of monkeypox, nearly 25 percent of the global total of 25,800 so far. A public health emergency can trigger grant funding and open up more resources for various aspects of a federal response. It also allows the HHS secretary to enter into contracts for treatments and other necessary medical supplies and equipment, as well as support emergency hospital services, among other things. New York, California and Illinois, the top three states in terms of confirmed monkeypox cases in the country, have already declared state of emergencies in response to the outbreak. Some cities, including New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles, have also made their own emergency declarations. Despite Thursday's proclamation, HHS officials still hoped to prevent monkeypox from becoming endemic in the country. "We continue to marshal forward the tools that we need to make sure that we can take on monkeypox and keep it from spreading to the point of becoming endemic," Becerra said Thursday, adding, "There should be no reason why we can't stay ahead of this if we all work together." But some experts warned that the outbreak could not be contained only if the authority moved more quickly and effectively. Gregg Gonsalves, an expert in policy modeling on infectious disease and substance use from Yale University, called Becerra "a liar" on his official twitter page on Wednesday after the HHS secretary touted the authority had "made vaccines, tests and treatments well beyond the numbers that are currently needed, available to all jurisdictions who manage their public health systems." "Unfortunately, delayed actions mean monkeypox has spread within the gay community and among other men who have sex with men," David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, told the Guardian on Monday. "This outbreak has grown to be a public health crisis in America. We are still in a very chaotic situation at the state and local level with an organized response," he said. Advocates and lawmakers are calling for the Biden administration to remove barriers to access for TPOXX, which is FDA-approved for the treatment of human smallpox disease caused by variola virus in adults and children, to reduce the spread of monkeypox. Currently, if a health care provider wants to try TPOXX for a monkeypox patient, they have to obtain special approval through the CDC and its "Investigational New Drug" program. Photo taken on Aug. 4, 2022 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. The U.S. government on Thursday declared monkeypox a public health emergency, more than a week after the World Health Organization qualified the outbreak as a global emergency. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Photo taken on Aug. 4, 2022 shows the White House and a stop sign in Washington, D.C., the United States. The U.S. government on Thursday declared monkeypox a public health emergency, more than a week after the World Health Organization qualified the outbreak as a global emergency. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Photo taken on Aug. 4, 2022 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States.The U.S. government on Thursday declared monkeypox a public health emergency, more than a week after the World Health Organization qualified the outbreak as a global emergency. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Photo taken on Aug. 4, 2022 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. The U.S. government on Thursday declared monkeypox a public health emergency, more than a week after the World Health Organization qualified the outbreak as a global emergency. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) People wait in line to receive the monkeypox vaccine at a vaccination site at Eugene A. Obregon Park in Los Angeles, California, the United States, Aug. 6, 2022. During the past days, monkeypox has been spreading at a faster pace across the United States, exacerbating the country's ongoing health crisis that results from the still-ravaging COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. government has declared monkeypox a public health emergency, and several states have also made their own emergency declarations over the virus, hence more tests and vaccines to be ensured. (Xinhua) People wait in line to receive the monkeypox vaccine at a vaccination site at Eugene A. Obregon Park in Los Angeles, California, the United States, Aug. 6, 2022. During the past days, monkeypox has been spreading at a faster pace across the United States, exacerbating the country's ongoing health crisis that results from the still-ravaging COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. government has declared monkeypox a public health emergency, and several states have also made their own emergency declarations over the virus, hence more tests and vaccines to be ensured. (Xinhua) People wait in line to receive the monkeypox vaccine at a vaccination site at Eugene A. Obregon Park in Los Angeles, California, the United States, Aug. 6, 2022. During the past days, monkeypox has been spreading at a faster pace across the United States, exacerbating the country's ongoing health crisis that results from the still-ravaging COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. government has declared monkeypox a public health emergency, and several states have also made their own emergency declarations over the virus, hence more tests and vaccines to be ensured. (Xinhua) Aerial photo taken on April 7, 2021 shows the mountains shrouded by cloud and mist in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, central China's Hunan Province. (Photo by Wu Yongbing/Xinhua) CHANGSHA, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Central China's Hunan Province has progressed in achieving high-quality development over the past decade, according to a press briefing held in the provincial capital of Changsha on Friday. The province's gross domestic product jumped from 2.1 trillion yuan (about 312 billion U.S. dollars) in 2012 to 4.6 trillion yuan in 2021. The per capita disposable income of urban and rural residents in Hunan increased from 21,300 yuan and 7,400 yuan in 2012 to 44,900 yuan and 18,300 yuan in 2021, respectively. Meanwhile, 6.82 million registered poverty-stricken Hunan households emerged from poverty during the period. Hunan has also made progress in improving the quality and stability of its ecosystem, with the province's forest coverage rate reaching 59.97 percent in 2021, according to the press briefing. BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- In disregard of China's strong opposition and solemn representations, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited China's Taiwan region this week, seriously violating the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques. The move has also severely impacted on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, seriously infringed upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, gravely undermined peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sent a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for "Taiwan independence." China has voiced firm opposition and strong condemnation, vowing to take all necessary measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. All consequences arising from this shall be borne by the U.S. side and "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. Respecting each country's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity is a basic principle in international law and a basic norm governing international relations. The historical context of the Taiwan question is crystal clear, and so are the fact and status quo that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China. This historical fact and legal grounds have never changed and cannot be changed. There is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. The one-China principle is a commonly recognized basic norm governing international relations and a universal consensus of the international community, with an unshakable basis of international law. The one-China principle is the prerequisite for forging China-U.S. diplomatic ties, as well as the political foundation of China-U.S. relations. The United States has made a solemn commitment to China on the Taiwan question. The China-U.S. Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations clearly stipulates that "The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People's 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." The U.S. 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 earnestly honor its political commitments to China. Since Pelosi is a leader of the U.S. Congress, her visit to Taiwan, in whatever form and for whatever reason, is a major political provocation as it upgrades U.S. official exchanges with Taiwan, causing severe damage to peace across the strait, China-U.S. relations and international order. The Taiwan question is the most important and most sensitive issue at the very heart of China-U.S. relations. However, for quite some time, what the United States did was totally different from what it said it would do on the Taiwan question. Attempting to use Taiwan to contain China, the United States constantly distorts, obscures and hollows out the one-China principle, steps up its official exchanges with Taiwan, and emboldens separatist activities seeking "Taiwan independence." The U.S. side has claimed that it adheres to its one-China policy, does not support "Taiwan independence," does not want conflict and confrontation with China, and hopes for peace across the Taiwan Strait. On the other hand, it uses Taiwan as a tool to contain China and places its unilaterally-concocted "Taiwan Relations Act" and Six Assurances above the three China-U.S. joint communiques. The United States intensifies its military collusion with Taiwan, and continues arms sales to Taiwan to support Taiwan's attempt of "resisting reunification by the use of force." The gross interference in China's internal affairs tramples on the international law and basic norms governing international relations. The Taiwan Strait is facing a new round of tensions and severe challenges, and the fundamental cause is repeated moves by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities and the United States to change the status quo and make trouble. The DPP refuses to recognize the 1992 Consensus, goes all out to push forward "de-sinicization", promotes "incremental independence," and becomes even more utterly brazen in the provocative attempt to seek "independence." The U.S. collusion with Taiwan gravely infringes on China's core interests and increases tensions across the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese government has taken decisive, forceful, reasonable and necessary counter-measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests. These acts of justice will definitely win broad understanding and firm support from the international community. History has shown that when the one-China principle is fully recognized and earnestly followed, there would be tranquility and peaceful development across the Taiwan Strait. When the one-China principle is wantonly challenged or even undermined, there would be dark clouds or even violent storms across the strait. The more unequivocal the commitment to uphold the one-China principle is and the more forceful measures are taken to contain separatist forces, the more likely it is to ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and the more likely it is that peace and prosperity in the region will be guaranteed. The position of the Chinese government and people on the Taiwan question is consistent. Their firm will of resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity cannot be defied, and the historical trend cannot be reversed. The U.S. side must fully understand the facts and status quo that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China. It must take credible actions to observe strictly the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques. The U.S. side should stop meddling with Taiwan affairs and interfering in China's internal affairs, and stop supporting and conniving at "Taiwan independence" separatist forces in any form. Otherwise, the United States will only reap the bitter fruits of what it has sown and be spurned by the international community. The Chinese people's affairs should be decided by the Chinese people. The Taiwan question is a matter of China's internal affairs, which concerns China's core interests and the dignity of the Chinese people and brooks no external interference. No one should underestimate the strong resolve, will and ability of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. China must be and will surely be reunified. No matter what actions the anti-China forces in the United States take, the historical and legal facts that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China will not be changed, and the historical process of China's reunification will not be stopped. Any dirty trick that goes against the historical trend, aims to make an issue out of the Taiwan question and undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity is doomed to fail. by Sanaa Kamal GAZA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Inside his small workshop in Gaza, hearing impaired Fakher Hamad spends hours tinkering recycled scrap metals into delicate sculptures and furniture of all sizes. Mini sculptures of motorbikes, snakes, scorpions, and dolls, as well as life-size carriages, are among the creations Hamad took pride in. "I came up with the idea a year ago when the heavy fighting between Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza brought many buildings to rubbles," the 35-year-old man told Xinhua, with his assistant translating the sign language. Fearing that the unattended scrap metals would injure those children playing outdoor and contaminate the environment, he began to recycle and repurpose them into metal artworks. "I collected the waste metal from my destructed place at first, and I realized that I can produce a motorbike just in four hours," the man recalled. The young blacksmith said in the beginning he was working with his brother only, but as they started to make a name in the profession, people are coming with all sorts of scrap metals from their damaged houses. Now he hires seven workers at a salary of about 250 U.S. dollars, and the workshop still lacked enough metal slotting machines and cutting or welding tools, he said. "Some people think that we can't make it big, but this business helps us keep our families afloat." His brother Khamis Hamad told Xinhua that they are proud of their craftsmanship since it encourages the locals to focus on the bright side of life in whatever conditions. Mohammed al-Helo, a local customer, told Xinhua that "Fakher can make anything you asked for, even if you would like to make a small figurine of yourself." While Faker aspired to participate in exhibitions abroad for potential sponsorship, al-Helo said local authorities should consider supporting their creative projects. In Gaza, there are about 49,000 persons with disabilities, or 2.4 percent of the total population, according to official statistics. "The real disability is not in the body, but it exists in the mind," said Fakher, adding "people with disabilities are able to live their lives, and be creative in their professional fields as well." People mourn their relative killed in an Israeli airstrike, at a hospital in Gaza City, on Aug. 5, 2022. At least 10 Palestinians, including a child and an armed group commander, were killed and 55 injured on Friday in Israeli airstrikes on military targets of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), an Islamist organization active in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) GAZA/JERUSALEM, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 Palestinians, including a child and an armed group commander, were killed and 55 injured on Friday in Israeli airstrikes on military targets of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), an Islamist organization active in the Gaza Strip. A 5-year-old girl and Tayseer al-Jabari, commander of the PIJ armed wing Al-Quds Brigades, as well as his three aides were killed in the heavy Israeli air raid on a residential apartment in the Palestinian Tower in central Gaza that houses media offices, according to eyewitnesses, the PIJ, and the Palestinian health ministry. At least six of the injured were in critical condition, the health ministry said in a statement. The Israeli airstrikes, dubbed the Breaking Dawn operation, targeted "10 terrorist operatives" of the PIJ in Gaza, to "eliminate the threat to the citizens of Israel," according to the Israeli military. Security sources in Gaza said Israeli airstrikes targeted military lookout posts and a motorcycle in northern and southern Gaza. The Palestinian health ministry has announced emergency readiness across all local hospitals and ambulances stations. The heightened tension came after Israeli forces arrested a senior official of the PIJ in the West Bank city of Jenin on Monday. The PIJ vowed to take revenge, prompting the Israeli military to raise its alert along the border with Gaza. Late on Friday, the Israeli military announced that up to 25,000 reservists will be called up to the border with Gaza in case of rocket firing from the Palestinian enclave, adding the country's Iron Dome defense system has intercepted rockets fired from Gaza into Israel in the evening. The PIJ said they fired more than 100 rockets toward southern and central Israeli towns in the evening after the Israeli airstrikes. "The Israeli enemy is the one who started the escalation against the resistance in Gaza, and committed a new crime. It must pay the price and bear full responsibility for it," said Fawzi Barhoum, spokesman of Gaza's ruling faction Hamas. Meanwhile, the PIJ spokesman Daoud Shehab told Xinhua that just before the Israeli raid, Egypt was contacting the movement for a possible meeting between the two sides on Sunday "to break up the crisis." "But what happened today is a message of disdain for the mediators," Shehab said. An Egyptian official told a local TV that Egypt is conducting intensive communications with the Palestinian and the Israeli sides to end the ongoing escalation in Gaza and to contain the situation, according to official Ahram online news website. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party said in a statement that the Israeli bombing of Gaza and the targeting and intimidation of defenseless civilians "is a new crime added to the crimes" committed by Israel against the Palestinian people. Munther al-Hayek, Fatah spokesman in Gaza, called on the international community and mediators (Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations) to intervene immediately to prevent Israel from "committing massacres" against the Palestinians in Gaza. Mourners carry the body of Tayseer Al-Jabari, the commander of the PIJ armed wing Al-Quds Brigades, during his funeral in Gaza City, on Aug. 5, 2022. At least 10 Palestinians, including a child and an armed group commander, were killed and 55 injured on Friday in Israeli airstrikes on military targets of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), an Islamist organization active in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Smoke rises following an Israel airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Aug. 5, 2022. At least 10 Palestinians, including a child and an armed group commander, were killed and 55 injured on Friday in Israeli airstrikes on military targets of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), an Islamist organization active in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) Fire and smoke are seen during an Israel airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Aug. 5, 2022. At least 10 Palestinians, including a child and an armed group commander, were killed and 55 injured on Friday in Israeli airstrikes on military targets of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), an Islamist organization active in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) GENEVA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on Thursday affirms its "observance of the guidance incorporated in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758." In a note to the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland, ITU said it affirms its observance of the guidance incorporated in the UNGA Resolution 2758 on the restoration of the lawful rights of the PRC in the United Nations. ITU also affirms its compliance with Resolution 693 of ITU Administrative Council on the representation of China in ITU. The UNGA adopted Resolution 2758 in 1971, which decides to restore the lawful rights of the PRC in the United Nations and to recognize the representatives of the PRC government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations. In May 1972, ITU adopted Resolution 693, restoring the legal seat of the PRC. JERUSALEM, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Friday threatened further military action against the Gaza Strip following airstrikes on the Palestinian enclave earlier in the day. The airstrikes, declared as the Breaking Dawn operation, were launched against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), an Islamist organization active in Gaza, to "eliminate" what the Israeli military called "the threat to the citizens of Israel." At least eight people, including Taysir al-Jabari, a commander of the armed wing of Jihad, were killed and 44 others injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and the PIJ. "The government of Israel will not allow terrorist organizations to set the tone ... and threaten the citizens of Israel," said a joint statement from Lapid and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz after the airstrikes. The heightened tension came after Israeli forces arrested a senior official of the PIJ in the West Bank city of Jenin on Monday. The PIJ then vowed to take revenge, prompting the Israeli military to raise its alert along the southern border with Gaza. Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman, said in a video briefing that the operation was "a pre-emptive attack ... and we have not finished yet." Immediately after the airstrikes, the Israeli military declared "special situation" on the home front, calling on citizens in areas near the Gaza Strip not to stay away from bomb shelters, in case of retaliatory rocket firing. The Israeli military warned people within 80 km from the Gazan border to get prepared, meaning central Israel could also be the target of firing from Gaza. It also said reserve forces would be mobilized to the border with Gaza in the coming hours. MOGADISHU, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least two Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers were killed and three others wounded in a attack on Friday by al-Shabab militants on a military base in Hiran region, central Somalia. A SNA commander told the state-owned national television that the militants wanted to attack the military base in Kalebeyr with a truck loaded with explosives but were repulsed. "Two soldiers who had stopped the vehicle at the checkpoint were killed and three others were wounded," the military official told the broadcaster. The military official did not however state the number of casualties on the al-Shabab side. The al-Shabab group still controls some parts of rural southern and central Somalia and continues to carry out high-profile attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere. However, the government and allied forces have intensified military operations into territory formerly controlled by the al-Shabab after driving the insurgents out of Mogadishu in 2011. BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng on Thursday summoned Jim Nickel, charge d'affaires of the Canadian embassy in China, to lodge solemn representations and strong protest over the negative Taiwan-related statement issued by the G7 foreign ministers and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. China sternly condemns the G7 statement that confounds right and wrong, Xie said, adding that Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan gravely violated the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, severely impacted the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, seriously infringed upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and seriously undermined peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The U.S. side has repeatedly challenged China's bottom line, undermined China's core interests, and escalated tensions, Xie said, adding that the United States is single-handedly responsible for the current situation and should bear the full responsibility. The U.S. side initiated the provocations, while China was compelled to act in self-defense, which is legal and reasonable, Xie said, noting that instead of holding the United States accountable, the G7 has asked the Chinese side to exercise restraint. "This is flagrant logic of robbers," he said. Xie said the G7 wantonly violated the international law and basic norms governing international relations centered on respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity, and blatantly violated the one-China principle confirmed in UNGA Resolution 2758, committed by 181 countries and widely observed by the international community. China is determined to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity and thwart foreign interferences in China's internal affairs, Xie said, adding that all attempts to connive at or support the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces are doomed to fail. Noting that more than 100 countries and international organizations have reiterated their support for the one-China principle, the vice foreign minister said G7 is in no position to represent the international community, and should not stand against the 1.4 billion Chinese people, the vast majority of countries in the world and international justice. China urges Canada to immediately correct its mistakes, respect the facts, stop engaging in bloc confrontation and cease wrong deeds on the Taiwan question, otherwise, all consequences will be borne by the Canadian side, Xie said. JUBA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's parties to the unity government on Thursday extended the transitional period by two years. President Salva Kiir said his regime is not extending the transitional period to stay in office but to prepare the country for an election and peaceful transition of power. "We have decided to prepare the soil over the next 24 months to plant the seeds for the South Sudan election with a unified army, visionary constitutions, and firm understanding of our country upon which to build a government that can complete the war on poverty, ignorance, and hopelessness," Kiir said in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. The South Sudanese leader was speaking after signing a roadmap to the conduct of election and extension of the transitional period of the government for 24 months. Kiir signed on behalf of the ruling party - Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army- In Government (SPLM-IG), First Vice-President Riek Machar signed on behalf of Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army-In Opposition (SPLM-IO), while Gabriel Changson Chang signed for the opposition coalition - South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) The president called on holdout groups who are not signatories to the peace pact to join the peace process to bring a peaceful transition to the country. Machar said the extension of the transitional period is for the agreement to be genuinely implemented as the implementation of the agreement is lagging. He called on President Kiir to provide free political space for the citizens to bring a level ground for the parties to compete in elections. "I have not been invited to go for a rally and the reason is people are afraid to hold political rallies, you cannot transform, political parties cannot survive if there is no political space," Machar said. South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 following a political dispute between Kiir and his then deputy Machar, leading soldiers loyal to the respective leaders to fight. The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 2 million people both internally and externally. NAIROBI, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) on Thursday launched a joint election observer mission to observe general elections in Kenya on Aug. 9. Ernest Bai Koroma, the head of the Joint Election Observer Mission to the 2022 Kenya General Elections told journalists in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that the mission comprises 90 observers drawn from governments, member states, the pan African parliament, the civil society organizations as well as election management bodies in Africa. "The mission will demonstrate the two organizations' joint efforts to promote peaceful, free, fair, transparent, and credible elections that will strengthen Kenya's democratic process," said Koroma who is also the former President of Sierra Leone. According to the joint mission, a team of short-term observers will be deployed to various electoral areas of the country on Sunday. Koroma noted that the mandate of the joint AU-COMESA mission is to provide an impartial and independent assessment of Kenya's electoral process in accordance with the provisions of the international standards and principles to which the two organizations have committed to. He revealed that the objectives of the mission are to assess the conduct of the elections to promote democracy and democratic elections in Africa in line with their overall vision of a peaceful, prosperous, and integrated Africa. Marie-Pierre Lloyd, who is the deputy leader of the joint mission said that the launch of the observer mission demonstrates the importance of Kenya's general elections which is recognized by COMESA and the AU, and the broader international community. The August election is set to be contested between two major political alliances -- Kenya Kwanza headed by Deputy President William Ruto and Azimio la Umoja which is led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga with backing from President Uhuru Kenyatta. GOMA, DRC, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Local authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), accompanied by family members, on Friday buried the victims who died during the recent protests against the United Nations stabilization mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) in Goma, capital of the northeastern North Kivu province. A total of 13 bodies were buried in the main cemetery in Goma after a funeral ceremony organized by the military authorities of the province at the request of the central government in Kinshasa, the capital of DRC. Thousands of people, mainly the victims' relatives, took part in the ceremony. According to the central government, at least 36 people have been killed across the region during the recent protests against MONUSCO, deemed ineffective against local armed groups, since last week. 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 last Sunday after the UN troops opened fire and killed several civilians in the town of Kasindi on the border with Uganda. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed outrage at Sunday's incident and apologized to the Congolese president, saying the UN 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. The DRC authorities have announced an investigation jointly with the UN mission to establish the responsibility for the deaths during these demonstrations across the towns since the beginning of the demonstrations. The Congolese government announced earlier this week to reassess the agreement on the withdrawal of the MONUSCO amid escalating protests against the MONUSCO in the eastern part of the country. PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Thursday that China is ready to work with New Zealand to push forward their comprehensive strategic partnership to yield more fruits. During a meeting with New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta on the sidelines of meetings of foreign ministers on East Asia cooperation, Wang said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries 50 years ago, bilateral relations have progressed in a sound and stable manner and great achievements have been scored, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, both sides have adhered to a long-term and strategic perspective to promote China-New Zealand relations at the forefront of China's relations with developed countries, Wang said. He noted that China appreciates New Zealand for pursuing a pragmatic policy toward China, and regards it a partner for common development and prosperity. China is willing to work with New Zealand to respect each other's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as each other's core interests and major concerns, so as to advance China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership to achieve more results, Wang said. Wang elaborated on China's solemn position on the Taiwan question, stressing it is the U.S. side that stoked provocation, undermined peace and created crises in the first place. China's response is reasonable and legitimate, and China will firmly safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, uphold international law, and maintain regional peace and stability. For her part, Mahuta said New Zealand and China are comprehensive strategic partners, with mature bilateral relations as well as strong economic and people-to-people ties. New Zealand is willing to continue strengthening effective cooperation with China in such various fields as economy and trade, agriculture, education, science and technology, climate change and environmental protection, Mahuta said, welcoming both sides to increase the frequency of direct flights and facilitate people-to-people exchanges. New Zealand continues to adhere to the one-China policy, respects China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and advocates upholding the basic norms of international relations, jointly addressing global challenges, and working together to maintain regional peace and stability, Mahuta said. She said New Zealand has noticed that China's exchanges with South Pacific Island countries are nothing new, hoping that China will continue strengthening cooperation with the island countries through the Pacific Islands Forum. New Zealand and China have different views on some issues, but both sides can maintain candid communication, Mahuta added. Noting that China has always held friendly dialogue and communication with other countries on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect, Wang said China is willing to enhance mutual trust with New Zealand, and hopes and believes New Zealand can well handle bilateral relations in a rational and wise manner. Wang said the exchanges between China and South Pacific Island countries have lasted for half a century, with bilateral cooperation covering a wide range of fields. He added that China always respects the sovereignty and needs of the island countries, and adheres to the principle of "island countries-led and island countries-owned." China advocates open regionalism, objects zero-sum games, and proposes win-win cooperation, he said, adding that China stands ready to work with New Zealand and other countries to carry out tripartite or multilateral cooperation in the region, so as to achieve complementary advantages and create synergies. YANGON, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- A total of 12 people were injured on Thursday evening when a 22-wheeled lorry hit a passenger bus in southeastern Myanmar's Kayin state. The accident occurred on an Asian Highway at 4:15 p.m. local time, involving a passenger bus carrying Myanmar workers heading for Thailand, according to U Hla Shwe, head of the White Pearl Rescue Organization. "The bus driver and a passenger on board were critically injured, and they were being sent to Hpa-An General Hospital," U Hla Shwe said, adding that 12 people including the bus driver out of the more than 40 people aboard the bus were injured. The other injured people were under treatment in the Kawkareik Hospital. "The 22-wheeled lorry driver fled from the scene. Most of the injured are not in critical condition. The passenger bus driver was dragged out of the car and in critical condition," a police officer from Kayin State told Xinhua. [1] Remembering August 6, 1945 For First Atomic Bombing On Hiroshima Time To Take Forward The Goal Of Prohibiting Nuclear Proliferation by Dr Arun Mitra August 4, 2022 As we approach August 6, we remember 8.15 am on that day in 1945 when the US exploded first ever nuclear weapon on human population at Hiroshima in Japan. This was followed by another attack on Nagasaki on 9th August. Over two lakh people died on these two days in these two cities. Number of people injured, rendered destitute, homeless and orphaned far exceeds this number. Effect of radiations on the generations after that is still felt. That was the time of unprecedented humanitarian crises and agony never heard of before. Dr. Marcel Junod, the new head of the ICRCs delegation in Japan was the first foreign doctor to reach Hiroshima on September 8, 1945, one month after the dropping of the atom bomb. He described that the centre of the city was a sort of white patch, flattened and smooth like the palm of a hand. Nothing remained. The slightest trace of houses seemed to have disappeared. The medical care was in shambles and rudimentary; dressings are made of coarse cloth. A few jars of medicine lying around on a shelf. The injured often have uncovered wounds and thousands of flies settle on them and buzz around. Everything is incredibly filthy. Several patients are suffering from the delayed effects of radioactivity with multiple bleedings. They need small blood transfusions at regular intervals; but there are no donors, no doctors to determine the compatibility of the blood groups; consequently, there is no treatment. Dr Junod noted the consequences of the bomb for Hiroshimas medical corps; out of 300 doctors, 270 died or were injured; out of 1,780 nurses, 1,654 perished or were injured. He made an appeal for the bomb to be banned outright, just as poison gas was outlawed in the aftermath of the First World War. Ironically the number of nuclear weapons has been increasing and it is assumed that there are nearly 17000 nuclear weapons on earth today. The number of countries which possess these weapons also increased from one to nine. These include USA, Russia, Britain, France, China, North Korea, India, Pakistan and Israel. The nuclear weapons are a real threat to not only the human population but the whole flora and fauna on earth. The very presence of these weapons is fraught with the danger of their use. The destructive power of nuclear weapons is well documented now. Ira Helfand, Co President of IPPNW in a study on Climate Consequences of Regional Nuclear War has pointed out that even a limited nuclear war between India and Pakistan using 100 Hiroshima sized nuclear weapons could put over two billion people at risk. Up to 20 million people would be killed outright as the great cities of the subcontinent would be destroyed and it would blanket much of South Asia with radioactive fallout. But the global consequences are even more alarming. This limited nuclear conflict would even affect weather patterns throughout the world. Soot and debris injected into the atmosphere from the explosions and resulting fires would block sunlight from reaching the earth, producing an average surface cooling of -1.25C that would last for several years. Even 10 years out, there would be a persistent average surface cooling of -0.5C. This would lead to crop failure and affect the size of available food stocks. If the soot injected into the atmosphere in a nuclear war caused significant ozone depletion that could cause a further major decline in actual food production. The combination of failed harvests and a collapsed distribution system would prevent essential foods from reaching the areas which require these. This scenario will affect the poor countries more and the poor people in these countries even worse. It is therefore imperative that nuclear weapons are abolished for good. As proved in Hiroshima-Nagasaki medical science has no remedy to offer in the event of a nuclear exchange. The situation is much worse now as the present-day weapons are much more deadly. It is in this background that the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the NPT RevCon has begun in New York in which 191 member countries will deliberate on the progress made in the Nuclear Non Proliferation since the treaty came in to force in 1970. The participants include five major nuclear powered countries. The deliberations are expected to include various aspects of the treaty including the obligations by the major nuclear powered countries to take steps towards nuclear abolition. Article VI of the NPT is important as according to it Each of the Parties to the Treaty undertakes to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control. The major nuclear must answer what they have done till date in the last 52 years. It is important to note that the event is taking place for the first time after the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The TPNW was passed by the UN General Assembly in 2017 with 122 votes in favour and only one vote against. The treaty has delegitimized the nuclear weapons and declared them illegal as per the international law. Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Gutteres has on the occasion said that Humanity is just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation This is genuine feeling of a person who is duty bound to keep the world united and in peaceful co-existence. Adoption of Treaty Prohibiting Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) by the UNO is a big step forward and a real hope. The treaty has been already signed by the 86 countries and ratified by 60 countries. It is time now that all states must condemn the recent threats to use nuclear weapons, the increase and modernization of nuclear arsenals, and the increased role of nuclear weapons in security doctrines. The war between Russia and Ukraine is a big threat to peace at the moment. Russia and NATO have threatened to use these weapons. It is therefore very urgent that Russia Ukraine war should stop immediately. Russian President Putins letter to the participants in the NPT RevCon as reported by Reuter that there could be no winners in nuclear war and no such war should ever be started is welcome. But he must explicitly denounce the use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances during the ongoing war with Ukraine. Tension between the US and China after the arrival of the US House speaker Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan is a worrisome issue. Some ideologues are stressing that nuclear weapons serve as deterrence. They say had Ukraine not taken the nuclear weapons off from its territory Russia wont dare to attack. So, more countries should become nuclear weapons countries. The Nobel laureates ICAN, IPPNW and several other civil society organizations are actively lobbying in New York at the NPT review conference with data of Humanitarian consequences of Nuclear War with the hope that the RevCon will have a positive outcome to convince the nuclear powered countries to join TPNW. (IPA Service) o o [2] Hiroshima Day Threat of Actual Use of Nuclear Weapons, Accidental or Intended, is Increasing Bharat Dogra This year has been extremely threatening in terms of the rise of big power rivalry and tensions. First, the escalation of the Ukraine crisis with Ukraine becoming a proxy country in the real conflict between the USA and Russia has led to tensions worsening steadily. What is most worrying is that unlike in the case of most recent wars, no credible, hope giving peace processes appears to be at work after more than five months of highly damaging war. Then more recently, tensions between the USA and China have also escalated over Taiwan which runs the risk of becoming another proxy country in big power rivalry for dominance. The most frightening aspect of the present threatening situation, which was not relevant before the start of the two world wars, is that all the three involved countries have the biggest stocks of nuclear weapons. In addition six other countries also have nuclear weapons. Eric Schlosser, a widely acclaimed writer on nuclear weapons, has spoken at length to top officials and commanders at various stages of planning and control of nuclear weapons. In addition he has close contacts with peace movements struggling for a world free from nuclear weapons. He has written that these very different persons all share a very strong and sincere desire to avoid actual use of nuclear weapons. The reason why both these sections share this strong belief is that both groups are well-informed about what actual use of nuclear weapons means. Schlosser has written, The latest studies suggest that a relatively small nuclear exchange (relative to the total number of nuclear weapons that exist in world) would have long-term effects across the globe. A war between India and Pakistan, involving a hundred atomic bombs like the kind dropped in Hiroshima, could send five million tons of dust into the atmosphere, shrink the ozone layer by as much as fifty per cent, drop worldwide temperatures to their lowest point in a thousand years, create worldwide famines and cause more than a billion casualties. While this has been written in the context of the use of 100 nuclear weapons of roughly the destructiveness of Hiroshima weapon, the total number of nuclear weapons in the world is over 13,000 and the destructive capacity of many such weapons is much higher than the bomb used on the people of Hiroshima. It is clear that apart from killing millions of people immediately, exchange of nuclear weapons can lead to unprecedented environmental catastrophe which can kill an even larger number of people while also destroying other life-forms like never before. If the nuclear weapon exchange is between two countries alone, people particularly of neighboring countries will also suffer very serious consequences without being involved in any dispute at all. Some strategists have argued that there can be a less catastrophic role for nuclear weapons in the form of tactical nuclear weapons. As not just peace movements but several independent experts have pointed out, this is a highly flawed and mistaken view. A nuclear war started with tactical weapons can easily spill into a full-blown nuclear war if the opposing side also has nuclear weapons. Secondly, use of even tactical nuclear weapons can be very destructive, even for the using country! Pakistan in particular has been keen to develop tactical nuclear weapons in recent times as it feels that this can be one way of checking and defeating an invasion by a country with superior conventional war capability and bigger economic resources. However saner scientific voices in Pakistan have warned that if Pakistan uses tactical weapons against an invading army on its land, its own military and civilian losses can be very high due to the highly destructive impacts of these weapons. In the much earlier days of the cold war the NATO had stocked a lot of tactical nuclear weapons in West Germany to check a possible Soviet invasion. A war game Carte Blanche was played out to see the possible impacts in case of a Soviet invasion. It was realized only then that German civilian deaths from the use of tactical nuclear weapons on its own land can be higher than total German civilian deaths in the Second World War! Such is the destructive power of these weapons. Moreover when tactical nuclear weapons have to be prepared for use then control has to be more dispersed and scattered. This increases the possibility that persons with fanatic or fundamentalist leanings can also gain access to this control. Hence the possibilities of terrorists gaining access to such control also increase at least to some extent. It is therefore not at all proper to be under the false impression that tactical weapons provide some form of safer nuclear weapons. Let no one create such a false impression as such a delusion can be extremely catastrophic for millions and millions of people. Let us face the reality. All evidence points to the fact that nuclear weapons should never be used. In fact even accidental use of nuclear weapons or accidents relating to nuclear weapons can be very destructive. Hence ultimately the only safe option if we care for life on earth is to give up all nuclear weapons and all weapons of mass destruction once and for all. The more you study and explore this issue, no matter which side you belong to, the only honest conclusion can be that tomorrow if not today we have to do away with nuclear weapons if we want to save life on earth; so why not make a beginning today itself. The only safe world is a world which is entirely free of nuclear weapons as well as all weapons of mass destruction. Unfortunately instead of at least moving to some extent in this direction the world has been moving in the opposite direction in recent times and this year 2022 appears so far to have been the worst in this context. Disarmament talks are lagging far behind than earlier expectations while tensions over Ukraine and Taiwan are escalating faster than ever before. Clearly this is a very dangerous situation and all peace loving forces of world should cooperate to soon move out of this dangerous situation. (The writer is Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Planet in Peril, Earth Without Borders and Protecting Earth for Children. ) TOKYO, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Japan's benchmark Nikkei stock index finished close to a two-month high on Friday as robust corporate earnings lifted investor sentiment. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 243.67 points, or 0.87 percent, from Thursday to close the day at 28,175.87, marking its highest closing level since June 9. The broader Topix index, meanwhile, added 16.44 points, or 0.85 percent, to finish at 1,947.17. Dealers here said the Nikkei closed above the psychologically important 28,000 line for the first time in almost two months, driven by solid earnings reports released a day earlier. "Japanese stocks were buoyed by the release Thursday of stronger-than-expected earnings from domestic companies, helping the Nikkei to end above the 28,000 line after a few recent unsuccessful attempts," Chihiro Ota at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. was quoted as saying. Sentiment was also buoyed by a drop in crude oil prices, which lifted hopes for lower raw material costs, along with a rise in U.S. stock futures, strategists here also said. "Investor sentiment improved on expectations of lower raw material costs for Japanese firms," Masahiro Ichikawa, chief market strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Co., was quoted as saying. Strategists here also said that investors were keenly eyeing key U.S. jobs data due out later in the day for clues as to the future direction of the U.S. Federal Reserve's aggressive monetary policy, amid continued concerns over the health of the U.S. economy. By the close of play, iron and steel, food, and metal product-linked issues comprised those that gained the most, and issues that rose outpaced those that fell by 1,359 to 418 on the Prime Market, while 61 ended the day unchanged. Technology issues followed their U.S. peers higher overnight, with Screen Holdings climbing 2.6 percent, while Tokyo Electron gained 2.8 percent. Advantest, meanwhile, leapt 3.1 percent by the close. Nikkei heavyweight Fast Retailing, owner of the Uniqlo clothing store chain, helped lift the broader market, rising 1.3 percent. Kikkoman Corp. and Nippon Steel surged 9.2 percent and 8.3 percent respectively, and were among the Nikkei's top performers after reporting solid earnings and profits that beat market expectations. Konami Group Corp. weighed on the market, however, and was the Nikkei's biggest loser, dropping 3.9 percent, after reporting disappointing profits. On the Prime Market on Friday, 1,212.46 million shares changed hands, dropping from Thursday's volume of 1,295.40 million shares. The turnover on the final trading day of the year came to 2,871.66 billion yen (21.55 billion U.S. dollars). Enditem. NEW DELHI, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Lumpy skin disease outbreak has hit two western Indian states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, officials said Friday. According to animal husbandry department officials in Rajasthan, the disease has spread to 16 districts and has infected the cattle, especially cows. Some buffaloes are also found to be infected. "More than 5,800 cattle have died so far in the state due to this disease. According to the data released by the animal husbandry department, more than 120,000 cattle mostly cows have been infected so far," India's state-run broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) said Friday. Cases of lumpy skin disease have been reported in large numbers from Jodhpur, Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Pali, and Nagaur. Sirohi and Bikaner districts. A federal government team from Bhopal has collected dozens of samples from five cow shelters in highly affected Nagaur districts. "Special teams have been deployed for the survey and treatment of the cattle," local government minister for animal husbandry Lal Chand Kataria told media after taking stock of the situation in a high-level meeting. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has urged the federal government to provide financial and necessary assistance to tackle the outbreak. In the wake of the infection, the government is considering banning cattle movement from other states and is contemplating to impose restrictions or cancel the upcoming animal fairs. Lumpy skin disease is a viral disease that spreads through blood-feeding insects like certain species of flies, mosquitos or ticks and through contaminated food and water. The disease causes acute fever, discharge from the eyes and nose, salivation, soft blister-like nodules all over the body and difficulty in eating. The disease is marked by a reduction in milk yield and leads to the animal's death. In Gujarat over 1,800 heads of cattle have been killed and nearly 70,000 cows have been affected due to lumpy skin disease across 20 districts. Reports said the state has reported a drop in milk production by around 50,000 litres a day because of the disease. BERLIN, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- The congestion of container ships off German ports at the North Sea worsened, affecting the European Union's (EU's) trade with Asia, the German Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel) said on Friday. As a result, cargo volumes in the Red Sea, the main trade route between the EU and Asia, were currently 21 percent lower "than would be expected under normal circumstances," IfW Kiel said. "The gap is largely due to failing cargo from Europe to Asia." Two dozen container ships were waiting for clearance at the ports of Hamburg or Bremerhaven for up to three weeks now, according to IfW Kiel. "Currently, the high dwell time of containers in particular is slowing down handling operations," a spokesperson for HHLA, a terminal operator at Hamburg's port, told Xinhua on Friday. The situation would be improved with various measures, such as the leasing of additional space for container storage. Global trade decreased 1.7 percent in July compared with the previous month, according to IfW Kiel. Exports and imports in the EU declined by 2.1 percent, respectively. "There is no threat of a crash in trade, but a trend reversal to the upside and a normalization of supply processes are not likely to occur any time soon either," said Vincent Stamer, head of the Kiel Trade Indicator. Besides, since June, port workers in northern Germany had paralyzed container shipping in several strike actions, most recently three weeks ago for two days at a time. No agreement has yet been reached in the wage negotiations. The congestion of ships "is not exclusively due to the strikes by port workers," IfW economist Stamer said back in July. "However, both strikes and capacity constraints at ports have exacerbated the situation." ANKARA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Three ships loaded with grain and other food supplies that have been waiting in Ukrainian ports are scheduled to set sail on Friday, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported on Thursday, quoting Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar. Akar spoke on the phone separately with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov on Thursday to discuss the export of grain from Ukraine. The first grain-laden cargo ship leaving the Ukrainian port under a UN-brokered deal anchored off Istanbul on the Black Sea and was inspected by a team of representatives from the recently established Joint Coordination Center (JCC) on Wednesday. The Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni left Odesa early on Monday with 26,527 tons of corn and sailed for Lebanon after the inspection was completed on Wednesday. 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. The deal aims to allow safe passage for ships carrying grain to world markets amid concerns about food shortages due to the prolonged crisis in Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine are major global wheat suppliers. KIEV, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- The first caravan of ships carrying grain left Ukraine's Black Sea ports on Friday under a landmark deal to prevent a global food crisis, Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said. "Three bulk carriers NAVI STAR, ROJEN and POLARNET carry 57,000 tons of Ukrainian corn destined for Turkiye, Great Britain and Ireland," Kubrakov wrote on Facebook. Three Ukrainian ports, namely Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny, could export about 3 million tons of grain per month, Kubrakov said, adding that Ukraine could also import agricultural goods via the Black Sea. According to government plan, the three ports may soon handle more than 100 vessels per month, Kubrakov said. On July 22, Ukraine and Russia separately signed a deal with Turkiye and the United Nations in Istanbul to resume food and fertilizer shipments from Ukrainian ports to international markets via the Black Sea. On Aug. 1, the first cargo vessel carrying grain left the Ukrainian port of Odesa for the port of Tripoli in Lebanon. MOSCOW, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Russia declared 14 Bulgarian diplomats "personae non gratae" on Friday in response to Bulgaria's expulsion of 70 Russian diplomats and other measures against Russia's foreign missions. Bulgarian Ambassador to Russia Atanas Krastin was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry and informed of Moscow's decision to expel 14 employees of the Bulgarian Embassy and consular offices, the ministry said in a statement. In June, Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov announced that his country would expel 70 Russian diplomats, alleging that they worked against Bulgaria's interests. The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs later capped the number of staff at the Russian missions in Bulgaria at no more than 23 diplomats and 25 administrative and technical staff, equivalent to the then number of staff at the Bulgarian missions in Russia. LONDON, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. seeking to keep its position as the world's hegemonic power by trying to divide the world is "a strategy that is very dangerous and misguided," world-renowned academic Jeffrey Sachs has said. The world already faces a series of major and destabilizing crises, one of which is the Ukraine crisis. It is the U.S. arrogance that blocked negotiations in 2021 between the United States and Russia that could have avoided the crisis, Sachs, a professor from America's Columbia University, said in a video interview with Xinhua on Tuesday. "We need peace and diplomacy, not provocation. I hope that the U.S. government reconsiders its dangerous and misguided foreign policy," added Sachs, who wrote about the need for a change of U.S. foreign policy in a book entitled A New Foreign Policy: Beyond American Exceptionalism. "I want the U.S. to have a foreign policy based on the UN Charter. I want all of global economic diplomacy to be based on the ideas of sustainable development and the Paris Climate Agreement, that is finding the ways to decent lives for people in all parts of the world," he said. From 2001-2018, Sachs served as special advisor to the UN secretary general, for Kofi Annan, Ban Ki-moon and Antonio Guterres. He was twice named among Time magazine's 100 most influential world leaders and was described by The New York Times as "probably the most important economist in the world." In recent years, the United States has been escalating its containment of China through what Sachs sees as unilateral and provocative actions that are dangerously raising tensions between the United States and China. "The goal of the United States is to weaken China and to mobilize an alliance against China. This is a huge mistake and very dangerous," he said. Sachs said the pragmatic approach he favors would not be a position of politicians in one country telling another country how to operate domestically, or to say that there is one political system. Instead, a common set of objectives and standards and obligations under the UN Charter, should be supported. "We need a world of peace, in which war is not used as state policy, and a world in which all countries abide by the UN Charter," he said, stressing, "We need cooperation first and foremost." "We have a lot of things to do on this planet to make our global governance work better, to make the planet safer, to address major ills like pandemics or human-induced climate change. And that can't be done by one side dictating the answers to another," Sachs added. KIEV, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine is aiming to start exporting its grain from the sea ports in the southern Mykolayiv region, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported on Friday, citing a regional official. Vitaliy Kim, the head of the Mykolaiv regional military administration, was quoted as saying that the issue regarding the prospects to unblock the Mykolaiv ports is due to be resolved within a month. According to Ukraine's Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Mykola Solskyi, Ukraine needs to supply abroad about 5 million tons of grain per month within the next 12 months to export crops from last year's and this year's harvests. On July 22, Ukraine and Russia separately signed a deal with Turkiye and the United Nations in Istanbul to resume food and fertilizer shipments from Ukrainian ports to international markets via the Black Sea. Since then, four ships totally carrying 83,000 tons of grain have left Ukrainian ports. Islamabad: Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif visited Saudi Arabia with his delegation in April this year. During this time, some Pakistani nationals misbehaved with the PM and his delegation. These people had raised derogatory slogans against the PM. Now, the six Pakistani nationals have been convicted for violating the sanctity of Medina's Masjid-e-Nabavi. Let us know that as soon as PM Shehbaz Sharif and the people of his delegation reached the Mosque-Nabavi in Medina, the Pakistani nationals who were already there started shouting slogans. After which they were arrested. According to media reports, officials with knowledge of the development said that a court in Medina has sentenced three Pakistani nationals Anas, Irshad, and Muhammad Salim to 10 years in jail, while three others Khwaja Lukman, Muhammad Afzal and Ghulam Muhammad have been sentenced to eight years in jail. Along with this, a fine of 20,000-20,000 Saudi riyals has also been imposed on these convicts and their mobile phones have been seized. Let us know that Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif visited Saudi Arabia for three days in April this year. It is alleged that during this time, the protesters belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party had violated the sanctity of Masjid-e-Navbi in Medina. China Furiously fires missiles over Taiwan in drills after Pelosi visit Italy raises 17-bln-euro aid package to combat inflation, drought UN Sec-Council welcomes renewal of Yemen truce OTTACA: The Defence Minister of Canada Anita Anand said that her nation has approved the deployment of up to 225 members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to train fresh Ukrainian recruits. The armed force will send personnel to the UK as part of Operation UNIFIER, Canada's military training and capacity-building mission in Ukraine, the Minister announced in a statement. She also said that for their initial deployment, which will last about four months, the majority of them will serve as trainers. Around 90 soldiers from the first of perhaps three training batches are slated to leave on August 12 and start teaching classes the next few weeks, according to Anand. According to the statement, the first Canadian-led courses will be conducted at a military installation in South East England and will cover a variety of topics like weapon handling, battlefield first aid, fieldcraft, patrol tactics, and the Law of Armed Conflict. The Ukrainian government requested the commencement of Operation UNIFIER in 2015, and it was early this year expanded and given a new deadline of March 2025. Over 33,000 Ukrainian military and security personnel have received advanced military training and warfare tactics since the operation began. Russia launches major offensive in Donetsk, claims Ukraine Tibet issue raised with Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan visit China Furiously fires missiles over Taiwan in drills after Pelosi visit Pakistan India Peoples Forum for Peace & Democracy Press Statement Released on the 5th of August 2022, New Delhi The Indian parliament passed the J&K Re-organisation Act on August 5, 2019, de-operationalising Article 370, ending Jammu & Kashmirs special status and partitioning the erstwhile state into two Union Territories of Ladakh and J&K. Soon after, Jammu & Kashmirs political and geographical status was changed by imposing massive restrictions on the people of Jammu & Kashmir with several months under Section 144 of CrPC, curfew-like situation and enhanced militarization, besides slapping the worlds most stringent and longest communication shut down. The Indian prime minister Narendra Modi justified the actions in the name of ending corruption and terrorism as also ushering in a new era of development, democracy, peace and equality. Three years since it is important to assess whether the Indian government has been able to meet the tall claims it made. Last month, Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, claimed that the J&K administration has been able to achieve a decisive upper hand over terrorism. However, the claims made are far from the ground reality in Kashmir, which appears to be tucked away beneath a veneer of silence and the propaganda of normalcy being created by the government and its loyalist media. In reality, the former state of Jammu & Kashmir has become a more complex disputed conflict than before Aug 5th, 2019. Normalcy is being claimed on the basis of the number of militants killed in the last three years. According to latest official data, since January 2019, at least 690 militants have been killed across J&K. During the same period, records show, 149 security personnel and 57 J&K Police personnel lost their lives. At present, police records state that 129 active militants are present in the region. Statistical data on militancy and terrorism is neither indicative of any major change, nor does it take into account the new patterns of militancy related violence or the modus operandi of militant groups. This statistical data does not take into account the increased incidents of militancy spreading from South Kashmir to other districts of Kashmir Valley and also to Chenab Valley and Rajouri-Poonch, where militancy had almost fully disappeared in the decade of 2000s. It also does not take into account the rising cases of casualties of ordinary civilians including minority community members and non-J&K residents since 2019. It is pertinent to point out that after 1991, barring four infamous massacres, killings of minority community members in the Kashmir Valley were rare. According to latest media reports, 24 civilians including 6 minority community members have been killed by armed militia in 2022 till July end. Media reports also pointed out that security officers are worried that tackling the new wave of militancy is becoming difficult in view of the fact that it is faceless, leaderless and is attracting a large section of the young and vulnerable youth, many of them in their teens. They are difficult to be tracked and the arms availability a cause of great worry. A report in the Business Standard also pointed out to the new trend of Islamic State, for the first time, claiming responsibility for an act of arson. The present escalation in militancy is alarming and has led to an increasing sense of insecurity and fear - both among the minorities and the majority, who face the dual wrath of the armed militants and the state security agencies. The random arrests, routine crackdowns, raids by security forces and the NIA, slapping of anti-terror laws against civilians including academics, lawyers, businessmen, media persons and social activists with little or no juridical remedies, have further added to the vulnerability of the common people. Journalists like Aasif Sultan, Sajad Gul, and Editor of news portal Kashmir Walla, Fahad Shah, continue to be incarcerated under the draconian provisions of the Public Safety Act even after they were granted bail by the courts. Noted human rights defender, Khurram Parvez, who has tirelessly worked in the last two decades, raising his voice against human rights violations from all sides and for strengthening inter-community relations, is imprisoned in Delhis Tihar jail on fabricated charges of terror funding. The civilians also face excesses in the form of daily instances of curfews, restrictions on movement, massive security drills, repeated internet and mobile phone shutdowns that impact their daily lives, their professional careers, business, economy, education and access to health-care. Though tourism in 2022 has touched a new high, Kashmir Valley through the last three decades of strife has witnessed similar tourism rush off and on. Going by those inconsistencies and read along with the post-pandemic surge in peoples travel, tourism is not a considerable indicator of peace in the region. The local economy has been adversely impacted by the seismic level alterations to land and development-related laws that have reversed the gains of the land reforms and agrarian reforms of the 1950s and 70s respectively - which protected the individuals right to their land holdings. The bid to woo investments by big business houses including in real estate has edged out the local investors, who are unable to compete. Power generation projects owned by J&K government, minor minerals and precious mineral mines have been nationalised and transferred to central pool controlled by the Central government facilitating easy transfer of rights to non-J&K residents. New taxes include property taxes on rural and urban properties besides re-imposition of irrigation taxes are aimed at dis-empowering the people of J&K. Besides huge tracts of state land and forest lands, apart from allowing conversion of agricultural lands, are being offered to big business lobbies from outside and states institutions at throw away prices, thus depriving locals of their resources and their land holdings, often with deleterious impact on the environment in this fragile Himalayan region. Unfortunately, but deliberately so, these daily realities rarely make it to the public domain because all voices have been choked. Anyone, including media persons, or socio-political activists or lawyers, critical of the Indian Governments policies and actions, are targeted, intimidated and even jailed for raising their voices. The media has been virtually silenced by choking the revenue of local newspapers writing critically, issuing police summons to journalists reporting fairly and professionally, by eliminating all spaces of solidarity like the shutting down of the Kashmir Press Club in January 2022, and by introducing a draconian Media Policy in 2022, which empowers an official to arbitrarily decide what is anti-national or fake news. Politically, the state has been demoted to a union territory, no elections have been held and a delimitation of assembly constituencies has been done in a way that overlooks public convenience, demography, and geography but offers a clear advantage to BJP. All opposition voices have been silenced with states institutions like Enforcement Directorate and Anti-Corruption Bureau framing cases against political leaders and others who dare to speak out. The fact remains that Indian Government is administering Jammu & Kashmir as an occupied territory, where democracy and elections have become collateral damage. While the entire situation defies the claims of normalcy being made and are in contravention of Indian democracy and international humanitarian laws, a serious crisis is emerging with excessive levels of frustration and desperation pushing young men towards the gun and religious radicalization. This, in consonance with the external factors, of the worsening situation - both the western (India-Pakistan borders and the continuing ceasefire violations) and the northern frontiers (Chinese incursions into Ladakh) of the country warn us of the impending dangers to the security and peace of not just Jammu and Kashmir but entire South Asia. In light of these facts, it is important that the Indian government undertakes a course correction by doing some serious (and honest) introspection about the negative impacts of its actions on the people, the ecology and the socio-cultural fabric of the region. Denial of the conflict and crisis will no longer help in negating the reality of the aggravation of the problem. PIPFPD Demands the Indian Government to: 1. End the regime of detention and incarceration of socio-political activists. We demand an immediate release of all political prisoners 2. Immediately stop the land grab unleashed on J&K by Indian government ranging from the Srinagar Master Plan, the new land policy, the declaration of strategic areas and the mining bids being given away to non-locals. 3. Stop using the media and journalists as buffer in the conflict zone and allow free media. Indian government must stop terrorising the journalists and media houses. Put an end to all efforts at shutting down Kashmiri media houses, and taking over of press institutions 4. Restore statehood of Jammu & Kashmir 5. Immediately re-start political negotiations with J&K based political parties and groups and hold elections 6. Resume diplomatic dialogue with Pakistan, including on Kashmir issue, with a view to finding solutions and empowering peace over war 7. Stop terrorising civil society and human rights defenders of Jammu & Kashmir 8. Allow people-to-people dialogue to take place between the people of Kashmir on both sides. Issuing visas for divided families and people is an important step towards empowering people 9. Re-open the trade routes through Jammu & Kashmir, to save the local economy of J&K from a complete collapse 10. Allow free and effective functioning of all educational institutions end occupation of educational spaces by the security forces 11. End the misuse of draconian, anti-democratic legislations like PSA and UAPA in J&K 12. Allow healthcare professionals, including doctors and nurses to do their job, without being terrorised by armed forces 13. Allow the courts to address the serious constitutional and fundamental rights questions raised before the Supreme Court of India and other courts in J&K. Issued by PIPFPD Secretariat # +91-9868165471 pipfpd.india[atgmail.com Twitter: @pipfpdindia Nepal's Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that amidst rising tension between China and Taiwan after the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Nepal's Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka is visiting China from August 9-11, Dr. Khadka will be in China from August 9 to August 11 at the invitation of Wang Yi, a member of the Chinese State Council and the Foreign Minister. On August 10 in Qingdao, China, the two Ministers will lead their respective delegations in bilateral discussions. According to the announcement, Wang will hold a banquet in honour of Khadka and the delegation members. Days prior to the visit, Hou Yanqi, the Chinese ambassador to Nepal, released a statement in Kathmandu denouncing Pelosi's trip to Taiwan as a grave breach of the one-China principle and praising Nepal's adherence to the policy. We believe Nepal will continue to uphold the one-China concept, comprehend and support China's lawful and reasonable position, and collaborate with China to safeguard each other's territorial integrity, security, and sovereignty. "China is very grateful for Nepal's steadfast adherence to the one-China policy and resistance to "Taiwan Independence." It serves as the political foundation of relations between China and Nepal. We are certain that Nepal's government and people would uphold the one-China concept, comprehend and support China's rightful and reasonable position, and collaborate with China to safeguard each other's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity "The ambassador said. Russian move puts Ukrainian nuclear reactor at danger Canada sending troops to Ukraine to train fresh recruits Russia launches major offensive in Donetsk, claims Ukraine TEHRAN: After a 150-day break, new negotiations on the restoration of a 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and major world powers have started in Vienna, according to Iran's official news agency. The Russian delegation, led by Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to international organisations in Vienna and chief negotiator to the Vienna talks, have met with the Iranian negotiating team, led by Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani, as per Xinhua report, citing IRNA. After the meeting, Ulyanov tweeted, "The two parties had a frank, realistic and constructive exchange of views on ways and means of overcoming the remaining unresolved obstacles." Enrique Mora, the top EU negotiator for Iran, and Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, the secretary general of Austria's foreign ministry, were also met with by Bagheri Kani. Iran and the world powers agreed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the nuclear agreement, in July 2015. Iran agreed to limit its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. Donald Trump, a former US president, forced Washington to leave the accord. The JCPOA revival discussions got underway in Vienna, Austria, in April 2021, but they were put on hold in March of this year due to political disputes between Tehran and Washington. UN nuclear chief warned that Europes largest nuclear power plant is completely out of control China cancels a meeting with Japan's FM China launches Dongfeng missiles Near Taiwan Canadian government doesnt believe Ukrainian gas route can replace Nord Stream 5 August, 05:58 PM Canadian Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson (Photo:David Kawai / Bloomberg) The Canadian government does not believe that gas transit through Ukraine could be an alternative to the Nord Stream gas pipeline, news agency Bloomgerg reported on Aug. 4, citing Canadian Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson. The bottom line is that the flows that could be expected to move to Germany through the pipelines that run from Russia via Ukraine would be significantly lower than what Nord Stream can move, Wilkinson told a Canadian parliamentary committee. Read also: Canada accused of betraying Ukraine and helping Russia break sanctions According to him, Canada didnt want to rely on transit through Ukraine as a replacement for Nord Stream due to insufficient capacity, and the decision to return a Siemens turbine intended for the Russian gas pipeline was connected to this. Canada returned the turbine, which was under repair in Canada, despite Russia being under international sanctions. Read also: Russian gas company Gazprom burning off gas intended for sale to Europe The minister also noted that due to Russias full-scale war in Ukraine there are significant risks to gas supplies, and Russia may reduce pumping through the Ukrainian Natural Gas Transmission System. However, on the same day, the claims of the Canadian minister were challenged by Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada Yuliya Kovaliv. Read also: German Chancellor Scholz publicly brands Russia an unreliable gas supplier It is not true that Ukraine cannot replace gas supplies to Germany, Kovaliv said. She added that at the moment more gas goes through the Ukrainian Natural Gas Transmission System than through Nord Stream. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News Home Lifestyle Health & fitness Breastfeeding is on the decline in Nepal. It is a cause for concern for all Representational Image After giving birth to her first child 11 years ago, Srijana Budhathoki could not breastfeed her child for the recommended six-month period. There were two major reasons: first, her physical inability to produce sufficient milk, and next, her having to return to her work in less than two months of the parturition. As I could not produce milk for the baby while at the hospital, the nurses there recommended I feed the baby Lactogen (a whey-based milk powder). Then it became a norm, as the baby would not suckle on my breast and prefer Lactogen over whatever little breastmilk I could produce, she adds. With several women suffering problems like Budhathoki, breastfeeding in Nepal has been declining for decades now. In 1991, the Nepal Demographic Health Survey (NFHS) found that only 22 per cent of children were breastfed within one hour of birth. But, recent data show almost all babies are breastfed but only 18 per cent are breastfed within one hour of birth as recommended, and over 60 per cent are breastfed within the first 24 hours. National data also reports that breastfeeding frequency and tradition are decreasing due to different reasons. In 2011, it was reported that 70 per cent of mothers breastfeed. In 2016, it decreased to 66 per cent and in 2019, it reached 62 per cent, causing alarms among public health workers and stakeholders. Insufficient maternity leave Budhathoki was working as a senior croupier at the Everest Casino during her first childbirth, and she was asked to return to work after 52 days of maternity leave. I had to leave the baby with my mother and my sisters at my parents home. The baby was used to being with my mother and would not seek me while I was at work. The time to bond with my child was certainly less. It has been over a decade now, yet, why Budhathoki could not breastfeed her child is still a story of many working women today. Photo: Pexels/ Jonathan Borba On paper, Nepal has definitely made some striding efforts. At the national level, the government has recognised the plight of working women and extended maternity leave to 14 weeks, as stated in the Labour Act, 2017 (section 45). The Right to Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Act, 2018 (section 13) also maintains that working women are subjected to an obstetric leave of up to 90 days. Women are entitled to two months of paid leave, one month of unpaid leave and an additional one month of unpaid leave in case there is a doctors recommendation. Following that, some employers have started practising it. I got two months of paid and one-month unpaid leave, remembers community medicine expert Dr Mukta Singh Bhandari. Meanwhile, after her experience, Bhandari conducted a study on this very subject in 2017. Though almost all women got maternity leave, only 75 per cent got an additional one month of unpaid leave, she remembers. But this means that women, who got maternity leave, can breastfeed only for three months and not six months. Among many private institutions, the right is not secured on the grounds that not everything that the law mandates are possible to implement. The argument has led many to shrug off the provision and deprive women employees of the leave, according to Forum for Women, Law and Development, an organisation that works for womens rights in Nepal. The reasons why institutions deny maternity leave are numerous. And experts view a limited period of maternity leave will have a direct impact on breastfeeding. There are two types of breastfeeding that one can do: scheduled and on-demand. While scheduled breastfeeding has been proven to be better for the mothers physical and psychological health, the childs IQ development has been low in this case. On the other hand, the on-demand model is proven better for a childs development but it is likely to increase depression and exhaustion among mothers, explains Bhandari. But, sadly, either is not possible for working women after they resume work. About 31 per cent of women chose or were compelled to choose to go back to work rather than take time and continue exclusive breastfeeding at home. Those who continued breastfeeding after the resumption of work lacked the organisational structure where they could express breastmilk and store them properly, Bhandari explains the results of her research. A screengrab of a table showing different maternity-related facilities at workplace in a research paper written by Dr Mukta Singh Bhandari, Pratibha Manandhar and Dipesh Tamrakar Infrastructure crisis When it is impossible for women to directly breastfeed the kids, expressing and storing breastmilk is a solution. But, there are some problems in terms of infrastructure to practise that in Nepal. Expressed breastmilk needs to be stored in a refrigerator at a specific temperature of 40 F (4 C) for four days and in a freezer at 0 F (-18 C) or colder for up to six months. Before feeding, the milk needs to be heated in hot water, together with the bottle. Hospitals or big-budget organisations have the resources to provide their female employees with space or resources for the purpose. However, not all offices have bothered or prioritised the need for space for women. The office has not thought of the need for such because we have a younger female workforce who is unmarried and not expecting, says a woman, seeking anonymity, based on her experience at a Kathmandu-based NGO. Whereas expecting or new mothers are expected to maintain the decorum and timings of the office. This coupled with no space for breastfeeding or a lack of daycare is compelling women to leave their child(ren) at home and discontinue exclusive breastfeeding, though recommended. Radha Paudel, the founder of the Global South Coalition for Dignified Menstruation (GSCDM), says it is Nepali employers that are unwilling to make such changes and denies it is a budget problem. It all depends on the employer or the office and their commitment and understanding to make their employees comfortable. First of all, the employers need to get a clear understanding of gender equality. When I conducted training for women in Hetaunda some 11 years ago, the group had new mothers too and we made sure that the women were comfortable. We hired locals to babysit for them while the training was ongoing. So, when the babies needed to be breastfed, the mothers would go and do that easily. Other older children were kept busy with toys, she says, adding it is an international practice already and should be adopted here widely too. Working women prefer not taking their children to the office as their work can get hampered. Offices should exclusively mention on their application forms and policies that new mothers will be taken care of so that they can have the confidence to join or resume working. Otherwise, women will continue to lose opportunities and lag behind, punished for choosing their babies over their work, she adds. Although Paudel agrees not all offices might be equipped enough to give all the services, she stresses the least the offices can do is give new mothers the flexibility to feed their babies in the morning and not rush to report on the dot. The Covid-19 pandemic has taught us that physical presence is not as necessary as before. So new mothers definitely should get to enjoy and be privileged to work from home so that the newborns and the new mothers do not have to compromise on breastfeeding or the work. Women in western countries are boldly and naturally breastfeeding their children even in public spaces. It is only here that we are hesitant and women feel embarrassed to be witnessed during this natural process, Paudel says. Photo: Pexels/ Wendy Wei No alternatives Experts say breastfeeding does not have any perfect alternative. Even traditional baby food of Nepal such as lito cannot work, says Dr Mukta Singh Bhandari, who claims her study showed working women in the past were feeding lito or solid food more than what was recommended. Mothers milk consists of immunoglobulin; it has been called the first vaccine for the child. Those who are breastfed for at least six or up to two years are reportedly more physically and mentally developed, their IQ is better and their jaw development. Breastfeeding is not only good for babies but also for new mothers. Regular breastfeeding significantly decreases ovarian and breast cancer risks in women. Their uterus can get back to shape quickly, maternal mortality decreases, and postpartum depression also decreases, says public health expert Dr Aruna Uprety. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first four to six months of a childs life because breastmilk is uncontaminated and contains all the nutrients needed by the children. In addition, it provides some immunity to diseases through the mothers antibodies. Early supplementation, especially under unhygienic conditions, can result in infection and lower immunity to disease. In children who have not been breastfed as recommended or at all, there are higher chances of developing lower bodily growth and compromised mental capabilities. Other common problems are bronchitis and getting regular colds, fever and diarrhoea or other digestive problems. Whereas those who were breastfed well show early signs of brain development; they start to sit, walk and talk earlier than others, explains Poudyal. To continue feeding breastmilk, one option for working mothers is expressed milk in bottles. But, Dr Uprety observes working women from the informal sectors are still way behind in enjoying this privilege. Those working also do not have access to breast pumps to fasten the process. Meanwhile, the experts also warn women against using formula feed for their babies. The use of the formula is risky as it has a health impact on the infants, especially premature babies. So, nothing can replace breastmilk for babies, says Bhandari. Photo: Pexels/ Keira Burton Uprety also seconds that the aggressive marketing of Lactogen is unethical and causes harm to both mothers and babies. Nurses at the Prasuti Griha (Paropakar Maternity and Womens Hospital), where I worked in the 1980s, were recommending Lactogen. But, the bottle nipple is more addictive for babies and it discourages babies from suckling on their mothers breasts. So, the hospital and many others have banned recommending it. However, it is not true everywhere. In cases like that of Budhathoki, where mothers cannot produce breastmilk, this can be seen very often. Dr Prithuja Poudyal, a paediatrician at the Dhulikhel Hospital says, In such cases, mothers are taught how to massage and how to angle the breast and how much of the breast area the baby should suck. Lactogen and bottle feeding should be discouraged, but those who choose childbirth at home and community healthcare centres do not get that recommendation. In some cases, new mothers are in ICUs or babies in NICUs and mothers are not able to produce milk, the hospitals also recommend they feed the babies breastmilk of other new mothers and not Lactogen. There might be a risk of HIV and hepatitis, but hospitals are equipped to check this so the process is safer. While expressing and storing breastmilk is recommended, Poudyal does not recommend the use of breast pumps. Breasts produce milk because of an oxytocin reflex that is stimulated. So, the use of breastmilk does not increase milk production. In fact, breast pumps can be harmful as they can hurt the breasts, increasing stress. Meanwhile, bottle-feeding can shorten the period of postpartum amenorrhoea but increase the risk of illness, diarrhoeal disease, and infection if one fails to sterilise them properly. Originally published on August 1, 2021 Acrolab Windsor, ON, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acrolab is a global thermal engineering solutions company and has for over 70 years been a custom solutions provider for various industrial manufacturers. These include high-end Automotive, Aerospace, Defence, Electronics, Pharmaceuticals, Packaging, Telecommunications and Oil & Gas products. Solving thermal issues related to plastics, rubber, and composite molding processes, as well as cooling electronics are all areas of the tremendous thermal solutions management experience that Acrolab has gained over the years. With focus on innovation and research, Acrolabs redesigned website and thermal solutions blog gives you an expert insight at solutions for cooling, heating, and temperature uniformity through their line of products. To learn more, see the About section showing company history and development. Industry Leaders of Quality Thermal Products Acrolab, based in Canada, works with clients globally to help develop, improve, enhance and enable current and future production methodologies. The expert research and development team continues to provide targeted solutions to challenging thermal issues. Some of their leading products are: Isobar Heat Pipes Custom Isobars Isoplatens & Platens Isomandrel Heating Elements Thermocouples & RTDs From concept and design through prototype and testing, you can rely on Acrolab to provide a complete range of services: Thermal Solutions Acrolab has years of experience developing advanced thermal solutions for all types of manufacturing processes, utilizing the latest technology and tools to give their clients the maximum benefits that save energy, increase productivity and quality while also reducing waste. Supply Chain Management With a complete inventory of thermal products and accessories, Acrolab has the people, resources and industry network to find the optimal solution to your thermal problem along with the products required to achieve excellence in manufacturing processes. Research & Development Acrolab has a comprehensive database of thermal management projects, options, and applications. This world-class resource is combined with their team of experts to produce energy efficient solutions that increase both quality and productivity. Story continues Engineered Thermal Solutions Acrolab solutions are targeted to deal with specific challenges and requirements affecting efficiency and effectiveness for a variety of production processes, such as: Plastic Injection Molding Rubber Molding Aluminum Forming and Magnesium Injection Composites (compression, RTM, open) Filament Winding Plastic Welding Pultrusion Packaging and Sealing Acrolab will recommend optimum composition of system components, provide all design details pertaining to sizes and installation, along with all the services and accessories needed to deliver a complete application solution. Furthermore, the team of thermal engineers can assist in research and development, create a prototype, and carry it to short-run or full production. In other words, Acrolab has the expertise and technology to do it all. More information To find out more about Acrolab and to see a full list of their product selection and services, please visit www.acrolab.com. Source: https://thenewsfront.com/acrolab-website-redesign-with-a-new-thermal-solutions-blog/ CONTACT: Acrolab 7475 Tranby Ave Windsor ON N8S 2B7 Canada (519) 944-5900 https://www.acrolab.com/ More than 700 warehouse workers at an Amazon warehouse in England walked out this week in a dispute over a pay increase, reported Reuters. Amazon did not agree to the hourly rate increase of 2 (or $2.44) requested by the trade union representing the employees, instead offering a raise of 34 pence. GMB, the trade union representing the employees at the Tillbury facility (a suburb of Essex in Eastern England), said workers walked out on both Wednesday and Thursday. Amazon is one of the most profitable companies on the planet," Steve Garelick, a regional organizer for GMB, told ABC. With household costs spiraling, the least they can do is offer decent pay. Garelick posted video footage of the protesting Tillbury workers, who began their walkout shortly after Amazon delivered the news that it would not meet the unions demands. Management reportedly "withdrew catering" at the facility, and told workers that they would be terminated if they left the premises. 16.00 at Amazon Tilbury Essex today pic.twitter.com/bKWnv7BUow Steve Garelick (@steve_garelick) August 4, 2022 GMB began campaigning for higher pay and better health standards for Amazon warehouse workers in the UK in 2013, even calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the companys labor practices. Amazon doesnt recognize the GMB union at Tillbury or any of its other warehouses across the UK. Acumen Research and Consulting Acumen Research and Consulting recently published report titled Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Market Size, Share, Analysis Report and Region Forecast, 2022 - 2030 LOS ANGELES, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Market Size is valued at USD 7.9 Billion in 2021 and is estimated to achieve a market size of USD 201.3 Billion by 2030; growing at a CAGR of 43.4%. Artificial intelligence (AI), like any other industry, is transforming the healthcare industry in a variety of ways. Global health systems can benefit from artificial intelligence in terms of speed, efficiency, and effectiveness. The growing number of patient data sets, as well as the growing demand for lower healthcare costs, will drive the global artificial intelligence in healthcare market revenue. AI has been a game changer in the healthcare industry, revolutionizing applications such as radiology, patient risk identification, drug discovery, and diagnosis, to name a few. Data mining, surgical robots and drug design are also recent AI in healthcare trends that are transforming the industry's growth. Request For Free Sample Report @ https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/request-sample/227 Report Coverage: Market Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Market Market Size 2021 USD 7.9 Billion Market Forecast 2030 USD 201.3 Billion CAGR During 2022 - 2030 43.4% Analysis Period 2018 - 2030 Base Year 2021 Forecast Data 2022 - 2030 Segments Covered By Application, By Technology, By End-User, And By Geography Regional Scope North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa Key Companies Profiled Microsoft, IBM, Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc., Oncora, Koninklijke Philips N.V, Siemens, GE Healthcare, Medtronic, Google, Amazon, Intel, CareSkore, CloudMedx Inc., Clarify Health Solutions, Zebra Medical Vision Ltd., Qventus Inc., NextHealth Technologies, Anju Software Inc. (Zephyr Health) among other. Report Coverage Market Trends, Drivers, Restraints, Competitive Analysis, Player Profiling, Regulation Analysis Customization Scope 10 hrs of free customization and expert consultation COVID-19 Impact on the Global Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Market Value COVID-19 has hastened the implementation of artificial intelligence in healthcare. AI-based solutions and services can work quickly, at scale, and respond to the crisis's dynamic nature. During the pandemic, artificial intelligence was a critical component that aided the healthcare industry. As soon as the pandemic was announced, the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that AI could be a critical technology in managing the coronavirus-caused crisis. Story continues Rapid adoption of AI in drug discovery boost the global healthcare artificial intelligence market The pharmaceutical industry's productivity is declining. Clinical trial failure rates surpass 90% after therapies are tested in model organisms, and the expense of developing a new drug exceeds USD 2.6 billion. Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) could assist in reversing this trend and enhancing pharmaceutical research and development. The advancement of drug discovery has evolved over decades, and although it is not widely discussed, AI has been implemented to help support that evolution. A classic example is the use of AI models to aid in the determination of relationships between chemical compound structural properties and biologic activity. They are critical for drug discovery because they allow scientists to help predict how a drug candidate will act in the body. The growing awareness of AI in the pharmaceutical sector and growing investment in drug development are driving leading biopharmaceutical companies' belief in AI. Most major biopharmaceutical companies have begun internal programmes or are collaborating to develop AI platforms to improve the research power of metabolic-disease therapies, immuno-oncology drugs, cancer treatments, and a variety of other therapeutic targets. Increasing implementation of AI in radiology propels the industry growth Computer-aided cancer detection already makes use of AI-powered systems, which can classify brain tumors and cut the time it takes to classify a tumor in half to three minutes. The technology can also be used to identify breast cancer, find hidden fractures, and find neurological abnormalities. Additionally, AI can lighten radiologists' workloads by completing more boring tasks and give clinicians more time to work on tasks that require human interpretation. Check the detailed table of contents of the report @ https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/table-of-content/artificial-intelligence-market Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Market Segmentation The global market has been segmented into four categories: technology, application, end-user and region. Based on the technology, the market is split into speech recognition, natural language processing, machine learning, deep learning, and others. According to our artificial intelligence in healthcare industry analysis, natural language processing is anticipated to spur with significant growth from 2022 to 2030. Natural language processing (NLP) assists decision makers in quickly locating the information they require to make informed healthcare or business decisions. By application, the market is divided into administrative workflow assistants, clinical trials, connected machines, cybersecurity, diagnosis, dosage error reduction, fraud detection, robot-assisted surgery, and virtual assistants. According to our artificial intelligence in healthcare forecast, clinical trials generated a significant market share throughout the forecast timeframe from 2022 to 2030. Furthermore, hospitals, pharmaceutical organizations, diagnostic centers, clinics, and others are covered under the end-user sector. Hospitals held for a noteworthy market share in 2021, whereas the pharmaceutical organizations are likely to register a substantial growth during the projected years. AI in Healthcare Market Regional Outlook North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa are the regional classification of the global artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare market. Among all the regions, North America conquered the leading share of the industry from 2022 to 2030. This is credited to the rising healthcare spending, increasing adoption of AI across continuum of care, and rising implementation of AI/ML in North American healthcare sector. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest growth in the coming years due to the growing advancements in healthcare infrastructure, favorable government initiatives, increasing investments by venture capitalist and private investors. In addition to that, the growing elderly population, and growing prevalence of chronic and infectious diseases in countries such as China, India, among others are supporting the Asia-Pacific artificial intelligence in healthcare market. Buy this premium research report https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/buy-now/0/227 Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Market Players Some prominent artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare companies covered in the industry are Amazon, Anju Software Inc. (Zephyr Health), CareSkore, Clarify Health Solutions, CloudMedx Inc., GE Healthcare, Google, IBM, Intel, Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc., Koninklijke Philips N.V, Medtronic, Microsoft, NextHealth Technologies, Oncora, Qventus Inc., Siemens, and Zebra Medical Vision Ltd. Browse More Research Topic on Healthcare Sector: The Global Healthcare Smart Beds Market size accounted for USD 561 Million in 2021 and is estimated to reach USD 1,166 Million by 2030. The Global Healthcare Predictive Analytics Market size was valued at USD 9,496 Million in 2021 and is estimated to reach USD 87,494 Million by 2030, at a CAGR of 28.2% from 2022 to 2030. The Global Healthcare Informatics Market size accounted for USD 34,774 Million in 2021 and is estimated to reach USD 98,679 Million by 2030, with a significant CAGR of 12.4% from 2022 to 2030. About Acumen Research and Consulting: Acumen Research and Consulting is a global provider of market intelligence and consulting services to information technology, investment, telecommunication, manufacturing, and consumer technology markets. ARC helps investment communities, IT professionals, and business executives to make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and develop firm growth strategies to sustain market competition. With the team size of 100+ Analysts and collective industry experience of more than 200 years, Acumen Research and Consulting assures to deliver a combination of industry knowledge along with global and country level expertise. For Latest Update Follow Us on Twitter and, LinkedIn Contact Us: Mr. Richard Johnson Acumen Research and Consulting USA: +13474743864 India: +918983225533 E-mail: sales@acumenresearchandconsulting.com VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 5, 2022 / BeMetals Corp. (TSXV:BMET, OTCQB:BMTLF, Frankfurt:1OI.F) (the "Company" or "BeMetals") announces that it has entered into a loan agreement with strategic investor B2Gold Corp. (TSX:BTO, NYSE American:BTG, NSX:B2G) ("B2Gold") for an unsecured loan in the principal amount of US$5,000,000 (the "Loan"). The Loan matures on August 4, 2025 and bears interest at a rate of 4.7% per annum. The interest on the Loan is to be paid or accrued annually at the discretion of the Company and the Loan is repayable in part or in full at any time without penalty. The Loan will be used for general working capital. The Company is not issuing any securities or paying any bonuses, commissions or finder's fees with regards to the Loan. John Wilton, President and CEO of BeMetals stated, "Given the current conditions in equity markets for the mining sector, we are pleased to have arranged this non-dilutive financing with our strategic and largest shareholder B2Gold. This capital will be added to the Company's current treasury of approximately CA$3.0 million. The funds will continue to be diligently deployed to create value for investors with ongoing drilling of our exciting Kato Project and exploration of our other gold properties in Japan. The Company will also continue advancing its copper exploration in the Zambian Copperbelt and the South Mountain zinc project in Idaho, as well as accelerate its efforts in identifying and securing potential development projects." Related Party Transaction Disclosure As B2Gold is an insider of the Company, the Loan constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on exemptions from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation or minority shareholder approval based on sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(1)(f) of MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report related to this Loan more than 21 days before the closing of the Loan since the terms of the Loan were not determined until shortly prior to closing and the Company wished to proceed with closing for the efficient continuation of its corporate strategy. ABOUT BEMETALS CORP. BeMetals is a precious and base metals exploration and development company focused on becoming a leading metal producer through the acquisition of quality exploration, development and potentially production stage projects. The Company has established itself in the gold sector with the acquisition of a portfolio of wholly owned exploration projects in Japan. BeMetals is also progressing both its tier-one targeted, Pangeni Copper Exploration Project in the prolific Zambian Copperbelt, and advancing its high-grade, zinc-silver-gold-copper exploration at the South Mountain Project in Idaho. Guiding and leading BeMetals' growth strategy is a strong board and management team, founders and significant shareholders of the Company, who have an extensive proven record of delivering exceptional value in the mining sector, over many decades, through the discovery, construction and operation of mines around the world. ON BEHALF OF BEMETALS CORP. "John Wilton" John Wilton President, CEO and Director For further information about BeMetals please visit our website at bemetalscorp.com and sign-up to our email list to receive timely updates, or contact: Derek Iwanaka Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Development Telephone: 604-928-2797 Email: diwanaka@bemetalscorp.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 news release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward looking information" (as defined under applicable securities laws), based on management's best estimates, assumptions and current expectations. Such statements include but are not limited to, statements with respect to future exploration, development and advancement of the South Mountain Project, the Pangeni Project and the Japan properties, and the acquisition of additional base and/or precious metal projects. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects", "expected", "budgeted", "forecasts", "anticipates", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "aims", "potential", "goal", "objective", "prospective", and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "can", "could" or "should" occur. 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 expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the actual results of exploration activities, the availability of financing and/or cash flow to fund the current and future plans and expenditures, the ability of the Company to satisfy the conditions of the option agreements for the South Mountain Project and/or the Pangeni Project, and changes in the world commodity markets or equity markets. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The forward-looking statements and forward looking information are made as of the date hereof and are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such factors or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any forward-looking statements or forward looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as require by law. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. Please refer to the Company's most recent filings under its profile at www.sedar.com for further information respecting the risks affecting the Company and its business. SOURCE: BeMetals Corp. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/710954/BeMetals-Announces-US5-Million-Funding-from-Strategic-Investor-B2Gold-Corp Allied Market Research Increase in the standard of living, rapid urbanization, growth of the online retail platform, increase in the number of online shoppers, and significant improvement in logistics services in both developed and developing countries are expected to drive the growth of the global luxury jewellery market. Closure of manufacturing facilities, decreased sale and marketing of the product during the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the growth of the market. Portland, OR, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global Luxury Jewelry Market generated $21.75 billion in 2021, and is projected to reach $40.19 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2022 to 2031.The report offers a detailed analysis of the top winning strategies, evolving market trends, market size and estimations, value chain, key investment pockets, drivers & opportunities, competitive landscape and regional landscape. The report is a useful source of information for new entrants, shareholders, frontrunners and shareholders in introducing necessary strategies for the future and taking essential steps to significantly strengthen and heighten their position in the market. Report coverage & details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20222031 Base Year 2021 Market Size in 2021 $21.75 billion Market Size in 2031 $40.19 billion CAGR 6.4% No. of Pages in Report 315 Segments covered Product type, application, distribution channel,and region. Drivers Increase in the standard of living Growth of the online retail platform Opportunities Increase in the number of online shoppers Improvement in logistics services Restrains Extortionate cost of luxury jewellery Limited to specific consumers Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the Luxury Jewelry Market @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/17296?reqfor=covid COVID-19 Scenario: The outbreak of COVID-19 has had a negative impact on the growth of the global luxury jewellery market, owing to the occurrence of lockdowns in various countries across the globe. Lockdowns resulted in the closure of various manufacturing facilities, including those of luxury jewelleries, which adversely impacted its demand during the pandemic. This was majorly due to the stringent restrictions imposed by the government to curb the spread of the virus during the pandemic. Mass disruption was created among buyers and sellers as market and productions units have been completely shutdown globally, which has stopped the production, sale, and marketing of the product. Thus, various companies were devising necessary supply chain relationship and business models for the future. The pandemic devastatingly affected the sales of the jewellery via brick-and-mortar stores, which further resulted in the decreased demand. In addition, there was a shortage of raw materials during the pandemic due to import and export restrictions imposed by the government to significantly limit the spread of the virus. However, the market is expected to recoup soon. Story continues The report offers detailed segmentation of the global luxury jewelry market based on product type, application, distribution channel, and region.The report provides a comprehensive analysis of every segment and their respective sub-segment with the help of graphical and tabular representation. This analysis can essentially help market players, investors, and new entrants in determining and devising strategiesbased on fastest growing segments and highest revenue generation that is mentioned in the report. Based on product type, the necklaces segment held the largest market share in 2021, holding more than one-fourth of the global market, and is expected to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period. The earrings segment, on the other hand is expected to cite the fastest CAGR of 6.7% during the forecast period. The report also offers analysis of segments such as ring, bracelets, and others. Request The Free Sample PDF Of This Report (Flash Sale Till 20th August 2022) @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/17296 Based on application, the women segment held the dominating market share in 2021, holding more than three-fifths of the global market, and is expected to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period. The children segment, on the other hand, is expected to cite the fastest CAGR of 7.6% during the forecast period. The report also offers analysis of the men segment. Based on distribution channel, the offline segment held the largest market share in 2021, garnering more than two-thirds of the global market, and is expected to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period. The online segment, on the other hand, is predicted to cite the fastest CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period. Based on region, the market across Asia-Pacific region held the lions share in 2021, holding more than one-third of the global market, and is expected to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period. The North America region, on the other hand, is predicted to cite the fastest CAGR of 6.7% during the forecast period. The report also offers analysis of other such as LAMEA and Europe. The key players analyzed in the global luxury jewellery market report include Avon Products Inc., Chopard International SA, Giorgio Armani S.p.A, GRAFF, Guccio Gucci S.p.A., LVMH, MIKIMOTO, Pandora Jewelry, LLC, Prada S.p.A, Signet Jewelers Limited, Sukkhi Fashion Jewelry, Swarovski Group, Tanishq, Tribe Amrapali, and Youbella. The report analyzes these key players of the global luxury jewellerymarket. These market players have made effective use of strategies such as joint ventures, collaborations, expansion, new product launches, partnerships, and others to maximize their foothold and prowess in the industry. The report is helpful in analyzing recent developments, product portfolio, business performance and operating segments by prominent players of the market. Schedule a FREE Consultation Call with Our Analysts/Industry Experts to Find Solution for Your Business @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/17296 Avenue Basic Plan | Library Access | 1 Year Subscription | Sign up for Avenue subscription to access more than 12,000+ company profiles and 2,000+ niche industry market research reports at $699 per month, per seat. For a year, the client needs to purchase minimum 2 seat plan. Avenue Library Subscription | Request for 14 days free trial of before buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/avenueTrial Get more information: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. CONTACT: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States Toll Free (USA/Canada): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022 International: +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-855-550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Market Research Future Ice Cream Market Size and trends Research Report: Information by Type (Bars, Buckets/Tubs, Floats, and Others), Claim (Lactose-Free, Low-Fat, Low-Calorie, and Others), Distribution Channel (Store-Based and Non-Store-Based), and Region - Forecast till 2030 New York, US, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Market Overview According to a Comprehensive Research Report by Market Research Future (MRFR), Ice Cream Market Information by Type, Claim, Distribution Channel, and Region- Forecast till 2030, the market is estimated to acquire a size of over USD 122,045.10 Million by the end of 2030. The report further predicts the market to thrive at a healthy CAGR of over 4.8% during the review timeframe. Market Scope: There are two ways to sweeten ice cream: using natural sugar or artificial sweeteners. Customers can choose between hard, soft, light, low-fat and other types of frozen desserts from the many companies in the market that offer them. Ice cream consumption peaks throughout the summer months, and there's no denying that. Get Free Sample PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2691 Report Scope: Report Attribute Details 2030 Market Size USD 122,045.10 Million CAGR 4.8% (20222030) Base Year 2021 Forecast Period 2022-2030 Historical Data 2020 Forecast Units Value (USD Million) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered by Type, Claim, Distribution Channel, and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW) Key Market Drivers increasing demand for frozen desserts increasing global economy and population Competitive Dynamics: The overall expansion of the market is supported by a large number of small and medium-sized businesses operating in a variety of nations. New tastes and forms are being introduced by the makers in an effort to boost sales in developed regions like North America and Western Europe. In today's market, people are more interested in ice creams with natural ingredients, reduced calorie content, and health claims, so manufacturers are focusing on goods with these characteristics. Story continues Unilever (UK) General Mills, Inc. (US) Blue Bell Creameries (US) Nestle (Switzerland) Lotte Confectionery Co., Ltd (South Korea) Mars, Inc. (US) Amul (India) Amys Ice Cream (US) Market Dynamics: Market Drivers: The increasing popularity of ice cream, the rising demand for frozen desserts, and the growing global economy and population are all contributing to the global ice cream market's expansion. Lactose-free ice cream is gaining popularity, which opens up new growth potential for the ice cream industry. Rising desire for new flavors, varieties, and impulse ice creams like cones, sandwiches, or pops is predicted to drive the market's growth in developing countries. As consumers become more concerned about their health, demand for premium ice creams is projected to rise in the coming years. To keep up with the ever-changing preferences of consumers, manufacturers are broadening their product offerings by incorporating functional ingredients, organic, herbal, and exotic flavors. Browse In-depth Market Research Report (110 Pages) on Ice Cream: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/ice-cream-market-2691 Market Restraints: The new regulations issued by the governing organizations regarding the manufacturing, labeling, and ingredients of ice cream products could have an impact on the global ice cream market. There are also issues about ice cream's effect on health that limit its growth. COVID-19 Analysis: Since ice cream isn't considered a need, the COVID-19 pandemic had a big impact on global ice cream consumption patterns. Ice cream eating was reduced over the world due to the fear of developing a cold. Ice cream was a comfort meal for some people during lockdowns. A large number of consumers purchased frozen products from online sellers and local general stores, which were able to accommodate a large amount of stock along with other necessities like groceries and pharmacies. The world's ice cream supply chain has been thrown for a loop because of social segregation laws and country-wide shutdowns or lockdowns. As a result, sales of ice cream were negatively impacted. Market Segmentation: By Type: Bars and buckets or tubs are two popular ice cream packaging options that are becoming increasingly popular all throughout the country. Demand for bars & pops will be fueled by a variety of causes, including an increase in product innovation and an increase in the number of consumers looking for easy-to-use products. By Claim: The low-calorie and lactose-free food markets are predicted to increase rapidly during the time period under study. Health concerns and lactose intolerance has led to an increase in demand for these products. By Distribution Channel: The retail segment is predicted to increase at the fastest rate during the time period under consideration. Buy Now: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=2691 Regional Analysis: During the time period under consideration, the Asia Pacific region contributed the most to the global market in terms of revenue. More and more young people are purchasing goods and services in the area. To meet the rising demand for high-quality goods, major manufacturers have begun releasing new products. Dairy-free and vegan products are likely to see an increase in demand due to the growing trend toward healthier options. An increase in the number of people who are lactose intolerant will likely lead to an increase in the demand for vegan ice cream. The market for ice cream products is expected to rise as a result of rising disposable income, the introduction of new flavors by producers, and an increase in the consumption of ice cream as a snack. There will be a large CAGR in North America throughout this time period. People in North America are more health-conscious than ever before, and this has led to a shift in their purchasing habits toward organic and natural foods. The majority of people in the area preferred healthier alternatives to common desserts and ice creams like candy and desserts. Vegan products are predicted to rise in popularity in North America as a result of these trends. For the region's enormous consumer base, manufacturers have been releasing a wide variety of products. Ice cream from the European region is most popular in Sweden and the United Kingdom because of rising regional demand. The ice cream market is predicted to be greatly impacted by product innovation, economic growth, an increase in disposable income, and retail market expansion. Product innovation will broaden the range of options available to customers and help them meet their increasingly diverse needs, while economic development will keep their purchasing power rising. A rising demand for ice creams from younger demographics and the growing middle class is predicted to fuel LAMEA's growth throughout the projection period. LAMEA ice cream market share was dominated by Brazil, which had the largest market share in the region. Countries like South Africa and Saudi Arabia, which have a lengthy summer, are projected to see an increase in ice cream sales in LAMEA. Share your Queries @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/2691 Browse more Food and Beverages Industry reports: Gummy Supplements Market : Information by Product Type (Vitamins {Single Vitamin and Multi Vitamins}, Minerals, Omega Fatty Acids, Proteins, Blends and others), End User (Adults and Kids), Distribution Channel (Store-Based and Non-Store-Based) and Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World) - Forecast till 2028 Spices Market : Information by Product Type (Garlic, Ginger, Turmeric, Cumin, Cinnamon, Pepper, and others), Category (Organic and Conventional), Form (Whole, Ground/Powder and Others), Distribution Channel (Store-Based {Supermarkets & Hypermarkets, Convenience Stores and others} and Non-Store-Based) and Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World) - Forecast till 2027 Artisanal Ice Cream Market : Information By Type (Conventional and Lactose-Free), By Distribution Channel (Supermarkets & Hypermarkets, Specialty Stores and Online) - Forecast till 2027 About Market Research Future: Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis with regard to diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions. Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter CONTACT: Market Research Future (Part of Wantstats Research and Media Private Limited) 99 Hudson Street, 5Th Floor New York, NY 10013 United States of America +1 628 258 0071 (US) +44 2035 002 764 (UK) Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Website: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com At the invitation of Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A. K. Abdul Momen and Mongolian Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit the two countries from August 6 to August 8. At the invitation of State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Park Jin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, and Narayan Khadka, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal, will visit China from August 8 to August 10. During his visit to Bangladesh, State Councilor Wang Yi will be meeting with the leaders of Bangladesh and hold talks with Foreign Minister A. K. Abdul Momen. They will have an exchange of views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of shared interest. We highly value our relationship with Bangladesh. We hope the visit will provide an opportunity to further implement the common understandings between the leaders of the two countries, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and elevate the relationship to a new level. During his visit to Mongolia, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will meet with the leaders of Mongolia and hold talks with Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh. The two sides will have strategic communication on bilateral relations, practical cooperation and international and regional issues of shared interest. The bilateral ties have enjoyed excellent growth in recent years. We hope the visit will further enhance communication and coordination, political mutual trust, and practical cooperation in various areas. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will also receive the foreign ministers of the ROK and Nepal in Qingdao. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the ROK. The bilateral relations face important opportunities of further development. This will be the first visit of Foreign Minister Park Jin and also the first high-level visit to China since the new government of the ROK took office. China is ready to take this visit as an opportunity to enhance communication, focus on cooperation, and sustain the momentum of steady and sound development of the bilateral ties. China and Nepal are good neighbors, good friends and good partners. The visit of the Nepali Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka will be a reciprocal visit to State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yis visit to Nepal last March. The foreign ministers mutual visits within a period of six months will demonstrate the mutual trust and friendship between the two countries. China looks forward to strengthening strategic communication, cementing mutual support, and constantly promoting our strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity. CGTN: US officials like the NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications said that China has chosen to overreact and use the Speakers visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait. NATO Secretary-General also shared his view. Do you have any comment? Hua Chunying: The current situation is entirely caused by Speaker Pelosi and other US politicians. Hearing this type of rhetoric from the US officials reminds people of the story of the Emperors New Clothes. It is time for the US to get rid of its arrogance, selfishness, and hypocrisy and bullying practices. The context and the events that led to the tensions in the Taiwan Strait are crystal-clear. The US is the unprovoked provocateur and creator of the crisis. The Taiwan question is not about democracy. It is a major issue of principle about Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. The US needs to put itself in others shoes. If an American state were to secede from the US and declare independence, and then some other nation provided weapons and political support for that state, would the US government or the American people allow this to happen? The visit of Pelosi to Taiwan is a grave provocation that upgraded substantive exchanges between the US and Taiwan. It is a serious violation of the one-China principle. It seriously tramples on basic norms in international relations. It also seriously undermines Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. China has done everything diplomatically possible. We had repeatedly warned the US through various channels of the grave nature and severe harm of this visit. We made it clear that China will not sit by and watch; we will not allow any room for Taiwan independence separatist forces; and all consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the US. The international community had been warning the US of the potential consequences as well. Many openly pointed out that the visit was a completely unnecessary, egregious provocation and could trigger a serious crisis. Sadly, however, the US turned a deaf ear to all of those and just let the visit happen. China has acted in legitimate self-defense only after the US made this egregious provocation. Our countermeasures are necessary as a warning to the provocateurs and as a step to uphold our sovereignty and security. Now the US and its sidekicks have spoken up accusing China of overreacting. But if they truly care about regional peace and stability, why hadnt they stood up and tried to dissuade Pelosi early on? Couldnt they have seen this coming and prevented it? On such an issue concerning Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity, Chinas countermeasures are justified, necessary and proportionate, and there is nothing excessive about them. The US, as the provocateur and the one that caused the crisis, should and must assume the entire responsibility for it. Chinas measures are also about staunchly safeguarding regional peace and stability and international law and basic norms in international relations. As we have seen over the past decades, the US and the US-led NATO countries have selectively applied international law. They made up various pretexts such as so-called possession of weapons of mass destruction to picture other countries as threats - and sometimes even without any valid reason - to blatantly launch military strikes and even unleash wars on sovereign countries. How many humanitarian tragedies have they created in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Afghanistan? How many innocent civilians have been wounded and killed? How many families have been torn apart and lost? Have the US and other NATO countries involved done any soul-searching on these tragedies? Have they felt even a tinge of guilt for the serious ramifications and catastrophes they caused? Have they ever made an apology to the victims in those countries? And have they ever given them any compensation? We are living in the 21st century. The world must never allow the US to see itself as a world policeman or an international judge and continue to treat other sovereign nations like George Floyd as if the US can just bully and strangle them at will. If China does nothing about the USs relentless interference in our internal affairs and violation of our sovereignty or does not firmly resist the USs reckless and irresponsible behavior, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and other purposes of the UN Charter and basic norms in international relations will become nothing but words on paper. And the vast developing world which account for over 80% of the worlds population could well become the next target anytime. For this exact reason, already more than 160 countries have made their voice of justice heard. They reiterated their commitment to the one-China policy and expressed support for Chinas efforts to firmly uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is a fight against hegemony, against interference and against secession. China had historically been a victim of foreign aggression. Today, the US and several of its sidekicks still grossly interfere in our internal affairs and undermine our sovereignty and security from time to time. But China is not the China 120 years ago, and we refuse to be treated like Iraq, Syria, or Afghanistan. The Chinese people will never allow any foreign force to bully, oppress, or subjugate us. Anyone who would attempt to do so will find themselves on a collision course with a great wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people. The position of the Chinese government and people on the Taiwan question is consistent. To uphold the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China is the firm will of the 1.4 billion Chinese people. We hope that the US and its sidekicks who style themselves as democracies will be very clear about that. They need to take seriously and respect the core interests and the firm will of the Chinese people, who account for one fifth of the worlds population. CCTV: The US Senate recently approved a resolution to designate Russia as state sponsor of terrorism. In response, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova warned that Russia could sever diplomatic relations with the US if her country is placed on the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Do you have any comment? Hua Chunying: The US has always been obsessed with arbitrarily pinning labels on other countries and is used to claiming itself to be a moral judge. It has been pointing fingers at other countries and using unsubstantiated charges to suppress and contain other countries. This says a lot about the hegemonic and highhanded bully that the US is. Russia is an important force for global counterterrorism efforts and has played an active and constructive role in addressing the threat of terrorism. This will not change simply because the US has made ill-intentioned, false accusations against it. Shenzhen TV: As we understand, the Chinese, the US and the Japanese foreign ministers had a war of words on the Taiwan question at the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Meeting on August 5. Do you have more to say on that? Hua Chunying: At the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Meeting on August 5, some countries made unwarranted accusations against Chinas legitimate measures to uphold its rights. But the majority of countries present did not agree with those accusations and showed understanding for Chinas position. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi made a full and strong rebuttal to each of the pieces of disinformation and false accusations uttered by certain countries. He made clear what the facts are, defended Chinas sovereignty and upheld justice. Phoenix TV: The US has decided to reschedule its long-planned Minuteman III ICBM test because it is demonstrating the behavior of a responsible country by reducing security risks. How do you respond to that? Hua Chunying: Somehow the word responsible sounds a bit awkward when the US uses it to describe itself. If the US is indeed a responsible country, it should have stopped Speaker Pelosi from visiting Taiwan early on to prevent this type of major provocation from happening. And the US should have removed the many military vessels and aircraft it has deployed in the Asia-Pacific and right at Chinas doorstep. If the US is indeed a responsible country, it should immediately stop interfering in Chinas internal affairs on whatever grounds or under whatever pretexts, immediately stop using salami tactics to encroach upon and hollow out the one-China principle, immediately stop upgrading the substantive exchanges between the US and Taiwan, and immediately stop arms sales to Taiwan. Reuters: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi walked out moments before the start of a gala dinner at the foreign ministers meeting in Cambodia on Thursday. Why did he do that? And whats Chinas comment on this? Hua Chunying: Although State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a very tight schedule yesterday, he still, in ways consistent with Chinas COVID protocol, went to the venue of the gala dinner held by the Cambodian side as the host of the ASEAN-plus foreign ministers meetings, where he exchanged greetings with the Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and spoke to other participants there. Reuters: Japan said yesterday five ballistic missiles were fired by China and landed in Japans EEZ. Is this true and does the foreign ministry have any comment on? Hua Chunying: For the Chinese militarys drills in the waters off the Taiwan Island, the Chinese competent authorities have issued safety alerts and navigation warnings in advance. The practices of the Chinese side were consistent with international law and practices. As for Japans EEZ that you mentioned, China and Japan have not carried out maritime delimitation in relevant waters, so there is no such thing as what you called Japans EEZ. Associated Press of Pakistan: Today is the third anniversary of Indias unilateral actions in occupied Kashmir, violating the United Nations resolution on the disputed territory. Would you like to comment on this? Hua Chunying: On the issue of Kashmir, Chinas position is clear and consistent. The Kashmir issue is an issue left over from history between India and Pakistan. This is also the shared view of the international community. We stated back then that parties concerned need to exercise restraint and prudence. In particular, parties should avoid taking actions that unilaterally change the status quo or escalate tensions. We call on both India and Pakistan to peacefully resolve relevant disputes through dialogue and consultation. Hubei Media Group: The US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield began her visit to Africa on August 3, which she said was going to focus on how the US can help Uganda, Ghana and Cape Verde deal with the food crisis that has hit the continent particularly hard not to compete with China and Russia. She added that some African countries now face debt traps due to their relations with China. Do you have any comment? Hua Chunying: As China has repeatedly stressed, supporting Africas development is the international communitys common responsibility. The US really should spend its resources, time and energy on addressing the urgent needs of development for Africa, instead of making the suppression of other countries influence in Africa its African policy objective. Food security is a major issue for African countries. Taking this issue very seriously, China has put forward the cooperation initiative on global food security and has been helping African countries addressing food shortages. We have provided emergency food aid to Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Eritrea, among others. Soon we will be providing new food aid to African countries in need. Also, we have been helping Africa train professionals, sharing technologies with Africa and building projects to help African countries boost agricultural production capacity so as to support their efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency. We welcome the USs efforts to help Africa deal with food crisis, and we also hope the US will abide by the basic norms in international relations and not cling to the Cold War mentality, slap unilateral sanctions and undermine regional stability, which are behaviors that would only severely disrupt the international economic order and seriously harm the developing countries. Now, about debt trap, I want to quote two latest research findings. One is a recent report released by UK-based charity Debt Justice titled The Growing Debt Crisis in Lower Income Countries and Cuts in Public Spending. According to the report, African governments owe three times more debt to Western private lenders than to China, and are charged double the interest. The accusation of a China debt trap is pure fabrication. The other one is a report issued by the research team from Tsinghua University titled The Trap of Financial Capital: The Impact of International Bonds on the Debt Sustainability of Developing Countries. According to this report, Western financial capital, due to its profit-driven nature, have been urging African countries to issue high-interest Eurobonds despite the economic vulnerability and weak risk resilience of developing countries. That has led to the five-fold increase in African countries sovereign bonds over the past decade and the rising debt pressure on African countries. Numbers dont lie. It is quite self-evident who exactly are creating a debt trap for African countries. Over the years, China has been an active supporter for Africas economic development. We have provided financial support for African countries in easing fund shortage, accelerating national development and enhancing capacity building. This has been welcomed and appreciated by African countries. Many African countries said to us that China is a true friend who genuinely helped them when things were most difficult for them. I also saw photos posted online showing the food, bridges, roads, schools, clean water and hospitals that China has brought to developing countries, including those in Africa, while some other countries sent over bombs. African countries are in the best position to comment on Africas cooperation with China. What makes the US think it can simply point fingers at and discredit others and drive a wedge between China and Africa? Africa needs sincere partners of cooperation instead of lecturers like the US. We hope the US will do something that is tangible and good for African countries, for the sake of its own reputation. CNR: Diplomats posted in China from Islamic countries have recently paid a visit to Xinjiang. Could you share more details? Hua Chunying: From August 1 to August 4, 32 diplomatic envoys posted to China and senior diplomats from 30 Islamic countries visited Xinjiang. Party Secretary of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Mr. Ma Xingrui met with the delegation. The delegation visited Kashgar, Aksu and Urumqi, and they visited mosques, Islamic institutes, museums, old town renovation projects, grassroot communities, sci-tech companies, green development and rural revitalization projects. They have also talked to local religious figures and people who have graduated from vocational education centers. They learned a lot about Xinjiang economic development and prosperity, freedom of religious belief, ethnic unity and harmony and peoples happy lives. Many of the members of the delegation said that the Chinese government puts people at the center and has achieved a lot in Xinjiangs governance and development. People of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang live a harmonious and happy life, and the freedom of religious belief and the rights of the Muslims are protected. What the delegation saw with their own eyes throughout their journey in Xinjiang is very different from what is reported by some Western media. Islamic countries have always held the just position on Xinjiang. Through this visit, the Islamic countries again spoke up in an objective and fair way. This fully shows again that the rumors and lies fabricated by certain countries cannot hide the truth and facts. The vile attempt of using Xinjiang-related issues to smear China will not gain support and will not succeed. We will continue to welcome friends from around the world to visit Xinjiang and to feel the charm, harmony and development of Xinjiang. CCTV: Over the past few days, we noticed many countries have voiced support for China over US House Speaker Pelosis visit to Taiwan, and you shared quite some examples with us. Could you give us more updates today? Hua Chunying: Indeed, in the wake of Pelosis visit to Taiwan, over 160 countries have spoken up for justice, condemned the visit as a serious, reckless and irresponsible provocation and expressed their commitment to the one-China principle and support for Chinas efforts to uphold sovereignty and territorial integrity. Apart from what I shared with you over the past couple of days, I have some further updates for you today. Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe reiterated on social media Sri Lankas firm commitment to the one-China policy as well as to the UN Charter principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations. Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said in talks with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the East Asia cooperation foreign ministers meetings that Singapore has a clear and consistent one-China policy and is opposed to Taiwan independence and any unilateral moves to change the status quo. Thailands Foreign Ministry spokesperson expressed respect for Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Laos released a statement reiterating its support for the policy of China on national reunification by peaceful means and reaffirming its consistent policy that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China as well as its opposition to any intention aimed at creating a situation for two Chinas or one China, one Taiwan. Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith said while meeting with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi that the USs recent provocation on the Taiwan question goes against its own commitment and undermines Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. Laos is strongly against any attempt to create two Chinas or one China, one Taiwan and supports Chinas efforts to uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Malaysian Prime Ministers Special Envoy to China released a statement urging Western nations against practicing double standards by trying to compare Taiwan with Ukraine or trying to encircle Russia and call for respect for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity on one hand while meddling in Chinas internal affairs and intending to use Taiwan to divide China on the other. This would be using democracy as a pretext to interfere in and infringe upon Chinas sovereignty in violation of basic principles of international law. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation issued a statement, reaffirming its support for Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as the importance of respecting the one-China principle, while calling for adherence to relevant UN resolutions. The UAE indicated its concern over the impact of any provocative visits on stability and international peace. Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the Kyrgyz Republic confirms its firm support for the one-China principle. Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory. Kyrgyzstan opposes Taiwan independence and any attempt to create the false impression of two Chinas or one China, one Taiwan. The spokesperson of Kazakhstans Foreign Ministry reaffirms its adherence to the one-China principle and the UN General Assembly resolution 2758 on the Taiwan question. Uzbekistans Foreign Ministry reiterated in a statement that Uzbekistan supports the one-China principle and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China in accordance with the generally recognized principles of international law. Tajikistans Foreign Ministry expressed in a statement its support to Chinas territorial integrity and reiterated its commitment to the one-China principle. The spokesperson of the Afghan Interim Governments Foreign Ministry stressed adherence to the one-China principle and urged all countries to refrain from decisions that are considered a violation of national sovereignty of states and lay the groundwork for provocative actions. The spokesperson of Egypts Foreign Ministry affirmed Egypts commitment to the one-China principle and all relevant UN resolutions. Eritreas Foreign Ministry said in a statement that at a time when the flaws and follies of its global policy have become more apparent, and in an attempt to ramp up its policy of containment of China, Washington has concocted the provocative visit of House Speaker Pelosi to Taiwan with all its perilous ramifications. The latest act is but a continuation of reckless policies that the US administration has pursued in the past years in Asia to advance this singular objective, which is deplorable. Zimbabwean Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcast Services and government spokesperson said that Zimbabwe stands fully behind the Peoples Republic of China in the face of the intrusive and provocative visit by Nancy Pelosi, which seriously violates the one-China principle. Burundis Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the government of Burundi firmly follows the one-China policy and Chinas effort to uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Foreign Ministry of the Commonwealth of Dominica said in a statement that many sides and the international community have expressed serious concerns over Pelosis visit to Chinas Taiwan region and this visit constitutes serious violation of Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Vice President of the Senate of Mexico published an article, saying that the illegal visit of Pelosi to Taiwan is an interventionist action that seriously violates other countrys sovereignty and undermines regional peace and stability. Vanuatus Minister for Climate Change in a statement expressed support to Chinas upholding of sovereignty and territorial integrity and opposition to undermining stability in any form. Luxembourgs Foreign Minister said that Pelosis visit is a useless provocation and that with this trip, there will be no more trust between the US and China. He also reiterated Luxembourgs support to the one-China policy. Cyprus Government Spokesperson said that Cyprus is committed to the one-China policy and fully respects international law, sovereignty and territorial integrity. In addition, political parties and political dignitaries in many countries have added their voice to the chorus of condemnation of Pelosis visit to Taiwan. They say this is an act of hegemony and support China in upholding sovereignty and territorial integrity. For example, the Communist Party of Nepal (MarxistLeninist), the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) have spoken out through various means, pointing out that Pelosis visit to Taiwan is extremely erroneous, foolish and irresponsible act of hegemony. They said that the Nepali side firmly supports all of Chinas effort to uphold its sovereignty and dignity. Mongolias third largest party Civil Will-Green Party stressed in a statement that countries need to abide by the one-China principle stipulated in UNGA resolution 2758 and support Chinas position on the Taiwan question and other issues. The General Secretary of the All India Forward Bloc issued a statement strongly condemning Pelosis visit to the Taiwan region and saying that the visit and Pelosis remarks violate UNGA resolution 2758. The Communist Party of Tajikistan released a statement saying that the visit by Pelosi is a flagrant provocation, which is consistent with the USs all-round containment and aggression on China. China has the right to take necessary measures on the Taiwan question to uphold national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Chairman of the Kenya-China Parliamentary Friendship Group of Kenya released a statement supporting China in its efforts for achieving the full reunification, and supporting the Chinese governments measures to uphold national sovereignty and territorial integrity and safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The Socialist Party of Zambia said in a statement that the US has neither the ability to solve domestic issues like COVID-19 and human rights violations nor the ability to address global challenges like poverty and hunger. Yet, it tries to start wars and ruin peace to sustain its hegemony. Such imperialist practices will be condemned by all peace-loving people. The Communist Party of Chile, a member of Chiles ruling coalition, condemned the US governments provocation against China in a statement. President of the Workers Party of Brazil pointed out Pelosis visit is a move that threatens peace and incites armed conflict. It not only emboldens the Taiwan independence forces, but also generates instability and insecurity in the region. The Chairman of Kiribatis ruling party released a statement, expressing extreme disappointment at Pelosis visit, saying that the US government is fully responsible for this and the US should offer an official apology. The Communist Party of Bolivia issued a statement saying that the USs provocation is repudiating. Bolivia will be in solidarity with China, and support China in defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity. It will stand with political, civil and social organizations to denounce the US imperialism undermining international security and stability. The Party of Socialists of Moldova said in its statement that it is committed to unconditional respect and support for Chinas efforts in upholding sovereignty and territorial integrity. Japanese former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama criticized the US on social media saying that what it has done is unwise without drawing lessons from the past. In addition, foreign ministers of ASEAN countries called for upholding the UN Charter, and reiterated the Member States support for the one-China policy. These countries, with their population accounting for 80% to 90% of the worlds total, are standing with the Chinese people. Our shared belief is that countries should be committed to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the basic norms in international relations. We are all firmly against the attempts to interfere in other countries domestic affairs and undermine other countries sovereignty and territorial integrity. We have the backing from over 160 countries. We are standing on the right side of history and on the side of peace and justice. I hope that the US and its handful of buddies will realize that if they do respect the principle of democracy, then they should hear and respect the voice of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people, and also the voice of the people from the countries accounting for close to 90% of the worlds population in non-Western countries. Kyodo News: According to reports, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart walked out of a speech by Japans foreign minister at todays East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Meeting. Can you give us more information? How do you comment on that? Hua Chunying: I am not aware of what you described, but I wish to use this opportunity to remind the Japanese side that the Japanese leadership has acted egregiously on Taiwan. The Chinese people are very unhappy about that. As we have said, Japan is historically responsible for its serious wrongdoing on the Taiwan question. Japan is in no position to make unwarranted remarks on the Taiwan question. Today, when meeting with Speaker Pelosi, the Japanese Prime Minister made groundless accusations against China. During the ASEAN-plus foreign ministers meetings, the Japanese foreign minister joined US State Secretary in spreading disinformation on China and made unwarranted accusations against China. China firmly opposes this. We have repeatedly made clear our principled position on the Taiwan question. The current situation in the Taiwan Strait is caused by Pelosis visit to Taiwan in disregard of Chinas opposition and dissuasion of other countries. Japan selectively ignores the USs violation of Chinas sovereignty, and yet loudly criticizes the one protecting its rights and tries to justify the other sides violations. This is confounding right with wrong and confusing white with black. Those trying to make provocations and create troubles on the Taiwan question in an attempt to delay Chinas development, undermine Chinas peaceful reunification and rise will only end in vain. Reuters: Japan reported that China fired four missiles over Taipei during its drills. Is that true? If so, whats Chinas comment on that? Hua Chunying: The Chinese side has released information on the military exercise. The visit by Speaker Pelosi triggered the current tensions and all Chinas countermeasures are justified, necessary, and proportionate. We hope the Japanese side will have the correct understanding on this. *** If there are no further questions, I would like to recommend an article to you, especially media outlets from Europe and the US including Reuters and Bloomberg. In response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosis op-ed titled Why Im leading a congressional delegation to Taiwan published on August 2, the Chinese Ambassador to the US Mr. Qin Gang published an article titled Why China objects to Pelosis visit to Taiwan on The Washington Post on August 4. Ambassador Qin Gangs article is very well written. It provides a very clear and succinct outline of the historical context of the Taiwan question. Im sure this will help you gain a deeper understanding of the Taiwan question and a deeper and accurate understanding of why China is opposed to Pelosis visit to Taiwan. Acumen Research and Consulting Acumen Research and Consulting recently published report titled Industrial Automation Market Size, Share, Analysis Report and Region Forecast, 2022 - 2030 TOKYO, Aug. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Industrial Automation Market size accounted for USD 189.7 Billion in 2021 and is predicted to be worth USD 430.9 Billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 9.7% during the projected period from 2022 to 2030. The industrial automation market is quickly expanding as a result of the widespread acceptance of automation technology in the various industries such as, petroleum and natural gas, automotive, manufacturing petrochemical and materials, chemical, and pharmaceutical sectors. Recently, companies can drastically reduce operational and labor expenses by implementing automation technologies such as sensing devices, robotics, machine vision systems, as well as enterprise control solutions. Furthermore, the growing use of automation and robotics technologies in the manufacturing and services sectors to meet complicated consumer expectations is expected to propel the expansion of the industrial automation market. Industrial automation is the integration of all processing systems, machinery, testing facilities, as well as factories that have become automated as a result of rapid technological advancement. These technologies and platforms are supported by cutting-edge technology such as deep learning, cloud-based services, robots, and others. Some manufacturers are focused on embracing and implementing industrial automation technologies to boost overall productivity, train their staff, and reduce exorbitant expenses while reaching precision and survival. Automation in industry sectors assists the organization and manufacturers increase production, increasing performance, and reducing mistakes. Furthermore, the widespread automation technology in the manufacturing environment, such as software applications and modern instruments, assists in the collection of trustworthy data, statistics, and statistics that can be utilized to make intelligent decisions, leading to significant cost reductions. Story continues Request For Free Sample Report @ https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/request-sample/423 Report Coverage: Market Industrial Automation Market Industrial Automation Market Size 2021 USD 189.7 Billion Industrial Automation Market Forecast 2030 USD 430.9 Billion Industrial Automation Market CAGR 9.7% During 2022 - 2030 Analysis Period 2018 - 2030 Base Year 2021 Forecast Data 2022 - 2030 Segments Covered By Type, By Technology, By End-User, And By Region Regional Scope North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa Key Companies Profiled Emerson Electric Co., ABB, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Endress Hauser Management AG, Yokogawa India Ltd., Honeywell International Inc., Azbil Corporation, Fuji Electric Co., Ltd, 3D Systems, Inc., HP Development Company, FANUC CORPORATION, Stratasys Ltd., Hitachi, Ltd., and Rockwell Automation, Inc. Report Coverage Market Trends, Drivers, Restraints, Competitive Analysis, Player Profiling, Regulation Analysis Global Industrial Automation Market Dynamics The increasing demands for quality real-time data analysis across territories, as well as the rising use of cutting-edge technologies across end-use sectors to improve efficiency and performance are driving market expansion. The growing necessity for periodic inspection and sophisticated data analysis, which would give firms increased visibility into their manufacturing operations and hence increase productivity, is the primary driver of the industrial automation market. Additionally, an increasing reliance on process automation and capital management systems, which would give users better visibility into the state of equipment, is boosting the industrial automation market demand. The effective exchange of information among organizational divisions in the industry allows for the most efficient conversion of raw materials to finished products, emphasizing the structure of connected firms as a primary driver of the industrial automation market. Impact of COVID-19 The last several coronavirus (COVID-19) global epidemic has significantly affected industry sectors across the globe. In addition to hastening deglobalization in industry, COVID-19 has had a significant negative impact on logistical issues. Companies have challenges ranging from sourcing raw materials to distributing final products to luring workers from prevention measures. As a consequence of this circumstance, automation has been presented as the sole viable option. Due to pandemic-related transportation issues, the corporations considered localizing more production for themselves as well as their consumers. By improving productivity, new technology advancements are encouraging deglobalization by offsetting greater salaries. As a result, industries all around the world are increasing their expenditures on automation. However, in recent years, automation is being implemented in developed countries such as the United States and Germany to boost trade. Check the detailed table of contents of the report @ https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/table-of-content/industrial-automation-market Significant growth in manufacturing sectors globally spurs the industrial automation market. Manufacturing industries are expected to continue to alter in the coming years, with a transition from manual intervention to automated processes boosting market demand. For reduced or even no human intervention, the majority of contemporary industrial processes are already automated. Automation solutions are thought essential since traditional industrial processes are unable to fulfill contemporary demands. Furthermore, supportive government regulations in the manufacturing sector, as well as a greater emphasis on socio-economic development in emerging nations, are two significant growth drivers fueling the industrial automation market. Market Segmentation The global industrial automation market has been segmented by Acumen Research and Consulting based on type, technology, and end user. In type, the segment is separated into programmable automation, and fixed automation. In term of technology, the market is divided into SCADA, DCS, PAC, HMI, and PLC. In terms of end user, the segment is classified into machine manufacturing, aerospace & defense, automotive, oil & gas, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and others. Global Industrial Automation Market Regional Outlook The global industrial automation market is split into five regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. According to the industrial automation market report, the Asia-Pacific is expected to be the prominent region in the worldwide market over the coming years. This expansion can be attributed to the existence of major industry sectors in these regions. Asian countries, especially China, India, and Japan, are the leading manufacturers and end consumers of robotic systems, sensor systems, and computer sensor systems. Additionally, India, Japan, & South Korea have thriving consumer goods, automotive, electronics, as well as pharmaceutical industries. Furthermore, government initiatives and legislation promoting the modernization of manufacturing facilities, as well as expenditures in the IIoT, are important factors that influence the growth of the industrial automation market in these nations. Buy this premium research report https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/buy-now/0/423 Industrial Automation Market Players Some of the prominent industrial automation market companies are ABB, Siemens, Endress Hauser Management AG, Hitachi, Ltd., Honeywell International Inc., Schneider Electric, Fuji Electric Co., Ltd, HP Development Company, Stratasys Ltd., Emerson Electric Co., Yokogawa India Ltd., 3D Systems, Inc., FANUC CORPORATION, Azbil Corporation, and Rockwell Automation, Inc. Browse More Research Topic on Automation Industry: The Global Pharmacy Automation Market size accounted for USD 5,083 Million in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 10,402 Million by 2030 with a considerable CAGR of 8.6% during the forecast timeframe of 2022 to 2030. The Global Oil & Gas Automation Market accounted for USD 18,979 Million in 2021 and is estimated to reach USD 33,336 Million by 2030, with a significant CAGR of 6.7% from 2022 to 2030. The Global Warehouse Automation Market accounted for USD 18,937 Million in 2021 and is estimated to reach USD 64,639 Million by 2030, with a significant CAGR of 14.8% from 2022 to 2030. About Acumen Research and Consulting: Acumen Research and Consulting is a global provider of market intelligence and consulting services to information technology, investment, telecommunication, manufacturing, and consumer technology markets. ARC helps investment communities, IT professionals, and business executives to make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and develop firm growth strategies to sustain market competition. With the team size of 100+ Analysts and collective industry experience of more than 200 years, Acumen Research and Consulting assures to deliver a combination of industry knowledge along with global and country level expertise. For Latest Update Follow Us on Twitter and, LinkedIn Contact Us: Mr. Richard Johnson Acumen Research and Consulting USA: +13474743864 India: +918983225533 E-mail: sales@acumenresearchandconsulting.com Meta on Thursday announced it took down two cyber espionage operations in South Asia and a Russian troll farm that sought to prop up support for the countrys invasion of Ukraine. Meta, which owns platforms like Facebook and Instagram, announced the findings in its Quarterly Adversarial Threat Report, also detailing its efforts to combat coordinated schemes in places like Greece, India and South Africa. The company in particular highlighted its mitigation of a troll farm operated from St. Petersburg, dubbed Cyber Front Z, that it said was linked to individuals associated with past activity by Russias Internet Research Agency (IRA), a troll farm that led the effort to spread disinformation around the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Meta said it began taking action against Cyber Front Z in March, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, and it took down the network in early April. The tech giant said the troll farm hired people in shifts seven days a week to comment with pro-Russia content on posts supporting Ukraine published by celebrities like Angelina Jolie and politicians like the Finnish prime minister. This appeared to be a poorly executed attempt, publicly coordinated via a Telegram channel, to create a perception of grassroots online support for Russias invasion by using fake accounts to post pro-Russia comments on content by influencers and media, the company said in its report. Meta said the troll farm attempted to come back on multiple occasions, but the company continued to detect and disable its work, which it said included the use of 45 Facebook accounts, 1,037 Instagram accounts and about $1,400 in advertising spending on both platforms paid for in rubles. This deceptive operation was clumsy and largely ineffective definitely not A team work, the company wrote. On Instagram, for example, more than half of these fake accounts were detected and disabled by our automated systems soon after creation. Their efforts didnt see much authentic engagement, with some comments called out as coming from trolls. Story continues Separately, Meta said it took action against a group of hackers, known as Bitter APT, that operated in South Asia and distributed malware to targets in New Zealand, India, Pakistan and the United Kingdom. The tech giant said it also took action against activity connected with state-linked actors in Pakistan that infected devices with malware in Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Meta has long faced scrutiny for disinformation campaigns that operate on its platforms, but the company in its report touted its efforts to mitigate threats and behaviors that violate its policies. Meta says it has publicly reported its threat analysis since 2017 and has since expanded its reporting to include cyber espionage, mass reporting, inauthentic amplification, brigading and other malicious behaviors. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Monkey Inu Monkey Inu has announced that it will hold a token presale to fund the development of its innovative new platform. DUBAI, UAE, Aug. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Monkey Inu team is committed to ensuring that all investors feel safe and secure when using the platform. The token presale is a vital part of that goal. Unveiling the Details of the Upcoming Presale The Monkey Inu team is excited to announce the details of its upcoming presale on Unicrypt. The presale will commence on August 7th and should run for around 48 hours. During this time, the project will lock 60% of the raised liquidity for 12 months. In addition, the team set a soft cap threshold of 372.995 BNB, with a hard cap level of 1.125 BNB. The event will allow a maximum contribution of 7.111.111.111,111111 Monkey Inu. Finally, the presale price will be 5,333,333,333.333333 Monkey Inu per BNB. With this exciting development, Monkey Inu joins the IDO era and looks forward to continued success. Monkey Inus Strategy to Conquer the Market Monkey Inu is a new player in the cryptocurrency market with big ambitions. The project has announced a token presale and plans to develop its branding and marketing efforts. Monkey Inu also has a strong presence on social media, where it is building a community of supporters. The team will conduct an AMA with the community as part of its marketing strategy. Finally, the company plans to upgrade its launchpad and expand its ambassador program in 2022 Q4. With a well-rounded strategy focusing on community building and marketing, Monkey Inu is working hard to attract investors' attention. Monkey Inu allows investors to stake their tokens by sending them to the staking contract address. This way, traders will earn an annual percentage by following different plans. Monkey Inu already has an operational decentralized IDO Launchpad. Only those who stake the Monkey Inu token have access to the tokens that will enter the market through the Monkeypad. Story continues The longer someone stakes tokens, the higher the yield rate will be. Specifically, the promised APY ranges from 50% (for seven days) to 125% (for sixty days). The system comes with a lock-up period of seven days, and it has a staking fee equal to 1%. Furthermore, the project continuously announces reward phases through its social media pages. For example, the team gave its community a rewarding opportunity over the past weeks through a logo design contest. Moreover, this project also uses airdrops to reward its growing community. The Launch of an Innovative Token The Monkey Inu coin will debut on the BNB Chain with a total supply of 20 trillion tokens. The presale operation will allocate 40% of this amount, while 20% of the tokens will constitute the project's liquidity pool. Staking rewards will obtain 13% of the coins, and the team will keep 10% of the tokens. The team explained that the projects marketing campaigns will receive 7% of the tokens. Furthermore, 5% of the supply will be available for the ecosystem and new partnerships. The remaining amount of coins will go to development (2%), airdrops (2%), and charity donations (1%). The Monkey Inu project will rely on a pre-defined set of transaction taxes for various purposes: 1% of every transaction will go to all holders, with no minimum requirement. 3% of every transaction will generate liquidity on the PancakeSwap platform. 3% will enter the market budget and contribute to the project's development. About Monkey Inu Monkey Inu is a platform that provides its community with fair access to early-stage IDO opportunities. The team wishes to allow everyone to acquire highly anticipated tokens before they hit the market. Monkey Inu only selects the best projects to add to its Launchpad. The team is committed to providing each one with individual support. Cyberscope ran a successful smart contract audit on Monkey Inu, and its team completed a KYC procedure with this company. The team has also announced several benefits for token holders. People holding Monkey Inu tokens will get rewarded with a percentage of every transaction. One can also use them to stake and get even more rewards. Speaking of rewards include token airdrops and money, tokens, and even things like a chance to win a prize in a contest. Monkey Inu is working hard to ensure its token holders find many benefits to participating in the project. Anyone wishing to know more about Monkey Inu may visit its website or social media pages below. Website | Telegram (Channel) | Telegram (Group) | Medium | Twi CONTACT: Nazmul Sheikh business at monkeyinu.io (Bloomberg) -- Peruvian lawmakers are closer to the 87 votes needed to oust President Pedro Castillo amid a judicial investigation into the head of state, according to an opposition legislator pushing for the removal. Most Read from Bloomberg A group of parties in Perus congress are writing a third impeachment motion against Castillo that could lead to his removal from office and his replacement with Vice President Dina Boluarte, congressman Edward Malaga, an independent centrist, said in an interview Thursday. The motion has the backing of 80 lawmakers so far and more are expected to join, he said, declining to provide details on the strategy. A limit has been reached, Malaga said in Lima. The moment for a truce is gone, Castillo doesnt deserve another opportunity. He has to go. Since his inauguration a year ago, Castillo has faced an increasingly hostile congress as his popularity plunged. The president has already survived two impeachment attempts. PERU REACT: Strong, Uneven Activity Rebound Leaves Mixed Message Now things are looking increasingly difficult for the leftist former school teacher who won the presidency after narrowly beating right-wing rival Keiko Fujimori. Perus top prosecutor is carrying out five preliminary investigations against Castillo, his family members and former aides, some of whom are fugitives, for allegedly participating in corruption. In a sign of how strained his relationship with congress is, on Thursday evening lawmakers rejected Castillos request to travel to Colombia this weekend to attend the inauguration of Gustavo Petro. Some congressmen justified their vote by saying he could seek political asylum while abroad to avoid investigations at home. Story continues Perus presidential office didnt reply to requests for comment on Malagas remarks. Castillo has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. Removal Proposals While the prosecutor can investigate but not charge a sitting president due to the immunity granted to the position, the case has hurt Castillos standing further. Former president Francisco Sagasti has called for an early general election later this year, while conservatives in congress have pushed for the head of the congress to take over government after removing the president and vice president. While previous impeachment bids were led by conservatives, this one is being organized by centrist groups with a potentially greater ability to generate consensus in congress. Malaga said that the proposal doesnt seek to overthrow the whole government and that the replacement of Castillo with Boluarte would follow the constitutional succession rules. (Adds congress rejecting Castillo trip to Colombia in seventh paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. NORFOLK, Va., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRA Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRAA), a global financial services company, has named LaTisha Tarrant as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), effective Aug. 15. Tarrant brings more than 20 years of public company experience to her new role and joins the company's senior leadership team to head its global human resources operation. Tarrant is currently senior vice president, deputy general counsel and corporate secretary and has held several leadership positions since joining PRA Group in 2016. "Talent recruitment, development and retention, as well as advancing our company's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, are essential to our success," said Tarrant. "I'm delighted to serve in this role and look forward to developing impactful strategies that strengthen employee engagement, grow our talent pool and foster an inclusive work environment where everyone can do their best work while remaining connected as one team, worldwide." Throughout Tarrant's tenure with PRA Group, she managed U.S. corporate legal matters, led environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives and advised the board of directors on incentive compensation, executive compensation and corporate governance matters. She also oversaw the search and onboarding of directors, earning PRA Group recognition as a "3+" company with at least three women as directors. "LaTisha has long demonstrated her investment in, and support of, our employees, and we are fortunate to count on her established track record of leadership success to guide our Human Resources function," said Kevin Stevenson, president and CEO. Before joining PRA Group in 2016, Tarrant held roles with increasing responsibility, serving as managing associate general counsel at Anthem, Inc. (now Elevance Health, Inc.), and as senior counsel and a partner at McGuire Woods, LLP. Ms. Tarrant holds a J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.A. in international relations from William & Mary. Story continues View LaTisha Tarrant's LinkedIn profile for additional background. To learn more about PRA Group, visit www.pragroup.com . About PRA Group As a global leader in acquiring and servicing nonperforming loans, PRA Group returns capital to banks and other creditors to help expand financial services for consumers. With thousands of employees worldwide, PRA Group companies collaborate with customers to help them resolve their debt. For more information, please visit www.pragroup.com . News Media Contact: Elizabeth Kersey Senior Vice President, Communications and Public Policy (757) 961-3525 Elizabeth.Kersey@PRAGroup.com Investor Contact: Najim Mostamand, CFA Vice President, Investor Relations 757-431-7913 IR@PRAGroup.com SOURCE PRA Group (Adds Al Mafyar, Kool Firn, revises Golar Ice expected arrival date) Aug 5 (Reuters) - The following liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers are expected to arrive in Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands in the coming weeks. Estimated arrival dates, often revised by port authorities and AIS Live ship-tracking data on Refinitiv Eikon, are updated below. Some tankers heading for Belgium and Britain may be loading at the terminal. Those expected to load are indicated with an (L). Those likely to perform ship-to-ship transfers are indicated with (STS). Tankers that have docked are indicated with (A). For the Reuters LNG guide, click here: LNG TANKER CAPACITY in EXPECTED ARRIVAL FROM PORT cubic metres BRITAIN Lngships Manhattan 170,000 Aug. 5 Peru Milford Haven Umm Slal 261,000 Aug. 10 Qatar South Hook Al Mafyar 261,000 Aug. 13 Qatar Milford Haven Pearl LNG 156,000 Aug. 15 Peru Milford Haven Al Rekayyat 212,000 Aug. 16 Qatar South Hook BELGIUM Murwab 206,000 Aug. 8 Qatar Zeebrugge Al Utouriya 212,000 Aug. 12 Qatar Zeebrugge NETHERLANDS Kool Firn 174,000 Aug. 6 United States Gate Golar Ice 160,000 Aug. 7 India Gate Grace Dahlia 174,000 Aug. 4 (A) United States Gate Gaslog Winchester 174,000 Aug. 5 United States Gate Gaslog Wales 176,000 Aug. 9 Egypt Gate LNG Rosenrot 177,000 Aug. 13 United States Gate Cubal 160,000 Aug. 14 Angola Gate Prism Brilliance 180,000 Aug. 15 N/A Gate Rias Baixas Knutsen 180,000 Aug. 15 United States Gate Soyo 158,000 Sept. 2 Angola Gate Sources: Ports, AIS Live ship tracking, Refinitiv Eikon data. (^) Partial unload (*) Arrival date calculated using www.searates.com at an average speed of 13.5 knots (Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis; editing by Jason Neely) (Bloomberg) -- When Group of Seven leaders gathered in the Bavarian Alps in June, they pledged to stand with Ukraine for the long haul. Most Read from Bloomberg Their Group of 20 counterparts are proving less supportive. Comprising nations that account for some 85% of global economic output, the G-20 is supposed to be more reflective of the world. Yet only half its number has joined the international sanctions imposed on fellow member Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Senior officials from the smaller group of wealthy nations have been traveling the world to make the case for a tougher economic net around Russia. Theyve been surprised by the lack of sign-on from G-20 states, even if those countries arent going out of their way to help Moscow circumvent the penalties. Its an uncomfortable reality confronting Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his extended tour of Southeast Asia and Africa: Much of the world isnt ready to follow US and European efforts to isolate President Vladimir Putins Russia. That makes agreement on global initiatives such as a cap on Russian oil prices as proposed by the G-7 even more challenging, while emboldening Putin and his key supporter, Chinese President Xi Jinping, in pursuing their respective global agendas. The biggest opt-out is China. Xi joined hands with Putin and declared a no limits friendship just weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine. Chinas outlays on Russian oil have soared since the wars outbreak it spent 72% more on Russian energy purchases in June from a year earlier. China is in any case locked in a rivalry with the US, with tensions spiking this week over House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taipei, and in its own dispute with the G-7 after the bloc issued a statement expressing concern about Beijings threatening actions around Taiwan. Story continues A face-to-face meeting planned between the foreign ministers of China and G-7 member Japan this week in Cambodia has been called off by Beijing. Japan said late Thursday that some ballistic missiles fired by China during drills near Taiwan had landed in its exclusive economic zone the first time that had happened and lodged a diplomatic protest. But Beijing is far from alone in rejecting the pleas to rein in the Kremlin. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke over the phone with Putin on July 1 and discussed how trade could be built up. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the frontrunner in Brazils presidential race, laid the blame for the war on Ukraine as much as Russia. In South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa criticized US-led sanctions. Turkey concluded that penalizing Russia would be detrimental to Ankaras economic and political interests, according to a senior official, who cited a $35 billion hit from higher energy costs and the impact on tourism. Economic imperatives are one reason for the reticence among what is often termed the Global South. But there are others, including historic affinities to Moscow, concerns at signs of US disengagement and a distrust of former colonial powers that fuels a sense of hypocrisy. There are parallels with China and the US-led efforts to create a coalition of democracies against Beijing. US Commerce Under Secretary Alan Estevez said in July that Washingtons collaboration with 37 nations to impose export controls on Russia served as a blueprint for a new system of tackling threats from China. Here, too, the US and like-minded nations can point to only limited success, since G-20 members including this years host Indonesia continue to sign big deals with Chinese state-owned companies, while the balance of trade remains in Beijings favor. Take Saudi Arabia, which remains on good terms with Moscow through their involvement in the OPEC+ oil cartel. Its also friendly with Beijing: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said recently that many Chinese companies are already doing business in Neom, his flagship megaproject. Riyadh doesnt have to choose between American and Chinese technology, in the same way that you can have a McDonalds and a Burger King on the same street, Saudi Ambassador to the US Princess Reema bint Bandar told reporters during President Joe Bidens visit last month. That kind of pick-and-mix approach to foreign policy has set up a competition for influence. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pointedly invited Argentina, Indonesia, India and South Africa, none of whom have sanctioned Russia, to his Ukraine-focused G-7 summit in late June. President Alberto Fernandez said on a Feb. 3 visit to Moscow that Argentina needed to stop depending so much on the US and that Russia had a role to play. The soft power tussle was on show in Africa last month, when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov won praise for Moscows nuclear power technology. He used the opportunity to stress Russias historic support for African liberation movements, while making the case that sanctions were to blame for food insecurity rather than a Kremlin blockade of Ukraines grain ports that is only just starting now to ease. Putins Media Blitz on Africa Food Crisis Sparks Alarm in Europe Moscow has backed up that message with a media barrage. French President Emmanuel Macron, on his own Africa tour, denounced Russia for conducting a new kind of hybrid world war on the continent. Its been a similar playbook by China in Africa. An African country alternates with China in hosting the triennial Forum of China Africa Cooperation, which the Chinese president traditionally attends and meets one-on-one with almost every head of state. When the FOCAC is held in Beijing the red carpet is rolled out, with tiny Equatorial New Guinea treated with equal importance to Nigeria a level of attention absent in Washington. China knows that each African state has one vote at the United Nations and its institutions, and thats paid off diplomatically. Earlier this year, the US submitted a letter decrying China for alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang to the Human Rights Council with 47 signatories, mostly European allies. Cuba responded with a statement on Chinas behalf backed by 62 countries, mostly in the Global South. Blinkens decision to travel from Asia to South Africa on Aug. 7, then the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, looks like an attempt to regain the narrative against not just China but Russia, too. The ruling ANC in South Africa has close business ties with Russia. United Manganese of Kalahari, in which billionaire oligarch Viktor Vekselberg and the ANC's investment company Chancellor House are investors, was the biggest donor to the ANC in a recent quarterly disclosure. Biden said hell welcome African leaders to Washington in December for a summit that will build on our shared values to better foster new economic engagement. As well as tackling pandemic readiness, climate change and food security, the meeting will reinforce the US-Africa commitment to democracy and human rights, Biden said. Yet according to Maria Repnikova, associate professor in global communication at Georgia State University, Chinas pragmatic use of soft power centered on education and jobs, while showcasing its tech advances and progress in cutting poverty often resonates more in the Global South than the US focus on values. Moscow meantime is using different ways of appealing and speaking for and with the Global South as an advocate for them, Repnikova, the author of Chinese Soft Power, said in an interview. Its less than Chinas reach, she said, but theyve been working a lot on their competition of narratives, through social media and diplomatic language. That kind of approach doesnt just apply to Africa, Repnikova said, but to Asia and Latin America, where Russia supplied nations with its Covid-19 vaccine and China is investing heavily. In a rare snub to Ukraine, the South American trade bloc Mercosur declined a request by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to address its summit in late July. In Indonesia, President Joko Widodo has maintained traditional non-alignment in the face of pressure to exclude Putin from the G-20 summit in November. Hes invited both the Russian and Ukrainian presidents to Bali. While Jokowi traveled to Moscow and Kyiv, Chinas Silk Road Fund signed a deal to invest as much as $3 billion in Indonesias new sovereign wealth fund. It was the largest single investment by China recorded worldwide by IntelTraks Belt and Road Monitor for the July 1-15 period. To Repnikova, recent events show how competition for influence is becoming more entrenched. That leaves little chance of mobilizing states to shift their positions unless something very significant is offered. ((Updates with comments from Argentinas president. An earlier version of this story corrected the description of Vekselberg and ANC donorship.)) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Col. David Zinnante took command of Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg on July 6, 2022. FORT BRAGG Womack Army Medical Center has had a new commander leading health care services at Fort Bragg for the past month. Col. David Zinnante assumed command of the medical center July 6 during a command change ceremony from Col. Christopher Jarvis, who retired from the Army on July 22. Zinnante was most recently chief of staff for the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas. His more than 30 years of service in the Army has included being commander of the Fort Sill Medical Department Activity and Reynolds Army Health Clinic at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; commander of Kirk Army Health Clinic at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; force health protection officer for III Corps at Fort Hood, Texas and leading Fort Hoods 22th Medical Detachment during Hurricane Katrina humanitarian support in New Orleans, Louisiana. More: Womack Army Medical Center to update medical record system: What that means for Fort Bragg More: 'We're seeing a light at the end of the tunnel:' Fort Bragg sees decline in COVID-19 cases More: Here's why Fort Bragg newborn and pediatric services moved to Joel Clinic More: Bragg, medical leaders thank outgoing Womack commander, welcome new leader Zinnante is no stranger to Fort Bragg, previously serving as executive officer and group preventative medicine officer for the 7th Special Forces Group during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He was also deputy division surgeon, division environmental service officer and division preventative medicine officer for the 82nd Airborne Division during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom and was executive officer for the 714th Medical Detachment during Hurricane Mitch humanitarian support in Honduras. If you told me back in 2005, 17 years ago, that I would return to Fort Bragg as the commander of Womack I would not believe you, Zinnante said. Zinnante said he considers the job a privilege and an opportunity. Story continues To the Fort Bragg community, thank you for trusting us with your healthcare. All policies and procedures remain in effect, he said. He thanked Jarvis for his support during the transition. Jarvis was commander of Womack Army Medical Center since July 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Womack, Jarvis said, has served as the largest testing center for the Department of Defense and issued more vaccines than any other installation. During the pandemic, medical teams and vaccination teams also deployed all over the country, he said. Col. Christopher Jarvis handed over command of Womack Army Medical Center on July 6, 2022, before retiring from the Army on July 22, 2022. He said medical providers and soldiers juggled the pandemic along with ensuring force readiness as 82nd Airborne Division, 18th Airborne Corps and Special Forces soldiers deployed during the drawdown in Afghanistan last year. A new medical system, Genesis, was also implemented, and Womack maintained its level III trauma center designation, while also expanding to accept civilian trauma patients. It has been a challenging couple of years, but tremendous accomplishments by team Womack, Jarvis said. Brig. Gen. Mary Krueger, commander of Regional Health CommandAtlantic and reviewing officer of the command change, said Fort Bragg forces are critical to the national defense strategy, from being the last off the battlefield in Afghanistan to being the first in Europe as Russia waged work on Ukraine. The Womack team in support of this has served during one of the most dynamic public health environments in our nations history, Krueger said, thanking Jarvis and his team. Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528. This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: New commander leading Fort Bragg health care delivery Although access, traffic and parking has improved at two of the regions most popular waterfront parks since non-resident parking fees were implemented nearly three weeks ago, hundreds of non-residents continue to flock to the beaches. We have not seen any issues with parking in the area of Old Mill Park since changes took effect July 22, said city police spokeswoman Sarah Morris. The parking fees at Fredericksburgs Old Mill Park and Stafford Countys Historic Port of Falmouth went into effect July 22, both as pilot programs through Labor Day. The fees were established to help alleviate excessive crowding, vehicles and trash at the parks, as well as ease parking and safety concerns in the vicinity of the two parks. Andrew Spence, spokesman for Stafford, said parks and recreation personnel have not been gathering information on where non-resident visitors live, but have collected the $25 parking fee from those unable to provide proof of residency in Stafford or Fredericksburg. Collections seem to be going fine, Spence wrote in an email Tuesday. No issues to report. Stafford Sheriffs Major Shawn Kimmitz said over the last two weekends, no significant traffic safety issues were noted by his patrols in the vicinity of the Falmouth beachfront. A couple of minor parking issues, but its going smoothly, Kimmitz said. On June 26, Fredericksburg City Council voted 52 to launch a pilot program to begin charging non-residents $10 to park or $5 to walk into Old Mill Park effective July 22 and running through Labor Day. That decision followed Stafford County supervisors own 42 June 7 vote in which they elected to charge non-residents $25 per car to park in one of the 80 parking spaces at the Historic Port of Falmouth on River Road. In the same resolution, supervisors also applied the same $25 fee at two other parking lots that serve the small Falmouth waterfront park. Although the pilot programs in each jurisdiction will not be evaluated by officials until this fall, two weeks worth of parking fee data from Fredericksburg and Stafford reveal a willingness by non-residents to pay to use both parks. Fredericksburg officials reported that revenue from Old Mill Park over the July 23 and July 30 weekends totaled $7,100. Included in the citys two-week total were 148 walk-ins who paid $5 each to access the park. Sonja Cantu, public information officer for the city, reported 636 non-resident parking fees were collected at the park during the last two weekends. Like Spence, Cantu declined to say what locations the non-residents came from, saying the city will have a more complete assessment of their pilot program to share in about two weeks. Spence said Stafford received $7,675 in revenue during the first week of fee collection, and last week brought in another $4,328. If the program is adopted on a permanent basis, the fees will be charged every weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day. But George Washington District Supervisor Tom Coen said the way the pilot program was initially pitched to supervisors was money collected would be used to help cover the rising costs of fire and rescue and law enforcement services, as well as pay for the additional parks and recreation personnel necessary to manage the parking stations and collect the fees. Coen said the final resolution only allows money collected at Falmouth Beach to be used for future park use. It doesnt make much sense to say Im creating a tax to pay for future expenses, which we dont even know what theyre going to look like yet, Coen said. Its costing the county a lot of money for whats going on now. Joining Coen in opposing the parking fees last month was GriffisWidewater District Supervisor Tinesha Allen. Allen said she was concerned the same fees were not being applied to the 40 parking spaces at Aquia Landing, which also has its share of parking and overflow problems. Why are we targeting one area and not having a blanket approach for all of it? Allen asked. If you close the Port of Falmouth or you charge it, I can just drive to Aquia beach. Are we solving the issue? Coen said although many non-residents use Falmouth beach on the weekends, visitors to the waterfront park during the weekdays are usually limited to residents of Stafford and Fredericksburg. Hartwood Supervisor Darrell English said he wasnt surprised at the amount of revenue collected over the last two weeks, but said he had originally hoped the fees would have deterred visitors from entering the dangerous, unpredictable waters that exist along that stretch of the Rappahannock River. Somebody drowns every year in there, English said. With the amount of people down there, its bound to happen. Since 1985, more than 80 people have drowned in the Rappahannock River. Nearly two years ago, Hasnain Ghafoor, a 15-year-old from Northern Virginia, died in the Rappahannock. Officials said he was not wearing a personal flotation device. His body, eventually located near the Chatham Bridge, was missing for several days. A week earlier, 40-year-old Brandon Childs went missing while kayaking. After his body was located, authorities determined he was not wearing a personal flotation device. Its not like other rivers in the area. Its got tides, its brackish, it has rapids, said Joe Young, a Fredericksburg police officer who serves as the city watershed manager. Its smooth on top, but at the bottom, its moving three times faster than it is on the surface. In February 2020, Staffords parks and recreation commission redesignated the Historic Port of Falmouth as a natural area, saying the county no longer planned to remove natural debris or trees or groom vegetation from the area, but that plan never materialized. Adam Lynch, a river steward with Friends of the Rappahannock said the area was never meant to be a public park and said that area of the Rappahannock is a depositional zone, where the river naturally deposits sand, silt and logs. The river sort of drops things there. Its natural, said Lynch. Sand and logs are part of the natural landscape, but humans have changed things and have destabilized the area. Both Stafford County and Fredericksburg are expected to evaluate their respective fee-collection programs this fall. Tommys Express Car Wash at 2323 E. 23rd Ave. S. in Fremont is partnering with Fremont Area Habitat for Humanity for Wash for a Cause. During business hours of 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, a portion of the sale of every wash will be donated to Fremont Area Habitat for Humanity. The following will be donated from every purchase: $1 per single wash, $1 per detail kit, and $5 per new membership. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan and Korea have discussed possible joint initiatives in the small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) sector, Azernews reports. The discussion took place during a meeting between Azerbaijan's Small and Medium Business Development Agency Board Chairman Orkhan Mammadov and Korea International Cooperation Agency Director of the Azerbaijani office Moon Jong-Hyun. During the meeting, Orkhan Mammadov also briefed the Korean side on the agency's activities. Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Korea were established on March 23, 1992. The embassy of Korea in Azerbaijan was opened on March 4, 2006, whereas the embassy of Azerbaijan in Korea was established on March 14, 2007. Azerbaijan and Korea are cooperating in various spheres. In total, around sixty-seven documents were signed between the two countries. Korean companies successfully operate in various economic sectors in Azerbaijan and they played a role in the modern architectural image of Baku as well as in the implementation of major industrial infrastructure projects. The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $227.6 million in 2021. Fort Atkinson State Historical Park near Fort Calhoun will be hosting Living History Weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Activities will take place from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. both days. They will include military activity, mountain man camp, laundresses, blacksmithing, tinsmithing, spinning/weaving, coopering and more. There will be free pony rides from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Joe Starita will give the presentation Warrior of the People at 1 p.m. Sunday. Visit the calendar event entry at calendar.outdoornebraska.gov for the full schedule. A valid Nebraska park entry permit is required. A per person fee is required at the Harold W. Andersen Visitor Center of $2 per adult and $1 per child. For more information, contact the park at ngpc.fort.atkinson@nebraska.gov or 402-468-5611. The University of Nebraska Board of Regents will consider giving the systems top administrator a contract extension when it meets next week, and with it, a pay increase and chance at a lucrative bonus. Incentivizing President Ted Carter to stay at NU through 2027, giving him a 3% increase in his base pay, and providing a healthy deferred compensation package should be seen as a vote of confidence in his leadership, Regent Bob Phares said. Ted Carter has been the right leader at the right time for the University of Nebraska system and our state as a whole, said Phares, of North Platte, ahead of the Aug. 11 meeting at Varner Hall. We want to keep him as long as we can. All told, Carters total compensation could surpass $1.5 million in 2023. The details of Carters restructured contract include: * Carter was hired by NU in 2019 and given a 5-year contract that expires Dec. 31, 2024, but regents want to extend his time leading the university system with campuses in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney until Dec. 31, 2027. * A 3% increase to Carters base pay the same merit increase provided to all NU employees this year through an agreement with the Legislature and Gov. Pete Ricketts would push his annual salary from $934,600 to $962,638. The increase in pay comes from NUs state-aided budget, which includes appropriations from the Legislature and tuition revenue. * The board will also consider awarding Carter a performance bonus for his work during the 2021-22 academic year. Under the terms of his contract, Carter is eligible to receive an amount equal to 15% of his salary if he hits a series of metrics determined by the board. Last year, regents said Carter met 95% of the benchmarks set for him and voted to give him a performance bonus of $140,190. This year, however, with first- to second-year retention numbers falling for NU students across the system, Carter met just 89% of the performance metrics set for him. The board will consider awarding him a bonus equal to three-quarters of the full amount he is eligible to receive, or roughly $105,000. * Under the new contract up for consideration, regents could also provide Carter a second deferred compensation package money he is eligible to receive each year he stays at NU. Carter already has a deferred compensation package -- funded by private donors -- equal to 11.5% of his base salary. Regents could award him a second privately funded package that would put $340,000 into an investment account beginning in 2023 that he would be able to draw from beginning in January 2024. Both deferred compensation packages would be managed by the University of Nebraska Foundation. James Finkelstein, a professor emeritus of public policy at George Mason University in Virginia who researches the contracts of university presidents, said deferred compensation packages have become increasingly more common across higher education. In the corporate world, deferred compensation packages are designed to keep high-performing executives in the company by promising them a payout after a certain number of years something often referred to as golden handcuffs, according to Finkelstein. While a deferred compensation package can be used to keep a leader in higher education at an institution the tenure of chancellors and presidents has shortened in recent years Finkelstein said most top administrators do not move into other leadership positions. What (a deferred compensation package) really accomplishes in higher education is that the public doesnt know the true value of a presidents compensation until the compensation is received, he said, often deferring public scrutiny until the compensation is paid years later. Still, deferred compensation packages are becoming the norm, particularly among universities in the Big Ten Conference. Penn State Universitys board will pay its new president, Neeli Bendapudi, a base salary of $950,000 with $350,000 in supplemental retirement contributions. And the University of Minnesota Board of Regents approved a deal with President Joan Gabel that increases her supplemental retirement contributions of $250,000 with $10,000 annual increments. Gabel's total compensation will reach $1.2 million this year. Dear Reader, Welcome to Gandhara's weekly newsletter. This briefing brings you the best of our reporting from Afghanistan and Pakistan. If youre new to the newsletter or haven't subscribed yet, you can do so here. This week's Gandhara Briefing brings you insights into the assassination of Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri, the Taliban's ongoing media crackdown, and a spike in targeted killings in Pakistans North Waziristan district. Al-Qaeda Chief Killed In Upscale Neighborhood I write about the irony of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri, who many believed was hiding in the rugged border areas between Afghanistan and Pakistan, being killed in a U.S. drone strike in Shirpur, a wealthy neighborhood in central Kabul that was largely built on U.S. taxpayers' money. The villa where Zawahri and his family were living is among scores of multimillion-dollar mansions that were built in Shirpur after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. The neighborhood came to embody the endemic corruption and impunity of the post-Taliban era. Most of the land in the area was allegedly grabbed by high-ranking government officials and powerful former warlords, who were empowered and enriched by the international military presence. "Why do international terrorists still live in Kabul?" asked Safa, a Kabul resident. "Why are the Taliban unable to destroy and expel the terrorists from our country?" The Talibans War On The Free Press Michael Scollon reports on the Taliban continuing to crack down on domestic and foreign media through harassment, beatings, and the enforcement of haphazard rules imposed on journalists. As the extremist group recently released a new decree intended to protect its government from "disrespectful" criticism by the media, one foreign journalist who returned to Afghanistan was detained and forced to publicly retract previous reporting. "They stood around me when it got to the point of 'If you don't publicly apologize you will go to jail,' so it was pretty clear that that was what I had to do," Lynne O'Donnell, a longtime Afghanistan correspondent, told us. (See our infographic on the human rights abuses committed by the Taliban government) Meanwhile, the beating of a local female journalist added to the growing list of pressure by force. "My cell phone fell, and when I tried to pick it up, they [the Taliban] hit me on the shoulder and I fell. A second [Taliban fighter] hit me, and I lost consciousness," said Salgai Ehsas, a journalist in Jalalabad, about an incident on July 22. Heather Barr, associate director of the women's rights division at Human Rights Watch, said it was becoming difficult for everyone to provide real news from Afghanistan because the Taliban are not ready to tolerate what is published in the free media." (Watch German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticizing the Taliban for taking away "every human right" from Afghan women.) Targeted Assassinations Rise In North Waziristan Daud Khattak reports on a recent surge in targeted killings in Pakistans Pashtun tribal belt, a region that was a former militant stronghold. Many of the 50 killings this year have occurred in North Waziristan. Residents have blamed the attacks -- which have often targeted activists, religious leaders, and tribal elders -- on Pakistans powerful army and militants still holed up in the region. "I narrowly escaped death," said Mir Wali, an activist in North Waziristan, recalling the killing of four of his colleagues on June 19. "I believe that I was the main target." Lawmaker Mohsin Dawar argues that the targeted killings are an attempt to silence dissenting voices. "Militant groups are trying to create chaos and fear so they can stop people from engaging in political activities," he told us. China's Belt And Road Hits Bumps Reid Standish writes about Chinas ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) facing growing challenges. Beijing is scrambling to respond to a widening debt crisis as developing nations, such as Pakistan, struggle to repay Chinese loans. New Chinese investment in Pakistan through the BRI dropped by 56 percent during the first half of 2022. Islamabad remains the biggest recipient of BRI financing globally, with Beijing investing around $62 billion in infrastructure projects. "Pakistan went through some big political changes last year and this year and there has been some reevaluation of the political risks from the Chinese side," said Christoph Nedopil Wang, the director of the Green Finance and Development Center at Fudan University, who helped write a new report evaluating BRI projects. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can do so here. I encourage you to visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Yours, Abubakar Siddique Twitter: @sid_abu You can always reach us at gandhara@rferl.org. The heaviest monsoon rains that Pakistan has seen in three decades have triggered flash floods that have killed hundreds of people, and meteorologists are warning that more heavy rains are still to come. Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on August 5 that floods have taken the lives of at least 549 people over the past month, with remote communities in the impoverished southwestern province of Balochistan among the worst affected. Last month saw 133 percent more rain fall than the average for the past 30 years, the NDMA said, with Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, receiving 300 percent more rain than the annual average. The flash floods have also damaged more than 46,200 houses, the NDMA said. Authorities and the military have set up aid and relief camps in flood-hit regions and have been providing food and medicine to those affected. "We're doing our best to provide for extensive relief and rehabilitation of flood victims," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said during a visit to stricken areas. Balochistan's provincial government said it needed more funds and appealed to international organizations for assistance. "Our losses are massive," the province's Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bezenjo said, adding that Balochistan needed "huge assistance" from the government and from international aid agencies. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast another spell of heavy monsoon rains on August 5 that could hamper rescuers' efforts even further. With reporting by Reuters, Dawn.com, and Geo TV The Free MallRide drives along the 16th Street Mall Friday, Feb. 19, 2021 in Denver. The city of Denver has launched $150M of work to address deteriorating infrastructure along the mall and improve pedestrian experiences by changing the layout of the bus lanes to widen sidewalks and improve safety. (Michael Ciaglo/Special to The Denver Gazette) Jimmy Sengenberger is host of The Jimmy Sengenberger Show Saturdays from 6-9am on News/Talk 710 KNUS. He also hosts Jimmy at the Crossroads, a webshow and podcast in partnership with The Washington Examiner. In case you missed it summer's most popular meteor shower is set to peak tonight above Colorado, with the celestial event remaining active through September 1. The completed statewide recount of the June 28 GOP primary for secretary of state shows no major changes in the ballot totals, with Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters still losing the race by almost 89,000 votes. Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder Pam Anderson, who won the GOP primary and Peters each added 13 votes, while third-place finisher Mike ODonnells gained 11 votes, according to the Secretary of State's Office. Statewide recount for the Republican Secretary of State primary Candidate Net Change in Votes Percentage of Vote Total Pam Anderson +13 43.06% Tina Peters +13 28.86% Mike O'Donnell +11 28.08% State Republican primary race for Senate District 9 Candidate Net Change in Votes Percentage of Vote Total Paul Lundeen +1 66.36% Lynda Zamora Wilson 0 33.64% Secretary of State Jena Griswold confirmed that all 64 canvass boards have signed off on the statewide recount result, plus the Senate District 9 race in Monument. The recounts confirmed the winners in each of the races. The recounts are complete and confirm once again that Colorado elections are safe and secure," Griswold said in statement. "Accepting the outcome of free and fair elections is a cornerstone of American democracy. Disinformation and frivolous lawsuits do not change the fact that there are winners and losers in an election. The most substantial change in the recount came out of Elbert County and the discovery last week of 37 uncounted ballots by county election workers. According to Griswold's statement, Elbert County Clerk and Recorder Dallas Schroeder last week notified the Secretary of State's Office that his office found 37 unopened ballots in a bin of undeliverable ballots that were being prepared for storage after the primary. The clerks staff did not find the live ballots in the bin of undeliverable ballots when they arrived on June 10, and, as a result, those 37 unopened ballots were not counted during the initial processing of the primary election ballots. Schroeder was directed to open and process the 37 ballots, but it did not have any effect on the margins of victory for any statewide candidate or for candidates in Elbert County. . Griswold added: I commend election workers from across the state and from my office for conducting this recount. In the face of unparalleled pressure and scrutiny, they have stayed focused on our ultimate goal: ensuring that every eligible Republican, Democrat, and Unaffiliated voter has their voice heard. Repeating a lie over and over does not make it true. Colorados elections are secure, and voters can be confident in them. Peters, who lost by nearly 89,000 votes to Anderson as indicated by official election results, had sought the statewide recount. Peters twice asked for a hand recount, which was denied. Under the state's election rules, recounts must be conducted in the same manner as the original vote tabulation, which was by machine. Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said in a Thursday afternoon statement that the state's 64 county clerks and their election teams ran a professional, accurate and transparent recount of the Republican primary candidates for secretary of state. Crane pointed out that candidates for office in Colorado have the right to ask for and pay for a recount of their race. The statewide recount demonstrated, yet again, that Colorados voting systems are extremely accurate, he said. "Clerk Peters did not lose a close race; she lost this primary contest by 88,000 votes, almost 15%, statewide," Crane said. "The recount she asked for showed she lost, just as our post-election audits already held in every county and certified by volunteer citizen canvass boards found. Clerk Peters attempt to concoct a reason for this recount is window dressing for the larger effort to undermine confidence in our elections." Peters was required to submit $255,912.33 for the recount, which she paid a week ago. She raised more than $503,000 in a seven-day period. According to 9News, those contributions largely followed Peters' appearances on Steve Bannon's "War Room" program. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad The total production of Azerbaijan's Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) block of fields has amounted to 77 million barrels during the first half of 2022, Azernews reports per bp Azerbaijan. In January-June, the total production on the block of fields amounted to 424,000 barrels per day. Of this, the Chirag field accounted for 25,000 b/d, Central Azeri for 108,000 b/d, West Azeri for 109,000 b/d, East Azeri for 62,000 b/d, Deepwater Gunashli for 78,000 b/d and West Chirag for 42,000 b/d. At the end of the six months, 136 wells were producing oil, while 37 wells were used for water and eight for gas injection. In addition, ACG completed eight oil production wells. During the reporting period, ACG delivered 2 billion cubic meters, or an average of 9 million cubic meters per day of ACG-associated gas to the state of Azerbaijan, primarily at the Sangachal Terminal, and to SOCARs Oil Rocks facility. The remaining associated gas produced was re-injected for reservoir pressure maintenance. The company spent about $229 million in operating expenditure and $791 million in capital expenditure on the ACG activities. As part of the ACG annual work program, a planned maintenance program (turnaround - TAR) was successfully implemented on the East Azeri platform in the second quarter. In accordance with the plan, production from the East Azeri platform was suspended for about 15 days to enable maintenance, inspection and project work to be undertaken efficiently. The program, which was designed to maintain the long-term ability of the platform to produce in a safe, reliable and environmentally sound way, was completed safely and on schedule. The Chirag Gas Lift Project (CGLP) was also completed safely and within budget in the second quarter of 2022. Additionally, the Azeri Central East (ACE) project progressed according to the plan along with the other bp-operated activities. At the end of the second quarter of 2022, the ACE project reached the 75 percent progress milestone. BP opened its first office in Baku in June 1992 and has since then contributed to Azerbaijans oil and gas sector through operating projects such as Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG), Shah Deniz, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC), and South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP). The contract for the development of the ACG oil fields was signed on September 20, 1994, and took force in December. The contract for the development of the ACG block was extended to 2050 in September 2017. The shareholders in the ACG project are BP (operator, 30.37 percent), SOCAR (25 percent), MOL (9.57 percent), INPEX (9.31 percent), Equinor (7.27 percent), ExxonMobil (6.79 percent), TPAO (5.73 percent), ITOCHU (3.65 percent), ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) (2.31 percent). One climber died in a fall and another person was rescued near the Crestone Traverse on Wednesday in Colorado's rugged Sangre de Christo mountain range, according to Custer County Search and Rescue. Two Denver-area climbers were at about 13,800 feet of elevation on the "class five" route that connects Crestone Peak to Crestone Needle when they got off-route. One of the climbers took a fatal fall and the other down-climbed to reach him. After reaching him, the surviving climber was unable to safely move up or down from her position. The surviving climber used her Garmin inReach to call for help, and was able to use her cellphone to communicate with the rescue team. Despite dangerous weather moving into the area, a helicopter service out of Canon City was able to respond with two members of the Custer County Search and Rescue Technical Rope Rescue Team. The crew was able to reach the survivor and recover the body. In response to the incident, search-and-rescue crews reminded the public of the difficulties that come with route-finding in the Crestone mountain group. The Crestone Traverse climb is notoriously exposed, but is often climbed without ropes. It is known as one of the most difficult and most dangerous routes on any of Colorado's fourteeners, but is popular because of the challenge it poses and the way it serves as a "shortcut" between the summits of the two peaks. The state Supreme Court has interpreted Colorado's constitution to guarantee a 12-person jury in felony criminal cases. Following his conviction, Matthew Jeremiah Smith claimed on appeal that he effectively did not have a jury of 12 during the periods when the unidentified juror was inattentive. Colorado State Court Administrator Steven Vaconcellos on Tuesday said he overlooked the discipline record of a retiring district court judge when he approved the jurist's application for the senior judge program in 2018, then recently admonished the state's judicial discipline commission for not telling the Judicial Branch about it. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad The Sangachal terminal exported over 114 million barrels of oil and condensate to world markets in the first half of 2022, Azernews reports per bp Azerbaijan. This includes about 107 million barrels through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and around 7 million barrels through the Western (Baku-Supsa) Route Export Pipeline. On average, around 69 million cubic meters of Shah Deniz gas were exported from the terminal daily. Gas is exported via the South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP), the SCP expansion system, and via Azerbaijans pipelines connecting the terminals gas processing facilities with Azerigas national grid system. The daily capacity of the terminals processing systems is currently 1.2 million barrels of crude oil and condensate, and around 100 million cubic meters of gas, including 81 million cubic meters for Shah Deniz gas. The report adds that the daily average throughput of the South Caucasus Pipeline was 56.9 million cubic meters of gas during the first half of the year. The South Caucasus Pipeline spent around $29 million in operating expenditure and around $2 million in capital expenditure. The SCP has been operational since late 2006, transporting Shah Deniz gas to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkiye. The expanded section of the pipeline commenced commercial deliveries to Turkiye in June 2018 and to Europe in December 2020. The South Caucasus Pipeline was built to export Shah Deniz gas from Azerbaijan to Georgia and Turkiye. The pipeline starts from the Sangachal terminal near Baku. It follows the route of the BTC crude oil pipeline through Azerbaijan and Georgia to Turkiye, where it is linked to the Turkish gas distribution system. The Sangachal terminal is an oil and gas terminal that receives, processes, stores, and exports crude oil and gas produced from all currently operated BP assets in the Caspian basin and has room for expansion. The terminal includes oil and gas processing facilities, the first pump station for the BTC oil pipeline, the South Caucasus gas pipeline (SCP) compressor, and other facilities. Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country Sign Up View all of our newsletters. South Africa: Labour hosts asbestos management workshop While the Asbestos Abatement Regulations 2020 do not prescribe a cut-off date for the removal of any asbestos-containing material in workplaces, it is the duty of every employer to have a management plan in place, says the Department of Employment and Labour. Addressing stakeholders on the Asbestos Abatement Regulations, the departments Occupational Health & Hygiene specialist, Elize Lourens, said every organisation needs to develop its own policy and target date to remove the asbestos. "Where the removal of asbestos or repair of asbestos-containing material is conducted, organisations need to have their own management plan and inspectors need to see the plan when conducting inspections," Lourens said. Lourens was speaking during the Asbestos Abatement Regulations workshop held at the Milnerton Public Library in Cape Town on Thursday. She said an asbestos management plan is a critical component of a risk assessment plan. According to the Asbestos Abatement Regulations 2020, the asbestos management plan must include at least the following: a procedure that contains at least measures related to the repair, removal and management of asbestos-containing materials; and the implementation of the Regulations for Prohibition of the Use, Manufacturing, Import and Export of Asbestos and Asbestos-containing Materials. The regulations further specify that if asbestos-containing materials are identified, as required in regulation 3, the employer or self-employed person must ensure that a written asbestos management plan for the workplace is prepared by a competent person. The workshop was part of a stakeholder engagement to provide a practical guidance to registered asbestos contractors and asbestos clients on the legislation and legal requirements. The Department of Employment and Labour Senior Specialist: Occupational Health and Hygiene, Bulelwa Huna, cautioned on the economic costs of poor OHS practices, saying this affects both employer and employee in terms of medical and rehabilitation costs and for employees and the loss of income for employees. Huna said safety and health in the workplace is a fundamental right that cannot be taken away. She reiterated that every employer must provide and maintain, as far as is reasonably practicable, a working environment that is safe and without risks. Huna said leadership plays a crucial role in the successful implementation of a health and safety management system. Risk assessment is one of the key tools for improving OHS conditions at work, and this will contribute to the protection of employees by employers and minimise work related hazards, said Huna. The five-step methodology in risk assessment include: identifying the hazards, identifying who might be harmed, evaluating the risk, recording who is responsible for implementing and recording the findings. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-08-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijani satellite operator Azercosmos and Swiss Signalhorn company have signed a cooperation agreement, Azernews reports per Azercosmos. According to the agreement, Signalhorn has already started providing Internet services at sea via the European broadcast beam of the Azerspace-1 satellite. The resources of the Azerspace-1 satellite are transferred to cruise ships in the Mediterranean directly from the teleport belonging to Signalhorn. "Azercosmos continues to improve broadband capabilities at sea, which is one of the main segments of the global satellite communication market. At present, reliable and stable internet services are provided via Azerspace-1 and Azerspace-2 satellites to the ships in the Caspian, Black, and Azov seas, the Iranian Gulf, the Volga River, and the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea," the statement reads. Established in 2010, Azercosmos is the only satellite operator in the South Caucasus region and provides high-quality satellite services for telecommunications and geographic intelligence. Azercosmos along with Azerspace-1, Azerspace-2, and Azersky satellites, facilitates the reception of signals from satellites of other satellite operators via a fiber-optic network. Threats against election workers in Colorado prompted at least one county clerk to begin wearing a bulletproof vest, according to comments made during a Wednesday hearing of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Committee Chair Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL, said that election workers are spending their own money to install elaborate home security systems, and others, "like one county clerk in Colorado, have begun to wear a bulletproof vest to work. Durbin did not specifically identify the clerk. Matt Crane, the former Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder who is now executive director of the Colorado County Clerk's Association, told the committee he has never seen anything like the "reckless claims" raised against the integrity of the 2020 elections. "We are here today because of a lie," said Crane, who identifies as a conservative Republican and was among nine individuals who testified in a hearing on protections for frontline election workers. Crane said that, in his 22 years of elections work, "I have never seen these reckless claims happen on this scale and in the well-funded and coordinated way it is happening today." "In our current reality, it seems the facts no longer matter regardless of how much accurate information is presented. And now that political bad actors have seen the financial and political value of spreading mis- and disinformation, the dissemination and amplification of that fraudulent information is only growing," he said. He added that unprecedented attack on election systems has resulted in radicalizing people, and claims that elections are not secure or accurate has led to harassment, doxing, and outright threats on the lives of election administrators. Crane also spoke on the steps county clerks are taking to protect themselves and their staff. In a recent survey of the 64 county clerks in Colorado, a quarter reported fortifying their offices, such as adding tinted bulletproof glass or more security around office access doors. More clerks would add those security enhancements if they had the funds to do so, Crane said. The worst of the threats, he said, are falling on Republican clerks. "Many, if not all of them, have seen an uptick in everything from concerning emails to actual physical threats," he said. He reserved his harshest criticism for Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters, who is under indictment for allegedly tampering with election equipment last year. Peters, who called the allegations against her politically motivated, sought a recount of her nearly 89,000-vote loss to GOP candidate for Secretary of State and former Jeffco Clerk and Recorder Pam Anderson. The completed statewide recount Thursday of the June 28 GOP primary for Secretary of State showed no major changes in the ballot totals, with Peters still losing the race by almost 89,000 votes. Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder Pam Anderson, who won the GOP primary, and Peters both added 13 votes, according to the Secretary of State's Office. Crane said Peters had been taken in by election "lies" and accused her of violating her oath of office by providing internal images of her voting system to an unknown number of outside entities. Her actions, Crane said, increased the threat to election systems and "dramatically decreased the integrity of our elections." Peters' actions have also led to an increase in intimidation, harassment and threats to other election officials who refused to violate the law and the public trust, he said. Crane asked that Congress make available federal dollars easier for local election officials to access, including direct pass-throughs from the federal government to counties, which, in effect, would bypass state allocation processes. The current system is not transparent about where the funds are or how to apply for them, he said. Crane pointed to recent assessments by the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency on physical security of election facilities, and while those assessments help understand security risks, most clerks will never be able to implement the recommendations because they lack the resources to pay for them. He also urged federal lawmakers to support election workers, suggesting they tour election facilities, talk to local election officials, and "avoid amplifying unproven and/or false rhetoric." "If we dont make a commitment to stop fanning the flames of conspiracy for political gain, it will have implications that reach much farther than the next election cycle. And to be clear, this issue does not just belong to one political party. We have seen candidates from both major political parties refuse to accept defeat and harm our voting institutions," Crane said. He urged the committee to stand with the 8,000 election officials "who are telling the truth, honoring their oaths of office, and serving their citizens by running accessible, transparent, and secure elections." Crane said Coloradans believe in secure and transparent elections. "However, when lies so pollute our public discourse, it makes it extremely difficult for election experts to seek necessary improvements," he said. When a lower price on diesel and natural gas presents itself, the Mason City Community School District will jump on it. The Mason City School Board was given a presentation at its Monday night meeting on the changing diesel and natural gas markets and 2022-23 contracts. "It's not an easy time. I'm at the point where I just want to make sure we have some diesel and we don't ever run short," said Transportation Supervisor Randy Meyer. The school district bought into a short-term diesel contract in June, around the time the supply ran out. The district pays for half of the fuel, and North Iowa Bus Company, which has a contract with the school district, covers the rest. The school district purchases the fuel for the buses since it receives a 32 cent tax rebate. "It's been a hard time buying diesel from basically last fall until now. The prices have not gone down at all, so you're waiting to see if it goes down, and it never did," said Meyer. Meyer said he and several others talked with a broker from Kansas City for guidance on how to proceed. What was developed was just buying a set amount of gallons that day due to how unstable the diesel situation currently is. "We bought enough diesel to get us through like the middle of November, which was 15,000 gallons. That'll get us through the trips and stuff that are happening in September and October," said Meyer. Meyer said he paid $4.69 per gallon, with tax rebate removing a portion of the cost. It is the highest amount the district has ever paid for fuel but ensures the district will have a supply. Meyer said he would visit with Board Secretary Cherie Yoder and Superintendent Pat Hamilton if something comes up, or possibly jump into a contract to get through the end of the school year. Mason City works with a company to purchase natural gas using forecasts, according to Energy Manager Rich Patras. Patras typically purchases 25% to 50% of the district's natural gas in February or March and then another 25% in September. Most of the gas is used during the "winter strip," or during part of October, November, December, January, February and a part of March. "This year was quite unique. March came around, and gas prices were terrible. We wait and we waited," said Patras. "I said we have to do something. We cannot continue (to wait)." The district's most-recent purchase of natural gas was in July at $8.56 MMbtu, according to Patras. It is the highest price the district has ever paid for gas. Patras predicts the district will spend $270,000 for natural gas for the 2022-23 school year. "We've made the right decision and like Randy (Meyer) was saying, it's not a good situation," said Patras. Both Meyer and Patras mentioned weather or supply issues can lead to further price spikes. Markets have been relatively calm recently, and both want to purchase now and avoid negative factors like a natural disaster resulting in a bump in prices. "We don't have control over some things, and that is one thing we don't have control," said board director Alan Steckman. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Kyrgyz Ambassador to Azerbaijan Kairat Osmonaliev has said that his country is interested in expanding economic cooperation with Azerbaijan, Azernews reports. He made the remarks during a meeting with Azerbaijans Deputy Economy Minister Sahib Mammadov. During the meeting, the ambassador also shared his views on the opportunities for joint projects between the two countries. In his turn, Mammadov underlined the great importance of developing economic relations between Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan. In this regard, he noted that the joint intergovernmental commission on economic and humanitarian cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan, the 4th meeting of which is planned to be held in Baku, is an important platform in terms of expanding trade and economic cooperation. He added that visits, various business forums, and meetings between the two countries are useful in terms of strengthening the partnership. Moreover, the deputy minister highlighted that there is a wide potential for the development of cooperation in the areas of transport and transit, agriculture, investment, and tourism. Mammadov also invited Kyrgyz companies to take advantage of the favorable business environment created in Azerbaijan. Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan were established on January 19, 1993. The embassy of Azerbaijan in Kyrgyzstan was established in October 2007, while the embassy of Kyrgyzstan in Azerbaijan was opened in October 2014. The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $9 million in 2021. The argument is saying that advertising does not have any impact. So this option seems correct. Adv cannot be the only factor means it wants to say that advertising has effects and also other factors. But the result says adv has not effect. Incorrect. We are not talking about consumption rather we are talking about the people. Incorrect. If no adv then more youths drink. Illogical We are talking about youth in now time. Incorrect IMO: A Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start again. Success is the sum of all small efforts. MAKE IT HAPPEN Signature Read More Many people claim that advertisements of alcoholic drinks influence young people to start drinking socially. In Iceland, however, where there has been a ban on the advertisement of alcoholic beverages since 1982, drinking is at least as prevalent among young people as it is in countries that do not have a similar ban.Which of the following statements draws the most reliable conclusion from the information above?A. Advertising does not play a role in causing young people to start or continue drinking.B. Advertisements of alcoholic drinks cannot be the only factor that affects the prevalence of drinking among young people.C. Banning advertisements of alcoholic drinks does not reduce the consumption of alcoholic drinks.D. More youths drink if they are not exposed to advertisements of alcoholic drinks than if they are.E. Most youths who drank in 1982 did not stop when the ban on advertisements of alcoholic drinks was implemented._________________ A federal judge in Danville has tossed out a lawsuit that claimed the November 2019 sale of the former Dan River Inc. property now the new city police headquarters on Memorial Drive was fraudulent. The lawsuit was filed Sept. 13, 2021, by Tim Norton against Wilkins & Co. Realty, Inc., Wilkins & Company Inc., James Buckner, Ed Walker, RE Prospects LLC and 2291 Schoolfield LLC in the U.S. District Courts Western District of Virginia in Danville. The bottom line of District Court Judge Thomas D. Schroeders decision was that Nortons lawsuit was baseless. This case relies on abrogated [false] legal theories and speculation, Schroeder wrote in his 52-page ruling that was filed Tuesday. The lawsuit brought by Norton and his company, Norhurst Properties, Danville, LLC, claimed that Buckner, Walker and Wilkins & Co. were enriched in a $17.7 million deal by being able to flip the property at 2291 Memorial Drive to the Danville Police Department through a lease-purchase arrangement. The lawsuit sought rescission or reversal of Norton/Norhursts sale of the property to developer Ed Walker and the companies, RE Prospects and 2291 Schoolfield. If the court granted the rescission, Norton and Norhurst would have replaced Walker in a deal Walker later made with the city. Norton/Norhurst sold the property to Walker on Nov. 20, 2019, for $987,740, and then the city of Danville bought it from Walker on December 2020. The property is currently the new police department headquarters. Plaintiffs claims that they [Norton/Norhurst] would have sold or leased the property to the city are at best speculative and certainly not plausible on the allegations of the amended complaint, Schroeder wrote in his opinion. Attorneys for the defendants argued that the lawsuit was nothing but a case of sellers remorse on the part of Norton and Norhurst. We are pleased, but certainly not surprised, at the courts ruling, Walkers Richmond-based attorney, Hal Johnson, said Thursday. State Sen. Chap Petersen, attorney for Norton/Norhurst, said he was a little bit startled by the judges dismissal of the case. It was a surprise to me, said Petersen, D-Fairfax. He said there were some misrepresentations that occurred that led to the lawsuit. We do plan to appeal, Petersen said. I need to talk to my client about that. Buckners attorney, James Daniel, said he and his client anticipated the lawsuit would be thrown out. We didnt feel there was any basis for a lawsuit against Buckner, Daniel said. Buckner, a Danville city councilman and a real estate agent with Wilkins & Co., represented Walker in the deal and Hampton Wilkins represented Norton. Walker told the Danville Register & Bee on Friday, The allegations were meritless and untrue and this was a patently absurd, dramatically wasteful lawsuit. As far as I am aware, nobody involved ever did anything illegal, improper, unethical or even questionable. He said he was proud of the police department headquarters project, which the department deserved, he added. The campus there is second-to-none in the Mid-Atlantic. The citizens and police force of Danville will benefit for decades to come, he said. Walker, an attorney, entrepreneur and developer, purchased the former site of the Danville Register and The Bee newspapers on South Union Street and converted it to a boutique hotel, The Bee. He also plans to turn the former doctors building across from the Sutherlin Mansion on Main Street into a boutique hotel. He spearheaded downtown Roanokes redevelopment and was named 2014 Citizen of the Year by Roanoke City Council. Walker redeveloped the old Patrick Henry Hotel in Roanoke and renovated that citys health department building and turned it into West End Flats. He has also been behind historic redevelopment projects throughout Virginia, in areas also including Salem. I appreciate all of the support Ive received from hundreds of citizens and community leaders as we endured this unnecessary and unsuccessful lawsuit, Walker said. When 18-year-olds move out of foster care, Virginia will be stepping up with help finding housing through a General Assembly bill that Gov. Glenn Youngkin has signed into law. Teachers will get a tax break when they dig into their pockets to buy classroom supplies, too. Both were among initiatives the General Assembly approved during this year's special session. The governor had a deadline of 11:59 p.m. Thursday to act on remaining bills - and say yes, no, or I want changes. The governor also approved the School Construction Fund and Program proposed by state Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, and Del. Israel O'Quinn, R-Washington County, which will award grants to local school boards for building, renovating or adding to schools. The state budget approved during the special session sets aside $1.5 billion for school construction. The foster care bill, sponsored by Del. Anne Ferrell Tata, R-Virginia Beach, says local social services departments will provide housing support for youth when they age out of foster care at 18. That support is also to be provided to young people leaving Department of Juvenile Justice facilities as they participate in programs to become self-sufficient. That support would be available to those young people until they turn 21. The new effort is likely to cost about $630,000 a year, General Assembly fiscal analysts estimate. Almost all would come from the state. The state Department of Social Services expects about 200 youth a year would seek the support, or roughly half the number of young people who aged out of foster care in fiscal year 2021, the latest data available. Teachers would get income tax deductions of up to $500 in 2022, 2023 and 2024 for money they spent buying classroom supplies, books and equipment. Principals, counselors and staff who work with students with special needs can also get the credit, after Youngkin signed a bill sponsored by Del. Karen S. Greenhalgh, R-Virginia Beach. Although nobody can say how many educators would seek the credit, if all those eligible claimed the maximum, it would reduce tax collections by $3.5 million a year, according to the General Assembly's financial analysts. Bills sponsored by Del. John J. McGuire, R-Goochland, and state Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, write into law the income tax break for veterans' retirement pay that the special session voted into the state budget. The relief, which is for veterans over 55, also covers other military benefits as well as benefits paid to surviving spouses. "This is a chance to deliver for Virginia's students, parents, our veterans, and teachers," said Macaulay Porter, Youngkin's press secretary. "These special session bills reaffirm the governor's commitment to deliver on the largest education budget in the history of Virginia including creative structures to support school construction and classroom materials," she said. Senate deals blows to Youngkin on gas tax, abortion funding; he gets partial win on lab schools Senate Democrats dealt a double blow to the heart of Gov. Glenn Youngkins political agenda on Friday by rejecting his third attempt to temporarily roll back the state gasoline tax and blocking his proposal to prevent state funds from paying for abortions for poor women whose unborn children suffer gross fetal abnormalities. 'It's not enough': Youngkin signs budgets, says he wants more Gov. Glenn Youngkin launched a new campaign on Tuesday to get everything he wanted but didn't get in the new state budget he just signed. Detective Paul Weis of the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department fired his weapon in the parking lot, police said in a news release. Greensboro police have not said why they are not identifying the officers involved, although the department as recently as last year identified officers involved in a fatal shooting. GREENSBORO Guilford County commissioners on Thursday approved spending about $4.3 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding for several projects, including two aimed at boosting staffing for EMS and rural fire departments. Other projects funded will protect seniors and children from abuse and increase residents access to healthy food. The money comes from the $104 million the county was allocated under the American Rescue Plan Act. Under federal rules, the money has to be obligated by December 2024 and entirely spent by December 2026. Thus far, the county has obligated $17.5 million. Commissioners had heard the proposals at a previous work session, but wanted more details about how much the programs would cost after the ARPA money runs out. After getting more details, commissioners unanimously approved the following: Guilford County fire academy: $1.1 million to recruit and train 72 candidates at GTCCs fire academy. The county would reimburse fire districts a maximum of $15,600 for each candidate trained. The annual cost after 2026, when the ARPA money runs out, was marked not applicable on county documents. Guilford County EMT/paramedic training academy: $400,000 through 2026. This also includes equipment, technology upgrades and supplies. The program offers two academies per year with 10 students each. The county aims to add 80 employees over the next four years using this academy, which recently graduated its first class. It would cost the county $74,000 annually after 2026. Both academies pay trainees while they go through training. Childrens Home Society: $350,000 over two years to recruit, train and license an additional 150 foster families in Guilford County. This is expected to be one-time funding by the county. Family Justice Center/Department of Social Services: $1.5 million through 2026 to a special protective services team. It would include five dual investigators for adult and child protective services (three in Greensboro and two in High Point), two social workers (one in each city) and one supervisor for both locations. The annual cost to sustain the program after 2026 is estimated at $468,676. N.C. Cooperative Extension: $885,133 for a countywide plan to coordinate data-sharing and communication to align resources for food security in Guilford County. The annual cost to sustain the program after 2026 is estimated at $188,421. Commissioner Mary Beth Murphy said she was especially excited that the fire academy passed, relating that she learned of one fire department in the unincorporated area that was down two shifts. Their guys are working 48 (hours) on and 24 (hours) off, she said. We are certainly at a very critical point in this and it absolutely I believe deserves our investment. She also related a story of a McLeansville native who was waiting on this funding so he could train to join that fire department. He has been recruited by Chapel Hill, by Carrboro and by another department across our state to come and work and go through their academy and he turned them down because he sees McLeansville as his hope, Murphy said. Commissioner Alan Perdue said the academy funding was imperative: We have the best trucks. We have the best equipment. But without people to put on those trucks, we dont have a fire department, we dont have EMS, we dont have law enforcement. Guilford County Emergency Services Director Jim Albright said after the meeting that the countys fire academy would begin in January. He added that he is working with the county attorney to work out a sponsorship agreement that the fire departments can use to keep the candidates who are trained with the local departments. You dont want to spend the money to train somebody through an apprenticeship program and then they go (elsewhere to work), Albright said. Its a 26-week training process. We certainly want a return on that investment. GREENSBORO The results of Julys at-large City Council race remain intact after the Guilford County Board of Elections dismissed an election protest on Thursday. Sal Leone, who raised the protest, said he is going to let the boards decision stand and not appeal. Im going to let the people speak, said Leone, who ran for City Council in 2017. Thats why we have a board. The elections board voted 3-1 for chairman Jim Kimels motion to dismiss the protest. According to the boards lawyer, Matt Mason, the basis for the dismissal was a failure to allege a violation of election law or irregularity or misconduct sufficient to cast doubt on the results of the election. Republican Kathryn Lindley joined Kimel and his fellow Democrat Carolyn Bunker in voting to dismiss. Republican Eugene Lester voted against the dismissal. Leones protest centered on City Councilman Hugh Holstons campaign. City Council voted in September 2021 to appoint Holston to the at-large seat after Councilwoman Michelle Kennedy resigned. Leone contended that by calling on voters to reelect him, Holstons website and campaign signs were misleading and that they manipulated voters because Holston had been appointed rather elected in a previous election. Leone said he spoke with some voters who mistakenly assumed that Holston had been elected in 2017. After Tuesdays election, Holston had 15.7% of the vote behind longtime incumbents Yvonne Johnson and Marikay Abuzuaiter, securing him one of the three at-large seats. As Leone pointed out, 554 votes separated Holston from the closest runner-up, Katie Rossabi. I did it because I saw how hard people worked, said Leone, referencing the three candidates who didnt win in explaining why he lodged the protest. They were fighting an uphill battle. Given that other City Council candidates who were running for reelection won, Leone suggested that voters who may have thought Holston had been previously elected could have made a difference. Leone called for the July 26 results to be voided and suggested that the race be placed on the November general election ballot. Kimel, however, said that the legal counsel for the State Board of Elections advised that state law doesnt set any parameters or restrictions on the use of the word reelected. And he pointed to the complexity of the at-large council race in which voters could choose up to three candidates from among six. That makes trying to figure out whether any particular factor was enough to sway the election even more challenging. Holston is the first African-American man to be elected to an at-large seat since the council switched from all at-large to a combination of at-large and districted seats, according to Byron Gladden, the president of the Guilford County Democratic Partys African-American caucus. He has made history and I think that needs to be acknowledged, Gladden said. Speaking after the meeting, Holston said he used the word reelect because he considered it accurate to the situation. By Azernews The Azerbaijani embassy in London was stormed by a radical religious group, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Azernews. After bursting into the embassy building, the vandalizing group members raised religious flags and chanted radical religious slogans on the balcony of the embassy building, the ministry says. After local police intervened, the group members were escorted out of the building and detained. The embassy staff was not injured in the incident. The incident is being investigated by local police. Through diplomatic channels, the issue of the security of diplomats and diplomatic premises in accordance with the Vienna Convention was raised with UK authorities, the Foreign Ministry added. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in a tweet said that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu backed official Baku and extended full support. Had a phone conversation with FM @MevlutCavusoglu of brotherly #Turkiye. I thank Minister for the strong support, and condemnation of the violent attack of radical religious groups against the Azerbaijani embassy in the UK. Azernews reports citing foreign sources that the group, called Mahdi Servants Union, committed the monstrous act of vandalism. "Eight men have been arrested after a gang of protesters stormed the Azerbaijani embassy in London. Footage on social media showed men waving flags from the balcony of the countrys base in Kensington. Slogans in Arabic have been daubed on the wall and the Azerbaijani flag was taken down. Its unclear what sparked the protest but it was led by a group called The Mahdi Servants Union. It is a Shia Muslim organisation based in London which says it wants to establish civilisational dominance on its website. Its leader Yasser Al-Habib is a controversial cleric whose film The Lady Of Heaven had to be pulled from UK cinemas earlier this year after protests from some Sunni Muslims offended by its interpretation of Islamic history," metro.co.uk said. Helena couple honored with philanthropy award The Helena Area Community Foundation to announced that Margaret Corcoran and Jim Madden have been selected as the Steve Browning Spirit of Philanthropy Award Winners for 2022. The award is named for Steve Browning, one of the founding members of the Helena Area Community Foundation. Steve was well known for his generosity in time, talent,and funding in supporting non-profits in Helena. He passed away in 2018. Helena natives Margaret Corcoran and Jim Madden are the kind of philanthropists who usually prefer to work behind the scenes. Married 42 years and parents to two daughters, Molly and Lucy, Margaret Corcoran, former long term HACF board member, and her husband, Jim Madden, attorney for the Department of Environmental Quality, owned Bennys Bistro in Helena for 22 years. Margaret ran the kitchen, and Jim hosted and made sure everyone, including Uncle Sam, got paid. Now that Margaret and Jim are retired, they remain committed to volunteering in the community, mainly for Food Share. Jim rides the rescue food truck, while Margaret does monthly cooking demonstrations. Great lovers of the outdoors, Margaret and Jim can now be found exploring the northwest in their truck camper and chopping wood at their cabin on the Thompson River. A self-taught musician, you can also find Jim playing jazz piano at Benny's Bistro several evenings a month. Margaret and Jim received their award at the HACF Donor Appreciation Reception on Aug. 3. Grants offered to schools for textbooks Rural school officials can apply for funds to purchase classroom sets of Montana: A History of Our Home, the new fourth-grade student textbook published by the Montana Historical Society. The 96-page textbook offers a quick tour through 13,000 years of Montana history. Students will learn about Montanas 12 tribal nations and seven reservations; the immigrants who moved to Montana in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; and the trapping, mining, logging, farming, and ranching industries that drew them to the Treasure State. The book also introduces students to amazing Montanans from Northern Cheyenne Chief Dull Knife to photographer Evelyn Cameron. The sturdy, hardback textbook with library binding is accompanied by a detailed, activity-filled, 320-page teachers guide. Download and preview both the student book and the teachers guide at mhs.mt.gov/education/Elementary/HistoryOfOurHome. The interdisciplinary lessons also align to the ELA, math, and art standards as well as the Seven Essential Understandings Regarding Montana Indians. Thanks to a grant from the Steele-Reese Foundation, a charitable trust committed to supporting rural communities, schools more than 40 miles from an urban center (defined as Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, and Missoula) are eligible to apply for funds to reimburse the cost of purchasing textbooks. The school will be required to pay for shipping to their school from Helena. Selected schools will be required to submit receipts showing their purchase to the Montana Historical Society for reimbursement. To apply, school officials need to complete this application [docs.google.com] by midnight, Aug. 31. MTHS will review applications and announce decisions by Sept. 12. If there are more requests than can be fulfilled, MTHS will give preference to small schools (measured by the number of fourth-grade students attending the school) to make sure that the most rural schools are served first. A secondary criterion will be how many hours the teacher will dedicate to Montana history. For more information, contact Kohl at 406-444-4740 or mkohl@mt.gov. Red Cross seeks blood donations The American Red Cross urges eligible donors to help end the ongoing critical need for blood with a blood donation. The Red Cross needs donors of all blood types to give now and help ensure lifesaving transfusions are on the sidelines for those who rely on them. Appointments can be made by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. Nar-Anon family group meeting The Helena Nar-Anon Family Group, a 12-step program for families and friends of addicts, meets Mondays and Thursdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Library of St. Pauls Methodist Church, 512 Logan. The library is located on the lower level of the main church building. Please enter using the Cruise Avenue entrance. The group observes COVID-19 protocols required by the church. Student news Joseph McGill, of East Helena, was named to the dean's list for the spring semester at University of Maryland Global Campus. To be eligible for the honor, a student must complete at least six credits during the term, earned a grade point average of at least 3.5 for the term, and maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.5 at UMGC. *** Blaise Murphy, of Helena, has been named to the dean's honor roll at the University of Northern Colorado. Students who received this honor earned a combined GPA of 3.50-3.74 during at least two of the academic semesters and completed a minimum of 24 semester hours. oA wildland fire that ignited about five miles east of East Helena Thursday has grown to 1,538 acres with no containment as of Friday. The Lewis and Clark and the Broadwater County Sheriffs offices said Friday night they have lifted all evacuation orders that were in place due to the Matt Staff Road fire. The areas surrounding the fire will remain closed to the public and are open to local residents only. Evacuation orders in Broadwater County were lifted as well, a fire official said Friday night. John Huston, program manager of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Forestry Division, said in a phone interview Friday morning that earlier in the day, the fire was mapped and the new acreage is "fairly accurate." At one time the fire had been estimated at 1,900 acres. The cause of the fire has not been determined, but a DNRC news release sent Friday afternoon said "(t)he fire is believed to be human caused and is under investigation." The Matt Staff Road fire originally burned grassland, then crested the ridge between East Helena and Canyon Ferry Lake and began to burn brush, Huston said. DNRC Fire Information Officer Wyatt Frampton said a DNRC County Assist Type III fire team of about 40 assumed command of the fire by noon Friday. Type III teams are multi-agency teams used for extended incidents. The local team includes representatives of DNRC, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management as well as local fire departments, law enforcement agencies and government. The fire is burning on land under the protection of the BLM. There are 135 personnel at the scene, according to https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8309/. "An Incident Management Team was ordered because this fire exceeded the capacity of the local units," the DNRC news release states. "The team brings additional resources for fighting fire and managing the incident." The fire was burning to the north east, but once it crossed the ridge it moved a little to the south, Huston said. The team is expecting northerly winds to persist throughout the afternoon, driving the fire farther south. According to Frampton, firefighters Thursday were facing wind gusts in excess of 45 mph. Though calmer and cooler Friday, he said the fire is still exhibiting active fire behavior. "We're trying to do every thing we can to protect private land and property, but today could get rough," Huston said. "We're asking for the community's continued patience." The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest said Wednesday that the forest was now in very high fire danger status due to ongoing hot and dry conditions. Lewis and Clark County Sheriff and Fire Warden Leo Dutton said on Facebook Friday night that he and Incident Cmdr. David Hamilton took a helicopter ride Friday evening and said the aerial attack of the fire has stopped the advance. He said ground crews were working their way into some of the rougher terrain to put out hot spots. He said he and Hamilton were comfortable with what they saw in regards to the fire not advancing toward the West Shore Road of Canyon Ferry Lake. He said acting Chief of Tri-Lakes Volunteer Fire Department Marc Weniger agreed and they lifted the evacuation order for the West Shore of Canyon Ferry. "The road blocks are gone," Dutton wrote. Matt Staff Road has also been reopened to residents but remains closed to the public. He said the fire started very close to Spokane Creek Road just off U.S. Highway 12 near state Highway 284, and quickly spread to a wheat field. Dutton said Gary Dobler and his son saw the fire from their farm and raced to get tractors and tilling equipment. "They plowed right in front of this quickly spreading fire to stop the advancement to the south in the wheat field," he wrote on Facebook. "There is no way they could get in front of it." "Sometimes common people like you and me do heroic acts, this is one of them," Dutton said. Anyone with information should call 406-447-8293 and talk with Deputy James Coppola. Dutton said the U.S. Forest Service and the Helena Interagency Fire Investigation Team are conducting the investigation. BLM's Butte Field Office said in a news release sent 5 p.m. Friday that it is "closing some of its public lands for public safety and to support fire operations." The closure order takes effect immediately "for all BLM-managed lands impacted by (the fire)," the news release states. Montana Red Cross opened an evacuation center Thursday evening for those displaced by the fire, but that by 10 p.m., no one used the service. "We have volunteers on the ground ready to open the center up again if needed," said American Red Cross Regional Communications Director Matt Ochsner. Those in need of Red Cross assistance can also call 800-272-6668. Frampton said aerial fire suppression efforts were halted for an unspecified amount of time Friday morning because of a civilian drone being flown in the area, a federal crime, and Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office is investigating. No primary structures have been lost to the fire, and Frampton credited the "extremely effective and aggressive local response." Find more evacuation information at https://www.facebook.com/lccsomt (Lewis and Clark County) and https://www.facebook.com/broadwatercounty (Broadwater County). A public meeting will be held 7 p.m. Friday at 3200 Spokane Creek Road, East Helena. Find information on the fire at: Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8309/ Lewis & Clark: https://www.facebook.com/lccsomt Broadwater County: https://www.facebook.com/broadwatercounty Fire Information Hotline: 406-662-1750 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Story updated to say it is a DNRC County Assist Type III fire team. Nearly 10% of Montana VA Health Care Systems 1,400 employees have applied for an exemption from a federal directive now pending in the courts that would require them to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Montana VA officials said recently. These accommodations from President Joe Bidens executive order regarding federal employees can be for medical or religious reasons. All Montana VA employees are considered health care personnel. Montana VA would not say how many exemptions have been granted or denied. In June, a federal appeals court said it would reconsider its own April ruling that allowed the administration to require federal employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The mandate is on hold until at least mid-September, when the full court rehears the case. The Biden administration has not enforced the requirement since January when a district judge in Texas first paused the policy with a nationwide injunction. The VA did not respond to queries as to whether exemptions were being denied or granted. According to the mandate, the agency is to offer employees the option of the agency searching for a possible reassignment position for the employee. If the employee agrees to the agency searching for a reassignment position, the job search will be processed by the servicing Human Resources Office. According to the guidelines, the reassignment is to be to a funded position that is vacant position or to a funded position that will be vacant within a reasonable amount of time. The employee must meet the minimum qualifications for the position. The employee will have three days after accepting the offer for the agency to commence the reassignment search to provide a current resume to the HRO. The American Federation of Government Employees did not return queries seeking comment. Montana VA serves over 47,000 enrolled veterans in Montana at 18 sites of care across the state. Another day of fast winds, hot temperatures and dry air fanned the flames of several regional wildfires. In the last seven days, the National Weather Service issued four red flag warning days for the western part of Montana, alerting to most potent conditions for current fires to expand and potential sparks to become wildfires. Across much of central Idaho, western and central Montana, sustained winds reached 15 mph to 25 mph while gusts reached 30 mph to 40 mph on Thursday. High temperatures reached the 80s and 90s a small break from triple-digit temperatures that could return to the forecast next week. Fire danger on the Bitterroot National Forest is extreme, the highest of five levels. Fire danger is very high, the second-highest level, on the Lolo National Forest. Fire danger is extreme on the Salmon-Challis National Forest in Idaho. Moose fire The Moose fire, located 17 miles north of Salmon, Idaho, is expected to expand quickly as the fire inches closer to communities and infrastructure to the south. The blaze had scorched more than 64,000 acres of the Salmon-Challis National Forest as of Thursday morning. At least seven structures, all minor out-buildings, have burned down. More than 350 single-family residences and one multi-unit residence are threatened. A dry cold front passing through is expected to worsen conditions. Roughly 20% of the fire is contained. The fire is threatening the Salmon municipal watershed, energy and mining infrastructure. The municipal watershed, which supplies area residents with water, is within 5 miles of the fires path. Its paramount the watershed is protected, thats a big concern for us, said Gil Knight, public information officer for the Moose fire. Great Basin Team 1, the largest Type I firefighting incident command unit, took control of the fire Aug. 3. More than 1,000 firefighters and 10 aircraft are battling the blaze. The Moose fire is one of the largest fires currently burning in the Lower 48 states. Fire experts forecast winds will contribute to surface and crown fires with potential for large group tree torching. The fire is burning in steep, hazardous terrain that has been historically difficult for firefighters. West winds with gusts as high as 48 mph could push the boundaries of the fire by a half-mile on the eastern flank by Friday. A large spot fire has developed along a ridgeline just west of the Salmon River corridor near the community of Carmen, Idaho. Communities from Carmen to the north fork of the Salmon River are in pre-evacuation stages. Salmon River Road is partially closed, with only residents, rafting outfitters and river users with float permits allowed to travel behind a pilot car. Highway 93 is still open. Redhorn fire No structures are threatened yet in the Redhorn fire, which reached 180 acres by Thursday in remote wilderness in the Mission Mountains. Fire officials are planning contingency lines in case the fire explodes in dry and windy conditions. Sparked by a lightning strike on Monday, the blaze is burning in tribal wilderness on the west side of McDonald peak. Its roughly 7 miles northeast as the bird flies from St. Ignatius. There are no evacuations or closures, although the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes usually close the area through Oct. 1 to protect grizzly bear habitat. A local Type III incident command team has responded to the scene, led by Art Trahan and Richard Fisher. In total, 42 people are monitoring the fire. Firefighters reported intense fire activity with group tree torching, up-slope runs and short range spotting on Wednesday. Aircraft will be used as conditions allow to limit the spread of the fire. More aggressive fire spread is expected under the red flag warning Thursday. Fire staff are scouting and assessing contingency lines south of McDonald Lake and North of Ashley Lake. Hog Trough fire Located in the Sapphire Wilderness Study Area, firefighters expect the Hog Trough fire to grow to the northwest and southeast. Active fire behavior pushed the burn, 17 miles northwest of Hamilton, closer to the edge of a 2005 Signal Rock wildfire scar it sparked in. Northern Rockies Team 5, a Type II incident command team, took control of operations Wednesday night. More than 300 firefighters are on scene, with a goal of containing the fire to the wilderness area. The fire is 749 acres in size and not threatening any structures, but triggered the closing of several Forest Service roads near Skalkaho Highway, which remains open. Fire crews plan to make containment lines on the closest roads to prevent spread out of the wilderness area. Other crews cut handlines along ridges to prevent the fire from jumping Highway 38. Helicopters doused hot spots with water buckets on the west and northwest flames of the fire. Weasel fire Located 14 miles northeast of Eureka, lightning sparked the Weasel fire in a wooded area near the convergence of the Canadian border and Flathead and Lincoln counties. At least 160 acres of forested area have burned, causing firefighters to close Big Therriault and Little Therriault campgrounds. A Type III team has taken control of the fire, and 74 personnel have joined firefighting efforts. Fire weather experts predicted moderate fire behavior with tree torching and small spotting. The team hopes to control the fire line along Road #114. Firefighters also successfully protected the historic Weasel Cabin with fire-resistant wrapping on Aug. 2. On a hot summer day outside Florence, MPG Ranch researcher Mike McTee quietly lied belly-down in the tall grass carefully sizing up a target in the scope of his .270 Winchester rifle. Moments later a shot rang out, breaking the silence of a Bitterroot Valley morning. Should we take a look? he asked as he brushed off the dust and walked toward a four-wheeler. His target set-up isnt typical of most gun ranges. He's not looking at what the bullet did to the target, as what the target did to the bullet. When a lead bullet crashes into an animal, it's traveling really fast, and that lead can splinter off. McTee said. "If any of that's left in the field, a scavenger is going to eat it. It's really bad for eagles, and an easy solution is just to shoot a copper bullet." A study conducted in the Bitterroot Valley by the Raptor View Research Institute in Missoula from 2011 to 2018 tested 91 golden eagles and found almost 95% had elevated lead levels in their blood. The study, Widespread Lead Exposure in Golden Eagles Captured in Montana, was published in The Journal of Wildlife Management in December of 2020 by Rob Domenech, Adam Shreading, Philip Ramsey and McTee. McTee has also written a book titled Wilted Wings that will be released in September. The MPG shooting practice demonstrates the problem. Across the coulee from McTee's position were three rain barrels set atop tables. Each barrel had six one-gallon jugs of water lined up inside. The goal is to shoot the water jugs with different types of bullets some lead and some copper and then compare what the different ammunition did. The water stops the bullets and the fragments from the bullets fall into the water in the rain barrel. McTee then uses a pressure washer to rinse the fragments out of the barrels into a coffee filter to count them. The test allows McTee to examine the bullet and see whether it did what its supposed to if it expands, stays intact, or falls apart and what kind of fragments are dispersed. What this test does is it'll show all the different fragments that come off a lead bullet," McTee said. "And the water is really a surrogate for animal tissue. If somebody shoots a deer with a lead bullet, those particles just spray inside. A hunter, if they get that animal, can field dress it, leave behind the guts and then take home the carcass. But in that gut pile, there can be those particles." A typical cup-and-core lead bullet leaves behind the most fragments according to McTee. Copper bullets tend to stay intact. Bullets that are bonded, hold together better, but even with a bonded lead bullet you're looking at about 5% to 25% weight loss, he said. "If you're shooting a cup-and-core you can lose half the bullet fragments." There have been multiple cases of eagle fatalities due to lead poisoning in the Bitterroot Valley over the past few years. Most recently, in January of 2022, a bald eagle named Darby died of lead poisoning despite the efforts of rehabilitators at Potomacs Wild Skies Raptor Center to save the bird. Lead poisoning symptoms in raptors include loss of balance or inability to stand, honking due to distressed breathing or open-mouth breathing, muscle weakness, dehydration, kidney and liver damage, starvation, seizures and death. Rehabbers will bring them in, and these eagles, which are these regal animals that can fall from the sky at 200 miles an hour after prey, they can't even lift their wings, McTee said. "They can't stand, they might shake, their vision can be impaired. Some die in that state and the rehabilitators try their best to chelate the lead out of their system, but lead causes permanent neurological damage. So even if a rehabilitator saves that eagle, you have to wonder about the eagles prospects in the wild. If we consider exposure in humans, we're not worried about people dying outright from lead exposure," he said. "Its the sub-lethal effects were freaked out about like reduced IQ and aggressive behavior, those types of things, especially with children. So when we're talking about eagles that have lead concentrations that are more than 10 times what would be elevated for a human, you have to wonder, what the consequences to that population are. They might only weigh 8 to 12 pounds, so if they swallow a big hunk of lead or something with these lead bullets, as they fragment into tiny pieces like dust, that lead can more easily assimilate into the blood, he said. While a number of sportsmen have made the switch to copper bullets over the years, lead bullets still dominate ammunition sales with the majority of shooters. Jon Wemple of Choice Ammunition in Victor said about 75% of his customers probably still shoot lead bullets. And while some may shoot copper for the conservation benefit, he thinks its mostly based on personal preference. It's probably of 75 to 25%, the majority still shoot lead bullets, Wemple said. Its not because of the residual effects of lead in the carcasses and things like that. I just think that the 25% of people that use the lead-free bullets just prefer that. While some shooters may prefer the heavier weight of lead versus copper for its ability to maintain stability at high speed over a far distance, some of the choice in ammunition is based on how different bullets perform when shot from different guns. A lead bullet, being heavier than copper, can pack more mass in a smaller-caliber rifle. So, for instance, a 6.5 PRC caliber will shoot a 156 grain lead-core bullet. The biggest copper bullet that can go in a 6.5 PRC is 130 grains. But as technology has advanced so has ballistics innovation. The lathe-turning process used by copper-bullet manufacturers has enabled them to become more precise than the force-mold process used in lead bullet manufacturing according to Wemple. Because of the formulas of the copper bullets, I think before, people really didn't think that they would have the same terminal effect as a lead-core bullet, Wemple said. "But you know, a bullet thats really popular now is called a Berger bullet. That bullets designed to enter the wound channel and fragment into 200 pieces, and it's a good hunting bullet and its very effective. But you shoot a (copper) Barnes bullet into an animal you're going to have 100% weight retention. You pull out that bullet out of that carcass, and it's going to be just as big as what it was when it entered the carcass." The bottom line is that theres no reason not to shoot copper bullets. For virtually everything you do, there's no downside. It's just as good of a performing bullet as far as killing while you're shooting, and just as accurate as what you're shooting with a lead bullet, Wemple added. That's just some people, you know, old dogs, new tricks, and so on. ELMO The Elmo 2 fire on the west side of Flathead Lake was less active Thursday after multiple days of explosive growth this week. Strong winds from the southwest, warm temperatures and low humidity a combination warranting a red-flag warning created prime conditions for extreme fire behavior on Thursday. But those winds were pushing the northern head of the fire down steep mountainsides toward Lake Mary Ronan. The result was a fire that slowly crept down the mountain as six scooper planes doused it with water and crews reinforced lines below. We had an anticipated forecast and the plan associated with it, said Daniel McKeague, a public information officer with Northern Rockies Team 7, "and at this point in the day, 1630, weve been able to work that plan. The fire backed down from the DNRC section and approached Camp Tuffit Road. McKeague said at 4:30 p.m. Thursday that the fire had reached the road near its most southern point but had not yet reached the lake shore, though it is slowly backing down the mountainside toward it. The eight structures that burned in the fire were destroyed Monday. Those structures, which included at least four homes, were immediately west of Dayton around the Chief Cliff area. No additional structures are known to have burned since then. I do think well see less growth Thursday," he said. The relatively modest activity Thursday was a stark contrast to the previous days blow-up, when fire raced up mountainsides through dense fuels and sent a towering column of smoke into the air above Lake Mary Ronan, Dayton and Lakeside. There was no massive plume Thursday, just a smoky haze from the direction of the burn. Fire activity was so extreme Wednesday that firefighters had to pull back from the burn at 2 p.m. But crews worked through the night to reinforce a containment line along Camp Tuffit Road, on the southern side of Lake Mary Ronan. That line is so far holding. The fire Wednesday was "rapidly burning through available fuels and green fuels that were going to send up that column, McKeague said, noting that water drops from scooper planes have afforded ground crews time to construct more lines around the perimeter. "Aircraft dont put the fire out its the people on the ground that do, he said. "Aircraft are helping slow that progression." Incident commanders planned to contain the fire on the south side of Camp Tuffit Road, which hugs the southern edge of Lake Mary Ronan. Lake County Sheriff's Office asked all residents in the area to follow the mandatory evacuation order issued on Tuesday, which includes the entire Lake Mary Ronan Road corridor from U.S. Highway 93 to Lake Mary Ronan and including all areas around the lake. Fire crews made progress securing the fire line on the western and eastern flanks of the fire. Six scooper planes, three helicopters and two single-engine air tankers (SEATs) led an aerial assault on the northern flank as flames torched trees along the north end of the Hog Heaven Range. In total, the fire increased 2,000 acres Wednesday to more than 20,600 acres. There are now 439 personnel on hand to fight the fire. With the increase of fire resources at Elmo 2, the Lake County Sheriffs Office and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes issued Stage 1 fire restrictions for their respective jurisdictions. That prohibits building or maintaining a campfire, smoking closer than 3 feet from flammable materials and operating a motor vehicle off of designated roads of trails. Griffen Smith contributed reporting to this story. Its a horrific reality for Montanans to consider, but human trafficking takes place every day in our state. The odds are most of you have seen it but didnt know. Last month, a man involved in a sex trafficking ring in Billings was sentenced to nearly 27 years after exploiting vulnerable victims for nearly a decade plying them with drugs and alcohol to create addictions and then forcing them into commercial sex. The operation also led to the tragic death of one of the victims. Four other men were sentenced for their role in this criminal enterprise. In June, in a case led by our Department of Justice human trafficking agents, another perpetrator was found guilty of multiple drug and human trafficking crimes and will face at least 27 years in prison. He transported a 19-year-old girl to Colorado where he sold her for commercial sex and sexually assaulted her. He also kidnapped two girls one from the Crow Reservation and one from Billings for the purposes of sexually assaulting them. Thankfully, these criminals are being held accountable for their reprehensible actions. However, they represent just two of the human trafficking cases that were aware of. The number of suspected cases tracked by the Montana Department of Justice went from 7 in 2015 to 68 in 2021, an increase of 871 percent. More awareness among the public leads to more reported cases, but the numbers point to a deep-seated problem. Its a problem we cant afford to ignore there are victims right now who need relief from their oppressors and deserve justice. Thats why as Attorney General Ive made it a priority to eliminate human trafficking. Across the Montana Department of Justice, we are committed to finding these dangerous predators, holding them accountable, and fighting for the people who are targeted because of their vulnerabilities. During my first year and a half in office we have already taken several steps toward our goal to eliminate this heinous crime in Montana. Our Prosecution Services Bureau is now providing training for county attorneys to help them recognize trafficking cases that come across their desk. At the Montana Law Enforcement Academy, weve enhanced training so that all local, state, and tribal law enforcement officers entering the field know how to spot human trafficking. All uniformed Montana Highway Patrol troopers are now trained on identifying and responding to human trafficking cases. In response to the increase in cases, the 2019 Legislature passed a bill that created a two-person human trafficking enforcement team within the Department of Justice. That was a good start and these agents have done fantastic work since then but its not enough. In the next legislative session, I will be asking our lawmakers for additional agents dedicated to the fight against human trafficking. To make Montana a truly hostile place for human traffickers, the Legislature will also need to look at our criminal code. Specifically, giving more teeth to the statutes to prosecute and crack down on the criminal trafficking enterprises that are profiting from the suffering of others. In the meantime, I will continue my efforts to bring anti-human trafficking organizations and regional task forces to the table to work with government agencies and law enforcement to improve resource coordination, identify gaps in services, and explore additional policy proposals. You dont need to wait for the Legislature to play an important role in the fight against human trafficking. Learn the indicators and commit to reporting suspected cases to law enforcement. As Montanans, we typically dont like sticking our nose into other peoples business, but your phone call could save a life. If you notice any indicators of human trafficking dont hesitate to call 911 in an emergency or 833-406-STOP in a non-emergency situation. If possible, take pictures of the trafficker, victim, and vehicle license plate, but do not intervene and remain at a safe distance. Human trafficking and sexual slavery will not go away if we turn a blind eye. We must continue to work together to eliminate these crimes in Montana. FREEDOM! That word is the clarion call of the Republican Party. It is on practically all their parade banners and political signs. It is so widely espoused that it is maddening and confounding that the Republican Party doesnt see the hypocrisy in the recent Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade which took away a womans constitutional right of autonomy and freedom to make decisions about her own life. Women have exercised the freedom to make their own personal health and reproductive decisions for over 50 years, resulting in a general increase in their standard of living. It afforded the freedom to obtain better access to health care and education, increasing the economic wellbeing of their children, family, and the nation. Since the Supreme Courts decision took away a womans Constitutional right and deferred the issue to individual State governments, the Republican Party of Montana has pledged to take away that freedom by amending the Montana Constitution, attacking Article II, Part X Right of Privacy: The right of individual privacy is essential to the well-being of a free society and shall not be infringed without the showing of a compelling state interest. There is no predicting the amount of pain, suffering, and economic impact to the women and children in Montana that will be caused by eliminating a womans right and freedom to make her own reproductive decisions without interference by the government. And if the Right of Privacy clause is amended to prohibit abortion, its predictable that other rights or life decisions made that are dependent on privacy by anyone will also be in jeopardy. This is unacceptable. The Ravalli County Democratic Party will not stand by and allow the Republican Party to take away a womans freedom, autonomy, and right to live her life the way she chooses. We will fight to ensure that the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness is guaranteed to all its citizens. Freedom isnt just for those who agree with Republican ideology. Freedom means freedom for everyone. The Ravalli County Republican Party has been busy pushing to get the State party to adopt their resolution that continues to promote propaganda and the lie that the 2020 election was stolen and they have been browbeating their own candidates to take an oath of allegiance to the GOP Party Platform. In contrast, the Ravalli County Democratic Party has passed a resolution that is committed to protect everyones freedoms and our right to privacy. We strongly believe that the government has no place in invading this most intimate aspect of a womans life. We also believe that the notion that life begins at conception is no more correct or deserving of legal protection than the belief that it does not. We want the voters of Ravalli County to know that the Ravalli County Democrats are committed to keeping this issue front and center for the voters of Ravalli County. We will work hard to protect the Montana Constitution from being used as an ideological warclub. Of all the state constitutions in the nation, the Montana State Constitution provides us with the most expansive rights, the strongest protections, and the greatest ability to observe and participate in our government. Protecting the Democratic values enshrined in our state constitution is the highest priority issue facing voters in the next election and the 2023 Legislative Session. The Ravalli County Democrats will do everything in our power to protect freedom for all Montanans now and into the future. Join us in making that happen. SPRINGFIELD One is the daughter of public school teachers. The other is a scion of one of the most prominent families in American agribusiness. Both are competing to become the congresswoman for Illinois' 13th Congressional District, a central and southern Illinois-based district that could be at the forefront in the battle for control of Congress in 2022. The former, Nikki Budzinski, easily won the Democratic primary while the latter, Regan Deering, eked out a close victory in a competitive four-way Republican primary in late June. This set the stage for the November election, when voters will ultimately decide which candidate they want representing them in Congress. Budzinski, a Peoria native who now lives in Springfield, is a former senior adviser to Gov. J.B. Pritzker and served as chief of staff to the federal Office of Budget and Management under President Joe Biden. Deering, a Decatur native, is a former educator and community activist involved in several causes. Most notably, she was president of the board of directors for the Northeast Community Fund, an organization that serves low-income Decatur families by helping with food, clothing, financial assistance and advising programs. They are running in a string bean-shaped district that stretches from the Metro East region near St. Louis to Champaign-Urbana, picking up the urban cores Springfield and Decatur in between. It is largely urban in character, but also includes all of Macoupin County and other rural areas in Central Illinois. It's a condensed version of the current district, represented by Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, who was drawn into the new 15th Congressional District during the once-a-decade redistricting process. He ran in that district but lost the Republican primary to Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland. The new 13th, on the other hand, leans Democratic, voting for Biden in the 2020 presidential election by an 11-point margin. The district is a mix of blue collar with factory jobs in places like Decatur and Granite City, for example and white collar industries that dot the terrain that is otherwise filled with fertile farmland. In this backdrop, both candidates' broad scale messaging touches on similar themes, with Deering emphasizing "kitchen table issues" impacting voters and Budzinski saying that her campaign is centered around "issues that help working people." But that is where the similarities end, with the candidates offering starkly contrasting views on policy and different personal backgrounds. Budzinski, the granddaughter of a union painter and daughter of schoolteachers, spent a significant portion of her career in the labor movement, including stints with the International Association of Firefighters and later the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. She also worked on Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and previously worked for former Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes. "So I'm a trade unionist, a made-in-America Democrat," Budzinski said in an interview with Lee Enterprises. "I'm not a typical Democrat." Budzinski said that her background in the labor movement helps form her views and keeps her attuned to the labor-heavy constituency she hopes to represent, which she said is a contrast to Deering. "I'm one of the few congressional candidates that has been on multiple kill floors," Budzinski said. "I know what dangerous work looks like." "Regan Deering is a woman of significant means that has inherited family wealth," she continued. "I grew up middle class. I really struggle to see how she can really understand the real issues that are confronting working families in central and southern Illinois." Deering is a member of the Andreas family, which ran Archer Daniels Midland Co. for nearly four decades and, in the process, transformed it from a modest regional grain processor into a world-leading company. Her grandfather, the late Dwayne Andreas, served as president and CEO from 1970 to 1997 and counted American presidents and world leaders as friends. Deering's father, the late Michael "Mick" Andreas, had been in line to succeed his father as president and CEO until he was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison for his role in the 1990s ADM price-fixing scandal. It is a family background that Deering does not shy away from. "I'm very proud of my family (and) to be an Andreas," Deering said in an interview with Lee Enterprises. "I know that my grandfather came to this community in Decatur to be able to work towards elevating ADM. We've got them now on the global stage tremendous job creators, tremendous economic drivers here in this community. "I know that as a family with means, we did make a strong commitment to staying here," she continued. "We love the Decatur community. My siblings and I, we went to schools here, we own businesses here now, we're raising our families here." Deering was born in Decatur but spent most of her adolescence in the Chicago region, moving back to Soy City after getting married. She has since been involved in various philanthropic endeavors and was a small business owner. Deering campaign spokeswoman Whitney Barnes, responding to Budzinski questioning Deering's ability to relate with working class people, said that "Regan has been actively working on the ground to help her whole community, especially low and middle income families, for years." "If Ms. Budzinski was serious about helping working families, instead of acting with Gov. Pritzker to shut down power plants like CWLP," Barnes said, referring to Springfield's municipally owned coal-fired plant, "or helping President Biden increase our dependence on foreign oil, she would know that the energy industry supports union and non-union families throughout our district." Deering said she considers herself a practitioner of "common sense conservatism." She has an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association, but said she "applauded" bipartisan talks on gun safety. Though she is against abortion, a position formed by her own background as an adoptee, Deering said that she supports exceptions for rape, incest and the life and health of the mother. "I want to support women who are finding themselves in crisis as well," Deering said. "And I think that our communities have those resources. We need to continue to elevate those resources. But as a candidate, I will do all that I can to continue to support life." Asked about a possible national abortion ban, Deering said she believed policies should be left to the states, even if she personally disagrees with the policies of states like Illinois. "I'm not going to align with everyone 100% of the time, especially knowing this is a Democratic-leaning district," Deering said. "But I do want to be able to meet people where they are and know that I'm an elected representative that wants to listen to them, wants to hear both sides of an argument and know that they have my commitment to voting appropriately for what's best for my district." On the abortion question, Budzinski said she "will always fight for a woman to make her own health care decisions." And on guns, though she said she supports the Second Amendment, Budzinski said she was for "sensible gun safety measures." On economic issues, Budzinski takes a different tack than some members of her own party, calling it a "more pragmatic ... all of the above" energy approach. She supported the construction of the Land of Lincoln Energy Center, a proposed natural gas plant in Pawnee, for instance. She is also in favor of more populist economic policies that will lead to more manufacturing in the United States. She said such proposals are often bipartisan. "They are mainstream economic issues that provide relief and help people keep more of what they earn," Budzinski said. "That's not all Democrats. I'm not every other Democrat. I can actually work together with people on both sides of the aisle to get things done. It's what I've done my entire career." Financially, Budzinski started the general election with more than $1 million cash on hand, a significant advantage over Deering, who had just over $37,000 in the bank and more than $233,000 in campaign debt. But Deering, who loaned her campaign $150,000 in the primary, is believed to have enough personal wealth to tap should she choose to do so. According to the Cook Political Report, a national elections handicapper, the race currently "leans Democratic." But both sides believe it will be competitive. "I don't think there's any doubt that it's gonna be competitive," said Bill Houlihan, the district's Democratic State Central Committeeman. "The question is for both candidates is what kind of resources are they going to be able to spend and who does a better job of turning out the vote?" Deering, who said she voted for former President Donald Trump in 2020, did not directly answer whether she thought the former president should run again. "I think this election this year is more about progress and policy than personalities," Deering said. "So I think that I want to continue to meet people where they are and talk about what my priorities are for them and being a good listener and knowing that I'm advocating for the people as their elected official." Budzinski, though not shying away from her service for Biden, whose approval ratings are currently low, said that despite a challenging political environment, her labor ties and focus on working class issues will get her across the finish line. "It's all economic issues and it's about how we're going to help working families," Budzinski said. By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli The charge d'affaires of the UK embassy in Baku expressed deep regret and concern over the storming of the Azerbaijani embassy in London by radical religious group members, Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. A resolute protest was expressed to the British diplomat over the attack by a religious radical group on the embassy of Azerbaijan in London on August 5, the report said. It was brought to the attention of the charge d'affaires that this provocation seriously affects the issue of ensuring the security of the diplomatic representation, and the UK must take security measures in accordance with international legal obligations. The opposite side was requested to provide guarantees that this would not happen again. In connection with the act of vandalism, Azerbaijan requested the opposite side to thoroughly conduct an investigation by the relevant British agencies and bring the guilty to justice. In turn, the British official stated that an investigation is being conducted. As reported earlier, the Azerbaijani embassy in London was stormed by a radical religious group. After bursting into the embassy building, the vandalizing group members raised religious flags and chanted radical religious slogans on the balcony of the embassy building. After local police intervened, the group members were escorted out of the building and detained. In the wake of historic flooding that ravaged 13 counties in Eastern Kentucky last week, the Ballad Health Niswonger Childrens Network will support recovery efforts with a community-wide drive to collect diapers and baby wipes for affected families. Donations will benefit survivors of the flooding, which has displaced hundreds of families and killed at least 37 people. Across the 13 counties affected by the disaster, 1,400 people have been rescued from the floodwaters, with recovery efforts likely continuing through the coming weeks. As they did with relief efforts for our neighbors in Buchanan County last month, our team members are leading a charge to provide tangible, much-needed support diapers and baby wipes for some of the floods youngest victims, Chris Jett, chief executive officer of the Niswonger Childrens Network, said. Our childrens network serves many patients from Southeastern Kentucky, and many of our own team members are either directly affected by this horrible disaster or have family members and friends who have lost everything even loved ones literally overnight. We immediately went to work to find the best ways to send aid. Community members can drop off donations at all Ballad Health locations in Virginia, as well as at Holston Valley Medical Center and Bristol Regional Medical Center, and Ballad Health team members can donate at all hospital human resources offices. Donation drop-offs are located at the hospitals main entrance/screening areas until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 10. Donations of all diaper sizes and brands, as well as baby wipes, are welcomed. Along with the donated items, Ballad Health is working with health care providers in the region to send needed medical equipment and other supplies to aid in recovery efforts. Although Ballad Health doesnt operate any facilities in Kentucky, the health system has multiple locations in Southwest Virginia that serve patients from across state lines, and Niswonger Childrens Hospital the regions only childrens hospital is the closest pediatric facility for several Kentucky counties. The Catawba County Public Health Department is offering a new COVID-19 vaccine which health officials hope will appeal to people wary of the other vaccines. On Wednesday, the health department received its initial delivery of roughly 600 doses of the Novavax vaccine, Public Health nurse Elaine Yancey said. Novavax is the most recent vaccine to receive approval for use in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration gave emergency use authorization for Novavax last month. The new vaccine calls for two doses and is available for people older than 18. An article from the American Medical Association describes Novavax as a more traditional vaccine, comparing it to vaccines used for shingles and hepatitis B. The vaccine includes spike protein from the COVID-19 virus taken from insect cells along with extracts from the bark of the soapbark tree that is native to Chile, which is included to create a stronger immune response of the vaccinated person, according to the article. We certainly hope that people who have been holding off will consider this option, especially given what we are now learning about the long-term effects of COVID-19 infection, Catawba County Public Health Community Engagement Specialist Emily Killian said, noting the after-effects of the virus can include pulmonary and autoimmune disease. The number of people in Catawba County who received the first schedule of vaccines was more than 87,000, or around 55% of the county population, while nearly 48,000 have received at least one booster, according to the state vaccination dashboard. Novavaxs duration of protection against COVID-19 is currently unknown, and individuals who receive it may need boosters later. At this time, Novavax is not authorized for use as a booster for individuals who had previously received another type of COVID vaccine. Killian said the health department will not be recommending a single one of the vaccines over any of the others because of the differing needs of individuals. Currently, Novavax is only available at the Catawba County Health Department, but the department expects it will be more widely-accessible within the next few weeks, according to a release from the department. To get more information on the vaccine or to schedule an appointment to get the shot, call the health department at 828-282-2002. Walk-ins are also welcome at the health department located at 3070 11th Ave. Drive SE. " " Ulysses S. Grant served as the commanding general of the Union Army during the Civil War, and later as the 18th president of the United States. Library of Congress/HowStuffWorks The 19th-century historian Henry Adams once said of Ulysses S. Grant beloved Civil War general, 18th president of the United States, and a frequent target of Adams' potshots that Grant made for a "great" soldier, but a "baby" politician. Historians have been debating his place in the presidential pantheon ever since. In his time, Grant was an enormously popular public figure, the leader of the Union Army, the hero who won the war for the north. He was the man who saved the nation. As president, he served two terms and could have been reelected to more (as was allowed then). When he died in 1885, more than 1.5 million people attended his funeral in New York. But his presidency, to many, was indelibly marred by political infighting, scandals, Grant's well-known drinking problem, and the overwhelming burden of bringing post-war America together through Reconstruction. Only in the past few decades have historians begun to look more kindly on the reluctant politico. In a completely arbitrary but well-known ranking of presidents, C-SPAN's Presidential Historians Survey, Grant's jumped 11 spots since 2000, more than any other chief executive. C-SPAN's panel of 91 historians now places him 22nd overall, just below John Quincy Adams (historian Henry's great-grandfather). "I would look at him as the general that saved the union and the president that managed to preserve the union. He was an essential president," says current-day historian Joan Waugh, the author of "U.S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth," a 2009 biography. "This is a man who we should identify with today. He had his ups and downs in life, for sure ... and yet every obstacle he encountered, he found a way to get through it. And that in itself is admirable." " " Grant was an enormously popular public figure as the leader of the Union Army. Library of Congress Advertisement From Battlefield to Oval Office Many presidents have been former soldiers, though few have been as successful as Grant. In fact, George Washington and Dwight D. Eisenhower are maybe the only presidents who would outrank him. The three are often lumped together as the prime examples of commanders-turned-presidents. Each of them struggled in moving from the structured, straightforward ways of the military to the often back-slapping and back-stabbing ways of Washington. "Soldiers who go into politics usually get deeply frustrated," says historian H.W. Brands, the author of "The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace," a 2012 biography. "War is an arena of coercion ... In politics, in peace, you have to use the tools of persuasion. The important people, in a president's universe, are people he can't order around." Indeed, in his first attempt at a post-war career, after the Mexican War, Grant flopped. But he took the lessons learned then, and from his bloody but victorious tour through the Civil War, and applied them when he reached the White House. "He was better as a civilian president than he had been as a civilian insurance salesman, surveyor, farmer or whatever during the 1850s. He had gained a great deal of confidence during the Civil War. He realized that he had these abilities that he really didn't appreciate before the Civil War," Brands says. "The other thing was, he was a national hero, and that does carry a lot of weight in politics. So even if you're not the master of policy detail, when you know that people elected you by a landslide in 1868 and again by a somewhat smaller margin in 1872 you have the authority that comes from being the only person in the United States to represent all of the voters of America." As all presidents do, Grant faced plenty of opposition. His came mainly from states in the vanquished South, which balked at accepting former slaves as equals (rights granted in the 14th and 15th amendments) and bristled at Reconstruction. Scandals pervaded his administration, too. The worst was the Whiskey Ring of 1875, in which a group of distillers was accused of dodging taxes. Grant's personal secretary, Orville E. Babcock, was indicted in the political tempest but acquitted when extraordinarily Grant testified against his own federal government on Babcock's behalf. It was the only time in history that a sitting president testified voluntarily as a defense witness in a criminal trial. Babcock was acquitted, but more than 100 others were convicted. The most dogged criticism of Grant, something that followed him through much of his life, was that he was a drunk. Historians have found much to show that he had an alcohol addiction. The widely held perception that he was a falling-down mess, though, is sketchy. Abraham Lincoln, one of his many admirers, addressing rumors about Grant, reportedly said, "[I]f those accusing General Grant of getting drunk will tell me where he gets his whiskey, I will get a lot of it and send it around to some of the other Generals, who are badly in need of something of the kind." Still, the negative image of Grant advanced by historian Adams who was enraged by Grant's cabinet picks and other would-be leaders persisted throughout the 20th century. "Reconstruction was considered a failure for many decades because of Grant being portrayed as a military dictator, bringing troops against the helpless white south," Waugh says. "You didn't need to know anything else about him except he was a drunk, a military butcher, and an incompetent, corrupt president." " " This image shows Ulysses S. Grant reading a newspaper at his home in Mount McGregor, New York. It is the last photo ever taken of Grant, just four days before his death in 1885. Library of Congress Advertisement A New Look at President Grant These criticisms that Grant endured, during and after his presidency, often masked his successes. "The new work on him shows quite well that he learned as he went along," Waugh says, citing books by Brands, Ronald C. White, Charles Calhoun, Ron Chernow, and others. "He learned how to be a politician." Grant worked for rights for both African Americans and Native Americans, and pushed for the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871. He declared martial law and sent troops into South Carolina to enforce the act, which itself was meant to enforce the 14th Amendment. Thousands were indicted, and around 600 Klansmen were jailed in late 1871 for terrorizing African Americans. His efforts at a complete Reconstruction may have fallen short, certainly by 21st century standards, though expecting a seamless reunion after a divisive and costly war probably was unrealistic. Many now recognize that preserving the union, in itself, was a remarkable accomplishment. "The goal of the war, for most white northerners who were the majority of the population, was reunion the Union preserved," Waugh says. "That was considered a great accomplishment. For a country to engage in a Civil War in which 600,000-plus were killed, and the destruction that it wrought, and then come back together again was considered the best thing." Grant a man small of stature, quiet and modest may not have been what Adams and others expected. But, at that time, he may well have been exactly what the country needed. Now That's Interesting General Tecumseh Sherman, who is known for torching munitions factories, clothing mills and railway yards during the Atlanta Campaign, which left Atlanta in ruins during the infamous March to the Sea, was Ulysses S. Grant's most trusted officer during the Civil War. MATTOON A new program to draw remote workers to Mattoon with more than $11,000 in incentives each has gotten a boost from the Fortune multimedia business magazine. Fortune included Mattoon in a July 29 story spotlighting 10 communities that are paying remote workers to move there. In addition, the Wall Street Journal indirectly referenced Mattoon in a July 16 article about 71 communities that are paying tech workers to "abandon Silicon Valley." "It's just exciting that Mattoon is getting on the map and we are getting a lot of recognition for this," said Mattoon Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ed Dowd during a presentation at the Mattoon City Council meeting Tuesday night. Dowd also shared this information with U.S. Rep. Mike Bost from the 12th Congressional District during a meeting on Thursday, noting that the national media attention has helped remote worker inquires about the new Move to Mattoon program to more than 100 so far. In the current pilot stage of this program, Dowd said they plan to narrow down the inquires to five families to move to Mattoon. The recruitment program originated with the ongoing Mattoon in Motion community planning effort. Alex Benishek, a community and economic development associate with this effort, said this program has gotten national recognition by partnering with makemymove.com, a national website that facilitates remote worker relocations. The Mattoon program went live on makemymove.com on June 1 The package of more than $11,000 in incentives includes a free six-month membership at the YMCA; free 1-gigabit internet for six months from Consolidated Communications; one-year free membership at Elevate, CCIC, Inc. entrepreneurship center; restaurants and retailers gift cards; a free wellness assessment from Sarah Bush Lincoln; and three free hours of tuition from Lake Land College. Benishek, who is a fellow in community development from the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs and Western Illinois University, said Mattoon can be an attractive place for young professionals to be able to purchase their first homes. Move to Mattoon reports that the average home price in Mattoon is $79,000 versus $883,400 in Los Angeles, for example. In addition, Benishek said young families may be drawn to Mattoon by the community offering low crime rates and commutes, plus access to quality education, healthcare and natural resources. Dowd said Mark Muro, who studies cities and labor at the Brookings Institute, stated in the Wall Street Journal article that every remote worker these places successfully attract and retain is like gaining a fraction of a new factory or corporate office, with much less expenditure and risk. "They are moving to your city, who knows what they might invest," Dowd said, adding that remote workers and their families will become customers, students, volunteers, and more in their new community. A Winston-Salem man has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the shooting of an employee at a Kernersville battery-manufacturing plant Tuesday night. Diarus Mark Raynor, 29, was arrested and also charged with felony discharging a firearm within enclosure to incite fear and misdemeanor carrying concealed weapons. Raynor is accused of fatally shooting Erik Bailey, 34, of Winston-Salem. Sheriffs deputies received a call about 11:15 p.m. about shots being fired at the Clarios plant in the 2700 block of Powering Progress Drive in Kernersville, said Forsyth County Sheriff Bobbly Kimbrough Jr. and Christina Howell, a spokeswoman for the sheriffs office. The plant, off West Mountain Street, was formerly Johnson Controls. When deputies got to the plant, they found Bailey suffering from a gunshot wound, Kimbrough said. Bailey died at the scene. Investigators determined that Bailey and an employee got into an argument that ended with Bailey being shot and killed, Kimbrough said Wednesday. Arrest warrants allege that Raynor used a ghost gun a gun that doesnt have a serial number and is typically made from a kit purchased online to kill Bailey. Ghost guns are legal in nearly every state, including North Carolina, and anyone, with or without a criminal record, can purchase them. Law-enforcement agencies have expressed concerns about ghost guns and recently, the Justice Department made a ruling that would regulate ghost guns. Shaunne Hall, Erik Baileys mother, told the Journal on Wednesday that she heard from a first responder that Bailey was involved in an argument with a male employee. Hall was told that the employee spit in Baileys face during the incident. A fight then ensued between Bailey and the employee. At some point, Hall was told, the employee went to his vehicle, got a handgun and then shot Bailey in the chest. Kimbrough said Tuesday that he could neither confirm nor deny Halls account of what happened because of the ongoing criminal investigation. The sheriffs office has not said what led to the argument. Hall said Bailey had been working at the plant since early March. Her son had previously worked at the Winston Weaver Co. fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem. A Jan. 31 fire destroyed the fertilizer plant. It was not immediately clear how long Raynor had worked at Clarios. At the time of the shooting, nearly 200 employees were working at the plant. Kathryn Campbell, a spokeswoman for the Clarios, declined to comment about the arrest Friday. Hall, the mother of Eric Bailey, could not be reached for comment Friday. She said Wednesday that Bailey was a good father to his 10-year-old son, Tyler. The sheriffs office said that it conducted a thorough investigation and consulted with the Forsyth County District Attorneys Office before charging Raynor on Friday. Raynor appeared before a magistrate and was given a secured bond of $500,000. He is in the Forsyth County Jail. The Winston-Salem Democratic Socialists of America demanded Thursday that Republican District Attorney Jim ONeill and his Democratic challenger Denise Hartsfield publicly promise not to prosecute women who get abortions, providers of abortions or people who help women get the procedure. Tara Rose, the co-chairwoman of the organization, talked about her groups demands at a news conference outside the Forsyth County Hall of Justice. About 20 abortion rights supporters attended the event. Since July 3, more than 670 people have signed a petition by the Winston-Salem DSA, demanding that ONeill and Hartsfield promise to protect access to abortion in Forsyth County, Rose said. We defend freedom of all people to control their own healthcare decisions, bodies and lives by holding our elected prosecutors accountable, Rose said. Hartsfield said Thursday that she has received the demand from the Winston-Salem DSA to sign a petition, saying that she would not prosecute anyone for obtaining abortions. I really dont know how I could do that (and) say Im not going to prosecute something that doesnt exist yet (a ban on abortion), Hartsfield said. We live in North Carolina, and right now, abortions are still legal, Hartsfield said. ONeill couldnt be immediately reached Thursday to comment on his position regarding the Winston-Salem DSAs demand and his stance on abortion. Forsyth County voters will cast ballots in the Nov. 8 election for either ONeill or Hartsfield for the district attorneys job. The U.S. Supreme Court recently overturned the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, eliminating constitutional protections for abortions. The courts ruling allows state legislators to ban abortion and pass laws to criminalize people for obtaining abortions, providing abortions and helping women seeking abortions, Rose said. Republican leaders in the N.C. General Assembly have asked a federal judge to reinstate a 20-week abortion ban previously thrown out by courts, despite Democratic Attorney General Josh Steins refusal to seek enforcement of the ban. Legislators in North Carolina have introduced bills seeking to ban abortions in the state, Rose said. Working class, lower-income individuals and other marginalized groups will be most impacted by bans on abortion, Rose said. Hartsfield said she supports abortion and reproductive rights for women. Weve had a system for a very long time that allowed women their freedom of their reproductive rights, Hartsfield said. I think its your body, your choice. Earlier this week, Kansas voters protected 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. President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order that lays the groundwork for Medicaid to help women seeking abortions to travel between states to obtain access to the procedure. At the news conference, the Rev. Craig Schaub, the minister at Parkway United Church of Christ in Winston-Salem, said that abortion-rights supporters must resist any restrictions on reproductive justice, and that people of all faiths have fought for abortion rights. The candidates running for district attorney should not use limited public resources to prosecute someone for going through a very difficult discernment for what is right for them and their family, Schaub said. It has nothing to do with public safety. Carla Catalan Day of Winston-Salem, a Democrat running for the N.C. House District 74 seat, said at the news conference she will support womens rights to abortion if she is elected to the state legislature. Real family values mean that working families should be able to choose when to have a child, said Day who is running against the Republican incumbent, State Rep. Jeff Zenger of Lewisville. Most women, most mothers who choose to get an abortion already have two to three children, Day said. Thats a very complex decision that only that person can make. Larry Little, a retired professor of political science at Winston-Salem State University, said at the news conference that he supports abortion rights as a father of three daughters. I stand for their ability to choose whether or not they want to bring a child into this world, Little said. They are traumatized about the possibility that the government could give them no choice on this matter. Little, a local social justice activist for 50 years, said that Americans are living in a dangerous time. I thought we were through with so much nonsense, Little said. But there are people hell-bent with taking us backwards. We are not going back, Little said. We are going to fight. By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and new Turkmen ambassador to Azerbaijan Gurbanmammet Elyasov discussed the significance of the work for the approval of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea. The ambassador presented a copy of his credentials to Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. During the meeting, Bayramov congratulated the ambassador on his appointment. He noted that friendly and fraternal relations between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan have reached a new stage of development, as well as the importance of mutual high-level visits, and legal documents signed in recent years between the two countries. Conveying sincere greetings from Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, the ambassador highly appreciated the current relations between the two countries and noted the efficiency and positive dynamics of interaction and partnership. Further, he also expressed satisfaction with the relations between the peoples of the two countries based on historical, cultural, and ethnic unity. Elyasov noted the potential for further development of collaboration in the political, economic, trade, and transport areas, and stressed that he would make every effort for their implementation. The sides also exchanged views on the development of partnership between the two countries. The meeting raised issues of regional cooperation between the two states, as well as mutual support in international organizations. Jeyhun Bayramov wished Ambassador Elyasov success in his activities for the development of Azerbaijani-Turkmenistan relations. On January 21, 2021, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan signed a memorandum of understanding over the joint exploration of the Dostlug (Friendship) gas field. Under experts' estimates, the Dostlug gas field contains natural gas and 60-70 million tons of oil. The conservative pro-life movement managed to do something that abortion-rights activists have been trying to do for decades they have destroyed the stigma around abortion. When the same Supreme Court justices who had testified during congressional hearings that Roe v. Wade was settled law overturned abortion rights soon after, the house of cards began to fall. Women started speaking about abortion in ways I had never heard before. Mothers bought Plan B pills for their college-aged daughters. Grandmothers shared stories about botched, illegal abortions performed before Roe. It galvanized Gen Z, the least religiously affiliated generation in this countrys history, to speak out on social media and raise eye-popping amounts of money for abortion funds. Olivia Julianna, a 19-year-old Texan political activist, responded to Rep. Matt Gaetzs tweet targeting her by raising more than $2 million for abortion funds. A young Army medic went viral on TikTok for her emotional post in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision. She said in her video: I just extended my contract to continue serving this country a week ago. How am I supposed to swear to support and defend the Constitution and a country that treats its women like second-class citizens? These voices stood in stark contrast to the Republicans who said publicly a raped 10-year-old should be forced to give birth to the rapists child. Missouri state Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman proposed allowing private citizens to sue anyone they suspect of helping a Missouri resident get an abortion in another state trying to ban women from traveling to get the medical care they need. This rise of Republican extremism and stripping away a right from half the countrys citizens was bound to provoke a backlash. What may have been less expected was the significant and rapid change in peoples private conversations and behavior. I spoke to my teenage children about abortion rights for the first time after Roe was overturned. Close friends I have known for decades revealed their own experiences needing abortion care for the first time. I saw male politicians in Missouri wearing T-shirts supporting reproductive rights while campaigning. The era of secrecy and shame around abortion is over. Ironically, Republicans ended it. Voters in Kansas showed the country that the issue of reproductive freedom is really about freedom period. They voted on Tuesday in support of reproductive freedom in a conservative, deep red state by rejecting changes to the state's constitution protecting the right to an abortion. In the referendum, 59% of Kansas voters cast a ballot in support of abortion. That's a significant majority. It highlights just how out-of-touch extremist judges and politicians are with the majority of the country. It also suggested a path to freedom in the most oppressive states for women. Missouri is a prime state to make reproductive rights a ballot initiative. While the state votes heavily Republican, progressive ballot initiatives such as Medicaid expansion and increasing the minimum wage have won at the polls. In Kansas, at least 20% of Republicans voted for abortion rights. National polling shows that a third of Republicans opposed overturning Roe. A ballot initiative securing abortion rights is a way for Republicans to support human rights without compromising a political identity. You may persuade people to believe conspiracy theories about things removed from their daily lives, like rigged voting machines, but its much harder to gaslight them about their own bodies and lived experience. A tiny minority of people believe a single-cell zygote is the exact same as their daughter or mother standing in front of them. The majority of us know that prioritizing the potential of life over a real, living breathing human being could destroy the life of someone we know or our own. The vote in Kansas was a primal scream for women. Across the country, we heard it loud and clear. A 48-year-old Lincoln man has been jailed on suspicion of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl. Prosecutors charged Diego Carter Sr. on Friday with first-degree sexual assault of a child. At a brief court appearance, his bond was set at $750,000. In court records, LPD Investigator Jacob McCord said on July 24, the girl's father reported to police that she had disclosed sexual abuse committed by Carter starting a month earlier. Carter allegedly provided the girl alcohol before the assaults, which are alleged to have occurred in Lincoln and Kansas City, Missouri. Police arrested him on the allegations Thursday. A five-time convicted felon who randomly attacked a 62-year-old man in downtown Lincoln last year has been sentenced to three to five years in prison. Gabriel A. Sterling, 36, told Lancaster County District Judge Kevin McManaman at his sentencing Thursday that he didn't remember the incident. "But that still doesn't excuse anything. There's a reason I didn't remember and that's because I chose to use drugs," he said. Sterling said he was sorry about his actions. "He was out enjoying himself on a walk, minding his own business, and I had absolutely no reason to approach him," he said of the victim. Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Jessica Murphy said Sterling shows the dangers of drug use and how it can alter a person's state of mind "to the detriment of a stranger walking down the street who ends up assaulted." At about 7:45 a.m. Feb. 5, 2021, police were called to 11th and N streets on an assault. A 62-year-old man told them a stranger had charged him and punched him repeatedly in the head and body. He had been knocked unconscious and suffered significant injuries to his face from the beating and a gash on his elbow from falling to the ground that required a half-dozen stitches. Security video from a nearby apartment building caught the incident, and officers ultimately identified Sterling as the attacker. McManaman said when he reviewed the video he was able to see the nature of the crime and the presence of significant violence. When Sterling hit the victim, the victim fell limp to the ground, he said. "(He was) just a fellow out walking on the city streets of Lincoln, as far as I can tell. Which should be safe," the judge said. "People should be free from assault." He said the safety of the community was important here, then gave his sentence, rejecting defense attorney Bill Chapin's argument for probation. Police arrested a 23-year-old Lincoln man on a string of charges at the end of a chase in a stolen SUV Thursday morning near the center of the city. It started with a gas drive-off at the Super C at 33rd Street and Sheridan Boulevard shortly before 8:30 a.m. Lincoln Police Sgt. Chris Vollmer said an employee reported that a man in a ponytail had left in a white SUV after pumping $78.15 of gas and not paying. Soon after, a member of the Metro Fugitive Task Force doing surveillance near 28th and N streets spotted a Toyota Highlander with the same license plate sitting with the driver still inside. The SUV had been stolen a week earlier across town. Vollmer said when officers approached, the man drove through a backyard and a privacy fence, hitting an empty police cruiser, then continuing on to hit a second car near 27th and J streets, before running from officers. Police ultimately arrested Gabriel Olivas about two blocks away. He was jailed on suspicion of theft by receiving stolen property, fleeing arrest, obstructing police, criminal mischief, willful reckless driving and DUI. The University of Nebraska will ask state lawmakers for 3% more in state appropriations in each of the next two years. The biennial budget request, which will go before the NU Board of Regents on Aug. 11, would cover the years of 2023-24 and 2024-25. If approved by the Legislature and signed by the next governor next year, the increase would bring NU's total state appropriation to $665 million beginning in 2023 and $696 million in 2024. The boost to state aid would provide $41.5 million more for salaries and benefits over the two-year budget cycle, and would also seek to increase fringe benefits by $5.1 million, health insurance costs by $10.7 million, and other budget needs by $7.2 million. In all, the request would provide NU with $64.6 million more at the end of the biennium to fund university operations. Revenue from student tuition is also used to fund the state-aided budget at NU. But, according to the summary included with the regents' agenda published Thursday, the request for more state appropriations would not cover all of NU's needs. The university is projecting a $12.5 million shortfall in both years of the biennium, which will need to be made up through enrollment growth, tuition hikes or budget cuts -- or some combination of the three. NU, which has campuses in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney, is entering the second year of a two-year budget freeze proposed by President Ted Carter and approved by the Board of Regents last year. The university is also continuing to make progress toward $49 million in budget cuts adopted by regents in 2020, as institutions of higher education across the country sought to cut costs due to plummeting enrollments. Part of those cuts have included shifting funding in order to expand the Nebraska Promise program, which allows in-state students from families with qualifying income levels to attend NU for free. Regents will also consider increasing the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture's budget by 3% over the next biennium. The increase would provide the campus in Curtis with $307,000 more in state funding over the next two years. However, NCTA will be required to cut $80,000 from its budget during that same time period. Upon approval from regents, both budget requests will go to the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education for review before they are submitted to the governor and the Legislature in September. China says it is cutting off dialogue with the U.S. on a range of vital issues from climate change to military relations and anti-narcotics efforts in retaliation for a visit this week to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The measures announced Friday are the latest steps intended to punish Washington for allowing the visit to the island claimed by Beijing as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary. China also is firing missiles in military exercises off the coast of the island. U.S.-China expert Bonnie Glaser warns China may be heading toward changing the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, with results that are negative for both Taiwan and the U.S. The 42-year-old man suspected of killing four of his neighbors in the small northeast Nebraska town of Laurel has been charged with 10 felonies including four counts of first-degree murder for his alleged role in the crimes that rattled the town's 1,000 residents about 40 minutes west of Sioux City, Iowa. Investigators arrested Jason A. Jones, who has lived on Elm Street in Laurel since at least 2019, after a pair of receipts and a gun left at the scene of two Thursday morning house fires were linked to him, according to an affidavit for a search warrant filed in Cedar County. More coverage 4 dead at 2 different crime scenes 3 blocks apart in Laurel, Nebraska authorities say Authorities found the first of four bodies at about 3 a.m. Thursday after responding to a reported explosion at 209 Elm St., according to the Nebraska State Patrol. Michele Ebeling, a 53-year-old resident, was found dead of two gunshot wounds in the home, according to the patrol. Another fire was reported three blocks away at about 9:30 a.m., according to court filings, though Col. John Bolduc, the state patrol's superintendent, said the fires are thought to have been started at about the same time. At the scene of the second fire, authorities found Gene Twiford, 86; his wife Janet Twiford, 85; and their daughter Dana Twiford, 55. All three lived in the home at 503 Elm St. and were found dead with apparent gunshot wounds, State Patrol Investigator Michael Henry said in the affidavit for the search warrant. At Ebeling's house, where authorities first responded, investigators found three receipts including one for gas at the local Rath's Mini Mart, another for a six-gallon gas canister at a Sioux City retail store. The credit card used for both purchases belongs to Jones, Henry said in the affidavit. At the Twifords' house, police found a Ruger .57 caliber pistol, a firearm magazine and a Molotov cocktail, Henry said. Investigators determined Jones is the registered owner of the gun. He had purchased it in February 2021. Security footage from the Mini Mart showed Jones filling two gas canisters there at about 8 p.m. Wednesday, Henry said in the affidavit. Police arrested Jones, who lived across the street from Ebeling, at his home at about 2:30 a.m. Friday, Bolduc said at a morning news conference in the town's fire station. No one else was in the home when Jones was arrested. Bolduc said Jones had serious burns over a large part of his body" upon his arrest, apparently stemming from the pair of fires set at the victims' homes. He was taken by helicopter to CHI St. Elizabeth in Lincoln, where he remains in serious condition. State Patrol spokesman Cody Thomas said he is not aware of any previous contacts law enforcement might have had with Jones before his arrest Friday. Prosecutors have formally charged Jones with the four counts of first-degree murder, along with two counts of first-degree arson and four counts of use of a firearm to commit a felony. A Cedar County judge appointed the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy to represent Jones. The commission's lead attorney offered no comment Friday. Any connection between the victims and Jones aside from their proximity along the tree-lined street remains unclear. At Friday's news conference, Bolduc declined to share a suspected motive. I want to acknowledge the indescribable grief that this community is experiencing right now, Bolduc said. And thats gonna be compounded by the betrayal of trust that theyre gonna feel, because a community member here is alleged to have committed these crimes. Keith Knudsen, the town's mayor who spent his Friday fielding calls at his day job at a Laurel bank, said the tight-knit community, which he described as an extended family, had taken the day's news with a sense of both sadness for the loss and relief for Jones' apprehension. He said he was surprised by the news Friday morning that the alleged killer was a local resident, the latest in a string of developments that have shocked the town since 3 a.m. Thursday. "It's a tragic thing to happen in a small community," he said. "It's all still pretty fresh." Bolduc saluted the efforts of first responders and, specifically, thanked the fire crews who he said "preserved the evidence that led us directly" to Jones. It's unclear if Jones, who lived at 206 Elm St., ever left Laurel in the aftermath of the crimes. Bolduc faced scrutiny from reporters Friday for authorities unclear guidance on whether local businesses should enter a lockdown. We were limited to the facts that we had at the time, he said Friday. Certainly, with 60-plus law enforcement officers in town yesterday, we felt like the community was pretty safe. Bolduc also walked back his agencys Thursday warning about a Black man who they said was seen driving a silver sedan away from Laurel in the aftermath of the incident. Jones, the State Patrol confirmed, is white. We dont believe thats the same person, Bolduc said. But we would like to talk to that person as a witness if we are able to identify them. But, certainly, as the information has developed, that lead became less significant. Journal Star reporters Lori Pilger and Chris Dunker contributed to this report. By Azernews Azerbaijani serviceman Samir Khudiyev died while performing a combat mission on rough terrain in Lachin district on August 5, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan told Azernews. Part of a cliff collapsed onto Azerbaijani conscripts Samir Khudiyev and Tahir Aliyev, while they were performing a combat mission on Lachin district's rough terrain on August 5, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan told Trend. According to the ministry, Khudiyev died on the scene within minutes of the injury, whilst Aliyev's condition is assessed as serious. A criminal case has been initiated on the fact, and the investigation on the matter is currently underway, said the statement. The speaker of the Legislature is gauging his colleagues' support for a special session to debate a 12-week abortion ban, according to an Omaha lawmaker. Sen. Megan Hunt posted a Tweet on Wednesday night saying that Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers is calling all members and asking them to sign on to a letter supporting a special session to take up the proposal. Hilgers, of Lincoln, told the Omaha World-Herald on Thursday that he has contacted multiple lawmakers to discuss a special session, but would not confirm whether he is proposing a 12-week ban. "I don't have additional comment until I've finished those conversations and had the chance to comprehensively discuss with my colleagues," Hilgers said. Hilgers has not called all lawmakers. Omaha Sens. Machaela Cavanaugh and Justin Wayne said they hadn't received a call as of Thursday afternoon. Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn said she hasn't received a call on this specific issue, but she talks to Hilgers multiple times a week, and they have discussed abortion restrictions and a special session. She said she may not receive a call at all, because she is confident Hilgers already knows her stance. "He knows where I'm at," Linehan said. Linehan said she is "all-in" on a special session, provided officials are confident the proposed bill would pass. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in late June, Gov. Pete Ricketts said he would work with Hilgers to evaluate what policies could pass in the Legislature during a potential special session. The governor has avoided commenting on the topic since then, and a spokesperson for Ricketts did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. A 12-week ban wouldn't go as far as the bans that many Southern and Midwestern states passed after the Supreme Courts ruling. It would also be scaled back compared with a trigger bill that nearly passed in the Legislature earlier this year. The trigger bill would have banned all abortions in Nebraska in the event the Supreme Court overturned Roe. The bill would have made it a felony for anyone to provide any medication or undertake any procedure with the intent of ending the life of an unborn child, starting at fertilization, with no exceptions for rape or incest. The bill died when it failed to reach the 33 votes necessary to end a filibuster against it. Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston, who introduced the trigger legislation, said Wednesday that the bill is "completely off the table." She said she is not writing the legislation that could be proposed in a special session, but predicted it would propose further abortion restrictions, rather than a complete ban, which she felt had a higher chance of passing. "I can't say what the governor is going to settle on," Albrecht said Thursday. Linehan, who supported the trigger bill, said that while a 12-week ban would not eliminate all abortions, she would support any legislation that leads to fewer abortions in the state. Currently in Nebraska, abortions are legal up until 20 weeks after fertilization. A total of 2,360 abortions were reported in 2021, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. That marked a slight decrease from the 2,378 reported in 2020. According to the report, more than 85% of the abortions performed in 2021 occurred before an estimated 12 weeks of gestation. Hunt, who led the eight-hour filibuster against the trigger bill, said in a follow-up Tweet that she also opposed a 12-week ban. "Politicians might think that a 12-week ban will make them look moderate, but they know what everybody else knows: Putting government between a doctor and a patient for no medically necessary reason is never moderate," Hunt said in the Tweet. Jasmine Gutschow felt nauseous when she woke up a few days before Thanksgiving last year. She brushed it off as typical pregnancy symptoms. She told her fiance he should head into work the baby wouldnt be coming anytime soon. Three hours later, after her contractions started, after she and her fiance sped for the hospital, after their 2003 Chevy Tahoe broke down, after her contractions quickened to every two minutes and Gutschows fiance frantically dialed 911, it had become crystal-clear that this baby had other ideas. Gutschow sat curled in the passenger seat on the shoulder of Nebraska 10 near Upland, trying not to scream in pain and scare the two other children in the car. There had been no time to find a babysitter. I really dont want to have this baby on the side of the road, Gutschow said as she told her fiance to call an ambulance. The car problem: A faulty fuel pump. The bigger problem: The couple lives an hours drive from the hospital where Gutschow receives maternity care. The couple lives in Franklin, in a county of 2,889 residents in south-central Nebraska. Like 55 other counties in the state, Franklin County has no hospital offering birthing services. The long drive can lead to far worse outcomes than added mileage. Rural regions of the state accounted for roughly 40% of births from 2016 to 2018. During that time, rural Nebraska had a rate of roughly 52 severe maternal mortality cases per 10,000 deliveries, notably higher than the urban rate of 45, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. And access to pregnancy care is getting worse. Since 2017, Nebraska has lost six birthing units in rural hospitals already 35 miles from the next-nearest hospital, said Sydnie Carraher of the Nebraska Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative. As delivery rooms dwindle, emergency calls from expectant parents have become more frequent, said EMT Elizabeth Burki, one of the Hildreth first responders who answered Gutschows call. The help is not there, Burki said. When the ambulance arrived, Gutschow struggled to uncurl her body and lay flat on the stretcher. Her fiance and the kids stayed on the side of the highway as the ambulance pulled away. Gutschow was alone with no pain medication. One EMT called Gutschows obstetrician. Another reassured her they had trained for this exact scenario. In fact, the Hildreth first responders had done a Simulation in Motion Nebraska training a simulated emergency delivery less than 48 hours before Gutschows call. They sped toward Kearney. But Gutschows water broke and it became obvious they wouldnt make it. Hildreth EMTs hadnt delivered a baby in 70 years, Burki said. Long-range delivery In small-town Nebraska, a lack of both babies and funding have made deliveries more difficult. Sixteen counties in Nebraska average fewer than 50 births a year, according to the U.S. government. If a hospital only sees a handful of births a year, its tough for staff to confidently offer obstetric care, said Mariana Tuttle, research fellow at the University of Minnesotas Rural Health Research Center. Low birth rates also make funding labor and delivery services difficult, especially in rural regions where half the births are funded by Medicaid which reimburses at half the rate of private insurers, Tuttle said. She said its a compelling reason to expand Medicaid in states such as Nebraska. In the 2022 Legislature, Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln introduced a bill that would extend Medicaid coverage for new parents. That bill died in committee, said Sara Howard, a former state senator whos now a policy adviser for First Five Nebraska. I think there was a reluctance to invest additional dollars beyond what's already being invested, Howard said. Small-town moms have a substantially greater risk of severe maternal morbidity than big-city moms, Tuttle said. People deserve to be able to live in these beautiful rural spaces and still have safe and healthy outcomes and labor and birth, Tuttle said. The dangers of giving birth in a rural area increase for parents of color, said Christian Minter, the Maternal and Infant Health Manager in Nebraska for March of Dimes. Black and Native infants die at twice the rate of white infants. Many Native moms do live in some of these rural counties, and so looking at their access to health care is important as well, Minter said. Maintaining a birthing unit might simply not be possible in some of Nebraskas smallest counties. Arthur County, for example, averaged only 11 births a year from 2017 to 2019. Where it might not be feasible to keep a delivery unit open, family medicine physicians can increase prenatal care access at clinics and help transfer their patients to larger hospitals when the time comes, Tuttle said. But its not just delivery hospitals disappearing in rural Nebraska. The state has lost 56 family medicine physicians in the past five years. Filling the gaps Ninety-one of the states counties every county except Douglas and Lancaster are now designated as a shortage area for at least one type of primary care doctor. Fourteen rural Nebraska counties lack both a family medicine physician and obstetrician, according to a 2022 report by the University of Nebraska Medical Centers Rural Health Initiatives. Without intervention, it will get worse. In the coming decade, a large portion of rural Nebraskas doctors of all types are expected to retire, said Nicole Carritt, director of UNMCs Rural Health Initiatives. Recruiting certified nurse midwives is one cost-effective way of improving pregnancy care in rural areas where recruiting doctors may prove impossible, Minter said. And the number of those midwives is growing slightly in Nebraska even as the number of small-town doctors plummets. But Nebraska is one of only three states where certified nurse midwives have to practice under the supervision of a licensed physician, according to the American College of Nurse Midwives. That regulation presents a challenge for certified nurse midwives trying to practice in small Nebraska towns that dont have a doctor, Minter said. So hour-long drives, like the one from Franklin to Kearney, remain the norm in small-town Nebraska. They make stories such as Gutschows wild ambulance ride more likely. On that morning a few days before Thanksgiving, the ambulance made it only 10 miles before Gutschow gave birth to her son, Raiden. The ambulance now carrying mother, newborn and relieved Hildreth EMTs stopped at the nearest hospital in Minden. But that hospital didnt have the necessary equipment to care for Gutschows brand-new son. Hours into his life, Raiden was put into another ambulance so he could finally get to Kearney. Normally, right after you have birth at the hospital, the baby's right there with you in the room and you start that bonding time, Gutschow said. We didn't get that until at least four hours afterwards, and I barely got to see him since he was so premature. Raidens father missed the entirety of the birth. Instead of her fiance holding her hand, an EMT a complete stranger squeezed Gutschows hand through delivery. (Gutschow) was just so incredibly brave, Burki said. Today, Burki regularly receives photo updates of Raiden, who is mastering his crawl alongside his brother. He has already made multiple visits to the EMTs who delivered him. We all became aunts and uncles, Burki said. The now 9-month-old Raiden owns a one-of-a-kind birth certificate, which lists his place of birth as Mile Marker 32. Delivering Raiden is one of Burkis best memories as an EMT. She also never wants her ambulance to become a delivery room again. Not every outcome is gonna be smooth as that one was, Burki said. What happened that day is probably more likely to happen again with how things in rural America, not just in Nebraska, are going. The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraskas first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter. A passerby was driving along a quiet country road July 21 in northeastern Racine County when they noticed a large, breathtaking bird, hobbling and attempting to flap its wings, unable to gain flight. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and a warden, Brandon Smith, responded to the scene. First, we contacted the owner of the property in question, and the owner, who helped in any way they could, had no idea that this injured bird was on their property, Smith said. Once arriving on the scene, it did not take long to corner and capture the injured bird. The crippled creature was quickly identified as a bald eagle, which has been the national bird of the United States since before the Constitution was ratified. These eagles have become increasingly common in the state in recent decades. The number of occupied bald eagle nests identified by the Wisconsin DNR grew from 108 in the early 1970s to just shy of 1,700 in 2019. It remains illegal nationwide to hurt bald eagles, but it is not uncommon for them to be hurt by hunters mistaking them for non-protected birds like goose and poachers who can sell eagles body parts for hundreds of dollars apiece. It was clear the eagle in Caledonia had been injured by humans. An X-ray later revealed at least two BBs (possibly birdshot) embedded inside the creature. Injuries to its talons and wings indicated it had been trapped; one of its legs was losing circulation and appeared to have a compression injury. Had the eagle Smith rescued been hurt decades ago, there may not have been anyone to try to nurse the American icon back to health. When a wild animal is hurt, theres no direct governmental office that may be able to help. The DNR does not really have wildlife rehabilitators; thats not a function of the department. Thats where nonprofits come in. Locally, that means Fellow Mortals Wildlife Hospital, a Lake Geneva nonprofit founded by a Burlington-area native who was inspired after a near tragedy involving a lawn mower and a rabbit burrow. A career by mistake Yvonne Wallace Blane grew up in Lyons, less than five miles west of Burlington. She never thought about being a veterinarian or taking care of animals as a career. She considers her childhood as growing up in the country but having too little respect for the life surrounding her. She admits she took it for granted. That changed in 1985. She was in college and working as a paralegal at a real estate law firm, and certainly was not the Save the Birds-type she has become. While mowing the lawn at the mobile home park she and her husband operated, Wallace Blane mistakenly ran over a nest of baby rabbits. I was distraught. I didnt know what to do, she recalled, seeing a whole family of tiny, fluffy critters scatter in fear like a horrific deleted scene from Watership Down. Wallace Blane called a wildlife rehabilitator who told her to let nature take its course. That didnt sit well with her. To this date, regarding the injured animals, whenever someone says Let nature take its course, Wallace Blane thinks Its not natural to run over a rabbits nest with a lawn mower. Its not natural for an eagle to get shot by BBs and then be left flightless to die. Why dont we understand yet the importance of wildlife to the life of our environment? Wallace Blane and her husband, Steven J. Blane, found the bunnies and we took it on ourselves to raise them, which was illegal, which we didnt know at the time. After learning it was illegal to care for wild animals without proper training, they got certified. In 1992, the couple incorporated Fellow Mortals Wildlife Hospital. Wallace Blane has 10 wildlife rehabilitation licenses, allowing her to legally care for certain wild animals as small as newborn squirrels and freshly hatched hummingbirds, and as big as deer and beavers not to mention bald eagles, which weigh up to 14 pounds, can be taller than 3 feet and have wingspans wider than that of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Fellow Mortals aims to fill the gap left by the lack of governmental agencies existing to take care of the wild animals whose home had been destroyed. Still today, many are unaware these agencies exist. Twenty-six of Wisconsins 72 counties currently have at least one licensed wildlife rehabilitator facility, according to the DNR. Serving Racine and Kenosha counties, theres really only two such facilities: Fellow Mortals and the Wisconsin Humane Society. The underlying inspiration is compassion and respect for other life, Wallace Blane said. Its not only humans that inhabit this Earth. Now, if a DNR warden or a member of the public rescues an injured creature, they can call Fellow Mortals and bring the animal in for care. Besides the DNR, it is not uncommon for regular citizens to find an injured animal and not know what to do, so they search online and find Fellow Mortals. Today, Fellow Mortals Wildlife Hospital has a staff of 5-10 (depending on the time of year) that cares for most non-predatory small mammals and just about any bird common in Wisconsin. Four of the staff members are full-time animal rehabilitators. The hospital also employs up to four interns at a time, giving the college students hands-on training before they enter careers as wildlife advocates, veterinarians, field researchers or perhaps wildlife rehabilitators. For the first time this year, two of the interns are somewhat local: both from Beloit, in addition to one from Wyoming and the other from North Dakota. We take in 2,000 animals a year, Wallace Blane said. She doesnt hide her pride when she says the nonprofit has cared for more than 60,000 animals since 1985. The nonprofit has received numerous awards: receiving a Platinum Transparency honor from GuideStar, is a Doobert-approved animal rescue organization, receiving a Top Rated recognition from GreatNonprofits in 2021 and being named a Top-Ranked Organization by Global Giving this year. Relying on others Fellow Mortals Wildlife Hospital is entirely supported by donations. It receives no government funding. Co-founder Yvonne Wallace Blane said the nonprofit is now considering starting a fund for rewards to tipsters who provide information leading to the identification of those who illegally hurt animals. To support any of the hospital's missions, go to fellowmortals.org/help-wildlife/donate Now, the sad part The eagle that DNR Warden Smith brought to the hospital didnt make it. We worked with the bird, but over the next few days the gangrene started, Wallace Blane said. It was too hurt to survive and was put down last week. Her right foot became progressively more bruised and swollen and over the next few days the damage caused by the compression injury to the leg and foot revealed itself as the tissue began to die. Obviously this magnificent bird could not live, let alone be released, without her ability to grip and perch, states a Facebook post from the hospital, which commonly provides public updates on the animals in its care. Eagles are not only intelligent but they learn from experience, and this sweetheart knew as well as we did that her life was over. Warden Brandon Smith, who rescued this bird and ensured she did not die from starvation or predation, is pursuing enquiries and has taken her physical remains into evidence. Wallace Blane called for anyone who knows the person that hurt the bird to call the DNR and report them. Somebody knows something about how that bird got hurt, she said in a phone call. Violations can be reported to the DNR at dnrx.wisconsin.gov/rav or by phone/text by calling 800-847-9367. Under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, wounding or killing an eagle can result in a fine of $100,000 and one year in prison for a first offense, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service, although sentences are rarely that stiff. Fellow Mortals Facebook post eulogizing the bird concluded: We honor her spirit, which remains, and we go forward with love and hope for the wild ones who will continue to need us, and for the overwhelming majority of you who show compassion and respect for the others with whom we share this Earth. Not all of the animals stories end this way. On July 1, another bald eagle was found disoriented in a ditch in Jefferson, about 35 miles northwest of Burlington. His symptoms indicated it had suffered head trauma, and several of its bones were broken. Like the one in Caledonia, this eagle was brought to Fellow Mortals. The day after Independence Day, the eagle had healed enough thanks to the hospital, and hearty meals of beef shank and salmon that he could be brought outside for the first time. Like all the other thousands of animals rehabilitated at Fellow Mortals in the past 37 years, he will soon be released to be free again. Thats our whole purpose, Wallace Blane said. They deserve to be free. They deserve to live in a world where its safe to raise their families. 'To a Mouse' The name for Fellow Mortals Wildlife Hospital comes from a poem, "To a Mouse," written in 1785 by Robert Burns; one of the hospital's co-founders, Yvonne Wallace Blane, studied English in college. The poem's second stanza reads: Im truly sorry Mans dominion Has broken Natures social union, An justifies that ill opinion, Which makes thee startle, At me, thy poor, earth-born companion, An fellow-mortal! Usually viewed as a yawn-inducing afterthought even among the most enthusiastic politicos, this years race for Wisconsins next secretary of state has potentially high stakes. Thats due to a push by three Republican candidates to shift oversight of elections from the Wisconsin Election Commission which was created by Republicans in 2016 to the secretary of states office. The GOP-controlled legislature replaced the nonpartisan and independent Government Accountability Board, over which politicians had little influence, with the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission and another agency that oversees ethics, each of which is governed by a board split evenly between Republicans and Democrats. That gives each party equal say in decisions, and each party the ability to veto decisions, experts say. Now, some in the state GOP want to disband the Wisconsin Elections Commission, and Democrats have characterized the effort to expand the secretary of states powers which is also happening in other key electoral college states as an attempt by supporters of former President Donald Trump to control who wins future elections in Wisconsin. Ultimately, any change would need to come from the legislature, and then be signed into law by the governor. This is quite the special year. Historically, the secretary of states office has been pretty low profile, said Secretary of State Doug La Follette, who was first elected to the office in 1974 and has held it since 1982. This is quite a different situation because of this effort to have some control over elections. The offices power has been eroding since the 1990s and was most notably diminished in 2013 by Republicans who at that time held both the state legislature and the governors seat. The secretary of states office used to have the ability to delay publicizing laws signed by the governor for up to 10 days, providing a window for such laws to be blocked in court. Now the secretary of state is primarily responsible for the oversight of public records as well as authenticating acts by the governors office and the state legislature, and gets paid roughly $72,000 a year. In alphabetical order, heres a look at the field of candidates for Wisconsins next secretary of state ahead of the Aug. 9 primary election. The winners will face each other in the Nov. 8 general election. President Joe Bidens winning margin of more than 20,000 votes in Wisconsin has held following recounts in Dane and Milwaukee counties, multiple state and federal lawsuits, an audit by the nonpartisan state agency the Legislative Audit Bureau, an ongoing, taxpayer-funded investigation launched by the legislature and a review by the conservative law firm the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty. An Associated Press review of Wisconsin and other battleground states also found far too little fraud fewer than 500 cases, many for Trump to have flipped the election. Neil Harmon, Libertarian Neil Harmon, the Libertarian candidate, is a resident of West Allis. Hes anti-tax, anti-regulation and believes government is too intrusive in our lives, he said in a July 15 Facebook post. He presents himself as a regular guy alternative to major-party candidates, with his social media posts containing jabs at both the right and left, though he sides with Republicans on granting election oversight to the secretary of state. Harmon doesnt favor abolishing the Wisconsin Election Commission, proposing rather to reduce the board from six members to four, with the secretary of state representing a tie-breaking vote. I am running for office because I am tired of career politicians, he said in an email to The Badger Project. At some point, politicians no longer serve the people more than themselves. I have a strict rule that I would never, if elected, seek more than two terms. To be a representative republic, we need ordinary citizens to step into these roles. Doug La Follette, Democrat Despite facing a serious primary challenge, the incumbent La Follette has not sought campaign donations during this election cycle and is being vastly out-fundraised by his most formidable opponent, Republican state Rep. Amy Loudenbeck. La Follette tells The Badger Project that the roughly $19,000 in donations he has received has been unsolicited from individuals who are concerned with the races implications for future elections in Wisconsin. La Follette decided to run again because of his Republican challengers stated aims to oversee future elections and possibly finagle the election coming up in 2024, he said. So, theres a lot of concern over whether we can keep the office in the hands of a Democrat, and everybody I talked to believed I would be the strongest candidate against a Republican whos talking about moving election responsibilities to the secretary of state, which I am opposed to, he said. Based on that, I decided to run for re-election. In a rare instance of a politician opposing more power for his own office, La Follette wants to keep election-oversight responsibilities within the Wisconsin Elections Commission, rather than with an elected position such as the secretary of state. Its clear what the motive is to have some control over the elections, he said. Republicans were very upset with the election commission and there was also controversy when Trump tried to influence the commission and influence the electors, which was fortunately unsuccessful. But now theyre looking for more control over (elections) in the future. Im opposed to that, and thats why Im running. Amy Loudenbeck, Republican Loudenbeck represents Wisconsins 31st District in the state Assembly, with her term set to expire in January. She is widely considered to be the Republican frontrunner in the secretary of states race. I am the only Republican candidate with a record of winning elections and getting things done, she said in an email to The Badger Project. She also criticizes La Follettes record in the role. The secretary of states office has fallen into disrepair and disfavor thanks to the neglect of Doug La Follette, who has been in that office for 44 years, Loudenbecks campaign website states. The less he did, the more people forgot there was such an office. Though Loudenbeck hasnt explicitly stated she believes the 2020 presidential election was stolen or fraudulent, she favors transferring election oversight to the secretary of states office and abolishing the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Regardless of what anyone feels about the 2020 election results, the way the current (Wisconsin Elections Commission) administered that election has raised serious questions and doubts about how it was managed, her campaign website states. As I travel the state, I keep hearing two things: we need a secretary of state who will actually earn their taxpayer-funded paycheck and make this constitutional office work again for the people, Loudenbeck said in the email. The other thing I hear is that the Wisconsin Elections Commission must be abolished and replaced with a new model that can restore confidence in our elections process. Alexia Sabor, Democrat Sabor is a progressive candidate who lives in Madison, is the chair of the Democratic Party of Dane County and holds a doctorate in forest ecology and management. She is facing off against La Follette in the Aug. 9 primary. She is opposed to the Republican effort to dissolve the Wisconsin Elections Commission and shift election oversight to the secretary of states office, and has positioned herself as a protector of fair elections. Sabor told The Badger Project in an email that shes excited to bring new energy and a vision to revitalize this office. Republicans want to make the secretary of state the only person to oversee our elections, arguing that the office lacks any real responsibilities, she said. While I oppose partisan oversight of our elections, I believe we need a strong secretary of state to push back against this dangerous concentration of power. I will use the seat as a bully pulpit in defense of our democracy, to increase civic engagement through education, she said, and to help voters understand whats at stake in our elections. Justin Schmidtka, Republican Justin Schmidtka is a Republican candidate from Green Bay who is all-in on the falsehood of a stolen election that Trump and some of his supporters continue to push despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud. Our elections are already under attack once again, he said in a video posted to Facebook on July 28. Hes calling for the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin to be decertified, an impossibility under the states constitution, the Wisconsin Elections Commission to be dismantled and the duties of the secretary of state to be restored to its constitutional founding. A former U.S. Marine, Schmidtka works as a truck driver and dabbles in political podcasting. He recently shared a meme on Facebook that states: Democracy = Communism and Constitutional Republic = Freedom. Schmidtka opposes abortion rights, according to his campaign website. He also supports medical freedom, asserting on the website that health care decisions are very personal decisions. Let no man or woman make a decision for another of sound mind, especially when that decision involves an individuals religious beliefs. Schmidtka was the only candidate who did not respond to The Badger Projects request for comment on this story. Jay Schroeder, Republican A Trump-style Republican businessman from Neenah, Jay Schroeder briefly ran for secretary of state in 2014 and has made two unsuccessful bids to represent Wisconsins 55th District in the state Assembly. In the 2020 primary election, he drew 18% of the vote in the 55th, losing to fellow Republican and current office-holder state Rep. Rachael Cabral-Guevara. Like Schmidtka, Schroeder is fully on board with spreading the fiction that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent. Im running for Secretary of State in Wisconsin to expose and defeat the lying, cheating Democrats including corrupt Joe Biden, his campaign website reads. The rigging must stop, he said in a July 27 Facebook post. Stay tuned. Like his fellow Republican candidates, Schroeder favors dissolving the Wisconsin Elections Commission. In an email to The Badger Project, he decried the cumbersome and ineffective elections system currently in place, pointing to the Wisconsin Elections Commission and the Government Accountability Board the latter which hasnt existed since Republicans shuttered it in 2015. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing using the current process, and expecting different results, he said in an email to The Badger Project. RACINE Will Martin, a candidate for Wisconsin lieutenant governor who has lived in Racine since 2019, announced a slew of endorsements Friday from area officials who back his campaign. The slate of candidates seeking to be Wisconsins next lieutenant governor, the states second-highest-ranking elected official, is loaded: with eight Republicans and two Democrats appearing on Aug. 9 primary election ballots. On Friday, Martin announced he had been endorsed by the following: Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave Claude Lois, former City of Burlington mayor and current Mount Pleasant Foxconn/Tax Incremental District No. 5 project manager Jean Jacobson, Town of Norway chair and former Racine County executive William McReynolds, former Racine County sheriff and former Racine County executive Thomas Roanhouse, Racine County Board chairman Thomas Kramer, Racine County Board vice chairman Dave DeGroot, Mount Pleasant village president Steve Wicklund, Union Grove village president Don Houston, Waterford village president Martin has built his campaign around experience in both the public and private sectors, as well as reaching across the aisle. He had positions in the administrations of the last two Republicans Wisconsin elected governor, Scott Walker and Tommy Thompson, and also has worked for the City of Racine under Democratic leadership. He currently is the owner of a Racine-based private equity fund. Statements SCHMALING: Im all in for Will Martin as our next lieutenant governor! Will Martin agrees with me the fundamental role of government is the protection of its people! A true supporter of law enforcement is needed in Madison! JACOBSON: No other candidate for the position has the background and extremely broad understanding of how things need to be changed to better serve our citizens. McREYNOLDS: Will Martin brings a much-needed blend of experience in both the public and private sectors, having led major reforms and initiatives for both Govs. Thompson and Walker, as well as having run his own business. I have no doubt he is the right person to be Wisconsins next lieutenant governor. DeGROOT: Will Martin is an unheralded guy who simply rolls up his sleeves and gets the job done. He is a high-performance doer who walks the talk. Im proud to endorse Will for lieutenant governor. Laura Ann Walker, the attorney for the teen against whom charges were dropped, told the Journal Times it appeared a witness had been untruthful in identifying her client as being involved in the crime. The prosecutor then "did what she is supposed to do as a prosecutor and that is to speak the truth, Walker said. So kudos to her. However, Walker did express concern about the rush to charge her client. I wish they would spend more time investigating prior to issuing the criminal complaint." The Wisconsin Elections Commission is sending postcards to thousands of voters to ensure the absentee ballots due to be delivered to addresses different from those the voters previously had on file are not fraudulent. Those approximately 4,000 postcards are part of an Elections Commission effort announced Thursday to ensure secure absentee voting after Harry Wait of the Town of Dover admitted to fraudulently ordering absentee ballots by using other peoples names in an effort to show that such fraud is possible. Other initiatives announced Thursday include monitoring the statewide voter registration system and expediting formal complaints related to fraudulently ordering absentee ballots. Voters should rest assured that voting absentee remains a secure way to vote in the upcoming August 9 Partisan Primary, Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe said in a statement. However, to provide additional reassurance, election officials at the state and local level continue to closely monitor for any indication of potentially unauthorized absentee ballot requests, no matter how rare those incidents may be. The postcards will confirm receipt of the absentee ballot requests and state: The absentee request indicated you would like your ballot sent to an address other than your home/voter registration address. The postcards ask voters who didnt submit those requests to call or email the commission at elections@wisconsin.gov. It will tell voters who did make such requests that theyre not required to take further action. Commissioners also agreed to refer suspicious activity to municipal clerks, which could lead to clerks canceling potentially fraudulent absentee ballot requests. Clerks who identify and act upon suspicious activity are asked to report that to the commission and law enforcement. The commission and clerks would also work to fulfill law enforcement requests for data and information related to potentially fraudulent absentee ballot requests, the statement says. While the website where people request absentee ballots, MyVote.wi.gov, previously contained some statutory language citing the rules, voters are now required to acknowledge a new warning before the request can be submitted. The warning states: Any person who impersonates a registered elector, poses as another person for the purpose of voting at an election, falsely procures registration or election materials, or otherwise violates the law will be referred for prosecution. The commission also encouraged voters to check their status at MyVote to see whether an absentee ballot request has been made in their name. It all started here Harry Wait isn't the only local at the heart of this statewide electoral brouhaha. Another Racine County resident, Adrianne Melby of Burlington, told a Journal Times reporter that she had a friend try to see if they could request Melby's ballot be sent to the friend's address. But Melby says her friend accidentally went through with actually requesting the ballot on MyVote, unlike Wait who did it on purpose and requested ballots of others without their knowledge. Melby and Wait both reported what they did to Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling. Rather than moving to make an arrest, the Racine County Sheriff's Office issued a Facebook post calling for WEC to tighten its rules. That sparked criticism of the RCSO, since it first moved to publicly criticize a state institution instead of moving to apprehend an admitted fraudster. Will changes be made? Probably not anytime soon Republicans on the commission, during a special meeting Wednesday, lamented that more requirements for requesting absentee ballots have not been added to MyVote. Under Wisconsin law, all that is needed to request a ballot be sent to any address is a registered voters full name and birthdate, so long as the voter has voted by mail before and their ID is on file with WEC, and the requester does not identify as indefinitely confined. The absentee ballot can then be requested to be sent to any address, although WEC is advising clerks to now be wary of requests for a ballot that ask for it to be mailed to an address that does not match the address on file. The Republican-led Legislature passed a bill that would have changed state law to require voter ID be provided every time an absentee ballot is requested, but Gov. Tony Evers vetoed it, saying he would veto anything that could make it more difficult to vote. Commissioner Bob Spindell, a Republican appointee, argued that since state law doesnt even explicitly require the birthdate information to be inputted in order to request a ballot, MyVote could be tightened without legislative action. Spindell pitched requiring those requesting ballots to also provide the last four numbers of their social security number, even though that information would not currently be in MyVotes database and thus could make it more difficult for some to vote. The elephant in the room so to speak, in my opinion is we have to make it (MyVote) more secure, Spindell said during Wednesdays special meeting. His fellow commissioners didnt agree that WEC should unilaterally add the extra step for requiring absentee ballots. 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. Theres been a proposal to require photo ID for every absentee ballot application. Thats not the law. I want to make sure people understand that, said WEC Chair Don Millis, a Republican appointee. It could have been the law. But Gov. (Tony) Evers vetoed a bill that would have required it. Adam Rogan of The Journal Times contributed to this report. By Trend Turkish Airlines saw an occupancy rate of 88 percent on July 31 that marked a fresh record for the carrier, Bilal Eksi, its CEO has said, Trend reports citing Hurriyet Daily News. The national flag carrier hosted 272,275 passengers on that day, according to Eksi. Turkiye is growing, THY is flying high, the company executive wrote on Twitter. The carriers previous record was 87 percent occupancy rate and more than 260,000 passengers on July 15. Turkish Airlines carried a total of 30.9 million passengers in the first half of 2022 with the passenger load factor at 75.6 percent. It served 19.3 million international passengers and 7.8 million domestic travelers. The number of destinations Turkish Airlines flies to increased from 311 in June 2019 to 335 in June this year, while the number of jets in the carriers fleet rose from 338 to 380. Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines said it will launch a new program called Co2mission, aiming to offset the carbon emissions caused by flights. The program aims to balance the emissions caused by all business trips from the companys personnel. As for the guests, they will be able to fly more environmentally conscious on a voluntary basis. With this program, the national flag carrier will ensure carbon offset becomes achievable and practical for anyone with environmental awareness, the statement said. We are continuing to take the initiative to combat climate change. Soon, we will add another to our sustainability focused projects which are proving themselves with successful results, said Ahmet Bolat, chairman. The projects supported by the carbon offset program will also show our commitment to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, he added 1. Yes. The new high school has made it a must. Thousands of people are impacted.. 2. Yes. Even if it means revising some budgets, these entities must move on the project. 3. No. Its been known for years that the road was a problem.. Why the urgency now? 4. No. If prioritizing the road means more taxes, forget it. The project will just have to wait. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say until school has been in session for a few months. Vote View Results AUSTIN, Texas Far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones bulled through the first of several trials against him that could decimate his personal fortune and media empire in his usual way: Loud, aggressive and talking about conspiracies both in and out the courtroom. It's business as usual for the gravelly voiced, barrel-chested Jones. But by courtroom standards, his erratic and, at times, disrespectful behavior is unusual and potentially complicated for the legal process. Jones and his media company, Free Speech Systems, were ordered this week to pay $49.3 million in total damages to the parents of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, who was killed with 19 other first graders and six educators in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis had sought $150 million in damages. Jones faces two more Sandy Hook trials to determine additional damages later this year: One for parents of a 6-year-old boy in an Austin court, and another for eight families in Connecticut. Heslin and Lewis have testified that Jones' constant push of false claims that the shooting was a hoax or staged made the last decade a "living hell' of death threats, online abuse and unrelenting trauma inflicted by Jones and his followers. After years of false hoax claims, Jones admitted under oath that the shooting was "100% real" and even shook hands with the parents. But the bombastic version of Jones was always lurking under the surface, or even on full display away from the courthouse. During a break on the first day, he held an impromptu news conference just a few feet from the courtroom doors, declaring the proceedings a "kangaroo court" and "show trial" railroading his fight for free speech under the First Amendment. On the first day, he arrived at the courthouse with "Save the 1st" written on silver tape over his mouth. When he came to the courthouse, it was always with a security detail of three or four guards. Jones, who wasn't in court for the verdict, often skipped testimony to appear on his daily Infowars program, where the attacks on the judge and jury continued. During one show, Jones said the jury was pulled from a group of people who "don't know what planet they live on." That clip was shown to the jury. So was a snapshot from his Infowars website showing Judge Maya Guerra Gamble engulfed in flames. She laughed at that. Jones was only slightly less combative in court. He was the only witness to testify in his defense and Gamble knew it had the potential to go off the rails. She warned Jones' lawyers before it even started that if he tried to turn it into a performance, she would clear the courtroom and shut down the livestream broadcasting the trial to the world. When Jones arrived for Lewis' testimony, Gamble asked if he was chewing gum, a violation of a strict rule in her courtroom. She'd scolded his attorney Andino Reynal several times already. That led to a testy exchange. Jones said he wasn't chewing gum. Gamble said she could see his mouth moving. Jones opened wide and leaned over the defense table to show her a gap in his mouth where he'd had a tooth extracted. Jones insisted he was only massaging the hole with his tongue. "Don't show me," the judge said. Some legal experts said they were surprised by Jones' behavior and questioned whether it was a calculated risk to boost his appeal to fans. "It's the most bizarre behavior I have ever seen at a trial," said Barry Covert, a Buffalo, New York, First Amendment lawyer. "In my opinion, Jones is a money making juggernaut crazy like a fox," Covert said. "The bigger the spectacle, the better." Defendants at trial are often given some leeway because they have so much at stake prison in criminal cases and, in Jones' civil trial, potential financial ruin. Monetary sanctions or even post-trial contempt charges are also a possibility. Gamble had to be careful how she handled it all, Covert said. "Jones' bizarre behavior is putting the judge in a very difficult box," said Covert. "She doesn't want to appear to put her finger on the scales of justice." Jones skipped Heslin's testimony when he described for the jury holding his dead son in his arms with a "bullet hole through his head." Heslin said he wanted to confront Jones face-to-face and called his absence that day "cowardly." Jones was instead appearing on his daily broadcast. Jones was in the room when Lewis took the stand, sitting barely 10 feet away as she looked directly at him. "My son existed. I am not 'deep state,' she said of the conspiracy theory of a shadowy network of federal workers running the government. "I know you know that," Lewis said. When Lewis asked Jones if he thought she was an actor, Jones answered "No," but was cut off by Gamble who scolded him for speaking out of turn. At the end of that day, Jones and the parents shook hands. Jones' testimony pushed the rules of the court so often that the plaintiffs openly questioned whether Jones and his attorneys were trying to sabotage the court and force a mistrial. They filed a motion for sanctions against them after Jones claimed he was bankrupt, which attorneys dispute and was off limits in testimony. Jones often spoke out of turn, and was cut off when he veered into conspiracies, ranging from the Sept. 11 terror attacks being staged to a fake effort of the United Nations on world depopulation. "This," the judge told him, "is not your show." By Trend The U.S. Senate approved on Wednesday Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO, the most significant expansion of the 30-member alliance since the 1990s, Trend reports citing Reuters. The Senate voted 95 to 1 to support ratification of the two countries' accession documents, easily surpassing the two-thirds majority of 67 votes required to support ratification of the two countries' accession documents. NATO's 30 allies signed the accession protocol for them last month, allowing them to join the U.S.-led nuclear-armed alliance once its members ratify the decision. read more At that point, Helsinki and Stockholm were able to participate in NATO meetings and have greater access to intelligence, but were not protected by Article Five, the NATO defense clause stating that an attack on one ally is an attack against all. The accession must be ratified by the parliaments of all 30 North Atlantic Treaty Organization members before Finland and Sweden can be protected by the defense clause. Ratification could take up to a year, although it has already been approved by a few countries, including Canada, Germany and Italy. Senators from both parties strongly endorsed membership for the two countries, describing them as important allies whose modern militaries already worked closely with NATO. WASHINGTON Appropriations bills for the upcoming fiscal year unveiled in the Senate last week contain more than 3,100 earmarks totaling almost $7.8 billion, with Sen. Richard C. Shelby once again the uncontested champion of what senators have rebranded "congressionally directed spending." The retiring Alabama Republican, also the ranking member on Senate Appropriations, pulled in $656.4 million across four of the bills, which in general he and other Republicans oppose because of what they consider excess spending and partisan policy riders. Altogether, Shelby and 15 other Senate Republicans who requested earmarks obtained almost $3.4 billion of the total, or nearly 44 percent. The entire Democratic Caucus other than Montana's Jon Tester and New Hampshire's Maggie Hassan 48 in all, including two independents secured just under $4 billion. The remainder were bipartisan requests. Much of Shelby's haul comes from the Transportation-HUD bill, which overall contained the highest earmarked dollar amount at $2 billion. He also secured $80 million in the Commerce-Justice-Science bill for two large National Institute of Standards and Technology construction projects, one at Marion Military Institute and one at the University of Alabama. There's also $161 million for three projects in the Labor-HHS-Education bill, two for health care facilities and equipment at Spring Hill College and one at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine; a third would support a permanent endowment fund at UAB. The Senate's Labor-HHS-Education bill contains the largest number of individual earmarks at 906, totaling $1.34 billion, third-most among the bills after Transportation-HUD and Military Construction-VA at almost $1.85 billion. The "milcon" bill has nearly $1.5 billion more earmarked dollars than the House-passed version, partly because there's more money to go around in the Senate bills for defense-related spending than in their House counterparts. After Shelby, another retiring Republican, Oklahoma's James M. Inhofe, also broke the half-billion mark, coming in at No. 2 overall among senators for total congressionally directed spending. Inhofe, the top Republican on Senate Armed Services, got the lion's share of his earmarked dollars in the Military Construction-VA bill for bases in his home state. Next is Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski, with just under a half-billion dollars' worth of earmarks, including $115 million spread across 48 projects in the Interior-Environment bill. Murkowski is the top Republican on that Appropriations subcommittee, and she secured by far the most earmarked funds in the Interior-Environment bill. Murkowski's largesse and that of Hawaii's Democratic senators, Transportation-HUD Subcommittee Chair Brian Schatz and Mazie K. Hirono, put their states in the upper echelon of congressionally directed spending recipients in the Senate bills. Hawaii would receive the second-most dollars, at $549 million, behind only Alabama; Murkowski's nearly $490 million puts Alaska at No. 4, behind Alabama and Hawaii and just shy of Oklahoma. It's a performance reminiscent of legendary Senate appropriators Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii, and Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, both of whom served as full committee chairs and were never shy about delivering for their remote states. Rounding out the top five is Missouri, thanks to retiring GOP Sen. Roy Blunt, ranking member on Labor-HHS-Education. Of Blunt's $350 million in earmarks, $185 million comes from his subcommittee's bill, more than any other senator in that legislation, mainly for Health Resources and Services Administration-funded projects at various state colleges and universities. After the Hawaii Democrats, Senate Appropriations Chairman Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., obtained the largest amount of earmarked dollars for his home state among his party, securing $212.5 million. Big-ticket earmarks inserted by the retiring Leahy include $34 million for Burlington International Airport renovations and $30 million for the University of Vermont's Honors College. In many ways, the Senate spending bills represent a triumph of small states over their more populous compatriots, reflecting the design of the Senate itself dating back to the Constitutional Convention. Of $8.2 billion in home-district projects included in the House's spending bills, nearly 43 percent would go to five large states: California, Texas, Florida, New York and Illinois, in that order. California would receive almost $1.2 billion; Texas, at No. 2, nearly $800 million; followed by Florida with $707 million; New York at $494 million; and Illinois at $334 million. California is no slouch in the Senate bills either, with almost $312 million secured largely by Energy-Water Appropriations Chair Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., along with fellow California Democrat Alex Padilla. But that's only good enough for No. 7 on the list, behind little Maine with 3 percent of California's population. That's thanks mainly to Maine Republican Susan Collins, the Transportation-HUD ranking member and likely successor to Shelby next year in the full committee. Meanwhile, New York is well down the Senate's list of top states for earmarks at 16th; Illinois is ranked 23rd in that chamber. Texas and Florida will need all the help they can get from their House delegations, as their GOP senators didn't request any earmarks. And with total earmarks spread across both chambers' spending bills at roughly $16 billion, before removing some overlapping House-Senate requests, there's a good chance the final spending bills can accommodate both chambers' projects. That's because $16 billion would be within the 1 percent ceiling on total discretionary funds set aside for earmarks across the dozen bills. DALLAS Hungary's autocratic Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged cheering American conservatives on Thursday to "take back the institutions," stick to hardline stances on gay rights and immigration and fight for the next U.S. presidential election as a pivotal moment for their beliefs. The exuberant cheers and standing ovations at the Conservative Political Action Conference for the far-right prime minister, who has been criticized for undermining his own country's democratic institutions, demonstrated the growing embrace between Orban and Republicans in the U.S. He mocked the media in this country and in Europe. And in a speech he titled "How We Fight," Orban told the crowd gathered in a Dallas convention ballroom to focus now on the 2024 election, saying they had "two years to get ready," though he endorsed no candidate or party. "Victory will never be found by taking the path of least resistance," he said during one of the keynote slots of the three-day CPAC event. "We must take back the institutions in Washington and Brussels. We must find friends and allies in one another." Referring to liberals, he said: "They hate me and slander me and my country, as they hate you and slander you for the America you stand for." His entrance drew a bigger welcome than the governor of Texas, Republican Greg Abbott, received moments earlier on the same stage. From there, the cheers continued as Orban weaved through attacks on LGBTQ rights, boasted about reducing abortions in Hungary and celebrated hardline immigration measures back home. Other speakers will include former President Donald Trump who met with Orban earlier this week and will address the gathering on Saturday Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Republican candidates fresh off GOP primary election victories Tuesday. Orban's visit to the U.S. came amid backlash back home and in Europe over anti-migrant remarks in which he railed against Europe becoming a "mixed race" society. One of his closest associates compared his comments to Nazi rhetoric and resigned in protest. Orban told the crowd in Texas the media would portray him as a racist strongman and dismissed those who would call his government racist as "idiots." His invitation to CPAC reflects conservatives' growing embrace of the Hungarian leader whose country has a single-party government. Orban also is considered the closest ally in the European Union to Russian President Vladimir Putin. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday that President Joe Biden had no plans to speak with Orban while he's in the U.S. Asked if the administration had any concerns about CPAC inviting such a leader to speak at the high-profile conference, Kirby demurred. "He's coming at a private invitation," Kirby said. "Mr. Orban and the CPAC, they can talk about his visit." Trump praised Orban, who has been prime minister for 12 years, after their meeting this week in Florida. "Few people know as much about what is going on in the world today," the former president said in a statement after the meeting. To some attending the three-day conference, Orban is a model leader who makes an impression beyond Hungary because of his policies and personality. They praised him for his border security measures and for providing financial subsidies to Hungarian women, which Orban has called an effort to counter Hungary's population decline. Lilla Vessey, who moved to Dallas from Hungary with her husband, Ede, in the 1980s, said what she hears back in Hungary is that Orban is not anti-democratic. "I don't know how it happened that the conservatives kind of discovered him," said Ede Vessey, 73. "He supports the traditional values. He supports the family." Scott Huber, who met Orban along with other CPAC attendees at a private event hours before the speech, said the prime minister expressed hope the U.S. would "moderate a little bit from the far-left influences" in November's midterm elections. The 67-year-old Pennsylvanian said he would not disagree with descriptions of Orban as autocratic and that he has upset democratic norms, but said he thought it would change in time. As to why Orban is winning over so many conservatives, Huber noted Orban's attacks on George Soros, the American-Hungarian billionaire and philanthropist who is a staunch critic of Hungary's government and a supporter of liberal causes. "That's why I was so interested in seeing him," Huber said. Through his communications office, Orban declined an interview request by The Associated Press prior to his speech in Dallas. The AP and other international news organizations also were prohibited from covering a CPAC conference held in Budapest in May, the group's first conference in Europe. During that gathering, Orban called Hungary "the bastion of conservative Christian values in Europe" and urged conservatives in the U.S. to defeat "the dominance of progressive liberals in public life." He has styled himself as a champion of what he calls "illiberal democracy." Orban served as prime minister of Hungary between 1998 and 2002, but it's his record since taking office again in 2010 that has drawn controversy and raised concerns about Hungary sliding into authoritarian rule. He has depicted himself as a defender of European Christendom against Muslim migrants, progressives and the "LGBTQ lobby." Some of the biggest applauses during Orban's speech came when he described Hungary's family framework. "To sum up, the mother is a woman, the father is a man, and leave our kids alone, full stop," he said. EUTAW, Ala. Theres not much in Greene County, a place that stands out even in impoverished west Alabama for its neediness. So the tornado that settled down upon one of its most densely populated areas, a housing community full of seniors and low-income families, felt like a particularly cruel blow. Swirling winds ripped roofs off apartments, toppled walls and shattered windows. Eula Dell Lanier, 64, cried out to God as her home came apart. I was calling Jesus as the walls were coming down, she said. Yet the tornado wasn't one of the memorable monsters that devastates so many in places the South or Midwest; no one was killed or even badly injured. While about 40 homes in the 200-unit development were damaged, only a handful were as bad as Lanier's house. Still, the recovery seems tough to some residents nearly four months later because of what housing officials say are shortages of workers and supplies, geographic isolation and lethargy caused by generational poverty. And with what is typically the worst part of hurricane season ahead for the U.S. Gulf Coast, the experience at William McKinley Branch Heights named for an area civil rights leader shows just how hard it can be to move on from even a small disaster when life was a struggle beforehand. Lanier's home was heavily damaged in the twister on April 13 and now she lives in a small replacement apartment nearby. She's so sad about the lingering damage and debris that she doesn't drive by her old place, where crumbled brick walls still lie in the yard and a hole in the roof lets in rain. The inside reeks of mold and mildew. You come into Branch Heights and see all that stuff and its like theyre not even trying to clean it up. Its depressing, and it just seems so slow, she said. In a community of both privately owned homes and government subsidized apartments, Lanier owned her home and has insurance, but repairs have yet to begin. While the area didn't qualify for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency because the damage wasn't bad enough, officials say they are trying hard to repair the community, and plenty of progress has been made. The Alabama Rural Coalition for the Homeless provided $30,000 for temporary housing for dozens of residents, who settled in a small motel for as long as two months because nowhere else was available in the rural county. School buses were rerouted to the EconoLodge, and donors provided clothes, shoes, food, gift cards and more to the victims. Contractors are still repairing apartments in sweltering summer temperatures. About 125 residents displaced by the storm are back at Branch Heights, albeit in temporary homes. Still, Anita Lewis, executive director of the Greene County Housing Authority, has heard the complaints about what feels like a slow-motion recovery to some. It was not a major storm, but because of the size of the development it was major to us, said Lewis. It was devastating to the families and the community." The head of a group that provides assistance in some of the poorest parts of Alabama worries what the recovery at Branch Heights could portend for other underprivileged parts of the Gulf Coast region that might get hit this summer. I think one major disaster like a hurricane could be devastating for our area, said Cynthia Burton, executive director of Community Service Programs of West Alabama, which assisted in Eutaw and operates in 10 counties. Weak in terms of a tornado, the twisters winds peaked at 90 mph as it traveled about 18 miles across an area almost 90 miles southwest of Birmingham. The entire county has only 7,600 residents, 80% of whom are Black, and it typically has one of the worst jobless rates in the state. Nearly 30% of its residents live in poverty. The lack of an organized disaster volunteer group in Greene County complicated the recovery in Eutaw because coordinating needs and solutions was more difficult, according to Melinda Stallworth of the Governors Office of Volunteer Services, which is still assisting with the work. The agency hopes to get a group organized within a matter of weeks, before hurricane season has a chance to intensify, she said. Recovery takes a while in the first place, she said. With these additional struggles it takes longer. LINCOLN Former U.S. Senate candidate Matt Innis wont face criminal charges from a scuffle with security staff while he tried to enter the Nebraska Republican Partys state convention. Based on the information this office received and a review of the evidence, please be advised our office has decided NOT to file a case against you at this time, Buffalo County Attorney Shawn Eatherton wrote in a letter to Innis. The GOP had rejected credentials for Innis and five other potential delegates to its July 9 convention at the Younes Conference Center South in Kearney. A few of those who received rejection letters waited outside the convention hall. Innis spent part of the day at his hotel, but eventually he went to the convention center. Innis has said he tried to go inside because Lancaster County GOP vice chairman Todd Watson had texted him to say delegates were discussing voting to let Innis and others in. The vote had not yet taken place, and plainclothes security staff told police at the time that they warned Innis not to enter. A scuffle ensued, and security staffers called Kearney police. One security staffer told police that Innis had lunged at him and assaulted him. Innis was arrested on suspicion of second-degree trespassing and third-degree assault. Innis has maintained he was shoved or grabbed by someone but didnt know it was a security staffer and defended himself. Innis said a video of the incident backs up his version of events. His lawyer, Perry Pirsch, emailed prosecutors this week to say that independent witnesses would verify what happened and that no charges should be filed. He hinted that Innis might sue. Many delegates at the convention, including some who wrested state party leadership away from Gov. Pete Ricketts team and some who didnt, bristled at the idea of rejecting delegates credentials. Shortly after news of Innis arrest began to circulate on social media, delegates voted to let him and other rejected delegates into the hall. Innis entered to applause. Today they made the only choice that they could have, Innis said Thursday. They didnt have a case. Police in Minnesota confirm three gunshots were fired at the Mall of America in suburban Minneapolis, but say no one appears to have been hurt. Bloomington police say they are searching for two people. Video posted to social media showed what appeared to be a man shouting as he walked near the complexs Nike store, with three apparent gunshots. A mall spokesman says the mall will reopen Friday with more mall security and police on site. The mall, which opened in 1992, is the largest in the U.S. and is a tourist destination and community gathering spot. La Crosse County voters will choose the Republican nominee for sheriff in the Tuesday, Aug. 9 primary election. Two Republicans -- Fritz Leinfelder and Marte Peterson -- are on the ballot. John Siegel is unopposed in the Democratic primary and will advance to the Nov. 8 general election. The Tribune sent the Republican candidates a series of questions. Below are their responses: Fritz Leinfelder Education/background: I graduated from La Crosse Aquinas High school and then attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where I studied exercise science to be an educator. I received my Wisconsin Law Enforcement certification from Chippewa Falls Technical college, where I was elected president of my recruit class. After being employed at the La Crosse County Sheriffs Office, I attended my DARE instructor certification class in London, Ohio, at the Ohio Peace Officers Training Academy. I was valedictorian and named the outstanding student in the 42nd Ohio DARE instructors graduating class. Additionally, I have received numerous law enforcement trainings and certifications throughout my 29-year career. What motivated you to run for sheriff? I am a lifelong resident of La Crosse and have dedicated over 29 years to the sheriffs office. I care about our community. When sheriff Jeff Wolf made his retirement announcement, I jumped at the opportunity to run for sheriff. My experience, skill sets and my lifelong connections to the community and businesses have made running for sheriff an easy decision. I am eager to run the Office that means so much to me. What steps can the sheriff's office take to reduce drug trafficking? My campaign platform focuses on ridding our communities of drug trafficking organizations flooding our streets with heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl, so our children feel safe when they go out to play. I have been an active member of the West Central Metropolitan Enforcement Group (drug task force), a collaboration of 15 agencies across five counties that serves western Wisconsin in drug investigation and enforcement. I have spent 20 years learning and developing my investigative skills in combating our drug dilemma. I have cultivated several strong relationships with local, state and federal entities that share in the same vision. I currently work alongside our drug task force investigative coordinator. Together, we acquire intel that focuses on large drug trafficking organizations with the hopes of interrupting their distribution efforts. This task is overwhelming and under allocated as strong cases take an enormous length of time to build. I am also currently on the executive board of directors for the Wisconsin Narcotics Officers association. I was president of the organization in 2011-2012 and will be president again in two years. WNOA is a training organization that provides updated training to officers from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan. My duties include presenting training and scheduling trainers to come educate our members in the latest narcotics issues as well as the increasing dangers we are facing in the field of narcotics enforcement. Interrupting drug trafficking organizations takes focused effort on the shoulders of multiple players across many jurisdictions. The most effective way to become successful is to continue growing partnerships and encouraging communication. La Crosse County hasnt always been successful in keeping lines of communication open between local law enforcement partners. It is my hope to be able to repair and rebuild those trusted relationships to work as a cohesive unit to tackle our toughest assignments. Describe your views on traffic safety and enforcement: I believe that the enforcement of our traffic laws is critical to providing and improving safety within our community; consistent enforcement saves lives and reduces accidents. However, enforcement activities alone are simply not enough. Education is essential. Not only am I for enforcing traffic safety laws, but I also want to educate and interact with the the community, so they understand the laws as well. What kind of training is necessary to prevent racial profiling? My number one vision for my campaign is to provide current and relevant training and education to all levels at the sheriffs office to ensure all employees and citizens feel safe. Effective communication is key. I want to implement learning strategies to improve communication skills for all staff at the sheriffs office. I want the community to feel comfortable engaging in simple communication, no matter what the situation entails. The sheriffs office provides in-service training to all jail and road employees on a yearly basis. In-service is held the same time each year. I would like to expand upon this mandatory training to provide subsequent training throughout the year, to keep both physical and mental skills sharp. Through education and by implementing small changes, I hope to create long-lasting habits that positively impact employees reactions and problem-solving skills. What is your assessment of how the county jail is managed? I will break down the Mission of the La Crosse County Jail into sub-sections: 1. It is the objective of the La Crosse County Jail to provide a safe, secure, and healthy environment for inmates; staffed by efficient and well-trained jailers. I believe that the jail is effective in ensuring that the incarcerated individuals under its care are safe, secure and living in a healthy environment. I also believe the current front-line correctional officers are among the most caring, empathetic and well-trained individuals working in law enforcement. 2. It is our intent to establish an environment that is respectful of inmates as citizens and human beings. Under the direction of the current sheriff, jail medical staff, jail mental health staff, the program coordinator, and the jail chaplain provide access to a multitude of activities, tools, and programs to advance the social and mental well-being of incarcerated individuals. This is no small task, but it is a necessary one. The learning opportunities within the jail cultivates an individualized exit strategy for everyone if they are willing to work cooperatively with program staff. Paid staff and volunteers inside the jail are also provided with mandatory training to ensure that incarcerated individuals feel respected and safe. 3. We will work together closely and cooperatively with the elements of the local criminal justice system to establish activities that will make good use of the inmates time while in the facility and will benefit the inmates upon their release. I believe that the Jail does an outstanding job providing incarcerated individuals with the tools they need to develop their social and mental well-being. However, I do believe that we have some work to do in order to help incarcerated individuals advocate for their own place within the local criminal justice system. I have heard some constructive criticism during my campaign regarding the lack of services and opportunities afforded to incarcerated individuals in advocating for their own legal defense. Attorneys have brought to my attention that it is difficult for them to represent their incarcerated clients, as there are too many barriers by the jail for them to adequately communicate. Along with criticism, I have also been presented with what appears to be simple solutions to overcome a few of the barriers. As sheriff, I would like to create a Jail Advisory Board, comprised of all the stakeholders within the criminal justice system and members from the community to help explore ideas to help our jail provide communication and other attention to other needs in a more efficient and effective way. This will also give the sheriffs office the opportunity to educate the community on its pre-existing notions and overcome misinformation. Change may be hard, but sometimes it is very necessary. Marte Peterson Education/background: Patrol captain for the La Crosse County Sheriffs Office; associate degree, criminal justice, Western Technical College; SWAT team leader, level 1 and 2,=; Leadership In Police Organization; Command College University Wisconsin Madison (currently enrolled); U.S. Army veteran; Walworth County Sheriff Office; business owner (part-time) for over 23 years. I have been with La Crosse County for 21 years, through my career I have held the following positions: jailer, patrol deputy, DARE officer, patrol supervisor, investigative supervisor, and I am currently the patrol captain. In this position I am responsible for budgeting, scheduling, grant writing, squad maintenance, hiring, oversee the Training Division and many other responsibilities. I am also the team commander for our Emergency Response Team as well as the Honor Guard. What motivated you to run for sheriff? As I stated, I currently work in an administrative position as the patrol captain. A lot of the responsibilities I have would merge well with the sheriff position. I have been involved with the training department for over half of my career, and I think it is vital to ensure that La Crosse County residents are getting very well trained and professional sheriff's deputies. I want to build good relationships with the citizens of La Crosse County and have an open-door policy with the staff as well members of the community. I have been very happy working at the sheriffs office and am motivated to make it an even better workplace than it is now. What steps can the sheriff's office take to reduce drug trafficking? To start with, a pro-active approach. This can start with school programs to educate kids on the negative aspects of drugs. This should also be an educational tool for parents as well so they are aware of the dangers of drugs and help them have the conversations with their children. We also need to make sure resources are allocated into K-9 programs and officer training to make sure training is up to date and the officers have the knowledge and skills to get the drugs off the street. There needs to be appropriate penalties in place to ensure the habitual offenders are not easily back on the streets. Describe your views on traffic safety and enforcement: The current year-to-date car crash fatalities in the State is 276, in 2021 the TOTAL for the year was 259. Traffic enforcement is vital for public safety. I also understand that everyone has a bad day and may not be paying attention to their speed. Depending on the nature of the offense, sometimes maybe just being stopped and having a conversation may be enough to correct the issue. Citations do not need to be written every time. What kind of training is necessary to prevent racial profiling? The sheriffs office has trainers in racial bias. We also have a variety of trainings at our annual in-service that cover a wide variety of areas, these include: fair and impartial policing, gender bias, de-escalation, gender response, partnering with The Good Fight organization, and a variety of mental illness and addiction trainings. Officials at Fort McCoy hired a former police chief despite a history of bad behavior that had been investigated by the U.S. Army, which found he sexually harassed a subordinate and two other women while he was the acting police chief of an Army base in Alaska. Ryan Cunningham, one of the top civilian employees at the Army base near Sparta, oversaw a toxic workplace environment that may have contributed to the suicide of another high-ranking civilian on the base, though what led to the mans death was inconclusive, according to an internal Army investigation obtained by the Wisconsin State Journal. The investigation into Fort McCoys civilian-led Directorate of Emergency Services, which includes an on-base police department, fire department and 911 communications system, found Cunningham routinely used slurs in referring to his officers, and uncovered mistreatment that prompted calls for other investigations into claims that Cunningham racially discriminated against officers and made death threats toward some employees. The investigation found that a hostile or unprofessional working environment at the bases garrison may have contributed to the suicide of Mr. James Hamilton but later qualified that by noting, The cause of Mr. Hamiltons suicide is inconclusive. Hamilton was the bases former director of emergency services who died in 2020. A garrison on a military base is akin to a local government and oversees the bases services. Hamiltons death, Cunninghams behavior and tensions between the police chief and Mark Fritsche, a different emergency services director, all created tensions that led to a toxic and hostile workplace environment that caused staff to fear retaliation and lose faith in their chain of command, the investigation concluded. Despite Cunninghams trail of misconduct at two U.S. military bases, he left Fort McCoy in January 2020 to work as the temporary police chief at a different installation, the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. He was eventually made its strategic planner, according to his LinkedIn page, although he no longer works there, said Aberdeen spokesperson Quentin Johnson, who declined further comment on personnel matters. Cunninghams history raises questions about how sexual harassment and bad behavior within the militarys civilian workforce gets tracked, even as the military grapples with how it handles assault among servicemembers. Brigadier Gen. John C. Hafley, who led the investigation into Fort McCoys emergency services, urged the Army to take action against Cunningham and wanted his behavior referred to military criminal investigators. The more pressing issue is the overwhelming evidence that (Cunningham) was a toxic leader and the Army needs to do all it can to stop him from leading, Hafley concluded. Cunningham declined a request for comment. Hafley did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Tonya Townsell, a spokesperson for Fort McCoy, referred questions about Cunninghams employment to the Civilian Human Resources Agency, which oversees civilian hiring at the base. Amy Stevens, a division chief with that agency, said she was unable to comment. Past wrongdoing Cunningham became police chief of Fort McCoy in September 2016, just months after an investigation at Fort Wainwright in Alaska found he had sexually harassed a female Army sergeant and made unwanted sexual advances toward her and other women while he was the acting police chief, according to an investigation conducted by the base that was obtained by the State Journal. Cunningham repeatedly grabbed a female Army sergeant who worked as a military police investigator and asked about her underwear when she slept over at his house after a night of drinking with Cunningham, his wife and other friends, the investigation found. On previous occasions, Cunningham had gone into her office unannounced to tickle her or stare at her breasts. This made me uncomfortable and was starting to really piss me off, she said in statement to investigators at the time. This behavior needs to stop because I am not the first person that he has done this to and unless it is formally addressed then I believe there will be other victims. The sergeant could not be reached for comment. Other women who worked with Cunningham at Fort Wainwright told investigators he propositioned them for sex and made comments about their bodies or undressing them. In fact, Cunningham oversaw a police department where there was inappropriate sexual banter from most of the civilian employees, one female police officer told investigators. One of Cunninghams police lieutenants repeatedly spoke about fetish pornography in the workplace and another jokingly told both female and male employees to come over and receive their spankings or sit in his lap. Cunningham resigned from his position as police chief while the investigation was still ongoing. The fact Mr. Cunningham resigned from his position also adds further credibility to the viewpoint he did something wrong, wrote Stacy Seppi, who led the Fort Wainwright garrisons investigation into Cunningham. While the investigation substantiated the allegations against Cunningham, a commander recommended he face a discharge in lieu of disciplinary action. The commander further ordered counseling at the bases emergency services and an outside agency assessment. Sexual harassment is not tolerated by the Army, and a full investigation was conducted into the complainants report of harassment, Eve Baker, a spokesperson for U.S. Army Garrison Alaska at Fort Wainwright, told the State Journal. Baker said the probe of Cunningham was a local-level investigation, and there is not a central government repository for such documents. However, the command would have been in the position to answer questions from future employers, if queried, that the former employee departed Fort Wainwright while under investigation for allegations, Baker added. Within months of the Fort Wainwright investigation, Cunningham had taken a job as the police chief of Fort McCoy. The Armys Civilian Human Resources Agency declined to answer questions about who hired Cunningham. A suicide In August 2020, Fort McCoy held a memorial service for James Hamilton, who had served as director of emergency services and public works during his time at the base. A 45-year veteran of the federal workforce, Hamilton passed away unexpectedly, Fort McCoy said in a press release, which included photos of his service. Hamilton died by suicide, according to the investigation of his workplace. Although investigators were unable to determine what led Hamilton to take his own life, Hafley recommended that his death receive a complete, thorough and separate probe from outside of Fort McCoy, noting Hamiltons immediate supervisor who the report does not name has the appearance of a conflict of interest since he has an allegation of wrongdoing pending, in relation to the actual suicide. The brigadier general said he declined to interview Cunningham, asking instead that his reported behavior be referred to criminal investigators. Hafley also recommended other investigations into allegations against the former police chief of racial discrimination against police officers and possible death threats against employees. Townsell, Fort McCoys spokesperson, said she did not know whether a separate investigation of Hamiltons suicide or allegations of racism and death threats were conducted. Efforts to reach the Armys Criminal Investigation Division for comment were unsuccessful. While Hafleys investigation offers scant details about Hamiltons time at the base, it does illustrate what the environment around him was like. The evidence shows that tensions exist that would lead to a less than hospitable working environment or lead to employees fearing retaliation for actions in the past and going forward, Hafley wrote. There were several witnesses identified who were believed to fear retaliation. Hamilton and Cunningham worked together for about six months before Cunningham left Fort McCoy. Insufferable behavior Cunningham, who worked under Hamilton, had a record of insufferable behavior, from making fun of a persons ethnicity to using slurs against police officers and the chain of command, the investigation found. The relationship between Cunningham and Fritsche, a former head of emergency services who took the job again after Hamiltons death, created further confusion and chaos in the workplace. Fritsche started working at Fort McCoy in 2007 and was promoted to director of emergency services in 2011. Despite Fritsches long tenure at the base, he still feels like an outsider and felt Cunningham and other civilian officials tried to instigate an investigation of him to harm his career, the investigation noted. The environment at the bases emergency services directorate had improved by the time the investigation concluded in early 2021. Multiple witnesses expressed unequivocally positive sentiments, the investigation found. There are no ongoing workplace environment issues at emergency services, said Townsell, the bases spokesperson. Tracking slipshod Cunninghams ability to move on to new posts in the federal workforce despite a history of being investigated echoes past complaints about the Armys system for tracking sexual assault, harassment and the bad behavior of civilian personnel. In February 2021, the Government Accountability Office reported to Congress that the Department of Defense does not know the extent to which its civilian workforce has reported work-related sexual assault worldwide. Between 2015 and 2019, 370 civilian DOD employees reported being sexually assaulted, the GAO said. But that data is incomplete because it doesnt include many types of assaults, including those that happen in the continental United States. While DOD has taken considerable steps to address and prevent incidents of sexual harassment and sexual assault as they relate to servicemembers ... such efforts have been limited as they relate to the nearly 900,000 federal civilian employees a significant portion of its total workforce, the GAO concluded. Beyond sexual harassment, government agencies, in particular the military, have a tendency to reassign problematic employees rather than discipline them, said Joanna Friedman, a partner with D.C.-based Federal Practice Group, which specializes in federal employment law. I will tell you that the vast majority of time, even if we have a set of really egregious facts or findings of liability, that its uncommon for an agency to take corrective action, Friedman said. A change to federal law in 2017 might have tipped off Fort McCoy prior to hiring Cunningham that he resigned from Fort Wainwright while under investigation. The 2017 National Defense Authorization Act included language that required agencies to state in personnel documents that an employee resigned while under investigation. There are laws in place that are meant to protect federal employees to ensure that they have rights in the workplace, Friedman said. It would be fair to say that sometimes those rights end up protecting the wrong people. In its recommendations, the GAO said the Department of Defense needs to issue guidance for tracking and defining sexual harassment and assault among its civilian employees. Two Winonans experienced life-threatening injuries from a single-vehicle crash Thursday afternoon in Winona. Jacqueline Louise Klees, 71, was driving a 2008 Chevy Uplander Van southbound on Highway 61 near Clarks Lane when at 3:37 p.m. the vehicle entered the right ditch and rolled over, according to the Minnesota State Patrol report. Amanda Kay Fast, 38, was a passenger in the vehicle. Klees was transported to Gundersen in La Crosse to be treated for her life-threatening injuries, while Fast was transported to Mayo Clinic Hospital's St. Mary's Campus in Rochester for treatment of hers, according to the report. Klees was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, but, according to the State Patrol report, it is unknown if Fast had one on. It is unknown if alcohol was involved in the crash, according to the report. As a result of the crash, Highway 61 southbound between HyVee and Dahl Auto was completely closed until about 5:49 p.m., according to the Winona Police Department's Facebook page. According to the department's post, the State Patrol did complete a crash reconstruction at the scene during the closure. The road conditions were dry at the time, according to the State Patrol report. Winona County Sheriff's Office, Winona Police, Fire and Ambulance, Goodview Police, and Minnesota Department of Transportation assisted the State Patrol with the crash. By Trend A Moroccan court imposed 8-month prison sentences on 14 migrants for attempting, along with hundreds of others, to scale a border fence separating the north African country from the autonomous Spanish enclave of Melilla, Trend reports citing Al Arabiya. Nadors Court of First Instance also ordered the defendants to pay 2,000-dirham ($194) fines each. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights, known as AMDH, said at least 27 migrants trying to enter Spain died that day, and numerous others both migrants and police were hurt. The AMDH condemned the decision which is described as very harsh against people who only seek refuge. The same court sentenced 33 migrants to 11 months in prison last month after they tried to climb the border wall between Morocco and Melilla. The trial of 28 additional immigrants from Sudan, Chad, Yemen, and South Sudan who were detained after the scaling attempt was postponed by the Nador Court of Appeal to August 17, due to the absence of witnesses. Brazilian police say an Italian metal refiner purchased gold from a trader that mined the metal illegally. The company, police say, purchased the gold from the Amazon rainforest area in the South American country. Public documents show that the refiner, Chimet, has supplied the metal to four of the worlds largest technology companies. Tech companies Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet (the parent company of Google) name Chimet as a source of some gold used in their products. Technology companies often use small amounts of the metal in circuit boards. Circuit boards are used in technology products like computers. The investigative news agency Reporter Brasil secured police documents that were then examined by reporters with Reuters. The documents showed Brazilian federal police have accused Chimet of buying millions of dollars of gold from company CHM do Brasil. CHM do Brasil reportedly sourced the gold from illegal miners. Lawyers representing CHM say the company sourced its gold legally with all necessary documentation. Illegal mining has increased since Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took office in 2019. Bolsanaro has supported small mining groups called wildcatters and has sought to legalize mining on lands of indigenous, or native, populations. Unregulated mines have destroyed rainforest land in the Amazon and have polluted rivers with mercury. Miners have had violent conflicts with indigenous groups seeking to protect their land. Brazilian research group Instituto Escolhas estimated that the country produced 84 metric tons of illegal gold in Bolsonaros first two years in office. That is up 23 percent from the two years before and is nearly half of Brazils total gold output. Larissa Rodrigues is a writer of the Escolhas report. She said, A company that is buying gold from Brazil already knows there is a huge risk it is buying irregular gold - Amazon blood gold. A Chimet representative said the company cut off relations with CHM after learning of the reports of illegal gold trade in October 2021. A police document from August 2021 stated that Chimet reportedly bought $385 million worth of gold from CHM between 2015 and 2020. A police investigation is ongoing into the possible CHM crimes. The four American tech companies listed Chimet among more than 100 gold refiners in their supply chains during the investigations five-year time period. They also listed Chimet in their most recent 2021 documents. Giovanni Prelazzi is a company representative for Chimet. He said Chimet does not have direct relationships with the four tech companies. Instead, Prelazzi said, it sells gold to banks that can resell it for different uses. He did not name the banks. Apple has said that its policies ban the use of illegally mined minerals. The iPhone maker said companies that cannot follow such requirements are removed from its supply chain. Amazon, Alphabet, and Microsoft did not comment. Chimet said it began working with the company Deloitte to look into its other suppliers after learning of the CHM investigation in Brazil. In April 2020, Chimet was again approved by London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) as meeting gold sourcing standards. Im Gregory Stachel. Jake Spring reported this story for Reuters. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. ________________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story regulate v. to bring (something) under the control of authority irregular adj. not following the usual rules about what should be done standard n. a level of quality or achievement that is considered acceptable or desirable ________________________________________________________________________ What do you think of illegal gold mining? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. A group of American Jewish volunteers who speak Russian visited Poland this summer to work with Ukrainian refugee children. The children were forced to leave Ukraine after Russia invaded on February 24. Poland has taken in more refugees than any other country. The children draw pictures, learn English and Polish, and work on math skills. The volunteers are helping the children get ready to go to school in Poland later this month. It will be their first time going to school in the new country. They finished school last year by video after leaving Ukraine. Most of the volunteers do not speak Ukrainian. So, they communicate with the children in Russian, which is also spoken in Ukraine. The Americans are either Russian-speaking immigrants who left the former Soviet Union more than 30 years ago or are the children of immigrants. Illana Baird is a Rabbi, or Jewish religious leader, from California. She is one of the 10 Americans working at a summer activities center, known as a camp, in the city of Warsaw. The name of the camp is Fun in the Summer. Baird said the volunteers feel a sense of obligation to help those who are suffering right now. She said Jewish people have suffered in the past. Baird talked about the Holocaust, pogroms and antisemitism. Pogrom is a word from the Russian language used to describe attacks on Jewish communities in the 1800s and early 1900s. Antisemitism is a word used to describe discrimination against Jewish people. She said the Ukrainians living in Poland are suffering, and the volunteers want to help them feel better. Baird said some of the children are feeling better. The Rabbi noted one young girl who at first made a drawing in only black and white, because she said she missed her black dog at home. A little later, after hearing stories and watching a show with puppets, the little girl made a drawing in color. The girl said she made a pink heart for happiness. The summer camp will help the children get used to living in Poland. Many of them left Ukraine quickly and only with their mothers. Many men were required to stay behind and help with the war effort. When the children are at camp studying and playing, their mothers can look for work. Marta Saracyn is the head of the Jewish Community Center of Warsaw. She said about 30 of the 90 children in the camp are Jewish. Saracyn described the days at camp as a lovely bubble for kids to be kids and not have to worry about their problems for a short time. The 10 Americans working at the Fun in the Summer camp are part of a group of nearly 90 who left their jobs in the U.S. to help Ukrainian refugees in Poland and Hungary. Jewish groups in the U.S., Poland and Israel worked together to find people who wanted to help. The camp is at a Jewish school called Lauder Morasha. It started with the help of Helise Lieberman, an American who is active in Jewish life in Warsaw. She said there would not have been any Jewish organizations available to help refugees in Poland 30 years ago. Lieberman explained that Poland was home to more than 3 million Jews before World War II but most were killed by German Nazi forces during the Holocaust. She said the Jewish community in Poland only started to come back after the collapse of the Soviet-supported communism. And it looks like the volunteers are helping the children. Baird, the Rabbi, said one boy became upset when he found out that she was not Ukrainian. Why did you come here? he asked. She answered, saying: Because you dont need to be from Ukraine to help others. You just need to be human. Im Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report from the Associated Press. ________________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story obligation n. something that you must do because of a law, rule, promise bubble n. a space that is separated from the outside world possibly away from trouble or worry upset adj. unhappy or angry ________________________________________________________________________ What do you think of the struggles Ukrainians face? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. By Trend Russia and Turkiye have expressed intention to expand cooperation between the two countries in key sectors of economy as agreed by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak and Turkish Trade Minister Mehmet Mus during a meeting in Turkiye, Trend reports citing TASS. "It was noted that the cooperation between Russia and Turkiye is at a high level and keeps developing," according to a statement released on the website of the Russian cabinet of ministers. Co-heads of the Russian-Turkish intergovernmental commission, Novak and Mus discussed the developing cooperation between Moscow and Ankara in such areas as transport, logistics, industry, agriculture, and tourism. Energy plays a special part in bilateral cooperation, the Russian cabinet said, adding that during the meeting the sides expressed intention to expand collaboration in key sectors of economy. NASA is launching two more small helicopters to Mars as part of its effort to return Martian rocks and soil samples to Earth. Under the plan announced in late July, NASAs Perseverance rover will transport soil samples to a rocket. The rocket will then launch the collected material off the red planet in about 10 years. The two helicopters being built will help NASAs Perseverance rover, which is already on Mars. The helicopters will load samples onto the return rocket if NASAs Perseverance rover breaks down. Perseverance already has gathered 11 samples with more rock drilling planned. The most recent sample, a sedimentary rock, holds the greatest chance of containing possible evidence of ancient Martian life, said Arizona State Universitys Meenakshi Wadhwa. Wadhwa is chief scientist for the retrieval effort. Theres a diversity of materials already in the bag, so to speak, she said, adding that researchers are very excited about bringing the materials back to Earth. The helicopters will be modeled after NASAs successful Ingenuity. It has made 29 flights since arriving with Perseverance on Mars early last year. The helicopter weighs just 1.8 kilograms. The new versions will have wheels and arms. NASA officials said Perseverances strong performance on Mars has led them to change their plan to launch a separate vehicle. Jeff Gramling, director of NASAs Mars sample return program, said the new path forward is simpler. Each helicopter will be designed to lift one sample tube at a time, making several trips back and forth. We have confidence that we can count on Perseverance to bring the samples back and weve added the helicopters as a backup means, Gramling said. NASA is working with the European Space Agency on the retrieval mission. If all goes as planned, as many as 30 samples would launch from Mars in 2031 and arrive back at Earth in 2033. Scientists will then study the samples in laboratories. They will be looking for signs of microbial life that may have existed on Mars billions of years ago when water flowed on the planet. Im John Russell. Marcia Dunn reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. _____________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story sample n. a small amount of something that gives you information about the thing it was taken from sedimentary (adj. science) made from material that sinks to the bottom of a liquid : made from sediment retrieval n. the act or process of getting and bringing back something; the act or process of retrieving something tube n. a container that is shaped like a tube which is closed at one end and that is used especially in science experiments confidence n. a feeling or belief that something is true or that it is likely to happen LEXINGTON The City of Lexington Planning Commission forwarded their approval for a three 30 unit apartment development plan to the city council during their meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 3. The proposal was presented by R. Perry Construction, Inc., who plan to construct an apartment complex consisting of three, 30 unit, apartment buildings on the six acre property to the west of the Bobs True Value and north of Prospect Road. There would be a total of 90 units, a clubhouse and pool facilities constructed in this first phase of the project, according to the redevelopment plan. Some of the units will include one, two or three bedroom apartments, City Manager Joe Pepplitsch said. The plan shows the area being accessed by extensions from Plum Creek Parkway to the east and Adams St. from the west. Pepplitsch said Perry Construction has future phases planned for the area if the units are purchased. He noted the business has been active in the Sioux City and Wakefield areas, constructing workforce housing. The type of housing is targeting the Tyson Foods workforce and other people who want to live in that area of the community, Pepplitsch said. Their vicinity would allow for walking distance to several stores. The total cost for the first phase of the project is $14,013,373.00 and Perry Construction is requesting $2,901,000.00 in tax increment financing (TIF) from the city. Lexington is starved for housing, Pepplitsch said, he noted that units around the community are being sold as fast as they are built. Pepplitsch said their study in 2013 showed that 900 housing units would need to be added to the community by 2030, to date around 600 have been added. He said an additional 90 units would be another step in the right direction. The planning commission forwarded their approval for the development plan to the city council, if it is approved, it returns to the Community Development Agency, who will create a formal resolution. The Planning Commission also considered a blight and substandard study for the proposed redevelopment area six. The study overviews redevelopment area six in Lexington, roughly the area north of Highway 30, west to Airport Road, south of 13th St. and tracing west along Liberty Dr. and Erie St. It leaves out the Eagle Run Apartment area. The report indicates that 41 of the existing structures in the area are over 40 years old, many being built prior to 1982. The water and sanitary sewer mains and lines are aging and constructed of outmoded material, many were put in place in the 1970s. Pepplitsch said that part of the area in the redevelopment plan is not within the corporate limits of the city and will need to be added in the future. The plats in the area are archaic Pepplitsch said and much of the area is vacant and undeveloped, there are also storm and water drainage issues in the area. Any who recall the local flooding in July 2019 will remember the amount of standing water in this area. With the area declared blight and substandard, the next steps will be a general redevelopment plan for the space, Pepplitsch said. The Planning Commission approved a resolution that recommends the city council declare the area blighted and substandard. The resolution will now go to the city council for their concurrence. During the roundtable discussion, Pepplitsch noted there will likely be the general plan for redevelopment area six to consider at a future meeting, as well as subdivisions, replats and redevelopment plan amendments. 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 after 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. South Africa: Gender commission calls for speedy prosecution in Grade 12 girls' murder The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) has called for a speedy prosecution following the murder of two Grade 12 girls at Ngwangwane village in KwaZulu-Natal. Commission Chairperson, Tamara Mathebula, said a successful prosecution in the shortest possible time will help restore faith in the judicial system. Through our court monitoring process, we have observed that it is possible for a speedy conclusion of a Gender-Based Violence (GBV) matter if it is prioritised and given the attention it deserves, Mathebula said. The call follows the murder of two girls who were attacked with an axe while in their rented house at Ngwangwane village in southern KwaZulu-Natal. It is alleged that a man in his 20s came into the rented house in the early hours of the morning, hacked the girls to death and mutilated their bodies. One of the girls body was left in the house, while the second body was found five kilometres away from the scene. Mathebula extended her condolences to the families, residents of Ngwangwane village and learners at the school where the two Grade 12 girls attended. We are deeply saddened that the lives of two bright students were mercilessly taken away and their bodies mutilated, Mathebula said. The CGE has also urged all South Africans to join hands in fighting the scourge of violence, in particular, GBV. We need concerted efforts in addressing masculinity and patriarchy to eradicate the scourge of violence, especially Gender-Based Violence. The Commission also applauds the South African Police Service in KwaZulu-Natal for moving with speed in apprehending the alleged perpetrator of this barbaric act, Mathebula said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-08-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli The French embassy in Baku has handed over 130 landmine detectors to Azerbaijan in accordance with the declaration of intent dated February 25, 2022. The move is aimed at supporting Azerbaijan's humanitarian de-mining activities and the handover took place at the Horadiz office of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA). Chairman of the ANAMA Board Vugar Suleymanov and French ambassador Zacharie Gross spoke at the ceremony. Suleymanov noted that the detectors provided by the embassy will ensure a much safer environment by contributing to the mine and UXO clearance activities carried out in Azerbaijan. Afterward, they viewed the detectors, landmines, and unexploded ordnances, organized by the agency. In a similar vein, Chairman of the Azerbaijani Mine Ban Campaign Hafiz Safikhanov said that three people, two of whom are 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. According to him, two cases were related to the anti-tank mine blasts. 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. In violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention, Armenia deliberately and constantly planted mines on Azerbaijani territories, thereby being a major threat to regional peace, security, and cooperation. Previously, on June 12, Azerbaijan handed over 15 Armenian prisoners in exchange for a map detailing the location of 97,000 mines in formerly-occupied Aghdam. On July 3, Armenia submitted to Azerbaijan maps of about 92,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines planted during the occupation of Fuzuli and Zangilan districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a Russian-brokered peace agreement on November 10, 2020, to end the 44-day fighting in Karabakh and work toward a comprehensive peace deal. Julia Ann Simon-Kerr (University of Connecticut - School of Law) has posted Law's Credibility Problem on SSRN. Here is the abstract: Credibility determinations often seal peoples fates. They can determine outcomes at trial; they frequently condition the provision of benefits, like social security; and they play an increasingly dispositive role in immigration proceedings. Yet there is, astonishingly enough, no stable definition of credibility in the law. Courts and agencies are all over the mapdiverging at the most basic definitional levelin their use of the category. Consider a real-world example. An immigration judge denies asylum despite the applicants plausible account of persecution in their country of origin. The applicant appeals, pointing to the fact that Congress, in the INA, enacted a rebuttable presumption of credibility for asylum-seekers on appeal. This presumption, the applicant argues, means that the Court of Appeals must credit his testimony and reverse the decision below. Should the applicant win? Clearly, the answer depends on what credibility (and its presumption) entails. But the Supreme Court, confronting this exact question recently in Garland v. Dai, declined to provide an answer. Instead, it showcased the analytic confusion that surrounds credibility writ large. At oral argument, it canvassed four distinct ideas of credibility; and in the opinion, it offered a definition of credibility that managed to replicate, rather than resolve, the ambiguity among the four. Meanwhile, the everyday work of adjudication continues. Every year, thousands of cases are resolved on credibility groundsmany with life-altering consequencesdespite the confusion at the heart of the legal concept. The time has come for our legal system to clarify what it means by credibility. The answer may differ across contexts or include disparate definitions. But within any given adjudicationlike an immigration proceedinggreater precision is a must. To that end, this essay explores different ideas of credibility, taking the Garland v. Dai argument and opinion as a source of (cautionary) inspiration. I explain (1) why credibility is necessarily distinct from truth, but also (2) that from there, the concept becomes more malleable. Is credibility a synonym for persuasiveness? Does it refer to the likelihood that someone is telling the truth in this case? To the likelihood that they generally tend to tell the truth? To whether they seem like theyre telling the truth? Ultimately, there is no ideal definition of credibility; it depends on what work the concept is trying to do. What is far from ideal, however, is the current state of affairs, in which credibility means everything and nothingnotwithstanding its role in shaping peoples lives. Highly recommended. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) (THE CONVERSATION) The past few months have seen the coming of age of North Koreas nuclear weapons capability. For most of the last 20 years, the international community has been struggling to stop this from happening. A sixth nuclear test on September 3 of what was possibly a hydrogen bomb followed Julys two successful tests of an intercontinental ballistic missile with the capability to hit the U.S. The same month, the U.S. intelligence community assessed that North Koreas arsenal consists of up to 60 weapons, and that the country had successfully manufactured a compact warhead capable of being mounted on a missile. My research on how nation states illegally obtain missile technologies and my experience conducting outreach related to U.N. sanctions give me some insight into the methods North Korea used to make illicit procurements and the limitations in using technology-based sanctions to prevent them. Technology-based sanctions In 2006 following North Koreas first nuclear test the U.N. Security Council prohibited the supply, sale or transfer of items, materials, equipment, goods and technology that could contribute to the countrys missile program. Efforts to prevent North Koreas acquisition of missile technology by certain nations notably the United States had been underway since the 1990s. However, the U.N. sanctions went further by placing standardized legal requirements on all states to prevent the development of North Koreas weapons of mass destruction programs. These sanctions are universal. That means they are obligatory for all states around the world. Each nation is responsible for implementation within its borders. Missile, nuclear and military technologies are regulated through national export control systems. Governments must grant an export license for the exports of certain goods and technologies. This allows governments to do a risk assessment on transactions and minimize the diversions to undesirable uses, such as weapons of mass destruction programs or human rights abuses. In theory, all countries should have the capacity to implement these technology-based sanctions. Having an export control system has been mandatory for states since the passage of U.N. Security Council resolution 1540 in 2004. However, more than a decade after this resolution was passed, many nations particularly developing ones are still struggling with implemention. This has led to uneven execution of missile-related sanctions on North Korea. A recent report has described the U.N. sanctions regime as a house without foundations, noting that not a single element of the sanctions regime enjoys robust international implementation. Sources of missile technology As North Koreas missile program has advanced, its sources of missile technology have evolved. North Korea began by importing full missile systems and seeking to reverse-engineer or replicate them. For example, after procuring short-range Scud missiles from Egypt in the late 1970s, North Korea reverse-engineered them by the mid-1980s. The 1990s saw North Korea develop the Nodong, a scaled-up Scud design. It also experimented with longer-range missiles in the late 1990s and mid-2000s. These Taepodong missiles drew together elements of the shorter-range systems such as their engines. The Taepodong-2 allegedly had an intercontinental range, although it was never successfully tested. Since taking power in 2011, Kim Jong Un has accelerated North Koreas missile program. In the past year alone, the country has tested four seemingly new missiles for the first time including a submarine-launched ballistic missile and an intermediate range ballistic missile, as well as the ICBMs tested in July. Kim has also made significant progress in developing the nuclear warheads the missiles are designed to carry. The sixth nuclear test undertaken in early September by far the largest of those conducted by the the country was the fourth carried out under his leadership. The country has also sought to learn how to produce required parts and components at home. North Koreas program is opaque, but some episodes provide insights into where the country has been obtaining its technology. Rocket debris salvaged from the sea following a satellite launch in December 2012 suggested an ongoing reliance on the international market place for parts. A 2013 U.N. report suggested the rocket had used modern components sourced from China, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S., as well as cannibalized Scud components and other 1980s vintage Soviet parts. Since then, North Korea has continued to pursue more advanced manufacturing technologies. Footage from the leaderships frequent factory visits has shown that North Korea has acquired advanced machine tools of use in missile and nuclear programs. Photographs from a parade in April 2017 suggest that North Koreas new submarine-launched ballistic missile was constructed with wound filament. This material is lighter and stronger than aluminum, and a significant step forward in capability. Recent discussion over the possible Ukrainian or Russian origin of North Koreas rocket engines has been heated, with the argument refuted by some experts. This reflects a broader debate regarding the genesis of the countrys recent successes: Was it the result of imported technology or testimony to North Koreas ability to master advanced WMD technologies themselves? Evading sanctions To make these advances in their missile program, North Korea has had to evade sanctions and the broader scrutiny of the international community. Their illicit procurement techniques include using front companies, obscuring the end user, falsifying documentation and mislabeling cargo. A 2017 U.N. report notes that North Koreas evasion techniques are increasing in scale, scope and sophistication. North Koreas military and weapons of mass destruction procurement networks are global in nature. According to one study, they have touched more than 60 countries. Due to geographical proximity, historic relationship and broader trading links, China has played an unparalleled role in these networks. Many middlemen and procurement agents have operated in China, and increasingly as the countrys private sector develops its manufacturers have been a source of technology. A series of revelations in early 2017 demonstrated that Chinese manufacturers and Chinese-North Korean joint ventures are benefiting North Koreas missile program including with machine tools, components and materials. The effects of sanctions? Observers might rightfully ask: Have sanctions failed? This question is complicated. It might be more useful to consider what the effects of sanctions have been. The primary objectives of technology-based sanctions have been to slow and prevent North Koreas nuclear and missile development. The recent ICBM tests clearly prove these measures have not prevented North Koreas missile development. Whether they slowed progress is debatable. As U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley recently observed, they are unlikely to change North Korean behavior. What is undeniable is that sanctions have had unforeseen consequences. Research suggests that sanctions could have made North Koreas procurement efforts more sophisticated as Chinese middlemen monetize the risk. Americans tend to view North Korea as an inward-looking, economically isolated state cut off from the international community. However, the countrys illicit networks including those supplying its missile program are global, adaptive and resilient. That makes them difficult to shut down. This is an updated version of an article originally published on July 7, 2017. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/why-un-sanctions-against-north-koreas-missile-program-failed-83554. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) (THE CONVERSATION) Earlier this month CIA Director Mike Pompeo suggested the North Koreans have a long history of being proliferators and sharing their knowledge, their technology, their capacities around the world. My research has shown that North Korea is more than willing to breach sanctions to earn cash. A checkered history Over the years North Korea has earned millions of dollars from the export of arms and missiles, and its involvement in other illicit activities such as smuggling drugs, endangered wildlife products and counterfeit goods. Still, there are only a handful of cases that suggest these illicit networks have been turned to export nuclear technology or materials to other states. North Korean technicians allegedly assisted the Pakistanis in production of Krytrons, likely sometime in the 1990s. Krytrons are devices used to trigger the detonation of a nuclear device. Later in the 1990s, North Korea allegedly transferred cylinders of low-enriched uranium hexafluoride (UF6) to Pakistan, where notorious proliferator A.Q. Khan shipped them onward to Libya. UF6 is a gaseous uranium compound thats needed to create the highly enriched uranium used in weapons. The most significant case was revealed in 2007 when Israeli Air Force jets bombed a facility in Syria. The U.S. government alleges this was an undeclared nuclear reactor, capable of producing plutonium, that had been under construction with North Korean assistance since the late 1990s. A U.S. intelligence briefing shortly after the strike highlighted the close resemblance between the Syrian reactor and the North Korean Yongbyon reactor. It also noted evidence of unspecified cargo being transported from North Korea to the site in 2006. More recently, a 2017 U.N. report alleged that North Korea had been seeking to sell Lithium-6 (Li-6), an isotope used in the production of thermonuclear weapons. The online ad that caught the attention of researchers suggested North Korea could supply 22 pounds of the substance each month from Dandong, a Chinese city on the North Korean border. There are striking similarities between this latest case and other recent efforts by North Korea to market arms using companies hidden in plain sight. The Li-6 advertisement was allegedly linked to an alias of a North Korean state arms exporter known as Green Pine Associated Corporation. Green Pine and associated individuals were hit with a U.N. asset freeze and travel ban in 2012. The individual named on the ad was a North Korean based in Beijing formerly listed as having diplomatic status. As was noted when the Li-6 story broke, the contact details provided with the ad were made up: The street address did not exist and the phone number didnt work. However, prospective buyers could contact the seller through the online platform. This case our most recent data point raises significant questions. Was this North Korea testing the water for future sales? Does it suggest that North Korea may be willing to sell materials and goods it can produce in surplus? Was the case an anomaly rather than representative of a trend? A supplier in search of markets? In the few public statements North Korea has made on the issue, it has generally denied that it will seek to export nuclear technology. In 2006, for example, a Foreign Ministry official suggested that the country would strictly prohibit any threat of nuclear transfer. The U.N. sanctions regime would also prohibit the export of nuclear technologies although North Korea has been happy to defy the U.N. regime since its inception that same year. Additionally, there have been significant developments in states which were customers, or have been rumored to have an interest, in North Korean nuclear technology in the past. - Syria has spent the past six years in a chaotic civil war. Since the 2007 bombing of the reactor, the country has shown no public signs of interest in nuclear weapons. - After giving up its nuclear ambitions in a 2003 deal Libya has seen significant political changes and unrest following the collapse of the Qaddafi regime in 2011. - The 2015 nuclear deal with Iran saw the country agree to limit its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, and procure nuclear technology through a dedicated channel. If it continues to adhere to the deal, it has no need for illicit nuclear purchases. While some analysts have speculated about nuclear transfers from North Korea to Iran, no public evidence supports this. Its unclear to what extent the Iran deal will survive the whims of the Trump administration, and what the longer-term implications are for Irans program and other states who may seek to acquire nuclear technology as a hedge against Iran in the region. - Myanmar, another country with unfounded allegations of past North Korean nuclear collaboration, has undergone significant political change and has made efforts to wean itself off imports of North Korean arms. In other words, its unclear who if anyone would buy North Korean nuclear technology. However, the nightmare scenario of North Korea selling it to the highest bidder merits consideration. It would not be the first time that an illicit procurement network turned to sales. Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan shifted his attention from procurement for Pakistans program in the 1970s and 1980s to sales to Iran, Libya and North Korea in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. The efforts of his network saw centrifuge enrichment technology, and even a weapons design, transferred in some of the most damaging transactions ever for the nonproliferation regime. Following the discovery of the Khan network, the U.N. and others developed better export controls, and capabilities to detect, inspect and interdict shipments. The international community is better prepared; however, many challenges remain in preventing illicit nuclear-related trade. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/will-north-korea-sell-its-nuclear-technology-83562. DALLAS (AP) The mother of two teens fatally shot in 2008 in the Dallas area told jurors Thursday that her ex-husband, who is on trial for the killings after evading arrest for over 12 years, was abusive and controlling during their marriage. When Patricia Owens was asked to identify her ex-husband in court, she pointed at Yaser Said, saying: That devil there. Said, 65, is charged with capital murder, accused of killing 18-year-old Amina Said and 17-year-old Sarah Said on New Years Day in 2008. Yaser Said has entered a not guilty plea. Said, who had worked as a taxi driver, faces an automatic life sentence if convicted. The sisters were found shot to death in a taxi parked near a hotel in the Dallas suburb of Irving. On Wednesday, jurors heard a 911 call Sarah Said made from a cell phone, telling the operator that her father shot her and she was dying. A former police detective testified Thursday that the taxi the girls were found in had been lent to Yaser Said. A week before the sisters were killed, they and their mother left their home in the Dallas suburb of Lewisville and went to Oklahoma to get away from Said. Both sisters' boyfriends also joined the three. Prosecutor Lauren Black said in opening statements that 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. Owens, who spoke softly and often hesitantly on the stand, testified that Said eventually convinced her to return to Texas. I didn't think anything would happen," she testified. Black said during opening statements that Said was obsessed with possession and control. Owens testified that when she married Said, she was 15 and he was 29. The evening the girls' were killed, Said wanted to take just the two sisters to a restaurant. 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 and that police were too quick to focus on Said. Black said Sarah Said was shot nine times and Amina Said was shot twice. In a Dec. 21, 2007, email that was brought into evidence, Amina Said told one of her teachers that she and her sister planned to run away. She wrote that she and her sister didnt want to live by the culture of their father, who was born in Egypt, nor did they want arranged marriages, as he planned. Her father, she wrote, had made our lives a nightmare. He will, without any drama nor doubt, kill us, the email read. Yaser 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. A man who committed what a prosecutor called one of the worst unprovoked attacks for a knife attack in 2020 on a sleeping homeless man on State Street was sentenced Thursday to probation. Dane County Circuit Judge John Hyland gave Matthew D. Johnson, 36, of Madison, a six-year prison sentence followed by five years of extended supervision, but suspended the sentence and instead placed him on five years of probation. Johnson was originally charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide and mayhem for the July 30, 2020, attack on the 71-year-old mentally ill man who was asleep on a landscaping island in the 700 block of State Street. In May, Johnson pleaded guilty to the mayhem charge, which carries up to 40 years of combined prison and extended supervision. While Hyland said the crime was serious, and Johnsons attorney had also asked for a prison sentence for what he said was a vicious crime, Hyland said he was looking at Johnson as he is now, instead of as he was in 2020 when he committed the crime. Since being allowed to leave jail after posting bail, Hyland told Johnson he is in a better position now than you were at the time he was first charged with the crime, and now represents much less of a risk to the community than he did back then. Johnsons attorney, Michael Covey, said Johnson has experienced homelessness himself along with substance abuse issues, but since leaving jail has worked jobs and volunteered and has support from friends and family in the community. I truly believe youve tried to put your life in the best position possible, Hyland told Johnson. The sentence, as its structured, will encourage Johnson to continue to walk a straight line, Hyland said. Under the sentence structure, if Johnsons probation is ever revoked he would immediately begin serving the six-year prison sentence. Assistant District Attorney Ben Wagner, sitting in for colleague Dan Hess, told Hyland that Hess considered Johnsons attack on the man one of the worst unprovoked attacks hes ever prosecuted. The injuries were absolutely brutal, Wagner said. There is no doubt he intended to disfigure the victim. The victim, who is serving a mental health commitment, was not in court. Johnson has said he was intoxicated and doesnt remember the attack, which was captured on video by a street camera. No motive for it has been clearly established. Covey said he never believed it was an attempted homicide and would have fought that charge had the case gone to a trial, but agreed it was a violent act. Covey said Johnson should have known to leave the victim alone and feels terrible about this and genuine remorse, and has since been through enormous change and growth. Johnson told Hyland the man should not have had to wake up frightened that he was going to die. Theres no reason anybody should have to experience what (the victim) went through, he said. He said the incident will be something that Ill think about for the rest of my life. Green County said Friday that it has moved its female inmates to the Iowa County Jail or put them on electronic monitoring due to a shortage of female jail deputies and the labor-intensive design of the Green County Jail that dates to 1981. Four female inmates were moved to the Iowa County Jail on July 26, and as of Aug. 5, four more are on electronic monitoring, Green County Sheriff Jeff Skatrud said in a statement. Green County doesnt anticipate being able to hold female inmates in its jail until early 2023, Skatrud said. Earlier this week, Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett cited staffing shortages in announcing that 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. Skatrud said some responsibilities with inmates are gender-specific and while Green County has been able to staff the mandatory minimum of two jail deputies on a shift, at times both are male. If a female is arrested and brought to jail, they are booked in and transported to the Iowa County Jail in Dodgeville. In addition to the $50 to $60 per day cost of housing the inmate elsewhere, Green County is responsible for medical costs and the transportation of the inmate to that jail and back if required for a court appearance, Skatrud said. Green County is recruiting for jail deputies, and once someone is hired the training period takes up to five months. Deputies have been working overtime to maintain jail security and later in August, a different schedule is being implemented to drive down overtime, Skatrud said. A white man accused by activists of committing a hate crime in 2020 when he drove through a group of mostly Black people in Downtown Madison, injuring a Black woman, pleaded guilty to a felony Friday but will have it erased from his record if he completes a first-offenders program. Brendan ONeil, 28, told police that before he accelerated through the crowd around bar time on June 21, people had been reaching into and trying to pull him out of his pickup truck, and that he drove off when he saw a man in the crowd with a handgun. Under an agreement with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to the one count filed against him, hit-and-run involving injury. It had not been filed with a hate-crime enhancer and Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said Friday that to my knowledge, there was no information which indicated Mr. ONeil was connected to any white supremacist groups. The incident left then-24-year-old Alize Carter with abrasions, a fractured hand and reportedly a concussion, and it came during a summer of sometimes destructive racial justice protests in Madison in the months after George Floyd was murdered by police in Minneapolis. According to the criminal complaint in the case, video of the incident shows ONeils black 2007 GMC Sierra lurch forward at Frances Street and University Avenue and hit Carter, knocking her over and pushing her partially into the intersection. Oh my God. I think you hit someone, ONeils passenger is reported as telling him immediately after the accident, according to the complaint. Police had ONeils license plate number and phone number shortly after the incident, according to the complaint, and attempted to contact him at his home and by phone, but ONeil didnt contact police until about 10:30 that morning. Carter later told police that she was hit while crossing the street and that ONeil had time to stop before he hit her. Dancing in truck In a report sent to Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway shortly after the incident, then-acting police chief Vic Wahl said ONeil only drove into the crowd of several hundred people socializing in the street after people jumped into the bed of his truck and began dancing on it. The driver was punched in the face and that is when he drove into the crowd, the report says. The driver was further attacked and continued to drive through the crowd driving over (the) victim. Carter did not respond to a request for comment Friday sent through Facebook Messenger. Court records do not show she submitted a victim impact statement in the case. Moved away The case had been heading to trial as late as last month, but ONeils attorney, Chris Van Wagner, said there was no need for a trial because his client has the chance to avoid having a record and because ONeil and his insurer have worked to compensate Carter for her injuries. It was a tragic situation. It was a chaotic situation, Van Wagner said, and while his client had been under attack, Carter also did not deserve her injuries. Van Wagner said ONeil, formerly of Sun Prairie, has moved out of state after there were serious threats on various social media sites against him related to the incident. He didnt feel safe here, he said. Tense situation The incident just after bar time was already controversial after some of the people at the scene complained that the police departments response was slow or overly aggressive. Video released the day after the incident from city surveillance cameras showed police briefly deployed pepper spray as a crowd of people milled about and at least one person moved aggressively toward an officer trying to clear the area so emergency responders could attend to Carter. Wahl said on the day after the crash that throughout the police response, many in the crowd refused to give police room and lobbed verbal abuse at officers. The day after the incident, a group active in organizing protests in Madison in the wake of Floyds death called the incident a hate crime on its Facebook page. Another activist group, Urban Triage, alleged a white supremacist intentionally hit the woman. Rhodes-Conway also issued a statement the day after the incident suggesting it might have been a hate crime. The state Department of Natural Resources is investigating an oil spill near a Native American reservation in northern Wisconsin. Enbridge Energy reported Wednesday that a contractor had encountered contaminated soil along the Canadian companys Line 5 pipeline south of Ashland and about a mile from the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa reservation, according to the DNR. Enbridge said they could not find a leak and believe the contamination was from a past spill, according to the DNR, which said agency staff have visited the site and not found evidence of an ongoing leak. Enbridge spokesperson Juli Kellner said crews found a trace amount of product near a valve and shut down the line as a precaution while they investigate the source. Judge warns utilities of power line gamble but won't stop construction Conley cautioned utilities are risking more than $500 million in ratepayer money and he will not allow them to build in protected areas simply because the transmission companies plowed ahead" with no guarantee of a river crossing. Enbridge has excavated and stored the contaminated soil, according to the DNR, and will be required to document all actions taken to address the suspected spill, the amount of contaminated soil and how it is disposed of. The DNR says the investigation is ongoing and the agency declined to provide additional information, which it said will be posted once available on the agencys publicly accessible spills database. The 645-mile line runs from Superior to Ontario, Canada, moving about 540,000 barrels of petroleum products per day. As a result of a lawsuit filed by the Bad River band, Enbridge is seeking to bypass the reservation with about 41 miles of new pipe through Ashland, Bayfield and Iron counties. The DNR is working to complete an environmental review of the project before deciding whether to grant construction permits. According to the draft review, the $450 million project would cross some 185 waterways, including the Bad River, and temporarily disturb about 135 acres of wetlands. EPA raises concerns over proposed Superior gas plant The EPA says a preliminary review of the plant fails to account for the projects full greenhouse gas emissions, which could cause more than $2 billion in harm. Opponents, including Madison and Dane County governments, say the project endangers waters, including Lake Superior, and goes against warnings from international scientists to halt new investments in fossil fuel infrastructure in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The project has support from Republican lawmakers, labor unions and the states business lobby, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce. Last year, the DNR cited Enbridge for waiting more than 15 months to report a leak in Jefferson County that contaminated soil and groundwater with petroleum products and toxic chemicals. Republicans on Friday unanimously chose Milwaukee in swing-state Wisconsin for their 2024 national convention, a win for the city on the shores of Lake Michigan after its hosting of the Democratic convention in 2020 was upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision in favor of Milwaukee over Nashville, announced at the Republican National Committees summer meeting in Chicago, was anti-climactic after Nashville essentially took itself out of the running when the city council on Tuesday rejected a draft agreement for hosting the event. That came after Democratic opposition sunk that citys chances and the RNCs site selection committee picked Milwaukee last month. Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson joined with Reince Priebus, a former chief of staff to former President Donald Trump, to praise the decision after it was announced in Chicago. Johnson thanked Priebus for his work in helping land the convention and said it was an example of bipartisanship that is much needed in the country. Johnson pitched Milwaukee, known for the Brewers baseball team, Bucks basketball team, brats and beer, as a city full of unexpected gems. He also made clear why he and so many other Democrats were eager to land the convention hosted by their political rivals. I want you to take all your money to Milwaukee, spend it that week, and leave it in Milwaukee, Johnson said. While Johnson urged bipartisan support, emphasizing the economic boost, some liberals bemoaned hosting Republicans in the city thats home to the largest contingent of Democrats in the state. Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, a liberal Milwaukee-based group, said having the convention in the city will make us feel unsafe and unwelcome in our own communities. We are calling for our elected officials to begin to take into account what is best not only from a financial standpoint, but the view of what is best for all of Milwaukee residents and communities, BLOC said in a statement. Other groups voicing opposition included Voces de la Frontera Action and SEIU Wisconsin State Council. Priebus, who served as Wisconsin Republican Party chair before moving on to head the RNC then serving under Trump, said choosing Milwaukee was politically significant and will give Republicans a chance to spend more time in the state. Its a battleground state, it matters, Priebus said. I know sometimes we debate it, but it matters. Wisconsin could determine who wins in 2024, while Tennessee has not backed a Democrat for president since 1996. But choosing Milwaukee is in line with recent Republican choices for the convention. For two decades, Republicans have placed their nominating convention in swing states North Carolina, Ohio and Florida. Trump narrowly won Wisconsin in 2016, but lost to President Joe Biden by a similar margin in 2020. Wisconsin Republican Party Chair Paul Farrow, who was in Chicago for the RNC meeting, said having the convention in Milwaukee will energize our base even more to realize were a very important hinge in the entire country. The winner in Wisconsin has been elected president the past four elections. Milwaukee, a Democratic stronghold, was selected to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention, but that moved almost entirely online due to the coronavirus pandemic. Biden accepted the nomination in Delaware, not Milwaukee. The city used its preparations for that convention to argue to Republicans that it had a turnkey operation ready to host for real in 2024. 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. The Dane County Board will hire recently retired Dane County Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn to lead an outside investigation into allegations against Vilas Zoo management of racism, retaliation and neglecting animal welfare. The Personnel and Finance Committee of the board waived putting the contract for the investigation out for a bid during a meeting Thursday night, paving the way for Bailey-Rihn to start the probe. She will have $50,000 to conduct the probe with a report of her findings expected as early as October. The committee has the ability to approve bid waivers for contracts over $40,000. Im confident in Judge Bailey-Rihn as the special investigator, said board chair Patrick Miles. She is uniquely qualified to provide an impartial, frank review of the allegations at the zoo. A very small pool of retired judges had the availability and expertise to head the investigation, the bid waiver noted, adding that the endeavor required a unique technical and legal expertise, including knowledge of several specific areas of civil law. In her career, Bailey-Rihn performed special investigations for companies concerned about events that required public disclosure. In addition, she was once hired by a company to investigate allegations against its owner. She became a judge in 2016. Judge Bailey-Rihn has a passion for the outdoors and conservation and has served on a number of related boards and commissions, including the zoo commission, according to the bid waiver. The board commissioned the investigation in early June, saying it was needed to restore public faith in the zoo. The countys Office for Equity and Inclusion performed its own investigation of the zoo prior to that vote. Investigators confirmed that the zoo had a toxic workplace environment that included racism and lack of transparency of how animal welfare concerns get addressed. But investigators placed the blame of creating an Us vs. Them climate between management and labor on unnamed zoo staff and the countys workers union. Dane County Executive Joe Parisi opposed efforts to investigate the zoo, and ultimately did not sign or veto the boards plan. Parisi argued that it undermined the work of the countys own investigators. In its place, the county executive called for a countywide probe of the racial climate in its workforce by an outside agency. The board has not taken up that plan. The Wisconsin State Journal first reported on the departure of the zoos only Black zookeepers, who cited zoo managements racism and inept care of animals. As a judge, Bailey-Rihn has played a role in many criminal cases, as well as high-profile political lawsuits, over the years. In September 2021, she dismissed a lawsuit brought by Attorney General Josh Kaul that wanted to oust Republican appointee Fred Prehn from the Natural Resources Board. Prehn stayed on past his term because the state Senate refuses to confirm Gov. Tony Evers nominee. Recently, Bailey-Rihn has presided over cases stemming from the taxpayer-funded investigation into the 2020 presidential election led by former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman. Parisi has compared the independent investigation of the zoo to the Gableman investigation. A New Mexico man who was driving drunk without a valid license barreled through a parade that celebrates Native American culture in the western part of the state, injuring at least 15 people, officials said Friday. Jeff Irving, 33, was arrested late Thursday and faces charges that include aggravated driving while intoxicated, fleeing from officers and injuring parade-goers and two Gallup police officers who tried to stop the vehicle, court documents said. In a statement, New Mexico State Police said that investigators have no reason to suspect the crime was motivated by hate. No one was killed. The people who were hurt, including the police officers, suffered mostly minor injuries, said New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and his family were among those almost hit as the Chevrolet Tahoe drove through the parade route. The vehicle sped through downtown Gallup about 15 minutes after the nighttime parade started that served as the kick-off event for the 10-day Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Centennial Celebration. Irvings blood-alcohol content was three times the legal limit for driving, according to court records. His license had been revoked or suspended for another drunken driving charge and the SUV had no registration or insurance, police said. Court records didn't list an attorney for Irving who could speak on his behalf. His two passengers were detained and taken to a detox center in Gallup, a city of about 22,000 people, state police said in the statement. Many among the crowd of thousands lining the parade route in front of businesses that sell Native American jewelry, arts and crafts captured the chaotic scene on video. As the SUV sped near the parade, videos on social media showed people yelling for others to get out of the way and some pushing parade-goers to safety. One video showed parade-goers yelling obscenities at the SUV's driver and passengers while they were handcuffed on the ground. Children performing traditional dances appear to have been among the first to have seen the SUV heading toward them, the videos showed. They ran to the side amid screams and others scrambling to get out of the way. The images also showed blankets, shoes, banners and umbrellas left strewn along the street and on the sidewalks as people fled. Lujan Grisham said Friday that the state will send additional police officers and a behavioral heath crisis team to Gallup for the rest of the ceremonial event. Nez said the vehicle was coming at him and a group of tribal officials marching in the parade. He thanked people for taking quick action to get spectators and participants out of harm's way. We just ask for your prayers for all of the participants, Nez said in a video posted on social media. We're all shook up. You would see this on television, you would think it would never happen here. I'm sorry to say it happened here in Gallup, New Mexico." Tonya Jim said she went to the parade with her parents, grandchildren and children. Her 5-year-old granddaughter, KaRiah, was picked from the crowd to join a group of dancers. Shortly after, the vehicle barreled down the parade route, turned and hit a man across from them who was sitting on a folding chair, she said. KaRiah was helped off the road by someone and was not hurt. "Im glad whoever was holding her hand just kept holding her hand and ran with her to get her off the road, Jim said. Im not sure who she was, but Im thankful for her. Jim said the family burned cedar and prayed when they got home and did a tobacco smoke prayer Friday morning to calm down. I blessed my kids and thanked the creator they are still with me and (to) pray for the families who are hurt, said Jim, who is Navajo and lives in Fort Defiance. During the mayhem, the SUV swerved onto a side street and pulled into a parking spot before trying to pull out again. It hit a parked car and backed into a police car, state police said. Officers converged on the vehicle and detained the driver and two passengers who Irving identified as his brothers, according to court documents. Irving initially told police he was not drinking before admitting to having at least a couple of beers, according to court documents. He is from the small community of Pinedale and faces 21 charges, the documents and police said. City, state and tribal officials met Friday, with some urging more resources to address alcohol abuse. The state has long had a driving while impaired rate above the U.S. national average, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I think there's always room for improvement, said Gallup police Capt. Erin Toadlena-Pablo. I don't think anyone should ever look at it and say we're doing all we can. There's always other means. The nighttime parade is a highlight of the ceremonial celebration, which was founded in 1922 as a way for traders to showcase the culture and art of Native American tribes in the region, said Gallup Intertribal Indian Ceremonial Association board President Kyle Tom. A daytime parade will go on as planned on Aug. 13, the day before closing events, Tom said. Other events include dances, rodeos and a juried art show. People travel to Gallup from the vast Navajo Nation that extends into Arizona, New Mexico and Utah and from other tribal reservations to attend the parades and events. Nez, tribal lawmakers and others expressed anger and disbelief over what happened. It's supposed to be a celebration, but today it was a difficult time for us, Nez said. Fonseca reported from Flagstaff, Arizona. Associated Press writer Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report. Theres a reason people repeat the adage that half a loaf is better than none, coined in 1546 in John Heywoods collection of English proverbs. It is the same reason political activists, such as U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., make unproductive legislators. Their causes may be noble, their passions commendable, and they may be skilled at getting their message before the public eye. But that does not always make them effective lawmakers or representatives. To be an efficient legislator requires compromise. Activists like Bush and their passions lead them to be uncompromising in their positions, which makes working with other members of a legislature difficult and makes bringing home the bread almost impossible. Political activists tend to see everything through the eyes of an ideological purity test and can be committed to their causes more than to their constituents or their political party. Consider Bushs votes (against her own party) on the following bills: No for making appropriations for the State Department, foreign operations and related programs. No for expanding security for members of the U.S. Supreme Court. No for banning Russian oil as punishment for its invasion of Ukraine. Bush joined five other Democrats in voting against the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Bush had vowed not to support the bill without a vote on a separate $2 trillion Build Back Better proposal, which included funding for universal preschool, climate change, health care and other progressive priorities. Before voting against President Joe Bidens infrastructure package, Bush told the president that St. Louis has to come first for me. Child care, climate action, community violence prevention. I made it very clear that those are the things that we need. We wont get those things if we dont stand up. And so he (Biden) understood that. Heres what Missouri will receive from the 2021 infrastructure bill: $6.5 billion for federal highway programs, $484 million for bridge replacement and repairs, $674 million over five years to improve public transportation options, and at least $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across the state. More than 1.6 million people, or 26% of Missourians, will be eligible for assistance to help low-income families afford internet access. Missourians will also benefit from the bills historic $3.5 billion national investment in weatherization, which will reduce energy costs for families, and $866 million over five years to improve water infrastructure and ensure that clean, safe drinking water is a right in all communities. Transportation, broadband, reduced energy costs and clean drinking water sounds beneficial to everyone. Bush did what she threatened and rejected the first half of the loaf even though the second half the social spending bill she demanded had no chance of passage by the Senate. Luckily for her constituents in and around St. Louis, enough legislators voted for half a loaf so that all Missourians will get to eat some of the infrastructure bread. Some of these same activists-turned-legislators spend time protesting in front of the U.S. Supreme Court or even in front of the very building they work in. Bush is one of a small number of Americans who have the power to actually create laws and policies. Perhaps Bush and others should spend more time inside the Capitol building working with one another. Not only would it be more effective, it is their job. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, along with Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, are examples of powerful members of Congress who are pragmatic, who negotiate and who have learned to accommodate the other side. They also understand that something is better than nothing. Representatives are responsible for representing all of their constituents not just those who agree with their cause or those who voted for them. All constituents should be considered when deciding on how to vote on any given piece of legislation. Political activism is an important part of our nations history, and we should be grateful for their contributions. There also have been great politicians and elected officials who have set and furthered worthy agendas. The problem comes when you combine them. Political activists, politicians and effective legislation rarely yield a fully baked, whole loaf. TWIN FALLS Cory Grant Collard was the latest victim of Pillar Falls. The 31-year-old from Payson, Utah, was a new father, married to his sweetheart from junior high school. An athlete, Collard loved skateboards, wakeboards and snowboards. He was an outstanding student and graduated with honors from Southern Utah University in Cedar City. He was dedicated to his brothers, especially after the loss of one of them a year ago, and enjoyed spending time with them. That is exactly what they were doing at the time of Corys passing, his obituary reads. Utah man drowns at Pillar Falls Pillar Falls may look serene, but dangerous undercurrents can pull people under, police say. A call came into the Twin Falls Sheriffs Department at 1:30 p.m. Saturday that a man had gone under the water at Pillar Falls. Collard had been under a significant amount of time before being pulled out of the river. First aid was administered but he died that evening at St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center. The death is tragic but only one of a string of drownings at Pillar Falls: Officials estimate eight drownings and two near-drownings over the past decade. Three people drowned there in 1994 within a three-week period. North Carolina man hospitalized after kayaking through Pillar Falls A North Carolina man kayaked through Pillar Falls and nearly drowned. The falls, with its pillar-shaped rocks emerging from the river east of the Perrine Bridge, look serene enough. The main chute might look like a simple little waterslide, said Sgt. Ken Mencl of the sheriffs office. But in reality, it can be deadly. Several underwater tubes act as leg-catchers, Twin Falls County Parks and Waterways Director Rocky Matthews said Thursday. Undertows and other hazards make it a risky place, especially for those not familiar with the area. Warning people about the dangers isnt easy. Mencl and other waterway patrol officers from the sheriffs office talk to people at the falls about the dangers, but they cant always be there. Drowning victims are most often people who are swimming and walking around the falls. As far as placement of warning signs, it isnt as simple as screwing a sign into a rock, Matthews said. Several government entities, including the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Idaho Department of Lands and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, may need to sign off on such signage. Getting things done with all the entities and paperwork involved has been frustrating, Lt. Daron Brown said. A plan is now in place to get buoys with warning signs placed at Pillar Falls. The wording of the signs hasnt been determined yet, but the message will be that the water is dangerous, said Mencl. While admitting that placement of the buoys constitutes a gray area due to the distance from Centennial Park, Matthews says it is within the legal right of the Parks and Waterways department. The buoys wont be anchored into the rock but by 50-gallon drums filled with cement. I think we are doing the right thing, Matthews said. The department has other similar buoys, including no wake signs near Centennial Park and buoys warning of rock hazards at Murtaugh Lake. The DEQ supports protecting human health and has no concerns with signs being placed around waterways, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality regional administrator Sue Switzer said. As far as the other government agencies, Matthews said, I dont think this will give them reason to complain. UPDATE: Body of Pillar Falls drowning victim recovered Authorities spent much of Thursday waiting for the water level to drop so they could find the body of a 22-year-old man who drowned Wednesday night at Pillar Falls. Buhl Man Saved From Drowning in Pillar Falls A man who became trapped within Pillar Falls Saturday was saved by the efforts of bystanders who held his head above water. A Parks and Waterways meeting coincidently took place Monday, three days after the most recent drowning, and a safety discussion around Centennial Park was on the agenda. We, for the better part of two hours, basically discussed issues at (Centennial Park) and Pillar Falls, Matthews said. Saturdays drowning wasnt the proverbial straw that broke the camels back, he said, but it has been on the minds of board members. When you talk about someone drowning, the room gets pretty sober and changes the tone, Matthews said. Someone suggested the signs contain pictures of skulls and crossbones, he said. Whatever wording is chosen, Mencl said he knows its not a 100% solution. There are signs all over Centennial Park telling people where to park, for instance, and then violators wonder why they got a $150 fine. Washington Man Missing in Snake River A 41-year-old man from Washington state is missing and presumed drowned after falling into the Snake River near Pillar Falls. Most of the local people who visit Pillar Falls are aware of the danger and the signs will be most helpful to tourists, Mencl said. Tourism has brought a lot of people into Twin Falls County, he said. We get a lot of people from Utah and Treasure Valley. Mencl wasnt sure of the timeline for getting the buoys in the water, as the signs wording will need to be approved by the legal department. Twin Falls resident Dante Vargas said he agreed with the effort to place signs. As a local, I think signage at tourist-driven places would let them know the worries of the river, Vargas said. He works at the Twin Falls Visitor Center and said he warns people about Pillar Falls when they ask for places to recreate. I always advise tourists to not swim close to the waterfalls themselves, he said. If tourists were more aware of the situation I think the number of accidents would drop. A week before the House of Representatives approved a ban on assault weapons, a federal judge in Denver explained why such laws are unlikely to pass constitutional muster. House Democrats either were not paying attention or did not care because they view the Second Amendment as an outmoded provision that imposes no meaningful limits on gun control. Unfortunately for them, the Supreme Court has repeatedly held otherwise, ruling that the government may not prohibit law-abiding Americans from keeping handguns at home or carrying them in public for self-defense. The Court also has said the Second Amendment covers bearable arms in common use for lawful purposes, which presents a problem for Democrats who want to ban many of the most popular rifles sold in the United States. On July 22, U.S. District Judge Raymond P. Moore, an Obama appointee, issued a temporary restraining order that bars Superior, Colorado, from enforcing its ban on assault weapons. The city defines that category to include semi-automatic center-fire rifles that accept detachable magazines and have any of four features: a pistol grip, a folding or telescoping stock, a flash suppressor, or a barrel shroud. Two gun-rights groups argued that Superiors ordinance, which also bans magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, violated the Second Amendment. Moore concluded that they had a strong likelihood of success on the merits. Moore noted that the plaintiffs had cited statistics to support their claim that the guns and magazines targeted by Superiors ordinance are commonly used by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes. He also mentioned an earlier case in his court where both sides had stipulated that semiautomatic firearms are commonly used for multiple lawful purposes, including self-defense, and that lawfully owned semiautomatic firearms using a magazine with the capacity of greater than 15 rounds number in the tens of millions. Under the Supreme Courts test, Moore said, those facts mean that the right to possess, sell, or transfer the arms covered by Superiors ordinance is presumptively protected. The burden is therefore on the city to show that its ban is consistent with the Nations historical tradition of firearm regulation. That will be a formidable challenge, Moore suggested. The Court is unaware of historical precedent that would permit a governmental entity to entirely ban a type of weapon that is commonly used by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes, whether in an individuals home or in public, he said. Like Superiors ordinance, the bill that the House narrowly approved on July 29 covers large capacity magazines and includes a general definition of assault weapons, although its list of prohibited features is slightly different. It also bans many specific models by name. During the debate over the bill, Democrats said the rifles they want to ban are the weapon of choice for mass shooters, which is not true: Most mass shooters use handguns. Democrats said the features targeted by the bill make rifles especially deadly, which also is not true: With or without those features, a rifle fires the same ammunition at the same rate with the same muzzle velocity. Even while implying that the rifles covered by the ban are good for nothing but mass murder, Democrats emphasized that the bill would exempt the 24 million or so assault weapons that Americans already own. They refused to grapple with the constitutional implications of banning guns that millions of people use for lawful purposes. When confronted by that reality, Republicans noted, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said, The problem is that they are in common use. Rep. David Cicilline D-R.I., the bills sponsor, likewise had no patience for Second Amendment arguments, saying, Spare me the BS about constitutional rights. Unlike Nadler and Cicilline, federal judges like Moore cannot ignore the constitutional issue raised by this sort of legislation. Democrats will have to comply with the constraints imposed by the Second Amendment, no matter how much they might wish that it did not exist. Today is Friday, August 5, the 217th day of 2022. There are 148 days left in the year. In the Henry Bulletin in 1922: The Bassett Motor Service Co., as usual, is leading in the latest and most up-to-the-minute things, and has installed a radio phone. Mr. Moore, being the band leader here, loves to compare notes with New York and other cities on the same elevated wave as ours. 1947: While all was quiet on the Democratic primary front yesterday, voters in the adjoining counties of Patrick and Pittsylvania staged two of the most vigorous and hotly-contested primary elections in recent years. Patrick countys lone contest that of nominating a sheriff on the Democratic ticket, resulted in the defeat of Frank D. Mays, sheriff in that county for 28 years. S. Fichard Fulcher pulled 1,270 votes against a total of 852 for Mays. 1972: Mrs. D.J. Oaks of Douglas Street has been following our items about the missing murals in the downtown Martinsville Post Office and says she distinctly remembers seeing a painting there. It was about 1935, she recalls That was several years before the post office was rebuilt, and at that time the painting was on the wall in what is now the work area near the stamp window. She recalls that the scene was rural in nature and depicted a farm scene, including at least one reddish-brown cow. She recalls having seen another picture in the lobby, this one of a mother and a young girl, all with a stylized Confederate flag superimposed. 1997: (photo caption) Rodney Mullen, a professional World Industries skater, performed board tricks in an uptown Martinsville parking lot Tuesday night as part of a skateboarding competition. The MAC, Main Street Skate Shop and Ds Skate Shop sponsored the event. Today in Martinsville-Henry County history: Thursday, August 4 1922, season for guinea fowl; 1947, primary contest in Patrick county ; 1972, two new high schools needed for overcrowding in Henry County schools; 1997, American Fiber Industries adds employees. A local Smith River access point has been improved to make it easier to use, whether for getting boats in and out of the water, or just having a picnic lunch. Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) held a ribbon cutting Wednesday for the Riverside Family Area at the South Martinsville River Access at 280 Tensbury Drive, and held family fun activities and demonstrations afterward. A small crowd of around 20 adults and children joined DRBA staff for the ribbon cutting, live snakes and macroinvertebrates, some educational booklets and a paddle in the river. Through a grant from The Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia and Monogram Loves Kids Foundation, DRBA was able to completely transform the river access area. DRBA Education Outreach Manager Krista Hodges said that eight months ago the access had brick steps that were unsafe and unstable, which made it difficult for people to get their boats into the water. We hired a contractor to build these steps And then add a boat slide so people can safely get down the steps here, Hodges said. Again, if you would have come here eight months ago, this would not have been here. There were no picnic tables or anything like that, but if you were to come here you would have seen people actually do use this site for picnicking, she said. Off to the side of the boat ramp and steps, DRBA had built a shelter with picnic tables and chairs where families and people from local businesses can come and eat their lunch with a river view. Hodges said that DRBA knew the site needed some improvements because, since its been in existence for a long time and was getting good usage from the Smith River Fest, they were able to see that people were having a hard time getting into the river with their gear. We knew that this access needed improvements, and thats when we wrote a grant to The Community Foundation, she said. The grant focused on providing this for children and their families to be able to enjoy and spend time outside in nature enjoying the river scenery. DRBA applied through The Community Foundations Letter of Intent Process and based on our focus areas, the foundation thought that this was a great need right here in this area to families access to recreational activities, Community Foundation Director of Grants and Donor Engagement Michelle Eberly said. The money came from the foundations unrestricted Community Catalyst Funds, and Eberly said that the foundation was thrilled to be able to make this come to fruition and that she thinks it looks great. After the ribbon cutting, they held what Hodges called a mini river experience. DRBA Virginia Program Manager Brian Williams brought out some kayaks and a canoe and taught some of the children how to paddle in the river. Hodges and Williams taught the children about macroinvertebrates, aquatic insects and crustaceans that are present in the Smith River, and then they showed around locally found snakes and supervised people holding them. DRBA also installed a learning station attached to two informational signs. One shows the life cycle of a frog and the other displays animal tracks that might be encountered around the river. The Henry County Public Schools (HCPS) Board met for a retreat after their regular monthly board meeting on Thursday to discuss the appointment of a new board member, the strategic plan for the school year, facility projects and more. HCPS Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Lisa Millner presented strategic plan updates, focusing on providing high quality instruction, high quality professionals, a safe and innovative learning environment and family and community engagement. The areas of focus for providing a higher quality instruction in schools are grading, assessments, differentiation, supporting teachers and supporting administrators. For providing high quality professionals, HCPS plans to expand recruitment, work on interpersonal skills, foster employee retention and have a compensation study completed by the human resources department within Henry County. We want to empower them. We want to make sure that they have what they need, the resources that they need; we want to keep them, Millner said of employees. Millner said that HCPS plans to provide a safe and innovative learning environment by improving the building surveillance system, replacing lighting in the buildings, having building interiors painted, upgrading exterior access controls and improving secondary school furniture. The last area is family and community engagement, Millner said. And though we do these things already, of course we can do them better. She said that HCPS wants to expand partnerships with students, parents, businesses, higher education and community organizations. You always want to improve and you always want to expand, she added. Next, HCPS Director of Human Resources Christy Landon gave a presentation on the changes that the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has made to the VDOE Superintendent Performance Evaluation System Training. It is the same system that you all have been using to evaluate the superintendent over the years, Landon said. The presentation just has revised items, including the weighting of performance standards and revised guidelines. Guidelines that have been revised are as follows: updated research; revised four rating level names for summative evaluation to highly effective, effective, approaching effective and ineffective; a new performance standard called Culturally Responsive and Equitable Division Leadership; and other minor changes to evaluation standards that can be viewed on the VDOE website at https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching/performance_evaluation/index.shtml. HCPS Assistant Superintendent for Operations and Administrative Services David Scott presented on the capital plan in terms of revenue streams from federal, state and local funding. We still have a bunch of items that have been on an extensive list from the last comprehensive facilities assessment, Scott said. Were in the middle of doing another assessment like that and hope to see results of that this fall. He then presented a list of projects in four categories: grant-funded HVAC projects, campus improvements, structural changes and repairs and installation. Grant-funded HVAC projects include: HVAC, ceiling and lighting at Bassett High School (BHS); air-conditioning in the gymnasium and locker rooms at Laurel Park Middle School (LPMS); air-conditioning in locker rooms at Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School (FCMS); replacing the rooftop air conditioning unit at LPMS; and additional HVAC system upgrades. Campus improvements projects include: installing artificial turf at Magna Vista High School (MVHS) and BHS; field houses at BHS and MVHS; and track replacement and resurfacing. Repairs and installation projects include: installation of heater in bus garage; parking lot pavement at the Center for Community Learning (CCL); bleacher replacements at secondary schools; and civil repairs at MVHS, CCL and Meadow View Elementary School (MVES). Structural changes projects include: a bus rider canopy at Drewry mason elementary (DMU); renovations and additions at Sanville Elementary; roof replacement at LPMS; and elevators at Campbell Court Elementary (CCE), DME and G.W. Carver Elementary (GWCE). We know there might be more projects that come up as a result of the facilities assessment that were doing and some of the other projects that are listed on here were things that got moved up a little with the introduction of funds, Scott said. The board then went into recess instead of adjourning so that they can resume at the Aug. 15 public hearing about the interim board member. Registered voters in the Ridgeway District are eligible to suggest their names for consideration for the unexpired term of board member Francis Zehr, who died on July 29. The interim member will hold office and participate in all School Board functions from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30, until voters fill the seat at a special election. Registered voters who live in the Ridgeway district who are interested in filling the interim school board member role should submit a letter of interest to Monica Hatchett at monica.hatchett@henry.k12.va.us or P.O. Box 8958, Collinsville, VA, 24078 by Monday, Aug. 15. Candidates will be interviewed by the School Board after submission of letters and verification of qualified status as register voters. A public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 15. Environmental nonprofit group Appalachian Voices filed a lawsuit Thursday to obtain a reported document from the Virginia attorney generals office that would undercut Gov. Glenn Youngkins desire to pull Virginia out of a regional environmental cap and trade market. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative dubbed RGGI is a consortium of several states where energy producers trade emission reductions for credits, or they buy credits to emit carbon dioxide past a capped amount. Proceeds from participation in the initiative go toward various environmental and energy efficiency projects. Virginia joined RGGI in 2021 after the state legislature passed a law in 2020. The month after his November election, Youngkin said he wanted to pull Virginia from the initiative, terming it a tax on electricity ratepayers and a bad deal for them and for business. But for Virginia to pull out of RGGI, the move would have to come from the states General Assembly, which passed the law in the first place according to the purported opinion from the attorney generals office. During an April 20 meeting of the State Air Pollution Control Board, member Hope Cupit said she received an opinion from the attorney generals office back in March saying that [removing Virginia from RGGI] is not the responsibility of the board, that its the responsibility of the General Assembly. The lawsuit, filed in Charlottesville Circuit Court, seeks to obtain the document. The Southern Environmental Law Center filed the suit on behalf of Appalachian Voices. SELC is representing the organization and its policy director, Peter Anderson, who had been denied in a Freedom of Information Act request from the board and the attorney generals office. Because Cupit made public the existence of the document at a public meeting, senior SELC attorney Mark Sabath said that should not exempt it from FOIA. Sabath said that if theres not a valid exclusion, then you have to provide the public with the document. Pressed as to whether the attorney generals office provided Cupit with anything in writing, a special counsel in the office, Stephanie Hamlett, said there was a document. She said the attorney general declined to release it, and she cited a discretionary FOIA exemption for written advice of legal counsel, the Richmond Times-Dispatch previously reported. They could have said we dont have any documents responsive to your request. Thats not what they said, Sabath explained. They said, theres a record and were withholding it. In an email, Victoria LaCivita, a spokesperson in the attorney generals office, declined to comment as the litigation is pending. According to Sabath, the case has a hearing scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 12 in Charlottesville. Presumably the court will decide whether were entitled to the document or whether it was properly withheld, he said. The mystery of the secret Virginia air board document State officials are refusing to release a document that purportedly undercuts Gov. Glenn Youngkins desire to remove Virginia from a greenhouse gas reduction program. Youngkin report calls carbon program too expensive; its supporters push back A report from Virginias new director of the Department of Environmental Quality backs Gov. Glenn Youngkins view that a program to reduce carbon dioxide emissions is a carbon tax without benefit to consumers. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: Where the money comes from and where it goes With discussion ramping up about the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in Virginia, we took a closer look at what it is, where the money goes, and what it costs Virginians. The McDowell County Sheriffs Office has arrested a man for possession of meth and cocaine. Detective David Jones with the McDowell County Sheriffs Office Community Impact Team charged 40-year-old Wesley Allen Thorpe with possession with the intent to manufacture, sell or deliver methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, possession with the intent to manufacture, sell or deliver cocaine, possession of cocaine and maintaining a dwelling to keep a controlled substance, according to a news release. A magistrate set his bond at $50,000 secured. On July 22, detectives with the Community Impact Team assisted probation officers with a search of Thorpes camper where they found ounce of methamphetamine and cocaine, according to the news release. According to the N.C. Department of Public Safety, Thorpe has a criminal record dating back to 1998, including convictions for reckless driving, speeding, DWI, obtaining property by false pretense and numerous drug offenses. This Saturday, the 2022 Micropolitan Film Festival returns to downtown Marion to show off the visions by independent filmmakers. The film festival takes place Saturday at the Marion Depot at 45 Depot St. The courtyard opens at 6:30 p.m. and the screening starts at 7 p.m. in the depot. The Micropolitan Film Festival or MFF is hosted by the McDowell Arts Council Association and is built by and for independent film producers of western North Carolina. It is a small-town celebration of independent filmmaking. This year will be the festivals fifth year of screening films handmade with love, according to a news release. After deciding to skip our annual festival for a planning year in 2021, we are excited to be back with MFF in 2022, said Anna Branam, assistant director of MACA. We missed our filmmaking friends who have participated since the inaugural year, 2018. The fun of MFF is meeting new filmmakers and seeing what folks are creating that is new and fresh year-to-year. Like many other narrative art forms, film is a tool that reflects the times and events we live through. On Saturday, folks can expect to see short films of all genres made by filmmakers from Wilmington to Asheville, said Branam. Documentary, thriller, drama and comedy, there is something for everyone. We are very excited that our friends from Mica Town will be joining us. We wish to thank the city of Marion for partnering with us to utilize the Train Depot as a screening space. The age suggestion for the content of this event is PG-13. The host of the festival is Arietta Holloway and she will lead a question-and-answer session with the filmmakers after the screening of each film. The lineup of films will be No Fishing by Hidden Walls Productions, Hunger is Real: Voices of Western North Carolina by Adams J. Wood, Safe Haven by Outlandish Productions, 1st Memory by Chip Hackler, Cabarrus by Andrew Huggins, Home by INNC Studios, Three Quarters by A Stranger Concept Films and The Crush! by Improv Guerrilla Films. Mica Town Brewing Company will be on-site for the entirety of the event, serving up tasty libations brewed right here in McDowell County. There will be lots of popcorn. The audience will vote for awards at the festival, according to the news release. The cost is $14 per person. Tickets can be found at mcdowellarts.org/calendar. The Congolese government has asked the United Nations for the departure of its spokesman in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in a short period of time, according to an official correspondence revealed Wednesday. The government will appreciate () very much if arrangements are made for Mathias Gillmann to leave Congolese territory as soon as possible, Congolese Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula wrote to the head of MONUSCO. The presence of this official on national territory is not likely to foster the climate of mutual trust and serenity that is so essential between the Congolese institutions and MONUSCO, Lutundula said. The comments made by Mr Gillmann on RFI stating that MONUSCO did not have the military means to deal with the M23 are at the root of the current tension. We have asked MONUSCO in a friendly manner to leave the country, said a government source who did not wish to be identified. Since 25 July, angry demonstrators have ransacked and looted facilities of the UN mission deployed in the DRC since 1999. Four peacekeepers were killed in Butembo and at least 28 demonstrators were killed in Goma, Butembo and Kanyabaonga (North Kivu). Four others were electrocuted in Uvira (South Kivu) when their march was dispersed, according to an official report. Nigerias Chief of Army Staff has just carried out a major reshuffle of senior officers. With seven months to go before the presidential elections, insecurity remains a major challenge for President Muhammadu Buhari, who promised to put an end to the jihadist insurrection. For the senior military hierarchy, the new reforms and appointments within the army are aimed at repositioning it to achieve operational effectiveness. The changes affect some staff officers, general officers, corps commanders, commanders of training institutions, brigade commanders, among others. Sadeeq Garba Shehu, a retired army officer, stresses that this is an administrative change. It has nothing to do with army operations. But when you look closer at the list, you see a change in the movement of the general who was in charge of operations in Kaduna State. Kaduna State is among the states that have security problems. So, for me that is the only change. The recent attack on Kuje prison, not far from the capital Abuja, followed just hours after an ambush on a security convoy of President Muhammadu Buhari in his home state of Katsina. These two incidents come on top of the bloody rivalry between Boko Haram and the Islamic State group in West Africa, multiple kidnappings for ransom, not to mention separatist movements in the Niger Delta and the South East region. These are explosive mixes that reveal the extent of the security threat in the country. Yahuza Ketso, a security expert, also doubts the sincerity of these changes within the army in the face of the situation on the ground. I dont see anything serious in these new reforms, he says. But we give them the benefit of the doubt to see what happens. Security remains a major issue in the 2023 general and presidential elections to elect a successor to President Buhari who, after two terms at the head of the country, can no longer run for the presidential elections. The Burkinabe army acknowledged on Wednesday the death of civilians during air strikes against terrorist groups in eastern Burkina Faso, without specifying the number, with local residents speaking of around 30 killed. Targeting actions against terrorist groups responsible for several abuses were carried out in several localities (Djamanga, Djabiga, Mandeni, Bounou, Obiagou, Pognoa-Sankoado) in the East region on Monday, the armys headquarters said in a statement. During these operations, which enabled the neutralization of several dozen terrorists, the strikes unfortunately caused collateral victims among the civilian population, it added. The General Staff stated that an investigation was immediately opened to determine responsibility and offered its sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims. It assures its commitment to collaborate fully with the competent services and the population to shed light on this unfortunate incident. For several months, the Burkinabe army has been conducting multiple air operations against armed jihadist groups. It admitted accidentally killing a civilian on 11 June during an air action against a group of armed traffickers in the Centre-South region. An investigation had been opened by the military prosecutor. Burkina Faso, where the military took power in January promising to make the fight against jihadism their priority, is facing, like several neighboring countries, the violence of armed jihadist movements affiliated to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, which have killed thousands of people and displaced some two million since 2015. The process of obtaining the release of 49 Ivorian soldiers detained in Bamako for three weeks may be long, the Ivorian government spokesman acknowledged in Abidjan. Cote dIvoire has favored dialogue to obtain their release and discussions are underway, the spokesman, Amadou Coulibaly, said at the end of the Council of Ministers. Everything is being done so that our soldiers can be reunited with their families, he said, adding: It may take a long time, but we must have confidence in the state and a happy outcome will be obtained. Cote dIvoire says its 49 soldiers were unjustly arrested on July 10 at Bamako airport, accused by the ruling Malian military of being mercenaries seeking to destabilize their country. According to Abidjan, the presence of its soldiers, in the framework of logistical support operations for the UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), was well known to the Malian authorities. However, MINUSMA acknowledged dysfunctions concerning the mission of these Ivorian soldiers. The Ivorian Defense Minister, Tene Birahima Ouattara, received the families of the detained soldiers on Wednesday, telling them that they had been sent to Mali as part of a regulatory mission and had not done anything wrong. According to him, Mali and Cote dIvoire have a common enemy, terrorism and the same fight, to confront it. Togo is playing the role of mediator between Cote dIvoire and Mali, but initial negotiations on July 28 in Lome did not result in any progress. Mali is demanding that Cote dIvoire acknowledge its responsibility and express regrets for the deployment of soldiers on its territory without a legal framework, without notification or prior consultation with the Malian authorities, according to diplomatic sources close to the negotiations. Bamako also asked Abidjan to hand over Malian personalities present in Cote dIvoire and wanted by the Malian justice system, according to these sources. All these conditions were rejected by the Ivorian government. The arrests came in a context of growing friction between the military in power in Bamako and their international partners. Seven major opposition political parties in South Africa agreed on Thursday to demand answers from President Cyril Ramaphosa over the criminal charges brought against him in connection with the Farmgate scandal. In early June, former State Security Agency boss Arthur Fraser filed a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa, accusing him of breaching the Prevention of Organized Crime Act by concealing a burglary, which occurred in February 2020 on his private farm, where millions of dollars in cash were allegedly stolen. Fraser explained that the suspects were kidnapped, interrogated and paid to keep quiet. In a joint statement, the seven political parties stressed that Parliament must hold President Cyril Ramaphosa responsible for the violation of the laws, with regard to what happened in the Phala Phala farm. They also said they planned to meet again on August 10 to consider the creation of a committee under Article 89 of the constitution to submit a motion of no confidence in the President. The South African Presidency had confirmed Mr Frasers accusations but denied any criminal complicity, arguing that the head of state was absent to attend the African Union summit in Addis Ababa in February 2020 when the theft took place on his farm. The Rwandan army has intervened in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in recent months, both directly and in support of armed groups, according to a report by UN experts. The Rwandan army has launched military interventions against Congolese armed groups and positions of the Congolese Armed Forces since November 2021, according to the report, which was transmitted to the Security Council. The experts say that Kigali has also provided troop reinforcements to the M23 for specific operations, particularly when these were aimed at seizing strategic towns and areas. The 23 March Movement (M23) is a former Tutsi-dominated rebellion defeated in 2013, which took up arms again at the end of last year to demand the implementation of an agreement signed with Kinshasa. Since the end of March, the frequency and intensity of fighting has increased dramatically and the M23 has taken over parts of Rutshuru territory, up to ten kilometers north of Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu. The report of the Group of Experts undermines the denials of the Rwandan authorities and details, with evidence, the direct involvement of Rwanda unilaterally or jointly with M23 fighters in the east of the DRC. On June 13, the strategic town of Bunagana (50 km north of Goma), a commercial crossroads on the Ugandan border, was taken by the M23 after clashes. Drone footage provided by MONUSCO, amateur videos and photos and eyewitness accounts establish the presence of Rwandan armed forces and/or the transfer of their equipment to the M23 in and around the town of Bunagana on the eve and day of the attack. The Group adds that eyewitnesses and researchers have reported a passive complacency, at a minimum, of the Ugandan army at the border, which allowed M23 fighters to cross the border to attack the town. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has granted $9.5 million to Somalia to provide immediate assistance to people in areas most at risk of famine. This new grant will help scale up the vital response to the needs of the most affected communities in the Bay and Bakool regions of Somalias southwestern state, said UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Adam Abdelmoula, noting that the risk of famine and the number of displaced people have increased alarmingly. Somalia is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, yet funding to meet the rapidly growing needs remains far from sufficient to avert the worst consequences, he said in a statement. It is a race against time to reach the most vulnerable and avoid loss of life and livelihoods. According to the UN, the risk of famine in Somalia has intensified after a fourth consecutive poor rainy season, leaving the country at risk of catastrophic famine. About 45 percent of the population is considered acutely food insecure, while another 213,000 are at risk of catastrophic food insecurity. With a new approach, the scar tissue that usually develops around medical implants has a more aligned architecture that allows drugs to pass through more easily. Credit: William Whyte et al Implantable devices that release insulin into the body hold promise as an alternative way to treat diabetes without insulin injections or cannula insertions. However, one obstacle that has prevented their use so far is that the immune system attacks them after implantation, forming a thick layer of scar tissue that blocks insulin release. This phenomenon, known as the foreign body response, can also interfere with many other types of implantable medical devices. However, a team of MIT engineers and collaborators has now devised a way to overcome this response. In a study of mice, they showed that when they incorporated mechanical actuation into a soft robotic device, the device remained functional for much longer than a typical drug-delivery implant. The device is repeatedly inflated and deflated for five minutes every 12 hours, and this mechanical deflection prevents immune cells from accumulating around the device, the researchers found. "We're using this type of motion to extend the lifetime and the efficacy of these implanted reservoirs that can deliver drugs like insulin, and we think this platform can be extended beyond this application," says Ellen Roche, the Latham Family Career Development Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and a member of MIT's Institute for Medical Engineering and Science. Among other possible applications, the researchers now plan to see if they can use the device to deliver pancreatic islet cells that could act as an "bioartificial pancreas" to help treat diabetes. Roche is the co-senior author of the study, with Eimear Dolan, a former postdoc in her lab who is now a faculty member at the National University of Ireland at Galway. Garry Duffy, also a professor at NUI Galway, is a key collaborator on the work, which appears in Nature Communications. MIT postdocs William Whyte and Debkalpa Goswami, and visiting scholar Sophie Wang, are the lead authors of the paper. Modulating immune cells Most patients with type 1 diabetes, and some with type 2 diabetes, have to inject themselves with insulin on a daily basis. Some patients use wearable insulin pumps that are attached to the skin and deliver insulin through a tube inserted under the skin, or patches that can deliver insulin without a tube. For many years, scientists have been working on insulin-delivering devices that could be implanted under the skin. However, the fibrous capsules that form around such devices can lead to device failure within weeks or months. Researchers have tried many approaches to prevent this kind of scar tissue from forming, including local delivery of immunosuppressants. The MIT team took a different approach that does not require any drugsinstead, their implant includes a mechanically actuated soft robotic device that can be inflated and deflated. In a 2019 study, Roche and her colleagues (with Dolan as first author) showed that this kind of oscillation can modulate how nearby immune cells respond to an implanted device. In the new study, the researchers wanted to see if that immunomodulatory effect could help improve drug delivery. They built a two-chambered device made of polyurethane, a plastic that has similar elasticity to the extracellular matrix that surrounds tissues. One of the chambers acts as a drug reservoir, and the other acts as a soft, inflatable actuator. Using an external controller, the researchers can stimulate the actuator to inflate and deflate on a specific schedule. For this study, they performed the actuation every 12 hours, for five minutes at a time. The drug-delivery system includes an actuator that repeatedly inflates and deflates the device for five minutes every 12 hours. This mechanical deflection prevents immune cells from accumulating around the device. Credit: William Whyte et al This mechanical actuation drives away immune cells called neutrophils, the cells that initiate the process that leads to scar tissue formation. When the researchers implanted these devices in mice, they found that it took much longer for scar tissue to develop around the devices. Scar tissue did eventually form, but its structure was unusual: Instead of the tangled collagen fibers that built up around static devices, collagen fibers surrounding actuated devices were more highly aligned, which the researchers believe may help drug molecules to pass through the tissue. "In the short term, we see that there are fewer neutrophils surrounding the device in the tissue, and then long term, we see that there are differences in collagen architecture, which may be related to why we have better drug delivery throughout the eight-week time period," Wang says. Sustained drug delivery To demonstrate the potential usefulness of this device, the researchers showed that it could be used to deliver insulin in mice. The device is designed so that insulin can slowly seep out through pores in the drug reservoir or be released in a large burst controlled by the actuator. The researchers evaluated the effectiveness of the insulin release by measuring subsequent changes in the mice's blood glucose levels. They found that in mice with the actuated device, effective insulin delivery was maintained throughout the eight weeks of the study. However, in mice that did not receive actuation, delivery efficiency began to wane after only two weeks, and after eight weeks, almost no insulin was able to pass through the fibrous capsule. The authors also created a human-sized version of the device, 120 millimeters by 80 millimeters, and showed that it could be successfully implanted in the abdomen of a human cadaver. "This was a proof of concept to show that there is a minimally invasive surgical technique that could potentially be employed for a larger-scale, human-scale device," Goswami says. Working with Jeffrey Millman of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the researchers now plan to adapt the device so that it could be used to deliver stem-cell-derived pancreatic cells that would sense glucose levels and secrete insulin when glucose is too high. Such an implant could eliminate the need for patients to constantly measure their glucose levels and inject insulin. "The idea would be that the cells would be resident in the reservoir, and they would act as an insulin factory," Roche says. "They would detect the levels of glucose in blood and then release insulin according to what was necessary." Other possible applications the researchers have explored for this kind of device include delivery of immunotherapy to treat ovarian cancer, and delivering drugs to the heart to prevent heart failure in patients who have had heart attacks. "You can imagine that we can apply this technology to anything that is hindered by a foreign body response or fibrous capsule, and have a long-term effect," Roche says. "I think any sort of implantable drug delivery device could benefit." Explore further Tiny implant cures diabetes in mice without triggering immune response More information: William Whyte et al, Dynamic actuation enhances transport and extends therapeutic lifespan in an implantable drug delivery platform, Nature Communications (2022). Journal information: Nature Communications William Whyte et al, Dynamic actuation enhances transport and extends therapeutic lifespan in an implantable drug delivery platform,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32147-w The interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with olfactory cilia for entering the central nervous system (CNS). A) Different layers of cells in the nasal cavity that contain receptors for the very first viral entry into the human host. Some of the olfactory cells express ACE2 receptors that endocytose bound viral particles, before their way to the olfactory bulb in the brain. B) Schematic of the cellular barrier between cerebrospinal fluid and circulating blood in the choroid plexus region. Both endothelial and basement epithelial cells express the ACE2 receptors facilitating the internalization of virions in the brain fluid system. Credit: Ageing Research Reviews (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101687 A new study by Houston Methodist researchers reviews the emerging insights and evidence that suggest COVID-19 infections may have both short- and long-term neurological effects. Major findings include that COVID-19 infections may predispose individuals to developing irreversible neurological conditions, may increase the likelihood of strokes and may increase the chance of developing persistent brain lesions that can lead to brain bleeding. Led by corresponding authors Joy Mitra, Ph.D., Instructor, and Muralidhar L. Hegde, Ph.D., Professor of Neurosurgery, with the Division of DNA Repair within the Center for Neuroregeneration at the Houston Methodist Research Institute, the research team described their findings in an article titled "SARS-CoV-2 and the Central Nervous System: Emerging Insights into Hemorrhage-Associated Neurological Consequences and Therapeutic Considerations" in the journal Ageing Research Reviews. Still a major burden on our daily lives, a great deal of research has shown that the impacts of the disease go far beyond the actual time of infection. Since the onset of the pandemic, COVID-19 has surpassed a death toll of more than 5.49 million worldwide and more than 307 million confirmed positive cases, with the U.S. accounting for almost 90 million of those cases, according to the Our World in Data website. COVID-19 is known to invade and infect the brain, among other major organs. While a lot of research has been done to help us understand the evolution, infection and pathology of the disease, there is still a great deal that remains unclear about the long-term effects, especially on the brain. The coronavirus infection can cause long-term and irreversible neurodegenerative diseases, particularly in the elderly and other vulnerable populations. Several brain imaging studies on COVID-19 victims and survivors have confirmed the formation of microbleed lesions in deeper brain regions related to our cognitive and memory functions. In this review study, researchers have critically evaluated the possible chronic neuropathological outcomes in aging and comorbid populations if timely therapeutic intervention is not implemented. Microbleeds are emerging neuropathological signatures frequently identified in people suffering from chronic stress, depressive disorders, diabetes and age-associated comorbidities. Based on their earlier findings, the investigators discuss how COVID-19-induced microhemorrhagic lesions may exacerbate DNA damage in affected brain cells, resulting in neuronal senescence and activation of cell death mechanisms, which ultimately impact brain microstructure-vasculature. These pathological phenomena resemble hallmarks of neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and are likely to aggravate advanced-stage dementia, as well as cognitive and motor deficits. The effects of COVID-19 infection on various aspects of the central nervous system are currently being studied. For instance, 20-30% of COVID-19 patients report a lingering psychological condition known as "brain fog" where individuals suffer from symptoms such as memory loss, difficulty in concentrating, forgetting daily activities, difficulty in selecting the right words, taking longer than usual time to complete a regular task, disoriented thought processes and emotional numbness. More severe long-term effects analyzed in the Houston Methodist review article include predispositions for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and related neurodegenerative diseases, as well as cardiovascular disorders due to internal bleeding and blood clotting-induced lesions in the part of the brain that regulates our respiratory system, following the COVID-19 symptoms. Additionally, cellular aging is thought to be accelerated in COVID-19 patients. A plethora of cellular stresses inhibit the virus-infected cells from undergoing their normal biological functions and let them enter into "hibernation mode" or even die completely. The study also suggests various strategies to improve some of these long-term neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative outcomes, as well as outlines the importance of the therapeutic regimen of the "nanozyme" in combination with various FDA-approved drugs that may prove successful to fight against this catastrophic disease. However, given the ever-evolving nature of this field, associations like the ones described in this review show the fight against COVID-19 is far from over, say the investigators, and reinforce the message that getting vaccinated and maintaining proper hygiene are key in trying to prevent such long-term and detrimental consequences. More information: Joy Mitra et al, SARS-CoV-2 and the central nervous system: Emerging insights into hemorrhage-associated neurological consequences and therapeutic considerations, Ageing Research Reviews (2022). Joy Mitra et al, SARS-CoV-2 and the central nervous system: Emerging insights into hemorrhage-associated neurological consequences and therapeutic considerations,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101687 COVID-19 may be linked to a rise in bacterial brain infections in children, a new study suggests. When the pandemic hit, doctors at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital of Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Mich., saw a worrisome 236% rise in these infections and wondered why. Although rare, these infections can be mild, needing only antibiotics to clear, or severe, requiring surgery and time in an intensive care unit. "There's a lot of different reasons why that could be related to COVID, but it also could be unrelated to COVID," said senior author Dr. Rosemary Olivero, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at the hospital. "It could just be a brief trend." To learn if other children's hospitals were seeing the same surge in brain abscesses and other types of pus-filled buildups in the skull, Olivero's team surveyed 109 hospitals for this new study. Forty-three percent reported an increase in brain infections during the first two years of the pandemic. In a follow-up with 64 hospitals who expressed interest in providing more information, eight responded. All had seen upticks in brain infections. But why? Researchers said it's possible bacteria that live in the nose, mouth and throat might travel to the brain as the coronavirus weakens a person's immune system. "There's a really complicated interplay of the immune system and the bacteria that actually already live in those respiratory spaces," Olivero said, adding that many common bacterial infections like pneumonia and sinus infections can follow a viral infection. "So viral infection often comes first, and then the bacterial infection can result from that initial viral infection," she said. "Most of these more invasive brain infections that we see actually originate from the sinuses." But, Olivero said, it's also possible that the rise in brain infections was due to children not receiving normal care or scheduled vaccinations during the pandemic. Olivero and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are delving deeper to see if they can come up with a definitive explanation. Parents should be aware that signs of brain infections in children can include a persistent headache and changes in behavior. "Headache in children is common, but a really persistent, new and different type of headache should really alert parents and caregivers that there could be something else going on," Olivero said. "Certainly, abnormal behavior, high fevers without explanation, all of those things we need to, you know, dig a little deeper into." Of course, the best way to avoid these potential complications is not to get COVID in the first place. "It's really important to think about all of the different effects of COVID-19 of course, and we want to prevent significant COVID-19 infections in any child or adult, so if you're vaccine eligible, certainly vaccination is incredibly important," Olivero said. But, she added, other routine preventive care is also key. "Seeing your doctor for the regular checkups, making sure we're up to date on our routine childhood vaccines is super important," Olivero said. And, she said, parents should trust their instincts. "If your child's not acting normally. If there's anything that's concerning to you, your pediatrician is there to helpthis is what they do," Olivero urged. Two pediatric experts not involved with the study weighed in. Dr. Coleen Cunningham, professor and chair of pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine, said these infections might be linked to COVID-19, but this study can't prove that. "If you have a virus that disrupts your nasal mucosa, theoretically, it's possible that somehow that could be setting you up for a significant bacterial infection," she said. "But this study has not convinced me that that's the case." Even so, Cunningham emphasized that kids should be vaccinated against COVID-19. "I would not yet go out on a limb to say this is a reason to get the COVID vaccine," she said. "I think there's lots of other reasons to get the COVID vaccine. But for parents, I would say this [rise in brain infections] is not something that they should be particularly worried about." Dr. Rebecca Fisk, a pediatrician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, agreed that this study doesn't prove that COVID caused these infections. "I do not expect it to affect patient care, except to say that all pediatricians must continue to evaluate both the well child and the sick child thoroughly with a complete examination, good history obtained from the parents and obtain clinically necessary laboratory and radiologic studies based on this," Fisk said. The findings were published Aug. 5 in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Explore further Less than half of parents plan to get COVID vaccine for youngest kids More information: Daliya Khuon et al, Notes from the Field: Increase in Pediatric Intracranial Infections During the COVID-19 PandemicEight Pediatric Hospitals, United States, March 2020March 2022, MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2022). Journal information: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Daliya Khuon et al, Notes from the Field: Increase in Pediatric Intracranial Infections During the COVID-19 PandemicEight Pediatric Hospitals, United States, March 2020March 2022,(2022). DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7131a4 Copyright 2022 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A joint project by the Universities of Otago and Waikato to reclassify what is considered rural in a health context will provide more accurate data of differences in health outcomes between rural and urban areas. The study, "Defining rural in Aotearoa New Zealand: A novel geographic classification for health purposes," published in today's New Zealand Medical Journal, says rurality in the New Zealand health context has been poorly classified to datein the past two decades it has been classified in more than 30 different ways in health literatureproducing a confusing and potentially inaccurate body of evidence on rural health. University of Waikato Research Fellow Dr. Jesse Whitehead says the newly developed five-level Geographical Classification for Health (GCH) addresses longstanding concerns about the way rural health outcomes have been measured in New Zealand. "How rurality is defined matters for policy, service delivery, and for the communities that live in rural places," he says. The GCH is technically robust and uses the same building blocks and methodology as the Statistics New Zealand classifications, but the population and travel time framework used to create the different categories takes health into consideration, and importantly it was modified in response to feedback from those working in rural health, he says. University of Otago Associate Professor Garry Nixon, of the Department of General Practice and Rural health, says the population identified as rural by the GCH is "surprisingly different to the rural population identified as rural by either the old or the new Statistics New Zealand classifications. There is less overlap than we expected." There is some early evidence that the GCH rural population has different health outcomes. When applied to the national mortality collection, the GCH shows that unadjusted mortality rates in rural areas are 21% higher than in urban areasa difference that is not shown with generic classifications. "Inaccurate grouping seems to have been masking real differences in the health outcomes between rural and urban communities," he says. "Currently, analyses of rural health outcomes often consider those in the commuter zone of cities to be rural. "This means that the relatively good health outcomes of some of the wealthiest communities in the country have been masking the reality of poorer outcomes in many rural and remote areas." Associate Professor Nixon says the GCH will provide a clearer picture of the health of rural New Zealanders and could ultimately improve rural healthcare. "The data generated by our classification may challenge previous conclusions and, in doing so, drive national rural health strategy and policysomething that New Zealand has lacked up until now." The development of the GCH is the first component of a wider Health Research Council of New Zealand funded project. The second phase will extend this work by analyzing a range of health outcomes by rurality, identifying whether rural-urban differences have previously been masked by generic classifications. "The GCH will be a useful tool in our research, and the research of others, to examine urban-rural differences in a range of health outcomes and access to health services." Explore further Experts warn pandemic risks accentuating rural-urban health inequities More information: Jesse Whitehead et al, Defining rural in Aotearoa New Zealand: a novel geographic classification for health purposes, New Zealand Medical Journal (2022). Journal information: New Zealand Medical Journal Jesse Whitehead et al, Defining rural in Aotearoa New Zealand: a novel geographic classification for health purposes,(2022). journal.nzma.org.nz/journal-ar -for-health-purposes Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The cigarette is the only legal consumer product thatwhen used as intendedcauses the premature death of half of long-term users. To address this long-standing health threat, in late June 2022, the Biden-Harris administration announced a plan to move forward with a new standard for cigarettes and other combusted tobacco products that would make them minimally or nonaddictive. A similar nicotine-reduction strategy has also recently been announced by the government of New Zealand and was described as the key component of the country's new smoke-free plan. The Biden-Harris proposal was predated by an earlier plan in 2017 during Trump's presidency to reduce the permissible nicotine content in cigarettes. Mitch Zeller, the director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Tobacco Products from 2013 to April 2022, stated in 2019 that "this one rule could have the greatest impact on public health in the history of public health." So what does the proposal mean in practice? When implementedlikely not for at least another three yearsit would mean that all cigarettes and cigars sold in the United States will have to contain approximately 95% less nicotine than they currently do. As nicotine is the addictive substance in tobacco, this would mean that these tobacco products would become pretty much nonaddictive. No more young people would become addicted to cigarettes and current smokers would find it much easier to quit. As a professor of public health sciences who has been doing research on smoking cessation for over 30 years, I am impressed by any intervention that increases the quit rate among smokers with no plans to quit. In one of our recent randomized clinical trials of very low-nicotine cigarettes, my research team at Penn State, along with colleagues at Harvard, found that those assigned to use them were more than four times as likely to quit smoking as those who smoked normal nicotine cigarettes. Research suggests that the full public health benefits of a successfully implemented reduced nicotine standard for cigarettes could be enormous. A 2018 FDA study projected that by the year 2060, a reduced nicotine standard for cigarettes could reduce the smoking rate dramaticallyfrom around 13% now to below 2%, preventing 16 million people from becoming regular smokers and preventing more than 2.8 million tobacco-caused deaths. Not just a 'light' or 'low-tar' cigarette The proposed standard would not simply result in something akin to a "light" cigarette. Light cigarettes, which have been marketed for decades, contain about the same amount of nicotine as regular cigarettesabout 10 to 15 milligrams per cigarette. To comply with the new standard, a cigarette will likely be required to contain less than 0.5 milligrams of nicotine. So-called "light" or "low-tar" cigarettes have tiny holes in the filter that allow air flow into the filter to dilute the smoke. When smoked by a machine, light cigarettes deliver lower levels of tar and nicotine per puff. However, when held by a human, the holes are often blocked by the fingers, and smokers can easily puff a bit harder to inhale the same amount of nicotine and tar. Some skeptics of the proposed nicotine reductions have raised the concern that smokers might just smoke reduced-nicotine-content cigarettes more intensely, as they do with "light" cigarettes. However, dozens of research studies have shown that with very low-nicotine-content cigarettes, smokers do not increase their smoke intake. Instead, over a short period of time, smokers learn that the very low-nicotine cigarette is not very satisfying, and they gradually reduce their smoking. In randomized trials, those using very low-nicotine-content cigarettes are also more likely to quit. Along with heart disease, stroke and cancer, smoking can cause infertility, erectile dysfunction, cataracts, premature aging, hair loss and tooth loss. A role for e-cigarettes When nicotine reduction in cigarettes was initially proposed under the Trump administration, Zeller and former FDA director Scott Gottlieb recognized that one of the main challenges to the success of this plan was the possibility that the regulation might give rise to an illicit market for high-nicotine cigarettes. Zeller and Gottlieb understood that one critical way to keep that from happening is to allow nonsmoked nicotine productslike electronic cigarettesto remain on the market. E-cigarettes deliver a satisfying amount of nicotine for smokers while exposing the user to significantly lower amounts of toxic substances than regular cigarettes. As a result, e-cigarettes are likely to be significantly less harmful. New research by our team, along with colleagues at Virginia Commonwealth University, recently found that when smokers with no plans to quit use electronic cigarettes with cigarettelike nicotine delivery, a greater proportion completely quit smoking than those using zero-nicotine e-cigarettes or no e-cigarette. The controversy over e-cigarettes The potential for e-cigarettes to help replace smoking explains why it came as a surprise to many whentwo days after the Biden-Harris announcement in June to drastically reduce the permissible nicotine content in cigarettesthe FDA then announced that it was effectively banning all sales of Juul, the enormously popular e-cigarette that has been the biggest selling e-cigarette brand over the past five years. When Juul appealed the decision, the FDA suspended the denial order until an additional review is completed, which is expected to take months. And Juul is not the only e-cigarette to be threatened with a ban. Of the millions of e-cigarette applications submitted to the FDA by the deadline in September 2020, more than 99% have been denied. The reason the FDA's e-cigarette ban is so puzzling and counterintuitive in the context of the FDA's nicotine-reduction efforts in cigarettes is that the availability of e-cigarettes is critical to the feasibility of that plan. Many researchers, including me, believe that having a variety of legal, regulated high-nicotine e-cigarettes on the market is a critical element in reducing consumer demand for illegal high-nicotine smoked products. Health authorities in other parts of the world, including the United Kingdom and New Zealand, have recognized the important role that e-cigarettes can play in reducing cigarette smoking. New Zealand's nicotine-reduction plan explicitly includes providing access to alternative nicotine products like e-cigarettes. Research shows that e-cigarettes are much less harmful than cigarettes, and they are proved to help smokers transition from highly toxic cigarettes. It is therefore highly likely to be appropriate for the protection of public health to keep a variety of e-cigarette brands on the market until after the nicotine reduction plan for cigarettes has been successfully implemented. As we pass World Lung Cancer Day, quietly as usual, I believe we now have a plan that could do more than anything else to reduce the number of deaths each year from that horrible disease. It is a plan that has been proposed by Republican and Democratic administrations alike and is supported by the best available science. In my view, implementation of a reduced-nicotine standard for combustible tobacco represents the possibility of finally bringing an end to cigarette addiction within our lifetimes. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain With U.S. monkeypox cases going from zero to more than 6,000 in less than three months, Northeastern University professors concerned about the pace of transmission are calling for better tests and more vaccine doses to stop the viral outbreak in its tracks. "It's very striking to see this pox" in the U.S., especially with cases declining in parts of the world where monkeypox has a historical presence, says Mansoor Amiji, who chairs the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Northeastern University. Amiji calls the rise in cases in the U.S. and Europe "fairly rapid and steep." So far the U.S. government has secured 1.1 million doses of vaccine for monkeypox, according to Politico. "That is still not enough. We have a lot of work to do," says Neil Maniar, director of Northeastern University's Master of Public Health Program. Since May of this year, monkeypox cases have appeared more than 25,000 times in countries where the disease is not endemic, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency of concern July 23. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that as of Aug. 3, there have been 26,208 cases of monkeypox worldwide, only 344 of which were in seven countries in Africa historically reporting monkeypox. The majority of the other cases have been clustered in Europe and the United Stateswhich had 6,617 cases as of Aug. 3with hundreds of cases also being reported in South America and Canada. "It's a little more concerning than it was a few weeks ago," says Jared Auclair, Northeastern University's associate dean of professional programs and graduate affairs, whose Burlington laboratory is partnering with a Boston biotech company to explore population surveillance of monkeypox. "We should be more aggressive with testing and other interventions," especially for populations at higher risk of developing the monkeypox virus, also known as MPV, Auclair says. The CDC says that many but not all cases of monkeypox are occurring among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, underscoring the need to reach out to those populations with education, testing and vaccination programs. The federal health agency says monkeypox is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids, scabs or rashes on the body of someone who has the virus or direct contact with materials such as linens or clothing that have touched the bodily fluids or rash of an infected person. "It can also be spread by respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling or sex. In addition, pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta," the CDC says. The rise in cases in New York, California and Illinoiswhich have 1,666, 826 and 547 cases as of Aug. 3prompted officials in those states to declare states of emergency in late July and early August to bolster vaccination and other efforts to stem the viral outbreak. In Massachusetts, which had 134 monkeypox cases as of Aug. 2, a good portion of the vaccine doses supplied to the state by the CDC July 5 went to Outer Cape Health Services, a healthcare organization that serves people in the area of Provincetown, a municipality with a large gay year-round and summer population. "I don't know a townie who isn't vaccinated. We had access to it early," says Massachusetts state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro. "We have been fortunate we've been able to vaccinate a number of our residents and seasonal workers," he says. One of the historic epicenters of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and last summer's Delta COVID-19 outbreak, Provincetown is "a place that knows how to pull together public healthcare and political resources to get information out to the community on critical issues" such as monkeypox, Cyr says. But there's not enough vaccine available on a state or national level, Cyr says. "The demand for the vaccine is huge." The fact that monkeypox is transmitted mainly by bodily fluids means it is less of a contagion threat to the general population than the novel coronavirus, Amiji says. "We don't have airborne transmission in this case. It's contact transmission." Monkeypox is also a recognized virus with established testing and treatment protocols in place, he says. "It's a little bit of a mixed blessing, where we are with monkeypox." "It's not like COVID where we had to develop a new test," Maniar says. But there are limits to the monkeypox testing that is available, he says. "Right now we can only test when someone has active lesions. We're only able to test when someone has developed the symptoms of monkeypox," Maniar says, calling the issue "a key roadblock for us in getting this outbreak under control." Auclair says his lab and other organizations are trying to come up with sample mediums that could aid in detecting monkeypox earlier, either through nasal swabs or saliva, for example, or, on a broader population approach, through wastewater. The earlier people can be isolated and treated, the better, Auclair says, adding that he doesn't see a need for the pop-up testing sites that took place during the COVID pandemic. Unlike COVID, a single-stranded RNA virus, monkeypox is a stable, double-stranded DNA virus, which makes it much less likely to mutate, Auclair says. "We're not going to have different variants of monkeypox floating around any time soon." There are two vaccines available for monkeypox, with the two-shot JYNNEOS, which is manufactured in Denmark, being preferred by U.S. health officials over ACAM2000, which can cause side effects in people with weakened immune systems, according to Medpage Today. The CDC recommends the vaccine for those who have been exposed to monkeypox or those who are likely to get the virus. The federal health agency recommends the vaccine be given within four days of exposure but says the severity of the disease can be reduced if the vaccine is administered up to 14 days of exposure to monkeypox. There have been few deaths associated with the current monkeypox outbreak, but some sufferers are hospitalized due to severe pain from the pustules. "These blisters go deep into the skin," penetrating into the dermal area where nerve endings are located, Amiji says. Other symptoms of monkeypox include fever, swollen lymph nodes and muscle aches and chills. Some people think the isolation that people experience during the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to the unexpectedly robust spread of monkeypox, Maniar says. "We're in this day and age right now where our immune systems are not trained as much to fight off things as they were prior to the pandemic," he says. It's important for public health officials to get the word out about monkeypox, in different languages and literacy levels, so people know symptoms, risk factors and what precautions they can take, Maniar says. Pre-existing health disparities put some communities at greater risk, he says. "We really have to close those gaps as quickly and sustainably as possible." "We know that there are going to be infectious disease outbreaks. It's the nature of this world," Maniar says. "What's different here is that we understand monkeypox," he says. "We should be able to respond to this much more rapidly, much more broadly and much more effectively." Explore further Spain reports 2nd death from monkeypox Credit: CC0 Public Domain Beginning in early March 2020, military forces in the State of New York, comprising the Army National Guard, Air National Guard, Naval Militia, and State Guard, with contributions from the Army Corps of Engineers, mobilized to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The ongoing New York State Operation COVID-19 (OPCOV19) has become the largest domestic mobilization in U.S historyby length of mission, volume of deployed soldiers, and diversity of missions. Kai Ruggeri, Ph.D., assistant professor of health policy and management at Columbia University School of Public Health, a former specialist in the New York Guard, and current officer candidate in the US Air Force (New York Air National Guard), is lead author of an article in JAMA Health Forum that details the COVID-related contributions of these military forces and offers lessons learned for the future. As part of OPCOV19, over 7,000 service members have served across 200 COVID mission sites, administering over 4 million vaccines, producing over 35 million testing kits, delivering over 54 million meals, and administering over 1.5 million tests. At the April 2020 mobilization peak, 3,646 service members were actively serving the State on a single day. The rapid vaccine rollout in early 2021at its peak 2,790 service members severed at the Javits Center vaccination center in New York City aloneand testing support helped prevent tens of thousands of deaths and allowed hospitals to focus on all levels of treatment and care such as cancer treatment and outpatient surgery. On March 7, 2020 then-Gov Andrew Cuomo signed Executive Order 202 declaring a state of emergency for the State of New York. This action made available 270 service members from the New York Army National Guard and Air National Guard, who deployed two days later to New Rochelle in Westchester County, the location of the first outbreak in the state, where they provided community services, primarily in the form of meal preparation and distribution. In the following months, OPCOV19, under civilian direction of New York State and coordinated by New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, provided critical serves, delivering relief, testing, care, vaccination, and other community support. Activities included PPE distribution, food delivery, recovery of the deceased, cleaning and decontamination, and the establishment and operations of drive-through testing sites, mobile testing sites, and airport health screenings. At nursing homes, New York Military Forces (NYMF) provided staffing, and medical support, ranging from direct testing to full-time labor backfill. Service members also served as data scientists, working alongside public health officers to capitalize on the large amounts of data generated to combat the pandemic. Data modeling of pandemic trends enabled missions to mobilize at high speed, making NYMF sites operational before trends were publicly reported. These actions were directly responsible for the early availability of mass testing and vaccination that played a critical role in saving lives. During this time, NYMF service members continued to serve in other roles, including 1,300 soldiers deployed to Washington, D.C., due to the violence at the U.S. Capital and protests in the summer of 2020 and fall of 2021. They also were mobilized during natural disasters, combat deployments, and other long-term missions, including Joint Task Force Empire Shield, which is partly responsible for the military defense of New York City. Ruggeri and his co-authors offer lessons learned from the NYMF responses to the pandemic. Among these are a need for greater coordination between healthcare institutions and the NYMF, and improved recruitment of healthcare professionals in the National Guard. Nevertheless, the NYMF COVID-19 response showed that full-time soldiers and reservists who bring civilian skills have a major role to play from patient-facing medical support to coordinating drive-in testing sites to backroom data analytics. "Every service member can become a public health professional if the situation demands it," says Ruggeri. "Thousands of service members have played a critical role in protecting the health of New Yorkers statewide." The article is co-authored by members of the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, New York Army National Guard, and New York Air National Guard. A full list of authors is available in the journal article. More information: Role of Military Forces in the New York State Response to COVID-19, JAMA Health Forum (2022). Journal information: JAMA Health Forum Role of Military Forces in the New York State Response to COVID-19,(2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2022.2136 SEVERAL SENATORS are eager to hear about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s economic agenda for the next six years in his first State-of-t... THURSDAY, Aug. 4, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- As the worst flu season in five years winds down in Australia, U.S. health officials are bracing for similar severity this coming fall. Australia's flu season had a big impact on children. Children ages 5 to 9 years had the highest flu rates, while those aged 4 years and younger and teenagers were also hit hard. "There are a lot of young kids who have not had flu at all over the past couple of years," James Cutrell, M.D., an infectious disease expert at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, told NBC News. "That's going to make them more susceptible to get it and then to spread it to other people." Not only were the young the most vulnerable, but also Australia's flu season kicked off early. "The earlier it starts, the worse it tends to be," Robert Citronberg, M.D., executive medical director of infectious disease and prevention for Advocate Aurora Health in Illinois, told NBC News. Though public health officials have warned since 2020 about the challenges of a bad flu season paired with the COVID-19 pandemic, that has not happened yet. Cutrell said it is not time to panic, but "it is time for people to prepare." That includes flu shots, which in the United States will protect against four strains of flu, two each from influenza A and B. Immunity has waned these past two years with little flu circulating, NBC News reported. Those vaccines should arrive at U.S. pharmacies and doctors' offices soon. Fry said the CDC recommends getting the shots in September or October. The Montana State Crime Lab determined a woman who went missing last summer died from drowning, according to the Mineral County Sheriff. Rebekah Barsotti vanished last July near Alberton and the Clark Fork River. This May, a body was pulled from the water at River Bend Road near Superior, and a few weeks later it was positively identified as Barsotti. Barsotti was last seen on July 20 at about 2:15 p.m. at a Town Pump in Superior. Her car and some personal items were found at a rest area near Alberton on Interstate 90. The cause of death still is under investigation, meaning officials havent determined why or how she drowned, Mineral County Sheriff Mike Toth explained. After the news of the identification, Barsottis loved ones posted on social media about how she was always happy and determined. Rebekah deserved so much more from this life, the post stated. In September, law enforcement said all leads had been exhausted in relation to her disappearance, but she remained an active missing-persons case. The Mineral County Sheriffs Office and the Missoula County Search and Rescue joined the Missoula sheriff in the investigation. Over 2,000 hours were dedicated to the search. At the time she went missing, Barsotti was with her dog, Cerberus. He was found dead a few days after his owner disappeared, about 10 miles downriver from where Barsotti was reported to have gone missing. Barsottis parents, including her mother, Angela Mastrovito, have been living in Missoula since Barsotti disappeared. For Mastrovito, her daughters case has transitioned into an effort to raise domestic violence awareness, citing allegations that Barsottis former spouse was abusive, although authorities have not connected Barsottis case to domestic violence. Two brothers from East Helena accused of participating in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach in Washington, D.C., have reached a deal with federal prosecutors in which they are expected to plead guilty to obstruction, attorneys said Thursday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Allen told U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly during a Zoom status conference that Jerod and Joshua Hughes, who had nine counts filed against them, have agreed to plead guilty to the single charge. The remaining counts will be dismissed, Joshua Hughes' attorney said. Kelly set an Aug. 24 date for the change of plea hearing. He said he would permit the plea hearing to be held online, but said he would want the brothers to appear before him in Washington, D.C., for the sentencing. He asked Allen if the brothers should be heard separately and that is when Allen said they would both plead guilty to the same obstruction count. The news comes 575 days after a mob of supporters for then-President Donald Trump broke into the Capitol to contest the Electoral College vote being certified that would name Democrat Joe Biden as president. The Hughes brothers were part of a group who broke open windows and doors to get into the Capitol, according to federal court documents. The brothers, who drove to Washington, D.C., from Montana, turned themselves into authorities after they returned to Montana and initially were incarcerated in early 2021. They pleaded not guilty and were released from custody pending trial, on their own recognizance. Jerod and Joshua Hughes were charged with nine counts that include civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting; destruction of government property and aiding and abetting; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; entering and remaining on the floor of Congress; entering and remaining in certain rooms in the Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. The U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia has said the Hughes brothers placed themselves at the tip of the spear that day, actively engaged in the destruction of government property, harassed and interfered with Capitol police and obstructed a joint session of Congress. The brothers followed a man who pursued Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman up the stairs and later found their way to the Senate floor, prosecutors said. Helena attorney Palmer Hoovestal, who is representing Joshua Hughes, told Lee Newspapers on Thursday the obstruction charge could bring his client 41-51 months of incarceration. Well obviously dispute that, he said, adding he was not happy with the guideline range and will ask the judge to reduce it. Hoovestal said he was sure his client felt remorse for participating Jan. 6, and added The scope of his participation was to follow the crowd. He didnt touch anything or break anything, he added. He made a poor decision when he went in and unfortunately was one of the first people who entered. Hoovestal said his client, who had a motorcycle helmet strapped to his backpack to put on in case left-wing activists became hostile, was extremely different than the other rioters. He was merely present and did not participate in any destructive conduct, he said. Jonathan Zucker, the attorney representing Jerod Hughes, did not return a call seeking comment. This story has been updated to say Jerod Hughes attorney did not return a call. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality will allow cities to review certain water and sewer expansions in an effort to expedite permitting. Gov. Greg Gianforte and DEQ director Chris Dorrington announced the change this week, describing it as an effort to cut red tape and streamline review processes amid record subdivision applications. Dorrington was recently appointed to the governors new affordable housing task force, charged with making recommendations on executive action and legislation to address the states affordable housing crisis. Under the change, cities may complete a contract allowing city engineers to complete certain public water supply plan approvals. The contracts delegate the states authority to cover review of waste water and sewer system extensions of 50 or fewer connections. The contract will cut duplicate review of the projects, said DEQ spokesperson Rebecca Harbage. The current system requires contractors to submit water and sewer plans to cities for review. Cities must then submit plans to DEQ for review and approval, she said. This contract will allow city engineers, who are already reviewing and approving public water plans, to give final approval on these plans, Harbage said. The contract requires city engineers to review a few additional items that DEQ currently looks for, and this allows us to eliminate the final step in which DEQ engineers re-review everything. Cities will retain the DEQ fee as compensation and have the option to decline to review an application and pass it on to the state, she said. Harbage added that it is unclear what the change in workload may look like until cities sign up or how many reviews will continue to go to the state. A template contract for the program was developed with the Montana League of Cities and Towns for cities to sign up. Deputy Director Thomas Jodoin said under state law, DEQ has the authority to delegate reviews back to the city which would speed up the review process for developers. Most, if not all, of Montanas largest seven cities planned to pursue the contract, he believed. Rural volunteer fire departments responded to a first alarm wildland fire near a subdivision off U.S. Highway 12 east of Helena Thursday afternoon, which prompted the evacuation of some homes. The blaze, known as the Matt Staff Road fire, was 1,900 acres in size as of 8:30 p.m., according to a posting on the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office Facebook page. It was threatening structures in the area of Spokane Creek and Matt Staff roads. The cause of the fire was under investigation, said John Huston, program manager of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Forestry Division. There were no structures lost or no injuries reported as of 8 p.m., he said. The sheriff's office posted at 9:30 p.m. that the "Fire is laying down for the night. Fire personnel are still on scene and active." They thanked the public for their patience and thanked all the responders from other agencies and neighboring counties. According to dispatch, multiple starts flared up in a wheat field east of Spokane Creek Road and north of Matt Staff Road on Thursday afternoon. The fire originally burned grassland, then crested the ridge and began to burn brush, Huston said. He said a U.S. Forest Service Type III fire team would be taking command of the fire early Friday. The fire is burning on land under the protection of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The DNRC, the U.S. Forest Service and Lewis and Clark and Broadwater counties had a coordinated effort to fight the fire until then. The fire was burning to the north east, but once it crossed the ridge it moved a little to the south, Huston said. The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest said Wednesday that the forest was now in very high fire danger status due to ongoing hot and dry conditions. Lewis and Clark County Sheriff and Fire Warden Leo Dutton said Thursday at 4 p.m. that Spokane Creek and Matt Staff roads were closed to traffic. It was announced at 6 p.m. that Spokane Creek Road was reopened. Dutton said homes along Matt Staff Road that are threatened have been evacuated, and that all agencies are trying to coordinate an evacuation plan "for where it's heading." Dutton said deputies are also evacuating West Shore Drive. It was also reported that residents on Loon Road and Candlelight Road were evacuated as well. "It looks like it's going to burn into Broadwater County," Dutton said. He said 24 homes were evacuated and authorities had stopped at many more homes, but there was no one there. "There were some very close calls for residents," Dutton said. One nearby resident posted on Facebook that she was worried. "I live on West Shore, getting very nervous," Joni DeBoer wrote. Officials posted at 7 p.m. that south of West Shore Drive and Lewis and Clark Day Use area were closed. Residents have been evacuated and no one is allowed in. Tri-Lakes Volunteer Fire Department was initially paged, and responding firefighters called for mutual aid at 2:51 p.m. A Tri-Lakes Fire volunteer evacuated three children out of one house. DNRC sent two engines. DNRC also launched air support by 3:15 p.m., including three helicopters and two airplanes. U.S. Forest Service and numerous volunteer rural fire departments also responded. The Broadwater County Sheriff's Office advised social media followers Thursday afternoon to avoid the area as "there is a large number of first responders in the area of Spokane Creek subdivision for a fast moving fire." Huston said earlier the fire was burning near the Broadwater County line. He said crews on the ground are working to flank the fire, digging lines and doing structure triage for structures in its path. An evacuee respite center was set up by the Montana Red Cross and will be open at 6 p.m. at the First Assembly of God Church, First Kids Building, at 2210 Dodge Ave., Helena. Tri-Lakes Volunteer Fire Department has requested people in the area call 406-431-3600 to report any new fire sightings throughout the night. The phone number for the public information hotline is 406-447-8305 Staff Writer Phil Drake contributed to this story. He can be reached at philip.drake@helenair.com or 406-231-9021. In 1963, then-Senator Mike Mansfield explained, We are here to do the publics business. On the trail I have heard over and over that voters dont know who to trust. We should be able to trust that Congress will act in the public interest. Money in politics erodes that trust. Here are three needed solutions to end corruption. First, money in politics allows members of Congress to enjoy a direct financial benefit from the laws that are before them. In February 2020, Senator Richard Burr received classified information about COVID-19, and sold on one day $1.7 million in stock holdings in companies such as hotels that would be impacted by the forecasted economic pain. Recently, Paul Pelosi, the husband of the Speaker Nancy Pelosi, bought millions of dollars of stock in the computer-chip company Nvidia right before a bill was introduced to increase semiconductor manufacturing. These are not isolated examples. In 2021, dozens of lawmakers and 182 staffers made millions by trading stocks they were regulating. If Congressional members have a financial stake in the outcome of a law, we have no guarantee that they will advance the public good if enacting the legislation causes them to take a personal financial loss, or harm the public in order to feather their own nests. In Congress, I will support the Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act, a bill that requires all Congress members, their spouses, and their children to divest themselves of individual stocks or place them in a blind trust. And I wont wait until the right law passes to do the right thing. If elected, I will create a blind trust for assets my husband and I own. I will not engage in direct trading of individual stocks. No one on my staff will be permitted to work on issues in which they have a personal financial interest. I call on Ryan Zinke and John Lamb to pledge to do the same. Second, the revolving door of members of Congress and administration officials leaving office and taking lavishly paid lobbying or consulting jobs with the very industries they were once expected to oversee must stop. When Zinke resigned from the Interior Department in disgrace, he immediately began making money from oil companies that operate on our public lands. And he made a lot of money. From 2015 when he entered Congress, his wealth increased 13-fold to $35 million. Was it really possible for Zinke to serve the public interest, rather than oil company interests, when he knew those lucrative arrangements lay ahead? Congress must pass an ethics law barring former members from working in the field they regulated for five years after their term ends. I will champion this bill, and hold myself up to this standard. Third, corporate and out-of-state interests pour millions into campaigns. Im honored to represent those who live in our new district. But, now, a seat in Congress can be purchased by the highest bidder. Since the primary, 70% of my campaign donations are from people living and working in Montana. For Zinke, only 6% of his campaign donations were from Montanans. Zinke has proven himself to be a shill for those who are buying him. You know that I will work for you. This race presents a clear choice. Montanans can choose someone who does the bidding of his out-of-state donors and corporate clients, or a Montanan whose paycheck comes signed by the voters of Montana. I have an undivided loyalty to serve Montana. In Congress I will do the publics business, and fight to end corruption. 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. David L. Cohen, U.S. Ambassador to Canada, expressed optimism for Columbia River Treaty (CRT) negotiations at the PNWER Summit held in Calgary, Alberta, last week. Pacific North West Economic Region (PNWER) is an organization of legislators from 10 northwest states, provinces and territories. Cohen said that U.S. Dept of State officials have been working hard on technical issues in the background, and he expects positive progress to surface soon. Few details were offered as he sat beside Canadas Ambassador Kirsten Hillman. With Scotty Greenwood moderating, they discussed issues from COVID-19 to worker shortages and supply chain disruptions. Greenwood is executive director of Canadian American Business Council and a former U.S. diplomat. Montana legislators have requested removal of CRT Article 13 and compensation for loss of taxes and economic base. Although Ambassador Cohen made no promises, he later told me he is aware of Montanas concerns about CRT Article 13 which grants Canada the right to divert 26 percent of the average annual Kootenai River flow into the Columbia River at Canal Flats, British Columbia, a hundred miles north of the border. The Kootenai eventually joins the Columbia at Castlegar, British Columbia. Libby Dam was created under CRT Article 12. CRT was ratified in 1964, and water management by Canada changes drastically in 2024, unless a modernization is negotiated. In 2013, the two nations agreed to consider modernization of flood control through water release management, redistribution of benefits, and impacts on aquatic life. The Summit Agenda was jampacked with hot relevant topics and experts with 550 legislators, business leaders and policy experts attending in person. My part included presentations on Forest Management and Production and Aquatic Invasive Species. Other Montanans presenting in person included NorthWest Energy CEO Bob Rowe, Dept. of Ag Chief Attorney Cort Jensen, and FWPs Liz Lodman representing the Montana Invasive Species Council. Several others took part online from July 22-27. Cross border travel and trade were part of most panel discussions, including COVID-19 vaccination requirement for entry to Canada. Alberta MLA Richard Gotfried passed the PNWER presidents gavel to Idaho Senate Leader Chuck Winder, with the 2023 Summit planned for Boise. My term on the PNWER Executive Board began at Big Sky, 2015, with election as vice president. I served two years as president and one as immediate past president, and Montana hosted the Summit again in 2021. MUSCATINE After hearing from several community residents with misgivings about a deal with Canadian Pacific Railway CO., the Muscatine City Council approved the tentative $3 million deal but only just. The vote was approved by the narrowest of margins, passing 4-3, with council members John Jindrich, Angie Lewis, and Dennis Froelich opposing the agreement. City resident Dan Freeman said he believes the citizens are being kept in the dark about what is happening. He expressed concerns about public safety. He called the project big business sacrificing communities for their own profitability. He also said that if a train breaks down in the middle of a town, it can shut the entire town down. There are groups that have formed in Iowa and Illinois that are fighting this project which will virtually cripple our communities from Canada through the state of Iowa, he said. They are concerned the huge flow of traffic will inhibit all of the communities. The proposal would have Canadian Pacific give $3 million to the city as a settlement for the impact of increased rail traffic if the railroad merges with Kansas City Southern Railway Company later this year. Reports have said the area will experience a 225 percent increase in trains and a 100 percent increase in annual gross ton miles. City administrator Carol Webb explained the railroad has hired a grant writer that is working with the city to get grants for the overpass. Documents say $1.6 million of the money will be used as a 20 percent match for a grant application to construct 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, including quiet zones. She also said there has been discussion of a pedestrian overpass. Andy Cummings with Canadian Pacific said the trains would be about the same length as trains currently going through town. He explained capacity would have to be added to the routes, saying sidings would be extended. He also thanked the town for coming to the table on the issue. Riverfront cities and Canadian pacific have been in negotiations for months. Bettendorf has already approved a $3 million settlement and Davenport is scheduled to vote on a settlement of $10 million. LeClaire remains in negotiations. 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. MUSCATINE This week, the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine announced that it would be relocating its main office. Through this move, the Community Foundation team hopes to bring some new life into one of Downtown Muscatines most historic buildings. Currently, it is expected that by 2023, the Community Foundation will have taken ownership of and will have moved into the property at 215 West Mississippi Drive, formerly known as The Button Factory restaurant. One of the main driving forces for this purchase, according to Community Foundation President Charla Schafer, was desire to facilitate the redevelopment of this historic property that has existed in Muscatine for more than 150 years. Prior to becoming The Button Factory, which closed in 2014, it served as an oatmeal factory and as the headquarters for several different companies. Ciarra Yates, Admin Specialist for the Community Foundation, added, As the Community Foundation continues to grow, we evaluated long-term options for our office space that would align with our core values, customer needs and commitment to building a stronger community. The old Button Factory restaurant was ultimately selected due to its positioning in the heart of the community, significance as a historical site, alignment with supporting downtown development and its ability to fulfill our meeting space needs. With how much space the property offers, the Community Foundation has already completed a plan for how the building will be properly used and utilized. On the first floor will be the main Community Foundation office headquarters as well as a collaborative space that can be used for meetings. A large meeting space will also be set up on the second floor, and given that this space is expected to accommodate up to 100 attendees, the Community Foundation team expects to use this floor primarily for collaborative leadership, community and organizational meetings with there being a possibility of also developing more office space alongside it. We plan to utilize the building as a community-centric, collaborative space that will fill gaps in our community today and far into the future, Yates said. With the extra space, we hope to maximize impact on the community by uniting people, ideas and resources to address community challenges and create opportunities. The culinary students at Muscatine Community College can rest assured that they will still have a spot to both learn and cook. Within the public announcement of its plans, the Community Foundation team assured that the large commercial kitchen and teaching space within building will still be provided to MCCs culinary students. Additionally, local entrepreneurs and chefs looking to test their restaurant options may also be invited to use the space. We believe in the transformative power of partnerships, so it was important to continue allowing the Muscatine Community College Culinary Program to utilize the commercial kitchen to deliver high quality education and training to students in our community, Yates explained. Yates went on to say that the Community Foundation team expects to transition into the new space by November 1. Our plans for the rest of the building will be phased and flexible as we recognize opportunities for utilization while bringing the old building back to life. The Mississippi Valley Fair grandstand was already filling up with country fans when the news came the Jimmie Allen concert was canceled. The country music star took to social media to explain the situation, and ask the guilty party to start cutting some checks. In a video posted to Twitter Thursday evening, Allen explained that his flight from Pennsylvania to Illinois was canceled due to weather after a couple of hours waiting on the plane. "American Airlines, didn't your parents teach you that communication is key?" Allen asked in the video. The artist's band and crew were already in Davenport, Allen said, but they had no frontman to perform with. He asked the airline company to write some checks to reimburse the fans that were disappointed at the cancellation. "I've still got to pay my band and crew, so y'all figure it out," he said. Since the headliner couldn't make it to the fair, Angela Meyer decided to bring together some musicians and put on a show of their own. Meyer was supposed to sing the National Anthem in the grandstand Thursday evening, but pivoted to hold a small concert for fairgoers. After they started gathering tip money, Meyer decided to take what they made and donate it to the local 4-H chapter. "People were just really excited," Meyer said. "I don't think they're always aware of the ways that they can donate to 4-H unless they have a 4-H kid. So it was really cool to be able to open this up to the public that they could just swing by and give a few bucks." The "cow barn jamboree" featured music and some auction items, and ended the night with $1,200 in donations, all of which went to 4-H. As someone who used to show animals of her own at the fair, Meyer said she was happy to give back to the kids who put their time and effort into taking care of and showing animals. The artist will perform 2-5 p.m. at the Shed in the fair. "The kids that are in our program are super hardworking," said Scott County 4-H Youth Coordinator Emily Lyon. "They have a great drive and work ethic and it's really exciting to have someone come back in our community and be willing to not only donate that money ... but that they see the value in the program as well." US investors with more than $1 trillion of assets under management are in South Africa to look for investment opportunities. The visit being facilitated by USAID and Prosper Africa, the US governments initiative to increase trade and investment between African nations and America, started Tuesday and will coincide with US Secretary of State Antony Blinkens trip. Blinken arrives in the country Sunday his second official trip to Africa. He will also visit the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. South Africa, the worlds 13th-biggest source of greenhouse gases, will need to spend $250 billion over the next three decades to fund the closing down of coal-fired plants and development of replacement green energy such as wind and solar, according to a report released in May. The worlds richest nations at COP26 in Glasgow in November pledged just $8.5 billion in climate grants and concessional loans to the nation. Theres not enough public resources in donor budgets and in local budgets, for example, in South Africa to solve the climate crisis, Cameron Khosrowshahi, senior investment adviser for Prosper Africa, said in an interview Thursday. Theres going to need to be a scaling up of private capital alongside public capital in order to meet the challenge. And thats part of the reason why were here. The delegation comprising of pension funds, financial institutions and asset managers including Bank of New York Mellon Corp., Kansas City Public School Retirement System and the NYC Board of Education Retirement System will meet with fund managers and discuss blended finance opportunities for South Africas transition to renewable energy and womens economic empowerment, a statement from Prosper Africa and USAID said. The US is trying to deepen its ties with Africa and counter Chinas influence, the continents largest trading partner and bilateral creditor. Blinken will be hosted by South Africas Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor and will also engage on a strategic dialog. US investors also visited Senegal and Kenya in April. Now read: Solidarity sends list of 300 South African power experts to fix Eskom Naspers-owned News24 continues to dominate the most-viewed websites in South Africa despite dropping around a million unique browsers, Narratiives statistics for July 2022 show. However, BusinessTech, The South African, and MyBroadband saw significant increases in readership compared with June 2022. News24 saw its readership decline from 11.6 million in June to 10.6 million in July, but it still sits comfortably in the top spot. BusinessTech and The South African both saw their readership increase by around 200,000, while MyBroadbands increased by about 700,000, or 28%, in July. Cars.co.za had 1.9 million visitors, while Gumtree, South Africas most popular classifieds website, saw its unique browsers decline from 2.9 to 2.8 million in July. Overall, readership for the top 10 websites in South Africa declined by around 500,000. Google Chrome will drop third-party cookies in early 2023, effectively making third-party-dependent tracking of Internet readers across multiple websites obsolete. As a result, Narratiive the official traffic measurement partner of the IAB SA, which provides accurate traffic statistics for South Africas top websites announced it would shut down its traffic tracking service on 31 August 2022. Traffic on South African websites is likely to continue increasing as fibre network operators (FNOs) like Vumatel, Frogfoot, and Openserve try to make internet connectivity accessible to more South Africans. These FNOs offer more-affordable fibre packages in lower-income areas through their Vuma Reach and Key, Frogfoot Air, and Openserve Web Connect networks. Lower-income households with access to these networks can get high-speed uncapped fibre connectivity at a lower entry-point without committing to long-term contracts. The table below provides the top 10 online publications in South Africa and an overview of the leading publications in the general, business, tech, motoring, and classifieds categories. The complete list is available from SA Internet Map. A breakdown of the top site for each category is included further below. Top websites in South Africa Website Publisher Readership News24 24.com 10.6 million BusinessTech Broad Media 5.9 million The South African The South African 4.9 million Times Live Arena Holdings 4.3 million MyBroadband Broad Media 3.2 million EWN Primedia Broadcasting 3.0 million Citizen Caxton CTP 2.8 million Gumtree Gumtree 2.8 million Daily Maverick The Daily Maverick 2.6 million Business Insider 24.com 2.5 million General News News24 24.com 10.6 million Business BusinessTech Broad Media 5.9 million Technology MyBroadband Broad Media 3.2 million Classifieds Gumtree Gumtree 2.8 million Motoring Cars.co.za Cars.co.za 1.9 million Now read: Facebook asks court to demand Snapchat hand over user numbers for monopoly lawsuit In an effort to improve Calistogas policing, six Automated License Plate Reader cameras will soon be installed at the entry points of the city, making Calistoga the first Napa County city to directly lease the devices. The ALPRs which photograph the license plate numbers and vehicles that pass by and upload the images to a database are set to be installed as the result of a 4-1 Calistoga City Council approval of a Calistoga Police Department request Tuesday night. The city will lease the six cameras from Flock Safety for $2,500 each over two years; the total cost of the camera system adds up to roughly $39,100. Police Chief Mitch Celaya said he believes ALPRs are already being used by Napa County, the city of Napa and American Canyon, and that more cameras are likely coming. ALPRs have been deployed heavily in areas near Napa County, including Vallejo, Fairfield and Lake County. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. I was speaking to the St. Helena police chief, hes putting a proposal forward to use LPR cameras in his city, Celaya said at the meeting. I know Napa County and the Napa Police Department are looking at employing more cameras. Some of them are going to be fixed cameras and some of them are going to be mobile cameras. Theyll use these mobile cameras in problem areas that they determine, and theyll be moving them around the county or within their city. That would represent a stark change from 2019, when all of Napas law enforcement agencies except the Napa Police Department told the California State Auditors Office in a survey that they didnt use ALPR data or operate cameras. NPD said in their survey response that they accessed ALPR information, but didnt operate cameras. Law enforcement agencies have long touted ALPRs as a powerful and useful tool. But privacy advocates, such as the American Civil Liberties Union, have criticized the technology for gathering a huge amount of sensitive information about people that have no connection to crime. Advocates have also criticized law enforcement agencies for unclear data sharing arrangements with other agencies. The 2019 state auditor survey was part of a 2020 report that found ALPRs were used in at least 230 police and sheriffs departments and investigated departments in four jurisdictions Los Angeles, Fresno, Marin and Sacramento. Those agencies didnt consistently follow Californias ALPR law that requires them to administer the ALPR programs in ways that respect individual privacy and protect the data, according to the report. We found that the agencies have risked individuals privacy by not making informed decisions about sharing ALPR images with other entities, by not considering how they are using ALPR data when determining how long to keep it, by following poor practices for granting their staff access to the ALPR systems, and by failing to audit system use, the report says. The Marin County Sheriffs Office recently settled a lawsuit over ALPR data sharing that alleged the office was violating state law by sharing data with federal agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in violation of California law, according to a report from the Marin Independent Journal. The sheriffs office essentially agreed to follow the law as one part of the settlement, the report says. Chris Pacheco, an NPD lieutenant, said in an email the Napa department currently doesnt own ALPRs, and there arent any city-owned ALPRs deployed on Napas streets. But the city has access to ALPR data from other cities, data from privately owned ALPRs and data from ALPRs installed in the city by the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center (NCRIC) one of 80 fusion centers largely created after the Sept. 11 attacks to combat terrorist and criminal activity through information sharing. During criminal investigations, NPD has utilized ALPRs owned privately, by NCRIC and other law enforcement agencies which have aided in the successful apprehensions and prosecutions in serious crimes, Pacheco said in an email. We are continuing to review and research the practice of utilizing ALPRs in law enforcement in an effort to stay innovative while balancing public safety and privacy rights. The city of Napas Community Development Department does also have two parking enforcement vehicles equipped with ALPRs that record license and location data to help figure out whether cars have been parked for too long. That data is all owned by the city, said parking manager Tony Valadez, which means other agencies need city permission to access it. The readers also arent used by the police department," Valadez said. American Canyon Police Chief Rick Greenberg said the department the city contracts for police services through Napa County Sheriffs office doesnt own any ALPRs, but it currently has a few ALPRs on loan through a law enforcement equipment sharing agreement. The department also makes use of data from ALPRs in surrounding areas, including Vallejo and the city of Napa. Greenberg added that the American Canyon Chamber of Commerce recently purchased some ALPRs, but they havent been installed yet. We are in the process of looking at getting some, but we dont own any currently, Greenburg said. In a Monday phone call, Napa County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Henry Wofford said he couldnt immediately confirm or deny whether the department uses or owns ALPRs. Wofford didnt respond to multiple follow-up requests for information. St. Helena police Chief Chris Hartley confirmed Wednesday that the department doesnt currently own or operate a license plate reader system. But the department has been in contact with an ALPR vendor and recently received a quote on the cost of such a system, Hartley said in an email. As such, the department is preparing a proposal for the St. Helena City Council to add the systems, which Hartley said will likely go before the council in September. And Jaret Paulson, spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol Napa bureau, said the CHP doesnt currently have any ALPRs in Napa County, though they have had ALPR systems attached to CHP vehicles in the past. At the Calistoga council meeting, Celaya said the Calistoga Police Departments main mission is to protect the safety and security of the community. He noted Calistoga is a very safe community, but that the crime that happens tends to involve vehicles. As an example of crimes the ALPRs could potentially help with, he brought up catalytic converter thefts, burglaries and a suspicious vehicle that was following a young child early last year. What typically happens is, whether its an in-progress theft, any kind of crime, suspicious vehicle, and domestic violence, theres typically a vehicle involved, Celaya said at the meeting. People are coming from the outside to the city of Calistoga to commit crimes. Furthermore, he said, the department typically has two officers patrolling the city. And even though the city is 2.6 square miles large, those two officers cant be everywhere at once. Celaya added that the Calistoga community is good at reporting crimes, but officers who take those reports usually only end up with partial descriptions that they cant follow up on. Calistoga Councilmember Lisa Gift cast the sole vote against the item. She also pulled it from the consent calendar, where it would have been voted on by the council without discussion. Gift said at the meeting that she had some reservations about the system, and felt there needed to be more of an opportunity for the public to weigh in. Celaya was joined at the meeting by Flock Safety senior customer success manager Hector Soliman-Valdez, who Celaya said helped prepare the staff report. Celaya noted that the cameras dont have a facial recognition component. Data from the cameras in compliance with state law will also not be shared with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and will be automatically deleted after 30 days if not collected as evidence, he said. Furthermore, Soliman-Valdez said, the ALPR system includes an audit system that allows administrators to ensure searches are used for valid purposes. Having cameras strategically located around town will allow us to hopefully identify some of these vehicles and actually start to take some actual action as opposed to just taking a cold report, Celaya said at the meeting. Which totally frustrates our community because theyre making a report and thats all theyre getting. They can use it for insurance purposes but theyre not getting their property back. So looking at the Flock camera system we believe is the means to help us be basically a staff multiplier, so to speak, in which well have eyes and ears around town. A union representing 2,000 Kaiser Northern California mental health workers has announced plans for an open-ended strike beginning Aug. 15. Among the reasons union representatives outlined: high clinician workloads and patients waiting weeks or even months for mental health care. Even as demand for care has surged, frustrated therapists are abandoning the health giant, said union spokesperson Matt Artz. We dont take striking lightly, Sal Rosselli, president of the National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents the clinicians, said in a prepared statement, but its time to take a stand and make Kaiser spend some of its billions on mental health care. CalMatters has reached out to Kaiser for comment. In the past, the health plan has pointed to a shortage of clinicians as an ongoing challenge. The company has drawn increased scrutiny from lawmakers for its mental health services in recent years. In May, the Department of Managed Health Care announced that it would be conducting a non-routine audit of Kaisers mental health services. The union and Kaiser have one more bargaining session planned for Friday, Artz said. He said Kaiser Northern Californias mental health workers, including psychologists, social workers, therapists and addiction counselors, have gone on strike for short amounts of times six times in the past 4 years. This would be their first open-ended strike, which means the union is not establishing an end date. Kaiser has 4.6 million enrollees in Northern California, Artz said, though that figure does not reflect how many currently access their mental health benefits. In a letter sent Sunday to the Department of Managed Health Care, which regulates health plans, the union asked the department to ensure that Kaiser continues providing mental health care to patients during the strike, rather than canceling appointments. Amanda Levy, deputy director for health policy and stakeholder relations for the Department of Managed Health Care, said the department is continuing to monitor access to services for patients impacted by the strike. The law requires health plans provide enrollees with medically necessary care within timely access and clinical standards at all times, which includes during an employee strike, she said. Despite growing efforts at the state level to enforce mental health parity laws, Kaiser mental health practitioners say they still struggle to provide adequate and timely care for patients. Sarah Soroken, who has worked as a therapist at Kaiser Fairfield for six years, said access to treatment has worsened during her time there. She said the pandemic has aggravated the situation, with more patients seeking care, even as more therapists are leaving. Right now were at a crisis point, she said. Things are worse than ever. Kaiser is not the only provider facing a shortage of mental health practitioners. Complaints of shortages also have been raised by counties, school districts and non-profit organizations around the state. Artz said some Kaiser providers are being recruited to work at telehealth start-ups, where money is good and work-from-home options abound. Others are entering private practice. The union says the rate at which mental health clinicians are leaving Kaiser nearly doubled in the past year, with 668 clinicians leaving between June 2021 and May 2022, compared to 335 clinicians the previous year. In a union survey of 200 of those departing clinicians, 85 percent said they were leaving because their workload was unsustainable or they felt they did not have enough time to complete the work, and 76 percent said they were unable to treat patients in line with standards of care and medical necessity. Some of these concerns are not new, although the pandemic has exacerbated them. In 2013, the Department of Managed Health Care fined Kaiser $4 million for failure to provide adequate mental health treatment. In a hearing this spring, lawmakers raised concerns about the states plans to move an additional 200,000 Medi-Cal members onto Kaiser, given problems with mental health treatment. Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco has introduced a bill to significantly increase fines for health plans that fail to comply with state laws. Another bill of Wieners, SB 221, which took effect July 1, is intended to ensure patients dont face long delays for follow-up treatment through commercial providers like Kaiser. Specifically, the new law, which was sponsored by the union, requires that patients receive follow-up mental health care within 10 business days unless a provider determines that a longer wait will not be detrimental to the patient. At a virtual press conference in late June, Kaiser mental health practitioners said the health giant wasnt close to meeting those requirements. Cambodia accuses American billionaire of buying stolen sculptures Suren Petrosyan: Aghavno systematically surrendered UK inflation hits new 40-year high in July What is reason for restrained US reaction to reports about Turkey's purchase of second regiment of S-400? Germany warns gas will run out in less than three months if Russia completely cuts off supplies Rescuer: Site is difficult, there are large structures, we try to cross sections piece by piece Thames Water bans customers from using hoses for irrigation Search operations at Surmalu shopping center ceased until morning Most polluted cities revealed Investor pessimism in Germany has worsened even more in August Electricity prices in Europe continue to rise steadily NATO to increase its peacekeeping forces in Kosovo in case of escalation of tensions with Serbia OPEC Secretary General: Organization is not involved in gas and oil prices rise Estonia to ban Russian citizens who received visa in third EU country from entering Estonia Goldman Sachs: Europe's chances of recession are now twice as high as US NEWS.am BREAKING on Yerevan market blast: 16 people killed, 1 person still missing French MFA expresses solidarity with Armenia over Surmalu tragedy Philippines ready to support US in case of war with China Mayor of Venice looking for two 'pushy idiots' who raced Grand Canal Mishustin and Pashinyan discuss cooperation in trade and economic sphere Velayati says China is strategic ally of Iran Norway will provide military aid to Ukraine Garo Paylan appeals to Ankara Prosecutor's Office Mourning liturgy for victims of explosion and fire at Surmalu will be held in Armenia Iran to develop cooperation with Pakistan UN Secretary General arrives in Lviv Explosions and fires in at least 17 locations in southern Thailand 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 Eurozone GDP is up in second quarter 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 Five injured in explosion are being treated at medical centers NYT: Western countries want to give Russian diamonds bloody status Karabakh teen drowns in reservoir (PHOTOS) More than 50 people questioned in Yerevan shopping market explosion criminal case President: Armenia underscores development of mutually beneficial cooperation with Indonesia Azerbaijan ombudsperson is interested in convicted Armenian captives Kazakhstan President sends condolence message to Armenia PM Armenia has new consul general in Russias Rostov-on-Don No bombs found at Gyumri international airport, railway station 3 men who strangled Yerevan woman, 47, to death are arrested People continue bringing flowers, toys nearby tragic Yerevan explosion site Book of condolences opened at all Armenia diplomatic missions abroad Bomb threat made at Gyumri international airport, railway station Russian embassy upset by reports about Russia organizations participation in Yerevan market tragedy Armenia ex-deputy PM Avinyan visits Yerevan market blast site Yerevan market explosion: We have one missing person, Armenia official says Armenia Prosecutor Generals Office: No one is charged in Yerevan market blast case World oil prices going up Day of mourning declared in Armenia, Artsakh today and tomorrow Kazakhstan embassy offers condolences over Yerevan market explosion People laying flowers nearby Yerevan market blast site Newspaper: One person is charged in Yerevan market explosion case Newspaper: Armenia ruling party plans to make state institutions employees become party members Yerevan explosion: 2 people still being searched for Yerevan market explosion: 2 people still considered missing as of midnight (PHOTOS) Turkey launches airstrike on Aleppo countryside, 3 Syria soldiers dead Is Western unity over Ukraine about to crack? Which countries could survive nuclear war? Surmalu re-inspection scheduled for November In Lebanon, man who held hostages in bank released without charges TerraPower of Bill Gates raises $750 million for projects in nuclear energy and medicine China's 'Galaxy Fold clone' sold out in five minutes and became a bestseller Germany plans to postpone closure of its last three nuclear power plants Expert estimates environmental consequences of Yerevan explosion and gives advices Switzerland signs agreement with Uzbekistan to return $131 million seized from Gulnara Karimova Artsakh also declares mourning Norway can no longer supply Germany with more gas UN Secretary General to meet with Presidents of Ukraine and Turkey in Lviv Ministry of Emergency Situations: There were about 4 tons of flammable substances in Surmalu Russian Security Council says Kyiv threatens global nuclear security Content of toxic substances in air after explosion in Yerevan has increased sharply Scholz says Sweden and Finland's NATO accession process goes according to plan Macron and Zelenskiy discuss situation over Zaporozhye nuclear power plant Expert: Biden is not preparing Americans for what is to come Armenian Prosecutor General's Office: Representatives of management and employees of Surmalu will be interrogated Mourning declared in Armenia Latvia will not extend residence permits previously issued to Russian citizens NEWS.am BREAKING on Yerevan market explosion: 16 people killed First Lady of US contracts COVID-19 Aghvan Hovsepyan undergoes surgery Investigative Committee: More than 20 people questioned in case of Surmalu explosion in Yerevan Head of Armenian HM visits victims of explosion on territory of Surmalu in Yerevan Deputy PM of Singapore: US and China may slide into conflict Director of Surmalu shopping center is in heavy psychological state and does not comment Identity of another victim of Surmalu shopping center in Yerevan established Two Armenian startups advance to EWC Global Finals (PHOTOS) Patriarch Kirill expresses condolences in connection with Surmalu shopping mall explosion Russia announces supply of second S-400 regiment to Turkey Dollar, euro lose value in Armenia Republican Party of Armenia calls for naming leader of united opposition Yerevan market explosion death toll is 16 as of 3:30pm, Armenia emergency ministry says The German government approved the introduction of a tax on gas consumers from October to help suppliers affected by a sharp increase in gas import prices, Reuters reports. The plan, announced last week, comes at a time when Europe's largest economy is trying to reduce its dependence on Russian energy. Germany is facing a collapse in gas supplies and soaring prices, raising fears of energy shortages and insolvency among gas traders. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck of course blamed Russia for this. The consumer levy, which will be accompanied by targeted incentives, aims to help importers, especially Uniper, the largest recipient of Russian gas in Germany, which receives state aid. Other companies include EnBW VNG's gas division. The levy is expected to come into effect on October 1 and will be valid until April 1, 2024. Its exact size will be published in mid-August, the ministry said. Habeck said last week that the price would be between 1.5 euro cents and 5 euro cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) and the proceeds would be available to any company that needs to replace Russian gas. Government and parliamentary sources told Reuters it remains to be seen how the levy will apply to clients with fixed-price contracts. The Chinese authorities are ready to strengthen strategic cooperation with Russia against the backdrop of growing tensions in the Taiwan Strait, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, RIA Novosti reports. Russia has always adhered to the One China principle, opposing any encroachment on the sovereignty of our country, he noted at a meeting with Lavrov in Phnom Penh. In turn, Beijing is ready to strengthen strategic cooperation with Russia so that together we can more effectively defend the international system in which the UN plays a key role, as well as the order based on the norms of generally accepted international law, Wang Yi added. As the Chinese diplomat clarified, Moscow's position on Taiwan testifies to the high level of the Chinese-Russian comprehensive strategic partnership, as well as to the support that China and Russia provide to each other in the international arena. He noted that China and the Russian Federation together uphold equality and justice in the world. President Joe Biden will leave the US carrier strike group in the South China Sea longer than originally planned in response to China's missile tests and increased aggression around Taiwan, the White House said. The US has postponed a previously planned ICBM test, a White House spokesman said. The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its escort ships will remain in the South China Sea a little longer than they originally planned to be there, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told CNBC. According to him, the purpose of the strike group's long stay in the region will be monitoring the situation. He added that the President believes it would be wise to leave the aircraft carrier and escort ships there for a little longer. Ronald Reagan's carrier strike group has been operating in the South China Sea since mid-July. However, the United States does not expect China to reverse its aggressive actions anytime soon. When the G7 leaders met in the Bavarian Alps in June, they pledged to support Ukraine in the long term. Their peers in the G20 are less supportive, Bloomberg reported. The G-20, which includes countries that account for about 85% of global economic output, is supposed to better reflect the world. However, only half of the G-20 countries joined the international sanctions against the Russian Federation. Senior officials from a small group of wealthy countries traveled the world to justify a tighter economic network around Russia. They were surprised by the lack of agreement from the G-20 states. This is the uncomfortable reality that Secretary of State Antony Blinken faces during his extended tour of Southeast Asia and Africa: much of the world is unprepared to follow US and European efforts to isolate Russia. This makes agreement on global initiatives, such as the G7 cap on Russian oil prices, even more of a challenge. China's spending on Russian oil has skyrocketed since the start of the war, spending 72% more on Russian energy purchases in June than a year earlier. In any case, China is in a state of rivalry with the US: tensions escalated this week over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei, as well as a G-7 statement expressing concern about Beijing's threatening actions around Taiwan. Beijing has canceled a personal meeting scheduled for this week in Cambodia between the foreign ministers of China and Japan, which is part of the G-7. Japan said late Thursday that several ballistic missiles launched by China during an exercise near Taiwan had landed in its exclusive economic zone - the first time this had happened - and issued a diplomatic protest. But Beijing is far from alone in rejecting calls to rein in the Kremlin. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on the phone with Putin on July 1 and discussed ways to increase trade. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, leader in Brazil's presidential race, has blamed the war not only on Russia but also on Ukraine. In South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa has criticized US-imposed sanctions. Turkey concluded that punishing Russia would harm Ankara's economic and political interests. Economic imperatives are one reason for the restraint of what is often called the Global South. But there are others, including historical proximity to Moscow, fears of signs of a US disengagement, and distrust of former colonial powers that fuels a sense of hypocrisy. There are parallels with China and US efforts to build a coalition of democracies against Beijing. US Undersecretary of Commerce Alan Estevez said in July that Washington's cooperation with 37 countries to impose export controls on Russia provided the blueprint for a new system to counter threats from China. Here too, the US and like-minded countries can point to only limited success as G-20 members, including this year's host Indonesia, continue to sign big deals with Chinese state-owned companies while the trade balance remains in Beijing's favor. Take Saudi Arabia, which maintains good relations with Moscow through its participation in the OPEC+ oil cartel. He is also friendly with Beijing: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently said that many Chinese companies are already doing business in Neom, its flagship mega project. Riyadh doesn't have to choose between American and Chinese technology, "just like you can have McDonald's and Burger King on the same street," Saudi Ambassador to the United States Princess Reema bint Bandar told reporters during a visit by President Joe Biden in July . This selective approach to foreign policy has created competition for influence. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz defiantly invited Argentina, Indonesia, India and South Africa, none of which have imposed sanctions on Russia, to his G-7 summit on Ukraine in late June. Last month, the struggle for soft power was on display in Africa when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov received praise for Moscow's nuclear power technology. He took the opportunity to highlight Russia's historic support for African liberation movements, while stating that sanctions were the cause of food insecurity. French President Emmanuel Macron, during his tour of Africa, condemned Russia for waging a "new kind of hybrid world war" on the continent. China had a similar game in Africa. The African country, alternately with China, hosts the China-Africa Cooperation Forum every three years, which is traditionally visited by the President of the People's Republic of China and meets one-on-one with almost every head of state. When FOCAC is held in Beijing, the red carpet rolls out and tiny Equatorial New Guinea gets as much attention as Nigeria, a level of attention not seen in Washington. China knows that every African state has one vote in the United Nations and its institutions, and this pays off diplomatically. Earlier this year, the US sent a letter to the Human Rights Council condemning China for alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang, signed by 47 people, mostly European allies. Cuba responded with a statement on behalf of China, supported by 62 countries, mostly in the Global South. Blinken's decision to travel on August 7 from Asia to South Africa and then to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda looks like an attempt to rebuild a narrative not only against China but also against Russia. Biden said he would welcome African leaders to Washington in December for a summit that will build on our common values to better promote new economic engagement. In addition to addressing issues of pandemic preparedness, climate change and food security, Biden said the meeting will strengthen the US and Africa's commitment to democracy and human rights. However, according to Maria Repnikova, an assistant professor of global communications at Georgia State University, China's pragmatic use of soft powerfocused on education and jobs, while showing off its technological advances and progress against povertyoften resonates more at the Global South than the US with their values. Meanwhile, Moscow is using various ways of appealing and standing up for and with the Global South as their champion, Repnikova, author of Chinas Soft Power, said in an interview. It's less than China's reach, she said, but they're working hard on their narrative competition through social media and diplomatic language. According to Repnikova, this approach is applicable not only to Africa, but also to Asia and Latin America, where Russia has supplied countries with its Covid-19 vaccine, and China is investing heavily. South American trade bloc Mercosur has turned down President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's request to speak at a summit in late July. In Indonesia, President Joko Widodo maintained traditional non-alignment despite pressure to exclude Putin from November's G-20 summit. He invited both Russian and Ukrainian presidents to Bali. According to Repnikova, recent events show that the competition for influence is becoming more entrenched. This leaves little chance for states to mobilize to change their position - unless something very important is proposed. The Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Republic of Azerbaijan was summoned to the Foreign Office. According to APA with reference to the Foreign Ministry, he was strongly protested against the attack by a religious radical group on the Azerbaijani Embassy in London. "It was brought to the attention of the opposite side that this provocation seriously affects the issue of ensuring the security of the diplomatic mission and that the host country should take necessary security measures in accordance with its international legal obligations. A guarantee was requested from the opposite side that such situations would not be repeated again. Regarding the act of vandalism, the relevant institutions of the United Kingdom were required to conduct a thorough investigation and to bring the persons responsible to justice. The British Charge d'Affaires expressed deep regret and concern about the incident. It was reported that the incident is under investigation," the newspaper wrote. According to the Daily Mail, eight people have been arrested on suspicion of trespassing and criminal damage after the storming of the Azerbaijani Embassy in central Londonthe previous evening. London police confirmed the arrests. Members of the Mahdi Servants Union group stormed the embassy, located in the prestigious Kensington area. In a series of videos posted on Twitter, they can be seen waving their blue flag and writing messages on the wall in Arabic in white paint. Some wore headdresses or kufiyehs hiding their faces and chanted messages to the crowd gathered below before replacing the Azerbaijani flag with their own. The Mahdi Servants Union is a Shiite Muslim organization led by cleric Yasser al-Habib. The group has openly criticized the Azerbaijani government, which they claim oppresses Muslims. The group said in a statement that its leader has ordered urgent measures against Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Al-Habib, 43, hit the headlines in June when his film 'The Lady of Heaven' was canceled by two British theater chains after a wave of protests from the Muslim community. Al-Habib, a Shiite Muslim campaigner, regularly rails against Islamic figures vaunted by Sunni Muslims on social media, accusing them of being culprits who conspired to take over Islam after the Prophet Muhammad. Al-Habib, who was granted asylum in Britain after conflict with authorities in his native Kuwait, runs a mosque in Buckinghamshire. This is not the first attack on embassies. Al-Habib's group carried out a similar attack on the Iranian embassy in London in 2018. Some Azerbaijani pro-government media actively promote the idea that Iran was behind the attack on the embassy. British journalist Robert Carter disagrees with this version, calling such claims fakes. "FAKE NEWS ALERT: The group of radicals who attacked Azerbaijan's London Embassy are NOT "Iran backed." They are a UK-based cult group who hate I.R. Iran. Tehran in return has accused them of being MI6-backed," he tweeted. The Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Turkey discussed the situation, Mevlut Cavusoglu expressed his support to Ceyhun Bayramov. Haqqin.az, a newspaper close to the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, wrote more detail about the incident and the personality of the group leader: This Union is headed by a Shiite preacher from London, a native of Kuwait Yasser Al-Habib, a person as well-known as he is marginal in the Shiite world. His followers are few and most of them, by a strange coincidence, also live in British territory. Al-Habib is more Shiite than all the Shiites, including the most conservative ayatollahs, who, including Khomeini and Khamenei, are considered hypocrites and even the hidden enemies of Shiism, for which he regularly curses them in his sermons. And in the process he calls for violence against Sunnis in the Middle East, and quite specifically with proposals to kill them all. Along the way he has also massacred the hypocrites among the Shiites... Little is known about the sources of his financing. The publication notes that all of the attackers on the Iranian embassy in 2018 got away with monetary fines and short-term administrative arrests. Which, in all likelihood, will be the case this time. But why such softness and loyal attitude? World practice shows that both the UN and the authorities of other states always react extremely painfully and acutely to attempts to attack diplomatic missions. This was the case during the attack on the Saudi embassy in Iran and during the attacks on the U.S. and British diplomatic missions in Syria and other countries. In any case, the reaction has always been loud and harsh. But not this time. The British media blatantly ignored the incident with the Azerbaijani embassy. They just pretended that nothing of the kind had happened. This is very interesting. Britain has long been a haven for radical Shiites, who were expelled from everywhere, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq and even Iran. There is even a term in Shiite circles, British Shiism, which refers to all the radical Shiites that Britain has massively sheltered. The kingdom allows them virtually unhindered access to their extremist propaganda. So they've gotten violent, now they shoot films which insult Sunnis, now they harshly attack Iran, now they recruit fighters for Syria. Now they are attacking Azerbaijan as well. In response to perplexing questions about such impunity, the British authorities present some completely unconvincing arguments, an edition close to the Aliyev administration is indignant. And it draws a conclusion, simultaneously hinting and warning the British government: Indeed, British political culture is renowned for never putting all its eggs in one basket and always keeping opponents of various movements and governments in reserve, close to their hearts. Those, in return, from time to time speak of their best intentions. But their peaceful intentions are only for the time being. Radicals remain radicals, even if they carefully conceal their views. They are the kind of snakes with whom it is impossible to agree that they will bite only their neighbors. One day they are bound to come back and bite those who shelter, protect and feed them. So the British authorities should take a closer look at those they have tamed. The version hinted at by the Azerbaijani media looks extremely plausible. It is not the first signal of the emerging tension between Britain and Azerbaijan. Back in May, the Azerbaijani media accused London of publishing untrue information and interfering in Azerbaijan's domestic affairs. Whatever economic projects London and Baku are involved in, Azerbaijan was and remains a barbarian colony for the Foggy Albion, and such incidents put the rogue partner in its true place. If the situation does not change, we will have another surrender of territories and victims on September 2. Raffi Hovannisian, leader of the Heritage Party and former foreign minister of Armenia, told journalists today. In his opinion, if messages continue to be sent to Baku during government meetings, Armenia's sovereignty will be threatened and territorial integrity will be violated. "Under this government, we will either have a mutilated peace or an imposed war. Pashinyan said that what is happening is natural: the surrender of the Motherland, 4,000 victims...It is not natural that for decades we have been fighting for a democratic Armenia, against the institution of political prisoners, against the subordinate party system of education, but under the new authorities these institutions are deepened and expanded. It is disgusting that our compatriots from the Diaspora are alienated from Armenia and people are imprisoned for their political views," he said. Raffi Hovannisian noted that he does not know for what reason he was banned from entering Artsakh, where he was going to participate in the baptism of his grandson. "It doesn't matter whether the decision comes from a criminal sitting in Baku or from a former commander-in-chief hiding in Yerevan who is now targeting the baptism ceremony. I have no reason to hide, and on September 1 I expect Aghavno, Lachin corridor to be in place and I can go to Artsakh," he said. The head of Greece's intelligence service (EYP) has resigned, the prime minister's office said amid mounting pressure on the government to shed light on the use of surveillance malware, Reuters reported. EYP head Panagiotis Kontoleon has resigned following erroneous practices discovered during legitimate wiretapping procedures, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. Earlier this week, it was reported that Kontoleon admitted that his office was spying on Thanasis Koukakis, a financial journalist working for CNN in Greece. The Prime Minister's Office said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' top aide, Secretary General Grigoris Dimitriadis, also resigned without giving any details. EYP reports to the Prime Minister's Office. The government says Greek authorities do not use spyware allegedly used to hack into the journalist's phone or do business with companies that sell it. In April, a Greek prosecutor launched an investigation into Koukakis' claim that his smartphone was infected with spyware. Russian and Turkish Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a joint statement following talks that lasted more than four hours. "Despite the current regional and global challenges, the leaders reaffirmed a common will to further develop Russian-Turkish relations on the basis of respect, recognition of mutual interests and in accordance with their international obligations. As part of these understandings, the two leaders held broad consultations on the bilateral agenda of Russia-Turkey relations and agreed on the following: to increase bilateral trade in a balanced manner and achieve their goals; to meet the expectations of the opposite side in the economic and energy fields; to take concrete steps to increase interaction on issues that have long been on the agenda of both countries, in sectors such as transport, trade, agriculture and energy; to take concrete steps to increase cooperation on issues that have been on the agenda of both countries for a long time; and to increase cooperation in the field of energy. On regional issues, the leaders stressed the key importance of sincere, candid and trustful relations between Russia and Turkey in achieving regional and international stability. The need to ensure full implementation of the Istanbul package deal in accordance with its letter and spirit, including unimpeded export of Russian grain, fertilizers and raw materials for their production, was emphasized. Recent developments in Syria were also among the issues touched upon. The sides confirmed that they attach great importance to advancing the political process. The importance of preserving the political unity and territorial integrity of Syria was stressed. The determination to act together and in close coordination with each other in combating all terrorist organizations was reaffirmed. A firm commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya was expressed. They highlighted the importance of free, fair and credible elections based on the widest possible consensus and reaffirmed their support for the ongoing Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political process. The heads of state agreed to hold the next meeting of the High-Level Cooperation Council in Turkey," the statement said. Adam Schiff, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, called on the U.S. State Department to demonstrate its support for Armenian sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Artsakh. "I am deeply disturbed by reports of casualties, including two Armenian soldiers, in Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh the result of Azerbaijans direct violation of its ceasefire agreement with Armenia.," Schiff wrote on his Facebook page. He noted that this was not the first unprovoked attack by Azerbaijan on Armenian forces, and unless the United States takes immediate action to hold the Aliyev regime accountable, it will not be the last such incident. "It is imperative the State Department use all of its diplomatic channels and levers to reduce tensions and show Americas unwavering support for Armenian sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Artsakh." The Congressman noted that during this year's National Defense Authorization Act and in previous years, he has repeatedly called for the immediate release of all Armenian POWs and captured civilians, tens of millions of dollars in humanitarian and economic aid to Artsakh, a complete ban on U.S. security assistance to Azerbaijan, and renewed U.S. participation in the OSCE Minsk Group peace process: "Each of these actions is critical to defending the Armenian people, and sending a resolute message that America can and will defend democracy around the world. I will always stand with the people of Armenia and Artsakh". Thailand nightclub fire kills at least 13 The deadly blaze rips through the Mountain B nightspot in Chonburi province's Sattahip district. Photo: AFP/Sawang Rojanathammasathan Rescue Foundation A fire tore through a Thai nightclub early Friday killing at least 13 people and injuring 40, a rescue services official said. The blaze broke out around 1:00am at the Mountain B nightspot in Chonburi province's Sattahip district, about 150 kilometres south of Bangkok, an official from the Sawang Rojanathammasathan Rescue Foundation told AFP on condition of anonymity. Video footage posted by the rescue service showed desperate revellers fleeing the club screaming, their clothes ablaze, as a huge fire rages in the background. The service said the blaze was accelerated by flammable acoustic foam on the walls of the club, and it took firefighters more than three hours to bring it under control. The dead, four women and nine men, were found mostly crowded by the entrance and in the bathroom, their bodies severely burned, the service said. All the victims are believed to be Thai. "There is not death related to foreigners," police lieutenant colonel Boonsong Yingyong of the Phlu Ta Luang police station, which oversees the area where the blaze occurred, told AFP by phone. (AFP) Singapore execution toll now at 10 in four months The execution in April of Malaysian citizen Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam sparked protests. File photo: AFP Singapore hanged two drug traffickers on Friday, authorities said, bringing the number of prisoners executed in the last four months to 10, despite international calls for the city-state to abolish capital punishment. The spate of hangings included the widely criticised execution of a man with limited cognitive function in April, and came after Singapore resumed executions in March after a hiatus of more than two years. The prisons department said in a statement that Singaporeans Abdul Rahim Shapiee, 45, and Ong Seow Ping, 49, were executed. Shapiee, a former driver for a ride-hailing service, was convicted of trafficking 39.87 grams of pure heroin, Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said. An appeals court dismissed his last-gasp petition for a stay of the sentence. Ong was Shapiee's co-accused in the same case. He was convicted of trafficking 51.69 grams of heroin, the CNB said. Both were "accorded full due process under the law, and were represented by legal counsel throughout the legal proceedings", the CNB said. Friday's hangings brought to 10 the number of prisoners executed since March 30, when a Singaporean man was sent to the gallows. That hanging was followed by the execution in April of Malaysian citizen Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, which sparked international outrage due to concerns he had "borderline functioning intelligence and concurrent cognitive deficits", according to rights group Amnesty International. Two Singaporean convicts were executed on July 7, and two more were hanged within days of each other later that month. Two men a Singaporean and a Malaysian were hanged on Tuesday. Singapore has some of the world's toughest anti-narcotics laws and insists that the death penalty remains an effective deterrent against trafficking, despite pressure from international rights groups for use of the penalty to be limited or abolished. The CNB said capital punishment is part of Singapore's "comprehensive harm prevention strategy". The United Nations says that the death penalty has not proven to be an effective deterrent globally and is incompatible with international human rights law, which only permits capital punishment for the most serious crimes. (AFP) Sonepat (Haryana) [India], August 5 (ANI/NewsVoir): With a view to collaborate with well-entrenched partners to propel the benefits of Probiotics, globally acclaimed Probiotic drink manufacturer Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd, signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with premier organisation National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Kundli, Sonepat, Haryana. The MoU entails working closely in the areas of education, sharing knowledge, promoting and populating effective use of each of their resources and explore enhanced opportunities for mutual interest. The MoU was signed between Hiroshi Hamada, Managing Director, Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd and Prof. J.S Rana, Registrar, NIFTEM at the NIFTEM premises. The MoU between Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd and the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Kundli, will entail support and collaboration in a wide spectrum of activities. These would be in the areas of skilled based training, internship, industrial visits of Yakult Danone India Pvt. Ltd. factory etc. Importantly, there will also be an exchange of information on the recent advances in the science of gut microbiota and probiotics, and guidance will be provided to the students on new areas for research in gut microbiota and probiotics. Additionally, both parties will explore, co-operate and collaborate in future activities, which may be mutually beneficial to each other. Speaking on this collaboration, Hiroshi Hamada, Managing Director, Yakult Danone India Pvt. Ltd. remarked, "It is heartening to partner with a world-class institution NIFTEM, which works actively in assisting in setting food standards, business incubation and information sharing in India. Our brand comes with a promise of health and happiness across the globe, and we hope that through this collaboration, we can explore and identify new opportunities in health, skill development, research, science etc. Our aim is to bring positive impact on people. Yakult, the iconic probiotic drink which is produced at our state-of-the-art factory in Sonepat, is benefitting Indian consumers with its promise of better intestinal health and immunity. Hence our collaboration is to further our engagement programmes, activities and leverage our core strength, for the benefit of society." Speaking on the occasion, Dr Chindi Vasudevappa, Vice Chancellor NIFTEM said, "NIFTEM has been set up to cater to various stakeholders such as entrepreneurs, industry experts, policy makers etc. Our mission is to set up an International Centre of Excellence which integrates all facets of food technology, entrepreneurship, research and management. We are indeed happy to collaborate with a global brand Yakult, which is popular and enjoyed by consumers, for its health benefits and goodness. The collaboration will help us open new vistas of sharing knowledge, in the domain of science, which will impact the lives of consumers positively." This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) Gurgaon (Haryana) [India], August 5 (ANI/NewsVoir): OctaFX is celebrating its 11th anniversary! Here's what the broker achieved over the years and the core elements of the brand philosophy that helped it along the way. The global broker OctaFX is bigger than ever before - all thanks to the support of its clients. Below are the main achievements OctaFX has managed to accomplish over the past eleven years. Those above are the numbers. But what is behind them? OctaFX shares the core elements of its philosophy and how they help the broker make the investment journeys of its clients as smooth as possible. OctaFX is always online. The broker has already processed 8.8 million requests and dedicated approximately 96,800,000 minutes to resolving issues and answering the questions of its clients honestly and openly. OctaFX is always looking for ways to improve and therefore analyses all feedback carefully. Identifying the problems traders face when using its services or functionality they wish the broker had is what guides OctaFX's development. Apart from other significant changes, it managed to decrease the average verification process to around three minutes, with 85% of clients passing it on the first time. The constant change in the financial world is what keeps OctaFX agile and ready to transform and develop at all times. This approach resulted in releasing its own mobile trading and copytrading apps, adding a variety of popular financial instruments ranging from cryptocurrencies to stock indices, and developing a copytrading platform with unique features for finding and copying professional traders. Data is what OctaFX is driven by. The broker is constantly conducting research and analysis of itself, learning about the latest financial technologies - all to make sure it provides the clients not only with the best trading conditions but also with cutting edge technical solutions. OctaFX is focused on the goals of its clients, and that is why it tries to eliminate all the obstacles limiting their trading experience and keeping them from realising the full potential of their diverse approaches. To help its clients boost their trading and allow for more effective use of long-term strategies, the broker decided to remove swaps entirely this May. To become yet closer to its clients, OctaFX decided to rebrand and adopt a fresh new look: with refined colours, space-inspired elements, and a new logo. "All our achievements and transformations would be meaningless without our clients. It is our clients who drive our growth and allow us to always move forward. It is our clients who inspire us to be current, dynamic, innovative, and confident. We thank all of them for choosing us as their broker," the OctaFX press office commented. To mark its eleventh anniversary, OctaFX has made its usually below-the-market spreads the lowest in the industry on the MT4 and MT5 platforms. The broker has reduced the spreads by 20 per cent on XAUUSD, EURUSD, GBPUSD, USDJPY, GBPJPY, USDCHF, XTIUSD, and US30, as well as by 25 per cent on BTCUSD and ETHUSD. OctaFX is a global broker providing online trading services worldwide since 2011. It offers everything one needs to reach their investment goals, providing top-notch conditions utilised already by clients from over 150 countries worldwide. The company is involved in a comprehensive network of charity and humanitarian initiatives, including improvement of educational infrastructure, short-notice relief projects, supporting local communities and small to medium enterprises. On a side note, OctaFX has also won more than 45 awards since its foundation, including the 2021 'Best Forex Broker Asia' award from Global Banking and Finance Review and the 2021 'Best ECN Broker' award by World Finance. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) Hong Kong: Eddie Cheung to be broadcast chief The Government announced today that Special Representative for Hong Kong Economic & Trade Affairs to the European Union Eddie Cheung will take up the post of Director of Broadcasting in early October. The effective date of Mr Cheung's new post will be announced later. Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung said: Mr Cheung is a seasoned Administrative Officer with proven leadership and management skills. I have every confidence that he will continue to serve the community with professionalism in his new capacity. Mr Cheung joined the administrative service in October 1993 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade B1 in April 2021. He has served in various bureaus and departments, including the former City & New Territories Administration, the former Health & Welfare Branch, the former Financial Services Branch, the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Toronto, the former Information Technology & Broadcasting Bureau, the former Education & Manpower Bureau and the Home Affairs Department. He has been serving in his current post since August 2019. This story has been published on: 2022-08-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. New Delhi [India], August 5 (ANI/GPRC): The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) together with DQ Labs Pvt Ltd announced that the Design Hackathon 2022 for school children of classes 8 to 12 to be held on August 13 and 14, 2022. The Hackathon aims to introduce children to 'design thinking' which is increasingly being accepted as a necessity for innovation in different fields. Design thinking is a process followed by leading companies like Apple, Google and Samsung. It is taught as a course at leading universities including Stanford and Harvard. "Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that begins with understanding consumers, redefining problems and finding innovative solutions. It is widely accepted as a basis for innovation across art, music, literature, science, engineering and business.", said Udayant Malhoutra, Chairman, CII National Committee on Design & Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Dynamatic Technologies Limited. "As an organization working to create an environment conducive to the development of the Indian economy, CII believes that nurturing design thinking process at a younger age will encourage innovation in Indian business, science and technology.", he added. The Design Hackathon is an annual event organized held every year since 2019. The national-level hackathon is a two-day event that culminates in a competition. There are many prizes totaling over Rs 1 Lakh. The competition is held under two categories, one for students of Classes 8 to 10 and the other for students of Classes 11 & 12. Students may participate in teams of 1 to 5 members. There is no admission fee for participants and the hackathon is held online. Students desirous of participating in the event this year may visit the site www.dqlabs.in/dh22live.php for more information or to apply. "The last edition of the CII-DQ Labs Design Hackathon saw participation by over 1200 students from over 200 schools. This year we expect many more students to participate.", said Umesh GL, Co-Founder and Director, DQ Labs Pvt Ltd. "The Hackathon is our approach to introducing design thinking in school students. During the two day event students are mentored and assisted as they develop solutions to common problems.", Umesh added. Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has a history that goes back 125 years. In this time, CII has been engaged in shaping India's development journey and has worked proactively on transforming Indian Industry's engagement in national development. CII is based in Delhi but has 62 offices nationwide including 10 Centres of Excellence. It also has 8 offices in other countries. As India completes 75 years of Independence in 2022, it must position itself for global leadership with a long-term vision for India@100 in 2047. The role played by Indian industry will be central to the country's progress and success as a nation. Competitiveness, Growth, Sustainability, CII, with the Theme for 2022-23 as Beyond India@75: Internationalisation has prioritized 7 action points under these 4 sub-themes that will catalyze the journey of the country towards the vision of India@100. DQ Labs Pvt Ltd was established in 2007 by two designers from IIT, Delhi who worked for major international car makes before starting DQ Labs. The young age at which students abroad were exposed to design thinking made them quit their jobs and begin DQ Labs in the hope of achieving a similar change in India. DQ Labs is currently operating in Bengaluru, Mangalore, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Nagpur and Thrissur. It guides students who wish to try for admission to creative courses like design, architecture and fashion. For information, and how to apply for Design Hackathon 2022, you may visit: www.dqlabs.in/dh22live.php This story is provided by GPRC. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/GPRC) New Delhi [India], August 5 (ANI/NewsVoir): Truecaller and News18 Network culminate their six-month-long #ItsNotOK campaign against harassment of women with the unveiling of #CallItOut wall and a Run to EmpowHER. The culmination was in partnership with Delhi Police saw participation from dignitaries such as Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Rakesh Asthana, Former Commissioner of Police, Delhi, Mandira Bedi, Sagar Preet Hooda, Special Commissioner For Police (Law & Order), Delhi extending their support towards the need to take action against harassment. Over 500 citizens came together to run for the cause to reclaim safety in digital communications and the real world. The Ministry of Culture has also extended their support to the campaign under the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations. Unveiling the #CallItOut wall at the Civil Lines Police Station, Rakesh Asthana, Commissioner of Delhi Police lauded the efforts and impact of the #ItsNotOk campaign and cited the law enforcement's commitment to creating a sense of safety to empower women to call out harassment. Developed by Delhi Street Art, the mural art signifies stories of brave women who have taken action against harassment and the support of law enforcement towards ensuring safety in both the physical and the more complex world of digital communications. The artwork will further engage citizens across the city as it will be carried and displayed on the rear windscreens of the Delhi Police Emergency Helpline Vehicles. Following this, the Run to EmpowHER saw elaborate participation from citizens, policymakers, law enforcement and influencers who came together to express their support for the cause and run on a route designed in the shape of 'ITS NOT OK'. The run was symbolic of women reclaiming their right to safety in everyday life with the support of Delhi Police personnel and fellow men running by their side highlighting the need for collective action and responsibility towards putting an end to harassment. The energy and enthusiasm of the run continued as runners shared updates from the event, their personal stories and their commitment to safety for women across social media platforms spreading more awareness and enlightening the masses. Speaking at the flag-off of #ItsNotOK Run to EmpowHER, Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change said, "India is rising as a global power, however, the realisation of this power would not be truly complete if women continue to be discriminated against or be subjected to harassment. It is important to realise that we just can't leave the burden of speaking out and fighting harassment and discrimination in all spheres of life purely on women. Men have to engage as allies in fighting harassment as a basic responsibility of a human being. There has to be an enabling environment for women to be able to freely live, work and just be themselves as humans. The realisation of that enabling environment is everyone's responsibility. The onus of fighting this battle is on each one of us as responsible citizens and not just women facing harassment alone." Mandira Bedi, Bollywood Actress who also joined the Run to EmpowHER on Sunday, said, "Every woman has faced harassment of some form in their life. While we have been told to silently endure, ignore or block such incidents, it is important to call it out. There are many ways to call out harassment. There are apps like Truecaller that tell you the number of the person who is calling. My message to women is that they should call out harassment because it's not okay." Commenting on the culmination, Pragya Misra, Director of Public Affairs, Truecaller, India said, "We are emboldened with the massive support of citizens through their participation in the #ItsNotOk campaign and helping us strengthen our fight against harassment of women. Our goal has always been to bolster the conversation to #CallItOut and create awareness by driving action on the ground. We are confident that the efforts of the initiative will be amplified with these events and will continue to encourage every citizen who will come in contact and engage with the artwork on the #CallItOutWall or the Delhi Police Vehicles. We are grateful to the Delhi Police for championing this fight and partnering with us to ensure that the culmination is a continuation of our resolve for the safety of women in physical and digital communications." Sidharth Saini, SVP and Head - Marketing, Content and Operations at Network18 Studio said, "We are really happy and encouraged by the support that this campaign has received from stakeholders in the society, be it policymakers, police, legal authorities, academicians or celebrities. Delighted to have been partners with Truecaller on a purpose-driven campaign that is making conversations happen on real issues." Sagar Preet Hooda, IPS and Special Commissioner of Police (Law & Order), Delhi Police, who also joined the Run to EmpowHER said, "This fight against harassment of women is of all of us as a society. The mural art on the wall of the civil lines police station is a testament to the Delhi Police's dedication and spirit to fight against this menace. It's not okay to be silent. In India, our women also face harassment within domestic spaces, not only in public areas. We encourage women to report such cases of harassment. We have created helplines 112 and 181 that help women in immediate emergency situations." A woman runner who was on a holiday in Mumbai decided to participate in the EmpowHER run in her own city, said that she ran to instill the right values in her son, and not get self-defence classes for her daughter in future. Her support for the campaign shows how the initiative has turned into a people's movement over its journey. The campaign has seen an overall digital reach of 1.65 billion and received support from policymakers such as Smriti Irani, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, K Chandrashekhar Rao, Bhupender Yadav, Naveen Patnaik, K.T. Rama Rao, K. Kavitha; law enforcement authorities like KPS Malhotra, Usha Rangnani, and Shalini Singh; social activists like Ranjana Kumari, Rajni Abbi; actresses Raveena Tandon, Aditi Rao Hydari, Mandira Bedi and Huma Qureshi; as well as Indian badminton stars PV Sindhu, and Jwala Gutta; Social media influencers Anupriya Kapur and Satshya Tharein, through its journey. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 5 (ANI/NewsVoir): India will soon witness another milestone at the world's highest railway bridge, in Jammu and Kashmir, when the overarch deck launching of the Chenab Railway Bridge gets completed with a golden joint this month. In the Chenab Bridge, 93 deck segments, each weighing about 85T, have been simultaneously launched from both ends of the valley over the mighty steel arch and five are in progress. Both ends will finally meet to complete the bridge overarch deck and the segments will be joined with the help of High Strength Friction Grip (HSFG) bolts to mark the golden joint. This will complete the bridge over the Chenab River valley and herald a new chapter in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. "The overarch deck completion, 359 m above the Chenab riverbed, will be an extraordinary achievement. I have my highest respects for every engineer and worker who have contributed to this engineering achievement. This golden joint will usher in a golden moment in the history of Indian Railways and will become a golden chapter in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. Construction engineering was completely done by Indian engineers which makes the Chenab Railway Bridge a symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat," said Giridhar Rajagopalan, Deputy Managing Director of Afcons. Around 30,350 MT of steel has been used in the 1315 m long Chenab Railway Bridge construction. 10,620 MT of steel has been consumed in the construction of the gigantic arch, and 14,504 MT of steel has gone into the construction of the bridge deck. The bridge, on upstream of Salal Dam, is situated near Kauri village in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. The bridge is being constructed by Mumbai-based infrastructure major Afcons, keeping safety, quality and productivity as their main driving parameters. "For the first time in Indian Railways, incremental launching was done on transition curve and a longitudinal gradient, both occurring at same location, for the deck launching of the viaduct portion of the Chenab Bridge. Typically, bridges have been constructed incrementally on a straight or a curved platform with a uniform radius. Executing launching activities in inclement weather and stormy wind conditions was extremely challenging," Giridhar said. Both Northern Railways (NR) and Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) had played a huge role in finalising the design of the iconic Chenab Bridge. Reflecting on their involvement at crucial stages of the bridge construction, Giridhar said, "We received tremendous support for any technical issue, approval for drawings, method statements, and most importantly, both NR and KRCL played an important role in generating local employment. KRCL constructed all the access roads to the project site. These roads have provided connectivity to far-flung villages in the region." "The Northern Railways allowed us to use the Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing Machine for inspection of welds. This was done for the first time in India," he added. The fabrication was carried out in sophisticated workshops set up at both ends of the bridge. The heavy and bulky segments were transported to the launching pad with the help of SPMT, specialized modular trailer. "Considering the treacherous hilly terrain, temporary launching platform with segment lifting capacity of 120 MT and for a height of about 39 m was designed. We developed and implemented several innovative methods to overcome the challenges of the hilly terrain for successfully executing our launching activities," Giridhar said. For the first time in India, a fully equipped NABL laboratory was set up to ensure that quality was being monitored at every stage of the project. "The Northern Railways supported us in setting up the NABL lab at site for conducting weld sample tests. This saved a lot of time," he added. With KRCL's support, Afcons could carry out mock-up of all main bridge components before executing the original work which gave confidence to the engineers. This was super critical in ensuring quality and safety of staff and workers. Once completed, the Chenab Railway Bridge will be 35m higher than the Eiffel Tower. Besides completing the world's highest single-arch railway bridge in Jammu and Kashmir, Afcons also holds the distinction of refurbishing Bihar's iconic Mahatma Gandhi Setu and converting it into India's longest steel bridge. Afcons Infrastructure Limited (Afcons) is a part of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, which is India's leading engineering and construction conglomerate. With a turnover of USD 1.25 bn, Afcons has a diverse experience of executing over 350 infrastructure projects in more than 22 countries. Afcons has successfully executed landmark infrastructure projects in areas of Rail, Metro, Highways, Bridges, Tunnels, Ports, Industrial projects, LNG, Hydropower and Water Works, and Oil and Gas. Overseas, the company has delivered over 50 infrastructure projects across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Afcons is ranked 7th globally in Marine and Port Facilities, and 13th globally in the Bridges sector as per the latest Engineering News-Record (ENR), USA, survey. Afcons has had the distinction of being the only infrastructure company, in 2019, to win the Africa Best Employer Brand Award instituted by the World HRD Congress. Afcons has also won the Maharashtra State Best Employer Brand Award in 2021 for excellence in COVID-19 management. A two-time winner of the Most Admired Knowledge Enterprise (MAKE) Award in 2016 and 2017. Afcons is the first infrastructure company, globally, to win the Most Innovative Knowledge Enterprise (MIKE) Award at the Global, Asia Pacific, and India levels in 2018, 2019 and 2020. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday interacted with representatives of Export Promotion Councils and Industry associations to review the issues related to exports. Speaking to Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) and Industry representatives, Minister stated that the ball is in our court and we have to be ready to take on global competition. He said that Government is doing its best through various measures to support Indian exporters to compete globally, according to an official statement released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. Enumerating initiatives taken, Goyal highlighted that with Gati Shakti, the government is improving connectivity and logistics. The government is also negotiating to sign more FTAs with important trade partners. This will have a direct impact in providing a level playing field in international markets, he added. He emphasized that everybody will have to work hard to achieve true potential of India in terms of global trade, the minister said. Goyal pointed out that during the financial year 2021-22 India's merchandise exports rose to a record high of $422 billion and all-time total exports of $667 billion - an increase of 34.5 per cent over the previous year. By July 2022, exports have reached $156 billion (19 per cent higher) - Engineering goods exports $38 billion (8 per cent higher); Readymade garment (22 per cent higher), Agri exports grew by almost 20 per cent till July 2022, driven by rice, marine products & sugar, the minister said. Stating that the Government has been increasing its international engagement, the Minister underlined the importance of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). In this context, he urged the industry representatives to study FTAs and identify the areas which have a competitive advantage. He hoped for an agreement on a multidimensional partnership with UK this year. Minister also appealed to representatives from the industry to take advantage of PM Gati Shakti, PLI, NSWS, EoDB reforms to improve export competitiveness with respect to other manufacturing powerhouses. During the meeting, a presentation was made on the National Single window system. This scheme is being run by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to facilitate ease of doing business. Since its inception last year, around 10,000 approvals have already been given under it. (ANI) A free trade agreement (FTA) between India and Canada would give a big boost to the economies of both countries, the Business Council of Canada has said urging the Canadian government to emulate Australia in clinching an economic partnership deal with India. "Australia offers a model that Canada can emulate. Australia appears to have achieved significant gains under a bilateral trade agreement signed with the Modi government in April 2022. Australian officials say the deal will remove tariffs on 85 per cent of goods shipped to India in the short term, rising to 91 per cent over the next decade. And it is taking key steps to strengthen ties in other areas," the Business Council of Canada said in a report. The Australian government has committed to investing $280 million (Australian) in India, including in renewable technology, defence and space cooperation. It has also created the Centre for Australia-India Relations, which has the mandate to promote policy dialogue, build Australian business literacy, engage the Indian diaspora communities, and deepen cultural connections. The Council noted in the report that the Canada-India relationship is marked by enormous unexploited potential. The Canadian and Indian economies are, to a great extent, complementary. Canada needs what India has, including a rapidly growing population of middle-class consumers and a young, IT-literate workforce. In turn, India needs much of what we have: energy, technology, agri-food products, fertilizer, various other natural resources, investment capital, plus engineering and business know-how, it said. Economic modelling by Ciuriak Consulting suggests that a free trade agreement with India would boost Canadian GDP by 0.16 per cent a year by 2035, assuming relatively modest tariff cuts by India. A more ambitious deal would yield an annual GDP boost of 0.25 per cent. For a Canadian family of four, that represents a gain of C$731 per year. To put this in context, it has the potential to deliver a greater economic boost to Canada than the 2018 Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a deal which has succeeded in strengthening Canada's trade ties with 10 other countries in the Asia-Pacific. The forecast is predicated on two possible models of a Canada-India free-trade agreement. One is the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a relatively modest China-led trade deal among Asian and Pacific countries that India has so far balked at joining. The second is the more ambitious proposed bilateral deal with Canada, dubbed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Negotiations on that deal began in 2010, but later stalled. A more ambitious CEPA-style deal would boost two-way Canada-India trade by C$8.8-billion a year - more than double what it was 2019. Four broad Canadian goods export sectors stand to benefit the most from free trade with India: fruit and vegetables; chemicals, rubber and plastics; wood products; and minerals. Canada can also take advantage of the rapidly growing demand in India for business services. "India also stands to gain a lot from freer trade. Lowering its own historically high tariffs would make the Indian economy more dynamic and competitive, propelling growth of its own exports. That's exactly what happened to China after it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001. China dramatically lowered its tariffs, and its exports soared," the Business Council of Canada noted in the report. (ANI) AAP Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney said on Friday that the Ministry of Finance and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) have clarified that there will be no GST applicable on 'Sarais' (inns) owned by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) or other religious bodies. He also clarified that GST wouldn't be applicable on Sarais situated outside gurdwara premises owned by SGPC or other religious institutions, charitable trusts or societies. The AAP MP from Punjab, who had raised the issue during the Zero Hour in the Parliament, said these Sarais could be outside the boundary wall of gurdwaras. Sahney said that he had also spoken to SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami and informed him that Sarais managed by SGPC need not pay any GST. He further stated that although purchases for 'langar' are exempted from GST, SGPC and other gurdwaras had to pay the GST first and then claim reimbursement. He also demanded that the government should release all the pending GST reimbursements to the SGPC which, amount to Rs 4 crore. On the other hand, Dhami informed that they had started collecting the GST but had not deposited it with the government. He also said Sarais are not commercial or profit-making institutions, but they are meant for providing service to the 'Sangat'. Dhami said SGPC had to spend on various facilities, including air conditioning, maintenance etc., so they take nominal charges from the visiting pilgrims. Still, GST would have been an additional burden on the devotees. --IANS robin/arm ( 270 Words) 2022-08-05-19:46:03 (IANS) Actor Akshay Kumar feels that there are many similarities between him and director Aanand L Rai. On collaborating with Rai on 'Raksha Bandhan' after 'Atrangi Re', Akshay said, "I were to describe Aanand sir, it would be a warm hug. That's what being around him feels like. He's someone who I feel is very honest and passionate about his craft. Hence, he won't make you do something which isn't being honest to the character of film.What makes us click is that I feel we are very similar as people, simple living, love for food, can't sit idle, even if it's just Ludo, we play in our free time." 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 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. A few days ago, Akshay dropped some behind-the-lens pictures from 'Raksha Bandhan'. Taking to Instagram, the 'Prithviraj' actor shared a string of behind the scene pictures, to which he captioned, "A film celebrating the most special bond where there genuinely was a lot of bonding Sharing a few special moments of this very special film, coming to a theatre near you in 1 month. #RakshaBandhan releasing on 11th August in cinemas." In the first picture, Akshay was seen hugging Rai and Bhumi with an eye-blink expression. In the second picture, the 'Raanjhana' director was seen giving a warm hug to Akshay, while he sits on a chair in a blue-checked shirt. Apart from 'Raksha Bandhan', Akshay will also be seen in 'Ram Setu' with Jacqueline Fernandez and Nushrratt Bharuccha and 'Selfie' along with Emraan Hashmi. (ANI) Bollywood ace director and producer Karan Johar, on Friday, shared a heartfelt note to praise actor Ranveer Singh for his amazing persona. Taking to Instagram, the 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' director shared a monochrome picture of Ranveer, which he captioned, "So.... There is no occasion... no marketing agenda ... no launch coming up! Nothing! This is just a feeling I have which I feel like sharing with everyone! I have grown to love Ranveer Singh! The man! The person! The Ball of love that he is! His ability to make everyone he meets feel so special... the love that he exudes and that consumes his being and his entire aura... his passion to express every little gesture of love." Karan recently announced the wrap of his upcoming film 'Rocky aur Rani Ki Prem Kahni' which stars the 'Gully Boy' couple Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in the lead roles. Talking about his experience of working with the 'Padmaavat' actor, Karan added, "Over the period of my film I have observed him closely and at a distance as to what a solid guy he is! Yes he has his idiosyncrasies as an artist but thats what we see translate so beautifully on celluloid! So he's allowed! On a personal level I have been so touched on so many points of time just by his generosity of spirit! I love you Ranveer! Never lose sight of that "good bacha" you were raised to be." "I always wanted to be in a Karan Johar film, in a Dharma film. Little did I know that my first Dharma film will be directed by the man himself, the boss." Ranveer said in the shoot wrap video. Meanwhile, talking about the work front, Ranveer will be next seen in a period comedy film 'Cirkus' alongside Jacqueline Fernandez and Pooja Hegde. Directed by Rohit Shetty, the film is all set to hit the theatres on the occasion of Christmas 2022. Apart from that, he will be also seen in Karan Johar's 'Rocky aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani', which also stars Alia Bhatt, Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan and Shabana Azmi in prominent roles. The film marks the return of Karan as a director after Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016). The film is scheduled to release on February 10, 2023. (ANI) Sushmita Sen treated her fans with a swimming video from her Sardinian vacation on Friday on social media account. Sharing new pictures from her Sardinian vacation, Sushmita took to her Instagram and wrote, "Align, pause, breathe...let go!!! A lesson in surrender, as I experience the cushioned embrace of the Mediterranean Sea!! Beautifully captured @itsalways. Where life has depth...I am all in!! I love you guys!!! #duggadugga" https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg4Q0CLjccO/ In the video, the 'Main Hoon Na' actor set the internet on fire by showcasing her swimming skills as she dived into the water near a yacht with a picturesque backdrop. She was seen wearing a black noodle-style strap top and a white skirt. And kept her hair in a low bun and wore diving goggles. Meanwhile, talking about the 'Main Hoon Naa' actor, her web show 'Aarya' is all set to return for another exciting season. The hit web show that premiered its two seasons on the OTT platform Disney + Hotstar, is all set to enthrall the audience again. She shared a video that had all snippets from the show's last season and wrote, "Sherni begins a new journey, Hotstar Specials Aarya S3 development begins. I love you guys!" captioned Sushmita. Speaking about her role in Season 3, Sushmita said, "It is a new dawn for Aarya Sareen, and she is fierce. In season 3, she is going places and starting her own story free from the obstacles of her past. Reprising the role of Aarya is like slipping into old jeans but for a brand-new journey. It feels great to be back with Ram Madhvani and the Disney+ Hotstar team, can't wait to return the love and appreciation viewers have showered on Aarya." 'Aarya' marked Sushmita Sen's comeback on-screen and her Digital debut. Sushmita made a thrilling comeback with 'Aarya' in June 2020. In the Series, the actor plays the protagonist, a powerful and strong character, who goes beyond boundaries to protect her family from the world of crime. The first season was even nominated for the 'Best Drama' series at the International Emmy Awards. Directed by Ram Madhvani, the series also stars Namit Das, Manish Chaudhari, Sikandar Kher, and Vinod Rawat among others in pivotal roles. The second season of the show was released in December 2021 and the release date of the third season hasn't been revealed by the makers yet.Talking of her personal life, the diva confirmed dating former IPL Chairman Lalit Modi last month. The couple was massively trolled on the internet for announcing their relationship. Sushmita was in a relationship with model Rohman Shawl, whom she met through Instagram in 2018, but broke up with him last year. She is a mother of two adopted daughters Renee and Alisah. (ANI) A serial 'Swaraj: Bharat Ke Swatantrata Sangram ki Samagra Gatha' was launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday at Akashwani Bhawan which will be telecasted on Doordarshan. Ministry of I&B posted a promo video of the serial and wrote, "Promo of the upcoming show on @DDNational "#Swaraj: Bharat ke Swatantrata Sangram ki Samagra Gatha", launched by Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah in the presence of Union I&B Minister Shri @ianuragthakur & MoS Dr. @Murugan_MoS. #SwarajOnDoordarshan | Tune in on Aug 14 at 9 PM." https://twitter.com/MIB_India/status/1555533165821046784 Union Minister Anurag Thakur while speaking on the occasion said that Doordarshan and All India Radio had done a commendable job of reviving the valiant stories of over 550 freedom fighters and enabling the acquaintance of the younger generations with these unsung heroes. Thakur said that it is aimed at reimagining the vision behind the idea of swaraj and tell the stories of the leaders that moulded that idea into a reality. The serial is a manifestation of our pride in these heroes from the past. With satisfaction in his expressions the Minister stated that intense research had gone into the making of the serial and information and documents have been collected from all the corners of the country to bring to life these stories from our freedom struggle. Swaraj is a 75-episode serial that will air every Sunday from 9 to 10 pm on Doordarshan National from August 14. It is being dubbed in nine regional languages along with English. The serial in regional languages Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Oriya, Bengali and Assamese will be broadcast on Doordarshan's regional channels from August 20. Starting from the landing of Vasco-da-Gama in 1498 the serial presents a rich saga of the heroes of this land. This includes many unsung heroes of the likes of Rani Abbakka, Bakshi Jagabandhu, Tirot Sing, Sidhu Murmu and Kanhu Murmu, Shivappa Nayaka, Kanhoji Angre, Rani Gaidinliu, Tilka Majhi etc. along with famous freedom fighters like Rani Lakshmibai, Maharaj Shivaji, Tatya Tope, Madam Bhikaji Kama etc. The serial will be produced in 4K/HD quality. The Home Minister also elaborated on the meaning of 'Swaraj' in the Indian context and said that it was to run India with its traditions and culture. Shah said as he launched Doordarshan's mega historical Hindi serial - 'Swaraj - Bharat Ke Swatantrata Sangram Ki Samagra Gatha' in the national capital. The 75-episode series will present a glorious history of India's freedom struggle and lesser-known tales about Indian history. Speaking on this occasion, the Home Minister said the endeavour of this Swaraj series should be to make Indians feel proud of their culture, values, and ancient texts. He urged the youth to take pride in the country's ancient culture and history."As far as the meaning of the word Swaraj is concerned, it means self-rule in the context of the Western countries, but as far as India is concerned, Swaraj means making India independent and governing it with its own traditions and culture. Under this, own language also comes, own religion also comes, and own culture also comes. Unless we live with the sense of Swaraj, India cannot achieve Swaraj in its real form," he said. "India cannot achieve the aim of 'Swaraj' unless we preserve the ancient culture and languages as well as inform our future generations about the country's rich history," he added.Stating that the culture in India goes back to over 12,000 years, the Home Minister said that "no NGOs need to teach" culture to the country. "We are self-ruling for 75 years, whoever came to power, took the country forward. But can the aim of Swaraj be achieved if we could not save our languages in the 100th year? If we do not carry forward our history to the next generation, can the aim of Swaraj be fulfilled? There has been a stream of culture for over 12,000 years. No NGO needs to teach us culture," Shah said. He added, "I want to tell the youth that the ones who ruled us destroyed our system. They could only rule when our people felt inferior because we were ahead of them in every field. They created a falsehood that we were illiterate. How can the country be illiterate which gave the world Gita, Vedas ?" (ANI) The latest hearing in disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein's sexual assault case was delayed recently due to flooding. According to Variety, a flood caused a lockdown at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, the Los Angeles prison where the convicted rapist is currently behind bars. Mark Werksman, one of Weinstein's attorneys, told members of the media who were sitting in the courtroom, "Just a routine delay." Judge Lisa B. Lench stated that "It is my understanding that there was a flood at Twin Towers where Mr Weinstein is housed. It is now 9:40." Originally the hearing was scheduled to commence at 8:30 am. It was the latest court date, leading up to Weinstein's long-awaited Los Angeles sexual assault and rape trial. The hearing has now been pushed by Judge Lench to August 10 but first dealt with a few matters regarding the defence's subpoenas to witnesses. Variety reported that earlier this week, in another hearing for the case, Judge Lench ruled to limit the amount of information that could be obtained by Weinstein's defence team for the upcoming trial. She approved the prosecution's motion to quash subpoenas from four witnesses for their correspondence, including personal emails and texts dating as far back as 2004 with one of the alleged victims. However, at that hearing, the judge said she wouldn't prevent the defence from serving future subpoenas to victims and would not ask them to notify the prosecution in advance of their attempts to serve. On Friday morning, discussions got a bit heated with the prosecution objecting to Weinstein's attorney, Alan Jackson, who argued that the defence has the right to subpoena witnesses without giving advanced notice to the prosecution. Weinstein is scheduled to go on trial on October 10 in LA He faces 11 charges of rape and sexual assault from five women, reported Variety. The trial comes after nationwide court delays due to the pandemic, during which Weinstein was in prison, so far serving roughly 2.5 years of his 23-year sentence, after being convicted of rape and sexual assault in his New York trial in February 2020. As per Variety, that verdict was recently upheld by a New York appeals court in June. It ensured that despite the outcome of the upcoming LA trial, the disgraced Hollywood producer will stay behind bars. (ANI) A labourer from Bihar was killed and two others from the same state in a grenade attack by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Thursday night, police said. The attack took place in Gadoora area of Pulwama. "The deceased labourer has been identified as Mohd Mumtaz, son of Mohd Jaloo, resident of Sakwa Parsa, Bihar. The injured have been identified as Mohd Arif, son of Mohd Aziz and Mohd Majbool, son of Mohd Arif, residents of Rampor, Bihar. Both are stable," a police official said. Meanwhile, the area has been cordoned off. Additional police parties have reached the spot and an operation has been started to nab the attackers. --IANS zi/vd ( 125 Words) 2022-08-04-22:32:01 (IANS) An order issued by the Sawai Madhopur Statistics Department to appoint Yuva Mitras to promote the public welfare schemes of the state government by creating 10 dummy accounts each has gone viral on social media, forcing the state government to take immediate action on Thursday. Soon after the order went viral, the Director of Statistics Directorate, Omprakash Bairwa, issued directive to suspend Assistant Director Satish Kumar Saharia, who had issued the order. While Sahariya denied issuing the order, Bairwa said, "An FIR has been lodged in this case on behalf of the Directorate, and an investigation will make the picture clear." "The Directorate did not issue instructions to create dummy accounts. The Assistant Director of Sawai Madhopur Statistics Department has been suspended and the police will investigate the whole matter," he added. In the order issued by the Department of Statistics, Sawai Madhopur, instructions were given to the block statistics officers to appoint Yuva Mitras to promote the public welfare schemes of the state government by creating 10 dummy accounts for each Yuva Mitra on Twitter and five on Facebook. Meanwhile, BJP MLA Jitendra Gothwal, who has lodged a complaint in this matter, said that creating a fake account is an offence under Section 419 of the IPC and a violation of the IT Act. Gothwal alleged that the state government is cheating the youth of the state by egging them to create dummy accounts to promote its schemes to garner publicity. The BJP MLA also met Director General of Police M.L. Lather in Jaipur and demanded appropriate action in the matter. --IANS arc/arm ( 279 Words) 2022-08-04-22:52:05 (IANS) A Delhi court has sent three arrested Tihar Jail officials to judicial custody till August 17, in a case pertaining to the alleged murder of gangster Ankit Gujjar inside the jail last year. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Anjani Mahajan, in the order passed on Wednesday, noted the gravity of the offences as the court heard the application of the Investigating Officer seeking an extension of remand of the accused -- former Deputy Superintendent Narender Meena, suspended Assistant Superintendent Dinesh Dabas, and suspended Head Warder Deepak Chikara, who were arrested by the Central Bureau of Intelligence (CBI). The IO also said that further investigation is going on in relation to Dabas and Chhikara, who were arrested few days ago, and supplementary report shall be filed expeditiously. Meena was arrested two months before by the probe agency. The court was also told that adequate measures have been taken up considering the apprehensions of jail officials, who alleged security threats from inmates. "One personnel of Tamil Nadu Special Police has been deployed outside their cell round the clock and will accompany them when they are required to move outside their cell within the jail premises. Further, it is mentioned that special instructions have been given to jail officials concerned to provide adequate security to them," the court was told. For their request for providing facility of separate van, a letter has been sent to DCP, it was apprised. On August 4 last year, Gujjar was found dead with multiple injuries on his body inside the premises of Central Jail No 3. As per the court's directions, the investigation of the case was being conducted by the CBI. --IANS jw/vd ( 289 Words) 2022-08-04-22:56:02 (IANS) The transfer orders by the Nagapattinam Superintendent of Police came after the personnel walked the ramp in a beauty pageant. As per initial reports, a beauty contest was held last Sunday in Sembanarkovil of Mayiladuthurai district by a private organization in which actress Yashika Anand participated as a special invitee and inaugurated the pageants. Meanwhile, the news about this went viral in the media the next day. Nagapattinam District Superintendent of Police Jawagar has issued an order to transfer these policemen (Renuka, Ashwini, Nithyaseela, and Sivanesan) including Special Assistant Inspector Subramanian, who was currently working at Sembanarkovil Police Station. Further details are awaited. (ANI) The Patna High Court on Thursday pulled up the Bihar Police, saying its approach against judicial officers was dangerous and it was not even respecting the rulings of the Supreme Court. A division bench of Justices Rajan Gupta and Mohit Shah made the remarks in presence of Bihar DGP S.K. Singhal who appeared before the bench in connection with the hearing of ADJ Avinash Kumar assault case in Madhubani, after being summoned by the court on Wednesday. ADJ, Jhanjharpur, Avinash Kumar was assaulted by then Ghoghardeh SHO Gopal Krishna and Sub-Inspector Abhimanyu Kumar Sharma in his court chamber on November 18, 2021. The two policemen also threatened him with dire consequences by pointing a pistol on him. He was subsequently rescued by the lawyers of the Jhanjharpur court. Following the incident, ADJ Avinash Kumar registered an FIR against the two policemen in the Jhanjharpur police station. Since then, the high court was monitoring the case. However, on Wednesday, the court was shocked to know that an FIR was filed against the ADJ. Government lawyer Mrigang Mauli, appearing for the police, said that an FIR was registered against the ADJ on the statement of then SHO and the SI in June this year. At this, Chief Justice Sanjay Karol 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. He had summoned the DGP on Thursday. On Thursday, the bench also asked the DGP that if any case is registered against leaders, police will withdraw it immediately. "Then, why have you delayed in withdrawing the FIR against a judge?" At this, Advocate General Lalit Kishore told the court that the police had made the mistake by registering the FIR against the ADJ. As the police cannot withdraw it on its own, it has started the process and moved an application in the respective court for the cancellation of the FIR. The FIR will be cancelled soon. Following the assurance, the bench directed the police to rectify the error by the next hearing. --IANS ajk/vd ( 414 Words) 2022-08-04-23:08:02 (IANS) An official at the Chief Minister's Office said that the state cabinet in its meeting on Thursday approved the name of the airport as "Donyi Polo Airport". Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu chaired the meeting. The official said that the name of the lone airport in the capital city would symbolise the age-old tradition and rich cultural heritage of the tribal dominated state and also would reflect the people's age-old indigenous reverence on the Sun (Donyi) and the Moon (Polo). The Central government had earlier accorded its approval for setting up of the "greenfield airport" under the 'Capital Connectivity Scheme' to build up fixed wing air connectivity facility to the state capital which was a long cherished dream of the people of the bordering state, the official added. The "Donyi Polo Airport" airport in Itanagar would be Arunachal Pradesh's third airport after Pasighat and Tezu airports, and northeast India's 16th airport. The Chief Minister had earlier said that work on the airport is on war-footing and shall be made operational soon. The Airport Authority of India has undertaken a Rs 650 crore project to develop the airport to boost air connectivity in the mountainous areas. Currently, there are 15 operational airports in the northeastern region -- Guwahati, Silchar, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tezpur, Lilalabari and Rupsi (Assam), Tezu and Pasighat (Arunachal Pradesh), Agartala (Tripura), Imphal (Manipur), Shillong (Meghalaya), Dimapur (Nagaland), Lengpui (Mizoram) and Pakyong (Sikkim). --IANS sc/pgh ( 271 Words) 2022-08-04-23:18:03 (IANS) Amid the arrest and trips to court of former West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee, ex-TMC leader and the former General Secretary of West Bengal College and Universities Professors' Association (WBCUPA), Baisakhi Banerjee on Thursday made some big revelations and said people got a direct entry into educational institutions during Chatterjee's tenure. "It was strange to see student leaders coming from an ordinary background becoming powerful and strong names in the education sector. There was a syndicate working inside the West Bengal College University Professors Association (WBCUPA) which added a price tag to the college university sub-post where every post was on sale. Those who could not teach even in school entered the university directly with Partha Chatterjee's push," Banerjee told ANI. She further stated that she confronted Partha Chatterjee about the situation but got only false reasons. "Underqualified thieves were getting jobs because of Partho Chatterjee. He immediately took action and suspended a man who was accused of corruption and used to scold those people who were involved. After a few days, I understood that it is all a facade. After a few days, the same man was coming back into the education sector in a more powerful way and I understood that corruption will not end here and would worsen," she added. Banerjee said she did not have much knowledge about the school commission recruitment but if details about college and university recruitments come out, it could be an even bigger scam. She also highlighted that it was Partha who got her into politics and said, "This is the saddest time for me right now because Partha Chatterjee brought me into politics by saying that there is a lot of corruption here, if someone comes from a good family like you, he/she will not come for money. More girls like you should come into politics. Believing this to be true, my political career started with his hands in 2016." She further alleged that Partha Chatterjee didn't consider anyone above himself. "He didn't consider anyone above himself, not even Mamata Banerjee. He misused his position several times and completely controlled the education department. He indulged in corruption for himself," she added. She also highlighted that it was Partha who got her into politics and said," This is the saddest time for me right now because Partha Chatterjee brought me into politics by saying that there is a lot of corruption here, if someone comes from a good family like you, he/she will not come for money. More girls like you should come into politics. Believing this to be true, my political career started with his hands in 2016." Earlier on August 3, a special Court in Kolkata 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, among 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 has 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) Taking note of the situation, LG Sinha assured of punishment to the miscreants. "Strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack on labourers in Pulwama. My sincere condolences to the family of Mohd Mumtaz in this hour of grief. Praying for the early recovery of the injured. I assure the people that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished," tweeted the official handle of the LG of Jammu and kashmir. His remarks came after one labourer died and two others were injured in a grenade attack by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Thursday night. The Police said that both the injured labourers are stable. The Police had cordoned off the area. "Terrorists hurled grenade on outside labourers at Gadoora area of Pulwama. In this terror incident, one labourer died and two others were injured. Area cordoned off. Further details shall follow," Kashmir Zone Police said in a tweet. The deceased labourer has been identified as Mohammad Mumtaz, a resident of Sakwa Parsa, Bihar. The other two injured are also residents of Bihar. "The deceased outside labourer has been identified as Mohd Mumtaz, resident of Sakwa Parsa, Bihar. Injured have been identified as Mohd Arif and Mohd Majbool, residents of Rampur, Bihar. Both are stable," Police added. (ANI) One labourer died and two others were injured in a grenade attack by terrorists in Pulwama district on Thursday night, police said. Speaking to ANI, the BJP leader said, "Through this kind of attack, terrorists are trying to show their presence. However, security forces are tackling the situation well. I condemn this cowardly attack. The terrorists know that their existence is on the verge of collapsing that is why they are involved in such activities." The police said that both the injured labourers are stable. "Terrorists hurled grenade on outside labourers at Gadoora area of Pulwama. In this terror incident, one labourer died and two others were injured. Area cordoned off. Further details shall follow," Kashmir Zone Police said in a tweet. The deceased labourer has been identified as Mohammad Mumtaz, a resident of Sakwa Parsa, Bihar. The other two injured are also residents of Bihar. "The deceased labourer has been identified as Mohd Mumtaz, resident of Sakwa Parsa, Bihar. The injured have been identified as Mohd Arif and Mohd Majbool, residents of Rampur, Bihar. Both are stable," Police added. Earlier on Wednesday, terrorists fired upon a vehicle-bound police party in the Allochibagh Bund area of Srinagar district of Jammu and Kashmir, said police.The police said no injury or other damage took place. (ANI) Amid the rising demands for the national flags in the country, the members of a Self Help Group (SHG) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri cover long distances on foot to reach their centre and meet the demand for Tiranga on the occasion of Independence Day and Har Ghar Tiranga campaign. These women have their centre in a remoter and hilly area of Dhalodi village of Budhal block in Rajouri. The 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign under the aegis of Azadi ka Amrit Mohatsav is a big hit in Jammu and Kashmir with a large number of people joining the celebrations to mark the 75 years of India's Independence. The common citizens, politicians and soldiers are jointly campaigning to show patriotism towards the country. In Kupwara, the councillor of Ward 4 Lateef Ahmad hoisted the National Flag at his residence to mark the celebrations. People in the Kashmir Valley are willingly and enthusiastically hoisting flags at their buildings - be it homes, hotels or restaurants. The Tricolour is also flying high in many public places like Lal Chowk in Srinagar and Kokila Chowk in Kishtwar. In Pulwama, the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign has gained momentum as students, besides taking an active part in essay, painting and singing competitions, are also participating in Tiranga rallies in all educational institutions in the district. Under the Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan, people of the Anantnag district have also started hoisting tricolor on rooftops of their houses. "The locals are very happy and are in a positive mood for this campaign", said a local resident.The Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force and the Army also joined the campaign by hoisting the national flag at their posts and office buildings. In a tweet, BSF Kashmir said, "Participation of @BSF_Kashmir in #HarGharTiranga campaign with the celebration of the 75th year of independence for a commitment to nation-building". Meanwhile, in Uttarakhand's Mussoorie, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in association with the Flag Foundation of India (FFI) on Thursday installed a 72-feet-high national flag at ITBP Academy near Nag Mandir, dedicating it to the martyrs of the freedom struggle by ITBP and FFI and also for spreading awareness of the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign. This year, the Centre is celebrating 75 years of Independence with the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (July 31) called upon all citizens to turn the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign into a mass movement by hoisting or displaying the national flag in 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'. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on July 2 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. (ANI) India and China held a special round of military talks on Tuesday at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point in Eastern Ladakh to discuss air space violations and provocations by the Chinese side in that area in the last 45 days. The talks were held after the Indian Air Force sternly countered the Chinese attempts to provoke in the Eastern Ladakh sector by violating air space and the confidence-building measure lines which mandate that both sides should fly fighter planes within 10 Kms of the LAC. "During the military talks, the Indian side strongly raised objections over the Chinese flying activities near Eastern Ladakh sector for over a month now and asked them to avoid such provocative activities," government sources told ANI. The talks have also come at a time when the Chinese are having tense relations with multiple countries including the US over a high-profile American visit to Taiwan and its firing of ballistic missiles in the Japanese Exclusive Economic Zone. The talks between the two sides included Air Force officers from both sides along with Army representatives. The Indian Air Force was represented by Air Commodore Amit Sharma from the Operations branch while an equivalent rank officer came from the People's Liberation Army's Air Force side for the discussions. The Indian Army was represented by a Major General-rank officer under the Fire and Fury Corps headed by Lt Gen A Sengupta, the sources said. The Chinese have been complaining about the Indian Air Force upgrading its capability to detect Chinese Air Force aircraft operating within the territory controlled by them in the Tibet region.The confrontation between the two Air Forces started in June last week when on June 25, a PLAAF J-11 fighter aircraft flew very close to a friction point in Eastern Ladakh around 4 AM and was picked up by both men on ground as well as radars. The Chinese activities opposite the Chumar sector continued for over a month and the Indian Air Force responded strongly by scrambling its fighter aircraft including the Mirage 2000 and MiG-29s from its advance bases near the Ladakh region. The sources said the Chinese had not expected such a strong reaction from the IAF which was ready for taking on any possible misadventure from the PLAAF side. During this time, IAF was also taking precautions to ensure that there was no escalation of the matters on the ground along with keeping a close watch on their air activities, they said. In an earlier interview with ANI a few weeks ago, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari had stated that "Whenever we find that Chinese aircraft or remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) are coming a little too close to the LAC, we take appropriate measures by scrambling our fighters or putting our systems on high alert. This has deterred them to quite an extent," the IAF chief said. The Air Force elements of both countries are now likely to form part of the talks between the two countries at the Corps Commander level in future also. India and China have held 16 rounds of Corps commander-level talks between them to deescalate the situation and tensions which started after the Chinese tried to alter the status quo on the LAC in 2020. Till now, the talks led by the Fire and Fury Corps Commander from the Indian side have representatives from the ITBP and the Ministry of External Affairs. The two sides have been able to resolve three frictions points in eastern Ladakh and are holding discussions to find solutions for the Hot Springs area also. The Chinese are discussing only the issues of boundary dispute which have emerged post-May 2020 and have refused to hold talks on legacy issues. The Indian Air Force has upgraded its detection. capabilities along the China border in the Ladakh sector also but it has to further strengthen its network and coverage to keep a close eye on the PLAAF activities near the Indian territory. (ANI) The killing of BJP youth activist Praveen Nettaru and the consequent anger among party workers were among issues that Union Home minister Amit Shah discussed with top Karnataka leaders during his visit to the state. On Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Karnataka and held a meeting with Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai and former chief minister BS Yediyurappa and discussed the anger among BJP youth wing leaders following the death of Nettaru. The BJP has never faced such a backlash from its own workers and Hindu activists before in the state, sources added. Earlier, workers of BJP's youth wing protested out state Home Minister Araga Jnanendra's residence demanding a ban on the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and organisations linked to it. Some workers also resigned from the party. BJP workers are demanding strictest possible action against the culprits. The Karnataka government has been trying to convey to the people that it will take stern measures to bring guilty to the book. Jnanendra has also mentioned a Uttar Pradesh style of approach to ensure a smoother law and order situation. During his visit, Shah also visited the Nandini dairy plant of Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) and observed the working of the milk powder unit. He was accompanied by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Karnataka Cooperation Minister ST Somashekar Gowda, KMF President Balachandra Jarakiholi, MLA SR Vishwanath and other leaders. Shah while addressing the 3rd Edition Sankalp Se Siddhi Conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Ministry of Culture in Bengaluru to celebrate 75 years of Indian Independence, said in the last eight years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave an all-inclusive and all-reaching development model. He further lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said, "PM Modi has relentlessly worked to streamline the Indian economy and give it direction through several visionary steps like Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make In India. I am sure that with these efforts India will be the world's leading economy in our 100 years of Independence." The Union Minister said that top economists across the globe also accept that it is due to PM Modi's farsighted decisions and policies that today Indian economy is the fastest in the world to come out of Covid's impact. In last month, Nettaru, a young BJP worker, was attacked with lethal weapons by unidentified people on a bike in Bellare in Dakshina Kannada. When the BJP Yuva Morcha leader was murdered, he was heading toward his home. Tension prevailed in several parts of the Dakshin Kannada district after the murder. Protests also erupted over the murder in several parts of the districts. (ANI) The Delhi High Court on Friday directed Delhi Police and other authorities to strictly implement the prohibition of any kind of Chinese samjha/synthetic manjha used in kite flying following the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Judgement in this regards. However, Court refused to pass any direction to ban kite flying while hearing public interest litigation, which sought a total ban of kite flying. Appearing for Delhi Police, GNCTD counsel said the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) are actively dealing with the issue and also have issued a memorandum from time to time in this regard. Centre Government counsel while opposing the petition submitted that demanding a complete ban on kite flying is unfair and unreasonable. It's an important cultural and religious activity. On Thursday the Delhi HC had asked Delhi Police about 'what steps it has taken to stop the availability and selling of Chinese samjha/synthetic manjha used in kite flying, which was banned by NGT. The bench of Justice Satish Chander Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and sought direction from the Centre, Delhi Government and Delhi Police to impose a complete ban on flying, making, sale-purchase, storage and transportation of kites. The plea stated that many persons and birds were killed and injured due to accidents caused by kite strings and such accidents were occurring regularly. The life and safety of human beings and birds of Delhi are endangered due to kite flying. The complete ban on flying, making, sale-purchase, storage, and transportation of kites and objects used in making and flying kites 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 petition said. The plea further stated that the respondents totally failed to take appropriate action as kite flying 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..." According to the petitioner Sanser Pal Singh, who is a practising Advocate, each and every time, a competition takes place between kite flyers, it is never-ending, wherein on every occasion each kite flier tries to take down the other kite-flyers' by trying to take him out of the competition by cutting the other competitor/ person's kite string. In pursuance thereof, each kite flier/competitor tries to use an improved and more potent/dangerous thread than the competitor's. For this, every kite-flyer tries to source and use string/thread that is glass coated and/or metallic, which are popularly known as 'Chinese manjha' which are more dangerous and due to this kite manjha, the life and safety of the human beings besides birds are endangered due to kite string. The petitioner further stated that the recent accident was caused by a kite string, where a 30-year-old person lost his life on July 25 on the Haiderpur Flyover in Delhi. Delhi Police had also issued an advisory on 13 August 2021 and published it in the newspaper for avoiding the use of metallic powder-coated thread. Delhi citizens have witnessed several accidents caused by kite strings, where many people either got injured or lost their lives. The petitioner himself met with an accident in 2006 when a kite string entangled around his body and in the attempt of stopping it from reaching to the throat, the petitioner took it on his finger as a result of which he got his finger half cut, the petition stated. (ANI) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney on Friday thanked Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for making clear that GST would not be charged on religious places and that sarais run by Sikhs will not need to pay the tax. "No GST will be charged in religious places. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave out this ruling today morning. I thank Union Minister for acceding to my demands," said Vikramjit Singh Sahney. The Rajya Sabha MP had earlier said he would raise the issue in the Parliament. "I am happy to inform all the Punjabis and Sikh devotees that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the GST council, CBIC, have allowed the precincts of a religious place to include a Serai," Sahney said on Friday. "The precincts of a religious place, in terms of the above notification, has to be given broader meaning to include a Sarai even if it is located outside the boundary wall of a complex of a religious place, in the surrounding area, and managed by the same trust or management," Sahney said. "These Sarais managed by SGPC may therefore avail the above stated exemptions in respect of renting of rooms by them," he added. On Thursday, Shaney had said that he will be raising the issue of GST imposition on Serais associated with Gurudwaras and other religions institutions in the Parliament. The central government cleared the air regarding doubts about goods and services tax (GST) on Sarais (accommodations) run by religious or charitable trusts. "Certain sections of the media and social media are spreading the message that GST has recently been imposed with effect from 18 July, 2022 even on Sarais run by religious/charitable trusts. This is not true." the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) posted on Twitter as part of a series of tweets. Based on the recommendations of the 47th GST Council meeting in Chandigarh, GST exemption on "hotel accommodations" having room rent upto Rs 1,000 per day was withdrawn and tax at 12 per cent imposed. There were doubts that the decision would also impact serais. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the foremost organisation of Sikhs, and several Aam Aadmi Party leaders, especially Raghav Chadha, had earlier demanded a rollback in GST on such accommodations. On Wednesday, Chadha gave a suspension of business notice in Rajya Sabha to discuss the imposition of GST on such Sarais. In another tweet, the CBIC said: "However, there is another exemption which exempts renting of rooms in religious precincts by a charitable or religious trust, where amount charged for the room is less than Rs. 1000 per day. This exemption continues to be in force without any change."CBIC quoting reports stated that the three Sarais -- Guru Gobind Singh NRI Niwas, Baba Deep Singh Niwas, Mata Bhag Kaur Niwas -- managed by SGPC in Amritsar have started paying GST with effect from July 18. "In this regard it is to clarify that no notice has been issued to any of these Sarais. These Sarais may have on their own opted to pay GST."This view was being consistently taken by the Centre even in the pre-GST regime, it said." State Tax authorities may also take the same view in their jurisdiction. These Sarais managed by SGPC may therefore avail the above-stated exemptions in respect of renting of rooms by them," another CBIC tweet said. (ANI) The youths in Jammu and Kashmir have been finding new career prospects be it new employment opportunities or starting new business ventures after the abrogation of Article 370. This has become possible due to a fast-changing scenario after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35(A) in 2019. The government has been working hard to build "Naya Jammu and Kashmir" and the results are becoming visible with each passing day. Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development (JKEDI) has been instrumental in creating a startup ecosystem by fostering an entrepreneurial culture and supporting innovation to improve knowledge, wealth and employment. Youngsters like Yasmeena from village Pattan in Baramulla district have decided to pursue a career in cooking and baking. She works at a famous private restaurant cum cake centre in Baramulla. "When I got the post of Head chef in this outlet, I got courage that I can do something in my life and become independent. When I started working, people used to question my choice of pursuing a career in baking. They discouraged my parents by telling them that I came home late but my parents always supported me," Yasmeena said. Many Kashmiri youngsters are now eagerly trying to excel in the Civil Services examination and contribute to the development of the country. A resident of Anantnag, Waseem Ahmad Bhat, secured All India Rank (AIR) 225 in the Civil Services Examination 2020. He believes that hard work always pays off and one should not be solely dependent on luck. "It is important for anyone who wants to qualify for such an exam to commit themselves to study from an early age. I had been preparing for the UPSC for the last two years. Success depends on your hard work, not only on your luck. I did the same and my hard work paid off," Waseem said. Many youths in Kashmir valley have formed self-help groups to produce local products and even distribute them in the region. "Brisk Delivery" has been formed by a group of youngsters in the Pampore area of Pulwama to deliver products after tying up with restaurants and departmental stores. They are also planning to launch a mobile app for customers. The idea attracted the youths towards work which is also helping to solve the issue of unemployment. It is now spreading in small towns and youths are earning money. Adil Bhat, the founder of Brisk Delivery said, "The aim is to generate employment with the help of technology". Mohammed Saquib, a restaurant owner said, "It's a good initiative taken by Adil. They want us to support the initiative." The youths in Jammu and Kashmir are now upbeat about the latest trends and they are eagerly adopting new avenues and benefits of government-funded schemes for a brighter career. (ANI) Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday informed the Rajya Sabha that as many as 1,253 Railway stations across the country had been identified for development, out of which 1,215 stations so far have been developed and the remaining stations are set to be developed under Adarsh Station Scheme by 2022-23. The Minister made the announcement while giving a written reply to a query of BJP MP Narhari Amin. Responding to the query "whether the beautification of railway stations of the country is being done by the government", Vaishnaw said, "Ministry of Railways has formulated various schemes like Model, Modern and Adarsh Station Scheme for the upgradation and beautification of stations on Indian Railways". Presently, the Minister said, Railway stations are upgraded and beautified under the 'Adarsh' Station Scheme based on identified need of providing better-enhanced passenger amenities at stations. "Under 'Adarsh' Station Scheme, 1,253 stations have been identified for development, out of which 1,215 stations so far have been developed and the remaining stations are targeted to be developed under Adarsh Station Scheme by Financial Year 2022-23." Besides, Vaishnaw said, a new scheme for 'Major Upgradation of Railway Stations' has been recently initiated. "So far, 52 stations have been identified for the upgradation under this scheme." "The expenditure on beautification and the upgradation of stations under Adarsh Station Scheme is generally funded under Plan Head --53 'Customer Amenities," said the Minister. "During the Financial Year 2021-22, an amount of Rs 2,344.55 crore was allocated under Plan Head -53, and in the current Financial Year 2022-23, an amount of Rs 2,700 crore has been allocated under Plan Head - 53," said Vaishnaw. On a question "whether railway stations located in Gujarat have been selected under this scheme", the Minister said there are 32 stations which were identified under the Adarsh Station Scheme in the state of Gujarat. "All 32 stations have been developed under the Adarsh Station Scheme." The names of stations located in Gujarat identified for development under the 'Adarsh' Station Scheme are Ambli Road, Bechraji, Bhaktinagar, Bhanvad, Bhatariya, Dahod, Gandhidham, Gandhigram, Himatnagar, Jamnagar, Kadi, Khambliya, Kim, oat Kosamba, Lalpurjam, Maninagar, Navsari, New Bhuj, Okha, Palanpur, Sabarmati, Siddhpur, Udhana, Una, Unja, Vadnagar, Vijapur, Visnagar, Vyara, Gandhinagar Capital, Sabarmati BG and Patan. Under the "Major Upgradation of stations" scheme, Vaishnaw further said a total of five stations such as Udhna, Surat, Somnath, Sabarmati BG and MG and New Bhuj have been identified in Gujarat. (ANI) To ensure operational readiness of hi-tech satellite systems and personnel manning, the Indian Army conducted a satellite communication exercise in the last week of July 2022, said sources. Top sources in Defence establishment have confirmed that a pan Indian Army satellite communication exercise, SKYLIGHT was conducted from in last week of July 2022. The objective of the exercise was to ensure operational readiness of hi-tech satellite systems and personnel manning these. In this exercise, 100 per cent of all satellite communication assets in the Indian Army were activated and various technical and operational scenarios in the space domain were played up. Various agencies responsible for space and ground segments, as also ISRO participated in the exercise. As on date, the Indian Army is utilising the services of a number of ISRO satellites, on which over hundreds of communication terminals of various types are connected. These include static terminals, transportable vehicle-mounted terminals, man-portable and small form factor man-pack terminals. Also, the Indian Army-owned Satellite GSAT-7B has been accorded approval by the Defence Acquisition Council in March this year. This satellite has been designed as the first of its kind indigenous multiband satellite with advanced security features. It will support tactical communication requirements for not only troops deployed on the ground, but also for remotely piloted aircraft, air defence weapons and other mission-critical and fire support platforms. As complex aerospace technology has begun impacting military operations and communications in particular, it is imperative that technical competence in this field is built and refined within the armed forces. Indian Army has thus been laying emphasis on training its personnel on all aspects of satellite communication. Detailed studies of cyber and electromagnetic effects during the Ukraine war were carried out by the Indian Army. The study established the efficacy of reliable satellite communication like the one afforded by 'Starlink'. Taking a cue from the same and also the latest trends in satellite technology, the Indian Army has placed some realisable challenges before the industry and academia. These include the future requirement of fighting troops for small form factor handheld secure satellite phones, satellite IoT and satellite high-speed data backbone, some of which will call for utilisation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations. It is expected that in the coming days, there will be an increased collaboration of the Indian Army with the Private Indian Space Industry for the realisation of complex satellite communication projects. For this, we are proactively in touch with various startups, MSMEs and INSPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Center). This is expected to positively fuel the vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' campaign. Over the years, in line with the growing National space capability, a number of satellite communication networks of the Indian Army have been operationalized for the provision of Beyond Line of Sight tactical communication for remote areas devoid of terrestrial connectivity. (ANI) Jammu and Kashmir Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Vijay Kumar on Friday asserted that there have been no civilian casualties due to firing by security forces in the union territory in the past three years. "In the past three years, there have been no civilian casualties due to police, security force firing. There are no more incidents of stone-pelting at the site of an encounter. Now, we are quick to identify and nab terrorists," Vijay Kumar, ADGP (Law and Order), Kashmir told mediapersons. The ADGP's comments came hours after an encounter broke out at the Redwani area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam. The Army officials informed that an army jawan and a civilian had received injuries in the encounter. "#KulgamEncounterUpdate: One Army Jawan and one civilian got injured in the #encounter. Search in the area is still going on. Further details shall follow," Kashmir Zone Police tweeted. As per the police's information, the enounter broke out around 11.59 am today. Earlier on July 31, one Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist, identified as Irshad Ahmed Bhat of Pattan, was killed in the Binner area of J-K's Baramulla district. According to the police, he was active since May 2022. In the July 30 joint operation of The Police, Army (29RR) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) (2nd Bn), that broke in the Wanigam Bala village of Baramulla, the J-K police eliminated one terrorist. In the operation, one Indian Army assault dog also lost its life, while three personnel of the security forces sustained minor injuries. The police acted on a specific input and launched a joint cordon-and-search operation, after which they recovered incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including one AK-47 Rifle, three AK magazines, seven AK-rounds, one pouch and one bag from the site of the encounter. The J-K police had also apprehended two hybrid terrorists of the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba during an encounter in Baramulla. (ANI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a press conference on Friday appealed to citizens to sing the national anthem while holding the National Flag at 5 pm on 14th August and pledge to make India the number one country in the world. He said that in Delhi 25 lakh tricolour flags will be distributed to the people at various places in the preparation for the Independence Day eve event. "The country is celebrating the 75th anniversary of independence, people are happy and celebrating in their own way. All governments are celebrating, and programs like Har Ghar Tiranga, and Har Hath Tiranga are being organised. On August 14, on the eve of Independence Day, at 5 pm, every Indian should sing the national anthem with the tricolour in hand. Various programs will be organised in over 100 places in Delhi. We are going to distribute 25 lakh tricolours for this in Delhi," Kejriwal said. He said that the Tricolour will be given to every child in their schools for them to take home. "Tricolours will be distributed on every street corner. After singing the national anthem on 14th August, put the same tricolour at your home and take a vow that we have to make our country the number one country in the world. We have to provide roads from village to village, to provide electricity, water, education for all, and security for every woman. Unless this happens, India will not become the number one country in the world," he added. Kejriwal also highlighted the availability of health facilities and asked citizens to remember that in order to make India the number one country in the world, it is important that every Indian citizen gets good medical facilities. Delhi CM said, "On 14th August, I will also take a tricolour in my hand and sing the National Anthem with everybody. We have to make the determination on the 75th Independence Day celebration that we, 130 crore Indian citizens, will make India the number one country in the world." Earlier on July 28, Kejriwal said that the children from the national capital will make the world's largest 'Tiranga' in Delhi."The whole country is celebrating 75 years of independence. Thousands of children will gather in Delhi to make the world's largest Tiranga. We will pledge on this day to make India the number one country in the world," said Delhi CM.He also highlighted that numerous countries have developed a lot faster and it's time that India matches the route."Many countries have overtaken us in 75 years, while nature has given us a lot. We should keep these political parties and leaders aside if we are to move in the direction of progress," he added.Stressing unity as the key factor on India's path to development, he said, "75 years ago we united to drive away the British, now we will unite again to make India the number one country in the world. But for this everyone has to come together." The central government has also launched the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence. (ANI) The Special Court for Exclusive Trial under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention Act) here on Friday sentenced 27 people to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of three Dalits in the Kachanatham village in Tamil Nadu's Sivagangai district in 2018. The special court convicted all the 27 accused on August 1 and the quantum of punishments was pronounced on Friday. Accordingly, Judge G Muthukumaran has sentenced all the accused to life term imprisonment. Three men belonging to the scheduled caste community- Arumugam (65), Shanmuganathan (31) and Chandrasekar (34) from Kachanantham village near Tiruppachetty in the Sivagangai district were murdered brutally on the night of May 28, 2018. They were hacked to death by members of a dominant community in a feud related to paying respects at a temple festival. Five more Dalit people sustained injuries in the attack. Among the injured, Thanasekaran (32) died one and half years after the incident. In connection with this case, Police had filed the chargesheet against 33 people including Suman, Arunkumar, Chandrakumar, Agniraj and Rajesh from Avarangadu village. Four accused were minors while two of them died during the trial and one absconded. In view of the court order today, heavy Police deployment was made outside the court premises as a precautionary measure to prevent any untoward incident. (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that India cannot achieve the aim of 'Swaraj' unless we preserve the ancient culture and languages as well as inform our future generations about the country's rich history. The Home Minister also elaborated on the meaning of 'Swaraj' in the Indian context and said that it was to run India with its traditions and culture. Shah said as he launched Doordarshan's mega historical Hindi serial - 'Swaraj - Bharat Ke Swatantrata Sangram Ki Samagra Gatha' in the national capital. The 75-episode series will present a glorious history of India's freedom struggle and lesser-known tales about Indian history. Speaking on this occasion, the Home Minister said the endeavour of this Swaraj series should be to make Indians feel proud of their culture, values, and ancient texts. He urged the youth to take pride in country's ancient culture and history. "As far as the meaning of the word Swaraj is concerned, it means self-rule in context of the Western countries, but as far as India is concerned, Swaraj means making India independent and governing it with its own traditions and culture. Under this, own language also comes, own religion also comes, and own culture also comes. Unless we live with the sense of Swaraj, India cannot achieve Swaraj in its real form," he said. "India cannot achieve the aim of 'Swaraj' unless we preserve the ancient culture and languages as well as inform our future generations about the country's rich history," he added. Stating that the culture in India goes back to over 12,000 years, the Home Minister said that "no NGOs need to teach" culture to the country. "We are self-ruling for 75 years, whoever came to power, took the country forward. But can the aim of Swaraj be achieved if we could not save our languages in the 100th year? If we do not carry forward our history to the next generation, can the aim of Swaraj be fulfilled? There has been a stream of culture for over 12,000 years. No NGO needs to teach us culture," Shah said. "I want to tell the youth that the ones who ruled us destroyed our system. They could only rule when our people felt inferior because we were ahead of them in every field. They created a falsehood that we were illiterate. How can the country be illiterate which gave the world Gita, Vedas ?" he added. The Home Minister, speaking about the 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', said that "nobody would be able to keep India from becoming great" as India takes this next leap. "The 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' is very significant for the nation. And I believe that as India takes this next leap, nobody would be able to keep India from becoming great," Shah said. (ANI) In view of heavy rainfall, the State Water Authority of Kerala on Friday opened four shutters of the Malampuzha dam and also issued a warning for those living close to the banks of the Mukkaipuzha, Kalpathipuzha, and Bharathapuzha rivers. As per the rule curve, the capacity of the dam is 112.99 meters. The situation is not alarming at present but the shutters were opened and raised upto 5 cm in view of the heavy rains. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted widespread rains in Kerala from August 4 to 8 and warned that the state can expect isolated extremely heavy rainfall over its Ghat regions. The water level in all major rivers across Kottayam and Pathanamthitta are rising fast and people are being evacuated to relief camps. Over 2,000 people are in relief camps across the State. Till now, six deaths have been reported in Kerala due to heavy rains. Earlier on August 4, the shutters of Sholayar and Peringalkuthu Dams were raised and the Chalakudy river is in spate. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has urged people living on the banks of the Chalakudy river to move out as the water flow is likely to increase by evening. He said that those living in the low-lying areas of Thrissur and Ernakulam districts to be cautious. Due to the rains, the Idukki district has declared a holiday on Friday for educational institutions.Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in areas in the state likely to be hit by landslides and floods and air and naval forces put on standby. Earlier in the month of July, the Kannur and Kasargod districts witnessed heavy showers with the rivers of Kasargod overflowing. Several houses in Kannur collapsed and got partially damaged due to the inundation of rainwater inside. One family had to be shifted from the Payannur municipality due to the overflow. The water levels of Kadalundi (Malapuram), Bharathapuzha (Palakkad), Shiriya (Kasargod), Karavannoor (Thrissur) and Gayathripuzha (Thrissur) rivers have reached the warning level. (ANI) Jammu and Kashmir police on Friday refuted reports of house arrest of some J-K National Conference (NC) and J-K Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders terming them as "completely baseless". In a statement, a police spokesperson said, "there is fake news going that some NC and PDP leaders have been placed under house arrest in Gupkar road, this news is completely baseless." However, the police further said that there are additional personnel deployed on the Gupkar road on certain places in view of certain inputs regarding terror attacks. "Mehbooba Mufti visited her party headquarters around noon time and Dr Farooq Abdullah visited Hazratbal Shrine and his friend in Shalimar in the afternoon," it reads. The Police also advised the media to verify news from authorities before circulating. "Jammu and Kashmir Police is a fully professional police force and is well aware of its duties," it added. Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference in a tweet said, "Dr Farooq Abdullah has been placed under house arrest after returning from Nawai-Subha where he had earlier presided over a meeting". It added: "We will peacefully fight for our RIGHTS that were illegally, unconstitutionally and undemocratically snatched from us on August 5, 2019". Responding to the news of the house arrest of Farooq Abdullah, National Conference Vice-President Omar Abdullah said, "It seems they have to place this truck outside the gate out of some compulsion because it's a senseless act (aside from being totally illegal)." "He went to the office, went for Namaz, went for a condolence visit. The truck arrived after he had nowhere else to go today. Fools!!" he added. On August 5, 2019, the Central government scrapped Article 370 which gave special rights to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the region into two categories- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. With this move, the government aimed to develop the entire Jammu and Kashmir region, including Ladakh. By creating sources of employment, improving the Tourism sector and investments in the Industrial sector, the government aimed to strengthen the economy of Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI) The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Friday asked all the universities and colleges to organise programmes and seminars to observe August 14 as "Partition Horrors Remembrance Day" to commemorate the sufferings and sacrifices of millions of Indians during the partition in 1947. Speaking to ANI, UGC chairman Prof M Jagadesh Kumar said that Prime Minister announced last year about August 14 as "Partition Horrors Remembrance Day" to remind the nation of the sufferings and sacrifices of millions of Indians and the need to remove the poison of social divisions, disharmony and strengthen the spirit of oneness, social harmony and human empowerment. "In the light of the above, UGC is writing to all the universities and their affiliated/ constituent colleges/ institutions to organize programmes/ academic discourses/ seminars/ exhibitions and similar events in remembrance of the tragedy of partition of India and to sensitise students and on the sacrifices made by the people of India and the sufferings they have undergone during the partition," he added. Prof Kumar said it is important to encourage students, staff and faculty members to participate in the observance of "Partition Horrors Remembrance Day" in large numbers. Prime Minister Modi last year announced that August 14 will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in memory of the struggles and sacrifices of people, saying the pain of partition can never be forgotten. "Partition's pains can never be forgotten. Millions of our sisters and brothers were displaced and many lost their lives due to mindless hate and violence. In memory of the struggles and sacrifices of our people, August 14 will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day," PM Modi had said. (ANI) A Vistara flight from Varanasi to Mumbai was returned back to its origin due to a bird hit, informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday. The DGCA said that the aircraft has landed safely in Varanasi and the radome is damaged. However, the aircraft has been declared aircraft on the ground (AOG). "The A320 aircraft VT-TNC operating flight UK622 (Varanasi-Mumbai) was involved in an air turn back to Varanasi due to a bird hit. The aircraft has landed safely in Varanasi and the radome is damaged. The aircraft is declared aircraft on ground (AOG)," said DGCA. Earlier on Friday, an aircraft of Go First returned to Ahmedabad after it suffered a bird strike within a few minutes of take-off. On June 20, a Delhi-bound aircraft of the SpiceJet airlines carrying 185 passengers caught fire soon after taking off from the Patna airport and made an emergency landing minutes later due to a bird hit. On the same day, another Delhi-bound IndiGo flight from Guwahati returned to Guwahati airport due to a suspected bird hit after the takeoff. Earlier last month, the windshield of a Go First flight between Delhi and Guwahati cracked mid-air due to bad weather on Wednesday, a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said. The aircraft was diverted to Jaipur and landed safely. DGCA had said that such incidents take place on a daily basis, but these occurrences hardly have any safety implications. "On average, about 30 incidents do take place, including go-around, missed approaches, diversion, medical emergencies, weather, technical and bird hits," the top DGCA official told ANI. "Most of them have no safety implications. On the contrary, they are a sine qua non of a robust safety management system," he added. A Delhi-bound GoAir aircraft was rejected take-off from Leh due to a dog on the runway. In similar incidents, another two Go First flights were diverted due to engine snags. The DGCA said that the matter is being investigated. While the GoAir A320 aircraft VT-WGA flight from Mumbai to Leh was diverted to Delhi due to Engine No.2 EIU (Engine Interface Unit) fault, Go Air A320 aircraft VT-WJG flight G8-6202, from Srinagar to Delhi was diverted to Srinagar due to Engine no. 2 EGT over the limit. Meanwhile, after frequent engineering-related glitches were reported in several airlines, the DGCA conducted several spot checks and advised that all aircraft at base and transit stations shall be released by certifying staff holding a licence with appropriate authorization by their organization, said officials. (ANI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Friday, has asked for funds for various central welfare schemes being implemented in her state. In a letter to PM Modi, Banerjee said, "I request for urgent release of funds due to state for implementation of schemes including MGNREGA, PM Awas Yojna and PM Gramin Sadak Yojna. Dues from the central government on these schemes amount to about Rs 17,996 crore." "Substantial amount on account of many developments and welfare schemes, estimated to be around Rs 1,00,968.44 crore is also due. With such a large amount remaining outstanding, the state is facing extreme difficulty to run affairs and take care of people of the state," she added. Chief Minister Banerjee, who is on a four-day visit to the national capital, met Prime Minister Modi at his residence on Friday. During the meeting, various issues were discussed including GST dues of the state. Banerjee, who arrived in Delhi on Thursday also met President Droupadi Murmu today. The West Bengal CM is also likely to attend a Niti Aayog governing council meeting on August 7 that will be chaired by the Prime Minister. She did not attend the meeting last year. Banerjee, who is the Trinamool Congress supremo, on Thursday met her party's MPs and discussed the party's strategy during the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament and the road to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "Our Chairperson Mamata Banerjee held a meeting with all MPs in Delhi. The current Parliament session, the road to 2024 and various issues were discussed, with several activities and initiatives outlined for the coming days. We are always committed to serving the people," All India Trinamool Congress said in a tweet. Mamata Banerjee's meetings assume significance ahead of the vice-presidential election on August 6. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has announced Jagdeep Dhankhar as its vice-presidential candidate while Margaret Alva is the candidate of the opposition parties. (ANI) The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (MMRCL) on Friday told the Supreme Court that no cutting of trees in the Aarey forest area in Mumbai has been undertaken since 2019, adding that only weeds and bushes were removed by the authorities. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for MMRCL, told a bench of Justices UU Lalit, S Ravindra Bhat and Aniruddha Bose that there were weeds and bushes, and branches of trees which have grown in the area, and the authorities have only removed those. The bench took into the record the statement made by Solicitor General and posted the case filed against the cutting of trees for a hearing on August 10. "Only weeds and bushes on the ground were cleared. There is an approaching road, there were branches that required trimming for vehicles to pass through. No trees were cut. They have shown photographs of some other areas," said the Solicitor General. The top court was hearing a plea seeking direction to stop the construction of a metro car shed under the project of MMRCL in the Aarey forest area. Senior advocate Chander Uday Singh, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that the tree cutting has resumed in the Aarey region for the metro car shed project, despite the status quo orders of the top court in 2019. The plea alleged that the authorities have started cutting trees again despite there being a stay order of the court. In 2019, the Supreme Court asked the Maharashtra government to stop cutting trees in the Aarey forest area and directed it to maintain the status quo. Filing the fresh application, the petitioner NGO Vanashakti sought direction that two matters pending before the NGT, Pune and Bombay High Court be decided expeditiously. It said that matter before the NGT was related to challenging the notification of December 5, 2016, of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) excluding a certain plot of lands admeasuring 165 hectares from the Ecological Sensitive Zone and the Bombay High Court is seized of a petition seeking a declaration that the entire lands of the Aarey Milk Colony are forest lands. "Since the restoration of the forests of Aarey Milk Colony is not possible once the trees are cut and the flood plains of the Mithi river covered over with concrete, the more prudent approach would be to order the immediate final hearing cases pending before the Bombay High Court and the NGT, Pune, and, in the interim, order all construction work in the Aarey Milk Colony to temporarily stopped," it said. The petitioner said, "it has set out photographs including satellite images and google maps showing the lush forest cover as it exists today and also the photographs showing the massive construction work that is going on at full speed and with hundreds of trees already cut". The top court in its 2019 order had stayed cutting of trees in the Aarey first area while hearing a suo moto PIL based on a letter written by a group of law students to the court against the felling of trees. In October 2019, MMRCL started axing the trees after the Bombay High Court rejected a bunch of petitions filed by NGOs and activists against the tree felling. Resolved to save the trees, many protestors gathered at the site to raise their voice against the felling of trees. Later, more people joined the protestors near the Aarey colony area, where the Mumbai Police imposed Section 144, thereby banning unlawful assembly. The protesters had been demanding the relocation of the bus depot, which is a part of the Metro III project. (ANI) Arpita Mukherjee's advocate on Friday, while claiming a threat to her life, pleaded before the court to get her Division 1 prisoner category. ED advocate Phiroz Edulzi agreed with the argument of Arpita's lawyer of life threat and further said that she should not be kept with more than four prisoners in general. Earlier today, former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee and his close aide Arpita Mukherjee were produced before the City Sessions Court. "No one has come out and said that he had asked for bribe, neither in the CBI case nor in ED. Can they show any witness that he has asked for a bribe? Partha Chatterjee is not connected with the crime and the allegations levelled by the CBI are not appropriate," argued Partha's lawyer. "In ED Case on July 22, when his house was raided nothing has been recovered. If you try to ask a man who is not involved in the crime, he will obviously be non-cooperative," he added. Meanwhile, Arpita Mukherjee's advocate said that there is a threat to her life. "Her food and water need to be tested first and then should be given," said the ED Lawyer. While Partha Chatterjee advocate pleaded for bail citing that he will not be harmful. "As he is not a political person now he can leave the MLA post if required," the lawyer said. ED also demanded judicial custody of Arpita. The court sent Arpita and former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee to judicial custody till August 18 in connection with the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam. The hearing concluded from both sides including Arpita Mukherjee and Partha Chatterjee. 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. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Friday directed alleged 'conman' Sukesh Chandrashekhar to appear via video conferencing mode before a CBI Court, Chennai, in a money laundering case registered against him there. A bench headed by Justices UU Lalit allowed the application filed by investigating agency seeking Chandrashekhar's appearance through video conferencing mode, as he is required to be produced in Chennai in a CBI court. As the matter came up for hearing, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for CBI, told the bench that taking him to Chennai would leave another person duped, he can dupe people in each & every stage. Chandrashekhar is lodged in Tihar jail on charges of money laundering and duping several persons and claimed a threat to his life in the prison. He and his wife had earlier approached the top court seeking transfer from Tihar Jail to any other prison outside Delhi on the ground of threat to his life. Earlier, the apex court had asked Chandrashekhar to provide it with the names of Tihar jail officials to whom payment of 12.5 crores was made on his behalf along with payment details. It had asked him to give the names of people who made the payment on his behalf and who took the money. The bench had said it will go into the root of the matter of whether Chandrasekhar was a victim of extortion in jail or he was bribing jail officials to run his syndicate or extortion racket from Tihar jail. Senior advocate R Basant appearing for Chandrashekhar had told the apex court that his client continuously faces threats to his life from the jail staff and protection money was being sought from him. He had alleged that the Tihar prison authorities have extorted around Rs 12.5 crore from him in the last two years. Enforcement Directorate (ED) had said that while inside Tihar jail he was running a crime syndicate, paying Rs 1.5 crores every month for facilities like using phones to pass messages to persons from his syndicate and some jail officials were on his monthly payroll. It said charges against him were serious and he impersonated as judges and government officials and conned people of hundreds of crores from jail. ED had also sought prosecution of Chandrashekhar for perjury claiming that he has falsely stated in his affidavit about a physical assault in Tihar Jail and deliberately omitted the report of the doctors who ruled out any physical injury on him. Opposing Chandrashekhar's plea for transfer to another jail, ED had said that Chandrashekhar used to call models and celebrities to his jail in collusion with prison staff, who have been suspended and an inquiry has been ordered against them. ED had told the top court that Chandrashekhar indulged in money laundering, extortion, and impersonation of public officials including that of those holding constitutional posts. He is charged with many multi-crore fraud cases and is also accused of extorting Rs 200 crore from the family of former Fortis Healthcare and Ranbaxy Lab promoters Shivinder and Malvinder Singh from the premises of the prison. He was also arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the 2017 Election Commission bribery instance allegedly involving former AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran and others. A number of women Bollywood actors and models have been questioned by the ED for their alleged links to Chandrashekhar. (ANI) Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Friday released a press note mentioning that accused Bacchu Yadav is a "habitual criminal" and has "several cases registered against him regarding an attempt to murder, extortion, threatening". According to the press note released by ED, "It was found that Bachhu Yadav is one of the musclemen of Pankaj Mishra and he is involved in the activities related to illegal mining and their transportation on a large scale in association with Pankaj Mishra". "It is also found that Bacchu Yadav is a habitual criminal and there are several cases registered against him regarding an attempt to murder, extortion, threatening, possession of illegal arms, etc in the Sahibganj Area. ED initiated a money laundering investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by Barharwa Police Station, Sahibganj District, Jharkhand under various sections of IPC, 1860, against Pankaj Mishra and others," as was found during the investigation by the ED. The ED also mentioned that several FIRs regarding illegal mining have also been taken into the ambit of investigation, ED has detected POC to the tune of more than Rs. 100 Crore in this case so far. "Earlier, ED had conducted searches in Sahibganj, Barhet, Rajmahal, Mirza Chauki, and Barharwa and seized Rs 5.34 Crore in cash on July 8. Later on, ED seized one inland vessel namely M.V.Infralink- III, several stone crushers, and three trucks in Sahibganj Area. ED has also seized Rs 13.32 Crore lying in 50 bank accounts. On being found guilty of Money Laundering, ED had earlier arrested Pankaj Mishra on July 19, Currently, he is in judicial custody. Further investigation into the case is in progress," said the press note. ED arrested Bachhu Yadav, a close associate of Pankaj Mishra under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), in 2002 in an illegal Mining case, earlier. (ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will attend the seventh meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog to be held in New Delhi on August 7. The Chief Minister will be in Delhi for the purpose. The agenda points of the meeting of Chief Minister NITI Aayog include the implementation of National Education Policy 2020 in school education and higher education and the implementation of schemes related to urban administration. According to an official statement, Dhami has discussed department-wise on various issues related to the agenda on the subjects to be placed before the NITI Aayog. "The policies and centrally funded schemes laid down by NITI Aayog are made equally in view of all the states of the country," he said. In this, he told the need to focus on making a separate policy for the Himalayan states keeping in mind their ecological and geographical point of view. The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has special faith in Lord Kedarnath as well as other Dhams of the state. During his Kedarnath Yatra last year, he described this third decade of the 21st century as the decade of Uttarakhand. Keeping this in mind, the road map for the development of the state is being prepared. "This year more than 30 lakh pilgrims have come in Chardham Yatra, the movement of pilgrims and tourists will increase further in future, for this, development of infrastructure facilities at major places connected with the Yatra route, tunnel parking for streamlined traffic. Planning is necessary for the interest of the state. This will help in meeting the challenges of the future in a better way," the Chief Minister said. Apart from this, the Chief Minister will also present his side in the meeting on the issues related to the sensitivity of the state from the point of view of the disaster, efforts to promote the economy along with the ecology of the state from the point of view of the environment. (ANI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday expressed condolences over the death of labour in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased. According to Jammu and Kashmir Police, one labourer was killed and two others were injured in a grenade attack by terrorists in Pulwama district on Thursday night. All three labourers were from Bihar. "The death of Mohammad Mumtaz of Bihar in the grenade attack by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama is sad. Rs two lakh will be given to the immediate dependent of the deceased from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. Along with this, instructions were given to get other benefits as per rules from the schemes of Labor Resource and Social Welfare Department," the Chief Minister said on Twitter. He said that the directions were given to the official concerned to make all proper arrangements for transporting the body of the deceased to his native village. "Instructed the local commissioner of Bihar in Delhi to make all appropriate arrangements for transporting the body of the deceased to his native village," he said. The Chief Minister also directed to provide proper treatment as well as all possible help to the injured labourers. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday condemned the cowardly terrorist attack on labourers in Pulwama. Taking note of the situation, LG Sinha assured of punishment to the miscreants. "Strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack on labourers in Pulwama. My sincere condolences to the family of Mohd Mumtaz in this hour of grief. Praying for the early recovery of the injured. I assure the people that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished," tweeted the official handle of the LG of Jammu and Kashmir. According to police, the terrorists lobbed a grenade at a tent housing labourers at Gadoora village in Pulwama on Thursday night, which resulted in the death of one labourer while two others sustained injuries. The deceased labourer has been identified as Mohammad Mumtaz, a resident of Sakwa Parsa, Bihar. "The deceased outside labourer has been identified as Mohd Mumtaz, resident of Sakwa Parsa, Bihar. Injured have been identified as Mohd Arif and Mohd Majbool, residents of Rampur, Bihar. Both are stable," Police added. Earlier on Wednesday, terrorists fired upon a vehicle-bound police party in the Allochibagh Bund area of Srinagar district of Jammu and Kashmir, said police. The police said no injury or other damage took place. (ANI) According to BSF Gujarat Frontier, the seized boats were thoroughly searched and nothing suspicious was recovered from the boats except fishing nets and equipment. "BSF troops observed the movement of some boats in close vicinity of IB and cordoned the area. During the search of the area, five Pakistani fishing boats were seized and a Pakistani fisherman was apprehended," said BSF. The increased water level due to high tide made the movement of troops difficult and challenging resultantly other fishermen escaped towards Pakistan, being very close to the International border. Last month, 5 Pakistani fishing boats have been seized by the BSF during the search operation along the India-Pakistan maritime border near Kutch. In early development, BSF apprehended four fishermen and seized 10 Pakistani boats along the India-Pakistan maritime border near Kutch. After the seizure, BSF patrolling teams launched a massive search operation to find out if any more such boats from the neighbouring country had entered Indian waters. Recently, a three-year-old Pakistani child who inadvertently crossed the International Border (IB) was handed over to security personnel of the neighbouring country by the Border Security Force (BSF), officials said. BSF informed that on Friday at about 7:15 pm, troops of 182 Bn BSF, Ferozepur Sector apprehended one Pakistani child aged approximately 3 years while he crossed the border and entered Indian territory. They said the child was unable to reveal anything and was kept under safe custody of BSF, the statement read. As it was a case of inadvertent crossing, BSF further approached Pak Rangers and at about 9:45 pm, said Pakistani child was handed over to Pak Rangers as a goodwill gesture and on humanitarian ground. "BSF always takes a humane approach while dealing with inadvertent border crossers," it read. (ANI) As Jammu and Kashmir moved into its third year as a Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A of the Constitution, Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Friday pledged to restore J-K's flag and Constitution. Mufti said that they would "compel" the government to solve the long-standing issue of Kashmir. "The BJP will remove the Constitution of the country in the coming time and make it a religious nation. The flag that you hoist with pride will be changed to the Bhagwa (saffron) flag. If you still do not wake up, everything will be destroyed. They will change Constitution in the same way that they snatched the flag and Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir," the PDP chief said while cuationing the people. "But we pledge, we will not only take back our flag but our Constitution as well, but also we will compel the government to solve the issue of Kashmir for which numerous people have sacrificed their lives," she added. The BJP hit back at her remarks accusing her of propagating an "anti-national agenda". Speaking to ANI, J-K BJP leader Ravinder Raina said that the PDP chief is "frustrated" seeing massive support for Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in the Valley. "Seeing massive support for Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti is in frustration. She once created controversy over the tricolour and today when she saw people in J-K hoisting the flag, she is in desperation. She is stoking anti-national propaganda," he said. Raina further alleged that Mufti is making attempts to create a "vicious" atmosphere. "People have rejected her theory of divide and rule, which is why she is making an attempt to create a vicious atmosphere," he said. (ANI) Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Minister of State in the Ministry Gen (retd) VK Singh on Friday inaugurated direct flights between Lucknow and Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Goa by Air Asia today. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was the guest of honour present at Lucknow Airport. Speaking at the launch of new flight routes, Scindia said it is a historic event that an airline has connected a city with 8 connecting flights to 5 cities in India. "I would like to congratulate and thank Air Asia and the Government of Uttar Pradesh for this achievement. Lucknow is now connected to Delhi with three flights, Bengaluru with two flights, Mumbai with one flight, Kolkata with one flight and Goa with one flight in a day." The flight between Lucknow and Delhi, Bengaluru, Goa will commence on Friday and that between Lucknow and Mumbai and Kolkata will commence on September 1, 2022. Commenting on the work done by his ministry for promoting civil aviation in the state of Uttar Pradesh, the Minister said that under the UDAN scheme, the government has allotted 63 new routes to the state of Uttar Pradesh. "In future, we will increase it to 108 so that civil aviation can reach every corner of Uttar Pradesh. We have also marked 18 airports in Uttar Pradesh under UDAN scheme which will require an investment of Rs 1,121 crore for infrastructure development. Uttar Pradesh will have 5 international airports which itself is a landmark in the country. It is a dream of the Prime Minister to make Uttar Pradesh a shining example of Atmanirbhar Bharat and to achieve this, we are constructing airports at Chitrakoot, Muradabad, Aligarh, Azamgarh and Shravasti apart from Jewar and Ayodhya." Air Asia (India) Private Limited is a subsidiary of Tata Sons Private Limited and commenced its operations in India in June 2014. It flies over 50 direct and 100 connecting routes across India at 18 destinations. These new connections will further strengthen connectivity between Lucknow and key cities in the country will facilitate enhanced connectivity and promote tourism, trade, and commerce in the region. An official release said it will also offer "an affordable, on-time, safe and hassle-free travel experience to people residing in Lucknow". (ANI) A civilian, who was injured during an encounter that broke out Friday morning between security forces and terrorists in the Redwani area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam succumbed to his injuries, said police. However, an Indian Army jawan who also sustained injuries is still hospitalized at 92 base Hospital Srinagar. The deceased civilian is identified as Manzoor Lone, a resident of Redwani Bala, Kulgam. "Injured civilian namely Manzoor Lone S/O Abdullah Lone R/O Redwani Bala Kulgam succumbed to his injuries. Injured Army Jawan Kiran Singh of 1RR, R/O Ramban is hospitalised at 92 base Hospital Srinagar. Search operation concluded," Kashmir Zone Police said in a tweet. Earlier in the morning, an encounter broke out in the Redwani area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Vijay Kumar had asserted that there have been no civilian casualties due to firing by security forces in the union territory in the past three years. "In the past three years, there have been no civilian casualties due to police, security force firing. There are no more incidents of stone-pelting at the site of an encounter. Now, we are quick to identify and nab terrorists," Vijay Kumar, ADGP (Law and Order), Kashmir told mediapersons. The ADGP's comments came hours after an encounter broke out at the Redwani area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam. On Thursday, a labourer died and two others were injured in a grenade attack by terrorists in Pulwama district. All three labourers were from Bihar. According to police, the terrorists lobbed a grenade at a tent housing labourers at Gadoora village in Pulwama on Thursday night, which resulted in the death of one labourer while two others sustained injuries. Earlier on July 31, one Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist, identified as Irshad Ahmed Bhat of Pattan, was killed in the Binner area of J-K's Baramulla district. According to the police, he was active since May 2022. In the July 30 joint operation of The Police, Army (29RR) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) (2nd Bn), that broke in the Wanigam Bala village of Baramulla, the J-K police eliminated one terrorist. In the operation, one Indian Army assault dog also lost its life, while three personnel of the security forces sustained minor injuries. The police acted on a specific input and launched a joint cordon-and-search operation, after which they recovered incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including one AK-47 Rifle, three AK magazines, seven AK-rounds, one pouch and one bag from the site of the encounter. The J-K police had also apprehended two hybrid terrorists of the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba during an encounter in Baramulla. (ANI) Indian Coast Guard (ICG) along with Coastal Police on Friday conducted a Community Interaction Programme at Edavanakkad, Vypin, and Kuzhipilly, Ernakulam in Kochi to enlighten the civilians about the importance of Tricolour and "Har Ghar Tiranga" Campaign. A total of 110 fishermen attended the programme at each centre. Further, a presentation on "ICG Organisation and its charter of duties" along with lectures on life-saving equipment was also conducted. The program was inaugurated by KN Unnikrishnan, MLA, Vypin. Officials from the Panchayat Administration, Department of fisheries, Coastal Security Police (CSP) and fishermen association attended the programme. The program also witnessed presentations and awareness campaigns by Coastal Police, fisheries, Excise department and Matsyafed. The Coast Guard along with Coastal Police also conducted another Community Interaction Programme at Chellanam, Ernakulam where a total of 30 fishermen attended the programme. In addition, the fishermen were also briefed about the harmful usage of single-use plastic and products containing microbeads. Earlier on August 4, a 5 Kilometre run was flagged off at Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram district by Commandant Sreekumar G, Commanding Officer, ICGS Vizhinjam and a total of 35 personnel including Officers and men of ICGS Vizhinjam and ships staff took an active part in this run. National flags and banners pertaining to the commemoration of "Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav" were displayed during the run. The run was well received by the local public as they cheered the ship's company along the running route. A bike rally and walkathon were also conducted by ICGS Beypore on August 3, 2022, to encourage and motivate the general public toward the "Har Ghar Tiranga" campaign. Volunteers from various organisations participated in the event. A bike rally and walkathon were conducted along the coastal villages of Kozhikode and ended at Beypore beach. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has 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. (ANI) Lt Gen Kalita, several other Army senior officers, experts and panelists, at a two-day seminar on the theme of 'Demystifying the Dragon' on Thursday and Friday, deliberated on the implications of India-China border related aspects and way ahead for Indian Armed Forces. According to defence spokesman Lt. Col Mahendra Rawat, overall the seminar addressed critical issues at the operational and tactical level including security concerns, capability development measures and military modernisation in order to derive actionable strategies towards further augmenting India's security architecture along Northern borders. The seminar-cum-panel discussion was organised by the Gajraj Corps, under the aegis of Eastern Army Command, at Tezpur. The keynote address was delivered by 4 Corps GOC Lt Gen D.S. Rana, setting the ball rolling for the seminar, which included talks and discussions by eminent subject experts including senior level diplomats, academicians and military dignitaries in three different sessions focusing on Sino-Indian Geo-Strategic Complexities, India-China Boundary Dispute and Border Management, and Chinese Military Reforms as a Driver in Realization of China's global dream. The discussions were steered by eminent panelists like Ambassador Ashok Kantha, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh (retd), Lt Gen S.L. Narasimhan (retd) and Lt Gen Raj Shukla (retd). The panelists provided a kaleidoscopic view of the contours of India's engagement with China, ongoing military modernisation and rise in Chinese global aspirations, the defence spokesman said. The event was attended by over 200 officers of the Indian Armed Forces physically and many more on virtual platforms. --IANS sc/vd ( 297 Words) 2022-08-05-19:58:02 (IANS) Amid reports of a section of West Bengal BJP leaders not happy over the meeting between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, the party denied any difference among its state cadre. Sources said a section of state BJP leaders were not happy with the meeting, especially at a time when the Trinamool government is facing the heat over the teacher recruitment scam. However, a BJP leader said that the issue has been blown out of proportion, as only a couple of party workers had opposed the meeting between the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister. "In a federal structure, there is nothing wrong if a Chief Minister meets the Prime Minister. However, other than meeting the Prime Minister, she (Banerjee) should also implement the Centre's welfare schemes in West Bengal," the BJP leader said. Another leader pointed out that instead of talking about some people opposing the meet, one must see the way the BJP is mounting pressure on the West Bengal government over the recruitment scam. The saffron party also blamed its political rivals for creating the impression that West Bengal BJP leaders were opposed to the meet. Former Bengal BJP President Rahul Sinha told IANS that a false campaign was being run by the Communist leaders and others against the saffron party over Prime Minister Modi meeting Banerjee. "It is the work of the Communists who are the masters of fake propaganda and fake news. Left without work, they are trying to create the impression that there are differences within the Bengal BJP over the Prime Minister meeting Chief Minister Banerjee. "There is no difference over the meeting. Banerjee must regularly meet the Prime Minister and learn from the latter's dedication and commitment to serve the people. By opposing the Prime Minister all these years, she has stalled the development process in West Bengal," Sinha said. --IANS ssb/arm ( 329 Words) 2022-08-05-20:20:03 (IANS) After killing al-Qaida leader and mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in a secret safe house in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, the US has a fair time to re-evaluate its Taliban policy. On Monday, US President Joe Biden revealed that their drone strike killed al-Zawahiri over the weekend. The death of al-Zawahiri implants doubts in the jihadists to again have faith in their Taliban partner, Javid Ahmad, a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute, written in The Hill. For many years, different countries have used the facilities of the safe houses in Afghanistan's major cities like Pakistan, Iran and even China. In some cases, senior Afghan officials in the previous government leased their own properties to nebulous groups and characters to house their unknown guests. Various jihadists from the Haqqani Network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Pakistani Taliban and the Islamic State have long leveraged a vast network of sleeper cells in upscale neighbourhoods. But al Qaeda's decision to place its supreme leader within a mile of the presidential palace illustrates the strength of its multi-layered alliance with the Taliban. While the conventional wisdom in Washington maintains that al Qaeda has become a statistical outlier in Afghanistan's sprawling jihadist landscape, the group is hardly a bottom feeder in the country. The group's co-dependent partnership with the Taliban's core governing partners is one of mutual confidence. According to the author, in the eastern part of Kunar province, the presence of al-Qaeda has been so obvious that the local people have also identified those districts. In northeastern Afghanistan, the business side of the partnership has been involved in an extensive gold smuggling campaign in which joint Taliban and al Qaeda cells disguise themselves as local businessmen. During the US-Taliban talks in Doha, al Qaeda leaders and the Taliban hardliners expressed serious concerns to core Taliban leaders about how they were being sold out as part of the bilateral agreement. And according to the publication, they have rightly judged the table that unless they are at the table, they will be on the menu. Taliban is already struggling for the recognition of their government and the death of al-Zawahiri would lead to major problems as al-Qaeda will get suspicious of the Taliban's promise, which may result in more militant diversification and newer alliances. For the United States, while these brewing developments buy some time to re-evaluate its Taliban policy, it also offers several opportunities. First, Washington should declassify one of the two classified annexes of the Doha agreement to publicly scrutinize whether the Taliban is living up to its counterterrorism promises. Second, while Washington has largely regionalized solutions to the Afghan debacle, it should use the time to fix the limits of its over-the-horizon counterterrorism engagement, which, while significant, is insufficient. Despite the current nature of limited militant targeting, the distance limits in the "horizon" and erratic airspace access remain undefined. Local partners and ground support teams are largely missing, and critical intelligence collection, including from within the Taliban circles, is negligible. And definitely, the regional counterterrorism monitoring station (perhaps one based in Termez, Uzbekistan) to provide timely verification from the ground. Third, as jihadists' threat grows more decentralized, and the Taliban's civilian bureaucracy becomes more militarized, the United States could also creatively expand and decentralize its targeted activities. According to the author, Washington has discouraged backing the organized armed opposition against the Taliban, it could instead consider cultivating an institutional counterweight within the Taliban's governing ranks to shape their future choices and actions. (ANI) Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said, "Departing Cambodia after a brief, but very productive visit." Jaishankar arrived in Cambodia on Wednesday to attend the ASEAN ministerial meeting. On Thursday Jaishankar held a conversation with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and assured the continued assistance on heritage conservation. "Thank PM Hun Sen of Cambodia for receiving me. Conveyed personal greetings of PM @narendramodi. Appreciated his warm words on our covid cooperation. Discussed enhancing our economic, development, defence and cultural partnership. Assured our continued assistance on heritage conservation. Valued his views on regional developments," Jaishankar tweeted. On the last day of the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting, a cultural event took place. "An evening of warmth, friendship and conversations at Phnom Penh. ASEAN remains the crossroads of the larger region. Its centrality is so evident," EAM added. Jaishankar has held several bilateral meetings on the margins of the ASEAN event. He held his first meeting with newly-appointed Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry and reaffirmed India's commitment as a dependable friend and reliable partner to the economic recovery of the island nation. Jaishankar also met his counterparts from Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore. "ASEAN-India Meetings provide opportunities to catch up with valued colleagues and friends. Continued conversations with FM Retno Marsudi of Indonesia, FM Dato Haji Erywan of Brunei and FM @VivianBala of Singapore," he said. In his meeting with Singapore foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Jaishankar held a discussion on issues like Indo-Pacific, Covid-19, and Myanmar. He also promised to maintain the momentum of the India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during his meeting with foreign minister Bui Thanh Son. Before meeting with Singapore FM, Jaishankar also held talks with Australia's Penny Wong and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. With Blinken, the external affairs minister discussed the India-US relationship and the global situation. (ANI) Nepal Foreign Minister Dr Narayan Khadka is set to embark on a three-day visit to China to hold delegation-level talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. "At the invitation of Mr Wang Yi, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Hon. Dr Narayan Khadka, Minister for Foreign Affairs is visiting China from 09 to 11 August 2022," Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a release. The two ministers will hold bilateral talks, along with their respective delegations on August 10 in Qingdao, China. The planned visit of the Nepali Foreign Minister comes against the backdrop of rising tension between the US and China. Beijing has sought support from the Himalayan nation over the recent visit of Pelosi to Taiwan. Earlier this week, the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal- Hou Yanqi claimed the visit by US House Speaker Pelosi to Taiwan was "a serious violation of the one-China principle and the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Seeking Nepal's support, the Chinese ambassador in her statement said, "China and Nepal are good neighbours, 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." "China highly appreciates Nepal's longstanding commitment to the one-China principle and resolute opposition to 'Taiwan Independence.' It is also the political foundation of China-Nepal relations. We believe that the government of Nepal and its people will continue to abide by the one-China 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 envoy added. The Nepal government on the other side hasn't reacted to the heightened face-off between the two nations. "We are observing the development in the region," Sewa Lamsal, Nepal government spokesperson told ANI over the phone. The Nepal foreign minister's visit comes amid the rising tension between the US and China. Analysts believe that Nepal may face a hard time balancing ties with two world powers and continue to maintain its policy of non-alignment or not. The Nepal foreign ministry has informed that Khadka would wrap up his visit on August 11 and return back home. (ANI) The United States denounced China's missile launches in Japan's exclusive economic zone that were carried out as part of military exercises in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan, National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said on Thursday. On August 4, China launched multiple ballistic missiles into waters to the northeast and southwest of Taiwan, threatening Taiwan's national security and escalating regional tensions in the region. This follows Pelosi's high-stakes visit that marks the first visit by a US House Speaker in 25 years since Newt Gingrich came to Taiwan in April 1997. It was also Pelosi's first trip to Taiwan in over two decades. "I'm sure all of you that covered overnight, the People's Republic of China launched an estimated 11 ballistic missiles towards Taiwan which impacted to the northeast, the east and southeast of the island. We condemn these actions which are irresponsible and at odds with our long-standing goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the region," Kirby told a briefing. "China has chosen to overreact and use the speaker's visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait," he added. A number of countries including the US on Thursday condemned the firing of five ballistic missiles by the Chinese military, which fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This comes as China is conducting live-fire drills in response to Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. The missiles that China launched yesterday fell in an area located southwest of Hateruma Island in the southern prefecture of Okinawa. Japan's Kyodo News reported that Tokyo has asked Beijing to immediately stop the military drills. "This is a grave issue that concerns our country's national security and the safety of the people," said Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi on Thursday. The Fumio Kishida government lodged a diplomatic protest with the Chinese government. The Japanese publication has said the government slammed Chinese drills near Senkaku Islands, saying that the area overlaps with the EEZ. Taiwan also strongly condemned China's "North Korea" style missile firing into waters near the self-governed island as it asked Beijing to exercise self-restraint. (ANI) Dynast politics has an expiry date. Once, the surname 'Gandhi' made you a genuine heavyweight, but with Rahul losing Amethi, a Gandhi family bastion, that's gone. After Bal Thackeray's demise, Udhav Thackeray, as we have seen recently, could not keep the party together, just by virtue of being a Thackeray. The Akali Dal, initially created to democratize the gurudwaras in conjunction with the struggle against British colonialism, when reduced to a Badal family enterprise allowing Punjab to become a dope haven, is now quite discredited. The pattern could repeat itself in J-K too, with the Abdullahs and Muftis feeling threatened that their game could be up. Thus, their rallying point has become the restoration of Article 370. But as a Kashmiri myself, I ask the youth of the valley - how will reviving that dead letter help? It is quite funny to see some people argue that militancy and stone-pelting have not completely ended because of the abrogation, as if the abrogation was expected to solve all problems overnight or was itself a complete solution to all problems in the valley! The struggles of the security forces and intelligence agencies at counterterror, assisted by many local Kashmiri Muslims, were on and will continue for some time, as they have in places like Punjab, Mizoram and Tripura, which are now largely peaceful. Yes, as of date in Kashmir, those associated with mainstream, non-separatist democratic politics continue to be targeted, and the killings of some Kashmiri Pandits still in the valley in 2021 and 2022 were tragic. However, how is the abrogation responsible for them when this pattern existed even earlier? In fact, thankfully, at least thus far, we've not seen stone-pelters keep the entire valley hostage to their violent antics, as we saw on several occasions before the abrogation. These young men with misplaced passion not only hold regular movement of other Kashmiris and the Kashmiri economy hostage but put their own lives at risk, achieving nothing for anyone. Indeed, what the abrogation has helped achieve is that Kashmiris will not be seen as "appeased" and privileged by mainland Indians anymore. The abrogation has helped J-Kite women married to non-J-Kite men get a due share of their family property and Valmiki Dalits and other Hindus and Sikhs migrating from POK to get Indian citizenship, something the Abdullahs, Muftis and Ghulam Nabi Azads didn't bother about in decades. From the Right to Education Act to the Forest Rights Act (the latter will help Gujjar and Bakarwal tribals of J-K) to central statutory schemes becoming directly applicable, good laws passed for the whole country are no longer non-applicable to J-K. As an active politician seeking to serve people on the ground in J-K, the absence of the Right to Education Act in J-K thus far reminds me of an incident of a school in the Poonch region denying admission to certain students, in which the students had to stage protests and finally, the school relented on pressure from the district authorities, but now, children can approach the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). Other than the protection of rights of access to forest land and forest produce, various initiatives for the employment, education and general welfare of the traditionally nomadic Gujjar and Bakarwal tribals are being taken by the Modi sarkar. If the Abdullahs and Muftis argue that these initiatives could have happened prior to the abrogation and good pan-national laws could have been enacted in J-K as well, they have none but themselves to blame for doing so. In fact, these two legislations were enacted in the UPA, during which not only Congress ally National Conference, but from November 2nd 2005 to July 11th 2008, the Congress itself, in a standalone fashion, was in power in J-K, but did not empower the people of J-K the way they empowered other Indians, and can squarely be accused of bias! On the other hand, the Modi-led BJP, in its 'sabka sath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas' mode, has accelerated welfare schemes and infrastructure development with new tunnels in J-K, and the party has been very particular to act against that hate-mongering against Kashmiri Muslims, as you can see here, here, here and here. When an eight-year-old girl was brutally raped in Kathua, the Modi-led BJP dropped two ministers who had gone berserk in defending the perpetrators, put the case on the fast track and ensured the diabolic extremists involved were booked. Indeed, many Kashmiri Muslims live and work alongside other Indians across mainland India without any major problems, some even excelling professionally. In fact, if the Modi sarkar's track record in Northeast India is something to go by, the AFSPA and heavy military presence in Kashmir could go from Kashmir too if we, the Kashmiris, prioritize peace and development and give up on pelting stones at jawans from poor families across India posted here, who have even helped us in times of natural disasters. Islam is about peacefully submitting to the divine will, not shedding the blood of fellow human beings over imposing your arguable version of Islamic law, when sharia or a legal system is not even one of the explicitly stated five pillars of Islam that define being a devout Muslim, and devout Muslims contributing to nation-building, like Dr APJ Abdul Kalam has won much affection from Indians across religious lines. And if many fellow Kashmiri Muslims are genuinely irked by generalized anti-Muslim misinformation on social media, they should remember that charity begins at home and would do well to first rebut the blatant lie that Kashmiri Pandits left their nice homes to settle in shoddy tents just to malign Kashmiri Muslims, and if you want to check communal polarization, start off by encouraging Kashmiri Pandits, who are undoubtedly genuine victims of terror in the name of Islam, to resettle in Kashmir on their own terms, even if in separate colonies if they so desire, rather than engaging in the hypocrisy of asking for a separate country for yourselves but denying fellow Kashmiris separate colonies! The abrogation signalled that the people of the Kashmir valley have no avenues available to them, except to be a part of the Indian story. Despite all challenges, unlike Pakistan, Afghanistan, and most Middle Eastern and North African countries, Myanmar or Sri Lanka, remained a stable secular democracy with still among the fastest growing economies globally. Given these facts, integrating at every level with India is really not a bad idea, no, fellow Kashmiris? Mir Junaid is president of the Jammu and Kashmir Workers Party. He is a writer and a law graduate from the University of Kashmir. He tweets at @MirJunaidJKWP. (ANI) Following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent Taiwan visit, China announced on Friday that it was halting cooperation with the United States in a number of areas, including dialogue between senior-level military commanders and climate change. The Foreign Ministry said dialogue between the US and Chinese regional commanders and defence department heads would be cancelled along with talks on military maritime safety. Cooperation on returning illegal immigrants, criminal investigations, transnational crime, illegal drugs and climate change will be suspended, the ministry said. The measures announced Friday are the latest in a promised series of steps intended to punish Washington for allowing the visit to the island China claims as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary. Meanwhile, China was also holding threatening military exercises in six zones off Taiwan's coasts that it says will run through Sunday. Missiles have also been fired over Taiwan, defence officials told state media. The US House Speaker is the highest-ranking US politician to visit Taiwan in 25 years. China opposes the self-governing island having its own contact with foreign governments, but its response to the Pelosi visit has been unusually vociferous and belligerent. China said Friday that more than 100 warplanes and 10 warships have taken part in the live-fire military drills surrounding Taiwan over the past two days. The official Xinhua News Agency said Friday that fighters, bombers, destroyers and frigates were all used in what it called "joint blockage operations." The military's Eastern Theater Command also fired new versions of missiles it said hit unidentified targets in the Taiwan Strait "with precision." The Rocket Force also fired projectiles over Taiwan into the Pacific, military officers told state media, in a major ratcheting up of China's threats to attack and invade the island. The drills, which Xinhua described as being held on an "unprecedented scale," are China's most strident response to Pelosi's visit. Dialogue and exchanges between China and the US, particularly on military matters and economic exchanges, have generally been halting at best. Climate change and fighting trade in illegal drugs such as fentanyl were, however, areas where they had found common cause, reported ABC News. China's insistence that Taiwan is its territory and its threat to use force to bring it under its control have featured highly in ruling Communist Party propaganda, the education system and the entirely state-controlled media for more than seven decades since the sides were divided amid civil war in 1949. Taiwan residents overwhelmingly favour maintaining the status quo of de facto independence and reject China's demands that the island unify with the mainland under Communist control. On Friday morning, China sent military ships and war planes across the mid-line of the Taiwan Strait, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry said, crossing what had for decades been an unofficial buffer zone between China and Taiwan, reported ABC News. Five of the missiles fired by China since the military exercises began Thursday landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone off Hateruma, an island far south of Japan's main islands, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said. He said Japan protested the missile landings to China as "serious threats to Japan's national security and the safety of the Japanese people." Japan's Defense Ministry later said they believe four other missiles fired from China's southeastern coast of Fujian flew over Taiwan. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday that China's military exercises aimed at Taiwan represent a "grave problem" that threatens regional peace and security. In Tokyo, where Pelosi is winding up her Asia trip, she said China cannot stop US officials from visiting Taiwan. Kishida, speaking after breakfast with Pelosi and her congressional delegation, said the missile launches need to be "stopped immediately." China said it summoned European diplomats in the country to protest statements issued by the Group of Seven industrialized nations and the European Union criticising the Chinese military exercises surrounding Taiwan. Its Foreign Ministry on Friday said Vice Minister Deng Li made "solemn representations" over what he called "wanton interference in China's internal affairs." The ministry said the meeting was held Thursday night but gave no information on which countries participated. Earlier Thursday, China cancelled a foreign ministers' meeting with Japan to protest the G-7 statement that there was no justification for the exercises. Both ministers were attending a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Cambodia. China had earlier summoned U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns to protest Pelosi's visit. The speaker left Taiwan on Wednesday after meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen and holding other public events. She travelled on to South Korea and then Japan. Both countries host US. military bases and could be drawn into a conflict involving Taiwan. The Chinese exercises involve troops from the navy, air force, rocket force, strategic support force and logistic support force, according to Xinhua. They are believed to be the largest held near Taiwan in geographical terms and the closest in proximity -- within 20 kilometres (12 miles) of the island, reported ABC News. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday called the drills a "significant escalation" and said he has urged Beijing to back down. The drills are an echo of the last major Chinese military drills aimed at intimidating Taiwan's leaders and voters in 1995 and 1996. Taiwan has put its military on alert and staged civil defence drills, but the overall mood remained calm on Friday. Flights have been cancelled or diverted and fishermen have remained in port to avoid the Chinese drills, reported ABC News. (ANI) He congratulated Ferdinand Marcos Jr for his election as the 17th President of the Philippines. Prime Minister Modi reiterated the important role that the Philippines plays in India's Act East Policy and its Indo-Pacific Vision, and expressed the desire to further expand bilateral relations. "The two leaders reviewed various areas of bilateral engagement and expressed satisfaction at the rapid growth of cooperation between the two countries in recent years," a PMO release. Prime Minister also assured President Marcos Jr. of India's full support in his plans and projects for the Philippines' development. Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr was sworn in as the 17th president of the Philippines on June 30. Popularly known as Bongbong, he is the son of former President Ferdinand Marcos who ruled the Philippines for two decades from 1965, almost half of it under martial law. Marcos Jr, a former senator and congressman Marcos won a victory over incumbent Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo. His proclamation was attended by his 92-year-old mother, Imelda, alongside his wife, siblings and children. India and the Philippines formally established diplomatic relations on November 26, 1949. (ANI) China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday warned Washington not to act rashly and to avoid creating a bigger crisis by making another visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. Speaking at the 55th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Wang said, "US has no right to make the mistake again of allowing another visit of US House Speaker to Taiwan." The statement comes after Nancy Pelosi's recent Taiwan visit that has heightened tensions in the region. "US House Representatives Speaker Pelosi had disregarded the strong opposition from China and our repeated communication," said Wang. Defending strong Chinese actions in the region, Wang said, "it is only natural that the Chinese side must show our strong opposition." PLA dispatched 68 aircraft and 13 vessels until 17:00 (UTC+8) for the activities around Taiwan Strait, part of which had crossed the median line and jeopardized the status quo of the strait. "Actually, it is under US government's brazen decision of allowing Pelosi'svisit to Taiwan. This trip has seriously impacted China's sovereignty, seriously interfered our internal affairs, violate the promise the US had made with China and harmed the Taiwan straits relations," said Wang. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday said that China's military drills around Taiwan in response to Pelosi's visit to the self-ruled island is a disproportionate, unjustified and provocative escalation. China has been conducting the largest-ever military exercises in the Taiwan Strait, including launching live missiles it claims as part of its sovereign territory. "There is no justification for this extreme, disproportionate and escalatory military response," Blinken told a news conference on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting. Blinken did not meet with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during the regional summit amid the tense situation. "The differences between the mainland and Taiwan need to be resolved peacefully. Not coercively and not by force, so it is incumbent upon China to continue to resolve those differences peacefully," Blinken said after Friday's East Asia Summit. Reacting to Blinken's statements, Wang in a briefing after the closing of various ASEAN meetings in the Cambodian capital warned the United States not to act rashly so as to create a bigger crisis. Wang said that the US had "spread some misinformation". He said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken did not speak truthfully, so he had to "clear the air". "I've heard that US Secretary of State Blinken has had held his news conference, and spread some fake news and not speaking truthfully. So all the more it is important for me to clear the air and state the facts," said Wang. (ANI) The third anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A that gave Jammu and Kashmir a special status in the Indian Constitution is right around the corner. While the erstwhile leaders of the region and our neighbours are bold critiques and sensational speakers, the Central government is action-oriented progressive machinery. In three years, the union territory is unrecognizable, holistic and inclusive development paired with good governance and equal opportunities for all has been the key to its growth. The development projects in JKUT are a big milestone. To mention the industrial development projects alone, a hefty sum of Rs 36,000 crore has been allotted land as against investment applications of more than Rs 54,000 crore. Fifty-three projects concerning fifteen Ministries are work-in-progress at Rs 58,477 crores for various sectors such as roads, power, health, education, tourism, agriculture, skill development, etc. Twenty-Nine projects out of these have been completed. In 2019 the Centre picked up fast on the incomplete development and welfare project works of the region's government that were in the pipeline for ten to twenty-five years. As of today, 60 per cent of the projects stand completed. The budget allocation for the UT of Jammu and Kashmir has routinely increased from Rs 80423 crore in 2019-20, Rs 92341 crore in 2020-21, Rs 108621 crore in 2021-22, to Rs 112950 crore in 2022-23 which reflects the mega plans of the Central government for the Union Territory. Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) construction work of 17,601 km of roads has been completed up till March 2022, connecting 2074 places. Remote areas of the Valley which never saw the light of the day or more than 4 hours of electricity, schools, medical facilities, and tap water are now connected to cities. The new Banihal tunnel and Chenani-Nashri tunnel are now open for all. Kashmir is almost fully connected to the rest of the nation via train; the Udhampur-Katra section, Banihal-Qazigund section, and Qazigund-Baramulla section have been commissioned. In 2020, only 32 flights operated at Srinagar airport on average; a striking contrast to the 120 flights that operate daily today. Finally, the dream of connecting Kashmir to Kanyakumari is manifesting. Other mega projects pursued and expedited in the last three years are - two AIIMS, seven new Medical Colleges, two Cancer Institutes, and fifteen nursing colleges. The prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu is now running at full capacity. Medical and Management students no longer move out of their homes to attend universities. In the last two years, power projects for about 3000 MW capacity have been revived. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, tap water connections have increased from 5.75 lakh households (31 per cent) to 10.55 lakh households (57 per cent) and the districts of Srinagar and Ganderbal have been made "Har Ghar Jal" districts. Through self-employment schemes introduced in 2019, 5.2 lakh people are self-sufficient in the Union Territory now while financial assistance to the displaced was also provided in recent years. Three major irrigation projects - Main Ravi canal (Rs 62 crore), the third stage of the Tral lift irrigation scheme (Rs 45 crore), and Comprehensive Flood Management Plan of River Jhelum and its Tributaries Phase 1 (Rs 399.29 crore) have been completed. 5,764 families of West Pakistani Refugees (WPRs) have also been granted Rs 5.50 lakh per family. In the last few months, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has put a special impetus on growing high-value crops to meet the local food demands and Agri exports of Jammu and Kashmir. However, the basic fundamental rights of the people in the Pak-occupied Kashmir region have been massively neglected by the government which is stealing water and natural resources from them for appeasing China and building castles in Punjab. The local residents are protesting and sitting on dharnas for a long to which the government is least concerned about. PoK is a tragic tale of political suppression, denial of freedom of speech and liberty, calculated demographic changes, violence, illegal detentions, electoral rigging, and all that falls under the umbrella of Colonialism. In the meanwhile, de-addiction centres, psychological assistance, and youth Programs in Jammu and Kashmir are helping the youth discover life in the Valley. It hasn't been easy to pull them from the fake narratives and web of lies they were indoctrinated with. But after three years, given the entrepreneurial climate and helpful schemes of thegovernment, for the first time, the youth have found a purpose to direct their passionate energy into creating something worthwhile. (ANI) China's ambassador to France Lu Shaye threatened Taiwan with a possible military invasion, adding that Beijing would impose reeducation after its annexation. The statement by the diplomat drew international criticism, including denouncements by Uyghur activists. The wolf warrior diplomat said that the possibility of Chinese military invasion of Taiwan 'is still there', reported Taiwan News. Lu Shaye on Wednesday claimed that Beijing would impose reeducation after it annexes Taiwan, drawing international criticism, including denouncements by Uyghur activists. During an interview with French station BFMTV to discuss US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, Lu described her trip as an "unnecessary provocation" that had "created a lot of danger." He claimed that China's live-fire drills were "responding to a provocation" -- alluding to Pelosi's trip to Taiwan, reported Taiwan News. Referring to Taiwanese aversion to Chinese annexation, Lu said, "Ten years ago, 20 years ago, the majority of the population of Taiwan was for reunification, but why, now, are they against it? It's because the Democratic Progressive Party has spread a lot of anti-Chinese propaganda." However, according to the Election Study Center at National Chengchi University, there has never been a majority of Taiwanese who supported unification since polls began on the question in 1994, reported Taiwan News. Lu then said the possibility of a military invasion of Taiwan "is still there" but added the assault would "not be against the population of Taiwan." He then vowed that "after reunification, we will do re-education." The ambassador said the re-education campaign would be peaceful and "not under threat." He then tried to reassure Taiwanese that it would not take the form of "mass" education, reported Taiwan News. Nathalie Loiseau, chair of the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Security and Defense, on Thursday (Aug. 4) tweeted that those who are against Pelosi's trip to Taiwan should reserve their indignation for the "scandalous remarks of the Chinese ambassador, who promises the reunification of Taiwan against the will of its inhabitants and then their 're-education.' This is where the scandal lies." Guy Verhofstadt, former prime minister of Belgium, also took to Twitter to write, "Dictatorships cannot accept or even imagine people wanting to live in freedom ... instead they want to 're-educate' ... another word for oppression and propaganda. Be warned, Taiwan, Ukraine, Europe ..." Paul Massaro, a senior policy advisor for counter-corruption and sanctions to the US Congress, lambasted Lu on Twitter by stating on Thursday: "Genocide, re-education, gulags, all being normalized for a new age of totalitarian evil." Abdul Hakim, Director of the Center for Uyghur Studies, on Friday (August 5) said on Twitter that for the past five years, he and his colleagues have worked hard to tell the world that China is "using Uyghurs as test subjects with a plan to transfer their genocidal tactics to other parts of the world." Meanwhile, Rayhan E Asat, an Uyghur human rights lawyer living in the US, tweeted to say he had stayed away from the Taiwan controversy over the past few days but became concerned by Lu's comments, "What drove Hongkongers to the street is the fear Hong Kong would become next Xinjiang re-education centre. The Chinese official says the Taiwanese also needs to undergo re-education. Says a lot about China." (ANI) Washington [US], August 5 (ANI/Sputnik): The United States has informed the Russian Embassy in Washington of the arrest of Russian citizen Alexander Vinnik, and diplomats stand ready to provide him with legal assistance, the diplomatic mission announced on Friday. On Friday, Vinnik's family said that Vinnik was taken from Greece to Boston on a private plane and then transported to San Francisco. "[T]he diplomatic mission is closely monitoring the situation related to the extradition of Russian citizen Vinnik to the United States," the statement said. "In the morning, information was received from the American authorities about the arrest of the Russian citizen. We have requested information from the State Department about his whereabouts and the lawyers working with him. The detainee will be provided with all the necessary consular and legal assistance, a telephone conversation will be organized." Vinnik was detained in Greece in 2017 at the request of the US, which accused him of laundering USD 4 billion worth of funds through a cryptocurrency trading platform. In the US, Vinnik faces 55 years in prison. France also filed charges against Vinnik. On January 23, 2020, Vinnik was extradited to France, where he was sentenced to five years in prison and a 100,000 euro (USD 119,433) fine in December that year. Vinnik has denied committing any criminal or administrative offences. After serving his sentence in France, Vinnik was returned to Greece. (ANI/Sputnik) The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) expressed its concern over the political crisis in Myanmar that has been existing in the country since the 2021 February coup, including the recent execution of four opposition activists. "We were deeply disappointed by the limited progress in and lack of commitment of the Nay Pyi Taw authorities to the timely and complete implementation of the Five-Point Consensus," read ASEAN joint statement. ASEAN has been trying to implement a five-point consensus, calling for dialogue among all concerned parties, provision of humanitarian assistance and an immediate cessation of violence, among other things. Myanmar's military junta reported the execution of four men in the country's first death sentences carried out in over three decades. "The Myanmar junta's execution of four men was an act of utter cruelty," said Elaine Pearson, acting Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "These executions, including of activist Ko Jimmy and opposition lawmaker Phyo Zeya Thaw, followed grossly unjust and politically motivated military trials. This horrific news was compounded by the junta's failure to notify the men's families, who learned about the executions through the junta's media reports." "We extensively discussed the recent developments in Myanmar and expressed our concerns over the prolonged political crisis in the country, including the execution of four opposition activists," added the statement. ASEAN welcomed the efforts to help address the situation including visits to Myanmar by Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, in January 2022, and by Prak Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia, as the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar in March and late June to early July 2022. "Towards this end, upholding the agreement of our Leaders at the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and consistent with Article 20 of the ASEAN Charter, we recommended that the ASEAN Summit assesses the progress towards the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus by the State Administration Council to guide the decision on the next steps," said the joint statement. "We reiterated our commitment to peace and stability in the region and expressed ASEAN's readiness to assist Myanmar in a positive, peaceful, and constructive manner, including in the delivery of humanitarian assistance. We agreed that the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar shall engage all Myanmar relevant stakeholders at the earliest," added the statement. ASEAN also reaffirmed respect for the sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. "We reiterated our call for compliance with international law and the United Nations Charter. The Meeting underlined the importance of an immediate cessation of hostilities and the creation of an enabling environment for the peaceful resolution of conflict," read the statement. "We supported the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General in the search for a peaceful solution. We also called for the facilitation of rapid, safe and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance for those in need in Ukraine, and for the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel, and persons in vulnerable situations," added the statement. Regarding developments in the Korean Peninsula, ASEAN stressed the importance of continued peaceful dialogue amongst all concerned parties in order to realise lasting peace and stability in a denuclearised Korean Peninsula. The recent surge in the DPRK's intercontinental ballistic missile testing and ballistic missile launches is a worrisome development that threatens the peace and stability in the region. "We urged all concerned parties to resume peaceful dialogue and continue working towards the realisation of lasting peace and stability in a denuclearised Korean Peninsula, including through the full and expeditious implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration, the Pyongyang Joint Declaration and the Joint Statement by the US and DPRK leaders," read the statement. ASEAN further reiterated its commitment to the full implementation of all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions and noted international efforts to bring about the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner. "Diplomatic efforts, including the creation of a conducive environment for peaceful dialogue amongst all concerned parties should remain a priority. We reiterated our readiness to play a constructive role, including through utilising ASEAN-led platforms such as the ARF in promoting a conducive atmosphere to peaceful dialogue amongst the concerned parties," added the statement. Meanwhile, ASEAN looked forward to the convening of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Post Ministerial Conferences, 24th APT Foreign Ministers' Meeting, 13th EAS Foreign Ministers' Meeting, and 30th ARF to be held in the Republic of Indonesia in 2023. (ANI) Indian Ambassador in Madagascar Abhay Kumar on Friday highlighted the progress made in bilateral ties between India and Madagascar in recent months. India announced the donation of 15,000 bicycles to Madagascar on June 3, 2022 on the occasion of World Bicycle Day. "The first batch of bicycles reached Tamatave yesterday," informed Ambassador Kumar. India is also going to donate 5000 metric tonnes of rice to Madagascar to help it in its fight against drought in the South of Madagascar. "The consignment carrying 5000 tonnes of rice is on its way and will reach the port of Tamatave by August 13, 2022", the Ambassador said. Indian Ambassador informed that on July 29, 2022, a centre for Indian Diaspora in Madagascar titled "Indian Dhow" was inaugurated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Madagascar, Richard Randriamandrato. The centre will go a long way in promoting the history of the Indian diaspora along with highlighting their struggles and successes in Madagascar. It will also work as a centre for cultural promotion, organization of events and a place of meetings and training like yoga sessions. Ambassador highlighted that students from Madagscar have started registering themselves for online courses in Indian Universities under the MOU on Tele-education and telemedicine that was signed between India and Madagascar on July 12, 2022. He encouraged Malagasy students to register themselves for the courses. A number of MOUs have been finalised between the two countries and a number of them are under finalisation such as MoU for Cooperation in the Field of Health and Medicine, MoU in the Field of Ayurveda and Traditional Malagasy Medicines. The Ambassador encouraged everyone to take advantage of the free yoga and Hindi classes that are being held in the embassy since June 2022. Kumar also shared that a cultural troupe from India will perform in Madagascar soon to mark the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. He underlined that India considers Madagascar a vital pole in the collaborative maritime vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and has stood with Madagascar as a true all-weather friend and will continue to do so. (ANI) The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has raised concern over China's land reclamations activities in the South China Sea. "We discussed the situation in the South China Sea, during which concerns were expressed by some Ministers on the land reclamations, activities, serious incidents in the area, including damage to the marine environment, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions, and may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region," ASEAN joint statement said. The 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) was held on August 3 2022 in Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia. The Meeting was chaired by Cambodia under the theme 'ASEAN ACT: Addressing Challenges Together. "We reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability, and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation," said the statement issued on Friday. The group reaffirmed the need to pursue peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with the universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS. China has been unilaterally changing things on the ground in the South China Sea. In the middle of the global coronavirus pandemic, it was busy increasing its presence in the SCS. It approved the establishment of two districts to administer disputed Paracel and the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Before that, Beijing had issued new names for 25 islands or reefs and 55 undersea entities in the South China Sea in a bid to reaffirm its sovereignty in the region. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982, is an international agreement that establishes the legal framework for marine and maritime activities. It is also known as Law of the Sea. It divides marine areas into five main zones namely- Internal Waters, Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the High Seas. "We stressed the importance of undertaking confidence building and preventive measures to enhance, among others, trust and confidence amongst parties, and we reaffirmed the importance of upholding international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, the statement said. UNCLOS is the only international convention which stipulates a framework for state jurisdiction in maritime spaces and provides a different legal status to different maritime zones. "We emphasised the importance of non-militarisation and self-restraint in the conduct of all activities by claimants and all other states, including those mentioned in the DOC that could further complicate the situation and escalate tensions in the South China Sea," ASEAN statement said. ASEAN reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety, and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea and recognised the benefits of having the South China Sea as a sea of peace, stability, and prosperity. It underscored the importance of the full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in its entirety. "We welcomed ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation between ASEAN and China, and were encouraged by the progress of the substantive negotiations towards the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) consistent with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, within a mutually-agreed timeline." ASEAN welcomed the resumption of physical textual negotiation of the Single Draft COC Negotiating Text through the convening of the 36th JWG-DOC on 25-27 May 2022 in Siem Reap, and looked forward to the early conclusion of an effective and substantive COC that is in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS. "We emphasised the need to maintain and promote an environment conducive to the COC negotiations, and thus welcomed practical measures that could reduce tensions and the risk of accidents, misunderstandings, and miscalculation," the statement said. (ANI) Illegal migrants from Pakistan are undermining European security and are looking for opportunities to make quick money through crime. With officials in the league, trafficked Pakistanis in Europe engage in terrorism and crime. 11 people trafficked by Dr Israr Husain, a BS-21 officer at the Foreign Office, are at the heart of the new scandal, reported Asian Lite International. Dr Israr Husain was additional secretary (Europe) at the relevant time when he sent messages and emails supporting visa applications of those who either disappeared or sought asylum in different European cities, Pakistani newspaper The News International newspaper reported. The newspaper in a report on August 2 quoted unnamed government officials who said this was a fit case for a thorough probe, but there had been no word from the government. This is the latest development in a series of incidents spread over the last few years wherein, as per official Pakistani estimates, about 40,000 Pakistani nationals enter Europe every year, travelling via Iran and Turkey. Many European Governments have taken notice of the security-related issues with Pakistani illegal immigrants engaged in crime to make quick money. They also attend private conclaves organised by extremist bodies and get influenced there to take up violence, reports said. The Pakistan Government is yet to probe a high-ranking diplomat who is at the heart of a human trafficking scandal, having facilitated visas from several European Embassies in Islamabad for 11 ineligible persons, reported Asian Lite International. As per official Pakistani estimates, about 40,000 Pakistani nationals enter Europe every year, travelling via Iran and Turkey. The European authorities are unable to treat activities by these illegals as petty crimes since, for instance, a group in Turkey was found taking pictures of women for local female trafficking rackets. There have been reports of Pakistani diplomats and officials abroad themselves engaged in crime. In October 2018, Pakistani bureaucrat Zarar Haider Khan was caught on camera stealing the wallet of a Kuwaiti delegate. Haider Khan was arrested after the incident which took place at the Pakistan-Kuwait joint ministerial meeting. On April 27 last year, two diplomats from Pakistan's Embassy in South Korea were caught shoplifting at a store in Seoul and were arrested. The latest scandal came to light on the basis of a complaint by a travel agent who submitted detailed correspondence. He had arranged travel documents and the stay in Europe for the 11 Pakistani nationals who paid PKR 1.5 million each on the promise of getting jobs. On failing to get them, they sought asylum, reported Asian Lite International. (ANI) "In response to another expansion of anti-Russian personal sanctions by Canada on June 27 and July 7 of this year, which this time affected, in addition to officials, journalists and experts objectionable to Ottawa, also Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, 62 Canadian citizens are being subjected to a ban on entry into the Russian Federation," the ministry said in a statement. When compiling the stop list of Canadian citizens, the fact of "special hostility" of the current government of Canada, headed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which, according to the statement of the ministry, is "malicious activity in the fight against the Russian World" and traditional values, was taken into account, it said. The ministry said that the list was not a final response. "Taking into account more and more new Russophobic sanctions constantly 'stamped' by Canada, further retaliatory measures by the Russian side will be announced in the near future," it concluded. (ANI/Sputnik) "Pleased to speak with President @bongbongmarcos today. I conveyed my best wishes to him for a successful tenure as the President of the Republic of the Philippines. I look forward to working closely with him to continue strengthening the India-Philippines ties," PM Modi said in a tweet. During the phone conversation, the Prime Minster congratulated Marcos Jr on his election as the 17th President of the Philippines. Prime Minister reviewed various areas of bilateral engagement. PM Modi reiterated the important role that the Philippines plays in India's Act East Policy and its Indo-Pacific Vision and expressed the desire to further expand bilateral relations. "The two leaders reviewed various areas of bilateral engagement and expressed satisfaction at the rapid growth of cooperation between the two countries in recent years," a PMO release stated. Prime Minister also assured President Marcos Jr of India's full support in his plans and projects for the Philippines' development. Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr was sworn in as the 17th president of the Philippines on June 30.Popularly known as Bongbong, he is the son of former President Ferdinand Marcos who ruled the Philippines for two decades from 1965, almost half of it under martial law. Marcos Jr, a former senator and congressman won a victory over incumbent Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo. His proclamation was attended by his 92-year-old mother, Imelda, alongside his wife, siblings and children. India and the Philippines formally established diplomatic relations on November 26, 1949. (ANI) A Saudi Court on Thursday convicted six Pakistanis over desecrating the holy place Masjid-e-Nabavi by raising slogans against Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his delegation. Some protesters, allegedly belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), violated the sanctity of the Masjid-e-Nabawi by loudly chanting slogans against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's delegation in Saudi Arabia. A viral video had been circulating on social media platforms that showed hundreds of pilgrims raising "chor chor" [thieves] slogans upon seeing the delegation making their way to Masjid-e-Nabawi. The Saudi court convicted six Pakistani out of which three Pakistanis were sentenced to jail for 10 years each and three Pakistanis were sentenced to jail for 8 years each, Pakistani local media outlet The News International reported. According to the Saudi Court, all six were found guilty of blasphemy at Harm-e-Madina. Anas, Irshad and Muhammad Salim were sentenced to 10 years, while Khwaja Luqman, Muhammad Afzal and Ghulam Muhammad were sentenced to 8 years. In a video, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and member of the National Assembly Shahzain Bugti were seen along with others. According to the Pakistani newspaper, Aurangzeb indirectly blamed ousted Imran Khan for the protest. "I will not name this person on this holy land because I do not want to use this land for politics. But they have destroyed the [Pakistani] society," she said. This came during Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's maiden three-day official visit to Saudi Arabia. Dozens of officials and political leaders have accompanied the Pakistan Prime Minister on his visit to the Kingdom. Moreover, the Madina court slapped 200,000 riyals fine on the six people and confiscated their mobile phones as they were found guilty of abusing Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb and other ministers. A statement issued by the Madina Police spokesperson said, "The legal process has been completed with the arrest of these Pakistanis and the matter has been referred to the appropriate authorities." (ANI) Pakistani journalist Anas Mallick, who was in Afghanistan to cover the first anniversary of the Taliban's takeover of the country, was abducted and physically assaulted by the Taliban; however, later Pakistan's ambassador to the neighbouring country Mansoor Ahmad Khan on Friday confirmed that he is safe. Mallick, who works for an Indian News Channel, landed in Afghanistan on Wednesday to cover the Taliban's takeover and the recent assassination of al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in a US drone strike. Reports of Mallick going missing began circulating Thursday night, a day after he had reached Afghanistan. His fellow journalist was one of the first persons to share the news of Mallick's disappearance Thursday night, in a tweet. She shared that his phones were not reachable and no information about him was available with the Pakistan embassy in Kabul, which had begun conducting preliminary inquiries with the Taliban government. Later, Pakistan's ambassador to the Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan confirmed Friday that Mallick has now been located in Kabul and is safe. "Regarding reports about Pakistani journalist Anas Malik, I have just talked to him on phone briefly. He is in Kabul and safe. Embassy will remain in touch with him," the envoy tweeted. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto had also shared the information via Twitter. Mallick also took to Twitter to inform about his safety, saying, "I am back". He was reported missing the next day after filing a story about the safehouse where Zawahiri was killed in a drone strike. Mallick had recently interviewed Pakistan Foreign Minister Bhutto on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Council(SCO) meeting in Tashkent. Mallick's younger brother Hassan Mallick in a tweet had wrote, "My elder brother and journalist Anas Mallick has been missing in Kabul from past more than 12 hours. Authorities are requested to please pursue the case and ensure his swift and safe recovery. Prayers requested too." Narrating the account of what transpired Mallick said, "We were handcuffed, blindfolded, and faced the wildest accusations and after that were questioned thoroughly on our journalistic credentials as well. Personal questions were also hurled at us. Late in the evening yesterday, at around 9:30 (local time), I was moved into a room where I was told I will be allowed to walk free once the translator shows up." He also revealed his traumatic experience by showing his torn clothes and injuries. This wasn't Mallick's first visit to the region. He had extensively covered the Taliban's takeover following the United States' withdrawal last year. Importantly, the local producer and his driver are still being held by the Taliban. Although they said that they will be releasing them soon, but there has been no update. While covering the clashes between Afghan security forces and the Taliban on July 16, 2021, the Pulitzer-winning Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui was illegally detained, tortured, and killed by the Taliban, and his body was mutilated. This was not an isolated incident as there are many incidents relating to the attacking of civilians, including journalists. 38-year-old Siddiqui, who was the Chief Photographer for Reuters in India, was killed in Kandahar province's Spin Boldak district while covering the violence in Afghanistan. "Danish, our loving son, was murdered by the Taliban for simply carrying out his journalistic duties," said Danish Siddiqui's mother, Shahida Akhtar. "He was subjected to barbaric levels of torture and mutilation while in their custody. Danish always stood for honesty and integrity in his work. He always showcased the pain and suffering of the people. He was brave and courageous all along." Siddiqui, a native of New Delhi, is survived by his wife Rike and two children. Over 200 media outlets have ceased operations in Afghanistan and 7,000 media workers have lost their jobs since the Taliban seized power in August last year while the country's economy continues to shrink. (ANI) Ukraines military intelligence chief has revived a theory that Russian President Vladimir Putin is using body doubles -- and has pointed at his changing ears over the years as proof, media reports said. Putin's (69) health has been the topic of fierce discussion among commentators, Daily Mail reported. His close ally Nikolai Patrushev is said to have stood in for the president during his medical appointments, the report said. This week, Ukraine's Major General Kyrylo Budanov appeared on TV to claim to viewers that Putin's height and ears have changed in recent appearances, The Sun reported. He said: "The picture, let's say, of the ears, is different... And it's like a fingerprint, each person's ear picture is unique. It cannot be repeated." Budanov further alleged that Putin body doubles "have different habits, different mannerisms, different gaits, sometimes even different heights if you looked closely". Budanov had previously claimed a Vladimir Putin body 'double' may have been used for his arrival at a summit in Tehran last month. While the Russian leader looked awkward as he came down the steps of his presidential plane in Tehran, Ukrainian sources noted that he moved unusually quickly and was more alert than in prior public appearances, Daily Mail reported. The Russian premier looked animated when greeting the waiting party, before removing his jacket and clambering into a heavily armoured limousine. Budanov said he was suspicious of Putin's appearance in a live interview on Ukraine's 1+1 news channel. Ukrainian reports said Budanov suggested that a Putin lookalike could have flown to Tehran to meet with the presidents of Iran and Turkey. "I will only hint. Please look at the moment of Putin's exit from the plane. Is it Putin at all," he asked. The Russian leader's visit to Tehran where he met Iran's leadership, plus Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, attracted worldwide attention. It is only the second time Putin has been abroad since launching his brutal invasion of Ukraine five months ago. In one video, Erdogan kept Putin waiting, with the Russian ruler appearing ill at ease as he shuffled his feet and made strange facial movements. But earlier Ukraine did not suggest this was a Putin double. At the time, official Anton Gerashchenko posted on Telegram: 'Erdogan made Putin wait during the meeting in Tehran, Daily Mail reported. --IANS san/arm ( 401 Words) 2022-08-05-19:14:02 (IANS) US State Secretary Antony Blinken on Friday (local time) spoke with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and called for a de-escalation in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. "Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Secretary Blinken assured Prime Minister Pashinyan that the United States is watching the situation in and around Nagorno-Karabakh closely," a State Department press release said. Blinken urged direct dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve issues related to, or resulting from, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Blinken also spoke with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Secretary Blinken called for de-escalation and urged direct dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia to resolve issues. According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces recently breached the ceasefire in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in the area of the height of Sarybaba. Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan with Armenian support after a bloody post-Soviet conflict in the early 1990s. In 2020, Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a war over the region and Baku successfully won back part of the territory controlled by the separatists. Under the terms of a subsequent ceasefire, Russian peacekeepers were deployed to protect the remainder of the separatist-held territory. Both sides accuse each other of breaches, and in recent days violence has flared. "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 Russian Defence Ministry said. "The command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, together with representatives of the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides, is taking measures to stabilize the situation," it added. The Azerbaijani military captured several heights in Nagorno-Karabakh on Wednesday, the Defence Ministry's press office told 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) Israel killed Tayseer Jabari, a senior commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group (PIJ) in the Gaza Strip during an air strike Friday as Israeli leaders said that the actions were necessary after the group refused to back down from its intentions to carry out attacks against the country, media reports said. Under this Israeli Operation "Breaking Dawn" six sites were hit by fighter jets and armed drones. What actually led to the conflict? As per media reports, the Islamic Jihad Group had been threatening the Israeli Defence Forces since Tuesday to attack in response to the arrest of its West Bank leader, Baha Abu al-Ata. al-Ata was assassinated by Israel in 2019. Tayseer Jabari, the senior commander who was killed by the Israeli strike replaced al-Ata as the Jihad Group's commander in northern Gaza. The PIJ confirmed Jabari's death in the Israeli strike. Israeli officials indicated that the operation was targeting the PIJ specifically, hoping to keep Hamas largely out of the conflict as it did during a flare-up after Abu al-Ata's killing, reported Times of Israel. The Israeli Defence Forces spokesman Ron Kochav while speaking with a media outlet said that the operation was "a targeted campaign against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad." He also confirmed that the Israeli army was trying not to drag Hamas into the ongoing conflict and is hoping to keep the campaign limited in scope. A senior military official said Islamic Jihad had been preparing a major terror attack against Israeli civilians, with Jabari and many of his fighters planning to attack civilians near the border, the official said. The military said it had deployed the Iron Dome air defense system near Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beersheba, as it anticipated retaliation from Islamic Jihad in the form of rocket attacks. The military said a "special situation" had been declared on the homefront, up to 80 kilometers from Gaza -- an area extending as far north as Tel Aviv. A "special situation" is a legal term used in times of emergency, granting authorities greater jurisdiction over the civilian population in order to streamline efforts to safeguard the population. The IDF meanwhile began to call up reservists to bolster its Southern Command, Home Front Command, air defense array and combat troops in the event of further escalation. Gantz approved calling up as many as 25,000 reservist troops, his office said. Lapid, Gantz, Alternate Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and top security officials held security consultations in the evening to decide on Israel's next steps. (ANI) A 17-year-old was shot nine times while her older sister suffered two gunshot wounds inside a taxi near an Irving hotel on the night of Jan. 1, 2008, doctors testified Friday in their fathers murder trial. At least one of the gunshot wounds found in 17-year-old Sarah Said came as the gunman held the weapon against her, forensic pathologist Dr. Janis Townsend-Parchman told the Dallas County jury Friday afternoon. Her body was found in the cabs back seat. There was contact, Townsend-Parchman said. Dr. Amy Gruszecki also told jurors that 18-year-old Amina Said suffered two gunshot wounds to her chest. She was found in the front seat of the taxi. Either one (of the shots) could have killed her, Gruszecki testified. Yaser Said, their father, is accused of his daughters murders. The 65-year-old man kept his eyes down Friday afternoon as the doctors testified about the autopsies performed on his daughters. Testimony in his trial started Tuesday and will resume on Monday. The trial is being held in Criminal District Court No. 7 in Dallas. After the fatal shooting, Yaser Said fled the scene and escaped authorities for 12 years, prosecutors have said. But a shadow, trash and surveillance brought an end to the search for the fugitive, according to federal authorities. FBI agents arrested Said at a Justin home in August 2020 after a shadow was seen at the house and authorities picked up a trash bag left by family members of Said at a Panera Bread in Southlake. There were food items, a Coke can and at least 50 to 60 cigarette butts, FBI Special Agent Daniel Gimenez, who was involved in the search, testified Friday. We got search warrants for the Justin home and another home in Euless. An FBI SWAT team entered the Justin home on the afternoon of Aug. 26, 2020, and found Yaser Said, who had been living alone in a room in the garage, he said. Gimenez testified that a massive search was conducted throughout the country for years, including in Georgia, North Carolina, New York, Wisconsin, Oregon and California. Story continues The FBI agent told the jury authorities were aware that family members lived in North Texas in cities that included Euless, Bedford, Haltom City and Southlake. Financial records tipped authorities off that the Said family had a home in Justin. Some family members said that the girls were victims of honor killings because their father thought they had brought shame to the family. Yaser Said has sent several letters to the judge in Dallas, proclaiming his innocence, according to WFAA-TV. In one letter he wrote, I was not happy about my kids dating activity. But, I did not do the killings or any plan to hurt them, WFAA reported. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty. If convicted, Said will be automatically sentenced to life without parole. Said pleaded not guilty on Tuesday on the first day of testimony in his trial. His son and brother have been sentenced to prison for hiding him. This week, defense attorneys have argued that Yaser Said was targeted as a suspect because he is a Muslim and that evidence indicated the investigation was botched Defense attorney Joseph Patton said that 16 surveillance cameras at Omni Mandalay Hotel in Irving, where the killings occurred, never captured an image of a suspect. Amina Said, 18, and her 17-year-old sister, Sarah, were found fatally shot Jan. 1, 2008, in Irving, TX. Their father, Yaser Said, is accused of killing them and is on trial this week in Dallas. On Friday morning, Saids defense attorney continued to raise doubts about the investigation, questioning a former Irving police detective on seeking other suspects in the killings. Retired Irving Detective Joe Henning testified that the girls boyfriends, who went to Irving police just shortly after the deadly shooting on Jan. 1, 2008, were not suspects even though Yaser Saids son told police that they needed to be interviewed. Defense attorneys also have noted that there were no fingerprints, no weapon, and no bloody clothes or footprints found in the investigation. Patton continued on Friday afternoon to question Gimenez on the investigation, arguing that Irving police failed to seek other suspects. The investigation was properly conducted by local authorities, Gimenez testified. On Christmas Day in 2007, the girls and their mother, Patricia Owens, who was then Yaser Saids wife, fled the familys Lewisville home because they feared Yaser Said, she said. Patricia Owens has testified this week that she was scared of her husband, and Yaser Said had threatened the girls. But Patricia Owens and the girls returned back to their home by Jan. 1, 2008. On that night, Yaser Said told his wife that he was taking the girls out to dinner, but he didnt invite her, she said. A few hours later, the girls died from multiple gunshot wounds as they sat in Saids taxi near the Omi Mandalay Hotel. After the shooting, Said was on the FBIs 10 Most Wanted list. Federal court documents do not indicate where he was from January 2008 until August 2017. Nine years after the killings, investigators got a break when a maintenance worker at the Copper Canyon Apartments in Bedford spotted Yaser Said in an apartment rented by his son Islam Said, federal agents said. FBI agents had told apartment officials before that encounter that Islam Said was renting an apartment there and that he was the son of a wanted fugitive. After the sighting, on Aug. 14, 2017, an FBI agent tried to interview Islam Said, wanting to ask him who was inside the Bedford apartment and get consent to search it. Islam Said refused to cooperate and called his attorney. Later, authorities discovered that Islam Said called someone and told them, we have a big problem, according to the criminal complaint against him. On Friday, Bedford apartment maintenance worker Jorge Camacho testified he saw Yaser Said at the apartment. Camacho arrived to work on a leak in a bathroom. He followed me to the restroom, Camacho told the jury in Spanish. A translator repeated his testimony in English. He kept his head down, but he later lifted it. Authorities arrived a few minutes later, but Yaser Said had left. Months later, test results on DNA collected from the apartment indicated that Yaser Said had been there. Years passed before federal authorities got another break, and Yaser Said was found and arrested at the Justin home. A framed picture of Breonna Taylor. Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Frontline Action Hub The Justice Department has filed federal civil rights charges against four current and former Louisville, Kentucky, police officers in connection with the death of Breonna Taylor, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday. Taylor, a 26-year-old Black medical worker, was killed on March 13, 2020, when police officers raided her Louisville apartment as part of a botched drug investigation and exchanged gunfire with her boyfriend, who thought the officers were intruders. Taylor's death sparked racial justice demonstrations across the country, and led to Louisville banning no-knock warrants. "We share, but we cannot fully imagine, the grief felt by Breonna Taylor's loved ones and all of those affected by the events of March 13, 2020," Garland said. "Breonna Taylor should be alive today." Detective Kelly Goodlett, Sgt. Kyle Meany, and former detective Joshua Jaynes stand accused of falsifying an affidavit used to obtain a search warrant of Taylor's home. "Among other things, the affidavit falsely claimed that officers had verified that the target of the alleged drug trafficking operation had received packages at Ms. Taylor's address," Garland said. "In fact, defendants Jaynes and Goodlett knew that was not true." Jaynes and Goodlett also allegedly spoke after Taylor's death and agreed to tell investigators a "false story" about the botched raid. A fourth person, former officer Brett Hankison, was charged with two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, after allegedly using unconstitutional excessive force during the raid. Hankison was acquitted earlier this year on state charges of wanton endangerment. You may also like Alabama girl escapes kidnapper, helps police discover bodies 11 golfers sue PGA Tour over suspension for playing in rival startup league China escalates military drills, sanctions Pelosi over Taiwan trip Aug. 4Two workers were critically injured in an explosion Thursday morning at a Smith's grocery store in Northwest Albuquerque. Albuquerque Fire Rescue Lt. Tom Ruiz said the employees suffered "significant burn injuries" and were taken to the hospital. He said the pair were doing scheduled maintenance on an HVAC compressor when it exploded. "Something malfunctioned and that's what caused the explosion," he said. Ruiz said AFR responded around 10:45 a.m. to reports of an explosion at the Smith's at 111 Coors NW, north of Central. He said fire crews doused a small fire in the maintenance room where the explosion was reported. Ruiz said employees were evacuated and the two injured workers were taken to a hospital. He said AFR checked the air quality as firefighters worked to ventilate the store. "Out of an abundance of caution, (the Albuquerque Police Department) was notified due to the initial explosion," Ruiz said. "Several of the adjacent businesses were also evacuated to ensure no exposures had occurred." By Joyce Lee and Jamie Freed SEOUL (Reuters) -Airlines have cancelled flights to Taipei and rerouted others to avoid airspace nearby that has been closed to civilian traffic during Chinese military exercises sparked by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. China deployed scores of planes and fired live missiles near Taiwan on Thursday in its biggest-ever drills in the Taiwan Strait, set to run until noon local time (0400 GMT) on Sunday in six zones encircling much of the island. The airspace involved is comparatively small, but the disruption from the largest military exercises by China in the area since it fired missiles off the coast in 1996 is hampering travel between Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia. Temporary airspace closures and route changes during major military exercises occur regularly around the world. This situation is unusual in that China's exercises bisect Taiwan's claimed 12 nautical miles (22 kilometres) of territorial waters - something Taiwanese officials say challenges the international order and amount to a blockade of its sea and airspace. Korean Air Lines Co Ltd and Singapore Airlines Ltd said they had cancelled flights to and from Taipei on Friday due to the exercises, with the Korean carrier also cancelling its Saturday flights and delaying Sunday flights. Japan's ANA Holdings Inc and Japan Airlines Co Ltd are still operating flights to Taipei as normal, spokespeople for the airlines said, but are avoiding the affected airspace on those flights, as well as on routes to Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd and Philippines Airlines said their flights were avoiding designated airspace zones around Taiwan, in a move that could lead to more flying time for some flights, while Vietnam's aviation regulator warned its airlines to avoid the area. Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 showed Taiwanese carriers China Airlines Ltd and EVA Airways Corp were still flying to and from the island as of Friday morning, as were cargo carriers FedEx Corp and United Parcel Service Inc, though avoiding the areas affected by the military drills. Story continues Emirates, United Airlines Holdings Inc and Turkish Airlines had flights en route to Taipei on Friday morning local time, Flightradar24 showed. Taiwan, along with mainland China and Hong Kong, is one of the few places in the world that still requires quarantine for arrivals because of COVID-19, triggering reduced demand for travel to the island that means there are far fewer flights than before the pandemic. OPSGROUP, an aviation industry cooperative that shares information on flight risks, said the exercises would affect major routes between Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia, leading to re-routings that could take longer and burn extra fuel. The airspace involved, however, is minor in its impact on the global aviation industry compared to the decision by most airlines to bypass overflight of other places like Russia, Ukraine, Afghanistan, North Korea, Iraq and Syria. The avoidance of Russian airspace, for example, has led to a near four-hour increase in flight times between Finland and Japan. Taiwan said on Wednesday it was negotiating with neighbouring Japan and the Philippines to find alternative aviation routes, the official Central News Agency (CNA) reported. (Reporting by Joyce Lee in Seoul and Jamie Freed in Sydney; Additional reporting by Maki Shiraki in Tokyo, Neil Jerome Morales in Manila, Khanh Vu in Hanoi and Twinnie Siu in Hong Kong; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell) Angelica Ross is officially Broadway-bound. The Pose star will join the cast of the smash musical Chicago in the lead role of Roxie Hart, the shows producers confirmed Thursday. Shell become the shows first transgender leading lady. Ross, whose acting credits also include American Horror Story, will begin performances on Sept. 12. Her eight-week run is set to conclude on Nov. 6. Her casting drew an enthusiastic response from fans and fellow celebrities online. The name on everybodys lips is gonna be Angelica Ross! actor Wilson Cruz tweeted, referencing one of the songs from the show. Congratulations, love! Added MacGyver star Alexandra Grey: The girls are on Broadway! Put us everywhere!! We are HERE! Congrats, sis. "Pose" and "American Horror Story" star Angelica Ross will join the cast of Broadway's "Chicago" for an eight-week run this fall. (Photo: Taylor Hill via Getty Images) Anthony Allen Ramos, who is GLAADs vice president of communications and talent, also praised the news in an email. Describing the role of Roxie as one of the most recognizable, iconic, and beloved characters in the history of Broadway, he added, A true talent like Angelica Ross will delight audiences with her impressive acting, singing and performance skills. Ross herself offered a more subdued response, noting on Twitter that her excitement was tempered by news that WNBA star Brittney Griner had been found guilty of drug possession in Russia. This day is full of mixed feelings for me! I want to celebrate being on Broadway, but I dont feel like celebrating with #BrittneyGriner sentenced to 9 years in prison. This world is messed up. She doesnt deserve this. A N G E L I C A (@angelicaross) August 4, 2022 Gwen Verdon originated the role of Roxie when Chicago premiered on Broadway in 1975. When the current revival opened in 1996, the merry murderess turned aspiring showgirl was portrayed by Ann Reinking. Story continues The 2002 movie adaptation of the musical starred Renee Zellweger as Roxie. And earlier this year, Pamela Anderson made the leap from Baywatch to Broadway when she took over the role, winning rave reviews from critics. Transgender representation in New Yorks theater industry has been gradually improving in recent years. In 2018, RuPauls Drag Race veteran Peppermint became the first trans performer to originate a principal role on Broadway when she appeared in the Go-Gos jukebox musical, Head Over Heels. And earlier this year, L Morgan Lee received rapturous acclaim and a history-making Tony nomination for her performance in A Strange Loop. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... KABUL (Reuters) - Hundreds of Afghans carried anti-American banners on Friday to protest against a U.S. drone strike that Washington says killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri this month. The protests were launched a day after the Taliban said their government had no information about Zawahiri "entering and living" in capital city Kabul and warned the United States to never repeat an attack on Afghan soil. Photos shared on social media showed protesters in at least seven Afghan provinces carrying banners reading "Down with USA", "Joe Biden, stop lying" and "America is a liar". Zawahiri, the top leader of the hardline Islamist militant group, was killed with a missile fired from a drone while he stood on a balcony at his Kabul hideout on Sunday, U.S. officials stated, the biggest blow to the militants since U.S. Navy SEALS shot dead Osama bin Laden more than a decade ago. Zawahiri's death in Kabul raised questions about whether he received sanctuary from the Taliban, who had assured the United States as part of a 2020 agreement on the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces that they would not harbour other militant groups. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan - the name the Taliban use for the country and their government - warned Washington that "if such incidents are repeated again and if the territory of Afghanistan is violated then responsibility for any consequences will be on United States." The Taliban gained complete control over Afghanistan on Aug. 15 last year after U.S. led foreign forces withdrew and top Afghan leaders including the country's president fled, marking an end to two decades of war. (Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar; Writing by Rupam Jain, editing by Ros Russell) Xi Jinping and Tim Cook Associated Press Apple warned suppliers not to identify Taiwan as an independent country on Friday, Nikkei reported. The announcement came after some Apple components were held for review by Chinese authorities. Earlier this week, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi garnered China's ire for visiting Taiwan. Apple told suppliers on Friday to avoid labeling products from Taiwan as "made in Taiwan," according to a report from Nikkei. The tech company told its suppliers that products or parts made in Taiwan must be identified as made either in "Taiwan, China" or "Chinese Taipei" to avoid indicating that the island is independent of China, the Japanese business news outlet said. According to Nikkei, Apple made the decision in order to avoid possible supply chain disruptions from Chinese scrutiny over the labels, especially as the company prepares to receive components from Taiwan that will be used for new products slated to launch later this year. Some iPhone components were held for review on Thursday to see whether the shipments were labeled to China's satisfaction, Nikkei reported. Apple did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment ahead of publication. Apple's warning comes only a few days after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to Taiwan in a visit that prompted a strong reaction from China. The nation has claimed Taiwan as its own for decades, even though China has never controlled the self-governed democratic country. Pelosi's actions were seen by Beijing as a "major political provocation" and a challenge to China sovereignty, Hua Chunying, China's assistant minister of foreign affairs, said on Twitter. Chinese President Xi Jinping warned ahead of the visit that the Biden administration would get "burned." Beijing also launched a series of military drills around Taiwan in response. Pelosi has been outspoken in her support of Taiwan's independence. "We want Taiwan to always have freedom with security and we're not backing away from that," Pelosi said at a press event on Wednesday. Story continues Apple is particularly reliant on China and Taiwan to provide components for its products. Last year, over a quarter of the company's suppliers were located in China. Much of the company's product is assembled in China, a process that Apple CEO Tim Cook has helped pioneer. Last year, The Information reported that Cook struck a five-year $275 billion deal with the Chinese government in 2016 in order to ease a regulatory crackdown on its business in Asia. Do you work at Apple or have an Apple-related tip? Reach out to the reporter from a non-work email at gkay@insider.com Read the original article on Business Insider By David Brunnstrom and Narin Sun PHONM PENH (Reuters) -Tensions over developments around Taiwan spilled into an Asian meeting of foreign ministers on Friday, diverting attention at a gathering that had been expected to focus on efforts to end the crisis in Myanmar among other issues. Southeast Asia's ASEAN Regional Forum included officials from the United States, China, Russia and Japan, but it ended with no new agreements announced and closing statements deferred until Saturday, as Beijing and Washington traded barbs over a visit this week by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan that has enraged Beijing. Foreign ministers of more than 20 countries joined closed-door roundtable talks in Cambodia as China carried out large-scale military drills, including the launching of live missiles around Taiwan, in response to Pelosi's trip. She was the highest-level U.S. visitor in 25 years to the self-governed island, which China regards as its sovereign territory. "There is no justification for this extreme, disproportionate and escalatory military response," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a news conference on the sidelines of the Phnom Penh gathering. "Now, they've taken dangerous acts to a new level," he said, emphasising Washington would not provoke a crisis and would support regional allies. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), hosting the meeting, called on Thursday for restraint and warned of the risk of miscalculations and confrontation among major powers. China on Thursday cancelled talks with Japan over remarks made in a G7 statement on Taiwan and that same day, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi walked out moments before a gala dinner attended by his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, without giving a reason. On Friday, Wang and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov walked out of a plenary session just as Japan's top diplomat, Yoshimasa Hayashi, spoke. Wang called a rare news conference late on Friday, where he accused Blinken of spreading misinformation. Story continues He called Pelosi's trip a "contemptible farce" and stressed China's military response to it was "firm, forceful and appropriate", and handled professionally. GUILTY CONSCIENCE? Asked about his walkout, Wang suggested Hayashi may have had a guilty conscience. "If the Japanese side has some concern about this, then I am afraid the Japanese side should think about whether they have done something very wrong to China," he said. "If you have not done anything wrong to China, why are you worried about this?" Hayashi said he noticed Wang and Lavrov leaving as he spoke. "In times like this, when the situation is tense, communicating well is important. Japan is always open to dialogue with China," Hayashi told reporters. The 10-member ASEAN issued a communique on Friday that made no mention of Taiwan, but stressed its disappointment at the limited progress made by Myanmar's military rulers in implementing an ASEAN-led peace agreement. The communique said it recommended that an ASEAN summit in November assess progress by the junta in implementing the peace plan "to guide the decision on the next steps". It did not elaborate. Myanmar is an ASEAN member but the generals - who took power there in February last year and have been widely criticized abroad for crushing dissent - are barred from attending its meetings until progress in the ASEAN peace plan is demonstrated. Some members of ASEAN, which has a tradition of non-interference in each other's internal affairs, have been strident in criticising Myanmar, with Malaysia saying it was frustrating everyone and making a mockery of ASEAN, and Singapore questioning the value of engaging with the generals. Myanmar's state television late on Friday carried a statement rejecting those rebukes and denouncing ASEAN's decision not to invite the junta to its meetings, arguing it was cooperating with a special ASEAN peace envoy. (Reporting by Narin Sun, David Brunnstrom and Jiraporn KuhakanAdditional reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka in Tokyo and Martin Pollard and Ryan Woo in BeijingWriting by Ed Davies and Martin PettyEditing by Mike Harrison and Frances Kerry) Investigators have tentatively identified a body found in the Passaic River as Thadius Wilder, 35, ofPaterson, who was allegedly fleeing officers when he was last seen on Saturday, police said Thursday. Officers were attempting to apprehend Wilder at the Speer Village housing complex on Saturday for an open warrant when he fled on foot, eventually running onto Route 21, said Deputy Chief Jonathan Schaer of the Passaic Police Department. Authorities searched the immediate area until calling off the pursuit due to high traffic volume, Schaer stated. A day later, Wilder's family reported him missing to authorities. The highway runs along the river for nearly 15 miles from Newark to Paterson. Passaic Police vehicle The body, believed to be Wilder's, pending an autopsy by the Regional Medical Examiner, was discovered Monday by kayakers, according to police. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of Mr. Wilder," Passaic Mayor Hector Lora stated, and called his apparent death "a terrible tragedy." A possible relative did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. Wilder's death is being investigated by the state Attorney General's Office, the Passaic County ProsecutorsOffice, and the city's Internal Affairs Division. More:Route 46 lanes, ramps to close at Rt. 3 interchange. Here's what to expect Nicholas Katzban is a breaking news reporter for NorthJersey.com. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter. Email: katzban@northjersey.com Twitter: @nicholaskatzban This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Body found in Passaic River thought to be Paterson NJ man 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 designer491 / Getty Images/iStockphoto We may be a country sorely lacking in financial literacy, but we all have one core principle ingrained in us: We must have an emergency savings fund. Check It Out: Our 2022 Small Business Spotlight Learn: 7 Things You Should Never Do When Planning For Retirement In theory, it sounds pretty simple: You make a certain amount of income, and set a certain amount of that aside in an account that you only tap into when the going gets especially tough and you need to shell out dough for something like a new car part or a surprise medical bill. But embarking on building a six-month (the recommended amount) emergency fund can be challenging. Where do you begin? With the help of finance experts, we've laid out a multi-step plan of attack. PeopleImages / iStock.com Go In With the Right Mindset "Saving is primarily a mental game that you can win," said Adam Garcia, founder of The Stock Dork. "Setting away even a tiny amount of money on a regular basis can eventually lead you to your objective, no matter how low your starting point is. Time and a little self-control are all that is required." Shutterstock.com Get an Accountability Partner "The journey to starting and faithfully contributing to an emergency fund is more successful when done with a partner," said Lucia Jensen, CEO of WeLoans. "Consider working with your financial advisor to help you stay on track." Take Our Poll: Do You Think You Will Be Able To Retire at Age 65? mapodile / Getty Images Map Out Your Spending "Take the time to distinguish what your necessary expenses are, and what your discretionary expenses are (i.e. streaming services, shopping for clothes)," said Katie Ross, EVP of American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC). "If you're in a tight spot financially, you may want to cut out some discretionary spending. Your emergency fund should cover your essential needs. After you calculate your total expenses for one month, multiply that number by six. The final number is how much money you should have for your six-month emergency fund." Story continues hapabapa / iStock.com Rethink Subscriptions and Sign Up for Promotions "Whether it's your cable company, cell phone provider, or gym membership, it's time to rethink the value of your subscriptions to their services," said Owen Wilcox, co-founder of USInstallmentLoans. "You have probably forgotten about other subscriptions, yet they continue charging monthly fees. Consider canceling, putting some on hold, or renegotiating the deals to free up critical funds to be redirected to your emergency fund." RyanJLane / Getty Images Start Setting 5%-10% of Your Paycheck Aside "Once you've determined your monthly expenses, it's time to start putting aside money for your emergency fund," Ross said. "If your budget allows, save 5 to 10% of your paycheck. To add even more money to your emergency fund, consider cutting out discretionary spending (such as on coffee or going out to eat) for a few months. If you receive any cash gifts, tax returns, or have leftover money from your budget you didn't spend, redirect all that to your emergency fund." FG Trade / Getty Images Set Small, Inspiring Goals "Instead of one major savings goal, make multiple smaller ones," Garcia said. "Prepare for success from the beginning. Plan for one month's worth of spending rather than three months' worth immediately. Or you could wait a month. Whatever you need to do to make your initial objective seem attainable." Once you accomplish your first goal, you should feel inspired to continue with a slightly bigger goal. "Make your second goal even more challenging, and your third goal even more challenging still," Garcia said. "As time goes on, you'll have developed a habit of saving, and the positive motivation you're generating by achieving modest goals will help propel you toward bigger ones." Goodluz / iStock.com Set a Long-Term Goal, Too "Set a long-term savings goal for an amount that you want to meet," said Dr. Kortney Ziegler, CEO and founder of WellMoney. "Then break that down into smaller daily saving amounts that you can maintain in order to achieve that bigger goal. For example, if you wanted to save $500 over the next six months, you'd set a daily goal of saving -- at minimum -- of approximately $0.34 cents a day." GaudiLab / Shutterstock.com Automate the Process of Saving "The simplest method to conserve money is to keep it out of your sight and mind," Garcia said. "Direct deposit is offered by the majority of employers, and some even allow deposits to be made to more than one account. Your company or bank can automatically deposit the amount you choose into a separate account for your emergency fund." CIT Bank/Dekdoyjaidee Store Funds in a Proper Savings Account "Use a non-checking account like a savings or other form of account that you can't quickly access," Garcia said. "It's highly unlikely that you'll miss it. And don't obsessively monitor your account balance, which will simply slow down your growth. The best way to deal with this situation is to let it go." Dimensions / Getty Images Don't Increase Your Monthly Expenditures or Get a New Credit Card "Don't allow yourself to be lulled into a false feeling of security about your financial situation once you've established automated savings," Garcia said. "In the example of giving up a new pair of shoes every month only to replace it a few months later, you're not saving at all." Shutterstock.com Tap Into the Gig Economy If you're living paycheck to paycheck and saving from your paycheck just isn't going to happen, consider nabbing a side hustle -- the market for those jobs is hot right now. "For those who can, this is a time to take advantage of the high hourly rates many businesses are offering for part-time positions," said Sean Fox, president of Freedom Debt Relief and chief revenue officer of its parent company, Freedom Financial Network. "Working extra hours at a retail store or even your own workplace may not be exciting, but it's a great way to generate extra income and get that fund built up." RichVintage / Getty Images Don't Save Too Much -- Invest the Rest! "Your money is probably sitting in a low-yielding savings account, which means it's earning virtually nothing," Garcia said. "Once you've achieved your final aim, you should stop making contributions to that account. Your retirement funds are a good place to start because they'll be able to bear the most fruit over time if you're patient." More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Heres How To Build a 6-Month Emergency Fund Georgias film industry is a huge revenue generator for the state. However, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is encouraging film industry leaders to take a second look at what California can offer them, despite the ramifications that decision could have on local businesses. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Theyre in love with Stranger Things, Melinda McLarnon said. In the small town of Jackson, Georgia things are a little bit strange. Its almost every day we have somebody who has come to our town to look where Stranger Things was filmed, McLarnon said. The town in Butts County, is better known to Stranger Things fans around the world as Hawkins, Indiana. That notoriety brings plenty of tourists and customers into McLarnons Italian Restaurant, the Brickery. TRENDING STORIES: Fans started coming in. Weve had people as far away as Poland, she said. Just like many businesses around the state, she has seen direct benefits from the states film industry. Now, Newsom says he wants more of the industry to move back to his state, calling on the industry to leave states like Georgia that passed strict new abortion laws. Saying in a tweet: CA will be extending our tax credits for productions that leave discriminatory red states. Time to come back to the entertainment capital of the world. Where we believe in freedom. A womans right to make her own decisions. And support our LGBT community. https://t.co/DBGy3pwqr2 Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) August 3, 2022 But Kennesaw State Economics Professor J.C. Bradbury recently told Channel 2s Justin Wilfon that Georgias tax incentives remain the most lucrative in the country, making it unlikely the industry will leave. Story continues The reason the film industry is in Georgia is because Georgia pays the industry to film here, Bradbury said. So, the tax credits really give the film industry a 30% discount for filming here. And so, if youre making a $10 million movie, you get three million off if youre filming in Georgia. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] We also reached out to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and the Georgia Film Office. Both referred Channel 2 to the announcement this week that the film industry is stronger than ever in Georgia, spending a record-breaking $4.4 billion in the state in the past year, an industry that has helped towns like Jackson cash in. I think its meant a lot to the town. Its put us on the map, McLarnon said. IN OTHER NEWS: The head of Chad's ruling junta Friday flew off to Qatar to seal a possible peace deal with rebels, a key step in plans to restore civilian rule, the presidency's website said. General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno's plane took off from N'Djamena airport at around 1230 GMT, an AFP journalist said. Earlier, diplomats and negotiators in Doha said Deby and opposition groups would sign an accord on Monday, opening the way for the rebels to attend a "national inclusive dialogue" on Chad's future. Deby has been in power since April 2021, when his father, veteran president Idriss Deby Itno, was killed in an operation against insurgents in northern Chad. He has promised to stage elections within an 18-month timeframe. The ballot would follow a "dialogue" gathering representatives across Chadian society, including its political opposition and constellation of rebel groups. The forum was initially scheduled to start on February 15 but was postponed to May 10 and then again to August 20. It has been persistently delayed by discord among the dozens of rebel groups locked in talks with the government. Qatar has been playing the role of mediator in the parlay, which began in March. On the table is a government plan for a ceasefire and guarantees of security for rebel leaders who attend the forum. On Friday, a senior diplomatic source in Doha said "the signature will be on Monday". The source spoke on condition of anonymity as no official announcement had been made by the Qatari government. A deeply poor country in the heart of the Sahel, Chad has had little stability since gaining independence from France in 1960. Armed rebels are a major factor in the volatility, traditionally posing a threat to the government from havens in the north of the country The main armed opposition Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) has not yet announced whether it will sign the accord. FACT fighters were among rebels battling the senior Deby when he was killed last year after an iron-fisted reign lasting 30 years. Story continues According to a decree signed Thursday by Prime Minister Albert Pahimi Padacke, more than 1,300 representatives of rebel groups, civil society, trade unions and government officials will attend the talks in the Chadian capital. The 18-month timeframe set by Deby runs out in October, which leaves little time to prepare for elections in the vast arid country. The junta has given itself the option of extending the deadline but faces pressure from France, the European Union and African Union not to do so. yas-dyg/blb/ri/ah Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) dismissed concerns Thursday that prosecuting former President Trump would martyrize him among his followers. She said there are democratic risks if evidence against Trump is ignored. The question for us is, are we a nation of laws? Are we a country where no one is above the law? And what do the facts and the evidence show? Cheney told CNNs Kasie Hunt in an interview aired Thursday. Cheney is one of two Republicans on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol, and among many panel members who have urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate Trump for his actions leading up to Jan. 6 and his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Ive been very clear: I think hes guilty of the most serious dereliction of duty of any president in our nations history, the Wyoming congresswoman said Thursday. Amid mounting evidence against the former president, the DOJ would be hard-pressed not to prosecute, Cheney added. How do we then call ourselves a nation of laws? I think thats a very serious, serious balancing. The DOJs criminal probe into the circumstances surrounding Jan. 6 has reportedly begun to home in on the former president, sparking questions about potential criminal prosecution. Last week, Cheney retweeted an article suggesting the case for prosecuting Trump was strengthening. Shes long argued that the former president is a threat to democracy and to the Republican Party. Cheney is up for reelection in this years midterms and is staring down her states GOP primary in August. Mid-July polling showed the congresswoman falling behind her Trump-backed challenger. Shes pitched her primary as a split between her party and Trump extremism. We have to choose because Republicans cannot both be loyal to Donald Trump and loyal to the Constitution, she said in June. The Jan. 6 committee is expected to return for more hearings in the fall, after Wyomings GOP primary. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. China on Friday halted its relations with the U.S. on a range of issues, including talks on climate change and military ties, in retaliation for House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan this week. The countermeasures highlight the increasing tensions between the U.S. and China since Pelosi (D-Calif.) decided to go through with her trip to Taiwan, an island republic that China claims as part of its territory. Even weeks before Pelosis trip was officially confirmed, Chinese officials began launching threats against the speaker and warnings to the U.S. that it was playing with fire if she visited the island. China ramped up its retaliation with military action following Pelosi's visit to Taiwan on Tuesday and Wednesday. It has fired missiles over the island and on Thursday launched military exercises off Taiwans coast that Beijing said would run through Sunday. Other countermeasures announced Friday by China include the cancellation of dialogue with the U.S. between regional commanders and on defense policy coordination, military maritime safety, returning illegal immigrants, criminal matters, transnational crime, illegal drugs and climate change. China also announced on Friday sanctions against the House speaker and her family over her visit to Taiwan, saying it constituted a gross interference in Chinas internal affairs. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it took these actions because Pelosi visited Taiwan in disregard of Chinas strong opposition and serious representations. It gravely undermines Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously tramples on the one-China principle, and severely threatens peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the ministry said in a press release. In response to Pelosis egregious provocation, China decides to adopt sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family members in accordance with relevant laws of the Peoples Republic of China. Pelosi earlier this week had waved off Beijings lashing out over her visit to Taiwan, saying at a press conference on Wednesday that whatever China was going to do they'll do in their own good time. As shes continued her tour throughout Asia this week, the speaker has also praised Taiwan for its democracy and said that China will not isolate Taiwan by preventing U.S. officials from visiting the island. They may try to keep Taiwan from visiting or participating in other places, but they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there, she said during a press conference in Tokyo on Friday. China has suspended all planned discussions with the U.S. on key international issues as retaliation against the U.S. congressional delegation's visit to Taiwan. Beijing on Friday made the announcement that the Chinese Communist Party was canceling all discussions of climate change, drug networks and military action. China attributed the decision to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's congressional delegation and their trip to the island of Taiwan. "The cancellation also sent a clear signal to the U.S. that the Chinese side will never accept the U.S. blatantly damaging China-U.S. relations without bearing any consequences," said U.S. studies scholar Lu Xiang from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. PELOSI TAIWAN TRIP: IRAN, SYRIA JOIN LIST OF COUNTRIES CONDEMNING CONTROVERSIAL VISIT Pelosi's trip to Taiwan lauded the "democratic values" and "self-governance" of Taiwan and assured the Taiwanese that the U.S. would maintain mutual security interests in the region. Chinese protesters tear up an American flag outside the Consulate General of the United States in Hong Kong on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. Anthony Kwan/Getty Images The People's Republic of China has long claimed sovereignty over Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait, the relatively narrow strip of ocean between the island of Taiwan and the Chinese mainland. The Chinese military has frequently sent planes into the area, testing Taiwan's air defense zone. The U.S. does not have official relations with Taiwan also known as the Republic of China and maintains a "One China" policy that recognizes the People's Republic of China as the legitimate successor nation. The White House has repeatedly tried to calm the escalating hostility surrounding Pelosi's trip, but senior CCP officials remain irked. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to reporters Thursday about the recent congressional delegation to Taiwan, trying to smooth over the visit. Blinken spoke Thursday in Cambodia with Prime Minister Hun Sen. Before reporters were escorted out of the conference room to allow the leaders a moment of closed door discussion, Blinken paused to touch on a related subject. "I want to speak to the recent activity concerning Taiwan because I know it's on a lot of people's minds," Blinken said. "The United States continues to have an abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We oppose any unilateral efforts to change the status quo, especially by force." BEIJING (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry said on Friday it lodged solemn representations to relevant European countries and EU envoys over statements on Taiwan issued by the foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Deng Li lodged the diplomatic complaints on Thursday, the Chinese foreign ministry statement said. (Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Writing by Martin Quin Pollard; Editing by Christian Schmollinger) Chinas massing of ships, aircraft and missiles near Taiwan is giving the U.S. a never-before-seen glimpse of how Beijing might launch a military campaign against the island. But China is also learning plenty of lessons that could eventually prove more important in how it plans for any future strike against the island of 23 million people. For all of Chinas military might, the Peoples Liberation Army has limited real-world experience outside of highly-choreographed domestic military exercises and hasnt fired a shot in anger since border scraps with Vietnam that ended in the 1980s. That makes these quickly assembled exercises around Taiwan a critical test for Beijing. China has brought dozens of aircraft, 13 ships, missile batteries and their crews to bear in the last days, signaling an ability to deploy quickly, even if it's close to home. Its ability to sustain those operations over time, if thats what Beijing decides, will be a critical test for the military, and closely watched. The dozens of warplanes flying daily over the median line in the Taiwan Strait and warships prowling the waters off the coast represent a significant and ominous change to the status quo, and one that could have enormous consequences for the defense of Taiwan in the future, experts and officials said. Pushing those warplanes over the line not only erases the previous boundary, but doing so in coordination with warships and staying clear of the missiles flying in close proximity is exactly the kind of real-time interaction that modern militaries spend so much time and effort to perfect, and has famously confounded the Russians in Ukraine. Getting those systems aligned, while watching Taiwans reaction, would yield critical knowledge about both capacity and readiness for Beijing if it launches military strikes against Taiwan or American interests in the Pacific. Chinese military planners are no doubt soaking up the reaction to their efforts, as Taiwan activates missile defense radars and moves troops and equipment around the island, giving Beijing key insights into how Taipei might react in time of war. Story continues Previous Chinese drills have been like driving a new car around a lot, as opposed to taking it out on the highway, said Randy Schriver, who served as the Pentagons top Asia policy official in the Trump administration. The coordinated bracketing of the island is the kind of exercise that will be more applicable to an actual strike. To this point, the United States has publicly held back, saying very little about the exercises while keeping its Japan-based USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group in the region, but not close to Taiwan. The amphibious ship USS Tripoli is near Okinawa and the amphibious USS America is in the East China Sea. Both carry F-35 fighters. More significant will be the glimpses into how China deploys and uses its forces. It will likely be a bonanza of intelligence, that could yield insights into the strengths and weaknesses of PLA mobilization, said Collin Koh, a research fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies in Singapore. Those peeks would present a better picture of how the PLA may in future prosecute an invasion of Taiwan, or more generally how it would conduct a major military campaign, than any long-planned exercise on the Chinese mainland ever could, Koh added. Defense officials said the military is watching the exercises closely, but generally, they have remained quiet about the Chinese actions. White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby has said repeatedly this week that the U.S. isnt looking for a conflict with China. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, while traveling in Cambodia Friday, said there is no justification for this extreme, disproportionate, and escalatory military response, adding the Chinese moves are a significant escalation in the region. While the Chinese military has tested its missiles for years, their launch crews have never worked in an operational scenario where they have to wrestle with the complexities of military and commercial air and sea traffic, and ensure their missiles can make it over populated civilian areas and land safely in designated waters. Ahead of the live-fire exercises this week, Beijing unveiled a map of six zones where it planned to conduct the drills, forming a virtual ring around Taiwan. After the drills began on Thursday, the military launched at least 11 ballistic missiles, which splashed into the waters northeast, east and southeast of the island. Some landed in Japans exclusive economic zone, and one flew directly over Taiwan, an unprecedented action. On Friday, China sent 30 fighter planes across the median line that cuts the Taiwan Strait in half, according to Taiwans defense ministry. The move jeopardized the status quo of the strait, the agency tweeted, noting that Taipei responded by scrambling aircraft and ships, as well as activating surveillance and anti-aircraft missile systems. We condemn such action that disturbed our surrounding airspace and waters and continue to ensure our democracy and freedom free from threats, the ministry tweeted. The drills may be designed as intimidation, but the highly choreographed and coordinated movements are much more complex than previous shows of force, Schriver said. This is several shots targeted at different closure areas timed in a particular way, so that more closely resembles if they were actually going to use missiles to strike Taiwan, he said. For the Chinese, the exercise is also a chance to find out whether Taiwans air defenses were able to pick up their missile launches, and how Taiwans civil defenses would respond to an attack, Schriver said. They would likely know, did Taiwans air defenses pick us up? Did they light us up with a fire control radar? he said. The drills have provided an opportunity to not just test whether their missiles can hit their targets in an operational scenario, but also whether Chinas ships and planes can effectively blockade the island through their military movements. The last time China made moves around Taiwan to this extent was in 1996, when Beijing fired missiles into the Taiwan Strait after being angered by Taiwanese President Lee Teng-huis visit to the United States to give a speech about the islands democratization. But the modernized Chinese military of today barely resembles the force of 1996, boasting of new missiles, the largest navy in the world, two aircraft carriers, and fighter planes that rival Taiwans F-16s and U.S. carrier-based jets. The PLA then couldn't do any of this, said Lonnie Henley, a lecturer at George Washington University and former defense intelligence officer for East Asia. The things that the PLA is doing are perfectly routine things for the PLA to do these days, Henley added. They're just doing them all at once surrounding Taiwan, instead of doing them spread out over a period of a couple of months at a number of training zones throughout the East China Sea and South China Sea. But Taiwan hasnt been sitting on its hands either over the past decades. For years it has purchased U.S. F-16 fighters and other equipment, and in late 2020 reached a flurry of arms deals with Washington for highly sophisticated systems meant to make the island a porcupine to better deter or withstand a Chinese invasion. The deals included four armed MQ-9B drones, eleven High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems the same weapon that Ukraine has made a household name and Harpoon ship-killing missiles. But Taiwan and the U.S. military are now seeing, for the first time, an indication of what they might soon have to fight. Decades of carefully planned training exercises are vastly different from quick-moving military operations in unpredictable environments, and this latest crisis gives China its closest brush with the real world and its complications. The quick-reaction exercises allows the PLA to put to test and validate the outcomes of its modernization efforts and reforms carried out over recent decades, Koh said. This latest Taiwan Strait crisis presents the opportunity to evaluate their capabilities and identify weaknesses to work on, he added. The PLA is likely to glean a lot about itself in the process. Storyful A Pennsylvania grandmother didnt seem spooked after a black bear lurched toward her as she approached the bear and her cubs from her porch in Kunkletown on July 13, viral video shows.Video taken by Valerie Laura Bruns shows the momma bear cautiously look toward her grandmother trying to snap pictures of the cubs while standing on the porch. When the bear aggressively springs toward them, her grandmother laughs as Bruns fearfully screams and runs inside.Please get in the house! Bruns loudly warns. Grandma, the cubs are in the tree! The bear wants to get us, she adds, as her grandma stayed outside to watch the animals.Fatal black bear attacks on humans are rare, occurring on average of once per year across North America, according to reports. Credit: Valerie Laura Bruns via Storyful Reuters France's river Loire, famous for the hundreds of castles gracing its shores, is a shallow river at the best of times, but this year even its flat-bottom tourist barges can barely navigate waters greatly reduced by a record drought. Even some 100 kilometers from where the Loire empties into the Atlantic Ocean, sand banks now stretch as far as the eye can see, large islands connect to the shore and in places people can practically walk from one side of the river to the other. The Loire valley - a UNESCO World Heritage site famed for majestic chateaux such as Chambord, Chenonceau and Azay-le-Rideau - has suffered historically low water levels before, but this year's drought should be a wake-up call, said Eric Sauquet. Jane Henney, a former commissioner of the FDA, has been tapped by the Reagan-Udall Foundation to lead a FDA-requested external review of key agency offices on human food safety and tobacco regulation, two sources with knowledge of the matter told POLITICO. There are few details public about the foundations upcoming review, which is already being met with some skepticism about its independence because of the foundation's close ties to the FDA and the industries the agency regulates. Henneys appointment has not been formally announced, but she would oversee the reviews of each regulatory area and the relevant parts of the Office of Regulatory affairs, which conducts inspections. The evaluation will result in two separate reports to be delivered 60 business days after the project launches. The Reagan-Udall Foundation said that it will announce the other external experts on the review committee after they are identified and vetted. It estimated that it will announce plans for the review in mid-August. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said he asked the foundation to conduct an independent review of the offices in July amid lawmaker and public outcry over the agencys actions on the infant formula shortage and delayed electronic cigarette regulation. Henney was the first woman to lead the FDA and served in the Clinton administration. She is a member of the Audit and Compliance committee of the health care policy foundation at the Commonwealth Fund and sits on the board of directors of AmerisourceBergen, a wholesale drug company. She could not be reached for comment at the time of publication. Former agency and regulatory experts are skeptical about whether this review will lead to meaningful change at the agency, in part due to Reagan-Udalls ties with the FDA and industry. I expect that theyll give some kind of low-hanging fruit recommendations, said one former senior FDA official, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly on the matter. Any time you have someone who is connected to the FDA, even including Dr. Henney, youre probably going to get some bias toward low-hanging fruit. Story continues The recent infant formula crisis heightened scrutiny of the agencys food safety division. Contaminated formula led to multiple infant deaths earlier this year and contributed to severe shortages for many months. Many outsiders had questions as to how the FDA had failed to take action on formula plants with unsanitary conditions for so long, and a POLITICO investigation uncovered a four-month delay between initial reports of contamination and a follow-up inspection. The agency's inspectional activities related to the program also need to be evaluated, particularly in light of stresses related to the Covid-19 pandemic, Califf said in a statement about the review. The agency has confronted a series of challenges that have tested our regulatory frameworks and stressed the agency's operations, prompting me to take a closer look at how we do business. The Reagan-Udall Foundation was created by Congress under the 2007 user fee amendment package. Lawmakers chartered it to advance the mission of the FDA while remaining independent from the federal government. It relies on funding from the agency, the food and pharma industries, grants, contracts and private donors. This study is exactly what Reagan-Udall was established to do, Ellen Sigal, chair of the foundations board of directors, said in an emailed statement to POLITICO. I am confident that we will provide a helpful report to the FDA and that the process will be robust, independent and transparent once it is underway. The foundation maintains close ties to the agency and the industries it regulates. Susan Winckler, Reagan-Udalls chief executive, previously was the chief of staff for the FDA. Mark McClellan and Andrew von Eschenbach, both former FDA commissioners, serve on the foundations board of directors. In 2021, Reagan-Udall received $1.25 million in operational funding from the FDA. Major drug companies, including Pfizer, AbbVie, Eli Lilly and Janssen are listed among its project funders, as are food giants Kellogg and Nestle USA. Reagan-Udall will be aligned with Califf, another former senior FDA official familiar with the matter said. He was also granted anonymity to speak candidly. This is an attempt to give him [Califf] some breathing room to let him make some decisions on how hes going to organize these offices moving forward. We are a non-profit, non-government organization with one purpose and that's to help the FDA do more to protect and promote public health, said Reagan-Udalls Winckler. That requires some external stakeholder engagement and interaction with the FDA, she added. We continue to structure our work in an independent manner and that's how we will deliver the work here as well, she said. Winckler said the foundations investigation will create two baseline reports focused on the operations of each of the divisions being critiqued. Each report will be led by its own advisers. The foundation will also be setting up a web portal where FDA staff may anonymously submit their concerns. This will not be a treatise, but it will be substantive, Winckler said. Regulatory experts noted that while Reagan-Udall could lead a fair review of the agency, transparency will be key to gaining public and lawmaker trust. Its absolutely essential that the reports [are] viewed as credible, said Wayne Pines, a former associate commissioner for the FDA and president of health care at APCO worldwide, a management consulting company. He added that although he believed the foundation would be able to conduct a solid review of the agencys offices especially given the foundation personnels experiential knowledge he understands that its financial ties to the agency and the industries it regulates may appear to bias its assessment. I think theres reason for us to be cautiously optimistic about the process that theyll be using to conduct this review, both in terms of transparency and in terms of stakeholders, said Brian Ronholm, the director of Food Policy at Consumer Reports and former deputy undersecretary for food safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But advocacy groups say they worry that Reagan-Udalls ties to industry and the agency make it impossible for the foundation to conduct an objective review. There's a direct and obvious contract conflict of interest there, said Michael Carome, the director of the health research group at Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group. What's really needed is a [Government Accountability Office] investigation that clearly would be completely independent or an [inspector general] investigation. James Franco has recently been cast as Fidel Castro in an upcoming film. (Vianney Le Caer / Invision / AP) James Franco has been cast as many things in recent years offscreen, but now the Golden Globe winner is stepping into the role of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro. On Thursday, Deadline reported that Franco would play the highly controversial figure in Miguel Bardem's film "Alina of Cuba." The movie will center around the life of Alina Fernandez (Ana Villafane), who was Castro's daughter with Cuban socialite Natalia "Naty" Revuelta (Mia Maestro) and a detractor of her father's governing. The casting comes a month after Franco got a role in Bille August's upcoming post-World War II film "Me, You," his first public role announcement since a proposed settlement of $2.2 million was reached between Franco and two of his former students to settle sexual exploitation and fraud claims in 2021. Currently, neither film has a release date. The roles are a comeback of sorts for the actor, who has not appeared onscreen since 2019. His casting as Castro was controversial due to the actor's sexual misconduct allegations and the fact that Franco is not of Cuban or Latino descent. In 2018, five women accused Franco of inappropriate or sexually exploitative behavior. Four of the women were his students at the film school he founded and the fifth referred to him as a "mentor." One of the women, Sarah Tither-Kaplan, told The Times that in a nude orgy scene she filmed with Franco and several women, he removed protective plastic guards covering other actors' vaginas while simulating oral sex on them. I feel there was an abuse of power, and there was a culture of exploiting noncelebrity women, and a culture of women being replaceable, Tither-Kaplan told The Times in 2018. Two other student actresses also recalled negative on-set experiences, saying Franco became angry when no women, while at a shoot, would agree to be topless. He just took advantage of our eagerness to work and be a part of something bigger, said Natalie Chmiel, a former student of the actor. We were all these up-and-coming actors who were so hopeful. Story continues In an interview with Jess Cagle on SiriusXM in December 2021, the "The Disaster Artist" actor admitted he did sleep with students in his film classes. Of course, I knew ... thats probably not a cool thing," Franco said. "I guess it just comes down to my criteria, [which] was like, If this is consensual, I think its cool. Were all adults, so...'" John Martinez OFelan, one of the "Alina of Cuba" producers, shed light on the casting decision in a recent statement to Deadline. "Finding and convincing James Franco to play Castro was a fun and challenging process and has been the collaborative work of the universe, because our directors original order was to find an actor who holds a close physical resemblance to the real Castro to build from, along with finding someone Alina Fernandez would strongly endorse." Martinez O'Felan also talked about the decision to go with Franco despite his lack of a Latino background. "[W]e used Fidel Castros ancient Galician heraldry as our focal compass, and then combed through the entire ranks of actors with Latin roots in Hollywood to find someone who has a similar facial structure," the producer said in the statement. "In executing a close search into our hopefuls through the eye of Spanish and Portuguese genealogy which the Galicians held, we found that James, by far, had the closest facial likeness of our industrys leading actors, meaning that the focus would be to build out his character accent and wed have a stunning on-screen match to intrigue audiences and bring the story to life with true visual integrity." Folks online had much to say about Franco's new role with actor John Leguizamo expressing his disbelief and frustration with the casting Friday morning on Instagram. "How is this still going on? How is Hollywood excluding us but stealing our narratives as well? No more appropriation Hollywood and streamers!" the Colombian American actor wrote. "Boycott! This Fd up! Plus seriously difficult story to tell without aggrandizement which would b wrong! I dont got a prob with Franco but he aint Latino!" Others on Twitter expressed similar sentiments. "Im auditioning for another generic Latin-American drug dealer and James Franco is dead ass playing Fidel Castro," tweeted @iamJeffTorres. "Latinos gettin done dirty af out here and everywhere. Damn lol." "Gordita Chronicles (starring a Latino family was canceled), Batgirl (starring a Latina was canceled), but James Franco is set to play Fidel Castro in new movie," wrote @MrRafaelAgustin. "I'm so confused by the disrespect the industry continues to give Latine performers," tweeted @RuizaJenni. "Now James Franco has been cast as Fidel Castro. Fidel Castro, everyone." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A woman accused in a 2002 double murder faced jurors Friday as the second trial finally began in a case marred by past prosecutorial misconduct, scathing national media attention and years of delays. Dana Chandler maintains she is innocent in the killings of her ex-husband and his fiancee. Chandler, now 62, was found guilty at the end of the first trial in 2012. Her convictions were overturned in 2018 because of prosecutorial misconduct. The Kansas Supreme Court disbarred prosecutor Jacqie Spradling earlier this year after concluding she engaged in intolerable acts of deception at the trial. After years of court continuances, many of which were requested by Chandler, jury selection began on July 28. Opening statements were presented Friday afternoon in Shawnee County District Court. Deputy District Attorney Charles Kitt recounted the day Mike Sisco and his fiancee, Karen Harkness, were found shot to death, July 7, 2002, in the basement bedroom of their Topeka home. He said detectives learned through interviews with relatives that Chandler had caused problems for the couple by showing up at their home and calling them repeatedly. Chandlers divorce with Sisco had taken years and was acrimonious, Kitt said. Sisco was awarded sole custody of their children and child support which Chandler was not happy about, Kitt said. Science is not going to solve this case, Kitt told the jury. The case, he said, was based on jealousy, rage and obsession. One of Chandlers lawyers, Tom Bath, told the jury that Chandler was hundreds of miles away when the couple was killed. For 20 years, he said, Topeka police, with the help of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the FBI, have scoured for evidence to place Chandler at the murder scene but have come up empty handed. Bath said a recent crime scene reconstruction showed the shooter was likely taller than Chandler. He also said Chandler has never matched DNA, fibers, fingerprints or other physical evidence collected during the investigation. Story continues No match, he said. No match at all. Timeline of high profile case In 2009, CBS 48 Hours aired an episode about the unsolved killings and portrayed Chandler as the prime suspect. She was arrested two years later in Duncan, Oklahoma. At the time, Bath told the jury Friday, police seized everything that Chandler owned in the hopes of implicating her in the crime. Theres nothing, he said. Prosecutors alleged that Chandler had driven from her home in Denver to Topeka and killed her ex-husband and his fiancee. Chandler was convicted and given two consecutive life sentences in prison. In July 2016, attorney Keen Umbehr filed a complaint against Spradling, the prosecutor, alleging she presented false information to the jury about a protection from abuse order that did not exist. Chandlers convictions were overturned in 2018 because of prosecutorial misconduct, setting in motion proceedings for a retrial. Meanwhile, Umbehrs complaint made its way through Kansas Office of the Disciplinary Administrator. In June 2021, the disciplinary panel unanimously recommended Spradling be disbarred for carrying out what they described as a deliberate pattern of misconduct. Spradling, the panel said in its report, took a win at all costs approach that led to the reversal of two high-profile cases, including Chandlers. The second case involved a Holton man who was convicted of rape and other sex crimes. In May, the Kansas Supreme Court disbarred Spradling, concluding she engaged in a serious pattern of grossly unethical misconduct, which included intentionally lying to the high court about statements she made during Chandlers trial. She also fabricated the subject of a phone call between Chandler and Sisco. Over the summer, scores of subpoenas and motions have been filed as Shawnee County prosecutors and Chandlers legal team prepared for the retrial. The retrial is being covered by national news outlets, including Dateline NBC. Fallout continued Friday from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan as China announced it is canceling dialogue with the United States on military talks and climate change. The Chinese foreign ministry said Friday that working meetings with the U.S. Department of Defense and China-U.S. Maritime Military Security Consultation Mechanism have been canceled as a result of Pelosi's visit. The ministry said it will also no longer be cooperating with the U.S. on climate change talks, drug control, repatriation of illegal immigrants, criminal investigations and combating transnational crimes. These were seen as the remaining guardrails to a fraught U.S.-China relationship, but Beijing has long said that the only guardrail that matters is the "One China" principle -- that the U.S. recognizes the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China but only acknowledges the Chinese position that Taiwan is part of China. The action raises questions on the potential impact for global climate benchmarks, as China and the U.S. are the world's top climate polluters. Just last year, the U.S. and China issued a joint pledge to take "enhanced climate actions" to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris climate agreement of limiting warming to below 2 degrees Celsius. The White House "summoned" China's ambassador Qin Gang over China's provocative actions overnight, spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement, and made it clear that the actions are "of concern to Taiwan, to us, and to our partners around the world." Kirby also reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the One China policy, as has Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Later Friday, the White House spokesman specifically addressed China's halting of climate talks, calling the decision "fundamentally irresponsible." "China's not just punishing the United States with this, with these actions but they're actually punishing the whole world," he said. "The world's largest emitter now is refusing to engage on critical steps necessary to stand up to combat the climate crisis, which actually impacts our partners, from rising sea levels in the Pacific Islands to fires across Europe." Story continues Kirby also downplayed Chinas decision to break off military engagements, saying Beijing "regularly goes after these sorts of engagements to signal their displeasure with the United States." Pelosi and members of a congressional delegation arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday despite warnings not to from mainland China. Pelosi, the highest-ranking American official to visit Taiwan in decades, said the trip -- which also includes stops in Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia -- is about "advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region." MORE: Nancy Pelosi's long history of criticizing China, advocating for human rights PHOTO: U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks at a news conference with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen at the presidential office in Taipei, Taiwan Aug. 3, 2022. (Taiwan Presidential Office via Reuters) In response, China has also ramped up military drills and imposed new trade restrictions on Taiwan. Kirby confirmed on Thursday that China launched an estimated 11 ballistic missiles towards Taiwan, impacting areas to the northeast, the east and southeast of the island. "We condemn these actions, which are irresponsible and at odds with our long-standing goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and in the region," Kirby said. The U.S. expects these actions to continue over the coming days, Kirby said, noting the U.S. is "prepared" for what Beijing decides to do. The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense released new numbers on Friday stating China's deployed 68 fighter jets, 13 warships to the areas and waters around Taiwan. Taiwanese President President Tsai Ing-Wen said the nation remains on high alert. Kirby said Thursday The USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and its strike group would remain in the "general area to monitor the situation" and would actually "conduct standard air and maritime transits through the Taiwan Strait in the next few weeks." Blinken on Friday called China's response a "serious overreaction." "The fact is, the speaker's visit was peaceful," the secretary of state said in between meetings at the ongoing Association of Southeast Asian Nations conference in Cambodia. "There is no justification to this extreme, disproportionate and escalatory military response." PHOTO: A Chinese J-11 military fighter jet flies above the Taiwan Strait near Pingtan, the closest land of mainland China to the island of Taiwan, in Pingtan in southeastern China's Fujian Province, Aug. 5, 2022. (Ng Han Guan/AP) Pelosi herself commented on China's reaction to the trip during a press conference Friday alongside the rest of the congressional delegation, stating Beijing was "probably using our visit as an excuse" for their missile strikes. "Our friendship with Taiwan is a strong one," she said. "It is bipartisan in the House and the Senate, overwhelming support for peace and the status quo in Taiwan." MORE: Pelosi says US 'will not abandon' Taiwan as China orders live-fire drills Republicans in Congress this week have applauded Pelosi's trip, with more than half the GOP caucus in the Senate signing onto a statement backing her decision to go to Taiwan. Pelosi has also been sanctioned by China, which means that neither she nor her family will be able to visit Mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau. When asked Friday if Pelosi bore any blame for the rupture in U.S.-China relations, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Pelosi had "the right" to go Taiwan. "There was no reason to have this escalation that we're seeing from China," Jean-Pierre said. - ABC News' Molly Nagle, Lauren Minore, Joe Simonette and Ben Gittleson contributed to this report. Diplomatic and military tensions continue to rise in wake of Pelosi's Taiwan visit originally appeared on abcnews.go.com When the Department of Justice announced federal charges on Thursday against four Louisville cops for their connections to the March 2020 shooting death of Breonna Taylor, the backlash against Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron was instantaneous. Why didnt Cameron, the special prosecutor for the case, bring similar charges at the state level when he had the chance? Justice delayed is justice denied. But its never too late to do the right thing, tweeted U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, a Louisville Democrat. Despite Daniel Camerons best efforts, accountability is finally coming for those responsible for Breonna Taylors death. Its about damn time. At the conclusion of its criminal investigation, Camerons office ultimately only brought charges against one ex-detective, Brett Hankison, for allegedly endangering Taylors neighbors. Hankison was acquitted on all counts by a Jefferson County jury in March 2022. Critics, including Taylors family and attorneys, said the first-term attorney general never really intended to get justice for the slain 26-year-old Black woman. Cameron has since thrown his hat into the ring for the 2023 Republican nomination for governor, emerging among the frontrunners in a crowded field thanks to an early endorsement from former President Donald Trump. Despite battling with the administration of Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear over mask mandates and going to court to uphold an abortion ban, the Taylor case arguably remains Camerons most high-profile assignment since taking office. It has been a frequent source of scrutiny for the Mitch McConnell protege in Kentucky and beyond. Superstar Beyonce Knowles wrote an open letter to Camerons office urging him to charge the officers who shot Taylor, and rapper Megan Thee Stallion used her 2020 appearance on Saturday Night Live to lambaste his handling of the case. Camerons office did not answer questions submitted by The Herald-Leader, but did issue a statement Thursday evening. Story continues In it, Cameron defended his offices handling of the case and urged people not (to) conflate what happened today with the state law investigation undertaken by our office, saying his teams primary task was to investigate whether the officers who executed the search warrant were criminally responsible for Ms. Taylors death under state law. He also chastised those who would use this moment to divide Kentuckians, misrepresent the facts of the state investigation, and broadly impugn the character of our law enforcement community. I wont participate in that sort of rancor. Its not productive. Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician, was fatally shot by Louisville Metro Police Department officers who attempted to execute a search warrant at her apartment in the early morning hours of March 13, 2020. Police believed Taylor was holding drugs and cash for her ex-boyfriend, a convicted drug trafficker. Taylors boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, said he believed intruders were breaking in and fired one shot from his legally owned handgun after officers used a battering ram to force open the apartments front door. Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly was struck in the femoral artery and he required emergency surgery. In turn, Mattingly and detectives Myles Cosgrove and Hankison fired a total of 32 rounds. Six shots from Mattingly and Cosgrove struck Taylor, with the fatal shot coming from Cosgrove. Two months after the shooting, a report from WDRB News in Louisville also revealed that the warrant for Taylors apartment, which included a no-knock entry provision, secured by Detective Joshua Jaynes, falsely claimed a U.S. Postal Inspector verified she was receiving packages for her ex-boyfriend. Taylors death, along with the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement and sparked months of protests in Louisville and across the nation. How did Camerons office handle the investigation? After Jefferson Commonwealths Attorney Tom Wine recused himself from the criminal investigation into Taylors death citing a conflict of interest because he was, at the time, pursuing an attempted murder charge against Walker Camerons office became the special prosecutor for the case. At a September 2020 press conference, Cameron said Mattingly and Cosgrove would not be charged because they were justified in returning fire after Walkers initial shot. Hankison, however, was indicted for three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment for rounds fired through a covered patio door that penetrated a neighboring apartment with three people inside. No one was charged for Taylors death. Notably, Cameron said his office did not investigate the obtainment of that warrant. Federal law enforcement partners are conducting that investigation. Shortly after the announcement, members of the grand jury anonymously spoke out through their attorney, Kevin Glogower, to criticize Camerons handling of the case, saying they were not given the opportunity to consider any charges other than the wanton endangerment. The grand jury knew, and the DOJ agreed, that the falsified search warrant was important and relevant in this case, Glogower said in a statement Thursday. The grand jurors statements on the process have been verified in the DOJ investigation. They were right to be shocked and upset that they were not given the opportunity to deliberate on additional charges. Hankisons case went to trial earlier this year, with Assistant Attorney General Barbara Maines Whaley taking the lead on the prosecution. Ultimately, it took a jury just a few hours in early March to find Hankison not guilty on all three counts. He went on to have the charges expunged from his record this summer. Should Cameron have brought more charges against officers? The FBI opened a separate investigation into Taylors death more than two years ago. On Thursday, the long-awaited results of that probe were made public when U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced criminal charges against Hankison, as well as Jaynes, his partner Kelly Goodlett and Sgt. Kyle Meany. Breonna Taylor should be alive today, Garland said. Attorney General Merrick Garland with Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Civil Rights Division, speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. The U.S. Justice Department announced civil rights charges Thursday against four Louisville police officers over the drug raid that led to the death of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman whose fatal shooting contributed to the racial justice protests that rocked the U.S. in the spring and summer of 2020. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) The charges against Jaynes, Goodlett and Meany hone in on the falsification of the search warrant and subsequent conspiracy to mislead federal, state and local authorities investigating the incident. During the news conference, Garland drew a straight line from the lie on the search warrant to Taylors death. We allege that the defendants knew their actions in falsifying the affidavit could create a dangerous situation, and we allege these unlawful acts resulted in Ms. Taylors death, he said. Joe Dunman, the managing attorney for the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, tweeted: Falsified warrants, excessive force, and cover-ups all violate Kentucky state law, too. University of Louisville law professor Samuel A. Marcosson told the Herald-Leader that state charges, like perjury and conspiracy, could and should have been brought against the officers involved in securing the warrant. It seems to me that the Attorney General should be asked some pointed questions about why he and his team did not recommend such charges to the grand jury, both in light of the discipline that the LMPD issued against those officers and now the federal indictment, he wrote in an email. Hankison federal charges are two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law; one count was for Taylor and Walker, the other for the three neighbors in the adjacent apartment unit. Again, Marcosson said that decision, raises serious questions about how the wanton endangerment case was prosecuted in state court. Its difficult to see the federal charge as indicating anything other than a belief on the part of the Department of Justice that the state trial did not adequately address the use of force. Beshear, who was attorney general prior to Cameron and is seeking a second term as governor, had not yet reviewed the charges when asked to comment by the news media. But, he said, the allegations are serious. Falsifying an affidavit is a serious charge and it ought to be taken seriously, Beshear said. Beshear was also careful in responding when asked if he agreed with those critical of Camerons handling of the case, saying, I need more information, but a false affidavit could also be perjury under state law. What his critics are saying While Beshear may be cautious in seizing on Camerons perceived mishandling of the case, the internet was not so kind. Just 45 minutes prior to Garlands news conference, Camerons campaign Twitter account asked its followers to come up with zingers and one liners for his Fancy Farm speech this weekend, promising a signed T-shirt if their joke was used. The responses arent likely to make the cut for Saturdays picnic. *no knock*, one tweet began. Whos there? Illegally-obtained warrant. How does it feel to have Merrick Garland do the job you intentionally botched? asked one popular reply. What does the Attorney General say when his investigation is shown to be a sham?, asked another. Hey, Im the Attorney GENERAL. Not the Attorney SPECIFIC. Elon Musk attends TIME Person of the Year on December 13, 2021 in New York City. Theo Wargo/Getty Elon Musk Elon Musk is accusing Twitter of misleading him about its business following a deal to buy the social media platform for $44 billion claims which Twitter denied in a court filing. In court documents filed on Thursday and shared online by Twitter Chairman Bret Taylor, the company responded to Musk's counterclaims, which were filed confidentially last week and unsealed on Thursday, according to the Associated Press. Musk's public countersuit was also shared online by Vox. "Twitter filed a response to Mr. Musk's counterclaims. His claims are factually inaccurate, legally insufficient, and commercially irrelevant," Taylor wrote in a statement. "We look forward to the trial in the Delaware Court of Chancery." In Twitter's reply, which included several portions from Musk's counterclaims, the company responded to allegations that they held back information to prevent his team from uncovering "fraud" after the April agreement. "[Twitter] has dragged its feet in responding to the Musk Parties' data requests and has repeatedly provided sanitized, incomplete information that it admits does not answer the Musk Parties' most basic questions," read the allegation, which was denied by Twitter in the filing. PEOPLE has reached out to Musk's representation for comment. When reached by PEOPLE, Twitter said they had no additional comment beyond Taylor's statement. RELATED: Twitter Sues Elon Musk to Prevent Him from Backing Out of Buyout Deal, Slams Billionaire's Behavior "Twitter was miscounting the number of false and spam accounts on its platform, as part of its scheme to mislead investors about the company's prospects," Musk's team wrote, according to the filings. "Twitter's disclosures have slowly unraveled, with Twitter frantically closing the gates on information in a desperate bid to prevent the Musk parties from uncovering its fraud." In the reply to Musk's counterclaims, the company called his criticisms "factually inaccurate, legally insufficient, and commercially irrelevant." Story continues twitter Chesnot/Getty Images The claims are the latest developments in a clash between the two sides. Musk, who has previously claimed Twitter had more false accounts than they let on, filed to terminate the deal in July, for which the company is now suing him in a Delaware court to complete the deal The company argued in their court filing that Musk did not ask for "any representations" regarding false or spam accounts on the network when he offered to buy the platform, nor did they provide a number. They also claimed Musk did not attempt to verify the number of fake accounts before he agreed to the merger. The San Francisco-based company went on to allege that Musk's counterclaims are an "entirely new set of excuses." RELATED: Elon Musk Responds to Twitter's Plan to Sue Him Over Terminated Deal to Buy Social Media Platform "Musk invents representations Twitter never made and then tries to wield, selectively, the extensive confidential data Twitter provided him to conjure a breach of those purported representations," Twitter's attorneys argued in the documents. "Yet Musk simultaneously and incoherently asserts that Twitter breached the merger agreement by stonewalling his information requests." Despite the lawsuit, Musk has continued to use the platform to reach his nearly 103 million followers. RELATED VIDEO: Elon Musk Pokes Fun at Memes of His Yacht Photos: 'Maybe I Should Take Off My Shirt More Often' In its countersuit reply, Twitter described Musk's reasoning for withdrawing from their deal as a "story, imagined in an effort to escape a merger agreement that Musk no longer found attractive," according to the court filing. "The result is a distortion that Musk is hoping will nonetheless make waves," the company claimed in the documents. According to the Washington Post, the trial between Musk and Twitter will begin on October 17 and last five days.